Predictors of loneliness incidence in Chinese older adults from a life course perspective: a national longitudinal study.
We aim to examine what factors are predictive of loneliness incidence from a life course perspective and whether predictors differ between women and men based on a nationally representative longitudinal dataset in China. A total of 5,043 older adults aged 65 or above from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey who were not lonely in the 2008 wave were included in the analysis. Logistic regression models were applied to examine what factors in the 2008 wave predicted loneliness incidence in the 2011 wave. Analyses were also stratified by gender to examine gender differences. Older ages and self-rated poor health increased the odds, whereas receiving one or more years of schooling, rural-urban migration,months away.

Sochi's Winter Olympics Spectacular

"I'm definitely ready, ready for sure, to be fighting for the podium every single day," said the 25-year-old Ganong, who finished seventh in a downhill training run on Thursday, 0.55 seconds behind Canadian Erik Guay's winning time. "I've had a lot of experience now on the World Cup tour. I'm very solid on my skis, very balanced, comfortable on the World Cup hills. Just ready. Hopefully, this will be the year."

Ganong has shown hints of his talent, taking seventh during a downhill race in Bormio, Italy, last December. He also won a training run at Beaver Creek last season.

What's been holding him back from that elusive first podium spot? Well, the little things, really, he said, like proper diet, training the right way and


getting suitable rest. This season, he's focusing on those minute details to shave tenths of seconds off his time.

"Ski racing is such a competitive, tight sport," Ganong said. "There are tiny little variables that separate people from winning a race and getting 10th. Now, it's just a matter of putting myself in a position to win, kicking out of the starting gate and letting all the pieces kind of fall in place.

"I'm ready to go to the next level."

There are those on the World Cup circuit who believe that as well.

"He's a great technical skier," Guay said. "With his technique, he can take some chances that other athletes might not be able to get away with. He's emerging and will be around."

Even more so thanks to all hisCanadian Province Prince Edward Island Rakes in Over $150K in First Day of Legal Cannabis Sales

Yesterday was the first day of Canada’s history-making cannabis legalization. Not surprisingly, retailers throughout the country saw a lot of activity. In particular, marijuana sales in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island exceeded the six-figure mark—and that was just on day one.

Explosive Sales in Prince Edward Island

Local media sources reported total sales in Prince Edward Island were worth $152,408 on the first day of legal weed.

Those sales came from a few different sources. For starters, the province’s online sales went live at midnight on Tuesday. By the end of the day on Wednesday, online sales from the site peaked at nearly $21,000.

Along with the province’s online market, there are currently three brick


never received the notice. As a result
they did not respond by the deadline specified in the letter, and UMC transferred their
investment from the Lincoln Stable Value Fund to the Lincoln LifeSpan Fund without
their knowledge. Bidwell and Wilson first learned of the transfer upon receipt of their
quarterly account statements, immediately contacted UMC on October 15, 2008 to
inquire about the change, and then switched their investments back to the Lincoln Stable
Value Fund. Due to market fluctuations in the interim, however, both Bidwell and
Wilson suffered financial losses prior to the return of their funds to the Lincoln Stable
Value Fund.

B. Procedural History

       In February 2009, both Bidwell and Wilson filed claims with UMC seeking
reimbursement for their losses, in the amounts of $85,000 and $16,900 respectively,
resulting fromOutlaw motorcycle gang has erected signage on the front of its new Simpson Street clubhouse and police say they are aware the criminal organization is branding itself, 11 years after it was taken down in Thunder Bay during Project Husky.

THUNDER BAY – After 11 years in the criminal hinterlands, the Hells Angels is making its presence known in Thunder Bay again.

The outlaw motorcycle gang has erected a large sign outside its Simpson Street clubhouse, located next to the Underground Gym in the rundown neighbourhood on the city’s south side.

Thunder Bay Police Staff Sgt. Ryan Gibson says the organization has had a presence in Thunder Bay for quite some time, but after their former clubhouse was raided in 2006 during Project Husky, the local chapter was frozen.

Now it appears


ever summit-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly devoted to nuclear disarmament; and

WHEREAS, adherence to the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons commits each State Party “to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament”; and the U.S. Conference of Mayors has regularly adopted resolutions since 2004 calling for the commencement of comprehensive nuclear disarmament negotiations, as put forth by the UN Secretary General in his “Five Point Proposal,” to be concluded and implemented by 2020, as proposed by Mayors for Peace; and

WHEREAS, an historic conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, hosted in Oslo in March 2013 by the government of Norway and attended by representatives of127 states, the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and civil society, including Mayors for Peace, highlighted three key points relevant to mayors as first responders:

“It is unlikely that any state or international body could address the immediate humanitarian emergency caused by a nuclear weapon detonation in an adequate manner and provide sufficient assistance to those affected.

The historical experience from the use and testing of nuclear weapons has demonstrated their devastating immediate and long-term effects. While political circumstances have changed, the destructive potential of nuclear weapons remains.

The effects of a nuclear weapon detonation, irrespective of cause, will not be constrained by national borders, and will affect states and people in significant ways, regionally as well as globally”; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors expresses its


deep concern that both the May session of the new UN disarmament working group and the Oslo Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons took place without the participation of the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council, including the United States; and WHEREAS, nearly a quarter of a century has passed since the end of the Cold War, yet an estimated 17,300 nuclear weapons, 94% of them in the possession of the United States and Russia, continue to pose an intolerable threat to humanity; and

WHEREAS, the threatened first use of nuclear weapons remains at the heart of U.S. and Russian national security policies, and nuclear tensions in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and on the Korean peninsula remind us that the potential for nuclear warimperiling the economic recovery in cities, with cuts to federal programs such as Community Block Development Grants, Section 8 Housing Vouchers, and Head Start forcing cities, local agencies and non-profits to lay off staff, reduce or eliminate services, delay infrastructure projects and reduce program benefits to low and moderate income families; and

WHEREAS, Mayors for Peace membership has surpassed 5,600 member cities in 156 countries, speaking on behalf of more than one billion citizens, and is approaching 200 U.S. members; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted resolutions in 2010, 2011 and 2012 calling for deep cuts in nuclear weapons spending and redirection of those funds to meet the needs of cities, and adopted an additional resolution in 2011, “Calling on Congress to Redirect Military Spending to Domestic Needs”;

NOW,


to address the dramatic increase in poverty and inequality in our country; take emergency measures to repair the social safety net and protect Social Security and Medicare; create jobs, retrain displaced workers, including military contractors, rebuild deteriorating physical infrastructure, invest in new technologies for a sustainable energy future, and aid local government to restore and maintain vital public services, reemploying teachers, police, firefighters and other workers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors expresses its continuing support for and cooperation with Mayors for Peace

Sunday, June 23, 2013

The corporate press is enabling the U.S. Congress and Obama administration in clamoring for airstrikes on Syria to "help" the people there suffering badly under a protracted civil war. The UN estimate of deaths from this war to date:94,000.

source: The Dish "A Syrian man reacts while standing on the ribble of his house while others look for survivors and bodies in the Tariq al-Bab district of Aleppo February 23, 2013." Pablo Tosco/AFP/Getty Images

The United National Antiwar Committee, of which I am a member, is calling for national days of action in support of the people of Syria starting June 24 through July 15, 2013. UNAC has just issued this statement:

The White House’s June 13th announcement that it would begin directly supplying arms to the opposition in Syria is a dramatic escalation of the U.S./NATO war against that country. Thousands of U.S. troops and intelligence personnel are training opposition forces and coordinating operations in Turkey and Jordan. Israel, the recipient of more than $3 billion annually in


southern Lebanon is a key player -- receiving support from, among others, Iran.

I remembered reading somewhere that when soldiers entered Baghdad after shock and awe, they had maps and plans for Syria among their kit. I searched for that, but what I found was Gen. Wesley Clark claiming:

As I went back through the Pentagon in November 2001, one of the senior military staff officers had time for a chat. Yes, we were still on track for going against Iraq, he said. But there was more. This was being discussed as part of a five-year campaign plan, he said, and there were a total of seven countries, beginning with Iraq, then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Somalia, and Sudan.

What has been clear for a while now is that the U.S.Ibrahim Mothana in testimony to the U.S. Senate described how well the blunt instrument of air strikes is working to recruit terrorists in his country:

During my visits to Abyan, Shabwa and Radaa, three areas of central and southern Yemen where the US has carried out targeted killings, I was overwhelmed with sadness meeting families of drone victims suffering a miserable combination of personal loss and devastating economic burden. Many of the children of strike victims that I saw were severely malnourished and families who lost their main financial provider had little hope for the future. For many of the youngsters, death seemed an easier burden than life so, with this bleak outlook, they joined the fight against the government.

Demonstrations outside the U.S. Embassy in London, reported by Demotix.com

I


to you, Bruce, and others who have constantly re-examined their beliefs as we made our way through the 20th and now 21st century versions of culture in the US of A...school level and professional sports have always been in the service of nationalism and militaristic chauvinism.

They teach very young citizens to believe in false dichotomy. They teach them to pick a side, a side to cheer and a side to revile. They teach them to wear uniforms and wave flags.

In the 20th century, professional sporting events began to be used as a primary platform to deliver the hyper masculine view of the world that says: it's a jungle out there, eat or be eaten, only the strong survive. This messaging came not so much through the athletic contestand allies did and are using the bliss that comes with coming together -- and that is why tear gas and water cannons are used to destroy their peaceful encampments.

We are the 99%. Play ball!

