Northern Echo #21

Published monthly by local businesses and distributed thru out the communities of northern manitoba

Circulation 12,000

issue # 21 - july /august2013

global netizens see worrying trend in uS spying Revelations that the uS government has been snooping on internet users worldwide failed to shock global netizens, who say they've already given up on expectations of online privacy in the face of growing surveillance from governments and private companies.

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manitoba RCmP news

Texting becoming bigger concern than drunk driving Texting while driving is becoming a bigger concern than impaired driving, according to Fredericton Police Staff Sgt. Brian Ford.

He contends distracted drivers are "every bit" as dangerous as drunk drivers.

"Texting poses a real danger to the motoring public and pedestrians," said Ford, who helped organize the recent Road Safety Week spot checks in the city, when 44 tickets were issued for talking on a cellphone or texting while driving.

"Just taking your eyes off the road for, you know, that two, three, four seconds, and taking your concentration while you're texting, it just takes a second to come across the centre line and you're involved in a head-on collision, he said.

Police are looking at developing a program to notify the registered owner of a vehicle when someone driving it has been seen texting or talking on a hand-held phone, said Ford.

Meanwhile, police welcome tips from the public about distracted drivers, he said.

"Well, you know, I think it isn't being a busybody. I think we all need to be involved. I think the way we reduce crime and correct driving habits is we need the public's involvement in this."

Ford says the person reporting the crime has to be able to identify the driver in order for charges to be laid. Oftentimes, people don't want to get involved to the point where they have to testify in court, he said.

Getting caught texting and driving will cost you a lot more in Manitoba starting Aug. 1.

Under the new rules, Manitoba Public Insurance will work with the Police Service to issue two demerits to any driver ticketed for distracted driving. The offense will come with a $200 fine.

Distracted driving previously only came with the $200 fine. Now, with the addition of demerits, drivers will have to pay more for their insurance and their license if they’re ticketed.

Provincial officials said a texting driver is 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash than a non-texting driver. MPI launched an anti-distracted driving campaign earlier this year and lobbied for demerits to be added to existing penalties for distracted driving.

Since 2005, MPI said there have been 160 deaths on Manitoba roads linked to distracted driving. That’s about 20 per year.

Remember! Starting August 1st police will target texting drivers in Manitoba.

RCmP looking for suspect vehicle RCMP are seeking any information on a vehicle of interest possibly connected to a recent

theft incident that occurred at Vale in Thompson, Manitoba.

Suspect vehicle possibly connected to a nickel theft incident at Vale in Thompson, manitoba.

On May 14, 2013, at 11:30am, Thompson RCMP was notified by Vale’s Manitoba Operations, located in Thompson, that four bundles of nickel plates had been stolen overnight from the smelter.

Police say the nickel plates stolen are described as being approximately 20? by 36? in size, nickel in colour and stamped on both sides with “VALE” and “INCO”. The value of the nickel stolen is estimated at $110,000.

RCMP are seeking information on a vehicle of interest in this matter. Anyone with information is asked to call the Thompson RCMP at 204677-6911. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Manitoba Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477(TIPS), submit a tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com

RCmP investigate attempted murder of police officer A British Columbia man is facing 30 criminal code charges, including attempted murder of a peace officer, after being arrested by police last week in the RM of Portage la Prairie, MB. On June 5, 2013, just before 4:30pm, Portage

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la Prairie RCMP were dispatched to a complaint of an assault and theft that had occurred in the RM of Portage la Prairie.

Initial reports were that an unknown male had entered a farm property and attempted to steal a dog. The suspect was confronted by the 57-yearold male homeowner, which resulted in the homeowner being seriously assaulted.

After driving a 2009 Chevrolet “monster” style 4-wheel drive pick-up truck up and onto the homeowner’s deck and threatening the man and his wife, the suspect fled the scene. It was later determined that the truck was stolen out of Saskatchewan and was bearing stolen Manitoba licence plates.

Police also received reports that the suspect had broken into a church in the vicinity and had attempted to steal a trailer from a nearby business.

Patrolling RCMP officers quickly located the truck. While police were attempting to make an arrest, the suspect drove directly at an RCMP officer, ramming the police vehicle with the officer inside, knocking it into the ditch and attempting to drive over it before fleeing. The officer was later treated and released at hospital for his injuries.

RCMP converged on the fleeing vehicle and followed it into a field where the suspect fled on foot. The Portage la Prairie Police Dog Service located the suspect running nearby and again attempted an arrest. The suspect assaulted the police service dog and RCMP dog handler. A Taser was

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page 3 deployed, and the suspect was arrested. The police dog and handler did not sustain serious injuries.

RCMP report that 29-year-old Joshua Eugene Brockington of Langley, British Columbia, has been charged with 30 criminal code offences for his alleged involvement in this incident.

more charges laid in The Pas drug investigations Four more individuals have been charged in relation to cocaine trafficking offences in The Pas and area during three separate recent police investigations.

As part of an on-going investigation, The Pas RCMP arrested a male who was found to be in possession of a small amount of benzodiazepine and a small amount of cash. As part of the same investigation, police subsequently attended to a local establishment where another male was arrested and found to be in possession of a quantity of cocaine and a small amount of cash. Jake Daniel Jeffs, 21, of Opaskwayak is charged with possessing both cocaine and benzodiazepine for the purpose of trafficking and possessing the proceeds of crime. Alexander Peter Young, 21, of Opaskwayak is charged with possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possessing the

proceeds of crime. Both males were remanded into custody. Also as part of the same on-going investigation, The Pas RCMP attended to a local hotel where a male was arrested outside the building and found to be in possession of a small quantity of cocaine and a small amount of cash.

Clifton Kenneth Albert Young, 35, of Opaskwayak has been charged with possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possessing the proceeds of crime. Young was released on a promise to appear.

On May 22, 2013, The Pas RCMP conducted a traffic stop and arrested three males. One male was found to be in possession of a small quantity of cocaine while a second male was found to be in possession of a small amount of cash. Matthew Andrew Lawrence Young, 19, of The Pas District

is charged with trafficking cocaine and possessing the proceeds of crime. Young was later released on his own recognizance. Charges are pending against a second male for possession of cocaine while the third male was released without process.

Seventeen individuals have now been charged

by The Pas RCMP in recent months for cocaine trafficking related offences. “We are committed in our focus to keeping drugs off the street” said Staff Sergeant Noel Allard, NCO in charge of The Pas Detachment. “This is achieved by partnering together with the citizens of our community and we encourage anyone with information regarding drug activity to report it so that we can continue to work together to keep our streets safe.”

Anyone with information on drugs or drug trafficking is encouraged to contact The Pas RCMP Detachment at 204-627-6200. Alternatively, individuals can contact Manitoba Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or text TIPMAN plus your message to CRIMES(274637).

St-Pierre-jolys RCmP seize drugs at Checkstop On June 8, 2013, shortly before 7pm, StPierre-Jolys RCMP conducted a roving Checkstop on Highway 52 near the junction of Highway 59. A 2000 Honda Odyssey van was observed travelling west on Highway 52 with a burned out headlight.

RCMP seize a quantity of marijuana and cash while performing a Checkstop on Highway 52.

Police say that the vehicle was stopped and approached. Officers noted an odour of marijuana from the vehicle. The driver, identified as a 32-year-old RM of Stuartburn man, was arrested. He was uncooperative with officers, resisted arrest and was escorted to the RCMP Detachment for processing.

Officers seized about 1,100 grams of dried marihuana divided into 20 baggies, two cellular phones and $700 cash.

While the suspect produced a Health Canada licence authorizing possession of dried marijuana

for personal medical purposes, the evidence seized by officers warrants additional investigation. Health Canada has confirmed that this individual is authorized – for personal use only – to possess and produce medicinal marijuana.

At present, no formal charges have been laid.

The suspect was released on a promise to appear in St-Pierre-Jolys Provincial Court on August 27, 2013. RCMP continue to investigate this incident.

Canada to snuff out medical marijuana production in homes WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Canada, a pioneer in the use of medical marijuana, will take legal production out of private homes next year as it seeks to address more than a decade of neighborhood spats and criminal activity.

Health Canada will also snuff out its own production, which has been another legal source of the drug, and leave supplies solely to licensed growers in the private sector.

More than 30,000 people in Canada are legally authorized to use marijuana, up from around 500 in 2001 when Canada became the first country to allow terminally ill patients to grow and smoke their own marijuana.

"There's far too much potential and actual abuse within the current scheme," said Staff Inspector Randy Franks of the Toronto Police Service drug squad, adding that police do not have access to addresses of approved sites in private homes.

"These home-grown operations are able to produce far more than they need and they have to do something with it, so they sell it mainstream."

The new regulations took effect on Monday, but the old rules will run concurrently until March 31, 2014, to allow time for Ottawa to license new growers, said Jeannine Ritchot, director of medical marijuana regulatory reform for Health Canada.

The changes will place growing sites under greater scrutiny, through inspections, security measures and accounting of production volumes.

"While the courts have said that there must be reasonable access to a legal source of marihuana for medical purposes, we believe that this must be done in a controlled fashion in order to protect public safety," said Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq.

Marijuana use remains illegal in Canada, with the exception of medical marijuana, which is used to manage chronic pain and for conditions that include multiple sclerosis and arthritis.

But critics argue that marijuana can be a "gateway drug" to abuse of other illegal substances.

"I'm quite worried about my future," said Vancouver resident Heidi Hideg, who treats pain from a car accident that paralyzed her with marijuana supplied by the B.C. Compassion Club Society. "I don't want to go back on prescription medication, but with changes to the (regulations), it's really up in the air."

Compassion clubs buy marijuana at relatively low prices from growers, and re-sell it illegally to users, with police often turning a blind eye.

Their role is unclear under the new rules because the clubs tend to buy from growers who do not want their addresses known, said Jamie Shaw, from the B.C. club.

Fonda Betts, a designated grower of marijuana for two patients, gave the changes a mixed review.

Betts, who is also the chief executive officer of the Greenleaf Medical Clinic in Abbotsford, British Columbia, said some patients will have to pay more and may find it hard to find the marijuana strain that is right for them to ingest or smoke.

injured aTV operator faces charges On June 4, 2013, shortly after 5pm, Russell RCMP and local EMS responded to a single ATV rollover on PR 549 in the RM of ShellmouthBoulton, northwest of Russell, MB.

Police say that the driver was found pinned under the ATV in a ditch. Several people at the scene were able to roll the ATV off the injured

continued on page 6

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Bison Transport driver wins manitoba driver of the year award

now eligible for the Canadian Trucking Alliance/Volvo Trucks Canada National Driver of the Year Award.

Tapping into the earth:

WINNIPEG, Man. The Manitoba Trucking Association and Volvo Trucks Canada have named Bison Transport’s Mark Tricco as this year’s Manitoba Driver of the Year. Tricco was selected from a group of 12 Industry Excellence Award winners, an award which honours drivers for their commitment to the industry, safety, outstanding acts and customer service.

Officials say Tricco was selected for his dedication to the industry, his training and his focus on safety – with a driving record of two million

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miles that boasts no preventable or non-preventable accidents.

