Tuesday, May 5, 2015

The worst is yet to come.
Nepal still faces more deadly earthquakes in the near future, even after the magnitude-7.8 temblor that killed more than 3,000 people on Saturday.
OAK.CTX.LY
RELATED
Posted: 04 May 2015 06:57 AM PDT
Renowned carmaker Tesla motors, has entered the market of hi-powered batteries with its latest product- the Powerball.  Seldom do carmakers venture into unknown waters however Teslas’ clean business model of providing green hi-performance vehicles goes hand in hand with the Powerwall. The product as described by Tesla: “Powerwall’ is a home battery that charges using electricity generated from solar panels, or when utility rates are low, and powers your home in the evening. It also fortifies your home against power outages by providing a backup of electricity supply. Automated, compact and simple to install, Powerwall offers independence from the utility grid and the security of an emergency backup.
Tesla’s new offering is called the Powerwall, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is designed to be mounted in a garage or on the side of a house. The device, the size of a small refrigerator, will be available in three to four months, at a price starting at $3,000 for 7 kilowatt hours (kWh). The Powerwall can store power from a home’s solar panels, or connect to the electrical grid, storing up electricity when rates are low and providing backup electricity supply in case of a blackout.
Check out the full article here: http://bit.ly/1bJvh44

Obama choice Marine General Joseph Dunford as the next chairman top US officer

Obama picks Marine general as next top US officer
President Barack Obama will nominate Marine General Joseph Dunford as the next chairman of the joint chiefs, choosing an officer with battlefield experience in Iraq and Afghanistan for the US military´s top job.
If confirmed by the Senate for the post, Dunford will be drawing on his years fighting insurgents over the past decade when he advises Obama on the US-led war against the Islamic State group.
The next chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff will also have to contend with a resurgent Russia, China´s growing military might and looming automatic budget cuts that could create headaches for the military.
Dunford, 59, currently the commandant of the US Marine Corps, would replace General Martin Dempsey, an army officer who will retire after he finishes his second term as chairman in October.
Obama was expected to announce the nomination on Tuesday at the White House, officials said Monday.
The chairman of the joint chiefs does not have troops or weapons at his command but he acts as the top military adviser to the president and the defense secretary.
The job often carries hefty influence on matters of war and peace, and the chairman also is seen as the public face of the armed forces.
Officials said Obama also planned to nominate Air Force General Paul Selva to be next the vice chairman of the joint chiefs. The current vice chairman, Admiral James Winnefeld, is due to retire.

Selva is head of the military´s transportation command and had served as the lead Air Force strategist.
Dear Naresh,
Anshika wants Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to save Delhi from pollution. She’s asking him to plant 50,000 trees by World Environment Day.
“I refuse to leave my home because our government has failed to keep pollution in check. But I fear for my family’s health and life,” says Anshika.

.@ArvindKejriwal, Public Works Department, Delhi: Save Delhi from pollution- Promise to plant 50,000 trees by World Environment Day

