question
stringlengths 9
197
| article
stringlengths 174
99.3k
| url
stringlengths 23
392
|
|---|---|---|
Who Will Win and Lose in the Post-Covid Economy? | Fiscal stimulus was both enormous and necessary when the Covid crisis hit last year, and it successfully prevented the structural damage that weighs down recoveries. But even as the economy was on a better-than-expected rebound, the Biden administration and Congress opted for an additional stimulus package, in the hope of delivering a booming economy that will boost workers fortunes in the post-Covid economy. The downside to this stimulus bet is the risk of imbalances, such as inflation or asset bubbles, as the economy overshoots. In this article, the authors offer four scenarios that sketch the interaction of wage growth, productivity growth, and policy management and what it means for workers, firms, and policy makers. With tight economic conditions all but guaranteed, there are multiple scenarios of how output will be shared between workers and firms in the post-Covid expansion. The policymakers who have placed the big stimulus bet also will have to negotiate the path ahead. Weve identified a small number of plausible scenarios that sketch the interaction of wage growth, productivity growth, and policy management. While workers and policymakers can live with several of the scenarios, only one will be truly appealing for firms. The Ongoing Stimulus Bet Fiscal stimulus was both enormous and necessary when the Covid crisis hit last year, and it successfully prevented the structural damage that weighs down recoveries. But even as the economy was on a better-than-expected rebound, the Biden administration and Congress opted for an additional stimulus package, in the hope of delivering a booming economy that will boost workers fortunes in the post-Covid economy. The downside to this stimulus bet is the risk of imbalances, such as inflation or asset bubbles, as the economy overshoots. In the below exhibit, we summarize four ways in which this bet may play out and who wins and loses. Lets look at each of these scenarios, before asking which one is most likely and what that means for business leaders. 1. Win-win: Wage gains are paid for by firm productivity growth. The Goldilocks scenario is where workers, firms, and policy makers all win in the post-Covid cycle. Firms dont lose out from higher wages if theyre paid for by productivity growth. And policy makers prefer this dynamic because there are no current or latent inflationary pressures as the potential of the economy expands. However, this combination of wage and productivity growth is not a given. The period that most resembles this scenario was the late 1990s. U.S. wage growth was very strong, but so was productivity growth, which muted the impact on corporate margins. Companies were happy to ride the wave of strong economic growth, itself driven by strong wage growth in a virtuous cycle. In the post-Covid world there is a credible expectation of some higher productivity growth but whether it can be enough to meaningfully offset wage pressures remains to be seen. 2. Win-lose: Workers gain at the expense of firms reversing a longstanding trend. If productivity growth falls behind wage growth in the post-Covid world, firms will be faced with cost pressures. If theyre unable to pass them on to consumers (see Scenario 3), their margins will be compressed and workers share of economic output would grow at firms expense, reversing a multi-decade trend. Across recent business cycles we have seen strong wage growth when the labor market is tight and firms margins fall. Keep in mind that firms profits may continue to grow in this scenario, as the strong economy drives top-line growth that can offset margin pressures. But its a less attractive scenario than the first one because we dont see as much overall economic growth. Policy makers would approve of this scenario, not only because of their policy objective to raise wages but also because firms absorbing wage pressures in margins means less inflationary pressure. However, their approval would be qualified, as rising wages cannot be sustainably absorbed in firm margins indefinitely, eventually leading to inflation. 3. Lose-lose: Inflation threatens the cycle as policy makers deal with a losing bet. If wage pressures are not offset by productivity growth, and firms have the pricing power to pass them on to consumers, then inflation will result. If this occurs at a modest pace (say 2%) policy makers may be satisfied. But if it drives inflation sharply higher for some time, policy makers will have lost their stimulus bet. Faced with too much inflation, they would have to raise interest rates and risk a recession a lose-lose all around. Such a policy error occurs when the Fed has to move faster and stronger than anticipated to catch up with realized inflation. While an error, it remains the desirable course of action, because ignoring emerging pressures has the potential to deliver far worse than a cyclical downturn. 4. Lose, then lose again: Policy makers double down on a losing bet, leading to disaster. The disastrous scenario is that monetary policy makers dont raise interest rates even when prices are rising faster, and lawmakers push for even more fiscal stimulus in a quest to extend the cycle. The ugliness in this scenario is that cyclical pressures can break the structural foundations of the inflation regime when pressure is high and sustained. Such a regime break is a higher bar and takes more time than just a few quarters or even years. But it can happen, and it has happened before last time in the late 1960s, leading to a period known as the Great Inflation. If this scenario happens, the outlook wouldnt just be a single short recession, but more frequent recessions, low asset valuations, higher rates, and a painful process of re-anchoring inflation expectations. While scenarios are a necessarily stylized version of the future (not the messy reality), there are reasons to be optimistic. With wage pressures almost certainly building, the good news is that productivity growth is likely to absorb some of it as the Covid crisis has facilitated new business learnings but not all, so margins will be pressured to absorb some of it. If there is enough of these two outcomes, monetary policy makers can raise interest rates slowly without killing the cycle a relatively good outcome for workers, firms, and policy makers. If price pressures are passed through and too-high inflation does result on a sustained basis which we view as less likely policy makers stand a chance to avoid a recession, even though that window could be quite narrow. An early and well-balanced policy intervention can deliver a soft landing, where the economy cools down just enough, but not enough to push it into recession. Only if inflation starts a fire that needs to be put out rapidly and policy makers deliver a recession is it a clear lose-lose bet. (Although conditions could change, we view this as unlikely.) Yet, this remains preferable to the structural inflation break (very unlikely in the near term) where policy doubles down on a losing bet and undermines the inflation regime. What It Means for Firms and What They Can Do Stakeholders in the macro economy have different interests in the scenarios we laid out above. Workers are fine with scenario 1 or 2, and some politicians might even prefer scenario 2 where labors share most clearly rises. Policy makers would prefer scenario 1, but they would be satisfied with scenario 2 as well. They may also be willing to push the cycle if that scenario develops. Firms, on the other hand, will strongly prefer scenario 1 and that means they have to deliver higher productivity growth in the post-Covid cycle. Its difficult to overstate the importance of productivity growth to firms. Passing on wage pressures to protect margins is only a winning strategy if other firms cant do the same. If all firms can and do so, the inflationary outcome will drive up interest rates and thus be a headwind to growth. In aggregate, therefore, for firms to win they must deliver on productivity growth. Productivity growth, in essence, is about producing more with existing inputs, or producing the same with fewer inputs. That almost always is easier said than done, particularly when the pandemic has already put enormous strain on the workforce, but here are some key levers to do so sustainably: Seize on the specific learnings from the crisis. Covid has forced many firms to survive and adapt to new realities, often by exploring new, digital, and often more efficient processes and channels. Covid has forced many firms to survive and adapt to new realities, often by exploring new, digital, and often more efficient processes and channels. Institutionalize the learning process from the crisis. Covid also forced firms to try things they wouldnt have otherwise tried, often at surprisingly little cost. Now is the time to build processes that generate these learnings in more normal environments. Covid also forced firms to try things they wouldnt have otherwise tried, often at surprisingly little cost. Now is the time to build processes that generate these learnings in more normal environments. Understand that the old playbook of plugging gaps by hiring the next worker will be hard . Thus focus must shift to improving existing worker productivity through new technologies. In particular, the ongoing digital transformation of incumbent businesses has at worst the potential to increase the cost of doing business, and at best could drive both growth and productivity. In this respect, the biggest gains will be if business models are reimagined in the context of new needs and new possibilities, rather than merely incrementally enhanced. . Thus focus must shift to improving existing worker productivity through new technologies. In particular, the ongoing digital transformation of incumbent businesses has at worst the potential to increase the cost of doing business, and at best could drive both growth and productivity. In this respect, the biggest gains will be if business models are reimagined in the context of new needs and new possibilities, rather than merely incrementally enhanced. Yet dont ignore existing technologies . Often their use can be deepened today since previously the tradeoff between incremental labor or capital investment was less favorable. . Often their use can be deepened today since previously the tradeoff between incremental labor or capital investment was less favorable. And lead effectively. Leadership that gets everyone pushing in the same direction (ranging from the operational to the inspirational type) can unlock productivity gains as well. Avoiding paying higher wages in the post-Covid cycle will be a losing strategy. Instead, making your firm more productive so that workers additional value creation pays for their higher remuneration is how firms can turn the post-Covid cycle into a win-win scenario. | https://hbr.org/2021/06/who-will-win-and-lose-in-the-post-covid-economy?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+harvardbusiness+%28HBR.org%29 |
How many wheelsets does a team take to a three-week Grand Tour? | With the Giro d'Italia drawing to a close, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's time for a rest for the travelling circus that surrounds the professional peloton. Sure, the riders might put their feet up for a short while to recover ahead of their next goals, but there's no rest for the wicked team staff, who have immediately turned their attention to the next races. With just 26 days separating the end of the Giro and the beginning of the Tour de France, not to mention the concurrent Critrium du Dauphin and Tour de Suisse stage races to contend with along the way, every member of staff will have an ever-growing to-do list and an ever-shortening period of time in which to get to the bottom of it. Team mechanics are just one piece of the puzzle that keep the wheels turning - both literally and figuratively and mechanics from Team Qhubeka Assos kindly took the time to answer our questions around Grand Tour preparation. We spoke with the team's Head Mechanic, Kevin Suarez Martinez, as well as Sports Director, Aart Vierhouten, who is responsible for wheels and tyres in the team. Vierhouten has worked closely with the team's newest sponsor, Hunt Bike Wheels, who joined as a technical partner for the 2021 campaign; Hunt's debut season in the WorldTour. Aside from simply providing wheelsets, the brand has provided its expertise to advise on equipment choice, including helping the team make the switch to tubeless technology. TQA - Kevin Suarez Martinez: Before we leave the service course we make sure that all tubeless tyres and tubulars are new, we service all of the bearings and run checks on every set of wheels to make sure that all rims are straight. Once thats done they can be loaded into the truck to go to the race. TQA - Aart Vierhouten: For this Giro, we had 115 sets of wheels including the 20 sets of time trial wheels and 26 sets of classics wheels for the 'Strade Bianche' stage. TQA - KSM: This decision is made through the data and knowledge of Hunt engineer Luisa Grappone together with Aart Vierhouten, who is responsible for wheels and tyres inside Team Qhubeka Assos. TQA - AV: We had new TT rear disc wheels and front wheels for our TT bikes from Hunt, in combination with CeramicSpeed bearings. TQA - KSM: We never actually have to adjust the spoke tension of our Hunt Wheels. Only after a crash do we have to control the straightness of the wheel, when the wheel is not straight anymore, we have to adjust the tension. TQA - KSM: We wash the bikes after every single stage. When we are drying the bike and wheels, we ensure that the bearings are 100-per cent dry and still adequately lubricated. TQA - KSM: When we prepare the bike after being washed, we check all mechanical parts and wheels. We check if tyres are still 'like new', the straightness/alignment of the wheels and the condition of the bearings. TQA - KSM: This all depends on the weather conditions. When the conditions are not too bad, we only have to refresh the grease in the bearings. With a quality bearing, we dont have to change the bearing itself. (as seen early in the Giro) TQA - KSM: After a very wet stage we open the bearings, clean the ball bearings, and refresh the grease before putting everything back together for the next day. TQA - AV: There are a few yes from what they like to ride: For the entire Giro, Victor Campenaerts used the Hunt Limitless 48 wheels, while Giacomo Nizzolo rides with Hunt 80 rim wheels or the Limitless 60 wheels. TQA - AV: It is a combination of details that matches the best set-up. The profile of the stage, weather circumstances and riders' preference together with the technical staff ensure the best decision to be taken. TQA - KSM: The most important thing to do when you want to keep your material like new is to clean your bike really well, and check that all mechanical parts are lubricated with the adequate lubricant before every ride. | https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/how-many-wheelsets-does-a-team-take-to-a-three-week-grand-tour/ |
Whats happening to our streets and pavements? | Streets and pavements are the unnoticed bones of our cities, towns and villages; we often only see them when there are potholes, loose paving slabs, or brown smears of dog mess to avoid. Since the first lockdown, our relationship with the asphalt, bitumen, granite, stone paving and cobbles that have carried us through our daily exercise and helped us to social-distance has changed irrevocably. The different shades of York or Purbeck stone; the lack of safe pedestrian spaces in country lanes; the bridleways, often reduced to churning mud-filled trenches as thousands of feet take their once-a-day-walk have all assumed great importance for us. Town planners, too, this past year have been examining our streets, often in forensic detail, widening pavements to help with social distancing; | https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/whats-happening-to-our-streets-and-pavements-nxp7rnw0n |
Who was Brenda Nantongo? | By Elizabeth Kamurungi Relatives and friends have described Brenda Nantongo, fondly called Bri, as a down-to-earth young woman, who was a source of warmth and laughter to all who crossed her path. The 32-year-old daughter of former army commander Gen Katumba Wamala died on the spot when the car she was traveling in with her father, driver, and bodyguard was riddled with bullets by gunmen riding on two motorcycles on the Kisota-Kulambiro road in Kampala yesterday. Family members say Ms Brenda returned from the US, where she pursued a Master in Public Health from Savanah University in Atlanta. She then took up a job at the army hospital in Bombo, where she worked until yesterday. She also attended Kabojja International School. Her father asked her to come back after her masters in the US, a relative who preferred anonymity, said. Read more: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/who-was-brenda-nantongo3422562 | https://www.kfm.co.ug/news/who-was-brenda-nantongo.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=who-was-brenda-nantongo |
How severe is the economic cost of the second wave? | Representational picture Key Highlights Moody's, SBI and several agencies and economists have cut the growth outlook for ongoing financial year With states planning to unlock soon, the pain from the second wave might be limited to the first quarter The pace of vaccination will be key in determining economic recovery The Indian economy contracted by 7.3% in the financial year 2020-21 (FY21), as against a 4% growth in the previous financial year 2019-20 (FY20). On Monday, the National Statistical Office (NSO), the latest data on economic growth for the previous financial year. In its initial advance estimates in January, the NSO projected a GDP contraction of 7.7% in 2020-21. A revised estimate in February pegged the estimate at an 8% contraction. The second wave has done a definite number on the economy. The virus has penetrated the rural areas as well and hit the rural economy which really held fort last year, M. Govinda Rao, former PMEAC, said during a panel discussion with Tamanna Inamdar, Senior Editor, ET NOW. Defying expectations, the gross domestic product in the March quarter of 2020-2021 grew by 1.6% before the resurgent covid tsunami compelled a complete lockdown on economic activity. An upswing in public spending combined with enhanced business investment enabled a resilient fourth quarter in FY21. With rising consumer spending and strong export and services sectors, optimism over a robust economic recovery was rife. In September, as the first wave of the pandemic peaked, most analysts and rating agencies expected the economy to gain momentum. And yet, at -7.3% GDP growth in FY21, India faced the first yearly economic contraction in 40 years. Consumption is about 55% of GDP, so it moves the GDP in a significant manner. It has contracted in 2021. Investment demand did give a fillip to consumption, but it was not enough to erase the losses of the first two quarters. The unwinding of savings could not give a sizeable boost to consumption, either. That is how we have wound up with an overall contraction. D.K Joshi, Chief Economist at CRISIL, expounded. On the face of it, the economic cost of the pandemic has been, no doubt, substantial. This is made even worse by the fact that the economy has had to go through the cycle of locking down and unlocking two times over now. However, there is a silver lining. Most of the pain inflicted by the second covid wave is expected to be restricted to the first quarter of FY22. Growth in Q1 of FY22 is estimated to be in double digits, but this comes in the backdrop of the low-base effect of Q1 FY21. In Q1 FY21, we had a contraction of 24.4%. That was because of the complete lockdown. Many of the states are likely to open up soon. If we are able to contain the virus now, the recovery will be smooth. But there is still uncertainty over a potential third wave, noted Rao. In the second half of FY22, economic activity is likely to pick up swiftly. With the peak having passed and the rise in infections declining steadily, most states will likely issue an easing of curbs, at least so far as economic activity is concerned. Sectors like agriculture continue to do most of the heavy lifting in the economy as construction, manufacturing face most of the brunt of the lockdown. The key factor that could drive a better-than-expected economic recovery is vaccination. Experts have unanimously touted vaccination to be the decisive aspect that could turn around economic growth this year. If we get vaccinations going by July-August and achieve a critical mass by the end of the year, then well be okay. Like second and third waves in other countries have shown, vaccination will be key, Joshi concluded. With the central government confident of vaccinating the majority of the adult population by end of this year, supply bottlenecks easing, and vaccine procurement rising, the Indian economy may yet escape the worst consequences of the second wave. | https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/economy/article/how-severe-is-the-economic-cost-of-the-second-wave/765226 |
How will the do recovery play out? | In this issue of the Interest Rate Outlook, we want to discuss how interest rate markets in the eurozone and the US will be affected by the economic upturn. Along with the progress in the vaccine rollout, markets have already been anticipating the economic recovery since the beginning of the year. That was the easy part; however, the next phase will be more difficult for the markets. This is due to the fact that the prospective pattern of the recovery will be driven by factors that are specific to the ending crisis and for which therefore no empirical data exists. Upcoming economic data releases will therefore be erratic and make it hard for market participants to distinguish between transitory developments and sustainable trends. This suggests jittery markets. In this environment, it will be particularly challenging for central banks to provide market guidance with clear communication. Apart from our assessment of the interest rate markets, this issue of the Interest Rate Outlook contains two focus topics as well. In one of them, we take a look at the past and compare the effects of public crisis programs in the eurozone and the US. In the other one, we look toward the future and consider what will remain of the crisis once it has ended. Euro Zone: ECB communication needed In March the ECB Council decided to increase the pace of monthly securities purchases under the PEPP program compared to the first three months of the year. This was in response to the increase in bond yields and was supposed to remain limited to the second quarter. In the future decisions on the pace of monthly asset purchases will be made on a quarterly basis for each subsequent quarter. At the June meeting of the ECB Council, the third quarter will therefore be under consideration. The decision will depend on whether the ECB Council considers financing conditions to be favorable relative to the outlook for inflation. This was declared an objective in a December decision. However, the ECB Council has hardly committed itself to anything with this decision. It is neither known what inflation outlook justifies which financing conditions, nor how the two variables are measured. When looked at from the outside, the decision on the pace of securities purchases will therefore appear largely discretionary, making it difficult to assess it in advance. A few clues nevertheless do exist after all is said and done. In December financing conditions -relative to the inflation outlook -were regarded as favorable. At the time 10-year German Bunds were trading at yields ranging from -0.6% to -0.5%. In March, yields of -0.3% were apparently not considered to be favorable, which triggered an increase in PEPP asset purchases. Naturally, the ECB is not evaluating funding conditions solely based on German Bund yields. However, these risk-free rates serve as the basis for most other interest rates (leaving short tenors aside) and are therefore a critical variable. Lately, the picture has become more muddled again. When yields continued to increase significantly in April and particularly in May, the central bank took its time issuing some verbal push-back. We would have expected this earlier, as from the perspective of the ECB higher yields could only have been justified by a change in the inflation outlook, which had just been confirmed to be largely unchanged as recently as in April. Occasionally the ECB discusses the importance of real yields as well. In this context, one could (temporarily) come up with a justification for tolerating higher nominal yields. Higher inflation rates ensure continued low real yields even amid higher nominal yields. However, this rationale would be problematic for at least two reasons. First, the ECB has never highlighted the critical importance of real yields in its market guidance. Secondly, it is clear that the recent surge in inflation rates will be transitory. With nominal yields unchanged, real yields would therefore increase again very soon once inflation rates decline. Our assessment of the upcoming decision of the governing council is based on the determinants set by the ECB, regardless of their vagueness. We do not believe that the inflation outlook haschangedto such an extent that recently prevailing yields could be regarded as favorable. The relatively firm exchange rate of the euro against the US dollar actually rather dampens the inflation outlook. Securities purchases in the third quarter should therefore be continued at the same pace as in the second quarter. With this decision, the ECB Council would also avoid exposing itself to the risk of fueling additional selling pressure and triggering a further increase in bond yields. The smartest thing for the ECB to do would be to withdraw completely from these muddled attempts at steering the markets and provide the markets with clearer guidance. This would be particularly important in the second half of the year, as conditions are bound to become more difficult for the bond market. This is due to the fact that inflation rates will rise again in the autumn. Levels in excess of 2% should be reached temporarily in the fourth quarter at the latest. This will be driven by VAT cuts implemented in Germany from July 2020 onward, which will result in a lower basis of comparison until December. In addition, there may be supply-side effects. These concern bottlenecks resulting from the ramp-up of the economy that will temporarily trigger strong price increases in specific areas. There are already well-known examples for this such as massive increases in freight rates and a shortage of computer chips. Download The Full Interest Rate Outlook | https://www.fxstreet.com/analysis/interest-rate-outlook-eurozone-usa-202106021054 |
Why Real Estate is a Viable Option than Bitcoin for Investors? | By Awais Bhatti For many investors, Cryptocurrency was expected to replace conventional investment portfolios for over a decade. The tangible assets in the market will be on the backburner. However, the latest slump in the value of Bitcoin has hit almost every cryptocurrency that was ballooning for months, sending shockwaves to many and setting a negative trend that has propelled investors to rethink investing in crypto. With Graana.com , read why investment in real estate is a more viable option than bitcoin! Instead of bitcoin, investment in real estate still stands as the most viable option present in the market. Unlike bitcoin, one thing uncontended about investment in real estate is that the real estate sector cannot vanish from planet earth. This factor makes it the primary reason people are always keen to invest in the real estate sector due to its tangible nature. History is a testament that immoveable property has always remained a significant recipient of investment for many due to the quick returns. Therefore, whatever the case or new trend may be, the importance of the real estate sector cannot be relegated. Various compelling reasons put the real estate sector above bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency for investment. Value Addition in Real Estate One of the foremost aspects that put real estate above bitcoin is the factor of value addition. Value addition refers to the concept in which the value of an asset can be easily increased by making minimal improvements. In this regard, real estate corresponds in the best manner to value addition. Explaining this concept through a simple phenomenon suppose there is vacant land with a value of its own. Suppose the landowner decides to construct a residence or a commercial building on that vacant land. In that case, it will correlate to value addition since a landowner will be taking rent from a tenant or he will be running a commercial enterprise. Airbnb models are the best example of value addition in real estate. In contrast to this, the value addition in bitcoin is minimal. Most of the time, cryptocurrency investment is based on speculations, and their exchange rate is continuously oscillating. Low Volatility Bitcoin or digital currency is marked by high volatility, which means that the chances of depreciation in the values are more than continuously oscillating in low volatile markets. Financial Times published an article, Bitcoin: Too Good to Miss or a Bubble Ready to Burst, in which the readers were given various tips before investing in Bitcoin. The article mentioned that the basic rule before investing in real estate is that one should be ready to lose all their investment. The article was published after incorporating inputs from the crypto specialist. On the other hand, immovable properties or the real estate sector are resilient to external shocks, thus becoming a more secure and viable investment option. The fluctuation in the prices of a cryptocurrency is observed every second, while real estate is less susceptible to changes in the market. Therefore, low volatility in prices makes real estate the most viable option. Real Estate is a Tangible Asset Tangible assets hold priority while exploring various investment options. One of the foremost reasons people invest in real support is that they are more resilient to external economic shocks. Furthermore, the actual assets also act as a security to be sold quickly in the market in times of economic uncertainty. Owing to the substantial nature, investors prefer real estate over bitcoin. Value diversification is another important feature that puts real estate ahead of bitcoin. The recent slump in the value of bitcoin has revealed the nature of intangible assets. Regulated by Government The government regulates real estate, making it easy to challenge any malpractice in the courts or other governmental platforms for redressal. Tangible assets are always under the protection of government authorities which gives a secured option for investment. Since the government authorizes land for commercial or residential use, investors for investment like to invest in real estate for secured business. Similarly, the parties sign affidavits that guarantee transactions credibility and can be held accountable if proven fake or wrong. On the other hand, bitcoin transactions are peer-peer which means that there is no involvement of third-party in the transactions. This implies that any fraud or malpractice while making a continuously oscillating investment in cryptocurrency or bitcoin cannot be held accountable. Awais Bhatti is a content specialist at Graana.com. | https://propakistani.pk/2021/06/02/why-real-estate-is-a-viable-option-than-bitcoin-for-investors/ |
Does a country specific visa count towards the Schengen rule? | The EU has confirmed that days spent in an EU country where UK cruisers have a visa/residence permit do not count as days spent in the Schengen zone The EU has confirmed to the Cruising Association that days spent in an EU country where UK cruisers have a visa/residence permit do not count as days spent in the Schengen zone. Since the end of the Brexit transition period, UK sailors have only been allowed to visit Schengen countries for 90 days in every 180 day period, knowns as the 90/180 days rule. The Schengen zone consists of the following 26 countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Sweden and France are currently the only Schengen countries with cruising grounds that offer an 180 day visa/residence permit to UK citizens. Some other Schengen countries offer resident visas but generally these are not appropriate for cruisers due to complications such as tax residency, VAT, and requirements as to minimum days. The CAs Regulations and Technical Services group (RATS) has been in discussion with the EU over the interaction between the the 90/180 days rule and visas/residence permits granted by individual Schengen countries. Continues below It said there were still areas of uncertainty around exit and entry formalities throughout Europe, and it welcomed reports from CA members and other cruisers. These should be sent to [email protected]. A spokesman for RATS said the confirmation of the visa/residence permit not counting towards the 90/180 days rules does not apply to an extension of a Schengen visa. This can be applied for in certain rare circumstances, such as humanitarian reasons, force majeure and medical reasons, before the expiration of the Schengen 90 days. The holder of any such extension is only permitted to remain in the country where the extension is granted and, prior to the expiration of such extension, is required to leave the country and travel directly to a destination outside the Schengen zone. The CA has been campaigning for sailors to be given a 180-day cruising visa for EU countries, rather than being limited to just 90 days in 180. European sailors can visit the UK for 6 months visa free. | https://www.yachtingmonthly.com/news/does-a-country-specific-visa-count-towards-the-schengen-rule-78489 |
Will the school day be extended in the UK? | We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Now the UK is slowly recovering from the pandemic, attention has turned to the so-called Covid catch-up plan for schools. Its estimated that most children missed out on 23 weeks of school over the course of last year, as schools and colleges were forced to close to try and prevent the spread of coronavirus. Even though children are now back in the classroom, not everything is back to normal as all school exams have been cancelled for 2021 and much of day-to-day school life is vastly different from how it was pre-pandemic. The leaked proposals for education recovery, which were published by the Times newspaper this week, include major upheavals to the education system across England. But with doubt already cast on how effective the plans will actually be, some education experts are calling for funds to be diverted to help children catch-up in other areas of life. The government is considering adding 30 minutes onto the end of the school day, according to leaked government proposals. Nothing has been confirmed for certain yet though, as funding for more catch-up plans will depend on the spending review in autumn. One part of the Covid catch-up plan for schools, otherwise known as the education recovery plan, has already been announced. To help children close the gap in their learning created by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Education has allocated a budget of 1 billion for an additional 100 million hours of tutoring. 250 million has also been allocated for further professional development for teachers, while schools and colleges themselves will be allocated funding to allow some year 13 students the option to repeat their final year. This is on top of the 1.7 billion announced earlier in the year for summer schools and mental health support for pupils. Boris Johnson has called this the next step in the education recovery plan, saying it should give parents confidence that we will do everything we can to support children who have fallen behind and that every child will have the skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their potential. However, this step has been dubbed by Geoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers union, as hugely disappointing and showing a failure by the government to recognise the scale of learning loss over the last year. The tutoring will be offered to those most in need of additional support and provided in smaller groups, but it wont be offered to all pupils. However as noted, this is just one element of the whole education recovery plan. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that plans to extend the school day were still very much on the agenda for later this year. As part of the proposals, leaked earlier this week, children are set to have an extra 100 hours of schooling every year from 2022 and a minimum 35-hours in school per week. There may be more focus on one-to-one teaching and further tutoring in smaller groups for five million pupils across England as well. Other proposals in the plan include extending the school day from 8am to 5pm or 6pm, with the additional hours used for extracurricular activities such as sports or art. However Sir Kevan Collins, the education recovery commissioner who created the plan, has argued that by making these extra hours voluntary, the children most in need of additional support would be most likely to miss out. He told a House of Lords committee last month, The more voluntary things are, the less likely theyre going to get to the hard to reach bits of your community. The government has been working on this catch-up plan for schools over the last year, but despite not being finalised yet, the plan has recently hit a snag due to the heavy 15 billion it would reportedly cost to put into action. Working out at 700 per pupil over three years, the plan is supported by the Prime Minister but has received opposition from the chancellor Rishi Sunak and the Treasury. Additionally, research published in May by the University of Cambridge suggests that keeping children in school for longer periods will not be enough to help fill the gaps in their education caused by disruption during the pandemic. The study, conducted by researcher Vaughan Connolly, used timetable data from almost 3000 schools in England to find the connection between changes in the amount of teaching time pupils received in England, maths, science and humanities subjects, and their performances in GCSE results for the same subjects. The results revealed that even substantial increases in classroom teaching time would likely only lead to small improvements. A more productive way to use the additional hours, Mr Connolly suggested, would be to support students metacognitive skills by giving them the information they need to plan and evaluate their own learning. The study also found that just more teaching was only likely to do relatively little to reduce the attainment gap between students on free school meals and others. An hour extra each week in English reduced the gap by 6% and an additional hour of maths reduced the gap by around 8%. When compared to the Education Endowment Foundations Teaching and Learning toolkit, which collects international evidence on teaching interventions and translates their effect into months of progress, the results are poor. Increased classroom teaching time is only likely to lead to two months of progress over a whole academic year, which is significantly less progress than the results of other inventions in the document. The British Psychological Society has also suggested that resources would be better spent improving childrens social and personal skills. Theyve suggested that the government divert funds to activities like music, crafts and sports, all of which children also missed out on when schools were closed during two lockdowns. Vivian Hill, vice-chair of the organisations educational and child psychology division, has said that if the plans go ahead, its important is that we dont just fill those extra hours with more and more formal teaching sessions. It is about developing a balanced offer and recognising that learning is a dynamic process. We urge the government to use this as an opportunity to re-set the approach we take to education and our children within schools. She said, Children dont have to be sat at desks in a classroom to learn, giving them space to play sports, paint, try different crafts, and socialise will all lead to learning and the development of important life skills. Its not currently known if the governments plans to have the school day extended will become a permanent fixture in education. The recovery plan, which has not been finalised yet, is due to come into play from 2022 and could last for a number of years to ensure all children who missed out on education during the pandemic are caught up. There have been no plans suggested to extend the school day in other parts of the UK so far. The plans drawn up by Kevan Connolly only involve schools and other educational establishments in England, with other devolved nations making their own recovery plans for education. Video of the Week First Minister Nicola Sturgeon did say that she would consider tuition in the summer holidays and extended hours for students in Scotland to ensure they can recover from the lost classroom time, however. When asked during First Ministers Questions in February this year whether the First Minister would explore all feasible options for ensuring that our pupils can catch up on their lost education, Ms Sturgeon replied, Yes, we absolutely will. We are doing and will continue to do everything that we can to ensure that the impact on childrens education is minimised, and we will consider taking action beyond that which is being taken right now. | https://www.goodto.com/family/family-news/will-the-school-day-be-extended-in-the-uk-602367 |
Did Climate Change Drive Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers in Sudan to War? | In the 1960s, archaeologists discovered the remains of dozens of hunter-gatherers at the Jebel Sahaba Cemetery in Sudan. The find represent some of the earliest known evidence of warfare among humans. Dated to about 13,400 years ago, many of the 61 bodies discovered bore fatal wounds inflicted by other people, leading scholars to theorize that the grave was the site of a great battle or massacre. But a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests the deaths werent the result of a single violent outbreak: Instead, they stemmed from a series of smaller raids or skirmishes that were likely driven by competition for resources in a changing climate. Unlike a specific battle or short war, violence appears to have unfortunately been a regular occurrence and part of the daily fabric of their lives, study co-author Daniel Antoine, acting head of the Department of Egypt and Sudan and curator of bioarchaeology at the British Museum, tells Reuters Will Dunham. Since 1971, all traces of the ancient cemetery have been submerged in an artificial lake. But the bones the archaeologists studied remain preserved in the British Museums collections. Using modern microscopes, the researchers found that many of the individuals buried at the site received injuries that eventually healed. Sixteen of the 61 bodies had both healed and unhealed woundsevidence that they survived one violent conflict only to die in another. Most of the injuries came from arrows and spears, with flakes from the sharp stone still embedded in some bones. Though the team found evidence of hand-to-hand fighting, the combatants use of projectile weapons suggests the violence was neither domestic nor limited to within a community, reports Katie Hunt for CNN. Men and women were equally likely to be wounded. The only difference is related to what might be close combat, lead author Isabelle Crevecoeur, a bioarchaeologist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the University of Bordeaux, tells CNN. Women have more parry fractures of the forearm and men more fractures of the hand. In a close combat event, women might more instinctively try to protect themselves [with their arms] while men might fight more with their hands. Children, including very young ones, were also hurt or killed in the conflicts. Their injuries were most often the result of blunt force to the head. When you have a burial related to a single event [such as a massacre or an epidemic], the portion of the population that dies is not the usual one youd find in any other cemetery, Crevecoeur tells Miguel ngel Criado of Spanish newspaper El Pas. Looking at the demographic profile of the cemetery, it does not coincide with a burial related to a single event, a sudden crisis of mortality. The profile of Jebel Sahaba is that of a normal cemetery. The fighting took place among communities that lived near the Nile River before the rise of agriculture. They relied largely on fishing, hunting and gathering, facing an increasingly difficult environment as the last Ice Age reached its final stages. During this time of upheaval, the Upper Nile grew increasingly dry, writes Kiona N. Smith for Ars Technica. About 14,000 years ago, meanwhile, an overflowing Lake Victoria made the White Nile begin flowing northward. (The Upper and White Niles are the modern rivers main tributaries.) This created the seasonal flooding pattern that rendered the riverbanks highly fertile. Under these conditions, people from around the region may have left arid areas and found refuge around the Jebel Sahaba site. Pressure in terms of access to resources is one of the main reasons for conflict in the past and the present, Crevecoeur tells Ars Technica. Still, she adds, resource competition was probably only part of the story, with groups most likely having their own reasons for fighting their neighbors. Cultural/behavioral reasons that are inaccessible to us may have been stronger motives, Crevecoeur says. What is certain is that violent acts are recorded [for] hundreds of thousands of years, but their motives are probably as complex and varied as we can imagine. On the other hand, reports New Scientists Krista Charles, the level of intercommunity violence found at the site doesnt seem to have been typical of other hunter-gatherer groups, which may not have faced as much resource competition. We do not know of any other cemetery at that time which shows such a high rate of people injured and killed, Thomas Terberger, an archaeologist at the University of Gttingen in Germany who was not involved in the study, tells New Scientist. This high rate of conflict is something unique and it will be a task for the future to analyze whether this is outstanding evidence, or perhaps the reanalysis of other [similarly ancient] sites will show more evidence of such conflicts. | https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/climate-change-may-have-driven-war-sudan-13400-years-ago-180977864/ |
