Tuesday, 19 August 2014

Bloomberg offers grants to help cities innovate


American cities looking to be more innovative in how they address local issues can now get a helping hand from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's charitable foundation.


Bloomberg Philanthropies on Wednesday is announcing that it's putting $45 million into Innovation Delivery grants. The grants are to help cities create teams that use data and other tools to come up with ideas for how to tackle problems.


The foundation initially rolled out the Innovation Delivery model in five cities which used the process to come up with ideas on a range of issues. In the second round, the foundation expects to select 10 to 15 cities.


The application deadline is Oct. 6 and grantees are expected to be named by the end of the year.



NYC's Met opera still negotiating with 10 unions


Contract negotiations are continuing between New York's Metropolitan Opera and 10 of its unions to avert a lockout.


Shortly before a 12:01 a.m. Wednesday deadline, Met spokesman Sam Neuman said there was "nothing to report" about ongoing talks with unions representing stagehands, carpenters and other artisans.


The musicians of the two largest Met unions reached tentative four-year deals Monday.


Met general manager Peter Gelb demanded pay cuts of about 17 percent, citing skyrocketing production costs and shrinking audiences. Union members countered that such a radical move was unwarranted on a $2.8 million deficit against a $326 million budget. They say Gelb wasted many millions on failed productions.


The orchestra and chorus agreed to cuts of 3.5 percent and 3.5 percent more within six months.



Lebanon's Arabic press digest – Aug. 20, 2014



The following are a selection of stories from Lebanese newspapers that may be of interest to Daily Star readers. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.


Al-Akhbar


Qatar intervenes to help release captive soldiers


Al-Akhbar has learned that Qatar has intervened in negotiations with Nusra Front to secure the release of soldiers who were captured by Islamist militants during gunbattles with the Lebanese Army in the Bekaa Valley border town of Arsal earlier this month.


Sources close to the negotiations said a representative from Doha contacted Nusra Front commander in Qalamoun Abu Malik al-Tali to put an end to the hostage crisis.


Abu Malik insisted that beside the Qataris, the Muslim Scholar Committee delegation must not end its mediation role.


As-Safir


Kahwagi to Moscow soon


Lebanese Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi said he wants to diversify the weapon types within the $1 billion Saudi grant to support the military in its fight against terrorism.


Kahwagi told visitors, citing former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s remarks: “Seek any deal suitable for the military institution and we will stand behind you.”


As-Safir has learned that Kahwagi plans to visit Moscow soon to sign an arms deal with the Russian army command.


More to follow ...






Related Articles




  • Kahwagi: Army saved Lebanon from jihadist state




  • Lebanon's Arabic press digest – Aug. 11, 2014




  • Politicians call for full backing of the Army




  • Kahwagi: Lebanese captives moved from Arsal




  • Kahwagi in rare visit to Arsal border region








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US safety agency offers online recall check


The U.S. government is offering a free online service for drivers to find out if their vehicles have been recalled but not repaired.


The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the service started Wednesday on its website, www.safercar.gov.


Drivers can key in their vehicle identification number to get the results. The number can be found on the dashboard near the windshield or on the driver's door post near the latch.


Also starting Wednesday, automakers must keep the same data on their own websites, and they have to update it at least once per week.


The safety agency's site will show data if there's an open recall, or it will tell drivers there are none.


The agency also said used-car buyers also can check for unrepaired vehicles before they make a purchase.


NHTSA said millions of vehicles are recalled every year, yet about one-third of them are not repaired. That can be dangerous for used-car buyers.


Also, many people move, and automakers often have a difficult time finding them to notify them of recalls.


Without the search feature, car owners who hear or read about recalls of their make and model had no way of finding out if their car was covered, said Carroll Lachnit, consumer advice editor at the Edmunds.com auto information site.


"It is a huge step forward," said Lachnit.


U.S. automakers have recalled more than 40 million vehicles so far this year, breaking the previous annual record of 30.8 million set in 2004. About 29 million of those are General Motors vehicles as the company undergoes a sweeping safety review. The review began when GM revealed that it knew about a deadly small-car ignition switch problem for more than a decade, yet it didn't issue any recalls until this year.



Macy's to pay $650,000 in shopper-profiling probe


The retailer Macy's has agreed to pay $650,000 to settle allegations of racial profiling at its flagship store in Manhattan's Herald Square.


Under the agreement with New York's attorney general, the company will adopt new policies on police access to its security camera monitors and against profiling, further train employees, investigate customer complaints, keep better records of detentions and report for three years on compliance.


Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says this addresses more than a dozen recent complaints of profiling and false detentions of shoppers and should help ensure customers are treated equally regardless of race or ethnicity at the retail giant's 42 department stores statewide.


Macy's said Tuesday its policies strictly prohibit discrimination, it will initiate enhanced training and it has settled in principle lawsuits related to the allegations.



Late-payment rate on US mortgages declines in 2Q


Fewer U.S. homeowners are falling behind on their mortgage payments, a trend that has reduced the late-payment rate on home loans to the lowest level in six years, according to credit reporting agency TransUnion.


The percentage of mortgage holders at least two months behind on their payments fell in the April-June period to 3.46 percent, down from 4.32 percent a year earlier, the firm said Wednesday.


The latest mortgage delinquency rate was down from the first quarter of this year, when it stood at 3.61 percent.


The last time the rate was lower was the first quarter of 2008, when it was 3.39 percent, according to TransUnion. The firm's records go back to the second quarter of 2007.


The mortgage delinquency rate has been steadily declining over the past two years. At the same time, U.S. home sales and prices have been rebounding while foreclosures have been declining.


Homeowners have seen their finances boosted by rising home values, an improving job market and efforts to restructure home loans so they're more affordable. That has enabled them to make timely payments.


In addition, many of the risky home loans made before 2008 that went unpaid are no longer a factor, because the homes have been sold or foreclosed upon. Loans issued since then, after banks tightened lending standards, are less likely to go unpaid.


That has helped drive lower late-payment rates among younger borrowers.


The mortgage delinquency rate for borrowers under 30 was 2.34 percent in the second quarter, the lowest of any age group. They also accounted for the smallest slice of borrowers with a home loan at 4.2 percent, according to TransUnion.


By age group, borrowers ages 40-49 had the highest late-payment rate at 4.43 percent. They made up about a quarter of all borrowers with a mortgage.


Meanwhile, the number of new home loans issued by lenders tumbled in the first three months of the year by 51 percent to 1.1 million, TransUnion said.


The steep decline came as higher interest rates led fewer borrowers to refinance their existing mortgages and a bitterly cold winter prompted would-be homebuyers to put off their home purchase.


