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How an Electric Bike Influences a Well-rounded Fitness and Lifestyle

Nancy Clayson
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How an Electric Bike Influences a Well-rounded Fitness and Lifestyle

An electric bike could be that one investment that helps you to achieve your health and fitness goals. Many people have used electric bikes to maintain a healthier lifestyle by incorporating it into their day to day routine. For instance, some people use their electric bikes to commute to work. Because the bike comes with a motor, there’s no sweating due to excessively pedaling on your way to work. You can choose to drive back from work on your way home.

Low-impact activity

Cycling in itself is a low-impact workout that most people who are recovering from an injury use to boost muscle strength. In fact, cycling is said to improve overall health significantly. By getting on a bike, you increase your stamina, tone the muscles and even improve brain power. This activity is not as strenuous as running or even walking.

Look forward to everyday workouts

 

Electric bikes allow those people who are usually very reluctant to cycle, an opportunity to pedal, even if it’s for a short distance. For instance, when you are out of work and feel too tired to drive all the way home, you can just turn on the motor and go. This can increase the amount of cycling you get to do on a daily basis. If you are commuting to work for 30 minutes and the only cycle for 10 minutes then switch the motor, it’s still a form of workout that you wouldn’t have gotten if you chose to take the bus instead.

Electric bikes are eco-friendly

Electric bikes can encourage people to cycle for longer and faster without having any negative impact on the environment. In fact, these bikes contribute to conserving energy as you commute home. When you cycle on a regular bike, you may feel the need to slow down so that you can try to conserve some energy. With an electric bike, this is never a problem. You can cycle as hard as you want and enjoy the workout with the knowledge that the bike has a motor to propel you the rest of the way should you get tired of pedaling.

Save time

hands, leather jacket, time

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hands-leather-jacket-time-wristwatch-244323/

Other than getting stuck in traffic commuting to work, use an electric bike to get to the office in real time. You’ll be burning some extra calories along the way when you choose to pedal half the distance. Electric bikes come with batteries that can last for up to 20 miles. Choose an E-bike that is best suited for your needs and lifestyle.

While most people believe that an electric bike is not, in fact, a workout item because of the motor that can directly propel the rider all the way, it is a valuable tool for someone who wants to cycle but doesn’t have the stamina or ability to pedal all the way. Electric bikes can encourage a novice cyclist to improve their strength and go for longer period driving. It also helps to boost one’s health in the process.

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Suspected North Korean Missile Launch Fails

Roy Siemens
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Suspected North Korean Missile Launch Fails

South Korean defense officials say that a North Korean missile launch has failed, but it is unclear how many were fired or what exactly was being tested.

The US military said it detected a missile which appeared to explode within seconds of being launched.

North Korea is banned from any missile or nuclear tests by the UN.

However, North Korea has conducted such tests with increasing frequency and experts say this could lead to advances in its missile technology.

Earlier this month, it fired four missiles that flew about 600 miles, landing in Japanese waters.

This test came from the eastern coastal town of Wonsan and will be seen as a response to annual military drills under way between the US and South Korea, which North Korea sees as preparation for an attack on it.

North Korea is believed to be developing an intercontinental ballistic missile that could strike the US, and has previously claimed it had successfully miniaturized nuclear warheads so they can fit on missiles.

However, most experts believe the North is still some time away from being able to realize such a goal.

Last weekend, North Korea conducted a rocket engine test that its leader Kim Jong-un claimed was a breakthrough in its rocket technology. This has not been confirmed by independent experts.

The move came as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited Japan, South Korea and China for talks on North Korea’s recent actions, including its two most recent nuclear tests.

Rex Tillerson had said a military option was on the table if North Korea threatened South Korean or US forces.

Paul Manafort Allegedly Hid $750,000 Payment Made by Ukrainian Party

Diane A. Wade
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Paul Manafort Allegedly Hid $750,000 Payment Made by Ukrainian Party

A Ukrainian lawmaker made further allegations about secret funds said to have been paid to Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Serhiy Leshchenko said he had evidence that Paul Manafort had tried to hide a payment of $750,000 by a pro-Russian party in 2009. Paul Manafort’s spokesman denied the claim as “baseless”.

Paul Manafort was an adviser to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. But he denies receiving any cash payments.

He was forced to resign as Donald Trump’s campaign chairman in August 2016 over revelations about his ties to Viktor Yanukovych.

Paul Manafort is one of a number of the presidential associates currently under scrutiny for possible contacts with Russia during the US presidential campaign.

Image source Getty

On March 20, FBI director James Comey confirmed for the first time that his agency was investigating alleged Russian interference in the election.

On March 21, Serhiy Leshchenko, a former investigative journalist, published an invoice purportedly signed by Paul Manafort that showed a $750,000 payment for a shipment of computers to a company called Davis Manafort.

The funds came from an offshore company in Belize via a bank in Kyrgyzstan.

Serhiy Leshchenko said the contract was a cover for payments to Paul Manafort for his consulting services to Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions.

The lawmaker said the amount and date of the payment matched one of the entries on the so-called Black Ledgers (handwritten accounting books alleged to belong to the Party of Regions), where Paul Manafort’s name was mentioned.

Paul Manafort’s spokesman Jason Maloni described the latest allegations as “baseless”, saying they should be “summarily dismissed”.

President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted during mass street protests in Ukraine in 2014.

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Fiat Chrysler Investigated in France over Diesel Emissions Tests

Clyde K. Valle
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Fiat Chrysler Investigated in France over Diesel Emissions Tests

An investigation into claims Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) broke diesel emissions tests has been opened in France.

French car industry regulators have been looking into whether some Fiat Chrysler cars exceeded emissions limits.

Fiat Chrysler, already facing probes in the UK and US, said it noted the prosecutor’s decision to look into “certain alleged consumer protection violations”.

However, the company added that its diesel cars fully complied with emissions rules.

The move by French prosecutors comes after revelations in 2015 that Volkswagen broke diesel tests in the US.

France’s consumer affairs body passed a file on Fiat Chrysler to the courts for possible investigation in February.

Tests by French regulators in 2016, launched in the wake of the VW emissions test-cheating scandal, revealed pollutants from some Fiat Chrysler and other car maker’s models exceeded regulatory limits.

The move by the French prosecutor is the latest indication that questions about diesel pollution tests extend beyond VW.

A French judicial source told Reuters that the Paris prosecutor had opened the investigation on March 15, after the finance ministry’s consumer affairs and anti-fraud body had referred the case to the courts.

Fiat Chrysler said in a statement that its diesel vehicles “fully comply with applicable emissions requirements” in Italy, where its European unit is based. However, the company could not comment on which models were under further investigation in France.

The company said that it would “continue to co-operate to any investigations by competent authorities and remains fully confident that the matter will be clarified in due course”.

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Your Office Gives You a Livelihood, But Takes Your Health

Dana R
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Your Office Gives You a Livelihood, But Takes Your Health

Now, we all know that there’s many a person in society who has a complicated relationship with their job. It pays well and gives you a livelihood, but…it also stops you from lying on the grass on sunny days, and that sucks pretty hard. Still, at least your job isn’t actively harming you. Or is it? You might want to stand up (sitting too long is bad for you…) for this, because we’re afraid that your office is harming your health, probably in more ways than you think. But at least if you know about them, you can fight back.

Source: Pexels.com

Gaining Weight

If you want to succeed in this hypercompetitive working world, you better be ready to put in some long hours. Unfortunately, this means that there’s little time for anything else in our life, including exercise. Large sections of society are spending their days driving to work, sitting for long periods, driving home, and then crashing in front of the TV because they’re tired. The result? A rise of conditions such as obesity, which is becoming so bad that it’s being called an epidemic. If you’re working in an office, then you need to make sure you’re as active as your working day will allow. This could mean parking further away from your desk and walking a section of the way to walk, going for the stairs instead of the elevator, and making sure you fit in an evening walk each night.

