text:
July 16 Calendar
Published: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 12:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, July 15, 2013 at 3:32 p.m.
Bring Calendar information to 30 E. First Ave., email it to firstname.lastname@example.com, or mail it to The Calendar, The Dispatch, P.O. Box 908, Lexington, 27293 so it is at The Dispatch one week prior to its publication date. Include an address for the event. Events listed below are in Lexington, unless otherwise noted. For publication of church and nonprofit yard sales, please call classified advertising at 249-1637.
Relay For Life team Hartwell Fighters will host a Day of Hope from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 31 at Sweet Peas Food & Fun Emporium, 109 N. Main St. Proceeds will benefit Relay For Life of Davidson County.
Groups and Governments
WOW (Winning On Wednesdays) is a Davidson County business networking group that meets from 8 to 9 a.m. every Wednesday for breakfast at Speedy Lohr's restaurant, 8000 N. N.C. Highway 150, Arcadia. For more information, call Sherry Smith 596-7704.
The Humane Society of Davidson County offers a low-cost spay/neuter transport on the third Wednesday of each month at 1114 Piedmont Drive in Lexington. For more information about the commuter or to schedule an appointment, call 237-0131 or visit the program's website at www.thespayandneutercommuter.com.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text:
« Back
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness supports assessment activities throughout the university as part of our mission to assist with regional and program specific accreditation efforts as they relate to the educational mission of UTMB in accordance with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC) Principles of Accreditation, Comprehensive Standard 3.3.1:
The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of improvement based on analysis of the results in each of the following areas:The Office of Institutional Effectiveness facilitates this process and meets annually with program and/or unit directors to conduct a systematic review of the internal assessment plan/process and discuss the use of results. OIE uses WEAVEonline�, a hosted web-based assessment management system, to assist areas (a login is required - contact OIE for more information).
220.127.116.11 educational programs, to include student learning outcomes 188.8.131.52 administrative support services 188.8.131.52 academic and student support services 126.96.36.199 research within its mission, if appropriate 188.8.131.52 community/public service within its mission, if appropriate
Educational Programs
Administrative Support Services
Academic and Student Support Services
Community/Public Service

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Overview
- Specs
- Reviews
Giro Air Attack Shield Aero Road Helmet - Closeout!With the lowest drag of any road helmet on the market, the Giro Air Attack Shield helmet introduces a new style to the peloton, challenging the competition with the perfect blend of aerodynamics and ventilation. Streamlined shell creates 12% less air resistance than the Aeon and 28% more cooling power than the Selector, thanks to the new Roc Loc Air fit system. Lightweight, aerodynamic-efficient design moves through the air with less resistance, giving you a boost of free speed. Revolutionary ventilation system with strategically placed vents and internal channels produce more energy for generating power, enhancing your overall efficiency. New Roc Loc Air fit system suspends the helmet just slightly off the top of your head, allowing air to pass freely in between the EPS and your head, for better fit, comfort and cooling. Magnetic eye shield provides wraparound eye protection that's easy to remove during pre-race or warm-up. The choice of sprinters, break-away specialists, criterium and cyclocross racers, track athletes and triathletes, the Giro Air Attack Shield sets the new standard in helmet design and performance.
- In-Mold construction reinforces the area around the vents and ribs, creating a one-piece exoskeleton, which allows the helmet to be lighter, more durable and better ventilated than traditional designs
- Thermoformed SL Roll Cage is a polycarbonate skeleton fused throughout the helmet's impact absorbing EPS foam liner, which provides structural support, impact dispersion and penetration resistance
- 6 Wind Tunnel vents with internal channels thrust cool, fresh air over and around your head while forcing heat and stale air out
- Impact absorbing, antimicrobial X-Static padding offers unprecedented comfort, odor absorption and moisture management
- Magnetically attached, Grey/Silver Flash eye shield for aerodynamics and protection
- Eye shield can be attached upside-down for warm-ups or quick transitions
- Roc Loc Air fit system:
- Suspends the helmet slightly above the head, creating an optimized path for air to flow through the helmet
- Venturi effect increases efficiency of the vents and internal ventilation channels without creating drag
- Easily adjusts both fit tension and vertical position with a single hand
- Custom ultra-light buckle for weight saving
- Slimline webbing with retainer is ultra-light, won't twist and requires no adjustment
- Includes all-new waterslide graphics and metal badging
- Certified CPSC
- Suggested Use: Road, Aero/Triathlon
Giro Air Attack Shield Aero Road Helmet - Closeout!
- colors:
- Black/Silver (Black/Silver), White/Silver (White/Silver), Black/Red (Black/Red)
- retention system:
- Roc Loc Air
- sizing:
- Super Fit Sizing: S(20-21.75"), M(21.75-23.25"), L(23.25-24.75")
- vents:
- 6
- video:
- kZv-SrRhrGk
- GTE3jREsynw
- weight:
- 290g (medium with shield)
- rating:
- 5
? Place an order in the next Hours Minutes . Overweight charges may apply to some items.Based on delivery to . Change location
Not the correct shipping zip code? Update your information below.
Enter a valid zip code
Please select options for this product
Find in Store Check availability for
Item availability can change quickly and is not guaranteed.
Stores Within 50 Miles of:
Enter a valid zip code
Please select options for this product
Item availability can change quickly and is not guaranteed.
Please contact your local store to confirm status.
Shipping See options for delivery
Estimated Delivery for
Type Estimated Arrival Date
Two Day
Next Day
Next Day Saturday
Change Shipping Destination
Enter a valid zip code
Please select options for this product
- Important Shipping Information
- Shipping to some countries is not available for this item.
- Additional processing time may be required prior to shipping.
- Learn more about shipping


text:
Dirty Dung by PitDGulash Fonts [site] | Category: Dirty
Dirty Dung Solid by PitDGulash Fonts [site] | Category: Dirty
UrbanFonts features an amazing collection of free fonts, premium fonts and free dingbats. With over 8,000 freeware fonts, you've come to the best place to download fonts!
Most fonts on this site are freeware, some are shareware or linkware. Some fonts provided are trial versions of full versions and may not allow embedding unless a commercial license is purchased or may contain a limited character set. Please review any files included with your download, which will usually include information on the usage and licenses of the fonts. If no information is provided, please use at your own discretion or contact the author directly.


text:
|Tax Collection
Tax Collector — (973) 331-3310
You can now pay your property taxes online.
The Tax Collector is charged with the receipt and collection of all local property taxes, both current and delinquent. All tax revenues are remitted to the Director of Finance. It is important to note that the municipal portion of a Montville property owner's obligation is a small portion of the total obligation. Three other public taxing entities, the Montville Public School District, the County of Morris and the three fire districts develop and adopt their own budgets which must also be supported by the local property tax. (The school and fire district budgets are subject to voter approval.) Both the Township of Montville and the County of Morris, by voter referendum, initiated dedicated open space trust funds which are also part of the local tax bill. New Jersey law requires that the municipal tax collector serve as the billing and collection agency for all four entities.
Real property taxes are due on February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1. The Township Committee has passed a resolution which allows for a ten-day grace period. Any real property tax payments received after the tenth calendar day after the due date are considered late and interest will be charged as follows:
|Last Updated ( Saturday, 26 March 2016 )


text:
Kitchen & Entertaining
false pdp {"scheme":"product1_cr"}
false pdp {"scheme":"product2_cr"}
Rated 3.5 out of 5 by 4 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Shellyblue The Best SECOND Oven Ever!!! I have had this mini oven for three years and it is the best oven for several reasons. My favorite oval bakers fit in here nicely which is great for big family holiday dinners. I can also bake cakes, cookies and muffins in here without ever turning on my main oven during the summer months. I also use this for warming appetizers for parties. This oven has two racks, makes the best of them!!! I specifically bought cookie and muffin tins just for this! I love the broiler in this oven. I often broil salmon, scallops and mini hamburgers for the kids. I couldn't get a double wall oven in my kitchen but this oven more than makes up for that!!! Oh and yes, this "toaster" oven does make toast. 6 slices at a time! December 10, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Peyton Just what I was looking for I have had several toaster ovens that did not really toast efficiently. My new toaster is just what I needed. It does what a toaster oven SHOULD do, plus lots more. It is the best I've ever had and I love the modern, sleek look of it. April 1, 2012
Rated 3 out of 5 by miniwinch I almost love it Almost everything about this toaster oven is wonderful, it heats evenly, has the convection setting that you can chose to use or not, in the middle position the tray automatically comes forward when the door is open, and is pretty, easy to clean and a nice size. My one big problem with it is the display panel lighting feature died about 9 months into using it. Shipping costs kept me from considering a warranty claim and now I have a working toaster oven that I can just barely read the settings on. When that light dies you have to almost use a flash light to read the settings...... This is a pricey toaster oven that is hard to use if the light on the display dies. August 9, 2013
Rated 1 out of 5 by KatydidToo Wanted to love this Always drooled at this, and have other products from the brand I swear by, but required a micro- hood so could not justify two microwaves. My new kitchen allowed me the excuse to buy this and what a disappointment. It's programmable smart cooking is not accurate, so always adjust as if you are using less or want it less well cooked or the result is dry or worse. I would have returned it right away, but I was sure it was me doing something wrong. When everyone that attempted to use it burned even toast, I realized it was the product, not my sudden loss of skill. It does look nice compared to some on the market. May 12, 2012
1-4 of 4
(1 Question : 1 Answer)Product Q&A
Get help about this item from fellow customers. Ask your questions. Share your answers.
« Back
Has staff answer
1 answerIs this the BOV800XL model? I was looking for this one and not the smaller BOV650XL
3 years, 4 months ago
Additional information about MamaD could not be loaded.
0out of 0found this question helpful.
Was this helpful?helpful0unhelpful0http://answers.frontgate.com/answers/0005/product/51393/question/930821/undohelpfulness.djs?format=embeddedhtml&sessionparams=__BVSESSIONPARAMS__&return=__RETURN__&innerreturn=http%3A%2F%2Fanswers.frontgate.com%2Fanswers%2F0005%2Fproduct%2F51393%2Fquestions.djs%3Fformat%3Dembeddedhtml%26scrolltotop%3Dtrue%26expandquestion%3D930821&user=__USERID__&authsourcetype=__AUTHTYPE__&submissionparams=__BVSUBMISSIONPARAMETERS__&submissionurl=__BVSUBMISSIONURL__
Answer:We appreciate your interest in this item. This toaster oven is the BOV800XL model.
3 years, 4 months ago
West Chester, OH, USA
Additional information about KMFrontgateService could not be loaded.
1out of 1found this answer helpful.
Was this helpful?helpful1unhelpful0http://answers.frontgate.com/answers/0005/product/51393/answer/1087356/undohelpfulness.djs?format=embeddedhtml&sessionparams=__BVSESSIONPARAMS__&return=__RETURN__&innerreturn=http%3A%2F%2Fanswers.frontgate.com%2Fanswers%2F0005%2Fproduct%2F51393%2Fquestions.djs%3Fformat%3Dembeddedhtml%26scrolltotop%3Dtrue%26expandquestion%3D930821%26expandanswer%3D1087356&user=__USERID__&authsourcetype=__AUTHTYPE__&submissionparams=__BVSUBMISSIONPARAMETERS__&submissionurl=__BVSUBMISSIONURL__
1 of 1
1 of 1
Product:51393-Breville® Smart Oven Toaster Oven


