China maps out islands plan

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It is rare for China to give such detail about its plans for the artificial islands. The rapid reclamation taking place on seven reefs has alarmed other claimants and drawn U.S. criticism, including from Defence Secretary Ash Carter, who is visiting Japan and South Korea this week.

"The relevant construction is a matter that is entirely within the scope of China's sovereignty. It is fair, reasonable, lawful, it does not affect and is not targeted against any country. It is beyond reproach," Hua added.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims.

All but Brunei have fortified bases in the Spratlys, which lie roughly 1,300 km (800 miles) from the Chinese mainland but much closer to the Southeast Asian claimants.

Read MoreAsia Infrastructure Investment Bank gambit has US on edge

While China's new islands will not overturn U.S. military superiority in the region, workers are building ports and fuel storage depots and possibly two airstrips that experts have said would allow Beijing to project power deep into the maritime heart of Southeast Asia.

Asked about Hua's comments, U.S. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke called the land reclamation "destabilizing" and said it was "fueling greater anxiety within the region about China's intentions amid concerns that they might militarize outposts on disputed land features in the South China Sea."

"We very much hope that China would recalibrate in the interests of stability and good relations in the region," he told reporters in Washington.

Western and Asian naval officials privately say that China could feel emboldened to try to limit air and sea navigation once the reclaimed islands are fully established.

The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea does not legally allow for reclaimed land to be used to demarcate 12-nautical-mile territorial zones, but some officials fear China will not feel limited by that document and will seek to keep foreign navies from passing close by.

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China maps out islands plan

'Great Wall Of Sand': China Builds Islands In Contested Waters

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A March 16 satellite image from the CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative shows one of China's artificial islands in the South China Sea. CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/DigitalGlobe hide caption

A March 16 satellite image from the CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative shows one of China's artificial islands in the South China Sea.

It's called Mischief Reef, appropriately enough, and China is hard at work there, building islands, dredging sand and piling it on top of partly-submerged coral reefs.

The idea is for China to stake an even bigger claim to hotly-contested territory in the South China Sea, which is an area also claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam.

President Obama expressed concern Thursday about China "using its sheer size and muscle to force countries into subordinate positions."

The scale of China's construction in the Spratly Islands is clear in new satellite images released this week. NPR's Melissa Block speaks with Mira Rapp-Hooper, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies the think tank that released the photos about the international response to the island construction.

"It's worth noting that several other claimants in the Spratly Islands have undertaken land reclamation and construction activities in the area before," Rapp-Hooper says. "But the thing that is so startling about China's work is the fact that, this time last year, none of it was occurring."

Use the audio player above to hear the full interview.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

It's called Mischief Reef of all things, and China is hard at work there building islands, dredging sand and piling it on top of partly submerged coral reefs. The idea is to stake an even bigger claim to hotly contested territory in the South China Sea. It's an area also claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam.

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'Great Wall Of Sand': China Builds Islands In Contested Waters

China defends reclamation of islands in disputed territory

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Analysts say the pictures show how China is attempting to create facts in the water to bolster its sovereignty claims

7 AREAS: Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr presents photos of China's reclamation projects in West Philippine Sea

The Philippines one of the most vocal of China's neighbours in defending its competing territorial claim reacted strongly, calling for the Asian giant to "dismantle" the reclaimed land. (READ: PH fears 'miscalculation' in West PH Sea)

"They have to dismantle it," said Peter Paul Galvez, spokesman for Manila's defense department. "It is a concern not only of our country and region but of the whole international community."

A series of satellite images posted on the website of the Center for Strategic and International Studies show a flotilla of Chinese vessels dredging sand onto Mischief Reef and the resulting land spreading in size.

Before-and-after images of other outcrops in the Spratly Islands record runways appearing from jungle, smooth-sided solid masses where coral once lay, and man-made harbors replacing natural reefs.

Analysts say the pictures show how China is attempting to create facts in the water to bolster its sovereignty claims.

Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost the whole of the South China Sea, including areas close to the coasts of other littoral states, using a nine-segment line based on one that first appeared on Chinese maps in the 1940s.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all have overlapping claims.

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China defends reclamation of islands in disputed territory

China unveils plan on South China Sea islands

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China hasunveiled details of its plan for building and maintenance projects on some of its islands in the South China Sea, saying it aims mainly to provide a civilian service that will benefit other countries.

READ:China defends land reclamation on disputed islands

The details were announced by its foreign ministry, which also accused Washington of adopting double standards on the issue by ignoring building work by other countries on islands owned by China.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular news briefing, We are setting up shelters, aids for navigation, search and rescue as well as marine meteorological forecasting services, fishery services and other administrative services.

These will provide necessary services to China, neighboring countries and individual vessels sailing in the South China Sea.

Hua said the construction work also aims to meet necessary demands for Chinas military defense, but the efforts are aimed more at providing civilian services in an area that suffers frequently from typhoons and where many vessels sail far from land.

