World News Brief, Tuesday July 30 | Pundit

Israel and Palestine to resume peace talks; Japan and Chins to hold talks in effort to de-escalate territorial row; Cambodia's opposition leaders reject election results; China activates natural gas pipeline from Burma; John Kerry to visit Pakistan; Morsi supporters call for fresh protest rallies in Egypt; Italian court to make appeal judgement on Berlusconi's alleged tax evasion; and more

Top of the Agenda: Kerry Restarts Mideast Peace Talks

Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams will resume peace talks (Haaretz) Monday night in Washington, DC, after the Israeli cabinet on Sunday approved the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners who have been jailed since before the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993. The release of the prisoners had been one of the major obstacles (AP) to the resumption of peace talks, which were brokered by U.S. secretary of state John Kerry. The talks represent the first direct dialogue (WaPo) since the peace process fell apart in September 2010, and will see Israel's Tzipi Livni and Yitzhak Molcho sitting down with Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and Mahmoud Abbas aide Mohammed Shtayyeh.

Analysis

"Just this month [President Obama] gave a speech defending vigorously his use of drone attacks. So we escalate our effort to kill terrorists while urging an ally to release terrorists from prison. It would be worth asking the administration how that position can be defended morally," writes CFR's Elliott Abrams on his blog, Pressure Points.

"Israel and Palestine need a two-state peace. It would involve bitter compromises on both sides, but no more bitter than those accepted by Nelson Mandela in putting the future before the past, hope before grievance," writes Roger Cohen for the New York Times.

"The two-state solution may well be on the line as well. As former Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin warned recently, Israel is 'approaching a point of no return.' Against this backdrop, Kerry's great challenge is to apply some Kissinger muscle. Putting the full-court press on the Israeli and Palestinian leadership, however, is going to require a little more media savvy," writes Bruce Van Voorst for Foreign Policy.

?

PACIFIC RIM

Japanese Minister Visits China

A top Japanese minister will visit China (Reuters) on Monday and Tuesday for talks with senior officials in a bid to smooth relations soured by an escalating territorial row. A top government adviser also said Sunday that Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe could soon hold a summit with Chinese president Xi Jinping.

CFR's Sheila Smith discusses Japan and the East China Sea dispute in this article.

CAMBODIA: Cambodia's opposition leaders rejected the preliminary results (NYT) of Sunday's election, accusing the authoritarian government of Prime Minister Hun Sen of cheating.

BURMA: China has activated a new pipeline bringing natural gas (AP) from Burma in a project that has raised concerns about China's energy project and its impact on Burma's locals.

SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA

Kerry to Visit Pakistan

U.S. secretary of state John Kerry is scheduled to visit Pakistan (Dawn) on July 31 after accepting an invitation on the sidelines of the ASEAN conference in early July. Kerry will hold meetings with Pakistani leaders and participate in the Pakistan-U.S. strategic dialogue.

This CFR Crisis Guide covers Pakistan's contentious history and evolution.

ELSEWHERE:

Morsi supporters call for more protests in Egypt

Italian court to make appeal judgement on Berlusconi's alleged tax evasion

?This is an excerpt of the CFR.org Daily News Brief. The full version is available on CFR.org.

Source: http://pundit.co.nz/content/world-news-brief-tuesday-july-30

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Is Snowden about to become a refugee in Russia?

The former NSA contractor could walk out of the Moscow airport with temporary political asylum Wednesday ? much to the chagrin of the United States.

By Fred Weir,?Correspondent / July 23, 2013

NSA leaker Edward Snowden looks down during a press conference at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, Friday, July 12, 2013.

Tanya Lokshina/Human Rights Watch/AP

Enlarge

Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden could walk out of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Wednesday as a documented Russian political refugee, according to the Kremlin-connected lawyer who's been handling his affairs.

Skip to next paragraph Fred Weir

Correspondent

Fred Weir has been the Monitor's Moscow correspondent, covering Russia and the former Soviet Union, since 1998.?

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"He should get this certificate [allowing him to leave the airport] shortly," the official Voice of Russia radio station quoted lawyer Anatoly Kucherena as saying.

Russian authorities have suggested it could take up to three months to fully process his request for political asylum. But Mr. Kucherena said a temporary document will likely be issued?tomorrow?that will enable him to leave the legal limbo of Sheremetyevo's transit zone ? where he has now been stranded for exactly a month ? and move to premises in downtown Moscow.

One straw in the wind that suggests Russian authorities may be leaning toward taking in the wayward ex-CIA employee, despite intense US pressure not to, is a timely round of statements from Russian government sources slamming the US for its "double standards" in dealing with Russian extradition requests.

