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Major Leak Under Codename Paradise Papers Exposes How Wealthiest Persons Use Tax Havens

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The Paradise Papers shows how some have been taking advantage and using tax heavens.

The Paradise Papers collection of documents is the first leak of record sizes that has ever appeared online. These reports were never to be seen by the eyes of most people. They expose the ways the elitist world takes advantage of tax havens to ward their fortune from additional bills.

Tax Heavens Protected Trillions of Dollars in Private Funds in 2015

On Sunday, German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung published sensitive data and shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The same organization was responsible for the publishing of the Panama Papers in 2016.

These so-called Paradise Papers consist of at least 13.4 million files. The extensive collection of financial materials originates mostly from the internal documents of international companies. Most of them concern organizations that are in charge of offshore accounts in the name of affluent investors. Some of them are Asiaciti Trust from Singapore and law company Appleby.

There are further details from other 19 corporate organizations that are under governmental administration included in this massive disclosure. All of them conduct business in offshore countries where taxes have meager rates.

The tax haven represents opportunities that foreign entities can take advantage of to tap into minimum tax liability. Generally speaking, the most famous locations are those nations with stable economics and politics.

Every two years, the financial secrecy index from the Tax Justice Network releases a new update. According to the 2015 issue, tax heavens harbored $21 to $34 trillion of private funds.

The Documents Make References to Influential Names at a Global Level

Such financial practices hang on the edge of the law. While individuals break no rule or regulation whenever they choose to transition their fortune offshore, there are some questions of ethics that they trigger. Some experts claim that this practice activates a shield of secrecy that is broad enough to hide irregular financial activities.

The leaked Paradise Papers contain data about famous politicians and public characters at a global level. U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, estate administrators of Queen Elizabeth II, proteges of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Nike, and Apple are just a few of the individuals and entities that appear in these files.

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The Astronomical Accomplishments Of Chandra Are Being Celebrated In A New Doodle

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Google is celebrating the 107th anniversary of Chandra through a new Doodle on Oct. 19.

Google decided to celebrate the 107th anniversary of the birth of Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar with a new Doodle. More commonly referred to simply as Chandra, he is the first astrophysicist to win the Nobel Prize and the father of the evolution of stars theory.

Chandra is Getting Celebrated with an Astronomically-Themed Doodle

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, who was born on October 19, 1910, was considered to have been a child prodigy. He is known, among many others, for developing and publishing his theory regarding the evolution of stars before the age of 20.

Chandra, as he is more commonly referred, is famous and the source of the Chandrasekhar limit. This is considered as being one of the most important accomplishments of the astrophysicist.

In itself, the limit contributes and is still being used for trying to understand the birth and evolution of stars.

The Chandrasekhar limit explains that, if a star has a mass lighter than 1.4 times that of the Sun, it will eventually become a “white dwarf”. If a star has a mass heavier than 1.4 times, a white dwarf can continue expanding and condensing, eventually evolving into a black hole or even in a supernova explosion.

This theory wasn’t really popular at the time, with Sir Arthur Eddington, who was one of the leading astrophysicists at the time. However, the theory became widely accepted and still used and discussed to this day.

In 1983, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics, together with William A. Fowler, “for his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars”.

As Google points out in its blog post about the Doodle, the American-Indian astrophysicist received “astronomical” honors. These include the Royal Astronomical Society’s gold medal and the US National Academy of Science’s Draper Medal or the National Medal of Science.

“Today we honor the original starman whose universal theories propel current space research and modern astronomy on their ambitious missions.”

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Lena Waithe Wrote A New Piece Of History At The Emmys

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Lena Waithe and Aziz Ansari took home the Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series award for “Atlantic”.

Lena Waithe just wrote history after becoming the first black female writer to receive an Emmy for a Comedy Series. She won the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series award for “Thanksgiving”, the Master of None series episode written with Aziz Ansari for the Netflix original.

Donald Glover also wrote history with his winning the Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series the first black director to win a comedy direction Emmy. He received the award for “B.A.N”, which was an experimental and stand-alone episode in the comedy series Atlanta from FX.

Glover also received a second Emmy award on the same night, that of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

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Lena Waithe and Aziz Ansari Generated a Roar with Their Acceptance Speech

Waithe and Ansari, who is also the series creator, were met with a standing ovation following the announcement of their “Thanksgiving” winning the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series award.

This episode was inspired by the personal experiences of Lena Waithe. It follows her character, Denise, as she discovers her sexuality over the course of her life and the way in which she finally reveals it to her mother.

Grateful.