What Should We Call People Who get to Vacation in Space? | More and more I seem to keep finding articles that talk of the potential for space travel on a commercial level. Yes, one day it may be possible for you to take a week off work and orbit around the planet. Call me a nerd but that sounds like a great time. Granted, I know we are years away from this but it is really fun to think about. The reason I am even talking about his today is due to the fact that once again I saw another interesting article talking about commercial space travel. It points out that thanks to companies like Space X ordinary people will be able to travel into space and spend time there. Obviously, these are people with much deeper pockets than you and I. None the less one day civilians will be in space. Usually, we reserve the term astronaut for the fine folks who have spent years prepping themselves to go into outer space. Someone who is leaving this planet to try and better understand the universe that we live in. I dont think calling Joe Schmo with a big checkbook an astronaut is a good idea. Granted, these people will have to spend time training for what they are about to do, but they will be traveling to space in a more leisurely manner. As I said, we are still years away from this being a reality. But I am hopeful that this does happen in my lifetime. Outer space is something that I am very fascinated with. I would love nothing more than the chance to see it in person. However, I dont think Ill call myself an astronaut. Maybe something along the lines of Space Vacationer. | https://newstalk1280.com/what-should-we-call-people-who-get-to-vacation-in-space/ |
Has VAR lead to fewer football fans attending matches? | A study conducted by the Football Supporters Association (FSA) in England showed more than 40% of fans are likely to attend fewer games due to concerns about the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. The survey, taken by 33,243 supporters, showed more than 94% of the respondents felt VAR had made watching football "less enjoyable" citing issues such as the length of time taken to confirm decisions. Fans also said VAR had ruined the spontaneity of goal celebrations. Only 26% supported the use of VAR, though 97% voted in favour of goal-line technology, which provides near-instant results. The FSA said the results of the survey will be shared with the Premier League. "We hope that the Premier League and referees' body will hear the fans' voice and take urgent steps to improve a system that isn't delivering clear and understandable decisions in stadiums," said FSA vice-chair Tom Greatrex. | https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/football/has-var-lead-to-fewer-football-fans-attending-matches-992913.html |
How significant is UK recording zero daily Covid deaths? | The UK recorded zero daily Covid deaths for the first time since last summer on Tuesday a symbolically significant milestone in the pandemic. But experts have urged caution. While the number of cases continues to gradually rise, on Tuesday no deaths within 28 days of someone testing positive for Covid-19 were reported for the first time since 30 July 2020. On that date, the government announced the number of people who had died after testing positive for Covid-19 had increased by 38. But this was under a different system of counting and reporting, before the current 28-day cut-off had been introduced, so this figure is not comparable with the way deaths are reported now. Tuesdays announcement means the UK total death toll remained static at 127,782. Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics show there have now been 153,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. The progress made since the start of the year, when tens of thousands of people died within weeks as the virus spread rapidly, reflects the fact that nearly three-quarters of adults have now received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine. On a human level, zero daily deaths is clearly significant. Compared to the January peak, when the number of Covid patients dying was regularly above 1,000 each day, zero deaths is an important milestone. Thousands of deaths have been prevented and pressure has been eased on NHS emergency and intensive care staff and facilities, and the UK is clearly in a much better place than it was a month or year ago. Despite the success in reducing Covid deaths, health experts have urged caution. Firstly, there has been a steady increase in the number of Covid infections, with a further 3,165 lab-confirmed cases in the UK on Tuesday. One month ago that figure was closer to 2,000 cases. The announcement on zero deaths also comes after a bank holiday weekend, so there may be a delay in the reporting of the figures. Deaths reported over a regular weekend are ordinarily much lower, and an extra bank holiday Monday has in the past affected the numbers declared. For example, on the last bank holiday on 3 May 2021, there was just a single Covid death reported. Two days later, that figure jumped to 27. Perhaps more significant is the seven-day average, taking account of lower reporting at the weekend, which stood at five on Tuesday. This has steadily been decreasing in recent months. Individual regions of the UK have also recorded zero Covid deaths before now. On 10 May, there were no coronavirus deaths in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland reported, while four deaths were registered in Wales. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 1 May 2021 People swim in the Sky Pool, a transparent swimming pool bridge across two exclusive residential blocks standing next to the US Embassy in Nine Elms, in London, Tuesday, June 1, 2021 AP UK news in pictures 31 May 2021 People enjoy the hot weather at Brighton beach Reuters UK news in pictures 30 May 2021 People venture into the sea as they enjoy themselves during a hot day on Brighton Beach AP UK news in pictures 29 May 2021 Swimmers at the Stonehaven Open Air Pool in Aberdeenshire, which reopens after lockdown restrictions were eased PA UK news in pictures 28 May 2021 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he meets Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at Downing Street in London REUTERS UK news in pictures 27 May 2021 White Pelicans in the sunshine in St James's Park, London PA UK news in pictures 26 May 2021 Boats are seen at Southsea Moorings in Portsmouth Reuters UK news in pictures 25 May 2021 York Glaziers Trust employees Kieran Muir (left) and Emily Price (right) remove a stained glass window panel at the start of a new five year, 5m project to conserve York Minsters South East Transept and its medieval St Cuthbert Window PA UK news in pictures 24 May 2021 Dark rain clouds above an oast house at Bewl Water reservoir near Lamberhurst in Kent during one of the rainiest Mays on record, with the UK seeing 131 per cent of the usual months rainfall already PA UK news in pictures 23 May 2021 The Premier League trophy with the Manchester City club colour ribbons on, at Etihad Stadium, prior to the last Premier League match of the season. City will finally pick up the trophy after they won the league on 11 May Getty UK news in pictures 22 May 2021 Gary Kenny lifts the Buildbase FA Vase Trophy after Warrington Rylands won the FA Vase Final against Binfield at Wembley Stadium Getty UK news in pictures 21 May 2021 A family buffeted by the wind whilst crossing the the Millennium Bridge in London, with wind and rain forecast to ravage the UK on the first Friday that people have been allowed to meet in large groups outside in England PA UK news in pictures 20 May 2021 Devon And Cornwall Police Demonstrate Their Skills For Policing The G7 Summit Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 May 2021 An employee stands before a costume for the Queen of Hearts by Bob Crowley on display at the Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London PA UK news in pictures 17 May 2021 Passengers prepare to board an easyJet flight to Faro, Portugal, at Gatwick Airport after the ban on international leisure travel for people in England was lifted following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England PA UK news in pictures 16 May 2021 Emergency workers at the scene of a suspected gas explosion, in which a young child was killed and two people were seriously injured, on Mallowdale Ave Heysham which caused 2 houses to collapse and badly damaged another PA UK news in pictures 15 May 2021 Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters let off smoke flares, wave flags and carry placards during a demonstration in support of the Palestinian cause as violence escalates in the ongoing conflict with Israel, in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 14 May 2021 Member of staffs tighten screws and paint a Marlin skeleton, before it goes on display at the Natural History Museum in London, as the museum prepares to reopen to the public on 17 May, following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England PA UK news in pictures 13 May 2021 A worshipper at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Mordon, south London, ahead of Eid al-Fitr. The celebration marks the end of the Muslim month of fasting, called Ramadan. PA UK news in pictures 12 May 2021 A couple have wedding photos taken in Westminster, London Getty UK news in pictures 11 May 2021 The sun rises on Coquet Island, off Amble on the Northumberland coast, where as many as 35000 seabirds cram onto this tiny island to breed PA UK news in pictures 10 May 2021 Newly elected for a second term Mayor of London Sadiq Khan during his signing in ceremony at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on Londons Southbank PA UK news in pictures 9 May 2021 People mill around St. Michael's tower on top of Glastonbury Tor as it is seen through blooming yellow rapeseed on a day of mixed weather in Glastonbury, Somerset PA UK news in pictures 8 May 2021 Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford elbow bumps newly elected MS Labour candidates Elizabeth Buffy Williams, Rhondda, left, and Sarah Murphy, Bridgend & Porthcawl Labour, right, as they meet in Porthcawl, Wales PA UK news in pictures 6 May 2021 A group of five Sisters from Carmelite Monastery in Dysart cast their vote in the Scottish Parliamentary election at Dysart Community Hall, West Port, Dysart PA UK news in pictures 5 May 2021 Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer (centre) with West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate Liam Byrne (far right) and Labour Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner (far left) during a visit to Birmingham, whilst on the election campaign trail PA UK news in pictures 4 May 2021 Artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey stand within 100 oak saplings which form part of a living art installation entitled Beuys' Acorns by the UK-based artist duo, outside the Tate Modern in London PA UK news in pictures 3 May 2021 Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie feeds the Gentoo penguins during a visit to Edinburgh Zoo on the campaign trail for the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary Election on May 6 PA UK news in pictures 2 May 2021 Chelsea players celebrate their fourth goal during the Womens Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, at Kingsmeadow Stadium in south west London. The Blues won the game 4-1, (and the tie 5-3 on aggregate) sending them through to their first Champions League final AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 1 May 2020 Demonstrators during a march through London during a 'Kill the Bill' protest Angela Christofilou UK news in pictures 30 April 2021 Shoppers queue outside Primark in Belfast as shops reopen and hospitality is able to open outdoors in Northern Ireland where lockdown restrictions have begun to gradually ease PA UK news in pictures 29 April 2021 Specialist operators at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, near Telford, Shropshire, clean the Hawker Hunter aircraft displayed within the museum's National Cold War Exhibition, during annual high-level aircraft cleaning and maintenance PA UK news in pictures 28 April 2021 Millions of tulips in flower near Kings Lynn in Norfolk, as Belmont Nurseries, the UK's largest commercial grower of outdoor tulips, offers socially-distanced visits to its tulip fields at Hillington to raise funds for local charity The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House PA UK news in pictures 27 April 2021 Paula Laughton checks one of the newly installed Lego models in the new Lego Mythica land at Legoland Windsor Resort PA UK news in pictures 26 April 2021 A red panda rests on a tree at Manor Wildlife park, which reopened its doors as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, in Tenby, Wales Reuters UK news in pictures 25 April 2021 Sheep climb the hillside as flames from a moor fire are seen on Marsden moor, near Huddersfield AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 24 April 2021 Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners, outside English Premier League club Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium in Manchester AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 23 April 2021 People enjoy the warm weather at City Hall near Tower Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 22 April 2021 Uyghurs during a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, which is being held ahead of a House of Commons debate, bought by backbench MP Nus Ghani, on whether Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang province are suffering crimes against humanity and genocide PA UK news in pictures 21 April 2021 People walk at the Taihaku Cherry Orchard in Alnwick REUTERS UK news in pictures 20 April 2021 People stand in front of anti Super League banners outside Anfield as twelve of Europe's top football clubs, including Liverpool, launch a breakaway league Reuters UK news in pictures 19 April 2021 Women enjoy sunny weather in Greenwich, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain, Reuters UK news in pictures 18 April 2021 Stephen Maguire (right) of Scotland interacts with Jamie Jones of Wales during day 2 of the Betfred World Snooker Championships 2021 at The Crucible, Sheffield PA UK news in pictures 17 April 2021 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburghs coffin, covered with His Royal Highnesss Personal Standard arrives by Landrover Defender at St Georges Chapel carried by a bearer party found by the Royal Marines during the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle Getty Images UK news in pictures 16 April 2021 Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, checks the teeth of "Dentosaurus" during a visit to the Thornliebank Dental Care centre in Glasgow, as she campaigns ahead of the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary Election AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 April 2021 Myanmar's former ambassador to the UK, Kyaw Zwar Minn, outside his residence in north west London. The ambassador has been barred from entering the Myanmar embassy in Mayfair after he was removed from office PA UK news in pictures 14 April 2021 People take part in coronavirus surge testing on Clapham Common, south London. Thousands of residents have queued up to take coronavirus tests at additional facilities set up after new cases of the South African variant were found in two south London boroughs. 44 confirmed cases of the variant have been found in Lambeth and Wandsworth, with a further 30 probable cases identified PA UK news in pictures 13 April 2021 The core of the Milky Way becomes visible in the early hours of Tuesday morning as it moves over Bamburgh Lighthouse at stag Rock in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 12 April 2021 Rebecca Richardson (left) and Genevieve Florence, members of the Aquabatix synchronised swimming team, during a practice session in the swimming pool at Clissold Leisure Centre in north London, which has reopened to the public. Israel, which along with the UK has been one of the fastest countries in the world to vaccinate large swathes of its adult population, reported zero Covid deaths on 22 April, also for the first time in 10 months. The country has since reported zero daily deaths around a dozen times and has not seen a significant uptick in its figures. The latest figures come amid continuing debate over whether the final stages of unlocking restrictions in England can go ahead on 21 June. While there have been concerns raised over the spread of the Indian or Delta variant, the latest tally is likely to feed into ministers' considerations on easing restrictions, and could reassure them that even as cases rise, deaths appear not yet to be following the same trajectory. However Professor Adam Finn, of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said there are still many people who are vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19, as he warned the idea that somehow the job is done is wrong. Professor Ravi Gupta, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said a delay of a few weeks could have a significant impact on Britain's battle against the pandemic and recommended it should be made clear to the public that it would be a temporary measure based on the surge in cases of the new variant. And Pat Cullen, acting general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, urged ministers to watch the data, adding: As the NHS starts the road to recovery now is the time to take cautious steps and not take an unchecked leap to freedom. | https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/covid-uk-zero-deaths-lockdown-b1858123.html |
Which countries are likely to be added to the red list? | The government is soon to reveal its first review of the travel traffic light system. Holidays abroad were given the go-ahead in Britain on 17 May, when the Department for Transport (DfT) first unveiled which countries would be on its green, amber and red lists. Destinations were designated a colour depending on the associated Covid-19 risk, and assigned rules for inbound travellers to match. Green list countries, of which there were only 12, came with the lightest requirements, while red list countries, totalling 43, were assigned the harshest restrictions. Heres what we know so far. There are currently 43 countries on the red list. It existed prior to 17 May, with hotel quarantine first coming into effect on 15 February. The list was originally 30 countries long. Additional countries have since been added; India joined the red list on 23 April, over concerns of its new variant, while the most recent additions were the Maldives, Turkey and Nepal on 7 May. The lists will be reviewed every three weeks the first update is expected to take place on 3 June. Any changes would then come into effect a week after the review, on 10 June. Any amends to the lists will be informed by public health advice, including the Joint Biosecurity Centres assessment of the latest data. These regular review points will allow the government to balance helping the public to understand Covid requirements when travelling to England while allowing us to constantly evaluate the risk for different countries, according to the DfT. The former director of strategy at BAs parent company International Airlines Group (IAG) and founder of GridPoint Consulting Limited, Robert Boyle, recently assessed the available case rate and testing data to predict which countries might move lists. Purely based on infection rates, the countries with the highest reported case rates based on a seven-day average reported cases per million that are currently classified as amber are Bahrain, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago and Kuwait. Expect those to be added shortly to the red list, wrote Mr Boyle. Minister abruptly ends GMB interview over amber list travel rules All four destinations are in the top 15 countries for highest case rates, according to Our World in Data. Every other one of the top 15 is already classified as red. In fact, Bahrain currently has the second highest number of new infections, only beaten by the Maldives. According to the second Global Travel Taskforce report, published on 9 April, the key factors in assessing a countrys risk factor are its rate of infection, the prevalence of variants of concern and the progress of its vaccination programme. The reliability of a countrys data and whether its performing enough community testing will also play a determining factor. International travel hubs, such as the UAE, are also deemed to be high risk due to the number of passengers catching connecting flights from all over the world, and the difficulty in separating out travellers who have originated from other red list nations. According to transport secretary Grant Shapps, red list countries are those which should not be visited except in the most extreme of circumstances, and travellers arriving into the UK from these places face the harshest restrictions. Before departing for the UK, all passengers must present a negative Covid test (which can be rapid antigen or lateral flow, as well as PCR). They must also fill in a passenger locator form, plus pre-book and pay for a hotel quarantine package before arriving in the UK. This costs 1,750 for a solo traveller, and includes a private transfer from the airport to a designated quarantine hotel, 11 nights stay, all meals and two PCR tests to be taken on day two and day eight of self-isolation. | https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/red-list-countries-added-bahrain-kuwait-b1858100.html |
Who Pays for Food When Houseguests Visit? | Summer is almost here, and for many, this years vacation season wont be ruined by the pandemic. Now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dropped the recommendation to wear a mask or physically distance in all settings for fully vaccinated people, there will likely be a surge in travel. 2021 Small Business Spotlight: Dont Miss Out on Nominating Your Favorite Small Business To Be Featured on GOBankingRates Ends May 31 Whether youre planning to host guests or take a trip to see friends and family, its important to know proper etiquette rules surrounding who should pay for food during the visit. This can help avoid awkwardness and frustration that causes someone likely the host to feel theyve been taken advantage of. Jodi RR Smith, president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, said there are many factors to weigh when deciding the obligations of each party. The first consideration is who did the asking, she said. Smith added that socioeconomic factors are also an important consideration, as hosts and guests might have very different budgets. Should my recently graduated, but currently jobless, nephew come for a stay, I will be footing the bill, she said. Of course, I would expect him to be useful and helpful around the house. And, perhaps a box of chocolates as a host-gift would be thoughtful. On the other hand, she noted that sometimes the guest has much more spending power than the host. [For example, if] I am on an overseas assignment and a wealthy auntie comes calling, I would be the one on the couch, but she may be the one paying for dinner, Smith said. When it comes to who pays for groceries, Smith said it would depend on both who did the inviting and each persons financial situation. The longer the stay, and certainly one more than a few days, groceries and staples should be discussed during the planning phase, she said. However, even if the guest is cash poor, Smith said theyre not off the hook completely. From getting up early to bring coffee and pastries back to making/serving/cleaning an entire meal, there is always something for a guest to do to show the host some appreciation, she said. Maryanne Parker, an etiquette expert, noted that being a wonderful host isnt always easy and in fact, can be largely overwhelming. However, she said there are certain responsibilities that come with hosting guests for several days including having food on hand. A good host will be prepared for the arrival of her guests and yes, she will pay for the meals for at least a couple of days, she said. Even if the meal is just a simple and inexpensive [one], the good hospitality resonates when we graciously host our guest. She said this also includes finding out if guests have any dietary restrictions in advance, to ensure the food meets their needs. Additionally, she advised against experimenting with new recipes, as a well-intentioned yet largely untested fancy meal can result in disaster. If the host has the money, Parker said its perfectly fine to serve delicacies. However, she noted the guest will try to reciprocate, so if you know they cant afford to do so, make it clear youre just happy to see them and dont regularly prepare such elaborate meals. Some people have wrong intensions, for example, to show off how well they are doing, which can put the guest in a rather intimidating situation especially if they are not on the same financial level, she said. Be a gracious host, this is all that matters. While Parker said guests are not required or expected to purchase food for at least the first couple days of their visit, she recommended offering to help with meal preparation or serving. A few days into the visit, she encouraged guests to purchase food and prepare the meal. If we cannot cook, but the host is an amazing chef, we can ask the host how can we contribute for the next meal, she said. In this case, we can definitely purchase the groceri[es]. As guests, we should be almost equally involved, because we do not want to be a burden for the host. Alternately, she suggested guests take their host out to dinner a couple of days into their stay and definitely pay for it. The general rule is for all of us to work together and build beautiful and pleasant memories, she said. See: How To Say No to Friends or Family Who Want To Borrow Money Reuniting with loved ones should be a fun experience, so its important for hosts and guests to consider their unique situation and work together to contribute to mealtime accordingly. Discussing this issue in advance can be a smart way to avoid tension and ensure everyone is on the same page. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263884992937/who-pays-for-food-when-houseguests-visit |
How can SamePay Make Transactions More Secure? | If simple digital payments really want to take off, they need to be secure. Many traditional ways to send crypto arent simple, or secure either. Thats why SamePay is the obvious solution, a simple wallet app everyone can understand, thats also completely secure at the same time. Not only is it secure, its also fast. So lets have a look at a little bit more about SamePay and how it makes your crypto transactions as secure as possible. SamePay is a digital payments app that has been built alongside the Samecoin ecosystem of stablecoins. But users dont just have to use SamePay to transact convenient digital currencies like SameUSD, they can use it for everything from BTC to DOGE and XRP. To both hold, transact, exchange and receive all these coins with simple, fast and secure methods. Authentication to confirm every transaction SamePay has some of the strongest methods of authentication in the crypto world. These are all designed to make sure its actually you doing the transaction, every single time. But theyve also been developed to not just be completely secure, but also quick and easy to use (for anyone). That means you wont be slowed down by lengthy confirmation processes, but will still have all the security features you need to transact safely. SamePay uses a range of different authentication methods to make sure its always you completing the transaction in a quick and easy manner. These include facial recognition and fingerprinting technology, as well as pincodes if your device doesnt support those. Youre not alone. Bob tried to send some crypto to a friend once and made one small typo, his friend didnt get the funds! Thankfully it was only a few DOGE, so not a fortune, but its something Bob definitely wants to avoid for future transactions, especially larger ones. Thats why Bob likes how easy to use SamePay is, especially in conjunction with SameIDsimple wallet addresses that are hard to get wrong. Nobody wants to spend minutes checking theyve typed in the correct wallet address. It slows the whole process down, and also leads to a system that isnt secure from errors. SamePay holds all your different crypto in separate wallets that you dont need to know the address of, you just need to know your SameID. Simple. And secure. Samecoin ecosystem is also being audited by Certik and the results are transparently seen here. SamePay has also been built alongside a completely secure and transparent Samecoin ecosystem. Holders of Samecoin on the SamePay app will get a reduction on fees that are already some of the lowest in the industry, as well as rights to vote on the future governance of the system and rewards from staking their Samecoin and stablecoins like SameUSD. Now crypto fans have an easy-to-use system thats also completely secure for all transactions, thanks to SamePay. | https://www.cryptopolitan.com/how-can-samepay-make-transactions-more-secure/ |
Is Samecoins ecosystem better than Visa for transactions? | Samecoins ecosystem has been built from the ground up as an easy-to-understand family of stablecoins like SameUSD, integrated into a simple payments app SamePay with all the benefits of DeFi and none of the complications. Thats why more and more people like Peter are choosing Samecoin and SamePay for transactions over traditional methods like Visa. Peter loves being able to spend a currency he can understand, SameUSD, alongside trading crypto like ETH on the SamePay app. For transactions, SameUSD has tons of benefits when compared to other cryptocurrencies. Its a safe store of value that isnt at the whim of huge fluctuations like BTC. But Samecoin and SamePay also have benefits when compared to tried-and-tested payment processors like Visa. Lets look at how they compare a few different areas: Fees Samecoin offers some of the lowest transaction fees in the world. These are already low on the SamePay app, competitive with most VISA processing fees. While VISA transactions can be fee-free, this isnt necessarily the case if youre using a VISA credit card. Fees vary between providers but could be up to 3%, with an average of around 1.5%. In comparison, transactions using the SamePay app are an already-low 1%. And if you also hold the Samecoin utility token when using the SamePay app, these are reduced even further to just 0.5%. As you can see, transactions are lower in the Samecoin ecosystem. The importance of this shouldnt be understated, especially if you make large transactions or regular payments: you save money with the Samecoin ecosystem. Its as simple as that. And thats without even looking at the other benefits of the Samecoin ecosystem to your finances, like staking rewards. Ease of acceptance Getting accepted for a credit card can be difficult at the best of times. Youll normally have to pass certain security and credit checks, as well as complete a range of other identification checks. This can make it difficult for some people to get accepted at all, but even if you are acceptedit takes time. Some people in certain locations simply cant get a credit card at all. Anyone can get started with the Samecoin ecosystem. Setting up SamePay is open to everyone, and only takes a few minutes. Youre free to buy and sell crypto, make transactions, and enjoy all the benefits of Decentralized Finance without having to jump through any hoops. Control of your money With a DeFi protocol like Samecoin, you have complete control of your money at all times, rather than relying on private institutions or unknown corporations. Processing times Transactions only take a few minutes with Samecoin and SamePay. Processing with a credit card not only takes time, but it could also cost you money. The crypto market is always open, unlike banks that have to follow working hours and wont get anything done outside of these times. Transparency The entire Samecoin ecosystem is completely transparent at all times, meaning you know exactly how its built, how your money is controlled, and can even vote on future governance decisions with vSamecoin. Its one of the most transparent systems in the world, unlike some other financial institutions. | https://www.cryptopolitan.com/is-samecoins-ecosystem-better-than-visa-for-transactions/ |
Is Disney Plus account sharing allowed? | Weve all been told that sharing is caring. Long gone are the days when families gathered in the living room to enjoy that evenings prime time TV together. The ability to watch divergent content on multiple devices, to be streamed from various areas of the house, is a modern must, and that flexibility has been factored into Disney Plus account sharing. Disney Plus deals: see all of today's best prices here Join Disney Plus now (Image credit: Disney) Sign up to the House of Mouse's very own streaming service and get comfy in front of the TV. Watch Pixar movies, Disney Plus originals, as well as The Simpsons and documentaries by National Geographic. Disney Plus packages: $7.99/7.99/AUS11.99 a month or $79.99/79.90/AUS$119.99 a year US customer exclusive: Get Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN+ bundled together for $13.99 a month. Sign up to Disney Plus today and save on annual plans Its acknowledged that a degree of Disney Plus account sharing is inevitable. And its hardly stunting the platforms growth: the House of Mouse roared to over 100 million subscribers in just 18 months. However, if its discovered that youre seriously taking the Mickey, then at the very least expect your account to be blocked. Below well detail what an appropriate amount of account sharing looks like; how to create additional user profiles for your nearest and dearest; and the total number of devices you can stream from at any one time. Disney Plus account sharing: what the Ts&Cs say: Theres nothing explicitly denouncing Disney Plus account sharing in the Subscriber Agreement. The emphasis is instead on the account holders responsibility to keep this information safe, stating that they, rather than Disney Plus, will be liable for any damage arising from their login details being misused by others. Its laid out in Section 1 that You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security of your username and password and for all activities that occur on or through your Disney+ and ESPN+ accounts. However, if you allow others to access your Disney+ or ESPN+ account, this Agreement, as well as any specific consents you may have provided, also applies to their access, use, and disclosure of information. So, Disney Plus is aware that subscribers may choose to provide their login details to family and friends. And thats okay. The platforms functionality basically encourages this, with each account able to run multiple concurrent streams from different devices, and offering the ability to create up to 7 individualized profiles. But, if your account starts being accessed from dozens of devices over many geographic locations, this is likely to be flagged as suspicious activity which may lead to your account being blocked or terminated. You can change it in your account settings and gradually ice out your loved ones. Or a much nicer idea buy them a Disney Plus gift card for a special occasion. First off, you need to be a paying Disney Plus member. You can check out everything a subscription offers in our Disney Plus price guide and the best deals available. Then, you can create up to 7 user profiles. Each one maintains the individuals viewing history, produces a line-up of Recommended titles based on this, and lets them create their own unique Watchlist. Setting up a personalized profile for a child, partner, parent or friend is easy. Just follow the instructions provided below: Sign in to your Disney Plus account Click on your avatar (in the upper right corner of PCs, or the bottom right of your mobile screen) Select Edit Profiles Click on the + Add Profile icon Pick an Avatar Further customization includes: disabling/enabling GroupWatch, enable a child friendly Kids Profile (this makes only TV-Y7FV and G-rated content available) Enter a name for the profile and then select Save Create a 4-digit Profile Pin for optional additional security Your new profile will appear under the Whos Watching? page and ready to start streaming! Alternatively, you can delete a profile by clicking on Edit Profiles, selecting the pencil icon under the relevant avatar, and selecting Delete Profile at the end of that webpage. With Disney Plus account sharing you can watch content on four different devices at the same time. That means your youngest enjoying Muppets Now on the smart TV while Marvel-loving teens kick-back with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on their iPad. If you receive Error Code 13 trying to stream your favorite show, though, its likely your account is being accessed by more than four people at once... Disney Plus delivers great value at $7.99 per month, especially compared to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max, whose entry-level plans only provide between one and three streams. Additionally, you can download content to a whopping 10 mobile devices to view offline too. That way you need never endure a dull moment in the Post Office queue or on your way to work. As we detail in this piece on Disney Plus devices, theres lots of tech compatible with the Disney Plus app, all of which you could use to stream exciting original TV shows like Loki and new Disney Plus Premier Access releases like the Emma Stone-starring Cruella. | https://www.techradar.com/au/news/disney-plus-account-sharing |
Will We Make It? | article $100.00 / for 365 days Sponsored Content Articles Policy & Procedure Only content submissions which satisfy our conditions for publication will be published. The fee for publication via this portal is $100. This fee is non-refundable. To accomplish your publication purchase, you must be logged-in as a website user: https://www.capemaycountyherald.com/users/signup This purchase is for online publication only. If print publication is also desired, please proceed with the purchase of online publication and contact [email protected] regarding print publication. By default, approved/paid submissions will be published to the "Lifestyle" section of the website. Requests for other urls/sections deemed relevant to the submission will be honored. Submissions may contain links including do-follow links. Published submissions will remain published for as long as the website remains active, presumably at least one year. Submissions must conform to our comment standards (https://www.capemaycountyherald.com/site/comment_standards.html) and must constitute appropriate use of the English language. Publisher reserves the right to refuse publication for any reason. Submissions will not be processed for publication without advance payment. Submissions requiring additional support services e.g., to amend content or to effect payment will not be published. By mutual agreement, editorial services may be provided for an additional charge; otherwise, advance payment rendered will be deemed a non-refundable service charge. Upon request to [email protected] a link to the published article will be transmitted via email. Our website is directed to a U.S.-based audience; our content may not be accessible to some international audiences due to technology restrictions. By initiating this transaction, the submitter assumes any and all liability associated with publication of the submitted content (e.g., infringement, licensing) and agrees to defend and hold the Publisher harmless. | https://www.capemaycountyherald.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/article_f0c6d6d8-c30b-11eb-ad14-23adbeb5460d.html |
Will the Texans be ready at quarterback and running back in 21? | Clay Travis: One of the most telling draft picks that occurred this weekend was actually what the Houston Texans did with their first pick in the third round. They drafted Davis Mills out of Stanford This is a sign, a clear one, that the Texans are not anticipating having Deshaun Watson for the entirety of the 2021 season. If they thought there was any way possible that Deshaun Watson was going to play for them there is no way that they would draft a quarterback with their first pick in the third round. This is a clear sign, clear as day, couldnt be more transparent that the Texans are legitimately uncertain about when or if Deshaun Watson will ever return to the NFL The Texans are giving you a clear picture into their worldview when they draft Davis Mills. Theyre letting you know that this is Tyrod Taylors team, and they are getting a young quarterback that they are now going to groom because I think the Texans are akcnolwing effectively that Deshaun Watson may never take another snap for them ever again for the rest of his career. Who knows when Deshaun Watson is going to be taking a snap for anybody. That pick told us an absolute mountain about the future of Deshaun Watson in Houston. I think his time is over there. I think he is finished in Houston. (Full Audio Above) | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263891292869/will-the-texans-be-ready-at-quarterback-and-running-back-in-21 |
When is The Masked Dancer final? | Filling a Britains Got Talent hole that was left in the schedule (thanks to the pandemic putting a halt to acts being able to audition) is The Masked Dancer! Advertisement If the name sounds familiar, that is because it is a spin-off of The Masked Singer and almost all the panel is back for the dancing version only Rita Ora is not around this time having been replaced by professional dancer, Oti Mabuse. And while The Masked Dancer contestants remove their masks one by one, there can only be one winner and as the show takes place over the course of a week, we do not have long to wait until we learn who is behind the winning mask. Here is all the information you need to know. ITV It may have only just started but The Masked Singer is set to come to an end earlier than you may think thanks to ITV giving us a new episode throughout the week. The final is set to air this coming Saturday, June 5th at 7.30pm which means we are so close to finding out who is the winner and who it is underneath each of those amazing costumes that The Masked Dancer contestants have been wearing. This will be the first dancing winner and they will join Nicola Roberts and Joss Stone as Masked winners after they emerged victorious from the first two series of The Masked Singer. Get the latest TV and entertainment news direct to your inbox Thanks! Sign in Register Sign me up! Sign up to receive television and entertainment email newsletters from our award-winning editorial team. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information about how we hold your personal data, please see our privacy policy. All 12 acts are expected to return for a big opening number and the final four will have two routines each to perform. Keeping the Masked tradition alive, we got some fabulous costumes that the celebrities were dancing inside and it is hard for us to pick a favourite although if we were pushed we would go with Llama or Carwash or maybe Rubber Chicken. If the show does come back for series two, the costume department will have their work cut out for them if they plan on topping the outfits worn this year! Advertisement The Masked Dancer is on daily on ITV at 7pm/7:30pm on ITV and ITV Hub. For something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Entertainment hub. | https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/masked-dancer-final/ |