“Safety remains a top priority for Mark and he always conducts himself as a true professional,” award organizers said in a release. “His employer has received numerous commendations from customers and other motorists on his behalf.”

“He is the best of the best in our business,” Bison officials said. “He is the ultimate professional and we are privileged to have him representing not only our company, but the industry as a whole.”

As the Provincial Driver of the Year, Tricco is

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WINNIPEG -- Two Manitoba reserves are tapping into the Earth for their power needs.

The Peguis and Fisher River First Nations are converting 100 homes to geothermal power.

Heating and cooling systems in the homes will no longer be powered by electricity.

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nova Scotia lobsterman catches bright blue lobster Lobsterman Sheldon Trenholm of South River, Nova Scotia, caught a rare crustacean in a trap last Friday: a brilliant blue lobster.

According to research out of the University of Maine's Lobster Institute, only one in 2 million lobsters are blue, the result of a genetic defect that causes the lobsters to produce an excessive amount of a particular protein.

More rare than blue is the yellow lobster. The

odds of finding one? One in 30 million. Calico lobsters are just as rare.

Fortunately for the blue lobster found by Trenholm, it was too small to become dinner and was released back into the water — after Trenholm snapped a few photos of his catch.

Earlier this year, another blue lobster was caught near Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia.

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operator and quickly take away the keys before the driver made an attempt to ride away.

Once police arrived, the driver of the ATV was arrested and brought back to the RCMP Detachment where he was found to be over four times the legal driving limit. RCMP report that Karson James Riddell, 21, of Regina, SK, has been remanded in custody on charges of impaired driving, driving over .08, driving while disqualified, breaching probation and one additional charge under the Highway Traffic Act.

Fatal vehicle collision in Waywayseecappo On June 16, 2013, just after midnight, Prairie Mountain RCMP and local emergency services were dispatched to the scene of a single-vehicle collision on Brandon Road in Waywayseecappo First Nation.

Investigation has revealed that a 1991 Dodge Daytona with three occupants went off the roadway into a body of water and became submerged.

Police say that two occupants, a 19-year-old male and an 18year-old male, were able to escape the vehicle with minor injuries.

A third male, a 29-year-old man, was pulled from the water and transported to hospital where he was pronounced deceased. All three men are from Waywayseecappo First Nation.

RCMP report that the 19-year-old driver is facing charges of impaired operation of a motor vehicle causing death and dangerous operation of a motor Vehicle causing death. He is scheduled to appear in Waywayseecappo Provincial Court on August 7, 2013.

RCmP establish auto theft TiP line Since January 2013, the RCMP “D” Division Auto Theft Unit has seen a significant rise in off-road vehicle thefts in RCMP jurisdiction, particularly in the Interlake area. Snowmobiles have been targeted this winter, but now that summer is here, ATVs have become the stolen item of choice.

This year to date, 23 ATVs have been stolen in the Interlake area that have yet to be recovered. These thefts represent thousands of dollars in loss. RCMP believe the majority of these thefts are committed by the same group of people.

In an effort to solve these crimes, the RCMP Auto Theft Unit has established a dedicated TIP Line. The TIP Line is aimed to provide the public an avenue to provide tips relating to vehicle thefts, including off-road vehicles, heavy equipment and thefts from construction sites.

The public is encouraged to contact the TIP Line’s toll-free number or email address with any information concerning these types of thefts in the rural area. Information can also be provided anonymously. All information will be treated confidentially. The line is monitored solely by RCMP members of the Auto Theft Unit located at the RCMP “D” Division Headquarters in Winnipeg.

If you have information on auto theft crimes, please contact the RCMP Auto Theft TIP Line at 1-855-814-4118 or by email at:

Skidtips@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

girl drowns on Cross lake First nation

RCMP learned two males had reportedly fired several shots at a quarry employee as he fled into the bush for his own safety.

Two suspects were identified that day and were arrested by RCMP members the following day. Powerview RCMP also executed two search warrants on their residences in Bissett.

RCMP report that six non-restricted firearms, along with ammunition and other related items, including a truck believed to be used in the commission of the offences, were seized.

Charged in this incident are 32-year-old Michael John Shindruk and 43-year-old Kelly-Ross Gratton of Bissett. Both are facing numerous charges including attempted murder. Both suspects were remanded into custody and were scheduled to appear in Winnipeg court. Police say that nobody was hurt in this incident and that the victim and the two suspects are not known to each other.

manitoba teen mistaken for bear shot dead by friend

On June 14, 2013, at 6:30pm, Cross Lake RCMP were dispatched to the scene of a drowning on Cross Lake First Nation.

A 17-year-old boy was shot and killed in Manitoba by his friend, who thought the youth was a bear outside his tent.

Police investigation indicates that two 3-year-old girls were discovered in the water unresponsive. One girl was resuscitated and transported to hospital for treatment. The second girl was pronounced deceased. Police continue to investigate.

“This is tragic. This is, you know — words can hardly describe,” said RCMP Sgt. Line Karpish. “I can’t imagine what the families are feeling right now. I can’t even fathom.”

The incident happened just before 4 a.m. at Namay Falls, about 20 kilometres from the community of Bloodvein on the Bloodvein River, according to RCMP. The name of the victim, who is from the Steinbach area, is not being released to the public, RCMP said.

Four males were on a camping trip when a 22-year-old man awakened to what he believed was a bear close to the tent, RCMP said. He grabbed his gun and shot in the direction of the noise.

Due to the remote location, RCMP had to charter a helicopter to get to the scene.

“These four individuals were out to enjoy themselves in what was supposed to be a great outing,” said Karpish. “It turned into a bit of a nightmare — a lot of a nightmare, in fact.”

RCmP investigate shooting incident On June 14, 2013, shortly after 6:30am, Powerview RCMP were dispatched to a shooting incident at a rock quarry near Bissett.

First nations matrimonial property bill met with mixed reactions The federal government is hoping to make it easier for First Nations couples whose marriages break down to divide the matrimo-

page 7 nial home and land on reserves equally, but not everyone agrees with the proposed changes.

Currently, provincial laws governing the fair division of assets when marriages fail do not apply on First Nations reserves. The federal Indian Act, which governs most aspects of reserve life, does not address the subject.

rison Settee of the Cross Lake First Nation.

But Nabess welcomes the changes, saying she hopes this will help one of her cousins who is getting divorced.

Outside of reserves, when a married or common-law couple splits up, the house and belongings can be split 50-50.

But under the Indian Act, on the reserves, only the person issued the band house is in control, which can result in one partner left with nothing.

Bill S-2 aims to allow spouses living both on and off reserves the same rights to claim a share of the family's assets in the event of a marriage breakdown.

The Conservative bill passed third reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday and now needs the approval of the Senate in order for it to become law.

Edna Nabess, who was recently married in a traditional ceremony, has a blanket as a symbol of the union between her and her husband.

But when it comes to divorce, Nabess said it's not as pretty as getting married.

"What do you do when that happens? Rip the blanket in half, rip the kids in half. If you're living on a remote reserve, the house belongs to band, it does not belong to the couple," she said.

The federal Conservative government had introduced a similar bill in 2008, proposing changes to matrimonial property laws on reserves.

Five years later, a newer version of that bill has passed through the House of Commons, and now needs the approval of the Senate to become law.

"It's been a long time, a long struggle for aboriginal women to get equal rights," said former Manitoba MP Brian Pallister, who is now the province's Progressive Conservative leader.

Critics of the bill have said the government is being too paternalistic in designing the legislation, while the government says opposition parties are delaying crucial protections for aboriginal women.

The Assembly of First Nations says something needs to be done about the issue, but First Nations would like to be the ones to create their own divorce laws and handle things internally.

"I think that it is redundant because we know how to govern ourselves, we've done it since time immemorial," said Chief Gar-

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Barb Barker, an administrative assistant for the Wendy’s outlet in Brandon, said that they have stopped selling their T. Rex burger, consisting of nine quarter-pound patties held together by nine pieces of processed cheese and a flimsy bun.

“For obvious reasons, Wendy’s of Brandon neither condones nor promotes the idea of anyone consuming a nine-patty hamburger in one sitting,” said Barker, reading from a prepared statement.

a burger fit for Fred Flintstone

burger had more calories than many people consume in a day. To the dismay of dieticians, it also contained roughly 200 grams of fat — triple the daily allowance — and an eye-watering 6,000 milligrams of sodium, enough to last the average adult four days.

Carla Taylor, a professor in human nutritional science at the University of Manitoba, said the T. Rex sent the wrong message.

“Food is something I don’t think we can treat in this way,” she said. “We need to get appreciating good food . . . of appropriate portion size.”

While many fast-food chains have made concerted efforts in the last few years to offer healthier choices — such as salads, fruit and low-fat muffins — there are still menu items that unabashedly embrace unhealthy indulgence. And it appears the United States out-greases Canada at the cooking line: nutritional nightmares seem to originate south of the border.

There’s KFC’s infamous “double down” sandwich — bacon, cheese and “special sauce” between two pieces of battered chicken — which originated in the U.S. before making its way to Canada.

Dunkin’ Donuts is offering American connoisseurs an unusual breakfast sandwich: bacon and egg between two glazed doughnuts.

Consuming that combination of fat, sodium and calories in one sitting might appeal to some, but Taylor said it should be a oncein-a-lifetime indulgence.

“Maybe somebody wants to try it once for the challenge,” she said. “But I think the better challenge is to look at how to eat healthy every day and think long-term about how the foods you’re putting in your mouth are impacting on your health.”

Rogers rolls out lTe max in manitoba

She said the fast-food restaurant “strives to deliver a positive dining experience for our customers. Our goal is to provide options to our customers so they can make options that meet their needs.”

The $21.99 burger started out as a joke ad in Sports Illustrated nine years ago, but customers came in asking for the real thing.

The restaurant obliged and started selling two to three giant burgers a day.

Weighing in at around a whopping 3,000 calories, the T. Rex

Through a network sharing plan with MTS, Rogers aims to expand its LTE coverage to 90 per cent of Manitoba's population over the next five years Rogers Communications rolled out its LTE (long term evolution) Max network in Manitoba to wireless customers in the province, according to the incumbent carrier.

The carrier plans to expand its LTE coverage of the province to cover 90 per cent of Manitoba’s population over the next five years.

Monday’s rollout brings to 45 the number of LTE markets that Rogers covers so far. Apart from Manitoba those markets include, Saint John, N.B; Medicine Hat Alta.; Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Guelph, Ont.; Muskoka, Ont.; Collingwood, Ont.; and several cities in Quebec.

LTE Max’s theoretical maximum speed is 150 Mbps, but typical speeds actually range from 12 to 40 Mbps. Last month, Roger rebranded its high-speed network to LTE Max, which covers LTE across high-frequency bands AWS 17002/2100Mhz and 2600Mhz. The agreement with MTS builds on the network-sharing

continued on page 10

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Lena Mousseau moved from the Ebb and Flow First Nation to Winnipeg as a teenager.

