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| Saturday July 19th 2014 Weekend 1 |
Gaza conflict: Casualties mount amid fresh violence
A Palestinian family and
an Israeli Bedouin father were among those killed on Saturday as the
casualty toll from Israel's ground campaign and rocket attacks from Gaza
continued to rise.
The Bedouin man died and family members were injured when a rocket hit their campsite in south Israel, police said.The Palestinian family of eight were among at least 15 people killed as the death toll in Gaza surged past 300.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon is heading to the region to help mediation efforts.
The visit is aimed at helping Israelis and Palestinians "end the violence and find a way forward", the UN said.
On Friday US President Barack Obama said he was "deeply concerned" about civilian losses in the conflict.
Israel launched ground operations in Gaza following 10 days of air strikes, which failed to stop Hamas firing rockets across the border.
Related : Israeli troops push into Gaza as Netanyahu warns of expanded ground assault
Baghdad suicide bombing kills at least 9
BAGHDAD – A suicide bomber
rammed a car packed with explosives into a checkpoint in southern
Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least nine people, including four
policemen, officials said.
Violence has spiked across much of Iraq amid a Sunni militant offensive that has seized control of huge tracts of territory north and west of Baghdad. The government has moved aggressively to try to secure the capitol, and in recent weeks the city has largely been spared the large-scale attacks that plagued it earlier this year.
Smaller scale attacks, however, remain common.
Saturday's bombing targeted a police checkpoint in the Shiite neighborhood of Abu Dashir, a police officer said. He said 19 people were wounded in the attack, including six policemen.
A medical official confirmed the casualty figures.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
In the statement, Isis said Christians who wanted to remain in the "caliphate" declared earlier this month in parts of Iraq and Syria must agree to abide by terms of a "dhimma" contract – a historic practice under which non-Muslims were protected in Muslim lands in return for a special levy known as "jizya". "We offer them three choices: Islam; the dhimma contract – involving payment of jizya; if they refuse this they will have nothing but the sword," the announcement said.
A resident of Mosul said the statement, issued in the name of the Islamic State in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, had been distributed on Thursday and read out in mosques. It said that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, which the group has now named Caliph Ibrahim, had set a Saturday deadline for Christians who did not want to stay and live under those terms to "leave the borders of the Islamic Caliphate". "After this date, there is nothing between us and them but the sword," it said.
The Nineveh decree echoes one that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, the former name for the Islamic State, issued in the Syrian city of Raqqa in February, demanding that Christians pay the jizya levy in gold and curb displays of their faith in return for protection.
The concept of dhimma, governing non-Muslims living under Islamic rule, dates back to the early Islamic era in the seventh century, but was largely abolished during the Ottoman reforms of the mid-19th century.
US drone strike kills 8 in northwest Pakistan: Officials
PESHAWAR: Pakistani intelligence officials say a US drone has fired two missiles at a compound in a northwestern tribal region, killing eight militants.
Two officials say the strike happened on Saturday in Datta Khel, a town in North Waziristan where the Pakistani military is carrying out a major offensive against militants since June 15.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to media.
It was the second strike this week on Wednesday, the US drone killed 15 militants there.
North Waziristan is home to local and foreign militants suspected of attacking American and Nato troops across the border in Afghanistan.
US drone strikes are a serious source of tension between Washington and Islamabad.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says special forces launched an attack late Friday on the Shaer field in the central province of Homs and regained parts of it.
A
Homs-based activist who goes by the name of Beibares Tellawi confirmed
Saturday that troops were attacking fighters from the Islamic State
group.
The Observatory said that the number of troops, guards and workers killed in the gas field since it was captured Thursday has risen to 270. Tellawi said the death toll was at least 200.
The fate of 90 others is still unknown, the Observatory said.
The talks have aimed to persuade Iran to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
World powers suspect Iran seeks atomic weapons, which Iran denies.
The country insists that it is enriching uranium for use in nuclear power stations and for medical purposes.
Reuters reports that negotiations will now resume in September, with a final deadline set for 24 November.
