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China state banks curbing deals by N. Korean clients

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YANJI (Jilin) • China is said to have ordered its state banks to start suspending transactions through accounts held by North Koreans, potentially making trade between the two countries more difficult..
YANJI (Jilin) • China is said to have ordered its state banks to start suspending transactions through accounts held by North Koreans, potentially making trade between the two countries more difficult.
Branch offices of at least three major state banks – Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Agricultural Bank of China – in the north-eastern border city of Yanji have banned North Koreans from opening accounts, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported, citing sources.
North Korean clients can still withdraw money from their existing accounts, as the banks have not frozen them, said Kyodo News. But they can no longer make deposits or send remittances. « This is being influenced by international sanctions against North Korea,  » an employee of one bank told Kyodo News.
News of the curbs comes as the United States pushes for harsher sanctions against North Korea following its sixth nuclear test. The US has circulated a revised draft resolution among its United Nations Security Council partners.
The draft includes a progressive oil embargo on North Korea, diplomats said on Sunday, according to Agence France-Presse. The Security Council was set to vote yesterday.
The bank restrictions have also been applied in Liaoning province, the main region of trade between China and North Korea, Kyodo News said, indicating that Beijing is becoming more serious about curbing Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.
The new rules could also help major Chinese banks avoid being hit by sanctions imposed by the US.
Earlier this month, US Republican congressman Peter King called out Bank of China as a potential sanction target, Bloomberg reported. He tweeted on Sept 3 that if China vetoed UN oil sanctions on North Korea, « US must sanction (anyone) doing business with (North Korea) , including Bank of China ».
China is North Korea’s major oil supplier and accounts for 90 per cent of North Korea’s official trade.
In June, the US Treasury Department set sanctions on the Bank of Dandong, severing it from the US financial system, as it accused the bank of laundering North Korean cash, AFP reported.
Chinese banks are especially vulnerable to sanctions as they had US$144 billion (S$193 billion) of assets in the US at the end of December, Federal Reserve data shows. Most of those assets are held by Bank of China and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
North Korea tested its most powerful nuclear bomb yet on Sept 3, saying it was a hydrogen device.
Yesterday, China said it has concluded that radiation levels remain normal in the provinces near the North Korean border.
Japan and South Korea last week said they had not found any atmospheric radiation in their countries.

© Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/china-state-banks-curbing-deals-by-n-korean-clients
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UN voting on weakened Pyongyang sanctions

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UNITED NATIONS/SEOUL • The United Nations Security Council was set to vote yesterday (6am today Singapore time) on a watered-down US-drafted resolution to impose new sanctions on North Korea over its latest nuclear test, diplomats said, but it was unclear whether China and Russia would support it..
UNITED NATIONS/SEOUL • The United Nations Security Council was set to vote yesterday (6am today Singapore time) on a watered-down US-drafted resolution to impose new sanctions on North Korea over its latest nuclear test, diplomats said, but it was unclear whether China and Russia would support it.
North Korea has warned the United States it would pay a « due price » for spearheading efforts for fresh sanctions over this month’s nuclear test, which followed a series of test missile launches, all in defiance of UN sanctions.
A US-drafted resolution originally calling for an oil embargo on the North, a halt to its key exports of textiles and subjecting leader Kim Jong Un to a financial and travel ban, has been weakened, apparently to placate Russia and China which both have veto powers, diplomats said.
It no longer proposes blacklisting Mr Kim and sanctions on oil and gas, a draft shows. But it still proposes a ban on textile exports.
North Korea was condemned globally for conducting its sixth nuclear test on Sept 3, which it said was of an advanced hydrogen bomb.
North Korea yesterday denounced efforts by the US to impose new sanctions against it. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the US was « going frantic » to manipulate the Security Council over Pyongyang’s nuclear test, which it said was part of « legitimate self-defensive measures ».
« In case the US eventually does rig up the illegal and unlawful ‘resolution’ on harsher sanctions, the DPRK shall make absolutely sure the US pays due price,  » the spokesman, using the North’s formal name, said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.
South Korean President Moon Jae In said last week during a visit to Russia that shutting off North Korea’s supply of oil was inevitable to bring Pyongyang to talks. But Russian President Vladimir Putin has remained firm that such sanctions would have negative humanitarian effects on North Koreans.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang yesterday stressed the need for consensus and maintaining peace. « China agrees that the UN Security Council should make a further response and necessary actions with respect to North Korea’s sixth nuclear test. »
And South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung Wha said: « I do believe that whatever makes it into the final text and is adopted by consensus hopefully will have significant consequences on the economic pressure against North Korea. »
REUTERS

© Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/un-voting-on-weakened-pyongyang-sanctions
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Kempa: Kierunek, który obraliśmy ws. Puszczy Białowieskiej, jest właściwy

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Racjonalne argumenty pokazują, że kierunek, który obraliśmy ws. Puszczy Białowieskiej, jest jedynym właściwym; tylko zniszczenie kornika spowoduje, że nie będzie dalszej degradacji tego miejsca – oceniła w poniedziałek szefowa kancelarii premiera Beata Kempa.
KE zarzuciła polskim władzom, że nie respektują postanowienia o zakazie wycinki w Puszczy Białowieskiej i wystąpiła w poniedziałek do Trybunału Sprawiedliwości UE o nałożenie kar. Minister środowiska odrzucał oskarżenia i złożył wniosek o uchylenie zakazu.
Wysłuchanie, jakie odbyło się w poniedziałek przed Trybunałem Sprawiedliwości w Luksemburgu, dotyczyło wyłącznie nakazu zaprzestania wycinki – a nie całego postępowania wobec Polski w sprawie Puszczy. Teraz, prawdopodobnie jeszcze we wrześniu, Trybunał rozstrzygnie, czy nakaz zostanie utrzymany.
Kempa była w TVP Info pytana o sytuację, gdy pełnomocniczka Komisji Europejskiej Katarzyna Hermann w trakcie posiedzenia wystąpiła o nałożenie kar okresowych na Polskę. Nie była to jednak początkowo jej inicjatywa; prawniczka złożyła ten wniosek ad hoc, po pytaniach wiceprezesa Trybunału, w jaki sposób KE chciałaby spowodować wykonanie postanowienia o wstrzymaniu wycinki.
« Widać, że i tam czasem rozprawy wyglądają tak, jak w naszym polskim wymiarze sprawiedliwości, jakby była z góry – przynajmniej takie jest moje odczucie po obserwacji w dzisiejszym dniu – ukartowana » – powiedziała szefowa kancelarii premiera. Według niej wydaje się, że « wyrok jest ferowany niezależnie od tego, jakie racje przedstawiają eksperci ».
Kempa podkreśliła, że minister środowiska Jan Szyszko « jest absolutnie ekspertem, jest profesorem ». « Lasy Państwowe jako jednostka, która w naszym kraju, nie tylko w Europie, jest w ogóle fenomenem na świecie, który potrafi chronić gatunki i więcej drzew sadzi niż wycina » – zauważyła.
« Trzeba to jasno i wyraźnie powiedzieć: on (Szyszko) chroni gatunki, siedliska, chroni tę puszczę. Więc te wszystkie argumenty, za którymi przemawia nauka, praktyka, fachowcy, nie potrafią dotrzeć do ludzi, którzy mają wydać wyrok. To są sędziowie, którzy nie są fachowcami. Ważne jednak, by tu w Polsce zrozumieć, że my chronimy i gatunki i siedliska » – podkreśliła Kempa.
Pytana czy zachowanie wiceprezesa Trybunału Sprawiedliwości nie kłóci się z jego rolą, Kempa odpowiedziała: « To widać, że jest bolączką tamtejszego wymiaru sprawiedliwości, kwestią nie tyle w bezstronności, ale rozeznania w danej, konkretnej sprawie, a przede wszystkim obiektywnego przyjęcia argumentów strony, która została pozwana. I to jest kwestia postawy składu sędziowskiego, ale też pewnego trendu, który w tej chwili obserwujemy i jest od wielu lat w UE. Myślę tutaj o takim bardzo liberalnym, w tym przypadku, jeśli weźmiemy pod uwagę pewne poglądy, kierunku, przepraszam, ale lewackim ».
« Więc my się na to nie godzimy. Ja uważam, że te racjonalne argumenty, przede wszystkim nauki, przemawiające za tym – a przypominam, że ministrem środowiska jest profesor w tym zakresie, znany i ceniony, ale i także rada, która została powołana przy pani premier, by opiniować wszystkie elementy związane z ochroną środowiska, składająca się też z zacnych profesorów, pokazują że kierunek, który obraliśmy, jest absolutnie jedynym właściwym » – zaznaczyła Kempa.
Mówiła też o « braku zrozumienia w UE ». « Tylko zniszczenie kornika spowoduje, że nie będzie dalszej degradacji tego pięknego miejsca na ziemi. No chyba, że UE zależy na tym, by to miejsce zniknęło » – dodała Kempa.

