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Nature Already Dramatically Impacted By Climate Change

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Global climate change has already impacted every aspect of life on Earth, from genes to entire ecosystems, according to a new University of Florida study.

The paper appears in the journal Science.

“We now have evidence that, with only a ~1 degree Celsius of warming globally, major impacts are already being felt in natural systems,” said study lead author Brett Scheffers, an assistant professor in the department of wildlife, ecology and conservation in UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “Genes are changing, species’ physiology and physical features such as body size are changing, species are shifting their ranges and we see clear signs of entire ecosystems under stress, all in response to changes in climate on land and in the ocean.”

During this research, Scheffers, a conservation ecologist, collaborated with a team of researchers from 10 countries, spread across the globe. They discovered that more than 80 percent of ecological processes that form the foundation for healthy marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems already show signs of responses to climate change.

“Some people didn’t expect this level of change for decades” said co-author James Watson, of the University of Queensland in Australia. “The impacts of climate change are being felt with no ecosystem on Earth being spared.”

Many of the impacts on species and ecosystems affect people, according to the authors, with consequences ranging from increased pests and disease outbreaks, unpredictable changes in fisheries, and decreasing agriculture yields. But research on these impacts also leads to hope.

“Many of the responses we are observing today in nature can help us determine how to fix the mounting issues that people face under changing climate conditions,” Scheffers said. “For example, by understanding the adaptive capacity in nature, we can apply these same principles to our crops, livestock and aquacultural species.”

“Current global climate change agreements aim to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius,” said Wendy Foden, co-author and chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Climate Change Specialist Group. “We’re showing that there are already broad and serious impacts from climate change right across biological systems.”


Nicaragua: Daniel Ortega Wins Elections, Wife To Be Vice-President

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With over 72 percent of the votes, Daniel Ortega, 71, won Nicaragua’s elections that were held on Nov. 6. Ortega, who now has his wife Rosario Murillo in the vice-presidency, will assume his third consecutive term on January 10, 2017, for a 5-year period.

Besides voting for president, 90 deputies were also elected for the National Assembly as well as 20 representatives to the Central American Parliament.

Ortega, the leader of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), governed between 1979 and 1990, first as Coordinator of the Junta of National Reconstruction after the victory of the Sandinista Popular Revolution on July 19, 1979, that brought the fall of dictator Anastasio Somoza (1967-1979), and then from 1985 to 1990 when he ran for reelection but lost to Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (1990-1997).

The FSLN, with Ortega at the helm, spent the next 16 years in the opposition. He was a candidate again in the elections of 1996 and 2002, when he was defeated by Arnoldo Alemán (1997-2002) and Enrique Bolaños (2002-2007), both of the Partido Liberal Constitucionalista (PLC-Constitutionalist Liberal Party). In 1999, Ortega and Alemán negotiated an agreement to share the powers of the State in equal terms, thus leaving the institutionalism of the country in the hands of Sandinistas and Liberals.

In 2006, Ortega won the elections with 38 percent of the vote, and in 2009 he already had the intention to run again two years later, but the Constitution prohibited him from seeking consecutive reelection and also prevented those who had served two terms as president from participating, as it was his case. In October of that year, Ortega set into motion an appeal in which he stated that article 147 of the Constitution that prohibits reelection, violated his unconditional equal rights of all Nicaraguan citizens to hold public office. The Supreme Court, controlled by the FSLN, declared the article as inapplicable stating that “it is the obligation of the State to eliminate the obstacles that prevent the right to equality to Nicaraguans and to their effective participation in political, social and economical life of the country.”

In 2011, Ortega ran again thanks to the Supreme Court ruling and was the winner with 66 percent of the vote, which allowed him to maintain control of the National Assembly with 63 of the 92 Deputies. Three years later, the Legislative branch approved a constitutional reform that guaranteed indefinite reelections for Ortega.

Absolute control

Ortega and Murillo celebrated their victory in an election without international observers.

“We want to, very humbly, thank all the Nicaraguan families who yesterday and today have said yes to love, yes to life, yes to peace, yes to a new political culture and yes to unity for all, for the benefit of all,” they expressed in a declaration.

The opposition was represented with the participation of the PLC, which received 15 percent, followed by the Alianza Liberal Nicaragüense (Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance), with 4.7 percent, the Partido Liberal Independiente (PLI-Independent Liberal Party), with 4.5 percent, the Partido Conservador (Conservative Party) with 2.3 percent, and the Alianza por la República (Alliance for the Republic) with 1.4 percent of the vote.

Ortega’s victory was foreseen. The polls had him as the absolute winner, even to the margin of victory he obtained. Although the Supreme Electoral Council, under the control of the FSLN, states that 57 percent of the 4.3 million electorates turned out to vote, the opposition alleged that absenteeism reached 70 percent.

The poor electoral performance of the opposition, mainly right-leaning, has to do with its fragmentation and the decision of the Supreme Court in June to strip the PLI of its legal representation and provide it to a sector closer to the FSLN. Also, it removed from their seats the 28 lawmakers that were part of the Coalición Nacional por la Democracia (National Coalition for Democracy), the second strongest group in the national Assembly that included eight parties with parliamentary representation, which did not join forces with the new leadership of the PLI.

The opposition sectors qualified the elections as a “farce.” The Frente Amplio por la Democracia (Broad Front for Democracy), a space of convergence for social and political forces that are fighting for the reconstruction of democracy in Nicaragua, which lead the campaign encouraging people not to vote, expressed in a statement that “what happened today, Nov. 6, has been an electoral farce and constitutional fraud.”

“Daniel Ortega has imposed on us an authoritarian, dictatorial, one-party regime, with growing civil rights restrictions and successive electoral fraud, to the point of achieving the collapse of the electoral system, of the political parties and of the democratic institutional system,” said the statement that called on the citizenship to “continue demanding true, plural elections, with new electoral authorities, with a democratic electoral legislation, with full citizens rights, and national and international observers.”

Dinosaur Discovery Casts Light On Final Flurry Of Animals’ Evolution

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A dinosaur fossil that almost went undiscovered is giving scientists valuable clues about a family of creatures that flourished just before the mass extinction.

The bird-like species, found at a building site in southern China and nicknamed the ‘Mud Dragon’, was preserved almost intact, lying on its front with its wings and neck outstretched. Scientists speculate that the creature may have died in this pose after becoming mired in mud about 66-72 million years ago.

Scientists have named the new species Tongtianlong limosus, meaning ‘muddy dragon on the road to heaven’.

The two-legged animal belongs to a family of feathered dinosaurs called oviraptorosaurs, characterised by having short, toothless heads and sharp beaks. Some, including the newly found species, had crests of bone on their heads that were probably used as display structures to attract mates and intimidate rivals, like modern-day cassowaries.

Fossil discoveries in recent decades suggest that this group of flightless animals was experiencing a population boost, diversifying into new species, during the 15 million years before the dinosaurs went extinct. The group was probably one of the last groups of dinosaurs to diversify before the asteroid impact 66 million years ago, which killed off all of the non-bird dinosaurs.

The skeleton was found during excavations using explosives at a school construction site near Ganzhou. The fossil remains remarkably well preserved and almost complete, despite some harm caused by a dynamite blast at the construction site.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and China, who carried out the study, say the finding helps better understand how the last-surviving dinosaurs were flourishing before tragedy struck.

The study, published in Scientific Reports, was carried out in collaboration with the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and the Dongyang Museum, China, and is the latest in a fruitful collaboration between Edinburgh and the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences.

It was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Fundamental Research Funds for the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, the EU Erasmus Mundus Experts Sustain Program and a Marie Curie Career Integration Grant.

Dr Steve Brusatte, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, said: “This new dinosaur is one of the most beautiful, but saddest, fossils I’ve ever seen. But we’re lucky that the ‘Mud Dragon’ got stuck in the muck, because its skeleton is one of the best examples of a dinosaur that was flourishing during those final few million years before the asteroid came down and changed the world in an instant.”

According to Dr Junchang Lü, of the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, “The discovery of the new oviraptorid dinosaur further indicates that the Ganzhou area of Southern China is a most productive locality of oviraptorid dinosaurs and has a huge diversity of oviraptorosaurs from the late Cretaceous. It will provide important information on the study of evolution, distribution and behaviour of oviraptorid dinosaurs.”

Afghanistan: Suicide Bomber Kills 4 US Citizens At Bagram Airfield, Wounds 17 Others

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US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement that he was “deeply saddened” to learn that an explosion at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan just after 5:30 a.m. local time resulted in US casualties.

An apparent suicide bomber took the lives of two US service members and two US contractors working on the base, Carter said. The explosion wounded 16 other U.S. service members and one Polish soldier participating in the NATO mission, he added.

“I want to express my sincere condolences to the families of the fallen, and I want to reassure the loved ones of those injured that they are getting the best possible care,”the defense secretary said. “Force protection is always a top priority for us in Afghanistan, and we will investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can take to improve it.”

“For those who carried out this attack, my message is simple,” Carter said. “We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future.”

Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident, Resolute Support mission officials said in a statement.

Armenia’s CSTO Disappointment – Analysis

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By Arshaluis Mghdesyan*

Armenia has been left frustrated by the outcome of the most recent summit of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), with analysts warning that the country’s position has been seriously weakened.

The grouping of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan adopted a collective nine-year security strategy when it met in the Armenian capital Yerevan on October 14.

It also decided to set up a joint crisis response centre for the exchange of information on common threats, including terrorism. Details on both have yet to be forthcoming.

However, Armenian expectations that they would be handed the post of CSTO general secretary – as mandated by the rotation mechanism enshrined in the organisation´s charter – were disappointed.

Yerevan’s hopes that member states would also agree a firm joint position on the Nagorny Karabakh dispute following the uptick in violence there last April were also thwarted.

The question of the rotation was removed from the summit’s agenda with no reason given and will now be discussed when the leaders of the member countries meet in St Petersburg in December, Armenian president said Serzh Sargsyan after the summit.

This postponement caused concern among Armenian experts, especially in the wake of the most serious fighting in Karabakh since the 1994 ceasefire.