The data on new home loans lag by a quarter, so the latest TransUnion figures cover the January-March period.



NY regulators sanction Standard Chartered Bank


Standard Chartered Bank reached an agreement with New York regulators to pay a $300 million penalty and suspend dollar exchanges through its New York branch for high-risk retail business clients at its SCB Hong Kong subsidiary.


The Department of Financial Services said the order signed Tuesday followed the bank's failure to fix compliance problems against money laundering as required under a 2-year-old settlement. The independent monitor established under that settlement found the bank failed to detect many potentially high-risk transactions for further review, with a significant number also originating from branches in the United Arab Emirates.


Standard Chartered said it's continuing to fix its control issues and will work with "the small proportion" of clients affected in Hong Kong and the UAE to minimize disruption. "We are committed to compliance with the order and our continuing work with the monitor," spokesman Shaun Gamble said.


New York regulators reached a $340 million settlement with the British bank two years ago intended to settle allegations it schemed with the Iranian government to launder $250 billion from 2001 to 2007. Terms included installing the monitor for at least two years to evaluate the bank's risk controls for money laundering and corrective action.


"If a bank fails to live up to its commitments, there should be consequences," department Superintendent Ben Lawsky said Tuesday. "That is particularly true in an area as serious as anti-money-laundering compliance, which is vital to helping prevent terrorism and vile human rights abuses."


The U.S. imposes financial sanctions on political enemies to hinder their access to the global financial system.


Under Tuesday's agreement, the bank will provide a plan for further corrections within 30 days, continue the independent monitor for two more years and in the meantime require affiliates identify the name, address and country of origin for clients in its currency exchanges for U.S. dollars in amounts of $3,000 or more.



Uber hires former Obama adviser Plouffe


Uber is stepping up its political game with a high-powered new hire.


The taxi-alternative service is hiring a former White House adviser to lead its campaign for acceptance in the 170 cities around the world where it operates.


David Plouffe is best known for running President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign. He is joining Uber as senior vice president of policy and strategy in September, bringing a campaign mindset to a company that has faced resistance in some U.S. cities from the taxi industry and regulators.


Uber's app lets smartphone users locate nearby part-time drivers for the service, who use their own cars to ferry around passengers, as well as locate yellow cabs in cities like New York.


The service has run into opposition from taxi services and local governments in some cities, due to safety fears and complaints that it can dodge rules taxicabs must follow.


In a blog post, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick compared privately held Uber to a political candidate competing against "the Big Taxi cartel," which has used "decades of political contributions and influence to restrict competition, reduce choice for consumers, and put a stranglehold on economic opportunity for its drivers."


He said Plouffe's "expertise, wisdom, and strategic mindset" is a good choice for the San Francisco-based startup. Kalanick said Uber services have reduced drunken-driving incidents, generated jobs and improved local economies.


Plouffe was the architect of Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and a top White House adviser as Obama won re-election.


He is expected to remain on the board of directors for the Barack Obama Foundation, which is selecting a location for Obama's presidential library, but will depart the advisory board for Organizing for Action, a group advocating for Obama's policies.



Ken Thomas contributed to this report from Washington.


WWII bomb found near Frankfurt airport


A World War II bomb found Tuesday next to a highway near Frankfurt airport was disposed of in a controlled explosion, causing some disruption to flight operations.


A stretch of the A3 highway near Offenbach, outside Frankfurt, was closed Tuesday after the 500-kilogram British bomb was found.


Police shut off a 1,000-meter (1094-yard) area around the site. They destroyed the bomb in a controlled explosion after deciding that it wasn't possible to defuse the device, news agency dpa reported.


One airport runway was closed for landings because planes weren't allowed to fly directly over the site. Plans called for landings to be suspended altogether for a time.


It wasn't immediately clear how much disruption was caused, though the airport arrivals board showed several delayed flights.


Allied airplanes dropped millions of tons of ordnance on Germany during World War II. Unexploded bombs are still found frequently.



Anna Nicole Smith's estate loses bid for millions


The estate of Anna Nicole Smith has failed in its final bid to obtain her late husband's money, seven years after the death of the Playboy model and reality TV star.


A federal judge in Orange County on Monday rejected the effort to obtain about $44 million from the estate of Texas billionaire J. Howard Marshall, whom Smith married in 1994 when he was 89 and she was 26. The oil tycoon died the next year. His will left his $1.6 billion estate to his son and nothing to Smith.


Smith, under her real name of Vickie Lynn Marshall, challenged the will, claiming that her husband promised to leave her more than $300 million above the cash and gifts showered on her during their 14-month marriage. A Houston jury said Marshall was mentally fit and under no undue pressure when he wrote the will.


Over the course of nearly 20 years, the Texas bankruptcy court and local and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, all rejected Smith's various attempts to overturn Marshall's will and trust and to obtain money from his estate.


The efforts continued even after Smith died of an accidental drug overdose in February 2007.


On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter denied a request from Smith's estate to sanction the estate of Marshall's son, E. Pierce Marshall.


"Time spent litigating the relationship between Vickie Lynn and J. Howard has extended for nearly five times the length of their relationship and nearly twenty times the length of their marriage. It is neither reasonable nor practical to go forward," the judge said in his ruling. He noted that it was the last surviving piece of decades of litigation.


"The American taxpayer has supported the burden of this litigation for many years, and it is time for this suit to no longer 'drag its weary length before the Court,'" Carter concluded, quoting a Supreme Court decision in the case that itself quoted Charles Dickens' "Bleak House."


An email message for Howard K. Stern, the executor of Smith's estate, was not immediately returned Tuesday.


G. Eric Brunstad Jr., attorney for the Marshall family, said in a statement that the family agreed with the judge that it was time to stop the litigation.



Graphic Packaging to upgrade West Monroe mill


Graphic Packaging International Inc. says it's making a $41.5 million investment in its paper mill in West Monroe to upgrade production machinery.


Company officials and Gov. Bobby Jindal announced the new investment Tuesday. They say the move will help Graphic Packaging retain 1,340 employees at its three Louisiana sites.


The upgrades will include expansion of the facility's fiber storage capacity and improvements to the dryer section, coater and stock cleaning areas. They also will help reduce the site's environmental footprint, including improvements in the handling of solid waste.


The project follows the company's 2012 enhancement of its consumer carton production, also in West Monroe.


Graphic Packaging, based in Atlanta, Georgia, produces paperboard for use in beverage and other consumer-based packaging.



UCC to maintain exams boycott, blames politicians


BEIRUT: The Union Coordination Committee announced Tuesday that it would stay committed to its decision to boycott the correcting of official exams, with the long-awaited salary raise for public sector workers still to be approved.


The union berated politicians for giving students passing certificates in spite of its protest.