The main thrust of Washington's appeal to Moscow has been that Mr. Snowden is a common criminal who should be handed over out of shared civilizational values, even though there is no formal extradition treaty between the US and Russia.

"Mr. Snowden ought to be returned to the United States to face the felony charges against him," United States Ambassador to Moscow?Michael McFaul tweeted?on Monday.

But in what looked like a coordinated pair of official blasts, Russian law enforcement agencies claimed that they have never experienced that sort of courtesy from their US counterparts.

"[Russian] law agencies have asked the US on many occasions to extradite wanted criminals through Interpol channels, but those requests were neither met nor even responded to," interior ministry spokesman Andrei Pilipchuk is quoted as saying by the Kremlin-funded, English-language news network Russia Today, which prefers to be known as RT.

And Sergei Gorlenko, head of the chief prosecutor's extradition office in Moscow, told the independent Interfax agency that "the United States has repeatedly refused Russian requests to extradite individuals, to hold them criminally liable, including those accused of committing serious crimes. We have been denied the extradition of murderers, bandits and bribetakers."

Officially, Russia has struck an ambivalent attitude toward Snowden since he arrived ? completely uninvited, President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly insisted. On one hand, Mr. Putin has said from the beginning that Russia will never extradite him to the US. On the other hand, he and other Russian officials have frequently wished out loud over the past month that Snowden would just move along, and stop creating unwanted complications for an already troubled US-Russia relationship.

Many Russians have embraced the idea of taking Snowden in, largely because it would represent an impressive turning-of-cold-war-tables, in which Russia becomes a free-speech haven for dissidents fleeing the US.

But Putin has been visibly cold to the idea, perhaps out of worries that the ongoing Snowden situation could chill planned talks with President Barack Obama?at the St. Petersburg G20 summit that's barely a month away, or even prompt a US-led boycott of the upcoming Sochi Winter Olympics, as at least one US senator has suggested.

One piece of the puzzle regarding official Russia's attitude toward Snowden concerns the role of the lawyer, Mr. Kucherena, who has apparently enjoyed almost unrestricted access to his client in the extraterritorial no-man's land of Sheremetyevo's transit zone.

Kucherena is chairman of the law enforcement commission in Russia's Public Chamber, a semi-official assembly of Kremlin-approved civil society groups and a prominent Moscow lawyer. The Kremlin-funded RT network, which has been able to talk extensively with Kucherena,?has posted a thumbnail biography of him.

But other analysts suggest Kucherena may be part of a Kremlin plan to admit Snowden to Russia, but keep him boxed in and under tight control of Russian security services.???

In other words, Snowden may successfully leap from the frying pan of Sheremetyevo's sterile transit zone, but it remains to be seen where he will land.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/Eesx52ajFW4/Is-Snowden-about-to-become-a-refugee-in-Russia

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Alleged Exploding Samsung Galaxy S4 Adds to China's Smartphone Woes

Posted 07/29/2013 at 1:11pm | by Leif Johnson

It turns out it's not just Apple products that have been involved in tragic incidents in China lately. As reported by Gizmodo, a man in Hong Kong was simply playing an app on his Samsung Galaxy S4 when the device allegedly exploded. After he threw it across the room and under the couch in panic, the fire spread and caused some massive damage to his apartment.

The man, known only as "Du," claims he was using products that all originated with Samsung, including the battery and the charger. Du claims he was playing a game called "Love Machine," a simple and poorly reviewed app that can picked up for iOS as well. (Although, considering the circumstances, you might want to think twice before you attempt to mimic Du's evening on your iOS device.)

Source: Xianguo

Previously Apple bore the brunt of the horror stories surrounding faulty smartphones and accessories in China, particularly after a flight attendant suffered a fatal electrocution from a charging iPhone. It was later revealed that the charger was manufactured by a company other than Apple.

That's not to say that we're necessarily safe from such accidents on the home front. Just last month, we reported that Best Buy had recalled 5,100 third-party battery replacements for the MacBook Pro following 13 incidents in which the batteries went up in flames.

Follow this article's writer, Leif Johnson, on Twitter.

Source: http://www.maclife.com/article/news/alleged_exploding_samsung_galaxy_s4_adds_chinas_smartphone_woes

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Impaired boaters target of weekend crackdown on Lake Washington

Law enforcement agencies will take to the water this weekend looking for impaired boaters during the annual Seafair activities on Lake Washington.

