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How much Brexit uncertainty can the global economy take? | Listen To The Story Marketplace Embed Code <iframe src="https://www.marketplace.org/2019/01/16/world/uk-dodges-economic-chaos-now/popout" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="240px"></iframe> The turmoil of Brexit continued today with a no-confidence vote attempting to oust Prime Minister Theresa May. She survived by a margin of 19 votes. But the Brexit storm is hardly contained. It remains an uneasy, potentially expensive complication at a time when the world may not be able to afford it. Click the audio player above to hear the full story. I think the best compliment I can give is not to say how much your programs have taught me (a ton), but how much Marketplace has motivated me to go out and teach myself. Michael in Arlington, VA As a nonprofit news organization, what matters to us is the same thing that matters to you: being a source for trustworthy, independent news that makes people smarter about business and the economy. So if Marketplace has helped you understand the economy better, make more informed financial decisions or just encouraged you to think differently, were asking you to give a little something back. Become a Marketplace Investor today in whatever amount is right for you and keep public service journalism strong. Were grateful for your support. BEFORE YOU GO | https://www.marketplace.org/2019/01/16/world/uk-dodges-economic-chaos-now |
How did we get to a place where the FBI wondered if an American president was a Russian asset? | Federal counterintelligence agents believed there was credible enough information to open a formal investigation into whether the president of the United States was or is a Russian asset. This is our national reality, not the stuff of an airport spy novel. The story in The New York Times, published Jan. 11, details that in the days after Trump fired then-FBI director James Comey: Counterintelligence investigators had to consider whether the president's own actions constituted a possible threat to national security. Agents also sought to determine whether Mr. Trump was knowingly working for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscows influence. Such an inquiry is unprecedented in American history. But given the set of facts and circumstances surrounding the president and Russia, it is and we are astounded to find ourselves in a place in history saying this unsurprising. The presidents refusal to acknowledge Russias plain interference in the 2016 presidential election. His suggestion that the U.S. should withdraw from NATO. His decision to throw U.S. intelligence officers under the bus in favor of Russian President Vladimir Putin at Helsinki. His decision to pull U.S. troops from Syria. A day after The Times reported that Trump was put under investigation as a possible Russian asset, The Washington Post added more grist: President Trump has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal details of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including on at least one occasion taking possession of the notes of his own interpreter and instructing the linguist not to discuss what had transpired with other administration officials. This is not how presidents have historically behaved when dealing with the leader of the nation most hostile to our national interests and to the interest of democracy globally. Putin is an enemy of freedom, an enemy of the alliances that have supported freedom and a man bent on diminishing the forces of freedom across the globe. America is the beacon of that freedom, its historical defender and the force most responsible for its expansion around the world. We must have clarity on who our president is, what side he is on, why has he done the things he has done. We have to accept, based on the facts in front of us, that we just dont know. And nothing, right now, could be more important. Our worry is that our country is so divided in this time that we cannot stop and ask ourselves hard questions about the fearful possibility this news should raise. | https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2019/01/16/get-place-fbi-wondered-american-president-russian-asset |
Who is Tulsi Gabbard? | Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Born: April 12, 1981 Birthplace: Leloaloa, American Samoa Age on Inauguration Day: 39 Party affiliation: Democrat Campaign website: tulsi2020.com Education: Hawaii Pacific University (Bachelors degree in business administration) Professions: Major, U.S. Army National Guard Public office: Hawaii state House of Representatives, 2002-2004; Honolulu City Council, 2010-2012; U.S. representative, 2013-present Personal: Gabbard was married to Eduardo Tamayo in 2002, and they divorced in 2006. Shes been married to Abraham Williams since 2015. Gabbard has no children from either marriage. Life and career highlights At 21, she became the youngest person elected to the Hawaii state legislature. Left office in 2003 to join the Army, in which she still serves as member of the Hawaii Army National Guard. Served two tours in the Middle East, including 12 months in Iraq. First Hindu elected to Congress. Resigned as vice chairwoman of Democratic National Committee in 2016 to support Sen. Bernie Sanders for president. She also started a petition to end the Democrats use of superdelegates toward choosing a presidential nominee. In her earlier years, Gabbard was an opponent of same-sex marriage. During her 2012 run for Congress, she apologized for her past anti-LGBT comments and has since supported efforts to promote LGBT equality. Sources: Congress.gov, heightline.com; Gabbards official bio; CNN; Politico | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/nation-world/who-is-tulsi-gabbard/65-385ed2bd-155c-481f-88b1-2145257fbece |
Who is Kirsten Gillibrand? | Sen. Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand Born: December 9, 1966 Birthplace: Albany, New York Age on Inauguration Day: 54 Party affiliation: Democrat Campaign website: 2020.kirstengillibrand.com Education: Dartmouth College (Bachelors degree in Asian studies - graduated magna cum laude); UCLA Law School (Juris Doctor) Professions: Attorney Public office: U.S. House of Representatives from New Yorks 20th District 2007-2009; Appointed to U.S. Senate in 2009. Won special election to hold Senate seat in 2010 followed by re-election in 2012 and 2018. Personal: Gillibrand and husband Jonathan have two sons. Life and career highlights Went by Tina in her younger and college years. Has worked as an attorney in private practice, as a clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals Second Circuit and as a Special Counsel to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Appointed to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton when Clinton became U.S. Secretary of State. Noted to have changed some policy views in recent years from conservative when she represented New Yorks 20th District to liberal when she became senator. She went from a perfect rating with the National Rifle Association to an F rating. She opposed amnesty for illegal immigrants in 2009 but became the first senator to call for abolishment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2018. Supporter of same-sex marriage and worked to repeal Dont Ask, Dont Tell, which banned openly gay and lesbian personnel from serving in the military. Pushed for new rules allowing military prosecutors, not commanders, to decide which military sexual assault cases could go to court. Gillibrand, who supported Hillary Clintons campaign in 2016, said in 2017 President Bill Clinton should have resigned after admitting his affair with Monica Lewinksy. She was the first Democrat to call on former Senator Al Franken to resign following allegations of sexual misconduct. She has also urged President Trump to resign over sexual harassment allegations. Sources: Congress.gov; Britannica.com; Biography.com; New York Times | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/nation-world/who-is-kirsten-gillibrand/65-bb047d3b-fc17-4914-be11-e9d8a84ee0ff |
Should the Texans keep LB Brennan Scarlett? | The Houston Texans have three restricted free agents in the 2019 off-season, and one of them is linebacker Brennan Scarlett. The 26-year-old finished his third professional season on injured reserve with an ankle injury, but he made a great impression on coach Bill OBrien. I just know what I watch on film, and hes a very tough, very instinctive guy, great in the locker room, fabric guy, OBrien said on Oct. 29. Really one of those guys that when you talk about the NFL, hes one of those guys that I think every team needs. Scarlett collected 18 tackles, two quarterback hits, three pass deflections, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in his 12 games for Houston in 2018. The former Stanford Cardinal even started three games for the Texans. Scarlett provided Houston a solid special teams contributor while also filling in as valuable depth at inside linebacker. As a restricted free agent, Scarlett will have until April 19 the chance to negotiate a new deal with another team and sign an offer sheet, or in other words, the contract that the new team would be willing to give Scarlett. If the Texans pass on re-signing Scarlett, they may receive a draft pick as compensation depending on the amount of the qualifying offer. Houston is projected to have the cap room in 2019 to be able to absorb Scarletts contract, should they choose to keep him. At $67.1 million, according to Over the Cap, the Texans ought to be able to keep a great locker room character such as Scarlett. | https://texanswire.usatoday.com/2019/01/16/should-texans-keep-lb-brennan-scarlett/ |
Is Duterte seeing the beginning of the end? | China's President Xi Jinping (R) and Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte waves to members of the media after inspecting the honour guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Malacanang palace grounds in Manila on Nov 20, 2018. He would seem to think so himself. Duterte mused in August and December 2018 of resigning if he could be assured that he would be replaced by Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. the son of former presidential strongman, Ferdinand Marcos. In the Philippines the vice president is elected separately, rather than as part of a presidential ticket, and often becomes the central figure in opposition to the incumbent president. This is the case for Vice President Leni Robredo today and why Duterte is hoping that the legal challenge of the 2016 vice presidential runner-up Marcos Jr. will succeed in invalidating Robredos election. While according to the opinion polls Duterte remains overwhelmingly popular (with 80 per cent approval in the latest Social Weather Stations survey), this support seems shallow. On social media it is difficult to distinguish between the genuine diehard Duterte supporters and his militia of paid trollers. At the elite level, Duterte has helped resuscitate previously discredited political clans, such as that of Gloria Arroyo, Joseph Estrada and Ferdinand Marcos. But their support is transactional, rather than demonstrating ideological commitment or even personal loyalty. SEE ALSO: Duterte wipes out Filipino Customs top brass over drug shipment Unlike most autocrats, Duterte has failed to create a mass-based organisation to perpetuate his regime. Both the Kilusang Pagbabago (Coalition for Change) and the Masa Masid failed to gain any traction. The latter movements funding was largely cut off by the Senate with the support of some of Dutertes allies. Only one paramilitary organisation of concern has been created since Dutertes inauguration: the National Citizen Militia, which claimed in September 2017 to have some 25,000 members. Since then it has kept a low profile. Given that it is largely comprised of former military personnel, its principal role may well be to maintain the Armed Forces of the Philippines behind-the-scenes centrality in the political system especially as Dutertes anti-Americanism goes against the grain of the officer class. By ending any attempts at negotiation with the New Peoples Army (the armed branch of the Communist Party of the Philippines) and through his pro-capitalist economic policies, Duterte has also alienated what existed of his elite left-wing power base. Above all, Dutertes so-called war on drugs resulting in some 20,000 extra-judicial killings with over 5,000 directly acknowledged by a distrusted police force overwhelmingly targeted the poorest of the poor in the slums of Manila, a central pillar of Dutertes electoral constituency. Their continued support for his presidency seems acquiescent at best given large-scale disenchantment with a dysfunctional democratic system, as a whole, and the lack of ideologically structured political parties to propose an alternative. The Philippines mid-term elections in May 2019 could very possibly announce the beginning of the end for Duterte. There were 152 candidates enrolled at the Electoral Commissions 17 October 2018 deadline for the 12 seats in the Senate to be contested. Given there is no primary system, their election or re-election is not dependent on their degree of allegiance to the incumbent President. In short, the solidity and local rootedness of Filipino political dynasties are formidable obstacles to Dutertes continued survival. This situation may well be exacerbated by Dutertes proposed constitutional changes to create a federal system after 2022. The House of Representatives, led by Dutertes ally Gloria Arroyo, voted measures to eliminate term limits in early December 2018 and prohibited Duterte from running again under a new constitution. Dutertes assertive bi-aligned foreign policy has also had a boomerang effect. His pro-Chinese pivot has brought few tangible investment results outside of Dutertes own bulwarks in the Visayas and Davao. It allowed the disparate opposition led by Vice President Robredo to take on the mantle of being the true nationalists by appealing to the underlying anti-Chinese sentiment of a proud Filipino people. Meanwhile the United States, both through the indispensable support provided in the recapturing of Marawi and through the return of the Balangiga bells, has neutered Dutertes capacity to use an anti-United States mantra as a mobilising trope. Dutertes daughter, Sara Duterte Carpio, is attempting to set up a coalition of minor regional parties to support her run for the Senate. With a 39.5 per cent approval rating in a September 2018 Pulse Asia poll, she is somewhat of a shoo-in. She has also reached out to Marcos Jr., whose sister Imee seems also virtually assured of re-election, to make sure that her father can leave office without fear of future punishment. After inveighing against the elite of Imperial Manila, the irony would be that Duterte leaves office having re-established dynastic Filipino politics. But this return to dynastic politics is fraught with difficulties. Duterte was elected on the grounds that the People Power Revolution of 1986 carried out in the name of the people, but not by the people had failed to deliver the public goods to the aspiring lower middle class and the poor who voted for him. In the most inegalitarian society in Asia, there is a need for democracy to be accompanied by a degree of economic equality by strengthening the role of an impartial, just and redistributive state. Otherwise another strongman saviour may well re-emerge in the future. This article first appeared on East Asia Forum | https://asiancorrespondent.com/2019/01/is-duterte-seeing-the-beginning-of-the-end/ |
Is it too late to save Shaughnessy's fire-damaged Rounsefell House? | Fourteen months after it was partially razed by fire, an historic Shaughnessy mansion is still exposed to the elements, and decaying more every day. Known as the Rounsefell House, the Angus Drive property is stuck in a legal limbo, even as heritage advocates wish the owner, Chinese businessman Miao Fei Pan, hadnt left it vacant to begin with. There arent too many things that set my teeth on edge, but I cant go past that one, it makes me mad, said heritage consultant John Atkin. Any structure that is left unprotected is vulnerable. Thats why you want to have buildings occupied. A house needs to be lived in, and if its not, its a sitting duck, he said. At least 26 empty homes have been burned since 2016 according to city figures. Some fires were construction-related, others possible squatters, and others possible arsons. The residence was built in 1911 in the initial development of Shaughnessy and remains one of the earliest remaining houses in the early Vancouver suburb, occupied first by Francis William Rounsefell, a director at the Vancouver Milling & Grain Co. Its not clear who set the fire that ravaged the building in October of 2017. An inspection report after the blaze said most of the roof system has collapsed or destroyed by the firethe upper, main floor joists, stairs and roof system completely destroyed. Court documents say Pan and his wife Wen Huan Yang purchased the home in 2012. Pan, who was photographed with Justin Trudeau during a fundraiser at another home, had the intention to move there with his family after a renovation, he wrote in an affidavit. He never did, the documents say, living with his family at another Vancouver address. After the fire, his insurance company had started to co-ordinate repairs. But by January 2018, Pan was told my loss was not being insured because the property was vacant without notice to the insurer and the alarm system was not connected for a period of time. The estimated cost of demolition and architectural work, according to a tally of contracts in the court documents, is higher than $688,000. The city ordered Pan to protect what was left of the home by February 2018 a tall order, according to his contractors, who explored various ways of protecting the mansion but couldnt make it work, the documents say. Despite assurances from the owners, their agents and contractors, that the work would be completed, and after two extensions, the owners failed to comply with the order and the building has been left open to the elements since the fire, the city of Vancouver said in a statement. On August 20, 2018, the city accused Pan and Yang of bylaw violations of failing to repair and maintain a heritage structure, and failing to comply with the order. A few days later, on August 24, WorksafeBC issued a stop work order on the property, saying the building at 3737 Angus Street, Vancouver, [has] sustained high to extreme fire damage, and as such, has been deemed an immediate danger to life and health. The main problem: four unstable 50-foot-tall masonry chimneys, which could fall and present danger to workers, the order says. Since then, there have been protracted negotiations with the city of Vancouver about how to both restore the building, without accessing the property, Pans lawyer, Ryan Parsons, told CTV News. Weve been actively meeting and corresponding with WorksafeBC to figure out how to address those concerns and move forward, Parsons said. In court filings, the owners said the only option is to demolish the house, and Parsons said he is considering applying for a demolition permit. But the city is holding fast, continuing a petition in B.C. Supreme Court to force the owner to restore the property. A spokesperson told CTV News the city has retained a structural engineer and a heritage consultant to provide an opinion on whether thats possible given the WorksafeBC order. Atkin said he believes that its possible to save the structure. As soon as the fire was put out, as soon as it was assessed, immediately protection should have been put on the building, he said. It should have been done immediately. That would have stopped so many of the issues that we now have. | https://bc.ctvnews.ca/is-it-too-late-to-save-shaughnessy-s-fire-damaged-rounsefell-house-1.4256845 |
What Is That on the wing? | We enjoy watching various insects, birds and bats flying around at the cottage, except for those insects intent on feeding on our blood. It is fascinating to watch the gravity-defying exploits of flying beasties and this is sometimes further enhanced by the magical way sunlight plays off the movement of their wings. One characteristic of members of the bird family is that they all have wings, even the flightless members such as penguins, emus and ostriches. Most times we do not get a good look at the extended wings of birds as they are often moving too rapidly to see them clearly or to take crisp photographs. Watching birds on the wing is one of the spirit-lifting pastimes at our cottage so we wanted to share photos of five different bird species with their wings extended. The bald eagle is a large raptor with a wingspan of up to 200 centimetres. We occasionally see individuals soaring above the water, with their wings nearly straight out from their body, hunting for fish. The turkey vulture is another large raptor we regularly see soaring over our cottage. We usually see groups of turkey vultures circling very high up as they search for carrion. The turkey vultures wingspan can reach 170 centimetres with their wings forming a V-shape. The wing tips are the top and the body is the base of the V. The first picture is an adult bald eagle, as evidenced by its white head and yellow beak, and the second is a young turkey vulture, as demonstrated by its dark head and five-fingers at the tip of its wings. Unfortunately, the V-shape of the turkey vultures outstretched wings is not apparent from the angle of this picture. It is important for diving and dabbling water birds to groom themselves regularly to spread water-proofing oils over their feathers so they do not become waterlogged and do not lose the ability of their feathers to insulate them from cold water. Most afternoons during the summer we are entertained by loons carrying out this daily routine in the bay in front of our cottage. Loons will also use a spread-winged posture, along with vocalizations, when attempting to draw the attention of approaching boaters to their presence and ward them off. These individuals were shaking water off themselves at the end of their bathing routine. Flycatchers are among the more acrobatic of flyers, as they dart about in pursuit of their fast-flying insect prey. The eastern kingbird is the largest of the three flycatchers we see regularly at our cottage. This eastern kingbird was photographed just as it was launching after a large insect which we see as the blurred speck in front of the bird. The blur is not dirt on the cameras lens. We often see osprey fishing in the bay. This medium-sized raptor, with a wingspan of up to 160 centimeters, feeds exclusively on fish. Once they spot prey, either from a perch on a tree branch or while soaring over the water, they plunge feet-first to capture fish near the surface in their sharp talons. An amazing sight is their occasional almost total submergence during this process, the powerful flapping of wings shedding cascades of water as they launch back into the sky. Nesting pairs are a common sight on White Lake. This individual was photographed just as it was taking off from its massive stick-nest in the top of a white pine. We hope that these images have helped lift your spirits as you endure the depths of winter. For additional information on these birds we recommend Chris G. Earleys Hawks & Owls of Eastern of Eastern North America, David Allen Sibleys The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America and Roger Tory Petersons Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America. | https://millstonenews.com/2019/01/what-is-that-on-the-wing.html |
Is Donald Trump The New Lincoln? | President Donald Trump has threatened to declare a national emergency and build a border wall with executive power. In The Daily Caller News Foundation fact check videos, Anders Hagstrom highlights claims from politicians and the media alike, setting the record straight on double standards and mischaracterizations. (RELATED: Trump Touts Other Border Walls Around The Globe As Close To 100 Percent Successful) TheDCNF has torn down former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons infamous and much-peddled 17 intelligence agencies claim and exposed the liberal media for running damage control for Hamas. Check out a few of our other greatest hits, and subscribe to TheDCNFs YouTube channel to make sure you never miss out. SUBSCRIBE HERE! Did Trump Steal Drain The Swamp From Nancy Pelosi?! Follow Anders on Twitter Send Tips: [email protected] Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected]. | https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/16/trump-wall-emergency-abraham-lincoln/ |
Was will Britannien? | Bitte fllen Sie alle Pflichtfelder mit * aus. Bitte stimmen Sie unseren Nutzungsbedingungen zu. Bitte stimmen Sie unserer Datenschutzerklrung zu. Bitte geben Sie Ihr Einverstndnis. Bitte akzeptieren Sie die Datenschutzbestimmungen. Bitte whlen Sie Ihren Benutzernamen. Bitte tragen Sie Ihre E-Mail-Adresse ein. Diese Email-Adresse ist bereits bei uns registriert. Bitte versuchen Sie es mit einer anderen Adresse. Mailadresse bereits bekannt, bitte mit bestehendem Account einloggen und Kinderprofil anlegen Diese E-Mail-Adresse scheint nicht korrekt zu sein sie muss ein @ beinhalten und eine existierende Domain (z.B. zdf.de) haben. Die eingegebenen Passwrter stimmen nicht berein. Bitte versuchen Sie es erneut. Das Passwort muss mindestens 8 Zeichen lang sein. Das Passwort muss mindestens einen Grobuchstaben enthalten. Das Passwort muss mindestens einen Kleinbuchstaben enthalten. Das Passwort muss mindestens ein Sonderzeichen enthalten. Das Passwort muss mindestens 8 Zeichen lang sein und mindestens eine Zahl enthalten. Die Registrierung hat leider nicht funktioniert. Bitte berprfen Sie Ihre Angaben. Benutzername E-Mail Passwort Passwort wiederholen Das Passwort muss mindestens 8 Zeichen lang sein, einen Grobuchstaben, eine Ziffer und ein Sonderzeichen enthalten. Ich akzeptiere die Nutzungsbedingungen des ZDF * Ich akzeptiere die Datenschutzerklrung des ZDF * Ich bin einverstanden, dass mein Kind 'Mein ZDFtivi' nutzt. * Ich akzeptiere die Datenschutzbestimmungen zur Nutzung von 'Mein ZDFtivi' * Pflichtfelder * Registrieren | https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/heute-journal/was-will-britannien-100.html |
Do Cold Weather Workouts Burn More Calories? | If cooler weather is your cue to hunker down in the gym, it may be time to rethink that strategy. The reason: Some studies show that you may actually burn more calories when you break a sweat in the cold. Theres even a new boutique fitness spot capitalizing on this idea. At Brrrn studio in New York, the climate is kept between 45F and 60F. We got experts to weigh in, plus offer pointers on getting it done. RELATED: 7 Tips to Shovel Snow Safely and Efficiently (and Even Turn It Into a Workout) How It Works To really understand this concept, you need to know a bit about fat. Humans have two different types of fat cells. White fat cells store energy from the food we eat and are also the kind that are associated with weight gain. Then there are brown fat cells, which are considered good because they burn calories to heat our body. According to recent research, when we are exposed to colder temps, our bodies tend to produce more of these brown fat cells. They keep us warm, so we need more of them when temps drop. Another reason this chilly workout trend is said to be effective: The cold causes us to shiver as a way of warming upa process known as thermogenesis, which increases body temperature by burning more energy (a.k.a. calories). Beyond that, you may work harder when youre not distracted by sweltering temperatures. It feels easier to exercise in a cooler climate, says Pamela Geisel, CSCS, an exercise physiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. And the better you feel, the longer or harder youre willing to push yourself. Not necessarily. If you are exercising at a sustained hard intensity [like a difficult run or a boot-camp workout], it doesnt make a big difference whether you are in a cool environment or a more temperate one, says John Castellani, PhD, an exercise physiologist at the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick, Massachusetts. The reason for this is fairly simple: Youre working enough to thoroughly heat your body, so it no longer has to burn extra brown fat cells to stay warm. Image zoom martin-dm/Getty Images Staying Safe If youre heading outside for a frosty workout, there are a few things to keep in mind. To maximize the benefits, you want to be working out in a temperature somewhere between the high 40s and high 50s (experts say 5053F is ideal). When the weather drops below this, youll have to consider a host of other issueslike investing in cold-weather workout gear or navigating icy or snowy surfaces, which can mean poor footing and a greater risk of falling. Even at moderately cold temperatures, it takes your body some time to warm up. This can lead to an increased possibility of injury if you go too hard, too soon, warns Geisel. RELATED: How to Wake Up Early for a Morning Workout, According to Women Who Do It at 4 A.M. The solution: Do some dynamic stretching before heading out. Then, once youre outside, start slowly and give your body ample time to adjust. Finally, you need to be cognizant of how long youre outside after your workoutespecially if your clothes are soaked in sweat. Even at a relatively mild 41F, heat loss in wet clothes can be double that of dry conditions. This puts you at an increased risk of hypothermia, which can develop when heat loss exceeds heat production, causing a drop in core temperature. Early symptoms include feeling chilled, severe shivering, and feeling confused. If you start noticing any of these signs, head inside immediately. Now that youre armed with a few stay-safe strategies, get out there and freeze your booty off! To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter | https://www.health.com/fitness/cold-weather-exercise-burn-more-calories |
Is Germany Weighing Its Options on Ways to Potentially Exclude Huawei from 5G Auction? | The German government is actively considering stricter security requirements and other ways to exclude Chinas Huawei Technologies [HWT.UL] from a buildout of fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported. Handelsblatt, citing government sources, said government officials were discussing setting security standards that Huawei could not achieve, effectively blocking its participation. Changes to the German telecommunications law were also under consideration as a last resort, the paper said.The deliberations would mark a shift from the German governments position in October, when it told lawmakers it saw no legal basis to exclude any vendors from an upcoming 5G auction following warnings from Washington. The government told lawmakers in a more recent response that the security of 5G networks was extremely relevant, and would guide its upcoming decisions, Handelsblatt reported.U.S. officials have briefed allies that Huawei is ultimately at the beck and call of the Chinese state, while warning that its network equipment may contain back doors that could open them up to cyber espionage. Germanys Deutsche Telekom announced in December that it would review its vendor strategy and Frances Orange said it would not hire the Chinese firm to build its next-generation network in France.The shift by the national market leaders, both partly state owned, followed Huaweis exclusion on national security grounds by some U.S. allies, led by Australia, from building their fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks.Huawei says the security concerns are unfounded. Tensions have been heightened by the arrest of Huaweis chief financial officer in Canada for possible extradition to the United States. Handelsblatt quoted Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei as saying his company had never received a request from a government to transmit information in violation of any regulations. I love my country, I support the Communist Party, but I would never do anything that would harm another country in the world, it quoted him as saying. | https://www.news18.com/news/tech/is-germany-weighing-its-options-on-ways-to-potentially-exclude-huawei-from-5g-auction-2004977.html |
Where does Rishabh Pant fit in keeper-batsman mix? | cricket Sachin Tendulkar reckons India can't afford to drop a batsman or bowler to accommodate flamboyant 'keeper-batsman with Dhoni and Karthik in the mix India's wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant. Pic/AFP With both MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik performing, Sachin Tendulkar cited the practical difficulties in having Rishabh Pant in the World Cup-bound side. "It's a nice thought [to have Pant in] but we have already got Dhoni and Karthik playing as a batter, we have two wicketkeepers, who have contributed in our success yesterday [on Tuesday in Adelaide]. They have had a crucial partnership which won us the match. "So if you are looking to have Pant in the team that means you have to remove a proper batter or one bowler, and I don't think we can afford to remove a bowler. So if he replaces a proper batter who doesn't bowl, then its okay but if he is going to replace an all-rounder then that's going to cost us," Tendulkar opined on his app 100MB. Sachin Tendulkar Dhoni from now on will be more like a anchor, who would, "control the game till the end," reckoned Tendulkar. No praise is enough for skipper Virat Kohli and the maestro felt that Indian captain's situational awareness is something that puts him in a different league. "Fantastic [innings]. I was listening to his interview yesterday as to how he calculates and also there are patches in between where you have to take a bit of risk and press the accelerator harder, that's exactly what he has done," said Tendulkar. He also praised vice-captain Rohit Sharma, who smashed a brilliant 133 in the first ODI and missed the half-century in the second game. "When it comes to playing big shots, very few players in world cricket come close to him [Rohit]. His bat swing is incredible, such a smooth bat swing that he gets distance without any effort. Rohit in full swing makes batting look so easy," he said. Tendulkar also urged fans to show patience with rookie pacers Mohammed Siraj and Khaleel Ahmed, both of whom struggled against the Australian batsmen. "It will be too harsh to judge them [Khaleel or Siraj] based on one game. I am very happy that bench strength is playing and understanding that if there are injuries then, these are the guys who will replace the seniors. So we better have them ready and give them exposure at the right time," he said. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever | https://www.mid-day.com/articles/where-does-rishabh-pant-fit-in-keeper-batsman-mix/20260193 |
Will Mumbai teenage cricketer get 3-year-ban for sexual misconduct? | cricket Sources told mid-day that the teenaged cricketer has been found guilty of his act where he allegedly flashed at his Mumbai U-16 teammate during the quarter-final of the Vijay Merchant Trophy against Uttar Pradesh last month Representational Images Mumbai's teenage cricketer, who is accused of alleged sexual misconduct, is set to be banned for three years by the Mumbai Cricket Association. The MCA is expected to officially announce their decision today. Sources told mid-day that the teenaged cricketer has been found guilty of his act where he allegedly flashed at his Mumbai U-16 teammate during the quarter-final of the Vijay Merchant Trophy against Uttar Pradesh last month. Last week, the MCA conducted an inquiry where the accused and the victim were called to present their side with other team officials. The incident came to light after the team manager highlighted the alleged sexual misconduct in his report that was submitted to the MCA recently. MCA officials confirmed to mid-day that the incident did take place. The association's authorities called for a disciplinary meeting yesterday, but cancelled it since the teenaged cricketer is out of town for some friendly Twenty20 games. The father of the young cricketer in question accepted that his child has committed a serious mistake. "We will accept whatever punishment the MCA will decide on. We have faith in the MCA and I am sure they will also consider that he is a minor and take a decision considering his future. We will start counselling sessions for our child," the father assured. mid-day has learnt that a prank led to the ugly act. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates | https://www.mid-day.com/articles/will-mumbai-teenage-cricketer-get-3-year-ban-for-sexual-misconduct/405255 |
Will Netflix And Hotstar Censor Content to Prevent Potential Government Regulation? | Netflix Inc and home-grown rival Hotstar plan to adopt self-regulation guidelines for content streamed on their platforms in India in an effort to prevent potential government censorship, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. India has film and TV certification bodies that moderate public content but the countrys laws currently do not mandate any censorship of content on online streaming platforms.But global video streaming market leader, Netflix, was drawn into a legal battle last year after a complaint that its first Indian original series Sacred Games insulted former prime minister and Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi. The battle raised concerns in the industry that the government could, at some point, look at regulating content on online streaming platforms.A draft of an unofficial code that will be adopted by Netflix, Hotstar and other local players, seen by Reuters, said that the platforms would prohibit content that shows a child engaged in real or simulated sexual activities, is disrespectful of Indias national flag or encourages terrorism.Amazon Incs Prime Video will not sign the code, though it helped draft it, as the company does not want to act in the absence of government-mandated regulation, one of the sources said. Subho Ray, President of the Internet and Mobile Association of India, which drafted the code with industry consultation, said it would be made public on Thursday, and the final version would include changes when compared to the draft.Amazon Prime Video said in a statement it is assessing the situation but believes the current laws are adequate. Netflix and Star India, the parent of Hotstar, did not respond to requests for comment.The draft code also said that companies which sign it will bar content which deliberately and maliciously intends to outrage religious sentiments of any class, section or community. The companies will also internally appoint a person, team or department to receive and address any consumer-related concerns and complaints, the draft document added.It is a welcome move to form guidelines but in no manner should they be restrictive to expression or creative freedom, said Vikram Malhotra of production house Abundantia Entertainment, which has worked on an Amazon Prime show.The companies continue to face legal challenges. A local non-profit group, Justice For Rights Foundation, late last year filed a case against Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Hotstar for showing sexually explicit content and demanding a regulator for online content, its founder Satyam Singh told Reuters. The case will next be heard in February. | https://www.news18.com/news/tech/will-netflix-and-hotstar-censor-content-to-prevent-potential-government-regulation-2004877.html |
