Falkland Islands referendum vote (12Mar13)
The future of the Falkland Islands after their referendum to stay a British dependency. Recorded from BBC Daily Politics, 12 March 2013.
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Non-Stop! EARTHQUAKE Swarm- SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS 5.8- after weeks 8.0, 7s, 6s, 5s Quakes. 3-11-13 – Video
Non-Stop! EARTHQUAKE Swarm- SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS 5.8- after weeks 8.0, 7s, 6s, 5s Quakes. 3-11-13
SUBSCRIBE FOR PREDICTIONS THAT MAY AFFECT YOU - - Mar. 11, 2013. Apocalyptic EARTHQUAKES SWARM rocks SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS non-stop at the same spot for wee...
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Falkland Islands vote: 99.8 percent want to stay British
Residents, some carrying British flags, parade during a rally in support of United Kingdom control over the islands in Port Stanley, Falkland or Malvinas Islands Sunday, March 10, 2013. The local Falkland Islands Government has mobilized a major effort to get registered voters to answer a yes-or-no to the referendum; "Do you wish the Falkland Islands to retain their current political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom?", scheduled for March 10-11, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Byrne)
STANLEY, Falkland Islands An overwhelming 99.8 percent of Falkland Islands voters have backed keeping their government just the way it is: a British Overseas Territory.
Of the 1,517 valid votes cast, only 3 islanders voted "no" to the question: "Do you wish the Falkland Islands to retain their current political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom?" One vote was somehow lost, officials said Monday.
The referendum was aimed at showing the world that the residents' self-determination must be considered in any discussion about the future of the remote South Atlantic islands that are claimed by both Britain and Argentina.
Elections officials reported a 92 percent turnout among the approximately 1,650 Falkland Islands voters eligible to cast ballots in the referendum. International election observer Juan Henao said the process was completely normal.
The islands' 2,563 residents did all they could ahead of the vote to show their sympathies, waving Union Jack flags and dressing up in red-white-and-blue.
"The referendum will show the world how we feel, that we are British and that we wish to remain British. We don't want to have nothing to do with Argentina, at all," islander Barry Nielson said as he voted.
The ballot didn't consider any alternatives, such as full independence or some sort of political relationship with Argentina. The Falkland Islands Government had said that if a majority said "no," they could explore alternatives in a second vote later.
The government barred from voting any visiting contractors or personnel from the sizeable British military deployment, as well as anyone who had not resided in the islands for the last 12 months, thus excluding several people with islander status who have chosen to live in Argentina.
Argentines consider the "Islas Malvinas" to be part of their national territory, taken from them by the British more than 180 years ago. One group at the iconic obelisk in Buenos Aires said Monday that it had gathered 100,000 signatures supporting Argentina's claim to the territory and the resource-rich seas that surrounds the archipelago.
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Britain pledges to defend distant cousins on Falkland Islands
By Shadia Nasralla and Maria Golovnina
LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron warned Argentina on Tuesday that Britain would always be ready to defend citizens in the remote Falkland Islands after they voted almost unanimously in a referendum to remain British.
Argentina, 300 miles (500 km) to the west of the Falklands, has claimed the South Atlantic archipelago for almost 200 years and in 1982 invaded the islands only to be repelled in a 74-day war with Britain.
British nationals first settled in the Falklands in the 19th century and three decades after the war for ownership of the islands, many still feel strongly about their fate.
"The Falkland Islands may be thousands of miles away but they are British through and through, and that is how they want to stay, and people should know we will always be there to defend them," Cameron said in televised remarks.
"They want to remain British and that view should be respected by everybody, including by Argentina."
In a referendum on Sunday and Monday designed to send a defiant message to Argentina, all but three of those who cast their ballots on the islands voted to remain a British Overseas Territory.
In their ancestral homeland 8,000 miles (12,900 km) away, British television channels ran continuous live coverage from the chilly, windswept and sparsely populated islands over the weekend, and Britons praised the islanders for voting "yes."