A post shared by Lena Waithe (@lenawaithe) on

Waithe joked as she started her acceptance speech that she “needed a second”, a very emotionally charged moment. The first African American woman to win this award, Waithe thanked her mother for having ‘inspired the story’, and also Ansari, for having ‘pushed her’ to co-write the episode.

This also deferred his time at the mic to his co-writer, that thanked Netflix and Universal for their having created “a beautiful playground” on which they could work. Waithe also sent a shout out to Alano Mayo, her girlfriend, and the LGBTQIA community, which she called “her family”.

Lena Waithe concluded her speech with a thank you to the public: “And to everybody out there who showed us so much love with this episode, thank you for embracing a little Indian boy from South Carolina and a little queer black girl from the South Side of Chicago. We appreciate it more than you could ever know.”

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The full list of the night’s winners can be accessed on the 69th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners page.

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A Cooling System That Does Not Need Electricity Is Being Tested

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Scientists are testing a new cooling system which uses radiative sky cooling.

Scientists are currently testing a new cooling system which requires no electricity and which can reportedly reduce the temperature inside a two-story building located in a desert climate by over 20 percent. This new system makes use and functions thanks to radiative sky cooling.

The New Cooling System was Las Vegas-like Climate Conditions

Stanford University researchers are behind this latest experiment. Systems based on radiative sky cooling involve the dispersal of infrared thermal energy captured by rooftop panels. These are directed towards the atmosphere and the outer space, and help produce internal temperatures that are lower than those of the surrounding air.

Although the physics behind this method has been recognized for years, it was considered that the energy exchange it produces could only be used on dry and clear nights.

However, this latest study reports the creation of “fluid cooling panels that harness radiative sky cooling to cool fluids below the air temperature with zero evaporative losses, and use almost no electricity”.

According to reports, the study team noted, as they were building prototypes, that the panels were capable of cooling the water that flowed through them. Its temperatures could be reduced up to 5 degrees below those of the external ambient ones.

The team then used modeling, which showed that installing such panels downstream of the condenser of large air conditioning systems could reduce the internal temperatures by 21 percent. This was tested for Las Vegas-like climate conditions.

The panels of this cooling system are also quite easy to make. They make use of acrylic walls, insulation, and polystyrene cover. A plate heat exchanger is also utilized, as the water flows through it.

The panels can radiate and reflect the infrared radiation into the atmosphere and further as it uses them as remote heat sinks. This also solves the problem of waste heat generated by condensers.

Details on the tests and the cooling system itself were released in a paper in the journal Nature Energy. An accompanying editorial from the University of Technology, Sydney researchers, was published alongside it.

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A Device Can Now Smell Explosives, Possibly Even Cancer

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Oshi Agabi recently presented a device which can reportedly smell explosives.

Oshi Agabi, the founder of a Nigerian start-up, invented a chip which can smell explosives and possibly even cancer cells, according to reports. The device is called Koniku Kore and was recently unveiled during the TEDGlobal conference held in Tanzania.

The Small Device’s Ability to Smell Explosives is Based on Biochemistry

Oshi Agabi went on to offer further details about his invention and the elements which inspired him in its creation. He grew up in a Nigeria, in Lagos’s suburb of Surulere but is now based in Silicon Valley.

Agabi presented the Koniku Kore as being the first device to fuse into a silicon chip live neurons coming from mice stem cells.

According to the inventor, “We merged synthetic neurobiology with traditional silicon technology with the goal of fixing urgent real world problems.”

Agabi considers that this device could one day revolutionize airport security. This was presented as coming to a degree that travelers could even directly “walk from their car to the aircraft.”

The device is based on the fact that explosives have and leave smells and particles which can be sniffed out. Thanks to this silicon chip, these could be smelled without being in the direct line of sight or even contact.

The device can be used to scan people or baggage at “a place of your own choosing”.

It was suggested that this device might also be capable of sniffing out disease, not unlikely the way in which dogs are already doing it. It can do so thanks to its sensory system, which can reportedly be replicated on this chip.

The start-up founded by Agabi also has one very set and declared role, that of building a brain. Still, the company is looking at a more urgent problem right now, that of security.
In the Nigerian Yoruba language, Koniku means “immortal”.

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Disney Content Might Soon Be Gone From Netflix

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Disney content will start being withdrawn from Netflix following recent developments.

Netflix fans might soon start noticing a decided lack of Disney content in the streaming service’s menu, which can be easily explained thanks to the latest statement from the Mouse House brand.

On Tuesday, August 08, Disney announced its decision to put a stop to its broadcasting deal. It will be doing so as the company is set on launching its own streaming service sometime in 2019, according to reports.

