text:
OTHER THINGS YOU MANY HAVE MISSED – FEBRUARY 28
MOST CANNABIS IN THE UK IS 'HIGH-RISK' SUPER-STRENGTH SKUNK
On 28th February, Sky News reported on a study in which researchers find the proportion of police confiscations for highly-potent skunk rose from just over a half in 2005 to 94% in 2016, and warning of potential mental health risks after they found most of the cannabis consumed in the UK is super-strength sinsemilla – or skunk. The researchers looked at almost a 1000 seizures from London, Kent, Derbyshire, Merseyside and Sussex – the same areas were sampled in 2005 and 2008.
https://news.sky.com/story/most-cannabis-in-the-uk-is-high-risk-super-strength-skunk-study-finds-11270445
DOJ TO BACKSTOP US STATES' EFFORTS TO HOLD BIG PHARMA LIABLE IN OPIOID CRISIS
The New Jersey Law Journal on 27th February reported that the US Attorney General outlined plans to create a new litigation-oriented task force within the Department of Justice to pursue claims against opioid manufacturers and distributors. For some background on the crisis see –
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis
MORE ON DISCLOSURE PROBLEMS IN THE UK
Another BBC Radio 4 programme, this time "File on 4", concerned with problems with disclosure of evidence in criminal trials in England and Wales. This asks if the current disquiet about disclosure should also extend to the Magistrates' Courts where almost all criminal cases start off. Some defence lawyers say evidence that could be helpful to their clients' cases is being with-held and are they're concerned that justice isn't always being served.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09snj9b
WHY PHYSICAL ID IS HOLDING ITS OWN AGAINST DIGITAL
Secure ID News on 27th February carried an article about a new white paper from ITW Security Division, called "The Physical ID Card is Dead – Long Live the Physical ID". This lists some of the reasons that are contributing to the durability of physical ID, and says that there is a relatively bright future for physical forms of identification even as digital ID gains more ground. This, and other related, white papers are available at –
https://www.itwsecuritydivision.com/resources/white-papers
https://www.secureidnews.com/news-item/heres-physical-forms-identification-holding-digital-world/
THE RARE METALS THREAT TO LATIN AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTS
The Open Democracy website ON 27TH February carries an article which argues that the anticipated spike in demand for "technology metals," including rare earth elements lithium, niobium, and coltan, has ignited fierce debates over the development of some of Latin America's most iconic places. It says that some estimates put Latin America's combined reserves of these elements at 50 million tonnes, or roughly 40% of known global supply. Mining technology metals presents a conundrum: is the sacrifice of local environments and livelihoods a fair price to pay for the proliferation of clean energy technologies? It comments that it is significant that technology metals are often compared to gold – white gold, the new gold, or 21st Century gold – reflecting a get-rich-quick mentality in which only the boldest will capture untold treasures lying beneath some of the most important and iconic environments of the world. Rapid exploitation is seen as the solution to so many problems: national development, the global climate crisis, regional stability, to name a few.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/democraciaabierta/julie-klinger/lithium-niobium-coltan-technological-metals-destroy-latin-american-e
2 MEN ARRESTED IN US FOR EXPORTING FIREARMS TO CHECHNYA
On 27th February, the Fairfax County Times and others reported that it is alleged that Tengiz Sydykov, 28, and Eldar Rezvanov, 27, each citizens of Chechnya residing in Virginia, purchased over 100 disassembled firearms and allegedly attempted to ship them to Chechnya without a licence. They then allegedly attempted to smuggle the firearms to Chechnya by using false shipping inventories and disguising the disassembled firearms as kitchen utensils.
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/two-alexandria-residents-arrested-for-exporting-firearms-to-chechnya/article_699ae6ee-1c07-11e8-bf5e-f754d70bbd20.html
SLOWLY BUT SURELY, LUXEMBOURG IS COMPLYING WITH THE 4TH ML DIRECTIVE
Compliance Week on 27th February carried a report on the implementation of the 4th EU money laundering Directive in Luxembourg, where the parliament published 2 draft laws to implement transparency measures on 6th December. Luxembourg is already late in transposing the EU Directive, as most Member States have already done so, and the country is likely to be in trouble with the European Commission if it does not move quickly. The first of the 2 laws establishes a register of beneficial owners of companies and other legal entities, and the second a register of trusts and their owners. Branches of non-Luxembourg companies appear to be excluded, because they will be covered by AML regulations in their home country. The article provides detail of the draft laws and likely timetable.
https://www.complianceweek.com/news/news-article/slowly-but-surely-luxembourg-is-complying-with-amld-4#.WpZJYkx2tZU
MALAYSIAN CENTRAL BANK POLICY ON DIGITAL CURRENCIES
On 28th February, Free Malaysia Today reported that Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has issued the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism Policy for Digital Currencies to ensure that effective measures are in place to combat such activities. It said that said the policy had taken into account feedback received during the public consultation period on the exposure draft released on 14th December. The central bank also reminded the public that digital currencies are not legal tender in Malaysia, and therefore digital currency businesses are not covered by prudential and market conduct standards or arrangements that are applicable to financial institutions regulated by BNM.
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2018/02/28/digital-currencies-bnm-tackles-money-laundering-terrorism-financing/
http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=en_press&pg=en_press&ac=4628&lang=en
SOUTH AFRICAN PROSECUTOR TO ANNOUNCE DECISION ON ZUMA GRAFT CHARGES
On 27th February, Defence Web reported that South African state prosecutors will announce in 2 weeks whether they will reinstate corruption charges against former president Jacob Zuma, according to eNCA television.
www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50867:south-african-prosecutor-to-announce-decision-on-zuma-graft-charges-in-two-weeks&catid=54:Governance&Itemid=118
BANK HAPOALIM TO SET ASIDE ANOTHER $75 MILLION OVER US TAX INVESTIGATION
On 28th February, Reuters reported that Israel's largest bank Bank Hapoalim will set aside an additional $75 million to cover a potential settlement in a US investigation of possible tax evasion by the bank's clients there – provisions for the investigation now stand at $343 million.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bank-hapoalim-probe/bank-hapoalim-to-set-aside-another-75-million-over-u-s-tax-investigation-idUSKCN1GC0PG?src=ilaw
GROWTH OF INITIAL COIN OFFERINGS SPARK MONEY LAUNDERING FEARS
The International Chamber of Commerce on 28th February reported that the publication of guidelines by Switzerland come at a time when ICO have come under intense scrutiny and some governments, such as China and South Korea, have decided to ban ICO altogether. Separately, the Government of Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) are developing legislation relating to digitalised tokens.
https://icc-ccs.org/index.php/1242-growth-of-initial-coin-offerings-spark-money-laundering-fears
NEARLY 1 IN 3 UK SME E-TAILERS FAIL TO SHIP GOODS OVERSEAS
Postal Intelligence on 28th February reported that a recent study by Royal Mail has shown that 11% of SME online retailers in the UK do not import or export goods of any kind. Of those surveyed, nearly 1 in 4 (23%) do not import goods and 30% do not export their own items. In spite of this, there is a keen appetite for exporting with almost two thirds (64%) aiming to increase international sales revenues in 2018
http://www.postalandparceltechnologyinternational.com/news.php?NewsID=89716
DHL EXPRESS OPENS FLAGSHIP SORTING CENTRE AT BRUSSELS AIRPORT
On 28th February, Postal Intelligence reported that DHL Express has opened its new €140 million regional hub at Brussels Airport in Belgium. The logistics centre is equipped with state-of-the-art sorting technology enabling it to handle up to 42,000 packages per hour, almost quadrupling its previous capacity.
MADEIRA FREE TRADE ZONE
Dixcart has issued its briefing IN519 about the Madeira Free Trade Zone, also known as the "Madeira International Business Centre", the MIBC, was sanctioned by the EU upon Portugal's entry into the EU, with the aim of diversifying the regional economy which was previously dependent on agriculture and tourism in the 1980's.
https://dixcart.com/articles/in519-the-madeira-free-trade-zone-the-beginning-of-portugal-s-international-business-identity
NEW P&O TERMINAL COULD MAKE TILBURY A POST-BREXIT RIVAL FOR DOVER
On 27th February, Loadstar reported that a £150 million investment in a new Thames river berth could see the port of Tilbury rival Dover for short sea box and ro-ro services, post-Brexit. P&O Ferries has approved a deal with Forth Ports that will see the ferry and logistics operator move into the new berth, subject to planning permission.
https://theloadstar.co.uk/new-po-terminal-elevate-tilbury-post-brexit-rival-port-dover/
DEUTSCHE BANK ALLOWS FOR $240 MILLION DEAL TO SETTLE LIBOR-RIGGING ROW IN US
On 27th February, Law 360 reported that a New York federal court was asked to give initial approval to a $240 million deal Deutsche Bank AG struck to exit litigation by investors alleging it conspired with other financial giants to manipulate the London Interbank Offer Rate (LIBOR), the third major bank to settle. The bank also agreed to provide "extensive co-operation" in producing evidence to use against the remaining defendants, which includes Bank of America NA and JP Morgan Chase Bank, according to court filings.
https://www.law360.com/articles/1016832
IRISH "BANKS" SUED OVER CHICAGO SPIRE PROJECT
On 27th February, Law 360 reported that in the bitter fight over the long-stalled Chicago Spire Irish developer Garrett Kelleher, the real estate magnate who broke ground on the tower but then lost control of it has sued 2 "bad banks" set up by the Irish government for $1.2 billion, National Asset Management Agency and its National Asset Loan Management subsidiary, blaming their "malicious conduct" for killing the grandiose project.