"There are still significant gaps on some core issues which will require more time and effort," said a joint statement issued by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Violence has spiked across much of Iraq amid a Sunni militant offensive that has seized control of huge tracts of territory north and west of Baghdad. The government has moved aggressively to try to secure the capitol, and in recent weeks the city has largely been spared the large-scale attacks that plagued it earlier this year.
Saturday's bombing targeted a police checkpoint in the Shiite neighborhood of Abu Dashir, a police officer said. He said 19 people were wounded in the attack, including six policemen.
A medical official confirmed the casualty figures.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
Convert, pay tax, or die, Islamic State warns Christians
Insurgents issue ultimatum to Iraq's dwindling Christian population to abide by 'dhimma' contract or face the sword
Islamist insurgents have issued an ultimatum to northern Iraq's dwindling Christian population to either convert to Islam, pay a religious levy or face death, according to a statement issued by the Islamic State (Isis) and distributed in the militant-controlled city of Mosul. The al-Qaida offshoot that led last month's lightning assault to capture swathes of northern Iraq said the ruling would come into effect on Saturday.In the statement, Isis said Christians who wanted to remain in the "caliphate" declared earlier this month in parts of Iraq and Syria must agree to abide by terms of a "dhimma" contract – a historic practice under which non-Muslims were protected in Muslim lands in return for a special levy known as "jizya". "We offer them three choices: Islam; the dhimma contract – involving payment of jizya; if they refuse this they will have nothing but the sword," the announcement said.
A resident of Mosul said the statement, issued in the name of the Islamic State in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, had been distributed on Thursday and read out in mosques. It said that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, which the group has now named Caliph Ibrahim, had set a Saturday deadline for Christians who did not want to stay and live under those terms to "leave the borders of the Islamic Caliphate". "After this date, there is nothing between us and them but the sword," it said.
The Nineveh decree echoes one that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, the former name for the Islamic State, issued in the Syrian city of Raqqa in February, demanding that Christians pay the jizya levy in gold and curb displays of their faith in return for protection.
The concept of dhimma, governing non-Muslims living under Islamic rule, dates back to the early Islamic era in the seventh century, but was largely abolished during the Ottoman reforms of the mid-19th century.
US drone strike kills 8 in northwest Pakistan: Officials
PESHAWAR: Pakistani intelligence officials say a US drone has fired two missiles at a compound in a northwestern tribal region, killing eight militants.
Two officials say the strike happened on Saturday in Datta Khel, a town in North Waziristan where the Pakistani military is carrying out a major offensive against militants since June 15.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to media.
It was the second strike this week on Wednesday, the US drone killed 15 militants there.
North Waziristan is home to local and foreign militants suspected of attacking American and Nato troops across the border in Afghanistan.
US drone strikes are a serious source of tension between Washington and Islamabad.
Syrian troops fight to retake gas field from jihadis as death toll rises to 200
BEIRUT – Activists say Syrian government forces have launched a counter-attack to recapture a gas field seized by Islamic extremists, as the death toll from three days of fighting rises to more than 200.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says special forces launched an attack late Friday on the Shaer field in the central province of Homs and regained parts of it.
The Observatory said that the number of troops, guards and workers killed in the gas field since it was captured Thursday has risen to 270. Tellawi said the death toll was at least 200.
The fate of 90 others is still unknown, the Observatory said.
Iran nuclear talks deadline extended until November
Diplomats have agreed a
four-month extension to the deadline for an agreement between Iran and
world powers on Iran's nuclear programme.
The US says it will unblock $2.8bn in frozen Iranian funds,
in return for Iran continuing to convert its stocks of 20%-enriched
uranium into fuel.The talks have aimed to persuade Iran to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
World powers suspect Iran seeks atomic weapons, which Iran denies.
The country insists that it is enriching uranium for use in nuclear power stations and for medical purposes.
Reuters reports that negotiations will now resume in September, with a final deadline set for 24 November.
"There are still significant gaps on some core issues which will require more time and effort," said a joint statement issued by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Avakov: 'Irrefutable evidence' shows that Kremlin-backed separatists shot down Malaysian plane
“The SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) and the Interior
Ministry have collected and continue to collect irrefutable evidence and
proof that point to the authors of this tragedy from the terrorist
organization DNR/LNR (Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republic), and their
Russian, Putinist masters,” said Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.
