FEATURED PHOTOS AND STORIES

Wednesday: May 22, 2013

Malaysia pilot arrives in Taiwan as part of round-the-world adventure

(PHOTO: The China Post) Malaysia pilot arrives in Taiwan as part of round-the-world adventure: Pilot James Anthony Tan, 21, poses for photo with his single piston aircraft at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday. He arrived as part of a bid to become the youngest man to fly solo around the world, across 21 countries in Asia, the Americas, Europe & Africa in 50 days, with stops in 30 cities. (Read more at The China Post)

Gaza Marathon Canceled After Women Banned

(Video AFP) 

Earlier today, the UN Relief & Works Agency canceled the 3rd annual Gaza marathon after Hamas rulers barred women from participating in the race. “UNRWA regrets to announce that it has canceled the third Gaza marathon which was to be held on 10 April,” the agency said in a statement. “This follows the decision by the authorities in Gaza not to allow women to participate.” The response from Hamas - which has banned women from riding on the backs of motorcycles & men from working in hair salons - was predictable:  "We regret this decision to cancel the marathon but we don't want men & women running together," Abdessalam Siyyam, cabinet secretary of the Hamas government said. The race, which included women last year, would’ve raised money for UN summer camps for children in Gaza.  (Read more at the Saudi Gazette)

Mohamed Nasheed, Former Maldives President, Arrested In Abuse Of Power Case

(Video IBNLive)

Authorities say the former president of the Maldives, the first-democratically elected leader,  Mohamed Nasheed was arrested Tuesday in the nation's capital Male on charges of abuse of power during his tenure. He was taken into custody by armed police almost 2 weeks after he left the Indian High Commission in Male where he had sought refuge for almost 11 days after a warrant was issued for his detention.  Nasheed is charged with ordering the military to unconstitutionally detain the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed, while he was head of state. Many of the ex-president’s supporters claim the charges against Nasheed are intended to keep him from attempting to reclaim the presidency in elections scheduled for September 7.  (Read more at GulfToday)

Criminal court accused takes early lead in Kenya election

(Video Euronews)

Millions of Kenyans have poured into polling stations to cast their ballots in a crucial, anxiously awaited presidential election in which a candidate charged with crimes against humanity appeared a real chance to emerge the winner. Early results show deputy premier Uhuru Kenyatta, who has been accused of financing death squads, has taken the lead. He is reportedly ahead of PM Raila Odinga in the 1st elections since a disputed presidential run-off vote sparked ethnic clashes in December 2007, in which 1000 died. With nearly 1/3 of the votes counted, Mr. Kenyatta has received about 54% & Mr. Odinga about 41%. Six other candidates trailed by a wide margin. (Read more at the SMH)  

UN Human Rights Chief calls for North Korea investigation

(PHOTO: Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, May 2012)Navi Pillay says North Korea's network of shadowy political prison camps is believed to contain 200,000 or more people & to have been the scene of rampant violations including rapes, torture, executions & slave labor - and she's calling for an international investigation into what she said may be `crimes against humanity'. She voiced regret there had been no improvement since Kim Jong-un took power a year ago, succeeding his late father, & said it was time for world powers to help bring about change for the "beleaguered, subjugated population" after decades of abuse.  "Because of the enduring gravity of the situation, I believe an in-depth inquiry into one of the worst - but least understood & reported - human rights situations in the world is not only fully justified, but long overdue," Pillay said in a rare statement on North Korea.

(MAP: Some of North Korea's prison camps/HRNK) Pillay herself is a former judge at the International Criminal Court.  Living conditions in the camps are reported to be "atrocious" with insufficient food, little or no medical care & inadequate clothing for inmates. Pillay said she regretted that international concerns over North Korea's nuclear program & rocket launches were overshadowing "the deplorable human rights situation in the DPRK which, in one way or another, affects almost the entire population and has no parallel anywhere else in the world." (Read more at Haaretz)

Cyclone Dumile Strikes La Réunion

(PHOTO: Le Port, Reunion Island/R. Bouhet, AFP)This photo shows Le Port, in the western part of the Indian Ocean French Overseas territory island of La Réunion, after Cyclone Dumile hit yesterday. Winds of up to 180kph & torrential rain caused extensive damage, knocking out power to 100,000 homes. La Reunion does hold the world record for the heaviest daily rainfall from 1966 when 1825mm of rain was recorded in just 24 hours; though Dumile was far more modest in terms of rainfall totals. The storm also struck Mauritius & Madagascar.

Planet At Night

(PHOTO: Flat map at night/NASA)Using new satellite capabilities, scientists from NASA & NOAA have released new imagery of Earth at night; providing an improved “Black Marble” counterpart to the iconic “Blue Marble” photo of the planet during the day. We first saw Earth from a 12/7/72 picture taken by Apollo 17 astronauts; NASA released improved `Blue Marble' photos earlier this year.

Climate Cliff, Spells `SOS'

(INFOGRAPHIC: Visual.ly)

After 36 hours of non-stop negotiation & 2 weeks of meetings in Doha, Qatar almost 200 nations agreed to a pact called the `Doha Climate Gateway' Saturday - intended to combat climate change & extend the life of the Kyoto Protocol until 2020; the only binding world treaty on curbing greenhouse gas emissions signed in 1997 & whose 1st leg expires December 31. Russia objected to the agreement & said it retains the right to appeal.  Greenpeace's Kumi Naidoo calls it a betrayal, "setting us up to lose this decade". UN chief Ban Ki-moon said that what's needed most is "to accelerate action on the ground by limiting the global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius."  @HUMCLIMATE

Cyclone Evan Slams Fiji, Leaves Thousands Homeless in Samoa

(Video: AJE)

As Cyclone Evan batters Fiji thousands of people took refuge in evacuation centers & airlines suspended flights in & out of the country on Monday.  The military government warned that Evan could be the most destructive cyclone since 1993 to hit the island, one of the Pacific's biggest tourist centers.  Winds of up to 200km/h battered homes, some, "flying through the air". Meanwhile, New Zealand rescuers are searching for 10 fishermen missing off Samoa since the cyclone hit the island nation & damage there is thought to be "worse than from a 2009 earthquake & tsunami" that killed 135 people. 

An Heir for North Korea?

(PHOTO: In this image made from video, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, 2nd from left in front row & his wife Ri Sol Ju, left, attend a ceremony to reopen the mausoleum where his father's embalmed remains will lay/KCNA)As North Korea marked the 1st anniversary of the death of its former leader, Kim Jong-il, the nation’s current leader Kim Jong-un & his wife may be expecting. Kim’s wife, Ri Sol Ju, was seen on state TV wearing a billowing traditional Korean dress, walking slowly next to her husband at the Kumsusan mausoleum, where they bowed before statues of Kim’s father & grandfather. State media has not confirmed Ri to be pregnant, but there was speculation in October that she could be after she failed to appear in public for about 50 days. If Ri is pregnant & it's a boy, he will likely be groomed to become the country’s next leader, as his family’s dynasty has ruled since the end of WW2. (Read more at the National Post)

Malaysia lands one of biggest-ever Ivory stash

  (PHOTO: Inspectors at Port Klang with Ivory plats/TRAFFIC)Customs officials at Port Klang, Malaysia have seized an enormous illegal haul of 1,500 elephant tusks thought to have originated in Togo, through Spain, ultimately headed for China. Togo is known to be a major source of ivory exiting Africa says the Elephant Trade Information System, managed by the wildlife monitoring organization TRAFFIC. This is the 4th seizure of African elephant ivory at Port Klang & the 6th in the country since July 2011. 2011 was described by trade experts as the worst year for elephants in decades.  (PHOTO: Inspectors at Port Klang with Ivory plats/TRAFFIC)

Devastation in the Philippines

(PHOTO: ICRC)The death toll from the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year - `Bopha', or `Pablo' - climbed above 700 people, with 100's more missing, many of them tuna fishermen feared lost at sea. The storm destroyed 115,000 houses & unleashed floods & landslides across the main southern island of Mindanao on 12/4 - obliterating entire communities. Here, in New Bataan, Compostela Valley province, Eastern Mindanao, people collect emergency food kits & basic household items at the Red Cross.