“The rotation of the CSTO general secretary was a test of the competence of the organisation that it did not pass,” said Styopa Safaryan, founder and head of research at the Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs (AIISA).

“This organisation cannot guarantee the security of Armenia,” he continued. “The aggravation of the situation in April in the zone of the Karabakh conflict and the numerous armed incidents on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border have clearly demonstrated this. For these reasons, Armenia has nothing to [benefit from] this organisation.”

Criticism of the CSTO in Armenia rose after the outbreak of hostilities with Azerbaijan in early April. In particular, it was directed against close ally Russia, Azerbaijan’s main weapons supplier.

“There was no due reaction from the CSTO when Armenia was on the brink of full-scale involvement in a war with Azerbaijan… What kind of collective security can we talk about, which the CSTO should allegedly provide?” continued Safaryan, adding that Armenia should review its relations with the CSTO.

A further disappointment was the CSTO’s non-committal statement regarding the Nagorny Karabakh conflict.

Member states spoke only in general terms about the importance of resolving the Karabakh issue by peaceful means, referring to the agreement reached between the heads of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Vienna and St Petersburg after April’s hostilities.

Analysts argued that appointing an Armenian to the post of secretary general would have given Yerevan greater weight regarding the Karabakh issue.

“First of all, it would strengthen the military component of the CSTO, the importance of which for Armenia, with its problem of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict, is difficult to overestimate,” Sergey Minasyan, deputy director of the Caucasus Institute in Yerevan, told IWPR.

“In addition, Armenia, in all likelihood, [would have] tried to push through issues related to regional security, in particular to the Nagorny Karabakh conflict. I think that Yerevan would have also tried to put the question of rejecting the sale of weapons to Azerbaijan by the member countries, in particular Russia,” he said.

Military-technical cooperation between Armenia and Russia is at a high level, with more than 50 bilateral contracts and agreements.

Yerevan and Moscow have also joined their air defence systems in the region and formed a joint command, which includes the Russian military base in Armenia and certain contingents of the Armenian army.

Around 5,000 military personnel are stationed at the 102nd Russian Military Base in Gyumri, Armenia´s second largest city.

Former minister of defence Vagharshak Arutyunyan argued that Russia was in fact the main guarantor to prevent the outbreak of an all-out conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Azerbaijan cannot start a full-scale war, since all issues boil down to military cooperation with Russia, and should not allow for war to break out in the region,” he told IWPR. “According to its military doctrine, Russia can use nuclear weapons in the case of aggression against itself or its allies. So, we are under the ´nuclear umbrella´, which Azerbaijan and Georgia do not have.”

This Russian presence “also ensures the security of Armenia together with Armenian armed forces,” Arutyunyan continued.

The situation is complex, however, as Armenia´s defence policy is not only oriented towards Russia but also involves cooperation with NATO. Unlike neighbouring Georgia, Armenia does not intend to join NATO; as a member of the CSTO, this would be out of the question.

Russian experts had their own explanation for the rotation mechanism remaining in limbo.

“Apparently, Armenia has not carried out due work on coordinating its candidate with the rest of the CSTO member states, which led to such a result,“ said Alexander Krylov, president of the Scientific Society of Caucasiologists.

Although the name of the Armenian candidate for the post of general secretary has not been officially confirmed, three former and current military figures have been mentioned in the local media.

They were the national security council secretary and former chief of the general staff of the armed forces Yuri Khachaturov as well as former defence ministers Harutyunyan and Seyran Ohanyan.

Ohanyan has publically denied these reports, saying that even if he received such a proposal, he would reject it. The other two have neither confirmed nor denied these rumours.

Meanwhile, a government reshuffle has caused controversy after Vigen Sargsyan, former chief of the presidential administration, was named Armenia’s minister of defence.

Sargsyan, who is not related to the president, has significant experience in the field of diplomacy and governance. He has a master´s degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Diplomacy of Tufts University and is also a graduate of the Russian St. Petersburg State University with a specialty in personnel management.

However, he is a civilian, which caused some disquiet in the ranks of the military.

The president told senior army officers that, according to the constitution, the military´s number one should be the chief of general staff, not the minister of defence.

“The minister should deal very little with the everyday routine activities of the troops,” he said.

Minasyan interpreted Vigen Sargsyan’s appointment as a move to put the defence department under the direct control of the president rather than as a sign of a change in policy.

“It’s not the preference of one person but the general security entourage and the setup of interests determines the defence policy of the country,” he told IWPR. “In this regard, the Armenian-Russian military-technical cooperation was, is and will be a priority for both countries. Here one should not expect any significant changes.”

*Arshaluis Mghdesyan is an independent journalist in Armenia. This article was published at IWPR’s CRS 830

Trump Is Bush On Steroids – OpEd

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By Mitchell Blatt*

A new president is taking office after a winning a modest majority in the Electoral College but losing the popular vote. Though criticized for being inexperienced and lacking knowledge of policy, his opponent was uncharismatic and dogged by association with a certain controversial ex-president.

During the campaign he claimed he would pursue a modest foreign policy. But he puts great importance on talking tough and sounding like an unblinking leader. He doesn’t question his convictions, and he rarely admits mistakes.

We don’t know yet what kind of unexpected crisis the Trump administration might face, or how it will respond, but it’s easy to imagine it might look something like the last Republican administration. President Trump appears to have many similarities to the brother of the candidate he knocked out in the primaries, Jeb Bush.

As all comparisons go, this one is also limited. President George W. Bush projected a much more upstanding image. He conducted himself respectfully. He went out of his way not to publicly criticize President Barack Obama in the years since he left office. He took criticism gracefully. As unqualified and intellectually uncurious as his critics painted Bush, who had served two terms as governor of Texas, he was many times more qualified than Trump.

Which is all the more reason for concern that Trump could overreact and jump into an irresponsible foreign entanglement without considering the consequences.

Trump has shown no interest in learning anything or heeding the wisdom or those who know. He doesn’t know anything about foreign policy (or domestic policy). He doesn’t even know basic information. He has expressed ignorance of the nuclear triad, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Iranian Quds Force, and even the leader of ISIS. Yet he thinks he knows more than military leaders.

He doesn’t take intelligence seriously. Although briefed personally that Russia hacked the DNC servers, he said he didn’t think in Russia did it. Intelligence briefers described him as easily distracted and prone to hostile interruptions, the same way his own campaign strategists described his attitude towards debate prep.

His demeanor brings to mind the reported intel briefing Bush received at his Crawford, Tex. ranch in [Month[ 2001 when, after hearing a cursory description of intel about al-Qaeda, Bush told the man, “You got that checked off.”

Trump’s arrogance knows no bounds. Once set upon an action, he would give even less consideration to critics than Bush did to critics of the Iraq War. He’s certainly not one who would consider the differences between Sunnis and Shias or how a foreign country will respond to defend their interests. He doesn’t even distinguish between American citizens are Hispanic heritage and Mexicans.

He thinks the way to gain power and respect is to project “strength” through visceral attacks. “Hit back ten times as hard.” He has said he’s the “most militaristic” candidate running. He even wants to “bomb the shit” out of Syria, kill families of terrorists, steal Iraq’s oil, and use torture techniques “worse than waterboarding.” He’s Bush on steroids.

The reverence conservatives showed for the government in the aftermath of 9/11 is close to that demanded by Trump. Criticisms and protests during the Bush years were viewed as “unpatriotic.” Americans had to “unite” because of 9/11 and then the Iraq War. If you opposed the war or pointed out that it wasn’t accomplishing its objectives, then you weren’t “supporting the troops.”

One can only imagine how bad the political correctness will be under Trump, famous obsessively for “counterpunching” at the slightest hint of provocation, with Hannity or whatever hack he picks as his communications director. Already Trump conservatives are outraged that anti-Trump protesters took to the streets in response to his Electoral College win.

Sure, there were some radical responses to Bush. The 9/11 Truther movement alleged that Bush caused 9/11. Some protesters depicted Bush’s face in crosshairs. Criticism of Bush by liberal media figures could be fierce–Keith Olbermann attacked him every night and once called him a fascist.

Such language is sure to see a resurgence under Trump, which will cause some conservatives to rally around Trump. But it’s no different than the hate some conservatives launched at Obama or Clinton. Obama was depicted on protest signs as a witch doctor. He was going to “bring back slavery.” Clinton was accused of murdering a number of people. The 2016 Republican nominee for president even suggested Obama was a secret Muslim and that he wasn’t born in America.

You’re either with him or against him. His critics are threatened with lawsuits and tax investigations. He even attacked Republicans who supported him but refused to “endorse” him and Republicans who neither supported nor opposed him.

There’s been no 9/11 since 9/11 (“Obama kept us safe!!!”), but now terrorist attacks that kill a handful of people are treated by the president-elect as reason to ban Muslims. If another large scale attack (to say nothing of more small attacks) happens, Trump’s response would be unpredictable. Make threats against random countries? Launch missiles erratically? He won’t want to make a “weak” response where he actually takes time to consider who was responsible and how it could have been prevented.

About the author:
*Mitchell Blatt moved to China in 2012, and since then he has traveled and written about politics and culture throughout Asia. A writer and journalist, based in China, he is the lead author of Panda Guides Hong Kong guidebook and a contributor to outlets including The Federalist, China.org.cn, The Daily Caller, and Vagabond Journey. Fluent in Chinese, he has lived and traveled in Asia for three years, blogging about his travels at ChinaTravelWriter.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @MitchBlatt.

UK Cardinal Says There Are More Homeless People Than Thought

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Those who are homeless, both those who live on the streets and those who move from place to place, need active charity from Christians, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster has said.

“A walk through these streets at night, or early morning will show what a problem this is,” the cardinal said, linking the response to homelessness to the Gospel imperative to show attention to those most in need.

He spoke Nov. 2 to the Caritas Social Action Network parliamentary reception.

The cardinal cited sustained increases in homelessness in the last six years, where at least 3,500 people in England and Wales sleep on the streets on the average night. Spending cutbacks on homelessness prevention and human services have strained charities.

In addition, there is the “hidden homelessness” of people who may have a job, but sleep on couches, spare rooms or bed and breakfasts because they have no home of their own. Some spend nights at different friends’ houses, or go to all-night parties to avoid sleeping on the street.

