Srebrenica: Dutch Blamed For Three Deaths

Updated: 2:51pm UK, Wednesday 06 July 2011

An appeal court in the Netherlands has ruled the Dutch state is responsible for the deaths of three Muslim men during the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

The ruling could pave the way for other compensation claims by victims who say their male relatives should have been protected by the Dutch UN peacekeepers in charge of the UN's "safe zone" near Srebrenica during Bosnia's 1992-1995 war.

The case was brought by Hasan Nuhanovic, an interpreter who lost his brother and father, and relatives of Rizo Mustafic, an electrician who was killed.

They argued that the men should have been protected by Dutch peacekeepers. Mustafic and Nuhanovic were employed by the Dutch peacekeepers, but Nuhanovic's father and brother were not.

One of the relatives, Damir Mustafic, said outside court that the ruling came just days before he was to bury his father's remains in a Srebrenica cemetery.

Some 600 bodies exhumed from mass graves around the town in the past year have been identified using DNA tests, and they will be interred on Monday as part of commemorations for the 16th anniversary of Europe's worst massacre since World War II.

"I am very happy, finally," Mr Mustafic said. "It has been a long case and it feels especially good because on the 11th, I have to bury my father."

The victims were among thousands of Muslims who took shelter in the UN compound as Bosnian Serb forces commanded by General Ratko Mladic invaded Srebrenica in what was to become the bloody climax to the 1992-95 Bosnian war that claimed 100,000 lives.

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Srebrenica: Dutch Liable For 300 Deaths

Of all the elements of todays culture versus what I observed a generation ago, I believe the most disparate is in the area of common sense. While this element used to be fairly common, today it seems to be quite rare.

It is only by experience that we gradually acquire this ingredient. For me, this acquisition process was greatly accelerated during the several years I spent on our farm. The early lessons learned in that experience have served me well in all the experience Ive been involved with since.

It now occurs to me the reason for the rarity of common sense today is tied to the decline of the yeoman farmer in our culture.

Where most people fell into this category in our early republic, the mechanization of agriculture has caused the near disappearance of this once common class of worker and with it, the opportunity to learn a broad range of knowledge: not the academic knowledge learned in urban schools today, but hands on, applied and practical knowledge that once was learned in rural areas across the country. Apprenticeship programs used to pass knowledge from one generation to the next.

Adam Smiths division of labor concept has also contributed, I believe, to the decline of general knowledge for the worker. By dividing work into narrow categories, the worker becomes expert at his particular job, but ignorant of the overall process.

By breaking labor down into precise classes, unions have also essentially destroyed the jack of all trades idea. More than anyone Ive ever known, my father was the quintessential jack of all trades.

At various times in his life he was a farmer, truck operator, carpenter, inventor, electrician, dam construction foreman, cabinet maker, toy maker, mason, shipyard foreman, building superintendent, mechanic, rancher, blacksmith, architect, logger, post and pole peeling machine fabricator, machinist, general fabricator, hydraulic engineer, investor and businessman.

The rest of the world presented a much easier sell for socialism. They lacked the fierce independence and self reliant qualities that enabled our fathers to build the greatest nation in all of history. But even my father (the most independent and self reliant person Ive known or read of) was persuaded to accept Social Security.

Once this first step was taken, the rest of socialism was given legitimacy. Today the concept of collectivism is ubiquitous throughout our culture. Unions, tenure, affirmative action, food stamps, Obamacare, subsidy, class action lawsuits: all are forms of collectivism.

The rights and responsibilities of the individual are in great decline in our nation and the results of this are predictable and ominous.

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Common sense: once fairly common, today quite rare

ST. CHARLES COUNTY Citing pressing family concerns, state Rep. Doug Funderburk said Tuesday he has dropped his effort to unseat County Executive Steve Ehlmann in the upcoming Republican primary.

Funderburk said he hasnt campaigned, conducted major fundraising or sought political endorsements because of issues related to his 19-year-old sons severe illness.

He also said hes had to deal with the death of his mother in May and the death of a lifelong friend earlier.

There are just some unplanned events in my life that have put me in a position ... that it may be better for myself and my family to take a pass on running now, he said.

Funderburks name will remain on the Aug. 5 primary ballot because its too late under state law to withdraw.

Funderburk, who was barred by term limits from seeking re-election to his House seat, had been poised to offer the first significant challenge to Ehlmann as executive.

Funderburk, a union electrician for Boeing Co. who lives near St. Peters, served 10 years on the St. Charles County Council before his eight years in the House.

Ehlmanns previous opponents were political newcomers with no organized support.

The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Rod Zerr in the November general election. Ehlmann, a former state legislator and judge from St. Charles, is running for a third four-year term as executive.

