Home Blog Page 291

Canada School Shooting: Four Dead and Several Injured in Saskatchewan Incident

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Canada School Shooting: Four Dead and Several Injured in Saskatchewan Incident

Four people are dead and at least critically injured after a school shooting in the western Canadian province of Saskatchewan, police say.

They say a male suspect is now in custody and children have been moved to safety after the shootings at La Loche Community School and another location.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier that five people had been killed, but this was later corrected.

The school shooting was “every parent’s worst nightmare”, Justin Trudeau said.

“The community is reeling.”

Photo CBS
Photo CBS

Justin Trudeau, who was speaking in Davos, Switzerland, also praised “the first responders who acted quickly and bravely”.

Witnesses at the school described screaming and more than half a dozen shots.

Kevin Janvier, acting mayor of La Loche, said that his 23-year-old daughter Marie, a teacher, was one of the victims at the school.

He also said police had told him that the gunman first shot two of his siblings at home and then made his way to the school.

At a news conference, Maureen Levy, a senior officer at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), said: “There’s no risk to public safety at this time. This is truly a tragedy.”

Maureen Levy provided no further details.

The RCMP said officers were called about “an active shooter” at 13:00 local time and detained the suspect 45 minutes later, Canada’s CBC broadcaster reports.

“Words cannot express my shock and sorrow at the horrific events today in La Loche,” Brad Wall, the premier of Saskatchewan, said in a statement.

“My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims, their families and friends and all the people of the community.”

About 900 students attend La Loche Community School for kindergarten through to grade 12 (the last year of high school).

La Loche is an aboriginal community of about 3,000 people located nearly 550 miles north of the provincial capital, Regina.

Daraprim Price: Martin Shkreli Asks for Immunity Before Congressional Hearing

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Daraprim Price: Martin Shkreli Asks for Immunity Before Congressional Hearing

Ex-Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli has asked for immunity in order to testify before a congressional hearing.

Martin Shkreli was subpoenaed to testify about a 5,000% price increase for a drug.

His lawyer asked for immunity because of an ongoing Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into the price rise, Reuters reported.

Martin Shkreli stepped down as Turing’s head following his arrest for investor fraud at a different company.

In a letter seen by Reuters, Martin Shkreli’s lawyer said the former CEO would “gladly cooperate” and produce documents at the hearing on January 26 if he is given immunity.Martin Shkreli arrest

On January 21, Martin Shkreli said he would remain silent if forced to appear at the congressional hearing.

The FTC is allegedly investigating anti-trust violation by Turing Pharmaceuticals when it raised the price of Daraprim.

The drug is used to treat toxoplasmosis, an infection common in people with AIDS.

Daraprim was invented in the 1950s and acquired by Turing for $50 million in 2015. In August, Turing increased Daraprim’s price from $13.50 to $750 per dose.

In December, Martin Shkreli was arrested in New York on charges he defrauded investors as the head of drug company Retrophin and as a fund manager at the hedge fund MSMB Capital Management.

He has denied the charges and was released on bail pending the trial.

Members of the House of Representatives Oversight Committee have argued Martin Shkreli cannot invoke his right against self-incrimination because his arrest is separate from the congressional investigations.

They have responded angrily to Martin Shkreli’s attempts to avoid testifying.

On January 21, Congressman Elijah Cummings, a committee member, said: “If he plans on trying to use his own intentional inaction as some kind of bogus excuse for not showing up at Tuesday’s hearing, people will see right through such a juvenile tactic.”

Martin Shkreli has mocked the subpoena on social media by tweeting a picture of the letter sent by the Oversight Committee with the comment: “Found this letter. Looks important.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rcHAhhvk9c

Zika Outbreak: Specialists Warn Women to Avoid Pregnancy

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Zika Outbreak: Specialists Warn Women to Avoid Pregnancy

Officials in Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica have warned women to avoid pregnancy amid concerns over an illness causing severe birth defects.

The four countries recommended to delay pregnancies until more was known about the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

This followed an outbreak in Brazil.

Brazil said the number of babies born with suspected microcephaly – or abnormally small heads – had reached nearly 4,000 since October.

Meanwhile, US health authorities have warned pregnant women to avoid travelling to more than 20 countries in the Americas and beyond, where Zika cases have been registered.

The link between microcephaly and Zika virus has not been confirmed – but a small number of babies who died had the virus in their brain and no other explanation for the surge in microcephaly has been suggested.Zika outbreak pregnancy warnings

The virus is not contagious and normally has flu-like symptoms.

In Colombia, Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria urged women to delay pregnancies for up to eight months.

“We are doing this because I believe it’s a good way to communicate the risk, to tell people that there could be serious consequences,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Similar warnings were issued in Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica.

However, women’s rights campaigners criticized the recommendations, saying women in the region often had little choice about becoming pregnant.

Monica Roa, a member of Women’s Link Worldwide group, said: “It’s incredibly naive for a government to ask women to postpone getting pregnant in a context such as Colombia, where more than 50% of pregnancies are unplanned and across the region where sexual violence is prevalent.”

Forty-nine babies with suspected microcephaly have died, Brazil’s health ministry says. In five of these cases an infection with Zika virus was found.

