Five-year-old passes Microsoft exam
A boy from Coventry has become the youngest computer specialist in the world.
Ayan Qureshi is now a Microsoft Certified Professional after passing the tech giant's exam when he was just five years old.
Ayan, now six, whose father is an IT consultant, has set up his own computer network at home.
He told the BBC he found the exam difficult but enjoyable, and hopes to set up a UK-based tech hub one day.
"There were multiple choice questions, drag and drop questions, hotspot questions and scenario-based questions," he told the BBC Asian Network.
"The hardest challenge was explaining the language of the test to a five-year-old. But he seemed to pick it up and has a very good memory," explained Ayan's father Asim.
Mr Qureshi introduced his son to computers when he was three years old. He let him play with his old computers, so he could understand hard drives and motherboards.
"I found whatever I was telling him, the next day he'd remember everything I said, so I started to feed him more information," he explained.
"Too much computing at this age can cause a negative effect, but in Ayan's case he has cached this opportunity."
Ayan has his own computer lab at his home in Coventry, containing a computer network which he built.
He spends around two hours a day learning about the operating system and how to install programmes.
When the boy arrived to take the Microsoft exam, the invigilators were concerned that he was too young to be a candidate.
His father reassured them that Ayan would be all right on his own.
The test is usually taken by people who want to become IT technicians.
Source-BBC
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Obama Puts G-20 Focus on Russia
Russia is turning out to be a major focus for U.S. President Barack Obama in Brisbane where he is attending the G-20 summit. The U.S. leader is consulting with his European counterparts on the sidelines about a response to Moscow's reported activities in Ukraine.
After joining leaders of the 20 major economies for lunch Saturday, President Obama went to the University of Queensland where he got a rock star welcome ahead of what White House officials described as a major foreign policy speech.
He said the United States maintains its leadership role in the Asia Pacific region and - as the world’s only super power - has a unique responsibility that it gladly embraces. He mentioned Russia.
"We're leading the international community in the fight to destroy the terrorist group ISIL, we're leading in dealing with Ebola in West Africa and in opposing Russia's aggression against Ukraine - which is a threat to the world as we saw in the appalling shoot-down of MH17," said Obama.
Twenty-seven Australians were among 298 people killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over an area of Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists.
President Obama is meeting with European leaders on the sidelines of the G-20 to talk about possible sanctions amid evidence that Russia is sending troops and equipment into Ukraine in violation of a September cease-fire agreement.
In his speech, he also alluded to China's maritime claims that have caused nations including and Vietnam and the Philippines to feel insecure.
"We believe that nations and peoples have the right to live in security and peace," said Obama. "That an effective security order for Asia must be based not on spheres of influence, or coercion, or intimidation - where big nations bully the small - but on alliances of mutual security, international law, international norms that are upheld and the peaceful resolution of disputes."
While trade and economic issues are the central purpose of the G-20 summit, Obama also put the focus on climate change. On Saturday, he announced the U.S. is contributing $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund, to help developing nations address climate change.
G-20 on Saturday issued a statement on Ebola, committing to do what is necessary to - in the words of the statement - "extinguish the outbreak." The grouping called on governments that have not yet done so to make financial contributions to fighting the disease.
Source-VOA
Bermuda football matches called off
Football matches have been called off in Bermuda this weekend in the wake of a series of shootings that left four people injured.
All games, from Premier Division to Under-16, have been postponed by the Bermuda Football Association (BFA).
A BFA special congress meeting on the situation is due to be held at the Devonshire Recreation Club on Sunday.
The decision came after the BFA held its second executive council in 48 hours, the first to postpone Friday night’s match between Devonshire Cougars and Somerset Trojans.
Two shooting incidents took place on Remembrance Day on Tuesday – outside the National Sports Centre and later at Somerset Cricket Club – resulting in four people being injured.
There was another shooting incident on Thursday at Mount Hill in the central parish of Pembroke, where six shots were reportedly fired.
Three people were later arrested in Warwick.
Shadow Public Safety Minister Walter Roban has urged residents to come together and work with the police to tackle gun violence.
He said the shootings had “shocked and frightened all of Bermuda” and that the Progressive Labour Party “condemn those who have committed these acts and the total disregard for the law they have shown”.
Roban described the shootings as “a painful reminder that laws and policing are not enough to stem the scourge of gun violence”.
“Bermudians of all walks of life share our disgust, outrage and anger about events. Despite this, we must come together, work with the police and identify solutions that address the root causes of our young men targeting each other for death.
“We remind the people of Bermuda that this is a community issue and we must see addressing what has happened as not only a matter for the police, but all citizens to work to eliminate.”
Roban also urged government to ensure funding was available to tackle gun violence.
“Government’s current posture of fiscal austerity must not be allowed to limit what can be done to address these issues.”
Source-CMC
Five Trinidadians on terrorism charges in Venezuela
Seven months after they were detained by Venezuelan authorities, five Trinidad and Tobago nationals have been charged with terrorism and criminal conspiracy.