© Source: http://www.gazetaprawna.pl/artykuly/1070269,kempa-puszcza-bialowieska-tsue-szyszko.html
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Norwegen: Konservatives Regierungsbündnis liegt in Führung

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Norwegens Ministerpräsidentin Erna Solberg kann nach ersten Prognosen weiter regieren. Doch zwei ihrer Partner liegen knapp an der Vier-Prozent-Hürde.
Bei der Parlamentswahl in Norwegen liegt die Partei Høyre unter der konservativen Ministerpräsidentin Erna Solberg nach den ersten Hochrechnungen vor dem sozialdemokratischen Herausforderer Jonas Gahr Støre mit seinen Partnern. Nach Auszählung von mehr als einem Drittel der Stimmzettel käme das Bündnis auf 89 der insgesamt 169 Parlamentssitze. Zum Regierungsbündnis gehören die populistische Fortschrittspartei und zwei kleine Parteien. Solberg ist seit 2013 Ministerpräsidentin.
Für eine Mehrheit sind im norwegischen Parlament Storting 85 Mandate nötig. Solbergs Koalition mit der rechtspopulistischen Fortschrittspartei braucht für eine Mehrheit wieder die Unterstützung der christlichen KRF und der liberalen Venstre. Zusammen kommen die vier Parteien nach derzeitiger Prognose auf etwa 88 Sitze. Minderheitsregierungen sind in Norwegen üblich.
Das von Støre angestrebte Bündnis von Arbeiterpartei, Zentrumspartei und Sozialistischer Linkspartei kann mit 81 Sitzen rechnen. Støres Sozialdemokraten bleiben demnach mit etwa 27,5 Prozent der Stimmen wie bereits 2013 stärkste Partei. Doch sie verlieren mehr als drei Prozent. Die Koalitionspartner gewinnen hinzu, allerdings nicht genug. Zweitstärkste Partei ist Solbergs Høyre mit demnach etwa 25,6 Prozent. Die rechtspopulistische Fortschrittspartei, die es 2013 erstmals in die Regierung geschafft hatte, kam in der Prognose auf etwa 15 Prozent.
Die Grünen schaffen es voraussichtlich nicht über die Vier-Prozent-Hürde. Auch für die christliche KRF und die liberale Venstre, die bisher die konservative Regierung geduldet haben, könnte es noch knapp werden.
Politik der Steuererleichterungen
Solberg will ihre bisherige Politik der Steuerleichterungen fortsetzen, um die Wirtschaft anzukurbeln. Sozialdemokrat Jonas Gahr Störe hatte sich für eine Rückkehr zum traditionellen Modell des Wohlfahrtsstaates eingesetzt.
Norwegen gilt mit seinen 5,23 Millionen Einwohnern als das am weitesten entwickelte Land der Welt. Lebensstandard und Zufriedenheit sind hoch. Seit das Land Ende der 1960er Jahre auf die erste wirtschaftlich nutzbare Erdölquelle stieß, hat es viel Geld verdient. Sinkende Ölpreise bedeuteten zuletzt allerdings auch geringere Staatseinnahmen und den Verlust Tausender Arbeitsplätze. Die Arbeitslosenquote stieg auf 4,5 Prozent. Inzwischen wächst die Wirtschaft allerdings wieder.