Source: NBC news coverage of demonstrations at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey this week.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

by Lisa Savage and Janet WeilThe omnibus military spending bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) rolled out of the House Armed Services Committee pulling a trailer load of amendments and barreling down an increasingly potholed road. In the same week as news broke of massive school closings in Chicago and Philadelphia for lack of funding, only two members of the committee, California representatives Jackie Speier and John Garamendi, had the presence of mind


consistently prioritize spending on education and health care, and fixing roads and bridges, over spending on weapons and wars.In every state in the union the people suffer from high unemployment, budget cuts to essential services, and representatives who keep the pork barrels rolling by voting yes on NDAA each year. As military spending has continued to gobble up more than half the federal spending pie every year of the Obama administration, economic conditions have continued to deteriorate for the majority of people in the U.S.

According to the U.S Census, 13 percent of people in the U.S. now live in poverty. Children fare even worse: 1 in 6 live below the federal poverty line. Not just inner cities but also suburbs now sow extreme income inequality. People of colorfive in Bath, was there. But because of sequestration Congress has left the Navy with a $304 million shortfall for that last ship," Pingree said. "Now it's up to us to find that money and so that fifth ship can be built at BIW."

Pingree voted against the legislation that created the sequestration cuts last year.

"BIW's reputation for quality and efficiency is unmatched and the Navy knows that," Pingree said. "I'm hopeful we can secure the funding for an additional ship to help maintain employment levels at the yard."

BIW is also currently under contract to build three Zumwalt-class destroyers, the first of which is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy late next year or early in 2015.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Bombshell news of the week that the National "Security"Admistration


disaster in New Mexico on tribal territory of the Navajo nation. The uncontained effect of years of radioactive groundwater on the nation's -- and the planet's -- wheat supply was ably chronicled this week by Dr. Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese in "America's Secret Fukushima Poisoning the Breadbasket of the World."Kevin and Margaret are two of the folks I will be training my carrier pigeons to stay in contact with when the Dept. of "Defense" or some other entity shuts down my online access. For now, their news website is on my often-read list: PopularResistance.org.

Friday, June 7, 2013

When Mainers gathered at their state house to vigil during 11th hour budget meetings, the wonderful banners created by the Maine Union of Visual Artists Art Rapid Response Team (ARRT) werewhich wrote the book on carrying water for the Democrats. Fiesty activist JA KE had her union pride on display

and she confronted the MEA lobbyist demanding to know why there were no educators mobilized for the vigil (well, besides me). Her mom was a teacher and she thought they ought to be there because a) there are a lot of them and b) they are articulate and passionate about meeting people's needs.

John Kosinki's reply, "I'm here, aren't I?" Later she noticed he had removed his name tag. When she confronted him about it, he claimed that the strap from his bag kept catching on it. Uh huh.

As long as groups that purport to represent the people keep defending the false dichotomy of bad Republicans and good Democrats, war


out today to epic leaker Bradley Manning, whose court martial trial enters its second day following 1,100 days of pre-trial detention with barely a whisper of corporate press attention. Press Freedom Foundation has published the first rush transcript made by a crowd-funded court stenographer denied access to the courtroom, and housed in a location with an audio feed that cuts in and out.

Monday, June 3, 2013

This weekend rallies across the planet marked the beginning of the court martial trial of global citizen-soldier Bradley Manning, who leaked the truth via Wikileaks about a multitude of war crimes and dirty dealings by the U.S. government.

In Maryland outside Ft. Meade where Manning's trial will take place, around two thousand people gathered to hear speakers like retired Army officer Ann Wright whoresigned from the State Dept. when the U.S. invaded Iraq. A global citizen, she has just returned from peacefully meeting with women in China and Ireland among other places. Ann said that in every country she found Bradley Manning support groups. Rather than seeing Americans only as warmongers, they also want to see Americans as like Bradley Manning:

whistleblowers, the people that tell the truth...the people that hold the government accountable... (he) has stood for more honesty and justice in our country than the senior leadership of this whole country.

In Portland, CODEPINK Maine chapters staged political theater in Congress Square Park. An Obama character jailed multiple Bradley Mannings, and silenced them by taping their mouths shut. Later, the president was placed under citizen's arrest and put in jail for


war crimes at Guantanamo, with drones, and against whistleblowers like Manning.

Jon Gaither of the ACLU of Maine provided an overview of the legal implications of Bradley Manning's arrest and treatment to date in violation of the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Kara Oster of Occupy Portland Maine spoke about the value of truth and free speech in a democracy, and how hard it is for us to speak truly in today's society. I read the anti-war statement I had seen Iraq Veterans Against War (IVAW) spokesperson Stephen Funk give in response to the San Francisco Pride Parade director removing Bradley Manning as a Grand Marshall of the SF Pride Parade. Later, my Codepink associate Janet Weil told me that IVAW member Funk was the first Marineneeded light to the U.S. and to countries around the world, including struggling countries like Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the Press Freedom Foundation raised funds to pay for a court stenographer "for the people" as the U.S. government declines to release a transcript, and the military judge speaks so rapidly as to defy accurate reporting. (A clandestine audio recording of Manning's only public statement in three years may be found here.) The judge has ruled that twenty-three of the government's witnesses may testify in secret.

The majority of applications for press credentials to attend Bradley Manning's trial have been denied. As reported by Scott Galindez and Mark Ash of Reader Supported News, one of the press organizations being denied access:

According to the Army, 350 reporters applied for credentials to the trial of


So this is it. For the last time, for the last time during the regular season and the last time as scheduled, it is the Rangers and Islanders at the Coliseum.

Tuesday night, for the 127th time on Long Island, the Battle of New York. Add 19 playoff matches, and, to borrow a phrase from Sam Rosen, the memories produced will last a lifetime.

This final 2014-15 meeting between two eastern powers battling for the Metropolitan Division championship and first seed in the conference doesn’t mark the end of the Battle. It will continue into eternity in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

But, unless we get Rangers-Islanders in the playoffs, a possibility in any of the first three rounds of the tournament depending upon seeds, this is it on Long Island.

The following representsColiseum crowd, stood in front of the Blueshirts bench during a first-period stop of play, flapping his arms wildly at Eric Cairns in his own version of the song while the Islanders defenseman sat in the penalty box after deferring on a fight with Sandy McCarthy. Cairns and Fleury engaged in a brief screaming match in the locker room corridor following the Rangers’ 6-2 victory.

8. D-P challenges Montoya

This is the only exhibition game moment that made the list, with Rick DiPietro and the Rangers’ Al Montoya engaging in the second-most-famous goaltender fight in the history of the Rivalry in the wake of renewed hostilities between Chris Simon and Ryan Hollweg on Sept. 24, 2007. This was more a wrestling match than a bout, Montoya a reluctant participant. DiPietro


area in front of the net, even after being directed to do so with 5:13 remaining in the first period of what would become a 3-2 Islanders shootout victory in April 2007. One of the women, Kelli Higgins, alleged the goaltender had used his stick to swipe at her squeegee as she attempted to work around her. The defeat left the Rangers one point shy of clinching a playoff berth. At practice the following day, Lundqvist said: “The first 65 games I didn’t have to move. Suddenly, on Long Island, I had to move?”

5. Bobby Bourne, coast-to-coast

It was the third period of Game 5 of the 1983 Patrick Division finals when Bourne, an elite skater, picked up the puck behind his own net and started up the rightside. No. 14 beat one man up the wing, a second as he cut toward the middle through the neutral zone, and a third as he crossed the Rangers’ line on the left. Bourne completed his breathtaking dash with an outside-inside move on Reijo Ruotsalainen while putting the puck between his skates and splitting the D-pair that included Barry Beck before beating Eddie Mio. The goal gave the Islanders a 5-1 lead in a 7-2 victory. The Islanders captured the series in six at the Garden.

4. Double chili

On Nov. 13, 1979, the Islanders were running a season-long promotion in which fans were able to get a free bowl of chili at Wendy’s following games in which the home team scored at least six goals. In this one, the


Simon, who received a match penalty, served a 25-game suspension.

2. Cloutier vs. Salo (and the world)

Islanders coach Mike Milbury called a timeout after his team had taken a 3-0 lead at 12:17 of the third period of this April 4, 1998, match. Less than a minute later, a series of fights including Bill Berg vs. Trevor Linden, Darren Langdon vs. Zdeno Chara and P.J. Stock vs. Mariusz Czerkawski erupted. When Islanders goaltender Tommy Salo attempted to come to the aid of Czerkawski, Blueshirts netminder Dan Cloutier went the length of the ice to join the fray. Cloutier, his jersey having come free, pounded Salo into submission, at one point throwing 15 unanswered punches. When the bout came to its merciful end, Cloutier skated in front of the Islandersthe stampede took place in Kerman, the hometown of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, as the procession got underway. There was no information as to what had set it off. Initial videos posted online showed people lying lifeless on a road and others shouting and trying to help them. His funeral was later delayed but no new timing was given.

Iranian state TV gave the casualty toll in its online report, citing Pirhossein Koulivand, the head of Iran’s emergency medical services.

“Unfortunately as a result of the stampede, some of our compatriots have been injured and some have been killed during the funeral processions," he earlier said. In delaying Soleimani’s burial, authorities cited concerns about the massive crowd that had gathered, the semi-official ISNA news agency said.

A procession in Tehran


on Monday drew over 1 million people in the Iranian capital, crowding both main thoroughfares and side streets in Tehran.

Soleimani's death has sparked calls across Iran for revenge against America for a slaying that’s drastically raised tensions across the Middle East. The U.S. government warned ships of an unspecified threat from Iran across all the Mideast's waterways, crucial routes for global energy supplies. Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force launched a drill with 52 fighter jets in Utah, just days after President Donald Trump threatened to hit 52 sites in Iran.

Early Tuesday, the leader of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened to “set ablaze” places supported by the United States over the killing of a top Iranian general in a U.S. airstrike last week, sparking cries from the crowd of supportersof “Death to Israel!” Hossein Salami made the pledge before a crowd of thousands gathered in a central square in Kerman before a casket carrying Soleimani's remains.

