Glimpse of the Universe’s First Split Second Boosts Inflation TheoryJust after our universe was born, it doubled its size 60 times before it was even a second old. Now, 13.7 billion years later, cosmologists have detected the first direct evidence of this inflation and spotted traces of gravitational waves—echoes of the big bang. It’s one of the biggest discoveries in the field in 20 years.Stressed-Out Brain Cells May Protect Against Alzheimer’sSign up for our daily newsletterGet more great content like this delivered right to you!Country *AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinianPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRWANDASaint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweI also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, careers information & upcoming events.Required fields are included by an asterisk(*)Want to live a long, dementia-free life? Stress your cells out. That’s the conclusion of a new study, which finds that heightened cellular stress causes brain cells to produce a protein that staves off Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The work could lead to new ways to diagnose or treat such diseases.Human Nose Can Detect a Trillion SmellsWho says we’re not good smellers? A new study has revealed that the average human nose can detect 1 trillion scents. Some noses are more sensitive—the best sniffer in the study was probably able to distinguish more than a thousand trillion odors! Researchers had previously estimated that humans could sense only about 10,000 odors, but the number had never been explicitly tested before.Irreproducibility Dogs New Stem Cell Reprogramming MethodThe authors of two controversial papers that claimed simply stressing adult cells could turn them into powerful stem cells are already facing mounting allegations of problematic images and plagiarism. Since January, scientists around the world have unsuccessfully attempted to reproduce their finding. Now, ScienceInsider has learned that some of the labs involved in producing the two papers describing the work had not attempted to reproduce the technique before the papers were published. Famous Breast Cancer Gene Could Affect Brain GrowthBRCA1 is best known as the “breast cancer gene”—it keeps tumors in the breast and ovaries at bay. But scientists are just starting to unravel the gene’s many functions, and it turns out that BRCA1 may also regulate brain size. The findings could shed light on the gene’s role in brain evolution. read more

Private companies step in to help SEA Games hosting Suerte and hardworking big man Bassieru Sacko, who added 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Green Lancers, were the other two members of the mythical selection. ABL: Alab Pilipinas stays unbeaten at home, rips Hong Kong Photo by Mark Giongco/INQUIRER.netAteneo proved too much for University of the Visayas in a 95-71 win to capture its fourth Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) championship Monday night at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.The Blue Eagles zoomed to a 7-0 start before extending their lead to as high as 33 points. They never trailed and were never threatened.ADVERTISEMENT MOST READ Grace Poe files bill to protect govt teachers from malicious accusations For the complete collegiate sports coverage including scores, schedules and stories, visit Inquirer Varsity. Lacson backs proposal to elect president and vice president in tandem US judge bars Trump’s health insurance rule for immigrants ‘We are too hospitable,’ says Sotto amid SEA Games woes Five Ateneo scored in double figures led by Isaac Go’s 15 points on 4-of-5 shooting from downtown. BJ Andrade had 13 points while Thirdy Ravena and Victor Berjay added 12 apiece.The sweet-shooting Go was named Finals MVP. Go was also joined by Ravena and Andrade in the Mythical Team.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSUrgent reply from Philippine ‍football chiefSPORTSWin or don’t eat: the Philippines’ poverty-driven, world-beating pool starsThe Eagles, who shot 51 percent from the field and limited the Green Lancers to just three field goals in the third quarter, claimed their fourth PCCL title overall.Guard Rey Suerte fired a game-high 26 points for UV, which hit only 32 percent of its field goal attempts and turned the ball over 24 times. Oil plant explodes in Pampanga town Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next Trending Articles PLAY LIST 00:50Trending Articles00:50Trending Articles00:50Trending Articles02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games02:11Trump awards medals to Jon Voight, Alison Krauss SEA Games hosting troubles anger Duterte Oil plant explodes in Pampanga town LATEST STORIES View comments read more

Dubai, Sep 19 (PTI) The legend has it that Sunil Gavaskar during his days as a young cricketer of Dadar Union Club was given a piece of advice by club’ mentor Vithal ‘Marshal’ Patil — “If you can’t be a cricketer, at least dress like one”. The legendary opener has always been very touchy about how players treat their jerseys and caps as he learnt a lesson from his maternal uncle Madhav Mantri, when as a kid, he had demanded to wear former’s India pullovers. “You need to earn that pullopver to wear it,” little Sunny was told by his uncle. No wonder, he wasn’t exactly amused when he saw Fakhar Zaman trying to resemble a rapper wearing his national cap backside while bowling the 18th over of the Indian innings. “Somebody, may be the captain should tell him that that it’s the national cap. He should wear it properly. You can do this in PSL (pakistan Super League) may be but this is the national team,” Gavaskar said on air for the host broadcasters Star Sports. In the next over, Zaman was seen handing the cap to the umpires. However the former India captain then turned his attention towards Dinesh Karthik, whose jersey name carries his initials ‘DK’, which is also his nickname in the cricketing circuit. “May be that’s his nickname but since the jersey carries his number, people should identify with the name. May be with the name he can have his initials,” Gavaskar said. PTI KHS KHSKHSadvertisement read more

