NAJIB CLEARED OVER $681 M SAUDI DONATION.

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been cleared of corruption allegations concerning nearly $700 million dollars that ended up in his bank account. The conclusion of the probe, which determined that the money came from Saudi royals, follows months of controversy that rocked the Southeast Asian country's political foundations.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak speaks at a conference in Kuala Lumpur on Jan. 25

     Najib has been under investigation since The Wall Street Journal in July alleged that the millions came from companies tied to troubled state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad. The country's anti-graft agency later said the money came from a Middle Eastern donor but did not name names.
     Now, the attorney general's office has decided there is no case against the prime minister.
     "I am satisfied that ... the sum of $681 million transferred into the personal account of [Najib] between March 22, 2013, and April 10, 2013, is a personal donation to him from the Saudi royal family, which was given to him without any consideration," Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali told reporters.
     He added that investigators found nothing to suggest the donation was "an inducement or reward" meant to influence Najib in his capacity as prime minister. The attorney general disclosed that Najib returned $620 million in August 2013 "because the sum was not utilized" but stopped short of saying how the other $61 million was spent.
     Separately, Apandi cleared Najib of two other allegations: abuse of power in approving a government guarantee on a 4 billion ringgit loan to SRC International, and receiving money from the state company in his personal accounts.
     The attorney general, who was appointed in July after these allegations emerged, said there is no evidence that Najib knew about the funds transferred to his accounts from SRC International, nor that he approved of them.
     The Malaysian leader has denied any wrongdoing.

MEET WEREWOLF CAT, THAT ACT LIKE DOGS AND COST UP TO $2,500

 

 

They are called Lykoi cats, and they possess a natural mutation that gives them the appearance of a scruffy-looking little wolf. But they don’t just look like little werewolves, they are also said to act like dogs too.

Lykoi, which comes from the Greek word for wolf, are a fairly recent breed of cat that first appeared in 2010 and were bred by veterinarian Johnny Gobble and his wife Brittney. They are now the primary breeders of the cat.

Gobble’s colleague, Patti Thomas, came up with the name after the first litter was presented to her. He explained via DailyMail:
“Our founding cats come from two unrelated litters. The first litter was presented to Patti as a natural occurring Sphynx mutation. This confirmation was done with DNA testing for Devon/Sphynx gene which the kittens did not have.”

“The Lykoi Cat’s name was the inspiration of Patti. She said Lykoi was the Greek word for wolf, and we all thought it was very fitting – ‘wolf cat.’ ”

Because of a naturally occurring mutation found in black domestic shorthairs, Lykoi cats have no hair around the eyes, nose, ears and muzzle and go through periods of patchy hair throughout their lives. The mutation prevents the cat from developing an undercoat and growing a full coat of hair.

While Lykoi cats look like they could be wild and feral cats, they reportedly have a friendly hound dog personality, are driven by scent and are very intelligent.

According to Gobble’s website, Lykoi cats are “aware of everything around them” and may initially be cautious to new owners but warm up quickly to become loyal and affectionate companions.

Gobble explained:
“They can be clingy at times, but generally if you are too busy to snuggle, they will take ‘no’ as an answer and will go on and amuse themselves … as long as they are close enough to keep an eye on you.”

To ensure that their feral appearance was the cause of natural genetics and not a skin abnormality or disease, Gobbles put the breed through multiple skin, hair and DNA tests that were conducted by cardiologists and dermatologists at the University of Tennessee.

Gobble explained:
“Our cardiologist also performed cardiac scans to look for any structural problems with the hearts. In the end, we found that the cats are healthy and the hair pattern is not from any known disease or disorder.”

There are currently only 32 show standard Lykoi and 22 non-standard colored Lykoi in the world. There are also only seven registered breeders in the world.

Given their rarity, Lykoi kittens go for more that $2,000. Blue Lykoi kittens start at $1,500, black tuxedo kittens are $1,800, and black roan Lykoi cats cost $2,500. Unfortunately, there are currently no new litters and interested animal lovers will have to sign-up on a waitlist on the Gobbles’ website.

 

 

 

 

 

CAT LOVERS CONVERGE AT INTERNATIONAL CAT SHOW.

 

PORTLAND, Ore. -- If you are a cat lady, a cat gentleman, or any kind of cat-lover, you better head to the Holiday Inn at Portland International Airport this weekend.
It's the 11th Annual International Cat Show. You can meet over 300 cats from all over the world, including rare cats like a Sphynx, a Werewolf Cat, Bengals, and more. You can also shop for a variety of cat items not found in local stores.
And if you want to pick up a furever friend of your own, the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society and Community Cat Coalition will have rescue kittens and cats looking for a home.
Judges from around the world will be officiating the competitions for classes of purebreds and the regular house cat.
International Cat Show

• January 29-31, 2016
• Friday: 3pm-10pm
• Saturday & Sunday: 9am-6pm
• Admission: $6 + 2 cans of food, $8 without food, children under 12 are FREE

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 OUTDOOR COMPANIES STARTED BY BADASSES

 

 

 

Patagonia / Chouinard Equipment
Badass Founder: Yvon Chouinard

Chouinard is first on this list because he accomplished more in his life, in both business and sport, than anyone else on this list.