Is Kalki Koechlin playing Ranveer Singh's love interest in Gully Boy? | bollywood Zoya Akhtar detailed that Kalki Koechlin plays someone related to the music business, who enters the boys' lives and impacts it both personally and professionally Kalki Koechlin The recently released Gully Boy trailer announcement video gave glimpses of kissing scene between Ranveer Singh and Kalki Koechlin. The song Apna Time Aayega showcased Kalki clicking pictures of Ranveer making the audience wonder if Kalki also plays the love interest of Ranveer Singh. Looking at the trailer it is evident that Alia Bhatt plays the love interest of Ranveer Singh yet there are glimpses of Kalki and Ranveer too. While the makers didn't reveal if Kalki Koechlin plays Ranveer Singh's love interest in the film, they spoke about her character during the trailer launch. Zoya detailed that Kalki plays someone related to the music business, who enters the boys' lives and impacts it both personally and professionally. The raging anthem from the much-awaited film Gully Boy, Apna Time Aayega released earlier and since then it has taken over the internet within no time. The video has garnered 14 million views in just 24 Hrs. The audience is getting addicted to the new song from Gully Boy, 'Apna Time Aayega', as the beats are so catchy and the response from the audience itself says that this is not just a song but a revolution. 'Apna Time Aayega' is a raging anthem that provided the hook in the recently released trailer for the film, based in part on the lives of Mumbai rappers Divine and Naezy, and the city's underground hip-hop scene. The song is performed by Ranveer, and composed by Divine and Dub Sharma, with lyrics by Divine & Ankur Tewari. Gully Boy is a story inspired by slum rappers of Dharavi. Ranveer Singh who is paired opposite Alia Bhatt for the first time on the big screen is playing the role of a street rapper. The film is Ranveer's second collaboration with Zoya which showcases the actor in a leaner avatar. Gully Boy also stars Alia Bhatt who is marking her first outing with Excel Entertainment and Zoya Akhtar will be seen in a never seen before avatar in Gully Boy. Directed by Zoya Akhtar, Gully Boy is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar under the banner of Excel Entertainment in association with Tiger Baby and is all set to hit the screens on 14th February 2018. Also read: Ranveer Singh is truly a hard-working actor and his prep for Gully Boy is proof enough Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates | https://www.mid-day.com/articles/is-kalki-koechlin-playing-ranveer-singhs-love-interest-in-gully-boy/20260198 |
Will Supreme Court finally streamline BCCI administration? | cricket There are four major issues that the bench of Justices SA Bobde and Abhay Sapre would have to deal with today Aditya Verma Today's Supreme Court hearing concerning BCCI matters is perhaps the most anticipated one for the country's cricketing fraternity. With the hearing getting postponed on a couple of occasions, the last time the apex court heard BCCI matters was on August 9, 2018 when then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra modified the July 18, 2016 judgment. There are four major issues that the bench of Justices SA Bobde and Abhay Sapre would have to deal with today. Several state associations have filed interlocutory applications before the Supreme Court. The non-recognised Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) secretary Aditya Verma, who is also the petitioner, has appealed to the court to take cognizance of a 'divided' Committee of Administrators (CoA) and wants it back to four members. He has also highlighted unilateral decision-making by CoA chairman Vinod Rai. The CoA will also press for appointment of an 'ad-hoc' Ombudsman to look into issues related to suspended India cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul. All this might be a likely attempt to exhaust the Supreme Court's time in taking up the crushing 10th status report of the CoA where none of the 28 state associations of the BCCI have fully complied with the Supreme Court's judgment as far as recommendations of the Justice Lodha Committee report are concerned. The deadline to comply with the SC judgment was September 20 last year. The CoA has recommended that the seven totally non-compliant state associations be debarred from voting at the BCCI General Body meeting if they fail to fully comply with the judgment in a week's time. Also, the state units, categorised into partially (category B) and substantially compliant (category C), should be given two weeks time to comply or risk losing their voting rights and membership. The CoA has also urged the SC to provide timelines so that the BCCI elections can be conducted in 90 days. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates | https://www.mid-day.com/articles/will-supreme-court-finally-streamline-bcci-administration/405252 |
Why does he want to dine with his ex? | dr-love Introducing Dr Love, who solves your relationship riddles in a confusing digital age This may sound like a childish issue, but my boyfriend and I recently had a huge argument because he wanted to go out to dinner with his ex-girlfriend. They were together for three years, and were thinking of marrying, but it didn't work out. He and I have been together for a year now. She reached out to him asking him to dinner because they have still been in touch over the past year. I asked him not to go because I couldn't think of any reason why she should ask him out knowing he is with me. He says she just wants to catch up, and that they are good friends. He also says I am being unreasonable because I am allowing my jealousy to cloud my judgement. Insecurity and jealousy are two different things, and it's hard to figure out what is prompting you to prevent him from doing this. As an adult, he is well within his rights to simply have dinner with anyone he chooses to, but this has more to do with how strongly you feel about your own relationship than the one he has with his ex-girlfriend. You are also discounting the possibility that they really are friends who simply want to catch up, which is what people sometimes do even after the end of a relationship. Trust plays a huge role in how comfortable you are with this, and it's obvious that you still have a nagging fear at the back of your mind that he may choose to go back to her. I would argue that allowing him to meet her would be a better idea, because it would send him a message about trust, encourage him to meet his ex-girlfriend confidently, and come back to a stronger relationship with you. Also, if he ever decides to go back to her, not being able to meet her for dinner certainly isn't going to get in his way. The inbox is now open to take your most carnal and amorous queries. Send your questions on email to [email protected] Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates | https://www.mid-day.com/articles/why-does-he-want-to-dine-with-his-ex/405267 |
What happens to the Bitcoin price following crypto exchange hacks? | Luke covers tech, sports and lifestyle for Verdict. You can reach him at [email protected] New Zealand-based Cryptopia has become the latest cryptocurrency exchange to suffer a breach resulting in the loss of assets valued at $1.2m. While small in comparison to past crypto exchange hacks, the latest breach has once again highlighted the vulnerabilities of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and the exchanges that hold them. Given the high value of the coins held, the difficulty of recovering the stolen assets, and the often lacking security that crypto exchanges possess, they prove time and time again to be easy targets for hackers. With customers often left counting their losses, these security lapses could damage the reputation of the cryptocurrency market and put off potential investors. Verdict looks back at the crypto exchange hacks that occurred throughout 2018 and the impact that they had on Bitcoin prices. Coincheck 26 January 2018 Shortly after Bitcoin prices peaked in December 2017, Coincheck suffered a $530m loss after its system was compromised. This surpassing the previous $460m record set by Mt Gox in 2014 to become the biggest crypto exchange hack in history. Unsurprisingly, the Bitcoin price saw a sharp drop as a result, with the hack wiping 10% off of the cryptocurrencys value throughout the day. Over 24-hour, prices fell from a high of $11,660 down to $10,470 according to CoinMarketCap. Bitcoin continued to dip in the week that followed, as Japanese regulators confirmed that they would crackdown on cryptocurrency exchanges in an attempt to prevent future thefts. By 2 February, prices had fallen below the $10,000 mark for the first time since Bitcoins remarkable rise. By closing, prices stood at $8,830 having bounced back slightly from lows of $7,800. BitGrail 11 February 2018 Italian cryptocurrency exchange BitGrail claimed in February to have lost approximately $195m worth of cryptocurrencies belonging to their customers to cyberattackers. Despite its claims, the finger was pointed at the exchange the main portal for the trading of NANO tokens following the hack. This was the result of some strange moves by the exchange, including halting customer withdrawals during the previous month. Regardless, Bitcoin prices fell 8% throughout the day, from a high of $8,620 to lows of $7,930. However, the fears of crypto traders were short-lived. Bitcoin prices had recovered to $8,130 by closing, and rallied above its pre-hack price the following day. 3 Things That Will Change the World Today Get the Verdict morning email Coinrail 11 June 2018 South Korean crypto exchange Coinrail announced a breach in its system that resulted in the loss of $37m worth of cryptocurrencies Pundi X and NPXS. While no Bitcoin was stolen in the heist, the price of the leading cryptocurrency plunged by $500 in an hour. The price fell by a further $500 throughout the day, which was later dubbed Bloody Sunday. By the end of the day, Bitcoin was trading at around $6,800. A week after the incident had occurred, Bitcoin prices had fallen further to under $6,500. Despite speculation that the two incidents were linked, many thought otherwise as the drop in price was disproportionate to the scale of the attack. Bithumb 20 June 2018 At the time the worlds sixth largest crypto exchange, Bithumb saw some $31m worth of cryptocurrency stolen. Bitcoin prices immediately plunged by more than $100 from around $6,700 to $6,575 according to Coindesk records. However, the market quickly bounced back, returning to normal by the end of the day. The week that followed saw sharp falls in the price, at one point falling to around $5,800, before returning to $6,100 by the end of the week. However, this was not the result of the Bithumb hack. Zaif 19 September 2018 Japanese exchange Zaif announced that $60m worth of customer assets stored in online hot wallets had been lost to hackers. The hacker made off with Bitcoin Cash and MonaCoin, as well as 5,966 Bitcoins which made up more than half of the haul. Surprisingly, the hack had little impact on the price of Bitcoin. Despite a small dip, prices actually rose on the day that the hack was announced and remained stable throughout the following day, which was unusual given the impact that previous breaches had. This caused some to question whether the market had normalised exchange breaches following a year of disruption. Trade.io 21 October 2018 Swiss blockchain company Trade.io saw 60m of its Trade tokens (TIO) stolen late last year. The hack was surprising, given that the wallets were stored on an offline cold storage device. Trade.io claimed that this device was locked in a safety deposit box inside a bank, offering little insight into how the wallet was accessed. As the stolen funds were taken directly from Trade.ios backup funds, the theft did not impact customers. Unsurprisingly, the price of Bitcoin was unaffected, remaining at around $6,400 throughout the day. MapleChange 28 October 2018 Canadian exchange Maplechange took to Twitter to announce that it had been drained of all of its assets by hackers during a staged maintenance, amounting to around $5m in total. Some 913 Bitcoin was lost in the hack. In the week that preceded the hack, trading volume on the platform has increased greatly from around $5,000 daily to a peak of $65,000, which led many to believe that MapleChange was orchestrating an exit scam (where the exchange disappears, taking customer funds with it). This is another security risk that comes with leaving cryptocurrency assets in online exchanges. Hack or exit scam, Bitcoin prices remained stable regardless, hovering between $6,400 and $6,500 throughout the day. While the price of Bitcoin did fall on the day of the Cryptopia hack, this was a result of the confusion surrounding Ethereum and the Constantinople hard fork, rather than the breach. While heists launched on cryptocurrency exchanges regardless of size or scale once had a dramatic impact on the crypto market, causing prices to plummet, it seems that these sorts of incidents have been normalised by the community after a year of hacks and scams. | https://www.verdict.co.uk/crypto-exchange-hacks-bitcoin-price/ |
Who is Richard Ojeda? | Richard Ojeda Born: September 25, 1970 Birthplace: Rochester, Minnesota Age on Inauguration Day: 50 Party affiliation: Democrat Campaign website: voteojeda.com Education: West Virginia State University (Bachelors degree); Webster University (MBA) Professions: U.S. Army Major (Ret. ); High school ROTC instructor Public office: Elected to West Virginia state Senate in 2016 (but he announced in January that he would resign to focus on presidential run); Lost U.S. House race in West Virginias 3rd District in 2018. Personal: Married to Kelly Ann Ojeda, and father of two. Life and career highlights Last name is pronounced oh-JED-ah. Served 24 years in the U.S. Army, including two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Awarded two bronze stars. Co-founded a nonprofit group that gave shoe vouchers to schoolchildren and provided meals to the poor and elderly. Was the political face of West Virginias first-ever statewide teachers strike in 2018. Successfully sponsored legislation to make medical marijuana legal in West Virginia. Self-described coal industry supporter but critical of coal companies for not paying that wealth to the community. Unlike most Democrats, Ojeda does not support universal background checks for buying a gun. Voted for Donald Trump in 2016, but he says he now regrets it. Interviewed for the 2018 Michael Moore documentary Fahrenheit 11/9. He said some children in Logan County, WV, where he grew up have it worse than the kids I saw in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sources: Associated Press, Ballotpedia; Politico; West Virginia Legislature; New York Times; The Intercept | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/nation-world/who-is-richard-ojeda/67-8454da34-2530-4fa6-b7e6-8a9692d4779b |
How much has weather forecasting improved since the 1930s? | Roy Kentish, Crystal Lake Dear Roy, Tremendous advances in forecasting have occurred and can be directly attributed to the addition of satellites and computers to the meteorologists arsenal, making forecasting much more of a science than an art. Todays sophisticated mathematical simulations of the atmosphere are more accurate than ever, allowing meteorologists to produce better forecasts. The National Weather Service has been verifying forecast accuracy since the 1960s, and now five-day forecasts are as reliable as the three-day forecasts in the 1980s. Short-range forecasts have also improved by a day; that is, todays Day 2 forecast is as accurate as the Day 1 forecast in the past. Great strides have also been made in hurricane and severe weather forecasting. | https://wgntv.com/2019/01/16/how-much-has-weather-forecasting-improved-since-the-1930s/ |
Will Michigan Governor End State Funding for Anti-Choice Clinics? | A watchdog group on Monday called on Michigans new Democratic governor to take action to investigate and terminate a contract with an anti-choice organization accused by the group of misallocating state funds and prioritizing taxpayer money for pay hikes for top executives. Real Alternatives, a network for so-called crisis pregnancy centers has reaped millions of taxpayer funds from Republican-controlled legislatures and GOP governors. The funds include nearly $2.6 million from Michigan over the past five years to run the Michigan Parenting and Pregnancy Support Program, which it received while failing to provide health services to pregnant people, according to the Campaign for Accountability, a nonprofit group focused on public accountability. In a letter released Monday, the Campaign for Accountability asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and other Michigan officials to investigate and terminate the states contract with Real Alternatives. Not only does Real Alternatives use taxpayer funds in support of anti-choice pregnancy clinics that seek to dissuade people from seeking abortion care, but it has time and again failed to meet goals for service, according to a complaint the Campaign for Accountability filed Monday. Real Alternatives, after pledging to administer 8,000 visits and serve 2,000 people in Michigan in its first year of operation, only managed to oversee a mere 785 visits and serve only 403 women, per the complaint. In over four and a half years, Real Alternatives has only provided service for 3,771 pregnant people, according to the Campaign for Accountability. Real Alternatives has prioritized payments for ineffective advertising and pay increases for its executives, with no comparable increase in the number of women being served, according to the Campaign for Accountability. The organization charged that Real Alternatives appears to be skimming state funds by withholding 3% of [state] funding intended for subcontractors for its own private, unspecified use, even though RAs administrative expenses are separately provided for in the [state] contract. The complaint alleges Real Alternatives is converting Michigan taxpayer money designated for serving women and children to its own private account for an unspecified use. Whatever a persons position on abortion, we should all be able to agree that opposition to abortion alone without any other expertise or experience is not sufficient qualification to run a government-funded healthcare program, Alice C.C. Huling, an attorney for the Campaign for Accountability, said in a statement, referring to Real Alternatives as grossly mismanaged. Before Michigan fritters away any more taxpayer money, the state should redirect [Real Alternatives] funding to effective healthcare providers, and [Real Alternatives] officials should be held accountable for any misconduct. Whitmers office didnt respond to an email from Rewire.News. She campaigned in 2018 as a pro-choice Democrat who pledged to safeguard abortion rights in Michigan should conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court strike down Roe v. Wade. State-level Republican lawmakers across the United States have shown little interest in investigating how Real Alternatives is using taxpayer money to purportedly provide health services to pregnant people. A nonprofit watchdog organization last year sued the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, seeking information about the states contract with the anti-choice group favored by abortion rights opponents like Vice President Mike Pence. Real Alternatives has faced myriad accusations of misspending state funds funneled to the group by Republican legislators: Pennsylvanias auditor general in September 2017 recommended ending the states grant to Real Alternatives after revealing that the anti-choice organization had used hundreds of thousands in state funding for activities outside the state. Lawmakers across the United States have pumped money into Real Alternatives using funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, a federal block grant earmarked for families with low incomes who need assistance, also known as welfare. A 2016 Rewire.News investigation found 81.5 percent of the money given to Real Alternatives by Indiana Republicans went to anti-choice counseling rather than goods for pregnant people like diapers, baby clothes, and formula. As Hurricane Trump intensifies his campaign of chaos and destruction, leaving federal workers, food stamp recipients and migrants in its wake, we need to redouble our efforts to end the devastation. 2019 is going to be a pivotal year and things are only going to get worse unless we all chip in to make them better. This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source. | https://truthout.org/articles/will-michigan-governor-end-state-funding-for-anti-choice-clinics/ |
Why do SAs CEO overstay their welcome? | SA seems to have its fair share of CEOs whove held fast to the reins at their companies for an extended period think of Absas Maria Ramos, whos been in charge since 2009; Brian Joffe, who steered Bidvest for more than 25 years; and Truworths Michael Mark, CEO since 1991. In fact, research shows that CEOs at SA companies tend to have longer tenures than those in developed countries, with many local firms having drawn-out succession plans, if they have any detail on succession at all. The average UK CEO, for example, spends 4.8 years in the role, compared with about eight years for a CEO in SA, research by PwC shows. In part, this trend towards long tenure is backed by financial institutions interest in stability; they prefer to invest in companies with long-serving bosses and a record of success rather than in companies that change their leaders every few years. "Institutions like to invest in companies that are run by experienced CEOs," says Stanlib analyst Ahmed Motara. "You would invest in Bidvest because then you got exposure to Brian Joffe, who built the company and delivered consistent returns." Its a perception shift that Motara believes will take a while, but Wits Business School professor Gregory Lee says things are already changing. As companies diversify abroad, they require leaders with experience in different markets. With that, he says, "more international norms are being adopted here". This shift is also underpinned by increased activism on the part of investors. Retail analyst Anthony Clark says SA investors started becoming more active, and less accommodating of CEOs, in about 2010. | https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/features/2019-01-17-why-do-sas-ceo-overstay-their-welcome/ |
Who Are the Federal Workers Affected by the Shutdown? | The current government shutdown is now the longest in American history, affecting about 800,000 federal employees out of 1.8 million full-time civil servants, not counting military personnel and postal workers. Of those, about 380,000 have been furloughed, meaning that they cannot work or get paid. The rest, whose positions are categorized as essential, are working without pay. Heres a closer look at some quick facts about the U.S. federal workers. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Managements federal employee database, about 57 percent of federal workers were male and 43 percent were female in 2017. About 63 percent were white and 19 percent were black. Over half of the workforce had a college degree and about a quarter also had an advanced degree. The federal civilian workforce has grown older than the American workforce overall. The average federal worker was 47.5 years old in 2017. Just about 16 percent of federal workers are under 35 years old, compared to 40 percent in the private sector. More than a quarter of federal employees are over 55. 2. They might be your neighbors. More than 80 percent of the federal workers work or live outside of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. According to Governing magazines calculations, nearly every state has a least a few thousand affected employees. OPM shows that California tops the list with 152,466 federal workers, followed by Virginia, Texas, Maryland and Florida. More than 18 percent work for the Department of Veterans Affairs. In fact, almost 60 percent of the federal workforce is employed by just five agencies: the VA, Army, Navy, Homeland Security and Air Force. 3. Under open government transparency guidelines, records of most public employees of the U.S. federal government is public record. As of 2017, the average salary among 375 agencies was US$69,344.22. In fiscal year 2017, about a quarter of the federal workers made less than $56,143. Researchers disagree over how to compare salaries between public and private sectors. Studies comparing federal employees to workers in other sectors arrived at different conclusions about the sector with the higher pay and the size of the pay disparities. Salary varies considerably by position, agency and tenure. For example, in fiscal year 2017, the average salary for clerical workers was just shy of $42,000. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, their median tenure number of years with their current employer was 8.3 years, highest among government employees, and much higher than the 3.8 years for private sector employees. 4. Federal workers perform a variety of critical roles in service of the country, such as developing science and technology; protecting the waterways; certifying commercial aircrafts; screening passengers; ensuring food safety and inspection; investigating crime; and providing emergency care. Federal workers are employed in over 300 different occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the latest available data by FederalPay.org, the most common federal occupation was nurse, followed by miscellaneous administration and program positions, and compliance inspectors. 5. Complaints about the size of the government and pledges to shrink the federal bureaucracy are not new. But public administration research shows that politicians exaggerate alleged governmental waste and misconceive the federal government as bloated, while ignoring the increasing role of private sector partners. The size of the federal workforce has remained pretty flat since 1960s, increasing by about 8 percent from 1962 to 2012. Meanwhile, both the U.S. population and the congressionally mandated rules and regulations have more than doubled in size. Federal spending has grown exponentially during that time, due to entitlement spending pensions, health care and welfare and the increasing inclusion of nongovernmental actors via outsourcing and contracts. In the face of looming retirements in the federal service, agencies are concerned about how to attract and retain the next generation of workers. Some of my research focuses on public service motivation the desire to serve the public and the society, a trait that government workers possess at higher levels. Many forgo opportunities in private sector, because they care deeply about the mission of their agency and their role in serving the public. In a 2015 study, I examined work motivations and turnover intentions of young workers in the U.S. federal agencies. While they are similar to their older counterparts in terms of their work motivations, they are much more likely to consider leaving their jobs. Problems in hiring and retention would most likely be exacerbated by the shutdown, as well ongoing issues such as weakening civil service protections; salary freezes or delay in appointments; and attacks on certain agencies. By Nevbahar Ertas, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Alabama at Birmingham This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. | https://heavy.com/news/2019/01/who-are-the-federal-workers-affected-by-the-shutdown/ |
Was Jennifer Garner's Junk Decluttering #SponCon? | If you spent all weekend engrossed in the calming, dulcet tones of Marie Kondo's Netflix series, you're not alone. Jennifer Garner's obsessed, too, and instead of just thinking about buying dozens of boxes to put inside other boxes, she actually started cleaning up. People reports that Garner's junk drawer contained the usual suspects. Well, if the usual suspects include a rain hood, trinkets, and a pair of Silken Mist pantyhose from Leggs minus the egg packaging. She's also got belts. A lot of belts. "Is this a rain bonnet?" Garner asks before slipping the hood on. "Legit. Is it?" The hosiery may have been the first brand name to be dropped, but more came. Garner pulled out an Invisalign trinket before slathering on some no-name lip balm that was also in the vast recesses of the drawer. But then, she pulls out an Invisalign-branded PopSocket, raising eyebrows and perhaps sparking some rumors about branded content in Garner's junk. "Why?" she asks nobody in particular. I don't know." To Garner's credit, there are plenty of Ziplock bags in the drawer, too, and all those cords and cables that don't get shoutouts. So, if she is doing the whole #sponcon thing, she's still learning the ropes. But if she's simply tidying up like the rest of us since January 1, the day Kondo and Netflix blessed everyone with the new series, she's got Kondo's method on lockdown. REALTED: Jennifer Garners Relationship with CEO John Miller May Not Be as Serious as We Thought: Report "@MarieKondo I'm all about it," Garner wrote with the video, adding the hashtags, #doubloonssparkjoy #junkdrawer and #canyoucomeover. Garner's no stranger to hanging with heavy hitters. It's only a matter of time before Garner and Kondo meet IRL for some professional tidying. | https://www.instyle.com/news/jennifer-garner-marie-kondo-instagram |
Did El Chapo really pay Mexico's ex-president $100M? | Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. The claim, made by a witness Tuesday at the trial of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, stretches credibility, experts say - starting with the fact that it would take a truck to transport that much cash. Colombian drug trafficker-turned-state witness Alex Cifuentes surprised the courtroom in New York - and caused a firestorm of controversy in Mexico - when he alleged that "El Chapo" had paid the bribe to then-president-elect Enrique Pena Nieto in 2012. But while there is no doubt that Mexico is awash in all the ingredients of the story - drug money, corrupt officials, powerful kingpins - there are many reasons to doubt it, according to people who know the murky nexus of politics and narcotics. "It would have been the biggest bribe in all of history. I've been with DEA (the US Drug Enforcement Administration) for 31 years, I've seen bribes of millions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of dollars, but certainly not a bribe like that," said Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the DEA. "Once when I was working undercover in Panama, I borrowed $1 million from the CIA to flash to these drug traffickers from Bolivia and Colombia. They were all in $100 bills, and I needed a huge suitcase to put that stuff in. So you would have needed a truck for $100 million. What did they do, drive up... and give it to the president?" After Cifuentes made the accusation, Pena Nieto's supporters rushed to argue that the former president (2012-2018) was the one who made sure "El Chapo" was re-arrested after his brazen prison escape in 2015, then extradited to the United States. Colombian Jorge Milton Cifuentes Villa, who once shipped Colombian cocaine to Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's Sinaloa cartel using airplanes made of carbon to deflect radar detection, is now one of the cooperating witnesses in the US Government's case against Mexican drug lord. Picture: Ariana Cubillos/AP/African News Agency (ANA) Archives Partisan politics aside, there is something to that argument, Vigil said. "If I had taken a bribe from Chapo Guzman, the last thing I would have done is extradite him to the United States," he told AFP. He would come here (to the US) and start immediately making allegations against you." There are several reasons to question Cifuentes's story. For one thing, he is testifying as part of a plea deal, in exchange for a softer sentence. He also provided no proof, and admitted he was unsure about key details, including the amount and the date. Then there is the fact that the information comes second-hand: Cifuentes said "El Chapo" is the one who told him the story, in which he purportedly gave the money to a woman named "Comadre Maria" to give to the president-elect shortly before he took office. But "El Chapo" would hardly be the first drug trafficker to brag about huge bribes supposedly paid to high-ranking officials, said Vigil. Both Guzman's stories and Cifuentes's have shown a certain flare for drama as they have emerged in court. On Wednesday, Cifuentes testified that "El Chapo" was once tortured by army soldiers who dangled him upside-down from a helicopter to find out where his drugs were. Guzman's own version, as told to a film producer whom he wanted to make a movie about his life. Finally, there is the fact that the bribe story emerged during questioning by Guzman's own lawyers - who have sought to portray their client as a scapegoat for corrupt officials and the man they say wields the real power in the Sinaloa cartel, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. If there is any truth to the story, there should be evidence somewhere, said Raul Benitez, a professor at Mexico's largest university, UNAM. "Normally, when drug traffickers give money to politicians or businessmen, they record the handover, because that's how they blackmail the person if they need to," he said. "You can't hide $100 million. There would have to be a bank transfer or real-estate or jewels, and the drug traffickers would need proof for it to work." Then again, anything is possible when it comes to corruption in Mexico, said journalist Jose Reveles, who has written books on the country's multi-billion-dollar drug-trafficking business. "No drug cartel operates without official protection," he said. "It's possible some government officials could have lied and said they were representing the president, or that the kingpins really do have access to the president. Everything is possible. We know this country is rife with corruption from top to bottom." He urged Mexico's new government, led by anti-establishment leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, to investigate the bribe accusation. But he is not optimistic the truth will come out, he said. "This idea of things being revealed as true, false or half-true exists in other countries. Not in Mexico," he said. "Here, total concealment is the rule." AFP | https://www.iol.co.za/news/world/did-el-chapo-really-pay-mexicos-ex-president-100m-18848272 |
What Is the Perfect Temperature for an Office or Workplace? | In any office, home or other shared space, theres almost always someone whos too cold, someone whos too hot and someone who doesnt know what the fuss around the thermostat is all about. Most often, building owners and operators find out how their heating and cooling systems are doing by asking occupants if theyre comfortable or whether they want to be cooler or warmer. However, everyone has a different ideal temperature at any given time, based on all sorts of factors, including their age and gender, their physical activity level, what theyre wearing and even how much stress theyre feeling at the moment. This is a complex problem: For instance, people entering a cool room in the summer may initially feel comfortable but end up feeling too cold after a while. Those human variables are considered static over time in the current industry guidelines for heating and cooling, which recommend a range of 68.5 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and 75 to 80.5 in summer. As a result, people often feel too hot or too cold, despite how much energy heating and cooling systems use. More people would be more comfortable improving their health and productivity if furnaces and air conditioners could respond in real time to how building occupants were feeling, including how they change through the day. Our research group has been working on how to incorporate human feedback about room temperatures into heating and cooling systems. What were developing could help people feel more comfortable, and even let buildings use less energy. Getting peoples feedback Some researchers have proposed asking officemates to basically vote on what the temperature should be. Using a phone app or website, building occupants say whether theyre too hot or too cold, and what would make them more comfortable. An algorithm then analyzes the groups answer and calculates a temperature estimated to be most acceptable to most people. However, that method has two significant limitations: To work best, it requires near-constant input from people who are supposed to be working and still doesnt factor in whether someone who is uncomfortable could help themselves by putting on or taking off a sweater. It also doesnt take into account how peoples bodies experience temperature, which is closely tied to how cool or warm they prefer their environment to be. Monitoring temperature remotely In previous research, our group placed multiple temperature sensors around an office, and combined their data with information from wristbands that sensed occupants skin temperature and heart rates and apps that polled workers about how they felt. We found that adding the data about how peoples bodies were reacting made the algorithm more accurate at calculating the room temperature at which people occupying a given space would feel most comfortable. Our current project, seeks to make things even easier and less intrusive for people, eliminating the wristbands and apps, and only using remote sensing of peoples skin temperature to measure how comfortable they are. We developed a method using regular cameras, thermal imaging and distance sensors to detect occupants presence in a space, focus on their faces and measure their skin temperature. From that data, our algorithm calculates whether and how to change the temperature in the room regardless of the number of occupants in the space. When we tested it in an office occupied by seven people, they complained less about feeling uncomfortably cold or warm. This method is most effective in multi-occupancy spaces, like open-plan offices, meeting rooms and theaters. It can accommodate, and account for, differences in temperature between people in different areas of a room, whether they are standing or sitting or moving around. And it can adjust on the fly without requiring active human feedback. Our group will continue to explore this and other non-intrusive methods to help people feel more comfortable and be healthier and more productive. By Carol Menassa, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan; Da Li, Ph.D. Student in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, and Vineet Kamat, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. | https://heavy.com/news/2019/01/what-is-perfect-best-temperature-office-workplace/ |