Sophomore wide receiver James Washington has earned a ton of praise for making impressive plays that resemble Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr.With a first and goal for the Cowboys, Washington was able to display those comparisons with an impressive one-handed snag he reels in for a touchdown. Check out the highlight below:If you’re looking for the comments section, it has moved to our forum, The Chamber. You can go there to comment and holler about these articles, specifically in these threads. You can register for a free account right here and will need one to comment.If you’re wondering why we decided to do this, we wrote about that here. Thank you and cheers! read more

CLEMSON, SC – SEPTEMBER 23: A general view of the stadium and fans as the University of North Carolina Tar Heels take on the Clemson Tigers on September 23, 2006 at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)We’re only partway through the recruiting process for the Class of 2020, but many teams have been beating down the door of 2021 quarterback Aaron McLaughlin. Fortunately for the Clemson Tigers, it seems that they may have the upper hand now.Speaking to The Clemson Insider, McLaughlin revealed following a recent visit to the school that he is excited at the prospect of getting an offer from the school. He said he was “blown away” after his first trip to check out the program in person.He praised the school for producing such talented quarterbacks, and considers it an honor if he gets the offer.“It (Clemson offer) would be a huge honor because they produce great quarterbacks,” McLaughlin told The Clemson Insider at The Nike Opening Regional in Atlanta last weekend. “They only offer a few, and they offer the best, so it’d be an honor.”McLaughlin made it clear in the interview that he has no intentions of rushing to make a decision, but does plan on returning to Clemson at least once this summer.“I’m really taking my time,” he said. “When I feel at home somewhere, when I feel like I want to announce my top schools or commit, I will.”Clemson’s incumbent quarterback Trevor Lawrence will in all likelihood be off to the NFL by the time McLaughlin enrolls, so he could very well find himself in the mix for the starting job off the bat.The Tigers are not without stiff competition for McLaughlin though. 247Sports‘ Crystal Ball Predictions currently have four SEC teams in a heated race for his commitment.Georgia and Arkansas are tied with a 33-percent of analyst predictions, while Auburn and Ole Miss are tied for third with 17-percent.[The Clemson Insider] read more

zoomDubrovnik Port. Image Courtesy: Pixabay under CC0 Creative Commons license Croatian shipping company Atlantska Plovidba has increased its stake in the Port of Dubrovnik to 11.74 percent by acquiring additional shares.Atlantska Plovidba completed the purchase of the additional 7.61 percent stake in the port, according to a filling on Zagreb Stock Exchange issued on January 15.The purchase comes after the company made a tender offer for 1,130 shares of the Port of Dubrovnik with the highest offer price of HRK 4.04 million (around USD 619,000) in December 2018.Following the transaction, Atlantska Plovidba now owns a total of 1,742 shares of the Mediterranean port.Atlantska Plovidba’s fleet currently comprises a total of twelve bulkers, with a total size of 750,000 dwt and a total market value of USD 166.37 million, VesselsValue’s data shows.World Maritime News Staff read more

The Mario Batali Foundation will hold its Annual Honors Dinner on Sunday night In New York at Del Posto.The event will honor Gretchen Witt, founder of Cookies For Kids’ Cancer, at an intimate evening with Co-Host John C. Reilly and special guests Jim Gaffigan, Billy Strings & Don Julin, Jimmie Johnson, Emeril Lagasse, Marc Vetri, Lidia Bastianich and others.Launched in 2008, the Mario Batali Foundation was established by Mario Batali to feed, protect, educate and empower children, encouraging them to dream big while providing them with the necessary tools to become an active force for change in today’s world.For more info about the event, click here. read more

