DoJ, FBI open investigations into Charlottesville violence

 

   Militia members face off against counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Va. on Saturday. Photo by      Virginia State Police

   

The U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI said they would launch investigations into the Charlottesville, Va., demonstrations during which one anti-racism protester, opposed to the white nationalist gatherings, was killed.

In the deadly incident amid larger protests, a car plowed into a crowd of protesters opposed to white nationalist rallies being held in the Va. city. Authorities identified the victim as 32-year-old Heather Heyer, a paralegal from Greene County.

"The violence and deaths in Charlottesville strike at the heart of American law and justice. When such actions arise from racial bigotry and hatred, they betray our core values and cannot be tolerated. I have talked with FBI Director Chris Wray, FBI agents on the scene and law enforcement officials for the state of Virginia," Attorney General Jeff Sessions wrote in a statement on Saturday. "The FBI has been supporting state and local authorities throughout the day. U.S. Attorney Rock Mountcastle has commenced a federal investigation and will have the full support of the Department of Justice. Justice will prevail."

Cellphone video of Saturday's attack showed the vehicle, a gray Dodge Challenger, driving at high speed into a narrow street crowded with protesters opposing the white nationalists who flooded Charlottesville for one of the movement's largest rallies in years.

After entering the crowd, the car reversed back down the street striking additional pedestrians, revealing severe front-end damage and a smashed windshield.
Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas called the incident "premeditated violence" and said it "is being treated as a criminal homicide investigation."

Thomas said the male driver was arrested shortly after the incident. The vehicle's license plate is visible in the video and The Washington Post reported it is registered to James Alex Fields, 20, of Maumee, Ohio, near Toledo. Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail Superintendent Martin Kumer confirmed to the newspaper Fields was booked on several charges, including suspicion of second-degree murder. He is being held without bail.

"The Richmond FBI Field Office, the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia have opened a civil rights investigation into the circumstances of the deadly vehicular incident that occurred earlier Saturday morning," the FBI said in a statement on Saturday. "The FBI will collect all available facts and evidence, and as this is an ongoing investigation we are not able to comment further at this time."

The University of Virginia Medical Center said 19 people were also injured in the car-ramming incident, while 15 others were wounded in events associated with the scheduled protest.

Two Virginia State Patrol troopers -- identified as pilot Lt. H. Jay Cullen, 48, and Trooper Berke M.M. Bates, who would have turned 41 on Sunday -- also died when a helicopter crashed near Charlottesville after monitoring the incidents on Saturday.

Iran's parliament votes to increase spending on missile program

Iran's parliament has voted to funnel more funds to the nation's ballistic missile program. During Sunday's voting session, 240 out of 244 legislators approved the missile spending bill.

This legislation was described as an effort to "counter America's terrorist and adventurist actions in the region" and heralded as a justified response to new sanctions adopted by the United States earlier this summer.

In July, Iran launched a satellite-capable rocket into space. The launch did not violate the terms of the 2015 nuclear treaty between the United States, Iran and Western nations, but the move was strongly criticized by the U.S. and other Western allies.

In response to the launch, President Trump signed a bill outlining new sanctions against several Iranian groups, freezing funds and outlawing U.S. citizens from doing businesses with the targets.

With the newly passed funding bill, Iran's parliament offered a rebuke of the U.S. sanctions.

"The Americans should know that this was our first action," speaker Ali Larijani said after announcing the voting results -- according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

The bill still needs to pass a second vote before it is delivered to a clerical body for review and passage into law. The legislation would divide 20 trillion rials, or $609 million, between the missile program and the Quds Force, a special forces unit of the nation's Revolutionary Guards.

Marks Maponyane found guilty of assaulting wife

JOHANNESBURG - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has confirmed that retired footballer Marks Maponyane has been found guilty of assaulting his wife, Sylvia.

On Friday, the sports commentator was given a fine of R3,000 or a 6 months suspended jail sentence.

He had admitted to the abuse.

The NPA’s Phindi Mjonondwane says, “It proves that all are equal before the law. So, irrespective of Mr Maponyane social standing in the society, he has been found guilty of an offence and was sentenced accordingly.”

What’s happening inside the ANC, not parliament, is key to why Zuma prevails

What matters inside the African National Congress, the party that governs South Africa, is not necessarily what matters outside it. This obvious point is missed by much of the commentary on the latest unsuccessful motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma – and in much discussion of South African politics.

One result of ignoring this reality is the claim that the vote seriously weakened Zuma because several dozen ANC members of parliament supported the motion or abstained.

This was the first time some ANC MPs supported a motion of no confidence in an ANC president. But, while Zuma came within 21 votes of losing in parliament, he was probably backed by 80% or more of the ANC caucus. Most of the votes against him were cast by opposition MPs, who do not have a say in who is ANC president, not ANC members, who do.