Kathmandu International Film Festival to Open  

(Video: Future Guardians, a film about Educating Nepal)

The 10th Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF) is taking place in Nepal from December 7 to 11.  Altogether 62 documentaries, fiction, short films, animation films from 28 countries will be screened during the festival to be held at the City Hall. Chairperson of KIMFF Basant Thapa says an additional attraction for this year is the screening of the 10 best films from the "Educating Nepal" short film competition held earlier this year. Also part of the festival is interaction on films, photography, a book fair & a documentary workshop. The Festival will opens with the Nepal premiere of “Who Will Be A Gurkha”, a documentary by Kesang Tseten,  (Read more at Republica)

Longest Serving Monarch in World Celebrates Birthday

(Video: Telegraph)

A jubilant, crowd packed the Royal Plaza in Thailand today as more than 200,000 well-wishers in yellow listened to His Majesty the King's 85th birthday speech from the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall balcony.  King Bhumibol Adulyadej known as Rama IX is the longest serving monarch in the world, having reigned since June 9, 1946; & he is the world's longest-serving current head of state & the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history.  His Majesty's grand audience was broadcast live & watched by millions of people across the country. It's been 6 years since His Majesty last gave a grand audience at Dusit Palace in Bangkok. (Read more at the Bangkok Post)

Political Crisis in Paradise: Sao Tome and Principe

(Video: Mario Lopes/YOUTUBE)

Sao Tomé & Principe in the Gulf of Guinea, off the west equatorial coast of Central Africa, is living a constitutional crisis. Scenes of fist fighting in the National Assembly, & a mass protest calling for early elections has plunged this nation into rare chaos. Opposition MPs which constitute a majority, have brought down the government by censuring it in a parliamentary session on 11/29.  On the one hand the parties in opposition - Movement to Liberate São Tomé & Príncipe (MLSTP), the Democratic Convergence Party (PCD), & the Democratic Movement Force of Change (MDFM) do not want early elections & the party in power - led by PM Patrice Trovoada (of Democratic Independent Action, or ADI) - wants them. Among the list of accusations presented  were alleged  “acts of corruption, taking on negotiations overseas with ‘private companies sidelining the respective ministers with oversight, without the awareness of other sovereign bodies, & even less so with public knowledge'”, as newspaper Jornal Vitrina reported.  (Read more at Global Voices)

Voyager 1 Reaches Interstellar Shore

(Video NASA/JPL)

35 years & 2 months ago on September 5, 1977, NASA launched the Voyager 1 spacecraft to study the outer edges of our Solar System. As the spacecraft, also travelling alongside its twin probe Voyager 2 - gets ever closer to becoming mankind's 1st interstellar emissary, mission scientists have announced  the probe has now entered a new & mysterious region of the heliosphere nicknamed the `magnetic highway.' (The heliosphere is the sphere of influence of our sun; basically a bubble in interstellar space inflated by the sun where all planets, spacecraft & satellites are contained within.)  After completing its primary mission of planetary exploration many years ago, the Voyager's have been travelling through the outermost reaches of the solar system, rapidly approaching the edge - called the heliopause

(PHOTO: Voyager 1/2 are both carrying a `Golden Record' with information about Earth, should the crafts encounter intelligent life/NASA.JPL)Although data collected by the aging Voyager 1 have been showing strong signs of flying beyond the heliopause, mission scientists are saying `not so fast'. It seems that the solar wind carrying the craft is channeling solar particles forcing pressure back at Voyager.  Scientists have said, "we didn't know this was there."  But, says Edward Stone, Voyager project scientist, "We believe this is the last leg of our journey to interstellar space. Our best guess is it's likely just a few months to a couple years away. The new region isn't what we expected, but we've come to expect the unexpected from Voyager."  (Read more at Discovery)

Oldest Microbrewery Found in Cyprus

(PHOTO: University of Manchester)University of Manchester archaeologists, digging in Western Cyprus since 2007 have unearthed a site thought to be the world's oldest brewery from the Bronze Age, approx 3,500 years ago. Excavated were a mud-plaster domed structure, used as a kiln to dry malt & make variously flavored beers brewed & fermented with yeasts, produced from grapes or figs. The resulting brew had an alcohol content of about 5%; & the beer may even have been sold in the 50m long courtyard found, which was the bar area.

Djibouti In Need

(PHOTO: Harbi Abdillahi Omar)HORN OF AFRICA: Djibouti's Ali Addeh refugee camp is home to an estimated 25,000 refugees & by 2013 will total 30,000 according to UNICEF. The situation remains precarious - lack of drinking water, recurring droughts, malnutrition & food shortages are the norm here for asylum seekers from Somalia, Ethiopia, & Eritrea heading to Yemen & the Gulf States. Even more broadly approximately 120,000 people living in Northwest, Central & Southeast Djibouti are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, due to 5 years of drought & rainfall deficit.

Second Bangladesh Garment Factory Fire In 24 Hours

(Video: Times of India) 

Fire-fighters Monday doused a fresh factory fire near the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, a day after 1 of the deadliest blazes destroyed the Tazrin Fashion plant building in the Savar neighborhood, killing 124 people & raising questions about safety standards in the world’s 2nd largest garment-exporting nation.  More than 500 manufacturers in the Ashulia area make apparel for top global retailers such as Wal-Mart, H&M, Tesco to JC Penney, Kohl’s, Marks & Spencer, & Carrefour. Officials & witnesses said the latest fire did not claim any life as most workers jumped out, breaking safety grills in the 10-story building housing 3 garment units. The fresh blaze came as the nation conducted a mass burial for victims burnt in Saturday night’s fire & police said they opened a “murder case”, attributing the incident to “criminal negligence”. Thousands of workers staged a protest Monday, demanding better labor protections. (Read more at Times of India)

New Zealand's Tongariro Volcano Erupts

(PHOTO: John Hull/TV New Zealand)New Zealand's Tongariro Volcano erupted November 21, with no warning; lasting 5 minutes at 1:25p local time. 5 reported eruptions occurred here between 1855 & 1897; it's been dormant, since. Scientists warn there could be more activity "for the next week or 2, at least"; & last week warned of possible eruption at neighboring volcano, Mt. Ruapehu. The `Volcanic Alert Level' changed from 1 to 2; & the Aviation Colour Code from Yellow to Red due to the spread of an ash cloud, extending 15,000 feet. 

