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Of course, not all officials are corrupt and honest people can be found. However, according to Transparency International, Russia was ranked 146th out of 180 in the Corruption Perceptions Index. It shares its place with neighboring Ukraine, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Sierra Leone. It is a tiny improvement compared to 2008, wh... |
Regardless of Russia’s place in the index, there are signs of hope. In the first half of 2009 in Russia alone a total of 4,500 corruption cases were brought to court, with 532 public officials and 700 law-enforcers being convicted, writes RIA Novosti news agency. |
At the same time, the number of corruption-related crimes in the army rose by 10% in first two months of 2010 and the damage to the state increased fivefold, said Russia's Chief Military Prosecutor Sergey Fridinsky. Moreover, it affected sensitive sectors of state military purchases, which provides housing and official... |
However, the official believes there is an explanation for that. Firstly, law enforcement agencies have started monitoring the situation a lot more carefully. Therefore, the number of crimes registered went up. Secondly, there is a psychological factor: feeling the danger, corrupt officers simply want to grab as much a... |
At the same time, according to the chairman of the commission on legislation and counteracting corruption Aleksey Volkov of the United Russia party, what corrupt officials actually grab is times and times more than what official statistics reflect. |
“The figures the law enforcement system gives us in its annual reports – how many bribe-takers and corrupt officials we have – are less than one percent of what is really happening,” he said in an interview with Itar-Tass agency. “Every person who was elected or appointed – practically every person – takes office and b... |
Earlier this week information about the income of the president, his family as well as that of the government, their spouses and children, was published. The move, first introduced in 2008, is also aimed at fighting corruption. However, there are many skeptics who do not believe that this measure would help in any way ... |
Tesla has released the details of their 2010 Q2 financial performance, and it looks like things are coming up roses kind of sucking for the nascent auto maker. Sales are up, with nearly $27m in sales coming in — translating to a total of around 250 Roadsters shipped. Their gross margins are up, though; their business i... |
Update: We must also note that their second-quarter loss grew to $38.5 million. The stock fell $1.15 on the news yesterday. Any loss this great is, of course, undesirable, but Tesla has made it clear that they do not expect to make a profit until the Model S is selling. |
Critically, the launch of the Model S sedan is on track, and much of the cost of development is already behind them. With a far lower price and larger target demographic, it is likely the first Tesla car many will actually see on the road, and not parked in some entrepreneur’s driveway in Mountain View. Meanwhile, the ... |
At $57K for a base price, it has no immediate competition; without tax credit, the Volt is at $41K and the Leaf at $32K — but to be honest, they are completely different vehicles and completely different markets. Sales of the Roadster are a poor indicator for potential in the the eco-conscious upper-middle-class urbani... |
More information, including a breakdown of the actual numbers, can be found here. Tesla’s stock closed today at $21.26, down $0.69/3.1%. |
Water consumption in the City Of Morro Bay decreased 10.49 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 33.59 percent over the past five years. |
About 70.0% of water consumption in the City Of Morro Bay is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 7.50 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board. |
City Of Morro Bay water use decreased by 18.09 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 12 percent reduction. |
Selected enforcement statistics reported by the City Of Morro Bay to the State Water Resources Control Board. |
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), who faces possible federal criminal corruption charges for allegedly abusing the power of his office to provide illegal help to a close friend, has denied any wrongdoing and stated that, "I am not going anywhere." |
Menendez is accused of promoting the interests of Dr. Salomon Melgen in exchange for favors that allegedly included free trips on private jets. |
"Anyone who knows us knows that he and his family and me and my family have been real friends for more than two decades," Menendez said in a statement to reporters Friday. "We celebrated holidays together, we have been there for family weddings and sad times like funerals and have given each other birthday, holiday and... |
Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano said on "America's Newsroom" that rumors have been swirling around Menendez for some time. |
Napolitano revealed that details of these specific allegations were leaked when court documents briefly surfaced on the Internet last week, apparently by accident, before being put back under seal. |
