Friday, December 28, 2012

Press Google Reader client review

Press

Press, a brand new Google Reader news client, has been the focus of the Android app community since its release, being heralded for its great design choices and general ease of use. It certainly isn't the first -- nor will it be the last -- in this arena, but right now its one that has everyone watching, and early indications are that it's living up to the hype.

Do the design and features offer enough of a draw to pull you away from another reading app of your choice? Stick around after the break and see if Press is worth your consideration.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/OlQxP3_2Qfg/story01.htm

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Russian anti-U.S. adoption bill advances, goes to Putin for signing ...

12-26-russian-adoptions

By Brian Walker and Samira Said

(CNN) ? Russia?s upper house of parliament has approved a controversial measure banning adoption of Russian children by U.S. families, Russian media reported Wednesday.

The legislation now goes to President Vladimir Putin to be signed into law, the semiofficial RIA-Novosti news agency said.

Russia is one of the top countries of origin for international adoptions in the United States. The legislation could affect hundreds of American families seeking to adopt Russian children.

The bill also bars any political activities by nongovernmental organizations receiving funding from the United States, if such activities could affect Russian interests, the news agency said.

The legislation also imposes sanctions against U.S. officials thought to have violated human rights.

The vote in the Federation Council, Russia?s upper house, was unanimous, but the Foreign Ministry said it may seek to challenge the bill if it is signed by Putin as expected in coming days.

Lawmakers in the State Duma, Russia?s lower house of parliament, adopted the bill last week.

The move by Russian politicians is widely seen as retaliation for a law that U.S. President Barack Obama signed on December 14. That bill, called the Magnitsky Act, imposes U.S. travel and financial restrictions on human rights abusers in Russia.

?The United States is concerned by measures in the bill passed in the Russian Duma today that, if it becomes law, would halt inter-country adoptions between the United States and Russia and would restrict the ability of Russian civil society organizations to work with American partners,? U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said last week.

The Magnitsky Act is named in honor of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who uncovered the largest tax fraud in the country?s history in the form of rebates claimed by government officials who stole money from the state. Magnitsky died in 2009 after a year in a Moscow detention center, apparently beaten to death.

The Russian bill?s implementation would nullify a recent agreement between the United States and Russia in which the countries agreed to additional safeguards to protect children and parties involved in inter-country adoptions.

?American families have welcomed more than 60,000 Russian children into American homes over the past 20 years,? Ventrell said last week. ?Just last month we implemented a bilateral adoptions agreement with Russia to improve safeguards for adopted children and their families. If Russian officials have concerns about the implementation of this agreement, we stand ready to work with them to improve it and remain committed to supporting inter-country adoptions between our two countries.?

Only China has more adoptions to the United States than Russia.

Backers of the Russian bill said American adoptive parents have been abusive, citing 19 deaths of Russian children by their foster parents since the 1990s, according to local media.

In 2010, an American woman caused outrage after she sent her adopted son back to Russia alone on a one-way flight, saying the boy, then 7, had violent episodes that made her family fear for its safety.

Groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch had urged lawmakers to reject the bill.

?This bill hits back at Russia?s most vulnerable children and could deprive them of the loving families they desperately need,? Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said last week.

John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International?s Europe and Central Asia program director, has said, ?this bill is frankly a childish response to the Magnitsky Act.?

The-CNN-Wire/Atlanta
? & ? 2012 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

Source: http://fox13now.com/2012/12/26/russian-anti-u-s-adoption-bill-advances-goes-to-putin-for-signing/

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Canterbury Earthquake Insurance Advocacy Service... | Stuff.co.nz

An insurance advocacy service for quake-hit Cantabrians will be smaller than originally planned, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

In July the Christchurch City Council voted unanimously to ask the minister to establish an insurance tribunal and advocacy service in the city.

The service was being managed by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority and would help residents battling for information about when, or if, their homes would be repaired.

A spokesman for Brownlee said the need for such a service was "no longer as great".

"The need is lesser than it was and the [service Cera is] designing will reflect that."

Cr Glenn Livingstone, who led the call for assistance, was frustrated the service would be scaled back. Christchurch's social and economic recovery depended on it, he said.

"[It] is needed to provide insurance breakthroughs - enabling people to have their homes fixed, keep their and their children's health intact and contribute to the local economy through increased productivity . . . "

People were still living in substandard housing and waiting to hear from their insurers, he said.

"Mental health providers tell me that, in Christchurch, insurance and housing difficulties account for most of their work."

Labour MP Lianne Dalziel said it was needed now more than ever.

"We need to be beefing up all of the insurance advocacy . . . it is urgent. We have people struggling with insurance issues constantly."

People were feeling "powerless" and "stressed" when dealing with insurance companies. She said it was imperative a service was set up quickly because many people did not know their rights and were confused by legal terminology.

David Stringer, of advocacy group Insurance Watch, said homeowners were becoming increasingly cynical about claims the rebuild was ramping up.

"We're flat out advocating for people . . . there's still a massive need for support."

A Cera spokeswoman said the authority was working with insurers and the Earthquake Commission on developing the advocacy service.

More information would be available in the new year, she said.

"The key thing is that the service will be there to provide independent advice to people on insurance and related issues. It is obviously important that the service does not duplicate any existing advocacy services or dispute resolution schemes."

- ? Fairfax NZ News

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/8091860/Insurance-advocacy-service-pruned

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Monday, December 17, 2012

Ghana names Kyerematen as first candidate to succeed WTO's Lamy

GENEVA (Reuters) - Ghana has put forward the first official candidate to succeed Pascal Lamy as head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), nominating its former Trade Minister Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen.

Kyerematen's bid to take over after Lamy's second term expires on August 31. was widely expected after he won the backing of the African Union earlier this year.