After seeing the impact of global poverty first-hand, Emmy-award winning actress Patricia Heaton partnered with World Vision to create a wearable reminder of the power of hope this holiday season for the Christian humanitarian organization’s Gift Catalog.The adjustable 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ cuff is brass with gold-colored platingCredit/Copyright: Gifts With a CauseWith every donation of $100 or more to World Vision’s “Where Most Needed” fund, donors can choose to receive the Hope Bracelet by Patricia Heaton, which is made by fair trade artisans in India, as a meaningful memento of their gift. The fund addresses specific, urgent needs in World Vision’s humanitarian work that might otherwise go unmet without these contributions.“The Hope Bracelet by Patricia Heaton reflects my personal style, and keeps my World Vision sponsored child, Gracious, in mind,” said Heaton. “When I met Gracious in Zambia, I saw how one act of generosity can light up an entire community. My dream is that the bracelet will ignite that fire in others.”Heaton designed the gold-colored adjustable cuff with a nod to her personal style – modern, simple, and bold. To create the bangle, World Vision partnered with Gifts With a Cause, a fair-trade organization that provides a sustainable income to artists in developing countries. Each employee receives fair wages, a safe place to work, business development training, and opportunities to build long-term business relationships in their community. In addition, the artisans receive health insurance, profit-sharing through the sale of their handmade crafts, and education for their children. The Hope Bracelet by Patricia Heaton is thoughtfully created through a multi-step process involving bending, welding, smoothing, plating, and quality-checking the jewelry, and provides jobs for 20 artisans in India.Patricia Heaton meets with young Syrian refugee girls in JordanCredit/Copyright: World VisionHeaton, and her co-star on ABC’s “The Middle,” Beau Wirick, recently traveled to Jordan with World Vision to see first-hand the Syrian refugee crisis. World Vision has been responding to the needs of those displaced by the conflicts in Syria and Iraq since 2011. Heaton and Wyrick toured one of the world’s largest refugee camps, visited a Child Friendly Space supported by World Vision, and met with refugee families.“Seeing World Vision’s work in the field – first in Zambia and now in Jordan – has had a profound impact on me and my family,” said Heaton. “In Jordan, it was really moving to see these families, who are just like any of us, torn out of their villages in Syria and away from their families. They’re really struggling. The trip made me realize that there is a lot of work to be done, but we can all be a small part of the solution. Now, every time I wear the Hope Bracelet by Patricia Heaton I’ll remember that. And I hope you will too.”The bracelet is part of World Vision’s “Shine Bright, the World Needs You” holiday campaign – an effort to show Americans that generosity is contagious and that one act of kindness can create a chain-reaction of goodness across the world.For more than 22 years, the World Vision Gift Catalog has been one of the most popular gift-giving alternatives for families across the United States. Last year, more than 112,000 Americans donated to the catalog, giving life-changing gifts such as child sponsorship, goats, clean water, food, and education to millions of people around the world and right here in the U.S.In an interview on the World Vision Podcast earlier this year, Heaton encouraged others to support World Vision’s work, saying: “We can’t all be on the ground. We all have our lives, our families, our jobs…It’s easy to look at all the bad news, but there is so much good work going on all over the world…Americans are very generous people, but it is hard sometimes when you look around the world and you think, ‘How could I possibly help?’ But you can, because World Vision is there to do the work that you want to see get done. You can choose to either feel despair about our world or hope, and there are a lot of good reasons to be hopeful.”World Vision’s Gift Catalog began in 1996 with a handful of humanitarian gifts. Today, the catalog gives shoppers more than 250 tangible ways to improve the lives of children and their communities. Gifts range in price from $16 to $39,000 and can be made in a loved one’s name. Shoppers also can choose to send a personalized card describing the gift and its impact.To order from World Vision’s Gift Catalog, visit www.worldvisiongifts.org or call 1-855-WV-GIFTS (1-855-984-4387). Want to see where your dollars go? Check out this video from World Vision to learn more. read more

TORONTO – Kerr’s Candy social media team is defending the company’s Molasses Kisses treats on Twitter after a newspaper derided it as “the worst Halloween candy.”Kerr’s, which was founded in 1895, promotes the kisses on its website as “traditional Halloween taffy” and says the candies contain 10 per cent real molasses. The company’s used the same recipe to make them for more than 70 years.“They get stuck to the wrapper, they get stuck to your teeth and it’s got this weird earthy taste that’s disgusting to almost everyone under the age of 65,” said Tristin Hopper, a National Post reporter, in a video originally published two years ago.The Post republished the video Thursday with an article by Hopper reasserting his claim and lamenting that the kisses have yet to meet their demise.Twitter users took to Kerr’s Candy social media feed with their take on the article, and whoever is running the account is responding brazenly.“This Halloween don’t scare kids with that wretched Kerr’s molasses candy that you hated as a kid,” wrote one user who goes by Terry, linking to the article.Instead of ignoring the insult, Kerr’s responded with its own dose of sass.“You’re right, Terry, you should keep Molasses Kisses all to yourself. Don’t let the kids have the good candy!” the candy company’s account tweeted back.The response seemed to catch Terry off guard who said he “must respect (Kerr’s) persistence.”The company’s social media team is also doling out love to the candy’s supporters, sharing a GIF of Winnie the Pooh eagerly tying a napkin around his neck as he prepares to chow down on one.Kerr’s appears to be among the few companies who’ve found their voice on Twitter and attracted a following with a more personalized approach.Burger chain Wendy’s, for example, is well-known for roasting people (and competing fast food outlets) on Twitter.When one user recently asked the chain’s Twitter account what they should order at McDonald’s, the company answered “McNothing” and to another who asked the same question, “better at picking places to eat.”But, that approach doesn’t always work and can fall flat if companies try to insert themselves into a broader, serious conversation just to promote their product.In 2014, the hashtag WhyIStayed was trending as people explained the reasons why they remained with abusers.The DiGiorno Pizza account tweeted: “#WhyIStayed You had pizza.”The single tweet infuriated many who felt the company shouldn’t have tried to capitalize on the hashtag. The company deleted the offending tweet shortly afterward and explained they were not aware of the context behind the hashtag.More recently, Hudson’s Bay drew the ire of Twitter users in the wake of Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie’s death after posting a tweet that struck many as insensitive.“Here’s to the King of the Canadian Tuxedo. #RIPGordDownie,” the department store tweeted, along with an image of three denim jackets with brand labels prominently displayed, including one with a lining that featured HBC’s distinctive multi-coloured stripes.The tweet was removed a short time later.With files from Cassandra Szklarski read more

