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https://sattvicfamily.com/reconstruction-of-ukraine-discussed-in-istanbul/ | 2022-08-19T02:08:44 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573540.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819005802-20220819035802-00344.warc.gz | 0.964861 | 1,222 | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-33__0__163690205 | en | Hilal SARI / ISTANBUL
The Ukrainian War, which began with the invasion of Russia on February 24, hit the Ukrainian economy by shrinking it by a third in the second quarter of 2022. This forecast is the forecast of contraction of the Central Bank of Ukraine. Central Bank of Ukraine Governor Kyrylo Schevchenko said in his recent statements that Ukraine will start to grow again in 2023-2024, where two important summits were held in Lugano and then in Istanbul.
However, this requires billions of dollars in financing and investment by companies in many fields, from defense to industry, from construction to agriculture. The reconstruction of Ukraine was discussed at the two-day summit entitled The Global Economic Impact Forum on Ukraine, held by the International Trade Council (ITC) from 21 to 22 July at Istanbul Atlas Cinema.
Ukraine’s largest commercial non-governmental organizations as well as prominent names in the Ukrainian parliament and chambers of commerce attended the event, Ukrainian parliament member Dmytro Natalukha said in a statement on the issue by the DÜNYA newspaper: “They will focus on 3 areas in the reconstruction of Ukraine”: Defense, construction infrastructure, export. Natalukha is also chairman of the Committee on Economic Relations of the Ukrainian parliament.
DEFENSE – “Investments in this area will save lives”
Emphasizing that they will mainly focus on the defense sector, which will end the war, Natalukha said: “We can divide the investments needed for Ukraine’s reconstruction into three. The first is the defense sector, which we need now to stop this war. From lead and ammunition production to equipment, this is our top priority. If the necessary investments are made in this area, we will be saving lives.”
CONSTRUCTION AND INFRASTRUCTURE – “This will alleviate some of the suffering of the Ukrainian people”
Noting that the second largest basket of investments will focus on public services to be provided to Ukrainians and on building housing and infrastructure, Natalukha said: “There will be areas of housing and infrastructure that can alleviate some of the suffering of the Ukrainian people. That means building housing, supplying energy, roads, bridges, etc.” he said.
EXPORT – “Investments that will revitalize all sectors”
Noting that the third area of investment will focus on sectors that provide export earnings (such as iron-steel, grain, ore, oil, oilseeds), Natalukha said: “We will revive the export sectors that will contribute to the recovery of the Ukrainian economy. “
“Energy, grains and agriculture are also a priority”
Nataluhka stressed that, at a time when the rise in energy prices in the face of the war initiated by Russia is creating serious economic problems even in non-war economies, Ukraine will also give priority to areas where it wants to be independent from Russia, such as energy, grains and agriculture.
Turkey wants to be the 3rd largest investor in Ukraine
Burak Pehlivan, President of the Turkish-Ukrainian Businessmen International Association (TUID), stated that Turkey is one of the top 5 foreign investment countries in Ukraine and said: “Our aim is to be the 3rd”. Stating that Turkey has an investment of 4.5 billion dollars in Ukraine and that the investments are not only in Kiev but also in other cities, Pehlivan said: “As of January 2022, there is an annual increase of 76% in our bilateral trade. Bilateral trade surpassed US$10 billion for the first time. Turkish construction companies have done more than 200 projects in Ukraine. The stadium, hundreds of thousands of homes, shopping malls, thousands of kilometers of roads and bridges, many major infrastructure and city roads that you see on your way to Boryspil Airport, including the airport, which is Kiev’s gateway to the world, were built by Turkish companies. More than 15,000 people are employed in Turkish companies in Ukraine. Before the war, that number had dropped to 30,000.” Stressing that the two countries are truly strategic partners and have real economic relations, Pehlivan stated that he hopes that the forum held at Atlas Cinema will be an opportunity to increase cooperation between Turkish and Ukrainian companies and other companies.
“We also need an economic Rammstein”
Ukrainian MP Natalukha’s response to a participant who claimed that Ukraine needed funding for all these investments but asked how they would manage the money to be found was as follows: “We had a summit in Lugano. And hundreds of Ukrainian officials tried to answer that question. Honestly, I don’t think anyone has the answer to that question. Everyone at the Lugano Summit, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EDRB), the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Ukrainian government have their own opinions.” Natalukha, referring to Rammstein summits, where countries’ defense ministers meet to address Ukraine’s defense needs, said: “We also need an economic Rammstein. We need to see all stakeholders in one place. How to manage policies should be discussed here. But there is no single answer to that,” he said.
Bilateral trade agreement negotiations are underway
Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s Deputy Economy Minister responsible for Foreign Trade, who attended the Istanbul summit via videoconference, said Ukraine is negotiating with many countries for bilateral trade agreements and said: “Negotiations for new agreements are continuing. It can be signed with Canada in the fall. Negotiations continue with Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Indonesia and Australia. There are also early stage talks with South Korea and Gulf countries,” he said. | politics |
https://hamadatimes.com/inuwa-hails-nigerian-armys-contribution-to-gombes-prevailing-peace/ | 2024-04-24T03:56:13 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296818999.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20240424014618-20240424044618-00042.warc.gz | 0.961617 | 469 | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-18__0__26227697 | en | Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON has stressed that the security of lives and property of the citizenry remains paramount in his administration and will continue to work assiduously to guard it.
This is contain in a statement by Ismaila Uba Misilli Director-General
( Press Affairs) Government House Gombe.
The statement said the governor Inuwa Yahaya stated this while receiving in audience, the newly posted Commander, 301 Field Artillery Regiment Gombe, Col. Musa S. Ahmed in company of the immediate past Commander, Col Abu O. Ndah.
Governor Inuwa, while formally welcoming the new Commander, assured him of the usual support of the State Government to the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in the task of combating security challenges and maintaining the prevailing peace and tranquility in Gombe State.
He used the occasion to commend the 301 Field Artillery Regiment Gombe for its role in strengthening the state’s security initiative, and ensuring peace and stability across the state.
The Governor also lauded the Nigerian Army in general for upholding professionalism on duty, pledging that his government will continue to sustain partnership and maintain cordial relationship with them in the task of combating crimes and criminalities.
The Governor thanked the immediate past Commander, Col Ndah for his services to Gombe State, and for contributing immensely to the maintainance of security during his period of service, and wished him success in his new assignment.
On his part, the new Commander, 301 Artillery Regiment, Col Ahmed urged for continued support and cooperation of the government and people of Gombe State to the Nigerian Army, being an integral part of the security architecture in the State to enable them achieve success in their national assignment. He assured to work in synergy with the state government and sister- agencies towards maintaining peace, law and order.
Also, the immediate past Commander, Col. Ndah thanked Governor Inuwa for his unwavering support to the 301 FAR and the Nigerian Army as well as other security agencies; and in particular, for his commitment to the protection of lives and property of the citizenry.
The Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi was present at the meeting. | politics |
https://ncanp.org/donate/ | 2021-02-27T16:27:04 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-10/segments/1614178358976.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20210227144626-20210227174626-00197.warc.gz | 0.943668 | 134 | CC-MAIN-2021-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-10__0__117042917 | en | The members of the NCANP are working tirelessly to promote our bills and garner enough support for passage of legislation which will provide for recognition, regulation, and a defined scope of practice for Naturopathic Doctors in North Carolina. We welcome contributions from businesses, groups and individuals who would like to help with this difficult but important work. We need your support!
Thank you for supporting the type of healthcare you want for yourself and your loved ones!
Recurring donations are a wonderful way to support our ongoing legislative efforts and help us plan for the future. Your subscription for a monthly donation can be cancelled at any time.
Copyright @ NCANP . All right reserved | politics |
https://nrpbsxm.org/trust-fund/ | 2024-02-26T03:29:30 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474650.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20240226030734-20240226060734-00126.warc.gz | 0.944407 | 406 | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-10__0__207548448 | en | The Sint Maarten Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience Trust Fund was established to respond to the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in September 2017. The Trust Fund is fully financed by the Government of the Netherlands for up to 470 million euros (US $553 million) and is managed by the World Bank. On behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten, the NRPB is responsible for the preparation, implementation and evaluation of the projects that are financed by the Trust Fund
On April 16, 2018, the Trust Fund was formally established by the Government of the Netherlands and the World Bank. Through an administrative arrangement the Netherlands has made up of 470 million Euro (US $553 million) available to the Trust Fund.
A National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) was developed with support of many stakeholders and approved by the Sint Maarten Parliament on August 27, 2018. The NRRP forms the basis for all Trust Fund projects. Read more on the NRRP.
The Steering Committee
The Trust Fund is governed by a Steering Committee composed of one representative from each of the three parties: the Government of Sint Maarten, the Government of the Netherlands, and the World Bank. The Steering Committee decides by consensus on the allocation of funds to short-, medium-, and long-term projects, capacity building activities, and analytical work. The Steering Committee meets at least twice a year and on an ad-hoc basis to approve projects and monitor the progress of the activities financed by the Trust Fund. The Government of Sint Maarten has appointed former Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs as the Steering Committee Member of Sint Maarten.
The Steering Committee is supported in its work by a technical working group (TWG). The TWG prepares the Steering Committee meetings and carries out delegated tasks of the Steering Committee. The Director and Deputy Director of the NRPB represent Sint Maarten in the TWG.
Members of the Steering Committee
The World Bank | politics |
https://chinaclubspain.blogspot.com/2015_08_09_archive.html | 2021-04-10T20:10:12 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-17/segments/1618038057476.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20210410181215-20210410211215-00189.warc.gz | 0.945192 | 2,058 | CC-MAIN-2021-17 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-17__0__276876298 | en | It was a horrible war that claimed as many as ten million lives.
（English Translation, Japenese version see below):
Statementby Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
On the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, we must calmly reflect upon the road to war, the path we have taken sinceit ended, and the era of the 20th century. We must learn from the lessons ofhistory the wisdom for our future.
More than one hundred years ago, vastcolonies possessed mainly by the Western powers stretched out across the world.With their overwhelming supremacy in technology, waves of colonial rule surged toward Asia in the 19th century. There is no doubt that the resultant sense of crisis drove Japan forward to achieve modernization.Japan built a constitutional government earlier than any other nation in Asia.The country preserved its independence throughout. The Japan-Russia War gave encouragement to many people under colonial rule from Asia to Africa.
After World War I, which embroiled theworld, the movement for self-determination gained momentum and put brakes oncolonization that had been underway. It was a horrible war that claimed as many as ten million lives. With a strong desire for peace stirred in them, peoplefounded the League of Nations and broughtforth the General Treaty for Renunciation of War. There emerged in theinternational community a new tide of outlawing war itself.
At the beginning,Japan, too,kept steps with other nations. However, with the Great Depression setting inand the Western countries launching economic blocs by involving colonial economies,Japan’s economy suffered a major blow. In such circumstances,Japan’s sense of isolation deepened and it attempted to overcome its diplomatic and economic deadlock through the use of force. Its domestic political system could notserve as a brake to stop such attempts. In this way,Japan lost sight of the overall trends in the world.
With the Manchurian Incident, followed bythe withdrawal from the League of Nations,Japan gradually transformed itself into a challenger to the new international order that the international community sought to establish after tremendous sacrifices.Japan took the wrong course and advanced along the road to war.
And, seventy years ago,Japan was defeated.
On the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, I bow my head deeply before the souls of all those who perished both at home and abroad. I express my feelings of profound grief and my eternal,sincere condolences.
More than three million of our compatriots lost their lives during the war: on the battlefields worrying about the future of their homeland and wishing for the happiness of their families; inremote foreign countries after the war, in extreme cold or heat, suffering fromstarvation and disease. The atomic bombings of Hiroshimaand Nagasaki, the air raids on Tokyo and other cities, and the ground battles in Okinawa, among others, took a heavy toll among ordinarycitizens without mercy.
Also in countries that fought againstJapan,countless lives were lost among young people with promising futures. InChina, Southeast Asia,the Pacific islands and elsewhere that became the battlefields, numerousinnocent citizens suffered and fell victim to battles as well as hardships suchas severe deprivation of food. We must never forget that there were womenbehind the battlefields whose honour and dignity were severely injured.
Upon the innocent people did our country inflictimmeasurable damage and suffering. History is harsh. What is done cannot beundone. Each and every one of them had his or her life, dream, and belovedfamily. When I squarely contemplate this obvious fact, even now, I find myselfspeechless and my heart is rent with the utmost grief.
The peace we enjoy today exists only uponsuch precious sacrifices. And therein lies the origin of postwarJapan.
We must never again repeat the devastationof war.
Incident, aggression, war — we shall neveragain resort to any form of the threat or use of force as a means of settlinginternational disputes. We shall abandon colonial rule forever and respect theright of self-determination of all peoples throughout the world.
With deep repentance for the war,Japanmade thatpledge. Upon it, we have created a free and democratic country, abided by therule of law, and consistently upheld that pledge never to wage a war again.While taking silent pride in the path we have walked as a peace-loving nationfor as long as seventy years, we remain determined never to deviate from thissteadfast course.
Japan hasrepeatedly expressed the feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology for itsactions during the war. In order to manifest such feelings through concreteactions, we have engraved in our hearts the histories of suffering of thepeople in Asia as our neighbours: those in Southeast Asian countries such asIndonesia and the Philippines, and Taiwan, the Republic of Korea and China,among others; and we have consistently devoted ourselves to the peace andprosperity of the region since the end of the war.
Such position articulated by the previouscabinets will remain unshakable into the future.
However, no matter what kind of efforts wemay make, the sorrows of those who lost their family members and the painfulmemories of those who underwent immense sufferings by the destruction of warwill never be healed.
Thus, we must take to heart the following.
The fact that more than six millionJapanese repatriates managed to come home safely after the war from variousparts of the Asia-Pacific and became the driving force behind Japan’s postwarreconstruction; the fact that nearly three thousand Japanese children leftbehind in China were able to grow up there and set foot on the soil of theirhomeland again; and the fact that former POWs of the United States, the UnitedKingdom, the Netherlands, Australia and other nations have visited Japan formany years to continue praying for the souls of the war dead on both sides.
How much emotional strugglemust haveexisted and what great efforts must have been necessary for the Chinese peoplewho underwent all the sufferings of the war and for the former POWs whoexperienced unbearable sufferings caused by the Japanese military in order forthem to be so tolerant nevertheless?
That is what we must turn our thoughts toreflect upon.
Thanks to suchmanifestation of tolerance,Japanwas ableto return to the international community in the postwar era. Taking thisopportunity of the 70th anniversary of the end of the war,Japanwouldlike to express its heartfelt gratitude to all the nations and all the peoplewho made every effort for reconciliation.
InJapan, the postwar generations nowexceed eighty per cent of its population. We must not let our children,grandchildren, and even further generations to come, who have nothing to dowith that war, be predestined to apologize. Still, even so, we Japanese,across generations, must squarely face the history of the past. We have theresponsibility to inherit the past, in all humbleness, and pass it on to thefuture.
Our parents’ and grandparents’ generationswere able to survive in a devastated land in sheer poverty after the war. Thefuture they brought about is the one our current generation inherited and theone we will hand down to the next generation. Together with the tirelessefforts of our predecessors, this has only been possible through the goodwilland assistance extended to us that transcended hatred by a truly large numberof countries, such as theUnited States,Australia, and Europeannations, whichJapanhad fiercely fought against as enemies.
We must pass this down from generation togeneration into the future. We have the great responsibility to take thelessons of history deeply into our hearts, to carve out a better future, and tomake all possible efforts for the peace and prosperity of Asiaand the world.
We will engrave in our hearts the past,whenJapanattempted to break its deadlock with force. Upon this reflection,Japanwillcontinue to firmly uphold the principle that any disputes must be settledpeacefully and diplomatically based on the respect for the rule of law and notthrough the use of force, and to reach out to other countries in the world todo the same. As the only country to have ever suffered the devastation ofatomic bombings during war,Japanwill fulfil its responsibility in the international community, aiming at thenon-proliferation and ultimate abolition of nuclear weapons.
We will engrave in our hearts the past, whenthe dignity and honour of many women were severely injured during wars in the20th century. Upon this reflection,Japanwishes to be a country alwaysat the side of such women’s injured hearts.Japanwill lead the world in makingthe 21st century an era in which women’s human rights are not infringed upon.
We will engrave in our hearts the past,when forming economic blocs made the seeds of conflict thrive. Upon thisreflection,Japanwill continue to develop a free, fair and open international economic systemthat will not be influenced by the arbitrary intentions of any nation. We willstrengthen assistance for developing countries, and lead the world towardfurther prosperity. Prosperity is the very foundation for peace.Japanwill makeeven greater efforts to fight against poverty, which also serves as a hotbed ofviolence, and to provide opportunities for medical services, education, andself-reliance to all the people in the world.
We will engrave in our hearts the past,whenJapanended up becoming a challenger to the international order. Upon thisreflection,Japanwill firmly uphold basic values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights asunyielding values and, by working hand in hand with countries that share suchvalues, hoist the flag of “Proactive Contribution to Peace,” and contribute tothe peace and prosperity of the world more than ever before.
Heading toward the 80th, the 90th and thecentennial anniversary of the end of the war, we are determined to create suchaJapantogether with the Japanese people. | politics |
https://kealymehigan.ie/budget-2017/ | 2023-12-09T18:48:15 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100942.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20231209170619-20231209200619-00539.warc.gz | 0.950291 | 267 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__67411652 | en | The Minister of Finance, Mr Michael Noonan TD, and The Minister for Public Expenditure Mr Paschal Donohoe TD presented the Budget and Public Expenditure Measures which provide resources of €1.3 Billion with €500 million available in tax cuts.
The widely flagged intention of the government to abolish USC saw the standard rate reduced by 0.5% at a cost of €335 million.
The Minister has confirmed that the 9% Tourism & Hospitality rate of VAT will remain for 2017.
Start-up relief from Corporation Tax has being extended for new start-ups commencing to trade in the next 3 years.
New SME focused share based remuneration scheme to be introduced in Budget 2018, subject to further consultation and EU state aid approval
Knowledge Development Box to be modified to provide for additional benefits for small companies. No further details provided
CGT entrepreneur relief to be amended from 20% to 10%. The lifetime cap of €1m is to be reviewed in future budgets
It is proposed that a review of the application of stamp duty to Irish shares will be undertaken in 2017
The thresholds for Capital Acquisition Tax have been increased with the transfer from parent to child increased from €280,000 to €310,000
A summary of the measures in the Budget is available here budget-2017 | politics |
http://a2sf.org/events/issues-and-ale/ | 2018-02-25T12:08:08 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-09/segments/1518891816370.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20180225110552-20180225130552-00140.warc.gz | 0.933736 | 162 | CC-MAIN-2018-09 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-09__0__31664939 | en | Issues and Ale
Wednesday, June 14 @ 5:30pm The Annex
2017 has already been an eventful year in politics, with the start of the Trump presidency, a single party controlled yet divided Congress, and lots of action in the state legislature. Join Michigan Radio’s “It’s Just Politics” team of Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta and other political pundits for this special Issues & Ale event under the Annex Tent at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival as we discuss what it all means for Michigan. This Politics Roundtable promises to be a fun and fast-paced look at Michigan politics and the changing political landscape.
Sign up, have a drink, and join in the discussion.
Free admission, but space is limited so please register to attend. Register here. | politics |
https://cambridge-society.blogspot.com/2012/07/ | 2022-06-30T13:26:05 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656103821173.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20220630122857-20220630152857-00421.warc.gz | 0.975673 | 4,214 | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-27__0__61869311 | en | By Margery B Donis
‘My good friends, for the second time in our history a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time.’
‘What is peace, O jesting Chamberlain?’
Such might have been the words of the few prophets in the late 1930s when Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of Great Britain, returned from Munich waving his infamous piece of paper and saying those words, ‘Peace with honour.’ The incident is seen today as having bearing only on the events that followed it--events which ultimately climaxed in the eruption of the Second World War. But to look back now on his statement and his whole-hearted pursuit of peace amidst a turbulent world plummeting irrevocably into war, we might find behind the words a man, behind the man a mind, and behind the mind a hundred, a thousand, a million minds; all--unconsciously, perhaps--thinking the same thought and wanting the same thing. Chamberlain was not jesting. He was in dead earnest, desperately seeking a way to keep his country from war. Today, our question may not be ‘What is peace?’ though that is a question I propose to address, but ‘What is honour?’
The greatest wars in history have all been in some way moral wars--if not inherently, made so by their proponents in order to gain support. To choose the greatest wars of history would, of course, be a difficult, if not impossible, task. War is by nature a deeply biased thing. There will be wars which come to mind automatically to a South African that will never occur to the Norwegian. But some wars are considered by most western peoples as very great. Yet there is a universally known war--a great and terrible war, one which affected every continent but which nearly all who remember will agree to be, indeed, a moral war.
It was the war Chamberlain fought to avoid.
The Second World War, which lasted over six long years (from September, 1939, to August, 1945), was not called a world war for no reason. There was no continent on the globe it did not influence. There have been other great wars--there have been arguably more moral wars. But none was as extensive, as terrible, and as remarkable as World War Two. It is rightfully called a world war.
I do not choose this war merely because it is the best known war to English speaking people of this day, nor merely because there are men and women alive today who witnessed it, though both considerations are great and have a large bearing on the reason. I make my choice, rather, because the Second World War was arguably the greatest, most influential, and most moral war of the 20th century. In such respects it can be compared only with the First World War, which was not as far-reaching, not as well-remembered, and has few veterans alive today.
It is, in the words of Virgil, ‘Useless to tell again tales already plainly told.’ World War Two was a disastrous, catastrophic, devastating war which destroyed more than the lives of millions of soldiers and hundreds of towns and villages. Any one who has studied history has studied this second great war and knows of all its atrocities. I do not need to repeat them.
One may say, this war ended nearly seventy years ago. Why then do we still speak of it? What bearing does it have on today?
That is a great and foolish question--a question which more and more people ask as time goes on. What is the past? It is gone. Why look back? Today, people look into the future. But the future changes nothing. The past is what changes the present. The Second World War has as much influence today as it ever did while it was raging. But we do not always realise it. Sometimes we must ask that question.
To look at the atrocities committed during the war makes us wonder if Chamberlain was not right in his pursuit of peace. Indeed, peace is a noble goal, often an admirable goal, but sometimes it is not an honourable goal.
Any sane, intelligent person must admit that war is horrible. Barbarities happened. The hand of death stretched out too rapidly over too great a number. But is ‘peace’ the answer? Is ‘peace’ honour, in every situation? Even if it is to avoid such a horrible war as was World War Two?
There can be little argument that the contest in the first half of the 1940s was moral. Adolf Hitler is a name that will ‘go down in infamy’--indeed, has gone down in infamy. I am sure that is irrefutable. Next to the devil, he is the universal symbol for all that is evil. As a man with total power, he committed unthinkable brutalities. The immortal symbols of the Nazi regime are not the Aryan race Hitler longed for, nor the thousand-year Third Reich he promised. The things that live on to remind us of the most dreadful period in German, perhaps European, history, are concentration camps, gas chambers, reprisals, and purges. The violence of Nazism has obliterated all trace of anything good in it. Yes, men agree, the Second World War was a moral war.
Chamberlain spoke of ‘peace with honour.’ But, as I have asked before, what is honour?
William Pitt the Younger, a Prime Minister for somewhere near twenty years at the end of the 18th century, had a different view than Chamberlain on the matter, in his great speech against Napoleon in . He said;
‘...There is no extremity of war, there is no extremity of honourable contest, that is not preferable to the name and pretense of peace, which must be in reality a disgraceful capitulation, a base, an abject surrender of everything that constitutes the pride, the safety, and happiness of England....’
What Chamberlain fought for was not what he thought it was--honourable avoidance of what would necessarily be a cataclysmic war. His was a regrettable mistake. He made treaties with a man who couldn’t and wouldn’t keep treaties if they went against his own desires. He argued against war, he fought against war, to save lives he knew would have to be lost if his country fought Germany. Those lives were lost, but were they lost wrongfully?
Nazism fell in 1945, and with it fell a great and terrible disease that was growing in Europe and elsewhere--the disease of Fascism. From Oswald Mosley in Britain to Vidkum Quisling in Norway, Fascism was like cholera--extremely contagious and likely to be terminal. But Fascism practically disappeared with Hitler’s suicide. Nor was it the only thing that began to disappear with the death of the Nazi Empire. Anti-semitism fell, and Communism, Faschism’s ugly, hated step-sister, began to appear as the cancer it really was.
Today, one must wonder how there can be any doubt that the Second World War was necessary. It was the only way to stop Hitler’s wild pursuit of power and the destruction of the Jews and other races, and this should be obvious today. Hitler’s terms for peace were like those of Napoleon, in other of Pitt’s words;
‘[The French were] determined to accept of no terms of peace but such as . . . could only be accepted by this country by a surrender of all its interests and by a sacrifice of every pretension to the character of a great, a powerful, or an independent nation.’
Chamberlain is not to be indited. He is a man since gone who tried to do best for his country, was condemned by many for his actions, but who did, at any rate, value his honour. We cannot go back today and refight the Second World War, even should we wish to. But it was even more influential than it seemed at the time, and so were the times leading up to it.
What was honour in those days? Honour, a fleeting, intransient idea, is only as honourable as men make it. There seems to be no absolute honour. Honour is a creation and endowment of man, and therefore its honourableness must be measured by man. In some cases men make their own honour, in other cases, society gives it to them. Honour for a man--personal honour--must be stated shortly, then, as a moral code.
A moral code may seem intransient too--it is merely, one might say, a way of looking at the world. But that is not so. A moral code is the way men live or know they should live. It is a man’s moral code that defines his honour--this is why one man’s dignity is another man’s disgrace. Society’s honour must be, then, a generally accepted, communal moral code. But it is the individual’s moral code that I wish most to discuss. And it is in this idea of a moral code that honour becomes understandable--because there is either a good moral code or a skewed moral code, and in right and wrong, there are absolutes.
Chamberlain’s moral code must have followed the English moral code of centuries--fight for the weak, help the man who’s fallen, uphold the principles of faith, loyalty, and honesty. His would have been an honourable moral code. Hitler’s moral code was irrefutably different--get what you want when you want it, at the expense of the weak, over the body of the fallen, dismissing faith, loyalty and honesty when you can’t use them. Though he (a man who never smoked or drank on principle) would never have said it in this way, the actions of the Nazis and of their leader spoke it through a megaphone to the world. Why would Hitler and his party, especially propagandist Dr. Goebbels, never state what truly was their moral code? Because there is, and always will be, an actually absolute moral code. And it was a form of this absolute code that most of Europe held at the time of the Second World War.
It is hard to deny--I dare anyone to deny--that the generally accepted, societal moral code of today is a diminutive, shrunken code compared to that absolute moral code--the Judao-Christian moral code--generally accepted in the western world from the Medieval Ages up into the 1900s. It was this code that made men protect women and children with their lives. It was this code that told men it was wrong to steal and kill unarmed persons. It was this code that, in a smaller way, made men open doors for ladies and children stand up for the aged. It was this code that made men fight for their principles.
These things still exist some places, in a small way. But the formerly widely-accepted Judao-Christian values of marriage, family, faith, and country have begun to fall aside and leave the individual to make his own moral code and his own honour. What is even worse, they have left society to make a moral code for the individual.
What is honour, Mr. Prime Minister? Chamberlain felt it to be best for Britain to keep out of war. But to all appearances, that was impossible. The Munich agreement annexed the Sudetanland to Germany in order to appease her power-hungry dictator. This coincided with Chamberlain’s moral code--doing best for his country, above all else. But in doing so, he ‘betrayed’ Czchechoslovakia, which was later invaded and overcome by the Nazi empire. Winston Churchill, later to become Prime Minister himself, had this to say against the Munich Pact;
‘We have suffered a total and unmitigated defeat... you will find that in a period of time which may be measured by years, but may be measured by months, Czechoslovakia will be engulfed in the Nazi régime. We are in the presence of a disaster of the first magnitude...we have sustained a defeat without a war, the consequences of which will travel far with us along our road...we have passed an awful milestone in our history, when the whole equilibrium of Europe has been deranged, and that the terrible words have for the time being been pronounced against the Western democracies: "Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting". And do not suppose that this is the end. This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigour, we arise again and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.’
This, then, is honour--a man’s moral code. True honour is the perfect moral code which God placed in the heart of man at the beginning. False honour is the skewed moral code man made for himself through centuries since the fall. But where does peace come in? Why fight for it as desperately as Chamberlain did? And why, today, is it even more desirable than ever?
I must say that it all still springs from that moral code. It began in World War One, this quest for peace, this pursuit of happiness without fighting. But it shouldn’t make sense this way. Why should there suddenly be a hatred of war, so shortly after Queen Victoria’s death and her wide, global empire? The Royal Navy was the greatest on the globe. The British Army was strong as ever. King Edward VII had reigned for nine years, through the Second Boer War in South Africa, and King George V had been on the throne for but four years when the First World War broke out.
The world in the 1910s was changing. Socialism had begun to spring up, powered flight was progressing rapidly (the Royal Flying Corps was formed in 1912), and women in Britain were fighting for the vote. But, in many ways, the world was still the same. Countries in Europe were still power-hungry and imperialistic. And Germany, longing for world domination, was getting ready to war with France.
There were multitudes of pacifists during the First World War. It was, indeed, a terrible war which devastated Europe’s economies and lands as well as her armies. During the war, such disillusioned men as Wilfred Owen wrote dark and dismal poetry. After the war, such men as Ernest Hemmingway wrote dark and dismal books. Many of these men could not justify the death and destruction the war caused. And there is one good explanation. They had forgotten what they were fighting for.
The twenty years between the two world wars were ones of socialism, fascism, and communism. Lenin’s Soviet Russia, which rose with the Bolsheviks in 1917, had grown into a dreadful communist nation under Josef Stalin. Franco’s fascist government in Spain triggered the Spanish Civil War. And Adolf Hitler became ‘der Fuhrer’ of Germany in 1933 and began kicking down the ladder by which he had ascended. In 1939, King George VI was on the throne in Britain, Hitler was ruler in Germany, Roosevelt was President of the USA, famed Mussolini was dictating in Italy, Hirohito was emperor in Japan, and Stalin was carrying out his own cruelties in Russia, while allying with the Nazis.
And Chamberlain wanted peace.
Today, more than ever, people want peace. It is a cry from every new political candidate, a catchword in newspapers, a symbol on children’s pajamas and backpacks. It is thought to have begun in the 1970s, with the hippy movement. But I sometimes wonder if it did not begin in WWI, when men began to forget their moral code--and that it was worth fighting for.
What is peace? A freedom from war? Freedom from strife? The absence of death? Why do men want peace? Do they desire it so that they will not have to make sacrifices to uphold their principles? That is not an honourable peace, but ‘a base, abject, and disgraceful’ peace. Do they desire peace that men will not die? That, indeed, is honourable. But can it be?