Palestine Sets November 29th for UN Bid

(Video: Slate)

(UPDATE, 11/26/12) - The spokesman for the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the UN said President Mahmoud Abbas will address the 193-member world body before the resolution is put to a vote. Approval would give the Palestinians the same status at the UN as the Holy See. There are no vetoes in the General Assembly & the resolution, which needs a majority vote for approval, is virtually certain to be adopted.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has confirmed that the Palestinian Authority will present its bid for non-member observer status at the United Nations on November 29, telling reporters on Monday following talks with Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi in Cairo.  The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which represents a majority of Palestinians, currently enjoys a "permanent observer" status at the UN.  Abbas submitted Palestine's official application for recognition as an independent state at the UN in September 2011. That bid was blocked by a US veto in the Security Council; but the current bid, would require an approval by a simple majority of the 193-nation UN General Assembly & will not face a veto threat at the Security Council. (Read more at RIA Novosti)

Pacific Coconuts Under Threat

(PHOTO: Ripe coconuts on a tree/HN file) The international collection of the South Pacific's coconut palm species, held at a field gene bank in Papua New Guinea (PNG), is under threat from a disease outbreak located close to the center housing the samples. The warning came at a meeting on the Pacific coconut research & development strategy in Samoa last week, convened by the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research & the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. The deadly disease, Bogia Coconut Syndrome is named after the town of Bogia on mainland PNG, & appears to be caused by bacteria similar to one that causes Lethal Yellowing disease that attacks palm species. Ironically, PNG was selected as the site for the gene bank in the 1990s because the country was relatively free of coconut pests & diseases. The gene bank holds 3,200 coconut palms, representing 57 different varieties of Cocos nucifera, & is 1 of 5 coconut collections around the world. (Read more at Nature)

18 Nations Elected to UN Human Rights Council

On Monday, members of the UN General Assembly voted on elections to the UN Human Rights Council. The General Assembly created the body in March 2006, made up of 47 UN member states - elected by the 193-member General Assembly to replace its widely discredited predecessor, the Human Rights Commission. All nations elected today will serve a 3-year term beginning January 1st.

Another United State?

 (Video NewsyPolitics)   

On Tuesday, the US-territory of Puerto Rico voted by 61% approval to become the US' 51st state. The Congress would have to approve the bid. Complicating matters, the pro-statehood Governor Luis Fortuno lost his bid for re-election in a close race against Alejandro Garcia Padilla who supports the island's current status as Puerto Ricans being US citizens, using the same money & passports; with limited representation in government, who can't vote in US presidential elections. Hawaii was the last state entered into the union on August 21, 1959.  (HN)

Tibetans Immolate to Free Region From China

 (Video NTD TV)

5 Tibetans set themselves on fire in China in an unprecedented string of protests ahead of the country's once-in-a-decade leadership change. All 5 self-immolations took place on Wednesday, the eve of a pivotal week-long Communist Party congress which will end with the transitioning of power to Chinese VP Xi Jinping, who will govern for the coming decade. Individual self-immolations to protest Chinese rule in Tibet have occurred regularly since March 2011, but this is the first time such a large number of burnings have happened on the same day. (Read more at News.COM.AU)

Guatemala Earthquake Kills 50 People

(Video IBTimesUK)

Devastation in the mountainous state of San Marcos in Guatemala - as shown on a local TV station. Scores of people trapped under rubble after an earthquake - which measured 7.4 on the Richter scale - struck 15 miles south of its Pacific coast. It has so far claimed the lives of at least 50 people across the country, destroying homes, cars & businesses. The tremor hit around 10:30AM local time, & damage was reported in all but one of its 22 states. Shaking was even felt as far away as Mexico City - 600 miles to the NW of the country. Eyewitnesses spoke of people running all over the place & screaming. Through the night & into the morning brave rescuers continued to search for survivors, but 5 aftershocks meant their efforts were being hampered.  Many areas remain blocked by landslides, with no phone, electricity or water.  (Read more at The Guatemala Times)

Ghana Building Collapse Blamed on Faulty Construction

(PHOTO: Ghana Web)Faulty construction & a bad concrete mix are being blamed for the collapse of the multi-storey Melcom shopping centre collapse in Ghana's capital, Accra, killing at least 9 people, said a spokeswoman for Ghana's National Disaster Management Organization, Kate Adobaya. "The building did not have the necessary permit & had not had a safety inspection. The foundation was not good enough."  President John Dramani Mahama said those responsible for the "negligence will pay a price". Rescue efforts are continuing, with 69 survivors pulled from under the rubble since Wednesday, police said. It is not known many people are still trapped.  An Israeli rescue team has arrived, using sniffer dogs at the site. (Read more at The Ghana News Agency)

Mali: Finally on the World agenda?(PHOTO: Ansar al Dine fighters in Northern Mali/Al-Monitor)On Thursday, UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson said the international community was united in its goal to help Mali end a crisis which has seen radical Islamists take over the country's north, where it has implemented Sharia law. Just back from emergency talks in the capital city Bamako, where along with the UN, the African Union & the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, the veteran Swedish diplomat said the strategy will be to "establish constitutional order & achieve national unity to return respect of the country's territorial integrity".

(Video: Algeria TV)

His remarks came amid news that the African Union, which suspended Mali after a March coup, had agreed to reinstate the country's membership in a move to curb the extremist threat which followed the uprising, giving free rein to a rebellion by Islamic extremists & Tuareg separatists who took over an area in the North the size of France. Now, reports of jihadist fighters from Sudan & Western Sahara arriving to reinforce the Islamist rebels has added urgency to the international debate.

Earlier this month, the UN Security Council passed a resolution pressing African nations to speed up preparations for an international military intervention to include a 3,300-strong West African force to be supported by Western powers; the resolution gives a 45-day deadline for ECOWAS to submit a detailed plan. According to some sources, Algeria & Burkina Faso are to mediate between the different armed groups during the intervening period. (Read more at Africa24)

Panama sells land to companies; locals protest

(Video: Telesurtv)

Hundreds of demonstrators in Panama burned tires & clashed with police hours after the National Assembly approved legislation allowing the sale of land in the duty-free zone of Colon, at the Caribbean end of the Panama Canal where more than 2,000 companies operate in the lucrative free trade port area. Work in the expansion of the canal, going on for years, should be completed in time for its 100th anniversary in 2014.

(PHOTO: Protestors in Colon, Panama/BBC) Protesters fear the new legislation will cost jobs & cut incomes.  President Ricardo Martinelli appealed for calm & said the sale of state-owned land will benefit the region. According to the law, 35% of the proceedings generated by the sale of land will go to a trust for "social investments" in the area. The other 65% will go the central government in the Central American nation.  (Read more at the BBC)

Cuba to allow citizens to freely travel abroad

Beginning January 14, 2013, Cubans will be able to leave the island with only a valid passport & visa from the country of destination, without first obtaining exit permits, the Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday. The long-awaited immigration reform eliminates the presentation of a letter of invitation from the host country & the processing of the “carte blanche” needed by Cubans for decades to leave the country.  The reform also extends permission to stay abroad from 11 to 24 months as current laws prohibit Cubans uninterrupted stays abroad under penalty of losing their property on the island & the possibility of being able to return. In mid-2011, President Raul Castro’s government announced immigration reform as part of a series of profound economic adjustments to “update” the Cuban model with market elements. It remains unclear whether the measure will allow temporary travel abroad for political dissidents such as bloggers like Yoani Sanchez, who has been denied exit visas on 20 occasions.  (Read more at Havana Times)