anshika srivastava 
Delhi, Delhi
Over 1 lakh trees were cut in Delhi. The tree cover of our city has been reduced to 10% from the minimum 33%.
This has left me shocked and horrified. An estimated 10,500 people die every year in Delhi, directly related to bronchial and cardiovascular diseases!
And instead of saving Delhi from becoming the most polluted city in the world, the government and it’s agencies cut over 1 lakh trees.
Sign my petition and ask the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to promise to plant 50,000 trees by World Environment Day and save Delhi from becoming the most polluted city in the world.
Delhi has been our home and now doctors have gone on record and said that if anyone wants to remain healthy and safe- they should leave Delhi. I refuse to leave my home because our government has failed to keep pollution in check. But I fear for my family’s health and life. Sign my petition.
Winters in Delhi see more smoke than fog, summers are unbearable. The trees that were the beauty of this city were chopped down- some as old as 100 years. 52,000 trees were cut in our city by Public Works Department (PWD) for various projects until 2010 and they have permission to cut more.
Development should not come at the cost of our health or our children. Our lives and the lives of the children born in this city is reduced by 3 years on an average because of the rise in pollution. Buildings don’t help us breathe, trees do. Delhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal himself has fallen sick because of air pollution.
I demand Arvind Kejriwal and the Public Works Department to replant 50,000 trees by the World Environment Day on June 5, 2015.
Arvind Kejriwal, don’t let Delhi die.
The person (or organisation) who started this petition is not affiliated with Change.org. Change.org did not create this petition and is not responsible for the petition content.
This email was sent by Change.org to Nksagar_1@yahoo.com. You can edit your email preferences or unsubscribe from these emails.
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The Traffic Factories: Report Launch and Panel Discussion
On Thursday, May 7th at 6:00 pm, the Tow Center is hosting a launch of Caitlin Petre’s new report, The Traffic Factories, followed by a panel discussion with John HerrmanChad Matlin, andSamantha Henig.  Petre’s work explores how analytics shape the culture, internal dynamics, and daily work of the newsroom.
Columbia Journalism School Showcase
On Tuesday, May 12th, the Tow Center and the Brown Instituteare hosting the Columbia Journalism School Showcase. The Showcase is an open house event for students to share their work with professional journalists, industry partners, entrepreneurs, technologists, academics, and the public.
ON THE TOW BLOG
The Responsive City Initiative
Melissa Nally
On Tuesday, April 28, Tow Fellow Susan Crawford hosted a panel of civic tech advocates to launch a white paper titled “The Responsive City Initiative: What a University Center Could Do to Help.”  The white paper was generated from a series of meetings hosted by the Tow Center in the fall of 2014, which gathered together government officials, fiber Internet access builders, journalists, and others to discuss how a university center could help governments leverage technology to better serve their citizens.
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Learning Security: Information-Security Education for Journalists 
Chris Walker and Carol Waters
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7.4 quake, hit Papua New Guinea prompting tsunami warning

Image from earthquake.usgs.gov

M7.4 – NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude7.4
Date-Time
  • 5 May 2015 01:44:07 UTC
  • 5 May 2015 11:44:08 near epicenter
  • 5 May 2015 05:44:07 standard time in your timezone
Location5.503S 151.915E
Depth63 km
Distances
  • 133 km (82 mi) SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea
  • 196 km (122 mi) E of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea
  • 346 km (215 mi) SSE of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea
  • 408 km (253 mi) W of Arawa, Papua New Guinea
  • 680 km (422 mi) NE of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
A strong 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the southern coast of Papua New Guinea, US Geological Survey reported. A tsunami warning was issued for an area within 300 km of the epicenter, including the Australian coast, before being downplayed.
A large temblor registered 133 kilometers (83 miles) south-west of Kokopo, according to USGS. The revised data showed the epicenter to be 63 kilometers under the coast of New Britain island.
Development of North East —
UP CM : Education is very important for nation to progress —