Brazil is experiencing the largest known outbreak of Zika, with most cases in the north-east. Others have been detected in the south-east, an area which includes Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of cases of Zika in several other Latin American countries.

In Colombia, more than 13,500 cases have been reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued initial travel warnings to pregnant women last week, adding eight more places to the list on January 22. The warnings now extend to:

  • Central and South America: Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela
  • Caribbean: Barbados, Saint Martin, Haiti, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe
  • Oceania: Samoa
  • Africa: Cape Verde

East Coast Blizzard Dumps Record Levels of Snow from Washington to New York

Nancy Clayson
-
0
East Coast Blizzard Dumps Record Levels of Snow from Washington to New York

A huge snowstorm has hit the east coast and is expected to dump near-record levels of snow from Washington to New York.

More than 50 million people have been warned a “potentially paralyzing storm” will drop up to 30ins of snow in hours.

Southern states are already blanketed under 8ins and snow began falling in Washington DC at lunchtime.

Thousands of flights have been cancelled and people told to stay home.

The weather system affects a huge swath of the country, from Arkansas in the south to Massachusetts in the north-east, with eight people killed so far.

A rush for supplies led to long queues and empty shelves at supermarkets on January 22.

Washington is expected to be worst-hit. Mayor Muriel Bowser warned residents of 30ins of snow – that would beat the city’s record of 28in that fell during a two-day period in 1922.Washington snowstorm 2016

“I want to be very clear with everybody, we see this as a major storm. It has life and death implications,” she said.

High winds could compound problems, with 30mph winds forecast for Manhattan on January 23, and even stronger gusts in Washington and Baltimore.

As the weather system approached New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to be ready.

“We’re bracing for the first big storm of the winter. I want to let my fellow New Yorkers know we’re prepared, the agencies here are ready for what’s coming up ahead,” he said.

Facing criticism for saying he would be staying on the presidential campaign trail, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie reversed course, tweeting: “I’m sorry, [New Hampshire] but I gotta go home – we got snow coming.”

National Weather Service director Louis Uccellini said the system had “the potential of being an extremely dangerous storm that could affect over 50 million people”.

Securities Class Action Lawsuits Rise in 2015

Dana R
-
0
Securities Class Action Lawsuits Rise in 2015

People who invest their money are rightly concerned about where their money goes. It may be no surprise to some that 2015 saw a rise in securities class action lawsuits. The number was higher than several previous years. A securities class action case is brought about when an investor suffers a loss due to a violation of securities laws. The cases often involve misinformation or significant facts being omitted to investors. When the truth is revealed, investors can bring a case against the company. They can seek to secure damages for the economic injury they suffered. Many people can gain large settlements as the result of their case.

law-2

Source: smlp.co.uk

Information from The D&O Diary revealed there were a record number of US class action suits last year. In particular, there was an increase in cases against IPO companies. During 2015, there were 186 securities lawsuits filed. The number is higher than any year since 2011. In 2014, there were only 170 suits filed, meaning an increase of 9% last year. The 186 cases were filed in federal court, and there were a further five in state court. Both of the figures together make the highest number since 2008.

Securities lawsuits are already off to a start in 2016. There are some notable names among those who have been hit with a class action lawsuit. For example, GoPro is one of the companies already facing a suit this year. In the second week of January, an investor alleged they covered up information about the company’s struggles. Joseph Bodri is saying that GoPro kept quiet about their underperforming Hero4 Session camera. He also says that they mislead investors about the projections for the first quarter of this year. Another company that has been hit with class action lawsuits is healthcare leader Merck.

A number of law firms and attorneys specialize in securities class action cases. The specifics involved in these cases can be very complicated. Anyone not well-versed in both law and financial matters would need to secure a lawyer to file a case. Martin Chitwood is one of the USA’s leading experts in the field. He and his firm have extensive experience with securities class actions. He and other attorneys who work with this type of litigation have in-depth knowledge of a number of issues. They need to know about not just securities law, but the other factors surrounding a class action case.

law

Source: Beth Cortez-Neavel

According to D&O, the increase in securities class action lawsuits is due mainly to one thing. Increase activity from IPO companies has contributed greatly. There was an increase in IPO-related cases during 2015. They totaled 29 in state and federal courts. Of all the suits filed, they make up about 15% of securities class action cases during the year. In 2014, there were only 17, which was just 10% of the total for that year. The higher number of lawsuits against foreign companies can also be taken into account.

Perhaps 2016 will also see a higher number of class action lawsuits. If there are, expect to see them in the pharmaceutical and tech industries. These were the two that featured heavily last year.

New Zealand Bride Moved to Tears by Wedding Haka

Nancy Clayson
-
0
New Zealand Bride Moved to Tears by Wedding Haka

The footage of a New Zealand bride moved to tears by the haka performance at her wedding has become viral after being watched more than 19 million times.

Video of the Maori dance at the wedding of Aaliyah and Benjamin Armstrong is being widely shared on social media.

Aaliyah Armstrong, 21, said the haka was a sign of respect from her husband’s best man and family not, as some have commented online, an attempt to intimidate him, the BBC reported.

A haka – with its shouting, body-slapping and exaggerated facial expressions – is used in traditional Maori culture as a war cry to intimidate the enemy, but also to welcome special guests and at celebrations.New Zealand bride wedding haka

The video was filmed at Aaliyah and Benjamin Armstrong ‘s wedding reception in Auckland last week.

