A black box in your car ?
As America 's road planners struggle to find the cash to mend a crumbling highway system , many are beginning to see a solution in a little black box that fits neatly by the dashboard of your car .
The devices , which track every mile a motorist drives and transmit that information to bureaucrats , are at the center of a controversial attempt in Washington and state planning offices to overhaul the outdated system for funding America 's major roads .
The usually dull arena of highway planning has suddenly spawned intense debate and colorful alliances .
Libertarians have joined environmental groups in lobbying to allow government to use the little boxes to keep track of the miles you drive , and possibly where you drive them - then use the information to draw up a tax bill .
The tea party is aghast .
The American Civil Liberties Union is deeply concerned , too , raising a variety of privacy issues .
And while Congress can 't agree on whether to proceed , several states are not waiting .
They are exploring how , over the next decade , they can move to a system in which drivers pay per mile of road they roll over .
Thousands of motorists have already taken the black boxes , some of which have GPS monitoring , for a test drive .
This really is a must for our nation .
" It is not a matter of something we might choose to do , " said Hasan Ikhrata , executive director of the Southern California Assn. of Governments , which is planning for the state to start tracking miles driven by every California motorist by 2025 .
There is going to be a change in how we pay these taxes .
The technology is there to do it .
The push comes as the country 's Highway Trust Fund , financed with taxes Americans pay at the gas pump , is broke .
Americans don 't buy as much gas as they used to .
Cars get many more miles to the gallon .
The federal tax itself , 18.4 cents per gallon , hasn 't gone up in 20 years .
Politicians are loath to raise the tax even one penny when gas prices are high .
" The gas tax is just not sustainable , " said Lee Munnich , a transportation policy expert at the University of Minnesota .
His state recently put tracking devices on 500 cars to test out a pay-by-mile system .
" This works out as the most logical alternative over the long term , " he said .
Wonks call it a mileage-based user fee .
It is no surprise that the idea appeals to urban liberals , as the taxes could be rigged to change driving patterns in ways that could help reduce congestion and greenhouse gases , for example .
California planners are looking to the system as they devise strategies to meet the goals laid out in the state 's ambitious global warming laws .
But Rep. Bill Shuster ( R-Pa . ) , chairman of the House Transportation Committee , has said he , too , sees it as the most viable long-term alternative .
The free marketeers at the Reason Foundation are also fond of having drivers pay per mile .
" This is not just a tax going into a black hole , " said Adrian Moore , vice president of policy at Reason .
People are paying more directly into what they are getting .
The movement is also bolstered by two former U.S. Transportation secretaries , who in a 2011 report urged Congress to move in the pay-per-mile direction .
The U.S. Senate approved a $ 90-million pilot project last year that would have involved about 10,000 cars .
But the House leadership killed the proposal , acting on concerns of rural lawmakers representing constituents whose daily lives often involve logging lots of miles to get to work or into town .
Several states and cities are nonetheless moving ahead on their own .
The most eager is Oregon , which is enlisting 5,000 drivers in the country 's biggest experiment .
Those drivers will soon pay the mileage fees instead of gas taxes to the state .
Nevada has already completed a pilot .
New York City is looking into one .
Illinois is trying it on a limited basis with trucks .
And the I-95 Coalition , which includes 17 state transportation departments along the Eastern Seaboard ( including Maryland , Pennsylvania , Virginia and Florida ) , is studying how they could go about implementing the change .
The concept is not a universal hit .
In Nevada , where about 50 volunteers ' cars were equipped with the devices not long ago , drivers were uneasy about the government being able to monitor their every move .
" Concerns about Big Brother and those sorts of things were a major problem , " said Alauddin Khan , who directs strategic and performance management at the Nevada Department of Transportation .
It was not something people wanted .
As the trial got underway , the ACLU of Nevada warned on its website : " It would be fairly easy to turn these devices into full-fledged tracking devices . "
There is no need to build an enormous , unwieldy technological infrastructure that will inevitably be expanded to keep records of individuals ' everyday comings and goings .
Nevada is among several states now scrambling to find affordable technology that would allow the state to keep track of how many miles a car is being driven , but not exactly where and at what time .
If you can do that , Khan said , the public gets more comfortable .
The hunt for that technology has led some state agencies to a small California startup called True Mileage .
The firm was not originally in the business of helping states tax drivers .
It was seeking to break into an emerging market in auto insurance , in which drivers would pay based on their mileage .
But the devices it is testing appeal to highway planners because they don 't use GPS and deliver a limited amount of information , uploaded periodically by modem .
" People will be more willing to do this if you do not track their speed and you do not track their location , " said Ryan Morrison , chief executive of True Mileage .
There have been some big mistakes in some of these state pilot programs .
There are a lot less expensive and less intrusive ways to do this .
In Oregon , planners are experimenting with giving drivers different choices .
They can choose a device with or without GPS .
Or they can choose not to have a device at all , opting instead to pay a flat fee based on the average number of miles driven by all state residents .
Other places are hoping to sell the concept to a wary public by having the devices do more , not less .
In New York City , transportation officials are seeking to develop a taxing device that would also be equipped to pay parking meter fees , provide " pay-as-you-drive " insurance , and create a pool of real-time speed data from other drivers that motorists could use to avoid traffic .
" Motorists would be attracted to participate because of the value of the benefits it offers to them , " says a city planning document .
Some transportation planners , though , wonder if all the talk about paying by the mile is just a giant distraction .
At the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in the San Francisco Bay Area , officials say Congress could very simply deal with the bankrupt Highway Trust Fund by raising gas taxes .
An extra one-time or annual levy could be imposed on drivers of hybrids and others whose vehicles don 't use much gas , so they pay their fair share .
" There is no need for radical surgery when all you need to do is take an aspirin , " said Randy Rentschler , the commission 's director of legislation and public affairs .
If we do this , hundreds of millions of drivers will be concerned about their privacy and a host of other things .
Sobotka negotiating for ČSSD .
Social democracy is crumbling ; the Christian Democrats and Babiš ’ s ANO are holding talks and planning a common approach .
If the Social Democrats can pull themselves together in several weeks , they will sit at the negotiating table with perfectly well coordinated partners , who will bring to the table a completed list of demands including ministerial posts .
The ČSSD envoys will then either eat up the sour coalition grapes or give a nod to an unstable minority government .
After four days being carried on a wave of sympathy , Bohuslav Sobotka got into hot water for the first time .
He failed yesterday to gain control over the political board and most importantly to persuade the confirmed liars to resign .
So far he is the only confirmed negotiator for the party ; the other members of the team will only be allowed after the key meeting of the Central Executive Committee ( CEC ) .
I have apologised to members of the board and now to the citizens as well .
We shouldn ’ t lie , in our private lives or in public .
" It was a mistake , " said Michal Hašek after a meeting of the Social Democrats ’ senior leadership .
He added that he would not be clinging to the first deputy chairman post .
" I ’ ll announce my decision on 10 November at the Central Executive Committee , " said Hašek .
Deputy chairman of ČSSD Zdeněk Škromach and head of the parliamentary club Jeroným Tejc said something similar .
He did point out , however , that he had only been elected two days earlier .
Both MPs then declared that they would do everything so that the 50-member ČSSD club would speak in one voice .
Michal Hašek crowned this absurd theatre with the sentence : " I have been a member of ČSSD for 15 years . I have always been loyal to the brand and respected the decisions of party authorities . "
In other words , another lie broadcast live .
Or perhaps with the call for Sobotka ’ s resignation and his exclusion from the negotiating team he forgot that the August CEC , with 57 per cent majority , agreed to Bohuslav Sobotka being the party ’ s candidate for prime minister ?
The ČSSD head has however made himself a powerful army of enemies by only convening the CEC for the next Sunday .
His opponents have ten days to flood with emails the 192 members of this body and the media with a whole load of gossip and rumours , or to remind them of the real mistakes in Sobotka ’ s political career .
Dirty laundry will be washed strongly , with the dark signs of the alliance appearing between the coal baron Zdeňek Bakala and Sobotka ’ s wing .
The friendly relationship between Bohuslav Sobotka and the influential lawyer Radek Pokorný will be discussed .
Disputes will bubble up in the South Moravian and Moravian-Silesian organisation of ČSSD .
The Ostrava mayor and Sobotka 's ally Petr Kajnar issued these words of warning : " I 've signed Charter 77 so that the country wouldn ’ t be ruled by idiots . "
If the CEC were to meet this weekend , the liars would probably be forced to sacrifice ritually their posts .
The traitors will put on their sackcloth and ashes and remain. put
And then the currently winning head of ČSSD will end up with the nickname Bohuslav Pyrrha .
Martin Doktor on the problems with the Olympic Games in Sochi : Communication with the Russians is challenging
The corners of his mouth indicate a small smile and then he just takes a deep breath : " It ’ s challenging . "
Cooperation with the organising team for the Sochi 2014 Olympics is a little more complicated according to Martin Doktor .
We can forget about how it was in the last Olympics .
" Nothing works the same way , " says the head of the Czech Olympic mission .
What exactly is happening ?
A lot of things work more slowly and not so precisely .
It is kind of confusing .
In terms of invoices , they are relatively quick , in terms of supplying information on essential things , they are not so good .
For instance , we ’ ve spent three months trying to get them to tell us how they will officially identify the separate villages , so we can do all sorts of things in accordance with that .
We ’ re still waiting and they keep saying that they ’ ll let us know .
In many ways , they are always communicating .
Is the Olympic village built at least ?
But it ’ s no longer a catastrophic situation .
A month ago we were walking around empty rooms .
The houses are standing fortunately .
What does it mean , they are empty ?
Are the floors done , for example ?
Just the basic concrete floors , at least that is what it was like a month ago .
But they still have time .
Even though there is a danger that when we turn up on 26 January as the vanguard , we will still be able to smell the glue .
And if they don ’ t manage it , what will there be ?
Do you think President Putin would bring in the army ?
That 's exactly what will probably happen .
As long as the Olympic villages are not Potemkin villages .
It ’ s more likely that they won ’ t be able to fix the roads , for example , they won ’ t get the details finished .
Maybe the roads will be in such a state that we ’ ll have to take our wellies from the London games .
But I believe they ’ ll get it together somehow .
How many Czech athletes could be going to Sochi ?
At the moment there are about 78 of them , although depending on nomination criteria , that number varies .
Say , the figure skaters will probably go in the trio they ended up in .
There is no doubt about the skater Martina Sáblíková , but otherwise it is still in development stages .
Have you got another trip to Sochi planned ?
No , as long as nothing happens , I won ’ t be flying out until 26 January .
We know what the houses in the Olympic village will look like .
We ’ ve even measured certain things ourselves , so we don ’ t just put our faith in the sketches .
We are also planning a whole range of other things , including transport .
And what is the head of the mission doing 100 days before the Olympic Games ?
I ’ m preparing for the annual assessment of individual Olympic sports plus I ’ m working on my normal agenda in the sense of communicating with the organising committee in Sochi .
Putin promises green Olympics , his plan scuppered by huge , secret landfills
Fans of winter sports are already counting down the days to the start of the Olympic Games in Sochi , but others are watching their preparation with growing concern .
The Russian Olympics , although they do not start until February , are facing another scandal .
Apparently the Russians are not managing to fulfil promises that the preparations and holding of the games will in no way disturb nature in the Krasnodar Region at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains , where thousands of athletes and tens of thousands of visitors will be heading in four months ’ time .
Indeed , after the Vancouver Olympics , the Russians had the bar set very high ; the Canadian games went down in Olympic history as the most environmentally friendly .
It seems , however , that Russian president Vladimir Putin ’ s commitment to organise games with " zero waste " ended a long time ago .
AP reporters last week discovered a giant landfill of construction materials in the village of Akhshtyr , not far from Sochi .
Back in August , ecologists found and immediately reported a landfill full of construction materials , tyres , canisters and insulation foam .
The Russian authorities apologised and the landfill disappeared .
But not for long .
Last week , reporters were presented with a view of a landfill the size of three football pitches .
It was not the only one – several such sites have surfaced in the area , according to British newspaper The Times .
Russian Railways , a state monopoly , which is building approximately a sixty-kilometre track between the airport in Sochi and the sports resort , is working on the site .
The company , which has already swallowed up 280 billion roubles , is headed by one of Putin ’ s close associates , Vladimir Yakunin .
In August the railways defended themselves , saying the landfill was started by one of the subcontractors .
But local residents are desperate .
According to the residents of Akhshtyr , trucks have been driving around the village filled with waste materials day and night for three months .
According to experts , there is a risk that the waste is contaminating the local river Mzymta , other streams and the Black Sea .
" Water from here will contaminate Sochi ’ s water sources for the next ten to fifteen years , " Vladimir Kimayev from the non-profit environmental organisation EWNC told the British paper .
Illegal landfills are not the only problem for the Russian organising committee and the government .
The most expensive Olympics in history , they are just one long tunnel according to the opposition .
To compare : the Sochi games will cost 51 billion dollars , while the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing came to 43 billion .
Last year ’ s games in London cost just 19 billion and the Vancouver games nine billion .
Aside from the corruption scandals , project delays and fear of whether there will eventually be enough snow , reports have also appeared that when working on construction of the sports venues and infrastructure , the human rights have not been observed .
Last month , one of the workers sewed his mouth shut in protest at not being paid for two months .
Many people are also concerned about how the Russian organisers will cope with the new law banning the promotion of homosexuality .
Some visitors are planning to support Russian gays at the Olympics .
Young couple take advantage of living with parents , the new house offers privacy to both generations
Japanese studio Tai and Associates was given the task of designing a house on a plot lying on the corner of two streets , where the ground itself is slightly sloping .
The request also said that there would be two generations living in the house who wanted to live together but at the same time each should have their own clearly separate space .
The young couple also needed a small office .
The house stands on the corner of two streets and on slightly sloping land .
Architects therefore decided to put each household on one floor of the house .
" In creating the design we respected the family ties , history and memories associated with the site . "
" Three separate functions of the house are connected with several paths through the exterior of the object , so they are all aware of the presence of the others , but they still have their privacy , " explain the designers .
The parents ’ household is on the garden level with an old pine tree , to which family traditions and memories are linked .
The separate parts of the house are easily recognisable from outside ; they differ with the varied final finish of the façades .
While the main segment of the building is made of concrete , the surface was made using panels of planks ; the part where the office is , is whitewashed , and the remaining elements remained pure concrete with no further modifications .
Many walls of the house are completely glazed , thanks to which the interior of the house is strongly connected with the exterior .
The parents ’ household , more precisely the kitchen , dining room and living room , is surrounded by a small garden with tree , which has great significance for the family .
The connection of the interior with the exterior is highlighted with a side wall which starts in the garden and continues all the way to the living room .
The kitchen space in the young couple ’ s household .
The young couple enter the house by the main entrance to the hall and from there they go up the stairs to their space .
The stairs are actually a dominant feature of the interior of the house .
Their construction allows plenty of natural light to fall through them in cascades .
This is how the architects tried to differentiate the house from others and impart something unique to it .
The household of the young couple is treated as a single open space with a kitchen section , dining room and living room together .
It is separated from the terrace by a glass wall with sliding doors .
The living zone with the dining room and kitchen section in the household of the young couple .
The second floor is composed as one large , open space , which freely goes to the terrace , from which there is a lovely view of Tokyo Bay .
The separate office on the top floor is designed in a clean combination of white and black .
The staircase is a dominant feature of the house ’ s interior .
The young couple enter the house by the main entrance , find themselves in the entrance hall , and from there climb up the stairs .
Defend academic freedom , it applies to Zeman and the ODS .
In recent months , through open letters , I have repeatedly urged students , educators and heads of secondary schools and universities in several regions to defend academic freedom against the election campaign carried out at schools by president Miloš Zeman .
I met with varying degrees of success .
In return , the Rector of Masaryk University in Brno , who declined a lecture from the honorary chairman of SPOZ – Zeman ’ s people in the pre-election period , was not invited to the celebration of the national day of the Czech Republic .
Here is a list of school representatives who were not so brave and allowed Miloš Zeman to visit : Brno University of Technology , Hladnov Grammar School in Ostrava , Business School Ostrava , Kolín Business Academy , Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem .
Now in Pardubice we are encountering the continuation of promoting the policy at universities .
The newly elected ODS MP , dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Pardubice , Simeon Karamazov , is refusing to step down from his academic post and he thinks this is normal .
Professor Karamazov , it really is not the same thing as you were staying , for example , in the post of mayor of a small town .
Do you want to join the ranks of ČSSD governors who are holding the posts of MP and governor at the same time and just like them degrade both occupations ?
In this way you are telling people that handling both these challenging posts is a piece of cake .
I know , we have the example of Michal Hašek here , who can actually handle several dozen posts at once .
That is not exactly the example of a person you should follow , however .
We can also find a contrasting and positive example of Doctor Štěpánka Fraňková , who preferred to leave her post as MP so she could devote herself fully to leading the city of Pardubice .
The main reason for my recommendation to leave the post of dean , however , is that holding the concurrent posts , you are breaching the apolitical nature of the academic environment of the University of Pardubice .
The leadership of the Pardubice ODS see your current work in both posts as an advantage for the university .
However , you will be able to help " your " school even without remaining dean .
I think your students will also have a similar opinion as I have and Rector Miroslav Ludwig .
Consider your resignation therefore again , and save face .
Otherwise it may happen that your days will be numbered in the next election .
And it might not take that long .
Cabbage bubbling in Kunovice , with no chemicals being added
Slovácká Fruta Kunovice , which is a part of the food processing group Hamé , wants to produce over one thousand tonnes of sauerkraut in the following months .
The season began here in October and will last for around six months .
They have been making healthy snacks here since 1925 , still using the traditional method of treading directly in large tanks .
In the modern industrial age it is a rarity .
Our staff tread a route of almost ten kilometres per shift .
In each of the ten tanks you can fit fifteen to thirty tonnes of cabbage , filling one takes three shifts , " says director of the Slovácká Fruta factory David Kladroba .
The cabbage is brought to the factory directly from the company 's fields by farmers mainly from Ostrožsko and Břeclavsko regions .
Fruta staff then clean the vegetables , remove the stalks and throw them into the cutting machine .
From there , the cut cabbage falls into six-metre deep pools , in which our treaders work tirelessly , dressed in white clothes and boots .
This displaces the unwanted air .
The last trodden layer of cabbage is covered with a tarpaulin and weighed down with water .
" The cut cabbage is then matured for six to eight weeks undergoing spontaneous lactic fermentation with no added substances to support the fermentation , " emphasises Kladroba .
The natural process matches production process at home , with staff sprinkling salt and caraway seeds on the individual layers .
After fermentation , the cabbage goes to the filling line .
It is packaged in a sweet and sour pickling liquid in bags or jars and undergoes sterilisation .
Hamé group supplies sauerkraut mainly to the domestic and Slovak markets .
There is also interest registered in several other countries , such as the United Kingdom , Ireland and Canada .
Snowden ready to " cooperate " with Germany over US surveillance
Edward Snowden , the US intelligence whistleblower , has declared that he is willing to travel to Berlin to give evidence to the German parliament if the US National Security Agency and its director Keith Alexander fail to provide answers about its activities .
German MP Hans-Christian Ströbele on Thursday met Mr Snowden in Russia , where he has been granted asylum , to discuss him testifying in Germany .
A letter from Mr Snowden , presented to the media in Berlin on Friday by the MP , said : " Though the outcome of my efforts has been demonstrably positive , my government continues to treat dissent as defection , and seeks to criminalise political speech with felony charges that provide no defence . "
However , speaking the truth is not a crime .
In the letter , Mr Snowden said he believed the support of the international community could persuade the US government to abandon criminal charges against him .
The charges filed by the US justice department include espionage and theft of government property .
Hans-Peter Friedrich , German interior minister , told Zeit Online : " If Mr Snowden is ready to speak to German officials , we will find ways to make this possible . "
Relations between the US and Germany have come under strain following claims that the NSA bugged Chancellor Angela 's Merkel 's phone .
Thomas Oppermann , the MP who heads the parliamentary panel that oversees intelligence , said that if there were an opportunity to hear Mr Snowden as a witness " without bringing him into danger and completely ruining relations with the US , " it should be taken .
Mr Ströbele , an MP for Germany 's Green party , published a picture of himself with Mr Snowden on his Twitter feed .
He was accompanied on his visit to Russia by two German journalists .
Mr Ströbele said that , according to the former NSA contractor 's lawyer , Mr Snowden would not be able to return to Russia if he left .
If Mr Snowden testified in Germany he would need assurances that he would be " safe " there , the MP said .
Mr Snowden said in his letter that he had faced a " severe and sustained " campaign of persecution that forced him from his home .
However he said that he was heartened by the worldwide response to " my act of political expression . "
Citizens around the world as well as high officials - including in the United States - have judged the revelation of an unaccountable system of pervasive surveillance to be a public service .
The letter extends an offer to cooperate with German authorities " when the difficulties of this humanitarian situation have been resolved . "
We are sorry about the killing , but we are innocent , say representatives of Khmer Rouge
Nuon Chea was number two in the hierarchy of the Khmer Rouge and Khieu Samphan is the former head of state .
During the government of the Khmer Rouge , which in the years from 1975 to 1979 was based on a mixture of Maoism and nationalism , more than three million Cambodians lost their lives as a result of exhaustion , hunger , disease , torture and executions , at least a quarter of the population at the time .
The International Criminal Tribunal for Cambodia sentenced this commander of the notorious S-21 prison to life in 2010 .
Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan are accused of genocide and crimes against humanity , including torture , enslavement and murder .
Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan claimed that they believed they were acting in the best interest of the nation and they had no idea what the real extent of the killing was .
" It ’ s easy to say that I should have known everything , understood everything and intervened and fixed the situation , " said Khieu Samphan on Thursday before the court .
Do you really think I wanted this to happen to my people ?
The fact is that I had no power , " he added .
Nuon Chea said that he never ordered Khmer Rouge cadres to " mistreat or kill people , to deny them food or commit genocide . "
He did , however , admit " moral responsibility " for the dead .
" I would like to sincerely apologise to the public , the victims , their families , all the Cambodian people , " he said .
Fifty-five year old Bin Sivla , who lost eleven relatives in the Khmer Rouge regime , told the AFP that she cannot accept Nuon Chea ’ s apology . "
" He lied to us . "
" He just wants to be acquitted . "
" He doesn ’ t care about others , " she declared .
" If he hadn ’ t issued orders , his subordinates would not have killed , " she added , saying that the leaders of Khmer Rouge are " worse than monsters . "
The " Foreign Minister " of the Khmer Rouge , Ieng Sary , was to have stood before the court too , but he died this March .
His wife Ieng Thirith , then Minister of Social Affairs , was found unfit to stand trial due to dementia by the court in September 2012 .
The leader of the Khmer Rouge , Pol Pot , died in 1998 .
Frontier Airlines to charge for carry-on baggage
Frontier Airlines plans to charge up to $ 100 for passengers to store carry-on luggage on board their flight .
Frontier Airlines plans to start charging up to $ 100 for a carry-on bag and $ 2 for coffee or soda , although its announcement on Wednesday did say that passengers will get to keep the whole can .
The new carry-on fee is for bags in the overhead bin , so small bags under the seat will still be free .
Frontier said it will charge $ 25 if the fee is paid in advance , $ 100 if travelers wait to pay until they 're at the gate .
Frontier spokeswoman Kate O 'Malley said the $ 100 fee is to get travelers to take care of the charge in advance .
" We don 't want to charge that , " she said .
Airlines began charging for the first and second checked bags in 2008 .
Passengers trying to avoid those fees have been stuffing as much as they can into carry-on baggage stashed in overhead bins , meaning those bins often run out of space .
Fees are one way to get passengers to bring less on board .
O 'Malley said the new charge is not really about raising money .
It 's about Frontier 's most loyal customers making it very clear that finding overhead bin space has become increasingly difficult .
Passengers who buy their tickets on the airline 's website won 't have to pay .
That means one passenger in line at a Frontier gate might get to bring a bag on for free , while the next person in line might owe $ 100 for a similar bag .
O 'Malley said Frontier 's website and check-in procedures are being changed to make sure passengers know about the fee before they get to the gate .
Frontier 's new carry-on fee won 't start until summer , though a date hasn 't been set .
Passengers often grumble about baggage charges and other fees , but airlines love them .
They argue that luggage costs money to handle , and passengers who want the service should pay for it .
Many on Wall Street view the addition of baggage fees as a sign that airlines are charging enough money to cover the cost of air travel after years of losses .
Most haven 't touched carry-on bag fees , though .
Spirit Airlines Inc. started the first carry-on fee three years ago , and fellow discounter Allegiant Air later followed .
The only other airline with such a fee is Hungary 's Wizz Air , said airline consultant Jay Sorensen , who closely tracks add-on fees .
He estimated in a December 2011 report that Spirit 's carry-on fee brings in $ 50 million a year .
Sorensen , a former executive with Midwest Airlines , flew Spirit recently and wondered what he 'd find at the gate as passengers encountered Spirit 's unusual carry-on bag fee .
" The boarding process was the smoothest I had seen in my airline career , " he said .
I was expecting to see gnashing of teeth and a fight breaking out at the gate .
The plane was full , he said , " and it boarded lickety-split . "
Frontier is also following Spirit 's $ 2 charge for coffee , tea , soda , or juice .
Frontier said passengers who get soda or juice can keep the whole can , and it will give coffee refills for free .
It will still give away water .
US Airways briefly tried charging for beverages in 2008 but backed down seven months later after passengers complained and no other major airline followed .
Frontier 's move to charge the carry-on fee if passengers don 't buy direct from the airline is its latest effort to steer customers toward its own website .
Airlines pay online travel sellers such as Orbitz $ 10 to $ 25 for each ticket sold .
That has given all airlines an incentive to steer passengers to buy directly from them instead of going through an online travel agency .
Frontier has gone the furthest in this area , though .
In September it began giving half as many frequent flier miles to customers who bought through an online travel agency .
On Wednesday it slashed the mileage award to 25 percent of the miles of the trip .
So , a 1,000 mile Frontier trip purchased from an online travel agency would earn 250 miles .
It also allows passengers to choose their seat in advance only if they buy directly from the Frontier website .
Frontier has a loyal base of customers in its home city of Denver , but its business is shrinking and losing money .
Revenue dropped 9 percent and its flying capacity shrank almost 13 percent in the first quarter , according to financial results released Wednesday by corporate parent Republic Airways Holdings Inc .
Republic has been trying to fix Frontier 's finances as part of selling the airline .
NSA Blames " Internal Error , " Not Hackers , For Website Crash
The shadowy National Security Agency said late Friday that it was a glitch that brought down its public website for a few hours , not hackers as some claimed online .
" NSA.gov was not accessible for several hours tonight because of an internal error that occurred during a scheduled update , " the spy agency said in an emailed statement .
The issue will be resolved this evening .
Claims that the outage was caused by a distributed denial of service [ DDoS ] attack are not true .
Earlier this evening online server trackers noted the NSA 's website had been down for at least six hours , and the site continues to be inaccessible for some users .
Earlier an NSA spokesperson told ABC News the agency 's internal , sensitive network was " not at all " compromised .
No classified information is in danger , the spokesperson said .
At least one hacktivist group online claimed that they were responsible for bringing down the NSA site with a DDoS attack .
DDoS attacks are designed to flood a target website with traffic until the servers are overloaded and the site collapses .
The cyber tactic is a relatively unsophisticated one and the attacks are not meant to penetrate the internal network of the target system .
The formerly super secretive NSA , once nicknamed No Such Agency , has found itself in very public light , and amid vicious criticism , in past months following a stream of revelations about is vast foreign and domestic surveillance programs - collectively the product of secret NSA files stolen from the agency and leaked by disenchanted former NSA contractor Edward Snowden .
Such growing controversy surrounding the agency prompted early speculation that tonight 's incident was the result of a targeted cyber operation .
Bombardier profit dips as plane deliveries , orders fall
Canadian plane and train maker Bombardier Inc reported a 15 percent fall in net profit on Thursday , pressured by fewer aircraft orders and deliveries in the third quarter and contract issues in its train unit .
Montreal-based Bombardier also did not release any flight test data for its brand-new CSeries aircraft or offer an update on whether the plane will meet its ambitious schedule of going into commercial service by next September .
After the test plane 's inaugural flight about a month and a half ago , it has only flown three more times , raising questions over whether the testing phase is on track .
Results fell short of forecasts and sent shares sliding more than 8 percent on the Toronto Stock Exchange .
Cameron Doerksen , an analyst with National Bank Financial , lowered his rating to " sector perform " from " outperform " on Thursday with the view that the stock has limited upside over the next one or two quarters .
" While the weaker aircraft deliveries were mostly anticipated , we are clearly disappointed by the margin performance in transportation , " Doerksen said in a client note .
We believe that Bombardier will receive new orders for the CSeries as the flight test program progresses .
However , if no new orders are announced in the coming months , we suspect that the market will become more skeptical of the program .
Bombardier hopes the CSeries aircraft family can catapult it into the low end of a market now dominated by Boeing and Airbus .
The first test plane was unveiled in March and took flight for the first time in September after months of delays .
But firm orders for the CSeries are moderate so far at 177 as potential buyers wait for flight test results to validate the company 's claims about the new jetliner 's fuel efficiency and cost savings potential .
There are currently 403 total orders and commitments with 15 customers and operators .
Chief Executive Officer Pierre Beaudoin was confident Bombardier would meet its 300 firm order target by the time the first jet is put into commercial use .
Executives also reassured analysts and media on Thursday the program was progressing according to schedule .
" The test plane didn 't stay on the ground longer than anticipated , " Beaudoin said in a conference call , adding that ground tests and software updates were scheduled during the plane 's downtime .
Every manufacturer schedules it in a different way .
We had decided to do a first flight and to do an update period and that 's what we have done .
That will happen all through the flight program .
The second of five test planes is expected to take flight in the coming weeks , with the remainder following shortly after , the company said .
Still , analysts are skeptical the first customer can begin operating a CSeries plane 12 months after its maiden flight .
Bombardier said it was evaluating the entry-into-service ( EIS ) schedule and will provide an update in the next few months .
" This slow pace of flight testing - although in line with Bombardier 's internal schedule apparently - reinforces our view that entry-into-service will be pushed to Q1 / 15 , " said Doerksen .
For the third quarter ended September 30 , Bombardier 's net profit fell to $ 147 million , or 8 cents per share , from $ 172 million , or 9 cents per share a year earlier .
Adjusted earnings per share were unchanged at 9 cents .
Revenue dipped marginally to $ 4.1 billion from $ 4.2 billion .
Analysts had expected earnings of 10 cents per share and revenue of $ 4.56 billion , according to Thomson Reuters I / B / E / S.
The world 's fourth-largest planemaker said it delivered 45 aircraft during the quarter , down from 57 a year earlier .
Net orders fell to 26 aircraft , from 83 .
The backlog in the aerospace division was $ 32.9 billion as of September 30 , unchanged from December 31 .
" In aerospace , results were in line with our guidance , but the low order intake and overall market conditions were a disappointment , " Beaudoin said .
Aerospace revenue fell 13 percent to $ 2 billion .
Bombardier , the world 's largest trainmaker , said revenue in that division rose nearly 11 percent to $ 2.1 billion .
The order backlog in the transportation unit was $ 32.6 billion as of September 30 , up marginally from December 31 .
The transportation division 's margins were affected by execution issues in a few large contracts .
Executives said new guidance would be provided in the fourth quarter .
Shares of Bombardier , which also announced that Google Inc Chief Financial Officer Patrick Pichette would join the board , were down 8.5 percent at C $ 4.83 in mid afternoon trading on Thursday .
Brazil 's Embraer SA , the world 's third-largest commercial planemaker and Bombardier 's closest rival , reported a 10 percent fall in quarterly profit on Thursday .
Cocaine-addict lawyer who tipped off Mr Big about police investigation is jailed
Basharat Ditta , 42 , would feed information to crime lord Neil Scarbrough
The solicitor feared his secret drug addiction would be exposed
Was given a three-year prison sentence at Liverpool Crown Court
A top defence lawyer who told a drugs Mr Big about a major police investigation , because he feared his secret drug addiction would be exposed , has been jailed for three years .
Basharat Ditta , 42 , would feed sensitive intelligence to crime lord Neil Scarbrough about inquiries into his drug trafficking activities after he became compromised by his cocaine habit .
The solicitor , who was nicknamed " Bash " and hailed by criminals as a " top brief , " was arrested at his home in 2011 following a police surveillance operation into Scarborough , who he had represented in a previous narcotics trial .
Officers spotted Sarborough , 32 , dropping off three bags of cocaine at the lawyer 's home in Blackburn , Lancashire , while he was out at a Law Society dinner with colleagues .
Inquiries revealed Ditta was a " regular user " of the Class A drug after tests found traces of cocaine in his hair , on his wallet and on his credit cards .
Over an eight month period between January and August 2011 he sought to illicitly obtain information on the arrests of two men on behalf of Scarborough as well as one of his associates .
All four suspects were being watched by police at the time as part of a major investigation into a heroin and cocaine racket operating across Lancashire , Cumbria , Merseyside , Berkshire and West Yorkshire .
They and 32 other men were later jailed after police seized heroin and cocaine worth £ 1.5million along with more than £ 200,000 in cash during a series of raids .
Ditta , 42 , fed information to criminals because of fears his cocaine addiction would be exposed
Today at Liverpool Crown Court Ditta , who works at law firm Forbes Solicitors , based in Blackburn , was facing disgrace after being found guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice following a three week trial at Liverpool Crown Court .
He admitted cocaine possession at an earlier hearing .
The lawyer 's downfall came after police investigating Scarborough discovered he had been in regular phone contact with Ditta in February 2011 .
Two detectives trailed the suspect and spotted him arriving at Ditta 's house in and was seen to place the drugs which had a purity of 60 per cent under the lawyer 's bins in a black golf glove .
Soon after the drop off , Scarborough was in regular phone contact with Ditta who had been out at the dinner at the Blackburn Rovers football stadium , Ewood Park .
The lawyer returned home to discover the drugs and there were nine communications between them .
The court heard Ditta was a " regular user " of cocaine after tests found traces of the Class A drug in his hair , wallet and on his credit cards
Ditta was arrested later but denied using cocaine and and said he had been speaking to the suspected dealer because he was his client and argued their discussions were subject to " legal privilege . "
During his arrest Ditta picked up his wallet and tried to remove several credit cards but they were all seized and a hair sample was taken fom him .
In a police interview he said he ran an office at his home address as well as work place and clients would call at his house on legal business .
But the court heard he would call major players in the drugs supply chain , some of whom he had previously represented , after key arrests to tell them what detectives knew about them .
Prosecuting , Anne Whyte said : " If anyone should know not to the break the law , it is a criminal solicitor . "
Mr Ditta is accused of abusing his position as a criminal solicitor , having become too involved with specific clients .
The relationship we are talking about is not simply a drug dealer , but a drug dealer providing his own lawyer with drugs .
Some of his communications will undoubtedly have been legitimate ones because he was their lawyer .
But this went way beyond the ordinary confines of a lawyer-client relationship .
He thwarted the police 's investigation as much as possible to enable them to continue in their criminal activities .
Mr Ditta was not honouring his profession , but dishonouring it .
He got too close to certain clients , in particular Scarborough , and he allowed his independence to be compromised .
Ditta denied wrongdoing and claimed : " If I was a corrupt lawyer , which I am not , and I wanted to feed information to Mr Scarborough , I would not wait 15 hours , I would do it immediately . "
But after the hearing Supt Lee Halstead from Lancashire Police said : " Mr Ditta turned from criminal solicitor to a criminal himself the moment he started obtaining drugs from organised criminals . "
His addiction to cocaine left him hopelessly compromised and vulnerable to the motives of leading members of organised crime groups who tasked him to obtain valuable information regarding police investigations .