Unless parliament passes a motion of no confidence in him, which is not on the cards any time soon, his future depends on whether he was weakened in the ANC, not parliament.

Within the ANC, Zuma’s future is not the absorbing fixation it is outside it.

Loyalty amid factionalism

For many outside the ANC, politicians are defined by whether they want Zuma to go. Inside it, the key reality is a battle between two factions: Zuma’s is accused by its opponents, whose likeliest presidential candidate is deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, of using public office to advance private interests. While Zuma is supported by one and opposed by the other, both know he does not shape what the ANC and government do on his own – he acts as part of a faction. If he goes and the faction wins, nothing changes and so for both sides, winning the factional battle is far more important than Zuma’s fate.

The contest is centred on winning the leadership elections at the ANC’s December national elective conference. What both sides do, they do with that in mind – Zuma’s fate is a product of this battle.

Key figures in the factions also want to run an ANC in good shape to win the next election and so they worry about splitting or damaging the organisation. If doing what matters to people outside the ANC risks harming it, they will not do it.

There is no evidence yet that the vote weakened Zuma’s faction. Because the vote was secret, we don’t know which MPs voted for him to go. But common sense suggests that they are not pro-Zuma faction members who changed sides but staunch members of the group which wants him gone. So the anti-Zuma group has not grown because some of its members expressed themselves more forcefully.

Nor does it show that the tide within the ANC is moving against Zuma. What matters inside the ANC, but not outside it, is loyalty to the organisation. For many years it was banned and under constant attack – this produced a culture in which the default position is to close ranks in the face of what it sees as outside attack. This made the dissent by ANC MPs a huge step for them. But there is no reason why their view should be shared by others – given the premium on loyalty, their decision could help the pro-Zuma faction by discrediting its opposition.

This misfit between the logic of ANC politics and that outside it explains other aspects of the no confidence vote which have caused confusion. One is that figures such as secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and chief whip Jackson Mthembu worked to get ANC MPs to defeat the motion although they oppose Zuma’s faction; the SA Communist Party, which has called on Zuma to go, did not ask its members to support the motion.

They did this not because they have switched sides but because they believed Zuma’s defeat in a no confidence vote was unlikely – and would not help them if it happened. The opposing faction would still be there, as strong as before. They might be strong enough to replace Zuma with another member of the faction, changing nothing. Or, more likely, the deadlock between the factions would tear the ANC apart and might allow the opposition to elect a president by default. So they preferred to feign loyalty and to work to take over the ANC in December.

Balance of power

This means that the overwhelming ANC caucus vote against the motion does not tell us that the faction to which Zuma belongs is winning and will control the ANC after December. Many MPs who voted against the anti-Zuma motion may be part of the faction which wants him gone: they may have voted as they did because the leaders of their faction told them that strategy made this necessary. So the balance of power in the ANC, which decided who will lead it next year, may not have been affected either way by the no confidence vote.

What is happening inside the ANC may not be morally uplifting. But nor is it about foolishness or hypocrisy. It stems from decisions which are entirely logical if what matters inside the ANC matters to you. If everyone outside the ANC wants to grasp what is happening and where it might lead, they need to understand what matters inside the ANC.

South African business must own up to its part in the corruption scandals

South Africa is reeling from a string of scandals involving state owned enterprises and the Guptas, a family with close ties to President Jacob Zuma. A trove of recently leaked Gupta emails exposed the involvement of prominent businesses in the extensive corruption networks.

Mills Soko  explains the implications of the scandals.

What do you make of the situation?

If nothing else, the Gupta leaks have shown us how perilously close South Africa is to losing everything so many people fought so hard for. Not only does corruption divert capital allocated for public services away from the poor, it hollows out important state institutions and, ultimately, frays the social and economic fabric of the country. It threatens the hard won democracy and political stability.

The ongoing revelations around state capture and patronage are giving South Africans an unprecedented and frightening glimpse into the machinery of corruption. The most unnerving element of the emails is how many of the transactions appear blatant and almost casual. The absolute cynicism and lack of ethics revealed in this correspondence is breath taking.

What we do with this knowledge as a country is going to count for everything. As a business community we can look away and call these tales of corruption isolated incidents – or we can step up to ensure that our organisations hold themselves to a higher standard. Most critically the law must take its course.

What does it tell us about the role of business?

The emails remind us that in any corrupt interaction it takes two to tango. And while governments and public money are so often at the centre, the enablers of corruption are not in government but in the private sector.

With the Gupta’s at the centre of the rot, prominent international companies like accounting firm KPMG, consulting giant McKinsey, ICT player SAP, engineering company Liebherr and capital equipment manufacturer Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries have been implicated in the mounting scandal. It’s worrying to see that companies of such calibre can be involved in such nefarious activity.