The?Washington State Patrol, along with city, county and federal agencies, will participate in the?Impaired Boating Emphasis from Friday through Sunday during the hydroplane races and airshow.?During last year?s emphasis patrols,?officers made a total of 61 arrests for boating under the influence (BUI); and 70 arrests in 2011.

According to the State Patrol, boating under the influence is similar to DUI:?the legal limit is .08 or under the influence and/or affected by drugs.? In addition, new BUI laws that went into effect on Sunday include:

? BUI?changed from a misdemeanor to?a gross misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $5,000 and up to 364 days in jail;

? Law enforcement is now able to require operators suspected of BUI to take a breath or blood test;

? Law enforcement now has the authority to issue citations to vessel operators during the investigation of collisions/accidents they did not witness, thus holding negligent and reckless boaters more accountable.

Source: http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2013/07/impaired-boaters-target-of-weekend-crackdown-on-lake-washington/

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Harford Community College to host living history performance featuring Kate Campbell Stevenson as environmentalist Rachel Carson on July 14

A living history performance,?part of a series organized by the Maryland Humanities Council and other local partners, comes to Harford Community College July 14 featuring?Kate Campbell Stevenson performing as environmentalist?Rachel Carson. Here are the details:

HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO HOST CHAUTAUQUA FEATURING RACHEL CARSON

Harford Community College will host a Chautauqua living history performance on July 14, at 4 PM, in the Chesapeake Theater. The performance, which is free and open to the general public, will feature Kate Campbell Stevenson performing as the mother of the environmental movement Rachel Carson, author of The Silent Spring.

A dramatic reading by Ben Fisler, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theatre at Harford Community College and regional professional actor, will open the performance. Dr. Fisler will present ecologically-focused selections from the works of such early twentieth-century playwrights as Henrik Ibsen, Anton Chekov, and August Strindberg. These pieces will help demonstrate how the spirit of environmental responsibility brewed in literature and the performing arts of the previous half-century, literally setting the stage for Rachel Carson?s work.

The performance at Harford Community College is co-sponsored by several departments and other units within the College, including the Division of Library & Information Resources, the STEM Division, the Humanities Division, the Office of Student Activities, and the Sustainability Committee. The show will also include an overview of the many ways in which the College has actively promoted environmental awareness and taken steps to make practices at the College ?green.?

The Chautauqua is part of a series organized by the Maryland Humanities Council (MHC) in conjunction with local partners statewide. Live local musical and theatrical acts open each show. Living history performances are followed by question and answer sessions, which often spark spirited conversation and provides informative family fun. Audiences will hear from the voices of Jackie Robinson, Rachel Carson, and Amelia Earhart. Via partnership with the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, the July 6 performance (Rachel Carson), will be live streamed; audiences will be able to access the performance via the MHC homepage at www.mdhc.org. Visit www.mdhc.org to access a statewide schedule or to learn more.

Chautauqua is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Garrett Lakes Arts Festival, Garrett College, the Community College of Baltimore County, the College of Southern Maryland, Montgomery College, the Historical Society of Talbot County, Avalon Theatre, Warren Kilmer and Judith Needham, the Talbot County Arts Council, the Town of Perryville, Cecil County Public Library, Delmarva Power, Cecil Tourism, Harford Community College, and MHC donors. MHC is a statewide educational nonprofit that uses the humanities (literature, history, archaeology, poetry, etc.) to promote civic engagement and informed dialogue about critical issues.

For more information about the HCC performance, contact Carol Allen, Director, Library & Information Resources, 443-412-2144 or CaAllen@harford.edu .

FEATURED HISTORICAL FIGURESJack Roosevelt ?Jackie? Robinson (1919-1972) ended 60 years of baseball segregation with his 1947 Major League debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was named the National League?s Rookie of the Year and in 1949 received the league?s Most Valuable Player award. After his baseball career, Robinson worked in business and helped to establish the Freedom National Bank in Harlem. He was an activist for social change and served on the board of the NAACP. In 1962 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

Rachel Carson (1907-1964) has been called the mother of the environmental movement. A writer, scientist, and ecologist, Carson received her master?s in marine biology at Johns Hopkins University, taught zoology at the University of Maryland, and contributed articles to the Baltimore Sun. She worked at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and in 1951 published the bestseller, The Sea Around Us. Her controversial book, Silent Spring, alerted the public to the dangers of pesticides. Carson died of cancer in Silver Spring and is buried in Rockville.

Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and the first person to solo the Pacific, but she was much more than a courageous aviatrix. She was also a nurse?s aide, social worker, truck driver, writer, editor, and the first ?celebrity? to create a line of clothing that included practical outfits for active and working women. Along with friend Eleanor Roosevelt, she championed women?s rights and was an inspiration for women to pursue nontraditional roles.