Solicitors should uphold the highest standards of integrity and should instil trust and confidence in the public .
Mr Ditta has betrayed this trust and attempted to hide behind the veneer of his profession .
Lancashire 's Serious and Organised Crime Unit led the investigation into Mr Ditta which has also seen him convicted of three counts of possession of cocaine and now perverting the course of justice , demonstrating our commitment to bringing criminals to justice .
Let this case serve as a warning to criminals that no one is beyond the reach of the law .
We will find you and put you before the courts .
Scarborough himself was jailed for 14 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin , cocaine and cannabis .
Thirty five other men involved in the racket were jailed for a total of 153 years for drugs offences .
On his website Ditta gave a question and answer session about himself in which he says his fantasy job would be a lawyer representing clients on Death Row in America , his ultimate dinner guest as being Mohammed Ali and inequality as his motivation for work .
He held talks about the government with Klaus and Špidla .
Now the Christian Democrats have sent Jan Kasal against Babiš .
The Christian Democrats won fourteen seats in the elections , only a third of the number of Social Democrats or ANO representatives .
But they will enter negotiations concerning government with at least one advantage .
In the team , which has already started to guess the outlines of a possible coalition , they have Jan Kasal , a man who harmonised conditions for the Christian Democrats ’ participation in the government in 1992 , 1996 , 2002 and 2006 .
Neither the Social Democrats nor Andrej Babiš have a matador like him on their side .
This time it will probably be like the first negotiations in 1992 , when ODS was also a brand new party .
" We had minimal experience at the time , " reckons Kasal , as to how this year ’ s talks will develop .
Kenyan press outraged at controversial media law
" It is a frightening place , and it is valid to ask : what is there to prevent Parliament from simply sweeping away the independence of the judiciary tomorrow ? " the paper said , challenging the bill as unconstitutional .
" This law is draconian and very punitive and we reject it , " said Cyrus Kamau , managing director for Capital Group - home to CapitalFM , one of Kenya 's most respected independent radio stations and news websites .
He said the new media tribunal " will always be biased because it 's an extension of the government , " and that restrictions on content and advertising would damage Kenya 's place in the global economy .
" I hope the president will listen to us , and we appeal to him to reject this bill and return it to the MPs , " he said .
According to The Star newspaper , the new bill will effectively hand the government " a stranglehold over the media , " while The Standard said democracy and free speech in Kenya had been " dealt a major blow " and lambasted the bill as " draconian . "
The passing of the bill comes amid a string of measures to reinforce national security in the wake of the September 's attack by Islamist gunmen on the Westgate shopping mall .
Kenya media drew the ire of authorities by broadcasting security camera footage of troops who were dispatched to the scene of the attack purportedly robbing the upmarket mall .
Police chief David Kimaiyo reacted by summoning two journalists and a media executive for questioning , although the summons was retracted following a media outcry .
Under the new bill , media houses can be fined up to 20 million Kenyan shillings and individual journalists up to one million with the additional risk of being " de-listed , " or barred from receiving official press accreditation .
The tribunal also has the power to seize the property of an offender if a fine is not paid .
According to the Daily Nation , " even one fine is enough to cripple most FM stations . "
It also said the measures could have a devastating effect on what it described as Kenya 's " lively blogosphere . "
By silencing the media , politicians know they can do whatever they like with impunity .
" No one will ever know , " wrote Nation journalist Mutuma Mathiu , describing the Kenyan media as a key source of checks and balances in public life .
" Left to themselves , politicians would bankrupt the country and take us back to hunting and gathering , " he wrote .
Kenyan lawmakers have been the target of public anger in the past .
In May they voted to overturn cuts ordered by the national salaries commission and reinstate their hefty salaries of around 532,000 shillings a month tax-free - ranked among the highest in the world .
Young Czechs know they must save .
But most of them , do not know what is the interest
More and more Czechs are putting money aside .
Despite this , they will not reach the champion savings level in the region .
The most money is put aside by Austrians who save on average 181 euros a month .
People in Slovakia save a little more than the Czechs .
This is according to a survey carried out by the Erste Group Savings Barometer in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe .
It also showed that the mood of savers is improving and two thirds of those questioned plan to put more money aside .
While Czechs are roughly in the middle of the table of savers , in Romania and Serbia people still use only very few savings products .
For example , according to the survey every other Serb saves money at home " under the pillow . "
In this country the number of people who save a higher amount each month has risen this year , .
Only last year 26 per cent of respondents put aside between 1,000 and 2,500 crowns each month in various types of saving accounts , ; this year it is 5 per cent more .
However the average monthly deposit in the year-on-year comparison fell slightly to 2078 crowns .
The biggest hit amongst saving products is the pension plan .
Some 54 per cent of Czechs prefer this , whereas three years ago it was the favourite method for the appreciation of savings for only 36 per cent of people .
In contrast , the popularity of the building savings is decreasing in popularity and compared with last year the interest in investment funds has also fallen significantly .
These are now used by only 16 per cent of respondents , whereas last year it was almost a quarter of people .
The survey also showed that although people consider saving money to be important , the majority of them do not know what the yield is on individual products .
Primarily young people up to the age of 30 do not know what interest is paid on their money .
In contrast , the best knowledge of the yield on the money they save has the group of older respondents – 76 per cent of respondents aged over 50 know that .
In the international comparison by Erste Group , Czechs lead in use of online banking , which is used regularly by 44 per cent of people .
They are followed by Slovaks and Austrians with 12 per cent less .
UN hails new goals to tackle poverty
The United Nations is to start work immediately on a new set of goals to replace the millennium development goals , which were put place 12 years ago to tackle global poverty .
Australian diplomats played a key role in pushing for " sustainable development goals " to replace the MDGs , which expire in 2015 , ahead of the UN sustainable development summit that began in Rio de Janeiro overnight .
They were included in the final draft of the document , which will be endorsed by world leaders including Ms Gillard during the summit .
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the summit overnight that now is the time to " rise above national interests . "
" I am pleased that member states have agreed to launch and take ownership of a process to establish universal sustainable development goals - SDGs , " he said .
These SDGs will build on our advances under the millennium development goals , and they will be an integral part of the post-2015 development framework .
I will spare no effort to implement the mandate given to me by member states to realise our vision of sustainable development goals that build on the success of the MDGs .
Mozambique security concerns mount as powerful personalities clash
With a statue of Samora Machel , Mozambique 's founding president , staring down on them , thousands of people gathered in central Maputo to chant peace slogans in a rare public demonstration .
" We want peace back ; we want stability , " said Vanessa de Sousa , chief executive of an investment company .
Fearful about the future of her country , she swapped her corporate attire for a T-shirt emblazoned with " we demand security " in Portuguese as she joined the crowds in the capital 's Independence Square on Thursday .
For two weeks , there have been almost daily reports of clashes between government forces and Renamo , some of the worst skirmishes since a peace deal more than 20 years ago .
Renamo was once a notorious rebel movement , initially backed by white-ruled Rhodesia and then South Africa 's apartheid government as part of efforts to destabilise the country 's independent government .
After a 1992 peace deal , it became an opposition party .
Analysts believe the country is unlikely to slide back into full-blown conflict , but recent events have unnerved foreign investors and locals .
The stakes are high for the fast-growing economy as the discovery of huge offshore gas reserves and coal deposits in the northwest could bring in more than $ 50bn of investment over the next few next years from companies including Rio Tinto , Vale of Brazil , Eni of Italy and Anadarko of the US .
The ruling Frelimo party , the dominant political force since 1975 , and Renamo blame each other for the tension .
Renamo says the government initiated the latest clashes by launching an attack on its members in Sofala province , traditionally a Renamo stronghold , on October 17 .
Assaults on the former rebels then escalated as government forces attacked Renamo bases and attempted to kill Afonso Dhlakama , the group 's leader , Fernando Mazanga , Renamo 's spokesman , told the Financial Times .
The government blames Renamo for triggering the clashes , accusing it of attacking soldiers .
President Armando Guebuza has sought to play down concerns about instability .
Mr Guebuza told AFP , the French news agency , on Wednesday that Mr Dhlakama saw himself as a " loser " who wanted to use " whatever remains of his forces to try to prove that he can impose on the government his own decisions . "
Both Frelimo and Renamo insist they want to avoid war .
But concerns have grown after Mr Mazanga was quoted as saying Renamo was abandoning the 1992 peace accord .
He told the FT that he meant the agreement was no longer being respected by Frelimo .
" Our vision is to come back to negotiations , but with seriousness , " Mr Mazanga said .
Previous talks between the parties have done little to ease tensions fuelled by a series of clashes this year .
" It 's two big men ( Guebuza and Dhlakama ) butting heads together , " said Joseph Hanlon , a lecturer at the Open University and Mozambique expert .
Neither of them are good negotiators and neither of them are prepared to make the kind of concessions that are necessary .
Renamo , which has been pushing for electoral reforms , had already said that it would boycott municipal elections due in November .
Presidential and parliamentary polls are scheduled for next year .
Some commentators have interpreted its use of force as the attempt of an ailing movement to win concessions and financial spoils from the government .
Renamo 's share of the vote has been declining since 1992 , while a newer party , the Democratic Movement of Mozambique ( MDM ) which was formed by a former Renamo member , is expected to improve its showing at the elections .
Mr Mazanga says Mr Guebuza - who is due to step down when his second term ends next year - wants to destroy the country 's democracy .
" He does not want multi-party democracy , he does not want transparent elections he does not want peace because he does not want to leave the presidency , " Mr Mazanga said .
It is unclear how much capacity Renamo has , but it has carried out disruptive hit-and-run attacks on police stations and vehicles on a key north-south highway .
Most of the skirmishes have taken place in Sofala province , which is several hundred kilometres north of Maputo , but hosts Beira , the port that miners , including Rio Tinto and Vale , rely on to export coal .
In June , Rio suspended its use of the railway for about a week after Renamo threatened to attack the line .
Mr Mazanga was coy when asked about whether Renamo would repeat this threat .
Renamo wanted to " warn the international community that things were not going well in Mozambique , " Mr Mazanga said .
The instability has added to frustrations with the government , says Fernando Lima , head of Mediacoop , an independent media company , with many people also concerned about corruption , the slow pace of development and a recent spate of kidnappings .
" People think the ones responsible for the future of the country are the government and the president , and he should be the one to find solutions for the problems , " he says .
Omar Sultuane , a demonstrator , said people just wanted stability .
" No one cares about Renamo and Frelimo , they just want peace again , they want free access to the roads , " he said .
Children should be taught myths and legends as " models for a way of life " , author says .
Tales of Thor could show " brute strength is no match for subtle trickery , " while the Arthurian legends reveal the importance of having a dream .
Saying many of the myths would be " far too wild , far too scandalous and in some cases far too filthy to be taught in schools , " Crossley-Holland advocated a " careful selection " of age-appropriate works .
" I find it wonderful that in America , myth and folklore already has a part in education , " he said .
I have been advocating it as a plan for twenty years .
He added authors and teachers being " overtly didactic " is a " total switch-off " for children , with messages being " subliminated " in enjoyable stories .
Crossley-Holland , who has translated Beowulf from Anglo-Saxon as well as writing the Penguin Book of Norse Myths and British Folk Tales , said : " You may well have intentions but you do better to keep them well out of sight . "
Perhaps the big difference between an adult author writing for an adult and an adult author writing for a child is the necessity for some sense of hope .
Not that everything has to be simplified or come to a happy ending , but that there is an innate sense of good and evil .
And that must be subliminated ; revealed through a story rather than stated .
The old basis of showing not telling .
Brno Observatory will take visitors into space in a new digitarium
At first glance it is clear that the hall of the large planetarium has changed in the last six months .
There is a new stage , visitors can sink into the new , comfortable seats and above their heads a projection area 17 metres in diameter has been added in the shape of a dome by the American company Spitz .
In the middle of the hall is the most important part , the new projector from Japan .
For perfect image , further smaller projectors are scattered about the hall .
Another important part of the whole facility is hidden behind the walls of the hall .
" There are twenty-one computers which generate image , " said the director of the Brno Observatory , Jiří Dušek .
The computers ensure the image from several projectors does not overlap but gives a coherent impression .
" The computers are thirty to forty times more powerful than the classic PCs , " said Tomáš Hladík , the observatory technician .
The digitarium can conjure up an extremely realistic and three-dimensional model of the night sky , the human body or the bottom of the ocean .
Viewers therefore feel to be right in the middle of space or a human brain .
The nearest similar facility is in Warsaw and Hamburg .
The observatory management plans to screen programmes it has bought and also its own work .
From Saturday , there are two shows on the programme .
The first is called Astronaut and is aimed at adults .
People will learn about training of cosmonauts , fly to space , spin on a centrifuge , and then see graphic examples of the challenging conditions that astronauts face in space .
The second programme is for children and is called Kaluoka ’ hina – The Enchanted Reef .
It tells the story of a reef whose brightly coloured inhabitants lived a quiet life until a nearby volcano exploded .
The whole digitarium cost around fifty million crowns , which was mostly paid for by the Ministry of Education .
Smaller amounts were contributed by the City of Brno and the observatory from their budget .
The projection area cost ten million crowns and the projector twelve million .
The rest was swallowed up by the audio visual equipment and the computers , " explains Dušek .
The installation of the digitarium followed the reconstruction of the whole building , which the observatory underwent two years ago .
According to the director Dušek , 25,000 to 30,000 visitors could come by the end of the year .
We have studied 11,000 ADS !
We know where they want you to work !
In November last year , analysis captured over 11,000 ads offering jobs , of which 4,300 were published in newspapers and 6,800 ( 62 per cent ) were on the internet .
The internet is thus becoming one of the most important media for publishing job offers .
Back in 2005 , when the survey was conducted for the first time , it had a share of 26 per cent .
In the last two surveys ( 2007 and 2010 ) , it stabilised at around 60 per cent .
The advertising of job offers in itself according to the analysis reflects the current situation on the labour market to a considerable extent .
An example might be the simple comparison of the number of ads published in a period of economic prosperity and in a period of economic crisis .
For instance , in 2007 , in the same period monitored , almost 25,900 ads were published ; in 2012 , it was less than half .
Job offers on the internet are aimed at a narrower , notably more qualified group of professions .
In comparison , job offers in the newspapers cover a broader spectrum of jobs , including blue collar ones , said the author of the analysis , Pavlína Šťastnová .
The level of representation for selected professional groups is varied in both media .
On the internet , the leading positions were taken by ads looking for managers and executives , sales representatives , programmers and financial experts .
The positions of programmers and managers of small businesses only appeared on the internet .
In newspapers , the share of these professional jobs was significantly lower ; in contrast high representation includes service and blue collar jobs in particular .
Among the most frequently mentioned requirements the employers expressed via their ads is , of course , education .
Other areas covered included knowledge of foreign languages , in particular English .
In newspapers , the requirement for knowledge of a foreign language was given in three per cent of ads , on the internet it was 37 per cent .
Only in two per cent of ads did employers request an active knowledge of two foreign languages .
Demands for " computer literacy " appeared in 40 per cent of ads ( in the newspapers in 11 per cent , on the internet in 57 per cent ) .
Experience in the industry was required in 54 per cent of ads .
Requirements for experience are largely linked to the qualified professions .
They refer particularly to production managers and other executives .
In blue-collar professions , it refers in particular to mechanics and repair jobs or manufacturers and processors of food products and people who repair electronics , added the author of the study Jiří Tillner .
In half of their ads , employers also list requirements for qualities and skills of potential applicants .
Communication skills have long appeared in first place as the most commonly required skills in ads .
Employers also require flexibility , adaptability and dynamism , independence , responsibility , organisational skills and reliability .
Ben Greenman : The Tenth Anniversary of the New York Comedy Festival : The New Yorker
One could argue that New York City is the birthplace of standup comedy in America : nearly a hundred years ago , the vaudevillian Frank Fay , who served as the master of ceremonies at the Palace Theatre , on Broadway , started telling jokes directly to the crowd , in a conversational manner .
Fay 's innovation has been extended through the years , most recently by the New York Comedy Festival .
Created and overseen by Caroline Hirsch , the founder of the standup institution Carolines , the festival celebrates its tenth anniversary this year , with more than sixty shows at small clubs and large theatres .
" Most of these headliners appeared at Carolines , and went on to greater success , to the point where they 're too big to play a club , " Hirsch said .
We built this festival as a way of continuing to work with them .
This year 's event includes appearances by Wanda Sykes , Kathy Griffin , and Bill Maher , as well as " Stand Up for Heroes , " an annual music-and-comedy benefit for military veterans , at Madison Square Garden , featuring , among others , Bruce Springsteen , Jon Stewart , Roger Waters , and Bill Cosby .
As the festival has expanded , so has the world of comedy .
Several of the comedians participating in this year 's festival came up through nontraditional channels , such as shows on smaller networks , like Comedy Central , FX , and Spike .
Nick Kroll rose to prominence on a deep-cable sitcom ( FXX 's gleefully raunchy fantasy-football-themed " The League " ) and now has his own Comedy Central sketch show .
Jenny Slate has been a cast member on both " Saturday Night Live " and " Parks and Recreation , " though she is best known for her viral video series " Marcel the Shell with Shoes On . "
Both Kroll and Slate , as well as other young comedians with distinctive voices ( the surreally pessimistic Anthony Jeselnik , the wry , racially focussed W. Kamau Bell ) , are products of the decentralized world of American comedy .
One of the festival 's biggest draws will be an interview : David Steinberg talking to Larry David .
Steinberg started as a standup comedian but has become an accomplished television and film director , as well as an unofficial comedy historian .
From 2005 to 2007 , he hosted a show on TV Land called " Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg . "
The meeting takes place at Town Hall , in the center of Manhattan .
" The city is definitely in the comedy DNA of all of Larry 's work , " Steinberg said .
He was telling me that , when he 's here , sometimes he 'll walk down an alley between two buildings and think to himself , Hey , if I lose all my money , maybe I 'll live here .
Oil extends drop toward $ 96 a barrel
The price of oil continued to fall on Friday as concerns over high supplies offset a report showing China 's power-hungry manufacturing sector is strengthening .
Benchmark U.S. crude for December delivery was down 14 cents at $ 96.24 a barrel by late morning in Europe in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
The contract fell 39 cents on Thursday , leaving it down 5.8 percent for the month of October .
Ample supplies of crude have weighed on the price in recent weeks .
The Energy Department said Wednesday that U.S. supplies increased 4.1 million barrels last week .
Over five weeks , supplies have risen by more than 25 million barrels .
But a suggestion of stronger demand came Friday from two reports on Chinese manufacturing that showed an uptick in activity .
That suggests China 's economic recovery could continue to strengthen after growth rebounded to 7.8 percent in the third quarter from a two-decade low in the previous quarter .
Brent crude , a benchmark for international crude also used by U.S. refineries , fell 26 cents to $ 108.58 a barrel on the ICE exchange in London .
This is not the way , Mr Hašek .
We have a unique opportunity to tell politicians that this is not the way .
We need to develop the kind of pressure so that Martin Hašek is stripped of all his political posts and leaves the parliamentary mandate .
Any other solution will reduce the level of political culture , which is already so negligible .
Martin Hašek is shielded by the promise he made , but everyone and especially a politician must be aware of the consequences of that promise and consider deeply what can be promised .
Trust is the only capital a politician has ( Mr Babiš also has the tangible property , but the question here is whether he is a politician ) .
However good is the programme promoted by a liar , it is not trustworthy .
In politics you do not apologise , in politics you step down .
Mr Hašek , if you mean well with this country ( and your frequent declarations confirm this for me , that is if you weren ’ t lying – you can see here how complicated it is with lying ) , then leave the politics yourself , like a man .
People will then accept your apology as the expression of a man who made a mistake and is taking responsibility for it .
Otherwise you will be viewed as a spineless wimp whose words and actions cannot be trusted .
Either you want to be a proud albeit flawed man , or a coward for the rest of your life
Perhaps it seems unfair that I am only addressing you , but you are a leader after all and they are just misguided sheep .
And the leader you are and have always wanted to be .
I understand that you are now trying to climb down , regain your strength , sit out the shame and then attack again , but that is the way partisans or con men behave .
You , I repeat , are a leader in your own eyes , the alpha male , so behave like that .
Accept responsibility and leave politics .
Court blocks ruling on NYPD stop-and-frisk policy
A federal appeals court on Thursday blocked a judge 's order requiring changes to the New York Police Department 's stop-and-frisk program and removed the judge from the case .
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the decisions of Judge Shira Scheindlin will be stayed pending the outcome of an appeal by the city .
The judge had ruled in August the city violated the Constitution in the way it carried out its program of stopping and questioning people .
The city appealed her findings and her remedial orders , including a decision to assign a monitor to help the police department changes its policy and training program associated with it .
The appeals court heard arguments Tuesday on the requested stay .
The appeals court said the judge needed to be removed from the case because she ran afoul of the code of conduct for U.S. judges by compromising the necessity for a judge to avoid the appearance of partiality in part because of a series of media interviews and public statements responding publicly to criticism of the court .
The judge had ruled that police officers violated the civil rights of tens of thousands of people by wrongly targeting black and Hispanic men with its stop-and-frisk program .
She appointed an outside monitor to oversee major changes , including reforms in policies , training and supervision , and she ordered a pilot program to test body-worn cameras in some precincts where most stops occur .
In August , New York City agreed to end the practice of storing the names and addresses of people whose cases are dismissed after a police stop .
An oral argument on the city 's appeal is scheduled for sometime after March 14 , 2014 .
The stop-and-frisk tactic has been criticized by a number of civil rights advocates .
Stop-and-frisk has been around for decades in some form , but recorded stops increased dramatically under the administration of independent Mayor Michael Bloomberg to an all-time high in 2011 of 684,330 , mostly of black and Hispanic men .
A lawsuit was filed in 2004 by four men , all minorities , and became a class action case .
Supporters of changes to the NYPD 's stop-and-frisk program say the changes will end unfair practices , will mold a more trusted and effective police force and can affect how other police departments use the policy .
Opponents say the changes would lower police morale but not crime , waste money and not solve a broader problem of a police force under pressure after shrinking by thousands of officers during the last decade .
The judge noted she wasn 't putting an end to the stop-and-frisk practice , which is constitutional , but was reforming the way the NYPD implemented its stops .
One fifth of shopping centres face low visitor numbers
This is according to data from real estate consultancy firms Cushman & Wakefield and Jones Lang LaSalle .
In the Bohnice area of Prague , the Krakov Shopping Centre is opening to the public ; it will be Prague ’ s 19th shopping centre .
The Czech Republic now has a total of 90 large shopping centres .
The unsatisfactory performance concerns about 20 per cent of medium-sized and large centres .
The main problems are inadequately large centres for the location and poor layouts , meaning too many floors or complicated and confusing organisation of passages , or dead spots in the centres , " said Michal Soták from Cushman & Wakefield .
Also , according to Sylvie Samadi , the head of the retail property department at Jones Lang LaSalle , about one fifth of shopping centres are struggling with low visitor numbers .
The main reasons include poor accessibility , the low income category of local inhabitants , or an over saturated local market .
Some projects opened almost fully occupied , but their results were mainly unsatisfactory at first .
Customers today are somewhat conservative and do not like to change their shopping habits .
New shopping centres must try harder to " attract " their customers to new brands on the market , leisure , services and marketing events , " added Samadi .
The occupancy of shopping centres is stable in general , according to Soták , and in some centres it is even rising , because landlords were willing to reduce rental prices during the crisis and let out some units .
" It ’ s true though that recently they have opened some projects which are not fully occupied and the average occupancy level is lower ( for example , Breda & Weinstein in Opava , or Šantovka in Olomouc ) , " added Soták .
Shopping centres opened in the last two years are gaining market ground very slowly , according to Sylvie Samadi .
However , there is place on the market for new projects .
The number of places suitable for building a successful project is very limited .
For instance , in Prague we see a space for the construction of a project which could serve residents of Prague 6 .
There is definitely a room on the market to build smaller , local projects , so-called " convenience centres " , focused on shopping and services for everyday needs for people living in the immediate vicinity , " said Samadi .
Soták also says there is room for more shopping centres in the domestic market .
And that is for both small " service " centres and for large projects in Prague , or medium-sized projects , or expansions in regional cities .
" Towns and cities like Kladno , České Budějovice , Brno and Plzeň have room for further growth , " added Soták .
In Prague , he sees a space for a planned shopping centre at Vítězné Náměstí , and Na Příkopě Street and Wenceslas Square also have clear potential .
" The expansions of retail parks are developing intensively , allowing traders to cover and expand to smaller and smaller towns for reasonable rent and operating costs ; there is also room in some locations for smaller local or neighbourhood shopping centres , or their reconstruction , such as , for instance , the reconstruction of the Prior shopping centres , which benefit from a good location , " added Dita Kubánková from the company DTZ .
In the Czech Republic there are currently 90 modern shopping centres with a total of over 2.2 million square metres of gross leasable area .
A quarter of all these shopping centres are in Prague .
Among the 20 biggest shopping centres by number of tenants , there are nine in Prague , according to data from Incoma GfK .
The Czech Republic is below the EU average for the number of shopping parks ; in comparison with values in Britain and France , the Czech Republic is lagging behind by about 50 square metres per thousand inhabitants .
Coulson used phone hacking to verify tip
Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson allegedly used " phone hacking , surveillance and confrontation " in an attempt to confirm a bogus tip about an affair involving then-home secretary Charles Clarke .
Prosecutor Andrew Edis QC told the Old Bailey that the News of the World heard a false rumour in May 2005 that Clarke was seeing his " attractive special adviser , " Hannah Pawlby .
The newspaper tasked private investigator Glenn Mulcaire with hacking Pawlby 's voicemails and " door-stepped " her , but Coulson also called and left her voicemails , the court heard .
" The prosecution suggests that Mr Coulson , who is now the editor of the NotW , he is not the man who stands outside people 's houses hoping to catch them out , he is the man who likes to put the story to people to see what they will say , " Mr Edis said .
He said the NotW used three ways to investigate stories : phone hacking , surveillance , and confrontation .
The editor is personally involved in the third .
Obviously he knows about the second , surveillance , he must do .
What about the first ?
Does he know about phone hacking ?
He says he doesn 't , we say " Oh yes , he did " .
Rumours about an affair involving Clarke were first picked up by the NotW 's features desk when a source who was sexually interested in Ms Pawlby was told : " Don 't bother wasting your time , she 's with Charles . "
A tape of voicemails taken from her phone on at least three occasions was seized from Mulcaire 's home in August 2006 .
Investigators also found entries on the private investigator 's computer which had Ms Pawlby and her sister as " Projects . "
During the period she was being investigated , Ms Pawlby 's grandparents received anonymous calls asking for information about her , Mr Edis said .
Meanwhile , former chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck and former reporter James Weatherup oversaw surveillance of Ms Pawlby 's movements .
Leaving her a voicemail on June 18 2005 , Coulson told her : " I 've got a story that we 're planning to run tomorrow that I really would like to speak to Charles about . "
Mr Edis said Coulson 's involvement in the story followed the same pattern as with other important men , such as former home secretary David Blunkett .
The jury heard on Thursday that Coulson confronted Mr Blunkett over an affair with a married woman while he was himself seeing co-defendant Rebekah Brooks , who was married at the time .
Coulson and Brooks deny conspiring with others to hack phones between October 3 2000 and August 9 2006 .
Mulcaire , Thurlbeck and Weatherup have admitted phone hacking .
NSA revelations boost corporate paranoia about state surveillance
On a mild day in late August a German police helicopter buzzed low over the US consulate in Frankfurt , the financial capital of Germany .
On the instruction of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution ( BfV ) , Germany 's domestic intelligence agency , its mission was to photograph the rooftop of the US outpost , which is located less than 5km from the European Central Bank and Bundesbank .
German media say the BfV hoped to identify the presence of listening antennas and the action prompted an exchange between the US and the German foreign ministry in Berlin .
James Clapper , US Director of National Intelligence , insisted again in September that the US does not use foreign intelligence capabilities " to steal the trade secrets of foreign companies on behalf of US companies to enhance their international competitiveness or increase their bottom line . "
But ever since Edward Snowden , the contractor turned whistleblower , began releasing his treasure trove of US surveillance secrets , European governments and business leaders are no longer sure whether to take the director at his word .
Reports that the US National Security Agency spied on Brazilian oil company Petrobras and gained access to data held by US cloud providers including Google and Yahoo have ratcheted corporate paranoia about state surveillance to new highs .
The final straw came when it was revealed that Chancellor Angela Merkel 's phone had been bugged , possibly for about a decade .
If Europe 's most powerful person can be targeted , then surely business leaders are also potential targets .
Snowden has made transparent the intensive collaboration between US intelligence services and companies .
I think it 's conceivable that these data are used for mutual benefit .
" Germany must wake up , " says Oliver Grün , president of BITMi , which represents small and medium sized German IT companies .
German companies believe the US now poses almost as big a risk as China when it comes to industrial espionage and data theft , according to a survey published in July by EY , the consultancy .
In all the documentation leaked by Mr Snowden , there has , however , been no evidence to date that the US has passed on foreign companies ' trade secrets to its own companies .
Politicians have expressed concern that the EU lacks certain IT and internet capabilities and should strive to reduce its dependence on the US .
Business leaders are sceptical about this .
Someone in the German parliament says we should build a German Google .
I can only shut my eyes and slowly open them again ...
" That 's not the way , " Hasso Plattner , chairman of German business software company SAP , says .
If one wanted a strong European IT industry , then one shouldn 't have let it die out 20 years ago .
Everything is subsidised in Germany , from coal , to cars and farmers .
Everything but the IT industry .
Still , the reach and technical sophistication of US spy agencies exposed by the Snowden revelations have come as a shock to some companies who previously thought the biggest surveillance risk was posed by China .
A big shift is occurring in cloud computing where European executives have become more aware that data stored in the US is subject to that jurisdiction and therefore potentially vulnerable .
According to a survey carried out by the Cloud Security Alliance , a trade body , some 10 per cent of non-US members cancelled plans to use a US-based cloud provider after revelations about the US Prism data mining programme .
Jim Snabe , co-chief executive at SAP , says : " We see a new question from customers that didn 't come up a year ago - which is where is my data stored and can you guarantee that it stays physically in that jurisdiction . "
Many German executives argue that the latest reports are simply confirmation of what they already knew : that powerful states want to steal their most prized secrets and these data must therefore be guarded at all costs .
That economic spying takes place is not a surprise .
It has always taken place .
" This has been a topic for many years and hasn 't fundamentally changed through the current discussion , " says Kurt Bock , chief executive of chemical maker BASF .
The Americans spy on us on the commercial and industrial level as we spy on them too , because it is in the national interest to defend our businesses .
Corporate leaders are not generally keen to boast about the countermeasures they have taken , in case this hands an advantage to an attacker .
For large companies , the message has long since been drummed home that picking up a free USB stick at a trade fair , or leaving a laptop unguarded in a hotel room are unwise , to say the least .
Ulrich Hackenberg , board member at carmaker Audi , says it has been standard practice for years for mobile phones to be collected before board meetings so they cannot be used as remote listening devices .
Germany 's BfV advises executives to consider using simple prepaid mobiles when on foreign trips because of the risk that smart phones are compromised .
The prepaid mobiles are then thrown away afterwards .
However , there is concern that small and medium-sized companies remain vulnerable to hacking and surveillance .
In Germany , many of these companies are global market leaders in their particular niche .
" Small and medium sized companies often lack the experience , personnel and financial resources to protect corporate secrets effectively against unauthorised access , " the BfV warns in a report .
The US warns its own companies about economic espionage by other countries .
The US National Intelligence Estimate in February named France alongside Russia and Israel in a second tier of offenders who engage in hacking for economic intelligence , behind China , according to The Washington Post .
A board member at a German blue-chip company concurred that when it comes to economic espionage , " the French are the worst . "
Bernard Squarcini , former head of the French internal intelligence agency DCRI , was quoted in an interview this month as saying : " The services know perfectly well that all countries , even as they co-operate in the antiterrorist fight , spy on their allies . "
Parents of Georgia teen who died in ' freak accident ' believe son was murdered
The parents of a Georgia teenager , whose body was found inside a rolled-up wrestling mat in his high school gym , believe their son was murdered , the family 's attorney said Thursday .
Kendrick Johnson , of Valdosta , Ga . , was found Jan. 11 stuck in an upright mat propped behind the bleachers inside his high school gym .
Lowndes County sheriff 's investigators concluded Johnson died in a freak accident , but the 17-year-old 's family disputes that .
" They absolutely think their son was murdered , " Benjamin Crump , an attorney representing Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson , told FoxNews.com.
They never believed he died the way the sheriff concluded .
" They believe that it defies logic , the laws of physics as well as common sense , " Crump said .
They think this is a cover-up to protect the person or people responsible for their son 's death .
" They sent their son to school with a book-bag and he was returned to them in a body bag , " he said .
U.S. Attorney Michael Moore said Thursday he is conducting a formal investigation into Johnson 's death , noting that several key questions remain unanswered .
What was the cause of death ?
Was his death the result of a crime ?
Moore said at a press conference Thursday afternoon .
I will follow the facts wherever they lead .
My objective is to discovery the truth .
" I am of the opinion that a sufficient basis exists " for a formal investigation , he said .
Moore told reporters that the initial autopsy indicated Johnson died as a result of " positional asphyxia . "
A second autopsy , however , listed a different cause of death , according to Moore .
" There are several questions that must be answered or confirmed , " he said .
Moore added that if he uncovers sufficient evidence to warrant a criminal or civil rights investigation into the death of Johnson he will ask the FBI to conduct it .
A representative from the Lowndes County Sheriff 's Office was not immediately available for comment when contacted Thursday .
A southern Georgia judge on Wednesday ordered authorities to release all surveillance video that investigators reviewed .
The teenager 's parents said they hope the video footage will contain clues to how he died .
CDC issues children 's allergy guidelines for schools
On Wednesday , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a set of guidelines to manage children 's food allergies at school .
This is the first set of such guidelines the U.S. government has put out , as the number of school-age children suffering from food allergies climbs .
One in 20 children in the United States now have food allergies .
The CDC found the prevalence of food allergies among children increased 18 percent between 1997 and 2007 .
The guide contains information for schools on how to make faculty and staff aware of children 's food allergies , and how to handle them should an allergic reaction occur .
It also recommends schools have epinephrine stocked -- the EpiPen brand auto-injector being most commonly used -- to respond to potentially fatal anaphylaxis .
State legislatures have recently been updating rules to allow schools to stock epinephrine more easily .
The report also includes a list of typical symptoms communicated by children who are having an allergic reaction .
Kids may say , " It feels like something is poking my tongue , " " My tongue feels like there is hair on it , " or " My tongue is tingling . "
Parents of Intersex Kids Can Pick ' Gender Undetermined'
Germany became the first European nation to recognize a third gender for babies born with ambiguous genitalia .
No longer will newborns be rigidly assigned to male or female .
The new law doesn 't require parents to declare any gender for such children , allowing parents to declare gender " undetermined " or " unspecified " on their birth certificates .
The aim of the law was to take the pressure off parents who might make hasty decisions on sex-assignment surgery for newborns , and to fight discrimination against those who are intersex .
One intersex person , according to the BBC , said years later , " I am neither a man nor a woman . "
I will remain the patchwork created by doctors , bruised and scarred .
An estimated one in 2,000 children born each year is neither boy nor girl .
They are intersex , part of a group of about 60 conditions that fall under the diagnosis of disorders of sexual development , an umbrella term for those with atypical chromosomes , gonads ( ovaries or testes ) , or unusually developed genitalia .
Wallis Simpson may have been intersex .