Corruption is, of course, not a new phenomenon – and nor is it unique to South Africa, as the Global Corruption Index shows. But certainly, the scale of what is going on in South Africa right now is unprecedented.

How do you rate the responses by the implicated businesses?

Companies have scrambled to distance themselves from the reputational firestorm that the Gupta leaks have unleashed. McKinsey acted promptly to suspend Vikas Sagar, a director in its South African office, to allow an internal investigation to proceed. For its part SAP, which originally denied the allegations, has similarly suspended South African staff while launching a full anti-corruption investigation , which is to be carried out by a multinational law firm and overseen by its executive board member Adaire Fox-Martin.

It’s convenient to blame these incidents on bad apples. But this doesn’t get below the surface of what is really going on. The scale of the corruption and the apparent ease with which it has been unfolding speaks to the fact that something is very wrong with the system. And it highlights an utter lack of business ethics and governance failures. This isn’t something the country can afford.

What should be done to root out the corruption?

While all of this may seem overwhelming, what is unfolding also presents the business community with an opportunity for some introspection. Calls have been made for greater purpose and responsibility on the part of South African leaders.

But how can we make sure these fine words and intentions are internalised? How do we make sure as a country that our business as well as our state institutions are committed to not allowing this to happen ever again?

Educational institutions, business schools in particular, are positioned as a first-line duty in making sure that graduates are equipped to recognise and reject corruption in any form. The country needs business leaders who are committed to building sustainable and profitable businesses but who are also mindful of their social and ethical obligations.

Citizens as workers and consumers also have a significant role to play. As individuals working in companies and purchasing goods and services from companies, they can condemn unethical behaviour from companies. This was partly reflected in how the general public put pressure on Bell Pottinger the UK based public relations firm which did work for the Gupta’s.

By rounding on Bell Pottinger, effectively causing the company to lock its Twitter account and issue a formal and unprecedented apology to the country (even though they also blamed the fiasco on bad apples rather than the system), South Africans have shown the power they can wield when united against wrongdoing.

But the country needs to go further. While government and business have not enjoyed the best relationship in recent times, they need to bury the hatchet and come together to fix the inequalities in this country. Deep divisions have laid South Africa open to the kind of racist exploitation that Bell Pottinger unleashed.

Until the country rights this situation, it will continue to remain vulnerable to these kinds of nefarious influences. South Africa needs to be united in the spirit of building a country that works for everyone – not just a select few. Things are broken, yes – but it’s not impossible to repair the damage.

Pregnant women shouldn’t start taking vitamin B3 just yet: reports it prevents miscarriage and birth defects are overblown

Reports on a new study claim supplementation with vitamin B3 during pregnancy could prevent miscarriages and birth defects.

So should all pregnant women start taking B3 supplements? Not so fast. While this is an interesting and well-done study, the researchers didn’t actually give vitamin B3 to any humans, so we need a lot more information before we can recommend it.

What the study found

The study identified genetic causes of a rare type of birth defect called “VACTERL association”. VACTERL stands for vertebral defects, anal atresia (problems with the tissue closing the anus), cardiac defects, tracheo-esophageal fistula (an abnormal connection between the windpipe and the foodpipe), renal anomalies (kidney defects), and limb abnormalities. Affected babies have anomalies in at least three of these.

US statistics show about one in 10,000-40,000 babies are affected by VACTERL association and some of these babies die. There are about 310,000 babies born in Australia each year.

The study authors looked at the genes of 13 families affected by this type of birth defect. For the defect to be passed on to offspring it has to be present in both parents’ genes - if it’s only present in one gene the other healthy one will compensate.

They pinpointed the variations in two genes responsible for these defects in four of the families. These two genes play a role in making “nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide” or NAD, which helps cells make energy out of glucose. NAD also assists in repairing DNA. NAD is synthesised in the body from tryptophan, an amino acid, or from niacin, also known as vitamin B3.

Then the authors genetically engineered mice and deleted these genes. They found that without them the mice had NAD deficiency, and similar malformations in their offspring.

However, when they provided extra niacin to pregnant mice, the pups were relatively normal despite the absent gene.


What does this mean?

This does NOT mean that taking niacin/vitamin B3 in pregnancy prevents miscarriages and all birth defects.

It means that high levels of niacin in pregnancy compensates for defects in the two selected genes, and prevents mice from experiencing miscarriage and birth defects in offspring. The paper does not report on human miscarriage or on malformations in human organs. The study did not supplement pregnant women with vitamin B3, or with anything else.

