China?s State Council has ordered an audit of all government debt, according to Reuters, a sign that policymakers are concerned with rising debt at the provincial and municipal level amid a slowdown in economic growth:
The audit office, responsible for overseeing state finances, made the announcement in a one-sentence item on its website, but gave no details on the audit.
The official People?s Daily newspaper said separately on its website, citing unidentified sources, that an urgent order for the audit was issued on Friday and work will start this week.
The audit could indicate increased official concern over the systemic risk from rising debt levels in?China, especially debt of local governments, as top leaders slow economic growth in order to promote reform. [Source]
China?s National Audit Office published a report last month detailing an increase in borrowings at local governments since 2010, much of which can be attributed to spending on infrastructure and other development projects to drive growth. Economists worry that some of the most debt-burdened local governments, such as Jiangsu province, may pose a risk to the broader financial system in China. And as The Wall Street Journal reported today, ballooning debt levels limit the options of economic officials as they look to address sluggish growth this year:
China?s gross domestic product growth slowed to 7.5% year-to-year in the second quarter of 2013 from 7.7% in the first quarter, and many economists expect it to slow further in the second half. One option for the government to prevent a sharper slide is to ratchet up public spending.
But high debt means there is a limit to the government?s ability to act. China?s central government debt is low?14.4% of GDP in 2012, according to the International Monetary Fund. Concern centers on rapid growth in borrowing by local governments.
In response to the 2008 financial crisis, many circumvented rules preventing them from taking on debt by setting up investment vehicles to borrow, funding a wave of infrastructure investment. The People?s Daily article said the audit will move quickly into China?s provinces. [Source]
The South China Morning Post?s Daniel Ren wrote today that the audit signals the willingness of Li Keqiang and other top leaders to identify problems with the economy and even endure short-term pain to rebalance it:
?The new cabinet is resolute in ascertaining the risks facing the Chinese economy,? said a Beijing-based source with knowledge of the government?s thinking. ?To a certain extent, the government wants to expose the problems caused by the former leaders.? [Source]
Last month, Samsung gave us a look at two new ATIV Book 9 Ultrabooks, both of which will replace the company's famed Series 9 lineup. While the ATIV Book 9 Plus, with its QHD+ display and brand-new Haswell chip, may be a tad more exciting than the Book 9 Lite with its unspecified quad-core processor, it's the latter machine that's getting US pricing info today. At the end of the month, Samsung will offer the Book 9 Lite for $800. That relatively affordable sum gets you a 13.3-inch, 1,366 x 768 capacitive touchscreen, 128 gigs of SSD storage, AMD Radeon graphics and up to 5.5 hours of battery life.
In our brief hands-on time, we found both the Plus and Lite models to be comfortable; the main differences are the Plus' superior processor, higher-res display and slightly sleeker design. While both machines seem like solid options, we'd be remiss not to mention that the Plus will likely get a US launch date of its own very soon -- and its higher-end specs could make it worth the wait. If you're already set on the ATIV Book 9 Lite, though, you can get your pre-order on now at Samsung's site, or look for the machine in stores starting on July 28th.
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Fox's "Glee" is saying goodbye to several fan favorites.
Original cast membersDianna Agron, Heather Morris, Mark Salling, Amber Riley and Harry Shum, Jr. won't be returning as series regulars next season, though they may make guest appearances, individuals close to the production confirmed to TheWrap.
A representative for show producers, 20th Century Fox Television, declined to comment.
All five actors started with the musical series back in 2009. On the last season, "Glee" saw some big changes as new students joined and several characters moved on to their lives after McKinley High. The series was partially set in New York City to accommodate new storylines for stars Lea Michele and Chris Colfer.
Quinn (Agron), Puck (Salling), Mercedes (Riley) and Mike (Shum) graduated on Season 3. Heather (Morris) graduated this past season and the undercover brainiac accepted an offer to attend M.I.T. in Cambridge, Mass.
In April, Fox granted an early renewal to the Ryan Murphy production for an additional two seasons.
While the series still performs well on the network and reached cult status among viewers very quickly, its viewership has flagged some over its run. At its height during Season 2, "Glee" averaged 10.11 million viewers per episode versus Season 4's 8.26 million.
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) ? An Egyptian security crackdown has severely disrupted smuggling to the neighboring Gaza Strip, causing a fuel shortage, doubling the price of building materials and shutting down some construction sites in the Hamas-ruled territory.
Egypt's military clamped down on the lawless Sinai Peninsula, which abuts Gaza, in the run-up to mass protests planned for Sunday by Egyptian opposition activists trying to force out the country's president, Mohammed Morsi.
It's not clear if the Sinai lockdown is temporary or signals a tougher security regime aimed at restricting smuggling through tunnels running under the Egypt-Gaza border in the long term. That would have a devastating effect on Gaza, which has relied on smugglers since Israel imposed a border blockade following the rise to power of the Islamic militant group Hamas in 2006.
The Sinai campaign began this month when Egypt's military sent troop reinforcements and set up dozens of roadblocks across the sparsely populated stretch of desert that runs from the Suez Canal to the Gaza border. As a result, Egyptian trucks carrying cement, steel rods, fuel and other goods could no longer reach the Gaza tunnels.
"Nothing can get to the (tunnel) area," said Abu Khaled, 44, a tunnel operator in Gaza. "We are like a dry lake now. ... We all pray that this will end soon."
Gaza has only small reserves of cement, steel and other materials for private construction. With few exceptions, Israel bans such goods for fear Hamas will divert them for military use.
In response to the Sinai clampdown, the price of cement has doubled to $220 per ton, forcing some of the more than 200 private construction sites in the territory to shut down, contractors said. A shortage of cheap Egyptian fuel is forcing Gaza motorists to buy more expensive Israeli imports.
For now, Gaza's Hamas government is keeping silent.
Hamas and Morsi's Freedom and Justice Party share the same roots in the region-wide Muslim Brotherhood, and Hamas leaders appear reluctant to add to Morsi's troubles by complaining publicly about the disruption of smuggling.
The Egyptian military is known to be wary of Morsi's close ties to Hamas, viewing it as a threat to Egypt's public security. The military is bound to play a pivotal role in the current showdown between Morsi and his opponents, with both camps trying to ensure its support. Hamas would undermine Morsi by demanding an end to the Sinai crackdown now.
Mahmoud Zahar, a Hamas leader in Gaza, said the movement is aware of Morsi's domestic problems. "We are waiting until the administration (will) be more solid and stable" before raising demands for a new border regime, he said.