However, that endorsement was done so quietly that some diplomats have suggested he might face a challenge from another African nation belonging to the 157-member trade body.

Applications must be submitted by the end of the year, in time for a three-month campaigning period and for a winner to emerge by the end of May.

Many trade diplomats think the job should go to an African, Latin American or Caribbean candidate, since all but one head of the 17-year-old WTO have been from developed countries. The exception was Thailand's Supachai Panitchpakdi.

But Lamy has said there was no system of rotating the job between countries and regions and said his successor, chosen by consensus, should be picked on the basis of competence alone.

Other names in the frame are New Zealand's Trade Minister Tim Groser, Brazil's Ambassador to the WTO Roberto Azevedo, Costa Rica's Trade Minister Anabel Gonzalez and South African Trade Minister Rob Davies.

The head of Mexico's competition commission Eduardo Perez Motta, a former ambassador to the WTO, told Reuters in September that he would enter the race if his name was put forward.

Former Jordanian Trade Minister Ahmad Al Hindawi will also be nominated, Jordanian media reported earlier this month.

The office of Nigeria's Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who failed in a bid to head the World Bank, headed off rumors by saying in September that she had not expressed interest and was not a candidate.

The only WTO member to rule itself out of the race so far is the European Union.

"Obviously this time it will not be somebody from Europe, so we will have to see what the candidatures are," European Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht told reporters last week during a visit to Geneva.

(Editing by Louise Ireland)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ghana-names-kyerematen-first-candidate-succeed-wtos-lamy-181840759.html

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Steps for Families to Consider in Aftermath of Shooting at Sandy ...

MILLIONS OF KIDS ARE SENT TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY?with the expectation of a safe return home. Our notion of this guarantee has been shattered, leaving adults feeling as though their children are not safe and children feeling vulnerable to danger. Since it is the job of the adults in a society to keep children safe, this tragedy will lead many to experience a range of emotions. Some of the emotions many adults will move back and forth between include fear, sadness, anger, helplessness, and even denial in the struggle to process the senselessness of how these lives were lost on an elementary school campus last week. Children and adolescents may experience a range of emotions but often do not have the ability to identify or express their feelings. In this case some children may even feel their own lives are in danger, since the main target of these mass murders was children.

Adults can help children and adolescents through this difficult time by:

  • Not becoming over anxious (children pick up on your anxiety and that can add to their stress).
  • Model how to express feelings of sadness and grief and explain how you feel to your children.
  • Reduce the amount of time you and your children watch TV and Internet reports of the tragedy.
  • Find ways to comfort your children and provide strength for your children.
  • Hugs and cuddling are known to reduce stress. Include your pets in group hugs. If your child is feeling very fearful they may benefit from sleeping in close proximity to you for a couple of nights (in your bed or in a sleeping bag nearby).
  • Maintaining normal habits such as dinner time and a bedtime ritual helps provide structure.
  • Play can help reduce stress, especially games you can play with your children (coloring, board games, card games, etc.). Drawing can also be a way for children to express their feelings.
  • Reassure your children that they are safe and that you are safe too. Children may become clingy, not wanting to leave your side for fear that something bad will happen to them or to you.
  • Maintain a connection to the community. Visit the local recreation center where families gather and share comfort. Visit your local religious establishment offering comfort and connection.
  • Offer to volunteer as a playground monitor at your child?s school for a few days, especially if you are a coach of a community youth team or a regular presence at the school, as this will help children feel safer while they are coping with shock and fear reactions resulting from this tragedy.
  • Keep communication open by being present and available for your children. You don?t need to have all of the answers, just be there.

Don?t force children to talk about their feelings. Be ready to listen when they are ready to talk. All feelings are valid. A child may be more ?clingy? than usual and this is normal behavior under the circumstances. Adolescents in particular have moments when they are open to engaging in a discussion with parents or guardians. In general, you may have noticed your child or adolescent is best at communicating on the ride home from school, at dinner, or via text message. Often during the long process of their own identity development, children and adolescents can become less talkative and moody, leaving parents and guardians frustrated over difficulties with communication. This is where it is up to the adult in the relationship to discover the best time to share meaningful communication with their child or adolescent. Children and adolescents will experience healthier outcomes when they are not left alone to process powerful feelings and emotions. Find a way into their world where you can help them identify and normalize their experiences. Sometimes it starts with sharing how you feel.

Some children and adolescents may already be dealing with a crisis such as parents divorcing, loss of a pet or significant person in their lives, family member in the military, etc. ?This tragedy may amplify difficult feelings they are already struggling with. Some children may experience severe reactions like crying, shaking, and regression (bed wetting, thumb sucking). If your child or adolescent demonstrates impaired functioning in concentration and school performance, aggression, isolation, changes in appetite, and lack of healthy connections and relationships then it is time to visit the pediatrician and ask for a referral to consult with a child and adolescent mental health specialist.

This tragic event takes a toll on everyone. Help the vulnerable in your community who may be less able to cope with this tragedy if you are able. If you feel overwhelmed, stay connected to friends and family, consult with your general medical practitioner, and seek guidance from a mental health professional if needed.

In the days to come we must continue to focus on what can be done to prevent these avoidable tragedies. Clearly, firearm-related mortality among children and adolescents must be recognized as a major health problem in this country. With high levels of suicidal tendencies among adolescents, easy availability of extremely lethal means, and low levels of mental health support, it is incumbent on policy makers and health care professionals to determine how to effectively translate research into life-enhancing outcomes for society?s youth.

Caren Caty, Ph.D.

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Source: http://americanhumaneblog.org/2012/12/steps-for-families-in-aftermath-of-shooting/

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