“Education Minister Elias Bou Saab and the Cabinet which backed his decision are the ones responsible for issuing the certificates,” the UCC statement said.


“You disagree in politics, but you are united in attacking our rights and attacking the Union Coordination Committee,” the statement added, addressing Cabinet ministers.


The union said it had been left with no choice but to maintain its boycott, vowing to file a lawsuit with the help of former Interior Minister and lawyer Ziad Baroud to prevent the certificates from being distributed.


Stressing that it would be drawing up a new action plan for the coming period, the UCC said the 2014-15 academic year would commence “normally” on Sept. 1.


The Representative Council for the Public Administration League echoed the UCC’s sentiments, calling for a general strike Thursday “in all ministries, administrations, governorates, qadas and municipalities,” and a protest at 11 a.m. facing the Economy Ministry in the Azarieh Building in Downtown Beirut.


The UCC convened a meeting to settle a disagreement between teachers on whether they should go back on the decision to boycott the grading of exams. The Secondary School Teachers League, headed by Hanna Gharib, had called for a continuation of the boycott, while Nehme Mahfoud’s Association of Private School Teachers had said it would mark the exams for the sake of “protecting the students’ academic futures.”


Earlier in the day, Parliament’s Education Committee recommended that lawmakers draft a law to legalize the passing certificates, stressing that the decision to issue them would be final, even if the teachers changed their minds about the boycott.


Bou Saab said he had made the controversial decision to issue certificates to deter the UCC from using students as a tool against politicians in their mission to get the wage hike to pass in Parliament.


Bou Saab pointed to precedent in an effort to justify his decision, saying certificates had been issued in the past with Parliament approval.


“The legalization of certificates occurred in 1975, 1978, 1980, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1991,” he said.


As for the military school, which usually asks that applicants have at least a 60-percent average in the Grade 12 official exams, Bou Saab said the defense minister and the Army would meet to find a solution. An Education Ministry source told The Daily Star that the passing certificates would be given not only to students who actually took the official exams, but to all who had applied for them.


The candidacy card, a document given to the students allowing them to attend the exams, will be enough to ensure they pass, even if they did not attend. While most students applying to university this year likely attended the exams, there are a number of applicants each year who do not show up.


Separately, the Education Committee tasked Bou Saab with contacting the head of the Lebanese University to recommend establishing an entrance exam as a prerequisite for all its faculties.


According to the committee’s recommendation, any student with a passing certificate who wishes to enter the LU for the next academic year should take an entrance exam.


Only a few of the LU’s faculties have required incoming students to take entrance tests in previous years. However, the education minister’s decision to give passing certificates to all Grade 12 students means that even those who might have failed the official exam would be eligible for admission.


Bou Saab said the high number of incoming students at private universities should be filtered with entrance exams, and urged the LU to do the same. He also said the challenging first year of university would be enough to weed out students who did not deserve to attend.


Bou Saab said he was surprised the UCC was still holding meetings. “They have already missed the train and the certificates have become a fact,” he said. “Instead, they should discuss how to continue with their union work.”


In what seemed to be a response to this comment, a UCC source told LBCI that the parliamentary committee was “supposed to discuss the salary scale.”


For the past three years, the UCC has spearheaded ongoing nationwide protests and held open-ended strikes calling for the legislation that would enable the pay rise. However, the Parliament, which extended its mandate for 17 months in May 2013 and is likely to extend it again this month, has failed to enact the long-awaited draft law.



Astorino unveils jobs plan in NY governor race


Republican gubernatorial hopeful Rob Astorino unveiled a plan to boost New York's economy Tuesday that calls for lower taxes, less red tape, hydraulic fracturing for natural gas and incentives for high-tech industries and agriculture.


One of Astorino's more unusual proposals is no highway tolls for farmers taking their goods to market.


The plan is one of the most comprehensive yet from the Westchester County executive, who is challenging Gov. Andrew Cuomo's bid for a second term, and highlights an issue that both candidates say is a top priority: how to boost New York's business climate and increase jobs, particularly in upstate regions grappling with decades of economic malaise.


"With the right policies in Albany, we absolutely can take New York out of the economic doldrums and get people working again with good paying jobs," Astorino said.


Astorino's plan calls for a review of thousands of state regulations and mandates that he says drive up the cost of operating a business in New York. He said he would eliminate incorporation fees for limited liability corporations and partnerships, and reduce the wait times for government permitting.


His plan would also stop increases in state spending, eliminate a utility tax and impose a permanent cap on local property taxes. He wants to use billions of dollars in recent bank settlements on roads, bridges and mass transit.


To attract more investment, Astorino is pitching tax incentives for high-tech startups and new farms. He's also proposing regional workforce development councils to better coordinate the vocational efforts of high schools, community colleges and local industries.


Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the most contentious part of Astorino's plan. Astorino has said it would be a boon for rural areas of the state, but environmental advocates and many Democrats warn of environmental risk. The state now has a de facto ban on fracking as Cuomo's administration continues to study its health effects.


In response to Astorino's plan, state Democrats stepped forward to defend Cuomo, citing his work to cut taxes and improve the business climate.


"Gov. Cuomo's strong leadership is working for New York," said Peter Kauffmann, a spokesman for the state's Democratic Committee. "When Governor Cuomo took office, New York faced a $10 billion deficit and state government was dysfunctional. After four consecutive on-time balanced budgets, with 500,000 new jobs created and the most jobs in state history, New York's economy is on the move once again."



Private prison company pays $8M in back wages


The nation's largest private prison company, Corrections Corp. of America, has paid more than $8 million in back wages and benefits to current and former employees guarding federal inmates at a prison in California City, officials with the U.S. Department of Labor said Tuesday.


The payments came after an investigation found that the federal prison subcontractor underpaid 362 employees at the California City Correctional Center under the terms of its contract, where pay rates are established by law.


In some cases, employees were paid 30 to 40 percent less than they were supposed to be paid, said Eduardo Huerta, assistant director of the department's wage and hour division.


Many employees recouped more than $30,000 in back pay, benefits, overtime and holiday pay, officials said, and had worked at the lesser pay rate for up to five years.


The facility houses federal inmates being detained by the U.S. Marshal and federal immigration authorities, as well as state inmates. The back wages only applied to CCA employees working with federal inmates.


Jonathan Burns, a spokesman for the company, did not have an immediate comment.


"If somebody was supposed to be making $30 an hour, they were making $20 an hour instead," Huerta said.


"The people that get these federal monies from a federal agency to get one of these contracts have to abide by the wage rates."


The company also wasn't making the required contributions to health and life insurance and retirement accounts, he said. The investigation also found record-keeping violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, include inaccurate recording of breaks, lunches and overall hours worked.