See also the Chicago Sun Times –
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/developer-sues-over-chicago-spire-failure-blames-sheer-spite/
ACCUSED FRAUDSTER CLAIMS CRYPTOCURRENCIES ARE NOT SECURITIES
Law 360 on 27th February reported that Maksim Zaslavskiy, a Brooklyn businessman charged with securities fraud over 2 initial coin offerings (ICO) allegedly marketed through his companies REcoin and Diamond Reserve Club has urged a New York federal court to dismiss the government's indictment, arguing that cryptocurrencies such as those involved in the offerings are not actually "securities" under the law.
THE YEAR OF BLOCKCHAIN: GLOBAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK BEGINS TO TAKE FORM
On 27th February, as part of its Financial Regulatory Observer for February, White & Case published a briefing saying that virtual currency and blockchain technology are becoming an important component of the global financial system, and although founded on a non-governmental philosophy, the technology is steadily gaining legitimacy. It provides a potted history and outline of developments.
https://www.whitecase.com/publications/insight/year-blockchain-global-legal-framework-begins-take-form
A MURDERED JOURNALIST'S LAST INVESTIGATION
On 28th February, OCCRP carried an article saying that before his (and his fiancé's) murder, Jan Kuciak had been working with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and his outlet, Aktuality.sk, on an in-depth investigation about the Italian 'Ndrangheta, one of the world's most powerful and fearsome criminal groups, and their infiltration into his country.
https://www.occrp.org/en/amurderedjournalistslastinvestigation/
DEVELOPING THE LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TO AN EVOLVING ISIS THREAT
In a news release on 27th February, Interpol reported that senior justice and policing officials were gathering in Washington to identify how law enforcement can meet the evolving threat of ISIS (Da'esh) as its fighters scatter across the globe. With ISIS having lost most of its territory in Iraq and Syria, the International Conference on Mobilizing Law Enforcement efforts to Defeat ISIS will seek to establish a common understanding of the depth and breadth of the threat. Proven 'tripwires' for identifying terrorists, including watch lists, biometric data and finance tracking will be discussed, linked to the need for this information to be shared as widely as possible
https://www.interpol.int/News-and-media/News/2018/N2018-008
JIHAD IN TRINIDAD – THE ISIS THREAT
On 23rd February, the Oxford Research Group published an article saying that despite a well-integrated Muslim population, and an environment where there is no tangible discrimination or lack of opportunity, the Jihadist ideology has taken root in Trinidad. It reports that on 7th February, just days before Trinidad's signature Carnival, some 13 young men – reportedly nearly all Muslim – were arrested and detained on suspicion of plotting to carry out attacks in the country. To date, only 2 people have been charged with any offence – the possession of components for an unlicensed firearm – and all others have been released. It also tells us that, on a per capita basis, Trinidad has provided the highest number of recruits to Islamic State in the Western hemisphere with numbers ranging between 35 active fighters to an upper estimate of 400 of fighters, families and administrators having flocked to the IS banner. So successful has IS been in recruiting Trinidadians that several of them, including children, were featured in an IS recruiting video made in 2015. Apparently, Trinidad's first brush with militant Islamism came in 1990 when a failed coup occurred.
https://sustainablesecurity.org/2018/02/23/jihad-in-trinidad/
FOREIGN FIGHTERS PAST AND FOR THE FUTURE
Another article from the Oxford Research Group, on 22nd February said that a number of transnational insurgents fighting in wars has increased dramatically recently. How, it asked, are those fighting in Syria different from the foreign fighters who fought in previous jihadist wars? Examining developments since the Spanish Civil War, it concludes that the IS's ability to attract followers with different skills and life experiences could be explained by its ideological claims of Muslim restoration. It promoted a nation-building project, restoring the unity of ummah under the Caliphate, with notable success in recruitment. It says that IS can no longer capitalise on its project after a series of defeats and territorial loses it suffered in Iraq and Syria since 2015. However, if moral outrage caused by Muslim suffering persists, effectively countering the appeal of its violent ideology will remain a difficult, long-term challenge.
https://sustainablesecurity.org/2018/02/22/the-generational-waves-of-jihadist-foreign-fighters/
PRESIDENT GHANI OFFERS UNCONDITIONAL TALKS AND LEGITIMACY TO AFGHAN TALIBAN
VOA on 28TH February reported that Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani has offered unconditional peace talks to the Taliban, as well as the chance of recognising them as a legitimate political party and withdrawing their names from international sanctions lists, if they agreed to join a peace process and give up violence.
https://www.voanews.com/a/ghani-afghan-taliban-unconditional-talks/4273978.html
IRAN'S SANCTIONS EVASION TRANSFERS TO ASIA
CNAS on 20th February reported a Bloomberg Politics article saying that the US effort to put Iran in a financial vice was working. European banks were paying big fines and closing off its money flows, and severe sanctions on the country's banking and energy sectors were forcing it to the table on a nuclear deal. But Iran had found a new channel for its illicit transactions: Asia. Lenders in South Korea, Taiwan and elsewhere in the region may have played a part, knowingly or otherwise, in helping Iran evade trade sanctions before the nuclear deal and turn some of its oil proceeds into US dollars, according to court testimony, legal filings and people familiar with the matter. Now that US enforcers have extracted billions of dollars from European banks over sanctions violations, the article argues that their focus is turning to Asian banks
https://www.cnas.org/press/in-the-news/irans-sanctions-evasion-went-east-after-europe-cracked-down
FINLAND PLANS 'ARCTIC CORRIDOR' LINKING CHINA TO EUROPE
EU Observer on 28th February reports that, spurred by China's Belt & Road Initiative, decision-makers in Finland and Norway are speeding up talks on a so-called "Arctic Corridor". Cargo ships from Asia would off-load in Kirkenes or elsewhere in northern Norway on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, saving thousands of nautical miles as compared to the route through the Suez Canal. The ships would pick up European exports while goods from Asia would travel on rail through Finland, through a tunnel to Estonia and from there reach central Europe in record time.
https://euobserver.com/nordic/141142
EU CONSULTS ON TACKLING E-COMMERCE VAT NON-COMPLIANCE
Tax News on 28th February reports that the European Commission launched a consultation on February 27th on proposals to enhance the amount of data available to Member States and EU law enforcement bodies to better combat e-commerce VAT evasion and fraud.
https://www.tax-news.com/news/EU_Consults_On_Tackling_ECommerce_VAT_NonCompliance____76463.html?src=ilaw
UN EXPERT: SWITZERLAND MUST DO MORE TO COMBAT 'DIRTY MONEY'
Swissinfo on 28th February reported that, despite progress in curbing illicit financial flows, Switzerland needs to do more to keep so-called 'dirty money' from entering its financial markets, such as tougher money laundering and tax evasion sanctions, a UN expert has declared. "In recent years the Swiss Confederation has achieved progress in curbing illicit financial flows," Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, the UN Independent expert on foreign debt and human rights, told the Geneva-based Human Rights Council.
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/human-rights-council_un-expert–switzerland-must-do-more-to-combat–dirty-money-/43935604?src=ilaw
5 ARRESTED FOLLOWING SEARCH TARGETING €750,000 INVOICE DIRECTING FRAUD OPERATION IN IRELAND
On 28th February, Dublin Live reported that a number of people have been arrested following an operation in Dublin and Tipperary targeting invoice redirecting fraud that saw €750,000 stolen. It explained that invoice re-direction fraud is when a con-artist tricks a business into changing bank account payee details for a known supplier, and that the scams can result in losses that run into hundreds of thousands of euro.
https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/five-arrested-following-search-targeting-14349986?src=ilaw
BITCOIN EXCHANGE COINBASE TO COMPLY WITH IRS TAX SUMMONS
Tax News on 28th February reported that Coinbase, a virtual currency wallet and virtual currency exchange service provider, has confirmed it will soon transmit information on the transactions of 13,000 customers to the IRS, as a result of an earlier court ruling. The case follows a December 2016 summons received by the company from the IRS, which demanded that Coinbase produce a wide range of records relating to approximately 500,000 Coinbase customers, which it fought in court. After a long process, the Court issued an order providing that Coinbase should produce only certain limited categories of information from the accounts of approximately 13,000 customers.
https://www.tax-news.com/news/Bitcoin_Exchange_Coinbase_To_Comply_With_IRS_Tax_Summons____76459.html
FREE DATA RECOVERY KIT FOR VICTIMS OF GandCrab RANSOMWARE
On 28th February, Europol issued a news release saying that a new decryption tool for victims of the GandCrab ransomware is available on www.nomoreransom.org. This tool has been released by the Romanian Police (IGPR) under the supervision of the General Prosecutor's Office (DIICOT) and in collaboration with the internet security company Bitdefender and Europol. First detected one month ago, GandCrab has already made 50 000 victims worldwide, a vast number of which in Europe, making it one of the most aggressive forms of ransomware so far this year. GandCrab spreads through malicious advertisements published on compromised websites or through fictitious invoices sent as attachments in emails. Once installed upon a victim's computer, the ransomware encrypts the files on the infected system, offering a decryption key in return for a ransom payment of $300 – $500 in the DASH virtual currency.