"It's a British colony. The settlers out there are all British," Tony Gill, 74, a former military pilot, said in the town of Chelmsford in eastern England.
"They've made the island what it is and now the Argentineans want to take it away from them," added Gill as he headed to a meeting with other veterans, including some of those who fought in the 1982 war.
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Britain pledges to defend distant cousins on Falkland Islands
Business owners believe Davis Islands could be a destination
By ELIZABETH BEHRMAN | Tribune staff Published: March 13, 2013 Updated: March 13, 2013 - 6:00 AM
To Mark Newkirk, the Davis Islands business district is a land of untapped opportunity.
The two-block stretch of Davis Boulevard is home to restaurants, a gift shop, a pet boutique, a dry cleaner, a cigar shop and other businesses.
"There's so much that the island has to offer," said Newkirk, owner of Fountain Square restaurant -- a little something for everyone, even.
There is just one problem: "People have no idea," he said.
There are at least 100 shops and offices on Davis Islands, although neither the Davis Islands Chamber of Commerce nor the city of Tampa knows exactly how many.
The business district's restaurants are popular lunch spots for professionals from downtown and Tampa General Hospital, which is at the north end of the community. According to recent census data, Davis Islands is home to about 5,000 residents.
But people who don't live on the islands don't realize all the opportunities the islands provide, Newkirk said. With more marketing and networking, business owners could grow the district into a popular family destination, he said.
For some business owners, the district lacks variety.
Business is good for Liz Wessel, owner of Serendipity Accents and Gifts, which has been on Davis Islands for 20 years. But most of her customers live on the islands, and her shop is one of the only retailers in the neighborhood.
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Business owners believe Davis Islands could be a destination
Pope Francis Criticized Britain Over Falkland Islands
REUTERS/Ezequiel Pontoriero/DyN
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner greets Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio at the Basilica of Lujan, December 22, 2008.
Today signals the first day of Pope Francis reign as the new leader of the Catholic Church, and already the pontiff is faced with a challenge.As Argentines and Catholics across the globe celebrate the election of the first ever Latin American pope, comments made by the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio regarding the Falkland Islands dispute have emerged.
Last April, at a memorial mass in Buenos Aires marking the 30thanniversary of the 1982 Falkland Islands conflict, Cardinal Bergoglio told his followers that they had come together to pray for those who have fallen, the sons of our homeland who went out to defend their mother country, to reclaim what is theirs of the homeland, that which was usurped from them. He also spoke of the many young Argentines who never returned from the war, while others came back but were never able to forget, writesAciPrensa.Whether or not they fought in the battleground, these young people were scared for life, the Cardinal said. Three years earlier, Cardinal Bergoglio told families of Argentine soldiers killed in the conflict to go and kiss this land which is ours, and seem to us far away, notes theIndependent.
(MORE:Pope of the Americas)
His words echo those of Cristina Fernndez Kirchner, President of Argentina, who in January sent an open letter to the British Prime Minister David Cameron calling on him to honor a United Nations resolution that dates back to 1960 and end colonialism in all its forms and manifestations, writes theGuardian.She wrote in the letter that the Malvinas (as the islands are known in Argentina) are 8,600 miles away from London and claimed that the Royal Navy had expelled Argentines living on the islands and replaced them with British settlers, a move that, she says, was a blatant exercise in nineteenth-century colonialism.
Meanwhile, the inhabitants of the Falkland Islands have expressed surprise at the election of Pope Francis. Monsignor Michael McPartland from St. Marys Catholic Church in Stanley admitted this morning that he had never actually heard of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio until his election as pope was announced on Wednesday, writes theIndependent.I have to say I know nothing of him I had never heard of him until 24 hours ago. But he is going to create some very interesting reactions, said MonsignorMcPartland.
