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February 9, 2018 by Leave a Comment

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Hack For Good

February 8, 2018 by Leave a Comment

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Three Types of People

February 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Three Types of People

A teacher showed three toys to a student and asked them to find out the differences. All the three toys were identical in their shape, size and material. After keen observation, the student observed holes in the toys. 1st toy it had holes in the ears. 2nd toy had holes in ear and mouth. 3rd toy had only one hole in one ear.

Students put the needle in the ear hole of 1st toy. The needle came out from the other ear. In the 2nd toy, when the needle was put in the ear it came out of mouth. In the 3rd toy, when the needle was put in, the needle did not come out.

Teacher explained : First toy represented those people around you who give an impression that they are listening to you and care for you. But they just pretend to do so. After listening, as the needle comes out from the next ear, the things you said to them by counting on them are gone. So be careful while you are speaking to these type of people around you, who don’t care for you.

Second toy represented those people who listen to you and give an impression that they care for you. But as in the toy, these people will tell your confidential things to others for their own purpose.

Third toy represented kinds of people who will keep the trust you have in them. They are the ones who you can count on. They are the one’s whose friendship is to be cherished.

Always stay in a company of a people who are loyal and trustworthy. People, who listen to what you tell them, are not always the ones you can count on when you need them the most.

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The Suitcase

February 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment

A Businessman was deep in debt and could not see any way out.
A man died, when he realized it, he saw God coming closer with a suitcase in his hand.
– God said: Alright son its time to go.
– surprised the man responded: Now? So soon? I had a lot of plans…
– I’m sorry but its time to go.

– What do you have in that suitcase? the man asked.
– God answered: Your belongings.
– My belongings? you mean my things, my clothes, my money?
– God answered: Those things were not yours they belonged to the earth.

– Is it my memories? the man asked.
– God answered: those never belonged to you they belonged to Time

– Is it my talents?
– God answered: those were never yours they belonged to the circumstances.

– Is it my friends and family?
– God answered: I’m sorry they were never yours they belonged to the path.

– Is it my wife and son?
– God answered: They were never yours the belonged to your heart.

– Is it my body?
– God answered: that was never yours it belonged to the dust.

– Is it my soul?
– God answered: No that is mine.

Full of fear, the man took the suitcase from god and opened it just to find out the suitcase was empty.
– With a tear coming down his cheek the man said: I never had anything???
– God answered: that is correct, every moment you lived were only for yours. You never lived for somebody who is not related to u in any way.

Moral:

Do something for other people who cant return the favour back to you. Life is just a moment. A moment that belongs to you.

– Live Now
– Live your life
– Don’t forget to be happy and make others happy, as that is the only thing that matters.
– Material things and everything else that you fought for stay here.
– YOU CAN’T TAKE ANYTHING

Share this reflection with anyone you love or appreciate. Enjoy and let others Enjoy!

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Do You Greet Someone?

February 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Do You Greet Someone?

This story is about a person working with a freezer plant.
It was almost the day end. Everyone had packed up to check out.

A technical snag developed in the plant and he went to check.

By the time he finished it was late. The doors were sealed and the lights were off.

Trapped inside the ice plant whole night without air and light, an icy grave was almost sure for him.

Hours passed thus. Suddenly he found someone opening the door.

Was it a miracle?

The security guard entered there with a torch light and helped him to come out.

On the way back the person asked the security guard, “How did you know that I am inside?” “Who informed you?” the guard said, “None sir; this unit has about 50 people. But you are the only one who says Hello to me in the morning and bye in the evening.

You had reported in morning. But did not go out. That made me suspicious.”

Never did the person know that a small gesture of greeting someone would prove to be a lifesaver for him. So do us. Remember to greet when you meet someone, of course with a warm smile.
We don’t know; that may work a miracle in your life too.

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Two Traveling Angels

February 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Two traveling Angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion’s guest room.

Instead the Angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older Angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.

When the younger Angel asked why, the older Angel replied…”Things aren’t always what they seem.”

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the Angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest.

When the sun came up the next morning, the Angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger Angel was infuriated and asked the older Angel, “How could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him” he accused. “The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let their cow die.”

“Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older Angel replied. “When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn’t find it.

“Then last night, as we slept in the farmers bed, the Angel of Death came for his wife. I gave her the cow instead.”

The morale of the story is things may not be what they seem. Your first impression may be wrong.
Sometimes this is exactly what happens when things don’t turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later

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Each Day is a Gift

February 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Each Day is a Gift

The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. “I love it,” she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

“Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room …. just wait.”