There have been previous studies showing mutations in other genes are also associated with VACTERL and it’s likely that different genes contribute to these malformations. Not all babies with VACTERL will have the same mutations.

But it’s important we understand the role of different genes in birth anomalies and this paper has not only identified genetic mutations in two genes, but also the mechanism by which they cause them and an easily obtained potential remedy for these cases.

Other causes of miscarriage

A large number of genes when deleted in mice have been shown to cause miscarriage and malformations. Many of these are not involved in the NAD pathway. Most have not been associated with human miscarriage but a few may be.

For example, deficiency in an immune system molecule (cytokine) called “GM-CSF” has been shown to cause miscarriage and defects in the placenta in mice. Addition of this molecule to IVF embryos prevents miscarriage in mice and in humans prevents miscarriage in high-risk women (those who have previously had a miscarriage following IVF). This is but one example unrelated to NAD.

Can supplements prevent birth defects?

From 1986-2007, 5.9% of South Australian births (so 590 out of 10,000) were complicated by congenital malformations, most of which were not severe or life threatening. The most common malformations are in the urinary and genital systems (164/10,000 births) and the cardiovascular system (119/10,000) and range from mild to severe life-threatening malformations requiring extensive surgery.

For many of these there is no known cause nor remedy. For neural tube (brain and spine/spinal cord) defects such as spina bifida (which occur in 16 in 10,000 births), maternal supplementation with folic acid from one month before conception and in the first trimester of pregnancy has been shown to reduce their incidence.

The Australian population is not considered to be deficient in niacin. Most breakfast cereals have niacin added to them as do some flours for baking; it is also present in meat, green vegetables and whole grain cereals.

A 2010 study in California showed that in women who did not use micronutrient supplements in pregnancy, low dietary intakes of folate, niacin, riboflavin, and vitamins B12, A and E were associated with one specific major heart defect but not another. So not one, but a number of micronutrients are involved in birth defects, notably several B vitamins.

Clearly, folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube defects has been successful, but emerging evidence suggests a potential downside. Specifically, the babies of women who supplemented with folic acid in late pregnancy were more likely to have persistent asthma in early childhood.

Since 2009 we’ve had mandatory fortification of flour for bread-making with folic acid in Australia and New Zealand. Together with folic acid supplementation in pregnancy, pregnant women are getting high amounts of folic acid. Given folate plays a part in gene expression (the process by which information from a gene is used), it’s possible too much may not be a good thing. But we’re yet to see hard evidence of this.

This new study is scientifically excellent and the authors have great credentials. But media reports, and the research institution itself, have made claims not supported by the science. Whether niacin is useful in human miscarriage has not been studied. The birth defects studied in the paper are rare and whether the findings apply to others is yet to be determined.

So potential parents need to be aware that, no, we have not found a way to prevent miscarriages and birth defects. And potential mothers should not start supplementing their diets with high levels of vitamin B3 because it hasn’t been tested in humans, and we don’t know what effects it will have.

While in Dubai : Slow down

Roads in UAE are among the best in the world. Signal-free stretches for miles together and wide eight-lane roads will tempt anyone to push the pedal to the metal. And that's when accidents happen. So slow down. Below are details of traffic speed limits in the country.

Al Khail

Maximum speed

100

Radar flash

121

Emirates

Maximum speed

120

Radar flash

141

Mohammed Bin Zayed

Maximum speed

120

Radar flash

141

Jabal Ali-Lehbab

Maximum speed

60/100/120

Radar flash

Al Ittihad

Maximum speed

100

Radar flash

121

Ras Al Khor

Maximum speed

100

Radar flash

121

Sheikh Zayed

Maximum speed

100/120

Radar flash

121/141

Al Rabat

Maximum speed

100

Radar flash

121

Al Khawaneej

Maximum speed

100

Radar flash

121

Sheikh Rashid

Maximum speed

100

Radar flash

121

Hatta Main

Maximum speed

100

Radar flash

121

Dubai-Al Ain

Maximum speed

100/120

Radar flash

10 Best Ways to Comment on Facebook Photos

Ah, the Facebook photo experience! It’s where most of our time goes. While there’s the occasional album you browse hoping to leave no trace of your presence, every once in a while a comment is indeed in order.

Whether it is a friend’s new profile picture, or a picture too ridiculous, too funny, or too adorable to leave without acknowledgement, here’s your guide on figuring out how to leave your mark.

1. The Cute Picture You’re In
This almost always solicits a response along the lines of “so cute! I <3 you!” or “that was such a fun night!” — essentially anything that makes it clear that you and your BFFL had ridiculous amounts of fun that night, and everyone else should be “mad jeals.”

2. The Cute Picture You’re Not In
Typically this requires an “aw you two look great” or “so cute! Hope it was a fun night, we will definitely have to meet up sometime!” Also translated into either “I probably still had more fun than you” or “why wasn’t I invited?”

