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Bulgaria's largest private TV station bTV is decided to sue Magardich Halvadzhiyan, an independent producer, after the latter accused it of censorship.

The scandal between bTV and Halvadzhiyan's producer firm Global Vision broke out a couple of weeks ago, after he announced that he was to remove two of his shows, which are some of bTV's most popular, from the air, complaining of constant pressure and censorship.

The bTV station reacted with counter-accusations of excessive demands, and requested the written consent of Global Vision to make public the producers' contract.

On Sunday, however, the bTV press service said it is ending the 10-day wait, and is taking Halvadzhiyan and his firm to court in order to protect its image.

On April 12, the TV station agreed to participate in joint news conference with Global Vision but only after the bilateral contracts are made public. It claims to have received no response to its request.

bTV says it has no choice but to take the dispute to court since Halvadzhiyan is said to be preventing it from being able to publicly defend itself through the disclosure of their bilateral contracts.

Halvadzhiyan's accusation of censorship for bTV were not technically backed up by specific examples but he did insist that there have been numerous times that the management of the TV station exert pressure on his shows not to air certain reports or stories.

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Bulgaria's Largest Private TV to Sue Producer over Censorship Claims

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sargas Capital (2FG:F),- announces development for portfolio company, Kontexto, a high growth leader in real time data collection and analysis for media organizations. Kontexto has announced that it has launched version 2.0 of publishflow(TM), a popular real time content analytics service trusted by digital media publishers around the world.

Publishflow(TM) 1.0 was released to global media brands in late 2010 and largely focuses on providing real time audience metrics and trends to web editors and content creators operating high traffic editorial websites. The version 2.0 upgrade fuses all the same valuable live audience data with live competitor, topic and social trending data to deliver the first complete real time content analytics service for digital media publishers.

After over a year working with best of breed international media brands, it became apparent that digital media publishers are seeking to move beyond just using traditional website analytics services to better understand their online editorial and monetization efforts.

The next step in order to remain relevant and competitive depends on collecting and analyzing vast amounts of off site data that can be coupled with on site data. Publishflow is built to make this happen effortlessly and cost effectively for digital media publishers.

'We are very pleased with the pace of innovation as well as the keen focus on monetizing products and services from the Kontexto development and marketing team. Innovation with revenue focus is a key factor to long-term success and credibility in this very competitive market. We look forward to Publishflow(TM) producing solid revenue streams as well as maintaining its position as market leader ', stated Sargas CEO, Jonathan Dariyanani.

About Sargas Capital:

Sargas Capital specializes in the acquisition, development and commercialization of technologies that have the potential to secure dominant market position in high growth industries. We look for technologies that are innovative, original, proprietary, scalable and that have a potential enterprise value, when commercialized, of EUR100 million or more. Sargas acquires early stage technologies and invests in their development and commercialization. We also enter into strategic partnerships to co-develop and finance game changing technologies. For more information, visit Sargas at: http://www.sargascapital.com/

About Kontexto:

Kontexto is a high growth leader in real time data collection and analysis for media organizations. Clients including Guardian Media Group, Postmedia Network, Bell Media, Abu Dhabi Media Corporation and Getty Images leverage the Kontexto platform to create business value by capturing, analyzing and visualizing large amounts of real time data. Publishflow(TM) is the company's real time content analytics service trusted by media brands around the world. It delivers live audience, competitor, topic and social media trending data to desktop and tablet devices. For more information please visit http://www.kontexto.com or http://www.publishflow.com.

Excerpt from:
Kontexto Launches Real Time Content Analytics Service for Media Brand

US authorities have recommended that two controversial papers describing a genetically-engineerd form of the H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu, can be published.

As we reported in March, The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) considered a paper by Dutch Scientist Dr. Ron Fouchier and recommended that it should only be published if it did not include the methodological and other details that could enable replication of the experiments by those who would seek to do harm.