(PHOTOS:The Rise of Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio)
Senior figures from the Falklands have said the pope is welcome to visit the islands so that he can understand the views of its inhabitants. Dick Sawle, an elected legislator from the islands, told theIndependent,In the political sense, the new pope is wrong in what he said. I would hope that as leader of the Catholic Church he would recognize that Christ died so that all men could be equal and accept our rights as individuals here in the Falklands Islands.
On Sunday, an overwhelming 99.8 percent of Falkland Islands inhabitants voted in favor of remaining an overseas U.K. territory. Just 3 islanders voted no to the following question: Do you wish the Falkland Islands to retain their current political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom?
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Exclusive: Applying for Health Care Not Easy – Video
Exclusive: Applying for Health Care Not Easy
Applying for the Obama health care plan may prove as daunting as doing your taxes. A draft application form runs 15 pages for a family of three, prompting fe...
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ALR Technologies Announces Partnership With Mid-America Coalition on Health Care (MACHC)
RICHMOND, VA--(Marketwire - Mar 13, 2013) - ALR Technologies ( OTCBB : ALRT ) and the Mid-America Coalition on Health Care today announced a partnership in which the MACHC will introduce and offer pilot participation of ALRT's Health-e-Connect Diabetes Management Program to their membership. The Mid-American Coalition is the second oldest business related health care coalition in the U.S. and consists of 67 member organizations representing more than 500,000 employees in the Greater Kansas City area.The goal of the partnership is to assist their multi-stakeholder membership, some of which are the largest employers in the Kansas City area, better manage and reduce the costs for their employees living with diabetes.
The Health-e-Connect Program is a remote monitoring and care facilitation program that allows ALRT Diabetes Care Facilitators to monitor patient blood glucose data and, based on clinician approved protocols, provide advice, support and interventions when patients show readings that are out of an acceptable range or if they are failing to test their blood glucose as prescribed.The ALRT Health-e-Connect System has been successfully proven in a clinical trial that demonstrated this type of remote care is associated with significant lowering of A1c levels.The study concluded that continuing intervention using an internet based glucose monitoring system is an effective way of improving glucose control compared to conventional care.
MACHC President and CEO Troy Ross said: "Throughout our 33 year history, our mission is focused on identifying and offering solutions that improve the way health care is designed and delivered so that our members can better manage their healthcare costs.The Health-e-Connect Program is an innovative tool that aligns with our mission to provide solutions that improve quality and lower the costs of expensive chronic diseases such as diabetes."Mr. Ross added, "MACHC is proud to be sought out as a leading force in helping Kansas City employers create and sustain a healthy community, now and in the future.We have a rich history of collaborating on innovative offerings in care and benefit design that have become best practices in the employer community both locally and across the nation.Diabetes is projected to be the fastest growing disease state over the next decade. Finding new methods to manage and lower the costs associated with diabetes is an important objective for our employers and we're looking forward to working with ALRT to deliver a solution that offers incremental and sustainable change."
ALR Technologies CEO Sidney Chan commented: "We are proud to be associated with the Mid-America Coalition on Health Care.They represent a significant cross section of some of America's finest companies and we look forward to assisting them in managing the cost of one of the great drivers in health insurance today: diabetes care."
Under the terms of the partnership, ALRT agreed to devote a portion of any revenue derived from the project to MACHC.
About the Mid-America Coalition on Health Care
The Mid-America Coalition on Health Care leverages the expertise, experience, and resources of its multi-disciplinary membership to promote the health and well being of current and future employees and their families in the greater Kansas City area.
Through the power of collaboration and utilizing innovative best practices, MACHC provides leadership and acts as a catalyst to effect positive changes for containing health care costs and improving health outcomes.
About ALR Technologies Inc.
ALR Technologies is a medical device company providing remote monitoring and care facilitation for patients with chronic diseases. ALRT has developed the FDA-cleared and HIPAA compliant Health-e-Connect System that collects data from blood glucose meters and uploads to a secure website. Trained Facilitators use the System to effect efficiency of care among patients, clinicians and caregivers to improve outcomes and assist health plans to optimize their HEDIS goals. Currently, the Company is focused on diabetes and will expand its services to cover other chronic diseases anchored on verifiable data.