UP CM : Education is very important for nation to progress

उत्तर प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री श्री अखिलेश यादव ने कहा कि शिक्षा के बिना कोई देश या समाज तरक्की नहीं कर सकता है। उन्होंने कहा कि विश्व में विकसित कहे जाने वाले राष्ट्रों ने सबसे पहले अपने देश के किसानों की खुशहाली एवं शिक्षा व्यवस्था को सुदृढ़ करने का काम किया, तभी वे आज आर्थिक तरक्की के इस मुकाम पर पहुंचे हैं। उन्होंने कहा कि उर्दू भाषा के माध्यम से देश की सबसे कठिन प्रतियोगी परीक्षा का सपना देखने वाले नौजवानों के लिए रफ़ीक़ुल मुल्क मुलायम सिंह यादव उर्दू आई.ए.एस. स्टडी सेण्टर में हर सम्भव सुविधा मिलेगी। उन्होंने उत्तर प्रदेश उर्दू अकादमी का बजट दोगुना करने का भरोसा भी दिया है।
मुख्यमंत्री आज यहां पारा मोहान रोड में उत्तर प्रदेश उर्दू अकादमी द्वारा संचालित रफ़ीक़ुल मुल्क मुलायम सिंह यादव उर्दू आई.ए.एस. स्टडी सेण्टर, लखनऊ के उद्घाटन अवसर पर अपने विचार व्यक्त कर रहे थे। उन्होंने कहा कि समाजवादी विचारधारा में विश्वास रखने वाली वर्तमान राज्य सरकार समाज के सभी वर्गाें को आगे बढ़ने का मौका प्रदान कर रही है। उन्होंने कहा कि धर्म निरपेक्षता के मार्ग पर चलकर ही देश को विकसित किया जा सकता है। उन्होंने कहा कि देश में परिवर्तन तभी आएगा जब सभी को प्रगति का पर्याप्त अवसर मिले।
श्री यादव ने स्टडी सेण्टर की स्थापना के लिए उर्दू अकादमी की सराहना करते हुए कहा कि इससे नौजवानों को अपने भविष्य को संवारने का बेहतर विकल्प मिलेगा। उन्होंने कहा कि आदरणीय नेताजी हमेशा समाज के सभी वर्गाें की भलाई पर जोर देते हैं, उनके नाम पर स्थापित हो रहे इस सेण्टर से उनके सिद्धान्तों को कार्यरूप में परिणित करने का मौका मिलेगा। उन्होंने कहा कि अखिल भारतीय प्रशासनिक सेवाओं की परीक्षा के साथ-साथ कई अन्य परीक्षाएं काफी कठिन होती हैं, जिनकी तैयारी के लिए पर्याप्त समय एवं मार्गदर्शन की जरूरत होती है।
मुख्यमंत्री ने कहा कि पारा, मोहान रोड कभी लखनऊ नगर का बाहरी इलाका था, लेकिन आज इस क्षेत्र में तमाम विकास कार्य चल रहे हैं। उन्होंने कहा कि आगरा-लखनऊ एक्सप्रेस-वे मोहान रोड क्षेत्र में ही लखनऊ नगर से जुड़ेगा, इससे निश्चित रूप से भविष्य में यह क्षेत्र और अधिक तेजी से विकसित होगा, यह लखनऊ का महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्र होगा। उन्होंने अल्पसंख्यक कल्याण मंत्री श्री मो0 आजम खां द्वारा शिक्षा के क्षेत्र में किए जा रहे व्यक्तिगत प्रयासों की सराहना करते हुए कहा कि उनके द्वारा रामपुर में स्थापित किए गए विश्वविद्यालय एवं स्कूल से छात्रों को कम फीस पर बेहतर शिक्षा की सुविधा मिल रही है, जिससे आगे आने वाली पीढ़ी लाभान्वित होगी।
श्री मो0 आजम खां ने कहा कि इस स्टडी सेण्टर की स्थापना से पूरे देश में अच्छा संदेश जाएगा। उन्होंने कहा कि उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार समाज के सभी वर्गाें एवं प्रदेश के सभी क्षेत्रों का जिस प्रकार से विकास कर रही है, वह देश के अन्य प्रदेशों के लिए एक उदाहरण है।
राजनैतिक पेंशन मंत्री श्री राजेन्द्र चैधरी ने इसे एक अच्छा प्रयास बताते हुए कहा कि इससे उर्दू भाषा के साथ अखिल भारतीय प्रशासनिक सेवा में बैठने वाले नौजवनों को राहत मिलेगी।
मुख्य सचिव श्री आलोक रंजन ने कहा कि आई.ए.एस. जैसी परीक्षा के लिए क्रमबद्ध तैयारी एवं बेहतर मार्गदर्शन की आवश्यकता पड़ती है। उन्होंने भरोसा जताया कि स्टडी सेण्टर की स्थापना से उर्दू भाषा के साथ आई.ए.एस. की परीक्षा में भाग्य आजमाने वाले नौजवानों को सुविधा मिलेगी।
मुख्य सूचना आयुक्त श्री जावेद उस्मानी ने कहा कि इस सेण्टर के लिए नौजवानों का चयन करते समय विशेष ध्यान दिया जाना चाहिए, क्योंकि शैक्षिक रूप से योग्य नौजवान ही प्रतियोगी परीक्षाओं में सफल हो सकते हैं।
उत्तर प्रदेश उर्दू अकादमी के चेयरमैन डाॅ0 नवाज देवबन्दी ने नौजवानों का आह्वान करते हुए कहा कि उन्हें हमेशा बड़ा सपना देखना चाहिए और उस सपने को पूरा करने के लिए पूरी ताकत लगा देनी चाहिए। उन्हांेने इस स्टडी सेण्टर की स्थापना के लिए मुख्यमंत्री के स्तर से लिए गए निर्णय की सराहना करते हुए कहा कि यह सेण्टर अन्य प्रदेशों के लिए एक उदाहरण होगा।
नदवा के प्रिंसिपल मौलाना सईदुर्रहमान आज़मी ने राज्य सरकार द्वारा स्थापित किए जा रहे स्टडी सेण्टर की सराहना करते हुए कहा कि इस सेण्टर के कायम होने से उर्दू भाषा को भी बढ़ावा मिलेगा।
