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How can I wean my children off their new habit of playing musical beds? | Theres a sort of whimsy in the phrase musical beds, but in reality its a mess. I cant predict whether bedtime will crescendo into angry tears or if everyone will ease into sleep. I dont know if Ill fall asleep being clutched by our preschool-aged daughter, snuggling with our older son, or by myself. Once upon a time in our home, it was understood that kids sleep in their beds, mom and dad in their own bed. We successfully sleep-trained both infants using a modified Ferber method known as cry it out. Like every agonizing-at-the-time parenting situation, the stress of sleep training eventually faded into the rose-colored past. I was terribly smug, confident that we had gotten something right that so many other parents get wrong. Then we moved across the country, and everything changed. Our 2-year-old daughter said with increasing urgency, I sleep in Mommy and Daddys room. Our son, envious of her prime position, also began cuddling in. Nudged out by tiny elbows and knees, my husband gravitated toward another bed. The kids now follow their whims about where and with whom theyll sleep, often flipping back and forth throughout the night. [How Im raising my kids to have a healthy relationship with food, despite my eating disorder] Co-sleeping can be lovely and so, at first, we rolled with it. Theres a sweetness in watching their faces softening into sleep. A little hand reaching out in unconscious reassurance that youre still there. When you have small children, getting a full nights rest feels like a revelation. But as our daughter led the full-speed charge toward, We cant have it any other way! my resentment grew. Now I fret about potential long-term issues. Then comes the inevitable voice: My children need me! With parenting, whatever the drama du jour is weaning, nutrition, potty training, sleep it sucks up a ridiculous amount of emotional energy. Entire mommy groups have crumbled under debates triggered by hot-button topics like sleep training. It was reassuring, then, when I posed our mixed-up sleeping scenario to a parenting Facebook group and got an avalanche of empathy: My child had anxiety and needed me in her room; we got divorced; we needed sleep and it was survival. Thats how I know were not alone, but its still an uncomfortable topic. In her book, CoSleeping: Parents, Children, and Musical Beds, Susan Stewart, a professor of sociology at Iowa State University, interviewed 51 parents who co-sleep and found that many of them would prefer not to. The benefits a better nights rest with fewer disruptions keep them going. But shame and stigma keep parents from talking about it with their pediatrician or peers. Stewart pointed out that even though co-sleeping is common among other cultures, our own desire to stay quiet comes from self-perpetuated guilt. The problem is you're receiving information on all sides and theres a lot of pressure to be perfect, she said. There is so much guilt among mothers. Despite the reassurance that our situation is normal, Im nagged by concern that our kids can no longer fall asleep on their own, and bouncing between beds cant be healthy. Weve misplaced our boundaries and its our job to reestablish them. But while there are volumes of books and advice columns brimming with infant sleep-training tips, there are fewer resources for dealing with older kids. I checked in with Irene Makriplis, a certified pediatric sleep consultant at Lullaby & Me. Toddlers want a lot of physical contact, which is separation anxiety more than a sleep issue, Makriplis explained. With kids ages 2 and up, its up to the parent: how you talk to your child, how firm you are. Her words made perfect sense, but being firm with a little one isnt easy. Unlike an infant, our daughter can get out of bed. And open doors. She can ratchet up tearful wails, wheedle in her lispy voice and come up with negotiating tactics that make me marvel. Give cuddles before bedtime, so shes feeling fulfilled by the time she goes to bed, Makriplis recommended. She suggested gating off our daughters room to establish a boundary, and pointed me to a gentle sleep-training method known as the Sleep Lady Shuffle. Created by Kim West, the premise of the Sleep Lady Shuffle is to sit in a chair beside your child until she falls asleep, offering intermittent reassurance such as pats or rubbing. Each night, move the chair farther away until your child can go to sleep without your presence. Today is the day, I say every morning. Then every night my daughter says, I sleep with Mommy, or I sleep with Daddy, and were so exhausted that we give in. So I went to Kim West herself for advice. A licensed clinical social worker and author of several books including The Sleep Ladys Good Night Sleep Tight, West has counseled families for more than 20 years. Its so common, said West, to see parents evolve from nursing and rocking babies to sleep to lying down with their little ones, because its easier. As part of the Sleep Lady Shuffle for kids ages 2 to 5, she recommends holding a family meeting: Admit that you taught them to fall asleep one way, but now youre going to teach them another way. With any sleep-training approach, she said, you have to be in the right mind-set to stay consistent. Whether you run into the room in the middle of Ferberizing or give in to your kids demand to lie down during the Sleep Lady Shuffle, inconsistency can derail every effort. The fear of failure makes it tough to begin and so we havent. Next, I stumbled into RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers), a nonprofit membership program based in Los Angeles. At its core, this approach is about respecting babies as whole beings who are capable of participating in their surroundings. Sleep issues are reflective of a childs entire day. You cant work on sleep without considering how you set other limits, said Janet Lansbury, whose books and podcast, Unruffled, have established her as one of the leading RIE voices. If parents are erasing themselves and catering to their childs every need to avoid them ever expressing displeasure, we get enmeshed. Its very hard to undo. Ugh. Its not hard for the child, she clarified. Children change very easily, but its hard for us when weve perceived our role in a certain way. People think if their child cries theyre a bad parent. As she spoke, I realized that was the crux of it: The fear of being a bad parent drives so many of our decisions. Raging internal debates can paralyze us. Maybe Ive put so much energy into this that Im the one who created the problem. Or perhaps our kids will only sleep with us a little longer, and the whole event will slip into the past. I wish I could say that weve landed on our sleep solution. We havent. But in small moments Ive seen glimmers of how moving boundaries doesnt have to be dramatic. How acknowledging my feelings can defuse a battle before it escalates. How being easier on myself makes everyone around me more relaxed. And maybe those are the confidence builders that get us closer to being the parents we want to be. Sarika Chawla is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. Find her on Twitter @SarikaChawla6. Follow On Parenting on Facebook and join our discussion group here to talk about parenting and work. Sign up here for our weekly newsletter. More reading: This year, lets parent like its 1989 When I got dumped, I didnt hide my heartbreak from my kids What it meant to be a parent in 2018: Our 10 most-read pieces of the year | https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2019/01/07/how-can-i-wean-my-children-off-their-new-habit-playing-musical-beds/ |
Have PM's chances of getting her Brexit deal past MPs improved? | Downing Street was hoping that MPs having a break over Christmas - a time to reflect on the options - would soften opposition to the prime minister's deal. As parliament returns today, and the vote looms next Tuesday, the message from those I've spoken to is that, as per Theresa May's election catchphrase: nothing has changed. Insiders are already resigned to more than one attempt being needed to get it through parliament. One cabinet source says: "I don't think it's winnable, but if she survives losing it, she could win if it came back for a second vote." :: Three months until Brexit - what we know is going to happen Image: Sky sources say the vote will be on 15 January. Pic: UK Parliament/Mark Duffy The prime minister is yet to unveil the assurances she is seeking from EU leaders in order to win MPs over on the issue of the backstop, in which Northern Ireland would remain in EU rules unless another way is found to keep the border open. But since she dramatically called off the vote in December, the mood does not appear to have changed. The DUP, whose votes are crucial to unlocking the support of Brexiteers, have only upped the ante over the past few days. After representatives from the party met for lunch with Mrs May last week, Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson was asked in an interview if there was any way his party could support the prime minister's deal and replied: "No, there is not." Westminster leader Nigel Dodds described the backstop on Sunday as "poison". Image: Nigel Dodds called the Irish backstop 'poison' EU leaders want to help salvage the withdrawal agreement they have spent two years negotiating, but binning the backstop altogether is simply not on the agenda. Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, told reporters on Friday after a call with Angela Merkel that the pair had a "brainstorm as to what we could do to assist Prime Minister May in securing ratification of the withdrawal agreement" but that this would not "change or contradict what was agreed back in November". One loyal Conservative MP who backed Remain and wants the prime minister's deal to get over the line, told me over the weekend: "The only way [it gets through] is if the DUP publicly backs it, unless that happens it has a snowball's chance in hell." Image: EU leaders want to help salvage the withdrawal agreement Of course the more it looks as if the vote is lost anyway, the less the incentive for the EU to offer concessions if they will only be asked for more afterwards, in order for the government to have another try. MPs in the European Research Group of hardline Brexiteers say they still expect dozens of MPs to oppose the deal in parliament, whatever is offered. They will be invited to Downing Street for drinks this evening, but goodwill is not likely to be flowing. One former minister in the group, asked would be needed to convince him, reiterated: "Completely dropping the backstop." The attempt to convince MPs that no deal would cause disruption and economic damage is hardly helped by the fact that the message is failing to cut through to Conservative members. According to polling last week, the party faithful heavily oppose the deal, and 57% of them would favour no deal, if given three options including Mrs May's deal and remaining in the EU. In a TV interview yesterday, the prime minister insisted the vote would go ahead, with the hope that new compromises from the EU can clinch it, but did not deny it could be held multiple times. 0:45 Video: PM warns eurosceptics of rejecting Brexit deal Some Conservatives wonder, optimistically, if Labour MPs might eventually soften their opposition to the deal, out of concern that they would be facilitating a no deal exit. Labour sources today insist their position - not to vote for it - is unchanged, and deny reports that MPs could abstain in order to allow the withdrawal agreement though, infuriate the DUP and perhaps attract their support for the nuclear option of toppling the government. With time ticking down, and no deal preparations ramping up, senior MPs in all parties are grouping together to try and force Mrs May's hand. Former cabinet ministers Nicky Morgan and Yvette Cooper are leading an attempt to block tax changes unless the threat of leaving with no deal is ruled out - which could go ahead tomorrow. Meanwhile, 200 MPs and major businesses have written to the prime minister urging her to rule it out. But with deadlock in parliament as to what they would vote for - rather than against, Mrs May can only hope that with less than 12 weeks to go her deal eventually seems more palatable to MPs than no deal or the possibility of no Brexit. | https://news.sky.com/story/have-pms-chances-of-getting-her-brexit-deal-past-mps-improved-11601011 |
Is now a good time to invest in FTSE 100 stocks? | That said, from a long-term investing point of view, I believe theres a valid case for buying stocks at the present time. Heres a look at three reasons why now could be a good time to invest. But theres no easy answer, unfortunately. Both economic and political uncertainty are high right now, and the FTSE 100 has fallen around 6% over the last three months. If uncertainty remains elevated, theres a chance it could fall further. Thats the question many people are asking as we begin 2019. I would like to receive emails from you about product information and offers from The Fool and its business partners. Each of these emails will provide a link to unsubscribe from future emails. More information about how The Fool collects, stores, and handles personal data is available in its Privacy Statement. Register by giving us your email below to continue reading all of the content on the site. Soon you will also begin to receive our FREE email newsletter, The Motley Fool Collective. It features straightforward advice on whats really happening with the stock market, direct to your inbox. Its designed to help you protect and grow your portfolio. (You may unsubscribe any time.) Thats the question many people are asking as we begin 2019. But theres no easy answer, unfortunately. Both economic and political uncertainty are high right now, and the FTSE 100 has fallen around 6% over the last three months. If uncertainty remains elevated, theres a chance it could fall further. That said, from a long-term investing point of view, I believe theres a valid case for buying stocks at the present time. Heres a look at three reasons why now could be a good time to invest. Valuations are lower Since hitting an all-time high in May last year, the FTSE 100 has fallen around 13%. That means stocks are now considerably cheaper than they were back then. Essentially, investors can buy considerably more stocks for their money right now. Moreover, the overall valuation of the FTSE 100 index appears to be quite reasonable now after its recent pullback. According to Stockopedia, the median forward-looking P/E ratio of the FTSE 100 is just 11.7. Thats certainly not an expensive valuation judged on a historical basis. Dividend yields are high Another reason that now could be a good time to buy stocks is that dividend yields are high. When the market was at its all-time high last year, lofty yields were harder to come by. However, right now, there are a ton of companies in the FTSE 100 that offer fantastic yields. In fact, according to Stockopedia, there are currently 37 stocks in the key index that offer a rolling one-year yield of 5%, or higher. In other words, nearly two-in-five stocks offer a yield of at least 5%. And incredibly, nearly a quarter of the stocks in the index offer a rolling one-year yield of 6%, or more. In my view, these high yields offer a brilliant opportunity. We often hear how the stock market can generate total returns of 7-10% per year over the long run yet, right now, FTSE 100 investors can pick up returns of 5% or 6% per year, or more, from dividends alone. Uncertainty is high Finally, as I mentioned earlier, uncertainty is high right now. That includes Brexit, trade wars, higher interest rates, and a number of other factors. Investing feels challenging and, as a result, investor confidence is generally low. Some people have even said that the UK is uninvestable due to the uncertainty that exists over Brexit. In these situations, I think its worth remembering this top quote from the greatest investor of all time, Warren Buffett: I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful. In other words, the best time to invest is often when others are selling. Its not easy to buy when everyone is selling, but it can definitely pay off over the long run. Of course, because uncertainty remains elevated, I wouldnt recommend going all-in in stocks right now as the stock market could fall further in the short term. To my mind, the best strategy is to drip-feed money into the market, taking advantage of compelling opportunities when they arise. | https://www.fool.co.uk/investing/2019/01/07/is-now-a-good-time-to-invest-in-ftse-100-stocks/ |
Is Vietnam set to host the long-awaited second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Koreas Kim Jong-un? | US State Department officials have reportedly held a slew of meetings with their North Korean counterparts in Hanoi recently, fuelling speculation that the Vietnamese capital will host the second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The two sides have met multiple times to discuss the schedule for the upcoming summit, the South Korean Munhwa newspaper reported on Monday, citing unnamed diplomatic sources in Seoul and Washington. Vietnam has diplomatic relations with both the United States and North Korea, and both countries maintain embassies in Vietnam. It also has the symbolic significance of being a communist country that has reformed its economy, Munhwa reported. The US embassy in Seoul did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In November, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho met Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phac on what was described as a fact-finding mission by South Koreas Yonhap News Agency. Details of the four-day trip are sparse, and it is not known if a second summit was discussed. On Sunday, Trump told reporters in Washington that the United States and North Korea are negotiating a location for a second summit. It will be announced probably in the not too distant future, Trump said. They do want to meet and we want to meet and well see what happens. While the two sides had a very good dialogue and the American president had indirectly communicated with Kim, Trump said sanctions would be enforced until more progress is made. In a nationally televised New Year address, Kim said he is willing to meet Trump again anytime to achieve their common goal of denuclearising the Korean peninsula, but warned he may have to take an alternative path if US sanctions and pressure against the country continued. I am always ready to sit together with the US president anytime in the future, and will work hard to produce results welcomed by the international community without fail, Kim said. | https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2181038/vietnam-set-host-long-awaited-second-summit-between-us-president |
What will the BBC look like in 2022? | The BBC's already looking forward to its 100th birthday in 2022, and director general Tony Hall has given us a glimpse into the future of the world's most venerable broadcaster. Hall, speaking at the 'Where Next' event, talked about the need to keep hold of the things that work so well for the BBC, but also about the marriage between innovation and creativity and just how he believes the UK's audience will be consuming media in nine years' time. "Just as we embraced the internet, just as we created freeview and the iPlayer we are going to reinvent what we do bit by bit to serve this new audience in new ways - so what does this mean for the BBC in the future what will we look like for our 100th birthday in 2022?" asked Hall. Hall is keen not to throw the baby out with the bathwater, and he outlined the pillars that should remain in place over the next decade. "In some ways we'll look the same and we'll be the same. We'd still be the only public service that pretty much everyone chooses to use each week," he said. "We'd still be the place that everyone goes to for big events we would still be the preeminent provider of news you can trust not just locally or nationally but all over the world and of course we'd still be famous for our drama or our natural history." Need for change The need for change is clear, however, and Hall outlined the areas that will change as the BBC builds for its second century. "In other critical ways we will look quite different. The iPlayer would be the best online TV service in the world and the front door to many people to the whole world of the BBC. "Globally we'll reach more people - half a billion will be coming to our news, culture and information service. "We would be recognised the world over for what we do in music, arts, the world of ideas. We would be Britain's catalyst for creativity, helping the uk's amazing array of arts and science institutions to reach new audiences across the globe. "And we would have a two way a closer and warmer relationship with our audiences people would think not THE BBC, but MY BBC, OUR BBC and that to my mind would the be a BBC that had reinvented itself. "Still confidently informing, educating and entertaining, but in a very different way. It would be a BBC worthy of its 100th birthday, a BBC to be proud of and a BBC whose best days lay ahead of it. "The key challenge is to harness our power to create to our power to innovate, and innovation has been a part of the BBC since its foundation. You have refresh to regenerate and I guess you can't be the home of Dr Who for 50 years without knowing something about regeneration." The BBC has had a tough time of late, but remains perhaps the most iconic British brand, certainly in terms of technological innovation and broadcast. Hall's vision of the future remains a plan - but he's clearly keen to put the disgrace of Savile and pay-offs behind the corporation and look to the future. Check out our best soundbites roundup | https://www.techradar.com/au/news/television/what-will-the-bbc-look-like-in-2020-1187515 |
Why PM Mahathir seeks to engage with China? | Illustration: Luo Xuan/GT After his coalition won the election in May 2018, Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad declared that he would suspend several Chinese-funded projects. Mahathir also made several visits to Japan, giving the world the impression that Malaysia's new government will align itself more closely with Japan. However, in an exclusive interview with the media, Mahathir openly refuted this, stating that he is "a good friend of China," and bears no anti-China sentiment. Mahathir further mentioned that if China would agree to downsize the East Coast railway project, the Malaysian government would be enthusiastic to continue the project. We believe there are several reasons. First, Mahathir is not fundamentally against the Belt and Road initiative (BRI). Many of the Malaysian BRI projects set up by the previous government and the agreements were signed by the former prime minister Najib Razak. If those were to become successful, the credit would not go to the current government. Of course, if the projects were not successful, then the Mahathir government would be the one holding the bag! It is natural that Mahathir would find this unacceptable, and that he would want to renegotiate terms, to ensure his government was appropriately recognized. Before Mahathir visited China last year, he was already attempting to negotiate concessions from China. We don't believe his tough talks were a sign that he would not want to work with the Chinese government. Mahathir also has a "Malaysian dream," which is to ensure that Malaysia could prosper in the long term, and outstanding debts are reduced. Malaysia's export situation is far from optimal, and there is a great need to seek the support of neighboring countries. Without just cause, Mahathir's government could not simply tear up the signed agreements, as it could lead to concerns in foreign companies who may then slow down or stop investing in Malaysia. It is believed that Mahathir realizes he must become part of BRI to realize the "Malaysian dream." Second, Mahathir has realized that by playing the US and Japan cards he was not getting the expected results. Since Mahathir took office, he has not been able to strike up a meaningful conversation with the US. The US President Trump's internal affairs and diplomatic challenges are simply too overwhelming. He was in no mood nor had the time to deal with issues involving Malaysia. It soon became clear the US card no longer carried any weight, so Mahathir played the Japan card instead. Before visiting China, he visited Japan on two occasions. Unfortunately, Japan turns out to be a hard nut to crack for Malaysia. The Japanese companies are highly sophisticated and experienced in international investment, so were not easy to engage. Additionally, Japan and Japanese companies are highly selective in their investments and they need concrete benefits, so Mahathir had to engage with China. Third, Mahathir made some judgment errors, failing to recognize that China today is not the China of yesterday and China now has many countermeasures in its dealings with Malaysia. Malaysia hopes to grow by developing mobile internet and smart cities, areas where China is a world leader. Countries or regions such as Europe, US and Japan will not be able to provide the same quality to Malaysia, nor at competitive pricing levels. Yet, for China, Malaysia is but one of the many BRI countries. Therefore, for Malaysia, there is only one major country in the world with a stable economic development and foreign investments. If Malaysia loses Chinese investments, or worse, suffers Chinese economic sanctions, it will hit the Malaysian economy very hard. With these considerations, it is no wonder Mahathir was forced to face the economic reality facing his government. China gained experience for future BRI project negotiations from Malaysian case. In future negotiations with some leaders of the countries along the BRI, this experience will help in promoting investments of Chinese enterprises in Malaysia and other BRI countries. China needs to let local small and medium enterprises as well as the population discern the benefits but it must also provide economic and technological advancements and social progresses for such countries. Only this way can China be free from the so-called governments' "wishful thinking." This demonstrates clearly the mutual benefits of the BRI and will bring tangible benefits to the people of those countries involved. Feng Da Hsuan is chief adviser of the China Silk Road iValley Research Institute and former vice president for research at the University of Texas at Dallas. Liang Haiming is chairman and chief economist of the China Silk Road iValley Research Institute. [email protected] | http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1134897.shtml |
Has The Walking Dead revealed Rick's RETURN with The Whisperers detail? | THE Walking Dead will properly introduce fans to The Whisperers when the show returns in February. Fans of The Walking Dead have been waiting eagerly to meet the dreaded Whisperers and they got a glimpse during last year's midseason finale. A new teaser has given another look at the new group of villains, and fans are convinced one of them is a very familiar face. In the short trailer, four apparent walkers stumble through a forest, until one turns and looks at the camera. Some other details reveal this is a Whisperer, including the very much alive eyes and the stitches down the back of the head. What isn't clear is if this person will be a big part of The Whisperers, or just a random member. But fans online have been speculating that, actually, it could be Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) or even Rick (Andrew Lincoln). Rick left the show during episode five, being whisked off in a helicopter by Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh). It's already been confirmed that the rest of his story will be explored in a trio of television movies, so it's highly unlikely he's suddenly switched sides and turned evil. SPECULATION: Fans think the Whisperer in the teaser could be Rick (Pic: AMC) DANGER: The Whisperers are coming in full force (Pic: AMC) Negan, on the other hand, could be a viable option for whoever is under the mask, given his dastardly ways. Viewers know he's a harsh leader, so it would be difficult to see him taking orders from Alpha (Samantha Morton). (Pic: AMC) BAD GUY: Negan teams up with The Whisperers in the comics (Pic: AMC) | https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz-tv/hot-tv/751926/The-Walking-Dead-season-9-spoilers-Andrew-Lincoln-return-Rick-Whisperers-Negan |
Can Usman Khawaja defy team India today? | cricket Australia batsman will have to draw from the grit that saw him score 141 to eke out a draw against Pakistan in Dubai last year to save Sydney Test today Australia's Usman Khawaja during his gritty 302-ball 141 against Pakistan on Day 5 of the drawn Test in Dubai last October. Pic/AFP It was only a couple of months ago that Usman Khawaja played the innings of his life to ensure Australia escaped with a draw against Pakistan in UAE. Khawaja batted for over nine hours in a marathon knock of 141 on a Day Five pitch against a formidable Pakistan attack. The innings was inked as the next step in his career. It was the innings that had given Australia hope that their batting can deliver in the absence of David Warner and Steven Smith on home soil against India. Heroic knock in Dubai Australia needs Khawaja to play another heroic knock today that will ensure they go down to India 2-1 and not 3-1. A draw might not mean much in the context of the series, but for Khawaja, it is the last chance to stamp his authority and rescue his nation from a humiliating defeat. In his seven innings, Khawaja has only managed to score one fifty. He has scored 198 runs at a paltry average of 28.80. For the most experienced batsman in the Australia line-up, it has been an appalling series. His ugly swipe in the first innings against Kuldeep Yadav was an indication that the left-hander still doesn't trust his defence against the spinners. Indian bowlers relentless The Indian bowlers are aware of his weakness and Kuldeep stated after Day Two that he, "knew he would get after me and maybe hit at midwicket or mid-on." The fact that the spin bowlers are reading his mind poses additional problems for Khawaja as he tries to defy India today. India have meticulous plans for Khawaja. He hasn't been able to play the horizontal bat shots. Nor has he been able to get easy singles off his hip. But rather than runs, it will be the occupancy of the crease that will be important on the final day. India will try all sorts of tactics. The fast bowlers will bowl around the wicket and look to nab him in front of his stumps. The spinners will tempt him to hit over the top and choke him by luring him into front foot defensive prods. The Sydney pitch is still good and Khawaja has the memories of Dubai still fresh in his mind. It's a big challenge but not one that he cannot conquer. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates | https://www.mid-day.com/articles/can-usman-khawaja-defy-team-india-today/404132 |
Is Fatima Sana Shaikh the female lead in Shah Rukh Khan's Salute? | bollywood Fatima Sana Shaikh's mentor, Aamir Khan, was the original choice of Salute. Fatima Sana Shaikh and Shah Rukh Khan If the industry buzz is to be believed, Fatima Sana Shaikh is likely to share screen space with Shah Rukh Khan in Salute. The makers of the film, which is based on the life of astronaut Rakesh Sharma, will announce the female lead shortly as the film rolls next month. Fatima has reportedly confessed that it's her dream to romance SRK on screen. She is said to have a crush on him. If the buzz turns out to be true, it will not come as a surprise. Fatima's mentor, Aamir Khan, with whom she teamed up in Dangal (2016) and Thugs Of Hindostan (2018), was the original choice. After he did a rethink, Mr Perfectionist felt King Khan was more apt for the role and recommended his name. Talking about the film's shoot, former Indian Air Force pilot Rakesh Sharma's biopic was to kick off in May this year, however, Siddharth Roy Kapur's offering will now roll in Mumbai's Film City, in February. Since a couple of space films in B-town were put at the backburner, owing to the expenses incurred in tackling the genre, a source close to mid-day revealed, "The project is expensive. In a bid to ensure that Salute doesn't exceed the budget, Sidharth Roy Kapur and Shah Rukh Khan find it imperative to start shooting by February. Doing so will help them wrap up the main schedule before summer. Given that certain crucial scenes must be filmed outdoors, the duo felt shooting in the bulky costumes would be impossible during those months." The unit hopes to wrap up another leg, set to take place at an undisclosed outdoor location, by June, adds the source. Khan, on his part, will begin prepping for his role in the Mahesh Mathai directed venture soon. "Construction work for the creation of a huge set has already commenced at Film City." Also Read: Fatima Sana Shaikh: Did not need script to say yes Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates | https://www.mid-day.com/articles/is-fatima-sana-shaikh-the-female-lead-in-shah-rukh-khans-salute/20209160 |
Who was Fahrelnissa Zeid and why is she todays Google Doodle? | Todays Google Doodle is an abstract one, celebrating the 118th birthday or Fahrelnissa Zeid. She was a trailblazing artist, and was so well respected that the Tate Modern gallery stated she was one of the greatest female artists of the 20th century. They also held an exhibition of her work at the gallery, showcasing her best pieces. (Picture: Samuel Cole, Tate Photography) Born in Istanbul on 7 January 1901 to an elite Ottoman family, Zeids childhood was not always easy. In 1913, her father akir Pasha was fatally shot and her brother was tried and convicted of his murder. She began drawing and painting early, and went on to study at Academy of Fine Arts for Women in Istanbul. Fahrelnissa married novelist zzet Melih Devrim when she was 19, and they went on to have three children (although her eldest son died of scarlet fever). Advertisement Advertisement In 1928, she enrolled in art school in Paris, and divorced Devrim in 1934, later marrying Prince Zeid bin Hussein of Iraq. After becoming depressed at the aristocratic life, Zeid travelled around Europe painting and mixing with other artists. (Picture: Getty Images Europe) She held her first exhibition in 1945, and continued painting (even devoting a room in the Iraqi embassy in London where her husband worked as a studio). Her work was praised for the way she fused Byzantine, Arab, and Western influences, and used a Modernist technique. Fahrelnissas paintings have been described as kaleidoscope-like and abstract, and they tend to feature vibrant colours and bold lines, often resembling stained glass windows. (Picture: Salt Research) She has since exhibited all over the word, and her paintings have grown in value. Just last year one of her pieces sold for almost 1 million, and in October 2012, a number of her paintings were sold at auction by Bonhams for over 2 million setting a world record for the artist. Zeid is remembered for her art as well as her personality, and after her death in 1991 there have been books published about her and a number of retrospectives of her work. The best new computers unveiled at CES 2019 | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/07/fahrelnissa-zeid-todays-google-doodle-8317487/ |
Is Trump suffering from the China syndrome? | I learned this saying from my Chinese language tutor in Beijing in 2000. The proverb literally means that while superiors make policies, their subordinates always find countermeasures to castrate those policies. In late 1968, for example, Chinese leader Mao Zedong ordered 16 million educated urban youths to be sent to barren mountainous areas and poor farming villages to learn from workers and farmers. However, some of the most privileged children, mainly those of Communist Party officials, could avoid the order by joining the army or staying in nearby suburban villages. At the 18th Party Congress in 2012, Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to crack down on corruption by rooting out tigers and flies, meaning targeting both high-ranking and ordinary party officials. But those officials wining and dining at the governments or corporations expense tried to evade the campaign by bribing inspectors or tipping off political opponents. After living in Beijing for almost four years, I was convinced that people in China have been living this kind of life for at least the past 2,000 years. Until very recently, I thought the proverb only applies to the world of Sino-centrism, but I was completely wrong. Unfortunately, it also applies to the U.S. government. This past weekend, a special briefing was held on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeos upcoming trip to Amman, Cairo, Manama, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, Muscat and Kuwait City. The briefing was very intriguing, not because of the number of briefers which was four instead of the usual one or two but because of what they officially stated. One State Department official said that The secretarys trip to the region centers on two main themes. First, the United States is not leaving the Middle East. Just to remind readers of the facts, on Dec. 19- 20, U.S. President Donald Trump had made the following tweets, which the senior State Department official then tried to emasculate: We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency. After historic victories against ISIS, its time to bring our great young people home! Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there (sic) work. Time for others to finally fight.. Then Trump tweeted the following on New Years Eve, reportedly giving the Pentagon about four months to withdraw the 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria: If anybody but Donald Trump did what I did in Syria, which was an ISIS loaded mess when I became President, they would be a national hero. ISIS is mostly gone, were slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families, while at the same time fighting ISIS remnants.. The four senior State Department officials tried, in vain, to emphasize that the Trump administration is not abandoning the U.S. role in the Middle East and its regional allies. But Trumps claims and narratives, no matter how erratic they may be, are too clear to misunderstand. The State Department officials are changing the policy of the president. Trump first ordered the withdrawal within 30 days, but the military planners wanted about 120 days to allow time to decide which equipment to move in the region and finally persuaded the president. In the case of Mao, between 1966 and 1976 the Chinese leader was, in retrospect, completely wrong and his Cultural Revolution destroyed Chinas civil society and delayed its economic development by at least 20 years. His subordinates countermeasures didnt work, no matter how hard they tried to salvage China. In the case of Xi after 2012, nobody knows, or wants to say, whether Xi is right or wrong. His populist anti-corruption crackdown and dictatorial reform policies have so far been applauded by ordinary Chinese people. His subordinates, however, remain silent and their countermeasures dont seem to be working in the right direction. So here comes Trump. If Trump is the Xi of America, the situation will never get better. The authoritarian leader is trying to rescue the Chinese economy, which is facing a middle income trap with Chinese characteristic. His dictatorial style creates more enemies than friends to help him govern the nation. Moreover, Xi has no Deng. It may be premature to tell which one of the two is Trump but, all in all, a nation with a long tradition of Shang you zheng ce, xia you dui ce has no future. If superiors make unrealistic policies and their subordinates do not implement what they want, the nation will be in chaos. America is no China but it cannot afford such a luxury anymore. Kuni Miyake is president of the Foreign Policy Institute and research director at Canon Institute for Global Studies. | https://www.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=opinion&p=1681352&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+japantimes+%28The+Japan+Times%3A+All+Stories%29 |