Who Is Performing Tonight On The Masked Singer? | FOXs new hit The Masked Singer continues tonight as judges Robin Thicke, Nicole Scherzinger, Jenny McCarthy and Ken Jeong attempt to guess the identities of the shows remaining singers. Five finalists; including The Lion, The Monster, The Peacock, The Deer, and The Unicorn will perform on tonights episode. At the end of the episode, the judges will determine which singer should be unmasked. Entertainment Weekly also reports that the finalists, who return from week one, will be provided a new intro package with additional clues as to their identity. Five Singers Will Perform Tonight As Finalists (The Lion, The Monster, The Peacock, The Deer & The Unicorn) To make matters even more exciting, tonights episode will feature a guest judge in the form of comedian and actor Joel McHale. McHale joins fellow Community cast member Jeong in guessing who the remaining singers are, including The Deer, who may or may not have played for the NFL. Love all your albums Brett Favre! McHale says during the episode promo. Brett Favre might be the best guess yet, Thicke adds. I gotta be honest with you Joel. McHale then jokes that the whole process would go easier if The Deer simply revealed his identity to the audience. Why dont we just ask him who he is? McHale asks. That would be so much faster! Tonights Episode Will Also Feature Guest Judge & Former Community Star Joel McHale While the confusion over the identities of each performer remains intact, there have been some theories circulating that The Monster, whos costume resembles a character from Pixars Monsters, Inc. may have another tie to Disney. So far, The Monster has revealed that hes male and is dressed up as a monster because thats what society has called him in the past. He also said that he was at the top of his game but when the game decided to turn on him, and has since retreated from the spotlight. He added that hes not considered to be a professional singer to everyone. A prevailing theory by E! News and various other online users is That Monster is none other than Corbin Bleu. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/the-masked-singer-performances-tonight-performing/ |
Who Is Deal or No Deal Contestant Bryce Gage? | On tonights new episode of Deal or No Deal, hosted by Howie Mandel, Bryce Gage is the lucky contestant hoping to win one million dollars. Of the 11th episode in the new season, CNBC says High school choir director Bryce Gage has big dreams for his small town of Marble Falls, Texas, and he hits the stage ready to play for his million-dollar opus. This weeks episode is promising a good surprise. When Howie Mandel introduces Gage to the stage, he emerges from the audience in a maroon vest, pink button down, and glasses, and immediately goes up to Mandel to give him a hug. When Mandel asks him about himself, he says I am Bryce Gage. You already knew that. I am married to the most beautiful woman in the world for 10 years this past summer, Shannon. I have two incredible daughters Im a high school choir director in a town called Marble Falls, Texas, which is the greatest town in the world. Mandel says hes never heard of the town, to which Gage reveals that there are only about 7,000 people living there, outside of Austin and San Antonio. As a choir teacher, he travels the world with his students; they are planned to travel to Munich, Salzberg, and Prague next year. Continuing his introduction, he told Mandel the one thing you dont know about me is I am super competitive. I have been a soloist in Carnegie Hall, I have pretty decent basketball skills, and I know this game better than anybody. Howie asked him what he would want to do with the money if he won on the show, to which he replied my wife and I, were both teachers and so at the rate its going, were going to be 70 years old before were allowed to retire this could take decades off paying for our house. He also said that his house has a 1999 18 inch TV that needs to be replaced. For moral support, Gage had his two daughters in the audience and brought his wife and two friends up on stage for guidance while competing. According to 101HighlandLakes.com, who spoke with Bryce Gage, he said he was inspired to apply to compete after his friend tagged him in a social media post that said TV game shows were looking for teacher contestants. Of being chosen, he said he was moved that someone thought I was unique enough or interesting enough or normal enough that theyd want to choose me. In spite of the great experience, however, Gage told them he likely will have to watch the episode after it airs, because his students have a dress rehearsal for Newsies: The Musical that night. In a sneak peek released ahead of the episode, the banker offers Gage $23,000, which he comments is almost half [his] salary; to sweeten the offer, she also includes an all-expense paid trip to London for 25 of his choir students. The clip cuts immediately after he finishes reading the offer, so fans of the show will have to wait and see if he takes it. In another clip, however, there are far fewer cases left on the board so it can be assumed that he does not take that offer from the banker. At that point in the game, Mandel is telling everyone to focus on there being $500,000 in the case Gage chose at the start (case 2), so it appears that at that point, $500,000 is the highest remaining amount. Watch new episodes of Deal or No Deal on CNBC at 9/8pm CT. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/deal-or-no-deal-contestant-bryce-gage/ |
Should I buy the Garmin DriveLuxe 50LMT-D Satellite Navigation? | Image 1 of 4 Image 2 of 4 Image 3 of 4 Image 4 of 4 The bottom line: This device wont please everyone. While plenty of reviewers appreciate the additional alerts for tight corners, crossings, nearby red lights and sudden traffic alerts, others will probably be looking to rename the device sat-nag, rather than sat-nav. And that, we completely understand. The way in which it reads the road certainly has its advantages - a smoother, faster journey and no speeding fines- but it does run the risk of becoming that dreaded passenger seat driver and while some can tune that out, others may find themselves throwing it out the car window - ultimately, its down to personal choice. 27 Amazon customer reviews 202.50 View Garmin DriveLuxe 50LMT-D Satellite Navigation: Everything you need to know If theres one thing for certain, this device aims to be truly intelligent but if all you want is a device that tells you where to go and alerts you to faster routes, there are far cheaper, simplistic models out there. However, if you quite like the idea of a driver companion, this has some benefits. Aside from the generic warnings such as alerting you of speed cameras and changes in speed limit, it also indicates whether youre entering a school zone, advises you to rest after a certain number of hours driving and warns of you of sharp curves in the road; all of which can be announced in your chosen voice. Features Garmin Real Directions is a particularly clever feature, as it enables the device to guide you as if it were a companion - as in, itll apply a direction to a landmark so you have increased clarity about where youre going. With Garmin Digital traffic, you can ask the device about details on traffic situations and itll give you how many minutes youre delayed by and possible detours. Another journey feature is its PhotoReal and Birds Eye Junction View, which both realistically display the lane arrangement of the junction youre approaching so you can make sure youre in the right lane - great if youre apprehensive about driving on unknown roads. Connectivity With its Bluetooth capability, it can connect to your phone, enabling notifications such as text messages and emails to flash up on the screen. This application also allows you to call people hands-free so you dont even have to take your hands off the steering wheel. With a 5 inch display, its plenty big enough for you to view the directions. The device comes with a vehicle suction cup mount, so you can use it upon purchase. Youll also get a USB cable for charging and a manual to get to grips with all the extra features. If you want even more, its fully compatible with both a Garmin backup camera and babyCam, which show up on the screen upon reverse or as and when requested, respectively. If you require a bells and whistles sat nav that will give you greater confidence when out on the road, this is a decent choice. For those that just like to get on with it alongside a little direction, go for something more basic. Find the best deals across the web above. | https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/should-i-buy-the-garmin-driveluxe-50lmt-d-satellite-navigation |
Are California Schools the Worst in the Nation? | Subscribe to our free newsletters. Bob Somerby is wondering if its really true that California schools used to be the nations best and then, after Prop 13 passed in 1978, quickly plummeted to become the nations worst. Objectively, thats all but impossible to measure since we dont have much in the way of testing statistics to look at before 1978. What we do have are some overall statistics on how schools are managed. For example, here are three key metrics from 1970-2015: Generally speaking, California got worse compared to the national average on all three metrics between 1970 and 1995. Teacher salaries continued to get worse through 2015, but per-pupil spending and student-teacher ratio stayed flat. Not a lot, since wed really like to see how California compared to the national average in 1970, before Prop 13 was passed. However, it does tell us something: over the past 20 years, pretty much every ethnic group in both reading and math has made progress compared to the national average. Whats more, Californias test scores in 2017 ranged from about 98 percent to 101 percent of the national average. Thats not going to win any awards, but it hardly suggests that California schools have collapsed into a dystopian hellscape. Roughly speaking, theres the usual mix of good ones and bad ones, and overall theyre about average. | https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2019/01/are-california-schools-the-worst-in-the-nation/ |
Is veganism the answer to climate change? | The fate of the planet depends on whats on your plate, it seems. The EAT-Lancet Commissions study on the dietary changes required to put the global food system on a more sustainable path will be viewed by meat lovers everywhere as some sort of vegan armageddon. It advocates curtailing our daily meat intake by up to 90 per cent in case of beef or lamb, and eating 18 times as much soy, beans and other pulses. Even a glass of milk would have to be weighed against the likely intake of butter or cheese. Unsurprisingly, traditional food industry representatives were out in force to express their outrage. The potent combination of nanny state campaigners, militant vegetarians and environmental activists poses a real and present danger to a free society, said Christopher Snowdon from the London-based Institute of Economic Affairs, an organisation funded by the tobacco industry. Yet when you cut through the gristle of expected outrage, you can see the science boffins have a point. Food production is the single biggest environmental threat to the planet. And theres simply no getting away from the fact that the way we eat is unsustainable. The Taoiseach may have undermined his veggie credentials this week he said he was cutting back on his consumption of meat to reduce his carbon footprint only to be caught chowing down on a juicy steak with his Fine Gael colleagues. Nonetheless his underlying message probably deserves some serious reflection. Combining action on climate change with the move to a healthier lifestyle will appeal to many. January is also a time when we all review our daily routines and a little reduction in meat consumption turning to quality rather than quantity would likely help our health, the planet and farmers who manage their herds properly. | https://www.irishtimes.com/business/agribusiness-and-food/is-veganism-the-answer-to-climate-change-1.3760467 |
Who is John Delaney? | John K. Delaney Born: April 16, 1963 Birthplace: Wood-Ridge, New Jersey Age on Inauguration Day: 57 Party affiliation: Democrat Campaign website: johnkdelaney.com Education: Columbia University (Bachelors degree); Georgetown Law School (Juris Doctor) Professions: Commercial banker; private practice lawyer; entrepreneur Public office: Elected to U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland in 2012. Re-elected twice. Did not run in 2018 to focus on presidential race. Personal: Married to April McClain-Delaney. The couple has four daughters. Life and career highlights Founded two companies that are traded on the New York Stock Exchange: Healthcare Financial Partners, which provides financing and related services to healthcare providers. CapitalSource, which provides commercial loans to small and middle-market U.S. businesses. Ranked third-wealthiest member of the House in 2014 with an estimated net worth of $214.9 million. Served on the House Financial Services Committee. Founded Blueprint Maryland, a non-profit focused on job creation. Known for willingness to work with Republicans. During the 115th Congress (2017-18) was ranked 41st out of 438 on the McCourt School Bipartisan Index, which is a ranking of how often a member of the House of Representatives reaches across the aisle. Suggested in campaign launch video that attacking banks wont win the day. One of his policy positions is to have the president debate Congress every quarter of the year. Sources: Ballotpedia; Bloomberg; Congress.gov; Opensecrets.org; Real Clear Politics; Delaney campaign website | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/nation-world/who-is-john-delaney/65-d9f94680-9789-4255-8d02-fa4dbcbb64d9 |
What do these famous cover stars look like now? | The Nirvana baby. The Siamese Dream girls. The Arctic Monkeys debut album guy. Nirvana Nevermind (1991) One of the most famous cover stars of all time, young Spencer Elden was captured aged three months old in a swimming pool in Pasadena. His father Rick was a friend of photographer Kirk Weddle, who was setting up the shoot for the album cover. Nirvana - Nevermind album cover. Picture: Press "It's kind of cool, knowing that I've been on an album cover," Spencer told the Independent in 2008, when he recreated the pose, then aged 17. "But I feel pretty normal about it because growing up, I've always known I was the Nirvana baby. It never really struck me like, 'Oh, shit, that's me on the cover'." View this post on Instagram A post shared by spencer elden (@spencerelden) on Dec 14, 2015 at 3:23pm PST The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make The original cover for the classic Smiths single featured actor Terence Stamp on the sleeve in a still taken from the 1965 movie adaptation of John Fowles' The Collector. He's pictured holding a chloroformed pad that he's used to "collect" a young female student. The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make (original version). Picture: Press At first Stamp denied permission for the photo to be used on the single, meaning Morrissey himself stepped in to re-create the scene with a glass of milk in the place of the chloroform pad. However, Stamp later relented, meaning the Moz version only appeared on a few copies. The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make (Morrissey version). Picture: Press Stamp made his name in the title role of Billy Budd in 1962 and went on to have memorable roles in Superman II as General Zod (KNEEL before Zod) and Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert. Terence Stamp at the BFI London Film Festival 2014. Picture: Chris Radburn/PA Archive/PA Images The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead (1986) The cover of the 'Miffs' classic album features a shot of the French-Swiss actor Alain Delon, taken from the 1964 film L'Insoumis (aka The Unvanquished). Delon plays a deserter from the French Foreign Legion and was also a producer on the picture. It's taken from the final scene, where Alain's character lies dying on the floor. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead album cover. Picture: Press Monsieur Delon has also appeared in films such as The Leopard (1963), The Yellow Rolls Royce (1965), Spirits Of The Dead (1968), Girl On A Motorcycle (1968, with Marianne Faithfull) and Scorpio (1973). His latest film is The Empty House, due in 2019. Alain Delon on Italian TV on 25 March 25, 2018. Picture: Stefania D'Alessandro/Getty Images Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not The man taking a drag on his ciggy is one Chris McClure, who is the brother of The Reverend Jon McClure, he of The Makers fame. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not album cover. Picture: Press McClure also appeared on the cover of Toddla T's 2009 debut album Skanky Skanky, reprising his famous role. He was a mutual friend of both Toddla T and former Arctic Monkeys bassist Andy Nicholson. Rebelling by hiding in the train bogs so I don't have to pay the fare Oh and "I'm not old enough to get married so don't ask me" pic.twitter.com/6qXznaHiST Chris McClure (@chrismcclure86) December 8, 2018 Blink 182 - Enema Of The State The nurse with a wicked look in her eye is none other than porn star Janine Lindemulder (although the band claim that they didn't know this at the time). The rubber glove was a reference to the band's original title, Turn Your Head And Cough. Blink-182 - Enema Of The State album cover. Picture: Press Ms Lindemulder is the star of such cinematic masterpieces as Extreme Close Up (1997), Hidden Obsessions (1994) and Seven Deadly Sins (2000). She was arrested in 2003 for assaulting her husband Jesse James and in 2008 was sent to prison for six months for tax evasion. Janine Lindemulder pictured on April 27, 2017. Picture: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images The Smiths - The Smiths (1984) Joe Dallesandro was a muscle man, model, actor and a graduate of Andy Warhol's Factory school of non-talent. The debut album from The Smiths shows a cropped shot of Little Joe from Warhol's 1968 art movie Trash. The Smiths - The Smiths (1984). Picture: Press The stars of Andy Warhol's 'Trash', Holly Woodlawn, Jane Forth and Joe Dallesandro in 1970. Picture: Jack Mitchell/Getty Images Joe Dallesandro also claimed to be the crotch behind the controversial sleeve to the Stones' first album on their own label. As he was a mate of Andy Warhol, who did the art direction, it's a reasonable claim, but one that has not been, er, verified. The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (1971). Picture: Press The actor appeared in many of Warhol's challenging art movies, including Flesh, Trash and Heat. He's also appeared in John Waters' Cry Baby and Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club, but we consider his best work to be the 1970s camp-gore classics Flesh For Frankenstein and Blood For Dracula. Joe Dallesandro in Los Angeles in 2017. Picture: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory (1995) The two men walking in different directions down Berwick Street in London's Soho one early morning in 1995 are Owen Morris, who produced the record and Sean Rowley. Picture: Press Rowley is a presenter for BBC Radio, but is probably best known for his club night Guilty Pleasures, which has spawned a number of albums. Sean Rowley. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images U2 - Boy (1980) Young Peter Rowen was the younger brother of Guggi, member of Irish post-punk band The Virgin Prunes and a close friend of Bono. The US record label were worried that the band may be accused of paedophilia for some reason and changed the cover for Stateside release. U2 - Boy album cover. Picture: Press Peter appeared again (slightly older) on the cover of the band's third album, War. He later became a photographer and shot U2's 360 tour in 2009. Posted by Peter Rowen Photography on Sunday, 13 August 2017 Placebo - Placebo (1996) David Fox is the young boy pictured on the cover of the band's 1996 debut album. The picture was shot by his cousin Saul Fletcher. Placebo - Placebo album cover. Picture: Press In June 2012, Fox told The Times he was going to sue over the album cover as it "ruined his life" because he was bullied at school. Fox was last seen in the identity parade on an episode of Never Mind The Buzzcocks in October 2013. As you do :) pic.twitter.com/JAQrP8rExo david fox (@davidfox2013) January 23, 2014 Super Furry Animals - Fuzzy Logic (1996) SFA's debut album featured a song called Hangin' With Howard Marks and the cover features the man himself in a number of different disguises. Super Furry Animals - Fuzzy Logic album cover. Picture: Press Marks gained notoriety for being an international cannabis smuggler. His book about his various brushes with the law, Mr Nice, led to a career as an author. He died in 2016. Howard Marks in 2015. Picture: Ian West/PA Archive/PA Images | https://www.radiox.co.uk/features/what-do-these-famous-cover-stars-look-like-now/ |
What next for Zimbabwes govt after fuel price hike backfires? | Africa News Zimbabweans have reacted with anger and frustration to last weeks announcement of a fuel price hike by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. In a televised address last Saturday, Mnangagwa said prices of petrol and diesel would more than double to tackle a shortfall caused by increased demand and rampant illegal trading. Petrol prices have been raised from $1.24 a litre to $3.31 (2.89 euros) and diesel from $1.36 a litre to $3.11. The presidents announcement came after fuel shortages which began in October last year worsened in recent weeks with motorists sometimes spending nights in fuel pump queues that stretch for kilometres. Reactions to fuel hike Citizens, activists and opposition political parties blasted the government for being insensitive to the plight of the common man. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions called for a three-day stayaway and shutdown strike that has paralysed banks, schools, businesses and the stock market in the capital Harare and the second city of Bulawayo. The countrys labour minister, Sekai Nzenza announced on Monday that public workers will be given a cost of living allowance of between 5 percent and 23 percent of their monthly salary from January to March. The president himself, flew out of the country on Sunday for a five-nation tour of Eastern Europe that will end at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. We talked to Kudzanai Sharara, a financial journalist in Harare, to share his assessment of why the governments intervention seems to have backfired. I think what we need now is some kind of a social contract, where government, labor and employers sit down and deliberate on issues. And then business as well as labor will probably point out and find tune the laws. Mostly it is not about the currency that is used. We can take the strongest currency in the world. We can take the Japanese yen, which is seen by many as a safe havenyou can take the US dollar, but it will still collapse as long as we do not have the proper fundamentals on the ground. We have a huge budget deficit, which the minister is working on through this austerity measures. We have got a huge trade deficit which also needs to be looked at. So we have got so many challenges that we have and fundamentals that we really need to sort out first before we introduce our own currency. | https://www.newzimbabwe.com/what-next-for-zimbabwes-govt-after-fuel-price-hike-backfires/ |
Does counselling help obese pregnant women manage extra kilos? | Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is a cause of worry for both mother and child. A study was conducted to find if regular counselling appointments help pregnant women shed those extra kilos. The findings appear in the journal BMC Medicine. Based on results with 2,286 women, a team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now shown that although counselling appointments as part of routine prenatal care, can encourage a healthier lifestyle, it does not reduce weight gain. If a woman gains excessive weight during pregnancy, it could lead to gestational diabetes, an increased risk of caesarean section or excessive birth weight of the newborn. The goal of the Bavarian Healthy Living in Pregnancy Study (GeliS) was to make pregnant women aware of the problem and to improve their dietary behaviour and physical activity. More than 70 medical and midwife practices in Bavaria participated in the study. Women in the study group received three counselling sessions (30-45 minutes each) from week 12 of pregnancy, followed by another consultation several weeks after childbirth as part of their preventive check-ups. They also received additional information material as well as forms that allowed them to independently record and monitor their weight gain and physical activity. The control group only received the information material. Slight reduction in newborn weight Hans Hauner explained the initial findings: Unfortunately, the counselling concept proved unsuccessful and had no measurable effect on maternal weight gain. Despite the counselling, over 45 per cent of the participants gained more weight than recommended by the international standard of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) over 14 kilograms on average. Furthermore, the counselling did not lead to a reduction in complications such as gestational diabetes, hypertension or premature labour. Nevertheless, his research team did find some positive effects: An initial look at the extended data shows that many pregnant women did in fact pay close attention to their diet and exercised regularly. In addition, more than 85 per cent of women continued the program to the end and readily took the advice they received to heart. Evidently, that was not enough to reduce their weight gain. What we saw, however, was a reduction in the size and weight of the babies of the women who participated in the program. That, too, is a small but important achievement, Hauner said. The study team also recommended that counselling sessions be started before the 12th week of pregnancy. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter First Published: Jan 17, 2019 11:30 IST | https://www.hindustantimes.com/fitness/does-counselling-help-obese-pregnant-women-manage-extra-kilos/story-Z6l3izRte9jKF2HoV7yaVO.html |
How expensive is Bristol Airport compared to others? | Get Business updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email The cost of parking at an airport is often hefty even for those who are just dropping someone off. Bristol Airport is no exception, with parking charges for a week setting you back 127 - more than in London, Tokyo and Atlanta. But its not all bad for those travelling from Bristol. To park for 30 minutes only costs 5 - cheaper than Cardiff (10), Edinburgh (15) and Stansted (25) - according to research by taxi insurers Staveley Head. Bristol also offers a free 30-minute drop off for passengers who are blue badge holders. Staveley Head used data from the Civil Aviation Authority to rank airports from the most expensive to the cheapest based on parking stays of up to 30 minutes for taxi and private hire cabs. It costs 1 at Bristol Airport if you only want to stay for up to 10 minutes, which is cheaper than Luton, Leeds and Birmingham, where its 2 charge for the same-length stay. (Image: Staveley Head) However, there are six airports in the UK that let people park for free for up to 10 minutes - Cardiff, London City, Inverness, Newquay, Guernsey and Norwich. Southend Airport is the UKs most expensive airport for a 10-minute drop-off, charging 4.50. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now Meanwhile, Stansted is the most expensive for a half-hour stay at 25. Most airports do offer a free drop-off zone, but many of these arent directly outside the terminal. However, there is often a free shuttle to the terminal from the free zone. Speaking about its airport charges last year, a Bristol Airport spokesperson said: "We offer a range of convenient car parking products close to the terminal building across a range of price points suitable for all travellers. "Passengers can also take advantage of discounts by signing up to the airport rewards program." | https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/business/bristol-airport-parking-prices-cost-2434723 |
How realistic are Chinas plans to build a research station on the Moon? | The world is still celebrating the historic landing of Chinas Change-4 on the dark side of the moon on January 3. This week, China announced its plans to follow up with three more lunar missions, laying the groundwork for a lunar base. Colonising the Moon, and beyond, has always being a human aspiration. Technological advancements, and the discovery of a considerable source of water close to the lunar poles, has made this idea even more appealing. If we focus on the technology currently available, China could start building a base on the Moon today. The first lunar base The first lunar base would likely be an unmanned facility run by automated robotics similar to Amazon warehouses to ensure that the necessary infrastructures and support systems are fully operational before people arrive. The lunar environment is susceptible to deep vacuum conditions, strong temperature fluctuations and solar radiation, among other conditions hostile to humans. More importantly, we have yet to fully understand the long term impact on the human body of being in space, and on the Moon. Seeds taken to the Moon by the Chang'e-4 mission have now reportedly sprouted. This is the first time plants have been grown on the Moon, paving the way for a future food farm on the lunar base. Building a lunar base is no different than building the first oil rig out in the ocean. The logistics of moving construction parts must be considered, feasibility studies must be conducted and, in this case, soil samples must be tested. China has taken the first step by examining the soil of the lunar surface. This is necessary for building an underground habitat and supporting infrastructure that will shield the base from the harsh surface conditions. 3D printed everything Of all the possible technologies for building a lunar base, 3D printing offers the most effective strategy. 3D printing on Earth has revolutionised manufacturing productivity and efficiency, reducing both waste and cost. Chinas vision is to develop the capability to 3D print both inside and outside of the lunar base. 3D printers have the potential to make everything from daily items, like drinking cups, to repair parts for the base. But 3D printing in space is a real challenge. It will require new technologies that can operate in the micro gravity environment of the Moon. 3D printing machines that are able to shape parts in the vacuum of space must be developed. Easy. Just print it New materials are required We know that Earth materials, such as fibre optics, change properties once they are in space. So materials that are effective on Earth, might not be effective on the Moon. Whatever the intended use of the 3D printed component, it will have to be resistant to the conditions of lunar environment. So the development of printing material is crucial. Step-by-step, researchers are finding and developing new materials and technologies to address this challenge. For example, researchers in Germany expect to have the first ready to use stainless steel tools to be 3D printed under microgravity in the near future. NASA also demonstrated 3D printing technology in zero gravity showing it is feasible to 3D print in space. On a larger scale we have seen houses being 3D printed on Earth. In a similar way, the lunar base will likely be built using prefabricated parts in combination with large-scale 3D printing. Examples of what this might look like can be seen to entries in the 3D printed habitat challenge, which was started by NASA in 2005. The competition seeks to advance 3D printing construction technology needed to create sustainable housing solutions for Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond. NASA 3D Printed Habitat Challenge Living on the Moon So far, weve focused on the technological feasibility of building a lunar base, but we also need to consider the long term effect of lunar living on humans. To date, limited studies have been conducted to examine the the biological impact on human physiology at the cellular level. We know that the human organs, tissues and cells are highly responsive to gravity, but an understanding of how human cells function and regenerate is currently lacking. If astronauts are to live on the Moon, these fundamental questions need to be answered. In the long term, 3D bioprinting of human organs and tissues will play a crucial role in sustaining lunar missions by allowing for robotic surgeries. Russia recently demonstrated the first 3D bioprinter to function under microgravity. Absolutely. The answer to that is less clear. What is certain is that China will use the next 10 to 15 years to develop the requisite technical capabilities for conducting manned lunar missions and set the stage for space exploration. | http://theconversation.com/how-realistic-are-chinas-plans-to-build-a-research-station-on-the-moon-109942 |
Are Donald Trump's Ties So Long Because He Thinks They Make Him Look "Thinner"? | Since there's no news on when we'll ever see an end to America's partial government shutdown, it's as good a time as ever to turn to some less consequential matters concerning the presidentparticularly ones that have fascinated and baffled the public for years now. While Donald Trump 's seemingly endless stream of controversial comments while on the campaign trail in 2016 ensured that he got plenty of attention, he was also occasionally outshoneoddly enough, by his neckties. For years now, Trump seems to have gone out of his way to only purchase ties that venture several inches below his waistband. His reasoning for doing so remains unknownor did, anyway, until this Wednesdaywhich has only served to make the idiosyncrasy all the more intriguing. In 2017, the length of Trump's ties even became subject to an entire Twitter account's worth of ridicule. (The account, @TrumpsTies , is still alive and well, by the way.) At long last, the mystery has finally been solved. That's all thanks to one Chris Christie, who thankfully considered the matter to be of enough import to merit a mention in his forthcoming memoir, Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics. The book isn't out until later this month, but The Guardian has already managed to get its hands on a copy, which it described as "explosive" on Wednesdaymostly for its condemnations of Jared Kushner, but also arguably for the revelation it supplies regarding Trump's ties. According to the Guardian , Christie's memoir makes it clear that Trump has devoted a significant amount of their conversation over the past decade and a half to discussing "girth." (They first met in 2002 over a dinner that Trump ordered for Christie, which consisted of scallops, which Christie is allergic to, and lamb, which he apparently detests.) Three years later, their dinners still weren't going too well for Christie: another one in 2005 saw the future president inform the former New Jersey governor that he had to lose weightand not just for vanity's sake. As encouragement, Trump offered up this piece of advice: "You gotta look better to be able to win [in politics]." (Though if that were true, you'd have thought that by now Trump would have stopped eschewing tie clips in favor of Scotch tape .) It wasn't until 2016, though, that he offered Christie the advice that turned out to also hold the secret to his tie length: at one point while campaigning for the presidency, Trump apparently paused to exhort Christie to follow suit in taking up wearing longer ties, as they would make him appear thinner. That statement seems to hold trueif only because it certainly takes one's eyes off the rest of the wearer. (It certainly doesn't hurt that Trump also rarely wears a dress shirt without a coat or a blazer.) See for yourself; here's a photo of Trump sans his favorite accessory, and sporting it as usual, less than a month later: Pinterest Left: Donald Trump at the opening of his golf course in Scotland on July 10, 2012. Right: Donald Trump at the opening night of Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth on Broadway in New York on August 2, 2012. Getty Images To be clear, we don't take making side-by-side comparisons in service of better scrutinizing a celebrity's body lightly. But given that Trump's history of offering up his unsolicitedand often criticalcomments on women's appearances stretches back several decades, it doesn't seem as if he has any objections to such a practice. Related: Melania Trump Wore Tan Leather Pants That Matched Her Skin Tone a Little Too Well | https://www.wmagazine.com/story/donald-trump-long-ties |