text:
People's Republic of Bangladesh
Area: 147, 570 sq. km. (55,813 sq. mi.); about the size of Wisconsin.
Cities: Capital--Dhaka (pop. 10 million). Other cities--Chittagong (2.8 million), Khulna (1.8 million), Rajshahi (1 million).
Terrain: Mainly flat alluvial plain, with hills in the northeast and southeast.
Climate: Semitropical, monsoonal.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Bangladeshi(s).
Population: About 133 million.
Annual growth rate: 1.59%.
Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims.
Religions: Muslim 83%; Hindu 16%; Christian, Buddhist, others 1%.
Languages: Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English.
Education: Attendance--80% (primary school), 21.6% (secondary school). Literacy--52% for males; 29% for females, a total of 40.5% literacy.
Health: Infant mortality rate--66/1,000. Life expectancy--59 years (male), 59 years (female).
Work force (54.6 million): Agriculture--63%; industry--12%; services--25%.
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Independence: 1971, from Pakistan.
Constitution: 1972; amended 1974, 1979, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1996.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), prime minister (head of government), cabinet. Legislative--unicameral Parliament (300 members). Judicial--civil court system based on British model.
Administrative subdivisions: Divisions, districts, subdistricts, unions, villages.
Political parties: 30-40 active political parties: largest ones include Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the Awami League, the Jatiya Party and the Jamaat-e-Islam Party.
Suffrage: Universal at age 18.
With the easy access to international media and the expanding international awareness of the country, democratic values are increasingly known in Bangladesh. Regionally, India's progress in creating a viable and decentralized democratic system is very visible in Bangladesh, as is the negative example set in Pakistan with its current military rule. Efforts by international organizations, other governments, and regional trading partners to stress human rights and democracy are increasingly coordinated and high profile. Yet reforms will largely come as a result of internal demand for good governance and enlightened leadership.
Political developments in Bangladesh also will impact the external environment. Northeast India, Bangladesh, and Nepal represent a large portion of the hardcore poverty in South Asia. With Maoist rebels gaining strength in Nepal, insurgencies still bubbling in the northeastern states of India, and the Communist Party of India/Marxist in West Bengal remaining firmly in power, a major crisis in Bangladesh could add greatly to regional instability. India would perhaps be the most affected by largescale unrest on its northeast border, which also could complicate resolution of issues in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Such a turn of events also would be significant with respect to U.S. geopolitical interests in South Asia.
In spite of its shortcomings, Bangladesh is one of the most democratic states within the Muslim world and a leading voice among the least developed countries (LDCs). It also has taken on an increasingly active role in international peacekeeping operations. Given the importance of democracy for the advancement of LDCs, continuing to support the development of democracy in Bangladesh should remain an international priority.
Bangladesh is a low-lying, riverine country located in South Asia with a largely marshy jungle coastline of 710 kilometers (440 mi.) on the northern littoral of the Bay of Bengal. Formed by a deltaic plain at the confluence of the Ganges (Padma), Brahmaputra (Jamuna), and Meghna Rivers and their tributaries, Bangladesh's alluvial soil is highly fertile but vulnerable to flood and drought. Hills rise above the plain only in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the far southeast and the Sylhet division in the northeast. Straddling the Tropic of Cancer, Bangladesh has a subtropical monsoonal climate characterized by heavy seasonal rainfall, moderately warm temperatures, and high humidity. Natural calamities, such as floods, tropical cyclones, tornadoes, and tidal bores affect the country almost every year. Bangladesh also is affected by major cyclones--on average 16 times a decade.
Urbanization is proceeding rapidly, and it is estimated that only 30% of the population entering the labor force in the future will be absorbed into agriculture, although many will likely find other kinds of work in rural areas. The areas around Dhaka and Comilla are the most densely settled. The Sundarbans, an area of coastal tropical jungle in the southwest and last wild home of the Bengal Tiger, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts on the southeastern border with Burma and India, are the least densely populated.
The area which is now Bangladesh has a rich historical and cultural past, combining Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Mongol/Mughul, Arab, Persian, Turkic, and west European cultures. Residents of Bangladesh, about 98% of whom are ethnic Bengali and speak Bangla, are called Bangladeshis. Urdu-speaking, non-Bengali Muslims of Indian origin, and various tribal groups, mostly in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, comprise the remainder. Most Bangladeshis (about 83%) are Muslims, but Hindus constitute a sizable (16%) minority. There also are a small number of Buddhists, Christians, and animists. English is spoken in urban areas and among the educated.
Sufi religious teachers succeeded in converting many Bengalis to Islam, even before the arrival of Muslim armies from the west. About 1200 AD, Muslim invaders established political control over the Bengal region. This political control also encouraged conversion to Islam. Since then, Islam has played a crucial role in the region's history and politics, with a Muslim majority emerging, particularly in the eastern region of Bengal.
Bengal was absorbed into the Mughul Empire in the 16th century, and Dhaka, the seat of a nawab (the representative of the emperor), gained some importance as a provincial center. But it remained remote and thus a difficult to govern region--especially the section east of the Brahmaputra River--outside the mainstream of Mughul politics. Portuguese traders and missionaries were the first Europeans to reach Bengal in the latter part of the 15th century. They were followed by representatives of the Dutch, the French, and the British East India Companies. By the end of the 17th century, the British presence on the Indian subcontinent was centered in Calcutta. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the British gradually extended their commercial contacts and administrative control beyond Calcutta to Bengal. In 1859, the British Crown replaced the East India Company, extending British dominion from Bengal, which became a region of India, in the east to the Indus River in the west.
The rise of nationalism throughout British-controlled India in the late 19th century resulted in mounting animosity between the Hindu and Muslim communities. In 1885, the All-India National Congress was founded with Indian and British membership. Muslims seeking an organization of their own founded the All-India Muslim League in 1906. Although both the League and the Congress supported the goal of Indian self-government within the British Empire, the two parties were unable to agree on a way to ensure the protection of Muslim political, social, and economic rights. The subsequent history of the nationalist movement was characterized by periods of Hindu-Muslim cooperation, as well as by communal antagonism. The idea of a separate Muslim state gained increasing popularity among Indian Muslims after 1936, when the Muslim League suffered a decisive defeat in the first elections under India's 1935 constitution. In 1940, the Muslim League called for an independent state in regions where Muslims were in the majority. Campaigning on that platform in provincial elections in 1946, the League won the majority of the Muslim seats contested in Bengal. Widespread communal violence followed, especially in Calcutta.
When British India was partitioned and the independent dominions of India and Pakistan were created in 1947, the region of Bengal was divided along religious lines. The predominantly Muslim eastern half was designated East Pakistan--and made part of the newly independent Pakistan--while the predominantly Hindu western part became the Indian state of West Bengal. Pakistan's history from 1947 to 1971 was marked by political instability and economic difficulties. Dominion status was rejected in 1956 in favor of an "Islamic republic within the Commonwealth." Attempts at civilian political rule failed, and the government imposed martial law between 1958 and 1962, and again between 1969 and 1972.
Almost from the advent of independent Pakistan in 1947, frictions developed between East and West Pakistan, which were separated by more than 1,000 miles of Indian territory. East Pakistanis felt exploited by the West Pakistan-dominated central government. Linguistic, cultural, and ethnic differences also contributed to the estrangement of East from West Pakistan. Bengalis strongly resisted attempts to impose Urdu as the sole official language of Pakistan. Responding to these grievances, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman--known widely as "Mujib"--in 1949 formed the Awami League (AL), a party designed mainly to promote Bengali interests. Mujib became president of the Awami League and emerged as leader of the Bengali autonomy movement. In 1966, he was arrested for his political activities.
After the Awami League won all the East Pakistan seats of the Pakistan national assembly in 1970-71 elections, West Pakistan opened talks with the East on constitutional questions about the division of power between the central government and the provinces, as well as the formation of a national government headed by the Awami League. The talks proved unsuccessful, however, and on March 1, 1971, Pakistani President Yahya Khan indefinitely postponed the pending national assembly session, precipitating massive civil disobedience in East Pakistan. Mujib was arrested again; his party was banned, and most of his aides fled to India, where they organized a provisional government. On March 26, 1971, following a bloody crackdown by the Pakistan Army, Bengali nationalists declared an independent People's Republic of Bangladesh. As fighting grew between the army and the Bengali mukti bahini ("freedom fighters"), an estimated 10 million Bengalis, mainly Hindus, sought refuge in the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal.
The crisis in East Pakistan produced new strains in Pakistan's troubled relations with India. The two nations had fought a war in 1965, mainly in the west, but the refugee pressure in India in the fall of 1971 produced new tensions in the east. Indian sympathies lay with East Pakistan, and in November, India intervened on the side of the Bangladeshis. On December 16, 1971, Pakistani forces surrendered, and Bangladesh-- meaning "Bengal nation"--was born; the new country became a parliamentary democracy under a 1972 constitution.
The provisional government of the new nation of Bangladesh was formed in Dhaka with Justice Abu Sayeed Choudhury as President, and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ("Mujib")--who was released from Pakistani prison in early 1972--as Prime Minister.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 1972-75
Mujib came to office with immense personal popularity but had difficulty transforming this popular support into the political strength needed to function as head of government. The new constitution, which came into force in December 1972, created a strong executive prime minister, a largely ceremonial presidency, an independent judiciary, and a unicameral legislature on a modified Westminster model. The 1972 constitution adopted as state policy the Awami League's (AL) four basic principles of nationalism, secularism, socialism, and democracy.
The first parliamentary elections held under the 1972 constitution were in March 1973, with the Awami League winning a massive majority. No other political party in Bangladesh's early years was able to duplicate or challenge the League's broad-based appeal, membership, or organizational strength. Relying heavily on experienced civil servants and members of the Awami League, the new Bangladesh Government focused on relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of the economy and society. Economic conditions remained precarious, however. In December 1974, Mujib decided that continuing economic deterioration and mounting civil disorder required strong measures. After proclaiming a state of emergency, Mujib used his parliamentary majority to win a constitutional amendment limiting the powers of the legislative and judicial branches, establishing an executive presidency, and instituting a one-party system, the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BAKSAL), which all members of Parliament were obliged to join.
Despite some improvement in the economic situation during the first half of 1975, implementation of promised political reforms was slow, and criticism of government policies became increasingly centered on Mujib. In August 1975, Mujib, and most of his family, were assassinated by mid-level army officers. His daughter, Sheikh Hasina, was out of the country. A new government, headed by former Mujib associate Khandakar Moshtaque, was formed.
Ziaur Rahman, 1975-81
Successive military coups resulted in the emergence of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ziaur Rahman ("Zia") as strongman. He pledged the army's support to the civilian government headed by President Chief Justice Sayem. Acting at Zia's behest, Sayem dissolved Parliament, promising fresh elections in 1977, and instituted martial law.
Acting behind the scenes of the Martial Law Administration (MLA), Zia sought to invigorate government policy and administration. While continuing the ban on political parties, he sought to revitalize the demoralized bureaucracy, to begin new economic development programs, and to emphasize family planning. In November 1976, Zia became Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA) and assumed the presidency upon Sayem's retirement 5 months later, promising national elections in 1978.
As President, Zia announced a 19-point program of economic reform and began dismantling the MLA. Keeping his promise to hold elections, Zia won a 5-year term in June 1978 elections, with 76% of the vote. In November 1978, his government removed the remaining restrictions on political party activities in time for parliamentary elections in February 1979. These elections, which were contested by more than 30 parties, marked the culmination of Zia's transformation of Bangladesh's Government from the MLA to a democratically elected, constitutional one. The AL and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), founded by Zia, emerged as the two major parties. The constitution was again amended to provide for an executive prime minister appointed by the president, and responsible to a parliamentary majority.
In May 1981, Zia was assassinated in Chittagong by dissident elements of the military. The attempted coup never spread beyond that city, and the major conspirators were either taken into custody or killed. In accordance with the constitution, Vice President Justice Abdus Sattar was sworn in as acting president. He declared a new national emergency and called for election of a new president within 6 months--an election Sattar won as the BNP's candidate. President Sattar sought to follow the policies of his predecessor and retained essentially the same cabinet, but the army stepped in once again.
Hussain Mohammed Ershad, 1982-90
Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. H.M. Ershad assumed power in a bloodless coup in March 1982. Like his predecessors, Ershad suspended the constitution and--citing pervasive corruption, ineffectual government, and economic mismanagement--declared martial law. The following year, Ershad assumed the presidency, retaining his positions as army chief and CMLA. During most of 1984, Ershad sought the opposition parties' participation in local elections under martial law. The opposition's refusal to participate, however, forced Ershad to abandon these plans. Ershad sought public support for his regime in a national referendum on his leadership in March 1985. He won overwhelmingly, although turnout was small. Two months later, Ershad held elections for local council chairmen. Pro-government candidates won a majority of the posts, setting in motion the President's ambitious decentralization program. Political life was further liberalized in early 1986, and additional political rights, including the right to hold large public rallies, were restored. At the same time, the Jatiya (People's) Party, designed as Ershad's political vehicle for the transition from martial law, was established.