Parts of Yvon Chouinard’s biography read like the apotheosis of climbing dirtbag. For a number of years, he lived out of his car and supported himself by forging pitons and selling them to climbers. He made just enough to get by and to keep climbing. As the Patagonia website recounts: “Before leaving for the Rockies one summer he bought two cases of dented, canned cat tuna from a damaged-can outlet in San Francisco. This food supply was supplemented by oatmeal, potatoes, and poached ground squirrel and porcupines.” Eating ground squirrel and porcupine = badass.

When he wasn’t eating rodents, Chouinard also put up a breathtaking number of first ascents around the world.

Other parts of Chouinard’s life read like the biography of an industrious businessman — very unlike a dirtbag. He had a knack for inventing and innovating on climbing gear, and in the 1970’s, he co-founded Chouinard Equipment in the 1970’s (which turned into Black Diamond after it filed for bankruptcy in 1989.)

In his life’s next chapter, Chouinard started Patagonia, one of the most successful outdoor apparel companies in history.

The North Face
Badass Founder: Douglas Tompkins

In 1968, Chouinard took a roadtrip in down to Patagonia with Douglas Tompkins. They went down to surf, sail and climb hard stuff (like a new route on Mount Fitzroy!) It just so happens that Tompkins, like Chouinard, would found one of the world’s most successful outdoor apparel companies. (Their portentous road trip was commemorated in the documentary film 180 Degrees North.)

Tompkins co-founded The North Face, which began as a rock climbing and camping company in San Francisco, in 1968. It has since taken over the world with retail stores and ]their clothes have achieved mainstream popularity.

Royal Robbins
Badass Founder: Royal Robbins

With a name like “Royal Robbins” — the regal first name, its stately alliteration — you’re marked for greatness. Robbins didn’t disappoint. He made a name for himself in Yosemite Valley, where he put up some of the boldest first ascents in the history of rock climbing. That would be enough accomplishment for most lives.

But in the last few years, Robbins has had a second act as a clothes manufacturer. The Royal Robbins brand, begun by Robbins and his wife, sell a luxury line of outdoor inspired clothing. Kind of like a high end L.L Bean.

Stone Master Gear
Badass Founders: the Stone Masters

The Stone Masters were a group of Yosemite climbers who climbed about a decade after the heyday of Robbins. Masters of Stone like John Long and John Bachar revolutionized the sport of climbing. They completed the first one-day ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite, and bumped up the world’s hardest climbs by several grades.

In addition, many members of this fraternity of climbing badasses started Stone Master Gear, an outdoor clothing company. The brand took inspiration from the insights and badass example of its founders.

Petzl
Badass Founder: Fernand Petzl

Fernand Petzl began to explore caves as a teennager in the 1930’s, and quickly ran up against the limits of the sport. The problem was that cavers couldn’t go deeper with the technology they currently possessed. At the time, cavers used ladders to explore their caves.

Petzl began to innovate, pioneering the use of nylon ropes in caving and creating the rope ascender. These inventions allowed cavers to reach unprecedented depths and previously unexplored caves. In 1950, Petzl was part of the team that first reached a cave 1,000 meters deep.

Petzl began his eponymous company in 1975, and since then they have pioneered all sorts of technical outdoor equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ANTI-ISLAMIC GROUP PEGIDA IRELAND TO BE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED AT RALLY IN DUBLIN.

Launch on February 6th designed to coincide with anti-Islam protests across Europe 

 

 

Anti-Islamisation group Pegida, which was founded in Germany, will formally announce an Irish branch at a protest rally in Dublin next weekend. It is among a series of Europe-wide demonstrations against the growth of Islam in Europe.

Peter O’Loughlin of Identity Ireland confirmed that Pegida Ireland would be unveiled at a rally on February 6th in Dublin. He said Ireland would become the 15th country to establish a branch of the organisation.

“Pegida [Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident, in German] is making international headlines,” Mr O’Loughlin said. “It is giving the people of Europe a chance to speak out and have a voice against the absolutely disastrous policies of the EU and of the German government and the various puppet governments around Europe.”

Mr O’Loughlin, who will be running for Identity Ireland in Cork North Central, was speaking at a press conference where he introduced Pegida UK co-ordinator and former English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson.

Mr Robinson said he was delighted to have an opportunity to warn people in Ireland about the dangers of radical Islam. He said Ireland should look to Britain to see the mistakes made by allowing in large numbers of Muslims who fail to integrate.

“We have polarised communities, we have segregated communities, we have Islamic ghettoes – we have an epidemic of jihad rape gangs targeting English girls . . . these are the realities which are on their way to Ireland.”

Mr Robinson, whose mother is from Dublin, said when he founded the English Defence League six years ago, British politicians said he was extremist; now they recognised the dangers posed by radical Islam.

“The majority of the world accepts this mindset – which we called Isis and which is a literal interpretation of Islam – is a danger to us all. You have a population of 4.5 million people, you cannot sustain open borders, you have to close your borders as does the rest of Europe.”

Mr O’Loughlin, who won 930 votes for Identity Ireland in the Carlow-Kilkenny byelection last year, signed a pledge committing Identity Ireland to join anti-migration organisation Fortress Europe before Dan Ó Loinsigh read a statement on behalf of Pegida Ireland. He claimed the group has 400 members in Ireland.

“Despite the obvious chaos engulfing Europe, our liberal leaders bury their heads in the sand and their outright refusal to engage in practicality or common sense is nothing short of treasonous,” he said. “We hope to give the Irish people the opportunity to voice their concerns in a peaceful, proactive manner against mass migration, EU economic madness and Islamic extremism.”