A collapse of the Morsi government would deal a major setback to the Brotherhood, including Hamas.
The Arab Spring uprisings of 2011 swept the Brotherhood to power in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, easing Hamas' political isolation in the region. Hamas, which has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings and other attacks, has long been shunned by Israel and the West as a terrorist organization. Morsi's Western-backed predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, had joined Israel in enforcing the Gaza border blockade ? though he turned a blind eye to the tunnels because of the Egyptian public's sympathy for the Palestinians.
Hamas' hopes of normalization on the Gaza-Egypt border following Morsi's inauguration a year ago have not materialized. An Egyptian-brokered cease-fire ending eight days of fighting between Israel and Hamas last November called for new border arrangements, but nothing has changed so far.
The land crossing between Egypt and Gaza is not equipped to handle cargo, and opening the border to trade would have violated previous international agreements, a risky step Morsi did not want to take early on in his presidency. Instead, he eased passenger travel slightly and allowed limited construction materials ? those intended for large Qatar-funded projects in Gaza ? to be transported above ground.
As a result, Gaza continued to rely on tunnels, mainly for cement, gravel, iron rods and fuel. Most consumer goods have been shipped through an Israeli cargo crossing since Israel eased its border restrictions three years ago.
In normal times, about 70 tunnels are active ? most for cargo, but some also for travelers evading Egyptian border controls. Tents or in some cases houses cover the openings on the Gaza side of the 14-kilometer (nine-mile) border. Hamas levies customs on smuggled imports and has turned the tunnel zone into a closed bonded area, with a line of checkpoints searching cargo trucks.
During a visit this week, the tunnel zone ? normally humming with the sound of generators and the rumbling of trucks ? was quiet. Only a few trucks loaded goods that had crossed the Sinai before the clampdown.
Egyptian military officials said the immediate target of the Sinai campaign is to keep out militants who might sneak into Egypt through the tunnels to spread chaos. Egyptian authorities never had a strong presence in the remote peninsula, but the last vestiges of law and order broke down after the 2011 uprising.
Militants have stepped up attacks in the Sinai, including last year, when 16 Egyptian soldiers were killed near Gaza. In addition, Bedouin tribal gangs are involved in smuggling and other criminal activities.
Egyptian security officials met with their Hamas counterparts at the start of the current security campaign. They are working together to minimize any threat at a time when Morsi is facing the most serious challenge to his rule, said officials from both sides who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss their talks with reporters.
Egyptian officials, however, said the reason they are virtually sealing off the Sinai is that Hamas is not doing enough.
Gazans are used to frequent shortages, and those involved in cross-border trade expressed hope the current crisis would blow over quickly.
"Everyone here and in Egypt is waiting to see what will happen (after Sunday), and we all pray for the good," said Nimr Rabah, a Gaza contractor who had to shut down two of his sites.
Abu Khaled, who imports gravel, expressed understanding for Egypt's security concerns, but said the closure is hurting a lot of people. He said 18 families on both sides of the border depend on his tunnel for their livelihood.
Truck driver Abu Tawfik, who transports cement from the tunnels to construction sites, said he has been idle for the past week. As a result, construction work is also slowing down, hurting one of the pillars of Gaza's shaky economy.
The construction industry has recovered slightly since the height of Israel's border blockade, employing about 20,000 people.
Nabil Abu Muaileq, chairman of the contractors' union, said there are more than 200 private construction projects, including homes and apartment buildings, in addition to projects by the Gaza government and international aid groups.
Rabah, the contractor, said the cement shortage forced him to stop work several days ago on a home and an apartment building. "We were told by the tunnel dealers they were unable to secure what we need due to the security arrangements" in Egypt, he said.
An Egyptian intelligence official said the crackdown on smuggling likely will continue, if perhaps not at the current level, even if Egypt's current political crisis is resolved.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters on internal deliberations, said any decision to shut down the tunnels completely would have to come not from the military, but from Morsi.
____
Associated Press writers Karin Laub and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Gaza City contributed reporting.
If Congress overhauls immigration laws, undocumented immigrants may be offered a path to citizenship. But not everyone agrees with that, and some of those in the opposition are immigrants themselves. From the public radio collaboration Fronteras Desk, reporter Jude Joffe-Block has one family?s story from Arizona.
It is likely that the immigration reform bill that will be taken up later this year in the House of Representatives will offer undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship. But not everyone agrees with that part of the bill and it is certain to face tough opposition. And some of those against the path to citizenship are immigrants themselves. Their views can be influenced by how they came to America. From the public radio collaboration Fronteras Desk, reporter Jude Joffe-Block has one family?s story from Arizona.
On a recent evening in Tempe, Arizona, Alex Khazanovich plays the piano with his 24-year-old son, Mark. The elder Khazanovich learned to play the piano as a child in the former Soviet Union. There wasn?t much on TV there. ?In the old country we only had two channels on the TV and they didn?t show anything worthwhile,? he says.
But life was difficult under Soviet rule for Jewish families like his. When he was a teenager, Alex Khazanovich headed to Canada with his parents. Then, an engineering job brought him to the US, and his young family, including his son Mark, settled here in Arizona the 1990s.
?I think the United States is a country that is much more free and conducive for people to exercise their individuality and freedom of expression,? says Alex Khazanovich, now 50 years old with a full beard. He became a US citizen after a long process. So now, when he?s asked about immigration reform, he?s concerned that the bill the Senate is set to approve soon includes a path to citizenship for people who came illegally.
?It is just wrong to disregard when people do something that is against the law,? says Khazanovich. He says his philosophy is rooted in his intense patriotism for his adopted country. ?One of the reasons we always saw America as the bastion of freedom because of our belief that our laws are fair and that they are fairly applied to everyone,? he says.
And his son Mark, who became a US citizen as a teenager, agrees: ?I think it would marginalize the experiences of the hundreds of thousands if not millions of people who have immigrated to this country legally, including my family.?
His father adds: ?We definitely don?t want to throw people out who are living here, but we do not want to reward those who figure they will bypass the process that is in place.?
Both men say that instead of a path to citizenship, immigrants in the country without papers should get legal permanent residency. It?s a fair compromise, they argue.
?If I was living in a terrible country, I would much rather have the option of living in America and not vote, then not live in America. I think that side is not often made,? says the younger Khazanovich.
But he adds that his position is not always easy to articulate. ?People are quick to assume that if someone doesn?t support this bill, then, you know, they are labeled as racist or bigots, or things like that,? he says.