How many times has the Olympics been cancelled? | The coronavirus pandemic wrecked havoc with the sporting calendar last year as the world battled different waves of the virus and a decision was made in March to postpone the July 2020 event to this summer. The Olympics are due to start on Friday, July 23, 2021 but there is still plenty of opposition from the Japanese people about fears the virus could spread if they go ahead. The likes of tennis stars Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams have also cast doubt over the Olympics going ahead. The number of cases in the country has been trending downwards since the middle of May and on May 30 there were nearly 3,000 new Covid-19 cases. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video But the arrival of 90,000 athletes, officials, journalists and other workers has prompted a backlash from those living in Japan. Some host towns have even refused to house athletes. Last week, Japan also extended its state of emergency in Tokyo and other areas until June 20. But despite all these measures and concerns, members of the International Olympic Committee continue to publicly declare the Games are going ahead. Should they be forced to cancel the Olympics at the last minute, it will be the first time a Games has been cancelled as a result of virus. In its 124-year modern history the Olympics has only been cancelled three times. These came in 1916, 1940 and 1944 during World War One and World War Two. Germany were due to host the 1916 Olympics, and even built an impressive 30,000 seater stadium in Berlin, but the outbreak of the war two years previously saw the Games cancelled. The Second World War also saw a further two Olympics cancelled Japan were due to host in 1940 while Londons 1944 plans were also scrapped. Major Cold War boycotts disrupted the Moscow and Los Angeles summer Games in 1980 and 1984 but they still went ahead. Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Share your views in the comments below. | https://metro.co.uk/2021/06/02/how-many-times-has-the-olympics-been-cancelled-14689085/ |
Will Moon pardon Samsung chief? | President Moon Jae-in, who has so far excluded businesspeople when exercising his power to pardon criminals, may be mulling an exception for Lee Jae-yong, the imprisoned de facto leader of Samsung Group.According to Cheong Wa Dae sources, a subtle shift in the presidents tone was detected Wednesday at a luncheon meeting at the presidential office with the heads of the nations four largest conglomerates -- Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam, Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Euisun, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo.He invited the leaders of the so-called Big 4 groups to the luncheon to brief them on his recent summit with President Joe Biden and follow-up measures to support businesses.During the meeting, Chey, who doubles as chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, first brought up the issue of a pardon for the Samsung chief as he discussed the difficulties facing businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Samsungs Kim also stressed the role of a companys leader in making a huge investment decision in the semiconductor industry.I understand your concerns. There are also many people who share that view, the president was quoted as saying by a ranking Cheong Wa Dae official who wished to be unnamed. Now, at a time when the business environment is changing in unprecedented ways, I'm well aware that bolder action is required for businesses.The possible shift in tone comes amid mounting calls for a pardon for Lee, who is serving prison time for bribery. In recent public opinion polls, almost 70 percent of respondents said they were in favor of a pardon, citing his leadership role in leading the nation's largest business empire.Moon, who has maintained a prudent approach to issuing pardons, has also stressed that public consensus was the key consideration even though he can use the power at his own discretion.Another senior Cheong Wa Dae official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, It is unclear whether Moon will be using his pardoning power. It is the presidents sole discretion. But I feel the overall atmosphere is changing more recently.If the president decides to pardon Lee, it will likely happen on Aug. 15, when South Korea marks Liberation Day. In Korea, it is a tradition for presidents to grant pardons on that day, along with Christmas.Previously, the four conglomerates unveiled plans to invest a combined 41 trillion won ($40 billion) in the US on the occasion of the Moon-Biden summit in Washington on May 21.Samsung alone pledged to invest $17 billion to build a semiconductor facility, a timely announcement for the US president, who aims to build a US-led global supply chain for high-tech industries, especially chips.During the luncheon, Moon reiterated his gratitude over the investment plans.Korea may have been a beneficiary of the relationship with the US in the past, he said. But now the two countries have become partners sharing cutting-edge technologies like chips, batteries and biomedicines. The four groups (that you represent) have played a key role.By Lee Ji-yoon ( [email protected] | http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210602001005 |
Can immunity form and interaction with seasonal coronaviruses influence SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology? | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected over 171.2 million people worldwide and caused over 3.65 million deaths. Because it is a novel pathogen, very little information is available on the period of infection-induced immunity caused by SARS-CoV-2. Although several reports on the reinfection of SARS-CoV-2 recovered patients are available, these are rare occurrences. In most cases, the protection lasts for at least 6-8 months, post-COVID-19. Scientists believe that for developing the most effective strategies to contain the current COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the population-level immunity dynamics, induced via vaccine or infection, is of utmost importance. Seasonal coronaviruses can impact cross-immunity, which also plays a role in the duration of the immune protection against the disease. Several genera of coronaviruses can infect human populations, for example, alphacoronaviruses (HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63) and betacoronaviruses (HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-OC43). SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the genera betacoronavirus, which also includes SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV. Researchers have reported that, in the United Kingdom, each year, seasonal human coronavirus (HCoV) peaks during January-February. Even though several studies have indicated that reinfection of seasonal HCoVs occurs within a year, some studies have observed that for certain individuals, immune protection lasts for a longer period. Additionally, researchers have also found that these antibodies are also effective against homologous strains of HCoV-229E, for approximately a year. Similarly, cross-protective immunity is also present between seasonal HCoVs and SARS-family coronaviruses. Researchers have analyzed human sera from SARS-CoV-2 patients and found a high IgG reactivity to seasonal HCoVs and low reactivity to SARS-CoV-2. Further, cross-reactive T-cells against SARS-CoV-2 have been reported in 20% to 51% of healthy individuals, owing to seasonal coronavirus infection. Such cross-reactive T-cells are mostly found in children and adolescents. This explains why children and adolescents are less prone to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thereby, cross-protection from seasonal HCoVs has helped somewhat shape the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2. A new study has been published on the medRxiv* preprint server, which hypothesizes that cross-protection from seasonal epidemics of HCoVs could not only affect SARS-CoV-2 transmission but also protect children from the disease. To evaluate the pre-pandemic distribution of immunity to HCoVs, researchers have used six years of seasonal coronavirus surveillance data from England and Wales and fed it to mathematical models, which estimate the period for which infection-induced immunity to seasonal HCoVs persists. Further, the researchers also determined the relationship of the cross-protection from seasonal HCoVs with age patterns during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The study estimated that immunity to seasonal HCoVs persists 7 years and 3 months (95% CI: 6.8 - 7.9) and that the R 0 is 5.7 (95% CI: 5.4 - 6.0). The results do not comprehensively explain the reduced susceptibility of children to SARS-CoV-2 as observed during the first wave in the United Kingdom. This estimation differs from the conclusions obtained in earlier research which included larger data from Michigan, where strain-specific reinfection was observed between nineteen- and thirty-three months post-infection. Another report from Kenya showed reinfection within six months. Previous studies showed coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-1, can provide immune protection up to eleven months post-infection. SARS-CoV-2 simulations A ) Fitted epidemic trajectories to d daily S ARS-CoV-2 deaths in 2020 in England and Wales. Each facet is a different strength of cross-protection and contains output from 1 00 simulations. The red line indicates the fixed date when SARS-CoV-2 i introduction starts. B) Estimated R 0 values for S ARS-CoV-2 with different strengths of cross-protection. P points display the R 0, C19 and lines show the range of R eff, C 19 during the simulation. C ) simulated age-specific serology rates for SARS-CoV-2 by the end of May 2 020. As stated above, the current research concludes that cross-protection between seasonal HCoVs and SARS-CoV-2 is one of the reasons why children were less vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave in England and Wales. This observation agrees with previous research conducted in America, which revealed 50% of pre-pandemic donors possessed reactive T-cells to SARS-CoV-2. Further, these donors also had serological markers for a recent seasonal HCoV infection, which indicated seasonal HCoV was responsible for inciting cross-protective immunity. Similarly, another study from Australia had reported 48% of uninfected candidates retained cross-reactive T-cells to SARS-CoV-2. The cross-reactivity showed a strong correlation with the memory of seasonal coronavirus strains. Even though antibodies are cross-reactive, their persistence varies from one individual to another and is short-lived when compared to T-cells. Researchers have identified cross-reactive immune responses in other pandemic coronaviruses. The study reveals that cross-protection from seasonal coronaviruses, independently, cannot reduce susceptibility to infection in children. Several other factors might be responsible. Children produce a wide array of reactive antibodies that are not induced by common pathogens and contain different proportions of blood cell types. Also, multiple infections can enhance immunity due to cross-protection. On evaluating the strengths of cross-protection (i.e., strong or mild cross-protection between HCoVs and SARS-CoV-2), the researchers predicted a high chance that SARS-CoV-2 could cause annual epidemics or epidemics every couple of years. The current study has assumed all seasonal HCoVs as one virus, and thereby, complete cross-protection exists between them. However, this assumption could lead to an underestimation of the actual duration of protection, because cross-protection may be strain-specific. Further, the researchers have assumed that over repeated infections, the strength of immunity to seasonal HCoVs is constant. However, in the case of recurrent infections by viruses such as the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), such an assumption could lead to a different evaluation of immunity. Researchers of the current study claim that a better understanding of commonly prevalent coronaviruses could help predict the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. | https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210602/Can-immunity-form-and-interaction-with-seasonal-coronaviruses-influence-SARS-CoV-2-epidemiology.aspx |
Could 3D printed swabs be used to collect COVID-19 test samples? | Researchers have evaluated 3D printed sample collection swabs made in-house and found them to be a reliable alternative to commercial swabs. The detection of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is done by collecting samples from the nose and throat. The samples are usually collected using a swab, which has fibers that help better the collection and transport of the sample. As the pandemic continues throughout the world, there is a shortage of testing reagents and sampling swabs, leading to delayed results, affecting the spread of the virus. To overcome the supply challenge, 3D printing technology was used to rapidly build prototypes. Several teams made available open-source designs for making 3D printed swabs, and workflows were established for local printing. Researchers from the Universit de Montral and the Universit du Qubec in Canada evaluated the fabrication process and clinically tested 3D printed swabs manufactured within a hospital, comparing them with commercially available swabs. They reported their results in a paper published on the medRxiv* preprint server. Evaluating swabs The swabs were 3D printed locally at the hospital system using the designs provided by the University of South Florida and the Northwell Health system, sterilized and immediately packed individually. The team tested the swabs at their institutions COVID-19 screening clinic. From the two designs available, the team selected one that had a smaller head size and greater flexibility for clinical tests. To this design, they added a breaking point some distance from the tip to enable storage and transport of the swab head with the sample. They ensured that the swab heads were sterile by inoculating the swabs with a bacteria, subjecting them to the sterilization procedure, and testing them for bacterial growth. If the sterilization procedure was effective, no bacteria would grow on the inoculated swabs. The team tested the swabs on 63 patients, about half of who tested negative for COVID-19. They used 3D printed swabs from three different lots for collecting samples. They found no significant statistical difference in the cycle threshold counts between the PCR results obtained using the 3D printed swabs or the commercial swabs. The overall agreement between the data obtained from the two different swabs was about 97%. The data for the two samples did not agree with each other. In-house 3D printed swab model. Design of the Northwell 3D swab model with the addition of a breakout point (A) used to 3D-print swab in our hospital (B and C). Swabs were individually packed in autoclavable and vacuum-sealed poches (D) for sterilization. (E) Flexibility was mechanically tested using semicircular canals (radius of 15, 25 and 35 mm). Potential replacement for commercial swabs The results indicate that if there is a shortage of commercial swabs, 3D printed swabs may be used to collect samples. This finding corresponds to results from previous studies comparing 3D printed swabs with commercial swabs. The authors were able to take advantage of their health-related 3D printing center in their institution along with sterilization services, which allowed them to quickly perform steam sterilization. Because of the available setup and presence of staff, the cost per 3D printed swab was about 56 US cents. Further optimization can lead to increased production volume and lower production costs. Our clinical trial has demonstrated that our local 3D printed swab production line offers a reliable local alternative to commercial swabs and therefore confirms that it is a viable local response to provide replacements in the event of pandemic supply chain disruption, write the authors. With SARS-CoV-2 continuing to spread in many parts of the world, there will be a need for increased testing capacity. Such local methods for making sample collection swabs may help with increased testing. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. | https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210602/Could-3D-printed-swabs-be-used-to-collect-COVID-19-test-samples.aspx |
Is 2018 Bordeaux the Superlative Vintage? | According to one top producer, a bizarre growing season in 2018 resulted in miraculous wines from whats probably the worlds most famous viticultural region. After tasting nearly 1,300 wines, James Suckling reports on what could be a classic year. Jean Philippe Delmas, deputy managing director of Chteau Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion, calls the 2018 vintage a miracle. However, hes more than happy with the quality of the wines he made in 2018, like many others in Bordeaux. I have to say its very bizarre, said Delmas in a tasting interview I did with him earlier this year. Even if the wines are very concentrated, very high in IPT [tannins] and very high in alcohol, they remain very Bordeaux balanced and fresh. Its almost a miracle. He added that he and his colleagues in Bordeaux are very attuned to the effects of global warming, as scary as it may be, and that theyre harvesting earlier, leaving more leaves on the vine in the summer and doing everything possible to retain freshness in the grapes. Everybody in Bordeaux is more focussed on balance, he said. His points certainly show in the new releases of 2018 Bordeaux in bottle, from first growths to simple Bordeaux. I tasted more than 1,200 2018 Bordeaux, and so many of the wines were exciting and vibrant. They were rich and intense from the hot and dry growing season in the summer that assured extremely ripe grapes but, at the same time, they remained fresh and framed with relatively fine tannins. Even the dry whites came out fresh and energetic. Delmass Haut-Brion Blanc 2018 and La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc 2018 were opulent and perfumed with compressed palates and admirable structure. They were vivid and clear. The 2017 was a much more acid-driven vintage for dry whites in Bordeaux, but in many instances I preferred the 2018 from numerous estates. The sweet wines in Bordeaux were very good quality in 2018 but lack some intensity and depth. Few exceptional wines were made. The owner of the famous first-growth estate of Chteau Mouton Rothschild, Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, says the word that comes to mind for him to describe the 2018 is density. In a tasting interview, he told me that its always interesting to try to describe a vintage with one word. 2009 is velvet. 2010 is square. And 2018 is dense. The density is there. Its a vintage that you want to follow hows this thing going to age? Hubert de Bouard de Laforest of the revered Chteau Anglus in St-milion is slightly less esoteric in his assessment of the vintage. He simply calls the 2018 sexy, saying in a tasting interview, Its a great wine with concentration, but something very sexy. It really wakes you up when you taste the wine. Another stop off in Bordeaux at Pichon Lalande with my dear old friend and negociant Pierre Lawton Of course, the above estates represent the upper echelon of fine wine in Bordeaux and the world. Plenty of other outstanding wines are available in 2018, many priced between US$20 and $50 a bottle; some are even $15 or so. The reasonably priced wines are in the 90-to-92-point range and from appellations such as Bordeaux, Bordeaux Superior and Ctes de Bordeaux. Many of these are drinkable now and for the next three to five years. In our tastings, the zone of Francs Ctes de Bordeaux seems to really excel in 2018 at the above level of quality wines, with estates such as Chteau de Francs, Chteau Puygueraud and Chteau Marsau making fantastic wines. Theyre now meeting the quality of many grand cru wines from St-milion. My impression after tasting the wines in spring 2019 from barrel was that 2018 could turn out to be an all-time great, similar to 2010, 2009 and 1989, and even such classics as 1982 or 1959. But today I dont think it quite gets to that level. Instead, I think it compares favourably to the recent excellent years of 2015 and 2016, but in an altogether more exuberant style. The 2018 is between the 2009 and 2010, says Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier, who made one of his greatest red wines ever. Its a wine with incredible potential because of the high level of tannins, but remains balanced. Theres this incredible structure and power that give this wine the possibility to age forever. Its safe to say that 2018 is a top vintage. Im certainly going to buy and drink some in the future. And I am sure you will too. The plush fruit and ripe tannins make so many of the wines attractive to drink young, but they also have the structure to age for a long time. Its typical for a hot and dry year, like 2009, 1989, 1982 and so on. We like to say we have the taste of victory in 2018, said Nicolas Audebert, director of Chteau Canon and Chteau Rauzan-Segla in 2019, after tasting his wine from barrel. It was a tough year and we really had to fight all the time with nature, but we won. James Sucklings Pick of the 2018 Bordeaux Chteau Lafleur Pomerol 2018 Bordeaux Chteau Margaux Margaux 2018 Bordeaux CHTEAU LAFLEUR POMEROL 2018 Score: 100 So subtle and complex, with blackberry, blueberry, fresh bark, fresh black truffles and light wet earth, as well as forest floor. Full-bodied, yet linear and so long with an amazingly polished and refined tannin structure and finesse that draws you deep and down in the palate. It opens incredibly in the glass. What a wine! Goes on for minutes. A real beauty. Something so true and ethereal here. Try after 2026. CHTEAU MARGAUX MARGAUX 2018 Score: 100 So much ash, tobacco and earth to the bright blackberry and currant aromas. Flowers too. Fresh. Full-bodied with seamless tannins that spread across your palate and caress every square centimetre. It shows loads of ripe berry, cherry, currant and chocolate character, as well as walnut and light cedar. Then the finish goes on for minutes. Extremely refined and elegant, despite the structure. 90 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 4 percent Cabernet Franc, 4 percent Merlot and 2 percent Petit Verdot. A joy to taste, but drink after 2025. CHTEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD PAUILLAC Score: 100 Exquisite purity of blackcurrants, raspberries and some citrus. The aromas flow from the glass. Full-bodied with seamless tannins that coat the palate and then fall into the centre, to deliver a thoroughly refined and harmonious young red. Endless finish. 86 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the new 1959, one of the legendary vintages of Mouton. Try after 2026. CHTEAU TROTANOY POMEROL Score: 100 Super nose of dried blueberry, black plum, walnut, myrrh and sandalwood. Lavender, violet, and chocolate, too. Ripe with wood now, but fresh. It is full-bodied with firm, ultra-fine tannins. Lots of dark spice is interlaced with the ripe fruit, giving this complex, perfumed character. Muscular, long and seamless with incredible depth and concentration. Reminds me of the great 2009, but this is better with more structure. Amazing wine. This is 100 percent Merlot. Try from 2027. | https://www.prestigeonline.com/hk/wine-dine/drinks/is-2018-bordeaux-the-superlative-vintage/ |
Where's The Safest Place To Sit At A Restaurant During COVID-19? | ljubaphoto via Getty Images A few weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can safely gather indoors without wearing face masks. As vaccination rates rise across the country, many restaurants are forgoing mask requirements and social distancing measures, even though few are requiring proof of vaccination. This leaves many of us wondering how to dine out safely. The answers are complex. Scientists are still learning about how well the vaccine keeps you from transmitting COVID-19 to others, and new virus variants are circulating. Not to mention, restaurants often feature complicated ventilation systems that can make each dining room different. Where you have to be careful is if the air is flowing and then keeps recirculating that could carry the virus from one table to another, Peter Gulick, associate professor of medicine at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, told HuffPost. Below, the experts help you know what to look for. Tables with access to outside air are the safest places to sit Ventilation is a major factor in COVID-19 transmission. When an infected person coughs, sneezes or even just talks, aerosols float into the air, where they can linger and possibly infect someone else. Good airflow can dilute and whisk away those particles. So, outdoor dining remains the safest option. But if youre eating indoors, the best place to sit is near an open door or window, Tista Ghosh, an epidemiologist at Grand Rounds Health, said. If the door or window is open and allowing fresh air in, that would be a good place to sit, Ghosh said. Fresh air dilutes viral particles. Many restaurants have worked to improve ventilation during the pandemic, but overhauling their entire systems is costly and unachievable for most, said Corby Kummer, executive director of the Food and Society Program at Aspen Institute, which recently worked with the restaurant industry developing safety standards and guidelines for indoor dining. Supplying as much fresh air as possible is recommended in the organizations ventilation guidelines. Restaurants are also encouraged to add portable air-purifying systems and HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters to HVAC systems. Look around for open windows and doors before choosing a table, and ask questions about how the restaurant is handling ventilation, Kummer suggested. Some ventilation measures arent visible to diners. You can see the distance between tables, and you can see open windows, Kummer said. Are there any portable air purifying units? Pay attention to the air conditioning vents Air conditioning can play a role in virus transmission. In a CDC study published in July 2020 on a COVID-19 outbreak at a restaurant in China, an infected person transmitted the virus to people sitting several feet away, likely because they were sitting near an air conditioner intake vent. This example shows the importance of ventilation, especially in a restaurant, where you cant wear masks while eating, Ghosh said. Kummer advised avoiding sitting near air intake vents, which are often located on the wall or ceiling above tables. An intake, or return vent, sucks in air and returns it back to the HVAC system. An outflow, or supply vent, blows the air outside and recirculates air into the room. Its OK to be near a vent, just make sure its an outflow, not an intake vent, Kummer said. If youre not sure, ask before youre seated. Thomas Barwick via Getty Images Restaurant kitchens are loaded with ceiling ventilation to keep smoke and aromas under control. Depending on the restaurant, sitting near the kitchen could be a safe spot. Kitchens tend to have better ventilation, since building codes often require they have robust exhaust systems that ventilate air upward, Kummer said. Avoid crowded areas and the bar The kitchen may be a well-ventilated spot, but its also a high-traffic area. Gulick said sitting in an out-of-the-way place, where people arent coming and going or gathering, is safer, especially if theyre not wearing masks. Thats his personal preference when dining out, even though hes fully vaccinated. I sit where Im not in the main area, Gulick said. I try to get in a booth thats in the corner somewhere and I will wear my mask until I get the food. And then when I get the food, Ill take it off and eat. Sitting at the bar is not a good option, Kummer said. People are really close together, he explained. You always want access to your drink. With mask mandates and capacity requirements being lifted, Kummer said it complicates the situation, and unvaccinated diners can put others at risk, including restaurant workers. I myself am more concerned about diner-to-diner, and diner-to-restaurant worker transmission than worker-to-me, he added. Vaccinated people are less likely to get severely ill, be hospitalized or die from COVID-19, according to the CDC. Early research shows that the vaccines could prevent people with no symptoms from spreading the virus to others. But someone whos immunocompromised could still carry the virus because their antibody levels might be lower, Gulick said. And there are still some unknowns, such as how long immunity from the vaccine lasts and whether a booster shot will be needed. Loosening mask restrictions was the CDCs way of encouraging people to get vaccinated, Ghosh said. She urged anyone, vaccinated or not, planning to dine indoors to pay attention to the vaccination rates in their community and local health department guidelines about mask-wearing and restaurant capacity. Weigh your own risks before going out and dont let your guard down, Gulick added. Pay attention to where you sit when dining indoors, and follow a restaurants safety rules about seating and wearing masks. | https://www.huffpost.com/entry/safest-place-to-sit-in-restaurant-covid_l_60b0f95de4b0ead27967cfeb |
Why Do We Crave the Villain-Redemption Story? | Cruella de Vil may be the one getting the spotlight, but there are plenty of other Disney villains who deserve the origin story treatment as well!. Of course, the temptation might be to wonder, Who asked for this? which is a question that generally gets brought up every time a new live-action Disney film is released. Its a good question and one to which I dont really know the answer, since it seems the online reaction to every new big budget live-action Disney movie seems to be, But why? and then that movie goes on to make a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263924934212/why-do-we-crave-the-villain-redemption-story |
What happened to Scott Windsor in Emmerdale? | Emmerdale's Scott Windsor was played by Ben Freeman. Emmerdale's Scott Windsor first arrived on the soap in 1993 played by actor Toby Cokerell, before Scott Windsor took over in 1998. During his time on the soap, Scotts most memorable storylines include a shocking affair with step sister Kelly Windsor, and fathering Zoe Tates child. Ben Freeman starred in Emmerdale as Scott Windsor. Scott had his fair share of drama in Emmerdale, including his relationship with Chloe Atkinson (Amy Nuttall). While with Chloe, Scott had a one-night-stand with Zoe Tate (Leah Bracknell), who got pregnant. Zoe's brother Chris (Peter Amory) then vowed to get revenge on Scott and even ended up setting fire to his garage. Scott then went on to have affairs with Debbie Dingle and his new step-sister Dawn Woods, before deciding to move to London to stay with a friend in 2007. Scott Windsor was in EastEnders until 2007. Picture: Shutterstock In January 2008, Scott was heard calling Viv and he told her that he will not be returning to the village, and was putting Tug Ghyll up for sale. Since leaving his role on Emmerdale behind, Ben went on to star in a host of stage shows including The Rocky Horror Picture Show in the West End. As well as appearing in films across the pond in America, he also recently bagged a short role in Doctors as a police officer. Ben Freeman was cast as Caleb Malone in EastEnders. Picture: BBC He also starred in Hooligan Escape - The Russian Job, alongside Hollyoaks Ali Bastian and Bad Education's Charlie Wernham. Bens other credits include Grange Hill and Robin Hood: The Rebellion. Most recently, Ben bagged a role in EastEnders as mysterious new character Caleb. Caleb was part a storyline earlier this year involving Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams), who recently returned to Albert Square with her evil dad Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet). | https://www.heart.co.uk/showbiz/tv-movies/emmerdale/what-happened-scott-windsor-ben-freeman/ |
What is GMP? | Posted on Hundreds of millions of Americans rely on life-saving and sustaining medications and medical devices every day. Ensuring the drugs and devices that they depend on are not contaminated is critical for the health of the country, and the responsibility of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To address safety concerns in the medical, pharmaceutical, and food industries, the FDA established and enforces GMP or Good Manufacturing Practice regulations. These necessary steps and precautions guarantee that everything produced and shipped is safe, and meets purity and quality standards. GMP guidelines should be clearly stated in each manufacturers quality control plan, as the regulations serve to limit instances of cross-contamination, mixed raw materials, or unqualified staff working on crucial production points. Although highly regulated, GMP framework is very open-ended, allowing manufacturers to set their own quality control procedures that work best with their business model and goods being produced. This freedom grants businesses a way to make sure they are doing exactly what is right for themselves and their customers while following established guidelines that serve as a baseline for quality and safety. There is an additional component to GMP, with the regulations often referred to as cGMP. The difference is the c which symbolizes current meaning manufacturers must strive to keep their equipment and production floor as modern as possible to comply with current standards. Crucial equipment and systems that were once state-of-the-art pieces of machinery can age out and may not meet current standards. MadgeTech data loggers are essential for complying with GMP regulations, especially those that must maintain specific environmental conditions. Failure to meet proper temperature and humidity levels can result in spoiled food or unsafe medicines. MadgeTech data loggers provide continuous monitoring and automatic reports to validate constant adherence to GMP regulations. To learn more about how MadgeTech data loggers can simplify compliance requirements, call us at (603) 456-2011 or email [email protected]. | https://www.madgetech.com/posts/blogs/what-is-gmp/ |
Can we rely on AI? | As artificial intelligence (AI) systems get increasingly complex, they are being used to make forecasts or rather generate predictive model results in more and more areas of our lives. But at the same time, concerns are on the rise about reliability, amid widening margins of error in elaborate AI predictions. Management science offers a set of tools that can make AI systems more trustworthy, according to Thomas G Dietterich, professor emeritus and director of intelligent systems research at Oregon State University. During a webinar on the AI for Good platform hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Dietterich told the audience that the discipline that brings human decision-makers to the top of their game can also be applied to machines. Because human intuition still beats AI hands-down in making judgement calls in a crisis. People and especially those working in their areas of experience and expertise are simply more trustworthy. Studies by University of California, Berkeley, scholars Todd LaPorte, Gene Rochlin and Karlene Roberts found that certain groups of professionals, such as air traffic controllers or nuclear power plant operators, are highly reliable even in a high-risk situation. These professionals develop a capability to detect, contain and recover from errors, and practise improvisational problem-solving, said Dietterich. This is because of their preoccupation with failure. They are constantly watching for anomalies and near-misses and treating those as symptoms of a potential failure mode in the system. Anomalies and near-misses, rather than being brushed aside, are then studied for possible explanations, normally by a diverse team with wide-ranging specialisations. Human professionals bring far higher levels of situational awareness and know when to defer to each others expertise. These principles are useful when thinking about how to build an entirely autonomous and reliable AI system, or how to design ways for human organisations and AI systems to work together. AI systems can acquire high situational awareness, thanks to their ability to integrate data from multiple sources and continually reassess risks. However, current AI systems, while adept at situational awareness, are less effective at anomaly detection and unable to explain anomalies and improvise solutions. More research is needed before an AI system can reliably identify and explain near-misses. | https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Can-we-rely-on-AI |
Can LSU baseball be the next Stony Brook or Fresno State and reach the College World Series? | BATON ROUGE - These were LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri's desperate hours late Sunday night. It was a quarter to 10, and he found himself watching the Big East Tournament championship game between Connecticut and Xavier, pulling for the Huskies as if they were Tigers. This is what a 13-17 SEC record, a 28 RPI and a 4-1 loss to No. 41 RPI Georgia the previous week in the SEC Tournament makes you do. "If Xavier beats UConn, it takes up one of the at-large spots with the tournament automatic bid," Mainieri explained. "C'mon Jim Penders (UConn's coach), please win this game," Mainieri yelled at the TV. "I can only imagine if Xavier wins, and LSU doesn't get a bid because Xavier won the tournament." More:LSU baseball's path to Omaha: Eugene, Oregon, and possibly No. 3 seed Tennessee in Knoxville More:Here are five candidates for LSU baseball coach: Kevin O'Sullivan of Florida tops the list. And Mainieri's coaching career would be over as he announced his retirement two days earlier, effective at the end of the season. The Huskies allowed three runs in the top of the ninth as Mainier's 39 years as a coach flashed through his mind, but they held on for a 10-6 win. Mainieri was relieved and alive to coach again, but when asked if he was confident entering the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, he said, "No. Quite simply, no." LSU was to fly to Oregon Wednesday for the Eugene Regional, and the No. 3 seed Tigers (34-22) will play No. 2 seed Gonzaga (33-17) at 9 p.m. Friday. The winner plays on Saturday against the winner of No. 1 seed Oregon (37-14) and No. 4 seed Central Connecticut State (28-13), which play at 5 p.m. Friday. Now, Mainieri is his optimistic self again, dreaming of his sixth College World Serie with LSU as if he is a top eight national seed again as he was nine times since 2008. "We're five wins away from Omaha," he said. "That's the way I explain it very year." Never mind, it took LSU six weekends to get its fifth SEC win this season. "We're not going to play any teams any tougher than we've been playing all season," Mainieri said. "With all due respect to Oregon, Central Connecticut State and Gonzaga, none of them are better than Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Tennessee and Ole Miss." More:What baseball coach Paul Mainieri meant to LSU Neither was LSU as it was 3-9 against those four. And if LSU advances, it will likely find itself at Tennessee, a No. 3 national seed that swept LSU and will host the Super Regional round next week if it advances. "I don't know what other people say. I don't know what other people think, but I know we have a really good lineup and pitching staff," LSU left fielder Gavin Dugas said. "We can handle what we need to. We can do it. The SEC has prepared us. We're used to the pressure." Mainieri has seen it happen too many times. Teams that struggled during the season or entered regionals as No. 3 or 4 seeds somehow reached Omaha. In 2015, Virginia finished seventh in the Atlantic Coast Conference at 15-15 and received a No. 3 regional seed. Mainieri spoke to a worried Cavaliers coach Brian O'Connor, a friend and his former assistant at Notre Dame, the night before their regional opener. "They were really scuffling bad," Mainieri said. "I said, 'Brian, this is not your best team. Listen, try to win one game and regroup next season.' They ended up winning the national championship that year!" In 2014, Vanderbilt finished fifth in the SEC at 17-13 and 1-2 in the SEC Tournament with an 11-1 loss to LSU, and it won the national championship. In 2012, Stony Brook was a No. 4 seed, and the Seawolves knocked off No. 1 seed Miami at Miami in the opener and No. 2 seed Central Florida back-to-back to reach the super regional round at No. 7 national seed LSU. After dropping the opener, 5-4, in 12 innings over two days, Stony Brook swept the Tigers in Alex Box to become the first Northeast team to reach Omaha since Maine in 1986. In 2008, Fresno State was a No. 4 regional seed at 37-27 and won the national championship. "Crazy things can happen," Mainieri said. "Anything can happen." | https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/lsu/2021/06/02/lsu-baseball-holding-cinderella-ncaa-tournament-tryouts/5274471001/ |
What does Carolina Marin's absence from Tokyo Olympics mean for PV Sindhu? | The world sporting fraternity was left in a shock yesterday when the reigning Olympic Champion, Carolina Marin, put out a tweet announcing that she has pulled out of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics due to an injury to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) on her left knee. Marin's announcement spread like wildfire in the world of sports, with fellow athletes and fans coming together to wish her a speedy recovery. The 27-year-old Spaniard was in stellar form this year. She reached the final of each tournament she competed in the year 2021, winning four of those. Ranked number 4 in the recently released BWF World Rankings, Marin was expected to walk away with an easy podium finish at Tokyo with the form she was in. As sad as it might sound, the absence of the three-time World Champion from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will certainly make the way easy for quite a few others, including Indian shuttler PV Sindhu in their bid for an Olympic mWhat does Carolina Marin's absence from Tokyo Olympics mean for PV Sindhu medal. PV Sindhu and Carolina Marin are good friends off the badminton court, but inside it, they are archrivals. Both of them are fierce competitors and have faced-off in quite a few matches in their careers, with the Spaniard having a 9-5 edge over the Indian. In fact, Marin has been a constant nemesis for the Indian in crucial medal matches. Who can forget the final of 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where Marin defeated Sindhu 19-21, 21-12, 21-15 to be crowned the Olympic Champion in Women's Singles, after being a set down. Besides, the 25-year-old Indian was handed a proper trashing by Marin just a couple of months ago in the final of the Swiss Open where the Indian lost 12-21, 5-21 in mere 35 minutes. Add to this the final of 2018 World Championships, wherein Sindhu fell to a 19-21, 10-21 loss, and you know why the Indian will be benefitted distinctly. Sindhu might not be too happy about Marin missing out on the Olympics because, as a competitor, you wish to win by defeating the best, but that does not mean the Indian will not try to cash in on the advantage she has due to the Spaniard's absence in Tokyo. Apart from Sindhu, the others who would benefit from Marin's absence include Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu Ying, Rio bronze medallist Nozomi Okuhara, Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, and the Chinese Chen Yufei. The current world number 1, Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei, has never moved beyond the pre-quarterfinal stage at the Olympics. With one of the best in the world out of contention, Tai Tzu Ying might not get a better chance to stake her claim for an Olympic medal. China's Chen Yufei is just 23 years old but is expected to enter as the top-ranked shuttler in the Race to Tokyo Rankings. With Marin not present in Tokyo, Yufei might be looking at a rather easy debut at the quadrennial event. Ranked number 3 in the world currently, Nozomi Okuhara had finished behind Marin and Sindhu at the 2016 Rio Games for the bronze medal. She has since gone on to win a couple of World Championship medals besides various other Superseries events and will surely be eyeing to better the colour of her medal when she takes the court at Tokyo. The world number 5 from Japan, Akane Yamaguchi is one of the most exciting youngsters in the world of badminton. In her first-ever Olympic appearance in 2016, she was knocked out by fellow countrywoman Okuhara. Just 23 years of age now, Yamaguchi will surely start the Tokyo Olympics as one of the top medal contenders, especially in the absence of Marin. | https://thebridge.in/tokyo-2020/what-carolina-marin-absence-tokyo-olympics-mean-pv-sindhu-21828 |