“I think you need education to go further,” said Mousseau. She said she would’ve liked to stay on the reserve, but the opportunities for herself were few.

“I just wish there was more jobs -- more work out there,” she said.

arrangement the two companies signed in 2009 for a joint deployment of 4G HSPA+ (high speed packet access) wireless network covering 97 per cent of Manitoba.

Under the agreement MTS and Rogers will share the costs of deploying and operating LTE technology in Manitoba. MTS customers are also able to roam on Rogers’ wireless network when traveling outside of Manitoba.

“This unique agreement with MTS is part of our strategic game plan to bring Rogers LTE’s incredibly fast wireless experience to even more customers across Canada,” said Rob Bruce, president of communications at Rogers. “With this agreement we will deliver capital and operating savings to our business allow is to re-invest in our customers and our network, particularly in Western Canada.”

Bankers association offers $100K reward in Toronto bank robbery investigation Toronto police released dramatic footage of the robbery, hoping both it and a hefty reward will lead to a swift arrest.

The Canadian Bankers Association is prepared to pay $100,000 for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of the assailants, its director announced on Monday.

Polite deer spotted using crosswalk in Winnipeg A deer uses a crosswalk in Winnipeg Friday afternoon on Point Road by Viscount Alexander School.

A Winnipeg woman couldn't believe her eyes when she spotted a deer using a crosswalk to get from one side of Point Road to the other. Susan Hope was heading into work at the Fort Garry United Church at about 1 p.m. when she saw the deer.

The first thing she did was grab her camera.

"I thought, ‘I gotta take a picture. They're never going to believe me,’" Hope said. "It was almost like he slowed down a bit, like he was human."

Hope said the deer wandered off after that. She said she’s glad there were no vehicles on the road at the time.

manitoba aboriginal child poverty rate over 60% Manitoba’s aboriginal child poverty rate is well above the national average, according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

The report revealed startling details about how dire the situation is in the province.

In Manitoba, 62 per cent of First Nation children are living below the poverty line. That number compares to just 15 per cent

of non-indigenous Manitoban children, and 50 per cent of First Nation children nationally.

Dennis White Bird is a political advisor for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. He said the high rate of poverty is having major effects on the education of First Nation children.

“I’ve seen homes where there are as many as 20 people living in one house. You eat in shifts, and you sleep in shifts,” said Bird.

“When it’s time to go to school, you’re tired or you haven’t eaten.”

The report indicates one of the difficulties is a two per cent cap on annual federal funding for reserves. That cap has been in place since the mid 1990s.

“While the funding for this budget keeps with inflation, it doesn’t keep up with population and doesn’t adjust for need,” said David MacDonald of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

“That’s in contrast to every other social program in the country.”

Bird said in addition to funding changes. He wants to see the relationship between the federal government change. He thinks First nations should get a cut of nearby natural resources.

“There’s no meaningful employment out of that harvest, even though it’s in their backyard,” said Bird.

In the meantime, some First Nation residents are leaving reserves to escape poverty.

The “horrific” and “brazen” actions of the two men who briefly took over the TD Canada Trust branch on St Clair, near Jane Street, afternoon has stunned even veteran Hold Up Squad Staff Inspector Mike Earl, who said the last time a teller was shot in a bank was in 1999, when Nancy Kidd was murdered in Peel Region. He pleaded for help from the public, noting “these individuals are armed and dangerous, there is no doubt about it.”

Staff Inspector Mike Earl of the Toronto Police Service hold-up squad, left, and William Crate of the Canadian Bankers association announced up to a $100,000 reward, into information leading to the arrest of two individuals involved in a violent armed robbery.

Security camera footage from inside the bank shows two suspects storming the premises, one brandishing what police said was a silver semi-automatic handgun. As the gunman yelled at patrons to hit the floor, an accomplice vaulted the counter looking for cash, Staff Insp. Earl said.

The faces of both suspects are in full view on the video.

Upon jumping back over the counter, security footage shows that suspect being tackled to the ground by a bank patron, identified as Carl Fraser, 54. The man with the gun then allegedly tries to shoot at Mr. Fraser, but ends up striking a 22-year-old bank teller in the thigh.

The suspects flee, allegedly with Mr. Fraser’s iPhone, and, remarkably, he gives chase to the parking lot, where he is shot in the abdomen, said Insp. Earl.

The men escaped with a “minimal” sum of money in an allegedly stolen green Honda Civic that was later found near Jane and Wilson. A dye pack had exploded on some of the bills that were left scattered at the scene.

Both victims remain in hospital and are expected to survive.

The bullet has been removed from the young teller’s leg. Mr. Fraser was at Sunnybrook Hospital, having sustained injuries to his left diaphragm, his bowel, his kidney and pancreas, which each had to be partially removed, and his spleen, which was completely removed.

“Carl isn’t one to take someone pointing a gun in his face lightly,” said Mark Bosa, who used to work with Mr. Fraser in u

page 11 u roofing and visited him at Sunnybrook on Monday. “Some people would curl up in a ball,” but Mr. Fraser is more of a “street fighter,” said Mr. Bosa. He said his long-time friend, who is married and has a son and daughter, is “very upset” the young teller was injured. “He definitely regrets that.

He did what he thought was right and that was defending other people.”

Staff Insp. Earl said it’s clear Mr. Fraser made an “instinct call,” but that’s not what others should do.

“Our recommendation to the public is, very seriously, to co-operate with someone who points a gun at you. If somebody is demanding your money or your watch, co-operate with them because we don’t want people getting hurt,” he said.

Bank robberies don’t usually turn violent, according to William Crate, director of the Canadian Bankers Association. He said the number of bank robberies has plummeted, from 1,100 recorded in 2000 to 591 across Canada in 2012. In about one-fifth of those cases, some kind of a weapon was seen. Mr. Crate attributed the drop to less cash on site, better training for staff and clearer security camera images. “If you do rob a bank, ultimately the odds are pretty high that you’re going to get caught,” he said.

Cyber-attackers stole $45m in World wide Fake aTm Card Breach Eight defendants have been charged in the largest bank heist of its kind, a $45 million worldwide theft that took just hours using fabricated ATM cards.

Federal prosecutors said the cyber-theft was as intricate as a movie plot.

“This scheme was organized for months and planned down to the minute, reminiscent of the casino heist in ‘Ocean’s Eleven,’” said Loretta Lynch, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

The scheme, which started overseas, was detailed in an indictment unsealed today. Unknown hackers stole data from banks that was then encoded onto plastic cards sent to crews in two dozen countries, according to the Justice Department. The local operatives went from ATM to ATM, withdrawing millions.

Lynch said she saw photos of one defendant in New York.

“Surveillance photos show his backpack getting heavier and heavier as his efforts go on,” she said.

In each case, the cards were compromised, withdrawal limits were eliminated and the stolen data was encoded onto plastic cards distributed to local operatives in 27 countries, officials said. In total, more than 4,500 ATM transactions were conducted around the globe.

“Instead of guns and masks, this cyber crime organization used laptops and malware,” Lynch said.

The New York cell withdrew $3 million of the total $45 million stolen. In 25 minutes, the defendants and their co-conspirators conducted approximately 750 fraudulent transactions to

taling nearly $400,000 at more than 140 different cash machines, according to the Department of Justice.

Seven members of the New York cell have been arrested. The eighth, Alberto Yusi LajudPena, said to be the ringleader, was found murdered last month in the Dominican Republic.

The men have been charged variously with conspiracy to commit access device fraud, money laundering conspiracy and money laundering. “New technologies and the rapid growth of the Internet have eliminated the traditional borders of financial crimes,” said Steven Hughes, special agent in charge of the Secret Service office in New York.

The defendants also invested the stolen funds in portable luxury goods, including expensive watches and cars. Two Rolex watches, a Mercedes SUV, a Porsche Panamera, and thousands of dollars in cash have at this point been seized by the police.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the money laundering charges and 7 1/2 years on the conspiracy to commit access device fraud charge, as well as restitution and as much as $250,000 in fines.

Law enforcement agencies in Japan, Canada, Germany, Romania and 12 other countries were involved in the investigation.

The financial sector as a whole faces thousands of attempted cyber attacks per day — from “probes” and “pings” to various attempts at disruption, intrusion or fraud, according to Greg Garcia, an advisor to the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center.

However, most of the attacks are stopped.

The industry has many sophisticated tools and experts making the efforts more complicated and expensive for the criminals.

nearly 19 Feet ! Burmese Python Captured in Florida Florida has a long list of problematic invasive species, from the vervet monkey to the lionfish, but the Burmese python might be the state's public enemy No. 1 — so much so that residents will hop out of their cars at night to catch one double the normal size.

A Miami man wrangled and killed the longest-ever Burmese python to be captured in Florida, wildlife officials announced on June 5th.

The 128-lb (58 kilograms) snake measured 18 feet, 8 inches (5.6 meters) long. Jason Leon spotted the python poking out of the roadside brush as he was driving in a rural part of southeast Miami-Dade County, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Leon, who had previous experience with Burmese pythons as a pet owner, apparently got out of his car, grabbed the snake behind its head and dragged it out of the brush. People who were with Leon came to help when the snake started wrapping around his leg. The man eventually used a knife to kill the snake and reported the incident to authorities, the FWC said.

Adult Burmese pythons caught in Florida are on average between 6 feet and 9 feet (1.8 and 2.7 m) in length. The previous record-setter, found in August 2012, was 17 feet, 7 inches (5.3 meters) long. That snake still holds the record for carrying the most eggs — a whopping 87 — of any a Burmese python captured in Florida. The recently identified beast, now dead, was a female but was not carrying any eggs, according to the University

of Florida scientists who examined the snake.

Kristen Sommers, the FWC's exotic species coordination leader, praised Leon's actions and said the agency is "grateful to him both for safely removing such a large Burmese python and for reporting its capture."

But tackling the state's problem with the Burmese python will take even greater heroics.

As its name suggests, the snake is native to Southeast Asia, and it was thought to be first let loose by exotic pet owners in the 1990s. Since then, the population of this nonvenomous constrictor has exploded in south Florida, mostly in the everglades, and it is wiping out native wildlife, such as bobcats, foxes, raccoons and other animals. Wildlife officials have said there may be up to 100,000 Burmese pythons living in the state.

university of Florida scientists line up next to the record-breaking snake.

page 12

Killer pop and energy drinks The big headline grabber came from a scientific meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans where researchers reported that 180,000 deaths worldwide may be associated with the rampant consumption of sugary drinks.

The findings are based on an analysis of data from the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases Study.

The researchers linked local consumption rates to chronic diseases. These beverages contribute to excess body weight, which in turn, increases the risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and some cancers, noted Gitanjali Singh, a co-author of the study at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

Over all, the drinks are associated with 133,000 diabetes deaths a year, 44,000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases and 6,000 cancer deaths, the researchers concluded.

One surprising finding was that people in lowand middle-income countries seem to consume far more of these beverages than their counterparts in some high-income countries. For instance, people living in Mexico are among the biggest sugary-drink consumers on a per-capita basis – had the highest death rate due to these beverages, with 318 deaths per million adults linked to sugar-sweetened beverages, said a statement released with the study.