Mark Khazanovich also says that he doesn?t want to risk being misunderstood. ?For, me it is not an issue of a person?s ethnicity or race, but it is just the principle,? he says. ?It wouldn?t matter to me what country they are illegally trying to immigrate from. I don?t believe in illegal immigration.?
And yet, the Khaznovichs say they don?t see a place for themselves in the most visible grassroots efforts that oppose illegal immigration. Those groups, they say, tend to be more hostile to unauthorized immigrants than they are comfortable with.
?A lot of them talk about exclusion and deportation and all those things and I think there are a number of reasons why that is not a good option,? says Alex Khazanovich. ?We have neighbors and friends, who I don?t ask them about their immigration status, but I don?t want to see them being deported.?
His son adds: ?I think these groups, obviously they care about this issue, but I feel like they are more on the extreme side. And I think that there?s a middle ground that is not only compassionate but is fair and, you know, a more realistic approach.?
As the debate over immigration reform continues, it?s still unclear whether this middle position the Khazanovichs agree with will emerge.
Michael Patterson, the 43-year-old Georgia man who dived into a creek to save a 4-year-old girl from drowning and became paralyzed from the chest down during the rescue, died after spending three weeks in a hospital, the Associated Press reports.
Patterson's family shared the news on Facebook.
Patterson's bravery left many, including the woman whose daughter he rescued, stunned. "He jumped in head first and after I grabbed her, I looked back and he was floating on top of the water," Jones told WSB-TV.com after Patterson's injury, which occurred on June 8.
The girl, Javea Jones, was able to be resuscitated. Patterson broke his neck during the dive. He also developed respiratory acidosis, pneumonia and a bacterial infection following the injury, according to Fox News.? The medical problems that came after the broken neck contributed to his death, Polk County Coroner Trey Litesey told news outlets.
Patterson's bravery was commended across the Web. Comments on the Yahoo News story following his injury reflected the immense respect people had for his actions.
One commenter wrote, "there really are no words to express the character of this man." Another wrote, "now this is what a hero looks like."
On Facebook, where friends and family of Patterson had set up a page to raise funds for his care, there was an outpouring of sympathy.
The friends of Mike Patterson wrote this on a Facebook page:
Mike?s spirit and selfless actions inspired tens of thousands who sent cards, letters and emails and engaged in posts at the Friends of Mike Patterson Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Friendsofmikepatterson). His life and the lives of others are forever changed by his courageous, split-second decision to save another?s life. Mike?s tragic story made news headlines around the globe. His heroic act stirred an outpouring of emotion and a desire to help Mike in his time of need. His caring nature will forever be honored.
At this time, funeral or any other arrangements are not known. The Friends of Mike Patterson Trust will post additional information as it becomes available. Please keep Mike's family and friends in your prayers.
Patterson's dive was not the first time that he had demonstrated his bravery. A week before, he and another man had pulled a truck driver from his cab after the truck caught fire.
His mother told WSB-TV that her son didn't see what the big deal was about his part in rescuing the man from the truck fire.
"He said he did what he thought, what he hoped anyone else would have done for him. That's not a very common thing anymore, for anyone to care about someone they don't know," she told the Cedartown Standard.
Less than 24 hours after an epic abortion bill filibuster propelled her into the national spotlight, Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis (D) went directly after Gov. Rick Perry (R) on national television.
Perry ordered the Texas State Legislature Wednesday to meet for another 30-day special session on a plan that would impose severe abortion restrictions, including the closure of nearly every clinic in the state. Part of Perry's official statement cast Tuesday's events as a "breakdown of decorum and decency to prevent us from doing what the people of this state hired us to do."
In a Wednesday interview on MSNBC's "All In With Chris Hayes," Davis was asked to respond to Perry's "decorum" remark. She struck back at the governor and Lt. Gov David Dewhurst, panning them as the ones who "led the charge" on the decorum breakdown.
"They have overridden and made a mockery of all of the rules that we run by in this state," Davis said.
Dozens of Senate Democrats held different sentiments than Perry, praising Davis for her efforts. A group of 31 signed a letter Wednesday, thanking her for the "courage and determination in defeating S.B. 5, a bill that would have severely limited women's reproductive choices in Texas."
June 26, 2013 ? A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering has developed a robot fish that mimics the movements of a carp. This robot which is essentially an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is ready for applications, as it can be programmed to perform specific functions, for example, for underwater archaeology such as exploring nooks and corners of wreckage -- or sunken city which are difficult for divers or traditional AUVs to access. Other applications include military activities, pipeline leakage detection, and the laying of communication cable.
The team comprises Professor Xu Jianxin, Mr Fan Lupeng, graduating Electrical Engineering student and Research Fellow, Dr Ren Qinyuan. Mr Fan worked on the project for his final year which won the High Achievement Award at the Faculty's 27th Innovation and Research Award. It will also be featured at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, a top international conference on intelligent robots, in Tokyo on 3-7 November 2013.
Said Prof Xu, "Currently, robot fish capable of 2-D movements are common, meaning that these models are not able to dive into the water. Our model is capable of 3-D movements as it can dive and float, using its fins like a real fish. Compared to traditional AUVs, they are certainly more mobile, with greater manoeuvrability. If used for military purpose, fish robots would definitely be more difficult to detect by the enemy."
Fish robots are also quieter and consume less energy, compared to traditional AUVs. Said Mr Fan who studied the movements of real life carps for three months, in order to develop their robot, "We chose to study carps because most fish swim like them. There is no literature at all on designing a mathematical model on the locomotion of fish and so we had to start from scratch. We used a camera to capture all the possible movements of a carp and then converted the data mathematically so that we could transfer the locomotion of real carp to our robot using different actuators."
This has been most challenging as fish use a lot of different muscles to move, and many actuators are required to enable the robot to move in the same manner.
Added Dr Ren, "Some fish can achieve almost 180 degree turning in a small turning radius through bending their body while traditional underwater vehicles have a much larger turning radius. Hence it is quite a feat for us to achieve this movement in our robot fish."
Other challenges included waterproofing the fish body, the motor and the control box. The fins and tails also need to be flexible and the team decided to use very fine (1mm) acrylic board for these. Buoyancy and balance for the robot is maintained by using plastic foams attached to both sides. For the diving mechanism, their robot fish is equipped with an internal ballast system to change density. The system is sophisticated enough to enable the fish to dive suddenly, as well as to the precise depth intended.