https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/free-data-recovery-kit-for-victims-of-gandcrab-ransomware-now-available-no-more-ransom
SOLICITOR LOSES APPEAL AGAINST ORDER TO GIVE EVIDENCE ON RUSSIAN CLIENT'S ASSETS AND NOT TIP HIM OFF ABOUT IT
On 28th February, Legal Futures reported on a Court of Appeal ruling affecting Anthony David Kerman, a long-time adviser to Russian businessman, Farkhad Akhmedov, who in 2016 was ordered to pay his wife £453 million in what is believed to be the largest ever divorce settlement in the UK. Kerman said he was retained "on general terms" by Mr Akhmedov and his companies, but not specifically on the divorce. He was asked about his role in arranging insurance for a £90 million modern art collection that Mr Akhmedov had been ordered to transfer to his wife, and also about the assets in a Panamanian company that held around $890 million of the money paid to Mr Akhmedov for his shares in a Russian energy company – representing the majority of his fortune, and his claim of privilege was rejected. The solicitor was made subject to an order requiring him to produce relevant documents and also not to disclose anything about the events to anyone but his own lawyer. The original trial judge had inferred that Mr Akhmedov was trying to hide his assets. He also made a without-notice worldwide freezing order. The Court of Appeal has now ruled that Kerman was not asked about his dealings with or advice to his clients, but instead about matters of fact, and in any case the information sought from Mr Kerman related to communications with third parties.
https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/solicitor-loses-appeal-order-give-evidence-russian-clients-assets-not-tip-off
SWEDISH ARMS EXPORTS TOPPED $1.38 BILLION LAST YEAR
The Local on 26th February reported that Swedish military exports rose by 2% last year, inflated by the sale of fighter jets to Brazil. But critics say the most worrying trend is that Sweden continues to sell to non-democratic states. Exports of military equipment came to a total of $1.38 billion in 2017. More than 80% came from sales to other EU or EEA countries, Canada, South Korea, the US and Brazil, with Brazil, India and the US the top 3 countries.
https://www.thelocal.se/20180226/swedish-arms-exports-topped-11-billion-kronor-last-year
US E-PASSPORTS "NOT BEING VERIFIED"
KYC 360 on 28th February reported that US border control agents have not been using the right software to verify e-passports for more than a decade, 2 US senators have claimed and have asked US customs officials to start properly authenticating e-passports. If data on smart chips cannot be checked, it is not possible to tell if it has been tampered with, they say. The US was one of the first countries in the world to adopt e-passports, and travellers from countries on the visa waiver list are now required to enter the country using e-passports, which speed up the time needed to process individuals in border control. However, the senators say that US Customs and Border Protection has never used the anti-forgery and anti-tamper security measures it required to be built into e-passport smart chips because it doesn't have the right software.
https://kyc360.com/news/us-e-passports-havent-verified-decade/
IN US, DARPA PLANS TO BUILD SENSORS, NETWORKS TO DETECT CBRNE THREATS IN REAL TIME
On 22nd February, Homeland Preparedness reported that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced plans to develop new sensors and networks that are capable of detecting chemical, biological and explosives threats in real time, which will alert authorities immediately. The new SIGMA+ sensors will also be capable of detecting biological threats like anthrax, smallpox or plague viruses in real time by providing continuous monitoring of pathogen background levels. And new environmental and biochemical sensing methods could make the system 10 times more sensitive. DARPA's SIGMA programme currently detects radiological and nuclear materials. However, emerging technologies like 3D printing, small-scale chemical reactors for pharmaceuticals and gene manipulation tools have created new national security challenges.
The goal of the SIGMA programme, which began in 2014, was to develop and test low-cost, high-efficiency radiation sensors that detect gamma and neutron radiation and to network them via smartphones. This would provide a distributed detection network that would provide city, state, and federal officials with real-time awareness of potential nuclear and radiological threats such as dirty bombs. For approximately 7 months starting in July 2016, the fleet of Fire and Emergency Medical Services ambulances was outfitted with the DARPA-developed nuclear and radiological detectors, providing the first city-scale, dynamic, real-time map of background radiation levels throughout Washington DC as well as identifying any unusual spikes that could indicate a threat.
https://homelandprepnews.com/stories/26896-darpa-plans-build-sensors-networks-detect-cbrne-threats-real-time/
For more on SIGMA see –
https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2017-03-01
GIBRALTAR'S "ROCK TOKENS" SNAPPED UP
The Gibraltar Chronicle reported on 28th February that "RockToken", the Gibraltar Blockchain Exchange's (GBX) successful issue – and Gibraltar's first step into the cyber-world that can be measured in terms of a fiat currency – will be 'live to trade' from 5th March. This follows the successful launch of $27 million of the cyber-coin which began in December last year.
http://chronicle.gi/2018/02/rocktokens-snapped-up-in-the-flick-of-an-eyelid/
GAO RECOMMENDS MEASURES TO PREVENT COUNTERFEIT GOODS FROM ENTERING US
On 28th February, Homeland Preparedness reported that the US Government Accountability Office has said that counterfeit goods entering the US pose challenges for consumers and businesses that need to be addressed by federal agencies that enforce intellectual property rights. The GAO (which performs a similar role to the National Audit Office in the UK) has recommended that that CBP take steps to evaluate the effectiveness of its enforcement efforts, and develop a process to assess and share information on port-led initiatives. As representatives from the private sector say restrictions on US Customs & Border Protection's (CBP) information-sharing limit private sector enforcement efforts, GAO also recommends that CBP, in consultation with ICE, should assess what, if any, additional information would be beneficial to share with the private sector. CBP should also take action to enhance information-sharing by, for example, proposing regulatory revisions or requesting additional legal authorities from Congress. The CBP has agreed with these recommendations.
https://homelandprepnews.com/stories/27007-gao-recommends-measures-prevent-counterfeit-goods-entering-u-s/
US ENERGY COMPANY SUES FORMER VENEZUELA GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FOR BRIBERY-RELATED CONDUCT
On 28th February, Buckley Sandler reported that Harvest Natural Resources and HNR Energia B.V, a Houston-based energy corporation that formally dissolved in May 2017, was suing 2 former presidents of Venezuela's national oil company Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) and others, alleging that twice a Venezuelan ministry refused to allow Harvest to sell energy assets co-owned with PDVSA because Harvest refused to pay bribes requested by the defendants.
https://buckleysandler.com/fcpa-scorecard
6 COUNTER-TERRORISM LESSONS FROM THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR
On 27th February, the Brookings Institute, a non-profit public policy organisation based in Washington, DC, published an article detailing about 6 lessons it had identified in the nearly 7-year civil war –
Civil wars and terrorism go together – Afghanistan, Algeria, Chechnya, Iraq, Lebanon Somalia, and Yemen are examples of other conflicts that have birthed new terrorist groups or allowed existing ones to get stronger;
Enemies are often highly divided – IS began as a split within Jabhat al-Nusra, with al-Qaida-loyal leaders in Syria fighting with those loyal to al-Qaida's supposed affiliate in Iraq. IS itself fought against a range of other Islamist groups in Syria, some of which overlapped ideologically with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's organisation. This infighting disillusioned at least some members and weakened the movement as a whole;
Terrorists still rely on states – many of the terrorist groups in Syria—seemingly non-state actors—depend heavily on the policies of states for their success;
Counter-terrorism brings people together, but often only tactically – although most parties are unwilling to admit it, Iran, Hezbollah, and various Iraqi Shiite groups all are on the same side as the US, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel when it came to fighting the Islamic State;
Allies need co-ordination – the traditional US role, is more needed than ever, but the US at first neglected the Syrian conflict but then tried to build a broad coalition against IS without devising a broader policy toward the Syrian conflict as a whole; and
Don't rely on training programmes – the US performed poorly on one key counterterrorism task: building up local allies. Despite years of training and billions of dollars, Iraqi forces fled much smaller and lightly armed ISforces when the latter swept through the west of the country in 2014.
