Birthday boy, Jerry Lalrinzuala?s spectacular long range goal helped India beat Nepal 1-0 to win the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-16 Championships held at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Tuesday. This is the first time that India have won the championship.
Lalrinzuala unleashed a powerful left?footed, 35?yard strike to beat the Nepalese goalkeeper in the 18th minute. The goal proved to be the difference between both the teams.
An ecstatic coach of the Indian contingent, Gautam Ghosh, told dna after the win, ?I am very proud as this is the first time we have won such a big tournament. I am thrilled that all our efforts and training have not gone to waste. All credit goes to the boys, whose hunger and determination for victory gave us this title.?
However, the coach added he is not satisfied with just this win. ?Our main aim is to be able to compete with top European sides like Italy and Spain, only then will we realise where we stand in world football,? he said.
Optimistic about the growth of Indian football, Ghosh said, ?with the many youth training programmes that the AIFF is having, and with the importance being given to youth development, we should have a good national team in the next 5-7 years.?
The next goal for the team is to win the qualifiers for the 2014 AFC U- 16 Championships in Thailand. The qualifiers will be held in Kuwait. Talking about India?s chances in hosting the U-17 World Cup, Ghosh added ?2017 is far away and we need to improve our infrastructure first.?
ZestFinance, a company founded by former Google CIO and VP of engineering Douglas Merrill?to legitimize the payday loan industry using machine learning and large-scale big data analysis has raised $20 million in Series C financing led by Peter Thiel with Northgate Capital, Matrix Partners, Kensington Capital Holdings, Eastward Capital Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners also participating in the round. This brings the company's total funding to nearly $100 million.
Ray Martinez has been named as the new chancellor of Western Governors University Texas.
Western Governors University Texas has named Ray Martinez as its new chancellor.
Martinez ? a former chief of staff and general counsel for State Sen. Judith Zaffirini ? served in government relations roles at Texas A&M International University and Rice University and was director of the Texas Senate?s higher education committee.
He begins the job on Aug. 5 and follows former WGU Texas Chancellor David Milliron, who will remain on the school?s advisory board.
WGU Texas is a nonprofit online university with 50 degree programs in workforce concentrations such as business, information technology, teacher education and various health care fields including nursing.
Last week, the Senate passed a bill that would peg interest rates on federal student loans to Washington?s cost of borrowing (the Treasury rate) plus 2.05 percent. The bill also caps interest rates at 8.25 percent in the event they rise in the coming years. The House has praised the move, meaning it is likely to become the law.
While this may make students happy, there are some serious policy limitations that should have taxpayers concerned:
Capping interest rates is bad policy.?Any proposal to reform federal student lending that attempts to be more market-based should be uncapped. When markets improve, and these rates rise, they hit a cap at 8.25 percent. So if the market rate would have meant interest rates of 9.5 percent, the cap prevents them from actually reflecting that market rate.
It eschews fair-value accounting.?The current proposal lacks any requirement for interest rates to be set according to fair-value accounting. Any federal student loan program should use a non-subsidizing interest rate?i.e., the rate at which the program breaks even?to make sure the proposed 10-year Treasury rate plus 2.05 percent interest rate isn?t creating a taxpayer-financed subsidy.
It does not help to reduce college costs.?The deal on student loan interest rates does not fundamentally solve the college cost problem. Once again, the policy provides access to easy money for students, enabling universities to continue to raise tuition.
While this may provide some relief for students, the interest rate debate is a shiny object distracting policymakers from larger higher education cost issues.?Allowing the rates to stay at the current 6.8 percent isn?t the burden on students and recent graduates the Administration and many on the left make it out to be. The new rate only affects new borrowers; no students who took out loans prior to July 1, 2013, will be affected. Even for those students who fall under the current 6.8 percent rate, the difference they will pay per month is estimated to be between $20 and $40.
President Obama should have taken the opportunity in his speech this week to champion reforms to the ossified accreditation system, given a nod to low-cost degrees that are under development in the states, and most importantly, talked about winding down federal intervention in the student loan market by?limiting?access to easy money in order to put pressure on universities to lower costs.
Every Sunday, Mayor Rob Ford and his brother, Doug, host The City, a two-hour talk show on Newstalk 1010. We listen so you don't have to.
By
David Hains
Rob and Doug Ford in the studio. Photo courtesy of Newstalk 1010.
Oh boy, the mayor is back! He was away last week on his CFL trip out west, but I?m sure he?ll have all sorts of zingers and great ideas this week. Grab your popcorn, it?s time for The City!
1:07: The mayor talks about his recent trip to Winnipeg and Regina to see CFL games, and how jealous he is of their football stadiums. He also says he was ?treated like a king? in the respective cities, although a rousing chant of ?crack, crack, crack? like the one that happened in Winnipeg hardly seems regal.
1:08: Rob, on being out west: ?I?m telling you, you can insult their wives, but don?t insult their football teams. It was an amazing experience.?
1:09: Rob reiterates how Toronto needs a new football-dedicated stadium for the Argos, and says it would be ?amazing.? As with all of his ideas, he doesn?t seem to have a plan to pay for it.
1:12: The mayor of Toronto says he?d really love to see CFL franchises in Halifax and Moncton, and asks Doug whether he has the money to make that happen. Actually, the Fords probably do have the money to buy the Argos, and it would make a great post-political career for Rob. He could wear a Tom Landry hat on the sidelines, be a meddlesome Harold Ballard-like owner, be around football all the time, and feel generally important. It?s all he could ask for, really.
1:12: Oh, sad trombone. Doug says he?s as poor as a church mouse and can?t afford a CFL franchise because the five women in his life (four daughters and his wife) spend his money ?quicker than the dippers.?
1:15: The Fords go on about how people should vote Conservative in the upcoming August 1 by-elections in Etobicoke-Lakeshore and Scarborough-Guildwood.
1:17: Doug Ford, on sending a message to the Liberals: ?If you can?t stomach voting for the PCs, vote for the NDP.?
