'Obamacare' deadline sparks surge in insurance sign-ups

People joined long queues at hospitals and clinics where counsellors were helping people to enrol

Hundreds of thousands of Americans have signed up for insurance under Barack Obama's healthcare programme, in a frantic bid to beat a key deadline.

Officials believe they have reached their target of seven million sign-ups.

Monday was the last day for most Americans to register for coverage and avoid a penalty next year.

Mr Obama's allies say the Affordable Care Act will bring healthcare to those who need it most, but Republicans say it is a massive waste of money.

The initial launch of the system last autumn was dogged by website crashes and technical problems.

But analysts say White House officials will have been delighted with the last day of enrolment.

"What I think is important, because I know there's been a lot of focus on glitches, is that there has been a remarkable story since the dark days of October and November," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

The law has proved deeply unpopular among many voters, and Republicans are expected to tap into that discontent in November's mid-term elections.

The elections will determine the shape of Congress for Mr Obama's last two years in office.

'Software bug'
 
Despite Mr Carney's upbeat message, the federally-run health insurance marketplace website healthcare.gov was briefly out of service for several hours twice on Monday.

Visitors were initially advised the site was down for maintenance or directed to a virtual waiting room.

Spokesman Aaron Albright blamed a "technical problem".

Meanwhile, long queues were reported at hospitals and clinics, where counsellors were helping people sign up for insurance.

Officials believe they have reached their target of seven million sign-ups

The programme is designed to help 48 million Americans who do not currently have health insurance

At a Houston community centre, immigrants from Ethiopia, Nepal, Eritrea, Somalia, Iraq, Iran and other countries were trying to enrol after having failed to register previously.

Many were waiting for interpreters to help them through the process.

Although 31 March was officially the last day people could sign up, millions could be eligible for extensions.

This includes people who had begun enrolling but did not finish before the deadline as a result of errors or website glitches.

Extensions may also be available to those prevented from enrolling because of a natural disaster, for example, or because they were subjected to domestic abuse.

The 2010 law, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is intended to extend health insurance to the roughly 48 million Americans who do not receive it through their employers, the government, or a privately purchased plan.

The law also aims to slow the growth in the cost of healthcare through various measures and requires private plans to meet a certain level of coverage.

Tax penalty ahead
 
The health law has been vigorously opposed by the Republican Party and by conservatives in the private sector, who see it as an inappropriate government intrusion into the massive healthcare industry and an affront to personal liberty.

What do Americans think of Obamacare today?

The law also remains controversial among the American public, as some people have seen their insurance costs rise or their old plans cancelled, and others object to having to purchase insurance at all.

Healthcare.gov and similar marketplace websites run by some states are a key element of the Affordable Care Act, providing a clearing-house for people to purchase health insurance for themselves and their families, often with generous subsidies.

Those who are not covered by private insurance or government programmes by the end of Monday will face a tax penalty, although the Obama administration has extended a grace period for those who can prove they have had technical issues with the site.

Total enrolment through the federal and state-run websites has jumped since the beginning of March, from 4.2 million to six million on Friday.

Source: BBC world News

MH370: Missing plane search 'most challenging ever'

Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston described the search operation as "very complex, very demanding"

 The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is the "most challenging" ever seen, the man responsible for co-ordinating the search from Australia says.

Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston also said that the search for the plane could take weeks.

The plane disappeared on 8 March as it was travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It was carrying 239 people.

Search teams are scouring the southern Indian Ocean for signs of the plane.

Speaking on Tuesday, ACM Houston, who is heading a new Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) managing the search, said the task was "very complex" because the teams had no hard information to work from.

Search efforts would take time, he said. "It's not something that will necessarily be resolved in the next two weeks, for example."

The BBC's Jon Donnison in Perth explains how a "towed pinger locator" is used

Ten military aircraft and nine ships were scheduled to examine Tuesday's search zone, while an Australia defence vessel with a towed pinger was en route to the area, he added.

ACM Houston explained that they had no information on how high the plane had flown once it disappeared off radar, the BBC's Jonah Fisher in Perth reports.

A relatively small change in altitude could affect both the plane's speed and fuel consumption - and over the course of seven hours dramatically alter the location of any crash site, our correspondent adds.

Mistrust
 
It is now more than three weeks since flight MH370 disappeared. Malaysian authorities say that based on satellite data they have concluded that it crashed into the southern Indian Ocean.