Corrections Corp. of America — the fifth-largest prison system in the nation — has come under scrutiny before.


In Kentucky, it paid $260,000 last week to settle claims that it denied overtime to shift supervisors and forced them to work extra hours.


In Kansas, CCA and a group of collections officers, case managers and clerks settled in 2009 in federal court over allegations of unpaid overtime. CCA agreed to pay a maximum of $7 million but did not acknowledge fault in the case.


Idaho announced this year that it would not renew a $29 million-a-year contract with the private prison company and began the process of returning operations of the state's largest prison, in Boise, to state control.


The facility was sued and plagued by accusations of violence, gang activity and understaffing after the private prison contractor took it over.


Corrections Corp. of America operates detention centers for federal, state and local governments in 20 states in the U.S. and houses nearly 80,000 inmates at 60 facilities.


California City is about 110 miles northeast of Los Angeles.



EPA launches probe of alleged pollution by Tyson


The Environmental Protection Agency has begun an investigation of Tyson Foods' role in a discharge of a food supplement that allegedly led to pure ammonia flowing into a southwest Missouri creek, killing more than 100,000 fish.


The discharge on May 16 allegedly caused the wastewater plant in Monett to fail and allowed a chemical to flow into nearby Clear Creek, The Joplin Globe reported (http://bit.ly/1rShnPe ).


The EPA did not immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press Tuesday.


The company revealed the investigation earlier this month in its quarterly notice to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.


"We're cooperating with the Environmental Protection Agency in its investigation, as we have with state and local agencies regarding this incident," company spokesman Worth Sparkman said Monday.


The Missouri Department of Natural Resources found that Tyson's pre-treatment plant in Monett treated wastewater containing Alimet, a liquid animal feed supplement, that it had received another Tyson operation in Aurora. After the water was pre-treated, it was discharged to Monett's sewage system. The compound killed the bacteria that process the wastewater effluent in Monett's plant, causing virtually undiluted ammonia to flow into Clear Creek. It is unclear how much Alimet was discharged.


Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed a six-count civil lawsuit against Tyson after the spill, seeking fines, compensation for damage to the stream and reimbursement for the costs of the state's investigation.


Koster said at the time his lawsuit was filed that he did not pursue criminal charges because he had no evidence that Tyson knowingly dumped the chemical into the water. But he said, "there was negligence involved, and people will be held responsible."


The DNR issued notices of violation against Tyson Foods and the city of Monett after the spill but the department said it believed Tyson was responsible for the discharge.



Lawmakers target immigrant driver's license scams


Legislation sent to the governor's desk Tuesday intends to crack down on people who try to make immigrants pay unnecessary fees for driver's licenses.


Under a law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last year, California will start issuing licenses to immigrants in the U.S. illegally in 2015.


Immigration advocates and police officials say scammers have responded by charging immigrants up to $1,000 to help obtain licenses that are not even available yet. Some scammers even posed as state officials and lawyers, according to the San Jose Police Department.


The bill, AB852, by Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento, slaps a $2,500 penalty on those who try to profit from filling out applications. The state Assembly on Tuesday approved his bill on a 64-9 vote with no spoken opposition.


Once the forms are final, the California Department of Motor Vehicles plans to offer free help, including translators, to immigrants applying for the licenses. Dickinson says the bill would help stop the perception that third-party agents and extra fees are necessary to obtain driver's licenses.


"This bill is vitally important to protect those who are most vulnerable and at risk of being taken advantage of," said Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Watsonville, who authored the original legislation creating the driver's license programs.


The special licenses can be used as proof of identity, but not as work authorization. People born in the U.S. who do not have their birth certificates also would be able to apply.


Also Tuesday, lawmakers sent the governor the following bills:


— AB2189 by Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, which would mandate suicide-prevention training for mental health professionals starting in 2016. It would set one-time training requirements for licensed psychologists, social workers, family therapists and counselors. It would require 15 hours of training for new professionals, and six hours of continuing education for those already licensed. Some professional groups opposed the bill, saying that not all professionals specialize in areas where they deal with suicidal clients. The state Assembly sent the bill to the governor on a 50-9 vote.


— SB1135 by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, which prohibits forced sterilizations of female inmates in California for birth control, except in cases where the patient's life is in danger or it is needed to treat a medical condition. It also requires a second physician to consult with a patient about the effects of the procedure. It comes after a report last year by the Center for Investigative Reporting found that female inmates at two California prisons underwent forced sterilizations as recently as 2010. The Senate sent the bill to the governor on a 33-0 vote.



Ballmer steps down from Microsoft board


Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is stepping down from the company's board, closing a chapter on 34 years with the software giant.


Ballmer says he plans to devote more time to his ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers, civic contributions, study and teaching a business class at Stanford in the fall.


Microsoft Corp. published Ballmer's resignation letter on its website Tuesday along with a response from current CEO Satya Nadella thanking him and wishing him well.


The 58-year-old says he plans to hold on to his Microsoft stock and will continue to offer feedback on products and strategy. With 333.3 million shares worth $15 billion, Ballmer's 4 percent stake in the company makes him the largest individual shareholder. A few institutional investors hold slightly more.


"I bleed Microsoft — have for 34 years and I always will," Ballmer wrote. "I will be proud, and I will benefit through my share ownership. I promise to support and encourage boldness by management in my role as a shareholder in any way I can."


Ballmer stepped down as chief executive in February, and since then Microsoft shares have risen about 24 percent. The stock closed Tuesday up 0.5 percent at $45.33. He noted his resignation from the board comes as the company prepares for its next shareholder meeting set for sometime this fall.


Nadella thanked Ballmer for his support during the transition period and used the opportunity to reiterate the company's new focus on mobile devices and cloud computing.


"Under your leadership, we created an incredible foundation that we continue to build on — and Microsoft will thrive in the mobile-first, cloud-first world," Nadella said.


Ballmer's departure leaves Microsoft's board with 10 members. It has no immediate plans to replace him. The company, which is based in Redmond, Washington, adds a new board member about once every year or so. The most recent addition was John Stanton, chairman of wireless technology investment fund Trilogy Equity Partners, in July.


Robert Breza, an analyst with Sterne Agee & Leach, said Ballmer still lives in the Seattle area and will no doubt be accessible if needed.


"Steve will still be relevant for the next two years if someone asks him a question," Breza said. "It gives them the chance to remake the board. At the end of the day it's a good thing."


In February, co-founder Bill Gates increased the amount of time he spent at Microsoft as a technology adviser at Nadella's request, but other than his board seat, Ballmer hadn't had a formal role after stepping down as CEO.