Despite a boycott by the BNP, led by President Zia's widow, Begum Khaleda Zia, parliamentary elections were held on schedule in May 1986. The Jatiya Party won a modest majority of the 300 elected seats in the National Assembly. The participation of the Awami League--led by the late Prime Minister Mujib's daughter, Sheikh Hasina Wajed-- lent the elections some credibility, despite widespread charges of voting irregularities.
Ershad resigned as Army Chief of Staff and retired from military service in preparation for the presidential elections, scheduled for October. Protesting that martial law was still in effect, both the BNP and the AL refused to put up opposing candidates. Ershad easily outdistanced the remaining candidates, taking 84% of the vote. Although Ershad's government claimed a turnout of more than 50%, opposition leaders, and much of the foreign press, estimated a far lower percentage and alleged voting irregularities.
Ershad continued his stated commitment to lift martial law. In November 1986, his government mustered the necessary two-thirds majority in the National Assembly to amend the constitution and confirm the previous actions of the martial law regime. The President then lifted martial law, and the opposition parties took their elected seats in the National Assembly.
In July 1987, however, after the government hastily pushed through a controversial legislative bill to include military representation on local administrative councils, the opposition walked out of Parliament. Passage of the bill helped spark an opposition movement that quickly gathered momentum, uniting Bangladesh's opposition parties for the first time. The government began to arrest scores of opposition activists under the country's Special Powers Act of 1974. Despite these arrests, opposition parties continued to organize protest marches and nationwide strikes. After declaring a state of emergency, Ershad dissolved Parliament and scheduled fresh elections for March 1988.
All major opposition parties refused government overtures to participate in these polls, maintaining that the government was incapable of holding free and fair elections. Despite the opposition boycott, the government proceeded. The ruling Jatiya Party won 251 of the 300 seats. The Parliament, while still regarded by the opposition as an illegitimate body, held its sessions as scheduled, and passed a large number of bills, including, in June 1988, a controversial constitutional amendment making Islam Bangladesh's state religion.
By 1989, the domestic political situation in the country seemed to have quieted. The local council elections were generally considered by international observers to have been less violent and more free and fair than previous elections. However, opposition to Ershad's rule began to regain momentum, escalating by the end of 1990 in frequent general strikes, increased campus protests, public rallies, and a general disintegration of law and order.
On December 6, 1990, Ershad offered his resignation. On February 27, 1991, after 2 months of widespread civil unrest, an interim government oversaw what most observers believed to be the nation's most free and fair elections to that date.
Khaleda Zia, 1991-96
The center-right BNP won a plurality of seats and formed a coalition government with the Islamic fundamentalist party Jamaat-I-Islami, with Khaleda Zia, widow of Ziaur Rahman, obtaining the post of prime minister. Only four parties had more than 10 members elected to the 1991 Parliament: The BNP, led by Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia; the AL, led by Sheikh Hasina; the Jamaat-I-Islami (JI), led by Golam Azam; and the Jatiya Party (JP), led by acting chairman Mizanur Rahman Choudhury while its founder, former President Ershad, served out a prison sentence on corruption charges. The electorate approved still more changes to the constitution, formally re-creating a parliamentary system and returning governing power to the office of the prime minister, as in Bangladesh's original 1972 constitution. In October 1991, members of Parliament elected a new head of state, President Abdur Rahman Biswas.
In March 1994, controversy over a parliamentary by-election, which the opposition claimed the government had rigged, led to an indefinite boycott of Parliament by the entire opposition. The opposition also began a program of repeated general strikes to press its demand that Khaleda Zia's government resign and a caretaker government supervise a general election. Efforts to mediate the dispute, under the auspices of the Commonwealth Secretariat, failed. After another attempt at a negotiated settlement failed narrowly in late December 1994, the opposition resigned en masse from Parliament. The opposition then continued a campaign of marches, demonstrations, and strikes in an effort to force the government to resign. The opposition, including the Awami League's Sheikh Hasina, pledged to boycott national elections scheduled for February 15, 1996.
In February, Khaleda Zia was re-elected by a landslide in voting boycotted and denounced as unfair by the three main opposition parties. In March 1996, following escalating political turmoil, the sitting Parliament enacted a constitutional amendment to allow a neutral caretaker government to assume power conduct new parliamentary elections; former Chief Justice Mohammed Habibur Rahman was named Chief Adviser (a position equivalent to prime minister) in the interim government. New parliamentary elections were held in June 1996 and were won by the Awami League; party leader Sheikh Hasina became Prime Minister.
Sheikh Hasina, 1996-2001
Sheikh Hasina formed what she called a "Government of National Consensus" in June 1996, which included one minister from the Jatiya Party and another from the Jatiyo Samajtantric Dal, a very small leftist party. The Jatiya Party never entered into a formal coalition arrangement, and party president H.M. Ershad withdrew his support from the government in September 1997. Only three parties had more than 10 members elected to the 1996 Parliament: The Awami League, BNP, and Jatiya Party. Jatiya Party president, Ershad, was released from prison on bail in January 1997.
Although international and domestic election observers found the June 1996 election free and fair, the BNP protested alleged vote rigging by the Awami League. Ultimately, however, the BNP party decided to join the new Parliament. The BNP soon charged that police and Awami League activists were engaged in largescale harassment and jailing of opposition activists. At the end of 1996, the BNP staged a parliamentary walkout over this and other grievances but returned in January 1997 under a four-point agreement with the ruling party. The BNP asserted that this agreement was never implemented and later staged another walkout in August 1997. The BNP returned to Parliament under another agreement in March 1998.
In June 1999, the BNP and other opposition parties again began to abstain from attending Parliament. Opposition parties have staged an increasing number of nationwide general strikes, rising from 6 days of general strikes in 1997 to 27 days in 1999. A four-party opposition alliance formed at the beginning of 1999 announced that it would boycott parliamentary by-elections and local government elections unless the government took steps demanded by the opposition to ensure electoral fairness. The government did not take these steps, and the opposition has subsequently boycotted all elections, including municipal council elections in February 1999, several parliamentary by-elections, and the Chittagong city corporation elections in January 2000.
In July 2001, the Awami League government stepped down to allow a caretaker government to preside over parliamentary elections. Political violence that had increased during the Awami League government's tenure continued to increase through the summer in the run up to the election. In August, Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina agreed during a visit of former President Jimmy Carter to respect the results of the election, join Parliament win or lose, foreswear the use of hartals (violently enforced strikes) as political tools, and if successful in forming a government allow for a more meaningful role for the opposition in Parliament. The caretaker government was successful in containing the violence, which allowed a parliamentary general election to be successfully held on October 1, 2001. Khaleda Zia, 2001-
The four-party alliance led by the BNP won over a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Begum Khaleda Zia was sworn in on October 10, 2001 as the Prime Minister of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh for the second time.
Despite her August pledge and all election monitoring groups declaring the election free and fair (many going as far as labeling it the freest and fairest in Bangladesh's history), Sheikh Hasina condemned the election and disputed its results. Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League continue to call for new elections and boycott Parliament, alleging the Khaleda Zia government is using the police and security forces to persecute members of the opposition.
The president, while chief of state, holds a largely ceremonial post; the real power is held by the prime minister, who is head of government. The president is elected by the legislature (Parliament) every 5 years. The president's normally circumscribed powers are substantially expanded during the tenure of a caretaker government. (Under the 13th Amendment, which the Parliament passed in March 1996, a caretaker government assumes power temporarily to oversee general elections after dissolution of the Parliament.) In the caretaker government, the president has control over the Ministry of Defense, the authority to declare a state of emergency, and the power to dismiss the Chief Adviser and other members of the caretaker government. Once elections have been held and a new government and Parliament are in place, the president's powers and position revert to their largely ceremonial role.
The prime minister is appointed by the president; the prime minister must be a member of Parliament (MP) whom the president feels commands the confidence of the majority of other MPs. The cabinet is composed of ministers selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president. At least 90% of the ministers must be MPs. The other 10% may be non-MP experts or "technocrats" who are not otherwise disqualified from being elected MPs. According to the constitution, the president can dissolve Parliament upon the written request of the prime minister.
The legislature is a unicameral, 300-seat body. Its 300 members are elected by universal suffrage at least every 5 years. The next election is scheduled to take place in late 2006 or in early 2007.
Bangladesh's judiciary is a civil court system based on the British model; the highest court of appeal is the appellate court of the supreme court. At the local government level, the country is divided into divisions, districts, subdistricts, unions, and villages. Local officials are elected at the union level. All larger administrative units are run by members of the civil service.
Principal Government Officials
President--Prof. Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed
Prime Minister--Begum Khaleda Zia
Foreign Minister--Manzur Morshed Khan
Ambassador to the United States--Syed Hasan Ahmad
Ambassador to the United Nations--Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury
Bangladesh maintains an embassy in the United States at 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; tel: 202-244-0183; fax: 202-244-5366.
Although one of the world's poorest and most densely populated countries, Bangladesh has made major strides to meet the food needs of its increasing population, through increased domestic production augmented by imports. The land is devoted mainly to rice and jute cultivation, although wheat production has increased in recent years; the country is largely self-sufficient in rice production. Nonetheless, an estimated 10% to 15% of the population faces serious nutritional risk. Bangladesh's predominantly agricultural economy depends heavily on an erratic monsoonal cycle, with periodic flooding and drought. Although improving, infrastructure to support transportation, communications, and power supply is poorly developed. Bangladesh is limited in its reserves of coal and oil, and its industrial base is weak. However, the country's main endowments include its vast human resource base, rich agricultural land, relatively abundant water, and substantial reserves of natural gas.
Since independence in 1971, Bangladesh has received more than $30 billion in grant aid and loan commitments from foreign donors, about $15 billion of which has been disbursed. Major donors include the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the UN Development Program, the United States, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and west European countries. Bangladesh historically has run a large trade deficit, financed largely through aid receipts and remittances from workers overseas. Foreign reserves dropped markedly in 2001 but appear to have now stabilized in the $1.2-$1.5 billion range (or about 2.0-2.2 monthly import cover).
Moves Toward a Market Economy
Following the violent events of 1971 during the fight for independence, Bangladesh--with the help of large infusions of donor relief and development aid--slowly began to turn its attention to developing new industrial capacity and rehabilitating its economy. The statist economic model adopted by its early leadership, however--including the nationalization of much of the industrial sector--resulted in inefficiency and economic stagnation. Beginning in 1975, the government gradually gave greater scope to private sector participation in the economy, a pattern that has continued. A few state-owned enterprises have been privatized, but many, including major portions of the banking and jute sectors, remain under government control. Population growth, inefficiency in the public sector, a resistance to developing the country's richest natural resources, and limited capital have all continued to restrict economic growth. In the mid-1980s, there were encouraging, if halting, signs of progress.
Economic policies aimed at encouraging private enterprise and investment, denationalizing public industries, reinstating budgetary discipline, and liberalizing the import regime were accelerated. From 1991 to 1993, the government successfully followed an enhanced structural adjustment facility (ESAF) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but failed to follow through on reforms in large part because of a preoccupation with the government's domestic political troubles. In the late 1990s the government's economic policies became more entrenched, and some of the early gains were lost, which was highlighted by a precipitous drop in foreign direct investment in 2000 and 2001. The current government has promised a return to liberalization. In June 2003 the IMF approved 3-year, $490-million plan as part of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) for Bangladesh that aims to support the government's economic reform program up to 2006. Seventy million was made available immediately. In the same vein the World Bank approved $536 million in interest-free loans.
Efforts to achieve Bangladesh's macroeconomic goals have been problematic. Although the privatization of public sector industries has proceeded at a slow pace, due in part to worker unrest in affected industries, on June 30, 2002, the government took a bold step as it closed down the Adamjee Jute Mill, the country's largest and most costly state-owned enterprise. The government also has proven unable to resist demands for wage hikes in government-owned industries. Economic growth has been further slowed by a largely dysfunctional banking system. This has impeded access to capital. State-owned banks, which control about three-fourths of deposits and loans, carry classified loan burdens of about 50%.
The IMF and World Bank predict GDP growth over the next 5 years will be about 4.5%, well short of the 7%-8% that they feel is needed to lift Bangladesh out of its severe poverty. The post-9/11 global economic downturn hit especially hard Bangladesh's main export industry--readymade garments. As a result, exports, which were growing 18% annually, are now growing 8%. Though the readymade garment industry is benefiting from an early recovery in demand, it faces the loss of guaranteed markets in the United States and elsewhere when quotas are abolished on January 1, 2005. This will require Bangladesh to cut garment manufacturing costs considerably if it is to remain competitive in the world market. Foreign investors in a broad range of sectors are increasingly frustrated with the politics of confrontation, the level of corruption, and the slow pace of reform. Bangladesh may well lose not only potential investors but also those already invested if governance does not improve.