One of biggest art heists in history takes place in Netherlands

(PHOTO: Dutch police handout shows 3 paintings stolen; L to R - Tete d’Arlequin by Pablo Picasso; La Liseuse en Blanc et Jaune by Henri Matisse & Autoportrait by Meyer de Haan)On Monday night thieves pulled off 1 of the biggest art heists in history taking 7 masterpieces, including priceless works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet and Gauguin, from Rotterdam’s Kunsthal museum in the Netherlands, police said.  The paintings are Pablo Picasso’s “Tete d’Arlequin”, Henri Matisse’s “La Liseuse en Blanc et Jaune”, Claude Monet’s “Waterloo Bridge, London”  & “Charing Cross Bridge, London”, Paul Gauguin’s “Femme Devant une Fenetre Ouverte, dite La Fiancee”, Meyer de Haan’s “Autoportrait” & Lucian Freud’s “Woman with Eyes Closed”.  The gang managed to raid the high-security museum & slip back into the night with such skill they didn't even set off the 'state-of-the-art' alarm system, snatching the paintings straight from the walls of the museum which was showcasing a private collection of over 150 works & had only been open for a few days. Roland Ekkers, a spokesman for Rotterdam police, said they received a call alerting them to the theft at around 3 a.m. local time Tuesday.  (Read more at Daily Mail)

Taliban shoots teenage peace campaigner in targeted assassination

(PHOTO: Malala Yousufzai, peace campaigner/THENEWS.PK) The Tehrik-i-Taliban of Pakistan claimed responsibility for an attack Tuesday on a 14 year-old teenage peace campaigner, Malala Yousufzai as she was returning from her school in Mingora town of Swat valley. They shot her in the head & said they did so for her pro-peace, anti-Taliban, ‘secular’ agenda. The assassination attempt took place on a school bus & 2 other girls were also wounded; all were taken to a local hospital & then to the NW city of Peshawar for further treatment, but doctors said they were out of danger.

(PHOTO: The Dawn) Malala won international recognition for highlighting Taliban atrocities in Swat with a blog for the BBC Urdu service 3 years ago, when the Taliban led by radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah burned girls’ schools & terrorized the valley - a place known traditionally as popular with holidaymakers for its stunning mountains, balmy summer weather & winter skiing. Malala was awarded the country's first National Peace Award & in 2011 was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize by advocacy group Kids Rights Foundation.  (Read More at Gulfnews)

Maldives first democratically elected President on trial

(PHOTO: Supporters of former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed in Male/Minivan News) Hundreds of protesters gathered near the President’s Office in the Maldives capitol of Male on Monday night before former President Mohamed Nasheed attended a preliminary hearing Tuesday afternoon. The country’s 1st democratically elected president was taken into police custody after the Hulhumale Magistrate Court issued a warrant for his arrest over the weekend. The notice came exactly 7 months after Nasheed’s ousting & followed his defiance of a court-ordered travel ban outside the capital Male, & 2 court summons.

(PHOTO: Mohamed Nasheed outside court Tuesday/The Hindu)At this afternoon's court proceeding, the state read the charges, & Nasheed stated that the trial reflected the “grave” situation that the democracy of the Maldives is in, saying, “Honorable judges, this charge against me is a deliberate attempt by the prosecutor general to bar the presidential candidate of the largest opposition political party of this country from contesting the next presidential elections”.  The next announced hearing will be held November 4, 2012.  (Read More at Minivan News)

Amid continuing concern for journalists' safety, guerrillas claim bombing of radio station

(PHOTO: Paraguay EPP guerillas/RWB)Reporters Without Borders joins the Paraguayan Journalists’ Union (SPP) in demanding justice & protection for the journalists who were the target of a bomb attack by 2 gunmen last week in the northern department of Concepción. Claiming to be members of the Paraguayan People’s Army (EPP), the 2 gunmen left 3 bombs inside Guyra Campana, a privately-owned radio in the town of Horqueta on the evening of October 4. 2 of them exploded, causing serious damage &  forcing the station off the air. Police defused the 3rd after it failed to go off.  

(PHOTO: Press freedom supporters in Paraguay/RWB)Political tension since last June’s parliamentary coup against President Fernando Lugo combined with the continuing violent crime are taking their toll on journalists. The level of fear is especially high among the many community radio stations in rural areas. (Read More at Reporters Without Borders)

Saudi Arabia Refuses Entry to Nigeria Women For Hajj

(PHOTO: BBC) Saudi Arabia has begun to expel 1,100 Nigerian women pilgrims for violating the kingdom's rule which prohibits Muslim women from entering the country without a male guardian. The government-run el-Eqtisad website quotes an unnamed Saudi official Friday as saying the women were detained after landing at the international airport in Jiddah. On Thursday, 171 were sent back. The report says some of the women have been detained since Monday. In Saudi Arabia, women must be accompanied by or have permission from a "mahram" - a male guardian - in order to travel. But in the past, authorities allowed women to perform the annual hajj pilgrimage in groups with male tour operators. There was no explanation for why the authorities were now enforcing the rule. (Via ABCNEWS)

Russia's Continued Disdain for NGO's Targets USAID

(PHOTO: File/AFP)Russia said on Wednesday it has given USAID until October 1 to stop work in the country, claiming it was meddling in domestic politics. The decision may also seriously harm the operations of a string of NGOs that are heavily dependent on its funding, including vote monitor Golos that pointed out irregularities in recent elections. The unexpected move appears part of an increasing crackdown in Russia on civil society after President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin for a 3rd term in May amid an outburst of street protests. "The decision was taken mainly because the work of the agency's officials far from always responded to the stated goals of development & humanitarian cooperation," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. (Read more at AFP)

Somalia Elects First President in 21 Years


(Video: Standard Group Kenya)

Somalia’s lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Monday for political newcomer Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to be the country’s next president, with the streets of the capital erupting into celebratory gunfire. An academic, & activist, Mohamud was immediately sworn in following the vote. The country’s lawmakers were voting in the first poll of its kind since the organized government fell into chaos & clan conflict in 1991. Mohamud, seen as a moderate, defeated incumbent President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed in a 3rd round run-off after 2 of 4 candidates who made it to the 2nd round of voting opted out. Speaker of parliament Mohamed Sheikh Osman said the new president won in a landslide; declaring, "Sharif Sheikh Ahmed got 79 votes.  Hassan Sheikh Mohamud got 190 votes." (Read more at The State)

Red Cross Chief Pleads for Greater Syrian Civilian Protections

(Video AFP)

Red Cross chief Peter Maurer was in Syria on a mercy mission seeking greater protection for civilians on Tuesday, as a spate of bombings & clashes brought fresh bloodshed to the capital Damascus, & the second city Aleppo. After speaking with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, he met with Abdul Rahman al-Attar, the president of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. (Via AFP)

Communicating Across the Oceans

(SOURCE: Cablemap.info)Greg’s Cable Map is an attempt to consolidate all the available information about the world’s undersea communications infrastructure & provide a map along with raw data. See “The Economic Impacts of Broadband” for more information on how the internet & broadband internet access has an impact on a country’s GDP. (Read more at the World Bank)