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ALR Technologies Announces Partnership With Mid-America Coalition on Health Care (MACHC)
Health care overhaul spurs fear of doctor shortage
SACRAMENTO (KABC) -- California could be facing a shortage of doctors when the health care reform law goes into full effect. One lawmaker has advanced a proposal to deal with the potential shortage. Some medical professionals are opposed to the proposal.
As California expands health coverage to millions under President Obama's Affordable Care Act next year, the state won't have enough doctors to treat this influx of new patients.
Only 16 of California's 58 counties can meet the federal government's recommended supply of primary physicians.
"If we're going to mandate every person in this country to buy health insurance, we have to make sure that that care is available to them," said state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Los Angeles). Hernandez is also an optometrist.
Senator Hernandez and other lawmakers propose to let nurse practitioners, physicians' assistants, optometrists and pharmacists treat patients for some illnesses. Most in those professions agree they have more training than they're allowed to use. Nurse practitioners would even be able to set up their own practice.
But the proposed shake-up in the medical establishment is ruffling some feathers at the California Medical Association. Doctors have long been the gatekeepers of medical care and worry about patient safety under the plan.
"The concern would be that they have adequate training and adequate experience for exactly the kind of patients they're seeing," said Dr. Ruth Haskins, California Medical Association. "And if they're not adequately trained, they might miss something."
Patient Cindy Ball, though, liked being treated by a nurse practitioner after her back surgeries and supports the idea of giving other staff more responsibilities.
"I really, really like them. Just like having a doctor but they would talk a lot about my pain. I had many epidurals for my spinal cord," said Ball.
The California Medical Association would rather see the state give more money to UC Riverside's medical school so it can accept more students and expand the loan repayment program for graduates who take jobs in rural areas. But neither will produce more doctors by January when federal healthcare reform takes effect.
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W-2 forms now provide health care cost details
TaxesTax Filing W-2 Forms Now Detail Health Care Costs
Have you taken a good look at your 2012 Form W-2? If you get health care coverage through your job, then you probably noticed a new amount in box 12.
That figure reflects how much you and your employer spent on your health insurance premiums last year. It's a new reporting requirement of the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare, and it applies to most companies with 250 or more workers. Next year, smaller companies also will have to report their workers' health care costs on their annual earnings statements.
Depending on your coverage, the options you chose or even where you live, the amount on your W-2 form could be in the five-figure range. A 2012 Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that the average family received $15,745 in health care coverage.The numbers from the actuarial firm Milliman are higher; its 2012 analysis found medical coverage for a family of four cost nearly $21,000.
But don't panic if the amount on your W-2 form is large. The money shown in box 12, designated by the description code DD, is not taxable income.
When health care reform was being debated in 2010, lawmakers decided to add the reporting requirement so employees would know the exact costs of their workplace-provided medical plans. The idea is that workers, armed with the cost information, will shop for more economical coverage that meets their medical needs.
What isn't counted: The W-2 amount, however, doesn't show all your health care costs. It only covers the premiums you and your employer paid. To determine how much of that you paid, pull out your final 2012 pay stub and subtract the final amount shown for your portion of health care premiums.
The box 12 amount doesn't include any contributions you made to special health care plans, such as a medical flexible savings account, Archer Medical Savings Account or health savings accounts. Nor does it take into account additional payments you made for separate dental and vision plans, co-payments, deductibles or other out-of-pocket health care expenses.
While the added reporting requirement is a bit more work for employers or the payroll companies to which they outsource the job, most companies have no problem with sharing the data. The amount spent on this employee benefit could help employers justify why pay raises are smaller than workers would like; the company money is going into health care coverage instead.