Here are the closing numbersTSX — 14,527.57     -96.68     (-0.66%)   S&P 500 —  1,982.30     -2.75     (-0.14%)Dow — 16,974.31     -31.44     (-0.18%)Nasdaq — 4,549.23 -15.07 (-0.33%) TORONTO — The Toronto stock market closed lower Wednesday as the U.S. Federal Reserve did just what many traders expected — announced the end of its quantitative easing program, kept its key rate unchanged at close to zero and said it was in no hurry to hike rates.The S&P/TSX composite index fell 96.68 points to 14,527.57 with particular pressure coming from gold stocks as the impending end of QE send bullion prices sharply lower.The Canadian dollar lost ground as the greenback appreciated in the wake of the Fed announcement, down 0.16 of a cent to 89.36 cents US.U.S. indexes were also lower as the Dow Jones industrials dropped 31.44 points to 16,974.31, the Nasdaq declined 15.06 points to 4,549.23 and the S&P 500 index shed 2.75 points to 1,982.3.Some traders have viewed the completion of the QE stimulus with some trepidation since the program of massive bond purchases has kept long-term rates low and helped encourage the strong rally on stock markets over the past few years.But economic conditions have improved dramatically since the Fed first launched its initial QE program in the wake of the 2008 financial collapse and the U.S. central bank noted Wednesday that softness in the labour market is gradually diminishing.“There have been clear signs the U.S. economy is on a stronger footing today than it was, say, a year ago, and so accordingly the need for stimulus from the Fed is less today than it once was,” observed Colum McKinley, Canadian equities manager at CIBC Asset Management.Markets had looked for reassurance that the Federal Reserve would keep short-term rates low after QE ends and got it as the Fed kept words “considerable period” in its announcement.All TSX sectors were lower save for small gains in consumer discretionary and utilities stocks.The gold sector took the brunt of the damage, down over 4% as December gold closed down $4.50 to US$1,224.90 an ounce. The pressure continued after the close with gold falling $18.40 to US$1,211.Barrick Gold, which posts earnings after the close, faded 76 cents to $14.34.The metals and mining sector was down 0.43% as December copper closed higher for a fifth day, up a cent to at US$3.10 a pound.Teck Resources reported adjusted earnings of 28 cents a share, three cents higher than estimates, helped in part by improved results from its zinc operations. Revenue was down nearly 11% to $2.25 billion with results impacted by lower prices for its steelmaking coal and its shares were up 32 cents to $18.16.“As shareholders in Teck, we are quite encouraged by what we saw in the results,” McKinley said.“You are seeing continued improvements on the cost side . . . and (they) increased their outlook on zinc.”The energy sector fell 0.25% while December crude ran up 78 cents to US$82.20 a barrel. Suncor Energy was 15 cents lower at C$38.85 ahead of earnings coming out Wednesday night.In the U.S., Facebook shares fell six% after finance chief David Wehner said that he expects the social network company to incur higher expenses than normal in the quarters to come in the wake of big investments in both engineering talent and acquisitions. Facebook had reported adjusted earnings and revenue that both beat expectations. TOP STORIESU.S. Federal Reserve ends QE, while keeping ‘considerable time’ pledge on low ratesBlackBerry CEO on the upcoming Classic smartphone: ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it’Fiat Chrysler shares soar after automaker announces Ferrari spinoffTeck Resources ‘solid’ despite slumping coal market WHAT’S ON DECK THURSDAYECONOMIC NEWSUNITED STATES8:30 a.m. Weekly jobless claims: Economists expect 285,000 new claims Real GDP (Q3): Economists expect 3% growthCORPORATE NEWSCANADA Bombardier Inc Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 9¢ a share Canadian Oil Sands Ltd Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 42¢ a share Eldorado Gold Corp     Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 5¢ a share Fairfax Financial Holdings Q3 earnings: Analysts expect $14.04 a share First Quantum Minerals Ltd Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 25¢ a share Goldcorp ‘a’ Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 18¢ a share Maple Leaf Foods Inc Q3 earnings: Analysts expect a loss of 3¢ a share Thomson Reuters Corp Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 44¢ a share Transalta Corp     Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 7¢ a shareUNITED STATESCME Group Inc  Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 82¢ a share MasterCard Inc Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 78¢ a share Newmont Mining Corp Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 16¢ a share Starbucks  Q4 earnings: Analysts expect 74¢ a share Time Warner Cable Inc Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 94¢ a share read more

Brace yourself for yet another round of messy winter weather.Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for Norfolk County, warning of a combination of snow, ice pellets and freezing rain on Tuesday. Neighbouring municipalities of Haldimand, Brantford/Brant are under a winter storm warning, with up to 20 cm of snow, ice pellets and freezing freezing rain expected Tuesday and Tuesday night.The national weather agency says snow and blowing snow will begin early Tuesday morning, before changing in the afternoon to ice pellets and freezing rain – the result of a Colorado low crossing Southern Ontario.The ice build-up could cause tree branches to break and power outages may also happen.All of this also will be coupled with strong winds gusting up to 70 km-h on Tuesday, Environment Canada said.The hazardous winter conditions are expected to continue into Wednesday.Last week, freezing rain brought some disruption to the area, with classes being cancelled on consecutive days at both the public and Catholic schools boards.Several parts of the local area also experienced prolonged power outages. read more