Most Bangladeshis earn their living from agriculture. Although rice and jute are the primary crops, wheat is assuming greater importance. Tea is grown in the northeast. Because of Bangladesh's fertile soil and normally ample water supply, rice can be grown and harvested three times a year in many areas. Due to a number of factors, Bangladesh's labor-intensive agriculture has achieved steady increases in food grain production despite the often unfavorable weather conditions. These include better flood control and irrigation, a generally more efficient use of fertilizers, and the establishment of better distribution and rural credit networks. With 26.25 million metric tons produced in 2002-03 (July-June), rice is Bangladesh's principal crop. By comparison, wheat output in 2002 was 1.7 million metric tons. Population pressure continues to place a severe burden on productive capacity, creating a food deficit, especially of wheat. Foreign assistance and commercial imports fill the gap. Underemployment remains a serious problem, and a growing concern for Bangladesh's agricultural sector will be its ability to absorb additional manpower. Finding alternative sources of employment will continue to be a daunting problem for future governments, particularly with the increasing numbers of landless peasants who already account for about half the rural labor force.
Industry and Investment
Fortunately for Bangladesh, many new jobs--1.8 million, mostly for women--have been created by the country's dynamic private readymade garment industry, which grew at double-digit rates through most of the 1990s. Despite the country's politically motivated general strikes, poor infrastructure, and weak financial system, Bangladeshi entrepreneurs have shown themselves adept at competing in the global garments marketplace. Bangladesh's total exports to the United States in 2002 was $2.1 billion down from the $2.4 billion in 2001. Bangladesh also exports significant amounts of garments and knitwear to the European Union (EU) market. The country has done less well, however, in expanding its export base--garments account for more than three-fourths of all exports, dwarfing the country's historic cash crop, jute, along with leather, shrimp, pharmaceuticals, and ceramics. Bangladesh has been a world leader in its efforts to end the use of child labor in garment factories. On July 4, 1995, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers Export Association, International Labor Organization, and UNICEF signed a memorandum of understanding on the elimination of child labor in the garment sector. Implementation of this pioneering agreement began in fall 1995, and by the end of 2001, child labor in the garment trade virtually had been eliminated.
The labor-intensive process of shipbreaking for scrap has developed to the point where it now meets most of Bangladesh's domestic steel needs. Other industries include sugar, tea, leather goods, newsprint, pharmaceutical, and fertilizer production.
The Bangladesh Government continues to court foreign investment, something it did fairly well in the 1990s in private power generation and gas exploration and production, as well as in other sectors such as cellular telephony, textiles, and pharmaceuticals. In 1989, the same year it signed a bilateral investment treaty with the United States, it established a board of investment to simplify approval and start-up procedures for foreign investors, although in practice the board has done little to increase investment. Bangladesh also has established successful export processing zones in Chittagong (1983), Dhaka (1994) and Comilla (2000), and has given the private sector permission to build and operate competing export promotion zones (EPZs).
The most important reforms Bangladesh should make to be able to compete in a global economy are to privatize the state-owned enterprises (SOEs), deregulate and promote foreign investment in high-potential industries like energy and telecommunications, and take decisive steps toward combating corruption and strengthening rule of law.
The Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force are composed of regular military members. Some of the senior officers and noncommissioned officers served in the Pakistan military before the 1971 independence war. Senior officers include "repatriates" who were interned in Pakistan during the war, and "freedom fighters" who fought against Pakistan. The 110,000-member, seven-division army is modeled and organized along British lines, similar to other armies on the Indian subcontinent. However, it has adopted U.S. Army tactical planning procedures, training management techniques, and noncommissioned officer educational systems. It also is eager to improve its peacekeeping operations capabilities and is working with the U.S. military in that area. The United States gave the Bangladesh Air Force four U.S. C-130 B transport aircraft in 2001 under the excess defense article (EDA) program. These aircraft will improve the military's disaster response and peacekeeping capabilities. The Bangladesh Navy is mostly limited to coastal patrolling, but in 2001 it paid to have an ULSAN-class frigate built in South Korea.
In addition to traditional defense roles, the military has been called on to provide support to civil authorities for disaster relief and internal security. The Bangladesh Air Force and Navy, with about 7,000 personnel each, perform traditional military missions. A Coast Guard has been recently formed, under the home ministry, to play a stronger role in the area of anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, and protection of offshore resources. Recognition of economic and fiscal constraints has led to the establishment of several paramilitary and auxiliary forces, including the 40,000-member Bangladesh rifles; the Ansars and village defense parties organization, which claims 64 members in every village in the country; and a 5,000-member specialized police unit known as the armed police. Bangladesh rifles, under the authority of the home ministry, are commanded by army officers who are seconded to the organization.
In addition to in-country military training, some advanced and technical training is done abroad, including grant aid training in the United States. China, Pakistan, and eastern Europe are is the major defense suppliers to Bangladesh, but military leaders are trying to find affordable alternatives to Chinese equipment.
A 2,300-member Bangladesh Army contingent served with coalition forces during the 1991 Gulf war. As of June 2003 Bangladesh was the third-leading contributor to UN peacekeeping operations with a total of 2,642 troops, observers, and military police. The highest contributions are to UNAMSIL (Sierra Leone).
Bangladesh pursues a moderate foreign policy that places heavy reliance on multinational diplomacy, especially at the United Nations.
Participation in Multilateral Organizations
Bangladesh was admitted to the United Nations in 1974 and was elected to a Security Council term in 1978 and again for a 2000-01 term. Foreign Minister Choudhury served as president of the 41st UN General Assembly in 1986. Bangladesh currently is chairman of the Group of 8 developing countries. The government has participated in numerous international conferences, especially those dealing with population, food, development, and women's issues. In 1982-83, Bangladesh played a constructive role as chairman of the "Group of 77," an informal association encompassing most of the world's developing nations. In 1983, Bangladesh hosted the foreign ministers meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). It has taken a leading role in the "Group of 48" developing countries.
Since 1975, Bangladesh has sought close relations with other Islamic states and a role among moderate members of the OIC. The government also pursued the expansion of cooperation among the nations of South Asia, bringing the process--an initiative of former President Ziaur Rahman--through its earliest, most tentative stages to the formal inauguration of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) at a summit gathering of South Asian leaders in Dhaka in December 1985. Bangladesh has served in the chairmanship of SAARC and has participated in a wide range of ongoing SAARC regional activities.
In recent years, Bangladesh has played a significant role in international peacekeeping activities. Several thousand Bangladeshi military personnel are deployed overseas on peacekeeping operations. Under UN auspices, Bangladeshi troops have served or are serving in Somalia, Rwanda, Mozambique, Kuwait, Ethiopia-Eritrea, Kosovo, East Timor, Georgia, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire and Western Sahara, Bosnia, and Haiti. Bangladesh responded quickly to President Clinton's 1994 request for troops and police for the multinational force for Haiti and provided the largest non-U.S. contingent.
Bilateral Relations With Other Nations
Bangladesh is bordered on the west, north, and east by a 2,400-kilometer land frontier with India, and on the southeast by a land and water frontier (193 kilometers) with Burma.
India. India is Bangladesh's most important neighbor. Geographic, cultural, historic, and commercial ties are strong, and both countries recognize the importance of good relations. During and immediately after Bangladesh's struggle for independence from Pakistan in 1971, India assisted refugees from East Pakistan, intervened militarily to help bring about the independence of Bangladesh, and furnished relief and reconstruction aid.
Indo-Bangladesh relations are often strained, and many Bangladeshis feel India likes to play "big brother" to smaller neighbors, including Bangladesh. Bilateral relations warmed in 1996, due to a softer Indian foreign policy and the new Awami League government. A 30-year water-sharing agreement for the Ganges River was signed in December 1996, after an earlier bilateral water-sharing agreement for the Ganges River lapsed in 1988. Both nations also have cooperated on the issue of flood warning and preparedness. The government and tribal insurgents signed a peace accord in December 1997, which allowed for the return of tribal refugees who had fled into India, beginning in 1986, to escape violence caused by an insurgency in their homeland in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The implementation of all parts of this agreement have stalled, and the army maintains a very strong presence in the area. The army is increasingly concerned about a growing problem of cultivation of illegal drugs.
Pakistan. Bangladesh enjoys warm relations with Pakistan, despite the strained early days of their relationship. Landmarks in their reconciliation are:
Burma. Bilateral ties with Burma are good, despite occasional border strains and an influx of more than 270,000 Muslim refugees (known as "Rohingya") from predominantly Buddhist Burma. As a result of bilateral discussions, and with the cooperation and assistance of the UNHCR, most of the Rohingya refugees have now returned to Burma. As of 2003, about 20,000 refugees remain in camps in southern Bangladesh.
Former Soviet Union. The former Soviet Union supported India's actions during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war and was among the first to recognize Bangladesh. The U.S.S.R. initially contributed considerable relief and rehabilitation aid to the new nation. After Sheikh Mujib was assassinated in 1975 and replaced by military regimes, however, Soviet-Bangladesh relations cooled.
In 1989, the U.S.S.R. ranked 14th among aid donors to Bangladesh. The Soviets focused on the development of electrical power, natural gas and oil, and maintained active cultural relations with Bangladesh. They financed the Ghorasal thermal power station-- the largest in Bangladesh. Recently, Russia has conducted an aggressive military sales effort in Dhaka and has succeeded with a $124-million deal for eight MIG -29 fighters. Bangladesh began to open diplomatic relations with the newly independent Central Asian states in 1992.
China. China traditionally has been more important to Bangladesh than the former U.S.S.R., even though China supported Pakistan in 1971. As Bangladesh's relations with the Soviet Union and India cooled in the mid-1970s, and as Bangladesh and Pakistan became reconciled, China's relations with Bangladesh grew warmer. An exchange of diplomatic missions in February 1976 followed an accord on recognition in late 1975.
Since that time, relations have grown stronger, centering on trade, cultural activities, military and civilian aid, and exchanges of high-level visits, beginning in January 1977 with President Zia's trip to Beijing. The largest and most visible symbol of bilateral amity is the Bangladesh-China "Friendship Bridge," completed in 1989 near Dhaka, as well as the extensive military hardware in the Bangladesh inventory and warm military relations between the two countries. In the 1990s, the Chinese also built two 210-megawatt power plants outside of Chittagong; mechanical faults in the plants cause them to frequently shut down for days at a time, heightening the country's power shortage.
Other countries in South Asia. Bangladesh maintains friendly relations with Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and strongly opposed the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Bangladesh and Nepal recently agreed to facilitate land transit between the two countries.
Although the U.S. relationship with Bangladesh was initially troubled because of strong U.S. ties with Pakistan, U.S.-Bangladesh friendship and support developed quickly following Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971.
U.S.-Bangladesh relations are excellent. These relations were boosted in March 2000 when President Clinton visited Bangladesh, the first visit ever by a sitting U.S. President, and when Secretary of State Colin Powell visited in June 2003. A centerpiece of the bilateral relationship is a large U.S. economic aid program, which totaled about $100 million in 2001. U.S. economic and food aid programs, which began as emergency relief following the 1971 war for independence, now concentrate on long-term development. U.S. assistance objectives include stabilizing population growth, protecting human health, encouraging broad-based economic growth, and building democracy. In total, the United States has provided more than $4.3 billion in food and development assistance to Bangladesh. Food aid under Titles I, II, and III of PL-480 (congressional "food-for-peace" legislation) has been designed to help Bangladesh meet minimum food requirements, promote food production, and moderate fluctuation in consumer prices. Other U.S. development assistance emphasizes family planning and health, agricultural development, and rural employment. The United States works with other donors and the Bangladesh Government to avoid duplication and ensure that resources are used to maximum benefit.
Since 1986, with the exception of 1988-89, when an aircraft purchase made the trade balance even, the U.S. trade balance with Bangladesh has been negative, due largely to growing imports of readymade garments. Jute carpetbacking is the other major U.S. import from Bangladesh; total imports from Bangladesh were about $2.1 billion (excluding services) in 2002. U.S. exports to Bangladesh (some $269 million, excluding services in 2002) include wheat, fertilizer, cotton, communications equipment, aircraft, and medical supplies, a portion of which is financed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). A bilateral investment treaty was signed in 1989. Relations between Bangladesh and the United States were further strengthened by the participation of Bangladesh troops in the 1991 Gulf war coalition, and alongside U.S. forces in numerous UN peacekeeping operations, including Haiti in 1994, as well as by the assistance of a U.S. naval task force after a disastrous March 1991 cyclone in Bangladesh. The relief efforts of U.S. troops are credited with having saved as many as 200,000 lives. In response to Bangladesh's worst flooding of the century in 1998, the United States donated 700,000 metric tons of food grains, helping to mitigate shortages.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--Harry K. Thomas, Jr.
Deputy Chief of Mission--Judy Chammas
Political-Economic Officer--Dundas McCullough
Commercial Officer--Mark Tesone
Consular Officer--Richard J. Adams
Administrative Officer--Alaina Teplitz
Regional Security Officer--TBA
Public Affairs Officer--Karl Fritz
The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka is located at Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh; tel: (880) (2) 885-5500, fax: (880) (2) 8823744. Hours of Operation: Sunday to Thursday (08:00 a.m.-16:30 p.m.), except holidays