 

 

 

 

CRAFT BEER TRENDS GIVES NEW LIFE TO HOPS GROWN IN B.C.

Hops were a popular crop in B.C. during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s

 

 

Breweries in B.C. generally use imported hops to make craft beer these days, but one agricultural expert is hopping to turn back the clock and trigger a revival amongst farmers and have them start growing the once popular crop.
During the 1950s, 60s, and 70s B.C. hops used to play a big role in the beer industry, according to Tom Baumann, an agriculture professor at the University of Fraser Valley.
But local farmers turned away from the crop about 30 years ago because of disease, pests, and a growing international supply, he says.
Baumann hopes to convince farmers the growing popularity of craft beer, and an emphasis on local organic agriculture, is giving the B.C. hops industry new life.
"It's worthwhile growing and this is what we're going to look at during that seminar...is there a market for it? The answer is yes."
Baumann is giving a seminar for farmers interested in capitalizing on this trend at the Pacific Agriculture Show in Abbotsford on Saturday.

Hoppin' hops

Beer is made using four ingredients: water, grains, yeast and hops, he notes.
"The hop itself is one of the few ingredients that, according to the German purity law for beer, makes the beer."
Hops are used used to give beer its bitter, tangy flavour, which can vary widely depending on how they are dried and where they were grown, according to Baumann.
They also help preserve the beer with their anti-microbial properties.
And here's a little known fact: hops are classified under the Cannabaceae family, which includes the cannabis plant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HIGH PRODUCE PRICES CREATE 'A CHAIN' OF RISING COSTS, DISTRIBUTOR SAYS.

Price for a single box of broccoli has more than tripled, Toronto-area produce distributor says

Produce distributor William Chou says he usually charges his customers $18 to $20 for a case of broccoli, but high produce prices means he now buys the same product for up to $65 a case. (Justin Li/CBC) 

William Chou has been a produce distributor since 1992.
As the owner of Scarborough-based Tai Ton Trading, he delivers fruits, vegetables, dry goods and disposable utensils to around 300 restaurants and smaller distributors throughout southern Ontario — travelling as far west as London and as far north as Sudbury.
Chou has been around the block more than a few times, but when it comes to the recent surge in produce prices, he says he's "never seen anything like this before."
"Normally, we sell a case of broccoli to restaurants for a reasonable price, maybe $18 or $20," says Chou.
Now, he says, the price he has to pay for a single case has risen to $65, before he marks it up and sells it to his customers.
Chou says he usually marks up items about 20 percent, so something he buys for $25 will be sold for about $30.
But Chou says he has significantly lowered his mark-ups — sometimes to the single digits — in order to keep his customers going.
He says many of his restaurants already have razor-thin profit margins and fixed prices on their menus, so high produce prices place an enormous amount of pressure on their budget.
Restaurants either have to eat the higher costs and pay the difference out of their own pockets, or charge more and risk losing patrons.

Chou says restaurants are ordering and stocking less produce in hopes that prices will soon drop. (Justin Li/CBC)

Chou blames the weak loonie and exchange rate.
"Only paper products like tissue paper haven't increased [in price] yet because they're made in Canada," he said. "Everything else has."
He also thinks the low value of the Canadian dollar means people are eating out less, which affects the business of his clients, and in turn means they're ordering less from him.
"It's a chain," says Chou. "Restaurants are now only ordering a few bunches of celery or a half case instead of a full case. They are not stocking up much, only enough for maybe one or two days. They are hoping that tomorrow prices will drop."
"We aren't losing money, but it's tough," he adds. "If this continues for more than six or eight months, many restaurants could close up."

Weather bears brunt of blame

Although the weak Canadian dollar and exchange rate has some effect in the recent surge of prices, some produce wholesalers and vendors say the weather — especially in places like California, where Ontario gets most of its produce — is the main culprit.
"Weather is the main reason for shortages and high prices," says Rick Ashford, vice-president of mentoring and training at wholesaler Gambles Ontario Produce.
"California, Mexico, parts of Texas and Florida, where most of our vegetables are grown in the winter, have been experiencing poor growing conditions," he said.
Ashford gives the now-infamous example of cauliflower.
He says the vegetable is primarily grown in Salinas, Calif., during the spring and summer months before switching further south to Yuma, Ariz., during the fall and winter.
However, Ashford says crops finished early in Salinas due to very hot and dry weather, well before conditions in Yuma were ready for growing.

Without the usual overlap, cauliflower saw a sudden supply shortage.
"Around American Thanksgiving, you saw prices [for cauliflower] increase dramatically," Ashford said.
Chris Streef, general manager of Streef Produce, a vendor within the Ontario Food Terminal, says California's ongoing drought has also affected the volume and supply of cauliflower, which in turn raises prices.
"Drought affects supply," says Streef. "If a yield of cauliflower only produces half of what it's supposed to, prices are jacked up to make up the difference."
"The produce industry is just supply and demand," he adds. "All we can hope for this year is the weather to be better and the yields to be good."

The Ontario Food Terminal distributes over one million tonnes of produce annually, according to its website. (Justin Li/CBC)

APPLE MAY OWE IRELAND $19 BILLION, BUT IRELAND DOESN'T WANT THE MONEY.