1:22: Rob thinks the Blue Jays season is a write-off, and we agree.
1:23: Rob discusses his red-curb proposal. He says this is a way of saving taxpayers money by helping them avoid parking tickets.
1:27: Doug evangelizes for the Conservatives in the Scarborough-Guildwood by-election, and disparages either the NDP or Liberals (it?s not clear which) for parachuting in a downtown candidate?although Liberal candidate Mitzie Hunter, unlike the NDP?s Adam Giambrone, grew up in Scarborough.
1:29: PC Choo, the NDP by-election candidate for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, is given five minutes to explain why people should vote for him. Rob and Doug apparently invited all of the Conservative, Liberal, and NDP candidates on the show, but the Liberals declined.
1:40: Rob casually repeats the lie that he?s saved $1 billion at City Hall over three years. I pull out my hair.
1:42: Doug Holyday, Conservative candidate for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, now gets his five minutes. He doesn?t like the Liberals and thinks a change is needed.
1:47: Now Ken Kirupa, the Conservative candidate for Scarborough-Guildwood, gets his five minutes. He doesn?t like the Liberals and thinks a change is needed.
2:04: Rob calls the next guest ?a helluva guy,? and it?s Adam Giambrone. He?s the NDP candidate for Scarborough-Guildwood. Giambrone, who has never lived in Scarborough, says the area is tired of being treated like a bunch of ?second-class citizens.? He says Scarberians want better transportation, even though Giambrone, as the chair of the TTC, championed the LRT plan that he has been so quick to abandon in this campaign. Giambrone, a name candidate parachuted in to challenge a local union activist, says Scarborough needs a voice and better representation than the six Liberals the area already has at Queen?s Park. And now his time his up. There you have it: Adam Giambrone contains multitudes.
2:10: Our caller on line one describes himself as an ?ardent supporter? who backs the mayor ?95 per cent of the time.? But there?s a catch. ?Where we part ways is, I worry your passion for football might cloud your judgement,? the caller says. ?I hope you?re not going to ask the taxpayer for one cent to pay for a football stadium.?
Rob says that he has not once said he?ll use taxpayer money to build a stadium. Doug says we need to get the private sector involved in this, because someone just pulled the string that gets Doug to say things.
2:20: One of the mayor?s closest allies, councillor Mark Grimes (Ward 6, Etobicoke-Lakeshore), calls in to promote community events. The Fords? nickname for Grimes is ?Midnight Mayor,? and everyone wonders what that means.
2:30: Andrew calls in and he says that the people of Detroit should have elected someone like Rob Ford 10 years ago, which completely ignores the long-term social and planning problems facing the city. Andrew then goes on a diatribe about ?socialism? and the ?aging hippies on council.? Andrew has opinions. But so does Doug! He equates Detroit?s debt with Ontario?s, which shows you just how weak his financial analysis is. Because Doug doesn?t factor in existing assets or the ability to raise money to pay debt, he?s only looking at one side of the equation. Rob quibbles with Doug?s analysis, but they find agreement when they both blame the unions.
2:35: Paul calls in, and he says he?s a bit confused. How can the NDP criticize the Liberal budget and then support it, he asks? Oh, well, Rob agrees with this. He wouldn?t have propped up the Liberals, those rapscallions.
2:40: A guy named Rob calls in about funding subways. He asks whether businesses would be willing to chip in to pay for subways since they would get improved traffic flow. Mayor Rob and Councillor Doug love the sound of this, even though it will never, ever happen.
2:45: Kurt from Markham says he?s been studying the transit documents, and he thinks the money is there to build subways right now. It?s nice that so many engineers and financiers call in to this show with solutions.
2:48: Andy on line two is a regional councillor in St. Catherines who hosts a Newstalk show there, and seems to have politics very similar to those of the Fords. It?s like we?ve entered the populist-Green Lantern universe, with one Rob Ford-type to represent each region.
2:53: Gary on line three wants many more subways, because subways, subways, subways.
2:56: Gary on line four doesn?t want Rob and Doug to spend a dime on a football stadium. There are a lot of Garys in Ford Nation.
2:57: Art calls in and says that in campaign literature, Mitzie Hunter has been referring to herself as a ?subway champion.? Between Rob and Doug, there?s an audible explosion of disbelief. Doug goes off, saying how when she was on the Sheppard Avenue expert panel she determined LRTs were the best choice for the corridor, and that as the CEO of CivicAction she championed revenue tools to pay for Metrolinx?s Big Move. ?That is hypocrisy at its best,? says Doug. And he?s right. Hunter, like Giambrone, has done confounding political contortions in the name of getting a seat at Queen?s Park. That her current position contradicts the transit arguments and principles that got her to this point doesn?t seem to matter in the face of political opportunism.
2:58: Carol asks why the Fords are so nice when Adam Vaughan insults them. Seriously, that was a real question.
2:59: Gary wants more 12-lane expressways. Well Gary, we want more Garys. Garys, Garys, Garys, that?s what the people want.
3:00: God bless Ford Nation!
So that was our show, folks. It was a two-hour ad for the Conservatives, with some NDP content thrown in for good measure. Notably, practically the entire show was devoted to provincial issues and content. And football. There?s gotta be football. Two out of five field goals.
