20130408
Update 5: Attack on Cairo cathedral mourners leaves one dead
Update 5: Attack on Cairo cathedral mourners leaves one dead
At least one person is killed outside Cairo's main Coptic Cathedral on Sunday night following attack by unknown assailants during funeral for victims of Saturday's sectarian bloodletting
A tear gas canister is fired by Egyptian riot police into the compound of the
Coptic Orthodox Cathedral after the funeral of four Christians killed in sectarian clashes near Cairo over the weekend in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, April 7, 2013 (Photo: AP)
Unknown assailants attacked the main Coptic cathedral in Cairo's Abbasiya district on Sunday as hundreds of mourners held a funeral for victims of Saturday's sectarian
clashes in the capital's Qalioubiya governorate. At least one was killed in the melee.
The Head of the Egyptian Ambulance Organisation, Mohamed Sultan, announced that one person had been killed after having been struck by birdshot outside Cairo's main Coptic cathedral. The identity of the deceased is yet to be revealed.
As of 6pm, the health ministry said that the injury toll had reached 29, at least two of which were in critical condition.
Moheb Fanous, director of a nearby Coptic hospital in which the injured are being treated, told Al-Ahram's Arabic-language news website that Beshoy Wasfy, a 20-year-old journalist for independent daily Al-Shorouk, had sustained "critical injuries" to his neck after having been hit with birdshot.
Wasfy is currently in intensive care, said Fanous, who added that university student Nader Samy was also in critical condition after having been shot through the lungs.
After being pelted with stones, mourners at the cathedral responded by throwing stones back. Gunshots were heard during the subsequent clashes; some eyewitnesses confirmed that assailants used firearms.
Witnesses at the scene confirmed that teargas canisters had landed inside the cathedral's precincts. Other eyewitnesses said that unknown assailants dressed in plainclothes were hurling Molotov cocktails towards the cathedral.
A host of young assailants were seen on top of a nearby building throwing rocks at the cathedral.
Security forces, meanwhile, attempted to form a human shield across the street leading to the cathedral.
The precincts of the cathedral were completely emptied of people, excluding police forces, after nearly six hours of clashes.
Hundreds of mourners had turned out for the funeral on Sunday for those killed in Saturday's sectarian clashes in Qalioubiya governorate.
On Saturday, five people were shot to death – and at least eight injured – in Qalioubiya's Al-Khosous town. Four Christians and one Muslim were killed in the violence, Egypt's health ministry reported.
A Coptic priest, however, told the private CBC satellite channel on Sunday that six Copts had died and many more had been injured.
In Sunday’s funeral mass at the cathedral before violence erupted, coffins were surrounded by crosses and roses. Coptic Bishop Rafael performed prayers over the bodies of the slain.
Sobbing could be heard during the prayers, one Ahram Online journalist reported.
Soon after the prayers ended, funeral attendees began chanting angrily: "Leave, leave!" in reference to President Mohamed Morsi, and "Down with the rule of the [Muslim Brotherhood] supreme guide."
Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, became Egypt's first-ever democratically elected president last summer. Critics argue the Brotherhood is the actual ruling body.
A protest march was scheduled to set off at noon from Saint Mark's Cathedral in Abassiya, following the Sunday mass.
Saturday's sectarian clashes in Qalioubiya broke out after a group of Christian teenagers reportedly painted offensive drawings on the gates of Egypt's Al-Azhar building, state news agency MENA reported.
The situation escalated further when someone fired a gun into the air, killing a young boy with a stray bullet, Reuters reported.
In the aftermath of the violence, 15 people were arrested and the area was cordoned off by police forces.
A number of Christian-owned shops were reportedly smashed by angry protesters. Reuters stated that some Christian and Muslim properties had been torched.
The violent attacks have sparked widespread condemnation by rights groups and politicians.
Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb called for the adoption of measures to prevent the situation from escalating further and to "preserve the national character of the Egyptian people, Muslims and Christians alike," MENA reported.
The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party on Saturday declared in a statement that the party was "sorry for the victims of these unfortunate clashes, regardless of their religion."