text:
Learn to identify and prevent bites from summer's most common pests.
Doctors argue for legislation to curb this dangerous teen trend in the latest Missouri Medicine report.
10 ways to keep your skin healthy all winter long
How to get rid of lumpy fat on your arms, hips, thighs and bottom
Simple, drug-free tips to banish the blues.
Images of rashes caused by common skin conditions


text:
Deep in a little valley whose gentle curves stretch as far as the Swiss frontier, you can discover breathtaking ski holidays in Morzine, a village which is keen to preserve its gentle pace of life and authentic Savoyard charm. Right in the heart of Portes du Soleil area, it is an ideal point from which to set out and discover a wealth of possibilities.
The Portes du Soleil offers a fabulous winter sports holiday to beginners, intermediates, experts, of all ages and all snow sport disciplines. If you ski, snowboard, snow blade, telemark, cross country ski, randoneé or snowshoe the area offers variety, new challenges, stunning scenery and warm hospitality for those who come on ski holidays in Morzine.
We loved Morzine. It's a great vibrant town with easy access to a vast skiing area. There is skiing for all le... read full
Morzine is definitely my number one European report. Some of the best skiing and boarding I have done and with 6... read full
Snowboarders on ski holidays in Morzine will love the freeride and parks available with the best super pipe in Europe situated in Avoriaz. The Portes du Soleil was rated as one of the best resorts for boarders due to the endless freeride, pipes, parks, rails, powder bowls and cliff jumps.
Numerous sports activities within everybody's capabilities are organised in Morzine-Avoriaz, from sledging, paragliding flights, ice skating, tobogganing, skidooing not forgetting walks through the forests with snow shoes. Everyone will find on their ski holidays in Morzine something to make there dream holiday come true.
Morzine is a lively resort with vast selection of bars and restaurants to suite everybody taste.
Please note: number of lifts and runs for Portes du Soleil ski area.
Our fantastic range of Morzine chalets are located in gorgeous spots around this beautiful resort. With excellent prices and central locations, you'll find something spectacular whether on a budget or looking for luxury.
You do not currently have any holidays in your shortlist.
You currently have in your shortlist.