How should the Wolves build a contender around Towns now? | When the Timberwolves hired Thibodeau after the 2015-16 season, they looked like a rising force in the Western Conference behind a young core led by back-to-back No. 1 overall picks and Rookie of the Year winners Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. While Minnesota managed to end the NBA's longest playoff drought by securing the eighth seed in the playoffs last year, the ill-fated trade for Jimmy Butler and Wiggins' lack of progress have left the Timberwolves on the outskirts of the playoff picture this season. Towns must be featured in Timberwolves' offense No player is more important to Minnesota's present or future than Towns, an All-NBA third team selection last season at age 22 who subsequently signed a five-year extension worth an estimated $190 million that will kick in this summer. Despite the accolade, the arrival of Butler thrust Towns into a smaller role last season, when his usage rate shrunk from 27.5 percent of the team's plays in 2016-17 to 22.9 percent. Following the Butler trade, Towns' usage is back up to nearly 27 percent this season, but he's still capable of doing more. Interim coach Ryan Saunders, and whoever succeeds him on a permanent basis, ought to consider New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis a model for how to use Towns. Davis' usage rate has topped 30 percent of the Pelicans' plays each of the past two seasons, and hasn't been lower than 29 percent since Alvin Gentry's arrival as head coach in 2015-16. (Coincidentally, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski pointed out that Davis' previous coach, Monty Williams, was a favorite of the Timberwolves' front office before they hired Thibodeau and could be a candidate this time around.) Towns has shown the potential to produce as much offense as Davis. His usage rate was higher during his first two seasons than Davis' at the corresponding point in his career, and Towns has always tended to create more of his own shots. Per Basketball-Reference, Davis was assisted on 72 percent of his field goals during his first four NBA campaigns, as compared to 68 percent for Towns. In part, Towns would benefit from better spacing for his post-ups. Minnesota ranks 26th in 3-point rate and 22nd in made 3-pointers per game this season, with Towns himself contributing 1.7 triples per game. The additions of prolific 3-point shooters Robert Covington and Dario Saric in the Butler trade was a good first step, but the Timberwolves will want to put as much shooting as possible around Towns. Wiggins' potential fading Unfortunately, a coaching change may not do much to help Wiggins, whose 17.0 points per game are his fewest since his rookie season and whose .493 true shooting percentage is a career low. Part of the reason Minnesota hasn't developed as expected is Wiggins' stagnation as a player. With the benefit of hindsight, the warning signs were there in Wiggins' poor advanced stats, which marked him as a volume scorer rather than the kind of key offensive contributor his scoring average suggested. However, there was no reason to expect the regression we've seen from Wiggins the past two seasons. It was easy in 2017-18 to blame Wiggins' struggles on being relegated to an off-ball roll alongside Towns, which indeed forced him to rely more on his mediocre spot-up shooting than his ability to create one-on-one. That argument is more difficult to square with what we've seen from Wiggins since Butler was traded. Wiggins' usage rate hasn't budged, his 3-point attempt rate is higher than ever and he's shooting a career-worst 43 percent on 2-point attempts. It's possible the light will come on for Wiggins and he'll convert his athletic gifts into production on a more regular basis under a new regime. He won't turn 24 until February, after all. More likely, Wiggins will remain more or less the same frustrating player he has been throughout his NBA career. And that means, despite his max salary, Wiggins can't be considered a key part of the Timberwolves' core any longer. Defensive improvement needed Ultimately, Thibodeau's biggest failure in Minnesota had nothing to do with his dual role coaching and overseeing basketball operations. Instead, it was his inability to translate the elite defense his Chicago Bulls teams played to the modern, 3-happy NBA. Thibodeau's Chicago tenure featured four top-five defenses in five seasons, including two No. 1 overall finishes. The Bulls' worst defensive rating under Thibodeau ranked 11th. Yet the Timberwolves finished 26th and 23rd in defense on a per-possession basis the past two seasons, and have been only slightly better (17th) this year. Minnesota did surge defensively during a home-heavy stretch after the Butler trade, ranking third in defensive rating while going 9-3 to climb over .500 on the season. The Timberwolves couldn't maintain that defensive success, slipping to 18th since then, translating into a 6-9 record. With Towns at center, Minnesota will probably always sacrifice some defensive strength for offensive firepower -- particularly with more shooting around him. But the equation for hiring Thibodeau depended on his defensive acumen outweighing his tendency to grind down players, and when that wasn't the case, keeping Thibodeau became tougher to justify. Whoever comes next will have to do more with a similar set of pieces. | https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wolves-build-contender-towns-now/story?id=60207055 |
Where is it all going wrong for Real Madrid and will Jose Mourinho return? | Almost 30,000 empty seats at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday night told the story of the season so far. The league table after the 2-0 defeat by Real Sociedad also made miserable reading for Real Madrid supporters. They are out of the Champions League places and 10 points behind leaders Barcelona. Santiago Solari has lost the aura of the confidence he had a couple of months ago. He was chastised by Marca last week for saying: 'We mustn't underestimate the draws'. Real Madrid supporters chose to stay away from the Bernabeu on Sunday evening Real Madrid are down in fifth following their latest defeat by Real Sociedad at the weekend Captain Sergio Ramos looks dejected on the Santiago Bernabeu pitch following the loss Real Sociedad's Willian Jose celebrates scoring as Raphael Varane looks dumbstruck Real Madrid are down in fifth spot in La Liga On Sunday night everyone at the Bernabeu would have taken a draw as 10-man Madrid slipped to their sixth league defeat of the season. 'Is this the end of an era?' Sergio Ramos was asked after the game. 'Well we won another trophy,' just over a week ago,' the captain replied. But the World Club Cup is never really a trophy in the truest sense. It's the lap of honour for a race run months before, often with others since departed putting in the leg-work. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the lion's share of the goals to get Madrid to the Champions League final last summer in Ukraine. Beating the champions of Japan to pick up another piece of silverware will not save Ramos or Solari from the criticism. When Solari's name was announced before the game on Sunday there were a few whistles from spectators. Certain sections of the Spanish media notably close to the president turned on him after the team failed to beat Villarreal in the first game back. Some of Jose Mourinho's most ardent supporters took the opportunity to call for his reinstatement in the comments sections under the anti-Solari articles. They make up a minority of the Real Madrid support and are unlikely to be listened to just yet despite the president still holding a candle for his former employee. It's debatable whether Mourinho would even want the job right now. Barcelona are 10 points clear with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez showing no signs of slowing down having scored more goals between them than 16 other sides in La Liga. That includes Madrid, whose paltry return of 26 goals is their worst in over a decade. He could concentrate on the Champions League and the Cup perhaps but he would have to build his defence around Sergio Ramos because there are no alternatives and the Madrid skipper has already made it clear he doesn't want the club to turn back the clock to 2010 and hire the Portuguese coach. Madrid are a mess defensively. Ramos has at times had to hold the back four together. Raphael Varane is still suffering from a World Cup winners' hangover. And Marcelo has gone to seed still occasionally effective going forward but a constant liability in defence. Rival coaches now make no secret of how they are targeting him and he gave the ball away inside three minutes for the move that led to Real Sociedad winning and converting their early penalty. Santiago Solari is under increasing pressure and Jose Mourinho has been linked with a return Mourinho previously managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga In other eras Madrid would have flashed the cash and bought their way out of trouble but even that escape route from this awful season seems to be closed to them. They opted not to buy Eden Hazard last summer because the money was being banked for Neymar in 2019 and because there was every confidence Marco Asensio and Isco would push on and possibly mean there was no need for the Belgian anyway. The two Spanish youngsters have gone backwards and even the Neymar trail has gone a little cold with Perez being advised against spending so much on such an unreliable asset. He remains convinced Neymar is the commercial golden goose that will help the club into a new era with a revamped stadium and a team of young prospects. Real Madrid's interest in PSG's Neymar (right) appears to have gone cold in recent months Eden Hazard may also think twice about joining Real Madrid due to the current unrest The youth of the current squad is another reason why Mourinho is considered by many to be unsuitable. The squad boosted by the arrival of Brahim Diaz from Manchester City looks like it's being hand-crafted to suit Mauricio Pochettino's taste. Then again, Roman Abramovich once built a team that he thought Pep Guardiola might want to come and manage and he ended up having to hire Mourinho to take charge of it because he could not persuade his first choice. Brahim comes having barely played for City but such is Madrid's current state he could be straight into the team. Bale, Asensio and Mariano are all injured and Lucas Vazquez is suspended. Brahim will not carry the weight of responsibility alone. Madrid's best player at the weekend was 19-year-old Vinicius Junior. 'We are in the hands of an adolescent,' moaned one columnist on Monday. For the moment that looks to be a fairly accurate summary. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6564825/Where-going-wrong-Real-Madrid-Jose-Mourinho-return.html |
Is the QA lab dead? | Quality assurance is changing. Internal teams too often dont have the resources necessary to get releases to market on time, on budget, and without bugs. And offshoring comes with its own share of issues like irrelevant results and inefficient testing. In its current form -- with traditional lab and outsourced testing -- traditional QA is dying. There are more than 45,000 unique mobile device profiles on the market today. And thats just the mobile devices. Forget about desktop computers, connected devices, or any of the other places apps can live and be used on a day-to-day basis. Then add in all the different operating system and browser variations and it becomes clear internal teams need help to test on a massive breadth of devices. But device coverage is only the tip of the iceberg. The biggest problem facing internal teams is a lack of code coverage. In a 2018 market survey by Applause, 60 percent of respondents said they are not confident in their level of code coverage. The 1,000 respondents kept coming back to the common themes of efficiency, coverage, and unproductive work because of a high noise-to-signal ratio. In fact, 80 percent of functional buyers rated themselves a "D" or "F" when surveyed about the quality of their test results. These findings are not due to a lack of expertise by internal QA teams. They have more to do with the amount of time available to test and the speed at which results need to be gathered to keep up with release schedules. Internal teams want to test 100 percent of their code, but they simply dont have the time or resources to do so. This isnt a challenge that is solvable with traditional testing methods. Unfortunately for QA departments, they cant exactly add more hours to the day. Outsourced models, too, have proven time and again to limited be in their effectiveness. While they can be a cheaper alternative to traditional labs, outsourced models cant account for real-world use cases and provide only a sliver of the test coverage enterprises need. So, yes, testing is definitely changing. But lets be clear: there will always be a place for internal QA embedded within Agile teams. However, they will have to evolve and combine their efforts with automation, on-demand testing, and real-world feedback. Many companies have already realized the need for this evolution. According to KPMG, use of test automation grew 85 percent in the past few years, which is a great start. But many of these same companies are still struggling because automation is not a silver bullet solution. At least not on its own. Augmenting internal and automated testing with on-demand manual and exploratory testing done in real-world scenarios can help brands get a complete picture of how their digital properties will be utilized in the daily lives of customers. On-demand testers expand the coverage of internal teams. They can follow a set script of actions to ensure the right results are reached, or they can do exploratory testing to try and 'break' an app -- finding any use cases that were not planned for, but are relevant to real-world users. Access to on-demand resources means QA teams can kick off test cycles on a Friday, then come back into the office on Monday to find they have complete bug reports with screenshots, bug logs, and video captures so they can easily reproduce all issues discovered while they were out of the office. The ability to test in real-world scenarios and locations is as essential as having an on-demand team standing by. Apps operate differently in different situations; what works on an iPhone X in California wont necessarily work the same on an iPhone 6s in Rhode Island. Real-world testing gives internal QA teams the breadth of test coverage they need by providing real people to test in real locations on real devices. That means companies arent just testing with employees at the corporate headquarters. They are seeing how an app operates on Android phones running the Marshmallow operating system while switching from mobile data to Wi-Fi on the subway ride into the city. There is no replacement for the QA lab and internal testing will always be necessary for most organizations. But automation, on-demand testing, and real-world feedback can augment traditional lab testing to help QA teams find bugs faster, more efficiently, and with more confidence. Organizations need to investigate their options and find what balance of these strategies works best for them. The companies that evolve quicker will surpass their competition as release cadences speed up and customer demands grow. Image Credit: BackgroundStore/Shutterstock | https://betanews.com/2019/01/07/is-the-qa-lab-dead/ |
Which striker is most likely to make a January move to Chelsea? | Chelsea will step up their search for a new striker this month as Maurizio Sarri urgently tries to boost his team's firepower. With the Blues fighting on four fronts, they will require a reliable source of goals between now and the end of the season. Pedro and Olivier Giroud are presently injured, while Alvaro Morata has managed just five Premier League goals this campaign, leaving Sarri to go with Eden Hazard up top on occasion. Sportsmail assesses some of the Stamford Bridge targets and their chances of signing them. Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri will step up the club's pursuit of a new striker this month EDINSON CAVANI If you're after a reliable goalscorer, look no further than Cavani. With 183 goals in 262 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain, the Uruguayan remains one of the most prolific in Europe. And with 13 goals in 18 games for the French champions this season, there's little indication the 31-year-old is slowing down. Reports have suggested Chelsea are considering a 50million bid for Cavani, which may be what it takes to prise him away given his contract doesn't expire until the summer of 2020. Edinson Cavani celebrates during Paris Saint-Germain's victory over Nantes before Christmas Having proven himself in Italy - where he scored 104 goals in 138 matches for Napoli - and France, the challenge of the Premier League could well prove alluring for Cavani. Cavani earns 16.5million a year at PSG, or 317,000 a week, so may well have to lower those demands to come to Stamford Bridge. There's also the fact Chelsea are often reluctant to offer anything more than a short-term contract to players over the age of 30. Signing Cavani does offer the most reliable fix to Chelsea's current goal shortage, however. The 31-year-old Uruguayan is a reliable scorer, with 13 goals in 18 PSG matches this season GONZALO HIGUAIN A move for Higuain could well kill two birds with one stone because as well as bringing in a reliable goalscorer, it could see Morata offloaded as well. The Spaniard, who has failed to live up to his 65m price tag at Chelsea, would be loaned to Milan with Higuain coming in the opposite direction. Argentine Higuain, 31, is currently on loan himself at the San Siro from Juventus but a deal could be struck given he is unlikely to return to the Turin club's frontline. Gonzalo Higuain celebrates scoring for AC Milan in their home win over SPAL last month Sarri worked with Higuain at Napoli during the 2015-16 season, where his prolific scoring form prompted a 75m swoop from Juventus, and the Italian would be keen on a reunion. He tried to sign Higuain last summer shortly after taking over at Stamford Bridge but the lack of goals means he could now get his wish belatedly. Higuain has scored eight times in 20 outings for Milan this season - not a bad return in an often under-performing side. And given his reliable scoring record at Real Madrid, Napoli and Juventus throughout his career, he would surely score plenty in the Premier League. Higuain worked with Sarri for one season at Napoli before being transferred to Juventus CALLUM WILSON Looking closer to home, Chelsea have been linked with Bournemouth and England striker Wilson for some time. The 26-year-old is enjoying the best season of his career, with 10 goals and a first England call-up and goal in the friendly with the United States in November. And Chelsea assistant manager Gianfranco Zola admitted Wilson was 'of interest' to the club ahead of their Carabao Cup quarter-final against Bournemouth last month. Last week's news that the Cherries had signed Dominic Solanke from Liverpool for 19m only raised the possibility that Wilson could be heading for the exit. Callum Wilson celebrates his goal in Bournemouth's 3-3 draw with Watford last week However, with the club also loaning Jermain Defoe to Rangers and with Solanke out until next month with a hamstring injury, they may be reluctant to sell right away. That has been sharpened by a poor recent run of results that has seen Bournemouth slide into the bottom half of the Premier League. A strong second half to the season for Wilson may further boost his transfer value and spark a bidding war next summer, so it may pay for Bournemouth to dig in their heels. Chelsea also have to face the issue of their homegrown quota, with rules requiring Premier League clubs to have at least eight players in their squads who played in England for at least three years before turning 21. With Cesc Fabregas, Danny Drinkwater, Gary Cahill, Andreas Christensen, Rob Green and Victor Moses all leaving or likely to leave Chelsea, signing Wilson would be one back on the board. England striker Wilson is enjoying a fine season, with 10 goals scored for his club so far KARIM BENZEMA Another name linked with Stamford Bridge is Real Madrid's French forward Benzema. It's been a pretty poor season by Real's high standards but the 31-year-old continues to score at a regular pace with 12 goals in 28 matches. Overall he has 204 during a decade at the Bernabeu but there is a feeling his time with the European champions is drawing to its natural conclusion. Chelsea would welcome a striker of such predatory instinct and the odds are shortening on a deal being done to bring him to the Premier League this month. At the moment, he appears to be something of a back-up plan with the forwards listed above looking more likely to be coming in. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6564715/Which-striker-likely-make-January-Chelsea.html |
How will central bankers cope when the next recession comes? | If you ask most central bankers around the world what their plan is for dealing with the next normal-size recession, you would be surprised how many (at least in advanced economies) say fiscal policy. Given the high odds of a recession over the next two years about 40% in the US, for example monetary policymakers who think fiscal policy alone will save the day are setting themselves up for a rude awakening. Yes, it is true that with policy interest rates near zero in most advanced economies (and just above 2% even in the fast-growing US), there is little room for monetary policy to manoeuvre in a recession without considerable creativity. The best idea is to create an environment in which negative interest-rate policies can be used more fully and effectively. This will eventually happen, but in the meantime, todays overdependence on countercyclical fiscal policy is dangerously nave. There are vast institutional differences between technocratic central banks and the politically volatile legislatures that control spending and tax policy. Lets bear in mind that a typical advanced-economy recession lasts only a year or so, whereas fiscal policy, even in the best of circumstances, invariably takes at least a few months just to be enacted. US and China resume trade talks with both eager for compromise Read more In some small economies for example, Denmark (with 5.8 million people) there is a broad social consensus to raise fiscal spending as a share of GDP. Some of this spending could easily be brought forward in a recession. In many other countries, however, notably the US and Germany, there is no such agreement. Even if progressives and conservatives both wanted to expand the government, their priorities would be vastly different. In the US, Democrats might favour new social programmes to reduce inequality, while Republicans might prefer increased spending on defence or border protection. Anyone who watched the US Senate confirmation hearings last September for supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh cannot seriously believe this group is capable of fine-tuned technocratic fiscal policy. This does not mean that fiscal stimulus should be off the table in the next recession. But it does mean that it cannot be the first line of defence, as altogether too many central bankers are hoping. Most advanced countries have a considerable backlog of high-return education and infrastructure projects, albeit most would take a long time to plan and implement. If left-leaning economists believe that fiscal policy is the main way out of a recession in 2019 or 2020, they should be lobbying for the government to prepare a pile of recession-ready projects. Former US president Barack Obama wanted to create an infrastructure bank in part for this purpose; tellingly, the idea never got off the ground. Likewise, many observers advocate bolstering automatic stabilisers such as unemployment benefits. Europe, with much higher levels of social insurance and taxation, has correspondingly stronger automatic stabilisers than does the US or Japan. When incomes fall, tax revenues decline and insurance payments rise, providing a built-in countercyclical fiscal stimulus. But proponents of higher automatic stabilisers pay too little attention to the negative incentive effects that come with higher government spending and the taxes needed to pay for it. To be clear, like many academic economists, I favour significantly raising taxes and transfers in the US as a response to growing inequality. But if there were a broad political consensus in favour of moving in this direction, it would have happened already. A more exotic concept is to create an independent fiscal council that issues economic forecasts and recommendations on the overall size of budgets and budget deficits. The idea is to create an institution for fiscal policy parallel to the central bank for monetary policy. Several countries, including Sweden and the United Kingdom, have adopted much watered-down versions of this idea. The problem is that elected legislatures dont want to cede power, especially over taxes and spending. One can appreciate why central bankers dont want to get gamed into some of the nuttier monetary policies that have been proposed, for example helicopter money (or more targeted drone money) whereby the central bank prints currency and hands it out to people. Such a policy is, of course, fiscal policy in disguise, and the day any central bank starts doing it heavily is the day it loses any semblance of independence. Others have argued for raising inflation targets, but this raises a raft of problems, not least that it undermines decades of efforts by central banks to establish the credibility of roughly 2% inflation. Central bankers who are serious about preparing for future recessions should be looking hard at proposals for how to pay interest on money, both positive and negative, which is by far the most elegant solution. It is high time to sharpen the instruments in central banks toolkit. Over-reliance on countercyclical fiscal policy will not work any better in this century than in it did in the last. Kenneth Rogoff is professor of economics and public policy at Harvard University. He was the IMFs chief economist from 2001-03. Project Syndicate | https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jan/07/central-bankers-recession-fiscal-policy |
Is Valtteri Bottas a dead man walking? | rehaan daz FOLLOW ANALYST Feature 54 // 07 Jan 2019, 16:40 IST SHARE Share Options Facebook Twitter Flipboard Reddit Google+ Email Valtteri Bottas moved to Mercedes in 2017 and has won 3 races so far Last year, smart money would have been on Valtteri Bottas and not Kimi Raikkonen to be the first Finn to win a race in 2018. Taking the excuse of bad luck out of the equation, the stark contrast in the performances of Bottas with the eventual champion and teammate Lewis Hamilton makes him the driver who is most vulnerable even before a single lap has been raced in the 2019 Formula 1 season. This is because, not only has his replacement been identified, he is already in the team as a reserve driver - Frenchman Esteban Ocon. Plus, Ocon is managed by Toto Wolff. Being managed by the Mercedes chief is also a huge reason why Bottas got to race with Mercedes after Nico Rosberg announced his shock retirement in late 2016. While he has had a reasonably good first year, the sophomore year has been disastrous. No wins from 21 races in a Mercedes is a poor result and there is no way to paint this fact favourably. And a more challenging task is to follow. He has been clearly told by the management that he needs to match Hamilton in qualifying and win races to justify his racing seat. The 5-time world champion has raised his level to a career high in 2018 and the current evidence and pace doesn't support Bottas's odds of reversing the trend of being soundly out-qualified and out-scored by the Brit. According to Wolff: "Valtteri knows exactly where he needs to be next year. He needs a start where is right up there with Lewis and all the other drivers for the championship, that is what he needs.Beating a five-time world champion at the peak of his activity, peak of his performance, is going to be very difficult and he knows that. But I think that he has it in him. Bottas never recovered from the crushing DNF at Baku in 2018 It is also a tell-tale sign that Wolff's comments are in the public domain when the exchanges could have been in private just as he had a kitchen table talk with Hamilton after he lost the title in 2016 to Rosberg. It also confirms the belief of Formula 1 fans that the former Williams driver is a very solid mid-field driver who can raise his game on any given Sunday, but will fall short of a sustained championship campaign. Wolff's 'wingman' comment and the team orders in Russia have also undoubtedly dealt a psychological wound on him. The killer instinct is missing. The same hunger that served Daniel Ricciardo so well in stealing the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix from Bottas. Advertisement One can feel for the driver in such a scenario, but he can draw more fans and support towards himself only by excelling and out-driving the competition, most notably his teammate. Things can turn around, luck can smile again. But if he doesn't start strongly, the pressure is only going to intensify. And if by any chance Mercedes haven't got the quickest car from the get-go in Australia, the equation becomes even more challenging. Quite possibly. Advertisement | https://www.sportskeeda.com/f1/is-bottas-a-dead-man-walking |
Will we soon see a true successor to Windows Movie Maker? | Microsoft officially pulled the plug on its free video editor Windows Movie Maker last year, and replaced it with a streamlined but simplified app with a touch-first design that misses some of what made its predecessor so popular. However, a recent patent application suggests that something else could be on the horizon. Movie Maker was part of the Windows Essentials suite of apps, which also included such classics as Windows Live Mail (replaced by the Mail app in Windows 10) and Photo Gallery (superseded by Photos). After signing Movie Makers death warrant, Microsoft initially vowed to provide a replacement, but those promises vanished from its website until the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update finally unveiled a tool called Remix Video (originally Story Remix), which sits tucked away in the Photos app. However, it's quite different to its predecessor and the changes aren't all for the better. Remix Video is simple to use and touch-friendly, but lacks the granular control of Movie Maker Remix Video lets you string together video clips, apply themes (preset transitions, titles and effects) and add text and music, but its not the evolution of Movie Maker that wed hoped for. Although its easier to use, that convenience has come at the cost of granular control. Gone are the timeline view, the ability to record video directly from a USB device, the option to split video clips, and full manual control over transitions and filters. Overall, Remix Video is more of a step sideways than an upgrade. Fun over features The simplification of Microsofts video editor seems to be part of a growing trend. Fully-featured desktop editing software appears to have fallen out of fashion, replaced by quick and easy mobile apps (or mobile-style, in Remix Videos case). Record a few seconds of footage, add a filter and some quirky stickers, then upload it and watch the likes roll in. Last year, Google killed off its online YouTube Video Editor a useful suite of tools for trimming, combining and adding effects to footage before uploading them to your channel. Just a few months later, it announced YouTube Stories its take on Snapchat and Instagrams super-short format video clips. YouTube Stories is still in limited beta, but Google is investing in it heavily. Google is testing real-time background removal for the forthcoming YouTube Stories a mobile-only platform specifically for short-form videos A few days ago it began trialling a new tool (catchily named YouTube Real-Time Mobile Video Segmentation) that replaces video backgrounds on the fly. Rather than isolating a solid-colored backdrop (as with traditional chroma-keying), Google has trained a neural network to identify faces, hair and clothing in selfies, then mask out everything else. The results are impressive, but it's exclusively for mobile and nowhere near as flexible as true chroma-keying. A new patent However, Microsoft might have something more substantial in the works. Last month, it registered the trademark Mixplay, which as Windows Central notes, could well be connected to Microsoft's streaming service Mixer.com. There's definitely a strong connection to gaming in the patent description: "Software-as-a-service (SaaS) that allows users to create, view, publish, produce, broadcast, and play animation, video, sound, and graphics; software-as-a-service (SaaS) for personalizing, designing, and updating text and animation; software-as-a-service for playing video games." Mixplay might be a replacement for the ageing Upload Studio, or it could be a more general purpose video editor for Windows Windows Central also speculates that Mixplay might be an evolution of, or replacement for the simple Xbox One video editor Upload Studio, which relied heavily on Kinect and hasnt seen an update for many months. However, Microsoft is quite liberal with the prefix 'mix', and the name could equally be a reference to Windows Mixed Reality. Most of the best commercial video editors are now capable of editing 360-degree video, and it would be a great asset if a similar tool was available for Windows users with Mixed Reality headsets to make their own creations. Other options If Microsoft doesn't deliver a true successor to Windows Movie Maker, there are some fantastic free alternatives. Our favorite free video editor is Lightworks, but if youre looking for a direct replacement for Windows Movie Maker then open source editor Shotcut should be top of your list. Its as slick and well designed as a premium video editor, but its completely free to use with no watermarks or time limits. Its design will feel immediately familiar to Movie Maker fans, but it's far more advanced. Patents don't always lead to anything, but we'll be keeping a close eye on Mixplay and keeping our fingers crossed that it's the powerful Microsoft video editor that we've been hoping for. | https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/will-we-soon-see-a-true-successor-to-windows-movie-maker |
Who is Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo? | He was a vice mayor who ascended to the mayoral post after the incumbent died in the middle of 2018 Published 7:02 PM, January 07, 2019 MANILA, Philippines All the suspects in the killing of AKO Bicol Representative Rodel Batocabe are already under police custody except the most powerful one: Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo. He has been pinned as a central figure in the December 22, 2018 assassination of Batocabe. A confessed killer, as well as accused conspirators, are saying that Baldo masterminded the murder, allegedly promising them millions and a steady livelihood after the kill. In a quickly organized press conference on Thursday, January 3, Baldo asserted his innocence and branded himself as a "scapegoat" for the crime. "I assert my innocence. Let us not forget that while I am being used as a convenient scapegoat, those who are truly responsible for the crime remain free and blameless," Baldo said in the press conference after being publicly accused by the police. Instead of rebutting the accusations against him, however, Baldo chose to remain silent. His lawyers, he said, advised him against speaking in public until he has read the double murder and multiple frustrated homicide complaints filed against him. Last December 24, or two days after Batocabe's murder, Baldo said he was "saddened by the loss of a good man, a dedicated public servant, and a worthy opponent in the coming May 2019 elections." Based on his background, it is easy to see why cops point to him as a possible culprit. Veteran politician Carlwyn "Awin" Baldo is, by all means, an experienced politician. He hails from the Baldo political clan of Camalig, Albay, where his sister, Maria Ahrdail Baldo, serves as mayor, and his brother, Carlos Irwin Jr, sits next to her as the vice mayor. Baldo first entered the political arena in 2007, when he won a 2nd district seat in the Albay provincial board. After trying his hand at provincial legislation, Baldo ran for Daraga mayor in 2010, but lost to Gerry Jaucian. He ran again in 2013, only to be defeated again by Jaucian. He ended his losing streak in 2016, when he ran in the vice mayoralty race in Daraga, beating the town's reelectionist vice mayor then, Carlos Baylon. Jaucian won his 3rd term for mayor the same year. Baldo served as vice mayor of Daraga until May 2018, when 70-year-old Jaucian died from lung cancer. He aspired to keep the mayoral post longer by running for reelection in 2019 under Lakas-CMD, which already dropped him as its mayoral candidate after police implicated him in Batocabe's killing. He was set to run against Batocabe, who was supported by the National Union Party, and PDP-Laban bet Victor Perete. Outside politics, Baldo and his family manage the mining firm Lima Coal Development Corporation. The mining company operates in Batan Island in Albay located across the coast of Legazpi City and sells its coal in a Quezon province coal powerplant. Curiously, Baldo was named the company's president as of December 31, 2017, despite holding public office. According to the Department of Energy's list of accredited coal traders, Baldo was supposed to complete his term on May 30, 2018. It is unclear whether he dropped the post after he became mayor following Jaucian's death. According to one of the alleged gunmen, the desire to keep Daraga's highest post longer is the reason why Baldo allegedly orchestrated the killing of Batocabe. "Ang gusto ni Mayor Awin Baldo siya ang permanente na umupo sa Daraga (What Mayor Baldo wants is to permanently sit in Daraga)," said self-confessed gunman Henry Yuson in a press conference on Friday, January 4. The kill team, Yuson said, backed Baldo because the mayor supposedly promised them livelihood if he gets reelected. The PNP earlier claimed that most, if not all, members of the assassination team were employed as "confidential staff" under the payroll of Baldo's public office. Baldo allegedly offered his biggest payment for the life of Batocabe, supposedly promising P5 million for the kill. Baldo also allegedly paid an initial P250,000 for the ambush preparations, but he never paid the rest of the balance. This led to the suspects double-crossing their alleged boss. The PNP is currently compiling sworn statements from all the suspects. According to sources, the suspects-turned-witnesses all say Baldo ordered the kill. Aside from the risk of jail, Baldo is facing a suspension threat. The Department of the Interior and Local Government is already preparing administrative cases against him over the killing. with a report from Rhaydz Barcia/Rappler.com | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/220364-things-to-know-about-carlwyn-baldo?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rappler+%28Rappler%29 |
Should I worry if my baby doesnt sleep through the night? | In 2017, I moved from Los Angeles from Philadelphia in my second trimester of pregnancy. During that time, I bought a house, started a new job and worked to get in enough shifts to justify my maternity leave. The hardest part of that year wasnt even labor, it was going back into the labor force with a 3-month-old who would wake three to five times a night. I thought working nights and weekends during my medical training would prepare for me this, but the sheer exhaustion from sleeping no more than a few hours at a time took its toll. Being at work felt emotional and trying at times. Its no wonder that postpartum depression effects 15 to 20 percent of new moms. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends screening at 1, 2, 4 and 6 months out from delivery. | http://www.philly.com/health/should-i-worry-if-my-baby-doesnt-sleep-through-night-20190107.html |
How long has Bradley Cooper been dating girlfriend Irina Shayk? | Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk pictured at the 2019 Golden Globes (Picture: AFP) It wasnt just Lady Gaga commiserating Bradley Cooper after A Star Is Born lost out in four of its five nominated Golden Globe categories he was also supported by girlfriend Irina Shayk. Bradley and Irina have been dating for four years. The pair met in April 2015, shortly after she split from footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and he had split from supermodel Suki Waterhouse. While they were spotted out on a number of dates and seen holidaying together, they didnt confirm they were an item for another year when, in April 2016, Irina shared an Instagram photo showing her and Brad in a swimming pool. They became parents on 21 March 2017 when Russian supermodel Irina gave birth to their first child a daughter named Lea De Saine in Los Angeles. Advertisement Advertisement While a private couple, Bradley and Irina are sometimes spotted enjoying family days out around their neighbourhood in New York City. The actor is said to have bought a $13.5 million () townhouse in the West Village area of New York City last year, the Wall Street Journal reports. The perfect size for a family, the property boasts six bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, a total of 4,000 square feet of interior space and an additional 1,100 square feet outdoors. Couple couldnt help but swoon over their pride and joy (Picture: Splash News) Last year, he explained how he balanced shooting A Star Is Born with his personal life, as Irina was heavily pregnant at the time. Speaking to W magazine, he said: Id wake up and work out, followed by two hours of guitar practice and two hours of piano lessons. Lunch. Then Lukas Nelson [Willies son], my collaborator, would come over, and wed write music for one and a half hours. Id write the screenplay for the rest of the day. Irina was pregnant, so it was kind of perfect. Lea was born a week before we started shooting. Bradley was previously engaged to actress Jennifer Esposito. They were engaged in October 2006 and married that December. (Picture: Matt Baron/BEI/REX) Irina is seen in the background behind Bradley Cooper as he congratulates Lady Gaga on her Golden Globes win (Picture: BACKGRID) Advertisement Advertisement However, Esposito filed for divorce five months later in May 2007 and it was finalised in November 2007. Bradley has previously been linked to Zoe Saldana, Rennee Zellweger and English model Suki Waterhouse. Bradleys romance with Suki ended in March 2015 and he began dating Irina in April 2015. Cooper has previously admitted that his substance addiction nearly lost him his career in Hollywood. He hasnt touched alcohol since 2004. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/07/long-bradley-cooper-dating-girlfriend-irina-shayk-children-8317767/ |
