Latest News Clips 2014.09.29

                         

1. Hitting Islamic State’s oil operations 

BBC    25 September 2014 

The US military's Central Command (Centcom) said the latest wave of air strikes by American, Saudi and Emirati jets and drones had targeted several small refineries in areas of Syria under the control of the Islamic State (IS). 

These refineries and the fields supplying them with oil have played a vital role in fuelling IS military units and in generating an estimated $2m (£1.2m) in daily revenue for the group. 

Damaging this infrastructure is clearly part of the wider strategy of the US and its allies of weakening IS's capabilities. 

Centcom's statement suggested that the facilities it hit were producing between 300 and 500 barrels of refined petroleum per day. They were in Mayadin and Abu Kamal, in the southern part of the Euphrates Valley, and at al-Houl, in Hassakeh province, further to the north-east. 

'Teapot refineries' 

In the course of its dramatic offensives in Iraq and Syria in June, IS gained control of much of the oil infrastructure that had been relinquished by the Assad regime over the previous two years. 

The prize assets were a cluster of fields in the Euphrates valley that had been operated by ventures including the Anglo-Dutch Shell and France's Total. 

These fields - the largest of which are Omar and Tanak - produce light, low-sulphur, crude oil that is relatively easy to refine. Prior to the IS surge, the fields were controlled by the al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate, and local tribes. 

However, the Euphrates Valley fields have been in steep decline since they peaked at about 400,000 bpd 10 years ago, and were only producing about 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) at the start of the uprising against the Assad regime in March 2011. 

The geology in this area is complex, and the fields require the injection of large amounts of water to sustain production. 

2. Xi Jinping’s Pure Party 

SEP 24, 2014 

LONDON – China’s annual growth rate has recently increased from below 6% at the start of 2014 to around 7.5% in the second quarter, helped by a series of stealth stimulus measures. But the growth spurt is unlikely to last – and may reverse – as China seeks to control excessive credit expansion. And achieving longer-term sustainable growth will also depend on political factors – particularly the impact of President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign, aimed at “purifying” the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). 

Xi’s campaign is being carried out on a scale rarely witnessed in China’s recent history. So far, some 45 senior CCP officials, or “tigers,” have been disciplined or are under investigation. Aside from former Chongqing Party boss Bo Xilai, who is now serving a life sentence, Zhou Yongkang, a former head of internal security and member of the Politburo Standing Committee, and General Xu Caihou, a former vice president of China’s Military Commission, have also been targeted. 

More high-profile heads almost certainly will roll. The CCP’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, whose secretary, Wang Qishan, is a Xi ally, is now investigating former President Jiang Zemin’s Shanghai network, whose protégés include Bo, Zhou, Xu, his successor Hu Jintao, and Xi himself. Corruption charges have already been brought against people close to Jiang and Hu. 

Xi’s campaign is aimed at combating systematic corruption, which he claims is jeopardizing the CCP’s very survival. Even before becoming President, he spoke at length about the Marxist-Leninist concept of “Party purity” in an address to the Central Party School in Beijing in March 2012. The Party, he insisted, can command respect and maintain the legitimacy of its rule only if cadres are obedient, set an example of incorruptibility, and place the nation’s interests above their own. Without a “pure” Party, he said, China’s economic reforms would not succeed. 

Two weeks later, Bo was removed from office, marking the start of Xi’s anti-corruption campaign. After becoming CCP leader later that year, Xi told a Party meeting in Guangdong that China must heed the lessons of the Soviet Union’s collapse, particularly its failure to maintain Leninist discipline, which had allowed “political rot, ideological heresy, and military disloyalty to undermine the governing party.” 

The anti-corruption campaign reflects the CCP’s apparent determination to rid itself of vested interests. At its 2013 Third Plenum, the CCP announced 60 goals for economic and governance reforms. Many hope that these changes will help the CCP become more effective, strengthen the role of the market, and avoid the so-called middle-income trap that has ensnared many emerging countries. 

However, the Party’s rhetoric reveals little about how these goals will be achieved. 

3. Brain repair 'may be boosted by curry spice' 

BBC   25 September 2014  

Previous studies have suggested turmeric may have cancer-fighting properties 

A spice commonly found in curries may boost the brain's ability to heal itself, according to a report in the journal Stem Cell Research and Therapy. 

The German study suggests a compound found in turmeric could encourage the growth of nerve cells thought to be part of the brain's repair kit. 

Scientists say this work, based in rats, may pave the way for future drugs for strokes and Alzheimer's disease. 

But they say more trials are needed to see whether this applies to humans. 

Spice injection 

Researchers from the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine in Julich, Germany, studied the effects of aromatic-turmerone - a compound found naturally in turmeric. 

Rats were injected with the compound and their brains were then scanned. 