Possible future tax resource: The overall amount of nontaxable health care coverage also is of interest to Capitol Hill.
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Gene therapy helped mice withstand osteoarthritis
By Randy Dotinga HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- In a very early sign of medical progress on the osteoarthritis front, scientists report they've used injections of modified genes to reduce the risk that mice will develop the painful, debilitating condition.
There's no way to know if the gene therapy treatment will help humans, and scientists are far from understanding the treatment's side effects and potential cost. But the findings are more than just good news for mice with creaky joints.
"This work identifies an approach that can make a difference," explained study co-author Dr. Brendan Lee, director of the Rolanette and Berdon Lawrence Bone Disease Program of Texas. "There's a great need for treating and preventing osteoarthritis."
The disease, the most common form of arthritis, appears as your joints deteriorate with aging. It often strikes the hands, knees, neck and hips, causing pain, stiffness and difficulty moving.
Seventy percent of Americans aged 55 to 70 struggle with osteoarthritis, for which there is no cure. Doctors try to treat the pain and improve the ability of patients to move, Lee said, and may turn to joint replacement surgeries in advanced cases.
In the new study, researchers examined a protein that diminishes in people with a rare joint disorder. The protein appears to be crucial to the lubrication of joints.
Researchers injected a gene related to the protein into mice and found that the rodent bodies began producing it. The mice appeared to be resistant -- but not immune -- to damage to the cartilage of joints from injury and aging, Lee said.
There are plenty of caveats.
The research is in mice, not humans; the next step is to test the approach in horses, whose joints are similar to those of people. And the gene therapy doesn't seem to do anything for damage that's already occurred.
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Research and Markets: Gene Therapy : Technologies, Markets and Companies 2013 Update with Added Company Profiles
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2nfn6s/gene_therapy) has announced the addition of Jain PharmaBiotech's new report "Gene Therapy - Technologies, Markets and Companies" to their offering.
Gene therapy can be broadly defined as the transfer of defined genetic material to specific target cells of a patient for the ultimate purpose of preventing or altering a particular disease state. Genes and DNA are now being introduced without the use of vectors and various techniques are being used to modify the function of genes in vivo without gene transfer. If one adds to this the cell therapy particularly with use of genetically modified cells, the scope of gene therapy becomes much broader. Gene therapy can now combined with antisense techniques such as RNA interference (RNAi), further increasing the therapeutic applications. This report takes broad overview of gene therapy and is the most up-to-date presentation from the author on this topic built-up from a series of gene therapy report written by him during the past decade including a textbook of gene therapy and a book on gene therapy companies. This report describes the setbacks of gene therapy and renewed interest in the topic
Gene therapy technologies are described in detail including viral vectors, nonviral vectors and cell therapy with genetically modified vectors. Gene therapy is an excellent method of drug delivery and various routes of administration as well as targeted gene therapy are described. There is an introduction to technologies for gene suppression as well as molecular diagnostics to detect and monitor gene expression.
Clinical applications of gene therapy are extensive and cover most systems and their disorders. Full chapters are devoted to genetic syndromes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders and viral infections with emphasis on AIDS. Applications of gene therapy in veterinary medicine, particularly for treating cats and dogs, are included.
Research and development is in progress in both the academic and the industrial sectors. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the US is playing an important part. As of 2012, over 2030 clinical trials have been completed, are ongoing or have been approved worldwide.A breakdown of these trials is shown according to the areas of application.
Since the death of Jesse Gelsinger in the US following a gene therapy treatment, the FDA has further tightened the regulatory control on gene therapy. A further setback was the reports of leukemia following use of retroviral vectors in successful gene therapy for adenosine deaminase deficiency. Several clinical trials were put on hold and many have resumed now. The report also discusses the adverse effects of various vectors, safety regulations and ethical aspects of gene therapy including germline gene therapy.