However, many relatives of the passengers on board have demanded proof that the plane has crashed, and expressed anger at what they perceive as a lack of information from the Malaysian authorities.

Dozens of relatives of some of the 153 missing Chinese passengers have travelled to Kuala Lumpur in their search for answers.

Late on Monday, Malaysian officials issued a new version of the last communication between air traffic control and the plane's cockpit.

In a statement, authorities said the last words received by ground controllers were "good night Malaysian three seven zero".

They had previously said that the last words from the plane were "all right, good night".

It is not clear why the official account has changed.

Correspondents say many family members of those on board have already been accusing officials of mishandling the search, and the latest change may add to their mistrust of the Malaysian authorities.

 Source: BBC News World

Ukraine crisis: Nato meeting to step up pressure on Russia

Russia has reportedly withdrawn some troops, but the exact number is unclear

Nato foreign ministers are due to discuss ways to help Ukraine and reassure allies in Eastern Europe, at a meeting in Brussels.

It is the first time ministers from the 28 member states have convened since Russia's takeover of Crimea caused a diplomatic crisis.

Nato has bolstered annual air drills being held over Baltic countries later.

On Monday, Russia ordered a partial withdrawal of its troops from the border with Ukraine.
It is believed to have massed a force of several thousand soldiers there in recent days.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Angela Merkel he had ordered the pullback, according to the German government.

Thousands of Russian soldiers are still said to be deployed along the eastern border of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russian energy firm Gazprom is increasing the price it charges Ukraine for gas from Tuesday.

Gazprom's chief executive Alexei Miller says the price of Russian gas for Ukraine has gone up to $385.5 (£231) per 1,000 cubic metres in the second quarter of 2014 from the previous rate of $268.5.

The decision ends a discount agreed before the political crisis between Ukraine and Russia.
Mr Miller added Ukraine's unpaid gas bills to Russia stood at $1.7bn.

Tensions between Russia and the West rose after the overthrow of pro-Kremlin Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February, following months of street protests.

Russia's subsequent decision to annex Crimea triggered a crisis in relations.

The US and EU have imposed sanctions on members of President Putin's inner circle and other officials. Russia has retaliated with its own sanctions on US politicians.

Nato foreign ministers are expected to discuss the formal suspension of co-operation with Moscow at the Brussels meeting.

In a statement, the alliance said ministers would speak to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia about ways to support Ukraine with its defence reforms.

They are also expected to look at options including situating permanent military bases in the Baltic states to reassure members in Eastern Europe.

Russia's actions in Ukraine have rattled nerves in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which were part of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Russia has said the troops deployed along its border with Ukraine are taking part in military exercises

Ukrainian forces have been leaving Crimea after Russia's military takeover of the peninsula

Nato jets will take part in air patrols in the region later in a routine exercise that analysts say has taken on added significance due to the crisis.

Several Nato countries, including the UK, US and France, have offered additional warplanes.

'Crude violation'
 
Earlier, Ukraine condemned a visit to Crimea by Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and a delegation of government ministers.

A foreign ministry spokesman in Kiev said the highest-level trip to the Black Sea peninsula by officials from Moscow since its annexation by Russia was a "crude violation" of international rules.

Crimeans voted to leave Ukraine for Russia on 16 March, in a referendum condemned as illegal by the UN General Assembly.

Mr Medvedev announced that he would make Crimea a special economic zone, with tax breaks and reduced bureaucracy to attract investors.

He also vowed to quickly boost salaries and pensions, and to improve education, healthcare and local infrastructure.

Source: BBC World News

Climate impacts 'overwhelming' - UN

Scientists fear a growing impact of global warming on humans

The impacts of global warming are likely to be "severe, pervasive and irreversible", a major report by the UN has warned.

Scientists and officials meeting in Japan say the document is the most comprehensive assessment to date of the impacts of climate change on the world.

Some impacts of climate change include a higher risk of flooding and changes to crop yields and water availability.

Humans may be able to adapt to some of these changes, but only within limits.

An example of an adaptation strategy would be the construction of sea walls and levees to protect against flooding. Another might be introducing more efficient irrigation for farmers in areas where water is scarce.

Natural systems are currently bearing the brunt of climatic changes, but a growing impact on humans is feared.

Members of the UN's climate panel say it provides overwhelming evidence of the scale of these effects.

Our health, homes, food and safety are all likely to be threatened by rising temperatures, the summary says. 

The report was agreed after almost a week of intense discussions here in Yokohama, which included concerns among some authors about the tone of the evolving document.