Marvel TV shows are nonetheless expected to still be available.

Disney Content to Stop Being Accessible on Netflix

Bob Iger, the Disney CEO, is reported as having stated that the company is still in a “good relationship” with Netflix. However, the Mouse House is looking to extend the public’s options for viewing its ‘vast library of content’.

Its recent acquisition of new shares in BAMTech seem to be specifically directed towards achieving this goal. BAMTech is a streaming and marketing service. Disney first acquired a 33 percent stake in the company back in 2016. Now, the Walt Disney Company officially announced that it would be buying the majority ownership of the company.

Through it, Disney will be launching its own ESPN-branded multi-sport video streaming service as soon as 2018. A Disney-branded direct-to-consumer streaming service is expected to go live in 2019.

“The new Disney-branded service will become the exclusive home in the U.S. for subscription-video-on-demand viewing of the newest live action and animated movies from Disney and Pixar,” declared Disney in the statement.

The company then pointed out some of its future releases, for example, Toy Story 4 or the Frozen still unnamed sequel. The Lion King live action movie, as well as other highly anticipated films, is also on the list.

Although all Disney content will start disappearing from Netflix, users are expected to be still able to access Marvel TV content. As such, shows such as Jessica Jones or Luke Cage should still remain on the streaming service’s list.

An exact date for the withdrawal of the Disney content from Netflix has yet to be announced.

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iPod Nano And iPod Shuffle No More As Apple Discontinues Them

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The iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle have now officially reached their end.

Apple officially confirmed what some are calling the ‘end of an era’. The apple brand announced its decision to discontinue two versions of one its first most successful products, the iPod. Starting July 2017, the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle will no longer receive updates, and official “Learn More” or “Buy” links will lead to unavailable URLs.

iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle Have Reached the End of Their Line

The iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle were the last two Apple iPod versions which lacked connectivity and were still officially available for sale. The first ever iPod, the iconic iPod Classic, was discontinued back in 2014.

According to media reports, Apple has quite quietly taken down the websites for both these iPod versions. Searching for them will return results and offer official information on them. However, clicking on the company’s Learn More or even on the Buy will lead to pages whose URLs are no longer available.

An Apple spokesperson has confirmed, in the meantime, that the products have met their end. Some point out that, for quite some time, Apple maintained that the iPod Touch, iPhone, and even iPad would eventually come to replace them.

“Today, we are simplifying our iPod lineup with two models of iPod touch now with double the capacity starting at just $199 and we are discontinuing the iPod shuffle and iPod nano,” the spokesperson is reported as having said in the statement.

iPod Nano’s and Shuffle’s ending also coincided with an update to the iPod Touch. This will now come with new storage options, with a 32GB version and another 128GB one. The 128GB iPod Touch will cost $299.

However, the iPod Touch will also see a discontinue themselves as its 16GB, and 64GB versions will no longer be available either.

Interested users will likely still be able to buy iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, and the now defunct iPod Touch versions at authorized sellers and online in the limit of the available stocks.

Neither the iPod Shuffle nor the Nano versions saw any significant updates over the past years, possibly just new color options.

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Barbara Sinatra, Philanthropist And Activist, Dies At 90

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Barbara Sinatra, the fourth wife of Frank Sinatra, just passed away at 90.

Barbara Sinatra, a famous activist and philanthropist, and the fourth wife and widow of Frank Sinatra, passed away at 90 years old on Wednesday, July 25.

According to a report, the woman died of natural causes at home, the Rancho Mirage in California, surrounded by her family and friends. A statement with these details was issued by John Thoresen, who is the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center director.

Barbara Sinatra, Famous for her Philanthropic Actions

Sinatra had a very active life as she started out as a model and also Las Vegas showgirl. A prominent figure and Palm Springs socialite, she was quite famous even before marrying her third husband.

This was Frank Sinatra, the legendary singer, who was at its fourth marriage at the time. It was also the most enduring for both of the two, as the artist’s death in 1998 ended it. Frank Sinatra died at the age of 82. She also gained prominence for being his “Lady Blue Eyes”.

With some help from her husband, Barbara Sinatra was also able to found a nonprofit center in 1986, in Rancho Mirage. This helps provide therapy and other sorts of support to young victims of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.

Sinatra remained active and involved in the center until recently, according to reports. Thoresen states that she has been helping raise funds and also dropping by just to make sure that the children had what they needed. She also pushed for the creation of a video program that was released last year.

Barbara Sinatra was involved in charities and social actions even before her marriage to the singer. Before founding the children’s center, she helped raise money for various charitable causes by using her socialite status.