The team has constructed two fish robots. The larger prototype is about one and half metres in length, weighing about 10kg and it can dive to a depth of 1.8 metres. The smaller robot is about 60 centimetres long and weighs a mere 1.5kg. It is developed for investigation on 2D motion control and motion planning in a small place, and it can only swim at water surface.
"To my knowledge, the world's smallest fish robot is one about 12.7 centimetres (5 inches) in length. It was designed by MIT for specific military purpose and could go to a depth of 1.5 metres," said Dr Ren.
Moving forward
Underwater vehicles have long gone past the days of the submarines, said Mr Fan. Fish robots, besides being a micro submarine, can also be fully autonomous and can be programmed to perform many difficult and dangerous tasks.
The team hopes to make their robot fish even smaller and more realistic. Said Mr Fan, "We intend to equip it with more sensors like GPS and video camera to improve autonomous 3-D movement. We also intend to test out our fish with more challenging tasks such as object detection."
The Fisher-Price View-Master has entertained generations of kids with stereoscopic views of famous landmarks and cartoon characters since its advent in 1939. Problem was, these iconic gadgets could only display images, never record them. But the Poppy can. It turns your iPhone into a 3D camera.
The Poppy generates a pair of stereographic images from the iPhone's camera and recombines them into a 3D image when seen through the viewfinder. You just flip open the front end, slip your iPhone 4/4s/5 or iPod Touch into the slot on the top of the device and you're ready to go. And in addition to recording 3D content through the phone's camera, it can also be used to play back 3D content as well (such as the growing number of 3D trailers and user-generated content on YouTube).
I had the opportunity to sit down with Poppy co-creators, Ethan Lowry and Joe Heitzeberg, last week for a quick hands on ahead of the $50 product's Kickstarter launch and played with the Poppy for about 20 minutes. The device seemed a bit bulky at first blush, especially given that 3D content goes hand in hand with action sports?it's not like you're going to strap this to your face and try to land a triple frontside rodeo 1440. It was, however, surprisingly light and intuitive to use. The image quality for both recording and playback was solid (though that of course depends on your Internet connection and camera settings). The 3D playback feature is especially slick since it doesn't rely on (but can play) red-blue anaglyph 3D, which throws off the video's color. On the downside, this is an iOS accessory as it's built around the iPhone's corner-mounted camera, so Android users are out of luck.
I would gladly take a guided video tour through famous locales or vicariously BASE jump from sky scrapers using the Poppy?at least until I finish growing that spare arm and leg the Oculus Rift is going to cost me.
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) ? Actor Ethan Hawke says it's crucial that all children get an education from an early age, pointing to his own daughter's struggles with dyslexia.
Hawke spoke Wednesday in Romania, where he is promoting his recent film "Before Midnight."
His mother, Leslie Hawke, has worked with some of Romania's most impoverished young children. She has been raising awareness and educational funds for Romanian children since arriving here as a Peace Corps volunteer in 2000.
The Hollywood star told reporters that he is "affected by children whether it is in New York or Romania." He says his "eldest daughter is dyslexic ... if she were from a poor family everyone would assume she was stupid."
"Before Midnight" premiered in May and is the third in the series, following 1995's "Before Sunrise" and 2004's "Before Sunset." Hawke plays Jesse, who is married to Frenchwoman Celine.
Worldwide, one out of every five people lacks access to modern electricity. Affordability, quality of service, and social and environmental impacts pose great challenges in providing people with the power they need for lighting, cooking, and other activities. Good governance involving open and inclusive practices is essential to overcoming these pressing obstacles.
This is part three of a four-part blog series, ?Improving Electricity Governance,? which explores the key components involved in effective electricity governance. The series draws on the experiences of WRI?s Electricity Governance Initiative, documented in a new report, ?Shining a Light on Electricity Governance.? Read more posts in this series.
Until recently, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) held a monopoly on Thailand?s power generation and transmission since the 1970s. While EGAT provided a relatively stable supply of electricity to consumers, it was unregulated, leading to inefficiencies in the sector, such as wrongly estimated fuel supply. Consumers experienced high prices, while new power projects moved forward with little public consultation, sparking social conflict and concerns over environmental impacts.
The situation worsened in 2003, when Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra set forth a plan to restructure Thailand?s electricity sector and privatize EGAT. Rather than improving Thailand?s electricity sector in the public interest, the plan for privatization was designed to increase capital for powerful stakeholders and upper management employees. It called to maintain EGAT?s unregulated monopoly in order to maximize profits, even at the expense of public needs and environmental vulnerabilities.
Thailand?s electricity sector seemed poised to worsen?until civil society groups stepped in.
An Electricity Governance Assessment for Thailand
During the time of the government?s privatization proposal, a group of WRI?s Electricity Governance Initiative (EGI) partners were carrying out an assessment of the country?s electricity sector. The assessment found that there was no official forum for public participation within the sector, nor was there an independent regulator to balance the interests of EGAT against public needs.
In 2004, thousands of EGAT union members as well as a coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) protested the impending privatization plan. They voiced their objection to EGAT becoming a profit-driven monopoly and demanded that the electricity sector be made accountable to public needs. EGI partners submitted their findings to the Supreme Administrative Court, which held a hearing to address the impending plan. As a result of union members? and civil society groups? efforts, the privatization was postponed by the court. In 2005, the decision was overturned.
Establishing an Independent Regulator
Since then, EGI partners and other stakeholders helped draft a new law that establishes an independent regulatory commission to ensure accountability in Thailand?s electricity sector. The Energy Regulatory Commission has since helped create 13 Regional Consumer Committees in different parts of Thailand. Each committee represents energy consumers in a specific region of the country. They are expected to address energy complaints and petitions, suggest improvements in energy services, and advise energy consumers on consumer-protection issues.
The presence of the independent Energy Regulatory Commission of Thailand has worked to protect the public interest by ensuring fair prices and reliable service, promoting awareness and knowledge of the energy sector, providing impact assessments, supporting renewable energy, and securing fairness and transparency throughout the sector. In opening up the policy process and providing an independent forum for public participation, electricity sector decision-makers are now accountable to the varied expertise and interests of the public.
Improvements didn?t just stop with establishing an independent Regulatory Commission. EGI partner, Palang Thai, coordinated capacity-building workshops for the Regulatory Commissioners, connecting them to energy decision-makers in the United States. These visits led to the Thai Energy Regulatory Commission entering into a memorandum of understanding with the Washington State Regulatory Commission in order to share knowledge and experiences in regulatory decision-making. These kinds of peer-to-peer partnerships help spread best practices.
