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Zika Outbreak: Barack Obama to Ask Congress for $1.8 Billion to Combat Virus

Kathryn R. Bown
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Zika Outbreak: Barack Obama to Ask Congress for $1.8 Billion to Combat Virus

President Barack Obama will ask the US Congress for $1.8 billion in emergency funding to combat the Zika virus.

The Zika virus, which is transmitted primarily through mosquitoes, has spread rapidly through the Americas.

It has been linked to a condition called microcephaly, in which babies are born with underdeveloped brains.

The money will go to mosquito control efforts and vaccine research programs among other initiatives.

The White House says that some of the money will go towards “enhancing the ability of Zika-affected countries to better combat mosquitoes and control transmission” of the virus.

The Zika virus is currently being transmitted to new patients in 26 countries in the Americas, according to the Pan American Health Organization.

Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed 50 cases of the virus in the United States among people who had travelled to affected regions and returned to the US.Zika virus in US

There is a growing fear that as warmer months approach in the northern hemisphere and mosquitoes become active, local transmission could become a problem – especially in the southern US.

Last week, the first case of locally transmitted Zika was reported in Dallas, Texas. Notably, the virus was spread in this case through sexual contact, not a mosquito bite.

The Zika virus has had a considerable impact in Brazil, which has seen a spike in microcephaly cases – totaling around 4,000 in recent months, stirring fears ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an emergency over the cases last week, prompting research and aid to be fast-tracked.

The Reuters news agency reported that the US Olympic Committee has told its athletes and staff who are concerned about the virus to consider skipping the games.

However, the Zika virus did not keep revelers home from Carnival in Rio de Janeiro over the weekend – some 70,000 fans were said to have been in attendance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCdg0Ho2o9c

Quintonio LeGrier Shooting: Officer Robert Rialmo Sues Victim’s Family

Nancy Clayson
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Quintonio LeGrier Shooting: Officer Robert Rialmo Sues Victim’s Family

Chicago police officer Robert Rialmo, who fatally shot black teenager Quintonio LeGrier in December 2015, is suing the student’s family for $10 million, claiming emotional distress.

Robert Rialmo, who is white, shot 19-year-old student Quintonio LeGrier six times, killing the boy’s neighbor in the process.

The officer says Quintonio LeGrier swung at him with a baseball bat from close range, but LeGrier’s lawyers say the two were at least 20ft apart.

The lawsuit comes amid a federal investigation into Chicago’s police.

The investigation is focusing on the use of force by officers and the department’s accountability procedures.

It was launched after weeks of protests over the police killing of a black teenager by a white officer.

Laquan McDonald, 17, was shot 16 times in 2014 by the officer, who was charged with murder over a year later.

The inquiry will take a similar form to those recently conducted in Baltimore and Ferguson, MO – as well as more than 20 other departments in recent years, and will look for systematic violations of US civil rights laws.

Joel Brodsky, Robert Rialmo’s defense lawyer, said it was important in an atmosphere charged by police shootings to send a message that police are “not targets for assaults” and “suffer damage like anybody else”.Quintonio LeGrier and officer Robert Rialmo

Quintonio LeGrier’s father, Antonio, filed a wrongful death lawsuit days after the shooting, saying his son was not armed with a weapon and was not a threat.

His lawyer, Basileios Foutris, said Antonio Rialmo’s lawsuit was “a new low even for the Chicago Police Department”.

“First you shoot them, then you sue them,” the lawyer said.

The lawsuit provides Robert Rialmo’s first public account of how he says the shooting happened.

Robert Rialmo, who was responding to a domestic disturbance call, says Quintonio LeGrier came charging at him down the stairs and swung a baseball bat at his head.

The officer says he backed away and shouted at Quintonio LeGrier to drop the bat, but drew his weapon and fired after the teenager swung the bat again.

Robert Rialmo fired six times, killing both Quintonio LeGrier and Bettie Jones, a neighbor who was standing behind the teenager.

“The fact that LeGrier’s actions had forced Officer Rialmo to end LeGrier’s life and to accidentally take the innocent life of Bettie Jones has caused, and will continue to cause, Officer Rialmo to suffer extreme emotional trauma,” the lawsuit says.

Lawyers for Quintonio LeGrier’s father and for Bettie Jones say evidence indicates the officer was 20 or 30 feet away when he fired.

The LeGrier family’s lawyer also questions why the teen would attack the officer since he was the one who called police.

“If you’re calling multiple times for help are you going to charge a police officer and try to hit him with a bat? That’s ridiculous,” Basileios Foutris said.

County prosecutors have asked the FBI to investigate the shooting. The Chicago Police Department has refused to comment.

Such a lawsuit by an officer is extraordinarily unusual, said Phil Turner, a former federal prosecutor and current defense attorney who is not connected to the case.

Speaking to the Associated Press news agency, he questioned whether a judge would give it any merit and said it appeared intended to intimidate Quintonio LeGrier’s family.

