Astronomers have found signs of water ice clouds on an object just 7.3 light-years from Earth—less than twice the distance of Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to the sun. If confirmed, the discovery is the first sighting of water clouds beyond our solar system. The clouds shroud a Jupiter-sized object known as a brown dwarf and should yield insight into the nature of cool giant planets orbiting other suns.Kevin Luhman, an astronomer at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, recently discovered the nearby object by using images from NASA’s WISE infrared space telescope, which scanned the sky from 2010 to 2011. A brown dwarf is a failed star and has so little mass that it can’t sustain nuclear reactions, so after its birth it fades and cools. This brown dwarf, named WISE J0855-0714, is the coldest known. Its temperature is slightly below the freezing point of water, so it’s colder than Earth’s mean temperature but warmer than Jupiter’s.”I’ve been obsessed with this object since its discovery,” says astronomer Jacqueline Faherty of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C. The new neighbor resembles a giant planet—it’s as large as Jupiter and three to 10 times as massive—but is solitary, which means it has no sun whose glare interferes with our view of it. Moreover, it’s nearby: the fourth closest system to the sun, after Alpha Centauri, Barnard’s star, and Luhman 16.Sign 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(*)Still, because the object is small and cold, it’s so dim that no ground-based observatory had seen it. “I went to battle at the telescope to try and get this detection,” Faherty says. “I wanted to put war paint under my eyes and wear a bandanna, because I knew this was not going to be an easy thing to do. At the telescope, I’ve never been so nervous. I’ve never wanted clear conditions so badly.”For 3 nights in May, Faherty used the 6.5-meter Magellan Baade telescope in Chile to acquire 151 near-infrared images that she later combined to yield a detection. “I’m absolutely elated,” she says. Moreover, as her team will report in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the observed colors match models of a brown dwarf with clouds of water ice and clouds of sodium sulfide.”It’s incredibly interesting,” says Jonathan Fortney of the University of California, Santa Cruz, an astronomer who helped develop those models but was not involved in the discovery. “It’s tentative,” he says, but “it’s the first evidence for water clouds” outside our solar system. Even within the solar system, observers can see water clouds on only Earth and Mars; the giant planets are so cold that ammonia ice clouds cover the water clouds on Jupiter and Saturn while the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune block the view there.Observers have previously discerned water vapor in the atmospheres of extrasolar planets, but Fortney says water clouds are a new phenomenon. “One of the things we don’t really know is how common partly cloudiness is,” he says. Venus, whose clouds consist of sulfuric acid, is totally cloudy, whereas Earth is partly cloudy. Faherty says the brown dwarf is also partly cloudy: About half is obscured by clouds.Verifying the discovery will require spectra. Because the object is so dim, this will likely await the James Webb Space Telescope, which will be launched later this decade. read more

A divided federal appeals court on Monday upheld the insider trading conviction of Mathew Martoma, a former portfolio manager for billionaire Steven A. Cohen, finding enough evidence to establish guilt despite defective jury instructions.In an unusual 2-1 decision, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which had upheld Martoma’s conviction and nine-year prison term in August 2017, withdrew its finding at that time that the jury instructions were “not obviously erroneous.”Read it at News India Times Related Items read more

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Also Read :Cricket: Twitter world wishes MS Dhoni on his birthday LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 13: Captain Saurav Ganguly of India with the Trophy during the match between England and India in the NatWest One Day Series Final at Lord’s in London, England on July 13, 2002. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)AdvertisementSourav Ganguly a.k.a. Dada is one of the finest left-hand batsman and a convenient right arm medium pacer. He is remembered leading his nation during some of its most successful exploits.Dada turned 46 today. He is honoured as the most exquisite players and captains in world cricket. Ganguly’s captaincy may have overshadowed his batting skills but he is regarded as a magician with the bat. Whether he was dancing down the track to leg spinners or cutting pacers through the off-side, Ganguly was a treat to watch.The Prince of Kolkata announced his test debut in style at the Mecca of Cricket on 20th January 1996 and scored a century in his debut. He went on to become the third highest scorer for India with 18575 runs. He is the 12th highest run scorer of all time in International cricket history. He is the only ODI player to have won 4 consecutive Man of the Match awards. Notably, he never dipped below 40 in test cricket.Thank you Dada for the memories. Let us all come together and wish the ‘ Royal Bengal Tiger ‘ a very happy and prosperous life ahead. Advertisement Cricket: MS Dhoni turns 37 today read more

By Philem Dipak Singh New Delhi, Feb 29 (PTI) One of the greatest Indian track and field athletes Sriram Singh feels that the country needs to produce plenty of good domestics coaches and all-weather training facilities if it has to win a medal in the Olympics in future in this sporting discipline. Sriram, one of the few Indian track and field athletes to feature in the final round on an Olympic Games when he did so in the 800m race in 1976 Montreal Games, said the countrys athletes need not train abroad if it has good home grown coaches and all-weather facilities. “I am not against training at foreign countries because we need to update ourselves to the most modern techniques. But that can be done with a few foreign coaches and a line of good domestic coaches. The domestic coaches will have to learn from the foreign coaches,” said Sriram, who finished seventh in the 800m race in 1976 Olympics. “If we have a line of good domestic coaches, we can produce good athletes continuously. That is what is needed for India if we have to win Olympic medals in future,” Sriram told PTI in an interview. Asked if there was lack of top-class training facilities in the country, he said, “We have some very good training centers in the country built by the government. But we still need some all-weather facilities. “You have heard coaches wanting to train abroad during harsh summer months. India is such a vast country and in many places weather is mild in summer. So, we need to have training centers to train athletes in all weather conditions,” he said. Sriram, whose 800m national record of 1:45.77 he set in 1976 Montreal Olympics has not been bettered by any fellow countryman in the last 40 years, felt it will be tough for India to get a medal from athletics in the upcoming Rio Games. “It will be tough for India to get a medal in athletics in Rio. No doubt we are improving but I dont see any Indian athlete winning a medal in Rio,” he said. More PTI PDS CM CMadvertisement read more