© Source: http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2017-09/norwegen-wahl-parlament-erna-solberg
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Pope blasts climate change doubters: cites moral duty to act

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Francis has made caring for the environment a hallmark of his papacy.
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Francis has sharply criticized climate change doubters, saying history will judge those who failed to take the necessary decisions to curb heat-trapping emissions blamed for the warming of the Earth.
Francis was asked about climate change and the spate of hurricanes that have pummeled the U. S., Mexico and the Caribbean recently as his charter plane left Colombia on Sunday and flew over some of the devastated areas.
« Those who deny this must go to the scientists and ask them. They speak very clearly,  » he said, referring to experts who blame global warming on man-made activities.
Francis said scientists have also clearly charted what needed to be done to reverse course on global warming and said individuals and politicians had a « moral responsibility » to do their part.
« These aren’t opinions pulled out of thin air. They are very clear,  » he said. « Then they (leaders) decide and history will judge those decisions. »
Francis has made caring for the environment a hallmark of his papacy, writing an entire encyclical about how the poor in particular are most harmed when multinationals move into exploit natural resources. During his visit to Colombia, Francis spoke out frequently about the need to preserve the country’s rich biodiversity from overdevelopment and exploitation.
For those who have denied climate change, or delayed actions to counter it, he responded with an Old Testament saying: « Man is stupid. »
« When you don’t want to see, you don’t see,  » he said.

© Source: http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2017/09/pope_blasts_climate_change_dou.html
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Kempa: Groźba KE ws. relokacji uchodźców pokazuje bardzo szeroki front walki z Polską

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Groźba Komisji Europejskiej ws. relokacji uchodźców pokazuje bardzo szeroki front walki z Polską – oceniła w poniedziałek szefowa kancelarii premiera Beata Kempa. Jej zdaniem, Niemcy chcą dziś zrzucić na inne kraje UE odpowiedzialność za swoje decyzje ws. polityki migracyjnej.
W środę unijny komisarz ds. migracji Dimitris Awramopulos zagroził, że jeśli Polska, Czechy i Węgry nie zaczną wykonywać decyzji o relokacji uchodźców w najbliższych tygodniach, Komisja Europejska rozważy skierowanie sprawy do Trybunału Sprawiedliwości UE .