“We will be sitting next to such people on the tube and in our churches,” Cardinal Nichols said.

Preventing homelessness is a priority because it is difficult to stop its “vicious cycle.” For single men, family breakdown is a leading contributor to homelessness, and such a breakdown’s leading cause is financial difficulty.

“Then there is the scourge of drug and alcohol addiction,” the cardinal continued. “And of course, those without suitable accommodation upon release from prison are the most likely to find themselves on the streets, back in this vicious cycle.”

He praised the work of Catholic charities in aiding prisoners, providing shelters and improving family relationships. Diocese of Westminster volunteers work over 4 million hours each year.

“All over England and Wales, parishes and charities offer a range of support to people who are homeless: from extensive skills training, counselling, hostels and move-on accommodation, to simply offering a hot meal and clothing to those with nowhere else to turn,” the cardinal said.

“This is love in action, the corporal works of mercy, sharing the goods of one of the wealthiest societies on earth with those at its peripheries, the victims of economic and social systems which remain heartless unless enlivened by a sense of moral purpose and generosity.”

Such work is rooted in faith in God and in God’s grace to “raise our fallen nature to this steady and determined desire to create here a better society, one which reflects more closely God’s compassion and mercy, which we all so clearly need!”

Cardinal Nichols praised government focus on the homeless, efforts to secure affordable housing, and local funding for new approaches to homelessness.

He noted the importance of prison reform, given the link between homelessness and imprisonment. The cardinal also announced the release of a document on prison reform, “The Right Road,” which draws on expertise from Catholic charities, chaplains, and other relevant experts.

Sidney Blumenthal Says Donald Trump Won Election As Result Of FBI ‘Coup d’état’ – OpEd

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Sidney Blumenthal, former aide to President Bill Clinton and long-time confidant to Hillary Clinton, was interviewed on Friday on Nieuwsuur (News Hour) which is broadcast on Dutch public television. The introduction is in Dutch but the interview itself is in English.

Blumenthal says the decisive intervention in the election by FBI Director James Comey “was the result of a cabal of right-wing agents of the FBI in the New York office attached to Rudy Giuliani who was a member of Trump’s campaign and I think it’s not unfair to call it a ‘coup’.”

“Trump has positioned himself to be Vladimir Putin’s junior partner… His policy is consistently pro-Putin and I think that we will see, if his rhetoric is made into reality, that American foreign policy since the end of World War Two will be overthrown.”

The New York Times reports: Hillary Clinton on Saturday cast blame for her surprise election loss on the announcement by the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, days before the election that he had revived the inquiry into her use of a private email server.

In her most extensive remarks since she conceded the race to Donald J. Trump early Wednesday, Mrs. Clinton told donors on a 30-minute conference call that Mr. Comey’s decision to send a letter to Congress about the inquiry 11 days before Election Day had thrust the controversy back into the news and had prevented her from ending the campaign with an optimistic closing argument.

“There are lots of reasons why an election like this is not successful,” Mrs. Clinton said, according to a donor who relayed the remarks. But, she added, “our analysis is that Comey’s letter raising doubts that were groundless, baseless, proven to be, stopped our momentum.” [Continue reading…]

Suppose the Clinton campaign had stayed on track and there had been no FBI intervention. It seems much more likely than not, that Clinton would have won.

That campaign would now be a subject of analysis in which pundits were describing the keys to its success, alongside the reasons Trump had failed.

In other words, it’s easy to picture two versions of the Clinton campaign that are virtually identical, the only significant difference being on whether the FBI had stepped in.

Even though it’s reasonable to point out that the FBI would never have got involved in the first place had it not been for Clinton’s ill-judged decision to set up a private email server, that mistake itself didn’t appear to be an obstacle to her election until the FBI willfully reawakened it as a campaign issue.


Female Taxi Drivers Take To The Roads Of Dar Es Salaam

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By Kizito Makoye Shigela

Taxi driver Mwajuma Ramadhani adeptly steers her way through the crowded streets of the bustling Kariakoo business hub in Dar es Salaam. Suddenly, a motorcycle rider with two passengers cuts in, causing her to swerve abruptly to the right.

“You would have caused an accident had I not been careful,” she tells the rider, while he scowls at her, visibly shaken.

“I face these challenges almost every day,” says Ramadhani, hooting loudly at the rider. “I often ignore reckless riders like him. Just because it’s a woman behind the wheel, he’s trying to take advantage.”

As a female driver, 41-year-old Ramadhani is already among the few commercial drivers on Dar es Salaam’s busy roads, and she hopes to become her own boss in this city of about 4.5 million.

The sight of a woman from an affluent family driving her own car in Dar es Salaam surprises no one, but it is still a shock for male taxi drivers to see that they have female competitors.

Traditionally, taxi ranks in Tanzania’s largest city have been a male preserve but hundreds of female taxi drivers like Ramadhani are aspiring to own their own commercial vehicles under a new initiative – known as Women on Wheels – run by Africa International, a local organisation aimed at empowering women economically.

As part of the initiative, women are challenging traditional roles by training as taxi drivers and working in the male-dominated transport sector.

While women make a huge contribution to economies, whether in business or agriculture, they are often disproportionately affected by poverty and discrimination, ending up in insecure or low wage jobs, according to the United Nations.

Experts say that investing in women’s economic empowerment an help overturn this situation by setting women on a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth.

The Women on Wheels project, which draws inspiration from the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Grameen Bank initiative launched in Bangladesh by Prof. Mohammed Yunus to help poor people escape from poverty through micro-lending, aims to help Tanzanian women follow suit.

Women on Wheels offers technical skills and self-empowerment training to enable women to work in a highly competitive transport sector.

While the number of women driving private cars has been increasing, local analysts say very few have attempted to work as taxi or bus drivers due to the fear of sexual assault or being hijacked.

Martine Gabone, Africa International’s Executive Director, said the initiative is aimed at opening up business opportunities for low-income women in Dar es Salaam to work in the transport sector and earn a decent living.

“Training women in commercial driving will give them the minimum tool required to participate in transportation activities for their economic well-being,” he told IDN, adding that “the role of women goes beyond cooking and caring for the family, they deserve a better income.”

The six-month training, which is being coordinated by the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA), has attracted hundreds of participants.

According to Gabone, training is currently under way in Dar es Salaam and the trainees who qualify will be given assistance in securing bank loans for purchasing their own vehicles, with Africa International acting as guarantor of loans from local commercial banks.

“We will ensure that every woman who meets the criteria gets access to these empowerment loans and establishes her own business,” he stressed.

Richard Kivura, the project’s consultant, said that as part of its strategy Africa International is trying to increase the number of women running their own transport services as a way of addressing the existing gender gap in the sector.

Apart from the fact that “women are good drivers who always observe traffic regulations and are less likely to cause accidents,” Kivura said that the training, which covers driving theory and practice, basic mechanics skills and map reading, will enable women to be independent.

“The idea was to empower women to be a part of a driver ecosystem by developing a sustainable model and also helping these women grow as entrepreneurs themselves,” he said.

According to Kivura, the Women on Wheels project offers self-defence classes, as well as classes on gender equality, the legal rights of women and effective communication.

He noted that a similar initiative is also being implemented in Nigeria, in which low-income women are being encouraged to organise themselves into cooperative groups, learn driving and work as drivers in the lucrative commercial transport sector.

While high rates of crime in cities have pushed many women out of the driving profession, services such as Uber are beefing up safety measures through new technology, thus attracting more women to work as taxi drivers.

“People ask me how on earth can you become a taxi driver,” says Ramadhani, and “I just tell them that it’s my passion.”

Note: This report is part of a joint project of the Secretariat of the ACP Group of States and IDN, a flagship agency of the International Press Syndicate.

LeBron James Becomes Youngest NBA Player To Score 27,000 Points

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LeBron James continues to make NBA history. On Friday, November 11, the power forward became the youngest player to score 27,000 points during the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Washington Wizard. Before tipoff, he needed just 7 points to break the record. He put up 11 in just the first quarter, Fox 8 reports.

James is 31 years and 317 days old. The previous record was held by Kobe Bryant, who reached the milestone at 32 years and 160 days.

Kyrie Irving added a record of his own. He passed Campy Russell for ninth in scoring in Cavs history.

It’s been a busy week for King James. On Thursday, the NBA Champions met with President Barack Obama at the White House. They presented the President with his own Cavs jersey, took photos on the front lawn and snapped selfies with First Lady Michelle Obama.

The FLOTUS even joined LeBron and company for the mannequin challenge.

James holds a lengthy list of records, including first place all-time in career assists by a forward; only player with at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in a single season for at least seven seasons; and first place all-time for triple-doubles with at least 30 points in the NBA Finals.

Launch Of Instrument Suite To Assess Space Weather

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A multimillion dollar University of Colorado Boulder instrument package expected to help scientists better understand potentially damaging space weather is now slated to launch aboard a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite on Saturday, Nov. 19.

Designed and built by CU-Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), the instrument suite known as the Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS) is the first of four identical packages that will fly on four NOAA weather satellites in the coming decade. EXIS will measure energy output from the sun that can affect satellite operations, telecommunications, GPS navigation and power grids on Earth as part of NOAA’s next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites -R Series (GOES-R).

“We are ready for launch and are looking forward to a successful mission,” said LASP Senior Research Scientist Frank Eparvier, principal investigator on the EXIS project. “These extremely sensitive instruments will help scientists better understand solar events and help to mitigate the effects of space weather on Earth.”

NASA’s contract with CU Boulder on behalf of NOAA to design, build, test, deliver and scientifically support the four instrument packages is for roughly $105 million. The GOES-R satellite was built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. in Littleton, Colorado and will be launched on an Atlas V rocket built by United Launch Alliance, headquartered in Centennial, Colorado.

EXIS consists of two LASP instruments, including XRS, an X-ray sensor that can determine the strength of solar flares and provide rapid alerts to scientists, said Eparvier. Large solar flares, equivalent to the explosion of millions of atomic bombs, can trigger “proton events” that send charged atomic particles flying off the sun and into Earth’s atmosphere in just minutes. They can damage satellites, trigger radio blackouts and even threaten the health of astronauts by penetrating spacecraft shielding, he said.