New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) State-owned BPCL today announced a cash award of Rs 75 lakh and promotion for P V Sindhu, the countrys first-ever woman silver medallist in the Olympic Games. Sindhu has been working with Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) since 2013 and is currently Assistant Manager (Sports) at its Hyderabad office. Announcing a cash award of Rs 75 lakh for her fleet, BPCL CMD S Varadarajan said Sindhu will be promoted to Deputy Manager. “Pusarla V Sindhu, a BPCL sports person and ace shuttler of India has scripted a new chapter in Indian sporting history by being Indias first woman to win a silver medal in the Olympics with a stunning display of talent, grit and grace,” a company statement said. Sindhu, who hails from Hyderabad, has been associated with BPCL ever since she was 14 years old and joined the company in July 2013. PTI ANZ ARD read more

Daniel James says he is aiming to emulate Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs as he begins his Red Devils career.Having joined the Old Trafford club this summer, rapid Wales winger James already plays under Giggs at intrernational level and has the man himself as the perfect mentor.James became Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first signing of the summer when he arrived from Swansea City and is keen to follow in Giggs’ footsteps for the Red Devils.  Article continues below Editors’ Picks Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? Ox-rated! Dream night in Genk for Liverpool ace after injury nightmare Messi a man for all Champions League seasons – but will this really be Barcelona’s? “Giggsy, as soon as I came into the Wales set-up, had ambitions for me,” James told reporters”The way he brought me and a lot of other youngsters through has been amazing.”He spoke to me when I first signed for United. His advice was to be myself, which is what I will try to do”.The 21-year-old is in awe of learning from the best in the game and hopes to emulate Giggs’ success and longevity.”He wasn’t a bad player was he? What he did at Manchester United was amazing. Every young winger looks up to a person like him.”He was playing in the Premier League until he was 40 and he was still beating players. Credit to him, the way he looks after his body.”It is amazing for me, when I go away on internationals, to learn from people like him. He is obviously someone I aspire to be like.”James has impressed in his early days with United and caught the eye in Saturday’s 2-0 friendly victory over Perth Glory at the Optus Stadium.”Walking out there, with the amount of fans that have come from everywhere is surreal, really,” he added. “Playing with those players is a dream come true.”James will hope to keep his place in the team ahead of United’s Premier League opener against Chelsea on August 11.The youngster’s journey to Old Trafford has not been as straight forward as it may seem – back in 2017-18, the midfielder was sent back to Swansea from a loan spell at Shrewsbury Town in League One without making an appearance.However, he played in 33 Championship games last term for the Welsh club which helped convince United to make their move. Check out Goal’s Premier League 2019-20 fantasy football podcast for game tips, debate and rivalries. read more

PICTOU COUNTY: Bridge Work, Brookville Road Work is taking place on two bridges over McLellans Brook on Brookville Road in Pictou County so vehicles can have oversize loads of wind turbine components to Irish Mountain. Work has begun on the bridge near the intersection of Brook Road. It will continue to have two-lane traffic, but delays are possible. Work on the bridge near the intersection of Willard Fraser Road has begun. Traffic will be limited to one-lane and controlled by traffic signals. Work on both bridges will be finished by Saturday, Feb. 28. LUNENBURG COUNTY: Varner Bridge Work is underway on a new bridge beside the existing Varner Bridge on Route 208 near New Germany. The bridge is open during construction, but there may be occasional, brief closures during normal construction activities. Drivers should use extra caution in the area. The new, two-lane bridge will be completed this year. COLCHESTER/HANTS COUNTIES: Highway 102, Shubenacadie River Construction is taking place on Highway 102 at the bridges over the Shubenacadie River, until September. A detour bridge allows two lanes of traffic in both directions. Drivers are urged to travel with extra caution in the area. CAPE BRETON REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY: Sydney River Bridge The Sydney River Bridge on Keltic Drive is open for vehicles. Work is still required on the active transportation lane and it will be opened at a later date. The free shuttle bus, between Coxheath Arena (305 Keltic Dr.) and Walmart (65 Keltic Dr.), will remain in service until the active transportation lane is open. The shuttle bus schedule is available at novascotia.ca/tran/highways/srb.asp . CONTINUING WORK COLCHESTER COUNTY: Ridge Road The Fred Tupper Bridge on Ridge Road near Upper Stewiacke, Colchester Co., is closed for repairs to the guardrail. The work is scheduled to be completed on Friday, Feb 13. INVERNESS COUNTY: West Lake Ainslie Road The Hayes River Bridge on West Lake Ainslie Road has a 15-tonne weight restriction. INVERNESS COUNTY: Crowdis Bridge Crowdis Bridge is closed until further notice for repairs. A detour is available via Crowdis Cross Road, West Big Interval Road and Hatchery Road. GUYSBOROUGH COUNTY: Melford Brook Bridge The Melford Brook Bridge, on Route 344 at Middle Melford, is closed. A two-lane detour bridge is in place until a permanent bridge is built. The speed limit is reduced to 60 km/h and warning signs are in place. KINGS COUNTY: Whitman Bridge Whitman Bridge, on Whitman Road between Maple Avenue and Ward Road in Aylesford, is closed for repairs until further notice. The detour route is Maple Avenue, Victoria Road, and Ward Road. DIGBY COUNTY: Melanson Mills BridgeMelanson Mills Bridge on Marc Comeau Road is closed until further notice, to replace the deck. A detour route is in place. CUMBERLAND COUNTY: Eddy Road Eddy Road to Fort Lawrence, near Amherst, Cumberland Co., is closed until further notice. VICTORIA COUNTY: Gillis Bridge Gillis Bridge on North Branch Road, just past Uisge Ban (USH-AK BAHN) Falls Provincial Park, is closed until further notice. Access to the park is not affected. -30- read more