Asia Typhoon Season Causing Food Price Spikes

(PHOTO: News Channel Asia) An intense & active typhoon season continues in parts of Asia. This weekend at least 27 people were killed during `Kai-Tak'; which swept across northern provinces of Vietnam. On Sunday, parts of Hanoi remained flooded & flash floods still posed a risk. Meanwhile, repeated storms this season have hit more than 10 cities in China, where on Friday, the same storm also left 2 dead & 2 others missing as it passed across southern parts of the country, destroying some 4,200 homes in Guangdong province. In Singapore, the storms have caused a food price pinch where certain types of vegetables imported from China, including carrots, radishes, cabbage & onions have seen a 5% increase. Wholesalers said they have been importing vegetables from various sources in a bid to minimize price fluctuations - and at least 2 more storms are on the way. Typhoon "Igme" has gained strength as it moves in waters off the northern Philippines on Monday night, likely to move toward Taiwan by Tuesday; additionally, Tembin, the 14th storm of the Pacific typhoon season, was just named &  is packing winds of 119 kph, with gusts of up to 155 kph, also expected to reach Taiwan later this week. (Read more at Channel Asia)

The 16th Non-Aligned Movement Summit Opens in Tehran

(Video: PRESSTV)

Taking place in Tehran, Iran from August 26 to 31, representatives from over 150 countries are attending this gathering.  The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a group of 120 members & 17 observer countries who don't consider themselves to be formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. This year, the UN Secretary General, 27 presidents, 2 kings and emirs, 7 prime ministers, 9 vice presidents, 2 parliament spokesmen & 5 special envoys travelled to Tehran where Iran is taking over from Egypt as Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement for the period 2012 to 2015.  On Tuesday, foreign ministers of the NAM issued a draft statement on Syria, saying that the crisis must be resolved without foreign intervention & welcomed Lakhdar Brahimi as the representative of the UN Secretary General for Syria, replacing Kofi Annan.

In New Year's Speech North Korea Leader Says Wants to `Remove Confrontation'

(Video: New Year's Eve, 2012/Telegraph)

In a domestically televised New Year’s Day speech, North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un said he wants to “remove confrontation” on the divided Korea peninsula. The lengthy address, which laid out the country's goals for the year, marked Kim’s 1st formal remarks since the election 2 weeks ago of Park Geun-hye as South Korea’s next president, who takes office next month. Kim asked for a detente - but with prerequisites that the conservative Park is likely to be reluctant to accept. Those agreements call for, among other things, economic ties, high-level government dialogue & the creation of a special “cooperation” zone in the Yellow Sea, where the North & South spar over a maritime border.

(PHOTO: New Year's Day address, 2012/KCNA)Park, has said she will resume humanitarian exchanges & small economic projects with the North - but has pledged to hold off on major economic cooperation unless the North disassembles its nuclear weapons program. Kim's father, Kim Jong-il, who ruled for 17 years, only addressed North Korean citizens once verbally, preferring the New Year’s message to be delivered in a lengthy editorial carried by the state-run newspapers. The previous live address for January 1 was last given by North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-sung, in 1994, months before his death. (Read more at the ChosunIlbo)

LINKS TO OTHER STORIES

                                

Dreams and nightmares - Chinese leaders have come to realize the country should become a great paladin of the free market & democracy & embrace them strongly, just as the West is rejecting them because it's realizing they're backfiring. This is the "Chinese Dream" - working better than the American dream.  Or is it just too fanciful?  By Francesco Sisci

Baby step towards democracy in Myanmar  - While the sweeping wins Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy has projected in Sunday's by-elections haven't been confirmed, it is certain that the surging grassroots support on display has put Myanmar's military-backed ruling party on notice. By Brian McCartan

The South: Busy at the polls - South Korea's parliamentary polls will indicate how potent a national backlash is against President Lee Myung-bak's conservatism, perceived cronyism & pro-conglomerate policies, while offering insight into December's presidential vote. Desire for change in the macho milieu of politics in Seoul can be seen in a proliferation of female candidates.  By Aidan Foster-Carter  

Pakistan climbs 'wind' league - Pakistan is turning to wind power to help ease its desperate shortage of energy,& the country could soon be among the world's top 20 producers. Workers & farmers, their land taken for the turbine towers, may be the last to benefit.  By Zofeen Ebrahim

Turkey cuts Iran oil imports - Turkey is to slash its Iranian oil imports as it seeks exemptions from United States penalties linked to sanctions against Tehran. Less noticed, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the Iranian capital last week, signed deals aimed at doubling trade between the two countries.  By Robert M. Cutler

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BOARD OF ADVISORS

      The HUM Board of Advisors is composed of people who share our vision of open global news, and a belief that media can change the world. 
 

       We're building a global network of contributors into a board of experts – who can inform, inspire and excite the HUM team and our audience. Scholars of their subject – serving as `editorial counsel’ to help HUM gain focus, knowledge, and understanding on the topics, issues and places which the organization reports on. These advisors will enhance HUM’s content discussion and production; in direct support of the Company’s media efforts.

We're honored to have these esteemed current advisors supporting the HUM vision:

Kim Abbott - International Crisis Group, Director, North America Communications

Kimberly is responsible for developing and leading the U.S. media strategy to advance ICG’s policy recommendations to raise awareness of conflict situations in the media. She joined Crisis Group from InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international development and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations. She worked with the 160 member organizations on developing their media campaigns and public policy advocacy for collective humanitarian and development priorities on a wide range of international development issues, including debt relief, the Millennium Development Goals, tsunami recovery efforts in Thailand and the role of women in post-conflict situations.  Prior to her work with NGOs, Kimberly spent over a decade in local, national and international television and radio as a producer and reporter.  Her career has also included time on Capitol Hill as a Communications Director and work in U.S. presidential politics, as well as serving as an envoy and translator for the Centennial Olympic Games.  She is a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations, is a recipient of numerous European fellowships in journalism and international affairs and earned a bachelor of science degree in journalism from Boston University. 

Amanda Annan - Humanitarian, Supermodel, Filmmaker

Amanda Annan has a father who is Ghanian and a mother from Martinique. She was raised in London and it was there at the age of 17 that she was discovered. A make-up artist approached Amanda at the gym and promptly hooked her up with an agent at the then top agency, Unique Model Management. She is also hugely involved in CAMFED  (Campaign for Female Education), an organization dedicated to raising money to provide education for young women in 5 African countries who do not have the means or access to get quality education. Annan stresses the importance of this organization being instrumental in improving the quality of life of young girls by providing money, uniforms, school fees, and hostels to help the quality of life to help relieve the financial burden of their parents, encouraging them to stay in school.  Amanda also started her own charity, ETC (Educate the Children). She hopes to use it as a vehicle to emphasize the importance of education and provide this option to disadvantaged kids. She says “Charity has to be about passion and I have to be a catalyst for change”.  Amanda Annan has managed to create a healthy balance of conquering the competitive world of high fashion and dedicating her time to meaningful pursuits of justice for those who have no voice.    