The world was created peaceful. But near the beginning there was a disruption, a ‘revolution’, and paradise was lost. Since then, war has become more and more common, more and more destructive. Man’s ability to make great scientific and technological discoveries has ennabled him to make more and more dangerous weapons. And man will do that. It is the nature of the universe. The second law of thermodynamics states that the disorder of the universe must always either increase or remain the same. I think it is the same way with peace. Each war affects the world, and often leads to another war. Sometimes, by great effort, men can avoid war, and maintain peace. But sometimes that is not desirable. Sometimes, that is not honour.
Chamberlain made the Munich agreement to maintain peace, but in doing so he delivered Czchechoslovakia into the hands of the Nazis, who would enslave her. The United States fell out of the Vietnam war in 1975 in response to a nation-wide cry for peace, but in doing so it delivered Vietnam into the hands of communists.
Why did we leave Vietnam? Why did we forsake a country fighting against tyranny and opression--fighting for liberty, as we have fought in our own history? Were we satisified with what we had, intent on keeping our delicate peace, unwilling to fight for others who wanted the same things our forefathers wanted?
Why do men fight? Why do men war? Evil men are willing to fight for what they should not have, for principles that are not right. Are we too weak, too cowardly, too passive, to fight for what we should have, for principles that are right? Peace is not something that one automatically has. Peace must be fought for. No one understands peace until he has fought and experienced strife. Peace today has become a mere word; an excuse that exempts us from fighting against the wrong things in the world.
War should be avoided, but the enduring morals of the Bible sometimes demand to be fought for. The words of Patrick Henry’s famous ‘liberty or death’ speech still echo in the halls of American history two hundred years later. In it, the patriot demanded;
‘Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!’
Is it? John C. Calhoun, South Carolinian Senator in the mid-1800s, spoke thus of war;
‘War has something ennobling about it, and, with all its horrors, brings into action the highest qualities, intellectual and moral.’
I quote William Pitt again, once more speaking against peace with Napoleon;
‘There may be danger; but on one side there is danger accompanied with honour, on the other side, there is danger with indelible shame and disgrace. Upon such an alternative Englishmen will not hesitate.’
Peace is not to be bought at the price of our principles. Is any man’s life so precious that he will forsake his honour, his principles, and his faith, to save it?
‘Gentlemen,’ said Patrick Henry, ‘May call peace; peace. But there is no peace.’
Men must know what it is they want, and they must know what they are willing to pay for it. Without a firm faith in and loyalty to the moral code, the world will never find true peace, but only a semblance of it--a peace that is selfish, artificial, and will never satisfy.
Peace is precious. Chamberlain knew that to be so. But, like all worthy, noble, and really important things, it sometimes must be fought for. | politics |
https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/eastleigh-borough-local-plan/ | 2023-12-02T02:44:56 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100309.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20231202010506-20231202040506-00389.warc.gz | 0.943792 | 301 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__280478562 | en | Eastleigh Borough Local Plan
The British Dragonfly Society has voiced its concerns to the Eastleigh Borough Council regarding the future impacts of its 2016-2036 Local Plan on the Southern Damselfly populations of the River Itchen Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The development, which would include the construction of 5200 new homes, is predicted to put further pressures on the SAC, through increased air and water pollution, and water abstraction.
The SAC is currently home to nationally important populations of the rare and threatened Southern Damselflies (Coenagrion mercuriale), a legally protected species. However, recent surveys (carried out for the Habitat Regulations Assessment) show that their habitat is becoming increasingly degraded and fragmented, and that key populations are declining.
While the Council has put mitigation targets in place to limit some of the potential negative impacts of the development, we do not believe they will be sufficient in safeguarding the future of the species in the SAC. We have, therefore, asked the Council to adopt the Strategic Conservation Plan for Southern Damselflies that it commissioned, to restore existing habitat and improve connectivity between populations through habitat creation. We have also asked that Southern Damselflies and their habitats are monitored to assess the impacts of the development and the need for further mitigation, and to identify opportunities for further habitat restoration and creation.
To view reports relating to the Local Plan please visit the Eastleigh Borough Council website here.
Photo by Paul Ritchie | politics |
http://www.pigpensocial.co.uk/oinkoink/2012/05/11/access-if-you-use-email-or-have-a-facebook-account-youll-want-to-read-this/ | 2013-05-25T17:45:40 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706009988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120649-00088-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.933635 | 207 | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2013-20__0__36755994 | en | A message from Access. Mobilizing for Global Digital Freedom.
Right now, your boss or school could demand that you hand over your Facebook, Twitter, or email password, and there is nothing you can do to stop them. Some people have even been fired from their jobs for refusing to reveal their passwords! But that could all change with the introduction of the Password Protection Act.
Previous attempts by governments to ban this practice have failed, in part because internet users haven’t made it a priority and spoken out against it. The Password Protection Act is our opportunity to finally end “Give up your password or else” policies and set an international standard for safeguarding our online identities.
We cannot be quiet anymore. Our passwords are the keys that protect our private lives, the people we communicate with, and all of our personal information.
Click here to sign the Access petition calling for this bill’s passage and we’ll deliver your signatures directly to an undecided Congress before they vote on the bill. | politics |
https://blog.syraseirasou.gr/we-are-a-movement-of-active-citizens-without-party-or-other-affiliations/ | 2024-04-18T00:08:26 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817184.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20240417235906-20240418025906-00250.warc.gz | 0.948598 | 347 | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-18__0__76547694 | en | The Municipality of Syros-Ermoupoli will be officially contested by the movement “SYRA, YOUR TURN” led by Haris Vekris.
The presentation of the candidacy took place on Monday afternoon, in a special and original place, Markou Vamvakaris square (Frangosyriani) in Ano Syros.
Haris Vekris, flanked by Iordanis Papadopoulos, Iraklis Kaila and Giorgos Stefanou, announced that the “SYRA, YOUR TURN” team, after 10 months of active presence mainly on the internet, is now ready for the next step, claiming the reins of Municipality of Syros-Ermoupolis.
“We are an independent movement of active citizens without party or other affiliations and commitments. The last thing that concerns us and will influence our decisions is the political cost. From the first day of its creation, our group had made it clear that it was created to gather the most active and creative forces of the island” said Haris Vekris initially, giving the stamp of his combination.
Afterwards, both he and the rest of the participants of the movement referred to the basic principles and starting points of the group, clarifying that the program of the combination will be shaped in the coming months by the discussions of the members of the movement.
In addition to those present, Mr. Vekris emphasized that a significant number of active citizens have already joined this effort, however he called on the island’s citizens to participate. | politics |
https://www.efcc.gov.ng/news/4194-magu-tasks-politicians-on-good-governance | 2022-12-09T16:41:16 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446711417.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20221209144722-20221209174722-00003.warc.gz | 0.971368 | 417 | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-49__0__102736349 | en | The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu has urged political office holders to be mindful of their campaign promises upon which they were elected to office, and be ready to deliver on them.
Magu spoke during the opening session of a two-day workshop on "Alternative Dispute Resolution," organised by the Dispute Resolution Center of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in Abuja.
In a paper titled "ADR as an Option for Government Contracts Dispute Resolution," presented on his behalf by an officer of the Commission, Dr. Enakeno Oju, the EFCC boss noted that with the campaigns, politicking and elections over, it was now time for political office holders to get down to work.
"In the course of political campaigns as we witnessed in the just concluded general elections, there were many developmental promises made by public office aspirants. Now that the elections are over, what Nigerians expect is good governance. It is time to deliver on the promises made. These promises are actualized through various contracts."
Magu further stated that government does not execute contracts by itself, but leaves that to the private sector for the development of the country.
The Actng Chairman, therefore stressed the need for due diligence, transparency and accountability in the procurement process under the public Procurement Act, enforced by the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP.
According to Magu, "When projects are halted, the people suffer and the development of the nations is retarded. This is why the issue of ADR in government contract is of great need."
Other participants at the event include: Justice Adamu Jauro of the Court of Appeal; Prince Adetokumbo Kayode, president, Abuja Chambers of Commerce and Industry, (ACCI); Chief Emeka J.P Obegolu, second deputy president, ACCI; representatives of BPP, and representatives of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Abuja branch.
Media & Publicity
May 7, 2019 | politics |
https://discuss.streamlit.io/t/electoral-programs-search-app/17335 | 2021-10-28T10:54:53 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-43/segments/1634323588284.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20211028100619-20211028130619-00459.warc.gz | 0.939007 | 224 | CC-MAIN-2021-43 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-43__0__60679089 | en | I built a small app that allows users to search for keywords within the electoral programs of various German political parties. Next Sunday, 2021-09-26, we’ll have a federal election and I thought I could help people understanding the programs a bit better by building an app such as this.
Users can select an individual party to analyse the context of the matches against their keyword. This context is then analysed in terms of topics and entities (using TextRazor). A few people (myself included already) found some interesting results this way
I tried to make the app look somewhat nice on mobile by removing the enlarge buttons for the charts so that the content is always centred (using this markdown / CSS “hack” I’ve seen mentioned here).
I’d be curious to hear what you think about this.
Code: GitHub - caff9/wahlprogramm_reader: A Streamlit app allowing for executing concurrent searches against several electoral programs published by various German political parties in the run-up to the federal election on 2021-09-26. | politics |
http://chuckwarrenutah.blogspot.com/2017/03/ | 2019-10-20T17:53:21 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-43/segments/1570986717235.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20191020160500-20191020184000-00363.warc.gz | 0.978971 | 298 | CC-MAIN-2019-43 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-43__0__151706739 | en | In 2004, Chuck Warren helped to organize the final week’s get-out-the-vote effort for the George W. Bush - Dick Cheney 2004 campaign in Hillsborough County, Florida, which includes the city of Tampa. The election day results there were 7 percent better than in the 2000 election. It was said by a number of commentators that the results in Hillsborough were game-changing for George W. Bush and his campaign. Indeed, it has been said that the success in Hillsborough was the crux of Bush’s victory in Florida, which was on course the main battleground. He is a prolific fundraiser in Utah for campaigns, organizations, and political figures of all kinds. He has served as Finance Co-chair for Representative Mia Love, Finance Chair for Utah and Arizona for the National Republican Congressional Committee, and has served on the Utah and National Finance Committee for Romney for President in 2012.
Chuck Warren is a Managing Director for Silver Bullet LLC, a company he has been involved with for years. This is a firm specializing in crisis communication, public affairs, and initiative qualification. He has worked for municipalities, major law firms, organizations, and major companies. That includes Overstock.com, Eureka Casino Resort, Alliance for School Choice, Gold Cross Ambulance, Delta Airlines, Amazon.com, Comcast, etc. He has appeared on a number of radio programs, including NPR, and his writings have appeared in newspapers and major political websites. | politics |
http://fullboxoffice.blogspot.com/2013/03/Olympus.Has.Fallen.Box.Office.html | 2018-05-24T10:08:01 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-22/segments/1526794866201.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20180524092814-20180524112814-00387.warc.gz | 0.908499 | 465 | CC-MAIN-2018-22 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-22__0__62413857 | en | Olympus Has Fallen Box Office,Olympus Has Fallen movie cast,trailer,Olympus Has Fallen movie news,video,collection report,wiki,rating,imdb,release date
Olympus Has Fallen
Olympus Has Fallen Movie Info
Directed by Antoine Fuqua
Produced by Gerard Butler Alan Siegel Mark Gill
Starring Gerard Butler Aaron Eckhart Morgan Freeman Angela Bassett Melissa Leo
Release date(s) March 22, 2013
Olympus Has Fallen Movie Description
Olympus Has Fallen is an upcoming American action-thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring an ensemble cast, including Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, and Angela Bassett. The film is scheduled for theatrical release on March 22, 2013.
Olympus Has Fallen Movie Story
When the White House (Secret Service Code: "Olympus") is captured by a terrorist mastermind and the President is kidnapped, disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped within the building.
As our national security team scrambles to respond, they are forced to rely on Banning's inside knowledge to help retake the White House, save the President and avert an even bigger crisis. Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) directs an all-star cast featuring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo, Ashley Judd and Rick Yune.
Olympus Has Fallen Main Casting
- GERARD BUTLER
Agent Banning is a Secret Service agent assigned to Presidential Detail. After a tragic accident, he is demoted and assigned to desk duty. But when terrorists capture the White House and kidnap the President, Banning takes action and, using his in-depth knowledge of the White House, finds himself with one more chance to make things right.
- AARON ECKHART
President Asher is everything the President of the United States should be - strong, proud, and unyielding. He loves his country almost as much as he loves his son - his only weakness.
- MORGAN FREEMAN
Congressman Allan Trumbull is the seasoned Speaker of the House. A veteran politician, he is well-spoken, perfectly composed, and a respected leader. | politics |
http://worldfuelcolt.com/resources/alerts/2014-EU-wide/ | 2017-10-21T10:37:49 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187824733.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20171021095939-20171021115939-00454.warc.gz | 0.933381 | 471 | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-43__0__27982507 | en | On May 26th, 2014, the European Commission adopted a new regulation (known as Part-TCO) requiring all Commercial Air Transport (CAT) operators outside the EU, or third country operators (TCO)– which includes US Part 135 Operators – to obtain a single EU-wide safety authorization in order to fly to, from or within the EU.
This new, single authorization will be exclusively issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and will be valid in all 32 EASA Member States, thus replacing the various schemes currently in place. Operators from outside the EU will no longer need to apply for a separate application for safety authorization for each EU Member State they wish to fly to, as is the requirement now.
An EASA TCO Safety Authorization is required for CAT flights landing the 28 Member States of the European Union, the 4 EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), as well as Gibraltar, Aland Island, Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Martinique, Reunion, Saint-Martin, and Mayotte. Please note that overflights of these territories will not require a TCO authorization.
The EASA TCO authorization process will include four phases: Application, Evaluation, Authorization, and Monitoring. Applicants will use a dedicated EASA web portal, allowing them to easily monitor all on-line communications with EASA during the application process. Authorizations issued under Part-TCO will not be subject to fees.
A 30-month transitional period will help ease the conversion to Part-TCO and allow previously approved foreign air carriers to continue operations to the EU without interruption.
However, all foreign operators must submit their application to the EASA for the TCO Safety Authorization within six months of the PART-TCO regulation taking effect. It's strongly advised that foreign operators submit their applications for authorization within this six month window (no later than November 25th, 2014) in order to guarantee uninterrupted operation to the EU during the transitional period.
The EASA website provides a detailed guide on how third-country operators may apply for their TCO authorization. Its advice includes the following:
For more information, please visit the following resources: | politics |
http://livablecities.org/conferences/19th-conference-charleston | 2017-04-27T20:44:38 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917122621.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031202-00360-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.91978 | 266 | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-17__0__173224113 | en | - Contact Us
19th Conference in Charleston
19th International Making Cities Livable Conference on
CHILDREN & YOUTH IN THE CITY
Dock Street Theater
March 9-13, 1997
I am very pleased to welcome participants to Charleston for the 19th IMCL Conference on “CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN THE CITY” to be held March 9-13, 1997.
Assembled here in Charleston will be political leaders, architects, planners, educators, health professionals and many others knowledgeable and passionate about the fate of children in our cities.
We will pay special attention to the impact of architecture, urban design and planning policies. If our cities are to survive, we need to understand all of the factors affecting the lives of young people.
Urban decision makers, public officials and professionals, as well as community members – indeed, all of us – bear responsibility for making our urban and suburban areas better for our children.
I have committed myself to give children and youth the highest priority in my current administration. For all those involved in urban policy and city making there is no task more important. And if our cities are accessible, friendly and stimulating for children, then they will be livable for all.
Joseph P. Riley, Jr.
Mayor, City of Charleston | politics |
https://fastsource.xyz/sudhir-mishra-on-tiff-with-vivek-agnihotri-to-padma-shri-snub-and-latest-movie-afwaah-watch-bollywood-life/06/5545/ | 2023-06-06T23:04:43 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224653183.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20230606214755-20230607004755-00607.warc.gz | 0.979239 | 192 | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-23__0__265171636 | en | Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra is known for his fearless approach in addressing political and controversial topics in his movies. With ‘Afwaah’ hitting the screens, he aims to continue making films that provoke thought.
Sudhir Mishra on Afwaah: Sudhir Mishra is a filmmaker who is known for his outspoken views and willingness to tackle controversial topics in his films. In a time when many in the film industry shy away from taking political stands or addressing issues of national importance, Mishra fearlessly engages in no-holds-barred conversations about these topics. With his latest film, “Afwaah,” now in theaters, Mishra continues to push boundaries and challenge viewers. Despite his success and critical acclaim, Mishra now says he no longer seeks recognition for his work. Instead, he is focused on continuing to make films that matter and provoke thought. Watch Videos. | politics |
https://cityofmargaretalabama.gov/administration/ | 2023-12-08T22:28:06 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100779.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20231208212357-20231209002357-00528.warc.gz | 0.808112 | 167 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__56841780 | en | City of Margaret Administration
City of Margaret is located at 825 Woodland Circle, Odenville, Alabama 35120. City Hall hours are 8:00 am until 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.
City Clerk & Magistrate
T: 205.629.5742 or 205.352.6147
T: 205.629.5742 or 205.629.4705
Public Works / Water / Sewer
John Gene Barker
City of Margaret Council Meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Work session is held at 5:00 pm and Council at 6:00 pm. Meetings are held at City Hall located at 825 Woodland Circle, Odenville, Alabama 35120. Meeting agendas and minutes will be available on our website Documents page (coming soon). | politics |
https://www.west-hartford.com/gov/departments/town_manager/default.asp | 2020-08-08T14:58:36 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439737883.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20200808135620-20200808165620-00056.warc.gz | 0.895632 | 224 | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-34__0__108196186 | en | Under the direction of the Town Council, the Town Manager’s primary mission is to provide the leadership, vision, and oversight to ensure the effective delivery of public services. The Town Manager is appointed by the Town Council and is the organization’s chief executive officer overseeing the administrative operations of the Town government. Responsibilities include the execution of all laws and ordinances; development and execution of the annual operating and capital budgets; and communication with the Town Council. The Town Manager implements and monitors policies adopted by the Town Council.
Address & Phone: West Hartford Town Hall
50 South Main Street, Room 310
West Hartford, CT 06107
Fax: (860) 561-7429
50 South Main Street West Hartford, CT 06107 Website: https://www.WestHartfordCT.gov P. 860-561-7500 | F. 860-561-7400 | H. M-F, 8:30A-4:30P Assessment, Registrars, Tax, and Town Clerk have alternate hours. Please visit each department's web page for specific hours. | politics |
https://uzbekistan.lv/en/%D0%B4%D0%BB%D1%8F-%D1%83%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE-%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%8E%D1%89%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%81%D1%8F-%D1%8D%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B8/ | 2024-02-26T15:06:25 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474660.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20240226130305-20240226160305-00183.warc.gz | 0.964798 | 1,373 | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-10__0__77621684 | en | On October 24, 2018, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on the issues of further developing higher education, improving the quality of training personnel, expanding the integration of science and production.
In recent years, a number of documents aimed at bringing higher education to a new level have been adopted. Modern educational standards, a transparent system of admission to universities were introduced. This year, admission quotas have increased by 30 percent compared to the last year.
Programs on development of higher education institutions, improvement of education quality for 2017–2021, approved by the resolutions of the President, were joyfully received by professors and the general public.
In 2018, 13 new universities began to operate in the country, in particular, the Silk Road International Tourism University in Samarkand, a branch of the National University of Science and Technology MISiS (Russia) in the city of Almalyk, Bucheon University (South Korea) in Tashkent.
By the decree of the head of the state of September 25 of this year, El-yurt Umidi Fund was established under the Cabinet of Ministers. It promotes the active involvement of our compatriots abroad – scientists, specialists and experts to large-scale reforms carried out in Uzbekistan, as well as talented youth in receiving education in developed countries, advanced training in leading international institutions and foreign organizations.
* * *
This year, for the first time, a national ranking of universities was created, the educational and scientific-research process was considered based on international experience. The analysis revealed a number of problems and shortcomings.
Thus, quotas for admission to higher education institutions cover only 7–9 percent of graduates of secondary schools, academic lyceums and professional colleges. In Russia, the figure is 74, in South Korea – 96 percent.
At the meeting on the issues of further developing higher education it was noted that higher education institutions and their professors do not enjoy prestige and authority in the international scientific community. The fact that the work on attraction of internationally recognized and highly qualified scientists and teachers to the educational process has not been organized at the proper level, was criticized.
Disregard opinions of professors and teachers in appointment of rectors and vice-rectors does not ensure the high efficiency of activity of the newly appointed heads with the team.
There are no necessary conditions for development of science, integration of research into production, improvement of scientific activity effectiveness, as well as for the research of talented students.
Activities on introducing innovative methods into the educational process, ensuring linkage of curricula with production, and most importantly, improving the qualifications of teachers, are not satisfactory.
The order of studying, certification, accreditation of universities’ activities, nostrification of documents absolutely does not meet today’s requirements.
– It is regrettable that in conditions of accelerated development of the economy, the system of higher education, instead of being a “locomotive” of development, does not keep up with the times. The bitter truth is that we do not have a system that responds to structural changes in the labor market, which is capable of teaching youth and developing their entrepreneurial skills, – said the President of Uzbekistan.
In this regard, urgent tasks were identified at the meeting and relevant instructions were given.
* * *
The need for introducing simplified system of students’ admission and transition on this basis from the system of quota admission to state order and differentiated fee-contract system was noted at the meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on October 24. The task was set on moving from centralized financing to self-financing and economic independence in order to increase international prestige of universities and worthy stimulation of activities of scientific-pedagogical staff.
The need for simplifying rectors and vice-rectors’ appointment, creation of continuous evaluation system of activities, targeted incentives, increasing professors and teachers’ responsibility was noted.
The Head of the state noted that the main task in education is to improve the assessment system of students’ knowledge, educational programs and educational process.
Optimization process of 1 318 professional colleges operating in Uzbekistan is also an urgent problem. The Head of the state criticized the fact that specific solution to this issue has not yet been found.
In order to fully meet demand in labor market, moreover, cover youth with education is necessary taking into account the needs of the real sectors of economy of the regions, organize on the basis of the system of secondary special, professional education integrated with bachelor’s degree of higher education “high schools” – multidisciplinary educational institutions specializing in short-term training, as well as to form training system of new generation of middle-level personnel for acquiring working professions.
* * *
At the meeting on the issues of further development of higher education, the activity of Uzbekistan Council of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions was considered. The need for fundamental reformation of this structure was also noted. It was emphasized that rectors’ qualification should be assessed, with particular attention to their spiritual-enlightenment and scientific potential.
Instructions were given on developing concept for radical improvement of higher and secondary special education system for 2018-2023.
At the same time, the task was set on developing draft government resolution providing for further simplification of procedure for recognition and nostrification of diplomas of foreign universities, improvement of certification and accreditation process of higher education institutions in order to create conditions for activities of youth in the country, who have received education abroad.
* * *
Results of Uzbekistan – Russia Educational Forum were noted at the meeting held on October 24 under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Following this forum, 114 contracts and agreements were signed with Russian partners. In particular, it is planned to open branches of six prestigious universities of Russia and two faculties in Uzbekistan, implementation of 52 joint educational programs. Roadmaps have been developed for each agreement.
The Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education has been instructed to ensure implementation of tasks together with relevant ministries and agencies defined in these roadmaps. Necessity of qualitative development, approval and practical implementation of relevant legal documents for each branch, faculty and joint program was noted.
Future faculties should be gradually transformed into branches.
At the meeting, instructions were given on strengthening scientific-pedagogical potential of professors and teachers, introducing scientific-technological developments and information technologies into higher education system on the basis of signed agreements.
The President noted that it is necessary to define specific plans for careful preparation for the next forum, which will be held in Russia in 2019. | politics |
https://elimihate.wordpress.com/our-inspiration/unbonjuif-a-good-jew/ | 2018-07-22T04:32:56 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-30/segments/1531676593010.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20180722041752-20180722061752-00603.warc.gz | 0.932347 | 325 | CC-MAIN-2018-30 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-30__0__54374664 | en | A Good Jew Hashtag
in October 2012, the French Twitter hashtag #Unbonjuif (“A Good Jew”) began to trend as thousands of Twitter users began what Le Monde, the French daily newspaper, described as “a competition of anti-Semitic jokes”, with examples such as “A good Jew is a dead Jew”.
Anti-semitic image posted by Serre Fion 8-9, a Twitter user participating in the #Unbonjuif hashtag
Twitter is increasingly running up against European anti-discrimination laws, many of which date back to the aftermath of the Holocaust as governments realised the potential for hate speech to transform into genocide. Twitter’s censorship of the hashtag marks a new stage for the social media platform that has previously refused efforts to expose its rogue users.
Twitter user, Marcel Leblanc trivialises a Holocaust victim in his #Unbonjuif tweet.
Twitter’s policies require international users to comply with local laws regarding acceptable online conduct. French law forbids all discrimination based on ethnicity, nationality, race or religion. Twitter’s inactivity regarding the hashtag prompted the Union of Jewish French Students to threaten to sue Twitter for ignoring French laws regarding hate speech. Twitter subsequently removed the anti-Semitic tweets with the offending hashtag, only to be accused of hindering freedom of expression.
An example of Rosen’s contention that users can regulate social media for themselves.
Want to know more about the #Unbonjuif scandal? Click here to read about the tension between free speech and regulation. | politics |
http://www.myprivacyonline.ca/ | 2015-03-26T23:43:47 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131293283.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172133-00050-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.892118 | 1,150 | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2015-14__0__30233840 | en | Statements of support
My Privacy Online: Bill C-475
***COMMONS TO VOTE ON C-475 TODAY***
C-475 needs Conservative Party support. Contact Conservative MPs to tell them you care about privacy reform.
See recent Postmedia article on C-475
Myths and Facts on C-475:
Myth: "The government is committed to updating PIPEDA"*
Fact: The Conservative government has ignored legal requirements to update Canada's privacy law for 3 years and shows no sign of commitment to updating a law that hasn't been amended since 2001.
Myth: "...any changes that are proposed should have been discussed thoroughly with business, consumer advocates and academics... The proposed new measures put forward in Bill C-475 were not."*
Fact: During the drafting of Bill C-475, I consulted with approximately 40 Canadian stakeholders, including 11 corporations/business associations; 15 civil liberties and consumer protection groups from 5 provinces; 15 academics specializing in privacy, internet and technology.
Myth: "The new powers [in C-475] would place an undue burden on personnel within the Privacy Commissioner's office."*
Fact: The Privacy Commissioner responded publicly to this on April 22, 2013 at ETHI:
When asked by MP Charlie Angus: "Given the seriousness of a potential data breach, do you believe that if we updated PIPEDA to ensure order-making powers and administrative monetary penalties, your office would not have to spend the kind of money it has to spend on legal matters and that it could get better and more timely results for Canadians?"
Privacy Commissioner Stoddart responded: "I do, and that's why I'm recommending it."
*Note: all quotes taken from Parliamentary Secretary Mike Lake statements in Hansard on October 22nd 2013
To find out more about C-475, CLICK HERE.
Privacy Commissioner's Position Paper on reforming PIPEDA, HERE.
My HUFFINGTON POST article, HERE.
Over a year ago, I signed on to Openmedia’s Pro-Privacy MP petition - with Bill C-475, I am keeping my promise, as a legislator, to strengthen privacy protection in the digital age. Privacy protection is important to me both as the Digital Affairs Critic for the Official Opposition and as a net-savvy young Canadian. I owe it to you, my fellow Canadian, to make sure our laws keep pace with new digital realities and challenges. This bill aims to ensure that you will be informed if ever your personal information has been breached and put at risk. As well, it will put pressure on organizations to respect Canada's privacy law and ensure they keep your data secure. Like you, I want to enjoy all the remarkable and novel digital products and services available. But I also want to have control over my personal information and be informed if ever it has been put at risk. My bill is about restoring our confidence in online privacy and protecting children, seniors and all of us who depend on digital technologies.
Cyber attacks spark fears, Calgary Herald, January 20, 2014
Privacy Commissioner launches probe into Bell's new data collection, Toronto Star, October 23, 2013
Privacy watchdog wants Ottawa to force companies to report…, Toronto Star, May 23, 2013
HRSDC rules still allow keys, Ottawa Citizen, February 27, 2013
After data losses…, Vancouver Sun, February 27, 2013
Votre vie privée gardée par un chien édenté, La Presse, June 19, 2013
Charmaine Borg en débat au Parlement, La Revue de Terrebonne, June 4, 2013
Enjeux économiques sous la loupe, La Revue de Terrebonne, May 21, 2013
Charmaine Borg propose une mise-à-jour de la LPRPDE, Trait d’Union, March 6, 2013
Des lois adaptées à l’ère numérique, La Revue de Terrebonne, March 12, 2013
Websites and Blogs
CBC Spark, October 16, 2013
Should Canadians worry about the NSA's PRISM program? Maybe., iPolitics, June 10, 2013
Is mandatory reporting of security breaches on its way?, Lexology, June 5, 2013
Why companies don’t need to tell you when your data has been breached, Yahoo! Canada Finance, May 31, 2013
Security breach legislation suffers another setback, ITWorldCanada.com, May 29, 2013
The Canadian Government’s Embarrassing Opposition to Security Breach Disclosure Legislation, Michael Geist Blog, May 27, 2013
CIPS’ views on Bill C-475 (Proposed changes to PIPEDA), cips.ca, 2013
OCLA supports bill C-475, Ontario Civil Liberties Association, March 21, 2013
NDP MP Charmaine Borg tries to kickstart Canada’s dormant privacy reform, Michael Geist Blog, February 27, 2013
Proposed bill calls for mandatory breach reporting, ITWorldcanada.com, February 27, 2013
Private member’s bill introduced to give Privacy Commissioner order-making powers, Canadian Privacy Law Blog, March 14, 2013
News, Canadian Privacy & Cyber Crime Institute, March 12, 2013
Mandatory data breach notification law proposed in Canada, Databreaches.net
Bill calls for mandatory data breach reporting, Cybertrax.ca, March 2, 2013
Private member’s bill on breach disclosure would increase notifications, CanadianLawyerMag, March 4, 2013 | politics |
http://gaygames.org/wp/events/pride-house-2012/the-olympics-and-the-gay-games/ | 2013-05-26T01:44:59 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706477730/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121437-00097-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.956369 | 729 | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2013-20__0__84865583 | en | The birth of the Gay Games was marked by conflict with the Olympic movement.
In June 1981 San Francisco Arts and Athletics was founded by Olympic decathlete Dr Tom Waddell to produce the first “Gay Olympic Games.” In August 1982, less than three weeks before the Opening Ceremonies, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) obtained a court order barring SFAA from using the name “Gay Olympic Games”, invoking the 1978 Amateur Sports Act (now The Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, revised in 1998), which under US federal law appointed the USOC as the coordinating body for all Olympic-related athletic activity in the United States. The act protected the trademarks of the IOC and USOC and gives the USOC exclusive rights to the words “Olympic,” “Olympiad” and “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” as well as Olympic-related symbols in the United States.