Madrid: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said on Friday that big-money summer signing Eden Hazard has been passed fit and will make his long-awaited La Liga debut against Levante on Saturday. “We all want to see Eden,” said Zidane. “There’s a lot of pressure on him, a lot of expectation. But he is ready and that is the most important thing.” Hazard was expected to make his debut in Vigo in the opening round in mid-August after joining Madrid for an initial 100 million euros from Chelsea in June. Also Read – Puducherry on top after 8-wkt win over ChandigarhBut the Belgian pulled up with a thigh strain at the club’s training base in Valdebebas and had to sit out the first three weeks of the season during which Real struggled, collecting one win and two draws. Zidane, however, called for patience as Hazard finds his feet again. “We have to go gently,” he said. “He (Hazard) was injured for three weeks, he has been back for a week. “We have seven games in 21 days and we will have to go gently. It will be up to me to keep an eye on his minutes and his playing time, because we need him over a long period, for several matches, not for one.” Also Read – Vijender’s next fight on Nov 22, opponent to be announced laterHazard’s return is timely for Madrid who also start their Champions League campaign against Paris Saint-Germain next week, especially as Luka Modric was druled out this week with a groin strain. “The season starts now,” said Zidane. “We have seven games in 21 days and I think that’s what we need, anyway, to play, make matches, compete… that’s what players want.” The Frenchman also shrugged off criticism of the team following their indifferent start to the season. “The comments, everything that is said, that’s not going to change,” he said. “We know what we want to change within (the team), we will do everything to do things well. Enough talk, we have perform on the pitch.” read more

OTTAWA – Bill Morneau made further attempts on Thursday to silence accusations that he’s personally profited from decisions he’s taken as federal finance minister.He announced he’ll donate to charity any gains in the value of his family business’s shares since he was elected two years ago.But that announcement was immediately undercut by news that the federal ethics watchdog is looking into opposition accusations that Morneau was in a conflict of interest when he introduced a pension bill that could benefit Morneau Shepell — his family’s pension management and human resources firm in which the minister still owns some $21 million worth of shares.“Your letter leaves me with concerns in relation to Mr. Morneau’s involvement with Bill C-27,” ethics commissioner Mary Dawson wrote Thursday in response to a complaint lodged last week by NDP ethics critic Nathan Cullen.“Consequently, I will follow up with Mr. Morneau and will inform you of the outcome in due course.”Morneau announced last week that he will sell all of his roughly one million shares in Morneau Shepell and put all his other considerable assets in a blind trust.In a bid to finally spike continuing opposition accusations that his actions as minister could have increased the value of those shares, he went one step further on Thursday. He announced that he will donate to charity the difference in the value of the shares between the date he was elected in 2015 and the day they’re sold.Morneau made the announcement in the House of Commons after meeting with Dawson. He said later that she agreed this additional action was “appropriate.”Morneau said he doesn’t know how much his decision will wind up costing him but it could be as much as $5 million.“Whatever the value is, that’s our decision…. My goal is to make sure that I’m doing the work that I came here for,” he said outside the Commons.“For me, the work that I’m doing right now is the most important work that I will ever do and I want to make sure that Canadians have confidence in that work … Taking these extra steps to give absolute assurance is important.”The announcement did little to quell opposition accusations that Morneau’s failure to divest his Morneau Shepell shares or put them in a blind trust when he first took office two years ago put him in blatant conflict of interest.Cullen quickly labelled the donation “guilt money.”“I think what we saw today was an admission of guilt. From my experience, people don’t generally pay a fine or a fee if they’re innocent of something,” Cullen said.“He’s in a conflict of interest that helped his own personal wealth grow substantially and now he’s saying, ‘I’ve got to put some guilt money together and try to buy my way out of this problem.’”Conservative MP Gerard Deltell similarly said Morneau’s announcement “is just proof, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was in a pure, profitable conflict of interest for the last two years and he only act when he’s trapped in a corner.”Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre pointed out that the donation will entitle Morneau to claim a charitable tax deduction. He suggested Morneau should donate those tax savings to offset the billions he’s added to the federal deficit.Both opposition parties have zeroed in on Bill C-27, legislation aimed at allowing pension administrators to convert direct benefit pension plans into targeted benefit pension plans — a change for which Morneau Shepell had lobbied.Cullen said the value of the company’s shares went up immediately after the bill was tabled and he estimated that Morneau personally gained $2 million in just five days as a result. He acknowledged there was a “big drop” in the value of the shares subsequently.Nevertheless, Cullen said the fact that Morneau was regulating an industry in which for two years he’s had a personal interest “leaves Canadians in doubt” about his ethics.Morneau introduced C-27 just over a year ago and it has sat on the Commons order paper ever since. There has been no debate on the bill and no attempt by the government to move it along. read more