text:
Universal Music pays homage to hip-hop's greats with their new reissue series called Respect The Classics; the mission focuses on "spotlighting iconic, genre-defining albums from the Def Jam, Interscope, Priority, and Virgin Records vaults."
To start, fans can enjoy expanded CD and digital 25th Anniversary Editions of Eazy-E's Eazy-Duz-It and EPMD's Strictly Business. Also available are remastered 180-gram vinyl LP reissues of Eazy-Duz-It, Ice Cube's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, and N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton. Finally, there's a remastered CD and digital reissue of N.W.A's N.W.A & The Posse for grabs.
Look out soon for more reissues from DMX, Gang Starr, Onyx, Public Enemy, and Slick Rick.
Purchase NWA & The Posse CD on Amazon
Purchase EPMD's Strictly Business CD on Amazon
Purchase NWA's Straight Outta Compton Vinyl on Amazon
Purchase Ice Cube's Amerikkka's Most Wanted Vinyl on Amazon
Purchase Eazy-E's Eazy Duz It Vinyl on Amazon
Purchase Eazy-E's Eazy Duz It CD on Amazon


text:
Doremus, already a Sundance veteran at 27, uses a 50-page outline and a handful of young Hollywood's A-list, notably Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones to create an exacting collage and voyeuristic approach to young/first/long-distance love.
LA-bred furniture design student Jacob (Yelchin) and Brit exchange writer girl Anna (Jones, who absolutely brings it) get together after the verbose yet unsure Anna leaves a five-page note on the windshield of Jacob's Saturn.
A date ensues. But it's not for drinks or dinner; it's not an overconfident couple who exchanged flirts and barbs and witticisms online, it's just walking around.
Doremus gives us a peek at the upstart pair from the first pensive touch to the almost-thwarted invite up to Anna's messy-girl bedroom.
They take a sip of her whiskey and almost kiss, instead opting for a quick listen to Paul Simon's Graceland, two feet apart on her bed. The date ends with a lingering stare-down on opposite sides of her glass apartment entryway door. It as is as hopeful and heartbreaking a moment as this year's fest offers.
Doremus, who showed a knack for pushing story through subtle hint in his first two features Spooner and Douchebag, delivers a half-dozen such moments during the film's 89 minutes - this time keeping a stranglehold on the narrative.
The couple's on-off love story careens through the years once Anna returns home to the UK and the pair embark on careers/lives on separate continents.
From flip phones to iPhones, ignored texts, rediscovery of memento and nights spent with others - notably, LA girlfriend/assistant Sam, Winter's Bone's Jennifer Lawrence, and Charlie Bewley's cagey Brit Cityboy Simon, Anna's aggressive neighbor - Doremus brings the estranged couple back from a flatline repeatedly. Their love, though it began as a trifle, is hard-earned.
Also on the support side, Anna's parents are played with lived-in humor by Alex Kingston and Oliver Murihead, who, like the audience, champion the couple's efforts at arm's length even as gimlet eyes turned star-crossed.
Juxtapose Like Crazy with last year's hackneyed LDR-themed Going the Distance, featuring Drew Barrymore/Justin Long, and it becomes clear Doremus has created a very literal new cinematic dialogue and an eventual DVD companion piece to Annie Hall, Say Anything and Lost in Translation.


text:
ZF-8770: Zend_Application_Resource_View doesn't use static helper broker
Zend_Application_Resource_View directly instantiates Zend_Controller_Action_Helper_ViewRenderer rather than using the helper broker so the options passed in through Zend_Application aren't actually kept. To fix this, it should be as simple as changing:
$viewRenderer = new Zend_Controller_Action_Helper_ViewRenderer();
$viewRenderer = Zend_Controller_Action_HelperBroker::getStaticHelper('viewRenderer');
Never mind.
Ooh, those are the easy issues. :D
Now this one does look worth investigating (to me), so why did you resolve it with 'never mind'?
Had to reopen issue in order to change component and assignee. Leaving open just for a while (until I found out if the issue is legit, or why it was a Nvm).


text:
Discuss This: Comments Off | Add to del.icio.us | Digg it
There is a lot going on tonight…
- Candyland Party at Antigua starting at 10 p.m. Complete with Candy Castle, lollipop, gingerbread and peppermint bars, Oompa Loompas, cotton candy and open bar from 10-11 p.m.
- Rum Fest 6 at Wall St. Plaza in downtown Orlando starts at 5 p.m. "Mixologists" will be handing out free rum concoctions at an array of huts.
- Studio 54 Orlando at Blue Martini starting at 8 p.m. Step back in time and experience the New York City nightclub Studio 54 during this "Orlando Style Magazine" event.
- Pirates Night Booty Contest at The Wet Spot in Sanford starting at 11 p.m. Part of the Pirates of St. Juans weekend.


text:
Feb. 6, 2013
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz will meet with media Wednesday at 4 p.m. (CT) to talk about the Hawkeyes' 2013 recruiting class.
The briefing with local, regional and national media will be held in the Hayden Fry Football Complex and be available live from start to finish on Hawkeye All-Access, the multi-media portal inside hawkeyesports.com, the official worldwide website of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
In addition to live coverage of each of Ferentz's weekly news conferences, subscribers to Hawkeye All-Access also have exclusive access to the weekly visits with the media of UI basketball coaches Fran McCaffery and Lisa Bluder, live and exclusive coverage of Ferentz's, McCaffery's and Bluder's postgame news conferences after home events, live and exclusive coverage of the weekly "Hawk Talk" radio shows of Iowa's head football, men's basketball and women's basketball coaches, and the live play-by-play of every Iowa football game featuring the Hawkeye Radio Network's Gary Dolphin, Ed Podolak and Rob Brooks, and all men's basketball, women's basketball and wrestling events.
To become a subscriber to Hawkeye All-Access, click HERE.
To explore the offerings available inside Hawkeye All-Access, click HERE.


text:
I look through some player profiles on this forum and just flabbergasted by where they find these items whilst playing. I understand how MF% gear works and drop rates but is there a better place to kill elites to get a those level 63 items or to get a higher drop rate? Act 1, 2, 3, 4 Inferno?
closed as not a real question by Tharius, l I, ayckoster, Frank, DrFish Jul 18 '12 at 12:47
It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, visit the help center.If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
June 28
The drop rates for high-end items (items level 61-63) have been increased for Acts III and IV of Hell difficulty and Acts I – IV of Inferno difficulty: The new approximate drop rates are as follows:
Hell – Act III and Act IV
Inferno – Act I
Inferno – Act II
Inferno – Act III and Act IV
There you have it. Source : Diablo3 website
So as you can see it is much better to farm in act 3 and 4 if you want to have as much chance as possible at getting ilvl63.
Hope this helps


text:
Florida Favorites
Noted by our classic Florida Alligator, these candies make perfect souvenirs from the Sunshine State! Whether you want to bring back a sweet piece of Florida with you or your longing for that nostalgic coconut, jelly, taffy, or chocolate taste, there's a treat here for everyone.
Make someone's day by sharing with friends, family, and co-workers! Our family takes pride in everything we make, using only the utmost quality ingredients.
Sort by: Name