Phil Turner said he had never heard of an officer blaming his shooting victim for causing trauma.

Bangalore Leopard Attack: Six Injured at Vibgyor International School

Nancy Clayson
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Bangalore Leopard Attack: Six Injured at Vibgyor International School

A leopard has been captured in a Bangalore school after injuring six people.

A scientist and a forestry employee were among those mauled during the near 10-hour long effort to corner the leopard on February 7.

The 8-year-old male leopard, which strolled into the Vibgyor International School, was eventually tranquilized and released.

A recent wildlife census estimated that India has a leopard population of between 12,000 and 14,000.

The animal was spotted strolling inside the school premises in the Kundalahalli area.

Footage on the school’s security cameras showed it attacking a man near a swimming pool.Bangalore leopard attack Vibgyor school

Conservation scientist Sanjay Gubbi and forest department employee Benny Maurius were injured when they tried to corner the animal and tranquilize him, reports say.

“It was a long struggle to capture the leopard. Although it was injected with tranquilizers it could be captured only around 20.15 local time when the medication took full effect,” senior police official S Boralingaiah told reporters.

According to local reports, the leopard possibly strayed into the school from a patch of forest not far from the school.

The captured animal has been moved to a national park and the six injured people, including a cameraperson of a TV channel, have been treated for minor injuries.

Leopards and other big cats have been known to stray into populated areas, and conservationists have warned that such confrontations may increase as humans encroach on animal habitats.

Venezuela Stores Halve Work Hours to Comply with Energy Rationing Rules

Diane A. Wade
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Venezuela Stores Halve Work Hours to Comply with Energy Rationing Rules

Venezuela’s stores will halve their work hours to four a day in order to comply with the government’s energy rationing rules.

According to ministers, a severe drought caused by El Nino has brought 18 of Venezuela’s hydro-electric dams to critically low water levels.

A spokesman for Venezuela’s retail association said the drop in working hours would have an impact on jobs.

The state energy corporation (Corpoelec) had wanted cuts twice a day, between 1PM and 3PM and then again between 7PM and 9PM.

The retail association, The Chamber of Venezuelan Commercial Centers (Cavececo), said it had made an alternative proposal: that stores should open late at 12:00 and close at 19:00 saving five hours of energy use daily.Venezuela stores working hours

However, they had not received a response to this suggestion, the organization said.

Cavececo said opening and closing twice in a day would be disastrous for banking operations, health centers, servicing companies, pharmacies, supermarkets and particularly restaurants that depended on electrical energy to preserve and refrigerate their products.

However, the reduction to only four hours a day would also have an impact on businesses that ran two work shifts which represents around 75% of employees in shopping centers.

The Venezuelan government has also asked private residences to start saving energy and has been rationing domestic water supplies since January.

Haiti: President Michel Martelly Ends Term with No Replacement

Diane A. Wade
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Haiti: President Michel Martelly Ends Term with No Replacement

Haitian President Michel Martelly has left office at the end of his term amid tension over how he is to be replaced.

No successor has yet been chosen as opposition supporters challenge a deal to select an interim leader.

The first day of carnival has been called off over the threat of more opposition protests.

Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, is still struggling to recover from a huge earthquake in 2010.

The last-minute deal aims to prevent the country from plunging into an immediate power vacuum.

In a speech, Michel Martelly said his biggest regret was that January’s presidential election had been postponed.

The runoff vote to elect Michel Martelly’s successor was shelved because of fears of violence and allegations of fraud.Michel Martelly ends term

It will now be held on April 24, with a new president due to be sworn in on May 14.

Under the latest agreement, parliament will elect an interim president and install a transitional government for a four-month term.

Michel Martelly is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election but has thrown his weight behind Jovenel Moise, a banana exporter who won the first round of the presidential election in November.

However, the result has been contested by the opposition challenger, Jude Celestin.

Jude Celestin accused the electoral authorities of favoring Jovenel Moise and threatened to pull out of the runoff vote.

PM Evans Paul – who is due to remain in his post until parliament agrees his replacement – has appealed for calm.

On February 5, protesters beat a man to death in the capital, Port-au-Prince, in a clash with ex-soldiers.

Super Bowl 2016: Denver Broncos Win after Beating Carolina Panthers with 24-10

Clyde K. Valle
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Super Bowl 2016: Denver Broncos Win after Beating Carolina Panthers with 24-10

The Denver Broncos have won Super Bowl 50 after beating the Carolina Panthers with 24-10 in Santa Clara.

The Carolina Panthers were heavy favorites, having lost only once all season and with the league’s Most Valuable Player of the season Cam Newton at quarterback.

However, Cam Newton was smothered by the Broncos defense and gave up three turnovers – including one that led to a touchdown.

That helped Denver, quarterbacked by veteran Peyton Manning, open a 10-0 lead early on and they never lost it.