“The data we have allow us to state that the plane Boeing 777 was shot down by the Donetsk terrorists with the use of anti-missile system Buk M, which was transferred from Russia's territory”, the State Security Service said in a statement.
Here is a timeline of all movements of Buks on Ukraine's territory, as known by Ukraine's security service.
June 29 – Terrorist groups in eastern Ukraine boast on social networks that they have in their possession Buk anti-missile systems, capable of hitting airborne targets at the altitude of 25 kilometers – higher than cruise altitude of commercial airlines. MH17, which was shot down on July 17, was flying at 10 kilometers. However, the Buks in possession of terrorists were broken and unusable, which had been admitted by their representatives.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NF6E5FCKFNEJ:https://twitter.com/dnrpress/status/483248037629018112+&cd=13&hl=uk&ct=clnk&gl=ua
July 14 – SBU taps a conversation that presents the first evidence that terrorist units have in their possession the anti-missile system Buk, which is capable of hitting targets at a significant altitude. But at the time there was no other confirmation of its location on the territory of Ukraine at the time. This is a conversation between “Oleg” Bugrov Oleg Yevgenievich, chief of headquarters of Lugansk People's Republic's Army, deputy defense minister of the Lugansk People's Republic, and “Oreon” - a citizen of Russian Federation, officer of Main Intelligence Department of the Main Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Oreon says: “We have a Buk now, fuck it! We will shoot them down.”
July 17, 1 a.m. SBU's counter-intelligence department receives information that Russian Federation passed a Buk, complete with a team, to the terrorist groups in Ukraine. It was transferred over the border close to the town of Sukhodolsk at 1 a.m.
July 17, 9:00 a.m. Buk was moved to Donetsk, and later to Pervomaisk. The information comes from another tapped conversation released by the SBU where two terrorists, identified as “Khmuryi” (Sergei Nikolayevich Petrovskiy, officer of Main Intelligence Department of the Main Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation) and “Buryat” (an unidentified fighter of Donetsk People's Republic) discuss what to do with the missile launch system. Buryat says he brought one system, and it needs to be hidden. But Khmurui says it will traveling along with tanks of Vostok battalion, and directs the Buk to Pervomaisk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgdqdklrqDA
July 18, 4:50 a.m. -- Interior Ministry's intelligence unit recorded a crawler tractor carrying a missile system moving towards the border of the Russian Federation. The video clearly shows missiles, but the middle one of three is missing.
“We're analyzing this and other collected information. We think this is the very Buk system which shot at the civilian plane flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur,” Avakov said. He said that the terrorists were “trying to hide evidence of the terrible crime.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4HJmev5xg0
According to the Kenya Red Cross, two of the victims were security officials and five were civilians. Friday night's attack took place on the northern coast at Corner Mbaya, just outside the town of Witu. Previous coastal attacks have claimed at least 87 lives.
Gunmen blocked the bus with their car and sprayed it with bullets. According to Kenyan police, they also opened fire on a police car which had stopped to intervene, as well as a third car. Two lorries carrying mangos were also targeted, according to Reuters. Authorities believe many of the survivors of the attack in the 52-seater bus fled into a nearby forest.
Al-Shabaab has also taken responsibility for previous attacks in the area but the Kenyan government insists local political networks have been behind these. Despite the heavy deployment of security forces in the region following attacks in June and early July, the raids have continued.
Al-Shabaab has vowed to carry out a campaign of attacks to punish Kenya for sending its troops into Somalia, where they form part of the African Union force defending the country's beleaguered government. Referring to Friday's incident, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, spokesman for al-Shabaab's military operations, told Reuters: "The attack was in response to Kenya's claim that it deployed more troops in the coast and thus tightened security … Kenya also lied by saying it destroyed al-Shabaab bases there – that is propaganda."
The recent attacks have been taking place near Lamu, an ancient trading port and beach resort. They have damaged Kenya's tourism industry and stirred up local animosities in a region where communities have a history of ethnic tension and conflict over land, water and other resources.