In it, they watch with emotion as the groomsmen and guests surprise them with a heartfelt performance of the traditional dance, before joining in themselves.

Women do not normally perform the haka in Maori culture but Aaliyah Armstrong said they can do at weddings.

The nearly three-minute video ends with the couple emotionally embracing the performers.

The haka was organized by the 23-year-old groom’s best man and was led by his older brother. It was filmed by her cousin’s production company.

Aaliyah and Benjamin Armstrong, who live in Auckland, posted the video for friends and its popularity has taken them by surprise.

Comments on social media have focused on the strong emotions that the video arouses.

Starbucks Quarterly Earnings Boosted by Christmas Sales

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Starbucks Quarterly Earnings Boosted by Christmas Sales

Starbucks has reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings as sales rose over the festive period.

The coffee giant’s total net revenue rose to $5.37 billion from $4.8 billion in the three months to December 27.

Starbucks’ revenue was boosted by Christmas holiday sales which rose 9%.Starbucks holiday sales

Chairman Howard Schultz said the strong results showed the “strength and relevance of the Starbucks brand around the world”.

Starbucks said 1-in-6 American adults received a Starbucks Card over the holiday season.

The company said sales at stores that had been open 13 months or more rose by 8%.

Visits to established stores in the China/Asia Pacific region rose by 4%, but missed the 6.1% growth target analysts had predicted.

During a call with investors, Starbucks CFO Scott Maw said the company had locked in the price for more than 90% of its coffee bean needs in 2016.

Schlumberger Cuts 10,000 Jobs on Oil Price Fall

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Schlumberger Cuts 10,000 Jobs on Oil Price Fall

Schlumberger has cut 10,000 jobs in Q4 of 2015 amid the plunge in oil prices.

News of the near-10% jobs cull came as the oilfield services giant unveiled a net loss for the last three months of $1 billion – its first quarterly loss in 12 years.

Schlumberger’s revenues fell 39% to $7.74 billion, with CEO Paal Kibsgaard warning that there was “no signs” of an oil price recovery on the horizon.

The company also announced a $10 billion share buy-back program.Schlumberger job cut 2016

This news pushed Schlumberger’s shares 4% higher in after-hours trading. The stock price fell almost 20% is 2015 as investor worried that customers were cancelling projects as the oil price tumbled.

The profit figures were better than many analysts had expected, helped by heavy cuts to offset the slump in oil prices.

The latest job cuts added to the 20,000 redundancies Schlumberger had already announced earlier in 2015.

Paal Kibsgaard warned that there were “no signs of pricing recovery in the short to medium term”.

“Negative market sentiments intensified in the fourth quarter, with oil over-production continuing and extending the bearish trend in global inventories,” Schlumberger said in its report.

The dramatic fall in prices “prompted customers to make further cuts to already significantly lower investment levels,” the company said, pointing to “unscheduled and abrupt activity cancellations.”

Oil prices have dipped below $28 a barrel in a drawn-out slump since mid-2014.

Many analysts have slashed their 2016 oil price forecasts, with Morgan Stanley analysts saying that “oil in the $20s is possible”.

Economists at the Royal Bank of Scotland say that oil could fall to $16, while Standard Chartered predicts that prices could hit just $10 a barrel.

Boeing to Cut 747-8 Jumbo Jet Production in Half

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Boeing to Cut 747-8 Jumbo Jet Production in Half

Boeing has decided to cut production of its 747-8 jumbo jet in half and take a charge of $569 million in its fourth quarter.

Starting in September the world’s biggest plane maker will slow the production rate to 6 planes a year from 12.

The four-engined plane is being overtaken in popularity by twin-engined craft which are more fuel efficient.

However, the 747 will still be used for the Air Force One presidential fleet, which is due to be upgraded.

Boeing shares dipped shortly after the announcement but in Friday trading are up almost 2%.

In recent years the 747 has been more popular as a cargo plane, rather than a passenger jet.

Photo Wikipedia
Photo Wikipedia

Production had already fallen in March of this year to one aircraft a month, from 1.3.

Ray Conner, chief executive of

Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Ray Conner said in a statement: “The air cargo market recovery that began in late 2013 has stalled in recent months and slowed demand for the 747-8 freighter.”

The company said global passenger traffic and demand remained strong.

Boeing and European rival Airbus delivered record craft in 2015.

However, despite the record deliveries, new orders fell by half last year.

Boeing is ramping up production of its 787 Dreamliner, built largely with lightweight composite materials that reduce fuel use.

Dreamliner production will rise from the current 10 per month rate to 14, by 2020.

Otto Frederick Warmbier: North Korea Arrests American Student for Hostile Act

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Otto Frederick Warmbier: North Korea Arrests American Student for Hostile Act

American student Otto Frederick Warmbier has been arrested in North Korea for committing a “hostile act” against the state.

Otto Frederick Warmbier is a University of Virginia student, says state news agency KCNA.

He had entered North Korea as a tourist with the intention “to destroy the country’s unity”, said KCNA, which added that the US government had “tolerated and manipulated” him.

The agency did not give further details, but said he was now under investigation.