HALIFAX – A tarp, work gloves and rope were among the items found in a car Christopher Garnier was driving when he was arrested in the death of an off-duty police officer, an investigator told a jury Wednesday.Sgt. Kenneth Burton told Garnier’s murder trial he was part of a team that had Garnier, 29, under surveillance in the days after Const. Catherine Campbell went missing.Burton said he followed a white Ford Edge from a home in suburban Clayton Park to central Halifax in the early hours of Sept. 16, 2015, in the area where Campbell’s body was found.The Crown has alleged Garnier punched and strangled the 36-year-old Truro, N.S., police officer inside an apartment and used a green compost bin to dump the body in thick brush on a steep embankment near the Macdonald Bridge.Burton said the car returned to Clayton Park and the driver was stopped by another officer. He says Garnier was placed under arrest and that he saw a green tarp, work gloves, a backpack, yellow rope and tape in the car.Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Joel Pink, the Halifax Regional Police officer told the Nova Scotia Supreme Court jury he did not know what Garnier’s job was, or whether any of the items could have been related to it.Garnier has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and interfering with a dead body.Garnier had met Campbell at a downtown bar on Sept. 11, 2015, and the defence put forth a hypothetical scenario on Tuesday suggesting she died during a consensual sexual encounter after encouraging Garnier to choke her.Also Wednesday, a witness told the jury he saw a man rolling a compost bin towards the wooded area where Campbell’s body was discovered, days after Garnier allegedly killed Campbell.David Yeo said he was having a cigarette on his second-floor balcony, which overlooks Barrington Street near the bridge, just after 5 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2015, when he saw something “very peculiar.”“I saw some strange activities outside,” said Yeo, adding that he left the balcony only for a few minutes to retrieve a coffee.Yeo said he watched a man “struggling” with a compost bin as he pulled it across Barrington towards a tree line.He said he saw the man — who he identified as Garnier — coming back about five minutes later, still dragging the compost bin.“He was throwing it around — cursing and swearing … He wasn’t struggling with it (anymore),” said Yeo.The jury has heard from two other witnesses who testified they saw a man rolling a compost bin down Agricola Street and North Street towards the harbour.RCMP toxicologist Christopher Keddy testified Wednesday that Campbell had alcohol in her system at the time of her death.He agreed that if witnesses have testified Campbell was not showing signs of intoxication, it would be fair to say she “had developed some degree of tolerance to the effects of alcohol.”Nova Scotia chief medical examiner told the jury Tuesday that Campbell died of strangulation, and suffered head injuries including black eyes and a fractured nose. Bowes said her body was found face down and partially decomposed.Follow (at)AlyThomson on Twitter. read more

New Delhi: A one-and-a-half-year-old boy was murdered in Fatehpur Beri area of South Delhi. Police said that they have apprehended a minor in the case. The investigating agency said that the accused child (8.5) had grudges after the incident where the deceased’s sister fell down accused’s younger brother. So, in order to take revenge, the accused killed the deceased.According to police on April 27 morning, they received a PCR call at Fatehpur Beri police station regarding a missing child. Also Read – Odd-Even: CM seeks transport dept’s views on exemption to women, two wheelers, CNG vehiclesDuring the enquiry, it was revealed that the deceased, who was sleeping with his mother and sister on the roof, had gone missing from his house in Mandi Village in the night between 1 am to 4 am. Deputy Commissioner of Police ( South) Vijay Kumar said that another boy (8.5 years old) who was a tenant in the neighbouring house was also found missing. Later during the search, the dead body of the deceased child was recovered from the drain near the house. Also Read – More good air days in Delhi due to Centre’s steps: Javadekar”Injuries were conspicuous over right eye, abdomen and leg. Blood was also seeping out from the right ear. The body has been got preserved in the mortuary, AIIMS. A case under section 363 (Punishment for kidnapping) and 302 (Punishment for murder)of Indian Penal Code has been registered at Fatehpur Beri police station and investigation has been taken up. During probe role of another boy came out and later police nabbed him. “Another boy who was also found missing as above is found involved in this crime. He has been traced on the same morning. Further investigation is on,” police said. DCP South added that he has a grudge that a few days back elder sister of the deceased boy caused his younger brother fell down on the floor which caused a minor swelling on his head. “He will be produced to JJB from his home only,” said DCP South. read more