Gender identification is still not well understood , but most experts in the United States say that when sex cannot be determined , it 's better to use the best available information to assign it then to wait and monitor the child 's psychological and physical development before undertaking surgery , if at all .
New York City psychiatrist Dr. Jack Drescher , who specializes in issues of gender identification , said the new German law " sounds like a good thing . "
Intersex children pose ethical dilemma .
" Some people have life-endangering conditions that require surgery , but most kids do not , " he said .
You can make a gender assignment without surgery , and then see how identity develops .
The science of knowing how a child will develop any gender identity is not very accurate .
Nobody can answer the questions about why this happens .
It 's like the mystery of why people are gay .
A report filed to the European Commission in 2011 described intersex people as different from transsexual or transgender people , as their status is not gender related but instead relates to their biological makeup , which is neither exclusively male nor exclusively female , but is typical of both at once or not clearly defined as either .
These features can manifest themselves in secondary sexual characteristics , such as muscle mass , hair distribution , breasts and stature ; primary sexual characteristics such as reproductive organs and genitalia ; or in chromosomal structures and hormones .
The report also gives an overview of the discrimination faced by intersex and transgender people in the realm of employment , as well as levels of harassment , violence and bias crimes .
Gender nonconforming boys now have special camp .
Already , Australia and Nepal allow adults to mark male , female or a " third gender " on their official documents .
In June , a 52-year-old Australian , Norrie May-Welby , became the world 's first recognized " genderless " person after winning a legal appeal to keep an " unspecified " gender status for life .
German passports will have a third designation other than M or F -- X , for intersex , according to the Interior Ministry .
In neighboring France , gender issues are still controversial , according to a news report on France 24 .
In 2011 , dozens of French lawmakers from that strongly Catholic country signed a petition for " gender theory " to be withdrawn from school textbooks .
The U.S. website Catholic Online has also opposed the German law , writing that " as the world is being dragged into a new state , where gender is a choice , but sexual activity is not , we reverse two more pillars of civilization . "
One Maryland mother of a newborn also told the Baby Zone that she would rather see babies assigned gender at birth .
" Parenting is stressful enough without extra limitations , especially if you don 't know the gender of your child , " she told the parenting website .
Children need stability and certainty .
Historically , children born with both male and female genitalia were called hermaphrodites , named for the handsome Greek god who had dual sexuality .
And as little as a decade ago , the medical community thought of gender as a slate that could be erased and then redrawn .
But now , many are challenging the ethical basis of surgery , knowing that gender identity is complex , and doctors can sometimes get it wrong , not knowing how a child will feel about their gender assignment when they grow up .
" Back in the middle of the 20th century , it was called a ' psychiatric emergency , ' " said Drescher .
When these kids were born , you didn 't call the psychiatrist , you called a surgeon .
The prevailing theory on how to treat children with ambiguous genitalia was put forward by Dr. John Money at Johns Hopkins University , who held that gender was malleable .
He coined the term " gender identity " and argued that social and environmental cues -- how parents raised a child -- interacted with a child 's genes and hormones to shape whether the person identified as male or female .
But in one 1966 case , known as " John / Joan , " his theories became controversial .
He advised the parents of a boy whose penis had been severed in a botched circumcision to have the child fully castrated , removing his testicles , as well , and to raise him as a girl .
" Money presented the case as a successful case of transition , but it was not , " said Drescher .
When the boy was around 15 , he transitioned back to a boy and married a woman .
But at 38 , he committed suicide .
Drescher said that now some doctors are still " practicing that model . "
But in the 1990s , with the advent of the Internet , survivors of these gender surgeries have come forward " not happy with the outcome . "
Such was the case with Jim Bruce , a 36-year-old writer from Montana , who was born with XY male chromosomes but ambiguous genitals .
Doctors couldn 't be sure if he had a large clitoris or a small penis and were convinced he could never live a " satisfactory life " as a man .
So shortly after his birth in 1976 , Bruce 's external organ and testes were surgically removed and he was raised as a girl .
He was given female hormones at age 12 .
" I knew that I wasn 't a girl , " he told ABCNews.com.
I was unhappy , but it was really difficult to ask questions .
At 18 , he was set for a vaginoplasty .
But depressed and knowing something was wrong , he demanded medical records .
What he found out was horrifying .
I was sterilized at birth -- and no one ever told me .
Bruce was born with a DSD that prevented his body from producing enough testosterone to properly develop his genitals .
After learning the truth , he changed back to a man , taking testosterone shots and having his breasts removed .
Surgery rendered him infertile .
Today , he advocates for others in an organization called the Interface Project , trying to normalize perceptions of those who are intersex .
But Anne Tamar-Mattis , executive director for California-based legal group Advocates for Informed Choice , worries that the German law " invites labeling and stigma . "
" A lot of activists are concerned that what the German rule will do is encourage parents to make quick decisions and give the child an ' undetermined , ' " she said .
We are afraid it will encourage intervention .
We think a better process is assigning male or female sex , then waiting .
But we haven 't seen how the law will play out , so all we can do is speculate .
Tamar-Mattis said that her organization supports the Australian law because " it allows adults to choose to be recognized in a third gender . "
" Adults should be able to make their own decisions about legal gender , " she said .
German law is about assigning it at birth .
That is not a battle young children should have to take up at this point .
When they are grown , they can make decisions about their own bodies .
But Dr. Arlene Baratz , a Pittsburgh breast radiologist who has a daughter with a disorder of sexual development and helps hundreds of others in a support group , said the German law will " empower " both parents and children .
Baratz 's daughter Katie was born with male chromosomes , but has a DSD called complete androgen insensitivity syndrome .
Because her androgen receptors are faulty , Katie developed female characteristics .
She has a vagina , but no uterus or ovaries .
Now at 29 , Katie is married and at the University of Pennsylvania , a resident in child psychiatry .
Though she is infertile , she hopes to become a parent through adoption or gestational surrogacy .
" The law gives parents some space not to have to rush into making decisions themselves , " said Baratz .
It gives them the time to do some tests and figure it out and a period of time before they write ' male ' or ' female.'
This way , you are OK -- raise the child , love the child .
You have a wonderful baby and enjoy the fun .
We don 't have to rush into surgery that is irreversible .
" It brings the children into the decision and takes away the anxiety that motivates parents because they don 't feel they are doing the right thing , " she said .
Ultimately , the child will decide which sex he or she feels more comfortable with -- and that 's a wonderful thing .
It empowers children to make the decision for themselves .
Drunkard poured petrol all over house : Threatened to set it and his own family on fire !
Tension increased , fear escalated .
The man began threatening to burn the whole house down .
All available police patrols in the area came out , as well as firefighters from Mladá Boleslav and volunteer firefighters .
A police negotiator also arrived on the scene who tried to talk the man out of his irrational behaviour .
The man continued to threaten to burn the house down .
An intervention unit had to enter the house as a result , which restrained and handcuffed the man .
The aggressor then ended up being examined at the Mladá Boleslav hospital , from where he was transferred to a sobering-up station .
In the end , the firefighters spread sorbent on the petrol-soaked house , which they later cleaned up .
Besides the people , all pets were rescued from the house .
The man did not surrender to the police negotiator , so a task force went after him .
Report : Obama campaign considered dumping Biden for Hillary Clinton
President Barack Obama 's closest advisers secretly considered replacing Vice President Joe Biden with Hillary Clinton on the 2012 ticket , according to the New York Times .
The revelation is the most notable bombshell from Mark Halperin and John Heilemann 's heavily anticipated 2012 campaign tome , " Double Down : Game Change 2012 . "
The Times obtained a copy of the forthcoming book and reported Thursday evening that the President 's top aides conducted " extensive group-sessions and polling in late 2011 " to gauge whether the dumping Biden could help bolster Obama 's waning re-election hopes .
According to the Times ' national political correspondent Jonathan Martin , the book provides a thorough account of the effort by senior officials inside the campaign and the White House , namely former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley , to measure what effect swapping former Secretary of State Clinton for the Vice President would have in the polls .
The potential switch was a closely guarded secret within the Chicago campaign infrastructure and inside the Oval Office .
Only half a dozen of the President 's closest advisers -- including Daley , former Obama campaign chief Jim Messina , and former White House senior advisers David Axelrod and David Plouffe -- knew the change was under consideration .
" Double Down " claims Daley spearheaded the effort to replace Biden , despite their " close personal rapport , " before ultimately deciding against the move when their data showed adding Clinton to the ticket wouldn 't " materially improve Obama 's odds . "
In an interview with Martin , Daley confirmed that the administration did in fact consider replacing Biden with Clinton .
" I was vocal about looking into a whole bunch of things , and this was one of them , " Daley told the paper .
You have to remember , at that point the President was in awful shape , so we were like , " Holy Christ , what do we do ? "
While Daley characterized the research as " due diligence , " Martin told CNN 's Anderson Cooper that the re-election campaign made a significant investment in finding out whether the move would pay dividends at the polls .
" Campaigns don 't spend the kind of money on polling and focus groups unless they 're seriously considering something , " Martin said on AC360 .
It 's unclear , however , whether Obama knew his team was exploring the swap .
Martin told CNN that he asked Daley whether his then-boss knew about the potential shuffle .
While Daley said he doesn 't think the President " was aware " of the potential change , the former chief of staff admitted that it 's " possible " Obama knew .
Martin added that " Double Down " does not definitively answer whether the political probing reached Obama 's desk .
Cooper asked Martin whether he seriously thought Obama did not know about the research into dumping Biden from the ticket .
" Possibly , " Martin replied .
Fancy a glow-in-the-dark ice cream ?
A British entrepreneur has created the world 's first glow-in-the-dark ice cream - using jellyfish .
Charlie Francis has harnessed the fluorescent properties of the marine animal to develop the luminescent snack .
He came up with the idea after reading a research paper on jellyfish and convinced scientists in China to chemically recreate the glowing protein .
The ice cream reacts with the eater 's tongue - raising the pH level in the protein and making it glow .
Chris says because the ice cream lights up when it reacts with the heat of the mouth it means the more you lick , the brighter it becomes .
Charlie , founder of the " Lick Me I 'm Delicious " ice cream company , said : " It is incredible stuff but still at very early days in terms of production , so £ 200 gets you about 2g of the stuff . "
The protein we are using in the ice cream reacts with your tongue at neutral pH .
So as your mouth warms up the protein it will raise the pH level and the ice cream will glow .
We have been testing it out over the past few months and it seemed perfect to share it over Halloween because it gives that wonderful glow effect .
It is probably the most expensive ice cream I have made because the jellyfish luminescence is four times more expensive than gold .
So each scoop costs me around £ 140 .
It tastes pretty good though .
Charlie 's experimental company , based in Bristol , is famed for its unusual flavours including beer , cheese , beef and gold leaf .
But his next creation is set to be even more ambitious .
He said : " I really want to develop an invisible ice cream . "
It is inherently impossible because of the refraction caused by the ice crystals which make up the ice cream , but I reckon we will find a way of doing it .
The ice cream harnesses the fluorescent properties of a jellyfish , synthesized by Chinese scientists
Halloween 2013 : By the Numbers
When I was little , Halloween was magical .
My sister and I were allowed to eat candy , stay up late and play dress-up for the neighborhood .
Nowadays , I 've become more of a scrooge .
I haven 't signed up for the past two years to give out candy in my apartment and probably won 't this year .
But stats show that I 'm a black sheep when it comes to Halloween .
The majority of Americans - 158 million of them in fact - will be celebrating Halloween this year , spending a total of $ 6.9 billion on candy , costumes and decorations , according to the National Retail Federation .
One thing I do look forward to every Halloween are the trends .
Costumes are expected to account for $ 1.2 billion dollars out of the $ 6.9 billion spent , according to the NRF .
This year , sexy inanimate objects are all the rage .
Women don 't have to be sexy professionals anymore ; they can also be sexy foods like pizza , hamburgers and carrots .
As for men , I expect we will be seeing a lot of zombies , thanks to The Walking Dead and I 'll bet the Daft Punk space men will make it into our Instagram feeds this year .
According to Google , the highest searched costumes are zombies , Batman , pirates and witches .
I guess there 's nothing wrong with going traditional .
We dressed our dogs up last year and to my amazement we were not alone .
In fact , Americans will spend $ 330 million on pet costumes this year , according to the NRF .
That 's a lot of ironic hotdog dogs .
When it comes to candy , we don 't screw around .
Americans will spend $ 1.9 billion on it this year , according to The Nielsen Company .
That 's around 600 million pounds worth of Hershey bars , lollipops , Milk Duds , Twizzlers and Clark Bars .
That 's great news for the 41 million trick-or-treaters set to take over our neighborhoods , according to the U.S. Commerce Department .
In fact , we will buy and , who are we kidding , consume 90 million pounds of chocolate during Halloween .
The one thing we don 't want to consume , candy corn ; and yet nearly 35 million pounds of it are sold around Halloween , according to the National Confectioners Association .
That 's about 9 billion individual kernels of corn .
It 's a mystery I have yet to solve .
Nothing is more quintessentially Halloween than haunted houses .
They have the best names , like " Terror Behind the Walls " ( which , by the way is in an actual prison ) , " Howl-O-Scream " and " The House of Shock . "
In fact , there are 1,200 officially sanctioned haunted houses in the United States generating about $ 500 million in revenue , according to America Haunts , and that includes those awesome photos of you mid-peeing your pants that your friend puts on Facebook and you can 't take down and then that guy you like sees the photo and leaves a comment like " nice face . "
Finally , let 's talk pumpkins .
Charlie Brown introduced us to The Great Pumpkin when we were kids , and carving a jack-o-lantern is like decorating a Christmas tree - it 's something we 've done since we were little .
Lucky for us , the " baby in a pumpkin trend " started only last year thanks to Pinterest , so most of us grew up carving these gourds not sitting in them .
This year , Americans will spend around $ 106 million on pumpkins , according to the U.S. Census Bureau .
The jack-o-lantern slowly withering on your front porch probably came from Illinois , which grew 542 million pounds of pumpkin this year .
If you 're looking for extra credit , call Tim and Susan Mathisdon in Napa , Calif . , and try to carve up their 2,032 pound pumpkin .
Land Rover rally series announced
The interior has racing seats and six-point harness belts , as well as an intercom system .
Options include upgraded brakes , a service package providing access to Bowler Works mechanics , logistic support , and vehicle storage between events .
Drew Bowler , the managing director of Bowler Motorsport , said : " Rally customers coming to Bowler have changed . "
They 're not all experienced racers , but people looking for excitement and adventure , and an achievable path towards world-class events .
We 're delighted to be offering this path in partnership with Land Rover and the MSA , and believe the format offers a new way to experience different rally disciplines in the UK and overseas , and prepare entrants for the rigours and realities of Rally Raid .
We 've really enjoyed developing the Defender Challenge car - it 'll be a really fun championship .
Additionally , the Defender Challenge will provide a training and test day in February , as well as the option to compete in desert events in North Africa and the Middle East .
Schwarzenberg : Within two years we will have an early election here
Chairman of TOP 09 Karel Schwarzenberg is expecting another early election soon .
A week after the last election in an interview for Aktuálně.cz he said that there is no other way and each government formed as a result of voting last Friday and Saturday is an impossible patchwork .
" It can ’ t last long , " said Karel Schwarzenberg , adding that he predicts the lifetime of the starting electoral period will be two years .
He disagrees with the objection that next time voters will make a completely different choice : " I think it will be a slightly more balanced decision . "
At the same time , the TOP 09 chairman will not admit that his party could lose more votes in another election than this year ( compared with 2010 when they lost about 300,000 votes ) .
Schwarzenberg estimates that if it were to become clear within two months that there will be an early election , it will strengthen Andrej Babiš ’ s ANO 2011 .
Otherwise , Schwarzenberg thinks Babiš will lose .
Schwarzenberg gives his own commentary on the turbulent situation in ČSSD , where the chairman , Bohuslav Sobotka , declared after the secret meeting of the part of the party leadership at Lany , that either he or Michal Hašek would remain in the leadership of the Social Democrats :
" The leading officials of the Democratic party are like little boys going after the head of state , to allow them make a change in the party . "
" I thought Mr Hašek was smarter and more intelligent . "
" Because I have never seen anything done so impatiently and stupidly like that , " added the TOP 09 chairman .
And referring to President Zeman ( with whom he clashed in the fight for the presidency ) , he said : " The role of head of state is clear : He wants to usurp the party . "
TOP 09 has already submitted the first laws .
What was the biggest surprise of the election for you ?
TOP 09 has already formally submitted its first bills in the Chamber , including Farský ’ s register of contracts , which was discussed by parliamentary committees prior to the election but with the early election it ended up under the table .
The TOP 09 chairman in the interview for Aktuálně.cz says that this speed is because " these laws are necessary . "
At the same time , however , TOP 09 clearly wants to beat similar attempts by other parties .
For example , the electoral leader of ANO , Martin Komárek accused TOP 09 in the pre-election battle that with the idea to introduce a register of contracts it was " stealing " the ANO programme .
TOP 09 is now using its advantage – it just dusted off the bill it had that was already heading for the second parliamentary reading .
Fire crews called to rescue lost puppy after she got stuck 50ft above the ground on precarious ledge in a quarry
Cocker spaniel Ruby had run off after she was in a minor road crash
She was spotted three days later by a dog walker trapped in the quarry
Firefighters abseil down cliff face to pluck the dog from certain death
A puppy had a lucky escape after fire crews were called to lift her to safety when she somehow got herself stuck 50ft up on a precarious cliff ledge .
Nine month-old cocker spaniel Ruby had run off after being involved in a road crash on Sunday afternoon and survived three days alone before being rescued from a quarry on Wednesday .
Her owners Scott Alderson , 25 , and his girlfriend Becky Hall , 20 , were at Flappit Quarry in Denholme , West Yorkshire , to be reunited with Ruby and have thanked West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service .
They had searched frantically for their missing dog and posted appeals on social networking sites after she had ran into the quarry following the minor accident .
At around 2.15pm on Wednesday , an eagle-eyed dog walker spotted Ruby on the ledge in the quarry , stranded 50ft up .
A Technical Rescue Team from Cleckheaton Fire Station rushed to the scene and abseiled down to rescue Ruby and used a pet tube to transport her up the cliff .
Specialist Technical Rescue Officer Andy Clayton said : ' She was in a precarious situation .
She was right in the middle of the cliff face - 50ft from the top and bottom .
She did not move a muscle during the rescue - she was frozen solid .
But she is fine now .
She was eating biscuits afterwards .
This was a very unusual call-out .
The fact that the dog was spotted is unbelievable .
Specialist Technical Rescue Officer Peter Lau said : " Ruby had a very lucky escape . "
The potential was there that she could have been very seriously injured or worse .
Ruby was taken to the vets for a check-up and was found to be fine other than exhaustion and dehydration .
Miss Hall , from Halifax , West Yorkshire , said : " Watching the rescue was terrifying . "
I could not believe that she was up there in the first place .
It was amazing to get her back in our arms .
The vet said that if she became too exhausted and collapsed she would probably have fallen .
The firefighters were amazing .
It was really daring what they did .
We are just so grateful and every single one of them was absolutely tremendous .
Mr Alderson , from Keighley , added : " We were scared that she might fall but she stayed there . "
The firefighters were brilliant .
I just can 't believe where she was .
Mick Jagger says he never hit on Katy Perry when she was 18 .
During an interview with an Australian radio show this week , the pop star said she sang backing vocals for Jagger 's 2004 song " Old Habits Die Hard . "
Perry said she had dinner with the veteran rocker and that " he hit on me when I was 18 . "
She added , " That was a long time ago , and he 's been very kind . "
In a statement Thursday , a representative for Jagger , 70 , says he " categorically denies that he has ever made a pass at Katy Perry . "
The rep adds : " Perhaps she is confusing him with someone else . "
Perry was one of the singers to make a guest appearance on the Rolling Stones ' tour this year .
Her new album , " Prism , " debuted at No. 1 this week .
George Kerevan : Europe break-up gives Scots choice
Another day , another independence scare story .
This time we are warned that an independent Scotland would be required to join the Europe-wide free-travel zone as a condition of EU membership .
Cue stories about passport controls at Berwick and a barbed wire border along Hadrian 's Wall .
True , the Strathclyde paper pointed out the possible economic benefits of freer movement with the rest of Europe , though - predictably - that did not figure in the headlines .
Nor did anyone point out that the EU member states spend much of their time bending their formal rules if it suits them .
Since Scotland isn 't in the Schengen area now , continued non-compliance would be a cheap concession for Brussels to offer up in return for whatever it really wanted out of the Scots .
So , a non-story , then .
And one that is so long in the tooth it has become fossilised : I first heard the " independence means passport controls " canard at least 40 years ago .
Yet there is an interesting point lost in this retelling of a whiskery old tale .
Why should an independent Scotland be expected to do Europe 's bidding , anyway ?
Why trade London 's yoke for that of Brussels , especially now ?
Here is the real European news : the great , post-war plan to unite Europe has finally stalled .
With the euro crisis , Project Europe is officially dead .
Across the EU , parties which are dedicated to opposing the EU , or to scrapping the euro as a common currency , are gaining ground .
Even in Germany , the Eurosceptic Alternative for Germany Party - founded only this year - came from nowhere to grab nearly five million votes in September 's federal elections , thus effectively knocking the Free Democrats ( equivalent to our own Lib Dems ) out of the Bundestag .
There has always been domestic opposition to the plan to create a federal Europe .
However , the current economic crisis has proved a watershed .
The austerity imposed by Berlin and the European Central Bank , coupled with the straitjacket imposed on national economies through adherence to the common currency , has led many people to think Project Europe has gone too far .
The crisis of the euro has little to do with national governments running excessive budget deficits - that was true only of Greece .
Rather , the euro system locked in its members at exchange rates favourable to German exporters - something German politicians want to keep .
Without the possibility of domestic currency devaluation , southern Europe finds itself with a built-in productivity disadvantage vis-à-vis Germany .
The only recourse is to slash wages and public spending - spurred on by Berlin .
Beyond the current budget and currency problems lies a deeper European productivity malaise .
As a result of " green " energy policies imposed by Brussels - code for subsidising French and German energy firms at the consumer 's expense - European industry pays twice as much for electricity , and four times as much for gas , as in the United States .
That is a crippling cost disadvantage , as we 've already seen at Grangemouth .
All the wage freezes in the world won 't stop the European petrochemicals industry being hammered by cheap US shale gas .
As a result , revolt is brewing , especially in France , once the EU 's main cheerleader .
After the war , the French political elite saw the EU as a vehicle to keep Germany in check , and to give Paris equal billing in the world with Washington .
But Berlin no longer needs Paris as a passport to political legitimacy and has imposed its own economic policy on Europe , leaving the battered French economy struggling .
Result : Marine Le Pen 's right-wing , anti-EU National Front has just won a crucial by-election , knocking the ruling Socialists into third place .
The Front is now the most popular party in France with 24 per cent of the vote - a timely warning to British Labour that they can 't assume a split on the right will automatically favour the left .
What is Le Pen doing with her newfound popularity among the French white , working class ?
She wants to use next year 's EU elections to create an anti-EU , anti-common currency bloc across the European Parliament .
If , as is very possible , anti-EU parties do well in these elections , such a bloc could dominate the European Parliament for the first time .
Here 's my point : sometime soon growing anti-EU and anti-common currency feeling in Europe will coalesce to kill the euro .
The EU won 't disappear , but it will revert to something more like the loose " Europe of the ( Sovereign ) Nations " favoured by General de Gaulle .
Germany and a few of its satellite economies might keep the euro but France and southern Europe will revive their own currencies .
I expect the UK will distance itself from this project , hoping to cosy up to the US .
However , Washington 's growing interest in the Pacific suggests Britain will be left out in the Atlantic cold .
Where does this leave Scotland ?
We can choose to be a region of ( essentially ) Little England .
Or we can defend our own economic interests - which includes telling Berlin and Brussels where to get off .
I suspect that Scotland could do well inside a looser European arrangement provided we kept our own currency .
Co-operation with other like-minded countries will be easier in a non-federal Europe of the Nations .
Otherwise we should consider emulating Norway and retaining our economic independence .
The SNP government in Scotland is - remarkably-- the most successful anti-austerity political movement in Europe , having won a spectacular majority in 2011 on the basis of opposing the cuts proposed ( and implemented ) by Labour 's chancellor Alistair Darling and the subsequent Tory-Lib Dem coalition .
It would be ridiculous now for Scotland to vote for independence only to accept austerity imposed by Berlin and Brussels .
Early puberty : Growing older sooner
African-American and Hispanic girls tend to reach puberty earlier than their white counterparts , research shows .
Physical changes don 't mean puberty is imminent
There 's no evidence that hormones or other chemicals are to blame
Experts think the obesity epidemic might be one trigger of early puberty
The trend toward early puberty is not as pronounced with boys
Former CNN correspondent Pat Etheridge is a journalist specializing in children 's health and family issues .
Should a mother be alarmed if her daughter begins to sprout breast buds and pubic hair at 7 or 8 ?
At the annual conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics this week in Orlando , Florida , pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Paul Kaplowitz explained that these early physical changes are quite common among American girls and represent a new norm .
" I spend a lot of time reassuring parents -- usually , this does not signal a rapid progression into full puberty , " said Kaplowitz .
Obvious signs of development , such as budding breasts , pubic and underarm hair and body odor are appearing sooner in girls .
But there has been only a slight shift in the age of menarche ( the first period ) over the past four decades .
In the United States , the average age is 12.5 years , down from 12.75 in 1970 .
" Once breasts begin to develop , it takes at least two to three years before menarche , " said Kaplowitz , also author of " Early Puberty in Girls : The Essential Guide to Coping with This Common Problem . "
Time is the most accurate test of how puberty is going to progress .
There is debate about what constitutes the actual onset of puberty , but it is considered " precocious " when breast enlargement is accompanied by a growth spurt before age 8 .
In most cases , the process will slow down or stall -- something a pediatrician can monitor closely .
A more rapid progression may warrant tests by an endocrinologist to rule out serious problems such as tumors or cysts .
There are treatments to delay early menses and ward off another consequence : premature aging of the bones that ultimately can lead to stunted growth and being short as an adult .
Recommendations for drug or hormone therapy are based on the child 's age , rate of development , growth rate and emotional maturity .
Psychosocial aspects are important , too .
Kaplowitz is cautious with medication but acknowledges , " suppressing puberty may alleviate behavioral issues and girls ' feelings of being different from peers . "
The other big issue is understandable : Parents simply don 't want their very young daughters having periods .
" They worry about the risk of pregnancy or even how they will handle hygiene , " said Kaplowitz .
" It was a shock , " recalls one woman whose daughter started her period at 10 .
Even though there were signs and we had talked about menstruation , she was not emotionally prepared .
She came home from school scared and upset to be the first among her friends .
There are lots of well-publicized theories about the causes of precocious puberty .
Yet , there 's no consistent body of evidence that hormones in milk or other foods , chemicals in the environment or sexual messages in the media are to blame .
Boys - like girls - are hitting puberty earlier .
Kaplowitz contends the premise that holds the most weight is the epidemic of obesity .
He helped conduct a 2001 study of 6- to 9-year-old girls that links body fat to the timing of puberty .
Other findings support this conclusion , but there are many other contributing factors .
In this country , African-American and Hispanic girls tend to reach puberty earlier than their white counterparts .
There are varying explanations .
Globally , patterns of early puberty appear to be influenced by everything from economic conditions to climate to genes .
Another conundrum : Although boys are getting facial and pubic hair at younger ages , the trend toward full-blown early puberty is not as pronounced as it is with girls .
Other doctors attending the AAP conference reinforced the complexities of the topic .
The appearance of acne and pubic hair is common even in infants and toddlers .
" We need to be careful about how we identify the true onset of puberty , " said Dr. Lawrence Silverman , a pediatric endocrinologist at Goryeb Children 's Hospital in Morristown , New Jersey .
Parents should not hesitate to get guidance from their pediatrician about how to talk with their child .
" It may mean having a sooner-than-expected conversation , " Kaplowitz advised .
If you remain calm , your child usually will respond well .
Girls who blossom early need reassurance that , even when it happens ahead of schedule , the process is a normal part of life .
Naďa Konvalinková in the role of landlady .
Does she have a new job ?
Actress Naďa Konvalinková ( 62 ) has appeared behind the bar in the role of landlady and was very good at it .
Has this popular Czech actress planned a career change and started business in the pub ?
Naďa Konvalinková appeared in the James Joyce Irish pub and pulled beer there .
I did it for the first time in my life and I got the hang of it straight away .
The boss even offered me a job and I could make a living pulling beer .
But I refused , I ’ d rather stick with what I ’ m doing now , acting , " said Konvalinková with a smile , who was a guest at the twentieth anniversary of the Irish pub .
" I like Irish beer and every so often I ’ ll have an Irish whiskey , " revealed the actress .
Naďa ’ s long-time friend and colleague , Pavel Nový , also appeared at the event .
I am post death , and in my current , new life , I cannot drink .
I ’ m allowed one beer or one shot a day , and I try and stick to that , " added the actor .
Jet makers feud over seat width with big orders at stake
A row has flared up between leading plane makers over the width of tourist-class seats on long-distance flights , setting the tone for a bitter confrontation at this month 's Dubai Airshow .
The dispute focuses on the width of seats provided on long-haul flights for economy passengers - not always the ones most courted by airlines , but whose allocated space holds the key to efficiency claims for the latest jets offered by Airbus SAS and Boeing Co .
Airbus this week called for an industry standard that would provide for a seat at least 18 inches ( 46 cm ) wide in economy cabins , but its U.S. arch-rival Boeing says it should be for airlines to decide .
The dispute comes as plane makers vie to sell ever-larger versions of their twin-engined long-distance aircraft , with potentially record orders expected at the November 17-21 event .
How the back of the plane is laid out - particularly whether seating is 9 or 10 abreast - is central to the economic performance claims being made for new " mini-jumbo " jet designs .
Boeing says its revamped " 777X " will hold 406 people based on economy seats more than 17 inches wide and set out 10 in each row .
Airbus says the competing version of its A350 will carry 350 people in 18-inch-wide economy seat laid out 9 abreast .
Plane giants often trade blows on technical matters through advertising in the trade press .
Now , Airbus is appealing directly to the public ahead of the Dubai Airshow , where the 777X is expected to dominate with more than 100 orders .
It recently previewed what may be the start of a new ad war by showing financiers a slide illustrating three people squashed together at a restaurant , titled " Would You Accept This ? "
" Boeing is proposing long-distance flying in seats narrower than regional turbo-props , " said Airbus sales chief John Leahy .
As diets change , people get bigger but plane seating has not radically changed .
Between the early 1970s , when the Boeing 747 jumbo defined modern long-haul travel , and the turn of the century , the weight of the average American 40- to 49-year-old male increased by 10 per cent , according to U.S. Health Department Data .
The waist of the average 21st-century American male is 39.7 inches , according to U.S. health statistics .
Airbus says its rival is sticking to a seat concept from the 1950s , when the average girth of the newly christened " jet set " was narrower .
Airbus says it has commissioned research suggesting an extra inch in seat width improves sleep quality by 53 per cent .
Boeing disputes Airbus 's figures on seat measurements and says it is not up to manufacturers to step into decisions on how airlines balance fares and facilities .
It also says research shows cabin experience depends on more than the width of a seat .
" It really comes down to providing flexibility to airlines and allowing them to do the things that they believe they need to do to be successful , " said Boeing cabins expert Kent Craver .
They don 't want us to dictate to them what makes them profitable .
They know their business better than anyone else .
For flyers it is about more elbow room , but for suppliers it is increasingly an issue that could affect earnings .
Behind the dispute is a race for plane orders with at least $ 700-billion of estimated business at list prices in coming decades , enough to tip the scales of U.S. and European exports .
As Reuters first reported in July , seat layout is exactly what drives the battle between the latest jets .
Both Airbus and Boeing claim 20 per cent better efficiency per seat in their latest twin-engined long-haul designs than the market leader in that segment , the 365-seat Boeing 777-300ER .
Boeing 's performance claims depend in part on comparing the 10-abreast 777X with an original 9-abreast 777 design .
The gain in unit costs is blunted compared with 10-abreast now in use .
" The reason Boeing are doing this is to cram more seats in to make their plane more competitive with our products , " said Kevin Keniston , head of passenger comfort at Europe 's Airbus .
On the other hand , analysts say full 10-seat-per-row cabins for existing 777s suggest many passengers are voting for the denser layout , which may go hand in hand with cheaper fares .
" Eighteen inches in seat width would be great for passengers , but the reality is that from a business point of the Airbus proposal is driven by the threat of the 777 , " said cabin interiors expert Mary Kirby , founder and editor of the Runway Girl Network .
Airbus and Boeing do not supply seats but offer a catalogue of suppliers for airlines to choose from .
Globe-trotting jet sellers even carry tape measures to check on competing layouts .
While boasting comfort , all builders also offer jets with high-density layouts for low-cost airlines and regional travel .
Airbus offers a 10-abreast A350 but says it has not yet sold it .
Until recently , Airbus was stressing the need for more cabin customization by offering wider aisle seats on some of its jets .
Without the support of the only other maker of large modern jets , experts say its call for a new industry standard is unlikely to fly , but could distract from a wave of 777X sales .
The number of people affected by HIV exceeds one thousand in Prague
The number of people affected increases every year in the Czech Republic .
For example , tests in 2002 confirmed the infection in 50 people , five years later there were already 121 and in 2010 there were already 180 .
Last year there were 212 people infected and this was a record number .
" There is already no doubt in my opinion that the total number of newly diagnosed cases will exceed 200 this year , " stated Miroslav Hlavatý , expert in the issue of AIDS , who was head of Prague ’ s House of Light for patients for years .
He says that last year from January to September there were another 165 patients with HIV , this year there were 176 during the same period .
From the start of monitoring to the end of this September , tests confirmed HIV in 1710 men and 353 women , with the most infected people in Prague .
Their number in September reached 1005 .
In Central Bohemia Region , there were 206 residents infected .
A diagnosis was heard by 156 people in South Moravia Region , 130 in Moravia-Silesia Region and 116 in the Ústí nad Labem Region .
The fewest infected persons are in Vysočina , there are 19 .
In total , 88 per cent of patients were infected during sex .
Fourteen people in the past have been infected by blood transfusion .
Such cases , however , have not appeared in the Czech Republic since the beginning of testing , that is , for over 25 years , .
Six children have also been born with HIV , transferred to them from the mother .
There is nonsense in the film Gravity , but it is a beautiful sight , say experts
The fantasy film from space , Gravity , was for some time after its premiere a sell-out at Czech cinemas .
In October , according to the Union of Film Distributors , almost 150,000 people saw it and it made over 26 million crowns .
The majority of reviews have evaluated the film positively .
Others , however , have found some inconsistencies .
The server Lidovky.cz asked experts from among a number of astronomers and astrophysicists what they thought of the film and if they had noticed any nonsense that appeared in the film .
Jiří Dušek ( director of the Brno Observatory and Planetarium ) : I like sci-fi films which I consider modern , dreamlike fairy tales .
Gravity is no exception , although it gives appearance as a " physically realistic " performance .
It isn ’ t , but that doesn ’ t mean it was bad .
I really enjoyed it .
You can notice , for example , Sandra Bullock ’ s hair , which somehow doesn ’ t float in zero gravity .
The Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station move in significantly different orbits , so they cannot be seen in one shot .
Some viewers are reproaching the film for the unrealistic effect and the behaviour of fire in general in zero gravity .
They also say the space suits would not withstand such blows .
The heroes of Gravity often collide with various objects and the clothes withstand everything without much problems .
The storyline was not spared criticism either .
According to some discussions , such an extensive tragedy in Earth ’ s orbit is unrealistic .
They also wonder why the doctor was sent to space to fix the equipment .
People in forums also argue about the ropes ’ " unrealistic " behaviour .