(Angel Navarrete/Bloomberg)

Depending on the outcome of an official investigation, Apple may face a bill that is estimated at between $8 billion and $19 billion for underpaid taxes to the Irish government. The Irish government really, really doesn’t want to get this money and is fighting as hard as it can to avoid receiving it. That may sound weird to ordinary people, who assume that governments want to squeeze individuals and businesses for as much taxes as they can get. But if you understand the politics of international corporation tax, it all makes sense.

Apple wants to avoid paying U.S. taxes
As Gabriel Zucman argues in his book on international tax evasion and avoidance, “The Hidden Wealth of Nations,” many U.S. firms locate as much of their activities as possible in low-tax jurisdictions like Ireland to minimize their tax bills. This is often easier for sophisticated technology firms, since so much of their profit is tied up in intangible activities and assets such as design. Hence, they can structure their operations so that much of the profits go to subsidiaries based in Ireland, Luxembourg and elsewhere, minimizing their U.S. tax exposure and deferring the point at which they have to pay U.S. taxes. Apple has approximately $200 billion salted away overseas. Businesses like Apple have also sought individualized tax “rulings” from countries like Ireland and Luxembourg that legitimize their specific tax arrangements. Critics describe these rulings as sweetheart deals, while defenders say that they assure long-term confidence and stability.


Apple’s tax ruling has come under fire
Other European countries are very unhappy with the low tax rates in Ireland, Luxembourg and other corporate tax havens. They believe that these countries are deliberately trying to lure business and investment away from them. However, under E.U. law, they haven’t been able to do much about it. Corporate taxation policy is mostly left to the discretion of individual European countries, providing few angles of attack for countries or officials who don’t like tax havens.
However, the European Commission, the executive and administrative body of the European Union, has recently come up with a clever new legal argument. Even if E.U. law doesn’t really cover corporate tax laws, it does allow the E.U. to act against “state aid” — arrangements under which E.U. member states provide specific help to businesses in ways that distort market competition. If the European Commission treats tax rulings for individual firms as forms of state aid, it may be able to undermine them. This is what is happening to Apple. The European Commission is investigating whether Apple’s special tax deal with Ireland is a form of state aid. If it concludes yes, as everyone expects it to, it can make Ireland stop its special treatment for Apple and force Apple to pay whatever taxes to Ireland the commission thinks it should have paid.


Ireland isn’t happy
You might expect that Ireland — a country with heavy debt emerging from a serious recession — would be delighted to get its hands on up to $19 billion of unanticipated tax revenue. It isn’t. If Apple is forced to pay these taxes to Ireland, then Ireland will seem much less attractive to other footloose multinationals looking to minimize their tax liability. For example, Google too uses Ireland as a haven to minimize tax payments. The Irish government has clearly decided that the long-term economic costs of getting the money will outweigh the short term boost to revenues, and is lobbying against a large tax settlement.

The U.S. isn’t happy either
Every presidential election sees a lot of political rhetoric aimed at low tax jurisdictions overseas that are tempting U.S. businesses to locate their activities outside America. You might think that U.S. officials and legislators would be delighted to see these low-tax jurisdictions running into trouble. Again, you’d be wrong. The Senate Committee on Finance has just announced that it considers the European Commission’s investigation to be a “direct threat” to U.S. interests. The likely reasons are twofold. First, companies like Google and Apple have a lot of political clout on Capitol Hill. Second, and likely more important, if Europe succeeds in forcing U.S. companies to pay more taxes, Uncle Sam will probably have to foot much of the bill. The affected companies are likely to claim tax credits in the United States for taxes that they have to pay overseas, leaving the U.S. government and U.S. taxpayers worse off.

 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND PLAYERS SET FOR EURO 2016 QUALIFICATION BONUS.


 


The Republic of Ireland players that gained qualification for the upcoming EURO 2016 finals in France have come to terms with the FAI on a bonus package.
The deal was agreed following negotiations between the FAI and the players' representatives, Ciarán Medlar.
He heads up the Sports Unit at BDO Ireland, which advises many of Ireland’s leading professional sportspeople on all aspects of their financial and commercial planning.
John O’Shea and Robbie Keane acted on behalf of the Ireland players. The package includes payments to players who helped Ireland to qualify for EURO 2016, as well as a bonus structure for future successes at the Championships this summer.
John Delaney, FAI CEO, said: "I want to thank Robbie Keane and John O'Shea, as captain and vice captain, who acted on behalf of the players, and to all of the players themselves for bringing this matter to a successful and speedy conclusion, and for their professionalism throughout this short process.
“We can all now look forward to EURO 2016 together as Ireland get set for what will be a great occasion for the team and for our millions of supporters around the world.”
Robbie Keane today thanked the FAI for bringing the matter to a successful outcome.
"I would like to thank the Football Association of Ireland and John Delaney on behalf of all of the players," he said.
“We are pleased to have finalised this agreement quickly and cordially with the FAI through our representative, Ciaran Medlar.”
“The players are all very focused on preparing the tournament. We are delighted to have reached the EURO 2016 finals and really looking forward to an exciting group. It will be a tremendous honour to represent the country in France.”

ABOUT $4 BN STOLEN FROM MALAYSIA.

 Malaysia 1MDB scandal: Investigators say about $4bn stolen from fund

 

 

About $4bn (£2.8bn) may have been stolen from a fund owned by the Malaysian state, a prosecutor says.

