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You are here: Home / Archives for Nasheman

Missing AirAsia Indonesia flight QZ8501 likely 'at bottom of sea'

December 29, 2014 by Nasheman

As ships and planes search Indonesian waters, official says jet carrying 162 people is presumed crashed at sea.

Relatives of the passengers of AirAsia flight QZ8501 comfort each other at Juanda International Airport.

Relatives of the passengers of AirAsia flight QZ8501 comfort each other at Juanda International Airport.

by Al Jazeera

The AirAsia plane that went missing with 162 people on board after takeoff from Indonesia is likely at the bottom of the sea, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency chief said as aircraft and ships were dispatched to search for the jet.

“Based on the coordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea, the hypothesis is the plane is at the bottom of the sea,” Bambang Soelistyo told reporters on Monday.

“That’s the preliminary suspicion and it can develop based on the evaluation of the result of our search.”

First Admiral Sigit Setiayana, the Naval Aviation Center Commander at the Surabaya air force base, said that 12 navy ships, five planes, three helicopters and a number of warships were searching an area of east and southeast of Indonesia’s Belitung island and nearby waters.

Malaysia, Singapore and Australia have joined the operation.

The Airbus A320-200 went missing after air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft about 45 minutes after it left Juanda international airport at Surabaya in East Java at 5:20am on Sunday (22:20 GMT Saturday).

Shortly before disappearing, AirAsia said pilots of the plane had asked permission from Jakarta air traffic control to change course and climb above bad weather in an area noted for severe thunderstorms.

Investigation ongoing

Al Jazeera’s Scott Heidler, reporting from Surabaya, said investigators were checking all passenger profiles and footage of X-rays of the luggage taken on board, as well as looking into the maintenance of the plane.

“There are also reports that some fishermen might have heard something before the news that the plane had disappeared off radar came out,” he said.

The airline said 155 of those on board Flight QZ8501 were Indonesians, with three South Koreans and one person each from Singapore, Malaysia, Britain and France.

Steven Wallace, a former accident investigator for the US Federal Aviation Authority, told Al Jazeera he was confident that the plane would be found..

“Typically airplanes break up and light interior components, sometimes even pieces like the tail, float to the surface,” he told Al Jazeera.

“And if the recorder is under water, it will emit a ping. For at least 30 our up to 90 days it will send out a signal to help investigators locate the wreckage.”

The aircraft was operated by AirAsia Indonesia, a unit of Malaysian-based AirAsia which dominates Southeast Asia’s booming low-cost airline market.

Disastrous year for Malaysian aviation

AirAsia said the missing jet last underwent maintenance on November 16. The company has never suffered a fatal accident.

An official from Indonesia’s Transport Ministry said the pilot asked to ascend by 6,000 feet to 38,000 feet to avoid heavy clouds.

“The plane is in good condition but the weather is not so good,” Djoko Murjatmodjo told a press conference at Jakarta’s airport, addressing reports of severe storms in the area where the jet went missing.

Climbing to dodge large rain clouds is a standard procedure for aircraft in these conditions.

The plane’s disappearance comes at the end of a disastrous year for Malaysian aviation.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, carrying 239 people, vanished in March after inexplicably diverting from its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing course. No trace of it has been found.

Another Malaysia Airlines plane went down in July in rebellion-torn eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 aboard. It was believed to have been hit by a surface-to-air missile.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: AirAsia, Indonesia, Indonesia Flight QZ8501

Rajasthan: 'IM' mail sender held, no terror link, not a Muslim

December 29, 2014 by Nasheman

email_case

Jaipur: The Rajasthan ATS on Saturday arrested a 34-year-old resident of Jaipur’s Murlipura area for for allegedly circulating emails to 16 ministers warning them of terror strike by Indian Mujahideen on Republic Day.

The police have identified accused as Sushil Chaudhary who was held on Saturday night for circulating threatening email claiming of orchestrating terror strikes in the state on the eve of Republic day.

The email sent to 16 Rajasthan ministers to their official email id on 22 December read, “We are Indian Mujahideen. You people be careful. We are going to give you a Big Bang surprise. You can do whatever you want, but it’s a challenge that we will carry out many bomb strikes in Rajasthan on January 26. Stop us if you can.”

“We have arrested Sushil Chaudhary, a resident of Murlipura area in Jaipur, after tracking IP (internet protocol) address of a cyber cafe,” the officer told IANS.