They apparently look as if they were designed for bungee jumping .
Marcel Grün ( director of the Prague Observatory and Planetarium ) : I have only seen it so far on a wide screen , but I can definitely say I was enchanted .
I am glad it wasn ’ t a documentary but science fiction .
And in that kind of story , the author is entitled ( almost obliged ) not to stick firmly to reality .
" More than the inconsistencies you mentioned , what concerned me was how the space station was shown three times with a deteriorating level of technology ( the last time the Chinese one ) . "
" After all , it will be the Chinese one only at the end of the decade and it will probably look better than it is in the film . "
Vladimír Karas ( Director of the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic ) : In computer-generated scenes the authors have very successfully tried not to break physical laws , and so the natural-science orientated viewer can appreciate that in various cosmic collisions and crashes , the moment of movement , to use terminology of physics , is quite correctly preserved , the view of Earth from space is also very realistic including the thin atmospheric shell and the aurora flickering in the polar regions .
Inconsistencies will definitely be found on closer examination .
In addition , for example , when reading comments , I found that the preferred direction of circulation of various space debris in orbit in some scenes appears in reverse than how it should be in reality ( from west to east ) .
Jiří Štěpán ( employee at the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic ) : The filmmakers adapted some things to their needs , but I saw no major or shocking violations against logic or natural laws in the film and in comparison with other films with a similar focus , it is clear that the filmmakers did their best to make the events seem credible .
Of the moments that do not make sense , it is worth mentioning the fact that the Hubble Space Telescope has a different orbit than the ISS .
As a result , they have a significantly different relative speed and the rescue operation could not actually have gone the way it was shown in the film .
Also , in the moment of separating Kowalski ( Clooney ) and Stone ( Bullock ) , I did not notice that the whole ISS rotated , so it is not actually clear what the origin of the strength acting on Kowalski was , which forced both actors to let go at the moment when they were not moving against each other .
New anti-nicotine vaccine could take the pleasure out of smoking
Scientists have developed an anti-nicotine vaccine that could take the pleasure out of smoking a cigarette .
A single dose of the vaccine was able to protect mice against nicotine addiction for life .
Further tests are needed before starting human trials , which would take several years , but Professor Ronald Crystal of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York said the early signs are good .
" We are very hopeful that this kind of vaccine strategy can finally help the millions of smokers who have tried to stop , exhausting all the methods on the market today , but find their nicotine addiction to be strong enough to overcome these current approaches , " Prof Cornell said .
The new vaccine contains a harmless virus that has been engineered to carry the genetic information to make anti-nicotine antibodies .
The virus selectively infects liver cells , which then start to make a steady stream of the antibodies .
The antibodies hunt down any nicotine molecules in the bloodstream , neutralising them before they reached the brain , preventing a smoker from getting a nicotine hit .
In tests , vaccinated mice who were subsequently given nicotine continued with their normal activity .
But mice who had not been given the vaccine " chilled out , " say the researchers , a sign that the nicotine had reached their brains .
The experiments are described in the journal Science Translational Medicine .
Previous tobacco vaccines failed because they contained antibodies .
The jabs had to be given so frequently to keep antibody levels topped up that they proved expensive and impractical .
But the cost of the new vaccine is likely to be far lower , because it turns liver cells into antibody factories .
Prof Crystal said that if a future human vaccine was completely safe it could be given to children before they were tempted to try a cigarette , preventing nicotine addiction .
But more likely it would be used by smokers to quit .
" They will know if they start smoking again , they will receive no pleasure from it due to the nicotine vaccine , and that can help them kick the habit , " he said .
British scientists said the results were interesting but warned far more research was needed .
Tripodi denies being influenced by Obeid
Former NSW Labor minister Joe Tripodi will be investigated by the state 's corruption watchdog .
Former NSW minister Joe Tripodi has denied changing maritime leases policy at the request of his political mentor Eddie Obeid , who had hidden interests in three properties on government-controlled land .
The Independent Commission Against Corruption ( ICAC ) on Friday widened its inquiry into whether Mr Obeid lobbied several state ministers to have leases at Circular Quay , where the Obeids owned two restaurants and a cafe , renewed without going to tender after their expiration in August 2005 .
It 's now investigating allegations Mr Tripodi knew of Mr Obeid 's secret interest in the properties , after evidence given by Mr Tripodi 's former deputy chief of staff , Lynne Ashpole , on Thursday .
During years of discussions starting in 2005 the government had been pushing for the leases to go to public tender .
The lessees were against this and also wanted longer terms .
In 2009 leases for the Circular Quay enterprises , which earned the Obeids about $ 2.5 million annually , were renewed without going to public tender .
Mr Tripodi , who was ports minister from February 2006 until November 2009 , was initially in favour of public tenders .
But he denied the changes were made at the request of Mr Obeid , who Mr Tripodi acknowledged was urging a shift in government lease policy .
A phone transcript tabled in ICAC showed calls in August and September 2007 between Mr Obeid , Mr Tripodi and Steve Dunn , a senior bureaucrat who had come into the ports ministry after working under Mr Obeid in the fisheries department .
" Was the matter being discussed in the course of these telephone conversations the development of the commercial lease policy , " Assistant Commissioner Anthony Whealy asked Mr Tripodi .
" No , " Mr Tripodi replied .
I can 't remember what was discussed but it definitely wasn 't that .
Definitely not between myself and Mr Obeid .
Israeli warplanes attack target inside Syria , official says
Israeli warplanes struck a target inside the Syrian port city of Latakia Thursday night , a senior administration official confirms to Fox News .
The official did not specify what the target was , but said there was at least one .
The Associated Press reports the target was Russian-made SA-125 missiles .
At least twice earlier this year Israel launched airstrikes on shipments of missiles inside Syria .
Many things have moved , and everything is different .
For instance , the commentator Pečinka spoke in such a way that it was possible to agree with it , whereas chairman Štěch stirred up discord .
I was suspicious of Governor Chovanec as soon as they elected him to the presidency , and that was confirmed .
Chairman Sobotka always was and continues to be a symbol of the misery of ČSSD .
The other gentlemen have mainly shown their weaknesses .
Senator Dienstbier is consistent and readable and unusable , Vice-Chairman Zaorálek embarrassed himself most in a television interview .
On the basis of this , I see no better option than for ČSSD to nominate as the Premier the Vice-Chairperson of the Senate Gajdůšková ; she is the only one without a starting handicap and I think she would deliver a standard performance .
It is such a good solution that hardly anyone in leadership will support it .
I should add that this solution is the only option to forget what happened and continue without tearing the party apart .
Alena Gajdůšková could easily form a minority government with only a blessing from Chairman Babiš and without the Christian Democrats , but with Christian Democrat Minister of Health Hovorka , who is actually a faithful Social Democrat .
This mini-minority government would have a great stability because it would promote the proper law for a referendum and Chairman of Dawn , Okamura , is also committed to support this .
Chairman Babiš was eventually reconciled with taxation progression , since he is clever and will see that it is impossible without it .
The Christian Democrats would not present problems , because Hovorka is the bearer of the best they have and they would not otherwise be in the government .
The same applies to ANO , even here a valuable minister could be found , but when they sensibly do not want to enter into risky government participation , but will provide support , that is also good .
Let ’ s encourage Alena Gajdůšková !
Foreign workers on 457 visas could undergo " genuineness " test
A " genuineness " test for foreign workers on 457 visas is being considered by the government as it contemplates expanding a crackdown .
The test , if adopted , would be applied through a criteria aimed at preventing 457s being used to fill unskilled positions or as a back door way to move family and friends to Australia .
A government discussion paper was released today as former Labor MP Maxine McKew slammed the government 's rhetoric about foreign workers , saying it could offend Australia 's neighbours .
" Loud declarations about ' foreigners getting to the back of the queue ' and ' Aussie jobs first ' are a very unpleasant throwback to a time when unions demanded a protected labor market , " she told the Australia India Institute today .
Historically , that meant it was white labour that had to be protected - and if some in the region saw echoes of that historic artifact , I wouldn 't be surprised .
The discussion paper outlines 12 measures that were previously considered by former Immigration Minister Chris Bowen .
Immigration Minister Brendan O 'Connor , who was yesterday in Sri Lanka where he is meeting officials about people smuggling , has implemented five of the recommended changes with the remainder under consideration .
If the " genuineness " criteria was adopted a visa applicant could be scrutinised about " whether the nomination is genuine in circumstances where the nominee is a relation or personal associate of an owner or relevant person of the sponsoring business . "
Businesses could also be required to account for the number of 457 visa holders after previously businesses who had intended to sponsor a small number of workers then employed hundreds .
Meanwhile , a 35-year-old Sri Lankan asylum seeker died of a suspected heart attack after arriving on an asylum boat at Christmas Island this week .
The man 's distraught nine-year-old son travelled to Australia with him and has been comforted since the death of his father on Wednesday by an adult cousin who was also on the vessel .
Australian authorities rushed the man to Christmas Island Hospital , where he died .
A study aiming to increase the benefits to Scotland of the HS2 rail project has been announced by the UK government .
The work by HS2 Ltd suggests high-speed services to Scotland and the north of England will start as soon as Phase One opens in 2026 .
Transport minister Baroness Kramer said the project would " bring the UK together . "
Scottish transport minister Keith Brown said he was " excited " to work with the UK government on the plan .
Phase One will consist of a new high speed rail line between London and the West Midlands .
When Phase Two is completed , lines will run to Manchester and Leeds .
In June the government revised the estimated cost of building the high-speed link between London and the North of England from £ 32.7bn to £ 42.6bn.
The UK government , which has been holding talks with Transport Scotland , has instructed HS2 Ltd to look at further rail capacity and journey time improvements for northern England and Scotland .
This is to include the possibility of eventual journey times from Glasgow and Edinburgh to London of three hours or less .
Baroness Kramer said : " Our goal for HS2 is for a truly national network that will bring the UK and its cities closer together . "
We are driving forward HS2 because the benefits it will bring are huge .
Without it we face a crisis in capacity on our rail network .
But it is also about connectivity , across the UK 18 cities including Glasgow and Edinburgh will be better connected because of HS2 .
Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael added : " Today 's announcement is good news for Scotland . "
For the Scottish government , Keith Brown called on Mr Carmichael to " unequivocally " back Scotland 's inclusion in the HS2 network .
Mr Brown said : " High speed rail has the potential to bring huge economic benefits to Scotland , but also adds Scotland 's economic weight to the overall case for high speed rail across Britain . "
So we are excited to work in partnership with the UK Government to examine options for bringing high speed rail to Scotland , creating benefit for all and complementing the Glasgow-Edinburgh line which the Scottish Government is already planning .
I look forward to reviewing the report of the investigation with UK ministers next year and together decide on the next steps .
Anti-corruption police analyst arrested by inspectorate together with Bárta
Information about the arrest of Vít Bárta began to spread on Thursday evening , when the news was brought by the server Prvnízpravy.cz.
MF DNES soon discovered that the General Inspectorate of the Security Forces ( GIBS ) was in charge of the case ; its people were arresting Bárta in the centre of Prague .
It took place outside the Four Seasons Hotel .
The inspectorate solves cases where the defendants include police , although the jurisdiction also applies to civilians .
According to MF DNES , the detainees include one of the officers of the anti-corruption police – the head of the analytics and informatics division Jan Petržílek .
He has previously worked for the Security Intelligence Service ( BIS ) .
Anti-corruption police spokesman Jaroslav Ibehej refused to comment on the information , however , adding that the media must in this case contact the GIBS .
Radka Sandorová , spokesperson for the inspectorate , did not want to say anything about the case , referring immediately to the Prague Municipal Prosecutor ’ s Office .
" We will not comment on this query with regard to the protection of classified information , " said Štěpánka Zenklová , spokesperson for the Prosecutor ’ s Office .
From this vague reaction , it can also be deduced that the event took place , but is in a classified regime , which does not allow a spokesperson to say anything specific .
Bárta ’ s lawyer , Oldřich Chudoba , is in a similar situation .
He told the media that he is representing Bárta " in this matter as well " , but due to the fact it is classified information , he cannot confirm or deny Bárta ’ s arrest .
Some media speculated earlier that Bárta ’ s arrest could be connected to the former chief of police Petr Lessy .
It was Bárta and former Public Affairs chairman Radek John , who headed the Ministry of the Interior , who put him in the post .
The dispute which erupted because of this between former prime minister Petr Nečas and Public Affairs had to be dealt with by the president at the time , Václav Klaus .
I don ’ t know where this connection to me came from .
Nobody contacted me , I wasn ’ t questioned .
" I really know nothing about the matter , " Lessy told iDNES.cz.
In January 2011 , Lessy became the chief of police .
Though officially Radek John pulled the strings to get him there , the true head of the party at the time was Bárta .
Bárta was a candidate in the election for the Dawn movement , but he just missed out on a parliamentary mandate – by 175 votes .
Dawn ’ s leader , Tomio Okamura , declared that he had no idea what it was about .
" Vít Bárta was one of many candidates from many parties on our list of candidates , and as I said repeatedly before the election , he was not and is not a member of Tomio Okamura 's Dawn of Direct Democracy , " said Okamura , distancing himself from Bárta , having said before the election that he gave Bárta space to be a Dawn candidate because he helped him to fix a problem with executors .
Vít Bárta found himself in court in 2012 with his former party colleague from Public Affairs , Jaroslav Škárka .
Aircraft electronic device rules to stay in force in Australia for now
Australian airline passengers will need to continue turning off their tablets and smart phones during take-off and landing despite moves in the US to loosen regulations covering the devices .
The US Federal Aviation Administration has left the way open for American carriers to change their procedures so that passengers will be able to read e-books , watch videos or play games on their devices during critical phases of flight provided they remain in " airplane " mode .
Passengers can already do this during the bulk of a flight but many people find it annoying to be unable to access their e-books during take-offs and landings .
Australian carriers are looking at the decision , which requires US carriers to undertake a massive amount of work to meet the requirements , but have indicated they have no immediate plans to change their procedures .
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority also said it was looking at the announcement but emphasised that restrictions on the use of electronic devices in critical phases of flight were still in place in Australia .
" CASA currently has no specific regulations governing the use of electronic devices in aircraft , " it said .
The issue is covered by regulations which require aircraft operators to ensure safety is maintained at all times and passengers to comply with the safety instructions given by crew members .
Virgin , which has already been talking to CASA about extending the use its in-flight wi-fi entertainment system , was amenable to a change but said it would take its lead from the regulator .
" We would welcome a review by CASA into allowing the use of electronic devices because we really do think it will improve the customer experience now that we have ( wireless in-flight entertainment ) on our planes , " a spokesman said .
Qantas said it would stick with the current rules for now .
" Our current policy is that electronic devices cannot be used during take-off and landing and we have no immediate plans to change that , " it said .
The FAA ruling applies to American airlines .
However , we are always interested in regulatory developments that could benefit passengers and we will certainly be taking a close look at the FAA 's decision and the reasons behind it .
For US carriers , the impact of the ruling will vary from airline to airline and will depend on the age of their fleet .
Carriers will need to prove their planes can tolerate radio interference from mobile devices as well as revise manuals , training materials , carry-on baggage programs and passenger briefings .
" Once an airline verifies the tolerance of its fleet , it can allow passengers to use handheld , lightweight electronic devices such as tablets , e-readers , and smartphones-at all altitudes , " the FAA said .
In rare instances of low visibility , the crew will instruct passengers to turn off their devices during landing .
The group also recommended that heavier devices should be safely stowed under seats or in overhead bins during take-off and landing .
Pawnbrokers shine in Singapore as middle class feel the pinch
At a pawnshop in Bendemeer shopping centre in Singapore , Janani Amirthalinga is swapping a gold bangle , ring and pair of earrings to pay her daughters " school fees .
" My husband and I have just bought a house so all my money 's stuck there , " Mrs Amirthalinga says .
Even though she earns S $ 3,000 ( $ 2,400 ) a month as an administrator and her husband works as well , the monthly family income is insufficient , she says .
Indeed , such is demand across parts of southeast Asia - where household debt is rising - that ValueMax , where she is carrying out her transaction , this week became the third pawnshop to list on the Singapore stock exchange .
Pawning jewellery is not merely a fast way to land cash - S $ 1,300 in Ms Amirthalinga 's case - but almost as cheap as unsecured bank loans .
Typically pawnbrokers in Singapore charge an effective annual percentage rate of 17 per cent , just above the 15.4 per cent offered at United Overseas Bank , a local lender with a branch in the same shopping centre .
However , pawnbrokers have the advantage of not requiring credit checks or proof of salary , and can arrange loans faster than banks .
Hence millions of people across the region are turning to pawnshops as families feel the squeeze from rising living costs and ballooning household and consumer debt .
After five years of robust growth since the global financial crisis , and cheap credit fuelled by loose monetary policy in advanced economies , lower- and middle-income families are turning to pawn shops to make up the difference as their economies slow .
This week Standard & Poor 's , the rating agency , cited increasing household leverage , mainly from rising mortgages , as a risk factor for Asian banks " creditworthiness .
It said that Malaysia , Thailand and Singapore had the highest household debt to gross domestic product ratios in Asia .
Malaysia topped the list at 80 per cent of GDP , up from 60 per cent in 2008 .
Economists are also worried about high levels of consumer debt in Thailand , which this week narrowly emerged from technical recession .
On Thursday , data showed continued export weakness , and a softening in consumer demand .
" Bottom line is that with costs rising , people in the middle to lower end [ of the income scale ] will be looking to supplement their income wherever they can , " says Song Seng Wun , economist at CIMB , a Malaysian bank .
Historically high prices for gold in the past two years have added to the rush to pawn personal belongings , as people take the opportunity to cash in the value of their family jewellery .
In Singapore , about 70 per cent of items pawned at the city-state 's 200 pawn outlets are gold .
People are saying " the gold price looks good , let 's pawn grandma 's gold chain and get it back next month .
In Thailand the largest pawnshop operator , EasyMoney , has seen an up to 20 per cent rise in the number of customers using its outlets in recent months .
Such is the growth in the pawn business that ValueMax , operator of the outlet at Bendemeer and of 15 others like it in Singapore , plans to expand not only in neighbouring Malaysia - where it has four shops - but outside Asia too , says Yeah Lee Ching , ValueMax 's executive director .
The company will fund that by using 60 per cent of S $ 66m it raised this week in a listing on the Singapore stock exchange .
While some discount lenders have come under fire for high interest rates , Ms Yeah says that not only does pawning offer cheaper rates than other lenders , it also does not add directly to debt .
" Customers are mortgaging items that they already own , and monetising personal assets does not increase household debt , " she says .
There 's an increased social acceptance of pawnbroking as a means to secure short term , secured financing .
Nor are the types of people who use pawnbrokers only the financially stretched .
Wealthy people in Singapore also use ValueMax outlets , pawning gold bars or Rolex watches , which can command up to 60 per cent of their purchase price in cash .
We see customers from all walks of life .
" They include wealthy individuals who need to borrow short term for business ventures or investments , or small businesses with a need to tide over their cash flow needs , " says Ms Yeah .
Sometimes they just need the money very quickly .
$ 325m rescue package for Tassie health
The Federal Government insists a $ 325 million rescue package for Tasmania 's ailing health system has tough conditions attached that will ensure the State Government can 't waste the funds .
Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek has announced the Commonwealth is taking " urgent action " to head off a crisis caused by the island state 's aging population , higher rates of chronic disease and system constraints .
The funding , over four years , was decided after government consultations with Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie .
" The Government has come up with an emergency rescue package we believe will address the unique challenges faced by the state , " Ms Plibersek said today .
The $ 325 million package includes a $ 31 million elective surgery blitz .
An additional 2600 operations including orthopedic and cataract surgery will help clear a backlog .
There 's also money for walk-in clinics in Hobart and Launceston , better after-hospital care , medical specialist training , mental health services and the rollout of personal electronic health record systems in local hospitals .
" These investments respond to the ideas that front-line clinicians have told me will be the best ways to tend to Tasmania 's health system , " Ms Plibersek said .
The minister insisted the Tasmanian Government would face a strict reporting and accountability regime .
The state would have to maintain current funding levels in order to receive Commonwealth cash and report monthly on where it was spending the extra funds .
A three-person commission will be set up to ensure the state is delivering services as effectively and efficiently as possible .
Mr Wilkie today said the $ 325 million would count for little " unless it 's followed by genuine reform to put Tasmania 's public health system on a more sustainable footing . "
He nevertheless praised the Government for responding to his request for urgent assistance which he first raised with the Prime Minister at the beginning of May .
" I 'm hopeful the federal assistance package will go a long way towards taking the state 's public health system off the critical list , " Mr Wilkie said .
According to the State Government these additional elective procedures will largely reverse the recent cuts .
But federal Opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton believes today 's announcement is a " band-aid solution . "
" The reason we are here is that the Labor State Government ripped $ 430 million out of its health system , " he told ABC TV .
You can 't have a state government ripping out almost half-a-billion dollars and the Commonwealth put in $ 300 million and pretend it 's a good news day .
Mr Dutton called on Ms Plibersek to guarantee that not one dollar out of the rescue package would be spent on additional bureaucracy .
Guillaume Nicloux 's adaptation of Denis Diderot 's novel boasts exceptional production design and period detail but is also heavier going than it should be .
Unfolding in 1760s France , it tells the grim story of Suzanne , a young aristocrat sent to a convent by her family .
When she rebels , she experiences extreme cruelty at the hands of a wantonly sadistic Mother Superior and becomes an object of erotic fascination for another .
The film never slips into prurience or sensationalism - and that 's the problem .
The earnest solemnity of the storytelling risks making it a hair shirt-like ordeal for audiences , too .
Ski resorts want to reduce the cost for families with children .
Syria has destroyed its chemical weapons making ability , watchdog group says
Syria has destroyed critical equipment for producing chemical weapons and poison gas munitions , the global chemical weapons watchdog said Thursday as fierce clashes raged in the country 's north , close to one of the sites where toxic agents are believed to be stored .
Also Thursday , a Syrian activist group said more than 120,000 people have been killed since the start of the country 's civil war nearly three years ago .
The announcement by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons came one day ahead of the Nov.
1 deadline set by The Hague-based organization for Damascus to destroy or " render inoperable " all chemical weapon production facilities and machinery for mixing chemicals into poison gas and filling munitions .
The completion of what is essentially the initial stage of destruction is a significant milestone in an ambitious timeline that aims to destroy all of Damascus ' chemical weapons by mid-2014 .
Destruction of the equipment means that Syria can no longer produce new chemical weapons .
However , Damascus still has to start destroying existing weapons and stockpiles .
The country is believed to have around 1,000 metric tons of chemicals and weapons including mustard gas and the nerve agent sarin .
The announcement came as fighting raged Thursday in the town of Safira , which experts say is home to a chemical weapons production facility as well as storage sites , reported the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights .
The activist group , which has been tracking the death toll through a network of activists in Syria , said Thursday that 120,296 people have died .
Of those , it said 61,067 are civilians , including 6,365 children .
On the government side , it said 29,954 are members of President Bashar Assad 's armed forces , 18,678 are pro-government fighters and 187 are Lebanese Hezbollah militants .
Also among the dead it said were 2,202 army defectors and some 5,375 opposition fighters , many of them foreigners .
On July 25 , the U.N. estimated 100,000 have died in the conflict since March 2011 .
It has not updated that figure since .
The conflict has forced some 2 million people to flee the country .
Assad 's troops have been battling rebels , many of them linked to al-Qaida groups , in Safira for weeks .
The Observatory said there were casualties on both sides Thursday but had no specifics .
The fighting underscored the dangers the chemical weapons ' inspectors face as they race against tight deadlines in their mission to rid Syria of the toxic arsenal in the midst of an ongoing civil war .
A statement from the OPCW , which works closely with the United Nations , said its team was " now satisfied that it has verified - and seen destroyed - all of Syria 's declared critical production and mixing / filling equipment . "
It added that , " no further inspection activities are currently planned . "
Earlier this week , the inspectors said they had completed their first round of verification work , visiting 21 of 23 sites declared by Damascus .
They were unable to visit two sites because of security concerns , the inspectors said .
On Thursday , OPCW said the two locations were , according to Syria , " abandoned and ... the chemical weapons program items they contained were moved to other declared sites , which were inspected . "
It was not immediately clear if the facility in Safira was one of the two sites that OPCW inspectors were not able to visit .
Syria has submitted a plan for the total destruction of its chemical weapons that has to be approved next month by the OPCW 's executive committee .
" I salute the fortitude and courage you 've all demonstrated in fulfilling the most challenging mission ever undertaken by this organization , " the watchdog 's director-general , Ahmet Uzumcu , said in comments released by the OPCW .
Now in its third year , the civil war pits the primarily Sunni Muslim rebels against Assad 's government and its security forces , which are stacked with members of his Alawite sect , an offshoot of Shiite Islam .
In other developments , the Observatory 's chief Rami Abdurrahman said there had been a strong explosion Wednesday inside an air defense facility in Syria 's coastal province of Latakia .
The cause of the blast was not known , he said .
Anger over Bali bomb plotter 's sentence
Survivors and relatives of the 202 people killed in the 2002 Bali bombing have reacted with anger over the sentence given to the last of the plotters to face justice , saying Umar Patek should face a firing squad .
Patek , who spent almost 10 years on the run as one of South-East Asia 's most wanted , was yesterday sentenced to 20 years in jail for his role in building the explosive devices used in the bombing .
He could be released within 15 years if granted parole .
The 45-year-old was found guilty of mass murder for the attack on two nightclubs in the popular tourist area of Kuta which left 202 people dead , including 88 Australians , and injured scores more .
He was also found guilty of a number of other terrorism-related charges , including a wave of bombings of churches across Indonesia on Christmas Eve in 2000 .
Prosecutors had demanded a life sentence , although they could have pushed that the man dubbed the " Demolition Man " for his reputation as a master bomb-maker be sentenced to death .
The decision has reignited painful memories for Perth mother June Corteen , who lost her 39-year-old twin daughters Jane and Jenny in the destruction unleashed by Patek and his co-conspirators almost a decade ago .
Fighting back tears , she said Patek should have been sentenced to death .
I really feel that he should follow in the footsteps of the other guys .
" He should be put in front of the firing squad , " Ms Corteen told AAP .
I have to live every day without seeing more grandchildren , and my daughters .
The Sari Club was levelled when a massive bomb loaded into a van parked outside was detonated just after 11pm on October 12 , 2002 .
Peter Hughes was in Paddy 's Bar where a suicide bomber detonated a backpack loaded with explosives just 20 seconds earlier .
He lapsed into a month-long coma in the wake of the bombing , and " died " three times while on life support .
Mr Hughes said Patek should have shared the same fate as three other members of the Jemaah Islamiah terror cell responsible for the carnage - Amrozi , Mukhlas and Imam Samudra - who were executed four years ago .
Really , this guy should get the death penalty before anybody .
To keep him alive , well , there 's no reason to keep him alive .
To get 20 years , after killing 202 people and injuring many hundreds , it 's not much .
Patek is the last of the Bali bombers to face justice .
He had avoided capture for almost a decade but was eventually apprehended in January 2011 in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad , where US forces killed former al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden less than four months later .
During the trial , an FBI agent testified that intelligence reports had revealed Patek was in Pakistan to meet with bin Laden in an effort to re-establish links between South-East Asian terrorist groups and al-Qaeda .
" He didn 't give himself up , " Ms Corteen said .
Until just recently , he really didn 't feel sorry for how much grief he caused other people .
The verdict comes ahead of the 10th anniversary of the attack later this year , which will be marked by ceremonies in Bali and Australia .
" There will be a lot of tears this year , " Ms Corteen said .
Patek may yet appeal his sentence .
FAA : Air passengers can now use gadgets on planes ( but not make cell phone calls )
Airline passengers will be able to use their electronic devices gate-to-gate to read , work , play games , watch movies and listen to music - but not talk on their cellphones - under much-anticipated new guidelines issued Thursday by the Federal Aviation Administration .
But passengers shouldn 't expect changes to happen immediately .
How fast the change is implemented will vary by the airline , FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said at a news conference .
Airlines will have to show the FAA how their airplanes meet the new guidelines and that they 've updating their flight crew training manuals and rules for stowing devices to reflect the new guidelines .
The FAA said it has already received plans from some airlines to expand the use of portable electronic devices on planes .
Delta and JetBlue were among the airliners who have already submitted plans .
" Depending on the condition of the plan , we could approve expanded use of electronic devices very soon , " the FAA said in a statement .
Currently , passengers are required to turn off their smartphones , tablets and other devices once a plane 's door closes .
They 're not supposed to restart them until the planes reach 10,000 feet and the captain gives the go-ahead .
Passengers are supposed to turn their devices off again as the plane descends to land and not restart them until the plane is on the ground .
Under the new guidelines , airlines whose planes are properly protected from electronic interference may allow passengers to use the devices during takeoffs , landings and taxiing , the FAA said .
Most new airliners and other planes that have been modified so that passengers can use Wifi at higher altitudes are expected to meet the criteria .
Laura Glading , president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants , welcomed the changes .
" Once the new policy is safely implemented - and we 're going to work closely with the carrier to do that - it will be a win-win , " Glading said in a statement .
We 're frankly tired of feeling like ' hall monitors ' when it comes to this issue .
But connecting to the Internet to surf , exchange emails , text or download data will still be prohibited below 10,000 feet , the agency said .
Passengers will be told to switch their smartphones , tablets and other devices to airplane mode .
So , still no Words With Friends , the online Scrabble-type game that actor Alec Baldwin was playing on his smartphone in 2011 when he was famously booted off an American Airlines jet for refusing to turn off the device while the plane was parked at the gate .
And heavier devices such as laptops will continue to have to be stowed because of concern they might injure someone if they go flying around the cabin .
In-flight cellphone calls also will continue to be prohibited .
Regulatory authority over phone calls belongs to the Federal Communications Commission , not the FAA .
FAA may lift ban on some electronic devices during takeoff and landing
Last month , National Transportation Safety Board Mark Rosenker , a CBS News national transportation safety expert , said that cell phones are still considered a risk .
" Cell phones , that really is an issue , not just because potentially it could create interference with navigational devices , but we do know , according to the FCC , that it could interfere with cell phone towers when they 're in the air , " Rosenker said .
An industry advisory committee created by the FAA to examine the issue recommended last month that the government permit greater use of personal electronic devices .
Pressure has been building on the FAA in recent years to ease restrictions on their use .
Critics such as Sen. Claire McCaskill , D-Mo . , contend there is no valid safety reason for the prohibitions .
The restrictions have also become increasingly difficult to enforce as use of the devices has become ubiquitous .
Some studies indicate as many as a third of passengers forget or ignore directions to turn off their devices .
The FAA began restricting passengers ' use of electronic devices in 1966 in response to reports of interference with navigation and communications equipment when passengers began carrying FM radios , the high-tech gadgets of their day .
New airliners are far more reliant on electrical systems than previous generations of aircraft , but they are also designed and approved by the FAA to be resistant to electronic interference .
Airlines have been offering Wi-Fi use at cruising altitudes to passengers for several years .
Planes modified for Wi-Fi systems are also more resistant to interference .
The vast majority of airliners should qualify for greater electronic device use under the new guidelines , Huerta said .
Today 's electronic devices generally emit much lower power radio transmissions than previous generations of devices .
E-readers , for example , emit only minimal transmissions when turning a page .
But transmissions are stronger when devices are downloading or sending data .
Among those pressing for a relaxation of restrictions on passengers ' use of the devices has been Amazon.com.
In 2011 , company officials loaded an airliner full of their Kindle e-readers and flew it around to test for problems but found none .
FAA advisory committee members expressed mixed feelings about whether use of the devices presents any risk .
Douglas Kidd of the National Association of Airline Passengers said he believes interference from the devices is genuine even if the risk is minimal .
Other committee members said there are only anecdotal reports from pilots to support that the devices can interfere with aircraft systems , and most of those reports are very old .
However , the committee recommended the FAA allow pilots to order passengers to shut off devices during instrument landings in low visibility .
A travel industry group welcomed the changes , calling them common-sense accommodations for a traveling public now bristling with technology .
" We 're pleased the FAA recognizes that an enjoyable passenger experience is not incompatible with safety and security , " said Roger Dow , CEO of the U.S. Travel Association .
Bird airlifted to safety from North Sea rig released back into wild
A bird airlifted ashore after being found exhausted on a North Sea oil rig has been released back into the wild .
The water rail was put on a helicopter to Aberdeen last month before being nursed back to health by the Scottish SPCA at its rescue centre in Alloa .
Centre manager Colin Seddon said : " This water rail was likely a winter migrant from Northern Europe who got caught up in strong winds over the North Sea . "
It seems the bird became exhausted and managed to find refuge on the oil rig .
He added : " It was unable to fly off again so we were contacted for help . "
The water rail was fit and well by the time it was released .
Is Europe 's elite ready to do business with Britain ?
Business for Britain launched in April with a pledge to bring business together and define what the UK 's wealth and job creators want to see changed in our relationship with the EU .
To that end , we commissioned the largest and most comprehensive poll of British business leaders asking them for their thoughts on Britain , business and the EU .
YouGov polled over 1,000 business leaders , broadly representative of Britain 's business sizes , sectors and regions .
The conclusions of the poll will come as a surprise to many .
We found that the vast majority of businesses are now looking to export outside of Europe , focusing on countries that are modernising and growing while the EU states stagnate .
They want to see the Government prioritise new trading links with the likes of China , India and Brazil , rather than getting bogged down in the long and arduous process of reforming the EU 's arcane institutions .
When asked their views on specific policy areas - ranging from monopoly regulation to product laws - the majority of business leaders thought that control of these key competences should be returned to Westminster .
There was general discontent with the Single Market , with businesses saying that the costs of Brussels regulation now outweighed the benefits of being part of Europe 's trading area - even 40 per cent of large businesses , traditionally the most pro-European of companies , agreed .
Finally , and most tellingly of all , our poll of business leaders found a clear majority wanted to see Britain pursue a course of treaty change and a relationship with the EU that is based on trade , not politics .
This finding , which was reflected across the sizes and major business groups , shows that business is pushing for a " meaningful change " that brings powers back to the UK .
The stakes are high - achieving treaty change and a better deal for Britain sees a 16 per cent swing towards voting to stay in the EU in a referendum .
The Prime Minister should be in no doubt : this poll shows that British business backs his plan for renegotiating the terms of Britain 's membership of the EU .
It also shows that business expects that renegotiation to make a significant shift in the current balance of power back towards the UK .
A better deal for British business is possible , and increasingly necessary as the eurozone embarks on the road to closer economic and fiscal union .
The priority must be jobs and growth in Britain and , as the findings of our poll show , for business this means a renewed focus on trade and a fundamental change in Brussels " regulatory approach .
John Kerry admits : Spying has gone too far !
The United States have sometimes gone " too far " , admitted John Kerry , chief of American diplomacy , according to the AFP agency , in a video conference between Washington and London .
Gathering information , however , according to the minister , has served to prevent terrorist attacks .
The " first admission from Washington " according to AFP was made in the middle of intense controversy on both sides of the Atlantic due to the scandalous revelations about mass data monitoring by America ’ s National Security Agency ( NSA ) , with US allies also becoming a target .
" In some cases , I acknowledge , as has the President ( Barack Obama ) , that some of these actions have gone too far and we are going to make sure that that doesn ’ t happen in the future , " said Kerry .
In the interview , however , he mostly defended current practice .
Data gathering is in his opinion necessary in the fight against terrorism and preventing attacks such as the attacks on 11 September 2001 in the USA , the attacks in Madrid in March 2004 and in London in July 2005 .
" We have prevented aeroplanes from going down , buildings from being blown up , people from being assassinated because we 've been able to learn ahead of time of the plans , " emphasised Kerry .