The 1MDB fund was set up in 2009 to pay for major new economic and social developments in Malaysia.
Last year, Swiss authorities opened an investigation into 1MDB after it amassed more than $11bn (£7bn) of debt.
Switzerland's attorney general said on Friday there were "serious indications that funds have been misappropriated from Malaysian state companies".

Some of the money, the office of Michael Lauber said, had been transferred to Swiss accounts held by Malaysian former public officials and current and former public officials from the United Arab Emirates.
"To date, however, the Malaysian companies concerned have made no comment on the losses they are believed to have incurred," the attorney general's statement said (in German).
Mr Lauber called on Malaysian authorities to give full judicial assistance to their Swiss counterparts.
A Swiss investigation into 1MDB was opened last year, citing "suspected corruption of public foreign officials, dishonest management of public interests and money laundering".
Malaysian officials and 1MDB have not commented on the latest allegations.

Allegations about 1MDB have also hit Prime Minister Najib Razak

 

The fund's advisory board is chaired by Prime Minister Najib Razak, who launched 1MDB soon after taking office in 2009.
Last July, Malaysia's then-attorney general Abdul Gani Patail linked a donation of $681m (£478m) made to Mr Najib's account with companies and bodies with ties to 1MDB.
Mr Patail was replaced, and, after an investigation, his successor said on Tuesday that the money was a personal donation by the Saudi royal family. Most of it was returned, he said.
Malaysia's anti-corruption commission said it would seek a review of the decision.

 

 

 

PROTON CANCER THERAPY 'PROVES EFFECTIVE'

 Proton beam cancer therapy has 'fewer side effects'

 

 

Proton beam therapy for cancer causes fewer side effects than conventional radiotherapy, research suggests.

The study, published in The Lancet Oncology, suggested the therapy is also as effective as other treatments.
It pointed to similar survival rates and a lower impact on heart and lungs.
In 2014 the therapy was at the centre of a controversy over NHS care for children when the parents of Ashya King took him out of hospital in Hampshire to obtain the treatment abroad.
Their actions led to a police operation to find them.
Ashya, then aged five, is now cancer free, his family said last year.
The study, which was led by Dr Torunn Yock from the Massachusetts General Hospital in the US, looked at 59 patients, aged between three and 21, between 2003 and 2009.

'Alternative therapy'

All the patients had the most common kind of malignant brain tumour in children, known as medulloblastoma.
After five years, their survival rate was similar to that of patients treated with conventional X-ray radiotherapy, but there were fewer side effects to the heart and lungs, the study found.
The paper said: "Proton radiotherapy resulted in acceptable toxicity and had similar survival outcomes to those noted with conventional radiotherapy, suggesting that the use of the treatment may be an alternative to photon-based treatments."

What is proton beam therapy?

 

It uses charged particles instead of X-rays to deliver radiotherapy for cancer patients.
The treatment allows high-energy protons to be targeted directly at a tumour, reducing the dose to surrounding tissues and organs.
In general, it gives fewer side effects compared with high-energy X-ray treatments.
It can be used to treat spinal cord tumours, sarcomas near the spine or brain, prostate cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer and some children's cancers.
Sources: NHS England, Cancer Research UK

Independent expert Prof Gillies McKenna, who is the head of the department of oncology at the University of Oxford, said the research suggested that the "side effects are indeed dramatically reduced" with proton beam therapy.
"There were no side effects seen in the heart and lungs and gastrointestinal tract, which are almost always seen with X-rays, and no secondary cancers were seen at a time when we would have expected to see them in X-ray treated patients," he added.
Proton beam therapy is currently only available in the UK to treat eye cancers, but patients with other forms of cancer can apply for NHS funding for the therapy abroad.
However, the Department of Health has said that from April 2018 the treatment will be offered to up to 1,500 cancer patients at hospitals in London and Manchester, following investment worth £250m.

 

 

Two years ago a dispute about the use of the treatment prompted Brett and Naghemeh King, of Southsea, Hampshire, to remove Ashya from a hospital in Southampton against his doctors' advice.
The parents had wanted their son to undergo proton beam therapy in Prague, which had not been recommended by his care team in Southampton.
Their actions sparked an international police manhunt, and the couple were later arrested and held in a prison in Madrid.
They were eventually released and Ashya's therapy took place, with the NHS later agreeing to pay for it.
A spokesman for University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, said that medulloblastoma was not currently on the list of tumours approved for this treatment on the NHS.
"However, we welcome any update to the existing clinical evidence on cancer treatments and will follow any expansion of the current national criteria," a spokesman added.

---

Key events for Ashya's treatment

• Ashya had surgery for a medulloblastoma brain tumour at Southampton General Hospital in July 2014
• His parents, Brett and Naghemeh, removed him from the hospital on 28 August and sparked a manhunt when they travelled to Spain
• They were arrested but later released and Ashya was flown to Prague, Czech Republic, for proton beam treatment
• He had six weeks of proton beam therapy, which cost between £60,000 and £65,000, according to the treatment centre, and which was paid for by the NHS
• Ashya returned to hospital in Spain
• In March 2015, Brett King announced his son was free of cancer

 

 

 

LIFT-OFF FOR EUROPE'S SPACE LASER NETWORK.

 

 

Europe has begun to roll out a data superhighway in orbit above the Earth.