The markets for gene therapy are difficult to estimate as there is only one approved gene therapy product and it is marketed in China since 2004. Gene therapy markets are estimated for the years 2012-2022. The estimates are based on epidemiology of diseases to be treated with gene therapy, the portion of those who will be eligible for these treatments, competing technologies and the technical developments anticipated in the next decades. In spite of some setbacks, the future for gene therapy is bright.The markets for DNA vaccines are calculated separately as only genetically modified vaccines and those using viral vectors are included in the gene therapy markets
Profiles of 179 companies involved in developing gene therapy are presented along with 203 collaborations. There were only 44 companies involved in this area in 1995. In spite of some failures and mergers, the number of companies has increased more than 4-fold within a decade. These companies have been followed up since they were the topic of a book on gene therapy companies by the author of this report. John Wiley & Sons published the book in 2000 and from 2001 to 2003, updated versions of these companies (approximately 160 at mid-2003) were available on Wiley's web site. Since that free service was discontinued and the rights reverted to the author, this report remains the only authorized continuously updated version on gene therapy companies.
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Black Ops 2 Futurist Achievement Coris Die (Part 2) – Video
Black Ops 2 Futurist Achievement Coris Die (Part 2)
Black Ops 2 Futurist Achievement Coris DiePart 2. Uploaded by br4nd0nandco on Mar 12 2013. the second part is just flying and mashing the RT button enjoy pls like it really makes a difference and subscribe if you want to see more. Br Na Nd Co.
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Black Ops 2 Futurist Achievement Judgement Day (Part 1) – Video
Black Ops 2 Futurist Achievement Judgement Day (Part 1)
Black Ops 2 Futurist Achievement Judgement DayPart 1. Uploaded by br4nd0nandco on Mar 12 2013. first half of judgement day so close to the end On it like a car bonnet pls like and subscribe if you want to see more. Br Na Nd Co.
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Black Ops 2 Futurist Achievement Judgement Day (Part 1) - Video
FREEDOM SONG – BY HUMAN RIGHTS(clip 2013) – Video
FREEDOM SONG - BY HUMAN RIGHTS(clip 2013)
POVERTY IS A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
By: michael johnstone
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CONSTITUTION USA with Peter Sagal | "Freedom of Speech" | PBS – Video
CONSTITUTION USA with Peter Sagal | "Freedom of Speech" | PBS
UCLA Law Professor Eugene Volokh explains why the freedom of speech doesn #39;t mean "the freedom to say whatever you want, wherever you want." He also touches u...
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CONSTITUTION USA with Peter Sagal | "Freedom of Speech" | PBS - Video
The USS Freedom arrives in Hawaii pt. 3 – Video
The USS Freedom arrives in Hawaii pt. 3
The Navy is sending its hottest, new ship the USS Freedom to Singapore, but before that it #39;s making a stop here in the islands. It #39;s the Navy #39;s first coastal...
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Freedom -Loving Pirate Bay Founders Not Protected by Free Speech After All
The Pirate Bay's Fredrik Neij and Peter Sunde / Photo courtesy of Kopimi
European Court of Human Rights doesn't get their appeal
On Wednesday, the Pirate Bay co-founders Fredrik Neij and Peter Sunde lost an appeal to reverse charges that they violated Sweden's Copyright Act by giving Internet users a (still quite active) forum for illegally sharing files. In late 2010, the pair were sentenced to a year in prison and hit with a fine of over $4 million. On a later appeal, the time behind bars was reduced, but the amount increased to around $6.5 million.
The latest appeal was made in June to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, says the Hollywood Reporter. The TPR creators argued that the previous court's ruling represented an attack on their freedom of expression that the site's users violated copyright law, and that Neij and Sunde shouldn't be punished for receiving and providing information about those crimes. But the court wasn't having it.
The ECtHR upheld the original ruling, explaining that the protection given to Neij and Sunde "cannot reach the same level as that afforded to political expression and debate ... Since the Swedish authorities were under an obligation to protect the plaintiffs property rights in accordance with the Copyright Act ... the Court finds that there were weighty reasons for the restriction of the applicants freedom of expression."