Will UTLAs Strike Help Privatize Public Education in LA? | By Great news!!! It is possible that UTLA, by creating a strike and ending education for 640,000 could push parents into demanding charter schools and other non union run schools. At some point parents will realize that the failed LAUSD is not educating their children and that the unions want money not quality education. For the last 40 years, corporate profit motivated interests have carefully laid the groundwork for the destruction of public education. Their system puts corporate profits over what should be the only raison detre for public education: the preparation of Americas future citizens. Our students must be literate enough to be intellectually capable of understanding what is going on around them in the context of our countrys history. Sadly, the means to give them that opportunity is on the verge of eradicated in our still segregated, inferior public schools in Los Angeles and elsewhere in our nation. In 1978 or 1979 UTLA went on strike. The slogan was Children want what teachers need. More money. Explains everything. Leonard Isenberg, City Watch LA, 1/14/19 FIRST PERSON-I cant think of a better way of accelerating the corporate takeover and privatization of public education with corporate run charter schools than UTLA going on strike at this time. This is not to say that the issues UTLA has raised leading up to the strike are not valid. However, going on strike at this time without a clear, mandatory plan to organize LAUSD parents to support the strike by keeping their children out of LAUSD schools has not been created. This could have been accomplished by giving these LAUSD parents a safe, organized place to send their children outside the LAUSD schools to attend alternative classes held in churches and other venues, organized by UTLA using retired teachers. If this were to be done and students didnt show up at LAUSD campuses during the strike, LAUSD would not be able to collect Average Daily Attendance (ADA) money from the State and federal governments. This would put financial pressure on the LAUSD administration to settle the strike quickly by giving UTLA and its teachers what they have been reasonably demanding. Under these circumstances, charters now pose a viable alternative for LAUSD parents if they dont want their children sitting in regular LAUSD classrooms run by administrators and non-teachers, who are more than willing to cross the UTLA picket lines. The answer is both simple and sad. One need only go back and look at the period when then-Superintendent John Deasy gave Caputo-Pearl and seven out-of-classroom candidates release time during school hours to run for UTLAs offices. This decision installed a leadership at UTLA that has been and still is in the pocket of the District ever since. Most of the leaders at UTLA are ex-LAUSD employees who are already fully vested in the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) or other benefits. In addition and most telling they are now employees of UTLA and not LAUSD with already vested benefits packages that will continue whether or not the strike ultimately destroys the union. One must wonder what silver parachutes Caputo-Pearl and the others have in place in the event of the final demise of UTLA. For the last 40 years, corporate profit motivated interests have carefully laid the groundwork for the destruction of public education. Their system puts corporate profits over what should be the only raison detre for public education: the preparation of Americas future citizens. Our students must be literate enough to be intellectually capable of understanding what is going on around them in the context of our countrys history. Sadly, the means to give them that opportunity is on the verge of eradicated in our still segregated, inferior public schools in Los Angeles and elsewhere in our nation. | http://www.capoliticalreview.com/capoliticalnewsandviews/will-utlas-strike-help-privatize-public-education-in-la/ |
How defeated is the Islamic State? | Sign up for the Todays WorldView newsletter. President Trumps decision to remove U.S. troops stationed in Syria was predicated on a seemingly simple argument: The Islamic State, the extremist group that once controlled large swatches of that country and Iraq, had been defeated. We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency, the president tweeted on Dec. 19, using an acronym to refer to the group. The White House later released a video in which Trump said we have won against ISIS. He later appeared to modify his language but only slightly. ISIS is mostly gone, he tweeted on Dec 31. Vice President Pence reiterated that message Wednesday. The caliphate has crumbled, and ISIS has been defeated, he told a group of U.S. ambassadors gathered at the State Department in Washington. Just hours earlier, a suicide bomb had killed four American military members and wounded three more in Manbij, a Syrian city patrolled by U.S. troops. The supposedly defeated Islamic State claimed responsibility. Though the groups involvement has not been confirmed, critics linked the attack to Trumps decision to pull out of Syria. Trumps order was reckless and driven far more by domestic political concerns than it was by facts on the ground, said Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. There are no simple answers. Its worth remembering how powerful the Islamic State was just a few years ago. In January 2015, the group was estimated to control 35,000 square miles in Syria and Iraq roughly the size of Maine. It had taken over major cities such as Mosul and was even bearing down on Baghdad. The next month, terrorism analyst Daveed Gartenstein-Ross estimated that the group could have close to 100,000 fighters. The Islamic States self-declared caliphate was a lodestar for extremists around the world. Other organizations pledged allegiance to the groups leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Disaffected Westerners and other foreigners flocked to Syria and Iraq to fight, often becoming the Islamic States most extreme adherents. High-profile acts of terrorism took place in Western Europe and North America, roiling nations and their leaders Trump prominent among them. Just announced that as many as 5000 ISIS fighters have infiltrated Europe. Also, many in U.S. I TOLD YOU SO! I alone can fix this problem! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2016 Today, theres no denying that the Islamic State has been devastated on the battlefield. An anti-Islamic State campaign, started under the Obama administration and continued by Trump, has taken back almost all of the groups territory. By October 2017, the once-sprawling caliphate was less than a quarter of the size it had been in early 2015; in 2018, it contracted even further and lost its self-declared capital, Raqqa. As the groups geographical reach crumbled, so did its rhetorical power. Islamic State propaganda dwindled, and many foreign fighters were captured. In part due to the decline of the group, the number of terrorist attacks around the world has dropped for the past few years running. Trump even stopped tweeting about the Islamic State so much. It is possible that the group, which has been known to make false claims, may not have carried out Wednesdays attack. But the bombing would hardly be the only potential sign of its remaining power. The Islamic State is believed to have killed dozens of U.S.-backed fighters in November in Deir al-Zour, one of the groups few remaining regional strongholds in Syria. There has also been a wave of kidnappings and assassinations in neighboring Iraq. The Islamic States attempt to form a caliphate and implement its harsh form of governance has failed, but the group can still live on as an insurgency. Baghdadi is presumed to be alive, and estimates suggest there are probably tens of thousands of fighters still in Iraq and Syria. Early reports about the attack in Manbij have suggested there may have been an Islamic State sleeper cell in the city. If thats true, there could be many more. And in many ways, defeating an insurgent group that uses guerrilla tactics and terrorism is more difficult than beating a group that is trying to actually hold ground. Its premature to use words like defeat, because we know how hard it is to truly achieve that condition, Nicholas Rasmussen, who until December 2017 was director of the U.S. governments National Counterterrorism Center, told The Washington Post last year. While they are definitely degraded, defeat suggests a condition that is irreversible or one in which ISIS no longer poses a serious threat to the U.S. Neither of those is true. Indeed, the Islamic State already knows how to bounce back from the jaws of defeat. Many of its core members were once members of Saddam Husseins army, which disintegrated during the U.S.-led invasion of the country. The group that would become the Islamic State has already recovered from near extinction after the death of its founder, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, in 2006. This time, its leader isnt even dead. In a statement released later Wednesday, Pence said the United States would never allow the remnants of ISIS to reestablish their evil and murderous caliphate not now, not ever. That could yet be true: Trump has said that U.S. troops will stay in Iraq and could fight the Islamic State from there, and the United States is quietly beefing up its military presence in Qatar and Jordan. But prematurely claiming that the Islamic State has been defeated as the United States pulls out of Syria could still have real consequences. Trump used to say, often, hed never telegraph his war plans or US troop movements because it could help ISIS, NBC Newss Richard Engel tweeted. Sign up for the Todays WorldView newsletter. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/01/17/how-defeated-is-islamic-state/ |
Why Is Salman Khan Called Bharat In His Upcoming Movie With Katrina Kaif? | The Teaser Of Bharat Will Ask An Important Question! Also, as per reports, the teaser which will be released on January 26 would ask the audience, "Jaante ho mere ma-baba ne mera naam Bharat kyun rakha tha?" (Do you know why my mom-dad named me Bharat?) and then unfold the story thereafter. Bharat Will See Salman Khan & Katrina Kaif In Multiple Era's! "The teaser is very gritty and the film has Salman Khan's age span from 25 to 65, with Katrina also witnessing an age jump. The film which begins during partition, ends in 2010 and hence is a complete period drama across multiple eras," said a source to Deccan Chronicle. Well, for that, we'll have to wait till January 26th to know why Salman Khan is called Bharat. It sure seems to be quite interesting and we can't wait for Republic day to come soon enough, folks! Atul Agnihotri Teases Fans With A Teaser Snippet Also, the co-producer of Bharat, Atul Agnihotri shared a snippet on his Twitter handle and its a glimpse of the upcoming teaser. The movie is all set to hit the theatres on Eid, 2019. | https://www.filmibeat.com/bollywood/news/2019/why-is-salman-khan-called-as-bharat-in-his-upcoming-movie-with-katrina-kaif-281618.html?utm_source=/rss/filmibeat-fb.xml&utm_medium=23.50.225.204&utm_campaign=client-rss |
What's wrong with Vanderbilt basketball in first 0-4 SEC start in program history? | CLOSE Vanderbilt lost 74-71 to South Carolina, falling to 0-4 in SEC play for the first time in program history. Adam Sparks, USA TODAY NETWORK Tennessee Vanderbilt basketballs five-star freshman Simi Shittu said he had never lost four games in a row in his life until the Commodores current skid. Then again, Vanderbilt had never gone 0-4 to start SEC play in program history until suffering a 74-71 loss to South Carolina Wednesday night. A few players lay on the Memorial Gym court in disbelief after squandering a 12-point lead in the second half to the Gamecocks. Coach Bryce Drew said some players cried in the locker room after the game, and he admitted being baffled about the outcome. How in the world did we lose that game? Drew said. It was somewhat a rhetorical question. Drew already knew why Vanderbilt lost the game, or at least some of the factors. But there are others, as well. Missed free throws coming at worst times Vanderbilts cumulative free-throw shooting isnt as bad as it seems. The Commodores have made 70.3 percent of their foul shots. In the previous 20 seasons, they shot worse than that eight times. But the misses are magnified in key situations and SEC games. Vanderbilt has made only 63.1 percent (82 of 130) in four SEC games, averaging 12 missed free throws per league loss. Drew said this team has shot more free throws in practice than any hes coached in his career. There is no clear-cut leader, and players know it Freshman point guard Darius Garland was viewed as the team leader before he suffered a season-ending knee injury. But that was two months ago, and the Commodores are still searching for his replacement in that role. Thats not our decision, Shittu said. Thats coachs decision, so youll have to ask him. Added freshman Aaron Nesmith: I wouldnt say that we have a vocal leader right now, so weve got to figure that out. That hurts us. Top scorers arent shooters Vanderbilt would be in a worse place if not for Shittu and sophomore guard Saben Lee, who lead the team in scoring at 14.1 points and 12.3 points per game, respectively. But neither is an accurate jump-shooter, foul shooter or 3-point shooter, which limits their options as go-to-scorers in tight games. Both can go strong to the rim, but drawing fouls in the paint actually lessens their effectiveness. Shittu (66.3 percent) and Lee (70.4) are two of the teams worst foul shooters, and they have attempted 207 of Vanderbilts 421 free throws this season. Revamped roster has been counter-productive after Garland injury Five of the nine players in Vanderbilts rotation are newcomers this season, and that lack of cohesion is showing against elite SEC competition. With Garland, the Commodores looked like a team loaded with talent and destined to mesh. Without him, the newness has turned to inconsistency. There were always going to be growing pains, but the team has struggled to adapt after his loss. Players simply have no past experience together to define their roles. Team tightens in final minutes of close games Vanderbilt forward Matt Ryan (32) leaves the court as South Carolina players celebrate after an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. South Carolina won 74-71. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) (Photo: The Associated Press) A combination of these other factors has led to Vanderbilt faltering in crunch time of games, a slide that usually starts with about eight minutes remaining. Against Ole Miss, the Commodores were tied at the eight-minute mark, but they lost by 10. Against Georgia, they were down 7 at that point and lost by 19. Against Kentucky, they trailed by only 3 at the eight-minute mark but lost by 9. And against South Carolina, they were up 3 and then lost by 3. A strong SEC field makes Vanderbilt look worse Despite the historic 0-4 SEC start, this is not an all-time bad Vanderbilt team. It beat Liberty for a top-50 win, defeated then-No. 19 Arizona State a month ago and put up a good fight in losses to No. 14 Kentucky and No. 20 Ole Miss. But those tough opponents are taking a toll on the Commodores, whose confidence is waning. This is the best conference in the country, by far, I feel, Shittu said. Just the pace and the toughness of players. Weve just got to get tougher from (players) one to nine and play for the whole 40 minutes. It will only get harder. Vanderbilts next four games are against Top 25 teams, including No. 23 Mississippi State on Saturday (7:30 p.m., SEC Network), No. 3 Tennessee on Jan. 23 (6 p.m., ESPN2), at No. 19 Oklahoma on Jan. 26 (3 p.m., ESPN2) in the Big 12/SEC Challenge and No. 14 Kentucky on Jan. 29 (8 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2). "It's not the start we wanted," Drew said. "The reality is we aren't the team that we planned to be. But we're going to be a much better team than we are now come February." Reach Adam Sparks at [email protected] and on Twitter @AdamSparks. | https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vanderbilt/2019/01/17/vanderbilt-basketball-bryce-drew-simi-shittu-saben-lee/2566699002/ |
What are the most common mistakes interns make? | Undertaking an internship or work experience placement provides an opportunity to learn, grow, develop and understand fully the career path you might want to pursue. As an intern in a specific department you are usually thrown in at the deep end with lots of room to flourish and shine but, like every new starter, there is plenty of room to make mistakes. Making mistakes isnt necessarily a bad thing, often they can be the best way to learn but as long as you do learn from them and dont keep making the same mistake! Here are some of the most common mistakes and how you can learn from them: Getting too comfortable and too familiar too quickly Young professionals must approach each experience with a professional manner, which I know is true of any industry. The fashion industry is a collaborative one so of course, it is important to develop a positive relationship with your team and managers, however this does not mean excelling at being your bosss best friend. Ability to do the job is the priority. If you cant do the job, you wont be around for too long. Its important to find a healthy balance between being friendly with the team and your boss but make sure you are seen as a hardworking member of that team, respect and friendliness will then follow. Forgetting the purpose of the internship When the internship is in full swing, many feel the role allocated becomes repetitive and therefore easy and comfortable. Remember the aim of interning is to grow and learn as much as possible and to push yourself. Look to getting involved in a wider field than the one you have been assigned. Talk to your immediate line manager about this. Offer to help, show initiative and take on something new if you can. Every now and then, take note of what you feel you have mastered and what you are learning. It is easy to let 3 or 6 months go by without really understanding what you have done or achieved. Seeing your manager as an enemy Rumours and feedback of challenging internships especially of the awful boss from hell often circulate. Very often it is the worry of an unreasonable and unsympathetic manager that cause a lot of anxiety for young interns and once again, this isnt just in the fashion industry. However, dont let this limit your experience by not bonding! Your manager is there to guide you through the role, help you and make sure youre progressing. This should be the expectation you have of them. They are there to be your point of call during your day to day working. If you dont feel comfortable around them this can have a big impact on your experience, so dont be shy to ask for a 1-1 if you are finding things challenging. Feeling entitled Im not sure if this is a mistake or a mind-set problem, its certainly a mistaken attitude!. Based on TV shows, films and other sources, which often give an inaccurate picture, some young professionals enter the industry feeling they have arrived and success is theirs. This can be limiting and unrealistic and can and stop interns making the most their experience, as well as others finding this approach extremely irritating. Absorb the tasks and activities you are asked to undertake with good grace and have realistic expectations of the experience. Go into every role with an open mind and willingness to learn from others. These few mistakes may seem obvious and ones that you would never dream of making, but trust me, they are easy mistakes to make when you are caught up with nerves, pressure and the stress of the working world. Keep note, take stock and do your best! By contributing guest editor Hannah Rafter, founder and Editor In Chief of The Intern 247, a website dedicated to giving real insights into the world of fashion internships. @theintern247 theintern247.com | https://fashionunited.in/news/fashion/what-are-the-most-common-mistakes-interns-make/2019011720168 |
Who Want a FREE Fortnite T-Shirt? | Happy New Year, everyone! Its time to score a freebie again, and this time, were giving away a Fortnite t-shirt of your choice from TV Store Onlines collection. Fortnite addicts enthusiasts, this is your chance to add a new item to your geeky wardrobe. TV Store Onlines Fortnite collection features adult and teen sizes, with four designs. This slideshow requires JavaScript. Join the giveaway below. If you win, you get to pick whichever design you want, and the tee will be delivered straight to your door. As long as youre in the US. You can send your entries from today, January 16, through January 23 (Wednesday). The winner will be announced on January 24 (Thursday). Make sure you check out TV Store Online for the latest in geeky t-shirts. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ TvStoreOnline/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ TVStoreOnline Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ TVStoreOnline/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ tvstoreonline/ Tweet once to get an entry and unlock other options. Tweet once a day, every day, to get more entries. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway | https://www.forevergeek.com/who-want-a-free-fortnite-t-shirt/ |
What is the EU position on alternative Brexit options? | The UK has several ways to try to break the deadlock but they will all require EU agreement After MPs crushing rejection of Theresa Mays Brexit deal, the EU response was swift and coordinated. In several languages, but usually English, leaders and politicians made plain the EU had no intention of conjuring up a plan to break the deadlock. The ball is now in the court of the British lower house, said Austrias chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, echoing a widely held view in national capitals and the EU institutions. Labour MPs declare support for second Brexit referendum Read more Try again and seek concessions from the EU Mays first instinct is to resurrect a version of the deal that preserves her red lines. The EU27 has already ruled out changing the deal unless the UK alters those red lines. The bloc, in a letter of reassurance sent by EU leaders Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk on Monday, raided its cupboard of legal devices and goodwill promises in an attempt to convince parliamentarians. EU officials feel there is nothing more to give and see further talks as pointless until the UK has a plan. Scrap the backstop The government has been facing renewed calls from Brexiters to scrap the contested Irish backstop, despite MPs voting down an amendment to Mays deal to this effect. This plan is destined to fail. The EU has invested so much political capital in the backstop that abandoning it now would have politically damaging consequences for EU unity. Overriding the wishes of Ireland would send a message that those of a difficult country that has chosen to leave count for more than a member state. We stand by the backstop, as long as Ireland stands by the backstop, one EU diplomat said. Some have speculated that the EU could be persuaded to return to its original version of the backstop, the Northern Ireland-only plan favoured by the bloc until October. But that implies a different government: Theresa May and her Democratic Unionist supporters have ruled out that option many times. Go for Canada-plus Ardent Brexiters have claimed that May has a simple option. The PM must go straight back to the EUs [free-trade agreement] offered by Tusk in March, said the former cabinet minister Owen Paterson. This ignores the fact that the EU will only agree a free-trade deal if the UK signs the existing withdrawal agreement, which includes the Irish backstop. When the EU talks of pluses in any Canada-style deal, it means other non-trade deals on security, fisheries and foreign policy. When Brexiters talk of pluses, or Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Canada, they have been looking for advantages that Brussels has repeatedly ruled out. Switch to Norway MPs who favour a soft Brexit used the Commons defeat to increase calls for a Norway-style relationship that would keep the UK in the European Economic Area and allow it to enter the European Free Trade Association (Efta). Now rebranded as Common Market 2.0, this would be the least economically damaging form of Brexit. Proponents may have been heartened by the statement from the EUs chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, that the EU was ready to change its Brexit offer if the UK changed its red lines. From the EUs point of view, nothing in the withdrawal agreement or political declaration needs to be changed to embark on negotiations for a Norway-style relationship. While the EU would be open to adjusting the non-binding political declaration to help the UK achieve this goal, other pitfalls lie ahead. EU officials have noted they cannot compel Norway and other Efta members to accept the UK into their club. Insiders have also cast doubts on British expectations of being able to be a rule-shaper while outside the EU. Welcome to the Westminster apocalypse. | Marina Hyde Read more Ask for more time A British request to extend Brexit talks is increasingly been seen as a matter of when, not if. French and German ministers say the UK should have more time if needed; diplomats say they cannot see any of the EU27 objecting if the UK has a good reason. Good reasons would include to strike a deal after receiving a realistic proposal from the UK, or to hold an election or second referendum, not simply to prolong the pain of the departure. However, Germanys foreign minister, Heiko Maas, noted that prolonging article 50 would not be easy because of European elections in late May. A new European parliament is due to be sworn in in July. Having the UK as a member state beyond then could be legally tricky, although some think the problem could be fixed by a special clause in the withdrawal agreement to allow British MEPs to sit for a few months. There are thousands of political problems, but from a legal point of view everything is possible, a diplomat said. Other officials stress that the first priority for Brussels is ensuring the EU is correctly legally constituted, meaning no one would welcome a barrage of legal challenges from British citizens just as the EU is attempting to launch a new work programme. Cancel Brexit The clock is ticking, but the UK remains a member state, with the right to withdraw its article 50 letter without permission from the EU. | https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/17/what-is-the-eu-position-on-alternative-brexit-options |
Is there gold under us? | Former Goldfields stockbroker and veteran mining executive David Reed has spent about $2 million in the last nine years drilling to find out and hopes new technology will give him the steam to power that dream further. Contractors are in the final stages of preparations for the syndicates next exploration effort a $350,000 2D seismic survey through Kalgoorlies streets that will map the geology beneath the citys pavements to 10,000m in depth. The last surviving member of a syndicate that controls 21 tenements blanketing the city, Mr Reed has drilled a series of exploration holes from vacant properties since 2010, chasing a geological theory that the rocks in the 60Moz Golden Mile that feed the Super Pit continue underneath Kalgoorlie. He claims to have found an extension of KCGMs 6Moz Mt Charlotte underground mine in drilling from a vacant CBD lot in 2016 but says in the past he has been drilling blind. Ive been drilling blind because Ive only been drilling from areas that have been either undeveloped property or the railway line or government areas, he said. This will give me some targets that I can then set up the next round of drilling with a lot more confidence that I might pick something up. Contractor HiSeis was set up to commercialise technology developed by Curtin University, using seismic mapping techniques to identify exploration targets thousands of kilometres below the Earths surface. Since then the method has been used with success by a host of major Australian mining companies, including Northern Star Resources and Independence Group. It is not uncommon for seismic surveys to be undertaken in built-up areas, but HiSeis chief executive Joe Dwyer said the planned Kalgoorlie survey would be unique. Weve acquired seismic surveys through towns in Australia and overseas before, but this is the first in an iconic mining town such as Kalgoorlie, he said. I think thats the romantic side of this project is that fitting in with David Reeds kind of vision for the Super Pit and the Golden Mile. This first round of 2D seismic will go a long way to helping better understand the geology beneath Kalgoorlie and hopefully give insight into whether theres gold under there or not. Seismic surveys are carried out by special trucks which pump energy into the Earths crust, gathering signals which are compiled to produce a detailed map of the geology below. A 12km line is planned to run alongside the railway track, with another expected to run from Porter Street through South Kalgoorlie to Anzac Drive in Kalgoorlies industrial west. Mr Dwyer said the impact to residents will be minimal. The fact were able to use seismic to image the geology beneath Kalgoorlie and be non-intrusive ... but building up a better geological image hopefully we can play a part in the future success of Kalgoorlie, he said. For Mr Reed, his dream of finding economic gold underneath the town is still very much alive. We have picked up an extension of Mt Charlotte which is about 400m from the Cassidy Shaft, right near the (former) Union Club Hotel, he said. We havent really picked up any other major gold occurrences, but weve hit all the rocks that underlay the Golden Mile. Ive given it a fair hit and being a gold explorer were always optimists. Im sure some targets will come up and until we drill those targets it wont be put to bed. | https://thewest.com.au/news/kalgoorlie-miner/is-there-gold-under-us-ng-b881074241z |
Which is the world's most vegan city? | Since Greggs announced a new vegan alternative to its meaty sausage roll at the start of the year, the Quorn pastries have flown off the shelves, the bakery chain says, selling hundreds of thousands in the first week alone. Its success is a testament to both a remarkable PR stunt and the seemingly unstoppable rise of veganism, which, according to a new study, has been led by Bristol. If you have a vegan friend you will know it Chef's Pencil The online food blog Chefs Pencil used Google Trends data to look at the most popular cities for vegan-related searches, which were at record levels last year, rising 11% from 2017 and 35% from 2016. According to Google Trends, the interest level around the world for all things vegan restaurants, recipes, dog food was highest in Bristol, followed by Portland, Edinburgh, Vancouver and Seattle. Six of the top 20 cities were in the US, with European and Australian cities also showing a strong interest in going meat-free. Facebook Twitter Pinterest People in a park in Clifton, Bristol, no doubt thinking about veganism. Photograph: Alamy Google searches wont give you an accurate idea of how many people commit to vegan diets or buy vegan products, but Chefs Pencil says the analysis does tell you there is an intent in taking action about your diet in these cities. In Bristol there is a vibrant local community, says a spokesperson from Chefs Pencil, and having a core community of vegans plays a huge role because theyre so active and loud. If you have a vegan friend you will know it. Bristol has long been seen as place for all things green and liberal. Its home to the Viva! animal rights campaigning group. Three out of four Bristol MPs say they are vegan or veggie. And the online community Vegan Bristol has a long, thorough list of places that are meat-free. Read more Portlands vegan voice is equally loud. Paul McCartney and the animal rights campaign group Peta named it the most vegan-friendly city in 2016, even handing the mayor a bouquet of vegetables. Portland has a vegan summer camp, a venue for punk music that also promotes veganism, a vegan shopping mall and even a vegan strip club. The rise of veganism has undoubtedly been led by city dwellers. A 2016 UK survey by the Vegan Society found veganism was significantly more popular in urban areas rather than rural places. Two-thirds of those surveyed who said they didnt eat meat and avoided dairy products lived in urban and suburban Britain. Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Impossible Burger 2.0, a new version of Impossible Foods plant-based vegan burger, is introduced at a press event in Nevada in January 2019. Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images This is partly due to a greater ease of access to vegan options, according to Sam Calvert from the Vegan Society. A vegan for 24 years, she remembers a lot of friends in previous years saying it would be too hard to eat out and find suitable alternatives. With more choices available now, people are more likely to make that leap. The typical vegan would be young and female, and youre more likely to find young people in cities, she says. As with all communities its easier to find more people of the same in cities. There are lots of vegan meet-up groups, which tend to be in cities. Other cities have seen the veggie lifestyle promoted from a political level, mainly for environmental reasons and as a push towards sustainability. In 2016 Barcelona declared itself vegan- and vegetarian-friendly, encouraging residents to embrace a meat-free diet by promoting meat-free Mondays and creating a vegetarian guide to the city. That same year Turins new mayor declared the Italian city to be the worlds first vegan city. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Heather Mills tells meat-eating chef Antony Worrall Thompson on ITVs This Morning that becoming vegan helped her to get over the loss of a limb. Photograph: Ken McKay/ITV/Rex/Shutterstock The promotion of vegan and vegetarian diets is a fundamental act in safeguarding our environment, the health of our citizens and the welfare of our animals, the city said in a statement. It was intended as programme to raise awareness of sustainability and alternatives to meat, but was unsurprisingly divisive. If being a true vegan city involved banning the sale of meat or dairy products, then the Gujarat town of Palitana would be on the list. A hunger strike by Jain monks in 2014 led to the local government declaring the city and its holy sites to be meat-free zones. Interestingly, while India is viewed by the rest of the world as a predominantly vegetarian country, research last year from the US-based anthropologist Balmurli Natrajan and the India-based economist Suraj Jacob suggested only about 20% of Indias population are vegetarian lower than official statistics suggest. The Indian cities with the highest proportion of people with vegetarian diets are Indore with 49%, Meerut with 36% and Delhi with 30%. Most lists of vegetarian- or vegan-friendly cities are based on the number of veggie restaurants or cafes in a place rather than the amount of people interested in practising veganism. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Wool, Dorset. Not the worlds capital of veganism. Photograph: UrbanLandscapes/Alamy Stock Photo According to Happy Cow, a crowdsourced list of veggie and vegan restaurants, London is the most vegan-friendly city in the world. It was the first on the site to surpass 100 completely vegan restaurants, in 2017, and currently has 110 vegan eateries in a five-mile radius within the city. It is closely followed by Berlin, with 65 vegan restaurants within a five-mile radius. The unstoppable rise of veganism: how a fringe movement went mainstream Read more But perhaps it is all in a name. Last year animal rights activists tried to change the name of the West Country village of Wool to Vegan Wool. If the proposal had been accepted by the parish council (it wasnt), then this unassuming place in Dorset would have surely taken the title of the worlds vegan capital by default. Follow Guardian Cities on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to join the discussion, and explore our archive here | https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jan/17/which-is-the-worlds-most-vegan-city |
Why is my insurance more due to other drivers mistakes? | A driver, who was on the phone, hit my new car from behind seven months ago. Then, three weeks ago, I was struck on a roundabout by an Estonian lorry driver who had misunderstood the right of way. I have been driving for 31 years, have a clean licence and maximum no claims. My renewal is due and the quote from One Call has risen from 476 last year to 1,882. It says my current insurer will no longer cover me and this is the best price. On top of this I have had to pay the 400 excess. Im being punished for mistakes by other drivers. LN, London This is an extraordinary increase. Blameless victims can expect an average premium hike of 23%, according to figures by price comparison site uSwitch only marginally less than that for at-fault drivers. One Call says that, as a broker, it has no control over prices. We simply present the risk details to our insurer panel, it says. When the third-party insurer hasnt fully accepted liability, the price will be higher than if the claim was closed non-fault. Some insurers will not offer a price when a claim is open. It is normal for that insurer to offer a rebate for the increase and the excess once the claim is closed non-fault, although this will depend on other factors. Sabrina Webb of uSwitch says the industry needs to stop this unfair practice that does little more than penalise innocent motorists. Meanwhile, drivers can put themselves back in the front seat by shopping around. If you need help email Anna Tims at [email protected] or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. Submission and publication are subject to our terms and conditions | https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/jan/17/car-insurance-premium-increase-after-crash |
Is Gillette's new ad anti-men? | IMAGE: A scene from Gillette's 'We Believe' ad shows a male employee inappropriately touching a female co-worker. Gillette released its new ad campaign on January 13 with the tagline 'We believe: The Best Men Can Be'. The tagline has the Internet divided. The provocative ad (external link) begins by showing a series of incidents highlighting toxic male behaviour. From bullying to catcalling and men objectifying women, the ad highlights negative masculine behaviour. Through the ad, Gillette wants you to think if this is 'the best a man can get' -- also the brand's tagline for 30 years now. The 1 minute 48 seconds long ad also shows the same negative incidents with corrected behaviour to show how men can intervene at the source and change things and society at large. From taking a stand against bullying and abusive behaviour at work, Gillette, through its new advertisement, wants men to believe that the definition of a good man has changed. IMAGE: '"Boys will be boys?" Isn't it time we stopped excusing bad behaviour?' Gillette posted on Twitter. Within 48 hours of the video going live, it had reached 12 million viewers on YouTube. But the reactions to the campaign have been diverse. While some applauded the brand for taking a stand against toxic masculinity, others felt the campaign was anti-men and vowed to boycott the razor brand altogether. Huffington Post founder CEO Arianna Huffington and American model and author Chrissy Teigen were among the first who came out in Gilette's support. 'I've been using a men's Gillette razor since I was 14. Gillette was the first major company to hire me when I was kind of known as a risky little b for brands. I still use a gillette fusion razor and I still get so much joy from a fresh blade. In closing, I love you, Gillette' Chrissy tweeted. Truffle Fries tweeted a picture of him dumping his Gillette razor, saying: 'This was the #Gillette razor I was sent on my 18th birthday. It's been with me through basic training, four deployments, and seven moves. I've used it almost everyday for the past 15 years. But since @Gillette thinks I'm a bad person, I'm throwing it away. #BoycottGillette'. Please tell us what you thought of the Giletter ad in the message board below: | https://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/is-gillettes-new-ad-anti-men/20190117.htm |