Sinatra is survived by Robert Oliver Marx, her son with Zeppo Marx, her second husband, and Carina Blakeley Marx, a grand-daughter.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

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Justice League And Thor: Ragnarok Trailers Battle At SDCC 2017

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Justice League and Thor: Ragnarok had two of the most watched trailers at SDCC 2017.

Both Marvel and DC dropped new trailers or at least exclusive footage during their San Diego Comic Con 2017 panels. As they did so, two trailers seemed to draw the most attention and have been battling over being the most watched trailer presented during this year’s SDCC.

One of them offers an exclusive look at what is to come in DC’s Justice League. The other is the official trailer for the much awaited Thor: Ragnarok from Marvel Entertainment.

Justice League Trailer Details and Preview

The newest trailer for the Justice League, a DC Extended Universe (DCEU) production was released during the SDCC in Hall H. It offers a first look at the latest villain, the monstrous Steppenwolf. Although Henry Cavill’s Superman did not make an appearance, the trailer makes heavy references to him.

It seems to indicate the important role of Wonder Woman played by Gal Gadot as well as offered some further details on the world of Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa. Possible spoilers ahead, as the movie will take up from the day immediately following Superman’s death.

Justice League has been teasing fans with Superman’s role in the movie, and his presence is still very much up to the question. A final shot and line from Alfred (Jeremy Irons) may also be adding more fuel to the fire.

The exclusive look video gathered almost 16 million views on YouTube, as of this moment. The movie is slated for release on November 17, 2017.

Thor: Ragnarok Official Trailer and Possible Spoilers

Justice League was taken down from its most watched position at the 2017 SDCC by the official trailer for Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok. As of now, this has a little over 17 million views on YouTube.

In the official trailer, Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, and Mark Ruffalo’s the Hulk get to have a very one on one meeting. The montage starts with Thor narrating his woes, as he looks back on what led to his current situation.

Namely, this began with the loss of Mjölnir, his great hammer, and was then followed by Thor’s “journey of self-discovery”. Things went truly south because of Hela (played by Cate Blanchett) and her destroying Thor’s Asgard.

Thor’s story really tugs at the heartstrings but does not lose its humor. It will also feature an honest conversation between the Hulk and the Asgardian god. We will also see the brothers fighting together, as Loki seems to be fighting alongside the good guys.

The film is scheduled to be released on November 3, 2017.

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Game Of Thrones Season 7 Premiere Broke The Series Records

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The Game of Thrones Season 7 premiere just broke HBO’s viewer records.

The new season of the top-rated Game of Thrones just broke another one of its own records following its premiere on July 16. Season 7’s first episode ranked the highest number of viewers yet, surpassing even the Season 6 first and last episodes, which came with their own set of cliffhangers.

The Game of Thrones Season 7 premiere also broke HBO’s records, being the most watched first episode the broadcast company ever produced and distributed.

GoT’s Season 7 Premiere, a Prelude of More to Come

Season 7’s first episode, called “Dragonstone”, was first broadcast on July 16 and watched by 16.1 million viewers. 10.1 million were on broadcast while the other 6 million came from streaming or on DVR, according to reports.

The numbers mark a 50 percent increase over Season 6’s premiere, “The Red Woman”, which came as quite a surprise for some. At the time, everyone was holding their breaths as they waited to find out what would be the faith of Jon Snow following Season 5’s cliffhanger. Still, its 7.94 million viewer count was then surpassed by “The Winds of Winter”, Season 6’s last episode, which raked in 8.89 views on its original air date.

The high number of views for the Season 7 premiere are even more impressive when taking into consideration when this new season kicked off. Generally, the TV viewership is considered to be higher in the spring than in the summer period.

Even despite this being the first Game of Thrones season to begin in July, the other kicking off in either March or April, it was still the most viewed.

Some Mild Spoilers Ahead

“Dragonstone” was an ultimately slower episode than viewers have come to expect, with its being focused more on conversation. Despite a powerful beginning, the episode slowed down its pace, being fueled by conversation and a much-debated cameo. However, it once again struck viewers at the end, as an important player took her first ever steps in Westeros.

Based on the season’s trailers and the Episode 2 teaser trailer, the season will most likely pick up pace in its remaining six episodes. Season 7 of Game of Thrones will only have 7 episodes, 3 fewer than other seasons. The next episode, named “Stormborn” will air on July 23 at 9 p.m. ET.

For those look to refresh their memory or get up to speed with things, HBO also released a short video recap of Seasons 1 to 6.

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