Weather News Headlines - Yahoo! Newshttp://news.yahoo.com/weather/ Get the latest Weather news headlines from Yahoo! News. Find breaking Weather news, including analysis and opinion on top Weather stories, photos and more.en-USCopyright (c) 2013 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reservedSat, 27 Jul 2013 19:23:00 -04005Weather News Headlines - Yahoo! Newshttp://news.yahoo.com/weather/ http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/main_142c.gifHeavy rains flood homes, roads in North CarolinaCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) ? A system of thunderstorms across western North Carolina stalled on Saturday and dumped about a foot of rain on the area, causing power outages and flash floods that swamped homes and washed out roads and bridges.http://news.yahoo.com/heavy-rains-flood-homes-roads-north-carolina-211549741.htmlSat, 27 Jul 2013 19:23:00 -0400Associated Pressheavy-rains-flood-homes-roads-north-carolina-211549741Warm weather means early Calif. wine grape harvest<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/warm-weather-means-early-calif-wine-grape-harvest-142540274.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/RSm2FhIre5MPgH8z2zKCBA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/0afa9dc01f5bcc19380f6a706700a975.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this photo taken Friday, July 26, 2013, assistant winemaker and viticulturist Nathalie Jure Buckland looks at veraison, the onset of ripening, taking place on Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at Opus One winery in Oakville, Calif. One thing that is certain about the weather in California?s premiere wine grape-growing region is that there is no such thing as normal, and 2013 is living up to that adage. After dealing with cool temperatures in three of the past four years that slowed ripening and kept grapes hanging on the vine until the fall rainy season threated, growers in Napa Valley are dealing with an opposite challenge. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)" align="left" title="In this photo taken Friday, July 26, 2013, assistant winemaker and viticulturist Nathalie Jure Buckland looks at veraison, the onset of ripening, taking place on Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at Opus One winery in Oakville, Calif. One thing that is certain about the weather in California?s premiere wine grape-growing region is that there is no such thing as normal, and 2013 is living up to that adage. After dealing with cool temperatures in three of the past four years that slowed ripening and kept grapes hanging on the vine until the fall rainy season threated, growers in Napa Valley are dealing with an opposite challenge. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)" border="0" /></a>SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ? There's no such thing as "normal" weather in California wine country, and vineyard operators say this year that truism could mean good news for wine lovers.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/warm-weather-means-early-calif-wine-grape-harvest-142540274.htmlSat, 27 Jul 2013 17:22:33 -0400Associated Presswarm-weather-means-early-calif-wine-grape-harvest-142540274<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/warm-weather-means-early-calif-wine-grape-harvest-142540274.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/RSm2FhIre5MPgH8z2zKCBA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/0afa9dc01f5bcc19380f6a706700a975.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this photo taken Friday, July 26, 2013, assistant winemaker and viticulturist Nathalie Jure Buckland looks at veraison, the onset of ripening, taking place on Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at Opus One winery in Oakville, Calif. One thing that is certain about the weather in California?s premiere wine grape-growing region is that there is no such thing as normal, and 2013 is living up to that adage. After dealing with cool temperatures in three of the past four years that slowed ripening and kept grapes hanging on the vine until the fall rainy season threated, growers in Napa Valley are dealing with an opposite challenge. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)" align="left" title="In this photo taken Friday, July 26, 2013, assistant winemaker and viticulturist Nathalie Jure Buckland looks at veraison, the onset of ripening, taking place on Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at Opus One winery in Oakville, Calif. One thing that is certain about the weather in California?s premiere wine grape-growing region is that there is no such thing as normal, and 2013 is living up to that adage. After dealing with cool temperatures in three of the past four years that slowed ripening and kept grapes hanging on the vine until the fall rainy season threated, growers in Napa Valley are dealing with an opposite challenge. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)" border="0" /></a>SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ? There's no such thing as "normal" weather in California wine country, and vineyard operators say this year that truism could mean good news for wine lovers.</p><br clear="all"/>Heavy rains cause flash flooding in North CarolinaCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) ? A series of thunderstorms moving across western North Carolina has triggered major flash flooding, inundating roads, apartments and parts of several counties.http://news.yahoo.com/heavy-rains-cause-flash-flooding-north-carolina-201832512.htmlSat, 27 Jul 2013 16:18:36 -0400Associated Pressheavy-rains-cause-flash-flooding-north-carolina-201832512(345pm) T-Storm Watch until 11pm, Storm Chances this evening, then a Brief Cool DownUpdate: 3:41 PM The National Weather Service has issued a Severe T-Storm Watch until 11pm for the areas in yellow below, this does include Dallas and Tarrant Counties. Another abnormal July cold front is moving [?]http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/07/26/345pm-t-storm-watch-until-11pm-storm-chances-this-evening-then-a-brief-cool-down/Fri, 26 Jul 2013 16:46:41 -04002013/07/26/345pm-t-storm-watch-until-11pm-storm-chances-this-evening-then-a-brief-cool-down/Europe's Largest-Ever Telecommunications Satellite Launches With Indian Weather Probe<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/europes-largest-ever-telecommunications-satellite-launches-indian-weather-184423152.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/b40MiNLTrihqzLJ..OxYEg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/SPACE.com/Europe%27s_Largest-Ever_Telecommunications_Satellite_Launches-6ad9743b9c6dfef28e7cfdf91d7cecb3" width="130" height="86" alt="Europe's Largest-Ever Telecommunications Satellite Launches With Indian Weather Probe" align="left" title="Europe's Largest-Ever Telecommunications Satellite Launches With Indian Weather Probe" border="0" /></a>PARIS ? A European Ariane 5 ECA rocket on July 25 successfully launched Europe's largest-ever telecommunications satellite and a meteorological spacecraft for India in the rocket's 56th consecutive success.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/europes-largest-ever-telecommunications-satellite-launches-indian-weather-184423152.