Protecting Journalists and Freedom of Expression in the Face of Conflict – Video

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Protecting Journalists and Freedom of Expression in the Face of Conflict
On Thursday, February 12th, IPI together with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-hosted a panel discussion focusing on the importance of a free pre...

By: International Peace Institute

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Protecting Journalists and Freedom of Expression in the Face of Conflict - Video

Freedom Climb Applauds Passage of 'End Slavery Act' by US Senate Foreign Relations Committee

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Contact: Michele Nadeem-Baker, 617-818-1223

ATLANTA & ARUSHA, Africa, Feb. 28, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- As the Freedom Climb starts up Mt Kilimanjaro to fight human trafficking by raising awareness, and raising funds for 55 ending slavery OM projects, they pause to applaud US Committee passage of the End Modern Slavery Initiative Act 2015 and support Shine A Light on Slavery Day (photo).

"On this eve of our ascent up the world's highest freestanding mountain we are further fueled for our 7-day Freedom Climb by the unanimous passage of the End Slavery Act by the U.S. Foreign Relations Committee," said Tina Yeager, Freedom Climber and Freedom Climb US Director. "To know that we are climbing to be the voice of those with no voice in this world -- the enslaved and exploited -- and that our overall goal is joined by others, such as Senators Bob Corker and Robert Menendez, is in one word -- inspiring."

The Freedom Climbers are currently in Arusha, Africa, starting their climb to free the enslaved on February 28 up the highest freestanding mountain in the world -- Mt. Kilimanjaro. They'll reach the 20,000 foot summit on March 5. The overall Climb will take 7 days.

Freedom Climb was conceived and launched by Californian Cathey Anderson. What started as a vision has become a global movement, with climbs all over the world. "Human trafficking, slavery and exploitation are a worldwide epidemic," says Anderson. "It's a problem in our own back yard. We celebrate and support efforts to combat trafficking nationally and locally. Freedom Climb attacks the problem at the source - in countries where women and children are most vulnerable."

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Freedom Climb Applauds Passage of 'End Slavery Act' by US Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Virginia to compensate victims of state's forced sterilization program (+video)

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Virginia lawmakers approved a measure Thursday to compensate people forcibly sterilized under a eugenics program that was in place for much of the 20th century.

More than 8,000 Virginians underwent procedures between the 1920s and 1970s as part of a movement that sought to improve the genetic makeup of humankind by preventing those considered "defective" from reproducing. Scientists have now discredited eugenics as a flawed theory that has been misused for political purposes.

Under the measure, which is now being considered by Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe, at least 11 survivors from Virginia are to be awarded $25,000 each in compensation. Many view the measure as formal acknowledgment of the injustice inherent in the program.

"I think its a recognition when we do something wrong we need to fix it as a government, Reuters quoted Delegate Patrick Hope (D) as saying. "Now we can close this final chapter and healing can begin.

In 2002 Mark Warner, then governor of Virginia, issued a formal apology for the states decision to forcibly sterilize thousands of its residents.

However, the battle for compensation wasnt launched until about a decade later. Delegate Benjamin Cline, a conservative Republican from Rockbridge County, and Delegate Hope, a liberal Democrat from Arlington County, introduced the bipartisan bill to compensate the victims.

"There was a growing consensus that we needed to act while we still had the opportunity to look these people in the eye and acknowledge the wrong that was committed against them so many years ago," Delegate Cline said, according to the Associated Press.

Although Cline says that no amount of money is sufficient to right the wrong that was committed, he sees Thursdays move as symbolic.

Some of the victims said the news was welcome.

"I think they done me wrong," Lewis Reynolds, one of the men forcibly sterilized, told AP. "I couldn't have a family like everybody else does. They took my rights away.

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Virginia to compensate victims of state's forced sterilization program (+video)

Cris Cyborg Justino A Step Closer To UFC, Ronda Rousey

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Women's MMA vet Cris "Cyborg" Justino knocked out Charmaine Tweet in just 46 seconds Friday night (Feb. 27), while defending her Invicta FC title.