Analysts say it would normally take several days for such a loan to be passed.
Boko Haram's campaign to establish an Islamic state has killed thousands.
Mr Jonathan has faced intense criticism over the government's failure to curb the increasingly brutal insurgency waged by Boko Haram.
The group caused international outrage in April when it abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in its heartland of north-eastern Nigeria.
Nigeria has a military budget of about $6bn a year but large sums are lost to corruption, critics say.
Emergency law In the letter to the Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday, Mr Jonathan said there was an "urgent need" to upgrade the equipment, training and logistics of the armed forces and security services to help them confront the "serious threat" posed by Boko Haram.
In the bush, where the men had lived for years, these prized possessions were essential for survival and now provide insight into how members of the brutal group are able to evade U.S.-backed African troops chasing them.
Kony
and his rebels have terrorized Uganda and other parts of Central Africa
for years, carrying out brutal killings and kidnappings. Kony has been
indicted by the International Criminal Court, but it was not until 2012
that he shot to international notoriety after the advocacy group
Invisible Children highlighted his crimes in a video that was seen by
millions online.
Ugandan military commanders, who head an African Union-mandated mission to catch or kill Kony, say the challenge is locating the enemy in sparsely populated, lawless territory where threats range from wild animals to other dangerous militias.
"The biggest problem is not how to fight but finding the rebels," said Ugandan Col. Michael Kabango, the top commander of Ugandan troops in Central African Republic.
Often the rebels remain a step ahead of their pursuers because they never spend many nights in one place. They are also inventive. To cross crocodile-infested rivers, for instance, the rebels make rafts out of rope and plastic scrap.
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The Forbes family said it would still have a "significant" stake.
Steve Forbes will remain as chairman and editor-in-chief.
"While today marks a fundamental turning point in this 97-year-old company founded by my grandfather, it should be seen as an opportunity to continue and strengthen our mission," said Mr Forbes in a blog post announcing the sale.
Forbes - which says it reaches 75 million people worldwide every month through its print, digital, TV, conferences and research ventures - began looking for a buyer last November.
Forbes will continue to be headquartered in the US, but announced plans for an international expansion.
Paul Pelosi Jr., the son of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), was the president and chief operating officer of Natural Blue Resources Inc., an investment company he cofounded that focuses on “environmentally-friendly” ventures.
The SEC charged four individuals with fraud, including former New Mexico Gov. Toney Anaya, and suspended trading in the company’s stock. Pelosi owned over 10 million shares in the company in 2009.
The SEC said Wednesday the company was “secretly controlled” by James E. Cohen and Joseph Corazzi, both of whom had previous fraud convictions. Corazzi violated federal securities laws and was barred from acting as an officer or director of a public company. Cohen was previously incarcerated for financial fraud.
Cohen and Corazzi said they were “outside consultants,” but according to the SEC, they actually controlled Natural Blue’s business decisions “without disclosing their past brushes with the law to investors.” The pair made hundreds of thousands of dollars off the company.
“Cohen and Corazzi concealed their involvement through a so-called ‘consulting’ agreement, but their influence over the issuer spread much further,” said Andrew J. Ceresney, director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division. “Investors in Natural Blue had a right to know who was running the company behind the scenes.”
The SEC suspended trading in Natural Blue stock. A notice filed in the Federal Register on Wednesday by Jill M. Peterson, assistant secretary of the SEC, revealed that the company has not filed any periodic reports, which are required by law, with the SEC in four years.
With chants of "water is a human right" and "no water, no peace," protesters demanded an end to the shutoff of past-due accounts and declared the situation a public health emergency. Detroit police arrested nine demonstrators, including one in a wheelchair, outside a facility used by city water contractors earlier in the day.
"This whole water situation is so egregious, so unfair and unreasonable," said Richard Hairston, 63, a Detroit retiree who marched with the crowd. "There's an awful lot of anger. Water is just too essential to play with in this manner. Detroiters are going to fight back in the event this thing is not done in a thoughtful and considerate way."