Will Sinead die in childbirth on Coronation Street? | Coronation Street will put the lives of both Sinead (Katie McGlynn) and her newborn baby on the line next week when the ailing mum-to-be is induced. The upcoming drama will see pregnant Sinead receive the devastating news that her cancer has grown and that she needs to give birth imminently. Advertisement But after Sinead delivers a boy, she ends up passing out just as the baby is being whisked away to neonatal. Corrie viewers will then be left fearing that partner Daniel (Rob Mallard) is to lose everything. New images released today on the official Corrie website show Daniel introducing dad Ken (William Roache) to his son, a look of concern clear on his face. And a subsequent scene finds a doctor explaining that he needs to examine the baby privately. Speaking back in December, show boss Iain MacLeod admitted that he hasnt yet decided whether Sinead will survive her battle with cervical cancer: Its a really long-running story and we genuinely havent decided what were doing with the ending. But the longer it goes on, the harder it becomes to kill Sinead because Katie and Rob [Mallard, who plays Daniel] have been so good in it. Theyre almost acting their way off the butchers block. The producer went on to add: I have an open mind about it theres a beautiful story to tell with an optimistic ending, but equally, a truthful story where it doesnt work out. As to which is the right one, Ill get more of a sense at the next writers conference. But if anyone were acting their way onto a long term tenure on the show it would be Katie and Rob. Advertisement Visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2019-01-07/will-sinead-die-in-childbirth-on-coronation-street/ |
When will Penn State become a College Football Playoff contender? | Noah Cain, who has lived in Louisiana, Texas and Florida, brought three jackets with him to State College this past weekend, when he became a Penn State freshman. The running back, part of Penn States gifted 2019 recruiting class, also brought plenty of confidence. A lot of dudes up there, theyve been kind of used to being second tier to Ohio State and Michigan. I dont want to be that anymore, Cain said before last weeks Under Armour All-American Game in Orlando. I want to be the new Ohio State, the new Michigan, be at the top of the Big Ten, have the opportunity to go to the Final Four. As part of his great-to-elite speech after Penn States loss to Ohio State in October, coach James Franklin promised to make sure that everyone in his program including myself is very uncomfortable, because you only grow in life when youre uncomfortable. Weve been knocking at the door long enough, Franklin added. Lets count the ways. We are going to find a way to take the next step. James Franklin, Penn State coach Penn State coach James Franklin said his great program lost to an elite program in Ohio State. Penn State coach James Franklin said his great program lost to an elite program in Ohio State. SEE MORE VIDEOS Recruiting, recruiting, recruiting Cains recruiting class is one of the highest-ranked ever at Penn State. Its average star ranking (3.89, according to the 247Sports recruiting site) ranked third in the nation, behind Georgia and Alabama. The class has 17 players ranked as four-star prospects or higher, the most since Rivals.com began its recruiting rankings in 2002. Over the past four years, Penn State has brought in 62 players ranked as four-star prospects or higher, the most ever for the program. Ohio State, which Franklin called elite in October, has had 71. Alabama recruited 83. Coaches insist that stars dont matter once players arrive on campus, which is true. But the better programs populate themselves with a lot of talent. Franklin is moving Penn State in that direction, having made recruiting a strategic and financial priority. Penn State spent $258,800 on recruiting in 2011, according to athletic department financial statements. In 2017, Penn State spent more than $1.2 million. In the three weeks between the regular seasons end and the beginning of the early signing period Dec. 19, Franklin visited 23 states and flew more than 15,000 miles to recruit players. But hes not satisfied. Recruiting extends beyond players. During game weeks, Franklin pages through opponents media guides. In reading Michigans, Franklin noted that coach Jim Harbaugh has 13 more football-specific staff members than Penn State to handle recruiting and personnel matters, to break down game film and generally to run a program. That leads to the next step. Pay up Franklins salary increases $850,000 this year to a guaranteed total of $5.35 million before bonuses. That marks the largest single-year increase of Franklins new 2017 contract, proving how important Penn State graded this season during negotiations. But hes not the only coach getting more money. At the Citrus Bowl, Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour said she agreed to a salary-pool increase for football assistants. Thats important, because the market is booming for in-demand assistants and strength personnel. According to USA Today, more than 20 assistants made more than $1 million last season. Ohio State just paid Mike Yurcich, formerly of Oklahoma, $950,000 to become its quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator. Penn State does not make assistant-coaching salaries public, but the pool has been expanding. Football salaries have risen every year since 2014, from $10.6 million to $11.4 million, according to athletic department financial statements. Franklin wants to retain his in-demand assistants (such as defensive coordinator Brent Pry, defensive line coach Sean Spencer and running backs coach JaJuan Seider) while paying market value for new hires. Further, he wants to wow recruits with splashier facilities. Penn State has spent more than $30 million on renovations to the Lasch Football Building, with another $30 million to come, Barbour said. In all, Penn State spent $39.8 million to run its football program in Fiscal Year 2017, and the budget will increase. Certainly, football drives the train, Barbour said. Drives it emotionally, drives it financially. But we kind of like to win in volleyball and hockey and wrestling and soccer and down the line. Thats going to take a lot of resources. All-in One of Franklins favorite expressions involves urging everyone at Penn State to pull the rope in the same direction. He includes coaches, administrators, fans and donors, but the appeal begins with his players. Franklin took over at Penn State as the third head coach for some players. They were coach-weary, and it took time for that residue to dissolve from the program. The 2019 team will be Penn States first whose roster is entirely recruited and coached by Franklin. Theyve all heard his message and, presumably, bought into it. But its not always that easy. | https://www.mcall.com/sports/college/psu/mc-spt-penn-state-football-college-football-playoff-20190106-story.html |
Which teams and managers have the worst form for early FA Cup exits? | Of the many frustrations induced by watching the FA Cup in 2018, watching stable Premier League teams throw away the chance of glory in the early rounds is right up there. Leicester were the most flagrant offenders in this year's third-round, crashing out to League Two Newport County after Claude Puel made seven changes and left Jamie Vardy at home. With Leicester seventh in the Premier League, seven points off sixth and sixteen points clear of the relegation places, quite what Puel was saving his resources for is a mystery. Unsurprisingly, clubs and managers who regularly fight for promotion or battle relegation also tend to write off the FA Cup at an early juncture. Here are the clubs and managers who have rarely seen FA Cup football in February over the past decade. Clubs Queens Park Rangers Jake Bidwell's header gave QPR a 2-1 victory over Leeds United on Saturday and their first third-round win without the need of a replay in 23 years. The club bounced between the top two divisions over the last decade so understandably had other priorities, but it is still a remarkably poor record. Especially considering the cost of the bloated squad they once carried a few years ago. | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/01/07/teams-managers-have-worst-form-early-fa-cup-exits/ |
What is DX Lean Diet Forskolin? | dx lean diet forskolin and artery problems. It also helps in repairing muscle for a fast recovery specially for athletes or those who often have muscle tears during workout. It will help a lot of men having trouble with their sex and workout life. No more depression on slow results from other ineffective supplements. is a brilliant way to improve almost everything in a mans life. What is dx lean diet forskolin Review wants you to get ready to be a powerful man. This dietary supplement is offered as a trial. You cannot buy it outright. It is a testosterone booster that highlights its male enhancement benefits. There is little mention about how these benefits are delivered. You cannot find any mention of the ingredients used in it. In fact, there is too little information on their website. You do not know where it is made or | http://waneenterprises.com/forum/topics/what-is-dx-lean-diet-forskolin-1 |
What Does It Mean to Live in the Present? | By Deepak Chopra, MD In recent decades the concept of living in the present moment has been widely discussed, prompted by the surprising success of Eckhart Tolles 1997 book, The Power of Now. For millions of readers Tolles basic thesis, that there is something special about the here and now, came as a spiritual message they could seize upon in daily life. The power that the present moment possesses, as many people now believe, is its reality. To be in the now means that you are not distracted by memories of the past or expectations about the future. You dwell instead on whatever is right in front of you, applying mental clarity, alertness, and your full attention. Simple enoughuntil one looks deeper. Young children live in the now. The elderly suffering from dementia typically have severe memory loss, forcing them to live only in the passing moment, and this condition becomes confusing and blank, not to mention a source of distress. The first thing to say, if we want to unravel these issues, is that the present moment isnt the same as the minutes ticking on the clock. The power of now cannot be found by looking at time, because the whole phenomenon is experiential. To live in the now is to have a completely different experience of mind, body, self, and world. Children offer a clue, if they are young enough, by not being so conditioned that they conform to societys framework of life. In that framework it is bad to be late and good to be on time. One fills the time efficiently at work and in a leisurely fashion on vacation or when given some free time. In other words, time is part of a way of life that we absorbed early on from the people around us, and the whole framework extends to core beliefs about birth and death, growing old, being dominated by memories, hopes, wishes, and fears, all of which are deeply rooted in social conformity. As long as these concepts have the power to define your experiences, the experience of now is overshadowed by conditioning. At the same time, we must look at what the mind is doing right this minute. It is being active, filled with a continuous stream of sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts. Much of this activity is born of habit; if you think the same way today as you did yesterday, your mind is running on autopilot. Moreover, by identifying with all your opinions, beliefs, habits, prejudices, and automatic reflexes, you are relying on a mental construct that is substituting for realty. This construct, which all of us have built since childhood, defines the ego-personality. I is shorthand for a self-made model of mind, body, and world that revolves around what the ego wants and fears, what it finds pleasurable and painful, and so on. Read Full Article | https://m.sfgate.com/opinion/chopra/article/What-Does-It-Mean-to-Live-in-the-Present-13513372.php |
Is Franklin Income Adviser (FRIAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | Allocation Balanced fund seekers may want to consider taking a look at Franklin Income Adviser (FRIAX). FRIAX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective FRIAX is one of many Zacks' Allocation Balanced mutual funds to pick from. Allocation Balanced funds seek to invest in a balance of asset types, like stocks, bonds, and cash, though including precious metals or commodities is not unusual; these funds are mostly categorized by their respective asset allocation. Investors utilize Allocation Balanced funds as a way to get a good start with diversified mutual funds, as well as for core holdings in a portfolio of funds. History of Fund/Manager Franklin Templeton is based in San Mateo, CA, and is the manager of FRIAX. The Franklin Income Adviser made its debut in August of 1948 and FRIAX has managed to accumulate roughly $11.09 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager is a team of investment professionals. Performance Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 4.24%, and is in the middle third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 7.06%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of FRIAX over the past three years is 6.39% compared to the category average of 8.12%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 7.54% compared to the category average of 8.29%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors cannot discount the risks to this segment though, as it is always important to remember the downside for any potential investment. In the most recent bear market, FRIAX lost 39.17% and underperformed comparable funds by 2.93%. This means that the fund could possibly be a worse choice than its peers during a down market environment. Even still, the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.62, so investors should note that it is hypothetically less volatile than the market at large. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. The fund has produced a negative alpha over the past 5 years of -2.63, which shows that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Expenses As competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, FRIAX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.46% compared to the category average of 0.90%. From a cost perspective, FRIAX is actually cheaper than its peers. While the minimum initial investment for the product is $0, investors should also note that there is no minimum for each subsequent investment. Bottom Line Overall, Franklin Income Adviser ( FRIAX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Franklin Income Adviser ( FRIAX ) looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now. Your research on the Allocation Balanced segment doesn't have to stop here. You can check out all the great mutual fund tools we have to offer by going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds to see the additional features we offer as well for additional information. We have a full suite of tools on stocks that you can use to find the best choices for your portfolio too, no matter what kind of investor you are. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Get Your Free (FRIAX): Fund Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | https://news.yahoo.com/franklin-income-adviser-friax-strong-120012761.html |
Is Fidelity Advisor Biotechnology A (FBTAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | Sector - Health fund seekers should not consider taking a look at Fidelity Advisor Biotechnology A (FBTAX) at this time. FBTAX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective Zacks categorizes FBTAX as Sector - Health, a segment packed with options. Sector - Health mutual funds offer investors a focus on the healthcare industry, one of the largest sectors in the American economy. These funds can include everything from pharmaceutical companies to medical device manufacturers and for-profit hospitals. History of Fund/Manager Fidelity is based in Boston, MA, and is the manager of FBTAX. The Fidelity Advisor Biotechnology A made its debut in December of 2000 and FBTAX has managed to accumulate roughly $691.85 million in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, Eirene Kontopoulos, has been in charge of the fund since July of 2018. Performance Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 8.98%, and is in the top third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 0.51%, which places it in the middle third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of FBTAX over the past three years is 26.83% compared to the category average of 10.59%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 25.88% compared to the category average of 10.68%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors cannot discount the risks to this segment though, as it is always important to remember the downside for any potential investment. In the most recent bear market, FBTAX lost 26.12% and outperformed its peer group by 7.12%. These results could imply that the fund is a better choice than its peers during a sliding market environment. Nevertheless, investors should also note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.43, which means it is hypothetically more volatile than the market at large. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. With a negative alpha of -3.42, managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Holdings Investigating the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is largely on equities that are traded in the United States. Right now, 76.78% of this mutual fund's holdings are stocks, which have an average market capitalization of $45.74 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors: Health Other Turnover is about 45%, so those in charge of the fund make fewer trades than the average comparable fund. Expenses For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, FBTAX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.06% compared to the category average of 1.32%. FBTAX is actually cheaper than its peers when you consider factors like cost. Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $0 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount. Bottom Line Overall, Fidelity Advisor Biotechnology A ( FBTAX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, worse downside risk, and lower fees, Fidelity Advisor Biotechnology A ( FBTAX ) looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now. Don't stop here for your research on Sector - Health funds. We also have plenty more on our site in order to help you find the best possible fund for your portfolio. Make sure to check out www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for more information about the world of funds, and feel free to compare FBTAX to its peers as well for additional information. For analysis of the rest of your portfolio, make sure to visit Zacks.com for our full suite of tools which will help you investigate all of your stocks and funds in one place. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Get Your Free (FBTAX): Fund Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/fidelity-advisor-biotechnology-fbtax-strong-120012526.html |
Is American Funds New World A (NEWFX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | If you've been stuck searching for Non US - Equity funds, you might want to consider passing on by American Funds New World A (NEWFX) as a possibility. NEWFX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective We classify NEWFX in the Non US - Equity category, which is an area rife with potential choices. Investing in companies outside the United States is how Non US - Equity funds set themselves apart, since global funds tend to keep a good portion of their portfolio stateside. Many of these funds like to allocate across emerging and developed markets, and will often focus on all cap levels. History of Fund/Manager NEWFX finds itself in the American Funds family, based out of Los Angeles, CA. Since American Funds New World A made its debut in June of 1999, NEWFX has garnered more than $13.49 billion in assets. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals. Performance Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. NEWFX has a 5-year annualized total return of 2.69% and it sits in the middle third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 7.07%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. Compared to the category average of 8.77%, the standard deviation of NEWFX over the past three years is 10.99%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 11.02% compared to the category average of 8.91%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors should always remember the downsides to a potential investment, and this segment carries some risks one should be aware of. NEWFX lost 53.05% in the most recent bear market and outperformed its peer group by 5.37%. This might suggest that the fund is a better choice than its peers during a bear market. Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.85, so it is likely going to be less volatile than the market at large. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. The fund has produced a negative alpha over the past 5 years of -6.06, which shows that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Expenses Costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing, and particularly as competition heats up in this market. And all things being equal, a lower cost product will outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, so taking a closer look at these metrics is key for investors. In terms of fees, NEWFX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.99% compared to the category average of 1.25%. NEWFX is actually cheaper than its peers when you consider factors like cost. Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $250; each subsequent investment needs to be at least $50. Bottom Line Overall, American Funds New World A ( NEWFX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now. This could just be the start of your research on NEWFXin the Non US - Equity category. Consider going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information about this fund, and all the others that we rank as well for additional information. Zacks provides a full suite of tools to help you analyze your portfolio - both funds and stocks - in the most efficient way possible. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Get Your Free (NEWFX): Fund Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/american-funds-world-newfx-strong-120012040.html |
Is Westcore Small Cap Growth II Retail (WTSLX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | Mid Cap Growth fund seekers should consider taking a look at Westcore Small Cap Growth II Retail (WTSLX). WTSLX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective WTSLX is part of the Mid Cap Growth section, a segment that boasts a wide array of possible selections. While Mid Cap Growth mutual funds choose companies with a stock market valuation between $2 billion and $10 billion, stocks in these funds are also expected to show broad considerable growth opportunities for investors compared to their peers. To be considered a growth stock, companies must consistently report impressive sales and/or earnings growth. History of Fund/Manager Segal Bryant is based in Chicago, IL, and is the manager of WTSLX. Since Westcore Small Cap Growth II Retail made its debut in October of 1999, WTSLX has garnered more than $69.33 million in assets. A team of investment professionals is the fund's current manager. Performance Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 5.59%, and it sits in the bottom third among its category peers. If you're interested in shorter time frames, do not dismiss looking at the fund's 3-year annualized total return of 10.48%, which places it in the bottom third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. WTSLX's standard deviation over the past three years is 15.04% compared to the category average of 14.86%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 14.95% compared to the category average of 14.71%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors should always remember the downsides to a potential investment, and this segment carries some risks one should be aware of. WTSLX lost 50.24% in the most recent bear market and outperformed its peer group by 2.79%. This could mean that the fund is a better choice than comparable funds during a bear market. Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.13, so it is likely going to be more volatile than the market at large. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. WTSLX has generated a negative alpha over the past five years of -5.69, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Holdings Examining the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is largely on equities that are traded in the United States. This fund is currently holding about 94.86% stock in stocks, which have an average market capitalization of $4.05 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors: Technology Other Health Services Industrial Cyclical Non-Durable Turnover is about 58%, so those in charge of the fund make fewer trades than the average comparable fund. Expenses As competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, WTSLX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.97% compared to the category average of 1.29%. WTSLX is actually cheaper than its peers when you consider factors like cost. This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $250,000, while there is no minimum for each subsequent investment. Bottom Line Overall, Westcore Small Cap Growth II Retail ( WTSLX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a great potential choice for investors right now. This could just be the start of your research on WTSLXin the Mid Cap Growth category. Consider going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information about this fund, and all the others that we rank as well for additional information. If you are more of a stock investor, make sure to also check out our Zacks Rank, and our full suite of tools we have available for novice and professional investors alike. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Get Your Free (WTSLX): Fund Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | https://news.yahoo.com/westcore-small-cap-growth-ii-120012456.html |
Is the introduction of the new e-yellow card just another FG legal scam? | Yet again, here we are, being mandated to purchase new yellow cards by April 1st. For frequent African travellers, the fuss around Yellow cards is not an unfamiliar concept. As a Nigerian travelling from Nigeria to the Republic of Benin, for instance, you'd require a valid passport and yellow card to be able to cross the Seme border. But like with many things in Nigeria, the mere concept of ease of passage is a scam, because even if you have all your documents complete, crossing that border requires some unofficial payments here and there. From experience, the payments you most times cannot get out of are for when you have a "virgin passport" or "virgin yellow card". For this reason alone, the recent move to introduce new yellow cards deserves to be looked into a little more closely. Let's look at some quick facts about the yellow cards: Yellow card is a certificate that shows that the holder has taken the yellow fever vaccine. WHO mandates that every international traveller takes yellow fever vaccines. Yellow cards are part of documents that travellers are obligated to show to be allowed entry into many countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Benin Republic, etc. According to the NHS, Yellow fever vaccines, once taken, can last for 10 years minimum for most people. For some, it offers lifelong protection. In April 2013, the Ministry of Health announced to the public that they would be introducing new Yellow Cards "of international standard" as a way to curb fake cards flooding the country. Those yellow cards were supposed to be difficult to fake because of the new and improved "six unique security features" on them. People with the old cards were given an ultimatum of six months to get the new high-security cards for N1000. Fast forward to August 2018, the government again announced new machine-readable yellow cards to enforce the inoculation process among the travellers. Registration and payments of N2000 for the cards are to be done online and receipts taken to port health centers for vaccination and printing of the cards. On Thursday, January 3, FAAN announced that old cards will be obsolete by April 1 so everyone should have gotten the new e-yellow cards by then. This means that a traveller that obtained a yellow card and yellow fever vaccination in 2010-2012 would have had to purchase new yellow cards thrice while his/her vaccine was still effective. While there cannot be an overdose of the Yellow Fever vaccine per se, it is simply ridiculous if travellers are expected to keep pumping their bodies with vaccines and paying unnecessarily. One theory i have for the new release, is that the roll-out of the old cards were riddled with lots of illegal card issuance, hence causing imbalance in remittances. Premium Times reported in September, 2018, that a lot of "Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike, daily leave the country with the card but without vaccination against the disease." Another worry I have is that other countries might not be getting the memo that these new roll-outs are happening. Some travellers have reported to have had their yellow cards seized and declared to be fake, in countries like Ghana and Kenya. I can't also help but point out that this announcement is coming quite too timely, especially with the recent Yellow Fever outbreak that shook Nigeria a bit in November, 2018. While I realise that the introduction of the e-yellow cards is a good step in the direction of digitizing traveller information and ensuring people actually take the vaccine, it starts to resemble a legal scam, especially when the government keeps "re-designing cards" on a whim and expecting Nigerians to pay for new ones while their already purchased cards keep getting obsolete. | https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/is-the-introduction-of-the-new-e-yellow-card-just-another-fg-legal-scam/brqnhjn |
Why did 14 opposition parties just boycott Togos legislative election? | Togos president, Faure Gnassingb, speaks to reporters after casting his ballot in the countrys 2015 presidential election. (Erick Kaglan/AP) On New Years Eve, Togos Constitutional Court proclaimed the official results of the countrys Dec. 20 legislative election. Twelve parties competed plus 17 lists of independent candidates but 14 major opposition parties (a coalition known as C14) that collectively won some 40 percent of the vote in the previous election sat out. Boycotts are not new in Togo. Major opposition parties boycotted Togos first three legislative elections after the country adopted multiparty politics in 1992. The boycotts left the legislature dominated by the ruling party, granting it power to make constitutional amendments, enabling two leaders, Gnassingb Eyadma and his son Faure, to extend their successive rule past the 50-year mark. In Togos previous two legislative elections (2007 and 2013), however, opposition parties competed and held the ruling party to less than 50 percent of the vote. C14s move in December effectively guaranteed the ruling party control of Togos legislature. But the opposition members believed they had little power to change that outcome, whether they competed or not. They complained of an independent electoral commission dominated by the ruling party, legislative districts disproportionately favoring the ruling party, and government refusal to reinstate the term limits and voting provisions of Togos 1992 constitution. Togos ruling family has remained in power since 1967. The roots of these complaints go back decades. President Faure Gnassingbs father took power in a 1967 military coup; father and then son have held the presidency since. After neighboring Benin liberalized its political system, domestic and international pressure prompted Togo to introduce the 1992 constitution, which included multiparty elections and a two-term limit on the presidency. Its complicated.] In response to political violence and the disqualification of the main opposition candidate Gilchrist Olympio, son of Togos first president major opposition parties boycotted legislative elections in 1994, 1999 and 2002. Olympio did contest the 1998 presidential election and may have won; his strong performance led the government to take over ballot counting from the quasi-independent electoral commission. In 2002, the legislature amended the constitution to remove presidential term limits and change elections from two rounds (which could help a divided opposition unite behind a single candidate) to a single-round plurality vote system. Upon Eyadmas death in 2005, his supporters suspended the constitution to proclaim his son president but yielded to domestic and international pressure to hold a presidential election that year. The opposition, violently repressed, complained of fraud in both the 2005 and 2010 presidential elections. Continued pressure convinced the government to establish an independent election commission (CENI) with representation balanced between the ruling party and the opposition. In 2007, the opposition participated in a legislative election for the first time and collectively won more votes than the ruling party, but malapportionment gave the ruling party a dominant share of seats despite winning less than half the votes. The same thing happened in 2013, with turnout down to 66 percent from 85 percent in 2007. The opposition remains thwarted. In addition to exploiting biased district boundaries, Gnassingb recruited Olympio, longtime leader of the main opposition party the Union of Forces for Change (UFC) to join the government coalition in 2010. Most UFC members split from Olympio and joined a new opposition coalition, the Save Togo Collective (CST), which placed second in the 2013 legislative election; another opposition coalition (CSTs partner in C14) took third. Olympios UFC fell to fourth, with just three seats. [Most Togolese support term limits. But they just reelected their president for a third term.] The ruling partys legislative majority defeated the widely supported restoration of presidential term limits, paving the way to Gnassingbs third term in 2015. Protests gained steam in 2017; hundreds of thousands of Togolese took to the streets, calling for a constitutional referendum to block Gnassingb from seeking a fourth term. Government security forces violently repressed the protests. The July 2018 legislative election was delayed to allow for facilitated talks between the opposition and the government, but the government continued to resist demands to restore the 1992 constitution, increase the number of districts in the south to make voters per district more proportionate, and exclude the UFC from CENI seats reserved for opposition parties. The UFC finally released its claim on opposition CENI seats in November, after voter registration and plans for the December election had been completed. When CENI ignored demands to redo the voter registration with its participation, C14 organized the election boycott to pressure the government to cancel the fraudulent election. The oppositions last-ditch protests in early December were violently repressed, with at least four deaths reported. Election Day itself was peaceful, with 59 percent turnout lower than previous elections, though not as low as C14 had hoped. The ruling partys share of the legislatures 91 seats fell from 62 to 59, but its ally UFC gained four seats, with the remainder going to minor parties and independents unlikely to constrain the government. Supporters of the government point to the smoothly run election as a disavowal of C14. [The same family has ruled Togo for 50 years. Will widespread protests change that?] These outcomes suggest C14s boycott failed to achieve its goals. Political scientists Emily Beaulieu and Susan Hyde detail the costs and benefits of boycotting when opposition groups contemplate whether to contest an election. Costs include the loss of legislative seats and potential inclusion in the cabinet in the short term and damage to the partys reputation and electoral support in the longer term. On the plus side, boycotts are sometimes successful in discrediting the ruling party and convincing it (with the help of foreign pressure) to improve the fairness of future elections. This is what happened in the lead-up to Togos 2007 legislative elections. Factors like electoral unfairness, an entrenched opposition and whether international election observers are present also help explain C14s boycott. The earlier Togo boycotts were a partial success: The country liberalized the 2007 legislative elections but not enough to allow the opposition to achieve a legislative majority. The ultimate success of the 2018 boycott will depend on the response of domestic and international actors alike. Tyson Roberts teaches political science and international relations at the University of Southern California. His research interests include African politics, authoritarian institutions and international political economy. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2019/01/07/why-did-14-opposition-parties-just-boycott-togos-legislative-election/ |
Is Nikki Bella getting serious in her new relationship? | Nikki Bella and John Cena had an amazing time together. Ever since their official split, WWE fans have been rooting that the former couple will reconcile their difference. However, it looks like Nikki Bella is trying to move on from her ex-fianc John Cena by casually seeing Dancing With the Stars partner, Artem Chigvintsev. As earlier reported, the former fianc of the Bumblebee movie star is reportedly dating her former DWTS partner Artem Chigvintsev. As reported by Us Weekly, the rumored couple have gone out a couple of times but as of now, nothing is serious between them. A recent report by HollywoodLife claims that after splitting with John Cena, Nikki Bella is reportedly having a good time with her rumored love interest Artem Chigvintsev. As per the report, the Total Bellas star is casually seeing the acclaimed dancer but the rumored couple is not serious at this stage. But at the same time, they do enjoy hanging out and spending some quality time with each other. The report further alleged that as of now, Nikki's friendship with Artem has grown into something more. "Artem just hit the road on the Dancing with the Stars tour and Nikki has never been busier, so right now, they're just having fun and keeping it casual and flirty. Nikki is really focused on her and her career right now. 2019 will be a big year for her," the alleged source added. Meanwhile, after calling off their wedding, John Cena and Nikki Bella were spotted together for a WWE event in Australia, which made many to believe that they are back together. Furthermore, Nikki posted a picture of herself along with John in a hot tub, which further fueled the rumors. However, both John Cena and Nikki Bella are focusing on their respective lives and are not back together. The source went on to add that Nikki is not even thinking about John and is only focusing on what is best for her and her career. "They were together for a long time but at the end of the day, you cannot change the fact that you want a different future than someone else wants," the alleged source concluded. As of now, Nikki Bella has not publicly acknowledged her rumored "casual" flirting with Artem Chigvintsev. There are chances that these are nothing but fabricated claims about Nikki Bella's dating life and there is a great deal of possibility that Nikki is not dating Artem and these are nothing but bogus claims. | http://www.ibtimes.sg/nikki-bella-getting-serious-her-new-relationship-28843 |
What next for iPhone as rivals up their game? | I'm a proud iPhone owner; to the extent where TechRadar's mobile phone expert considers me entirely biased against everything else. But, although MWC has not yet thrown up a handset I'd trade my trusty Apple in for, it's becoming increasingly clear that the rest of the mobile world is finally beginning to compete with the iPhone. When I bought my iPhone 3G there was nothing that could even touch it in terms of aesthetics, GUI and, let's face it, X-factor (minus Simon Cowell). Now, however, there are handsets beginning to snap at Apple's heels. Palm's Pre for instance is wowing and RIM's aim at bringing the BlackBerry to the consumer world is picking up pace. And, although T-Mobile's G1 was a fairly average handset, Android was certainly anything but an average OS. The moment I got back to the office I made the suggestion that my next phone would be an Android phone. I have to confess I was hoping for a little more in the way of key handsets at the Mobile World Congress but although the final product is still missing, some of the announcements around chips, partnerships and operating systems are enough to suggest that we live in interesting mobile times. Which presumably means that Apple will need to respond to the new threat. Now, rumours about the next generation iPhone are rife but in some ways having a firmware that can be easily upgraded make hardware upgrades a little less pressing. Firm changes Whereas once an old phone lacked cutting-edge functionality from pretty much the moment you took it out of its packaging, now that can be added with a simple upgrade. For the iPhone, the arrival of the 3G version also brought a whole new firmware, and an app store that meant new functionality arrives all the time, but some of the core functionality is still missing. Cut and paste has been a hot topic virtually since launch, but with more and more manufacturers signing up to Adobe's Open Screen Project it is the lack of Flash support that is looking increasingly jarring on the iPhone - although talks are apparently ongoing with Apple. With Intel and Nvidia pushing advanced chipsets for portable devices at MWC, the need for a more powerful processor is surely the most obvious upgrade. More processing power could bring the prospect of proper multitasking on the phone with multiple apps running at the same time and presumably make core functionality like cut and paste easier to implement. Graphics processing may also be boosted, which could feasibly bring 3D gaming to the handset. Criticisms of the lack of MMS, the weedy camera and no video functionality would make it fair to suggest that Apple will look to upgrade in those areas and with phones beginning to use compasses (which are helpful in apps like Google's Street View) that could be an added extra. Apple does things at its own pace, and is beholden to no other firm. But I'd suggest that the company is well aware that it may need to step it up in the near future. | https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/what-next-for-iphone-as-rivals-up-their-game-532279 |
