Gene therapy for heart failure

Posted on by

Doctors at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London will treat 200 patients next month as part of the first ever gene therapy trial for heart failure, which is taking place in 50 centres around the world.

A separate trial, which will test the same therapy in 24 patients who have been fitted with mechanical heart pumps, is expected to begin later this year.

Prof Sian Harding of Imperial College London, who developed the treatment, said: "It's been a painstaking, 20-year process to find the right gene and make a treatment that works, but we're thrilled to be working with cardiologists to set up human trials that could help people living with heart failure."

Prof Peter Weissberg, Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation, which is co-funding the research, said: "While drugs can offer some relief, there is currently no way of restoring function to the heart for those suffering with heart failure. Gene therapy is one of the new frontiers in heart science."

Excerpt from:

Gene therapy for heart failure

New gene therapy trials aim to mend broken hearts

Posted on by

British scientists are stepping up clinical tests of gene therapy in a bid to help people with advanced heart failure pump blood more efficiently.

Researchers said on Tuesday they planned to enroll patients into two new clinical trials using Mydicar, a gene therapy treatment made by privately held U.S. biotech company Celladon.

After more than 20 years of research, the ground-breaking method for fixing faulty genes is starting to deliver, with European authorities approving the first gene therapy for an rare metabolic disease last November.

In the case of heart failure, the aim is to insert a gene called SERCA2a directly into heart cells using a modified virus, delivered via a catheter infusion. Lack of SERCA2a leads to ever weaker pumping in people with heart failure.

Although drugs offer some relief, there is currently no way of restoring heart function and the prognosis for those with advanced disease is worse than for many cancers.

One of the studies, led by scientists at Imperial College London, is part of a wider mid-stage Phase II project sponsored by Celladon that involves 200 patients worldwide, some of whom have already been treated in the United States and Denmark.

The second trial, which is due to start in the summer, will test the same treatment in 24 British patients already fitted with mechanical heart pumps to see how the approach may help in this particular setting.

It promises to be a long haul, with extensive Phase III studies still needed once results of the current mid-stage tests are received, which Celladon expects in the first half of 2015.

Gene therapy has experienced a series of advances and setbacks over the decades. The most notable blow came in 1999 when an Arizona teenager died in a gene therapy experiment. More recent results, however, have been promising in fields ranging from immune system diseases to blindness.

"It is a great example of the slow burn of good laboratory science translating into a potential clinical treatment," said Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, which is co-funding the second trial.

The rest is here:

New gene therapy trials aim to mend broken hearts

Chinese Dreams: Freedom, Democracy And Clean Air

Posted on by

Pro-democracy supporters in Hong Kong sing and shout slogans during a January protest. Chinese leaders and the state-run media are now speaking often of the Chinese dream, though there's no real consensus on what it means.

Pro-democracy supporters in Hong Kong sing and shout slogans during a January protest. Chinese leaders and the state-run media are now speaking often of the Chinese dream, though there's no real consensus on what it means.

"What is your Chinese dream?"

With Chinese leaders and the state-run media now talking about the notion of the Chinese dream, we posed this question on our NPR Weibo account. In China, Weibo is the equivalent of Twitter. Within several hours, we received more than 100 replies.

Looking over the first 100 answers, 13 mentioned the word "freedom," including LuP whose Chinese dream was that free people would be able to live their lives freely.

For those seeking more freedom, Ziweixiong offered an ironic solution: emigration.

Taking that even further, Kongyijun summarized his Chinese dream as becoming an American.

Others invoked China's Constitution, which has become an acceptable way of hoping that the government will respect the rule of law.

One prominent figure who responded this way was Liu Xiaoyuan, a lawyer who has some 88,000 followers on Weibo and is the legal adviser to dissident artist Ai Weiwei. Liu said his dream was realizing what is in the constitution.

Bushuobukuai521 dreams that there will be no corruption and that society will become fairer.