Is the MS Dhoni debate settled for now? | The way he smashed Jason Behrendorff over the long on boundary to complete his fifty that helped India canter to a 299-run chase on Tuesday at the Adelaide Oval in the second ODI, one would be tempted to think so.The former captains 54-ball unbeaten 55, which included a couple of sixes, was pure vintage stuff. In typical Dhoni fashion, he steered India calmly, taking the game to the end, before finishing it off in a second. The crucial half-century improved his record in successful chases even more 2696 runs in 72 [email protected], with a couple of hundreds.Yet, it must not be forgotten that it wasnt too long ago in fact just after the first ODI of this series in which he laboured to a 96-ball 51 (strike rate 53.12) as India went down by 34 runs when statistics did show that the 37-year-olds effectiveness in the ODI set-up was going down by the year. Before Tuesdays game, in the last one year, all that he managed was a top score of 51, his average being 27.2, and strike rate 67.7. Since the beginning of January 2018, the veteran keeper-bat has only scored 326 runs in 21 games (14 innings) @27.16. In this period, his strike rate, 67.77, is the worst in the middle order. Increasingly, he has been unable to do what hes been a master at hitting the big shots to finish off games.The pressure on Dhoni to keep playing like he did to help India equalize the series at Adelaide does multiply when one takes into account Rishabh Pants superb show with the bat in Australia, where he rounded off a successful tour with an unbeaten 159 in the final Test. Pant wasnt included in Indias ODI side for the games against Australia and the five matches against New Zealand thereafter, but that seems to be a move aimed to give Dhoni some sense of security regarding his place in the team.The selectors have chosen to play Pant in the five ODIs at home against the England Lions instead. Voices, though, are growing that a gifted strokeplayer like him has to be an integral part of all the Indian team for all the three formats of the game. Hes done so well, wondered former India wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer recently.Former India skipper and ex-chief selector Kris Srikkanth, though, feels that Dhoni should be an automatic choice for Indias World Cup team.If I was the chairman of the selection committee, I would pick him for the 2019 World Cup for sure. The World Cup is a different cup of tea altogether, where we will need a senior cricketer like him. Hell be a guiding factor on the field to the captain and the team. His importance will be felt in crunch situations. He may not be the big-hitter that he was before thats a different issue, but hes still got it in him, Srikkanth tells TOI.The 59-year-old stresses on the overall bundle of experience that Dhoni brings to the table, which could be vital in a big tournament or a pressure situation. You have to see the importance of Dhoni as a package not just as a batsman or a wicketkeeper. Debates and ups and downs will always be there. Youll be a hero in one match, and a zero in another. Thats a part and parcel of cricket, he sums up.The former opener feels that there could be space for both Dhoni and Pant in Indias team for the World Cup. Pant can be in the team as a batsman. Even with Dhoni being in the side Pant is very good, and will be a big contender for a spot. | https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/india-in-australia/is-the-ms-dhoni-debate-settled-for-now/articleshow/67566612.cms |
Why do there seem to be so many mentally ill people in French cities? | It is not uncommon to see people who seem to be suffering from serious mental health issues on the streets of major cities but in Paris and other large cities in France the situation seems to be even more acute than you might expect. A letter sent from 100 French psychiatrists to health minister Agnes Buzyn on Tuesday and revealed by Le Parisien explains why this might be the case. According to the health professionals, patients with mental disorders, sometimes of a serious nature, are not being treated because the country's psychiatry services are overwhelmed. They say the situation is a reflection of a lack of care for patients, resulting from a psychiatric system that is sinking, with a drop in the number of available beds meaning that patients often have to leave hospital too soon. READ ALSO: Photo: Depositphotos "They leave the hospital too early and end up having to be readmitted," Marion Leboyer from Mondor Hospital and co-author of a survey called "Psychiatry: the state of emergency" told Le Parisien. "A huge part of the population is not treated properly," said Leboyer. "This is especially the case with the homeless, already in a precarious situation, and prisoners, with 80 percent of the men and 70 percent of the women suffering from mental disorders." 'Left to their own devices' On top of that the population is rising and more people are being referred to psychiatric services due to a lack of alternatives, the doctors explained. "It is increasingly difficult to find places. The sick are left more to their own devices," Professor Michel Lejoyeux of Bichat Hospital in Paris told Le Parisien. In 2018, studies showed that one in five French people suffered from mental disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, autism and schizophrenia. Doctors are unsure whether it is more common to see people with serious disorders on the street because there are no figures to say either way however Dr. Antoine Pelissolo, head of the psychiatric department at the hospital Henri-Mondor in Creteil, told Le Parisien that the problem is very noticeable. "Everyone can notice it," he said. "It's not a mystery to anyone. There are places where it's more visible, like the metro, where you meet a lot of people who seem lost without knowing exactly if it is the consequence of mental disorders, alcohol or drugs. "Of course, there are no statistics to say if there are more than before, but it is not normal to see as much." Photo: Zehun Jiang Budget issues At the end of December, the ministry of health granted a supplementary budget of 50 million euros to the mental health sector. However some doctors, including Pelissolo, have said that this is not sufficient and that the budgets are often mishandled anyway. "Budgets which are supposed to be reserved for psychiatry are often used for other kinds of care. We do not want this money to be used for anything else," said Pelissolo. "We want the regional health agencies to audit the hospital accounts and ask them how they spend this money." Psychiatrists say there is also the issue of late diagnosis due to the fact that patients sometimes have to wait a year to get an appointment and without the necessary support the chances of someone recovering "seem impossible". The knock-on effect of this is that parents feel abandoned as they face the difficulties of caring for children suffering from serious mental health issues such as schizophrenia alone. Specialists say they are also keen to bring to light the realities of mental health problems because they say mental illness is too often associated with violence, arguing that this is a misconception and that people living with a mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence than the other way round. They say this stigmatization of sick people is very damaging and hinders the quality of care. France's health minister recently admitted that France has been "incredibly backward" in terms of dealing with the situation of mental healthcare and the country has notoriously lagged behind other countries in terms of diagnosing illnesses such as autism. Autistic children have historically been diagnosed later in France than in neighbouring countries, with the child's relationship with their mother often seen as the root cause. And France clearly has an uphill struggle if it wants to improve its mental healthcare system. | https://www.thelocal.fr/20190116/why-do-there-seem-to-be-so-many-mentally-ill-people-in-french-cities |
Which U.S. Cities Have the Most Families With Kids? | A man carries a boy on his shoulders while walking through Central Park in New York City. Lucas Jackson/Reuters Spoiler alert: Its simply not the case that families with kids have disappeared from urban America. Look around a hip neighborhood in Lower Manhattan or downtown San Francisco, and youll see lots of young people, and Baby Boomers whose kids have left the nest. There are also some stylish moms (or nannies) pushing tots in strollers. But you wont see many traditional nuclear families with school-age children. Theres a growing consensus that our cities are becoming childless. This past October, Axios ran a story on the great family exodus, showing data that the share of families with children under the age of 20 has fallen in 53 large cities across the country. As far as I can tell, the phrase childless cities was first advanced in 2013 by Joel Kotkin in an essay of that title for City Journal. Several factors are said to be pushing families with kids out of cities: the expensiveness of city living; the lagging performance of urban versus suburban public schools; and the preference of immigrant families for the suburbs over urban locations. Karen King, a demographer with my research group in the University of Torontos School of Cities, pulled data from the 2016 five-year estimates of the American Community Survey on the share of households with their own children under the age of 18. She did this for all principal cities and metropolitan areas in the U.S. Across the U.S., just 28.5 percent of households have their own children under 18. The first table below shows the 10 principal cities with the highest levels of childlessness. To be blunt, only a small number of cities can be said to be anywhere near childless. Of the 47 cities with more than 350,000 people, just seven are far off the national average. San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. are the only three where less than a fifth of families have kids under 18. Add New Orleans (likely a result of depopulation after Hurricane Katrina), Miami (a retirement destination), Minneapolis, and Philadelphia to the list. The remainder of the top 10 is within five percentage points or so of the national average. And some cities we commonly think of as childless are not so childless at all. In New York City, for example, 26.2 percent of families have children under 18; in Los Angeles, the share is 27 percent. Large Cities With the Lowest Share of Families With Children City Share of households with children San Francisco 16.5% Seattle 18.7% Washington, D.C. 18.9% New Orleans 20.7% Miami 21.4% Minneapolis 21.8% Philadelphia 22.5% Portland 23.2% Denver 23.3% Cleveland 23.7% The next chart looks at the large cities with the highest share of families with kids. These are mainly Sunbelt and Western cities, such as Fort Worth, Arlington, El Paso, and San Antonio in Texas, as well as Phoenix, Colorado Springs, and Fresno. But San Jose, in the very heart of Silicon Valley, ranks third, likely due to the high percentage of immigrant families and its relative affordability compared to the rest of the Bay Area. Large Cities With the Highest Share of Families With Children City Share of households with children Fresno 36.8% Fort Worth 36.3% San Jose 35.4% El Paso 34.5% Arlington 33.8% Phoenix 31.6% Virginia Beach 31.4% San Antonio 31% Colorado Springs 30.1% Long Beach 29.7% Still, San Jose is one of the priciest cities in the nation, with a median home value in excess of $1 million. The places with the largest shares of families with kidswhere families with kids range from more than half to 70 percent of all householdsare mainly smaller cities that are home to military bases, like Fort Knox, Kentucky, or agricultural communities with high percentages of immigrant families, like Watsonville, California. Looking at the most-childless cities of any size, that list (below) skews heavily toward retirement destinations in Florida and college towns such as State College, Pennsylvania. In other words, these are places youd expect to have fewer households with children under 18, so they dont support the case that U.S. cities are becoming more childless. Americas Most Childless Cities (All Sizes) City Share of households with children The Villages, FL 0.1% Venice, FL 6% Punta Gorda, FL 6.6% Naples, FL 7% Marco Island, FL 7.7% North Myrtle Beach, SC 9.7% Vero Beach, FL 10.4% State College, PA 10.6% East Lansing, MI 12.1% Prescott, AZ 12.6% The picture changes again when we look at metro areas as opposed to principal cities. The chart below shows the 10 large metros (that is, with more than 1 million people) that have the lowest share of families with kids. Now we see mainly Rust Belt and Sunbelt retirement places. Pittsburgh tops the list, with Tampa second. Buffalo, Cleveland, and Rochester also number among the 10 most childless metros. But none of them is that far off from the national average. Large Metros With the Lowest Share of Families With Children Metro Share of households with children Pittsburgh 23.3% Tampa 23.6% Tucson 24.7% Buffalo 24.9% Cleveland 25.4% Rochester 26% New Orleans 26.2% Providence 26.7% Louisville 27% Miami 27.2% When we flip things around and look at the metros with the highest share of families with kids, we get more surprises. Salt Lake City tops the list. But again, pricey, techie San Jose is pretty far up the list in fourth place, and Washington, D.C. is eighth. The Los Angeles (30.6 percent), Chicago (29.9 percent), and New York (29.2 percent) metro areas are all above the national average, kid-wise, and Seattle (28.5 percent), San Francisco (28.2 percent), and Boston (28.1 percent) are at or close to it. Large Metros With the Highest Share of Families With Children Metro Share of households with children Salt Lake City 36.2% Riverside 35.8% Houston 35.2% San Jose 34.8% Dallas 34.7% Raleigh 32.7% Atlanta 32.4% San Antonio 32.1% Washington, D.C. 31.3% Charlotte 31.1% What it boils down to is that childlessness is a product of a very limited number of cities, like San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C. And even in those places, the broader metro area is not so far off from the rest of the country. Actually, childlessness is only a phenomenon of a few uber-expensive neighborhoods in a few super-expensive cities. Cities are changing fast. Keep up with the CityLab Daily newsletter. The best way to follow issues you care about. Subscribe Loading... This reflects how certain neighborhoods come to specialize in certain kinds of residents by income and stage of life. The childless city is less than it seemsmore a myth than a reality of contemporary urban life. CityLab editorial fellow Nicole Javorsky contributed research and editorial assistance to this article. | https://www.citylab.com/life/2019/01/top-cities-for-families-with-children-data-childfree/580372/ |
What Does It Take For Micron Technology To Break Out? | With the reversal of the trade war risk, along with the resulting improvement on the future financials, Micron stock may easily break out to $50. There is a decent chance that U.S. and China will reach a trade resolution at the end of March, so part of the $28 loss may be "refunded" to Micron shareholders. It must have been gut-wrenching for Micron Technology's (NYSE: MU) loyal shareholders to watch their stock plummet about 45% since May 2018. It also took more guts for shareholders to stay in or buy in MU when the stock has failed to break out. At the stagnant level of low $30s, which is nearly half of its fair value, even the most vivid Micron critic should have the open mind to acknowledge the potential upside if certain situations arise. In this post, I identified the necessary conditions for Micron stock price to reach $50 or $60 and assessed the likelihood of their realization. At least in the recent period, it should have been clear that Micron stock price has been affected by selected fundamentals and memory chip commodity prices. Due to Microns near commodity nature, top-line revenue is always more important than bottom-line earnings, as shown by the more significant relationship between revenue metrics (Figure 1 and Figure 2) and Micron prices. Furthermore, also due to Microns cyclical nature, revenue guidance has been a major driver for stock price during earnings announcements, amid concern over potential recession in sight (Figure 2). (Note: 1204: April 2012) The Delink between Microns Prices and Fundamentals You will also notice an interesting anomaly if you believe that stock prices should be determined by fundamentals. It is quite obvious that, at least in the recent period, Micron stock prices have failed to reflect the underlying fundamentals such as revenue, revenue guidance, and gross margin as indicated by the opposite movements between these metrics and the actual stock prices (Figure 1-Figure 3). The delink has been attributed to Microns commoditization that the perceived excess supply of memory chip caused DRAM prices and Micron prices to drop simultaneously, as shown in Figure 4. As the impact of lower DRAM prices may be partially offset by the increase in demand or bit growth, Micron stock prices are also weakly related to bit growth (Figure 4). For MU's shareholders, the real question is what needs to happen for Micron to go above, say, $50 and stick. Based on the above analysis, I was able to develop a model to estimate Micron stock price changes from the five relevant drivers as shown before. Using last 10-year data and multiple correlation approach, Micron prices have been related to these five fundamental metrics as prescribed in Table 1. In other words, for every $1 billion revenue, Micron stock may increase by $1.20. For every $1 billion increase in guidance, Micron price will increase by $2.50. For every $1 increase in DRAM price, Micron price will increase by $20. The fact that DRAM prices have the largest impact on Micron stock prices suggests that Micron stock has behaved like a commodity stock. The standard fundamental metrics and commodity factors cannot completely explain Microns stock prices over time. There is still a large portion of the Micron stock price in the order of -$28 which may be associated with investors undervaluation (Table 1). I surmise that the source of Microns undervaluation is the uncertainty from the current trade dispute between the U.S. and China. Especially for cyclical semi stocks, investors may worry about and price in the risk that the trade war may trigger a global recession. Using the most recent financials that Q1 revenue is $8.006 billion, Q2 guidance is $8.1 billion, gross margin is 58.72%, and DRAM cash price is $1.53, and assuming that the market priced in 100% of trade war risk, Microns current market price should be at $42.44, per historical relationship. Under this strictest context, the actual Micron price at $34 suggests that the stock is $8 undervalued. Theoretical Breakouts Table 1 also provides a useful framework to estimate how Micron stock price will move in response to the changes in various metrics. For example, for Q1s $8.006 billion growing to Q2s $9.06 billion, Micron price should go from $42.44 to $43.64 as a result. Using this process, I was able to establish the necessary fundamentals that are required to support Micron stock price at $50 ($60) in Table 2. Treating each condition independently, stock price may go up to $50 ($60) if Q2 revenue increases to $14.3 billion ($22.7 billion), or Micron raises guidance by $11.1 billion ($15.1 billion), or DRAM cash prices increase to $1.91 ($2.41). Obviously, most of these scenarios are considered theoretical breakout levels since the Streets estimate for Q2 revenue is between $6 billion and $5.88 billion. The Q3 revenue, or the revenue guidance is around $5.68 billion. The DRAM prices are also widely estimated to decline more than 10% in 1H 2019. Each of them by itself is far from the breakout level needed to support a $50-60 Micron stock price. On the other hand, since the trade war-induced recession fear alone has cost Microns shareholders $28 a share, one instant gratification would be that if the trade war uncertainty is removed by March, Microns share can easily rise above $60 without the help of improved fundamentals. Realistic Scenarios Finally, the above experiment seems academic because reality does not change one thing at a time. The more realistic cases are that Microns fundamental metrics will change jointly depending on how the DRAM/NAND market demand and supply turns out in Q1 2019. In Table 2, using the Street estimates as the base case (in red), along with assumptions of future DRAM price moves and likely resolution of trade disputes, several more likely cases are devised. The corresponding Micron stock prices are estimated between $26 and $64 with the most likely case of $50. Takeaways It seems rather obvious that, if without the help of removing the $14-28 loss from trade war risk, Microns fundamental-driven stock price would have been between $30 and $40. This is because Micron is in the midst of the entire semi sector slowdown either because of DRAMs excess supply or of concern over recession, as indicated by the downside revenue guidance and estimates for the rest of 2019. On the other hand, the silver lining of this depressing picture is that the Streets downward revision of forward financials must have incorporated some of the same risk concern. Therefore, the negative price impact may have been doubled, counted by the market in both forward financials and investors self-imposed risk premium. The undervaluation from the double counting of the recession impact should be refunded to the shareholders. Furthermore, I remain optimistic about the March resolution (not March Madness) of the U.S./China trade negotiation. Micron shareholders have already paid $28 for the tariffs-ignited trade war before the G20 meeting. The 90-day extension will most likely give the chance for the loss to be narrowed or reversed. Thus, my most likely breakout case for Micron is $50 a share. Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Additional disclosure: I still maintain my Micron's target price around $70 based on company fundamentals only. The $50 most likely breakout price estimated in this post reflects the trade war risk premium. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4233862-take-micron-technology-break |
Is it still worth investing in tech stocks? | Apple, the darling of Silicon Valley, recently hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons after its first profit warning in 15 years resulted in a nine per cent dip in the company's share price - the biggest one-day fall for Apple in five years. The so-called Faang stocks, which groups the US tech kings Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Alphabets Google - were credited for fuelling gains in the US in the first three quarters of 2018. Apple cut its revenue outlook for the first time since 2002, citing weaker demand in China But the tech sector has been buffeted by the choppy financial market since October. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index has fallen 14 per cent on from record highs in August 2018. While nobody can say for sure where the market is heading, the question is whether the sell-off in the world's largest tech firms presents any buying opportunities for investors. We take a look. Threats to tech Before investing in one of the major tech players, it is worth considering the headwinds the industry is likely to face in the future. Check your exposure Do bear in mind that if you own a simple US index tracker fund, youll already have a lot of exposure to the tech and social media giants. Information technology companies represent 20 per cent of the S&P 500 Index and communication services companies, which includes the likes of Alphabet and Facebook, a further 10 per cent. The outperformance of tech stocks in 2018 was in part fuelled by President Donald Trump's cuts to corporate tax and very low borrowing costs. The former essentially put more money in the pockets of corporations, while the latter provided access to cheap business capital. Many tech firms used their strengthened financial position to purchase their own shares, with over half of US share buy backs in 2018 coming from tech companies. This, in turn, helped to prop up their share prices. But experts say that the boost from the tax cuts has started to fade, while the upward trend in interest rates in the US will sour appetites for credit. The trade war between the US and China is another source of near term uncertainty - especially for businesses with global supply chains for their components as well as destabilising export markets. Another issue is increased political and regulatory scrutiny of both how global technology-led firms handle client data and their ability to optimise their finances across different jurisdictions to minimise tax liabilities, according to Jason Hollands of DIY investment platform Bestinvest. 'For example, in the last Budget the Chancellor announced a digital services tax from April 2020 aimed at tech and social media companies with over 500million of global revenues,' explains Hollands. 'This will see the introduction of a 2 per cent tax on their sales revenues generated in the UK. The EU is also exploring similar measures and so this may catch on.' Big businesses, unique structures It is important to remember that the FAANGS and other large tech players like Microsoft aren't faddish early-stage businesses. They are some of the largest corporations on the globe with enormous revenue streams and balance sheets and so they are naturally maturing and evolving, according to Hollands. They also boast the financial resources to diversify their products and services or make acquisitions that would enable them to withstand pending headwinds and bolster revenues. It's also worth bearing in mind that all tech stocks aren't one and the same. While there might be some product crossover, firms in the sector have unique business structures and operations, and therefore face unique challenges. Pick your stocks When you're mulling over whether or not to invest in the sector, it could pay to scruntinise the fundamentals of individual stocks rather than considering broader trends in the industry in which that company operates. Apple is a good example a major tech player that divides the crowd. The firm emerged from relative obscurity in the 1990s before its meteoric rise after the launch of the first iPhone in 2007. Netflix has increasingly shifted its massive content budget to original productions, Like Bird Box in order to up subscription levels, so its growth is linked to how well their original is received The company's subsequent successes saw its share price climb to become the world's first public company to be worth $1trillion, a feat it achieved in August last year, but has since suffered a 33 per cent fall in share price. There is a feeling that the iPhone maker has lost some of its allure in recent years as competition intensified. Its technology which was once considered cutting-edge, is being overtaken - in terms of sales - by rivals in key growth areas like China. Helal Miah, investment research analyst at The Share Centre, says: 'We remain wary on Apple as their products are losing their lustre with it seeming that customers are not prepared to pay their premiums. Consumers are also holding onto older devices for longer since newer phones are just a modest improvement on the previous model.' But Hollands says the firm's push to diversify its offerings focuses on subscription based services, where growth has been encouraging for the company. He adds: 'Apple reported better than expected 27 per cent year-on-year growth in 'services' alongside its recent disappointing guidance and it has also seen an impressive 50 per cent increase in wearables.' The best tech funds Cherry-picking winning stocks is easier said than done and is often a job that is worth outsourcing to a professional by investing in a fund. There aren't many specialist funds designed to profit from growth in the tech sector. The Investment Association's Technology and Telecommunications sector consists of only 15 funds, while the equivalent sector for investment trusts - which trade like shares - from the Association of Investment Companies, has just four. Hollands recommends Polar Capital Trust and the Loomis Sayles US Equity Leaders fund which has a significant holding in tech stocks. Miah favours AXA Framlington Global Technology, Invesco Markets Eqqq Nasdaq 100 ETF and L&G ROBO Global Robotics and Automation ETF. Similarly, Amazon's drive to further diversify its offering from its online marketplace, with the acquisition of premium grocery chain Whole Foods for $14billion in 2017, and investing in areas like driverless car technology, puts the company in good stead, according to Hollands. Miah includes Alphabet in the list of companies that benefits from having more strings to its bow. Its core offering, Google, is the biggest search engine around and is unlikely to be seriously rivalled in the near future. This approach contrasts with Netflix, which has a single-minded focus: to get as many people as they can to sign up to their streaming service. The firm has increasingly shifted its massive content budget to original productions in order to up subscription levels, so its growth is linked to how well their original is received. Miah said: 'The biggest risk to Netflix is Amazon, which so far it seems hasnt done enough on content creation, but if they improve the content available on the platform, then we should see more customers flocking to Amazons all-in-one prime services. When mulling over a tech investment it is also worth assessing the value of the stock. There is no one way of looking for value and different investors prefer certain valuation metrics. Some will look at price-to-book, others will look at price to earnings, or prefer the longer-term CAPE ratio (cyclically adjusted price to earnings) also known as Shiller PE, which generally measures earnings against price over a ten-year period to smooth out the economic cycle. For more on how to value stocks, read our guide now. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/investing/article-6558333/Is-worth-investing-tech-stocks.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490 |
Which Of These 2 High-Yield Green Energy Stocks Is A Better Buy? | Green energy stocks are well off their all-time highs, opening up some highly attractive buying opportunities for investors seeking a combination of growth and yield in an industry that appear to still be in the early stages of global growth. Two of the highest yielding options include Pattern Energy Group (PEGI) and Brookfield Renewable Partners (BEP). After comparing their balance sheets, asset portfolios, growth outlooks, and valuations, BEP appears to be the clear winner for long term total-return focused investors. Balance Sheet PEGI: Has a non-investment grade BB- credit rating from S&P due to its limited access to capital from to its suppressed share price, fairly high leverage, and tight distribution coverage. However, its cash flows come from a diversified portfolio of fairly new wind and solar projects that benefit from long-term (14-year average) power purchase agreements with mostly creditworthy counterparties. The company also employs a conservative debt structure by tying most of its debt to its assets as non-recourse and also amortizing the debt in order to pay it off within the term of the power purchase agreement. Finally, as of October, PEGI had $834 million of liquidity (relative to its $1.93 billion market cap), giving it ample near-term flexibility to meet temporary cash shortfalls as well as contribute to new growth projects. BEP: Boasts an industry-leading BBB+ credit rating thanks to its 10 years to maturity debt profile and no material debt maturities for five years, $2.3 billion in available liquidity, its high quality long-term hydro asset base, and its use of non-recourse asset level debt supported by investment grade and long-term power contracts. Furthermore, management responded promptly to a negative outlook issued by S&P by significantly strengthening its already industry-leading balance sheet. Management projects to have raised ~$850 million by the end of the year primarily through strategically executed dispositions and has reduced interest rate expense by issuing green bonds at 100 basis points below the corresponding maturing debt. Winner: BEP due to its significantly higher credit rating. Portfolio PEGI: PEGI's business model consists of raising capital through debt and equity issuance as well as retained cash flows to purchase drop down projects from Pattern Development. Though it is a highly leveraged business model, it is actually quite conservative since each of these projects come with long-term power purchase agreements at stable rates, thereby assuring a very stable stream of cash flow for investors. The only operational risk (other than geopolitical and natural disaster) comes from varying wind and solar patterns. PEGI mitigates this by greatly diversifying its operations across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and - most recently - Japan. Source A downside to PEGI's portfolio is that its wind and solar projects are not long life as the energy production assets depreciate over time and will be significantly less efficient at the end of their power purchase agreement than they were at the outset. Therefore, these investments should be viewed more like a high yield annuity than as a real estate investment since the cash flow source is gradually reduced over time. The good news though is that since the debt is structured to amortize over the life of the power purchase agreement, the company is not left with a huge debt burden at the end of the project, making the distributable cash flows pure return of capital and return on investment. BEP: BEP leverages the global span, network, deal flow, and operational expertise of its parent Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) to build, improve, and recycle its portfolio. Thanks to the competitive advantages it derives from its parent, BEP is able to benefit from geographic and sectoral diversification as it has a sizable presence on four continents and across five business sectors. Source BEP's business model consists of purchasing renewable assets in its core markets and operational specialties (where it has competitive advantages due to economies of scale, local networking with governing and business leaders, and operational expertise), working to improve their profitability, and then either holding them for their long-term cash flow potential or sell them at mature valuations in order to recycle the capital into more opportunistic assets. The ability to enhance assets operationally and recycle capital across renewable asset sectors and geographies enables BEP to constantly drive solid growth and create value for investors regardless of market conditions since there is almost always going to be an attractive opportunity in at least one sector of at least one market in its core markets. This explains their strong track record of outperformance over the long term. The other really attractive aspect of BEP's business model is that its portfolio consists primarily of long-life hydro assets. These assets are essentially real estate assets since they are essentially perpetual assets and appreciate over time as opposed to PEGI's wind-heavy portfolio which only lasts for ~30 years or so and therefore tends to depreciate over time. Winner: BEP due to its hydro asset base as well as its global scale and access to capital and deal flow through its larger parent. Growth PEGI: PEGI's primary growth driver is its ROFO agreement with Pattern Development. It has also recently entered the potentially lucrative Japanese market to try to capitalize on the higher pricing of electricity, lower cost of financing, and the country's highly favorable disposition towards green energy. The main factor weighing on additional growth right now is the company's low equity valuation, preventing it from funding accretive growth projects by issuing equity. As a result, management is having to get a bit creative. They plan to work around this issue without sacrificing their diversification efforts by taking smaller, minority stakes in growth projects through their ROFO drop-down agreement, selling non-core lower-yielding assets in order to recycle the capital into more opportunistic accretive investments, and emphasizing cost-cutting and improved operational efficiencies in existing projects. Furthermore, management is anticipating a nice boost to CAFD once its Pattern Development 2.0 investment begins cash flowing in the coming quarters. BEP: Similar to PEGI, BEP's equity trades at a significant discount to the value of its underlying holdings. While BEP currently trades at a low teens multiple of its trailing twelve months FFO and historically normalized FFO (in addition to the scale, network, management, operational skill, investment pipeline, and liquidity that come with it), it has been recently selling assets at multiples well in excess of 20x at current spot energy and capacity prices. As a result, management plans to continue selling off richly valued assets and recycle the earnings into other heavily discounted public market investments like its recent investments in TerraForm Power (TERP) or even its own equity (it recently renewed its unit buyback authorization and showed that it had bought back a considerable number of units recently) in order to create significant value for investors and unlock the value embedded in its units. Additionally, management plans to leverage its operational expertise and global economies of scale to drive further growth. While management continues to drive strong operational efficiency improvements in its assets, it is also pursuing deals where it is selling partial equity interests in its hydro assets while remaining as the operator. Given their unique expertise in this space, offering buyers this attractive proposition enables them to generate stronger returns on capital while also freeing up additional liquidity to reinvest in other attractive investment opportunities as they present themselves. Finally, similar to PEGI's Pattern Development 2.0 initiative, BEP is advancing an aggressive development pipeline in countries like Brazil, Scotland, and the U.S., where it projects achieving returns on investment of ~20% and has numerous other projects in the advanced stages of its pipeline nearing commencement. Management points to "a very, very strong investment pipeline" that it thinks will become even stronger when volatility picks up, especially considering that they have a far stronger balance sheet than their public peers. They also are excited about additional opportunities popping up in Brazil, viewing it as a "really positive market to invest in" after the election of a new leader with a strong pro-business focus. Winner: Though they both face challenges from depressed equity valuations, BEP has the balance sheet liquidity to capitalize by repurchasing units and unlock value for investors. Additionally, its operational expertise has a proven track record and greater resources at its disposal, making that program more likely to be successful at driving cash flow growth. Finally, BAM's deal flow and vested interest (as the largest unitholder) in keeping BEP well-funded and growing (which in turn feeds BAM with higher fee income) gives BEP the edge in terms of access to lucrative development projects and optimal capital allocation across numerous sectors and geographies. Valuation PEGI is the clear winner on yield, though that gap has clearly narrowed in recent months: PEGI Dividend Yield (TTM) data by YCharts BEP's unit price has also declined, and its yield has surged considerably more than PEGI's has over the past year, implying that BEP could be more opportunistic right now: BEP data by YCharts Based on the mid-point of 2018 CAFD guidance, PEGI is currently trading at an 11.5x P/CAFD multiple. Meanwhile, though BEP doesn't provide a CAFD metric nor guidance, BEP is trading at a 12.9x P/FFO multiple and a 14.6x P/AFFO multiple. Therefore, it appears that PEGI is clearly cheaper than BEP. Looking ahead, however, BEP's more robust balance sheet, asset portfolio, and growth levers give it a more stable and attractive growth outlook as management expects to continue delivering on its track record of growing cash flows (and distributions) per unit at a high single-digit (5%-9%) annualized rate. Meanwhile, PEGI's growth outlook is far less certain. While Pattern Development 2.0 should provide a shot in the arm over the next several years by giving them the extra cash flows they need beyond their dividend to fund some accretive growth projects, beyond that they are relying on a relatively unproven program of capital recycling and cost-cutting. In contrast, BEP has proven to be experts at both and has access to more markets, sectors, and capital than PEGI does. Additionally, BEP's unit buyback program will give it an additional growth per unit boost. The proof of BEP's superior growth momentum is that BEP continually grows its distribution year after year, while PEGI has had to freeze theirs: BEP Dividend data by YCharts Winner: Tie. PEGI is clearly cheaper and higher yielding today, but BEP's superior growth outlook adequately compensates for the 161 basis point distribution yield differential. Investor Takeaway PEGI and BEP have both suffered from poor public market sentiment on green energy stocks. This has significantly limited their short-term growth prospects, and the problem has been compounded by the strong private market valuations of renewable energy assets. While both companies are recycling capital in an attempt to grow in spite of this disconnect, BEP's stronger balance sheet, superior global scale, portfolio, and market access, and proven track record of operational and capital allocation expertise give it the edge. PEGI is higher yielding, but BEP has stronger growth potential. While both stocks are attractive buys at the present, BEP is more opportunistic at current levels, especially for long-term oriented total return investors. That being said, PEGI issues a 1099 to investors, while BEP issues a K-1, making PEGI a potentially more convenient investment for tax considerations. However, BEP is structured to not generate any unrelated business income tax (UBIT), making it an ideal holding in a tax-advantaged account where the K-1 can be ignored at tax time. THANK YOU for reading! I encourage you to ADD YOUR VOICE to the comments section below. About High Yield Landlord High Yield Landlord is one of the largest and fastest-growing communities of real estate investors with over 180. We provide a comprehensive service ranked among the very best in uncovering high-yielding securities of undervalued real estate companies. Subscription includes: 1. A real-money portfolio funded with $54,000 currently yielding 8.4%. 2. Timely BUY & SELL alerts for simple portfolio emulation. 3. A wealth of data and market intelligence on REITs, mREITs, and other real assets. If you are looking for the newest and most profitable real estate opportunities, you have come to the right place. For a 2-week free trial, click HERE. Disclosure: I am/we are long BEP. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4233756-2-high-yield-green-energy-stocks-better-buy |