It had been rumored the game would be 39-year-old Peyton Manning’s last, but he said afterwards he would “take time to reflect”.

Cam Newton did not have a good game, but he was not helped by an awful display by Carolina’s receivers, with Jerricho Cotchery guilty of two crucial drops.

It’s a third Super Bowl title for the Broncos, while the Panthers are still waiting for their first.Super Bowl 50 winners

The Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after completing five tackles, two and a half sacks and two forced fumbles.

“I’m so proud of my guys,” he said.

“It’s been every last one of you guys in the locker room that has gotten me to this moment right here.”

Von Miller, 26, becomes only the 10th defensive player to win the award and only the fourth linebacker.

He was the number two pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, in which Cam Newton was drafted first by the Panthers.

For Peyton Manning – the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes – this win will strengthen his case to be seen as the greatest quarterback of all time.

He has now won two and lost two of his four Super Bowl appearances – his first win coming with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 – and improved his post-season record to 14-13.

It was not a vintage performance from Peyton Manning, who was sacked five times and did not throw for a touchdown.

Coldplay were the main performers at the half-time and they were joined by Beyonce, Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson.

The British group opened the show by singing Yellow and Viva La Vida as children carrying multi-colored umbrellas and violins streamed onto the pitch.

Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson performed their hit Uptown Funk, before Beyonce sang her new song Formation.

They closed the show by performing a mash-up of Coldplay’s hit Fix You and Beyonce’s Crazy In Love.

China’s Foreign Currency Reserves Plunge by $99.5 Billion in January 2016

Clyde K. Valle
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China’s Foreign Currency Reserves Plunge by $99.5 Billion in January 2016

According to a People’s Bank of China report, the country’s foreign currency reserves plunged by $99.5 billion in January 2016.

China has been running down its vast foreign currency reserves in an attempt to boost the value of its own currency, the yuan, and stem a flow of funds overseas.

At $3.23 trillion, China still has the world’s biggest reserve of foreign currency holdings.

However, that has declined by $420 billion over six months and stands at the lowest level since May 2012.China foreign currency reserves plunge

The Chinese authorities fear a rapid devaluation of their currency, as it could destabilize the economy.

Many Chinese businesses hold debt in dollars and managing those debts with a severely weakened yuan could cause problems and some companies to fail.

China has been trying to engineer an ordered devaluation of the yuan, but that is proving hard to deliver.

Investors have been trying to pull funds out of investments priced in yuan and speculators have been betting on further falls in the currency.

To stabilize the situation, China has been selling dollars and buying yuan.

China has been using other tactics, including curbing currency speculation and ordering offshore banks to retain their reserves of yuan.

GOP Debate 2016: Marco Rubio Targeted by Republican Candidates

Diane A. Wade
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GOP Debate 2016: Marco Rubio Targeted by Republican Candidates

Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio was attacked by several GOP rivals for the party’s nomination to run for the White House, in a fractious ABC debate.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie described Marco Rubio, a rising force in the polls, as inexperienced and scripted.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, also assailed by Donald Trump and Jeb Bush, fought back by attacking President Barack Obama.

The New Hampshire debate comes four days before the state picks its presidential nominee in each party.

Several of the seven Republicans on stage have staked much on this state, and the pressure seemed to provoke several points of conflict.

One of the testiest moments at the debate in Manchester was when Chris Christie lambasted Marco Rubio.

“You have not been involved in a consequential decision, where you had to be held accountable, you just simply haven’t,” said Chris Christie.Marco Rubio GOP debate New Hampshire

The New Jersey governor accused Marco Rubio of “truancy” by missing Senate votes and said his eloquent speeches were ineffective in improving the lives of a single American.

However, Marco Rubio, who was a strong third in the Iowa vote on February 1, attacked him for not immediately returning to New Jersey from the campaign trail during the recent snowstorm.

The night got off to a bizarre start when Ben Carson missed his entrance to the debate and was left standing in the wings by debate hosts ABC News.

When it eventually got under way, the candidates sharpened their differences on issues like national security, immigration and abortion.

New Hampshire polls suggest Donald Trump, who has no political experience but finished second in the Iowa vote on February 1, is out in front.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who like Donald Trump is running on an anti-establishment platform, was the victor in Iowa.

However, a strong third by Marco Rubio has made him a target from the others.

One of Marco Rubio’s counter-attacks under pressure in the debate, that President Barack Obama is knowingly changing the nature of the US, was strongly rejected by Donald Trump.

“I think he [Barack Obama] has no idea what he’s doing. And our country is going to hell. So, I just want to say, we disagree on that.”

Jeb Bush also put the boot into his former Florida protégé, saying he was gifted but in a way that reminded him of Barack Obama.

After New Hampshire on February 9, the rest of the 50 states will have their turn over the coming weeks and months.