The first node in the network is a telecommunications satellite that has just launched from Kazakhstan.
It will use a laser to gather pictures of the planet taken by other spacecraft and then relay them to the ground.
One benefit will be to put information on natural disasters, such as flooding and earthquakes, into the hands of emergency responders far faster than has previously been possible.
Currently, it can take hours to get the pictures taken by Earth observation satellites down on the ground.
Part of the reason is that spacecraft can only transmit their images when they pass over a receiving dish, and they will have visibility of this antenna for just 10 minutes in most cases during every 90-minute tour around the globe.
The European Space Agency's (Esa) answer is to fire the pictures upwards instead, via laser, to another satellite much higher in the sky that has a constant view of the ground station.
In the past couple of years, the agency has put up two Earth observers that are equipped with optical transmission equipment. These will now be able to offload their data through the new relay satellite, which will be positioned 36,000km above the equator at 9 degrees East.
Testing by Esa's industrial partner, Airbus Defence and Space, shows it should be possible for the system to put pictures on the desks of the people who need them within 20 minutes of those images being acquired.
 

 

For some applications - such as the monitoring of pollution incidents, or illegal fishing or ocean piracy - the time saved could be critical to achieving an effective response.
The European Data Relay System, or EDRS for short, has been more than 10 years in development. Getting satellites to talk to each other via a narrow laser beam is no easy task, says Esa project manager Michael Witting.
"The difficulty is basically that you have to hit another satellite with your laser beam over a distance of over 40,000km, which is akin to hitting a two-euro coin over the distance of the Atlantic," he told BBC News.
With a successful connection, data will move at a rate of up to 1.8Gbps.
EDRS will debut with the European Commission as its anchor customer. Brussels has a series of satellites called Sentinels that are systematically mapping the Earth, to help inform and enforce EU policies.
Prodigious volumes of data are expected from these satellites in the coming years and the traditional downlink solutions are no longer regarded as adequate to the task.
Esa officials will only declare Friday's launch a success when they get confirmation that the relay satellite survived its ride to orbit.
The spacecraft, which is owned by the Paris-based commercial operator Eutelsat, left the Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome atop a Proton rocket at 22.20 GMT on Friday (04:20 local time Saturday).
The drop-off high above the Earth was not expected to occur until nine hours and 12 minutes after lift-off, meaning it would be 07:32 GMT on Saturday, at the earliest, before ground controllers could assess the status of the mission.
Many weeks of testing lie ahead. EDRS should go into full service in the summer.
A second relay satellite will go up in 2017. Further platforms will be required to provide fully global, round-the-clock laser connections.

 

 

 

 

 

GERMAN SHEPHERD SAVE BABY ELEPHANT REJECTED BY HERD.

 German Shepherd Looks After Baby Elephant Rejected by Herd

Most people are familiar with German Shepherd Dogs’ success as working dogs, usually in military or police roles, like patrolling, sniffing out explosive devices, and capturing suspects. But the breed’s extreme intelligence and strong drive also is suitable for lesser-known careers in conservation.
Take, for example, Duma. As a puppy, Duma was trained to work with the Rhino Project in South Africa, helping track orphaned rhino calves after their mothers were killed by poachers. “Duma went everywhere with me and worked alongside me with the rhino calves,” his original handler Karen Trendler wrote on Facebook. “He turned out to be exceptional at reading the rhinos' behavior, mood, and condition (he knew before we did that the rhino was going to charge).”
Now, three years later, Duma has been given a new and important assignment. The Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage in South Africa, which typically cares for rhinos affected by poaching, has taken in a baby elephant that was abandoned by his herd. The elephant, nicknamed Ellie, was suffering from a slew of medical problems, including a life-threatening umbilical hernia that had become infected and a severe milk allergy.
The staff at the orphanage nursed Ellie back to health but were concerned about getting her the interaction that social animals like elephants desperately need. The smart, sweet-natured Duma was a natural choice. The two were introduced and quickly bonded. In the last several months, they’ve formed a strong friendship that’s benefited Ellie greatly. “It had a massive impact on the elephant in that he suddenly started getting a little interest in life again,” Trendler said in a video below.
According to Trendler, Ellie will eventually be integrated with an existing herd or paired with other orphaned elephants.

MEET THE NEWEST MEMBER OF CLEVELAND METROPARK RANGER K-9 UNIT DEPARTMENT.

 Cleveland swears in 11-week old German Shepherd as Metroparks K-9

CREDIT: Cleveland Metroparks via Facebook

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WCMH)–It’s a “ruff” job, but somebody has to do it.
An 11-week-old German Shepherd has become the newest addition to Cleveland Metroparks Ranger Department K-9 Unit. Tyson, Cleveland Metroparks’ newest Patrol and Explosives Canine Officer, raised his right paw alongside his partner, Ranger Trevor C. Poole, at the Board of Park Commissioners meeting.

 


According to a press release, Tyson will join three other K-9 officers in patrolling the Park District. It’s a big job for those (momentarily) little paws, as the District is 23,000 acres.
Tyson and Ranger Poole will respond to the Metroparks’ busiest activities,

GANGS OF MOROCCAN STREET CHILDREN MAKE SWEDEN'S MAIN STATION A 'NO GO' ZONE.

GANGS of Moroccan street children have "taken over" Sweden's biggest train station pickpocketing, groping women and assaulting workers, Stockholm police have revealed.

