text:
Beyond the Outbreak
Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip
Founder of CARD MRI
It is around this time of the year when our farmers would harvest the produce they have tirelessly worked hard on for months. Instead of a full table and an income that would support their family until the next harvest season, they are left with uncertainty and instability due to the COVID-19 outbreak that none of us expected.
Focusing on protecting people from COVID-19, the local and national government declared lockdowns and community quarantines in many cities and municipalities across the nation. This severely curtailed movement and public gatherings that made the operations of microfinance institutions untenable. In response, microfinance institutions declared a suspension of operations in their covered areas, including moratorium on loan payments while the community quarantine is in effect. Many of these institutions are members of APPEND and MCPI whose combined outreach is nine million poor and low-income families served by more than 50,000 staff and an estimated P70-B loan portfolio.
With the expected decrease in business activities, the reprieve will allow clients to channel their budget to basic needs. Even so, an unsettling voice still lingers: is the delay in the collection of loan payments ever enough to sustain their needs after all of this is over?
With significant experience in community development, microfinance institutions (MFIs) have seen poverty-stricken families rise above poverty through access to and ownership of financial and non-financial services. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, all of this could potentially go down the drain. The low-income sector, who are mostly clients of MFIs, are greatly distressed by the effects of the pandemic and the necessary measures imposed by the government.
Since main bank branches of CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI) nationwide are still open for services like withdrawals and remittances, our skeleton workforce still has interactions with our clients. Field staff have also remained connected with clients through cell phones and/or social media that enabled them to communicate to management what was happening to their communities. Our Regional Directors have reported that many of the clients are experiencing devastating effects on their livelihoods. Most of them have products to sell but are restricted by the physical barriers of community quarantine, severely affecting their income to support their own families. For example, in the National Capital Region and elsewhere, in order to implement social distancing, marketing hours were imposed, compelling many small eateries and stalls in the public markets to close.
Microentrepreneurs in the agriculture sector also have a crucial role in society. Most of our farmer-clients in Luzon end up selling their produce at bargain prices, or giving them away to neighbors, or worse, leaving them to rot because they could not travel to the market due to strict rules on movement being implemented. In Masbate and Marinduque, our clients can neither send their seafood products to key cities nor let their wholesale buyers come because seagoing vessels are no longer allowed to leave or enter their ports.
Come post-quarantine, enough capital would be needed by these farmers to buy inputs such as seeds and fertilizers. But given the situation we have today, transporting and selling their produce becomes a challenge. If they cannot sell their products, then they would not be able to farm again. Ultimately, it is not only the farmers who would face the consequences. We might be dealing with a possible food shortage if our supply is not enough to meet our country's demands.
Some of these microentrepreneurs also employ other members of the community, therefore contributing to the enrichment of the local economy. While the success of one microentrepreneur has proven to affect a community positively, its downfall can also ripple to many families and eventually, to the whole community.
Post-quarantine dilemma
With all these challenges faced by microentrepreneurs, the microfinance industry anticipates reduced capacity of clients to pay after the outbreak. Even with the high risk of low repayment, MFIs continue to provide financial and non-financial services to the low-income sector during the period of quarantine. In fact, industry leaders continuously think of ways that could still support the economic activity of these microentrepreneurs.
However, we recognize that we could not do it alone. Expecting negative effects on liquidity, MFIs are seeking for potential interventions to continue its business of eradicating poverty in the country.
MFIs are looking for support from organizations and institutions who can provide additional credit facilities and funding to support its cause in helping people improve their lives while facing this global health emergency. We are also convening partners and industry leaders to discuss this pressing issue to mitigate the effect of the pandemic in the industry.
Most importantly, the support from the government is most crucial at this time. The Philippines has proven to be a conducive environment to implement microfinance. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has repeatedly recognized MFIs as champions for financial inclusion. Further, laws such as RA 10693 or the Microfinance NGOs Act, which was signed in November 2015, enables Microfinance NGOs to expand outreach to a greater number of poor people especially in the hard-to-reach areas and implement community development programs funded by tax incentives. These programs include medical missions, scholarships, and livelihood training, among others.
We encourage you to think about the low-income sector; the landless farm workers, the small farmers, the fisherfolks, the maglalako, the sari-sari store owners, and other microentrepreneurs. The lockdown and community quarantine may end soon but if we do not act now, their sufferings will worsen even after the outbreak. Because health protection and financial inclusion goes hand in hand, may we not forget to balance the scale in favor of one over the other. Let's ensure no one gets left behind.
As a Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest blog concludes: "It seems likely that without significant support and concerted action, many MFIs are at risk in the coming storm. The question is: what steps can we take now to ensure the industry survives and can contribute to the eventual economic recovery? Without taking on hard questions and beginning to put plans in place for COVID-19, it won't be poverty that is in a museum, but potentially the modern microfinance movement."
Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip is the founder and chairman emeritus of CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions, a group of 23 institutions that envisions to eradicate poverty in the Philippines. He is the recipient of the 2019 Ramon V. del Rosario Award for Nation Building.
CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions
MCPI
microentrepreneurs


text:
Lavelle's Catholic alma mater cheers her goals, team's World Cup victory
Brooklyn Collars vs. Scholars game part of Catholic education celebration
Devon Prep gets hot at right time, captures state baseball title
St. Joe's Prep crew heading to London after Stotesbury win
Two of 3 area Catholic schools capture state lacrosse titles
More than a few fans prayed for St. Louis Blues to win Stanley Cup
Carroll surprises, beats Wood for championship
PCL girls' basketball
By John Knebels
Special to The CS&T
At one point during the season, Cardinal O'Hara's girls' basketball team woke up one morning and was ranked first in the nation. A few miles away, Archbishop Carroll's girls took notice but went about their business in workmanlike fashion.
Then a few days later, O'Hara was shocked by Archbishop Wood, and the nation's top ranking went kaput.
In the Catholic League playoffs, third-seeded Carroll faced both second-seeded O'Hara and top-seeded Wood, although each had entered the post-season with an 11-1 league record. In the semifinals last week, Carroll emerged victorious against league-rival O'Hara after a rugged battle.
In the Catholic League girls' championship Monday night at the Palestra, Carroll defeated Archbishop Wood, 35-22, in front of a near-capacity audience.
After a spirited victory celebration, many Carroll players echoed the same sentiment: there's nothing quite like defeating the two teams considered by many to have been the best entering the playoffs.
"We were confident in our abilities to beat both of them, but we weren't taking anything for granted," said Carroll star senior and Boston College-bound Kerri Shields, whose overall contribution of eight points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals didn't include a statistical measure of sheer hustle and determination. "We knew they were both very good (opponents) and we respected them a lot."
Wood's fans might have hoped Carroll would have a let down after the Patriots dispatched defending champion O'Hara. It wasn't going to happen.
Carroll (24-1), who at 5 p.m. Friday will meet Public League runner-up Prep Charter in a PIAA District 12 tournament at Temple University's Liacouras Center, have been battling rugged opposition in both league and non-league competition since the opening tap of 2008-09.
However, against the Vikings, the Patriots were unable to break away from a tight margin through the first three quarters. Employing a suffocating, aggressive defense, Carroll gradually separated itself in the final eight minutes and outscored the Vikings 10-3.
"Give them a lot of credit," said Shields. "They played great defense. We had to stay patient and not force things."
Shields said sharing the title with her sisters – Erin, a standout junior who has already orally committed to play at St. Joseph's University and who supplied three steals to the cause; and Shannon, a freshman unable to play after an earlier season-ending knee injury – "made it that much more special." Each is a product of St. Bernadette School in Drexel Hill.
In winning their fifth league title in 10 years, the Patriots proved that they could win without a slew of players tearing up the score sheet. Hollie Mershon led with 11 points, followed by Shields' eight.
"This came down to defense," said second-year Carroll coach Chuck Creighton. "Neither team shot very well but that was because there weren't many easy shots. It was a hard-fought game."
The loss was difficult for the Vikings. They had out-rebounded the Patriots and had trailed 15-14 at halftime. But poor shooting from the field (7 for 34), especially from three-point land (0 for 12), provided evidence for their amazingly low point total.
Senior Ashley Robinson, a mainstay all season for the Vikings (19-6 heading into district play) and recipient of a scholarship next year to St. Joseph's University, was visibly disappointed after monopolizing the boards. In addition to her game-high 14 points, Robinson seized 18 rebounds.
"I'm disappointed because I thought we would win," said Robinson. "It's been a great year and it isn't over, but we worked really hard to put ourselves in a position to win the Catholic League championship. That was our number-one goal."
John Knebels can be reached at jknebs@aol.com.
PREVIOUS: Villa Maria dethrones defending league champs
NEXT: From the Prep to PSU: Arcidiacono ready to play in Happy Valley