It called on authorities to "reveal the plots [aimed at sowing strife between different Egyptian groups], punish the perpetrators and curtail the threat."
At least one person is killed outside Cairo's main Coptic Cathedral on Sunday night following attack by unknown assailants during funeral for victims of Saturday's sectarian bloodletting
A tear gas canister is fired by Egyptian riot police into the compound of the
Coptic Orthodox Cathedral after the funeral of four Christians killed in sectarian clashes near Cairo over the weekend in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, April 7, 2013 (Photo: AP)
Unknown assailants attacked the main Coptic cathedral in Cairo's Abbasiya district on Sunday as hundreds of mourners held a funeral for victims of Saturday's sectarian
clashes in the capital's Qalioubiya governorate. At least one was killed in the melee.
The Head of the Egyptian Ambulance Organisation, Mohamed Sultan, announced that one person had been killed after having been struck by birdshot outside Cairo's main Coptic cathedral. The identity of the deceased is yet to be revealed.
As of 6pm, the health ministry said that the injury toll had reached 29, at least two of which were in critical condition.
Moheb Fanous, director of a nearby Coptic hospital in which the injured are being treated, told Al-Ahram's Arabic-language news website that Beshoy Wasfy, a 20-year-old journalist for independent daily Al-Shorouk, had sustained "critical injuries" to his neck after having been hit with birdshot.
Wasfy is currently in intensive care, said Fanous, who added that university student Nader Samy was also in critical condition after having been shot through the lungs.
After being pelted with stones, mourners at the cathedral responded by throwing stones back. Gunshots were heard during the subsequent clashes; some eyewitnesses confirmed that assailants used firearms.
Witnesses at the scene confirmed that teargas canisters had landed inside the cathedral's precincts. Other eyewitnesses said that unknown assailants dressed in plainclothes were hurling Molotov cocktails towards the cathedral.
A host of young assailants were seen on top of a nearby building throwing rocks at the cathedral.
Security forces, meanwhile, attempted to form a human shield across the street leading to the cathedral.
The precincts of the cathedral were completely emptied of people, excluding police forces, after nearly six hours of clashes.
Hundreds of mourners had turned out for the funeral on Sunday for those killed in Saturday's sectarian clashes in Qalioubiya governorate.
On Saturday, five people were shot to death – and at least eight injured – in Qalioubiya's Al-Khosous town. Four Christians and one Muslim were killed in the violence, Egypt's health ministry reported.
A Coptic priest, however, told the private CBC satellite channel on Sunday that six Copts had died and many more had been injured.
In Sunday’s funeral mass at the cathedral before violence erupted, coffins were surrounded by crosses and roses. Coptic Bishop Rafael performed prayers over the bodies of the slain.
Sobbing could be heard during the prayers, one Ahram Online journalist reported.
Soon after the prayers ended, funeral attendees began chanting angrily: "Leave, leave!" in reference to President Mohamed Morsi, and "Down with the rule of the [Muslim Brotherhood] supreme guide."
Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, became Egypt's first-ever democratically elected president last summer. Critics argue the Brotherhood is the actual ruling body.
A protest march was scheduled to set off at noon from Saint Mark's Cathedral in Abassiya, following the Sunday mass.
Saturday's sectarian clashes in Qalioubiya broke out after a group of Christian teenagers reportedly painted offensive drawings on the gates of Egypt's Al-Azhar building, state news agency MENA reported.
The situation escalated further when someone fired a gun into the air, killing a young boy with a stray bullet, Reuters reported.
In the aftermath of the violence, 15 people were arrested and the area was cordoned off by police forces.
A number of Christian-owned shops were reportedly smashed by angry protesters. Reuters stated that some Christian and Muslim properties had been torched.
The violent attacks have sparked widespread condemnation by rights groups and politicians.
Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb called for the adoption of measures to prevent the situation from escalating further and to "preserve the national character of the Egyptian people, Muslims and Christians alike," MENA reported.
The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party on Saturday declared in a statement that the party was "sorry for the victims of these unfortunate clashes, regardless of their religion."
It called on authorities to "reveal the plots [aimed at sowing strife between different Egyptian groups], punish the perpetrators and curtail the threat."