Nevertheless , he again admitted that data gathering " in some cases have gone too far . "
The scandal around US intelligence , which allegedly monitored hundreds of millions of telephone calls , broke out in Europe this month .
Amongst other things , it showed that the Americans even monitored the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel .
European leaders did not hide their indignation and some of them called on the European Union to try and reach an agreement with the United States which would prohibit or significantly restrict the monitoring .
Gazprom 's Alexei Miller says pipeline in Bulgaria starts new gas era
The start of construction of the South Stream gas pipeline in Bulgaria marks the launch of one of Europe 's largest energy projects , Gazprom 's chief said .
" A landmark event has taken place today : Construction started on the Bulgarian section of the South Stream gas pipeline , the most large-scale and important project in Europe , " Gazprom Chairman Alexei Miller said in a statement Thursday .
This project is a key element of energy security of the whole European continent .
South Stream is meant to add diversity to Russia 's export routes through Europe .
A contractual dispute between Gazprom and its counterparts in Ukraine , which hosts most of Russia 's gas for Europe , adds a layer of risk to conventional routes , officials say .
Miller said the direct connection to Bulgaria , a member of the European Union , means geopolitical risks associated with transit countries are eliminated " forever . "
Bulgarian consumers will receive gas from South Stream at a discounted rate once the entire project starts operating in 2015 .
Gazprom said construction should begin in other downstream countries by year 's end .
The pipeline is designed for an annual capacity of 2.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas .
Hezbollah sends thousands of fighters to Syria .
A decisive battle awaits .
The Lebanese Hezbollah movement has deployed 15,000 fighters north of Damascus in preparation for a decisive battle for the mountainous region of Qalamoun .
According to reports which are still being clarified , Israel destroyed missiles intended for Hezbollah in Wednesday ’ s raids on two sites in western Syria .
The Lebanese Shiite organisation is fighting in Syria on the side of its army .
Its programme is also the fight against Israel , which is not interfering in the Syrian conflict , but has clearly said that it will prevent the transport of weapons to the hands of Hezbollah in Lebanon .
Reports on Wednesday ’ s Israeli strikes on weapons stores in western Syria are still being clarified .
Israel has not commented on the attack , but it has been confirmed by American sources .
According to the Syrian website Dampress.com missiles fired from the Mediterranean Sea area hit a Syrian missile base at Snubar Jableh south of Latakia .
News channel al-Arabiya says that two stores were hit , in which there were missiles prepared for transport to Lebanon .
According to their sources , they were Russian manufactured SA-8 missiles .
Israel refused to comment on the news , but military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai said that Syria is constantly trying to arm Hezbollah with missiles and the Syrian Air Force is teaching members of the armed section of Hezbollah to operate the missiles .
The SA-8 is an outdated missile the Syrian Army has had since the 1980s .
They are placed on a moving chassis .
Although they are quite primitive , thanks to their mobility and small dimensions , they can be easily hidden .
They are equipped with a radar which switches off after the missile is fired , so it is hard to aim them .
Latakia is situated in western Syria , in an area inhabited by the ruling Alawites .
It is a well-guarded area and Hezbollah has in the past taken part in battles in western Syria .
They say they are helping to protect the Syrian Shiite community , to which the Alawites belong .
Now reportedly 15,000 of their fighters are prepared to help the army recapture Qalamoun .
Together with Hezbollah there , the Syrian Army is also reinforcing its troops .
Qalamoun lies between Damascus and the third largest city in the country , Homs .
According to an al-Arabiya source , the battle is meant to be a revenge for the recent attack of the opposition on the headquarters of the Syrian Shiite Abu al-Abbas Brigade in the Shiite part of Damascus .
This year , Hezbollah has helped the Syrian Army recapture the city of Qusayr near the Lebanese border .
Many rebels from Qusayr left for Qalamoun .
Until recently , it seemed that the majority of citizens in the Czech Republic wanted early elections .
The reasons cited were corruption , squandering of money on overpriced purchases and government contracts , increased taxes and , last but not least , government scandals .
According to the election results , it can be concluded that this situation suited the majority of citizens .
That is , they did not actually mind it and they were actually happy with the situation here ( the misappropriation and increasing debt of this state ) .
I cannot otherwise explain that 3 413 497 voters failed to vote , 596 357 voters voted for TOP 09 , 384 174 voters voted for ODS – therefore a total of 4 394 028 voters actually supported the original government coalition , which represents 52.16 % of all legitimate voters .
Which is an absolute majority .
If I add 1 016 829 ČSSD voters to the above parties , then with the old order ( because all the parties mentioned took part in the " misappropriation " and increasing debt of this state ) , then 64.23 % of legitimate voters actually approved of this situation .
This way the majority of voters demonstrated that they do not support punishing the guilty for the misappropriation and over-indebtedness of the state .
Or do you perhaps think that ČSSD members , who took part in it , will deliver the appropriate laws ?
Can we be helped at all ?
The FAA is easing restrictions on the use of electronic gadgets on airplanes - though chatting on cellphones will still be prohibited .
Warplanes attack a store of Russian missiles in the port city of Latakia , an official says .
It 's an apparent continuation of Israel 's campaign to keep arms from proliferating in the Mideast .
A federal appeals court blocks a judge 's ruling that the NYPD 's controversial tactic discriminates against minorities .
Nearly 100 African migrants hoping to travel to Algeria die of thirst after their two trucks break down in the middle of the Sahara .
Experts say violence that left 14 adults and seven children dead is nothing more than random chance , not a sign of growing violence in America .
Rather than being rattled by the U.S. government shutdown , investors kept their focus on what probably matters more : the Federal Reserve .
The California woman plans to challenge what may be a first-of-its-kind citation , saying the Internet-connected eyewear makes navigation easier .
Police say they have a video that appears to show Mayor Rob Ford smoking a crack pipe .
Even close allies keep things from one another - and work every angle to find out what 's being held back .
The Vatican wants to know how Catholic parishes around the globe handle sensitive issues like contraception , divorce and gay couples .
Two YMCA employees charged with sex offences before allegations against Jonathan Lord , Royal Commission hears
Two YMCA NSW employees had been charged with child sex offences before allegations were raised against Caringbah child care worker Jonathan Lord in 2011 , the child sexual abuse Royal Commission has heard .
But in its opening statement to the Commission it said it had " never dealt with an incident of child sexual assault within its organisation , " the Commission was told .
Chief executive officer Phillip Hare was asked about one case where a YMCA employee was charged child pornography offences , and another when a gym instructor at the YMCA Caringbah Hall was convicted of child sexual offences against children in his care in 1991 .
Mr Hare told Gail Furness , counsel assisting the Commission , he knew about the first case but did not know about the second one .
He conceded the YMCA 's opening statement to the commission was also inaccurate in claiming " there have been external audits of the YMCA that have recognised the YMCA as being at the forefront of child safety . "
Evidence before the commission is that YMCA was notified that it received the second lowest of four possible ratings in a Department of Education and Communities quality audit in August this year .
Mr Hare , who started with the YMCA when he was 21 , conceded management " from myself down " failed by recruiting Lord and failed to make sure staff were clear about their obligations to report child safe policy breaches .
Earlier this year Lord was convicted for sexual offences against 12 boys during the two years he worked at the YMCA .
He was jailed for a minimum of six years .
But Mr Hare rejected the suggestion the YMCA had a cultural problem which prevented staff from reporting Lord 's breaches of child safety .
Staff gave evidence they observed breaches including Lord being alone with children , babysitting them privately , having them sit on his lap , saying he loved one and letting them play with his mobile phone .
Danielle Ockwell , who was supervised by Lord and asked for child protection training because she was concerned about his behaviour , testified she found the YMCA Caringbah children 's services manager Jacqui Barnat who supervised Lord " very intimidating and hard to approach a lot of the time . "
The CEO said he did not accept staff 's evidence that they were uncomfortable with reporting upwards to their managers .
Rather , he said , their friendships with Lord clouded their judgements about reporting him .
Mr Hare said he had provided his view to the YMCA NSW board that the lesson for the organisation from the " Jonathan Lord incident " was " not about reporting " by staff , and the board agreed with him .
Mr Hare said the decision to get staff to sign confidentiality agreements soon after the allegations emerged was made by YMCA general manager of children 's services Liam Whitley .
He said it was intended to avoid contamination of evidence but was " overzealous " and poorly executed .
YMCA NSW was not a child safe organisation at the time Jonathan Lord was employed between 2009 and 2011 , child sex abuse expert Professor Stephen Smallbone of Griffith University told the commission .
He said there were " serious problems " in recruitment , screening , induction , training and supervision of staff .
The hearing adjourned until December 20 .
Tony Blair said he 'd seize the chance to return as Britain 's prime minister - but acknowledges a comeback is unlikely .
In an interview overnight to mark the fifth anniversary of his departure from office , the 59-year-old aired his views on various domestic policies .
Since he stood down in June 2007 after a decade as leader , Mr Blair has largely avoided discussing British politics , confining most of his comments to foreign affairs and his role as envoy to the Quartet of Middle East peacemakers .
Asked if he would return to the post of prime minister , Mr Blair was quoted by London 's Evening Standard as saying : " Yes , sure , but it 's not likely to happen is it , so ... "
As crowds of horse-showing experts gathered in Cardiff to battle it out for Horse of the Year , they knew the competition would be tough .
But nobody was quite ready for three-year-old Fenton Kirkland .
Not yet in school and just months on from taking his first steps , the toddler and his pet Shetland pony Toffee trotted through the three rounds with ease to take the top prize - leaving their 30 adult opponents trailing behind .
The inseparable pair - who are the same height - were commended for appearance , behaviour and style at the annual contest run by Sunnybank Equestrian Centre , in Rudry near Cardiff .
Taking to the stage against men and women in smart bowler hats , he tipped his flat cap at a jaunty angle and paraded two-year-old Toffee around the ring .
Fenton was lauded by judges for natural handling skills well beyond his years .
And Toffee received top marks for his appearance and personality .
Fenton was given Toffee as a third birthday present last March and has practised with the Shetland pony every day since .
His mother Donna , 30 , said : " Fenton and Toffee are a great double act . "
They were up against all comers but the two of them walked off with the gold cup and rosette .
It was only the second time he had competed with Toffee and we were all ecstatic when he won .
Complete strangers in the arena all thought he was so phenomenal they wanted photos taken with him .
The youngster , from the village of Nantyglo , near Ebbw Vale , South Wales , is following in the footsteps of his aunt Sharon Howells , who has been showing horses for more than 10 years .
Mrs Howells said : " The whole place was electric and everybody was cheering and clapping . "
He was running on sand down the full length of the arena and even though he looked so tiny he did a marvellous job .
Fenton is animal mad - he loves horses , tractors and farms and has got two chickens which he looks after .
The way he has started he 'll be at the Horse of the Year show before long - and I 'm sure he 'll do well .
A spokesman for the annual horse show said : " Fenton is only three but he knows how to handle his pony . "
They are a great team together .
The judges marked Fenton and Toffee on how well they were turned out and the way they presented in the show ring .
They look for good teamwork between the pony and the handler - Fenton and Toffee were the best in the ring .
I 'm sure Fenton was helped by his cute clothes , he really looked the part .
China plea paper ' to be overhauled'
A Chinese newspaper that made a front-page appeal for the release of a reporter accused of defamation is to be overhauled , a press regulator says .
The Guangzhou-based New Express made a rare public plea for the release of journalist Chen Yongzhou .
But Mr Chen subsequently admitted on television that he had taken bribes to fabricate stories about a part state-owned company .
Now the New Express is to undergo " full rectification , " the regulator said .
The " rectification " order came from the Guangdong Administration of Press and Publication , Radio , Film and Television .
A preliminary investigation showed that Yangcheng Evening News Group 's New Express had published several untrue reports about listed company Zoomlion in the period of September 2012 to August 2013 .
" New Express 's editorial management was disordered , " the regulator said in a statement .
It said it had decided to " impose an administrative penalty on Chen Yongzhou by revoking his reporter 's license . "
It had also " instructed Yangcheng Evening News Group to undertake a complete rectification of New Express , and recommended they investigate the relevant responsible persons at New Express and immediately revise New Express 's leadership team . "
Mr Chen wrote several articles for the New Express alleging financial irregularities at a construction-equipment company called Zoomlion .
After he was detained , his newspaper published two front-page appeals for his release , saying it backed his journalism .
But Mr Chen then appeared on state television admitting he had published false stories for money .
" In this case I 've caused damages to Zoomlion and also the whole news media industry and its ability to earn the public 's trust , " he told state broadcaster CCTV .
I did this mainly because I hankered after money and fame .
I 've realised my wrongdoing .
Following Mr Chen 's apology , New Express issued a front-page apology , saying it had failed to properly check his reports .
Several high-profile suspects have made televised confessions recently .
Experts say confessions are still routinely coerced , despite a change in the law earlier this year banning the authorities from forcing anyone to incriminate themselves .
US-Mexico drug tunnel with its own railway found
One of the most sophisticated drug smuggling tunnels between the USA and Mexico has been found , complete with its own lighting , ventilation and electric rail systems .
US authorities described the four foot by three foot tunnel as one of the most sophisticated secret passages they have ever discovered .
The tunnel , which zigzags the length of nearly six football pitches , links warehouses near Tijuana , Mexico and San Diego , USA .
The area is filled with nondescript warehouses , making it easier to conceal trucks being loaded with drugs .
The tunnel was shut down before any drugs made it through undetected , authorities said .
Authorities seized eight-and-a-half tons of marijuana and 327 pounds of cocaine in connection with the tunnel 's discovery , according to court records .
Three men who authorities say worked as drivers were charged with possession of marijuana and cocaine with intent to distribute .
They face prison sentences between 10 years and life imprisonment if convicted .
In Nogales , Arizona , smugglers tap into vast underground drainage canals .
The tunnel is the eighth major passage discovered in San Diego since 2006 .
Some of the largest tunnels have been discovered after central Mexico 's marijuana harvest in October , which presents drug cartels with a challenge of how to quickly get their product to consumers .
In 2010 , authorities found a roughly 700-yard passage equipped with rail tracks that extended from the kitchen of a Tijuana home to two San Diego warehouses .
Economia and Centrum to link management .
They will offer , for example , joint advertising
The new integrated newsroom of the company Economia in Prague ’ s Karlín district .
The company Economia has taken another step to transform its holding Centrum into its media house .
From Friday , Economia and Centrum will have joint top management .
" Unifying the organisational structures and the personnel unions is fundamental for integrating both publishers into a joint media house , " comments vice-chairman and authorised CEO Kamil Čermák on the changes made .
Čermák , who will be at the head of the unified management , will be joined by executive director of Centrum Holdings Andreas Demuth .
Pavel Vopařil has been appointed the new joint sales director , with subordinate Zuzana Tylčerová the director of advertising .
Štěpán Burda becomes the new head of information technology .
The joint editorial director is Vladimír Piskáček , whose team will include Jakub Unger as transformation director .
Adéla Pittsová has been appointed to the newly established position of marketing director .
A separate corporate communications department will now be managed by Věra Lhotská .
The joint finance director is Karel Žalud , with the management of human resources for both publishers headed by Petra Slabá .
" The new organisational structure will also allow us to enter the market with a joint offer of advertising products , to better link the creation of content for all the titles published and , last but not least , to continue to streamline significantly the business management of the company , " added Čermák .
Economia , which is owned by financier Zdeněk Bakala , signed a contract for the purchase of Centrum Holdings and its Czech subsidiaries at the end of February this year .
The portfolio of Centrum Holdings consists of Aktuálně.cz , Žena.cz , web portals , the extensive email platform under the brands Centrum.cz and Atlas.cz , and SMB agency Najisto , and a portfolio of almost twenty smaller websites .
Economia publishes the newspaper Hospodářské Noviny , the news server IHNED.cz , the weekly magazines Respekt and Ekonom and a number of printed and online B2B titles .
It has long been the most successful amongst Czech publishers in the sale of digital versions of its main titles .
This year in June , the publishing house moved to a newly built modern spaces in Prague ’ s Karlín district .
CME to target the television business .
Almost a quarter of the people will be laid off .
The media group CME is to make redundancies .
By the end of the year , it wants to lay off thousand people .
It plans to scale back all the side activities and wants to focus only on its main business , television broadcasting .
The group , which owns TV Nova in the Czech Republic , and is also active in Slovakia , Bulgaria , Romania , Croatia and Slovenia , employs a total of around 4,500 people .
Around a quarter of people will lose their jobs .
The media group operates television channels in the Czech Republic , Slovakia , Bulgaria , Romania , Croatia and Slovenia .
CME include the company CET 21 , which holds the licence to broadcast the television channels Nova , Nova Cinema , Nova Sport , Fanda , Smíchov , Telka and the Czech version of the music station MTV .
How much the savings will affect the Czech Republic , where the group employs around 650 people , and what this will mean for domestic television channel number one , TV Nova , is not yet clear .
" It is premature and we really cannot comment , " said director of communication at TV Nova , Josef Koukolíček .
According to information from MF DNES , significant layoffs will not be avoided in the Czech Republic , but by far the greatest impact should be on staffing levels of CME in Romania and other countries .
Both new bosses at Nova , Christoph Mainusch and Michael Del Nin , who took over from long-term director Adrian Sarbu , during Wednesday ’ s conference call with analysts , spoke about how they would like to restrict all activities not directly related to the television business .
It is therefore quite probable that they will significantly restrict in particular the costs of producing their own programmes , the film and production activities .
Cooling tower burns down overnight in Prague ’ s CKD industrial zone
A large capacity tank was on fire in Prague ’ s CKD industrial zone , according to fire fighters , it was probably a cooling tower .
" Fire fighters attended a fire on Thursday before 11 o ’ clock in the evening ; the fire was still being put out this morning , " reported Pavlína Adamcová , spokesperson for the Prague fire service .
The amount of pollutants in the air in the vicinity have not exceeded the permitted limits according to measurements .
The amount of damage and the cause of the fire are not yet known .
Around fifty fire fighters attended the site on Kolbenova Street .
" It is a fire at a large capacity tank , probably a cooling tower , " said Adamcová .
" The zone does not have a functional hydrant system , so we are extinguishing it using a relay hose from the cisterns , " she added .
According to the tn.cz server , extinguishing the fire has been complicated by the poorly functioning hydrant system , so that fire fighters had to get water from elsewhere .
The crew commander declared a level two fire alarm .
There are four levels in total , with level four being the most serious situations .
Chemists also attended the site to check the level of dangerous substances which could get into the air during the fire .
" However , we have not measured a level of pollutants in the atmosphere which could exceed hygiene standards , " said the fire service spokesperson .
British police serve Assange with extradition notice
Btitish police served an extradition notice today on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange , who has taken refuge in Ecuador 's embassy in London and requested asylum .
Scotland Yard said they had served a " surrender notice " on the 40-year-old Australian requiring him to appear at a police station , adding that failure to do so would make him further liable to arrest .
Assange faces extradition to Sweden over sex crime allegations , having exhausted his options under British law when the Supreme Court overturned his appeal against extradition earlier this month .
Fearing Stockholm would pass him on to the US , he sought refuge at Ecuador 's embassy in London on June 19 , asking the South American country for political asylum .
Scotland Yard has " served a surrender notice upon a 40-year-old man that requires him to attend a police station at date and time of our choosing , " a spokesman said .
He remains in breach of his bail conditions .
The embassy declined to comment on the serving of the police notice .
Assange fears he will be extradited from Sweden to the United States to face possible espionage charges , after releasing more than 250,000 US diplomatic cables on the WikiLeaks anti-secrecy website .
Driver speeding at 130mph with hot drink between legs fined £ 1,000
A motorist has been fined £ 1,000 for driving at up to 130mph ( 210km / h ) with a hot drink balanced between his legs .
Andrew Howie , 35 , of Tiptree , Essex , was spotted driving his Mercedes Benz on the A120 at Braintree on 27 May .
When police stopped him they discovered the takeaway drink between his legs .
At Colchester Magistrates ' Court Howie admitted a charge of driving without due care and attention .
Seven points added to his licence resulted in him receiving a six-month driving ban .
Howie was also ordered to pay costs of £ 90 and a victim surcharge of £ 100 .
Tax on foreign property owners to burst London 's bubble
The Treasury have provisionally costed out the CGT measure but are awaiting a final decision from Mr Osborne , who , in the 2012 Budget , introduced a 7 % rate of stamp duty for homes costing more than £ 2m and annual charges for buyers who choose to hold homes in a company rather than as individuals .
Already the stamp duty take for residential property in the boroughs of Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea , which stood at £ 708 million in the 2012 / 13 tax year , exceeds the combined total for Northern Ireland , Wales , Scotland , the North East , North West and Yorkshire and the Humber put together .
Mr Cook said : " Following increases in stamp duty of high value homes and the introduction of associated anti-avoidance legislation , it is very difficult to argue that high value property is under-taxed irrespective of the effect of the out-dated council tax system . "
" But this move could make some foreign investors reticent to buy property in London or current owners reluctant to sell , " he added .
Prime property - the top 5 % to 10 % of the housing market by price - in the affluent south-west London belt , which stretches from Fulham to Wimbledon , has increased by a record 11.8 % over the past year .
Prices in central London continued to show steady year-on-year growth of 5.6 % but were overshadowed by a burgeoning " domestic market " with the city 's south west , north ( 7.4 % ) and east ( 6.5 % ) all experiencing an uptick , according to research from Savills .
Scientists have shed more light on how the movements of a dog 's tail are linked to its mood .
Earlier research had revealed that happy dogs wag their tails more to the right ( from the dog 's point of view ) , while nervous dogs have a left-dominated swish .
But now scientists say that fellow canines can spot and respond to these subtle tail differences .
Prof Georgio Vallortigara , a neuroscientist from the University of Trento , said : " It is very well known in humans that the left and right side of the brain are differently involved in stimuli that invokes positive or negative emotions . "
Here we attempted to look at it in other species .
He added that just as in humans , for dogs the right side of the brain was responsible for left-handed movement and vice versa , and the two hemispheres played different roles in emotions .
To find out more about how dogs react to the lop-sided tail wags of other dogs , the researchers monitored the animals as they watched films of other dogs .
They measured the pets ' heart rates and analysed their behaviour .
It will probably not be long before we understand why their tails sometimes go one way , sometimes the other
Prof Vallortigara said : " We presented dogs with movies of dogs - either a naturalistic version or a silhouette to get rid of any other confounding issues , and we could doctor the movement of the tail and present the tail more to the left or right . "
When the animals saw an otherwise expressionless dog move its tail to the right ( from the tail-wagging dog 's point of view ) , they stayed perfectly relaxed .
But when they spotted a tail veer predominantly to the left ( again from the tail-swishing dog 's point of view ) , their heart rates picked up and they looked anxious .
Prof Vallortigara said he didn 't think that the dogs were intentionally communicating with each other through these movements .
Instead , he believes that they dogs have learned from experience what moves they should and shouldn 't feel worried about .
He said : " If you have several meetings with other dogs , and frequently their tail wagging one way is associated with a more friendly behaviour , and the right side is producing a less friendly behaviour , you respond on the basis of that experience . "
The researchers say the findings could give owners , vets and trainers a better insight into their animal 's emotions .
Dog behaviour expert John Bradshaw , a visiting fellow at the University of Bristol 's school of veterinary science , said this was not the first study to examine whether left and right were important to canines .
Last year a team from the University of Lincoln found that dogs turn their heads to the left when looking at an aggressive dog and to the right when looking at a happy dog .
And in another research paper from the University of Victoria in Canada , he said : " Dogs were more likely to approach a robot dog when its ' tail ' was made to wag left rather than right , rather than becoming anxious - the opposite way around to the Italian study . "
He said the differences could be because the dogs in the different studies were not fully interpreting the animals in the films or robo-dogs as canines .
A study of how dogs responded to real dogs could help , he explained .
" While there is considerable evidence from many different mammals that the two sides of the brain are used for different purposes , much of the detail still has to be hammered out - and dogs are no exception , " he said .
However , given the ease with which their behaviour can be recorded , it will probably not be long before we understand why their tails sometimes go one way , sometimes the other .
Arctic Monkeys postpone Glasgow gig due to Alex Turner 's illness
Rock band the Arctic Monkeys have postponed a gig in Glasgow after their lead singer was diagnosed with laryngitis .
The Sheffield group were scheduled to perform at the Hydro venue in the city on Friday .
However , lead singer Alex Turner 's illness has forced them to reschedule the show .
The band 's announcement came after they were forced to similarly postpone a gig at the LG Arena in Birmingham on Thursday .
In a statement on their official website , the Arctic Monkeys said : " Following the decision to postpone the show at the Birmingham LG Arena tonight and after seeking medical advice , Arctic Monkeys must also postpone the show at the Glasgow Hydro on Friday , November 1 . "
" Alex Turner has been diagnosed with laryngitis and is regrettably not able to perform . "
The show at the LG Arena in Birmingham will now take place on November 20 and the show at the Glasgow Hydro will now take place on November 21 .
All tickets remain valid for these shows .
We wish to apologise to all ticket holders for any inconvenience this has caused .
Please contact the customer services at the box office you purchased your tickets from for any further assistance .
Pope Francis to name first cardinals in February
Pope Francis will create new cardinals of the Catholic Church for his first time on February 22 , the Vatican announced Thursday .
Cardinals are the highest-ranking clergy in the Catholic Church below the pope , and they 're the ones who elect popes , so Francis will be appointing his first group of men who will ultimately help choose his successor .
There are now 201 cardinals .
However , once a cardinal reaches 80 he is no longer permitted to participate in the election of a pope -- this falls to a group of 120 " cardinal electors . "
In a statement announcing the news , Father Federico Lombardi , a Vatican spokesman , said a meeting of all the existing cardinals would be held before the ceremony to elevate the new cardinals , known as a consistory .
" Pope Francis has decided to communicate his decision to convoke February 's consistory in advance in order to facilitate the planning of other meetings involving the participation of cardinals from different parts of the world , " Lombardi said .
Jack Valero of Catholic Voices said that by February , the number of cardinal electors was likely to have dropped .
He said usually a pope would name as many cardinals as was needed to raise the number of cardinal electors back to 120 and as many cardinals aged over 80 as he wanted .
Next year 's consistory would be significant because it would be the first since Francis was elected in March this year , Valero said .
At the moment there is a sort of bias towards Europe and especially towards Italy .
" It will be interesting to see whether the new Pope will nominate cardinals from the rest of the world to restore the balance , " he said .
Forty percent of Roman Catholics are in South America , but they have a tiny number of cardinals .
The cardinals will also be the first to be chosen since Francis formed the Council of Cardinals , a group of eight cardinals from around the world tasked with looking into ways to reform the church .
In the past the Pope decided everything on his own .
" Now Francis has selected these eight cardinals to help him , " Valero said .
He said it was " quite possible " that Francis would ask the cardinals for advice .
But we 've not been in that situation before -- it 's all completely new .
Valero said popes typically elevated bishops from large places to the position of cardinal but that Francis was " full of surprises -- so we don 't know who he 'll name . "
GM recalls some new pickup trucks in U.S. to fix seatbacks
General Motors Co is recalling nearly 19,000 of its all-new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks to repair a problem with the manual reclining seatback , according to a notice from U.S. auto safety regulators on Friday .
On some of the trucks , the front seats may have a defect in the reclining mechanism .
As a result , the seatbacks fail to comply with federal auto safety standards on head restraints .
" If the vehicle is struck from behind , the head restraint may not properly protect occupants , increasing the risk of injury , " according to the notice posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website .
The recalled models were built between August 1 and September 10 .
GM 's truck roll-out began in June and represents the most important vehicle launch for the No. 1 U.S. automaker since its 2009 bankruptcy restructuring .
GM told truck owners about the defect in the first half of October .
NHTSA could not review the owner notification letter due to the 16-day government shutdown , which tempered auto sales growth in October .
Sales of the Silverado and Sierra trucks , which were redesigned for the 2014 model year , were up about 20 percent during the first 10 months of the year , GM said on Friday .
In October , GM sold 42,660 Silverado and 16,503 Sierra pickup trucks .
GM shares were up 1.4 percent at $ 37.47 on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday afternoon .
An Obama voter 's cry of despair
I voted for President Obama twice , sharing hope in possibility of change
He says Obama has had worthy efforts thwarted by GOP obstructionism
Obstructionism can 't excuse Obamacare website woes , drone attacks
Obama 's 2008 campaign memoir is a sad reminder of what might have been
Nathaniel P. Morris is a second-year student at Harvard Medical School .
I 'm reading a terribly sad book these days .
It 's a book that I thought would uplift me during the doldrums of second-year medical school , and renew in me a sense of hope .
It 's called " The Audacity to Win , " and it 's a memoir of Barack Obama 's 2008 presidential campaign .
When I 'm finished with my patient write-ups at night and get into bed , the book returns me to a time when politics inspired millions and speeches could take your breath away .
The election turned out to be a landslide , and news anchors paused to reflect on the historic nature of the hour .
My classmates cried with joy , and my parents saved every newspaper they could find .
A young team of visionaries was headed for the White House , and the nation was ready for change .
During Obama 's transition to office in 2008 , he had an 82 % approval rating .
And then I close the book .
Cutting to the present is a rude awakening , like snapping out of a dream .
It 's hard to remember those days of optimism -- they seem a distant memory , a sad reminder of opportunities gone by .
Change indeed happened , in the years since I cast my first ballot .
It was simply nothing I could have imagined .
I credit Obama with great and varied accomplishments , from the passage of the Affordable Care Act to our military exit from Iraq , the end of " don 't ask don 't tell , " to the killing of Osama bin Laden .
Moreover , I believe that partisan obstructionism has upended too many efforts to push our nation forward : immigration reform , a public option for health care , and closing the base at Guantanamo Bay , among others .
But , after the countless times in which I have found myself defending the Obama administration to colleagues and peers , I 've reached a limit to the explanations that I can provide .
I 've reached a point of political despair .
Republican obstructionism cannot explain allowing the bugging of foreign leaders , nor having drones strike innocent children overseas .
It cannot explain having the National Security Agency collect data on the private lives of Americans , nor prosecuting whistle-blowers who reveal government wrongdoing .
It cannot account for assassinating Anwar al-Awlaki , an American citizen , without a trial , nor shirking public funding and spending limits during presidential campaigns .
It cannot justify the findings of a report that says the White House 's efforts to silence the media are the " most aggressive ... since the Nixon Administration . "
And , most recently , it cannot excuse the failure to design a simple website more than three years since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law .
I don 't know if this is what I should have expected .
If , at 18 years old , I was supposed to figure out that governance may contradict the political campaigns that precede it .
Obviously , elective office isn 't a predictable course , as the opposing political party and random events , such as the Newtown massacre , will shape our public conversation .
Yet , of all of the examples that I have listed above , they largely seem to be of the administration 's own choosing .
That is what troubles me most of all .
I voted for Obama again in 2012 , but not because I was excited by his candidacy .
Mitt Romney presented a confusing and unrefined alternative who could not seem to lock down his policies or his positions .
I felt that a second term for Obama , free from the pressures of future elections , would fulfill the hope that we had heard of for so long .
Still , as Obama 's approval rating sank below 45 % this week , returning to 2008 through that book has become that much harder .
It makes me yearn for the many promises that disappeared .
This week I was reading the portion of the book describing how Obama suffered a huge loss to Clinton in the Pennsylvania primary .
At a post-mortem campaign meeting , he told his staff that they needed to get back on track and stay true to the purpose of their cause .
" I want us to get our mojo back , " he said .
We 've got to remember who we are.'
It 's five years later , Mr. President , and I couldn 't agree with you more .
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Nathaniel Morris .
Clive Palmer claims PM Tony Abbott has conflict of interest over parental leave scheme
Billionaire MP Clive Palmer says Prime Minister Tony Abbott has a conflict of interest over his parental leave scheme because his daughters might get pregnant and benefit from it .
The mining magnate , who is in a dispute about paying a $ 6 million carbon tax bill , made the claim as he tried to brush off questions about whether he had a conflict .
The Palmer United Party could control up to four votes in the Senate that may be crucial in deciding if the carbon and mining taxes are axed .
But Mr Palmer claimed it was only ministers who could have a conflict of interest and said Mr Abbott 's daughters stood to personally benefit from policies .
" He 's got a major conflict of interest when it comes to paid parental leave because if any of those daughters get pregnant , he 'll have a direct interest whether they get leave or not , " Mr Palmer said .
Two months after the election , the electoral commission officially declared Mr Palmer the winner of the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax by 53 votes , after a recount .
Mr Palmer called for overhaul of election counting to speed up the process .
Tony Abbott 's daughters Frances and Bridget .
Should this election be decided two months after we stopped voting ?
" We need to have a better system , " he said .
Why is it that we shouldn 't have a system where you can walk in , punch your details into a computer , vote immediately and have a result at 6.30 that night ?
Mr Palmer also criticised the use of pencils to mark ballots .
Is it because they can rub out the result if someone doesn 't like it ?
In this day and age having a pencil seems extraordinary .
The Electoral Commission has been studying options for electronic voting and recently released a joint discussion paper with New Zealand .
Mr Palmer , 59 , said his policies included an international airport for the Sunshine Coast and he would take " very seriously " his new job .
Public office is about public service .
" We seek no reward , except the reward of history that we can at a critical time serve this community , " he said .
Do you wash your hands ?
Scientists have discovered that washing your hands can ALSO CHANGE YOUR MOOD .
Some 98 people , split into three groups , took part in the experiment .
The first two had to solve an impossible task .
Of course , neither succeeded .
But the group that washed their hands after their failure acted far more optimistically than the one where participants did not wash their hands .
Also , the group " with washed hands " performed better in another test than the other .
Despite that , those who had washed their hands got worse results in other tests than those who had not washed their hands .
The results of those " washed " were on the level of the third group , whose participants had not recorded any previous failure .
According to psychologists , the test results show that bodily cleanliness removes actual negative feelings after failure .
However , at the same time motivation falls , in further tests the test subjects must concentrate much more .
If we transferred the research results to Czechs , we would be the most optimistic after coming back from the toilet .
Only one per cent of Czech women and men do not wash their hands after using the toilet , but after travelling on public transport , it is already one fifth .
They also take special care to be hygienic after work in the garden or a workshop , when 85 per cent of people wash their hands .
Stroking a pet motivates 78.7 per cent of people to wash their hands .
A recent survey revealed that a difference exists in the perceptions of Czechs and Slovaks about how necessary it is to wash your hands after shaking hands with a stranger .
In this situation , 28.8 per cent of Czechs and 40.3 per cent of Slovaks wash their hands .
The survey showed that both nations wash their hands about ten times a day .
" Although it would be right , I ’ m afraid the reality is different and people try to make themselves seem a little better , " commented dermatologist Klaudie Komárková on the results of the survey .
RBS suspends two forex traders
Royal Bank of Scotland has suspended two traders in its foreign exchange division according to two people familiar with the situation , in another sign that the global probe by regulators into the suspected manipulation of the currency market is rapidly gaining traction .
Some of the world 's largest banks , including UBS , Barclays , Deutsche Bank and RBS , have confirmed they are co-operating with regulators in investigations into the world 's largest financial market , where $ 5.3tn changes hands each day .
The two traders would be the first RBS employees to be suspended in the widening probe that echoes the Libor interbank lending manipulation scandal .
The bank , which declined to comment on the suspensions , confirmed this month that it has received requests for information from regulators .
" Our ongoing inquiry into this matter continues and we are co-operating fully with the FCA and our other regulators , " the bank said two weeks ago .
Last month , people close to the situation said that RBS had turned over records of emails and instant messages to the UK regulator , the Financial Conduct Authority , sent to and from a former trader .