Particular parts of the brain, known to be involved in nerve cell growth, were seen to be more active after the aromatic-turmerone infusion. 

Scientists say the compound may encourage a proliferation of brain cells. 

In a separate part of the trial, researchers bathed rodent neural stem cells (NSCs) in different concentrations of aromatic-tumerone extract. 

NSCs have the ability to transform into any type of brain cell and scientists suggest they could have a role in repair after damage or disease. 

Dr Maria Adele Rueger, who was part of the research team, said: "In humans and higher developed animals their abilities do not seem to be sufficient to repair the brain but in fish and smaller animals they seem to work well." 

The research found the higher the concentration of aromatic-turmerone, the greater the growth of the NSCs. 

And the cells bathed in the turmeric compound seemed to specialise into certain types of brain cells more rapidly too. 

Dr Rueger added: "It is interesting that it might be possible to boost the effectiveness of the stem cells with aromatic-turmerone. 

"And it is possible this in turn can help boost repair in the brain." 

She is now considering whether human trials may be feasible. 

'Complex disease' 

Dr Laura Phipps at the charity, Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "It is not clear whether the results of this research would translate to people, or whether the ability to generate new brain cells in this way would benefit people with Alzheimer's disease. 

"We'd need to see further studies to fully understand this compound's effects in the context of a complex disease like Alzheimer's, and until then people shouldn't take this as a sign to stock up on supplies of turmeric for the spice rack." 

Aromatic-turmerone is the lesser-studied of two major compounds in turmeric that may have an effect on the human body. 

Previous studies suggest the other compound, curcumin, could reduce inflammation in the body and have anti-cancer benefits. 

Latest News Clips 2014.09.22

1. David Cameron sets out UK-wide changes 'to build better future' 

BBC  19 September 2014  

David Cameron has said it is time for the UK "to move forward" after Scotland voted against independence. 

The PM said he was "delighted" by the result, which gave the UK a chance to change "for the better". 

He said there had to be a "fair and balanced" settlement with English MPs deciding on laws applying to England. 

But defeated SNP leader Alex Salmond warned against any delay in shifting powers to Scotland as he announced his decision to step down. 

"For me as leader, my time is nearly done," he said. "For Scotland, the campaign continues and the dream shall never die." 

Scotland's First Minister explained his decision to quit just hours after Scotland voted decisively to stay in the United Kingdom by 2,001,926 votes to 1,617,989 - about 55% to 45%. 

The vote is the culmination of a two-year campaign. Talks will now begin on devolving more powers to Scotland. 

The people have spoken. But it's not over. 

The people have spoken. Scotland has rejected independence. The result has been accepted by both sides. So that you might think is that. Not a bit of it. 

The fact that over 1.5m British citizens voted not to remain part of the UK, the fact that a majority in Scotland's biggest city - Glasgow - backed independence, the fact that the Westminster establishment briefly thought this vote was lost, is the reason for that. 

The leaders of the three UK parties are now promising significant constitutional change and not just for Scotland but for England, Wales and Northern Ireland as well. 

They have agreed on a timetable for giving more powers to the Scottish Parliament but are a long, long way from agreeing proposals. 

Mr Salmond said he was "immensely proud" of his Yes campaign and serving as Scotland's First Minister had been "the privilege of my life", but he conceded that the SNP would benefit from new leadership to take the process on. 

The party had "the opportunity to hold Westminster's feet to the fire on the 'vow' that they have made to devolve further meaningful power to Scotland," he said. "This places Scotland in a very strong position." 

But while he would continue to serve as MSP for Aberdeenshire East, he had decided to stand down after the party's annual conference in November. 

"We lost the referendum vote but can still carry the political initiative," he said. "More importantly Scotland can still emerge as the real winner." 

2. Is the world going nuts? 

By Fareed Zakaria  CNN    September 21, 2014    

STORY HIGHLIGHTS 

• There is an unraveling taking place in parts of the world, writes Fareed Zakaria 
• In the Middle East, people were tired of the old dictatorships 
• They weren't prepared for what should follow them, Zakaria says 
• Europe went through its turmoil before it became stable continent it is today, he says
  
   
  

  

 (CNN) -- Is the world spinning out of control? 

I get asked this question a lot these days, and for understandable reasons. Look at what's been in the news in just the last few weeks. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria's execution videos, Scotland's bid for secession, Russian soldiers in Ukraine. 

There is an unraveling taking place in parts of the world. In the Middle East, the old order that stretched from Libya to Syria has collapsed. In Russia, the rise of oil prices has empowered and emboldened President Vladimir Putin -- and he wants a makeover on the fall of the Soviet Union. Putin is testing the stability of the old international order built after World War II, and sees that it is weaker than most people might have guessed. 