Each party formally announces their presidential candidate at conventions in July, four months before the presidential election.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StKRzwG7R50

HSBC Agrees to Pay $470 Million Settlement for Mortgage Misconduct

Clyde K. Valle
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HSBC Agrees to Pay $470 Million Settlement for Mortgage Misconduct

HSBC has agreed to pay a $470 million settlement to the US government and states related to dubious mortgage lending and foreclosure practices that contributed to the financial crisis.

The agreement includes a $100 million fine and $370 million in consumer relief to borrowers.

Investigations began in 2010 after the bank was found to be signing off foreclosure documents without proper review.

In a statement, HSBC CEO Kathy Madison called the agreement a “positive result.”

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

The consumer relief will require the bank to cut the loan amount on mortgages for homeowners close to default.

HBSC will also be required to change internal practices like foreclosing on homeowners who are being considered for a loan modification.

“The agreement is part of our ongoing effort to address root causes of the financial crisis,” said the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division Benjamin Mizer.

The deal settles claims with 49 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government.

HSBC’s agreement is similar to deals that were given to US banks including JP Morgan and Bank of America in 2012.

North Korea Launches Long-Range Rocket

Diane A. Wade
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North Korea Launches Long-Range Rocket

North Korea has launched a long-range rocket, which critics say is a test of banned missile technology.

But according to local media, North Korea had successfully placed a satellite in orbit.

The launch was condemned by Japan, South Korea and the US, who have requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on February 7.

South Korea says it is to begin discussing with the US the deployment of a missile defense system.

Ryu Je-Seung, a senior defense official, said if the THAAD missile system – considered one of the most advanced in the world – were deployed it would be only to counter the threat from the North.

In a statement, the North Korean National Aerospace Development Administration said earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong-4 had entered orbit about 10 minutes after lift-off from the Sohae space centre in North Phyongan province.

Announcing the launch on state TV, a newsreader said it had been ordered by North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un and said the country planned to launch more satellites in the future.

“The fascinating vapor of Juche satellite trailing in the clear and blue sky in spring of February on the threshold of the Day of the Shining Star,” was how the launch was described.North Korea satellite launche February 6

South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang Gyun said a warship had detected the launch at 09:31.

The rocket launch was roundly condemned by the international community. US Secretary of State John Kerry called it a “flagrant violation” of UN resolutions and warned of “significant measures to hold the DPRK [North Korea] to account.”

China said it “regrets” North Korea’s actions but urged “the relevant parties” to “refrain from taking actions that may further escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula”.

Contenders for the Republican ticket in the US presidential election this year were asked for their reaction during a debate in New Hampshire.

Donald Trump said China was the key.

“I would get on with China. Let China solve that problem.”

UN Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from carrying out any nuclear or ballistic missile tests.

South Korean analysts had speculated that North Korea might carry out the launch ahead of February 16, the birthday of the late North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il.

Jet Airways Grounds Crew after Sonu Nigam’s Mid-Flight Concert

Sonia Pantiss
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Jet Airways Grounds Crew after Sonu Nigam’s Mid-Flight Concert

Jet Airways has suspended five crew members who let Bollywood star Sonu Nigam sing over its public address system.

Sonu Nigam performed some of his popular numbers on a flight from Mumbai to Jodhpur.Sonu Nigam midflight concert

A video, which shows Sonu Nigam singing on the plane’s intercom, has gone viral.

Jet Airways, India’s second largest airline by passengers carried, said on February 5 that the crew had been “taken off from flight duty” after an inquiry.

Sonu Nigam is known to go out of his way to make people around him comfortable.

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

Edgar Mitchell Dead: Apollo 14 Moonwalker Dies in Florida Aged 85

James J. Williams
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Edgar Mitchell Dead: Apollo 14 Moonwalker Dies in Florida Aged 85

Edgar Mitchell, who was the sixth man to walk on the Moon, has died at the age of 85.

The astronaut passed away at a hospice in West Palm Beach, Florida, one day before the 45th anniversary of his Moon landing, his family said.

As part of the Apollo 14 mission in 1971, Edgar Mitchell spent more than nine hours on the Moon conducting experiments.

He said he had undergone an epiphany in space and in later life revealed a belief that aliens had visited Earth.

Edgar Mitchell’s mission to the Moon was the fourth in the US Apollo series, and the first to follow the ill-fated Apollo 13 which aborted its attempt to land after an oxygen tank explosion.

The astronaut and his crewmate, another Navy officer, Captain Alan Shepard, made it safely to the lunar surface. Their landing site was the Fra Mauro Highlands, a hilly area that was the target of the failed Apollo 13 mission.

During their 33 hours at the site, the two astronauts collected 94lb of Moonrock for examination back on earth and completed the longest moonwalk in history.Edgar Mitchell dead at 85

Capt. Alan Shepard also hit a golf ball he had stowed onboard for the purpose, reporting later that it traveled “miles and miles and miles” in the low lunar gravity. He later estimated it traveled up to 400 yards – still considerably further than his average Earthbound drive.