Natalie Billon - Centurion Global, Investment Analyst

Natalie has spent her career at some of the most prestigious private equity firms in the business.  Prior to Centurion Global, she spent time working at KKR & Co, Soros Fund Mgmt, Bessemer Trust, J&W Seligman, Lazard Freres, and Robertson Stephens.  At KKR Ms. Billon worked to evaluate private equity LBO candidates.  Earlier, with Soros Fund Management (New York-based hedge fund, $10B+) she was responsible for public technology, media and telecom investments for the firm.  Prior to joining Soros in 2002, Natalie was responsible for all technology, media and telecom investments for Bessemer Trust’s public equity funds where she attracted Fortune 500 CEOs and CFOs from various industries as clients to the firm.  Since 1998, Ms. Billon was responsible for all technology, media and telecom investments for a $3B growth fund at J&W Seligman and earlier she was the senior investment analyst at such firms as Lazard Freres and Robertson Stephens (global investment banks).  Ms. Billon led numerous Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), including: The Learning Company, Edmark, Broderbund, and ChipSoft, among others. Natalie was behind pioneering studies which determined Information Technology (IT) supply and demand utilizing a deep network of global fortune 500 Chief Information Officers (CIOs) which was featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.  Ms. Billon earned an AB in Economics from Harvard University in 1986 and an MBA in Finance from Columbia University in 1994. She has lived in Western Europe, Eastern Europe and South America and is a humanitarian at heart.

Tonja Brown - Sr. Director of Strategic Integration for CNN Worldwide Ad Sales

Tonja is responsible for identifying integrated content opportunities that benefit the CNN brand and business.  Multicultural, international, cross-divisional and 3rd party strategic partnerships fall under her realm of responsibility.  She is based in CNN Worldwide headquarters in Atlanta, GA. Since joining Ad Sales in 2006 as a Manager, Brown created, developed and lead the successful launch of the TV & digital audience empowerment initiative Impact Your World, that provided users an ongoing opportunity to "do something" about the news issues that matter to them.  She was instrumental in integrating a branded “action step” into CNN content.  Recently, Brown has developed multicultural strategies that include a partnership with People En Espanol around the “Latino in America” documentary as well as CNN’s first co-production with an African-American publication, Essence Magazine around the "Black in America" documentary.  These successful partnerships lead to the development of a weekly multi-platform franchise What Matters with Essence Magazine and other branded multicultural content.  Prior to joining CNN Ad Sales, Brown was a Sr. Account for CNN’s long form programming unit before transitioning to Consumer Marketing where she was charged with developing the first long-term planning processes and initiatives that changed CNN's organizational approach to cross-platform planning.  Here she created the first multi-platform campaign strategy to leverage CNN's quarterly medical specials, which lead to several promotional awards.  In addition, Brown created Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s Fit Nation franchise to bring national attention to the obesity epidemic in the US.  Fit Nation included CNN’s first on the ground consumer marketing events and ultimately exceeded revenue projections by becoming a successful multi-million dollar franchise. Brown’s non-traditional approach to traditional media has earned her a reputation for a being strategic, innovative and effective.  Although, she believes an innate curiosity, collaboration and a sense of humor are valuable keys to success.  Brown graduated from Hampton University with her degree in Accounting. 

Eric De Fino - Chief Creative Officer, RAYGUN

Raygun is a creative company specializing in dynamic storytelling for television, film, Internet and the music business.  The agency has extensive industry experience and a proven creative production record which ignites every project with a unique vision that goes beyond what typical production companies and post houses can deliver, ensuring their clients' dreams are realized and their story is told.   Raygun's innovative work covers all areas of visual communications and is showcased through the development, production and delivery of informative, entertaining, and passionate creative for, both, short and long form projects.  From live action to motion design, art direction, animation, music videos and entertainment branding, simply put, RAYGUN does it all.  Eric is a sought after creative mind and producer whose image clients have included HBO, Turner Classic Movies, CNN, Discovery Networks, Fine Living, Planet Green, ABC Network, SciFi Channel, Spike TV, TLC, Sony, Adidas, Best Buy, Comcast, ATT, ESPN, Heineken, New Balance, Saucony, Reese’s, Hewlett Packard, the Lung Cancer Alliance, Big Brothers of America, anti-plastic organization Greenplate, singer John Mellencamp, the band The Constellations, and artist Young Jeezy.

Leo Fonseka - International Policy Development Specialist

Leo Fonseka is an internationally recognized policy development specialist with 43 years of experience in corporate management, UN international civil service and NGO development with specialties in policy development, program strategy formulation for local government and child protection. He is currently the President of the Sri Lanka based Marga Institute whose main activity is the study and critical evaluation of past and on-going development processes in Sri Lanka. It approaches and analyses development as a process and as a condition in which economic growth, social equity, political freedom and participation are integrally linked and must reinforce one another. Its programme of research therefore covers three main areas of development-economic, social and political. Consequently, it draws on a wide range of social science disciplines and brings a multi-disciplinary approach to its work.  In the past Leo has been an urban advisor to UNICEF working in hotspots all over the globe and is a graduate of the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Raymond F. Harmon - r.f.harmon media ltd.

Raymond F. Harmon is the principal in r.f.harmon media ltd., a media consulting, representation and management services company he founded in 1999. r.f.harmon media ltd. has supplied services to organizations such as……the NCAA, BCS (Bowl Championship Series), PGA Tour, NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration), SpaceDev, FOX Sports, HTN Communications, Pilson Communications, Host Communications, ISL, CBS Sports, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Indians, WNBA Players Association, and various collegiate athletic conferences – Atlantic10, Big East, Big 12, WAC, MAC, Sun Belt and the University of Notre Dame. He also provided services to start-up networks including SportsTime Ohio, Ice Channel, The Football Network and We Media, an early Internet destination site that produced and distributed live video-streaming of competition from the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games.      r.f.harmon media ltd. represented new technology companies such as FasTV, an early VSP (Video Service Provider) in agreements with Augusta National and the PGA of America and Coaches Edge, a supplier of content for broadcast and Internet sports sites, now merged with SportVision. Harmon also represented Pineapplehead Ltd, of Australia (now Virtual Spectator), the developer of the interactive golf broadcast tool – Golf Vision – in agreements with NBC for the US Open and with The Golf Channel. r.f.harmon media ltd. has represented sports announcers in new media arrangements. Harmon was a consultant through 2008 to GroupM Entertainment, the production services unit of the leading global media investment management operation, and the entertainment units of the GroupM agencies, including Mediacom, Mediaedge:cia and MindShare. Harmon provided services in the area of Business Affairs, Finance and Production Operations for the various agencies and the parent. Harmon spent 28 years at CBS, the final 14 years with CBS SPORTS. He joined CBS SPORTS as Director of Sports Finance and was promoted to Vice President of Business Planning in the fall of 1992. In the Business Planning role he was responsible for organization and planning associated with program acquisitions and contract negotiations and the day-to-day activities of production operations. As a senior member of CBS SPORTS management, he was an important contributor in the re-acquisition of NFL Football in 1998; the entry of CBS SPORTS onto the Internet though the development of a strategic partnership with SportsLine USA and the subsequent launch of CBS.SPORTSLINE.COM; the acquisition and planning of the1992, 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympic Games; and the contract extension of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 1995, 1989 and 1986. Harmon also served on the Board of Directors of the CBS Foundation. The Foundation was the philanthropic arm of the then CBS Corporation.

Guilaine C. Jean Pierre - Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney, Second Vice President, Wealth Management

In addition to being one of the top wealth managers in her industry, Guilaine Jean Pierre knows that philanthropy and private funding can change the world.  In addition to her role with Morgan Stanley, Ms. Jean Pierre sits on a number of boards and has founded a variety of initiatives designed to support the world’s needs and is a Trustee of The Children’s Storefront in Harlem, providing tuition free education children.  