“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged, it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away, just for this time in my life.”

She went on to explain, “Old age is like a bank account, you withdraw from what you’ve put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing.”

And with a smile, she said: “Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.”

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BIASISWA YANG DI-PERTUAN AGONG (BYDPA) 2018/2019

February 6, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Biasiswa Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (BYDPA) 2018-2019 – Tawaran Biasiswa Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (BYDPA) Sesi Pengajian 2018/2019 kini dibuka untuk permohonan.

Biasiswa Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (BYDPA) 2018/2019

Semua warganegara Malaysia yang layak adalah dipelawa untuk memohon Biasiswa Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (BYDPA) Sesi Pengajian 2018/2019 di peringkat Sarjana dan Doktor Falsafah (Ph.D) di dalam dan luar negara.

Keterangan Kemudahan BYDPA Sesi 2018/2019.

Biasiswa Yang di-Pertuan Agong (BYDPA) ini adalah bagi mengiktiraf kebolehan luar biasa seseorang pelajar, di samping memberi peluang kepada pelajar untuk melanjutkan pengajian di peringkat Pasca Ijazah dalam bidang Sains dan Teknologi, Ekonomi, Undang-undang dan Kewangan Islam. Kelebihan biasiswa ini adalah dari segi kadar biasiswa yang ditawarkan, syarat-syarat kelayakan dan penempatan di universiti-universiti yang terkemuka.

Bilangan biasiswa yang disediakan adalah dua belas (12) biasiswa iaitu enam (6) untuk peringkat Sarjana dan enam (6) biasiswa untuk peringkat Kedoktoran (Ph.D) setiap tahun.

Kriteria utama yang digunakan bagi pemilihan calon-calon untuk mendapatkan BYDPA ini adalah berdasarkan kepada kecemerlangan akademik yang dimiliki. Di samping itu, kriteria berikut juga diambil kira di dalam pemilihan calon-calon iaitu:

i. Penglibatan dalam kegiatan ko-kurikulum atau aktiviti kemasyarakatan atau hasil kerja kreatif dan inovatif; dan
ii. Prestasi semasa temuduga.

Syarat kelayakan yang ditetapkan adalah seperti berikut:
i. Warganegara Malaysia;
ii. Berumur tidak melebihi 35 tahun pada tahun memulakan pengajian;
iii. Mempunyai keputusan akademik yang amat cemerlang iaitu CGPA 3.75 atau kelas pertama atau yang setaraf dengannya;
iv. Calon yang aktif dalam kegiatan ko-kurikulum atau aktiviti kemasyarakatan atau menghasilkan kerja-kerja kreatif dan inovatif akan diberikan keistimewaan;
v. Calon yang mahir dalam lebih daripada satu bahasa antarabangsa akan diberikan keistimewaan; dan
vi. Telah mendapat tempat atau telah mendapat tawaran pengajian secara sepenuh masa di universiti penyelidikan tempatan atau di universiti terkemuka di dunia.

Penerima BYDPA yang telah menamatkan pengajian diwajibkan pulang ke Malaysia untuk berkhidmat di negara ini bagi tempoh tidak kurang dari lima (5) tahun. Bagi memastikan syarat tersebut dipatuhi, calon yang terpilih dikehendaki menandatangani perjanjian dengan Kerajaan. Jika calon yang terpilih adalah terdiri daripada pelajar-pelajar tajaan JPA di peringkat Ijazah Sarjana Muda, mereka masih terikat untuk berkhidmat dengan Kerajaan mengikut tempoh yang telah ditetapkan di bawah penajaan peringkat Sarjana Muda. Kadar gantirugi seperti yang berkuatkuasa pada masa sekarang akan dikenakan sekiranya pelajar melanggar syarat perjanjian.

Syarat Permohonan BYDPA 2018/2019

Permohonan adalah dipelawa daripada semua warganegara Malaysia yang berkelayakan untuk memohon Biasiswa Yang di-Pertuan Agong (BYDPA) Sesi Pengajian 2018/2019 bagi mengikuti pengajian di peringkat Sarjana dan Kedoktoran (Ph.D) di dalam dan luar negara.

Pemohon-pemohon mestilah memenuhi syarat-syarat permohonan seperti berikut:

Syarat-Syarat Umum

a) Warganegara Malaysia; dan
b) Umur tidak melebihi 35 tahun pada tahun memulakan pengajian di universiti.