A Lesson in Electricity Governance
This example from Thailand highlights a lesson that applies to electricity sectors in countries and communities throughout the world: Bad decision-making processes lead to bad results. The actions that Thai civil society groups took to overturn EGAT privatization and set up an independent regulator provides a powerful example of why involving civil society in decision-making processes is a necessary step in improving decisions themselves.
LEARN MORE: For more information about how EGI helped improve transparency in the electricity sector, check out our outcomes report, Shining a Light on Electricity Governance.
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BOSTON -- Games in June aren't supposed to end with punts. But when you take a mess of players who are equal parts overjoyed and exhausted, weird things happen. So this game ended with a punt.
Jonny Gomes sent a high-arcing homer toward the light tower and off of the AAA sign above the Monster in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Rays 3-1, and his celebration started as soon as he laid the black barrel of his bat on Joel Peralta's high 89-mph fastball.
Gomes strutted proudly out of the batter's box, knowing his team's more than 10-hour day at the ballpark was over. Then he raised one arm in triumph as he made his way around first.
Then came the punt.
After he touched third base, he removed his helmet with his right hand, lowered it and drop-kicked it in the direction of Van Ness Street before he touched home and was mobbed by his teammates.
"That was my best [Adam] Vinatieri impersonation," Gomes said, smiling. "I don't know if the Patriots are calling for a tryout. That's my Fenway punt."
Manager John Farrell said Gomes bailed the Red Sox out. That was certainly the case when it came to closer Andrew Bailey, who allowed a homer to Kelly Johnson in the ninth inning, turning a blown save into a win thanks to Gomes.
"To be where we are at the top of the standings, we have to pick each other up," Gomes said. "[Bailey]'s picked us up, we're going to pick him up. And we've done a great job of guys shining in the lineup covering for guys that have been struggling and vice versa. That's definitely the character we have in this clubhouse, everyone's picking one another up."
Gomes has been on both sides. He was signed in the offseason to be a regular in left field. Instead, he's hitting just .209/.327/.372 with five homers, and he's lost playing time to Daniel Nava, who has had a stellar first half and hit his 10th home run in the second inning.
"There's two people that aren't going to struggle this year," Gomes said. "One is going to be the MVP, the other is going to be Cy Young. Everyone else is going through peaks and valleys. If you've got 24 other guys picking up the guy who's down, you're going to be successful."
Gomes said it's a challenge to get his timing down given the number of at-bats he's received, and the irregularity with which they've come. But he's trying to make the most of them. On Tuesday, he struck out twice and flew out to center before homering.
"I'm in a situation where I can't get on hot streaks given my playing time, so I just gotta be ready when my name's called," he said. "With light at bats, sometimes it takes 2-3 at-bats to get on time. I thought my last three at-bats were better than the first."
He admitted, though, he grew more and more weary as the night cap went on. After a three-hour rain delay in the afternoon game against the Rays, it had turned into an endurance test at Fenway.
The clubhouse coffee was flowing, of course. Gomes said he couldn't measure in cups just how much he had consumed over the course of the day. Just enough to make him want to boot a helmet down the third base line after his walk-off homer.
"You never let the cup go to the end. All refills," he said. "Long day at the yard . . . Go home, pack, hopefully get one more and go out on the road."
The contribution of particulate matter to forest declinePublic release date: 19-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dr. J?rgen Burkhardt j.burkhardt@uni-bonn.de 49-228-732-186 University of Bonn
Bonn University scientists demonstrate that hygroscopic air pollutants decrease tree drought tolerance
Air pollution is related to forest decline and also appears to attack the protecting wax on tree leaves and needles. Bonn University scientists have now discovered a responsible mechanism: particulate matter salt compounds that become deliquescent because of humidity and form a wick-like structure that removes water from leaves and promotes dehydration. These results are published in "Environmental Pollution".
Nature conservationists call it "lingering illness", and the latest report on the North-Rhine Westphalian forest conditions confirms ongoing damage. Bonn University scientists have now shown that salt deposits on leaves may decrease the drought tolerance of trees, thereby contributing to forest decline. "Our study reveals that so-called wax degradation on pine needles may develop from deposited particulate matter", says Dr. Jrgen Burkhardt from the Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation. Wax helps to protect leaves and needles from water loss.
It has long been known that air pollutants accelerate wax ageing and that "wax degradation" is closely related to forest damage. "Wax degradation was addressed by many studies in the 1980s and 90s, but sound explanations for both the degradation mechanism and the high correlation with forest damage have yet been missing", Dr. Burkhardt reports. Previous approaches assumed chemical reactions for wax degradation, whereas the present study reveals physical reasons. "The deposition of hygroscopic salts is capable of decreasing the drought tolerance of trees", co-author Shyam Pariyar says.
Accelerated dehydration of needles treated with salt solutions
The scientists sprayed salt solutions on Scots pine needles and recorded their weight loss after abscission. The needles treated with salt solutions dried out significantly faster than the untreated control needles. Using an electron microscope, the scientists observed the salts becoming deliquescent and moving into the stomata of the needles. Stomata are tiny pores used by plants to take up carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and release water vapor and oxygen. The deliquescent salts form very thin liquid connections between the surface and interior of the needle, and water is removed from the needles by these wick-like structures. Because the plants are unable to counteract this removal of water, the plants dehydrate more rapidly. Therefore, polluted air containing large amounts of particulate matter may directly reduce the drought tolerance of trees. Simultaneously, the deliquescent salts make wax appear "degraded". "This newly described mechanism was not considered in earlier explanations of Central European forest decline", states Dr. Burkhardt.
Conceivable aggravation of forest decline by climate change
A new type of electron microscope enabled the observation of particle deliquescence and dynamics under changing air humidity. In addition, a long-lasting scientific paradigm had excluded any aqueous movement into the stomata, and only recently had Bonn University scientists confirmed its existence (http://www3.uni-bonn.de/Pressemitteilungen/227-2012).
Recently, regional forest damage has been reported in the western USA and other parts of the world. A relationship with increasing climate change-type drought has been proposed, but the newly discovered mechanism involving particulate matter might contribute to the regional forest damage. "Particularly because air concentrations of hygroscopic particles have largely increased within the last decades", says Dr. Burkhardt.
###
The study was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the European Union (project CLAIRE).