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 14:44:23 -0400SPACE.comeuropes-largest-ever-telecommunications-satellite-launches-indian-weather-184423152<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/europes-largest-ever-telecommunications-satellite-launches-indian-weather-184423152.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/b40MiNLTrihqzLJ..OxYEg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/SPACE.com/Europe%27s_Largest-Ever_Telecommunications_Satellite_Launches-6ad9743b9c6dfef28e7cfdf91d7cecb3" width="130" height="86" alt="Europe's Largest-Ever Telecommunications Satellite Launches With Indian Weather Probe" align="left" title="Europe's Largest-Ever Telecommunications Satellite Launches With Indian Weather Probe" border="0" /></a>PARIS ? A European Ariane 5 ECA rocket on July 25 successfully launched Europe's largest-ever telecommunications satellite and a meteorological spacecraft for India in the rocket's 56th consecutive success.</p><br clear="all"/>Young Voters on Climate Deniers: ?Ignorant, Out of Touch, Crazy?Say what you will about us millennials?we?re a wilting bouquet of narcissistic, socialistic, overeducated, underemployed, tatted-up hipsters who still live at home?but, from this day forward, don?t you dare say we?re climate change deniers.http://news.yahoo.com/young-voters-climate-deniers-ignorant-touch-crazy-184303009.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 14:43:03 -0400Takepart.comyoung-voters-climate-deniers-ignorant-touch-crazy-184303009Storms Chances TodayA summer cold front arrives from the northwest this afternoon. It?ll bring us some decent storm chances later today, even a slight risk of severe weather. By tomorrow we?ll enjoy cooler weather (and even slightly [?]http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/07/26/storms-chances-today/Fri, 26 Jul 2013 06:11:35 -04002013/07/26/storms-chances-today/Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/being-outdoors-perilous-during-thunderstorms-003443353.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/mToIK2V21x50OYOgfOM8OQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/828199b3dd8e8918380f6a706700eace.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="This Wednesday, July 24, 2013 photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff?s Office shows the rock wall believed to be where a victim was sitting when lighting stuck Tuesday at the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. A married couple was killed and a teenage boy injured when the lightning struck, authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff?s Office)" align="left" title="This Wednesday, July 24, 2013 photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff?s Office shows the rock wall believed to be where a victim was sitting when lighting stuck Tuesday at the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. A married couple was killed and a teenage boy injured when the lightning struck, authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff?s Office)" border="0" /></a>FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) ? The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/being-outdoors-perilous-during-thunderstorms-003443353.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 20:35:09 -0400Associated Pressbeing-outdoors-perilous-during-thunderstorms-003443353<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/being-outdoors-perilous-during-thunderstorms-003443353.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/mToIK2V21x50OYOgfOM8OQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/828199b3dd8e8918380f6a706700eace.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="This Wednesday, July 24, 2013 photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff?s Office shows the rock wall believed to be where a victim was sitting when lighting stuck Tuesday at the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. A married couple was killed and a teenage boy injured when the lightning struck, authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff?s Office)" align="left" title="This Wednesday, July 24, 2013 photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff?s Office shows the rock wall believed to be where a victim was sitting when lighting stuck Tuesday at the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. A married couple was killed and a teenage boy injured when the lightning struck, authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff?s Office)" border="0" /></a>FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) ? The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.</p><br clear="all"/>Weird Weather: Dry Seasons Start Earlier, Are Wetter<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/weird-weather-dry-seasons-start-earlier-wetter-221316079.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/WQ1WBtH52rfzplD4ALkauw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/LiveScience.com/flooding-vicksburg-110512-02.jpg1320192772" width="130" height="86" alt="Weird Weather: Dry Seasons Start Earlier, Are Wetter" align="left" title="Weird Weather: Dry Seasons Start Earlier, Are Wetter" border="0" /></a>Call it weird, call it extreme, maybe even call it the new normal. Wild weather in the United States in the past decade has amassed a long list of toppled records and financial disasters.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/weird-weather-dry-seasons-start-earlier-wetter-221316079.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 18:13:16 -0400LiveScience.comweird-weather-dry-seasons-start-earlier-wetter-221316079<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/weird-weather-dry-seasons-start-earlier-wetter-221316079.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/WQ1WBtH52rfzplD4ALkauw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/LiveScience.com/flooding-vicksburg-110512-02.jpg1320192772" width="130" height="86" alt="Weird Weather: Dry Seasons Start Earlier, Are Wetter" align="left" title="Weird Weather: Dry Seasons Start Earlier, Are Wetter" border="0" /></a>Call it weird, call it extreme, maybe even call it the new normal. Wild weather in the United States in the past decade has amassed a long list of toppled records and financial disasters.</p><br clear="all"/>Why the Price Tag for Global Warming Just Went Up by $60 Trillion<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/why-price-tag-global-warming-just-went-60-162020917.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/q4pdYhGLP.aBIzrG1swXGA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/theatlanticwire/Why_the_Price_Tag_for-4c189e5fb93ddd35d88d50e1c13ff2b6" width="130" height="86" alt="Why the Price Tag for Global Warming Just Went Up by $60 Trillion" align="left" title="Why the Price Tag for Global Warming Just Went Up by $60 Trillion" border="0" /></a>$60 trillion dollars is enough money that you could spend $1 million every minute for a century and still have about $7.5 trillion (roughly the GDP of China) left over. The world will end up spending it a lot faster than that, though, according to new research published in Nature. If the melting in the Arctic remains unchecked, the resulting release of greenhouse gasses from just one region of the world will make addressing climate change $60 trillion more expensive.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/why-price-tag-global-warming-just-went-60-162020917.