The article concludes by saying that Syria was not Iraq, Iraq was not Afghanistan, and the next conflict involving global terrorist groups will be a different one entirely. But if the US can learn the above lessons, it might do better the next time around—or at least avoid doing far worse.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/02/27/6-counterterrorism-lessons-from-the-syrian-civil-war/
JIHADIST MILITANCY IN BANGLADESH
On 28th February, the International Crisis Group published an article saying that, with political polarisation reaching historic highs and local jihadist groups forging links with transnational movements, new forms of militancy threaten security and religious tolerance in Bangladesh. It recommends that the government should reinforce the capability of law enforcement agencies and the judiciary, and build political consensus on tackling the menace. It tells us that 2 groups, Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh and Ansarul Islam, dominate Bangladesh's jihadist landscape today. Attacks since 2013 have targeted secular activists, intellectuals and foreigners, as well as religious and sectarian minorities; and Bangladesh's antagonistic politics have played a part in enabling the jihadist resurgence.
https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-asia/bangladesh/295-countering-jihadist-militancy-bangladesh
Author raytodd2017Posted on February 28, 2018 Leave a comment on OTHER THINGS YOU MANY HAVE MISSED – FEBRUARY 28
RUSI TO RESEARCH UPDATING OF AML FRAMEWORK TO REFLECT TECHNOLOGY CHANGES
On 28th February, the Royal United Services Institute announced that, building on the success of the 'Financial Crime 2.0' conference last November, RUSI's Centre for Financial Crime and Security will be embarking on a 2-year research programme to update the AML framework to reflect today's technological landscape. Regular updates on this new programme will be shared on the centre's website. RUSI is said to have pleased that the Centre's analysis was recently cited in the House of Commons Second Reading of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill. The Centre's website outlining its aims etc, is at –
https://rusi.org/expertise/research/centre-financial-crime-and-security-studies
Author raytodd2017Posted on February 28, 2018 Leave a comment on RUSI TO RESEARCH UPDATING OF AML FRAMEWORK TO REFLECT TECHNOLOGY CHANGES
PAKISTAN CONFIRMS IT WILL BE ON FATF GREY LIST IN JUNE – BUT…
PAKISTAN CONFIRMS IT WILL BE ON FATF GREY LIST IN JUNE
Pakistan Today on 28th February reported that, after a week of uncertainty, Foreign Office Spokesperson Muhammad Faisal confirmed that the country will be added to the FATF watch list pertaining to terror financing and money laundering in June.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/02/28/pakistan-confirms-it-will-be-on-fatf-grey-list-in-june/?src=ilaw
HOW WILL BEING ON THE FATF GREY LIST ACTUALLY IMPACT PAKISTAN?
In an article dated 1st March, The Diplomat poses this question, answering it by saying – economically, not much. But could it force a change in Pakistan's approach to extremist groups? The article points out that some analysts have argued that the grey-listing will squeeze Pakistan's economy and make it harder for the country to meet its mounting foreign financing needs, including potential future borrowings from the IMF. They have also argued that the grey-listing could lead to a downgrade in Pakistan's debt ratings, making it more difficult to tap into the international bond markets. However, the factual evidence, both historic and current, suggests that these assertions are simply incorrect. Pakistan was on the FATF grey-list from 2012 to 2015, a period during which it successfully completed an IMF programme and raised over $5 billion from the international bond markets. During this period Pakistan's imports and exports remained stable, evidence that the grey-listing did not raise any significant barriers to trade.
https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/how-will-being-on-the-fatf-grey-list-actually-impact-pakistan/?src=ilaw
Author raytodd2017Posted on February 28, 2018 Leave a comment on PAKISTAN CONFIRMS IT WILL BE ON FATF GREY LIST IN JUNE – BUT…
Author raytodd2017Posted on February 28, 2018 Leave a comment on BITCOIN EXCHANGE COINBASE TO COMPLY WITH IRS TAX SUMMONS
LUXURY YACHT WANTED BY US IN 1MDB CORRUPTION PROBE SEIZED IN BALI
CBS News reported on 28th February that Indonesia has seized a luxury yacht on Bali that is wanted by US authorities as part of a probe into alleged multibillion-dollar corruption involving Malaysian state investment fund, 1MDB – the 300 ft Equanimity. In June 2017, the US DoJ filed a civil case seeking recovery of $540 million in assets, including the yacht, that it says were stolen from 1MDB, a fund set up by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak that was intended to promote economic development. Overall, the DoJ says more than $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/indonesia-seizes-equanimity-yacht-bali-wanted-corruption-malaysia-1mbd-fund/?src=ilaw
Author raytodd2017Posted on February 28, 2018 Leave a comment on LUXURY YACHT WANTED BY US IN 1MDB CORRUPTION PROBE SEIZED IN BALI
UK AMENDS NORTH KOREAN SANCTIONS TO REMOVE 4 NAMES
On 28th February, HM treasury issued a news release advising that 3 individuals and 1 entity had been removed from its North Korean sanctions lists, in accordance with EU Regulation 2018/285/EU.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/684401/Notice_DPRK_2018_285.pdf
Author raytodd2017Posted on February 28, 2018 Leave a comment on UK AMENDS NORTH KOREAN SANCTIONS TO REMOVE 4 NAMES
SON OF FORMER FINANCE MINISTER ARRESTED IN MONEY LAUNDERING CASE
Karti Chidambaram, son of ex-finance minister P Chidambaram, was arrested at the Chennai Airport in connection with INX Media money laundering case. It says that Karti Chidambaram is connected to the INX Media bribery case regarding various clearances given to the company. The allegation of money laundering dates back to May 2017 when a case was registered regarding irregularities in granting Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. The CBI investigative agency had registered a case regarding alleging irregularities in granting the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media in 2007, when Chidambaram senior was the finance minister.
https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/inx-media-case-money-laundering-case-cbi-arrested-karti-chidambaram-for-in-10-points-1179181-2018-02-28
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/inx-media-money-laundering-case-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-investigation/articleshow/63107270.cms?src=ilaw
Author raytodd2017Posted on February 28, 2018 Leave a comment on SON OF FORMER FINANCE MINISTER ARRESTED IN MONEY LAUNDERING CASE
SWITZERLAND: DISTINCTION BETWEEN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE IN TAX MATTERS AND LEGAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS
CMS von Erlach PoncetAG on 26th February published a briefing which said that on December 18th the Federal Supreme Court rendered a landmark decision preventing the Swiss Federal Tax Administration (SFTA) from transmitting un-redacted bank files to the US IRS which contained information on third parties which had allegedly helped a US taxpayer to defraud the IRS, ad that that the names of bank employees and the attorney/notary who were involved with the setting up and management of the account, and likewise other information that would allow identification of those individuals, needed to be redacted. The article says that this decision comes as a surprise and marks a turning point in the protracted and heated discussion about the extent of information that the IRS may obtain by way of administrative assistance under the US-Switzerland Double Taxation Treaty. What is of particular interest to white collar crime practitioners, it says, is the emphasis put on the distinction between administrative assistance in tax matters versus legal assistance in criminal matters.
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=6c505f39-8437-4562-8d89-612235974f57&utm_source=Lexology+Daily+Newsfeed&utm_medium=HTML+email+-+Body+-+General+section&utm_campaign=Lexology+subscriber+daily+feed&utm_content=Lexology+Daily+Newsfeed+2018-02-28&utm_term=
Author raytodd2017Posted on February 28, 2018 Leave a comment on SWITZERLAND: DISTINCTION BETWEEN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE IN TAX MATTERS AND LEGAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS
EU COUNCIL ANTICIPATES POSSIBLE SANCTIONS AGAINST CAMBODIA AND THE MALDIVES
On 26th February, Baker McKenzie published an article reporting that the Council of the European Union announced a number of anticipated sanctions measures targeting not only North Korea and Myanmar/Burma, but also Cambodia and the Maldives. On Myanmar/Burma, the Council recommended measures to strengthen sanctions regime. It also adopted conclusions in relation to the human rights situations in both Cambodia and the Maldives. On Cambodia it urged the Cambodian government to "cease using the judiciary as a political tool", and note that the Council "may consider specific targeted measures if the situation does not improve". It also called upon the Maldivian government "to immediately lift the State of Emergency, and restore all constitutionally guaranteed rights", and again, the Council indicates that it may "consider targeted measures" if the situation does not improve.
http://sanctionsnews.bakermckenzie.com/uncategorized/eu-extends-sanctions-against-north-korea-and-syria-and-recommends-new-measures-targeting-myanmarburma-cambodia-and-the-maldives/
For the EU Council conclusions on Myanmar/Burma and the Maldives see –
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/32958/st06418-en18.pdf
Author raytodd2017Posted on February 28, 2018 Leave a comment on EU COUNCIL ANTICIPATES POSSIBLE SANCTIONS AGAINST CAMBODIA AND THE MALDIVES
IVORY COAST LOST 125,000 TONS OF COCOA TO SMUGGLING
Bloomberg on 27th February reported claims that Ivory Coast lost an estimated 125,000 metric tons of cocoa this season through the smuggling of beans to neighbouring countries where farmers and traders are paid better prices. Ivory Coast is struggling to contain cocoa smuggling this season after the country lowered the minimum price for farmers by more than a third. The change opened an unusual payment gap with Ghana, the second largest cocoa producer.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-27/ivory-coast-is-said-to-lose-125-000-tons-of-cocoa-to-smuggling
Author raytodd2017Posted on February 28, 2018 Leave a comment on IVORY COAST LOST 125,000 TONS OF COCOA TO SMUGGLING


text:
Deacon Spotlight: Anne Van Hoof
Will Zimmerman, Sports Editor • October 15, 2020
A senior from Schijndel, a town in the south of the Netherlands, Anne Van Hoof's journey to the Wake Forest Field Hockey team was anything but traditional. "I lived with my two older sisters, parents...