20130407
The 25 Best-Paying Companies For Software Engineers
The 25 Best-Paying Companies For Software Engineers
Tech companies have a reputation for treating their employees well – especially their engineers.
Engineering talent is scarce, so companies are willing to pay big bucks to keep them happy.
Which companies pays their engineers the most?
Jobs review site Glassdoor helped us pull the top 25 companies around the world that pay their US-based software engineers the most.
The highest paying company isn't your typical Apple, Google, or Facebook either.
25. Citrix Systems pays its software engineers an average base salary of $91,844
Pros: "Citrix has a throbbing start up culture, which is preserved even amidst a host of new acquisitions in the Silicon Valley. The company has an excellent forecast to dominate in Desktop, Server Virtualization and Enterprise Application delivery segments. It has decent employee benefits and offers tremendous growth potential as the company expands."
Cons: "Affable work culture is not homogeneous through out the organization. Striking work life balance is highly dependent on geography, divisions within Citrix."
24. Texas Instruments pays its software engineers an average base salary of $92,870
A current software engineer there says:
Pros: "Very good work and life balance. Employees can choose how much effort to put in. Salary is also above average."
Cons: "Texas Instruments seems to be a conservative company. Company is moving out of some businesses. Too many layoffs in the last few years."
Pros: "Very good work and life balance. Employees can choose how much effort to put in. Salary is also above average."
Cons: "Texas Instruments seems to be a conservative company. Company is moving out of some businesses. Too many layoffs in the last few years."
23. QUALCOMM pays its software engineers an average base salary of $94,097
A current software engineer there says:
Pros: "Great perks, people, work environment. Management encourages a great work life balance. Extra benefits like dental, medical etc. are amazing. People are friendly, happy, and helpful."
Cons: "None - this is a great place to work. You can grow your career here, and hard work will always pay off. You can come in and leave whenever you want. On site facilities such as multiple gyms, pool etc make coming to work fun!"
Pros: "Great perks, people, work environment. Management encourages a great work life balance. Extra benefits like dental, medical etc. are amazing. People are friendly, happy, and helpful."
Cons: "None - this is a great place to work. You can grow your career here, and hard work will always pay off. You can come in and leave whenever you want. On site facilities such as multiple gyms, pool etc make coming to work fun!"
22. Hewlett-Packard pays its software engineers an average base salary of $96,893
A current software engineer there says:
Pros: "Have been working for about 15 years, great company to work for."
Cons: "Benefits are on par with the industry, however base salaries seem slightly under."
Pros: "Have been working for about 15 years, great company to work for."
Cons: "Benefits are on par with the industry, however base salaries seem slightly under."
21. Expedia pays its software engineers an average base salary of $98,672
Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Expedia
Expedia
Pros: "Decent work-life balance. Open and candid atmosphere; smart and fun co-workers. Good culture, although it depends on the team. Good location."
Cons: "Decent pay but not as competitive as MS or Amazon. Career advancement is hard. Work can be interesting depending on the team but it's easy to get stuck doing the same thing for many years."
20. Intel pays its software engineers an average base salary of $98,804
A current software engineer there says:
Pros: "You don't have to work your a*s off all the time, easy peaceful life (again this is strictly base on my personal experience, it varies with team to team) lots of perks. The proud feeling whenever the intel adds run on the TV 'ta da da daaa.'"
Cons: "Salaries bit below market, lot of competition, so difficult to climb up the ladder. Its a huge company, difficult to get yourself heard and work independently if that's the kind of think you are into. They call it a slow moving giant elephant."
Pros: "You don't have to work your a*s off all the time, easy peaceful life (again this is strictly base on my personal experience, it varies with team to team) lots of perks. The proud feeling whenever the intel adds run on the TV 'ta da da daaa.'"
Cons: "Salaries bit below market, lot of competition, so difficult to climb up the ladder. Its a huge company, difficult to get yourself heard and work independently if that's the kind of think you are into. They call it a slow moving giant elephant."
19. Yahoo pays its software engineers an average base salary of $100,998
A current software engineer there says:
Pros: "The culture is something many other companies could learn from!"