"It now appears that the government will ask a grand jury in Newark, New Jersey, to indict Sen. Menendez for bribery, for receiving gifts in return for doing favors for Dr. Melgen," Judge Nap said. "The senator will say, 'He was my friend, these gifts were not a bribe and I returned them anyway. And what I did for him,... |
Judge Nap noted that Menendez will also likely mention that he is one of President Obama's harshest critics on Cuba and Iran, which could make the timing of the charges against him appear suspicious. |
Judge Nap explained that the government will have to gather enough evidence to persuade a trial jury that the gifts Menendez received were the reason he did the favors for Melgen. |
"It's a very fuzzy line. And the burden is on the government to prove it's criminal." |
Get more insight from Judge Nap in the "America's Newsroom" clip above. |
To all the mothers involved in our public schools, Happy Mothers’ Day! |
Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of fears! Say firmly: “We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unle... |
A group of Royal Oaks subdivision residents are protesting the Alief Independent School District’s proposal to raise the property tax rate to maintain nonacademic programs and staff levels. |
Residents will vote on the proposed rate of $1.34 per $100 of appraised value Nov. 20. The proposed rate — 7.5 cents higher than last year’s - already has been factored into the district’s budget for 2008-09. |
The group, Property Tax Votes Alief Area, which lists 27 supporters, has said the Alief school district should operate within the authority established by the state. |
“We just think the property taxes are too high and that the school has, needs to live within its own taxing authority,” said Steve Weylandt, a member of Property Tax Votes Alief Area. |
The reason the legislation passed two years ago, Weylandt said, is that the state recognized the burden on homeowners, which has increased in the current economic crisis. |
Members of the group also distributed information to voters on Nov. 4 across from a polling site at Hastings High School, 4410 Cook Road. |
Both Hansen and Alief ISD board President Sarah Winkler say there are several errors in the information the committee handed out to voters on Nov. 4, and the committee’s messages are misleading. |
While the group argues Alief ISD gets less state funds than other neighboring school districts because of fiscal mismanagement, Hansen and Winkler said school formulas froze school district revenues at the 2005 level based on state funding per student. |
“Alief gets the lowest revenue per penny of school districts in the area with the exception of Cypress Fairbanks ISD,” Hansen said. |
Winkler said the committee has also reported Alief ISD’s student population is down by 300 students this year, but it actually has grown by about 200. |
Furthermore, the committee’s claims that Alief ended the year with money in the bank is not a negative factor, Winkler added, since every school district that has not gone into bankruptcy has a fund balance at the end of the year. |
On Nov. 4, the Royal Oaks group also protested Houston Community College’s annexation of the Alief area, a measure voters overwhelmingly passed. |
Neeta Sane, chair of the HCC annexation committee, said she saw members of the anti-tax group passing out its fliers on Nov. 4 across the street from Hastings High School. |
“There were people from Royal Oaks passing out fliers with no disclaimers,” Sane said. |
Sane also said the information provided by the anti-tax group was largely misleading, sending voters to the wrong precincts. |
“I don’t think their children go to community college, but it boggles my mind they put up the opposition because we all need to do what we can to educate the children of the future,” Sane said. |
Hansen and Winkler also say the committee’s campaign itself is in violation of election law. A spokesperson for the Texas Ethics Commission agreed, saying that when more than one person from an organization sends out information in a political campaign, that constitutes a political action committee and it must be regis... |
State law also requires that if the amount an organization spends for a Web site, yard signs and bulk mailings exceeds $500, the group must disclose its contributions and expenditures to the state. |
Hansen said if the Nov. 20 proposition fails, the district could eye cuts in non-instructional positions, parent educator programs and remediation, and additional tutorial staff for students at risk of dropping out or in need of assistance. |
President Barack Obama is inviting India's next prime minister to visit Washington despite a previous U.S. decision to deny him a visa in 2005. |
The White House says Obama called Narendra Modi on Friday to congratulate him and his party's success in the election. Obama told Modi that he looks forward to cooperating closely and expand the relationship between the U.S. and India. |
The U.S. denied Modi a visa in 2005 for alleged complicity in deadly religious riots in 2002. But the White House says Obama has invited Modi to visit when the timing works for both sides. |
Secretary of State John Kerry is adding his congratulations on Twitter. He says he'll work with Modi to promote shared prosperity and security. |