3. The Picture You Took
From the simple “photo creds” to the slightly more daring “wow, great picture. The photographer must be so talented and good looking,” this comment almost always demands acknowledgement. Often a banner ad for “Whatever, you probably didn’t pick a picture with me because I made you look bad.”

4. Funny Picture
This picture is the perfect venue to demonstrate to the entire facebook community how clever and witty you are. Whether you’re referencing another golden moment, or commenting on how it’s the best they ever looked, this picture is a commenter’s moment to shine.

5. The Picture You Were Cropped Out Of
Once you get past the initial insult (how could they!?) it’s time to seek revenge with a caustic comments like “well you cut out the only good part of this picture,” or worse “Good choice, I looked better than you anyway.” Rough.

6. The Picture Of Your Boyfriend Or Girlfriend
“You look great!” “Wow, you’re beautiful.” “Gorgeous, as always.” There are no other comments. I don’t care if they look like they haven’t slept in a week and there’s an entire plate of spinach stuck in their teeth – don’t risk it.

7. The Nostalgic Picture
This is the comment you post on a picture that everyone else commented on at least six months ago. Typically, this comment is just blatant proof that you’ve been doing some facebook stalking.

8. The Conversation Comment
It’s the conversation that probably shouldn’t even be on a facebook wall, but definitey should not be on a picture. For future reference a picture is not the proper place to ask “do you want to hang out later today?”

9. The Backhanded Comment
This is the one that seems nice the first time you read it, and then you realize – – it’s really not. It’s the comment that says “Great angle!” or “Wow, this picture makes you look great,” it’s the comment version of saying you don’t normally look like this, clearly this picture is false advertisement (a screenshot of this type of comment appears in the teaser spot on the home page).

10. The Unflattering Picture
It’s only funny when it’s someone else. Untag and pretend it doesn’t exist. The more you comment the more it shows up on news feeds.

Commenting is a key aspect of the photo experience, whatever message they’re sending. But for those of us too lazy to come up with witticisms, there’s always the like button.

Men distributing massage cards get jail for assaulting cop

Two men, accused of assaulting a CID police officer while they were distributing massage cards in Naif, were each sentenced to six months in jail on Wednesday.

The two Nigerians, aged 25 and 29, physically assaulted the sergeant and threw stones at him when he handcuffed one of them and then the latter managed to get away. But they were arrested shortly later.

The two men, including a visitor and a cleaner, were found guilty by the Court of First Instance of assaulting an on-duty police officer with the use of solid objects. They will be deported after serving their jail terms.

The incident took place on May 13 around noon when two police officers were patrolling Al Nahda streets to arrest people who drop massage cards on cars.

"We spotted some African men moving around cars and distributing massage cards. When I went to one of them and showed him my police card, he tried to run away. He resisted violently but my fellow cops helped in restraining him and put the handcuffs in one of his hands only," the sergeant, who was assaulted by the pair on trial, said.

"The defendant kept struggling and screaming until his accomplice came to his help. The accomplice threw a stone on me and my leg was injured. The handcuffed man punched me in the face and chest. He also picked up a solid object and hit me with it."

The handcuffed man then managed to break loose and run away together with the other African.

Now, judicial employees in Abu Dhabi can work from home

Judicial employees in Abu Dhabi will now be able to work from home with the introduction of the 'telecommuting' system.

The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department on Wednesday said it has launched the 'Remote Work' system where workers can perform their duties using the new technology 'telecommuting' and without visiting the workplaces.

Telecommuting - also known as remote work or teleworking - is a work arrangement in which employees do not travel, commute or travel to their central place of work and decide to carry out their job from other places, including their homes or some other remote workplace.

Yousef Saeed Al Abri, undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, said the "telecommuting" system promotes flexible working methods, which are based on the use of technology as an enabling tool to enhance productivity and reach the highest level of professional service delivery.

"The new system will ensure the strategic priority of the department in enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of judicial processes and ensure universal access to services," he pointed out.

Al Abri noted that the judicial department will continue to develop mechanisms and procedures in line with the directives of the Government of Abu Dhabi and under the directives of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

He explained that if employees use the mobile technology, it will enable the judicial department to benefit from accomplishing tasks quickly and accurately through the modern technology, thereby achieving its vision of excellence and effectiveness of an independent judicial system and providing quality legal services.

"Assessing employees' performance based on results or performance is the right approach, which highlights the importance of teleworking and its role in increasing productivity and morale among employees," said Al Abri.

"And in turn, it will be reflected in the improvement of services provided to the public."