As a result, the word “Olympics” was blacked out from all Gay Olympic Games materials, leaving the words “Gay Games”, a name we are proud to continue to defend.
The legal proceedings went all the way to the Supreme Court, going as far as threatening the Waddell family home. That claim was dropped only in 1993 — years after his death in 1987. (See more HERE)
After the USOC v SFAA Supreme Court decision, the FGG, the successor to San Francisco Arts and Athletics, then had to contend with the ‘branding’ issues around our interlocking-ring logo and the association of the rings with the words Inclusion Participation, and Personal Best. Here negotiations were successful, and the rings, inspired by the logo for Gay Games I, remain our emblem.
The FGG at Pride House 2012
Gay Games Olympian ambassadors
The Gay Games and the Olympic movement
“From Games to Games”: an invitation to Olympians
A call for equality at the Olympics: Atlanta Plus, synchronized swimming, and more
BASOC, the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee, founded to support San Francisco Olympic bidding, supported the FGG’s efforts to reach closure on the conflict that gave birth to the Gay Games. While USOC has never apologized for its clearly homophobic attack on the “Gay Olympic Games”, relations have improved, and the FGG, represented by Sara Waddell Lewinstein, FGG President Gene Dermody and Vice President Derek Liecty, were part of a joint ceremony at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center along with Anne Warner Cribbs of BASOC, on whose board. Dermody and Liecty have served.
With the support of USOC, the FGG sought “Designated Event Status” (DES) that allowed a blanket waiver for Gay Games IV participants from travel restrictions for HIV-positive people, status that two years later would benefit USOC for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Gay Games IV in 1994 were listed as a noteworthy event in the USOC annual handbook. The same waiver was obtained for Gay Games VII in 2006.
Gay Games Ambassador Greg Louganis, who came out at Gay Games IV, was given the USOC’s highest award; Sportsman of the Year. In hs acceptance speech, he dedicated the award to Tom Waddell. Louganis would have success in lobbying to prevent the 1996 Olympic volleyball competition from being held in homophobic Cobb County, Georgia. | politics |
https://lists.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9801&L=LRNASST-L&F=P&P=216171 | 2020-07-15T03:03:42 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593657154789.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20200715003838-20200715033838-00238.warc.gz | 0.842961 | 593 | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-29__0__124935701 | en | >>Administration Proposes Eliminating Perkins Loans
>>January 14, 1998
>>Early reports on the Clinton Administration's Fiscal 1999
>>Budget, which will be released early next month, indicate
>>that the Federal Perkins Loan program is slated to receive
>>no new funding, which education leaders believe could lead
>>to its elimination.
>>This move comes just three months after Department of
>>Education officials publicly pledged that the program was
>>not in danger of termination.
>>Perkins Loans, a campus-based aid program, provide low-cost
>>loans to about 700,000 students each year. These students,
>>who are among the most financially needy, qualify for more
>>aid than that provided by other federal aid programs.
>>Additionally, Perkins loans carry a lower interest rate
>>than loans provided under the Federal Family Education Loan
>>program or the Federal Direct Loan program. The additional
>>$3,000 available to students through this program gives
>>financial aid officers flexibility to augment aid packages
>>for the neediest students.
>>The Federal Perkins Loan program, formerly the National
>>Defense Student Loan Program, is the nation's oldest
>>federal program for student aid. It was first authorized in
>>1958. Institutions distribute Perkins loans to needy
>>students, and match federal dollars three to one.
>>The proposed elimination of this vital program comes at a
>>particularly important time, as Congress is set to begin
>>the process for reauthorizing the Higher Education Act of
>>1965. If Perkins is not funded this year, it may be
>>permanently eliminated. Additionally, this may be viewed as
>>a first step in Administration efforts to combine existing
>>campus-based student aid programs.
>>Please take action to prevent elimination of the Perkins
>>Call, fax or write these Clinton Administration officials:
>>Deputy Secretary of Education Marshall Smith
>>phone: (202) 401-1000 fax: (202) 401-0596
>>National Economic Advisor Gene Sperling
>>phone: (202) 456-6630 fax: (202) 456-2223
>>Bob Shireman, White House
>>phone: (202) 456-2800 fax: (202) 456-2223
>>White House Office of Public Liaison
>>phone: (202) 456-2930
>>White House Comment Line
>>phone: (202) 456-1414
>>OMB Associate Director for Human Resources Barbara Chow
>>phone: (202) 395-4844 fax: (202) 395-5730
>>Or, call your Members of Congress to let them know how
>>important it is to preserve this program!
>>U.S. Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121 | politics |
https://www.pressmalaysia.com/latest-news/malaysia-wants-to-strengthen-ties-with-china-says-zambry/ | 2023-01-27T21:08:55 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764495012.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20230127195946-20230127225946-00044.warc.gz | 0.954385 | 367 | CC-MAIN-2023-06 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-06__0__199284584 | en | KUALA LUMPUR: The relations between Malaysia and China have grown from strength to strength underpinned by the strong government-to-government commitment and active private sector engagements, says Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.
The Foreign Minister said Kuala Lumpur-Beijing established diplomatic relations on May 31, 1974 and agreed to elevate the ties to Strategic Cooperation in 2004 and later to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2013.
“This year, Malaysia and China commemorate the 10th anniversary of the elevation of our bilateral relations to the CSP.
“In this regard, we look forward to working closely with China in strengthening and consolidating further our bilateral relations,” he said in his speech during the 2023 Chinese New Year reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia here Monday (Jan 16) night.
Dr Zambry said Malaysia looked forward to a more constructive engagement in promoting and enhancing people-to-people contact for the benefit of both nations and people.
China’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Ouyang Yujing, said China and Malaysia have been enjoying strong economic ties, adding that the trade volume in 2022 reached a historical height of US$203.6bil, increasing 15.6% on a year-on-year basis.
“This is the first time the volume has surpassed US$200bil, an epoch-setting event in history,” he said in his speech.
He said with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China and Malaysia CSP standing at a new historical point, both parties were ready to build a China-Malaysia community with a shared future.
The reception was attended by several Cabinet ministers and dignitaries including Bernama chairman Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi. – Bernama | politics |
http://industryadvocate.sa.gov.au/about-us/about-the-industry-participation-advocate | 2018-01-19T21:17:22 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-05/segments/1516084888135.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20180119204427-20180119224427-00392.warc.gz | 0.94911 | 218 | CC-MAIN-2018-05 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-05__0__14516529 | en | Mr Ian Nightingale is South Australia’s first Industry Participation Advocate.
Since taking on the role in 2013, he has become aware how important public procurement can be as a mechanism to deliver the Government’s broader economic and social objectives.
Ian’s role and that of his office is to be a catalyst for change with reform recommendations that benefit the State’s economy and small business, including through new policies to deliver more value for the State from government tendering.
Through the Industry Participation Policy, Ian has established a strong platform to ensure local businesses can make the most of opportunities from the $3.8 billion in State Government contracts awarded annually and through building and construction projects in South Australia.
Ian has years of experience running small businesses in metropolitan and regional South Australia and has applied the insights gained from running his own businesses to influence policy outcomes within Government.
Ian enjoys meeting many talented, innovative and enthusiastic South Australian business people and sees this continued engagement as a fundamental part of his role.
Contact the Industry Participation Advocate
Phone 8226 8956 | politics |
https://2021.bahaistudies.ca/watch/knowledge-generation-and-policy/ | 2022-05-29T02:38:48 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652663035797.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20220529011010-20220529041010-00539.warc.gz | 0.895587 | 119 | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-21__0__220920681 | en | Knowledge generation and policy: Bahá’í perspectives and emerging knowledge communities in China
How do citizen groups influence policy, particularly in political contexts with few channels for grassroots input? Emerging scholarship shows how knowledge—or epistemic power—shapes political decision making, supplementing interest-based explanations. Bahá’í texts emphasize the centrality of knowledge to collective life, and the global Bahá’í community has been accumulating experience with localized knowledge generation. This paper discusses cross-sector knowledge communities in China that generate knowledge and advocate around specific policy issues, infusing knowledge into power structures. | politics |
https://yavuzbaydar.com/crisis-between-ankara-and-washington-averted-for-now/ | 2022-01-28T08:07:15 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320305423.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20220128074016-20220128104016-00358.warc.gz | 0.970181 | 642 | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-05__0__216375493 | en | My colleague Semih Idiz reports, for Al-Monitor, that ‘patience with Erdogan is running thin on the American side’, given the rhetoric he has continued to use to put the blame on Obama Administration for the corruption inquiry, which now seems to have encircled his government:
Here is what Idiz writes:
The massive corruption probe that has left Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the most damaging crisis of his political career has started to spill over into Ankara’s relations with Washington.
A crisis between the two countries has been averted for now, following intense diplomatic contacts, but Western diplomats have confirmed to Al-Monitor that patience with Erdogan is running thin on the American side, where officials are threatening dire consequences to relations should he continue in this vein.
Never the one for diplomatic niceties or sensitivities when it comes to politicking, Erdogan has latched on to reports in Turkey targeting US Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone Jr. in connection with the current probe.
After accusing the ambassador, without naming him, of engaging in “provocative actions,” Erdogan even threatened to send him packing. Erdogan’s attack followed an orchestrated and concerted assault on the ambassador by pro-government media trying to deflect attention from the government after news of the corruption scandal hit the headlines on Dec. 17. Days later, on Dec. 21, Aksam, Star and Yeni Safak accused Washington, in large print, of being behind the probe that has left four government ministers under suspicion.
Washington was said to be angry with Turkey for circumventing sanctions on Iran by buying oil from Tehran and paying in gold cleared through the government-owned Halk Bank. The CEO of the bank has been arrested for taking bribes and is facing a trial after millions of dollars were found in shoeboxes in his home.
According to the papers above, Ricciardone told the EU ambassador in Ankara the day the scandal broke that Washington had warned Turkey to cut its ties with Iran. “They did not listen to us. You will now watch the fall of the empire,” Ricciardone allegedly said.
Erdogan has trotted out his usual accusations when he finds himself in a difficult political situation, claiming once again that there is a conspiracy against his government by international forces and their lackeys in Turkey. Such accusations invariably involve the United States and Israel in one form or another. A day after news of the corruption probe became public, Star claimed that Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, had unleashed the scandal to undermine Erdogan and his government.
The massive corruption probe currently under way has seen the arraignment of the sons of three ministers, with two of them being sent to prison, while the third awaits trial for involvement in the scandal. Al-Monitor’s Turkey Pulse has provided full coverage of the scandal…’
To read more of the article: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/12/united-states-losing-patience-erdogan.html#ixzz2oZgFZceu | politics |
https://www.tapasforever.com/spanish-visa/digital-nomad/spains-digital-nomad-visa/ | 2023-09-22T01:22:57 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233506320.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20230922002008-20230922032008-00627.warc.gz | 0.974004 | 774 | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-40__0__102650085 | en | For the past several years, I’ve heard rumblings of a new visa type here in Spain that would be targeted towards digital nomads: people who typically work remotely and travel abroad at leisure. I’m not entirely convinced this visa will ever come to fruition, since I rarely see any new articles about it that add anything new to the discussion (or show what I consider a reasonable launch date), but I thought I’d try to give some information about what I know.
There are already many digital nomads living and working in Spain remotely. Some likely come to Spain under normal Schengen travel rules, which means they can only stay up to three months and then they have to leave. Others come in on a non-lucrative visa (since you’re not really supposed to work on a non-lucrative visa, this is a bit questionable) and work remotely anyways. Some, like me, came in on a non-lucrative visa and then applied for a visa change after one year to make it so that I could work for myself.
One of the reasons Spain probably wants to make it easier for digital nomads to live and work in Spain is that many are coming in on the non-lucrative visa, working anyways, and then not declaring any taxes (since they assume they can continue paying in their home countries since no work is actually done with Spanish clients). This is unfortunately false for most people, and they should be paying taxes in Spain. Eventually I suspect the hacienda (the Spanish tax office) will catch up with these people and extract their pound of flesh, but in the meantime they are living in Spain and not paying any taxes.
So with a new visa purposefully targeting digital nomads who have employment in another country, Spain is probably hoping for the best of both worlds – to attract higher income talent to Spain while also making it easy for those people to pay taxes here due to incentives in terms of lower tax rates.
This visa is yet to be developed entirely, so it’s unclear exactly how it will be implemented or what benefits it will have. But it sounds like it will be issued for a period of one year, be renewable for up to five years, allow for full-time residence within Spain, and will likely offer reduced tax rates (rumour is 15% for up to five years).
One of the obvious problems to this new visa scheme is that it will immediately penalize people who came to Spain on a working visa, or in my case a cuenta propia visa, who pay higher taxes currently and also, as of next year, up to 580 euros a month in social security. People like me will question why they are paying 35% tax, and 6,000 euros in social security when they can simply go back to their home countries, apply for a digital nomad visa, and save on both tax and social security when they return. I think this is a big glaring hole that they haven’t quite thought through entirely yet, especially when considering the recently announced changes to social security payments that will see someone who previously paid 283 a month to now pay possibly up to 580.
Many other countries in Europe are starting to offer digital nomad visas, so I suspect Spain is feeling the pressure not to lose that revenue, but I worry that the digital nomad visa, while being a great offering for people who currently aren’t in Spain, will put the local entrepreneurs at a distinct disadvantage.
I’ll update everyone with more information as soon as there is some, but I personally don’t see this as being closeto ready, and I suspect it’ll likely be at least spring of 2023 before we hear anymore about it from the Spanish government. | politics |
https://complianceandethics.org/uk-executives-sentenced-for-bribing-foreign-government-officials/ | 2019-12-16T02:55:09 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-51/segments/1575541315293.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20191216013805-20191216041805-00366.warc.gz | 0.937501 | 220 | CC-MAIN-2019-51 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-51__0__71225338 | en | Two executives of Smith & Ouzman Limited, a UK printing company, were sentenced for bribing foreign government officials, following a trial by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in a case brought under UK’s pre-Bribery Act of 2010. This decision sheds light on the importance of “adequate” compliance programs, including appropriate diligence into the appointment, renumberation, and retention of agents and consultants.
The decision further shows that UK companies need to have compliance procedures in place addressing the specific risks the company faces. The program must be tailored and specific to the industry and location, in addition to laying out general compliance principles. This decision indicates that UK courts will not hesitate to order significant jail time for directors who engage in corrupt activities. Sound compliance programs and anti-corruption controls are crucial, now more than ever.
[bctt tweet=”@SCCE Sound compliance programs and anti-corruption controls are crucial, now more than ever.”]
A more detailed account of this decision is available here. | politics |
https://taxnewsreader.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/standard-eu-vat-return-would-cut-costs-for-cross-border-businesses-says-european-commission/ | 2018-06-24T04:47:02 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267866358.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20180624044127-20180624064127-00589.warc.gz | 0.945272 | 251 | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-26__0__229734130 | en | Its proposal would reduce the amount of information that businesses are required to submit to tax authorities and encourage electronic filing, it said. Businesses would be expected to file the standard VAT return on a monthly basis, while micro-enterprises would only have to submit on a quarterly basis, according to the proposal; and the obligation to submit a yearly VAT return containing the same information would be abolished.
“The standard VAT return presents a win-win situation,” said Taxation Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta. “Businesses will enjoy simpler procedures, reduced costs and less red tape. Governments will have a new tool to facilitate VAT compliance, which should increase the revenues they collect. Today’s proposal therefore supports both our commitment to a business-friendly Single Market and our drive to improve tax compliance in the EU.”
The proposal comes as part of the Commission’s programme of work to simplify the common system of VAT and make it more robust against fraud. The High Level Group on Administrative Burdens, set up by the Commission to advise it on reducing the administrative impact of EU legislation on businesses, has also backed the introduction of a standard VAT return.
Continue reading by clicking on the link below | politics |
http://sachbharat.in/ | 2017-10-23T09:49:04 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187825889.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20171023092524-20171023112524-00794.warc.gz | 0.924071 | 121 | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-43__0__184549729 | en | Shri Pranab Mukherjee
Hon’ble President of India
“We are all equal children before our mother; and India asks each one of us, in whatsoever role we play in the complex drama of nation-building, to do our duty with integrity, commitment and unflinching loyalty to the values enshrined in our Constitution.”
Shri Narendra Modi
Hon'ble Prime Minister, India
"Mere good governance is not enough. It has to be pro-people and pro-active. Good governance is putting people at the centre of development process". | politics |
http://monaghantownship.com/boards.asp | 2021-06-21T00:13:00 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-25/segments/1623488259200.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20210620235118-20210621025118-00311.warc.gz | 0.946053 | 772 | CC-MAIN-2021-25 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-25__0__133262759 | en | The main elected, appointed, and volunteer bodies are described below:
Elected Official - Board of Supervisors - Auditors - Tax Collector - Appointed - Planning Commission - Zoning Hearing Board - Solicitor
Engineer - Volunteer Positions - Fire Chief
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
The Board of Supervisors consists of three members. One member is elected, at large during each local election (every other year). The term of office is six years. The Chairmanship of the Board is voted on by the members and traditionally rotates every year. The authority of the Board is based upon the State's Second Class Township Code.
The Board of Supervisors is responsible for the appointment of the Township Secretary, and various boards and commissions. The Supervisors determine municipal policy (in concert with permissions of state law), the level of services provided to the citizens, adopt the budget, and set the municipal tax rate. The Board of Supervisors adopts the Comprehensive Plan, which determines community goals and objectives.
The Board of Auditors consists of three members. One member is elected, at large during each local election (every other year). The term of office is six years. The elected Auditors are responsible for reviewing the financial records of the Township and reporting their findings to the State. The Township also undertakes an independent yearly audit of its financial records through a professional Certified Public Accountant firm.
The Township Tax Collector is elected every four years. The Tax Collector is responsible for the collection of real estate taxes within the township.
Real Estate address changes should be reported to the Tax Collector.
Per Capita Taxes - for occupational or address changes, please call Brenda King, 432-8691
The Planning Commission is a five member advisory board to the Board of Supervisors. The members are appointed by the Board of Supervisors for terms of four years. Members must be residents of the Township.
The responsibilities of the Commission are outlined in the State's Municipalities Planning Code. Their tasks include reviewing and making recommendations on subdivision and land development plans, preparing and/or recommending ordinances regarding subdivision and land development, promoting interest in the comprehensive plan, preparing environmental studies, and other activities at the request of the Board of Supervisors.
The commission, in carrying out its responsibilities, may hold hearings and make site visits to properties being considered for development.
ZONING HEARING BOARD
The Zoning Hearing Board is a three member board appointed by the Board of Supervisors to hear appeals regarding the Zoning Ordinance. The term of office is three years. Members must be residents of the township. The requirement for a Zoning Hearing Board is embodied in the Municipalities Planning Code. The Board has the use of a solicitor and engineer to give them advice and guidance.
The primary purpose of the Board is to help assure fair and equitable application and administration of the Zoning Ordinance by hearing appeals on the Zoning Officer's decisions. The Zoning Hearing Board may grant relief from the literal enforcement of the ordinance in certain hardship situations. The Board has neither legislative nor enforcement power; it can't make or modify zoning policy. It is a quasi-judicial body: that is, its powers are to some extent judicial in nature. The Board schedules hearings on applications with finding of fact and conclusions of law. Its scope of activities is limited to those permitted by the Municipalities Planning Code and the Monaghan Township Zoning Ordinance.
Township - 202 S. York Road - Dillsburg, PA 17019 | Phone: (717) 697-2132
/ Fax: (717) 795-0604 | Email:[email protected]
Copyright © 2005-2021 Monaghan Township - York County, Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. | politics |
https://www.mobal.com/blog/satellite-phones/satellite-stories/sputnik-first-satellite-in-space/ | 2021-09-27T18:47:09 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-39/segments/1631780058467.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20210927181724-20210927211724-00552.warc.gz | 0.966302 | 800 | CC-MAIN-2021-39 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-39__0__175769457 | en | In the 1950’s, because of the political climate, the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union started to heat up. With political differences and the various allies of capitalist and communist ideals throughout the world, the two superpowers began to have a rivalry in many areas, including a race to find out which country would be the first into space.
In May of 1954, the Soviet government had the idea for an earth orbiting artificial satellite proposed to them. However, the first official announcement of space flight came from the United States in July 1955. A week later the Russians also announced that the plan for a satellite had been approved, and the space race began.
Both the United States and the Soviet Union began working on space projects, with neither country releasing great amounts of detail, in hopes of being the first in space. After years of testing, on October 4, 1957, Sputnik was launched into space. Upon launch, the Russian government was monitoring progress and waited until the completion of the first orbit to have TASS announce that the first satellite had been built. The satellite remained in orbit for a couple of months, before falling back to Earth in December 1957.
Upon hearing the news that the Soviets had beaten them into space, the United States was embarrassed that they had lost the space race to launch the first satellite, and also many citizens were concerned that the “commies” had something in the air going over their houses. This event sparked the next phase of the space race, which was putting the first man in space.
To counteract the Russians, who won the first space race in 1958, the United States government established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to begin the initiative to make Americans the first to launch a human into space. Following the years since the first Sputnik launch, here is a brief timeline of events:
– November 3, 1957 – the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, with a dog on board.
– January 31, 1958 – the United States launches Explorer 1, which is the first U.S. satellite in space.
– January 2, 1959 – Luna 1 is launched by the Soviet Union and is the first satellite to orbit the moon.
– April 12, 1961 – Vostok 1 is launched by the Soviet Union, carrying Cosmonaut Yuri A. Gargarin, who becomes the first man in space.
– May 5, 1961 – Mercury Freedom 7 carries Alan B. Shepard, Jr., the first U.S. Astronaut into space.
– February 20, 1962 – Mercury Friendship 7 lifts off with John H. Glenn, Jr., the first American in orbit.
– March 18, 1965 – The first walk in space is made from Soviet Voskhod 2 by Cosmonaut Alexei A. Leonov.
– July 20, 1969 – Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong make the first moon landing, and take the first moonwalk, from Apollo 11.
In the years since the first moon landing, and the end of the Cold War, the space program has evolved from a race between the United States and the Soviet Union to a co-operative effort to understand space. In the years following, space exploration has continued with manned flights to the Moon along with the launch of collaborative space stations, which have been manned by people from both countries. Other resources on space travel are available:
– U.S. Space and Rocket Center – resource which contains information on space travel in the U.S.
– StarChild – educational resource from NASA about space exploration.
– Space History – an educational resource on the history of space exploration.
– Apollo Missions – a guide to the Apollo space missions and additional resources.
From the humble beginnings of a single satellite to missions to the Moon and Mars, space travel has provided us with valuable information about what’s outside the Earth’s atmosphere. | politics |
https://conference.evpa.eu.com/speaker/andrea-leruste/ | 2021-06-22T14:00:10 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-25/segments/1623488517820.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20210622124548-20210622154548-00235.warc.gz | 0.933537 | 171 | CC-MAIN-2021-25 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-25__0__172413087 | en | Andrea Leruste works for the European Commission’s Directorate-General (DG) for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, where she is deputy head of Unit for ESF & FEAD policy and legislation. Until 2017, she was responsible for microfinance and social entreprise support and previously for gender equality in the same DG. She started her career in 2005 as teaching assistant at the College of Europe, Bruges, before joining the German Foreign Office in Berlin. Andrea holds a degree in Cultural & Business Studies from the University of Passau, Germany, a degree in International Relations from the University March Bloch in Strasbourg and a Master of European Political and Administrative Studies from the College of Europe.
- September 21, 2020 | 15:30 - 16:15 | Leveraging EU Funding for Social Finance Providers | politics |
https://www.peaceisbetter.co.uk/kofi-annan-nuclear-quotes/ | 2022-06-30T20:26:11 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656103877410.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20220630183616-20220630213616-00784.warc.gz | 0.953741 | 663 | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-27__0__162891006 | en | Kofi Annan Quotes on Peace and Nuclear Weapons
There are many precious Kofi Annan quotes. Indeed they are a legacy to our world. Here’s my favourites on the subject of peace and nuclear weapons.
Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan passed away on 8th August 2018 following a short illness. He strongly opposed nuclear weapons and singled them out as the world’s greatest threat.
Kofi Annan was a global statesman who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 for revitalising the UN and prioritising human rights.
Even after he retired he continued to work in the cause of peace by setting up the Kofi Annan Foundation.
One of my favourite quotes comes from a speech he made at Central Hall, Westminster. In just a few words he demolishes the myth that a country is safer when it has nukes:
The more that those states that already have [nuclear weapons] increase their arsenals, or insist that such weapons are essential to their national security, the more other states feel that they too must have them for their security.
Here’s my other favourite Kofi Annan quotes on peace and nuclear weapons:
The continued existence of nuclear stockpiles leaves the shadow of nuclear war hanging over our world.
Nuclear terrorism is still often treated as science fiction. I wish it were…. That [it] has not yet happened is not an excuse for complacency. Rather, it gives us a last chance to take effective preventive action.
The more fingers there are on nuclear triggers, and the more those fingers belong to leaders of unstable States — or, even worse, non-State actors — the greater the threat to all humankind.
The international community seems almost to be sleepwalking [towards proliferation and nuclear terrorism] – not by conscious choice, but rather through miscalculation, sterile debate and the paralysis of multilateral mechanisms for confidence-building and conflict-resolution.
No State should imagine that, by pushing ahead with a nuclear-weapon programme, it can pose as a defender of the Non-Proliferation Treaty; still less that it will persuade others to disarm.
It would be the height of folly to take for granted that such weapons are too terrible ever to be used, and that States will keep them only as a deterrent.
What governments and people don’t realise is that sometimes the collective interest – the international interest – is also the national interest.
There has never been a greater need for education in the areas of disarmament and non-proliferation … changing concepts of security and threat have demanded new thinking. Such new thinking will arise from those who are educated and trained today.
Call to Action
We have the means and the capacity to deal with our problems, if only we can find the political will.
I call on all the States with nuclear weapons to develop concrete plans — with specific timetables — for implementing their disarmament commitments. And I urge them to make a joint declaration of intent to achieve the progressive elimination of all nuclear weapons, under strict and effective international control.
The status quo cannot work. | politics |
https://www.gamingunion.net/news/2012/01/epic-denounces-sopa-despite-its-esa-membership | 2020-08-11T13:03:41 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439738777.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20200811115957-20200811145957-00410.warc.gz | 0.949934 | 247 | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-34__0__47153735 | en | Epic Games says it does not support the "Stop Online Piracy Act" in its current form, conflicting with the Entertainment Software Association's approving stance on the pending bill.
The Gears of War and Unreal Engine maker, which is a member of the trade organization, is one of the first major developers/publishers to release a statement expressing that it does not fully support the legislation.
SOPA allows the U.S. government and copyright holders to seek court orders for internet service providers to immediately prevent access to any website accused of hosting copyright-infringing material, such as sites that allow visitors to download pirated games.
Opponents of the legislation, though, argue that SOPA will be ineffective in fighting piracy, and that it could potentially threaten any website that allows users to post or upload content, among other complaints.
"Epic Games supports efforts that would stop overseas websites profiting from pirating our games," said Epic's senior PR manager Dana Cowley. "But we have to do that in a way that's compatible with freedom of speech and due process of law."
"Thus, we do not support the current version of SOPA," added Cowley.
Source: Epic Games | politics |
https://www.siopa.ie/en/i-517-dichoimisiunu_teanga_/i.aspx?ID=517 | 2023-06-02T02:25:47 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224648245.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20230602003804-20230602033804-00100.warc.gz | 0.937309 | 133 | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-23__0__55251540 | en | It was, in many ways, a turning point in Ireland for nationalistic symbols. Éamon de Valera decided to found a new political party, Fianna Fáil, which had its own interpretation of language and nation. Raidió Éireann came on air, and Coimisiún na Gaeltachta published a report which for the first time laid down the official Gaeltacht boundaries and provided a new insight into community life there. It is on the work of this Commission that this book is based; describing life and attitudes amongst Gaeltacht communities. John Walsh is a lecturer in the National University of Ireland, Galway. | politics |
https://wales.com/news-and-blog/wales-leads-world-sustainable-development | 2018-12-13T22:56:22 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-51/segments/1544376825112.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20181213215347-20181214000847-00452.warc.gz | 0.951726 | 126 | CC-MAIN-2018-51 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-51__0__63184255 | en | Wales leads the world with sustainable development
As Climate Change Week New York comes to an end, Wales is being celebrated as the only nation to legislate for a sustainable future.
Many of the goals set by the UN this week have already been incorporated into the Welsh Government's 'Well-being of Future Generations Act' of 2015.
Nikhil Seth, Director of Division for Sustainable Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations said:
"We hope that what Wales is doing today the world will do tomorrow. Action, more than words, is the hope for our current and future generations.” | politics |
https://www.nycasinos.com/news/addabbo-s-new-igaming-bill-includes-fund-to-protect-ny-workers | 2024-02-28T10:23:34 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474700.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20240228080245-20240228110245-00829.warc.gz | 0.957158 | 969 | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-10__0__150749547 | en | New York state Sen. Joseph Addabbo has filed his new iGaming bill, hoping that the state’s need for revenue will lead to its passage this year.
It’s the third time in as many years Addabbo has proposed legalizing New York online casinos in the Empire State. This year’s version, Senate Bill S8185, incorporates changes from last year’s bill after Addabbo received stakeholder feedback. That includes the New York Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, the union representing casino workers across the state, which raised concerns about online casinos threatening jobs at existing brick-and-mortar gaming facilities.
In response to labor concerns, Addabbo’s new bill sets aside at least $25 million each year from the taxes generated by iGaming operators “to a fund established for the purpose of employee training, responsible gaming training and education, health, and development.” Only workers from a licensed commercial gaming venue represented by a labor union can participate in the fund.
A message to the Trades Council on Friday was not immediately returned.
In a message to NYCasinos.com Friday, Addabbo said he has not heard from other lawmakers or stakeholders since filing his bill, but he anticipates connecting with them soon.
Who Could Offer iGaming In New York?
Addabbo’s bill would allow the state’s casinos, both commercial and tribal, to qualify for New York iGaming licenses. Video lottery terminal venues that conduct racing also could offer online casino gaming. Mobile sports wagering platform providers also would be allowed to participate, and not just those that offer New York sports betting. S8185 also allows the state to award three licenses through a competitive bidding process.
Each eligible entity would pay a one-time licensing fee of $2 million to offer iGaming, and any independent contractor that provides a platform for an entity would be required to pay a one-time $10 million licensing fee. New York would levy a 30.5% tax on operator revenues. There is also a cap on promotional discounts for operators, not to exceed 1.75% of the monthly handle for the first year of operations.