King Henrik, the New York Rangers part ways
Will Zimmerman • October 8, 2020
The king is leaving New York. Henrik Lundqvist, who served as the rock-solid backstop of the New York Rangers for 15 seasons, was bought out of the final year of his contract last Wednesday. And while...
Playing football amid a pandemic
The Supreme Court, the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, The Tribeca Film Festival, Collegiate Football. Even the most revered and distinguished institutions of our world were not spared the onslaught of chaos...
WFU falls in shootout to NC State
Will Zimmerman • September 24, 2020
Wake Forest's offense came to play last Saturday night, but defensive struggles proliferated, and the Wolfpack came away with the victory, 45-42. From the whistle, the Demon Deacon defense was on their...
Tigers trounce Deacs 37-13 in opener
Will Zimmerman, Sports Editor • September 17, 2020
There are reasons Clemson's quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, will probably be drafted number one overall in the 2021 NFL draft. There are reasons Clemson's running back, Travis Etienne, was named the...
NHL ramps up inclusion efforts
Before the first puck was dropped in Edmonton, the location chosen to host the Western Conference bubble, Minnesota Wild defensemen, Matt Dumba, addressed the crowd-less arena: "I know first-hand as...
For professional athletes across the United States, the stakes have never been higher
Will Zimmerman • September 3, 2020
If you didn't believe in their commitment when Rube Foster founded the Negro League in 1920 to showcase the skills of African American baseball players barred from Major League Baseball; If you didn't...
Deacon Spotlight: Emilia Migliaccio
Will Zimmerman • August 27, 2020
After a tremendous performance at the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship in August, where she finished in fifth place among all players, Emilia Migliaccio is preparing for her final year of collegiate...
A Look Inside Wake Forest Sports
Wake Forest radiates success, and as you will quickly learn, our sports are no exception. Following tremendous accomplishments during last year's campaigns, expectations are high for many of Wake Forest's...
Major concerns loom as universities contemplate the risks and rewards of a fall sports season
Will Zimmerman • July 24, 2020
The times of watching our favorite athletes and teams compete day-in and day-out feel like they belong to another lifetime. If you're not interested in cheering on your favorite Korean Baseball team...
Aislinn Bevill: Business and Enterprise Management (BEM)
Will Zimmerman • April 30, 2020
Aislinn Bevill, who hails from Darien, Conn., will be graduating with Magna Cum Laude honors and is a Business and Enterprise Management (BEM) major with a minor in Art History. "BEM allowed me to develop...
Jacqueline Zhu: Biophysics
Jacqueline Zhu, who hails from the Zhejiang Province in China, decided to study biophysics in order to integrate her studies across the chemistry, mathematics and physics departments. Originally, Zhu had...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This walloping wagon might seem out of step with the SUV Appreciation Society but who cares about that?
SURPRISE automotive news of 2018: Not every new passenger model coming out this year is going to be a sports utility.
I'd understand if this comes as a bombshell. SUVs are very much the 'it' products of the moment, right?
They dominant new car registrations and, generally, are the sales leaders for all mainstream brands.
Even the one sector that cannot physically adjust to the SUV shape, one-tonne utes, is touched by this trend, in that traydecks are often bought as SUV equivalents.
Audi New Zealand is far from immune from the SUV shift. It's Q2, Q5 and Q7 achieve 56 percent of its annual volume, and that penetration will surely increase with the Q8 and Q6 arriving next year.
The impact of their rise has affected trad station wagons yet, ironically enough, while the standard A4 load-all is all but goneburger, its most extreme evolution is set to continue to go gangbusters.
Evidence supporting Audi NZ boss Dean Sheed's belief that the RS4 Avant will not only flourish in its current fourth generation but will likely spawn a fifth evocation, presumably in 2024 (since past editions have had six-year cycles) quickly accrued during our first drive experience.
There's no doubt there are SUVs that have something of the same panache, practicality, price and even performance punch as this $149,900 model. But surely none blend all those factors as well as the RS4. It comes down to this car having an all-round pedigree. From my experience, at least, nothing elevated is quite as superb on the road let alone as stunning on a circuit.
Who wants something so honed? Audi NZ can answer that in numerical terms. It expects to place 100 examples of the gen four RS4 Avant into Kiwi homes over the next year, a count that'll safeguard this car's historic status as the country's most favoured RS product.
There's powerful inducement to buy into the new B9: It has equal 331kW power to the old model, but it's 600Nm is a third again more torque, the body is lighter and there's more tech. It's demonstrably a better drive. And at $149,900, it's cheaper in starter form.
What's not to like? For some perhaps, it'll be saying goodbye to an engine that's become an icon. Transition away from a 4.2-litre V8 that served well in this model for two generations to a V6 is a full-circle move – the first of this kind had one of those, too, albeit not with the twin turbo set-up now availed.
A known quantity, having first shown up in the $3000-dearer RS5 Coupe that landed last November, the latest engine is a ripper – heaps of punch yet more manageable, due to a massive flat torque spread that straight lines from 1500rpm through to just under 4000rpm. It's the kind of powerplant that, you feel, could counter the Earth's rotation.
Still, chance to drive the B9 against the B8 at Taupo's Bruce McLaren Motorsport showed the outgoing edition, though now six years old, feels younger and fresher than its years.
The new six has a beautifully modulated timbre, yet it's a tenor singing a tune that we've become used to hearing knocked out in a deeper note. There's still a special something about hearing the rolling thunder of that V8 sound resonate lazily around the circuit; that's for sure. And something a little bit different to learn that the new engine, though co-developed by Porsche, still requires its soundtrack to be artificially enhanced in Dynamic mode.
Also, while the dynamic advancement is obvious, the old gun can still call some shots: Yes, the steering is heavier, the chassis isn't as balanced, but you cannot help but admire a four-paw car that has willingness to throw its tail out, just so, on a fast entry: That's one talent the B9 seems to have lost.
For sure, the new model is faster through the bends – down the straights, too – but what's wrong with a bit of fun to remind the scale of the forces involved?
Either way, on track, they're both massive weapons that attack with ferocity and flair.
Like I say, the six is measurably faster – the factory-cited ability to clock 0-100km in 4.1 seconds against 4.7 wasn't specifically tested, but we did drag races in which the B9 wiped the floor on all but one run. (Hey, I had a lucky start against a usually quick rival).
Another V6 advantage is that it gets Audi back in the Green in respect to economy and emissions. Admittedly, you'd need to drive with more circumspection than I managed in order to hit the claimed 8.8 litres per 100km optimal economy, but for a car of this calibre to even run in a sub-10L/100km territory is decent, right?
Quattro and 275/30 R20 rubber combine to give the RS4 impressively adhesive qualities on the road as well as the track. What also helps it dance more precisely is weight loss; an impressive 80kg. Okay, it is still a 1715kg car, yet it does have a more 'natural' feel now, thanks to almost half the kilo cull occurring over the front wheels, thus largely diluting the old car's nose-heaviness. Funnily, in losing the fat it's gone extra-phat, with a road stance that's even more imposing that the old car. At 2022mm wide, this RS4 Avant is broader than an RS6!
You needn't head onto a track to experience that it's a bit special. At the same token, the hard-out settings that best suit the circuit aren't wholly the best for the road. While the transmission, engine and steering can be left in Dynamic setting in the public arena (tailoring via Individual), unless you happen to strike a blemish-free autobahn, it's honestly best dial the suspension down to Comfort, or at least to Auto. Assuredly, there's still no slop, but when Audi set this car up they clearly didn't have any consideration for our coarse chip. This car doesn't so much fidget on our harshest surface when on its least yielding suspension setting so much as jackhammer. Nein, danke.
The new auto is brilliant; in the past you'd have doubts about whether torque converter could suit the nature of a car a like this, but it really does. You get smoothness and swift shifting, but none of the old box's occasional bang-crash. When the car is being hammered, the box works with such alacrity that many drivers might mistake it for the dual-clutch gearbox it left behind. The steering is lighter and seems more accurate, too, and that trademark flat-bottomed wheel is fantastic to grip.
Anyone out to enjoy the RS4 on a track regularly might like to invest an additional $3500 for the 'sport differential', an electronically controlled rear differential that can apportion as much power as it likes to either side, as standard. A ceramic brake upgrade probably also helps yet is hardly imperative. Unless you live at, and regularly pound around, a circuit save yourself $15k.
It's not exactly coming here is stripped-spec, anyway; quite a few features that are usually optional elsewhere are standard here. Dynamic steering, which adjusts the steering ratio depending on speed, RS exhaust tuning for the quad pipes, sports seats and 20-inch rims are examples of this.
Also added are Matrix LED headlights that deliver an impressive beam and self-adjust to avoid blinding oncoming drivers, electrically heated, adjustable and folding door mirrors, and a powered tailgate.
It's a full-blown luxury model, too, impeccably finished and also carrying comforts such as so tri-zone climate control, ambient LED interior lighting, stainless steel pedals, heated and massaging front seats and a Nappa leather upholstery. Completing the package is the MMI infotainment system with 8.3in display and Audi's 12.3in Virtual Cockpit. As always, there's chance to embellish with carbon fibre and alloy.
Above all, it's pretty family friendly. Four large adults will fit with ease and there's no shortage of head or leg room in the front or back. There a 505-litre boot, while the rear seats can be individually folded to make the most of the maximum 1510 litres of storage.