Samajwadi Party's photo.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met this afternoon with IDF soldier Damas Pakedeh, who was filmed being beaten by two policemen. Also participating in the meeting were Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch, Israel Police Commissioner Insp.-Gen. Yohanan Danino and MK Avraham Naguisa.
At the start of the meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu told IDF soldier Pakedeh: “I was shocked by the pictures that I saw. We cannot accept this and the police are dealing with it. We need to change things. I heard that you said that you are against violence. This is important, this is the statement of a leader. You are an exemplary soldier and you are an example to others; this includes the fact that you called for a halt to the violence. We cannot accept inflammatory rhetoric, racism, looking down on people and the beating of an IDF soldier. We cannot accept this. The police will do what must be done to fix itself but we must also fix Israeli society because we love you. We love the Ethiopian community and all Israelis are in this together. We must act on the educational plane in order to change a norm in society. There is a deep problem here that needs to be resolved. This outburst is a result of genuine distress. We will fight this together. Much work remains to be done but this is the right direction. I am very happy to see you here. You are simply an example.”
IDF soldier Pakedeh told Prime Minister Netanyahu, “I oppose the violence that was directed at both policemen and civilians. What happened, the confrontations between the police and civilians, breaks my heart.” He told the Prime Minister that his mother passed away four years, due to illness, and that his father had passed away 15 years ago, also from an illness, when the family was still in Ethiopia.
IDF soldier Pakedeh told Prime Minister that he lives with his brothers: “I have another brother who is serving in the air force, as a computer systems technician, and he loves his job. We love our jobs and love to serve the country. We want to give of ourselves as much as we can and this is our goal.” He added, “For many years we dreamed of coming to the Land of Israel, all members of the Ethiopian community. We are trying to integrate as best we can in Israeli society and that they should recognize us. The Ethiopian community came to Israel via Sudan and lost many dear people along the way. It is time for us to unite. We must not quarrel. I hope that you will work against discrimination and racism.”
Israel Police Commissioner Insp.-Gen. Danino referred to the assault on Pakedeh: “On behalf of the Israel Police, I regret this incident and as the Prime Minister said here, when I saw the clip, which speaks for itself, we dismissed the policeman immediately. Usually this involves a long process but in this instance we did not wait.”
Photos: Haim Zach, GPO
The Prime Minister of Israel's photo.
The Prime Minister of Israel's photo.
Stephen Harper paid tributes
Prime Minister Stephen Harper paid tribute to Canada’s war dead at a service in the Netherlands this morning.
“The heroes who liberated the Netherlands, like the men and women who serve our country today understood that when there arises a great evil, a threat to all the things that define our existence as a free and just people, such enemies must be confronted,” he said.
He was joined by a few dozen surviving veterans of the battles to liberate northwest Europe, which culminated with the surrender of Nazi German forces 70 years ago.
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Competitiveness, climate, security Finn’s priorities Ministry of Finance release Finnish road map of EU presidency. Finland i...