“Chaudhary confessed that he sent those e-mails to the ministers from a cyber cafe,” official said.

“The accused was arrested by the ATS from his residence after Google provided us the IP address through which he circulated the mails. It was traced to a cyber cafe in Vidhyadhar Nagar here,” ATS ADG Alok Tripathi told PTI.

“We were provided the IP address yesterday and the accused was held last night,” Mr Tripathi said.

“Prima facie there is no terror link and the accused is being interrogated to verify his motive,” he said.

The accused created a fake email id and sent the emails from a cyber cafe, ATS officials said. The ATS had requested the email company to provide details of the email id which led to the arrest, they added.

However, as per reports, even after getting the IP address, it proved very difficult for the police to trace him via cyber-crime investigation as he had skipped Gmail’s phone verification process while creating a fake Gmail account.

As reported by ToI, he had searched ‘how to bypass Gmail verification process’ on Google. He followed some steps after learning to bypass the process, so his contact information was routed through a website which generates fake phone number of the account creator for Gmail verification. The number which he used was US-based which initially confused the police.

Nevertheless, the IP address suggested that the email had been generated using a Reliance network. After getting the address from where the email was generated, the police reached the cyber cafe. Though Sushil provided a fake ID card, the police worked out some clues and identified him.

Filed Under: India Tagged With: IM, Indian Mujahideen, Rajasthan, Security, Sushil Choudhary

Low-intensity blast kills one, injures three at busy Church Street in Bengaluru

December 29, 2014 by Nasheman

PTI Photo

PTI Photo

Bengaluru: A low intensity blast rocked Church Street in Bengaluru on Sunday December 28. The explosion, which was minor, took place outside Coconut Grove restaurant.

A woman was killed and three persons were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded on the crowded Church Street at 8.35 p.m. on Sunday.

The deceased woman, hailing from Chennai, was identified as Bhavani Devi (38). The injured persons were identified as Karthick, Sandeep and Vinay. While Sandeep and Vinay were admitted to HOSMAT Hospital, Karthick and Bhavani Devi were shifted to Mallya Hospital.

No organisation has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.

The IED wrapped in a piece of cloth was placed behind an ornamental flower bush in front of Coconut Grove, a popular joint on the Church Street. The injured were pedestrians who were passing by. People ran helter-skelter after the blast while some others thought was a fire cracker burst. One of the persons injured was even thrown to a distance of over five feet, eyewitnesses said.

An auto driver named Narasimha Murthy rushed the injured to Mallya hospital in his auto, with the help of people who were at the spot.

Top police officials including city police commissioner M N Reddi rushed to the spot and are collecting evidence.

As soon as explosion took place, people were seen running helter skelter and eyewitnesses said that lot of confusion prevailed at the spot. The police have cordoned off the area.

M N Reddi said that additional police forces including the KSRP, canine squads and forensic experts have been pressed into action. He said the injured were hit by shrapnels from the IED.

Asked whether there were threats to the city, Reddi said there was a general threat perception due to the festivities, the New Year and recent happenings, but no definite threat, and the police have been alert.

The police commissioner has reportedly sent communique to all police stations, sources said and asked the Bengalureans to be on high alert. “One low intensity blast on Church Street. 2 injured, 1 serious. All requested to be alert & inform 100 if any unintended object found,” Reddi stated in his Twitter account.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today announced a compensation of Rs five lac to the kin of a woman who was killed in the low-intensity explosion outside a popular restaurant here that also left three persons injured.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the injured at a hospital here in the wee hours, Siddaramaiah said the government would provide a compensation of Rs five lac to the family of the woman, who succumbed to injuries sustained in the explosion last night.

(Agencies)

Filed Under: India Tagged With: Bengaluru, Bomb Blast, Church Street, Coconut Grove, IED, Siddaramaiah

Salman Khan turns 49

December 27, 2014 by Nasheman

Salman Khan

Mumbai: Salman Khan is celebrating his 49th birthday today. The film fraternity took to Twitter to wish the ‘Dabangg’ star.

Happy birthday to @BeingSalmanKhan, Who has gone 10 steps beyond the original performance of o o jaane jaana last night. U the best!!!

— Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) December 27, 2014

Happy Birthday to the person who is not only a superstar but an amazing person too #HappyBirthdaySalmanKhan pic.twitter.com/1dAFn1iCrN

— Asin Thottumkal (@Actress_Asin) December 27, 2014

Happy b'day to my most fave beingsalmankhan .. Stay blessed always❤️ #love #salmankhanbirthday… http://t.co/O1yUEAbgN9

— SOPHIE CHOUDRY (@Sophie_Choudry) December 27, 2014

And it's the happiest day of all!! @BeingSalmanKhan mwaaahhhhhh #HappyBirthdaySalmanKhan

— Jacqueline Fernandez (@Asli_Jacqueline) December 27, 2014

@BeingSalmanKhan Happy bday bhai. Aap hamesha chamakte raho.. Love u:)

— Kapil Sharma (@KapilSharmaK9) December 27, 2014

Filed Under: India Tagged With: Bollywood, Film, Movie, Salman Khan

Smith's 192 puts Australia on top

December 27, 2014 by Nasheman

India's Shikhar Dhawan, right, is caught out by Australian captain Steven Smith during play on day two of their third cricket test in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2014. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

India’s Shikhar Dhawan, right, is caught out by Australian captain Steven Smith during play on day two of their third cricket test in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2014. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

Melbourne: Steven Smith continued to haunt India as he compiled a career-high Test score of 192 runs to help Australia amass a mammoth 530 in the first innings and put his team on top after day two of the third Test ended with the visitors 108 for one, trailing by 422 runs, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here Saturday.

Australian stand-in captain’s knock landed India into an uncomfortable position of playing catch-up for the rest of the match. They were 108 for one at stumps with Murali Vijay (55 batting) and Cheteshwar Pujara (25 batting) at the crease.

Shikhar Dhawan (28) was the lone batsman dismissed by pacer Ryan Harris. Pujara was dropped on 12 by wicket-keeper Brad Haddin off Josh Hazlewood.

Smith’s centuries in Brisbane and here Saturday made him the first Australian to score two centuries in their first two Tests as captain.

The right-handed batsman’s imperious form saw him become only the 13th Australian to score centuries in three consecutive Tests.

He also crossed 500 runs in the four-Test series during his marathon knock, getting valuable support from Haddin (55), Mitchell Johnson (28) and Harris (74) at the MCG.

They were all aggressive with the bat with Harris hitting his highest Test score.

The Indian team again failed to polish off the tail that wagged resolutely to essentially bat the tourists out of the contest.

But it was Smith who was undoubtedly the star of the show, smashing his third consecutive century of the series with a knock studded by 15 boundaries and two sixes.

Australia resumed the day at 259 for five with the game in the balance and Smith on 72, accompanied by Haddin on 23.

And it was Haddin, overnight not out on 23, who came out with a more menacing mentality.

Aware that the Indians would target his perceived weakness against short-pitched bowling, he waited on the back-foot to counter the strategy.

Willing to pull and hook at the slightest provocation, he carted the short balls to all round the park for a form-finding half-century, cracking seven boundaries and a six on its way.

The Indians continued to feed Haddin despite seeing their plan becoming counter-productive.

Haddin perished much against the run of play, edging while trying to leave a Mohammed Shami delivery to give India a ray of hope at 326 for six.

But Smith quashed any such prospect by continuing to score freely. The Indians had neither any concrete plan nor any inspiration to stop the 25-year-old.

To make matters worse, they couldn’t dismiss the bowlers at the other end to minimise the damage.

Just like the Gabba Test, the Aussie tailenders hung around, setting up crucial partnerships with Smith. Initially they were circumspect, content only to defend but flashed their bat around when they grew confident.

Smith upped his scoring pace after the dismissal of Harris to guide Australia past the 500-run mark and was ultimately bowled trying to scoop an Umesh Yadav delivery towards fine leg.

Shami was the most successful bowler for the Indians, claiming four wickets for 138 runs from 29 overs. He was followed by Yadav and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, both taking three wickets each.

But all wickets claimed came at the cost of bleeding considerable amount of runs, with all four frontline bowlers giving away more than 100 runs each for their efforts.

(IANS)

Filed Under: India, Sports Tagged With: Australia, Cricket, India, Steven Smith

Dutch Muslims concerned by mosque attacks

December 27, 2014 by Nasheman

Dutch citizens joining ISIL and far-right rhetoric are cited as factors fueling assaults on Muslim houses of worship.

More than one-third of the Netherlands' 475 mosques have experienced at least one incident of vandalism [EPA]

More than one-third of the Netherlands’ 475 mosques have experienced at least one incident of vandalism [EPA]

by Brenda Stoter, Al Jazeera

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: An unidentified man wearing a hoodie placed fireworks in the window of the Selimiye Mosque in Enschede, a city in the Netherlands, on December 14. A few seconds later, the fireworks exploded, breaking the window.

