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U.S. groups expect WTO technology trade deal by July
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A deal among the United States, China, the European Union and nearly two dozen other countries to eliminate duties on billions of dollars of technology products could be reached in the next two months, U.S. technology groups said on Thursday.
"We're quite optimistic we're going to get this across the finish line by the end of July," John Neuffer, a senior vice president at the Information Technology Industry Council, told reporters in a phone call from Geneva, where some members of the World Trade Organization met this week for talks.
The countries are negotiating an expansion of the WTO's Information Technology Agreement, a 16-year-old pact that eliminated duties on a long list of technology products including personal computers, laptops, telephones, fax machines, computer software, semi-conductors and many office machines.
The agreement's original membership has grown to 75 over the years, including the 27 nations of the European Union. That is less than half of the WTO's 159 members, but still encompasses about 97 percent of global trade in the products.
On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to the WTO Michael Punke said he hoped for a "lot of progress" in coming months in talks on expanding the agreement.
"There is no reason logistically why we couldn't wrap up the ITA discussion sooner rather than later," Punke said, although he resisted predicting when a deal would be reached.
About $4 trillion in current trade is covered by the current pact, according to the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, a Washington think tank which estimates that an expanded agreement could cover $800 billion in additional trade.
U.S. consumer electronic companies are particularly eager to see the agreement expanded to cover flat-screen displays used both as computer monitors and for television viewing.
The European Union, which has a 14 percent tariff on flat-screen displays, has resisted including them on the expanded list, apparently fearing that it could prompt U.S. and Asian manufacturers now based in Eastern Europe to relocate.
While computers were covered by the original agreement, television sets were not.
But now, "you can take a computer screen and watch TV on it and you can take a TV and access the Internet," said Sage Chandler, director of international trade for the Consumer Electronics Association.
"We have had long discussions with Europe about this and we're hoping to move the ball forward," Chandler said.
The United States also wants to include other consumer products such as speakers and headsets, as well as additional electronic components such as new semi-conductor products.
More than 20 members of the current ITA agreement, including big players like India and Indonesia, have so far decided to stay of the talks on the expanded pact.
But even at this late stage of the negotiations, U.S. industry continues to reach out to them in the hope that they will decide to come in, Neuffer said.
(Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Vicki Allen)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-groups-expect-wto-technology-trade-deal-july-161557169.html
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US troubled by verdicts in Tunisia embassy attack
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) ? The U.S. Embassy in Tunisia said Wednesday it is "deeply troubled" that the 20 people convicted of attacking the embassy last year only received suspended sentences.
A mob of some 2,000 people, mostly religious conservatives, attacked the compound on Sept., 14, 2012, destroying cars, property, burning the American flag and a nearby American school, ostensibly in response to a movie in the U.S. that allegedly insulted Islam. Four protesters died in the attack.
Only 20 people were prosecuted for the assault, and the court gave them two-year suspended sentences Tuesday night for attacking property and violating a state of emergency.
"We are deeply troubled by reports of suspended sentences," the embassy said. "The verdicts do not correspond appropriately to the extent and severity of the damage and violence that took place."
The sternly worded statement said Tunisia's government must show there is no tolerance for those resorting to violence to achieve their goals and that the court's "decision fails in this regard."
The leader of the ultraconservative Ansar al-Shariah organization, Seifallah Ben Hassine, is being sought in connection with the attack, but he remains at large after slipping through a police cordon at the time.
The embassy called for an investigation and said those behind the attack should be brought to justice.
The violence was deeply embarrassing to the Tunisian government, which is run by moderate Islamists, and it marked the hardening of the state's position to the rising power of the ultraconservative Muslims known as salafis.
After tolerating them for two years as they became more aggressive in preaching their version of the religion and attacking aspects of society they disliked, government started cracking down on them.
On May 19, police prevented Ansar al-Shariah from holding its annual conference and insisted the salafis get permission before holding impromptu preaching sessions on the streets of Tunisia's cities.
Seventy-three people were arrested in connection with the attack on the embassy. Of those only 20 were prosecuted. The one-session trial was unusually brief for such cases.