GETTY

Gangs of Moroccan children have reportedly 'taken over' Stockholm train station

Officials said the capital's main station has become unsafe because of the all-male migrant mobs spreading terror among travellers and staff.

Gang members, some as young as nine, are said to refuse any offers from Swedish authorities to get them into safe housing.

The government has been forced to team up with Moroccan counterparts to repatriate all under-18s trying to seek asylum.

One officer told Swedish TV that he would not let his family go to the central station.

GETTY

Anti-immigration protestors make their feelings clear in Sweden

"These guys are a huge problem for us. They steal stuff everywhere and assault security guards.

"They grope girls between their legs and slap them in the face when they protest. All police officers are aware of this. I would never let my children go to the central station. No officer would," he said.

The Scandinavian country has seen a dramatic increase in the number of Moroccan unaccompanied teenagers applying for asylum in the past four years.

There are currently over 400 in the country. They do not qualify for automatic refugee status as their homeland is seen as capable of caring for them.

Although the authorities house all of those before their claims are decided, many run away and end up living on the capital's streets.

GETTY

There are currently estimated to be more than 400 unaccompanied Moroccan children in Sweden.

 

 

Stockholm police estimate that at least 200 Moroccan children are sleeping rough around the main train station living off criminal activity.

Desperate officers have started arresting the teens for public drunkenness in order to get them off the streets for a few hours.

The gangs are made up of orphans who grew up on the streets of Casablanca and Tangier where there are around 800,000 homeless children.

GETTY

More than 33,000 migrants have arrived in Europe since the turn of the year

Swedish migration authorities first reported an increase in Moroccan unaccompanied minors applying for asylum in 2012, when 145 arrived.

These guys are a huge problem for us. They steal stuff everywhere and assault security guards

Swedish police officer

The number more than doubled in 2013.

Out of the 505 unaccompanied Moroccan children who have applied for asylum in Sweden, 20 percent ran away from their state housing or foster families.

Interior Minister Anders Ygeman this week said that he is working with Moroccan officials to return the children to their home country.

"We are in agreement that this is a joint problem for us to solve, and that we both need to find ways of identifying these people and achieve repatriation," Mr Ygeman said.

 

 

 

 

 

GERMANS MUST BAN ALCOHOL IF THEY WANT TO PREVENT FURTHER SEX ATTACKS AND HELP NORTH AFRICANS INTEGRATE, SAYS MUSLIM GROUP.

Germany needs to ban alcohol if it wants to prevent further sexual violence and to help North African migrants integrate into society, a Muslim pressure group has claimed.

Commenting on the Cologne sex-attack controversy, MuslimStern, which has 20,000 followers on Facebook, said its mission was to 'highlight the way the media was using the incidents to promote racism against minorities'.

The group complained that the female victims had brought the unwanted attention to themselves by dressing in a manner that North African men were not accustomed to. 

+5

Large groups of Muslim men who congregated around the cathedral in Cologne on New Year's Eve are believed to be responsible for more than 520 sexual assaults and at least three rapes on women in the city

The MuslimStern Facebook page has called on German authorities to ban alcohol claiming that Cologne women were responsible for their own attacks by comparing them to a naked antelope thrown in front of a lion

The group claimed: 'The government should ban the consumption of alcohol because it leads to traffic accidents, violence and rapes, and is extremely damaging to health. But for capitalist societies, this is too much to expect. So long as alcohol is not prohibited there will be no discernible decline in these cases'

The group claimed: 'You cannot expect to chuck a naked antelope in front of a lion and not expect it to react. It is mind boggling that with so much time spent teaching children about sex at school, they completely forget to pass on this basic biological fact.' 

As a consequence of the attacks, they urged the German government to introduce a ban across the country on the consumption of alcohol. 

The group also blamed women for getting attacked by inciting the young men.

In one section of the Facebook post, which has since been deleted, the group claims: 'Some women should think about whether it is wise to lightly dressed and drunk, to go between hordes of drunken men. 

'In general, the woman wearing due to their nature have a responsibility when it goes out of the house. 

'You can not throw a naked antelope from a lion and expect that at the lion stirs nothing. 

'It is amazing that is taught in biology class so much about the mating and sexual behavior of living things, but these rules are completely ignored in everyday life. 

'And because many non-Muslims constantly emphasise that we live in a Christian country, we call on you, in this country that women should dress Christian. 

'Mary, Mother of Jesus, lived out as a Christian woman has to dress. So it would be highly recommended for some women to take Mary as a role model and not Lady Gaga.' 

+5

Searching for a home: Refugees walk along a street as they cross the Slovenian-Austrian border today

More than 520 women have reported assaults from New Year's Eve with at least three rapes which have been blamed on Muslim migrants who congregated around Cologne's cathedral during the night.

Cologne's Muslim preacher Imam Sami Abu-Yusuf, who blamed women wearing perfume for the fact they were assaulted over the New Year, went on to justify it by saying that alcohol had taken away the restrictions of 'men from North Africa'.

He also added that the sex attackers were 'from North Africa', unlike Salafists like himself who are mostly from India and the Middle East. 

Mr Yusuf had earlier told Russian TV women only had themselves to blame for being assaulted because of the way they dressed. When asked why the attacks had happened he told REN TV: 'One of the reasons is the way the women were dressed. If they just wear light clothing and put on perfume, then things like this will happen.'