Moving too Fast

Unfortunately, work isn’t one of those things where you can do a good act and sit back to bask in the glory. It’s not like that at all. You have to keep on improving, always stay ahead. The result is high levels of stress among workers, which can be good for business (people work harder), but is positively awful for the worker, who is at a much higher risk of acquiring a whole host of troublesome illnesses and conditions, such as headaches, mental health issues, muscle tension, and more. If this sounds like you, it might be time to head for a long, much needed break away from the office. If you can’t get away, then exercise and meditation can help.

Back Issues

Office workers are spending so much of the time sitting down that they’re acquiring problems that only a spine surgeon can help fix. While everyone can get back pain in their lifetime, the problem disproportionately affects people who spend their working days sitting down, and once it’s developed it’s a problem that keeps on getting worse if it’s not resolved. The very act of sitting – especially with an incorrect posture – puts more pressure on your back that standing, and if you’re sitting for 8 hours a day then it’s no surprise that back problems are becoming increasingly common. Perhaps that’s why more and more people are switching to standing desks….

And Weaker Muscles

Back in the olden days, humans would use their bodies out in the wild as they constructed their own homes, find their own food, and generally provided for themselves. Today, everything is more or less provided for. We spend our time working, like a busy bee. But we’re really only working our minds if we work in an office; our bodies don’t really come into it. Your muscles will be weaker as a result, and you’ll also suffer from reduced mobility.

Source: Pexels.com

More Productive, More Heart Risk

If you work at a desk, then there’s bad news: while you’re being paid more than the cleaner, you’re also at a much greater risk of getting heart disease. In fact, you’re more than doubling your chances of getting heart disease, and that’s not all either. You’re also more likely to develop diabetes and have a heart attack. It’s important to remember that these conditions aren’t an inevitable side effect of your job; they can be avoided, but you need to make a more conscious effort to stay active. It might mean changing how you work, or speak to human resources to see if you can switch to a standing desk.

In the Eyes

It’s all good well having a long day of productive work, but if you work on a computer then you’ve probably been staring at a computer screen all day, and causing your eyes severe trouble in the process. Eye strain affects millions of office workers, who spend their day concentrating on one screen that’s right in front of their face. And the worrying thing? Because the widespread use of computers is relatively new, no one’s quite sure how it’ll affect people in the future. You can reduce the effects of eye strain by implementing a simple rule into your day. For every twenty minutes you spend staring at a computer screen, you should spend twenty seconds staring at a fixed point that’s twenty feet away from you. Also, in the evening, put the screen away – you’ve had enough during the day!

Day to Day Wheezing

You might think that your office is a clean space, but we’re afraid it isn’t. It’s absolutely full of germs. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to get any illness that will cause you any long term damage, but it does mean you’re at a greater chance of having a lowered immune system and picking up the odd illnesses that go around. It’s best to have a hand sanitizer bottle on your desk, is basically what we’re saying.

Limp Wrist, Painful Hands

Earlier, when we said that office workers don’t use their body, that wasn’t really true. They do. The problem is that they only use one part of the job – their hands. If you spend all day at the computer, you might have noticed that your hands are in more pain than they should be, and that your wrist isn’t quite as strong as it once was. If this sounds like you, it’s worth checking to see if you’re typing properly, and also investing in a wrist rest to ensure you’re always typing at the right angle.

Large Electronic Devices Banned on US Flights from Eight Muslim Countries

Roy Siemens
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Large Electronic Devices Banned on US Flights from Eight Muslim Countries

Large electronic devices have been banned from cabin baggage on US flights from eight Muslim-majority countries.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), bombs could be hidden in laptops, tablets, cameras, DVD players and electronic games.

The measure will affect nine airlines operating out of 10 airports. Phones are exempt from the new rules.

The Turkish government said the ban was wrong and should be reversed.

Large electronic devices will only be allowed on board in checked baggage.

Passengers on some 50 flights a day from some of the busiest hubs in the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa will be required to follow the new rules.

The nine airlines affected are Emirates and Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc.

On March 21, they have been given 96 hours, beginning at 07:00 GMT, to ban devices bigger than a mobile phone or smartphone from cabins, US officials said, adding that the ban had no end date.

The airports affected are:

  1. Mohammed V International, Casablanca, Morocco
  2. Ataturk Airport, Istanbul, Turkey
  3. Cairo International Airport, Egypt
  4. Queen Alia International, Amman, Jordan
  5. King Abdulaziz International, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  6. King Khalid International, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  7. Kuwait International Airport
  8. Hamad International, Doha, Qatar
  9. Abu Dhabi International, United Arab Emirates
  10. Dubai International, United Arab Emirates

    Image source Wikimedia

EgyptAir said it would start implementing the ban as of March 24.

The Middle Eastern and North African airports affected are nearly all ones with close, friendly relations with Washington, so this will be seen by some as a drastic and unpopular measure. Wealthy Gulf Arab business leaders flying to the US, for example, will no longer be able to work on their laptops mid-flight.

However, aviation security experts were alarmed by an incident in Somalia last year when the insurgent group al-Shabaab smuggled an explosive-filled laptop on a flight out of Mogadishu, blowing a hole in the side of the plane. The aircraft was still low enough that the pilot was able to land the plane safely.

In a statement, the DHS said: “The US government is concerned about terrorists’ ongoing interest in targeting commercial aviation, including transportation hubs over the past two years, as evidenced by the 2015 airliner downing in Egypt; the 2016 attempted airliner downing in Somalia; and the 2016 armed attacks against airports in Brussels and Istanbul.

“Evaluated intelligence indicates that terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation, to include smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items.”

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly called members of Congress over the weekend to explain the security issues behind the ban, congressional aides said.

The restrictions are said to have been under consideration for several weeks.

Ivanka Trump Gets White House Office

Nancy Clayson
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Ivanka Trump Gets White House Office

Ivanka Trump is to have an office in the White House, her lawyer says.

However, President Donald Trump’s daughter will not have an official title or salary when she works in the West Wing – the hub of US executive power.

Ivanka Trump’s lawyer said she would have security clearance and access to classified information.

Her role will be to serve as Donald Trump’s “eyes and ears” while providing broad-ranging advice, her attorney told Politico.

Ivanka Trump said in a statement: “While there is no modern precedent for an adult child of the president, I will voluntarily follow all of the ethics rules placed on government employees.

“I will continue to offer my father my candid advice and counsel, as I have for my entire life.”

The 35-year-old, who owns a fashion brand, will be joining her husband Jared Kushner, who was sworn in as a senior adviser to President Trump.

After Jared Kushner’s appointment was announced, Ivanka Trump’s aides said she would not work for the administration and would instead focus on settling her family in Washington.

Image source Flickr

First Lady Melania Trump has so far chosen to stay in New York with President Trump’s youngest son.

The couple’s political influence has raised questions about possible conflicts of interests.

Federal anti-nepotism laws bar relatives of the president from being appointed to government positions.

However, an exception was made for Jared Kushner after the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel cited the president’s “special hiring authority”.

Ivanka Trump’s lawyer, Jamie Gorelick, told Associated Press: “Our view is that the conservative approach is for Ivanka to voluntarily comply with the rules that would apply if she were a government employee, even though she is not.”

However, some have criticized the decision to give her a White House position, even though she will have no actual job title.

Since the election Ivanka Trump has placed her fashion company’s interests in a trust, handing off day-to-day operations to her top executive.