Why Do Muslim Women Wear a Hijab? | Nazma Khan, who immigrated to the United States from Bangladesh at age 11, faced years of shaming over wearing a headscarf in New York. So, in 2013, she started World Hijab Day a day for both Muslim and non-Muslim women to experience wearing a headscarf. Celebrated on Feb. 1, the day is an expression of solidarity and support for religious freedom. As a scholar of Muslim immigrants, I have also long argued for womens right to religious expression in their clothing choices. The hijab is not simply about religion women wear it for a variety of reasons that can change, depending on the time and social context. Muslim religious writings are not entirely clear on the question of veiling. Various passages in the Quran, the Muslim holy book, and the Hadiths, statements attributed to the Prophet Mohammad, make reference to veiling by the prophets wives. But scholars disagree about whether these statements apply only to the prophets wives or to all Muslim women. According to some, the veil has been used as a way of curbing male sexual desire. Yet covering the head and body predated Islam. Jewish, Christian and Hindu women have also covered their head at various times in history and in different parts of the world. Certainly, the headscarf is tied to religion. Many women who cover talk about it as a way demonstrating their submission to God and a constant reminder to hold fast to Islamic beliefs such as being honest and generous to those in need. Asserting identity However, there are other reasons for adopting the hijab. French and British colonizers encouraged Muslim women to remove the veil and emulate European women. Consequently, in North African and Middle Eastern countries, the veil became a symbol of national identity and opposition to the West during independence and nationalist movements. Today, some women wear the hijab to signal pride in their ethnic identity. This is more so for immigrants in Europe and the United States, where there has been an increase in Islamophobia. In a Facebook post for World Hijab Day 2018 that went viral, Columbia College student Toqa Badran wrote, I wear this scarf because when I was a child I was socialized to be embarrassed, even ashamed, of my religion and my culture. I was told that to be a Muslim was to be a terrorist and that to be outwardly Muslim was to endorse violence and oppression I understood that I would be unwelcome as long as I wore symbols of my heritage and chose to, in however modern a way, embrace my ancestors. Muslim African-American women in the U.S. sometimes wear a hijab to signal their religious affiliation. They also want to dispel the assumption that all African-Americans are Christians, and that only people with origins abroad can be Muslim. In fact, 13 percent of adult Muslims in the U.S are black Americans born in the country. Different reasons for wearing a hijab For many other women, the headscarf has become a means of resistance to standards of feminine beauty that demand more exposure. Proponents of this view argue that removing clothing for the benefit of the male gaze does not equal liberation. According to researchers, women in hijabs note that employers must interact with them based on their qualifications rather than their appearance and that, therefore, the hijab levels the playing field. In Western countries, however, women find that wearing a head covering makes it harder to get hired. Finally, for some women, the headscarf is a convenience. It can reduce comments from others about women being out in public and lessen incidents of harassment on the street and at work. Despite the multiple, complicated reasons behind wearing a hijab, there are those who routinely assert that women who wear a headscarf are necessarily oppressed. Examples of hijab-wearing women in the government, such as newly elected Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, or athletes such as Olympian fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, may help dispel these stereotypes. By Caitlin Killian, Professor of Sociology, Drew University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. | https://heavy.com/news/2019/01/why-do-muslim-women-wear-a-hijab/ |
Is fast heartbeat and low energy just a part of aging? | DEAR DR. ROACH: My heartbeat is around 98100 per minute. I checked with my primary doctor, and she said its normal, as I am getting older. (Im 48 now, female, and other than heartbeat, my health is normal.) My doctor checked my blood and said everything is normal except low calcium. I can work all day long, but I cant run even three minutes. V.N. ANSWER: The normal pulse rate in an adult is between 60 and 100, and you are very close to the top of the range. While it may be normal, it is worth considering the possibility that this may be a more significant issue. Anytime I hear an explanation of youre just getting older, it raises a red flag to me. Getting older does bring changes, but you are only 48 (not old at all!). Low calcium is an unexpected finding as well. The main other concern I have is your inability to run for three minutes. This all leads me to suspect that there might be more to your story. If you havent yet had an evaluation of your thyroid, you should. An echocardiogram, showing heart structure and function, might be reasonable, and I suspect a cardiologist would be likely to order one. The electrical function of the heart could be tested with an office EKG and a 24-hour monitor if there is further concern after the office EKG. Finally, low calcium can go along with low albumin in the blood, which might indicate a nutrition issue. I think you need a more thorough evaluation before ascribing symptoms to getting older. If no condition is found, an exercise regimen should help you tolerate more activity and slow your heart rate. *** Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to [email protected] or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803. | http://www.theeveningtimes.com/site/2019/01/16/is-fast-heartbeat-and-low-energy-just-a-part-of-aging/ |
Do The Capital Markets Reward Low-Carbon Business Models? | They also believe that investors will as a rule be rewarded, but they realize that such a belief must be supported by evidence: hence the body of this paper looks at how markets reacted to the PA, in the hope that the market reactions have provided some such evidence. They believe that investors are refraining from stepping up to put money into low-carbon or post-carbon prospects because of an uncertainty as to whether they will be rewarded or punished for that choice. Irene Monasterolo and Luca de Angelis, respectively of Boston University and the University of Bologna, begin with the Paris Agreement (PA) and its Article 2.1, which refers to the need for financial flows "consistent with a pathway toward low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development." A new study by two scholars, an American and an Italian, presents evidence that financial markets are pricing the risk of reliance upon carbon, penalizing carbon-intensive assets and rewarding low-carbon assets. A new study by two scholars, an American and an Italian, presents evidence that financial markets are pricing the risk of reliance upon carbon, penalizing carbon-intensive assets and rewarding low-carbon assets. Irene Monasterolo and Luca de Angelis, respectively of Boston University and the University of Bologna, begin with the Paris Agreement (PA) and its Article 2.1, which refers to the need for financial flows "consistent with a pathway toward low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development." Unfortunately, they add, "sustainable investments are not flowing at the pace and amount needed." They believe that investors are refraining from stepping up to put money into low-carbon or post-carbon prospects because of an uncertainty as to whether they will be rewarded or punished for that choice. They also believe that investors will as a rule be rewarded, but they realize that such a belief must be supported by evidence: hence the body of this paper looks at how markets reacted to the PA, in the hope that the market reactions have provided some such evidence. A Structural Break In Market Risk And these scholars conclude that the reactions to the PA have done just that: since the PA, low-carbon indexes have shown lower systemic risk than before it. The reverse correlation also holds: after PA, carbon-intensive indexes showed higher systemic risk than before. Thus, the former have become more appealing and the latter less appealing to investors. They are, then, using a model pioneered by Gregory Chow in 1960 to assess the presence of a structural break at a given point in time: in this case, the announcement of the PA serves as the point of the tested break. There are lots of "green" indexes that are useful for this sort of test, including: NASDAQ CLEAN EDGE, THOMSON REUTERS EUROPE RENEW and WILDERHILL CLEAN ENERGY. Monasterolo and de Angelis use Oil & Gas indexes for the "brown" counterparts: STOXX EUROPE 600 OIL & GAS, S&P 500 INTEGRATED OIL & GAS, FTSE USA OIL & GAS and FTSE WORLD OIL & GAS. They also compare both these green and brown indexes to broad-market uncolored indexes such as MSCI WORLD and STOXX EUROPE 600. The standard deviation of the green indexes has fallen by more than half since PA. Following the classic Markowitz reasoning, Monasterolo and de Angelis take the standard deviation as a proxy for risk. Meanwhile, "the mean returns observed after the PA [in the green indexes] are quite similar to those observed for the whole sample period." In other words, investors have received the benefit of lower risk without paying a cost in terms of lower performance. Not So Simple, Though Unfortunately, for a simple application of the idea of a structural break: the brown and the uncolored indexes also both show a reduction in volatility after the PA, and similar mean returns. So, this could be a rising tide that is floating everybody's boat. Further statistical analysis is necessary to determine whether and how "the PA announcement has affected the main financial features of the low-carbon and carbon-intensive indexes," by comparing and testing the betas. These two authors find that after allowing for that generally available rising tide since the April 2016 PA, it remains the case that the "overall performance of the low-carbon indexes has increased after the PA due to a reduction in the index' risk level." This is true, they say, globally as well as in the US, and in the European Union. The authors themselves regard these as preliminary results, and any analysis of cause and effect is almost entirely absent from the paper. Oil & Gas Prices Certainly, moves in oil and gas prices affect the performance both the green and the brown stocks in any index. Crude oil prices were in a historic decline during the conference that resulted in the PA. In June 2014, the price was above $110 a barrel. During the negotiations in 2015, the price crossed $40 a barrel on the way down. Around the time the document was signed in 2016, the price was on the way back up. Perhaps the volatility suggested by that long decline and rebound accounts any relative improvement of risk-adjusted performance by the greens. If that is so, the PA may be an irrelevance, or perhaps a symptom of the same underlying process. That, as Monasterolo and de Angelis say, requires a lot of further studies. Editor's Note: The summary bullets for this article were chosen by Seeking Alpha editors. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4233679-capital-markets-reward-low-carbon-business-models |
Is Zomato Acquiring Bootstrapped Startups In India? | A couple of years back, Zomato (FOOD) was floundering as a restaurant search, discovery, reviews, and ratings service. However, with the help of several acquisitions, it diversified into the food delivery sector and has now bounced back into the Billion-Dollar Unicorn Club. Zomato's Offerings Gurgaon, India-based Zomato was founded in 2008 by IIT graduates Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah as an online restaurant search and discovery service. Today, Zomato has five major streams of business: Advertise, Order, Book, Trace, and HyperPure. Advertise leverages its review database with 1.4 million restaurant listings in 23 countries and 90 million monthly visits. Order, Trace, and Book are online tools for managing takeout orders, delivery operations, and table reservations, respectively. HyperPure is a farm-to-fork supplies platform for restaurants for high-quality ingredients. During the past few years, Zomato has introduced a rewards program called Zomato Piggybank and a dine-in subscription platform called Zomato Gold. Last month, it announced that it's foraying into the experiential events segment with the launch of Zomaland, a food and entertainment carnival to be held across Delhi, Pune, and Bengaluru. Zomato's Financials Zomato ended FY18 with revenue of INR 466 crore ($66 million), up 44% from INR 323 crore ($46 million) in FY17. It has reduced its losses by almost 73% to INR 106 crore ($15 million) in FY18 from INR 390 crore ($55 million) in FY17. Online ordering accounted for about 65% of its overall revenue in FY18, up from 35% in FY17. It now has 74,000 delivery executives, compared to just 5,000 a year ago. Zomato Gold has 7,00,000 members and more than 6,000 restaurant partners and Piggybank has 1.5 million subscribers. So far, Zomato is venture funded with $653.8 million from investors including Temasek Holdings, Info Edge, Sequoia Capital, Vy Capital, Neeraj Arora, Alipay Singapore, and Ant Financial. Its last round of funding was held in October 2018 when it raised $210 million at a valuation of $2 billion. Earlier in the year, it had raised $150 million at a valuation of $1.1 billion. Back in April 2015, Zomato had raised $50 million at a valuation of over $1 billion, but in early 2016, its valuation was slashed to $500 million. Swiggy, its rival in the food delivery business, recorded revenue of INR 442 crore ($63 million) and losses of INR 397 crore ($56 million) in FY18. Swiggy has raised $1.5 billion in venture funding so far. In February this year, it raised $100 million at a valuation of $700 million. In February 2018, it raised $100 million at a valuation of $700 million. Then in June, it raised $210 million at a valuation of $1.3 billion. Last month, Swiggy raised $1 billion in funding at a valuation of $3.3 billion. To counter Swiggy's huge cash infusion, Zomato is reportedly in talks with existing and new investors to raise $0.5- $1 billion in funding. Zomato's Acquisitions Since our last coverage, Zomato has made three acquisitions. In 2017, it acquired Bengaluru-based delivery startup Runnr for an estimated $20 million. Founded in 2015, Runnr, formerly RoadRunnr, had raised $28 million. It had acquired TinyOwl in 2016. TinyOwl was founded in 2015 and had raised $27.7 million. In 2018, Zomato acquired Bengaluru-based food e-marketplace TongueStun Food for about $18 million. It caters to 1,500-plus companies including a number of large organizations like IBM (NYSE:IBM), Accenture (NYSE:ACN), E&Y, Sony (NYSE:SNE), Genpact, 3M (NYSE:MMM), Mindtree and Deloitte. Founded in 2012, TongueStun had raised $5 million in funding. Last month, Zomato acquired drone startup Lucknow-based TechEagle Innovations for an undisclosed sum. Founded in 2015 by Vikram Singh Meena, TechEagle had received an undisclosed amount of funding from the UP government. TechEagle will help Zomato create a hub-to-hub delivery network powered by hybrid multi-rotor drones. Zomato currently delivers 21 million monthly orders and has a last mile delivery fleet of 150,000 partners. Over the past 10 years, Zomato has acquired 13 startups. Of these, Poland-based Gastronauci (2014), Auckland-based MenuMania (2014), Czech Republic-based Lunchtime (2014), Slovakia-based Obedovat (2014), Delhi-based MapleGraph Solutions (2015), Seattle-based Urbanspoon (2015), and Gurgaon-based Sparse Labs (2016) were all bootstrapped. Seven out of 13 acquisitions were bootstrapped. That's more than a 50% preference for bootstrapped startups. As I say in my recent article Bootstrapping to an Exit, a small, capital-efficient startup that has shown product-market fit in a domain with strategic alignment is far more interesting as an acquisition target. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4233613-zomato-acquiring-bootstrapped-startups-india |
What time is Death In Paradise on tonight and who is in the cast? | Death In Paradise is getting more dramatic this week (Picture: BBC) The new series of Death In Paradise kicked off on BBC One last week and things are already getting dramatic on the island. This week we get to visit Saint Marie Zoo for the first time, with Jack Mooney and the team investigating a murder and the arrival of a new face. The second episode is on BBC One on Thursday night at 9pm. There are eight episodes in the new series, with subsequent instalments airing in the same timeslot each week. Look out for a new officer on the beat played by Shyko Amos (Picture: BBC) Mooney (Ardal OHanlon) and team are called to the islands zoo after its owner Xander Shepherd is murdered with a tranquiliser dart. Elsewhere Mooney is signed up for a sponsored swim while we get to meet Officer Dwaynes replacement, Officer Ruby Patterson (Shyko Amos) who happens to be the commiissioners niece. Ardal OHanlon has also returned to paradise (Picture: BBC) The main newcomer to the team is Amos (whos also been in the likes of A Very English Scandal), taking over where Danny John-Jules Dwayne Myers left off. There is nothing quite like Death in Paradise on TV and it hasnt quite sunk in yet that Ive joined such a massively popular show, she said at the time. Its given me a butterfly or two but Im very excited! Officer Ruby Patterson is a bundle of joy! I am very excited for Death in Paradise viewers to experience her as the new member of the already amazing law enforcement team of Saint Marie. You can also expect a bumper crop of guest stars this series with The Inbetweeners Blake Harrison and Call The Midwifes Charlotte Ritchie among those appearing in Thursday nights show. Other featured appearances include: Chizzy Akudolu (Holby City/Strictly), Robert James-Collier (Downton Abbey), Anna Chancellor (Ordeal by Innocence), Rebecca Front (Poldark), Richard Blackwood (Eastenders), Angus Deayton (Have I Got News For You). If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. MORE: The Inbetweeners Blake Harrison joins Death in Paradise as bumper stack of guest stars are revealed MORE: Death in Paradises Ardal OHanlon speaks out over Danny John-Jules last minute exit | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/17/time-death-paradise-tonight-cast-8354009/ |
What Would A Cold February Do To Natural Gas Prices? | Our bet is that March can recover to $3.5+, but for price moves after that, the bulls will need an intense colder than normal outlook. A cold February could send prices back to $4+, but it will depend on the intensity and duration. A storage report of -90 Bcf would compare with -183 Bcf last year and -203 Bcf for the five-year average. Welcome to the cold February edition of Natural Gas Daily! A housekeeping item first. We expect a -90 Bcf change in the storage report for the week ended Jan 11. A storage report of -90 Bcf would compare with -183 Bcf last year and -203 Bcf for the five-year average. Natural gas prices soared yesterday, probably a little too much, but the market is now starting to price in the bullish weather we talked about. And of course, the market went from expecting the rest of this winter to being warmer than normal to now wondering what happens if the rest of February remains colder than normal. We saw that with the price action around 6 PM EST yesterday when the ECMWF-EPS long-range came out and prices went up almost ~2% on the back of it. As you can probably guess from the price move, the long-range was bullish and the model breakdown suggests that the rest of February could be colder than normal. CWG also mentioned this in this tweet: But like all things weather, nothing is certain. The key appears to be the ridging pattern in Alaska and Greenland. The cluster breakdown suggests that both need to remain in place in order for there to be a durable sustained cold throughout February. In our morning NGF update today (exclusive to subscribers), we laid out the following scenarios: For March to remain at $3.20/MMBtu, the current cold outlook needs to play out. For March to move to $3.50/MMBtu, the current cold outlook needs to continue into February. For March to move to $3.75+/MMBtu, the intensity of the cold needs to increase AND the duration needs to extend into February. For March to move to $4/MMBtu, we need the intensity to be severe, the duration to extend into February, AND the certainty to be high. As you can see, on a probabilistic basis and for trading purposes, it's favorable risk/reward to bet on a price move to $3.50/MMBtu for March, which is ~10% move from here. For price moves up after that, the bulls would need an intense cold + a durable one. And if you follow weather models closely, these things can change like the mood of a teenager, so it's better to be safe than sorry. Our view is that if February turns out to be intensely cold and long in duration, March could eclipse $4, but you won't get that price spike to $5 or higher. Part of the reason for that is because Lower 48 production remains too high and storage is not in an Armageddon scenario. Now if March's weather outlook turns out to be another cold one, then we will have to reassess. But our view right now is that a price spike to $5+ is unlikely given the bearish first half of January. For us, we remain long UGAZ. We are watching the daily models closely to see if the cold is sustainable. Our positioning will change when the weather model changes. For readers that have found our natural gas articles insightful, we think you should give HFI Research Natural Gas a try. We are now offering a two-week free trial, and we have the largest natural gas trading community on Seeking Alpha. Come and see for yourself. Disclosure: I am/we are long UGAZ. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4233574-cold-february-natural-gas-prices |
Is Poland exploiting big power competition in Central and Eastern Europe? | Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has always been the stage for great powers to compete. British geographer Halford John Mackinder once said, "Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland; who rules the Heartland commands the World Island; who rules the World Island commands the world." Since the "16+1" format between China and 16 CEE countries started in 2012, CEE has become the focus of great powers. Western European nations are critical and skeptical of "16+1" cooperation and consider it an organization that promotes "divide and rule" and threatens European unity.Recently, Poland arrested a Chinese suspected of spying, which may be significant in the interaction between great powers and CEE. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Poland's economic and social transformation and the end of socialist rule in Europe. It is also the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Poland. Furthermore, the US will hold International Middle East summit in Poland on February 13 and 14, which will focus on Iran. CEE has come to be the region of competition and cooperation among great powers again.Poland joined the EU in 2004 and expects to become a major power in Europe, but is still a medium power. Influenced by Germany and Russia, Poland seems to seek a balanced diplomatic strategy. According to Polish Foreign Policy Strategy for 2017-2021, its priorities are security, economic growth and creating a high standing. When explaining Poland's foreign policy tasks in 2018, Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said the US is Poland's main ally. Poland's ruling Law and Justice Party tends to be pro-US, emphasizing relations with CEE and its independence inside the EU. National security is one of the priorities of the Polish government. Considering the EU's security weakness, Poland strives to be a reliable partner in safeguarding the transatlantic security order, which provides anchor to Poland's foreign policy.Since the introduction of 16+1 format cooperation, the importance Poland plays in China's diplomacy has been increasing. Poland tried to play the leading role in 16+1 cooperation, but withdrew its interests after the platform didn't meet its expectation. However, it is still developing diplomatic relations with China by participating in 16+1 cooperation and the Belt and Road initiative. Foreign Minister Czaputowicz said in his speech, "Our principle partner in Asia is the People's Republic of China" and "narrowing our deep trade deficit will be a challenge in our cooperation with China." It means the key to Poland's diplomacy is not China, but security and transatlantic relations.The Trump administration's National Security Strategy said, "great power competition returned." The core US diplomatic task is to cope with such competition. The US needs to rebalance its ties with its allies and seek changes in international organizations which cannot meet strategic reality.On October 18, 2018, US Assistant Secretary of State Wess Mitchell delivered a speech, "Winning the Competition for Influence in Central and Eastern Europe." He said, "For the first time in history, China has become a major player in Central and Eastern Europe" and "we will double the existing portfolio capacity of OPIC from $29 billion to $60 billion, allowing America to go toe-to-toe with major rivals in vulnerable regions like Central and Eastern Europe".In September 2018, when Polish President Andrzej Duda visited the US, he and President Trump agreed on "recognizing that the international order is being challenged, the time is now for our nations to become stronger and more enduring strategic partners" and to safeguard "freedom, building prosperity through United States-Poland strategic Partnership." When Trump visited Poland in 2017, he said, "Our strong alliance with Poland and NATO remains a key element in the avoidance of conflict." Even during the administration of George W.Bush, special relations existed between the US and Poland. Poland's involvement in the 2003 Iraq War is an example.A survey by the Pew Research Center released in October 2018 showed 41 percent Polish regard the US as a leading economic power, and 30 percent for China. Percentage of Polish who prefer the US to lead the world was 68 percent, but the figure for China was only 6 percent. Poland is one of the most stable allies of the US in Europe and its pro-US tradition endures.The author is research fellow with the Institute of European Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. [email protected] | http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1136062.shtml |
Can the Pink Day ODI match the Chiefs vs Pirates derby and Boks vs All Blacks? | Buoyed by unprecedented interest and growth in the last few years Cricket South Africa (CSA) wants to make a ticket to the Pink Day ODI the hottest in town and perhaps beyond. This years instalment will see South Africa take on Pakistan in the fourth ODI of the five-match series on January 27 at the Wanderers. Tickets have been selling like hot cakes and are already hard to come by. That is in part due to the match becoming one of the must-attend events on the Gauteng sporting and social calendar but Clive Eksteen CSAs commercial manager is thinking even bigger. There is quite a good benchmark for us to chase" Eksteen said. "The Durban July the Sun Met the Cape Town Sevens are some great sporting events in South Africa and this is something we want to chase. Rugby Tests against the All Blacks at Ellis Park and the Soweto Derby will draw more than three times the 25 000 likely to show up at Pink Day but Eksteen believes a ticket to Pink Day has the potential to become the most sought after in town. Joburg tends to enjoy this day." It has become the to-be-seen-at event in Jozi. "Its like a day in the calendar" Ekteen said. "What we can do in cricket is different. We can be unique. I think we are close to attaining that status but there is some work ahead. The fact that South Africa whitewashed Pakistan in the three-Test series did not diminish the appetite for tickets. Clearly it helps when the team is doing well. To be fair before the last Test we only had three four thousand tickets left for Pink Day explained Eksteen. It is clearly an event people want to be associated with and there are even rumblings down south the match should alternate between the Wanderers and Newlands. There is probably more pressure from other grounds wanting to take the Pink Day to their venues. It is quite an interesting concept. It runs away with you. You hear Momentums Carel Bosman say they want to raise R5m this year up from R1.7m said Eksteen about the funds raised for the Breast Care Clinic and the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital. It is more than cricket. If we can make a difference to any cancer sufferer and person that suffers from breast cancer not just at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital but also in research that can be used outside South Africa then cricket has achieved a helluva lot. Former Bafana Bafana star Brian Baloyis wife Phungi is a breast cancer survivor and the ex goalkeeper was on hand at the launch of Pink Day on Wednesday. She is living proof that early detection is crucial said Baloyi. There are a lot of challenges we have in our country but we need greater awareness about some of these diseases. | https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/2019-01-17-can-the-pink-day-odi-match-the-chiefs-vs-pirates-derby-and-boks-vs-all-blacks/ |
Is Ireland a good place to study? | January 17, 2019 13:35 IST 'Undergraduate and postgraduate courses for the September 2019 intake are now open for applications.' IMAGE: Parents and students attend the Education in Ireland fair on November 21, 2018 at the St Regis hotel, Mumbai. Photograph: Kind courtesy Education in Ireland College Application Time is here! Students from across streams in India are examining options to enhance their education profile. With the rupee falling, Indians are looking beyond the US to pursue higher education. Ireland is one of the more sought after destinations after Britain, Germany, France and Australia. According to Barry O'Driscoll, a senior spokesperson for Education in Ireland, the percentage of Indians visiting the country increased by 17% in 2017. O'Driscoll, left, below, tells Divya Nair/Rediff.com how international students can secure admission at a top Irish college. Ireland is an English-speaking country with a long tradition in education. All of Ireland's universities are ranked in the top five per cent globally. Ireland's Institutes of Technology (there are 14 of them that go by that name) are renowned for their close links with industry and their highly employable graduates. The country, much like India, offers a buzzing, multicultural, society, where students will certainly find the highest of education standards and warmest of welcomes. In fact, Ireland is one of the ten safest countries on earth, according to the Global Peace Index 2017. Since the Brexit vote, Ireland's higher education institutions have seen a notable increase in applications and enquiries for higher level programmes from Indian students. It is expected that Brexit will lead to an increase in international students and researchers choosing Ireland. The country's membership of the European Union has played an integral role in building Ireland's reputation as a location for orld-class research and as a centre of excellence in higher education. For the UK, Brexit brings uncertainty over the future of its involvement in international research and serious concerns about losing European research funding and top international academics. Whereas for Ireland, its strong place in the EU will ensure that Irish higher education institutions continue to access valuable EU funding, and remain at the forefront of research and innovation. UK universities are now seeing a drop in applications from international students in recent months, whereas Ireland's institutions have seen a notable increase in applications -- particularly from India. In terms of post-study work opportunities for graduates, Brexit could also present an opportunity for Ireland. After Brexit, Ireland will be the only English-speaking country in the European Union. The Irish authorities are currently dealing with hundreds of enquiries from companies, particularly in the financial services sector, considering to relocate from the UK to Ireland in order to maintain access to the European market. The eligibility criteria for each university and course varies, though there are certain general requirements that a candidate needs to keep in mind before applying for colleges in Ireland: All Irish institutions of higher education use English as the language of instruction so the student needs to be able to understand, converse and write in English. If your native language is not English or your undergraduate education was not in English, then you will have to pass an approved test, before registering for any course, like the IELTS, PTE, ETAPP, GCSE, etc. Ireland requires candidates from non-EU countries to have a visa to come and study in Ireland. The student immigration process is divided into two categories, based on whether you are applying for a degree programme offered by a higher education institutions or you intend to pursue an English -- language or non-degree course. An important (issue) to keep in mind while applying for a visa is evidence that you have access to sufficient funds to cover your tuition fees and cost of living expenses. You must show you have sufficient funds to support your stay in Ireland without recourse to public funds, or the reliance on casual employment. While you may be able to undertake part-time work during your time here, you should not have to rely on this income to meet all your expenses. Students from non-EU countries are not covered for any free medical attention off-campus and must therefore have their own private insurance. Please note that heavy levies are charged for all hospitalisation and it is advised to make provision for adequate medical insurance. Non-EU students are required to show proof of comprehensive medical insurance with an Irish Health Insurance provider when registering with the Garda National Immigration Bureau. Proof of health insurance is also required when applying for a student visa. Before applying, you should try to get as much information as you can about your preferred programme, institution and accommodation as well as funding and student visa criteria. Once you are completely satisfied with all your choices, you will need time to gather the necessary paperwork. Tuition costs vary depending on the course, the institution and whether you are classified as an EU student or non-EU student. They also fluctuate so make sure to double check the fees with your chosen institution before you begin the application process. All international students can assess their own qualifications through the National Framework Qualifications before they take any decisions on study options. The NFQ is a system of ten levels and each of these levels grade all learning from beginner to advanced. It is based on standards of knowledge, skill and competence of the student and it incorporates awards made for all kinds of learning, wherever it is gained. This allows the international students to easily compare qualifications in order to plan their education, training and career progression. There is a large cohort of students from other EU member states studying in Ireland -- France, Spain, Germany and Italy here. From outside of the EU there are students from the US, Canada, Brazil, Middle East, India and China. There are plenty of food options for vegetarians both on campus or off campus, in local cities and towns. For Indian students, there are plenty of Indian food stores. Undergraduate and postgraduate courses for the September 2019 intake are now open for applications. | https://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/is-ireland-a-good-place-to-study/20190117.htm |