Continued here:

Chinese Dreams: Freedom, Democracy And Clean Air

Newport Coachworks in Production on New FREEDOM 40’ Bus Line

Posted on by

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Green Automotive Company (www.thegreenautomotivecompany.com) (GACR) announced today that its subsidiary, Newport Coachworks Inc., has completed tooling and is starting production on its new FREEDOM 40 bus.

Newport Coachworks new generation vehicle line is built using the M2 Freightliner platform that is very popular in the high end shuttle segment of the market. It incorporates many technological improvements including certain key components being made out of lighter, stronger material.

Newport Coachworks President Carter Read: Tooling for each vehicle line that our Company produces is a challenging process because we are incorporating new innovations in each line. Thanks to our close collaboration with our American suppliers, we have found new ways to increase considerably the performance of existing technology and deliver unique products that are of superior quality and give full satisfaction to our customers. Our aim is to become a leading company in our sector thanks to technological innovation, a strong partnership with our local suppliers and excellent customer service.

Said Fred Luke, President Green Automotive, The FREEDOM 40 bus is another vehicle line for which Newport Coachworks has standing orders, meaning as these buses are produced and delivered, the Company should experience a corresponding increase in revenue.

Stakeholders can visit Newport Coachworks production facility in Riverside, California, on the Open day organized by the company on the 4th of May.

To confirm your presence, go to http://www.thegreenautomotivecompany.com/.

About Green Automotive Company

Green Automotive Companyis a state-of-the-art niche vehicle design, engineering, manufacturing, and sales company, driving innovation in the use of cutting edge zero and low emission technologies. Our 3 main divisions areLiberty Electric Cars Ltd,Newport Coachworks Inc.andGoinGreen Ltd. Green Automotive Companyshares are traded on the OTC QB under the symbol"GACR".For further info, visitwww.thegreenautomotivecompany.com.

Forward Looking Statements - This release includes forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, events and performance to differ materially from those referred to or implied by such statements. For a copy of the Companys full statements regarding forward-looking statements please click here: Safe Harbor Statement Green Automotive Company.

Originally posted here:

Newport Coachworks in Production on New FREEDOM 40’ Bus Line

MPs and Freedom of Information

Posted on by

OVERALL, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Members of Parliament (MPs) who were voted in in 2008 demonstrated much stronger support for the establishment of a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act compared with Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs.

PR MPs, who were approached for The Nut Graphs MP Watch project, also showed better understanding of what a FOI Act is about. Fewer PR MPs confused freedom of information with freedom of speech and media freedom compared with BN MPs.

BN: Umno

Umno MPs appeared divided on the issue of freedom of information. Out of the 24 MPs who responded to the question, Would you support a Freedom of Information Act? Why or why not?, eight were very supportive of enacting a FOI Act. Three flatly refused the idea, while the rest either did not state their stand on the issue clearly, or confused freedom of information with freedom of speech. Two MPs refused to comment.

Those who supported a FOI Act generally believed that the rakyat has the right to information, and that freedom of information would ensure greater government transparency and accountability.

Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid (Padang Besar) said the Official Secrets Act (OSA) should be abolished to allow for more transparency. Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin (Rembau) said having a FOI Act would increase government transparency and accountability as well as reduce corruption across the board. But he cautioned that private information and information that would jeopardise national security or criminal investigations should remain confidential.

In stark contrast, MPs like Datuk Hasan Malek (Kuala Pilah) and Datuk Abu Bakar Taib (Langkawi) said there was no need for a FOI Act because existing laws such as the OSA were sufficient to regulate the flow of information.

At least four Umno MPs, including Datuk Bung Moktar Radin (Kinabatangan) and Datuk Ronald Kiandee (Beluran), confused the concept of freedom of information with freedom of speech.