O tę kwestię Kempa była pytana w poniedziałek w TVP Info. « Tutaj pokazuje się bardzo szeroki front walki z Polską » – oceniła minister. Według niej ten « jasny i wyraźny trend » będzie widoczny w każdej dziedzinie, w której Polska będzie mieć odmienne zdanie.
« To Europa ma problem. To Europa, w szczególności Niemcy, zaprosili uchodźców do siebie (…) . Dzisiaj mają problem, próbują ten problem zrzucać chociażby na państwo polskie i dzielić się odpowiedzialnością, skutkami tego problemu obarczać inne kraje UE » – zaznaczyła minister.
Kempa była pytana także o słowa papieża Franciszka, który podczas poniedziałkowej konferencji w samolocie w drodze z Kolumbii do Rzymu, odnosząc się do kryzysu migracyjnego, oświadczył: « Czuję obowiązek, by wyrazić wdzięczność Włochom i Grecji, ponieważ otworzyły serca przed migrantami. Przyjęcie ich to przykazanie Boże ». Następnie zastrzegł: « Ale rząd musi podchodzić do tego problemu z cnotą roztropności ».
« Słowa ojca świętego przyjęłam z wielką radością, ale też z wielką ulgą » – stwierdziła minister. Wskazała, że imigrantom należy pomagać « na miejscu ». « Ta pomoc jest przez Polskę niesiona » – dodała.
Kempa przypominała też, że w minionym tygodniu przebywa w Libanie, gdzie udała się w celu zapoznania się z sytuacją uchodźców syryjskich i skalą pomocy, jakiej im udziela fundacja Pomoc Kościołowi w Potrzebie.
« Polska pomoc, tam na miejscu, jest bardzo dobrze przyjmowana. Nam się dziękuje ze łzami w oczach, że chcemy tam pomagać » – relacjonowała. Wskazała również, że dziś najważniejszą kwestią jest pomoc medyczna. « Brak tej pomocy medycznej powoduje to, że ludzie umierają już dzisiaj może nie ze względu na działania wojenne, od kuli, ale dlatego, że nie mogą skorzystać z pomocy lekarza » – podkreśliła.
Beata Kempa odwiedziła w środę syryjskich uchodźców w libańskiej dolinie Bekaa. Spotkała się m.in. z dyrektorem Pomocy Kościołowi w Potrzebie ks. Waldemarem Cisło oraz z syryjskimi dziećmi, którym rozdała prezenty.
Postanowienie o relokacji 120 tys. uchodźców zostało przyjęte we wrześniu 2015 roku przez Radę UE, w której uczestniczyli unijni ministrowie spraw wewnętrznych. W przypadku tej decyzji zastosowano głosowanie większością głosów. Przeciwko kwotowemu rozmieszczeniu uchodźców były Czechy, Słowacja, Rumunia oraz Węgry, natomiast Finlandia wstrzymała się od głosu.
Władze Słowacji oświadczyły bezpośrednio po posiedzeniu Rady UE, że ich kraj nie podporządkuje się decyzji o relokacji i zaskarży ją przed unijnym trybunałem. Później na podobny krok zdecydowały się Węgry. Polska, która poparła decyzje o relokacji (w czasie rządów PO) nie wniosła skargi, ale obecny rząd zdecydował się wspierać Bratysławę i Budapeszt przed unijnym Trybunałem Sprawiedliwości.
Przeciwko Słowacji i Węgrom popieranym przez Polskę wystąpiły przed Trybunałem Niemcy, Francja, Szwecja, Luksemburg, Belgia, Włochy, Grecja, a także Komisja Europejska.