ABOUT THE PERFORMER/SCHOLARS

Gregory Gibson Kenney (Jackie Robinson) is a professional actor who has performed in theatre, feature films, and television commercials. He has served as a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Education Advisory Board since 2000 and is the winner of the 1998 YWCA Racial Justice Award. Other portrayals include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Louis Armstrong, and Roberto Clemente. Through EDUCATE Us, he has presented over 3,500 programs for schools and organizations throughout the East Coast and the Midwest. Kenney studied at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in association with Point Park College.

Kate Campbell Stevenson (Rachel Carson) combines over 25 years of professional experience in music, theatre, and education to create Women: Back to the Future leadership programs. Kate Stevenson brings to life many strong women leaders including Abigail Adams and Eleanor Roosevelt. She has starred in over 30 musicals in regional theaters across the United States and has performed in radio and television commercials. Her one-woman shows have inspired audiences at conventions, conferences, colleges and universities, schools, museums, and state and national government meetings.

Mary Ann Jung (Amelia Earhart) is the actress behind History Alive! interactive shows and appearances. She has been a lead actress and Director of Renaissance History and Shakespearean Language at the Maryland Renaissance Festival for over thirty years. She is a Smithsonian scholar/performer and has appeared on CNN, The Today Show, and Good Morning America. Jung?s living history performances also include Clara Barton, Julia Child, Good Queen Bess, Mistress Margaret Brent, Rosalie of Riversdale, and Rosie the Riveter. She has a B.A. in British History from the University of Maryland.

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Source: http://www.belairnewsandviews.com/2013/06/harford-community-college-to-host-living-history-performance-featuring-kate-campbell-stevenson-as-environmentalist-rachel-carson-on-july-14.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=harford-community-co

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Lightning strikes three children at Indianapolis summer camp; one critically injured

By Daniel Arkin, Staff Writer, NBC News

A lightning strike in a field at an Indianapolis summer camp injured three children Saturday afternoon, leaving one in critical condition, police said.

Emergency crews responded to the Goldman Union Camp Institute, a reform Jewish camp near Zionsville, Ind., around 1:40 p.m. Saturday, where they learned that three children had been hit by a sudden burst of lightning, according to an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department release.

Camp counselors had already begun lifesaving efforts when responders arrived at the scene of the strike, according to police.

The injured children were transported to local hospitals, police said. Their names have not been released by authorities.

It was not immediately clear which one of the three victims ? a 9-year-old girl from Missouri, a 9-year-old boy from Kentucky, and a 12-year-old boy from Ohio ? was in critical condition on Saturday afternoon.

When reached by phone, a representative from the camp declined to provide information about the incident but said employees are working to ensure the safety of other campers.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663306/s/2dfb4c23/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A60C290C1920A79820Elightning0Estrikes0Ethree0Echildren0Eat0Eindianapolis0Esummer0Ecamp0Eone0Ecritically0Einjured0Dlite/story01.htm

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70 vote goal vanishes as Senate nears immigration reform vote

The Senate will vote on a sweeping immigration reform bill on Thursday morning, and a recently hashed-out compromise on border security is expected to win over some conservative support for the measure.

The "Gang of Eight," a bipartisan group of senators who drafted the bill, had hoped to get 70 out of 100 senators to vote to pass the bill and send a strong signal to the Republican-controlled house that the legislation is bipartisan. But on Wednesday, test votes drew only 67 votes each, suggesting the bill might fall short of that goal.

The reform would implement a mandatory, national employment verification system, allow for more legal immigration of low- and high-skilled workers, beef up border security and eventually give green cards to most of the nation's 11 million unauthorized immigrants.

The bill has moved to the right in the Senate on border security, thanks to an amendment adopted last week that will double the number of Border Patrol officers and increase fencing on the southern border by hundreds of miles before any unauthorized immigrants are offered permanent legal status. But House members working on their own version of immigration reform told The Hill this is not enough: They would prefer that no unauthorized immigrant be offered even temporary legal status until all the border security measures in the bill are fully implemented.

Union leaders representing both Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers say they oppose the bill, and groups that seek lower immigration levels have tried to rally members to call and write senators asking them to kill the bill. But so far, the critics of the bill have been outnumbered. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has worked as a conservative ambassador for the legislation. Rubio will deliver a "closing argument" for immigration reform, highlighting his parents' journey to the United States.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/news/senate-takes-immigration-vote-supporters-back-off-70-143951088.html

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