By contrast, Japan – one of the countries with lowest per-capita consumption – had the lowest death rate associated with the consumption of sugary beverages, at about 10 deaths per million adults.

The beverage industry was quick to slag the study. It “is more about sensationalism than science,” said a statement from the American Beverage Association. “The researchers make a huge leap when they take beverage intake calculations

from around the globe and allege that those beverages are the cause of deaths.”

The industry may have some valid criticisms about the methodology. It can be extremely difficult to determine the specific health effects of a single component of the diet. After all, a person who downs gallons of sugary beverages may also eat a lot of junk food or have a generally poor diet.

Despite the shortcomings of this particular study, health experts generally agree it’s bad to overindulge. “Sugary drinks have no nutritional value other than the sugar that’s added – if you want to call that value,” said Kim Raine, a professor in the School of Public Health at University of Alberta.

heart health In a separate study presented at the AHA meeting, researchers took aim at energy drinks.

They analyzed data from seven previously published studies to show how energy drinks may undermine cardiovascular health. Some of the work focused on the QT interval – a segment of the heart’s rhythm on an electrocardiogram test. The results showed the QT interval was significantly lengthened in young people who had just consumed one to three cans of energy drinks.

When the QT interval is prolonged, it can cause serious irregular heartbeats contributing to heart attacks and sudden death, explained Sachin Shah, the lead author and assistant professor at

the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.

Other data showed energy drinks are associated with a hike in blood pressure. “Patients with high blood pressure or long QT syndrome should use caution and judgment before consuming an energy drink,” Shah warned in a statement.

life Savers But it wasn’t all bad news on the beverage front. In fact, in some cases, energy drinks may save lives, according to Australian researchers.

They investigated long-distance truck drivers between 2008 and 2011 in New South Wales and Western Australia. The study compared 530 drivers who crashed their vehicle while on a longdistance trip with 517 drivers who had not had a crash in the previous 12 months.

The finding, published by the British Medical Journal, revealed that drivers who consumed caffeinated substances such as coffee or energy drinks to help them stay awake were 63 per cent less likely to crash than drivers who did not use caffeinated products.

The researchers concluded caffeinated substances “can significantly protect against crash risk.” However, they cautioned the benefit is only short term. “Energy drinks and coffee certainly don’t replace the need for sleep,” said the study’s lead author, Lisa Sharwood of the University of Sydney.

Indeed, one good study about energy drinks is unlikely to dampen demand for greater controls on the food and beverage industry.

Some of Canada’s leading obesity experts have just published a paper in the Journal of Public Health Policy, urging the federal government to ban food and beverage ads targeting children.

“Canada has some of the highest rates of TV advertising of unhealthy food and beverages in world,” said the lead author, Kim Raine of the University of Alberta.

“I think we need to put some controls on what kids are exposed to,” she added. “There is a fair amount of evidence that shows marketing influences kids preferences, their requests and even their food consumption. And it has been associated with childhood obesity.”

The health dangers of energy drinks Take control of your health today!

i don’t approve of energy drinks

By Ben Greenfield

I’m not a big fan of energy drinks. As a nutrition consultant, for the sake of my clients I have sometimes wished in the past that energy drinks did not exist. And here are the reasons why: 1) Danger of Caffeine Overdose and Addiction: The average energy drink contains nearly 4 times the amount of caffeine found in commercial soda beverages and several of the more popular brands contain the caffeine equivalent of 14 Cokes. A 6-ounce cup of coffee has 80-150 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, but the caffeine content of energy drinks ranges from 50-500+ mg, with one popular energy drink “shot” topping out at 570mg, which gives you the equivalent of about three and a half cups of coffee with a single sip!

Caffeine is natural and the mostly widely consumed stimulant in the world, many consumers believe it’s a worry-free source of immediate energy with absolutely no side effects. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Why should this concern you? Because caffeine forces your adrenal glands to secrete enormous amounts of adrenaline and “energy” hormones, even when those glands are depleted.

The result is a growing tolerance to the effects of caffeine, and eventual burn-out and severe adrenal depletion. This is accompanied by a feeling of increasing tiredness and a need for higher and higher amounts of caffeine to achieve an energy boost.

Attempts at quitting the addiction can result in withdrawal symptoms such as severe headaches and complete loss of mental focus and function.

In addition, by inhibiting the activity of the vitamin folate, B12 and B6, high levels of caffeine may interfere with your body’s ability to regulate two significant cardiovascular disease risk factors: homocysteine and cholesterol. By causing

page 13 blood vessel constriction and increased risk of blood clots, the caffeine content in some energy drinks can literally be deadly for someone with high stress levels or high blood pressure. Finally, Excessive caffeine consumption have been associated with increased risk of stroke and arthritis, insomnia, heart palpitations, tremors, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, chest pain, and neurological symptoms!

2) Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners. One can of energy drink contains the equivalent of nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar! This amount of sugar causes your sensitive pancreas to create a literal flood of insulin in an attempt to manage all the extra glucose (sugar) that ends up in the bloodstream. Some of this sugar may be used by the muscles, but usually only if you are exercising quite frequently. The remainder of the sugar is converted into fat by the liver. In addition, the body releases both epinephrine and cortisol from your adrenal glands (as if they weren’t already stressed enough from the caffeine!). The result is quick swing in energy, followed by a subsequent crash, a severely compromised immune system, a surge of cell-damaging “free radicals”, thickened blood and an eventual insensitivity to insulin, also know as type II diabetes. And you just thought sugar was bad for your teeth!

But what about artificial sweeteners? Don’t they eliminate this problem? Unfortunately, research has shown that there is still a release of gastric hormones when you consume an artificial sweeteners. This gives your brain a confusing message: that food is present, but that the food has no “calories”. Subsequently, you develop an appetite craving typically 30-60 minutes after consuming an artificially sweetened beverage.

In addition, these artificially sweetened chemicals (yes, chemicals!) such as aspartame (Nutrasweet), sucralose (Splenda), acesulfame potassium, and sugar alcohols have been linked to upset stomachs, mood swings, birth defects, cancer, diabetes, emotional disorders, epilepsy, seizures, a variety of neurological disorders and even obesity!

3) Acids. Finally, carbonic acid, citric acid and phosphoric acid in popular carbonated energy drinks can dissolve tooth enamel (causing tooth rot and yellow teeth), raise the risk of stomach damage and ulcers, cause bone breakdown, osteoporosis, and bone fractures, and upset the fragile “acid-alkaline” balance in the human body.

Often promising a quick boost, an “energy drink” is generally defined as a drink which con-

tains ingredients claimed to enhance mental and physical performance - in some way or another.

Energy drinks have soared in popularity since the 1990’s and there are many, many readily available brands.

The magic Formula In addition to caffeine, most energy drinks advertise a special blend of other herbs and ingredients. Sugar free varieties exist, but most energy drinks also contain large amounts of sugar. The “energy providing” elixirs are usually combinations of guarana, taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins. I would challenge anyone to find an energy drink whose marketing messages are in line with the abilities of what’s in the can. Wings? I doubt it. Michigan State University’s Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies reports that the ginseng

going on in our lives and personal health for us to be so reliant on a constant stream of turbo juice?

energy drinks in the military When Walter Reed Army Institute of Research conducted research to analyze the connection between energy drink use and combat-operation sleep problems that occur among service members, the conclusions were not positive.

Data from Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan showed that over 44% of deployed service members consumed at least one energy drink daily and nearly 14% consumed more than three per day. As can be expected, the service members who consumed three or more energy drinks per day were far more likely to sleep less than 4 hours a night, they were also more likely to experience ongoing stress and fatigue.

fect of sugar-free Red Bull on one repetition bench press. Seventeen college-age, resistancetrained men participated and results suggested that the sugar-free Red Bull offered no improvement or enhancement of one repetition bench press performance.

A separate double-blind, randomized crossover study was conducted by Utah State University and determined that a low-calorie caffeine-taurine energy drink did NOT enhance the sprint performance and anaerobic power of the 20 NCAA Division I football players who participated in the research.

do energy drinks Belong in the Workplace?

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette warns that the mental and physical effects of energy drinks (altered sleep patterns, arrhythmias) may be detrimental to workplace safety, especially in the healthcare field. Would you feel comfortable if your surgeon stepped out to down an energy drink before your surgery?

do you Really need energy drinks?

content of most energy drinks falls well below most dietary supplement guidelines.

A concern with the use of the herbs in these drinks is their source. The manufacturers of energy drinks are not required to list whether or not the herbs they use have been sprayed with toxic pesticides, irradiated or watered with contaminated water supplies. There is no way of knowing what other toxins are contained in these drinks and whether or not these herbs will have a negative effect.

how Popular are energy drinks?

Based on the 2010 National Health Interview Survey data, the CDC reported that one in three adults consumed an energy drink within the past week, 21% had one more than once in the last week, and 11% consumed more than three energy drinks per week. It raises the question, what’s

do energy drinks enhance Cognitive Performance?

Although energy drinks manufacturers claim, or at least imply, that their drinks can have a positive effect on cognitive performance, studies have shown that, when compared against placebo (sugar-free lemonade), consuming energy drinks had no significant positive effect on concentration, reasoning, or aptitude.

do energy drinks enhance athletic Performance?

Consumption of energy drinks by both recreational and competitive athletes has increased dramatically in recent years.

The Department of Exercise Science at Creighton University conducted a randomized, double-blind, crossover study to examine the ef-

There are heavy, heavy marketing dollars at work to ensure your opinion of energy drinks is that they are so potent and effective they’re one step away from being a pharmaceutical product.

This is nothing more than hype. Based on the sugar and chemical content alone of most energy drinks (just check the ingredients label), I recommend avoiding them entirely. They’re bad for your teeth and only add more toxins to your body.

Their diuretic action decrease your body’s internal water supply and natural detoxification processes. Where’s the benefit?

If you’re so constantly run down you need energy drinks to get you through the day, I recommend taking an inventory of your life to determine the root causes of your exhaustion.

Are you getting enough sleep?

Are you nutritionally deprived?

What are you eating?

Are you drinking enough water?

Are you getting regular exercise?

Fatigue will stem from being deficient with any one of those habits. Getting them in check can completely eliminate your desire for the “enhanced” and over-hyped soda pop that is the average energy drink. Get your nutrition in check, get your exercise routine in check, get your sleep in check, and if you’re concerned about the effects of built up toxins, you can also cleanse your body.

page 14

Global netizens see worrying trend in US spying

Revelations that the uS government has been snooping on internet users worldwide failed to shock global netizens, who say they've already given up on expectations of online privacy in the face of growing surveillance from governments and private companies.

From London to Quito, Ecuador, Web users said they already carefully limit the information they include in emails or post on social networks such as Facebook. Many also said they had already assumed governments were regularly spying on online activity as part of counter-terrorism efforts.

"It doesn't surprise me one bit. They've been doing it for years," said Jamie Griffiths, a 26-year-old architect working on his laptop in a London cafe. "I wouldn't send anything via email that I wouldn't want a third party to read."