An official at the US embassy in the South Korean capital, Seoul, told Reuters it was aware of the arrest.North Korea arrests American student

North Korea sometimes uses the detention of foreigners as a means of exerting pressure on its adversaries.

China-based tour agency Young Pioneer Tours released a statement confirming that Otto Frederick Warmbier had been detained while on one of their tours in Pyongyang, and said his family had been informed.

It had earlier told Reuters that Otto Frederick Warmbier was arrested on January 2.

“We are in contact with the Swedish Embassy… who are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the case. We are also assisting the US Department of State closely with regards to the situation,” it said in the statement.

“In the meantime we would appreciate Otto’s and his family’s privacy being respected and we hope his release can be secured as soon as possible.”

Sweden represents US interests in North Korea as Washington and Pyongyang do not have diplomatic relations.

Otto Frederick Warmbier, listed by the University of Virginia’s directory as an undergraduate commerce student, is the third Westerner known to be held in North Korea.

Hyeon Soo Lim, a Canadian pastor of South Korean origin, was sentenced to life imprisonment in December for an alleged plot to overthrow the government.

A Korean-American is also thought to be in North Korean detention on charges of spying.

The latest incident comes amid escalating tensions, after North Korea said it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. The claim has not yet been confirmed.

South Korea has resumed propaganda broadcasts over the border, while North Korea has been dropping propaganda leaflets on the South.

The US is leading calls for new UN economic penalties against North Korea in the wake of the nuclear test.

The state department strongly advises Americans against travelling to North Korea.

In 2014, North Korea released three Americans it was holding in detention – Matthew Todd Miller, Jeffrey Fowle and Kenneth Bae.

Asian Stock Markets Recover on Oil Prices Rebound

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Asian Stock Markets Recover on Oil Prices Rebound

Asian stock markets have continued recovery, picking up on a rebound in oil prices and a strong lead from the US and Europe.

The recovery comes after a sharp sell-off earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, hints from European Central Bank (ECB) on January 21 that it might consider more monetary easing helped lift investors’ confidence.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index jumped 5.9% to close at 16,958.53, after hitting at 15-month low the previous day.

Chinese markets also managed to recover some of the past days’ heavy losses.Asian stock markets recovery January 2016

The mainland benchmark Shanghai Composite gained 0.8% to 2,901.32 points, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 2.2% to 18,950.19 points.

Markets were encouraged by a recovery in oil prices, which had hit 12-year lows earlier in the week.

Brent crude was up 98 cents at $30.23 a barrel, while US crude was 85 cents higher at $30.38 a barrel.

In Australia, the S&P ASX 200 closed by 1.1% higher, at 4,916.00 points.

Among the market’s standout performers were several of the big oil and commodity companies, buoyed by a rise in the oil price.

BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto were 7.5% and 3.4% up respectively, while Santos climbed 11%.

Stocks of winemaker Treasury Wine Estates also stood out, jumping as much as 17.5% to a record high after the company provided strong full-year profits guidance in a market update.

In South Korea, the benchmark Kospi index followed the region’s trend, closing the day 2.1% higher at 1,879.40 points.

On January 21, shares in Europe and the US closed higher, helped by comments from ECB president Mario Draghi.

After the ECB had kept eurozone rates on hold, Mario Draghi hinted that the bank might take more action to try to stimulate the eurozone economy later this year.

He said the bank would “review and possibly reconsider” monetary policy at its next meeting in March.

Mario Draghi also said eurozone rates would “stay at present or lower levels for an extended period” and there would be “no limits” to action to reflate the eurozone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UDvd6xXnmQ

East Coast Blizzard: Millions Prepare for Record Levels of Snow

Diane A. Wade
-
0
East Coast Blizzard: Millions Prepare for Record Levels of Snow

East coast is prepared for a huge blizzard which is expected to dump near-record levels of snow on Washington and the Mid-Atlantic region.

More than 50 million people have been warned of a “potentially paralyzing storm” late on Friday, January 22, that will bring 24ins of snow within hours.

There are warnings the blizzard could cause power outages and will bring road and air travel to a halt.

A rush for supplies led to long queues and empty shelves at supermarkets.

The weather system has already proved to be deadly, with two drivers killed in North Carolina, one in Tennessee and a pedestrian dead in Maryland.East Coast blizzard 2016

States of emergency has been declared in Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Washington DC’s transport system – the second busiest in the US – will close all weekend.

Garth Brooks has postponed two sold-out concerts in Baltimore due to the upcoming blizzard.

Schools across the region are closed on January 22 and airlines have issued waivers for travel, meaning passengers can rebook.

High winds could compound problems, with 30mph winds forecast for Manhattan on January 23, and even stronger gusts in Washington and Baltimore.

National Weather Service director Louis Uccellini said the system had “the potential of being an extremely dangerous storm that could affect over 50 million people”.

He added: “We are talking about a potentially paralyzing storm that is already setting up.”

The record snowfall for Washington is 28ins that fell during a two-day period in January 1922.

Boston, which bore the brunt of repeated snowstorms last year, is expected to escape relatively lightly this time, with just a few inches.