Publication: Particulate pollutants are capable to `degrade epicuticular waxes and to decrease the drought tolerance of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), "Environmental Pollution", DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2013.04.041
Contact:
Dr. Jrgen Burkhardt
University of Bonn
Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation
Plant Nutrition Group
Phone. +49 228 732186
E-Mail: j.burkhardt@uni-bonn.de
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The contribution of particulate matter to forest declinePublic release date: 19-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dr. J?rgen Burkhardt j.burkhardt@uni-bonn.de 49-228-732-186 University of Bonn
Bonn University scientists demonstrate that hygroscopic air pollutants decrease tree drought tolerance
Air pollution is related to forest decline and also appears to attack the protecting wax on tree leaves and needles. Bonn University scientists have now discovered a responsible mechanism: particulate matter salt compounds that become deliquescent because of humidity and form a wick-like structure that removes water from leaves and promotes dehydration. These results are published in "Environmental Pollution".
Nature conservationists call it "lingering illness", and the latest report on the North-Rhine Westphalian forest conditions confirms ongoing damage. Bonn University scientists have now shown that salt deposits on leaves may decrease the drought tolerance of trees, thereby contributing to forest decline. "Our study reveals that so-called wax degradation on pine needles may develop from deposited particulate matter", says Dr. Jrgen Burkhardt from the Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation. Wax helps to protect leaves and needles from water loss.
It has long been known that air pollutants accelerate wax ageing and that "wax degradation" is closely related to forest damage. "Wax degradation was addressed by many studies in the 1980s and 90s, but sound explanations for both the degradation mechanism and the high correlation with forest damage have yet been missing", Dr. Burkhardt reports. Previous approaches assumed chemical reactions for wax degradation, whereas the present study reveals physical reasons. "The deposition of hygroscopic salts is capable of decreasing the drought tolerance of trees", co-author Shyam Pariyar says.
Accelerated dehydration of needles treated with salt solutions
The scientists sprayed salt solutions on Scots pine needles and recorded their weight loss after abscission. The needles treated with salt solutions dried out significantly faster than the untreated control needles. Using an electron microscope, the scientists observed the salts becoming deliquescent and moving into the stomata of the needles. Stomata are tiny pores used by plants to take up carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and release water vapor and oxygen. The deliquescent salts form very thin liquid connections between the surface and interior of the needle, and water is removed from the needles by these wick-like structures. Because the plants are unable to counteract this removal of water, the plants dehydrate more rapidly. Therefore, polluted air containing large amounts of particulate matter may directly reduce the drought tolerance of trees. Simultaneously, the deliquescent salts make wax appear "degraded". "This newly described mechanism was not considered in earlier explanations of Central European forest decline", states Dr. Burkhardt.
Conceivable aggravation of forest decline by climate change
A new type of electron microscope enabled the observation of particle deliquescence and dynamics under changing air humidity. In addition, a long-lasting scientific paradigm had excluded any aqueous movement into the stomata, and only recently had Bonn University scientists confirmed its existence (http://www3.uni-bonn.de/Pressemitteilungen/227-2012).
Recently, regional forest damage has been reported in the western USA and other parts of the world. A relationship with increasing climate change-type drought has been proposed, but the newly discovered mechanism involving particulate matter might contribute to the regional forest damage. "Particularly because air concentrations of hygroscopic particles have largely increased within the last decades", says Dr. Burkhardt.
###
The study was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the European Union (project CLAIRE).
Publication: Particulate pollutants are capable to `degrade epicuticular waxes and to decrease the drought tolerance of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), "Environmental Pollution", DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2013.04.041
Contact:
Dr. Jrgen Burkhardt
University of Bonn
Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation
Plant Nutrition Group
Phone. +49 228 732186
E-Mail: j.burkhardt@uni-bonn.de
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Research shows moves to ban pay-to-delay deals are justifiedPublic release date: 18-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Cat Bartman c.bartman@uea.ac.uk 44-016-035-93007 University of East Anglia
Controversial deals that delay generic versions of drugs coming onto the market can lead to consumers paying significantly more for some treatments, according to new research by an academic from the University of East Anglia (UEA).
Dr Farasat Bokhari's study shows that moves to investigate and ban pay-to-delay deals which typically involve a branded manufacturer holding a drug patent paying a rival generic firm to delay the release of its cheaper version are justified.
The deals are on the rise in the United States and Europe and the practice has prompted concerns from regulators on both sides of the Atlantic that they are anti-competitive, infringe competition laws, and allow branded manufacturers to charge higher, monopoly prices ultimately costing health services and taxpayers millions more.
Dr Bokhari, a health economist in the School of Economics and ESRC Centre for Competition Policy at UEA, analysed the impact of such agreements on US market prices for drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He applied economic models to five years of sales data to estimate the price increases resulting from the delayed entry of a generic version of Adderall XR. The branded version was introduced by Shire in 2001 and is an extended release form of the company's older product Adderall. By 2003 Adderall XR had almost 25 per cent of the market share for ADHD drugs in the US, while sales of all ADHD drugs totalled more than $2.2billion. A generic version of Adderall XR was introduced in 2009.
Published in the Journal of Competition Law and Economics, the study shows that, on average, the percentage increase in prices is 4-4.5 times higher when entry-limiting deals are made and a generic is not available in the market, compared to when the generic is available but the branded and generic firms jointly set their profit-maximizing price.
For example, in the absence of Adderall XR, the price of the drug Concerta would be 4.97% higher ($101.23 per month instead of $96.45), Ritalin SR/LA would be 4.34% more ($61.75 instead of $59.20), while the generic version of Adderall would be 2.45% higher ($27.16 instead of $26.52). Similarly, prices of most other ADHD drugs would be higher - with an average increase of almost 4.6% - with some, such as Dexedrine SR and its generic, increasing by as much as 8.69% ($43.75 instead of $40.25) and 9.38% ($38.42 instead of $35.14) respectively.
"Pay-to-delay is a problem in the immediate future for health services in the US and Europe, and in the long run for taxpayers," said Dr Bokhari. "While the monthly price increases may not seem huge, when you take into account the number of people using these treatments even modest increases have a significant impact on consumer welfare and add millions a year to their overall cost.
"The pay-to-delay deals in this segment of the market highlight the tension between patent laws and antitrust law in an economically significant area. These are blockbuster drugs and pay-to-delay agreements made by the patent holder may ward off the entry threat by other potential challengers. If they are on the market without generic versions to challenge them then companies can maintain monopoly prices, and in doing so harm consumers by preventing or delaying access to cheaper drugs."