Who is President Ali Bongo? | The attempted coup against Gabon's President Ali Bongo has cast the spotlight on one of Africa's most controversial leaders. Since succeeding his father in 2009, his time as president has been marred by accusations of electoral fraud, human rights abuses and nepotism. Privileged beginnings Alain Bernard Bongo was born in 1959 in Brazzaville in the neighboring Republic of Congo. His mother Patience Dabany was a famous Gabonese singer. His father was the longtime ruler of Gabon, Omar Bongo. In 1973, the Bongo family converted to Islam, after which Alain's name was changed to Ali. He studied law at the Sorbonne in Paris, where he frequented the clubbing scene. Despite his studies, he soon followed in the musical footsteps of his mother, releasing a funk album. From musician to politician But encouraged by his father, Ali Bongo quickly abandoned his music career in order to pursue his political ambitions. His father appointed him foreign minister in 1989 and he went on to lead the defense ministry, a position he held until the death of his father in 2009. Ali Bongo's father, President Omar Bongo, ruled Gabon for 42 years until his death in 2009 Ali Bongo's succession to the presidency did not come as a surprise, given the years spent inside his father's political circle. Gabon held elections in late 2009 which reaffirmed Bongo's mandate to govern. However, the announcement of his victory was soon followed by mass protests and violence, leaving several people dead. An attempt by the opposition to challenge the election results ultimately failed, paving the way for Bongo to lead the country. Bongo narrowly won his second election in 2016, which again sparked a wave of unrest across the country after the opposition disputed the official results. Bongo's biggest political rival, Jean Ping, went so far as to declare himself the winner even after Bongo's victory was confirmed. As the dust settled, Bongo attempted to paint himself as an agent of change "renewal" and "innovation" became his new buzzwords and he replaced government officials from his father's era with a younger generation. But his plan failed to convince his detractors, who still consider him less-adept than his father and out of touch with the people due to his privileged upbringing. In particular his extravagant spending especially on cars has alienated many in a country where between 60 and 70 percent of the people live below the poverty line. The majority of his rule has also been tainted by an extensive French investigation into allegations of embezzlement involving the assets of the Bongo family. People stand next to graffiti which reads 'Ali Thief' in French following the 2016 in election in Libreville, Gabon But Ali Bongo has been recognized by some observers for implementing a number of important political reforms. Journalist Seidick Abba credits him with modernizing the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) and for pushing through a law banning the export of tropical woods. "That was probably one of his most important measures which had an impact on the sustainable development of the wood sector in the country," says Abba. "With his policies, Ali Bongo has helped diversity Gabon's economy." Speculation about ill health In October 2018, Ali Bongo travelled to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment after suffering a stroke, though his advisors and other people close to him refused to reveal any more about his state of health. Bongo's long absence led to numerous rumors about his failing health, yet it was several weeks before the government installed Vice President Pierre-Claver Maganga Moussavou as interim president to ensure continuity. Bongo attempted to quell the rumors by appearing in a televised New Year message, in which he insisted he was feeling fine and recovering in Morocco. However, Gabonese soldiers branded the speech "pitiful" and described it as a "relentless bid to cling on to power." | https://www.dw.com/en/who-is-president-ali-bongo/a-46983878 |
Is it a big deal if politicians swear? | Freshman Representative Rashida Tlaib celebrated her swearing in to the 116th Congress by shooting off some choice swears of her own. Tlaib caused a stir when a recording of her saying of President Donald Trump "we're going to impeach the motherf***er" during an afterparty surfaced. Many politicians were shocked by the representative's language, saying she was encouraging discord within the new Congress. Others said she hadn't said anything nearly as bad as what the president has said in the past. PERSPECTIVES The Washington Post reports that the president's allies were quick to decry Tlaib's language, saying it was unbefitting of her new role as a U.S. Representative. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders blasted the remarks as proof Democrats had "no solutions for America" and suggested Tlaib was simply trying to boost her own political career. ...House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) criticized Tlaib's language. "Look at the brand-new elected congresswoman and her language of what she says to her son in a rally that she thought was private last night," McCarthy said on Fox. "Their whole focus here is to try and attack this president when we're trying to move America forward." Some commentators pointed out these same pundits don't hold members of the GOP to the same standard. Reporter Erik Wasson pointed out that Liz Cheney, the House GOP Chair and daughter of the former Vice President, criticized Tlaib, while her own father was unrepentant about swearing on the Senate floor. House GOP Chair Liz Cheney condemns @RashidaTlaib for "foul language" at presser. Her dad Dick Cheney told Sen Leahy to "go f@@k yourself" on the Senate floor when he was VP -- Erik Wasson (@elwasson) January 4, 2019 Other representatives said Tlaib was being disrespectful. I asked @RepCummings if comments like "impeach the motherf*cker" are productive: "You can not accomplish much of anything unless you have civility & show respect for your colleagues. I think those kind of comments do not take us in the right direction...they are inappropriate." -- Elizabeth Landers (@ElizLanders) January 4, 2019 However, when compared with what the president himself had said, Tlaib's comments seem somewhat tame. Yes, there is a double standard. Trump "speaks his mind" or does worse, and his fans cheer and defend him. When others do it, his fans are outraged and speak of decency and values. 1/2 -- GlycerineGrey1886 (@GGrey1886) January 5, 2019 Newly elected Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said that while she did not agree with Tlaib's language, she did not disagree with the sentiment. Speaking with MSNBC host Joy Reid, Pelosi was adamant that she is not in the business of policing the language of her colleagues. Furthermore, she noted, the president himself has used far worse language. "I probably have a generational reaction to [Tlaib's comment]," Pelosi said in the MSNBC interview set to air Friday night. "I'm not in the censorship business," she said. "I don't like that language, I wouldn't use that language, but I wouldn't establish language standards for my colleagues." Tlaib's comments, the speaker added, were "nothing worse than the president has said." Representative Jerry Nadler went on CNN on Friday to decry Tlaib's language, saying it was too early to even be mentioning impeachment. House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler on Rashida Tlaib's vow to impeach Trump: "I don't really like that kind of language, but more to the point, I disagree with what she said. It is too early to talk about that intelligently. We have to follow the facts" https://t.co/Ctwc5n4hGK pic.twitter.com/OsCOTQnuj2 -- CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 4, 2019 Many people felt the whole controversy was overblown and hypocritical. If Congresswoman Talib cursing at a private rally is outrageous to you but Trump's many rude, obnoxious and racist comments are justifiable in some way then hypocrisy probably gave you a wedding ring and y'all are married. -- Toure (@Toure) January 4, 2019 The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say. | https://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2019/01/is_it_a_big_deal_if_politician.html |
Is Kylie Jenner Engaged? | We don't know, but we do know that she was rocking a pretty big ring on *THAT* finger. -- A post shared by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Jan 5, 2019 at 1:04pm PST Travis Scott has made public statements about marrying the makeup mogul. "Well get married soon. I just gotta sturdy up I gotta propose in a fire way," said the rapper. "Maybe, like, the first week, you dont know if its real or a fling. Then the second week youre like, Whoa, Im still talking to her, shes responding, Im responding. We aint run out of a thing to say," he said. "It got to a point where I was like, I need her with me to operate. Shes that one." She was spotted out and about in Los Angeles with the ring on, too. Naturally no ones talking about it, so well just have to keep an eye out for the announcement. | https://q104.radio.com/blogs/jeremiah-show/kylie-jenner-engaged |
Has Aravinda Sametha's success landed Thaman his next big ticket film? | It is now a well-known fact that stylish star Allu Arjun will be teaming up with the blockbuster director Trivikram for his next film, touted to be a chilled out entertainer on the lines of the Bollywood flick Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. This will be the third time that the actor and the director are joining hands, after Julayi and S/O Sathyamurthy. Making the scene merrier, Tollywood birdies are now stating that Thaman has been signed to compose music for this much-awaited project. The main reason behind this acquisition is after Thamans involvement for the directors earlier film Aravinda Sametha which starred Jr NTR. As the actor lost his father during the shoot of the film, Thaman was not only active in the delayed process but also provided a lot of moral support to the actor-director duo. NTR even mentioned the same during the audio launch of the film. With not many biggies in hand but for Akhils Mr Majnu, this new project would give Thaman a lot of confidence and light up his career graph once again. With Kiara Advani being in consideration to play the female lead here, we can expect some exciting announcements from the production house Haarika and Haasine creations in the near future. | https://www.in.com/entertainment/regional/has-aravinda-samethas-success-landed-thaman-his-next-big-ticket-film-282033.htm |
Did Charles Darwin suffer from Lyme disease? | Charles Darwin is one of the greatest scientific minds of all time and a controversial new study claims the father of evolutionary biology suffered from Lyme disease. Darwin was ill for the majority of his adult life following his iconic voyage on-board the HMS Beagle where he developed his theories of natural selection and evolution. After returning to his home at Down House in Kent the naturalist married his cousin and fell ill, reporting symptoms of diarrhoea, rashes, vomiting and muscle pain. Detailed in his many notebooks and diaries, Darwin recorded his despair over his varied symptoms which also included frequent heart palpitations and flatulence. Many historians believe it was a tropical illness he contracted on the Beagle which led to his lifelong poor health. Others have argued his symptoms were largely psychosomatic and anxiety induced. Scroll down for video Charles Darwin (pictured) may have contracted Lyme disease after a tick bite which he contracted in Britain, researchers claim But new research suggests that he may have been infected by a tick as he collected specimens from the British countryside, either before or shortly after his voyage. Erwin Kompanje and Jelle Reumer at the Natural History Museum in Rotterdam searched online databases of Darwin's notes and correspondence for any mention of symptoms that might give clues to his mystery illness. The Dutch researchers believe his mild fluctuating symptoms, which started to appear before he reached South America in 1835 , are consistent with Lyme disease. The study notes that Lyme disease was present in the British Isles at the in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. In his numerous writings, Darwin details his 'many bad attacks of sickness' including 'faintness', 'uncomfortable palpitations', even suggesting that he was 'rapidly dying'. 'He had a lot of different symptoms: swimming of the head, a shortness of breath, trembling hands, and all of them came and went, and that is quite typical of Lyme disease,' said Erwin Kompanje, a clinical researcher at the Erasmus University medical centre in Rotterdam. 'Exposure to a tick carrying Borrelia in Great Britain is much more plausible than exposure to Chagas disease during his travel in South America,' the researchers write. 'Darwin travelled around England and Wales, collecting insects, shooting birds, picking up stones and thus being exposed to ticks,' the authors add. 'There must thus have been ample time during the first three decades of his life to get infected.' But other scientists are not be convinced by the Lyme disease diagnosis. Misdiagnosis is quite common in the condition because the symptoms mimic other diseases. Other scientists are not be convinced by the Lyme disease diagnosis. Misdiagnosis is quite common in the condition because the symptoms often mimic other diseases. Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria that is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black-legged ticks. The most common symptoms of the disease are fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash called erythema migrans. The disease can typically be treated by several weeks of oral antibiotics. But if left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart and nervous symptoms and be deadly. During the first three to 30 days of infection, these symptoms may occur: Fever Chills Headache Fatigue Muscle and joint aches Swollen lymph nodes Erythema migrans (EM) rash The rash occurs in approximately 80 per cent of infected people. It can expand to up to 12 inches (30 cm), eventually clearing and giving off the appearance of a target or a 'bull's-eye'. Later symptoms of Lyme disease include: Severe headaches and neck stiffness Additional rashes Arthritis with joint pain and swelling Facial or Bell's palsy Heart palpitations Problems with short-term memory Nerve pain Source: CDC One common sign of being bitten by an infected tick is a red bullseye-type rash, but such a mark is never described in Darwin's writing. Richard Wall, a specialist in ticks at the University of Bristol, told the Guardian: 'Borreliosis is a particularly difficult infection to diagnose symptomatically even when the patient is available because of the diffuse and highly variable nature of the clinical signs; some researchers even question the existence of a chronic form of the disease. So, retrospective diagnosis at a historical distance of 200 years, while interesting, must be considered as highly speculative.' The ill health of the Darwin family was not restricted to Charles as two of his ten children with his wife and cousin Emma Wedgwood died. It remains unknown if the demise of his children was linked to the close familial relationship between mother and father, a hereditary disease or poor fortune in an age of rudimentary and developing medicine. The findings were reported in Deinsea, the journal of the Natural History Museum Rotterdam. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6564943/Did-Charles-Darwin-suffer-Lyme-disease.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 |
Has Leeds sex workers zone worked? | Video Women are allowed to sell sex in the "managed zone" in Holbeck, Leeds, at certain times without being stopped by police. The zone was set up in 2014 with the aim of making sex workers safer, but the councillor who pioneered it now believes it was a "mistake", saying it was under-resourced. Police numbers have been increased and an independent review is planned. The Safer Leeds partnership said it has seen "clear improvements in our relationships and engagement with street-based sex workers", and the initiative "has led to some landmark convictions of offenders". Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on BBC Two and BBC News Channel, 10:00 to 11:00 GMT - and see more of our stories here. | https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-46764030/has-leeds-sex-workers-zone-worked |
Who gets to sit on the new union access code advisory council? | The new council, which will advise the minister on procurement matters, includes United Voice secretary Lyndal Ryan, CFMEU ACT assistant secretary Zach Smith and Unions ACT secretary Alex White. Loading Unions have long pushed for the code, which is a formalisation of Unions ACT's longstanding memorandum of understanding with the government. The advisory group was required to have a minimum of three employee representative body members. However there was no mandatory minimum for the number of employer representatives on the council, with the other three positions to be appointed at the minister's discretion. Predictions from the ACT opposition that the council would be stacked with union officials have not materialised, with new Canberra Business Chamber chief executive Dr Michael Schaper, Millennium Services Group state operations manager Menka Zarzour and the ACT government's deputy director-general of workforce capability and governance Meredith Whitten given a place on the council. Loading However one of the code's biggest critics, the Master Builders Association of the ACT, was not given a place, nor were any of their suggested local businesses. Instead, the seventh member of the council is Local Jobs Code Registrar Andrew Parkinson, who is also a public servant. The role of chair will be taken by Ms Whitten, who also sits on the ACT Government Procurement Board. Asked why an additional public service member had been appointed, an ACT government spokeswoman said Ms Whitten had appropriate experience to help the council exercise its functions. Loading "It is not unusual to appoint a public servant to an advisory council. For example, a number of public servants sit on the tripartite Work Safety Council, which provides advice to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety," she said. Master Builders Association ACT executive director Michael Hopkins expressed concerns about the make-up of the council. "Master Builders was not requested by the ACT government to nominate construction sector representatives for the Secure Local Jobs Advisory Council," he said. "We made a number of suggestions for suitably experienced people to join the council via the Canberra Business Chamber, however we note that none of our suggestions were taken up by the government. Loading "With the construction industry one of the four targeted sectors of the new procurement code, it is difficult to see how the views of small and family businesses from this significant sector of the economy will be represented." The code poses particular difficulties for construction companies, as it potentially conflicts with the federal government's building code. It is believed almost all companies that want to tender for federal and territory work will need to apply for an exemption from holding a Secure Local Jobs Code certificate. Federal Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer said last month the ACT code would create unnecessary uncertainty and confusion for small businesses throughout the territory, and people virtually needed a degree to understand their obligations. Loading The council also has only one representative directly from a company tendering for government work, Ms Zarzour. Millennium Services Group provides cleaning, security and integrated services on the eastern and southern seaboards of Australia, and has provided $2.6 million of cleaning work to the ACT government since last August. The ACT government spokeswoman denied this would give the company an inside track into government procurement decisions, instead saying it would allow the council to benefit from Ms Zarzour's experience in tendering for territory work. "The council does not have a role in awarding, or not awarding, government procurement contracts nor does it decide who is or who is not granted a secure local jobs code certificate," she said. | https://www.theage.com.au/politics/act/who-gets-to-sit-on-the-new-union-access-code-advisory-council-20181231-p50oy7.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed |
What is Juuling? | (Picture: Bloomberg via Getty Images) In a bid to be healthier in the New Year, many people may have given up smoking. Its not always easy to go cold turkey, though, so things like e-cigarettes and vaping might be viable options to cut down. You may have new trend in the word of e-cigarettes recently, and thats Juuling (a term used to describe smoking with a Juul device). (Picture: EVA HAMBACH/AFP/Getty Images) Juul is somewhat similar to a standard e-cigarette in that it releases a vapour and gives you a hit of nicotine. Its also USB-rechargeable. Unlike traditional vapes, however, it uses a closed system, so cant be refilled with normal vape liquid. Instead, you use a Juul-pod, which you simply slot into the device. The pods come in flavours like Mango Nectar, Royal Creme, Golden Tobacco, and Glacier Mint, but it releases less visible vapour and less of a strong smell than many e-cigs. Advertisement Advertisement The company are also trying to be different from the vapes you see on the high street with the design and usability. (Picture: EVA HAMBACH/AFP/Getty Images) There are no buttons or switches, so you insert the pod and pull on it like you would a normal cigarette. One Juul-pod, delivers about 200 puffs, about as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. This can be a good idea for regular smokers (and Juul is currently the leading e-cigarette company in the USA), but the company have been investigated multiple times by the Food and Drug Administration due to widespread reported use by teenagers. An online survey conducted in November 2017 found that 7% of American teenagers aged 15 to 17 reported having used a Juul, with another survey finding the majority of teens did not realise nicotine was addictive. Mens Fitness magazine called it the iPhone of e-cigs, which may give some sort of explanation to why its been so popular. It has now expanded into the UK, so you can buy their products on their website. MORE: A daily dose of chocolate could lower your blood pressure, study says MORE: Nintendo could shift away from home consoles admits president | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/07/what-is-juuling-8318006/ |
Is Rotimi Amaechi a wailer? | These are desperate times; a time of signs and wonders. It is injury time anything can happen. Only the unwary will be taken in by the magic of this time. Everything you read, every video you watch, and every audio recording you listen to that is put out by APC or PDP campaign minions is a piece in the art of war of either parties. And as such, there should be caution in giving them credibility. Being circumspect is vital. At this time, we must have the head to bear our own mystery. We must not take everything at face value or we risk to be counted in the statistics of fools. It is the job of some people to make us think, react and act in a certain way during political campaigns. They are professionals. I will not want to be in the number of fools these professionals will write in their report as one of those who swallowed their bait. I have listened to the alleged Amaechi-leaked-tapes. I cannot speak on the authenticity of the recordings, but the deafening silence of Rotimi Amaechi is suspect. It is understandable, whichever way Amaechi responds to the leaked tapes political blood will be drawn from them. But I think, he ought to respond them. Amaechis political antecedents show him to be someone who rarely conceals his opinions about issues. He brooks no gag. He says it where it hurts him. But lately, he appears to be shackled, uncharacteristic of him. He makes very few public statements and appearances. At a point, he stopped talking about this administration. Knowing Amaechi to be vocal, and the gadfly that he is, this is puzzling, and it raises some questions. Beyond the leaked-tapes, whatever opinion he holds of the government he serves in is valid. Personally, I know some people, who work with the government, are not happy with the way things are, but I cannot betray their trust and publish what they told me or sell the information to rival politicians for filthy lucre. These are desperate times, and there will be desperate measures. Nigerians must be cautious of whatever narrative the APC and the PDP sells. We must not be beguiled or be confused about what is happening here, the struggle is for our votes not for our security or betterment. In all, everyone is a wailer; it is just the courage to own it that matters. Fredrick is a media personality. He can be reached on Facebook: Fredrick Nwabufo; Twitter: @FredrickNwabufo | https://thenews-chronicle.com/is-rotimi-amaechi-a-wailer/ |
Are Robots About To Enter The Healthcare Workforce? | Technology in healthcare is perhaps at its most valuable in areas where skills shortages are at their strongest. Nowhere is this perhaps more so than in social care, so it's interesting to read the latest research briefing from the The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), which looks at the use of robotic technology in social care. The report suggests that whilst the need for support in the sector is considerable, it remains far from certain whether robots can play a leading role in plugging that gap. "Many of the robots and robotic devices developed for social care appear to still be at the conceptual or design phase," the authors say. "A key question is whether robots and robotic technology can integrate into existing social care environments, and with current technology, or replace them altogether." One of the largest projects in this space is the EU backed GrowMeUp, which has seen the development of a robot, called GrowMu. The machine is developed with a number of advanced algorithms that allow it to adapt to changes, both in its environment and the person/s its caring for. This allows it both to develop an understanding of the routine of the individual, and how that routine can be improved upon. For instance, it might suggest new dietary changes or warn that a step might result in a fall. Adaptive learning and multi-objective decision-making algorithms work so the robot can learn from the users speech and behaviour patterns and recognise when circumstances require action, the team explain. Growing with the patient For instance, the robot will be able to use facial recognition and oral dialogues to remember the needs of each person, including their schedule, and provide timely reminders when required. The machine is programmed to grow with their patient and can therefore suggest improvements to their lifestyle to ensure quality of life is maintained. This could include new exercise routines or the arrangement of social activities. GrowMu comes with a cloud-based platform that allows users to access a huge amount of data as well as a social care network that comprises not only formal carers but friends, neighbours and other older people. Through this, a set of daily activities are provided to suit the needs of the individual. We have definitely brought social robots closer to society. With intelligent dialogue, older people can effortlessly and intuitively interact with the system using natural speech, the team explain. What is perhaps most interesting however is how such robots are perceived. There is a strong perception that older people are less welcoming of new technologies, but the evidence doesn't support such a conclusion. A recent study found that senior citizens are quite happy to accept robots as helpers, but are much more concerned about ceding too much control to them. Key to this relationship was the mental model that the senior citizens had formed about robots. In other words, if they went into the relationship thinking positively, or negatively, about robots, then that had a big impact on how the relationship went. When interfaces are designed to be almost human-like in their autonomy, seniors may react to them with fear, skepticism and other negative emotions, the researchers say. But, with those considerations in mind, there are actually several areas where older people would accept robot help. A similar study conducted on the Isle of Wight found that people were overwhelmingly positive about the role of new technology in helping carers support their loved ones. This was especially so when the robots enhanced the physical capabilities of the carer, making them stronger and protecting their joints. Robot helpers Of course, that's not to say that robot helpers are likely to be seen in a care home near you any time soon, but there are certainly interesting moves in that direction. Indeed, the POST report identifies 6 billion in potential savings that could be made via the introduction of robotics into the sector. This benefit could be particularly strong in areas with inadequate care at the moment, as the technology could free up the human staff to do more of the pastoral things that humans are best at. Nonetheless, the report also identifies concerns that robots will be used instead of humans rather than in addition to them, resulting in a fall in care. Likewise, the introduction of robots into care homes will require training to be given to staff so that they can interact effectively with them. "However, this may have knock-on effects if the social care sector is required to buy-in such skills given potential salary differentials, raising the question about whether this outweighs any efficiencies created by the use of robotics," the authors concede. As with so many new technologies, there are a number of hurdles to overcome before robots are a common feature of care environments, including keeping them secure from hackers, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations and legal challenges surrounding liability for decisions made by the robots. I would suggest it's only a matter of time before robots begin to enter the healthcare workforce en masse however. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/adigaskell/2019/01/07/are-robots-about-to-enter-the-healthcare-workforce/ |
Will Nokia Show A New 6310 At MWC? | The biggest surprise of Mobile World Congress 2017 was Nokias launch of the new 3310. It was a 2G phone in a 4G world and it took the show by storm. The biggest surprise of Mobile World Congress 2018 was Nokias launch of the new 8110, a 4G version of its third most iconic phone. And thats what was surprising. Nokia chose to bring back the 8110 and not the 6310. The obvious follow-up to the 3310 would have been Nokias most successful business phone, a device which still has a dedicated fan base. Indeed it was such a hit than when Nokia dropped the 6310, Vodafone got into discussions with Nokia about buying the rights to continue the manufacture. I regularly encounter people who are still in love with the old Nokia. In its day it was advanced with Bluetooth and data, but today its a technology dinosaur. But one which has a surprisingly high price. One Amazon vendor has them at top smartphone money One of the celebrity fans of the 6310 is ex-Formula 1 driver and Le Mans winner, Richard Attwood, now in his 70s, Attwood is still one of the fastest men on four wheels, regularly out-racing young bucks who are a quarter of his age. I was amused when he pulled a Nokia 6310 from his pocket, a phone which is only a tad younger than current F1 driver Max Verstappen. Its a classic phone and I was excited because Im a phone geek. Attwood uses it precisely because hes not. Indeed he said hed bought a couple of spares should his Nokia go wrong. Here was a man who was practiced at shaving tenths of a second off a lap of Silverstone but wasnt too concerned if he didnt read an email for a day or two. He told me that if he was instructing for Porsche hed leave his phone in the office for the day and check his messages when he got back. Compare this with recent research which says that most people look at their phone 300 times a day. But the thing about Richard Attwoods view about modern technology is that it is what marketing types would call on trend, there is a growing interest in making life more simple. The reboot of the Nokia 3310 has seen an amazing amount of interest in a phone which only does talking and text. Its good to know that over 50 years after he first lined up on the F1 grid, Attwood is still in pole position. But Attwood and all the other 6310 lovers have a problem. Its 2G and as a thirty-year-old technology, there is less and less investment going into the networks. Capacity at 900 MHz and 1800MHz is increasingly being migrated to 4G, and much of the new infrastructure is 4G-only relying on Voice over LTE to do calls. We can expect there to be a sniff of 2G for quite a while but it will become increasingly difficult for all the 6210, and other 2G mobile phone, users to get a signal. What they want is a 4G version of their beloved phone. If it does no-one will be surprised. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonrockman1/2019/01/07/will-nokia-show-a-new-6310-at-mwc/ |
Will Adel Imam and Nicole Saba Reunite in 'Valentino' Series? | News spread that Nicole Saba will be taking part in the series "Valentino" alongside Adel Imam (Source: nicolesabaaa - Instagram) Follow > Disable alert for Nicole Saba Disable alert for Adel Imam Follow > The most asked question of Arab actors nowadays is the series they are going to take part in during Ramadan 2019. The Ramadan series map is not clear yet, but some series have been confirmed such as "Valentino" starring Adel Imam. News spread that Nicole Saba will be taking part in the series, which makes it the first time she acts alongside actor Adel Imam since her breakthrough in Egypt film "Al Tajroba Al Dinmarkiyeh" (The Danish Experience). Nicole Saba tackled the news and denied it, saying that she still did not make up her mind about the series she is taking part in this Ramadan season. In a recent interview with Insider Arabia she said that the series script is not done yet so she still did not take a final decision. Yet, the Lebanese beauty noted that no one would refuse to take a role in a series starring Adel Imam. Nicole's latest series was "Al Hayba" Season 2 alongside Tayyem Hassan in 2018 and she celebrated new year's eve in Cairo performing in two successful concerts. | https://www.albawaba.com/entertainment/will-adel-imam-and-nicole-saba-reunite-valentino-series-1235458 |
What Do Tomorrow's Leaders Look Like During The Digital Work Crisis? | Tomorrows leaders operate with a different set of rules. They know, at an intuitive level, how to look at organizational challenges in a completely distinct way, whereas most people look at the same challenges in terms of status quo thinking. For example, when management teams are given the task to increase business velocity through digitalization, I've found that they often talk in terms of collaboration tools, better project governance, Agile methodologies or breaking down silos. While all of these enhancements are good, my experience as a chief product and technology officer has shown me that tomorrows leaders understand that, by themselves, these changes miss the bigger picture. These future leaders see that as companies race to digitize, the conversion typically happens piece by piece by process, by department, by team and so on. They see that a new, holistic strategy for enterprise work is missing. Digitization creates infinite possibilities, which also brings new pressures that todays organizations are often not equipped to handle. These pressures represent a new paradigm in work that disrupts the common corporate practices of the past century and results in a few trends I've noticed: 100 times faster: Speed is the new currency. Global complexity: We're shrinking geographic boundaries. Millions of variations: Every work product is custom -- iteration is the new normal. Infinite work streams: We're seeing high-volume, short and parallel sprints. Networked and social: Work gets done across a self-organizing collective. Exponential work product: There are exabytes of data and digital artifacts. The Crisis The aforementioned trends can feed massive complexity resulting in functions and teams that are easily disconnected and not executing together, analog work processes that operate at differing paces, and millions of data points and artifacts that are trapped in disparate silos. This is the digital work crisis, and companies that fail to modernize work to effectively remediate these issues are being left behind, as I mentioned in a previous article. To top it all off, executives are often flying blind with no way to plan, execute or measure the work their organizations do at a strategic level. The problems are only getting worse each day as more and more work is being digitized. I believe that work is mostly invisible to decision makers. The Current Options In my experience, management teams typically follow three paths to navigating the digital work crisis. First, they try to leverage legacy productivity tools in order to minimize both cost and workforce disruption. While this may be the easiest option, it can also be the least effective. Second, management considers adding point solutions to patch gaps in their processes. These efforts are usually incremental, band-aid answers that, at best, get the business to a good enough for now state. Third, management will stretch existing applications and platforms in which the business has already invested. This option comes with its own compromises, as teams outside the core use case for the platform may be required to accept constraints if the solution is a force-fit for their business function. Tomorrows Leaders From my perspective, the leaders of tomorrow see the opportunities in challenges. They think differently about how to organize around those opportunities. They seek disruptive, holistic solutions to driving work forward. They look beyond the underlying tech and first champion new models for how they think the organization should operate for example, by going from disconnected to networked, from inconsistent to consistent and from invisible to precise and certain. Tomorrows leaders could be the solution to the digital work crisis, and they are all around you. Here are five traits of these leaders by which you can identify them: 1) They raise their hand to volunteer for new challenges that are important to the business, even when they are considered unseasoned and the challenge seems to reside outside of their domain expertise. 2) They create discomfort in those hesitant to explore possibilities beyond the status quo, yet they also inspire hope for a better future state of the organization. 3) They lead difficult projects to success relentlessly, no matter their current role or title. 4) They convince you to invest more in their efforts because they push your business forward, sometimes in disruptive ways. 5) They see change as the solution, not an obstacle. These leaders rise to the occasion again and again. Our CEO tells a story about sitting between two of our customers at a recent conference. He was listening to a customer -- who was near the end of his career -- picking the brain of a young leader. The customer asked the young leader, Who is your executive sponsor? To which she replied: Its me. I was responsible for some great results last year, got promoted to director, and now have people on my team doing the job that I was doing before. These are the leaders of tomorrow. Find them in your business, or somebody else could. Empower them, encourage them and, most importantly, challenge them. I believe they will be instrumental in guiding your organization through todays crises and into the future -- because they are the future. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/01/07/what-do-tomorrows-leaders-look-like-during-the-digital-work-crisis/ |