Thanks to the dominating win, MMA media believe the 26-year-old fighter is one step closer to take on UFC star/champ Ronda Rousey. It wasthesixth first-round knockout of hercareer, and first fight since July 2013, due to Invicta promotional issues and an ankle injury.

"I'm so happy to come back as the champion. I will be in the UFC soon," the Brazilian said.

According to ESPN.com, Cyborg extended her contract with Invicta in January. UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, who was in attendance Friday, said his promotion was involved in the negotiation of Justino's contract extension, though her fight purses are paid for by Invicta.

Furthermore, the UFC and Invicta have a strong business relationship, as Invicta's events air exclusively on Fight Pass, the UFC's Internet subscription service.

With this knockout under her belt, Cyborg is expected to try to cut to 135 pounds by the end of the year, fight for the vacant Invicta bantamweight title... and, if all goes well, make her UFC debut with a title on the line.

"For my team, my fans and my family, I will try my best, 100 percent, to make 135 pounds," Justino said.

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Cris Cyborg Justino A Step Closer To UFC, Ronda Rousey

Invicta FC 11 results: 'Cyborg' Justino destroys Charmaine Tweet in 46 seconds

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Cristiane Justino

LOS ANGELES It tookCharmaine Tweet mere seconds before she discovered the sheer force of Invicta FC womens featherweight champ Cristiane Justino.

A pair of punches stopped her dead in her tracks when the two first collided in the headliner of tonights Invicta FC 11. It would not, however, be the last reminder.

As UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and President Dana White watched cageside, Justino landed another pair of hooks, and then another, and another, until Tweet was lying on the canvas, bleeding badly from her nose, wearing a grimace of pain. Tweet managed to stand up, but another shot to the face and body, and referee Herb Dean had seen enough.

It was all over in 46 seconds.

Invicta FC 11 took place at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The events card streamedlive on UFC Fight Pass.

Justino (13-1) has now madethe first defense of her Invicta FC title and won three straight under the promotionsbanner, though her future likely is in the UFC, where a highly anticipated showdown with rival and womens bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey awaits. Rousey, of course, must also get past No. 1 contender Cat Zingano at Saturdays UFC 184.

Grasso stays unbeaten

In the nights co-headliner, the highly touted Alexa Grassos handspeed and head movement were on full display against the aggressive Mizuki Inoue, who looked to close the distance and rough up her undefeated opponent with heavy punches. Grasso put together combinations that scored, and she showed flashes of brilliance with a spinning back kick right to the chops. Some of Inoues punches found their mark, however, and Inoues tenaciousness was only encumbered by a nose that bled generously. Grasss left cheekbone bore the evidence of Inoues work.

Grasso upped the pace in the second frame and outlanded her opponent despite more right hands finding their mark. Inoue nabbed a quick takedown in an effort to even the score, only to find Grasso set up an armbar and then a triangle from her back.

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Invicta FC 11 results: 'Cyborg' Justino destroys Charmaine Tweet in 46 seconds

KUBA – white beaches of Varadero & the colorful, breathtaking architecture of Havanna – Video

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KUBA - white beaches of Varadero the colorful, breathtaking architecture of Havanna
Eine kleine Rundreise durch KUBA! Gestrandet im paradisischen Varadero, weiter durch das satte Grn von Matanzas und schlielich durch die engen, bunten Gassen Havannas. Viel Spa!

By: Sophie Friederichs

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KUBA - white beaches of Varadero & the colorful, breathtaking architecture of Havanna - Video

Sand, sunshine, hedonism, crime: TV's beaches are rarely for relaxation

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By Finlay BoyleMarch 1, 2015, 12:15 a.m.

It's the first day of autumn but the tail end of the summer swelter and the surf's warmer temperatures mean visits to the beach aren't over just yet. Through the decades we have come to know a variety of small small-screen beaches, whether they're grounded in reality or in fiction. These celebrated strips of sand can be a setting for fun, romance, violence, intrigue, war, mystery and discovery, keeping audiences hooked. Here's a trip down memory lane to TV's most famous beaches.