That recommendation was made because the research in question explained how scientists had engineered the H5N1 virus into a form that could be transmitted aerially. Ferrets infected with the virus appear to have transmitted it to uninfected members of the same species merely by breathing on them.

Publication of research explaining how the virus was concocted, it was argued, could lead to the virus being weaponised. As that's just the kind of thing that someone wishing to unleash a pandemic would love to know, the US therefore asked the NSABB to consider whether the research should ever be published.

Scientific debate has since raged about dual purpose research that has potential health benefits but also has obvious security downsides.

The NSABB has now overturned its previous decision and now says, in a statement by Francis S. Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that Fouchier's research and a paper by US-based researcher Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka can be published. The change has come after the NSABB evaluated additional data and assessed clarifications added to both document. The NIH now believes both pieces of research do not appear to enable direct misuse of the research in ways that would endanger public health or national security.

Science is yet to decide if it will publish Fouchier's research, as it awaits a ruling by Dutch authorities.

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US okays release of bird flu research

YANGON (Myanmar): Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party refused to take its new seats in parliament Monday because of a dispute over one word in the lawmakers' oath, reported The Associated Press.

However, party officials played down the problem and said they expected it to be overcome by early May,

According to the report, the National League for Democracy party objects to phrasing in the oath that says they must "safeguard the constitution," a document they have vowed to amend because it gives inordinate power to the military and was drafted during an era of army rule. The lawmakers want the word "safeguard" replaced with "respect."

Analysts say President Thein Sein needs the opposition in parliament to show the world that his administration is serious about change in the Southeast Asian country, which was ruled by the military for nearly half a century.

Since last year, his government has overseen a wave of widely praised political reforms, including the April 1 by-elections that earned Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi a parliamentary seat after years of repression and house arrest.

Later Monday, the European Union is expected to announce the suspension of most sanctions against Myanmar for a year while it assesses the country's progress toward democracy. The United States and other countries also have pulled back on some sanctions.

Suu Kyi and 42 other elected lawmakers from her party were absent as the latest assembly session got under way in the capital, Naypyitaw, on Monday. The party had said it would not join until the oath issue was resolved.

Opposition spokesman Nyan Win told The Associated Press that he believed the dispute would be solved within 10 days, and other party officials have said there is support within Thein Sein's government to change the oath.

The party was "not disappointed" with its current inability to sit in the assembly, Nyan Win said. "We are cooperating with the government, so the problem will be overcome."

The report said the oath is in an appendix to the military-backed constitution, and it is unclear whether it can be changed without the approval of 75 percent of parliament. The subject was not on the agenda in Naypyitaw on Monday.

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Suu Kyi Party Refuses Myanmar Seats Over Oath Row

Posted: Apr 22, 2012 at 2051 hrs IST Bhopal NCW chairperson Mamta Sharma, whose remark that the word 'sexy' should not be taken in a negative connotation sparked a controversy, today said she had not withdrawn her statement and "stands" by it.

"I have not withdrawn my statement and I stand by it.

With time, the meaning of such words also changes," Sharma told reporters on the sidelines of a programme organised by an NGO here.

"Today nobody can watch television programmes at home with his/her family, but nobody said anything about it," she said.

Sharma also said she did not endorse West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's announcement of launching a news channel and a newspaper.

The NCW chief had drawn the ire of women's rights activists over her remark at a function in Jaipur in February, that the word "sexy" meant "beautiful and charming" and should not be taken in a negative sense.

"I was positive in my approach so I said that. One should take it in a positive sense," she said.

Earlier, referring to rising instances of crime, Sharma said that Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are the only states in the country where "maximum" atrocities are committed against women.

The state government's ignorance on this issue was "highly unfortunate", she said. About the programme, she said about 400-500 women have highlighted the various crimes, including rape, committed against them and NCW had taken a cognisance of the same.

The National Commission for Women will write to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, chief secretary and the DGP asking them to ensure that appropriate action is taken in this regard, she said.

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Stand-by-my-statement-on-the-word-sexy-NCW-chief