Her brother-in-law and sister-in-law have been named trustees, the New York Times reports.

However, several retailers have dropped Ivanka Trumps’ products, saying that sales of her brand were falling.

She is also being sued by a fashion company in San Francisco that says she is cashing in on her position as first daughter.

Modern Appealing Clothing said in court documents filed last week that Ivanka Trump’s company has an “unfair advantage” in the marketplace.

She has forbidden her eponymous brand from advertising using images of her taken since the inauguration.

Since Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, Ivanka has been seen attending meetings with world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, last week, and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.

Ivanka Trump is to due to release a book – Women Who Work – in May, with the proceeds going to charity, Jamie Gorelick said.

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David Rockefeller Dies Aged 101

Nancy Clayson
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David Rockefeller Dies Aged 101

David Rockefeller has died in his sleep at his home in Poncantico Hills, New York, a spokesman said.

The 101-year-old billionaire philanthropist, the last of his generation in the famed American family, was the grandson of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller.

David Rockefeller was at the helm of his family’s fortune, controlling both philanthropic and business interests.

He was the youngest of five sons of John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Though he never sought political office, David Rockefeller had two brothers who served in government.

Nelson Rockefeller served as governor of New York and briefly as vice-president while Winthrop Rockefeller was the governor of Arkansas.

Image source Wikipedia

David Rockefeller graduated from Harvard in 1936 and received a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago in 1940.

He then served in the army World War Two before working at Chase Bank, which later became JP Morgan Chase.

David Rockefeller was named president of the company in 1961 and chairman and chief executive in 1969.

The renowned capitalist supported the assistance of economies abroad, arguing that it would create customers for American products.

Under his leadership, Chase was the first US bank to open offices in the Soviet Union and China.

In 1974, it was the first to open an office in Egypt after the Suez crisis of 1956.

David Rockefeller was also behind the project that led to the World Trade Center in New York City.

He retired in 1981 at the age of 65.

Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, released a statement saying they were “deeply saddened” by the passing of their “wonderful friend”.

The statement read: “So many knew him as one of the most generous philanthropists – and brightest Points of Light – whose caring and commitment to the widest range of worthy causes touched and lifted innumerable lives.

“David was also very active in national and international affairs, and his connections and keen aptitude for issues made him a valuable advisor to Presidents of both parties – yours truly certainly included.”

The couple added that they would “surely miss” their annual visits with him in Maine.

David Rockefeller was also remembered for his patronage to philanthropy and the arts, preserving his family’s close relationship with the Museum of Modern Art.

His private art collection was once valued at $500 million.

On his 100th birthday in 2015, David Rockefeller donated 1,000 acres of land next to a national park to the state of Maine.

His charitable service earned him a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, in 1998.

David Rockefeller had six children – David Jr., Richard, Abby, Neva, Margaret and Eileen – with his wife Margaret (nee McGrath). She died in 1996.

Dental Care: The Things You Need to Know Before Eating Something Sinful

Nancy Clayson
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Out of all the parts of your body, one of the least of your concerns is your teeth. Most people don’t give that great importance to their teeth. However, believe it or not, your teeth is a crucial part of your body because they help with chewing and digestion. Furthermore, it is essential for smiling, speaking, and maintaining your overall appearance.

Taking care of your teeth is important so as to prevent tooth decay, bad breath, and gum disease. The food you eat is one of the main factors that can cause problems to your teeth. Though not flossing or brushing can also add to the cause, however, the food you eat is the primary factor.

Your teeth may be small. But, they are a lot more vital to your overall health than many of us realize. Moreover, your teeth are never too old to be repaired or replaced. Thus, you should not eat everything you get your hands on. Before eating, you must first assess the likely effect the food can do to your teeth. The following are examples of food that can damage your dental health.

A Squeeze of Citrus Can Erode Your Teeth

 Too much acidic food like citrus can erode your enamel, making your teeth increasingly susceptible to decay. To those who are fond of placing a squeeze of lime or lemon on a simple glass of water to boost flavor, is not always the best option for your teeth.

Moreover, citric juices and fruits can also cause mouth sores. When you eat acidic foods such as oranges, limes, grapefruits, and lemons, make sure to drink plenty of water afterward.

Coffee Stains Your Teeth

Coffee is one of the favorite drinks of many. Even though it is a healthy beverage, caffeinated coffee can cause your mouth to dry. Most often, consuming too much coffee may also stain your teeth. You should drink plenty of water when drinking too much coffee.

Coffee contains ingredients called tannins that stick to your teeth. If these compounds stick to your teeth, it will leave a yellow hue behind. Aside from that, coffee helps the bacteria in your mouth to develop acids that can lead to tooth erosion. To avoid this, better brush your teeth, use a tongue scraper or avail an affordable dental plan.

You Don’t Chew Ice

There are other habits you do when you get bored such as chewing ice. It may not look apparent, however, chewing on hard substances can damage your enamel and make your teeth vulnerable to a dental emergency.

Many people think ice is good for your teeth because it is only made up of water; this is a misconception you must avoid. While ice crushers and blenders are suitable for crunching ice cubes, teeth are not.

Yummy, Sticky, Yet Deadly

 Many people prefer to eat dried fruit as a healthy snack. Though it is nutritious, it can be alarming and damaging to your teeth. Since many dried fruits are sticky, it can cause damage to your teeth.

It can harm your teeth because it can stay longer on it than other types of food. If you can’t stop consuming it, then it would be good to drink water, brush your teeth, and floss carefully. Aside from that, you can make use of dental plans to help maintain your healthy teeth.

Takeaway

There are plenty of reasons why you need to take care of your teeth. It may not be apparent, but your teeth are equally important as your eyes, nose, and ears. Take note that your teeth and many parts of your body are connected. Not giving importance to it and not taking good care of it as well will cause you even more than that.

Author bio

Pooria Shahin is a dentist based in Brooklyn, New York. He earned a degree in dental surgery from Columbia University last 2009. Moreover, Dr. Shahin received an outstanding practitioner award for his contribution to cosmetic surgery. 

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Park Geun-hye Faces Criminal Charges

Diane A. Wade
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Park Geun-hye Faces Criminal Charges

Impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye is being questioned by prosecutors over the country’s biggest corruption scandal that brought her down.

After arriving at the office, Park Geun-hye told reporters she was “sorry”.

Park Geun-hye, 65, resisted efforts to question her when she was president, but lost her immunity when judges upheld parliament’s decision to impeach her.

The ousted leader could be charged for allegedly allowing close friend Choi Soon-sil to extort money from large companies.

Choi Soon-sil has been charged with bribery and corruption.

On March 21, Park Geun-hye’s supporters gathered outside her home in an affluent suburb of Seoul, as she was escorted by police to the prosecutors’ office in a short journey covered live on TV.

People waved the South Korean flag, a symbol of the pro-Park movement.

Image source Wikimedia

“I am sorry to the people. I will faithfully cooperate with questioning,” Park Geun-hye told the media when she arrived.

She is the first democratically elected leader to be ousted in South Korea.

Thousands of people celebrated in Seoul after Park Geun-hye’s removal from office on March 10. However, there were also angry protests by her supporters outside the Constitutional Court.

The court ruling was the culmination of months of political turmoil and public protest. An election now will be held by May 9.

PM Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is loyal to Park Geun-hye, is now the acting president.

At the heart of the drama lies the close friendship between Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil.

Choi Soon-sil is accused of using her presidential connections to pressure companies to give millions of dollars in donations to non-profit foundations she controlled.

Park Geun-hye is alleged to have been personally involved in this, and to have given Choi Soon-sil unacceptable levels of access to official documents.