Additionally, seven other Umno MPs were ambiguous on the issue. Datuk Ismail Kasim (Arau), for example, opined that the Malaysian public was not yet mature enough to handle certain information. Datuk Razali Ibrahim (Muar) cautioned that a FOI Act may be abused by certain quarters with ill intentions.

BN: MCA, MIC and other component parties

See the rest here:

MPs and Freedom of Information

Freedom bus line adds stop at Tanger Outlets

Posted on by

Tanger Outlet customers and employees will soon be seeing the South Strabane Township shopping complexs first and only public transit stop.

The Washington County Transportation Authority plans to add the stop to all but its earliest morning runs beginning Wednesday.

The stop will be in the parking lot adjacent to the walkway to the Brooks Brothers and Calvin Klein stores.

Its good news, I think, said Sheila Gombita, executive director of the Washington County transportation agency.

The first stop at Tanger Outlets on the McDonald-Canonsburg trip to Washington will be at 9:15 a.m., and approximately every 90 minutes thereafter, with the last stop on that run at 4:45 p.m.

The Washington to Canonsburg-McDonald run will make its first stop at Tanger Outlets at 10:35 a.m., with its last Tanger stop at 6:05 p.m.

Wednesday also marks the beginning of the third and final year of the Freedom Line pilot program, which has a variety of funding sources.

Decisions are to be made within the next four to five months as to where were going to go with it. We plan to try and look for a local match. Ride it now, and that way it will continue, Gombita said.

The stop at the shopping complex, which opened in August 2008, came about through requests from both Tanger employees and people who wanted to take the bus to shop there.

With the addition of Tanger Outlets comes the subtraction of a stop at the Meadowbrook housing plan in North Strabane Township, due to lack of ridership.

More:

Freedom bus line adds stop at Tanger Outlets

Freedom Riders Pilgrimage Stop

Posted on by

In front of the statue. The Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement is the host. Learn more about the pilgrimage to sites where civil rights workers were slain.

Momentum appears to be growing for the Freedom Riders for Vot-ing Rights Never Forget, Never Again Pilgrimage in Mississippi on April 30 and in Alabama on May 1. Co-sponsoring organizations have grown to 17.

The Pilgrimage is one in a series of activities organized to support Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act because its constitutionality is being challenged by Shelby County, Alabama. A large rally was held at the U.S. Supreme Court when they heard oral arguments in the Shelby case on February 27, and was followed by a Freedom Rider stop and rally in Richmond, Charlotte, Greenville, Atlanta, Birmingham and Mont-gomery. The Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, Inc., filed a brief to the Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

A Pilgrimage was also conducted on April 4 at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., monument in Atlanta. April 4th is the day that Dr. King was murdered.

The Freedom Riders will be met by Mississippi co-sponsors for stops in Jackson at the Medgar Evers Library and Statue for a press conference. The Freedom Riders will then drive by the Evers home that is presently under construction. The pilgrimage will proceed to Tougaloo College, Woodworth Chapel, where they will join with civil rights activists, students and the general public for a memorial service honoring mar-tyrs of the Voting Rights Movement. In the afternoon, they will journey to Philadel-phia to honor the memory of the James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, Henry Hezekiah Dee and Charles Eddie Moore. The bus will leave Mississippi for Alabama where they will meet Bernard Lafayette, who was the Director of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committees (SNCC) Alabama Voter Registration Project. Lafayette was slated to be assassinated on the same day as Medgar Evers.

The Pilgrimage will make stops in Marian, Alabama where Jimmie Lee Jackson was killed, in Selma where Rev. James Reeb was killed, in Lowndes County where Jonathan Daniels and Viola Liuzzo were killed, and in Tuskegee where Sammy Younge was killed. The Pilgrimage will end with a rally at the Ala-bama State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama.

Leading up to the Pilgrimage in Jackson on April 29, a caravan of cars will travel to Liberty, Mississippi where Herbert Lee and Louis Allen were killed and to Hattiesburg where Vernon Dahmer was killed. They will meet up with the Freedom Riders bus in Jackson on April 30.