“The XRS gives the first alert that a solar flare is occurring, providing NOAA with details on its timing, magnitude and direction within seconds,” said Eparvier.

The second EXIS instrument, EUVS, will monitor solar output in the extreme ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is completely absorbed by Earth’s upper atmosphere, said Eparvier. When the extreme UV light wavelengths penetrate the upper atmosphere during active periods on the sun, they can break apart, ionize and change the properties of the atmosphere through which satellites fly and radio waves propagate.

Fluctuations in extreme UV wavelengths from the sun ionize the upper atmosphere and interfere with communications like cell phones and GPS signals, said Eparvier. In addition, such fluctuations can create satellite drag, causing spacecraft to slowly fall out of orbit and burn up months or years before such events are anticipated.

“Modern technology has made us vulnerable to extreme variations in space weather that can have significant effects on Earth communications,” Eparvier said. “Extreme solar activity can cause problems for power companies all around the world, for example, in part because they all are interconnected.”

NOAA’s GOES satellites are a series of weather satellites that help scientists make timely and accurate weather forecasts. Two GOES satellites are now in geostationary orbit at a height of about 22,000 miles, with one focusing on the east part of the Americas overlapping with another focusing on the west. Satellites in geostationary orbits complete one revolution in the same amount of time it takes for the Earth to rotate once on its polar axis, allowing them to “stare” at a portion of Earth, said Eparvier.

LASP also built key solar instruments for NASA’s Van Allen Probes mission launched in 2012 to study Earth’s radiation belts, and designed and built a $32 million instrument package for NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory that launched in 2010.

More than 100 LASP personnel ranging from scientists and engineers to technicians, programmers and students have worked on the EXIS program since 2006. CU Boulder’s LASP will support EXIS on the four NOAA GOES satellite missions through spacecraft integration, testing, launch and commissioning, said Eparvier.

Each instrument package, roughly the size of a large microwave oven and weighing 66 pounds, is three times heavier than normal due to extra shielding that protects them from high-energy particle penetration. LASP’s Mike Anfinson is the EXIS project manager.

Even Physicists Are ‘Afraid’ Of Mathematics

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Physicists avoid highly mathematical work despite being trained in advanced mathematics, new research suggests.

The study, published in the New Journal of Physics, shows that physicists pay less attention to theories that are crammed with mathematical details. This suggests there are real and widespread barriers to communicating mathematical work, and that this is not because of poor training in mathematical skills, or because there is a social stigma about doing well in mathematics.

Dr Tim Fawcett and Dr Andrew Higginson, from the University of Exeter, found, using statistical analysis of the number of citations to 2000 articles in a leading physics journal, that articles are less likely to be referenced by other physicists if they have lots of mathematical equations on each page.

According to Dr Higginson, “We have already showed that biologists are put off by equations but we were surprised by these findings, as physicists are generally skilled in mathematics.”

“This is an important issue because it shows there could be a disconnection between mathematical theory and experimental work. This presents a potentially enormous barrier to all kinds of scientific progress,” Dr Higginson said.

The research findings suggest improving the training of science graduates won’t help, because physics students already receive extensive maths training before they graduate. Instead, the researchers think the solution lies in clearer communication of highly technical work, such as taking the time to describe what the equations mean.

According to Dr Fawcett, “Physicists need to think more carefully about how they present the mathematical details of their work, to explain the theory in a way that their colleagues can quickly understand. It takes time to scrutinise the details of a technical article–even for the most distinguished physics professors–so with many competing demands on their time scientists may be choosing to skip over articles that take too much effort to digest.”

“Ideally, the impact of scientific work should be determined by its scientific value, rather than by the presentational style,” said Dr Higginson.

“Unfortunately, it seems valuable papers may be ignored if they are not made accessible. As we have said before: all scientists who care about the dialogue between theory and experiment should take this issue seriously, rather than claiming it does not exist.”

India And New Zealand: Inching Forward, Gradually – Analysis

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While there are some important differences between India and New Zealand – in their conceptualization of the Asian region and membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group – closer political and economic links can help narrow these gaps.

By  Manjeet S Pardesi*

John Key’s second visit to India as the Prime Minister of New Zealand in the last week of October 2016 has a notable first. The India-New Zealand Joint Statement released on 26 October mentions the “Indo-Pacific” region, a first for New Zealand’s strategic lexicon. While India’s current and previous Prime Ministers, Narendra Modi and Manmohan Singh respectively, have both used this term, it had been absent from New Zealand’s worldview even as it is vigorously debated in Australia, New Zealand’s closest partner. The Indo-Pacific terminology has also been used by other major powers such as Japan and the United States.

At the core of this concept is the idea that Asia’s emerging strategic reality is creating a “new” super-region by blurring the boundaries between South Asia/Indian Ocean and East Asia. For its proponents, the creation of this super-region is being led by the phenomenal rise of China (as a South Asian and Indian Ocean power), the American “pivot” to Asia, the “normalization” of Japan (and its dependence on sea-lanes in the Indian Ocean for energy imports from the Persian Gulf), India’s “Act East” policy as well as the importance of the Strait of Malacca (and its littoral States) in connecting the Indian and the Pacific Oceans together with Australia.

However, this was not New Zealand’s view of Asia’s emerging strategic reality – at least not until now – for two main reasons. First, unlike Australia, which is both an Indian Ocean and a Pacific Ocean power by the virtue of its geography alone, New Zealand is located in the South Pacific and has no direct geographic links with the Indian Ocean. Second, New Zealand’s trade links with India – the largest South Asian/Indian Ocean economy – are anaemic. New Zealand’s total trade in goods and services with India was NZ$2.55 billion last year. This compares very unfavourably with New Zealand’s total trade with China (NZ$22.86 billion), Japan (NZ$7.24 billion), and Singapore (NZ$4.43 billion). From a purely economic perspective, East Asia is a far more important region for New Zealand than South Asia/Indian Ocean. While New Zealand recognizes the importance of the security of the sea-lanes in the Indian Ocean, Wellington has heretofore treated East Asia and South Asia/Indian Ocean as distinct strategic theatres.

So, does the use of the term Indo-Pacific in the Joint Statement imply a change in New Zealand’s worldview? While its very use signifies that New Zealand’s strategic community is rethinking the larger Asian strategic context, a closer examination of the Joint Statement reveals that New Zealand remains unconvinced for now for two important reasons. First, the term Indo-Pacific is used in the Joint Statement along with the term Asia-Pacific. The term Asia-Pacific largely ignores the Indian Ocean dimension of Asia by continuing to emphasize the importance of the States on the Pacific Rim of Asia. Geographically, India is not a Pacific Ocean power even as New Delhi has ambitions there. More importantly, New Zealand remains unconvinced about India’s ability to project power to the east of the Strait of Malacca.

Secondly, and more importantly, the 2016 New Zealand Defence White Paper makes one solitary reference to India (and this reference is in the list of the members of the ASEAN Regional Forum as opposed to any strategic importance of India per se). Contrast this with the 2010 Defence White Paper that noted the “rise of India … in the region and internationally”.

This relative lack of enthusiasm for India (in 2016 compared to 2010) is a function of the fact that India has shown a lack of imagination in terms of engaging the smaller States in region to the east of India (with Singapore being the exception that proves the rule). India’s recent diplomacy – in tandem with the “rise of India” narrative – has emphasized large powers such as the United States, China, Japan, and Australia at the expense of the smaller States. For example, even as Prime Minister Key had earlier visited India in 2011 and former Prime Minister Helen Clark visited in 2004, Rajiv Gandhi was the last Indian Prime Minister to visit New Zealand in 1986. While Prime Minister Modi visited Australia (and Fiji – with its large Indian diaspora) in 2014, he skipped New Zealand (although President Pranab Mukherjee visited Auckland earlier this year).

At the same time, while India’s economic diplomacy emphasizes investments and technology transfer, New Zealand would also like access to India’s large and growing market for its dairy exports and agricultural produce. However, no progress has been made on the bilateral India- New Zealand free trade negotiations while India is also foot-dragging on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership negotiations (which will emerge as a multilateral free trade agreement in the Indo-Pacific if it succeeds).

Nevertheless, there are some positive developments on the horizon (in addition to New Zealand’s use of the term Indo-Pacific). India’s quest for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) has woken New Delhi to the reality of having the support of small but important States like New Zealand. While New Zealand has some reservations about the admission of new members to the NSG, India and New Zealand agreed to work constructively on this issue during Key’s recent trip. Similarly, India has also expressed its gratitude to New Zealand for supporting India’s quest for membership in a reformed United Nations Security Council, including as a Permanent Member. Furthermore, there are even opportunities for India and New Zealand to cooperate on defence and maritime security issues, especially on Humanitarian and Disaster Relief operations in the Indian Ocean as well as the South Pacific.

Although New Zealand and India are geographically distant, they have overlapping views on the emerging regional order in Asia – with an emphasis on an open and inclusive region, a rules-based order, and ASEAN centrality in the region’s strategic/institutional architecture. In other words, while they have all the “necessary” ingredients for a closer relationship, New Delhi and Wellington must now get the politics and economics right for the India-New Zealand relationship to realize its full potential.

About the author:
*Dr Manjeet Singh Pardesi
is Academic Visitor at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), an autonomous research institute at the National University of Singapore; and Lecturer in International Relations at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. He can be contacted at manjeetsp@nus.edu.sg. The author bears responsibility for the facts cited and opinions expressed in this paper.

