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

Lancement du service Autolib’ dès le 2 octobre prochainLes premières voitures électriques Autolib’ circuleront dès le dimanche 2 octobre à Paris. Conçus pour le groupe Bolloré, ces véhicules pourront être loués dès lundi prochain pour 7 euros la demi-heure.”Le service sera mis en place pour le grand public le lundi 3 octobre”. C’est ce qu’a indiqué le groupe Bolloré concepteur des voitures électriques baptisées Autolib’, annonçant ainsi le lancement de ces véhicules propres en libre service. Initialement, le système devait être mis en place à la fin de l’année mais le groupe a décidé d’avancer le démarrage à dimanche prochain. À lire aussiMal des transports : pourquoi est-on malade en voiture et comment l’éviter ?Au lendemain de la Nuit Blanche, “la journée de dimanche sera consacrée à des démonstrations gratuites”, a ainsi indiqué à l’AFP un porte-parole de Bolloré. A cette occasion, 66 BlueCar seront mises en service et 33 stations ouvertes avant une montée en puissance progressive. Dès lundi, tous les automobiles qui le souhaitent pourront donc se rendre aux bornes et louer un de ces véhicules pour 7 euros la demi-heure. “L’idée est de pouvoir avoir des retours des utilisateurs au fur et à mesure pour permettre des améliorations”, a précisé le groupe Bolloré qui va investir 50 millions d’euros dans l’affaire et prendre en charge l’entretien et l’assurance des véhicules. Pour l’avenir proche, il entend ainsi étendre le service en proposant notamment des formules mensuelles et hebdomadaires. Mais d’ici 2016, jusqu’à 5.000 véhicules électriques pourraient être offerts en libre-service à Paris et dans sa banlieue, assurait Bolloré au début de l’année.Le 27 septembre 2011 à 17:50 • Maxime Lambert read more

Seth Rollins Videos Articles Cesaro Pinterest Videos Articles Julio Jones Becomes NFL’s Highest Paid Wide Receiver Recommended videosPowered by AnyClipSeth Rollins Defends WWE On Two Separate OccasionsVideo Player is loading.Play VideoPauseUnmuteDuration 0:30/Current Time 0:03Loaded: 100.00%0:03Remaining Time -0:27 FullscreenUp NextThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.Replay the list Videos Articles Twitter Match announced for next week’s 205 Live, 8-Man Elimination from TLC PPV in 2015 Seth Rollins Defends WWE On Two Separate Occasions Jason Namako RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR Dave Bautista Announces His Retirement From WWE Facebook Now Playing Up Next Former WWE star ‘Grandmaster Sexay’ dies Now Playing Up Next Now Playing Up Next WhatsApp Kurt Angle Google+ Now Playing Up Next Now Playing Up Next Netflix announces season three of GLOW set to premiere Friday, August 9 Roman Reigns is in Remission Mae Young Classic participants debuting for ROH, ROH originals returning during UK tour read more

Oli Ahmed. Prothom alo file photo.The BNP-led 20-party alliance will come up with its final decision on joining the 11th parliamentary elections within a day or two, reports UNB.Oli Ahmed, president of LDP, one of the components of the 20-party alliance, said this while talking to reporters after a meeting of the alliance at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office on Saturday.”We discussed the election issue and the country’s overall situation. We didn’t take the final decision yet whether we’ll participate in the election or boycott it,” he said.Oli Ahmed said the alliance’s main partner BNP will make the decision public after discussion with Jatiya Oikya Front within a day or two. read more

Dr. Matt Reynolds, an assistant professor at Duke University, heads the electrical and computer department. Matt has demonstrated a low power device that is fitted into a hard-hat. Called a SmartHat, the device sounds a beeper that warns when dangerous equipment is nearby on a construction site.The radio waves are harvest from wireless network transmitters installed on backhoes and bulldozers; they are used to keep track of their location. The low power sensor is used to monitor the direction and strength of the radio signal and warns the hard-hat wearer if they are too close.Matt and his associates are inventing devices that consume so little power that batteries aren’t require to run them. Ambient radio waves are sufficient to operate these devices equipped with low power microprocessors.Powercast is a company that sells radio wave transmitters and receivers that use radio waves to operate low power devices. The company recently released a receiver for charging battery-free wireless sensors; the receiver powers modules that include microcontrollers from Microchip Technology.Because radio waves spread and lose their energy rapidly, this technology hasn’t been explored very much. With the recent advancements in silicon technology, tiny amounts of electricity can now be made to do useful work.At Intel, Dr. Smith is exploring the use of electromagnetic radiation and creating an electronic “harvester” of ambient radio waves. The harvester collects enough energy from a TV station that’s approximately 2.5 miles from the lab to run a temperature and humidity sensor. The device collects enough power to produce about 50 microwatts of power that’s sufficient to operate many sensors. In comparison a solar powered calculator only consumes about 5 microwatts.Dr. Reynolds of Duke University stated: “We are on the cusp of an explosion in small wireless devices than can run on alternatives to battery power. Devices like this can live on and on.” Imec achieves breakthrough in battery-less radios Citation: Radio Waves: Alternative Power Source (2010, July 20) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2010-07-radio-alternative-power-source.html Explore further (PhysOrg.com) — Researchers at Duke University are harvesting ambient radio waves to power small microprocessor devices that consume very little energy. Devices such as sensors that monitor critical environmental changes can be powered from radio waves. © 2010 PhysOrg.com Using only radio waves for its electrical power, the SmartHat has a beeper that alerts the wearer to dangerous construction equipment nearby. Credit: Jochen Teizer More information: PowercastVia: NY Times This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. read more