The water utility has recently ramped up the shutoffs as it seeks to collect an estimated $90 million in past-due water bills. Detroit, which last year became the largest U.S. city ever to file for bankruptcy, has said that roughly 90,000 customers have outstanding accounts, with about 17,000 residents on payment plans.
Although the city has pledged to work with residents who are trying to make good on their tabs, several locals who took part in the protest Friday said the city should have more sympathy for residents who are struggling.
“The data we have allow us to state that the plane Boeing 777 was shot down by the Donetsk terrorists with the use of anti-missile system Buk M, which was transferred from Russia's territory”, the State Security Service said in a statement.
Here is a timeline of all movements of Buks on Ukraine's territory, as known by Ukraine's security service.
June 29 – Terrorist groups in eastern Ukraine boast on social networks that they have in their possession Buk anti-missile systems, capable of hitting airborne targets at the altitude of 25 kilometers – higher than cruise altitude of commercial airlines. MH17, which was shot down on July 17, was flying at 10 kilometers. However, the Buks in possession of terrorists were broken and unusable, which had been admitted by their representatives.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NF6E5FCKFNEJ:https://twitter.com/dnrpress/status/483248037629018112+&cd=13&hl=uk&ct=clnk&gl=ua
July 14 – SBU taps a conversation that presents the first evidence that terrorist units have in their possession the anti-missile system Buk, which is capable of hitting targets at a significant altitude. But at the time there was no other confirmation of its location on the territory of Ukraine at the time. This is a conversation between “Oleg” Bugrov Oleg Yevgenievich, chief of headquarters of Lugansk People's Republic's Army, deputy defense minister of the Lugansk People's Republic, and “Oreon” - a citizen of Russian Federation, officer of Main Intelligence Department of the Main Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Oreon says: “We have a Buk now, fuck it! We will shoot them down.”
July 17, 1 a.m. SBU's counter-intelligence department receives information that Russian Federation passed a Buk, complete with a team, to the terrorist groups in Ukraine. It was transferred over the border close to the town of Sukhodolsk at 1 a.m.
July 17, 9:00 a.m. Buk was moved to Donetsk, and later to Pervomaisk. The information comes from another tapped conversation released by the SBU where two terrorists, identified as “Khmuryi” (Sergei Nikolayevich Petrovskiy, officer of Main Intelligence Department of the Main Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation) and “Buryat” (an unidentified fighter of Donetsk People's Republic) discuss what to do with the missile launch system. Buryat says he brought one system, and it needs to be hidden. But Khmurui says it will traveling along with tanks of Vostok battalion, and directs the Buk to Pervomaisk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgdqdklrqDA
July 18, 4:50 a.m. -- Interior Ministry's intelligence unit recorded a crawler tractor carrying a missile system moving towards the border of the Russian Federation. The video clearly shows missiles, but the middle one of three is missing.
“We're analyzing this and other collected information. We think this is the very Buk system which shot at the civilian plane flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur,” Avakov said. He said that the terrorists were “trying to hide evidence of the terrible crime.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4HJmev5xg0
Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for Kenya bus attack
Somalia's al-Qaida-linked group says it was behind attack that killed seven people near coastal town of Witu
Somalia's al-Qaida-linked al-Shabaab movement has claimed to be behind an attack by gunmen on a bus in Kenya that has killed seven people.According to the Kenya Red Cross, two of the victims were security officials and five were civilians. Friday night's attack took place on the northern coast at Corner Mbaya, just outside the town of Witu. Previous coastal attacks have claimed at least 87 lives.
Gunmen blocked the bus with their car and sprayed it with bullets. According to Kenyan police, they also opened fire on a police car which had stopped to intervene, as well as a third car. Two lorries carrying mangos were also targeted, according to Reuters. Authorities believe many of the survivors of the attack in the 52-seater bus fled into a nearby forest.
Al-Shabaab has also taken responsibility for previous attacks in the area but the Kenyan government insists local political networks have been behind these. Despite the heavy deployment of security forces in the region following attacks in June and early July, the raids have continued.