Snowfall predictions: 24ins – NE Virginia, 20ins – Washington DC, 12-18ins – Philadelphia, 14ins – Kentucky, 10ins – New York City and Long Island.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHUXbXKHt8I

Mariah Carey Is Engaged to James Packer

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Mariah Carey Is Engaged to James Packer

Mariah Carey got engaged to Australian billionaire James Packer, multiple outlets have reported.

The singer and her fiancé went public with their relationship in June 2015 after they were seen on holiday together in Italy.

According to Forbes magazine, 47-year-old James Packer is Australia’s fourth-richest person with a fortune estimated to exceed A$4.7 billion ($3.1 billion).Mariah Carey and James Packer engagement

Mariah Carey, 45, is one of the biggest selling artists of all time.

She released her first album in 1990.

James Packer, who inherited an Australian media empire from his father Kerry Packer, and now operates casinos, split from his second wife model and singer Erica Baxter in 2013.

Mariah Carey announced her break-up from Nick Cannon in 2014.

Hasna Ait Boulahcen: Paris Raid Woman Died of Asphyxiation, Say Prosecutors

Roy Siemens
-
0
Hasna Ait Boulahcen: Paris Raid Woman Died of Asphyxiation, Say Prosecutors

Hasna Ait Boulahcen, who died in a police raid after the Paris attacks, died of asphyxiation, French prosecutors say.

However, her family argues she was murdered.

Hasna Ait Boulahcen, 26, died in a Saint-Denis flat alongside suspected ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud.

Her family’s lawyer Fabien N’Doumou said she may have been shot by police.

The Paris prosecutor’s office has said an autopsy shows Hasna Ait Boulahcen died from asphyxiation after an explosion caused by a suicide vest.

Reports in the days after the raid said Hasna Ait Boulahcen had detonated the suicide vest.

In early January, prosecutors said a third suspect who died in the raid, Belgian-Moroccan national Chakib Akrouh, was wearing the explosives.Hasna Ait Boulahcen Paris attacks

Hasna Ait Boulahcen’s mother, sister and brother have lodged a murder complaint, against persons unknown. They are asking for her body to be returned for burial, and for the investigation to re-examine how she died.

The raid took place on November 18, five days after the attacks in which 130 people were killed.

Reports in French media said Hasna Ait Boulahcen, who was Abdelhamid Abaaoud’s cousin, was responsible for finding the flat in which he hid, and drove him there in the days after the attacks.

Hasna Ait Boulahcen, the daughter of Moroccan immigrants, “was under pressure by her cousin”, the family’s complaint says, according to French network iTele.

The complaint, according to iTele, focuses on a recording made outside the flat during the raid, in which a woman’s voice is heard shouting: “Can I leave? I want to leave.”

El Chapo Guzman Case: Sinaloa Lawmaker Lucero Sanchez Questioned over Jail Visit

Diane A. Wade
-
0
El Chapo Guzman Case: Sinaloa Lawmaker Lucero Sanchez Questioned over Jail Visit

Mexican regional politician Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez is being questioned by police about her alleged links to recently recaptured drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez, 26, is a representative in Sinaloa, northern Mexico, where El Chapo (Shorty) Guzman has his powerbase.

Police officials said they wanted to know about an alleged visit Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez made to El Chapo Guzman prior to his jailbreak.

Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez denies the allegations and accuses the government of turning the arrest of El Chapo Guzman into a “media show”.

El Chapo Guzman was re-arrested on January 8 after six months on the run.

The attorney general’s office said federal police officers had taken Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez to Mexico City.

In a statement, the office said she would be questioned over an alleged visit she made to El Chapo Guzman in jail under a false identity.

Officials said that in 2014 Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez had shown guards false papers to see El Chapo Guzman at the Altiplano maximum-security prison, where he was being held prior to his escape in July 2015.

Photo Facebook
Photo Facebook

Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez has not been charged with any crime and has not been stripped of her post as congresswoman, the statement adds.

On January 19, Attorney General Arely Gomez told Mexican newspaper El Universal that Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez and El Chapo Guzman had spent New Year’s Eve together.

At the time, the leader of the Sinaloa drugs cartel was on the run following his escape from Altiplano prison through a one-mile-long tunnel.

He was captured in Los Mochis, a town in Sinaloa state, on January 8.

According to local media, Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez is the youngest person to have been elected as a state representative.

Mexican daily El Universal reports that Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez ran an election campaign characterized by lavish rallies at which bands entertained voters and gifts were handed out.

Local media have also alleged that Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez, whose ex-husband was shot dead in 2014, has had at least one child with El Chapo Guzman.

She has denied having a relationship with the drug lord.

While there is little official information about El Chapo Guzman’s family, those who have followed his criminal career believe he has 18 children with seven different women.

A prison official, Eduardo Guerrero, said that Emma Coronel, a former beauty queen who had twin girls with El Chapo Guzman, was prevented from visiting the drug lord on January 16 because she could not provide the right papers.

Eduardo Guerrero said Emma Coronel could not present proof that she had been married to Joaquin Guzman since 2007, as she insisted.

According to Eduardo Guerrero, El Chapo Guzman “will have to give us a divorce certificate [from his previous marriage] and then he has to demonstrate the common-law marriage” in order to be allowed to see Emma Coronel.

Eduardo Guerrero added that security had been ramped up at the Altiplano jail to prevent El Chapo Guzman from escaping again, including training dogs to detect his scent.