Source:
This article was published by ISAS as ISAS Brief No. 453 (PDF)

Turning Malaysia Off Inter-Faith Strife – Analysis

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By Maszlee Malik*

A series of incidents in recent years has been undermining the religious harmony that Malaysia has thus far enjoyed. This began the infamous “cow-head protest” in Shah Alam in August 20091 against a proposed Hindu temple in Section 23, which displayed unveiled disrespect and hatred towards Hindu citizens; and continued with three churches being torched in the Klang Valley in early January 2010.2 This was followed by apparent retaliatory arson attacks against two suraus in Muar in late January 2010.3 Then came the mind-numbing act of incitement on the 20 April 2015 by 50 residents in Taman Medan over the display of a cross on a newly minted church,4 followed closely by the unfortunate Low Yat fracas5 which led to the Red Shirt demonstration that further hyped racial tensions.6

Similarly, legal cases involving Shari’ah courts consequent upon the conversion of either spouse to Islam, battling for custody of the children have soured further the relationship between Muslims and believers of other faiths.7 The religious ambience further deteriorated with the “Allah” word usage conundrum

The public statements and actions by national Muslim leaders and state religious authorities have further exacerbated racial and religious discord and in some instances exhibited utter disrespect of other faiths and their adherents. A recent statement made by the Mufti of Pahang that non-Muslims who disagree with the proposed RUU 355 (or famously coined by PAS as the ‘Hudud Bill’)9 as ‘Kafir Harbi’ (Infidels)10 is a further gross aberration to the basic values of equality, diversity, mutual respect and harmony espoused by Islam.

The emergence of these issues may be piecemeal and coincidental, but the trend is threatening the very fabric of Malaysia’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious make-up. Many, including Muslim lawmakers from both the government and opposition camps have raised concerns about Muslim Malaysians imposing their religious beliefs more and more upon the minorities. There are also strong suspicions that this is the purposive “divide and rule” agenda of powerful parties working to rouse a siege mentality amongst Muslims, and these are borne out by the lackadaisical handling and condoning of these racial and religious incidents by the authorities.11

This paper will however have to limit itself to a discussion of the excessive use of Islamism in the public sphere, without denying other factors that surely deserve the same attention. I also propose three major steps that can be taken by concerned actors to limit and reverse this condition.

OVER-INSTITUTIONALIZING ISLAM

In the Constitution, religious affairs are under the purview of Malaysia’s respective states, headed by the rulers. It identifies these rulers (sultans of the states and the raja of Perlis) as the ‘Heads of Islam’ within their own territory. Sultans and Raja are present in nine of the country’s 13 states, while in the other four states and in the Federal Territories (Wilayah Persekutuan), the YDP Agong acts as the highest Islamic authority.

Religious authorities (Majlis Agama Islam Negeri) at the federal and state government levels oversee Islamic religious activities, and the Shari’ah courts. State governments through their religious authorities are legally responsible for the administration of mosques in the 13 states, including appointing imams and providing guidance on the content of sermons.12

The effectiveness of the state religious authorities in playing their roles and keeping their responsibilities has been increasingly questioned of late. The religious awakening among the Muslims since the 1970s raised their expectations concerning the management of Muslim affairs.13 Some have chosen to support the religious authorities despite their flaws whilst others have called for their total abolishment, including at the federal level, and for religious matters to become an individual matter.14

Many educated, practising and pious Muslims remain critical of the religious authorities, especially in matters related to family disputes where the courts are seen as either being too male dominated or inefficient in dispensing justice.15 Hence, when the Selangor religious authority made a ground-breaking decision by appointing female Shari’ah court judges (two as Shari’ah High Court judges, and seven others to the Lower Shari’ah Court),16 it was overwhelmingly welcomed by many. The Mufti of Perlis, has actively addressed the khalwat issue,17 the issue of child custodianship,18 the ineffectiveness of Zakat distribution, and other matters19 with opinions that many see to be contradicting the expressed thoughts of mainstream official religious authorities.

However, the discourse about Islam and Islamic law is a highly inflammatory and explosive one, and has to be managed appropriately.

Malaysians are presently witnessing reactions and counter reactions; and rivalries and hostilities between the pro-establishment and the critics. This generates further conflict within the country’s Muslim community.

To appease the Malay Muslim majority, the state and federal governments actively sponsor activities and programmes aimed at defending the religion and fronting themselves as the protectors and champions of Islam. They recruit and co-opt conservative religious scholars (Ulama), religious bodies, state and federal religious institutions for this purpose. However, some of their attempts end in failure, such as the rejection of a position in UMNO by the famous public preacher, Ustaz Kazim Elias.20

This further heightens the angst of some Muslims individuals and motivates their demand for de-Islamization of the state and federal religious institutions. Threatened by this anti- religious fervour, supporters of the establishments rationalise that the critics whom they labelled as ‘liberals’ are songsang (deviant) or a greater evil than the ruling government, because their uncompromising demands for the abolishment of religious authorities and religious institutions, is tantamount to waging war against Islam.21 There may be a widespread perception that many current leaders are corrupt, but the “conservative discourse” portrays the ruling government to be the lesser evil when compared to the liberals. These leaders are at least maintaining and protecting the role of Islam in the country, and their sincerity for the cause of Islam is evident in the various state-funded Islamic activities.

PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE

Reforming the Office of the Mufti

At the state level, the Mufti has a crucial and powerful role. He is both the advisor of the rulers on religious matters and the reliable reference for common folk on religious issues. In many contexts, he is seen as the state’s most learned religious scholar. Such influence requires that the office of the Mufti itself be wisely studied and reformed in all states.

Muftis who are academically more qualified are evidently wiser and more diplomatic in their public announcements, and are also more willing to engage in inter-faith dialogues. This is an important characteristic that needs to be exploited. Examples of such Muftis are the Mufti of Perlis,22 the Mufti of Penang,23 and the recent Mufti of Wilayah Persekutuan (WP)24, all of whom are university graduates, from USM, UIAM and USIM, respectively.

Tellingly, the Mufti of Perlis has often gone against the official line of most religious state institutions when commenting on contemporary matters; and both the Mufti of WP and Penang have held discussions at work with leaders of other faiths. All this amounts to a major milestone in Malaysia’s inter-faith discourse. It should also be added that proficiency in the English language, and international exposure especially in non-Muslim countries, clearly bring more sophistication in thought and action.

Popularizing an inclusive Islamic discourse

For deeper and more lasting effect, there is also a need for an inclusive Islamic discourse to be practised and for universal values and ethics to be embraced. It should be quite clear to Muslims that the call of Islam is not towards the homogenization of society into one single culture, identity or faith but for the observation and practice of good conduct and civility so as to ensure that diversity will nurture peace and serve the common good. Religious hegemony and intolerance in a pluralistic society will invariably result in conflict and nullify the claim that Islam is a religion of compassion, peace and freedom. Logically therefore, mutual respect and recognition of other believers and their beliefs should be sacred to Muslims, and sine qua non in ensuring a harmonious and peaceful community.25

To realize this vision, for a start, a neutral non-governmental and non-political platform is required to encourage Muslim scholars, intellectuals and like-minded academics with Islamic studies background to embrace this discourse. And once this discourse has been accepted among Islamic NGOs, joining with other faith and non-faith organizations in a collective effort to combat radicalism and extremism would not be difficult. Malaysia have many moderate, open-minded Islamic scholars, intellectuals and academics, but they have not enjoyed the space or the opportunity to mainstream their inclusive discourse of Islam.

Nurturing mutual respect and developing a culture of mutual learning

One major obstacle to understanding and tolerance across religious divides is in fact the ignorance about or lack of exposure to Malaysian society’s multi-faith and multi-racial essence. This has easily led to misconceptions, prejudices and distrust, which is a recipe for racial and religious discord.

Were ‘Introduction to religions and cultures in Malaysia’ made a core subject in schools and campuses, young minds would become aware of the plural nature of Malaysia and be sensitive to other faiths, and be respectful of them. It was not very long ago when the multi- ethnic composition of classrooms in the country facilitated a spirit of togetherness and muhibbah among various communities.

Other practical approaches to improve mutual understanding early in life among Malaysian schoolchildren from various communities include inter-school projects such as student exchange, teacher exchange, friendly sports, and cultural, intellectual, communal and other jointly organized events. Twinning programmes between schools with different orientations and between schools from different localities (rural-urban) would be another option, and practical and effective ones.

About the author:
* Maszlee Malik
is Visiting Fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Source:
This article was published by ISEAS as Perspective 2016 61 (PDF)