The outpouring of grief was an unprecedented honor for a man viewed by Iranians as a national hero for his work leading the Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force. The U.S. blames him for the killing of American troops in Iraq and accused him of plotting new attacks just before his death Friday in a drone strike near Baghdad’s airport. Soleimani also led forces in Syria backing President Bashar Assad in a long war, and he also served as the point man for Iranian proxies in countries like Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.

His slaying already has pushed Tehran to abandon the remaining limits of its


2015 nuclear deal with world powers as his successor and others vow to take revenge. In Baghdad, the parliament has called for the expulsion of all American troops from Iraqi soil, something analysts fear could allow Islamic State militants to mount a comeback.

Speaking in Kerman, Salami praised Soleimani's exploits, describing him as essential to backing Palestinian groups, Yemen's Houthi rebels and Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria. As a martyr, Soleimani represented an even greater threat to Iran's enemies, Salami said.

“We will take revenge. We will set ablaze where they like,” Salami said, drawing the cries of “Death to Israel!”

Israel is a longtime regional foe of Iran.

According to a report on Tuesday by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Iran has worked up 13 sets of plans for revengethat includes nine new telepoems, edited by Ramon Salvo Torres, and an introductory study by the same author.

The origin of the recordings is mainly due to the American Hispanicist and Catalanophile Patricia J. Boehne, who, in the summers of the years 1974 and 1977, visited the poet in Port de la Selva.

She, as director of North American Catalan Society, and together with some others Catalanophiles, as David Rosenthal, has promoted the candidature of poet Foix to Nobel Prize.

Therefore, this book is a tribute to Patricia J. Boehne, the English translator of part of the work by Foix, which so much has contributed to spread the knowledge of Foix in the Anglo-Saxon world.

Onze Nadals i un Cap d’Any

In Onze Nadals i un Cap d’Any, published in 1960, J.V. Foix


gathered together the poems that he had been sending his friends for Christmas between 1948 and 1958.

In the original poems, each one is accompanied by an illustration rendered by Foix’s friends just for the occasion, all of them renowned artists such as Dalí, Mompou, Ponç, Guinovart, Obiols, Cuixart, Tàpies, Mercader, Sunyer, Galí, Fenosa and Miró.

In this book that was just published, the poems appear for the first time with these illustrations. Furthermore, the music group Poetristas, made up of Albert Vila, Marc Serrats and Francesc Ribera “Titot”, have put these compositions to music, yet another step in the appropriation of works by authors and on behalf of popular culture. The book was published jointly by Eumo Editorial, Propaganda pel Fet and the Fundació J.V. Foix

Every year since 2000,knees to the chest. Extend the legs straight out and open and close once, then back to chest. Next time, open and close twice, then back. And so on, up to ten times. OWWWWW.

By the end of the workout, once Harrison had departed, I lay on the landing of my stairs drenched in sweat, while my husband laughed at me (sympathetically, but he still laughed) because I could not get up the stairs. Now THAT'S a workout.

Tomorrow, another round of Bikram. The whole point is to keep myself moving during this brief hiatus at home --- otherwise, I might be tempted to just slug around!

May 19, 2012

Just call me Jello Legs. That's what I feel like after just 30 minutes under the care and supervision of Harrison of


noticed how, in photos of people engaged in fitness activities, there are never any fat people? I'm not talking about candid shots, but any sort of marketing or publicity photo. I get regular newsletters from LiveStrong, C25K, various magazines, and all sorts of other fitness organizations, all with lots of colorful pics of people engaged in all sorts of healthful activities, and there is never even one person who is even slightly overweight, unless it's in some sort of rude way, meant to show a lazy slob or a before/after pic. Or if it's a Richard Simmons product, 'cause Richard is not afraid of having the big people in his videos. Yaay, Richard. In fact, most of the people in the pics, especially the women, are oddly matchy-matchymy mind because at last, after three months in Florida, working hard on regaining fitness and the mental strength to concentrate on diet, I feel ready to cautiously introduce some changes to my diet again. And it's party inspired by Mr. Hot Pockets.

Mr. Hot Pockets lives here in Miami, and I saw him the other day. Actually, I worked with him just last summer, and there'd be significant changes to his physique. My friend has a compact, muscular frame, the kind where a few pounds and a little toning one way or the other make a big difference. He has never been fat, but he used to weigh a little more, and now he's looking positively sleek. He's doing Primal, Paleo's slightly more relaxed cousin, and I've been


The McGowan Government has had a budget win, with the WA Liberals deciding not to block a payroll tax increase on big business.

The Liberals' decision guarantees the Labor Government has the support to get the key budget measure through State Parliament, just a week after seeing its gold royalty increase blocked by the Upper House.

Just as with the gold royalty hike, Labor needed Liberal support to ensure the payroll tax increase was not blocked in the Upper House, after the Nationals vowed to oppose it and key crossbenchers indicated they were also against it.

Liberal leader Mike Nahan said that while his party did not support the payroll tax increase, it had decided to "let the Government govern".

He said the business lobby had not been able to convince himNews

Blues News

Wrists of Fury: Tarasenko, Lee and the NHL's one-inch punch

by
Amy L. Marxkors
/ Special Contributor

In August 1964, at the Long Beach International Karate Championships, the same event that would launch the storied-and at times mythical-careers of such martial artists as Chuck Norris and Joe Lewis, a 23-year-old upstart named Bruce Lee stood less than an arm's length away from Bob Baker, a colleague who had volunteered for the demonstration. He positioned his hand, fingers extended, less than an inch from Baker's chest. His feet were shoulder-width apart, with his right foot forward and his knees slightly bent. Then, in one swift, seamless motion-and without ever pulling his right arm back for leverage - he thrust his fist into Baker's chest. Baker flew backwards and into the chair behind


him. Lee had generated power - enough power to take down a man - seemingly from nowhere. He didn't appear to be in a position to throw a punch with such force, nor did he telegraph the attack with unnecessary movement. Lee struck a crippling blow that no one saw coming. And by the time they did see it, Baker was already on the ground.

With this "one-inch punch," Bruce Lee introduced himself to the martial arts elite.

****

On a steamy Saturday in St. Louis, Vladimir Tarasenko sat down on a couch in the living room of his home. His son Alexander, a few days away from his first birthday, was sleeping upstairs. So was his 10-year-old son Mark, who was napping before his own hockey game later that day.The house was quiet. Yana, his wife, noiselessly slipped from the kitchen and into the living room and placed a cup of tea on the table in front of him. Dressed in a billowy blue-and-white linen shirt dress, her long hair gathered in a loose bun, she carried herself with easy elegance. Tarasenko looked up and smiled in appreciation, sensitive to the newness of the offseason routine. The team had recently been eliminated by the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference semifinals. The loss was a sharp disappointment and a cut Tarasenko still felt. But now, in the absence of morning practices, evening games, constant flights and taxing road trips, the family found themselves with an abundance of what had been scarce for the past nine months: time.

"It's


kind of hard for first maybe a week to get used to stay every time home. It's kind of weird, you know?" He smiled. "Yana said it's kind of like every day Sunday now, because you're every day home."

The 2016-17 NHL season, Tarasenko's fifth in the league, was chockfull of happy moments, despite months of inconsistency - which ultimately resulted in the firing of head coach Ken Hitchcock - and the team's second round loss. Tarasenko found himself in a leadership role that had expanded exponentially over the summer. The departure of veterans David Backes, Troy Brouwer, Steve Ott, and Brian Elliott - a critical contingent to the Blues success the previous year - was a summons to step up and, by default, into a brighter spotlight.

And stepup he did. Tarasenko netted 39 goals, two of which came against the rival Chicago Blackhawks in a 4-1 victory at the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, thrilling the 46,000 people who swathed Busch Stadium in blue.

It was no wonder he furnished such an inspired performance. Two days before, after the Winter Classic Alumni Game, the current Blues squad made their way into the Cardinals clubhouse to hobnob with a lavish gathering of NHL legends. While the past and present exchanged pictures and autographs, Tarasenko stole away to a quiet reception area of the Cardinals clubhouse. There, just outside the buzzing locker room, he and his son Mark posed for a picture with Bobby Hull. It was an intimate moment as the two spoke - Tarasenko nodding his


head deferentially, though it was obvious the respect was mutual. Then, abruptly, Hull placed his hands on the Russian's shoulders and leaned forward.

"Keep shootin' the puck, kid," he instructed in his throaty growl. "Keep shooting the puck."

This, Tarasenko does.

Over the past three seasons, only Alex Ovechkin has scored more goals than Tarasenko-a stat that has been bandied about though perhaps underappreciated. But it's not just the number of goals he's scored. It's how he scores them.

"He can legit score from 40 feet," said Mike Liut, the former Blues goaltender who served as the team's liaison when Tarasenko was playing in the KHL, "and that's not with a screen. It's straightforward."

"The release of his shot is second to none," stated Hall of Fame defenseman Al MacInnis. "I think thebiggest thing is it's unpredictable, the way he's able to disguise when he's going to shoot."

MacInnis was standing outside the Blues locker room at Scottrade Center after a morning skate late in the season. As he spoke, a glitzy assortment of former Blues percolated down the hall - Martin Brodeur, Keith Tkachuk, Bobby Plager, Kelly Chase, Bernie Federko. The abundance of celebrity, not just at Scottrade Center but at local rinks across town, is common in St. Louis, where a vibrant alumni community rivals that of any NHL city.

"I've played the game and watched the game a long time, and whether it's the Brett Hulls or the Mark Messiers and the guys that really had a great release on their shot -" he shook his head - "I'm


not so sure that Vladi's isn't the best I've ever seen."