San Francisco is on track to become the first U.S. city to ban the use of facial recognition by police and other city agencies, reflecting a growing backlash against a technology that’s creeping into airports, motor vehicle departments, stores, stadiums and home security cameras.Government agencies around the U.S. have used the technology for more than a decade to scan databases for suspects and prevent identity fraud. But recent advances in artificial intelligence have created more sophisticated computer vision tools, making it easier for police to pinpoint a missing child or protester in a moving crowd or for retailers to analyze a shopper’s facial expressions as they peruse store shelves.Efforts to restrict its use are getting pushback from law enforcement groups and the tech industry, though it’s far from a united front. Microsoft, while opposed to an outright ban, has urged lawmakers to set limits on the technology, warning that leaving it unchecked could enable an oppressive dystopia reminiscent of George Orwell’s novel “1984.”“Face recognition is one of those technologies that people get how creepy it is,” said Alvaro Bedoya, who directs Georgetown University’s Center on Privacy and Technology. “It’s not like cookies on a browser. There’s something about this technology that really sets the hairs on the back of people’s heads up.”Without regulations barring law enforcement from accessing driver’s license databases, people who have never been arrested could be part of virtual police line-ups without their knowledge, skeptics of the technology say.They worry people will one day not be able to go to a park, store or school without being identified and tracked.Already, a handful of big box stores across the U.S. are trying out cameras with facial recognition that can guess their customers’ age, gender or mood as they walk by, with the goal of showing them targeted, real-time ads on in-store video screens.If San Francisco adopts a ban, other cities, states or even Congress could follow, with lawmakers from both parties looking to curtail government surveillance and others hoping to restrict how businesses analyze the faces, emotions and gaits of an unsuspecting public.The California Legislature is considering a proposal prohibiting the use of facial ID technology on body cameras. A bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate would exempt police applications but set limits on businesses analyzing people’s faces without their consent.Legislation similar to San Francisco’s is pending in Oakland, California, and on Thursday another proposed ban was introduced in Somerville, Massachusetts.Bedoya said a ban in San Francisco, the “most technologically advanced city in our country,” would send a warning to other police departments thinking of trying out the imperfect technology. But Daniel Castro, vice-president of the industry-backed Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, said the ordinance is too extreme to serve as a model.“It might find success in San Francisco, but I will be surprised if it finds success in a lot of other cities,” he said.San Francisco is home to tech innovators such as Uber, Airbnb and Twitter, but the city’s relationship with the industry is testy. Some supervisors in City Hall are calling for a tax on stock-based compensation in response to a wave of San Francisco companies going public, including Lyft and Pinterest.At the same time, San Francisco is big on protecting immigrants, civil liberties and privacy. In November, nearly 60% of voters approved a proposition to strengthen data privacy guidelines.The city’s proposed face-recognition ban is part of broader legislation aimed at regulating the use of surveillance by city departments. The legislation applies only to San Francisco government and would not affect companies or people who want to use the technology. It also would not affect the use of facial recognition at San Francisco International Airport, where security is mostly overseen by federal agencies.The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the bill Tuesday.San Francisco police say they stopped testing face recognition in 2017. Spokesman David Stevenson said in a statement the department looks forward to “developing legislation that addresses the privacy concerns of technology while balancing the public safety concerns of our growing, international city.”Supervisor Aaron Peskin acknowledges his legislation, called the “Stop Secret Surveillance Ordinance,” isn’t very tech-friendly. But public oversight is critical given the potential for abuse, he said.The technology often misfires. Studies have shown error rates in facial-analysis systems built by Amazon, IBM and Microsoft were far higher for darker-skinned women than lighter-skinned men.Even if facial recognition were perfectly accurate, its use would pose a severe threat to civil rights, especially in a city with a rich history of protest and expression, said Matt Cagle, attorney at the ACLU of Northern California.“If facial recognition were added to body cameras or public-facing surveillance feeds, it would threaten the ability of people to go to a protest or hang out in Dolores Park without having their identity tracked by the city,” he said, referring to a popular park in San Francisco’s Mission District.Local critics of San Francisco’s legislation, however, worry about hampering police investigations in a city with a high number of vehicle break-ins and several high-profile annual parades. They want to make sure police can keep using merchants and residents’ video surveillance in investigations without bureaucratic hassles.Joel Engardio, vice-president of grassroots group Stop Crime SF, wants the city to be flexible.“Our point of view is, rather than a blanket ban forever, why not a moratorium so we’re not using problematic technology, but we open the door for when technology improves?” he said.Such a moratorium is under consideration in the Massachusetts Legislature, where it has the backing of Republican and Democratic senators.Often, a government’s facial recognition efforts happen in secret or go unnoticed. In Massachusetts, the motor vehicle registry has used the technology since 2006 to prevent driver’s license fraud, and some police agencies have used it as a tool for detectives.“It is technology we use,” said Massachusetts State Police Lt. Tom Ryan, adding that “we tend not to get too involved in publicizing” that fact. Ryan and the agency declined to answer further questions about how it’s used.Massachusetts Sen. Cynthia Creem, a Democrat and sponsor of the moratorium bill, said she worries about a lack of standards protecting the public from inaccurate or biased facial recognition technology. Until better guidelines exist, she said, “it shouldn’t be used” by government.The California Highway Patrol does not use face recognition technology, spokeswoman Fran Clader said.California Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman Marty Greenstein says facial recognition technology “is specifically not allowed on DMV photos.” State Justice Department spokeswoman Jennifer Molina said her agency does not use face ID technology, and policy states “DOJ and requesters shall not maintain DMV images for the purpose of creating a database” unless authorized.Legislators also sought a face recognition moratorium this year in Washington, the home state of Microsoft and Amazon, but it was gutted following industry and police opposition. Microsoft instead backed a lighter-touch proposal as part of a broader data privacy bill, but deliberations stalled before lawmakers adjourned late last month.___O’Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.Matt O’Brien And Janie Har, The Associated Press read more