Hawaii Five-OWith an intro theme as famous as the show, this piece of crime-stopping drama used the stunning backdrop of sunny '70s Hawaiian beaches to contrast with a grim world of crime. Interestingly enough, the special police task force led by Detective Lieutenant Steve McGarrett (played by Jack Lord) to nab criminals and organised crime bosses was based on a real unit that existed in the '40s under martial law in Hawaii. Of course those criminals knew they were stuffed when they had their heads pressed down in the sand and heard the famous words, "Book 'em, Danno!"

LostWith a huge cult following and more theories than the assassination of JFK, Lost was something of a cultural phenomenon. J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof gave the show its initial appeal with an incredible pilot episode recreating a plane-crash scene on a tropical island and costing upwards of $10 million. The island setting was a hit with the audience as the castaways began making a new civilisation of sorts on the beach.

China BeachAgainst the backdrop of a raging Vietnam War, China Beach gave audiences an insight into the conflict from a different perspective. Set at the 510th Evacuation Hospital and R&R, with Bac My An Beach as the backdrop, the show looks at the lives of US Army doctors, nurses, military personnel and civilians. The beach including scenes from shirtless soldiers to helicopters flying overhead captured a place in the imagination.

Jersey Shore This notorious reality show became a talking point when it was released in the US owing to its cast of over-the-top characters and the party lifestyle they embodied. The beach in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, provided a platform for debauchery of the highest level. The show also introduced phrases into America's popular lexicon. GTL short for gym, tan, laundry was the mantra of these vain reality stars.

Gilligan's Island A classic for the ages, and an inspiration for many similar shows such as Lost, Gilligan's Island provided some fantastic running gags in a delightfully cheesy studio setting. The show focuses on the survivors of a shipwreck in the Pacific; Gilligan, the skipper, a millionaire and his wife, the movie star, the professor and Mary Ann. It was filmed almost entirely in the studio, but the beach used in the cave scenes was Newport Beach, in Orange County, California. One of the more delightful inconsistencies in the show was the ability to use bamboo to make everything from a pedal car to a stethoscope.

Baywatch Could this be TV's sexiest beach? When you throw the likes of David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson into board shorts and bikinis, international sex symbols and a rollickingly popular beach drama are created. The story of these Los Angeles County lifeguards looked to be cut short when the show was cancelled after the first season in 1989. But Hasselhoff and the producers knew they were on to something with the sexy, sandy drama and revived the show for syndication in 1991.

Fantasy Island A beautiful and isolated tropical island where guests come by plane to live out their fantasies. Does it get much better than that? From the stunning aerial shots of the Hawaiian island of Kauai in the opening credits, the scene is set for a trip into paradise, but also into the bizarre and exotic. The enigmatic overseer of the mysterious island, Mr Roarke (Ricardo Montalban), panders to the guests' fantasies while joined by his ever-enthusiastic sidekick, Tattoo (Herve Villechaize). Mr Roarke is infamously informed of the guests[' arrival as Tattoo rings the tower bell and shouts, "De plane! De plane!".

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Sand, sunshine, hedonism, crime: TV's beaches are rarely for relaxation

Western Snowy Plover Protection Closes Beaches

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VANDENBERG, Calif. -

Sections of Surf, Wall and Minuteman beaches in Vandenberg will be closed beginning March 1.

These beaches close annually from March 1 to Sept. 30 to protect the Western Snowy Plover, who use the grounds as a nesting habitat. The birds are considered a threatened species according to the Endangered Species Act.

Closures prohibit dogs, horses and kites.

"We protect the snowy plover by employing beach closures, predator management and habitat restoration to offset adverse effects of recreational beach use during the breeding season," said Samantha Kaisersatt, 30th Civil Engineer Squadron biological scientist.

During plover season, the general public can still find plenty of beach access available at a portion of Surf Beach at the end of Highway 246.

Recreational beach access will also be available at Wall Beach off 35th Street and Minuteman Beach on north base for the Vandenberg community

Violators of beach restrictions can be fined up to $5,000 in federal court. Those who violate terms of the Endangered Species Act, such as crushing bird eggs or chicks, can face up to $50,000 in fines.