The Trinidad Express newspaper Saturday named the five as Dominic Clive Pitilal, 33; Andre Joseph Battersby, 56; Asim Luqman, 34; Charles Wade, 36; and Leslie Daisley, noting that they could face up to 25 years in jail, if found guilty of the charges.
The newspaper said that the charges were laid earlier this week and quoted Trinidad and Tobago’s ambassador to Venezuela, David Edghill, as confirming that the men had been charged.
“It is correct what you have said about the men, and we are planning a consular visit to the men next Monday once we are given the necessary permission. We have actually tried to reach the detainees by phone as well but have been unsuccessful. We will offer as much consular assistance as possible, but cannot interfere with the court and the criminal charges,” Edghill told the newspaper.
The court in Caracas ruled on Tuesday that eight people arrested last April, including the five Trinidadian nationals, will stand trial for charges of terrorism and criminal conspiracy.
The indictment was also confirmed against Haitian-born Jules Joseph, now a naturalised Venezuelan, as well as Rafael José Durán from El Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional (SEBIN) and Gregorio Socorro Montañez from the Bolivarian national police, for committing the crimes of conspiracy and treason.
Source-CMC
Yahoo Mail users furious over disruptions
Yahoo Mail users vented their anger on Twitter Friday about disruptions plaguing the free messaging service.
Website Downrightnow.com, which monitors popular online services, displayed a graph showing multiple disruptions of Yahoo Mail in the past 24 hours.
"Yahoo mail is down... AGAIN," one Twitter user wrote, using the hashtag #yahoomail. "Totally frustrated."
"Anyone else having constant problems with @yahoomail lately? After 15 years, I'm on the edge of abandoning it #yahoomaildown," said another.
In an email response to an AFP inquiry, the California-based Internet firm said it was "working to mitigate a Yahoo Mail issue that is limited to a small segment of users."
"We apologize for the inconvenience as we certainly understand email is a critical service for our customers," it said.
The service was almost back to full functioning as of early afternoon in California, according to Yahoo.
Yahoo said its email service has 110 million active daily users.
Source-AFP
Auto makers unite to protect drivers from computerized cars
Nineteen auto makers accounting for most of the passenger cars and trucks sold in the U.S. have signed onto a set of principles they say will protect motorists’ privacy in an era when computerized cars pass along more information about their drivers than many motorists realize.
The principles were delivered in a letter Wednesday to the Federal Trade Commission, which has the authority to force corporations to live up to their promises to consumers. Industry officials say they want to assure their customers that the information that their cars stream back to auto makers or that is downloaded from the vehicle’s computers won’t be handed over to authorities without a court order, sold to insurance companies or used to bombard them with ads for pizza parlours, gas stations or other businesses they drive past, without their permission.
The principles also commit auto makers to “implement reasonable measures” to protect personal information from unauthorized access.
Many recent-model cars and light trucks have GPS and mobile communications technology integrated into the vehicle’s computers and navigation systems. Information on where drivers have been and where they’re going is continually sent to manufacturers when the systems are in use. Consumers benefit from alerts sent by auto makers about traffic conditions and concierge services that are able to unlock car doors and route drivers around the path of a storm.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also working with auto makers on regulations that will clear the way for vehicle-to-vehicle communications. The technology uses a radio signal to continually transmit a vehicle’s position, heading, speed and other information. Similarly equipped cars and trucks would receive the same information, and their computers would alert drivers to an impending collision.
“As modern cars not only share the road but will in the not too distant future communicate with one another, vigilance over the privacy of our customers and the security of vehicle systems is an imperative,” said John Bozzella, president of Global Automakers, an industry trade association.
The auto makers’ principles leave open the possibility of deals with advertisers who want to target motorists based on their location and other personal data, but only if customers agree ahead of time that they want to receive such information, industry officials said in a briefing with reporters.
“Google may want to become an auto maker, but we don’t want to become Google,” said Mitch Bainwol, president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.
The possibility of ads popping up on the computer screens in cars while drivers are behind the wheel worries some safety advocates.
“There is going to be a huge amount of metadata that companies would like to mine to send advertisements to you in your vehicle,” said Henry Jasny of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. “We don’t want pop-up ads to become a distraction.”
Industry officials say they oppose federal legislation to require privacy protections, saying that would be too “prescriptive.” But Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said legislation is needed to ensure auto makers don’t back off the principles when they become inconvenient.
“You just don’t want your car spying on you,” he said. “That’s the practical consequence of a lot of the new technologies that are being built into cars.”
The auto makers signing on to the principles are Aston Martin, BMW, Chrysler, Ferrari, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.
Source- Joan Lowy OF The Associated Press
YouTube Music Key subscription service is unveiled
Google's YouTube is starting a subscription service that allows users to stream ad-free music videos and to download them for offline use.
The £9.99 monthly fee for Music Key also provides membership to Google Play All Access, its existing "all-you-can-eat" song stream and download facility.
It is set to pose a challenge to Spotify, Rdio, Beats Music and other audio-only "unlimited" music services.
The launch had been delayed by a dispute with independent labels.
However, Google said it had now signed deals with hundreds of indies worldwide.