The New York iGaming bill also allows for live-dealer games such as online blackjack. While participating casinos do not need to host them at their facilities, the bill requires live-dealer studios to be in the state.
“In its first year, New York quickly became the leading mobile sports betting market in the nation,” Addabbo said in the sponsor’s memo attached to the bill. “Similarly, if authorized, New York would quickly become the national leader in online casino gaming, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue annually for the state.”
Will the Governor Get on Board?
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s support will be critical for iGaming to become legal in the state. Over the next couple of months, her office will work with legislative leaders to hammer out a budget for the next fiscal year, which starts on April 1.
The state faces a budget crunch in upcoming years, with expenditures likely to surpass revenue by several billion dollars. However, Hochul has said that she will not look to raise taxes to make ends meet. That would potentially open the door for new revenue streams, like iGaming. In recent years, New York has legalized online sports betting and recreational marijuana to generate revenue.
Among those supporting iGaming legalization is the Sports Betting Alliance. Earlier this week, the trade group hit the New York airwaves with a 30-second commercial calling on the state to join seven others that offer online slots and table games.
Jeremy Kudon, the group’s president, said in a statement that gaming expansion can’t just be considered an option.
“We’ve seen the now-billions of dollars that have been brought into New York through mobile sports betting, and we believe fully that this next step can be just as successful,” Kudon said. “This expansion is not just an economic opportunity; it’s a progressive stride towards bolstering public services, promoting fiscal health, and safeguarding the well-being of New Yorkers in the ever-evolving landscape of entertainment and commerce.”
Hochul gives her budget address to lawmakers on Tuesday. That speech is not expected to include New York online casinos, but it won’t necessarily mark the end of its chances. Negotiations on the spending plan are expected to last through March, if not into April.
A message to Hochul’s office Friday was not immediately returned. | politics |
https://www.sgdragons.org/article/478801 | 2022-08-09T04:03:34 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570901.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809033952-20220809063952-00433.warc.gz | 0.967601 | 406 | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-33__0__197216999 | en | Sydney Grace Eisenbeis of Bloomsdale has been selected to attend American Legion Auxiliary Missouri Girls State. She was a student at Ste. Genevieve High School. Eisenbeis will study levels of government in this nonpartisan political learning experience. Every spring, the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State Program provides approximately 25,000 young women with a hands-on educational opportunity designed to instruct tomorrow’s leaders in the privileges and duties of responsible citizenship. Missouri Girls State will be held on June 20-June 26, 2021 at the University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg.
Delegates are assigned to a mythical political party. They then campaign, hold rallies, debate and ultimately vote to elect city, county and state officials. Once elected to office, delegates are sworn in and perform their prescribed duties. Citizens may also become involved in city activities, newspaper, broadcast news, music band and chorus, General Assembly, Girls State Highway Patrol and college credit.
“It is an honor to be selected to attend Missouri Girls State, and I am looking forward to the educational opportunity,” said Eisenbeis, Girls State Delegate.
Staff for Missouri Girls State is comprised of ALA members, former citizens, college personnel and experts in the community and business sectors. Eligibility membership in the American Legion Auxiliary will be explained during the session.
Two outstanding citizens are selected at each of the 50 Girls State sessions held across the country to represent their state as senators at American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation held in Washington, D.C. in July.
Founded in 1919, the American Legion Auxiliary is the world’s largest patriotic women’s service organization. With a membership of nearly 850,000, local Auxiliary units have a strong presence in more than 9,500 communities nationwide. The Auxiliary’s mission to serve veterans, their families and their communities is carried out through its hundreds of outreach programs delivered by its members, volunteers and National Headquarters. | politics |
https://dvdandblu-rayreleasereport.blogspot.com/2016/06/mvd-entertainment-group-teams-with.html | 2018-05-21T12:53:51 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-22/segments/1526794864186.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20180521122245-20180521142245-00040.warc.gz | 0.943975 | 278 | CC-MAIN-2018-22 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-22__0__37784034 | en | Documentary filmmaker David Harvey’s insightful look at the men who surrounded President John F. Kennedy, Kennedys’ Irish Mafia, will be available on DVD on July 12 from Network Ireland Television … MVD Entertainment Group will be directing the domestic sales and distribution effort.
Key advisers to Kennedy, Dave Francis Powers (personal aide to the president), Lawrence O’Brien (future Commissioner of the NBA) and Kenny O’Donnell (White House Appointments Secretary) were known for their intense loyalty and were nicknamed “The Irish Mafia.
Harvey delves into their special relationship with JFK.
Of note, all three had accompanied the president to Dallas in November of 1963 and were in the motorcade following Kennedy when he was assassinated.
According to Harvey’s documentary, when it was decided to bring Kennedy’s body back to D.C. on Air Force One, Powers, O’Brien and O’Donnell not only moved the body from Parkland, but they can be seen physically carrying the president’s coffin up the gangway (there was no hoist available) in vintage film footage from that fateful day.
Bonus features include over an hour’s worth of video sessions with with Patrick Kennedy, Sandy Vancour, Helen O’Donnell, Kathleen Kennedy and Lawrence O’Brien. | politics |
https://andrewpstreet.com/2015/04/03/heres-the-thing-how-the-abbott-government-learned-to-argue-with-their-allies/ | 2023-06-07T06:55:44 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224653608.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20230607042751-20230607072751-00299.warc.gz | 0.956472 | 1,251 | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-23__0__30944856 | en | Originally published at TheVine, 3 April 2015
Or, how to lose friends and influence people against you
One of the things that gets said with reasonable regularity in response to the government’s less-than-stellar track record with regards passing legislation is that the Opposition keep blocking things in the Senate.
It’s a standard argument used by right-leaning commentators, government MPs and angry people on my Facebook page: the reason that all this Medicare co-pay stuff, or the changes to Centrelink eligibility, or the deregulation of universities and most of the budget (still unpassed and coming up to its first smash anniversary!) gets blocked in the upper house is because of Labor’s intransigence. Why oh why do they hate Australia so much?
Here’s the thing, though: Labor don’t block anything. They don’t have the numbers. Indeed, Labor and the Greens together don’t have the numbers.
Here’s the breakdown of the 76 members of the Senate:
The Coalition has 33 senators. Labor has 25. The Greens have 10. And then there are those eight other guys.
Passage of legislation through the Senate rests on a simple majority, thus the balance of power is held by eight independent-slash-microparty senators. It is they whom control the passage of legislation, and it is they whom the government needs to convince.
More specifically, assuming that Labor and the Greens are blocking a piece of proposed legislation, they need to get six crossbench votes (assuming that all Senators are present).
So the problem must be that the crossbench are all radical lefties with a strong anti-conservative bent, right?
Um, about that.
The eight senators who determine the passage of legislation are three sorta-kinda libertarians, two puppets of a mining billionaire, a conservative Christian, a former soldier turned outspoken Islamophobe, and a dude who likes cars.
Number of radical lefties? Zero. Number of people who would, on the face of it, disagree with the sorts of policies beloved of a Coalition government? Zero.
And that’s more or less what the government thought when they got into power, which is why there was so little transition between the steady-as-she-goes promises the Coalition made ahead of the election and the right-let’s-start-cutting-everything-promises-be-damned approach they took after taking office.
Now, admittedly it’s not quite as cut and dried as the above description suggests.
Clive Palmer sank millions into creating Palmer United for the express purpose of getting his vengeance on the Liberal National Party to whom he had been such a heavy donor, and the idea was always to become a potent enough force to hurt Queensland premier Campbell Newman and, to a lesser extent, Tony Abbott.
After the election it appeared Palmer controlled four of the eight crossbenchers. The party had three senators: WA mining executive Dio Wang, former QLD rugby league star Glenn Lazarus, and Tasmanian ex-soldier Jacqui Lambie, plus the Motoring Enthusiasts Party’s Victorian senator Ricky Muir, a former timber worker who had reportedly agreed to vote with the party as a bloc.
Before too long that alliance had splintered: Muir voted independently of PUP, and Lambie and Palmer engaged in an escalating war of crazy (largely over whether PUP would support Lambie’s planned legislation banning Muslim headscarves) until she abruptly left the party.
This would, under normal circumstances, look like a godsend to the government. Sure, PUP was largely attempting to balance populist policies with opposing government measures, which led to seemingly contradictory policies like scrapping the carbon not-actually-a tax but supporting the renewable energy target. But how hard could it be for the government to negotiate with a pair of confused newcomers with right-leaning personal politics?
Instead they started a war with Lambie over defence pay, and Muir (who had struggled to find a job for the nine months between being elected and taking office) was put offside by the government’s draconian employment benefits policies.
And they’re not alone. You want to cut government spending, Coalition? That should be a slam dunk for small-government advocates like David Leyonhjelm and the Motoring Enthusiasts Party. Yet neither have proved easy to convince.
A government that openly opposes marriage equality and supports socially conservative policies in place of existing programmes (who can forget former Social Services minister Kevin Andrews cutting funding for groups that provide emergency women’s shelters, but providing discount marriage counselling coupons?) should find plenty of common cause with Family First’s Bob Day and former DLP senator and avowedly religious anti-abortion campaigner John Madigan. But again, it’s been an uphill battle.
And with the Prime Minister loudly declaiming Muslims as not being appropriately anti-terrorism, Lambie should be a strong ally – yet she’s consistently voted against every piece of legislation the government proposes, and pledged to continue to do so until there’s a pay rise for defence personnel.
The only senator one would generally predict to be opposed to the government would be centrist SA independent Nick Xenophon, but he’s voted in support of several surprising bills – including granting sweeping new powers to the Immigration Minister. The man’s a wild card.
In other words, any difficulty the government has in negotiation is not down to the opposition of the Greens and Labor, but their own ineptitude at negotiating with people who are, after all, heartland Coalition voters.
Put simple: the Abbott Government have done the seemingly impossible: they’ve found a way to argue with people that agree with them.
Which raises the tantalising question: would a new and more responsive leader make those negotiations easier?
After all, it’s impossible to see how it could make things worse… | politics |
http://www.conormcginn.co.uk/ | 2017-02-26T09:55:25 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-09/segments/1487501171971.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20170219104611-00620-ip-10-171-10-108.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.970325 | 474 | CC-MAIN-2017-09 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-09__0__41751789 | en | Welcome to my website
It is a great privilege and honour to represent the people of St Helens North in the House of Commons. As I said in my maiden speech I am determined to work hard for the constituency. I will fight every day for our community, championing jobs and investment, standing up for the most vulnerable, and always defending the interests of our area. I hold regular surgeries in the constituency. If you would like to attend further details can be found on the Contact page. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any issues of concern or any feedback you would like to share.
Conor McGinn, St Helens North MP, is demanding a far better deal for former mine workers from St Helens and across the region. He has joined Gloria DePiero MP in writing to the trustees of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme (MPS) to call for a meeting to review an arrangement that has deprived ex-miners of billions […]
The first couple of months of the New Year can be a tough time for many people as they try to get their finances in order after Christmas. That’s why Conor McGinn MP has teamed up with St Helens Citizens AdviceBureau to encourage people to get advice on dealing with their debts. The St Helens […]
Conor McGinn, MP for St Helens North, has co-sponsored a Bill which would put in place measures to protect police officers, fire and rescue service workers, paramedics, doctors and nurses. The Crime (Assaults on Emergency Service Staff) Bill is led by the Labour MP for Halifax Holly Lynch and sponsored by Mr McGinn and nine […]
The public consultation on St Helens Council’s Local Plan preferred options closed today at noon, and as previously stated I am publishing my response to it. It’s important to clarify that the Local Plan is the responsibility of the Council, and the preferred options are those put forward by the Council. The Council was responsible […]
Conor McGinn MP visited the Happy Hands group based in St Helens. Happy Hands supports families and children who are deaf, hard of hearing or have communication difficulties through a disability. The group, funded through Children in Need, is based at the Deaf Resource Centre on Dentons Green Road. It meets every week to provide […] | politics |
https://vbsr.org/board-staff-member/jordan-giaconia/?wpv_view_count=347-TCPID12404&wpv_paged=2 | 2021-05-10T08:28:56 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-21/segments/1620243989115.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20210510064318-20210510094318-00553.warc.gz | 0.950348 | 145 | CC-MAIN-2021-21 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-21__0__155191656 | en | An accomplished advocate and campaigner, Jordan joined VBSR in December 2019. He brings several years of experience shaping policy at the local, state, and national levels, most recently serving as Associate Director for Federal and Administrative Policy at the Sierra Club in Washington, DC.
Jordan is committed to protecting the natural, economic, and human landscapes of the Green Mountain State and elevating the voices of Vermont’s leading businesses in Montpelier. When he’s not at the office, Jordan can be found hiking, kayaking, fishing, or cooking up new recipes in the kitchen. To talk to Jordan about VBSR’s policy work email him at [email protected]. | politics |
https://htad.ifmbe.org/eu-commission-releases-ai-strategy-for-an-ecosystem-of-excellence-and-trust/ | 2023-10-01T22:41:08 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510941.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20231001205332-20231001235332-00217.warc.gz | 0.925392 | 314 | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-40__0__64187587 | en | The White Paper presents the EU vision for “the human-centric development of AI” with a double objective: promoting the uptake of AI and addressing its associated risks. The proposed strategy is both regulatory and investment-oriented. Identified policy options aim to guarantee to Europe a global leading role in innovations in a “data-agile economy”.
The scope of the future EU regulatory framework will be to cover both data and algorithms, considered the main elements that compose AI. For that reason, complexity and opacity, robustness and accuracy are specific issues future regulation will address.
The White Paper anticipates a flexible legal definition of AI to accommodate technical progress and the adoption of a risk-based approach. The Commission is calling for a public-private partnership in AI, data, and robotics. Further issues covered by the paper are center (s) of research and innovation for AI in Europe and the need to identify appropriate skills/competencies.
Due to the maturity of technologies, priority is recognized to healthcare for the definition of a specific plan to facilitate development, experimentation, and adoption of AI-based solutions. A sector dialogue will guide the definition of an “Adopt AI programme” able to cover aspects as public procurement of AI systems.
The proposed route to an “ecosystem of excellence and trust” for AI in Europe is now open to public consultation until 19 May 2020. Later this year, the European Commission will officially propose legislation subject to approval by the European Parliament and national governments.
Additional relevant links: | politics |
http://m.heruimedical.com/news/ambulance-stowage-clerk-22589646.html | 2021-04-22T20:03:23 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-17/segments/1618039604430.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20210422191215-20210422221215-00157.warc.gz | 0.943786 | 320 | CC-MAIN-2021-17 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-17__0__13691140 | en | The ambulance stowage framer is expected to enter the law. In the future, ambulances will not be equipped with first-aid personnel such as rackers and will face a fine of 5,000 yuan. This morning, the “Pre-hospital Emergency Service Regulations” of the “four-trial” procedure of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress clearly stipulated that each pre-hospital ambulance “standard” four people. Among them, there are 2 first-aid personnel such as on-demand nurses, medical ambulancemen or stretchers.
The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress held its 27th meeting this morning. The "Beijing Pre-hospital Medical Emergency Services Regulations (three draft revisions)" will be held for the fourth time at this meeting.
The Legal Committee believes that whether it is from the perspective of jurisprudence, relevant national laws and regulations, or the practice of countries around the world, the definition of pre-hospital medical emergency services is a public welfare undertaking organized by the government and a basic public service. From the current situation, the government still has problems in management, supervision and guarantees. The 120-system management mechanism organized by the government lacks vitality, and it is difficult to fully meet the needs of the people.
Therefore, this legislation mainly focuses on protecting the rights and health rights of the people, clarifying the government's responsibility for pre-hospital medical emergency services and the main status of the 120 system, while strictly regulating the service behavior of 120 and 999. | politics |
https://rnclub.com/news/why-covid-19-controls-risk-in-2023-sparking-crisis-for-other-eu-country/ | 2023-06-08T22:03:08 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224655143.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20230608204017-20230608234017-00272.warc.gz | 0.958218 | 955 | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-23__0__190686263 | en | At least 44 Chinese cities are under either a full or partial lockdown as authorities persist in trying to curb the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, according to a report from investment bank Nomura and CNN’s own reporting as of Thursday.
In Shanghai, the epicenter of the country’s latest outbreak, scenes once unimaginable for the hyper-modern financial capital have become part of the daily struggle for 25 million people. There, residents forbidden to leave the confines of their apartments or housing blocks for weeks have been desperate for food and freedom — some seen in social media clips screaming out of their windows in frustration or clashing with hazmat-clad workers.
Even after the release of a tentative plan Monday for the partial relaxation of measures, there appears to be no end in sight.
The current situation may mark the most significant challenge for the country — and, arguably, for Chinese leader Xi Jinping — since the initial outbreak of Covid-19 in Wuhan over two years ago. And for Xi, it comes at a particularly sensitive time, months before his expected step into a nearly unprecedented third term in power at the twice-a-decade Party Congress this fall.
The stakes are high for the leader — China’s most powerful in decades — as he has placed his personal stamp firmly on the “dynamic zero-Covid” objective driving these unbending measures, where even a small number of cases can spark sweeping disease controls.
“We need to overcome paralysis in the face of risk, war-weariness, leaving things to chance and becoming relaxed,” state media reported Xi saying Wednesday, calling on the nation to “strictly implement normalized prevention and control measures.”
In China, the local officials rolling out Covid-19 measures, like those in Shanghai, typically get blamed for mismanagement when there are problems — a more acceptable target than the central government and its policies, in the country’s tightly controlled political environment. And it’s not expected that a Covid crisis will imperil Xi’s likely third term.
But as the outbreak enters a critical phase — with some cities already under lockdown for weeks and a top national health official warning Tuesday that Shanghai’s outbreak had “not been effectively contained” — China’s ruling Communist Party and its leader will have to grapple with the economic fallout and the growing possibility that, like the virus, anger against the government seen in Shanghai could spread.
Xi has ordered local officials to do all they can to stop the virus, while also minimizing the “impact on economic and social development” — an order that, counter-intuitively, is expected to push local officials to clamp down with harsh measures at the sign of a few cases, or even preemptively, in the wake of the crisis in Shanghai.
“Shanghai officials were trying to thread this needle they’ve been asked to thread, which is, ‘let’s maintain zero-Covid, while also not disrupting anybody’s life.’ They focused a little bit more on the ‘not disrupting people’s lives’ (side). And they failed,” said Trey McArver, partner and co-founder at the China policy research group Trivium.
“The lesson that everybody’s going to learn is that, actually, you really have to focus on the zero-Covid part,” he said.
As of Tuesday, health authorities said more than 320,000 local Covid-19 cases had been reported across 31 provinces, including those in Shanghai, since March 1.
Already dozens of cities have some form of lockdown, even though the vast majority of those total cases have been found in Shanghai and the northeastern province of Jilin. Getting supplies across the country has become a steep challenge, with some expressways closed, and truck drivers ensnared in quarantine or at thousands of highway health checkpoints.
Some cities have discouraged their residents from leaving, like the major southern port of Guangzhou, which requires its 18 million people to show a negative Covid test if they want to get out.
“You could basically say the whole country now is like a large number of isolated islands,” said Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.
The situation has spurred various ministries in Beijing into action, with a National Development and Reform Commission official pledging Tuesday to “actively coordinate with local governments” and “employ big data” to ensure essentials get delivered. | politics |
https://www.joinmichael.ca/Article?name=Restoring-trust-through-transparency | 2022-07-06T03:56:01 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656104660626.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220706030209-20220706060209-00615.warc.gz | 0.962836 | 215 | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-27__0__246420928 | en | That’s why I committed to providing an interim disclosure of my campaign spending to date, as part of my Party Renewal Policy. This leadership race is subject to financial rules set by the BC Liberal Party’s Leadership Election Organizing Committee and electoral finance regulations administered by Elections BC. I, and my campaign, fully comply with both sets of requirements.
By disclosing my interim expenses, I can confirm that my spending is projected to be within the allowable limit set by the Party and that I am stewarding the funds of my generous donors in a responsible manner. As the final stretch of the campaign unfolds, I continue to be committed to this, as I work to restore trust in our party before becoming leader and premier.
Please join us. I welcome your support in the final months of this campaign. Click here to donate to Team Michael in any amount (to a maximum of $1268) and know that your financial support is appreciated, spent in an accountable and responsible manner, and makes a real difference.
(Through to November 30, 2021) | politics |
http://werleshausen.de/english/borderopen.htm | 2017-03-29T20:54:08 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218191396.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212951-00407-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.940228 | 581 | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-13__0__53993279 | en | Border opening 1989/1990
Politics of "perestroika" and "glasnost" of Soviet leader Michail Gorbatschow influenced also states like Poland, Hungary and GDR (East-Germany). In may 1989 the frontier between Hungary and Austria was open, and thousands of people of GDR left their state on this way or about west-German embassies in Budapest, Prague and Warsaw.
People, who stay in GDR, were very dissatisfied. They began to demonstrate for unrestricted travel, for German reunion and against the bankrupt SED-party regime. In the late summer of 1989 already hundred thousands of people took part in this demonstrations. The retirement of party leader Erich Honnecker on 18 October 1989 initiated the breakdown of SED-party regime. Finally the speech of Günter Schabowski on 9 November 1989 allowed people to travel to West-Germany, this brought the opening of the Berlin-wall. In the next days and months millions of people visited West-Germany and West-Berlin.
This unexpected, peaceful revolution had Germany-political and European dimensions. But the events, which we saw in our homeland, are certainly local and regional from great importance and involved one in lasting memory.
Chronicle of the local events
12 November 1989: Opening of the border at Hohengandern, the federal street "B80" is made again passable. In hurry a provisional inspection point was furnished and a wave of GDR cars called "Trabbi" rolled to Hesse and Lower-Saxony.
19 November 1989: Opening of the border between Bad Sooden-Allendorf and Wahlhausen. A bus shuttle to Lindewerra was furnished.
20 November 1989: Disco in the Ernst-Reuter-school in Neu-Eichenberg.
30 December 1989: Heiligenstadt organized a thank celebration with many guests from the districts in neighborhood.
7 January 1990: Under the slogan of "hands over borders" a chain of people between Witzenhausen over Hohengandern to Heiligenstadt was formed, in order to show the solidarity over the border away.
8 January 1990: Construction machines moved forward and planed the way between Werleshausen and Bornhagen.
20 January 1990: Official opening of the way; the direct way to Hanstein castle was free. Inhabitants of Neuseesen and Werleshausen met people from Bornhagen and Rimbach.
March 1990: First holes in the fence, the disassembly of the border began.
29 May 1990: The railroad line Eichenberg - Arenshausen was again single-railed passable.
17 July 1999: Inauguration of the Werra-bridge between Lindewerra and Oberrieden. | politics |
https://www.travelsphere.co.uk/information/brexit-travel-advice/ | 2024-04-19T10:04:44 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817382.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20240419074959-20240419104959-00473.warc.gz | 0.953752 | 957 | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-18__0__106187203 | en | Brexit Advice for Travellers
Brexit Advice for Travellers
The UK Government and the European Union (EU) have both said that people will still be able to travel to and from the EU after Brexit
While the situation is evolving rapidly, ABTA has put together the following advice, answering common questions and explaining any steps travellers may need to take to avoid any unnecessary disruption due to a no-deal exit.
Travel before 31 January 2020
The UK is still a member of the EU, which means that all existing travel arrangements still apply.
For example, you still have access to state medical care in any EU country as long as you have an up to date European Health Insurance Card and you can continue to use the EU/EEA passport gates.
If your travel to an EU country sees you depart the UK before 31 January 2020, but you don’t return until afterwards, please read ABTA's advice below about travel after 31 January 2020 as there may be some steps you need to take to avoid any unnecessary disruption in the event of a no-deal.
Travel after 31 January 2020
If the Government agrees a deal before 31 January 2020, the UK will enter a transition period, meaning everything will continue to remain the same during that period and you can continue to travel as you do now.
With a no-deal, UK holidaymakers have had reassurances from the UK Government and European Commission that they will still be able to travel, as there is either contingency legislation in place or the travel services are covered by international law.
If the UK does leave the EU without a deal, there will be some changes and there are some actions you may need to take in advance so that you can continue with your holiday as planned.
Will flights still operate?
If a deal is agreed then we will be in a transition period, meaning everything will stay the same until the end of December 2020 and flights will continue as normal. Under existing contingency arrangements in a no-deal scenario the European Commission has said that UK airlines will still be able to operate flights between the UK and the EU under contingency legislation. The UK Government has offered similar assurances for EU airlines.
Will I need a visa to travel to the EU after Brexit?
The European Parliament has confirmed that UK travellers won’t need a visa to travel to the EU after Brexit for leisure trips, even if the UK leaves without a deal. UK citizens will be able to visit the EU for up to 90 days within a 180-day period without a visa.
Should I take out travel insurance to cover Brexit?
It is important that whenever and wherever you travel that you have adequate travel insurance which covers your specific needs, including any known medical conditions or activities you plan to do. It is also worth checking the detail of the policy around travel disruption including delays or cancellations as policies do vary. You can also speak to your travel insurance provider about whether they provide any specific cover for Brexit.
PASSPORTS AND TRAVEL INSURANCE
This information covers areas where you can take reasonable action or put plans into place now:
Check the date your passport expires. If we leave the EU without a deal, the UK Government recommends that you have six months left on your passport on the date of your arrival in an EU country. Note that the six months on your passport is only required if you are travelling after the date the UK leaves the EU.
You should also check when your passport was renewed. If you renewed a 10-year adult passport before it expired, extra months may have been added to your passport’s expiry date. These extra months over 10 years will not count towards the 6 months that must be remaining.
You can renew your passport online or by going to a Post Office with a Check and Send service.
You may wish to renew your passport sooner rather than later, in order to make sure you have it in time for your holiday.
European Health Insurance Card and travel insurance
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) allows any EU citizen to access state medical care when they are travelling in another EU country. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, UK registered EHICs will no longer be valid.
ABTA has always advised holidaymakers to make sure they have appropriate travel insurance, whether they have an EHIC card or not, as there are limitations to EHIC.
When travelling in the EU and beyond, it is important you take out travel insurance and check that it covers your current circumstances, including any medical conditions. If you have an annual policy, make sure you check the Terms and Conditions and contact your insurance provider if you’re not sure. | politics |
https://www.blackwellburke.com/attorneys/micah-hines/ | 2021-07-23T23:15:47 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-31/segments/1627046150067.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20210723210216-20210724000216-00006.warc.gz | 0.92917 | 803 | CC-MAIN-2021-31 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-31__0__133016803 | en | Micah Mitchell Hines is an experienced litigator, having tried over 100 cases to verdict. She returned to Blackwell Burke as Special Counsel in 2015. Prior to that, she served as general counsel and assistant chief of staff to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon.
Ms. Hines served as chief legal advisor to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and approximately thirty-five office staff on diverse subjects including human resources, human services, pardons, land exchanges, bonds, budgets, tribal matters, revenue and tax matters, natural resources, education, legislation, litigation and legal matters across the twenty-four executive branch agencies. She participated in the Governor’s interviews of candidates seeking appointments to Minnesota courts and served as the Governor’s designee on the Minnesota State Board of Investment (the state agency responsible for $82B in state and employee retirement assets).
Immediately before joining the Governor’s Office, Ms. Hines worked at Blackwell Burke. She also previously worked at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease and State Farm Insurance Companies. She is admitted to the bars of the Supreme Courts of Minnesota and Ohio, and the Court of Appeals of Maryland.
- Chair, Minnesota State Board of Investment Proxy Voting Committee, 2011-2014
- Chair, Minnesota State Board of Investment Administrative Committee, 2011-2014
- Co-Chair, Governor’s 2013 Statewide Council on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
- Minnesota Advisory Committee on Capitol Security (Advisor), 2012-2014
- YWCA of Minneapolis (finance and nominating committees), 2012-2014
- Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys (engagement committee), 2013-2014
- University of Michigan Law School (J.D. 2002), Dean’s Scholar
- Duke University (B.A. 1999)
- Minnesota Lawyer Attorney of the Year
- Minnesota Lawyer Up-and-Coming Attorney
Micah has spoken on behalf of Governor Dayton at judicial investiture ceremonies, conferences, and community events. In addition, she has spoken on numerous panels.
- In re Bair HuggerTM MDL Summary Judgment Victory. Won a landmark victory for 3M Company in the federal Bair HuggerTM MDL, securing dismissal of one of the 10 largest MDLs in the country. The court granted summary judgment for 3M in more than 5,000 cases after granting the firm’s motion to exclude the opinions of the plaintiffs’ experts. Measured by the number of cases dismissed, the summary judgment win represents one of the largest-impact defense wins in history. Also won summary judgment and dismissal of all Minnesota state cases.
- Gareis v. 3M Company (Bair Hugger™). Won a complete defense verdict for one of the world's largest global innovation manufacturing companies in the first product liability multidistrict litigation (MDL) bellwether trial in Minnesota Federal District Court. The jury agreed with the defense that the warming device did not cause surgical site infections.
- Khoury v. ConAgra Foods. Member of the trial team which successfully defended international food manufacturer ConAgra Foods, Inc. Consumers claimed disease from exposure to microwave popcorn vapors. After a month-long trial in the plaintiffs’ counsel’s home court in Jackson County, Missouri, a jury found in favor of ConAgra Foods on all claims resulting in a complete defense victory. The case was affirmed on appeal.
- Newkirk v. ConAgra Foods. Member of the trial team which refuted plaintiff’s argument that consumer exposure to popcorn additives was comparable to industrial-level exposure. A Washington federal district court excluded plaintiff’s experts on Daubert grounds, granted summary judgment and dismissed all claims in favor of ConAgra Foods, Inc. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed. | politics |
https://www.boomsticks.us/products/rifles-auto-ordnance-t11450dc1-602686422116-3389 | 2021-10-26T05:56:44 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-43/segments/1634323587799.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20211026042101-20211026072101-00472.warc.gz | 0.83245 | 234 | CC-MAIN-2021-43 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-43__0__189646968 | en | The "Trump Thompson" starts as a Model 1927 Tommy Gun, chambered in .45 ACP. It is entirely manufactured in the USA from quality steel and American walnut. On the right side is engraved an American flag and the image of our 45th President. His name and 45th are engraved on the receiver. The grip contains his famous quote drawing the line at infringing on Americans' rights. On the right stock are engraved the Presidential Seal, American Flag, and the White House. The grip contains another important quote from President Trump defining the Second Amendment as America's "first freedom". The receiver contains President Trump's promise to "Make America Great Again". The finish is highly durable Cerakote in Armor Black, and Cerakote Clear over high polished flats.
|Sights||Pinned Blade Front/Open Adj Rear|
|Weight Range||12.00 lbs to 12.99 lbs|
|Stock Description||American Walnut|
|Metal Finish Group||Black|
|Stock Finish Group||Wood|
|Barrel Length Range||16.00" to 17.99"|
Determined at checkout. | politics |
http://calwa.org/2015/10/california-legislature-enacts-bill-to-streamline-installation-of-wireless-facilities/ | 2018-02-20T07:57:57 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-09/segments/1518891812913.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20180220070423-20180220090423-00216.warc.gz | 0.923703 | 550 | CC-MAIN-2018-09 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-09__0__138830677 | en | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
California Legislature Enacts Bill to Streamline Installation of Wireless Facilities
Assembly Bill 57, signed into law today by Governor Brown, will streamline applications for much needed cell sites in order to improve and upgrade existing wireless services such as 4G-LTE.