© Source: http://www.gazetaprawna.pl/artykuly/1070270,kempa-ke-relokacja-uchodzcow.html
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This is Irma’s wrath from space

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Startling photos from space show the devastating carnage of Hurricane Irma. NASA posted before-and-after satellite pictures of St Thomas, St, John, Tortola and…
Startling photos from space show the devastating carnage of Hurricane Irma.
NASA posted before-and-after satellite pictures of St Thomas, St, John, Tortola and Virgin Gorda islands, showing how their once lush-green tropics are now mud-covered disaster zones.
The pre-Irma snap was taken Aug. 25, long before Irma, and the post-Irma on Sunday, immediately after the Category 5 storm passed through the Caribbean.
“The most obvious change is the widespread browning of the landscape, ” NASA wrote on its Earth Observatory site .
“There are a number of possible reasons for this. Lush green tropical vegetation can be ripped away by a storm’s strong winds, leaving the satellite with a view of more bare ground.”

© Source: http://nypost.com/2017/09/11/this-is-irmas-wrath-from-space/
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At 9/11 ceremony, boy posthumously honored for bravery

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A 10-year-old boy is the posthumous recipient of a civilian bravery award named for Madeline Amy Sweeney, a flight attendant aboard one of the hijacked jetliners that was flown into the World Trade Center.
A 10-year-old boy was posthumously honored Monday with a civilian bravery award named for Madeline Amy Sweeney, a flight attendant on a hijacked jetliner that was flown into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11,2001.
Jaydon Dancy was struck and killed by a commuter train in June, less than a year after his brave efforts to rescue a stricken kayaker from the waters off Salem.
Jaydon’s mother, Michelle, accepted the annual award Monday during ceremonies at the Massachusetts Statehouse marking the 16th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Sweeney, of Acton, was a flight attendant aboard American Airlines Flight 11 and was credited with quietly providing authorities on the ground with key details about the unfolding terror attack.
The award was created by the state Legislature in 2002 and is presented to an individual who displays « exceptional bravery, without regard for their own personal safety,  » according to its description.
On Aug. 19,2016, Jaydon was playing on the waterfront at Palmer Cove when he saw a kayaker fall into the water about 30 feet (10 meters) from shore. Along with an older woman, Jaydon jumped into the water to grab and pull the unconscious man to shore. Emergency medical personnel were unable to revive the man, whose death resulted from a medical condition.
« He was very modest about his courageous act,  » Michelle Dancy said at Monday’s ceremony. « Jaydon was a compassionate, peace-loving boy. »
The boy was recognized by Salem police and firefighters in front of his entire school. In March, the American Red Cross honored him in their category of Selfless Acts by Youth Heroes.
On June 9, Jaydon was crossing railroad tracks to try to retrieve his bicycle when he was struck by the train.
Sweeney’s family attended the ceremony, which followed a flag-raising ceremony and somber reading of the names of the 206 people with Massachusetts ties who died in the Sept. 11 attacks.
A moment of silence was also observed at Boston’s Logan International Airport, where American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 took off before being hijacked and flown into the twin towers.
 » (Sweeney) conveyed critical information about the five hijackers to the ground crew, including physical descriptions, seating assignments and their actions aboard as the plane approached New York,  » said Republican Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.
Sweeney’s sister-in-law, Jacqui Sweeney, said the plane’s entire flight crew acted as a team, « looking after each other and caring for their passengers. »
In recent years, several families affected by the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings have also attended the 9/11 anniversary remembrance. Previous recipients of the award include Carlos Arredondo, who rushed to help save the life of Jeff Bauman, a young man who lost both legs to one of the bombs.
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© Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/national-business/article172579341.html
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These could be Amazon's new Fire TV devices for 2017

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Amazon is reportedly planning two Fire TV devices: One dongle and one cube.
Amazon is planning to release two new Fire TV devices, according to AFTVnews. One is a dongle and shaped like the Google Chromecast, and the other device is cube-shaped with the typical set-top box form.
Amazon plans to release the « mid-tier model » in October in the $60 to $80 range, AFTVnews reported. It will only have an HDMI port and a microUSB port for power, but it will still support 4K and HDR content streamed through Amazon’s Fire TV software.
Slightly more powerful than the Fire TV stick, the alleged mid-tier Fire device features a 1.5GHz quad-core CPU and Mali-450 MP GPU, according to leaked specifications. It’s also tipped to have 2GB of RAM and the same 8GB of internal storage that all past and present Fire TV models boast.
Amazon’s high-end Fire TV device will be cube-shaped and feature far-field microphones and an integrated speaker, as well as an LED light bar, AFTVnews reported.
What could be a converging of the Fire TV and Echo into one device, the premium Fire TV cube is said to have Alexa capability, so users can speak to the box to play music, movies, TV shows, and access other information.
The top of box has same buttons as the Echo Dot, including a mute button, action button, and volume controls, the leaked photo of the alleged device showed.
The premium Fire TV isn’t expected to launch until late 2017 or early next year. AFTVnews estimates that it will cost over $100.
There’s still a lot of details surrounding these two device unknown. As always, we suggest you take rumors with a healthy dose of salt. Company plans often change quickly in the tech world.

© Source: http://www.zdnet.com/article/these-could-be-amazons-new-fire-tv-device-for-2017/
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Getting up to speed on the Equifax data breach scandal – Silicon Valley