Edgar Mitchell brought home more than just Moonrock, telling reporters in the days after the mission that he said he had experienced an “epiphany” in space and returned with “an overwhelming sense of oneness, of connectedness”.

Years later the astronaut wrote in his autobiography: “It occurred to me that the molecules of my body and the molecules of the spacecraft itself were manufactured long ago in the furnace of one of the ancient stars that burned in the heavens about me.”

Edgar Mitchell left NASA in 1972 and set up the Institute of Noetic Sciences, which aimed to support “individual and collective transformation through consciousness research”.

Unlike his post-NASA life, Edgar Mitchell took a very traditional route to becoming an astronaut. He flew fighter jets for the Navy before becoming a test pilot – a profession from which many of the early Apollo crews were drawn.

He joined the astronaut corps in April 1966, five years before he went into space. Apollo 14 was his only spaceflight.

Of the 12 men who have set foot on the Moon, seven are still alive following Edgar Mitchell’s death, including Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong’s crewmate on the first mission in 1969.

North Korea to Launch Satellite-Bearing Rocket on February 7

Roy Siemens
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North Korea to Launch Satellite-Bearing Rocket on February 7

According to Japan’s government, North Korea will launch the satellite-bearing rocket between February 7 and 14.

Pyongyang previously said the satellite launch would take place between February 8 and 25.

The planned launch has been condemned by world powers, which say it is a cover for testing a ballistic missile.

North Korea did not inform international organizations of any other changes in its plan and the rocket’s expected flight path remains the same, said South Korea’s defense ministry.North Korea satellite launch February 2016

South Korea has warned the North that it will “pay a harsh price” if it goes ahead with its plan to launch the satellite.

Japan’s defense minister said he had issued an order to shoot down any missile that threatened to fall on Japanese territory.

South Korean analysts have speculated that North Korea might do the launch ahead of February 16, the birthday of the late North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il.

North Korea has already provoked international criticism this year with a fourth nuclear bomb test on January 6.

A launch in the coming weeks would constitute another major violation of UN Security Council resolutions banning the state from carrying out any nuclear or ballistic missile tests.

North Korea insists its space program is purely scientific in nature, but the US, South Korea and even ally China say the rocket launches are aimed at developing an inter-continental ballistic missile capable of striking the US.

Taiwan Earthquake Kills at Least 13 in Tainan

Diane A. Wade
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Taiwan Earthquake Kills at Least 13 in Tainan

At least 13 people have been killed after an earthquake has toppled buildings in the south Taiwanese city of Tainan.

The 6.4-magnitude quake struck just before 04:00AM local time when most people were at home asleep.

A baby was among at least four people killed when a high-rise building, containing 100 homes, collapsed.

At least 30 people remain missing. Tainan’s mayor said people were alive but trapped under the rubble and all means would be used to rescue them.

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, who toured the city of two million, said shelters would be set up for those who had lost their homes.

Television footages showed rescue workers frantically trying to reach people trapped in collapsed buildings, using ladders to climb over piles of rubble.

One of the worst affected was the 17-storey Wei Kuan apartment complex, home to at least 256 people.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

More than 200 people were rescued, but a baby, young girl and two adult men did not survive, officials said. At least 70 people were taken to hospital.

Interior Minister Chen Wei-jen said he feared more people may have been in the fallen apartment block than usual as families gathered to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Chen Wei-jen said investigators would examine whether the building’s construction met requirements.

Residents told how they were able to escape from their homes in the block, using their own tools and ladders.

The earthquake was shallow, meaning its effects would have been amplified, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

There have also been at least five aftershocks. The quake was felt in the capital Taipei, 200 miles away.

Although the damage does not appear to be widespread, a number of tall buildings have been left leaning precariously.

There are also reports of power outages, and transport links have been disrupted on what is one of the busiest travelling days of the year ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and often sees tremors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAsy84B82zE

VW Results Delayed Due to Emissions Scandal

Clyde K. Valle
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VW Results Delayed Due to Emissions Scandal

VW has announced that it will not release its results nor hold its shareholders’ meeting on time, as it needs more time to work out its accounts as a result of 2015’s emissions crisis.

The automaker was due to release results on March 10 and hold its shareholders’ meeting towards the end of April.

Volkswagen has not said by how much these events will be delayed.

The company says results will be about the same as in 2014, although the cost of the crisis will eat into those.

VW said it was working on “valuation calculations”.VW results delayed 2016

Sales in VW-branded cars dipped last year after the scandal – which affected 11 million cars – came to light in September. Deliveries fell 5.3% in October, 2.4% in November and 7.9% in December compared with those months in 2014.

It was its first drop in VW-branded sales in 11 years as the company continues to cope with the emissions scandal.