Still, some said they were outraged that their privacy had been violated.

"The American government has no right to read or intercept any messages I send on Facebook," said 15-year-old Julio Fernandes, of Sao Paulo, as he thumbed the keyboard of his smartphone. "This will probably change how I use the Internet. I imagine it will for many Brazilians."

According to a UN report released last month, governments worldwide have increasingly been tapping into online personal data.

Leaked confidential documents show the US National Security Agency and the FBI have been sifting through the personal data of people worldwide by directly accessing the servers of google, Facebook, microsoft, google, aol, Skype, PalTalk and youTube. US President Barack Obama said that the surveillance didn't apply to US citizens or others living in the US. "I think the American government has always collaborated with these companies, and for me it's not so strange," said Angui Moussa, a community manager for a website and social media firm in the Ivory Coast. "The threat that the American government fights everyday - they use many means at the security level to make profiles of those who might threaten them."

The governments of China, Bahrain and other nations already aggressively oversee online activity, in many cases putting people in prison for political blog posts and other messages.

Israel's attorney general in April upheld a practice allowing security personnel to read email accounts of suspicious individuals when they arrive at the airport, arguing it prevents militants from entering the country.

The UN report said such activity has been expanding as technology advances, and that countries should prioritise protecting people's online rights.

"In order to meet their human rights obligations, States must ensure that the rights to freedom of expression and privacy are at the heart of their communications surveillance frameworks," the report reads.

For Hernan Rodriguez, who heads a top Ecuadorean government technology project, the recent case shows Internet users worldwide are especially vulnerable to US government surveil-

continued on page 18

page 15

government chooses security over liberty with internet spying plan. governments in Canada and the u.K. want to spy on us online. are we going to let them ?

which turns out to be an inside job. In order to maintain control, the government institutes strict censorship laws and sends secret police — known as “Fingermen” — out to patrol streets in surveillance vans that allow them to listen in on the private conversations taking place within people’s homes. Apparently, British Prime Minister David Cameron saw this work as a policy document, rather than dystopian science fiction.

In 2010, the U.K. government expanded its existing Internet censorship apparatus, which was originally designed to block access to child porn, to include websites that contain adult content considered criminally obscene (whatever that means). Now the government is expected to unveil a new surveillance proposal that will vastly expand its ability to snoop on Britons’ private lives.

In the 2005 movie V for Vendetta (based on the comic book of the same name), the Conservative Party in the U.K. cements its hold on power following a terrorist attack,

Under the new 2013 proposal, the government would have the ability to monitor and track everyone’s Internet and phone usage, including the web sites people visit and who they communicate with. Although police and intelligence agents would not have the ability to eavesdrop on conversations directly (for now), they would be able to compile data on who they contact and what they do online.

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page 18 continued from page 14 lance since many of the servers used by globally popular tech companies sit on US territory.

"This happens because of the technological dependency that we have maintained in the countries of the south, of not having the real capacity to keep our own servers for critical information and safeguard the privacy of every citizen," Rodriguez said.

uS spy device 'tested on nZ public' A high-tech United States surveillance tool which sweeps up all communications without a warrant was sent to New Zealand for testing on the public, according to an espionage expert.

The tool was called ThinThread and it worked by automatically intercepting phone, email and internet information.

ThinThread was highly valued by those who created it because it could handle massive amounts of intercepted information. It then used snippets of data to automatically build a detailed picture of targets, their contacts and their habits for the spy organisation using it.

Those organisations were likely to include the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) after Washington, DCbased author Tim Shorrock revealed ThinThread was sent to New Zealand for testing in 2000-2001.

Mr Shorrock, who has written on intelligence issues for 35 years, said the revolutionary ThinThread surveillance tool was sent to New Zealand by the US National Security Agency. The GCSB is the US agency's intelligence partner - currently under pressure for potentially illegal wide-spread spying on the public.

The claim ThinThread was sent to New Zealand has brought fresh calls for the bureau to explain what it does.

A spokesman said the bureau was currently reviewing how much it did tell the public - but it would not be making comment on the ThinThread test. He said the intelligence agency "won't confirm or deny" the claim because it was an "operational" matter.

A spokeswoman for Prime Minister John Key also refused to comment saying it was an operational matter.

The claim emerged in an article by Mr Shorrock which ran in a magazine last month and featured whistleblower William Binney - a former high-ranking NSA official who designed ThinThread.

Mr Shorrock said the "ThinThread prototype" was installed at two NSA listening posts in late 2000 and at Fort Meade where the NSA is based.

"In addition, several allied foreign intelligence agencies were given the program to conduct lawful surveillance in their own corners of the world. Those recipients included Canada, Germany, Britain, Australia and New Zealand."

The "lawful" aspect was due to the software's ability to mask the identities of those whose information was being intercepted a technical work around of the legal barrier which prohibits New Zealand and the US from spying on its own citizens.

Mr Shorrock said ThinThread operated in three phases. It began by intercepting call, email and internet traffic on a network and automatically assessing it for interest. The scale of the traffic was such that it narrowed down targets of interest by focusing on patterns of information rather than the content of the information.

Secondly, ThinThread automatically anonymised the collected data so the identities stayed hidden "until there was sufficient evidence to obtain a warrant".

The magic was in the back end of the system which used the raw data "to create graphs showing relationships and patterns that could tell analysts which targets they should look at and which calls should be listened to" using "metadata" - the same type of "information about information" which featured in about 60 of the 88 potentially illegal spying cases identified in the GCSB review.

The Greens and Labour both said it showed the need for an inquiry into the GCSB - an investigation which both have repeatedly demanded. Greens' co-leader Russel Norman said the Prime Minister and GCSB needed to explain to the public whether it was spied on by ThinThread.

"It reinforces why there is a different set of rules for the GCSB

page 19 China relations just a few days after U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at a summit in California where cyber security was a prime topic.

Snowden told the Guardian that he went to Hong Kong in hopes it would be a place where he might be able to resist U.S. prosecution attempts, although the former British colony has an extradition treaty with the United States.

Some local officials suggested that Snowden might have miscalculated.

"We do have bilateral agreements with the U.S. and we are duty-bound to comply with these agreements.

Hong Kong is not a legal vacuum, as Mr. Snowden might have thought," said Regina Ip, a Hong Kong lawmaker and former security secretary.

Snowden said he turned over the documents to The Washington Post and the Guardian in order to expose the NSA's vast surveillance of phone and Internet data.

The former technical assistant at the CIA, who had been working at the NSA as an employee of contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, said he became disenchanted with Obama for continuing the surveillance policies of George W. Bush, Obama's predecessor.

"I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things ... I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded," Snowden told the Guardian, which published the video interview with him in June, on its website. *** Snowden, who the Guardian said had been working at the NSA for four years as a contractor for outside companies, told the Guardian he had copied the secret documents at the NSA office in

Contractor who leaked nSa ďŹ les drops out of sight - they are integrated into this global spy network," he said.

A contractor at the National Security Agency who leaked details of top-secret U.S. surveillance programs dropped out of sight in Hong Kong ahead of a likely push by the U.S. government to have him sent back to the United States to face charges.

Edward Snowden, 29, who provided the information for published reports that revealed the NSA's broad monitoring of phone call and Internet data from large companies such as Google and Facebook, checked out of his Hong Kong hotel hours after going public in a video released by Britain's Guardian newspaper.

The disclosures by Snowden have sent shock-

waves across Washington, where several lawmakers called for the extradition and prosecution of the ex-CIA employee who was behind one of the most significant security leaks in U.S. history.

There were some signs, however, that Snowden's stance against government surveillance and his defense of personal privacy was resonating with at least some Americans.

Supporters flocked to Snowden's aid on the Internet - more than 25,000 people signed an online petition urging Obama to pardon Snowden even before he has been charged. A separate effort on Facebook to raise funds for Snowden's legal defense netted nearly $8,000 in just a few hours.

In Hong Kong, officials were cautious in discussing a spy drama that could entangle U.S.-

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Staff at a luxury hotel in Hong Kong told Reuters that Snowden had checked out at noon on Monday. Ewen MacAskill, a Guardian journalist, said later in the day that Snowden was still in Hong Kong.

"He didn't have a plan. He thought out in great detail leaking the documents and then deciding rather than being anonymous, he'd go public. So he thought that out in great detail. But his plans after that have always been vague," MacAskill said.

"I'd imagine there's now going to be a real battle between Washington and Beijing and civil rights groups as to his future," MacAskill said.

"He'd like to seek asylum in a friendly country but I'm not sure if that's possible or not." *** In Washington, several members of Congress and intelligence officials showed little sympathy for Snowden's argument. The U.S. Justice Department already is in the initial stages of a criminal investigation.

"Anyone responsible for leaking classified information should be punished to the fullest extent of the law," said Republican Mike Rogers, chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee.

'a SaCRed TRuST' James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, told NBC that the leaks "violate a sacred trust for this country. The damage that these revelations incur are huge."

Some lawmakers were more cautious, however, saying the surveillance programs revealed by the Guardian and The Post raised concerns not

continued on page 24

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BAYLlNER 285 cabin cruiser, 2008, 350 Mag MPI Mercruiser Bravo III lower unit. Sleeps 6, enclosed head, sink and shower.

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Teak and holly flooring, generous cabinet storage. Included is a T.V. with DVD player, stereo system, and marine barbecue. Boat is loaded, all options and upgrades including electric windlass and remote controlled spotlight. As well, this beautiful boat, with only 6 hours, has a $10,000 generator for extended stays on the lake.

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page 21

Webcam hackers can spy on you in secret from your own computer authorities say criminals are now able to hack in and watch your every move -- without you ever knowing it. now they can access your webcam remotely, watching your most intimate moments from the kitchen to the privacy of your own bedroom. The worst part is, you'd never even know.

Steven Fox, an IT security expert, was chatting with friends on his webcam one night when he started receiving some strange emails. Imagine his surprise when he opened one and found images of himself chatting.

His webcam had been hacked by a “script kiddie,” a person who uses malware written by someone else to show off their skills at accessing other computer systems, says Fox. He quickly detached the webcam, but he had to re-install his operating system after he found malware installed on his computer. “It was painful, but it was a learning experience,” says Fox, who writes a column for the journal of the Information Systems Security Association.

The risks of webcams Webcams may let you stay in touch with friends and family, but

they also pose risks of people hacking into them and spying on you. A recent Pennsylvania lawsuit accused a school district of using webcams on school-issued laptops to spy on students and their families. And in China, a sophisticated network of hackers known as GhostNet has cracked 1,295 webcams in 103 countries.

Since most laptops now come with a built-in webcam, it’s critical to understand the risks, says Richard Stiennon, a malware expert with IT-Harvest, a research firm that specializes in Internet security. “We all have to become aware that our every action could be watched,” says Stiennon.

how hackers attack webcams Most hackers utilize so-called Trojan horse attacks, says Stiennon. You click on an attachment or download a piece of music or video infected with malware, and a hacker is able to remotely control your PC’s functions.