The motives of the perpetrator remain unclear – he has not yet been caught – but mosque board member Sezgin Akman said he suspects the attack was inspired by hatred of Islam.

“Maybe someone wanted to tell us we are not welcome,” he said, adding the mosque has received several threatening letters in the past.

More than one-third of the Netherlands’ 475 mosques have experienced at least one incident of vandalism, threatening letters, attempted arson, the placement of pigs’ heads, or other aggressive actions in the past 10 years, according to research by Ineke van der Valk, author of the book Islamophobia and Discrimination.

The Kuba Mosque, in the city of IJmuiden, said it has counted more than 40 such incidents since its founding in 1993.

“Lines like ‘go to hell, Muslims’ on the wall, graffiti that contains Nazi symbols, pig heads on the doorstep, Molotov cocktails … A lot has happened,” said Suleyman Celik, a board member of the Kuba Mosque.

“Two years ago, a female visitor who left the building was pelted with beer bottles by men driving by in a car. She broke her teeth and had to go to the hospital.”

On June 23, two men shouting racist slogans entered the Kuba Mosque after an argument outside. They threatened to kill those inside, and broke the nose of one of the mosque’s board members. They were arrested two days later by police.

Van der Valk has found that attacks on mosques happen more frequently in small rather than large cities, adding that “many of these attacks appear to be a response to national or international events, such as a terrorist attack or Dutch jihadists leaving to Syria to join terrorist groups”.

About 160 Dutch Muslims are believed to have joined armed groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), raising fears that they might carry out attacks in the Netherlands when they return. A few pro-ISIL demonstrations have even taken place in The Hague.

Far-right: ‘Wrecked by immigration’

For their part, Dutch Muslims blame what they describe as biased media coverage of Muslims and far-right politicians such as Geert Wilders for inciting mosque attacks.

In the past, Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party (PVV) has compared the Quran, Islam’s holy book, to Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf; has called Islam a “fascist” religion, and has proposed raising taxes on headscarves. On November 26, Machiel de Graaf, one of the PVV’s members of parliament, claimed that “Dutch schools are overwhelmed with a number of children who are named after Mohammed”.

“The Dutch unity, identity and culture are being wrecked by immigration and via wombs. Various Islamic leaders have said this, such as Qaddafi,” de Graaf said during a debate about integration.

However, the PVV denies its politicians’ statements regarding Muslims and Islam incite aggression.

“We are against all forms of violence, violence against mosques included. We do not promote that,” Michael Heemels, a party spokesman, told Al Jazeera on behalf of Geert Wilders.

“But we do feel that it is terrible that more mosques are being built in this country. Mosques don’t belong here.”

The PVV’s website offers tips for Dutch citizens to prevent the construction of mosques in their neighbourhoods. Research by van der Valk shows that newly built mosques are attacked more often than older ones.

‘We should be more open’

Mohamed Amezian, the chairman of a mosque in the southern city of Roosendaal, told Al Jazeera in 2010 a sheep’s body was placed on the construction site where the mosque was to be built. Green paint on the fur read, “No Mosque.” But Amezian said he thinks the attack was likely “an act of a loner”.

“After the mosque was opened, we talked to a lot of people in the neighbourhood. Some were against the building of it, perhaps because they were afraid that would decrease the value of their homes,” Amezian said. “But soon after that, they invited their friends and family to come over to see how beautiful it is.”

Like many Muslims, Amezian said mosques have a responsibility to involve local, non-Muslim residents. That’s why he organises football matches for children and barbeques for the whole neighbourhood.

“I am not afraid of the people in this country, and I do not want people being afraid of me,” he said. “As a Muslim and a Dutchman, I think we should be more open to each other.”

Tracking Islamophobia

In addition to “more openness from both sides”, the police can also contribute to the prevention of violence against mosques, Ahmed Marcouch, a member of the House of Representatives for the Dutch Labour Party, told Al Jazeera.

In the Netherlands, he said, vandalism or attacks on mosques are often registered as “insults” or “destruction of property”, without mentioning the underlying motives.

An umbrella organisation for the Netherlands’ Jewish population has kept track of the number of anti-Semitic incidents since the 1980s. No similar counts have been made of anti-Muslim incidents in the country.