In a press statement following a briefing on recent developments in Burundi, the Council’s President for August, Ambassador Mikhail Wehbe of Syria, said that while the 15-member body welcomed the relative calm since ebbing of July’s wave of fighting, it nonetheless reiterated its condemnation of all violence, in particular the atrocities committed against the civilian population and the use of children in warfare.Welcoming the release of Burundian members of Parliament who had been held by the National Council for the Defence of Democracy-Forces for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD-FDD-Nkurunziza), Ambassador Wehbe said the Council had called on the rebellions, including the Palipehutu Forces Nationales de Libération (FNL-Rwasa) to ” give up the armed struggle and appealed to all parties to respect the rights of children.”Ambassador Wehbe stressed the Council members’ full support for the peace process outlined in the Arusha Agreement of 28 August 2000 and for the quest by the parties for a political solution within that framework. Council members also welcomed the resolution adopted on 17 July by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) establishing an ad hoc advisory group on Burundi in the framework of its mechanism for African countries emerging from conflict.”The members of the Council also welcomed the commitments made by the parties concerned during their meeting in Dar es Salaam on 20 July and the role played in that connection by the Member States of the regional initiative on Burundi,” the Council President said, adding that they encouraged the Burundian parties – the FDD-Nkurunziza and the Governments concerned, particularly those of neighbouring States – to make every effort to carry out those commitments.Council members “expressed the hope that the negotiations taking place would lead rapidly to the implementation of a comprehensive agreement in time for the next summit of the Regional Initiative,” Ambassador Wehbe said.He said members reaffirmed the Council’s urgent appeal to the FNL-Rwasa rebels to quickly enter into negotiations with the Transitional Government, with a view to rejoining the Arusha peace process. “They strongly invited Member States of the Regional Initiative to use all their influence and pressure to complete this armed group to engage in peace talks,” he added.The Council members reaffirmed their support for the African Mission deployed in Burundi by the African Union and their appeal to contributors who might be in position to provide the mission with financial or logistic support. They took note of the decisions adopted by the African Union Summit in Maputo, Mozambique, and the central organ of the African Union mechanism for conflict prevention, management and resolution on 24 July in Addis Ababa.”They also took note of the letter dated 13 August 2003 addressed to the President of the Security Council by the Permanent Representative of Mozambique, representative of the current Chairman of the African Union,” Ambassador Wehbe said, adding that in that connection, the Council had welcomed the recent contribution of €25 million (euros) from the European Union (EU) and invited donors to continue to provide assistance to Burundi.He said Council members stated their concern at the humanitarian situation and called on all Burundian parties, including the Government, to facilitate the access of humanitarian agencies to populations in need.”The members of the Council reaffirmed that it was highly important for the Burundian parties to combat impunity and confirmed the readiness of the Council to consider possible procedures for international assistance to that end, upon the request of the government of Burundi,” he said. read more

by Ross Marowits, The Canadian Press Posted Nov 14, 2013 2:14 pm MDT Chorus in dark about Air Canada’s transborder plans, not invited to bid AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to TwitterTwitterShare to FacebookFacebookShare to RedditRedditShare to 電子郵件Email Chorus Aviation, Air Canada’s largest regional operator, says it’s in the dark about its partner’s plans for the U.S. market after not being invited to bid on the routes it currently serves.The Halifax-based company said the United States represents up to a quarter of the block of flying hours it provides for the country’s largest airline.“We’re looking at the transborder operation and what this may look like (but) we have no details from Air Canada in terms of the plans,” Chorus CEO Joe Randell said Thursday during a conference call to discuss the company’s third-quarter results.Chorus (TSX:CHR.B) posted one of its best operating quarters since converting from an income trust nearly three years ago as net profit, excluding foreign currency losses, increased to $27.7 million or 23 cents per share despite a dip in revenue.Air Canada (TSX:AC.B) has issued a request for proposals to select a new regional partner to operate certain routes to the U.S. starting in mid-2014.Randell said any carrier selected must be able to provide live services in French, while a capacity purchase agreement between the partners provides certain guarantees to Chorus including minimum flying hours.That means planes currently flying south for Air Canada could be used less unless they are redeployed elsewhere in Canada — a move that Chorus would welcome.Chorus currently has options to purchase nine Bombardier Q400s that could be exercised with Air Canada’s approval for deployment on routes.During the past four years, Chorus has replaced 32 of its 52-seat CRJ regional jets with 21 more fuel-efficient 74-seat Q400 turboprops. Air Canada has increased regional service in Western Canada to compete with WestJet’s (TSX:WJA) new Encore regional service. The Calgary-based carrier plans to extend Encore service to Eastern Canada starting next summer.Chorus’ operating subsidiary, Jazz Aviation, currently operates flights to 79 destinations on behalf of Air Canada — 54 in Canada and 25 in the United States.The two sides have battled over costs under their capacity purchase agreement or CPA. A final arbitration ruling is expected imminently on the permitted growth of controllable costs — including salaries and wages, maintenance and overhead. Both sides agreed to compare or benchmark Jazz costs in 2009 and later in 2015 to those of a specified group of similar operators in the U.S.Chorus said it remains confident that the 12.5 per cent markup won’t be reduced as argued by Air Canada. But Randell said the company remains committed to continuing to cut its costs to make itself more competitive.“We understand Air Canada’s desire to diversify to lower costs but we’re certainly interested in talking with them further on this to understand the exact implications,” he told analysts concerning the potential shift to another operator.But in an email response to a query on the topic, an Air Canada spokeswoman referred to the airline’s earlier news release on the issue.“The objective of the RFP is cost reduction and diversification,” she said. “A Jazz bid would therefore not be accepted.”Randell said Chorus has already cut costs, including cutting the number of employees by nine per cent to 4,000 full-time equivalents. During the quarter, salaries and wage costs were $3.7 million lower on a 3.8 per cent reduction in the number of employees. While Randell wouldn’t indicate these extent of other changes, he said there is still room to cut further.Cameron Doerksen of National Bank Financial said the arbitration ruling is a significant risk for Chorus, with a negative outcome prompting a “material reduction” in the company’s valuation.“Given the pressure on Air Canada to reduce costs and the fact that viable regional lift alternatives have emerged, we believe that the CPA between Air Canada and Chorus will ultimately be renegotiated at lower rates,” he wrote in a report.Chorus beat analyst expectations, earning 23 cents per share in adjusted earnings for the period ended Sept. 30, up from 22 cents per share or $26.9 million a year ago. The improvement was largely due to the addition of six new Bombardier Q400s in the first quarter. Its net profit slipped to $36 million or 27 cents per share from $36.9 million or 26 cents per share on a diluted basis.Revenues decreased to $432.3 million from $435.65 million in the third quarter of 2012.The company was expected to earn 17 cents per share in adjusted profits on $418.5 million of revenues, according to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.On the Toronto Stock Exchange, Chorus’s shares gained 5.3 per cent, or 14 cents, to $2.78 on Thursday. read more