The co-sponsoring organizations include: Alabama New South Coalition Alabama Democratic Conference Ancient Africa, Enslavement and Civil War Museum Bridge Crossing Jubilee, Inc. Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP Mississippi Student Justice Alliance Mississippi Workers' Center for Human Rights National Action Network National Coalition of Leaders to Save Section Five (NCLSS) National Coalition on Black Civic Participation National Policy Alliance National Voting Rights Museum and Institute Rainbow PUSH Coalition Save Ourselves Summit Southern Christian Leadership Conference Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, Inc. World Conference of Mayors Women of Will

The public is cordially invited to meet the Pilgrimage at each stop.

The rest is here:

Freedom Riders Pilgrimage Stop

Freedom Africa Launches Exclusive Traveller Gift Vouchers

Posted on by

(PRWEB UK) 30 April 2013

African holiday specialists Freedom Africa have launched exclusive traveller gift vouchers providing the perfect present that keeps on giving in terms of unforgettable experiences on the continent, whether travellers crave a South African adventure starting in Cape Town or Zambia holidays providing the magic and awe of Victoria Falls.

Available in denominations as small as 50 right up to 5000, Freedom Africa gift vouchers can satisfy most requirements and are valid for three years from the date of issue meaning for those lucky enough to receive one, they can truly take enough time to carefully ponder where they fancy travelling to in Freedom Africas fulfilling itinerary.

With Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa and Zambia all part of Freedom Africas 2013 operations, the possibilities are seemingly endless and once those who have received a voucher decide on their ideal destination, Freedom Africas ABTA and ATOL protection ensures peace of mind in terms of safe and secure travel arrangement.

Not only this, but Freedom Africa places the holidaymaker at the centre of their operations and travel can be tailored to the tourists exact requirements with gift vouchers valid for holidays to Africa with stopovers too should individuals choose to take in the beauty of another destination prior to their main retreat.

Freedom Africa gift vouchers are versatile in respect of the fact that they can be utilised in so many different ways. Offering a wide plethora of choice, they are the ultimate present in regards to opening up a range of possibilities, rather than a single gift which is either unfavourable or restricting.

Victoria Falls, the Serengeti National Park, Cape Town, Zanzibar and Mount Kilimanjaro are just some of the destinations that can be visited upon receipt of a voucher and for those giving the gift; you are likely to endear yourself to your friends markedly.

Selecting a gift voucher with Freedom Africa is just the start however. By choosing your holiday with the company, you are offered the freedom of choice, to explore a new nation at your own leisure, basing yourself in one location or alternatively journeying around and taking in as many retreats as possible.

The choice is entirely down to you. To obtain your Freedom Africa traveller gift vouchers, simply call 08445674020 and fulfil those holiday dreams for real. Whether it be an African safari, Mombasa marine break or the Garden Route in South Africa, Freedom Africa gift vouchers are valid for all these destinations and more.

Read the rest here:

Freedom Africa Launches Exclusive Traveller Gift Vouchers

US panel: Afghans need more religious freedom

Posted on by

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Despite significant improvements since the hard-line Taliban ruled Afghanistan, religious freedom remains poor, especially for minorities, and Afghans still can't debate religion or question prevailing Islamic orthodoxies without fear of being punished, a U.S. commission said in a new report on Tuesday.

As the country braces for next year's presidential election and the planned withdrawal of most foreign combat troops by the end of 2014, the panel urges the U.S. government and its allies to work harder to promote religious rights in the war-torn nation.

The environment for exercising religious freedom remains "exceedingly poor" for dissenting members of Afghanistan's Sunni Muslim majority and for minorities, such as Shiite Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said in its report.

"Individuals who dissent from the prevailing orthodoxy regarding Islamic beliefs and practices are subject to legal actions that violate international standards," according to the commission, which was created in 1998 to review violations of religious freedom internationally and make policy recommendations to the U.S. government.