This trader , Richard Usher , left RBS in 2010 and is understand to have be given leave from his current position as European head of forex spot trading at JPMorgan .
Rohan Ramchandani , head of European spot trading at Citi , went on leave this week , while Matt Gardiner , a former senior currencies trader at Barclays and UBS , was suspended by Standard Chartered this week .
None of these traders have been accused of any wrongdoing .
Mr Usher 's instant message group included bankers at Barclays and Citigroup , people close to the situation said .
UBS said this week it had taken action against some of its employees after the Swiss regulator , Finma , said it was investigating suspected manipulation of the foreign exchange market at a number of Swiss banks .
At least six authorities globally - the European Commission , Finma , Switzerland 's competition authority Weko , the FCA , the Department of Justice in the US and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority - are looking at allegations that bankers colluded to move the currencies market .
HSBC , Citigroup , JPMorgan and Credit Suisse have also launched internal probes or received requests for information from regulators , said people familiar with the situation .
Banks are scouring through years " worth of instant messages and emails to search for instances of wrongdoing .
News about the probes has rattled traders in an area that has been one of the bigger profit drivers of investment banks ' trading units in past years but which has been challenged this year as low volatility in currencies cuts opportunities for speculators .
Some bankers have tried to play down the affair by saying the vast and highly liquid foreign exchange market is almost impossible to manipulate , but senior traders are saying this is not necessarily true .
A senior trader said that despite the huge volume of daily foreign exchange trading , the fragmentation of liquidity between different trading platforms and banks " increasing use of their own internal platforms meant that " you can start to get an impact on the market at quite small ticket prices . "
The news came on the same day as Credit Suisse announced it had dismissed a trader at its London exchange traded funds desk this week after he had caused a nearly $ 6m loss late last year .
The bank promptly notified the relevant authorities and has been co-operating with its regulators .
" We are confident the trader acted alone and that the matter has been contained , " Credit Suisse said .
The number of people infected with HIV has exceeded a thousand
Doctors in Prague have already registered more than a thousand people with the HIV virus .
Since the start of monitoring in 1986 to the end of the third quarter this year , tests have confirmed infection in a total of 1005 people from the capital .
The information comes from statistics of the National Reference Laboratory for AIDS at the National Institute for Public Health .
According to the statistics there have been 2063 people infected so far in the whole of the Czech Republic , .
In 396 people , the immunodeficiency disease has already broken out .
Some 198 people have died .
The number infected in the Czech Republic in the last decade has grown every year .
In 2002 , tests confirmed infection in 50 people , five years later there were already 121 of them .
In 2009 , an investigation revealed 156 new infections and in 2010 there were 180 .
The year before last the number fell to 153 , but in contrast last year was a record one .
According to the laboratory , there were 212 .
" There is already no doubt in my opinion that the total number of newly diagnosed cases will exceed 200 this year , " says Miroslav Hlavatý , expert in the issue of AIDS , who was head of Prague ’ s House of Lightfor patients for years .
From October to the end of the year in 2011 , tests revealed infection in 39 people and last year in 47 , said Hlavatý .
In September , doctors registered 21 new male patients and three female patients .
From the start of monitoring to the end of September , tests confirmed HIV in 1710 men and 353 women .
AIDS broke out in 161 men and 37 women .
The most infections were in Prague .
If you really want to get to know a town , you should visit the cemetery .
A visit there will reveal more than a walk round an extravagantly decorated centre with monuments , churches and galleries , more than a Baedeker guide would reveal .
Many people " read from graves " .
They slowly roam around the cemeteries and get an intimate insight into local reality .
They can find out what people lived there , what nationalities , what faiths , how big and cohesive families they belong to , at what age they die here , how rich they are , and how important their titles and professions were for them .
How they express their social status , their taste .
And from the state of the graves , they also find out how the survivors take care of their dead .
Supreme Court upholds Obama health care law
In a major victory for the Obama administration , the US Supreme Court today ruled Barack Obama 's signature health care law is constitutional .
By a 5-4 vote , the justices ruled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 's individual mandate - which requires citizens to buy health insurance by 2014 or else pay a penalty - was constitutional under the taxing power of the government .
Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the four more liberal members of the court while Justices Scalia , Thomas , Alito and Kennedy dissented .
The court also upheld the remaining sections of the 2700 page law , and further held that the health care law 's requirement that states increase Medicaid eligibility or else lose all federal Medicaid funding is not unconstitutionally coercive .
The suit to block the law was brought by 26 states and the National Federation of Independent Business .
The law was vigorously opposed by each of the major Republican presidential candidates during the 2012 primary season , including presumptive nominee Mitt Romney .
There is no longer any risk of prison for the words " Mugabe is a limping donkey " , the court has annulled the law
Until now , Zimbabweans had to pay close attention to how to speak in public about 89 year old Mugabe , who has ruled the country since the start of the 1980s ; since the end of 1987 he has headed it .
Under Section 33 of the Criminal Codification a person could be fined $ 100 or jailed for up to a year for insulting the president 's office .
" Prosecutors should not be overzealous about charging people who comment about the president in drinking halls and other social places " , representatives of the Constitutional Court said .
Nine judges were unanimous in ruling that the law undermined freedom of expression .
It is likely that the government will appeal against the court ’ s ruling , reported the BBC .
The law was challenged by several Zimbabweans , including Tendai Danga , who was arrested two years ago for allegedly insulting the president during a row with a policeman in a bar .
In May , an opposition activist ended up in prison for regaling Mugabe in public with the insult " limping donkey " .
In August , the prosecutor accused a 26-year old man of intending to use a poster with Robert Mugabe ’ s face as toilet paper .
The court also declared a law restricting media freedom to be unconstitutional .
" The state cannot punish people whose statements are later proven to be false , " Deputy Chief Justice Luke Malala said .
Up until now , Zimbabwean law has allowed a person who publishes untrue information to be sentenced to twenty years in prison .
" The existence of an act allowing criminal prosecution of someone for a false statement has a chilling effect on the right to freedom of expression , " added Malala .
Despite the fact that Mugabe has ruled the country with an iron fist for over 33 years , in March Zimbabwe accepted a new constitution with broader civil liberties based on a referendum .
The country started small steps away from the dictatorship of one man in 2009 , when an agreement between Mugabe and the opposition brought in the prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai .
Nevertheless , the country continues to suffer from an economic crisis and until 2008 had the highest inflation in the world , which exceeded 100 000 per cent .
Therefore in 2009 the government completely abolished the national currency .
Today only other countries ’ currencies are valid in Zimbabwe .
The impoverished economy can be attributed to Mugabe ’ s rash agricultural reform .
In 2000 , he reallocated the land of white farmers amongst his supporters and war veterans .
However , the majority of them had no experience with running farms .
Central banks keep swap lines permanently
Temporary and bilateral agreements between the European Central Bank ( ECB ) , the American Fed , the Bank of England and the central banks of Canada , Switzerland and Japan will become a permanent tool which will allow banks access to global currencies , whenever they need to .
The banks announced this in a joint statement .
" It ’ s a very sensible step , " said Julian Callow , chief international economist at Barclays Bank in London , on the decision .
" So far all the temporary tools of this type have gradually become permanent , so it ’ s no surprise to me , " adds Vojtěch Benda , chief economist at BH Securities .
The central bankers are strengthening bonds which started developing in 2007 , when the international credit market first faltered .
Agreements by central banks allowed access to euros , dollars and other currencies to anyone who needed them .
The decision of the central bankers comes at a time when the American Fed is preparing to end its programme of support for the US economy , which could drive up the price of money in the global market even higher .
A swap contract is normally used to overcome a lack of liquidity in one currency whilst there is a surplus of a second currency at the same time .
It can be understood as a deposit in one currency and a loan in another currency .
The ECB is starting a third attempt to return confidence in European banks .
The EU has agreed on banking supervision ; the ECB will supervise 150 banks .
How Tipsport ( does not ) delete personal data .
More than a year ago , I registered on the Tipsport.cz website .
However , I did not finish it because at the branch there happened to be someone there who did not know how to complete internet registration .
And since I didn ’ t want to travel to another branch , the registration fell through , then I moved and because of that my address and the number of my ID card changed .
When I wanted to complete the registration later , I was told that it wasn ’ t possible because I had a different ID card number and address and that it just wasn ’ t possible to complete it and that I should ask for my data to be deleted and do a new registration .
So I did that and on 24 October 2013 I wrote to the technical support to request they delete all my personal data from the database according to the current personal data protection act .
The next day the technical support wrote to tell me that I had to complete my registration at the branch .
This started an email marathon with the technical support , where , in the end , after the 4th demand on 25 October they wrote that they had deleted the personal data as per my request .
You would therefore think that you could do that new registration but the problems started again , first I was told that my username was already taken ( I understand that it hadn ’ t been deleted – it 's not personal data , but in the end they removed that too ) .
So I used another username and was told that they already have my personal data saved , and that I should complete registration at a branch ( how can they have saved something they say they have deleted ? ) , so I contacted technical support again .
In response to my question of how it was possible , they wrote that they really had deleted the personal data on 25 October and that I should send an email with the error .
I did that ( yesterday around 3pm ) and today they replied that I had registered on that same day ( 31 October 2013 ) at 1 : 22pm and that was why it would not work , because I had used the same name and date of birth .
What does it matter that I have been in contact with technical support for a week already and I have been trying to sort out with them why it still isn ’ t working ?
And what does it matter that if what they say is true ( and it isn ’ t ) , someone with the same name or date of birth could not register if it is already registered .
By the way , at 1 : 22pm , I did register , with the same name and date of birth , but I used a made-up email and phone number , and lo and behold , a page appeared saying they had sent a link to complete registration to my email .
But how is it possible when it isn ’ t possible to register with the same name and date of birth ?
Probably because Tipsport ties registration to an email and phone number and the data just has not been removed like they said .
So I told technical support this again , that they are just lying ( either intentionally or they don ’ t know what they ’ re writing ) , because what they write is not true .
I provided evidence with several screenshots that the registration problem existed before 31 October , so the " fake " registration for this simply has nothing to do with it .
To that , Tipsport replied with a curt sentence – I ’ m sorry but as you are now re-registered , we cannot investigate your claim .
And ended the communication .
Or rather , it is repeating the same line over and over , that the registration is tied to the name and date of birth .
They cannot even accept the fact that registration was not completed by clicking on the link in the email and so it did not actually take place .
To sum up then , not only Tipsport did not delete data as it claims , but it is lying when it says otherwise .
What is worse , it can easily be proven that they are lying and trying to make it look like the error is on the customer ’ s side .
By the way , after putting this matter on my personal blog , things got moving a little and an email came from the technical support saying that the matter was being forwarded for investigation and I would be informed about it ( after a week of sending reminders and arguing and alerting them to the same error ) .
Music plays in the Můstek metro
The Prague Transport Company has launched the Music in the Metro project .
The first vestibule in which recorded instrumental music will be played non-stop during metro operating hours is Můstek on Line A at the exit to Wenceslas Square .
The trial run will last six months .
Michal Horáček presents his new double album , his band and three singers
Songwriter Michal Horáček brought into the hall at Kolín ’ s Municipal Social House not only his brand new double CD Czech Calendar , but primarily in the programme Between Us , the singers Lenka Nová , František Segrado and Ondra Ruml , accompanied by the excellent Matěj Benko Orchestra .
After the opening intro and theatrical presentation about the musician being late , Michal Horáček gradually invited all three singers on stage , he himself came with a candle in his hand and recalled the story of how he last played in Kolín and in the theatre and the whole town there was a power cut .
" Otherwise , in Kolín they made two types of cards , which I came into contact with quite a lot , " he recalled .
Similarly , he mentioned President Zeman , a native .
" Perhaps we could do a tour around Zákolany or Dúbravce near Bratislava , " he joked about the native places of other presidents .
Several times during the evening , Horáček , who did not leave the stage , and , when he was not talking , sat at a small table with a glass of wine , referred to his new musical act .
Josef Mánes made the Calendar too , which put him ; but at that time he didn ’ t know anything about ice hockey , how we meet in those squares and chant " if you don ’ t jump you aren ’ t Czech " .
That ’ s the name of one of the songs on Czech Calendar too , but we won ’ t be playing it here for you today , " he said .
However , Ondra Ruml sang from this record for him the reportedly very appropriate " Spát ve dne , zpívat po nocích " ( Sleep during the day , sing at night ) , and accompanied himself on guitar .
Otherwise , if he was not singing , he played percussion , all three singers were then accompanied by the band consisting of keyboard , cello , guitar and double bass .
All three vocalists sang together the old song " Do stráně srdce usedá " ( The heart melts into the mountainside ) , which enlivened the auditorium .
" I ’ m glad you liked the song , which doesn ’ t surprise me in Kmoch ’ s town , " Michal Horáček responded later .
After recalling Peter Hapek , František Segrado played the song " Rozeznávám " ( I distinguish ) , in the original by Richard Müller , and was rewarded with great applause ; the song " Táta měl rád Lídu Baarovou " ( Dad liked Lída Baarová ) brought Hana Hegerová to mind , together with Horáček ’ s explanation about the Communist ban and replacement of Baarová with the American actress Mae West .
The composer Michael Kocáb was recalled by the piece called Sebastian , and then Segrado sang an excellent song Prague , set to music by Jarda Svoboda , a native of Zásmuky and a former Kolín resident .
That was the end , however , a standing ovation and an encore in the form of the optimistic song " Žijeme v nádherné doběq " ( We live in a wonderful time ) .
There was one more encore on the playlist , but the fans did not applaud enough to get it .
Almost immediately after the concert , all four sat at the table signing not just the Czech Calendar but also the older CDs , Michal Horáček signed his books and even the cover of the legendary LP and , if anyone wanted to , he had his photo taken with them .
Berdych and Štěpánek join Rosol and Hájek
For the Davis Cup final against Serbia , the non-playing team captain of Czech tennis players , Jaroslav Navrátil , has selected Tomáš Berdych , Radek Štěpánek , Lukáš Rosol and Jan Hájek .
The Czech representatives are defending the trophy , but they are going to play at their opponents ’ courts in the Belgrade arena , where the match will take place on a hard surface between 15 and 17 November .
The Czechs are in the final for the third time in the last five years .
" We know we ’ re entering the danger zone , that it will be wild and we will have to concentrate on our performance as always . "
" We are going there with one goal – to get three points and give our very best , " said Štěpánek , the architect of the winning point in last year ’ s final with Spain .
Secret wars : Syria , Libya and Iran .
Training for Obama on how to bomb Syria .
US commandos in Libya .
TOP GUN in the Persian Gulf .
The Israelis have shown exactly how bombing Syria should look .
Without unnecessary hype , threats and a million declarations , they sent planes , they hit the target and came back .
Without being lulled into a false sense of security by the official removal of chemical weapons in Syria .
They refuse to confirm the whole event and are no longer commenting on it .
The exact opposite of the confused and grandiose Obama ’ s Syrian policy unsupported by actions .
And the most satisfactory thing about the whole attack was what the Israelis bombed .
Don ’ t be fooled by media claims that a " Syrian base " or " supplies for Hezbollah " were bombed .
I recently wrote here that while US aid to secular rebels in the country has remained on just a rhetorical level , Russia happily continues to supply weapons to Syria .
And it was a fresh supply of Russian missiles unloaded in the port of Latakia that became the target of the Israeli air strike .
A clear message .
And note that Israel again bombed the Assad regime , not the rebels , although it should have been the opposite according to popular internet theories .
The US government has honoured two members of special units , probably Delta Force .
No one suspected until now that they distinguished themselves during the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi .
The heroic death of two former SEALs , who defended the CIA site in the city , is known , in my opinion they were members of the secret CIA commando , which is made up of former soldiers .
There has long been speculation about what the SEALs were doing at the consulate or even in another CIA residence elsewhere .
Now it is clearer .
In any case , information that the CIA has its offices in Libya protected by machine gun nests ( it was in one of them that both members of SEALs were killed after being hit by a mine-thrower ) is quite surprising .
But even more surprising is the information about the two as yet unknown heroes .
They were part of the US task force in Tripoli , and as soon as they received the report on the attack in Benghazi , they volunteered to intervene , and together with five private contractors , they blasted their way into the CIA site in Benghazi .
Obama ’ s administration is compromised by the fact that during this attack the task force was not officially deployed as a whole and that they simply hesitated over what to do .
The task force commander therefore apparently releases these volunteers without orders .
In any case , the fact that the US task force , CIA agents and private contractors are active not just once but permanently is quite interesting information .
And due to the fact that until recently officially nothing of the sort was admitted and even now they only talk about some sort of NATO advisory mission in Libya .
It is good , however , that the USA , even though half-heartedly , is trying to combat terrorism in Libya .
Although for resolving the nationwide situation , it would need far more help .
The last place for a secret and permanent conflict that I want to write about today is the Iranian coast .
It was not long ago that the media all but extolled the Iranian air force for chasing US drones .
However , little is known about how the Americans effectively protect their drones .
Of course , if by chance they succeed in finding their drone in the air space , nothing can be done about it .
If , however , the Iranians discover a drone in international space , the situation is completely different .
And so it happened that the Iranian F-4 Phantom aircraft followed an American drone in the international space above the ocean , when perhaps the first serious deployment of the US super fighter F-22 Raptor in history took place .
It flew beneath the Phantom to check optically for weapons , without the Phantom registering it on the radar or he just noticed it and then when it suddenly it appeared close by and called on the Iranian pilot to go home , he obeyed without complaint .
It is no wonder when the Phantom is a US-made aircraft which does however remember the Vietnam war .
It cannot be compared with the Raptor .
We want to show that Plzen still knows how to win , promises Rajtoral
It is a bit of a paradox .
Whilst his team has mainly failed recently with its results , defender and midfielder of Viktoria Plzen , Frantisek Rajtoral , has been on form which has earned him a return to the national team .
He is also successful shooting , he is full of energy ; after a tackle on him in the Teplice game , a penalty kick was awarded .
Viktoria was reaching for victory in the last two rounds against Slavia and Teplice , but in the end it only took one point from these two duels .
Frantisek Rajtoral believes that his team will break this unpleasant series in the game with Jablonec .
We want to show that we can win .
" I believe that we will beat Jablonec at home , " promises Frantisek Rajtoral .
The team is preparing carefully for the difficult match with the North Bohemians , who play attacking football .
Everything is focussed on the game with Jablonec , the coach is preparing us well , and as always we ’ re getting a lot from the game analysis video of the opposition .
" I believe that it will be an excellent match on Friday evening , " says the Czech international to attract fans to the stands of the Doosan Arena .
Plzen ’ s last matches have not gone the way they wanted , but the Viktoria defender rejects the word crisis .
That ’ s the way it goes in football , sometimes you ’ re on good form and sometimes it ’ s worse .
But I wouldn ’ t call it a crisis in any case .
" I believe that we will win on Friday and it will be good again , " says the West Bohemian defender .
The Viktoria team will again rely on the support of its fans .
" We are playing on Friday evening and I ’ d like to take this opportunity to invite our great fans . "
" I believe that we ’ ll reward them with a win , " adds Rajtoral .
Jana Péťová : A step back .
So I decided to take a step back , but when I think about it , it isn ’ t actually about a step at all , but a big jump – a jump several years back , into memories of my childhood .
It is a memory of how it was , to have no worries and just come home from school and wash dishes , hoover , and do homework .
Even though these " chores " were mostly just a theory , my parents ’ wishes .
The practice was completely different – run home from school , throw my bag in a corner and run outside .
Play ball games with other children , and hopscotch .
Then , during the TV series Helen and the Guys , embroider a festive cloth for grandma ’ s birthday using chain stitch .
And only after several warnings finally wash the dishes , hoover , in winter carry the wood to the tiled stove and do homework under the lamplight once the sun had set ( or rely on a classmate and instead of homework write love poetry addressed to your school sweetheart ) .
In the morning eat homemade strawberry jam ( from real fruit , not the sort of jam they sell now , with contents that have not even been anywhere near a strawberry ) , and wash it down with tea from dried herbs , which we so gladly collected with mum .
I also remember those magic evenings , when there was a deathly silence in the little room , when my sister and I recorded songs from the radio on tapes , which turned noisily in an old tape player from mum .
And then we rewound those tapes with a pencil and put one song on again and again , our favourite , and drank soda water with it .
Or we phoned each other across the table using tins which were tied together with string – and while we ’ re talking phones , so we could hear each other better , it was necessary to clean our ears thoroughly , and at the time our ear cleaners were matches and cotton wool .
The minimum wage was over three times lower than it is now and my parents could live on it in such a way that we lacked nothing .
We didn ’ t need any of those iPhones , iPads or even mobile phones and laptops or designer clothing .
Clothes were handed down from generation to generation and the best " addition " to the wardrobe was a home-made tie-dyed T-shirt using SAVA dye .
For electronics , we were happy with that tape recorder of mum ’ s and , at the most , a Walkman which I shared with my sister and which , by the way , we only used on the train on a school trip .
We thought it was more interesting to play Flying Hats or Ludo with our aunt , or as I said before , " just " go outside .
When I was a bit older , we got a video recorder under the Christmas tree , which my parents had clearly saved for for a long time , but unfortunately it did not last long with us .
My younger sister stuffed a piece of strudel into it , apparently it eating the tapes so nicely , so she wanted to see if it would eat the strudel too .
Unfortunately it did eat it , but it was its last mouthful .
Well , the poor thing hears this story over and over again from dad to this day .
He says that when Lenka was little , she stuffed strudel in the video and thought that it would play a recipe and it didn ’ t play it , so to this day she doesn ’ t know how to bake it .
I remember how we all managed to communicate together , to make arrangements without a mobile or computer .
During the holidays at grandma ’ s , my sister and I agreed with the neighbour ’ s granddaughter when we would meet again the following year in summer at our grandmas ’ houses – and that ’ s how it was , how it stood .
We met .
Do you promise to see someone in a year nowadays ?
I also remember winter , when we ran outside with the whole village , built snowmen , and rode bags stuffed with hay on the snowy hill by the church .
Then the whole family ate dinner together and talked about the last day .
Of course , my sister and I would hear that infamous line before every evening meal : " Go and wash your hands ! "
Yes , it still applies today , but you definitely don ’ t have soap tied to the tap in the bathroom in a net for lemons .
After dinner , when dad was " working " in the garage , having a beer with Jarda from the village , we lay on the floor with mum , propped our feet against the tiled stove , opened the little doors and looked at the flames , and listened to the crackle of wood , which drifted out of the stove .
We were closer – really – we didn ’ t count the number of friends we had on social networks , we knew how many friends we had , the real ones !
We communicated together – we spoke – we didn ’ t write messages every day on various chat programs or text .
Nothing like that existed , and despite that we knew far more about each other .
And I could carry on like that for a long time .
It is beautiful to remember , especially if I add to the memories by looking through an album , where there are neatly glued black and white photos with black corners .
And if by any chance I didn ’ t know how old I was then , the year the picture was taken is always written on the back of the photo .
I see that although our pudding bowl haircuts didn ’ t really suit us , and our trousers were from our little cousin and two sizes too big , nobody used to laugh at us , it was normal like that ( not in ) .
And now I ’ d better return that step forward – to reality .
To 2013 , and I ’ ll wait and see what the modern age will invent , perhaps one day for my children .
What I do know is this , that my memories are now for the young adolescent generation at least " from the Stone Age " and I think they are missing out on a lot , that they won ’ t experience " the Stone Age " period too .
I wish they could !
Google , Samsung , Huawei sued over Nortel patents
The group that owns thousands of former Nortel patents filed a barrage of patent lawsuits on Thursday against cell phone manufacturers including Google , the company it outbid in the Nortel bankruptcy auction .
Rockstar , the consortium that bought the Nortel patents for $ 4.5 billion , sued Samsung Electronics Co Ltd , HTC Corp , Huawei and four other companies for patent infringement in U.S. District Court in Texas .
Rockstar is jointly owned by Apple , Microsoft , Blackberry , Ericsson and Sony .
Google is accused of infringing seven patents .
The patents cover technology that helps match Internet search terms with relevant advertising , the lawsuit said , which is the core of Google 's search business .
Representatives for Samsung , Huawei , HTC and Rockstar could not immediately be reached .
Samsung , Huawei and HTC all manufacture phones that operate on Google 's Android operating system , which competes fiercely with Apple and Microsoft mobile products .
In 2011 Google placed an initial $ 900 million bid for Nortel 's patents .
Google increased its bid several times , ultimately offering as much as $ 4.4 billion .
After losing out to Rockstar on the Nortel patents , Google went on to acquire Motorola Mobility for $ 12.5 billion , a deal driven partly by Motorola 's library of patents .
" Despite losing in its attempt to acquire the patents-in-suit at auction , Google has infringed and continues to infringe , " the lawsuit said .
Rockstar is seeking increased damages against Google , as it claims Google 's patent infringement is willful , according to the complaint .
Miloslava Cejpková : November smile
She came from outside , from 4 degrees Celsius , which we are not yet accustomed to .
First she took off her smile , the one she constantly flaunted as a protection from the pseudo-friendly environment .
It was a great relief to her , because it was a mask she had decided not to take off in public .
It was sincere only at home in the days when she was being grandma and had her grandchildren Elinka or Adik around .
And of course , when her sons rang her .
She remembered very well the precept from the endless courses in business skills .
Now they were finally really coming in useful .
So she would not make her nearest and dearest sad .
Then it flew into a corner .
Like a disguise at a masquerade ball .
November , nor any other month , cannot make the miracle for her to really smile like at that time when they were on the trip with the one who has not been here for almost three years .
Egypt swears in first freely elected president
Mohamed Morsi takes the oath of office but his day of triumph is unlikely to mark end of political strife in Egypt .
ISLAMIST Mohamed Morsi promised a " new Egypt " as he took the oath of office to become the country 's first freely elected president , succeeding Hosni Mubarak who was ousted 16 months ago .
At his inauguration before the Supreme Constitutional Court , Morsi also became the Arab world 's first freely elected Islamist president and Egypt 's fifth head of state since the overthrow of the monarchy some 60 years ago .
He took the oath before the court 's 18 black-robed judges in its Nile-side seat built to resemble an ancient Egyptian temple .
" We aspire to a better tomorrow , a new Egypt and a second republic , " Morsi said during a solemn ceremony shown live on state television .
" Today , the Egyptian people laid the foundation of a new life - absolute freedom , a genuine democracy and stability , " said Morsi , a 60-year-old US-trained engineer from the Muslim Brotherhood , a fundamentalist group that has spent most of the 84 years since its inception as an outlawed organisation harshly targeted by successive governments .
Hundreds of soldiers and policemen guarded the building as Morsi arrived shortly after 11am local time in a small motorcade .
Only several hundred supporters gathered outside the court to cheer the new president and , in a departure from the presidential pomp of the Mubarak years , traffic was only briefly halted to allow his motorcade through on the usually busy road linking the city centre with its southern suburbs .
Derided as the Brotherhood 's uncharismatic " spare tyre , " his personal prestige has surged since his victory and his delivery of a Friday speech that tried to present him as a candidate not just of Islamists but of all those who want to complete the work of the 2011 uprising against the authoritarian Mubarak .
" Egypt today is a civil , national , constitutional and modern state , " Morsi , wearing a blue business suit and a red tie , told the judges in the wood-panelled chamber where he took the oath of office .
Morsi later travelled to Cairo University where he was to make his inauguration address .
He was given an official welcome by an army band that played the national anthem as he stood to attention .
Military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi was in attendance .
His arrival was greeted with chants of , " The army and the people are one hand , " from the hundreds gathered in the university 's main lecture room .
Established in 1908 as a bastion of secular education , Cairo University later became a stronghold of Islamist student groups in the 1970s .
Morsi took a symbolic oath on Friday in Tahrir Square , birthplace of the uprising that ended Mubarak 's authoritarian rule last year , and vowed to reclaim presidential powers stripped from his office by the military council that took over from the ousted leader .
But by agreeing to take the official oath before the court , rather than before parliament as is customary , he is bowing to the military 's will in an indication that the contest for power will continue .
Morsi 's speech in Tahrir Square was filled with dramatic populist gestures .
Ghettos will probably get police specialists , intended to ease tensions
Ghettos in the Czech Republic may get police specialists in the future .
They would spend up to half of their time on the beat there .
They would supervise order and solve problems .
Thanks to their knowledge of the environment , they would contribute to reducing tensions between people from impoverished areas and residents in the vicinity .
The Ministry of the Interior is counting on this in its proposal to reduce security risks .
According to the Minister it is especially " the speedy provision of social housing " that would help to improve the situation in the country .
The government has discussed the document .
According to analysis , there were around 300 impoverished homes and neighbourhoods in the Czech Republic a couple of years ago .
Around 80,000 people lived in them , mainly Roma .
Adults in the ghettos were unemployed , families relied on benefits , children ended up in " special " schools .
Loan sharks ran rampant .
According to experts , the number of problem localities has increased by a hundred .
Relations between their residents and the others are deteriorating .
In some locations , anti-Roma marches have taken place .
Extremists were joined by local people .
According to the Ministry of the Interior , it is difficult for police in areas with ghettos to maintain security and order .
A basic condition is apparently the " strict application of an equal approach in law enforcement . "
However , without detailed knowledge of the place and the people , this is reportedly not possible to achieve .
The specialists would patrol in the ghetto , where they would spend up to half of their time on the beat and the rest of time they would served in their areas .
In a problem area they would supervise the order .
They would also know the local people , so they could better deal with problems and offences .
" Thanks to the establishment of trust , the specialists will be more easily able to prevent a whole range of unlawful behaviour , " said the ministry .
Specialists in ghettos would receive extra pay , from 500 to 1000 crowns a month .
Introducing special police officers in problem areas is to be covered by the Norway Grants .
The budget is about EUR 600,000 ( now about 15.5 million crowns ) .
The Czech Republic pays 15 per cent of the sum , and the grants 85 per cent .
Preparations have begun this year , and a detailed proposal is now being prepared .
The project should last until 2016 .
The authors have been inspired by their neighbours .
This mechanism has already been successfully applied for several years in Slovakia , where the problem with socially excluded areas is much higher than in the Czech Republic .
" There are so-called Roma settlements here , " said the report ’ s authors .
It is not yet clear how many specialists there are to be in the Czech Republic .
Analysis will give the answer and define the places where special police officers would be necessary .
It will also depend on how much money the police will be able to provide each year for these officers once the project has ended .
According to the project proposal , the police officers selected will first complete a training course in Slovakia .
Each year some fifty officers should complete this training course .
The most suitable candidates will come from those .
A special training course for police officers who will work in the ghettos should also be established .
According to the authors , it is above all the social housing that would help to improve the situation .
It would reportedly motivate and lead to integration .
According to the Interior Ministry ’ s ideas , there would be three standard categories .
The minimum standard would be met by hostels with precisely stipulated rules , such as the number of people per room .
The medium standard would be the smaller flats .
The higher standard would be the social flats , which would be comparable with regular accommodation .
Tenants would have to fulfil an integration plan , which would be prepared by social workers together with. tenants
They would have to observe the accommodation regulations , look after their health , send their children to schools , continue retraining and actively look for work .
If they try to integrate , they would progress to a higher standard of accommodation .
According to the Ministry of Interior , the tiered accommodation system should function , for at least 30y ears , until another generation grows up " in a pro-integration motivated environment . "
The social housing model is being prepared by departments for local development and labour .
They have until the end of the year to make their proposal .
Karel Drábek : Uhlířský Vrch – One of our youngest volcanoes .
Uhlířský Vrch is a prominent hill 3 km southeast of Bruntál .
Together with several others , it is a proof of volcanic activity in the Nízký Jeseník hills in the recent period ( from a geological perspective ) .
The last eruptions here were still taking place at the beginning of the Quaternary period .
When viewed from a greater distance , the whitewashed Baroque pilgrimage church of Our Lady of Succour , built between 1755 and 1765 , is prominent on the peak .
It replaced the original wooden pilgrimage chapel .
The inn , which stood next to the church , was not preserved .
Shortly after the completion of the church , an avenue with four rows of lime trees was planted , about 1 km long .
The Way of the Cross on Uhlířský Vrch is already the third version – the original stood here after 1916 , the second version from 2001 only lasted until 2004 .
There are fifteen stations with wooden sculptures made by local wood carver František Nedomlel .
He used various types of wood from the Nízký Jeseník area .
Similarly , the pedestals made from rock from the local area form an interesting geological exposition .
At each station there is also the name of the sponsor .
Uhlířský Vrch is the remainder of a young volcano .
Although data from radiometric measurements of the age somewhat differ , the last eruption here took place about 1.5 million years ago .
It is therefore younger than Velký Roudný ( 3.3 million years old ) and older than Venušina sopka or Venus Volcano ( 0.8 million years old ) .
The volcano came into existence after an explosion .
During the explosion , it spat out large amounts of volcanic ash together with rock fragments from the bedrock , which were burnt to get their reddish-brown colour .
At the end of this stage , lava flowed out on the surface – now it is a layer of porous basalt up to 13 metres thick .
A second eruption spewed out red , brown-red and in places almost black tuffs .
The layer is up to 50 metres thick and the part of it is accessible in the face of a quarry .
The tuffs contain prominent volcanic bombs up to 1 metre in size . The second eruption also ended with an outflow of lava .
At the end of the activity , lava flowed out of the volcano , forming a layer of slaggy basalt which is now up to 50 m thick .
Volcanoes where layers of volcanic ash alternate with flows of lava are the most common type of volcano .
Since they are actually composed of layers , they given the name of stratovolcanoes .
The original volcanic cone was subjected to gradual erosion .
However , it was not threatened until the mining of rock started at a quarry on the south side .
The most intensive mining took place there from 1953 to 1962 .
Tuffs were added to concrete , which was then lighter and had better thermal insulation properties .
Under pressure from specialists and the public , it was possible to stop the mining and thus preserve this unique place .
However , the problem is the porosity and the low coherence of the rocks , which quickly weather , break apart and fall down the slope .
This means the quarry is quickly disappearing .
To make the situation even more complicated , the warm , south-orientated slope is an ideal location for some rare species of plants and animals .
Rectifying it is therefore problematic , but in time it will be necessary to make a choice and maintain the characteristic geological profile .
This is nothing new , similar profiles are being maintained at several important sites .
You can get to Uhlířský Vrch following the green tourist trail from Bruntál , or from Slezský Kočov .
Drivers can use the free car park at the beginning of the avenue with lime trees , where also a short pedestrian path begins .
She moved from a villa to an apartment building .
Ivana grew up and spent most of her life in a rented villa with a garden and swimming pool in one of the most beautiful residential areas of Prague in Ořechovka .
The original house owners , however , got it back in restitution and the tenants had to move out with little compensation .
So Ivana looked for another accommodation quickly for herself and her already elderly mother .
She got a tip from friends for a three room flat with kitchenette in an older apartment building on the other side of Prague .
" At first it was a shock , but on the other hand , the view from the fourth flour of the vast forest park and reservoir impressed me , " says Ivana , recalling her first impression .
At first I told myself it would be a temporary arrangement for about three years .
" We ’ ve been here now for over thirteen years and I wouldn ’ t change it , not just because of the gradual reconstruction , " adds the owner .
The mother and daughter moved at the time from a 120 m2 home to a smaller one with an area of 62 m2 and gave away practically all their furnishings .
It was not an easy undertaking , the things were stored with friends and the gradual furnishing took almost a year .
The new flat was in quite a good condition , but they had to carry out necessary repairs , for example varnishing doors and replacing the windows .
The previous owner had knocked down the inner walls , but the new owner was most bothered by the impractically designed and excessively large hallway and , in contrast , the small bathroom .
Joining the two rooms created a multifunctional living space .
To define the separate zones and room divisions , the architects used plasterboard , which allowed repositioning of the lights .
The first action she decided to take after a couple of years was to remove the partition wall in the living room .