Parliament voted to impeach Park Geun-hye in December 2016.

On March 10, the Constitutional Court ruled that Park Geun-hye’s actions “seriously impaired the spirit of… democracy and the rule of law”.

Judges said she had broken the law by allowing Choi Soon-sil to meddle in state affairs, and had breached guidelines on official secrets by leaking numerous documents.

Park Geun-hye had “concealed completely Choi’s meddling in state affairs and denied it whenever suspicions over the act emerged and even criticized those who raised the suspicions,” the ruling said.

Prosecutors are now questioning Park Geun-hye in what could be a lengthy days-long process.

They had previously accused Park Geun-hye of colluding with Choi Soon-sil, which the former president has strenuously denied. She had also previously refused to take part in investigations.

After losing her presidential immunity, Park Geun-hye could be charged for abuse of power and coercion to bribery.

World Happiness Report 2017: Norway Overtakes Denmark as Happiest Country

James J. Williams
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World Happiness Report 2017: Norway Overtakes Denmark as Happiest Country

According to the UN’s World Happiness Report, Norway is the happiest place on Earth, toppling neighbor Denmark from the number one position.

The report measures “subjective well-being” – how happy the people are, and why.

Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland round out the top five while the Central African Republic came last.

Western Europe and North America dominated the top of table, with the US at 14th.

Countries in sub-Saharan Africa and those hit by conflict have predictably low scores. Syria placed 152 of 155 countries – Yemen and South Sudan, which are facing impending famine, came in at 146 and 147.

The World Happiness Report was released to coincide with the UN’s International Day of Happiness on March 20.

It mainly relies on asking a simple, subjective question of more than 1,000 people every year in more than 150 countries.

“Imagine a ladder, with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top,” the question asks.

“The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?”

The average result is the country’s score – ranging from Norway’s 7.54 to the Central African Republic’s 2.69. But the report also tries to analyze statistics to explain why one country is happier than another.

The report looks at factors including economic strength (measured in GDP per capita), social support, life expectancy, freedom of choice, generosity, and perceived corruption.

This year’s report also contains a chapter titled “restoring American happiness”, which examines why happiness levels in the US are falling, despite constantly-increasing economic improvement.

“The United States can and should raise happiness by addressing America’s multi-faceted social crisis – rising inequality, corruption, isolation, and distrust – rather than focusing exclusively or even mainly on economic growth,” the authors said.

“America’s crisis is, in short, a social crisis, not an economic crisis.”

According to Jeffrey Sachs, the director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, which published the report, President Donald Trump’s policies were likely to make things worse.

“They are all aimed at increasing inequality – tax cuts at the top, throwing people off the healthcare rolls, cutting Meals on Wheels in order to raise military spending. I think everything that has been proposed goes in the wrong direction,” Jeffrey Sachs told Reuters.

The report also suggests that professional “white collar” jobs are associated with improved happiness over “blue collar” roles – but that having a job at all is one of the biggest factors.

While “those in well-paying jobs are happier and more satisfied with their lives”, that effect has diminishing returns – “an extra $100 of salary is worth much more to someone at the lower end of the income distribution than someone already earning much more”.

The World Happiness Report has been published for the past five years, during which the Nordic countries have consistently dominated the top spots.

The clear dominance of those countries – and Denmark in particular – has encouraged other nations to adopt the Danish concept of “Hygge” – a cultural concept of coziness and relaxation.

Ghana: Kintampo Waterfalls Tree Accident Kills 18

Nancy Clayson
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Ghana: Kintampo Waterfalls Tree Accident Kills 18

At least 18 people, mainly students, have been killed by a large tree that fell on them at a popular waterfall spot in Kintampo, Ghana, police say.

The high school students were swimming during a storm when the freak accident happened.

Twenty-two others were injured and are being treated at local hospitals.

Image source Flickr

Rescue teams used chainsaws to cut through the fallen tree and free those trapped underneath, local media report.

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has tweeted his condolences to the families of the victims.

Police and fire service personnel were involved in the rescue operation at the scene in Ghana’s central Brong-Ahafo region, 250 miles north of the capital Accra.

According to Ghana’s Starr News that most of those involved were students of the Wenchi Senior High School, but that there were also tourists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYt-TNfqMMw

Don’t Quit Your Day Job and Other Things to Do to Land the Job You’ve Always Wanted

Nancy Clayson
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Don’t Quit Your Day Job and Other Things to Do to Land the Job You’ve Always Wanted

You may be struggling with your job now but can’t quit it because it’s the job that pays the bills. You may be thinking about how far you are from the fulfilling career you’ve always dreamt of. We often think about how this gap is so huge and how we can ever bridge this gap.

 

This world that we live in is so much different from three decades ago. The technology was able to revolutionize the way we do our jobs. However, the process of hiring is still the same as that during the 70s. There is very little that has changed in the ways jobs are posted and applied for, and how interviews happen both personally or online.

 

Maybe what should be considered first when it comes to creating an engaging workplace is by rewriting the rules of engagement to make the employment of workers more meaningful. In this post, we will look at some of the suggestions that you can do for you to be able to finally get the job of your dreams. The old ways of the hiring process and creating fun and exciting workplace may be something that is out of our hands. But there are things you can do to make sure you are right at the door of opportunities when it does open for you.

 

Go Beyond the Listed Jobs

There are a lot of jobs listed both online and offline. But you can do better than that. You can go beyond the listed jobs by taking the time to meet people from all walks of life. Don’t you know that most of the extraordinary jobs that you are looking for have already been filled in even before the companies posted them on job sites? Yes!

 

If you want to work for a certain company, go and meet the people who are already working for that company. Don’t be afraid to talk to them and meet new friends. Discover the restaurants and the pubs that they frequently go to. Once you earn good friends, it will be easier to ask if there are any job openings. Sometimes, you don’t even have to ask. They will already have you in their minds when an opening comes up, and they will be sure to call you or even refer you to their bosses. Remember, the time you spend with them is your investment, and it will all be worth your while.

 

Hone Your Skills

There are so many things that are being considered in an applicant such as charm, charisma, and likability. But above all these things, it always comes down to one thing: skills.

If you are aiming to be the best novelist there is, you have to take the time to practice and develop your craft. You may be working as a barista now but you’re not a barista 24/7, right? After your eight-hour shift, you have the rest of the 16 hours to sleep and to do what you want. If you are really serious at becoming a writer or becoming anything you set your mind to do, you will always find the time to do it and to practice, practice, practice.

 

Money Will Come Later

Some of the things we love to do do not easily come with money. If you are a struggling artist, you know this very well. But while you are honing your skills and talents just like what we mentioned above, you still have to be the best at what you do. Maybe you are an accountant at a big firm, but you really want to be a painter, you still have to work at being the best accountant there is in your firm.

Don’t be afraid to pursue your passion and still work hard to keep the job that pays the rent. Soon enough, you will have your own exhibition, and you will be known as the great painter that you are. If you only think about the money, you will not find happiness in what you do. But if you value your work, if you value your passions, each day of accomplished work will be its own reward.

Don’t Quit the Day Job

While your dream job is still miles away, it’s not only practical to stay in your day job; it will actually provide you with the resources to run after your dream job. Think about it, if you can save enough to live off for the next three to six months, you can actually start pursuing your dream. Other than that, if you are really confident about your chances of hitting it big, you can always look for loans such as those in Money Banker to help you start.  

You should not only be passionate in pursuing your dream; you have to be smart as well. You don’t just blindly jump into the uncertainties of the unknown, but for some, that actually works. But if you want to be on the safe side, don’t quit your day job. Again, be the best at what you do, and the rewards will follow.