“Sheikh Zayed al-Nahayan was a most distinguished statesman, who led the UAE since its formation in 1971,” a spokesman for Mr. Annan said in statement. “He was the friend of the United Nations, who sought always to strengthen relations between the Organization and his country.”The spokesman said Sheikh Zayed’s “strong belief in diplomacy and generous assistance to developing countries” won the leader renown outside his own country – in the Islamic world and even further afield.The Secretary-General expressed his deep condolences to the family of the late President, and to the Government and people of the UAE. read more

The human rights calamity unfolding in Syria’s eastern Aleppo city demands bold new initiatives, including proposals to “limit the use of the veto” by the permanent members of the Security Council, the top United Nations human rights official declared today. “Since the launch of the new offensive on opposition-held neighbourhoods of eastern Aleppo by the Syrian Government and its allies, pictures of suffering and death have filled our screens. Faced with such a ghastly avalanche of violence and destruction, extraordinary steps must be taken,” said Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, noting that since 21 September, hundreds of civilians have been killed, including at least 100 children. “I firmly believe that the time has come for strong leadership and bold actions, and that the UN Security Council should, without any further delay, adopt criteria to restrain members from using the veto when there are serious concerns that war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide may have been committed,” the High Commissioner said in the statement, which was released by his Office (OHCHR). The UN Security Council has 15 members. The five permanent members – China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, widely known as the ‘P-5’– all have the special power bestowed under the UN Charter to cast a ‘negative vote’ or veto, by which a Council decision or resolution would not be approved. The 10 elected, or non-permanent members, whose seats are distributed on a regional basis, do not retain this privilege. Mr. Zeid said that such a “crucial initiative” will permit the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court, a move he has repeatedly requested. “Such a referral would be more than justified given the rampant and deeply shocking impunity that has characterized the conflict and the magnitude of the crimes that have been committed, some of which may indeed amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity,” he said. International law ‘does not exist to preserve superfluous rights’ UN’s Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) briefs the press about call on the Security Council to introduce limitation on its members’ use of veto power, in order prevent crimes against humanity in conflict situations. Credit: UN News CentreThe High Commissioner said that the attack on a humanitarian convoy on 19 September, the recent strikes that hit three centres of the ‘White Helmets’ volunteer rescue group, and those that hit at least three major hospitals in eastern Aleppo – including most recently a vital trauma facility, which was struck repeatedly over the weekend – all “seem to indicate that the ongoing operations are conducted in complete disregard for the most basic standards of international humanitarian law.” “These standards do not exist to preserve superfluous rights; they were agreed by the international community in order to preserve the most minimal element of humanity in the conduct of war,” Mr. Zeid said. The attacks over the past 10 days have been the “most intense” the inhabitants of eastern Aleppo have endured since the conflict began, and not a single neighbourhood is now considered safe, the High Commissioner said, emphasizing that the use of weapons such as high-explosive blast bombs and incendiary weapons in heavily populated areas is having a “devastating impact” on the civilian population and structures. Further to the statement, the High Commissioner stressed that the current operation by the Syrian Government and its allies “appears to be intended to force the surrender of fighters in eastern Aleppo by any means necessary.” “This apparent aim is reflected in a pattern of attacks that have damaged or destroyed objects that have special protection under international humanitarian law, including medical units and structures vital for people’s well-being such as water-pumping stations; and attacks that have killed and injured people involved in providing humanitarian assistance,” he added. Use of weapons with indiscriminate effects ‘strictly prohibited’ The use of weapons with indiscriminate effects – such as incendiary weapons – in heavily populated areas is of particularly grave concern, Mr. Zeid said, reminding all State parties to the Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, including the Russian Federation, that they are “strictly prohibited from using incendiary weapons in airstrikes on heavily populated areas, and that the use of such weapons by ground forces is severely restricted.” Aerial view of Aleppo, Syria. September 2016. Photo: WHO/A. Kalmykov “The use by armed opposition groups of what is known as a ‘hell-fire cannon,’ a homemade mortar that fires gas cylinders packed with explosives and shrapnel, is also totally unacceptable,” the High Commissioner said, noting that the use of such weapons constitutes indiscriminate attacks, as they are virtually impossible to aim correctly and have frequently killed and maimed civilians in Government-held areas. “As no military advantage can likely be gained from their use due to their inaccuracy, it must be concluded that their primary purpose is to terrorize the inhabitants of western Aleppo,” he added. “If proven to be intentional, the attacks currently launched on Aleppo by all sides, including those against civilians, against medical units and against humanitarian workers, their facilities and equipment, may amount to war crimes,” the High Commissioner said. “And if such attacks are knowingly committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against the civilian population, they may also be found to constitute crimes against humanity,” he added. We cannot afford to fail Aleppo. We cannot afford to continue to fail the thousands of children trapped in this city awaiting their slaughter. The High Commissioner said that with a ground offensive against eastern Aleppo by the Syrian Government forces and their allies now apparently under way, “parties to the conflict must at all times and without exception strictly adhere to international humanitarian law, in particular the core principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.” “The failure by the enemy to adhere to international humanitarian law in no way removes the other side’s obligation to respect the law, nor does the designation of a particular group as a ‘terrorist organization’ allow for any derogation from the laws of war,” he stressed. “Let us not forget that the destruction of cities like Warsaw, Stalingrad and Dresden, and the horror inflicted upon their civilians contributed to a great extent to the foundation of the United Nations. We cannot afford to fail Aleppo. We cannot afford to continue to fail the thousands of children trapped in this city awaiting their slaughter,” Mr. Zeid said. read more