This change the layout of the flat to a two-room flat with kitchenette , but it gave her an airy room from which opened up a panoramic view of the surrounding greenery .
Another step to partial improvement of the standard was replacing the PVC flooring with laminate flooring .
Ivana did not know what to do with the bathroom .
For years I was buying home design magazines looking for inspiration .
In one of them I recently discovered an interesting completed project .
On a recommendation , I approached a young female architect Kamila Douděrová .
" It was actually the most important step for the future , " says Ivana .
Thanks to the reconstruction of the bathroom , it was possible to adjust the layout of the hallway .
The architect joined the spaces for the WC and the bathroom and replaced the two hinged doors with one sliding door , which saved space .
The bathroom is timeless and is also sufficiently barrier free .
Quality tiles imitate sandstone , in the shower there is also a comfortable seat , and by the toilet there is a bidet .
The successful collaboration with Kamila Douděrová continued on .
As part of the TV programme Building a Dream , there was a quick but fundamental alteration of the living room , with the architect Martin Čeněk also taking part .
In the space formed by joining the two smaller rooms , we had to get three functional areas – dining , living and sleeping – without the help of traditional principles for optical separation , such as semi partition walls and Japanese blinds .
" That would in the end disrupt the openness and unity of the space , " explains the architect .
It was possible to divide the sleeping and living areas in an original way .
All it took was to put two sofas back to back and place a made-to-measure duvet cabinet between them .
The dining area is defined by the colours of the floor and the walls .
On the floor in the kitchen and dining area , the architect used high quality marmoleum tiles , and she brightened up the sliding doors with patterned wallpaper .
If necessary , the kitchenette can be closed off with the papered sliding panels covered with wallpaper .
Compared with the previous laminate floor , the new anti-allergy marmoleum floor has a number of advantages : a softer non-slip surface with no gaps and better sound insulation .
The system of alcoves and ceilings made of plasterboard highlighted in colour is an example of how you can work with space in an apartment building .
I left the colourdesign to the architects , I wanted it to be cheerful .
" I like orange colour , I had the same shade in my last flat , " says Ivana .
The graphic glass tiling with a blossoming magnolia motif is practical and creates a striking aesthetic element .
The architects chose white for a warm energetic tone , which highlighted the modern functional style .
In the small flat , they managed to store books also in the space under the window ledges .
Everything is within reach , lamps are comfortably controlled remotely .
In the altered interior , the contrast between the new and ; old works beautifully , for example , the decades old crystal chandelier and the quality works of art which Ivana has been collecting all her life .
Last in line came the kitchen .
The cupboards had previously been placed along both sides and the owner felt as ii she was in a tunnel .
The architect reduced their number and rearranged their positioning .
The simply designed furniture is custom made , the white surface softened by the slightly nacred finish .
Thanks to imaginative design , a washing machine , dryer and dishwasher have been fitted into the small space .
The appearance of the small kitchen is enlivened by the all-glass tiling above the work bench .
The unique graphic glass with digitally printed motif is attractive and easy to keeps clean .
Ivana chose magnolia blossoms , which remind her of her favourite neighbourhood , where she lived for years .
Now it seems that she is also happy here .
In the original bathroom , there was a small bath and wash basin , for the new bathroom the owner chose neutral colour tiles .
The large shower recess has a Ronal glass door .
The task was to create a clear , simple space in the given environment , in which the functions and fittings would be in harmony .
We unified the interior in terms of materials and colours and tried to give it an elegant , cosy , uncluttered appearance .
" Another condition of the brief was the open space design with minimal obstruction , allowing easy movement around furniture and with objects of daily use within reach , " adds Kamila Douděrová .
The Supreme Court rules : Nečas can be prosecuted .
The Supreme Court has ruled that former premier Petr Nečas can be prosecuted for any offences he may have committed before the dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies in August .
He was only protected by procedural immunity , which applies to speeches in the Chamber .
In the case of former ODS members , Ivan Fuksa , Marek Šnajdr and Petr Tluchoř , the court decided that they cannot be punished for any offences committed before November last year when they resigned their parliamentary mandate , said Petr Knötig , the Supreme Court 's spokesman .
With this ruling , the court has rejected the proposal of the public prosecutor Ivo Ištvan , who wanted to continue the criminal proceedings against the deputies .
According to him , they accepted bribes in the form of lucrative posts in state enterprises as reward for resigning their mandates and not causing problems in the approval of legislation .
On the other hand , it will still be possible to prosecute the former prime minister , who offered them these posts .
Anti-corruption police officer also arrested together with Vít Bárta
Bárta ’ s defence lawyer , Oldřich Chudoba , who also represented him in the case of alleged corruption of public affairs deputies , did not want to comment too much on the matter , but said : " Yes , I ’ m representing the client in this matter as well , but with regard to protection of classified information , I cannot comment further . "
According to information from the newspaper Právo , the case is being handled by the General Inspectorate of the Security Forces ( GIBS ) .
The server tn.cz stated that Bárta could have bought classified information from the police .
According to the server prvnizpravy.cz , the case may be related to the case concerning the former chief of police Petr Lessy , whose appointment was allegedly supported by Bárta .
However , recent information from Právo shows that the arrest of Vít Bárta is not related to Petr Lessy .
Eva Kropáčová , spokesperson for police headquarters , refused to comment on the matter , since the case is being dealt with by the Prague Municipal Prosecutor 's Office .
" We will not comment on this query with regard to the protection of classified information , " Štěpánka Zenklová , spokesperson for the Prague Municipal Prosecutor ’ s Office , told Právo on Friday .
Their prosecutor is supervising the Bárta matter , and the prosecutor 's words indirectly indicate that the file or the criminal proceedings are being conducted in a classified regime .
A reporter from Novinky succeeded in catching Kateřina Klasnová , Vít Bárta ’ s wife , in the morning outside their home in Prague ’ s Klárov area .
She was putting suitcases into the car and then drove off .
She refused to comment on the entire event .
On Friday morning , the leader of the Dawn movement , Tomio Okamura , commented on Bárta ’ s arrest .
In his words , he has no idea what the case is about .
" Vít Bárta was one of many candidates from many parties on our list of candidates , and as I said repeatedly before the election , he was not and is not a member of Tomio Okamura 's Dawn of Direct Democracy , " he added .
Vít Bárta , who in previous early elections was an unsuccessful candidate to the Chamber for the Plzen region for Tomio Okamura 's Dawn of Direct Democracy movement , is known for his corruption case for bribing public affairs deputies .
In April 2012 , he was conditionally sentenced to 18 months , which was deferred for 30 months .
The ruling was later changed and Bárta was acquitted .
Prospal : I want a contract in the NHL .
I still have the spirit , desire and enthusiasm
Family was always in first place for Prospal , which is why he wants to submit himself to it fully at the age of 38 .
Either he will get work abroad and continue to extend his career , or he will stop playing hockey for good .
" I want to fulfil my role of dad and husband . "
" I can ’ t wait , " says the hockey player , who is still waiting in vain for an offer .
Despite the fact that he is well-known as a hard worker , who never cheats anything .
Despite the fact he always leaves his heart on the ice and can also lead his team-mates .
And also despite the fact that he was the most productive player of Columbus last season .
" But the desire to show everyone what I ’ ve got is still there , " he says with determination .
Maybe he will live to see it , allegedly New York Rangers are interested in him , they had an unsuccessful start to the season and , in addition , they have two mainstays injured – the attackers Rick Nash and Ryan Callahan .
How is it with your transfer to Rangers ?
It ’ s just speculation .
Unless I get something on paper , there ’ s no point to think about it .
I know there was an article that came out in the New York Post that they should sign me , but that is all .
It was not said anywhere that this really happened ..
Unfortunately , I would like to say myself that I have a contract , but it just isn ’ t the case .
Has the club not even contacted you ?
That kind of communication takes place every day in the NHL .
There it ’ s about getting into a situation where the contract really arrives .
When a player is injured , say , or someone isn ’ t doing well and the team is struggling .
There are so many different factors that have to come together so I could get that contract .
But in New York at the moment the similar circumstances are arising , aren ’ t they ?
Rick Nash and Ryan Callahan are injured and the team didn 't do well at the start of the season , so there is definitely a chance there , don ’ t you think ?
Of course , there ’ s always a chance .
But the other thing is that you always need two sides for that .
Today I ’ d take heaps of offers but so far I ’ ve not had any .
That ’ s the reality , unfortunately , in which I have to live .
On Friday you fly to America , are you expecting that something might just work out ?
I ’ ve had that expectation since 5 July , when the market with free players opened in the NHL , but there ’ s still nothing .
Are you heading to New York , to remind them ?
Definitely not , I ’ m going to Tampa to see my children and wife .
I ’ m looking forward to some sun and and seeing them again .
Have you got a programme planned ?
That ’ s a given since I ’ m a father and husband and it all develops from there .
At the moment I ’ m not a hockey player – I have no contract and I don ’ t play in matches .
So I ’ ll fulfil my role of dad and husband and I 'm really looking forward to it .
This Sunday Vašík has two hockey matches , this is for me and all my family a holiday when we can go and support our children doing what they want to do .
Do you think you could do that " full time " ?
Of course , you have to think of all sorts of things .
That can happen too .
I tried it three years ago when I missed 50 matches due to a knee operation .
And I really , really loved it .
One day you reach a stage where all the goals , wins and assists won ’ t replace what you have at home .
Because family and children , that ’ s the meaning of life .
Whatever work you want to do .
I had the most beautiful work I could possibly have besides my family .
You had a lot of offers from Europe : do you want to play NHL just because it ’ s the NHL or because of your family that you want to be in America ?
Since I ’ m a hockey player , so the first thing is – except for family – the sporting success .
The NHL is the best competition in the world .
And family life is dependent on that .
My children , sorry , our children – mine and my wife ’ s – grew up in the States , they started school there and so on .
And we would be really happy if they continued this trend .
Because we won ’ t delude ourselves , in America the possibilities are completely somewhere else ..
We should offer them that chance .
So do you plan to stay in America permanently ?
We ’ ll do what we have done so far .
That means that in summer we ’ ll be in the Czech Republic in Hluboká and near České Budějovice .
And in winter back in Tampa or wherever we end up .
That ’ s absolutely ideal , to be always somewhere where it 's warm .
I ’ ve had a huge amount of luck in my life .
It can be said that I went for it , it took a lot of strength and sacrifice and it took a lot of things away from me that I missed .
But hockey offered me a lot of chances in return and this is one of them .
That my wife and I can choose where we will live .
There are many of people in this world who yearn for that , to be able to choose what they will do and how they will live .
How long will you have the will to work hard , train hard and wait for an offer at your age ?
Well , that ’ s a question I can ’ t answer .
I still have it in me now , the spirit , the desire , the enthusiasm , and the passion for the sport . The desire and motivation to show people that you can still be good enough the NHL , that I ’ m still better than someone else .
But I can ’ t say for how long it will stay like that .
You can ’ t plan that .
So it can be said that you ’ ll wait this season to see how it works out and then you ’ ll decide what to do next ?
I ’ m at the stage where I go from day to day .
The CEO of ČEZ recently announced that the decision on construction of Temelín power station ’ s third and fourth blocks is to be postponed until the end of 2014 or 2015 .
He justified this by the wait for the new State Energy Concept and the government ’ s approval of the Contracts of Difference .
It is for these reasons that the current management of ČEZ is trying to transfer its responsibility to the government , which is the majority shareholder .
However , qualified managers should give shareholders recommendations , not hide behind them .
Babiš : Government only with Sobotka .
Andrej Babiš is becoming reconciled with the fact that the ANO movement will have no time to learn political craft in opposition and that it will have to join the government , so that there would be any at all .
The ANO chairman admitted this in an interview for the Právo newspaper which will be published tomorrow .
Abrahámek in charge of sales and marketing at ŠkoFIN
His responsibilities include product and marketing and strengthening cooperation with business partners .
He has replaced Luděk Šantora in the post .
Abrahámek has spent the last 14 years of his professional career in the automotive sector .
He worked at Toyota Motor Czech , then at Fiat Czech Republic , where he was responsible for the Alfa Romeo brand and dealers for seven years .
His last place of work was at Suzuki Motor Czech , in which he held the post of manager of the automotive division for over five years .
ŠkoFIN was established 1992 .
Police evacuate part of Los Angeles airport after shooting
A shooting occurred in the international airport in Los Angeles this morning .
The police evacuated part of the airport because of it , allegedly Terminal 3 .
Reuters , referring to Californian media , stated that the police shot a man armed with a rifle .
The Los Angeles Times , referring to the police , wrote that there was a shoot-out in which two or three members of the Transportation Security Administration were injured .
It is not yet clear how many people have been injured in total and whether there are any victims .
The fire brigade has spoken of an incident with a number of injured .
CNN : Israel bombs military base in Syria .
Targeted were allegedly Russian missiles for Hezbollah .
Israeli military aircraft reportedly bombed a military base near the Syrian port of Latakia on Thursday .
CNN reported it on television , referring to an unnamed US government official .
The Israeli press widely reported about an explosion in the alleged missile warehouse , but the Israeli government did not confirm the attack on the warehouse .
An IDF spokesperson refused to comment on information about the raid when requested by CNN .
" We do not comment on reports from foreign media , " she said .
The target of the Israeli raid according to the US government source were missiles and associated equipment which , according to the Israelis , could be transported to the militant Lebanese movement Hezbollah .
The Associated Press , referring to another US security official , reported that the target of the Israeli strike on the target in Syrian territory were Russian SA-125 missiles .
The second channel of Israeli television reported that the target of the attack was allegedly a highly modern Syrian air defence system .
However , satellite images of the attack area , according to DPA , showed a battery of Russian S-125 Neva missiles .
In addition , it is alleged that the satellite images also showed a battery of SA-3 missiles including the command centre with radar to track missiles and their targets .
According to Israeli news reports , the missiles seen have a range of 35 kilometres and could carry warheads weighing 70 kilograms .
Israel has already reportedly bombed missile supplies within Syria at least twice this year , CNN and AP reported .
The Israeli army has never responded to these reports , repeatedly declaring , however , that it will strike any supply of weapons intended for Hezbollah or other designated terrorist groups .
Thought travel agents were a thing of the past thanks to the internet ?
Flight Centre seem to be bucking the trend .
The company has upgraded its full year profit forecast and is looking to record earnings from holidaymakers in Australia and the United Kingdom .
The travel company now expects its full year underlying profit before tax to be between $ 325 million and $ 340 million , compared with the $ 305 million to $ 315 million it previously forecast .
If the current guidance is achieved it will represent a 12 to 17 per cent growth on the record $ 290.4 million profit it achieved in 2011 / 12 .
Managing director Graham Turner said Flight Centre had made 8 per cent profit in the first half and had started the second half strongly especially in Australian and UK non-business travel .
" Year-to-date , our 10 countries are profitable and several are on track for record full-year earnings before interest and tax contributions , " he said .
This includes Australia and the United Kingdom , which are typically our largest profit generators .
In Australia the leisure business rebounded during the second half which offset a slightly weaker domestic corporate travel market .
Similarly in the UK , Flight Centre 's leisure business performed well while corporate clients were spending less .
Its US business had recovered its losses during its seasonally weaker first half and was expected to deliver its third consecutive full year profit .
Flight Centre shares were up 3c at $ 38.20 yesterday .
Greenpeace activists detained in Russia are transported to St Petersburg
Environmental activists detained since September in Russia due to a protest against the planned oil production in the Arctic have been airlifted from Murmansk to St Petersburg .
The AFP agency reported this today , referring to the international environmental organisation Greenpeace .
It also says that the activists ’ original charges of piracy have not yet been withdrawn .
" Greenpeace International understands from diplomatic sources that the thirty men and women detained by Russia following a peaceful protest against an Arctic oil platform are being moved from a detention centre in Murmansk to a jail in St Petersburg , " reported the organisation in a statement .
The reasons for moving the detained activists are not clear ; according to the DPA agency it was a planned move .
The authorities initially accused the environmentalists of piracy , for which , in the event of conviction , they would face up to 15 years in prison .
However , last week it was announced that this would be replaced with a more moderate charge of hooliganism , for which they would face a reduced sentence with a maximum sentence of seven years .
In today ’ s statement , however , Greenpeace pointed out that the piracy charge had not yet been withdrawn as promised .
Reportedly , this means that the detainees are now accused of two offences .
The powerful Investigative Committee last week announced that the piracy charge would be replaced with the hooliganism charge .
But when the thirty prisoners stood before the committee this week , the piracy charge was not dropped .
Instead each of them was served with the additional charge , " said AFP , quoting the Greenpeace statement .
In mid-September , Russia detained thirty members of Greenpeace from 18 countries at a Gazprom oil rig .
The environmentalists were on the ship Arctic Sunrise , which was sailing under a Dutch flag .
Since then , they have all been held in custody , against which they did file an appeal , but the court rejected them all .
The environmentalists have complained about conditions in prison .
According to AFP , Greenpeace ’ s executive director Kumi Naidoo said today that the move to St Petersburg would make it easier for the detainees to meet with their families and consular staff .
However , there are no guarantees that the conditions in the new prison will be better than in Murmansk .
" They could in fact be worse , " she warned .
Faiza Oulahsen , one of the detained activists , asked Dutch King Willem-Alexander for help .
In a handwritten letter , published today by the newspaper Algemeen Dagblad , she urged the monarch to discuss their situation during a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin .
In it , it is stated that Maliki has played a large part in the renewal of sectarian violence in Iraq , which is said to be partly also the result of the fighting in neighbouring Syria .
Schools urged to focus more on maths , spelling and grammar
English literature courses will require pupils to study at least one Shakespeare play , a 19th century novel , Romantic poetry and contemporary British fiction from 1914 onwards .
The exam will also feature " unseen texts " to encourage wider reading ;
A combined English literature and language course will be scrapped .
From 2015 , pupils will be required to take a standalone GCSE in language , with strong incentives to choose English literature as a separate qualification .
The Department for Education is due to release the new syllabuses in English and maths tomorrow - the first subjects to undergo a radical overhaul .
It will make changes in other core subjects next year .
In a separate move , Ofqual , the exams regulator , will unveil a shake-up of the structure of GCSEs , with a new grading system and less coursework .
Speaking in the summer , Michael Gove , the Education Secretary , said there was a " widespread consensus that we need to reform our examination system to restore public confidence , " insisting GCSEs would be " more challenging , more ambitious and more rigorous . "
Studies show that English schools devote less time to maths - 116 hours a year or three hours a week during term time - than in most countries .
By comparison , Australian schools provide an average of 143 hours a year and pupils do around 138 hours in Singapore .
While there will be no formal requirement to devote more of the timetable to maths , Coalition sources said the extensive maths GCSE - combined with more weighting for the subject in league tables - was likely to encourage schools to provide extra teaching .
The syllabus will place a greater focus on " real world problems , " including financial mathematics .
Ostrava ’ s Mayor Kajnar : I am not the cancer in the Czech Social Democratic Party ( ČSSD )
Before the election , a long-smouldering dispute between two wings fighting for influence within the Ostrava branch of ČSSD was fully ignited .
It all culminated when Ostrava mayor Petr Kajnar took court action due to the undemocratic assembly of lists of candidates .
Players in the affair still did not want to say much on the matter , so as not to harm the party even more prior to the election .
Now , however , the votes have already been counted .
The leadership of Ostrava ’ s ČSSD therefore urged the mayor of Ostrava on Monday evening to stand down from the party , and they will probably push so that he will lose his post .
But Petr Kajnar wants to fight on .
In an exclusive interview for Deník , he has described what the disputes are about and who is on whose side .
How do you feel about the outcome of the election ?
The ČSSD was certainly expecting a much better result .
Was it harmed here by the inner-party disputes being discussed in the media prior to the election ?
I can imagine that social democracy party could have had a better outcome in the election .
But on the other hand , it reflects the state the ČSSD is now in .
It is a party which has its internal issues , it is sick inside and people can see that things are not all right .
They made that clear in the election .
What are these internal illnesses in the ČSSD ?
The ODS has already been going through a decline for some time , in my view , and similar things are now happening unfortunately in social democracy party .
The fact is that lobbyists , influential people , who previously expected to find their prebends with the ODS , have shifted to people in the ČSSD and have an influence on them .
It is then related to the police searching through the offices of the Ostrava municipal authority and collecting computers .
It shows that the ČSSD is not just made up of people who want good for all the others , but that many of them think primarily of their own good .
The ČSSD is split into two irreconcilable camps in Prague too , as can also be seen in the current power struggle between Hašek ’ s and Sobotka ’ s supporters .
But that has been in preparation for a long time too .
What happened before the election in Ostrava was just a precursor to what is now happening in Prague .
Hašek ’ s wing gradually occupied the positions so that after the election it could provoke a situation which would weaken Sobotka ’ s wing .
In politics , you are in a situation where you sometimes have to accept compromises .
But everyone has their own internal limit beyond which it is not possible to make compromises , and that is also my case .
Originally I did not want to run for the chamber , but when I saw all that was going on in the party , I made an agreement with Luboš Zaorálek that I would try and get on the regional list of candidates , so that as the mayor of Ostrava I could actually strengthen Sobotka ’ s wing .
However , Hašek ’ s wing put a stop to that .
Why are you on the side of Bohuslav Sobotka , and not on the side of Michal Hašek ?
I think that Slávek Sobotka is the person who always talks first of all about the ČSSD programme and to a certain extent also about the visions concerning the party and this country .
I admit that I haven ’ t heard anything of the sort from the other side .
Michal Hašek is just fighting for power .
I don ’ t understand how can the presidium , which is a lower authority than the central executive committee , start with just removing the party chairman .
That is a power struggle regardless of anything and it is against the party statutes .
In my opinion , what Michal Hašek has displayed in Prague has ended his political career .
How do you view the fact that the Ostrava leadership of the ČSSD did not approve you for the list of candidates ?
Political parties are based on competition , who takes what place from their members .
The competition should mainly be based on programme visions and the capabilities of the people to fulfil those visions .
Of course , there are people who also enter this competition who do not have much in the way of ability or vision , but the political party is for them a lift towards the money they would not get elsewhere .
The problem is , when these people start to get to the fore thanks to their breaking the rules unscrupulously , they breach the party statutes .
With their practices , they turn political parties into the mafias and in my opinion they are therefore also breaking the Czech laws .
It is more important to me to point out this problem than to take into consideration whether or not Kajnar has some sort of political future .
It is important for the parties to start respecting the statutes .
Is that why you filed a petition to the court then before the election for an injunction against the form of the list of the ČSSD candidates in the Moravian Silesian Region ?
The current district executive committee of the ČSSD in Ostrava is strengthening its power by shutting down organisations that do not satisfy it , purposefully founding new organisations , and gradually getting rid of inconvenient party members .
For example , the fact is that they wanted to exclude Richard Bednařík from the representatives club , but he brought an action against it and they then instead cancelled their resolution about his exclusion .
This shows that demanding adherence to party statutes through the courts may be the last option , but when the other methods and inspection authorities inside the ČSSD have stopped working , it is the only option .
The leadership of the Ostrava ’ s ČSSD headed by Adam Rykala is attempting to remove you from the post of mayor .
It is an open secret that Poruba ’ s mayor , Lumír Palyza , is itching for this post .
It ’ s true , Adam Rykala and Lumír Palyza are trying to do everything they can to remove me .
They are promising posts to the people , gaining the votes and for these votes they are strengthening their power in the party .
When I go back to the past , then everything that happened around the football club Baník Ostrava , for example , and the purchase of the Bazaly Stadium , it was just an excuse for them to attack me .
It was artfully staged so they could label me as someone who puts money where it doesn ’ t belong .
At the same time , the city bought the property which has a high strategic value for them .
So how do you envisage what will happen next in your remaining in the post of the mayor ?
The district committee already called upon me and some other people on Monday to consider whether to remain in the ČSSD .
But I think it is like a thief shouting : Catch the thief !
When we look at the results of my work in the last eleven years , I don ’ t see anyone in the Ostrava ’ s Social Democratic Party who would initiate and enforce , sometimes even against party members , the creation of so many developments , such as industrial zones or expanding the science and technology park .
Despite everything , I am becoming inconvenient .
I don ’ t read it differently than I ’ m in the way of others fighting their way to the posts they long for .
Will you continue to fight against these attempts ?
Because if this republic is meant to work well , the political parties must also work well .
I can hardly believe that any party can effectively manage a country when it cannot even manage itself .
So I ’ m not considering leaving the ČSSD now , because I think that I am not the one causing this party ’ s cancer , it ’ s the people who are trying to drive me out .
Olomouc opens public ice rink in historical centre
The organiser of the Olomouc Christmas markets and ice skating , Pavel Spálený , said that the planned work on the ice rink began on 26 October and from Wednesday ice making machine has been operating .
The ice layer is already seven centimetres thick and by Friday morning the surface will be ready for the first visitors .
The ice rink has an area of 375 square metres , the platform has taken up 358 square metres .
Skaters and passers-by will also have two stalls with punch at their disposal .
" We have extended the floor area , increased the space in front of the stalls and almost all of the platform area is covered so the skaters can change their shoes in comfort , " said Spálený .
The streets of Olomouc are already reminiscent of the coming Christmas .
Last year , the ice rink was installed directly in front of the main entrance to the town hall on the square Horní Náměstí , due to the repairs on the square Dolní Náměstí .
Dolní Náměstí repairs were completed in late summer , so the ice rink could return to its original location .
People could first skate right in front of the town hall in 2009 , when the ice rink was in operation from January to March .
The ice rink then became an integral part of the Christmas markets in the city .
The Christmas markets , which include a rich cultural programme , will be launched on Horní Náměstí a month before Christmas Eve .
Pamela Anderson chops off those iconic blonde locks , debuts dramatic new pixie cut .
Pam 's blonde locks were made famous by her role in sexy TV show Baywatch .
Pamela Anderson is the latest celebrity to shock fans with a dramatic new hairdo .
The ex-Baywatch babe has ditched her long blonde locks in favour of a platinum pixie crop .
The 46-year-old actress revealed her latest look while out and about in LA on Wednesday and shared a snap on her Twitter page .
It 's the first time in 20 years that the blonde beauty has had short hair , and we 're loving the demure change .
What do you think about Pammy 's hair ?
Share with us your thoughts in the comments below .
Brutal murder of elderly man in the Zlín region to be dealt with again by regional court
The regional court dismissed charges against a 25 year old Slovak and a 22 year old Czech due to lack of evidence .
The men denied guilt .
They face 15 to 20 years in prison or even an exceptional punishment .
Spokesman Petr Angyalossy confirmed that the high court had annulled the regional ruling and returned the case to be heard again .
He refused to comment on the reasons which led the judge to this , saying that the ruling had not yet been served on the parties .
According to the prosecution , the young men attacked the 77 year old man in his home .
The elderly man died an agonising death .
According to the prosecution , they strangled the man , beat and kicked him all over his body , and also , using a metal object , probably a gas pistol , inflicted around thirty blows to the head .
The man suffered serious injuries , for example skull fractures , swelling of the brain and bleeding in the brain , causing him to die on the spot .
The young men allegedly took around 3,000 crowns from the house , and jewellery worth around 14,000 crowns .
According to the regional court , the only and , moreover , circumstantial evidence against the defendants were scent traces , which an expert assessed as not fully detected in terms of statutory guidelines .
Scent traces from the scene of the crime and on other items in more than ten cases matched the defendants , but the police treated them as material traces , not scent traces , at first .
In addition , certain errors handling the traces were found .
According to the court , the defendants ’ guilt was not proven beyond doubt .
However , the court admitted that the police had very difficult conditions .
The dead elderly man with his skull broken was found by relatives who thought he had probably fallen and injured himself .
A doctor from the emergency services who was called out did not alert them to the violent death either .
Only after several days were detectives contacted by Olomouc doctors , who found signs of a violent death during the autopsy .
The police could no longer work with all the traces from the scene of the crime , which had been cleaned up by relatives .
None of the defendants ’ DNA was found at the scene .
The young Slovak lived in the Uherské Hradiště area .
He is now serving a sentence of 8.5 years , which was definitively confirmed last year by the Olomouc High Court .
According to the court , the man was the head of an organised group of six young men who were responsible for robbing jewellery shops .
The robberies took place in October and November of 2011 , shortly after the murder of the old man in Slopné .
The younger defendant in the murder of the elderly man lives in Uherské Hradiště .
In August , the court released him from prison after 11 months .
Znojmo starts stadium reconstruction
The reconstruction of the Znojmo football stadium will start at the beginning of November .
Builders , who will be carrying out the pitch reconstruction , took over the stadium on Thursday .
The reconstruction of the municipal stadium in Znojmo is split into four stages so that it meets the standards for football ’ s first league .
Living legend Wayne Shorter to close Strings of Autumn next week
Saxophone great and legend of the jazz scene Wayne Short will bring the 18th annual Strings of Autumn festival to a full stop next Wednesday .
Shorter will perform on 6 November in the Lucerna Great Hall together with his quartet , composed of Danilo Perez , John Patitucci and Brian Blade .
During the second half of the evening , the Prague Philarmonia will join Shorter for a spontaneous jazz improvisation , under the direction of Martin Kumžák .
Shorter ’ s arrangements for symphony orchestra will feature the composition Pegasus from the new album Without A Net , as well as his older pieces Lotus and Prometheus Unbound .
Although he celebrated his 80th birthday this August , Shorter is still full of energy , which is proved by the fact that the Prague concert at Strings of Autumn is the start of his world tour .
Wayne Shorter entered the world of music over sixty years ago .
The list of artists with whom he has worked ranges from Miles Davis to Herbie Hancock , Joni Mitchell and Carlos Santana .
He has also met the Czech musician Miroslav Vitouš on his musical journey , as well as Vienna native Joe Zawinul , with whom he set the direction of the new fusion style in the legendary Weather Report for more than a decade .
For the last thirteen years he has mainly performed with the Wayne Shorter Quartet .
A sort of " afterparty " after the festival will be the club night Spotlight , which will take place on 9 November at the Roxy / NoD club .
Alongside the charismatic singer Andreya Triana , Manchester trio Go Go Penguin will be introduced to the local audience , with their jazz influenced by electronics , and young jazz talent Ian Mikyska , who will bring his electro-jazz formation Profound Bass inspired by dance styles .
Damková reportedly banned by UEFA from publishing punishments for referees .
Dagmar Damková , chairperson of the referees ’ committee of the Football Association of the Czech Republic ( FACR ) , has stopped publishing punishments for referees .
UEFA regulations ban her from doing so , which she revealed in an interview with the Právo newspaper .
Otherwise the FACR could reportedly be penalised .
Damková also denied that she is biased in her job towards footballers from Plzen , where she is from .
These speculations are absolute nonsense .
It is true that I live in Plzen , but other committee members are from elsewhere , for example Prague as well .
So in the case of voting , I could lose 1-6 , " said Damková in response to criticism that arose after Plzen had twice as many penalties recently as other league teams .
Although in the last few months FACR has stopped publishing punishments for referees , Damková offers assurance that referees do pay for their mistakes .
" Trust me , if the committee finds out that an official has made a mistake , his assignments are cut down , whatever the game was , " said Damková .
The reason why punishments are not published is , according to Damková , a ban from the European football union .
" UEFA bans the publishing of this sort of information and violations are severely punished . "
" Here we are very suspicious and we look for something in every mistake . "
" We did publish restrictions , but I received two very strong warnings that if we didn ’ t stop we would get heavy penalties , " said Damková .
Other countries respect the ban .
" We were really the exception , " she added .
If she had continued to publish information , the committee could reportedly lose money from UEFA for the education and development of referees .
" And that is very important for us . "
" Without that we could not carry out the referees training programme , " added Damková .
Arrest of Bárta linked to Janoušek and Bém : Is he behind the leaked wiretappings ?
Head of Public affairs Vít Bárta was arrested by police on Thursday .
The head of the analytics and informatics division of the anti-corruption police Jan Petržílek was also arrested with him .
The arrest is linked to the wiretapping of lobbyist Roman Janoušek and former mayor Pavel Bém ( ODS ) .
The information about the wiretapping , which was brought by the server Novinky.cz , was confirmed to the Czech News Agency by a reliable source .
The tapped phone calls of Janoušek and Bém , published last March by the newspaper Mladá Fronta Dnes and in which both men call each other " Pampered boy " and " Hummingbird " , demonstrate Janoušek ’ s influence on the city ’ s actions under Bém ’ s leadership .
The paper then said that the Security Information Service ( BIS ) obtained them in 2007 , from which two years later they were leaked to the ABL Security Agency .
This was owned by Bárta at the time .
The server Novinky.cz pointed out that the arrested investigator Petržílek used to work for BIS before starting work for the anti-corruption police .
Petržílek moved to the anti-corruption unit , which subsequently dealt with the wiretappings , at the same time as they were published .
" With regard to the law on protection of classified information , I cannot confirm anything or say anything , " said prosecutor Michal Muravský from the Prague Municipal Public Prosecutor ’ s Office .
He also refused to confirm that he was supervising the case .
For the same reason , inspectors do not want to comment on the case either .
Six out of ten firms are preparing for the new Civil Code
Six out of ten firms are preparing intensively for the impending new Civil Code and the Act on Business Corporations which come into effect on 1 January 2014 .
Only eight per cent of business representatives questioned said that they were not tackling matters related to both key codes in their companies .
This is according to a survey by the law office Ambruz & Dark Deloitte Legal , which surveyed the opinions of 108 Czech businesses .
In relation to the approaching date of effectiveness of both key codes , only now at the last minute many managers are starting to realise the significant impact they may have on the running of their companies .
The biggest changes in private law in the last 50 years , in our opinion , are in fact going to affect every citizen and business in the Czech Republic .
Due to politicians ’ manoeuvring , the business sector has long lived in uncertainty as to whether or not the revolutionary changes would eventually happen .
" Now , however , they only have a few weeks left for the transfer to the new law to take place without any complications for their firms , " said Ambruz & Dark Deloitte Legal partner Jan Spáčil on the results .
Out of 61 per cent of companies dealing intensively with the new codes , 26 per cent said that their firms had already taken all the necessary measures to be prepared in time .
In addition , 35 per cent of companies out of this number plan to take the necessary measures in the next few days .
On the other hand , every fifth company has not yet dealt with the recodification , but has a definite idea of how to prepare for it .
A total of 11 per cent has no opinion and cannot judge the issue .
Only eight per cent of companies admitted they had not yet addressed the issues related to recodification .
The most important legal topic connected to with the new civil code is for the most companies surveyed the signing of new contracts ( 21 per cent ) , followed by handling resolving business terms and conditions ( 16 per cent ) and then changes in the Land Registry and in liability for damage ( ten per cent each ) .
As regards , contracts , one of the most important new features of the whole recodification is the unification of the form of the contracts only according the new Civil Code .
The current parallel amendment of the Civil and Commercial Codes will expire , as a result of which the contract law should become clearer for both citizens and businesses .
" In the case of businesses , the new amendment offers a lot of new features with emphasis on greater freedom in organising relationships , " said Lukáš Poddaný , a lawyer at Ambruz & Dark Deloitte Legal .
In relation to the Business Corporations Act , almost a quarter of companies regard the most important topic to be the issue of increasing responsibility of statutory authorities .
This is followed by topics concerning changes in convening and running general assembly meetings ( 15 per cent ) and representing the company ( 14 per cent ) .
The new legislation means the tightening up of obligations and possible impacts for statutory authorities , especially in the situation where a company is in danger of going or goes bankrupt .
" In practice this means that if members of boards of directors and company secretaries do not act with due diligence and do not avert the threat of the company ’ s bankruptcy , they could lose the benefit obtained from performing their duty for up to the last two years , " added Spáčil .