Notes:
1 See: “Malaysian Muslims protest against proposed construction of Hindu temple”. The Boston Globe. Associated Press. 29 August 2009. Archived from the original on 1 September 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2016; “Malaysia Muslims protest proposed Hindu temple”. Associated Press, 28 August 2009
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_attacks_against_places_of_worship_in_Malaysia
3 https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/122463
4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdrgkdt64Zw
5 http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/low-yat-brawl-how-it-all-started-65802
6 http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/red-shirt-rally-brings-out-malaysians-insecurities
7 See: “In Malaysia, Islam’s legal advance divides families and nation”, Reuters, 12 July 2014. 8 A controversial child conversion bill was drafted to address concerns over the fate of children when a parent converts to Islam. The bill would have permitted unilateral conversions of minor children to Islam with the permission of only one parent. When conversion is allowed with the consent of only one parent, the right of the converting parent to change the child’s religion is recognised, but the right of the non-Muslim spouse is ignored. Although this is allowed under sharia law in the states of Perak, Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Sarawak, and Malacca, the controversial bill would have allowed the practice throughout the country. However, the government withdrew the bill on July 5 following vigorous criticism originating from the opposition, civil society, and some members of the ruling party. But this does not soothe non- Muslim outrage as the clause still exists in the Islamic enactments in the aforementioned states. (See: Malaysia 2013, International Religious Freedom Report, retrieved from: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/222357.pdf, 25 August 2016)
9 The private member’s bill named Shariah court act proposes to amend the Syariah Court Act (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 was tabled by the president of PAS amongst others, aims to enhance punishments for Shariah misconduct, which would eventually allow certain hudud (Islamic criminal punishment law) to be enacted and implemented in certain states in Malaysia. (See: Pejabat Mufti Wilayah Persekutuan, Bayan Linnas no. 67: Act 355 Amendment Proposal: an Opinion, See: http://muftiwp.gov.my/docs/BL67eng.pdf)
10 http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/pahang-mufti-criticised-for-explosive-remarks
11 See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/in-recurring-religious-conflicts-muslim-mps-ask-where-malaysia-is-headed#sthash.AGPuYg6K.dpuf
12 Authorities at the state level administer the shari’ah through Islamic courts and have jurisdiction over all Muslims. Shari’ah laws and the degree of their enforcement vary by state and can be influenced by the respective religious departments. State governments impose shari’ah law on Muslims in some cultural and social matters, and generally do not interfere with the religious practices of non-Muslim communities. However, there is continuing debate regarding certain states incorporating elements of shari’ah, such as khalwat (close physical proximity with an unrelated member of the opposite sex), into secular civil and criminal law.
13 This increased religiosity of the Muslims has been expressed in other facets of daily living, including through market-demand, eg. KWSP Shari’ah, Hijab industry, Halal industry, other Shari’ah compliant industries, Islamic radio and TV channels, Islamic products in the market and the mushrooming of religious schools.
14 See the statement made by Tun Ismail’s son (Dato Tawfiq Tun Ismail) on abolishing JAKIM as an example (http://www.astroawani.com/berita-malaysia/bubar-jakim-kenyataan-tawfik-kurang- sopan-dan-tidak-beradab-perkasa-80236)
15 See as an example: Ahmad Mohamed Ibrahim, The future of the Shariah and the Shariah Courts in Malaysia, Ilmiah Publishers, Kuala Lumpur, 2001, pp.45; Zaleha Kamaruddin, Wanita dan kelewatan kes di mahkamah Syariah: antara persepsi dan realiti, Ins. Raihanah Abdullah (edit.), Wanita dan perundangan Islam, Ilmiah Publishers, Kuala Lumpur, 2001, pp. 38-39.
16 http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/the-first-two-women-shariah-high-court- judges-in-malaysia.
17 See http://drmaza.com/home/?p=2827.
18 The Perlis Fatwa Committee has decided that the custody of children born in a non-Muslim family where a parent has converted to Islam should be granted to the parent deemed more capable of raising the children regardless of their religion and of caring for their welfare. He insisted that such a view represents the true teaching of Islam, which emphasizes justice. (See: http://www.nst.com.my/news/2015/09/fatwa-child-custody-only-applies-children-born-non- muslim-family-perlis-mufti).
19 See http://drmaza.blogspot.my/2007/02/kuala-lumpur-distribution-of-zakat.html; Furthermore, His criticism of the Zakat institution rhymes very well with the lay Muslim who demands transparency, accountability and competency in the collection, utilisation and distribution of Zakat funds. (See: http://www.astroawani.com/gaya-hidup/10-hujah-jawab-viral-negatif-mengenai- zakat-109260.)
20 See: “Ustaz Kazim tolak jadi MT UMNO”, Sinar Harian, 4 December 2013.
21 Many Malays, whether practising Muslim or otherwise, would defend vehemently the ‘sanctity of Islam’ (kesucian agama Islam) against anybody threatening to ‘belittle’ or ‘undermine’ the religion.
22 Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin is a well-known for his non-conventional views and is applauded by liberals and non-Muslims who perceive them as the voice of more open-minded religious Muslim scholars. (See his official page: http://drmaza.com/home/).
23 As with the Mufti of WP, the Mufti of Penang, Datuk Dr Wan Salim Mohd Noor has been meeting with the state’s Roman Catholic bishop, Sebastian Francis, to discuss issues such as the lack of a common platform to discuss syariah and civil laws, the threat presented by the Islamic State and extremism.
24 Mufti of WP became the first state Mufti ever to accept an official invitation to visit the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Most Reverend Julian Leow Beng Kim.
25 Peaceful co-existence and harmonious cohesion with other religious communities is well documented in Islamic history beginning with the Prophet’s call in Makkah. (See Maszlee Malik & Musa Nordin, “Honour and Dignity for All Mankind”, Malaysiakini.com, 30 June 2016).

Brexit: A Sentence That Does Not Change (Excessively) The Horizon – Analysis

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By Salvador Llaudes*

On Thursday, the awaited -and severe- court sentence forcing the Government of Theresa May to listen to the British parliament facing the activation of article 50 of the TEU was made public. The accusation of Gina Miller, a British businesswoman, puts into effect the slogan of the campaign in favour of the exit of the United Kingdom from the EU: “take back control” (which made reference to the complaints about the lack of control by the British Parliament concerning what is decided in Brussels). However, despite the celebrations by many of those against the Brexit, it is very difficult for this judicial decision to mean a withdrawal in the process, although it can mean a delay in the calendar established for May.

The British Government (against giving voice to Parliament as regards this matter) has quickly decided to appeal against the decision made by the Supreme Court. At the beginning of December (hearings are taking place from 5 to 8 December) we will know the result of that appeal, and we will see if the British Parliament will finally be deprived of the possibility of having a real impact on the activation of article 50. It seems that the judicial adventure will end here, since Miller herself has announced her refusal to appeal (despite of the fact that she would have the right to do so if she deemed it appropriate) before the Court of Justice of the EU in the case that the Supreme Court considered to revert what the sentence of Thursday sets out.

In the likely case that the Supreme Court confirms the decision of the British justice, the Parliament, therefore, will then have something to say. The aforementioned Parliament is made up of the House of Lords (not elected) and the House of Commons (elected). Concerning the first ones, the sensible thing is that despite of their higher Europeanism, they do not try to carry out a block, and focus, on the contrary, to ask the Executive for more transparency and balance during negotiations for the exit.

Concerning the second ones, a rebellion of deputies against the Brexit is not expected. Mainly because those in favour of the exit have been able to generate a certain climate of opinion that considers that deputies (regardless of whether they are in favour or against the Brexit) must not vote against what the citizens of their electoral district have done, because in the case of doing it they would be “betraying them”. The ghost of the elections is watching and nobody wants to lose their seat if there are elections.

If deputies demonstrate against the exit of the United Kingdom from the EU (something much less probable), a strengthening of May’s leadership and her choice of a “harsh” exit from the EU can be expected. In that case, May would be tempted to look for an electoral exit. Polls point to a crushing victory of the Tories, with very weak Labour supporters, a UKIP going through an existential leadership crisis and Liberal Democrats that are not there and are not expected to be. In this moment, Theresa May has no rival overshadowing her.

Therefore, the sentence does not seem to change the situation essentially. Despite the fact that it is a setback for May, a dispassionate reading of the issue suggests that the chances of the Brexit being reverted are certainly slim. There may be delays in the activation of article 50, yes. The British negotiating ability may be lower than that May would wish for, yes. However, on the horizon we can only glimpse the exit from the European Union. It seems very difficult that Brexiters allow this opportunity to go to waste.

About the author:
*Salvador Llaudes
, Analyst, Elcano Royal Institute | @sllaudes

Source:
Elcano Royal Institute, Published on 10/11/2016 in The Diplomat in Spain.
Also available the Spanish version: Brexit: una sentencia que no cambia (en exceso) el horizonte


Croatia: Defence Minister Krsticevic Denies Bosnia War Crimes

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By Sven Milekic

Damir Krsticevic said on Friday that he is proud of the role that he and the Croatian Army’s Fourth Brigade, which he led, played in the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he insisted that they “brought peace and freedom”.

His comments came after the interior ministry in Bosnia’s Serb-led entity Republika Srpska revealed that it has filed criminal complaints to the state prosecutor in Sarajevo accusing Krsticevic and 15 other former high-ranking Croatian officers of war crimes.

Serbian newspaper Vecernje novosti reported that as well as Krsticevic, who is Croatia’s vice-prime minister and as well as its defence minister, the men accused include retired general Ante Gotovina, who was acquitted in 2012 by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia of committing crimes during Croatia’s military operation ‘Storm’.

The ex-officers are accused of committing crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995, during Croatia’s operations ‘Maestral’ and ‘Juzni potez’ (‘Southern Strip’), when 1,644 Serb civilians and soldiers were allegedly killed and around 120,000 people expelled.

Krsticevic responded however that the Bosnian Serb attempt to trigger charges against him and the other Croatian officers was a move by people who never wanted Bosnia and Herzegovinto exist, and who wanted to turn their wartime defeats into victories, destabilising people in Croatia in the process.

“To them, I say that they will fail,” Krsticevic said.

“I served Croatia and today it’s an honour and pride for me to be the defence minister,” he added.

Krsticevic was the commander of the Croatian Army’s Fourth Brigade, which took part in Operation ‘Storm, which defeated rebel Croatian Serbs in August 1995.

Afterwards, the brigade took part in the ‘Maestral’ and ‘Juzni potez’ operations, during which they took territory that had been controlled by the Bosnian Serbs.

The Republika Srpska interior ministry told BIRN that the criminal complaints were filed to the Bosnian prosecutor’s office some time ago.

The prosecutor’s office told BIRN that the Croatian state attorney had been informed of all existing investigations into Croatian citizens back in August 2014.

The prosecution can investigate the Bosnian Serb complaints or decide that there are no grounds for further action.

Vecernje novosti claimed that Krsticevic and the other accused could be arrested and interrogated if they enter Bosnia and Herzegovina.

But Krsticevic said on Friday that he will not cancel a scheduled trip to Bosnia and the Catholic pilgrimage site at Medjugorje.

Krsticevic on Monday cancelled a planned meeting in Sarajevo, which was scheduled for Tuesday.

The Croatian newspaper Jutarnji list claimed that Croatian intelligence agencies advised him not to go.

Krsticevic has dismissed this as speculation, claiming he stayed in Croatia to work on the state budget for the upcoming year.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Friday said he did not want to comment on the news before it was confirmed.

“We have nothing to fear. The Croatian Army was involved in the liberation of the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Greater Serbian aggression,” Plenkovic said, adding however that all crimes must be investigated.

Bosnia’s authorities are also investigating Krsticevic’s role in crimes committed in the towns of Jajce and Donji Vakuf in central Bosnia, where the Sarajevo prosecution says 32 civilians and nine Serbian prisoners of war were killed in 1995.

Kristicevic has also been under investigation for years over alleged war crimes committed in the western Bosnian town of Mrkonjic Grad.

Around 150 Serb civilians were killed there when the Croatian Army entered the country and fought Bosnian Serbs in 1995 following Operation Storm.

The arrests of ten Bosnian Croat ex-fighters on war crimes charges on October 31 has already caused a political backlash from Croatian politicians.

