Africa

Terry Wohlers fears U.S. losing its edge in additive manufacturing, from 3ders.org: Terry Wohlers, an industry consultant, analyst, and speaker, president of independent consulting firm Wohlers Associates, provided some impressive insights into the market of Additive Manufacturing during their preparation for the publication of Wohlers Report 2013. He revealed some interesting data: “16 companies in Europe, 7 in China, 5 in the U.S., and 2 in Japan now manufacture and sell professional-grade, industrial additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing systems. This is a dramatic change from a decade ago when the mix was 10 in the U.S., 7 in Europe, 7 in Japan, and 3 in China.” Last year, the Obama Administration announced the launch of the new National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) to be housed in renovated industrial space in Youngstown, aiming to help lead a renaissance in U.S. manufacturing. “This institute will help make sure that the manufacturing jobs of tomorrow take root not in places like China or India, but right here in the United States,” Obama said. Is the U.S. losing its edge in AM? This data on AM systems manufacturing and sales suggests that it is. Notes Wohlers: What’s more, all of the metal powder bed fusion systems are manufactured outside the U.S. Seven manufacturers of these systems are in Europe and two are in China. Together, China, Singapore, many countries in Europe, and even South Africa, have committed hundreds of millions of dollars in AM development and commercialization over the next few years. The U.S. continues to lead the world with the largest installed base of AM users. When Wohlers Report 2013 becomes available soon, it will report that 38% of all industrial AM installations are in the U.S. Japan is second with 9.7%, followed by Germany with 9.4% and China with 8.7%. With such a large number of systems, one could argue that the U.S. has the most experience, expertise, and know-how in AM. The NAMII was launched by the White House with the support of several agencies, including the Department of Defense. This initiative seeks to accelerate the position of the U.S. in the development and use of AM technology. It will not be easy, given what organizations in China and other regions of the world have planned. My recommendation to key leaders in the U.S. is to focus on the big picture with big goals, such as the development of metal-based powder bed fusion systems and other advanced AM system technology. Market forces and competitive pressures will take care of the smaller challenges and incremental technology improvements. Read more. Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers! Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D! The Adafruit Learning System has dozens of great tools to get you well on your way to creating incredible works of engineering, interactive art, and design with your 3D printer! If you’ve made a cool project that combines 3D printing and electronics, be sure to let us know, and we’ll feature it here!

cc James Anderson The situation that forced Richie Sambora to leave Bon Jovi's current tour is still unknown but Sambora and frontman Jon Bon Jovi have started taking a few shots at each other. The guitarist dropped out of Bon Jovi's most recent sting of international concerts Because We Can: The Tour in April. In a statement released by the group Richie is cited as leaving due to 'personal issues'. He has had problems with substance abuse in the past, attending rehab less than a decade ago. Jon recently alluded that Richie may have pulled out of the performances due to addiction issues in an interview with UK newspaper the Evening Standard. In it, he talks about Sambora's temporary replacement, Phil X, and alludes to the addiction without stating it outright. "It’s getting more and more difficult every day to not just say something. Because all I can say is this: it’s for personal reasons. He’s been through it before. Fortunately for us the same guy who filled in last time was available this time. If someone chooses not to be here… If The Edge for some reason couldn’t make a U2 show, it would be very difficult to just step in. "You have a choice. You either figure it out, go and grow, not only survive but thrive – or you say, ‘I hate my brother and I’m gonna quit the band.’" Richie dismisses the commentary as pure hearsay. "I don't have any major problems in life right now, I love my fans and I feel bad for them at the moment. Bottom line," he told Britain's the Daily Mail. "My opinion is Jon wants to see if he can pull off stadiums by himself. He is making it very difficult for me to come back." Richie is sick of being lambasted in the limelight. He requests that Jon back off. "Enough with the trash talking!" Richie declared. "Jon needs to stop talking about me publicly. I am fine working very hard on my fashion company Nikki Rich and this is a private matter." Bon Jovi began the tour in February and are due to travel to Africa and Europe for shows, before finishing up in America in October. In 2011, Richie missed 13 of the band's Bon Jovi Live tour because he checked into rehab. The band is comprised of Jon, Richie, Tico Torres and David Bryan.