So, there you go. In a world so averse to station wagons, and so besotted by SUVs, this car could have become a faded memory. Be glad it remains very much alive.


Knee pain may also originate from another location and radiate to the knee. This can happen, for example, in cases of disc herniation in the lumbar spine.
So in this video we will teach you a wonderful recipe to eliminate knee pain and joint pain super fast and easy!
What is the best remedy for knee pain?
How to solve knee pain?
What is a pain below the knee?
How to eliminate joint pain?


Just looking to socialized and spin your legs? Join one of our relaxed rides.
Looking to increase your fitness or train for your next event? We've got rides for you too.
Tuesday (B1 EVO-Evolution Ride) All Ability Levels Ride begins at Evolution Cycles.
Saturday (B1 EVO-Evolution Ride) All Ability Levels Ride begins at Evolution Cycles.


text:
Combating poverty and deprivation in Uganda
Piggery
Home » Projects > Poultry Income Generating Project
Poultry Income Generating Project
Beneficiaries under this project initially receive a two-day training course on managing poultry as an income-generating activity (IGA). Follow-up training is also provided during implementation of the poultry project.
Participants are given practical advice on preparing suitable structures to raise their poultry stock and when these are ready, they are then provided with the chicks. These are raised for 3-12 months, depending on whether they are used for egg or meat production:
Commercial egg production: mature at 5-7 months, can lay eggs for 12 months consistently.
Commercial meat production: mature at 3-5 months.
Beneficiaries are provided with the necessary vaccines and some foodstuffs for the first 3 months of the project, at which time the projects are usually self-sustaining.
Typical Project Costs
A project benefiting 15 members in a group costs up to UGX 3,000,000 (approx £1,000.00).
They typical breakdown of costs is as follows:
Training cost for 15 beneficiaries - £110
Poultry start-up kit for 1 individual - £35
Support for 1 individual for 3 months leading up to self-sustenance - £15
Hi-res format (21mb)
Mama Issa's Story
Mama Issa is one of several SPAU poultry project beneficiaries. She is a typical single parent, caring for her children, her elderly mother, and sometimes her grandchildren.
She told SPAU how her resources were stretched and that she couldn't afford to pay her son's school fees prior to starting poultry project. After the implementation of the project, she now collects a tray of eggs every two days from her poultry and sells it for UGX 4,500. This has helped Mama Issa to pay the UGX 60,000 per term school fees as well as for the national exam registration.
Through the poultry IGA, SPAU aims to extend the life-changing benefits demonstrated by Mama Issa to other single parent beneficiaries.
Income generating projects that are currently being run are:
Learning about us
Supporting us
Uganda Reflex is a registered charity in England, number 1114929
Images and Copyright © 2023


text:
Often asked: What Do You Call An Attendee Of Naval Academy Prep School?
1 What do you call someone who attends the Naval Academy?
2 Are Naval Academy students called cadets?
3 Why do people go to Naval Academy Prep School?
4 Is Naval Academy prep school a high school?
5 Why is Navy called the Midshipmen?
6 What rank do you graduate Annapolis with?
7 What are freshman at Annapolis called?
8 What is the difference between Naval Academy and Navy?
9 Does the Naval Academy have a pre med program?
10 What does naps stand for Army?
11 How hard is it to get into the Naval Academy Prep School?
12 Is the Naval Academy a d1 school?
13 What is the acceptance rate for Naval Academy?
What do you call someone who attends the Naval Academy?
All Naval Academy students, men and women, are called midshipmen. A midshipman first class is a senior or "firstie." The student body is the Brigade of Midshipmen, or simply 'the Brigade,' and the naval service often is called 'the Fleet.
Are Naval Academy students called cadets?
Why do people go to Naval Academy Prep School?
The mission of the Naval Academy Preparatory School is to enhance midshipman candidates' moral, mental, and physical foundations to prepare them for success at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Is Naval Academy prep school a high school?
Unlike traditional prep schools offering the equivalent of four years of high school, the course of instruction at NAPS is 10 months long, using a regular school year format from August to May.
You might be interested: When Does Navy Academy Go Back To School?
Why is Navy called the Midshipmen?
In the 17th century, a midshipman was a rating for an experienced seaman, and the word derives from the area aboard a ship, amidships, either where the original rating worked on the ship, or where he was berthed.
What rank do you graduate Annapolis with?
After graduation Midshipmen are promoted to the rank of O-1 (Ensign or Second Lieutenant). The monthly pay and allowances as an O-1 for the Annapolis area is $4,996 (without dependents).
What are freshman at Annapolis called?
Of course, the freshmen are called plebes and their rank is Midshipmen fourth class. The student body is called the Brigade of Midshipmen, and the naval service often is called the fleet.
What is the difference between Naval Academy and Navy?
Indian Naval Academy is the place where cadets get their specialized training before joining the Navy. The academy conducts the basic training for all the officers inducted into the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.
Does the Naval Academy have a pre med program?
The premedical program at USNA began in 1970 with the Class of 1974. Current Navy regulations cap the maximum number of combined Medical and Dental Corps billets for graduating USNA midshipmen at 15, but, in any given year, the actual number of billets available may be less than that depending on the needs of the Navy.
What does naps stand for Army?
During the first three months of Operation TELIC (January-March 2003), nerve agent pre-treatment sets (NAPS) tablets were issued to Armed Forces personnel in single strips of 21 tablets.
You might be interested: How Far Away Is Blair Academy From Delbarton School?
How hard is it to get into the Naval Academy Prep School?
The average GPA for a Naval Academy candidate is 4.3, which makes it hard to qualify. The Academy has an 8 to 10 percent acceptance rate, so attending the Naval Academy Prep school can help your chances.
Is the Naval Academy a d1 school?
The Naval Academy has NCAA Division I intercollegiate varsity sports and competes in the Patriot League and the American Athletic Conference. Navy is known for its long-standing football rivalry with.
What is the acceptance rate for Naval Academy?
Admission to NAPS* If you apply to the Naval Academy and are not offered a direct appointment, you will be considered for admission to NAPS. Civilians selected to attend NAPS will be enlisted in the Navy Reserve prior to reporting to NAPS in July.
Readers ask: What Is Img Academy And Is It A School?
Often asked: If You Are In The Gt Academy In Quail Valley Middle School Which High School Are You Zoned To?


text:
XACML vs. Drools: A Comparison
Enterprises have several options when considering how to address the authorization function for in-house developed applications. In this post, we will compare and contrast the differences between Drools, a business process rules language, and Extensible Access Control Markup Language (XACML), an industry standard for authorization.
Optimized for different purposes
The XACML standard includes a reference architecture, policy language and request/response protocol that is optimized for access control (authorization) processing. XACML enables a developer to fully externalize authorization from the application logic, making it easier to implement changes to authorization policies. By external, we mean that access policies are defined outside of the application in an authorization service and the application calls the external authorization service for access decisions. The Organization for Advancement of Information Standards (OASIS) owns and manages the development of the XACML standard. Drools is a general purpose business rule engine introduced in 2001 and commercially supported in JBoss Rules. Given Drools generality, it is more expressive than the XACML policy language.
Interoperability and standardization
As mentioned above, XACML is an industry standard for authorization and as such, is implemented by many vendors. The XACML policy language can represent a wide array of access control use cases and be supported by infrastructure components from different vendors. For example, XACML policies enforced by Axiomatics at the application layer can also be enforced by IBM Guardium in its database firewall. The interoperability provided by an industry standard has a large potential to lower the overall operational cost of the environment, implement authorizations consistently at different control points and make it easier to manage authorization policies across the application landscape.
Integration with application environments
Both Drools and XACML can be implemented within a variety of application environments, including .NET, Java, SOA/web services, Python, PHP, commercial applications, and so on. Drools has an active developer community which as developed an appealing (for developers) set of tools around the rule language. On the XACML side, Axiomatics has created a number of off-the-shelf connectors for popular programming environments and offers a domain specific language component, enabling developers to generate XACML policies from an Eclipse IDE.
Stateful vs. Stateless
Unlike the XACML policy decision point (PDP), the Drools model is stateful. This means that the state of the engine changes based on the rules it has executed in the past. For authorization, this feature has been exploited to encode "Usage Control", a generalization of Access Control, where the policy determines not only who can use a resource, but also how. The XACML PDP module is a stateless engine, meaning each access request is treated as an atomic entity. Caching of policies, attributes and access decisions can be enabled in different components of the XACML system but caching is done for reuse of data, not to capture system state. A stateless approach lends itself to more easily configure the system for scalability and availability.
XACML has a distinct advantage over Drools in the areas of audit-ability and compliance. The XACML policy language defines access controls rules in a structured representation that makes it easy to determine whether an application is in compliance with business, security and regulatory requirements.
Further, Axiomatics has developed tools that permit further analysis of XACML policies/rules in order to answer questions such as:
Who has access to a specific resource?
Who can update customer records?
What can users with a certain collection of attributes do?