Yousuf Al Hosani, head of the Courts Support Department, said that the introduction of the telecommuting system comes in line with the work of the public notary administration and documentation on developing electronic services and the transformation to digital services so as to reach the highest level of service delivery through the use of modern technology."

He noted that the application of the new system will be based on a specific schedules and tasks and that it would be periodical.

"The procedures for teleworking will include using a special network at the department that allows the employees concerned to communicate using text, audio and video through a computer or mobile phone and will allow the team head to receive all information and workloads from his team continuously, while giving out instructions to his team," said All Hosani.

"This will transcend the traditional meetings and support a collaborative approach to the work that allows all employees to make and receive video calls and share important documents among themselves using a computer of mobile phone."

Very Interesting Putin Snaps

Real interesting.........

Dubai to Abu Dhabi in 12 minutes: How it really works

Hyperloop One released two videos recently. The first explains the science behind the transport technology and the second takes viewers inside the working prototype of Hyperloop One.

Let's talk about the second video.

On their Youtube channel, Hyperloop One helps you explore what goes on inside the Hyperloop unit. The video was taken as part of a series of tests that they are conducting to fully implement the technology.

It can be recalled that Hyperloop will connect not only the UAE, but also its neighbouring countries such as Oman and Saudi Arabia. Once fully operational, Hyperloop One could reduce the travel time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi to 12 minutes.

Watch this video here:

https://youtu.be/jjv7bB9hy0k

Poor sleep habits increase risk for obesity, study says

Something else to fret over as you lie awake at night: Poor sleep may increase the risk of being overweight and obese, a new study contends.

"Because we found that adults who reported sleeping less than their peers were more likely to be overweight or obese, our findings highlight the importance of getting enough sleep," said the study's senior investigator, Laura Hardie, of the University of Leeds in England.

"How much sleep we need differs between people, but the current consensus is that seven to nine hours is best for most adults," Hardie said in a university news release.

For the study, the research team looked at more than 1,600 adults in the United Kingdom. The participants reported how long they slept and kept records of what they ate. The participants also had blood samples taken and their weight, waist circumference and blood pressure measured.

The waists of those who slept an average of six hours a night were more than an inch larger than those who slept nine hours a night, the finding showed.

People who got less sleep also weighed more, and had reduced levels of HDL "good" cholesterol in their blood, which can cause health problems, according to the study authors.

However, the researchers found no link between shortened sleep and a less healthy diet.

The results were published online July 27 in the journal PLOS One.

According to study co-author Greg Potter, "The number of people with obesity worldwide has more than doubled since 1980. Obesity contributes to the development of many diseases, most notably type 2 diabetes. Understanding why people gain weight has crucial implications for public health."

The study can't show a direct cause-and-effect relationship between less sleep and weight gain. Still, the findings add to the growing body of evidence about the link between sleep and health, the researchers said.

More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on sleep.

Copyright © 2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

De Blasio wants richest New Yorkers to pay for subway repairs

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will propose a surcharge for the city's wealthiest residents to pay for improvements to the city's deteriorating subway system, officials said Sunday

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will propose a tax increase on the city's most wealthy residents to pay for repairs to the subway and bus systems.

The surcharge on the city's highest tax rate would increase the rate from 3.3 percent to 4.9 percent -- and would raise $695 million in 2018 and $820 million in 2019, the mayor's spokesman said Sunday.

The increase would affect about 32,000 New Yorkers, whom officials identified as the top 1 percent of all taxpayers in the city. That funding would be dedicated to repairing the city's deteriorating transit system, which has seen accidents and delays in recent months, as well as an increase in the cost of fares.

"Rather than sending the bill to working families and subway and bus riders already feeling the pressure of rising fares and bad service, we are asking the wealthiest in our city to chip in a little extra to help move our transit system into the 21st century," de Blasio said Sunday in a statement.

A tax increase will require approval of state legislators. With Republicans in control the New York Senate, the proposed surcharge could face opposition -- but the magnitude of the problem has captured the attention of both parties in Albany, The New York Times reported Monday.

The proposal comes as de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, both Democrats, publicly argue over who should pay for improvements to the city's aging transportation system. While the state controls the transportation authority, Cuomo has called on de Blasio to help find funding.

The worsening system is hurting Cuomo's approval ratings among New York City voters, and de Blasio is blamed for the problem by the city subway workers' union.

Alloy Surfaces receives two year contract for flare countermeasures

A C-17A Globemaster deploying flare countermeasures during a training exercise. U.S. Air Force photo

Alloy Surfaces Co. has received a two year, $29 million contract for MJU-66/B infrared countermeasures, the Department of Defense announced Friday.

The contract will go toward the purchase of flares designed to counter infrared guidance systems on missiles. The work will be conducted in Chester, Penn., and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2020 with $18.4 million was obligated upon contract award.