Syarat-Syarat Khusus

a) Mempunyai keputusan akademik yang amat cemerlang iaitu CGPA 3.75 atau kelas pertama atau yang setaraf dengannya;
b) Calon yang aktif dalam kegiatan ko-kurikulum atau aktiviti kemasyarakatan atau menghasilkan kerja-kerja kreatif dan inovatif akan diberikan keistimewaan;
c) Calon yang mahir dalam lebih daripada satu bahasa antarabangsa akan diberikan keistimewaan;
d) Telah mendapat tempat atau telah mendapat tawaran pengajian secara sepenuh masa dalam bidang Sains dan Teknologi, Ekonomi, Undang-undang atau Kewangan Islam di universiti penyelidikan tempatan seperti di Lampiran B1 atau di universiti terkemuka dunia berdasarkan Times Higher Education (THE), QS World University Ranking, Academic Ranking World Universities (ARWU), Barron’s Profiles Of American Colleges atau manamana universiti berprestij lain yang dipersetujui olah JPA seperti di Lampiran B2;
e) Senarai kursus di bawah bidang Sains dan Teknologi adalah seperti di Lampiran B3; dan
f) Pengajian bagi peringkat Sarjana adalah secara mod penyelidikan sahaja yang mewajibkan penyediaan kertas penyelidikan atau disertasi atau tesis.

SENARAI UNIVERSITI TEMPATAN MERANGKUMI PELBAGAI BIDANG PENGAJIAN

Biasiswa Yang Di-Pertuan Agong BYDPA
Lampiran B1

SENARAI UNIVERSITI TERKEMUKA DI DUNIA MENGIKUT BIDANG PENGAJIAN

KLUSTER BIDANG SAINS DAN TEKNOLOGI

Biasiswa Yang Di-Pertuan Agong BYDPA
Lampiran B2

Biasiswa Yang Di-Pertuan Agong BYDPA

Biasiswa Yang Di-Pertuan Agong BYDPA

Biasiswa Yang Di-Pertuan Agong BYDPA

Biasiswa Yang Di-Pertuan Agong BYDPA

Biasiswa Yang Di-Pertuan Agong BYDPA

Syarat-syarat permohonan dan panduan permohonan boleh diperolehi dengan melayari portal http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my mulai jam 5.00 petang, 5 Februari 2018.
Tarikh tutup permohonan dalam talian (on-line) BYDPA Sesi Pengajian 2018/2019 dan tarikh akhir bagi mengemukakan borang permohonan ialah pada 2 Mac 2018 melalui serahan tangan atau pos.

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WHAT A PhD IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT

February 6, 2018 by Leave a Comment

After having completed a PhD degree myself, and having supervised, co-supervised and examined a number of PhD students over the years, I would like to offer some humble advice and pointers to those aspiring to pursue a PhD degree themselves. I find that many Malaysians misunderstood the purpose of getting a PhD degree and the commitments and sacrifices that it calls for.

A PhD is the highest academic and research degree from a university. I have seen both remarkable successes and disappointing failures amongst students pursuing this academic accolade. It takes more than just brain power to complete a PhD.

A degree by research is very different from a degree by coursework. A course degree whether at the undergraduate or masters level is heavily structured. A student just have to be disciplined and rigorous in following this predetermined structure regimentally, without much creativity required from him or her. Of course, creativity is demanded from the student in completing assignments and projects but the demand is nothing close to what is required for a PhD degree.

The most important prerequisites for pursuing a successful PhD program are passion, inquisitiveness, creativity, discipline, persistence, perseverance and meticulousness (or attention to detail). I did not mention intelligence not because it is not important, but because it is less important than the other attributes I mentioned. At least, it is in my book. Others may feel differently. Of those many attributes, I consider passion the most important. Some students start out enthusiastically but loses steam halfway through or towards the end. They lack passion or the love of knowledge. Ever heard of the saying, “when the going gets tough, the tough gets going?” Success in a PhD is simply that. The harder it becomes, the harder you will strive. Sometimes, you do not see the light at the end of the tunnel but you still keep looking for it because you know it is there. When you love what you do, failure is not an option.

Some people do PhD for the wrong reasons. Some take up postgraduate because they could not secure a job after their first or second degree. Some do it because the jobs they have taken up require them to acquire a PhD, for e.g. an academic or a research post. These cannot be the sole reason for pursuing a PhD. You cannot force yourself to do a PhD. You must want to do it badly enough. You cannot force yourself to love something; you must love or want something bad enough to force yourself to get it.