****

On November 12, in the third period of a wacky game that would see the Blues fall to the Columbus Blue Jackets by the score of 8-4, Tarasenko took a blue line pass from defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. With the puck on his stick, he glided to the top of the faceoff circle where he made a single stutter step, a cutback move, to dispense of Columbus defenseman David Savard. Before Tarasenko even reached the faceoff dot, the puck was in the back of the net. There was no windup, no shoulder drop. The puck had been parallel with his skates when he shot it - which, if not exactly a lame-duck location, is at least a suboptimal one.Still, somehow, Tarasenko had generated power - enough power to beat one of the League's best goaltenders - seemingly from nowhere. Tarasenko fired a shot that Sergei Bobrovsky never saw coming. And by the time he did see it, the puck was already in the net.

The goal was quintessential Tarasenko. Shunning the flash and dash of contemporary superstars, Tarasenko is astonishingly minimalistic. Absent from his highlight reel is the profusion of dekes and dangles, the goal-of-the-year candidates preceded by the escalating shrieks of play-by-play men. (Yes, Tarasenko's goals even sound different). Instead, Tarasenko floats with impossible economy of motion and fires rockets without warning, catching everyone, from goalies to broadcasters, off guard.

But what makes Tarasenko's shot, a deceptively straightforward affair, so difficult to stop?

Before Bruce Lee threw the


punch that would rocket Baker backwards and his own career to fame, he lectured on the inefficiency of traditional martial arts techniques. The old ways, he said, with their embellished movements and elaborate delivery, were too slow. Instead, he preached a philosophy of speed, agility, practicality and explosive power.

Fast forward half a century, and swap speed for a quick release, agility for a mastery of edges, practicality for playing goalie gaps, and explosive power for velocity, and Bruce Lee's infamous one-inch punch translates like tracing paper over a diagram of Vladimir Tarasenko's wristshot.

Bucking the traditional identities of razzle-dazzle goal-scoring - think Ovechkin's million-dollar windup, Sidney Crosby's backhand or Evgeni Malkin's spin-o-ramas - Tarasenko omits splash. He doesn't pull the puck in for a snapshot, pull it back fora wristshot, or wind up for a slapshot. He can shoot when the puck is in tight. He can shoot if it is away from his body. He can shoot off balance. He doesn't massage the puck at all. He doesn't put his head down. Instead, his head is up, almost as though he were stickhandling.

"There's such a disguise of when he's going to shoot. He doesn't drop his shoulder. He doesn't move his body in a certain position so you know he's going to shoot," MacInnis said. "It's just… bang! It's off his stick."

"He sees goalies in a different way than most guys do," said Blues goaltender Carter Hutton. "He does a lot of things to get open and battle for space - and he's such a


of the wrist and it's gone."

Like a one-inch punch?

Hutton considered a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, that's a good comparison."

****

Tarasenko smiled when I asked him if he were familiar with Bruce Lee.

"You mean the guy that does this?"

He was sitting on the couch, and he leaned forward as he spoke, positioning his left hand, fingers extended, less than an inch from his right hand, which was also extended. Then, in one swift, seamless motion - and without ever pulling his arm back for leverage - he thrust his fist into his palm.

"Yeah," he said with a wry smile. "I know him."

To provide context for the question, I told him Hutton and I had discussed the comparison.

He broke into an amused grin. "He told me that."

As the ready precisionwith which he mimicked the punch suggested, Tarasenko is a longtime fan of Lee. On road trips, when he finds himself with free time, he'll search for Bruce Lee videos, specifically the one-inch punch, and study his movements. When I told him his own punch was surprisingly practiced, he laughed.

"I 'practice' with my oldest son," he said. "He likes it. He likes to fall back on the couch to make it more fun."

But beyond the exhibition of the one-inch punch, Tarasenko said he admires what Bruce Lee represents: "how much success people can get if they work hard and they believe in themselves."

For his part, Lee believed the traditional martial arts were too unwieldy. "It's not the daily increase," he said, "but daily decrease. Hack away at the


unessential." He developed a system of fighting without fixed positions, attracting celebrity students such as James Coburn, Steve McQueen and Kareem Abdul-Jabar. His philosophy also shed light on what makes Tarasenko's shot so successful, though Tarasenko didn't always shoot the way he does now, nor did his shot evolve organically. His dad, Andrei, taught him.

Andrei Tarasenko played for Yaroslavl in the Russian Superleague (the KHL wasn't around yet) in the 1990s. He led the League in scoring in 1996-97. He also played for Russia in the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer. During those years, Tarasenko lived with his grandparents in Novosibirsk in Siberia. His grandfather, a hockey player himself, taught Tarasenko to skate and signed him up for his first hockey teams. He went with him to everygame and on every road trip throughout his junior career. During this time, Tarasenko practiced his shot, but not more than he worked on any other part of his game.

"When I used to play in Russia a long time ago, when I grow up, you don't have much ice," he said of his practice habits when he was young. "The only chance to skate was outside, you know?"

He gave the example of summer camp, where he spent three weeks each year when he was a kid. He and his friends would hang up giant fishing nets and place plastic bottles where they guessed the four corners of a hockey net would be. Then they'd fire pucks at the bottles.

"It was like a shooting range for us," he said,


hockey stick.

"So this nice swing -" he demonstrated again - "and the puck goes up, and you feel like you're a good hockey player when you're young." He laughed. "But it wasn't like I got it in one day. It was really uncomfortable to shoot like this, to not stickhandle before you shoot."

For Tarasenko, at least in junior level hockey, time to shoot was never an issue. Plus, he was already scoring goals and tallying points. He didn't see the need to change his shot.

Andrei was insistent. He told his son that if he had a three-second window to shoot the puck, he needed to shoot it in the first second.

"I would ask why I need to shoot here if I have two more seconds," Tarasenko continued.

Andrei's answerweight of the honor. He looked down at his hands. Then he smiled, embarrassed, "That is a good [compliment]."

Tarasenko's modesty stems from deep gratitude and razor-edged competitiveness. Regarding the former, he is acutely aware of the sacrifices his grandfather and father made for him and the wisdom they imparted. Also, their patience. He was, admittedly, not a willing student.

"I wasn't easy to coach," he said with a culpable laugh. "Sometimes I get angry. It was pretty tough - tough kid to explain something."

Specifically, Tarasenko's grandfather and father had to teach him how to handle losing.

"I'm a heavy guy with it. Like, I'm really nervous about losing. I hate losing. Even a regular season game or something like that. There is night sometimes it's hard to fall asleep." He


shook his head. "Not sometimes. A lot of times."

Tarasenko said that when he was a kid, he was devastated by defeat. He would cry when his team lost. When his team was trailing, he was tempted to quit.

"But my grandfather teach me how to - what to do to win. You need to do something to win, you know? Wins don't come themselves. It's not gonna bounce out from nowhere.

"Obviously, this year, things didn't go our way. So what are you gonna do now? Over the summer get better and stronger and come back and fight again? Or are you gonna just let it go and lose?"

As if on cue, Alexander teetered into the living room, followed by Yana. Tarasenko's face burst into a smile, radiant with delight.and raised his arms, too. This pattern repeated itself several times until the whole family was involved: Alexander throwing the ball, and his dad, mom, and brother Mark - who had by now come downstairs - cheering, "Gooooal!"

At one point, a particularly boisterous throw sent the ball flying into the hallway. In his hurry to retrieve it, Alexander tangled his stout legs and tumbled.

"Oh!"

Tarasenko held out his hand to gently shush Alexander's audience. Then, unwittingly illustrating the last point he had made, he turned around and began walking nonchalantly around the room as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Alexander, on the verge of tears, looked at his father, who by now was looking in any direction but his.

Then, after a moment's reflection, he steadied his lip,


smiled, and got back up to play.

****

In 2011, at the World Junior Championship in Buffalo, New York, Team Russia seemed destined for a silver medal. They were trailing the Canadians 3-0 heading into the third period of the championship game. But a herculean effort by a line of Tarasenko, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Artemi Panarin spearheaded a charge that would eventually see the Russians score five unanswered goals. The three tallied seven points between them, with Tarasenko logging both a goal and an assist.

"Vladi's line brought them back," Liut said. "That line won that game. Vladi was determined. He was the driver on that line."

The game marked the first time Liut saw Tarasenko play in person. I asked him if Tarasenko's wristshot had first lured the Blues to courtthe Russian. It wasn't. While Tarasenko's shot was heavy enough to turn heads, it was his all-around play - not just shooting skills, but skating and passing, size, and such intangibles as vision, intensity, toughness, and commitment - that convinced the team he would be a success in the NHL. He was a teenager who could drive past men. He was quick to his spot - quicker than he needed to be on the larger, European ice surface. He was strong down low in the offensive zone. He could escape coverage. And he was willing to go into the hard areas time and time again.

"What Vladi could do is overpower people," Liut said. "He was the real deal. His passing is extraordinary. It's like his shot. It's a


bullet. It's as good as it gets. He's a great hockey player. He's an elite player. It's more than just shooting the puck." He paused and laughed. "But that definitely helps."

Liut noted that Tarasenko entered the NHL during what he called the "decline of the Russians." At the beginning of the 2000-01 season, there were over 70 Russian players in the NHL. By the time Tarasenko entered the league in the lockout-shortened season of 2012-12, there were fewer than 30, the lowest number in over two decades.

"There was a host of '82-born players that came over and just couldn't make it. Highly-touted players with exceptional skill that just didn't make it," Liut continued. "There were a lot of them. That was the concern at the time.

"But he toldme in English when I met him the first time that he wanted to have success in the World Cup and the Olympics, but he really wanted to play in the NHL. He felt he could compete at that level. And he did. He did exactly what he said he was gonna do."

