Saturday, December 14, 2013

Obama Marks First Anniversary of Newtown Shootingsby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) Saturday December 14th, 2013 at 10:24 AM

Obama Marks First Anniversary of Newtown Shootings

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U.S. President Barack Obama used his weekly address to the nation to honor the memories of the 26 children and educators who were shot to death one year ago in Newtown, Connecticut. Obama said Saturday that as parents and Americans, the news of the deaths of six school workers and 20 children filled us with grief. He said that beneath the sadness, Americans also felt a sense of resolve, that the tragedies must end and that to end them, we must change. The American leader went on to say...

Iran arrests spy for Britain's MI6: Fars news agency

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DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian intelligence authorities have arrested a man on charges of spying for Britain's MI6, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Saturday.
  

When will the US learn from Australia? Stricter gun control laws save lives | Rebecca Peters 

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After our own mass murder, Australia didn't ban guns, but we passed stronger regulations. Gun deaths dropped dramatically
The mass murder in Newtown Connecticut a year ago caused shock and sorrow all around the world. In Australia it also revived memories of our own horror on a similar scale, when dozens of people innocently going about their day were gunned down by a disturbed young man.
Our tragedy occurred in 1996 at the Port Arthur historic site in Tasmania, one of Australia's most popular tourist destinations. The dead numbered 35, with more than 20 others injured. The victims ranged in age from 3 to 72. They included children, teens, adults and seniors; tourists and local workers; several couples, a pair of brothers, a mother and her two little daughters, and members of a retirees' club on an outing.
This was not the first shooting massacre we had suffered, but it was the largest in living memory. The tragedy ignited an explosion of public outrage, soul-searching and demands for better regulation of guns. We changed our laws. As a result, gun deaths in Australia have dropped by two-thirds, and we have never had another mass shooting.
Every country is unique, but Australia is more similar to the US than is, say, Japan or England. We have a frontier history and a strong gun culture. Each state and territory has its own gun laws, and in 1996 these varied widely between the jurisdictions. At that time Australia's firearm mortality rate per population was 2.6/100,000 – about one-quarter the US rate (pdf), according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the US Center for Disease Control. Today the rate is under 1/100,000 – less than one-tenth the US rate (pdf). Those figures refer to all gun deaths – homicide, suicide and unintentional. If we focus on gun homicide rates, the US outstrips Australia 30-fold.
The 1996 reforms made gun laws stronger and uniform across Australia. Semi-automatic rifles were prohibited (with narrow exceptions), and the world's biggest buyback saw nearly 700,000 guns removed from circulation and destroyed. The licensing and registration systems of all states and territories were harmonised and linked, so that a person barred from owning guns in one state can no longer acquire them in another. All gun sales are subject to screening (universal background checks), which means you cannot buy a gun over the internet or at a garage sale.
Gun ownership requires a license, and every sale is subject to a 28-day waiting period. The licensing process considers not only the applicant's age and criminal convictions, but also a range of other factors relevant to possession of a product that is (a) designed for killing and (b) highly coveted by people who should not have it. Relevant factors include the applicant's living circumstances, mental and physical health, restraining orders or other encounters with the law, type of gun desired and for what purpose, safety training, storage arrangements, and the public interest.
Police make whatever inquiries they think necessary to inform the decision on whether (or under what conditions) the license should be granted. This can include checking with neighbourhood police, the family doctor and especially spouses or partners. There are many red flags that do not appear in an automated computer record of criminal convictions: substance abuse, mental instability, conflict at home or at work, to name a few. Another risk factor is whether granting the license might make guns accessible to another household member whose own circumstances would disqualify them from a license – for example, a depressed teenager or a person with criminal convictions.
The screening process serves to block dangerous or irresponsible candidates, but also underscores for applicants and their families that bringing home a gun is a serious decision which affects the entire household, and indeed the entire community. Many applicants abandon their request during the waiting period – dissuaded by family members, or simply because the momentary enthusiasm for gun ownership passes.
Australia also requires a justifiable reason for the type of weapon the applicant wants to own. If you say you plan to hunt rabbits, your license doesn't allow you to a high-powered rifle. And if you already have a couple of guns suitable for hunting rabbits, it becomes increasingly difficult to justify acquiring more. This is a measure against the accumulation of private arsenals. A significant legal and cultural difference between our two countries: Australia doesn't accept anticipation of killing another person (self-defence) as a reason for owning a gun. To qualify for a handgun license, you must belong to and regularly attend a target shooting club.
An important feature of a licence is that it must be renewed every few years, and it can be cancelled or suspended if the bearer no longer meets the standard required – for example, due to domestic violence, a dangerous mental condition.
Australia didn't ban guns. Hunting and shooting are still thriving. But by adopting laws that give priority to public safety, we have saved thousands of lives.

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Puerto Rico Faces Cut to Junk by Moody's as Economy Weakens (1) - Businessweek

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Puerto Rico Faces Cut to Junk by Moody's as Economy Weakens (1)
Businessweek
Puerto Rico's general-obligation bond rating may be lowered to junk if the commonwealth's finances continue to deteriorate and it isn't able to access capital markets soon, Moody's Investors Service said. Moody's said its decision to put the island's ...
Beleaguered Munis Due for Relief in 2014?Wall Street Journal

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Groundbreaking Unearths Jewish 'Firsts' for Puerto Rico - Chabad.org

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Chabad.org

Groundbreaking Unearths Jewish 'Firsts' for Puerto Rico
Chabad.org
Richard Cohen, who lives in New York and comes to Puerto Rico at least once a month for business—and sometimes pleasure—because he owns a company there, noted that Chabad provides important services to the community. For instance, “we are...