 

Takeaway

Now that you are equipped with the suggestions that you need to do to go after your dream job, the next thing you need to do is to decide on it. Beyond all these practical tips, it’s still important to go with your gut feel. Always take that into account. Sometimes, there are things that are seemingly irrational, but it can actually lead you towards the right direction. At the end of the day, you alone can make the decision to move closer to landing your dream job.

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Russia and Trump’s Campaign: James Comey and Mike Rogers to Testify before Congress

Diane A. Wade
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Russia and Trump’s Campaign: James Comey and Mike Rogers to Testify before Congress

FBI director James Comey and NSA chief Admiral Mike Rogers are set to testify before Congress about possible links between Russia and President Donald Trump’s election campaign.

The two intelligence chiefs will also address Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claim that he was wiretapped by President Barack Obama.

James Comey and Mike Rogers will give evidence at a rare open hearing of the congressional intelligence committee.

President Trump has called the investigation a “total witch hunt”.

Russia denies attempting to influence the US presidential election.

Two months ago, US intelligence agencies said Kremlin-backed hackers had broken into the email accounts of senior Democrats and released embarrassing ones in order to help Donald Trump defeat rival Hillary Clinton.

A CIA, FBI and NSA report said Russian President Vladimir Putin “ordered” a campaign aimed at influencing the election.

Since then, Donald Trump has faced allegations that his campaign team had links to Russian officials.

Republican Devin Nunes, chairman of the House intelligence committee, and Adam Schiff, the panel’s top Democrat, are leading an investigation into the allegations.

Devin Nunes said on March 19 that based on “everything I have up to this morning” there is “no evidence” that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia.

Image source Flickr

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has also said he saw no evidence of any collusion.

However, Adam Schiff said the material he had seen offers circumstantial evidence that US citizens collaborated with Russians to influence the vote.

He said: “There was circumstantial evidence of collusion; there is direct evidence, I think, of deception.

“There’s certainly enough for us to conduct an investigation.”

Two senior officials in the Trump administration have been caught up in the allegations – former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and Attorney-General Jeff Sessions.

Michael Flynn was fired last month after he misled the White House about his conversations with the Russian ambassador before he was appointed national security adviser.

He allegedly discussed US sanctions with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak. It is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy.

Meanwhile, Jeff Sessions was accused by Democrats of lying under oath during his confirmation hearing in January.

Jeff Sessions said he had “no communications with the Russians”, but it later emerged that he had met Sergei Kislyak during the campaign.

He denied any wrongdoing, but removed himself from an FBI inquiry into Russia’s alleged interference in the election.

March 20 hearing is also expected to address Donald Trump’s claims that the Obama administration wiretapped his phone at Trump Tower in New York during the campaign.

President Trump has provided no evidence, and senior Republican and Democratic officials have dismissed the idea. Barack Obama’s spokesman dismissed the claims.

Devin Nunes told Fox News on March 19 that a review of justice department documents provided on March 17 indicated there was no such wiretap.

Several Republicans have said President Trump should apologize if he cannot substantiate his claims.

Observers say both allegations have diverted attention from the Trump administration’s other policies and progress with political appointments.

Critics say Donald Trump’s claim that Barack Obama wiretapped him has damaged the US credibility, and relations with its allies.

Last week, President Trump’s spokesman Sean Spicer repeated claims by a Fox News analyst that the UK’s GCHQ spy agency had helped Barack Obama wiretap Donald Trump.

The claims angered the UK government, and GCHQ rejected the allegations as “utterly ridiculous”.

Meanwhile, President Trump and some Republicans have called for an investigation into intelligence leaks, including the leak that revealed details of Michael Flynn’s phone calls to the Russian ambassador.

Orly Airport Attack: Drugs Found in Ziyed Ben Belgacem’s Blood

Roy Siemens
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Orly Airport Attack: Drugs Found in Ziyed Ben Belgacem’s Blood

Toxicology tests have revealed that the man who attacked soldiers at Paris’ Orly airport on March 18 had consumed drugs and alcohol.

Ziyed Ben Belgacem was shot dead after he put a gun to a soldier’s head saying he wanted to “die for Allah”.

Paris prosecutors’ office said blood tests during the 39-year-old’s autopsy found traces of cocaine and cannabis.

Ziyed Ben Belgacem also had an alcohol level of 0.93g per liter of blood, nearly twice the legal limit for driving in France.

The attacker is said to have been radicalized in prison, and was on a police watch-list.

On March 18, the man was involved in a shooting and then a carjacking before he attacked a military patrol at Orly, Paris’s second-biggest airport.

Ziyed Ben Belgacem’s criminal record included convictions for armed robbery and drugs offences, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins told reporters on the day of the attack.

In an interview with French radio Europe 1 on March 19, a man identified as his father said Ziyed Ben Belgacem wasn’t a practicing Muslim and drank alcohol.

The man said: “My son was not a terrorist. He never prayed, and he drank. But under the effects of alcohol and cannabis, this is where one ends up.”

Europe 1 did not give his name.

Image source Twitter

The father was released from police custody overnight on March 18, while Ziyed Ben Belgacem’s brother and a cousin were released on March 19.

On March 18, Ziyed Ben Belgacem was stopped at a checkpoint in Garges-les-Gonesse, north of Paris.

He fired at police with a pellet gun before escaping in a car that was later found abandoned.

Police say Ziyed Ben Belgacem then stole a car at gunpoint from a woman at Vitry, south of Paris. That car was later found at Orly airport.

Ziyed Ben Belgacem arrived at the airport and attacked a military patrol in the south terminal.

He tried to seize a servicewoman’s automatic weapon, put his gun to her head and said: “I’m here to die for Allah. In any case people are going to die.”

Ziyed Ben Belgacem was then shot dead by two other soldiers.

A copy of the Koran was found on his body, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins added.

The attack came at a sensitive time. France has presidential elections starting next month and remains under a state of emergency.

10 Most Expensive Vessels In The World

Nancy Clayson
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10 Most Expensive Vessels In The World

Ownership of an expensive yacht signifies affluence. It is a status icon and floating luxury that the world’s wealthiest people can easily afford.

People started to conceptualize the building of large yachts for private use in the twentieth century for their personal aggrandizement.

To name a few of the early models is the famous Christina O & gorgeous Savarona with an enormous growth in making famous luxurious yachts between the year 1997 to 2008.

From the two, various designs gave life to some of the most expensive yachts that sailed the seas. Here are ten of the most exorbitant vessels in the world.

  1. The $210 million Lady Moura

Introducing Lady Moura at $210 million, the tenth most expensive and glamorous yacht worldwide. This luxury vessel was a creation of Blohm + Voss in 1990 right inside their shipyard for Nasser al-Rashid, a Saudi Arabian businessman.

The yacht is most prominent because of a 24-carat gold lettering of its name on the exterior side.

The extravagance did not stop there. Inside the 344-feet long Lady Maura is a swimming pool with a retractable roofing, a 75-feet dining room with a Viscount Linley table, and a luxurious chopper.

However, the best attraction on Lady Moura is the hydraulic scaffolding, which is a sand-covered area sliding out of one side of the yacht. It is re-adjustable for an individual to sit directly on the waterline. It is a floating oasis real time.

  1. The $250 million Al MirQab

Completed in 2008, this luxury yacht, Al Mirqab, was made for Hamad Al Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar by Peters Schiffbau Wewelsfleth, Germany.

The yacht has ten suites that can accommodate twenty-four guests. It has a living room, double bedroom, and bathroom in every suite.