BP has already blogged on Yingluck’s speech in Mongolia and the insult directed at her (as made clear in this post it was directed at her) by the Thai Rath cartoonist who stated that Yingluck is an evil woman who sells the country, but also implied she is worse than a whore. One other response has been the forming of Thai Spring. The Nation: This dissatisfaction with the prime minister’s speech has led to the formation of a new group called Thai Spring. Members have been collecting signatures of those who disagree with the contents of the speech, while the group has also published an open letter detailing Thaksin’s alleged misdeeds that they say warranted the coup and. The letter also attacks the Yingluck government, calling it a dictatorial regime that is perpetuating the power of the Shinawatra family. It also attacked Yingluck personally, saying she was merely a puppet of her brother. Thai Spring is modelled after the Arab Spring pro-democracy movement in North Africa and the Middle East. The Arab Spring movement spread across the region and dictatorial regimes were toppled in countries including Libya, Tunisia and Egypt. In others, such as Syria, a bloody conflict is still ongoing. Two founding members of Thai Spring are well-known figures – Kaewsan Atibodhi and former chief of the Royal Court Security Police Vasit Dejkunjorn. They are known to have close ties to the Democrat Party and previously participated in protests against the current government. They are also known to be close to the Siam Samakkhi group, which has held seminars critical of the government. BP: Kaewsan is a long-time critic of Thaksin – see here, here, and here - from his PAD days to his time investigating Thaksin after the coup and to involvement with other anti-Thaksin groups. However, reading the letter “Community of Democracies”, you get a few “interesting” comparisons with North Korea: Ms. Yingluck’s assumption of office to continue and perpetuate her family’s dominance is no different from that of Mr. Kim Jong Il’s continuation of his family’s control over North Korea [BP: cough every election since 2001 cough contrast with North Korea]. Ms. Yingluck’s tenure is totally dependent on the wishes and orders of her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra. … Successes at past general elections were simply legalizing acts of authorization of this authoritarian family to gain power, to capture and subjugate the country. If your Excellencies were to be more judicious and scrutinizing you would have found out that the Shinawatra-owned Pheu Thai Party is full of stooges in the guise of Members of Parliament. They are no different from members of the Communist Party of North Korea. The Thai media in general behave in a similarly subservient manner, being commissioned by the Shinawatra family to create personality cults and promote public adoration for themselves. They behave no differently from the North Korean media. If you pay a visit to North Korea you will witness the omnipresence of portraits of the leader. In Thailand it is the same. These two likeminded families have thus been sending their followers and subordinates to infiltrate all strata of their respective societies. BP: Yes, Marshall and Saksith have already pointed out the North Korea comments previously, but you really have to read these bolded and underlined parts again and think about them more carefully. It is not a parody. This is really their open letter. Do they really understand what a personality cult is? Wikipedia: A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods, to create an idealized, heroic, and, at times god-like public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise. … Throughout history, monarchs and heads of state were almost always held in enormous reverence. Through the principle of the divine right of kings, for example, rulers were said to hold office by the will of God. A

WASHINGTON -- Republicans at a House subcommittee hearing this week objected to a 2010 law that targets conflict minerals from Central Africa, saying it places too many regulations on U.S. businesses and hasn't accomplished enough since it went into effect."Some of us may pat ourselves on the back and say, 'Well, we're making sure we're not using their minerals,' but we're only hurting the people of the Congo," said Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.), who called the law "a massive paperwork burden on U.S. companies."More...

So off he goes again, for the fourth time this year, to the deserts of Arabia, the torn cities of Jerusalem and Ramallah and then to Africa. Our hero? U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, embarking on yet another trip to the Middle East, where he has already been three times since assuming office at the end of January. Kerry lands in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Tuesday, and then moves on to Amman, Jordan, on Wednesday to discuss, again, the crisis in Syria. On Thursday and Friday, he will visit Jerusalem and Ramallah to attempt again a restart of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. British Foreign Secretary William Hague will join Kerry for this leg of the trip,the Guardian reports, amid some dire predictions from British officials that “there is no plan B” should the much-touted two-state solution fail. After leaving Israel on Saturday, Kerry will stop in Addis Ababa for two days to participate in theAfrican Union Summit, which will include a celebration of 50 years since the founding of the organization. Kerry will swing back into Amman for the World Economic Forum on Sunday before returning to Washington, D.C. Why is this trip different from all the others? Well, there’s some pretty high-stakes posturing on Russia’s part about Syria. Russia has been one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s staunchest allies from the start of the conflict in March 2011, and now Israeli officials say Russia is preparing to send a series of high-tech anti-aircraft missiles to the Syrian government, possibly to avert any potential no-fly zones that might be imposed. General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the transfer of the advanced missiles is “an unfortunate decision that will embolden the regime and prolong the suffering,” AP reports. Despite Russia’s position, much weight is being given by journalists and analysts to the U.S. making a bid for Russia’s cooperation to find a peaceful political solution to the Syrian conflict. Kerry, in fact, visited Moscow on a trip earlier in May, where he made pointed statements about how the U.S. and Russia “can accomplish great things together when the world needs it.” Not only is Russia reportedly sending high-grade military gear to the Assad regime, but questions are now circling as to what, if anything, U.S. President Barack Obama will do now that he is “gathering more evidence” of the use of chemical weapons on the Syrian battlefield. Obama has been mostly circumspect, speaking in broad diplomatic terms about the need for the “international community to apply pressure on Assad to go” and similarly lukewarm statements. There are no clear indications as to whether the U.S. is planning to assist the rebels in a manner similar to how Russia has been supporting government forces for the past two years -- that is, to supply lethal aid. Please follow Military & Defense on Twitter and Facebook.Join the conversation about this story »