The prison official also said that any food given to El Chapo Guzman was first tasted by a dog, to prevent the inmate from being poisoned.

Global Stock Markets Trade Higher after Sell-Off

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Global Stock Markets Trade Higher after Sell-Off

Global stock markets have risen, a day after billions were wiped off the value of shares amid global market turmoil.

In the US, the Dow Jones was up 123.96 points, or 0.8%, at 15,7890.70 in early trade.

European markets were also higher, and shares in the US were up shortly after trading began.

However, investors remain worried over the continuing slide in oil prices and slowing growth in China.

London’s FTSE 100 index, which measures the share prices of the 100 most valuable companies traded on the London Stock Exchange, was up nearly 1.5%.

The index rose 83.10 points to 5,756.68, and the share indexes in France and Germany were both up by more than 1.5%.Global stock market January 2016

Much earlier, Japan’s main share index closed down by more than 2%.

On January 20, global stock markets suffered hefty losses and London’s FTSE 100 ended the day down 3.5%.

By doing so it entered a “bear market”, having fallen 20% from its record high in April 2015.

Oil prices remained weak on January 21, having hit their lowest levels since 2003 in the previous session.

A brief rally in crude prices quickly ran out of steam, and after climbing back above the $28-a-barrel mark, Brent crude fell back to $27.75.

US crude was 1% lower on the day, trading at $28.09 a barrel, having fallen below $27 on January 20.

Crude oil prices have been falling since mid 2014, but oil-producing countries have maintained output despite the decline, contributing to the excess supplies on the market.

Earlier in the week, the International Energy Agency warned that oil markets could “drown in oversupply” in 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g-88DXqkNY

Europe Stock Markets Open Slightly Higher after Global Turmoil

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Europe Stock Markets Open Slightly Higher after Global Turmoil

Europe’s stock markets have opened slightly higher 24 hours after global turmoil saw billions wiped off the value of shares.

London’s benchmark FTSE 100 share index, which measures the share prices of the 100 most valuable companies traded on the London stock exchange, was up 0.5% in the opening minutes.

Earlier, Japan’s main share index closed down by more than 2%.

Investors remain worried over the continuing slide in oil prices and slowing growth in China.

On January 20, global stock markets suffered hefty losses and London’s FTSE 100 lost 3.5%.

It has now entered a “bear market”, having fallen 20% from its record high in April 2015.

In the first few minutes of trade on January 21, the FTSE 100 was up 31.78 points at 5,705.36.

Oil prices remained weak on January 21, having hit their lowest levels since 2003 in the previous session.Europe stock markets January 2016

A brief rally in crude prices quickly ran out of steam, and after climbing back above the $28-a-barrel mark, Brent crude fell back to $27.79.

US crude was trading at $28.23 a barrel, having fallen below $27 on January 20.

Crude oil prices have been falling since mid 2014, but oil-producing countries have maintained output despite the decline, contributing to the excess supplies on the market.

Earlier in the week, the International Energy Agency warned that oil markets could “drown in oversupply” in 2016.

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 share index closed down 2.4%, while China’s Shanghai Composite ended the day down 3.2%.

On January 20, US shares had also been hit, with the Dow Jones closing 1.6% lower after a volatile trading day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g-88DXqkNY

Flint Water Contamination: Barack Obama Pledges Support

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Flint Water Contamination: Barack Obama Pledges Support

President Barack Obama has pledged his support to the city of Flint in Michigan in the water contamination crisis.

Speaking from nearby Detroit, Barack Obama said: “If I were a parent up there, I would be beside myself that my kid’s health could be at risk.”

Flint’s water became contaminated when lead leached from old pipes after a change in supplier in 2014.

Since then, residents have complained of bad smells, headaches and rashes.

Unable to drink tap water, the National Guard has joined volunteers in distributing lead tests, filters and bottled water.

Photo Flintwaterstudy.org
Photo Flintwaterstudy.org

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has faced calls to resign over the way he has handled the crisis.

On January 20 Rick Snyder released a batch of emails from 2014 and 2015 concerning the issue.

One email suggests that a day after doctors reported high levels of lead in local children, one of the governor’s top advisers told him city officials, not state officials, had to “deal with it”.

The switch to a river water source was a money-saving move when the city was under state financial management.

The water from Flint River stripped lead from the pipes and into the supply.

Lead exposure can cause learning disabilities and behavioral problems in children.

Last week, President Obama declared a state of emergency in Flint, which is predominantly an African-American, working-class city.

That declaration brought $5 million in federal aid but was far short of the $31 million requested by Republican governor Rick Snyder.

A day after meeting Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, Barack Obama said: “I told her we are going to have her back and all the people of Flint’s back as they work their way through this terrible tragedy.

“It is a reminder that we can’t short-change the basic services we provide to our people.”

Gov. Rick Snyder has urged President Obama to class the crisis as a federal disaster, saying its severity poses an “imminent and long-term threat” to residents.

By classing it as such, on the same level as natural disasters, Flint would be able to get much more federal aid.