Next year, though, that is set to change. In 2015, two groups – SPIOR (Foundation for Islamic Organisations Rijnmond) and RADAR, an organisation opposing discrimination – plan to work together to monitor attacks and discrimination against Netherlands’ Muslims.

“It is important to register forms of Islamophobia,” said Marcouch. “Islamophobia is a serious offense. If we make that clear, we also give a signal to the perpetrators: We do not accept this.”

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Islam, Islamophobia, Mosque Attacks, Muslims, Netherlands

U.S female military veterans battling PTSD from sexual trauma fight for redress

December 27, 2014 by Nasheman

Army veteran Kate Weber is a survivor of military sexual trauma who now spends most of her time doing MST advocacy. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

Army veteran Kate Weber is a survivor of military sexual trauma who now spends most of her time doing MST advocacy. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

by Emily Wax-Thibodeaux, The Washington Post

Thousands of female veterans are struggling to get health-care treatment and compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs on the grounds that they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder caused by sexual trauma in the military. The veterans and their advocates call it “the second battle” — with a bureaucracy they say is stuck in the past.

Judy Atwood-Bell was just a 19-year-old Army private when she says she was locked inside a barracks room at Fort Devens in Massachusetts, forced to the cold floor and raped by a fellow solider.

For more than two decades, Atwood-Bell fought for an apology and financial compensation from VA for PTSD, with panic attacks, insomnia and severe depression that she recalls started soon after that winter day in 1981. She filled out stacks of forms in triplicate and then filled them out again, pressing over and over for recognition of the harm that was done.

The department labels it “military sexual trauma” (MST), covering any unwanted contact, including sexual innuendo, groping and rape.

A recent VA survey found that 1 in 4 women said they experienced sexual harassment or assault. And the problem is growing more pressing because female veterans represent the military’s fastest-growing population, with an estimated 2.2 million, or 10 percent, of the country’s veterans. More than 280,000 female veterans have returned home from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

About two weeks ago, when Atwood-Bell checked the department’s Web site, as she does every day, she was stunned to discover that the agency had accepted her claim for compensation.

“It’s taken over 20 years, and that should’ve never happened,” said Atwood-Bell, who retired as a sergeant first class and lives in New Hampshire, her voice cracking with emotion. “My fight is not over. It’s not done for so many other women out there. I want to help them to get what we are entitled to.”

The Pentagon has been conducting a high-profile campaign to prevent sexual attacks and punish offenders amid concerns that defense officials neglected these assaults for years.

But advocacy groups say VA has been slow to adjust to the rising number of women in the military.

Some health centers, for instance, only recently opened female restrooms. Women who go to VA centers for treatment say they are routinely asked whether they are waiting for their husbands or are lost. And while there are a few showcase centers for female veterans, a third of VA medical centers lack a gynecologist on staff, according to a report by Disabled American Veterans, or DAV. Thirty-one percent of VA clinics lack staff to provide adequate treatment for sexual assault, according to a recent report by the Institute of Medicine.

Female veterans, in part, are pressing for more VA centers that specifically treat military sexual trauma, with separate waiting rooms for women and child care.

VA Secretary Robert McDonald says the department is taking steps to improve health services to address sexual trauma, such as asking all veterans during intake whether they suffered such an assault or trauma and hiring more doctors, therapists and social workers with experience in issues of sexual assault in the military. The agency also says it is increasing the staff responsible for promoting VA benefits to women veterans and helping them with claims, especially those involving sexual abuse.

This month, the department announced it would expand mental health services to reservists and National Guard members who were sexually assaulted while on inactive duty.

“VA simply must be an organization that provides comprehensive care for all veterans dealing with the effects of military sexual trauma,” McDonald said. “Our range of services for MST-related experiences are constantly being reexamined to best meet the needs of our veterans.”

This year, it became easier for survivors of sexual trauma to get treatment because the government ended the requirement that military members produce proof that they were assaulted or harassed before they get health care.

But advocates say thousands of female veterans confront an even larger problem: They are unable to get disability compensation benefits for sexual trauma because they do not have enough paperwork to support their claims. Advocacy groups and VA officials blame a culture of secrecy and denial inside the military that heavily discourages women from reporting sexual assault.

VA officials said that they are encouraging female veterans to reapply for benefits for PTSD caused by sexual abuse and that they are re-reviewing cases.

Elena M. Giordano says she was raped about 10 years ago by two men on separate occasions while serving aboard a Navy aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean as an airman apprentice. When she reported the attacks, she says, Giordano was discharged with “pre-existing personality disorder,” a label that advocates say is often applied by military officers to women who report rape.