"The Taliban and other non-state actors continue to target individuals for activity deemed 'un-Islamic,' and the Afghanistan constitution fails explicitly to protect the individual right to freedom of religion or belief."

An Afghan government official disputed the findings.

"The Afghan government is fully committed to ensuring religious freedom for followers of all religions in Afghanistan, something our constitution is very clear about," Janan Mosazai, spokesman for the Afghan foreign ministry, said in an email to The Associated Press. Mosazai said that even though Islam is Afghanistan's official religion, the constitution clearly states that "followers of other faiths shall be free within the bounds of law in the exercise and performance of their religious rituals."

In its 2013 annual report, USCIRF praises that clause of Afghanistan's 2004 constitution, but notes that another part of the charter says these fundamental rights can be superseded by ordinary legislation. This shortcoming is compounded by "a vague, repugnancy clause" that says no law can be contrary to Islam and allows courts to enforce it, the commission says.

In addition, the penal code discriminates against minorities by allowing courts to defer to Shariah, or Islamic law, in cases involving matters such as apostasy and conversion that are not explicitly addressed by the penal code or the constitution, resulting in those charges being punishable by death, the report says.

Because of legal restrictions, "Afghans cannot debate the role and content of religion in law and society, advocate for the rights of women and religious minorities, or question interpretations of Islamic precepts without fear of retribution or being charged with religious "crimes' such as apostasy, blasphemy or insulting Islam," USCIRF says.

See more here:

US panel: Afghans need more religious freedom

Beaches at risk if oil drilling goes ahead – Greens

Posted on by

Published: 11:41AM Tuesday April 30, 2013 Source: ONE News

The Government is putting Auckland's west coast beaches at risk of an oil spill if it goes ahead with deep sea drilling, the Green Party says.

Yesterday, Minister of Energy Simon Bridges announced that the tender process offering up new permits to conduct exploratory deep sea drilling in New Zealand waters will soon begin.

Specifically, offshore areas in the Reinga-Northland basin, the Taranaki Basin, and the Great South Canterbury Basin will be put up for open bidding on May 24.

It will be the Government's second round of putting areas up for tender in a bid to attract competing offers.

In response to the plan, Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei told TV ONE's Breakfast this morning that she thinks the Government should instead be investing in renewable energy sources.

"We aren't opposed to shallow drilling as we do not want to see the country move away from this high dependence on fossil fuels and into renewable areas, and we think this is where the economy ought to be directed.

"But we are absolutely opposed to deep sea oil drilling, because the risks are too high and that is what is being proposed particularly for the West Coast areas just north of Auckland," she said.

Turei told Breakfast that she thinks the Government is putting the economic interests of oil companies over the environmental values of the local people.

"You can't mitigate the effects of an oil spill in deep sea drilling, it is too deep, the dangers are too great and the risk to the New Zealand public and to our environment is just too high," she added.

Read more:

Beaches at risk if oil drilling goes ahead - Greens

Pinellas' idyllic beaches could appeal to China's travel boom

Posted on by

Sand like sugar. Skies as blue as cornflowers. Waves of gentle turquoise.

That idyllic portrait of the Pinellas beaches is one that D.T. Minich has painted all over Europe and South America. Last week the Pinellas County tourism chief introduced the beaches of Clearwater Beach, Fort De Soto, Caladesi and Honeymoon Islands to a brand-new market:

China.

"When they saw the blue skies and pure water and white sandy beaches, they were just like 'Wow,' " Minich said. "They were blown away. A couple of people asked me if this was real."

The photos were real just as real as the potential for Chinese visitors to bolster Pinellas tourism.

Minich, executive director of the Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, made his first trip to China last week for Pinellas County's tourism agency. He joined a Florida tourism mission to the world's most populous nation: 1.4 billion people.