The millionaire has two VIP suites for his own and 55 rooms for members of the crew and the house. On board, Al Mirqab has a cinema, pool, helipad, sun deck, outside bars, jacuzzi, and a broad range of equipment for watersports.

  1. The $256 million Dilbar

The Dilbar super vessel was built for Alisher Usmanov, the Russian oligarch, in the year 2008 by the Lurssen Yachts. The ship is one of the largest boats in the world, measuring 360.89 feet in length.

The billionaire uses the luxury yacht to wind up on his private island. On board are some pools and helipad and other features. It can accommodate crew members of 48 and 20 guests.

  1. The $300 million Al Said

Lurssen Yachts built the luxury water vehicle for Qaboos Al Said, the Sultan of Oman. The vessel can house a 50-piece concert and can host more or less 70 visitors and 154 crew members.

  1. The $323 million SuperYacht A

The name of the luxury vessel is standard however its designs are original. The four hundred feet long has no copycat.

Reminiscent of a submarine or a clandestine warship, Blohm + Voss built the luxury liner and engraved the first letter of the names of the Russian billionaire owners, Aleksandra and Andrey Melnichenko.

It contains a two thousand five hundred square feet bedroom for the owners, a disco, and six suites for guests, which can turn into staterooms because of the movable walls.

The best feature of this vessel are the rooms with mirrors, furniture, glassware, and tablewares all made of French crystals. On the upper deck, is a helipad, speed boats, and three large pools with one of them having a bottom made up of glass.

  1. The $350 million Dubai

The shipbuilding was a joint venture of  Blohm + Voss & Lurssen shipyard for Brunei Prince, Jafri Bolkiah, ten years before the launching of the ship. It was bought by the Platinum Yachts for H.E. Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum, Dubai ruler, who made the design of the interior.

The excellent features of the vessel include plenty of room for sunbathing, many jacuzzis, and a swimming pool with handwoven tiling. It has a circular staircase made of glass with changing colors coming from the top deck lights, many VIP suites, and an 115-crew area.

Finally, it has a helipad that can carry a ten-tons chopper, making this vessel one of the largest ships worldwide.

  1. The $650 million Azam

The $650-million vessel was made for Sheikh Khalifa al-Nayan, UAE President and Abu Dhabi Emir by Lurssen Yachts. It ranks as the fourth exorbitant yacht in the whole world.

The vessel is so large it measures 590 feet in length and holds the title as the largest luxurious yacht worldwide. Aside from that, it has the fastest speed traveling at 30 to 35 knots.

The interior by Christopher Leoni, the great French interior designer, has one of the most sophisticated and extravagant styles ever conceived.

  1. The $1.1 Billion Street of Monaco

As the title indicates, this world-class vessel design is a replica of the City of Monaco. It is an expensive yacht because all the billionaire’s landmark in Monaco is inside the luxurious yacht: a racetrack, the famous casino in Monte Carlo, Hotel de Paris, La Rascasse, Cafe de Paris, and Loews Hotel.

The Atrium is the ship’s central area with reception rooms, dressing rooms, bathroom, and balconies. The billionaire’s suite is 4800 square feet spread out over three floors. Also on board are a mini waterfall, a unique cafe bar with underwater viewing, a chopper, and a submarine.

  1. The $1.5 billion Eclipse

Roman Abramovich, the billionaire from Russia, owns Eclipse, the second most exorbitant vessel worldwide. It was Blohm + Voss that built the ship worth $1.5 billion.

It contains several hot baths, two pools, disco halls, 24 cabins for guests, two landing pads for the chopper, boats, and small submarines capable of going 50 meters deep.

The luxurious yacht has sophistication when it comes to security. It has an intruder detectors system and a missile system capability with bulletproof plating and armor. It also has counter-paparazzi lasers to restrict the taking of photos.

  1. The $4.5 billion History Supreme

Finally, here comes the most high-priced luxurious vessel worldwide, the History Supreme. The British designer Stuart Hughes completed the design in three years time. A Malaysian billionaire bought the yacht for four billion and a half dollars.

The luxury liner has 220,000 pounds worth of precious stones and metals including diamonds and gold. The master bedroom is made from a meteorite. And it has a statue made out of a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. It has a panorama aquarium made from sixty-eight kilograms of 24-carat gold and a wine bottle that features an eighteen karat diamond worth forty-five million dollars.

It also has an iPhone with 500 pieces of cut diamonds. More rare diamonds are inside the History Supreme that’s why it is so expensive.

 

Takeaway

You can just imagine the great wealth these ten high-priced expensive luxury yachts have combined. It’s a big fortune.

However, the rich and affluent on this earth find satisfaction in spending their wealth on personal luxuries and extravagance. Also making it easy for them to make boat donations.

Outstanding are the builders of these vessels. They are gifted as they can even place a miniature replica of a city inside the luxury liner. They’re genius!

Luxury is comfort and satisfaction for those who can afford it. Looking at these extravagances show that somewhere out there, expensive yachts like these exist no matter how outrageous they might be for the ordinary individual.

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New Zealand Expels US Diplomat Amid Police Investigation

Diane A. Wade
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New Zealand Expels US Diplomat Amid Police Investigation

New Zealand has expelled a US diplomat after the embassy refused to waive his immunity during a police investigation.

The diplomat was allegedly involved in an incident on March 12, but police were unable to question him after the US embassy in Wellington declined their request.

New Zealand then asked the US to remove the man, who American officials confirmed had left on March 18.

Police have refused to give further details of the allegations.

Image spurce Flickr

However, according to New Zealand Radio, the man – who has not been named – had left the country with a broken nose and a black eye.

Police did say they were continuing to investigate the incident, which took place just outside Wellington.

All diplomatic staff working in New Zealand are immune from prosecution, thanks to the 1961 Vienna Convention.

New Zealand’s foreign ministry said it makes it “clear with all diplomatic missions in New Zealand that it expects foreign diplomats to abide by New Zealand law, and to waive immunity… if there are allegations of serious crimes”.

The US embassy in Wellington – which is without a permanent ambassador after President Barack Obama’s appointee was recalled by Donald Trump’s administration in January – said it did not comment on the specifics of matters under investigation.

The embassy added: “We take seriously any suggestion that our staff have fallen short of the high standards of conduct expected of US government personnel.”

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

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North Korea Tests High-Performance Rocket Engine

Roy Siemens
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North Korea Tests High-Performance Rocket Engine

North Korean military has tested a new high-performance rocket engine, the state media says.

Kim Jong-un declared the test “a new birth” for North Korea’s rocket industry, state news agency KCNA said.

The North Korean leader said the engine would help his country achieve world-class satellite launch capability, it added.

The development, not confirmed elsewhere, comes as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visits China – Pyongyang’s main ally.

Photo Reuters/KCNA

After personally overseeing the test, Kim Jong-un “emphasized that the world will soon witness the great significance of the epoch-making victory we achieved today”, KCNA reported, adding that it marked the birth of the country’s rocket industry.

Rex Tillerson’s East Asian tour has been dominated by anxieties over North Korea’s nuclear capabilities.

In South Korea on March 17, the secretary said a US military response would be on the table if North Korea threatened South Korea or US forces.

The US and China pledged to work together to get North Korea to take “a different course” and move away from its weapons programs after Rex Tillerson met his Chinese counterpart on March 18.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests and a series of missile launches. Experts and government officials believe it is working to develop nuclear-warhead missiles that can reach the US.

Kim Jong-un has said North Korea is close to a test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Chuck Berry Dead: Rock and Roll Legend Dies Aged 90

Sonia Pantiss
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Chuck Berry Dead: Rock and Roll Legend Dies Aged 90

Chuck Berry has passed away at the age of 90, Missouri police reported.