Fortunately, you can take steps to secure your webcam. Experts offer these do’s and don’ts: Don’t click on suspicious attachments. You’ve heard it before, but too often we click without thinking. Email attachments remain a prime source for malware.

Be wary of those supposedly funny emails forwarded by friends and family. You should also avoid suspicious sites offering free downloads of music, TV shows or videos.

Do use a firewall. “Firewalls provide a measure of protection against unwanted traffic,” explains Fox. Your computer comes with a firewall, but you need to make sure it’s turned on. If you use a Windows operating system, click on the Windows symbol in the lower-left corner of your screen, search for Windows Firewall, and you’ll be able to check the firewall settings. If you use a

Mac OS, open System Preferences, click on the Sharing icon, select the Firewall tab and click Start.

Do use strong anti-virus software. Install a security suite that offers malware and spyware protection, then make sure you keep the protection up to date.

Don’t keep PCs with webcams in bedrooms. Limit webcam use to high-traffic areas, and remind family members not to do anything in front of a webcam they wouldn’t want the world to see.

Do secure your wireless connection. Make sure your wireless connection is protected with a unique password (not the default one that came with the router).

Don’t talk to strangers. Avoid IM conversations with people you don’t know, and advise your kids to do the same.

Do be cautious about accepting tech help. Would-be hackers have been known to ingratiate themselves with acquaintances by offering computer help. But that gives them the chance to rig webcams so they can spy on the computer user.

Don't open any emails from people you don't know. That includes clicking on those Facebook postings that say things like "Watch this incredible video!" Unless you trust the person posting, don't do it. Those random links are how the hackers gain access.

Do look for the indicator light. On external webcams, you’ll usually see a red light indicating the camera is on. Laptops with internal webcams usually have a blue LED indicator. If you use an external webcam, simply detach it from the USB port when it’s not in use.

In the end, your best bet is to use a decidedly low-tech solution, say the experts. “The ultimate security control is to cover the lens,’’ Fox says. If your webcam doesn’t come with a lens cover, you can also put a piece of tape across the webcam lens. “It sounds silly, but it gives you positive feedback that no one is spying on you.”

page 22

lyleton

Canada (manitoba) - uSa latest CBSa Border Report

u On May 3, a Saskatchewan woman, 49 declared US$900 in purchases. However, receipts handed to a CBSA officer showed more than US$1,300 in purchases. Officers also noted two boxes in her vehicle’s rear trailer that were not accounted for in the receipts. When asked about it, the woman produced another receipt for a hot tub and insulation, with a value of nearly $5,100. She claimed to have forgotten to give it to the officer, and was issued a penalty of $1,300. If she had originally declared the goods, she would have paid approximately $250 in GST.

emerson West lynne Approximately 173,000 people entered Canada through ports in southern Manitoba during the month of May. CBSA officers processed a total of 71,900 cars and 18,700 commercial trucks.

During this period, officers at the port of Emerson issued 212 work permits and 77 study permits, finalized permanent residency documents for 211 foreign nationals, and refused entry to 97 foreign nationals for various reasons, including criminality.

goodlands On May 1, an Alberta couple, ages 60 and 56, arrived at the port of Boissevain in a pickup truck that displayed Colorado licence plates. They said they had been absent from Canada for 17 days and purchased only an air purifier. Based on the truck licence plates, officers explained to the couple the requirement to import the American-bought vehicle into Canada, and provided instruction on how to do so. Instead, the couple returned to the United States, then tried to enter Canada later that day at the port of Goodlands without attempting to properly import the truck. Officers seized it, upon which the couple said they would turn back instead of importing it. They were required to proceed through and were issued a $12,000 penalty. Had they been truthful, they would have paid approximately $1,500 in GST. u

Boissevain On May 2, a 39-year-old North Dakota commercial driver stated he was coming to pick up a load in Brandon. Upon inspection, officers uncovered a prohibited switchblade knife in a u

pocket near the driver’s seat. When presented with the switchblade, the man said he knew he should have declared it, but chose not to.

The weapon was seized without terms of release, and the man was allowed to proceed into Canada.

On May 3, four travellers arrived with 15 horses to sell at a Saskatchewan auction. In the process of verifying the declared value of the horses, officers found evidence suggesting one of the passengers, a 28-year-old Minnesota man, intended to sell undeclared spurs and saddles. Officers seized the goods, worth more than $2,800, from the front storage area of the trailer. He was issued a penalty of more than $700, had he been truthful, he would have paid less than $150 in GST. Officers also seized three undeclared logs of chewing tobacco and a bottle of undeclared brandy brought by another passenger, a 60-year-old South Dakota man, with no terms of release. u

u On May 20, a 39-year-old Saskatchewan man attempted to import a 1967 muscle car with a declared value of US$5,000.

Officers found a receipt that listed the sale price as US$10,000.

The man admitted to the undervaluation, and was issued a penalty of more than $2,800. Had he made a truthful declaration, he would have paid approximately $500 in GST. u On May 24, a 46-year-old Manitoba man declared a wake-boarding boat at a value of US$12,500. Suspicious of the declared value, CBSA officers conducted a secondary examination. They found notes along with a wire transfer indicating a purchase for US$19,500. The man immediately admitted to paying that price, and said he was trying to save taxes. He was issued a penalty of just over $1,800. If he had not made a false statement, he would have paid approximately $1,000 in GST.

On May 29, CBSA officers referred a 48-year-old Manitoba man to secondary after observing symptoms of intoxication.

He claimed he had been in the United States for a short period. Officers performed an Approved Screening Device test, which determined the man was intoxicated. He was arrested and transferred to the RCMP. u

u On May 5, a Manitoba couple, ages 37 and 35, told CBSA officers they had paid US$2,000 for tires and rims. When questioned further, the man said he did not declare other parts he claimed to have purchased second-hand. The man said the tires were made in the United States, but upon secondary examination, officers revealed they were actually made in Korea. Officers found new and custom-made auto parts on the vehicle, and miscellaneous undeclared shopping goods inside. In total, the couple did not declare or made false statements for almost $4,200 worth of goods.

They were issued a penalty of approximately $2,100. Had they been truthful, they would have paid just over $200 in GST.

Later that day, a male Manitoba resident, 70, was referred to secondary examination. He indicated that he did not have firearms with him. While searching his pickup and trailer, officers found a .44-calibre revolver packed between cardboard boxes in a leather case. They arrested the man and also seized more than five kilograms of concealed chewing tobacco. He was issued a penalty of more than $1,600 and was issued a promise to appear in court

by CBSA Criminal Investigations. u

On May 7, a 61-year-old South Dakota man was transporting horses to a race track and told CBSA officers he had never been arrested or convicted of any crimes. Officers determined he had convictions for assault and also had drunk-driving charges.

The man was refused entry and returned to the United States. u

On the same day, CBSA officers seized suspected child pornography from a 36-year-old commercial driver residing in Saskatchewan. The man was arrested and criminally charged by CBSA Criminal Investigations. u

On May 11, a 49-year-old male Ontario commercial driver said he had delivered a load of cattle and visited family over the two-week period he was in the United States. CBSA officers noticed anomalies on his truck, and determined modifications had been recently completed. The man admitted he had actually been waiting in the United States for the truck to be repaired, and produced a receipt for more than US$15,000. The repairs were nondutiable, but the driver was issued a penalty of almost $800. Had u

page 23 he reported the repairs, he would have paid nothing.

On May 14, a 32-year-old Manitoba man attempted to import a 1967 muscle car into Canada. He provided the required documentation, including a bill of sale for US$17,000. CBSA officers found evidence the car was purchased for $27,500. The man immediately admitted to the undervaluation, but said it was the seller’s idea to create the bill with the false amount. Officers issued the man a penalty of more than $5,800. Had he been truthful, he would have paid approximately $1,400 in GST. u

On May 15, a 51-year-old Pennsylvania man was destined for Alberta to go hunting. He claimed he had never been arrested and had no criminal record. Database checks revealed the man served three years in jail for conspiring to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. He was refused entry and returned to the United States. u

On May 16, a 57-year-old male United States resident attempted to enter Canada to find employment. He claimed he had one charge related to drunk driving, but that it had been reduced to careless driving. CBSA officers verified that information, but saw the man had five other drunk-driving convictions, two assault convictions, and a failure to appear. The man was refused entry and returned to the United States. u

On May 23, a 49-year-old Manitoba woman was referred for secondary examination. Before the exam began, she admitted there were two bottles of undeclared hot sauce in the trunk of her car. Officers found miscellaneous undeclared packages, with a combined value of over $1,500. They also recovered a small amount of suspected marijuana from the woman’s purse.

She was arrested and later released with a penalty of almost $1,300. u

u Later that day, a 41-year-old Illinois man coming to Canada and was referred for secondary examination. Officers seized a loaded .40-calibre handgun with three extra loaded magazines from the vehicle, and arrested the man. They then transferred him to RCMP custody.

On May 24, a 57-year-old male Tennessee truck driver attempted to enter Canada to deliver a load. The man said he had never been arrested, fingerprinted, handcuffed, or served jail time.

A background check showed the man had been arrested for numerous offences, including assaulting police and petit larceny. He was refused entry and returned to the United States.

was issued a penalty of more than $650. If he had been truthful, he would have paid approximately $80 in GST for the tires and rims.

South junction u On May 27, a 49-year-old Minnesota man arrived at the port of South Junction. During initial secondary examination, CBSA officers found three litres of undeclared alcohol in the vehicle. In total, 18 cans of beer, 12 bottles of whiskey, and 18 bottles of vodka were seized – totalling 61 litres of undeclared alcohol. The man was arrested and released on a Promise to Appear and a $500

recognisance and refused entry to Canada.

Reminder for travellers to the international Peace garden in Boissevain: Visiting the International Peace Garden does constitute exiting Canada. When travelling to the International Peace Garden, while not mandatory, a passport is the preferred form of identification to expedite your processing when re-entering Canada.

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page 24 continued from page 19 just about citizens' privacy, but also whether the Obama administration had done enough to keep Congress informed about such surveillance, as required by law.

"The government does not need to know more about what we are doing. We need to know more about what the government is doing," said Ron Paul, a former House member and unsuccessful Republican presidential candidate in 2012 who has long said that the U.S. government is too intrusive into Americans' daily lives.

"We should be thankful for individuals like Edward Snowden," Paul said.

MOSCOW - Russia would consider granting asylum to the American who has exposed top-secret U.S. surveillance programs, if he were to ask for it, says President Vladimir Putin's spokesman.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stopped short of saying Moscow would accept Edward Snowden, but pro-Kremlin lawmakers spoke out in favor of the idea, tapping into a lingering Cold War rivalry with the United States and a vein of anti-American sentiment Putin has often encouraged.

"Promising Snowden asylum, Moscow takes upon itself the defense of people persecuted for political reasons," Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the international affairs committee in the lower house of parliament, said on Twitter.

"There will be hysteria in the United States.

They recognize this as their right alone," he said.

Putin and other Russian officials have often accused the United States of hypocrisy, saying it tries to impose standards of human rights, freedom and democracy on other nations while falling far short of them itself.