Will Murphy reinstate NJs mask mandate? | Governor Phil Murphy has already warned going maskless could be a temporary thing. As he updates New Jersey's COVID-19 metrics, many will be listening for clues on whether or not he is leaning toward reinstating some of the restrictions he lifted just a week ago. Current metrics have fallen to levels not seen since the earliest stages of the pandemic. However, there is a lag time of a few days, and we may not have a clear picture of the impact of a maskless Memorial Day Weekend until the end of this week. Murphy said last Friday, "The virus dictates the terms here not us." Speaking on CNBC, Murphy left open the possibility of making masks mandatory if COVID infection rates and hospitalizations spiked up, but gave no indication what the threshold would be. "Our strong hope is that we don't have to do that, Murphy said. On Friday, all remaining indoor gathering limits are due to expire. A rate of transmission (r/t) below 1.0 indicates the outbreak is not actively spreading. New Jersey's r/t is at 0.74. New Jersey is also one of only a handful of states that has seen a spot positivity rate on COVID testing hold below 3%. Murphy has frequently warned against "knucklehead behavior," and tweeted out new warnings ahead of the holiday weekend. Lifting the mask mandate is not a license to be a knucklehead, Murphy said. Lifting the mask mandate is simply acknowledging how far we've come together and that, together, we'll cross the finish line." He then warned: This pandemic is not over. Concerning to Murphy and state health officials is a steep drop in demand for COVID vaccinations. Just a few weeks ago, it was difficult to get an appointment for a vaccination. When the state reported the daily numbers, they were increasing by the tens of thousands. Now, daily numbers barely budge even though vaccinations are readily available with no appointment. 4,235,201 people have been fully vaccinated. 8,688,584 doses of vaccinate have been delivered. There are enough individuals who have received their first dose of vaccine to meet the goal of 4.7 million fully vaccinated people by the end of this month if they return for their second dose. New Jersey has been offering incentives like free beer and wine and state park passes to try and increase vaccinations rates, but medical experts say so-called "herd immunity" will not be achieved anytime soon. With Murphy running for re-election in November, he is under added pressure to keep restrictions to a minimum. He has said he will allow the public health emergency declaration to expire this month, but only if the legislature extends his pandemic powers until the end of the year. Efforts to do that stalled in the Assembly as republican and democratic lawmakers bowed to a public outcry over the vague legislation. Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin promised to revise the bills and bring them up for a vote, presumably with a more clear definition of under what circumstances Murphy could reinstate pandemic restrictions. NJ's most and least COVID vaccinated towns, by county New Jersey reported just short of 4 million people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 statewide, heading into the last week of May. Reasons include people who have moved, those who are traveling and not residing at home where the census counted them, students who may select their school residence for vaccination data and people in long-term care (or other facility-based housing) among other reasons, as explained in a footnote on the state COVID dashboard. | https://nj1015.com/will-murphy-reinstate-njs-mask-mandate/ |
How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Increase Home Value During Sale? | Nine times out of ten, youre not going to get back what you paid when remodeling a kitchen right before you sell your home. Thats not because remodeling a kitchen is a bad idea. Doing so can add a substantial amount of value to a property, especially if your kitchen fixtures are damaged or seriously dated. Many homeowners, however, spend far too much money trying to bring their kitchen up to day. As a result, they end up wasting more money than they could ever recover from a sale. Remodeling even an average sized kitchen can cost around 8,000 and it could be even more if you plan on changing the floor plan. However, homeowners that make small simple changes to their kitchen have found that they get all of the benefits of doing so without spending anywhere near as much money. Low Cost Alternatives to Kitchen Remodeling Hiring builders to manage a kitchen remodeling project can be extremely expensive, but homeowners that do at least some of the work themselves have had more value added to their homes at a far less pricey rate. While many people might not like the idea of having to do this kind of work on their home, theres actually quite a bit that can be done without the need for professional assistance. Adding in new kitchen splashbacks takes little more than adhesive and some spare time, which has made it an attractive project for those who otherwise wouldnt want to tackle a DIY build. These are functional, so theyll tend to provide more value than non-functional decorative work. Similar jobs, like those involving putting in self-adhesive laminate flooring tiles, will normally increase the value of a home without running up large bills as well. However, even homeowners who go this route may find that theyre spending much more than they originally intended to. Its best to take down dimensions before starting a project so that you can be sure that youre only going to order materials that you need. This is especially true of those who shop online. That being said, projects have to be carefully selected in order to prevent cost overruns. Adding Value to a Home in a Reasonable Way Professional agents are likely to perform a real estate market analysis before they spend even a few pence on a remodeling project, and theres a good reason for this. They know that most restoration bills outpace any value added to a remodeled property. According to experts, you may only ever recoup around 60-80 percent of what you put into a project. On the other hand, some properties simply wont sell without at least some work done to the kitchen, so it pays to do your best to reduce costs in order to maximize the return on investment. Simply painting or recoloring your kitchen could be the most affordable option, and theres a good chance that it might have quite an impact on the resale value of your home. There was a time when tan and brown interiors dominated the landscape, and these look extremely dated by todays standards. Covering these over with anything thats more modern-looking can encourage future home buyers to take a second look at a property that they might have otherwise passed on. On the other hand, some real estate agents have started to use what they call the joy factor to measure the adequacy of a remodeled kitchen. This is more applicable to those who hope to hold onto their homes for a longer period of time. Adding Intrinsic Value to Your Kitchen Space According to one study, 90 percent of homeowners wanted to be in their homes more after they finished remodeling it. While these people may not be concerned with how much monetary value was added, they obviously appreciate the quality of the work done. Those who plan on occupying their homes for the foreseeable future might still want to explore lower cost solutions to their remodeling problems, but they can probably absorb greater costs than those who are getting ready to sell their houses. If youre looking to put your house on the market, then youll want to try a few simple DIY tactics to bump up the asking price. | https://www.abcmoney.co.uk/2021/06/02/how-much-does-a-kitchen-remodel-increase-home-value-during-sale/ |
What makes a good product demo video? | A product demo is an essential element in sales and marketing campaigns. Aside from raising awareness that your product exists, its also a means to educate potential customers about what your product has to offer. While some are easily swayed by an impressive product demo video, there will be others who could be quite skeptical. Whether using a free video editor or a paid one, heres how to win them over, not by pure selling, but by helping them select and buy. Features vs benefits When creating a product demo video, sell the solution, not the product. Its easy to list down the features of your product, but those arent necessarily consumer-friendly information. Lets imagine a potential customer who wants to buy a mobile phone. They arent tech-savvy but they know that they need one for business. So, they surf the internet and find a video about a mobile phone that catch their attention. The voiceover talks about state-of-the-art technology, 64GB 4GB RAM, 5000mAh battery, 16MP front and rear cameras, 6.50 IPS LCD, 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, and 405ppi. By highlighting the benefits instead of the features and specs, you get to educate the customer while telling them how your mobile phone can help make their life easier. So, instead of going all geeky on your product demo video, say: capture and save as many photos and videos as you want. Take photos that are clear and vibrant. Be on the move and use your phone for hours without the need for frequent charging. No need to squint or zoom, as the wide screen lets you view all details and angles with ease. Keeping it real Theres nothing more misleading than a fake, super-hyped product demo video. If you want to impress customers and make them go ooh and aah, set realistic expectations. Lets say you are selling a set of acrylic paints. Youll want to demonstrate in the video how the paint would look when its applied and how itll look when it dries. If you show a different result just to persuade the customer to make a purchase, you may get the sale you want but expect negative feedback when the results arent the same on the customers end. So if the paint is a bit opaque and wont provide full coverage on paper or canvas, give them a solution or a workaround instead of faking the results. Tell them that they just have to do a second coat or that the colors can be mixed with a bit of white primer to give it a fuller, heavier color. Also, if you need to include people in your product demo, choose someone that potential customers can relate to. What consumers dont want to see Theres no real template or format for an effective product demo video. The style will vary depending on the product and the marketers strategy. But here are things you should avoid when creating yours: Long videos that involve a lot of text or narrations. Most people are busy and on the go. Theyll have no time to sit and watch an hour-long video talking about a product and how it works. Keep it short but informative. Empty adjectives. Theres no real value because every product can easily claim to be of high quality. Instead, use sensory words like squeak-free cabinets, long-lasting fragrance, or lip-smackingly good snacks. But make sure not to go overboard. Crushing the competition. Its alright to compare your product with competitors, but do so in a professional way. No matter how bad their products are, saying bad or negative, things will only reflect on you. So, play nice. Making an outstanding product demo video The goal of a product demo isnt to sell. Instead, aim to build trust and build a relationship with potential buyers. Dont push and never force. Give them something to think about, help them decide by giving them a sound solution to their pain points. And when they learn to trust and believe in you, theyll also learn to trust and believe in your product. | https://www.abcmoney.co.uk/2021/06/02/what-makes-a-good-product-demo-video/ |
Is Virat Kohli a good captain or the skipper of a good team? | Virat Kohli's leadership skills have been questioned many times over the years. The cricketing superstar is under the microscope at all times. His batting prowess has already made him a legend in the game but his captaincy skills have drawn plenty of criticism over the years. "Is Virat Kohli the best Indian captain?" Thats debatable, but statistically, his record answers that question with a resounding affirmation. He has been Indias most successful captain in Tests, overtaking the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, and MS Dhoni. As per Wisden's report, only Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Kane Williamson have a better win percentage than Kohli. This record brings into light the question of whether Kohli is a good captain or is he simply the leader of a good team. Answering the question is akin to walking a tightrope. The captain is as good as his team. With names like Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin in Tests and some promising young blood in the shorter format, Kohli has plenty of matchwinners at his disposal who help him win matches. Virat Kohli: A good captain but he is not a perfect. Kohli's captaincy does not involve a lot of in-game tinkering but the Delhi-born batsman does believe in taking an aggressive and innovative approach to cricket. A classic example is the infusion of the five-bowlers theory that he has endorsed since taking over the armband. It yielded fantastic results for an Indian team who were going through a mini rough patch in test cricket prior to him taking over the captaincy. India v England - 3rd One Day International The backing of fast bowlers and determination to take 20 wickets in every game at the cost of having to sit out a batsman is not a gamble many would have taken. The decision was an ever riskier one considering that most pitches on the sub-continent offer plenty of help to the batsman and Kohli essentially removed the contingency plan in order to win more matches. He placed absolute faith in the fact that his team, even with one batsmen less, are good enough to put runs on the board to win a game. It opened up games by removing the safety net of a drawn test match and presented a challenge for every player to be at their best for every single delivery. Kohli thrives on challenges and this was one he wanted to master. Kohli is therefore a good captain but he is not perfect. Fortunately, he does not need to be. He needs to make the best team and he is well on his way to doing just that. He does have cracks in the armor that needs repairing. Questions about Virat Kohli's captaincy will continue Virat Kohli's a stark contrast to MS Dhoni, from where the most unfair comparisons come into play. Its only a matter of time before Kohlis captaincy comes into question again. His captaincy will come under immense scrutiny again with the World Test Championship (WTC) looming large following which India are taking on England in a grueling five-match Test series. Thats not all. Theres also the unfinished business for Kohli and the IPL where he is yet to bag a trophy for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He will also want to win an ICC event. He missed out on the 2019 WC, but the upcoming WT20 will be on his radar. Until then, the perennial debate will continue: "Is Virat Kohli a good captain?" | https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/is-virat-kohli-good-captain-skipper-good-team |
Could SA be moving to Stage 4 load shedding? | DURBAN - WITH most of the country gripped by a cold front that has seen snowfall in some parts of KwaZulu-Natal and surrounds, it is likely that South Africa could see load shedding increase from Stage 2 to Stage 4. This is according to energy expert, Ted Blom. This morning, Eskom announced that load shedding would continue until Friday night. Eskom said two power generation units had broken down and the further breakdowns of generating units at Majuba and Arnot Power Stations on Monday, as well delays in returning units to service at Arnot and Tutuka Power Stations, has forced it to implement load shedding from 10am on Wednesday until 10pm on Friday. The emergency generation reserves have been used extensively in the past days to avoid load shedding during the day. This has resulted in these being depleted, reducing available capacity. It is, therefore, necessary to implement load shedding continuously until Friday night at 10pm in order to replenish the emergency reserves, Eskom said. Blom said he was expecting load shedding levels to increase. "I am expecting increased load shedding probability as from Wednesday evening, 2 June level 4 or above," he said. I am expecting increased loadshedding probability as from Wed eve (2nd June 2021) - level 4 or above. Ted Blom (@tedblom) June 1, 2021 According to Eskom, breakdowns total 13 601MW of capacity, while another 1 330MW is unavailable due to planned maintenance. Eskom teams are working hard to return generation units to service, as well as to replenish the emergency reserves, it said. IOL | https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/could-sa-be-moving-to-stage-4-load-shedding-85aabc9e-0678-42ff-b2e9-a11b6fbeafca |
Do the Lions have new tricks for Springboks old dogs? | IT was interesting to hear Rassie Erasmus say last Friday that British & Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has something up his sleeve for their tour of South Africa starting next month. He was referring to the number of Scottish backs partnering with that nations head coach Gregor Townsend at the Lions, as well as loose forwards such as Sam Simmonds, Hamish Watson, Tom Curry and Justin Tipuric, who are all built like openside flanks and are quick across the ground. The surprise omission of more direct players such as England No 8 Billy Vunipola and Irelands CJ Stander suggests that Gatland wants to run the Springboks off their feet and slow their ball down at the rucks. It is clear that the tourists do not want to engage the South Africans in the physicality stakes. That is a complicated question, considering the world champions havent played since November 2, 2019, when they won the World Cup final against England in Yokohama. They havent had the opportunity to evolve as they wouldnt have played for 20 months before the first Test against Georgia on July 2. ALSO READ: Rassie Erasmus warns Boks about fast, quick British and Irish Lions pack The 2019 World Cup campaign was built around a massive pack that was backed-up by a monster bench the Bomb Squad who just drilled every opposing pack into submission. Except, of course, in the opening match against the All Blacks, where the slick New Zealanders pounced on a few Bok mistakes with ruthless efficiency by their backs. Perhaps, as that could be the only way the Lions can topple Siya Kolisis team. So, the Boks point of difference cannot just be the Bomb Squad, as that strategy is well-known, and the Lions are seemingly countering it by playing an up-tempo style that will tire the big SA forwards. WATCH: Rassie Erasmus says best possible team for Georgia Tests as Springboks go into Covid-19 bubble Erasmus proved in the final against England, though, that the Boks can mix it up on attack and stretch defences with ball-inhand, with electric finishers out wide in Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe. New head coach Jacques Nienaber is the former defence guru, but he may need to think up a few variables on attack if their power game doesnt work. Thats why there has been an emphasis on ball-in-play time in domestic rugby since the Preparation Series, which has continued into the Rainbow Cup. The locally-based players are now well versed in a fast approach, where the ball is kept alive through passing and even kicking, which has also resulted in a higher fitness standard too. ALSO READ: Springbok stars hitting their form at just the right time in Rainbow Cup SA For that mindset to be established in the 2021 Bok squad, it would mean a number of fresh faces need to be selected, which both Nienaber and Erasmus have already said wont happen against Georgia, where the best possible team will play. Lets hope that the overseas-based old dogs, as Erasmus called them, have learnt a few new tricks to keep the Lions at bay. @ashfakmohamed | https://www.iol.co.za/sport/opinion/do-the-lions-have-new-tricks-for-springboks-old-dogs-f4dd1b10-ebb9-4649-aca8-49d564c5ae32 |
How much are movie props worth in GTA Online? | GTA Online has retained the GTA franchise's tradition of hilarious collectibles. With every new update, players can expect new ones to be added to the game. The latest collectibles in GTA Online are movie props, which the player can collect for Solomon Richards in return for some extra cash and valuable RP. This might not sound like much, but when the player is simply roaming about in Freemode in GTA Online, these collectibles can be a nice little boost to their total for the day. In order to begin the hunt for these movie props, players will first have to visit Majestic Studios after being texted by Solomon Richards. The big-time movie producer will inform players of a break-in at his studio and will say that he needs their help recovering all the items that were lost. There are a total of 10 movie props in GTA Online, with each one netting the player a nice $10,000. Collectively, the player will receive a total of $100,000, should they manage to find all 10. While seven of these props are in static locations, the other three are placed in vehicles that spawn randomly in every session. Here are the locations of all movie props in GTA Online: Meltdown Film Reel- Behind a trash can outside Solomon's Office entrance at Richards Majestic Productions, Backlot City. WIFA Award- On a table in the back office of Vanilla Unicorn in Strawberry. Headdress- In the restrooms of Diamond Casino & Resort between two urinals. Alien Head- On the Beam Me Up mural in Sandy Shores. Mummy Head- On the porch of an abandoned house off Route 68 in the Grand Senora Desert. Clapperboard- On a desk in the air traffic control tower on the ground floor, Fort Zancudo. Monster Mask- On a rock at the west side of the Altruist Camp, Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness. Moving locations in GTA Online: Pony- Parked on the east side of the Epsilon Center, Rockford Hills. Pony- Parked in the parking lot of the Kortz Center, Pacific Bluffs. Pony- Heading north past ULSA on Tongva Drive, Pacific Bluffs. Rumpo- Parked in Simmet Alley, Textile City. Rumpo- Parked outside Darnell Bros., La Mesa. Rumpo- Heading west over the San Andreas Avenue Bridge, La Mesa. Rebel- Heading east past Procopio Truck Stop along the Great Ocean Highway, Mount Chiliad. Rebel- In the parking lot at Willie's Supermarket, Paleto Bay. Rebel- In an alleyway behind The Hen House, Paleto Bay. | https://www.sportskeeda.com/gta/how-much-movie-props-worth-gta-online |
How old is GTA 5's Trevor Philips in 2021? | GTA 5 features a number of violent characters, but none are quite as sadistic as Trevor Phillips. Despite his sadistic nature and barbaric acts of brutality, he's one of the most popular GTA 5 characters, and players often find themselves digging the internet for more information on him. GTA 5's Trevor Phillips was born on November 14, 1967 Trevor Phillips was born on November 14, 1967, making him 54 years old in 2021. He was only 10 when his father left him to fend for himself. In a conversation with Franklin, Trevor claims he "grew up in five states, two countries, fourteen different homes, eight fathers, three care homes, two correctional facilities, one beautiful, damaged flower of a mother." That's quite messed up, even for a GTA 5 protagonist. Trevor Phillips' much-criticized rage issues can be traced back to his childhood. Even as a kid, he was violent, impulsive and a bit of a bully. The GTA 5 world is self-obsessed, and the protagonist can arguably be considered a victim of his circumstances to a certain degree. People weren't kind to Trevor, and he grew up in a disturbing household that couldn't care less about his well-being and enrichment. In the end, Trevor could have chosen a better path and made something out of himself, but GTA 5 isn't built on the foundations of piety. He chose the easy way out and ended up becoming one of the most dangerous kingpins of Los Santos. Kindly help Sportskeeda's GTA section improve by taking this 30-second survey. Also Read: 5 open-world games like GTA 5 with long single-player campaigns | https://www.sportskeeda.com/gta/how-old-gta-5-s-trevor-philips-2021 |
Why Was Agent Carter Cancelled and Can It Be Revived? | Agent Carter was cancelled due to low ratings, but the series was loved by critics and fans and could still return on one of Disneys streaming platforms. Back in the 2014-15 season, ABC came up with what seemed like a brilliant idea at the time. They had picked up the series Agent Carter which would air while Agents of SHIELD was on its Winter hiatus in the same timeslot. Since the shows were related, it would appeal to the same audience and keep them tuning in while AoS was on its typical mid-season break. Agent Carter followed the adventures of Agent Peggy Carterfirst introduced in the Captain America movieworking for the SSR (Strategic Science Reserve) in the years following the end of World War II (the SSR was the predecessor to SHIELD). It surely seemed poised for success before it debuted because it was a spin-off from the popular Avengers movie franchise and it tapped into the AoS audience while also acting as a prequel of sorts to that show. Plus it had a stellar cast with Haley Atwell in the lead role and James DArcy as her sidekick along with quite a few more strong players in supporting roles. The first season of the show was a ton of fun with its throwback spy fi approach and it received high marks from fans and critics alike, but for some reason, not many people tuned in to watch it. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264098132104/why-was-agent-carter-cancelled-and-can-it-be-revived |
What is Shawn Michaels doing right now? | Shawn Michaels is one of the best wrestlers of all time. Some fans even argue that he is the absolute best and there's no disputing that his contributions inside the ring made him a true WWE legend. Throughout his career, he was one of WWE's greatest and most talented superstars. Michaels always knew how to manipulate an audience. However, following his retirement after WrestleMania 26, Shawn Michaels took a step back from the wrestling world. He retired and spent time with his family instead. He wrestled in only one more match, at WWE Crown Jewel 2018, but it was a one-off appearance. Shawn Michaels is currently a coach at the WWE Performance Center. He is also Triple H's right-hand man in NXT where the two best friends work together to book superstars on the roster. To work in the Performance Center, HBK moved from his home in Texas to Florida: "We still have our ranch. I guess we sort of now ended up being in two places, but weve been in Florida here for the past 4-5 months, and everybody has enjoyed it. We went to the Fair the other day and Disney World on a regular basis; theres just so much to do here. As you know before, we were in the middle of nowhere, which was great when the kids were younger, but now that theyre older, theres just so much more opportunity here, a bunch of stuff as a family, and we are very fortunate to still have kids that enjoy being around us," Michaels explained. Shawn Michaels' involvement with NXT is well-known. He helped lead an "invasion" of the main roster at the head of the Black and Gold brand alongside Triple H ahead of the 2019 Survivor Series pay-per-view. He has also been part of on-screen segments in NXT as well while coaching superstars backstage and hyping segments on social media. Shawn Michaels has no plans to leave WWE anytime soon. In an interview with the New York Post, Michaels talked about how he will remain a part of the company until they no longer want him around: "Like Ive been saying with the WWE for 35 years now, when they get tired of me theyll let me know. Unless they do, Im gonna keep showing up." The legend is a critical part of NXT now, and it seems he will be around for a long time. Here's the link for it. | https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe/what-shawn-michaels-right-now |
Will There Be an Indian Air Base in Tajikistan? | A decade-old rumor springs to life again with Prime Minister Modis trip to Tajikistan. Asia DefenseWill There Be an Indian Air Base in Tajikistan?A decade-old rumor springs to life again with Prime Minister Modis trip to Tajikistan.By Catherine PutzJuly 15, 2015Ayni Air BaseCredit: Screenshot, Google EarthA perennial rumor followed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tajikistan over the weekend: that India wants to lease the Ayni airbase outside of Dushanbe. The source of the rumor was Mail Today, the Indian edition of the U.K.s Daily Mail a tabloid newspaper read best with an entire block of salt on hand.Mail Today reported Saturday that leasing the Ayni air base was going to top Modis agenda in Dushanbe. From there, the rumor spread through the hyperactive Indian press and made an appearance in Tajikistans nascent press. Like all good rumors, the Ayni air base lease story has roots in the truth but doesnt, ultimately, reflect reality.India maintains a hospital facility in southern Tajikistan, which Modi visited Sunday. The India-Tajik Friendship Hospital, according to the Indian government, is located in Qurghonteppa, Tajikistan and opened in November 2014. It is often referred to as a military hospital and seems to be confused with Ayni on occasion, as well as Farkhor air base. In 2013 the Indian press went wild saying that India already has over 100 Indian military personnel stationed at the Ayni airbase and that India had quietly airlifted a military hospital to the country. But the Ayni air base, located outside of Dushanbe, is nearly 100 km north of Qurghonteppa. (The Ayni air base is also known as Gissar and there is apparently also an Ayni airport in northern Tajikistan, no relation. )The Farkhor Air baseDuring the late 1990s and early 2000s, India operated a military hospital at the Farkhor air base, near the Afghan border, providing care to Northern Alliance fighters. In 2002, India reportedly flew cargo out of Farkhor, with Russian permission, but there never was any evidence aside from rumors of an Indian air force presence. When NATO established the ISAF mission, India closed the hospital at Farkhor. Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month.Beginning around 2003, India helped refurbish the Ayni base extending the runway, building a control tower, and three new hangars. In 2013 Michael Tanchum wrote that the airbase remains unused. There are no reports of Indian combat aircraft having ever been stationed at the base. India forked out millions renovating the base at Ayni, only to be blocked from moving in by the Russians. Russia, unlike India, does have verifiable military forces stationed in Tajikistan the 201st Motor Rifle Division, which includes about 7,000 troops using facilities in Dushanbe, Kulob, and Qurghonteppa.In 2008, Eurasianet tracked the vicious cycle of diplomacy between India and Russia over the Ayni base:Diplomat BriefWeekly NewsletterGet briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific.Get the NewsletterWhen India was finally ready to proceed with making Ayni fully operational, Russia was having second thoughts. And during the latter half of 2007, Moscow let it be known that it not only opposed Indian deployment, but it also began pressuring President Imomali Rahmons (sic) administration in Dushanbe to revoke Indian access to the base.The recent gossip about Ayni fits snugly into a decade-old rumor mill. Tajik government officials told Asia-Plus that the issue of the Ayni air base is not going to be discussed. Noticeably, Modis website which has tracked every step, speech, Tweet, and Instagram from his trip makes no mention of the air base. Moreover, while Modis staff posted nearly every speech he gave and every joint press statement, only for Tajikistan did they post a list of agreements signed. There were only two agreements on the list: one for cultural cooperation and a second confirming Indias intention to set up computer labs 37 in Tajik schools.Allamdiuallah we kill this threat foreverPakistan zindabad | https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/will-there-be-an-indian-air-base-in-tajikistan.712991/ |
Where is the ReOpenNC movement today? | North Carolina Environmental Management Commission/NPDES Unit. Notice of Intent to Issue a NPDES Wastewater Permit NC0085979 Rosman Maintenance Facility The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission proposes to issue a NPDES wastewater discharge permit to the person(s) listed below. Written comments regarding the proposed permit will be accepted until 30 days after the publish date of this notice. The Director of the NC Division of Water Resources (DWR) may hold a public hearing should there be a significant degree of public interest. Please mail comments and/or information requests to DWR at the above address. Interested persons may visit the DWR at 512 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27604 to review information on file. Additional information on NPDES permits and this notice may be found on our website: http://deq.nc.gov/ about/divisions/water-resour ces/water-resources-permits/ wastewater-branch/npdes-wastewater/public-notices, or by calling (919) 707-3601. The North Carolina Department of Transportation [ 4809 Beryl Road, Raleigh, NC 27606] has requested renewal of permit NC0085979 for its Rosman Maintenance Facility in Transylvania County. This permitted facility discharges treated groundwater to the French Broad River in the French Broad River Basin. Some parameters are water quality limited. This discharge may affect future allocations in this segment of the French Broad River. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264229352539/where-is-the-reopennc-movement-today |
Is Kim's Convenience a True Story? Is the TV Show Based on a Real Life Store? | A new wave of sitcoms with ethnically and culturally diverse characters has emerged in recent years. Shows such as Superstore, Gentefied, and Fresh Off the Boat have brought fresh stories with rich cultural overtones to the audience. One of the most popular shows among this new wave is the sitcom Kims Convenience created by Ins Choi and Kevin White. The series deals with the day-to-day life of the Kims, a Korean-Canadian family, who own and run a convenience store in Toronto. Amidst the entertaining family arguments, cultural clashes, and heartwarming moments, the show accurately portrays the life of immigrants in Toronto. Its globally resonant themes, such as family and communal harmony, will certainly make you wonder if the show is inspired by certain true stories or real events. No, Kims Convenience is not based on a true story. The show is based on an original concept from co-creator Ins Choi, which he first molded into a successful play (of the same name) and eventually adapted into the show. However, while the story of the Kim family isnt exactly based on Chois life, certain elements of the show are derived from the writer/producers own experiences. Choi was born in South Korea and migrated to Canada with his family when he was just one year old. He grew up in Scarborough, Ontario (presently a part of Toronto). Upon moving to Canada, Choi and his family stayed with his uncle, who owned a convenience store known as Kims Grocer at Black Creek Drive near Weston Road. Choi recounted that during the 80s and 90s, convenience stores run by Korean immigrants became a cornerstone of the local community, and the idea of the show developed from there. In an interview with Toronto Life, Choi explained the connections between the show and his personal life. He said, Its not directly based on my experience, but I studied acting and the arts like Janet the daughter in the show, who is a photographer so theres a parallel there. My dad is a great storyteller and funny, but hes very soft-spoken and not nearly as opinionated or brash as Appa, Janets father on the show. He also stated that the show is based on his observations of the various people that were around him while growing up. The strong family values on the show are derived from Chois personal belief that family is an institution, which was instilled in him by his father. Kims Grocer isnt the only real-life store that inspired the shows eponymous store. Bobs Convenience, a store located on Parliament and Dundas Street, which Choi often passed during his daily commute earlier in his life, also served as an inspiration. Likewise, Mimi Variety, a convenience store located at 252 Queen Street East, provided us the exterior shots of the store in the series. The signboard and overall aesthetics of the store inspired that of the shows store, and the local business has since retained the Kims Convenience signboard used during filming. It is clear from the words of Choi that though some elements mirror his life and experiences in certain ways, Kims Convenience is mostly a fictional story. It derives its strong sense of realism through the values of its co-creator. Chois worldview as a Korean immigrant living in Canada helps the show in crafting a broader and more resonant perspective on the shows themes of family, patriarchy, communal spirit, cultural divide, and the socio-economic issues faced by people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds living in Canada. The impact of small convince stores on the local communities is also a real-world element that drives home the storys emotions and makes it more relatable. | https://thecinemaholic.com/is-kims-convenience-a-true-story/ |
How effective is the Sinovac vaccine given WHO approval? | The 12 - our new FREE email with all the news you need Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. I'M IN Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Chinas Sinovac vaccine has become the second Covid-19 jab from the country to receive emergency approval from the World Health Organization after Sinopharm got approval for its vaccine in May. The move is a boost for the country which until recently, had been relatively slow in jabbing its population. Studies suggest Sinovacs CoronaVac vaccine is 51per cent effective at preventing symptomatic disease in those vaccinated and 100 per cent effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation. While this former number may not sound like a lot, the jab was shown to almost completely control Covid when 75 per cent of the population had received both doses in a Brazilian town in which the vaccine had been trialled. Heres everything we know about the new Sinovac vaccine so far. The Sinovac vaccine is made in China by a Beijing-based firm, with the jab called CoronaVac. Its administered in two doses, with the recommended gap between the two jabs being two to four weeks. Sinovac is the second Chinese made vaccine to receive approval from the WHO after Sinopharm also got emergency approval for its jab in May. Both vaccines require two doses, but their recommended spacing are different. The WHO suggests the Sinovac vaccine should be administered with doses between two and four weeks apart. The MHRA suggests the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine should be given with doses ranging between four and 12 weeks apart. The Sinovac vaccine works by injecting an inactive form of the virus into candidates which trains the immune system to recognise Covid. The Oxford jab uses a weakened form of another virus found in chimpanzees and modifies it with a spike protein from the coronavirus, to train the body to recognise and fight off an Covid-19 infection. The WHO recommends the vaccine is used for anyone over the age of 18 and there is no upper age limit on who should get it. Apart from China, the vaccine is already being used in 22 territories around the world, including Brazil, Turkey, Thailand and Mexico. Now that the vaccine has received emergency approval, it can be distributed worldwide more easily. The news of the success of the latest Chinese vaccine has given a boost to the Covax system, which seeks to pool doses of Covid vaccines together for redistribution around the world. | https://www.mylondon.news/news/health/how-effective-sinovac-vaccine-given-20724870 |
Does everyone hate think tanks? | So what do you do? That conversation starter, annoyingly ubiquitous in the Washington Beltway, is a conversation killer at family dinners back home. The problem is that we are professional policy experts and, worse than that, experts who work in think tanks. This means that we wear fancy suits and speak to the national media on complex, serious topics like European security and nuclear weapons. Like other experts, we have rows of academic credentials on our walls and networks of high-level contacts in Washington and beyond. But no one at our family dinners really believes any of this gives us special insight. Our relatives have their own ideas about what is happening in the world and what the United States ought to do about it. They dont see why the letters after our names or our think tank perches should qualify us to make better policy choices. Other highly educated professionals dont have this problem. Third cousins dont usually look an M.D. in the eye and say, Interesting point, but I have my own views on how to perform heart surgery. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/06/02/does-everyone-hate-think-tanks/ |
Who was firefighter Tory Carlon and how did he die? | A FIREFIGHTER was fatally shot at the Agua Dulce Fire station in California on June 1, 2021. Tory Carlon was identified by family members following the tragic fire station shooting. 44-year-old firefighter Carlon was reportedly shot and killed just before 11am at Los Angeles County Fire Station No. 81. According to authorities, the firefighter had worked with the department for over 20 years. The motive of the shooting is still under investigation. 3 The identity of the firefighter has yet to be released Credit: AFP The Los Angeles County Fire Department released a statement regarding the firefighters death, saying: It is with heavy hearts that the LACoFD confirms that a tragic shooting occurred at approximately 10:55 a.m. today at FS 81 in Agua Dulce. The Dept. is still in the process of gathering additional information & are cooperating with law enf. throughout this ongoing incident. Adding: We will provide updated information when available. Fire Chief Daryl Osby also said that the stations fire captain sustained a gunshot wound and was in critical but stable condition. The 54-year-old was airlifted to Henry Mayo Hospital in Valencia. 3 The suspect barricaded himself inside his home and set it ablaze, according to a source Credit: AP A close friend spoke at a vigil in front of the crowd and paid tribute to him. "When it comes to being a father, when it comes to being a fireman, when it comes to being a mentor, there was nobody that could parallel that," he said. "He was a brave, committed, loyal member of our department," Osby said. The Los Angeles Times revealed that the suspect was barricaded inside a home at West Bent Spur Drive, about 10 miles away from the scene of the shooting. The suspect was an off-duty firefighter. Most read in US News RAPPER DEATH Rapper Lil Loaded dead at 20 after arrest for 18-year-old friends shooting WAKE BLOODBATH Hunt for gunman after six shot at a WAKE in horrific attack 'RECOVERY MISSION' Christian diet guru, husband & 6 others presumed dead after plane crash MANSLAUGHTER RAP Lord Ashcrofts daughter-in-law CHARGED over Belize cop's shooting TRAGIC FIND Cops fear body in bag at motel is missing TX boy, 6, as dad's fiance vanishes HELLHOLE Socialite moved to notorious SCORPION-infested prison after 'shooting' Belize cop He was later found deceased, after locking himself in his home before setting the properly ablaze, a source told KABC. No further details have been provided. The Sun contacted the LA County Fire Department for comment on the afternoon of June 1, 2021, but a spokesperson said they were "not able to confirm [any details] at this time." | https://www.the-sun.com/news/2998461/tory-carlon-firefighter-shot-dead-california/ |