Who is Gabon's Ali Bongo? | Absent from the day-to-day running of his oil-rich country since suffering a stroke earlier in October, Gabonese President Ali Bongo was the target of an attempted coup on Monday. Born in the Congolese city of Brazzaville in 1959 to a mother aged 15 at the time, the small but stocky Bongo assumed the presidency in 2009 after the death of his father, who had been in power since 1967. Having been born before his parents' official marriage, the young Bongo spent years fighting rumours he was a foreigner. After a short stint serenading audiences, Bongo - who was known by his initials ABO, Ali B or less flatteringly, "Monsieur Fils" (Mr Son) - gave up a career in music to emerge a "new man", changing his name from Alain to Ali, after converting to Islam like his father. Massive oil wealth Omar Bongo, the father who ruled for more than 40 years virtually unobstructed, amassed a huge fortune, derived largely from Gabon's sizeable oil wealth. A central pillar in "Centrafrique", a controversial strategy through which former colonial power France bound itself to its former dominions through cronyism, Bongo senior liked to claim that Ali and his elder sister Pascaline worked for him on the basis of their talent, and not nepotism. As a young man, Bongo worked as his father's faithful lieutenant, travelling the world and building up extensive contacts in the United States and the Arab world at the time of the second oil boom. In 1989, he was appointed foreign minister at just 30, but had to step down two years later when a new constitution stipulated that cabinet members had to be at least 35. He was back in government by 1999 as the head of the defence ministry. There, he remained until shortly before the start of the election campaign caused by the death of his father in 2009. His lavish spending, especially on luxury cars, also raised eyebrows in a country where oil wealth contrasts with widespread poverty. Natural successor The handover to Bongo junior was not a surprise, given the years of grooming and his own ambitions, despite some opposition in the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), and the shadow of corruption left by his father. In 2016, he was narrowly re-elected for a second term by a few thousand votes, beating out opposition challenger Jean Ping after a campaign marred by bloody clashes and allegations of voter fraud. Pitching to a country that had been run for decades by his family, Bongo tried the difficult task of posing as an agent of change - packing each speech with words such as "renewal" and "innovation". He unveiled a string of projects, including diversifying the economy, opening up markets to Asian investors, trimming the state sector, building a giant marina in the heart of the capital, Libreville. 190107071230267 Bongo turfed out a string of long-standing officials and replaced them with a younger generation - "he wanted to chase away his father's ghost and exercise control", a diplomatic observer said. But to his detractors, Bongo was stiff and lacked the charm and communication skills of his father. He attended some of Brazzaville's top schools and went on to study law in France, the former colonial power, but did not learn any of Gabon's local languages - a major disadvantage. In 1978, Bongo married Sylvia, a Franco-Gabonese with whom he has four children. | https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/gabon-ali-bongo-190107110453233.html |
Could online courses help solve Williamson County Schools' overcrowding problem? | Buy Photo Williamson County Schools is looking to expand its online learning program that could include a full-time option for high school students. (Photo: File / The Tennessean)Buy Photo Hundreds of high school students logged onto online classes last year, giving the program a successful jump start in Williamson County Schools and possibly providing a viable option for making more room in crowded classrooms. The online course program, which launched at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year, allows high school students to take online courses for up to half of their course load classes like English, algebra and personal finance. Last year, 460 students mostly seniors enrolled in online courses. School officials said they are looking to give high school students an option to pursue their diplomas completely online. "We'd like to get to where they can do full online school if that's what they want," WCS Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney said. "I foresee it becoming a full-fledged high school that exists on the internet." The option to allow students to attend high school entirely online would mean fewer students in Williamson's packed schools, and Looney admitted it's a "part of the puzzle" when it comes to solving the overcrowding issue. "This will be a really viable option, and for other students, it may not be the best option," he said. The district this year boasted record enrollment numbers, and it expects to see its population increase by 20,000 over the next decade. Some of that enrollment boom could come from the upcoming Amazon arrival in Nashville, which will likely pump students into surrounding districts like Williamson. The company will bring as many as 5,000 high paying jobs to the area. The district's latest five-year plan calls for $543 million to fund capital projects, including new school buildings. RELATED: How Nashville public schools, others are looking toward Amazon's arrival Looney said he expects to ask the school board to expand the online learning program. The board has the chance to approve six additional online courses to be offered beginning in 2019. They include ecology, guitar, psychology, sociology and statistics. The board will begin work on the 2019-20 budget in January. Keeping online learning on par with Williamson's high standards According to Looney, the district hesitated to pull the trigger on online high school because it struggled to find a program that would match the rigor of its classroom learning. "We've been focused on quality and rigor," he said. "Many online programs didn't meet our standards." Looney looked to Forsyth County Schools, a high-achieving school district north of Atlanta, as an example of a quality blended learning program. The district looks similar to WCS in size and top-of-the-state test scores. FCS offers part-time online learning for kindergartners and high school students, as well as full-time online learning for high school. Currently, 1,531 students there take part in its online learning options. "The biggest thing is offering flexibility to our students," said Jason Naile, director of instructional technology and media at FCS. "I think, in general, the overall landscape of school is changing. Parents and students love the flexibility it provides." Naile added the online program has been beneficial to students who are involved in acting or specialized sports that may keep them away from traditional school hours. In Williamson, the online program was approved by the NCAA, giving its student-athletes the ability to work toward college play with online coursework. Looney said that, so far, there hasn't been a slip in academic outcomes for students choosing online courses. "We're quite pleased where the data is pointed," he said. "We dont see a notable difference in academic achievement between online and traditional learners. The grades look very close to each other, and we havent had a lot of students drop out." Allison Fischer, the online learning program's administrator for WCS, said students take advantage of online courses for a number of reasons. "Some take it to make room for something extra at their own school, or to get credit sufficient to graduate on time," she said. Registration will begin soon for students who want to take classes through the WCS online learning program during the 2019-20 school year. Last year, the district created spots for 500 online learners. "Honestly, there are districts across the county that are doing (online school) and are ahead of us on this," Looney said. "Being a premiere school district, we want to offer our students this opportunity. RELATED: 5-year plan gives Williamson County School Board sticker shock Reach Amelia Ferrell Knisely at [email protected], 615-210-8286 or follow @ameliaknisely on Twitter. Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/williamson/schools/2019/01/07/online-school-williamson-county-overcrowding-problem/2379843002/ | https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/williamson/schools/2019/01/07/online-school-williamson-county-overcrowding-problem/2379843002/ |
Where is BBC Agatha Christie drama Ordeal by Innocence filmed? | Agatha Christies aristocratic Argylls may be an unhappy family, but at least they get to live in an extraordinary house. Advertisement BBC1s Ordeal by Innocence was filmed at Ardgowan Estate on the Scottish coast near Glasgow, which becomes the Sunny Point mansion from the novel. The exterior is draped in purple wisteria and surrounded by gorgeous gardens, and the interior is dominated by a sweeping staircase. It seems the perfect setting for the dark murder mystery about to unfold. The mansion we see on-screen belongs to Sir Ludovic Houston Shaw Stewart 12th Baronet, who invited the stars and the 140-strong production team into his home. Ardgowan is a 10,000 acre estate which has been owned by the same family since John Stewart was granted the land in 1406. The house you see on screen was built in the 18th century when the family came into some money. In its history there have been castles and battles and witch hunts, and in the World Wars it became a temporary hospital. Sir Ludovic returned to the property in 2014 and opened up Ardgowan Estate for weddings, conferences and private events. In the summer of 2017, TV crews moved in. The Grade A listed house was the ideal location for new BBC drama Ordeal by Innocence, with vast grounds and coastal access and plenty of room for filming in different parts of the property. Bill Nighy and his co-stars were given the run of the house. Filming for Ordeal by Innocence was completed in the summer of 2017 after six weeks on location, with the murder mystery set to air over Christmas. But in November, actor Ed Westwick was accused by two women of sexual assault (allegations which he denies) and the BBC decided to pull the three-part drama from its schedules. As a solution, production company Mammoth replaced Westwick with Christian Cooke in the role of Mickey Argyll. This meant reshooting every single scene in which he had appeared a daunting task. Fortunately, the team was able to reuse the original location and return to Ardgowan Estate. Director Sandra Goldbacher told Radio Times: Luckily the owner of the house kept quite a lot of the things our designer had done. Wed painted the whole house and put in new carpet, which thankfully theyd liked. Otherwise it would have taken ages to repaint it all again. The house was dressed to look like the 1950s once more, and props were flown back in from Paris and Rome. Reshoots took place in January and February, with 35 scenes re-filmed in just 12 days. Though filmed in Scotland, the drama is set in England but looking at Christies novel, you can see why a Scottish filming location is no problem. On our protagonist Arthur Calgary, she writes: How wild the scenery was here, he thought. One could fancy oneself on a Scottish loch, far from anywhere. And yet, only a few miles away, were the hotels, the shops, the cocktail bars and the crowds of Redquay. He reflected, not for the first time, on the extraordinary contrasts of the English landscape. Advertisement | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-07/ordeal-by-innocence-bbc-location-guide-filming-house/ |
Will there be any more Mrs Browns Boys? | Mrs Browns Boys is back for what is now an annual tradition of festive specials. Advertisement Every year it is one of the most watched programmes on television with fans crying out for a full series. Theres good news and bad news. Mrs Browns Boys has been commissioned for Christmas specials stretching all the way until 2020. BUT there are no plans for a full series although its unlikely thats a decision made by the BBC. The last run of episodes, which aired back in 2013, pulled in an average of nine million viewers staggering numbers which were matched by last years Christmas special. With three series in total, there is plenty of material for fans to watch back on DVD and the Mrs Browns crew often tour arenas in the UK and around the globe. There is also All Round to Mrs Browns the television chat show that was launched on BBC1 in 2017. The new venture was deemed a success by the Beeb who rewarded mammy with a second series, starting in March 2018. The whole family are thrilled with the reception the show has received on Saturday nights, OCarroll said at the time of the recommission. Although our focus right now is on the Christmas Specials of our regular Mrs Browns Boys Show, we are excited that 2018 will see party time at the Browns house again. So, not long until you see Mrs Brown and her eccentric family on your screen again. Advertisement This article was originally published in December 2017 | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-07/will-there-be-any-more-mrs-browns-boys/ |
Did Halle Berry win best dressed at Golden Globes? | People online are completely taken with Halle Berry (Picture: David Fisher/REX) Halle Berry may not have won any awards at the Golden Globes, but she was winning nonetheless. The actress, who has previously been nominated for four Golden Globes (and won Best Actress for Miniseries or Television Film) shocked viewers with her style and grace in the beautiful maroon Zuhair Murad gown at the awards show over the weekend. The actress, who swapped her acting hat that evening in favour of presenting appeared on the red carpet with a sheer dress and a fierce energy. Halle Berry and Lena Waithe presented an award together and the internet was here for it (Picture) Viewers were left in bits when they learned that the stunning actress is 52 years old. 52 years young more like. The frock featured a deep, plunging neckline and a high slit that showed more than a peak of her long, lean legs. There are no words to adequately describe how beautiful she is (Picture: Rex Features) Berry was majestic in the long dress, and kept the rest of her look elegant with a low ponytail and minimal jewelry. Advertisement Advertisement Berry and Lena Waithe, who are executive producers on a BET series based on 1992s Boomerang, presented an award together, and not even Waithe could stop herself from admiring the actress. Needless to say, people are shocked by her youthful look. 52 is the new 25, one Twitter user gushed. She does not age. Like are you kidding me with this look tonight?!?! DAYUMMMMMM!! #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/vCXdTRoDwf GinaMarie (@GinaMarie_F) January 7, 2019 I wanna know what kids souls shes taking because she be getting younger every damn time I see her Karim. (@_KXIV) January 7, 2019 I am as thirsty for Lena Waithe as she is for Halle Berry. #goldenglobes pic.twitter.com/F6v1ii1Mk6 Brent Stansell (@brentstansell) January 7, 2019 Halle Berry has sold her soul to the devil because she does not age Henny! lisa rinna (@lisarinna) January 7, 2019 Halle Berry is 52 and knows shes still FOINE. Jadore. https://t.co/gFoaXQ81AC Clara Amfo (@claraamfo) January 7, 2019 Clara Amfo was loving her glow up too. Halle Berry is 52 and knows she is FOINE. Jadore. The Real Housewives star Lisa Rinna was so in awe of the actress, she playfully suggested foul play. Halle Berry has sold her soul to the devil because she does not age Henny! she exclaimed on Twitter. Attending the Globes must have been a bit of throwback to awards shows. Back in 2002 the X-Men actress became the first black woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress in Monsters Ball. She remains the only African American woman to have won that particular award as of 2018. If you have a story for our news team, email us at [email protected]. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. MORE: Justin Bieber cracks up wife Hailey Baldwin as honeymoon glow continues to shine on beach stroll MORE: Taylor Swift chooses to avoid controversy by closing app, suggests PR expert | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/07/halle-berry-won-the-golden-globes-everybody-else-go-home-8318139/ |
When is Derry Girls back on TV? | We havent seen the last of the Derry Girls, because Channel 4s hit coming-of-age comedy will be back for a second series. Advertisement Written by Being Human screenwriter Lisa McGee and based on McGees own experiences as a teenager, the show follows 16-year-old Erin and her friends who live in a world of armed police, British Army check points and peace walls. Channel 4 commissioned a second series of Derry Girls after just one episode. The gang will start filming again later this year with a transmission date yet to be confirmed. Derry Girls came to an action-packed and rather poignant end in episode six of the first series refresh your memory here and read the inside story from writer Lisa McGee and actresses Nicola Coughlan (Clare) and Saoirse Jackson (Erin). Lisa McGee told RadioTimes.com that shes toying with covering the ceasefire and how it actually unsettled people in series two, as well as Bill Clintons 1995 visit to Derry. She also revealed shed like one of the girls to get a boyfriend or for Clare to have a girlfriend and for James to join a band. The young stars are all expected to reprise their roles in series two. This means well probably be seeing more of Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, Nicola Coughlan, Jamie-Lee ODonnell, Dylan Llewellyn and Siobhan McSweeney. Yes, all six episodes of the first series of Derry Girls are available to watch on Channel4.com. Advertisement This article was originally published in July 2018 | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-07/derry-girls-series-two-air-date-trailer-cast/ |
When is Cold Feet back on TV for series eight? Whos in the cast? Whats the plot? | Following the success of its reboot, Cold Feet is returning to ITV for an eighth series in 2019, meaning well be reunited with James Nesbitts Adam and the rest of the beloved Manchester fifty-somethings. The drama will return to ITV with six new episodes on Tuesday 8th January 2019. Yes heres the new trailer! As far as we know, the entire cast from series seven will be making a return. That means James Nesbitt (who plays Adam), Hermione Norris (Karen), Robert Bathurst (David), Fay Ripley (Jenny) and John Thomson (Pete) will be back next year for the third run since the reboot. James Nesbitts Adam had split from girlfriend Tina after confessing to infidelity with work colleague Sarah and Pete and Jenny renewed their wedding vows after their relationship experienced a rocky patch. Read the full recap here. Writer and creator Mike Bullen has been pretty tight-lipped on the details, but he did say: Weve got plenty of trials and tribulations in store for them as they navigate their way through middle age, and more than a few laughs and tears along the way. RadioTimes.com also revealed that Fay Ripleys Jenny will face a cancer scare in the new series, with the storyline impacting on the rest of the Cold Feet cast. Due to the sensitive nature of the new plot, Ripley said she was determined to get it right for others who have suffered. They asked me how Id feel about it and I said I wanted it dealt with properly because of the weight of that responsibility, Ripley said at a screening of episode one. And because so many people I know are affected by breast cancer and cancer in general. And thats life at the moment. We have seen this story with shows but I wanted it to be real. Sometimes its going to be funny, sometimes its going to be scary. I just want it to be honest. Advertisement This article was originally published on 21 December 2018 | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-07/cold-feet-series-8-air-date-cast-plot/ |
Do add-on features for health insurance policies really add value? | While health insurance covers are base policies that cover hospitalisation costs, many health policies come with add-on features that aim to provide monetary support for specific ailments. For instance, child birth involves hospitalisation, a basic health insurance policy doesnt cover it. When Delhi-based Mayank Verma, 30, bought a health insurance policy in January 2018, he was about to get married. He found out that a base health cover of Rs 10 lakh would require him to pay an annual premium of Rs 9,600. Add the maternity benefit to the same policy, and his premium would go up slightly to Rs 11,500 for the same policy. He decided to buy the add-on feature and the couple got married in December 2018. We were planning to have a baby after 3 or 4 years," says a gleeful Verma. Add-ons are additional features that you can buy, as a top-up, to your base health insurance policy. But there are caveats to know before buying add-ons. Besides, there are standalone health policies that may prove to be more beneficial. Maternity Benefit A child birth can set you back by Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh. Either of the spouses can include the maternity add-on in their basic health insurance policy. But there is a waiting period, typically 2-4 years, to claim maternity benefits. Kapil Mehta, CEO, Securenow.in told Moneycontrol that insurer includes the extra cost related to maternity with the premium amount of the standalone health insurance and increases the overall premium of the policy. "The total premium amount can go up to Rs 50,000 per annum for particular health policy, if you take this add-on at a later stage in your life. So, it is advisable to take this add-on at an early age, that is, in your 20s or early 30s and where, you have at least 4 years of time to plan for a baby, he said. Critical Illness The critical illness add-on provides immediate lump sum amount irrespective of the total expenses incurred on the diagnosis of the covered illness. Note that there are standalone critical illness plans also that cater to cover just your critical illnesses and not your general health. These plans are independent of your standard health insurance covers. Here, ignore your add-on cover and opt for a standalone critical illness policy. Heres why: Critical illness, such as cancer, kidney failure, paralysis, and so on, can be prolonged and incur large expenses. You need to plan sufficiently for this. Just an add-on critical illness cover may not be enough, typically. That is because the sum assured on add-on policy cannot be greater than the base health insurance policy. A standalone critical illness policy, on the other hand, gives you a higher coverage. For example, if you take a standalone critical illness policy against cancer, the premium for a 30-year-old male will be around Rs 2,000-2,500 per annum against a total cover of Rs 30 to 40 Lakh. For the same premium, a policy add-on will get you a maximum cover of only Rs 20-25 lakh. Personal Accident You can add a personal accident add-on feature to an existing health insurance policy. This compensates for all kinds of the accident including permanent total disablement, accidental death, permanent partial disablement and temporary total disablement. Here too, the add-on is just a feature, but the cover isnt as comprehensive as a standalone personal accident cover. A personal accident add-on features covers the policyholder for around Rs 2-5 lakh; it varies from policy to policy. If you opt for a standalone personal accident policy, you can buy a cover of up to Rs 75 lakh. Also, a standalone policy can provide you with global coverage while taking health policy with the same add-ons will not. Vishal Dhawan, Founder & CEO, Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors told Moneycontrol that buying a standalone personal accident cover works better than an add-on for two reason. One, due to the recent unbundling of the third-party insurance cover, you can now buy a single personal accident cover for as many vehicles as you own. Hence, you save on the premium. And second, a standalone cover covers you for a larger amount than the add-on cover, just like in the case of the critical illness cover. Hospital Cash This cover provides you daily cash that a policyholder may require for taking care of hospital-related and other medical expenses during hospitalisation. It would determine coverage based on the daily allowance which you have agreed with insurer under the plan. For example, taking care of small medical bills, extra blanket cover (which are not covered in the base policy), illness, and small accident. Also, it is paid for a certain number of days of hospitalisation as mentioned in the health insurance plan. Most of the hospital cash policies pay you daily cash which is in the range of Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 per day. However, you should know that the patient does not get the cash benefit at the end of each day. It again has a waiting period, you get this money in lump sum post-hospitalisation once the patient gets discharged. But, the important thing that you need to know is that the waiting period to claim hospital cash amount for these small bills, illness, are of shorter tenures compared to getting claim from overall all policy, which takes time. You need to submit all the bills where expenses related to medicines and other dispensary are mentioned. The cash is paid through NEFT in the bank account of the policyholder. "It only makes sense to have this add-on if the insurer gives you at least Rs. 5,000 or more for a day to cover your daily medical related expenses," says Mehta. Super-top up Under this product, additional coverage is offered over and above the threshold limit (deductible). So, once you consume the threshold limit, any extra charges incurred by the hospital will get covered under the top-up policy. Lets say you have a health insurance policy for Rs 5 lakh and also a Top-up Health Add-ons for Rs 10 lakh with the threshold limit (deductible) of Rs 5 Lakh. So suppose, if there is a claim for Rs 8 Lakh, your normal health policy will pay Rs 5 Lakh and the remaining claim amount of Rs 3 Lakh will be covered by your Top-up health add-ons. The advantage with the super top-up plan is the threshold limit which gets applied when one consumes all cover limit, considering all the claims put together in that particular policy year. Ashish Mehrotra, MD & CEO, Max Bupa Health Insurance says that Super Top-up policies come handy when the threshold of the existing health insurance cover is already used or exhausted and it provides an additional health insurance cover, over and above your existing health plan and enhance the sum insured of the base plan. You can buy a health policy with higher cover but in that case, you may end-up paying higher premium for a particular policy. It is good to buy a decent cover and take to-up add-on as when it is required in a particular year. Add-on features give extra benefits over and above a base health insurance plan. The problem is that although premiums for these add-ons are low, the benefits that you can accrue are limited. Hence, you should know that every add-on comes with a cost, you should only opt for add-ons when it is utmost required. You can now invest in mutual funds with moneycontrol. Download moneycontrol transact app. A dedicated app to explore, research and buy mutual funds. | https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/do-add-on-features-for-health-insurance-policies-really-add-value-3359561.html |
Will NHS long-term plan deliver the goods? | Image copyright Getty Images Image caption More consultations will take place at GP surgeries We have been waiting a long time for the 10-year plan for the NHS in England. The answer has to be yes if the NHS is to have a sustainable future. Much of the thinking is driven by the need to treat more patients in their local communities or at home. Put simply, given that people are living longer and, as they do so, developing more chronic health problems, hospitals will be overrun unless there is more care on offer elsewhere. The burden on the health service caused by obesity looms large. That is why an increasing share of NHS resources in England will be directed to GP and community health services. Local schemes which have successfully joined up health and social care provision will be rolled out across England. Prevention of ill health and quicker disease diagnosis are also central to the drive to keep people out of hospitals where appropriate. In another sense this plan is different from its predecessor. In 2014, the chief executive of NHS England Simon Stevens set out his aims in a document named the Five Year Forward View. Specific pledges It was a pithy statement of the problems with a strategic vision - but it did not set out detailed plans or commitments. By contrast, the latest plan is littered with specific pledges. Among the most eye-catching are: Increased early detection of cancer through better testing and giving every child diagnosed with cancer a comprehensive DNA test to determine the best way to target treatment. Making mental health help available to 345,000 more children and young people through community services and schools in England. Hospital out-patient appointments - which are often difficult to attend, and regularly missed - to be reduced in favour of phone or screen-based consultations for patients at home, and consultants going out to GP surgeries, rather than expecting patients to come to them. Ministers seem to have realised that grand strategy does not cut much ice with patients who simply want to know how treatment of their conditions will improve. Instead, the new plan majors on what Whitehall sources call "retail offers". Many of the pledges, though, are over the next decade and it is not clear yet how progress will be checked. NHS leaders have called for new legislation to allow some of their proposed changes to go ahead. This marks a symbolic break with the controversial health reforms of 2012 drawn up by the then-Health Secretary Andrew Lansley. The Lansley reforms gave more powers to local commissioning groups allowing more tendering with outside organisations for contracts. It's understood NHS England wants legislation to allow local health and care groups to work more closely together. It argues that force of law would significantly accelerate progress on service integration, on administrative efficiency, and on public accountability. Staff shortages Big unanswered questions remain. Ministers and NHS leaders point to plans for training of more nurses and extra medical school places. But the current 100,000 NHS vacancies in England underline the scale of the challenge. The 3.4% real terms annual increases in funding for the next five years are no more than the long term average for the NHS, albeit more than under the coalition and Conservative governments. Significant efficiency savings will need to be made to free up resources to invest in the transformation of services. Then there is the thorny issue of targets. Simon Stevens has made clear he wants to amend the main A&E target of 95% of patients being admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. He and some medical leaders want to see different benchmarks for major and minor injuries. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Health Secretary Matt Hancock is a fan of harnessing the power of technology Some doctors feel that would be a mistake and it may prove politically difficult with accusations that the goalposts are being shifted. The final tricky decision will rest with ministers. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will gain extra funding through the usual formula but the devolved administrations will decide how it is spent. Around the UK there are the same challenges - an ageing population with sicker patients and finite resources. Wales drew up its long plan last year. Now NHS England has done the same. We now must wait to see if they withstand the test of time and rising demand for care. | https://www.bbc.com/news/health-46783621 |
Are The Political Parties In The Gambia Experiencing Splits Due To Change That Has Occurred? | 0 SHARES Share Tweet QUESTION OF THE DAY It appears that because of the absolute power wielded by the Jammeh administration many political parties operated under the direction and control of trustees who had a free hand in managing their affairs. Now that change has occurred more people are taking interest in their membership of political parties and are therefore ready to carry on the battle inside political parties for the leadership. The intense struggles recently displayed during the congresses of three political parties or the preparation towards the congresses should send a signal that unless the members of political parties are guided by the same mission and vision personality clashes could not be avoided. Foroyaa will follow developments. | https://foroyaa.gm/are-the-political-parties-in-the-gambia-experiencing-splits-due-to-change-that-has-occurred/ |
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Is The Americans on Netflix? | Thats a wrap on the 2019 Golden Globe Awards! We laughed, we cried, we googled wait, what exactly is The Kominsky Method! ? Hosted by Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh, this years ceremony certainly had its fair share of memorable moments, but one of the least surprising outcomes was also one of the most fulfilling: The Americans winning the Golden Globe for Best TV Drama. Despite both Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys being nominated for Best Actress/Best Actor in 2017 and 2018, this was the first Golden Globe victory for the addicting FX spy thriller, which concluded last year after six wonderful seasons. Heres how to stream 2018s best TV drama online! Nope. Sadly Joe Weisbergs critically-acclaimed series isnt currently streaming on Netflix. All things considered, it was a good night for The Americans. The series took home the coveted Best TV Drama award, but Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, who were nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series and Best Actor in a Drama Series respectively, walked away empty handed. Thats a negative. The Americans isnt offered on Hulu. Yes! You can stream all six seasons of The Americans on Prime Video. ARE YOU SURE THE AMERICANS ISNT ON NETFLIX?! Yep. Were sure. Episodes of The Americans are also available to purchase on YouTube, Google Play, and Vudu. Another way to watch The Americans is FX+. Available to current cable subscribers for $5.99 a month, FX+ allows you to watch over 100 seasons and 1,000 episodes of FX originals ad free. Not only can you stream past shows, but current FX programs are available at the same time as they air on TV commercial free. New subscribers can sample FX+ with a free trial. Where to stream The Americans | https://decider.com/2019/01/07/is-the-americans-on-netflix/ |
Does Netflix Have a "Cash Flow Conundrum"? | Spencer Neumann has a big task to take on as the new CFO of Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX). The video-streaming pioneer has been bleeding cash for the last five years or so as it delves deeper into original programming and expands globally. A headline in The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) shortly after Netflix announced Neumann's new job said he'll have to tackle Netflix's "cash flow conundrum." Netflix's cash burn is becoming increasingly expensive in an environment with rising interest rates, but it's hardly a conundrum. Netflix's decision to spend more cash than it takes in is a calculated risk, and it's one with relatively little downside despite increasing competition from the likes of Disney (NYSE: DIS) and AT&T's (NYSE: T) WarnerMedia. Exterior of Netflix headquarters in Los Angeles. More Image source: Netflix. Peak cash burn Netflix had some good news for investors when it released its third-quarter earnings report in mid-October. Cash burn in 2018 will come in at the low end of its original outlook of $3 billion to $4 billion. What's more, it expects a similar level of cash burn in 2019 before showing improvements back toward positive cash flow in 2020. There are several factors at play here. First, Netflix may be reaching a sustainable level of investment in original content. Over the past few years, it became increasingly evident that traditional media companies like Disney and WarnerMedia would recapture some of their licensed content from Netflix in order to improve viewing through their own channels. Both have since announced their own direct-to-consumer plans. Netflix quickly ramped up the volume of original content as well as the marketing spend on promoting those series, films, and comedy specials. But the need to replace licensed content with originals is subsiding. That's not to say Netflix won't continue to ramp up original content spending and marketing, it's just that it won't outspend the increase in net cash generated from operating activities. On top of that, Netflix is still growing subscribers quickly. Netflix members increased 25% year over year in the third quarter. It added more subscribers through the first nine months of 2018 than in any other year. And those subscribers are paying more, on average, than they did last year. Netflix has continually raised prices as it increases the value of the service, and it ought to continue that pattern. WarnerMedia's HBO charges $15 per month for HBO Now, and many subscribers (and critics) say Netflix's content is even better. Neflix's last price increase was in October 2017. Netflix's plans range from $7.99 to $13.99 per month. The combination of increasing subscriber growth and higher average revenue per user is leading to better top-line growth for the company -- top-line growth that's in line with the increase in content spending. Revenue increased 34% year over year in the third quarter while cash spent on content increased 35%. All this is to say Netflix has already proven its strategy works. Neumann's job is to make sure the company stays on the path it's been on for the last few years by managing content and marketing spend to grow the subscriber base and executing appropriate price increases. One small challenge Running the company with cash burn will become slightly more challenging going forward. Netflix funds its investments in original content and marketing by tapping the debt market. As the Fed has raised interest rates, using debt has become more expensive for Netflix. | https://news.yahoo.com/does-netflix-cash-flow-conundrum-133900433.html |
What was the deal with Christian Bale's accent at the Golden Globes? | No, Christian Bale wasn't pulling a Madonna with that accent. Unlike the singer and some other stars who have appeared to randomly acquire an accent, Bale gave an acceptance speech at the Golden Globes that was a reminder he wasn't born in the United States. Arts and entertainment Awards and prizes Celebrities Christian Bale Entertainment and arts awards Golden Globe Awards Movie awards Movies Bale won best actor in a motion picture comedy or musical Sunday night for playing former Vice President Dick Cheney in "Vice." Bale sounded decidedly British -- Welsh, to be precise -- as he joked his way through his speech and thanked Satan "for giving me inspiration on how to play this role." The Golden Globes were apolitical, except that moment Dick Cheney was likened to Satan Twitter was confused and some thought he was putting it all on. "Christian Bale has an English accent?" ESPN reporter Michele Steele tweeted. Others were amused that some people were surprised, since the veteran star was born in Wales. "Christian Bale does so many American roles that when he speaks in his natural accent it just sounds like he's making fun of British people," one person tweeted. | https://www.waaytv.com/content/national/503994622.html?ref=622 |