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Equifax has been scrambling to explain itself since disclosing last week that it exposed vital data about 143 million Americans — effectively most of the U. S. adult population. It’s come unde…
NEW YORK — Equifax has been scrambling to explain itself since disclosing last week that it exposed vital data about 143 million Americans — effectively most of the U. S. adult population. It’s come under fire from members of Congress, state attorneys general, and people who are getting conflicting answers about whether their information was stolen.
The company keeps track of the detailed financial affairs of all Americans in order to gauge how much of a risk they are for borrowing money. That means it and its competitors, TransUnion and Experian, are a detailed storehouse of some of the most personal and sensitive information of Americans’ financial lives. And all of it could be used for identity theft.
Here’s the latest on what you need to know about the breach:
WHAT EQUIFAX IS SAYING
Equifax is trying again to clarify language about people’s right to sue, and said Monday it has made other changes to address customer complaints.
The company is trying to staff up its call centers more in order to handle the increased customer service calls. It also now says people will get randomly generated PINs when they try to put a security freeze in place. People had complained about PINs being based on the time and date requests were made.
Equifax also acknowledged that its language particularly over the right to sue has been confusing at best, and said it was removing that language from their website. “Enrolling in the free credit file monitoring and identity theft protection that we are offering as part of this cybersecurity incident does not waive any rights to take legal action, ” it said.
Some lawyers have already announced suits that they hope will be class-action cases.
AM I AFFECTED? IT’ S BEEN HARD TO TELL
Equifax has been the focus of anger and distrust, not only for the breach but over how it initially was handled.
It discovered the hack July 29, but didn’ t publicly announce it until more than a month later. People trying to find out if they were affected have gotten some confusing or contradictory information.
Consumers calling the number Equifax set up complained of jammed phone lines and uninformed representatives, and initial responses from the website gave inconsistent responses. Many got no response, just a notice that they could return later to register for identity protection. Equifax says it’s fixed the issue of inconsistent responses, in which people could get one response on the computer and a different one when checking on the phone.
The site is equifaxsecurity2017.com and the number is 866-447-7559. Equifax also says it’ ll send a notice to all who had personally identifiable information stolen. Equifax is offering free credit monitoring for a year, which people can sign up for at the website.
But considering the size and scope of the breach, it’s probably better just to assume you were part of it.
WHAT ABOUT THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE RIGHT TO SUE THEM?
There has been a significant amount of confusion about that. It partly comes from the industry practice of mandatory arbitration, in which the fine print on many financial products says customers have to use a private third-party arbitration service in order to resolve their disputes. Regulators are trying to crack down on the practice, particularly after the Wells Fargo sales practices scandal.
Equifax released a statement Friday evening declaring that the arbitration requirement and class-action waiver will not apply to this particular breach. In its statement Monday, it said it had again adjusted the language in the FAQs on its website.
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Ultimately, the onus will probably be on consumers to try to protect themselves. People should do all the things they’ re probably already heard about:
— Closely monitor their own credit reports, which are available free once a year, and stagger them to see one every four months.
— Stay vigilant, possibly for a long time. Scammers who get ahold of the data could use it at any time — and with 143 million to choose from, they may be patient.
— Consider freezing your credit reports. That stops thieves from opening new credit cards or loans in your name, but it also prevents you from opening new accounts. So if you want to apply for something, you need to lift the freeze a few days beforehand.
WHO’ S INVESTIGATING THIS?
A host of state and federal authorities as well as politicians have stepped in to investigate. Credit bureaus like Equifax are lightly regulated compared to other parts of the financial system. Expect more scrutiny from regulators over the credit bureaus.
The chairmen of at least two U. S. House committees say they want to hold hearings. Like the Wells Fargo sales scandal, the Equifax breach is causing bipartisan outrage and concern, but there has been no talk of any new laws to further regulate the industry. Several state attorneys general have also said they would investigate, which could result in fines at the state level.
Lastly the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the nation’s watchdog entity for financial issues, says it has the authority to investigate the data breach, and fine and sanction Equifax if warranted.
Company executives are also under scrutiny, after it was found that three Equifax executives sold shares worth a combined $1.8 million just a few days after the company discovered the breach, according to documents filed with securities regulators. Equifax said the three executives “had no knowledge that an intrusion had occurred at the time they sold their shares.”
Given the seriousness of the breach, there are worries about the long-term future of the company. The sole purpose of why Equifax and the other credit bureaus exist is to be a secure storehouse of crucial financial information. Equifax failed at that.
The stock has fallen more than 25 percent since Thursday and the company is meeting with investors this week in New York in hopes to contain the fallout.

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