Tunisians overthrew their long-ruling dictator in January 2011, sparking pro-democracy uprisings across the region. The transition, however, has been wracked by unrest and included the rise of extremist Islamist groups that have battled to increase religiosity in this country of 10 million people.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-troubled-verdicts-tunisia-embassy-attack-184647820.html
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Motorcycle injuries worsen with weaker helmet law
FILE - In this June 12, 2008 file photo, Randy Knauff takes off from work without a helmet on his motorcycle in Harmony, Pa. Across the nation, motorcyclists opposed to mandatory helmet use have been chipping away at state helmet laws for years while crash deaths have been on the rise. Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia require all motorcyclists to wear a helmet, 28 states, including Pennsylvania, require only some motorcyclists _ usually younger or novice riders _ to wear a helmet, and three states have no helmet use law. States have been gradually repealing or weakening mandatory helmet laws for nearly two decades. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)
FILE - In this June 12, 2008 file photo, Randy Knauff takes off from work without a helmet on his motorcycle in Harmony, Pa. Across the nation, motorcyclists opposed to mandatory helmet use have been chipping away at state helmet laws for years while crash deaths have been on the rise. Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia require all motorcyclists to wear a helmet, 28 states, including Pennsylvania, require only some motorcyclists _ usually younger or novice riders _ to wear a helmet, and three states have no helmet use law. States have been gradually repealing or weakening mandatory helmet laws for nearly two decades. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The average medical claim from a motorcycle crash rose by more than one-fifth last year in Michigan after the state stopped requiring all riders to wear helmets, according to an insurance industry study. Across the nation, motorcyclists opposed to mandatory helmet use have been chipping away at state helmet laws for years while crash deaths have been on the rise.
For more than 40 years, Michigan required all motorcycle riders to wear helmets. State legislators changed the law last year so that only riders younger than 21 must wear helmets. The average insurance payment on a motorcycle injury claim was $5,410 in the two years before the law was changed, and $7,257 after it was changed ? an increase of 34 percent, the study by the Highway Loss Data Institute found.
After adjusting for the age and type of motorcycle, rider age, gender, marital status, weather and other factors, the actual increase was about 22 percent relative to a group of four comparative states, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin, the study found.
"The cost per injury claim is significantly higher after the law changed than before, which is consistent with other research that shows riding without a helmet leads to more head injuries," said David Zuby, chief research officer for the data institute and an affiliated organization, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The data institute publishes insurance loss statistics on most car, SUV, pickup truck and motorcycle models on U.S. roads.
While other studies have shown an increase motorcycle deaths after states eliminate or weaken mandatory helmet requirements, the industry study is the first to look specifically at the effect of repealing helmet requirements on the severity of injuries as measured by medical insurance claims, Zuby said.
Some states have sought to mitigate the repeal or loosening of mandatory helmet laws by setting minimum medical insurance requirements, but "that doesn't even come close to covering the lifelong care of somebody who is severely brain-injured and who cannot work and who is going to be on Medicaid and a ward of the state," said Jackie Gillan, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, which backs mandatory helmet requirements for all riders.
Jeff Hennie, vice president of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, dismissed the study, saying the insurance industry views helmets as "the silver bullet that's going to change the landscape of motorcycle safety." He said insurers are upset because "life has gotten more expensive for them and they have to pay out more."
"The fact is our highways are bloody," Hennie said. "This (the Michigan helmet law change) doesn't make helmets illegal. ... No one is forcing anyone to ride without a helmet."
Vince Consiglio, president of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education of Michigan, blamed the increase in the severity of injuries on bikers who don't take safety courses required to obtain a special motorcycle license. He said bikers without motorcycle licenses have made up an increasingly larger share of fatalities and injuries in recent years.
But Gillan said the study "clearly shows there is no such thing as a free ride, and the public is paying the cost for this."
There's no way to know how many of the Michigan claims involved motorcyclists not wearing helmets, the study said. But another recent study by the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute found a significant increase in motorcyclists involved in crashes who weren't wearing helmets after the law changed. From April 13, 2012, the first full day after the change took effect, through the end of the year, 74 percent of motorcyclists involved in crashes were wearing helmets, compared with 98 percent in the same period for the previous four years, the study found.
Nationally, motorcycle deaths have risen in 14 of the past 15 years, and appear to have reached an all-time high of more than 5,000, according to an analysis by the Governors Highway Safety Association of preliminary 2012 data.
Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia require all motorcyclists to wear a helmet, 28 states require only some motorcyclists ? usually younger or novice riders ? to wear a helmet, and three states have no helmet use law. States have been gradually repealing or weakening mandatory helmet laws for nearly two decades.
In 1967, to increase motorcycle helmet use, the federal government required that states enact helmet laws in order to qualify for certain federal safety programs and highway construction aid. The federal incentive worked. By the early 1970s, almost all states had motorcycle helmet laws that covered all riders. In 1976, Congress stopped the Transportation Department from assessing financial penalties on states without helmet laws, and state lawmakers began repealing the statutes.
In 1991, Congress created new incentives for states to enact helmet and seat belt laws, but reversed itself four years later.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which sent observers to states last year to count how many motorcyclists wore helmets, found that 97 percent of motorcyclists in states with universal helmet laws were wearing helmets compared with 58 percent of motorcyclists in states without such coverage.
___
Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy
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International Sales Executive - Recruitment Plus - Jobs.ie - Jobs in ...
International Sales Executive
Commutable from: Louth/Meath/Monaghan/Cavan/North East
Reporting to the International Sales Director, the International Sales Executive will have the following responsibilities:
- To regularly communicate with both Intercompany and Third Party customers to ensure that they are aware of all current and future product developments.