(PhysOrg.com) — Sometimes you just don’t know whether to laugh, cry or be alarmed when hearing about what the boys in secretive back rooms are doing in the name of antiterrorism, or homeland security, or whatever else they wish to call it. This time it seems, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the semi-secret agency charged with coming up with new and cool ways to protect the citizens of the United States from foreign bad guys, wants to hire someone to figure out how vulnerable some people are to “narratives” (oral stories, speeches, propaganda, books, etc. that cause people to think) and then, supplant such messages with “better” messages to head off the path that for such people might lead them to becoming a terrorist. Explore further Citation: DARPA looking to master propaganda via ‘Narrative Networks’ (2011, October 20) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2011-10-darpa-master-propaganda-narrative-networks.html © 2011 PhysOrg.com DARPA issues BAA for advanced robotic translator Called the “Narrative Networks” project, DARPA has released a solicitation for research proposals by those that have both the know-how and the technology to implement such a program, which is divided into two parts. The first part would involve analyzing what happens to people when they hear or see a message. It’s thought that certain messages or images actually cause a change in the brain to accommodate the new ideas. The second part of the study, quite naturally, would involve developing a means for taking advantage of what is learned in the first part. Or, in other words, to come up with a way to find out who is vulnerable to messaging, and then to blast them with a message that would overwrite any undesirable brain changes that occurred as the result of that person being subjected to “bad” messages, so that they would behave themselves.At first blush, such a program would appear to be scary as all get out; after all, if our government gets its hands on technology that could reprogram people who have come to feel things the government doesn’t like, it seems like a really good way to control them, including its own population. On second thought though, as reality starts to kick in, it appears that while some research in this area might bear some fruit, it’s highly doubtful that any such program would meet with much success. After all, governments (and other entities) have been trying to figure out how to brainwash people for thousands of years with very little to show for their efforts.On the other hand, the folks at DARPA seem to think that new advances in technology might have changed the game a little bit. New types of brain scans can, for example, can actually show a brain being changed due to a received message. And new highly sophisticated electronic sensing devices are able to pick up even the slightest nuances in facial expressions. If the two technologies could be brought together, the thinking goes, perhaps people could be scanned without their knowledge and found to be either vulnerable to messaging or already changed in some way by messaging from a suspect source. In such case, they could be targeted for specialized messaging that has been shown through research to be effective in overriding what has occurred in their unknowing noggins.Each phase is supposed to go for 18 months though there doesn’t appear to be any component of the project that calls for publicly publishing results found or describing product deliveries after completion. This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. read more

Darjeeling: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked state Sports minister Arup Biswas to formulate a new sports policy to support outstanding sportspersons.The Chief Minister also handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to the mother of Heptathlon queen Swapna Barman at a Government programme in Darjeeling and assured a government job to her brother Asit Barman.Swapna Barman, the daughter of a van-rickshaw puller from Jalpaiguri, became the first Indian to win an Asian Games gold medal in the Heptathlon event recently. Also Read – Rain batters Kolkata, cripples normal lifeHer father Panchanan Barman was a van-rickshaw puller but had to give up his job after he suffered a major stroke and is bedridden. Her mother Basana Barman also gave up her job as a daily wage worker at a tea garden to look after her husband.The whole family survives on the meager earnings of Asit Barman who works as a mason. The Chief Minister had invited the family to attend the Government programme in Darjeeling on Wednesday.”My father could not come as he is bedridden and cannot travel,” Asit Barman told Millennium Post. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to Basana Barman. “We will give Swapna a job if she wants. Basana Barman requested that we give her son a job. I have asked Tourism minister Goutam Deb to see that he is provided with a job in the Tourism department,” stated Banerjee. She assured that her government will provide all necessary support to sportspersons. “We had honoured Swapna with Bongoratna Award in 2013. I have asked state Sports minister Arup Biswas to formulate a new sports policy to support famous sports persons of Bengal,” stated Banerjee. Also Read – Speeding Jaguar crashes into Mercedes car in Kolkata, 2 pedestrians killedShe announced that an “Asian Cultural Festival” will be held in Darjeeling in 2019.”This will promote Darjeeling as different Asian countries will take part in the cultural fest,” added the Chief Minister.She stressed on the need of new tourist spots and home stays in the Hills. “From now on, the different development and cultural boards in the hills, along with giving house construction funds will also give funds to upgrade existing houses to make them fit for staying. This will help generate livelihood in the Hills as well as promote tourism,” stated Banerjee. Forest Rights documents were handed over to 431 beneficiaries from different forest villages of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. read more

The Africanized bee, also referred to as killer bees, are known to be much more defensive than other types of honey bees. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) Members of the fire department exterminated the swarm of bees. Chetumal, Q.R. — A man has died after being attacked by a swarm of Africanized bees in Chetumal. The man was apparently cutting firewood and was attempting to remove the cut wood when he was attacked. The attack happened on Avenida 4 de Marzo while the elderly man was using his tricycle. According to the police report, it was around 5:00 p.m. when they received a distress call from Emergency 911 reporting a man lying on the roadway. The man had been attacked by a swarm of Africanized bees, stung approximately 500 times. Police and paramedics arrived, however, the man had already died. read more