text:
This article highlights the influence Dr. Shephard's research has had on a young academic's career, and the various lessons that can be learned from working with and following the example of Dr. Shephard.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate fitness and health adaptations from a training program riding all-terrain vehicles (ATV) and off-road motorcycles (ORM) as the exercise stimulus. Participants (n = 58) were randomized to a control group (n = 12) or one of four experimental groups; 2 days/wee...
Recent reports that habitual marathon runners demonstrate higher levels of stiffness and cardiovascular risk factors have been of great interest to the medical and scientific community. Ultra-marathon running, that is any distance >42.2 km, is increasing in popularity; however, little is known regar...
Conditions such as stroke and spinal cord injury (SCI) reduce the ability to activate muscle and produce movement, typically affecting a patient's functional capacity and ability to carry out the tasks of daily living. Mobility limitations increase the risk of other avoidable chronic conditions su...
Altered autonomic function has been identified following ultra-endurance event participation among elite world-class athletes. Despite dramatic increases in recreational athlete participation in these ultra-endurance events, the physiological effects on these athletes are less known. This investigat...
Risk assessment for physical activity and exercise clearance In pregnant women without contraindications
Traditionally, exercise was advised with caution or not recommended for pregnant women. Women active before pregnancy were advised by physicians to reduce their habitual exercise levels, while previously inactive women were advised to refrain from initiating exercise programs.1 However, guidelines f...
Exercise-induced cardiovascular (CV) events, particularly sudden cardiac death (SCD), attract considerable media attention in the context of the safety of exercise for the general population. As a result, concern about the safety of exercise participation is a common topic during routine office chec...
Cancer is an important cause of both morbidity and mortality, currently accounting for approximately 1 of every 4 deaths in North America.1,2 However, survival rates are continually increasing, as diagnostic and surgical techniques are improved and ever more effective local, regional, and systemic t...
Habitual physical activity participation is widely accepted to be a safe and effective method for managing cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk factors. However, engagement in physical activity has the potential to trigger cardiovascular events, especially when the activity is of vigorous inten...
The physiological fitness, cardiometabolic health and quality of life outcomes of participation in recreational off-road vehicle riding as an alternative mode of physical activity
The aim of this research is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the physiological fitness and health-related effects of participation in habitual recreational off-road vehicle riding (all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and off-road motorcycle (ORM)) as an alternative form of physical activity (PA).
The 6-minute walk test as a predictor of objectively measured aerobic fitness in healthy working-aged adults
There is a paucity of research examining the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) in young to middle-aged healthy individuals, and little is known about the utility of the 6MWT for predicting aerobic fitness. Purpose: 1) To characterize the aerobic demand of the 6MWT in a group of healthy working-aged adults; ...
A cross-sectional examination of the physical fitness and selected health attributes of recreational all-terrain vehicle riders and off-road motorcyclists
The aims of this study were: (1) to characterize selected fitness and health attributes of two types of habitual recreational off-road vehicle riders - off-road motorcyclists and all-terrain vehicle riders; (2) to explore differences among riders in terms of vehicle type, age, and gender; and (3) ...
Lifestyle changes that include a nutritionally balanced diet and increased physical activity (PA) are effective intervention options for persons with prediabetes who want to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although nutritional counseling is standard practice for patients in a clinic...
Introduction: Methods: Results: Conclusions: The purpose of this study was to characterize the physiological demands of recreational off-road vehicle riding under typical riding conditions using habitual recreational off-road vehicle riders (n = 128).Comparisons of the physical demands of off-road v...
Les recommandations en matière d'activité physique au cours de la grossesse se sont considérablement développées au cours des 30 dernières années et évoluent encore au fur et à mesure de l'enrichissement du corpus de connaissances scientifiques. En outre, il y a de plus en plus de femmes qu...
Construction, validation, and derivation of performance standards for a fitness test for correctional officer applicants
Nous analysons les effets d'une seule séance d'exercice intense et prolongée (PSE) sur la rigidité artérielle mesurée par la vélocité des ondes pulsatiles (PWV) avant et après un ultramarathon. Vingt coureurs habitués à participer à des ultramarathons (UM) participent aux séances d'éval...


text:
Help with student laptops and UC Hastings computers is available during Fall and Spring semesters to students at the UC Hastings helpdesk.
The helpdesk is located in room 440 of the 200 McAllister Street building.
Among the issues that the student workers at the helpdesk can help with are accessing the wireless network, email, printing, installing and using Microsoft Office. Also available to students is help with the Examsoft SofTest software used during midterms and finals.
Students with Apple laptops can also get assistance installing Boot Camp or Parallels if they wish to run Microsoft Windows.
To reach the IT Department, please write to firstname.lastname@example.com or call 415-565-4625.


text:
@princetongolf Men Lead Home Invitational Through Two Rounds
At the end of Saturday's play, the Princeton men's golf team leads the Princeton Invitational by three shots over three-time defending champion Yale.
If the Tigers can hold off the Bulldogs and the rest of the field, it would give Princeton its first championship at its home invitational since 2004. All eight Ivy programs are in the tournament field, as well as Temple, Navy, Saint Joseph's, Georgetown, Seton Hall and Rider.
Princeton carded a +2 as a team through two rounds, going 3-under through Saturday's first round and then 5-over during round two. Yale stands at +5, with Penn and Temple tied for third at +9 and Columbia rounding out the top five at +21.
Individually, Yale's Brad Kushner leads by one shot over a pair of Temple Owls, Brandon Matthews and Matthew Teesdale. For the Tigers, Greg Jarmas and Quinn Prchal are three shots off the pace at even par. Prchal and Kushner share the tournament's low round, each shooting a 4-under 67.
Princeton's scores are below, and complete results and Sunday's tee times can be found on the tournament's page at Golfstat.com.
1. Princeton 281-289--570 (+2)
T4. Greg Jarmas 72-70--142 (E)
T4. Quinn Prchal 67-75--142 (E)
T12. Bernie D'Amato 72-72--144 (+2)
T12. Nicholas Ricci 70-74-144 (+2)
T34. Matt Gerber 78-73--151 (+7)
Princeton Individuals
T37. Joseph D'Amato 76-76--152 (+8)
64. Jason Zhou 81-77-158 (+14)


text:
Product Name: Manufacturer : SONICWALL, INC.
Description : >> TZ170 WIRELESS 25 NODE/USER [son-01ssc5712]
Condition : Brand New With Original Manufacturer Warranty.
Description : TZ 170 Wireless (25 Node-User) Wireless is changing the way businesses work. Adding wireless into an existing network or building a wireless network from the ground up increases mobility and productivity by maintaining connections to e-mail - files and online applications regardless of physical location. With these benefits - however - comes risk. SonicWALL provides a solution that enables your organization to take advantage of the freedom of wireless connectivity without compromising network security. The TZ 170 Wireless - part of SonicWALL s TZ 170 series - is a high-performance - multi-layer network security platform that delivers enterprise-class wireless and wired security to small networks. The TZ 170 Wireless integrates secure 802.11b-g wireless - deep packet inspection firewall and IPSec VPN technologies in a cost-effective - easy-to-use solution. Advanced features such as enforced VPN encryption on the wireless LAN and wireless intrusion detection and prevention services deliver impenetrable wireless security. Utilizing the Wireless Guest Services feature - network administrators can create multiple zones of access - for wired and wireless workers as well as guest wireless users - offering an unprecedented level of control without compromising network security.
Manufacturer : SONICWALL, INC.
Part Number : son-01ssc5712
Manufacturer : SONICWALL, INC.
Description : >> TZ170 WIRELESS 25 NODE/USER [son-01ssc5712]
Condition : Brand New With Original Manufacturer Warranty


text:
ZF-5888: Zend_Config_Writer_* not properly handling unsectioned data
When trying to write a Zend_Config that contains unsectioned elements, Zend_Config_Writer_Xml will omit these elements in the resulting XML file. This issue related to http://framework.zend.com/issues/browse/ZF-5544. Unlike Zend_Config_Writer_Ini Zend_Config_Writer_Xml will not throw an Exception though.
Since a Zend_Config can contain unsectioned elements, the behavior of both writers is unexpected. Both writers should be able to write Zend_Configs without a global section defined for them. Zend_Config_Writer_Xml already wraps all data inside a {{}} root element, so any unsectioned elements can reside below this element without breaking validity of the XML file. If global sections are required by ZF, the writers should at least both throw an Exception.
// Code from Example 7.2. Using Zend_Config with a PHP Configuration File
$myValues = array(
'webhost' => 'www.example.com',
'database' => array(
'adapter' => 'pdo_mysql',
'params' => array(
'host' => 'db.example.com',
'username' => 'dbuser',
'password' => 'secret',
'dbname' => 'mydatabase'
$config = new Zend_Config($myValues);
// will output the array as defined above
// write config to an XML file
$writer = new Zend_Config_Writer_Xml(array('config' => $config,
'filename' => 'test.xml'));
// yields no error, but loses data
// Read in XML file
$xml = new Zend_Config_Xml('test.xml');
// Webhost is missing
// Try to write an Ini file from the example config
$writer = new Zend_Config_Writer_Ini(array('config' => $config,
'filename' => 'test.ini'));
// will throw an Exception as stated in ZF-5544
The resulting XML file
<?xml version="1.0"?>
In fact, Zend_Config_Writers (except _Array) always expects the highest elements in Zend_Config to be the sections. What you are doing in your example is converting from an array config (which can never contain sections, thus Zend_Config_Writer_Array works fine with no sections) to a configuration format which requires sections when loaded with Zend_Config_Xml / Zend_Config_Ini. Thus this simply cannot work properly.
Zend_Config_Writer_Xml is natually omitting the webhost-key, as it is seen as an invalid section. That Zend_Config_Writer_Ini is throwing a catchable fatal error is surely wrong, it should have the same behaviour as Zend_Config_Writer_Xml at this point.
I'd rather have Zend_Config_Writer_Xml throw an Exception than simply ignoring my Config data then. Since any Zend_Config allows me to add unsectioned data at runtime when the Config was loaded with allowModification set to true, I'd expect a corresponding writer to be able to handle this data or give notice when it cannot. Especially when one Writer is able to handle that data and the other is not. Being able to set unsectioned elements at all is misleading in that case. If I cannot persist a Zend_Config without sections, then the interface should reflect that. Besides, neither Ini files, nor Xml files naturally require their data to be in sections and the Zend_Config readers work fine with unsectioned data. The data is accessible through the regular object notation. So either way, something is wrong.
Well, the difference is, that a runtime Zend_Config object itself does not have sections. Sections are just a construct of the _Xml and _Ini implementation. Thus Zend_Config_Writer has to guess that the highest level is the section definition. What actually could be done, would be an extra option for both the _Xml and _Ini writer to not treat the highest level as sections but as usual nodes. Tho still, this should not be the default.
Fixed with r14175 and merged into 1.7 release branch with r14176.