Cons: "I don't have really nothing to say here."
Pros: "The culture is something many other companies could learn from!"
Cons: "I don't have really nothing to say here."
18. Cisco Systems pays its software engineers an average base salary of $101,991
Getty Images/Ethan Miller
Pros: "You meet some brilliant people, and sometimes there are a few cool projects you can come across. Also, great flexibility in terms of work-life balance."
Cons: "A lot of hot air, and it can take LOT of time to get anything done. Some areas are pretty bureaucratic in nature and it can bog down your interest."
17. Intuit pays its software engineers an average base salary of $102,209
Owen Thomas, Business Insider
Pros: "Great benefits, products and Technology."
Cons: "Too less opportunities for personal growth."
16. Amazon pays its software engineers an average base salary of $102,831
Associated Press
Pros: "Good benefits, high salary, nice work environment, learning opportunities, nice seniors supporting staff, appreciable perks, nice location (Seattle), amazing experience, amazing campus
Cons: "Can't think of any; work schedule little hectic."
15. Microsoft pays its software engineers an average base salary of $103,563
REUTERS/Rick Wilking
Pros: "Overall it is good to be part of Microsoft. They pay well, benefits are good. Bonus and stock options are also good."
Cons: "Responsibility expectation is huge. Recently, they removed the no-cast medical benefits which make all of employees likely take a big cut in their take home salary. 401K match is only 50% where most of the big companies match 100%. Work-balance is always hard to maintain."
14. NVIDIA pays its software engineers an average base salary of $104,717
A current software engineer there says:
Pros: "Management has the abilities to create excitements in the job. Not much politics in lower level management."
Cons: "Too aggressive schedules promotes politics. Bad life/work balance. Bad benefits."
Pros: "Management has the abilities to create excitements in the job. Not much politics in lower level management."
Cons: "Too aggressive schedules promotes politics. Bad life/work balance. Bad benefits."
13. Oracle pays its software engineers an average base salary of $105,660
AP
Pros: "If you are placed in good project, it can be good learning experience, benefits are good."
Cons: "Best of world work place."
12. VMware pays its software engineers an average base salary of $106,568
A current software engineer there says:
Pros: "Awesome campus. Nimble. Engaging workforce."
Cons: "Some politics as in any place. Currently lacks direction."
Pros: "Awesome campus. Nimble. Engaging workforce."
Cons: "Some politics as in any place. Currently lacks direction."
11. PayPal pays its software engineers an average base salary of $106,920
Matt Rosoff Business Insider
Pros: "Agile environment. Stress on Innovation. Development is fast. Concentration on mobile."
Cons: "Legacy products can cause issues with new development. Need consolidation of products."
10. Zynga pays its software engineers an average base salary of $107,242
Pros: "Competitive Salary, Located in San Francisco, good perks. Good career opportunities if you join the right team."
Cons: "Tough HR policies. Certain teams have poor working conditions and little concern for their employees."
9. Bloomberg L.P. pays its software engineers an average base salary of $108,430
Pros: "Good pay, opportunity to take ownership of products, good benefits and nice building, depending on the team there could be some very interesting work. Good people to work with and lots of opportunities to work with very smart people."
Cons: "Old technology, can be very stressful, steep learning curve.
8. eBay pays its software engineers an average base salary of $108,461
eBay
Pros: "Good work environment. Great opportunity for growth and work with great people who are friendly and are willing to help. I am able to learn a lot of new things while on the job. It's a good learning experience for me."
Cons: "I don't have any views for cons except for the cafeteria. I bring my own food."
7. Brocade Communications pays its software engineers an average base salary of $111,858
Pros: "Very active development with potential to work on many areas. Top performers are rewarded for their efforts. Overall, the work environment is good."
Cons: "Need to streamline development environment to make things easier to do your job. Everyone wants to be a manager, but many do not have the skills to be an effective manager."
6. LinkedIn pays its software engineers an average base salary of $116,375
Stephen Lam/Getty Images
Pros: "1. Excellent engineering culture 2. Daily work is very challenging and fun. A lot of new technologies and you can not even know all of their names. There are always things you can learn. 3. LinkedIn has a good business model. 4. People with different types of expertise (Engineering, Sales, Business, Analytics) can all have interesting things to work on."