VW has promised it will have a fix in the coming weeks for the millions of US cars with defeat devices that disguised emission levels in diesel cars.

Sales of VW-brand cars fell 4.8% in 2015 to 5.82 million cars from 6.12 million a year earlier.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is suing the company over what it says were 600,000 affected vehicles and a US law firm is conducting an investigation into who made the decisions to cheat.

VW says it is sticking to its plan to publish the findings of its investigation into the scandal in the second half of April.

Results from Porsche, which is owned by Volkswagen, are also being delayed.

US Jobs Report: Economy Adds 151K Jobs in January 2016

Clyde K. Valle
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US Jobs Report: Economy Adds 151K Jobs in January 2016

According to the new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US economy added 151,000 jobs in January 2016.

The new jobs helped to push the US unemployment rate down to 4.9%.

The number was lower than expected and is a sharp slowdown from December 2015, when 292,000 jobs were added.

Job losses in transport and education weighed on the numbers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said.

Last week, figures showed that US economic growth slowed to an annual rate 0.7% in the final three months of 2015, from 2% in the previous quarter.

Early trading on Wall Street suggests investors are concerned that the slowdown in job creation could be a further signal of a weakening US economy. The main Dow Jones was down 189 points, or 1.2%, at 16,227.43 in early-afternoon trading.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

However, some analysts focused on the positive – that weaker job numbers meant another rise in interest rates was unlikely for now.

President Barack Obama highlighted the low unemployment rate as he plugged aspects of his spending bill to be proposed next week. He plans to push for greater investment in clean energy, where jobs growth has been strong.

The president acknowledged that there was still anxiety among Americans, but said the US economy was “stronger and more durable” then before the financial crisis.

Retailing saw the highest number of jobs created in January, at 58,000, with healthcare adding 37,000 and manufacturing 29,000.

Some 39,000 jobs were lost in private education services, however, with a further 20,000 lost in transport and warehousing.

The net job creation pushed the unemployment rate below 5% – where it had stood for the previous three months – to its lowest level since early 2008.

The labor participation rate was unchanged, suggesting fewer people are dropping out of the labor market – a key problem during the financial crisis.

The average hourly rate rose by 12 cents, or 0.5%, to $25.39.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9O7C5uVL_4

NYC Crane Collapse Kills at Least One Person in Lower Manhattan

Diane A. Wade
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NYC Crane Collapse Kills at Least One Person in Lower Manhattan

A massive crane has collapsed in lower Manhattan, killing one person and injuring at least two others.

The FDNY confirmed the fatality and is on the scene responding to the accident.

The collapse happened along Broadway on February 5 in the Tribeca neighborhood.

The downed crane, which filled the street, fell onto numerous parked cars.Tribeca crane collapse

Emergency responders are on the scene and Mayor Bill de Blasio is on his way.

The weather in New York City this morning was windy with snow flurries.

It is not yet known exactly why the crane collapsed, but photos show that the base of the crane flipped over.

Public transportation is delayed and subway trains are bypassing the area due to the collapsed crane.

Police officers in the area told people arriving for work they should go back home.

Pope Francis to Meet Patriarch Kirill in Cuba

Diane A. Wade
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Pope Francis to Meet Patriarch Kirill in Cuba

Pope Francis will meet the head of Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, in Cuba next week.

The Russian Orthodox Church said the “persecution of Christians” would be the central theme of the historic meeting.

Pope Francis will stop over in Cuba on his way to Mexico.

It is the first papal meeting with a Russian Church head since the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity split in the 11th Century.

The meeting is due to take place at Havana airport, where Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill will sign a joint declaration.

Patriarch Kirill is due in Cuba for an official visit at the same time as Pope Francis’ stopover in Havana.Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill

In a joint statement, the two churches said the meeting would “mark an important stage in relations between the two churches”.

They invited “all Christians to pray fervently for God to bless this meeting, that it may bear good fruits.”‘

Since becoming Pope in 2013, Francis has called for better relations between the different branches of Christianity.

The foreign policy chief of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Illarion, told reporters that there were still differences between the two churches, but that international events had pushed the leaders to meet.

Metropolitan Illarion said: “The situation in the Middle East, in northern and central Africa and in other regions where extremists are perpetrating a genocide of Christians, requires immediate action and an even closer cooperation between Christian churches.

“In this tragic situation, we need to put aside internal disagreements and pool efforts to save Christianity in the regions where it is subject to most severe persecution.”

Patriarch Kirill has been the head of the Russian Orthodox Church since February 2009, while Pope Francis took up his role in March 2013.

The Roman Catholic Church has more than a billion members worldwide, while the Russian Orthodox Church numbers about 165 million.

The Orthodox Church is made up of more than 10 separate churches. The Vatican has existing ties with the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I, but this will be the first meeting between the Pope and the patriarch of the Russian Church, which is the largest and most powerful Church in Orthodoxy.