"This is an ideological catastrophe for the United States," Pushkov said, referring to Snowden's leaks about National Security Agency surveillance programs.

PRiSm Spying denials From Tech Companies Baffle Security experts NEW YORK -- When Mark Klein went to work as a technician at an AT&T communications center in San Francisco in the fall of 2003, his company entrusted him with a key to every door but one: room 641A.

Access to that room, he later testified in a court deposition, was restricted to employees who had security clearances from the National Security Agency, the vast government department that scans the world's communications.

But even though he wasn't permitted to enter the secured room, Klein says he was directly involved in ensuring that it achieved its function: making sure that all of the Internet traffic reaching the facility, including emails and online chats, could be seen and analyzed by the government spying agency.

Klein's testimony -- recounted in court documents that are part of a federal lawsuit against the NSA by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group -- was cited in the case as proof of a contention that now has greater currency than ever: Klein's account, the EFF claims, amounts to proof that AT&T collaborated with the NSA in the surveillance of the domestic communications of millions of Americans.

The particular lawsuit in which Klein appears as witness has been moving at glacial speed through federal district court in San Francisco.

But his testimony now has special resonance as Americans absorb reports that indicate the NSA has for years tapped into the networks of telephone and Internet companies to collect vast stores of information.

The Guardian and The Washington Post reported on the existence of a secret program known as PRISM through which the NSA has gained access to the personal data of millions people using a host of communications services run by major American technology companies including Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, Apple, and AOL. The Guardian also reported on the existence of a secret court order compelling Verizon to turn over phone call records to the NSA, including the date, location and duration of calls.

Verizon refused to confirm or even comment on the court order in its case. But the cluster of Internet companies said to have actively participated in the PRISM program, in sharp contrast, forcefully denied any involvement, with some specifically saying they had no knowledge of it.

“We have never heard of PRISM,” Apple said

in a statement. “We do not provide any government agency with direct access to our servers, and any government agency requesting customer data must get a court order.”

But data security experts pointed to the AT&T case and Klein’s testimony to suggest that the sort of massive-scale data-mining operation outlined

Although the type of harvesting revealed in documents leaked to the press could be realized without a company's full knowledge, experts said it's hard to envision a scenario in which someone on the inside wasn't aware of government snooping. Large Internet companies have sophisticated and powerful mechanisms to detect such intruders, they said.

"It would be absurd if security people were unaware that data was being moved out of their system," said Ali Golshan, a former intelligence agency analyst and founder of the cybersecurity firm Cyphort. He said it was "impossible" that the NSA could collect data from tech companies without those companies knowing.

in the news reports would be nearly impossible without some form of corporate cooperation.

According to Golshan, tech companies routinely give the spy agency access to the back end of their networks. "You're essentially letting the NSA run analysis on top of your network to sort

page 25 the data any way they want. It's like giving them the private keys to the back door of your home," he said.

Matthew Aid, who wrote a book on the history of the NSA, said the denials from tech companies over the domestic surveillance program appear carefully worded and don't necessarily mean they were not involved. "We may be looking at nuances in language here," he said.

Other data security experts said that while the NSA could be hacking into companies' servers without their knowledge, aggregating and making sense of all the information stored there would be extremely difficult without some level of cooperation.

"Even if you do have direct access to the data, then you'd need to have an engineer help explain to you how to interact with it," said Aaron Massey, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgia Tech whose research focuses on computer security and legal compliance software systems.

The data collection method described by Klein, the AT&T whistleblower, appears to differ from what is purported to be happening under the PRISM program, said Richard Wiebe, the San Francisco attorney representing the Electronic Frontier Foundation in its lawsuit against the NSA. In his testimony, Klein said he helped maintain a device that essentially duplicated the stream of Internet traffic reaching the facility, with that duplicated feed then piped directly into room 641A. Once inside the room, a so-called semantic traffic analyzer -- a device designed to sift through vast amounts of data -- was presumably used to sort the information and search for certain keywords.

Reading through passing messages, as in the AT&T case, is different from mining a company's computer servers for information, the activity described in the PRISM reporting, Wiebe said.

That latter method of spying, he said, can be accomplished even if the subject -- such as a consumer with a Facebook account -- never communicates with anybody. "Even if you don't have any friends, the NSA is friending you," he said.

Wiebe said it's possible that such data-mining could be done without the knowledge of security

monitors, for example by disguising it as the same sorts of probes done every day on consumer data by the companies themselves. Even so, he said, it is hard to fathom that the initial connection could be accomplished without someone at the company being aware.

Conspiracy theorists no longer look so crazy

By Tim Stanley New Zealand Herald

Those crazy American conspiracy theorists who live up trees with guns and drink their own pee don't seem quite so crazy any more. It turns out a "secret court order" has empowered the United States Government to collect the phone records of millions of users of Verizon, one of the most popular telephone providers - a huge domestic surveillance programme and a shocking intrusion into the lives of others.

Of course, it isn't the first time a US Administration has spied on its own people. The origins of this particular order lie first in the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and then in Section 215 of the Patriot Act, backed by George W. Bush and passed by Congress after 9/11.

Normally, domestic surveillance targets only suspicious individuals, not the entire population, but in 2006 it was discovered that a similarly wide database of cellular records was being collected from customers of Verizon, AT&T and BellSouth.

There was plenty of outrage and plenty of lawsuits, but the National Security Agency never confirmed that the programme had been shut down.

A few observations. First, America is so conscious and proud of its history as a beacon of liberty that it often overlooks the tyranny that occurs on its own shores in the name of safeguarding democracy. The national security state has expanded to the point where it now functions outside of democratic control and with clear disregard for the constitution.

What's especially creepy about this case is that the state felt no legal obligation to tell citizens it was spying on them - or at least considering it. The result is a disturbing paradox: it's legal to collect information from companies but illegal for the companies to try to tell their customers about it. It seems the law prefers to take the side of the state.

Second, you get what you vote for - and both

Republicans and Democrats keep on voting for authoritarians. There's a frustrating hypocrisy that many conservatives applauded the accrual of state power under Bush for the sake of fighting the War on Terror only to scream blue murder about it now it's happening under Obama.

Likewise, many liberals resented the domestic espionage programme of Bush but have been less vocal about opposing it under Obama. The journalist Martin Bashir has gone so far as to claim the IRS scandal is a coded attack on the President's race, that "IRS" is the new "n word". Sometimes it feels like Obama could be discovered standing over the body of Sarah Palin with a smoking gun in his hand and liberals would scream "racist!" if anyone called him a murderer.

Their capacity for self-delusion knows no bounds.

Finally, totalling up every scandal - IRS, AP phone records, Fox journalists being targeted, the Benghazi mess - this has to be the most furtively authoritarian White House since Nixon's. We don't yet have a "smoking email" from Obama ordering all of this, but it can't be said often enough that there is a correlation between Obama's "progressive" domestic agenda and the misbehaviour of other state agencies - forcing people to buy healthcare even when they can't afford it, bailing out the banks, war in Libya and the use of drone strikes to kill US citizens. This is exactly what the Tea Party was founded to expose and oppose. All the laughter once directed at the "paranoid" right now rings hollow.

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page 26

liBoR: The BiggeST BanKing SCandal oF all Time?

What is LIBOR? It stands for the London Interbank Offered Rate. Essentially it is the rate at which banks are able to borrow money from eachother. It is the interest rate based from the rates which banks lend unsecured funds through the London Interbank market. Each morning on a daily basis banks from around the world submit their borrowing costs to Thomson Reuters, a data collection agency. An average is calculated based on the highest and lowest 25 percent of submissions and the LIBOR rate for the day is determined this way. These numbers are then submitted and published by the BBA (British Bankers Association). The LIBOR rate is considered by many to be the benchmark for interest rates around the world representing ten different currencies and fifteen different maturities.

The reason this rate is so important is because $800 trillion in global finances base their rates from the LIBOR and this has a direct influence on the interest we pay on things such as mortgages, student loans, bank loans and many other similar rates. Many people are influenced by the LIBOR rate without even knowing it which is why it is important to understand what has unfolded and what has likely continues today. At this time the manipulation of these rates has been dated back as far 1991, and it has likely been happening for even longer than that. Several banks were falsely increasing or decreasing their rates so they would in turn profit from trades, or to give the impression that they were more creditworthy than they actually were.

It is a massive conspiracy and many banks and individuals have been found guilty of profiting large sums of money from manipulating LIBOR rates. A Swiss bank, UBS, paid a record breaking $1.5 billion to US, UK and Swiss regulators for its role in the scan-

dal. In July 2012 Barclay's paid $450 million for its role, and other banks that have been linked with the LIBOR collusion include Canadian branches of the Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan Bank, Citibank, ICAP (Intercapital).

Other banks that were investigated for manipulating LIBOR rates include Bank of Tokyo, Societe Generale, Credit Suisse Group, Rabobank Group NV, Lloyd's Banking Group, Mizuho Financial Group, RP Martin Holdings Ltd, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation to name a few examples. This financial conspiracy is far reaching and several employees of certain banks have stepped down from their positions and many have been arrested with minimal prison sentences. A mere slap on the wrist for the profiting of millions of misused dollars. We have seen scandal after scandal but it would seem that LIBOR is the grand daddy of them all.

What measures exist to prevent these criminals from doing someting like this again?

All a bank has to do is print off some pages, or create documents with predetermined amounts listed and none would be the wiser.

While families starve in less fortunate communities all over the world there exists a global economic cartel using the system for fraudulent purposes and because of the positions and profits many of these people are making, the crimes often go unpunished. It would seem that based upon the Sherman Anti-trust Act, those convicted for crimes relating to the LIBOR scandal can be punished for up to ten years in prison. I am certain that many of these bankers have the best lawyers money can buy and go on to serve but a fragment of the maximum sentence that can be given. When these criminals are released back into the public it is most likely that they will ensure to have a luxurious life ahead of them, paid for by accumulated fraudulent currency and at who's expense? u

page 27 u

- ConVeRSaTion BeTWeen ConSPiRaToRS -

uBS Trader a to interdealer Broker: "If you keep 6s unchanged today, I will f---ing do one humongous deal with you, like a 50,000 buck deal, whatever. I need you to keep it as low as possible. If you do that I’ll pay you, you know, 50,000 dollars, 100,000 dollars, whatever you want. I’m a man of my word.”

(Brokerage B) too.

So emphasise the importance to you. Just suggest it looks a little softer to his accounts.”

Brokerage B to uBS Trader:

"Mate yur getting bloody good at this Libor game. Think of me when yur on yur yacht in monaco wont yu!”

Brokerage C to uBS Trader: "OK mate, I understand. I will go and speak to him.” uBS Trader a to Brokerage C: "Thanks mate. Is very important to me today” Brokerage C to uBS Trader: "Just spoke to them and they are on the case.”

uBS Trader a to Brokerage C: "Right, from now on I need you to ask him a favour on the fixes. I will make sure it gets back to you. I already do it with (Brokerage a: name Withheld).