In an interview this week, Gov. Snyder admitted it was a disaster but denied it was his “Katrina moment” – a reference to the much-criticized response of President George W. Bush to the hurricane that devastated New Orleans in 2005.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn_5T4SbP3Y

Zika Outbreak: Thousands of Brazilian Babies Born with Birth Defects

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Zika Outbreak: Thousands of Brazilian Babies Born with Birth Defects

According to new figures, more Brazilian babies were born with abnormally small heads to mothers infected with the Zika virus.

There have been 3,893 cases of microcephaly since October, when the authorities first noticed a surge, up from 3,500 in last week’s report.

The Zika virus is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue and chikungunya.

Brazil is experiencing the largest known outbreak of Zika.

The Zika virus has already killed five babies in the country, said the health ministry. Another 44 deaths are being investigated to determine if they were caused by Zika.

Last week, the Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Castro said a new testing kit was being developed to identify quickly the presence of either of the three viruses.

Marcelo Castro also announced extra funds to speed the development of a vaccine for Zika “in record time”.

Photo Wikipedia
Photo Wikipedia

At the moment the only way to fight Zika is to clear standing water where mosquitoes breed.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of cases of Zika in several other Latin American countries.

In Colombia, more than 13,500 cases have been reported.

“We are the second country [in Latin America] after Brazil in the number of reported cases,” said Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria.

He has advised women in the country not to get pregnant for the rest of the outbreak, which he said could last until July.

In Bolivia, the authorities have reported the first case of a pregnant woman diagnosed with Zika.

“She has not travelled outside the country. This is a home-grown case,” Joaquin Monasterio, director of Health Services for the eastern department of Santa Cruz told the AFP news agency.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an alert on January 15 advising pregnant women to avoid travelling to Brazil and other Latin American and Caribbean countries where outbreaks of Zika have been registered.

The travel alert applies to Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

Strong Evidence of Ninth Planet in Our Solar System

James J. Williams
-
0
Strong Evidence of Ninth Planet in Our Solar System

Astronomers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) say they have strong evidence that there is a ninth planet in our Solar System orbiting far beyond even the dwarf world Pluto.

The team has no direct observations to confirm its presence just yet.

Rather, the scientists make the claim based on the way other far-flung objects are seen to move.

If proven, the putative planet would have 10 times the mass of Earth.

The Caltech astronomers have a vague idea where it ought to be on the sky, and their work is sure to fire a campaign to try to track it down.

The group’s calculations suggest the object orbits 20 times farther from the Sun on average than does the eighth – and currently outermost – planet, Neptune, which moves about 4.5 billion km from our star.Ninth planet evidence 2016

Unlike the near-circular paths traced by the main planets, this novel object would be in a highly elliptical trajectory, taking between 10,000 and 20,000 years to complete one full lap around the Sun.

The Caltech group has analyzed the movements of objects in a band of far-off icy material known as the Kuiper Belt. It is in this band that Pluto resides.

The scientists say they see distinct alignments among some members of the Kuiper Belt – and in particular two of its larger members known as Sedna and 2012 VP113. These alignments, they argue, are best explained by the existence of a hitherto unidentified large planet.

The idea that there might be a so-called Planet X moving in the distant reaches of the Solar System has been debated for more than a hundred years.

Star Wars: Episode VIII Release Date Set for December 2017

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Star Wars: Episode VIII Release Date Set for December 2017

The release of Star Wars: Episode VIII has been delayed until the end of 2017, Disney has announced.

The next installment of Star Wars saga was due to go on global release in May 2017 but instead will not be aired until the following December.

The new movie will follow The Force Awakens, which is still showing and has become the biggest-grossing movie in US history.

In the five weeks since its release, The Force Awakens has earned $861 million in the US and $1.88 billion globally.Star Wars Episode VIII release date

Disney did not say why Star Wars: Episode VIII had been delayed but there had been speculation that the script was being rewritten.

Production is set to begin next month at Pinewood Studios, west of London.

The new release date means Episode VIII could come up against another long-awaited blockbuster, Avatar 2, which is set for Christmas 2017 but could be further delayed.

Despite the bad news concerning the postponement, Star Wars fans have the consolation of the spin-off Rogue One, which is due out in December 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xytDhaURsX4

Abba Members Reunite for Mamma Mia Venture in Stockholm

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Abba Members Reunite for Mamma Mia Venture in Stockholm

Abba’s members have reunited for the opening of a new business venture in the capital Stockholm.

The dining-entertainment venue, based on the Greek taverna featured in the Abba-themed film Mamma Mia!, is the idea of Abba star Bjorn Ulvaeus.

Bjorn Ulvaeus was joined for the opening night by Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, and Agnetha Faltskog.

They were last seen in public together in 2008, news website thelocal.se said.Abba Mamma Mia venture

Fans and guests paid 1,340 kronor ($157) for a ticket to the opening night of Mamma Mia! The Party at the Tyrol restaurant in Grona Lund, Stockholm, on January 20, it added.

The venue’s website says punters will enjoy a Mediterranean-style buffet while the show takes place.

“Everything happens on a magical evening in several acts filled with singing and dancing, daredevil stunts, Greek Gods, flirty waiters, and perhaps a zorba and an ouzo or two,” it says.

“No evening is like any other and no-one knows how it ends. It all depends on where Abba’s songs take us.”

The four Abba stars were last seen in public together for the movie premieres of Mamma Mia! in London and Stockholm in 2008, thelocal.se said.