Who is conman Paul Bint and where is he now? | PAUL Bint was jailed in 2009 for swindling 2 million from his life of crime. Paul Bint was a conman who earned 2 million from his life of crime and who seduced women by using several identities. Nicknamed King Con after his years of deception, he was jailed in 2009 for three years. His career stretched back 30 years with 155 previous convictions until he was jailed in 2009. Bint was jailed for impersonating Sir Keir Starmer who was the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Speaking on an episode of Life Stories, due to air on June 8, Sir Keir told Piers Morgan that Bint answered lonely hearts adverts in the Sunday Times pretending to be him. He would take a taxi down to see one of the women that he was seeing as Keir Starmer, down to the West Country, and say put the bill on the Crown Prosecution Service, director of public prosecutions," Sir Keir said. But one of the cabbies turned up at my office and said I want my bleep money. "Thats when everybody started to realise what was happening and the art gallery was phoning me up to say do you want to complete on this 80,000 piece of art etcetera. So it all became clear that this was happening. There was a trial, the two women gave evidence about what he had done. "He had stolen from them, it was a real exploitation. 2 Conman Paul Bint (L) spotted in Windsor in 2011 Credit: Doug Seeburg - The Sun One of the five offences he committed between April 27 and May 5 2009 included cheating a taxi driver out of a 60 fare and using a credit card belonging to one of his women victims. Another offence was for stealing a bracelet and stealing a barrister's laptop after rummaging through the robing room at St Alban's Crown Court. "You misled two women into letting you into their lives and homes, into trusting you and allowing you to stay with them by giving wholly false details about yourself, and then you stole from them," Judge Deborah Taylor said at the time of sentencing. "The effect on both of these women was not merely this loss of the bracelet, DVDs or money, but, as they told the court, the feeling of violation of their homes and perhaps of their peace of mind." The whereabouts of Paul Bint are unknown since he was released from prison in 2012. According to an interview Bint did with the Daily Record after he was released he was living in Windsor in Berkshire. | https://www.the-sun.com/news/3000552/who-conman-paul-bint-where-now/ |
Why is England vs Austria tonight at Middlesbroughs Riverside Stadium? | ENGLAND face Austria tonight as they begin their preparations for the start of Euro 2020. Gareth Southgate's side are one of the favourites to win this summer's showpiece and will play all of their group matches at Wembley. WIN 50,000! Play Dream Team Euros our FREE fantasy football game 2 Southgate's side are based in the North East as they begin Euro preparation Credit: Getty But ahead of the big kick-off a week on Friday, they must first negotiate this warm-up friendly against Franco Foda's side in Middlesbrough. After announcing his final squad on Tuesday evening, Southgate will run his side through its paces against the Austrians on Wednesday. The game will be held at Championship side Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium, where kick-off is at 8pm. The Three Lions are based in the North East for the next week and will face Romania at the same venue on Sunday. 2 Boro are welcoming over 8,000 fans for each game this week Credit: PA:Press Association Boro's ground last staged an international in 2003, when England beat Slovakia 2-1. The stadium has been selected due to it's Covid-secure status and continues the trend of England heading out on the road for home internationals. They've played at Manchester, Sunderland, Leeds, Leicester and Southampton since 2016 and the FA have leapt on this opportunity to branch away from London again. There will be over 8,200 fans in attendance, with the game a sell-out - although that accounts for only 25 percent of the Riverside's total capacity. You can catch England vs Austria live on ITV1. Coverage will start at 7.30pm. If you want to stream, head to the ITV Hub or download the official app on your mobile or tablet. Most read in Football Live Blog FOOTBALL NEWS LIVE City given green light on 150m Kane deal, Ancelotti to Real Madrid DONE Live Blog GUNNERS NEWS Arsenal tracking 13.5m Lokonga, Saka IN England Euro 2020 squad EDIN-SON ON THE WAY Cavani to be a dad for fourth time with Man Utd star's partner pregnant Gossip LUC ELSEWHERE Man Utd and Chelsea blow as Lucas Vazquez 'agrees new Real Madrid contract' Gossip NOU DEAL Messi 'AGREES new two-year Barcelona contract in blow to Man City and PSG' Gossip MAURICIAO Mauricio Pochettino 'tells PSG he wants to LEAVE' as he edges closer to Spurs England's Euro 2020 schedule | https://www.the-sun.com/sport/premier-league/2998032/england-austria-middlesbrough-riverside-stadium/ |
What Are The Benefits Of Data Mirroring In Cloud Hosting? | Choosing a website hosting plan is important, as it determines the performance of your site. There are many hosting services to choose from, like shared hosting, dedicated server hosting, VPS hosting, cloud hosting, etc. In recent years, cloud hosting has gained popularity as the perfect hosting service for modern websites. Cloud hosting offers a range of benefits to site owners. This article will talk about a unique feature of cloud hosting data mirroring and discuss how it benefits cloud-hosted websites. When you choose a cloud hosting service, your website will reside on a shared server backed by a powerful cloud storage network. It makes the hosting service reliable, easily scalable, and highly secure. Data Mirroring Mirroring data is the process of copying it from one location to another. It may seem simple, but we are talking about a real-time copy of site data. A cloud hosting provider uses the cloud network to create multiple mirrored copies of site data. Hence, several servers can service a site request at any time. Also, if one server goes down, others take its place immediately. It helps the cloud web host in ensuring data redundancy and boosting the security of the site. Benefits of Data Mirroring in Cloud Hosting Uptime In cloud hosting, data mirroring is how a websites data is mirrored across the cloud network. Hence, all servers on the network have the latest copy of the site. If one server goes down, others take its place and ensure uninterrupted services. It allows the cloud host to offer maximum uptimes to websites. Managing traffic spikes Data mirroring creates replicas of site content across the network. In todays times, with search engines and social media platforms governing site traffic, one viral post or keyword trend can result in a traffic spike on your site. Managing such spikes is crucial since these are opportunities to establish your business. However, this means more resources than what you have provisioned for in your hosting plan. With cloud hosting, data mirroring helps the host to offer instant resource scalability making traffic spike management a breeze. Site speed Lets say that your web server is located in the US while a client visits your site from India. In a traditional hosting plan, the request would be sent to your server from the US to India, and the relevant files would be sent from your server in India to the users device in the US. It can take time leading to a slow-loading website. With data mirroring, since all servers on the cloud network have the latest site data, the server closest to the user fulfils the request. It helps in boosting the speed of the website. Summing Up Remember, in cloud hosting; there is no single point of failure. Therefore, your sites performance is more reliable, and the hosting environment is more secure than traditional hosting services. As you can see, data mirroring offers a range of benefits to cloud-hosted websites. If you are considering shifting to cloud hosting, ensure that the host optimally utilizes data mirroring to offer the best services to you. Good Luck! | https://www.micash.co.uk/what-are-the-benefits-of-data-mirroring-in-cloud-hosting.html |
Aren't thousands of Derbyshire deaths enough reason to get the Covid-19 jab? | It threw me for a minute, as the bloke Id be in conversation with at the socially-distanced barbecue seemed an intelligent, articulate and likable person. I suppose its daft to assume that people you think youll like, also think like you do - but its a trap many of us fall into. I could perhaps understand a MAGA-cap wearing Trump supporter decrying the jab from his underground bunker, insisting that the vaccination plan was a global conspiracy concocted by the illuminati. Sign up to our daily newsletter The i newsletter cut through the noise Sign up Thanks for signing up! Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The covid-19 is designed to stop us infecting others - as well as keep us save from the virus. But the person Id met definitely didnt seem to be a flat earther or believe on-line misinformation that the covid-19 jab was really a secret CIA plot to inject nanobot trackers into our bodies or that the whole coronavirus pandemic has been faked as way to drive profits for multinational pharma-corps. He described himself not as an anti-vaxxer but as pro-choice. An interesting distinction. His objection to getting the jab centred around the fact he disliked being coerced into rolling up his sleeve; that the government jabs roll out was an attack on his personal freedom to choose. He brushed off my question when I asked if he wore a seat belt on his drive to the event something else the tyrannical freedom-robbing parliament forces up-standing citizens to do saying it was a false analogy. And thinking about it, he was probably right. Were made to wear a seat belt mainly to keep ourselves from harm whereas a large part of the vaccination programme is about protecting others. Many of us may suffer very few effects if we become infected with Covid-19, perhaps as many as a third will show no symptoms at all. The simple answer is the tragic number of people thousands in Derbyshire alone - who have been killed by Covid-19 so far. | https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/opinion/arent-thousands-of-derbyshire-deaths-enough-reason-to-get-the-covid-19-jab-3256251 |
Have these people never heard of Ivermectin? | No escape! We are obviously being government by morons, which may be just what we deserve. This is the best bit: Lockdown to be extended until at least early next week New strain spreading between strangers who pass each other Obviously the only answer is to keep everyone indoors forever. I might also mention this comment at Andrew Bolt which seems apposite. I am not terrified of Covid-19 just as I an not terrified of the Flu! 1255 Australians died of the flu in 2017 and we never battered an eyelid. The events on the Diamond Princess provided a unique high load, confined space study for the Covid-19 infection. On February 3, 2020, 10 people aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship tested positive for the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Each had developed the resulting illness, COVID-19. By February 4, the people with COVID-19 had been isolated from the rest of the passengers. The case that prompted this onboard outbreak involved a person who had been aboard the ship between January 21 and January 25. Diamond Princess arrived in Yokohama early from a 14-day round trip itinerary, which departed from Yokohama (Tokyo) on January 20 and was scheduled to return on 4th February. There are 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew on board. We know the initial host arrived onboard 14 days prior to the first detection of the disease which tallies with the incubation period. Therefore. the virus was being freely transmitted in a confined, densely populated vessel for 15days prior to the passengers were confined to their cabins. Of those onboard there about 900 between the ages of 70 and 79, nearly 1000 between 80-89 and about 200 over 90. The total infection rate was about 17%. 83% either did not contract Covid-19 or exhibited no symptoms. Below is the current status in respect to those who were onboard during its quarantine in Yokohama. Total Cases: 712, Deaths: 13, Recovered:699, Active Cases: 0 The USS Roosevelt provides an even more positive insight, with a crew of some 4200, less than 20% contracted Covid-19 while only 4 were hospitalized and than 5% of those 1 died of the infection. Yes vaccinate the at risk and those who want to and let the rest of us get on with our lives. Our governments have been taken over by terrorists. PLUS THIS NOW: Ivermectin obliterates 97 percent of Delhi cases A 97% decline in Delhi cases with Ivermectin is decisive period. It represents the last word in an epic struggle to save lives and preserve human rights. This graph symbolizes the victory of reason over corruption, good over evil, and right over wrong. It is as significant as Davids victory over Goliath. It is an absolute vindication of Ivermectin and early outpatient treatment. It is a clear refutation of the WHO, FDA, NIH, and CDCs policies of wait at home until you turn blue before you get treatment. | https://catallaxyfiles.com/2021/06/02/have-these-people-never-heard-of-ivermectin/ |
Are Progressives Finally Ready to Throw Their Weight Around? | Let our journalists help you make sense of the noise: Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter and get a recap of news that matters. The White House insists its not done trying to cut a deal with Republican lawmakers on its jobs and infrastructure agenda, but by the end of last week, few Senate Democrats seemed eager to keep bipartisan talks going. Its just not particularly genuine, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) told Politico about the GOPs $928 billion counteroffer to President Joe Bidens infrastructure proposal, which was more than $1 trillion short of what the White House is seeking. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote a letter to his Democratic colleagues on Friday informing them that they must pass comprehensive jobs and infrastructure legislation this summer. Work on that legislation, he added, would happen with or without the support of Republican Senators. Biden and White House aides have spent the last several weeks in talks with GOP lawmakers in hopes of finding common ground by a self-imposed Memorial Day deadline. As the talks continued, Congress typically vocal left flank held back. Weve tried to give a little bit of space on these bipartisan negotiations because we understand there are some Senate Democrats who need to see that, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told me on Friday. The holiday came and went, but the negotiations will continue, a strategy the White House believes will showcase Bidens bipartisan bona fides and reflect well his party within the halls of Congress and among the voting public. But progressive lawmakers refused to hold back any longer. On Friday afternoon, the Congressional Progressive Caucus issued a statement urging for Bidens economic proposals to move through Congress quickly via the budget reconciliation process, which requires only a simple majority in both chambers to pass. It also insisted that the priorities the left flank have coalesced aroundincluding universal child care, affordable housing, and lowering drug pricesbe included in that package. The dwindling attempts at bipartisanship have opened the door to debate within the Democratic party, and a return to the dynamic that shaped the COVID relief bill Congress passed in March. As the fate of Bidens economic legacy looks increasingly to rest on a party line vote, Congress left flank is threatening to assert itself in a narrowly divided House and Senate to quash legislation that doesnt meet their demands. As they prepare, in the words of one aide to a progressive lawmaker, they are telegraphing clearly and openly to Biden, Schumer, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that their exertion of pressure is forthcoming. But in terms of what those hard lines might actually be, well, there arent any yet. Our approach has been to push really hard on every frontwith the Speaker, with the White House, with the Senate, to make sure our priorities get in, Jayapal explained. I wouldnt say, necessarily, that theres a way to say This is the point at which we vote no. Since Democrats retook the House in 2018, progressives have threatened to disrupt proceedings if they dont get their way. So far, theyve rarely exercised that power, and the CPC and the squad have yet to behave like the liberal equivalent of the tea party representatives that made former House Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryans lives hell. But as Democrats negotiated the COVID relief package earlier this year, the left flank in the House drew a hard line on keeping a proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour in the final bill. Their push succeeded until the Senate parliamentarian ruled that raising the federal minimum wage did not qualify for consideration under the budget reconciliation process. Progressives had threatened to vote against the final bill if Vice President Kamala Harris did not exercise her power to overrule the parliamentarian but, ultimately, they stood down, unwilling to block Bidens first major legislative effort. For the jobs and infrastructure package, the Congressional Progressive Caucus identified five of its top issues back in April. They include $450 billion in Medicaid funding for caregiving, universal child care, a massive expansion of affordable housing and efforts to combat homelessness, and major investments in climate jobs and climate justiceincluding a large-scale Civilian Climate Corps modeled after the New Deals Civilian Conservation Corps. These negotiating points also include a push to lower the cost of prescription drugs, dropping the Medicare eligibility age, and providing a roadmap to citizenship for undocumented essential workers, Dreamers, and TPS recipients. Nearly all of these proposals, such as lowering the cost of prescription drugs, go far beyond the scope and price tag the White House has suggested. Others, such as the caregiving investments, closely mirror Bidens proposals and simply hold the line. For now, Jayapal and other progressive leaders are assessing what appetite fellow lefty lawmakers have for making demands during reconciliation negotiationsand if there is enough support to force their inclusion in the final package, according to several sources familiar with the conversations. The demands may end up being more narrow than what the list outlined initially: On climate, for example, some members are considering drawing a line in the sand on keeping natural gas from qualifying as clean energy in both the clean energy standard the White House seeks to pass through Congress and its related line items in the jobs proposal. We have to be very careful, and we have to negotiate what can get through. But a lot of progressive energy seems focused on getting the White House to yes instead of forcing its hand with a no. Last Thursday, for example, more than 150 House Democrats signed a letter pushing the president to support an expansion of Medicare, something the White House has not included in its various economics proposals. As she explains the public strategy, Jayapal acknowledged the risks of being too forceful and doesnt sound ready to endanger any reconciliation bill yet. We have to be very careful, and we have to negotiate what can get through, she told me. But I think thats why were trying to show that there is support across the caucus for something like Medicare expansion, which she described as a big, bold, popular, populist thing to do. Other progressives echoed Jayapals combination of concern and caution. Talk to me in a week or two, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) told me last week when I asked if hed vote against a package that doesnt include progressive priorities. Nothing to say at this moment, but well see, going forward. We want to be as green as possible and as equitable as possible overall. Rep. Marie Newman (D-Ill.) said progressives arent going to cheap out and give up on all the things we need to do that are outlined in Bidens proposal. But as far as whether the left flank should take a hard line, Newman offered no specifics. We do have a powerful voice, and we are going to use it, she said. Progressives in the Senate Democratic caucus, meanwhile, face similar considerations. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has led the push to expand Medicare and lower the price of prescription drugs in the next reconciliation package. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has been demanding even greater spending than what Biden proposed for affordable child care. When I asked her in May if she would hold up a Senate infrastructure package if it did not include child care, she was still undecided. But, she warned, I want to make clear that when the infrastructure train moves forward, child care will not be left in the station once again. Forcing these progressive priorities into a reconciliation package is one thing, but passing it is another. In the end, the $15 federal minimum wage proposal did not have full support among Senate Democrats, and its exclusion from the COVID relief bill helped the party avoid a skirmish that could have tanked the package altogether. A similar dynamic would surely play out if line items from the progressives wish list made their way to the Senate. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V. ), for example, said last month that he wants to see a more traditional infrastructure proposal that avoids additional funding for child care and health care. And so far, its the moderates like Manchin who have demonstrated a willingness to actually slam the breaks on legislation that dont suit them. | https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/06/are-progressives-finally-ready-to-throw-their-weight-around/ |
Has Hamburger Marys come back to haunt Rosies Bar & Grill? | For John Zieba, co-owner of Rosies Bar & Grill in Wilton Manors , the result, lately, has been an amusing revival of old rumors, bitter breakups and an oddly persistent local urban legend. Ive literally walked up to people having conversations about us being sued by the franchise and losing our name, and I have to giggle, because they explain what happened with such conviction, Zieba says. And none of its true. Heres what is true: Hamburger Marys, a San Francisco-born franchise with 18 locations, will debut in June inside the former Rumors Bar & Grill at 2426 Wilton Drive, and will be operated by California-based partners Dale Warner and Ruben Lopez. It will feature over-the-top hamburgers, salads, flatbread pizzas and nightly drag performances. Its a one-minute walk across the street to Rosies, which began its life as a Hamburger Marys in 2002 before dropping its franchise deal and rebranding after a mutual breakup in 2006 . Heres what isnt true: Everything else, Zieba says. Lately the rumor mill has flared up on public Facebook community groups like Whats Happening on the Drive Wilton Manors, full of these comments: Rosies ripped off Hamburger Marys and Hamburger Marys sued so they had to change the name to Rosies. And Rosies ripped off Marys menu and style cause THEY didnt want to pay the franchise fee price. And, best of all: This is gonna be one big cat fight! In reality, Rosies split from Hamburger Marys and changed the menu to avoid $15,000 in monthly franchisee fees, Zieba says. Another reason Rosies left: The franchise wanted the restaurant to install expensive pizza ovens because flatbreads were trendy in the mid-2000s. I cant believe were still talking about this 15 years later but you just have to brush it off, Zieba says. Its not a competition, and we dont have to make ordering burgers a tribal experience. Its like what George from Georgies Alibi told me when we first opened: Any business that you bring to the Drive is good business. " And Hamburger Marys is good business, Wilton Manors commissioner Gary Resnick says. The fact that Hamburger Marys is moving across the street shows that, despite this pandemic, good restaurants are still coming to the Drive, says Resnick, who has eaten at Rosies and its predecessor. Hamburger Marys menu, still being finalized, features 17 gourmet burgers with cheeky names such as Buffy the Hamburger Slayer, stuffed with garlic, Swiss cheese, Caesar dressing and doused in red wine; and the Barbara-Q Bacon Burger topped with bacon, Jack and cheddar cheese, crispy onions and western barbecue sauce. Customers can also build their own hamburgers with choice of patty (American Wagyu, ostrich, buffalo, ground chuck or Angus beef blend), or go leaner with salmon, chicken breast, quinoa, black bean-and-veggie and Beyond meat. All hamburgers come with choice of French fries, coleslaw and garden rice, and premium sides include onion rings, tater tots and steak-cut fries. The restaurants appetizer menu, also massive, includes mac n cheese balls and jalapeno poppers, chicken tenders, Asian potstickers and Macho Mary Nachos topped with steak chili or two-bean vegan chili. There are even non-burger entrees, such as Marys Fish & Chips with beer-battered cod, chicken and beef fajitas and seven flatbread pizzas ranging from tomato and basil to Hawaiian-style. Along with beer, wine and champagne, Hamburger Marys cocktail menu includes Marys Glamorous Manhattan (whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters, cherry) and Orange Creamsicle (orange vodka, candied oranges, whipped cream, Sprite). There will also be 21-and-older nightly drag bingo, drag queen revues and Sunday drag brunch. Which may, of course, compete with Rosies popular Sunday brunch. We like Hamburger Marys, Zieba says. I think theyll do fine on the Drive. Hamburger Marys, at 2426 Wilton Drive, in Wilton Manors, will debut this June. Hours of operation are still being finalized. Go to HamburgerMarys.com/WiltonManors . | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263884157976/has-hamburger-mary-s-come-back-to-haunt-rosie-s-bar-grill |
What Does Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Debt Look Like? | Over the past three months, shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE) moved higher by 8.37%. Before we understand the importance of debt, let us look at how much debt Hewlett Packard has. Hewlett Packard's Debt According to the Hewlett Packard's most recent financial statement as reported on March 4, 2021, total debt is at $15.93 billion, with $11.96 billion in long-term debt and $3.97 billion in current debt. Adjusting for $4.17 billion in cash-equivalents, the company has a net debt of $11.77 billion. Let's define some of the terms we used in the paragraph above. Current debt is the portion of a company's debt which is due within 1 year, while long-term debt is the portion due in more than 1 year. Cash equivalents include cash and any liquid securities with maturity periods of 90 days or less. Total debt equals current debt plus long-term debt minus cash equivalents. Investors look at the debt-ratio to understand how much financial leverage a company has. Hewlett Packard has $53.45 billion in total assets, therefore making the debt-ratio 0.3. Generally speaking, a debt-ratio more than one means that a large portion of debt is funded by assets. As the debt-ratio increases, so the does the risk of defaulting on loans, if interest rates were to increase. Different industries have different thresholds of tolerance for debt-ratios. A debt ratio of 35% might be higher for one industry and average for another. Why Debt Is Important Besides equity, debt is an important factor in the capital structure of a company, and contributes to its growth. Due to its lower financing cost compared to equity, it becomes an attractive option for executives trying to raise capital. However, interest-payment obligations can have an adverse impact on the cash-flow of the company. Having financial leverage also allows companies to use additional capital for business operations, allowing equity owners to retain excess profit, generated by the debt capital. Check out Benzinga Pro, a market research platform which provides investors with near-instantaneous access to dozens of stock metrics - including debt-to-equity ratio. Click here to learn more. | https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/06/21386092/what-does-hewlett-packard-enterprises-debt-look-like |
What Happened to Beto O'Rourke as Biden's 'Gun Czar'? | Former Rep. Beto ORourke speaks during the first night of the second Democratic presidential debate in Detroit, Mich., July 30, 2019. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters) When he was running for president, Joe Biden liked to promise that hed appoint Beto ORourke as his gun-control point man. At an event in Dallas, Texas, in March, 2020, Biden said: I want to make something clear: Im going to guarantee you this is not the last youre seeing of this guy. Youre going to take care of the gun problem with me. Youre going to be the one who leads this effort. Im counting on you. We need you badly, the state needs you, the country needs you, youre the best. At another event in Texas, also in March, Biden said: And by the way, this guy can change the face of what we are doing here, with regard to guns, assault weapons, with regard to dealing with climate change. Biden won the election, and yet, one year later, he hasnt come for ORourke in any manner at all. His pick for ATF is David Chipman, not Beto. His gun-control efforts have been laundered through Americas well-established gun control groups, not through Beto. Biden hasnt even created a czar style position for Beto that would allow him to bypass the Senate. | https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/one-year-on-where-is-beto-orourke/ |
Are Ben Affleck And Jennifer Lopez Really Taking Their New Relationship Seriously? | Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck appear to be the real deal. While many fans have been wondering if the former lovers may have been putting on a show as part of a PR stunt following Lopez's split from Alex Rodriguez back in mid-April, it looks like she and Affleck may actually be rekindling their 17-year-old love. Despite remaining friends over the years, the two reconnected on a different level while Lopez was in the Dominican Republic filming "Shotgun Wedding," according to TMZ. The outlet reported that Lopez and Affleck had been exchanging emails, or "love letters" as TMZ called them, and things escalated from there. Since Lopez's return to The States, she has spent quite a bit of quality time with Affleck. The two enjoyed "several days" in Montana together before Mother's Day, according to People magazine. They've also hung out in Los Angeles, and they were spotted together at Lopez's house in Miami, according to Page Six. On May 31, the actors were caught cuddling up to one another during a night out in Hollywood. Page Six shared the paparazzi pics that showed the two walking arm-in-arm to their dinner date; they tried Wolfgang Puck's new restaurant at the Pendry Hotel. Since it's apparent that Lopez and Affleck are back on at least in some capacity fans find themselves wondering how seriously they are taking their relationship. Keep reading to find out. | https://www.nickiswift.com/426020/are-ben-affleck-and-jennifer-lopez-really-taking-their-new-relationship-seriously/ |
Will hybrids drive the economy? | Plenty of politicians, planners, and business folks think they know what North Carolinas post-pandemic economy will look like. But few seem entirely sure. They are noticeably hedging their predictions, which I consider to be a wise precaution. They ought to be hedging their bets, as well. There are unanswered questions across multiple economic sectors and time frames. For many decisionmakers, however, perhaps the single most important questions involve the fate of hybrids. Im not talking about motor vehicles. Im talking about work schedules. If so, there wont be meaningful changes in traffic patterns, consumer behavior, and the market for commercial and residential real estate. However, if a significant share asks employers to stay remote indefinitely or, more likely, to split their workweeks between office and home the result could be disruptive. I dont necessarily mean that in a bad way. But even net-positive innovations have transition and transaction costs. The early signals are noisy. Some workers are clearly desperate to get back to the office. They found being at home distracting, even without school-aged children needing frequent attention, and embrace the rigid separation of worktime and personal time that a physical commute can reinforce. Others quite enjoyed doing their jobs remotely. It saved them time and expense. As for employers, some found remote work easy to inspire, manage, and evaluate. Others felt their teams, dispersed by geography and otherwise out of sync, became less productive. One paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research projects that home-based work will account for 20% of full workdays in the United States, up from 5% before the COVID crisis. Amanda Mull, a staff writer for The Atlantic, predicts that many professionals will ask for hybrid schedules: three days a week in the office, two at home. Such developments would have major consequences. The NBER paper estimated that if a fifth of workdays happened at home, consumer spending in major city centers would decline by as much as 10%. Think fewer workers parking their cars in decks, eating out for lunch, or running errands on the way home. Think major employers shrinking their footprints the next time they renew their leases. Now consider whats happening with urban transit across the country. Ridership across all categories fell dramatically during the crisis, but declines in rail use were especially large, in part because the very professionals most likely to be able to do their jobs from home also make up a disproportionate share of rail users. The only relevant case in North Carolina is Charlotte and its a revealing one. Bus ridership in the Queen City is down by about 49% year-to-year. Light rail ridership is down 71%, and isnt bouncing back as fast as bus usage is. I confess that Ive been a rail-transit skeptic for a long time. I already thought the Triangle area was wise not to pursue a long-proposed rail line. That decision looks even better in retrospect. John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member and author of the new novel Mountain Folk, a historical fantasy set during the American Revolution (MountainFolkBook.com). | https://www.laurinburgexchange.com/opinion/49862/will-hybrids-drive-the-economy |
Why is June The Month of No Water? | The literal mysteries of tsuyu, the Japanese term for the rainy season. By Aonghas Crowe Jun 2, 2021 5 min read The start of tsuyu, or the rainy season, has already started in Japan. Ive always wondered how the beginning of the rainy season was determined, for no sooner is the season announced than we experience a week of beautiful, sunny weather. Well, take that! The answer to this question lies in first understanding why it rains. The baiu zensen The tsuyu weather pattern. From about May to July, there is a stationary front over Japan known as the baiu zensen (, the seasonal rain front). Check a weather map of Japan at this time of year, and youll find a flat front with semi-circles on the northern side and triangles on the southern side. This indicates a stationary front or a non-moving boundary between two differing air masses. Because of the baiu zensen, long continuous rainy periods can linger in the area affected. In East Asia, air masses of differing temperatures and humidity from areas of high atmospheric pressure over the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean meet along the baiu zensen, creating clouds and rain. The strength of these two regions bumping up against each other prevents the front from dissipating. When there have been several days of unsettled weather, and it looks likely to continue to be rainy or cloudy for several successive days, the Japanese Meteorological Agency will announce that a particular region of Japan has entered tsuyu iri (, the rainy season). Similarly, tsuyu ake (, the end of the rainy season) is announced when the rains have stopped, and there have been consecutive sunny days. If the past is anything to go by, the rainy season will end in the northern part of Kyushu around mid-July, or just in time for the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival. While the mechanics of tsuyu are relatively straightforward, there are many aspects about the season that can be somewhat confusing. Because (holds one theory) the rainy season coincides with the picking of said plums for making umeshu (, plum liquor) and umeboshi (, dried and pickled plums). Another theory maintains that the original name for the season was baiu (, lit. moldy rain) due to the high humidity and heat creating the perfect conditions for mold to grow. The moldy half of the name, bai (), was replaced with the Chinese character ume (, plum), which could be read the same way. Lending some credence to this theory is the fact that in China, the rainy season is also written (though pronounced meiyu) and is written by some as , where means mold. Interestingly, the kanji for plum () contains the radical in it, which means every as in every day, giving the word baiu () the sense of it raining every day. In Korea, the name for the season is jangma (, lit. long rain). Japans old calendar Rain in Harajuku. The second question people have regarding tsuyu is the traditional name of the month in which the rainy season falls: minazuki (, lit. no water month). It comes from Japans old calendar, called kyuureki () or inreki (), which was based on the lunar cycle. June, or minazuki, was the time of the year that water was more essential to rice fields. The kyuureki is still used today for traditional events, the marine products industry and fortune-telling. Some modern-day calendars show both dates. A look at the Western calendar is also instructive. While September is now the ninth month of the year, the name means seventh month. In calendars before 1752, September was considered the seventh month, October the eighth month, November was the ninth, and so on. The old name for June, minazuki, is aligned more closely to the drier month of July of the former calendar. The summer months of July (Julius Caesar) and August (Augustus Caesar) today were formerly known as Quintilis and Sextilis (the fifth and sixth months of Romulus, respectively) in the 10-month calendar of ancient Rome in which the year started in March. The Japanese calendar experienced a similar change in the latter half of the 19th century when the tenporeki calendar, a lunisolar system used for just under 30 years from 1842 to 1872, was abandoned in favor of the Gregorian calendar. To make the change, the second day of the 12th month of the fifth year of Meiji (122) became the first day of the first month of the sixth year of Meiji (611)so December of 1872 lasted only two days! The month of no water Japan needs a lot of water for its rice. Because of the shift from a lunisolar calendar to a sun-based one, the former names of the months are sometimes off by several weeks. For example, June 7 is May 13, according to kyuureki. May (, gogatsu) is also known by its former names satsuki ( or , five-month) and samidare (, also read satsuki ame) which mean May rain. It is synonymous with the rainy season. The old name for June, minazuki (again, the month of no water), is aligned more closely to the drier month of July of the former calendar. Some believe the name may also derive from the great need for water for rice planting, which occurs during this time of the year. If you look at June 11 on a traditional Japanese calendar, which gives both modern and kyuureki dates, you may see (nyubai, lit. enter + plum). During the Edo period, the rainy season was believed to begin on or around June 11also known as kasa no hi (, Umbrella Day). So as we enter the rainy season, I offer a prayer to both Kuraokami, the dragon god of rain, and Raijin, the god of lightning, thunder and storms: May this season bring us all the rain we need and no moreand may it be over sooner rather than later. Let us know in the comments! | https://blog.gaijinpot.com/japans-rainy-season-called-month-no-water/ |
Does lip balm actually work? | The issue of dry and chapped lips dates all the way back to Cleopatras time around 40 BC, and ever since then people have experimented with oils, beeswax and other natural ingredients to find a cure. Considering that dry lips still remain an issue to this day, its no surprise that all the quick fixes on the market fall short. When it comes to understanding why the issue of dry and chapped lips has lingered, there are a few important things to note. According to an article on The Conversation written by associate professor of science and medicine Christian Moro and PhD student Charlotte Phelps, lips have a protective outside layer of skin, but lack certain things like sweat, saliva and oil glands. This unique structure means theyre particularly prone to dryness as they have a much lower ability to hold water than the rest of the faces skin, says the authors. Cold weather is one of the main causes for dry lips, but it turns out there is a long list of other reasons too. These include skin conditions, allergies, certain medications, tongue injuries or dental issues, poor oral health, burns, dehydration, or persistent licking of the lips. If the sole cause of your dry lips is cold, windy or dry weather, then a balm should do the trick. The best choice for hydration and protection is a bland balm or ointment that is non-irritating and unflavoured. Many lip balms add in a number of unnecessary ingredients such as fragrances, flavours, colours, and gloss which make the balm more appealing in scent, taste and look. However, these additives dont help maintain a barrier function on your lips. Other ingredients to avoid include menthol, phenol or salicylic acid which can all dry out your lips. Camphor, lanolin, octinoxate, oxybenzone and propyl gallate are also problematic. While a good lip balm can be a godsend, its also important to check your hydration levels and avoid biting and excessively licking your lips. Protecting against sun damage is another good habit to adopt. Luckily there are some top notch lip balms that include SPF. If the weather isnt the only cause for dry lips, it might be more helpful to discuss the issue with a medical professional. | https://www.bhg.com.au/does-lip-balm-work |
Did State House delete Rutos Hutsler photo on FB? | Deputy President William Ruto makes his address to Kenyans during the Madaraka Day speech in Kisumu. PHOTO: COURTESY Deputy President William Ruto makes his address to Kenyans during the Madaraka Day speech in Kisumu. PHOTO: COURTESY The lukewarm relationship between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto has now moved to social media. This is after a section of Facebook users on Tuesday accused the State House Kenya account of uploading and then deleting the DPs photo on the social media platform. State House Kenya is a Facebook page that exclusively highlights President Uhuru Kenyattas activities. The photo in question was reportedly one showing the Deputy President addressing Kenyans during the national Madaraka Day celebrations at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu. The picture also shows Ruto donning a traditional shirt with a political message The Hutsler written on it. Hutsler is a slogan the DP popularly uses, one which his allies say will help propel him to the presidency. It refers to the common citizens way of making ends meet (hustle) even though its messaging has been criticized by his rivals who arguing it pits the rich against the poor. By the time the photo was deleted, it had reportedly garnered close to 1000 likes and hundreds of comments. We came to tell you we know you deleted this (William Rutos photo) but we still love it even after deleting, claimed a Facebook user using the name Steve Ken. Another user who commented on the page suggested State House deleted the photo after it received more interactions from those who visited the page. The State House Kenya page administrator later reposted the DPs photo alongside that of other leaders in attendance at the function in one slide. The other personalities included opposition leader Raila Odinga who is Rutos political rival and Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyongo. (You have now placed) all photos in one, no more embarrassment of liking one picture, wrote Maru Felix. President Uhuru Kenyatta, who publicly confirmed that he deleted all his social media accounts because of constant bullying by Kenyans, has had to endure a breakdown in the political relationship with his Deputy who is looking to succeeding him in 2022. Kenyatta attempted to explain the situation sometime back, suggesting Ruto had kickstarted early campaigns to succeed him, while Ruto also confirmed he had been locked out of most key decision making meetings and events. | https://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/general/did-state-house-kenya-delete-rutos-hutsler-photo |