In related news, according to TorrentFreak, the Pirate Bay have officially filed charges of copyright infringement against the copyright-enforcing organization that ripped off their logo last month. Also, following threats of legal action in Sweden, TPR has moved its now bifurcated home base to Norway and Spain plus the cloud, as previously reported. Catch up on their story via the recently released The Pirate Bay: Away From Keyboarddocumentary.
NEWSWIRE Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong Will Rewrite Shakespeare
NEWSWIRE Soundgarden Put Raw 'King Animal' Demos on Pink Vinyl...
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Freedom -Loving Pirate Bay Founders Not Protected by Free Speech After All
Freedom comes to Indian convict too late
The 16 years Sulaiman Kutty lived in the Kingdom, he spent in a prison.
After years of attempting to gain his freedom following a drug trafficking conviction, he lost all hope to see his native Kerala state in India. He slipped into mental illness and prepared himself to die in prison.
But Saudi authorities, recognizing his condition, awarded him a compassionate release from the Dammam prison.
Yet, just moments from complete freedom as he prepared to board a flight late last night for India, it all fell apart. Kutty was returned to his prison cell, his future uncertain.
According to Sulaiman Kuttys brother, Mohammed, Sulaiman became violent in the queue when Mohammed greeted him at the airport. Sulaiman attacked his brother and became violent with passengers in the queue waiting to board the flight.
Airport and airline officials, fearing that he could become violent while in flight and become a danger to his fellow passengers, demanded that Sulaiman be returned to the Dammam prison.
Kutty came to Saudi Arabia in 1997 for work, just like thousands of his fellow countrymen. Before he left his country someone had asked him to hand over a small package, containing important medicine. He was to hand this over to a sick person in Saudi Arabia. In those days it was a routine custom in India to bring packages for fellow Indians, Kutty believed.
This kind gesture made for a disastrous turning point in his life. On arrival in the Kingdom, it was found the parcel contained deadly narcotics. Kutty, then 19 years old, was detained by Saudi customs authorities for carrying drugs and later convicted and sentenced to prison for a 15-year term and a fine of SR 100,000.
A shocked Kutty, now 36, heard about the death penalty for drug traffickers. He was certain his days were numbered and became a psychiatric patient two years later in 1999.
Other inmates who spent a long time in prison are in good health. Some were able to memorize the Holy Quran, earning remission of their sentences. However, two other Indian convicts in a drug trafficking case Shaikh Mastan and Hamza received the death penalty and were executed.
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Freedom students practice evacuation
Freedom students put their training to the test on Feb. 25, practicing the evacuation of their building and their reunification with parents.
"Our students, teachers and staff did a tremendous job during our evacuation drill," says Freedom Principal Mike Morriss. "Within minutes, every one of our 888 students were safely inside Drury University and the St. Robert Municipal Building."
In an orderly and quiet fashion, third, fourth and fifth graders departed Freedom Elementary for the nearby building. Color-coded signs helped ensure students remained with their teachers as they entered the temporary shelter. Once inside, teachers and students moved to specific locations, based on grade level. After all students were accounted for, checkout stations began releasing students to parents who volunteered to test the reunification process.
"When parents arrived, runners delivered children directly from their teacher to the reunification station for their parents," Morriss says.
At the reunification site, parents were required to complete paperwork and show proof of their identification before their children were released to them.
"We hope that we never need to implement our training in a real situation, but we know that we are all prepared should the need ever arise," Morriss says.
Each school within the Waynesville R-VI School District has an evacuation plan so that in the event of an emergency, students have a specific place to go. Parents of Freedom students were notified in advance about the drill.
"Our parents were very supportive of this reunification drill and we appreciate the opportunity to test our plan," Morriss says. "With every drill, you learn more about what we can do better, and nothing is more important than student safety."
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