“Given the grave risks associated with any military confrontation, in exercise of its primary responsibility the Security Council needs to do all it can to prevent an escalation. Unity in the Security Council is critical,” said Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman in an emergency meeting – the 13th time the Council has met to discuss the DPRK in 2017. The UN political chief’s appeal came after Secretary-General António Guterres had earlier “strongly condemned” the ballistic missile launch, which, according to news reports, landed in the Sea of Japan. A statement issued Tuesday night by Mr. Guterres’ spokesman said: “This is a clear violation Security Council resolutions and shows complete disregard for the united view of the international community.” “The Secretary-General urges the DPRK to desist from taking any further destabilizing steps. [He] reaffirms his commitment to working with all parties to reduce tensions,” the statement concluded. Solutions to tensions caused by DPR Korea’s repeated missile tests can only be political Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs FeltmanIn his briefing to the Council Wednesday evening, Mr. Feltman said that, according to the DPRK’s official news agency and various governmental sources, the north Asian country launched a ballistic missile, which it termed an “intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15.” The missile was reportedly launched from an area north of the capital, Pyongyang, covering about 950 kilometres (km) and reaching an apogee of around 4,500 km, before impacting into the sea in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, he said. These parameters indicate that, if flown on a standard trajectory, the missile as configured would have a range in excess of 13,000 km. This is the DPRK’s third test of a ballistic missile of apparent intercontinental range in less than six months and its 20th ballistic missile launch this year. The official media claimed the DPRK was now “capable of striking the whole mainland of the US” and that the DPRK had “finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power.” The DPRK’s repeated nuclear and missile tests over the past two years have created great tension on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, Mr. Feltman said, stressing that this dynamic must be reversed and the solution can only be political. Security Council unity would create an opportunity for sustained diplomatic engagement – an opportunity that must be seized in these dangerous times to seek off-ramps and work to create conditions for negotiations, he added. This morning, Mr. Feltman called a meeting with the DPRK Permanent Representative to the UN to deliver the UN Secretary-General’s message. During the meeting, Mr. Feltman stressed that “there is nothing more dangerous to peace and security in the world than what is happening now on the Korean Peninsula.” Turning to the humanitarian situation in the DPRK, Mr. Feltman said that the needs are increasing and food security remains a critical concern for 70 per cent of the population. Member States are again reminded of the need to support the life-saving activities carried out by humanitarian organizations in the country. Briefing by Chair of Security Council Sanctions Committee on DPRKAlso briefing the Council was Sebastiano Cardi of Italy, the Chair of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee, which facilitates implementation of the provisions of all relevant resolutions – from 1718 (2006) to the latest 2375 (2017). He said that following the adoption of resolution 2375 on 11 September this year, which significantly expanded the scope of the sanctions regime, the Committee has been engaged in facilitating implementation of all sanctions measures and is continuing its efforts in this regard.As of today, the Committee has received 102 national implementation reports on resolution 2270 (2016), 89 on resolution 2321 (2016) and 31 on resolution 2371 (2017). These submission rates are much higher than under previous resolutions regarding the DPRK, he said. However, he recalled that resolution 2375 (2017) requires all Member States to submit their national implementation reports within 90 days of its adoption, that is by 12 December 2017. read more

“The Sahel is a priority for the Secretary-General and the entire United Nations system,” Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a conference being held in Nouakchott, Mauritania, to discuss strategies to tackle the Sahel crisis, which leaves 24 million people in need of humanitarian assistance this year.A largely semi-arid region, the Sahel stretches from Senegal on Africa’s Atlantic coast, through parts of Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Sudan to Eritrea on the Red Sea coast.It is plagued by the increasing threat posed by terrorism and violent extremism and its spread in surrounding countries and regions. This is compounded – or caused – by weak development progress in the Sahel and the impacts of climate change on food supplies, migration flows and conflict over land and resources.“The complexity and multi-dimensional nature of these challenges attest to the necessity to respond collectively to the Sahel crisis, and in a more coherent, comprehensive and integrated manner,” Ms. Mohammed explained.These challenges promoted changes to the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel to better meet the needs of the 10 countries in the region.The Deputy Secretary-General said five key priorities on addressing the root causes of the crisis are: inclusive and equitable growth; public good services, including access to basic service, governance and rule of law; climate and energy; gender equality and women’s empowerment; and security, including preventing violent extremism, transnational crime and human trafficking. Empowering youth is an overall priority, she added. read more

Here are the results of the IHF SUPER GLOBE 2014 – Day 1:Esperance (Tunisia) – Sydney (Australia) 35:23SG Flensburg (Germany) – Taubate (Brazil) 28:22El Jaish (Qatar) – Al Ahly (Qatar) 28:23 ← Previous Story SEHA: Metalurg defeated by RK Vardar in the regional derby! Next Story → EHF CL: Meshkov Brest and Besiktas JK last teams to book CL tickets!