Cons: "Don't have decent free breakfast and dinner. Only free lunch is included."
5. Apple pays its software engineers an average base salary of $118,192
AP
Pros: "Low stress level, offices with doors, good pay, everyone says 'wow' when you tell them where you work."
Cons: "There are no downsides working at Apple. It's a great place to work."
4. Facebook pays its software engineers an average base salary of $118,857
A current software engineer there says:
Pros: "It is good to work here with the smartest people in San Francisco bay area. The company is always moving fast."
Cons: "Sometimes it is moving too fast. The food in cafe can be better, but the snacks in micro-kitten are really good."
Pros: "It is good to work here with the smartest people in San Francisco bay area. The company is always moving fast."
Cons: "Sometimes it is moving too fast. The food in cafe can be better, but the snacks in micro-kitten are really good."
3. Twitter pays its software engineers an average base salary of $120,768
AP
Pros: "Good perks. Very smart people (being pre-ipo, twitter attracted a lot of super smart people). Lots of interesting work to do."
Cons: "Surprisingly large number of 'engineering managers,' senior managers, directors and VPs for a company of this size. Slow moving."
2. Google pays its software engineers an average base salary of $124,520
A current software engineer there says:
Pros: "A great company with a great history that still allows you to make contributions that can have significant impact. Awesome work culture."
Cons: "I used to love this company and thought we contributed a great deal to help the industry and society, and that we could do no harm. Unfortunately, I don't believe this about the company anymore, and I have recently lost a great deal of confidence in the current leadership team. The company has recently become run much more top down than the bottoms up nature of the years past."
Pros: "A great company with a great history that still allows you to make contributions that can have significant impact. Awesome work culture."
Cons: "I used to love this company and thought we contributed a great deal to help the industry and society, and that we could do no harm. Unfortunately, I don't believe this about the company anymore, and I have recently lost a great deal of confidence in the current leadership team. The company has recently become run much more top down than the bottoms up nature of the years past."
1. Juniper Networks pays its software engineers an average base salary of $128,378
A current software engineer there says:
Pros: "Great talent. Good possibilities to make a difference in a competitive market."
Cons: "Too much bureaucracy on managerial level."
Pros: "Great talent. Good possibilities to make a difference in a competitive market."
Cons: "Too much bureaucracy on managerial level."
Now find out who pays their lowest people tons of cash:
20130403
Nuclear Power Prevents More Deaths Than It Causes
of course:
Hospital in Belarus
Japan nowadays..
somebody have to be very desperate to write all that shit..
Nuclear Power Prevents More Deaths Than It Causes
Using nuclear power in place of fossil-fuel energy sources, such as coal, has prevented some 1.8 million air pollution-related deaths globally and could save millions of more lives in coming decades, concludes a study. The researchers also find that nuclear energy prevents emissions of huge quantities of greenhouse gases. These estimates help make the case that policymakers should continue to rely on and expand nuclear power in place of fossil fuels to mitigate climate change, the authors say (Environ. Sci. Technol., DOI: 10.1021/es3051197).
In the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, critics of nuclear power have questioned how heavily the world should rely on the energy source, due to possible risks it poses to the environment and human health.
“I was very disturbed by all the negative and in many cases unfounded hysteria regarding nuclear power after the Fukushima accident,” says report coauthor Pushker A. Kharecha, a climate scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, in New York.
Working with Goddard’s James E. Hansen, Kharecha set out to explore the benefits of nuclear power. The pair specifically wanted to look at nuclear power’s advantages over fossil fuels in terms of reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Kharecha was surprised to find no broad studies on preventable deaths that could be attributed to nuclear power’s pollution savings. But he did find data from a 2007 study on the average number of deaths per unit of energy generated with fossil fuels and nuclear power (Lancet, DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61253-7). These estimates include deaths related to all aspects of each energy source from mining the necessary natural resources to power generation. For example, the data took into account chronic bronchitis among coal miners and air pollution-related conditions among the public, including lung cancer.