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 12:20:20 -0400The Atlantic Wirewhy-price-tag-global-warming-just-went-60-162020917<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/why-price-tag-global-warming-just-went-60-162020917.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/q4pdYhGLP.aBIzrG1swXGA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/theatlanticwire/Why_the_Price_Tag_for-4c189e5fb93ddd35d88d50e1c13ff2b6" width="130" height="86" alt="Why the Price Tag for Global Warming Just Went Up by $60 Trillion" align="left" title="Why the Price Tag for Global Warming Just Went Up by $60 Trillion" border="0" /></a>$60 trillion dollars is enough money that you could spend $1 million every minute for a century and still have about $7.5 trillion (roughly the GDP of China) left over. The world will end up spending it a lot faster than that, though, according to new research published in Nature. If the melting in the Arctic remains unchecked, the resulting release of greenhouse gasses from just one region of the world will make addressing climate change $60 trillion more expensive.</p><br clear="all"/>NASA Video: Watch US Heat Up by 2100<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-video-watch-us-heat-2100-221440308.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/khZDgNerqBkBMcHYKLON4Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/LiveScience.com/Temperature_2100.jpg1374703438" width="130" height="86" alt="NASA Video: Watch US Heat Up by 2100" align="left" title="NASA Video: Watch US Heat Up by 2100" border="0" /></a>The United States will be a much hotter place at the end of the 21st century, according to a new climate change visualization released by NASA this week.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-video-watch-us-heat-2100-221440308.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 18:14:40 -0400LiveScience.comnasa-video-watch-us-heat-2100-221440308<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-video-watch-us-heat-2100-221440308.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/khZDgNerqBkBMcHYKLON4Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/LiveScience.com/Temperature_2100.jpg1374703438" width="130" height="86" alt="NASA Video: Watch US Heat Up by 2100" align="left" title="NASA Video: Watch US Heat Up by 2100" border="0" /></a>The United States will be a much hotter place at the end of the 21st century, according to a new climate change visualization released by NASA this week.</p><br clear="all"/>A Republican Secretary of State Urges Action on Climate ChangeA Republican Secretary of State Urges Action on Climate Changehttp://news.yahoo.com/republican-secretary-state-urges-action-climate-change-110100019.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 07:01:00 -0400Scientific Americanrepublican-secretary-state-urges-action-climate-change-110100019Lockheed snags contract for U.S. defense weather satellite programWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp on Tuesday was awarded an Air Force contract worth about $101 million over a decade, to modify the U.S. defense weather satellite program, the U.S. Department of Defense said. The contract work will be performed by Lockheed Martin Space System Corp in Sunnyvale, California, and is scheduled to be completed by October 2020. The program collects various weather, oceanographic and solar data for the Defense Department, and is managed by the Air Force Space Command. It has been in operation for about 50 years. ...http://news.yahoo.com/lockheed-snags-contract-u-defense-weather-satellite-program-221511202.htmlTue, 23 Jul 2013 18:15:11 -0400Reuterslockheed-snags-contract-u-defense-weather-satellite-program-221511202Storms knock out power to 15K in central ArkansasEntergy Corp. says more than 15,000 customers are without power in Arkansas' Pulaski County as severe thunderstorms roll through the area. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service issued a flood advisory ...http://news.yahoo.com/storms-knock-power-15k-central-183804126.htmlTue, 23 Jul 2013 14:38:04 -0400Associated Pressstorms-knock-power-15k-central-183804126Rainy, warm weather continues to boost SD cropsScattered rain and above-normal temperatures continued to boost crop development in South Dakota over the past week. The Agriculture Department says in its latest crop and weather report that there were ...http://news.yahoo.com/rainy-warm-weather-continues-boost-132831468.htmlTue, 23 Jul 2013 09:28:31 -0400Associated Pressrainy-warm-weather-continues-boost-1328314686 strange terms for weather phenomenaWith the summer storm season upon us in full force, you're bound to hear emergency broadcasts, news reports, and videos of massive thunderstorms, with commentary and terminology you might not be familiar with. Knowing what those words mean can tell you a lot more about what's going on than just what's shown on the screen. Here are six lesser-known terms that are associated with the storm season.http://theweek.com/article/index/247150/6-strange-terms-for-weather-phenomenaTue, 23 Jul 2013 06:30:00 -0400The Week (RSS)article/index/247150/6-strange-terms-for-weather-phenomenaNHC says 40 percent chance of cyclone near Cape Verde Islands(Reuters) - A surface low pressure system located couple of hundred miles south-southeast of the Cape Verde Islands has a medium 40 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone during next 48 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said early Tuesday. Showers and thunderstorms have become a little more concentrated near the center of the storm system and it is expected to move west-northwestward at 15 to 20 miles per hour, the Miami-based weather forecasters said. ...http://news.yahoo.com/nhc-says-40-percent-chance-cyclone-near-cape-052154564.htmlTue, 23 Jul 2013 01:21:54 -0400Reutersnhc-says-40-percent-chance-cyclone-near-cape-052154564New Antarctic Evidence Reveals Past Melting<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/antarctic-evidence-reveals-past-melting-180116325.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/qfpV7u4KWMeY56eAi_dd5g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/LiveScience.com/satellite-image-of-antarctica-lrg.jpg1374514757" width="130" height="86" alt="New Antarctic Evidence Reveals Past Melting" align="left" title="New Antarctic Evidence Reveals Past Melting" border="0" /></a>One of the wild cards in estimating future sea level rise from global warming is the enormous East Antarctic Ice Sheet, which holds more freshwater in its icy expanse than the whole of Greenland.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/antarctic-evidence-reveals-past-melting-180116325.htmlMon, 22 Jul 2013 14:01:16 -0400LiveScience.comantarctic-evidence-reveals-past-melting-180116325<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/antarctic-evidence-reveals-past-melting-180116325.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/qfpV7u4KWMeY56eAi_dd5g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/LiveScience.com/satellite-image-of-antarctica-lrg.jpg1374514757" width="130" height="86" alt="New Antarctic Evidence Reveals Past Melting" align="left" title="New Antarctic Evidence Reveals Past Melting" border="0" /></a>One of the wild cards in estimating future sea level rise from global warming is the enormous East Antarctic Ice Sheet, which holds more freshwater in its icy expanse than the whole of Greenland.