“The California Wireless Association (CalWA) applauds the new law as a critical tool to facilitate widespread construction of much needed wireless facilities throughout the state of California,” stated Robert Jystad, President of CalWA. “Existing gaps in coverage and demands on saturated networks make the expansion of wireless networks a critical next step both in the improvement of existing services and in the development of exciting new technologies such as driverless cars.”
The new law provides that an application for a new cell site or for a collocation on an existing site is deemed approved if the city or county fails to approve or disapprove the application within a given time period. The applicable time periods to the California law are specified in the FCC’s 2009 Shot Clock Order as 150 days for new site builds and 90 days for collocations. To use the deemed approved remedy, all required public notices regarding the application must have been provided by applicant, and the applicant must notify the city or county that the time period for review has passed.
With the passage of this new law, California joins other states across the country enacting laws to speed up the construction of wireless telecommunication facilities in response to the growing demand for wireless coverage. The federal government recently responded to the critical need for a reliable wireless communications network with new laws aimed at shortening approval time frames for network upgrades by enacting the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Spectrum Act), which was followed earlier this year by the FCC Wireless Siting Order of 2015.
Mr Jystad further stated: “As more and more people each year give up their land lines and rely solely on their wireless phones, the need for streamlined approval processes and common sense requirements for wireless network improvements are critical. CalWA will continue to be at the forefront advocating for and supporting legislative efforts that respond to the needs of our members, the wireless community, and the wireless consumer.”
The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2016.
For further information, please contact for following:
Cynthia Hanson at [email protected] or 858-964-7430,
Kari Willis at [email protected] or 714-504-1145, or
Robert Jystad at [email protected] or 310-871-8189. | politics |
https://sensor-tech.ru/tpost/i0amhgfeo1-sensor-tech-laboratory-at-the-internatio | 2023-03-25T00:58:27 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945292.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20230325002113-20230325032113-00211.warc.gz | 0.969096 | 136 | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-14__0__67741993 | en | The event was attended by several thousand people. Among them were Russia's top officials - Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov, Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin and Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.
And there are also 80 countries taking part in Made in Russia this year, which is three times more than in the previous year. This reflects the main idea behind the forum - Russian industry and innovations will develop despite difficult times. And we are happy to be part of such a large-scale and meaningful undertaking!
We express our gratitude to the Russian Export Centre for the opportunity to take part in the event and present our projects. | politics |
https://gvthlaw.com/article/citizenship-malta/ | 2021-12-05T06:59:45 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-49/segments/1637964363149.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20211205065810-20211205095810-00217.warc.gz | 0.975752 | 761 | CC-MAIN-2021-49 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-49__0__64193108 | en | Maltese Citizenship is regulated by the Maltese Citizenship Act Cap 188 of the Laws of Malta.
BENEFITS OF MALTESE CITIZENSHIP
Malta is a member state of the European Union and is considered to have one of the lowest tax rates in Europe. Any individual that has been granted Maltese citizenship is entitled to benefit from all the rights that are granted to all Maltese nationals, including the right to enter, remain and reside in Malta, take up employment in Malta and enjoy rights of free movement derived under European law.
MALTESE CITIZENSHIP BY BIRTH
The aquisition of Maltese independence in 1964 plays an important role in Maltese history and our independance from the United Kindgdom has left its effect on local citizenship rules.
Citizenship by birth legislation is consequently divided as follows:
i. Persons born pre-1964 are able to apply to become citizens of Malta, if they were born in Malta and at least one of their parents was born in Malta or they were born in the UK but their father and their grandfather was born in Malta.
ii. Persons born between 1964 and 1989 are able to apply for Maltese citizenship if they were born in Malta or they were born abroad, but their father was born in Malta.
iii. Persons born post 1989 are able to acquire Maltese citizenship if they were born in Malta or they were born abroad, but any one of their parents was born in Malta.
MALTESE CITIZENSHIP BY REGISTRATION
An individual may apply to become a citizen of Malta if his or her spouse is a Maltese citizen and they have been married for a period exceeding five years. This rule applies even if following the five year period the couple gets seperated or the Maltese spouse passes away.
A person may also apply to become a citizen of Malta if the person is a descendant of a citizen of Malta.
MALTESE CITIZENSHIP BY NATURALISATION
A foreign national may apply to become a citizen of Malta on the basis of naturalisation, if the individal has lived in Malta for a period exceeding six (6) years and during the said six year period, the person has physically resided in Malta for an aggregate period exceeding four years. Citizenship on the basis of naturalisation, is subject to ministerial approval and public interest requirements, including knowledge of the Maltese or English language and suitability of character.
MALTESE CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT – MALTA INDIVIDUAL INVESTOR PROGRAMME
Malta has recently launched a programme entitled the Malta Individual Investor Programme (“MIIP”). The Malta Individual Investor Programme (“MIIP”) is a programme designed to attract investment from foreign nationals of high net worth. TheProgramme entitles applicants and their dependants to submit an application to become naturalised citizens of Malta. The programme is regulated by Legal Notice 47 of 2014 and the conditions applicable to the programme may be viewed by clicking the following link.
Dr. Mark Hyzler is an authorised agent (Certificate No. IIP040) of Identity Malta and is fully qualified to handle and submit applications under the Malta Individual Investor Programme. Should you require any further information or any additional documentation, you may contact him on [email protected] or on Mob no.(+356) 79320332.
GVTH has a wealth of experience in handling applications for citizenship in Malta and our immigration department would be happy to assist you on any quiries you may have in relation to an application for Maltese citizenship. You can also read more about Maltese residency and citizenship here. | politics |
https://www.jordidiez.ca/publications/ | 2023-12-05T05:37:26 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100545.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20231205041842-20231205071842-00092.warc.gz | 0.7067 | 2,340 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__241262917 | en | In Progress. The Judicial Politics of Abortion in Latin America: Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press.
2018. La política del matrimonio gay en América Latina: Argentina, Chile y México. México DF: Fondo de Cultura Económica (Translation into Spanish).
2012 (with Susan Franceschet, editors). Comparative Public Policy in Latin America. Toronto: The University of Toronto Press.
2008 (with O.P. Dwivedi, editors). Global Environmental Challenges: Perspectives from the South. Toronto: The University of Toronto Press.
2006 (editor). Canadian and Mexican Security in the New North America: Challenges and Prospects. Kingston and Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
2006. Political Change and Environmental Policymaking in Mexico. New York: Routledge Press.
Articles and Book Chapters
Forthcoming. “The Gay and Lesbian Movements” in Federico M. Rossi (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Latin American Social Movements. New York: Oxford University Press.
2020.”The Record of Latin America’s Left on Sexual Citizenship” In Manuel Balán and Françoise Montambeault (eds.) Legacies of the Left Turn in Latin America: The Promise of Inclusive Citizenship. South Bend, IN: University of Notre Dame Press. 252-79.
2019 (and Viviana Bohorquez, Nora Picasso) “La judiciarisation de l’avortement en Amérique Latine et les limites de la citoyenneté” en Problèmes d’Amérique Latine, No. 3. : 53-79.
2018 (and Michelle Dion). “New Media and Support for Same-Sex Marriage” in Latin American Research Review Vol. 53 No. 3: 466-84.
2018. “Institutionalizing Same-Sex Marriage in Argentina and Mexico: The Role of Federalism” in Bronwyn Winter (ed.) Global Perspectives in Same-Sex Marriage” A Neo-Institutional Approach. New York: Palgrave- McMillan.
2017 (and Michelle Dion). “Democratic Values, Religiosity and Support for Same-Sex Marriage in Latin America” Latin American Politics and Society: 75-98
2015. “La importancia de los marcos de política pública en momentos políticos contenciosos: La campaña nacional contra la homofobia en México” en Héctor Domínguez-Ruvalcaba (coordinador) La cuestión del odio: Acercamientos interdisciplinarios a la homofobia en México. Xalapa: Universidad Veracruzana, 169-201.
2013. “Explaining Policy Outcomes: The Adoption of Same-Sex Unions in Buenos Aires and Mexico City” Comparative Political Studies Vol. 46 (February) No. 2: 212-35.
2012. “Presidentialism and Policymaking in Latin America: The Case of Mexico” in Díez and Franceschet, 34-53.
2012. “Civil-Military Relations in Mexico: The Unfinished Transition” in Roderic Ai Camp (editor) The Oxford Handbook of Mexican Politics. New York: Oxford University Press: 365-385
2011. “La trayectoria política del movimiento lésbico-gay en México” Estudios Sociológicos. Vol. 29 (mayo-agosto) No. 86: 687-712.
2011. “Argentina: A Queer Tango between the LG Movement and the State” in Carol Johnson, David Paternotte and Manon Trembaly (editors) The Lesbian and Gay Movement and the State: Comparative Insights into a Transformed Relationship.Surrey: Ashgate, 13-25.
2010. “The Importance of Policy Frames in Contentious Politics: Mexico’s 2005 Anti-Homophobia Campaign” Latin American Research Review Vol. 45 (February) No. 1: 33-54.
2010. “El Movimiento Lésbico-Gay en México, 1978-2008” en Luz Elena Gutiérrez de Velasco, Ana María Tepichin y Karine Tinat (coordinadoras) Relaciones de Género, Tomo 8, Los Grandes Problemas de México. México, DF: El Colegio de México.
2008 (with Reyes Rodríguez). “Environmental Justice in Mexico: The Peñoles Case” in David Carruthers (editor) Environmental Justice in Latin America: Problems, Promise and Practice. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 161-181.
2008. “Mexico and North American Security” in Daniel Drache (editor) Big Pictures Realities: Canada and Mexico at a Crossroads. Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 153-168.
2008. “Globalization and Environmental Politics in Mexico” in Díez and Dwivedi: 224-46.
2008. “The Rise and Fall of Mexico´s Green Movement” European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Vol. 85 (October), 81-99.
2008. “Legislative Oversight of the Armed Forces in Mexico” Mexican Studies Vol. 24 (Winter) No. 1: 113-145.
2007. “North America’s Security Perimeter” Security and Defense Studies Review, Vol. 7 (Summer), No. 1: 1-14.
2020 (and Mario Pecheny). “Being LGB in Argentina” in Paula Gerber (ed.) Worldwide Perspectives on Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals, Volume 3, Chapter 24, New York: Praeger.
2019. “Marriage, Same-Sex, in Latin America.” In Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGTBQ) History. Farmington Hill, MI: Gale, 1001-4.
2015. “LGBT Rights Activism in Latin America.” In James D. Wright (editor-in-chief), International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edition, Vol 13. Oxford: Elseiver: 858-63.
2014. “Political Competition, Partisanship and Policy Making in Latin America,” by Victoria Murillo. Perspectives on Politics. Vol. 11, No. 982-3.
2008. “Greening Brazil: Environmental Activism and Society,” by Kathryn Hochstetler and Margaret E. Keck. Vol. 21, No. 3, 471-2.
2008. “Newsroom in Conflict: Journalism and Democratization in Mexico,” by Sallie Hughes. European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies Vol. 85 (October), 142-4.
“The Judicial Politics of Abortion in Latin America,” World Congress of Political Science, Brisbane, Australia, July 21-26, 2018.
“Abortion Politics and Transnational International Networks in Latin America,” Law and Society Association, Mexico City, Mexico City, June 20-23, 2017.
“Federalism, Implementation and Gay Marriage in Latin America: Argentina and Mexico,” World Congress of Political Science, Poznań, Poland, July 23- 28, 2016.
“Explaining Cross-National Variation in (Negative) Sexual Rights in Latin America: Brazil, Chile and Mexico” (with Tyler Valiquette and Daniel Waring), Latin America Studies Association, Lima, Peru, April 26, May 1, 2017.
“The Judicial Politics of Reproductive Rights in Latin America,” European Conference on Politics and Gender, Uppsala, Sweden, June 11-13, 2015.
“Democracy, Courts and Family: The Meaning of the Colombian and Mexican Rulings on Gay Marriage,” Latin American Studies Association, Chicago, May 21-24, 2014.
“Exploring the Limits of Judicialization: The Impact of the Atala Ruling on Sexual Rights in Chile,” Latin American Studies Association, Washington, DC, May 29-June 1, 2013.
“A Battle Partly Won: Institutional Heteronorms as Obstacles to the Expansion of Social Benefits in Argentina and Mexico,” Latin American Studies Association, San Francisco, May 23-26, 2012.
“Explaining Variance in the Expansion of Gay and Lesbian Rights in Latin America: Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay” American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Seattle, September 1-4, 2011.
“Civil-Military Relations in Mexico: The Unfinished Transition,” Latin American Studies Association, International Congress, Toronto, October 6-9, 2010.
“Presidentialism and Public Policymaking in Latin America,” World Congress of Political Science, Santiago de Chile, July 12-16, 2009.
“A Tale of Two Cities: The Passage of Civil Unions in Buenos Aires and Mexico City” Latin American Studies Association, International Congress, Rio de Janeiro, June 11-14, 2009.
“Explaining Social Movement Success: The Impact of Mexico’s LGTB Movement on Public Policy” Gender Futures: Law, Critique and the Struggle for Something More,” University of Westminster, London, UK, April 3-4, 2009.
“Our Losing War against Organized Crime in the Western Hemisphere” Annual Kingston Conference on International Security, US Army War College & Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, June 17-19, 2008.
“Progress in Conservative Times: Mexico’s 2005 Anti-Homophobia Campaign” Latin American Studies Association, Montréal, September 5-9, 2007.
“Globalization and the Politics of the Environment in Mexico” Canadian Association for the Study of International Development, Saskatoon, May 31- June 2, 2007.
“The Rise and Fall of Mexico’s Green Movement” Canadian Political Science Association, Annual Conference, Saskatoon, May 30-June 1, 2007.
“Congressional Oversight of the Armed Forces in Mexico” Latin American Studies Association 2006 International Congress, San Juan, Puerto Rico, March 15-18, 2006.
“The Implementation of Forestry Policy in the Lacandone Rainforest” Mexican Association of Rural Studies Annual Conference, Oaxaca, Mexico, May 27, 2005.
“Democracy and Policymaking in Mexico: The Case of Environmental Policy” Society for Latin American Studies, 2002 International Conference, University of East Anglia (UK), March 22 – 24, 2002. | politics |
https://nrvstrike.wordpress.com/2017/08/24/day-1-recap/ | 2022-10-05T08:39:42 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030337595.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20221005073953-20221005103953-00657.warc.gz | 0.98765 | 720 | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-40__0__9978543 | en | Overall the launch of today’s strike can be considered a success. We, along with supporters, marched on Target to deliver the strike notice. We were greeted by one of the store managers, but were not allowed to enter the store premises. After notice was given the entire crew went to their stations, supporters to the Target lot entrance with signs, banners, and chants full of enthusiasm, while workers stood in front of the doors of the store to leaflet while telling customers and coworkers what was going on and asking for their support.
Many did in fact support us, many did turn away and refused to cross the picket lines, old union heads, feminists, and all concerned community members. It was only a minority who expressed any hostility, some seemed inconvenienced, too busy to pay attention that the workers who serve them have experienced abuse. After the first half hour or so management finally came out to relay messages to us, this first manager actually seemed sympathetic with our efforts telling us they hoped we would get justice towards Daniel Butler. They instructed us that we had to stay 20 feet from the store entrance, we complied and it seemed both parties concerned recognize the other’s rights in this matter.
Next the cops were called, they came, they stood in front of the entrance for only a moment, nodded our way, entered the store to consult management, exited and repeated the same motion, only to leave the store.
But it was after this that the management took on a more aggressive approach, telling us we had to get off the entrance because we were “soliciting” and making the customers “uncomfortable”. We were fed some argument that because we were not striking during our scheduled shifts we were considered “guests” not workers, and we needed to get off Target property. We pushed back the entire time, as managers took shifts coming out to harass us. We were continuously threatened that there would be “consequences” if we did not leave, but seeing as the police never came back nor told us we were trespassing it would seem to us that management was bluffing.
As we kept arguing with managers we were able to inform other workers of their rights during this strike, since it was apparent management had no problem spreading misinformation. As we told management, it must really suck being in their position, having to defend Daniel Butler who abuses Target workers. Management seemed unamused. Some of the most positive developments were other local workers acting in solidarity. Sheetz workers, including management, gave us a huge box of fruit, water, donuts, and even a collective letter of support, offering us jobs if need be.
Workers from Panera also expressed solidarity and wish to work with us in the future to help build worker power in the New River Valley. A Verizon union worker bought us a case of water, we can’t express how grateful we are that our fellow workers stood by us and contributed to our effort. As of now, our strike fund is at $800 dollars. Clearly we have community support. Former workers during this strike made it a point to reach out to us, people we had no previous contact with, this has resulted in new condemning testimonies of Daniel Butler’s pervasive abuse.
Target, we have a message for you, the New River Valley does not support your manager and your lack of support for workers in their fight for justice. Y’all can either abide by our community’s wishes or get out of town. | politics |
https://reddirtdownload.com/Feed/?p=108 | 2023-12-07T06:47:47 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100650.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20231207054219-20231207084219-00746.warc.gz | 0.932416 | 725 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__238788070 | en | The American Constitution, Bill of Rights, Amendments, and Their Importance to America and American Culture
The American Constitution, Bill of Rights, and subsequent Amendments form the cornerstone of the United States’ democratic system and have been central to shaping American culture and values. This essay will provide an overview of these foundational documents, elucidate their significance to America, and discuss the role they play in fostering the nation’s unique identity.
The American Constitution
The United States Constitution, adopted in 1787, is the supreme law of the land and the blueprint for the American government. It establishes the structure of the government, defines the powers and limitations of each branch, and sets forth the rights and responsibilities of citizens. The Constitution is a testament to the wisdom and foresight of the Founding Fathers, who sought to create a balanced, just, and effective system that would withstand the test of time.
The Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights, comprising the first ten amendments to the Constitution, was ratified in 1791. This seminal document guarantees fundamental rights and liberties to American citizens, including freedom of speech, religion, and the press, the right to bear arms, protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, and the right to a fair trial. The Bill of Rights safeguards individual liberties, ensuring that citizens can express their beliefs and opinions without fear of government reprisal, and can seek redress for grievances through the legal system.
Since the ratification of the Bill of Rights, 17 additional amendments have been added to the Constitution. These amendments have addressed various issues, such as the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, and presidential term limits. The amendment process ensures that the Constitution remains a living document, capable of evolving to meet the needs and challenges of an ever-changing society. This adaptability has been crucial to the Constitution’s enduring relevance and authority.
The Importance of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Amendments to America
The Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Amendments are of paramount importance to America for several reasons:
- Rule of law: These documents establish the rule of law in the United States, ensuring that all citizens, regardless of their status or wealth, are subject to the same legal standards and protections.
- Separation of powers: The Constitution delineates the responsibilities and limitations of the three branches of government – the executive, legislative, and judicial – thereby preventing any one branch from becoming too powerful and maintaining a system of checks and balances.
- Protection of individual rights: The Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments guarantee fundamental freedoms and rights to all citizens, fostering an environment in which individuals can thrive and pursue their goals without undue interference from the government.
- National identity: These foundational documents have helped to shape a distinct American culture, characterized by a strong belief in individual liberty, the rule of law, and democratic principles.
- Adaptability and resilience: The amendment process ensures that the Constitution can change to address new challenges and concerns, allowing the United States to navigate its evolving social, political, and economic landscape.
The American Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Amendments are more than just a set of legal documents; they embody the core values and principles that have defined the United States for over two centuries. They serve as a constant reminder of the nation’s commitment to upholding individual rights, promoting justice, and preserving democracy. These foundational texts have not only shaped America’s legal and political landscape, but they have also played a pivotal role in forging a unique national identity grounded in the cherished ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity for all. | politics |
https://whitetrashtrucks.wordpress.com/2014/11/07/mexico-cancels-3-75-billion-contract-for-chinese-bullet-train/ | 2018-09-26T10:42:18 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-39/segments/1537267164750.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20180926101408-20180926121808-00097.warc.gz | 0.954 | 187 | CC-MAIN-2018-39 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-39__0__34571824 | en | Mexico has revoked a $3.75 billion high-speed rail contract from a Chinese-led consortium after its uncontested bid prompted an outcry from lawmakers, only days after the contract to build the link was awarded.
The news threatens to sour a state visit to China next week by President Enrique Pena Nieto. Nieto is due to unveil a joint investment fund with China, which has so far invested a tiny fraction in Mexico of the billions of dollars it has spent in Latin America.
Opposition politicians accused the government of rigging the tender in favor of a group led by China Railway Construction Corp Ltd, the sole bidder. Mexico’s communications and transport ministry denied such claims but said late on Thursday it would now hold a fresh tender.
“The president is sensitive to the fact that there should be no doubts about a project this important and of such benefit for society,”…
View original post 359 more words | politics |
https://www.cadoanthanhlinh.net/2017/10/homily-for-xxix-sunday-in-ordinary-time.html | 2023-09-28T11:29:40 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510387.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20230928095004-20230928125004-00757.warc.gz | 0.965626 | 915 | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-40__0__59701506 | en | “Repay to Caesar What Belongs to Caesar and to God What Belongs to God”
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
When speaking of justice, we often focus more on social justice which means that all people without any form of discrimination should receive fair treatment and have equal benefits and opportunities in achieving their dreams in society.
In order to ensure and restore social justice other types of justice have been established such as retributive justice that includes legal enforcement with imprisonment, labor camp and even death penalty.
It seems that social justice still remains a hard work for all people to accomplish. It is by no way because the implementation of the legal measures are not strict enough in defending the innocent and punishing the criminals.
We witness the sad reality that social justice is meant only for the politically and economically powerful. Kangaroo court in totalitarian regimes is just a convincing proof of the failure of human social justice where the offended—the scape-goats—take all the responsibilities for the wrongdoings of their offenders.
This Sunday Gospel gives us the most meaningful and effective type of justice which is rightly coined as Christian justice for it was taught and practiced by Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior of the world.
“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God”, in fact, means something much greater and deeper than just social justice.
First, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” confirms the truth that with regard to whom justice should be rendered there are two different orders of ownership: one is God’s, the other is Caesar’s.
On the one hand, “Caesar” stands for those responsible for the common good of people in society, or the secular authority, or the State. They who come to power by democratic and honest way, through fair elections for instance, enjoy their legitimate authority to fulfill their calling. This means that they have received from God the mandate of serving peace and order. Saint Paul admonishes Christians to obey legitimate secular authority, saying “for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God. Therefore, whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed, and those who oppose it will bring judgment upon themselves.”
“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” clearly and strongly discourages those who have illegally and dishonestly seized power against the will of the people and the assignment of God. They are simply “thieves and robbers” who come “only to steal and slaughter and destroy.”
We Christians are by no means obliged to obey those evil shepherds but on the contrary we are bound by our Christian faith and moral standard to tell—sometimes, in case of necessity, but in a peaceful way, to force—them to render justice to God and the people: “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God”.
Secondly, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” means above all that God’s absolute and supreme authority and power should be recognized and honored. God is always the Creator of this world. He is the owner of His creation. He is the master of history. He is the loving caring Father of all of us, human beings. He is the judge of the living and the dead, yet He is slow to anger and quick to mercy and bounder less in forgiveness. Saint James strongly defends God’s authority as the only lawmaker, saying “There is one lawgiver and judge Who is able to save or to destroy. Who then are you to judge your neighbor?”
“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” becomes more urgent than ever when we Christians celebrate Mission Sunday today to pray for the preaching of Gospel values, that of Christian justice included, to a world seriously torn by all forms of injustices.
Let us start the missionary journey by putting into practice Christ’s teaching “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” right now and here, in our families, communities and countries. Amen.
Fr. Francis Nguyen Van Nhut, O.P. | politics |
http://www.greenbelteurope.eu/php/getSEOContent.php?type=topic&id=73 | 2013-12-07T06:21:52 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163053608/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204131733-00099-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.945872 | 443 | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2013-48__0__204837239 | en | Downloads Interreg-Project finished 2008
Austria - Slovenia
The Green Belt between Austria and Slovenia extends from the Pannonic gentle hill regions at the border triangle Austria-Hungary-Slovenia to the Alpine regions of the Eastern Alps. The trilateral nature park Raab-Oerseg-Goricko shows a traditional cultural landscape with a mosaic of small fields, orchards, vine-yards, meadows and streams. The river Mura forms the border for a short segment. Pohorje is a mountain region with many streams and moors at the plateau. The Green Belt Austria - Slovenia contains the Alpine regions Kamik - Savinska Alps with the picturesque Logarska valley and the Rinka cascade, Karavanke with its beautiful and diverse daffodil meadows threatened by afforestation and scrub encroachment, the Julian Alps (called after the Julian family ruling parts of the southern Alps) and the transition to the Dinaric Mountains, formed by the Trnovo Forest and the Sneznik-Pivka and Javorniki Mountains.
The borders between Austria and Slovenia have changed during the centuries. Between 630 and 1050 AD the region of Carinthia, Styria and Carniola was united in the Slavic duchy Carantania.The region was dominated by different rulers (Bavarians, Franconians, Bohemians, Habsburg monarchy), until from the 19th century the Slovenians started to demand for equal political and cultural rights. In 1918 the State of Serbians, Croatians and Slovenians was proclaimed. Slovenia lost its coastal provinces to Italy, which was fixed in the Rapallo Treaty 1920. 1929 the Kingdom Yugoslavia was proclaimed. In 1941 Slovenia was occupied by Germany, Italy and Hungary. In 1945 the Democratic, later Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was founded by Tito. Slovenia was the most prosperous province. Tito's policy of non-alignment, federality and lightened economic control gave Yugoslavia a special position among the socialist states. The border was less protected than other Iron Curtain segments: there was no barbed wire or mine fields.
Green Belt Europe | politics |
https://hub.cnetworks.tech/internet-as-important-as-electricity-water-and-sewer/ | 2022-12-10T07:53:59 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446710421.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20221210074242-20221210104242-00428.warc.gz | 0.947504 | 505 | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-49__0__207310164 | en | Councilor hopes to make fiber optic internet as important to infrastructure as electricity, water and sewer. Access to high-speed, reliable internet is critical in the digital age. Superior City Councilor Tylor Elm is hoping other councilors agrees it is essential infrastructure in the city.
Elm, co-owner of discoverpc.NET, has introduced a resolution that would declare fiber optic cabling for ultra-high-speed internet as critical infrastructure for the city.
“Fiber is as essential as water, sewer and electricity,” Elm said.
The resolution comes in advance of the first meeting of the Communications & Information Technology Committee later in August.
Working in the technology industry, Elm said he sees that access to affordable, high-speed internet is necessary to keep Superior competitive in a world where technology is changing all the time. He said people in some parts of the country can access 1 gigabyte speed service for about $50 per month, but the same speed locally can cost as much as $500 to $1,000 a month, which puts Superior at a disadvantage. He said getting that price point down could give the city an edge.
“Affordable, ultra-high-speed, reliable access to the internet is imperative for the success of the city of Superior businesses, residents, nonprofit organizations and visiting guests,” Elm said. “The internet is ever changing how humans communicate and interact with each other locally and abroad.”
In places that prioritize access to infrastructure like fiber optic as an essential service are surpassing areas that don’t in terms of social, economic and knowledge development and expansion, he said. He said by fiber optic a critical piece of the city’s infrastructure, it could create new opportunities for the city.
“We want to expand access to broadband,” said Mayor Jim Paine, who asked the Council to establish the Communications & Infrastructure Committee to guide not only the city’s broadening use of technology, but to guide policy in the public interest on the use of technology.
“The city of Superior must prioritize and welcome this infrastructure as an essential service, just as we have with water, sewer and electricity in past generations, to ensure our economic prosperity,” Elm said.
The Council considers Elm’s resolution when it meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, in Room 201 of the Government Center. City-wide cameras invade privacy | politics |
https://thevocalvixen.com/2022/11/23/human-rights-are-non-negotiable-germany-explain-world-cup-team-photo-protest/ | 2023-09-22T15:24:23 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233506420.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20230922134342-20230922164342-00367.warc.gz | 0.960983 | 490 | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-40__0__10596963 | en | The German FA have explained why their players covered their mouths ahead of their World Cup opener against Japan, saying: “To deny us the armband is to deny us a vote”.
Before the start of Wednesday’s Group E clash, all the German players posed for the team photo with their right hands covering their mouths.
It came in the wake of controversy over FIFA’s decision to threaten sanctions (opens in a new tab) to European teams, including Germany, planning to wear a “One Love” armband in Qatar.
“We wanted to use our captain’s armband to uphold the values we hold in the Germany national team: diversity and mutual respect. Together with other nations, we wanted our voice to be heard,” a message read. on the German national team’s Twitter account.
“It was not about making a political statement – human rights are not negotiable. This should be taken for granted, but it still isn’t.
“That’s why this message is so important to us. To deny us the armband is to deny us a voice. We maintain our position.”
The move comes after the German FA (DFB) said it was considering (opens in a new tab) whether FIFA’s decision to stop them from wearing the One Love armband was legal.
“FIFA has banned us from showing a symbol of diversity and human rights,” said DFB spokesperson Steffen Simon.
“They combined this ban with massive threats of sports sanctions without specifying them. The DFB checks whether this action by FIFA was legal.
The One Love campaign was scrapped earlier in the week after FIFA threatened to show yellow cards to any captain wearing the armband.
A joint statement from the countries that intended to wear the armbands said: “We cannot put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions, including bookings, so we have asked captains to do not attempt to wear the armbands in the World Cup Games.”
The campaign was launched primarily to “promote inclusion and send a message against all forms of discrimination”.
England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Wales joined forces for the campaign. | politics |
http://lptn.net/index.php/help-us | 2017-08-18T14:14:24 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886104681.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20170818140908-20170818160908-00406.warc.gz | 0.92242 | 326 | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-34__0__208332737 | en | As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others.
We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be banished from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized.
Consequently, we defend each person’s right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings. The world we seek to build is one where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government or any authoritarian power. (from the Preamble to the Libertarian Party Platform).
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https://www.swiftkennedy.com/content/aca-grandfather.aspx | 2023-03-25T08:37:56 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945317.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20230325064253-20230325094253-00076.warc.gz | 0.957666 | 2,787 | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-14__0__61181153 | en | Grandfathered Plans—Permitted and Prohibited Changes
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) contains numerous changes for group health plans. The extent of the law’s impact on an employer’s health plan depends, in part, on whether the plan has “grandfathered” status. A grandfathered plan is a group health plan that existed on March 23, 2010 (the date the ACA was enacted), and has not had certain prohibited changes made to it.