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This book is amazing - no joke, this is definitely one of the coolest books I have ever read, and the best that I have read all this year (I had no idea that anything was going to bump The Fault In Our Stars to the number two spot). What I loved about this book was that I hadn't read anything like it before, especially not in the YA genre.
But I have to add that it was really the plausibility that made this book so interesting - especially when it came to the hacks. The author even includes a list of resources in his bibliography that have more information on hacks like the ones used in the book. I even Googled a bunch of them and saw how they could be done. I love it when an author goes through a lot of heavy research to ensure that what they write about is accurate - it shows that they care not only about their writing, but their readers. Plus, it was a lot of fun to read about how these things were done - even the simple things (such as when Marcus fooled the cameras at his school, which could identify people by their gaits, or how they walked, by putting small rocks in his shoes).
I'm pretty good with computers, but I'm not very familiar with hacking. It was cool to read about it, though, and to read a book where I would literally cheer on the main character the whole way through as he tried to outsmart the DHS. There were moments where I had to set the book down just so I could calm down.
I've read negative reviews on this book by people who claimed that the tech-terminology was too much, and made the book either too difficult to understand, or too boring. I really did not have that problem at all. In fact, that was what made the story cooler - I even felt a bit smarter reading it. Yes, there are detailed descriptions of the hacks that Marcus does, but I felt the author did an amazing job writing them - he broke everything down, and I was able to follow along with everything easily, despite having very limited knowledge on the subject.
I encourage all of you to give this a chance if you are a fan of suspense, action, thrillers, technology, gaming, or even the state of our country's security. I know I'll be recommending this to everyone I know from here on out, and will probably be gifting this to a few people I know on their birthdays.
I read this book last summer (actually listened to the audiobook) and was blown away. I was so amazed at it. There was so much in it, and much of it was serious, yet it was still so entertaining.


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Babaganoush have featured in festivals such as The Melbourne Festival"Spiegeltent" 2006, National Folk Festival 2007, Maldon Folk Festival 2007, Cygnet Folk Festival 2008, Darebin Music Feast 2006-2009, Surrey Hills Music Festival 2012, Karavan Melbourne International Gypsy Festival 2011, Viva Victoria Multicultural Festival, Warburton Harmony Festival 2012, International Artist Blacksmith's Festival 2013 & 2015, Globe to Globe Music Festival 2015, and VIVA Victoria Multicultural Festival 2015, Renaissance Festival 2015, Earthartbeat festival 2015, Murray River International Festival 2016, Oakleigh Glendi Greek Festival & Mediterranean Fiesta 2016 & 2017, Four Seasons festival-Clunes.
In 2007 the band toured Europe and took France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and Holland by storm. They are popular in Melbourne's most intimate and liveliest bars and cafes. They have sold out shows at The Spotted Mallard, Open Studio, Bar Open, The Gasometer Hotel, Sooki Lounge to name a few and have performed at popular events like the Queen Victoria Night Market.
They continue to play in music festivals & give circle dance demonstrations around Australia, various concerts, bars, cafes, weddings, parties, dance collaborations, benefit concerts & private functions. For a list of all performances visit the past performance page on this website www.babaganoush info
They have made several live appearances on various radio stations over the years: ABC Radio National, 3MBS,3RRR, PBS, 7THE (Ausflok Radio), FM2CBD
"Hugely talented…..leaves you hungering for more" Trad & Now 2007 (Australian folk music magazine)
"I had the pleasure of engaging Babaganoush to play at the International Blacksmiths Festival in March 2013. The band brought the crowd to their feet with its unique blend of original and traditional energetic gypsy and Balkan tunes. Babaganoush represented the highlight for the festival and I will not hesitate in seeking them out again for our next event." (Steve Phillips, Project manager and director of the International Artist Blacksmith's Festival 2013, 2015 & 2017)
Their influences include great Romani/Gypsy musicians such as Taraf de Haidouks, Kocani Orkestar, Esma Redzepova & Kali Jag. From the Spiegeltent to Europe's liveliest bars, Babaganoush have ventured the world music circuit in full swing. Seamlessly they cover many traditions (Romani, Serbian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Hungarian, Greek) with their own authentic touch. Exuberant, heartfelt, the band has an organic beauty that is rare and unforgettable.
More History
Babaganoush was founded in 2003 by Malini Chidzey, the band's
charismatic leader and virtuoso violinist. She invited singer and
accordionist Mark Planigale to join the group and they began performing as a duo in early 2004.
In 2004-5 the pair were joined by Colette Mortreux (clarinet) and
Andre Lobanov (bass) to complete the band's outstanding lineup.
The first gig with this full lineup was in March 2005. Between June
2005 and April 2006, Colette travelled overseas and was replaced
by clarinettist Aviva Endean. Babaganoush's profile has steadily grown with performances at
local and national festivals as well as a European tour in 2007 that
took the band to Germany, Holland, Belgium, France and Switzer-
land. Babaganoush has a history of interesting collaborations with
other groups including involvement in the Vjerba Dance Theatre
production 'Svetlana's Lullaby' in 2006. They have participated in great collaborative projects such as the KARAVAN International GYPSY MUSIC FESTIVAL 2011 & BALKAN BEAT BOX at the FORUM 2009
Jan 2004: First gig
Nov 2004: Clarinet added to lineup
Mar 2005: Bass added to lineup
May 2005: First radio live-to-air performance (3MBS)
Aug 2005: First festival performance (Darebin Music Feast)
Dec 2005: Launch of debut CD 'Posthumous'
Oct 2006: First performance with dancer Sarah Turner (Spiegeltent)
Apr 2007: First interstate performance (National Folk Festival)
Jun 2007: First international tour (Western Europe)
July 2008: Launch of second album "Lyubov"
Feb 2009: Percussion and guitar added to line up
July 2014: Bouzouki & Greek vocals added to lineup
Nov 2017: First special guest appearance of Stefan Noceveski playing trumpet with the band.
Jan 2018: Currently line up includes: Malini Chidzey-violi & vocals, Andre Vikas- Clarinet, Stephen Stanisic- Piano accordion/guitar, Tom Lee- Double Bass, Byron Triandafyllidis – Percussion (darbuka) & Bouzouki


