Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/636783
ByGregoryKatz and Jan M. Olsen The Associated Press LONDON WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has found a surprising ally — a little known United Nations panel that has decided he has been unfairly detained in Britain while seeking to avoid extradition to Sweden to answer allegations of sex- ual misconduct. But it's not clear if the findings of the five mem- bers of the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary De- tention, to be officially an- nounced in Geneva Fri- day, will lead to a change in Assange's legal status. The sun-starved computer hacker has holed up inside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for more than three years, and as things stand now he still faces arrest if he steps outside. Swedish officials said Thursday the UN panel re- port concludes Assange has been a victim of an "arbi- trary detention," appar- ently because he has been unable to leave the em- bassy without fear of be- ing immediately taken into custody by British police armed with a European ar- rest warrant. British and Swedish of- ficials have indicated they will not be swayed by the U.N. panel's report, which is not binding and has no le- gal authority. Swedish prosecutors want to question Assange over allegations of rape stemming from a working visit he made to the Nor- dic country in 2010 when WikiLeaks was attract- ing international attention for its secret-spilling ways. They haven't charged him with any crime so far, but Assange has refused to re- turn to answer questions — saying he fears the whole thing is an elaborate setup designed to send him to the United States to face espio- nage charges there. British police also accuse Assange of jumping bail. The unexpected panel finding in Assange's favor confounded some experts who have followed the case. Ove Bring, a professor of in- ternational law at Stock- holm University, said he was very surprised. "First of all I don't think it's a detention. Secondly, it's not arbitrary," Bring said. He said Assange's sit- uation "is definitely not a case of unlawful deten- tion" since the WikiLeaks- founder has chosen to stay at the embassy. He could at any time have agreed to be questioned in Sweden, after which the prosecutor most likely would have been forced to abandon the case due to a lack of evidence, Bring said. Assange, 44, has de- manded via Twitter that he be given back his passport — held by British authori- ties — in light of the U.N. panel's conclusion. The panel's finding, based on a claim filed by As- sange and his lawyers more than a year ago, could in- crease pressure on prose- cutors to drop proceedings against Assange. The panel consists of a Korean law professor, a Mexican human right ex- pert, a law professor from Benin, an Australian judi- cial expert, and a specialist in international criminal justice from Ukraine. Per E. Samuelsson, a Swedish lawyer for As- sange, told The Associ- ated Press that prosecutors should "revoke" the arrest warrant and "set him free" in light of the panel's con- clusion. Samuelsson said: "If it happens that way, it will be a victory." So far, there are no in- dications that prosecutors are ready to end an inquiry into rape allegations. Swe- den's prosecution author- ity noted Thursday that the statement from the working group has no formal im- pact on the ongoing inves- tigation, according to Swed- ish law. Sweden and Britain may also choose to appeal the panel's decision, a process that could take months. Two women accused As- sange of the sexual mis- conduct in 2010, leading Swedish police to open an investigation and seek him for questioning. Last year, prosecutors dropped inves- tigations of less serious al- legations into alleged sex- ual assault as their statute of limitations expired, but were not willing to do so with the more serious rape allegation, which centers around a woman's claim that Assange had sex with her when she was asleep, which can be considered rape in Sweden. Assange has consistently denied the allegations but declined to return to Swe- den to meet with prosecu- tors and eventually sought refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy near Harrod's de- partment store in a posh neighborhood of central London. That has been his home since June, 2012. Swedish prosecutors say they have attempted to question Assange at the embassy since March last year but have been unable to do so because Ecuador- ean authorities haven't per- mitted it. The seemingly-simple case has been greatly com- plicated by uncertainty surrounding Assange's le- gal status in the United States. The U.S. government has not revealed whether he has been indicted — since grand jury proceedings are secret there — but has in- dicated that sensitive inves- tigations into Assange and WikiLeaks have been made. One of Assange's lawyers, Melinda Taylor, told The As- sociated Press Thursday he seeks guarantees from Swe- den and Britain that he will not be sent to the United States. She said he may seek safe passage to Ecua- dor, which has given him political asylum. Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino has said Assange could im- mediately go to Ecuador if he's given safe conduct by Britain. WIKILEAKS Assangefindssurprisingally,maynotbeenough KIRSTYWIGGLESWORTH—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS A demonstrator holds a banner outside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is staying. Assange says he will accept arrest by British police if a U.N. working group investigating his claims decides that the three years he has spent inside the Ecuadorean Embassy doesn't amount to illegal detention. By Jenny Barchfield and Malcolm Ritter The Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO With no hope for a vaccine to pre- vent Zika in the near fu- ture, authorities are focus- ing on the most effective way to combat the virus: killing the mosquito that carries it. Fumigation is one method; another is seeking out and draining standing water where the insect lays its eggs. Other strategies are possible, including lar- vae-devouring fish, geneti- cally modified insects and even lasers. But officials agree that it won't be easy. The battle is focused on Aedes aegypti, a formida- ble foe. It carries not only Zika, but other diseases like dengue, yellow fever and chikunguya. Well adapted to humans, it lives largely inside homes and can lay eggs in even a bottle-cap's worth of stagnant water. The dishes beneath potted plants are a favorite spot, as are abandoned tires, bird feeders and even the little puddles of rainwater that collect in the folds of plas- tic tarps. "This mosquito really is a bear to deal with," said Thomas Scott, professor of entomology and epidemiol- ogy at the University of Cal- ifornia, Davis. "It's almost like a cockroach of the mos- quito world." Scientists are also trying to determine if, and how easily, Zika could be spread by sex or by blood transfu- sions. But the virus is usu- ally transmitted through mosquito bites. Brazil's first case of Zika — a virus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 and subsequently spread to parts of Asia — was recorded in the mid- dle of last year. Research- ers don't know exactly how it made the jump, but two theories suggest it may have arrived with tourists visiting the country for the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament or an interna- tional canoeing competi- tion the same year. Thanks to Aedes aegypti, the disease quickly spread across Brazil and to more than 20 countries in the region, the Caribbean and beyond, leading the World Health Organization this week to declare an interna- tional emergency. The concern is not the disease itself — Zika's im- mediate effects are mild, consisting mostly of a mod- erate fever and a rash, and only a fifth of those afflicted notice any symptoms. But Brazilian authorities say also they have detected a spike in cases of micro- cephaly, which leaves in- fants with unusually small heads and can result in brain damage and a host of developmental and health problems. The link between Zika and microcephaly is as yet unproven. HEALTH Latin America scrambles to squash Zika-spreading mosquito ANDRE PENNER — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A girl rides her bike through a flooded street in the Parque Sao Bento shantytown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Authorities are focusing on the most effective way to combat the Zika disease: killing the mosquito that carries the virus. MATT DUNHAM — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during the "Supporting Syria and the Region" conference in London, Thursday. By Jill Lawless The Associated Press LONDON World leaders pledged more than $10 bil- lion Thursday to help fund schools, shelter and jobs for refugees from Syria's civil war, money that Brit- ish Prime Minister David Cameron said "will save lives, will give hope, will give people the chance of a future." But participants at the aid conference in Lon- don acknowledged that prospects for ending the conflict have rarely been worse: Peace talks are sus- pended, fighting is intensi- fying, Russia and the West are at odds, and millions of Syrians are suffering from bombardment, homeless- ness and hunger. "The situation in Syria is as close to hell as we are likely to find on this Earth," said United Nations Secre- tary-General Ban Ki-moon. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was no more upbeat. "After almost five years of fighting, it's pretty in- credible that as we come here in London in 2016, the situation on the ground is actually worse," he said. World pledges financial aid, but peace prospects bleak SYRIA LEGALNOTICE T.S. No. 033358-CA APN: 073-151- 11-1 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE Pursuant to CA Civil Code 2923.3 IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 3/26/2007. UN- LESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PRO- TECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEED- ING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER On 2/23/2016 at 2:00 PM, CLEAR RE- CON CORP., as duly appointed trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust recorded 4/4/2007, as Instrument No. 2007006115, of Official Records in the office of the County Recorder of Tehama County, State of CALIFORNIA executed by: LORENA FUENTES, A MARRIED WOMAN, AS HER SOLE AND SEPARATE PROPERTY WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER'S CHECK DRAWN ON A STATE OR NATIONAL BANK, A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, OR A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN AS- SOCIATION, SAVINGS ASSOCIA- TION, OR SAVINGS BANK SPECI- FIED IN SECTION 5102 OF THE FI- NANCIAL CODE AND AUTHOR- IZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE: AT THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE TEHAMA COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 633 WASHING- TON ST., RED BLUFF, CA 96080 all right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property sit- uated in said County and State described as: MORE FULLY DE- SCRIBED ON SAID DEED OF TRUST The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property descri- bed above is purported to be: 514 ALMOND STREET CORNING, CA 96021 The undersigned Trust- ee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street ad- dress and other common desig- nation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be held, but with- out covenant or warranty, ex- press or implied, regarding title, i di i p p , g g , possession, condition, or en- cumbrances, including fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts creat- ed by said Deed of Trust, to pay the remaining principal sums of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the ob- ligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable esti- mated costs, expenses and ad- vances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $191,767.24 If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder's sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further re- course. The beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declara- tion of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of De- fault and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real property is located. NO- TICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not auto- matically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, be- fore you can receive clear title to the property. You are encour- aged to investigate the exis- tence, priority, and size of out- standing liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder's office or a ti- tle insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same l d h ld h lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be post- poned one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that in- formation about trustee sale postponements be made availa- ble to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (844) 477-7869 or visit this Internet Web site WWW.STO XPOSTING.COM, using the file number assigned to this case 033358-CA. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be re- flected in the telephone infor- mation or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify post- ponement information is to at- tend the scheduled sale. FOR SALES INFORMATION: (844) 477- 7869 CLEAR RECON CORP. 4375 Jutland Drive Suite 200 San Die- go, California 92117 Publish: January 29, February 5 & 12 , 2016 LEGAL NOTICE TS# 15-2230 NOTICE OF TRUST- EE'S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED: 11/23/09. UNLESS YOU TAKE AC- TION TO PROTECT YOUR PROP- ERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUB- LIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EX- PLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAW- YER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, cash- ier's check drawn on a state or national bank, check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or fed- eral savings and loan associa- tion, or savings association, or savings bank specified in Sec- tion 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state will be held by the du- ly appointed trustee, as shown below, all right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by the trustee in the hereinafter de- scribed property under and pur- suant to a Deed of Trust descri- bed below. The sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, re- garding title, possession, or en- cumbrances, to satisfy the obli- gation secured by said Deed of Trust. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any in- correctness of the property ad- dress or other common designa- tion, if any shown herein. Trustor: Frank Gene Fales, an unmarried man Duly Appointed Trustee: Foreclosure Specialists LLC Recorded 12/15/09 as In- strument No. 2009016329 of Offi- cial Records in the office of the Recorder of Tehama County, California, Date of Sale: Friday, February 19, 2016 at 11:00 AM Place of Sale: At the front door entrance to the County Court- house, 633 Washington Street, Red Bluff, CA 96080 The common designation of the property is purported to be: 20170 Niche Road, Red Bluff, CA 96080 APN: 007-270-24 Estimated opening bid: $204,596.28 Beneficiary may elect to open bidding at a lesser amount. The total amount se- cured by said instrument as of the time of initial publication of this notice is stated above, which includes the total amount of the unpaid balance (including accrued and unpaid interest) and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of initial publication of this notice. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bid- ding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off ma y be a junior li f h hi h bid y j lien. If you are the highest bid- der at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien be- ing auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priori- ty, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county re- corder's office or a title insur- ance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this in- formation. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mort- gage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be post- poned one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that in- formation about trustee sale postponements be made availa- ble to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call the trustee's informa- tion line at 530-246-2727 or visit this Internet Web site: calforeclosures.biz, using the file number assigned to this case: TS #15-2230. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that oc- cur close in time to the sched- uled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone in- formation or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. Date: 1/29/16 FORECLOSURE SPECIAL- ISTS LLC 1388 Court Street, Ste C Redding, CA 96001 530-246-2727, Toll Free: 844-333-6766, Janelle St. Pierre, Trustee Sale Officer Foreclosure Specialists LLC is assisting the Beneficiary in col- lecting a debt. Any and all infor- mation obtained may be used for that purpose. TAC: 987184 PUB: 1/29, 2/05, 2/12/16 Legal Notices Legal Notices Legal Notices Legal Notices Legal Notices Legal Notices Legal Notices Legal Notices Legal Notices Legal Notices | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016 8 B