What happens to students when private colleges close in Arizona? | CLOSE Higher education reporter Anne Ryman of The Arizona Republic gives five tips to find free money for college. Hannah Gaber/azcentral.com Marta Villanueva was a student at the Art Institute of Phoenix, which closed in December 2018. She's shown here at a culinary program in Mexico. (Photo: Courtesy of Marta Villanueva) Marta Villanueva enrolled in a culinary program at the Art Institute of Phoenix as a way to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety after leaving the Army. She used GI Bill benefits to pay for classes, which began in mid-2017. She dreamed of opening a business one day. But the school closed in December, leaving Villanueva out the time and money, and unsure how, or if, shell get her GI Bill benefits reinstated. Its heartbreaking because we earned these benefits, literally with sweat, blood and tears, Villanueva said. In the weeks before the schools closure, basic cooking supplies, like milk and butter, werent available in her classrooms, she said. There was no need to restock a closing school. But Villanueva still was required to pay a lab fee. Marta Villanueva served in the U.S. Army and earned GI Bill benefits to attend college. In this photo, Villanueva's twin sons embrace her after she returned home from Iraq in 2011. (Photo: Courtesy of Marta Villanueva) Thousands of students like Villanueva have seen their educational ambitions cut short by the unexpected closure of private colleges in Arizona and nationwide. About 120 private, post-secondary schools have shuttered in Arizona in the past five years, according to the state regulatory board that oversees such institutions. The closures include the major chains of ITT Technical Institute, Anthem College and Corinthian Colleges and dozens of smaller, niche schools ranging from yoga institutes to bartending academies. In 2018 alone, two well-known schools, the Art Institutes Phoenix branch and Arizona Summit Law School said they would close. A golf academy in Chandler run by national chain Education Corporation of America also closed, locking its doors on Election Day even as the site was slated as a polling place. MORE: Step-by-step: What students can do when a college closes The closures have left students out money, time and other, less tangible benefits that come with a college degree. They've also had to confront major decisions that can significantly affect their futures and finances. Closures can force students to move to attend a college with a similar program that will accept their transfer credits. Closures can cost them access to career counseling or job placement assistance from their former school. Closed schools no longer produce new graduates, meaning a student's alumni network key to career advancement stops growing. And degrees from closed schools can be seen as less reputable. More immediately, its difficult for students to figure out how or if they can get some of their money back. And they also have to navigate federal programs, credit-transfer rules at other colleges and financial institutions. Villanueva had to fight to just confirm the campus was closing. Once she found that out, there was no single source to turn to for advice or assistance. She and her classmates called anyone they thought could help: their representatives in Congress, Veterans Affairs, the state regulatory board for private colleges. "It was chaos," Villanueva said. A screenshot from The Art Institute of Phoenix's website shows a message stating that the school is no longer accepting new students. (Photo: Via The Art Institute of Phoenix) Art Institute officials did not respond to requests for comment from The Arizona Republic. The Art Institutes operated as for-profit schools for years before a non-profit foundation purchased the schools in 2017. Teri Stanfill, executive director of the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education, the state agency that licenses private schools, said Arizona has seen more, and larger, private college closures in the past few years. Things have just changed. We dont see the large, fancy campuses anymore. Or very few of them. Teri Stanfill, executive director of the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education Stanfill pointed to the lack of campus-based programs as one reason, as many colleges move toward online education. "Things have just changed," she said. "We dont see the large, fancy campuses anymore. Or very few of them." She said the state doesn't track how many students have been affected by closures. But the contraction in private, mostly for-profit colleges isn't only a recent phenomenon, said Toby Merrill, director of the Project on Predatory Student Lending at Harvard Law School. There's a long-term, boom-and-bust cycle that runs counter to unemployment numbers, Merrill said. Although some observers argue students have a responsibility to carefully research colleges, investors with major resources whose job is to investigate companies can't always foresee issues and closure risks at these colleges, National Consumer Law Center attorney Abby Shafroth said. "If theyre (investors) being fooled and deceived into investing their money into the company, I dont know why we would expect students who havent yet gone to school to be in a position to evaluate," she said. Federal programs help with loans, but not private ones State licensing officials said it's in the best interest of schools to coordinate a "teach-out," which has enrolled students complete their studies at the college.But, in some cases, financial circumstances cause the school to close abruptly. And students may choose not to participate in a teach-out because it affects their ability to get refunds from the federal government for loans used to attend the school. For federal loans, students may qualify for the Closed School Discharge if they were enrolled when the school closed or withdrew within 120 days before its closure. But if students decide to transfer from the closed school to a comparable program elsewhere, they're no longer eligible for discharge. It's a tough decision whether to transfer credits or seek relief, said Shafroth, of the National Consumer Law Center. If only a few credits will transfer, it may not be worth the hassle and loss of financial recourse, she said. Advocates for students at closing schools say there's not enough help for affected students. Merrill, of Harvard, said schools and the U.S. Department of Education don't do enough to inform students about the Closed School Discharge. That program is a "really good or even the best option" for a lot of students, she said. State program gives some money back At the state level, the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education operates the Student Tuition Recovery Fund, which helps students at closed schools get some money back. But the fund helps only students who paid cash or used private loans. Grants, scholarships or debt to other government agencies, such as federal loans, can't be recovered through the state fund. And students won't get money back if they participate in a teach-out or transfer their credits to another school. The fund paid out nothing from 2012 to 2014. In 2015, it paid 40 claims totaling about $92,000. In 2016, it paid 38 claims for about $93,000. In 2017, $82,000 for 33 claims. And in 2018, the fund paid out $620 for four claims. Claims must be filed within a year of a school's closure, meaning claims for the Art Institute, Golf Academy and Arizona Summit Law are still likely to come in this year. The money for the fund comes from an annual assessment of some schools the board oversees. The board also can require a school to post a bond if there are red flags, such as accreditation issues, poor student outcomes or financial troubles. A 1,700-mile journey to finish college Some students have to move to complete their education. For students with families, this requires taking their children out of schools. When it became clear in 2018 that Arizona Summit Law School was in danger of losing its accreditation, many students planned to transfer. Arizona Summit Law School, formerly known as the Phoenix School of Law, was founded in 2004. It once had as many as 1,000 students as it admitted more students with lower Law School Admission Test scores. School officials announced in fall 2018 that the law school will eventually close once current students finish their education. No new students are being admitted. (Photo: Tom Tingle/The Republic) Arizona has only two other law schools; both have tougher admission standards. So, the logical choice for many Arizona Summit students was 1,700 miles away in Grand Forks, North Dakota. About two dozen transferred to the University of North Dakota School of Law because the school would accept the bulk of their credits. By contrast, many law schools limit the credits they accept to about a year's worth. The students were on the hook for moving expenses. Officials at the North Dakota law school said they tried to make the transition as easy as possible. School officials took students on tours and helped with housing options. The school's assistant dean, Brad Parish, helped students prepare for a climate that is far different than in Phoenix. In the past, he said school officials have even driven students to Walmart to purchase boots and gloves. "I tell them it's like the heat in Arizona: The cold in North Dakota is a shock when you first get here, but you get used to it and deal with it," he said. For large chains like the Art Institute, students can transfer to branches in other cities. The Art Institute offered discounted tuition at other sites for students leaving the Phoenix campus. But not all credits transfer, even though the schools' ownership is the same. And, students worry, the other branches might not stay open long enough for them to transfer anyway. Some Art Institute students have been through multiple campus closures chasing a degree. Going to court may be an option In November, the Harvard project settled a lawsuit against ITT Tech that erased more than $500 million in debt owed by 750,000 students. The settlement also called for ITT to refund $3 million that students paid after the company had filed for bankruptcy in 2016. But getting reimbursed through a lawsuit is rare and difficult. Closed schools often had financial trouble and there may not be money to get back, Shafroth said. Many private, for-profit colleges required their students to sign forms upon enrollment that forced them into arbitration or prevent class-action lawsuits. Students often have no idea they're signing away their rights to sue, Shafroth said. "There's no way on Earth that they're able to read all of it or understand what these legal terms mean," she said. A new federal rule passed in 2016 said schools that accept students using federal funds can't enforce such clauses, but the Department of Education under Secretary Betsy DeVos has delayed enforcing the rule. In October, a federal judge said the rule could no longer be delayed. Veterans get some money back, but not all Groups that assist veterans have been busy fielding questions after the recent closure of more than 70 campuses under the umbrella of the Education Corporation of America. In Arizona, the company operated the Golf Academy of America in Chandler. Carrie Wofford, president of Veterans Education Success, said 4,000 veterans are affected by the closure of the for-profit chain, which includes the subsidiaries known as Brightwood College and Virginia College. Veterans who were using the GI Bill when these colleges closed can get some money restored but only for the current semester and only if they don't transfer those credits to another school. Her organization is reaching out to members of Congress to see whether they can pass legislation similar to a 2017 law aimed at helping 7,000 veterans affected by the closures of two major for-profit chains, ITT Technical Institute and Corinthian Colleges. In those cases, a law known as the Forever GI Bill lets veterans get their full GI benefits restored provided they didn't transfer credits to another school. Wofford said she hopes the same can eventually be accomplished for the most recent round of school closures. Intangible losses when a school closes Although money and time are the most obvious losses when a school closes, other costs aren't as immediately clear. Many private schools, especially those focusing on vocational training or career-based education, advertise their ability to place students in jobs upon graduation. But when a school shutters, students often lose the career services that make that happen. The alumni networks that connect students with other graduates a valuable employment resource also fade after a school closes. Even if students finish their degrees and a school closes, they could face potential employers with a skeptical view of their school's reputation. Some students have said they stopped putting degrees from shuttered schools on their rsums. "Folks have said people looked at their rsum and laughed and said, 'Oh, you got scammed,'" Shafroth said. For Villanueva, the Art Institute student, the future isn't yet clear. She's not interested in moving to another of the school's campuses. She moved enough during her years in the military. She's already exhausted her GI Bill benefits and she doesn't want to be taken advantage of by other schools who see her status as a veteran as a payday. "Even if I was going to finish the degree, I dont believe that I have the skills. ... I havent learned much other than to follow a recipe," she said. What to do if your school closes Figure out how much debt you have and get a copy of your transcript. Getting transcripts is much harder once a school closes. And you should know how much debt and credits you have before deciding what's next. Schools that close will often set up "teach-out" plans so students can finish their education. Classes may be held at the school or through agreements with other institutions. Some schools are in such bad financial shape they are unable to offer teach-out plans. In that case, you have the option to: Try to transfer your credits. Depending on the school, the credits may or may not transfer. Credits from a regional accreditor, such as the Depending on the school, the credits may or may not transfer. Credits from a regional accreditor, such as the Higher Learning Commission , are more readily accepted than those from a national accreditor. If you find your credits aren't transferring you can: Apply to get federal loans discharged: If you aren't transferring credits and you took out federal student loans, you can If you aren't transferring credits and you took out federal student loans, you can apply to have your loans discharged . If you paid cash for your tuition, you may be eligible for reimbursement through the state's Student Tuition Recovery Fund Program . But again, these programs only apply if you aren't transferring credits to another school. You can't transfer credits and get reimbursed. Help for veterans: If you are a veteran, the group If you are a veteran, the group Veterans Education Success provides advice and free legal help to guide you through options. You may be able to get some of your GI Bill benefits reinstated. More info: The The Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education licenses private schools in the state. The board doesn't provide advice, but can help you with your options and if you are having trouble getting your transcripts from the school. Click here to subscribe to azcentral.com. Go to connect.azcentral.com for a staff list, for more information about the newsroom and for details about upcoming events. 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Was macht man nach 90 % Kursverlust? | Der grte Zulieferer von Apple in Europa war bislang AMS. Gleichzeitig entfiel der grte Umsatzanteil von AMS auf den Kunden Apple. Apple verkndete aber soeben eine Reduzierung der Umstze von 93 auf 89 Mrd. und demnchst vielleicht 84 Mrd. Dollar. Das kostete Apple 10 % Kursverlust an einem Tag und AMS vollendete seine Talfahrt mir rund 90 % Verlust. Der Chart sieht aus wie aus einem Bilderbuch. Doch die sterreicher sehen das durchaus anders. "Wir werden dies berstehen und unsere Umsatzplanung mit anderen Produkten und auch mit Apple liegt bei 15 bis 25 % im Jahresverlauf und keineswegs mit roten Zahlen." Bei 100 % liegt die Differenz zwischen Best und Worst Case. Ihre Bernecker Redaktion / www.bernecker.info | https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2019-01/45654332-was-macht-man-nach-90-kursverlust-118.htm |
Is the Lloyds share price a buy? | Lloyds performance during the first nine months of 2018 was pretty solid, in my opinion. Underlying pre-tax profit rose by 5% to 6.3bn, while the banks return on tangible equity, a key measure of profitability, rose by 2.5% to 13%. Shareholders in Lloyds Banking Group (LSE: LLOY) had a pretty dismal 2018. The value of their stock fell by more than 20%, nearly double the 12% drop seen in the FTSE 100. Today, Im going to explain my view on Lloyds shares as we head into 2019. I would like to receive emails from you about product information and offers from The Fool and its business partners. Each of these emails will provide a link to unsubscribe from future emails. More information about how The Fool collects, stores, and handles personal data is available in its Privacy Statement. Already a subscriber to our paid services (e.g. Please login here . Register by giving us your email below to continue reading all of the content on the site. Soon you will also begin to receive our FREE email newsletter, The Motley Fool Collective. It features straightforward advice on whats really happening with the stock market, direct to your inbox. Its designed to help you protect and grow your portfolio. (You may unsubscribe any time.) Shareholders in Lloyds Banking Group (LSE: LLOY) had a pretty dismal 2018. The value of their stock fell by more than 20%, nearly double the 12% drop seen in the FTSE 100. Today, Im going to explain my view on Lloyds shares as we head into 2019. The story so far Lloyds performance during the first nine months of 2018 was pretty solid, in my opinion. Underlying pre-tax profit rose by 5% to 6.3bn, while the banks return on tangible equity, a key measure of profitability, rose by 2.5% to 13%. The interim dividend rose 7% and shareholders also benefited from a 1bn share buyback, which the bank says was worth 4.5p per share. Looking ahead However, the big institutional investors, whose buying and selling moves the market, arent interested in the past. Theyre always trying to guess what will happen next. In 2018, investors got worried about the economy and started selling UK-focused stocks. Lloyds focus on UK mortgages, car loans and credit cards meant that it was a big loser, as bad debts would probably rise sharply in a recession. As things stand, a lot of bad news has been priced into Lloyds shares, but nothing has really gone wrong. Bad debt levels havent risen, and it passed the latest Bank of England stress tests with flying colours. We dont yet know what will happen in 2019. But we do know that Lloyds shares have already been priced for a pretty gloomy outlook. They now trade on just 7 times 2019 forecast earnings, with a prospective dividend yield of 6.7%. Unless Brexit has a much greater impact than expected, I think the shares could perform reasonably well from here. Id rate Lloyds as a buy. Another out-of-favour business Id be happy to add to my own stock portfolio is furnishings and homewares retailer Dunelm Group (LSE: DNLM). The share price of this family-owned FTSE 250 firm was up by 10% at the time of writing on Monday, after sales in the core business rose by 9.6% during the three months to 29 December. Like-for-like sales in the groups stores rose by 5.7% compared to the same period last year, while sales on Dunelm.com rose by 37.9%. These figures suggest to me that the retailer is still finding a way to attract more shoppers to its stores, despite the relentless growth of online shopping. Profits could beat forecasts The company says that its cautious on the outlook for the first half of 2019, given the ongoing uncertainty in the UK economy. But chief executive Nick Wilkinson said that if its market continues to grow at the rate seen over the last six months, full-year profits could be modestly ahead of City forecasts. I think Dunelm could be one of the best long-term buying opportunities in the retail sector. This business generated a return on capital employed of 30% last year, making it one of the most profitable firms of its kind. I think the shares remain good value, despite todays gains. Trading on about 14 times forecast earnings with a 4.3% dividend yield, Id buy. | https://www.fool.co.uk/investing/2019/01/07/is-the-lloyds-share-price-a-buy/ |
Can January sales survive the yellow vests protests in France? | Those who thought the yellow vest movement in France had lost momentum were definitely in the wrong. Participation in the weekly protests grew again last weekend, following a holiday drop. About 50,000 people took to the streets across the country. Once again, the marches started peacefully, but quickly gave way to clashes between protesters and the police. The unrest raises the question whether French retailers will be able to compensate the losses from the previous two months, when turnover fell by 6.8 percent in November and 25 percent in December, according to Procos, the Federation for the Promotion of Specialized Commerce, which represents over 260 high street retailers. This year, considering the context, its clear that the sales have become even more important, Emmanuel Le Roch, Procos Managing Director, told news agency AFP. The French Retail Federation estimates retail losses in over 1 billion euros (1.13 billion US dollars) so far. Losses were caused not only because many shoppers decided to stay home, but also because the yellow vests actively depredated stores, targeting those with a premium or luxury offering in particular. January sales usually account for an average of 20 percent of French retailers yearly turnover, according to Procos. Due to the impact of the protests, the French Retail Federation called for the sales period, officially scheduled to last ten weeks from January 9, to begin a week earlier than usual on January 3rd, and last well into February. However, for Le Roch, the first few weeks will be crucial. Even more so than last year, he predicts. | https://fashionunited.in/news/retail/can-january-sales-survive-the-yellow-vests-protests-in-france/2019010720042 |
Did Eagles tip Bears missed field goal in NFL playoff thriller? | The Philadelphia Eagles stayed alive in their defense of their Super Bowl title with a 16-15 victory over the Chicago Bears in the NFL playoffs on Sunday. The Eagles squeezed past the Bears when Chicago place-kicker Cody Parkey hit the left upright on a 43-yard field-goal attempt with three seconds to play. While the former Auburn kicker took the blame for the miss in answering questions from reporters at his locker after the game, Philadelphia defensive tackle Treyvon Hester said he got his fingers on the kick as it crossed the line of scrimmage. Me and Haloti (Ngata), we got penetration, got the hand up like Coach always says," Hester told Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Tipped off my fingertips. Felt good. Actually, I thought I didnt get enough of it. I thought it was going to go in. When I saw it going in, I turned back around. Then I heard everybody screaming, I was like, Oh, (expletive), he missed it. Watch this video in slow-mo...Treyvon Hester comes up with a huge block off the tip of the fingers forcing the change of trajectory in the kick...wow. #CodyParkey #FLyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/e3jBT3VazL Z (@KingZouric) January 7, 2019 #Eagles DT Treyvon Hester said postgame that he got a piece of the Cody Parkey FG attempt. If you zoom in, he might be right. pic.twitter.com/mGqpklSNp3 NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) January 7, 2019 Safety Malcolm Jenkins, who was rushing from the side on the field-goal attempt, said he thought the football had been tipped on the kick, too. I think he did get a hand on it," Jenkins said. "I know a lot of guys heard that sound, like somebody got a tip on it, so Im sure that had some effect on it. Its a game of inches, and it literally came down to that. Chicago Bears' Cody Parkey: 'I 100 percent take that loss on me' Parkey's kick hit the left upright, then bounced off the crossbar and into the field. The Eagles will play the New Orleans Saints at 3:40 p.m. CST Sunday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. FOR MORE OF AL.COMS COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers win NFL playoff games on Sunday Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1. | https://www.al.com/sports/2019/01/did-eagles-tip-bears-missed-field-goal-in-nfl-playoff-thriller.html |
Will 5G be turned to as a safety net if rural broadband is not rolled out? | It seems that every year is a crunch year for rural broadband. But 2019 really is shaping up to be do or die for the State's National Broadband Plan, the pledge to connect 540,000 businesses and homes in rural areas to state-subsidised fibre internet. It seems that every year is a crunch year for rural broadband. But 2019 really is shaping up to be do or die for the State's National Broadband Plan, the pledge to connect 540,000 businesses and homes in rural areas to state-subsidised fibre internet. On balance, a contract with the current bidder, Granahan McCourt, still looks likely to be given the green light. But if this doesn't happen, the Government has a very serious infrastructural deficit to address, even if a small percentage of those without proper broadband will get it through market sources next year. Inevitably, attention will shift to alternative options. One such option that is often mentioned is 5G, the next-generation mobile technology that is currently being trialled by Irish operators. At peak, this can deliver speeds of 500Mbs, several times faster than the fastest Eir 'eFibre' phone broadband. And some operators are even setting up rural trials, with broadband access specifically targeted. For example, Vodafone Ireland is dipping a toe into rural 5G mobile broadband with trials in Roscommon, Wexford, Tipperary and Waterford, with 250 homes and businesses given roof antennae and equipment that can translate that 5G signal into a speedy wifi connection. Eir also says that it will look at 5G trials next year, while Three is expected to do the same. However, don't expect 5G to swoop in where the National Broadband Plan fails to deliver. | https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/rural-life/will-5g-be-turned-to-as-a-safety-net-if-rural-broadband-is-not-rolled-out-37686815.html |
How likely is it that Social Security will go broke? | As most retirees and soon-to-retirees already know, Social Security is slated to run out of money in 2034 and, unless changes are made between now and then, beneficiaries beginning in that year will receive only 79% of what they otherwise would be owed. Social Security is widely assumed to be the third rail of politics, zapping politicians who dare to tinker with it. If so, then we need not worry about the subject of a recent column: What Social Security running out of money would mean for our retirement planning. To be sure, predicting what will come out of Congress in the next few months is an inexact science at best, much less the next 15 years. But if anyone can gauge Social Securitys real-world prospects, it should be Andy Landis, author of Social Security: The Inside Story. Landis, for those of you who dont know him, is a former Social Security Administration representative who has several decades of experience explaining the intricacies of Social Security to retirees and soon-to-be-retirees. In my interview with him, Landis started by reviewing the amendments to Social Security that were enacted in 1983, which is the last time that changes were enacted. He pointed out that the Social Security trust fund was slated to run out of money in July of that year, and the changes that averted that possibility werent enacted until Marchwith just four months to spare, in other words. Landis characterized the changes as gentle, phased in, and targeted in the future. They included the gradual increase in the full retirement age and an acceleration of a previously-enacted payroll tax increase; in addition, up to one-half of the value of Social Security benefits were made potentially taxable. With those changes, the Social Security system immediately began to run a sizable yearly surplus. The projection at that time was that the changes would postpone when Social Security would run out of money until the mid-2030s. Landis emphasized, therefore, that theres nothing new or surprising in the Social security systems current projection that it will run out of money in 2034. Thats almost precisely what the actuaries were projecting more than 30 years ago. Theres no more of a Social Security funding crisis now than what was envisioned then after the 1983 changes were enacted. One is that we shouldnt be surprised if our politicians will wait until the last minute to make necessary changes to the Social Security system. If so, then we probably should assume that Social Securitys current payout rules will stay largely or completely in place for the next 15 years. The other lesson, according to Landis: Changes, when they eventually do get enacted, are likely to be incremental rather than drastic. Thats because draconian changes are not necessary in order to keep Social Security solvent. In fact, minor changes can have a large impact. Consider, by way of illustration, the financial impact of reducing the annual cost of living adjustment by 1 percentage point over what it would be each year: The Social Security Administration estimates that this would extend by 10 years the point at which Social Security runs out of money. To put such a COLA modification into perspective, consider that the average monthly Social Security benefit is $1,404. The COLA for next year is 2.8%, which would otherwise increase this monthly payment by $39. A reduction of that COLA by 1 percentage point would reduce the monthly increase to $25, or $14 less. (Let me hasten to say that, in providing this illustration, I am not recommending that this change be made. I am not taking a position on that. I am just using it to illustrate the magnitude of what could add 10 years to the solvency of the Social Security trust fund.) The bottom line, according to Landis: The doom and gloomers notwithstanding, the Social Security system is not in crisis. Changes eventually will have to be made, but weve known that for decades. Read: People who saved for retirement are being punished by Social Security taxes Landis also took issue with those who argue that, far from the Social Security system running out of money in 2034, it is broke now. Those who make that argument point out that the much-vaunted Social Security trust fund of nearly $3 trillion doesnt really existthe money was deposited with the U.S. Treasury where it was long ago spent. Landis responds that of course the Social Security Administration deposited its surplus with the U.S. Treasury, since it is required by law to purchase U.S. Treasury bonds with its surplus. And of course the U.S. Treasury has spent the proceeds of the bonds it sold. But the same could be said of any bond. When you purchase a bond from a company, for example, its with the full expectation that the firm will use those proceeds rather than stuff them in a mattress. Landis therefore made the following offer to those who insist that the U.S. Treasury bonds purchased by the Social Security Administration are worthless: He would be happy to take off their hands the allegedly worthless government bonds that they own. If you decline his offer, then you by extension have to concede that the Social Security trust fund is not empty. For more information, including descriptions of the Hulbert Sentiment Indices, go to The Hulbert Financial Digest or email [email protected]. | https://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-likely-is-it-that-social-security-will-go-broke-2019-01-07?siteid=rss&rss=1 |
What's the most expensive residential rental available in Anaheim? | 7710 E. Autry Drive (Anaheim Hills) 6515 Circulo Dali (Anaheim Hills) 510 S. Melrose St. (Southeast Anaheim) Whether you're house hunting or not, it can occasionally be amusing to check out a deluxe listing to see what life could be like if money wasn't a concern. So what exactly does the high-end of Anaheim's rental market look like today -- and just how choice are the features, given these astronomical prices?We took a gander at local listings in Anaheim via rental website Zumper to find the city's most lavish listings.Read on to see the select listings currently on the market. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) ---Right off the bat, gaze at this single-family home over at 7710 E. Autry Drive in Anaheim Hills. It has four bedrooms and three bathrooms, and it takes up 3,146 square feet. Whereas the average price for a four-bedroom rental in Anaheim is approximately $3,195/month, this spot is currently listed at $6,500/month. What, precisely, makes it so steep?The building offers garage parking, a swimming pool and secured entry. In the unit, expect an open living room floor plan, hardwood flooring, high ceilings, recessed lighting, a gourmet kitchen, a breakfast bar and large windows. As swanky as this set-up might sound, cats and dogs are not welcome.Per Walk Score ratings, this location is car-dependent, has minimal bike infrastructure and has some transit options. (Check out the complete listing here . )Then, there's this single-family home over at 6515 Circulo Dali in Anaheim Hills. It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and it's 2,312 square feet in size. Whereas the average price for a two-bedroom rental in Anaheim is roughly $1,940/month, this home is currently listed at $2,995/month. What, precisely, makes it so steep?In the unit, you can expect an open floor plan, tile and carpet flooring, high ceilings, a fireplace, a balcony, a gourmet kitchen and a breakfast bar. The building boasts garage parking, outdoor space and secured entry. Pets too are welcome in this opulent villa.According to Walk Score's assessment, this location isn't very walkable, isn't particularly bikeable and offers limited transit options. (If you want to daydream, see the complete listing here . )And finally, here's this single-family home situated at 510 S. Melrose St. in Southeast Anaheim. It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and it's 1,230 square feet in size. This stately home is currently priced at $2,850/month. What makes it so costly?In the unit, you can anticipate carpet and tile flooring, many windows, stainless steel appliances, a dishwasher, a breakfast island and large closets. The building offers garage parking, a swimming pool and additional storage space. Inhabiting this top-of-the-line rental isn't for everyone: cats and dogs aren't allowed.Walk Score indicates that the area around this address is quite walkable, is bikeable and has some transit options. (Check out the complete listing here .) | https://abc7.com/realestate/whats-the-most-expensive-residential-rental-available-in-anaheim/5029066/ |
When Did Colton Underwood Play In The NFL & For What Team? | 'The Bachelor' star had a short stint in the NFL, which ended due to an injury. It seemed Colton Underwoods future was set when he was born on Super Bowl Sunday. He shared in his introductory video to The Bachelor on which he stars this year that he was always destined for football, according to Insider Magazine. This hunky star was even named after the Indianapolis Colts, he shared in his bio for ABCs The Bachelorette when he appeared on that show. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing approximately 253 pounds, Underwood possessed the perfect frame for a tight end. He played high school football for the Washington Community School District and his dad, Scott Underwood, was his coach. He was recruited by numerous colleges, but ultimately opted to play football at Illinois State where his dad also had played football and his mom, Donna Underwood, played volleyball. Colton Underwood was blessed to play football with his little brother, Connor, in high school and they faced each other while playing on opposing teams in college. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He was a member of the practice squads and engaged in off-season workouts for them, as well as the Philadelphia Eagles and the Oakland Raiders. However, he never had the chance to appear in an NFL regular season game, according to the Houston Chronicle. He tried to play linebacker at the pro level, but was cut by the Chargers after the final preseason game. He was then signed to the Eagles practice squad a week later. But after just six days, the Eagles released him and he was signed to the Chargers practice squad a couple of weeks after that. Underwood remained there for the rest of the year and returned to the Chargers training camp for the following season, but was waived in the final cuts before the 2015 season. Near the end of that season, he was signed to the Raiders practice squad, and in the offseason, transitioned to tight end. He was released before the 2016 regular season, even though he was at the teams training camp. Sadly, an injury that could have had serious consequences if reinjured forced Underwood to make the tough decision to leave football in 2016. When he shared a photo of himself from his football days, his Instagram followers gushed. Definitely miss watching you play, wrote one. Another had a funny crack just for Underwood. Want to tackle me? she asked. Wow you played for my favorite team!! ! exclaimed another Instagram user. Much to the delight of his fans and followers, he repeatedly posts photos of himself on Instagram working out and showing off his fantastic physique. The Bachelor viewers just might have the chance to see this former football player baring his six-pack abs during the upcoming season, which kicks off tonight. | https://www.inquisitr.com/5238754/when-did-colton-underwood-play-in-the-nfl-for-what-team/ |
Is de Nashville-verklaring discriminerend n strafbaar? | De afgelopen decennia zijn er tal van rechtszaken geweest waarbij religie en discriminatie botsten. In 1987 stond het evangelistenechtpaar Goeree voor de rechter omdat zij op straat claimden dat de Joden de Holocaust aan zichzelf hadden te wijten. Dat mocht van de Hoge Raad. Wat niet mocht is dat het echtpaar deze boodschap ongevraagd via brievenbussen verspreidde. Daarvoor werden de evangelisten strafrechtelijk vervolgd. Lees verder na de advertentie Dat geldt ook voor de drie mannen die twee jaar geleden anti-homofolders verspreidden. Zij koppelden homoseksualiteit aan kindermisbruik. De rechter veroordeelde de mannen drie dagen geleden tot een boete van 500 euro. Zij beriepen zich op de vrijheid van meningsuiting en hun religieuze overtuiging, maar volgens de rechter is er een grens aan de vrije meningsuiting en godsdienstovertuiging. In dit geval zijn de uitlatingen ontoelaatbaar en is sprake van groepsbelediging en het aanzetten tot discriminatie van homos, oordeelden de rechter. Niet elke discriminatie is verboden, als iemand een privkamer verhuurt, kan zon persoon zeggen: ik wil dat type mens niet in mijn huis Peter Heskes, ombudsman van de gemeente Den Haag Erg en minder erg Een zaak die het meest doet denken aan een eventuele zaak tegen de ondertekenaars van de Nashville-verklaring, is die van Leen van Dijke. Het oud-Kamerlid van de RPF, dat later opging in de ChristenUnie, vergeleek in de jaren negentig homos met dieven. Wij christenen hebben een geweldig kwalijke eigenschap ontwikkeld: we brengen ten onrechte gradaties aan in Gods geboden, zei Van Dijke tijdens een interview met weekblad Nieuwe Revu. Alsof je erg en minder erg hebt! Ja, waarom zou een praktiserend homoseksueel beter af zijn dan een dief? De Hoge Raad sprak Van Dijke vrij, omdat hij niet de intentie had om homos te beledigen. Hij legde volgens de rechters zijn geloofsovertuiging uit. De ombudsman van de gemeente Den Haag, Peter Heskes, raadt iedereen die zich gediscrimineerd voelt aan om daarvan melding te doen bij een van de anti-discriminatiebureaus in Nederland. De ombudsman die zich onder meer met discriminatie bezighoudt, wil eerst de verklaring goed bestuderen voordat hij kan zeggen of hier sprake is van verboden discriminatie. Ja, niet elke discriminatie is verboden, zegt Heskes. Als iemand een privkamer verhuurt, kan zon persoon zeggen: ik wil dat type mens niet in mijn huis. In zon privsituatie is discriminatie niet fijn, maar niet verboden. Lees ook: | https://www.trouw.nl/religie-en-filosofie/is-de-nashville-verklaring-discriminerend-en-strafbaar-~a4104394/ |
What is the NHS long-term plan and can it achieve its aims? | The NHS does not have enough money to keep doing what it does, treating the growing number of sick and often elderly people, many of whom live in the less well-off communities of the country. The organisations chief executive, Simon Stevens, last year played a brilliantly strategic Brexit card (citing referendum promises that EU money would go to the NHS instead) and managed to extract a tidy sum from the government to stop the gaps and improve its functioning in comparison with what other departments are getting. But 20.5bn by 2023-24 will not transform the creakingly overloaded health service. The Long-term plan, published on Monday, and part of a deal with the government to end the political clamour about the overloaded NHS, is about doing more with less. By stopping people getting sick in the first place. The central thrust of the plan is to keep people well and to pick it up really early if they get ill, because its far cheaper to treat cancer or heart disease before its progressed. The focus has to be on primary care picking up problems at the GP surgery and supporting people to improve their own health, for instance, by stopping smoking or taking more exercise. Its a big one to save up to half a million lives. The subtext is that it will save the NHS a lot of money. The plan will prevent 150,000 heart attacks, strokes and dementia cases while more than 3 million people will benefit from new and improved stroke, respiratory and cardiac services over the next decade. There is excited talk of new technology. The NHS will open a digital front door. Consulting a GP online will save her time and yours and encourage more people with potential problems to get checked out. Stevens will be hoping it cuts the numbers heading for A&E because they cant immediately get to see a GP. Digital consultations, plus rethinking the support given to those arriving at A&E so they are channelled to the urgent care centre or somewhere more appropriate to their needs will save 30m trips to hospital and 1bn, says the plan. There will be genetic testing to find people at risk of dangerously high cholesterol levels that could lead to heart disease and strokes. Children will get access to mental health support in schools, in the hope of preventing depression and anxiety escalating into adulthood. Mental health issues will be investigated when people have physical health problems too. There will be a big emphasis on diagnostics and testing to pick up cancer early. Smart inhalers will be given to asthma patients. The NHS is going to fund prevention programmes for obesity and smoking, and promote its already successful weight-loss support for people with type-2 diabetes. Its not the NHSs responsibility alone, it points out but it interacts with 1 million people a day who are sick and may be at a moment in their lives when they will rethink what they are doing about their health. And they pick up the pieces. Obesity causes heart disease and cancers, as well as type-2 diabetes. Not at all. The NHS is being squeezed by the convergence of several intractable problems. Obesity, caused by poor diet and inactivity, is one of them. The growing numbers of frail and elderly people who are in and out of hospital and cant be moved out because there is no social care package for them is another. That money is for the NHS. Local authorities have been crying in pain for some time, because they are responsible for public health programmes on obesity, smoking cessation and alcohol, as well as myriad other vital services and they are not getting enough cash. The NHS plan will help by its focus on supporting people at their GP practice and in their community to adopt healthier behaviour. Money from NHS England will be directed to areas on the basis of their local needs, in a bid to tackle health inequalities. The poorest in society are the sickest. But the NHS cannot sort this alone. The other hugely difficult area is social care for the elderly. Everybody knows it is vital that it is sorted out and it will take a lot of money. The NHS is in jeopardy until that happens. Its much more than that. Stevens is attempting a gradual transformation of the NHS a tightening up and smartening up. New ideas have been trialled in a few areas of the country as vanguard projects and those that work are extended. He wants to dump the Lansley free market reforms. The plan calls for legislation to create publicly accountable integrated care locally; to streamline the national administrative structures of the NHS; and remove the overly rigid competition and procurement regime applied to the NHS, it says. But the biggest problem, worsened by Brexit, will be staffing. The plan talks of taking the pressure off staff in A&E and hospitals generally. Online consultations will be expected to help GPs, too. But there will still be rising numbers of elderly people and a need for treatment, which is costly and really requires an expanding workforce. The nursing shortage, especially, will bite and the plan proposes support to train more. But the workforce issues are unlikely to go away. | https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/07/what-is-the-nhs-long-term-plan-and-can-it-achieve-its-aims |