Ballmer's resignation from the board came a day after he high-fived and chest-bumped his way through a crowd of 4,500 Clippers fans at a rally at the Staples Center. He bought the team for $2 billion in a sale that a judge confirmed last week.


---


Online:


Ballmer letter: http://bit.ly/YvzjH7



AP Exclusive: US changing no-fly list rules


The Obama administration is promising to change the way travelers can ask to be removed from its no-fly list of suspected terrorists banned from air travel.


The decision comes after a federal judge's ruling that there was no meaningful way to challenge the designation, a situation deemed unconstitutional. In response, the Justice Department said the U.S. will change the process during the next six months. As of late last summer, about 48,000 people were on the no-fly list.


The government's policy is never to confirm or deny that a person actually is on the no-fly list, citing national security concerns. In most instances, travelers assume they are on the list because they are instructed to go through additional screening at airports or because they are told they can't board their flights to, from or within the United States.


The no-fly list is one of the government's most controversial post-9/11 counterterrorism programs because of its lack of due process, long criticized because people cannot know why they were placed on the list and lack a way to fight the decision. Changing how people can challenge their designation could amount to one of the government's most significant adjustments to how it manages the list.


"It's long past time for the government to revamp its general procedures," said Hina Shamsi, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union.


Shamsi is among the attorneys who represent 13 plaintiffs who sued the federal government over the current policy, saying it violates their constitutional right to due process. Earlier this summer, a federal judge in Portland, Oregon, agreed with them. The Portland case is one of five around the country challenging some aspect of the terror watch lists.


So far, the government is offering few details about upcoming changes. In a court filing earlier this month, it said it will "endeavor to increase transparency for certain individuals denied boarding who believe they are on the No Fly List."


One of the plaintiffs in the Portland lawsuit, Abe Mashal, was unable to print his boarding pass before a flight out of Chicago four years ago. A counter representative told him he was on the no-fly list and would not be allowed to board. Mashal was surrounded by about 30 law enforcement officials, he said.


Mashal appealed the same day but six months later the government responded, "no changes or corrections are warranted at this time." He appealed the decision in May 2011. Nine months later, the government said its ruling was final.


The appeals process, known as redress, was started in 2007. The government receives tens of thousands of applications a year, according to court documents.


But 99 percent of those complaints are unrelated to the terror watch lists, the current director of the Terrorist Screening Center, Christopher Piehota, said in a November 2010 declaration related to a California no-fly list lawsuit. At the time, Piehota was deputy director of operations at the center, which determines whether someone is appropriately on a terror watch list.


In 2013, 752 redress complaints were shared with the Terrorist Screening Center, according to information provided by the government in a separate federal lawsuit out of Virginia. Formal complaints led the U.S. to remove 100 people from a broad terror watch list, the no-fly list and a separate list of people who require additional screening at airports, the government said. It described the 752 complaints as just 1 percent of the total redress requests, indicating it received about 75,000 that year.


The screening center considered only 227 requests in 2009. After a near-miss terror attack on Christmas Day that year, the government revamped its watch-listing system and lowered the standard for the no-fly list. The number of people banned from air travel surged from about 3,400 at the end of 2009 to about 48,000 late last summer, intelligence officials have told The Associated Press.


After someone complains under the process, the government conducts a review. Once complete, the applicant is given a redress number to use when booking air travel reservations. Often this is done to resolve problems for people with similar names as someone on a terror watch list.


Mashal, a Marine veteran who is now a dog trainer, said being on the no-fly list has cost him business clients and stopped him from attending a wedding, funeral and graduation.


After three years of avoiding air travel, Mashal purchased a ticket last summer. He was able to print his boarding pass at home, which he said was the first sign he might no longer be on the list. In 2013, he flew in June and October without incident. But he said he never knows what to expect.


"It's always something I have to think about now, because nobody knows why I got put on the list, and nobody knows why they took me off," Mashal said. "It's always on my mind."


The Justice Department said it would reconsider Mashal's and the other Portland plaintiffs' requests after making its changes to the redress process. A judge will determine whether that is an appropriate response.



Associated Press writer Nigel Duara contributed to this report from Portland, Oregon.


Cabinet agrees poll decree, no vote expected


BEIRUT: The Cabinet signed a decree Tuesday calling on the electorate to vote in parliamentary elections scheduled for November, but the move is not expected to boost the chances of holding the polls on time.


The Cabinet’s unanimous decision was quickly praised by Speaker Nabih Berri as the “first step” toward holding parliamentary elections.


However, the Cabinet move, which came 18 hours after the expiry of the legal deadline to publish the decree, does not necessary mean that parliamentary polls will be held on time, given warnings by Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk and other officials that security conditions are not favorable for holding the elections.


Prime Minister Tammam Salam proposed the decree calling on the electorate to participate in the elections. The decree was not on the Cabinet agenda, but there was no debate and all ministers agreed to sign it.


“The signing of the decree 18 hours after the deadline to issue it is not considered as a legal violation and does not need a draft law from Parliament to extend the deadline,” a ministerial source said.


“The Cabinet’s approval to call the electorate without a debate means that the government has done its legal duty and now it is up to Parliament to decide if it wants to extend its mandate technically, for a short period or for two years and seven months, as proposed by MP Nicolas Fattoush,” the source said.


During the Cabinet session, Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil telephoned Berri to inform him of the signing of the decree.“This decree is the first step on the road to parliamentary elections. It indicates that I am right in my stance in rejecting the extension of Parliament’s term,” Berri was quoted by visitors as saying.


He lamented that Parliament, whose term was extended by 17 months last year, had failed to approve a new electoral law and elect a new president.


“I am not thinking of my personal interests to stay as Parliament speaker. I have been for years the dean of parliamentary speakers in the world. But what is the value of extending the mandate of a Parliament that does not meet to elect a president and does not meet to legislate?” Berri asked.


The decree calling on the electorate to vote should have been published before Aug. 18, as constitutionally it must be published within 90 days of the parliamentary polls scheduled for Nov. 16.


Although he sent the decree to the Cabinet for approval earlier this month, Machnouk had said last week that security agencies had advised against holding the parliamentary elections, a move that set the stage for a possible extension of Parliament’s mandate, which expires on Nov. 20. Machnouk, who was on a private trip abroad, did not attend Tuesday’s session.


The Cabinet move comes as attempts to extend Parliament’s term moved into high gear last week, after Fattoush submitted a draft proposal for the extension of the legislative body’s term by two years and seven months.


In discussing other matters, the Cabinet postponed decisions on the issues of water supplies and waste disposal, including the renewal of the contract of Sukleen, the company responsible for the collection of garbage from the streets of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, which expires at the end of this month.