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is challenging the agreements, suing several pharmaceutical firms in the courts. Until recently the payments had been upheld under the 'scope of the patent test' since under the terms of settlement, the delayed generic entry still took place before the branded patent expired. However, one such case is now before the US Supreme Court, which is considering whether the deal is illegal and is due to give its decision this month. The FTC has also supported legislation introduced in the US Congress aimed at banning the agreements.
In April the UK's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) issued a 'Statement of Objections' to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for agreements with three generic makers in relation to its drug Seroxat, commonly used to treat depression. The OFT alleges that these involved substantial payments from GSK to keep the generic versions off the market, and that GSK's conduct amounted to an abuse of its dominant position in the market. The European Commission has also issued a Statement of Objections in three similar pay-to-delay cases in recent months.
Dr Bokhari said: "The drug companies argue that they have a right to protect their intellectual property and that these agreements benefit consumers by enabling generic versions to come onto the market sooner than they would normally have, for example if licensed entry has been allowed at a later date but before the patent expires. But while the deals may be beneficial to some extent, in that they might save courts and administrative bodies, such as patent offices, time and effort, they allow branded drug firms to charge monopoly prices and in a typical deal there may be a two to three year delay in a cheaper version becoming available.
"My research shows that in this respect, the challenges by the FTC, attempts to introduce legislation in the US Congress to ban such deals, and the investigations by the OFT and EU Commission are justified."
In the US, while there were three agreements in 2005, there were 19 in 2009, 31 in 2010 and 40 in 2012. Similarly, in 2011 in the EU there were 13 settlements limiting generic entry and involving payment to a generic drug maker. According to the FTC, pay-to-delay deals have cost US consumers $3.5 billion a year.
###
The paper 'What is the price of pay-to-delay deals?' by Dr Farasat Bokhari is published online in the Journal of Competition Law and Economics. http://jcle.oxfordjournals.org/
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Research shows moves to ban pay-to-delay deals are justifiedPublic release date: 18-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Cat Bartman c.bartman@uea.ac.uk 44-016-035-93007 University of East Anglia
Controversial deals that delay generic versions of drugs coming onto the market can lead to consumers paying significantly more for some treatments, according to new research by an academic from the University of East Anglia (UEA).
Dr Farasat Bokhari's study shows that moves to investigate and ban pay-to-delay deals which typically involve a branded manufacturer holding a drug patent paying a rival generic firm to delay the release of its cheaper version are justified.
The deals are on the rise in the United States and Europe and the practice has prompted concerns from regulators on both sides of the Atlantic that they are anti-competitive, infringe competition laws, and allow branded manufacturers to charge higher, monopoly prices ultimately costing health services and taxpayers millions more.
Dr Bokhari, a health economist in the School of Economics and ESRC Centre for Competition Policy at UEA, analysed the impact of such agreements on US market prices for drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He applied economic models to five years of sales data to estimate the price increases resulting from the delayed entry of a generic version of Adderall XR. The branded version was introduced by Shire in 2001 and is an extended release form of the company's older product Adderall. By 2003 Adderall XR had almost 25 per cent of the market share for ADHD drugs in the US, while sales of all ADHD drugs totalled more than $2.2billion. A generic version of Adderall XR was introduced in 2009.
Published in the Journal of Competition Law and Economics, the study shows that, on average, the percentage increase in prices is 4-4.5 times higher when entry-limiting deals are made and a generic is not available in the market, compared to when the generic is available but the branded and generic firms jointly set their profit-maximizing price.
For example, in the absence of Adderall XR, the price of the drug Concerta would be 4.97% higher ($101.23 per month instead of $96.45), Ritalin SR/LA would be 4.34% more ($61.75 instead of $59.20), while the generic version of Adderall would be 2.45% higher ($27.16 instead of $26.52). Similarly, prices of most other ADHD drugs would be higher - with an average increase of almost 4.6% - with some, such as Dexedrine SR and its generic, increasing by as much as 8.69% ($43.75 instead of $40.25) and 9.38% ($38.42 instead of $35.14) respectively.
"Pay-to-delay is a problem in the immediate future for health services in the US and Europe, and in the long run for taxpayers," said Dr Bokhari. "While the monthly price increases may not seem huge, when you take into account the number of people using these treatments even modest increases have a significant impact on consumer welfare and add millions a year to their overall cost.
"The pay-to-delay deals in this segment of the market highlight the tension between patent laws and antitrust law in an economically significant area. These are blockbuster drugs and pay-to-delay agreements made by the patent holder may ward off the entry threat by other potential challengers. If they are on the market without generic versions to challenge them then companies can maintain monopoly prices, and in doing so harm consumers by preventing or delaying access to cheaper drugs."
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is challenging the agreements, suing several pharmaceutical firms in the courts. Until recently the payments had been upheld under the 'scope of the patent test' since under the terms of settlement, the delayed generic entry still took place before the branded patent expired. However, one such case is now before the US Supreme Court, which is considering whether the deal is illegal and is due to give its decision this month. The FTC has also supported legislation introduced in the US Congress aimed at banning the agreements.
In April the UK's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) issued a 'Statement of Objections' to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for agreements with three generic makers in relation to its drug Seroxat, commonly used to treat depression. The OFT alleges that these involved substantial payments from GSK to keep the generic versions off the market, and that GSK's conduct amounted to an abuse of its dominant position in the market. The European Commission has also issued a Statement of Objections in three similar pay-to-delay cases in recent months.
Dr Bokhari said: "The drug companies argue that they have a right to protect their intellectual property and that these agreements benefit consumers by enabling generic versions to come onto the market sooner than they would normally have, for example if licensed entry has been allowed at a later date but before the patent expires. But while the deals may be beneficial to some extent, in that they might save courts and administrative bodies, such as patent offices, time and effort, they allow branded drug firms to charge monopoly prices and in a typical deal there may be a two to three year delay in a cheaper version becoming available.
"My research shows that in this respect, the challenges by the FTC, attempts to introduce legislation in the US Congress to ban such deals, and the investigations by the OFT and EU Commission are justified."
In the US, while there were three agreements in 2005, there were 19 in 2009, 31 in 2010 and 40 in 2012. Similarly, in 2011 in the EU there were 13 settlements limiting generic entry and involving payment to a generic drug maker. According to the FTC, pay-to-delay deals have cost US consumers $3.5 billion a year.