****

It has become a familiar sight at Scottrade: Yana, standing at ice level by the Olympia doors, holding Alexander on the ledge where the boards meet the plexiglass. Mark is by her side in a Tarasenko jersey. Alexander's palms bang against the glass, like they do against the coffee table at home. He bounces and smiles as he waits for his dad to skate over. Here the trio wave and cheer for the duration of warm-ups.


Home games are a family affair.

"Yep. Every single game," Yana said. "I think Mark loves it."

So does Alexander, though it took him a few games to appreciate the limitations of an NHL arena.

"First time, when she bring him in, he was not even understanding what's going on," Tarasenko said. "I tried to like, 'Hey, it's me! It's me!'" he said, waving as he explained. "I even took off my helmet."

After a few more games, Alexander recognized his dad and smiled. But the improvement was short-lived.

"He decided, 'I can't get in!' So he started crying then," Tarasenko laughed.

For Tarasenko, his wife and sons temper the volatility of the NHL season and keep him grounded in his convictions, both on and off the ice.

"I want my kids to be goodhe asks Tarasenko about his shot-details about his mechanics or how he reads defensemen or how he decides where to shoot - and, in the offseason, works on applying those principles to his own game.

Back at Tarsenko's home, in the Zen-like quiet before his sons woke up from their naps, I asked my own questions. What does he do differently than other players? Why does the puck explode off his stick, ostensibly shirking the laws of physics?

He considered the question.

"It's not close to the body," he said. "It's more like -" Here he broke off and started again. "Don't let the goalie a chance to read your shot - " Another pause. Finally, after a self-conscious attempt to put into words what he does with unselfconscious ease: "I


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the wood underneath the mill head.

At the center of the painting is a blue chair that appears in several of Vermeer's paintings. I took lots of photos of a similar chair I found in a museum in Delft, Holland, in order to make an accurate 3D model of it. I separated the chair model into individual pieces that could be carved on the milling machine. The most intricate wood parts are the little lion heads attached to the top of the blue chair.

Here are the chair parts made on the milling machine ready to be varnished and assembled.

At the left side of the painting are some stained-glass windows. There is a fairly complicated pattern of circles and squares on the lower windows. I used my flatbed laser cutterto cut this pattern out of black acrylic, which I then glued onto the window glass.

The harpsichord in the painting is called a Ruckers virginal. I found a harpsichord expert in Scotland named Grant O'Brien who provided blueprints and patterns to build the instrument. The legs of the instrument turned out to be a few inches too long for my wood lathe so I pulled the lathe out of the milling machine and cut it into two pieces on a band saw. I then bolted both pieces back into the mill, separated by a few inches. Now the lathe could accommodate a longer piece of wood.

Here is the assembled harpsichord before varnishing and decorating.

The decorations on the front of the harpsichord were made from block-printed paper back in


running throughout the experiment. At the end there were about 2400 hours of film in the can. Penn and Teller and their team then began the arduous process of editing it down to 80 minutes. After about a year they finished the movie and named it Tim's Vermeer.

[Video Link] Tim's Vermeer began its theatrical run in January and was released on Blu-ray Combo Pack & Digital download today (June 10, 2014). Bonus material includes deleted, extended and alternate scenes, commentary and a special Toronto International Film Festival Q&A.Forensic which was publicised by international media outlet called the Australian, saying Reinado and his man were shot at close range. He added the Australian Forensic Team had damage the country's credibility, because publication on the autopsy should not be done by the team that worked for laboratory.UN disagrees on setting up international investigative commission, saysCNRT MP - Timor Post, 29 August 2008Following the ongoing polemics on the approved resolution of settingan international investigative commission into the attempted assassination of President Horta, National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) MP Aderito Hugo da Costa, said the Government wanted to implement it, but the UN disagreed with the resolution made. Da Costa said the UN disagreed with the resolution, because it did not fully give power to the international investigators


in doing the investigation and making recommendations.

"In the approved resolution, some of its article saying theGovernment can set up the commission, yet the investigators have no right to make recommendations," Da Costa said. Da Costa added the Government had tried to approach the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), however there was no agreement reached, because the resolution closed the door for the UN to makerecommendation.Local youths to hand in their home-made weapons - Timor Post,29 August 2008Bairo Pite's village head of the Don Aleixo sub-district in Dili, Jo daCosta Belo informed Thursday (28/8) that in the near future he would work together with other local and community leaders to organize youths tohand in their traditional home-made weapons to security and law enforcement officers. "Now we haveincreasing the price. Horta said the prices which were still staying in high in the country had a severe impact on the people's lives to buy basic needs. Observations made by the TV's journalists that the prices of basic goods in the markets are still increasing. UN urges Timor's Police to be professional - RTTL 29 August 2008The United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNMIT) had urged the East Timor's National Police to be professional in serving the country and its people.

United Nations Integrated Mission in East Timor: The weapons collection campaign will conclude 31 August

Baucau, 22 August – As part of the Government’s ongoing weapons collection campaign, citizens in Buibau Village, Baucau Sub-district surrendered quantities of old ammunition and military equipment to representatives of the F-FDTL and


PNTL on 9 August.

Among the items handed in were 2,288 ball rounds from a variety of mixed weapon types and one Kenwood hand-held radio set.

Officials at the hand over ceremony commended the local population for the surrender to the competent authorities and said it was a great example that should be followed by all other villages.

28 August 2008

Televizaun Timor-Leste, 27 August - East Timor's Popular Women's Organization (OPMT) urged the National Parliament Wednesday (27/8) to speed up the abortion law to save women's lives and to prevent criminalization of abortion practices in the country.

The urge is made by women's representatives from all 13 districts during a one-day seminar to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the women's organization. OPMT's Secretary General, Melita Alves, said the criminalization of abortion inthe country seriously affects women's lives though in fact there was no legal framework for such acts.

OMPT, as Fretilin's women's organization, was established on 1975 to fight for the emancipation of Timorese women.

Post sponsored by East Timor Women - Raising awareness of the plight of women in East Timor.

President Horta proposes international investigators - Radio Televisaun Timor Leste , 28 August 2008President Jose Ramos Horta has proposed an international investigative team to hold an investigation into the murder of former interior minister Rogerio Lobato's family members during the country's recent crisis.

The President said if the country's prosecutor general had no otherway to proceed, he would ask international investigators to follow up the case. Horta said he would contact the United State's FBI, Australia, Indonesia, Portugal and Malaysia to


help process the case. However, Horta also gave an opportunity to the general prosecutor and police to follow up this case before contacting the internationals.

Martial Arts Groups say "Yes To Peace!" - Radio Televisaun Timor Leste , 28 August 2008Two influential martial arts group in East Timor, 7-7 and PSHT, made a peace pact on Wednesday (28/8), ending long-standing conflict among the members.

The peace pact was made during a joint press conference where representatives of each martial arts organization made clear commitment to end violence and to accelerate the development of the country.

In addition, Pedro Aparicio, representing PSHT, and Sanamia of 7-7 pledged not to be used as political instrument by politicians to pursue their own political interests. The martial arts groups also apologized for their past wrongdoingscommitted by their members, notably during 2006 political crisis.

By saying "Yes, to Peace!" the groups promised to restrain themselves from violence in order to restore stability in the country. The peace pact of these long-standing arch-rivals was mediated by Dili's HAK Foundation.

Government officials should stay away from corruption, says Deputy PM - Radio Televisaun Timor Leste , 28 August 2008Deputy Prime Minister Jose Luis Guterres has called on the country's Government officials to stay away from corruption within the state institutions. Guterres made the comments during a meeting for executing the state budget of 2008 and proposed state budget of 2008 at the Office of the Foreign Ministry today (27/8).

"People who are working at the state institutions should be professional and dedicated in doing their tasks," Guterres said.


He called on all the functionaries to contribute to the country by giving information about matters that could damage the country's image.

Lasama Urges Govt to act on the Parliament’s ResolutionTimor Post - 28 August 2008President of the Parliament Fernando 'Lasama' de Araujo has urged Xanana's Government to follow up the Parliament's decision about setting up an international investigative commission into the events of 11 February 2008.

Procurement is not place for corruption, collusion and nepotism, says Soares - Suara Timor Loro Sa'e , 28 August 2008Director for Procurement, Francisco “Burlaku” Soares, has denied allegation of corruption, collusion and nepotism within the Department of Procurement, because procurement is not a place for corruption, collusion and nepotism practices.

LDP stops cooperating with CNE - Radio Televisaun Timor Leste , 28 August 2008TimoreseDemocratic Progressive League known as LDP has decided to not cooperate anymore with Timorese Electoral Commission (CNE) until the next general elections to be held in 2012.

Spokesperson for LDP, Nelson Correia said they made such decision, because CNE only provided budget for the political parties that had seats in the Parliament. Meanwhile, spokesperson for CNE, Martinho Gusmao, said the decision madeby LDP was reasonable, although they had no seats in the Parliament, yet still following the process. Gusmao added if LDP wanted to halt its relations with CNE that was fine, because the law had specifically defined it.

AUSTRALIA'S 750-strong troop commitment to East Timor could be over by the end of next year, as security in the nation steadily improves, the East Timorese Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao, said


yesterday. Mr Gusmao told the Herald yesterday the brittle security climate in his country had improved after shock attacks on himself and the President, Jose Ramos-Horta, earlier this year. Read more...

27 August 2008

In an interview with AFP in Sydney, Australia, this week, East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao has foreshadowed constitutional reform and strong anti-corruption laws in the grief-stricken nation.

Gusmao also admitted that, while he believed that East Timor was becoming a non-violent, tolerant society and hoped it would have a bright, democratic future, corruption, weaknesses in the legal system and the unrest of the past few years had proved major hurdles.