Matt Keller - One Laptop Per Child, Director for Global Advocacy

Matt Keller works with governments around the world to introduce rugged, connected laptops to children living in the poorest and remote regions of the world. He also works to develop implementation strategies, lobbying international institutions and wealthy nations, including the United States, to provide resources to less developed countries as a way to acquire this technology.  Mr. Keller has also worked as a senior programme officer with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for five years in Rome, Italy working specifically on with governments and private organizations to raise awareness and resources for school feeding programs where children are fed nutritious meals in schools.  Prior to this appointment,  Matt served as Legislative Director for Common Cause in Washington, DC focused on issues of openness and accountability in the US Congress; and also acted as a lobbyist and political strategist working closely with Senator John McCain.  Mr. Keller has also worked as a lawyer and lobbyist on behalf of low-income people and migrant farm workers in the United States, and as a Jesuit Volunteer in Portland, Maine.

Dr. Judy Kuriansky - UN Main Representative, International Association of Applied Psychology

Dr Judy Kuriansky is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Clinical Psychology at Columbia University Teachers College and the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. A United Nations representative for the International Association of Applied Psychology and the World Council for Psychotherapy, she has led workshops on peace, trauma recovery, crisis counseling and on her unique East/West intervention programs around the world, from Buenos Aires to Sagar India, Singapore, Prague, Jerusalem, Dubai and Tehran, Iran. Trained by the Red Cross, featured in their post 9/11 campaign, she worked in disaster relief at Ground Zero and the Family Assistance Center, and around the world including after SARS in China, bombings in Jerusalem, an earthquake in Australia, and the tsunami in Sri Lanka. A member of the Human Dignity Humiliation Studies Global Advisory Board, she is also a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and member of the Peace division Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence, International Psychology division and a co-founder of APA’s Media Psychology division.  A former television reporter on WCBS-TV, she is a pioneer of radio call-in advice and internet advice and is a popular commentator on many news and talk shows. She lectures extensively and collaborates with colleagues in Asia and was appointed visiting professor of Peking University Health Science Center. Her many awards include the first International Outreach Award from the American Women in Radio and TV.  She has authored many scholarly papers in professional journals and books, including “Access: A Disaster Preparedness Manual” and, “Working Effectively with Mass Media in Disaster Mental Health” in the Handbook of International Disaster Psychology.  Her many books include the best selling “The Complete Idiots Guide to A Healthy Relationship.”  A graduate of Smith College, she earned a masters degree from Boston University and Ph.D. at New York University and spent ten years as a Senior Research Scientist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute doing cross-cultural work in London.  She has presented hundreds of addresses and plenaries, including to the State of the World Forum and scores of health groups, business organizations, and the UN targeting the MDG goals and global issues such as the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.  She is a tireless advocate for media which sheds light.

Lori Levin - Executive Producer/PR/Brand Executive

Lori’s unique career has blended entertainment, marketing, and public relations. She brings a showman’s sensibility to her business endeavors and a business perspective to her entertainment projects. In television, Lori Levin was the Creator and Executive Producer of The Rebel Billionaire, a globally-aired Fox prime time reality series starring Sir Richard Branson, which averaged 7 million viewers a week in the US alone. It also aired in all major global markets. As Vice President of Virgin Corporate communications for the Virgin Group of Companies where she was Richard Branson’s “go-to executive” for 20 years, Lori was largely responsible for establishing Sir Richard Branson as a household name. She and her team created "guerilla marketing" tactics that have become standard marketing techniques today. She has been awarded “Brand Builder of the Year 2007” by Promax DBA and Broadcast and Cable News. Lori has launched new products, companies, special events, and worked with countless celebrities. She has generated public relations coverage in all major national media outlets including 60 Minutes, New York Times, Fortune, and People Magazine; Today Show, GMA, CNN. She is currently lending her expertise to several start up companies through her consultancy Creative Convergency. She also has several new TV series and documentaries in development with Creative Visions Productions. She has served on the Steering Committee of Virgin Unite and the Advisory Board of the Giffoni Hollywood Film Festival. She is currently on the Advisory Board of the Creative Visions Foundation, and has recently been honoured to join the Advisory Board of Mary J. Blige’s FFAWN  foundation.

Roxy Marosa - Writer, Presenter, Actress, Entrepreneur, Humanitarian

Roxy Marosa is a media Presenter with her own television show, “The Roxy Marosa Show” which is a provocative personal development live audience program. It is a platform to investigate and master a variety of life subjects that have one thing in common: They are a reality in your daily life and every person has to face them and deal with them, in various ways. As an individual committed to personal growth and making a difference in people’s lives, Roxy passionately shares her life experience openly and her transformation to people’s best interest. She is also a Transformational Speaker whose passion is in reflecting on growth through ‘tough life’ experiences, with a focus on Positive Living and Personal Growth. Faced with the challenge of HIV/Aids in South Africa, Roxy developed herself and trained as an HIV/Aids trainer and counselor through a number of organizations, including the Christian Aids Bureau of South Africa (linked to World Vision).  Additionally, Roxy is an actress in TV commercials and short movies, a columnist for us at HUMNEWS; a poet, an internationally sought after model, and she is the brand creator, owner and face of Roxy Marosa Total Skin Health Care.  An all natural, not tested on animals skin care line, made from plant extracts, designed for all skin types, intended to address different skin conditions, to maintain a healthy skin. Developed and manufactured in South Africa as the first black female owned natural, scientific and medically oriented skin care range launched in South Africa, available to the world.  Roxy has operated as a multi-skilled and entrepreneurial freelancer since 2002 and facilitates events for corporate, private and public enterprises, locally and internationally. 

Michael Popow - Centurion Global, Managing Partner, Investments 

Michael has spent his career managing some of the most important equity funds on the planet.  He recently launched Centurion Global, a fund with Tiger.  Previously, Mr. Popow was involved with private equity engagements focused on China, the Middle East and the U.S.  Earlier, with Bessemer Trust (New York-based investment firm, $20B+) he founded, developed and managed leading global, long/short, public/private, onshore/ offshore equity funds ($500M) and was also a member of Bessemer’s Investment Policy & Strategy Committee responsible for investments in various international asset classes and was responsible for all public technology, media and telecom investments for Bessemer’s long-only funds, equaling more than $15B.  Prior to this, Mr. Popow was a portfolio manager with Odyssey Partners and was a senior investment analyst with Oppenheimer & Co. (global investment bank); and Gabelli & Co. Prior to 1992, Mr. Popow worked as a computer engineer, first with Bell Labs/Rutgers and then with Convergent Technologies (global computer manufacturer).  At Convergent, Mr. Popow led teams of engineers through the design and development of several client/server computer systems that were launched globally.   Michael earned his BS in Electrical Engineering, a BA in Computer Science and a BA in Philosophy from Rutgers University in 1988 and an MBA in Finance from Columbia University in 1994.  His knowledge of the world’s emerging markets and technology that can connect them is invaluable to a media trying to bridge the `Geographic Gap™’.