DeltaPoints.com is giving away a NOOK 7″ Tablet this week!
I promised last month I would do something really special as a big thank you to all who are CONFIRMED (there are a bunch that are not) DeltaPoints.com e-mail subscribers. So here it is and how this is going to work.
Each day this week, using Random.org, I will select a qualifier who will have a chance to win a BRAND NEW NOOK 7″ Tablet that you can read more about HERE. Then on Sunday the 27th, after I first pick that day's qualifier, then I will pick from those 7 the one who will win the NOOK! That winner will have 3 days to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
← Sunday night's winners + what I dream of winning!
I receive your emails. Great promotion! I hope I get to be one of the chosen seven.
Who couldn't use a nook?!
How do we know we're confirmed?
I would luv a Nook, ThankX!
Keep the travel info and great contests coming!
Great site, and all is appreciated.
what a bonus to all the good derived from this website.
Time is running out (and so is my luck).
But the DeltaPoints site is terrific even without the promotions. Those are frosting on the cake !
Rene: Winning or losing – this is fun.
But I truly enjoy reading your comments every day.


It's time to try something new. This Open Faced Pies with Sumac Dressing, a poultry dish, is sure to make your mouth water. Keep reading so you can get cooking!
Are you eating the same poultry dishes throughout the month? Do yourself a favor: quit. Put a new twist on your dishes, and check out this One Skillet Chicken and Cauliflower next time in place of those other meals.
Poultry dishes are excellent, but choosing one blindly can be a little bit daunting. Fortunately, this Sichuan Chicken Wings recipe has been sampled as well as adored, and is certain to not scare you.
Cooking for yourself or your your loved ones can be extremely gratifying when you know you will enjoy the food. Treat yourself with this Lad Nar Kai poultry dish.
Why dine out when you can make your own poultry just the way you like it? This Vietnamese Chicken Salad might be a new favorite of yours that you just have not made yet.


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La Torre de la Parada fue un pabellón de caza que se ubicaba a las afueras de Madrid, en el Monte de El Pardo (Parque regional de la cuenca alta del Manzanares), no lejos del Palacio de El Pardo. Hacia 1635-40 fue uno de los principales proyectos arquitectónicos y decorativos del rey Felipe IV, gran aficionado a la caza, que deseaba un caserón de descanso en la zona para las largas jornadas cinegéticas.

Historia
El palacete (un edificio de dos pisos de planta rectangular, rematado por torres de finos chapiteles en sus extremos, muy del gusto de los Austrias), fue el resultado de la ampliación y transformación, llevada a cabo en 1636 por el arquitecto Juan Gómez de Mora, por iniciativa del propio Felipe IV, de una pequeña fortaleza con cuatro torres de esquina edificada por encargo del entonces príncipe, futuro Felipe II, al arquitecto Luis de Vega durante los años 1547-49.

Su finalidad última fue la de servir de descanso al monarca durante las largas jornadas cinegéticas a las que fue tan aficionado. El edificio, en forma de torre con pequeños añadidos, se cubría con tejados de pizarra y un elaborado chapitel y se rodeaba de un muro perimetral como una fortaleza.

La torre fue destruida casi en su totalidad en 1710 por el incendio que provocaron las tropas austríacas durante la Guerra de Sucesión Española y apenas subsisten imágenes suyas en pinturas de la época. Actualmente sólo permanecen las ruinas.

Descripción

Tras la reforma operada por Gómez de Mora, siguiendo órdenes de Felipe IV, el edificio principal contaba con dos amplios pisos (correspondientes al núcleo central y la ampliación en forma de guardainfante) y dos pisos más pequeños (correspondientes a la torre propiamente dicha). El piso bajo contaba con zaguán, oratorio, cuatro piezas, caballerizas, cocinas y zona de servicio. Además en el núcleo central del mismo (correspondiente a la torre) se disponía la escalera y dos estancias sin ventanas. En el núcleo central del piso primero se disponía un distribuidor, una pieza de cubierto (donde el rey comía) y otra pieza, todas ellas sin luces al exterior. Alrededor se disponían ocho piezas (que comprendían la galería del rey al oeste y la alcoba en el lado este), además de un excusado y otro oratorio.

El principal atractivo del edificio radicó en la extensa serie de pinturas mitológicas, siguiendo el relato de Ovidio, encargada a Rubens en 1636. El ciclo constaba de sesenta y tres lienzos de gran formato y fue realizado por diversos pintores en Amberes conforme a pequeños bocetos al óleo aportados por Rubens (actualmente dispersos en varios países). El maestro se reservó la ejecución de catorce pinturas, y las restantes se deben a algunos de los colaboradores habituales del maestro flamenco: Jacob Jordaens, Theodoor van Thulden, Erasmus Quellinus II, Jan Cossiers, Peeter Symons y otros. Si bien todas ellas siguen la estética del maestro, son desiguales en calidad, y por evitar equívocos Rubens permitió que fuesen firmadas por sus autores finales.

Una serie de paisajes dedicada a vistas de los Sitios Reales se encargó a los españoles Félix Castelo y Jusepe Leonardo. Por su parte, Velázquez aportó los tres retratos con atuendo de cazador, de Felipe IV, su hermano el el infante don Fernando y el príncipe heredero, Baltasar Carlos, los cuadros de los filósofos Esopo y Menipo y el del dios Marte, con algunos de sus retratos de bufones.

Esta decoración pictórica representaba las imágenes de poder apropiadas para la época y para la corte de España. Recuperando el precedente establecido por Felipe II, Felipe IV se centró fundamentalmente en la Torre de la Parada (cuando se hizo su inventario en el año 1700, se contó hasta 176 obras pictóricas) y en el Palacio del Buen Retiro de Madrid. La mayor parte de las pinturas que subsisten se guardan en el Museo del Prado, si bien no se exhiben todas por problemas de espacio. En 2018 se agruparon las más importantes en una sala del ático norte del museo, reabierto tras varios años de reforma.