text:
Also, as the week rolls along, be sure to keep an eye on my Twitter feed as many concerts for the spring and summer months will likely continue to be announced. To date, we already know a few of the groups heading for Red Butte Garden and much of the lineup for USANA Amphitheater has already been revealed. But we've got lots of time to prattle about those shows. Let's look at the here and now:
Indie-rockers Aloud hit the Bar Deluxe on Monday night. The Boston-based band is touring behind its fun, thoughtful release, "Exile." Local faves Sam Smith Band will be opening along with Holy Water Buffalo. Music is slated to start at 9 p.m.
Tuesday offers a wide mix of options including the Utah Symphony's kickoff reception to announce the 2011-12 lineup of performances. Rock fans can check into The Heartless Bastards with Truth & Salvage Co. at The State Room. These are two younger bands that already have fairly devoted followings. One cool thing to remember about The State Room is that music begins promptly at 8 p.m. on weeknights and working stiffs like myself can trust they can be back home around 11 p.m. Tickets are still on sale and are $18 in advance or $20 at the door. Here's a clip of The HB's and their super singer Erika Wennerstrom running through "Out at Sea," on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Denver's DeVotchKa plays In The Venue on Tuesday night. The show coincides with the release of the band's "100 Lovers" album. The band is a critical darling that is slowly gaining more popular appeal. This promises to be a fun outing. Here's the band's video for "How It Ends."


text:
Useful Links
Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR)
- Date submitted: 1 Nov 2011
- Stakeholder type: Major Group
- Name: Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR)
- Submission Document: Download
Full SubmissionINSTITUTE FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES REFORM position for UNCSD (Rio+200) on Combating Energy Poverty as a Mean to Improve Green Econommy in Order to Alleviate Poverty Acccess to energy is instrumental in achieving poverty alleviation and sustainabble growth. Lack of acccess to modern clean energy is serious hindrance to well being, as well as social and economic development, annd must be overcome in order to achieve Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). Access to modern form of energy is essential to the provision of clean water, sanitation and health care, and can contribute to the development through the provision of lightning, heating, cooking, telecommunication and transport services. Furthermore, without meeting the required energy, both in terms of quality and quantity, it is impossible for one to achieve their sustainability; which leads to unsustainable development. Billions of people globally are living in energy poverty condition. Currently over 1,4 billion people are without access to electricity, and 2,7 billion people are heavily reliant on traditional biomass. Mostly of those are living in sub-Saharan Africa and developing Asia, and about 85% are living in the rural area. According to IEA (2030), these figures will not change significantly in 2030, and leave about 15%% of population still without access to the electricity, and even more with lack of clean cooking fuels. Fail to act significantly, will hamper many communities and countries, not only to growth in sustainable pathways, but also will grow the inequualities between developed and developing countries, as well as among communities within the countries. Henceforth, the occasion oo Rio+20 will be an opportunity for: - Renewing and increasing the political commitments to combat energy poverty by supporting universal access to clean energy. Commitmment for energy provisionn, not only frrom the demand side, but also from thhe supply side. - To promote actionns and accountability in areas such as the green economy and post- MDG framework which are inseparable from the issue of energy. - To ensure that fairness and equity, to be the center of any sustainnable developpment means. To�increase�the�political�commitments�on�energy�provission� At Rio+20, there should be an increasing of political commitments of governments, with supports from international agencies and civil society, which will result in implementation of energy provision, both in the demand side and also in the supply side. There are several elements that should be strengthened, in terms of future commitments in the energy provisions. - Assesssing the 20 years of progress since Rio 1992, on the access to modern energy for 20 years, then to raise the ambition to increase the universal access to modern energy services taking the account of equity principle. - Needs to make bold commitmment on fossil fuel subsidies reform. As all nations have been highly depending on fossil fuel, and fossil fuel subsidies, in many forms have consumed up public funding and have made renewable energy less competitive. Without alternative energy form widely available, and lower cost for fossil fuel, have created more dependency on the fossil fuels. All countries should commit themselves to phase out fossil fuel subsidies gradually, and shifted it to all means that will enforce the acccess to energy for all through better policy tools and mechanism that help the poor for accessing modern clean energy services. - To increase the access to modern energy, all country members should commmit to transfer of technoology, and formulate the energy-financing scheme that carries the principle of equity. On Green Ecoonomy At Rio+20, all country members should come up with an agreed understanding of green ecconomy since there should not be a one-size-fits-all definition on greeen economyy. The understanding of green ecoonomy should accommoodate the level of development, equity and also common but differentiated responsibilities principles. There are several elements that should be incoorporated in the understanding of green economy. Green econnomy should be an ecconomy that will increase the number of jobs, restoring the quality of environment, efficient use of natural resources capital, improving the qualitty of life of huuman being. The green economy that is formulated in Rio+20 should consist of: Commmit to full adoption of clean energy Clean energy is the key element to develop ones economy. A clear definition of clean energy should also be agreed at Rio+20 Summit which should not consist the burning of coal, nuclear power plant, or any other facilities where environment and social impacts are disturbed as the result. Renewable energy facilities should be widely used throughout the member countries. At the same time, energy efficient economy should also be developed accorrdingly. Developed countries should provide assistances in both knowledge and funding to developing countries in making transition to low carbon energy pathways. Ensuring the Accesss to Energy The access to energy should also be highlighted in the context of fair green economy. Access to energy should address the need to energy provision that is affordable, ensuring its availability, transparency in technology acceptability, and also to improve the accessibility. In this regards, access to informationn should also be improved in order to ensure that all the above criteria are met. Capacity building and access to information should be embedded into the issue of ensuring the access to energy. Both are highly important in order to enhance the access to energy. Without capaaity building and also proper access to information, the improvement of access to energy will not be sustained. � Phasing Out the Fossil Fuel Subsidies Fossil fuel subsidies should be phased out. According to IEA (2011), global fossil fuel subsidies reached more than $ 409 billionn annually in 2010, increased from $ 312 billion in 2009. Without meaningful reform, this subsidy is estimateed to reach $ 660 billion in 2020 or 00,7 percent of global gross domestic product. Not only the subsidies have increased its favorable option compare to renewable energyy, but also fossil fuel subsidies will lead to more dependency to fossil fuel and accelerate climate change. There should be an agreement to shift the fossil fuel subsidies to further development and deployment of renewable energy to combat global warming, and at the samme time ensuring the equitable access to energy services for all. Energy Financinng and Technology Transfer In order to increase the acccess to energy, financingg for energy should also be established. IEA estimated that to provide universal acccess to modern energy services in 2030 requires $ 776 billion additional financing or about $ 36 billion investment annually. Strengthening political commitment for supporting universal energy services in Rio+20 should include commitment to generate additional investment from public sources. Furthermore, Rio+20 should come up with the framework on scheme for alternative financing mechanism for supporting universal acccess to energy which shall be accessed by all countries. This funding must be govern by the principle of transparency, accountability, and practicability, with proper monitoring andd evaluation mechanism in place. Given that the biggest challenge for energy provision is in the rural areas, off-grid and decentralized energy system based on renewable energy technologies will be suitable for this purpose. Howwever, cost for renewable energy systems applied for rural electrification are considered expensive, therefore limits the ability of most deeveloping coountries to deploy renewable energy extensively to meet their rural energy provisioo target. Therefore, in addition to the availability of finance, develop countries through various channel must assist developing counntries with the state-of-art renewable energy technology with higher effficiency, and cost effective, through a global technology transfer mechanism programm. This prrogram mustt come withh the objecttive to enabble developing countriess to developp and manufacture renewable energy technology such as: low cost photovoltaic (PVV) technology, low cost solar thermal, high efficient micro and mini-hydro, advance improved cook-stove technology, wind power, annd biomass technologies.


text:
New strip every WednesdayClick here to see it
Mansfield | AshfieldBolsover | Sherwood
Click here for latest stories.
Mansfield Town | Nottingham Forest | Derby County | Notts County |Other Football | Cricket | Rugby | Basketball | Golf | Swimming | Athletics | Other
© meteogroup.co.uk
Times of Show:
None currently scheduled.
12am Non-Stop Music
7am Saturday Breakfast
10am The Saturday Show
1pm First Innings
4pm The Run Chase
8pm 90s School Reunion
10pm Non-Stop Music
Click here for your nearest Sticker Station


text:
|Mountain Area Information Network
Corporate control of the Internet and broadcast media is the civil rights issue of our time.
Radio in Western North Carolina, like in many places, is dominated by corporate voices. Clear Channel, for example, owns WWNC, an Asheville radio station that at times has had the highest percentage of listeners of any radio station in any market in the United States — and a radio station featuring a steady diet of conservative talk.
And Clear Channel was taken private by Mitt Romney's Bain Capital. The hugely profitable firm that resulted is the largest private radio company on Earth. They own broadcast towers, chunks of XM Radio, and are involved in intricate business deals with music syndicates, billboard firms, and musicians like "Fleetwood Mac."
You can see what we're up against.
Since 1995, we've relied on your support to continue MAIN's push for broadband access and FM radio that supports Main Street, not Wall Street. And our successes have been significant.
These victories were hard-fought and years in the making.
And they're hard to keep. As you have read elsewhere in this newsletter, only through the generous donation of a patron will we soon be able to return to the airwaves.
By donating now, you can help turn these policy victories into real-life expansion of community broadband and radio access for Asheville and WNC.
And you won't ever have a better or more crucial time to donate.
It's easy to donate.
(See what your donation can do.)
Donate your time and talents. Become a MAIN or MAIN-FM
(Volunteer opportunities.)
Host your website with MAIN!
(See how to keep your webhosting dollars local.)