Toyota Reports 4.7% Rise in Q4 Net Income

Clyde K. Valle
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Toyota Reports 4.7% Rise in Q4 Net Income

Toyota has reported a 4.7% year-on-year rise in net income for Q4 of 2015, to 627.9 billion yen ($5.37 billion), due in part to stronger sales in the US.

The Japanese company, the world’s biggest automaker, also raised its North America sales forecast for the full year to March, because of the higher US demand.

However, operating profit for the quarter fell by 5.3%, missing forecasts.

The car industry has been hurt by a global slowdown, particularly in China.

Toyota said net income for the year to March was still likely to come in at 2.27 trillion yen.

“Our latest forecast remains unchanged from the previous forecast, having reflected both positive factors – such as progress in cost reduction and the weaker-than-expected yen so far,” managing officer Tetsuya Otake said.Toyota profit 2015

In the nine months to December, Toyota said consolidated vehicle sales came in at 6,492,784 vehicles – a decrease of 246,374 compared with the same period last a year earlier.

It said sales in North America had increased by 33,032 vehicles to 2,140,655 because of strong demand from the US.

In Asia, however, vehicle sales fell by 112,478 vehicles to 1,016,235 over the nine months.

In the face of slowing global growth, Toyota has been trying to cut costs and improve productivity at its factories. It has also faced a string of recalls in recent months.

Earlier this week, Toyota announced a recall of 320,000 trucks and SUVs over problems with airbags, saying they could inflate without a collision.

In November 2015, Toyota recalled 1.6 million vehicles equipped with faulty airbags. In October 2015, Toyota recalled 6.5 million vehicles over a faulty window switch.

The company has recalled about 15 million vehicles fitted with the bags since 2013.

On February 5, Toyota also announced a share buyback of about 150 billion yen worth of outstanding shares.

Despite the recall worries, Toyota won back the crown of the world’s largest automaker by sales in the first nine months 2015 from Germany’s Volkswagen.

Asian Markets Trade Mixed Ahead of US Monthly Jobs Report

Clyde K. Valle
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Asian Markets Trade Mixed Ahead of US Monthly Jobs Report

Asian shares were in mixed territory on February 5 ahead of a closely watched US monthly jobs report.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed down 1.32% to 16,819.59 points as a stronger yen against the dollar hurt the country’s big exporters for a second day.

Toyota and Honda shares finished the day down about 2%, while Mazda shed nearly 5%.

At the close of trade, Toyota reported a 4.7% rise in net income for the three months to December.Asian stock markets February 2016

However, the company’s operating profit for the quarter fell by 5.3%, missing forecasts.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 spent the day in negative territory and closed flat, down 0.08% to 16,819.59.

The country’s big lenders had weighed on the market and analysts said traders were being cautious ahead of a US jobs report due out later.

Energy companies regained lost territory late in the day, however, with Woodside finishing up 0.41% and rival Santos up 2.2%. Mining giant BHP finished up close to 5%.

Official numbers released earlier showed Australia’s retail sales had come in flat for the month of December – a 0.4% gain was expected.

However, analysts said the numbers still supported economic growth.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng was up 0.4% to 19,255.88 points in afternoon trade, while the mainland’s benchmark Shanghai Composite closed down 0.63% to 2,763.49.

South Korea’s Kospi index closed flat, up just 0.08% to 1,917.79.

Aphonopelma Johnnycashi: New Tarantula Named after Johnny Cash

James J. Williams
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Aphonopelma Johnnycashi: New Tarantula Named after Johnny Cash

Legendary country singer Johnny Cash has been given a unique honor – a new species of an almost all-black tarantula that lives near Folsom Prison, California, has been named after him.

Johnny Cash wrote a song about the prison, and also played a historic series of concerts for inmates there in the 1960s.

Aphonopelma johnnycashi is among 14 new tarantula species from the southern US which have been described by biologists in the journal ZooKeys.

Their study completely rewrites the family tree of the Aphonopelma genus.

One of dozens of tarantula genera, this group was previously considered to include more than 50 separate species.

As part of his PhD research at Auburn University in Alabama, Chris Hamilton carefully whittled that down to 29. He eliminated a lot of double-counting, but also defined 14 species that were entirely new to science.

“We really tried to clean the taxonomy up,” said Dr. Chris Hamilton, now a postdoctoral researcher at the Florida Museum of Natural History.Black tarantula Johnny Cash

“The only way we could do that was by looking at over 3,000 specimens, both from the wild and from natural history collections.

“A lot of previous names got eliminated. But there were 14 that were genuinely unique and new.”

Aphonopelma johnnycashi, however, was found roaming the wilds of California.

“It’s found along the foothills of the western Sierra Nevada mountains, and one of the places that’s there is Folsom Prison,” Dr. Chris Hamilton explained – and it wasn’t a giant imaginative leap from there to the species’ new moniker.