Tourism destinations around the world are lining up to grab a share of what is projected to become the world's biggest travel market in 2013. It's also the world's fastest growing market. This year 90 million Chinese are projected to travel overseas, according to Visit Florida, the state's tourism agency. That's expected to surpass 200 million by 2025.

"The growth rate has been phenomenal and exponential," said Liping Cai, director of the Purdue University Tourism and Hospitality Research Center.

Right now the U.S. share of that market is meager, and Florida's is even tinier. Last year an estimated 1.2 million Chinese tourists visited the United States, and 231,000 made their way to Florida. But that's double the number who visited Florida in 2011. Those numbers could grow even faster thanks to proposed changes to make it easier to get U.S. tourism visas in China.

Florida tourism officials have been preparing for the growth of Chinese tourism for years. They made their first visit in 2006 and hired representation there in 2008.

Go here to see the original:

Pinellas' idyllic beaches could appeal to China's travel boom

Auckland beaches at risk – Greens

Posted on by

Auckland's pristine west coast beaches will be at risk if international companies take up the government's latest oil exploration offer, the Green Party says.

Energy Minister Simon Bridges announced yesterday vast areas of the Northland and South Canterbury basins were being opened up for oil and gas exploration as well as new onshore blocks in Taranaki.

He says the offer represents "a range of promising opportunities" for exploration companies and puts New Zealand on the international stage.

Prime Minister John Key says the government is looking for "significant expansion" and the industry could be a game changer for New Zealand.

Green's co-leader Metiria Turei says the upper west coast of the North Island is a postcard for New Zealand.

"It is where Kiwis go to swim, fish and holiday, there should be no risky deep sea drilling in these much-loved waters," she says.

"Pristine west coast beaches are at risk of an oil spill... even the industry admits there is no guarantee of safety with deep sea drilling."

Ms Turei says the government's "game changer" argument is rubbish.

"There is little evidence that there would be many jobs from these deep sea rigs and they put local economies at risk if there is a spill."

The offer covers 189,000sq km offshore and more than 1500sq km onshore including:

See the original post here:

Auckland beaches at risk - Greens

Beaches, museums, and shops in North Kingstown, R.I.

Posted on by

North Kingstown was home to Quonset Point in World War II, then the biggest air base in the world (its where the ubiquitous hump-shaped Quonset hut was invented by the Seabees) and now a sprawling business park with a golf course, public beaches, ferries, museums, and shops. The town draws couples and families to its quaint villages such as Wickford, which in summer bustles with festivals, including the popular arts festival in July.

In the historic district the Haddie Pierce House (146 Boston Neck Road, 401-295-5163, http://www.haddiepierce.com, rates from $145) is a five-room Victorian inn built in 1906 within walking distance of Wickford Village and a town beach.

Five minutes from the new Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Wickford Junction stop is the Hamilton Village Inn (642 Boston Neck Road, 401-295-0700, http://www.hamiltonvillageinn.com, rates from $79), a pet-friendly place with a new second floor featuring bigger rooms and balconies.

A new lodging option is TownePlace Suites (55 Gate Road, 401-667-7500, http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pvdts-towneplace-suites-providence-north-kingstown/, rooms from $94), a LEED-certified hotel with free Wi-Fi, continental breakfast, and indoor pool near a ferry to Marthas Vineyard, museums, and lighthouse cruises.

Start your day at a local favorite, the Breakfast Nook (6130 Post Road, 401-884-6108, breakfast from $2.79, lunch from $3.79), a place so small you have to shuffle sideways to sit at the counter but offering great food, like the whopping omelets.

A local hot spot for lunch is Oatleys Restaurant (1717 Ten Rod Road, 401-295-5126, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oatleys-Restaurant/116616101696516#!/pages/Oatleys-Restaurant/116616101696516, lunch from $7), where they serve comfort food that includes burgers, sandwiches, meat loaf, and fish and chips.