In relation to the disintegration of law and order in 2006 when fractures within the military and between the police and the military erupted into violence thatpeaked with the massacre of 9 police officers in front of the Justice Ministery in Dili, Gusmao said that he did not believe that further problems would emerge with the East Timor Defence Force.

"We are making progress in the reform process. The government's priority this year was legal reform and although there may be a need for minor changes to the constitution in due course, he did not foresee sweeping changes.

"It needs to be revised, but not major changes," he said.

Amendments to the penal code had also been implemented.

Highlighting corruption as a particular problem, Gusmao said a new anti-corruption law would be passed this year and a new anti-corruption commission established. "We had a very bad level of corruption," he said. Read the full report...

There was a commotion


in the editor's office this morning with the presence of a man with the initials JM . The man who admits to being ex-army of the Satu Kompi Brawijaya Division and appeared keen to admit that, due to feelings of frustration and stress, ongoing for years, he could no longer keep quiet about the connection with the involvement of the military operation ABRI/POLRI (TNI/POLRI-red) in East Timor from the year 1994 to the end of 1996.

The journalists of this magazine were confused by this gentleman. However, after several minutes the ex member of ABRI started to explain to the GATRA correspondent about several involvements in the killing operation of several important figures of the pro freedom movement of East Timor which ran from 1994 to 1996.

Here the magazinecorrespondent was not very surprised with the information, as it was already an open secret that in the mid 90s the war in East Timor was being stoked by ABRI/POLRI (TNI/POLRI-red) on several of the East Timor guerrilla defence basis or as they are better known by their ABRI term, GPK-Fretilin.

However, the story became very different and surprising when ex-sergeant JM (who has to keep his name secret for the safety of his family) explained all the ABRI operational documents to do with the Front Clandestin and East Timor Armed Force.

The main target of the operation was the leader of the Front Clandestin organisation who at that time was led by his commander Keri Laran Sabalae. One thing which was very interesting and also sensational was the dilemma


of the military operation which was directly under the command of Colonel Mahidin Simbolon (Simbolon's rank at the time) with the cooperation with Xanana Gusmao, the "resistance leader" of East Timor, who was incarcerated in LP Cipinang Jakarta.

Ex-sergeant JM said that he himself was present at the meeting between Colonel M. Simbolon which was conducted in a room of the Lembaga Permasyarakatan Cipinang in Jakarta.

The basis of the meeting was the desire and the readiness of Xanana Gusmao to "centralise" radical groups into an East Timorese resistance organisation body which, according to Xanana, could threaten the efforts of the "quiet resistance" and reconciliation with diverse East Timor political groups who were being hurried along to unify the people of East Timor.

Because of this, Xanana Gusmao was ready towork together with Col. M Simbolon to annihilate the radical groups of "GPK Fretilin" which among others consisted of several commandants of the Fretilin movement and its followers with names Rodak Timur, Keri Laran Sabalae, David Alex, Konis Santana and Eli Fohorai Boot.

These names were inserted very clearly in a military operation document appendix 1994-1996 which was unfolded by ex-sergeant JM. The core of the "cooperation" between Xanana's camp and M. Simbolon was the principle of mutualism: Simbolon could achieve success in his military career and Xanana would even become more flexible in controlling the resistance movement which he commanded from LP Cipinang.

It seems clear indeed that the president of the new East Timor was very cunning in maintaining the importance of his group by exterminating his own


commanders, who were deemed disloyal to him or even if loyal, according to Xanana they over- prioritised the "violent path" to reach national goals.

Seen from the documents and the various photographs in the possession of JM, it is very difficult to doubt the origin of this story. This is the hidden version and the dark side of the "charisma" of Xanana who was so exalted by his own people. Working with the "enemy" to annihilate his own people.

Ex-sergeant JM himself says the burden he has carried for this time has become lighter with his admittance. He regrets deeply why the East Timorese president was so sly in order to victimise part of the members of his people for the importance of his political strategy.

Concerning Major General Simbolon, Serka(sergeant major), JM makes the appeal that the TNI/POLRI headquarters immediately investigate this case.

Because the nature of the military operation at that time secrecy from the unit which was led by Col. M. Simbolon. ABRI headquarters only obtained the military operation appendix copy after the defeat of several "GPK Fretilin". "

Because of this, Major General Purnawirawan Mahidin Simbolon must be immediately investigated remembering that 'the stars on his shoulders' of the general is the result of conspiracy with the enemy of the Republic of Indonesia at that time," adds ex sergeant JM. [IY, GAT]Imung Yuniardi (Semarang)

Radio Timor Leste 26 August 2008 - Police conducted an operation against illegal gambling in different parts of the East Timorese capital, Dili. During the operation, the police seized some facilities related to


the illegal gambling, such as coupons for a kind of gambling known as SDSB, an amount of money and a table for "bola guling".

Dili District Police Commander, Inspector Pedro Belo, said that during the operation the police were unable to detain those who engaged in the gambling, as they all escaped when the police arrived. The commander said the police had secured the evidence seized to be used for legal purposes and said they had investigated the case and had officially handed over the case to the Pubic Prosecution for further legal charges.

Radio Televisaun Timor Leste, 26 August - Dili District Police Commander, Inspector Pedro Belo has called on all residents in the capital Dili to hand over illegal weapons which are still at large within the communityMonteiro has met with President Jose Ramos Horta today (26/8), to discuss developments in the investigation into the attempted assassination of President Horta and the ambush of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao on February 11.

AMP Government afraid of setting up investigative commission - Timor Post , 27 August 2008Former Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri ,who is also Fretilin current secretary general, said the Parliamentary Majority Alliance (AMP) Government did not want to set up the proposed international investigative commission because they were afraid of the commission's report findings.

Alkatiri said the international investigative commission was important to investigate the assassination attempt to President Horta on February 11 and said the Parliament had approved the resolution of setting the commission, but was yet to implement. Alkatiri said if the Government would not


the Government, mainly the state secretary for veterans to explain about this matter and urged him to consult first the local authorities and the veterans before the construction started. LUTA-HAMTUK also recommended the state secretary to seriously look at this problem and urged him to call on the company.

Residents continue handing over illegal weapons - Timor Post , 27 August 2008Residents in the Capital Dili’s suburbs, such as Vilaverde and Comoro, continued handing over illegal weapons including ambon arrows, knives and other home-made weapons to the security forces.

Dili district Police Commander, Inspector Pedro Belo, said the residents handed over those illegal weapons to contribute to the peace and stability in the country. The commander said the police team was in coordination with Dili district administrator and village chiefsto contact the residents on the recall of the weapons. He added that police intelligence had identified places where weapons are believed to be hidden and would keep recalling them.

Reinado's father urges the country's authorities to publicise investigative findings Timor Post , 27 August 2008Former rebel leader Alfredo Reinado Alves’ father has urged the country's authorities to publicize the investigative findings of the attempted assassination to President Jose Ramos Horta and the death of his son on February 11.

Fretilin's peace rally is not power-thirsty, says the party bench leader- Diario Nacional, 27 AugustFretilin's bench leader in the National Parliament, Aniceto Guterres stated the party's peace rally in the near future was not power-thirsty motivated but just to normalise the country's current politicalsituation.

"Fretilin's peace rally is intended to renormalise


the situation in the country; not because of ambition nor a thirst for power", Guterres told journalists Tuesday (26/8). He then said the peace rally was a legal and constitutional action and no one else could prohibit it as the country adopted the rule of law. "We don't need to threaten the AMP government. We, Fretilin, from the outset do not recognize the legitimacy of the incumbent government and the AMP has not developed the country but on the contrary had destroyed it", saidGuterres.

26 August 2008

East Timor's Immigration Police and Dili's Task Force detain ten foreigners - Televizaun Timor Leste, 26 AugustImmigration Department of the East Timor's National Police, incollaboration with Dili's Task Force had detained 10 foreign nationals due to violation of the immigration law. PNTL's headof public information, Moises Amaral, said the foreignerswere detained because they came in the country with tourist visas but infact they get involved in economic and employment activities. Three of the aliens are Indonesian and the rest are from China. Eight of these aliens are working in the Moon Bar while two of them areworking with Moris Foun drugstore. In the meantime, the foreigners are being detained at the Dili districtdetention center for investigation purposes.

CNRT and Fretilin urge Public Prosecution to charge recent crises master mind - Diario Nacional, 26 AugustNational Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) and Fretilin MPs has urged the country's Public Prosecution to charge the master mind of the country's recent crises in 2006. MP Carmelita Moniz said the Parliamentary Majority Alliance (AMP) Government should


did not know the reason why the proposed investigative commission was yet to be set up.

Moniz also said the Parliament could not force to implement the resolution of setting up the international investigative commission, as the power was in the hands of the Government.

"The Parliament has given power to the Government to implement the resolution, but it depends the on the Government," Moniz said.

Timorese Border Police will not tolerate anyone who illegally crossing border - Televisaun Timor-Leste, 26 August 2008The Timorese Border Police Unit has said they would not tolerate anyone who wants to illegally cross the border zone. In line with the border's security issue both Timorese Border Police Unit (BPU) and Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) has held one-day-meeting, talking on problems being faced by the twosides in the terrain.

Both PBU and TNI soldiers also have questioned about illegal activities in the border and the border residents' livestock went missing. Timorese BPU Commander, Quintiliano "Neno" Soares said they would build a joint security post to be used for sharing information and resolving problem they might face in future.

Justice Ministry opens door for PDHJ's investigation - Diario Nacional, 25 AugustTimorese Human Rights and Justice Ombudsman (PDHJ), Sebastiao Diaz Ximenes, said the PDHJ had commenced holding investigation into an allegation of corruption within the country's Justice Ministry, including the Ministry of Health.