Basically, can you ask him to broke 3m cash ie: Libor lower for me today? I will look after you off the back of it. I do that for

Brokerage B to uBS Trader: "Right, ok mate I will make a special effort.”

uBS Trader a to Brokerage C: "Ok mate, much appreciated.” uBS Trader a to Brokerage B: "Low 1m, Low 3, High 6m. 6m is important today mate. Pls spoof bids.”

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Horoscope aries

(march 21 - april 19) Make time to attend to problems both at work and home or there will be unexpected disruptions when you want them least. Don’t ignore warning signs. It may get worse. Your ideas are sparky enough to leave others standing in your dust. Yes you really are quite brilliant in all that you do. Look out for a Scorpio, as he or she plays a very big part in your life when self-doubt strikes. Despite your singularity, you’ll feel more complete with a supportive structure in your life, and this comes in the form of other people. Take your direction from the simple things in life.

leo

(july 23 - august 22) Handle work situations carefully by doing your best to avoid getting involved in office politics. Intense feelings come to the surface but don’t let them control it. Also circumstances connected to your family, home or friends make things challenging this month, but if you maintain an optimistic outlook, you’ll be nearer to attaining your goals than you think.

Everything else - as long as you’re paid and that your worth is being recognised, then this is the way to go. A time for smashing goals and being a high achiever.

Anything you sign up to will be long-lasting. You have got it going!

Sagittarius

(nov. 22 - dec. 21) Tension over money matters may spill into your relationship zone, which in turn will affect your business dealings, so nip problems in the bud if they arise this month. A tendency for people to insist on getting their own way can put you at odds with them, and some may impose on you or take advantage of your good nature.This is the month where you’ll stand up to anyone who tries this manoeuvre, and you’ll maybe even tell him or her where to go. Try to stay calm.

Don't look to your past and stop ridding your life on any deadwood. Focus very much on to your own needs.

Taurus

(april 20 - may 20) A thriving sense of independence is only one of the reasons this is going to be a fabulous month. Your powers of communications will be sharpened and other people will be surprised at the slick way that you now operate. New information about someone close might makes you question a decision you made.

Keep looking for that safe port in the storm, it may be hidden, but it is there somewhere so keep looking. Help where you can, but don't put any of your own plans on hold. Your cycle is high. You'll be at the right place at the right time. Encourage others to enjoy themselves.

Virgo

(august 23 - Sep. 22)

page 30

July

gemini

(may 21 - june 21) Your freedom will be curtailed this month when you realise you have to face up to your duties and responsibilities, as no one else is going to do it for you any more. Relationships and friendships are subject to unexpected change, some upsetting, some exciting.

When in discussions with others, bear in mind that they might have ulterior motives. While everybody around you seems to be faced with major problems, you could be the one with the light bulb glowing above your head that leads other people away from groping in the dark. Desires are a driving force behind actions.

libra

(Sep. 23 - oct. 23)

You’re always hard working, and month of July will be no different.

Emotional complications could turn to conflicts if you don’t play your cards right, and love will resemble a war zone if you don’t think before you speak. Take some time out of the spotlight and focus on what, and who, is important in your life. It makes sense. Express your positive energies and if there are some problems out there, then you’ve got to recognise and deal with them. Either for yourself, or even on behalf of other people. Some people just can’t see the wood for the trees right now.

You might be under a lot of pressure this month, whether self-imposed or because of others. Try to be diplomatic but keep an eye on those who employ control tactics. A very creative time begins where you’ll use your brainpower to make your world a better place. Also in July you’re going to enjoy asserting and even defending your own particular belief system.

Just watch out for being preachy, or the world won’t listen. Travel plans might beset with delays so give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination. Don’t allow business pressures to spill into your home life or you’ll make a rod for your own back.

Capricorn

aquarius

Desires are compulsive, intense, unyielding and will pit you against others, but a stable counter influence will help balance struggles if you visualise dreams. Certain people will have a huge impact on you, as your new thinking will cause you to merge your thinking with theirs. You’re a wise sign, but sometimes you must search for the answer, too.

Whatever it is that you’re setting up, you’ll now want to take much further than you have done in the past, and you won’t tolerate resistance from others.

Let’s just say that all things are entirely possible for you in July.

You’re aware that there’s something about to change in your life, and you’re very happy about it. There’s something good in the air and you can feel it building. Feelings intensify pushing some formerly favourable alliances to turn competitive. Keep dealings honest and above board and don’t be tempted to take sides this month. Health wise it’s an ideal time to make changes to dietary areas, or introduce new physical activities into your routine. Also it’s time you had a break from your constant hard work. Be a bit more organised about your commitments.

(dec. 22 - jan. 19)

(jan. 20 - Feb. 18)

Cancer

(june 22 - july 22) You’ll be working extremely hard and furthering your own interests this month. From the 6th onwards, is a turnaround time for you, and a wealth of amazing opportunity will come your way re-awakening of something from your past.

Perhaps some kind of unfinished business?

Search of your usual oxygen of stimulation in the form of new associations, – this is everything that you need and will promote growth. Your concentration should be given a bit of a boost around the 21st and this should help pin down that wavering consistency. By the 28th, a major life growth cycle begins where dreaming big pays off.

Scorpio

(oct. 24 - nov. 21) Your bouts of silence can sometimes unnerve others, and you’re lost in thought more than usual this month. Your profound desire could evoke extreme or provocative passions that impact faraway unions or nearby talks. Cool this intensity and ground dreams in reality. Don’t just sit back and hope that everything will go according to plan. A significant input from you is required.

Any kind of new knowledge is a welcome addition to your life right now. A partner's moves catch you off guard.

Don’t over react. Dreams and wishes coming your way.

Pisces

(Feb. 19 - march 20) Passions intensify and could cross the boundaries of love and friendship, but your personal dreams take a giant step towards reality as hopes crystallise into life changing structures. Money is unstable, but you can deal with that at another time. Look at your long-range goals, particularly where your hopes and dreams are concerned and make a certain project materialise in a way that you never thought possible. Just be careful how you handle your energy. Don't allow negative comments you hear to discourage your progress. Pay attention to your inner feelings and listen to your intuition.

page 31 BeauTiFul? There was a lawyer and he was just waking up from anesthesia after surgery, and his wife was sitting by his side. His eyes fluttered open and he said, “You're beautiful!” and then he fell asleep again. His wife had never heard him say that so she stayed by his side. A couple minutes later his eyes fluttered open and he said “You're cute!” Well, the wife was dissapointed because instead of “beautiful” it was “cute.” She said “What happened to ‘beautiful’? His reply was “The drugs are wearing off!”

BaR CRaWl

An Irishman drinks at the pub until they close.

He stands up to leave and falls flat on his face. He tries to stand one more time and falls again. He figures he'll crawl outside and get some fresh air and maybe that will sober him up.

Outside, he tries to stand up and falls flat again. He gives up and crawls the four blocks to his house, crawls up the stairs and pulls himself into bed.

The next morning, his wife stands over him shouting, "So, you've been out boozing again!"

"What makes you say that?" he asks, putting on an innocent face.

"The pub called, you left your wheelchair there again."

doCToR demenTed

A British doctor, a German doctor and an American doctor were chatting.

The British doctor said, "Medicine in my country is so advanced that we can take a kidney out of one man put it in another and have him looking for work in six weeks."

Then the German doctor bragged, "That''s nothing, we can take a lung out of one person, put it in another and have him looking for work in four weeks."

The American doctor, not to be outdone, says, "You guys are way behind. We took a man with no brain out of Texas, put him in the White House, and almost immediately afterwards half the country was looking for work."

maRiTal CounSeling

After 20 years of marriage a husband and wife go to counseling.

When asked what the problem is, the wife breaks into a passionate tirade of every problem they've ever had.

Finally, after allowing this to go on for a sufficient length of time, the therapist gets up, walks over to the wife, makes her stand up and kisses her very hard. The woman shuts up and quietly sits down.

The therapist says to the husband, "This is what your wife needs at least three times a week. Can you do this?"

After a moment the husband replies, "Well, I can drop her off here on Mondays and Wednesdays, but on Fridays I fish."

liTTle johnny... Finding jeSuS

A Sunday school teacher is concerned that his students might be a little confused about Jesus, so he asks his class, "Where is Jesus today?

Steven raises his hand and says, "He's in Heaven."

Mary answers, "He's in my heart."

Little Johnny waves his hand furiously and blurts out, "He's in our bathroom!"

The surprised teacher asks Little Johnny how he knows this.

"Well," Little Johnny says, "every morning, my father gets up, bangs on the bathroom door and yells 'Jesus, are you still in there?!'"

STePhen haRPeR goeS To The moVieS

Taking a break from his daily routine, STEPHEN HARPER decides to go to the movie.

After buying his ticket, he stops at the concession stand to purchase some popcorn. Handing the attendant $5, he says, "The last time I came to the movies, popcorn didn't cost anywhere near this much money. " "Well, sir," the attendant replies with a grin, "you're in for an even bigger surprise, the movies have sound now."

liTTle johnny... niCKelS and dimeS

Little Johnny is always being teased by the other neighborhood boys for being stupid. Their favorite joke is to offer Johnny his choice between a nickel and a dime -- Little Johnny always takes the nickel.

One day, after Johnny takes the nickel, a neighbor man takes him aside and says, "Johnny, those boys are making fun of you. Don't you know that a dime is worth more than a nickel, even though the nickel's bigger?"

Johnny grins and says, "Well, if I took the dime, they'd stop doing it, and so far I've made $20!"

layaWay Plan

Sam brings a beautiful woman into a fancy Beverly Hills furrier.

"Show the lady your finest mink!" Sam exclaims.

As the lady tries on the coat, the furrier discreetly whispers to the man, "Ah sir, that particular fur goes for $65,000."

"No problem. I'll write you a check."

"Very good, sir," says the shop owner. "Today is Saturday. You may come by on Monday to pick it up, after your check has cleared."

On Monday, Sam returns. The store owner is outraged, "How dare you show your face in here? There isn't a single penny in your checking account."

"I just had to come by," grins Sam, "to thank you for the most wonderful weekend of my life."

in hiS image

A middle-aged woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she had a near death experience. Seeing God she asked, "Is my time up?" God said, "No you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live."

Upon hearing this, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a face lift, liposuction and a tummy tuck. She even had someone change her hair color. Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it.

She was released from the hospital but while crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by a car.

Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I thought you said I had another 43 years?! Why didn't you pull me out of the path of

that car?"

God replied, "I didn't recognize you."

aiR FoRCe one ChaRiTy

Dick Cheney, Ex President Bush and Donald Rumsfeld are flying on Air Force One. Dick looks at Dubya, chuckles and says, "You know, I could throw a $100 bill out the window right now and make one person very happy."

Dubya shrugs his shoulders and says, "Well, I could throw ten $10 bills out the window and make 10 people very happy."

Donald Rumsfeld says, "Of course, I could throw a hundred $1 bills out the window and make a hundred people very happy."

The pilot looks at all of them and says, "I could throw all of you out the window and make the whole country happy."

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