American Capital Agency Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC): Current price $28.29 On Wednesday, American Capital Energy & Infrastructure reported that it has expanded its global investment team with two new members, Director of  Africa  Investments Lisa Pinsley, and Senior Associate Pol Mijares. Also, the firm named Peter Bird and Venu Nambiar as Senior Advisors. The team will concentrate on sourcing investments opportunities in worldwide energy infrastructure assets, and also in product and service firms in the power and energy sectors. NEW! Discover a new stock idea each week for less than the cost of 1 trade. CLICK HERE for your Weekly Stock Cheat Sheets NOW! Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ:ORCL): Current price $34.12 Oracle Corporation’s majority-owned Oracle Financial Services Software Ltd, intends to raise up to 10 billion rupees, or $180.9 million, via a share sale to institutional investors. The latter plans to lower its stake in the firm by 5.3 percent, by divesting as much as 4.4 million shares to satisfy the regulatory condition of having a minimum of 25 percent public shareholding for firms listed in India. It has fixed the floor price at 2,275 rupees per share for the issue, which will be initiated on Wednesday. NEW! Discover a new stock idea each week for less than the cost of 1 trade. CLICK HERE for your Weekly Stock Cheat Sheets NOW! MannKind Corp. (NASDAQ:MNKD): Current price $6.23 Takeover chatter is growing as a huge call trade tops Wednesday’s option activity in biopharmaceutical firm MannKind. According to optionMONSTER systems,  a trader purchased 29,864 January 5 calls for the ask price of $1.98 in volume below prior open interest of over 111,000. Then seconds later, the trader sold an equal number of January 9 calls for the bid price of 83 cents against open interest of only 1,380 at that strike, clearly indicating new activity. Shares are up nearly 15 percent after peaking at $6.54 Wednesday morning, marking its highest level since the stock was cut in half in January of 2011. NEW! Discover a new stock idea each week for less than the cost of 1 trade. CLICK HERE for your Weekly Stock Cheat Sheets NOW! Don’t Miss: Bernanke’s Testimony: Is Congress Failing the Economic Recovery? Read the original article from Wall St. Cheat Sheet

By Neville Smith, ZwemZa JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 22. SPORT Minister Fikile Mbalula has announced has announced that his department will offer financial assistance to the cash strapped natio...

A lesbian reverend in South Africa is filing a lawsuit after being dismissed by her church after tying the knot with her partner.As ioL News points out, Reverend Ecclesia de Lange's 2010 dismissal from the Methodist Church of South Africa came after she wed her wife earlier that same year. The church was in cahoots about taking a stance on same-sex marriage when de Lange informed her congregation that she was planning to wed her partner in 2009, according to Buzzfeed.More...

A brazen, brutal attack in London which left one man dead and two suspects in hospital, appears to be terror-related, says British Prime Minister David Cameron.

by Gonzalo Yebra, Miguel de Mulder, África Holguín Background The HIV epidemic is increasing in Equatorial Guinea (GQ), West Central Africa, but few studies have reported its HIV molecular epidemiology. We aimed to describe the HIV-1 group M (HIV-1M) variants and drug-resistance mutations in GQ using sequences sampled in this country and in Spain, a frequent destination of Equatoguinean migrants. Methods We collected 195 HIV-1M pol sequences from Equatoguinean subjects attending Spanish clinics during 1997-2011, and 83 additional sequences sampled in GQ in 1997 and 2008 from GenBank. All (n?=?278) were re-classified using phylogeny and tested for drug-resistance mutations. To evaluate the origin of CRF02_AG in GQ, we analyzed 2,562 CRF02_AG sequences and applied Bayesian MCMC inference (BEAST program). Results Most Equatoguinean patients recruited in Spain were women (61.1%) or heterosexuals (87.7%). In the 278 sequences, the variants found were CRF02_AG (47.8%), A (13.7%), B (7.2%), C (5.8%), G (5.4%) and others (20.1%). We found 6 CRF02_AG clusters emerged from 1983.9 to 2002.5 with origin in GQ (5.5 sequences/cluster). Transmitted drug-resistance (TDR) rate among naïve patients attended in Spain (n?=?144) was 4.7%: 3.4% for PI (all with M46IL), 1.8% for NRTI (all with M184V) and 0.9% for NNRTI (Y188L). Among pre-treated patients, 9/31 (29%) presented any resistance, mainly affecting NNRTI (27.8%). Conclusions We report a low (