Giordano, now 29, said she had never wanted to go public with her complaint. She had originally asked to be assigned to the carrier and didn’t want to leave it. But after the second attack, she said, “I just had to leave. I couldn’t be around men without having a panic attack.”

When she returned home to Arizona, VA agreed to provide counseling and medical treatment. But the department denied her disability benefits, citing the “totality of the evidence.”

Veterans with service-connected disabilities — whether it’s a back injury or PTSD, and including sexual trauma and assault — are entitled to compensation if they are causing lasting pain or make the individuals unable to work. The benefits can run from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand a month, depending on the injuries and their impact, according to federal law.

But in cases of sexual trauma, veterans often lack medical records and other documentation required for compensation through VA because the women do not report the incidents. Also, until recently, the Defense Department allowed the destruction of rape kits after one year and of sexual harassment and sexual assault reports after as little as two years.

Atwood-Bell, for instance, said sexual assault was something female troops did not dare talk about for fear that they would face retaliation and be discharged with a “mental health diagnosis.” She said her application for benefits was rejected twice due to lack of evidence.

The Pentagon released new data on Dec. 4 that showed that 62 percent of those who reported being sexually assaulted had experienced retaliation or ostracism afterward, whether from superiors or peers in the service.

Since many survivors of sexual trauma lack a traditional paper trail, VA officials who evaluate claims have to search for what they call “markers,” such as a change in a performance review, e-mails or letters with friends or clergy about an attack, reports of depression and anxiety, weight loss or gain, requests for a pregnancy test or a test for a sexually transmitted disease.

“These are not easy claims. But I am very passionate about this issue,” said Diana Williard, the quality assurance officer with the Veterans Benefits Administration.“And you do almost have to be like a little detective putting it together. But if there is even one bit of circumstantial evidence, we send them to a mental health counselor to see if they have PTSD.”

Anu Bhagwati, executive director of Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), calls the marker system “unfair and absurd.”

Her organization, along with the Vietnam Veterans of America, filed a federal lawsuit against VA in July, alleging that the department’s policies are discriminatory and that claims experts consistently impose a higher burden of proof on military-rape survivors than on other veterans when it comes to verifying reports of PTSD.

The plaintiffs argue that veterans seeking disability benefits for combat-related PTSD do not have to provide evidence other than their own statements and a mental health professional’s review linking their illness to military service.

“It’s just a broken policy. So veterans experience betrayal from the sexual assault, from the way they are treated by their units after the assault, and then by the VA when they file claims,” said Bhagwati, a former captain in the Marine Corps. “The VA became the last place, after a long line of places, where any hope they had left of getting help just dies.”

VA officials would not comment on the pending ligation.

Former Army private first class Katie Weber said she was raped by another soldier when she was 18 while posted in Nuremberg, Germany. She tried to report the attack but was told, “in the same breath,” that it didn’t really happen and that she was not to tell anyone about it, Weber said. “When I told another official,” she recalled, “they said I was ‘jumping the chain of command’ and that I was probably ‘just really confused and a little slut.’ ”

When she went home, she discovered that there was a severe lack of suitable medical and mental health services at the department and little understanding of how sexual trauma can cause PTSD. So Weber started a Facebook group called “Women Veterans for Equality in our VA System” to advocate for the interests of those who suffered sexual trauma in the military.

“We were really isolated,” said Weber, now 40 and living in California. “So enter Facebook.”

It was her encouragement and the Facebook group that ultimately persuaded a weary Giordano to resume her fight for benefits.

Giordano said she got “the letter” in late November, saying she would, indeed, be getting compensation benefits.

“I may never understand why they changed their mind and finally believed me,” she said. “But I am glad they did. That’s my hope for justice and dignity for all of the other women who have suffered this. ”

Filed Under: Human Rights Tagged With: Kate Weber, PTSD, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Violence, United States, US Military, USA

Saudi Arabia braces for $39bn deficit, to cut wages due to low oil prices

December 27, 2014 by Nasheman

saudi-arabia-oil

by RT

The number one crude oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, has projected a $39 billion deficit in 2015. The impact of lower oil prices, along with the decision not to cut production, is putting pressure on the country’s finances.

The figure was part of the endorsed 2015 budget, which was made public in a statement read out on state-run television on Thursday.

The estimated trade deficit will be Saudi Arabia’s largest on record.