How did the Golden Globes manage to be so boring? | Over the last two weeks celebs went well and truly bonkers: Kevin Spacey released a homemade video in character as his amoral character Frank Underwood, claiming that we all wanted him to be, in real life, a sleaze and quite possibly a sexual predator. Angelina Jolie, whose divorce has lasted longer than her marriage and was recently rebuked by a judge for parental alienation, said she might run for president because, after all, I always say Ill go where Im needed. And Louis CK burned what little goodwill he had left down to the ground by mocking the teenage survivors of the Parkland high school shooting and whining that he lost $35 million in one day. The squarest, least funny, most low-stakes ceremony ever except if youre Lady Gaga, who looked like she was waiting for her doctor to tell her if she was terminal or not. (She lost.) Oh there was one lame jab at Les Moonves. Fourteen months since #MeToo and Times Up, and Hollywood has collectively retreated to its default position of back-patting and political hectoring. Co-hosts Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh were a discordant pairing at best, and both fell flat in the opening monologue. Samberg attempted a joke aimed at Ryan Coogler, one of the few black directors working today. After a clunky set-up leading into Cooglers blockbuster film Black Panther, Samberg asked if there were a bunch of old members of the Black Panther party who were upset they couldnt even get an audition. Coogler did not look amused. Sandra Oh confused the crowd by suddenly turning tearful and trembly, reassuring a room full of sozzled celebs that things are really, really changing for good in Hollywood. This moment is real, she intoned. Trust me, it is real. Then, turning her attention to unseen actresses in the crowd, she deployed one of Lena Dunhams favorite patronizing phrases. I see you, she said. Some in the audience, clearly thinking this was a bit, laughed until they realized Oh was serious. I see you, Oh said, all these faces of change. Only five of the thirty nominees in acting categories were people of color. Few dared to say anything off-the-cuff or interesting. It was left to two legends, Carol Burnett and Jeff Bridges, to show the room how it was done. Bridges accepted the Cecil B. DeMille award with shaggy enthusiasm, channeling his inner Dude while urging us all to turn this ship in the direction we want to go towards love! It was the perfect mix of gratitude, perspective and absurdity in an absurd setting. Burnett delivered a short, heartfelt speech about the power of comedy, and a vintage clip of her legendary Gone with the Wind sketch was the funniest thing to air all night. If Kevin Hart has any desire to still host the Oscars, tonight should have snuffed those out. It may sound like predicting the end of football, but the flatness of this years Globes, to say nothing of declining ratings, just underscores the irrelevance of awards shows and, comic book movies aside, Hollywood itself. | https://nypost.com/2019/01/07/how-did-the-golden-globes-manage-to-be-so-boring/ |
What's the Worst Pain? | Illustration: Chelsea Beck (Gizmodo) Giz Asks In this Gizmodo series, we ask questions about everything from space to butts and get answers from a variety of experts. Some people say that life is pain. Those people are optimistic: life isnt pain, its pains, pluraltooth pain, back pain, breakup-pain, the pain of watching your parents grow old and die, the pain of downwardly adjusting your expectations for life, stomach pain and sinus pain, pain you cant quite trace to any one single sourcea thousand different strains of this stuff, some not-insignificant percentage of which youll almost certainly experience before your (likely painful) death. To find out, for this weeks Giz Asks we reached out to a number of pain doctors and researchers, whose answers twisted and problematized the very concept of pain, and the function pain serves biologically. Advertisement David C. Yeomans Associate Professor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University The type of pain that quite a few people consider the worst is something called trigeminal neuralgia. The trigeminal nerve provides all the pain information from the head and the face. If you have tooth pain, face pain, eye pain, whatever, its coming in through this trigeminal nerve. And what happens in some people is that a blood vessel gets dilated or hypertrophied, and it pushes against the trigeminal nerve. Often, patients describe the resultant pain as being like a bolt of lightning hitting the side of their face. The attacks dont last longmaybe up to two minutesbut someone might have a hundred of these in a day, triggered by very mild stimulation: a puff of cold wind, for example, or brushing your teeth, or shaving. A lot of these time people with trigeminal neuralgia stop brushing their teeth for that reason, and so they get teeth problems. Pain specialists use something called the numeric pain scale to rate a patients pain. The scale goes from 0-10, and virtually everyone with trigeminal neuralgia will rate their pin as a 10the worst pain imaginable. It is to some extent treatable: there is a drug called tegratol that was designed for epilepsy, and it helps many people, at least at first. But it has side effects that people hate: it kind of lowers your IQ, and makes you spacey and somewhat dysphoric. Theres are also two different types of surgeries that some people end up getting. In one of them, they actually go in and open the skull and put in a little pillow between the nerve and this blood vessel. The release is usually immediate, but something like 50% of patients eventually need to get it again. Or the patients will get very focused ionizing radiationtargeted towards a site thats deep in the body, frequently in the headand kind of cook the system. That usually helps too, but it takes a while to work. Many mothers will say that childbirth is the worst pain theyve ever experienced, and it usually is. But someone whose had a baby, and then has trigeminal neuralgia some point later in their life, will tell you that the trigeminal neuralgia is worse. Advertisement Virtually everyone with trigeminal neuralgia will rate their pin as a 10the worst pain imaginable. Theodore Price Principal Investigator at the PAIN Neurobiology Research Group and Professor of Brain and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas, Dallas I think that the worst kind of physical pain is the type that you feel you cannot control. This is a huge issue with people with intractable chronic pain, as the pain often was originally a result of an injury that has long-since healed but there is no sign of the pain relenting. One common way this sort of chronic pain can happen is when someone has a car accident and breaks a limb. That traumatic injury may also crush a nerve and the nerve crush causes neuropathic pain. Everything heals but the injury to the nerve causes neuropathic pain that never resolves Another, increasingly common example is cancer chemotherapy. A patient gets chemo for cancer and the chemo kills the cancer, but the toxicity of the chemo is a neuropathy that does not go away after the chemo stops. The patient is cured of cancer, thankfully, but has burning pain in her hands and feet for years after from the chemo. This kind of pain is devastating to quality of life and basic function. Few people realize that between 7-10% of the population suffers from this type of high-impact chronic pain. Unfortunately, this type of pain is also extraordinarily hard to treat. Advertisement Between 7-10% of the population suffers from this type of high-impact chronic pain. Amol Patwardhan Co-Director, Comprehensive Pain Management Clinic, University of Arizona College of Medicine Many people, when they meet certain criteria and were not able to manage their pain, fall into the category of fibromyalgia. And fibromyalgia is notoriously hard to manage. Not impossiblejust hard. The symptoms can vary from person to persondiffuse pain, primarily, but also depression. But from a physical standpoint, the worst pain is probably pain without a known diagnosiswhen you do all the tests, and they all come out negative. Psychology plays a significant role in this kind of painand psychological issues can often manifest as pain, too. One way to treat it is to open patients up to the idea that their pain might be coming from another, non-physical source. Another is to get psychiatrists involved in the treatments. But its hard to treat something when you dont know what to treat. Advertisement From a physical standpoint, the worst pain is probably pain without a known diagnosis. James McAuley Senior Research Scientist and Group Leader at Neuroscience Research Australia and the current chair of the back pain group of STREAM Health Well, it depends on whos experiencing it. Often when people think about the worst kind of pain, they expect to hear something like getting a needle pushed underneath your fingernail something traumatic. Those kinds of things can be very painful, but they often dont last very long, and we tend to measure pain by both intensity and duration. Its difficult for us to then say that something like that is more painful than chronic back pain, for instance. But trying to determine the worst kind of pain also depends on what we think pain is, and what we think pains purpose is. The purpose of pain is to warn us about something which is threatening to our body: nerve cells are stimulated, and they warn us that theres a threat to our boy, and they fire up into the spinal cord and up into our brain, and then our brain has to interpret those, on the basis of context. A few years ago, there was a navy diver in Australia who was doing some practice dive in the Sydney Harbor, and as he was coming up from one of them he felt a piece of driftwood bang against his sides and against his leg. I annoyed him a bit, so he pushed it away. But he realized he couldnt use his hand. And then he thought: Well maybe its not driftwood. And then he looked down and saw that his whole leg was inside a sharks mouth. His hand was inside the sharks mouth as well. And he said that once he saw that, he experienced the most intense pain that you could possibly imagine. His nerve endings were screaming danger! into his brain, but he still didnt think hed been bitten by a shark. That tells us a little bit about pain: how its related not just to whats coming in from your body, but to how your brain processes that signal. If it processes that signal as very threatening, then that will determine the amount of pain that you experience. Most of think that pain tells us about whats happening in our bodiespeople who have back pain, for example, might think that they have a disc slipping, or that their vertebrae are cracking. But actually, the pain theyre experiencing is because they feel unsafe, and often a lot of these thoughts feed into that to make the pain worse. And thats sort of where we are in modern pain science, in terms of thinking about why people experience pain for a long time when it shouldve gone away: its not that theyre in any danger, its that their brains have changed the processing of the information. Advertisement Actually, the pain theyre experiencing is because they feel unsafe, and often a lot of these thoughts feed into that to make the pain worse. Erin Young Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of the Center for Advancement in Managing Pain at the University of Connecticut School of Nursing In my opinion, the worst kind of pain is chronic pain. Acute pain, say from a broken bone, or labor/childbirth, or post-surgery pain, can be severe, but acute pain typically offers up information about the condition of the body and is transient, meaning that when the injury or damage resolved it will go away. Chronic pain, on the other hand, is pain that doesnt resolve when the injury or insult has healed. It is much more medically difficult to treatopioids and other traditional medications are largely ineffective and chronic pain is associated with high rates of depression, anxiety and disability along with reduced quality of life. Acute pain is unpleasant (even extremely so), but chronic pain is about suffering. Advertisement Steven Harte Director of Sensory Science at the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he studies the brain mechanisms of chronic pain This question seems relatively simple and straightforward, but in fact its quite complex, and there is no one correct answer. Pain is subjective, and how pain is experienced differs greatly between individuals. Something that may be painful to one person may not be painful (or as painful) to another. Therefore, the most accurate answer to the question What is the worst type of physical pain? may be that it depends on whom you ask. We see these individual differences when we measure pain sensitivity in the laboratory. For instance, many individuals find that immersing their hand in ice cold water is very painful and withdraw it almost immediately, but others do not and keep their hand underwater for much longer. Many factors contribute to this variability, including genetics, functioning of the nervous system, history of drug use and previous painful experiences, as well as societal and cultural expectations. The context in which a painful event occurs is also critical, as context helps define the meanings and consequences associated with having pain. For example, labor pain and pain from a traumatic accident can both be severe, yet the former is an anticipated aspect of childbearing and typically associated with a positive outcome, thus making it more tolerable and less unpleasant than the latter in most cases. Individual differences aside, certain characteristics have been identified which amplify the pain process. Pain that is prolonged, unescapable, and unpredictable is associated with more suffering and a lower quality of life than pain that is brief, avoidable, and anticipated. For these reasons, poorly-controlled chronic pain that can last many years, such as that associated with arthritis or nerve damage, and the pain associated with torture, are examples of what many would consider the worst types of pain. Email us at [email protected]. | https://gizmodo.com/whats-the-worst-pain-1831542081 |
How Will Cyber Risk Evolve In 2019? | It is unsurprising that a risk that evolves according to Moores law would continue to outpace the worlds ability to put cyber threats in check and privacy in focus. 2018 bore this out as GDPR came into force in the EU and cities like Atlanta were crippled by damaging ransomware, which has been all but automated and upgraded. Looking ahead, 2019 will surely bring an evolution of garden variety cyber threats, which continue to plague the world and in particular small to mid-sized businesses, which carry a disproportionate amount of risk and serve as back doors into larger enterprise systems. Additionally, key sectors such as critical infrastructure or the commons on which markets rely are massively exposed and woefully unprepared. Invariably, the New Year will bring new twists and turns in the cyber landscape, some cyber conundrums, however, stand out. The first and probably the biggest gap in understanding the stakes of cyber risk management and digital transformation is the lack of a uniform valuation method for data. The result is that on the protective side of the equation the true stakes are unknown, while on the digital transformation side of the equation, data monetization efforts negate that data performs in an enterprise the way liquidity performs in a bank. In short, its true value and risk are only known when there is a line of claimants queuing up asking for their deposits back. As in years prior, this cyber conundrum will continue to evolve in 2019, leaving trillions in value at risk and billions in preventive and transformation investments with no accurate measure for ROI. The second cyber conundrum that will continue to plague the world in 2019 is the technological talent gap. The more the world shifts from industrial production to technological and digital outputs, the mastery of code equals mastery of the universe. Scarcity of this prized talent is often taken for granted when all systems are operating on a normal basis. However, when a system is held for ransom by a technological attack, or worst yet, critical infrastructure is in the line of sight of a nation state actor armed with sophisticated cyber weapons, a lightly staffed and thinly resourced digital fire brigade is on call. Filling the talent shortage, which estimates show a shortfall in the millions, takes time, money and an evolving educational curriculum. More importantly, it is essential that this talent is viewed as an economy or industry wide shared service capability, rather than a source of competitive advantage, as the erosion of confidence in any one bank, for example, erodes confidence in all banking. This leads to the third cyber conundrum to watch in 2019, which is that cyber resilience is all too often conflated as a competitive activity, rather than a shared service or pooled resource. The result, especially in a world with deeply interconnected supply chains and third-party relationships all predicated on having unfettered systems access, is a massive unmanaged vulnerability. As with all areas of resilience, a system is as strong as the weakest link and herein lies one of the greatest gaps in cyber protection. Regulators and policymakers are invoking a blunt force and one-size-fits-all approach to third party and supply chain cyber risk management, which is increasing the cost and complexity for small firms (many of which are critical) to continue competing in many sectors. This is especially true in banking, national security and healthcare among others. Adding to these weak links and our perennial propensity to fall prey to social engineering, the increasingly autonomous nature of cyber threats, which have always exploited technology and technological vulnerabilities and 2019 may very well mark a point of escalation. This is especially likely since once secret exploits like Eternal Blue, which was exfiltrated from the National Security Agency, NSA, and used in the delivery of the WannaCry ransomware dragnet, are being tinkered with, advanced and automated. As with all cyber threats, there are a lot of unintended consequences when these instruments are deployed, whether in offense or defense. Unlike ransomware attacks carried out by a human cybercriminal, which have greater than 90% recovery rates when demands are met, a bot or autonomous malware with no kill switch does not care about customer friendliness or collateral damage. Aged systems beyond their usable and patchable lifecycle, such as the SCADA systems used in critical functions for power grids, pipelines and many industrial controls, are particularly vulnerable. Finally, begging questions about how vulnerable liberal democracies and their populations are to information warfare and psyops at scale, the cloud of institutional mistrust will only darken in 2019. Like with managing conflicts of interest, perception is reality when it comes to institutional trust, accountability and transparency. Many firms and many institutions, with democracy itself on the docket, have fallen prey to the trust deficit courtesy of a breakdown, misuse, abuse or distortion of data, privacy and information. In many ways we have only seen the opening salvo of the newest and most complex of the cyber threats to plague the world. It will surely continue to evolve in 2019 calling for entirely new standards of governance, accountability and transparency, particularly for bedrock institutions and functions, such as voting. In this emerging world, trust becomes the currency of choice. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/dantedisparte/2019/01/07/how-will-cyber-risk-evolve-in-2019/ |
Has Katie Price has finally MOVED OUT of her messy mansion? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email With her once-grand mansion lying in a state of disrepair, rumours have been flying for some time that Katie Price is considering selling her 2million Sussex pad. And she sparked speculation that she's done exactly that when she appeared at court this morning to answer a drink-driving charge. The mother-of-five - who denies being drunk behind the wheel - refused to give her address to Bromley Magistrates' Court - despite having previously made no secret of the location of the property. Indeed, the nine-bedroom house in Horsham, Surrey, features constantly on her reality show, Katie Price: My Crazy Life. She also took fans behind the scenes by showing off her home on Through the Keyhole. (Image: Paul Davey / SWNS) (Image: Quest Red) But today she oddly refused to share her address, sparking talk that she's secretly moved. "There are press in court and I don't want them to know where I live," she said. And her solicitor then sensationally claimed that the attention-loving star now wants to live a life of anonymity. (Image: Quest Red) (Image: Quest Red) "The position is she has been trying to become anonymous for some time," her legal rep said. However, the judge refused her bid to get preferential treatment, telling the 40 year old: "I think the public and members of the press are entitled to know the address of the defendant. "All defendants are treated equally." (Image: Quest Red) (Image: Quest Red) Backing down, KP them spilled, insisting, "As long as you guys don't publish this." Mirror Online can confirm the address given was that of her family home - which just she and her eldest son Harvey, 16, rattle around now that she shares custody of Jett and Bunny with dad Kieran Hayler, while Princess and Junior live full-time with their dad, Peter Andre. | https://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/celebrity-news/katie-price-finally-moved-out-13824473 |
What time does the college football national championship start? | The 2019 College Football Playoff final is set to take place from inside Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Jan. 7. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. No. 1 Alabama will face off against No. 2 Clemson for the third time in the past four postseasons. Last season, Alabama defeated Clemson 246 in the College Football Playoff semifinal. When the two schools last met in the National Championship Gameearly in 2017Clemson won the title, 3531. Both teams enter this year's game undefeated. In the semifinals, Clemson beat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl, while Alabama beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. How to watch Time: 8 p.m. ET TV: ESPN Live stream: WatchESPN | https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/01/07/national-championship-time-start-college-football-playoff-alabama-clemson |
Did John Abraham just take a dig at Salman Khan and other the commercial heroes? | In the past, there has been quite a bit of speculation about the strained relationship between John Abraham and Salman Khan. Although neither of them have acknowledged or spoken about it, the reports continued. And now, even though not directly, it looks like John has taken a dig at Salman Khan and all other A-list superstars in Bollywood. In a recent interview that got published, John Abraham was quite uninhibited in expressing his views about social media and how he doesnt believe in earning money by dancing at weddings. The Vicky Donor producer has been experimenting with cinema and producing some unconventional content. At the same time, he is exploring the action genre as an actor but also showcasing real issues like in the 2018 release Parmanu The Story of Pokhran. Entering a different zone, John spoke about varied topics, from what interests him to being on social media. It was when he was questioned about the latter that John spoke about how the cons of social media and how he would like to get off it. People who have been following John Abraham on social media would be aware that the actor rarely posts about his personal life and his posts revolve around his work or social causes. Speaking about it, John stated that the social media stars have not done anything credible and how virtual world has become reality and vice versa. Being from the marketing background, he asserts that no one can understand a stars fame by looking at Facebook, Instagram and Twitter likes. Although he assures that he isnt a hater and likes the platform for its reach, he doesnt believe that it should alter our reality. He believes that some of his charity pages etc. are beneficial but he cannot forget the fact that the negativity in it that it is toxic. On the other hand, when he was questioned about celebrity bashing, the actor revealed that sometimes celebrities ask for it and compared them to clowns from a circus. He also spoke about stars dancing at weddings adding that he doesnt do it because he finds it demeaning. Although he maintained that he need not be right, he wouldnt do something like that ever. He also took a dig at actors who are money-minded. He asserted that they as actors should be in the industry only to showcase their craft and not to be featured on the list of highest paid actors. He also raised questions about actors robbing audiences with senseless films. His recent statements have sparked speculations about whether John was taking a dig at actors like Shah Rukh Khan who dance at weddings. Also his statement about featuring in richest celebs list, which had Salman Khan holding the first position, seems like he is taking a dig at him too. | http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/john-abraham-just-take-dig-salman-khan-commercial-heroes/ |
Who's performing at Knoxville concert venues in 2019? | CLOSE Country musician Jimmie Allen moved to Nashville in 2007 and paid his dues in Music City before releasing his debut album "Mercury Lane" earlier this year. (Nov. 2) AP Walk the Moon will perform Feb. 17 at the Mill & Mine. (Photo: Sam Greene) 2019 will bring in droves of artists, bands and comedians to Knoxville. Several shows through May have been announced at local venues. Some of them, including those from Luke Combs, Willie Nelson, Lauren Daigle and Kacey Musgraves, are sold out or have very few tickets available. Here's a look at some concerts from January through May, which feature music from country, rock, alternative and classical genres. Art Garfunkel will perform a solo show at 8 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Bijou Theatre. (Photo: Getty Images) Art Garfunkel: Jan. 18 One-half of the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel will visit Knoxville in around a week. Art Garfunkel will perform a solo show at 8 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Bijou Theatre. Tickets cost $54.50, $74.50 and $99.50, and few are left, according to Ticketmaster. Info and tickets: knoxbijou.org. Country music artist Jimmie Allen will perform in Knoxville on Feb. 2 at the Cotton Eyed Joe. (Photo: George Walker IV / The Tennessean) Jimmie Allen: Feb. 2 Rising country star Jimmie Allen, whose single "Best Shot" reached No. 1 in late 2018, will make a stop at the Cotton Eyed Joe. Allen's concert will start at 6 p.m. Feb. 2. Advance tickets cost $15. Info and tickets: cottoneyedjoe.com. Young The Giant (Photo: Wesley Yen) Young the Giant: Feb. 6 Indie rock band Young the Giant will come to Knoxville just months after releasing its 2018 album "Mirror Master," which features singles "Simplify" and "Superposition." The band will perform at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Tennessee Theatre. Tickets cost $29.50, $39.50 and $49.50. Info and tickets: tennesseetheatre.com. James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt will team up for a concert at Thompson-Boling Arena in February. (Photo: Handout) James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt: Feb. 7 Longtime friends and musicians James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt will reunite for a show in Knoxville. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at Thompson-Boling Arena. Take note that few tickets remain, according to the Knoxville Tickets website. They cost $66 or $100. Info and tickets: tbarena.com. Walk the Moon will perform Feb. 17 at the Mill & Mine. (Photo: File) Walk the Moon: Feb. 17 Rock band Walk the Moon soared to popularity after its 2014 single "Shut Up and Dance" topped several charts, and it will perform in Knoxville early in 2019. Walk the Moon's concert will begin at 8 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Mill & Mine. Tickets cost $35 in advance or $38 on the day of the show. Info and tickets: themillandmine.com. Coheed and Cambria will perform Feb. 20 at the Mill & Mine. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Coheed and Cambria: Feb. 20 Progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria recently released their ninth studio album, 2018's "The Unheavenly Creatures," and they'll showcase their new music at an upcoming Knoxville show. They will perform at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Mill & Mine. Tickets cost $29.50. Info and tickets: themillandmine.com. Shinedown (Photo: Jimmy-Fontaine/Special to the Register) Shinedown: Feb. 23 Rock band Shinedown will join forces with Papa Roach and Asking Alexandria when they come to Knoxville in February. The band, known for hits "Second Chance," "Unity" and the more recent "Get Up," will perform at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Tickets cost $35, $56, $66 and $82, and few remain, according to Ticketmaster. Info and tickets: knoxvillecoliseum.com. Comedian Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias (Photo: Courtesy) Gabriel Iglesias: March 7 Comedian and actor Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias ("I'm Not Fat ... I'm Fluffy," "Magic Mike") will make a stop on his 2019 tour in Knoxville. His show will take place at 8 p.m. March 7 at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. Tickets cost $44, $60 and $80. Info and tickets: knoxvillecoliseum.com. Big Ears 2019: March 21-24 Knoxville's annual Big Ears Festival will bring an array of artists in genres ranging from rock and electronic dance music to jazz and classical. Highlights include German musician and composer Nils Frahm, jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, rock bands Spiritualized and Mercury Rev, Americana musician Rhiannon Giddens and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Big Ears Festival 2019 lineup: Nils Frahm, Bill Frisell, Spiritualized, Rhiannon Giddens Big Ears 2019: Full lineup announced with Punch Brothers, Animal Collective frontman Daily tickets and festival passes are available online. Daily tickets range from $65 to $105, and passes range from $225 to $650. Info and tickets: bigearsfestival.org. Comedian Ron White (Photo: Courtesy of Rick Diamond) Ron White: March 30 One-fourth of the "Blue Collar Comedy" tour, Ron White will stop in Knoxville near the end of March. White, who's nicknamed Tater Salad, will perform two shows at the Tennessee Theatre on March 30. They will take place at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tickets cost $49.50, $64.50 and $84.50. Info and tickets: tennesseetheatre.com. Reverend Horton Heat (Photo: Provided) Reverend Horton Heat: April 5 Psychobilly band Reverend Horton Heat recently released its 2018 album, "Whole New Life," and is coming to Knoxville. The band will play at 9 p.m. Friday, April 5, at the Concourse. Tickets cost $22 in advance and $25 on the day of the show. Info and tickets: concourseknox.com. Comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham will bring his hilarious cast of characters to the Knoxville Civic Coliseum on April 11. (Photo: Courtesy) Jeff Dunham: April 11 Ventriloquist and comedian Jeff Dunham, along with his puppets, will visit Knoxville on a stop of his "Passively Aggressive" tour. Dunham will perform at 7 p.m. April 11 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Tickets cost $53. Info and tickets: knoxvillecoliseum.com. Author and comedian David Sedaris (Photo: Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY) David Sedaris: April 18 Author and comedian David Sedaris, known for "Santaland Diaries," will come to Knoxville in 2019. He will perform at 8 p.m. April 18 at the Bijou Theatre. Tickets cost $59.50 or $74.50. Info and tickets: knoxbijou.org. Kelsea Ballerini will bring her headlining "Miss Me More" tour to Knoxville in April. (Photo: Larry McCormack/USA TODAY NETWORK) Kelsea Ballerini: April 18 Knoxville native and country singer Kelsea Ballerini will bring her headlining "Miss Me More" tour to her hometown in April. The "Legends" singer will perform at 7 p.m. April 18 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Tickets cost $37 and $47. Info and tickets: knoxvillecoliseum.com. Buy Photo My Brightest Diamond performs at the Bijou Theatre during the Big Ears Festival on March 23, 2017. The band will return to Knoxville in May for the Rhythm N' Blooms 2019 music festival. (Photo: BRIANNA PACIORKA/NEWS SENTINEL) Rhythm N' Blooms 2019: May 17-19 Knoxville's annual Rhythm N' Blooms music festival will present Tyler Childers, Dawes, The Black Lillies, My Brightest Diamond and others in May. The festival is May 17-19 at several downtown Knoxville locations. More artists will be announced later. More: Tyler Childers, Dawes among artists revealed for 2019 Rhythm N' Blooms festival Weekend and day passes are on sale for the festival. Day passes range from $30 to $85, and weekend passes range from $60 to $175. Info and tickets: rhythmnbloomsfest.com. 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What can Bognor expect from visits to Brightlingsea Regent and Burgess Hill? | It's another big week for Bognor as they look to keep their Bostik premier promotion campaign on track. First the Rocks travel to Essex on Tuesday night on the back of a good run of results. Bognor are unbeaten in their past four matches, a spell that has included victories over Sussex rivals Worthing and Whitehawk. Their opponents, Brightlingsea Regent, are also looking to extend their unbeaten run to five. The Rocks currently sit sixth in the table but could jump up to fourth if they overcome Brightlingsea, who are 15th. This will be the first time the two teams have come up against each other, with Brightlingsea having been formed in 2005, merging Brightlingsea United and Regent Park Rangers together. The Bognor backline will have to beware Brightlingsea striker Aaron Condon, who has notched five goals in his past four games. Condon, who rejoined the club in November after a spell away at Coggeshall Town, is one of the club's top scorers in their history, with 51 goals in 103 appearences before his move. At the other end, Rocks striker Jimmy Muitt will be looking to add to his tally of three goals in three games. Bognor will be without Pompey duo Dan Smith and Bradley Letheridge, who missed the recent match against Carshalton due to being recalled by their parent club. Pompey play at Southend in the Checkatrade Trophy last 16 on the same night. Rocks v Carshalton - report, reaction, highlights Rocks delighted to extend defender's deal On Saturday, the Rocks travel away from home again - to face strugglers Burgess Hill Town. They're also four games unbeaten, like Bognor and Brightlingsea, but Burgess Hill sit 19th in the table, just above the relegation zone. They appear to be finding some form but lost 8-0 in their previous outing against Bognor - that coming in October when visiting Nyewood Lane. It could be another Rocks reunion for former Nye Camp favourite Dan Beck, who left Bognor for Burgess Hill last summer and has been a regular in their side. Defender Gary Charman also moved to the Hillians but has since returned to Bognor. | https://www.bognor.co.uk/sport/football/non-league/what-can-bognor-expect-from-visits-to-brightlingsea-regent-and-burgess-hill-1-8760874 |
Who will direct the Sridevi bio-pic? | There is no doubt that the one death which hit us the hardest in 2018 was that of Sridevi. Her going away so suddenly was a brutal reminder of how capricious life can be. Her grieving husband Boney Kapoor has still not been able to come to terms with her death. He says he keeps himself from thinking about her by being a father and mother to his children. But at the end of the day when hes all alone, the loss of his beloved wife hits him hard. It can now be told that Boney is planning to produce and maybe even direct a film on the amazing life and career of Sridevi. Says a source close to Boney, Hes definitely planning to tell Sridevis story in a movie before anyone else does. Believe me, there are several filmmakers planning to make films about her. Before they get down to it, Boney wants to copyright her life story so that only he will be able to make his wifes bio-pic the way he wants to. Books are also being planned on Sridevi. Says the source, Several journalists and authors have approached Boney and he may very soon select someone to write on Sridevi. There are many plans to further the Sri legend in 2019. Just wait and watch. Also Read: Sridevis cameo in Zero: Karisma Kapoor shares BTS still with the legendary actress | http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/will-direct-sridevi-bio-pic/ |
Who is North Devon Hunted contestant Matt Mason? | Get Daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email A Royal Marine from North Devon is set to appear on Channel 4's Hunted as it hits out screens this week. The reality game show sees members of the public trying to evade capture for 25 days while professional hunters - former police, military and special services as well as psychologists and hackers - try to find them. The hunters try to use the same methods of surveillance employed by the state, including cyber expertise and interrogating friends and family. They also use CCTV cameras and even hack into phones and social media sites to gain information on the fugitives. Those that remain on the run after 28 days and reach the secret extraction point win a share of 100,000. Series four will start on Thursday, January 10, and will star three contestants from Devon, nurses Emma Davidson and Jess Kirkham and Royal Marine Matt Mason. Royal Marine Matt has been in the Armed Forces since he was 18, completing three tours of Afghanistan. Roughing it on long missions and in inhospitable environments has become second nature and he thinks he will be able to evade the hunters using these skills. Matt enjoys a challenge, having broken the World Record for rowing the Atlantic in an eight man crew in 2014, so expects life as a fugitive will be easy! Matt is recently married with a nine month old baby and his family have become his top priority. This money would be life changing and allow them to buy a home of their own, and let him treat his wife to a proper honeymoon. Matt is determined to take the survival skills, tactical experience and military knowledge that hes gained in the past 11 years to win this years Hunted. Although he intends to go completely off grid, hes not averse to taking risks and is determined to see his wife and son whilst on the run. Matt I think succeeding is all down to your personal decisions, everything is in your control, it might not seem it but every decision that you make is in your control and that does make success and failure. So, for me, the decisions that I am going to be making are very calculated, not off the cuff. Rural, Im going to be rural and completely out of CCTV, being able to hide out is part of my job anyway, and I think that will give me an edge. I wont use people I dont know for hitchhiking and stuff, you dont know their background or if I can rely on them. They might dob you in for 500 quid, so I will be negating that by not using them. Unless it is an utter emergency and I need to get out of the area as fast as possible! I wont be using any mobile devices or any form of digital footprint at all again, unless it is absolutely necessary. Matt To take part in Hunted will give me a great opportunity to win a substantial amount of money, whether it will be ten grand or a hundred, to support my family. Especially giving my wife a few more months if not years off work, so that she can look after and help develop my nine month old son. Matt I think going on the run is going to be a great experience, it is something that I have obviously never done before, it is going to be completely different to my normal life. So that is quite exciting, I am confident in my own motivation, focus and I think that although it will be difficult it is more than achievable. Hunted starts on Thursday 10 January at 9pm on Channel 4 | https://www.devonlive.com/news/celebs-tv/hunted-channel-4-matt-mason-2401643 |
What time does the Alabama-Clemson national championship game start? | Alabama and Clemson will meet in the College Football Playoff final for the third time in four seasons Monday night at Levis Stadium in Santa Clara. The undefeated Crimson Tide have been title favorites all season long, but Clemson has thrived as an underdog in bowl games under coach Dabo Swinney. You dont want to miss the final college football game of the season. The College Football Playoff final, No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Clemson, will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. You can stream the game online or with a mobile device via WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app. Betting line: Alabama -5.5 Commentators: Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on ESPN National anthem: Andy Grammer Halftime show: Imagine Dragons ft. Lil Wayne You can also watch one of several other ESPN broadcasts of the game, depending on which crew you want. The Monday Night Football team will be calling the game on ESPNEWS, or you could watch a feed featuring the local radio broadcasts from Clemson or Alabama online via ESPN3. | https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/01/what-time-does-the-alabama-clemson-national-championship-game-start-channel-tv-guide |