Now Comes The Hard, Fun And Vital Part – OpEd

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The American people have roundly rejected a third Obama term and legacy of deplorable policies that were too often imposed via executive edicts, with minimal attempts to work with Congress or the states.

This election shows that hard-working Americans do not want their country and its constitutional, energy and economic systems “fundamentally transformed.” They want America to be great and exceptional again. They want all people to live under the same laws and have the same opportunities, rights and responsibilities for making their lives, families, communities and nation better than they found them.

We the People also made it clear that we have had a bellyful of unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats, media moguls and intellectual elites dictating what we can read, think and say, how we may worship, what insurance and doctors can have, what rules, jobs and living standards we must live with.

With the elections over, the truly difficult tasks lie before us. Filling Supreme Court vacancies with jurists who believe in our Constitution, repealing and replacing ObamaCare, reforming the politicized IRS, DOJ and FBI, immigration issues, and fixing the VA and incomprehensible tax code are all high on every list.

However, abundant, reliable, affordable energy remains the foundation of modern civilization, jobs, health and prosperity. So these suggestions for President Trump’s first years focus on critical tasks that can be accomplished by his Executive Branch alone or in conjunction with Congress and the states.

As you read them, thousands of politicians, regulators, scientists and activists are gathered for yet another “climate conference,” this time in Marrakech, Morocco. They are shocked and despondent over the election results, and worried that the Trump Administration won’t support their agenda. They’re right.

Under the guise of preventing “dangerous manmade climate change” and compensating poor countries for alleged “losses and damages” due to climate and weather caused by rich country fossil fuel use, they had planned to control the world’s energy supplies and living standards, replace capitalism with a new UN-centered global economic order, and redistribute wealth from those who create it to those who want it. So:

Job One) Let the assembled delegates and world know America has a president – and a Congress – not a king. Suspend and defund any initiatives and orders issued under the Paris climate treaty, and send it to the Senate for Advice and Consent (and assured rejection) under Article II of the Constitution. Its impacts are so onerous and far-reaching that it is clearly a “treaty” within the meaning of our founding document, even if President Obama prefers to call it a “nonbinding agreement” to avoid Senate review.

2) Review the assertions, models, “homogenized” data, science and research behind the multitude of climate and renewable energy mandates – to see if they reflect Real World empirical evidence. Many, most or all will be found to be biased, wildly exaggerated, faulty, falsified or fraudulent.

The recent listing of polar bears as “endangered” was based on junk science and GIGO computer models that claim manmade global warming will send the bears’ record population numbers into oblivion. EPA’s Clean Power Plan assumes shutting down US coal-fired power plants will stop climate change, even if China, India and other countries build thousands of new coal-fueled generators over the next 20 years.

The all-encompassing “social cost of carbon” scheme attributes every imaginable harm to carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. It ignores the incredible benefits of carbon-based energy, and dismisses the horrendous impacts that abandoning these fuels would have on human health and welfare.

Every one of these EPA, Interior and other regulatory diktats assumes that CO2 has suddenly replaced the powerful natural forces that have driven climate fluctuations throughout Earth’s history – and ignores this miracle molecule’s role in making crops, forests and grasslands grow faster and better, with less water.

As reviews are completed, agenda-driven rules and executive orders should be suspended, rescinded and defunded, so that they are no longer part of the $1.9 trillion regulatory drag on job and economic growth.

Grants for biased research can be terminated, agency personnel assigned to climate programs can be reassigned, and those found falsifying data or engaging in other corrupt practices should be punished.

3) A recent White House report lists $21.4 billion in annual spending on climate research and renewable energy programs. That’s in addition to EPA and other federal agency regulatory budgets – and on top of the burdensome impacts the programs have had on families, businesses, jobs and our future.

Terminating biased, needless or punitive programs would go a long way toward balancing the budget and getting our nation back on track. Ending crony corporatist deal-making, power grabbing and enrichment schemes would ensure that The Billionaire’s Club and its government and industry allies no longer have access to taxpayer billions, no longer have a stranglehold on our energy and economy, and no longer get still richer on the backs of American workers, taxpayers and consumers.

4) Revise Endangered Species Act provisions and regulations to require that any listings, permit denials or penalties reflect honest empirical science – not computer models or baseless assertions. Exemptions for bird and bat-killing wind turbines must no longer be permitted, and ESA rules must be applied with equal force to all projects, not just drilling, mining, pipelines, power plants, grazing and timber cutting.

5) Approve the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines; end the obstructionism and finish the projects. Standing Rock Sioux Indians had multiple opportunities to participate in the review process, but refused to do so. Now they and Soros-supported radicals are preventing work, destroying expensive equipment, butchering ranchers’ cattle and bison, and harassing local families. This can no longer be tolerated.

6) Prohibit and terminate sue-and-settle lawsuits, under which activists and regulators collude to secure a sympathetic judge’s order implementing regulations that they all want. (Or initiate a series of sue-and-settle actions by energy and manufacturing interests against Trump agencies – and then stop the practice!)

7) Reform the 1906 Antiquities Act. Intended to protect small areas of historic or scenic value, it has been abused too often to place millions of acres off limits to energy development and other economic uses, by presidential edict. Losing Senate candidate Katie McGintyengineered a massive land lock-up in Utah that double-crossed the state’s governor and congressional delegation, and even President Clinton.

Congress must more clearly define its purposes, limit the acreage that can be designated by presidential decree, and provide for congressional review and approval of all decisions.

8) Reform the Environmental Protection Agency, and devolve many of its powers and responsibilities back to the states, under a consortium representing all 50 state EPAs. We have won the major pollution battles that EPA was created to address. Now we must devote appropriate funding and personnel to real remaining environmental problems – and shrink or terminate Obama-era agenda-driven programs.

Recent EPA actions on climate, air quality, human experiments, the Clean Power Plan, the war on coal, and “waters of the United States” were used to expand its budget, personnel, and powers over the nation’s environment, energy and economy. EPA needs a shorter leash, less money and a smaller staff.

9) Shrink the renewable energy programs, and jumpstart onshore and offshore leasing, drilling, fracking and mining on federally managed lands. America can again produce the fossil fuel blessings that lifted billions out of poverty, disease and early death – and created jobs, prosperity, health, living standards and life spans unimaginable barely a century ago. We should also encourage other nations to do likewise.

10) If President Obama finishes his term with a tsunami of regulations and executive orders, it should be met with similar suspend, defund and rescind reactions. Mr. Obama, congressional Democrats and their riot-prone base should understand that programs and rules imposed with the stroke of a pen, and without the support of Congress and the American people, can and should also be undone with the stroke of a pen.

The Trump Train Is Already Heading Towards Europe – Analysis

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By Daniele Scalea *

The “Trump Train” (once a Twitter hashtag and then a successful metaphor of the assertive, and to date unstoppable, reform wind blown by Donald Trump) is finally arrived at the White House. But this is very likely not the final destination of its journey. The Trump Train could soon arrive in Europe.

And it would be a return trip. As Donald Trump frequently referred to, his campaign owes a lot of inspiration from the Brexit movement. Surely Trump got in politics well before, but after June he’s started referring to his rise as a “Brexit plus plus plus”. And it wasn’t just a motivational motto.

The Trumpist and Brexiteer final arguments strictly resemble one another: a proudly nationalistic rebuttal of adverse fallouts of globalization, from industrial outsourcing to the (West)self-hating ideology of extreme multiculturalism. The Trump Train and the Brexit share also a common grass-roots social base of support, which are the White working and middle classes of small cities and rural areas especially.

Even if US society is still very different from the European one, the rampant globalization of last decades has made them quite close compared to half a century ago. Both US and Europe has experienced massive deindustrialization with a geographical concentration of the remaining high-tech industries in a few islands of happiness – few compared to the many rust belts of the Western world. Both US and Europe has seen a deep financialization of their economies. Both US and Europe has been overwhelmed by the new ideology of the so-called politically correct, a post-modern, constructivist, relativist and anti-Western set of theories and practices. It’s true: in the US you can find also the Bible Belt, but if we consider the European Union as a whole, we could see a Catholic Belt in its Eastern countries, opposed to Sweden (a European California) or London and Paris (European New Yorks) or in general the more liberal Western countries. Exactly as in the US, also in Europe the post-modernism is currently hegemonic in colleges and mainstream media, which are trying to inculcate it also in the common man, and the common woman – and the common *… Finally, the massive immigration flows of last decades in Europe are making her society more and more resembles the composite ethnic mix of North American society.

In so similar environments, it is predictable to find similar political trends and demands. Brexit- and Trump-alike movements are in high gear throughout Europe, with very few notable exceptions (as Spain, but maybe only because the Partido Popular is quite more right-wing than its conservative counterparts in other countries). The working class vote has yet largely migrated from the Left to the Right, whereas the upper class is now proudly leftist in majority. Larger cities are the liberal strongholds while the suburbs are swarmed by Brexiteer-style so-called “populists”.

You have read in every possible way how Trump prevail among White electorate by 60%-40%, losing among Blacks (10%-90%) and Hispanics (35%-65%). Surely we cannot trust too much pollsters’s statistics, but they are perfectly in line with surveys in previous elections. Now, take the Brexit vote: white voters chose Leave by a notable (and indeed determining the final result) margin of 53%-47%, which would be ever wider if it was not for the Scotland and Northern Ireland’s white voters, who had very particular and local-specific reason for prefering Remain. Anyway, they were not Scots or Irish the ethnic groups that by a larger majority voted for remain in the European Union. They were Asians (65%-35%), Muslims (70%-30%) and Blacks (75%-25%) instead.

No wonder if, looking into the foreign-born voters in Europe, or also second- and third-generation immigrants, we will find a clear support for the Left. And since those groups are now numerically very considerable in many countries, they can actually determine the outcome of an European election. Precisely as Blacks and Hispanics in the US have been decisive in the elections of Presidents Kennedy, Carter, Clinton and Obama, all with minor approval among Whites. Prompting White voters to move rightwards

With all these similarities in place, it becomes very likely for Europe to follow on the path already taken by US politics. Bets are open on which major European country will be the first stop of the Trump Train.