This is the second of a series from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) due out this year that outlines the causes, effects and solutions to global warming.

This latest Summary for Policymakers document highlights the fact that the amount of scientific evidence on the impacts of warming has almost doubled since the last report in 2007. 

Be it the melting of glaciers or warming of permafrost, the summary highlights the fact that on all continents and across the oceans, changes in the climate have caused impacts on natural and human systems in recent decades.

In the words of the report, "increasing magnitudes of warming increase the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts".

"Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change,'' IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri told journalists at a news conference in Yokohama.

Dr Saleemul Huq, a convening lead author on one of the chapters, commented: "Before this we thought we knew this was happening, but now we have overwhelming evidence that it is happening and it is real."

Michel Jarraud, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, said that, previously, people could have damaged the Earth's climate out of "ignorance".

"Now, ignorance is no longer a good excuse," he said.

Mr Jarraud said the report was based on more than 12,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies. He said this document was "the most solid evidence you can get in any scientific discipline".

The report details significant short-term impacts on natural systems in the next 20 to 30 years. It details five reasons for concern that would likely increase as a result of the warming the world is already committed to.

These include threats to unique systems such as Arctic sea ice and coral reefs, where risks are said to increase to "very high" with a 2C rise in temperatures. 

The summary document outlines impacts on the seas and on freshwater systems as well. The oceans will become more acidic, threatening coral and the many species that they harbour.

On land, animals, plants and other species will begin to move towards higher ground or towards the poles as the mercury rises.

Humans, though, are also increasingly affected as the century goes on.

Food security is highlighted as an area of significant concern. Crop yields for maize, rice and wheat are all hit in the period up to 2050, with around a tenth of projections showing losses over 25%.

After 2050, the risk of more severe yield impacts increases, as boom-and-bust cycles affect many regions. All the while, the demand for food from a population estimated to be around nine billion will rise. 

Many fish species, a critical food source for many, will also move because of warmer waters.

In some parts of the tropics and in Antarctica, potential catches could decline by more than 50%. 

"This is a sobering assessment," said Prof Neil Adger from the University of Exeter, another IPCC author.

"Going into the future, the risks only increase, and these are about people, the impacts on crops, on the availability of water and particularly, the extreme events on people's lives and livelihoods."

People will be affected by flooding and heat related mortality. The report warns of new risks including the threat to those who work outside, such as farmers and construction workers. There are concerns raised over migration linked to climate change, as well as conflict and national security.

Report co-author Maggie Opondo of the University of Nairobi said that in places such as Africa, climate change and extreme events mean "people are going to become more vulnerable to sinking deeper into poverty".

While the poorer countries are likely to suffer more in the short term, the rich won't escape.

"The rich are going to have to think about climate change. We're seeing that in the UK, with the floods we had a few months ago, and the storms we had in the US and the drought in California," said Dr Huq.

IPCC Chairman Rajendra Pachauri said the findings in the report were "profound"

"These are multibillion dollar events that the rich are going to have to pay for, and there's a limit to what they can pay."

But it is not all bad news, as the co-chair of the working group that drew up the report points out.

"I think the really big breakthrough in this report is the new idea of thinking about managing climate change as a problem in managing risks," said Dr Chris Field.

"Climate change is really important but we have a lot of the tools for dealing effectively with it - we just need to be smart about it."

There is far greater emphasis to adapting to the impacts of climate in this new summary. The problem, as ever, is who foots the bill?

"It is not up to IPCC to define that," said Dr Jose Marengo, a Brazilian government official who attended the talks.

"It provides the scientific basis to say this is the bill, somebody has to pay, and with the scientific grounds it is relatively easier now to go to the climate negotiations in the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and start making deals about who will pay for adaptation."

Follow Matt on Twitter.

SOURCE: BBC WORLD NEWS

Kerry: Russia supports finding a diplomatic solution to crisis in Ukraine

 

(CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday after four hours of talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Russia had reaffirmed its commitment to finding a diplomatic solution in Ukraine but had not agreed to move Russian troops from the Ukraine border.

"We both made suggestions as to how that will be achieved ... and I will return to Washington to consult with President Obama on his choices," Kerry said at a news conference in Paris. "We are trying to find a way to defuse this."

In a later press briefing, Lavrov said, "We expressed differing views about the cause of this crisis but nevertheless we agreed on the need to search for points of common ground to find a diplomatic settlement."