The NASA researchers combined this information with historical energy generation data to estimate how many deaths would have been caused if fossil-fuel burning was used instead of nuclear power generation from 1971 to 2009. They similarly estimated that the use of nuclear power over that time caused 5,000 or so deaths, such as cancer deaths from radiation fallout and worker accidents. Comparing those two estimates, Kharecha and Hansen came up with the 1.8 million figure.
They next estimated the total number of deaths that could be prevented through nuclear power over the next four decades using available estimates of future nuclear use. Replacing all forecasted nuclear power use until 2050 with natural gas would cause an additional 420,000 deaths, whereas swapping it with coal, which produces significantly more pollution than gas, would mean about 7 million additional deaths. The study focused strictly on deaths, not long-term health issues that might shorten lives, and the authors did not attempt to estimate potential deaths tied to climate change.
Finally the pair compared carbon emissions from nuclear power to fossil fuel sources. They calculated that if coal or natural gas power had replaced nuclear energy from 1971 to 2009, the equivalent of an additional 64 gigatons of carbon would have reached the atmosphere. Looking forward, switching out nuclear for coal or natural gas power would lead to the release of 80 to 240 gigatons of additional carbon by 2050.
By comparison, previous climate studies suggest that the total allowable emissions between now and 2050 are about 500 gigatons of carbon. This level of emissions would keep atmospheric CO2 concentrations around 350 ppm, which would avoid detrimental warming.
Because large-scale implementation of renewable energy options, such as wind or solar, faces significant challenges, the researchers say their results strongly support the case for nuclear as a critical energy source to help stabilize or reduce greenhouse gas concentrations.
Bas van Ruijven, an environmental economist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, in Boulder, Colo., says the estimates on prevented deaths seem reasonable. But he wonders if the conclusion that nuclear power saves hundreds of times more lives than it claims will convince ardent critics.
The nuclear power issue is “so polarized that people who oppose nuclear power will immediately dispute the numbers,” Van Ruijven says. Nonetheless, he agrees with the pair’s conclusions on the importance of nuclear power.
Hospital in Belarus
Japan nowadays..
somebody have to be very desperate to write all that shit..
Nuclear Power Prevents More Deaths Than It Causes
Using nuclear power in place of fossil-fuel energy sources, such as coal, has prevented some 1.8 million air pollution-related deaths globally and could save millions of more lives in coming decades, concludes a study. The researchers also find that nuclear energy prevents emissions of huge quantities of greenhouse gases. These estimates help make the case that policymakers should continue to rely on and expand nuclear power in place of fossil fuels to mitigate climate change, the authors say (Environ. Sci. Technol., DOI: 10.1021/es3051197).
In the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, critics of nuclear power have questioned how heavily the world should rely on the energy source, due to possible risks it poses to the environment and human health.
“I was very disturbed by all the negative and in many cases unfounded hysteria regarding nuclear power after the Fukushima accident,” says report coauthor Pushker A. Kharecha, a climate scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, in New York.
Working with Goddard’s James E. Hansen, Kharecha set out to explore the benefits of nuclear power. The pair specifically wanted to look at nuclear power’s advantages over fossil fuels in terms of reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Kharecha was surprised to find no broad studies on preventable deaths that could be attributed to nuclear power’s pollution savings. But he did find data from a 2007 study on the average number of deaths per unit of energy generated with fossil fuels and nuclear power (Lancet, DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61253-7). These estimates include deaths related to all aspects of each energy source from mining the necessary natural resources to power generation. For example, the data took into account chronic bronchitis among coal miners and air pollution-related conditions among the public, including lung cancer.
The NASA researchers combined this information with historical energy generation data to estimate how many deaths would have been caused if fossil-fuel burning was used instead of nuclear power generation from 1971 to 2009. They similarly estimated that the use of nuclear power over that time caused 5,000 or so deaths, such as cancer deaths from radiation fallout and worker accidents. Comparing those two estimates, Kharecha and Hansen came up with the 1.8 million figure.