Bibliografía

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Arquitectura barroca en la Comunidad de Madrid
Arquitectura de España del siglo XVII
El Pardo
Madrid de los Austrias
Edificios desaparecidos de Madrid
Palacios de Madrid
Obras de Juan Gómez de Mora
Monte de El Pardo
Residencias de caza

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


He can't remember a thing from the past 15 years… But someone is trying to kill him.
Myers is a Relic. Cast out of society by a computer program that now runs the world.
The System controls everything. It's quickly becoming smarter than humans, so it no longer has any need for human leaders like Myers. There's a technological singularity coming, and only Myers knows how to stop it.
The problem? He doesn't remember anything from the past fifteen years.


text:
Foreground: Original Music in the Movies
A History, Part II 1970 to 2010 and Beyond
Presented by Bob Bryden
Thursdays, April 5 to May 24, 2018 – 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
April 5 – 1970-1974
The film music decade begins with hawks and doves and proceeds through a series of wilderness films leading up to the flowering of "the new permissibility."
April 12 – 1975-1979
The period adventure returns and likewise the western. John Williams takes command of the decade while Bernard Herrmann and Elmer Bernstein work in exile from the Hollywood elite.
The decade ends as it began – with war.
John Williams continues triumphant while the new kid on the block, James Horner, challenges. Basil Poledouris writes an astounding score for a bad film while Philip Glass and Police drummer Stewart Copeland push the envelope.
Goldsmith and Williams continue to do splendid work while Morricone and Delerue "go Hollywood." World Music emerges on the soundstage; the animated musical is reborn while Hans Zimmer's "new school" emerges. The Danny Elfman / Tim Burton partnership begins and James Horner ends the decade in glory.
May 3 – 1990-1994
The old guard holds its own while the new breed flourishes. A tremendously successful western emerges and beauty makes a comeback.
May 10 – 1995-1999
Quirky is "in." Bollywood invades, as does the big beat, and World War II never sounded like this. The latter half of the decade belongs to James Horner.
The return of the Roman Epic and John Williams produces a series of wonderful sci-fi scores. Quirky continues and a new genre approach is inaugurated. Howard Shore presents his music for The Lord of the Rings and Alexandre Desplat gently but doggedly takes the podium.
May 24 – 2005-2010 and Beyond…
Maestros John Powell and Michael Giacchino arrive in splendour while Quentin Tarantino's films delight in anachronisms. In spite of and in reaction to Zimmer and company's "anti-scores," some composers still choose to go old school.
Scores and Films Featured
Hawks versus Doves – Patton (to Apocalypse Now); the Wilderness Period: Little Big Man to Deliverance; the dream is over: from Woodstock to Gimme Shelter (Altamont) – the concerts, their films and music; the Expanding Envelope of Permissibility – A Clockwork Orange, Last Tango in Paris and The Exorcist; John Williams and originality in the adapted musical – Fiddler on the Roof; Nino Rota and the Godfathers; Nino Rota and Fellini – Satyricon – not your father's Roman Empire; Legrand's The Three Musketeers; Goldsmith's Chinatown; Scott Joplin in The Sting; John Williams continued – Jane Eyre and The Towering Inferno
The Return of Period Adventures (The Man Who Would Be King, The Wind and the Lion, Barry Lyndon); the Western – an attempted comeback: Bite the Bullet; Williams explodes: Jaws; Composers in Exile (Herrmann in horror, Bernstein in comedy); Rocky; The Synthesizer – Tangerine Dream and Sorcerer; Star Wars – Williams resurrects the grand symphonic score; the Science Fiction revival (Logan's Run, Close Encounters, Star Trek – The Motion Picture, Alien); Malick and Morricone – Days of Heaven; Apocalypse Now – A perfect synthesis of rock, synthesizer, original and classical.
Williams continues triumphant (The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial); Dave Grusin: On Golden Pond; James Horner emerges – Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan and Brainstorm; Bad Films, Brilliant Scores: Conan the Barbarian – Basil Poledouris's masterpiece; Philip Glass and Koyaanisqatsi; Coppola and The Police Drummer, Rumble Fish; another busy Newman: Randy; Goldsmith's Under Fire
Another attempted comeback for the Western: Silverado; Morricone's The Mission; Goldsmith's Hoosiers; Williams's Empire of the Sun; Morricone's The Untouchables and Cinema Paradiso; Wings of Desire; Georges Delerue – Sojourn in Hollywood; World Music emerges – Peter Gabriel's Last Temptation of Christ; Danny Elfman emerges – the relationship between Elfman and Tim Burton begins (Beetlejuice and Batman; Hans Zimmer emerges (Driving Miss Daisy); the Rebirth of the Animated Disney Musical – Alan Menken emerges; James Horner ends the decade in triumph: Field of Dreams, In Country and Glory
Silver-Agers in their Prime (the continued scoring successes of John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Maurice Jarre, John Barry and Jerry Goldsmith); the successful comeback of the Western: John Barry's Dances With Wolves; Elfman's Edward Scissorhands; Ry Cooder's Roots Scores; Patrick Doyle emerges; Last of the Mohicans (1992); Thomas Newman emerges; 1993 – a very good year (Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Geronimo, Age of Innocence, Tombstone, The Fugitive, Much Ado About Nothing, Benny and Joon); James Newton Howard emerges; Carter Burwell emerges; Beauty makes a comeback: T. Newman's Little Women, Horner's Legends of the Fall and Elfman's Black Beauty
Quirky is In – Thomas Newman's Unstrung Heroes; Bollywood or bust – A.R. Rahman; Elliott Goldenthal emerges – Michael Collins; Mychael Danna emerges – Ride with the Devil; World War II never sounded like this – The Thin Red Line and Saving Private Ryan; Euro-Pop and the Big Cinema Beat – Run, Lola, Run; new Impossible Missions – Schifrin and the Rush Hour series; Horner continues triumphant (Braveheart, Apollo 13, The Spitfire Grill, The Mark of Zorro); T. Newman's Meet Joe Black; scoring by computer and committee – the Rise of Media Ventures and Remote Control.
Gladiator – a Maximus Opus; John Powell emerges; Genre Defining – The Bourne Identity; John Williams Sci-Fi Duo: A.I. and Minority Report; Howard Shore and The Lord of the Rings trilogy begins; Alexandre Desplat emerges – The Girl with the Pearl Earring; Quirky continues: Chocolat, The Royal Tennenbaums and Amélie; Elmer Bernstein's swan song – Far From Heaven; Troy – the rejected score by Gabriel Yared; Michael Giacchino emerges; The Pirates of the Caribbean scores.
John Powell arrives (The Italian Job, United 93, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Stop-Loss, How To Train Your Dragon); the "Firefly"/"Serenity" phenomenon in music; no one expects the Spanish incursion: Volver, Pan's Labyrinth and The Impossible; solid and reliable Alan Silvestri; return of the song score – Once; Isham and Beltrami; Disappointing Slumdog; Quentin Tarantino and anachronistic scoring – Inglourious Basterds, etc.; the ANTI-Score – Hans Zimmer and the Batman resurgence; Steven Price's Gravity; Beltrami's The Homesman; the Old School Returneth: Monuments Men, 10 Cloverfield Lane; Michael Giacchino triumphs (Inside-Out, Tomorrowland, Jupiter Ascending and Jurassic World); Paolo Sorrentino music sublime: This Must be the Place, La Grande Bellezza and Youth; Harry Potter scores overview; Elfman's Girl on the Train; Wavemeisters of the future: Johann Johannsson, Max Richter, Bear McCreary, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.


