Early Bird Headlines 31 May 2015
Econintersect: Here are some of the headlines we found to help you start your day. For more headlines see our afternoon feature for GEI members, What We Read Today, which has many more headlines and a number of article discussions to keep you abreast of what we have found interesting.
U.S.
- Beau Biden, Vice President’s Election-Winning Son, Dies at 46 (Bloomberg) Beau Biden, the son of Vice President Joseph Biden, whose election as Delaware attorney general at age 37 made him an ascending star in the Democratic Party, has died of brain cancer.
- Muslim chaplain claims discrimination on United flight (CNN) Read this outrageous story. We simply cannot summarize it without losing important context and detail.
- U.S. Paid Residents Linked to Nazi Crimes $20 Million in Benefits, Report Says (The New York Times) The American government paid $20.2 million in Social Security benefits to more than 130 United States residents linked to Nazi atrocities over the course of more than a half-century, with some of the payments made as recently as this year, according to a federal investigation. This indicates the ease with which thousands of former Nazis managed to settle into new lives in the United States with little scrutiny.
- FBI notifies crime labs of errors used in DNA match calculations since 1999 (The Washington Post) The FBI has notified crime labs across the country that it has discovered errors in data used by forensic scientists in thousands of cases to calculate the chances that DNA found at a crime scene matches a particular person. The bureau has said it believes the errors are unlikely to result in dramatic changes that would affect cases. It has submitted the research findings to support that conclusion for publication in the July issue of the Journal of Forensic Sciences. Needless to say crime labs and lawyers want to know more than this cavalier reassurance.
- ISIS fighter was trained by State Department (CNN) Hat tip to Alun Hill.
EU
- EU criticizes ‘unjustified’ Russian travel blacklist (Reuters) Russia has imposed an entry ban on 89 European politicians and military leaders, according to a list seen by Reuters, a move that has angered Europe and worsened its standoff with the West over Moscow’s role in the Ukraine conflict. The list, which the Russian foreign ministry compiled and handed to a European Union delegation in Moscow this week, includes outspoken critics of Russia as well as military and intelligence officials. A similar list exists for U.S. citizens, a ministry official told Russian media.
Greece
- Greek Talks With Creditors Deepen as Payment Clock Ticks (Bloomberg) Greek officials and creditor institutions are locked in talks for another weekend as both sides work against a payment deadline to avert default and a euro-region exit.
Italy
- More than 4,200 migrants rescued in Mediterranean as crisis grows (Reuters) More than 4,200 migrants trying to reach Europe have been rescued from boats in the Mediterranean in last 24 hours, the Italian coastguard said on Saturday. Two days ago 3,400 were rescued in a 24-hour period.
India
- India heatwave death toll tops 2,000 (circa News) The death toll in India passed 2,000 people on May 30, making it the second deadliest heatwave the country has experienced. Most of the deaths have occurred in the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Extreme temperatures in 1998 killed 2,541 people in India.
- Three reasons why it may be premature to celebrate India’s GDP at 7.3% (First Post) The 7.5% growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) recorded in the fourth quarter (the number for the full fiscal year 2015 is 7.3%) theoretically makes India the fastest growing major economy in the world, beating China (the Chinese economy grew 7.0% in the March quarter and 7.4% for the full calendar year 2014) and far ahead of other comparable economies. But this article explains why it is too early to hang out the “Mission Accomplished” banner.
China
- China says South China Sea air defense zone depends on security (Reuters) China will base its decision on establishing an air defense identification zone around disputed waters in the South China Sea on its assessment of the security situation, a senior Chinese military official said on Sunday. Econintersect: China is dredging sand to build a substantial island on a reef in the Spratly Islands which lie mostly within 200 miles of the Philippine and Malaysian coasts and about 600 miles from the closest point in China (Hainan Island). See maps below. Note that China claims sovereignty right up to the coasts of its southern neighbors, up to 1,000 miles from Hainan Island.
Japan
- Japan earthquake: Tremors felt across nation (BBC News) A powerful undersea earthquake south of Japan has shaken buildings in Tokyo and been felt across the country. The US Geological Survey said the 7.8-magnitude earthquake was centered 874km (543 miles) from the Japanese capital, at a depth of more than 660km.
New Zealand
- Welcome to New Zealand, the Land of Disappearing Sheep (Bloomberg) Flock drops to the lowest it’s been in 75 years as dairy cows take over grazing land.
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