Stock Markets Tumble as Oil Prices Continue to Fall

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Stock Markets Tumble as Oil Prices Continue to Fall

Global stock markets have tumbled with investors unsettled by the continued slide in oil prices and fears about the impact on global growth.

Germany’s Dax, the UK’s FTSE 100, and the Cac 40 in Paris were all down by about 3%, wiping out the gains recorded on January 19.

The drop in the FTSE puts it on the brink of a so called “bear market” – a 20% fall from April’s all-time high.

The falls came after Asian stocks closed sharply lower.

Dubai markets closed at a 28-month low, while in Japan shares fell to their lowest level since October 2014.Global stock markets fall

Top emerging market shares and currencies were also caught up in the turmoil, with the Russian ruble hitting a new record low of 80.295 against the dollar.

The downwards move came after oil prices continued to slide, with the price of international benchmark Brent Crude down 2.4% at $28.08 a barrel, around a 12-year low.

The oil price has plummeted 75% since mid-2014 as oversupply, mainly due to US shale oil flooding the market, has driven down the cost of the commodity.

At the same time, demand has fallen because of a slowdown in economic growth in China and Europe.

The world’s energy watchdog warned on January 19 that the market could “drown in oversupply”.

The International Energy Agency, which advises countries on energy policy, said it expected the global glut to last until at least late 2016.

The IMF’s decision on January 19 to downgrade its global growth forecast for this year and issue a warning about the outlook added to the dark mood among investors.

World stocks are now at their lowest levels since 2013, with the MSCI world equity index down 9.9% in January, its biggest drop since 2009.

Analysts said they expected the volatility to continue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bghdf0CeGkM

St Elijah: Iraq’s Oldest Christian Monastery Destroyed by ISIS

Roy Siemens
-
0
St Elijah: Iraq’s Oldest Christian Monastery Destroyed by ISIS

The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been destroyed by ISIS, satellite images confirmed.

St. Elijah’s monastery, or Dair Mar Elia, stood on a hill near the northern city of Mosul for 1,400 years.

Now, St. Elijah’s has joined a growing list of more than 100 demolished religious and historic sites, including mosques, tombs, shrines and churches in Syria and Iraq. The extremists have defaced or ruined ancient monuments in Nineveh, Palmyra and Hatra. Museums and libraries have been looted, books burned, artwork crushed – or trafficked.

Analysts said the images, obtained by the Associated Press, suggested St. Elijah’s had been demolished in late 2014, soon after ISIS seized Mosul.

Photo Flickr
Photo Flickr

A Catholic priest from Mosul warned that its Christian history was “being barbarically leveled”.

“We see it as an attempt to expel us from Iraq, eliminating and finishing our existence in this land,” said Father Paul Thabit Habib, who now lives in Kurdish-administered Irbil.

ISIS has targeted Christians in Iraq and neighboring Syria, seizing their property and forcing them to convert to Islam, pay a special tax or flee.

The group has also demolished a number of monasteries and churches, as well as renowned pre-Islamic sites including Nimrud, Hatra and Nineveh in Iraq and Palmyra in Syria.

St. Elijah’s Monastery was believed to have been constructed by Assyrian monks in the late 6th Century. It was later claimed by a Chaldean Catholic order.

In 1743, its monks were given an ultimatum by Persian forces to convert to Islam. They refused and as many as 150 were massacred.

Pablo Escobar’s Florida Mansion Demolished

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Pablo Escobar’s Florida Mansion Demolished

A Florida mansion once owned by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is being demolished.

The mansion’s new owners have hired professional treasure hunters to comb through the rubble in the hope of finding items belonging to the former leader of the Medellin cartel.

The pink mansion in Miami Beach was seized by the US government in 1987.

Pablo Escobar, who was one of the world’s richest men at the time of his death, was killed by Colombian police in 1993.

Christian de Berdouare and his wife Jennifer Valoppi said they were unaware of its history when they bought the four-bedroom mansion from a private owner in 2014.

Pablo Escobar bought the mansion in 1980 and had it for seven years before it was seized by the US authorities.

The new owners said Pablo Escobar never lived there but had visited the property on occasion.Pablo Escobar Miami house demolished

They have hired a team to search for stashes of drugs, money or jewellery, which they suspect may have been hidden inside the mansion or its garden, as was the custom of members of the Medellin cartel.

Jennifer Valoppi said the workers had found a buried safe but that it was stolen before they could open it.

“It was in the ground under some marble and was discovered by some of our workers, but before we even had a chance to remove it, it was stolen, so we’ve been working with police on that,” she said.

Christian de Berdouare, who paid just under $10 million for the mansion, said he was “very excited to see the house of the devil disappearing right before our eyes”.

“This was the biggest criminal in the history of the world. I would like to be associated with something more uplifting, but nevertheless it’s part of the city,” he added.

He said that he believed Pablo Escobar bought the mansion in a residential neighborhood in order “to conduct illicit trade”. He plans to build a new mansion on the site.

Miami was a key entry point for drugs flooding in from South America in the 1980s and many drug lords had mansions and luxury apartments in the city.

The Miami mansion was built in 1948 and has direct access to Biscayne Bay and views of the Miami skyline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpQpXquQ5II

1...290291292...1,244Page 291 of 1,244