How has talent acquisition changed in recent years? | HR and talent acquisition have gone through some major changes over the years, and it seems there are more to come. As we settle into a new year, weve examined some of the HR and employment law changes that employers can expect in the year ahead. But the HR industry has already been going through such massive changes over the past number of years already and within their own practice, there are some major trends already coming down the line. Stephen Killilea is a senior talent acquisition specialist at Liberty IT. We spoke to him about some of the key changes he has noticed during his time in the industry. Initially when I started, attracting and acquiring the best people for your organisation would have been seen as a HR task, he said. But now, its very much seen as a shared organisational approach. This is also clear from other HR leaders whose job involves less recruitment and more forward-thinking organisational plans from a HR perspective. Killilea also pointed out that specifically in the tech industry, HR and talent acquisition leads are facing the challenges that come with the tech skills shortage. The demand for technical talent outstrips the supply. As a result, you need to have a real impactful way of telling your story. He added that Liberty IT encourages its people to attend meetups and engage with their wider social network and talk about what the company is doing. One of the trends Im most excited about from a talent acquisition perspective is simplifying the recruitment and selection processes for both hiring managers and candidates. Killilea spoke about a recruitment centre that helped simplify the process for Liberty IT. Not only have we identified a great pool of candidates for our placement and graduate opportunities for 2019, we have also potentially pipelined a wider pool of talent for experienced hires at software engineer grade in two to three years time. | https://www.siliconrepublic.com/careers/talent-acquisition-hr-liberty-it |
Are patient groups that assess NHS treatments BIAS? | Most patient groups that assess NHS treatments receive undeclared money from competing companies, a study has warned. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) asks patient groups for their views when approving a drug for NHS use in England. But researchers have found two thirds of such organisations have received funding from manufacturers of a rival firm of the ones they had appraised. Experts are now calling for greater transparency into decision-making processes as the patient organisations could have conflicting interests. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) asks patient groups for their views when approving a drug for NHS use in England The review, published by the British Medical Journal, assessed 53 patient organisations contributing to 41 Nice technology appraisals published in 2015 and 2016, Pharmaceutical industry funding was determined from manufacturers' declarations and accounts, annual reports, websites, and responses from patient organisations. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine researchers found that 72 per cent of patient organisations received funding from the manufacturers of a competing technology or product to the ones they had appraised that year, or the year before. Yet decision makers were aware of less than a quarter of these interests, found the team. Disclosure by patient organisations of these interests was not even required by NICE's current policy for two thirds of these occasions. And conflicting interests specific to the appraisal an organisation were undertaking were present on 79 per cent of occasions. Study lead author Dr Kate Mandeville said: 'Decisions on public funding of medicines and treatments are some of the most controversial in healthcare. 'Involvement of patients complements clinical and economic evidence with the experience of people actually living with the condition in question and is essential to an accurate and fair assessment of the value of new technologies. 'Yet if patient perspectives are truly given weight by decision makers, any potential bias must also be taken into account. 'Although greater involvement of patients in HTA is an encouraging trend, a sign of effective patient involvement would be for patient organisations to be held to disclosure standards as robust as those for committee members. 'Our study has shown that NICE's policy does not provide decision makers with sufficient information to assess all sources of evidence equally.' Bethany Bruno and Susannah Rose at the Cleveland Clinic say for NICE (and its counterparts in other countries) to better judge and interpret recommendations made by patient organisations, 'its policies must require disclosure in all circumstances'. And they call for additional legislation and organizational policies to ensure that all stakeholders can 'react in a meaningful way to the information disclosed.' | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6601881/Are-patient-groups-assess-NHS-treatments-BIAS.html |
Who is Natalie in Coronation Street? Did Nick Tilsley hire her to steal Audrey Roberts' money? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Fans of Corrie were shocked to see yet another mystery woman appear on the cobbles looking for Nick Tilsley. And Nick was not pleased to see Natalie in Weatherfield, in fact he was positively livid, telling her she was "playing a very dangerous game". After bumping into Leanne, she was told Natalie was Nick's divorce lawyer, which was hard to believe given her untidy appearance. Natalie is played by actress Cassie Bradley, who you may recognise as Leanne in TV movie Torvill and Dean, which aired over Christmas. She has also appeared in BBC dramas Doctors and Casualty, as well as playing parts in productions by the National Theatre. Cassie, from Nottingham, said on her Instagram: "Feeling very honoured & excited to be on this street. Having the best time & drinking lots of tea (mashed the proper way!)" (Image: ITV) But she remained tight lipped about who her character was in Corrie. Natalie works at the restaurant in s Nottingham that Nick used to run with his soon-to-be ex-wife Elsa. A waitress at the eatery, she tells Nick: "The place has gone to the dogs since you left. Elsa is making us split our tips." (Image: ITV) We soon learn that Natalie is the women clearing out Audrey's bank account in CCTV - and Nick was the one that hired her to do it. It seems she plans to blackmail Nick for her silence on the family betrayal, telling him she wants 2,000 as her previous services had come cheaply. And she won't be the only one blackmailing Nick, David Platt has a sharp eye and soon realised the girl with the butterfly tattoo on the back of her neck in the CCTV was Natalie and Nick was behind the scam. *Coronation Street is on ITV1 Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays | https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/tv/who-natalie-coronation-street-nick-15690242 |
Why is the Vatican standing up for the Venezuelan dictatorship? | Brazil, led by President Jair Bolsonaro, not only refused to recognize the regime, he openly recognized the constitutionally mandated succession of the Venezuelan National Assembly's leader, Juan Guaido. That's who's president to his country. Other nations, such as Paraguay, cut ties to regime and pulled their envoys. The United States and Canada have come very close to recognizing Guaido as Venezuela's president, too, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton (and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ) openly calling the regime "illegitimate," and all eyes now on whether President Trump will make recognition of Guaido official, which I think he will. In the wake of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro swearing himself into office after a fraudulent election, the actual global consensus is that the regime ruling in Caracas is illegitimate. It's so bad the news accounts call the Maduro regime " isolated ." At his Jan. 10 inaugural, Maduro was indeed isolated, with just the pitiful support of socialist hellholes Nicaragua, Cuba and Bolivia. Nobody else could stomach it. Well, with one sorry exception: The Vatican. According to an Agencia EFE report published in the Argentine newspaper Clarin, they actually showed the flag for Maduro, giving him that patina of legitimacy as everyone else decent stayed away and now are getting flak for it. Here's the link to the account, which is Spanish-only, and here's a Google Translate passage with some tweaks and clarifications from me. I haven't seen this published anywhere else: After the [local bishops from the] church of Venezuela lambasted Nicols Maduro by calling him "illegitimate and immoral" on the eve of his inauguration, the Vatican sent a representative to the Venezuelan president's [swearing in] on Thursday, in a clear sign of support for the Chavista leader, leaving more than one of them surprised. This Monday, the Holy See came out to give explanations. And it justified the presence of the [Vatican] envoy [by] saying that the institution "aims to promote the common good, protect peace and ensure respect for human dignity." The new (interim) spokesman of the Vatican, Alessandro Gisotti, explained in a note that "the Holy See maintains diplomatic relations with the Venezuelan State, its diplomatic activity is aimed at promoting the common good, protecting peace and guaranteeing respect for human dignity." Therefore, the statement adds, "the Holy See has decided to be represented at the inauguration ceremony of the Presidency, by the head of business ad interim of the Apostolic Nunciature of Caracas (George Koovakod)." Which at this point, is pure Mr. Magoo, and some very miserable spin control. That culpable blindness has pretty well been how the Vatican has done business with Venezuela since Pope Francis took the reins in 2013. Under his leadership, the Vatican tried and failed to negotiate a "peace settlement" with the Maduro regime about three years ago. It was junk diplomacy then, because it came after Venezuela's opposition had tried to do the same thing in good faith for at least ten years. By then the protests had grown massive and uncontrollable. Coming in after all that and pretending to be the peacemaker as if nothing had ever happened, led to exactly the failure Venezuela's democrats said would happen. This was a totalitarian regime and it was determined to hold power no matter what. It was around this time that people were starting to murmur about getting a Pinochet of their own, given the regime's implacability, which the Vatican seemed to think it march into and turn around. Of course it failed. Now the revolution has reached a different stage and there seems to be a pincer move from both the U.S. and Brazil to oust Maduro by recognizing a new president. It's a delicate, dangerous operation, as the recent arbitrary arrest of Guaido by Cuban agents a couple days ago demonstrated. This after all, is a revolution, and it's been on 'simmer' for about 20 years, but recent events suggest it's begun to move to 'boil.' Yet there the Vatican was, standing up and showing the flag for the Chavista status quo, which seems to be a hallmark of Pope Francis's papacy, in defiance of the warnings of the country's own bishops, who have joined the country's democrats. Pope John Paul was with the democrats all along, and as they won freedom with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Velvet Revolution, the Vatican in the end played a pivotal role for freedom. Poland, as a matter of fact, is one of the very few countries in Europe where Catholicism is still significantly practiced. No such luck in Venezuela. The battle lines have been drawn and the first Latin pope and his Vatican bureaucrats have picked the bad guy, the ruling dictatorship, over the suffering people, all in the phony name of preserving peace, something whose potential came and went years ago. Coming right on the heels of a recent scandal of a Vatican news site " congratulating " the Cuban Castro regime for 60 years of oppression, including oppression of the Catholic Church, one wonders what its real alliances are. Venezuela is a hellhole regime at war with its own people and it's eventually going to fall. | https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/01/why_is_the_vatican_standing_up_for_the_venezuelan_dictatorship.html |
Who guards the Google guardians? | Recently, realizing that my 7 and 10 tablets were over five years old and that the Android OS was no longer updating, I decide to replace them both. They still work and I am hoping to donate them, but I won't be using them anymore. Even if I have to recycle them instead, I am done. I decided to buy a Kindle Fire (7th gen - 2017) and a Lenovo Chromebook. I realize the Fire is already two years old, but I'll only use it to access media via my Amazon Prime account. And at $49, it's darned near disposable even on my fixed income. The Chromebook was something I hesitated over because I don't trust Google. Don't be evil and Do the right thing are the kind of mottos manipulative schemers say to make themselves look good. I expect them to snoop and customize my experience just as they do search results. I installed DuckDuckGo to use in place of Chrome. Thinking about Google's manipulativeness, and how various social media deplatform people for hate speech, I started to wonder how long before the Chrome browser acquires data to label my speech hateful. I expect the hardware will keep working, but maybe the wireless connection will become undependable until it's too much trouble to use the device. Maybe Google will afflict me with so many pop-ups that I drop-kick the device in frustration. There are ways to make a device unappealing without making it entirely nonfunctional. I've worked with computers all my life, it seems, but I would never be able to prove malicious mischief had been applied to my Chromebook. I get internet access via a modem/router from Mediacom. I'm sure they would deny anything was wrong with their service. I could take the Chromebook to a cafe with wireless and find that my results are the same, but I expect that Google would also say that their OS etc. are working properly. They wouldn't consider that a lie, I'm sure, since the built-in malice is by design and so it is proper. I kept my old Toshiba laptop. I have a USB drive with Linux on it and can install it on my old hardware, at least until it stops working. It's two years older than the tablets. I have a smartphone that I could create documents on if I have to, and the not-too-old Fire can also support that. So while I have options to get around being silenced and totally deaccessed, and I'm obscure enough that no one will be looking to abuse me, Google has a very wide net it can cast if it chooses to. | https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/01/who_guards_the_google_guardians.html |
What happens when the caravan gets to Mexico? | About 500 people, including dozens of children, lined up to show their documents to a first line of unarmed security personnel at the Agua Caliente border crossing Tuesday night. Riot police formed a second line to contain any possible disturbance. We will know very soon. The latest caravan crossed into Guatemala, according to news reports : Edilberto Hernandez, a former police officer, stood with his wife and four children to cross into Guatemala. After losing his job, he could find only low-paid construction work, and he decided to travel with his whole family to the United States. According to other news reports and my own conversation with Mexicans in Mexico, there is no appetite to admit more "caravans": Juan Palomina remarked: Now look, lets see if whacko [Mexican President} Lopez Obrador mobilizes the Marines and keeps these idiots from coming to Mexico. Give them enough to eat, at least. Some urged the migrants not to be blindly optimistic. People of Honduras, all of you who are spinning these grand illusions and getting ready to come on this caravan and in any future others, before you leave your country, please inform yourself about how people whove already come on previous caravans are faring in Tijuana, said Belem Gonzales. Mexico is just like your country, Gonzales added. There are many problems and needs, and youre not going to be much better off than you were in Honduras. Please dont trust these manipulative agitators who are encouraging you to risk everything for nothing. Luis Mendez was far more unwelcoming. We do not want caravans of (emojis of rats). Fight conditions in your own country. You are not welcome here. By Tuesday afternoon, a caravan that started with about 500 people grew to about 2,000, according to a representative from the Honduras National Commission of Human Rights, which travels with the caravan. I cannot say whether these views represent a majority opinion. I have no scientific survey to link to. Nevertheless, I am hearing the same thing from friends and business associates. After a few phone calls, I've concluded that Mexicans are sympathetic or understand that the violence is driving people out. He has to block the caravan or face serious political backlash. Lopez-Obrador is already at war with his countrymen over gas shortages. He does not need another headache! PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. | https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/01/what_happens_when_the_caravan_gets_to_mexico.html |
What are the limits for satellite connectivity? | Satellite broadband has an image problem. Although no other technology can match it for coverage, satellite is perceived by many to be slow, expensive and unresponsive. But proponents believe that its unparalleled reach combined with a new wave of satellites designed for Internet rather than broadcasting will make it the ideal technology to connect the next billion in areas where fixed and mobile coverage is inadequate. Over the past few years, ViaSat has launched several new satellites that have greatly increased capacity and are capable of delivering speeds of 100Mbps. The companys CEO Mark Dankberg is eager to dispel myths and improve satellites reputation. Changing times He argues there is a tendency to make sweeping generalisations about satellite communications and treat each variation of the technology as the same. This, he says, ignores recent developments and is founded on the belief that satellite is still only suitable for television. The single biggest issue in the satellite industry is that people lump them altogether and dont understand whats different, he tells TechRadar Pro. Its understandable because for the first 30-40 years [satellite was] dominated by broadcast economics. The cost per bit of satellite might be expensive but you can broadcast and divide it to a million people. This means broadcast has been the killer app for satellite for 30 years. But unicast data means you cant divide it anymore and it gets more expensive. Of course. And now because theres less demand for broadcast, this spectrum is being repurposed for mobile. Connecting the next billion Dankberg argues that because ViaSat doesnt have legacy satellite assets it wants to sweat, it is free to pursue the possibilities afforded by this new approach. He sees IoT as an opportunity, but also connecting rural communities with affordable, high performance Internet. Were applying satellite to multiple vertical markets, he says. One of these is emerging markets, something we call community Wi-Fi for areas unconnected for one of two reasons: geographical isolation or because theyre not economically attractive to serve. Well go into towns that are generally remote and small, often hundreds of people, and that town has a few hundreds of dollars a month to devote to connectivity: voice, data, everything. Cellular connectivity can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars before you even think about backhaul. For a thousand dollars we can set up a satellite terminal and some repeaters to bring Wi-Fi [to a community]. In this scenario the terminal is hosted by a local entrepreneur or a business such as a post office and residents can purchase prepaid access to the network which can be used around the town or village. The latency elephant In most cases the speeds are faster than any comparable network and although Dankberg accepts latency might still be higher but that people in these communities arent fussed given the lack of affordable alternatives. Were able to deliver high speed and attractive performance, he continues. [If youre choosing] between connections with the same speed, capacity and cost then of course youll go for the one with lower latency. But youd rather go for a higher latency connection than one that is more congested or more expensive. ViaSat has deployed this model in the US, Brazil and Mexico and Dankberg stresses it is a commercial venture that doesnt need to be subsidised. Thats not to say some authorities havent taken an interest given the societal and economic benefits on offer. Mexico has had various initiatives where they wanted to make government services available in remote areas, he explains. [But] the service was poor because there wasnt enough bandwidth to subsidise, so the government has been supportive in terms of licences and tax relief. The Brazilian government has a state-owned infrastructure company called Telebras, which is a middle-mile, so no access network. They worked out an agreement with us. They had an agreement to provide connectivity to schools and also wanted to create a pre-paid wireless service. Future of satellite There is also hope that governments increasingly look at satellite as one of multiple methods of improving connectivity. Dankberg says governments and policymakers shouldnt be pursuing ideological fibre-only strategies in which huge amounts of public funding is made available for one type of technology. I dont think there is a one-size fits all solution. Some governments are calling for FTTP-only, or 5G-only. In these environments, you need to make trade-offs. We see that in a lot of these domains, speed and volume of bandwidth are much more important than latency. I think the main message is to think about what the requirements are and to see if there are free market solutions before dishing out subsidies. As for ViaSat itself, it believes it can push the boundaries even further. Dankberg raises the possibility of 10Tbps satellites in the future but for now the focus is on getting the cost down and making the service as attractive as possible. Were really describing a view of satellite communications that no one really else has, he says. Were investing in new satellites. Were trying to earn a return on this business model. Were trying to demonstrate there is demand in these markets, which in aggregate is a lot of demand and show there is a growing market. If we do that, then we have a bright future ahead of us: Its about creating solutions. Its in the public interest. | https://www.techradar.com/au/news/what-are-the-limits-for-satellite-connectivity |
Why is Netflix raising its subscription cost? | Netflix, which will report quarterly earnings Thursday, has committed to spending more than $18.6 billion on content. Photo: Bloomberg Given how much it has been spending on content, the move isnt surprising, but the latest jump from 13 to 18 percent depending on the subscription plan is the biggest increase since Netflix started its streaming service a dozen years ago. Thats going to hurt some consumers. Many of its users pay for the service even if they dont consistently watch its content, partly because of its attractive pricing. A bare-bones subscription, for instance, had cost $8 a month. But fee increases at Netflix are inevitable. One of the reasons: Netflix burns a lot of cash. The companys appetite for content means it has to spend big, resulting in whats known as negative free cash flow. More money is going out the door than coming in, a difference that Netflix covers by borrowing. We change pricing from time to time as we continue investing in great entertainment and improving the overall Netflix experience, the company said in a statement announcing the changes, which apply just to U.S. customers. Netflixs most popular plan, which gives a customer two simultaneous streams, will get the largest increase, to $13 a month from $11. Still, its cheaper than HBO, whose streaming service costs about $15 a month. The $8 a month plan will now cost $9, and the high-end version, which allows for four simultaneous streams, jumps to $16 from $14. (The new prices took effect Tuesday for new subscribers. For existing customers, the increases will start in about three months.) Netflix, which will report quarterly earnings Thursday, has committed to spending more than $18.6 billion on content. Thats for shows and films that wont appear on the service for months, whether its the next season of Stranger Things or the forthcoming lineup from super producer Shonda Rhimes. It also includes content thats currently playing, like Friends, which ran on NBC from 1994 through 2004 and is owned by AT&Ts WarnerMedia. The show is wildly popular on the service. Worries that it would leave Netflix prompted an outcry on social media. The only reason I have an account with Netflix is to re-watch Friends, one customer said. | https://www.livemint.com/Companies/W9r3gbCPRlsspJVRm2j14M/Why-is-Netflix-raising-its-subscription-cost.html |
What is Samsung Connect Home and how does it work? | Our homes are filled with connected devices, and yet, many people lack basic connectivity while at home. To address this problem, Samsung is introducing a new product: Samsung Connect Home. It describes it as a "premium router and IoT hub in one", with the device capable of providing a mesh network in your house and it doubles as a SmartThings Hub. Heres everything you need to know about how Samsung's offering works. At its core, Samsung Connect Home provides mesh Wi-Fi to boost your connectivity at home. With a mesh router, you can get online anywhere in your house. There will be no more spots where connectivity is slowed or just doesn't reach. Imagine being able to stream in the living room and kitchen while someone else games in the basement - all without any contest for bandwidth or Wi-Fi congestion. Another unique aspect of Samsung Connect Home is that it doubles as an Samsung SmartThings IoT Hub, meaning it allows different connected devices from different manufacturers to communicate with each other, and you can control them all through a smartphone app. It removes the need to purchase a separate hub. Samsung Connect Home is designed to be expandable. It will be sold on its own or in a three-pack, just like Google Wifi, so you can put several of these routers around your home to boost your entire network. You will get Wi-Fi signal everywhere, from your bathroom to your basement. So, instead of one router, multiple routers work together to create a mesh network that delivers fast input throughout your house. You'll use one Samsung Connect Home as a base to broadcast your signal and then use the other two in the bundle to extend that network throughout your house. Samsung said that each individual unit can cover up to 1,500 square feet, which is what Google Wifi also promises. Each unit also comes with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. However, there are two versions of the Samsung Connect Home. The "standard" Samsung Connect Home has a 2 x 2 MU-MIMO antenna array and a slower 710MHz quad-core processor at AC1300 (capped speeds of 866Mbps in the 5GHz spectrum), while the "Pro" version has a 4 x 4 antenna and a faster 1.7GHz dual-core chip. It supports quad-band 802.11ac at AC2600 (capped speeds of 1.7Gbps). The Pro offers 1,500-square feet coverage but doesnt come in a three-pack. Both versions also have two RJ-45 Ethernet ports on the back. Samsung Connect Home removes the need for Samsung's separate SmartThings Hub. Because Samsung Connect Home has a SmartThings Hub built in, it can directly communicate with connected gadgets over Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, or Z-wave. These gadgets include things like Philips Hue lights, Netgear Arlo security cameras, and Samsung appliances. Once set up, you can control all these with a mobile app. Yes, there is an app experience for Samsung Connect Home. It appears to be integrated into Samsung smartphones, working on the same system that you'd use to control devices connected to your phone, like Bluetooth headphones, or the same system you can use to connect to your Samsung TV. Whether Samsung will split this app experience out to other devices so that Samsung Connect Home isn't dependent on using a Samsung smartphone, we don't know. Samsung also confirmed that there would be Bixby support, so you'll be able to control everything connected to your Samsung Connect Home using your voice. In the US, Samsung Connect Home is $379.99 (295) for a pack of three devices, $169.99 for a single-pack. You can also buy the Connect Home Pro, with more antennas for greater range and a faster processor, for $249.99. Samsung will release the Connect Home through Best Buy stores in the states from 2 July. There's no word yet on UK availability. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/smart-home/news/samsung/140683-what-is-samsung-connect-home-and-how-does-it-work |
What works with Apple HomeKit? | Apple's HomeKit technology might seem really confusing, but trust us, it's not. It basically allows accessories from various manufacturers to work together, and it gives you a uniformed way of controlling all those accessories at once. Pocket-lint has already explained how HomeKit works (including the new Home app that'll arrive with iOS 10 this autumn), but in this piece, we'll specifically talk about which accessories are HomeKit-enabled. In other words: these are the devices that work with HomeKit. Each device has its own app that enables you to remotely manage it, but with support for HomeKit built in, their apps are able to interconnect. That means you can make your accessories work together, and you control them all right from your iPhone (or iPad and Apple Watch). For instance, HomeKit lets you create "scenes" to control your accessories in different combinations. You could create a scene called Leaving home that might turn off your smart lights, lock all your doors, and lower your smart thermostat - all with a single command. Siri can recognise any HomeKit-enabled accessory you have in your home, so you can ask Siri to turn an accessory on or off. Again, Pocket-lint has explained how all this works already, but if you're interested in exactly which HomeKit-enabled accessories are now available, we've listed them all below. We've also included information about how to tell if something officially supports HomeKit. HomeKit-enabled accessories are smart devices with built-in support for Apple's HomeKit technology. Accessories can be lights, locks, thermostats, plugs, switches, sensors, shades, etc. Over 50 brands worldwide make accessories that work with HomeKit. HomeKit works with select accessories reviewed and approved by Apple. Some of these accessories come from August, ConnectSense, Ecobee, Elgato, First Alert, Haier, Honeywell, iDevices, iHome, Incipio, Insteon, Koogeek, Lutron, Nanoleaf, Netatmo, Parce, Philips, and Schlage. Apple offers this FAQ page with more information about which HomeKit-enabled accessories are now available. You can also shop this Apple site for HomeKit-enabled products. Look for this badge on the accessory's product packaging: With HomeKit-enabled accessories, you'll have home automation. That means you can control all the accessories - like thermostats and lights - in your home from a mobile device anywhere in the world. It also means that everything - lights, appliances, electrical outlets, heating and cooling systems, doors, windows, locks, smoke detectors, surveillance cameras - is hooked up to a single remotely controllable network. Home automation also refers to the ability to program and schedule events for the accessories on the network. You can program time-related commands, such as having your lights turn on or off at specific times each day. It can also include non-scheduled events, such as turning on all the lights in your home when your security system alarm is triggered. Also, an advantage of home automation is energy savings. Your smart thermostat can automatically govern your home's heating and cooling system. It can also be programmed with different target temperatures in order to keep energy usage at a minimum during hours you're least likely to benefit from the heating and cooling. And, as we mentioned earlier, you are able to remotely control your smart thermostat and thus home temperature from anywhere in the world. So, with HomeKit, you get home automation, meaning you can control your accessories from your mobile device, hook them up on the same network so that they work together, and you can reap massive energy savings from them. That's why you want HomeKit-enabled accessories. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/smart-home/news/apple/137989-what-works-with-apple-homekit |
What is Sony's Life Space UX and where is it available? | Sony in 2014 unveiled an ambitious concept called Life Space UX, with the purpose of transforming a typical room in your house into a smart space for exceptional, even interactive experiences. The company showed Pocket-lint at CES 2014 in Las Vegas a few Life Space UX examples. The tour included an apartment-type setup filled with interactive lights, minimalist speakers, app-controlled projectors, and other internet-connected devices. One of the star gadgets was the Glass Sound Speaker, which uses lighting and sound to create an experience of the future. It's been well over a year since Sony showed off several Life Space UX products, so now you may be wondering what's happening with all that. Well, some of them have long been for sale, and in fact, the latest products in Sony's aspirational Life Space UX range of home electronics have just been assigned prices and release dates. We've detailed everything you need to know below. All the marketing lingo aside, Life Space UX is Sony's new range of smart accessories. The range mostly consists of lights, speakers, and projectors. Each product is designed for the home, very minimalist in appearance, and meant to make everyday lives smarter and simpler than ever before. Now, many of these products are considered prototypes and are not yet available to buy. 4K Ultra Short Throw Projector Availability: US, Europe, and Japan Price: $50,000 Where to buy: Sony This aluminium projector looks like one long cabinet you'd place up against a wall. But it actually features a modular design integrated into a single unit (two cabinets, two speakers, and one projector). The projector sits in the middle and closes flat when not in use, while the speakers on either side of it eliminate exposed cords, and the cabinets at both ends are capable of storage. With the 4K Ultra Short Throw projector, you can display anywhere from a 66-inch to a 147-inch image or video onto your wall . Because the cabinet sits near a wall, shadows won't interfere with the projection, and you get an immersive, visually stunning experience. Also, the projector is equipped with SXRD panels, so it boasts four times the resolution of Full HD. Portable Ultra Short Throw Projector Availability:Japan (13 February), US (May 2016) Price:93,000/$199 Where to buy:MoMA Store in the US The Portable Ultra Short Throw Projector is a tiny projector that can display an image or video onto a wall or any other surface from a short distance - hence the name. It's basically a more portable version of the larger 4K projector (measures 81mm x 131mm x 131mm). This version is also a battery-powered device and lasts two hours on a charge. It can project an autofocused 1366 x 768 image of 100 lumens and between 22 inches and 80 inches. The unit also comes with HDMI input, but it works with Bluetooth Low Energy so you can play media from a smartphone when the two devices are near one another. Another cool feature is that it comes with an optional, very futuristic-looking stand. Glass Sound Speaker Availability: Japan (13 February), US (May 2016) Price: 74,000/$799 Where to buy: MoMA Store in the US Sony's Glass Sound Speaker is basically just like the Symphonic Light speaker we saw hanging from the ceiling at CES 2014, though Sony isn't marketing this version as a ceiling light. It's a 360-degree Bluetooth speaker encompassed by a glass tube. The lighting tech is stuffed into the base and around the rim, allowing the gadget to emit not only sound but luminance. LED Bulb Speaker Availability: Japan and US (May 2016) Price: 23,880/$239 Where to buy: Sony Japan or MoMA Store in the US Sony unleashed its LED Light Bulb Speaker in Japan last year. It's doubles as a Bluetooth speaker and screws into any bulb fitting to give your living space simultaneous light and sound. It's a multi-function gadget that provides up to 360-lumens of app-controlled brightness, as well as an integrated 2 Watt speaker system that's ideal for filling small spaces. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth and comes with a NFC remote. Sony's Life Space UX website showcases concept models too. The company has previewed them at shows but doesn't have a time for commercial production. They're called Ceiling Screen, Tabletop Screen, and Wall Mount Display. The Ceiling screen is a short-throw projector, but it's meant for displaying images and video on the ceiling and offers integrated speakers to boot. The Tabletop Screen is a compact laser projector that hangs over a surface, such as a table, and it actually turns that surface into a touchscreen. You can use it to share photos and music, as well as play games, and more. We saw this demonstrated at CES 2014 and thought it was the coolest thing. As for that third gadget, it's a discreet touch display that mounts to the wall. Simples. Check out Pocket-lint's tour of the Sony Life Space UX booth to see what else the company has in the works in terms of concept products. Check out our Sony Life Space UX hub for all the latest news and reviews. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/smart-home/news/sony/136511-what-is-sony-s-life-space-ux-and-where-is-it-available |