Why Does Changing A Teams Name Take So Long? | The Cleveland baseball and Washington football teams are both embarking on the daunting tasks of renaming their historic sports franchises. After years of backlash against racially insensitive names and mascots, both teams have a chance to start fresh with new identities. But though their name changes were announced in 2020, neither franchise will implement its new permanent name until at least 2022. Selecting a new name for an existing sports franchise sounds like a fun exercise. Everyone has named a child, a dog, a boat or their Twitter handle. You corral a bunch of creative folks in a room with a big whiteboard, sip a few cocktails and brainstorm. Everyones brimming with ideas and positive energy, ready to collaborate on this epic creative process. Someone will come up with the right name, a moment of epiphany when everyone shouts, Thats it! The reality is, the process to find the right name for a sports team is grueling, onerous and tedious, and it comes with career peril. After an NHL expansion team was granted to Seattle in 2018, I helped shepherd an exhaustive process that carved out the Kraken brand from a list of 1,200 prospective names. The Kraken name launched 19 months after the franchise was approved by the league. Renaming a team with deep history is even more treacherous. Unlike when naming the latest tech startup, there is fanatical attachment to the original team name. Fans and media sit in judgment on your long-awaited selection. There is a huge revenue number forecasted for sales of the newly branded merchandise. Add players as vital partners in the new brand decision. Owners may want to exert control over the name given that, well, they own the franchise. And lastly, the trademark process. Nearly every word in the English language has been trademarked by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. A trademark application was filed for that name last summer, perhaps by a law firm covertly representing the team or by an enterprising fan hoping to sell it for six figures. It was also registered last summer (after the trademark was abandoned in 2006 by the WNBA). Add in names previously registered as website domains or Twitter handles, and you have a lengthy legal process before getting to the finish line. Finding the right name takes time, patience, a flawless process and clear direction from ownership. Heres how the Washington and Cleveland franchises might approach it. A fan contest: A good idea that can go bad. Result: San Diego Footy McFooty Face. The best way to involve fans is to ask for submissions, which Washington did on its washingtonjourney.com portal. The team might find a few nuggets among the thousands that were submitted. Team owner names it: Owners might not handle rejection well. Once they lock into a name they like, even a bad one, its difficult to change their mind. If they are open to bouncing their ideas off brand experts, this option is workable. Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley was inspired by his military background when he set out to name his new NHL franchise in 2016. He came up with three names before selecting the Golden Knights. Brand experts: A handful of brand agencies have strong tools in place to mine new names and objectively evaluate them. Given the high stakes to find the right name for Washington and Cleveland, they might spend low-six figures for this expert advice. (Washington has reportedly hired the agency Code and Theory to work on its rebanding.) (History, industry, culture, nature.) (Washington Redhogs, Cleveland Rockers.) (Mascot, uniforms, merchandise, creative content, animation, fan chants and songs, fan club, foundation.) (Tradition, grit, effort, unity.) (The alliteration in Washington Warriors is smooth. Washington Sentinels is a mouthful.) (Cleveland Buckeyes would entail a legal challenge from a major in-state university.) (Cultural sensitivities, dark connotations.) This is the pivotal moment of the process; which criteria take precedent, then grading each name. But after the field is narrowed to a reasonable number, the design process begins months of exploring logos, wordmarks, uniforms, field designs, merchandise concepts. After the design process is complete, the trademark lawyers conduct a thorough international search on the name. Every name is being used somewhere, from Singapore to Saginaw. The experts take several more months to evaluate if there would be a legitimate claim for rights infringement before clearing the name for registration. Give credit to the leadership of the Washington Football Team and Clevelands baseball club. There is short-term pain to delaying the new name launch for a season or two. But being process-driven even taking a year or more to do it right is worth it in the long run. This is not a trust your gut decision. Its as crucial a decision as the quarterback youre drafting early in the first round. The difference is, you can trade or cut the quarterback if he bombs. A new name for a sports team, with a few exceptions, is eternal. | https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-does-changing-a-teams-name-take-so-long/ |
Whats next for Cloudera? | Yesterday, Cloudera became the latest technology company to go private in a $5.3 billion deal backed by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and KKR. It comes barely a few weeks on the heels of Talend's board of directors putting the final imprimatur on the private equity deal with Thoma Bravo. After catching Charlie Osborne's report yesterday morning, we had a chance to follow up with company president Mick Hollison to take a closer look at what's ahead for Cloudera specifically the concurrent acquisitions of Cazena and Datacoral. The back story is that, while Cloudera has made firm progress, not only in reaffirming commitment of over 90% of the installed base, and inching toward profitability after early post-Hortonworks merger stumbles, Wall Street is not quite so patient. Following its blockbuster IPO, Wall Street is looking for the next Snowflake and is hungrily eyeing Databricks, which has amassed over $1 billion in venture capital. Under private equity, Cloudera is hoping for a path that will look a lot like Informatica. It went private back in 2015 to help it transition to a subscription business and roll out a next-generation cloud service. Fast forward to the present and Informatica's results are solid. They are on the home stretch of completing the platform makeover. Although overall revenues, as reported in a journal article last year, are only up modestly compared to when the business went private, subscription revenues are growing at a 40% compound annual rate and annual recurring revenue has doubled. As noted above, Cloudera has accomplished some key goals post-merger. As Big on Data bro Andrew Brust reported at the time, it performed the heavy lift on product transformation, following up with a cloud-native version that runs in all public clouds, and then a private cloud edition running on OpenShift. Its renewal rates have been in the high 90 ranges, and Q1 FY 2022, reported yesterday, continued the steady increases in subscription and annual recurring revenues that have occurred over the past half dozen quarters or so. For all the transitions that Cloudera has made, it still has yet another major pivot ahead of it: expanding the base to new customers. That's easier said than done as it requires, not "just" a platform that performs analytics, but an end-to-end experience that addresses all audiences, from, business users expecting self-service to data scientists who want to play with the raw power of Python. Rivals, such as Snowflake, Databricks, SAP, and even Oracle, are rolling out end-to-end services blending in ancillary services, such as data integration, visualization, and/or AutoML all with a self-service bent and either deployed as multi-tenanted services, or offering that as basic tier options. CDP Cloud is not there yet, and that's the story of the two acquisitions that came in behind the headlines. CDP may have become a more coherent platform and the zoo animals may have been finally caged. But, like Hadoop before it, the platform remains fairly complex to set up; lots of knobs and dials are still there. That's fine for Cloudera's existing installed base, comprised of organizations with the technical expertise for caring and feeding the zoo animals of Hadoop. But to draw a broader base, going from Fortune 100 to Fortune 5000 or 10000, the platform has to offer simpler options without all the knobs, not to mention more economical multi-tenanted services. Enter Cazena and Datacoral. Both companies are quite modest in size, each of which counts maybe a few dozen in staff and only modest venture financing in the tens of millions. But their technologies could help Cloudera finally broaden the appeal of its cloud data platform. Founded in 2014, Cazena is a company that has been on our radar for roughly five years. We have caught up with CEO Prat Moghe on several occasions. With company founders having come from Netezza, Cazena's focus was delivering the data lake as a cloud-based white glove managed SaaS offering, standardizing on a single system image, orchestrated data ingestion, and related tooling. By contrast, with CDP Public Cloud, and its predecessor Altus, the customer needed their own DevOps engineers to configure installations, with Cloudera handling the software patching and updating. We expect that once the Cazena technology gets absorbed into CDP Cloud, that Cloudera will introduce new editions with more self-service that will complement, not replace the existing CDP Public Cloud and Private cloud offerings. Datacoral is slightly younger, founded in 2016. It offers a SaaS cloud service that provides data integration and transformation pipelines, and offers dozen of prebuilt connectors to common data sources to databases, application APIs, events, and file systems. It's a common type of service; for instance, Azure Synapse Analytics embeds Azure Data Factory that provides similar capabilities for building data pipelines. And Fivetran has built a popular service for in-database data transformations. Oracle has also expanded its Autonomous Data Warehouse cloud service in a similar fashion. There is also one other important key technology piece that Datacoral brings to Cloudera: a multitenant cloud platform. We could imagine a new multitenant tier that combines the prebuilt, managed Cloudera services from Cazena, with the economics of a multitenant offering courtesy of Datacoral. The move is redolent of when MongoDB acquired MLab; while MongoDB already had its own Atlas managed cloud service, MLab added a missing self-service component. Private equity has become a popular financing option for technology firms with Cloudera just the latest tech player to go that route. But in the bigger picture, Cloudera is competing in a landscape where analytic platforms are morphing into self-service end-to-end offerings. The private equity financing might have grabbed the spotlight, but the acquisitions could be the sleeper. Disclosure: Cloudera is a dbInsight client. | https://www.zdnet.com/article/whats-next-for-cloudera/ |
Why is H&Ms sustainability push failing to resonate with consumers? | That an economic activity has to be profitable is considered a truism, something taken for granted and not reflected upon. But what if the opposite is the case?. When I first took up small-scale organic farming in the 1970s, I spent a lot of energy in developing new methods and machinery to increase efficiency in production. The early organic advocates went a long way to assure other growers, farmers, businesses and politicians that organic farming could be profitable, even within the prevailing economic system. Even more so, if externalities would be factored into the price (which they still are not). I see a similar discourse surrounding regenerative agriculture, permaculture, market gardening or artisanal bakery. But perhaps this assurance of profitability was misguided all along. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263898998385/why-is-h-m-s-sustainability-push-failing-to-resonate-with-consumers |
What happens after Ontario's stay-at-home order ends today? | TORONTO -- After two months, Ontarios stay-at-home order will officially expire on Wednesday. However, the province isnt set to begin Step 1 of its reopening plan until June 14 at the earliest. According to the government, the measures first introduced under the provincewide emergency brake will remain in effect during that time. Heres a look at what you can and cant do under those measures: Leaving home On June 2, it will no longer be illegal to leave your home for non-essential reasons. It will be the first time this is the case since the stay-at-home order was implemented in April. Social gatherings Much like the stay-at-home order, residents can see their friends and family outdoors to a limit of five people. Gatherings larger than five people are allowed if all members are from the same household. Those who live alone are free to gather with one other household. Indoor gatherings remain illegal. In-person shopping Capacity limits of 25 per cent at supermarkets, grocery and convenience stores remain in place under the emergency brake measures. Non-essential retail remains off limits. Personal care services Those longing for a haircut or manicure will have to keep waiting. Personal care services remain off limits until Step 2 of the provinces reopening plan. Face coverings and capacity limits will be in place at locations offering personal care services at that time. Indoor and outdoor dining Restaurants and bars across the province will have to remain closed until at least June 14. In the meantime, those establishments are forced to continue offering take-out, drive-through and delivery orders only. Evictions Despite several emergency orders continuing, Ontarios temporary pause on residential evictions will expire on Wednesday as the provinces stay-at-home order lifts Sports and recreational facilities With the exception of high-performance athletes, child care, mental health and addiction support services, social services, and physical therapy, most indoor and outdoor sports and recreational facilities remain closed. Outdoor fitness classes, personal training and sports training of up to 10 people can resume in Step 1. Some outdoor recreational facilities, like golf courses and tennis courts, were cleared to reopen on May 22 as COVID-19 cases in the province continued to trend downward. Weddings and funerals A maximum of 10 people, indoors or outdoors, can continue to attend weddings, funerals, and other religious services. Physical distancing must be maintained and guests must wear a mask or face covering when they are within two metres of each other. In other words, and as explained by the provincial government, "Nothing changes on June 3 other than the stay-at-home order lapses." On Saturday, the province announced the extension of some orders under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. This extension includes the prohibition of recreational camping on public lands, a ban on recreational interprovincial border crossings, the continuation of redeployment of staff and patients between Ontario hospitals as necessary, and the enforcement of COVID-19 measures until at least June 16, 2021. With files from CTV News Toronto's Abby Neufeld. | https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/what-happens-after-ontario-s-stay-at-home-order-ends-today-1.5449779 |
How to cancel YouTube Music? | YouTube Music Premium allows you to listen to music ad-free offline without keeping your screen on, but the Google-owned streaming service isnt the only option around. Heres how to cancel YouTube Music Premium. The biggest names in music streaming have been stepping up their subscriptions this year by bringing higher quality audio to paying users. Apple Music is introducing support for lossless audio, while Amazon Music Unlimited is bringing its Music HD tier perks to its regular premium service. That isnt even to mention Spotify, which announced Spotify HiFi earlier this year. With plenty of choice in the app store right now, you might be tempted to jump ship from YouTube Music Premium to a rival service. Or, perhaps, you just want to cut the cost of paid music out of your budget altogether. Whether youre looking to save money, your free trial is coming to an end, or youre eyeing up another streaming site, heres how to cancel your YouTube Music Premium subscription on your phone or desktop. You may also be interested in our guides to how to cancel Spotify, how to cancel Apple Music and how to cancel Amazon Music Unlimited. You can cancel your YouTube Music Premium account through your desktop, Android or iOS device. How to cancel YouTube Music through your desktop: Head to youtube.com/paid_memberships Click Manage membership Click Deactivate Click Continue to cancel Choose a reason for cancelling and hit Next Click Yes, cancel Thats it your account is now cancelled How to cancel YouTube Music through the Android app: Tap on your profile photo Tap Paid memberships Select the membership your want to cancel Tap Continue to cancel Choose a reason for cancelling and tap Next Click Yes, cancel How to cancel YouTube Music through the iOS app: Tap on your profile photo Tap Paid memberships Select the membership you want to cancel Tap Manage Apple Subscriptions Tap on your membership Tap Cancel If youre billed by Apple or Google Play Music, youll need to cancel your account through those services directly. YouTube Premium also offers the option to pause your membership for up to six months, which allows YouTube to retain your downloaded music and videos. However, youll automatically be charged once the paused period ends, so you may be better off cancelling if youre worried about a bill sneaking up on you later in the year. Its also good to note that if you cancel before the end of your free trial, youll continue to have access to the service until the end of the trial period. To discover the best streaming music services available, check out guide. | https://www.trustedreviews.com/how-to/cancel-youtube-music-4142005 |
How Has The Pandemic Changed The Way We Build Brands? | By Ryan Stoner, a serial entrepreneur and brand strategy and marketing leader who is currently the Head of Strategy at Dendro. The fundamentals of brand building remain the same, but the "how" is much different. Finding focus in a world of volatility is going to be much harder. The world has just gone through one of the most significant crises of this century the Covid-19 pandemic and many brands are still faced with a myriad of uncertainties, needing new playbooks. There is no going back to the old normal, and we must embrace new marketing truths to drive growth in a post-Covid-19 world. 1. Keep a pulse on what customers want (and need). The already digital-first world became even more digital during the Covid-19 pandemic in the wake of social distancing restrictions and lockdown bans. These days, as consumers, we are used to getting what we want when went want it, thanks to Uber, DoorDash, Amazon, Facebook and others. As consumers spend more time online, there is a decline in spontaneity and serendipity that goes into buying considerations. In order to build a brand, you must have a clear understanding of customer expectations. According to Salesforce's CMO Survey, 84% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services up from 80% in 2018. As companies look to build trust, it's important that marketers own customer experience initiatives across the organization. Its not enough to have a presence. Marketers must invest in driving engagement mapped to customer needs. 2. Stand for something. There's nothing like a global pandemic to get people feeling compelled to donate, give their time and choose brands that do the same. To do this, you must get your audience to understand how the social problem your brand solves increases the overall value of doing business with you. In a nutshell, people will pay more when they believe their funds are going to good. But it's up to you to convince them that your cause is worthy. For example, Teremana Tequila recently launched a campaign to incentivize consumers to support the restaurant industry. And smaller regional brands, such as Central Pacific Bank (a former client of ours), have used marketing dollars to create programs like Rising Tide, which helps provide resources to women entrepreneurs, and Movers & Shakas, which seeks out remote workers who have the skills and willingness to contribute to the local community to meet customer needs. We are also seeing an increased desire among consumers to support local businesses as a result of spending more time at home. According to research from Shopify, "61% of buyers said they plan to buy from local and independent retailers six months from now significantly more than those who reported doing so in the first three months of the pandemic." 3. Prioritize authenticity to drive action. During the pandemic, consumers got used to empathy from brands. Whether it was a Super Bowl commercial thanking doctors and nurses or a YouTube ad about the importance of the vaccine, consumers got accustomed to dealing with empathetic brands that put people over profits. Customers are also used to and crave an authentic tone of voice from brands. The pandemic has put a premium on truth. Keeping consumers reliably informed has never been more vital. A brand should stand behind great values, not just a great product, and the best way to convey these values is by your messaging and tone of voice. It's important to stay authentic and not overdo it. Otherwise, it will seem like you are acting, and consumers will see straight through it. 4. Hype cycles demand faster product cycles. We learned just how important agility and innovation are when overnight the kids could no longer learn at school and you and your spouse could not return to the office to work. Brands should seek to be innovative and keep on top of the latest trends, so they can evolve with their customers and not get left behind. During the pandemic, as brick-and-mortar locations were forced to close, brands had no choice but to be more agile and innovative to keep sales and customer engagements from tanking. For example, Nike focused on connecting digitally with its customers by offering free training videos on YouTube. It also made its Training Club app free, which helped the brand accumulate 25 million new members in the fourth quarter. These innovation efforts worked, and Nike saw an 83% spike in digital sales in 2020. 5. Promote togetherness. In a post-pandemic world, it's important to promote togetherness online and offline. This can help you forge a closer bond with your customers. Virtual connections carried a much heavier weight during the pandemic as people were no longer able to meet up in person due to quarantines, travel restrictions and social distancing guidelines. To promote togetherness online, brands can host virtual events to engage with customers. For example, restaurants can host virtual cooking classes and clothing brands can host virtual fashion shows. We've also seen voice platforms, such as Clubhouse, rise in popularity, allowing brands to connect on a deeper level with customers by providing helpful advice and interviewing industry leaders and even celebrities. This shift to unity among brands and customers with a focus on sharing advice and enhancing relationships is doing wonders for enhancing the brand-customer relationship and boosting loyalty and sales. The pandemic has been an extremely challenging time for most brands. But, the good news is, a bit of innovating and strategy-tweaking can help brands get back on track and even start engaging with customers at higher levels than ever before. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2021/06/02/how-has-the-pandemic-changed-the-way-we-build-brands/ |
What qualities would Chuks Aneke bring to QPR if he signed? | Charlton Athletic forward Chuks Aneke is a man in demand this summer transfer window by the sounds of things. Out of contract with the Addicks this summer, Charlton have offered him a new deal but several Championship clubs are also keen and it remains to be seen just what he is going to end up doing. We identify three things Physicality The first thing about Aneke that you notice is his obvious size and presence in the final third. Hes over 1.9m tall and very rarely gets shrugged off of the ball, meaning he is both a good player to hold the play up if needed but also to drive forwards from deep and make things happen around the 18-yard box. Hes a player that QPR could easily put up front with someone like Lyndon Dykes and see opposition defences really struggle to handle the pair of them together. Good link-up play He may be big, but technically Aneke is absolutely spot on and thats what makes him such a threat as a player. He can be a focal point of an attack but hes arguably even better at dropping off slightly and helping build the play up from the gaps between an opposing midfield and defence. He sees the right passes and, again, if he was up top with Dykes you could see that working well with the Scottish international running the channels in behind and stretching the play. Competitive character In the second half of last season we saw Mark Warburton opt to bring in some real competitive characters to make QPR that little bit nastier to come up against. The likes of Stefan Johansen and Charlie Austin highlighted how that could improve the side and Aneke is in a similar mould. Hes never scared of getting in a physical challenge and hustling and bustling defenders whilst nine yellow cards last season for Charlton shows hes more than happy to give players a bit of stick. Hes got the right level of needle and aggression and QPR need to keep that from the second half of the campaign. Dom Ball Charlie Austin Yoann Barbet Geoff Cameron | https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/what-qualities-would-chuks-aneke-bring-to-qpr-if-he-signed/ |
What happens when climate change has a seat at the table? | We are about to find out what happens when the climate campaign goes from the streets to the boardroom of one of the biggest oil companies. Such a leap still seems far off for Swiss commodity traders. This content was published on June 2, 2021 - 13:34 Jessica Davis Plss Jessica covers the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to big global companies and their impact in Switzerland and abroad. Shes always looking for a Swiss connection with her native San Francisco and will happily discuss why her hometown has produced some of the greatest innovations but cant seem to solve its housing crisis. More from this author | English Department Last week, a small hedge fund led an investor rebellion against Exxon Mobil over the oil giants failure to see the writing on the wall on climate change and evolve with the industry wrote the fund. Backed by the worlds largest asset manager BlackRock, the rebellion replaced at least two board members with candidates more versed in renewable energy and climate risks. That same day, climate activists scored another win when a Dutch court ruled that the energy giant Shell needs to drastically cut GHG emissions. In the ruling, the court said Shells fossil fuel operations are endangering human rights. This is the first time a court has held a company liable for climate change. Given how many are privately owned and stay behind the scenes, its less likely. Thousands of climate activists took to the streets in Switzerland in early May but they arent exactly rejoicing in court rooms or boardrooms these days. The climate activists who staged a tennis match at Credit Suisse were back in court in May with a less favourable ruling than at the district court last year. External Content Sign up! Keep tabs on Switzerland's biggest companies, directly in your inbox There are signs that things are changing. My colleague Paula Dupraz-Dobias found that trade finance providers are starting to scrutinise commodity traders more. The Swiss financial regular also said this week that it will require banks and insurers to report climate-related financial risks. Major change is unlikely to come quickly according to a WWF study, which found the top 15 Swiss banks still have room for improvement when it comes to climate change targets. A Bloomberg study adds that the Swiss bank Credit Suisse faces an exposure of 17.6% to climate sensitive industriesExternal link, amounting to about $83 billion. Pesticide debate heats up ahead of the June vote. With two initiatives on the ballot that aim to ban synthetic pesticides, emotions are running high. While the vandalism of campaign posters is happening at a local level, the global significance of the vote cant be ignored. Syngenta has stayed out of the spotlight (in contrast to multinationals during the Responsible Business Initiative vote) but this interviewExternal link in Le Temps with CEO Erik Fyrwald gives a sense of where the company stands on the vote. Its a no deal between Switzerland and the EU after seven years of talks. The sky isnt falling but big multinationals are feeling tremors under their feet. The medical device industry wasnt shy to express its opinion, saying that there is no silver lining: Switzerlands been relegated to third country status. The pharma industry also said it was a bitter blowExternal link and wants measures to keep the country an attractive research location. As the dust settles though, the commentary is moving from woes and worries to what the Swiss Sonderweg or special path will look like. Unlike the UK, Switzerland (which was never an EU member) is not an islandExternal link, writes the FT, and in fact wants closer ties to the EU in many areas such as health and energy. Swexit will make things a bit more difficult for rich Switzerland but Swiss companies are resilient, the editorial board writes. Nestl isnt a health food company, according to an internal document obtained by the FT. In the document, the company admits that more than 60% of its mainstream food and drinks products do not meet a recognised definition of health and that some of our categories and products will never be healthyExternal link no matter how much we renovate. Not sure anyone cares if a KitKat is healthy, but the FT also points out some inconsistency in the marketing and reality. Some foods are marketed as perfect at breakfast to get kids ready for the day yet packed with sugar. Nestl says it has launched many new healthier products. Send me a message: [email protected] Thanks for reading | https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/what-happens-when-climate-change-has-a-seat-at-the-table--/46669294?utm_campaign=swi-rss&utm_source=multiple&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=o |
Is Amazon the spark that reignites cannabis stocks? | Money After struggling in recent months, companies that focus on the booming marijuana sector could be primed for a takeoff. Whats happening: Everyday investors are increasingly excited about legislation in Washington that could dramatically change US marijuana policy. And on Tuesday,Amazon announced its support for the federal legalization of marijuana indicating a growing willingness in Corporate America to throw its weight behind the issue. In recent days, names like Cronos, Tilray and Sundial Growers have seen a pickup in purchases by amateur traders, according to analysts at Vanda Research. Driving much of the action is the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE Act, which was reintroduced by Democratic House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler last Friday. The bill would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level by removing it from a list of controlled substances and reassess previous marijuana convictions. Despite the low chances that the Act is passed [in] the Senate (due to the filibuster), increasing media coverage is likely to attract the attention of the average retail investor, Vandas Ben Onatibia and Giacomo Pierantoni told clients on Wednesday. They noted that Sundial and Tilray were the fourth and seventh most mentioned stocks in the popular Reddit WallStreetBets forum on Tuesday. Amazons big announcement could feed the hype. In a blog post, Dave Clark, CEO of Amazons worldwide consumer division, said changing state laws on marijuana mean the company will no longer include the substance in pre-employment drug tests. The internet giant is also endorsing the MORE Act. We hope other employers will join us, and that policymakers will act swiftly to pass this law, Clark said. Cannabis companies are paying close attention. We remain focused on advancing our US ecosystem and expect significant cannabis reform to take place during this Congress, Canopy Growth CEO David Klein told analysts on Tuesday. He said that there has been substantial bipartisan momentum over the last couple of months. Whats next: The S&P/TSX Cannabis Index has been in the red for the past three months, but remains up 33% year-to-date after soaring in January and February. The latest corporate hack is roiling the meat market Shoppers may need to brace themselves for yet another supply crunch, my CNN Business colleagues Danielle Wiener-Bronner and Angus Watson report. The details: Major beef and pork producer JBS was the latest company to suffer a cyberattack over the weekend, prompting shutdowns at plants in North America and Australia. The White House has said that the ransomware attack was likely carried out by a Russia-based criminal organization. The company, authorities and trade groups are offering assurances that operations will be back to normal as soon as possible. JBS has said that the vast majority of its food plants will be open Wednesday. But closures could still be felt across supply chains. Even one day of disruption will significantly impact the beef market and wholesale beef prices, Steiner Consulting Group, which specializes in commodity prices, wrote in a research note. David Littleproud, the Australian minister for agriculture, drought and emergency management, told CNN Business Wednesday that the country does not believe there will be a red meat shortage, even though JBS accounts for about a quarter of the countrys red meat processing. But we are obviously concerned that there are today limited operations at JBS facilities in New South Wales and Victoria, he said. Some work may resume in Queensland tomorrow. Were hoping that they will get back to full capacity soon, but there is no definitive timeline. Steve Meyer, an economist with commodity firm Kerns and Associates, agreed that a one or two day disruption could cause wholesale meat prices to jump. But if the problem is resolved within a few days, he said, restaurants and grocery stores are unlikely to pass those costs onto consumers. Investor insight: While the price of meat could temporarily rise, cattle futures have dropped, since JBS has had to stop slaughtering cows while it deals with the hack. Baby Shark backer gets the Elon Musk treatment Elon Musk has turned his attention from Shiba Inu dogs to baby sharks and investors are singing along. The Tesla CEOs tweet late Tuesday about the viral YouTube song Baby Shark boosted the stock of Samsung Publishing, a major shareholder in the tunes producer, my CNN Business colleague Diksha Madhok reports. Baby Shark crushes all! More views than humans, Musk wrote, referring to the catchy childrens song, which became the most viewed video ever on YouTube in November. Soon after the tweet, Samsung Publishings stock surged as much as 10% to 49,000 won ($44) in South Korea. It lost some of those gains later, but still closed up some 6%, its best day in nearly a month. Musks tweets notoriously move markets. For months, the billionaire has been plugging dogecoin, the meme cryptocurrency featuring a dog face. His backing helped feed astronomical price gains ahead of the recent crypto crash. But Musks online musings are being watched closely. Previous tweets about his own businesses landed him in trouble with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Tesla lawyers are now required to pre-approve his tweets if they concern the companys financial condition, production numbers or new business lines. This just in: The SEC notified Tesla that two of Musks tweets from 2019 and 2020 one about Teslas solar roof production volumes and one about the companys stock price hadnt received the required pre-approval, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Up next Advance Auto reports earnings before US markets open. Also today: The Federal Reserve releases its Beige Book tracking US economic conditions at 2 p.m. ET. Coming tomorrow: Earnings from J.M. Smucker, Broadcom, Lululemon and Slack. | https://kion546.com/money/2021/06/02/is-amazon-the-spark-that-reignites-cannabis-stocks/ |
Is England in a third wave of coronavirus and will June 21 reopening still go ahead? | Get the latest North East news and updates delivered straight to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Coronavirus cases are, reportedly, rising. North Tyneside was one of eight councils in England where the Government issued advice urging people not to travel last week before swiftly retracting it - leaving residents in widespread confusion. Government figures, based on people who died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, show that zero Covid-19 deaths were reported in the UK on Tuesday. Debate is continuing over whether the final stages of unlocking restrictions in England can go ahead on June 21 due to concerns over the spread of the Delta variant first identified in India. Downing Street has indicated that Boris Johnson still sees nothing in the data to suggest the plan will need to be delayed. Here's everything you need to know. Some urge caution, while others say to go ahead with scrapping all Covid measures. Professor Adam Finn, of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said there are still many people who are vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19, as he warned that pressing ahead with the easing of restrictions on June 21 may be a bad decision. Professor Ravi Gupta, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said a delay of a few weeks could have a positive impact on Britains battle against the highly-transmissible Indian variant, which is now being dubbed the Delta strain by the World Health Organisation, by allowing more people to be fully vaccinated. But with the proportion of deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales at its lowest level for more than eight months, others have said it remains a waiting game. Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Wednesday that current figures dont look too intimidating but they still need to play out for a couple of weeks before the Government makes its final decision on whether the June 21 reopening can go ahead. The Governments former chief scientific adviser, Sir Mark Walport, has also argued that ministers need more data before they can make a final decision. Robert Dingwall, professor of sociology at Nottingham Trent University, has gone further, arguing it is really important that we go ahead on June 21 from a societal point of view. The latest data shows that there were 9,860 deaths from all causes registered in the week ending May 21, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with 1.1% of those 107 mentioning novel coronavirus on the death certificate. The last time that the proportion was so low was in the week ending September 11, when the virus accounted for 1% of deaths, according to PA news agency analysis. It comes as Government figures, based on people who died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, show that zero deaths from the virus were reported in the UK on Tuesday, while there have been 870 coronavirus-related hospital admissions across the UK between May 26 and June 1. Not quite. When it comes to cases, there is evidence that Covid-19 rates are starting to rise steeply in areas of north west England, such as Manchester and the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. Blackburn with Darwen remains the area with the highest rate in the country: 416.2, up from 281.2, although the rate in fellow hotspot Bolton has fallen week-on-week from 452.1 to 386. Some clinicians have said that although cases are rising, and in some areas hospitalisations too, these now look very different to the admissions which were seen in January and February. The majority of people who are being admitted to hospitals are younger and easier to treat, while almost 75% of adults have now had at least one jab. Downing Street has indicated that Boris Johnson still sees nothing in the data to suggest the plan to end all legal lockdown restrictions on June 21 will need to be delayed. Asked about the Prime Ministers plans amid warnings over the spread of the Delta variant, a No 10 spokesman said: The Prime Minister has said on a number of occasions that we havent seen anything in the data but we will continue to look at the data, we will continue to look at the latest scientific evidence as we move through June towards June 21. Following the recording of zero Covid deaths on Tuesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said vaccines are clearly working a sentiment echoed by the Education Secretary during the morning broadcast round the following day. Gavin Williamson told LBC radio there was a sense in Government that there had been really promising progress towards scrapping all restrictions this month. Undoubtedly. More than 65 million total vaccines have now been delivered across the UK and it is expected that three quarters of adults in the UK will receive their first dose by Wednesday. The majority of those ending up in hospital with coronavirus now are also unvaccinated. But Prof Gupta has previously warned there may be a false sense of security for some time over vaccines. One way to allow the unlocking to go ahead on June 21 could be to keep some of the less restrictive measures in place. There have been suggestions that face coverings could still be required on public transport and indoors. Or people might be told that working from home advice should remain in place. The big-ticket item is the scrapping of the one-metre plus rule, seen to be harming hospitality businesses. It has been reported that the Government has already ditched the idea of Covid passports, which would ask punters to prove their vaccination or Covid-negative status to access mass gatherings such as gigs and sporting events. The Treasury is also reportedly prioritising the removal of the rule of six indoors in order to help the economy recover. A review of what measures will be relaxed on June 21 was due by the end of May but has been pushed back due to the Indian variant. Downing Street has said plans for unlocking will be outlined on June 14. Let us know in the comments below | https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/uk-news/england-third-wave-coronavirus-june-20725985 |
What Are Cowboys Expectations for Randy Gregory? | - The Cowboys Daily Blitz Podcast FRISCO - Randy Gregory has had somewhat of an up-and-down career since joining the Cowboys in 2015. Welcome to the Daily Blitz by DSP Media in partnership with CowboysSI.com. Considered by some to be a top-10 talent in the 2015 draft, Gregory has dealt with his own personal demons ever since entering the league as a second-round draft pick. The NFL and the Cowboys have both been patient through multiple suspensions. Source Reveals Truth About Rumor Gregory is 28, maybe projected to start at defensive end - hes doing first-team work at The Star right now in OTAs - and is thought to have 10-sack ability. Lets discuss! Please join us daily for the Daily Blitz or each Tuesday night for 'The Big Show' starting at 7 pm for sports talk LIVE on Facebook, or listen to the recorded podcast the next day at CowboysSI.com and TheBlitzcast.com! Please continue the conversation on Twitter: @BlitzcastNFL, @ColbySapp, and @IndyCarTim. And make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest videos and visual content! To be featured in our BlitzBox segment please reach out to us on Twitter with the hashtag #Blitzbox or send your questions to [email protected] and well read your question and answer it on the air on our next show. | https://www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/podcasts/dallas-cowboys-expectations-randy-gregory |
Wheres Washingtons Ron Rivera Rank Among 32 NFL Coaches? | Ron Rivera enters Year 2 with the Washington Football Team. ASHBURN, Va. -- As the NFL calendar briefly slows down for a respite, it's time to rank the NFL head coaches across the board - which NBC Sports Edge does every year. Despite a disappointing year that resulted in not making the playoffs and a sub-.500 record, Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots is still the cream of the crop. No surprise there. This list, as described by author Patrick Daugherty -- is 'more of a compendium (whatever that means), an assessment of where the league's 32 coaches find themselves right now.' READ MORE: Jamin Davis and Khaleke Hudson Firing Up Linebackers After Belichick, Andy Reid of the Chiefs is No. 2. Nobody can argue with that and he's followed by Sean Payton (Saints), John Harbaugh (Ravens) and Sean McVay of the Rams. McVay rounding out the top five is another WFT reminder of another brilliant mind that got away. READ MORE: WFT Hires Lead Psychologist Kyle Shanahan is at No. 10 and Matt LaFleur of the Packers is at No. 12. Yup three former Washington assistants in the top dozen. That also means Ron Rivera was not ranked in the top-third of the league. You have to wait all the way until No. 17 to get to the Washington Football Team head coach, Rivera. Rivera is ranked behind Brian Flores of the Dolphins and Kevin Stefanski of the Browns. Both are deserving of praise but in our view - Rivera's track record and everything he endured last year is deserving of more respect here. Here's the sites rationale: "Brought in to restore order to a directionless some might say lawless franchise 7-9 was good enough to win the worst division in football. Having bought the ticket, Riveras club almost took the ride with a near Wild Card upset of the eventual Super Bowl champion Bucs. You could argue it was all a fluke, but Rivera didnt even have the benefit of a real quarterback." Rivera was just one spot ahead of Matt Nagy of the Bears, who made the playoffs as well last year, and he does have a higher winning percentage in his shorter career as a head coach than Rivera. He is a culture- and a people-changer. That should be good for a higher ranking next year. | https://www.si.com/nfl/washingtonfootball/news/washingtons-ron-rivera-rank-among-32-nfl-coaches |