The MJU-66/B is the standard infrared countermeasure flare for the the C-130, A-10, F-16 and H-60 aircraft. They use Supercool Low Temperature Materials that react with oxygen to generate an infrared signature without needing pyrotechnics to activate.

Flares are designed to create a larger heat source then is generated by the deploying aircraft and divert infrared air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles. They are used by military aircraft in high-threat missile environments around the world.

Secret tunnels at heart of economy in eastern Damascus suburbs

A young man walks through a tunnel used for military operations in Daraya, in the Damascus countryside on December 8. Photo by Lens of A Young Damascene Man
     
In the first week of May 2017, a money transfer office in Istanbul raised its rate for a monthly money transfer to Eastern Ghouta from 2.5 to 18 percent. The increase - on a monthly transfer for the correspondent of the news website Inab Baladi - was justified because the tunnels connecting Qaboun and Barzeh to Eastern Ghouta had been closed due to the advance of Assad's forces.

The tunnels were back under the spotlight after Zahran Alloush, the former leader of Jaish al-Islam, left besieged Eastern Ghouta for Turkey in April 2015, and then returned to Ghouta in July of the same year. His visit to Turkey provoked speculation about the path he had taken at a time when all outlets from the opposition areas were closed by Assad's forces.

The tunnels and how they function have been under intense scrutiny since they provide financial benefits for all sides in the conflict in Syria. They have enabled brokers and traders to control markets in the besieged areas.

The Syrian regime has been imposing a tight blockade on Eastern Ghouta, which is controlled by opposition factions. Recently, the factions also maintained three core neighborhoods inside the capital, Damascus: Barzeh, Qaboun and Tishreen.

The factions dug tunnels to connect Ghouta to the neighborhoods they controlled in Damascus. The tunnels were initially used to transport fighters and ammunition, but were later expanded to transport civilians and goods - and even to fit vehicles and trucks. They were managed directly by the factions' leaders or by "civilian organizations" affiliated with the factions. But regardless of the controlling group's affiliation, it imposed regulations and conditions on the transit traffic - and taxes or royalties on goods. The opening of the tunnels was a direct threat to the smuggling business that had been conducted by the regime's forces via the Wafideen crossing point, and financed by well-connected business men such as Mohieddin Manfoush.

In mid-May 2017, Assad's forces gained control over Qaboun and Barzeh, which dramatically affected the smuggling business operated through the tunnels, and caused the prices of goods in Eastern Ghouta to soar to record highs.

Following an agreement that led to the expulsion of opposition fighters to northern Syria, the military media of the Syrian regime published videos showing their control over a number of tunnels in Qaboun.

Over the course of six months, reporters interviewed many of the decision-makers directly involved in the movement taking place within the tunnels. They used more than one tunnel between Damascus and Ghouta and collected information on the distribution of the tunnels, their management mechanisms and regulations and the ways in which businessmen smuggle goods into Ghouta.

Although some sources considered the tunnels to be "classified military information," others spoke of their experience either because they believed that people had the right to know who was responsible for destroying their livelihoods, or because they wanted to "expose" the factions that abused and exploited the civilians in the area.

Five main tunnels and a road for trucks

The first tunnel, dug in late 2013, connected Harasta to neighborhoods west of the highway, that are considered an extension of the Qaboun orchards. The tunnel was dug by the Fajr al-Umma faction, and was about 875 yards in length. It opened in summer 2014 and was used to transport fighters and weapons between the two areas, which were separated by a highway.

In January 2015, the Jaish al-Umma faction opened a tunnel parallel to the first, but after Jaish al-Umma was defeated by Jaish al-Islam, the people behind the tunnel turned to the Fajr al-Umma faction, which was in control of Harasta, where the tunnel is located.

Then, in May 2015, Failaq al-Rahman and al-Liwaa al-Awwal dug a tunnel called "Rahma" (Mercy), set aside for vehicles, and connecting Arbin, which was under the control of Failaq al-Rahman, with the areas controlled by al-Liwaa al-Awwal in Qaboun. The tunnel was approximately 3,060 yards in length and large enough for Kia 2400 trucks.

In September 2015, Failaq al-Rahman strengthened its control over the tunnels with a new tunnel called "Nour" (Light). The 1,960-yard Nour tunnel, which was dug in cooperation with Jabhat al-Nusra in Qaboun, was for pedestrians and connected Arbin with Qaboun.

Jaish al-Islam secretly joined the tunnel operations in June 2015. The faction dug a 2-mile tunnel that begins in Qaboun and ends in two gates, one of which leads to Zamalka and the other to Arbin. Jaish al-Islam later expanded the tunnel to fit cars and trucks.