###
The paper 'What is the price of pay-to-delay deals?' by Dr Farasat Bokhari is published online in the Journal of Competition Law and Economics. http://jcle.oxfordjournals.org/
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
House Judiciary Committee members Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., sponsor of the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act, left, talks with Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 18, 2013, prior to the start of the committee's hearing to discuss the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act. The committee in the Republican-led House is preparing to cast its first votes on immigration this year, on a tough enforcement-focused measure that Democrats and immigrant groups are protesting loudly. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
House Judiciary Committee members Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., sponsor of the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act, left, talks with Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 18, 2013, prior to the start of the committee's hearing to discuss the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act. The committee in the Republican-led House is preparing to cast its first votes on immigration this year, on a tough enforcement-focused measure that Democrats and immigrant groups are protesting loudly. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
House Judiciary Committee member Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., sponsor of the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act, left, talks with Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 18, 2013, prior to the start of the committee's hearing to discuss the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act. The committee in the Republican-led House is preparing to cast its first votes on immigration this year, on a tough enforcement-focused measure that Democrats and immigrant groups are protesting loudly. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? A key committee in the Republican-led House moved Tuesday toward approving a tough enforcement-focused immigration bill, over objections from Democrats and disruptions from protesters shouting "Shame, shame, shame!"
Meanwhile in the Senate, a Republican lawmaker floated a compromise border security proposal he hopes can win over support for sweeping immigration legislation under consideration there that opens the door to citizenship for 11 million immigrants now here illegally.
And on a day of fast-paced developments on an issue that is a top priority for President Barack Obama, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, moved to quiet speculation that he might bring the Senate immigration legislation up for a vote despite opposition from many conservatives in his chamber.
"Any immigration reform bill that is going to go into law ought to have a majority of both parties' support if we're really serious about making that happen. And so I don't see any way of bringing an immigration bill to the floor that doesn't have a majority support of Republicans," Boehner said. He added that border enforcement would be key for any immigration bill, "And I frankly think the Senate bill is weak on border security."
As Boehner addressed reporters, the House Judiciary Committee was meeting to consider a bill, called the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act, by Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C. It would empower state and local officials to enforce federal immigration laws, make passport and visa fraud into aggravated felonies subject to deportation, funnel money into building more detention centers, and crack down on immigrants suspected of posing dangers.
As soon as Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., gaveled the proceedings open, more than a dozen protesters who had been seated in the hearing room stood up and began clapping and chanting, "Shame, shame, shame! More of the same!" They were ushered out but their cries could still be heard in the hallway and Goodlatte stopped the proceedings until the protesters had been dispersed.
Goodlatte said that the bill under consideration ? the first immigration bill to come to a vote in a House committee this year ? "provides a robust interior enforcement strategy that will maintain the integrity of our immigration system for the long term."
But Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said that "this bill must be opposed, it would turn millions of undocumented immigrants into criminals overnight." She predicted mass protests were the bill to become law, along the lines of what happened in 2006 after the House passed a similarly tough enforcement bill.
The move by the House Judiciary Committee comes less than two weeks after the full House voted to overturn Obama's 2012 election-year order to stop deportations of many immigrants brought here illegally as youths.
Together the two moves highlight the challenges ahead in getting a comprehensive immigration bill through Congress this year, as Obama wants. For many House conservatives, the priorities when it comes to immigration remain enforcing the laws and securing the border, not allowing the millions here illegally to gain legal status or citizenship.
Still, No. 2 House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland predicted Tuesday that if the Senate passes an immigration bill with bipartisan support, "I think the Republican leadership will be under great pressure to let the House work its will" ? Capitol Hill jargon for letting the House take up legislation even without majority support from the majority GOP.
"I think the presidential wing of the Republican Party is absolutely convinced they need to be for an immigration bill," Hoyer said, saying they believe they have to "forge some bridge" to the Hispanic community. He added, "That same motivation does not apply to the congressional wing" of the GOP.
As in the House, border security is at issue in the Democratic-led Senate, where senators have been jousting over how to strengthen the provisions in a far-reaching bill being considered on the floor this week to remake the nation's immigration laws. The bill would allow tens of thousands of high- and low-skilled workers into the country, and require all employers to check their workers' legal status. At its heart is a 13-year path to citizenship for people now here illegally, but that is contingent on certain border security goals being met.
Republican critics say those "triggers" are too weak and have been demanding amendments to strengthen them. The Senate planned to vote Tuesday on an amendment by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., requiring 700 miles of double-layered border fencing before anyone here illegally could get a permanent resident green card.
A more far-reaching proposal by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has been getting attention, but Democrats and some Republicans have dismissed it as a "poison pill" because it would require 90 percent of people attempting to cross the border to be stopped before anyone here illegally could get a permanent resident green card.
The underlying bill also has the 90 percent figure as a goal, but doesn't make the path to citizenship directly contingent on achieving it.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., told The Associated Press Monday night that he has been working on an alternative with Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and others. Hoeven said his proposal also would require the 90 percent apprehension rate to be met before immigrants could get green cards. But he said his plan, unlike Cornyn's amendment, would make the 90 percent rate objective and achievable by specifying all the equipment and technology the border patrol says it needs to achieve the rate in each of the nine southwest border sectors, and carefully tracking attempted crossings.
Hoeven said he hoped to unveil his amendment in the next day or two and said it could garner the support needed to get bipartisan support for the immigration bill.
"Our effort is to get good legislation that truly secures the border," Hoeven said. "That people feel it's fair and it's not amnesty ... so we can get really a bipartisan consensus."
However, Hoeven's amendment could encounter skepticism from immigrant groups and Democrats who want to be sure that the bill doesn't change in a way that makes the path to citizenship harder to achieve.
___=
Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian state oil and gas firm Petronas expects to spend $20 billion on a project in west Canada to export liquefied natural gas (LNG), a senior company official said on Tuesday.
The project, known as Pacific NorthWest LNG, will build two LNG trains of 6 million tons per year (tpy) each by the end of 2018 or 2019, Arif Mahmood, vice president of corporate planning at Petronas told an industry conference.
The investment cost includes about $5 billion to be spent on a pipeline project to supply the two LNG trains, he said.
Petronas also plans to make a final investment decision on its second floating LNG project in Malaysia later this year, he said. The FLNG project will be at the Rotan Field in Block H and could start production in 2016, he said.
(Reporting by Florence Tan; Editing By Tom Hogue)
(This story was refiled to reflect the following changes: corrects to say Petronas to spend $20 billion, not $5 billion, on LNG project in headline and first paragraph; adds third paragraph to clarify that $5 billion will be spent on a pipeline)
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Public release date: 19-Jun-2013
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