When are the BAFTA nominations released? | (Picture: Mike Marsland/WireImage) Its awards season, which means beautiful gowns, passionate speeches, and cruel snubs. So far weve already had the Golden Globes, and seen Bohemian Rhapsody and Green Book as the biggest winners. Its nearly time for our very own bash, however; the BAFTAs. The nominations come out very soon, and after that well see Hollywoods elite descend on our shores. Heres everything you need to know about the announcement. Allison Janney with her Best Supporting Actress award at the EE British Academy Film Awards last year (Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire) The nomination announcement will come on 9 January at 7.30pm. Will Poulter and Hayley Squires will be presenting the live-stream. You can catch it on their Facebook or Twitter pages. Proceedings have already gotten underway, as the BAFTA LA Tea Party saw stars from across the silver screen getting on the pre-red-carpet-red-carpet. Emma Stone and Olivia Colman posing for photos at the #BAFTATea. pic.twitter.com/fH73gwELu0 BAFTA Los Angeles (@BAFTALA) January 6, 2019 Everyone from Claire Foy to Thandie Newton was pictured, as well as Golden Globe winner Olivia Colman and her The Favourite co-stars Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. Advertisement Advertisement The main event will be hosted by Joanna Lumley for the second time and held at Londons iconic Royal Albert Hall. It all takes place on Sunday 10 February 2019 and itll be broadcast on BBC One and BBC One HD. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/07/bafta-nominations-released-8318313/ |
Will Olivia Colman and Bohemian Rhapsody win Oscars after their Golden Globes triumphs? | Awards Season kicked off last night at the Golden Globes with Olivia Colman and Bohemian Rhapsody among the big winners. Colman was given the award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for her role in The Favourite while Bohemian Rhapsody was the surprise winner in the best drama category. Despite their wins last night, neither Colman or Bohemian Rhapsody are the bookmakers' favourites for Oscars success on 24 February. Glenn Close - who won Best Actress in a Drama at last night's ceremony - is seen as a much safer bet for the Best Actress Award, while Roma is favourite for Best Picture. We've analysed the link between Golden Globes and Oscar winners to see whether this pessimism is founded.... | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2019/01/07/will-olivia-colman-bohemian-rhapsody-win-oscars-golden-globes/ |
What could throw the economy off course? | TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images BERKELEY, Calif. (Project Syndicate) Over the past 40 years, the U.S. economy has experienced four recessions. Among the four, only the extended downturn of 1979-1982 had a conventional cause. The Federal Reserve thought that inflation was too high, so it hit the economy on the head with the brick of interest-rate hikes. As a result, workers moderated their demands for wage increases, and firms cut back on planned price increases. The other three recessions were each caused by derangements in financial markets. After the savings-and-loan crisis of 1991-1992 came the bursting of the dot-com bubble in 2000-2002, followed by the collapse of the subprime mortgage market in 2007, which triggered the global financial crisis the following year. As of early January 2019, inflation expectations appear to be well anchored at 2% per year, and the Phillips curve reflecting the relationship between unemployment and inflation remains unusually flat. Production and employment excesses or deficiencies from potential-output or natural-rate trends have not had a significant effect on prices and wages. At the same time, the gap between short and long-term interest rates on safe assets, represented by the so-called yield curve, is unusually small, and short-term nominal interest rates are unusually low. As a general rule of thumb, an inverted yield curve when the yields on long-term bonds TMUBMUSD10Y, -0.30% are lower than those on short-term bonds is considered a strong predictor of a recession. Moreover, after the recent stock-market SPX, +0.50% turmoil, forecasts based on John Campbell and Robert J. Shillers cyclically adjusted price-earnings (CAPE) ratio put long-run real (inflation-adjusted) buy-and-hold stock returns at around 4% per year, which is still higher than the average over the past four decades. These background indicators are now at the forefront of investors minds as they decide whether and when to hedge against the next recession. And one can infer from todays macroeconomic big picture that the next recession most likely will not be due to a sudden shift by the Fed from a growth-nurturing to an inflation-fighting policy. Given that visible inflationary pressures probably will not build up by much over the next half-decade, it is more likely that something else will trigger the next downturn. Specifically, the culprit will probably be a sudden, sharp flight to safety following the revelation of a fundamental weakness in financial markets. That, after all, is the pattern that has been generating downturns since at least 1825, when Englands canal-stock boom collapsed. Needless to say, the particular nature and form of the next financial shock will be unanticipated. Investors, speculators, and financial institutions are generally hedged against the foreseeable shocks, but there will always be other contingencies that have been missed. For example, the death blow to the global economy in 2008-2009 came not from the collapse of the mid-2000s housing bubble, but from the concentration of ownership of mortgage-backed securities. Likewise, the stubbornly long downturn of the early 1990s was not directly due to the deflation of the late-1980s commercial real-estate bubble. Rather, it was the result of failed regulatory oversight, which allowed insolvent savings and loan associations to continue speculating in financial markets. Similarly, it was not the deflation of the dot-com bubble, but rather the magnitude of overstated earnings in the tech and communications sector that triggered the recession in the early 2000s. At any rate, todays near-inverted yield curve, low nominal and real bond yields, and equity values all suggest that U.S. financial markets have begun to price in the likelihood of a recession. Assuming that business investment committees are thinking like investors and speculators, all it will take now to bring on a recession is an event that triggers a retrenchment of investment spending. If a recession comes anytime soon, the U.S. government will not have the tools to fight it. The White House and Congress will once again prove inept at deploying fiscal policy as a counter-cyclical stabilizer; and the Fed will not have enough room to provide adequate stimulus through interest-rate cuts. As for more unconventional policies, the Fed most likely will not have the nerve, let alone the power, to pursue such measures. As a result, for the first time in a decade, Americans and investors cannot rule out a downturn. At a minimum, they must prepare for the possibility of a deep and prolonged recession, which could arrive whenever the next financial shock comes. This article was published with permission of Project Syndicate What Will Cause the Next U.S. | https://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-could-throw-the-economy-off-course-2019-01-07 |
How Important Is China To Apple's Revenue? | Apple issued a rare investor letter last week lowering its quarterly projections to $84 billion, around $4 billion less than what the company made a year ago. The news send Apple's stock plummeting to its largest one-day loss in years. CEO Tim Cook blamed the revenue hit on decreased demand for the latest crop of iPhones, particularly in one key market: China. Cook gave several reasons for the decreased Chinese smartphone sales, one being the country's economic slowdown thanks to the ongoing trade war between the US and China. Cook's letter said "lower than anticipated iPhone revenue, primarily in Greater China, accounts for all of our revenue shortfall to our guidance and for much more than our entire year-over-year revenue decline." Of course, that's not the whole story. Up until now, China was the third-largest Apple market, making up about 20 percent of its business, according to Apple financial information aggregated by Statista. The US and Europe were the two markets ahead of China, making up 40 percent and 24 percent of Apple's business, respectively. That number has grown steadily over the past five years, as Apple has sold more iPhones in China and the massive market has made up an ever-growing piece of Apple's revenue pie. The trade war is one issue affecting this year's downturn, but another is increasing competition from Chinese smartphone makers such as Huawei, Oppo and Vivo (both owned by OnePlus), and Xiaomi that simply weren't as much competition a few years ago as they are now. Cook didn't cite rising iPhone prices as a reason, either, but the fact that an iPhone XS starts at over $1,000 can't be discounted, along with the fact that consumers both in China and around the world are keeping their phones longer. As the global smartphone market has begun to stagnate, Apple has looked outside the US for growth, and China is the largest and most lucrative market by far. If geopolitical trade issues persist and domestic competition intensifies, Apple will need a new strategy; otherwise, it may have to alter its expectations even further. | https://in.pcmag.com/apple-iphone-xs/127862/how-important-is-china-to-apples-revenue |
Is Punjab the most unsafe province? | Share: LAHORE - Two weeks after a nine-year-old girl was found dead in the Walled City, Lahore police are yet to find any leads about the killers. Some suspects have been grilled so far, but there has been no major breakthrough. The latest victim of child abuse, identified as Ayesha, was the resident of Said Mitha Bazaar, Lohari Gate. This horrific killing was reported by police just one month after the killer and rapist of seven-year-old Zainab was hanged to death in Lahores Kot Lakhopat Jail. Lahores Ayesha and Kasurs Zainab were among several children who were killed by rapists in the Punjab province in 2018. Zainabs rapist and murderer Ali Imran was sent to gallows in October last year, but rapists and killers of several other victims are yet to be brought to justice. Even if these criminals are identified and arrested by police, the chances are slim that the victims would get speedy justice due to one or another reason. Hundreds of children were raped, and several victims were murdered by rapists during the previous year. The police investigators are struggling to identify and arrest the culprits in this province where the overall crime rate is also one the rise. The latest police data reveals that incidents of murder, kidnapping, rape, and robberies have increased to an alarming level throughout the province. According to police figures, at least 79,425 cases were registered in the category of crime against property from January to November as compared to 73,136 such cases reported by police during the same period during last year. Similarly, the police registered at least 47,028 cases in the category of crime against person this year as compared to 45,637 such cases reported during the same period in 2017. The provincial police reported an overall 369, 742 cases of crime during the first 11 months of 2018 with substantial increase in the incidents of violent crimes. At least 44,281 cases are still under investigation while the police have failed to trace criminals behind no less than 19,433 cases. Also, the police reported 121, 877 cases in the category of local and special laws violations while at least 121,412 cases of crime were registered by police under the head of Miscellaneous Laws during the first 11 months of this year. The conviction rate however improved comparatively. At least 83,467 persons were convicted during the first 11 months of this year while last year at least 79, 633 persons had been convicted in various cases during the same period. Similarly, at least 64,623 suspects were acquitted during the first 11 months of this year against last years while 65,284. MURDER: The incidents of murder also increased during the first 11 months of 2018 as compared to the previous year. At least 3,814 people were murdered across the province during the first 11 months of this year. However, the police had reported at least 3,722 murder cases during the corresponding period of 2017. The police declared at least 117 murder cases as untraceable while 745 cases are still under investigation. Last year, police investigators were unable to solve many blind murder cases. In these blind murder cases, several victims were women and children who were found brutally murdered in different parts of the province. ATTEMPTED MURDER: The province also witnessed a sizeable surge in the incidents of attempted murder registered during the first 11 months of this year if compared to the corresponding period of 2017. The provincial police registered 4,642 attempted murder cases this year against last years 4,075 such incidents. HURT: The police, during the first 11 months of this year, reported at least 14,259 Hurt cases in the category of crime against person. However, the provincial police had reported 14,851 such cases during the first 11 months of 2017. KIDNAPPING: The provincial police registered at least 13,765 abduction cases during the first eleven months of 2018 as compared to 12,736 kidnapping incidents reported during the corresponding period of 2017. Most of the victims were said to be women and young girls who were abducted by gunmen. At least 59 cases of kidnapping for ransom were also registered with the police during the first eleven months of this year. Last year, the police had reported 39 such cases during the same period. RAPE/GANG-RAPE: At least 3,074 rape cases were reported by police during the first eleven months of this year while during the matching period of 2017 the police had reported 2,813 rape cases. Similarly, at least 184 cases of gang-rape were reported by police during the first 11 months of this year against 173 gang rape incidents registered with the police during the same period of 2017. DACOITIES: The police, during the first eleven months of this year reported at least 728 cases of dacoities (involving five or more than five gunmen) against 636 such cases reported during the same period in 2017. At least 169 dacoity cases are still under investigation while police failed to identify criminals behind at least 61 dacoity cases. ROBBERIES: The new police data shows that at least 12,847 armed robberies were reported during the first eleven months of this year against 11,397 such cases reported during the corresponding period of 2017. Similarly, at least 10,331 cases of burglary were reported by the police during the first 11 months of 2018 against 10, 120 such cases registered with the police during the same period in 2017. THEFT: During the first 11 months of this year, the police registered 1,285 theft cases against 1,403 theft cases reported during the corresponding period of 2017. The police data also shows a considerable increase in cattle-theft cases this year as compared to the previous year. At least 5,052 cattle-theft cases were registered with the police during the first 11 months of 2018 while the police had reported 4,594 such cases during the same period in 2017. MOTOR VEHICLE SNATCHING: The police during the first 11 months of 2018 reported at least 17,353 cases of motor-vehicle-theft while during the same period in 2017 the police had reported 14,356 such cases. As far as the incidents of motor-vehicle-snatching are concerned, the police this year reported at least 3,236 cases against 3172 such incidents reported during the same period of 2017. | https://nation.com.pk/07-Jan-2019/is-punjab-the-most-unsafe-province |
What is Bird Box and why is it so popular right now? | The video will start in 8 Cancel Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Unless you've been in hibernation over the past few days, you will have heard of the horror-thriller movie Bird Box. The Netflix original has recently taken social media by storm and is being deemed as one of the most 'terrifying' films in years by viewers. Starring Hollywood actress, Sandra Bullock, the film follows a mum and her two children (dubbed Boy and Girl) surviving in a post-apocalyptic world under threat by supernatural forces. Since its release last Friday, it has been watched more than 45 million times - a record-breaking high for the streaming service. The paranormal thriller is based on the 2014 novel Bird Box by Josh Malerman. But if you still don't have any idea what everyone is talking about, then here's a handy guide on everything you need to know. As the Chronicle Live reports, the summary of the film on the Netflix website reads "Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a survivor and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety." Going into a bit more detail than that, the film is all about a mysterious force which wipes out nearly all of the population. The premise is simple - if you see it, you die, so the plot focuses on the survivors, who must avoid coming face to face with an entity that takes the form of their worst fears. Searching for hope and a new beginning, a woman (played by Sandra Bullock) and her children embark on a dangerous journey through the woods and down a river to find the one place that may offer sanctuary. Other than Sandra Bullock, the cast includes Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich and Sarah Paulson. Bird Box was released on Netflix on December 21. If you haven't got it head to the Netflix website where you can join free for a month. Besides a plethora of GIFs, memes and social media statuses, plenty of people have been going online to voice their opinion of the new film, with fans on Twitter claiming it is "terrifying". One wrote: "I hate Bird Box because it made me feel like I was actually in the movie and it was TERRIFYING." Another said: "Bird Box is terrifying idk if I can get through this." A third added: "Bird box so amazing must watch." Even American reality television personality Kim Kardashian tweeted: "Watching BirdBox. I really like it. Who has seen it?" Download the CoventryLive app Click here for iPhone and here for Android Visit our Facebook pages for Coventry and Nuneaton or visit our Twitter pages for Coventry and Nuneaton Watch our videos on YouTube and see our photos on Instagram Find old stories in our online Archives and search for jobs, motors and property, or place an advert or family notice here | https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/whats-on/film-news/bird-box-netflix-sandra-bullock-15637974 |
Will the Stock Market Maintain Its Rebound? | As investors await the outcome of todays U.S.-China trade talks, the stock market is moving at a deliberate pace. Major benchmark indexes opened in the green but have since dropped into the red, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average recording narrow losses of less than 1 percent ahead of the two-day vice ministerial-level meeting in Beijing. The Nasdaq Composite also saw mild improvement below 1 percent, while the S&P 500 climbed a more modest 1.5 percent. Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish is expected to lead the delegation that will convene with Chinese officials. It marks the first face-to-face assembly between the United States and China since President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, agreed to a 90-day financial ceasefire at last months G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In less than two months, the truce in the trade war between the worlds two largest economies reaches its deadline. Washington has already imposed tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports, while Beijing retaliated with levies on $110 billion in U.S. goods. The White House put on hold its threat to raise tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on an additional $200 billion worth of products. The upcoming meeting has stoked investors hopes that negotiations between Washington and Beijing would result in a permanent deal. According to a Reuters report published today, Chinas foreign ministry has expressed good faith in working with the U.S. to end their trade dispute. The tit-for-tat has already contributed to volatility in the stock market, which in 2018 recorded its worst year of trading since the 2008 financial crisis. Despite a turbulent start to 2019, U.S. stocks rallied late last week after a better-than-expected jobs report, a rebound in tech shares and news of the fresh round of trade talks. On Friday, the Dow surged nearly 750 points, or more than 3 percent, while the S&P also popped up 3 percent. This years market returns could also be swayed by the Federal Reserves decision to raise interest rates, as well as signs of a global slowdown stemming from a weak manufacturing report from China and British Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit deal, which is scheduled for a parliamentary vote in mid-January. Stock Market Rallies After China Announces New Round of Trade Talks With the US Retail Makes Strides as Economy Adds 312,000 Jobs, Offering Relief to a Battered Stock Market | https://footwearnews.com/2019/business/retail/stock-market-rebound-2019-1202727265/ |
Was Sisi Trying to Distract the World by Building Largest Church in Region? | Sisi taking part in the opening ceremony of the church along with the Coptic Pope Tawadros II. (AFP) Follow > Disable alert for Abdel Fattah Sisi Follow > Egypt President Abdel Fattah Sisi has been dominating debates on social media and the news in Egypt and the Middle East. First for his interview with 60 minute show on CBS and then for participation in simultaneously opening the largest church and mosque in the Middle East. On Christmas Eve Sisi took part in the opening ceremony of the church along with the Coptic Pope Tawadros II, Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Marc Episcopate in the new administrative capital set to be completed in 2020. While state media reported that inauguration of the church as a symbolic message of tolerance and coexistence among Egyptians, many believed it was a way to distract the worlds attention from what is actually happening on the ground. Copts, the largest Christian minority in the Middle East who consists around 10% of Egyptian population, have been facing crisis and different forms of discrimination in their own country with almost zero attention from their own government and authorities, let alone the rise in number of attacks against Copts. Read More on this: Rise in Number of Missing Coptic Women Amid Media Blackout in Egypt The last attack was two days before Egypt's Christians celebrate their Christmas, when a policeman was killed trying to defuse a bomb outside a Coptic Christian church in Nasr City outside Cairo. Despite all of this and the fact that Sisis oppressive government is intensifying crackdown on freedoms all the time, US President Donald Trump went to Twitter on Sunday to praise Sisis opening the church expressing excitement to see how the Egyptian president is driving his country to a more inclusive future with no regard to the facts mentioned in the ground. Meanwhile on social media, opinion online has been divided. Between Egyptians praising Sisi for building the church and others arguing about the high poverty rates, not all Egyptians were in awe of inaugurating the church. Many also mocked the fact that Egyptians are suffering poverty in the same time when millions of dollars, if not more, are being spent to brag in front of the world about the biggest church and mosque. Translation: Weird. There are still poor people even though we have the biggest church and mosque? Some also thought opening the church came in a time to distract Egyptians from discussions on Sisis interview with the CBS 60 minute, in which he was asked about his human rights record and cooperation with Israel. This came along with news on the orders issued by government to prevent all Egyptian TV channels and media outlets from covering the CBS interview. Also, some reports confirmed the Egyptian authorities attempts to block the interview broadcast in Egypt. | https://www.albawaba.com/loop/was-sisi-trying-distract-world-building-largest-church-region-1235480 |
When is Vera back on TV and what will happen in series nine? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email There's nothing like watching a murder mystery on a cold night from the comfort of your living room and this weekend crime drama fans can curl up with an old favourite. North East-made Vera has been a staple of the ITV1 schedules now for almost eight years and this Sunday, from 8pm, will mark the start of series number nine of the drama based on the Vera Stanhope novels created by Whitley Bay author Ann Cleeves. With Brenda Blethyn back in the starring role of the no-nonsense Detective Chief Inspector, the new series will feel as familiar and comfortable as Vera's old boots and trademark hat. The new series will bring the North East back into the spotlight once again so expect to see more of Northumberland's stunning coastline as well as Newcastle's urban landscape in scenes set in such diverse locations as Amble and the city centre's bustling Grainger Market. Story-wise, the series will begin with Vera investigating the killing of a woman whose body is dumped at a landfill site. The victim is revealed as a trainee forensic psychologist who had been looking into a past case involving a former patient who was a convicted prisoner. Fellow TV favourite and former Doctor Who Peter Davison will be joining the cast of regulars for the one-off story, called Blind Spot. Other familiar faces to look out for in the new series will include James Atherton; Jodie McNee; Adrian Lukis and Paul Kaye. And Mark Addy will be playing a drug dealer in an upcoming story which will see Vera embroiled in a drug case. Some pub regulars among the drama's North East fans will be especially keen to see the fourth episode in the run as it is adapted from Cleeves' latest book The Seagull. The author set the story in her home down of Whitley Bay and it was part-inspired by the chatty customers in her local pub. A local brewery - Whitley Bay Brewing Company - even created a new beer named after the book. The story of series finale will see Vera re-open a cold case after uncovering two skeletons - one of them a suspected missing person - hidden near the seaside town. Cleeves tweeted ahead of the series launch: "Hurrah, a new series of Vera. And look out for The Seagull adapted in episode 4." Vera can be seen on ITV1 on Sunday, January 13 at 8pm. | https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/tv/vera-back-tv-what-happen-15641551 |
Can Humana (HUM) Keep the Earnings Surprise Streak Alive? | If you are looking for a stock that has a solid history of beating earnings estimates and is in a good position to maintain the trend in its next quarterly report, you should consider Humana (HUM). This company, which is in the Zacks Medical - HMOs industry, shows potential for another earnings beat. When looking at the last two reports, this health insurer has recorded a strong streak of surpassing earnings estimates. The company has topped estimates by 5.62%, on average, in the last two quarters. For the most recent quarter, Humana was expected to post earnings of $4.29 per share, but it reported $4.58 per share instead, representing a surprise of 6.76%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $3.79 per share, while it actually produced $3.96 per share, a surprise of 4.49%. Price and EPS Surprise Thanks in part to this history, there has been a favorable change in earnings estimates for Humana lately. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the stock is positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with its solid Zacks Rank. Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven. The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Humana currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.22%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP when combined with the stock's Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) indicates that another beat is possibly around the corner. We expect the company's next earnings report to be released on February 6, 2019. When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock's earnings miss. Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, though this is not the only reason why their shares gain. Additionally, some stocks may remain stable even if they end up missing the consensus estimate. Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Humana Inc. (HUM) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | https://news.yahoo.com/humana-hum-keep-earnings-surprise-151003585.html |
Can Asbury Automotive (ABG) Keep the Earnings Surprise Streak Alive? | It is worth considering Asbury Automotive Group (ABG), which belongs to the Zacks Automotive - Retail and Whole Sales industry. This auto dealership chain has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 13.06%. For the last reported quarter, Asbury Automotive came out with earnings of $2.21 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.85 per share, representing a surprise of 19.46%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $1.95 per share and it actually produced earnings of $2.08 per share, delivering a surprise of 6.67%. Price and EPS Surprise Thanks in part to this history, there has been a favorable change in earnings estimates for Asbury Automotive lately. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the stock is positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with its solid Zacks Rank. Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven. The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Asbury Automotive has an Earnings ESP of +6.21% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on February 5, 2019. When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock's earnings miss. Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, though this is not the only reason why their shares gain. Additionally, some stocks may remain stable even if they end up missing the consensus estimate. Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (ABG) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/asbury-automotive-abg-keep-earnings-151003477.html |
Can NXP (NXPI) Keep the Earnings Surprise Streak Alive? | It is worth considering NXP Semiconductors (NXPI), which belongs to the Zacks Semiconductor - Analog and Mixed industry. This chipmaker has an established record of topping earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The company boasts an average surprise for the past two quarters of -9.55%. For the last reported quarter, NXP came out with earnings of $2.01 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.92 per share, representing a surprise of 4.69%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $1.64 per share and it actually produced earnings of $1.25 per share, delivering a surprise of 23.78%. Price and EPS Surprise Thanks in part to this history, there has been a favorable change in earnings estimates for NXP lately. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the stock is positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with its solid Zacks Rank. Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven. The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. NXP has an Earnings ESP of +0.14% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on February 6, 2019. When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock's earnings miss. Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground even if they end up missing the consensus estimate. Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NXPI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | https://news.yahoo.com/nxp-nxpi-keep-earnings-surprise-151003307.html |
Can Bank of New York Mellon (BK) Keep the Earnings Surprise Streak Alive? | It is worth considering Bank of New York Mellon (BK), which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Major Regional industry. This trust bank has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 0.96%. For the last reported quarter, Bank of New York Mellon came out with earnings of $1.06 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.04 per share, representing a surprise of 1.92%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $1.03 per share and it actually produced earnings of $1.03 per share, delivering a surprise of 0%. Price and EPS Surprise Thanks in part to this history, there has been a favorable change in earnings estimates for Bank of New York Mellon lately. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the stock is positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with its solid Zacks Rank. Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven. The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Bank of New York Mellon has an Earnings ESP of +0.80% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on January 16, 2019. When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock's earnings miss. Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, though this is not the only reason why their shares gain. Additionally, some stocks may remain stable even if they end up missing the consensus estimate. Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BK) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bank-york-mellon-bk-keep-151003924.html |
Can Disney (DIS) Keep the Earnings Surprise Streak Alive? | It is worth considering Walt Disney (DIS), which belongs to the Zacks Media Conglomerates industry. This entertainment company has an established record of topping earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The company boasts an average surprise for the past two quarters of 3.95%. For the last reported quarter, Disney came out with earnings of $1.48 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.31 per share, representing a surprise of 12.98%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $1.97 per share and it actually produced earnings of $1.87 per share, delivering a surprise of 5.08%. Price and EPS Surprise Thanks in part to this history, there has been a favorable change in earnings estimates for Disney lately. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the stock is positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with its solid Zacks Rank. Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven. The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Disney has an Earnings ESP of +0.47% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on February 5, 2019. When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock's earnings miss. Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground even if they end up missing the consensus estimate. Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Walt Disney Company (DIS) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | https://news.yahoo.com/disney-dis-keep-earnings-surprise-151003227.html |
What Really Went Down With Chrissy Metz and Alison Brie? | Welcome to the internet, home of Twitter-wide, viral controversies that keep us up at night. In 2018, we were struck by the Laurel vs. Yanny audio clip (clearly Laurel). Then there was Sesame Street's Grover allegedly dropping the F-bomb back in December. Just one week into the new year, a similar viral debate launched on Twitter, thanks to a clip from the 2019 Golden Globe red carpet of This Is Us star Chrissy Metz on a hot mic, saying something that maybe sounded like her calling GLOW star Alison Brie a "bitch." Here's everything you need to know about Chrissy Metz and Alison Brie's Golden Globes moment. In a clip from the Golden Globes Facebook Live pre-show. Metz was wrapping up her interview when pre-show host AJ Gibson asked the This Is Us star, "Do you know a girl named Alison Brie?" Metz replied, "Do I..." before Gibson introduced Brie at the end of the carpet. Metz is then heard saying "She's such a b..." as the camera panned over to meet Brie. The audio wasn't clear, as Metz moved away from her mic before finishing her sentence. Gibson told Page Six he thought Metz said a different b-word. I was standing on stage with Chrissy and thought she called Alison a babe, he said. Chrissy is one of the kindest women in Hollywood and is so supportive of other talented women. And if Metz did use the "other" word, he added, "I promise it was 1,000 percent a joke." Metz quickly dispelled rumors that she and Brie were feuding on Twitter, writing, "Its terribly unfortunate anyone would think much less run a story that was completely fabricated! I adore Alison and would never say a bad word about her, or anyone! I sure hope she knows my heart." Its terribly unfortunate anyone would think much less run a story that was completely fabricated! I adore Alison and would never say a bad word about her, or anyone! I sure hope she knows my heart. I know her. I saw her on the carpet and I told her how beautiful she looked." In fact, Brie took it a step further and posted an old photo of her and Metz on her Instagram Stories to show fans there isn't any bad blood. | https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a25775078/chrissy-metz-alison-brie-golden-globes-2019/ |
Is There Going to Be a Bird Box Sequel? | Warning: Contains spoilers for Bird Box. Over the holiday season, 45 million subscriber accounts tuned in to the apocalyptic thriller the week after it premiered on December 21, according to Netflix. Inspiring several fan memes and even an unofficial blindfold challenge (that Netflix had to issue safety warnings about), the film was a popular way for people to spend their downtime between Christmas and New Year's Day. Given its popularity, many are wondering whether there will be a sequel. Here's everything we know about whether Bird Box will get a second chapter. Nope. Netflix has told reporters that there currently aren't any plans for one, and director Susanna Bier told People, "We only just finished [the first one]! Its funny, Im kind of reading people asking for a sequel and Im like, Hey, hey, hey, we really just finished! So lets just enjoy it for now." That's not a yes, but it's not a straight no, either. Any chatter about a sequel is therefore purely conjecture, but some outlets are calling a sequel "inevitable" thanks to the movie's runaway success, and given Hollywood's penchant for extending franchises that have proven popular, it's not not likely. But no announcement has been made. Bird Box was based on a bookBird Box by Josh Malerman. The book doesn't have a sequel either, although Malerman does have plenty of other standalone thrillers that would please fans, including Black Mad Wheel, which is about a group of musicians hired by the government to trace a mysterious sound; Inspection, a story about two mysterious schools that divide genius-level youths by gender; and Unbury Carol, a supernatural romantic thriller. There are definitely enough loose ends that another film could tie up, including the origins of the creatures, what happened in the five-year gap that is skipped over in the film, how on earth Dr. Lapham survived, and the backstory of the characters in Greg's house. Then there are the questions raised by the film's ending. At the conclusion of Bird Box, Malorie (Sandra Bullock) and her two children discover a school for the blind and can finally rest in safety. So many possibilities! We'll just have to wait. | https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a25752327/bird-box-sequel-details/ |
Will M. Night Shyamalans Unbreakable Universe Continue After Glass? | One could easily make the case that M. Night Shyamalans Unbreakable (2016), Split (2016), and the upcoming Glass (2019) compose Hollywoods first modern original shared cinematic universe. The Fast and the Furious unintentionally stumbled into franchise territory because of early contract disputes, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is based on existing source material. That leaves Shyamalan, who has the opportunity to cement his Hollywood comeback if Glass is a hit. But the director isnt enthralled with the idea of establishing this sort of big-screen continuity, despite having planted the the seeds for one early on. Thats not interesting to me, Shyamalan said of making his own cinematic universe in a recent interview with Vulture. Theres no danger in that. Or not enough danger, lets say that. Upon further prompting, he added, For me, my weapon isnt matching pyrotechnics against pyrotechnics. Im just not good at it! I just cantAvengers and movies like thatI mean, I dont even know how they do these things. Its true that the more ambitious Shyamalan has aimed to be in his career, the more his movies have struggled. Large-scale blockbusters such as 2010s Avatar: The Last Airbender and 2013s After Earth were notorious box office flops that were also savaged by critics. And yet, Shyamalan had always planned some sort of union between Unbreakable and Split from the very first draft. The smaller-scale Split, with a budget of around $10 million, was one of the most profitable films of the year it was released, grossing almost $300 million worldwide. That was always the idea, the filmmaker explained. Originally Unbreakable and Split were together. David and the Horde bump into each other at the train station, and David follows him. However, given the narrative issues at play in the first filmits first and foremost about a man accepting his true selfthe nod to Split was ultimately cut in favor of more specific character focus. Whenever you raise the stakes, you cant unraise them. So once you introduce girls being abducted, theres a ticking clock that doesnt allow for the breadth of character development that I wanted to do in Unbreakable with David, his wife, and his kid. None of this rules out the possible continuation of this universe, however, as Shyamalan notes that the story could continue beyond Glass, which hits theaters January 19. | https://observer.com/2019/01/glass-movie-m-night-shyamalan-unbreakable-split-connections/ |
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