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Western Snowy Plover Protection Closes Beaches

VIH Aerospace Exhibiting at Heli-Expo 2015

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Victoria, British Columbia, Canada VIH Aerospace (VIHA), a leading provider of global helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services will be exhibiting at Heli-Expo 2015 (Booth # 3837).

VIHA will attend this years Heli-Expo with its experienced and knowledgeable helicopter sales, production and management team to discuss customer requirements related to delivery of value-driven helicopter repair and overhaul services that include: aircraft refurbishment, structural repair, component overhaul, avionics, electrical installations, modifications and upgrades that improve safety and reliability, and help ensure maximum operational benefits for operators. In addition to having its team onsite over the course of Heli-Expo, VIHA will have on display, several of its in-house engineered and high-demand products including the Bell 407 bubble window, the Bell 407 footrest assembly and its newest innovation, the MCP01 Master Caution Panel. Arne Arneson, General Manager for VIHA is excited with the opportunities that exhibiting at Heli-Expo provides. Over the past several years, VIHA has taken considerable measures to ensure its continued ability to provide the highest quality of services to the industry. We have diversified beyond maintenance repair and overhaul, avionics etc to now include deep level airframe structural repair, and engineering and design. We only need to look at the success of our S-92 auxiliary fuel tank program as an example of this commitment; with more than 30 units already in use with S-92 operators across the globe. Arneson also references VIHAs latest innovation to the market, the MCP01 Master Caution Panel that is specifically designed for the Bell 212 helicopter. Arneson explains VIHA has recently received both Transport Canada and Federal Aviation Administration approval for the Master Caution Panel; and he is confident that as Bell 212 operators become aware of this product; and specifically its cost saving and reliability benefits, that the MCP01 Master Caution Panel program will prove to be highly-successful. VIHA offers a comprehensive suite of services including: aircraft refurbishment, structural repair, component overhaul, avionics and electrical installations, modification and upgrades, and product engineering. Aircraft types supported by VIHA include:

- Bell Helicopter 205/206/212/407/222/230 -Sikorsky S-61 and S-92 - Airbus AS350

Visit us at Heli-Expo (3837)

About VIH Aerospace VIH Aerospace services include airframe & component MRO, Engineering & Design, Fabrication & Refurbishment, Avionics & Electrical & Non-Destructive Testing; all performed to Original Equipment Manufacturer specification and in accordance to aviation industry regulatory bodies and organizations.

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VIH Aerospace Exhibiting at Heli-Expo 2015

King Aerospace: Couples startup specializes in custom components

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New Bern is new everything for King Aerospace and Technologies founders Ingrid and Bryan King.

As they worked and oversaw work being done to customize their new companys building at 3498-A Martin Drive off Glenburnie Avenue recently, Ingrid King said they were new to marriage, new to New Bern, expecting a new baby later this year and starting a new business their first as private owners.

Weve been doing AS 90100 certified work for the aerospace industry for another small manufacturer for 10 years, she said. We are fully committed to those quality standards and we want to continue, starting with just a few small components do it all here.

Bryan King has done system engineering data center infrastructure work in the Research Triangle Park area since 1996 for a variety of industries including manufacturing, hospitality, banks, power utilities and small businesses.

Both are already busy working in the 3,000-square-foot office and manufacturing building as cosmetic work continues on the offices to accommodate a CNC programmer, a quality control technician and a machinist they hope to hire in first quarter 2015.

We will be posting ads soon for people who have those skills, she said.

Everybody in the community has been so good, said Ingrid King, which did not surprise her or Bryan. Theyd fallen in love with New Bern and were glad their business assessment of appropriate places to locate made it work out as a viable spot.

The proximity to Spirit AeroSystems in Kinston figured into that decision, and theyd be happy to do specialty work for Cherry Point Marine air station and Honda Jet or any of the various manufacturers in the area.

Weve already had calls from a marine manufacturer, she said, and hope that can be an industry that can use their expertise. She said their culture is customer satisfaction, including measuring on-time delivery and overall continuous improvement.

She said she worked part time while in school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, then full time for a small aerospace manufacturing company where she became director of business development and quality manager. She led it to a 40 percent growth rate and pushed sales up to $20 million, she said.

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King Aerospace: Couples startup specializes in custom components