Which Man City Players Have Been Nominated for the PFA Player and Young Player of the Season Award? | Manchester City have four players nominated for the two men's awards at the PFA following a remarkable domestic season both as a collective and among individuals. Following the conclusion of the 2020/2021 campaign, the Professional Footballers' Association have confirmed the nominations for their various individual awards, including those for the Men's Player and Young Player of the Year. For Manchester City, their Premier League title triumph was rewarded with four members of the first-team being recognised for their outstanding efforts via the PFA Player of the Year. READ MORE: Man City chairman reveals stance on Pep Guardiola's future READ MORE: Arsenal leading the race for Man City winger this summer Unsurprisingly, Ruben Dias has been nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award, and is the hot favourite to add the trophy to his FWA Footballer of the Year - which he claimed late last month prior to the Champions League final. Alongside the Portuguese central defender, Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne have both been nominated, after both players had hugely impressive individual campaigns in driving Manchester City to their third Premier League title in four seasons. Finally, Phil Foden has also been recognised for the senior prize, while the 21 year-old has also been nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award. Joining the four Manchester City representatives, Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and Tottenham's Harry Kane complete the six names. READ MORE: Man City chairman hints at club's plans to replace Sergio Aguero READ MORE: How Sergio Aguero thanked Man City staff upon departure from club As previously mentioned, Manchester City's Stockport-born sensation Phil Foden has also been recognised and nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year, and now has the opportunity to join Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo in winning both the senior and young prize in the same season. Alongside Foden for the young prize is Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, West Ham's Declan Rice, Manchester United's Mason Greenwood, Chelsea's Mason Mount, and Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold. You can follow us for live updates here: @City_Xtra | https://www.si.com/soccer/manchestercity/news/which-man-city-players-have-been-nominated-for-the-pfa-player-and-young-player-of-the-season-award |
How much money will Logan Paul make to fight Floyd Mayweather? | CLEVELAND, Ohio Were just days away from the greatest boxer of our generation taking on a YouTube star. It sounds ridiculous, but Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul is one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. The fight, which is officially an exhibition, will air live Sunday, June 6 on Showtime pay-per-view. Fans can order the fight for $49.99. As you might expect, Paul a native of Westlake, Ohio isnt being given much of a chance. He is a +700 underdog, while Mayweather comes in at a 1600 favorite. To put that in perspective, one would have to bet $1,600 on Mayweather just to net $100. Despite the likelihood he will get embarrassed and possibly knocked out, Paul is set to make a killing for Sundays action. According to sportingfree.com, Pauls base salary for the fight is $250,000, plus 10% of the fights pay-per-view earnings. Paul has publicly put his salary at $20 million, which means he anticipates Showtime bringing in $200 million in pay-per-view money. Theres nothing to compare this exhibition to. However, the closest thing is Mayweathers fight against UFC superstar in 2017 that brought in more than $600 million, according to Showtime. To be clear, that boxing was between two of the biggest athletes in the world. While Mayweather was a clear favorite, McGregor had at least a punchers chance. By most accounts, Paul does not. Its also worth pointing out that the cost of the Mayweather-McGregor pay-per-view was $89.95. But even if you cut the Mayweather-McGregor revenue in half and take into account the price difference, Pauls $20 million estimate is within reach. Not bad for a days work, plus a few weeks of training. As for Mayweather, his base salary is reportedly $10 million with a 50% pay-per-view take, which could put his take near $100 million. | https://www.cleveland.com/sports/2021/06/how-much-money-will-logan-paul-make-to-fight-floyd-mayweather.html |
What is the Terra Project? | Although several research works have been reported on audio-visual sound source localization in unconstrained videos, no datasets and metrics have been proposed in the literature to quantitatively evaluate its performance. Defining the ground truth for sound source localization is difficult, because the location where the sound is produced is not limited to the range of the source object, but the vibrations propagate and spread through the surrounding objects. Therefore we propose a new concept, Sounding Object, to reduce the ambiguity of the visual location of sound, making it possible to annotate the location of the wide range of sound sources. With newly proposed metrics for quantitative evaluation, we formulate the problem of Audio-Visual Sounding Object Localization (AVSOL). We also created the evaluation dataset (AVSOL-E dataset) by manually annotating the test set of well-known Audio-Visual Event (AVE) dataset. To tackle this new AVSOL problem, we propose a novel multitask training strategy and architecture called Dual Normalization Multitasking (DNM), which aggregates the Audio-Visual Correspondence (AVC) task and the classification task for video events into a single audio-visual similarity map. By efficiently utilize both supervisions by DNM, our proposed architecture significantly outperforms the baseline methods. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263947000407/what-is-the-terra-project |
Is Macy's Stock a Buy After Q1 Earnings? | Macy's (NYSE:M) benefitted from the American Rescue Plan, that saw over $300 billion in stimulus checks sent to consumers in March and April, by reporting a better than expected first-quarter on May 18. Wall Street analysts were expecting improvement from the retailer compared to last year when its stores were shut, but few were expecting this level of performance. Let's look at the most recent quarter and dig a little deeper to determine if Macy's stock is a buy right now. Better-than-expected first-quarter results Overall revenue increased by 56.6% from last year to reach $4.7 billion in the first quarter. In addition to stimulus checks hitting bank accounts, consumers felt more comfortable leaving their homes as the risks of contracting COVID-19 are trending downward in the U.S. Decreasing COVID risks mean people are getting back to physically checking out stores and experiencing the familiarity of buying clothes in-store, after spending several months indoors and shopping online. That, in addition to more pre-pandemic habits, such as going out with friends and throwing birthday parties, should continue to be a tailwind for retailers such as Macy's for the rest of the year. The New York-based retailer seems to be foreseeing this trend and could be why it has raised revenue and profit guidance for 2021. For this fiscal year, revenue is now expected to increase by 26.5% at the midpoint; previously, the expected increase was 17% at the midpoint. More importantly, adjusted earnings per share are now expected to be $1.91 at the midpoint versus previous expectations of $0.65. Macy's stock was trading for roughly $16 per share in the days and weeks before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. As of this writing, the stock is trading at $18.43. In other words, Macy's is in a better position than it was before the pandemic. For instance, it closed some of its worst-performing locations and opened more of its popular off-price stores. Further, the company is making a strong effort in boosting digital sales, which in the most recent quarter was 37% of overall sales. Also, at the onset of the pandemic, Macy's and its competitors significantly reduced new inventory orders. That allows it to sell more of its products at full price and do so without needing to advertise as much as it did pre-pandemic. In fact, its adjusted EBITDA margin was higher in the most recent quarter than the comparable quarter in 2019. Macy's is certainly operating more efficiently now than it did before the pandemic. And while Americans increased spending after receiving stimulus checks in March and April, they saved a lot of that money as well, which could fuel higher spending at Macy's for several more quarters. Macy's stock is trading at a forward price to earnings ratio of 8.5 (see chart). That's up from just below 7 earlier in 2021. That could indicate that the market has already priced in the short term positive effects of the rebound from pandemic lows. I should point out, also, that Macy's long-term prospects might not be as favorable. The secular shift away from brick-and-mortar shopping to e-commerce could be a headwind for Macy's for several years. Still, its efficiency improvements could generate solid earnings even as revenue stays relatively flat over the long run. Macy's stock appears to be cheap, but it's cheap for a reason. Investors should tread with caution toward this retail stock. | https://www.fool.com/investing/2021/06/02/is-macys-stock-a-buy-after-q1-earnings/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article&yptr=yahoo?src=rss |
Is SoFi Technologies Stock About To Hit Resistance? | Shares of SoFi Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOFI) have been on fire, gaining about 50% in just a few weeks. But the rally may be about to end. SoFi went public by merging with Social Capital Hedosophia Corp V, a blank-check company run by Chamath Palihapitiya. The stock was previously listed under the ticker IPOE. Shares are close to the $23 level, and this level was support in February. Levels that had previously been support can turn into resistance levels. This happens because investors who bought a stock while it was at support, in this case $23, regret their decision to buy after the stock moves lower. Many of these disgruntled investors decide to sell, but they're reluctant to take a loss. As a result, they place their sell orders at their buy price. If there are enough of these sell orders, it will create resistance. This could happen with the $23 level for SoFi. | https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/21/06/21386981/is-sofi-technologies-stock-about-to-hit-resistance?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+benzinga+%28Benzinga+News+Feed%29 |
Will Crude Oil Hit $100 a Barrel in 2021? | The year 2021 finally brought respite to energy investors. Crude oil prices breached US$70 levels this week, lifting the already rallying energy sector to new highs. The oil and gas space is one of the best performing areas among broader markets this year. Crude oil prices reach a two-year high Though some experts have been highly bullish and see oil at US$100, it seems a too strong target at the moment. Headwinds like uncertain demand from India, the third-largest oil consumer, will likely limit crude oils upside. Also, the U.S. easing sanctions on Iran could boost supply in the next few months, weighing on oil prices. Energy markets are highly driven by supply and demand. When pandemic-led restrictions came to a fore last year, the Organization of Petroleum Countries (OPEC) and its allies cut their output by approximately 10 million barrels per day, balancing the demand-supply equation to some extent. Thats why crude oil prices rallied from the negative US$37 a barrel last April to US$71 this week. The OPEC+ has maintained its stance on increasing the supply very gradually by July. If demand trends in the U.S. and Europe remain encouraging, it may consider boosting supply to benefit from the higher prices. Notably, higher crude oil prices and returning demand could generate abundant free cash for oil giants. However, many global oil giants have shrugged off increasing production this year. They largely aim to fortify their balance sheets and return cash to shareholders in 2021. Top Canadian energy stocks for 2021 Canadas largest oil sands producer Suncor Energy (TSX:SU)(NYSE:SU) intends to use its free cash to repay debt and for buybacks. The integrated energy titan booked a massive $4.3 billion loss last year amid the pandemic. It trimmed its dividends by up to 55% last year as cash retention became vital. It does not look too aggressive on raising production even if energy demand is returning with full force. Story continues Similarly, Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ)(NYSE:CNQ) is not in any haste to increase production. It reported a net loss of $435 million last year and continued to increase dividends last year as well, driven by its relatively stronger balance sheet. However, for 2021, CNQ plans to use the windfall cash on repaying debt and not on capital projects. Driven by strength in crude oil, Suncor Energy stock has returned more than 110% since the epic crash last year. In comparison, CNQ stock has stood taller, gaining almost 170% in the same period. The TSX Composite Index is up 75% since last March. Interestingly, both of these Canadian energy giants look well placed in the recovering energy markets. These two have their breakeven prices approximately $35-$40 lower than current oil levels, warranting sufficient free cash at the moment. Their leverage ratios indicate a much better picture than their U.S. counterparts. Also, their relatively cheaper valuation suggests more room for growth ahead. Bottom line Notably, it seems too early to forecast crude oil at $100 barrel this year. Even if energy markets maintain the ongoing strength, Canadian energy giants can make plentiful cash to replenish last years dent, which can unlock immense value for shareholders. appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. Before you consider Suncor Energy, you may want to hear this. Motley Fool Canadian Chief Investment Advisor, Iain Butler, and his Stock Advisor Canada team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Suncor Energy wasn't one of them. The online investing service they've run since 2013, Motley Fool Stock Advisor Canada, has beaten the stock market by over 3X. And right now, they think there are 10 stocks that are better buys. Learn More Today! More reading Fool contributor Vineet Kulkarni has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 2021 | https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/crude-oil-hit-100-barrel-125124969.html?src=rss |
Whats the correlation between legal cannabis and teen use? | New data shows there was not a significant change or increase in the percentage of students who consumed cannabis within the past 30 days. Photo by Alessandro Biascioli / iStock / Getty Images Plus Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Per the data, the year where teens reported their highest percentage of marijuana use was in 2011 before legal cannabis programs were approved in the U.S. Opponents of legal marijuana programs have cited cannabis use in teenagers and its side effects as a means of dissuading people who may be considering supporting legal cannabis. Among the related beliefs is that legal marijuana could facilitate drug access for youths during a period when their brains are developing and, thus, could make them more susceptible to the drug. Cannabis advocates have argued the opposite. With a legal marijuana program in place, theoretically, it should be more difficult for underage people to access the drug since legal programs require identification and keep track of customers who purchase these products, thereby erecting more barriers than black-market weed. Cannabis use in teens should remain a concern for everyone, no matter their stance on legal marijuana. Studies that show no links between legal cannabis programs and cannabis use by young people should be encouraging news for advocates and those who are wary of cannabis. These programs may, in fact, make cannabis access more difficult and result in higher-quality products. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or The FreshToast.com, a U.S. lifestyle site that contributes lifestyle content and, with their partnership with 600,000 physicians via Skipta, medical marijuana information to The GrowthOp. Subscribe to Weekend Dispensary, a new weekly newsletter from The GrowthOp. Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Weekend Dispensary Sign-up for Weekend Dispensary to get the latest cannabis news and exclusive articles delivered straight to your inbox. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Weekend Dispensary will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Trending | https://www.thegrowthop.com/life/whats-the-correlation-between-legal-cannabis-and-teen-use |
When is Tampa's State of the City Address in 2021? | According to a Facebook post on the city's page, this virtual speech will actually come in the form of a tour of the town. TAMPA, Fla. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is set to deliver the 2021 State of the City Address virtually at 10 a.m. Wednesday. This won't be an ordinary State of the City Address. According to a Facebook post on the city's page, this virtual speech will actually come in the form of a tour of the town. During the virtual tour, Castor will look at some of the accomplishments that have taken place over the past years. The tour will also go over the plans she has for the city. Castor is serving as Tampa's 59th mayor. She assumed the role of mayor in May 2019 after winning a general runoff election. Before she was mayor, she spent 31 years with the Tampa Police Department. Then in 2009, she became Tampas first female Chief of Police, serving for six years in that role. Youre invited to watch a State of the City address unlike any other! Tune in at 10am tomorrow (6/2) on Mayor Jane Castors Facebook page to see how were transforming Tampas tomorrow, hear whats next, and... find out whos in the mayors backseat! Watch at: Facebook.com/JaneCastorFL Posted by City of Tampa on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/mayor-jane-catsor-state-of-city/67-140c86b9-b856-490b-a0e0-282fb0f049f3 |
Why Is Everyone Afraid to Utter the Names of Terry Nichols and KSM in the Same Breath? | If you dont recognize either of the names in the title, this article is probably not for you. Terry Nichols is the convicted co-conspirator of Timothy McVeigh in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is the architect of the Islamic terror attack of September 11, 2001. Ramzi Yousef is KSMs nephew. McVeigh was executed for his crime on June 11, 2001. KSM is still held at Guantanamo Bay. Nichols and Yousef are in separate cells at the maximum security federal prison in Florence, Colorado. Friday, April 1, 2005 By J.M. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has swept this under the carpet for over 26 years and Congress reached a dead end many years ago. Note: at the outset of the subcommittees investigation, former Oklahoma governor Frank Keating personally requested that the investigation be called off. During his meeting with the subcommittee chairman, Governor Keating mentioned that then-President Bill Clinton had called him only hours after the bombing. According to Keating, President Clintons first comment to him after the bombing was God, I hope theres no Middle Eastern connection to this. This mindset, described by Governor Keating, may or may not have influenced the original Oklahoma City bombing investigators. There were many reasons to believe that there might have been a foreign connection. Just exactly what they did, which was to conclude that no foreign connection could be established. If they gave even 1% of the effort to 4/19/95 that they do to 1/6/21, then we wouldnt be over a quarter of a century later with nobody wanting to talk about it. No! Ive never been one to let either sleeping dogs or politicians lie. There are still people both in the United States and the Philippines who know a lot more that the American and Filipino public deserves to be told. As a retired U.S. Federal Officer, I have long been fully aware of Nichols travels to the Philippines prior to the Oklahoma City bombing and just immediately before the Bojinka plot. Im depending upon you to have read those two links, so Im not going to explain all these terms. This article really isnt for anybody who hasnt previously been fully aware of the events in Oklahoma City and Operation Bojinka. Rather, it is designed to prompt those who know something to step up and speak out. As for the FBI, it obviously could have something to do with prioritizing ones own career ambitions over ascertaining the full truth. As for Terry Nichols himself, its quite obvious, first of all, that he has no conscience and does not feel any need to come clean. He has no access to the internet and is allowed only to communicate with vetted friends and family members via email which is carefully monitored and probably redacted. I submitted a request via email to the Federal Correctional Center in Florence, Colorado, asking whether Terry Nichols would be willing to respond to questions about the purpose and nature of his trips to the Philippines. The terse reply from the Office of the Executive Assistant was: Good Morning Inmate Nichols does not wish to answer your questions. OK, so at least they appear to have presented him the opportunity to respond. He may be still just too bitter against the world to talk to anybody, but he is the only one who really knows 100% of the facts related to his multiple trips to the Philippines. Obviously, Ramzi Yousef would know whether he was in contact with Terry Nichols, but there is zero value in contacting him. Deceit is an essential element of the ideology to which he subscribes. That leaves authorities in the Philippines who investigated the Bojinka case. The FBI took most of their files and thats why they are not readily available. But there are still memories lurking in the gray matter of any Filipino law enforcement, military or intelligence officials. There is also the probability that diplomats and other representatives of third countries assigned in Manila back then also have records and recollections. Politicians, however, have no motivation to get involved. Neither Americans, Filipinos or other nationalities. FINALLY There are other members of the community on the Philippine island of Cebu who would remember things that happened and whether meetings took place between Terry Nichols and either Ramzi Yousef or KSM. Since those in authority here in America and in the Philippines are not pursuing this, they provide no conduit for civilians to come forward. The innocent bystanders have no one trustworthy to tell. If you are one of those in previous and/or current authority who has relevant information, you also have the experience and common sense regarding how to make it known, either with or without attribution. If anyone wonders why, just as Bojinka failed but 9/11 succeeded, those who seek to harm innocent people and our countries will never quit trying. After reading this, you cannot say you were not reminded and forewarned. If, unlike Terry Nichols, you have a conscience, you know what to do now. The next attack could be in Manila or in Washington DC. It could also be in Tokyo or in Jerusalem. Dont let it happen! Originally Posted at Davids website. The Purge by Big Tech targets conservatives, including us Just when we thought the Covid-19 lockdowns were ending and our ability to stay afloat was improving, censorship reared its ugly head. For the last few months, NOQ Report, Conservative Playbook, and the American Conservative Movement have appealed to our readers for assistance in staying afloat through Covid-19 lockdowns. The downturn in the economy has limited our ability to generate proper ad revenue just as our traffic was skyrocketing. We had our first sustained stretch of three months with over a million visitors in November, December, and January, but February saw a dip. It wasnt just the shortened month. We expected that. We also expected the continuation of dropping traffic from woke Big Tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter, but it has actually been much worse than anticipated. Our Twitter account was banned. Both of our YouTube accounts were banned. Facebook fact-checks everything we post. Spotify canceled us. Medium canceled us. Apple canceled us. Because we believe in the truth prevailing, and that means we will continue to discuss taboo topics. The 2020 presidential election was stolen. You cant say that on Big Tech platforms without risking cancellation, but wed rather get cancelled for telling the truth rather than staying around to repeat mainstream medias lies. They have been covering it up since before the election and theyve convinced the vast majority of conservative news outlets that they will be harmed if they continue to discuss voter fraud. We refuse to back down. The truth is the truth. The lies associated with Covid-19 are only slightly more prevalent than the suppression of valid scientific information that runs counter to the prescribed narrative. We should be allowed to ask questions about the vaccines, for example, as there is ample evidence for concern. One does not have to be an anti-vaxxer in order to want answers about vaccines that are still considered experimental and that have a track record in a short period of time of having side-effects, including death. One of our stories about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine causing blood clots was fact-checked and removed one day before the government hit the brakes on it. These questions and news items are not allowed on Big Tech which is just another reason we are getting canceled. There are more topics that they refuse to allow. In turn, we refuse to stop discussing them. This is why we desperately need your help. The best way NOQ, CP, and ACM readers can help is to donate. Our Giving Fuel page makes it easy to donate one-time or monthly. Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal as well. We are pacing to be short by about $3700 per month in order to maintain operations. The second way to help is to become a partner. Weve strongly considered seeking angel investors in the past but because we were paying the bills, it didnt seem necessary. Now, were struggling to pay the bills. We had 5,657,724 sessions on our website from November, 2020, through February, 2021. Our intention is to elevate that to higher levels this year by focusing on a strategy that relies on free speech rather than being beholden to progressive Big Tech companies. During that four-month stretch, Twitter and Facebook accounted for about 20% of our traffic. We are actively working on operating as if that traffic is zero, replacing it with platforms that operate more freely such as Gab, Parler, and others. While we were never as dependent on Big Tech as most conservative sites, wed like to be completely free from them. That doesnt mean we will block them, but we refuse to be beholden to companies that absolutely despise us simply because of our political ideology. Were heading in the right direction and we believe were ready talk to patriotic investors who want to not only get in on the action but more importantly who want to help America hear the truth. Interested investors should contact me directly with the contact button above. As the world spirals towards radical progressivism, the need for truthful journalism has never been greater. But in these times, we need as many conservative media voices as possible. Please help keep NOQ Report going. Bitcoin: 32SeW2Ajn86g4dATWtWreABhEkiqxsKUGn Share the truth | https://noqreport.com/2021/06/02/why-is-everyone-afraid-to-utter-the-names-of-terry-nichols-and-ksm-in-the-same-breath/ |
Where will the 2024 Olympics be held? | The Stade de France will host the athletics at the 2024 Olympics (Picture: Aurelien Meunier via Getty Images) Its felt like a lifetime waiting for the 2020 Olympics to come around but the 2024 Olympics will be here before we know it. Last years Tokyo 2020 Olympics had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision was made in March last year to scrap the planned July date and now there is hope the rescheduled Games will go ahead in July 2021. However, there is still plenty of opposition from the Japanese people amid fears the 90,000 athletes, coaches, journalists and other staff descending on the capital will increase the spread of the virus. While the Olympics is held every four years, the next Games will still go ahead in 2024 and not 2025 to follow the original pattern of dates had 2020 gone ahead last year. The 2024 Olympics will be held in Paris, France. The International Olympic Committee confirmed Paris had won their bid to stage the games back in September 2017. They also made the decision to confirm Los Angeles as the 2028 hosts. Both cities had wanted to host the 2024 event, before LA agreed to wait an extra four years after the IOC made guarantees on funding. Paris will host the 2024 Olympics (Picture: Stephane De Sakutin via Getty Images) Hamburg, Rome and Budapest were initially in the race to host in 2024 but decided to withdraw their bids. It turned out to be third time lucky for Paris after France saw their 2008 and 2012 bids fall short. The 2024 Games will mark 100 years since it was last held in the French capital. Paris will be the second city, in the Modern Games, to have hosted three Olympics having also hosted in 1900 London is the other (1908, 1948, 2012). It may not be able to Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Share your views in the comments below. | https://metro.co.uk/2021/06/02/olympics-where-will-the-2024-games-be-held-14690566/ |
Is England in a third wave and could Covid restrictions last beyond June 21? | Experts are split over whether the final stage of lifting coronavirus restrictions should go ahead amid fears over a potential third wave of the pandemic washing over the UK. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the key issues and which measures may stay in place in England past the target date of June 21. Some urge caution, while others say to go ahead with scrapping all Covid measures. Professor Adam Finn, of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said there are still many people who are vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19, as he warned that pressing ahead with the easing of restrictions on June 21 may be a bad decision. Professor Ravi Gupta, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said a delay of a few weeks could have a positive impact on Britains battle against the highly-transmissible Indian variant, which is now being dubbed the Delta strain by the World Health Organisation, by allowing more people to be fully vaccinated. But with the proportion of deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales at its lowest level for more than eight months, others have said it remains a waiting game. Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Wednesday that current figures dont look too intimidating but they still need to play out for a couple of weeks before the Government makes its final decision on whether the June 21 reopening can go ahead. The Governments former chief scientific adviser, Sir Mark Walport, has also argued that ministers need more data before they can make a final decision. Robert Dingwall, professor of sociology at Nottingham Trent University, has gone further, arguing it is really important that we go ahead on June 21 from a societal point of view. The latest data shows that there were 9,860 deaths from all causes registered in the week ending May 21, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with 1.1% of those 107 mentioning novel coronavirus on the death certificate. Cumulative Covid-19 deaths in the U (PA Graphics) The last time that the proportion was so low was in the week ending September 11, when the virus accounted for 1% of deaths, according to PA news agency analysis. It comes as Government figures, based on people who died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, show that zero deaths from the virus were reported in the UK on Tuesday, while there have been 870 coronavirus-related hospital admissions across the UK between May 26 and June 1. Not quite. When it comes to cases, there is evidence that Covid-19 rates are starting to rise steeply in areas of north west England, such as Manchester and the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. Blackburn with Darwen remains the area with the highest rate in the country: 416.2, up from 281.2, although the rate in fellow hotspot Bolton has fallen week-on-week from 452.1 to 386. Some clinicians have said that although cases are rising, and in some areas hospitalisations too, these now look very different to the admissions which were seen in January and February. The majority of people who are being admitted to hospitals are younger and easier to treat, while almost 75% of adults have now had at least one jab. Downing Street has indicated that Boris Johnson still sees nothing in the data to suggest the plan to end all legal lockdown restrictions on June 21 will need to be delayed. Asked about the Prime Ministers plans amid warnings over the spread of the Delta variant, a No 10 spokesman said: The Prime Minister has said on a number of occasions that we havent seen anything in the data but we will continue to look at the data, we will continue to look at the latest scientific evidence as we move through June towards June 21. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to make a decision in the next fortnight on whether all restrictions can be lifted (PA Wire) Following the recording of zero Covid deaths on Tuesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said vaccines are clearly working a sentiment echoed by the Education Secretary during the morning broadcast round the following day. Gavin Williamson told LBC radio there was a sense in Government that there had been really promising progress towards scrapping all restrictions this month. Undoubtedly. More than 65 million total vaccines have now been delivered across the UK and it is expected that three quarters of adults in the UK will receive their first dose by Wednesday. The majority of those ending up in hospital with coronavirus now are also unvaccinated. But Prof Gupta has previously warned there may be a false sense of security for some time over vaccines. One way to allow the unlocking to go ahead on June 21 could be to keep some of the less restrictive measures in place. There have been suggestions that face coverings could still be required on public transport and indoors. Or people might be told that working from home advice should remain in place. The big-ticket item is the scrapping of the one-metre plus rule, seen to be harming hospitality businesses. It has been reported that the Government has already ditched the idea of Covid passports, which would ask punters to prove their vaccination or Covid-negative status to access mass gatherings such as gigs and sporting events. The Treasury is also reportedly prioritising the removal of the rule of six indoors in order to help the economy recover. A review of what measures will be relaxed on June 21 was due by the end of May but has been pushed back due to the Indian variant. Downing Street has said plans for unlocking will be outlined on June 14. | https://www.newschainonline.com/news/is-england-in-a-third-wave-and-could-covid-restrictions-last-beyond-june-21-185601 |
Which France players are the best options for Dream Team Euros bosses this summer? | Wouldnt it be quicker to list those to avoid?! France enter the European Championships with an absolutely stacked 26-man squad that looks like it was assembled by football scientists in a lab somewhere probably Bordeaux. You only have to look at whos missed out to see the embarrassment of riches at Didier Deschampss disposal with Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konate and Houssem Aouar all missing the cut. WIN 50,000! Play Dream Team Euros our FREE fantasy football game this summer DREAM TEAM 3 Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe will look to combine in attack So its understandable that France are now outright favourites to win the competition and add to their 2018 World Cup success. France breezed through qualifying with eight wins from their 10 matches scoring 25 goals and conceding just six. They also went unbeaten against the likes of Portugal, Croatia and Sweden to top their UEFA Nations League group AND kept three clean sheets in their opening five World Cup qualifiers. France have been drawn in Group F the competitionss so-called Group of Death along with Germany, Portugal and Hungary. But that looks a tougher assignment in theory than on paper given France are unbeaten against Germany in their last five meetings winning three of those with a further three clean sheets to boot. They should also make light work of Hungary (37th in the FIFA rankings) and Portugal, who theyve never been beaten by. Kylian Mbappe is the obvious choice at 7.5m and has already been selected by a whopping 55.8% of Dream Team bosses. Only Harry Kane and Kevin De Bruyne have a bigger ownership and its easy to see why given his 42 goals and 11 assists during the 2020-21 campaign. Antoine Griezmann (5m) is another excellent option and could be the more attractive of the attacking duo costing 2.5m less than his compatriot. The Barcelona forward, 30, has more goals at international level AND took all their penalties at the 2018 World Cup finals. The surprise inclusion of Karim Benzema caused a stir having been excluded from the French squad since 2016. 3 Manchester United star Paul Pogba is priced at 5.5m Benzema enjoyed a fine campaign for Real Madrid, with 22 goals and eight assists in 32 league matches he also averages of a goal every three games for France. But having been out of the squad for so long Dream Team bosses should look elsewhere for a more nailed-on starter and reliable source of points. Managers might also consider giving Chelseas Ngolo Kante the cold shoulder. Quite possibly. But were in this for points and the defensive midfielder has only ever scored twice for his national team. 28.4% of gaffers have gone for Real Madrids Raphael Varane (5.5m) in their squads but with a fraction of that ownership Benjamin Pavard is the better option at 3.5m. The Bayern Munich star has cemented his role at right-back and showed his attacking prowess with a goal against Sweden back in November. Most-popular Belgium players (ownership) among Dream Team Euros managers at this stage: Kylian Mbappe 55.8% Raphael Varane 28.4% Paul Pogba 17.9% Hugo Lloris 15% Antonine Griezmann 8.6% WIN 50,000 with Dream Team Euros Dream Team Euros is HERE! The best fantasy football game to accompany Euro 2020 has arrived. And you can play absolutely FREE for your chance to win the 50,000 jackpot. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR FREE! Dream Team Euros 50,000 jackpot The best fantasy football game this summer Play in mini-leagues against your mates, colleagues, family members and some hand-picked celebrities FREE to play | https://www.thesun.co.uk/dream-team/15130395/france-players-euro-2020-squad-fantasy-football-dream-team/ |
Why are songs about time so popular? | Ever since the concept of time was dreamed up by the human race, mankind has been writing songs about it. It's a universal idea that ties us all together, and while not every country sets the time in the same way there's nonetheless a mutual understanding that keeping time is important in everyday life - which is exactly the reason why we have a world clock. The word "time" is the most commonly used noun in the English language, so it's no wonder that there are endless songs with lyrical associations. We're constantly looking into the past and pondering the future, and time is not just a scientific measure of the process of life, but also an instinctive control that we put on actions. Whether it's Time to Say Goodbye (as sung by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman) or Time to Pretend (in the words of MGMT), we have our own clocks when it comes to our own lives. Our mealtimes are our own, and only we can decide the right time for various life milestones from leaving home to getting married. Perhaps most of all, we can relate to the desire expressed in Cher's song If I Could Turn Back Time; that all actions have consequences and our more serious mistakes can never be taken back. That's why there's always a right time for everything. But the great thing about time is that it's the world's greatest healer. Whether it's heartbreak or a literal injury, the pain and struggle gets easier as time goes on. Eva Cassidy said it best in Time is a Healer: "If time is a healer / And all hearts that break / Then all hearts that break / Are put back together again." Time is also the one thing that goes on forever (it IS forever), and yet it's the one thing we are all sure to run out of, as Muse warned in Time is Running Out. So whether we're reflecting on the past ((I've Had) The Time Of My Life) or looking forward into the future (The Times They Are A-Changin'), time is the thing that holds our lives together, the thing that brings comfort and excitement, as well as dread and tragedy. It's our connection to everyone as we talk about "times of uncertainty", especially in the current political, social and health climate. And it's what gives us the impetus to make things better. As the Foo Fighters once said: "It's times like these you learn to live again." | https://www.contactmusic.com/news/why-are-songs-about-time-so-popular_6332634 |