They next estimated the total number of deaths that could be prevented through nuclear power over the next four decades using available estimates of future nuclear use. Replacing all forecasted nuclear power use until 2050 with natural gas would cause an additional 420,000 deaths, whereas swapping it with coal, which produces significantly more pollution than gas, would mean about 7 million additional deaths. The study focused strictly on deaths, not long-term health issues that might shorten lives, and the authors did not attempt to estimate potential deaths tied to climate change.
Finally the pair compared carbon emissions from nuclear power to fossil fuel sources. They calculated that if coal or natural gas power had replaced nuclear energy from 1971 to 2009, the equivalent of an additional 64 gigatons of carbon would have reached the atmosphere. Looking forward, switching out nuclear for coal or natural gas power would lead to the release of 80 to 240 gigatons of additional carbon by 2050.
By comparison, previous climate studies suggest that the total allowable emissions between now and 2050 are about 500 gigatons of carbon. This level of emissions would keep atmospheric CO2 concentrations around 350 ppm, which would avoid detrimental warming.
Because large-scale implementation of renewable energy options, such as wind or solar, faces significant challenges, the researchers say their results strongly support the case for nuclear as a critical energy source to help stabilize or reduce greenhouse gas concentrations.
Bas van Ruijven, an environmental economist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, in Boulder, Colo., says the estimates on prevented deaths seem reasonable. But he wonders if the conclusion that nuclear power saves hundreds of times more lives than it claims will convince ardent critics.
The nuclear power issue is “so polarized that people who oppose nuclear power will immediately dispute the numbers,” Van Ruijven says. Nonetheless, he agrees with the pair’s conclusions on the importance of nuclear power.
20130402
Germany, a safe haven for money laundering
Germany, a safe haven for money laundering
Money laundering as an organized crime is increasingly becoming a problem in Germany, says a new report by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). But fighting money launderers has proven to be difficult.
About 13,000 cases of suspected money laundering were reported last year; in half of the cases, authorities later confirmed their initial suspicions.
That's a record high since 1993, when Germany's Anti-Money Laundering Act came into effect. From then on, banks had to report large transactions to the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin).
According to the BKA's report, transactions from Italy, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus caught the investigators' attention. In addition to real estate agents, restaurant and amusement arcade owners, it appears to have also become common among individuals, to allow criminals to use their bank accounts for money laundering purposes.
Intransparent flow of funds
"Unfortunately, circumstances in Germany still encourage money laundering," said Gerhard Schick, a member of the Green Party in the German Bundestag who is dealing with the issue in the Bundestag's financial committee. "There's still a lack of awareness about its vast proportions," Schick said in an interview with DW.
"Many trading transactions and commodity deals are becoming more and more intransparent," said BKA President Jörg Ziercke. That's why controls need to be tightened further.
According to experts of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission in Brussels, it's more than necessary to step up the game. Both institutions have repeatedly accused Germany of not doing enough to counter money laundering.
Annually, about 50 to 60 billion euros ($65 billion to $78 billion) that stem from illegal activities such as blackmailing, drug or arms trading are whitewashed through legal businesses, estimates the trade union representing German police investigators. Worse still: not even one percent of these sums can be recovered by the authorities, the union adds.
They say they are able to manage criminal prosecution in the banking sector, but state surveillance and control should be extended into other parts of the industry. But so far this idea hasn't received the necessary political backing, said criminalist Sebastian Fiedler.
EU: Germany too lenient in prosecution
The European Commission has already launched an infringement procedure because of Germany's hesitant behavior; its main argument being that non- pursuit of money laundering would enable the funding of terroristic activities. According to figures issued by the OECD's Financial Action Task Force (FATF), other countries do investigate more thoroughly and detect crimes four to 20 times more frequently than German authorities do.
As a result, the Bundestag's financial committee has started to intensify discussions about money laundering and tweaked its legislation. "But there's still the lack of a vital defense strategy regarding money laundering," Schick said. Above all, the BKA is lacking experts for their investigations. "That's a real problem," he added.
Forming a group of specialists - the Financial Intelligence Unit - was an important step which has led to a successful uncovering of illegal activities. Experts complain, however, that rivalry over competencies between the federal government and individual states leads to setbacks and inefficiencies.