What ocean town would be complete without ice cream? Check out the expanded Nanas Gelato and Ice Cream Factory (6710 Post Road, 401-885-8640, http://www.nanasgelato.com, cones from $3.25) where popular items include Nanas Kiss gelato, a concoction of dark chocolate, Snickers and Twix, and the salted caramel chocolate pretzel. Dieters can go light with fat-free frozen yogurt.

East Asian cuisine representing seven countries can be had at Seven Moons (6900 Post Road, 401-885-8383, http://www.7-moons.com, entrees from $6.99) including Vietnamese bee boong, pad Thai, and Cambodian sour soup, on a menu liberally dotted with hot and spicy designators.

Seafood abounds, including the triple lobster special and clam boils, at Duffys Tavern and Restaurant (235 Tower Hill Road, 401-295-0073, http://www.quahog.com/duffys.html, entrees from $9.95), where in addition to fresh local seafood and a raw bar, you can feast on steaks, ribs, and chicken.

Fittingly located at the former air base are the Quonset Air Museum (488 Eccleston Ave., 401-294-9540, http://www.quonsetairmuseum.com, admission $7), in an original hangar brimming with birds of war, including a Quonset Sky Raider, a Grumman F-14 Tomcat, and a McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier; and the Seabee Museum & Memorial Park (21 Iafrate Way, 401-294-7233, http://www.seabeesmuseum.com, free admission, donations accepted), with vintage Quonset huts, one of which was a chapel during World War II, all of it honoring the naval construction battalion that was made cinematically famous in the 1944 John Wayne movie The Fighting Seabees.

Read this article:

Beaches, museums, and shops in North Kingstown, R.I.

Goa bans drinking on beaches

Posted on by

30th April 2013

Drinking on beaches has been banned in the Indian state, as authorities tackle littering and drunken behaviour

The ban was announced last week under the Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act. Hotels and beach bars will continue to sell alcoholic beverages, however under the new rules, all alcoholic drinks will have to be consumed on the premises. Travellers hoping to walk and sit elsewhere, bring their own alcohol to the beach, or find a private spot will not longer be able to do so.

Picnicking locals will also be affected by the new ban. People visiting the beaches will no longer be able to carry glass bottles with them either, no matter what they contain.

The Times of India quoted a senior official at the tourism department as saying: Tourists were being injured by stepping on broken bottles on the beach. The official also went on to say the rules have been enforced to prevent Eve teasing on Goan beaches, referring to the rise in crimes and harassment against females.

The new rules will be enforced by the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), which has been deployed on Goan beaches to provide security 24 hours a day. Those caught drinking on the beaches will first be warned, before the IRB confiscates liquor and glass bottles.

Original post:

Goa bans drinking on beaches

Auckland's beaches at risk, Greens say

Posted on by

Auckland's pristine west coast beaches will be at risk if international companies take up the government's latest oil exploration offer, the Green Party says.

Energy Minister Simon Bridges announced on Monday vast areas of the Northland and South Canterbury basins were being opened up for oil and gas exploration as well as new onshore blocks in Taranaki.

He says the offer represents "a range of promising opportunities" for exploration companies and puts New Zealand on the international stage.

Prime Minister John Key says the government is looking for "significant expansion" and the industry could be a game changer for New Zealand.

Green's co-leader Metiria Turei says the upper west coast of the North Island is a postcard for New Zealand.

"It is where Kiwis go to swim, fish and holiday, there should be no risky deep sea drilling in these much-loved waters," she said.

"Pristine west coast beaches are at risk of an oil spill... even the industry admits there is no guarantee of safety with deep sea drilling."

Ms Turei says the government's "game changer" argument is rubbish.

"There is little evidence that there would be many jobs from these deep sea rigs and they put local economies at risk if there is a spill."

The offer covers 189,000sq km offshore and more than 1500sq km onshore including:

Follow this link:

Auckland's beaches at risk, Greens say