The PhD is an academic journey. There will be failures but mainly successes along your way. You may encounter some foes but mainly friends in the same boat as yourself. It always helps to be in a group of students to share both your setbacks and achievements. Working alone in a silo is the worst you can do to yourself. There are certain things you want to discuss with your fellow students that you cannot discuss with your supervisor; matters that are either academic or personal.

Your supervisor is your mentor, guide and consultant, not your teacher. He cannot teach you your PhD knowledge, you have to teach yourself through his guidance and wisdom. He is more your friend than he is your master. He does not dictate to you what you must do, he merely points you in the right direction. At the end of your PhD journey, you would have been more knowledgeable on the subject of your research than your supervisor. I have heard of students not being able to complete their PhD because they could not get along or see eye to eye with their supervisor. This is the worst scenario that can happen to you. If you do not have a supervisor you can work with, you will not get your PhD no matter how good you are or how hard you work. So, choose your supervisor well, not just the university you want to do your PhD in. Just a few months back, I met a doctoral graduate who told me that to be supervised by this one professor carries more prestige among his peers in the working world.

A PhD degree needs sacrifices, especially when you are a family person; a wife, mother, husband or dad. Family is always important and should always be your priority. However, you and your family members must be willing to make sacrifices that are necessary. There can be no gain without pain. That is why when you finally get your PhD degree, your family members can even be happier and more proud of you than you yourself, because it is as much their accomplishment as it is yours. Their sacrifices must be duly appreciated.

So what does it mean when you have a Dr. before your name? Does it mean that you are an expert on a certain subject matter? Hardly so, I think. It means that you are both a seeker as well as a generator of knowledge. It means that you have enriched the world and added on to the vast body of knowledge through your PhD contribution. The world has become a slightly better place from the knowledge that you have contributed through your PhD thesis and publications. The world now knows more on a subject than before you completed your PhD. Your work get referred and cited by other researchers in your field, as they absorb your new knowledge to generate new knowledge of their own.

Your PhD is an end that should be justified by its means. The research methodology, the analysis and the interpretation should justify the conclusion. The new knowledge must have been tested and challenged by your peers and rigorously defended by you. It is an accomplishment unequal by any other feat. Once you have obtained a well-deserved PhD degree, you become your own teacher as self-teaching becomes common practice. You are always curious and tends to read a lot, not just on your subject matter but on everything. You will find doing new things, exploring new frontiers and taking up new challenges more scintillating. In other words, it will change your life and your outlooks forever.

I hope I have inspired some of you to pursue a PhD degree if what you read here is what you really want from a PhD. On the other hand, I hope I have also discouraged others who have a misconception of what a PhD degree entails, so that you will not go down the road of failure. A PhD is not for everyone.

You may share this if you think it would help people you know in deciding whether pursuing a PhD degree is the right path for them to take…

 

By Prof. Dr. Jamal Hisham Hashim

Visiting Professor at United Nations University- IIGH

Former Professor of Environmental Health at National University Malaysia

https://www.the-research-hub.org/what-a-phd-is-and-what-it-is-not/

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Tillerson Presses Venezuela as Trump Aid Threat Looms Over Trip

February 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment

The U.S. is weighing sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector, Rex Tillerson said in Argentina Sunday, as he continues a South America trip that’s quickly being dogged by President Donald Trump’s threat to cut aid to the countries the Secretary of State is visiting.

 Tillerson said that during his meetings with Argentina’s leaders he’d raised the possibility of oil sanctions as a way of pushing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to abide by his own country’s constitution. The U.S. was considering restrictions on both Venezuelan exports and U.S. exports of refined petroleum products to the country, Tillerson said.
 “One of the aspects of considering sanctioning oil is what effect would it have on the Venezuelan people, and is it a step that might bring this to an end,” Tillerson said of the deep crisis in Venezuela during a press briefing in Buenos Aires with his Argentine counterpart. “Because not doing anything to bring this to an end is also asking the Venezuelan people to suffer for a much longer time.”

Tillerson’s trip tour comes as Trump’s threats to cut aid to countries producing drugs and shipping them to the U.S. reverberates around the region. Speaking at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection event on Friday, Trump said he wanted to “stop the aid” to countries that didn’t stem the flow of drugs.

 “I won’t mention names right now, but I look at these countries, I look at the numbers we send them — we send them massive aid and they’re pouring drugs into our country and they’re laughing at us,” Trump said.