Zerr, a former director of emergency management for the county, is unopposed for his partys nomination.

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Funderburk drops campaign to unseat Ehlmann as St. Charles County executive

By M.E. Jones, Correspondent

SHIRLEY -- Selectmen at their previous meeting accepted the resignation of Treasurer Kevin Johnston and agreed to post the position internally as a temporary job before advertising for a permanent replacement.

Johnston has accepted a position working for the Town of Ayer and will leave July 28, concluding a 20-year tenure in Shirley.

"Ayer's gain is our loss," Selectman Kendra Dumont said last week.

Monday night, Chairman David Swain echoed the comment as the board presented Johnston with an official certificate of appreciation from the town.

"Kevin and I go back a long time," Swain said. "He's done an outstanding job."

Dumont added that when she joined the board six years ago, Johnson was always a reliable go-to who could answer most questions or get information she needed if not.

Later in the meeting, selectmen appointed assistant treasurer Janet Poitras as interim treasurer.

Poitras, who has worked for the town for more than 14 years and holds an associate's degree from Becker Junior College, cited experience in her current position in her application for the treasurer's position, as well as "time management skills" and the ability to "work well under pressure" and as part of a team.

As assistant treasurer since 2000, Poitras in her resume listed experience with payroll, employee benefits, cash management and report preparation as qualifications for the job.

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Shirley BOS appoints interim treasurer, wiring inspector

PUTRAJAYA: The remand order on three suspects connected to the assassination of Customs deputy director-general Datuk Shaharuddin Ibrahim last year has been extended until July 18.

The order was issued by the Magistrate's Court here Friday.

One of the men, a 20-year-old electrician, was previously remanded on June 24 to be investigated under Section 395/397 of Penal Code for armed robbery.

The other two men, who are brothers, were first remanded on July 6 after they were arrested on the day.

Investigating Officer DSP Hamzah Buman said there were seven suspects so far in remand being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

It was reported that four men, in their 30s and 40s, were arrested in Ampang and Batu Caves in two separate raids on July 1.

One of them led police to a house in Taman Jati, Rawang, at about 10am last Wednesday where a T-shirt, believed to have been worn by the gunman on the day of Shaharuddins murder, was recovered.

Meanwhile, the electrician was initially arrested for robbery in Cheras on June 23.

He was placed in police custody and was being investigated for armed robbery, and during investigations the police had linked him to the assassination of Shaharuddin.

Shaharuddin, who headed the Customs and Internal Tax Unit Division, was a year away from retirement when he was shot on April 26 last year.

Link:
Remand extended again on three suspects in Customs deputy D-G's murder

The shift to smartphones and tablets means enterprises must change how they think about employees, competitors and risk

In some ways, veteran CIO Sam Lamonica is an old dog learning new tricks.

As the top technology strategist at Rosendin Electric, an electrical contractor in Silicon Valley, Lamonica has had to reverse his views on everything from the iPad to rogue mobile apps. He's had to place big bets on mobile device management (MDM) technology, quickly create a mobile environment for app development and support, and adopt emerging mobile platforms practically overnight.

"We're starting to see convergence happening, and it's hard to keep up," Lamonica says.

Winning in the brave new world of mobility sometimes means casting aside tried-and-true best practices. Mobility has turned companies, markets and people on their heads. There are huge opportunities and equally daunting challenges that demand new ways of thinking about employees, competitors and risk.

It's no wonder many companies' mobile strategies and execution fall flat. Only about two out of five companies have made good progress in their mobility efforts, according to a recent Accenture survey of nearly 1,500 C-level executives. The majority of mobile strategies fall short of expectations, while some outright fail.

[Related: Why Mobile Strategies Are Stalling at Many Enterprises]

Lamonica, however, was able to avoid this fate -- in part, by embracing change.

Developing iPad Apps Aren't So Crazy After All

Only a few years ago, Lamonica told one of his C-level peers that he thought developing iPad apps in the construction business was crazy. A few months later, he was doing it.

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CIO Meets Mobile Challenges Head-on

PUTRAJAYA: The remand order for one of the suspects behind the assassination of Deputy Customs Director-General Datuk Shaharuddin Ibrahim last year has been extended until Friday.

Sources said the tattooed suspect, a 20-year-old electrician, was initially arrested for robbery in Cheras on June 23.

He was placed in police custody and was being investigated for armed robbery.

It was during this investigation that police had linked him to the assassination of Shaharuddin.

The electrician, who was accompanied by his lawyer and family members at the Putrajaya magistrates court at about 9am yesterday, had complained about pain in his arm.