Pierre Rainero : I ’ m trying to develop Cartier style as a live language
My task is to retain tradition and at the same time lead our brand to modernity , so it does not remain a dusty relic , says Pierre Rainero , style director at Cartier , describing his position in an interview with HN .
This French luxury house started back in 1847 .
Trekking through mud , rivers and jungle to provide free medical care
Dr. Georges Bwelle is bringing free health care to rural villages in Cameroon
Bwelle and his team spend almost every weekend seeing hundreds of patients
There aren 't many doctors in the west African country ; just one for every 5,000 people
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For 21 years , Georges Bwelle watched his ill father slip in and out of consciousness , traveling to hospitals that weren 't equipped to help him .
Jamef Bwelle was injured in a 1981 car accident near Yaounde , Cameroon 's capital .
He suffered only a broken arm at first , but an infection developed and spread to his brain , creating a hematoma that would affect him for the rest of his life .
" There were no neurosurgeons in Cameroon , " Georges Bwelle said .
We would have taken him out of Cameroon if we had the money .
Instead , Bwelle spent years escorting his father to overcrowded clinics and hospitals , getting whatever treatment they could get .
" It 's not easy , " Bwelle said .
You can leave home at 5 a.m. , running to the hospital to be the first , and you are not the first .
There are a lot of patients .
Some people can die because they are waiting .
The situation hasn 't changed much since Bwelle 's father passed away in 2002 .
In Cameroon , there is only one doctor for every 5,000 people , according to the World Health Organization .
For comparison 's sake , the ratio in the United States is one doctor for every 413 people .
And even if they could see a physician , many Cameroonians couldn 't afford it .
Two out of five people in the country live below the poverty line , and nearly three-quarters of the country 's health-care spending is private .
" The only problem they have is poverty , " Bwelle said .
And with poverty , they cannot enjoy their life .
Seeing his father and so many of his countrymen suffer , Bwelle was determined to do something about it .
Dr. Georges Bwelle and his team of volunteers have performed 700 free surgeries in the past year .
He became a doctor himself , working as a vascular surgeon in Yaounde 's Central Hospital .
And he started a nonprofit , ASCOVIME , that travels into rural areas on weekends to provide free medical care .
Since 2008 , he and his group of volunteers have helped nearly 32,000 people .
Almost every Friday , he and up to 30 people jam into vans , tie medical supplies to the roofs and travel across rough terrain to visit villages in need .
Their luck doesn 't always hold out .
They 've had to push vehicles through rivers and mud more than once .
But when they arrive , they receive a true heroes ' welcome : a feast , singing and dancing , and the best accommodations the community can offer .
In these villages , free medical care is truly a cause for celebration , and Bwelle -- with his big smile and boundless energy -- is more than happy to join in the fun .
The next morning , the team begins meeting with hundreds of patients .
" We are receiving 500 people in each trip , " Bwelle said .
They are coming from 60 kilometers around the village , and they 're coming on foot .
Each of these weekend clinics provides a variety of medical care .
Many people are treated for malaria , tuberculosis , malnutrition , diabetes , parasites and sexually transmitted diseases .
Others might receive crutches , a pair of donated eyeglasses or free birth certificates -- documentation that 's required for school but that many impoverished families simply can 't afford .
In the evenings , the team will do simple surgeries with local anesthesia .
Operations are usually done in a schoolhouse , town hall or home ; after the procedure , patients get up and walk to the recovery area to make way for the next person .
With the group 's generator lighting the operating room and sanitizing equipment , Bwelle and his volunteers work into the early hours of Sunday morning .
It 's a backbreaking pace , but village musicians usually help keep the team motivated .
" They are beating drums all night to keep us awake and continue our work , " Bwelle said .
On Sunday , the team heads back to the city , tired but proud of their work .
The group -- a mix of Cameroonian doctors and foreign medical students -- has performed 700 free surgeries in the past year , and they know that their help can make a world of difference to those they help .
One man explained that the free hernia surgery he 'd received will allow him to work again .
" This will change my future with my family , " the man said .
In addition to holding these weekend clinics and working as a hospital surgeon , Bwelle also works nights at private medical clinics around Yaounde .
It 's this second job , he said , that funds about 60 % of his nonprofit ; the rest is covered by private donations .
" I 'm not sure when he sleeps , " said Katie O 'Malley , a second-year medical student from Drexel University in Philadelphia and volunteer with Bwelle 's group .
He is always either at the hospital or trying to make money for the organization so he can go on these campaigns .
For medical and nursing students such as O 'Malley , who come from the United States and Europe to join Bwelle on his missions , it 's a hands-on opportunity they 'd never get at home .
" We 've been able to scrub in on surgeries where we help blot blood away or hold tools for Dr. Bwelle , " O 'Malley said .
That 's not something you 'd ever get to do in America as a second-year medical student .
The student volunteers usually pay their own way to Cameroon , often arriving with donated medical supplies .
But once they arrive in Yaounde , their board , transportation and instruction are covered by Bwelle .
" He 's a hero , without a doubt , " O 'Malley said .
He gives his life to this organization , and his desire to help the Cameroon people is everlasting .
For Bwelle , the near-constant workload isn 't a hardship .
Helping others live happier lives , fulfilling a promise he made to his father , is something that brings him great joy .
" I am so happy when I am doing this work , " Bwelle said .
And I think about my father .
I hope he sees what I am doing .
To make people laugh , to reduce the pain , that 's why I 'm doing this .
Check out the ASCOVIME website and see how to help .
Minister Holcát restores post of Chief Nurse for the Czech Republic
The Chief Nurse for the Czech Republic should represent the interests of nurses , whose numbers in the Czech Republic exceed 100,000 .
" I consider it essential that this post is clearly defined and formalised so nurses have their own representative within the official structure – an official to whom they can always turn to if they need to , " explains Martin Holcát , Minister of Health .
I value the work of nurses and I think that the nursing profession deserves to be given sufficient attention by the Ministry as well .
In performing this profession , you need not only a high level of professionalism , but also a human touch and personal conviction .
" I will gladly and with all responsibility try to promote those steps that can improve the position of nurses . "
" We have excellent and skilled nurses in our healthcare system , but I would like to appeal to those colleagues who do not help us with their approach to patients , to perform their job with all the empathy and help us to improve the image of nurses in the eyes of the public , " says Alena Šmídová .
The newly appointed Chief Nurse for the Czech Republic Alena Šmídová on the occasion of taking office also said that she would like to deal with the various aspects of the job of nurse and plans to also work with professional associations , specialist societies , educators , other non-medical professions and doctors .
" Fundamentally , I do not want to separate the jobs of doctors and nurses , but on the contrary I see them standing side by side , with each of them having their competence , and together with other medical professionals creating a coordinated working team which provides healthcare services to the benefit of the patient . "
" I myself come across a range of problems that occur in the nursing profession ; I see these difficulties and I intend to contribute to resolving them . "
This include , for example , ensuring the simplification of nursing and medical documentation .
" From my own experience I know that some administrative tasks are an unnecessary burden for nurses and takes up time they could and should be devoting to patients , " says Alena Šmídová .
Other areas she intends to focus on include improving working conditions , looking for ways to improve cooperation in teams and with the managements of healthcare providers , revising competencies and also labour and legal issues , such as adhering to the Labour Code and not overloading nurses given their insufficient numbers at a given time and place .
We often hear anonymous complaints , which however for fear of possible sanctions , are not documented as a specific case , where there may be a breach of regulations .
" If there ’ s no plaintiff , there ’ s no judge , so the post of Chief Nurse for the Czech Republic could in this case serve as a guarantee of retaining anonymity for such complaints and a have a specific case investigated by the relevant authorities , " concludes Alena Šmídová .
Mgr . Alena Šmídová studied at the Secondary School of Nursing taking the nursing course ( she graduated in 1978 ) and in the Arts Faculty at Charles University in Prague in the programme Nursing – Education ( she graduated in 1992 ) .
Since 2010 , she has been the head of the department for nursing and other non-medical professions and recognition of qualifications in the Department of Education and Science at the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic .
During her professional career , she has worked as a bedside nurse in an internal ward , and has also worked as a teacher at the Secondary School of Nursing , where she was also the statutory representative of the director for 8 years .
Between 2004 and 2009 she worked as the Chief Nurse for the Prison Service of the Czech Republic .
She has published several specialist nursing textbooks and articles in professional magazines , and delivered lectures in the field of nursing .
She is not a member of any political party .
So I wouldn 't choke myself with hate
Author Václav Kahuda has returned to writing after twelve years .
After many years in which he read , lived , but did not write , VÁCLAV KAHUDA ( 1965 ) has published a new novel entitled Wind , Dark , Presence .
The number of pages , comparable with that of his best known work , Thicket ( Petrov , 2001 ) , indicates it will not be a slender volume .
Kahuda was interviewed by another significant Czech writer today – Emil Hakl – for Salon .
What moved you to write a novel after twelve years of silence ?
I did it so I wouldn 't choke myself with hate .
To keep seeing new clones of people ’ s foolish triviality all around me , young organisms affected by blind , selfish endeavour .
Not to say anything about us older people , faces ruined by helpless lust , the racketeering souls of racketeers , the ideologists with reversed polarity , who try to sell their " product " with the expression of a young whore .
At the start of new millennium , I bought myself a small digital camera and filmed my God-fearing friends , freaks and hidden groups .
I got over that .
Sometimes I feel my brain is on fire from life on this planet .
I ’ m happiest taking walks and in the evening reading books by lamplight .
You talk about a feeling of frustration , of hate .
Was there some sort of turning point in your past that affected you , or are you just getting old like the rest of us ?
That turning point occurred a long time ago , when I was around ten years old .
There was no name for it at the time .
Hm , and then I lived .
But somewhere inside there is still a surprised , quiet boy .
I see another orphaned bastard , each in his tornado of anxiety .
Writing books saved me .
I ’ m taking part in this huge , thousand years lasting movement of the system of life on this planet – in the birth of an unfathomable future .
The vast , breathtaking complexity of life , where every stone is a direct heir of our present .
We are the players of a sad and beautiful game , where through trial and error , more and more generations of beings are created , which in billions of interactions per second creates a sort of superhuman , artificial intelligence .
Twelve years is quite a long time .
Do you see your writing as an ongoing process or have you started right from scratch ?
The monologue , or rather the dialogue between the right and left halves of the brain sometimes rises to the surface and forms a book .
Just as the periods of peace are interwoven with quietly sleeping metastases of wars which may wake up one day , my book is twelve years of silence dressed in words .
I felt a wordless avalanche of life growing in my brain , and if I don ’ t do anything , one day it will silently bury me .
It is a set of questions formulated by the brain and it puts them in layers stored in the dark " below the surface of consciousness " .
The neocortex , the grey cerebral cortex , questions older evolutionary formations , it goes towards ancient growth rings of the cerebral tree .
It talks to hairy beasts , questions snakes , looks for answers in the flight of birds , lifts its gaze to the clouds in the sky .
Yes , moral law in me and the starry sky above me .
In the end the brain questions the world .
You express the ego metaphorically relatively often – could you define it biologically ?
The brain keeps , in its billions of connections and electrochemical links , all the memories and experiences the person concerned has gone through .
This forest of logically and emotionally exposed and branching trees of information , the registers of memory , uses the brain in its distinguishing , cognitive process , being exposed to a constantly changing present , in a continuous effort trying to name and understand its surroundings and decode important messages .
Sometimes faults occur due to an overload .
By analogy – like your computer " crashing " , from a program for a speech emulator and translator of foreign languages , you would first get entangled in the operating environment , Windows , for example , and after several unsuccessful restarts , you would end up with a dark green blinking Bios screen , in the base system which controls functions and cooperation on the motherboard between the processor and operating memory , etc .
For those who still haven ’ t worked out what this is about – I ’ m talking about a psychospiritual crisis .
You often mention it – why is it this type of regression that interests you periodically ?
Because it is a pitfall .
In the still functional mechanisms of our thinking , feeling and behaviour , there appears a gap .
It is good to quote Nietzsche here : " When you gaze long into an abyss , the abyss also gazes into you . "
A pure feeling – that a man is lost if all hope disappears , he psychically " dies " and a new quality sets in .
And why does it interest me personally ?
I ’ ll answer with a parable .
A man once fell into a pool and was drowning ; days , months and years went by , he was still drowning and at the same time ha was reading , and those books taught him to swim – and therefore live .
He became a " diver " .
Perhaps one sentence written by me will help someone , just as Hrabal ’ s texts once helped me .
To what extent do you think of the reader , of a specific person who will read your text ?
The one about whom you cannot say anything meaningful , some call it psyche , others super-ego , but in my opinion it was best characterised by Arthur Rimbaud in a letter to a friend :
" I is someone else – this reader is directly involved in the process of formulating words and sentences . "
From an early age , he read books of old Czech fairy tales , sailed in Captain Nemo ’ s submarine , ran around the dark alleys of the shadowlands .
Still , in the end , behind all this ramifying by authors and their message , it says : " Bright suns of other worlds by Karel Hynek Mácha " .
And when the book out is ?
Do you care about the reader ’ s opinion ?
The reflections that reach you through the people who read the book ?
Of course I care about the opinion of people who take 300 crowns and are willing to read 500 pages of text .
And then , maybe years later , they contact me randomly on the street and thank me that I helped them with my book in some difficult life decision they had to make .
Books are in fact " lives " or , put it better . " worlds " .
They are coded in symbols of letters , they carry the experience , the history of regions of that or another language .
At any time we can bring them to life , when we let their sentences flow into the brain .
It is actually , in its way , something forbidden , divine – to wake up more and more life stories , small universes and temporary planets .
It is a fact whose DNA is stored in lines – according to old demonology books we commit witchcraft .
After publishing the book – as tends to happen – a string of readings will await you .
I remember you once liked reading .
Are you going to throw yourself into it again with joy , or do you feel differently after many years ?
Now I just prefer talking .
And what have I discovered doing this ?
There are good , intelligent people living everywhere .
Their basic characteristic – they are discreet , they don ’ t draw too much attention to themselves , they are friendly , you don ’ t feel alone with them .
I ’ ll give an example – in the town of Červený Kostelec there once lived ( and I hope he still lives ) a curly-haired bookseller ( aptly named Červenka ) , a cheerful companion and a real ladies ’ man .
One time , when boozing , he presented to me the individual parts from a range of readers of my book Thicket .
I looked them in the eyes and then I was shown a tattered , worn copy of my book .
Embarrassed , I put the just-read sausage of a book down and wept briefly with masculine tears .
We all stood there silently , swaying and weeping , drunk with emotion .
Then this young , blond , mixed race guy couldn ’ t take it any longer and , with a roar , jumped out of the window head first into a snow drift .
It was on the ground floor .
We ran out into the night landscape and , overcome with the happy madness of the sensitive people , with the aching soul of journeymen and the nostalgia for remote patriots , we howled and brayed like werewolves until morning .
Each of your books is formally and in content different to the previous ones .
Does that also apply to the text of Wind , Dark , Presence ?
It is a story .
It is a fairy tale about one country beyond nine rivers and nine mountains .
In his novel Dry Valley , Ivan Bunin puts the words of an old Russian fable in the mouth of a folk healer : On the sea , on the ocean , on the Bujan island .
There lies a female dog , on her lies a grey casket .
Horror , terror , mystery .
It never happened , but we all know it from somewhere .
Perhaps we were all once , long ago , devils in hell and drew lots for the role that we would play on this Earth .
Do you plan to keep writing or are you going to wait again for a free influx of inspiration ?
Answers are eternal – Otokar Březina .
Writing is a wondrous form of dialogue .
Something huge and nameless , similar to the movement of continents on a planet , influences our desire from such a depth and in such breadth that it goes entirely beyond our horizon – and so as an absolute matter of course , we act precisely in line with our preprogrammed task .
We are rewarded with an influx of dopamine , a mixture of endorphins and other substances .
We are biological machines .
We want to mate , we die in the defence of and conquering new personal territories .
Sometimes there is a fault and we radiate compassion .
Only then do we have the right to call ourselves human .
That is the answer to your question – a biological robot is already full of various faults , it stands on the shores of the ocean of unconscious and catches inflows of balmy wind in torn sails made from a dirty handkerchief .
I have to write to become a human .
Obama 's Health Care Walk Back
Amid a firestorm of criticism , President Obama yesterday walked back his oft-repeated , unambiguous promise that " if you like your health plan , you can keep it . "
With hundreds of thousands receiving cancellation notices from their providers , Republicans have slammed the president in recent days for misleading the American public .
Yesterday , Obama tweaked his original pledge .
" For the vast majority of people who have health insurance that works , you can keep it , " he said in a speech in Boston .
Addressing what he called the " flurry in the news " about the cancellations , Obama urged Americans receiving these notices to shop for new coverage in the marketplace .
Most people are going to be able to get better , comprehensive health care plans for the same price or even cheaper than projected .
" You 're going to get a better deal , " he said .
The administration has said it should come as no surprise that the 5 percent of the population who purchase insurance on their own may be forced to switch plans because their coverage doesn 't meet the new standards required under the Affordable Care Act .
" Let me say directly to these Americans : you deserve better , " Sebelius said in testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in Washington .
Sebelius , who is overseeing implementation of the Affordable Care Act , said the launch of the online marketplace has gone " miserably " since October .
" I am as frustrated and angry as anyone , " she said .
I am eager to earn your confidence back .
An exasperated Sebelius uttered that phrase , caught by a hot mic , to an aide seated behind her at yesterday 's House hearing following a contentious exchange with Rep. Billy Long , R-Mo . , over whether she should be required to enroll in Obamacare .
More than three hours into the hearing , Long repeatedly pressed Sebelius on why the " architect " of the Affordable Care Act has not voluntarily forgone government-sponsored insurance to purchase a plan through HealthCare.gov , which she is now pitching to millions of Americans .
Which billionaire you will be talking to on the telephone next year ?
Kellner , the owner of PPF group , he wants to buy O2 .
Both firms confirmed the negotiations and , according to a variety of sources , from agencies and behind the scenes , it is reportedly already done and dusted .
The announcement of the transaction should be made in November , probably before the auction of frequencies for LTE networks , therefore before 11 November .
Kellner ’ s competitor Karel Komárek owns the KKCG group .
This group started auctioning frequencies for LTE networks under the brand name Sazka Telecommunications .
This was to everyone ’ s surprise , the company had not talked about its desire to get into telecommunications until this point .
However , Sazka is now headed by the old hand Robert Chvátal , who is very experienced in telecommunications .
He started as marketing director at Radiomobil ( now T-Mobile ) , eventually becoming director of Slovakia ’ s T-Mobile and most recently he was the head of the Austrian branch of the same operator .
Sazka is playing several cards at once .
It joined the auction and has now admitted that it wants to launch a virtual network with Vodafone .
And it makes sense .
If successful in the auction , it will then be able to move existing customers from its own virtual operator to its own network .
Under normal circumstances , Vodafone would probably not like that but , according to information from the newspaper Hospodářske Noviny , it may be a part of much closer cooperation of the two companies .
Vodafone is currently suffering because of the agreement between competing operators O2 and T-Mobile , who will completely share their networks .
Therefore Vodafone needs a partner .
And this could be Sazka .
If it is successful in the tender for LTE networks ( as a newcomer it can auction a specially designated range ) , then Vodafone does not have to start the auction at all , or it will not mind auctioning just the specially designated range ( there are not enough frequencies for all ) .
Vodafone can actually share the network with Sazka .
Vodafone will allow Sazka on its 2G / 3G network ( or the newly built LTE network with a frequency of 900 MHz ) which allows the company to start the network quickly .
Meanwhile Sazka will start building the costly LTE network which Vodafone will be also able to use .
Both firms can be happy .
Vodafone could then spend the money saved on a fixed internet or cable television provider .
And Kellner ?
With the purchase of the Czech and Slovak O2 ( the Slovak office is a subsidiary of the Czech company ) , he would get a fully fledged operator immediately with increasingly good profits and a wide range of services .
But on the other hand , it is a huge juggernaut that will need restructuring .
In auction , Kellner would get the LTE networks for O2 and very probably in collaboration with T-Mobile .
Both companies have in fact declared that they will share the networks .
The auction could therefore end successfully , but most probably not without the large sums that the state budget is looking forward to .
And from the next year , Czech customers could therefore be choosing between calling with Vodafone , T-Mobile , Kellner or Komárek .
Or two titans of Czech business against global giants .
Can Czech Television ever make do without petitions ?
It stepped into the era of President Zeman with the legendary scene with the ash tray , so it is not hard to hear the complaints it collects with documents favouring the castle entourage .
In the past , the impact of Ivan Langer or Jaroslav Tvrdík was not documented by anyone in such a way , let alone was it signed .
The truth is , the editors stood up for the management .
The cases described , however , do not answer the question of where such affection for Zeman ’ s people on the part of certain journalists comes from – whether it is a reaction to a direct commission or , without using vulgarism , a typical expression of misplaced , empathic helpfulness .
And when we are already assuming general corruptness , we cannot resist the question as to whether other , equally unscrupulous power interests , who have not yet had the opportunity , are seeking to change the conditions in the television .
Those who say that in developed countries blatant attempts by politicians to intervene in broadcasting do not happen are right .
The truth , however , is also that it does not mean that complaints about public media do not exist there .
Those complaining do not call into question their independence .
In contrast , they mainly criticise what they consider a bias , which is intrinsic to them , which is the fruit of their subculture .
Perhaps we just have not yet reached that civilised stage and this situation does not exist here .
But perhaps also in a country which thinks itself the most corrupt in the world , black and white stories about evil politicians and good journalists pass more comfortably than more complicated descriptions of a chaotic situation , in which the behaviour of many imperfect human beings collide .
JAN JANDOUREK : The curse of this country : presidents on the edge
It is almost a rule that in key moments of the country , the head of state was not in the right condition to fulfil his duty as head of state .
If Masaryk had been physically and mentally five years younger , he would have lived to the end of his presidential term and the events surrounding Munich would have taken place somewhat differently .
We probably would not have won the war , but after symbolic resistance , the air force could have flown beyond the borders , heavy weapons could have been destroyed and the government could have fled to London immediately and would not have to fight there so hard for its legitimacy .
And most importantly , the nation would not have a hangover from that surrender until now .
Beneš was no statesman and after Munich he was still in a good shape , but during the war he started going downhill and in February 48 he acted accordingly .
Had he been slightly better , he could have gone into exile for a third time and undermined the legitimacy of the Communists and their coup .
And where to begin with Hácha ?
He was chosen with the proviso that " the President will not get into a situation where he would have to make a decision . "
But he had to , even though it probably wasn ’ t great decision making with a knife to his throat in Hitler ’ s Chancellery .
In the last days of March 1939 , intelligence chief František Moravec said everything that needed to be done so that the occupation , which he knew about exactly to the day , would not go so smoothly or with such gain .
The senile president and cowardly government did nothing , as on the one hand they did not believe him and , on the other hand , they were afraid .
The human wreck Gottwald had his old comrades executed as instructed by Moscow .
Ludvík Svoboda was definitely discredited for his part in normalisation and , completely senile , he had to be deposed .
That Husák being a helpless and sick , depressed old man only made the events in November 89 easier , but that is the only plus .
Havel was lucky not to spend his last years in office – he was spared the worst .
Klaus may still be a fresh tennis-playing pensioner , but many of his actions are suggesting that the though processes are not what they were .
And now , here we have this .
The head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces looks the way he does and we don ’ t even know everything yet .
Luckily , now there is no external threat to the Republic .
Or maybe there is , but it isn ’ t so visible .
Then there is the issue whether it ’ s not good for a change ( from a historical perspective ) that the president is not really strong .
But this is not a normal situation .
Could we not elect a president once again in this country who is acceptably thoughtful and acceptably healthy ?
Distant planets , black and white films , or a little bit of fantasising about extraterrestrial life on earth are not topics that American jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter should toss around carelessly .
In the concept of his quartet , which will round off this year ’ s Strings of Autumn festival in the great hall at Prague ’ s Lucerna , everything actually is connected with everything .
The momentary feelings of the musicians are the score for jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter ’ s quartet .
Under his instructions , his colleagues , who are two generations younger , should play what they are currently experiencing .
They approach the music as an entirely improvised intimate affair and have to think not of the harmony or rhythm but in cinematic images .
Of course , the recent octogenarian Shorter – an exceptional composer and winner of nine Grammys , who used to play with Miles Davis and is now probably the greatest jazz saxophonist alive – does not like to explain this principle .
He doesn ’ t talk much about music , despite his outlook on life being so closely linked to it .
In my 80s , I came to the conclusion that it is best to let the life surprise you .
" Too many people plan everything and then they are disappointed when things turn out differently , " says Shorter .
How creepy-crawlies from Thailand have increased revenue at a Paris bar
Maybe you pull faces over the insects without even realising that you eat about half a kilo of them a year quite voluntarily .
For example , ground up in flour .
If you consume them consciously , then you are definitely trendy : it ’ s green , nutritious and you have also got a unique experience covered .
Elie Daviron , chef and owner of the bar Le Festin Nu , is the first in Paris to include insect on the menu at the beginning of October .
The bar , whose name was inspired by the book Naked Lunch by William Burroughs , can be found in the fashionable 18th arrondissement not far from Montmartre , which is visited by tourists in great numbers .
With fresh avocado , roasted red peppers , ginger and quail ’ s eggs , guests can now taste not only various larvae , grasshoppers or water beetles there , they can even try scorpions .
Carefully and specially packaged deliveries ( so as not to damage the insects ’ wings , distort their legs or damage their eyes ) are sent to Daviron from as far away as Thailand .
Europe is just learning to eat insects , elsewhere it is common .
The owner of the Paris bar with its pioneering menu promptly lists several reasons why to eat insects .
The first is the environmental benefit , because production of insects is far less costly on our planet ( in relation to finance , space and water consumption ) than the traditional meat .
" Furthermore , insects are an excellent source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids , " Daviron told Reuters .
At the same time , the young chef does not deny his profession , he just aims to offer his customers a unique culinary experience .
In his opinion , enjoyment , a sense of sin and the atmosphere of the environment make a proper restaurant .
" I ’ m not saving the world , I 'm just providing a new experience , " he explained .
It is not everyone by far who would be enthusiastic about the idea of eating a beetle garnished with pesto , but the reaction of customers at this Parisian bar to the insects served has been very positive , according to the owner .
Even sceptics have allegedly tried them , although they start with the smallest mouthful and only in the end do they choose a scorpion .
Prices for these tasting plates range from five to nine euros .
Václav Matyáš , president of the Association of Building Entrepreneurs of the Czech Republic : New green for savings should continue
The Czech construction industry has been struggling with a continuing fall in the number of orders and a lack of state interest to address the problem of capital construction since 2008 .
The announcement of the New Green for Savings programme was a positive sign for our construction industry , especially for small and medium-sized companies in the individual regions .
It is a great opportunity , not just for citizens to save a significant amount on heating after implementing measures , but also a chance for construction companies and building material manufacturers .
Every billion invested will bring the state over 2700 new jobs .
In terms of the state ’ s fiscal policy , leverage and multiplication effects are significant ; it is also one of the most important pro-growth measures .
The Association of Building Entrepreneurs of the Czech Republic therefore fundamentally disagrees with the government resolution and asks that steps are taken to allow further continuation of the programme , so that further invitations can be announced as part of it .
PRÁVO , 1 November 2013
Dog rumples up carpet , president trips up and ends up on crutches
President Miloš Zeman left Prague ’ s Motol Hospital on Thursday after spending the night there , and left for the Lány Chateau .
What is his state of health ?
John Kerry says US spying has " reached too far inappropriately " in unprecedented admission
John Kerry has indicated a softening of the U.S 's defensive stance on its surveillance programmes with an unprecedented admission that on occasions its spying has " reached too far inappropriately . "
The Secretary of State also admitted that he 'd been guilty , along with Barack Obama , of being on " automatic pilot " as incendiary revelations from whistleblower Edward Snowden about the NSA 's spying activities emerged .
The leaks have put the US government at the centre of a diplomatic storm with its allies .
Speaking to an open government conference in London via video link , Mr Kerry said : " There is no question that the President and I and others in government have actually learned of some things that had been happening on an automatic pilot because the ability has been there , going back to World War Two and to the very difficult years of the Cold War , and then , of course , 9 / 11 . "
He then became the first high-ranking member of the U.S government to admit that US spying had crossed the line , but emphasised that no one 's rights had been abused .
He said : " In some cases , it has reached too far inappropriately . "
And the President is determined to try to clarify and make clear for people and is now doing a thorough review in order that nobody will have the sense of abuse .
I assure you innocent people are not being abused in this process .
Mr Kerry insisted , however , that the NSA was a force for good and that its surveillance operations had saved many lives .
He added : " We 're dealing in a new world where people are willing to blow themselves up . "
There is radical extremism in the world that is hell-bent and determined to try to kill people and blow people up and attack governments .
So what if you were able to intercept that and stop it before it happens ?
We have actually prevented airplanes from going down , buildings from being blown up , and people from being assassinated because we 've been able to learn ahead of time of the plans .
Meanwhile , U.S. lawmakers will head to Europe to help address concerns abroad about alleged U.S. spying and convince the Europeans of the need to continue joint anti-terrorism efforts with the U.S. , the chairman of a Senate subcommittee on European affairs said on Thursday .
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said he spoke with European Parliament members and others this week and is concerned about their threats to stop participating in anti-terrorist organizations because of frustration over surveillance by the National Security Agency .
" It 's really important for U.S. national security interests for Europeans to stay on board with us with respect to our mutual anti-terrorism endeavors , " Murphy , a first-term Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs , said in an interview from Washington .
And I 'm going to Europe to make it clear to them that we need to continue to work together in combatting terrorism , notwithstanding their anger over these NSA programs .
News reports that the NSA swept up millions of phone records in Europe have frayed relations with some U.S. allies , though the agency 's chief said this week that they were inaccurate and reflected a misunderstanding of metadata that Nato allies collected and shared with the United States .
Other revelations cited documents leaked by Snowden that the NSA monitored German Chancellor Angela Merkel 's cellphone and those of up to 34 other world leaders .
The national intelligence director , James Clapper , defended spying on allies as necessary and said it 's commonplace on both sides .
Amid the uproar , Murphy said his office is arranging the congressional trip , expected to take place this year , and hopes the delegation will include members of both parties and both chambers .
Names of other participating lawmakers were to be released in coming days .
He said the itinerary is still being worked out .
While Murphy said the purpose of the trip is to help improve relationships , he said some " tough love " will also be dispensed .
He said European leaders need to be honest with their own people about the kind of espionage programs they 've used for years themselves .
" While we can amend our surveillance programs to better protect the rights of Europeans , they also need to come to terms with the fact that we 're not the only ones that are out there spying , " Murphy said .
Meanwhile , Mr Kerry is scheduled to head this weekend to the Middle East and Poland to address rancor over U.S. strategies in the Syria , Egypt and Iran as well as U.S. surveillance activities .
Australian woman appeals Thai jail time
A 21-year-old Sydney woman sentenced to 15 days jail in Phuket for falsely claiming she was assaulted by a taxi driver is appealing the verdict and has been granted bail .
Stevie Rochelle Bamford was initially found guilty by a Phuket provincial court on June 15 of making false claims after telling Thai police a local taxi driver , with two other men restraining her , carried out the assault in the early hours of Sunday June 10 .
However , CCTV footage later revealed she had returned to her hotel safely after becoming separated from her Australian boyfriend .
Phuket police interviewed Bamford for two days before she confessed to fabricating the story .
She was held in local police cells before the court hearing .
Bamford was sentenced to serve the 15-day prison term at a low security detention centre on the outskirts of Phuket rather than in an adult women 's jail .
She is the daughter of former Australian league player Peter Tunks , who has appealed to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra to assist his daughter .
Tunks told Sydney 's Sunday Telegraph the whole family was " extremely concerned " about his daughter 's welfare and wanted her back in Australia .
" It 's obviously been a worrying time but we 're hopeful to have her back home safely as soon as possible , " Tunks said .
Bamford is appealing the sentence and has been granted bail of 50,000 baht .
Reports in Australia said that in the meantime , she was holidaying at the resort area of Krabi in Southern Thailand .
Thai-based legal sources said Bamford was being represented by a local lawyer in Phuket but warned that the appeal may lead to the court increasing her sentence by up to two years and forcing her to serve it in an adult prison .
However , following the recent murder of Australian travel agent Michelle Smith in Phuket , Thailand may also be looking to repair its battered tourist image , leading to an acquittal .
Jagr joked : Breakaway goal ?
He won the puck in the defensive zone and nobody could catch him .
On top of that he converted the escape after a quick forehand dodge .
Jaromir Jagr scored like that against Tampa on Tuesday night , and on Thursday evening he discussed his 119th winning goal in the NHL on Facebook .
" On seeing the video , the director of Czech Railways rang my agent Petr Svoboda and asked him if I would be interested in doing an ad for their newest Pendolino train ! " wrote Jagr with some exaggeration in his introduction .
It seems we are very similar types .
I ’ ll probably have to stop night training sessions so I don ’ t get any faster .
" Because I ’ m afraid that then the Minister of Defence might call me wanting to do an advert for a jet plane ! " he added with some smiley face emoticons .
What 's more , New Jersey registered their second victory in a row .
" And most importantly , you ’ ve noticed – Marie Rottrova 's treatment is working , " Jagr concluded .
Post-election goulash rather than post-election tenderloin
The October election brought a bunch of losers rather than a winner .
It is not just the parties who did not even get to the Chamber of Deputies ( e. g . SPOZ ) , but also the previous government parties ( ODS , TOP 09 ) and finally even the ČSSD due to its internal rift .
Over the weekend , politicians served us a post-election goulash rather than a festive tenderloin .
The biggest jump in the election was from Andrej Babiš ’ s movement , who promised voters they would change the political style of governing .
The fragmentation of the election results and the rift in the winning party plays up to the political will / despotism of President Miloš Zeman regardless of the wishes of voters , who did not even elect the party publicly supported by President Zeman to the Chamber of Deputies .
While the president lost his strategic edge over other politicians due to the unpleasant events , he still has several ways of getting it back – for example by selecting the future prime minister .
While the ČSSD 's chances of getting the premiership , in my view , are disappearing , the businessman Andrej Babiš is getting closer .
Post-election development may still be far removed from the early and smooth creation of a stable government , but in comparison with the pre-election scenario of the left-wing government of the ČSSD supported by the Communists , this development is still better news for business in the Czech Republic and therefore the economy .
Due to the vocal opposition of ANO to get together with ODS or TOP 09 , the most likely option is still a coalition between ČSSD , ANO and KDU-ČSL ( a total of 111 MPs ) .
Due to the rift within ČSSD , which consequently became an unreadable and weak partner in negotiations , the result of coalition talks may be quite depressing for the ČSSD .
A minority government of the ČSSD made up of anti-Zeman people will probably not pass through at the Castle .
In addition , any government in which the ČSSD participates will be threatened by the unsatisfied ambitions of many Social Democrats , which may sooner or later lead to another rift within the party .
So I ask myself : " Are we not going headlong into another early election ? "
Another election would be more of a referendum on the power of an electoral mandate for the ANO movement .
Plans of the ČSSD to introduce sector taxes , a more significant increase in income tax and building of the state bank have hopefully fallen under the table .
The ČSSD , ANO , KDU-ČSL and Úsvit ( Dawn ) parties , in contrast , agree for example on promoting business , a moderate fiscal policy ( a government deficit below 3 % GDP ) , supporting employment for the disadvantaged , and reducing the lower rate of VAT for selected goods .
Friction surfaces are most often found in the view of social policy and the size of the state .
ANO now has the upper hand , however , so for now the programme of the most probable coalition of ANO , ČSSD and KDU-ČSL would lean more to the right .
From my point of view , this is in the end a better result than a left-wing programme with tax on everything that still moves in the economy .