ISRAEL’S PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday apologised to Turkey for a deadly 2010 flotilla raid and announced a full resumption of diplomatic ties as well as compensation for the families of those killed, his office said.The breakthrough, which ends a nearly three-year bitter diplomatic rift, was engineered by US President Barack Obama at the tail end of a historic three-day visit to the Holy Land, the first of his presidency.Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One shortly after departing for Amman, a senior US official said the Israeli premier had apologised to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a special phonecall from Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv.“On behalf of Israelis he apologised for any deaths those operational mistakes might have caused,” the US official said.“Prime Minister Erdogan accepted the apology on behalf of Turkey,” he added, saying Obama had also spoken with the Turkish leader.Resumption of full diplomatic tiesIsrael and Turkey both confirmed the apology, with Netanyahu’s office announcing a resumption of full diplomatic ties between the former close allies.A source close to the Turkish government also confirmed the breakthrough. “Apologies have indeed been offered,” he told AFP.Ties between Israel and Turkey spiralled in May 2010, when Israeli commandos staged a botched pre-dawn raid on the six-ship flotilla headed by the Mavi Marmara, in which nine Turkish nationals were killed.The assault triggered an international outcry and a bitter diplomatic crisis between Israel and Turkey, with Ankara demanding a formal apology and compensation for the families of the victims.Until now, Israel has refused, in part for fear that it could open the way for the prosecution of commandos who took part in the raid.News of the breakthrough was confirmed by Netanyahu’s office in a statement which confirmed the apology and announced a full resumption of diplomatic ties.And it also confirmed Israel would pay compensation to the families of victims.“Netanyahu today spoke with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan,” his office said.“The two agreed to return normalisation between the countries including returning ambassadors, and cancelling legal procedures against IDF (army) soldiers,” it said, referring to the high-profile trial in absentia of four top Israeli military chiefs by an Istanbul court that opened in November.“The prime minister made it clear that the tragic results regarding the Mavi Marmara were unintentional and that Israel expresses regret over injuries and loss of life.“In light of the Israeli investigation into the incident, which pointed out several operational errors, Prime Minister Netanyahu apologised to the Turkish people for any errors that could have led to loss of life and agreed to complete the agreement on compensation,” it said.The importance of Turkey-Israel relationsNetanyahu also “expressed regret over the deterioration in bilateral relations” and said he was committed to “working out the disagreements in order to advance peace and regional stability.”The Israeli leader told Erdogan he had “good conversations with Obama about regional cooperation, and the importance of Turkey-Israel relations.”Netanyahu also expressed “his appreciation” for an interview this week in which Erdogan said there had been a misunderstanding about comments he made branding Zionism “a crime against humanity.”He also addressed the question of Israel’s blockade on Gaza, which has been in place since 2007 but significantly eased in recent years.“Netanyahu also noted that Israel has removed several restrictions on the movement of civilians and goods in all of the Palestinian territories including Gaza and that will continue as long as the quiet will be maintained,” he said.“Both leaders agreed to continue and work in order to improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories.”- © AFP, 2013 read more