Kerry said Lavrov indicated Russia "wants to support" Ukraine in its move toward independence but said the massing of Russian troops has created "a climate of fear and intimidation."

"Is it smart at this moment in time to have that number of troops amassed on a border when you are sending a message that you want to de-escalate and move in the other direction?" Kerry said.

Kerry said Russia and the United States agreed to work with Ukraine on several issues: the rights of national minorities; language rights; the demobilization and disarmament of provocateurs; a constitutional reform process; and free and fair elections monitored by the international community.

Lavrov said he hopes "all political forces in Ukraine will have an equal voice and can agree on which kind of concrete political, economic, financial, social, religious traditions will be respected in different parts of the country."

Kerry stressed that no real progress can be made until the troops are pulled back.

He added that Ukrainians must be part of any discussions going forward, saying, "No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine." Other nations support this stance, he said.

Hours before the meeting, Lavrov called on Western powers to back a proposal for a "federal" structure in Ukraine.

"If our Western partners are prepared, Russia, the U.S. and the EU will be able to set up a group of support to Ukraine and to formulate general appeals to those who rule in Ukraine now," Lavrov told Russian state television, according to state news agency ITAR-Tass.

This would lead to talks between "all political forces without exception, naturally not armed radicals" and would result in a new constitution allowing for a "federal system of government," he said.

"If our partners are prepared for this, we are open for broadest cooperation," Lavrov added.

Kerry said that subject was not discussed with Lavrov because it's a decision Ukraine's leaders must make.

With millions of Russian speakers concentrated in Ukraine's eastern regions, Russia backs the idea of greater regional autonomy.

This would "protect the rights of those who live in Ukraine, primarily the Russian-speaking population, which is important to us," Lavrov said.

Lavrov and Kerry met for four hours in Paris on Sunday, as both sides tried to ease tensions in the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. The meeting ended about 5 p.m. ET.

'The hordes are coming': Ukrainians fear Russian invasion in northeast

Russian forces on border

The meeting follows a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday.

"What gives me a sense we may be able to solve the situation is that Putin did call our President and suggestions were made, and there will be a meeting (between Kerry and Lavrov)," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

"And there may well be the ability to solve this."

On Saturday, Lavrov said Russia had no intention of sending troops into Ukraine -- responding to Western warnings over a military buildup on the border following Moscow's annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

Crimeans voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia in a March 16 referendum dismissed as a sham by Western governments, which say it violated Ukraine's constitution and was held only after pro-Russian forces had seized control of the Black Sea peninsula.

Russia may have 40,000 troops near its border with eastern Ukraine and another 25,000 at locations inland who are on alert and prepared to go in, two U.S. officials have told CNN. The officials said that this estimate was largely based on satellite imagery and that a firm number is difficult to assess.

Russia has said its troops are carrying out snap military exercises in the region.

The United States and the European Union have already imposed two rounds of sanctions on Russia, including visa bans and asset freezes for some of Putin's inner circle. The West has threatened tougher sanctions targeting Russia's economy if Moscow sends more troops to Ukraine. Russia has drawn up countersanctions, barring senior U.S. officials from entering Russia.

Opinion: Does Obama really understand Putin?

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the top U.S. commander in Europe back to the continent because of the "growing uncertainty in Ukraine," Pentagon press secretary Rear. Adm. John Kirby said Sunday. Gen. Phil Breedlove was in Washington, where he was supposed to give annual testimony before Congress later this week.

"More broadly, he felt it was important for General Breedlove to continue our efforts to consult with NATO allies, and to discuss specific ways to provide additional reassurance for our NATO allies in Eastern Europe," Kirby said of Hagel's decision to cut short Breedlove's stay in Washington.

"While it does not foreshadow imminent military action in Ukraine, the general's return will allow him more time to confer closely with his staff and our allies and partners, and to better advise senior leaders," Kirby said.

More information: CNN WORLD NEWS

Flight MH370: 'Objects spotted' in new search area

A plane has spotted "objects" in the new area of the Indian Ocean being searched for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Australian officials say.

The sightings would need confirmation by ship, which is not expected until tomorrow, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said.

Earlier it was announced the search would now focus on an area 1,100km (684 miles) north-east of the previous zone.

The Beijing-bound airliner disappeared on 8 March with 239 people on board.
The identity of the objects - spotted by a Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion - were "to be established", Amsa said.

The crew say they spotted 11 unidentified objects, the BBC's Phil Mercer reports from the western Australian city of Perth.