The construction work is a matter that is entirely within the scope of Chinas sovereignty. It is fair, reasonable and lawful. It does not affect, and is not targeted against, any country. It is beyond reproach, Hua said.

Reuters said in a report on Thursday, It is rare for China to give such detail about its plans on such construction work.

Luo Yongkun, a researcher specializing in Philippine studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said Beijing has made a friendly gesture by disclosing details of construction work on its territory to assure its neighbors and remove any misunderstandings.

United States defense secretary Ashton Carter, who is visiting Asia this week, has said he is especially concerned about construction work by China on the islands.

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China unveils plan on South China Sea islands

China Defends Work on Spratly Islands

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BEIJING

China on Thursday sketched out plans for the islands it is creating in the disputed South China Sea, saying they would be used for military defense as well as to provide civilian services that would benefit other countries.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters that the reclamation and building work in the Spratly archipelago was needed partly because of the risk of typhoons in an area with a lot of shipping that is far from land.

"We are building shelters, aids for navigation, search and rescue, as well as marine meteorological forecasting services, fishery services and other administrative services'' for China and neighboring countries, Hua said.

The islands and reefs would also meet the demands for China's defense, Hua said without elaborating.

It is rare for China to give such detail about its plans for the artificial islands. The rapid reclamation taking place on seven reefs has alarmed other claimants and drawn U.S. criticism, including from Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who is visiting Japan and South Korea this week.

"The relevant construction is a matter that is entirely within the scope of China's sovereignty. It is fair, reasonable, lawful, it does not affect and is not targeted against any country. It is beyond reproach,'' Hua added.

Overlapping claims

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in shipborne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims.

All but Brunei have fortified bases in the Spratlys, which lie roughly 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the Chinese mainland and are much closer to the Southeast Asian claimants.

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China Defends Work on Spratly Islands

Nine early career researchers awarded for research presented at fruit fly conference

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BETHESDA, MD - The Genetics Society of America (GSA) and the Drosophila research community are pleased to announce the winners of the GSA poster awards at the 56th Annual Drosophila Research Conference, which took place in Chicago, IL, March 4-8, 2015. The awards were made to undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral scientists in recognition of the research they presented at the conference. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most versatile and widely used model organisms applied to the study of genetics, physiology, and evolution--and is an effective system for studying a range of human genetics diseases.

"These early career scientists are already making substantive contributions to our field," said Adam P. Fagen, PhD, GSA's Executive Director. "Conference attendees had the opportunity to learn about some exciting research advancements from these talented scientists."

Over 1,500 researchers attended the meeting, and the winning posters were selected by a panel of leading Drosophila researchers.

The winners of the 56th Annual Drosophila Research Conference GSA Poster Awards are:

Undergraduate winners

FIRST PLACE

Jonathan Cohen, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA Poster title: "The microbiota induces Pvf2 to activate the antiviral ERK pathway in the Drosophila gut." Advisor: Sara Cherry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

SECOND PLACE

Ashley Kline, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN Poster Title: "Characterizing a Role for the Misshapen Kinase in Growth of the Germline Ring Canals in the Developing Egg Chamber." Advisor: Lindsay Lewellyn

THIRD PLACE

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Nine early career researchers awarded for research presented at fruit fly conference

Business of Agriculture Jyoti Mishra of Bayer CropScience on Green TV India – Video

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Business of Agriculture Jyoti Mishra of Bayer CropScience on Green TV India
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their...

By: Green TV

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Business of Agriculture Jyoti Mishra of Bayer CropScience on Green TV India - Video

Missouri Health Care Navigator Law Pre-Empted, Court Rules

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An appeals court ruled Friday that Missouri can't limit health insurance navigators' ability to help people obtain insurance under President Barack Obama's health care law a ruling that advocates say could have implications for other states that have instituted similar restrictions.

The 8th Circuit Court in St. Louis blocked some parts of a Missouri law that limits the information certified counselors authorized by the health care law could give people seeking health insurance. However, the court said the state can institute licensure requirements for navigators and counselors.

At issue was a 2013 Missouri law that had set limitations on people helping others to sign up for health insurance. The court ruled that those limitations conflict with federal rules that supersede them.

"The court made clear that consumer assisters in Missouri are unrestricted by those provisions and they can help enroll people in health insurance," said Jay Angoff, a lawyer in the case who used to oversee implementation of the health care law for the federal government.

The Missouri law had been on hold since January 2014 while courts considered the matter.

The court blocked a prohibition on navigators or certified application counselors giving advice on health plans or discussing health plans not listed on the federal healthcare.gov website. The court's decision also blocks a requirement for counselors to direct consumers who have had insurance through an agent or broker to talk to an insurance provider instead.

Those requirements would have limited the help community groups could provide to people trying to sign up for health insurance, Angoff said.

Dale Wrigley, the director of engagement and advocacy for the St. Louis Effort for AIDS, one of the parties in the lawsuit, said there were concerns that they would not even have been able to tell people eligible for Medicaid to apply for it because that might qualify as advice.

"There were questions of whether we would've been able to give that advice on whether doctors were included in a plan," he said.