The rock and roll legend was found unresponsive at lunchtime on March 18, St Charles County Police Department said.

Chuck Berry‘s seven-decade career boasted a string of hits, including classics Roll Over Beethoven and Johnny B. Goode.

The singer received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1984 and was among the first inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

The St Charles County PD said in a Facebook post that they were called to reports of an unresponsive man at 12:40 local time.

“Unfortunately, the 90-year-old man could not be revived and was pronounced deceased at 1:26pm,” the statement said.

Image source Wikimedia

“The St. Charles County Police Department sadly confirms the death of Charles Edward Anderson Berry Sr., better known as legendary musician Chuck Berry.”

High-profile musicians were quick to pay tribute to Chuck Berry’s talent and influence.

Motown legends The Jacksons tweeted: “Chuck Berry merged blues & swing into the phenomenon of early rock’n’roll. In music, he cast one of the longest shadows. Thank You Chuck.”

Ringo Starr quoted one of Chuck Berry’s own lyrics on Twitter, saying: “Just let me hear some of that rock ‘n’ roll music any old way you use it.”

“I am playing I’m talking about you,” the Beatles drummer wrote.

The Beatles and the Rolling Stones covered Chuck Berry’s songs, as did The Beach Boys and scores of other acts – including Elvis Presley.

Mick Jagger said that Chuck Berry “lit up our teenage years and blew life into our dreams”.

Chuck Berry was born in St Louis, Missouri, in 1926, and had his first hit, Maybellene, in 1955.

In 2016, Chuck Berry announced he would be releasing his first album in nearly four decades. He dedicated the album to his wife of 68 years, Themetta “Toddy”.

Orly Airport Attacker Shot Dead After Seizing Soldier’s Gun

Roy Siemens
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Orly Airport Attacker Shot Dead After Seizing Soldier’s Gun

Security forces at Paris’ Orly airport have killed a man after he tried to seize a soldier’s weapon, French officials say.

The man, named as “Ziyed B”, was shot dead on March 18 after attacking a patrol in the airport’s south terminal.

Earlier in the day, the man had been involved in a shooting and then a carjacking in the Paris area.

Prosecutors have opened an anti-terror investigation. Ziyed B had been reported as radicalized in the past, and was on a police watch-list.

Image source Wikimedia

The man had a long criminal record including convictions for armed robbery, French media report.

The attack comes at a sensitive time. France has presidential elections starting next month and remains under a state of emergency.

Early in the morning, the suspect was stopped at a checkpoint in Garges-les-Gonesse, north of Paris, where he reportedly lives.

Ziyed B fired at police with a pellet gun before escaping in a car that was later found abandoned.

Police say the man then stole a car at gunpoint from a woman at Vitry, south of Paris. That car was later found at Orly airport.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbMVQY-xUQc

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China Urges US to Remain Cool-Headed over North Korea

Diane A. Wade
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China Urges US to Remain Cool-Headed over North Korea

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged the United States to remain “cool-headed” over North Korea.

The situation was at a “crossroads”, but must not be allowed to develop into a conflict, he said after meeting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Rex Tillerson spoke of “dangerous levels” of tension, a day after suggesting the US might launch a pre-emptive strike against North Korea.

North Korea is working to develop nuclear missiles that can reach the United States.

Rex Tillerson is in Beijing in the final leg of his East Asia tour, which has been dominated by anxieties over North Korea.

Last week, North Korea launched four ballistic missiles – defying UN resolutions.

Image source Flickr

In South Korea on March 17, Rex Tillerson said a US military response would be on the table if North Korea threatened South Korea or US forces.

And President Trump tweeted that North Korea was “behaving very badly”.

Donald Trump also said that China – North Korea’s main ally – had done “little to help”.

Wang Yi defended China’s position, saying all parties were duty-bound to implement UN sanctions against North Korea, but also to seek dialogue and diplomatic solutions.

He said: “We hope that all parties, including our friends from the United States, could size up the situation in a cool-headed and comprehensive fashion and arrive at a wise decision.”

Secretary Rex Tillerson did not repeat his threat in Beijing, but stressed that the US and China shared “a common view that tensions on the peninsula are quite high right now – and that things have reached a rather dangerous level”.

However, he added that they had both committed “to do whatever we can to prevent any kind of conflict breaking out”.

The US has deployed its Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) in South Korea in a move it says is designed to protect against threats from North Korea.

However, China has claimed the system goes “far beyond” the defense needs of the Korean peninsula.

Secretary Tillerson, a former oil executive with no prior diplomatic experience, will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 19.

President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit the US in April for his first meeting with President Donald Trump.

Some commentators expect Rex Tillerson to downplay any tensions between the two countries ahead of that encounter.

Secret Service Laptop with Sensitive Material Stolen

Nancy Clayson
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Secret Service Laptop with Sensitive Material Stolen

A Secret Service laptop with Trump Tower floor plans and other sensitive material has been stolen from an agent’s car in New York.

The computer was protected by encryption and carried no classified information, the Secret Service said.

However, the laptop does have details on a criminal inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, ABC News said.

Police are looking at surveillance footage to identify a suspect.

Image source Wikimedia

The Secret Service released a statement saying “an employee was the victim of a criminal act in which our Agency issued laptop was stolen”.

The agency added that its computers “contain multiple layers of security including full disk encryption and are not permitted to contain classified information”.

According to ABC, the female agent’s car was targeted in the Bath Beach area of Brooklyn on March 16.

CBS News said the laptop also carried important files on Pope Francis.

A police source told the New York Daily News: “There’s data on there that’s highly sensitive. They’re scrambling like mad.”

Secret Service “lapel assignment pins” for President Trump, the Clinton campaign and the UN General Assembly were also taken with the laptop.

The items were reportedly stolen from a bag inside a car in the agent’s driveway. The bag has since been recovered but the computer has not, media reported.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRea2-VvZ7s

Donald Trump Makes Wiretapping Jibe in Joint Press Conference with Angela Merkel

Diane A. Wade
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Donald Trump Makes Wiretapping Jibe in Joint Press Conference with Angela Merkel

President Donald Trump, who believes he was wiretapped under Barack Obama, told visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel: “At least we have something in common, perhaps.”

US intelligence agencies under President Barack Obama reportedly monitored Angela Merkel’s phone, sparking an angry response.

However, both Republican and Democratic congressional leaders have said they do not believe Donald Trump was wiretapped.

President Trump and Chancellor Merkel have discussed key issues including NATO and trade.

Angela Merkel’s visit to the US had been scheduled for March 14, but was postponed due to Winter Storm Stella.

Donald Trump made his wiretapping jibe in a joint press conference with Angela Merkel. She gave a quizzical look.

The president was also asked about a comment by White House press secretary Sean Spicer that the UK’s GCHQ spy agency had carried out wiretapping on candidate Donald Trump during the election campaign.

Donald Trump said Sean Spicer had been quoting a comment on Fox TV. The president said he had not offered an opinion on it, adding: “You shouldn’t be talking to me, you should be talking to Fox.”

Image source NBC

Fox later read out a statement on air, saying: “Fox News knows of no evidence of any kind that the now president of the United States was surveilled at any time in any way, full stop.”

GCHQ rejected the allegations against it as “nonsense” and Downing Street says it has been assured the US will not repeat the claims.

President Trump was also asked if he regretted any of his regular tweets. He said “very seldom”, adding that it was a way to “get round the media when it doesn’t tell the truth”.

The body language was at times awkward. In an earlier photo opportunity in the White House, Angela Merkel asked him quietly: “Do you want a handshake?”

Donald Trump looked forwards with his hands clasped and did not reply.