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde revealed that he decided to drop Lionel Messi to the bench due to the “discomfort” he was experiencing.The Argentine forward has named on the bench for the first leg of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey semi-final tie against rivals Real Madrid on Wednesday night at Camp Nou due to a thigh injury.In Messi’s absence, Barcelona struggled to get past the Real defence after going a goal down early on through Lucas Vazquez.Valverde introduced Messi into the game on the 63rd-minute after Malcom had equalised for Barcelona.But the 31-year-old struggled to make an impact with the Catalan giants being forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in the first leg.“Leo is fine,” said Valverde, according to Marca. “But we prefer not to take risks in this time [of the season].“He had some discomfort and we decided it was for the best.”On the other hand, Malcom unexpectedly proved to be the star man for Barcelona in his Clasico debut after struggling for regular game time this season.The Brazilian winger made the most of the rare starting opportunity Valverde gave him and deservedly capped off a fine performance by scoring the equaliser.La Liga Betting: Match-day 4 Stuart Heath – September 14, 2019 Despite it being very early into La Liga season, both Barcelona and Real Madrid have had unprecedented starts to their campaigns. With this in…“It was a difficult test because it’s a very special match,” said Valverde. “Malcom was connecting with his teammates very well.”The return leg between Barcelona and Real Madrid will take place on February 27 at the Santiago Bernabeu.To progress to the final, Barcelona will need to score at least one goal in order to retain their hopes of a fifth straight Copa del Rey title.“We have to score, it’s simple,” added Valverde.“The tie is open.”Next up for Barcelona is a trip to the San Mames to take on Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Saturday as they bid to maintain their six-point lead at the top of the standings.📷 Our captain 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/NUnCDneJnE— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 6, 2019 read more

See All Aug 31 • Your phone screen is gross. Here’s how to clean it Apple’s mysterious Netflix-like TV service to be revealed… reading • Apple’s mysterious Netflix-like TV service to be revealed (The 3:59, Ep. 532) Your browser does not support the audio element. Now playing: Watch this: • Apple Aug 31 • Best places to sell your used electronics in 2019 The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, brought to you by the CNET News team in New York and producer Bryan VanGelder. Check out the extended shows on YouTube. Also, don’t forget to rate and review the podcast on iTunes. Apple’s mysterious Netflix-like TV service to be revealed (The 3:59, Ep. 532) 4:38 YouTube Apple Share your voice Subscribe: iTunes | RSS | Google Play | FeedBurner | SoundCloud |TuneIn | Stitcher The Daily Charge CNET On this podcast, we talk about:Apple is expected to reveal a new TV streaming service on March 25. PewDiePie fights again to keep his spot as the YouTuber with the most subscribers. 0 Sep 1 • iPhone 11, Apple Watch 5 and more: The final rumors Digital Media Aug 31 • iPhone XR vs. iPhone 8 Plus: Which iPhone should you buy? null Tags read more

Former University of Alaska Fairbanks shooter and 2004 Olympic champion Matt Emmons is in top form heading toward his 4th Olympics this summer in Rio. USA Shooting reports that the 35 year old marksman won a World Cup in Munich, Germany, setting a record high score in the 50 meter, 3 position rifle event. It was Emmons 3rd World Cup medal performance in as many events this season.Download AudioEmmons, who’s had up and down performances at past Olympics, tells USA Shooting that he doesn’t have any monkeys on his back going into this summer’s games, and is enjoying what he’s doing. read more

NEW DELHI: A total of 1,076 people have lost their lives due to H1N1 virus across the country this year (until June 23), while the number of those infected by it stands at 26,140, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Friday. Rajasthan reported the highest number of cases (5,021) and deaths (205), the Ministry said in Lok Sabha, adding that Maharashtra recorded the second highest number of deaths, 189, due to the seasonal virus, while 1,692 cases were reported. Also Read – National Herald case: Officer bearers of Congress were cheats, Subramanian Swamy tells court Advertise With Us In Gujarat, 149 people died while 4,772 people were infected by the virus, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey said in a written reply to a question posed by Congress’ Adoor Prakash in Lok Sabha. Madhya Pradesh reported 146 deaths and 653 cases, followed by Karnataka — 87 deaths and 1,736 cases. Himachal Pradesh has been placed at the seventh rank on the list where 41 people lost their lives due to the virus while 333 were tested positive. Also Read – Dehydrated elephant being given treatment Advertise With Us Delhi and Punjab recorded 31 deaths each as against 3,573 and 534 cases of infection, respectively, the data showed. Chhattisgarh reported 28 deaths and 144 cases; Jammu and Kashmir saw 27 deaths and 438 cases; Uttar Pradesh had 25 deaths and 1,972 cases; and in Kerala, 22 people died while 593 people were affected as of June 23. Bihar, where Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) claimed the lives of 132 children, recorded only one death and 51 cases of the H1N1 virus. Advertise With Us There was no death reported due to influenza from ten states and Union Territories, Choubey said. Last year, a total of 1,113 deaths and 15,266 cases of influenza infection were recorded across India. Swine flu is an infection caused by one of several swine influenza viruses (SIV), with the H1N1 strain being the most common across the country. It is a self-limiting viral, air-borne disease spread from person to person, through large droplets generated due to coughing and sneezing, indirect contact by touching a contaminated object or surface and close contact, including handshaking and hugging. Keeping in view the rising cases of swine flu, the government has provided guidelines on the categorisation of patients, treatment protocol and guidelines on ventilator management to the states and union territories. The Centre has advised the state governments for vaccination of health care workers dealing with H1N1 cases. The states have also been advised to complete the procurement of required logistics for managing seasonal influenza A (H1N1) from their budget. It is advised that one should cover nose and mouth with disposable tissue or handkerchief when coughing or sneezing, wash hands with soap and water frequently, avoid crowded places, maintain isolation, drink plenty of liquid and consult a doctor if affected by the virus. read more