"We have commenced investigating corruption allegation found in the Ministry of Justice and Health. The investigation was held last week," Ximenes said. He added they would publicize the investigative findings soon after the investigation had


come to end.

Meanwhile, Minister for Justice, Lucia Lobato said she was not shocked with the ongoing investigation and said her ministry opened the door for the PDHJ's investigation.

Portuguese justice minister meets with Fretilin secretary general - Diario Nacional, 25 August2008Portuguese Justice Minister, Alberto da Costa has met with former Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri who is also current Fretilin secretary general, sharing ideas on Portugal's aid support for the country in the field of justice.

Minister Da Costa said it was important to get various opinions from all sides to strengthen the countries' bilateral cooperation which had been built when the former government was in power. Da Costa said other field needed to be strengthened was training for supporting legal practitioners in the field of justice. He added judicial systemin Timor-Leste was necessarily to be supported and that the Portuguese jurists and lawyers would come to help.

I agree with the conclusions reached by the Instructor of the ordered Investigation Procedure.

The facts reported are particularly serious as they occurred within the PNTL, an Institution that is required to promote and strengthen trust in the community in regard to the actions it performs.

In view of the need to study more closely the outlines of the financial management of the Joint Command Operation "Halibur", in the part that concerns the PNTL, I order that a disciplinary procedure be commenced on the following PNTL members:

The outcomes and conclusions of this investigation shall be part of the disciplinary procedure.

As it may be inappropriate for the members above to remain in their current


is "Homocide" caused by a gunshot injury to the head, supposedly entering through the back of the head and also fired at high-velocity from a close range. Read the report...

The autopsy report for Alfredo Reinado conducted by Dr. Muhammad Nurul Islam of Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares, Departamento de Pathologia Forensica observed by agents from UNPOL, PNTL & UNDP. The manner of death specified is "Homicide" as a result of multiple gunshot wounds, including one inflicted from the front into the neck. All wounds declared to have been high-velocity & fired from a short distance. Read the report...

03 July 2008 - In an important demonstration of solidarity with nurses in East Timor, ANF Federal Secretary Ged Kearney and ANF Tasmania branch Organiser Agnes Stanislaus-Large travelled to Dili at theend of June to distribute much-needed funds to nurses affected by the unrest in 2006.

Over the last two years, ANF members have generously donated over $150,000 to assist members of the East Timor Nurses' Association to rebuild houses that were damaged or destroyed in the unrest. The ANF worked together with Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA and the East Timor Nurses' Association to distribute the money to 130 nurses.

A formal ceremony was convened so that Ged Kearney could personally meet the nurses whose homes had been damaged or destroyed. "It was a humbling and emotional experience to meet the nurses who had continued to work through the unrest, caring for injured and sick people in the hospitals, all the while knowing that they had no home to go


independence.

The war had ended. I know that our followers have no weapons," Lu-Olo added.

PNTL and TNI discuss border security - Suara Timor Lorosae, 25 AugustBorder Police Unit and Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) held a meeting in the border area, discussing on border security issues of the two countries. Border Police Commander, Quintiliano Soares said the meeting was aimed at discussing problems faced by the two countries' security forces over the past three months. Soares said the meeting focused on the actual problems appeared and security handling in the border zone by the two security forces. TNI's Major Krisna said they always communicated and coordinated with Timor's police border unit about doing patrol in the border zone, so that both sides could avoid misunderstanding in doing their tasks.

Lasama callson F-FDTL and Police Commanders to sanction their officers - Suara Timor Lorosae, 25 AugustParliamentary President Fernando "Lasama" de Araujo has called on the Timorese Defense Force (F-FDTL) and National Police Command to sanction soldiers and officers who are suspected of being engaged in illegal gambling. Lasama was referring to both F-FDTL and PNTL officers who were suspected of being backed illegal gambling in the Capital Dili.

F-FDTL and PNTL soldier and officers are the law enforcers and that they should abide by the law. If any of them are found guilty, they should be sanctioned, Lasama said. An unnamed source said when the gambling went on people who played the gambling had a phone call from someone, asking them to close off quickly the gambling before policemen on


has called upon competent institutions of the state to launch further investigation into allegation of human right violation committed by the East Timor Defense Force and the National Police during their joint operation. Ramos Horta's call came after a report commissioned by the UNMIT's human rights Unit and the Office of the East Timor's Human Rights and Justice Ombudsman contained 58 allegations against the F-FDTL and PNTL.

Ramos Horta said he was seriously concerned about the allegation and that there ought to be a follow-up. The 1996 Nobel Peace Laureate also admitted that the allegations against F-FDTL and PNTL were serious though he believed that the allegations still lack proofs and that the human rights violations committed were not grave. According to Horta, both PNTL and F-FDTL have carriedout their internal investigation into the allegations.

UNMIT's report positive, says Gusmao - Radio Timor-Leste, 22 AugustEast Timor's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, who is also the country's minister for defense and security said the release of the report on human right violation committed by his F-FDTL and PNTL as positive. The Prime Minister also said that the report of the UNMIT's Human Rights Unit and East Timor's Human Rights and Justice Ombudsman as a wake-up call to his government. The report calls on the government to investigate the allegation of human rights violation committed by the F-FDTL and PNTL's joint operation.

Eight suspended PNTL officers face criminal investigation, says Acting Police Commander - Radio Timor-Leste, 22 AugustEast Timor's Police Acting Commander, Inspector Afonso de Jesus said eight suspended PNTL officers


who were suspected of being involved in the loss of $27,000 were now facing criminal investigation. He also commented that disciplinary measures were already taken against those involved, such as 90-day suspension from their posts and handing over of pistols and other equipments belonging to the institution. Afonso also said the PNTL had also secured documents that might be used as proofs in the investigation. He added the list of people involved might be added up as the result of the investigation reveals.

Defense force and police commanders discuss on national security law - Televisaun Timor-Leste, 22 AugustTimorese Defense Force Office Chief, Filomeno Paixao said the defense force and police commanders had held a meeting today (22/8), discussing on the elaboration of the country's national security law. The commanderpeople wanted to remain calm.

Administrator of Bazartete Sub District called on the residents to hand over all illegal weapons to the security forces, as it could be a threat for the people’s own lives.

As reported on the The Australian, Alfredo and his member Leopolino Exposto were shot at a very close range. Exposto was shot once in the back of the head and Alfredo was shot 4 times ( in the eye, neck, chest and hand).

“The gun shot wounds were black this shows that they were shot at a very close range, maybe be from only 2 feet,” said David Ranson from The Victorian of Forensic Medicine.

The head of Timor-Leste state, Jose Ramos Horta rejected the report, saying that this is an act of manipulation from the Australia


the post,” said Horta to Timor Post and STL, Monday night, after participating in the reception ceremony for the diplomatic bodies for the IR independence day, at the IR Embassy, Farol Dili.

Mean while, ex-prime minister Mari Alkatiri has call for an independent international team to intervene in the investigations of the shooting of the President Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao on the 11 February passed. Alkatiri is not surprised at that report, because he had doubts from the beginning of the facts of the event. That is why, Alkatiri has asked for an independent international team that can be under the UN. “ Without the involvement of America, Australia and Portugal, the nations that are not already operating in this nation” said the leader of opposition toof the Provedor for Human Rights and the HAQ Association as well as the human rights network.

In relation to the most recent human rights development, the most important incident was the attempted attack on the President on 11 February and as result or the attack a stage of siege was declared throughout the country. Some people believe that it was a positive step to establish the state of siege, but as a consequence there were allegations of human rights abuses being committed by the PNTL and the F-FDTL operating together under the Joint Command.

Another human rights issue in Timor-Leste relates to the rights of victims as outlined in the CAVR report. There is a working group which is comprised of members of the UMIT Transitional Justice Section as


were ordered to pay Mrs Situmora – now a widowed mother of two – US$250 in compensation.

When the verdict was handed down by the civilian court, Mrs Situmora thought it was over. She thought justice had been served.

But it had not.

Today, not a single soldier sits in a civilian prison. All are still receiving a salary from the military, but not a penny has been paid to the victims.

In a scathing UN report delivered this month to the UN Security Council, the East Timorese mission concluded the four soldiers “continue to evade serious detention”. Read more...

22 August 2008

TPN/Lusa 23/8/2008 - Portuguese Justice Minister Alberto Costa said this week he would sign two bilateral cooperation schemes in Dili later this week during a three-day visit to East Timor.

Minister Costa,who began his visit to Asia’s newest nation on Thursday, told the Lusa News Agency he would ink a protocol with his Timorese counterpart, Lucia Lobato, to assure the career and salary rights at home of Portuguese judges and magistrates recruited to serve in East Timor under United Nations auspices.

The current lack of such guarantees by Portugal had hindered the recruitment of judicial personnel to serve in Dili, the minister said.

A second protocol, he added, would broaden Portuguese aid beyond current bilateral programmes of training judicial sector personnel to help the former Portuguese territory “modernize” its judicial system in all areas.

“We plan to continue and bolster our judicial cooperation. Justice is, in fact, the priority of our cooperation with East Timor”, Costa said.

He was scheduled to meet all


Dili’s top leaders, including President Jose Ramos Horta, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, and UN mission chief Atul Khare during his three-day stay in Dili.

Timor-Leste-Portugal sign agreement on developing justice sector – Timor Post, 22 August The Timorese and Portuguese Government have signed agreements on developing justice sector in Timor-Leste. The Portuguese Government through its Justice Minister, Alberto da Costa and Timorese Justice Minister, Lucia Lobato yesterday officially signed two kinds of agreement and was witnessed by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. Portugal has supported the country in the field of justice, such as providing legal advisors to help Timorese legal practitioners.