Database access control
Axiomatics has developed a capability to protect database records at the row, column and cell level by introducing a new product called Axiomatics Reverse Query. The solution decouples database authorization functionality from the size of the data set, permitting the solution to scale to massive databases, data warehouses or bid data deployments. Drools has no similar capability, which would be important when securing access to tens of millions of consumer and small business customer records.
XACML is an internationally recognized security standard that is interoperable across many vendor implementations. Axiomatics proved interoperability with IBM DataPower and Fasoo DRM during proof of concept demonstrations in 2011. Several public demonstrations, dating back to 2007, have also proven interoperability between vendor product offerings.
Tags: Access Control, Audit, Authorization, Drool
Extending the XACML Specification A technical view of the business case for Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC)...


text:
The Astrologer's Vision
Welcome (Intro)
The Self, The Soul, And The Planets
The Science of The Soul
The Soul And Karma
The Soul And Free Will
Eternal Freedom
The Celestial Dynamics of Grace
The Astrological Chart of Jesus
The Judeo-Christian tradition has a long theological legacy of belief in the existence of individual souls. Though the notion of individual souls was scarcely mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible, the existence of souls was established by the Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, and was incorporated into the teachings of the early Christians, and later amplified upon by Medieval Church figures, such as Augustine and Aquinus. René Descartes in the 17th century put his own distinct stamp on the notion of soul, and—in the minds of many—completely exhausted the subject. Thereafter, the notion of the soul was seldom spoken of; but it is enjoying a resurgence of interest today in some academic circles. ¹
The ancient scriptures of Hinduism also contain references to souls, but some Nondualists, including Buddhists and Vedantins, deny the existence of individual souls, asserting that one's sense of 'I', is truly the Self, but is falsely interpreted as the soul. Jews, Christians and Muslims explain their particular personal traits as characteristics of their individual souls; but Yogis and Buddhists have realized and described their spiritual identity as nothing less than the highest spiritual Reality, the divine Void. Who is correct? Both have evidence on their side! But can they both be true? Yes, they can be, and they are. The soul and the absolute Self simply exist on different levels, or planes, of consciousness.
We are told that the characteristics of our soul are the results of our actions (karma) in previous incarnations. These characteristics are portrayed in the patterns of the planets of the solar system at the moment of our birth. The planets of our solar system tell of the tendencies and propensities of our individual personalities, our souls; but the Consciousness of which that soul is made, its non-individualized essence, is the Divine Mind, or Self. Though, on our journey toward self-knowledge, we may come to know the various elements of our self-made soul brought into being by our karma, we must go further within to know the one Self who exist at the heart of our being, and who constitutes the one Divinity within us all. That one Self appears in the guise of every soul, with its associated tendencies and proclivities, symbolized in the varied patterns of the planets in our solar system. But in truth all are He, dressed in a myriad of soul-qualities.
Our individual soul and the Divine Self are not two; there is only the one Self, appearing in many forms, and as the many varied souls. And yet, since most of us exist on a lower level of consciousness, we do not experience ourselves as the divine Self, but as individual souls with distinctly unique attributes, and we deal with others as individuals with unique attributes—though in fact, there is only the one Divinity living and acting in the world as individual souls. Look more deeply into the truth! Lift the veil! See God in each other! There is no one here but God—appearing as you and as all in this world. This is the highest knowledge and the highest attainment. Identify with the attributeless Self, and become free of the limiting soul attributes. Once you've known your divine Identity, those soul-attributes may or may not continue; no matter. Know that you are free. Know that you are the one Divine Reality.
On the physical level, we see each other solely as physical bodies; on a subtler spiritual level—let us call it the 'astral' level—souls may be seen and experienced. But at the highest, or deepest, spiritual level, there are no souls; there is only the divine Self, the Void, wherein all the various levels of manifestation—including the material and the astral—are merely potential. This ultimate reality has been called Brahman, the One, the Godhead, the Self, the Void, the Tao, and many other names; it is realized by enlightened sages as the highest truth, the sole source and origin of all the manifest planes of existence, and everyone's ultimate identity.
Let us understand: there is no contradiction between the soul and the divine Self. The Self simply manifests as a soul associated with a body in the manifested plane. Many, including myself, have seen disembodied souls on the astral level; and many, including myself, have experienced the universal Spirit, the divine Self, as their ultimate identity. The soul and the Absolute are not mutually exclusive. He is all, and all is He; He also transcends all. Brahman, the Godhead, the one Spirit, is the ultimate Reality and Source of all that exists, and constitutes the ultimate knowledge to be attained. But each of us is an individual soul at a grosser level of consciousness, just as we are—at a yet grosser level—manifested in this phenomenal world as a material body.
Realization of the Self does not put an end to one's soul or one's body, just as, in other cases, knowing or recognizing the whole does not negate or destroy the constituents within that whole. We, as souls, live within Him, even while being aware of our oneness with Him; and we partake of that vision by His loving Grace. So let us put away our arguments, and acknowledge that we are both the divine Self and an individualized soul. These two are complementary aspects of our own and the one cosmic reality.
1. See Stewart Goetz and Charles Taliafero, A Brief History of The Soul, West Sussex, U.K., John Wiley & Sons, 2011; and Mark C. Baker and Steward Goetz (eds.), The Soul Hypothesis, N.Y., N.Y., The Continuum International Publishing Group, 2011.


Dandruff is embarrassing and can be intensely itchy. Finding relief starts with understanding what's causing it, then using the right shampoo for dandruff to treat it.
Regardless of why it happens, dandruff is a just another term for flaky skin on the scalp, explains Marisa Garshick, MD, a dermatologist at MDCS: Medical Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery Centers in New York, NY. "It could be a result of dry skin, but the most common cause is seborrheic dermatitis." This is the medical name for inflammation of the scalp and oil glands, she says. The flaking also coincides with scalp itching and redness. Another cause of dandruff is the build-up of dead skin cells on your scalp. Think about how often you exfoliate the skin on your face and body? Your scalp doesn't get nearly half as much love. The best dandruff shampoo for you depends on what's causing your dandruff.
What is causing your dandruff?
Before you choose the best dandruff shampoo, you must become a "dandruff detective," says Doris Day, MD, a New York City dermatologist affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Your detective work starts by tracing back to the when you first noticed dandruff. "What did you switch in your life at that time? Did you change your environment? Start using a new product?" Perhaps there was a stretch of days when you weren't showering as often? This exercise may provide important clues to the cause of your scalp woes and help you decide which shampoo for dandruff is best for you. There are many sneaky causes of dandruff.
Dry skin is not one of the more common causes of dandruff, but it can occur especially in winter when skin is generally so much dryer, says Dr. Garshick. "Dry skin can cause flakiness, and the scalp is not immune to this," she says. "Avoid harsh ingredients or chemicals and instead choose a mild shampoo and conditioner." Some dandruff shampoos such as Selsun Blue Moisturizing with Aloe Dandruff Shampoo can add moisture back to the hair and scalp.
"Frequent hair washing with manual massaging can be exfoliating," says Dr. Garshick. "Think of it as a scalp wash as opposed to a hair wash and really lather it up and in," she says. "If you don't like the smell, texture, or feel of dandruff shampoos, you can just increase hair washing and see if it helps." Certain varieties of medicated shampoo for dandruff such as Neutrogena /T-Sal® Therapeutic Shampoo Scalp Build-Up Control, which contains salicylic acid, and La Roche-Posay Kerium Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, will also slough off dead skin skills. "You can use these just a few times per week and still get that sloughing effect." If salicylic acid sounds familiar, it's one of the same exfoliating agents found in a host of skin care products.
"Dandruff shampoos like Head and Shoulders contain Zinc Pyrithione, which prevents dandruff, stops the itch, and has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties," Dr. Garshick says. "Other ingredients such as the anti-fungal ketoconazole, which is found in NIZORAL® A-D Shampoo can also help with dandruff and itch." Sometimes dandruff is caused by a yeast-like fungus. In these cases the selenium sulfide found in Selsun Blue Dandruff Shampoo and Head and Shoulders Clinical Solutions Itch Relief Dandruff Shampoo hits the mark. A tar-based shampoo for dandruff like Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo – Original Formula is also effective, she says. "The downside is that the tar shampoos are pretty strong and can stain clothing." Tea tree oil also has anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties and shampoos that contain it such as Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lavender Mint Moisturizing Shampoo can help treat seborrheic dermatitis, she says. "Tea tree oil is a more natural approach and can help with inflammation." Try these other natural dandruff remedies.
"If it is just the flakes, self-treating is totally fine," Dr. Garshick says. "If there is also itching, it is a good idea to check in with your dermatologist as there are topical steroids and other medications that can calm down the inflammation and soothe the irritation," she says. Your doctor can tell you how to get rid of dandruff and rule out any other causes of the itch and flakiness such as scalp psoriasis. To help rule out other conditions, check out these 21 reasons your scalp might itch.


First off I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and to have a happy and safe New Year holidays as well. It's been a big year with a focus on upgrading all my modifications for IP.Board 4 but I wanted to also give a preview of what's coming in 2016.
All IP.Board 3.4.x modifications have been upgraded to work with IP.Board 4 and are offered as a free upgrade for those who have an active subscription. There are a few minor changes in each modification, so it's best to confirm before you upgrade.