How much state pension will I get at 66? | THE state pension helps fund living costs for older Brits. The amount you get will depend on how long you have worked for and how much national insurance tax you have paid. 1 The state pension aims to give older Brits a minimum retirement income Credit: Getty - Contributor Older Brits qualify for the state pension from age 66, here is how much you could get. We explain everything you need to know. The state pension is a weekly payment from the government to men and women aged over 66. It is due to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 between 2037 and 2039. The idea is that anyone who reaches state pension age will have a minimum retirement income to support them as they get older. You can spend the money as you wish but it is treated as income so you may have to pay tax on it if all your earnings are above the annual personal tax allowance, currently 12,570. The state pension for the current tax year is 179.60. That means you could get 9,339 from the government to top-up your income during the year. The actual amount you receive will depend on your national insurance record. New state pension v basic state pension THERE are two types of state pension. The new state pension is only paid to those who have reached state pension age since April 2016. This applies to men born on or after 6 April 1951 and women born on or after 6 April 1953 Men born before April 6 1951 and women born before April 6 1953 only qualify for the basic state pension, which is lower at 137.60 per week currently. To get the full basic state pension you need a total of 30 qualifying years of national insurance contributions or credits. The full 179.60 state pension is only paid to those with a minimum 35 years national insurance contributions. This is one of the taxes you pay while working and builds up your entitlement to the state pension. There may be gaps if you were unemployed, lived abroad or took time off to care for children or relatives, which means you could get a lower amount. You need at least 10 years of qualifying national insurance contributions to get any state pension payments. This doesn't have to be from 10 years work in a row. You can build up your eligibility as long as you have paid national insurance contributions for the equivalent of a decade during your working life. It is possible to make voluntary national insurance contributions to top up your record, usually from the previous six years. You can use a government tool to find out how many years of contributions you have and how much state pension you're likely to get. Your national insurance record is just one factor in how much state pension you will receive. It is also based on a government calculation called the triple lock that determines how much the state pension rises by each year. Under the triple lock system, pension payments increase at the start of the tax year in April by the higher of average wages, the consumer prices index or 2.5% in the previous September. You may also be able to top-up your payments using pension credit. This gives extra money to pensioners on low incomes or if you are a carer, severely disabled or responsible for a child or young person. Pension credit tops up your weekly income to 177.10 if you are single or to 270.30 if you have a partner. The state pension doesn't have to be your only form of income in retirement and most probably won't stretch to maintain your standard of living. claims Brits will need a pension pot of 123,000 just for basics when they retire - and as much as 305,000 to be able to take holidays. There are some ways you can save for your retirement beyond relying on the state pension. Start your own pension The state pension is just one type of retirement income. A private pension is invested in the stockmarket to build a retirement pot for when you are older. Everyone over the age off 22 should be enrolled onto a workplace pension scheme or you could set up your if you are self-employed. WE round-up the main types of pension and how they differ: Personal pension or self-invested personal pension (Sipp) - This is probably the most flexible type of pension as you can choose your own provider and how much you invest. - This is probably the most flexible type of pension as you can choose your own provider and how much you invest. Workplace pension - The Government has made it so it's compulsory for employers to automatically enrol you in your workplace pension, unless you choose to opt out. These so-called defined contribution (DC) pensions are usually chosen by your employer and you won't be able to change it. Minimum contributions rose to 8% in April 2019, with employees now paying in 5% and employers contributing 3%. This is up from the 5% of contributions workers and companies were required to pay in previously, where employees contributed 3% and employers 2%. - The Government has made it so it's compulsory for employers to automatically enrol you in your workplace pension, unless you choose to opt out. These so-called defined contribution (DC) pensions are usually chosen by your employer and you won't be able to change it. Minimum contributions rose to 8% in April 2019, with employees now paying in 5% and employers contributing 3%. This is up from the 5% of contributions workers and companies were required to pay in previously, where employees contributed 3% and employers 2%. Final salary pension - This is a also a workplace pension but here, what you get in retirement is decided based on your salary, and you'll be paid a set amount each year on retiring. It's often referred to as a gold-plated pension or a defined benefit (DB) pension. But they're not typically offered by employers anymore. - This is a also a workplace pension but here, what you get in retirement is decided based on your salary, and you'll be paid a set amount each year on retiring. It's often referred to as a gold-plated pension or a defined benefit (DB) pension. But they're not typically offered by employers anymore. New state pension - This is what the state pays to those who reach state pension age after April 6 2016. The maximum payout is 179.60 a week and you'll need 35 years of national insurance contributions to get this. You also need at least ten years' worth of national insurance contributions to qualify. - This is what the state pays to those who reach state pension age after April 6 2016. The maximum payout is 179.60 a week and you'll need 35 years of national insurance contributions to get this. You also need at least ten years' worth of national insurance contributions to qualify. Basic state pension - If you reached the state pension age on or before April 2016, you'll get the basic state pension. The full amount is 137.65 per week and you'll need 30 years of national insurance contributions to get this. If you have the basic state pension you may also get a top-up from what's known as the additional or second state pension. Those who have built up national insurance contributions under both the basic and new state pensions will get a combination of both schemes. Employers must contribute a minimum of 3% into a pension scheme and employers have to put in 5% from their salary. You can contribute more to boost your pension pot and the earlier you start, the more you can benefit from stockmarket growth and smooth out any losses. Make use of your savings You can boost your pension pot with other forms of savings. There is a 20,000 allowance that you ca save tax-free either in a Cash or Stocks and Shares Isa each year. Brits between the age of 18 and 39 can also open a Lifetime Isa and save up to 4,000 a year tax-free. The money can be used to purchase your first home or you can access it after age 60 for your retirement. The government will add a 25% bonus to your savings up to a maximum of 1,000 each year. The bonus is only paid until you are 50 so the maximum you can get is 32,000. Most read in News Money CASH IN Martin Lewis reminds married couples to claim back tax break worth up to 1,220 URGENT RECALL Aldi is recalling chicken goujons because they may contain salmonella LICENCE TO GRILL First look inside Wendy's UK restaurant as we try out the US chain's menu BISCUIT BUY Italian firm Ferrero set to buy British maker of Jammie Dodgers & Wagon Wheels UK TO KETCH-UP Heinz ketchup will be produced in Britain for the first time this century FOOTIE CLUBS CASH TROUBLE Almost half of English Football League clubs face money troubles Savers are facing a four-year wait for much anticipated new technology that will let them view all their pension pots in one place online. Around 1.6 million savers have lots their pension pots, according to the Association of British Insurers. Don't let scammers trick you out of your pension. Here are our tips to protect your pension from rip-off fees as victims lost 91,000 on average to saving scams last year. | https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/15137877/how-much-state-pension-will-i-get-at-66/ |
When is the Queens Platinum Jubilee 2022? | THE QUEEN will celebrate 70 years on the British throne in 2022 - the first time any British monarch has reached the historic milestone. Senior British royals will attend a string of spectacular events in London and other cities showcasing the Queen's impact in June 2022 - with a long four day weekend planned for all. Princess Elizabeth became Queen on February 6, 1952 - the day her father King George VI died. Therefore February 6, 2022, will mark 70 years on the throne However, the UK will celebrate Her Majestys 70th anniversary as monarch with a blockbuster weekend of celebrations in June 2022. It is the first time any British monarch has reached this historic milestone. Yes, In November 2020, Oliver Dowden announced "a four-day Bank Holiday weekend to celebrate The Queens 70 year reign". The May Bank Holiday Weekend will be moved to Thursday, June 2, 2022. An additional Bank Holiday will take place on Friday, June 3, 2022. It means there will be a four-day weekend to celebrate Her Majesty The Queens Platinum Jubilee. The Jubilee medal will be created and awarded to public services workers. In keeping with tradition the Platinum Jubilee medal will be awarded to people who work in public service including representatives of the Armed Forces, the emergency services and the prison services. The traditions stretches back to the reign of Queen Victoria when an official medal was designed to mark her 50th anniversary on the throne. Culture Secretary Dowden said: "Her Majestys Platinum Jubilee will be a truly historic moment - and one that deserves a celebration to remember. "We can all look forward to a special, four-day Jubilee weekend, when we will put on a spectacular, once-in-a-generation show that mixes the best of British ceremonial splendour with cutting edge art and technology. "It will bring the entire nation and the Commonwealth together in a fitting tribute." An extensive programme of public events will mix traditional pageantry with cutting edge technological displays. Details of these events will be unveiled in the coming months. Members of the Royal Family will appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony, while there will also be a fly past in Her Majesty's honour. Unlike the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 - when the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the rest of the royal family endured an extremely wet and windy trip down the Thames - there will be no river pageant planned. MORE ON THE ROYAL FAMILY CROWN JEWEL Bank Holiday boost with 4-DAY weekend to celebrate Queen's Jubilee CHILLING FIND Human remains 'of child' found just yards from Harry and Meghan's mansion ROYALS UNITE Harry & Wills put on united front to loan Di's wedding dress to royal display 'MANY QUESTIONS' Harry & Meg 'want to be at Queens Jubilee' in 'new headache' for Royals HOL YEAH! Queen's Jubilee Bank Holiday loophole: Book 3 days' holiday to get NINE off work And, coronavirus rules and social distancing permitted, there will be street parties between neighbours gathering across the UK. People across the nation will also be invited to plant a tree for the Platinum Jubilee. The campaign, known as The Queens Green Canopy, will launch in May, 2021. | https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14147069/queen-platinum-jubilee-celebrations-what-where/ |
Why are so many Black women talking about leaving Pittsburgh? | click to enlarge CP Design: Abbie Adams click to enlarge CP Photo: Jared Wickerham Deesha Philyaw click to enlarge CP Photo: Jared Wickerham sarah huny young click to enlarge CP Photo: Jared Wickerham Tara Fay Coleman Black people leaving the city of Pittsburgh has been a huge topic of conversation. On March 23, award-winning author Deesha Philyaw, who recently signed a deal with HBO for her 2020 book tweeted that she was leaving Pittsburgh for a Blacker city with a thriving arts and literature community. She later wrote a piece for Bloombergs CityLab explaining what she meant by Blacker, and giving reasons for wanting to leave. And since, a chain reaction of comments went off.Philyaw toldin an email that after her tweet and the CityLab article, many people reached out to inform her that she wasnt the only Black woman looking to leave Pittsburgh.Since my Bloomberg op-ed, I've had a few Black women reach out to me some of them friends, some of them strangers to share that they also long to leave or have plans to leave, says Philyaw. The city's unchecked racism, housing issues, and poor career and dating prospects are the main reasons they want to leave.During a recent special city council meeting regarding the departure of Black Pittsburghers from the city, one stat was repeated throughout the many testimonials of residents: from 2009 to 2018, the city of Pittsburgh lost 7,000 Black residents. That doesnt necessarily mean the Black residents relocating out of Pittsburgh have left for cities miles away; many of the 7,000 reported moved to the suburbs surrounding Pittsburgh.This number has been called an exodus by many, with various groups arguing whether displacement (forced to leave through forces outside of their control) or flight (choosing to leave for greener pastures or a change of pace) is the lead cause. The likely answer is a combination of both, among other factors. 2019 Gender and Equity report commissioned by the city revealed Pittsburgh is one of the worst cities in the country for health and economic outcomes of Black women. Combine that with how media portrayals and lack of opportunities for Black people contribute to negative perceptions of Pittsburghs Black communities, and you have a recipe for a region that will never see Black growth unless something changes. A region that will continue to fail at retaining and attracting Black people who have the means to move.spoke with three Black women who have left or are planning to leave the city about their reasons, and what life looks like beyond Pittsburgh.Joy KMT, a mother of five who once lived in Pittsburgh but left the city, says her decision to leave had to do with the quality of life for herself and her children. KMT ended up relocating to Puerto Rico after initially leaving Pittsburgh, but she tried to come back. What she says prevented her from successfully returning to Pittsburgh was lack of affordable housing.I spent 6 months AirBnb hopping, looking for housing, she says.Eventually, she ended up settling down with her family in Virginia. She says that things have improved for her greatly.KMT says that her life growing up as a Pittsburgh native was beset by trauma. She talked about seeing her childhood home on the once popular and controversial TV showwhile she was growing up.Pittsburgh neighborhoods considered historically or traditionally Black are often plagued by negative press coverage around crime rates. In a 2019 report by Columbia Journalism Review , media scholar Letrell Deshan Crittenden cited that people of color were more likely to be portrayed as criminals in news media in Pittsburgh than white counterparts.People of color are overrepresented as criminals. People of color who are the victims of disasters, or who suffer from drug addiction are given less favorable news coverage than similarly impacted whites, reads the report. These stereotypes, in turn, have a negative impact on the perception whites have toward people of color in everyday life.The racism Black women experienced in Pittsburgh was a big determining factor in why they are considering leaving, or have already left, says KMT.Ultimately Black people just are not [supported], the power structures are put in place to reemphasize the status quo and that's just what it is. Like people talk all a whole lot about equity and this and that, says KMT. But you know, I come back to Pittsburgh and ride through East Liberty, and its painful. I can remember being a teenager on the South Side and seeing recruitment flyers for the [Ku Klux] Klan.Another big factor that came up ins conversations with Black women about their decision to leave was clear: racism on a systemic level affects the interpersonal relationships of Black people.Photographer, DJ, and creative director sarah huny young moved to Pittsburgh from New York City in April of 2014 after her cousin, Pittsburgh writer Damon Young , suggested she come to the city and pursue opportunities in artist funding. Youve probably heard her name before, or been to an event that she was curating, so while young has certainly made a name for herself in the city, that doesnt always translate to happiness and a drive to stay here.Young and other interviewees echoed statements Philyaw included in her Bloomberg piece about a lack of funding for Black people. Its fair to say Ive achieved what Ive achieved despite Pittsburgh, not because of it, wrote Philyaw. Young and others also add that pursuing artistic endeavors creates hostility in those communities.I think when you have a lack of resources and a lack of opportunities that it creates a competition, not a healthy competitiveness because I'm a competitive person, says young. I think that is how I survived in New York, but there is an unhealthy, toxic competition thing that happens here because of lack of resources. The way that I phrased it before is we're sitting here fighting over crumbs instead of addressing why there are only crumbs.In a 2016 study by the POISE Foundation , Pittsburghers were asked questions about the regions attractiveness under a variety of categories, including how open they perceived the city to be to diversity. In the survey, 8.9% of Non-African American participants said they strongly agreed that Pittsburgh welcomes diversity, compared to 3.1% of African Americans, and, even lower, 1.2% for young professional African Americans. Both African Americans and young professional African Americans were more likely to disagree somewhat with the statement (43.8% and 43.9% respectively).The perception that the city isnt a place that champions diversity comes across to some in what projects are funded by nonprofits and corporations in the city, as well as the general job market and what positions Black people are able to fill.I think that a lot of people fight over the same small allotment of resources, being that this is one of the largest, if not the largest nonprofit city in the world with a large amount of nonprofit dollars, says KMT. It seems ridiculous to me, the small amounts, small pools of money that people fight over in order to do their work. It's not even just the nonprofit world. It's like, even if you're trying to get a job or anything like that, the amount of resources and opportunities that are available to people that are Black in the city is minuscule compared to the amount of resources and the opportunities that are actually available.All of the Black women thatspoke to happen to be mothers, and that was a deciding factor in both why some are still in Pittsburgh, and why they are planning to leave. Taking children out of school systems theyve been ingrained in, have already made friends and connections in, is often a very tough task for mothers, and keeps them in a city they perhaps arent thriving in personally. young says her exit strategy is in place for 2023, when her daughter graduates from high school. Tara Fay Coleman, a local artist and curator, is also raising Black children in Pittsburgh.I know how difficult it was for me to come to the city and adjust to going to an all-white school where people were openly racist, says Coleman. And if I'm experiencing that level of racism, even looking how I look and my proximity to whiteness because I'm biracial, I don't want to put my fully Black-presenting daughter through that.Coleman also echoed concerns and criticisms about the lack of opportunity for Black people in the city.You're pouring money into this more well-known organization and thinking, like, Oh, we're supporting Black arts. No, a Black arts sector in Pittsburgh is a huge ecosystem that could thrive with adequate support, she says. And that's not how things are in this city.The POISE foundation study also found that young professional African Americans were least likely to remain in their current neighborhoods (42%) and most likely to move out of the Pittsburgh region altogether. When Philyaws tweet went viral, it highlighted another problem with Pittsburgh that the POISE study echoes. The city not only is doing a poor job of retaining its Black residents, it also isnt attracting new Black residents to the area from other cities, despite being touted as most livable and relatively affordable compared to bigger cities like New York City and Los Angeles. The study found that Black residents are less likely to recommend their community as a place for others to live.Andre Perry is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute and author of. He grew up in Wilkinsburg, and noted many Black Pittsburghers like himself who left had the resources to do so, which is a big problem for Pittsburgh because this means a continued loss of talented Black people. "When people leave, they probably have the resources to leave, and they are also probably the risk takers that you need in the city, says Perry. You dont just lose talent. You lose a mindset. When Black women and college-educated folks leave, it really hurts the city more than just a loss of a person.And for the Black women who have left Pittsburgh, how have things changed?My levels of stress decreased. I was able to think, breathe. I wasn't constantly retraumatized or in crisis, says KMT. My housing is more secure, but I think that's a personal blessing because housing is tough down here [in Virginia], too. There are community conflicts, but it's not as deeply bitter about resources. There are more Black people, even in many of the rural areas out here.Back in Pittsburgh, the city has just elected its likely first-ever Black mayor in Mays Democratic primary election, with Rep. Ed Gainey beating a two-term incumbent after running a campaign on progressive issues like support for the Black Lives Matter movement, a sign that the city might be moving in a direction open to change. But for many Black women in Pittsburgh, theres still a lot more work that needs done.I just dont want to die here, says Coleman. I feel like I talk so much about how Black womens quality of life is affected just living here, but thats not a cause I want to die for. I have people that need me. I cant be a martyr. Its not fair for any of us. | https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/why-are-so-many-black-women-talking-about-leaving-pittsburgh/Content?oid=19576359 |
What will the Pentagons UFO report reveal? | THE highly anticipated UFO report which was compiled using decades of military intelligence is expected to reveal everything the US Government knows about Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. The unclassified report is expected to contain everything the Government knows about "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena." It will examine if UAPs constitute a threat to US airspace, according to Deadline. It's expected that recommendations for further UFO research and funding will be included within the dossier. Pentagon officials last year took the unprecedented step to release a trio of remarkable videos which showed "encounters" with UFOs. Perhaps the most striking was a video known as the Tic Tac. Commander Dave Fravor and Lt. Commander Alex Dietrich were training with a strike group approximately 100 miles southwest of San Diego. They were each flying F/A-18F fighter aircraft when they said they saw an anomalous object flying in their vicinity. 3 The UFO report is also expected to include recommendations for further research Credit: Alamy Dietrich said: "It was unidentified, and that's why it was so unsettling to us because we weren't expecting it. We couldn't classify it." And, numerous San Diego-based US warships were reportedly visited by strange vessels from above. The USS Kidd, a Navy destroyer, was using night vision cameras and spotted several mysterious flashing objects in the skies, according to footage the Pentagon revealed to The Sun. Back in December 2020, legislation passed by Congress required the Department of Defense and the National Intelligence Director to produce a report about Unidentified Aerial Phenomena within six months. The unclassified report is expected to be released in June, 2021. The request came after revelations in 2017 that the Pentagon was researching a series of unexplained intrusions into military airspace, including mysterious objects captured on video stalking US Navy ships. Steve Bassett, has tirelessly worked to end the 74-year embargo of classified information on UFOs. The executive director of Paradigm Research Group and a lobbyist said the release of information about extra-terrestrial encounters may be the "most profound" moment in the history of mankind. 3 The report is expected to reveal everything the Government knows about UAPs Credit: EPA LATEST UFO NEWS TRUTH IS IN THERE UFO info 'could be released TODAY' after vid shows them swarming ship BELIEVE IT Obama says weapons will be stockpiled & religions may pop up if UFOs confirmed BRACE FOR CONTACT Alien-hunters form coalition to prepare world for first contact MOMENT OF TRUTH Everything to know about the release of the Pentagon's UFO report TRUTH IS IN THERE Unclassified UFO files may be released as early as TODAY He told The Sun Online: "What is going down right now is extraordinary. This is really a big deal. We may be in the last days of the truth embargo. "We might be finally about to get the confirmation of the ET presence we have been waiting [almost] 75 years for. "This would be the most profound event in human history." | https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15137316/when-pentagons-ufo-report-released-what-could-include/ |
Is it illegal to have a BBQ on a balcony in the UK? | WITH the weather heating up across Britain its now officially BBQ season. Currently, there are no specific laws against having a barbecue on your balcony however you would be highly advised against it. Most leases for apartments will prohibit the use of BBQs on balconies. Even if it doesn't state that barbecues are prohibited on your lease, your neighbours might advise you against them due to the potential danger. London Fire Brigade urge you not to have barbecues on balconies. If you have your own BBQ, there is no rule to prevent you from using it at your home. This means it must be used in your own garden and only by the people who are in your household. Most read in News Breaking DEATH FALL Woman, 18, dies after falling from building as man, 21, arrested for 'murder' RED HOT Today is officially hottest of the year with 27C scorcher & it'll only get hotter GRIM FIND Body found after teen, 18, vanishes on night out as cops question man, 19 FANTASY FOOTBALLER Ex-Prem ace said Covid's 'make-believe' & refused to shut play centre PALACE PARTY Brits to get extra Bank Holiday in 4-day Platinum Jubilee bonanza for Queen KNIFE STRIFE Terrifying new video shows youths wielding huge knives before park stabbing There are laws against using barbecues in public spaces. Areas owned by the local councils or by the National Trust will have different rules and regulations. If you are in the countryside you should observe the Countryside Code and not light a barbecue. | https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15139334/is-it-illegal-have-bbq-balcony-uk/ |
What Barcelona plan next after Eric Garcia and Emerson signing? | Barcelona has already announced two new signings. Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia and Emerson they travel to Barcelona to complete their official formalities and presentation. Barcelona have signed both the out of contract players for Free and will certainly hope to sign even more players in this Summer Transfer window. Very next plan for Barcelona Barcelona President Joan Laporta has already announced that hell start revealing the new signings soon. He has already signed two new players and have presented as well. Memphis Depay, out of contract striker from Olympique Lyon and Georginio Wijnaldum, and out of contract mid-fielder from Liverpool will arrive at Barcelona soon. Wijnaldum and Depay will be the next possible transfer to Barcelona Barcelona had an interest to sign both players last season, but talks couldnt progress due to financial crisis. This season, Laporta can assure to sign both players on Free transfer. Barcelona are still in talks with Memphis Depay as a free agent. Negotiations ongoing and progressing on personal terms potential contract until June 2023 or 24. It also depends by Koeman future. And Wijnaldum will join Bara soon, confirmed. #FCB #Depay @mattemoretto Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 2, 2021 Barcelona making changes amid Financial crisis To challenge the present situation at Barcelona, Joan Laporta can only think of Free transfers and promotion from Youth clubs. Barcelona propose Philippe Coutinho 'returns to Liverpool' to slash transfer debthttps://t.co/xa9tOXU7Tu pic.twitter.com/340DBnrB1D Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) May 31, 2021 Barcelona has decided to promote few players from Barcelona B this season. Ronald Koeman will call the players for season break training to see their abilities. Ronald Koeman will also look to sell few players to fit in new arrivals. Players like Coutinho, Samuel Umtiti, Junior Firpo will leave the club soon. | https://thenewspocket.com/what-barcelona-plan-next-after-eric-garcia-and-emerson-signing/ |
Why do golf stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka hate each other? | GOLF is often touted as an eloquent gentleman's sport, perfect for the rich, famous and the relaxed. But every so often, as it does in all sport, rivalry creeps in, and that's certainly the case with PGA Tour pros Bryan DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. 2 Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka have one of golf's most heated rivalries Credit: Getty The pair have had their fair share of run-ins over the years and the feud continued at the recent PGA Championship, which was won by Phil Mickelson. Their feud stems all the way back to 2018, when Koepka criticised how slow DeChambeau was playing. "I just dont understand how it takes a minute and 20 seconds, a minute and 15 to hit a golf ball; its not that hard," Koepka said at the time. "Its always between two clubs; theres a miss short, theres a miss long. It really drives me nuts." Most read in Golf SHARP PINES US Open bosses refuel Dechambeau & Koepka feud by pairing them at Torrey Pines Pictured Putt off Paige Spiranac stuns in low-cut top and sweatpants before missing putt for eagle Pictured BROOK-ING GOOD Brooks Koepka's fiancee Jena Sims looks amazing in tiny bikini in Bahamas Video SWAN DIVE Watch hilarious moment golfer is attacked by SWAN before being chased over green MEAN ON THE GREEN Spiranac 'would pay an unlimited amount' to watch Koepka vs DeChambeau DeChambeau hit back by digging at Koepka's physique, claiming he didn't have any abs. Koepka, however, used that as an opportunity to chime back at DeChambeau with a quip of his own. "You were right @b_dechambeau, I am 2 short of a 6 pack," he wrote on Twitter alongside a picture of his four golf Majors trophies. You were right @b_dechambeau I am 2 short of a 6 pack! pic.twitter.com/aCJ1jimId6 Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) January 16, 2020 The pair then rattled each other again at USPGA Championship last month. Koepka had been taking part in an interview when DeChambeau walked behind his foe and made a sarcastic comment about the 31-year-old, who rolled his eyes in response. Koepka then said: Ive f*ing lost my train of thought hearing that bulls**t. 2 Koepka was NOT happy with DeChambeau's sarcastic comment during an interview It was then announced that DeChambeau would be partnering up with NFL star Aaron Rodgers to take part in a charity match against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady. Koepka tweeted: Sorry bro AaronRodgers12." DeChambeau, quick to reply as ever, replied: @BKoepka Its nice to be living rent free inside your head!. @BKoepka Its nice to be living rent free in your head! Bryson DeChambeau (@b_dechambeau) May 26, 2021 The duo, however, could soon be forced to work together as US Open bosses are said to be planning to pair Koepka and DeChambeau up for the US Open. | https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/15139278/bryson-dechambeau-brooks-koepka-rivalry-golf/ |
When is the Scottish exams appeals announcement and what will the new education secretary tell pupils and parents? | The new education secretary has been under increasing pressure over the Alternative Certification Model (ACM) that was brought in after formal exams were scrapped as a result of Covid lockdowns. She will make her statement today at 2pm in the Scottish Parliament. It is understood she will finally reveal what the appeals system will be for those pupils unhappy with the grades they receive for National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers. Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up now Thanks for signing up! Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Despite the ACM being devised by a new National Qualifications group in the wake of last years exams debacle, pupils, teachers and parents have said the assessments to provide written evidence on which to base grades, are just exams by another name, but without the study leave, prelims and an appeals process. New education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville is expected to announce the exam appeals systems. Individual schools have also conducted the assessments in many different ways. As a result there have been calls for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and Education Scotland to be scrapped, or at the least radically reformed. While grades awarded by teachers will be given to pupils before the end of term in just over three weeks' time, they will remain provisional until issued by the SQA on August 10. There have been reassurances they will not be changed because of an algorithm, as they were last year, or by external marking. However, pupils have been keen to learn how they can appeal against a grade they feel is incorrect or unfair. While the plan for appeals was promised by early May at the latest the SQA failed to meet that deadline, Ms Somerville told MSPs last week the focus of schools and colleges had been on ensuring that all learners got the right and fair result first time. "Nonetheless, I appreciate that every approach must allow for appeals and we must ensure that we get this right and deliver a fair and credible process for that too," she said. A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/when-is-the-scottish-exams-appeals-announcement-and-what-will-the-new-education-secretary-tell-pupils-and-parents-3258286 |
How did Tokyo Olympics-bound Indian pugilists fare at Asian Boxing Championships? | The recently-concluded Asian Boxing Championships was Indias best-ever show in the history of the continental meet with 15 medals. While Sanjeet (91kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg) clinched gold medals, there were five silver and eight bronze medals for India in Dubai. With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting Indias preparations ahead of the Olympics, the Asian Boxing Championships came in at the right time for all nine Tokyo-bound pugilists. Six of them bagged medals for India at the continental meet. While all four women won medals in their respective weight categories, Amit Panghal and Vikas Krishnan were the only two Indian men to return with medals. Out of 15 medals 10 were won by our women boxers as they all finish their campaign with 1 , 3 & 6 medals at 2021 Asian C'ships. Kudos to all the coaches & support staff members as well#PunchMeinHaiDum#AsianEliteBoxingChampionships pic.twitter.com/gnEJeBjgMU Boxing Federation (@BFI_official) May 31, 2021 Ashish Kumar lost in the quarterfinals whereas Manish Kaushik (63kg) and Satish Kumar (91kg) gave the Asian Boxing Championships a miss since they had not fully recovered from COVID-19. On that note, let's take an in-depth look at the performances of the Indian medalists at the Asian Boxing Championships: #1 Mary Kom (Women's 51kg) Mary Kom with the Asian Boxing Championships silver medal Six-time world champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Mary Kom was touted to win a medal and she didnt disappoint. The 38-year-old got a bye in the quarterfinals, which pitted her against Lutsaikhan Altantsetseg of Mongolia in the semifinals. Nicknamed 'Magnificent Mary', the Indian booked a spot in the summit clash with a 4-1 win in the semis. In the final, Mary Kom lost 2-3 against Nazym Kyzaibay of Kazakhstan. #2 Pooja Rani (Women's 75kg) Pooja Rani poses with the Asian Boxing Championships gold medal Pooja Rani, one of the two gold medalists for India at the Asian Boxing Championships, landed directly in the semifinals when the draws were announced. She had a smooth passage into the final after her Mongolian rival Munkhbat Myagmarjargal gave a walkover in the semis. Her freshness helped Pooja Rani put her A-game on in the final, where she thrashed Uzbekistans Mavluda Movlonova 5-0. #3 Lovlina Borgohain (Women's 69kg) Lovlina Borgohain with the Asian Boxing Championships bronze medal Like Pooja, Lovlina Borgohain, too, had made the semifinal entry directly. Up against Uzbekistans Navbakhor Khamidova in the semis, Lovlina put up a great fight before losing 2-3 in a thriller. It was her second bronze medal at the continental championships after clinching the same in the 2017 edition. #4 Simranjit Kaur (Women's 60kg) Simranjit Kaur with the Asian Boxing Championships bronze medal Simranjit Kaur started on a brilliant note, defeating Raykhona Kodirova of Uzbekistan 4-1 to storm into the semifinals of the Asian Boxing Championship. However, she failed to hold on to her momentum, succumbing 0-5 to Rimma Volossenko of Kazakhstan. #5 Amit Panghal (Men's 52kg) Amit Panghal with the Asian Boxing Championships silver medal One of the best Indian bets alongside Mary Kom to win a boxing medal, Amit Panghal was a pre-tournament favorite for the gold. After getting a bye in the preliminary round, Amit Panghal sailed into the semifinals with a 3-2 win over Mongolias Kharkhuu Enkhmanda. Amit prevailed in the semifinal with a dominating 5-0 win over Kazakh Saken Bibossinov but lost out in the final to settle for silver. Amit succumbed to Uzbek Zoirov Shakhobidin 2-3 in a nail-biting summit clash. #6 Vikas Krishan (Men's 69kg) Vikas Krishnan Like Amit Panghal, Vikas Krishan too got a bye in the prelims. The Indian got the better of Iranian Moslem Maghsoudi Mal Amir 4-1 to book a place in the semis. However, Krishan failed to replicate his form, losing to Baturov Bobo-Usmon of Uzbekistan 1-4 to bow out of the tournament. #7 Ashish Kumar (Men's 75kg) Ashish Kumar also got a bye in the preliminary stages to be pitted against Abilkhan Amankul of Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals. However, the Indians journey ended in the competition when he lost 2-3 against Amankul. Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee | https://www.sportskeeda.com/boxing/asian-boxing-championships-how-tokyo-olympics-bound-pugilists-fare-dubai |
How to join Subversion RP (SVRP) GTA 5 RP server? | GTA 5 RP is becoming a popular go-to game for streamers in India, with many active servers and a dedicated community. One of these is the Subversion RP (SVRP) server, which has quickly grown to be one of the most popular GTA 5 RP servers in India and its neighboring countries. Given the rise of GTA 5 RP, roleplaying is seemingly becoming a mainstream obsession. Isolated servers (distinct from GTA Online) have been set up, where players are roleplaying their richly detailed characters. This article dives into everything players need to know about joining the SVRP India/Pakistan server. The process of joining the SVRP server is similar to any other major GTA 5 RP server. Firstly, players need a mod client that the specific server uses. Most popular servers use FiveM or RageMP to set up remote servers that are ideal for roleplaying purposes. Subversion RP (SVRP) uses FiveM. Hence, players need to have FiveM and GTA 5 installed on their computers. They will also need to install TeamSpeak for voice communication. These are the basic requirements to join the server. However, to get accepted on the server, players need to first register with the SVRP website and join their discord. After registration, they fill out an application form which contains questions about their character, like: Their character's details, motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. How the character would react to certain situations. Players must agree to other general rules that include but are not limited to mandatory roleplaying at all times, avoiding death-match and no power-gaming, etc. The application process on SVRP India The application form on the SVRP server is similar to that of NoPixel. There are some basic questions about the character they want to create. When signing up, players will be asked situation-based questions that require some thought. You hear your friends over the radio. The important thing that every applicant must remember is that the answers to these questions must be original. Server rules strictly enforce immersive roleplaying. Any answer that hints at a player potentially engaging in power-gaming or meta-gaming, for example, could be grounds for rejection. Edited by Srijan | https://www.sportskeeda.com/gta/how-join-subversion-rp-svrp-gta-5-rp-server |
Why is Channel 5s Anne Boleyn a Black woman and what is identity-conscious casting? | THE story of Anne Boleyn is being retold in a Channel 5 drama. The tragic wife of King Henry VIII is played by actress Jodie Turner-Smith. Anne Boleyn was born somewhere between 1501 and 1536, and was aged around 28 to 35 when she died. She was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII. Their marriage, and her execution for treason and other charges by beheading, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that marked the start of the English Reformation. Anne was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Howard. 5 Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII Credit: Bridgeman Art Library - Getty She was educated in the Netherlands and France, largely as a maid of honour to Queen Claude of France and returned to England in early 1522. Henry and Anne formally married on January 25, 1533, after a secret wedding on November 14, 1532. On September 7, 1933, she gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I, but Henry was disappointed to have a daughter rather than a son. Anne subsequently had three miscarriages and by March 1536, Henry was courting Jane Seymour. 5 Anne was convicted of high treason and beheaded Credit: Getty - Contributor In order to marry Jane, Henry had to find reasons to end the marriage to Anne. Henry had Anne investigated for high treason in April 1536 and by May she was arrested and sent to the Tower of London. She was convicted on May 15, 1936 and beheaded four days later. Modern historians view the charges against her, which included adultery, incest and plotting to kill the king, as unconvincing. The producers used identity-conscious casting for the series, similar to how theatre productions have long approached casting historical plays. This means a person's race will not affect them getting the part, even if it is historically inaccurate. They are instead cast by how they identify with the role and bring that person to life. As mentioned, actress Jodie Turner-Smith takes on the leading role of Anne Boleyn. 5 Jodie has impressed viewers with her portrayal of the tragic queen Credit: Channel 5 Mark Stanley, who plays Henry VIII told RadioTimes.com, Jodie has a lot in common with Anne Boleyn. Shes a strong, opinionated, scarily intelligent person. "She was also bringing up a young child at the time that we were on set, and shes quite awe-inspiring really. If you put that all in a box, actually, its very similar indeed. He added: It was all about this being the right person for the job, rather than what we as a society might perceive as the right look for the job. "Anne Boleyn was beautiful, witty, vibrant, intelligent and Jodie is all of those things. Anne Boleyn continues on Channel 5 at 9pm TONIGHT (June 2, 2021) and will conclude tomorrow. If you miss any of it you can catch it on My 5. The series is brought to you by BAFTA Award-winning director Lynsey Miller and was written by Eve Hedderwick Turner. | https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/15137719/why-channel-anne-boleyn-black-woman/ |
Why isnt The Masked Dancer on tonight? | THE Masked Dancer was set to air nightly from Saturday, May 29, to Saturday, June 5, 2021. But The Masked Dancer won't be airing tonight (Wednesday, June 2), leaving fans of The Masked Singer spin-off fuming and eager for the unmasking of the remaining dancers. The Masked Dancer was scheduled to air every evening at 7.30pm until Saturday, June 5, since its first episode on Saturday, May 29. But ITV has cancelled the show tonight - Wednesday, June 2. Instead The Masked Dancer is set to be replaced by international football. Footie fans can tune in to watch England's friendly match against Austria, from 7.30pm, with kick-off at 8pm. Furious fans have taken to social media to express their frustration after The Masked Dancer's cancellation. But they won't have to wait long before the show returns to their screens. The hit TV programme will make a comeback this Thursday, June 3, ahead of the grand final on Saturday, June 5. On Tuesday, June 1, viewers saw the fourth elimination. In the fourth unmasking, The Masked Dancer judges took a few wild guesses and thought Bradley Walsh or Bill Bailey could have been disguised as the Rubber Chicken. It was finally unveiled as skiing legend Eddie The Eagle. On Monday, May 31, burlesque star Dita Von Teese was revealed as Beetroot, joining Viper aka Jordan Banjo and Louise Redknapp, formerly known as Flamingo, as the unmasked celebrities. This means that Beagle, Carwash, Frog and Squirrel have all secured their places for the next round of The Masked Dancer. They will now come up against Zip, Knickerbocker Glory, Llama and Scarecrow. | https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/15138367/why-isnt-the-masked-dancer-on-tonight/ |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.