Friday's decision was specific to Missouri's law, but Angoff said at least a dozen other states have enacted at least one similar limitation on the health care law.

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Missouri Health Care Navigator Law Pre-Empted, Court Rules

EYVoice: Connected Health Care: More Than Just Patient Safety

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By Jaimy Chadam and Stephan van Rhee, EY

Pressured by an aging population that increasingly suffers from chronic diseases, the health care sector is turning to technology to provide the building blocks for better care at lower costs. The technology sector has gratefully accepted this invitation and has begun bringing solutions to the market that will change the way healthcare is delivered.

Big tech and startups are turning out products that will offer caregivers and patients better monitoring solutions, better means of communication and a better way to treat illnesses. Wearables and connected devices can measure blood pressure, heart rate, glucose levels or pulmonary profiles, allowing for better preventative care to reduce doctor visits.

The collection of large amounts of clinical data in combination with analytics software will lead to improved diagnosis. Personalized patient files and digital assistants will give doctors easier access to the information needed to provide effective treatment. All of these benefits are facilitated by cloud technology and the use of smartphones and tablets in health care settings.

But before we see full-scale acceptance of these new technologies, four concerns need to be addressed:

1. Doctors and most patients are not IT specialists nor should they be. Easy application interfaces are needed for them to adopt the use of advanced technologies.

2. Health-related information is very personal people worry about privacy and data security when it comes to their health profiles.

3. System availability and data accuracy can be a matter of life and death when dealing with clinical data. Any solution needs to be flawless before it can be rolled out. A beta version that may contain bugs is unacceptable. 4. Data and solutions need to be interoperable. Only the combination of all inputs will guarantee the best outcomes and achieve the full benefit of connected health care.

Of course, several of these are competing concerns. Technological innovation usually isnt stimulated by regulation and extreme sensitivities around data security and privacy. And the responsibilities of health care providers toward their patients will make them reluctant to implement solutions that arent clinically tested and free of risks.

These concerns can be addressed through strategic partnerships health care organizations will help technology companies interpret the needs of health care providers. But that is not enough.

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EYVoice: Connected Health Care: More Than Just Patient Safety

Fighting words in Legislature's health care battle

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The Florida House and Senate are locked into a $4 billion battle over health care funding.

It will be resolved, although it is looking ever more likely that it will push the 2015 Legislature beyond its May 1 deadline into an extended or special session.

But the real significance of this policy fight is that House leaders are signaling that they are prepared for a long-term engagement over changing many aspects of Floridas health care system. One leader called it a war. A more fitting name may be a revolution given the scope of what House leaders want to achieve.

House Appropriations Chairman Richard Corcoran, R-Land OLakes, said the problem with Floridas health care system is the status quo and all the people who profit from the system.

Come to war with us. Ill fight. And if it costs me my political career, or yours, so be it, Corcoran told House members.

Those are significant comments coming from the House budget chairman who will be the next House speaker following the 2016 elections.

That was followed up this week at the end of what is likely to be the last meeting of the House Health and Human Services Committee. Rep. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, re-emphasized the Houses commitment to bringing more competition and free-market ideas into the health care system.

We know that there is a health care problem in Florida. And we know every time government tries to solve something, we typically (are) a little worse off than had we let some other things happen, Brodeur said.

Brodeur outlined an ambitious set of proposals for the 2016 session, including advancing a plan to curb the number and cost of medical malpractice lawsuits.

Brodeurs comments were bolstered by the appearance of Rep. Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, who will be the House speaker following Corcoran. He emphasized his commitment to changing the health care system.

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Fighting words in Legislature's health care battle

Health care challenges still ahead

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Federal law added to Oregon recipients, workforce; future private, public costs at issue.

The national health-care overhaul has dramatically reduced the share of Oregonians without insurance coverage, but it also has posed new challenges.

State Insurance Commissioner Laura Cali and Peter Graven, a health economist at Oregon Health & Science University, discussed the wide-ranging effects of the Affordable Care Act at a Salem City Club luncheon Friday.

What we have is a result of a lot of competing interests, Cali says.

While Cali declined to speculate what changes in the 2010 law might occur in the future, you learn things along the way as you implement it and you make adjustments.

Graven says Congress isnt likely to change it anytime soon. The original 2010 law squeezed by with a 60-39 vote in the Senate 60 is the minimum required to avert a filibuster and 219-212 in the House. Both votes took place when Democrats had majorities in both chambers.

Since 2011, Republicans who have controlled the House have taken 56 votes, most recently on Feb. 3, to repeal it. However, President Barack Obama says he will veto any repeal.

Graven says a single-payer system, under which the government pays all health care similar to what Canada does, is also unlikely.

More to the point, Graven says, is what states such as Oregon do to extend coverage through private insurance and state-supported care known as the Oregon Health Plan and how to keep that coverage affordable, such as the 16 coordinated-care organizations that oversee care for almost 1 million low-income recipients under the plan.

Its good to keep an eye on Oregon, he says.

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Health care challenges still ahead