The Cabinet approved the building of 13 colleges and some institutes, as well as giving a license to the building of a university college for non-violence and human rights, while postponing discussion on licenses for other private universities, Information Minister Ramzi Joreige said after the five-hour meeting.


Ministerial sources said the Cabinet had approved licenses for 13 colleges out of 30 requests and approved a license for one private university out of requests for six universities.



U.S. reaffirms support for Lebanese independence


Prisoner committee meets with Salam


Family and friends of prisoners held in Israeli jails urge the prime minister to seek help from the international...



Hezbollah kills jihadist who trained suicide bombers


BEIRUT: Hezbollah has killed an ISIS commander allegedly responsible for preparing suicide bombers for attacks in Lebanon, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday.


The activist group reported that a roadside bomb killed Abu Abdullah al-Iraqi when his vehicle passed through Syria’s Qalamoun region, an area bordering Lebanon where Hezbollah is assisting Syrian troops in rooting out rebels. The bombing also killed three other jihadists.


Iraqi was responsible for the suicide attacks that targeted Lebanese areas where Hezbollah enjoyed broad support, the Observatory said.


Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV reported early Tuesday that Iraqi, who was in charge of training suicide bombers and rigging vehicles with explosives, was killed in a Syrian army operation in Qalamoun.


Al-Akhbar newspaper, which is close to Hezbollah, said Iraqi was killed in an operation carried out by Hezbollah and the Syrian army.


The daily said Iraqi had been the ISIS commander in Qalamoun. He was responsible, in addition to training suicide bombers, for a number of car bombings that targeted civilians in Beirut’s southern suburbs and the Bekaa Valley, Al-Akhbar said.


The paper said he had “personally supervised” the purchase of cars from Lebanon before rigging them with explosives in Qalamoun and sending them back to be detonated.


Iraqi had fled Yabroud with a group of loyalists in March after Hezbollah and Syrian government forces recaptured the town, a major rebel stronghold near the Lebanese border, the report said.


It said Hezbollah had kept a close watch on him until they were able to kill him along with his group.


Earlier this year, the Syrian army and Hezbollah regained most of the Qalamoun region, but pockets of opposition fighters, including jihadists, have found refuge there in the mountainous area between Syria and Lebanon.



Elite Palestinian force makes headway in Ain al-Hilweh


SIDON, Lebanon: The deployment of the elite Palestinian forces in the southern camp of Ain al-Hilweh has served to curb numerous crimes, security sources told The Daily Star. More than a month has passed since the deployment of the 150-member strong security force, and the situation in Lebanon’s largest refugee camp has been relatively stable as a result, sources agreed.


As the forces have successfully taken control of the camp, residents have agreed not to countenance the presence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) in their quarters.


However, the group’s ideology has attracted young men in the camp, who would like to see the caliphate it promises materialize. The latter don’t comprise a cohesive group and are unlikely to have much of an impact, sources in the camp said.


According to informed sources, the elite forces have been closely monitoring such individuals to make sure their movements don’t exceed admiration for ISIS.


Sources also told The Daily Star that all Islamic Palestinian factions, including radical ones, have been fully cooperating with the Lebanese authorities over security issues.


Hamas has been playing a major role in maintaining stability in Ain al-Hilweh, as it now controls security and financial matters. It has also come a long way to establish good relations with Hezbollah.


Notably, Al-Shabab al-Muslim, a new group made up of former members of Jund al-Sham and Fatah al-Islam, have been controlling just a few of the camp’s neighborhoods. On several occasions they threatened to obstruct the work of the elite force.


However, Hamas stepped in and threatened to use force against them, compelling them to tone down their menaces.


According to a security source, a Hamas official convened a meeting with a number of Palestinian jihadist groups and asked them not to be involved in external incidents.


The official emphasized that no faction was willing to use weapons or engage in clashes in Lebanon.


According to the source, the official said Hamas would be harsh with fundamentalist movements, adding that it would not hesitate to attack Salafists in the camp if they broke the movement’s rules.


Nevertheless, sources within the camp said that some Al-Qaeda members are still present in Ain al-Hilweh camp, including Bahaa al-Deen Hujeir, who is wanted by the Lebanese authorities.


For their part, Lebanese security sources explained that three days ago an unknown assailant set a book on fire and threw it at a checkpoint in the Taamir neighborhood, by the camp’s entrance.


According to the sources, such a move aimed at creating strife between the Army and Islamists. However, Ain al-Hilweh’s Islamic factions were well aware that the move was concocted to create problems with the military.


The Lebanese security forces also revealed that they managed, in collaboration with numerous informants, to locate illicit weapons and explosives that were hidden in warehouses in the camp.


In all, the deployment of the elite forces has served to improve the people’s trust in the camp’s leadership.


Many residents said they were willing to join the Hamas movement and withdraw their membership from other Palestinian ones.


The movement has, in recent years, been spending money on social services and bolstering educational opportunities and offering financial aid to those in need of surgery.


Sources in the camp said that during meetings Hamas officials have been invoking the Gazan war as a means to remind Palestinians about their original cause and enemy, Israel.


With Israeli aggression in Gaza ongoing, Hamas was able to raise thousands of dollars from mosques and hold protests in Ain al-Hilweh.


Informed sources added that Hamas’ activities had dramatically strengthened the last protest organized by Palestinian factions in Tyre.


Separately, the Future Movement in the south held a meeting Tuesday with a delegation of the Palestinian National Security Forces at their headquarters in Sidon.


South Lebanon coordinator for the Future Movement Nasser Hammoud praised the work of the forces in maintaining stability in the Ain al-Hilweh.


“This has had a positive impact on the camp and Sidon, since they’re both part of one,” Hamoud said after the meeting.


“Gen. Sobhi Abu Arab assured us that the security situation in the camp is stable and that the Palestinian forces are in full control.”


For his part, Abu Arab, who heads the Palestinian National Security Forces, said he had briefed Hamoud the latest updates from the camp.


Also, a delegation from Hezbollah, headed by Sheikh Abdul Majeed Amar, visited a number of Sidon officials including the city’s Mayor Mohammad Saudi, Sidon Mufti Sheikh Salim Sousan and the head of Popular Nasserite Organization Osama Saad to follow-up on the latest developments after the clashes in Arsal.


For his part, Saudi believed that the relationship between Hezbollah and Sidon would remain strong, despite their differences.



Freeing soldiers ‘needs decisiveness’


BEIRUT: Negotiators working to gain the release of Lebanese soldiers captured by militants said Tuesday that the matter required decisiveness on the part of the government, as Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi reassured relatives of the troops soldiers that securing their return was of utmost importance to the military. The Army chief met with the families of soldiers captured by Islamist militants, telling them that “the case of the missing soldiers is the main priority of the Army’s leadership,” and would remain at the forefront of its concerns until their members were safely returned to their families.