Three Latin American countries — Peru, Bolivia and Colombia — are key producers of the plant needed to manufacture cocaine — and the U.S. has spent billions of dollars trying to eradicate the crops there.

Tillerson will face new questions about Trump’s position and possible actions during his stops in Peru and Colombia in the coming days. Colombia received $325 million in U.S. foreign aid in 2016, second in the region after Haiti, while Peru got $96 million, U.S. government figures show.

Counter-Narcotics Funds

In both countries, the most money was directed at counter-narcotics programs, according to figures provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development. That means that the U.S. would likely undercut the very efforts aimed at stopping the flow of drugs if Trump made good on his threat.

Tillerson’s trip so far has been aimed at gathering more support from countries such as Mexico, Colombia and Peru to redouble their anti-narcotics efforts, a message that risked being undermined by Trump’s comments.

A senior State Department official, who asked not to be identified in order to speak frankly, called Trump’s remarks “unhelpful.” The president’s tone was far more confrontational than that adopted by Tillerson, who acknowledged on the trip that the U.S. also bears responsibility because American demand creates a market for the illegal drugs.

“U.S. demand for drugs drives this violence and this lawlessness,” Tillerson said Feb. 1 as he kicked off the trip in Austin, Texas, with a speech outlining his South America policy. “We acknowledge our role as the major market for illicit drug consumption and the need for shared approaches to address these challenges.”

Congressional Purse-Strings

Trump has repeatedly threatened to cut foreign aid to other countries, and he recently followed through with a move to suspend security assistance to Pakistan. But his proposals for more sweeping cuts to such aid have generally met with bipartisan opposition in Congress, which controls most overseas assistance.

In Argentina on Sunday, Tillerson nonetheless sought to stay on message, saying the U.S. was “grateful for the close cooperation and collaboration” it has in combating trans-national criminal organizations. He said the U.S. is taking “a very regional approach to beginning to address these illicit activities.”

While Tillerson will likely face pointed questions from Peruvian leaders in a visit to Lima on Monday, further isolating Venezuela was a central focus of his stop in Buenos Aires Sunday. He said he’d also raised the issue with Mexican officials during a visit to Mexico City on Feb. 2 on the way to Argentina.

Electoral Abuses

The fact that Tillerson has raised the possibility of oil restrictions in both stops of his trip so far suggests the administration is seriously weighing an embargo, a step it’s so far avoided even as it targets Venezuela’s financial sector and sanctions top officials.

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on more than a dozen top Venezuelan officials — including Maduro himself — as part of efforts to punish Venezuela after numerous accusations of electoral abuses and human-rights violations.

Still, sanctioning the oil sector could potentially damage U.S. companies and cost U.S. jobs. Venezuela is a major source of crude imports for the U.S. market, though the amount has been declining in recent months. The country is also a key market for American oil refiners.

Tillerson said discussions about sanctions are looking at “how to mitigate the impact on U.S. business interests.” He said the U.S. also recognized that other countries in the region could be harmed by such a move.

In considering oil sanctions, the U.S. must also weigh concerns from Caribbean countries, which rely on cheap Venezuelan oil. Tillerson is expected to raise the issue when he visits Jamaica’s capital, Kingston, on Feb. 7 before heading back to Washington.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-04/tillerson-says-u-s-weighing-sanctions-on-venezuelan-oil-sector

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Israel issues deportation notices to African migrants

February 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Israel is home to about 40,000 asylum seekers, according to government figures [File: Reuters]
Israel is home to about 40,000 asylum seekers, according to government figures [File: Reuters]

Israel has started issuing deportation notices to African asylum seekers from Eritrea and Sudan.

On Sunday, the first wave of notices were distributed to men who are in the country without families, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

The 20,000 people who are not held in the country’s open detention facility will be expected to leave within 60 days, or risk being imprisoned indefinitely.

According to Haaretz, the refugees will be asked to either leave for Rwanda, or back to their home countries.

Israeli officials have said the decision to refrain from forcibly deporting parents, women and children will likely change in the future.

In December, the Israeli parliament passed a bill authorising the government to force asylum seekers out of the country.

During visits to detention centres, government representatives provided refugees with a letter that listed Rwanda – and in a previous occasion, Uganda – to relocate to.

“We would like to inform you that the state of Israel has signed agreements allowing you to leave Israel for a safe third country that will absorb you and give you a residency visa that will allow you to work in that country, and promises not to remove you to your country of origin,” the letter read, according to Haaretz.

Shortly after, Rwanda and Uganda rejected claims of signing a controversial deal to take in African migrants from the country.