If a plan is grandfathered, it is exempt from certain ACA requirements, such as the requirement to provide preventive health services without cost-sharing. If a plan loses its grandfathered status, it must comply with additional ACA requirements. Plans may maintain their grandfathered status after Jan. 1, 2014, when many key ACA changes became effective.
This ACA Overview summarizes the permitted and prohibited changes for grandfathered plans.
LINKS AND RESOURCES
On June 17, 2010, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health & Human Services (HHS) and Treasury (Departments) issued interim final regulations on grandfathered plans. Notably, the final rules clarify:
· What types of changes can be made to plans that will allow them to retain their grandfathered status (permitted changes); and
· What types of changes will cause plans to lose their grandfathered status (prohibited changes).
On July 10, 2020, the Departments issued a proposed rule that would provide greater flexibility for grandfathered group health plans to make certain changes without losing grandfathered status.
Grandfathered health plans may make routine changes to their coverage and maintain their status. These routine changes include:
· Making cost adjustments to keep pace with medical inflation;
· Adding new benefits;
· Making modest adjustments to existing benefits;
· Voluntarily adopting new consumer protections under the ACA; or
· Making changes to comply with state or other federal laws.
Premium changes are not taken into account when determining whether or not a plan is grandfathered. However, as explained below, a decrease in the rate of employer contributions for health plan coverage may cause a plan to lose its grandfathered status.
In addition, grandfathered protections still apply even if family members or new employees are added to a plan’s coverage.
Plans lose their grandfathered status if they choose to make significant changes that reduce benefits or increase costs for participants. In general, the starting point for analyzing whether a plan has lost its grandfathered status is to consider the plan as it existed on March 23, 2010. The plan as it existed on this date will be the comparison for future plan changes.
Making the following changes would cause a plan to lose its grandfathered status:
· Significantly Cutting or Reducing Benefits. For example, if a plan decides to no longer cover care for people with diabetes, cystic fibrosis or HIV/AIDS.
· Raising Co-insurance Charges. Typically, co-insurance requires a patient to pay a fixed percentage of a charge (for example, 20% of a hospital bill). Grandfathered plans cannot increase this percentage.
· Significantly Raising Co-payment Charges.Frequently, plans require patients to pay a fixed-dollar amount for doctor’s office visits and other services. Compared with the co-payments in effect on March 23, 2010, grandfathered plans will be able to increase co-payments by no more than the greater of $5 (adjusted annually for medical inflation) or a percentage equal to medical inflation plus 15 percentage points.
· Significantly Increasing Fixed-amount Cost-sharing other than a Co-payment (for example, deductible or out-of-pocket limit). Many plans require patients to pay all or a percentage of the first bills they receive each year (for example, the first $500, $1,000 or $1,500 a year), up to an annual maximum dollar limit. Compared with the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum requirements as of March 23, 2010, grandfathered plans can only increase their deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums by a percentage equal to medical inflation plus 15 percentage points.
· Significantly Reducing Employer Contributions. Many employers pay a portion of their employees’ premium for insurance and this is usually deducted from their paychecks. Grandfathered plans cannot decrease the percent of premiums the employer pays by more than 5 percentage points for any tier of coverage (for example, decrease their own share and increase the workers’ share of premium from 15 percent to 25 percent). This standard applies to each tier of coverage under a health plan. For example, if an employer reduces its contribution rate for family coverage by more than 5 percentage points and keeps the same contribution rate for self-only coverage, the plan will lose its grandfathered status. The fact that the contribution rate for self-only coverage remains the same does not change the result.
Also, if a plan modifies its tiers of coverage (for example, from self-only and family to a multi-tiered structure of self-only, self-plus-one, self-plus-two and self-plus-three-or-more), the employer contribution for any new tier would be compared to the contribution rate for the corresponding tier on March 23, 2010. In this example, if the employer contribution rate for family coverage was 50% on March 23, 2010, the employer contribution rate for any new tier of coverage other than self-only (that is, self-plus-one, self-plus-two or self-plus-three-or-more) must be within 5 percentage points of 50% (that is, at least 45%).
However, if a plan adds one or more new coverage tiers without eliminating or modifying any existing tiers and the new coverage tier covers classes of individuals that were not previously covered by the plan (for example, a plan with self-only coverage adds a family coverage tier), the level of employer contribution toward the new tier will not cause a plan to lose its grandfathered status.
· Adding or Tightening an Annual Limit on What the Insurer Pays.Some insurers cap the amount that they will pay for covered services each year. If they want to retain their status as grandfathered plans, plans cannot tighten any annual dollar limit in place as of March 23, 2010. Moreover, plans that do not have an annual dollar limit cannot add a new one unless they are replacing a lifetime dollar limit with an annual dollar limit that is at least as high as the lifetime limit (which is more protective of high-cost enrollees).
Changing Insurance Companies or Policies
The regulations initially provided that changing insurance companies or policies would cause a health plan to lose grandfathered plan status. However, on Nov. 15, 2010, the Departments released an amended rule.
Under the amendment, an insured group health plan will not lose grandfathered status merely because of a change in the plan’s insurance policy, certificate or contract of insurance, as long as the coverage under the new policy was effective on or after Nov. 15, 2010. Also, to maintain grandfathered status, the plan must provide documentation of the prior plan’s terms to the new issuer.
Under the final regulations, transferring employees from one grandfathered plan or benefit package (transferor plan) to another (transferee plan) will cause the transferee plan to lose grandfathered status if amending the transferor plan to replicate the terms of the transferee plan would have caused the transferor plan to lose grandfathered status. However, this rule applies only if there was no bona fide employment-based reason to transfer the employees.
A set of FAQs issued by the Departments clarifies that “bona fide employment-based reason” includes a variety of circumstances. These circumstances (under which a transfer would not cause a plan to lose grandfathered status) include (but are not limited to) any of the following:
· When a benefit package is being eliminated because the issuer is exiting the market;
· When a benefit package is being eliminated because the issuer no longer offers the product to the employer (for example, because the employer no longer satisfies the issuer's minimum participation requirement);
· When low or declining participation by plan participants in the benefit package makes it impractical for the plan sponsor to continue to offer the benefit package;
· When a benefit package is eliminated from a multiemployer plan as agreed upon as part of the collective bargaining process; or
· When a benefit package is eliminated for any reason and multiple benefit packages covering a significant portion of other employees remain available to the employees being transferred.
This list is not exhaustive. There may be many other circumstances in which a benefit package is considered to be eliminated for a bona fide employment-based reason.
Also, the final regulations provide that if the principal purpose of a merger, acquisition or similar business restructuring is to cover new individuals under a grandfathered health plan, the plan will lose its grandfathered status.
Effective Date of Change
The Departments have clarified in FAQs that a plan’s grandfathered status is lost on the date the plan change becomes effective, rather than on the date a plan amendment is adopted. Thus, if a plan amendment is effective mid-year, the plan would lose its grandfathered status mid-year. If the amendment is effective at the beginning of the next plan year, the plan would lose its grandfathered status for that next plan year.
Example:On July 1, 2015, a calendar-year plan adopts an amendment that will cause it to lose grandfathered status. The change becomes effective for the plan year beginning on Jan. 1, 2016. The plan will lose its grandfathered status on Jan. 1, 2016.
On July 10, 2020, the Departments issued a proposed rule that would provide greater flexibility for grandfathered group health plans to make changes to certain cost-sharing requirements without losing grandfathered status. At the same time, the Departments issued FAQs regarding the proposed rule. Specifically, the proposed rule would make the following amendments to current rules:
· First, the proposed rule would allow grandfathered group health plans that are high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to make changes to fixed-amount cost-sharing requirements that would otherwise cause a loss of grandfather status without causing a loss of grandfather status, to the extent those changes are necessary to comply with the minimum cost-sharing requirements for HDHPs.
· Second, the proposed rule would revise the definition of “maximum percentage increase” to provide an alternative method of determining that amount based on the premium adjustment percentage, with respect to changes that are effective on or after the effective date of a final rule.
According to the Departments, the proposed amendments would enable these plans to continue offering affordable coverage while also enhancing their ability to respond to rising health care costs, and ensure that the plans are able to comply with minimum cost-sharing requirements for HDHPs so that enrollees are eligible to contribute to health savings accounts (HSAs).
The proposed rule would not allow non-grandfathered plans to become grandfathered or to regain grandfathered status, and also would not impact grandfathered individual health coverage.
The final regulations contained some transition relief for plans that made changes before the regulations were issued and thus before plan sponsors knew what changes were permissible. The transition relief that is available depends on when the changes were made.
If a group health plan (or health insurance issuer) made legally binding changes to the terms of the plan or coverage on or before March 23, 2010, those changes are considered part of the plan or coverage on March 23, 2010, even if the changes were not yet effective on that date. A change is considered legally binding if it was made pursuant to a contract, a filing with a state insurance department or a written amendment to the plan that was entered into, made or adopted on or before March 23, 2010.
The regulations also provided transition relief for changes made to plans after the ACA was enacted on March 23, 2010, and before the regulations were available on June 14, 2010. If a group health plan or health insurance issuer made changes after March 23, 2010 that were adopted prior to June 14, 2010 and would cause the plan to lose grandfathered status, the plan had a grace period to revoke or modify the changes. Under this rule, grandfathered status was preserved if the changes were revoked and the plan was modified, effective as of the first day of the first plan year beginning on or after Sept. 23, 2010, to bring the terms of the plans within the limits for retaining grandfathered status.
Notice Requirement for Grandfathered Plans
To promote transparency, the regulations require a plan to disclose to consumers every time it distributes materials describing plan benefits that the plan believes that it is a grandfathered plan and therefore is not subject to some of the ACA’s additional consumer protections. This allows consumers to understand the benefits of staying in a grandfathered plan or switching to a new plan. The plan must also provide contact information for enrollees to have their questions and complaints addressed.
A model notice of grandfathered status is available on the DOL’s website. | politics |
https://dynamicbusiness.com.au/topics/news/higher-costs-are-labor%E2%80%99s-fault.html | 2020-10-30T05:18:27 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-45/segments/1603107907213.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20201030033658-20201030063658-00249.warc.gz | 0.976323 | 238 | CC-MAIN-2020-45 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-45__0__189161991 | en | Labor should take responsibility for inflation says Deputy Opposition leader Julie Bishop, who believes the Federal Government has blamed the former Howard government long enough. June quarter results showed inflation rise to 4.5 percent.
Bishop criticised Labor’s first budget. “They introduced $19 billion of new taxes and revenues, and that, inevitably, leads to an increased inflation and we’ve seen just that happen: it’s fed into the increased inflation figure. [Wayne Swan] must take responsibility for his Budget and the fact that his Budget has led to increased inflation.”
Treasurer Wayne Swan said the figure was a mix of the already high rate the government inherited from the Coalition and international trends such as rising fuel costs and the global credit crunch.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has indicated a new plan to combat rising rents in Australia’s capital cities. “We have a housing policy and strategy anchored at present in $2.2 billion worth of programs to do with first home savers, to do with rental affordability programs and thirdly, also to deal with how do you draw down the infrastructure costs for new housing developments.” | politics |
https://citylinkpharma.com/when-it-comes-to-upping-mental-health-services-texas-has-a-medicaid-problem.html | 2023-05-28T09:25:23 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224643663.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20230528083025-20230528113025-00001.warc.gz | 0.956965 | 443 | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-23__0__301344193 | en | When it comes to upping mental health services, Texas has a Medicaid problem
The Mental Health Crisis in Texas
Mental health is a pressing issue in Texas, where millions of residents are facing various mental health challenges. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, nearly 1 in 5 adults in Texas experienced a mental illness in 2019. Additionally, the state has the highest uninsured rate in the nation, with over 4 million residents lacking health insurance. This situation has resulted in a significant demand for mental health services, but a lack of resources to address the issue.
The Medicaid Problem in Texas
One major obstacle to improving mental health services in Texas is the state’s Medicaid system. Medicaid is the primary source of funding for mental health services in the state, but Texas has one of the most restrictive Medicaid programs in the country. The state has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, which means that many low-income Texans are unable to access mental health services. Additionally, the state has some of the lowest Medicaid reimbursement rates in the nation, making it difficult for mental health providers to sustain their practices and provide quality care to patients.
The lack of access to mental health services in Texas has had severe consequences, including higher rates of suicide, homelessness, and incarceration. Many Texans with mental health conditions are unable to access the care they need, leading to worsening conditions and more significant financial burdens on the state.
To address this issue, Texas must work to improve its Medicaid system to expand coverage and increase reimbursement rates for mental health services. Additionally, the state should invest in alternative funding sources for mental health services, such as grants and public-private partnerships. By doing so, Texas can ensure that all residents have access to the mental health services they need to live healthy and productive lives.
In conclusion, Texas faces a significant mental health crisis, and its Medicaid system is a major obstacle to addressing the issue. The state must take action to expand coverage and increase reimbursement rates for mental health services to ensure that all Texans can access the care they need. By doing so, the state can improve the overall health and well-being of its residents and reduce the financial burden of untreated mental health conditions. | politics |
https://onlinehotelsnow.com/unraveled_labor_strife_and_carolina_folk_during_the_marion_textile_strikes_of_1929.aspx | 2018-05-21T01:35:47 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-22/segments/1526794863901.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20180521004325-20180521024325-00339.warc.gz | 0.882554 | 419 | CC-MAIN-2018-22 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-22__0__137195380 | en | Unraveled: Labor Strife and Carolina Folk during the Marion Textile Strikes of 1929
Drawing on never-before-utilized sources, including minutes of corporate board meetings, union rosters, scrapbooks kept by local residents, courtroom testimony, a wide assortment of news reports, and ballads written by striking workers, Travis Sutton Byrd has woven together a complex and arresting account of the textile strikes that signaled the passage of the great mill-building cam:paigns of the New South into the modern era. Focusing especially on labor unrest in the town of Marion, while intertwining that story with events elsewhere in the textile belt, Byrd shows in fasci:nating detail the ways in which the industrial culture of the New South came unraveled during one fateful summer. With fearful memories of turn-of-century Fusion politics—:a coalition between the working class and the Republican Party—:shaping the response of the region’:s Democratic, business-as-usual elite, the outcome was a campaign by the AFL to “:Organize the South,”: an effort that laid the groundwork for reform under Franklin Roosevelt’:s New Deal.
With its novelistic narrative and rich cast of characters—:owners and politicians, millhands and reporters, reformers and radicals—:Unraveled will seize the attention of anyone interested in the politics of class, culture, and regional transformation
*An electronic version of a printed book that can be read on a computer or handheld device designed specifically for this purpose.
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The History of the French Revolution. By M.A. Thiers ... Tr., With Notes and Illustrations From the Most Authentic Sources: Volume 1-2 | politics |
https://www.tomsofmaine.com/good-matters/helping-hands/volunteering-election-poll-worker | 2023-12-01T22:33:40 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100308.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20231201215122-20231202005122-00440.warc.gz | 0.9536 | 614 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__61760762 | en | When you volunteer as an election poll worker, you play an important role in engaging your community by ensuring individuals can cast their votes for elected officials of their choice. Volunteers are essential for polling sites to run smoothly on Election Day, and every volunteer is important to the success of local polling sites.
Who Can Volunteer?
Volunteers will need to meet a few basic criteria, although the requirements vary by state. To participate, you may need to meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Meet the age requirement, typically 16 years old or older
- Have proof of residency in the state
- Have proof of registration to vote in the state
- Confirm your party affiliation, particularly in primary elections
Poll workers are also required to attend a training session and be able to work the full day on Election Day. Online resources such as Work Elections and Election Protection provide individuals interested in volunteering with key details for their location, such as volunteer requirements, hours, and compensation.
Responsibilities of Election Poll Workers
Depending on where you volunteer and the needs of the location, you may be assigned to one of the following poll worker positions: clerk, assistant clerk, equipment operator, inspector, or deputy. Some volunteers will be assigned to sit at a table and distribute ballots. Others will greet voters and direct them through the process. Site coordinators may step outside occasionally to be sure individuals handing out political messaging are staying the proper distance away from the polling location.
Here are a handful of volunteer duties you could be tasked with:
- Organizing a location prior to polls opening
- Checking in voters
- Distributing ballots
- Instructing voters on voting machine use
- Answering questions
- Keeping the voting location organized
Time commitments will vary between locations as the hours of local polling sites are not the same in every state. When committing to volunteering, be prepared for a long day on Election Day.
Encouraging Others in Your Community to Vote
Of course, it is not always possible to commit to the hours needed to be an election volunteer. But if you are not available to be an election poll worker, there are other ways you can promote voting in your community. Go to the polls with friends before a morning coffee meetup, or reach out to members of your book club or community group and remind everyone to vote.
There are many benefits of volunteering in your community. Poll workers and community groups who encourage voting strengthen our democracy. Individuals who volunteer their time are helping to secure free and fair elections in the US. Inspired to give back to your community? Check out more ideas on the @tomsofmaine Natural Inspiration Pinterest board!
The views and opinions expressed in any guest post featured on our site are those of the guest author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of Tom's of Maine.
Why It's Good
When you volunteer as an election poll worker, your volunteer hours are a form of civic engagement that helps to guarantee efficient and convenient voting for everyone in your community. | politics |
http://www.hackers5.com/narendra-modi-launches-india272-android-app-to-connect-with-supporters.html | 2019-03-26T03:22:58 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-13/segments/1552912204768.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20190326014605-20190326040605-00547.warc.gz | 0.967417 | 414 | CC-MAIN-2019-13 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-13__0__21758243 | en | Post an Android game and a smartphone, Narendra Modi has become the face of an application now. Only this time, the Chief Minister of Gujarat and BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls has launched the appl himself, in a bid to have citizens convey their problems to him.
On New Year’s Day, Modi launched an Android application called India272+, available for free on the Play Store. As you may have guessed by now, 272 refers to the number of seats needed to assert majority in a General Election. The elections are coming up later this year and the app comes as a move to connect with the masses and address their grievances in the run up.
Quite like Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party, Modi and BJP too want to be able to keep their fingers on the pulse of the nation using technology. If Kejriwal is using Facebook pages to pursue this move, Modi’s attempt is India272+.
The app is available for Android
The application will help BJP members and volunteers across India participate in discussions and share ideas with Modi and the party. According to the press release, one will also be able to share newspaper clippings and blog excerpts. The app also integrates popular social networks Facebook and Twitter, and messaging app WhatsApp so you can share your experience.
There are multiple groups on the platform as for doctors, writers, women activist groups, NRIs that one can join based on one’s interest. Essentially, this will not only help BJP connect with audiences but also figure out its own strengths. During the launch, Modi said that he was confident that it would go a long way in not only strengthening the bond between existing volunteers, but would also draw more volunteers to the India272+ platform.
The India272 website was launched in August last year, which is where the idea for the app came from. Modi has been a heavy user of Twitter and blogs frequently too, so using technology is nothing new for him. The app is just natural extension of this idea. | politics |
https://digital-collections.ucl.ac.uk/R/FYJU55GYEJ5JI6IADE3UR3S1JIU17VS1MP22K3SF7Y2EJ2CYY5-03164?func=collections-result&collection_id=3347 | 2020-01-23T17:09:06 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00318.warc.gz | 0.814484 | 559 | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-05__0__162078437 | en | UCL LIBRARY SERVICES
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Booklet "A Stepney to be Proud Of: Plan and Proposals"
Booklet titled "A Stepney to be Proud Of: Plan and Proposals". ...
Delegate Folder for the 17th Congress of the Communist Party
J B S Haldane's delegate folder for the 17th Congress of the Communist Party in October 1944. ...
Draft Congress Discussion Statement
Draft Discussion Statement for the 18th Congress of the Communist Party. ...
Draft Memorandum on Local Government Finance
Draft Memorandum on Local Government Finance. ...
Draft Statement on Local Income Tax
Draft statement on the benefits of a local income tax. ...
Election Fund Account
Election Fund Account up to 31 August 1945 ...
Financial Analysis of the People's Press Fighting Fund
Analysis of six months' financial results for the People's Press Fighting Fund, covering the ...
Income and Expenditure Account
Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31 December 1944. ...
Letter from the Central Organisation Department to Executive Committee Members
Letter from the Central Organisation Department to Executive Committee members enclosing a draft of ...
Memorandum on the Preparation of Local Programmes for the November Municipal Elections
Memorandum on the preparation of local programmes for the November municipal elections (England & ...
Memorandum on Trieste
Memorandum on Yugoslavia's claims on Trieste for the information of Party members. ...
Political Letter on the New Political Situation
Political letter to Party members on "The Communist Party in the New Political Situation" ...
Report of the Education Commission
Report of the Education Commission to the Political Committee to consider the question of Marxist Ed ...
Report on the Conduct of National Congresses by the Organisational Committee
Report prepared by the Organisational Committee for the Executive Committee on the Conduct of Nation ...
Statement on Borough Council Elections
Second draft of an Executive Committee Statement on Borough Council Elections. ...
Statement on Rates and Grants
Statement by the Communist Party on Local Government rates. ...
Weekly Letter to Party Members
Weekly letter to Party members by H Pollitt, Secretary of the Communist Party. ...
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http://standardessays.com/politicalScience.asp | 2023-06-10T11:03:27 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224657169.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20230610095459-20230610125459-00335.warc.gz | 0.88887 | 382 | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-23__0__65144236 | en | Welcome to Standard Essays! Your source of original and customized writing service.
StandardEssays.com provides the best quality and one-of-a-kind custom essay, term paper, research paper, coursework, dissertation and thesis on political science.
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http://www.alko.fi/en/02F9B8617AA96993C22572C2003C2EAE?opendocument&src=7,1&expand=1.5 | 2013-05-25T23:10:37 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706470784/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121430-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.975208 | 1,823 | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2013-20__0__4110998 | en | From ban on home distilling to Prohibition
Home distilling was banned, but factories were permitted to produce alcoholic beverages, and new destilleries were set up at a brisk pace. Sales of alcoholic beverages werer allowed in ordinary shops but regulation began gradually. At the turn of the century, the number os shops selling alcoholic beverages totalled 1,066 in Finnish cities.
The State prohibited distribution of alcoholic beverages on account of the First World War. Only first-class restaurants were allowed to serve alcoholic beverages.
Prohibition came into force on 1 June 1919, forbidding the production, transportation, sale and storage of alcohol. A state-owned company Valtion Alkoholiliike was set up to handle the trade in alcohol required for medical, technical and scientific purposes.
Parliament repealed the Prohibition Act with a vote of 120 to 45 and ratified the Alcohol Act on 9 February 1932. In the preceding referendum the anti-prohibitionists were in a clear majority, with over 70 per cent of the votes. The state-owned company Oy Alkoholiliike Ab was granted an exclusive monopoly on the import, export, manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. The company started to operate on 5 April 1932 at 10 am.
In 1931, an advisory vote was arranged on Prohibition in which more than 70 percent of the voters supported repealing the Prohibition Act.
From the establishment of Alko to modern times
Parliament voted 120–45 in support of repealing the Prohibition Act, and the Alcohol Act was approved on 9 February 1932. The state-owned alcohol company was given the sole right to import, export, produce and sell alcoholic beverages.
The first 48 shops selling alcoholic beverages were opened at 10.00 a.m. on 5 April 1932, 47 of them in cities and one in the rural municipality of Rovaniemi.
When the Winter War started, sales of alcoholic beverages were restricted through a number of measures: for instance, provincial governors could prohibit retailand on-premises sales of alcohol either temporarily ot totally.
The quantity of alcoholic beverages allowed to be bought at one time was limited.
As a consequence of raw material shortages, illegal sales and restless conditions, September 1943 saw shops in Helsinki start issuing certificates that entitled the holder to buy alcoholic beverages in a specified shop. This system was described as 'shopper monitoring' and spread gradually, soon becoming national practice. This marked the introduction of what was perhaps the best-known control instrument of all time in Finland's alcohol system – the 'booze card'.
On a recommendation by Parliament, the 'booze card' was turned into an instrument of social control. All purchases were recorded.
Wines werer released from buyer monitoring.
In the 1950s, two major changes took place: a cashier system was adopted and consumption began to be directed towards milder beverages.
With Sweda cash registers, the sales assistant became responsible for the entire sale including payment. The outlook of the shops changed and the bottles were placed standing up on shelves.
Strong beverages were freed from buyer monitoring. Long drinks were introduced at the time of the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952.
In the Olympic year Alko had 92 shops and a sales staff of 974, 215 of them in buyer monitoring duties. Alcohol consumption per capita was 1.41 litres of 100 per cent alcohol.
The company's 100th shop was opened in Eerikinkatu, Turku, on 1 April 1957.
The buyer monitoring organisation was dismantled, but the shop certificate, or the 'booze card', remained.
A wine campaign was launched in order to direct consumption towards milder beverages and to reduce drinking to the point of intoxication. The prices of wines were lowered substantially and even those of fortified wines came down by a few per cent. The prices of spirits were correspondingly raised by a few per cent. Wine departments and broschures illustrating ways of using wines were introduced in the shops. Alko`s customer magazine, Viiniposti, nowadays Etiketti, was born in 1965.
The first self-service wine shop was opened in Vanha Kauppakuja, Pohjoisesplanadi, Helsinki.
The number of shops stood at 130, with a staff of 965. Consumption of 100 per cent alcohol was 2.88 litres per capita.
A new Act on alcoholic beverages and medium beer came into force on 1 January 1969: it allowed shops selling alcoholic beverages to be established in the countryside. The previous age limit of 21 was amended so that 18-year-olds were allowed to buy wines and 20-year-olds all alcoholic beverages. The age limits are still the same.
Medium beer was released for sale in more than 17,000 food shops. The establishment of new restaurants serving medium beer, their number being 2,716 in 1969. Oy Alkoholiliike Ab was converted into Oy Alko Ab.
The 'booze card' was phased out for good. The first Alko self-service shop to function next to a food supermarket was opened in Espoo.
The Wine Campaign was expanded into a consumer information campaign. Apart from wines, information was provided on all alcoholic beverages and the appropriate use of them. Information on the adverse effects of alcohol and the grounds for the alcohol policy also began to be disseminated.
Growing alcohol consumption hardened the attitude towards alcohol, and serious consideration was given to transferring sales of medium beer back to Alko. Alcohol advertising was forbidden and Alko shops were closed on summer Saturdays for a trial period. The company's 200th shop was opened in Rajamäki on 17 January 1977.
In december, the Finnish Government adopted the EU view that Alko's sole retailing right could continue in the future on the basis of social and health policy grounds but that all other sub-sectors of the sole right were to be dismantled. This required amending both the Act on Excise Duty on Alcohol and Alcoholic Beverages and the Alcohol Act.
Finland joined the European Economic Area. A new Alcohol Act came into force on 1 July and was amended on 1 January 1995. Under the new Act, Finland went over from taxation based on the value of beverages to tax calculated on the basis of alcohol content and volume.
A group was formed at the beginning of 1995, comprising Alko Inc., which engaged in retailing under a sole right; Primalco Ltd, which engaged in industry and exports; and the parent company, Alko Group Ltd, which owned Alko and Primalco. A restaurant company was also made an Alko Group subsidiary.
Retail sales of beverages containing more than 4.7 per cent alcohol by volume remained the sole right of Alko Inc., with the exception of Finnish farm wineries.
Alko's status as the authority governing the alcohol industry was terminated. These official duties were transferred to the National Product Control Agency for Welfare and Health.
The changes that came into force in 1995 were caused by Finland's accession to the European Economic Area.
An agreement was reached between Finland and the European Community under which the import regulations for alcoholic beverages were to be harmonised between Finland and the EU by the beginning of 2004.
It was decided that Alko Inc. was to be separated from Alko Group.
Alko Inc. started operations as an independent state-owned company with the Ministry os Social Affairs and Health as the supervisory ministry.
Alko celebrated its 70th anniversary. It had 299 shops.
Alko's 300th shop was opened on January 22, 2003 in Turku.
The operating environment of the alcohol trade changed. At the beginning of the year, general EU regulations on imports of alcoholic beverages byt travellers came into force. Finland's tax on alcoholic beverages was lowered on 1 March 2004.
At the end of 2004 Alko had 320 shops. From the very beginning, Alko has been involved in the National Alcohol Programme 2004–2007, which aims primarily at preventing and reducing the harmful effects of alcohol in cooperation with the various government administrative branches, municipal organisations and business and industry.
In 2004 , the restructuring that took place in sales as a result of tax cuts on alcoholic beverages resulted in significant increases in sales in terms of 100 per cent alcohol: after the tax cuts, sales were 13 percent higher than perviously.
Alko celebrated its 75th anniversary on 5 April 2007.
Tax on alcoholic beverages was increased.
The Board of Alko decided to transfer Alko's pension insurance from Alko's own pension fund to be managed by private insurance companies. At the end of year 2010 Alko had 343 shops and 116 order points.
At the end of year 2011 Alko had 348 shops. Five new shops were opened and 21 shops were moved to a new location. 110 order points complimented the shop network.
Alko celebrated its 80th anniversary on 5 April 2012 | politics |
https://psm.ontariopc.ca/fairvern_approved | 2020-08-05T06:30:43 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439735909.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20200805035535-20200805065535-00193.warc.gz | 0.973964 | 421 | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-34__0__174605257 | en | QUEEN’S PARK – Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Norm Miller was pleased to see the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care approve Fairvern Nursing Home’s redevelopment plan on Friday. The plan includes 20 additional beds and is supported by the Town of Huntsville and the District of Muskoka.
“These beds are badly needed so I am relieved to see the plan approved,” said Miller. “As of the February 2018 Home and Community Care report by the North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN, there are 176 people on the waiting list for Fairvern and they are waiting an average of 597 days.”
Miller spoke about his support for this proposal in the legislature in December and recently sent a letter to the new Minister of Health reiterating that support.
Province wide there are 32,000 seniors waiting for a long-term care bed in Ontario now, and that waiting list is expected to increase to 50,000 by 2021.
“Not only are there long wait lists for long-term care beds, there are long waits for home care as well,” said Miller. “My office has been overwhelmed with complaints about the lack of home care. The recent change of home-care suppliers in our area seems to have made things worse with people who had been receiving regular visits now receiving inconsistent care or no care at all.”
The lack of long-term care and home care is having a direct impact on hospital overcrowding as patients wait in hospital for a long-term care bed or return to hospital after being released because of a lack of adequate care at home. Alternate level of care patients, those waiting for long-term care beds, are occupying beds in hospitals all across Ontario including in Parry Sound-Muskoka.