Kahwagi also commended the courage of soldiers who died during the five-day clashes in the border town of Arsal earlier this month, killing dozens of gunmen and at least 19 soldiers. The fighting was instigated by the arrest of a Syrian opposition commander, Imad Jomaa, who recently pledged allegiance to ISIS.


“Their blood protected Lebanon from division and collapse, and prevented the fire of strife from reaching the heart of the country,” he said.


The militants, part of both the Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS), are still holding 19 soldiers and 14 members of the Internal Security Forces, but released six policemen a, sign of goodwill to encourage negotiations after the clashes ended.


A delegation comprised of sheikhs from the Muslim Scholars Committee successfully brokered a truce that ended the five-day clashes. The committeeis now mediating between both parties, the government and the militants, to free the remaining security personnel and soldiers. The task, explained Sheikh Hossam al-Ghali, the delegation’s top negotiator, has so far been hindered by misunderstandings and interference from other actors, and the latter threatened to undermine the efforts of the sheikhs.


“Different negotiators are stepping in,” he said. “The negotiation isn’t only being conducted by the Muslim Scholars Committee, there are different negotiators now, and this gives the militants different options and they will choose the one that best suits them.”


So far two Syrian go-betweens are reportedly involved, either directly or tangentially, in negotiations, including a former Free Syrian Army spokesperson Ahmad al-Qusair and Arsal native Shiekh Mustafa Hujeiri. A handful of Syrian clerics are also rumored to be involved, but The Daily Star could not identify them.


From the government side, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Khair, the head of the Higher Relief Committee was representing the government in the negotiations, said Ghali.


The arrests of 12 suspected Syrian militants in and around Arsal last week, as well as charges brought against 43 alleged jihadists, including Jomaa, accused of carrying out terrorist acts and attacking the Army, undercut the trust the group had formed with the militants. Among those charged were commanders of the Nusra Front, ISIS and the Farouk Brigade, the men engaged in negotiations with Ghali and his delegation.


“When the news came, it definitely made the fighters more tense,” he said, referring to the charges. “The raids and arrests, might seem like a small thing, but when the news reaches the fighters it makes them see the military as untrustworthy.”


Once the charges had been pressed the delegation members had to “spend a lot of time” to explain to the militants that the judicial authority differed from the government, and that the latter was still a viable negotiating partner, according to member Sheikh Adnan Amama.


The militants presented a list of demands to the government Monday, the contents of which the group was not permitted to disclose. But Amama confirmed the demands did not “come out of the blue.”


“They are basically humanitarian demands and promises to ensure their safety, and for the government to commit [to the demands],” Amama said. The militants had previously conditioned their withdrawal from Arsal on the protection of Syrian refugees in Arsal. Unconfirmed reports had also circulated that the release of Roumieh prisoners figured prominently in the demands, something Ghali denied. “I can’t disclose anything about the demands, but I can say one thing: The words ‘ Roumieh prison’ were never brought up during the negotiations,” he said.


Amama said the current impediment toward securing the release of the soldiers was the government’s indecision over responding to the militant’s demands.


“The government hasn’t fully decided whether to accept or reject the militants’ demands, they don’t have a clear stance,” he said. “Whereas the militants believe they have a right to their stances because they freed a number of security personnel, but have received nothing in return.”


Another member of the delegation, who requested anonymity, was less diplomatic in his appraisal: “In my personal opinion, the government doesn’t have a plan, and if there is a plan, I don’t know about it.”


Meanwhile, the Future Movement underlined the need for “serious work and an intensive follow-up” in the case of the release of captured soldiers, in a statement issued after the bloc’s weekly meeting. – Additional reporting by Ghinwa Obeid



Health Ministry: Hospitals are not refusing patients



BEIRUT: The Health Ministry and the Syndicate of Hospitals have denied that hospitals would refrain from receiving patients in protest of the state’s failure to pay dues, saying the reported statement was not issued on behalf of the syndicate.


“The statement that was issued two days ago and threatened not to receive patients, was bogus and was not issued by the Syndicate of Hospitals,” Health Minister Wael Abu Faour told reporters after meeting with the syndicate's president, Sleiman Haroun.


“The hospital or two that wrote this statement can, if they want, cancel their contracts with the state.”


“I dare them to try not to receive patients, I am ready to cancel their contracts and we will see if they could go on,” he said.


On Sunday, the National News Agency posted a statement attributed to the Syndicate of Hospitals, which warned that they would turn away patients on welfare unless the government began paying down the more than $113 million it owed them.


The statement said that hospitals were unable to provide medical services in light of the state's delay in paying financial dues, and demanded an increase in the payments.


Haroun also spoke after the meeting, saying the syndicate did not issue the statement and the numbers mentioned were inaccurate.


“We have an understanding between the Health Ministry and hospitals would not take any measure that would affect the patient over financial reasons,” he said.


The Health Ministry has said it would pay the $80 million in overdue payments to hospitals. Haroun said that the debt was incurred between 2000 and 2012 as a result of emergency treatments that the hospitals provided above the legally required ceiling.



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Japan's NSK fined by China in anti-monopoly case


A Japanese auto parts supplier, NSK Ltd., said Tuesday it was fined $28.2 million by Chinese anti-monopoly regulators in an unfolding probe of the industry.


In a statement, Tokyo-based NSK gave no details of the offenses of which it was accused. The company said it was cooperating with authorities.


Regulators have launched a series of anti-monopoly investigations against global automakers and technology suppliers under China's 6-year-old anti-monopoly law in a possible effort to force down prices.


An official said earlier that 11 Japanese companies in the auto industry violated the law but none had been publicly identified.


Regulators have disclosed few details about the basis for their investigation but one agency said Monday that Mercedes Benz was guilty of "vertical price-fixing." It said the company, a unit of Germany's Daimler AG, used its control over supplies of replacement parts to charge excessive prices.


That appeared to confirm suggestions Chinese regulators were motivated by complaints about the high price of imported luxury vehicles and replacement parts.


NSK supplies ball bearings and other components to auto factories in China.


Officials have said Volkswagen AG's Audi luxury unit and Fiat Chrysler Automobile NV's Chrysler also violated the law. Toyota Motor Co. has said its Lexus unit is under scrutiny.


Business groups welcomed the enactment of China's anti-monopoly law in 2008 as a step toward clarifying operating conditions. Since then, they have said it is enforced more actively against foreign companies than against local rivals.


Regulators also have announced investigations of Qualcomm Inc., a San Diego, California-based maker of chips used in mobile phones, and software giant Microsoft Corp.