About the author:
*Daniele Scalea
, geopolitical analyst, is Director-general of IsAG (Rome Institute of Geopolitics) and Ph.D. Candidate in Political studies at the Sapienza University, Rome. Author of three books, is frequent contributor and columnist to various Tv-channels and newspapers. E-mail: daniele.scalea[at]gmail.com

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This article was published by Modern Diplomacy

Smartphone App For Early Autism Detection Being Developed

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What if someone invented a smartphone app that could help detect autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children as young as 2 years old? Could it lead to earlier detection and therefore better treatment?

A study co-authored by a University at Buffalo undergraduate and presented at the IEEE Wireless Health conference at the National Institutes of Health last month could provide the answer. It involves the creation of an app for cell phones, tablets or computers that tracks eye movement to determine, in less than a minute, if a child is showing signs of autism spectrum disorder.

Early detection is important

Early detection of autism can dramatically improve the benefits of treatment, but often the disability is not suspected until a child enters school.

“The brain continues to grow and develop after birth. The earlier the diagnosis, the better. Then we can inform families and begin therapies which will improve symptoms and outcome,” said Michelle Hartley-McAndrew, MD, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics and neurology at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB. Hartley-McAndrew, medical director of the Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Spectrum Disorder Center at Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, is a co-author of the study.

“Although it’s never too late to start therapy, research demonstrates the earlier we diagnose, the better our outcomes,” said Kathy Ralabate Doody, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Exceptional Education at SUNY Buffalo State College and a co-author of the study. “We offer many educational interventions to help children with autism reach the same developmental milestones met by children with typical development.”

Young author, strong team

The principal author is Kun Woo Cho, an undergraduate majoring in computer science and engineering. She worked with her research advisor Wenyao Xu, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in UB’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “This is an ongoing study on how to analyze ASD by monitoring gaze patterns. I used the Wasserstein metric, designed the system protocol, and visual stimuli using social scenes. This is teamwork, and I learned from my advisor and graduate students in the lab,” Cho said. “On all the research work, we are working together.”

Those lab co-workers and study co-authors are Feng Lin, PhD, research scientist, and Chen Song and Xiaowei Xu, PhD, students in UB’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

Eye tracking measurements

The app tracks eye movements of a child looking at pictures of social scenes — for example, those with multiple people. The eye movements of someone with ASD are often different from those of a person without autism. In the study, the app had an accuracy rating of 93.96 percent.

“Right now it is a prototype. We have to consider if other neurological conditions are included, like ADD, how that will affect the outcome,” Cho said.

The study, entitled “Gaze-Wasserstein: A Quantitative Screening Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorder,” was one of the top-ranked papers at the flagship Wireless Health conference this year, Xu said.

Social scenes elicit different gaze patterns

Autism spectrum disorder affects 1-2 people per 1,000 worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 1 in 68 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with ASD.

“The beauty of the mobile app is that it can be used by parents at home to assess the risk of whether a child may have ASD,” Xu said. “This can allow families to seek therapy sooner, and improve the benefits of treatment,” he said.

The study found that photos of social scenes evoke the most dramatic differences in eye movement between children with and without ASD. The eye tracking patterns of children with ASD looking at the photos are scattered, versus a more focused pattern of children without ASD.

“We speculate that it is due to their lack of ability to interpret and understand the relationship depicted in the social scene,” Cho said.

Use of the app takes up to 54 seconds, which makes it less intrusive than other tests and valuable with children with short attention spans, Cho said.

The study included 32 children ranging in age from 2 to 10. Half of the children had been previously diagnosed with autism in accordance with DSM-V diagnostic criteria. The other half did not have ASD.

Further research will include expanding the study to another 300 to 400 children, which is about the annual enrollment for new evaluations at Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Spectrum Disorder Center at Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.

Leading to a product

Xu called the research “highly interdisciplinary” because of the need for computer technology, psychology for stimuli selection and medical expertise for the application of autism screening.

“This technology fills the gap between someone suffering from autism to diagnosis and treatment,” Xu said.

Hartley-McAndrew said a lot of research is going into the use of technology to help in detecting autism. “We still don’t have a completely objective measure to diagnose ASD. The diagnosis is based on expert judgment. There are tests considered the ‘gold standards,’ but they still are somewhat subjective,” she said.

One benefit of the technology is that parents could use it at home to determine if there is a need for clinical examination. And, she said, the technology crosses cultural lines, and language is not a barrier.

“Nowadays, most people have a smartphone,” she said.

Kazakhstan President’s Japan Visit Focuses On Nuclear-Free World – Analysis

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By Katsuhiro Asagiri and Ramesh Jaura

Striving for a nuclear-weapons-free world holds a special place in Kazakh-Japan relations, according to President Nursultan Nazarbayev who on November 9 visited Hiroshima that suffered U.S. atomic bombings along with Nagasaki 71 years ago.

Nazarbayev was on a three-day official visit to Japan less than two months before it joins the UN Security Council in January as its non-permanent member for two-years until the end of 2018. In the first year it would be working closely with Japan before Tokyo’s two-year term in the Council comes to a close at the end of 2017.

2017 will also mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Kazakhstan.

While calling for “the consolidation of the forces of Kazakhstan and Japan and our joint initiatives”, he urged “world leaders to renounce nuclear testing in order to prevent another nuclear tragedy”.

Nazarbayev stated he had reached an agreement with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on undertaking “joint efforts for building a world free of the threat of weapons of mass destruction”.

Nazarbayev, who was awarded the title of special honorary citizen of Hiroshima, said: “Visiting the Memorial Peace Park of Hiroshima once again reinforced my belief in the importance we place on the field of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation initiatives.”

Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui thanked the Kazakh President, adding: “On August 29, 1991, you closed the Semipalatinsk (former Soviet) nuclear test site, based on the wishes of the people of Kazakhstan. You took the initiative to create a nuclear weapons-free zone in Central Asia and to announce August 29 as International Day against Nuclear Tests. You play a leading role in building a world without nuclear weapons.”

Earlier during the meeting in Tokyo with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, who hails from Hiroshima, Nazarbayev said: “Japan and Kazakhstan are leaders in the anti-nuclear movement. I am confident that we will jointly keep our work on this issue.”

“We feel sincere respect for your leadership since Kazakhstan has gained independence. The fact that Kazakhstan was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2017-2018 indicates your successful leadership,” Kishida noted.

Addressing Japan’s Parliament on November 8 in Tokyo, the Kazakh President drew attention to his manifesto ‘The World. The 21st Century’ tabled on March 31, 2016 at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington D.C.

Nazarbayev said: “The world creeps in a new nuclear age – potentially more dangerous and unpredictable. One of the most serious problems of the 21st century is the threat of nuclear terrorism, as well as illicit trafficking in nuclear and radioactive materials.”

He added: “An unprecedented crisis of confidence between the global players leads to the degradation of safeguards to prevent the use of nuclear weapons. Today, as never before, the political will of all leaders is required in order to reverse these negative trends.”

Nazarbayev pointed to steps taken by Kazakhstan to strengthen international security and stressed the importance of joint efforts to build a world free of the nuclear threat.

“We see an important task in the establishment of a global anti-nuclear movement. That is exactly the goal promoted by The ATOM Project that was proposed by our country. I invite our Japanese friends to support this initiative,” he said.

The ATOM Project – ‘Abolish Testing. Our Mission’ – is an international campaign designed to do more than create awareness surrounding the human and environmental devastation caused by nuclear weapons testing. It hopes to affect real and lasting change by engaging millions of global citizens to permanently stop nuclear weapons testing by joining together to show the world’s leaders that the world’s citizens deserve and demand a world without nuclear weapons testing, says the project website.

During the meeting with Emperor Akihito of Japan, on November 7, Nazarbayev emphasized close cooperation between the two countries in various fields, highlighted regular participation of the Japanese side in the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions held in Astana, the capital. The first such congress was held in September 2003 and the fifth in June 2015.

The Kazakh President underlined Japan’s tremendous contribution in resolving global conflicts and facilitating sustainable regional development. He stressed that Kazakhstan will take measures aimed at building a nuclear- weapons-free world and solving the issues of energy, food and water security in the framework of its non-permanent membership on the UN Security Council 2017-2018.

Later, Nazarbayev and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe discussed a wide range of bilateral cooperation, including political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian issues.

Nazarbayev noted that Japan was one of the first countries in the world to support Kazakhstan’s independence 25 years ago. Development of friendly partnership relations with Japan was on top of Kazakhstan’s agenda.

“We agreed to continue active political dialogue, increase contacts at all levels, ensure security of the region, facilitate trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, as well as collectively work against challenges of the modern world,” Nazarbayev said at the meeting of the two delegations.

“Kazakhstan is the largest trade and economic partner of Japan in Central Asia. The volume of mutual trade turnover in 2015 amounted to $1.5 billion. We have a potential to increase this figure and we will steadily expand the horizons of cooperation in the field of high technologies, agriculture, nuclear power, automotive and the steel industry,” the Kazakh President added.

Abe on his part emphasised that the two countries are closely working as co-chairmen of the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) legally banning all nuclear tests.

“I have an intention to continue to actively develop relations between Japan and Kazakhstan hand in hand with President Nazarbayev,” Abe said.

During the talks, the two countries signed documents, including the joint statement ‘On special strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Japan in the age of Asia’s prosperity’, memorandum of understanding between the Kazakh Ministry of Investment and Development and the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

In addition, an agreement on Japan’s participation in EXPO 2017 and a memorandum of cooperation between Astana International Financial Centre and the Japan Securities Dealers Association were signed.

Later on, the Kazakh delegation headed by the President attended a meeting with members of the Kazakhstan-Japan Friendship Parliamentary League headed by Chairman Takeo Kawamura.

Nazarbayev noted that the Parliamentary League is making crucial contributions to strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations. He expressed gratitude for the support given to Kazakhstan and the efforts being made to enhance cooperation, including the issues of nuclear disarmament.

“Next year, we will celebrate 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Kazakhstan. In addition, the exhibition EXPO 2017 will take place in Astana. We would like to use these events to strengthen inter-parliamentary exchanges,” Kawamura said while thanking Nazarbayev for the fruitful meeting.

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