Al-Shabaab has vowed to carry out a campaign of attacks to punish Kenya for sending its troops into Somalia, where they form part of the African Union force defending the country's beleaguered government. Referring to Friday's incident, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, spokesman for al-Shabaab's military operations, told Reuters: "The attack was in response to Kenya's claim that it deployed more troops in the coast and thus tightened security … Kenya also lied by saying it destroyed al-Shabaab bases there – that is propaganda."
The recent attacks have been taking place near Lamu, an ancient trading port and beach resort. They have damaged Kenya's tourism industry and stirred up local animosities in a region where communities have a history of ethnic tension and conflict over land, water and other resources.
Nigeria's $1bn loan to fight Boko Haram delayed
Nigeria's National
Assembly has broken up for a two-month recess, meaning approval for a
loan to help the military fight Boko Haram must wait.
President Goodluck Jonathan submitted an urgent request to
borrow $1bn (£580m) on the penultimate day of parliamentary business. Analysts say it would normally take several days for such a loan to be passed.
Boko Haram's campaign to establish an Islamic state has killed thousands.
Mr Jonathan has faced intense criticism over the government's failure to curb the increasingly brutal insurgency waged by Boko Haram.
The group caused international outrage in April when it abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in its heartland of north-eastern Nigeria.
Nigeria has a military budget of about $6bn a year but large sums are lost to corruption, critics say.
Emergency law In the letter to the Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday, Mr Jonathan said there was an "urgent need" to upgrade the equipment, training and logistics of the armed forces and security services to help them confront the "serious threat" posed by Boko Haram.
On the run from international military effort, Kony's rebels change tactics to survive
OBO, Central African Republic – Knives, ropes, tarpaulins, AK-47s, and gun lubricant. These are some of the items handed over to the Ugandan army by three fighters who defected last month from Joseph Kony's rebels, the Lord's Resistance Army, in Central African Republic.In the bush, where the men had lived for years, these prized possessions were essential for survival and now provide insight into how members of the brutal group are able to evade U.S.-backed African troops chasing them.
Ugandan military commanders, who head an African Union-mandated mission to catch or kill Kony, say the challenge is locating the enemy in sparsely populated, lawless territory where threats range from wild animals to other dangerous militias.
"The biggest problem is not how to fight but finding the rebels," said Ugandan Col. Michael Kabango, the top commander of Ugandan troops in Central African Republic.
Often the rebels remain a step ahead of their pursuers because they never spend many nights in one place. They are also inventive. To cross crocodile-infested rivers, for instance, the rebels make rafts out of rope and plastic scrap.
-
Forbes Media sold to Chinese group Integrated Whale
After 97 years of family
ownership, Forbes Media has announced it has sold a majority stake in
the company to a Hong Kong-based group of international investors.
Forbes Media - which includes Forbes magazine - was sold to Integrated Whale Media Investments for an undisclosed sum.The Forbes family said it would still have a "significant" stake.
Steve Forbes will remain as chairman and editor-in-chief.
"While today marks a fundamental turning point in this 97-year-old company founded by my grandfather, it should be seen as an opportunity to continue and strengthen our mission," said Mr Forbes in a blog post announcing the sale.
Forbes - which says it reaches 75 million people worldwide every month through its print, digital, TV, conferences and research ventures - began looking for a buyer last November.
Forbes will continue to be headquartered in the US, but announced plans for an international expansion.
Company Cofounded by Paul Pelosi Jr. Charged with Securities Fraud
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged a company cofounded by Paul Pelosi Jr. with fraud on Wednesday after learning that two convicted criminals were running the business.Paul Pelosi Jr., the son of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), was the president and chief operating officer of Natural Blue Resources Inc., an investment company he cofounded that focuses on “environmentally-friendly” ventures.
The SEC charged four individuals with fraud, including former New Mexico Gov. Toney Anaya, and suspended trading in the company’s stock. Pelosi owned over 10 million shares in the company in 2009.
The SEC said Wednesday the company was “secretly controlled” by James E. Cohen and Joseph Corazzi, both of whom had previous fraud convictions. Corazzi violated federal securities laws and was barred from acting as an officer or director of a public company. Cohen was previously incarcerated for financial fraud.