Avis Richards – Philanthropist, Filmmaker

Avis Gold Richards is the Founder and CEO of Birds Nest Foundation™, a 501(c)3 non-profit  creative group that produces high-quality documentaries, short videos and  public service announcements (PSAs) for charitable organizations. An award-winning executive producer and director, Avis has produced and directed over 50 films and multiple websites and events. The goal of Birds Nest Foundation is to provide the media to educate and promote important causes and issues that enable non-profits and other foundations to communicate their messages through “moving pictures.” Avis has won more than a dozen Stevie Awards, Telly Awards, Davey Awards, and Aurora Awards for producing non-profit films and videos. The charities that benefit from Avis’ work include a host of worthy causes dedicated to improving healthcare and education, serving inner-city youth, protecting against domestic violence, promoting human rights, and defending the environment.  Avis is on the Board of Directors for HELP USA (homes for the homeless and less fortunate), Sophie’s Voice (Spina Bifida), Bat for the Cure (prostate cancer), Earth Day Network (the environment), and the R Baby Foundation (infant mortality). Avis is a member of the Advisory Board of Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation (domestic violence), Cancer Schmancer (breast cancer early detection), and Mobile Movement (mobile philanthropy). Avis is a “Game Ball” recipient for the Boomer Esiason Foundation (Cystic Fibrosis), a Peloton Project member for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (cancer), and served as an Excalibur award member for the American Cancer Society for which she was also the Gala Event Chair. Avis was a founding member of Gilda's Club (cancer support), for which she developed and chaired the Young Committee Members' Gala.  Avis sits on the Advisory Board of Renu Mobile, a corporation dedicated to creative mobile applications with minimal environmental footprint and maximum global reach. Avis is an Ambassador for Bicycle for a Day, and environment and health initiative founded by actor Matthew Modine; and was previously involved in promoting Westchester Medical Center Children’s Hospital, Auschwitz Jewish Center, Whitby School and St. Phillip’s Academy.  Avis is currently producing a public television series entitled “Lunch NYC” for NYC Media, part of the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting, after the successful launch of her short documentary, LUNCH, which was sponsored in part by Earth Day Network. The documentary, screened at film festivals across the United States, has distribution rights in Whole Foods Markets. The series exposes unhealthy foods being served in the public school system across the country and highlights the efforts of individuals actively seeking alternatives to promote nutrition and health.   Avis is a graduate of the University of Maryland where she earned her B.S. degree, is an active alumnus of the University of Maryland and in 2010 was honored by the University with its Non-profit Industry Impact Award. She pursued her post-graduate studies at George Washington University and Bank Street College of Education.

Judy Shapiro - Founder, engageSimply

Judy Shapiro's career has always been characterized by her willingness to go against the current in her relentless pursuit of creating marketing momentum. In her early work as a VP at NWAyer Advertising, she took on creating new integrated marketing programs that merged direct mail with in-store promotions and advertising - something most people didn't do given the silo'd nature of marketing functions. Or when AT&T wanted to jump start their consumer products division, they hired Judy from the agency to create marketing momentum around the many new technologies AT&T which she did by introducing the voice of "Judy Consumer" to the conversation. She was tapped to lead the prestigious Lucent Technologies brand launch as Corporate Brand Director, where she literally rewrote the corporate branding book, winning coveted APQC and AMA awards branding awards.  Judy continued to bring new thinking to every subsequent role; at CA, she created from the ground up their lead generation and management system to unify marketing programs, she became the lead marketing expert for all technologies in the Bell Labs New Ventures Group helping launch 8 new successful ventures. Her most recent work at Paltalk and Comodo, let her turn her attention on creating new ways to reach audiences leveraging integrated content, community, creative passion and communications to generate business results.  As a result of her groundbreaking work, Judy is recognized as a voice of practicality within the industry with her regular articles in Ad Age’s DigitalNext column and as an industry speaker (DigitalHollywood and IgniteNYC). Judy loves to mentor technology startups (a throw back to her Bell Labs days) and as a graduate of City University of NY, she is a die-hard New Yorker living in Manhattan (just ask her where the best place is to get Pizza or bagels—you won’t be sorry).  

Maureen Sullivan StembergEntrepreneur, Designer, Author, Fashion Editor, Photographer, MSS Interior Design

Over the past 20 years, Maureen Sullivan Stemberg has proven to be one of the most talented Interior Designers and business women in the industry. She has owned and operated successful design firms in both Boston and Palm Beach, taking on upscale clients with the most discriminating taste. During that same time period for over 5 years she was design & fashion editor of a magazine in Palm Beach. Interviewing people from the world’s best interior and fashion designers - including a president and the first Lady. Her ability to transform any room into a timeless masterpiece has boosted her reputation as a visionary with impeccable attention for detail.   There is no challenge too great for Maureen – she is persistent, knowledgable and a sheer talent.  Some of her accolades include designing and completing the entire Trump Plaza Penthouse, Presidential rooms, Club Colette of Palm Beach, and the University of Maine.  She was the youngest member to be elected to Who’s Who in Interior Design, and her work has been featured in the New York Times, House Beautiful, Better Homes & Gardens, House & Garden, Design Times, 100 Designers’ Favorite Rooms (book, by John L. Pellam, c. 1998 Barons), Interior Visions – Great American Designers & the Showcase House, along with several television appearances and interviews showcasing her talent.  She is an associate member of the American Society of Interior Designers, a council member for the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  She attended Boston College, studying Political Science and Art History, as well as the Museum School of Fine Arts, and the Boston Architectural Center. She was most recently selected for the WHO’s Who 35 Anniversary edition for “Women of Distinction.”   In 1985, Maureen served as the inspiration for her ex-husband Tom Stemberg in founding STAPLES Office Supply Stores.

Bradden Young – Producer, Filmmaker, Humanitarian – Principle Partner, Pedestal Pictures

Bradden Young’s international career as a marketing professional and producer for film, TV, news, concerts and events has afforded him the opportunity to support a broad range of corporate and non-profit organisations. For five years until 2010, Bradden worked as a Vice President for Oxford Analytica, a prestigious political and economic consultancy and publication firm. Bradden’s responsibilities included marketing initiatives, business development and media partnership implementation with Reuters, Bloomberg, Forbes, and CNBC.  These initiatives furthered Oxford Analytica’s reputation as a proven leader in predicting key trends, preparing for contingencies and providing actionable intelligence and global analysis to corporate and government executives.

As a producer Bradden has worked across many different disciplines.  He was a Field Producer with the Open Broadcast Network and a CNN World Report Producer based in Sarajevo for three years amid the Balkan conflicts.  As a Film Producer he was recently involved in producing a series of five short films with Young Indies which highlighted new directors and went on to be screened at over 30 international festivals.  Currently Bradden is founding partner of Pedestal Pictures and producing feature films based on true, inspirational stories.  As an Event Producer for The Event Management Group and McNabb & Associates he has worked for major corporate clients including IMG, NBC Sports, The International Olympic Committee, Viacom, Vivendi Universal and GE.   

Bradden’s work has often extended into the non-profit/humanitarian sector, receiving recognition when he was invited to become a member of The Transatlantic Young Leaders Forum.  In 1999, he was co-founder of the Live For Life Foundation, which focused on the practical removal of landmines, victim support and the promotion of reconciliation through the Arts in Bosnia.  Live For Life organised the first inter-ethnic concert in the post-conflict Balkans, which saw more than twenty bands take to the stage at the Olympic Stadium in Sarajevo in support of the anti-landmine campaign.  Through Live For Life and other projects Bradden has continued to work in the non-profit world for a variety of organisations including The Campaign For A Landmine Free World, Norwegians People’s Aid, Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, Mercy Corps, Charity Water, One Home Many Hopes, AMFAR, OSCE and the UN.