NATO and trade were key points of discussion for the two leaders.

President Trump reiterated his strong support for the alliance, but also “the need for our NATO allies to pay their fair share for the cost of defense”.

Germany is among many NATO members that do not meet the benchmark 2% of GDP to be spent on defense.

Angela Merkel said Germany was committed to increasing its defense spending.

On trade, President Trump bristled at a suggestion that he believed in “isolationist” policies. He told the reporter asking the question: “I don’t know what newspaper you’re reading, but I guess that would be an example of fake news.”

Donald Trump added: “I believe a policy of trade should be a fair trade. And the United States has been treated very, very unfairly by many countries over the years and that’s going to stop.”

Angela Merkel, who was travelling with top executives from German companies Siemens, Schaeffler and BMW, said she hoped the US and the EU could resume talks on removing barriers to bilateral trade.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtTDorw5t_o

Don’t Call It An Accident: Rethinking Car Crashes

Clyde K. Valle
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Don’t Call It An Accident: Rethinking Car Crashes

The first step towards understanding civil liability for car crashes in the Golden State is knowing what to call them, because in our society, words have power.

In 1997, the Massachusetts Highway Safety Commission became one of the first of some thirty agencies to shift terminology from accident to crash; in 2016, Nevada became the first state to make such a move. Later in 2016, the Associated Press followed suit, declaring that its reporters would no longer use the term if negligence is either claimed or established.

After all, according to advocates, airplanes crash, trains wreck, and ships sink, so vehicles should crash as well. To label these incidents as “accidental” implies that they were completely unavoidable by anyone involved, and typically, that is not the case. Other people counter that “accident” is proper, because the term correctly implies that the negligent driver did not intentionally set out to hurt other drivers.

“Accident” was first used in this context in the early 1900s, when some business owners referred to workplace injuries as “industrial accidents” to shift blame away from dangerous factory conditions and onto the injured workers.

What Causes Car Crashes?

Alcohol impairment is a factor in about a third of the fatal car crashes in the United States. This depressant slows down the nervous system, so impaired drivers cannot react to changing conditions as quickly as sober drivers. Furthermore, alcohol impairs judgement skills in such basic tasks like when to apply the brakes in time to stop. Finally, alcohol disrupts concentration, making it all but impossible for drivers to focus on more than one task at a time.

Many prescription drugs, street drugs, and over-the-counter drugs cause similar effects in drivers. The evidence is unclear as to whether or not marijuana impairs driving skills, but driving under the influence of cannabis is still illegal in most states, including California. In fact, the “drugged driving” law in the Golden State is very broad. In 2016, prosecutors charged a Fairfield man with DUI-Drugs because he was under the influence of caffeine; a few months later, Solano County prosecutors reluctantly dismissed the charges.

Excessive speed is a factor in another third of fatal car crashes. Velocity increases the force in any collision between two objects. So, in car crashes, a non-injury collision at low speeds becomes a serious injury crash at higher speeds. Velocity also reduces reaction time because it increases stopping distance. At 30mph, most passenger vehicles take about six car lengths to stop, but at 60mph, stopping distance triples to eighteen car lengths.

California lawmakers recently passed a tougher cellphone law to combat the rising tide of distracted driving, because this behavior causes over 431,000 injury crashes per year. At 55mph, most cars travel the length of a football field while the driver sends or reads just one text message.

Drowsy driving causes at least 100,000 car crashes a year, and that figure is probably vastly underreported. Fatigue and alcohol or drugs have about the same effect on the brain and on motor skills. In fact, driving after eighteen consecutive awake hours is like driving with a .08 BAC, which is above the legal limit in California.

Legal Issues

All four of these behaviors could constitute a breach of the duty of reasonable care, and Gagne v. Bertran is one of the earliest California cases to explain this duty. The court held that people have “a duty to exercise the ordinary skill and competence of members of their profession, and a failure to discharge that duty will subject them to liability for negligence.”

Minimally competent drivers obey the speed limit, focus on the road, are sober, are well-rested, and otherwise obey “the rules of the road” in the Vehicle Code and elsewhere.

If the breach of duty caused the car crash (e.g. Driver A hit Driver B because Driver A was speeding), the victim is entitled to damages. These damages usually include compensation for noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering, and economic losses, such as medical bills.

Many of these behaviors also involve a violation of the Vehicle Code or some other law; for example, speeding may violate Vehicle Code 22350 or another provision. In these cases, victims only need to prove cause, thanks to the negligence per se rule. Drivers are liable for damages as a matter of law if:

  • They violated a law, and
  • That violation substantially caused the victim’s damages.

In many extreme negligence per se cases, such as drivers with a high BAC or reckless drivers, additional punitive damages may be available as well.

Donald Trump Welcomes Angela Merkel at the White House

Diane A. Wade
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Donald Trump Welcomes Angela Merkel at the White House

President Donald Trump has met German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House for a key summit.

NATO, trade and Ukraine are on their agenda, but the focus will also be on how the two leaders interact.

President Trump has called Angela Merkel’s migration policy “catastrophic”, while she has criticized his planned travel ban on several mainly Muslim nations.

The visit was scheduled for March 14, but had to be postponed due to Winter Storm Stella that hit the East Coast last week.

Ahead of March 17 talks, Angela Merkel told German media she was looking forward to her first meeting with Donald Trump.

She told Saarbruecker Zeitung: “It’s always better to talk with each other than about each other.”

Donald Trump and Angela Merkel will hold more than two hours of talks, followed by a working lunch and joint press conference.

The summit has been highly anticipated given that the two leaders have publicly differed on several key issues.

Image source RT

Two months ago, President Trump said Angela Merkel had made “a catastrophic mistake” by allowing hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants into Germany.

And when Time magazine chose the Germanchancellor as its person of the year in 2015 instead of him, Donald Trump said she was “ruining Germany”. However, he has also said in the past she is a leader he greatly respects.

Donald Trump also has German ancestry. His grandfather emigrated to the United States in 1885 at the age of 16 from the town of Kallstadt, about 30 miles south-west of Frankfurt.

For her part, Angela Merkel has criticized President Trump’s controversial travel ban that targets the citizens of several mainly Muslim countries.

In her first phone conversation with President Trump after he took office, she explained that the Geneva Convention obliges signatories, including the US, to take in refugees of war on humanitarian grounds.

Angela Merkel also had a strong relationship with President Barack Obama. His final call to a foreign leader as president was said to be to Angela Merkel, thanking her for her leadership.

This first meeting comes as Angela Merkel prepares for an election battle later in the year, seeking a fourth term as chancellor.

Trade will be a key issue for the summit.

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump threatened higher import taxes for countries such as Germany that have a trade surplus over America.

Angela Merkel is being accompanied by top executives from German companies Siemens, Schaeffler and BMW and will point out the large direct German investment in the US.

She said BMW’s plant in the US exported “more cars than GM and Ford together” from the United States, adding: “I’ll make that clear.”

On March 17, Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries said Germany could file a suit against any hike in import duties at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

She told Deutschlandfunk radio: “There are procedures laid out there because in the WTO agreements it is clearly laid out that you’re not allowed to take more than 2.5% taxes on imports of cars.”

President Trump has suggested a 35% levy.

“It wouldn’t be the first time that Mr. Trump has lost in the courts,” Brigitte Zypries added.

NATO is also on the two leaders’ agenda.

President Trump has insisted members pay their fair share. Only four nations currently reach the benchmark of spending 2% of GDP on defense. Germany is not among them.

The meeting agenda is also expected to cover foreign policy issues involving Russia, Syria, Iran, North Korea and the Middle East peace process.

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