Currently, Israel is home to about 40,000 asylum seekers, according to government figures. That includes 27,500 Eritrean and 7,800 Sudanese asylum seekers, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported.

Most asylum seekers in Israel are from Sudan and Eritrea who arrived over the last 10 years from neighnouring Egypt. Most have fled war, torture and other mistreatment.

Between December 2013 and June 2017 about 4,000 Sudanese and Eritrean asylum seekers were deported under Israel’s “voluntary departure programme” to Rwanda and Uganda, according to UNHCR.

Meanwhile, Holot, a detention centre that houses some of the asylum seekers in the country’s southern Negev desert, is scheduled to close down in six weeks.

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China accuses US of ‘Cold War mentality’ over nuclear policy

February 5, 2018 by 2 Comments
The Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Tennessee returns to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, US 6 February 2013.Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionThe US nuclear force is based on land, sea and air-based weapons

China has urged the US to drop its “Cold War mentality” after Washington said it planned to diversify its nuclear armoury with smaller bombs.

“The country that owns the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, should take the initiative to follow the trend instead of going against it,” China’s defence ministry said on Sunday.

The US military believes its nuclear weapons are seen as too big to be used and wants to develop low-yield bombs.

Russia has already condemned the plan.

Iran’s foreign minister claimed it brought the world “closer to annihilation”.

What is the new US policy?

The US is concerned about its nuclear arsenal becoming obsolete and no longer an effective deterrent. It names China, Russia, North Korea and Iran as potential threats.

Where are the world’s nuclear weapons?

The Pentagon document released on Friday, known as the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), argues that developing smaller nuclear weapons would challenge that assumption. Low-yield weapons with a strength of under 20 kilotons are less powerful but are still devastating. The policy also proposes:

  • Land-based ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and air-delivered weapons – to be extensively modernised, as begun under ex-President Obama
  • Proposed modification of some submarine-launched nuclear warheads to give a lower-yield or less powerful detonation
  • Return of sea-based nuclear cruise missiles

Countering the “growing threat from revisionist powers”, such as China and Russia, was at the heart of America’s new defence strategy announced last month.

What did China say?

China said on Sunday it “firmly” opposed the Pentagon’s review of US nuclear policy.

The defence ministry in Beijing said Washington had played up the threat of China’s nuclear threat, adding that its own policy was defensive in nature.

A map showing the nuclear armed states and how many weapons each country is estimated to own.

“We hope that the United States will abandon its Cold War mentality, earnestly assume its special disarmament responsibilities, correctly understand China’s strategic intentions and objectively view China’s national defence and military build-up,” its statement said.

China has used the Cold War label before to criticise US policy. Late last year it denounced Washington’s updated defence strategy and urged the US to abandon “outdated notions”.

In the NPR document, the US accused China of “expanding its already considerable nuclear forces” but China defended its policy on Sunday saying it would “resolutely stick to peaceful development and pursue a national defence policy that is defensive in nature”.

How did others react?

The Russian foreign ministry accused the US of warmongering, and said it would take “necessary measures” to ensure Russian security.

“From first reading, the confrontational and anti-Russian character of this document leaps out at you,” it said in a statement on Saturday.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed “deep disappointment” at the plan.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif argued the proposals were in violation of the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42935758

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North Korea’s Berlin embassy used to acquire nuclear tech

February 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency obtained clues on North Korea’s technology procurements in 2016 and 2017.

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency chief has claimed North Korea has been acquiring equipment and technology for its nuclear and weapons programmes through its Berlin embassy.

“We have noticed that so many procurement activities have taken place from the embassy,” said Hans-Georg Maassen, head of the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), or Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

“From our point of view, they were for the missile programme but also partly for the nuclear programme,” Maassen added in an interview with German public television channel ARD, to be aired on Monday.

Although the exact nature of the technology was not specified, the intelligence chief said they would have civilian and military uses.

“When we see such things, we stop them. But we cannot guarantee that we spot and block each attempt,” he said.

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency obtained clues on the technology procurements in 2016 and 2017, according to an investigation by ARD.

In 2014, it said a North Korean diplomat attempted to obtain equipment used in the development of chemical weapons.

The German accusations come after the publication on Friday of a United Nations report which says North Korea is flouting sanctions by exporting coal, iron, steel and other banned commodities, earning nearly $200 million in revenue last year.

A UN panel of experts also found evidence of military cooperation by North Korea to develop Syria’s chemical weapons programmes and to provide Myanmar with ballistic missiles.