“Ontario needs to take better care of our seniors both in long-term care and in their homes,” said Miller. “Our seniors deserve to receive the care they need to continue to live comfortably and with dignity.” | politics |
https://kcenergyproject.org/2014/07/28/welcome-to-kansas-city-mr-president-as-you-have-heard-great-things-are-taking-place/ | 2017-07-21T16:45:09 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423787.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20170721162430-20170721182430-00094.warc.gz | 0.97462 | 225 | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-30__0__169971026 | en | Kansas Citians learned recently that President Barack Obama will deliver a speech about the economy at the Uptown Theater this Wednesday. The timing of the speech could not be better, with Kansas City Mayor Sly James sending a letter to the President just a few weeks ago.
In the letter, the Mayor states “I believe that Kansas City, Missouri – and especially our business community as led by the chamber – can be a model for the rest of the country and I invite to visit and speak with some of our civic and business leaders about our efforts.”
While the President’s trip was not scheduled as a direct result of Mayor James’ letter, it is a serendipitous coincidence. Kansas City is moving full speed ahead with its implementation of the City Energy Project. Much of the progress of the initiative will lead to great economic gains, including the creation of local jobs to conduct energy audits, retrofit buildings and train building operators on how to run their buildings more efficiently.
Kansas Citians can be proud of all these efforts and perhaps the President will hear about them during his time here. | politics |
https://cherylandrews.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/that-little-word-all/ | 2016-09-01T03:34:08 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-36/segments/1471982958896.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20160823200918-00198-ip-10-153-172-175.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.980054 | 348 | CC-MAIN-2016-36 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2016-36__0__87612525 | en | While I exercised my fledgling snowbird wings in Florida this winter, many pals made time to share a little sunshine with me. On one visit, a friend of nearly 30 years and I somehow got into a gentle debate about when women in Canada got the right to vote. I said 1918; she was adamant that it wasn’t until 1960. We hauled our sun-drenched bodies from the lanai to the computer to do a little research.
Turns out we were both right. But our perspectives were slightly off.
I googled women in Canada and March 1918 popped up as the year all women who were qualified could vote in federal elections! I do like being right.
After a long swallow of her frosty, sweet iced tea, and giving me enough time to gloat, she casually suggested I adjust my search parameters to ‘all women in Canada’. Huh? Didn’t I just do that? So I searched again, inserting that little word ‘all’.
She was right … it was 1960! Native women covered by the Indian Act were prohibited from voting in federal elections until 1960. Most women of colour – Chinese women, ‘Hindu’ or East Indian women, Japanese women – were granted the right to vote at the federal level in the late 1940’s.
Articles on Point:
She should have been smug as hell, but instead she gave a little sigh, the kind of sigh that only a first nation woman, who has struggled against prejudice for a lifetime, has any right to make.
So, we topped up our glasses, returned to the sunshine and continued the conversation about all womens rights in Canada. | politics |
https://www.ngatiawa.iwi.nz/category/taiao/ | 2021-01-27T04:49:23 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-04/segments/1610704820894.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20210127024104-20210127054104-00095.warc.gz | 0.91791 | 1,504 | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-04__0__174399203 | en | SAVE THIS DATE! Friday 24 July, 3pm
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa has welcomed the announcement and funding of its Korehāhā Whakahau predator eradication project.
Funding was confirmed today by the Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage and Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau at Te Mānuka Tūtahi Marae in Whākatane.
The $5.6 million-dollar project will be led and delivered by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa. Initial funders include Predator Free 2050 Limited, providing $2.4m through the Provincial Growth Fund, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Awa Group Holdings and Department of Conservation.
The project will benefit from $2.5 million announced today from the Department of Conservation’s Jobs for Nature programme, which will also support other, yet-to-be announced Ngāti Awa taiao projects.
Korehaha Whakahau initial aim is to get rid of predators, starting with possums, across a 4,700ha area covering Whakatāne and Ōhōpe, benefitting biodiversity and boosting regional development and tourism. Exact boundaries are still being determined at this early stage of the project.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa Manahautū, Leonie Simpson, says the project will connect Ngāti Awa people with the taiao, support kaitiakitanga amongst the Iwi and help them to reach their aspirations to care for and restore the taiao.
“This project is our first Iwi workforce development initiative post COVID-19. We will develop a group of kaimahi with transferable skills that not only support their whānau but also enable kaitiakitanga for our hapū and Ngāti Awa now and into the future.
“Our relationships with the taiao will continue beyond the project term and we are aiming for long term outcomes that are intergenerational.”
Ed Chignell Predator Free 2050 Limited Chief Executive says they are excited by the opportunity for new learning as Ngāti Awa brings its knowledge and connections to the Predator Free 2050 kaupapa.
“We will be sharing the latest trapping and detection methodologies to enable the project team to permanently remove possums from the project area and build their capacity in predator control operations.”
The Korehāhā Whakahau project covers both private, public and Ngāti Awa owned land. The funding will enable Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa to employ more people and continue to engage with other landowners to get the operational side of the project underway.
Leonie Simpson says Korehāhā Whakahau is an important part of a kete of mahi that Te Runanga o Ngāti Awa is developing post Whakaari and Covid 19.
“Our suite of projects, which we have called POUA, encompasses existing and future projects like Kāinga (a new visitor hub at the Whakatāne Army Hall), a new commercial boat harbour led by a Ngāti Awa Lands Trust, riverside revitalisation and other taiao projects. POUA represents, Pou whenua (foundation posts) which signify our commitment to our rohe, our people and our future.
New POUA projects will be announced in the coming months as they are approved.”
Korehāhā Whakahau is the first iwi led ‘path finder’ project to receive Predator Free 2050 Limited funding.
For more information contact:
Michal Akurangi, Taiao Manager at Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa, [email protected]
Tim Higham, Predator Free 2050 Limited Communication and Business Support Manager, [email protected]
For more information about Predator Free 2050 Limited and its current projects see www.pf2050.co.nz.
Status: For immediate release
Date: 17 January 2020
Subject: TE RŪNANGA O NGĀTI AWA APPEAL ENVIRONMENT COURT DECISION ON CRESWELL’S WATER BOTTLING OPERATION TO THE HIGH COURT
After careful consideration since receiving the Environment Court’s decision on 10 December 2019, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa has today lodged an appeal in the High Court against the Environment Court’s majority decision to allow Creswell NZ Limited to take extract 1.1 billion litres of water per annum for water bottling from the Awaiti aquifer. This aquifer is in the rohe of Ngāti Awa.
Environment Court appeal and decision
In 2018, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa lodged an appeal in the Environment Court opposing the consents granted to Creswell NZ Ltd to extract 1.1 billion litres of water per annum for water bottling. An appeal hearing was held in May 2019. Our evidence and legal submissions were heard by the Environment Court at Te Mānuka Tūtahi Marae, Whakatāne.
In the week of the Whakaari eruption, on 10 December 2019 we received the Environment Court’s decision on our appeal against the decision to grant Creswell consent to take water for the purpose of bottling and export. The majority of the Environment Court confirmed the Regional Council’s decision (and therefore Creswell’s application) to take water for the purpose of bottling and export, and dismissed our appeal in part. One of the three Commissioners recommended Creswell’s consent be declined.
High Court Appeal
As a result of our on-going concerns, and after careful consideration of the Environment Court’s decision, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa has lodged an appeal in the High Court. Appeals to the High Court from decisions of the Environment Court are restricted to points of law.
Leonie Simpson, Manahautū (CEO) Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa says “We are extremely concerned about the effects on te mauri o te wai, and the ability of Ngāti Awa to exercise kaitiakitanga due to Creswell’s proposed activities. As kaitiaki and tangata whenua we must be included in decisions about our taonga and on issues that affect us in our rohe”.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa also remains focused on caring for our manuhiri, their families, friends and our staff through the Whakaari tradgedy.
Our communications priority for this High Court appeal is to keep Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa Representatives and hapū updated on progress, and we will not be making any further comment at this time.
For enquiries please contact:
Manahautū (CEO) Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa | politics |
https://sdion.liberal.ca/en/news-nouvelles/global-carbon-pricing-tool-enhance-national-climate-laws/ | 2017-03-24T02:00:34 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218187519.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212947-00006-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.939226 | 1,888 | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-13__0__173092644 | en | From June 14th to June 18th, I was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, invited by GLOBE International to be part of their legislative delegation at the World Summit of Legislators, and was asked to speak at their Parallel Session on Climate Change.
Please find below the presentation I delivered. This presentation is a shorter version of a more elaborate paper I published with Professor Éloi Laurent (http://www.ofce.sciences-po.fr/pdf/dtravail/WP2012-16.pdf).
In our paper, we make the point that given the seriousness of the climate change crisis and the fact that the current negotiations are stalled, we need to try something else; we suggest a harmonized carbon price would be the most effective instrument to fight global warming.
I would be very interested to hear your views.
Enjoy your read!
“Global Carbon Pricing as a Tool to Enhance National Climate Laws”
The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Privy Council, Member of Parliament,
Former Minister of the Environment of Canada and
UNFCCC COP-11 President
Introductory Remarks to GLOBE International’s World Summit of Legislators, Parallel Session on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction
Palacio Tiradentes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 17, 2012
For years, the Global Legislators Organization (GLOBE international) has been giving legislators of the world the opportunity to learn from one another and together, identify and promote the best governance practices and solutions. While we come from different continents, national contexts and levels of development, we are all legislators. And as such, we share a huge responsibility: to develop and implement fair and effective ways to replace the self-destructing development model that prevails today with one of true sustainable development, to the benefit of all countries, today and for the generations to come.
This world summit makes no exception. It is indeed a tremendous opportunity to learn from one another, just before Rio + 20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. It is also an opportunity to recognize the impressive efforts our respective countries, local communities and businesses are already making in the pursuit of sustainable development, and to acknowledge the tangible results already achieved, including those in the fields covered in this session: climate change and disaster risk reduction. There is a positive momentum which, by creating better political conditions for improving the climate of international negotiations, will benefit not only our respective countries, but the whole world.
That said, it is hard to see how these efforts, laudable though they are, could create the impetus needed to elicit an effective response to the genuine and grave dangers of climate change, in the absence of a robust global climate agreement.
Climate is a global public good: one tonne of carbon dioxide emitted in Montreal has exactly the same effect on global warming as does one tonne of carbon dioxide emitted in Rio. So we must avoid having decreased emissions by some countries (or regions and cities) cancelled out by increased emissions in other countries (or localities). For this, we need a truly global agreement. Governments and businesses are very unlikely to step up their greening efforts sufficiently if they have no assurance that their competitors will play by the same climate rules. Only an international agreement can give them that assurance. And we, national legislators, will continue finding it very hard to enact truly effective climate laws and regulations in our respective countries as long as the critical climate change mitigation initiatives are not part of a coordinated, harmonized international plan.
But we have a real problem: climate international negotiations are not progressing as they should. In fact, one may argue that they are stalled. They have failed to deliver the solid political commitments required to meet the science-based global warming maximum limit to which the negotiators have agreed.
This scientific global bottom line is well known: the consensus among climate scientists is that it would be imprudent to allow global warming to exceed 2º C above pre-industrial levels. Beyond this tipping point, climate science warns that our planet will become much less hospitable for virtually all forms of life, including humans. The IPCC 2007 report stated that even 2º C above pre-industrial levels is likely to have serious impacts.
At the 2011 Cancún Conference, countries officially accepted this 2º C limit. But countries are far from reaching this target with their current commitments. Available studies concur that all voluntary commitments made by countries since the 2007 Bali Conference, taken together, point to a temperature rise of at least 3º C during the 21st century. The International Energy Agency forecasts a warming of over 3.5º C by the end of the 21st century if all countries respect their commitments, and over 6º C if they do not respect their commitments and stick to their current policies.
At the 2011 Durban Conference, the countries admitted to this gap between their commitments and achieving the 2º C objective. And they went even further in the preamble of their joint statement, expressing their “grave concern” and promising to “raise the level of ambition” to bridge this gap.
But since then, countries have not set more stringent objectives for themselves. Nor does the Durban common statement set out any target date by which emission reductions must begin, or any global emission reduction objectives for 2020 or 2050.
We are thus facing an increasingly untenable discrepancy between the urgency of taking action, as established by science, and the inertia of international negotiations.
So what can we legislators do to fix this climate inconsistency? My suggestion: call on our governments to fine-tune international climate negotiations, towards the establishment of a much-needed universal, harmonized carbon price.
For years, many experts and analysts – such as well-known climate economists William Nordhaus (YaleUniversity) and Nick Stern (LSE), as well as climate scientist Jim Hansen and his co-authors – have called for the adoption of a universal carbon price. The OECD recommends “Acting now to put a price on carbon”. There is currently strong scientific evidence that the best international co-ordination instrument we can establish to combat climate change is a global, harmonized carbon price. A recent study, co-authored by professor Éloi Laurent, the Stanford University and Sciences Po economist, and yours truly, (http://www.ofce.sciences-po.fr/pdf/dtravail/WP2012-16.pdf and http://www.ofce.sciences-po.fr/pdf/dtravail/WP2012-15.pdf) suggested that upcoming climate negotiations should focus on this essential instrument.
Here is what we proposed in this study: that all countries commit to introduce, in their respective jurisdictions, a carbon price aligned with a scientifically-validated international standard, in order for the world to keep global warming below 2º C over pre-industrial era levels, or at least to get as close as possible to this objective.
The fourth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report calls for a carbon price of between $50 and $100 per tonne between 2010 and 2030. Countries may levy this price through a carbon tax or through the allocation of emission quotas (i.e. cap and trade, carbon market).
Governments would be free to invest, as they see fit, revenues from the carbon emission levy and from the corresponding – and necessary – elimination of fossil energy subsidies. For example, they could invest in research and development in clean energy, public transportation, etc. They could also choose to address social inequalities with respect to access to energy.
Not every country has the same capacity to deal with a carbon price. This is why, rather than a single fixed price, negotiations should focus on a price bracket and a clear price signal trajectory.
This calls for international compensation mechanisms. In the name of the “Common But Differentiated Responsibility” principle, developed countries would be required to set aside part of their revenue to help developing countries introduce policies to lower their emissions, adapt to climate change impacts and create carbon sinks (through reforestation, for example). This requirement would help fund the yet unsourced $100 billion annual injection into the Green Climate Fund, which developed countries agreed to provide beginning in 2020. This amount could even be increased.
We propose that the contributions of individual developed countries be set according to the proportion of total developed country emissions that their respective GHG emissions represent. The lower a country’s emission level, the lower its share of the financial effort: that is sure to be another incentive for further emission reductions.
This would provide the world with an excellent instrument for sustainable development. At long last, carbon emitters would have to pay the environmental cost of pollution. Consumers and manufacturers would have an incentive to choose lower-carbon-content goods and services and to invest in new energy-saving and emission-reducing technologies. And governments and legislators would have the tool to achieve the scientific target they have rightly endorsed.
We must negotiate this harmonized carbon price signal, and we must do it now. What better place to get this approach going than here in Rio, right where the problem of climate change was recognized by the international community 20 years ago? | politics |
https://www.sherithisrael.org/torah-commentary.html?post_id=174142 | 2017-04-29T15:26:36 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917123530.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031203-00178-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.950509 | 678 | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2017-17__0__22691129 | en | 03/14/2017 02:42:02 PM
March 14, 2017
by Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller
Last week, I received the following letter and wrote the response which also follows. I share the letters because they are meant to communicate a collective message between communities, rather than only a personal one. I hope that you find my letter a worthy response on your behalf.
Dear Rabbi Saxe-Taller,
Sholem Aleikhem! I am a Muslim living in the Bay Area and a Computer Science Researcher. I belong to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
I am contacting you as a neighbor in the wake of recent incidents of hate against Jews in America. Our community has been watching in great pain and speaking out against the rising anti-Semitism in our country over the past several years. In particular, the spike in bomb threats and hate crimes against JCCs and Synagogues over the past several months—including the recent destruction of 150 Jewish tombs. Each of these events are horrific and condemnable.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) actively condemned anti-Semitism and commanded Muslims to stand guard to protect universal religious freedom. The Holy Qur'an specifically commands Muslims to protect Synagogues from attack.
I want to take a moment today to convey to you that my fellow Muslims and I are praying for our Jewish sisters and brothers, and stand in solidarity with you. Should your Jewish center or Synagogue ever need someone to stand guard, please know that you can call upon us for any kind of help. We are here to serve and protect our Jewish cousins. May our nation be protected from those who wish to do us harm. May we find peace, together.
May God be with you, Shalom
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Silicon Valley, USA
I reached Mr. Ahmad by phone and found him to be knowledgeable and sincere. I then sent this response.
Dear Mr. Ahmad, I and my community deeply appreciate your reaching out to us. We want to reach back to you and send our solidarity to you as both of our communities face misunderstandings of who we are, threats of violence, and actual acts of violence.
We are appalled at proposals to prevent Muslims from entering this country, when so many Muslims are already here, contributing in numerous ways to what we love about our country. Several members of our congregation will be participating in a day of action in Sacramento next Wednesday, 3/15, to express our opposition to any kind of registry targeting Muslims or any individual based on religious belief, practice or affiliation, national origin or ethnicity, and also to ensure that state and local law enforcement agencies do not engage in federal immigration enforcement.
Again, we are so thankful that you are thinking about us and holding us in your hearts and minds. We hope that our growing communal connections will lead to growth in our understanding, peace, strength and justice for all of us.
Shalom, Salaam Alaikum,
Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller
Because Mr. Ahmad’s community is in Silicon Valley and not closer to us, I don’t know if we will meet in person. But I am encouraged by his gesture and inspired by the opportunity for all of us to reach toward each other. | politics |
http://www.cfasociety.org/netherlands/Lists/EventsCalendar/DispForm.aspx?ID=645 | 2020-06-05T01:05:31 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590348492295.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20200604223445-20200605013445-00594.warc.gz | 0.917235 | 171 | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-24__0__163420713 | en | As we face into another year of political uncertainty, Stephanie Kelly, Senior Political Economist at Aberdeen Standard Investments Research Institute, will discuss how investors can make sense of the issues across the developed world that are top of mind for investors. Political fragmentation and polarisation has driven policy uncertainty ever higher in recent years.
During this webinar, from our Practitoner Series, Stephanie suggests this will be reflected again this year in the global political and economic ramifications of the 2020 U.S. elections, the latest on Brexit and the deeply disruptive U.S.-China trade war. So what can we do as investors? A clear framework for assessing political risk drivers, combined with in-depth scenario analysis can help investors to find signal in the noise and provide visibility about where the distribution of risks lie to portfolios in a world where political risks are unlikely to abate. | politics |
http://turkishteachers.com.au/turkishteachers.asp?pages=Ataturk&pages1=Principles | 2021-01-23T03:52:00 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-04/segments/1610703533863.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20210123032629-20210123062629-00370.warc.gz | 0.970211 | 1,275 | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-04__0__283878198 | en | In contemporary terms, these can be classified as:
1. Individual freedom and national sovereignty
2. Accepting guidance of science and wisdom for all activities of state
Atatürk quoted this as " My Heritage"
It shouldn't be forgotten that the basis of all progressivism included in the Republic regime is the 'Principle of Secularism.' As usual there is no basis to talk about Republicanism amongst a society ruled by traditions as well as progressivism and secularism.
In western languages this term is used to define the rule of a nation by itself. The following two points are really important in Republican regimes.
a) The Rulers
b) The Ruled
The main point is that both of these groups must have honesty. In a republican regime, honesty is of crucial importance for both sides, and the relations of both sides with each other is very important.
In this way, the republic will defend itself against interior and exterior dangers with tight measures limited with the principles of the republican regime. This frame must not be overrun. Otherwise a gap between the republic and the nation will occur. The biggest sufferer in this case will be the Republic itself. For this reason a republican regime has to be smart at all times. Freedom and its applications are limited with the rules of democracy in the countries that adopt this system. Nobody has unlimited rights in republics ruled by democracy. The regimes ruled with non-limited rights and laws cannot be classified as democracy or Republic. In democracy and democratic republican rights of the public and individual freedoms are limited with laws and their borders are marked with justice.
After all these explanations let's have a look at Atatürk's understandings of the Republic and State. The points that Atatürk mentioned about the republic about three quarters of a century ago are still the targets in some western countries. Atatürk was not only a well-informed soldier and a future-sighted statesman but also a real thinker. He not only generated ideas but also realized them showing the path of salvation and independence to Third World countries. Had he not placed his ideas on a scientific basis would they still remain contemporary after so many years? If the name of Atatürk circulates in many countries seeking liberty the reason must be searched for.
How did Atatürk prepare the infra-structure of the republic which was proclaimed on October 29, 1923
The Republic should be based on secular principles. There was no room for Caliphate or its remains, and the new state of Republic should be protected by a just law system. The young generation of the republic would be trained by the broad-minded instructors who were aware of the value of independence and freedom but not by the dark-minded people expelled from the borders.
Everything remaining from empire era out of logic would be demolished and foundations of the republic would be based on positive sciences. Atatürk was aware of the fact that the republic could not proceed only by austerity measures, and the events that took place later confirmed how future-sighted Atatürk was. Atatürk, who pointed out that a population without knowledge and consciousness may not have the right to be a nation, calculated that a nation would possess rights and laws in a ratio based on the level of his consciousness.That is why he cherished culture and training, and defined that culture was the basic essential of a republic. according to Atatürk, it is not enough to protect a republic. It must be deserved! Education is the key element for this. The young generations given a contemporary education may calculate the value of this necessity. For this reason victories achieved by means of sword must be replaced with cultural victories.
Turkish people were changed to a nation from being a religious community by Atatürk. Atatürk's confidence in the Nation was unlimited. He defended the idea that every revolution would be achieved with the Nation but not despite the Nation. His belief was that every novelty would exist eternally only if it adapted by the Nation. He kept repeating that whoever identified himself as a "Turk" within the boundaries of the country represented the "Turkish Nation" and that the Nation would be called so.
SOVEREIGNITY WILL UNCONDITIONALLY BELONG TO THE NATION
No power, external or internal strength would be able to confiscate this from the hands of the Nation. The nation would be educated to sacrifice their lives when necessary.
The term defined as the seperation of religious affairs and state work is a non-reversible point of Turkish revolution and the requirements of being a democracy. After this brief definition, let's point out to Atatürk's ideas relevant to religion and science. His ideas about religion were not too different from a noble and sincere member of the religious organisation. He was never an opponent of religion. He believed that religion was necessary for the public but he was against the replacement of law, logic, mentality with religion. He was opposed to merchants of religion, fundamentalists and those who wanted to rule the public with superstitions. Religion was a holy concept to be kept in the one's conscience. Setting off with these ideas,
on January 31, 1923 he said the following:
"Our religion is a most natural and logical one and it is for this reason that it is the last of religions. In order for a religion to be natural it must co-exist with science, knowledge and logic. Our religion completely complies with these prerequisites. Above, we defined that secularity is the seperation of State and religious affairs but this does not mean that everybody can do everything about religion without the interference of the State. Moreover, State power may be used for any belief system. In this case the freedom of conscience will be obliterated for believers and non-believers."
Atatürk was aware of the very big problems to be eliminated in order to flee from being an undeveloped society. For him, every contemporary attempt had to include the principle of secularism. Sultanate, caliphate, sharia, religious education and capitulations had to be obliterated. The ideas people create relevant to themselves and their environment are partially in the form of BELİEF and partially KNOWLEDGE. | politics |
http://www.egs.uct.ac.za/news/dr-suraya-scheba-conversation-lester-kiewet-cape-talk-radio | 2021-10-19T09:13:05 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-43/segments/1634323585246.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20211019074128-20211019104128-00539.warc.gz | 0.92345 | 143 | CC-MAIN-2021-43 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2021-43__0__242779156 | en | Dr Suraya Scheba in conversation with Lester Kiewet on Cape Talk Radio
10 Jun 2021 - 13:45
In this interview with Lester Kiewet on Cape Talk, Suraya Scheba argues that the City of Cape Town’s revised approach to domestic metering is concerning. We can anticipate that the approach will lead to many vulnerable households being placed on a trickle flow – due to structural and infrastructural factors – and this would be a disaster. Instead of normalizing the use of technological instruments to restrict basic water access, we need to be reminded of the intent of the constitution, and work toward meaningfully addressing socio-economic rights.
You can listen to the interview here: | politics |
http://jenniferheebner.com/the-709-carat-peace-diamond-what-it-is-why-it-matters-and-what-it-felt-like-to-hold-it/ | 2020-07-11T20:21:57 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655937797.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20200711192914-20200711222914-00019.warc.gz | 0.96399 | 1,391 | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2020-29__0__169273644 | en | NEW YORK. Thanksgiving week in America is an ideal time to give thanks—even for non-U.S. residents who work in jewelry. That’s why a meeting held yesterday morning in New York City by Martin Rapaport, founder of the eponymous diamond price sheet, auction services, and magazine—for which this journalist is a monthly contributor—was so significant. The reason for the gathering? The 709 ct. Peace Diamond, a giant piece of rough, found by miners working in alluvial fields in Sierra Leone in February of this year. (Check out the video on the diamond’s website that shows the community where the stone was found.)
For sure, the stone is significant for its size—Hearts On Fire says that most rough is only about 0.10 ct.—but what’s more important is the story behind the stone. This piece of rough marks the first time that miners in Sierra Leone, once a war-torn country that many know of because of the movie “Blood Diamond,” actually trusted its government to help them broker a sale.
For those of you who are not familiar with the traditional path of diamonds from mine to market, it’s a complicated scenario. Miners like the ones who found the Peace Diamond, named for the peaceful state of the country and the growing trust between Sierra Leoneans and their government—which hasn’t always been the most effective—often sell stones through backdoor outlets at low prices and without paying taxes. They do so out of fear of not benefitting at all if they do use proper channels. The Peace Diamond, which was found in the Kono District of the country, marks a break in this vicious cycle: the miners who found it alerted their local chief, who notified the government, which is helping to broker a well-publicized and proper sale at auction. The proceeds will be carefully and transparently divided up between tax revenues that will benefit residents and more money to the actual miners, who often don’t benefit from a large score. What does this mean? Many independent miners working remote alluvial fields like the one in which the Peace Diamond was found work for about $2 a day and do not have homes with electricity or running water. The Peace Diamond is the beginning of change for this unfair system.
“The village in which this diamond was found does not have clean water, but it will,” insisted Rapaport yesterday morning. “The money from this sale will benefit the people of Sierra Leone.”
The meeting held yesterday at Rapaport was to introduce the media to Paul Saquee V, chairman of the Council of Paramount Chiefs for the Kono District, and to Pastor Emmanuel Momoh, one of the miners who found the stone. Martin Rapaport himself, having benefitted greatly from diamonds his entire life—diamonds have helped him build his vast network of businesses—has offered to help auction the stone at no cost, leaving more money for the miners and the people of Sierra Leone. The move is an admirable one, as Sierra Leone is long overdue for a boon. Its beautiful diamonds have benefited many outside of the country, but not those in it. Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world.
“We hope the sale of the Peace Diamond encourages other artisan miners to not allow their stones to be sold on street corners for peanuts,” said Saquee. “We hope this is the dawn of a new day where the diggers will have full benefits. The sale of the Peace Diamond will improve the lives of people.”
Pastor Momoh, meanwhile, explained that the president of Sierra Leone actually thanked him and his community for not smuggling the stone out of the country and for agreeing to put the diamond in an open tender to be sold in a transparent manner.
“This is the beginning of a new day in our nation where we have the opportunity to get a fair price for the diamonds in our country,” he said. “By buying this diamond, you will be improving the lives of some of the poorest people in the world, in places with no paved roads, schools, or medical facilities. The Peace Diamond represents peace and progress.”
To date, the diamond has been on quite the world tour. The Peace Diamond spent three weeks in Israel and three weeks in Belgium, and will spend several weeks in New York City, all in an effort get expert opinions on how it should be cut and to drum up interest in the auction. The stone was front and center yesterday during the press conference, and attendees had the opportunity to hold it. Of course, I did, and it was magical.
A rough diamond that big is an extraordinary sight, and it had a calming effect once placed in my palm. This was not just another pretty rock—the Peace Diamond is literally a life-changing one. Can you imagine not having electricity or fresh water? That’s hard for Americans to fathom, but this is the reality for many in Sierra Leone. It’s about time this country rises up and takes charge of its own wealth to steer a better path to its future. “It’s not up to NGOs or charities to decide what happens to Sierra Leone—it’s up to Sierra Leone,” said Rapaport.
When the rough is purchased, it will, of course, be cut into myriad stones, but all—no matter the size—will be sold under the provenance of the Peace Diamond name. This is no longer the Sierra Leone of its civil war days. “Our narrative has to change,” noted Saquee. “Yes, there were blood diamonds, but we have moved away from that.”
“Our diamonds now are for development,” added Momoh.
Another member of the press—a descendant of Sierra Leonean parents—spoke up during a question-and-answer session. “I want to thank you for erasing the stigma of blood diamonds,” he told the panel in a quiet, steady voice.
Momoh smiled broadly. “It’s the beginning of new era where diggers will get fair market value.”
Finally, and God be praised! (God is a recurring reference in Momoh’s conversations since he is a pastor.) This is what natural, mined diamonds do for communities far away that are living in abject poverty the likes of which Americans will never know. This is a diamond story that everyone needs to hear; natural diamonds are life changing, and each one represents a life-giving force as beautiful as their sparkle.
This content is copyright protected and may not be reproduced. | politics |
http://ucentralasia.org/Resources/Item/190 | 2018-05-24T15:31:58 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-22/segments/1526794866511.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20180524151157-20180524171157-00180.warc.gz | 0.929089 | 289 | CC-MAIN-2018-22 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-22__0__25759034 | en | Giving Entrepreneurs a Voice in the Future of Southern Kyrgyzstan
The violent events that unfolded in Southern Kyrgyzstan in June 2010 resulted in the destruction of homes and businesses, and threatened the livelihoods of micro and small entrepreneurs operating in the country’s southern region. One year later, as the country seeks to move forward from the violence and its entrepreneurs resume their business activities, significant challenges remain. This report outlines the issues and potential areas for development raised in interviews with entrepreneurs from Osh, Jalalabad and Batken Oblasts. Through the release of the study, UCA seeks to encourage policy discourse on issues of entrepreneurship and business development from those voices not currently being heard: the voices of entrepreneurs themselves.