The Finance Ministry said the government will try to save some money by cutting salaries, wages, and allowances that represent around “50 percent of total budgeted expenditures.” But the move could anger Saudi youth, who are already struggling to cover the costs of living in the country.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), about two-thirds of the population works for the government.

The 2015 budget includes 860 billion riyals (US$229.3 billion) in spending and 715 billion riyals ($190.7 billion) in revenue. Saudi Arabia promised to cover the difference by digging into its reserves.

At the latest OPEC meeting in Vienna, Austria, the Gulf country opted not to cut the production ceiling of 30 million barrels per day, despite oil prices plunging nearly 50 percent since summer.

Saudi Arabia has also made clear that it is unwilling to cut down production, even if oil prices continue to fall further. Last week, the country’s oil minister, Ali Al-Naimi, said that output would not be reduced, even if prices fall to $20 a barrel.

The decision has been interpreted by some experts as trying to weed out new players from North America, who can competitively produce shale oil only at higher crude prices. However, lower oil prices also directly hurt the economies of countries like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.

Some economists fear that the deficit in 2015 might be even larger than projected, since Saudi Arabians have underestimated the figure in the past.

“I believe we are headed for a difficult year in 2015. I think the actual deficit will be around 200 billion riyals [$53 billion] because actual revenues are expected to be lower than estimates,” Saudi economist Abdulwahab Abu-Dahesh told AFP. “Spending in the budget is not in line with the sharp decline in oil prices,” he said.

According to the country’s Finance Ministry, the 2014 fiscal year budget is set to post a deficit of 54 billion riyals ($14.4 billion) – the first budget shortfall since 2009.

Filed Under: Muslim World Tagged With: Oil, Oil Price, Saudi Arabia, USA

Ghalib's Agra forgets him on birthday

December 27, 2014 by Nasheman

Despite repeated demands to name a road or an auditorium after the famed poet, the municipal corporation has not responded and Agra University has turned down a demand to set up a Ghalib chair to promote research and work in Urdu literature

Mirza Ghalib

Agra: Mirza Ghalib, whose contribution to Urdu literature was perhaps as significant as that of Shakespeare to English, was born here on this day over 200 years ago. The Taj city Saturday not only forgot to celebrate his birthday but also does not have a decent memorial to the poet, activists said.

Despite repeated demands to name a road or an auditorium after the famed poet, the municipal corporation has not responded and Agra University has turned down a demand to set up a Ghalib chair to promote research and work in Urdu literature.

Syed Jaffrey, director of the Mirza Ghalib Academy, wants better facilities and support from the government to promote research in Urdu literature.

“Agra, which has given so much to the Urdu culture, should have a decent memorial for the poet. The municipal corporation has proposals pending to name a street after the poet but there has been no follow-up,” he said Saturday.

The haveli in Kala Mahal area where Mirza Asad Ullah Khan ‘Ghalib’ was born in 1796 is now a girls’ inter-college. The mansion has no memorial to the poet.

The Uttar Pradesh tourism department had at one time planned to take over the haveli and convert it into a memorial, but the plan was shelved for some reason.

Ghalib moved to Delhi where his poetic talent blossomed and found new expression at a time when Bahadur Shah Zafar was the Mughal emperor.

Sandeep Arora, a member of the city’s hotel and restaurant association, said when foreign tourists ask to be taken to Ghalib’s birthplace, Agra citizens feel “very embarrassed”.

“The central and state governments should jointly build a fitting memorial and a library in Agra for Urdu poetry lovers,” he said.

Surendra Sharma of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society said Ghalib’s house “should be converted into a national memorial” for the poet “whose contribution to Urdu literature has been as significant as that of Shakespeare to English literature”.

(IANS)

Filed Under: India Tagged With: Agra, Mirza Ghalib, Poet, Poetry, Urdu

Ten years after the Boxing Day tsunami, are coasts any safer?

December 27, 2014 by Nasheman

The day after: a Sri Lankan man begins the slow process of rebuilding. EPA/Mike Nelson

The day after: a Sri Lankan man begins the slow process of rebuilding. EPA/Mike Nelson

by Emily Heath, The Conversation

Ten years ago we witnessed one of the worst natural disasters in history, when a huge earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered a devastating tsunami which swept across the Indian Ocean.

An estimated 230,000 people lost their lives, and 1.6 million people lost their homes or livelihoods.