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Afrin offensive: seven Turkish soldiers die in Syria

February 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan holds olive branches as he addresses party members

Seven Turkish soldiers have been killed in an offensive against Kurdish militia in Syria, including five who died in a single attack on a tank, Turkey’s army has said.

The losses marked the highest toll in one day for the Turkish military in Operation Olive Branch, launched on 20 January against the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia, seen by Ankara as a terrorist group.

The assault on the tank on Saturday, details of which were not disclosed, was also the single deadliest attack on the Turkish military of the offensive so far.

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said on Thursday the Turkish army and Ankara-backed rebels had recorded 25 deaths between them.

Meanwhile, seven civilians have been killed in mortar fire on the Turkish side of the border, with Ankara blaming the YPG.

Ankara says major progress has been made in the 15-day operation, with almost 900 YPG fighters killed so far, although it is not possible to verify these figures.

Erdoğan tried to reassure the French president, Emmanuel Macron, on Saturday, telling the French leader the push was aimed against “terror elements” and that Ankara had no eye on Syrian territory.

Macron had incensed Turkish officials by saying in a newspaper interview last week that France would have a “real problem” with the campaign if it turned out to be an “invasion operation”.

During the phone call, “the two presidents agreed to work on a diplomatic roadmap in Syria in the coming weeks”, the Élysée Palace said.

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Daddy’s Empty Chair

February 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Daddy’s Empty Chair

A man’s daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father.

When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows.

An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.

“I guess you were expecting me,” he said.

‘No, who are you?” said the father.

The minister told him his name and then remarked, “I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up.”

“Oh yeah, the chair,” said the bedridden man. “Would you mind closing the door?” Puzzled, the minister shut the door.

“I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,” said the man. “But all of my life I have never known how to pray.”

“At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head.”

“I abandoned any attempt at prayer,” the old man continued, “until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me, “Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with God.”

“Here is what I suggest,” he said.

“Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see God on the chair. It’s not spooky because he promised, ‘I will be with you always’.”

“Then just speak to him in the same way you’re doing with me right now.”

“So, I tried it and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day.

I’m careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.”

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey.

Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and then returned to the church.

Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon.

Did he die in peace?” he asked.

Yes, when I left the house about two o’clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me how much he loved me, and kissed me on the cheek.

When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead.

There was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed.

What do you make of that?” The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, “I wish we could all go like that.”

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One Day I Decided To Quit

February 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment

One Day I Decided To Quit

I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality… I wanted to quit my life.

I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

“God”, I asked,

“Can you give me one good reason not to quit?”.

His answer surprised me…

“Look around”, He said. “Do you see the fern and the bamboo?”

“Yes”, I replied.

“When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.

I gave them light.I gave them water.The fern quickly grew from the earth.

Its brilliant green covered the floor.Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.

And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.

“In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.But I would not quit.

In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit.” He said.

“Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant…But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.”

He asked me. “Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots”.

“I would not quit on the bamboo.I will never quit on you.”

“Don’t compare yourself to others.” He said.”The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.

Yet they both make the forest beautiful.””Your time will come”, God said to me.

“You will rise high”.

“How high should I rise?” I asked.

“How high will the bamboo rise?” He asked in return.

“As high as it can?” I questioned.”Yes.” He said, “Give Me glory by rising as high as you can.”

I left the forest and brought back this story.I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on

you.Never, Never, Never, Give up in life.

Don’t tell the Lord how big the problem is, tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

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With a Little Help

February 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment

With a Little Help

I was sitting in a train, waiting for it to start. Across from me sat a small boy, asking questions as children do. He asked his mother,

“When will the train start?”
I saw my chance and volunteered to answer. I said, “The train will start when we start pushing.” The child opened his big eyes in surprise, “Really?” “Of course,” I said. “Unless we push, it doesn’t start.” “Then let’s push,” he exclaimed.

“Just a minute,” I said. “The passengers are not all on. I’ll tell you when to push.” I watched for the signal light at the station and heard the station master’s shrill whistle. Then I shouted to the boy, “Now! Push for all you’re worth.”
He and I started to push in the direction of the engine. We pushed and pushed against the back of the seat…. and soon a contented smile lit up the boy’s face. The train was moving … very slowly at first, but then gaining speed little by little.