</p><br clear="all"/>Terry McAuliffe Is a Flip-Flopper--And That's Just Fine with Green GroupsKen Cuccinelli, the conservative firebrand running for Virginia governor, has taken lots of heat for his views on climate change. The state's attorney general drew a national spotlight for his investigation of University of Virginia climate scientist Michael Mann, and his skepticism of the science that human activities cause global warming. He's been attacked as an ideologue and is the target of an aggressive campaign by the League of Conservation Voters.http://news.yahoo.com/terry-mcauliffe-flip-flopper-thats-just-fine-green-053657417.htmlMon, 22 Jul 2013 09:32:56 -0400National Journalterry-mcauliffe-flip-flopper-thats-just-fine-green-053657417Uganda July coffee exports seen edging 3 pct lower yr/yr: UCDAKAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda expects its July coffee exports to fall 3 percent to 300,000 60-kg bags compared with the same month in 2012 due to unfavourable weather conditions, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) said in a report seen by Reuters on Monday. "In Central Region, the weather has been generally very hot and dry... there were fears that the hostile weather may affect development of the coffee berries and consequently reduce volume and quality of coffee expected to be picked next harvest season," state-run UCDA said in its June monthly report. ...http://news.yahoo.com/uganda-july-coffee-exports-seen-edging-3-pct-103705816.htmlMon, 22 Jul 2013 06:37:05 -0400Reutersuganda-july-coffee-exports-seen-edging-3-pct-103705816Climate Change Could Wipe Out Iberian LynxClimate change could ensure the wipe out of the Iberian Lynx, considered the world's most endangered cat, new research from Spain suggests.http://news.yahoo.com/climate-change-could-wipe-iberian-lynx-170445697.htmlSun, 21 Jul 2013 13:04:45 -0400LiveScience.comclimate-change-could-wipe-iberian-lynx-170445697Thunderstorm threat a wildcard for Calif. wildfire<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/thunderstorm-threat-wildcard-calif-wildfire-074626684.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/oXfU8AXmrcuxzrtHYASHlA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/d456cb74436d1318380f6a706700e0a7.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="This image provided by NASA shows the agency's Terra spacecraft photo showing smoke from a wildfire near Idyllwild, Calif., right, and the Los Angeles area, left. The blaze in the San Jacinto Mountains has expanded to roughly 39 square miles and was 15 percent contained Friday July 19, 2013. (AP Photo/NASA)" align="left" title="This image provided by NASA shows the agency's Terra spacecraft photo showing smoke from a wildfire near Idyllwild, Calif., right, and the Los Angeles area, left. The blaze in the San Jacinto Mountains has expanded to roughly 39 square miles and was 15 percent contained Friday July 19, 2013. (AP Photo/NASA)" border="0" /></a>IDYLLWILD, Calif. (AP) ? Firefighters got little help from Mother Nature on Saturday as much-needed rainfall from expected thunderstorms didn't materialize for a huge wildfire burning in the Southern California mountains near Palm Springs.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/thunderstorm-threat-wildcard-calif-wildfire-074626684.htmlSat, 20 Jul 2013 23:47:02 -0400Associated Pressthunderstorm-threat-wildcard-calif-wildfire-074626684<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/thunderstorm-threat-wildcard-calif-wildfire-074626684.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/oXfU8AXmrcuxzrtHYASHlA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/d456cb74436d1318380f6a706700e0a7.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="This image provided by NASA shows the agency's Terra spacecraft photo showing smoke from a wildfire near Idyllwild, Calif., right, and the Los Angeles area, left. The blaze in the San Jacinto Mountains has expanded to roughly 39 square miles and was 15 percent contained Friday July 19, 2013. (AP Photo/NASA)" align="left" title="This image provided by NASA shows the agency's Terra spacecraft photo showing smoke from a wildfire near Idyllwild, Calif., right, and the Los Angeles area, left. The blaze in the San Jacinto Mountains has expanded to roughly 39 square miles and was 15 percent contained Friday July 19, 2013. (AP Photo/NASA)" border="0" /></a>IDYLLWILD, Calif. (AP) ? Firefighters got little help from Mother Nature on Saturday as much-needed rainfall from expected thunderstorms didn't materialize for a huge wildfire burning in the Southern California mountains near Palm Springs.</p><br clear="all"/>More evacuate, weird weather fears at Calif. fire<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/more-evacuate-weird-weather-fears-calif-fire-042855215.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/CjSdtA4eOTmP9NOnwiz.wQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/7220de4a09f0f718370f6a7067000f0f.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this photo made Wednesday, July 17, 2013, and released by the U.S. Forest Service, a DC-10 drops fire retardant along an edge of the Mountain Fire near Lake Hemet, Calif. The blaze about 100 miles east of Los Angeles had grown to more than 35 square miles in size and had destroyed at least six houses and mobile homes. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service)" align="left" title="In this photo made Wednesday, July 17, 2013, and released by the U.S. Forest Service, a DC-10 drops fire retardant along an edge of the Mountain Fire near Lake Hemet, Calif. The blaze about 100 miles east of Los Angeles had grown to more than 35 square miles in size and had destroyed at least six houses and mobile homes. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service)" border="0" /></a>IDYLLWILD, Calif. (AP) ? Residents of another 700 homes were advised to retreat to safety on Friday as crews fighting a wildfire in the mountains above Palm Springs grew increasingly concerned about the possibility of unstable weather and erratic winds that could last through the weekend.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/more-evacuate-weird-weather-fears-calif-fire-042855215.htmlSat, 20 Jul 2013 02:19:58 -0400Associated Pressmore-evacuate-weird-weather-fears-calif-fire-042855215<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/more-evacuate-weird-weather-fears-calif-fire-042855215.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/CjSdtA4eOTmP9NOnwiz.wQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/7220de4a09f0f718370f6a7067000f0f.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this photo made Wednesday, July 17, 2013, and released by the U.S. Forest Service, a DC-10 drops fire retardant along an edge of the Mountain Fire near Lake Hemet, Calif. The blaze about 100 miles east of Los Angeles had grown to more than 35 square miles in size and had destroyed at least six houses and mobile homes. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service)" align="left" title="In this photo made Wednesday, July 17, 2013, and released by the U.S. Forest Service, a DC-10 drops fire retardant along an edge of the Mountain Fire near Lake Hemet, Calif. The blaze about 100 miles east of Los Angeles had grown to more than 35 square miles in size and had destroyed at least six houses and mobile homes. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service)" border="0" /></a>IDYLLWILD, Calif. (AP) ? Residents of another 700 homes were advised to retreat to safety on Friday as crews fighting a wildfire in the mountains above Palm Springs grew increasingly concerned about the possibility of unstable weather and erratic winds that could last through the weekend.</p><br clear="all"/>Thunderstorms could hamper efforts to subdue California wildfire<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/thunderstorms-could-hamper-efforts-subdue-california-wildfire-200431331.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/pOtiMX9ue7tIhdiaH9v2CA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-19T200431Z_1_CBRE96I1JRL00_RTROPTP_2_USA-FIRE-CALIFORNIA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="A plume of smoke rises into the night sky as a wildfire, or the so-called Mountain Fire, burns near Idyllwild" align="left" title="A plume of smoke rises into the night sky as a wildfire, or the so-called Mountain Fire, burns near Idyllwild" border="0" /></a>By Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Firefighters raced on Friday to buttress defensive lines against a fierce blaze roaring for a fifth day near the scenic mountain resort of Idyllwild in Southern California, as thunderstorms in the forecast threatened to hamper efforts to subdue the flames. The so-called Mountain Fire has already burned across more than 24,800 acres of dry brush and timber and forced the evacuation of Idyllwild after destroying seven nearby homes and other property in the rugged San Jacinto range, authorities said. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/thunderstorms-could-hamper-efforts-subdue-california-wildfire-200431331.htmlFri, 19 Jul 2013 19:01:04 -0400Reutersthunderstorms-could-hamper-efforts-subdue-california-wildfire-200431331<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/thunderstorms-could-hamper-efforts-subdue-california-wildfire-200431331.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/pOtiMX9ue7tIhdiaH9v2CA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-19T200431Z_1_CBRE96I1JRL00_RTROPTP_2_USA-FIRE-CALIFORNIA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="A plume of smoke rises into the night sky as a wildfire, or the so-called Mountain Fire, burns near Idyllwild" align="left" title="A plume of smoke rises into the night sky as a wildfire, or the so-called Mountain Fire, burns near Idyllwild" border="0" /></a>By Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Firefighters raced on Friday to buttress defensive lines against a fierce blaze roaring for a fifth day near the scenic mountain resort of Idyllwild in Southern California, as thunderstorms in the forecast threatened to hamper efforts to subdue the flames. The so-called Mountain Fire has already burned across more than 24,800 acres of dry brush and timber and forced the evacuation of Idyllwild after destroying seven nearby homes and other property in the rugged San Jacinto range, authorities said. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Weather Blog: Relentless Heathttp://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/07/19/weather-blog-relentless-heat/Fri, 19 Jul 2013 18:36:48 -04002013/07/19/weather-blog-relentless-heat/
We are facing an epic dilemma: Our use of fossil fuels isn?t being curbed by supply or demand. Domestic natural gas supplies are growing, and prices are dropping. Yet if we burn all the fossil fuels that are accessible with modern techniques such as fracking and directional drilling, we are doomed.
Burning coal, oil and natural gas releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming. This is what causes extreme weather like blazing heat waves, prolonged droughts, storm surges and intense flooding.
Our accessible fossil fuel supplies now amount to roughly five times the quantity that?s been burned worldwide since the start of the industrial revolution, according to a recent study. Think of what this could do to our climate. So it?s clear that in the long run, the only hope is to find new technologies that deliver energy at a lower cost.
But tell that to House Republicans. As part of their rebuke of President Obama, they?ve proposed deep cuts in clean energy research. To slash this money is beyond irrational ? it?s deliberately destructive. This is the work of the fossil fuel industry, which has Republicans by the throat, gives them much more money and does not want to see new technologies threaten its business model.
The research money for clean energy was not enough to begin with, and nowhere near the tens of billions we give as subsidies to fossil fuel industries. And Republicans are now proposing to cut the clean energy budget by as much as half, from $1.9 billion last year to $983 million this year.
All six members of New Jersey?s Republican delegation voted for this appropriations bill. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.), who chairs the appropriations subcommittee on energy and water, said last week that he supports clean energy, but ?do we still want to be making these type of investments when gas prices are so low??
Besides, he added of the vote, ?We?ve got a lot of people from coal-producing states, gas- and oil-producing states.?
This is a matter of political will. Once carbon emissions are released, they stay in our atmosphere for centuries. Renewable energy is getting cheaper, and the use of wind and solar power has been growing. But so has the use of fossil fuels, backed by a powerful industry.
And if lawmakers lack the conviction to turn around this trend, clean energy ? and our climate ? is done for.
Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra has waded into the rift between the Catholic Church and some traditionalists in Awka.
NAN recalls that no fewer 30 persons were injured on July 24 when the two groups clashed over burial rituals.
The governor had called for restraint and assured that government would reconcile the two groups.
Obi,during a meeting with people of the community and some members of the State Security Council at Umudioka, Awka on Saturday, cautioned against any form of violence.
He said the government would take all necessary steps to ensure peaceful resolution of the crisis.
He assured that he would discuss with the Catholic Church and other principal actors in the issue.
Obi assured that his administration would continue to upgrade infrastructur to give the town a befitting capital territory status.
He enjoined youths to tread with caution and avoid acts capable of engendering violence as government was determined to find lasting solution to the problem.
The spokesman for Umudioka, Chief Michael Nwobu, commended Obi for his intervention, saying it was a pointer that the governor was a man of peace.
The Special Adviser to the President of Inter-Party Matters and an indigene of Awka, Sen. Ben Obi, said Awka as the seat of government should remain peaceful and stable.
He said the people were proud of the achievements of the governor and highlighted the benefits of peaceful co-existence.
The President General of Awka Town Union, Mr Anthony Okechukwu, said they had made representation to the Bishop on the issue and had set up a committee to look into the matter.
Another community leader, Chief Ogugua Nwosu, observed that the governor was the first state executive to provide Awka with good governance.
He assured Obi that the people would maintain peace in the area.