Episode six of Star Trek: Discovery brought back Spock’s dad Sarek in order to reveal more and more about the never-ending trauma of Burnham’s childhood. Speaking of trauma, Lorca also gets his past dissected and goes full sociopath to save his captaincy. |
In the livestream for “Lethe,” io9's Katharine Trendacosta and Gizmodo’s Alex Cranz try to figure what any of this stuff means for these characters and whether it made anyone likable. |
May 9, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The leadership council of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) chaired by president Omer Hassan al-Bashir announced late Wednesday that it does not agree to elements of a recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution regarding negotiations with the Sudan People Liberation Movemen... |
Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) is battling SPLM-N in the border states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan since last year with each side blaming the other for initiating the fighting. |
Prior to the outbreak of clashes in Blue Nile state in Septmeber 2011, the head of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan (AUHIP) brokered a framework agreement in June 2011 between SPLM-N and Khartoum to end fighting in the oil-producing state of Southern Kordofan. |
The accord was signed by SPLM-N chairman Malik Agar and Bashir’s top assistant Nafie Ali Nafie. But a few days later Bashir declared his rejection of the deal and berated his aide for signing it. He ordered the army to crush the rebellion in South Kordofan signaling his preference for a military solution to end the con... |
But the Sudanese army has yet to bring down the SPLM-N in either state and particularly in South Kordofan where rebels have managed to threaten strategic towns several times. |
This month the UNSC adopted a resolution under Chapter VII dealing with negotiations between Khartoum and Juba but also instructing the Sudanese government and SPLM-N to cooperate with AUHIP in seeking a solution on the basis of the June 2011 agreement. |
Sudan’s foreign minister Ali Karti said following NCP’s meeting that this clause was "totally rejected" and that they will discuss the matter with the mediation and friends in the UNSC. |
It remains to be seen whether this refusal will fall under non-compliance sanctions threat contained in the UNSC resolution. |
The Russian ambassador at the UN Vitaly Churkin had said at the time that sanctions threat does not apply to conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. But the U.S. ambassador Susan Rice disagreed with this interpretation. |
"The entire operative part is under Chapter VII, and there are four "decides" paragraphs, including one-paragraph three-which relates to resolving the political issues that are at the root of the conflict in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile" Rice said. |
The SPLM-N issued a statement this week saying it welcomes the UNSC resolution while stressing that a "comprehensive peaceful settlement is the best choice for the Sudanese people and the parties to the conflict". |
"The entry point for the comprehensive peaceful settlement in Sudan is for the parties to address urgently and seriously the humanitarian crisis in the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile immediately and to put into effect the tripartite agreement of the United Nations, African Union and the Arab League, which was signed by t... |
The U.S. and United Nations agencies have been pressing the Sudanese government to agree on a joint AU-UN-AL plan to deliver aid to affected conflict areas in the two states. Some US and UN officials have expressed concern about the possibility that famine could be imminent. |
Sudan is resisting allowing external aid groups citing security issues and also fearing that food would be used to aid SPLM-N rebels. |
The UNSC resolution does not mandate acceptance of the AU-UN-AL aid plan. |
It is not about Arab or other races,do not manipulate the truth! |
During the long war where did the people form South Sudan go? more than 5 millions were living with their brothers in the N.S! |
SPLM-N, How we do negotiate with some one who is part of a party/Army for another country! |
SUSAN RICE IS FAIR,SOMETIMES WE DON’T LIKE HER GUT ON THE ASSUMPTION OF THE WRONG MAP FROM HER BOYFRIEND ALI KARTI.BUT AT LESS SHE IS TRYING TO DO HER JOB INSTEAD OF SITTING ON THE FENCE FOR THE FEAR OF ARABS NINCOMPOOPS. |
If the international community wants peace between the 2 sudans they must replace Thabo Beki of south Africa. |
NCP is not looking after it citizen and the same time refuse a professional humanitrian advice from AU,UN and Arab League.what a party!It is beyond anyone comprehension to see these children endure suffering under ncp.the international communities come to help because ncp at the very beginning is failling to lead its p... |
Very stupid move, it is almost a YEAR since the beginning of a rebellion but NCP has still not crushed SPLM-N/SRF! |
The rebels are getting stronger, NCP is dreaming if they believe the civil war will end without negotiation. |
Oh God talks like women all sudanese official always saying crush, crush, crush and SPLM_N til strong never never SRF still exist until the overthrown Infertility Omer Bashir. |