- To work with existing third party distributors to grow sales.
- In conjunction with our R&D department, identify new product development ideas based on the needs of the markets
- In conjunction with the marketing department develop marketing campaigns targeting existing and potential customers
- The role will require travel up to 40% of the time.
- Must be Degree qualified in Marketing or International Business study.
- The salary being offered is up to ?25,000 per annum and will also include a bonus opportunity.
For more information, please contact Zuzana Foley now on 0429356910 or email your CV to Zuzana
Unfortunately, Recruitment Plus is not in a position to respond to each individual application due to the high volume of submissions.? We will only contact those candidates whose CV matches the criteria for the ?vacancy.? You are welcome to contact the consultant directly if you so wish. Thank you for your patience.
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Chicago hacker pleads guilty in Anonymous-linked case
By Nate Raymond
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A computer hacker linked to the group known as Anonymous pleaded guilty on Tuesday to breaking into a global intelligence company.
Jeremy Hammond of Chicago admitted to hacking into Strategic Forecasting Inc, based in Austin, Texas, in December 2011. He also admitted to being involved in hacks at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other entities and agencies.
Hammond and his co-conspirators stole confidential information, including about 60,000 credit card numbers and records for 860,000 clients of Strategic Forecasting, or Stratfor, and uploaded it to a server in New York, prosecutors said.
"I knew what I was doing was against the law," Hammond said in court on Tuesday.
Hammond faces a maximum 10 year sentence on the charge of conspiracy to engage in computer hacking. U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska in New York set sentencing for September 6.
Prosecutors said Hammond, 28, went by the nickname "Anarchaos" and participated in a series of hacks by groups called AntiSec and LulzSec, which are loosely associated with Anonymous.
Anonymous and other loosely affiliated hacking groups have taken credit for carrying out attacks against the CIA, Britain's Serious Organized Crime Agency and companies such as Japan's Sony Corp. Authorities have arrested a number of the group's key players.
"While he billed himself as fighting for an anarchist cause, in reality, Jeremy Hammond caused personal and financial chaos for individuals whose identities and money he took and for companies whose businesses he decided he didn't like," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said.
Hammond also admitted to participating in a series of hacks on government and business entities including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association and the Jefferson County, Alabama, Sheriff's Office.
U.S. authorities announced Hammond's arrest in March along with charges against five other hackers who they alleged were also aligned with Anonymous, a loose-knit group of hackers.
(Reporting by Nate Raymond; editing by Andrew Hay)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chicago-hacker-pleads-guilty-anonymous-linked-case-181358175.html
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More at-risk bird species in Brazilian forest than previously thought
May 29, 2013 ? In a study published today in the journal PLOS ONE, a team of researchers led by NJIT Associate Professor Gareth Russell has applied a novel method for linking large-scale habitat fragmentation to population sustainability.
"Our goal was to assess the extinction risk for bird species in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, a global 'hotspot' of bird diversity," said Russell. "Based on elevation restrictions and forest type requirements, as well as ongoing tropical deforestation, we already knew that most species have access to far less habitat than typically assumed. But what habitat remains is also highly fragmented. Looking at area alone is not enough."
Other researchers included Stuart Pimm, Doris Duke Professor of Conservation Ecology, Duke University; Grant Harris, chief of biological sciences (Southwest region), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and Jessica Schnell, recently graduated, now at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany.
More accurate habitat maps show the extent of fragmentation, but researchers still must link the particular habitat distribution of a species to its extinction risk in an objective and consistent manner.
In a recent, more technical publication in the journal Conservation Biology, the same authors showed that a modified version of a metric called meta-population capacity has the right characteristics to assess the impact of fragmentation. Meta-population capacity takes information about the sizes of fragments and the distances separating them and summarizes the influence of these geographic factors on long-term population persistence.
The current study applied this metric to 127 forest-dependent passerine birds inhabiting the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, an area that has lost over 90 percent of its original forest. There were two key results:
First, the species fell into two distinct groups: those where the fragmentation impact was severe, and those where it was relatively mild. There were few species in the middle. This immediately suggests a straightforward way in which fragmentation patterns can contribute to threat assessment.
The authors also found that out of 58 species that have severely fragmented habitat, 28 are not currently considered to be threatened, according to the latest red list published by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Taking these results into consideration, the authors recommend that the classification of these species be reexamined.
Russell also hopes this work will have a broader impact. "Assessing extinction risk is enormously challenging, and the dedicated teams that do this work are faced with many unknowns," he said. "The most endangered species are often the most rare, and therefore also the hardest to find and study. Our approach requires only basic knowledge about a species, but optimizes that information by linking it to the recent flood of data about the environment."
The researchers believe that their work could be applied widely, helping to identify at-risk species from many different groups and from many regions of the planet.
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