text:
JBL announces two new headphones in India
JBL 660NC Headphone | Image credit: JBL
Audio equipment maker JBL on Wednesday expanded its 'LIVE Series' with the launch of two new headphones — LIVE 660NC and LIVE PRO+ TWS at Rs 14,999 and Rs 16,999, respectively.
The new lineup includes a mix of true wireless and over-ear headphones for consumers looking to get more out of their listening experience with quality audio and convenient features. Each comes packed with JBL Signature sound, Adaptive Noise Cancelling capabilities with Smart Ambient, and hands-free control with integrated voice assistants.
"With a rich legacy of consistently delivering a superior audio experience for 75 years, JBL has established itself as a global pioneer in audio technology," Vikram Kher, Vice President, Lifestyle Audio, HARMAN India, said in a statement.
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Frequently asked questions on genetically modified foods - WHO
These questions and answers have been prepared by WHO in response to questions and concerns from WHO Member State Governments with regard to the nature and safety of genetically modified food.
1. What are genetically modified (GM) organisms and GM foods?
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. The technology is often called "modern biotechnology" or "gene technology", sometimes also "recombinant DNA technology" or "genetic engineering". It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, also between nonrelated species. Foods produced from or using GM organisms are often referred to as GM foods.
2. Why are GM foods produced?
GM foods are developed – and marketed – because there is some perceived advantage either to the producer or consumer of these foods. This is meant to translate into a product with a lower price, greater benefit (in terms of durability or nutritional value) or both. Initially GM seed developers wanted their products to be accepted by producers and have concentrated on innovations that bring direct benefit to farmers (and the food industry generally).
One of the objectives for developing plants based on GM organisms is to improve crop protection. The GM crops currently on the market are mainly aimed at an increased level of crop protection through the introduction of resistance against plant diseases caused by insects or viruses or through increased tolerance towards herbicides.
Resistance against insects is achieved by incorporating into the food plant the gene for toxin production from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). This toxin is currently used as a conventional insecticide in agriculture and is safe for human consumption. GM crops that inherently produce this toxin have been shown to require lower quantities of insecticides in specific situations, e.g. where pest pressure is high. Virus resistance is achieved through the introduction of a gene from certain viruses which cause disease in plants. Virus resistance makes plants less susceptible to diseases caused by such viruses, resulting in higher crop yields.
Herbicide tolerance is achieved through the introduction of a gene from a bacterium conveying resistance to some herbicides. In situations where weed pressure is high, the use of such crops has resulted in a reduction in the quantity of the herbicides used.
3. Is the safety of GM foods assessed differently from conventional foods?
Generally consumers consider that conventional foods (that have an established record of safe consumption over the history) are safe. Whenever novel varieties of organisms for food use are developed using the traditional breeding methods that had existed before the introduction of gene technology, some of the characteristics of organisms may be altered, either in a positive or a negative way. National food authorities may be called upon to examine the safety of such conventional foods obtained from novel varieties of organisms, but this is not always the case.
In contrast, most national authorities consider that specific assessments are necessary for GM foods. Specific systems have been set up for the rigorous evaluation of GM organisms and GM foods relative to both human health and the environment. Similar evaluations are generally not performed for conventional foods. Hence there currently exists a significant difference in the evaluation process prior to marketing for these two groups of food.
The WHO Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses aims at assisting national authorities in the identification of foods that should be subject to risk assessment and to recommend appropriate approaches to safety assessment. Should national authorities decide to conduct safety assessment of GM organisms, WHO recommends the use of Codex Alimentarius guidelines (See the answer to Question 11 below).
4. How is a safety assessment of GM food conducted?
The safety assessment of GM foods generally focuses on: (a) direct health effects (toxicity), (b) potential to provoke allergic reaction (allergenicity); (c) specific components thought to have nutritional or toxic properties; (d) the stability of the inserted gene; (e) nutritional effects associated with genetic modification; and (f) any unintended effects which could result from the gene insertion.
5. What are the main issues of concern for human health?
While theoretical discussions have covered a broad range of aspects, the three main issues debated are the potentials to provoke allergic reaction (allergenicity), gene transfer and outcrossing.
AllergenicityAs a matter of principle, the transfer of genes from commonly allergenic organisms to non-allergic organisms is discouraged unless it can be demonstrated that the protein product of the transferred gene is not allergenic. While foods developed using traditional breeding methods are not generally tested for allergenicity, protocols for the testing of GM foods have been evaluated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and WHO. No allergic effects have been found relative to GM foods currently on the market.
Gene transferGene transfer from GM foods to cells of the body or to bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract would cause concern if the transferred genetic material adversely affects human health. This would be particularly relevant if antibiotic resistance genes, used as markers when creating GMOs, were to be transferred. Although the probability of transfer is low, the use of gene transfer technology that does not involve antibiotic resistance genes is encouraged.
OutcrossingThe migration of genes from GM plants into conventional crops or related species in the wild (referred to as "outcrossing"), as well as the mixing of crops derived from conventional seeds with GM crops, may have an indirect effect on food safety and food security. Cases have been reported where GM crops approved for animal feed or industrial use were detected at low levels in the products intended for human consumption. Several countries have adopted strategies to reduce mixing, including a clear separation of the fields within which GM crops and conventional crops are grown.
6. How is a risk assessment for the environment performed?
Environmental risk assessments cover both the GMO concerned and the potential receiving environment. The assessment process includes evaluation of the characteristics of the GMO and its effect and stability in the environment, combined with ecological characteristics of the environment in which the introduction will take place. The assessment also includes unintended effects which could result from the insertion of the new gene.
7. What are the issues of concern for the environment?
Issues of concern include: the capability of the GMO to escape and potentially introduce the engineered genes into wild populations; the persistence of the gene after the GMO has been harvested; the susceptibility of non-target organisms (e.g. insects which are not pests) to the gene product; the stability of the gene; the reduction in the spectrum of other plants including loss of biodiversity; and increased use of chemicals in agriculture. The environmental safety aspects of GM crops vary considerably according to local conditions.
8. Are GM foods safe?
Different GM organisms include different genes inserted in different ways. This means that individual GM foods and their safety should be assessed on a case-by-case basis and that it is not possible to make general statements on the safety of all GM foods.
GM foods currently available on the international market have passed safety assessments and are not likely to present risks for human health. In addition, no effects on human health have been shown as a result of the consumption of such foods by the general population in the countries where they have been approved. Continuous application of safety assessments based on the Codex Alimentarius principles and, where appropriate, adequate post market monitoring, should form the basis for ensuring the safety of GM foods.
9. How are GM foods regulated nationally?
The way governments have regulated GM foods varies. In some countries GM foods are not yet regulated. Countries which have legislation in place focus primarily on assessment of risks for consumer health. Countries which have regulatory provisions for GM foods usually also regulate GMOs in general, taking into account health and environmental risks, as well as control- and trade-related issues (such as potential testing and labelling regimes). In view of the dynamics of the debate on GM foods, legislation is likely to continue to evolve.
10. What kind of GM foods are on the market internationally?