Cohen and Corazzi said they were “outside consultants,” but according to the SEC, they actually controlled Natural Blue’s business decisions “without disclosing their past brushes with the law to investors.” The pair made hundreds of thousands of dollars off the company.
“Cohen and Corazzi concealed their involvement through a so-called ‘consulting’ agreement, but their influence over the issuer spread much further,” said Andrew J. Ceresney, director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division. “Investors in Natural Blue had a right to know who was running the company behind the scenes.”
The SEC suspended trading in Natural Blue stock. A notice filed in the Federal Register on Wednesday by Jill M. Peterson, assistant secretary of the SEC, revealed that the company has not filed any periodic reports, which are required by law, with the SEC in four years.
Detroit Water Shutoffs Prompt Mass Protest, More Calls For Moratorium
DETROIT -- Throngs of progressive activists, union members and Detroit residents streamed through downtown on Friday to protest the controversial water shutoffs that are leaving homes here dry.With chants of "water is a human right" and "no water, no peace," protesters demanded an end to the shutoff of past-due accounts and declared the situation a public health emergency. Detroit police arrested nine demonstrators, including one in a wheelchair, outside a facility used by city water contractors earlier in the day.
"This whole water situation is so egregious, so unfair and unreasonable," said Richard Hairston, 63, a Detroit retiree who marched with the crowd. "There's an awful lot of anger. Water is just too essential to play with in this manner. Detroiters are going to fight back in the event this thing is not done in a thoughtful and considerate way."
The water utility has recently ramped up the shutoffs as it seeks to collect an estimated $90 million in past-due water bills. Detroit, which last year became the largest U.S. city ever to file for bankruptcy, has said that roughly 90,000 customers have outstanding accounts, with about 17,000 residents on payment plans.
Although the city has pledged to work with residents who are trying to make good on their tabs, several locals who took part in the protest Friday said the city should have more sympathy for residents who are struggling.
House staffer arrested for carrying handgun at Capitol
A staff member for a Pennsylvania congressman was arrested
Friday after carrying a handgun and magazine into the Cannon House
Office building, U.S. Capitol Police said.
Ryan Shucard, press secretary for Republican Rep. Tom Marino, was arrested Friday morning. Marino is in his second term representing northeastern Pennsylvania.
A spokesman for Capitol Police said Shucard entered the Cannon
building Friday morning with a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun and
magazine that was discovered by a metal detector. Shucard is charged
with a carrying a pistol without a license, a felony.
Bill Tighe, the congressman's chief of staff, said Shucard has been placed on unpaid leave. Shucard started with Marino's office in May.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Shucard is a University of Northern Colorado graduate and previously worked for former Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn.
"The eastern US has the potential for larger and more damaging earthquakes than considered in previous maps and assessments," the report states.
The East Coast experienced one of its largest quakes for 100 years in 2011.
The 5.8 magnitude quake was centred on rural Virginia but was felt by hundreds of thousands of people, including in Washington DC.
Parts of states including Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and California remain at the highest risk of seismic activity.
Major fault lines exist along the entire US West Coast, as well as in the Midwest near Illinois and Missouri.
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Ryan Shucard, press secretary for Republican Rep. Tom Marino, was arrested Friday morning. Marino is in his second term representing northeastern Pennsylvania.
Bill Tighe, the congressman's chief of staff, said Shucard has been placed on unpaid leave. Shucard started with Marino's office in May.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Shucard is a University of Northern Colorado graduate and previously worked for former Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn.
Higher earthquake risk for eastern US
A new US geological
survey indicates that some parts of the US are at an increased risk of
earthquakes, especially along the east coast.
New seismic hazard maps updated for the first time since 2008 show highest risk west but also increased risk east."The eastern US has the potential for larger and more damaging earthquakes than considered in previous maps and assessments," the report states.
The East Coast experienced one of its largest quakes for 100 years in 2011.
The 5.8 magnitude quake was centred on rural Virginia but was felt by hundreds of thousands of people, including in Washington DC.
Parts of states including Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and California remain at the highest risk of seismic activity.
Major fault lines exist along the entire US West Coast, as well as in the Midwest near Illinois and Missouri.
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