Obamacare Pushing Puerto Rico Further Into Social Welfare State, Doctors Warn - Fox News Latino

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Obamacare Pushing Puerto Rico Further Into Social Welfare State, Doctors Warn
Fox News Latino
Puerto Rico has adopted some of the law's reforms, like allowing parents to keep their children on their health insurance until age 26, but there is no mandate for companies to provide coverage or for individuals to purchase plans by 2014. Instead ...

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Spain rejects Catalonia's independence referendum bid - Al Jazeera America

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Al Jazeera America

Spain rejects Catalonia's independence referendum bid
Al Jazeera America
However, the questions appeared to open a door for nationalists who want Catalonia to have the structure of a state but remain a part of Spain, possibly along the lines of Puerto Rico and the United States. But Ruiz-Gallardon said the referendum would ...
Spain's Catalonia sets 'independence' poll date Fort Worth Star Telegram
Spain rejects Catalonia referendum bidAljazeera.com

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US Coast Guard warns Haitians against sea voyages - Fort Mills Times

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US Coast Guard warns Haitians against sea voyages
Fort Mills Times
The U.S. Coast Guard is releasing an ad in English and Creole begging Haitians not to attempt to illegally immigrate by boat after dozens of recent deaths and a spike in voyages across the rough waters between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico ...

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Progreso Económico: Gov’t payroll shrinks by 55K posts

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P. RICO: Secretario de Justicia renuncia tras escándalo "amiguismo" - Almomento.net

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P. RICO: Secretario de Justicia renuncia tras escándalo "amiguismo"
Almomento.net
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico.- El secretario de Justicia de Puerto Rico, Luis Sánchez Betances, renunció este miércoles a su cargo tras el escándalo generado por visitar un cuartel policial donde un exsocio y amigo suyo permanecía detenido por conducir ebrio, ...

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Iran and U.S. nuclear policy 

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When Secretary of State John Kerry this fall stepped up negotiations on the first stage of what might become a comprehensive deal to end the Iran nuclear crisis, he cribbed the playbook of administration officials who were fine-tuning the United...

Pelosi: GOP 'disrespects' women

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Republicans in Congress have a general "disrespect" for women that's reflected in their legislative agenda, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi charged Friday, adding that she applauds the prospect of America having its first female president.  ...
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This Week Columnist: Government of Puerto Rico must tell the truth! Read: http:/... 

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This Week Columnist: Government of Puerto Rico must tell the truth! Read: http://ow.ly/rItcT#caribbeanbusiness

Progreso Económico: PR govt payroll sheds 55,000 jobs in past 5 years

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Progreso Económico: PR govt payroll sheds 55,000 jobs in past 5 years

Puerto Rico’s public payroll has shrunk by nearly 20 percent over the past five ...
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Three species of frogs native to the mountains of Puerto Rico have apparent ...
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Moody’s Investors Service late Wednesday placed Puerto Rico general obligat ...
La Fortaleza will release some documents related to the case that led to the ouster of Justice Secretary Luis Sánchez Betances from the Gov.
Puerto Rican biotechnology entrepreneur Manuel “Manny” Villafaña is getting his doctorate more than 40 years after he began blazing a trail ...
Report: Women face obstacles in federal work force
Issued: December 13, 2013
WASHINGTON — Women in the federal workforce continue to face more obstacles than men in reaching top positions and salaries despite making s ...
Missing American in Iran was on unapproved mission
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WASHINGTON — An American who vanished nearly seven years ago in Iran was working for the CIA on an unapproved intelligence-gathering mission ...
More purges may follow execution of Kim's uncle
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PYONGYANG, North Korea — The execution of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's uncle brought a swift and violent end to a man long consider ...

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US budget deal to hit PR unemployed

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US budget deal to hit PR unemployed

More 30,000 people in Puerto Rico could be left without unemployment checks as C ...

Three species of frogs native to the mountains of Puerto Rico have apparently di ...
Crowley PR logistics unit gets FTZ tag
Crowley Maritime’s Caribbean logistics unit has been granted reclassificati ...
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Puerto Rico tax revenues missed estimates in November but remain ahead of p ...
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Pope Francis has advanced the sainthood causes of Rafael Cordero Molino, a ...
Atlantis Healthcare Group Puerto Rico, Inc. has promoted Rubette Harford as its president and CEO.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached an agreement with Bayer CropScience LP, a company that operates a research facility and ...
Pope must decide what to do with disgraced Legion
Issued: December 13, 2013
VATICAN CITY — First, one of the Legion of Christ's top officials abruptly quit the troubled religious order in frustration over the slo ...

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"Mediterráneo, nuestro mar como nunca lo has visto"

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Barcelona, 11 dic (EFE).- La exposición "Mediterráneo" señala que este mar cuenta con 637 especies invasoras, lo que supone el 4 % de todas las que habi...
From: AGENCIA EFE
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Pierluisi dice acción de Moodys responde a malas decisiones de AGP

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La clasificación de las obligaciones generales de Puerto Rico es actualmente Baa3, lo que es un escalón sobre el estatus de “chatarra” (Ba1).
    


Puerto Rico's Territory Status is the Primary Cause of its Economic Problems 

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Statement delivered by The Honorable Pedro R. Pierluisi, Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico to the U.S. Congress, in the U.S. House of Representatives, W...
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