In addition to these long tunnels, there are unmanned underground passages used for secret military purposes. There also have been unsuccessful attempts to dig other tunnels. Ahrar al-Sham and Fatah al-Sham, for example, embarked on digging a tunnel to connect Qaboun and Ghouta, but the operations stopped five months later due to the tense situation in Qaboun.

The 'cheese prince,' free in a besieged kingdom

From a neighborhood in Misraba in Eastern Ghouta, the Syrian businessman Mohieddin Manfoush runs his business. His profits from dairy produce have won him the nickname "the prince of cheese."

Manfoush is the owner of al-Marai al-Dimashqiya Co. (Damascus Pastures), founded in 2003. Although al-Marai's factories are located in Eastern Ghouta, its products are distributed and sold in Damascus and the country's other provinces, as well as in neighboring countries. In early May, the company participated in Food Expo, an exhibition for the food and packaging industry at the Dama Rose Hotel in Damascus, and its stand was visited by Bishr Yazji, the minister of tourism in the Syrian government.

Due to his financial connections and popularity, Manfoush travels between Eastern Ghouta and Damascus whenever he wishes, without harassment from any of the parties in the area.

With the approval and cooperation of the regime's forces, Manfoush brings into Eastern Ghouta an average of two food shipments per day. His shipments enter the area through the Wafideen (Arrivals) crossing point, which was named after the Wafideen camp in Douma. According to local small businessmen who spoke to Inab Baladi and asked not to be identified, by the time the goods enter Douma and reach the small business owners their prices have increased dramatically and are sometimes 20 times higher than elsewhere. This is because those bringing the goods in have to pay high bribes at the checkpoints. Officers at the checkpoints charge 200-300 Syrian pounds ($1-$1.40) for each kilogram of goods that passes through.

Inab Baladi attempted to reach Manfoush, but he refused to communicate with the media. He avoids anything that might make it possible to prove what he does. According to some sources, he does not even sign his own name on the bills and receipts he gives to small business owners in Ghouta. Inab Baladi was not able to secure any document or bill that bears his name.

Manfoush is not the only businessman who brings goods into Ghouta. Well-connected businessmen, faction leaders and Assad's officers control the market and the movement of goods - and therefore people's lives. However, none of them is as as well known and influences the market as much as Manfoush, after whom the main checkpoint at the city of al-Tal in Rif Dimashq was named.

In addition to bringing in military supplies, the main purpose of the tunnels was to break Manfoush's and the regime officers' monopoly on the market. This was why independent businessmen were allowed to bring their goods through the tunnels. However, the prices did not really fall.

Inab Baladi met with one of the directors of Rahma (Mercy) Foundation, whose name, along with our other sources, has been withheld for their protection. The foundation is a front for Failaq al-Rahman and is in charge of Rahma tunnel. According to the manager, the tunnel, which was initially dug to break the monopoly on the market, did not help ease the suffering of the besieged people because it was turned into profitable venture for businessmen and faction leaders.

"Everyone finds in the tunnel the perfect opportunity to make money. Since the very first tunnel was completed, Fajr al-Umma, the faction that had dug the tunnel, took control of all incoming goods and sold them for extremely high prices. In 2014, for example, 1kg of sugar was sold for 60-70 Syrian pounds [around 30 cents] in Damascus, but Fajr al-Umma sold it for 3,500 Syrian pounds [more than $16] within Ghouta," says the manager.

The director also pointed out that every month Fajr al-Umma gave away free food and a tank of propane for people in Harasta in an attempt to strengthen its popularity in the area, while people in some areas in Ghouta were suffering from malnutrition.

At this point, Jaish al-Islam, Fatah al-Sham and Failaq al-Rahman interfered and put pressure on Fajr al-Umma to give them access to the tunnel. As a result, they -- together with local councils, civil organizations and relief offices -- gained access to the tunnel for 14 days every month, while Fajr al-Umma had access for the rest of the month.

The director explained that the faction charged 10 percent of anything that came into Ghouta through the tunnel, even when it was for medical or relief uses. If the medical office, for example, brought in 10 boxes, the faction would take one box, regardless of its content.

He also pointed out that the faction leaders were in full control of all movement through the tunnel, because, as they claimed, they had to protect their fighters. This was also revealed in a leaked video made public in May 2016, which documented a meeting between Zahran Alloush, the former commander of Jaish al-Islam; Abdul Nassir Shamir, the commander of Faylaq al-Islam; and Abu Khaled al-Zahta, the commander of Fajr al-Umma and the one in charge of the tunnel.

According to the director of the Rahma Foundation and a number of officials in local councils, Fajr al-Umma required civil institutions and local councils to sell food at a fixed price, determined by what the faction itself found suitable for the market. If their pricing scheme was not applied, the faction would refuse to let food through the tunnel.