In the winter of 2010-2011, the University of Central Asia (UCA) in partnership with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) undertook a study to gauge the views of those entrepreneurs who planned to continue living and working in Southern Kyrgyzstan. Supported by the United States Agency for International Development Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID-OTI), the study engaged over 150 entrepreneurs, as well as representatives of financial institutions and credit unions in a series of interviews, mini-surveys, and through participation in a Regional Entrepreneurship Roundtable in Osh City. Participants represented all three southern oblasts and sectors of the economy, with particular focus on micro and small entrepreneurs. | politics |
http://claysheriff.com/05_01_00news.asp?NewsID=486 | 2015-05-22T17:34:51 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-22/segments/1432207925917.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20150521113205-00267-ip-10-180-206-219.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.931044 | 352 | CC-MAIN-2015-22 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2015-22__0__68917532 | en | Thursday, February 18, 2010
PUBLIC INFORMATION ANNOUNCEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18, 2010
Clay County Sheriff’s Office Adds Legislative Issues to Public Website
Due to the importance of several legislative proposals currently under consideration by our legislators in Tallahassee, Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler joins with sheriffs across the state in the effort to educate and motivate residents. Citizens can now go to the CCSO’s public website at www.claysheriff.com to view information about proposed legislation that impacts – positively and negatively – law enforcement efforts in our county and state. From this site residents can also email their state senators and representatives directly to voice their opinions.
Below is an excerpt of Sheriff Beseler’s message on the site’s legislative information page:
“In virtually every opinion poll public safety continues to be one of the primary concerns for the citizens of Florida. And that’s why I urge all residents to keep an eye on the legislative process that is taking place in Tallahassee. As with all law enforcement agencies, the CCSO has a duty to enforce the laws of the state. But writing laws is the job of the Florida Legislature. Each year, hundreds of new state laws are proposed in Tallahassee. …. We must not turn the clock back on justice in Florida. I encourage you to read these proposed bills and join sheriffs like me in making our voices heard.”
We encourage members of the media and all residents to visit the CCSO website and click on the Proposed State Legislation button to learn more about proposals that directly affect public safety in our community. Thank you. | politics |
http://saskatoondlc.ca/our-work/clc-campaigns | 2018-06-20T20:53:27 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267863886.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20180620202232-20180620222232-00589.warc.gz | 0.92888 | 143 | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-26__0__185385579 | en | Our Labour Council is responsible to deliver CLC National Campaigns within our community. We host events, distribute material and connect different unions and community groups in our area around issues. We also participate in CLC lobbies of MP’s where we address issues like pensions, unemployment insurance, good jobs, etc. Labour Councils educate, motivate and engage activists at the grassroots level.
Labour Councils take a great interest in municipal politics—the decisions made at the local government level affect us the most in our everyday lives. From our drinking water to our recreation sites, we advocate for accessible, quality public services. The SDLC is proud to participate in this CLC campaign where we help elect progressive candidates. | politics |
https://paragonstrategicstaffing.com/ir35-reviews-deliver-food-for-thought/ | 2024-04-17T22:12:15 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296817181.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20240417204934-20240417234934-00289.warc.gz | 0.952796 | 865 | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-18__0__72129354 | en | As HMRC’s soft-landing ends for the new off-payroll working rules — known as IR35 — organizations should heed the potential warnings from the recent review of IR35 in the public sector released by the National Audit Office (NAO) and the recent House of Lords enquiry.
Learnings from the public sector. The NAO report “Investigation into the implementation of IR35 tax reforms” is far more balanced than HMRC’s recent attempt to mark its own homework. It also provides some very helpful learnings for how the new rules can be better managed in the private sector.
First, HMRC has recouped £100 million more than expected in tax receipts, which suggests that many public sector organizations placed more workers inside IR35 than was really necessary. This is a practice that private sector businesses would be advised to avoid in the current competitive environment for attracting and retaining contractor talent.
Second was the report’s coverage of HMRC’s Check Employment Status for Tax tool (CEST), with it clear that historic errors in use of the tool resulted in public bodies being penalized and handed significant tax bills. Although the House of Lords report goes into further detail on the challenges around CEST, the NAO’s recommendation is that appropriate training is put in place by businesses in order to fully understand HMRC’s guidance. As ever, any automated tool is only as accurate as the information fed into it.
Finally, the NAO report recognized that HMRC massively underestimated the ongoing commitment required by organizations to maintain IR35 compliance, with dedicated staff, independent review structures and formal approval at senior levels recommended as best practice. While this may seem onerous, it will allow businesses to unlock one of the key advantages of centralizing responsibility for engaging with off-payroll workers: a more holistic view of status determinations both internally and in the supply chain. Organizations that follow this advice stand to benefit from improved access to a flexible workforce, while keeping a tighter rein on costs and compliance.
Limitations of CEST. The House of Lords enquiry makes clear that CEST should not be a substitute for law, so companies that use the tool should understand their legal responsibilities for reasonable care and how to use CEST in this context. However, until we see an enforcement case come to court, there is currently little legal precedent for how these new rules should be applied, and CEST still appears to be the inaccurate yardstick by which compliance in the public sector is being measured.
The House of Lords recommendation to introduce mutuality of obligation considerations into the tool will be a great help, but only if, as outlined in the NAO report, people using the tool are fully trained and able to clearly interpret the rules.
Blanket bans. The House of Lords report recommends the HMRC to police the use of blanket bans – where contractors are put onto a payroll without assessing IR35 status – and blanket assessments – where a hirer deems all engagements as outside IR35. In a recent Brookson Legal survey of 500 business leaders responsible for IR35 – Reassessing IR35: The unspoken opportunity for growth report – 25% of companies we spoke to indicated that they had used a blanket approach to status determinations. Whether HMRC heeds this advice or not, we would advise these companies to review this practice urgently to avoid losing out on talent to companies who are able to offer outside IR35 roles for the more skilled roles in their flexible workforce.
Looking forward. The House of Lords committee recommends the findings of the 2017 Taylor review be implemented more fully, which we support. A healthy economy needs a tax framework that enables access to flexible workforces for businesses, while valuing the vital contribution that genuine contractors make and the financial independence that they require in order to work effectively in this way.
The NAO’s and House of Lords’ IR35 reports provide useful learnings and food for thought for the private sector as it embarks into the next phase of its IR35 journey. Only by heeding the warnings surrounding reliance on CEST and blanket bans will organizations be able to recruit and retain talented contractors, and embed a compliant and robust IR35 solution that supports business growth. | politics |
http://www.nesukip.org.uk/ | 2018-06-21T20:02:14 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267864257.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20180621192119-20180621212119-00082.warc.gz | 0.969582 | 476 | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-26__0__224249468 | en | UKIP is a democratic, libertarian party for all people in Bath and North East Somerset who believe in freedom to make individual decisions, who aspire to improve their personal situation and who seek to be self-reliant whilst providing protection for those genuinely in need. UKIP promotes self-reliance and freedom from state interference and we believe that the state in Britain has become too large, too expensive and too dominant over civil society. UKIP is a patriotic party that promotes independence for the UK and independence from government interference. We believe in free trade, lower taxes, personal freedom and responsibility. We believe that Britain must be a self-governing country with proper control over it’s borders. We are unashamedly patriotic; proud about Britain and the contribution it has made to the world. We believe that Britain is strong enough to be successful as an independent nation, trading and building harmonious relations with the rest of the world.
Are you disillusioned with the other parties? Are you completely new to politics?
Gerard Batten MEP was appointed UKIP interim leader on 17th February 2018. UKIP Bath & North East Somerset Branch congratulates Gerard on his appointment and we look forward to a period of stability and growth under his leadership.
Gerard Batten was one of the founding members of the United Kingdom Independence Party in 1993. He was previously a member of the Euro-sceptic Anti-Federalist League between 1992-1993, before becoming party secretary for newly-formed UKIP between 1994 and 1997. Gerard was UKIP’s European Election Organiser in 1994 and the first Party Secretary (1994-1997). He has served on the UKIP National Executive Committee at different times. Elected as a Member of the European Parliament for the London constituency in 2004, he was re-elected in 2009 for another five year term. He has written extensively on subjects such as Immigration, the Cost of the European Union, and the European Arrest Warranty and the creation of a European system of criminal law. He has been a member of the European Parliament’s Security & Defence Committee, and since 2009 a member of the Civil Liberties Justice & Home Affairs Committee. From 2009 to 2014 he served as the UKIP MEPs’ Chief Whip.
William Dartmouth MEP
UKIP MEP for the South West of England and Gibraltar
EFDD Coordinator on International Trade [INTA] | politics |
https://www.hsan.org/main_pageid_97/ | 2023-09-30T14:10:18 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510676.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20230930113949-20230930143949-00172.warc.gz | 0.917162 | 1,199 | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-40__0__239777184 | en | RUSSELL SIMMONS AND THE HIP-HOP SUMMIT ACTION NETWORK INVITE THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND THE NEW JERSEY HIP-HOP SUMMIT, COMBINING HIP-HOP CULTURE, MUSIC, YOUNG PEOPLE
FIRST HIP-HOP SUMMIT TO FEATURE WEB STREAMING TO 6000 HIGH SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES IN THE NEW JERSEY AREA Summit To Feature Damon Dash, CEO of Roc-A-Fella Enterprises and an HSAN Boardmember, artists Wyclef Jean, Freeway, Layzie Bone, Loon, Remy Martin, Joe Budden and Amanda Diva from MTV and Other NJ Celebrities As Voter Registration Deadline Approaches For November General Election
NEW YORK, NY- September 21, 2004-Hip-Hop mogul and Hip-Hop Summit Action Network Chairman Russell Simmons, Reverend Run of RUN DMC, producer and singer Wyclef Jean and a number of Hip-Hop and other New Jersey celebrities will be joined by NJ Attorney General Peter Harvey, Trenton Mayor Douglas Palmer, and high school and college students at New Jersey’s HIP-HOP SUMMIT on Thursday, September 23 at the War Memorial in Trenton. The SUMMIT begins at 11 and ends at 3 p.m. Admission to the SUMMIT is free – all unregistered voters must register in order to enter.
The NEW JERSEY HIP-HOP SUMMIT is open to the general public and, for the first time, will be web cast, making the SUMMIT available for viewing at 6000 high schools and colleges in New Jersey. This is the first HIP-HOP SUMMIT featuring web streaming.
The Office of the Attorney General is working in conjunction with Russell Simmons and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) to host New Jersey’s statewide HIP-HOP SUMMIT, which is the last SUMMIT in the country, prior to the voter registration deadline of October 4 and Election Day, November 2. HSAN’s “Hip-Hop Team Vote” youth voter registration and Get Out The Vote (GOTV) initiative has been registering young voters around the country for the last 17 months.
New Jersey is hosting the only statewide HIP-HOP SUMMIT in anticipation of registering young people to vote. The Attorney General, who has the distinction of serving as the only Attorney General in the country in the dual role as Chief Law Enforcement Official and Chief Election Official said, “Voting is one of the most important acts anyone can perform and communicating the significance of voting to young people must be done in a way that interests many of them – which is why we developed a diverse portfolio of initiatives with young people about voter education and registration.” He continued, “The HIP-HOP SUMMIT, along with the college bus tours, web casting from the Summit and presentations to high school and college students, allows us to build that bridge to today’s youth.”
Russell Simmons, Chairman of HSAN exclaimed, “New Jersey has a significant reservoir of hip-hop talent and genius. We are pleased to partner with New Jersey Attorney General Peter Harvey in this unique effort to empower the youth of the state.”
The NEW JERSEY HIP-HOP SUMMIT will also include Damon Dash, CEO of Roc-A-Fella Enterprises and an HSAN Boardmember, artists Wyclef Jean, Freeway, Layzie Bone, Loon, Remy Martin, Joe Budden and Amanda Diva from MTV. New Jersey native Joe Piscopo will also participate. The HIP-HOP SUMMIT is an interactive panel discussion about the importance of voting and issues of concern to young voters. According to HSAN, the SUMMITS are designed to foster initiatives aimed at engaging the Hip-Hop generation in community development issues with a special emphasis on voter education. The HIP-HOP SUMMIT includes question and answers from the audience. Questions will also be entertained from the web.
Previous HIP-HOP SUMMITS have been held in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Washington, D.C., Houston, Philadelphia, Syracuse, Seattle, New Orleans, St. Louis, Birmingham, Raleigh, Kansas City, Baltimore and Dallas.
Other election events sponsored by the Office of the Attorney General include college bus tours, public service announcements, registration events at sporting events and an informational web site.
All of the initiatives were developed through the HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT (HAVA) and the Division of Elections. HAVA is the federal law that provides for federal monies to assist states in upgrading voting equipment and election procedures to protect the right to vote of all citizens. New Jersey has been recognized as a national leader in the HAVA effort. The New Jersey HAVA State Plan is administered under the Office of the Attorney General. According to Attorney General Harvey, there are three primary requirements with the HAVA program: 1) to replace outdated voting machines: 2) to create a statewide data base: 3) voter education and awareness.
The “BE POWERFUL, BE HEARD” campaign is a comprehensive approach to voter education and voting. The Attorney General said, “By creating partnerships, like those with Rutgers University and HSAN, we are raising awareness and advancing the cause to register voters in New Jersey. There is an enormous challenge and opportunity ahead of us to raise awareness and educate New Jersey residents, particularly young people, about the power of their vote.”
For questions, call 1-877-658-6837 or 1-877-NJ-VOTER or visit on line at www.njelections.com.
For more information about HSAN, go to www.hsan.org. | politics |
https://parityprojects.com/response-to-ccc-report-on-the-uks-unfit-homes/ | 2024-02-22T15:44:26 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473819.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20240222125841-20240222155841-00734.warc.gz | 0.939335 | 776 | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-10__0__168916757 | en | Today’s report from the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) finds that today’s homes are unfit for the challenges of the 21st century. It could not be clearer:
- We cannot meet our climate objectives without a major improvement in UK housing.
- We will not meet our targets for emissions reduction without near complete decarbonisation of the housing stock.
- The housing stock is not well-adapted for the current or future climate.
- Current policies are not delivering the required changes.
The Committee identifies five priorities for action. They are spot on.
We need to close the performance gap; invest in skills (not least by providing stability in the sector); retrofit homes for both efficiency and resilience, and embed those principles in tight specifications for new homes; and provide preferential finance for homes that both mitigate and are resilient to climate change.
Overcoming barriers in the market
Our data analytics tool and advisory services are already helping social and private landlords of close to a million homes develop cost-effective retrofit strategies, as MEES and the Clean Growth Strategy have made the direction of travel clear.
But the owner-occupier market continues to be a tough one to crack. Our current BEIS-funded work in this sector seeks to address a number of these barriers, and indeed many more. It was developed in response to the list of barriers set out in the Government’s own report on ‘Building a market for Energy Efficiency’.
On the demand-side, with partners, we are developing
- an innovative offer, backed up by targeted marketing
- quality assurance through Retrofit Coordinators and partnerships with local authorities
- independent advice on appropriate measures, potential costs and benefits
- finance offers
- ways to reduce the hassle factor, again through the Retrofit Coordinator, but also through packaging of measures and potentially other means
- identification and framing of benefits beyond energy savings, such as appearance, comfort and developing social norms
- marketing tailored to property types, to work with not against the appearance of a building
- an incentive to act now
On the supply side, the project aims to provide
- high quality work for trusted installers
- a balanced view on cost, carbon and comfort benefits tailored to the consumer segment, leaving installers to do what they do best – install
- assurance to finance partners on the quality of installations
- offers that work with the current availability of skills, whilst identifying gaps in skills, and reducing them through training
- a test of the potential for savings through aggregated offers
- research into the impact on property value
Government intervention is required
We are very grateful to BEIS for testing the potential market for SME installers in this way. The breadth of the project’s scope is vital to allow for testing the impact of different elements through Randomised Control Trials.
Some elements will work, some won’t, but there remains a missing element: a strong signal from across Government that this matters.
Read those bullets at the top again. Making housing fit for the 21st century is not a nice-to-have, not gold-plating, and is most certainly time-sensitive. The market has the potential to make the transition easier, but there’s little traction whilst Government cuts or cancels related decarbonisation policies. We need a return of a zero carbon homes standard, less reliance on ‘smart’ alone, recognition of the societal value of small-scale renewable energy, and HM Treasury needs to recognise that homes are central to the nation’s infrastructure.
Whilst we get on with testing all levers that are within our reach to overcome market barriers, it is also up to the Government to do all that is within their power. All levers are needed. | politics |
https://housingdreams.wordpress.com/2021/04/23/we-know-how-to-end-homelessness/ | 2022-09-27T12:22:13 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335004.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220927100008-20220927130008-00157.warc.gz | 0.972459 | 505 | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-40__0__77625815 | en | Saul Alinsky said “the problems facing inner-city communities do not result from a lack of effective solutions, but from a lack of power to implement these solutions;” We can say the same thing about ending homelessness in the UK.
We know how to end homelessness. It could happen quickly and across the whole country.
A recent report from the LSE gives us many of the answers. They reference detailed work looking at what would happen to homelessness in the UK under a range of scenarios.
They found that the two most promising approaches were what they call “no welfare cuts” and “max prevention”.
“No welfare cuts” perhaps does not need much explaining. Despite the ongoing pandemic, the government has taken the decision to freeze the local housing allowance. This comes after a prolonged period of austerity where the government has consistently reduced the generosity of the housing benefit system.
Linking the amount of housing benefit that people can claim to local rents would quickly and permanently reduce the number of people that become homeless each year.
Perhaps as important as the amount that is given out is who gets it. The current housing benefit system is complex and stigmatised. Every year billions go unclaimed. Anyone that has worked in homeless services or benefits advice knows that the system can be particularly hard to access for people who face other stresses and strains. Changing this would have a dramatic impact.
“Max prevention” refers to the type of joined up approach to preventing homelessness that is used in Newcastle. This means involving huge numbers of different people from different organisations in identifying those that are at risk of becoming homeless and helping them, with advice and support. This might sound straightforward but it involves lots of training and facilitating networks, all of which requires resources.
Although not easy, both these approaches could be rolled out at pace, nationally
Housing benefit is not looked upon fondly by many politicians or activists. It’s often portrayed as a “subsidy for landlords”. Similarly, the idea that people who work in churches or pubs or bookies might be able to spot and help people that are at risk of becoming homeless goes against many people’s political instincts.
Nonetheless, if we want to quickly end homelessness we need to embrace these approaches and commit to creating a generous social security system that protects people and mobilising all our communities’ resources to ensure people get good quality advice and support before they end up sleeping rough. | politics |
https://www.rebekahwarren.com/civil-rights-and-liberties | 2023-12-10T05:16:29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679101195.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20231210025335-20231210055335-00579.warc.gz | 0.924696 | 277 | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2023-50__0__16604617 | en | Defending Civil Rights and Liberties
A long-time advocate for diversity and equality, Rebekah has fought to ensure that the civil rights of every Michigan resident are protected, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin or immigration status, by:
Defending and advancing LGBT couples' rights to secure health care benefits, adoption and marriage.
Ensuring that all citizens are able to exercise their right to vote freely and without intimidation.
Advancing proactive policies that will help reduce unintended pregnancies and increase access to birth control and emergency contraception (EC), or the “morning-after pill.”
Promoting medically accurate and age appropriate sex education for our children.
Protecting a woman’s right to choose.
Advocating for measures that would ensure our police and public safety officials have expanded sensitivity training to include LGBT issues.
Supporting the passage of a statewide anti-discrimination law that would protect people based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression.
Championing an amendment to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.
Punishing hate crimes to the fullest extent of the law.
Preserving the right to free speech and assembly.
Defending affirmative action programs. | politics |
https://www.filingsearch.com:443/mediaNews/202111710269/-Weak-terms-in-COP26-draft-document-could-raise-temperatures-by-2-4-C-2021-11-11 | 2022-05-26T13:56:25 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652662606992.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20220526131456-20220526161456-00119.warc.gz | 0.940325 | 650 | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-21__0__89563828 | en | 'Weak terms' in COP26 draft document could raise temperatures by 2.4°C
By Yashasvini on Nov 11, 2021 | 04:31 AM IST
• COP26 draft document has gaping holes concerning finances and lacks concrete terms, which need to be addressed to ensure the Climate Summit is not a failure
• Climate Action Tracker (CAT) indicated the short-term plans put in place by countries would result in global temperatures rising to 2.4C, by 2100
The COP26 climate change draft document has suggested that countries should submit long-term strategies for reaching net-zero by the end of next year along with getting more help to combat global warming. While these are facts that have been, reiterated for quite a long time now, experts believe that the document is weak and a mere “box-ticking exercise”, as reported by BBC.
COP26 president Alok Sharma said he expected "near-final texts" to be published overnight. He said that the agreement that comes out of the conference would "set the future for our children and grandchildren".
Around 140 nations have pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Researchers have said their short-term plans for 2030 are not strong enough to limit the rise in temperatures.
A research published at the summit on Tuesday, by Climate Action Tracker (CAT) indicated the short-term plans put in place by countries would result in global temperatures rising to 2.4C, by 2100. The Tracker is backed by several organizations including the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.
US's and China's long-term promised targets could help reduce the temperature to 2.1C. If every country fulfilled its promises to achieve long-term net-zero emissions, then it could be possible to reach 1.8 degrees Celsius.
The report by CAT analyzed the promises made by governments before and during COP26. It concluded that, in 2030, the greenhouse gas emissions would still be twice as high as necessary for keeping temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
CAT analyzed the policies of 40 countries and concluded that only a small number are rated "acceptable", covering a fraction of the world's emissions. Only a few countries have plans in place to reach the goal of zero emissions in the promised time.
Analyzing the loopholes
With the world off track to meet the goal, the draft document urges the nations to "revisit and strengthen" the targets for cutting emissions by 2030 in their national plans to align them with the Paris Agreement goal of well below 2C or 1.5C by the end of 2022.
Terms such as cutting down on fossil fuel subsidies will be a bone of contention during the deliberation over the final terms of the climate change policy document.
Smaller nations that don’t contribute to a major part of the emissions and poorer countries who don’t have enough resources to introduce viable green energy options, would require assurances on finance, something which the document does not provide.
Without a concrete plan for 2030, these longer-term goals will not be achieved.
Picture Credits: BBC
With inputs from BBC | politics |
http://www.bakertillymooneymoore.co.uk/news-item/new-minimum-wage-rates-now-force | 2019-02-16T08:58:11 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-09/segments/1550247480240.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20190216085312-20190216111312-00112.warc.gz | 0.963782 | 295 | CC-MAIN-2019-09 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2019-09__0__242815162 | en | 1st October 2013
The latest increases to minimum wage rates have come into force today, in line with recommendations set out by the Low Pay Commission (LPC).
From Tuesday 1 October:
- the adult rate increases to £6.31 an hour
- the rate for 18-20 year olds increases to £5.03 an hour
- the rate for 16-17 year olds increases to £3.72 an hour
- the apprentice rate increases to £2.68 an hour.
According to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, more than 890,000 of the lowest-paid workers in Britain will benefit from the rate increases.
Business Secretary Vince Cable described the NMW as "a vital safety net in protecting the low paid" but warned that:
"...as signs of an economic recovery start to emerge, we need to do more to make sure that the benefits of growth are shared fairly across the board."
"That is why in addition to their ongoing annual remit, I am asking them [the LPC] to extend their expertise to help the government and business understand how we can deal with the issue of low wages in the economy. In particular I have asked them to look at what economic conditions would be needed to allow the National Minimum Wage to rise in the future by more than current conditions allow."
We can help with payroll and compliance with the new NMW rates. Contact us to find out how. | politics |
http://www.webmousepublications.com/itow/whoswho/lea/text-pl2.html | 2018-04-20T21:45:43 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-17/segments/1524125944742.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20180420213743-20180420233743-00150.warc.gz | 0.975629 | 431 | CC-MAIN-2018-17 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2018-17__0__204993611 | en | The National Cyclopedia of American Biography
LEA, Preston, thirty-fourth governor of Delaware (1905- ), was born at Wilmington, Del. Nov. 12, 1841, son of William and Jane Scott (Lovett) Lea. His father (1805-76) was a merchant miller. His earliest ancestor in this country, John Lea, a minister of the Society of Friends, is supposed to have come to America with William Penn, on his first voyage. The line of descent is through his son John and Hannah Hopkins (Webb) Lea: John 3d and Mary Yarnall (Pennell) Lea, and Thomas and Sarah (Tatnall) Lea, who were the grandparents of Gov. Lea. Thomas Lea was the second president of the Bank of Delaware. Preston Lea was educated at Lawrenceville, N.J., and at the age of eighteen entered the employ of his father in Wilmington. The firm having incorporated upon the death of his father he became its president, and in 1888 he was elected president of the Union National Bank. Still holding these positions, he is also vice-president of Farmers Mutual Insurance Co.; and a director of Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington railroad, and was president of the Equitable Guarantee Bank, and of the Wilmington City Railway Co. In November 1904 he was elected governor of the state of the Republican ticket, receiving 22,532 votes; Pennewill, the Democratic candidate receiving 19,780 votes, and Chandler, regular Republican 802. Mr. Lea is a member of the Union League and Arts clubs of Philadelphia, and of the Country and Wilmington clubs of Wilmington. He was married at Wilmington, Del., Oct 8, 1888 [sic], to Adelaide, daughter of James Vandyke Moore. She died Oct 8, 1888. He was married 2d at Wilmington, Apr. 29, 1897, to Eliza Naudain, daughter of Charles Corbit. He has four children: Claudia Wright, Alice Moore, Ethel Mildred and Louise Corbit.
Volume 13, page 586 | politics |
http://www.reliefanalysis.com/ | 2015-03-30T19:59:43 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131299877.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172139-00047-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | 0.924958 | 150 | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2015-14__0__54629584 | en | Climate Change could catalyze the need for Australia to double its fire fighting force by 2030. But climate change's global impacts could also unravel international mutual aid agreements used in the continent's current response operations. [Image: Wikipedia Commons]
Cross-posted by the Center for Climate and Security
Australia is coming off of its warmest documented year on record, and the climate-vulnerable continent needs more firefighters. As referenced in a landmark report from the Climate Council of Australia, the nation’s firefighting force must double to 22,000 personnel by 2030 to combat a projected upsurge in dangerous brushfires. But the threat of climate change is working in parallel--something which could enhance fire risk and even potentially unravel international mutual aid agreements. | politics |
https://civictech.africa/the-influence-and-advancement-of-tech-on-democratic-elections-participation-and-transparency/ | 2024-04-13T00:02:09 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-18/segments/1712296816465.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20240412225756-20240413015756-00267.warc.gz | 0.955091 | 1,032 | CC-MAIN-2024-18 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2024-18__0__180007700 | en | 2024 has been hailed as “the year of elections” with half of the world taking part in local and national elections. The second installment of the Digital Dialogues series in 2024, hosted by CTIN and the International Civic Society Centre (ICSC) took place on 7 March 2024 and explored the role of tech and its influence on democratic elections, participation, and transparency.
Written by: Rofhatutshedzwa Ramaswiela and Yasmin Shapurjee
The discussion highlighted the role of several types of technology, specifically citizen platforms and transparency tools in the context of supporting elections. As tech continuously advances, there is a need for more citizen engagement to understand these digital tools, how to engage with them, and to understand the various risks of technology and how to mitigate them. This article will summarize the debate alongside reflections between the attendees and the panelists.
Yvonne Eweka a GoVote Project Coordinator at Co-creation-Hub Co-Creation Hub opened the conversation by sharing that she works across thematic areas, such as elections, governance, cybersecurity, and civic tech, and how GoVote is a tool used to empower citizens to participate and engage in the election process at local levels. Yvonne mentioned how tech’s influence in democratic processes in Africa is significant because tech not only raises awareness but also assists with the voter registration process and allows for access to information that can assist voters in making better-informed decisions. Therefore, civic tech enables young people to actively participate in the democratic processes, even with its current challenges.
Robyn Pansensie is a My Vote Count Political Party Funding Researcher, who leads research on political funding as well as creating awareness of the need for public education and party funding frameworks. Through her engagement with various stakeholders, she found that it is significant to understand the interplay between tech and elections. Not just that, but how access to information contributes to the transparency of elections. Robyn mentioned, ”In SA, it will be 30 years since our first democratic elections in 1994, a watershed moment”. Therefore, it is critical that voters have access to accurate information to make informed and sound decisions. Civic tech tools such as ‘Who’s Vote Counts’ play a crucial role in establishing political party funders so that people can follow where the money comes from. However, the question remains ‘What are the parallel processes that can be implemented to support civic tech adoption and scalability?’’
Cassie Cladis, is the project coordinator of Tactical Tech Data and Politics project. One of their projects is the Influence Industry which focuses on where big data companies collect and use personal data for political communications which leads up to political campaigns that aim to garner support in elections. With 17 identified companies, the Influence industry has identified gaps that exist in public knowledge but also uncovered the widespread tools used and large datasets that can be used to leverage political power. Cassie mentioned that “tech is just a tool and one that requires examination.” and “We hope that by sharing our findings and resources as well as highlighting other organisations and other investigators around the world who are doing work on these other topics, we can help contribute to the discussion around policymakers, journalists, and voters as well”. Digital technology is needed such as open-source registration databases, and electoral financial spending of databases.
During the discussion among panelists, some key arguments were made such as :
- Understanding the role of TikTok influencers and influencer networks on political spending – how would this play out during elections? Would the concern be spending on these spaces that are unknown and accounted for or would the concern be targeted mis/dis information campaigns?
- The importance of tracking the spending and the various influencers and discerning political messaging coming from such social media accounts.
- Awareness of microtargeting during elections and how to prevent or minimize harm
- Educating and empowering citizens through advocacy and grassroots mobilisation is crucial.
In closing, educating and empowering citizens through advocacy is essential. Hence, Robyn calls for regular in-person community engagement, with more traditional ways of interaction through workshops, and focus groups as these are critical to bringing more voices into the room. Robyn further explains that ”there are multiple ways where digital influence can show up” and different methods of influence can be integrated on various platforms because as tech advances, there is a need for more citizen engagement to understand these digital tools, how to engage them, and what to do and not to do. Cassie added the significant role of tech in increasing transparency and access to information, although cautioning that discerning accurate information will be crucial in the context of widespread misinformation and disinformation. Cassie asserted ”for many reasons, including lack of information, lack of accountability, and even consistent global media, and digital literacy communication, we as a global community are often left without necessary information to approach this topic and to really debate about how we want digital technology to be applied to communications during our elections”. | politics |
http://driftingcamera.blogspot.com/2011/06/brian-haw-dies.html | 2022-06-30T22:43:06 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656103915196.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20220630213820-20220701003820-00255.warc.gz | 0.957028 | 200 | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | webtext-fineweb__CC-MAIN-2022-27__0__191643782 | en | Brian Haw, a veteran British peace activist best known for staging around-the-clock protests outside London's Parliament continuously for 10 years, has died at age 62.
Haw died Saturday in Germany where he was receiving treatment for lung cancer, his family said Sunday.
Haw set up camp opposite the Houses of Parliament in June 2001 to protest U.S. and British bombing raids on Iraq. His protest soon widened in scope in the following years, with the invasion of Afghanistan.
Over the years, British officials tried — but failed — to shut down his protests and remove him from Parliament Square.
ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT BRIAN DAVID STEVENS 2007-2010 THEY MUST NOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION CONTACT briandavidstevens AT talk21.com
(replace AT with @) | politics |
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