But why is all this happening? In the Middle East, people were tired of the old dictatorships. They weren't prepared for what should follow them, but they wanted greater space and voice. The result has been chaos and violence, but perhaps that is the brutal, ugly phase that will force people there to find a way to make their peace with the modern world. After all, Europe went through its own religious wars, wars or nationalism, and world wars before it became the stable continent it is today. 

 Where do Scotland and UK go from here? Intel community underestimates ISIS U.N.: $1B needed to fight Ebola outbreak 

Similarly, in Eurasia, the real driver of what has happened there is not the West or Russia, but the Ukrainian people. They decided that they didn't want to be vassals of the Kremlin. They look with longing at Poland, which in 1989 had a similar-sized economy to theirs and is now twice the size, and is a member in good standing of the European Union. 

Of course there are Ukrainians who feel differently -- that's what's causing the turmoil -- but most, overwhelmingly, want to chart a future with the West. Whether they can remains an open question, given Putin's firm resolve to sabotage their plans. But again, this is a sign of people searching for greater connections with the civilized world. 

And look at the rest of the world. India and Indonesia have elected leaders who are friendly towards markets, the West, and America -- resolutely democratic and yet strong nationalists. Mexico and Colombia have reformers at the helm. In Africa, there are many governments from Ethiopia to Rwanda, where you see real progress in health and living conditions. There are many pieces of bad news coming out of that continent -- from Ebola to Boko Haram -- but there is also good news, growing economies, a surging middle class. 

And look at the world's two largest economies. The United States remains economically vibrant, with a dynamic society, new technologies that dominate the world, and new sources of energy that will power it for a few generations. China, for all the noise, remains committed to economic development first, is embarking on anti-corruption and reform drives and has even begun to tackle pollution and climate change as an issue. 

I'm not saying that all is well in the world -- I'm really suggesting that we are in the midst of great global change. Much of this change is driven by good news -- people's desires for greater freedom and autonomy, new information technologies, etc. But all change is disruptive, and without the institutions of freedom and the civic culture of liberty, this period of transition can be dangerous. The forces of integration will not automatically triumph over the forces of disintegration. But there are many good forces out here that are also sweeping through the world these days. 

And, of course, Scotland did not end up seceding. Score one for integration. 

3. Tainted Lard: China's Latest Food-Safety Scare Comes From Taiwan 

The Bloomberg   September 08, 2014 

It’s the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, a holiday that coincides with the full moon in the eighth month of the lunar calendar, and people across the country will be celebrating by going out in the evening and gazing at the sky. Tradition calls for admiring the moon’s beauty while eating sweet round cakes loaded with egg yolks and lotus seeds, wrapped in a dough containing generous amounts of lard. 

In the runup to this year’s festival, though, yet another food scandal is giving Chinese reason to worry about the safety of those mooncakes. For a change, the center of the latest scandal isn’t in mainland China but in Taiwan, where the government last week arrested six people for allegedly recycling oil from kitchens and grease from leather factories and selling the mixture to unwitting buyers. 

That has led Chang Guann (1498:TT), a Taiwanese supplier of cooking oil, to remove from sale more than 236 tons of oil products, according to Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration. Nearly 1,000 shops or restaurants on the island had unknowingly purchased tainted lard. Another company hit by the scandal is Wei-Chuan Food (1201:TT), a Taipei producer of everything from ice cream to MSG that has told the Taiwan stock exchange it expects to lose 79.4 million Taiwan dollars ($2.65 million) through product recalls and lost inventory. The company’s stock price plunged nearly 7 percent on Monday. 

The foul play in Taiwan provides a rare chance for the Chinese government, hit by scandal after scandal involving food safety, to indulge in some schadenfreude—or, to use the Chinese expression for taking pleasure in the misfortune of others, xin zai le huo. No doubt China’s beleaguered food-safety mandarins, repeatedly criticized for lax regulation of the food supply on the mainland, welcome any opportunity to point out the shortcomings of a rival. 

The case is the second major food-safety scandal by a Taiwan-based company in the past year, as the state-run China News Service helpfully reminded readers; the earlier incident prompted Wei-Chuan to recall “tens of thousands of bottles of tainted cooking oil.” According to the official China Daily, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine, the Chinese agency in charge of food safety, said it hadn’t yet found any products on the mainland containing the recycled cooking oil. Still, the regulator has warned Chinese citizens against eating tainted food from Taiwan. In Hong Kong, meanwhile, the South China Morning Post reported today that the local government has said at least four importers had introduced the tainted oil into the city. 

The new gutter-oil scandal has “shocked local consumers” in Taiwan who expect more from their government, according to a report by China’s Xinhua news agency. “I hope the law could be revised to impose tougher punishment on those who breach food safety regulations,” one New Taipei resident told the news agency.