“It’s a perfect name. It fits the spider – it’s found around Folsom and the males are predominantly all black, so it fits his image.

“I have a Johnny Cash tattoo so I was very happy that it worked out that way.”

Dr. Chris Hamilton thinks that one reason the species had not been previously recognized is its similarity to other species of tarantula, such as Aphonopelma iodius which is common in the Mojave desert further south.

Hillary Clinton Clashes with Bernie Sanders in First One-To-One Democratic Debate

Diane A. Wade
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Hillary Clinton Clashes with Bernie Sanders in First One-To-One Democratic Debate

The first one-to-one Democratic debate saw Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders clashing over Wall Street and foreign policy.

Hillary Clinton cast Bernie Sanders as an idealist who will not get things done and Sanders accused the former Secretary of State of being too tied to the establishment to achieve real change.

The MSNBC debate in New Hampshire was their first since the Democratic race was whittled down to two this week.

Without a third person on stage, the policy differences were laid bare.

Hillary Clinton said Bernie Sanders’ proposals such as universal healthcare were too costly and unachievable.

She went after her rival aggressively over his attempts to portray her as being in the pocket of Wall Street because of the campaign donations and the fees she had received for after-dinner speeches.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders used a favorite attack line against Hillary Clinton that she backed the Iraq War, but she questioned his foreign policy expertise.

The debate comes five days before the second state-by-state contest in the battle for the presidential nominee, in New Hampshire on February 9.

Despite the tensions over policies, the debate ended on a warm note, when Hillary Clinton said the first person she would call would be Bernie Sanders, if she won the nomination.

The debate was their first without the presence of the former governor of Maryland, Martin O’Malley, who quit the race on February 1.

Martin O’Malley was a distant third in the first state to vote, Iowa, where Hillary Clinton narrowly beat Bernie Sanders after a prolonged count.

Bernie Sanders holds a big lead in polls in New Hampshire, which borders the state where he is a senator, Vermont.

Both Republican and Democratic parties will formally name their presidential candidates at conventions in July.

Americans will finally go to the polls to choose the new occupant of the White House in November.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-bjv7X5tks

Maurice White Dies in Los Angeles Aged 74

Sonia Pantiss
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Maurice White Dies in Los Angeles Aged 74

Maurice White, the founder of soul group Earth, Wind & Fire, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 74.

According to his brother, Maurice White died in his sleep on February 4.

The singer suffered from Parkinson’s disease.

Maurice White’s band had a series of hits including September, Boogie Wonderland, Shining Star and After the Love has Gone.

He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1992 but his condition was reported to have got worse in recent months.

Earth, Wind & Fire were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and Maurice White was individually inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010.

Popularly known by his nickname of Reese, Maurice White worked with various well-known recording artists such as The Emotions, Barbra Streisand, Cher and Neil Diamond.Maurice White dead at 74

Earth, Wind & Fire have sold more than 90 million albums worldwide.

Verdine White, also a member of the band, told The Associated Press on February 4: “My brother, hero and best friend Maurice White passed away peacefully last night in his sleep.

“While the world has lost another great musician and legend, our family asks that our privacy is respected as we start what will be a very difficult and life changing transition in our lives. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.”

A former session drummer, Maurice White formed a band called Salty Peppers in the Chicago area in the late 1960s.

He subsequently moved to Los Angeles, disposing of all of the band members except his brother Verdine. The band was renamed Earth, Wind & Fire after the three elements in his astrological chart.

Many of the group’s earlier hits were characterized by Bailey’s bright falsetto voice.

Earth, Wind & Fire is perhaps best known for its exuberant, horn-driven mix of jazz, funk, gospel and Big Band music played at concerts where they performed in glitzy costumes underneath multi-colored lights. They played at many top venues including the Super Bowl and the White House.

Zika Outbreak: First Case Reported in Europe

Kathryn R. Bown
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Zika Outbreak: First Case Reported in Europe

A pregnant woman has been diagnosed with the Zika virus in Spain, the health ministry confirmed.

This is the first such case reported in Europe.

Spain’s health ministry said the woman had recently returned from Colombia, where it is believed she was infected.

Zika, which is spreading through the Americas, has been linked to babies being born with underdeveloped brains.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the microcephaly condition, linked to the Zika virus, a global public health emergency.Zika virus Spain

On February 4, the WHO also advised countries not to accept blood donations from people who had traveled to Zika-affected regions, the AFP news agency reported.

In a statement, the Spanish health ministry said the pregnant woman was diagnosed as having Zika in the north-eastern Catalonia region.

The ministry did not release the woman’s name, saying she was one of seven confirmed cases in Spain.

It said two more patients were in Catalonia, two in Castile and Leon, one in Murcia and one in the capital Madrid.

“All are in good health,” the ministry added.

The ministry also stressed that “the diagnosed cases of Zika virus in Spain… don’t risk spreading the virus in our country as they are imported cases”.

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