GM crops available on the international market today have been designed using one of three basic traits: resistance to insect damage; resistance to viral infections; and tolerance towards certain herbicides. GM crops with higher nutrient content (e.g. soybeans increased oleic acid) have been also studied recently.
11. What happens when GM foods are traded internationally?
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) is the joint FAO/WHO intergovernmental body responsible for developing the standards, codes of practice, guidelines and recommendations that constitute the Codex Alimentarius, meaning the international food code. Codex developed principles for the human health risk analysis of GM foods in 2003.
Principles for the risk analysis of foods derived from modern biotechnology
The premise of these principles sets out a premarket assessment, performed on a caseby- case basis and including an evaluation of both direct effects (from the inserted gene) and unintended effects (that may arise as a consequence of insertion of the new gene) Codex also developed three Guidelines:
Guideline for the conduct of food safety assessment of foods derived from recombinant-DNA plants
Guideline for the conduct of food safety assessment of foods produced using recombinant-DNA microorganisms
Guideline for the conduct of food safety assessment of foods derived from recombinant-DNA animals
Codex principles do not have a binding effect on national legislation, but are referred to specifically in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the World Trade Organization (SPS Agreement), and WTO Members are encouraged to harmonize national standards with Codex standards. If trading partners have the same or similar mechanisms for the safety assessment of GM foods, the possibility that one product is approved in one country but rejected in another becomes smaller.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, an environmental treaty legally binding for its Parties which took effect in 2003, regulates transboundary movements of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs). GM foods are within the scope of the Protocol only if they contain LMOs that are capable of transferring or replicating genetic material. The cornerstone of the Protocol is a requirement that exporters seek consent from importers before the first shipment of LMOs intended for release into the environment.
12. Have GM products on the international market passed a safety assessment?
The GM products that are currently on the international market have all passed safety assessments conducted by national authorities. These different assessments in general follow the same basic principles, including an assessment of environmental and human health risk. The food safety assessment is usually based on Codex documents.
13. Why has there been concern about GM foods among some politicians, public interest groups and consumers?
Since the first introduction on the market in the mid-1990s of a major GM food (herbicide-resistant soybeans), there has been concern about such food among politicians, activists and consumers, especially in Europe. Several factors are involved. In the late 1980s – early 1990s, the results of decades of molecular research reached the public domain. Until that time, consumers were generally not very aware of the potential of this research. In the case of food, consumers started to wonder about safety because they perceive that modern biotechnology is leading to the creation of new species.
Consumers frequently ask, "what is in it for me?". Where medicines are concerned, many consumers more readily accept biotechnology as beneficial for their health (e.g. vaccines, medicines with improved treatment potential or increased safety). In the case of the first GM foods introduced onto the European market, the products were of no apparent direct benefit to consumers (not significantly cheaper, no increased shelflife, no better taste). The potential for GM seeds to result in bigger yields per cultivated area should lead to lower prices. However, public attention has focused on the risk side of the risk-benefit equation, often without distinguishing between potential environmental impacts and public health effects of GMOs.
Consumer confidence in the safety of food supplies in Europe has decreased significantly as a result of a number of food scares that took place in the second half of the 1990s that are unrelated to GM foods. This has also had an impact on discussions about the acceptability of GM foods. Consumers have questioned the validity of risk assessments, both with regard to consumer health and environmental risks, focusing in particular on long-term effects. Other topics debated by consumer organizations have included allergenicity and antimicrobial resistance. Consumer concerns have triggered a discussion on the desirability of labelling GM foods, allowing for an informed choice of consumers.
14. What is the state of public debate on GMOs?
The release of GMOs into the environment and the marketing of GM foods have resulted in a public debate in many parts of the world. This debate is likely to continue, probably in the broader context of other uses of biotechnology (e.g. in human medicine) and their consequences for human societies. Even though the issues under debate are usually very similar (costs and benefits, safety issues), the outcome of the debate differs from country to country. On issues such as labelling and traceability of GM foods as a way to address consumer preferences, there is no worldwide consensus to date. Despite the lack of consensus on these topics, the Codex Alimentarius Commission has made significant progress and developed Codex texts relevant to labelling of foods derived from modern biotechnology in 2011 to ensure consistency on any approach on labelling implemented by Codex members with already adopted Codex provisions.
15. Are people's reactions related to the different attitudes to food in various regions of the world?
Depending on the region of the world, people often have different attitudes to food. In addition to nutritional value, food often has societal and historical connotations, and in some instances may have religious importance. Technological modification of food and food production may evoke a negative response among consumers, especially in the absence of sound risk communication on risk assessment efforts and cost/benefit evaluations.
16. Are there implications for the rights of farmers to own their crops?
Yes, intellectual property rights are likely to be an element in the debate on GM foods, with an impact on the rights of farmers. In the FAO/WHO expert consultation in 2003 (http://www.who.int/entity/foodsafety/biotech/meetings/en/gmanimal_reportnov03_en .pdf), WHO and FAO have considered potential problems of the technological divide and the unbalanced distribution of benefits and risks between developed and developing countries and the problem often becomes even more acute through the existence of intellectual property rights and patenting that places an advantage on the strongholds of scientific and technological expertise. Such considerations are likely to also affect the debate on GM foods.
17. Why are certain groups concerned about the growing influence of the chemical industry on agriculture?
Certain groups are concerned about what they consider to be an undesirable level of control of seed markets by a few chemical companies. Sustainable agriculture and biodiversity benefit most from the use of a rich variety of crops, both in terms of good crop protection practices as well as from the perspective of society at large and the values attached to food. These groups fear that as a result of the interest of the chemical industry in seed markets, the range of varieties used by farmers may be reduced mainly to GM crops. This would impact on the food basket of a society as well as in the long run on crop protection (for example, with the development of resistance against insect pests and tolerance of certain herbicides). The exclusive use of herbicide-tolerant GM crops would also make the farmer dependent on these chemicals. These groups fear a dominant position of the chemical industry in agricultural development, a trend which they do not consider to be sustainable.
18. What further developments can be expected in the area of GMOs?
Future GM organisms are likely to include plants with improved resistance against plant disease or drought, crops with increased nutrient levels, fish species with enhanced growth characteristics. For non-food use, they may include plants or animals producing pharmaceutically important proteins such as new vaccines.
19. What has WHO been doing to improve the evaluation of GM foods?
WHO has been taking an active role in relation to GM foods, primarily for two reasons:
on the grounds that public health could benefit from the potential of biotechnology, for example, from an increase in the nutrient content of foods, decreased allergenicity and more efficient and/or sustainable food production; and
based on the need to examine the potential negative effects on human health of the consumption of food produced through genetic modification in order to protect public health. Modern technologies should be thoroughly evaluated if they are to constitute a true improvement in the way food is produced.
WHO, together with FAO, has convened several expert consultations on the evaluation of GM foods and provided technical advice for the Codex Alimentarius Commission which was fed into the Codex Guidelines on safety assessment of GM foods. WHO will keep paying due attention to the safety of GM foods from the view of public health protection, in close collaboration with FAO and other international bodies.