The images hold out the prospect of up-to-date information, as opposed to satellite images which are invariably days out of date by the time they are seen by investigators, our correspondent adds.

SOURCE: BBC WORLD NEWS

Flight MH370: Thai satellite 'shows 300 floating objects'

The Thai satellite firm said the objects were yet to be identified

A Thai satellite has detected some 300 objects in an area of the southern Indian Ocean being searched for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The images were taken by the Thaichote satellite on 24 March, a day after images from a French satellite purported to show 122 floating objects.

Flight MH370 disappeared on 8 March with 239 people on board. No debris has been recovered from the ocean so far.

Searches by planes were suspended on Thursday because of poor visibility.

Ships are trying to continue the operation despite the bad weather, Australian officials said.

The latest Thai images were carried in The Nation and were said to show some 300 floating objects scattered over an area about 2,700km (1,680 miles) south-west of Perth.

The objects were about 200km (120 miles) from the site of the French satellite images.

The newspaper quoted officials as saying the information had been passed on to the Malaysian team involved in the search.

Anond Snidvongs, of Thailand's Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, told the BBC the objects ranged from 2m to 15m (6.5ft to 50ft) in size.

He said he could not confirm they were debris from the plane.

The French images showed objects up to 23m (75ft) in length and were the first to suggest a debris field rather than just isolated objects. They had been described as the most credible lead so far.

                                       The Thaichote images were taken on 24 March...

                                        

... a day after the French images. The two sites are about 200km apart

The BBC's Paul Adams, in Kuala Lumpur, says the latest image forms part of a growing body of circumstantial evidence suggesting that it is in this inhospitable part of the Indian Ocean where the flight of MH370 came to an end.

The Thaichote is Thailand's Earth observation mission and was launched in 2008.

'Zero visibility'

Malaysia said on Monday that fresh analysis of satellite signals had shown that the plane had gone down in the southern Indian Ocean, with no survivors.

BBC's Jonathan Head: "Experts are saying this is probably the most difficult search in modern aviation history"

The plane had been en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it disappeared from air traffic controllers' screens over the South China Sea.

The search is being coordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa).

It said that aircraft had spotted three objects on Wednesday but despite several passes had not been able to relocate them.

Eleven planes were sent out again on Thursday.

However, Amsa later tweeted: "Update: Ships staying in search area & will attempt to continue searching but all planes returning. Bad weather expected for next 24 hours."

Amsa spokesman Sam Cardwell said eight of the 11 planes had reached the search zone and looked for about two hours before the suspension.

He said: "They got a bit of time in, but it was not useful because there was no visibility."

Lt Cmdr Adam Schantz, in charge of the US Navy's Poseidon P8 plane, said: "The forecast in the area was calling for severe icing, severe turbulence and near-zero visibility. Anybody who's out there is coming home and all additional sorties from here are cancelled."

It is the second time this week the operation has been hampered by poor conditions.

The Australian Navy ship HMAS Success is in the search area and has been joined by five Chinese ships.

On Thursday, Beijing said it was sending another three vessels.

A total of six countries are now involved in the search - Australia, New Zealand, the US, Japan, China and South Korea.

Erik Van Sebille, an oceanographer from the University of New South Wales, told the BBC that if aircraft debris were found, experts could try to work out where the plane had crashed, although it would not be easy.

"This is home to the strongest current in the world," he said.

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The reasons why the plane deviated off course and lost contact with air traffic controllers remain a mystery.

The area is known as "the Roaring Forties" due to its strong winds

Investigators have ruled nothing out, including mechanical or electrical failure, hijacking, sabotage or deliberate action by the pilot or co-pilot.

On Wednesday, FBI chief James Comey said that analysis of data from a flight simulator taken from the home of pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah should be completed "within a day or two".

Some relatives of the flight's 153 Chinese passengers have refused to accept the Malaysian account of events and accused officials of withholding information.

A US-based law firm, Ribbeck Law, has said it expects to represent half of the families of missing passengers in a lawsuit against both Malaysia Airlines and Boeing Co, and has filed an initial petition.

Chinese insurance firms have begun to offer payouts to the relatives, state news agency Xinhua said.

On Thursday, Malaysia Airlines took out a full-page condolence advertisement in the New Straits Times, saying: "Our sincerest condolences go out to the loved ones of the 239 passengers, friends and colleagues. Words alone cannot express our enormous sorrow and pain."

SOURCE: BBC NEWS WORLD