After the comments local Green MP Volker Beck complained to police about the comments saying it was incitement to carry out crime.

As the controversy raged over the remarks, a reporter from the Cologne Express asked him to qualify his statements, and reported that he laughed when asked if he really believed that women were responsible for the attacks they suffered.

He told the Express: 'My reply was taken out of context. What I said was that we have a real problem with men from North Africa living in Cologne. These young men take tablets and drugs, and over New Year they took alcohol which took away all the barriers.'

+5

Cologne Imam Sami Abu-Yusuf, pictured, suggested the women were attacked because they 'wore perfume'

+5

The number of sexual assaults has prompted numerous demonstrations in Germany and caused significant political problems for chancellor Angela Merkel who is seeking to resolve the issue of uncontrolled migration

+5

Cologne police were heavily criticised for their failure to protect women from the men who had gathered

Asked if that was the reason he was saying the women were attacked, he said: 'No, that is of course forbidden and not only for Muslims. But there were women with very open clothing and they were wearing perfume, and at the same time while walking through the drunken masses, of course for these North African men, that was an excuse to grope them. That doesn't mean to say that I believe women cannot be dressed like this. Everyone has to accept that.'

However as the controversy grows, German security experts have admitted that they had the mosque where he preaches under surveillance for more than a decade, including a raid in 2004 over suspicions that it was at the heart of a secret network of Arabic mujahedeen.

However they failed to come up with any concrete evidence of terrorist attacks that were planned. It has also been confirmed that he is regarded as Salafist extremist orientated on Wahhabism, which is the stricter Saudi Arabian form of Islam.

German FDP-Politician Tobias said: 'His statements are typical thinking for a Salafist. Not just he but other Salafists and Salafists on online platforms have justified the rape of women in the same way.' 

MuslimStern has criticised the way refugees from North Africa and the middle east have been treated 

NOW REFUGEES WILL HAVE BENEFITS SLASHED IN LATEST STRICT NEW LAW PROPOSAL.

CONTROVERSIAL reforms to tighten refugee policies will get even tougher by slashing benefits for those granted asylum, it has been reported.

GETTY

Denmark is set to slash benefits to those who claimed asylum under its previous government

Denmark is set to continue clamping down on refugees by cutting social benefits who were granted asylum by the country's previous government.
The move comes in a bid to stop migrants travelling to the country.

GETTY

Prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the law was misunderstood

The Scandinavian country has already passed dramatic reform to force migrants to hand over cash exceeding £1,022 and any items valued at more than that amount.
A spokesman for Danish People’s Party said they had reached an agreement with prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen to impose the second batch of stricter policies.

He added: “We have influenced them in several different areas and we see that as our job.”
The spokesman for immigration is expected laws to be passed to make it easier to deport refugees who have committed crimes.
Following the passing of legislation on Tuesday, Danish government officials said the seizing of valuables would help pay for migrants' stay in asylum centres.
Denmark has also passed a law which means a three-year delay for family reunifications in order to become "significantly less attractive for asylum-seekers".

GETTY

Human rights groups have condemned the latest policies

The Scandinavian country's proposals sparked international outrage, with many comparing the new law to the treatment of Jewish people during the Holocaust.
Prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen shrugged off criticism, calling the law "the most misunderstood bill in Denmark's history".
The country registered 21,000 asylum applications in 2015, making it one of the top EU destinations per capita for migrants.
The latest move has been condemned by human rights groups such as the UN's refugee agency UNHCR.

BEER MADE FROM DISCARDED BREAD LAUNCHED.

 

 

 

 

 

The London based Hackney Brewery, together with a food waste charity called Feedback, have launched a pale ale made from surplus loaves of bread.

The new beer is called Toast, and the idea behind it is to deal with some of the vast quantities of bread wasted each day and promote the importance of cutting down on wasted food. Toast ale is made from surplus bread. The bread would have been thrown to waste had it not been used in the brewery process. It is estimated in the U.K. alone some 24 million slices of bread are thrown away each day. Of all the items of food discarded by homes and restaurants, bread comes top. The process of making the beer involves slicing the bread, mashing it, toasting it and then brewing it with malted barley, hops and yeast. According to the food critic of The Daily Telegraph, the beer has a distinctive taste, with caramel notes balancing out the bitter hops. The product has a malty taste, along the lines of amber ales. 

The idea for the ale was that of environmental campaigner and founder of a group called Feedback — Tristram Stuart, who contacted the Hackney Brewery, located in North London. Speaking with The Guardian about the project, Stuart said: “Tackling the global issue of food waste has taken me all over the world. We hope to eventually put ourselves out of business. The day there’s no waste bread is the day Toast ale can no longer exist.” 

Jon Swain from Hackney Brewery enthuses: "We absolutely jumped at the chance to join Feedback's fight against food waste.” He added: “The important thing for us, as brewers, was to create a beer that tasted good and stood up against other craft beers. We worked hard to brew a beer that wasn't just a fad but something that people could enjoy time after time and would have a significant impact." Each standard bottle of Toast (330 milliliters) is made from one slice of bread. 

All profits go to Feedback, for the group to campaign on issues of food waste. The cost is £3 ($5) per bottle. Over the long term the project hopes it will fold, due to a lack of availability of discarded bread, indicating the campaign has been a success. A laudable idea, but there could be some way to go before this ideal is achieved.