That has enabled it to include tracks from artists including Billy Bragg, who had previously said YouTube was trying to "strongarm" labels into agreeing to "low rates" by threatening to block their material altogether if they did not take part.
He told the BBC his music had been included as part of an agreement signed by Merlin - which represents indie labels - but that he had not been informed about the details.
The BBC understands that the terms of the deal state that the more plays a video has, the bigger the share of the subscription pool its publisher receives.
Brad Nevin, chief executive of The Orchard group of indie labels, said he thought the deal struck was both fair and "a phenomenal opportunity".
Digital habits
Android devices will be first to be able to save clips, followed by Apple's phones and tablets, but the facility will not extend to PCs yet.
The mobile devices will also be able to continue playing music in the background when they switch to other programs.
In addition to album tracks, Music Key offers downloads of concert recordings, remixes, "unreleased" rarities and cover versions recorded by others.
YouTube describes itself as "the biggest music service on the planet", but Google Play is thought to lag far behind Spotify's 12.5 million paying subscribers.
One expert said the new offer might tempt a number to jump ship.
"If you are someone who only listens to Spotify and doesn't listen to YouTube, this won't be a good enough reason to switch," said James McQuivey, principal analyst at the Forrester Research consultancy.
"There is a certain comfort in the well-established digital habits that people already have.
"But if you - as many people do - listen to both Spotify and use YouTube for music, then this is genuinely a reason to switch, because you not only have all the unlimited music but also the ability to move from audio to video, which is a very compelling experience."
Those unwilling to pay can still access a new Music home page on YouTube's apps and web service, which:
Makes it easier to find and play albums from beginning to end. The album's cover is displayed for songs without a video clip
Can put together a playlist of all an artist's available songs
Provides next, previous, shuffle and repeat buttons, to help users switch between songs
Highlights trending songs and recommendations based on the user's previous activity
Should Spotify, the market leader in music streaming, feel able to relax?
Maybe not - there is now a new revenue stream available to artists, many of whom are disgruntled with what Spotify is paying them.
It's not clear that YouTube Music Key will pay more - but if others follow Taylor Swift's lead and desert Spotify, that could signal a shift in the balance of power in digital music.
Source:
US-led Airstrikes Pummel IS Targets Near Kobani
Large plumes of smoke rose in the air in the border region around Kobani on Thursday as a U.S.-led coalition launched more airstrikes against Islamic State targets.
Loud explosions were heard on the Turkish border with Syria as clouds of smoke filled the sky over the embattled town following a morning of relative calm.
Also Thursday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the U.S.-led air war against Islamic State militants will intensify in the future as Iraqi ground forces improve and become more effective.
Defending the U.S. strategy, Hagel said, "As Iraqi forces build strength, the tempo and intensity of our coalition's air campaign will accelerate in tandem."
Hagel and U.S. General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified Thursday before the House Armed Services Committee.
The testimony comes days after U.S. President Barack Obama authorized the U.S. military to deploy up to 1,500 more troops to Iraq. Obama is asking for $5.6 billion to help fund the campaign.
Dempsey said it is possible that sometime in the future U.S. officials will consider assigning a modest number of American troops to fight with Iraqi forces in the northern city of Mosul and elsewhere.
“I am not predicting at this point that I would recommend that those forces in Mosul and along the border would need to be accompanied by U.S. forces, but we are certainly considering it,” Dempsey said.
Islamic State militants seized control of most of Mosul in June.
U.S.-led forces conducted 16 airstrikes in Syria, most of them around the strategic town near the Turkish border, and seven in the oil-producing northern region of Iraq since Monday, the U.S. Central Command said.
Source-Reuters
Obama Calls on Russia to Respect Ukraine Cease-fire
President Barack Obama has called on Russia to honor a September cease-fire between Kyiv and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.
White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said President Obama delivered the message to Russian Vladimir Putin during informal conversations at a summit this week in Beijing.
Rhodes also told reporters that Obama will discuss the Ukraine crisis with European leaders on the sidelines of next week's G20 summit in Brisbane, Australia.
NATO and European monitors have reported Russian tanks, troops and weapons crossing the border in the past few days.
Moscow has repeatedly denied any official military involvement in Ukraine, and has described Russian troops fighting alongside rebels as volunteers.
St Lucia Opposition demands report on state of economy
St Lucia's main opposition United Workers Party is calling on the Kenny Anthony administration to provide a report on the state of the local economy.
Opposition leader Allen Chastanet at a press conference last night said the time has come for government to stop hiding the truth.
Chastanet said his party is concerned that a recent International Monetary Fund report indicates that the local economy has contracted by 1.1 per cent this year.
Last year, the IMF said St Lucia had already contracted by 2.4 per cent.
The Opposition leader said this trend is troubling particularly when it comes to creating new opportunities for locals.
The opposition leader also referred to the 'Ease of Doing Business Report' where in 2011 St Lucia was at number 53 - the second highest in the Caribbean.
However, in the 2015 report St Lucia's ranking dropped 47 places and the island is now ranked eighth in the Caribbean.