Authority denies rumors on the release of Salsinha and followers – Timor Poost, 22 AugustTimorese authorities have denied rumors mongering that former rebel leader, Gastao Salsinha and his followershave been released from serving a provisional sentence in Dili's Becora jail on (20/8). National Director for Prison, Helena Gomes said the rumors on the release of Salsinha and followers were unknown to her and said they were still being locked up in the prison. "The release of Salsinha and his followers are unknown to us, the fact shows they are still in the prison," Gomes said. She added Salsinha and his men should serve their provisional sentence, as they had no right to be freed.

F-FDTL will use ships for watching over Timor Sea – Timor Post, 22 AugustTimorese Defense Force Naval Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Pedro Klamar Fuik, said they would use two ships that would be purchased by the Government from China to watch over the Timor


Sea from illegal fishing. The commander said many times foreigners had illegally conducted illegal fishing in the country's maritime zone, therefore the ships would help support them in doing their tasks. Klamar Fuik said the defense force's Naval Unit were facing major problem, because they only had small ship and was incapable to control all the maritime zones.

Gun law important to be debated, says Lasama – Diario Nacional, 222 AugustParliamentary President Fernando "Lasama" Araujo, said the gun law was very important as other laws and was urgent to be debated soon. "The gun law is being top priority of the Parliament to be debated after passing one month of quiet period," Lasama said. Lasama said it was a decree law produced by the Government which aimed at recallingall the illegal weapons and did not mean to distribute weapons to the civilians. Lasama said only the country's security forces and intelligence service members were allowed to carry weapons.

F-FDTL reforms should go through educational investment, says Ruak – Diario Nacional, 22 AugustTimorese Defense Force Commander, Brigadier General Taur Matan Ruak, said in reforming the county's defense force should strongly be invested in the field of education. "Investment in the field of education is being responsibility of the Government. Education should be strong, so that people could have good skills and have good conscience," the commander said. Rua said the defense force would hold a new recruitment to the news soldiers this year and they currently waiting for military law to be approved by the Parliament.

Agriculture minister meets


with President Horta - Radio Televisaun Timor-Leste, 22 AugustMinister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Mariano "Asanami" Sabino Lopes has met with President Jose Ramos Horta, talking on plaque inaugurating of Nino Konis Santana National Park. After meeting with the president, the minister said apart from talking about the plaque of the national park, they were also discussing the agricultural ministry's activities on increasing local products in the country. Asanami said the president strongly supported his agricultural activities, as it would help reduce poverty in the country. Minister Asanami added President Horta had stated his readiness to hold some official visits to directly look closer at the farming activities held by the farmers in the field.

Need to amend constitution before setting up anti-corruption commission, says Ximenes – Suara Timorwell, therefore should avoid double roles," He added.

Council of Ministers Extraordinary Meeting 14 August 2008Unofficial translation. Original Portuguese text follows.DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF EAST TIMORIV Constitutional GovernmentPRESS RELEASE

Extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers on August 14, 2008

The Council of Ministers meeting was held this Thursday, August 14, 2008, in the Meeting Room of the Council of Ministers, at the Government Palace in Dili, and adopted:

Extension of the National Campaign to Collect ArmsThe Council of Ministers today approved, at an extraordinary meeting, a resolution that extends the Campaign National Collection of Weapons, which began on July 15, until the next day August 31.

The government decided to hold a National Campaign to Collect Arms, encouraging voluntary surrender of any firearm, explosive device and ammunition and other weapons, and the Council


of Ministers adopted on 2 July a resolution to that effect and determining the effect for a period of one month, starting from July 15 last.

The period is now extended for a further fifteen days, given the success that the campaign has known.In recent days there has been an intensification of delivery of weapons, which demonstrates the will of the people to participate in this campaign and justifies its maintenance until the end of the month.

According to that resolution during the period in which this ongoing campaign, the national and international military forces present in East Timor should assist the security forces in implementing the measures from police custody and for the delivery of weapons.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF EAST TIMORIV CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENTSECRETARIAT OF STATE COUNCIL OF MINISTERSPRESS RELEASE

MEETING OFCOUNCIL OF MINISTERS of 13 August 2008

The Council of Ministers meeting is held this Wednesday, August 13, 2008, in the Meeting Room of the Council of Ministers, at the Government Palace in Dili, and adopted:

1 - Decree Law approving the value of the presence of passwords to be allocated to members of the National Election Commission

This law, approved by the Council of Ministers in its meeting today, determines the value of the daily allowance payable to members of the National Election Commission (CNE), as consideration of the financial performance of their duties.Members of NSC are entitled as a main salary, and according to this law, a daily allowance for each meeting and working session in which they participate. On the other hand, are equally entitled to allowances of


communication and transport, plus expenses for food and accommodation when they move in for service outside their usual place of work. They are also entitled to any other purpose other than to pay supplements to previously exposed, a figure equivalent to 50 percent of which are due to the Members of the National Parliament, under the general law applicable.

2 - amending the Decree of the Government Decree No. 2 / 2007 of August 1Following the approval by the National Parliament of Law No. 7, July 25, which approved the Statute of the bodies Holders of Sovereignty, the Government regulates the allocation of costs that must be understood as "right to housing provided by the State" and at the same time, the situation of members of government have noresidence given by the State.

However, there were certain the Quantitative to be satisfied these supplements, either in respect of payment of rent from home, or in relation to the payment of the common burden on housing, own or leased, such as electricity or water, where the state can not provide housing, in order to mitigate this difference in treatment. A situation that the present law, that the Council of Ministers approved in its meeting today, is correct.

3 - Resolution approving the Convention for ratification of Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Member States of the Community of Portuguese Language CountriesThe Council of Ministers adopted at its meeting today, the proposed accession of East Timor to the Convention on Judicial Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Member States of


the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP).The agreement facilitates the criminal cases involving persons involved in more than one country of CPLP, through mutual assistance. Understands the communication of information, pleadings and other public acts and the acts necessary for confiscation, seizure or freezing, or the recovery of tools, products, objects or products of a crime and to show people.The bill approved today by the Council of Ministers will now be sent to the National Parliament.

4 - Resolution approving ratification to the Convention on Extradition between the Member States of the Community of Portuguese Language CountriesThe Council of Ministers adopted at its meeting today, the proposed accession of East Timor to the Convention on Extradition between the Member States of the CPLP.This agreement aims to enable the deliveryof persons who are in the territory of a state contractor and are wanted by another state contractor, for purposes of prosecution or fulfillment of criminal penalty.The bill approved today by the Council of Ministers will now be sent to the National Parliament.

5 - Resolution approving the Convention for ratification of Transfer of Sentenced Persons between Member States of the Community of Portuguese Speaking CountriesThe Council of Ministers adopted at its meeting today, the proposed accession of East Timor to the Convention on Transfer of Sentenced Persons between Member States of CPLP.This convention aims to give people who are deprived of their liberty because of a court order, the ability to meet the condemnation in their own social environment and family of origin. However, you can not change


the content of the judgement.The bill approved today by the Council of Ministers will now be sent to the National Parliament.

6 - Resolution approving the ratification instrument for establishing a network of International Legal and Judicial Cooperation of Portuguese Speaking CountriesThe Council of Ministers adopted at its meeting today, the proposed accession of East Timor to Instrument establishing a network of International Legal and Judicial Cooperation of Portuguese Speaking Countries.This instrument is aimed at creating a network to facilitate and accelerate cooperation in legal and judicial field between the eight member countries of the CPLP in the areas of civil law, commercial and criminal law, and allow the institutions to intensify cooperation and exchange of information and discussion referring to relevant international institutions.The network will have a secretariatheaded by a secretary-general, elected by the Ministers of Justice, under the Permanent Secretariat of the Conference of Ministers of Justice of Portuguese Speaking Countries, and after two years an assessment of its operation.

The bill approved today by the Council of Ministers will now be sent to the National Parliament.

The Council of Ministers also looked at:

7 - Military RecruitmentThe Council of Ministers also discussed at its meeting today issues relating to military and decided to refer to the National Parliament a Proposed Law to promote some amendments to the Military Service Law currently in force, to include the Voluntary Military Service.

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REPUBLICA DEMOCRATICA DE TIMOR-LESTEIV Governo ConstitucionalSECRETARIA DE ESTADO DO CONSELHO DE MINISTROSCOMUNICADO A IMPRENSAReunião do Conselho de Ministros de 13 de Agosto de 2008

A man stabbed to death


rights violation still critical in Timor-Leste, because the Joint Operation Command soldiers and police officers are suspected of being engaged in human rights violation during the hunt for rebels went on in the country. Chief of the UN Human Rights, Luis Gentile made the comments today during a press conference on the second report of human rights violation in Timor-Leste. Gentile said the UN considered acts of violence committed by the Joint Operation’s soldiers and police officers, such as beatings and psychological threats were still being part of human rights violation. He called on the Timorese Defense Force (F-FDTL) and National Police (PNTL) to be responsible for the human rights violation committed by the soldiers and officers.

Gusmao urges suspension of from his post – Radio Timor-Leste, 21 AuguustPrimewithout payment.

UN launches report on human rights development in Timor-Leste – Televizaun Timor-Leste, 21 AugustThe United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) has launched its second report on the human rights development in the country. The report covered the human rights violation taking place in September 2007 until June 20008. The report focused on human rights violation committed by the Task force police officers and the country’s defense force during the implementation of state under siege and state of emergency. During a press conference held at the office of UNMIT, Deputy Human Rights and Justice Ombudsmen, Silveiro Pinto said these were the facts of human rights violation in the country and were being major challenges for the human rights practitioners to do their tasks.

Meanwhile, Chief of the UN