“It’s generally accepted that a US search warrant in the physical world can only be used to obtain materials that are within the territory of the United States … We think the same rules should apply in the online world.”Remember, this was not long after the Edward Snowden revelations, so public interest in data surveillance was at its peak. By Fora Staff Edward Snowden supporters Source: Kin Cheung/AP/Press Association ImagesMicrosoft quickly made a second appeal, this time to a higher court- but the company lost again.“We will appeal promptly and continue to advocate that people’s email deserves strong privacy protection in the US and around the world,” the company’s general counsel Brad Smith told AFP at the time.The case moved up to a circuit court.Irish connectionIt was at this point that the Irish government got involved when it filed what’s called a brief of amicus curiae, or ‘friend of the court’.An amicus curiae is when a person or body that has a strong view on a case, but is not directly involved, offers information to the judge that might help them make a decision.It is unusual for a sovereign government to make such a submission.The Microsoft note said: “Ireland respectfully asserts that foreign courts are obliged to respect Irish sovereignty (and that of all other sovereign states) whether or not Ireland is a party or intervener in the proceedings before them.” Minister for Data Protection Dara Murphy (left) Source: Niall Carson/PA Archive/PA ImagesIt pointed to a treaty that the US and Ireland has both signed and suggested that would be sufficient to enable the court to the obtain the emails anyway. The briefing note made it clear that the Irish state would cooperate with the US if it acted on the treaty.The submission also referenced a case that was heard the year before in which the Supreme Court in Ireland ruled that the Irish state could obtain data from an overseas branch of National Irish Bank, but only in special circumstances.Ireland’s decision to become involved in the legal proceedings was welcomed by Microsoft.Tables turnIt would be another two years before the three-judge panel would deliver its ruling, but it was worth the wait for Microsoft.In July of this year, the court unanimously overturned the lower court’s decision.“Neither explicitly nor implicitly does the statute envision the application of its warrant provisions overseas,” it said, refering to the ’Stored Communications Act’. Source: Joe Gratz/FlickrAllowing prosecutors to enforce a warrant outside the US would “jettison … centuries of law” and “replace the traditional warrant with a novel instrument of international application”.One of the judges, Gerald Lynch, argued that an attempt to apply US law overseas could cause tensions with other countries, “most easily appreciated if we consider the likely American reaction if France or Ireland or Saudi Arabia or Russia proclaimed its right to regulate conduct by Americans within our borders”.What’s nextMicrosoft may have won the last round, but the fight isn’t quite over yet.Just last week, the US Department of Justice submitted a request for its own appeal.In its submission, the department said that reversing the original decision “has created a regime where electronic communication service providers … can thwart legitimate and important criminal and national security investigations”.It looks like the battle between the computing giant and state bodies will rage on.A routine request to comply with US law enforcement has morphed into a heated battle over whether domestic governments should be allowed access digital data held overseas – and if the dispute reaches the Supreme Court, it could pave the way for future arguments about how online data is handled in criminal investigations.Written by Conor McMahon and posted on Fora.ie Oct 23rd 2016, 9:30 PM 20,030 Views Image: Paul Sakuma/AP/Press Association Images IRELAND FINDS ITSELF at the centre of a long-running privacy row between tech giant Microsoft and the US Department of Justice.The dispute involves a computer server in Dublin, which the American government believes holds key evidence for an investigation into narcotics trafficking.Three years ago, US authorities issued a warrant for Microsoft to hand over email content that is stored on the server because they believe the information will help them pin a notorious drugs trafficker.The company refused to comply and made a formal legal challenge because it didn’t believe the government had the power to search private information stored overseas.A series of court cases followed, which ultimately saw a three-judge appeals court rule in favour of the computer giant earlier this year. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Source: Eric Risberg/AP/Press Association ImagesPrivacy rights activists concerned about digital snooping by state bodies saw it as a major victory to their cause.The celebrations didn’t last long, however. Late last week, the US justice department asked for a do-over on the decision, sparking a new chapter in the ongoing saga – which could ultimately end up in the US Supreme Court.With that in mind, let’s look at the story so far and the key things you need to know about Ireland’s role in the impending showdown.WarrantThe issue dates back to late 2013 when federal agents investigating a major drugs trafficker secured a warrant for Microsoft to hand over information from the individual’s Hotmail account.The data in question was not stored on a personal computer but on a giant server in Dublin, the location of one of Microsoft’s many data centres around the world.Microsoft refused to comply, purposely putting itself in contempt of court.It said that US law enforcers had misinterpreted a clause in the 30-year-old ‘Stored Communications Act’, which says a computer service provider must disclose electronic communication to a government body if it will help with a criminal investigation.Microsoft argued that the US did not have the authority to request information that is stored outside its borders.The company has complied with the relevant US act before and similar laws from other jurisdictions around the world.In fact, it publishes a twice annual, country-by-country report on how it has handled law enforcement requests.In the US, it received over 5,000 requests for information from January to June of this year and fully disclosed information for 500 of those requests.There were just 32 requests from Irish authorities and one led to full disclosure. A room of data servers Source: AP/Press Association ImagesFirst stepAfter being found in contempt of court, Microsoft issued a formal challenge to the judge who originally issued the search warrant, but the decision was upheld in April 2014.Writing in a blog post at the time, Microsoft’s corporate vice president David Howard suggested that this was not the end of the matter. Microsoft was in it for the long haul.“This is the first step toward getting this issue in front of courts that have the authority to correct the government’s longstanding views on the application of search warrants to content stored digitally outside the United States,” he wrote.“While the law is complicated, the issue is straightforward. Share10 Tweet Email3 Short URL https://jrnl.ie/3037208 Sunday 23 Oct 2016, 9:30 PM Get Fora’s NEW daily digest of the morning’s key business news: 12 Comments Image: Paul Sakuma/AP/Press Association Images Take me to Fora Your crash course in… How a Dublin server sparked Microsoft’s three-year row with the US The tech giant has been fighting with the American government over access to overseas data. Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article read more