The impact was greatest in northern Sumatra because of its proximity to the earthquake. Catastrophic shaking was followed within minutes by the full force of the tsunami.

Avoidable deaths

Thousands of people were also killed in distant countries, where the earthquake could not be felt. If they had received a warning of the approaching tsunami, they could have moved inland, uphill or out to sea, and survived. Tsunami take several hours to cross an ocean, becoming much larger and slower as they reach the coast.

Back in 2004 there were long-established tsunami warning systems in the Pacific Ocean, which has many subduction zones – places where two tectonic plates collide – capable of generating huge earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.

Other regions, including the Indian Ocean, did not have a warning system. The probability of a major tsunami was judged to be too low to justify the cost, especially for poorer countries.

The Boxing Day 2004 disaster changed all that.

Progress in the past decade

In early 2005, the UN agreed to develop an international warning system including regional systems in the Indian Ocean, North East Atlantic & Mediterranean, and Caribbean. The Indian Ocean tsunami warning system was developed between 2006 and 2013, at a total cost of at least $19 million.

Japan has installed more buoys in the wake of its own 2011 disaster. NOAA

In the three years prior to October 2014, bulletins were issued about 23 Indian Ocean earthquakes, resulting in a small number of potentially life-saving coastal evacuations. Most of these 23 earthquakes did not actually generate a threatening tsunami because they did not cause significant uplift or subsidence of the seafloor. But false alarms can provide reassurance that communications work well, or highlight weaknesses.

Communications and evacuation procedures are also regularly tested by international mock drills, often based on worst case scenarios.

How do tsunami warning systems work?

All warning systems work in the same general way. First, a network of broadband seismometers detects the seismic waves generated by an earthquake, which travel at speeds of several kilometres per second. When several seismometers have detected the seismic waves, the location and approximate magnitude of the earthquake can be computed. If the epicentre is under water and the magnitude large (greater than 6.5 on the Richter, or moment magnitude, scale) a tsunami bulletin, watch or warning is issued to local communication centres, ideally within three minutes of the earthquake. If the epicentre is nearby and the probability of a tsunami is high, evacuation procedures will be initiated immediately.

If all else fails, follow the signs. Kallerna, CC BY-SA

Otherwise, local centres will standby for confirmation of whether a tsunami has actually been generated. Confirmation comes within about 30-60 minutes, using a network of tsunami buoys and seafloor pressure recorders. These detect the series of waves (usually less than a couple of metres high and travelling at about 800 km/h) in the open ocean, and transmit the data by satellite to a regional control centre.

Tsunami warnings reach the public via TV, radio, email, text messages, sirens and loudspeakers. You can sign up to receive tsunami alerts anywhere in the world by SMS on your mobile phone, thanks to a not-for-profit humanitarian service called CWarn.org.

Many high-risk areas also have signage to alert people to “natural” warnings (such as strong shaking or a sudden withdrawal of the sea), and direct them to higher ground.

Limitations of warning systems

The Pacific and Japanese warning systems helped to ensure the major tsunami generated off the coast of Japan on 11 March 2011 caused far fewer deaths (15,000) than the 2004 disaster. However, it showed that even a wealthy and well-prepared nation such as Japan cannot fully protect people from extreme hazards, and that warning systems can sometimes lead to a false sense of security.

Japan, 2011: fewer lives were lost but the damage was immense  Chief Hira, CC BY-SA

Japan, 2011: fewer lives were lost but the damage was immense Chief Hira, CC BY-SA

The slow rupture of the subduction zone near Japan meant the initial warnings underestimated the magnitude of the earthquake and resulting tsunami. Many people did not move to higher ground in the vital few minutes after receiving the warning, because they wrongly assumed the tsunami would be stopped by 5-10 m high sea walls.

Japan has learned from this tragedy and, among other things, made changes to tsunami warning messages, improved coastal defences, and installed more seismometers and tsunami buoys.

Will more tsunami disasters occur?

It is impossible to predict exactly when or where the next major tsunami will occur. They are very rare events in our limited historical record. But by dating prehistoric tsunami deposits, we can see that major tsunamis happen on average every few hundred years in many coastal regions.

Future tsunami disasters are inevitable, but with better technology, education and governance we can realistically hope that a loss of life on the scale of the 2004 tsunami disaster will not happen again.

Emily Heath is a Senior Teaching Associate, Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University.

The Conversation

Filed Under: Environment, Opinion Tagged With: Boxing Day, Oceans, Seismology, Tsunami, Tsunami Anniversary

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