His remand was extended until Friday under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

Another two main suspects in the murder case will be brought to the same magistrates court at 10am tomorrow to have their remand extended.

It was reported that four men, in their 30s and 40s, were arrested in Ampang and Batu Caves in two separate raids last Tuesday morning.

One of them led police to a house in Taman Jati, Rawang, at about 10am last Wednesday where a T-shirt, believed to have been worn by the gunman on the day of Shaharuddins murder, was recovered.

The suspects are being held in the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters to facilitate investigations.

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Suspect's remand extended till Friday

This is a two-part series about my life.

Today is my birthday. I was born in Ephrata at the Columbia Basin Hospital on July 3, 1947 at 11:45 p.m. There was not a hospital in Moses Lake at that time. Mom said I looked like a football, because I weighed over 11 pounds. My name was Dennis Laurel Wollard.

My birth certificate shows my father was Willis Clarence (Bill) Wollard, a machinist in Moses Lake. Mom, Enid Artina Grimshaw Wollard, is listed as a housewife.

Moses Lake, Ephrata and other towns in the area were busy places in 1947, with preparations for the arrival of irrigation water and the completion of the Columbia Basin Project.

Next I remember us living in Oregon, in a house near the Willamette River. I understand my father worked at a dairy. My memories center on this man taking me goose hunting several times at 3 years old and him shooting a few geese.

Then we lived on a houseboat in Portland. This was about the time my sister, Denise, was born. Mom wanted twins, to name Dennis and Denise, and although we arrived four years apart, the names stuck.

Our next home was in an apartment on the second floor of a building. A tavern was located on the corner of the block and at the bottom of the stairs leading to the apartment.

This was not a happy time for the family. Mom says Bill would work and receive a paycheck, but the tavern was between his work and home. He had no money in his pocket when he arrived at the apartment on payday.

Mom says all she had for food was flour, so she fed me a flour and water mixture. I remember this man slapping Mom during an argument and when I ran to her defense, he slapped me.

There was no money for Mom to pay the rent or buy food, so she called her sister, Nadine Driggs, who lived in Moses Lake. My aunt drove to Portland with her daughters, Janice and Cheryl, picked us up. We lived with the Driggs family for some time in the Guffin Eccles area.

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Clay: Reflecting on 67 years of being alive

'Rehabilitation robots' are being trialled at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University The machines, developed by MIT, work by supporting a patients arm and letting them move it between targets on a computer screen Patients receive as much help as they need form the robot to build up their strength and improve their coordination Stroke victims report seeing improvements with just a few sessions

By Sarah Griffiths

Published: 10:53 EST, 3 July 2014 | Updated: 12:39 EST, 3 July 2014

Robots (pictured) are helping stroke victims to regain the use of their arms

Robots are helping stroke victims to regain the use of their arms.

The machines work by supporting a patients arm and letting them move it between targets on a computer screen, to build up their strength and improve their coordination.

Rehabilitation robots, which have been seen in a number of studies are being taken more and more seriously, with a major trial underway at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University.

The stroke patient sits at a table facing a computer screen and places their arm on to the robotic device.

A therapist then asks the patient to undertake some arm exercises, such as moving between targets on the computer screen.

If the person is unable to move their arm, then the robot moves the patient's limb for them.

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Robots are helping stroke patients regain the use of their arms

HOUSTON --

His sentencing in a Montgomery County court capped a four-year journey that began with Heath's plan to bring more oversight to a special utility district and ended with Heath a convicted felon.

Heath's interest was in The Woodlands Road Utility District, a 2,400-acre taxing body that weaves through the suburb. The district was collecting taxes to pay off bond debt and Heath wanted a say. He argued that even though his home wasn't exactly in the district -- few residences were -- it imposed taxes indirectly on him because he did much of his shopping and dining there.

"We learned there was an election pending," Heath said. "Three seats open. So we said, 'Why don't we just get some people to run for those seats?'"

In May 2010, Heath, along with a handful of his neighbors booked rooms at a Residence Inn inside the Road Utility District.

Heath and his friends claimed residency inside the district despite staying only one or two nights at the hotel. They did so to elect three of their colleagues and take over the district.

Heath's argument was the way he read Texas' voting law, which defines "residence" as a place "to which one intends to return after any temporary absence" and leaves "intent" of residency up to the voter.

Heath's friends won the election, but their victory was short-lived. The district's incumbents soon got their seats back after a judge overturned the election.

And then Attorney General Greg Abbott, now running for Texas governor, charged Heath and his friends with illegal voting, a third-degree felony charge.

The Attorney General's Office contends that they intentionally changed their addresses and claimed false residency for political gain, with no real intention of living in a hotel.

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Man gets three years in prison for casting a single vote