Bioethics expert to speak at Union Graduate College commencement

Thursday, April 18, 2013

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Arthur Caplan, professor and head of the Division of Bioethics at New York University Langone Medical Center, will be the keynote speaker at Union Graduate College?s 2013 commencement...

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Source: http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2013/apr/18/bioethics-expert-speak-union-graduate-college-comm/

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Venezuelan protests flare; opposition demands vote recount

By Brian Ellsworth and Diego Ore

CARACAS (Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters clashed with police in the Venezuelan capital on Monday after opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles called for demonstrations to demand a recount of votes from Sunday's election to replace the late Hugo Chavez.

Police used tear gas to disperse young demonstrators who threw rocks and sticks in an upscale district of Caracas.

Capriles has refused to accept the official election result that gave a narrow victory to ruling Socialist Party candidate Nicolas Maduro, and he earlier called for peaceful protests to press his demands for a full recount.

While Capriles stressed that he wanted supporters to eschew violence, his call for protests raises the stakes in the post-electoral crisis.

"What happened yesterday was fraud, a lie. The opposition won and they know it," said Briand Alvar, who was among the protesters involved the fight with police.

Opposition sources told Reuters their count showed Capriles won by more than 300,000 votes. His team says it has evidence of some 3,200 election day irregularities, ranging from allegations of voters using fake IDs to intimidation of volunteers at polling centers.

Venezuela's electoral authority on Monday formally declared Maduro the winner of the election, saying he won 50.8 percent of the vote, against 49.0 percent for Capriles.

"I will fulfill the legacy of protecting the humble, the poor, to protect the fatherland," said Maduro, who was handpicked by Chavez to continue his self-declared socialist revolution just weeks before dying of cancer on March 5.

In a sharply worded speech, the electoral council's head shot down Capriles' call for a recount and excoriated him for being disrespectful of Venezuelan law and institutions.

"Threats and intimidation will not be the path to appeal the decisions of the CNE," said Tibisay Lucena, who opposition critics call a stooge of the ruling Socialist Party.

She also accused the U.S. government and the Organization of American States of trying to interfere in Venezuelan affairs after they backed the idea of a recount.

The official results showed Maduro winning by 265,000 votes but Capriles says he is sure he won and that he will only concede defeat if there is a full recount.

"All we're asking is that our rights be respected, that the will of the people be respected, and that every single vote be counted, every little piece of paper. That paper isn't for recycling, it's proof," Capriles said earlier in the day.

OPPOSITION PROTESTS

About 200 pro-opposition students protested in another upscale district, trying to enter a hotel where unofficial foreign election observers were meeting. Outside opposition campaign headquarters, protesters shouted "No more fraud."

The controversy around Venezuela's first presidential election without Chavez on the ballot in two decades ushered in new uncertainty in the OPEC nation of 29 million people.

It also raised doubts about the future of "Chavismo," Chavez's self-proclaimed socialist movement, without its charismatic founder.

In his last public speech, Chavez named his longtime protege Maduro as his preferred successor, giving the burly former bus driver a huge boost heading into Sunday's election.

But neither the endorsement nor the burst of sympathy following Chavez's death were enough to ensure an easy victory.

Maduro, who does not have Chavez's charm, saw his poll lead shrink in the final days of the campaign. Even then, the vote was a lot closer than most people expected.

Maduro's slim victory raises the possibility that he could face challenges from rivals within the disparate coalition that united around the towering figure of Chavez, who was an icon of the Latin American left.

Chavez comfortably beat Capriles by 11 percentage points and 1.6 million votes in October.

In this campaign, Capriles slammed Maduro as an incompetent and a poor copy of Chavez unable to fix the nation's many problems. He also offered a Brazilian-style mix of pro-business policies and strong welfare programs.

Maduro was unable to match his former boss's electrifying speeches but nevertheless benefited from a well-oiled party machine and poor Venezuelans' fears that the opposition might abolish Chavez's slum development projects. (Additional reporting by Eyanir Chinea and Mario Naranjo; Writing by Todd Benson; Editing by Kieran Murray and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tight-win-chavezs-heir-spells-uncertainty-venezuela-112920678.html

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A look at the North Korea crisis

As the world waits and watches for an expected North Korean ballistic missile test, the U.S. and its allies are prepared to respond if necessary. U.S. officials are conceding North Korea may be increasing its nuclear capabilities but don't expect a nuclear strike. They suggest that other military moves by Pyongyang involving artillery attacks or shelling of nearby South Korean islands could actually present a more serious threat in triggering a conflict.

WHY ALL THE HUBBUB

Since the 1950-53 Korean War, North Korea has feared that Washington is intent on destroying the regime. The U.S. worries that Pyongyang will re-ignite the conflict with South Korea, and is uneasy because little is known about Kim Jong Un, the North's new, young leader, and considers him unpredictable. Both sides have ratcheted up the rhetoric and military muscle moves in recent weeks. North Korea threatened a pre-emptive strike against the U.S., and conducted an underground nuclear test in February and a rocket launch in December. The threats are seen as an effort to pressure Washington and Seoul to change their North Korean policies and convince the North's people that their new leader is strong enough to stand up to its foes. U.S. and South Korean troops have been conducting annual joint military drills in the region since early March, including bringing out nuclear-capable stealth bombers and fighter jets in what the Air Force acknowledged was a deliberate show of force.

NORTH KOREAN MISSILES

North Korea has been steadily working to display an increasing capability to launch missiles. Last year it failed in an attempt to send a satellite into space aboard a long-range rocket. A subsequent launch in December was successful, and that was followed by the country's third underground nuclear test on Feb. 12. U.S. officials believe the North is preparing to test fire a medium-range "Musudan" missile. And a section in a new Defense Intelligence Agency assessment concludes with "moderate confidence" that the North could deliver nuclear weapon by ballistic missiles. The report notes that the delivery system is still not considered reliable.

U.S. RESPONSE

The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, which has responsibility for U.S. homeland defense, is watching the region via satellite and the USS Fitzgerald and the USS John S. McCain, Navy destroyers armed with sophisticated missile defense systems, have been positioned to best be able to detect and track a missile launch. The U.S. is confident it would be able to shoot it down, but would do so only if it appears to be a threat to America or its allies. The U.S. is also prepared to provide military assistance to South Korea in the event of any other type of attack by the North.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Secretary of State John Kerry warned North Korea not to conduct a missile test, saying it will be an act of provocation that "will raise people's temperatures" and further isolate the country and its people. President Barack Obama said his administration would "take all necessary steps" to protect American citizens and he urged Pyongyang to end its' brazen threats. North Korea has issued no specific warnings to ships and aircraft that a missile test is imminent. And the country has begun festivities celebrating the April 15 birthday of the country's late founder Kim Il Sung, which is considered the most important national holiday. China has been a longtime political, military and economic backer of North Korea and is considered to have more real leverage over the North. U.S. officials say there are indications Chinese leaders have become frustrated with Pyongyang's recent behavior and rhetoric.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-12-US-North-Korea-Glance/id-02e3f620216b449db459217c6e280114

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