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When do NYPD officers face consequences for alleged brutality?
New York City has had a number of high-profile instances of alleged police brutality, similar to Eric Garner's death – and many also did not result in any criminal convictions. This is what happened in the most widely covered recent cases of police-involved deaths and brutality.
A protestor's sign in Harlem on June 7, 2020 listing the names of lives lost due to police brutality. Peter Titmuss/Shutterstock
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By Rebecca C. Lewis
Editor's note: In light of the many recorded incidents of NYPD officers shoving and pepper spraying protesters, or striking them with bikes, SUVs or batons during the last week of protests against police brutality and racism that have followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, City & State is reposting this article from 2019 on when officers have or have not been penalized in high-profile cases of alleged police brutality.
New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill announced on Monday that he fired Officer Daniel Pantaleo for his use of a banned chokehold that contributed to the death of Eric Garner in 2014. The decision marks the end of the five-year saga for accountability in the aftermath of Garner's death, although other officers involved in the fatal arrest have not faced any disciplinary action.
After the Justice Department declined to press charges against Pantaleo earlier this year, and a Staten Island grand jury failed to indict him in 2014, clearing him of any potential criminal prosecution. His termination from the force became the most severe punishment he could receive.
Garner's family and activists had for years called on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to fire Pantaleo, who was desk duty since the incident and even received a raise. But the mayor had long demurred, saying that it is not his place to fire Pantaleo and that the disciplinary process must play out.
Of course, New York City has had a number of high-profile instances of police brutality, including many cases, like Garner's, in which an unarmed black man died. Historically, officers have usually managed to avoid guilty verdicts in criminal court, if they faced an indictment at all. There also was no guarantee that they would face punishment for misconduct within the NYPD after criminal avenues were exhausted, although many, like Pantaleo did.
Here's a look at the most widely covered cases of police-involved deaths and alleged police brutality in recent years – starting with the controversial cases of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's tumultuous second term.
1997 – Assault of Abner Louima
Abner Louima, a Hatian immigrant, was arrested outside of a Brooklyn nightclub after police were called in response to a fight that had broken out. After bringing him to the station, officers beat and sodomized him with a broomstick in bathroom. He suffered a ruptured bladder and colon, and required extensive surgery to repair the damage. The incident caused immediate outrage, with anger targeted at then-Mayor Giuliani. Many civil rights activists and New Yorkers of color contended that Giuliani's tough-on-crime stance and use of Broken Windows policing led to increased police brutality, which Giuliani denied. Giuliani was quick to defend the NYPD in the Louima case. Then-Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes moved quickly to indict the officers involved in the assault. After a series of lengthy trials and appeals, only one officer actually faced criminal penalties for the incident. Justin Volpe, the officer who physically assaulted Louima, pleaded guilty in federal court and was sentenced in 1999 to 30 years in prison with no chance for parole, a sentence he is still serving. A jury convicted Charles Schwarz of being the other man in the bathroom who beat Louima, but an appeals court reversed the decision. Schwarz and two other officers were convicted in relation to the assault in federal court, but had those convictions overturned in the early 2000's. A fifth cop was found not guilty. Each of the five total officers faced charges related to the assault lost their job.
1999 – Shooting of Amadou Diallo
With the Louima assault still a fresh wound, four white police officers shot and killed Amadou Diallo, a 23-year-old immigrant from Guinea, outside of his apartment building in the Bronx. The officers mistook the unarmed Diallo for a suspect in a string of rapes and shot at him 41 times. When officers saw him reach for his wallet, one thought it was a gun and they opened fire. A grand jury in the Bronx indicted the offices for second-degree murder and reckless endangerment. All four were found not guilty. One of the officers, Kenneth Boss, was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2015 and a year later was honored as "Sergeant of the Year." The other three officers kept their jobs, but lost their service weapons. The NYPD restored Boss' weapon in 2012.
2000 – Shooting of Patrick Dorismond
Just weeks after the acquittal of the officers who killed Diallo, an undercover cop shot Patrick Dorismond, an unarmed black man, during a scuffle after he and two other officers approached Dorismond on the street in Manhattan. The undercover cops were members of the narcotics unit who attempted to buy drugs from Dorismond, who was not a drug dealer, as part of a massive crackdown. Giuliani, who had received a steady stream of criticism over the cases of Louima and Diallo, approved the release of Dorsimond's juvenile criminal record in the aftermath of the shooting, and suggested it played a role in his death. Now-Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who was then a NYPD officer and co-founder of an organization of African-American cops, was harshly critical of Giuliani's move. The mayor also said Dorismond was "not a choirboy," when the victim had, in fact, been literally a choirboy. Giuliani was running for Senate at the time, but soon after dropped out. The officer's case never went to trial after a grand jury failed to indict Detective Anthony Vasquez, who fired the fatal shot. In 2007, Vasquez, who kept his job, was charged with second-degree menacing after allegedly threatening three people with his gun.
2006 – Shooting of Sean Bell
Police shot and killed Sean Bell, a 23-year-old unarmed black man, in Queens, on the eve of his wedding. Officers unloaded 50 rounds when Bell drove his car into an unmarked cop car soon after leaving his bachelor's party. In sharp contrast with his predecessor, then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg did not immediately side with officers in the case, calling the 50 shots fired "unacceptable" and made efforts to reach out to the black community in the wake of the shooting. Three of the five involved officers faced charges, including manslaughter, although a jury acquitted them of all charges after a trial. Following an NYPD administrative trial, one detective involved in the shooting, Gescard Insaro, was fired in 2012, while three other officers were forced to resign.
2012 – Shooting of Ramarley Graham
Police Officer Richard Haste chased Ramarley Graham, an 18-year-old unarmed black man, into the apartment of Graham's grandmother, where Haste fatally shot him in the bathroom. Haste did not have a warrant. Graham had been trying to dispose of a bag of marijuana. Haste was charged with manslaughter, but eventually found not guilty. In 2017, an NYPD judge declared Haste guilty after a disciplinary hearing and recommended he be fired, although Haste quit before the firing could occur. Later that year, two other cops involved in the shooting faced disciplinary action as well, with one being forced to resign. In 2018, a judge ruled that the NYPD must turn over more records to Graham's family in relation to the shooting that could shed more light onto what happened.
2014 – Shooting of Akai Gurley
Rookie cop Peter Liang accidentally shot and killed Akai Gurley, an unarmed black man, in a darkened stairway of a Brooklyn housing project. A grand jury indicted Liang on manslaughter and other charges, and in a rarity, a trial jury found him guilty. However, Liang did not receive prison time. Despite facing up to 15 years, a judge sentenced him to five years probation. Liang had already lost his job on the police force prior to going on trial.