There's always another new trick
Investigators said that criminals continue to come up with increasingly elaborate methods. One trick is to manipulate slot machines so that they display fewer profits, another is to offer illegal gambling online; estimated turnover: 120 million euros ($155 million) per year.
An especially clever trick is to legalize dirty money by running it past insolvency proceedings. Lately, it's not only commodities that are exchanged, but services between larger networks of companies which are difficult to control. Even the trade of CO2 emission certificates is now being used as a means for money laundering.
Yet another problem arises when illegally acquired money is transfered to non-involved third parties to circumvent confiscation. In 2010, the authorities succeeded in only 150 out of 600 preliminary proceedings on this front.
According to a study published by the Tax Justice Network that examined 70 countries, Germany is one of the biggest havens for tax evasion - ranking even before Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, Luxembourg or Jersey.
Money laundering as an organized crime is increasingly becoming a problem in Germany, says a new report by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). But fighting money launderers has proven to be difficult.
About 13,000 cases of suspected money laundering were reported last year; in half of the cases, authorities later confirmed their initial suspicions.
That's a record high since 1993, when Germany's Anti-Money Laundering Act came into effect. From then on, banks had to report large transactions to the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin).
According to the BKA's report, transactions from Italy, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus caught the investigators' attention. In addition to real estate agents, restaurant and amusement arcade owners, it appears to have also become common among individuals, to allow criminals to use their bank accounts for money laundering purposes.
Intransparent flow of funds
"Unfortunately, circumstances in Germany still encourage money laundering," said Gerhard Schick, a member of the Green Party in the German Bundestag who is dealing with the issue in the Bundestag's financial committee. "There's still a lack of awareness about its vast proportions," Schick said in an interview with DW.
"Many trading transactions and commodity deals are becoming more and more intransparent," said BKA President Jörg Ziercke. That's why controls need to be tightened further.
According to experts of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission in Brussels, it's more than necessary to step up the game. Both institutions have repeatedly accused Germany of not doing enough to counter money laundering.
Annually, about 50 to 60 billion euros ($65 billion to $78 billion) that stem from illegal activities such as blackmailing, drug or arms trading are whitewashed through legal businesses, estimates the trade union representing German police investigators. Worse still: not even one percent of these sums can be recovered by the authorities, the union adds.
They say they are able to manage criminal prosecution in the banking sector, but state surveillance and control should be extended into other parts of the industry. But so far this idea hasn't received the necessary political backing, said criminalist Sebastian Fiedler.
EU: Germany too lenient in prosecution
The European Commission has already launched an infringement procedure because of Germany's hesitant behavior; its main argument being that non- pursuit of money laundering would enable the funding of terroristic activities. According to figures issued by the OECD's Financial Action Task Force (FATF), other countries do investigate more thoroughly and detect crimes four to 20 times more frequently than German authorities do.
As a result, the Bundestag's financial committee has started to intensify discussions about money laundering and tweaked its legislation. "But there's still the lack of a vital defense strategy regarding money laundering," Schick said. Above all, the BKA is lacking experts for their investigations. "That's a real problem," he added.
Forming a group of specialists - the Financial Intelligence Unit - was an important step which has led to a successful uncovering of illegal activities. Experts complain, however, that rivalry over competencies between the federal government and individual states leads to setbacks and inefficiencies.
There's always another new trick
Investigators said that criminals continue to come up with increasingly elaborate methods. One trick is to manipulate slot machines so that they display fewer profits, another is to offer illegal gambling online; estimated turnover: 120 million euros ($155 million) per year.
An especially clever trick is to legalize dirty money by running it past insolvency proceedings. Lately, it's not only commodities that are exchanged, but services between larger networks of companies which are difficult to control. Even the trade of CO2 emission certificates is now being used as a means for money laundering.
Yet another problem arises when illegally acquired money is transfered to non-involved third parties to circumvent confiscation. In 2010, the authorities succeeded in only 150 out of 600 preliminary proceedings on this front.
According to a study published by the Tax Justice Network that examined 70 countries, Germany is one of the biggest havens for tax evasion - ranking even before Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, Luxembourg or Jersey.
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