La formation de la galaxie d’Andromède en simulation numériqueDes simulations numériques ont été effectuées à Paris et en Chine pour reconstituer la chronologie de la formation de la galaxie d’Andromède (M 31).La galaxie d’Andromède appartient au groupe local de galaxies qui en compte une quarantaine, dont la Voie Lactée. Située à 2,5 millions d’années-lumière de nous, c’est également une galaxie spirale, une des rares visibles à l’œil nu. Les astronomes prévoient qu’elle entrera en collision avec la Voie Lactée dans 4,5 milliards d’années.Rien d’extraordinaire en soi puisque les collisions de galaxies sont très fréquentes. Les astronomes pensent même que ce sont ces collisions qui auraient amené la formation de galaxies plus importantes, par captures et fusions avec d’autres, plus petites.Ainsi, les observateurs pensaient que la galaxie d’Andromède était la résultante de la collision de deux galaxies plus petites ; cependant, ils ignoraient la chronologie exacte de ce processus. Grâce à des reconstitutions numériques, des chercheurs français et chinois sont parvenus à en apprendre davantage.Il y a neuf milliards d’années, alors qu’une galaxie un peu plus grande que la Voie Lactée entrait en interaction avec une autre galaxie trois fois plus petite, il y eut une importante collision. C’est ainsi qu’elles fusionnèrent, il y a 5,5 milliards d’années. Comme c’est souvent le cas lors d’une collision intergalactique, les forces de marées ont arraché des étoiles et des masses gazeuses (les forces de marées sont la conséquence de la non-uniformité de la force gravitationnelle exercée sur un corps par l’ensemble des astres qui l’entourent ; le côté d’un corps le plus près d’un astre subit une force supérieure à celui le plus éloigné). Des courants et des queues de marée furent ainsi formés. Un tiers de la masse de la Voie Lactée aurait ainsi été expulsé sous forme de queues de marée.À lire aussiHeure d’hiver, Tara et forêt, les 8 actus sciences que vous devez connaître ce 27 octobreAu final, les simulations ont reproduit assez fidèlement la fusion d’une galaxie spirale, aux caractéristiques similaires à Andromède (un grand disque mince dans lequel s’inscrivent un anneau de gaz géant, un bulbe central massif, un énorme et épais disque et de nombreux courants d’étoiles, dont un, géant, dans son halo périphérique).La simulation aurait également permis d’expliquer la formation des nuages de Magellan. Ces nuages, qui se dirigent vers nous à la vitesse d’un million de kilomètres par heure, soit 350 kilomètres par seconde, seraient issus d’une des queues de marée. Le 5 décembre 2010 à 16:03 • Emmanuel Perrin read more

Formation du cerveau : un nouveau mécanisme étudiéUne étude a permis de découvrir que la protéine reelin, impliquée dans la migration des cellules nerveuses vers le néocortex agissait indépendamment des cellules gliales qui jouent habituellement le rôle d’aiguillage des mouvements neuronaux.La revue Neuron publie les résultats d’une étude sur la protéine reelin. Découverte en 1995, elle est capable de se lier aux récepteurs d’autres cellules nerveuses que celles dont elle provient. “Nous savions que reelin se lie à plusieurs récepteurs sur les cellules nerveuses et déclenche différentes voies de signalisation mais nous avons voulu savoir si ces voies régulent la mobilité des neurones”, indique l’auteur de l’étude.À lire aussiUne activité électrique détectée dans des mini-cerveaux développés en laboratoireEn effet, lorsque le cerveau est en voie de développement, les cellules qui se forment migrent dans différentes zones. Arrivées à destination, elles créent des réseaux qui permettent au cerveau de fonctionner. C’est la protéine reelin qui permet la formation correcte de ces différentes zones. Mais les scientifiques ignoraient jusque-là son rôle exact.C’est en marquent au colorant fluorescent les cellules nerveuses du cerveau d’un embryon de souris que les chercheurs ont pu observer leur migration. Ils ont constaté que toutes allaient se placer dans le néocortex alors que chez les souris qui ne possédaient plus reelin, le déplacement était bloqué.Le mécanisme reste encore compliqué mais les scientifiques espèrent trouver “d’autres gènes impliqués dans la schizophrénie et l’autisme”.Le 10 février 2011 à 11:59 • Emmanuel Perrin read more