The IP.Board 4 release will bring new plugins and applications over 2016. Be sure to keep an eye on our website, Twitter or Facebook feeds to keep updated on each new release as it comes. There are a few major applications in the works that I'm especially excited to release towards the second quarter of 2016.
Thanks for all your hard work Michael. All the best for New Year.


text:
Swami Kuruananda: Loving and Serving Others
by Sharon Steffensen | Jan/Feb Featured 2008
Swami Kuruananda, who was named Bonnie Bunch at birth, says that his first name is a boy's name when it's spelled "Bonny." He says his name was misspelled on the birth certificate, but he never bothered to have it changed. Swami Kuruananda was the name given to him at his ordination, after completing a two-year seminary program through the Temple of Kriya Yoga. For the past 30+ years, he has been called Swami by everyone, including his wife. It means "one who reaches enlightenment through love and through service to others."
Swami, who turns 84 on February 1, tells the extraordinary story of his spiritual search, which began in 1967 at Hines Hospital, a veterans hospital in Maywood, where he was getting a second surgery (a lobectomy) on his lung (the first was in 1951). He had served in World War II in active combat duty on the battleship U.S.S. New Mexico, which was the oldest battleship in the fleet, built for World War I, says Swami. The ship was patrolling the southwest Pacific, and Swami's job, as an ammunitions handler, was to load ammunition into the guns. "The smoke from the guns would come back down into the ship," explains Swami, and he would breathe the smoky air, sometimes for two or three hours at a time, depending on the length of the attack. He says, "After I was discharged, I knew there was something wrong."
Swami spent six months to a year in the hospital before each surgery just to get his body in condition to handle it. Meanwhile, due to the weakened state of his lungs, he had also contracted tuberculosis. Altogether he had two lobes plus a piece of another lobe removed, all on the left lung. Twenty years later, the lobes and the piece had all grown back, much to his doctor's surprise, although Swami hadn't noticed.
About five days after the second surgery, he was recuperating in his room and visiting with a few friends. "We were laughing and talking," says Swami. "I was being fed intravenously. The nurse came in to take my temperature. The technician was there moving equipment around. All at once I couldn't breathe. I couldn't say anything either, because when you can't breathe, you can't talk." The nurse commented that Swami was turning white and asked the technician for an oxygen mask. They started to put it over his mouth, but the technician, who thought Swami was dying, got so nervous he dropped the mask and broke it (they were made of plastic at that time, says Swami), and the closest one available was on another floor!
Swami says, "I could feel myself fading away. I just gave it up, and when I passed out, I ascended into a tunnel of light. When I came out, I was standing on a mountain in the middle of the earth. I was amazed at the scene. It was unbelievable–peace, joy, tranquility everywhere. I was just observing. I turned and looked to the east and could see the Great Wall of China, then the Eiffel Tower in Paris. In London I saw the Big Ben clock. Then I heard a voice say, 'We have a message for you to take back to Earth.' I didn't even know I was dead! But when the message came to me, it was in a different language. It was in French, in German, in Chinese. But they never said it in English, so I didn't know what the message was!"
Swami started walking back down the mountaintop and back through the tunnel . By the time he got back into his body, the hospital personnel were covering him up. He says he got so excited, he was jumping up and down in the bed and wanted to call his wife to tell her about his experience. "I was breathing and speaking this crazy language–Chinese, German and French–because it was still in my memory track. They had to tie me to the bed to keep me quiet, since I was still connected to tubes." The technician had procured another mask, "but I didn't need it," says Swami.
Swami called a meeting with the doctors and religious personnel to try to make sense out of his out-of-body experience. "Everybody had a different opinion," says Swami. "One doctor thought it was a drug experience, but the head doctor said I hadn't had any drugs for five or six days since the surgery. The rabbi said it was whatever I thought it was." One of the psychiatrists asked Swami if he was a Black Muslim because he was speaking foreign languages and apparently he had mentioned Allah. Swami replied that he was a Christian.
At that moment, Swami started having visions. He turned and saw a 12-foot-tall painting of Christ, who then morphed into a "big black yogi, wearing a white robe, sitting in meditation on top of pillows of different colors," says Swami. "He looked like he was from India." Swami was so moved, he started to cry. He told the psychiatrist, "I hadn't seen Allah, but I have seen him now!"
After Swami was released from the hospital, he started attending various churches to try to find answers. Another vision came to him while he was sitting under a grove of trees in Jackson Park along the lake on the South Side, watching the birds. Suddenly a cross, about 300 feet high, appeared in the sky about 15 yards from where Swami was sitting. As he gazed at it, a light came over him, and Swami says he felt confident that "whatever it was, I had found what I was looking for."
He says, "The first thing I wanted was a cigarette. (I was smoking back then.) I lit one and it was the nastiest thing I ever tasted. I put it out, and to this day I never had another cigarette again."
That night Swami had one more extraordinary experience. He picked up the Sunday paper and turned to the churches section, where he came across a two-line notice for the Temple of Kriya Yoga. "As I was reading," says Swami, "the words suddenly magnified, stretching across the whole page, and a voice told me, 'Go there.' I didn't know anything about yoga."
The next morning Swami went downtown to the temple–then located at State and Randolph Streets. He took the elevator to the top floor and began climbing the stairs to the yoga temple, which was one flight up. When he saw all the shoes along the stairs (people are requested to remove their shoes before entering), he thought to himself, "This can't be the right place. This can't be what I'm searching for." He started to turn back when Goswami Kriyananda's wife, Joanne, who was smiling at the top of the stairs said, 'Welcome to the Temple of Kriya Yoga."
Kriyananda was about halfway through delivering noon meditation. Swami remembers the subject was love–how to generate and receive love. Afterward he told Kriyananda that he had been guided there and asked Kriyananda if he would teach him. He said he would. Swami says, "I felt complete relief, like I had known him all along, like he was expecting me."
Swami started taking classes at the temple and eventually entered a seminary program that was being offered. After graduation, at the urging of two other graduates, the three of them opened a small storefront yoga studio in Hyde Park called The Sanctuary. The other two left after several months, but Swami kept it going for another three years, "until the rent got too high."
He now has a home studio large enough for seven people to practice Hatha yoga and for 10 or 12 to meditate. He's also had private students, but for the past several years he's primarily volunteered through the Chicago chapter of the IABYT (International Association of Black Yoga Teachers), which brings yoga, through various outreach programs, to people who would otherwise not have the opportunity to experience the benefits of yoga. Recent groups have included teen mothers and those living in homeless shelters or group homes.
In addition to teaching yoga, Swami has had two other careers in his life. After he was discharged from the Navy, he went to work for Jacques French restaurant on Michigan Avenue in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood. He had trained as a cook through the Civil Conservation Corps (CCC) but started out at Jacques first as a busboy, then "salad man." From there, Swami went to the South Shore Hotel, where he worked his way up to chef and then garnishier, "decorating foods for display on smorgasbords." After 25 years in the "food business," he left to work for the Board of Education (Harriet Beecher Stowe School) where he worked nights for 25 years as supervisor of the custodians. "It's a good thing I left the food industry because I wouldn't get any retirement income from it," says Swami, who now receives a pension.
Since he retired in 1992, Swami stays home and takes care of the house and yard. In the summer he grows vegetables in his garden. "If I'm not working outside, I'm working inside," says Swami. "I am a home provider. My wife takes care of the paperwork–bills, taxes. We both cook." He says he is a "late-night person" because he had always worked at night, although his wife, Vanessa, is an "early mover."
After eight hours of sleep, Swami starts his day with "bed yoga," a series of movements he created that include stretches, twists and sit-ups. He explains the reason older people often fall when they get out of bed is that their muscles cramp up, they have no control over their muscles, their equilibrium is off and they have trouble balancing. Swami is making an audiotape on bed yoga, to be accompanied with photos, for other older people.
After stretching, Swami sits in lotus position in the middle of his bed for pranayama and meditation. Later, he goes into his basement studio where he practices hatha yoga poses, including shoulderstand, plow, downward facing dog and backbends–"all of them but headstand," says Swami. "I never did do headstand very much." Swami also wants people to know that he stays young by practicing uddhiyana (a technique that involves rapid stomach contractions) and, at 84, is still sexually active and doesn't use Viagra. Yoga keeps him youthful. In fact, he says he wouldn't be here if it weren't for yoga. The postures and stretches have enabled him to walk and move easily, the pranayama exercises have healed his lungs, and through meditation, he has learned about the nature of life.
More about Swami
Birthplace: Mounds, in southern Illinois
Sun sign: Aquarius (February 1, 1923).
Spare time: I don't have any. If I had spare time I would do more studying and deeper meditation.
Currently reading: Come On People: On the Path from Victims to Victors, by Bill Cosby and Alvin F. Poussaint, M.D.
Favorite TV show: football, sports, comedy shows, Live at the Apollo, a talent show like American Idol for black people. It's on channel 5 on Saturday nights at 1 a.m.
Favorite snack: melons, grapes, green salad.
Words of wisdom: Love thyself, and help others.
Arm in Arm
Energy-saving tips
Green Yoga, The Digital TV Switchover, and You
Childplay Yoga Awakens the Playful Child Within