The Traditional Prime Minister of Awka, Chief Austine Ndigwe, assured that they would continue cooperate with the governor to ensure lasting peace. (NAN)
CAIRO (Reuters) - A deeply polarized Egypt braced for bloodshed on Friday in rival mass rallies summoned by the army that ousted the state's first freely elected president and by the Islamists who back him.
Both sides warned of a decisive struggle for the future of the Arab world's most populous country, convulsed by political and economic turmoil since the 2011 uprising that ended 30 years of autocratic rule by Hosni Mubarak.
Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called Egyptians into the streets to give the military a "mandate" to confront weeks of violence unleashed by his July 3 overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.
A military official said the army had given Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood a Saturday deadline to end its resistance and join a military-set road map to fresh elections, signaling a turning point in the confrontation.
The Brotherhood fears a crackdown to wipe out an Islamist movement that emerged from decades in the shadows to win every election since Mubarak's fall but was brought down by the army after barely a year in government.
The movement, which has manned a street vigil for almost a month with thousands of followers demanding Mursi's return, has called its own counter-demonstrations. Confrontation appeared inevitable following a month of clashes in which close to 200 people, mainly supporters of Mursi, have died.
The army threatened to "turn its guns" on those who use violence. The Brotherhood warned of civil war.
"We will not initiate any move, but will definitely react harshly against any calls for violence or black terrorism from Brotherhood leaders or their supporters," the army official told Reuters.
There is deepening alarm in the West over the course taken by the country of 84 million people, a pivotal nation between the Middle East and North Africa and recipient of some $1.5 billion a year in aid from the United States, mainly for the military.
Signaling its displeasure, Washington said this week it had delayed delivery of four F-16 fighter jets to Cairo and called on the Egyptian army on Thursday to exercise "maximum restraint and caution" during Friday's rallies.
Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, however, told members of Congress on Thursday the Obama administration did not intend to rule on whether Mursi's overthrow constituted a coup, wording that would trigger the cutoff of U.S. aid.
"We believe that the continued provision of assistance to Egypt, consistent with our law, is important to our goal of advancing a responsible transition to democratic governance," he said.
Echoing the U.S. call for restraint, the United Nations said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was following developments "closely, and with growing concern".
'WE WILL CLEANSE EGYPT'
Brotherhood supporters have been camped out in a Cairo square since June 28, guarded by men with sticks behind barricades and sandbags. They fear a repeat of the July 8 killing of more than 50 Mursi supporters when security forces opened fire outside a Cairo barracks.
The Brotherhood says it wants nothing to do with the army's transition plan. With Mursi still in military detention at an undisclosed location, there is slim hope for compromise.
"Tomorrow we will cleanse Egypt," said Mohammed Abdul Aziz, a spokesman for the Tamarud ("Rebel") youth movement that helped rally millions in anti-Mursi street protests before the army moved against him.
"There are men carrying guns on the street," he told Reuters. "We will not let extremists ruin our revolution."
Anti-Mursi protesters began gathering overnight in Cairo's Tahrir square, epicenter of the rallies that brought down Mubarak and preceded the army's overthrow of Mursi, as well as at the capital's presidential palace, in Egypt's second city of Alexandria and in Port Said on the Suez Canal.
The rallies were expected to peak after the evening prayer marking the end of the day's Ramadan fast.
Witnesses said army helicopters had dropped flyers at the Brotherhood vigil calling on people to refrain from violence. The Interior Ministry said it would undertake "unprecedented measures to protect citizens and their property".
The Brotherhood says it is the authorities themselves who have stirred up the violence to justify their crackdown.
Sisi delivered his call on Wednesday in full military uniform and dark sunglasses. He was appointed by Mursi in a bid by the president to rein in Egypt's all-powerful military, but Sisi turned against him after a year in which the Egyptian economy floundered and support for Mursi slumped.
Posters of the general have since appeared in shops and stalls across Cairo and were handed out overnight to drivers in streets leading to Tahrir square.
The country remains deeply split over what happened on July 3. The Brotherhood accuses the army of ejecting a democratically elected leader in a long-planned coup, while its opponents say the army responded to the will of the people.
Sisi announced the nationwide rallies after a bomb attack on a police station in Mansoura, a city north of Cairo, in which a policeman was killed.
Since Mursi was deposed, hardline Islamists have also escalated a violent campaign against the state in the lawless Sinai Peninsula, near Egypt's border with Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, with daily attacks on security forces.
The influential Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, head of Egypt's top Islamic institute Al-Azhar, urged Egyptians to heed the army's call.
"The Azhar's understanding is that the army's protest call was made for all Egyptians to unite and stand against violence," he said in a statement aired on state television. "I ask all Egyptians to rally to save Egypt."
(Additional reporting by Shadia Nasralla, Asma Alsharif, Tom Perry, Noah Browning, Tom Finn, Maggie Fick, Omar Fahmy, Mark Felsenthal, Matt Spetalnick and Michelle Nichols; Writing by Matt Robinson; Editing by Peter Graff and Peter Cooney)
In gross violation of all rules and in complete negligence of passenger safety, Air India (AI) pilots on a Bangalore-Hyderabad flight, allowed a south Indian actress to travel in the cockpit.
The actress sat in the observer's seat during the flight, which is reserved for examiners and observers authorised by aviation regulator DGCA. "Both the pilots have been suspended and an inquiry has been ordered," said an AI spokesperson confirming the incident.
Sources said the captain allowed the actress inside the cockpit and let her remain there for the duration of the flight.
"Rules do not permit cockpit entry," said aviation safety expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan. "Apart from the distraction factor, in case of an emergency, crew action would be impaired if an untrained person is in the cockpit. This is an act of indiscipline," he added.
While AI did not disclose the date of the incident, sources said it took place last month. The matter came to light after a senior government official, who was on board the flight, made a complaint.
In May, the pilot of an Air India flight en route from Delhi to Bangalore got locked out of the cockpit owing to which his co-pilot had to make an emergency landing in Bhopal.