2017 – Alleged rape of Anna Chambers
Anna Chambers, a pseudonym, accused NYPD Detectives Eddie Martins and Richard Hall of raping her in the back of a police van after they had taken her into custody for allegedly possessing marijunana. Footage shows the detectives dropping Chambers off after the arrest had occurred and a rape kit found semen from both Martins and Hall on Chambers. The detectives claimed the sex was consesual – until very recently, it was legal for police to have sex with a detainee. Martins and Hall resigned from the NYPD and were later charged with rape and kidnapping, including numerous other offenses. In 2019, nearly all those charges were dropped after prosecutors called Chambers' testimony into question, and the detectives were sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to lesser charges including bribery and misconduct.
2018 – Shooting of Saheed Vassell
Five NYPD officers responded to a 911 call in Brooklyn about a man threatening people with a silver gun. They found Saheed Vassell, whom police had encountered before and classified as an emotionally disturbed person. According to his family, he suffered from bipolar disorder. Four of the officers opened fire when they say Vassell brandished what they thought was a gun, but it turned out to be a metal pipe. One year after the shooting, state Attorney General Letitia James announced her office, newly empowered to investigate police-involved shootings, would not bring charges against the officers.
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India Was of Little Value To ISIS. That's All Set To Change Now
Friday, May 24, 2019 by Indian Defence News
Global jihad organisations like ISIS and al-Qaeda now believe they have a more ready audience in India for their brand of radicalisation
by Adil Rasheed
Indians can no longer be smug about the relatively few ISIS radicals it has had so far. A resurgent global jihad now has more reasons to be drawn to India than ever before.
The very fact that the ISIS has chosen South Asia as the region for staging its comeback, following the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka last month, raises many red flags for the subcontinent. A scorched ISIS is looking upon the large Muslim population in the country to replenish its depleted ranks.
In fact, ISIS' subsequent announcements of forming a so-called 'Wilayat Al Hind' (a fictitious ISIS province in India) and the appointment of a new leader (a certain Abu Muhammad Al Bengali) to lead the charge against India and Bangladesh indicate the group's sustained public relations offensive.
It may be easy for some critics to dismiss these announcements as bluster, but it would be unwise to entirely ignore the group's stated plan and intent.
Doctrinal Dissonance
For a long time, security experts believed global jihadist organisations (al-Qaeda and ISIS) were not so keen on targeting the subcontinent for a variety of reasons.
Being Salafi-Wahhabi in orientation, global jihadists had to engage in a turf war with Pakistan-backed Hanafi-Deobandi terror groups (like the Taliban) already active in the region since the 1990s, with whom they had fundamental doctrinal differences.
Thus, al-Qaeda could never subsume independent-minded Taliban into its Salafist fold, even though many of its leaders like Abu Qatada and Abu Musab Al Zarqawi did not accept the Taliban 'emirate' as Islamic due to doctrinal differences.
Even ISIS (which is even more hardline in its religious orientation than al-Qaeda) has found it difficult to convert Hanafi terror groups in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and Kashmir to its brand of jihadist Salafism. Global jihadist groups never found greater doctrinal discordance with potential jihadist allies in other parts of the world than they have in this region.
This is one of the main reasons why radicalisation of al-Qaeda and ISIS has not found much resonance in a largely Hanafi India, and is only more resonant in some southern provinces of the country, as well as in the Maldives and Sri Lanka, which have a sizeable Ahl-e-Hadeeth and Salafi population.
Narrative of Ongoing 'Crusades'
Al-Qaeda and ISIS never found India as critical to their global campaign against the West-led international order. Since the time of Bin Laden's fatwas of jihad in late-1990s, global jihadists identified 'crusading' Western powers as their primary adversary and have tried to gain religious legitimacy by projecting themselves as prophesied forces that would wage an apocalyptic war with the Christian West. India does not figure prominently in this narrative. Even, the recent Sri Lanka attacks were directed primarily against Christian worshippers and many Westerners staying in big hotels.
Moreover, apart from gaining recruits, India has been of little strategic value to global jihadists. From the beginning, al-Qaeda and ISIS have targeted failing states, preferably Muslim, to carve their own areas of influence from which to operate. Therefore, they have preferred to focus more on countries like Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Somalia, etc. to spread their menace.
India's vigilant security agencies, a largely law-abiding Muslim population and a strong secular social fabric have hardly allowed global jihadists any prospect of growth.
ISIS' Thin Edge of The Wedge
Taking cues from international media that have started to play up the so-called intolerance in Indian society, ISIS (as Tim Lister of CNN points out) feels tempted to test the fragility of Indian social fabric now. It feels India is fraying at the edges and may not withstand a fresh assault.
The terror group also believes it has a more ready audience in India for its brand of radicalisation, as young social-media savvy Muslims from small cities and villages come out of the atavistic Deobandi and Barelvi schools in much larger numbers. The resistance from Indian schools of Islam to the Salafi-jihadist discourse is thus easily breached, as ISIS can now directly reach out with its cutting-edge message of subversion in a communally fraught environment.
The situation in Kashmir is even more critical. There is a growing disillusionment within the Kashmiri population towards indigenous secessionist groups that have unsuccessfully led a 30-year long insurgency. Tapping on this resentment, the Jaish-e-Mohammad is training radical youth to a more advanced form of asymmetric warfare, which it has learnt from elements within the Pakistan military and its associates in al-Qaeda and ISIS.
The Pulwama attacks clearly point to a dangerous new form of terrorism in Kashmir, which bears the hallmarks of global jihadist operations. India can't afford to overlook it.
The author is a Research Fellow at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
Labels: Army, Border, Hizb, India, ISI, ISIS, JeM, JuD, LeT, Pakistan, Terrorism


Globalisation affects the world on several levels. Students should avoid using this term as a catch-all term and rather show how the different aspects of society is affected by it.(of course, with relevance to the question) This leads to a clearer and more focused essay that demonstrates good understanding of this key term.
An article will supplement this discussion.
One point of discussion in this area is whether globalisation has lessened the importance of national boundaries and government. This is especially the case for small free-market economies (i.e Singapore) who arguably have no choice but to respond to global pressures (both politically and economically). Essentially, can we . . .
1. The revolution in transport and communication has 'shrunk' the world and increased the permeability of borders.
2. News modes of governance ranging from transnational organisations to multi-lateral institutions (think UN, EU, World Bank, IMF etc) are supplanting national lawmakers. Some argue that domestic policymakers are largely powerless in the face of global markets.
1. (first example) The global financial crisis has shattered this myth. Most banks . . .
They feel that if you do away with all these regulations . . .