Last year, Chinese regulators fined five foreign dairies and one from Hong Kong a total of $108 million on charges they violated the anti-monopoly law by setting minimum prices their distributors were required to charge.



Home Depot 2Q profit climbs 14 percent


Home Depot's fiscal second-quarter net income increased 14 percent thanks to a rebound in its spring selling season.


Spring is the biggest season for home-improvement retailers, as homeowners and others work on their yards and gardens. While the season started off a bit cold and rainy, weather improved and shoppers headed out to stores to pick up supplies.


The No. 1 home improvement retailer's quarterly performance beat analysts' estimates, and the Atlanta company raised its full-year earnings forecast again.


Shares of Home Depot rose in Tuesday premarket trading.


For the three months ended Aug. 3, Home Depot Inc. earned $2.05 billion, or $1.52 per share. A year earlier it earned $1.8 billion, or $1.24 per share.


Analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research predicted earnings of $1.44 per share.


Home Depot's stock gained $2.53, or 3 percent, to $86.12 before the market open.


Revenue climbed nearly 6 percent to $23.81 billion from $22.52 billion. This beat Wall Street's forecast of $23.57 billion.


Sales at stores open at least a year, a key gauge of a retailer's health, rose 5.8 percent. In the U.S., the metric increased 6.4 percent.


Sales at stores open at least a year excludes results from stores recently opened or closed.


Aside from the better weather, Home Depot has been helped of late by an improving U.S. housing market. Home prices have started to rise, and there's been steady job growth and fewer troubled loans dating back to the housing-bubble days. While the housing market has recently had a bit of trouble maintaining that momentum, many home owners are spending more to renovate their homes.


On Tuesday the Commerce Department reports on U.S. home construction in July. The expectation is that construction increased 8.1 percent.


Looking ahead, Home Depot now foresees fiscal 2014 earnings of $4.52 per share. Its prior outlook was for $4.42 per share. Before that, the retailer anticipated earnings of $4.38 per share.


Analysts polled by FactSet expect earnings of $4.41 per share.


The chain maintained its guidance for full-year sales to be up about 4.8 percent from the previous year. Based on 2013's revenue of $78.81 billion, this implies approximately $82.6 billion. Wall Street predicts $82.5 billion.


Home Depot's smaller rival Lowe's Cos. reports its financial results on Wednesday.



Lebanon charges fake Twitter account creator


Lebanon charges fake Twitter account creator


Judge Saqr Saqr charges Husssein al-Hussein for creating a fake Twitter account in the name of the Free Sunni Brigades...



Container shipping rise bodes well for world trade


A.P. Moller-Maersk, a shipping company that investors monitor as a bellwether for world trade, lifted Tuesday its full-year earnings outlook after reporting that its second-quarter profits nearly tripled.


The Danish group said earnings were boosted by higher freight volumes, a positive sign for global growth even as China's economic activity is slowing and Europe's is stagnant.


CEO Nils S. Andersen noted the results were "achieved in challenging markets" and helped by cost cuts and a profit on the sale of a majority stake in the company's retail business.


Net profit jumped to $2.3 billion in the three-month period that ended June 30, from $856 million in the year-earlier period. Revenues rose to $12 billion from $11 billion a year earlier.


The Copenhagen-based group said it expects results for 2014 to be "significantly above" the 2013 results of $3.8 billion. When not counting one-time gains or charges, it expects profit to be $4.5 billion, up from expectations of $4 billion.


Amid the improving results, the company decided to launch a structured share buy-back program of up to 5.6 billion kroner ($1 billion) to be carried out over a 12-month period.


Shares in Maersk jumped nearly 5 percent in early trading in Copenhagen to 13,590 kroner.


In June, Maersk saw a plan to create an alliance of the world's three biggest container shipping operators blocked by Chinese authorities. U.S. and European authorities had okayed an independently operated network with 255 vessels to start in late 2014.



American Eagle patrons can begin booking flights


Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport officially won't welcome its new commercial carrier until early November.


But patrons can begin booking flights now.


The Hattiesburg American reports (http://hatne.ws/1thBpoi ) schedules and ticket availability can be found online at www.aa.com. Three flights will connect the Hattiesburg and Meridian airports with American Eagle's Dallas-Fort Worth hub.


American Eagle service starts with a 3:40 p.m. departure Nov. 6. The airport's current carrier, Silver Airways, will provide service through Nov. 5.



UK inflation rate falls more than expected


Britain's inflation rate fell more than expected in July, to 1.6 percent from 1.9 percent in June, easing pressure on the Bank of England as it weighs when to raise interest rates.


The Office of National Statistics said Tuesday that a fall in clothing prices provided the biggest contribution to the drop in consumer price inflation. A drop in the cost of alcohol, financial services and food also contributed.


The Bank of England, which targets a 2 percent inflation rate, is assessing when to start increasing rates as the economy improves.


Samuel Tombs, senior U.K. economist at Capital Economics, says "a general environment of benign inflationary pressure will give the (Bank of England) scope to raise them at an even more gradual pace than currently anticipated by the markets."



Berri: ISIS a 'giant' that needs 'downsizing'



BEIRUT: ISIS has become a “giant” that is a danger to every party in the Middle East, Speaker Nabih Berri said, while welcoming increased efforts to “downsize” the Islamist group that has seized large swaths of Syria and Iraq.


“In an unnatural way, it grew and became a giant in Iraq and took control of 160,000 kilometers there, 15 times the size of Lebanon,” An-Nahar quoted Berri as saying. “Despite its size, it is now being downsized after needed elements were made available to destroy it because it has become a danger to every party.”


The speaker said that the “organization was just like Nusra Front, the Islam Army and other Islamist factions active in Syria and among those who make appointments for breakfast or lunch [in heaven].”


In separate remarks to Al-Joumhouria, Berri also said that Lebanon would “reap positive” results from recent developments in Iraq.


The U.S. military began airstrikes against ISIS locations in Iraq last week, encouraging Iraqi and Kurdish forces to launch operations to drive the militants out of the country.


According to An-Nahar, Berri was surprised that the U.N. and its Security Council had remained silent over the threat that ISIS posed.


“ISIS has no recognition of borders and seeks to infiltrate Lebanon ... which means they are serious in implementing their project and that [ISIS] would repeat the Arsal scenario if it had the chance,” he said, referring to five days of clashes earlier this month that pitted the Lebanese Army against militants from Syria including ISIS fighters.


The Arsal clashes raised fears in Lebanon of an imminent ISIS threat, prompting the country's leaders to stand united in their support for the military as it combats terror in Lebanon's border region.


“This challenge requires a national review and for rivals to abandon their political differences over ISIS and support the Army and security forces.”



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