they relay on Russian Gov’t UNSC is ready to give sanction. |
We need the United Nations to be far from "DIVIDE & RULE". |
Who started the first and second world wars? |
morogot batal: The occupation by the SPLA of the Heglig area, regarded as a humiliation by Sudan. It was an act of aggression and a violation of international law. |
In Dec of 2011 Salva Kiir Mayardit ran over to Israel to thank them for all their support when he was running the brutal SPLA and killing civilians in South Sudan. |
morogot batal: The African Union as well as the UN have condemned the South Sudan and asked it to withdraw its troops from Heglig. |
Hague court ruling. A ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2009 appears to put Heglig in the Sudan state of Southern Kordofan, which the South now disputes. |
Who authorized the SPLM-N to speak on behalf of all the Sudanese PEOPLES who are antigovernment?? Leaders of SPLM-N must consider the voice of majority before they seek pleasing the outsiders who colonized SUDAN and KILLED our grandfathers including great Sultan Ali Dinar who was killed in genocide in his home land by ... |
malik agar and al hilo don’t represent all nubian and BN ppl.those rebels r only after power .they r similar to salva kiir, interested in looting his ppl money and waging tribal wars coz they r uneducated and understand nothing about politics,deplomatic behavour, finance and international laws.they will lead their ppl ... |
Everybody know that North Sudan, Russia and China are the most destructive countries, they don’t care about the lives of other people but only oil! Your hatred against Black African Natives will not give you rest throughout in your lives! We are all God’s creatures and nobody is better than one another if you keep doin... |
North Sudan, AFRICA, Russia and China were colozied and/or destroyed by your white masters from Euroe and USA. Our black African grand fathers and mothers were sold as slaves and they were/are the ones who strated the agriculture in USA. Your white masters must compensate us (THE AFRICANS) based on EQUAL CIVIL RIGHTS &... |
I strongly believe that malik agar and al hilo are my Sudanese brothers but I did not authorized them to speak on behalf of me and my other brothers and sisters from Sudan.I will not to degrade any human being as ALLAH(God) gave them all the rights to live in peace. |
mogokafi: Yes I agree with you that Both Al-Hilu and Agar are the native sons of Sudan and have full rights to represent and speak for those who elected them. But through the dictatership and violemnce.SPLM-N has members from every part of Sudan but NOT close to the majority. I hope that you strongly believe in democra... |
Who nominated you, an "Arab" per se, to speak on the behalf of the Nuba? Isnt that a cliche? |
those rebels r after separation. if separation is a solution why amarica didn’t separate?why they didn’t give the black ppl a state ?why Britan didn’t give north Irland a state ?NCP won’t last forever .sudan must be united and soon u will see an intelligent nubian presedent and many will be inside the parlimint too, it... |
Racialism and Islamization are the only causes of division of our beloved country Sudan! Somebody some where said there will be five Sudanese’s countries while three of those are in place! The fake Arabs with their horrid culture are the ones to be blame! Rusia and China don’t have right to bring us back to be one coun... |
Please stop your obsene language "The fake Arabs".You need to understand that I am muslim and my great love is to my master Bilal and his Arab brothers. My master Bilal was and is among the strong believers in ALLAH. With his great patience to the torture from non muslims; he obtained the respect of all Arabs and non A... |
Mahmmoud, you are "fake Arabs" and the term Arab is what causes the conflict in Sudan if you don’t that. You right, Bilal was an Ethiopian man, but he was admired and respected by the Prophet Muhammad and his companions only after he became Muslim. The teaching of Islam doesn’t force anyone to be Arab but I don’t know ... |
Dear mogokafi: You need to know that First I muslim; secondly I am an African and thirdly my roots are mixture of Arabs and Africans. When I was student in Europe I was selected by my Africans as the leader for our African student union. among those who selected me Sudanese from Dinka. Bear in that Dr. Garang’s mission... |
The separation of north and south dates back decades. British colonialists separated the two until 1947 and, before independence in 1956, gave political power over them both to a northern elite. Fearing marginalization by the north, southern army officers mutinied in 1955, forming the Anya-Nya rebel group. |
War between north and south continued until 1972, when a peace deal gave autonomy to the south and integrated Anya-Nya rebels into the national army. |
Khartoum thinks it can take the flesh of the fish and not the bones. It fails to realise that the two make what is called fish. The mistake applied to CPA should not be applied to UNSC resolutin because it is a supreme decision from a supreme world body. Enforce the outcome of the UNSC rules as it is the language they ... |
yup, NO negotiations with insects :)!!!!!! |
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