I congratulated the lad on his success. “We DID it! We DID it! “Wasn’t that great?” he exclaimed. He looked immensely pleased with himself. He was travelling in a train he had helped to start. I did not have the heart to tell him about the monstrous engine chugging up in front. Eventually he would find out for himself…

We usually attribute great success to our little actions, forgetting that behind them all is that almighty unseen power called God, whose power often makes us look powerful.

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The Obstacles in Our Path.

February 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment

The Obstacles in Our Path.

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway.

Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road.

After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.

The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.

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The Easier Way May Actually be the Tougher Way

February 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment

The Easier Way May Actually be the Tougher Way

Once there was a lark singing in the forest. The lark stopped him and asked, “What do you have in the box and where are you going?” The farmer replied that he had worms and that he was going to the market to trade them for some feathers. The lark said, “I have many feathers. I will pluck one and give it to you and that will save me looking for worms.” The farmer gave the worms to the lark and the lark plucked a feather and gave it in return. The next day the same thing happened and the day after and on and on until a day came that the lark had no more feathers. Now it couldn’t fly and hunt for worms. It started looking ugly and stopped singing and very soon it died.

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Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, Paris, France, July 26-27, 2018

February 4, 2018 by Leave a Comment

 2nd IEOM European International Conference on
Industrial Engineering and Operations Management

Paris, France, July 26-27, 2018

Venue: IESEG’s Paris Campus, La Défense

www.ieomsociety.org/paris2018/

Submission Deadline Extended to: February 15, 2018

Submission Link: https://www.xcdsystem.com/IEOM/abstract/index.cfm?ID=JxqPV50

IEOM Society International, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is a premier international platform and forum for academics, researchers, scientists and practitioners to exchange ideas and provide insights into the latest developments and advancements in the fields of Industrial Engineering and Operations Management. After having successfully 1st European Conference in Bristol, UK, theIEOM Society is organising the 2nd European Conference in Paris, France during July 26-27, 2018. The event will be held at the IESEG’s Paris Campus, La Défense.

The 2nd IEOM EuropeanInternational Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management aims at providing a platform for academics, researchers, scientists and practitioners to exchange ideas and to bridge the gap between the Industrial Engineering and Operations Management theory and its application in solving the most current problems and challenges faced by 21st century organisations. Hence, the conference is also expected to foster networking, collaboration and a joint effort among the conference participants to advance the theory and practice as well as to identify major trends in Industrial Engineering and Operations Management.

Topics covering industrial issues/applications and theoretical research, but are not limited to:

  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Decision Sciences
  • E-Business and E-Commerce
  • Energy and Resource Efficiency
  • Engineering Economy, Education & Management
  • Facilities Planning and Management
  • Global Manufacturing
  • High Value Manufacturing
  • Human Factors and Ergonomics
  • Information Technology and Information Systems
  • Inventory Management
  • Knowledge Management
  • Lean and Six Sigma
  • Logistics, Transport and Traffic Management
  • Manufacturing Design and Servitisation
  • Operations Management and Operations Research
  • Product design and development
  • Production Planning and Control
  • Project Management
  • Quality Engineering, Control and Management
  • Reliability and Maintenance
  • Reverse Logistics and Green Systems
  • Service Systems and Service Management
  • Sustainable Operations and Supply Chain Management
  • Sustainability in Supply Chains and Operations
  • Sustainability in Manufacturing, Services, Logistics, and Freight transportation
  • Sustainable Manufacturing
  • Systems Engineering
  • Technology Management
  • Tools for Sustainable Manufacturing and Service Systems Design, Management, and Performance Measurement
  • Waste Management

SPECIAL TRACK: Systems Dynamics

Student Competitions

  • Undergraduate Student Paper Competition Sponsored by SIEMENS
  • Graduate Student Paper Competition Sponsored by EATON Corporation
  • Master Thesis Competition
  • Doctoral Dissertation Competition
  • Final Year Project (FYP)/Senior Capstone Design Project Poster Competition
  • High School and Middle School STEM Competition
  • Simulation and PLM Competition
  • Poster Competition

Important Dates

Paper submission deadline: 15 February 2018
Notification of acceptance: 15 March 2018
Camera-ready paper submission deadline: 15 April 2018
Registration deadline: 1 May 2018
Conference: 26-27 July 2018

Conference Chairs

Dr. Linda L. Zhang, Professor of Operations Management, IESEG School of Management, Paris La Défense, France
Dr. Ahad Ali, Associate Professor and Director of Industrial Engineering Programs, Lawrence Tech University, Michigan, USA

2018 IEOM Paris Website: www.ieomsociety.org/paris2018/
Email: info@ieomsociety.org

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