Will Crypto-Rial Help Iran Evade the Sanctions' Effects? | CBI decided to take a more moderate stance toward the digital money and blockchain technology following the imposition of a new round of U.S. sanctions. (Shutterstock) Follow > Disable alert for Central Bank of Iran Follow > In April 2018, the Central Bank of Iran banned domestic banks and people from dealing in foreign cryptocurrency because of money laundering and financing risks. However, the CBI decided to take a more moderate stance toward the digital money and blockchain technology following the imposition of a new round of U.S. sanctions, hoping that the digital technology would facilitate Irans international money transfers and let the country evade the sanctions. Meanwhile, as an oil producer with an oil-reliant economy dominated by petrodollars, Iran settled on the plan to utilize cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology to make up for any drop in oil revenues due to the economic sanctions designed to cut its oil sales. Moving on the same track as China, Russia and Venezuela, Iran also hopes that blockchainization of state-backed fiats would lead to the demise of the dollar and put an end to the tyrant U.S. policies. Read More The Best Laptops in 2018 for Mining Cryptocurrencies Despite Losses, Cryptocurrencies Gain Ground in Asia Under the toughest U.S. sanctions ever and blacklisting of Iran from the Belgium-based international financial messaging system (SWIFT), the countrys plan to create an indigenous cryptocurrency is improving incrementally and thanks to highly dynamic nature of the cryptocurrency, it can act as a good means for Iran to skirt certain sanctions through untraceable banking operations. The CBI has been working with domestic knowledge-based companies to develop a digital currency, called crypto-rial, supported by HyperLedger Fabric technology. As reported, the Informatics Services Corporation, affiliated to the CBI but run by the private sector, has accomplished development of rial-based national cryptocurrency and when the CBI approves the uses of national cryptocurrency, it will be issued to financial institutions such as banks to test payments and internal and interbank settlements. Transactions at the state-backed virtual currency are carried out on an online ledger called a blockchain, just the same as Bitcoin, but since the infrastructure is privately-owned it will not be possible for people to mine it. In fact, Iran is mainly aimed at testing the potentials of blockchain and crypto technology in running its financial system, making banks able to use the tokens as a payment instrument in transactions and banking settlement at the first phase of the blockchain banking infrastructure. The country seems inclined to enjoy the new virtual currency businesses which includes little notice or footprint and has also prepared the required infrastructure for trading cryptocurrency in its stock exchange. However, in spite of the CBIs prohibition from trading cryptocurrencies, Iranians had commenced using cryptocurrency and Bitcoin mining for transactions with the rest of the world before its use was banned by the CBI in the country. Individuals and businesses in Iran have had access to virtual currency platforms through Iran-located, internet-based virtual currency exchanges; U.S. or other third country-based virtual currency exchanges; and peer-to-peer (P2P) exchangers, according to reports. But the U.S. embargo on a number of cryptocurrency exchange platforms, including Binance and Bittrex, restricted Iran from receiving services, however, no assets belonging to Iranians were blocked. U.S. sanctions have also ensnared Iranian bitcoin traders. Furthermore, in December, the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, known as Fincen, issued a warning in an advisory to assist U.S. banks and other financial actors such as cryptocurrency exchanges in identifying potentially illicit transactions related to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Bitcoin.com reported. Fincen claimed that since 2013 Irans use of virtual currency includes at least $3.8 million worth of bitcoin-denominated transactions per year. The organization noted that while the use of virtual currency in Iran is comparatively small, virtual currency is an emerging payment system that may provide potential avenues for individuals and entities to evade sanctions. Fincen believes that P2P cryptocurrency exchangers are a significant means through which Iran can dodge economic sanctions. Following the Fincens announcement, the United States lawmakers introduced a bill (HR 7321) to impose more sanctions on Iranian financial institutions and the development and use of the national digital currency, Cointelegeraph reported. The act prohibits transactions, financing or other dealings related to an Iranian digital currency, and introduces sanctions on foreign individuals engaged in the sale, supply, holding or transfer of the digital currency. In the wake of the U.S. restrictions, thus, cryptocurrency trades are limited into Irans domestic market and not possible at the international level and Bitcoin is sold at a significant premium relative to the global average price in Iran. Unfortunately, the basic and premier regulations of using cryptocurrencies have not been ratified in Iran and Iranians are obliged to refer to stock exchange shops abroad to do their crypto-transactions, most of which are American obedient to U.S. regulations and of course, sanctions. To make using cryptocurrency and blockchain technology legal and official in the country, the Iranian government is drafting a policy framework by the help of the CBI and the Stock Exchange Organization which clarifies all its regulations and policies over cryptocurrency and mining. Being legislated, it is believed that SWIFT can be replaced by the digital money, i.e. the rial-pegged national currency, and transactions would be done faster and at lower prices. Due to a lack of required regulations, cargos of equipment for mining cryptocurrency are seized by the customs administration. They are said to be released as soon as the government legalizes cryptocurrency use in the country. | https://www.albawaba.com/business/will-crypto-rial-help-iran-evade-sanctions-effects-1240232 |
Is Ancient DNA Research Revealing New Truths or Falling Into Old Traps? | This was not only relevant as an eccentricity of prehistoric demography, but broadly consequential for the ongoing study of culture itself of where new ideas come from and how they proliferate. When we thought of populations as stationary and largely stable, we assumed that whatever evolutionary progress they made, from toolmaking to agriculture, reflected either a native innovation or the incorporation of some adjacent groups avant-garde practice. Now it seemed as though culture was less about the invention and spread of new ideas and more about the mass movements of particular peoples and the resulting integration, outcompetition or extermination of the communities they overran. Previously, it was possible to think about prehistory as a kind of grand bazaar. Now the operative metaphor (as multiple science journalists observed) was more like Risk, or even Game of Thrones. 5. Looking for the Lapita The ancient-DNA revolution seemed unlikely to have anything to say about Oceania, where the heat and humidity made the preservation of DNA implausible. But in 2014, Stuart Bedford got that second surprise call, from a Dublin-based archaeologist named Ron Pinhasi, a frequent Reich collaborator and procurer of samples. Pinhasi had discovered that the inner ears petrous bone, one of the densest in the body, often preserved vast quantities of genetic material. In Vanuatu, human remains are often associated with ancestral spirits and are thus taboo understandably, Bedford emphasized to me, explaining that he wouldnt be comfortable digging up and boring into Granddad. But in this case, the ni-Vanuatu expressed no reservations: Local oral traditions contained no sacred reference to the Teouma dead, and Chief Alben gave his blessing. One of Bedfords colleagues opened the skulls in a workshop warren behind the national museum, extracted the nubbins of petrous bone and shipped them to Dublin, where they were sandblasted. There turned out to be DNA in three of the samples. It was the first to be found in the tropics and suggested the opening of wide new fronts in ancient-DNA research. The skulls of Teouma were particularly interesting to paleogenomicists not only because they produced the first ancient DNA in the Pacific but because their genetic evidence could be brought to bear on an outstanding debate in the region. The pivotal moment in Pacific archaeological history happened in 1952, when a team of researchers found a cache of dentate-stamped pots at a place called Lapita in New Caledonia, a French collectivity to the southwest of Vanuatu. More than 200 sites eventually turned up nearly duplicate versions of this innovation across an enormous span of the region. The pots were often found with particular varieties of preserved plants and nuts, as well as stone adzes. Whoever made those pots some 3,000 years ago had traveled across more than 2,000 miles of ocean from near Papua New Guinea to Tonga and Samoa in perhaps as little as 10 generations. Over the last 50 years, a collaboration among archaeologists, linguists, botanists, ecologists, geologists and more had produced some form of consensus. A population of early farmers departed from Taiwan about 5,000 years ago, with the help of the newly developed outrigger canoe. They moved down through the Philippines and the Spice Islands, along the northern coasts of New Guinea and eventually out to the Bismarck Archipelago, more or less the limit of Near Oceania; the tracer dye for their path was the language family they left behind, one known as Austronesian. Along the way, they encountered populations of Papuans a generic shorthand for highly distinct groups of people who had been in the Papua New Guinea region for 40,000 years. The interactions between the incoming Austronesians, another shorthand for whoever was presumably spreading those languages, and the indigenous Papuans created the constellation of practices that would become known as Lapita. Finally, the people now associated with Lapita sailed into the blankness of the open ocean for the first time, crossing the Remote Oceania divide to Vanuatu and, from there, outward to the farthest reaches of the Pacific. Archaeologists differed, often bitterly, on the details, but as Reich describes it in his book, the prevailing opinion was that the Lapita archaeological culture was forged during a period of intense exchange between people ultimately originating in the farming center of China (via Taiwan) and New Guineans. This certainly made intuitive sense. The people of contemporary Vanuatu are black, like the Papuan people of New Guinea, but they speak Austronesian languages that can ultimately be traced to Asia. Reich believed that the existing consensus was the perfect sort of hypothesis to put to the ancient-DNA test. The Austronesians and the Papuans had been separated by at least 40,000 years of genetic differentiation, which meant that it would be very easy to discriminate by genetic signature. In October 2016, the paper with such well-regarded Pacific archaeologists as Stuart Bedford and his mentor, Matthew Spriggs of the Australian National University, among the 31 authors was published in Nature as Genomic Insights Into the Peopling of the Southwest Pacific. The analysis of ancient DNA from three 3,000-year-old skulls from Teouma, along with one skull dated a few hundred years later from Tonga, appeared to provide unambiguous confirmation of Lapita heritage. The First Remote Oceanians, as the paper calls them, were not, after all, a heterogenous group; they were of unmixed Asian descent. | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/17/magazine/ancient-dna-paleogenomics.html |
Could LG's new smarthome strategy bring about a unified platform for the Internet of Things? | One of the problems with the smarthome sector at present is that everybody seems to be doing their own thing. There is no unified platform that ensures products from different manufacturers all work together. However, LG is making strides to bring something like that about. It has announced a smarthome strategy during its annual InnoFest conference in Portugal, which could eventually mean a unified platform for controlling various aspects of your smarthome products. The South Korean company said it believes that an open "end-to-end" system, from hardware through to connectivity, can become a reality. It would mean all the separate apps controlling your lighting, heating, appliances and music could eventually be controlled from one place, rather than several. LG confirmed that it was planning to offer an "open platform, open connectivity and open ecosystem" to deliver the best user experience for customers, rather than "pigeon hole" them into a specific technology. As part of the strategy, LG has extended its Home Chat service - tech that enables users to text their appliances - to its wearable products including the LG G Watch R and it has also announced integration with the Nest smart heating thermostat under the Works with Nest program. LG is part of the AllSeen Alliance group, as well as One M2M, which both feature a number of partners and manufacturers that provide various smarthome products. The AllSeen Alliance includes the likes of Qualcomm, HTC, Panasonic, Bosch and Haier, while the One M2M group has Vodafone, Samsung and Intel on board, among others. LG claimed its ultimate goal was to work openly with other players in market to deliver simplicity, credibility, extra value and marketing so it looks like exciting times for the smarthome arena. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/smart-home/news/lg/132465-could-lg-s-new-smarthome-strategy-bring-about-a-unified-platform-for-the-internet-of-things |
How many series of Killing Eve are there and when does it return? | Killing Eve will be back with us very soon (Picture: PA) Killing Eve has proven so popular that youd be forgiven for thinking it was still on our screens at the moment. In actual fact were still waiting for the new season of the show, which has proven an awards favourite with Sandra Oh picking up both a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice award for her role. Season one ended on a bit of a cliffhanger (Picture: BBC) Believe it or not weve only had one series, consisting of eight episodes. The show aired on BBC America first, airing there in the spring/summer before it came to the UK. Advertisement Advertisement The second season of Phoebe Waller-Bridges Killing Eve will land on US screens on April 8. Theres no confirmed date for the UK yet although the BBCs Charlotte Moore said last year fans would not have to wait so long next time to see the next series. All of which suggests we may also get it in the spring Killing Eve proved so popular that the second season was confirmed before the first had even finished. This show has the thunder of women on both sides of the chase in Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer and, importantly, behind the camera with the lavishly brilliant Phoebe Waller-Bridge, BBC America president Sarah Barnett said at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Apart from Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, series two features a bunch of new cast members including The Mighty Boosh and Mindhorn star Julian Barratt, as well as Indian Summers Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Colette star Shannon Tarbet and W1As Nina Sosanya. Regular cast member Fiona Shaw will also be returning as Carolyn. You can expect a whole load of European locations in the next one, with filming having taken place across Paris, Buchaest, Tuscany and Amsterdam. If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/17/many-series-killing-eve-new-season-start-8354460/ |
What is Nest and why does Google want to buy it? | In a surprising move on Monday, Google announced the acquisition of Nest Labs, a home automation company that's made quite a name for itself in three years. We have rounded up everything you need to know about the acquisition. Nest started with the release of the Nest Learning Thermostat in 2011, shaking up an industry that hadn't seen a revamp in more than 30 years. In the smartphone age, the Nest brought something new to the table - not only a sleek new wheel design, but also the ability to control your home's climate from anywhere. The Nest will optimise itself for your system and start learning from your temperature changes instantly to help you save money. In late-2013, Nest expanded to the smoke and carbon monoxide detector with the Nest Protect. Like the thermostat, the Protect is smartphone connected, sending you a message when it's low on battery or an emergency has been detected. It will also give you a friendly warning to where danger is and if, say, you burn some toast, you can simply wave to silence the alarm. Read: Nest Protect review The Nest Learning Thermostat is available in the US for $249 and the and Nest Protect in the US and UK for $129/109, with plans to bring the thermostat to the UK soon. They're available throughout a slew of retailers, including Apple Stores. Nest Labs was co-founded in 2010 by former Apple engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. Fadell is well known for his work at Apple for creating the concept and design of the original iPod, a product that put Apple on the map during the 21st century. He oversaw the design and production of the iPod, until he departed Apple in 2008. Rogers was responsible for iPod software development at Apple. In an interview with The Economist, Fadell said Nest was born out of frustration when he was building an energy-efficient home near Lake Tahoe in California. He found that existing thermostat options were very limited, and decided it was time for his new business. Fadell and his former Apple colleague Rogers started Nest Labs in a Palo Alto garage. It's said that a large number of the Nest Labs' staff, currently more than 120 employees, are former Apple employees. Essentially with its acquisition of Nest, Google has garnered a team that once put the iPod, one of the world's best-selling consumer electronic devices, on the market. Fadell explained on Nest's blog that Google has the resources to help the home automation company grow globally with software and hardware. "And our company visions are well aligned we both believe in letting technology do the hard work behind the scenes so people can get on with the things that matter in life," Fadell said. "Google is committed to helping Nest make a difference and together, we can help save more energy and keep people safe in their homes." Some have theorised Nest was having trouble reaching the mainstream market, and sales were slowing as the "geek market" had already purchased the products. If that's true, maybe Fadell and Co saw Google's distribution as a way of growing to the mainstream. Even before Google Ventures invested in Nest, Google had been in the mix at the company. Fadell met with Google co-founder Sergey Brin at the 2011 TED conference to show him an early Nest prototype and "he instantly got what we were doing and so did the rest of the Google team when we showed them", Fadell said. Recode reported on Monday that Google was the only serious bidder and Apple was not in the mix to buy Nest. Google is notorious for buying products and quickly shutting them down - a prime example being Sparrow, a once popular mail application. Fadell and Google were quick to say that wouldn't be the case for Nest. It will retain its distinct brand identity under Google and will continue selling in retail stores in the US, Canada and the UK. "Nest will continue to be Nest, with its own distinct brand identity," Fadell wrote. "We will continue to reimagine and reinvent the unloved products that proliferate in our homes, just as we have since we started. We are simply going to get our products into the hands of people around the world faster." While Google says Nest will be operating as a separate entity, it's safe to assume Nest's assets will be working on projects within Google. "Nests product line obviously caught the attention of Google and Im betting that theres a lot of cool stuff we could do together, but nothing to share today," Matt Rogers, VP of engineering, wrote on Nest's blog. Before the purchase of Nest, Google was rumoured to be testing behind closed doors its own "EnergySense" thermostat that enables users to keep track of their energy use. It was never clear on how far the company planned to take EnergySense, and if Nest's product and team will have any future within the EnergySense project. Google has also expressed interest in Android in the home. "You want to be able to walk into your house and have all the appliances adjust, know it's you," Google chairman Eric Schmidt said in 2012 at a CNET CES event in Las Vegas. "A text message goes to the TV because that's your preference." It's obvious Google has plans to be connected within your home, which has some people worried. Following the announcement of Google's acquisition, many took to Twitter poking fun. Some jokingly said Google will target advertisements when your Nest Protect alarm goes off during a fire, or that you can't change your Nest thermostat temperature until you join Google+. Rogers tried to dampen privacy fears by saying no customer data would be shared with Google: "Our privacy policy clearly limits the use of customer information to providing and improving Nests products and services. Weve always taken privacy seriously and this will not change." Google said in a press release that its deal with Nest, for $3.2 billion in all cash, will close in the next couple months. First, it's subject to the usual US regulatory approval. After that, it will be interesting to see what the two companies create together in the home automation space. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/smart-home/news/nest/126516-what-is-nest-and-why-does-google-want-to-buy-it |
Are assessments the best predictors of students' abilities? | Dive Brief: New York Citys assessment for students to gain entrance to its elite high schools shows bias against girls, wrote The Hechinger Report , citing upcoming research from the Gender Equity Project at Hunter College of the City University of New York. The problem may lie in the use of multiple choice questions in tests. The study found that among girls and boys who earned the same score on New York Citys Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT), girls had a grade point average that was 4.2 points higher on a 100-point scale than that of boys. This is mirrored at the college level, where women did better than men in lab sections, while men scored higher on exams, according to research from University of Michigan physicist Timothy McKay. The thinking is that women have trouble when theyre in situations, like taking high-stakes tests, where they have stereotypically not succeeded. Dive Insight: Standardized tests are so woven into curriculum today that its difficult to excise them from the educational process. However, administrators and curriculum designers can make choices on how to use these exams, and the emphasis they place on them, when steering students toward academic pathways and career exploration. When used to identify students who need additional support in certain subjects, assessments can be helpful tools. When used to make overall judgments on a childs future career path limiting those that may be in front of them they can be harmful. When it comes to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, for example, girls appear to get pushed away. Fewer girls enroll in STEM classes, clubs and college programs than boys. Girls may even label themselves as lacking potential in STEM subjects after taking assessments in these subjects in elementary school, or even mirror their own teachers who voice how they lack skills in math or other specific STEM subjects, as well. To bring true equality to all children, educators must put assessments back in their place, as stones that mark where students stand and not where their potential will take them tomorrow. | https://www.educationdive.com/news/are-assessments-the-best-predictors-of-students-abilities/545959/ |
What does the government shutdown mean for administrators? | Dive Brief: As the nation continues to deal with the longest partial federal government shutdown in history, most school leaders aren't very concerned about how school operations will be affected this year since the U.S. Department of Education is funded during the shutdown, Education Week reports. The most immediate area of concern for school funding is its impact on the National School Lunch program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture a department that is affected and only has enough money to meet needs through March. School leaders also need to consider the direct impact the shutdown is having on students whose parents are in the military, are federal employees, or work in businesses affected by the loss of income those employees are facing, preparing to offer practical help in the form of clothing closets or food pantries, access to community resources, and emotional support and understanding. Dive Insight: Schools are fortunate during the current federal shutdown that the Department of Education is funded for now, and that schools have or will receive most of their federal funding for the current year. However, the potential impact of the loss of funding for the National School Lunch Program in March will cause headaches for school district leaders as they scramble to find alternative sources of funding in order to keep students fed especially as these students may be facing greater hardships at home because of the shutdown. There is time for this crisis to be averted, but since there has been little movement on the shutdown so far, school leaders may want to consider alternative sources of funding if it extends until March. School lunch programs usually have their own separate budget within the overall school budget. If properly managed, these programs may have healthy fund balances that can carry them through the end of the school year. Otherwise, districts may be forced to dip into general fund balances or seek additional state or local funds to keep the program running. The school lunch program is of even greater importance during a shutdown because more families may need assistance now due to cut wages. Though the current federal shutdown does not have a great direct impact on schools at this time, it may be impacting the families of some federal employees, those who depend on agricultural subsidies or loans, needy families who depend on HUD-subsidized housing, those receiving SNAP benefits, and some health programs especially those affecting Native Americans. School leaders need to work to address what needs they can for these families by encouraging participation in the school lunch program, connecting families with available resources, and providing for clothing and food needs when possible. As families deal with the uncertainty and turmoil during this period, schools need to be aware of the emotional demands this situation places on students, as well. If the shutdown lasts for several months, school leaders will need to step up the level of concern for district finances as grants and federal funding may be affected for the coming year. The good news is that the nation has survived many shutdowns in the past. The hope is that national leaders will find an end to the game soon and get the government back on track before more lives are affected. | https://www.educationdive.com/news/what-does-the-government-shutdown-mean-for-administrators/546071/ |
Why is food waste not collected every week? | When I moved to Chichester from Bedfordshire four years ago I was surprised to find that food waste was not collected weekly in Chichester. This had been par for the course in central Bedfordshire for some ten years and worked very efficiently. Residents were given a kitchen worktop caddy with biodegradable insert bags such that food waste could be popped in at source and then the bags were placed in a larger container which was emptied weekly by the waste collection services. Recyclables and residual non-recyclables were collected fortnightly. I asked Chichester District Council why this system was not applied in our area but was informed that the council did not have access to (or perhaps could not afford) the necessary disposal facility. Perhaps now the Governments new strategy will force some action in this area. I certainly hope so. Fiona Steele, Whistler Avenue, Chichester | https://www.midhurstandpetworth.co.uk/news/your-say/why-is-food-waste-not-collected-every-week-1-8773176 |
Will Rocking Star Yash Be Seen In 'The Highway Mafia' Next? | KGF: Chapter 1 became an all time hit and broke several records. The action film that stars Yash in the lead, managed to impress the audience worldwide. Also, the actors who were until now the known faces of Sandalwood, have gained immense recognition and popularity across the nation. Following KGF's success, one of the most common question targeted at Yash was what movie he's planning on taking up next. 'The Highway Mafia' is one such title that has been making rounds. 'The Highway Mafia' is a book based on real life events, authored by Chennai based Suchitra Rao. The book talks about illegal trafficking of cows in India. The story is also based on three real life events. Huge number of copies of The Highway Mafia were sold upon its launch. Now, the author Suchitra is planning on making a movie based on it. The film is said to be released in four languages and preparations for the same have already begun. According to the speculations, Vijay of Tamil, Sushanth Singh of Bollywood, Mahesh Babu from Telugu and Yash of Kannada will be roped in to act the film. MOST READ : CONFIRMED! Kichha Sudeep To Act In Salman Khan's Dabangg 3; REVEALS Exclusive Details! Yash, who recently spoke to media during the success meet of KGF: Chapter 1 had revealed that he is been getting offers from other film industries. However, he has not considered anything, as he's only concentrating on KGF's sequel. If the reports hold true, Yash will be next seen in The Highway Mafia, which a few are predicting would be a super hit. | https://www.filmibeat.com/kannada/news/2019/will-rocking-star-yash-be-seen-in-the-highway-mafia-next-281647.html?utm_source=/rss/filmibeat-fb.xml&utm_medium=23.50.225.237&utm_campaign=client-rss |
Will Q4 Results Prove Schlumberger Has Peaked? | Source: Forbes Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB) reports Q4 earnings Friday. Analysts expect revenue of $8.1 billion and EPS of $0.37. The revenue estimate implies a 5% decline sequentially. Investors should focus on the following key items. North America Could Finally Falter Pursuant to oil services names, earnings season seems to center around who has exposure to the North America land drilling market and who does not. The sector has been white-hot for a few years and Schlumberger, Halliburton (HAL), and Baker Hughes (BHGE) have been sitting in the proverbial catbird seat. I have wondered out loud when North America would finally crack. Schlumberger had been known more for its international operations. In Q1 2018, it acquired Weatherford's (WFT) U.S. pressure pumping assets for $430 million. The deal amplified exposure to North America and helped close the gap between it, Halliburton and Baker Hughes. At Q3 2018, the company's revenue from North America was 38% of total revenue, up from 24% two years earlier. RBC Capital Markets analyst Kurt Hallead was so ebullient on the Weatherford deal that he pondered whether it would lead to a merger with Schlumberger: Hallead thinks the deal could spur more mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. fracturing industry. But he notes other possible outcomes, including Schlumberger buying Weatherford out of the joint venture, Weatherford selling its artificial lift business to Halliburton and Schlumberger buying out the rest of Weatherford -- although that's further down his probability scale. I questioned whether the deal had occurred as North America had peaked. Last month, Schlumberger may have answered that question; management warned North America revenue could fall 15% sequentially due to a steep decline in hydraulic fracking. This leads to two questions. Schlumberger has been the stalwart of the oil services sector since oil prices cracked in the second half of 2014. Q3 2018 revenue was up 2% Y/Y. A double-digit decline in North America could cause total Q4 revenue growth to turn negative. A dismal Q4 2018 could be priced in. A weak Q1 2019 may not be. The North America land drilling sector could be oversupplied, while the offshore market has been largely ignored over the past two years. In Q2 2018, there was noise that the offshore market was awakening. When oil prices surpassed $80 in October, it appeared that offshore could help differentiate Schlumberger and Baker Hughes from Halliburton. Lower break-even costs for deepwater projects were also encouraging. Schlumberger won awards from key customers like Transocean (RIG), and drilling contractors were beginning to order equipment to upgrade rigs in anticipation of increased activity. A proxy for Schlumberger's offshore prowess is Cameron, which it acquired three years ago. Cameron's Q3 revenue of $1.3 billion was flat sequentially, so activity in deepwater markets has not led to traction on the top line so far. Brent oil is now sub-$60, and with signs of a global recession popping up, there is no guarantee prices will not fall from here. The potential in offshore is there, but oil prices must co-operate. At oil prices sub-$60, it may not be economical for oil companies to put capital to work over an extended period. That could remove a potential hedge on Schlumberger's North America operations. Schlumberger has several levers to pull. Its EBITDA margins are 21%, which is more robust than that of Halliburton and Baker Hughes. Management is excellent at cost containment in case revenue does turn down. The company has over $6.5 billion in operating expenses management can cut into to preserve margins. That said, SLB trades at nearly 11x trailing 12 months EBITDA. Over the past few years, bulls could throw fundamental analysis out the window. The only thing that mattered was flows into stocks. HAL trades at just under 8x EBITDA. In my opinion, 11x EBITDA sounds too rich in an environment where the Fed appears to have removed the punch bowl. Conclusion SLB is down over 40% Y/Y. A contraction in its largest operating segment will not help matters. Sell SLB. Disclosure: I am/we are long WFT. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4233700-will-q4-results-prove-schlumberger-peaked |
Is A Dovish Fed Hurting TLT's Performance? | If the recent improvement in financial market conditions induces the Fed to turn more hawkish, then recession fears could return, which would allow the TLT ETF to climb higher. The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT), which tracks the prices of long-term treasury bonds, is down 2.83% since Jan. 3, 2018. This decline follows a robust rally towards the end of the year, as fears of a recession had driven long-term yields lower, and bond prices higher. However, as a Fed has turned more dovish lately, it has eased recession fears, and is pushing bond prices lower instead. This article assesses how the ETF could move going forward. Source: Yahoo Finance Prospectus Review The TLT ETF has an objective to track the ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index. The TLT ETFs strategy involves only holding exposure to Treasuries that have maturities of more than 20 years, hence longer-term bonds. While these are more risky, their price sensitivity means the bonds also produce greater returns when interest rates are expected to fall over the long term, which is why I have chosen this ETF. The Top 10 holdings of the ETF include: Source: iShares Risk Note from TLT prospectus: The Fund may be subject to tracking error, which is the divergence of the Funds performance from that of the Underlying Index. Tracking error may occur because of differences between the securities held in the Funds portfolio and those included in the Underlying Index, pricing differences, differences in transaction costs, or the Funds holding of un-invested cash. The reason I have picked this ETF specifically is because according to ETFdb.com, this is the only ETF that offers exposure to longer-term Treasury bonds. In fact, out of all ETFs offering exposure to the Treasury market, TLT has the highest average trading volume of 9.06 million. This makes it easier to buy and sell shares in the ETF, thereby lowering the liquidity risk when investing in the fund. Negative economic data On Jan. 15, 2019, Empire State Manufacturing Survey data was released, which showed a sharp decline to 3.9, way off the 12.0 estimate. This reflects negative sentiment among businesses, which could translate into lower capex spending and employment activity. The weakness in the economy was also reflected by Producer Price Index (PPI) data. The month-over-month change in PPI was -0.2%, while the consensus estimate was for the rate to remain stable (0%). Therefore, weak manufacturing data has been accompanied by weak producer inflation data, confirming that the economy is indeed slowing down. Though weak economic data releases is reinforcing the idea that the Fed will have to considerably slow down, or even halt, its rate hiking process. Hence this results in short-term yields falling (or at least not rising as much), while long-term yields rise as market participants believe that a more dovish Fed in the short-term will improve the economic outlook over the long-term. This consequently induces long-term bond prices to fall, thereby ragging the TLT ETF lower. In essence, negative economic data has become bad news for the ETF, as investors are convinced the Fed will inevitably be turning more dovish and allow the economy to prosper over the long-term. Goldman and IMF expects slower economic growth Recently, investment bank Goldman Sachs stated that while they do not expect a recession this year, they do expect a sharp decline in economic growth this year. Furthermore, the IMF had also lowered its growth forecast for 2019 from 3.9% to 3.7%, and given Goldmans increased bearishness on the economy, there is a good chance the IMF could lower its forecasts even lower as the economy continues to weaken. Hence the outlook for the economy is certainly not moving in a positive direction. Moreover, while Fed members have recently been expressing dovishness to calm market nervousness, it is important to note that the Fed is certainly eager to normalize monetary policy conditions. Chairman Powell recently expressed his desire to bring the balance sheet to more normal levels, and the fact that he has sparked discussion late last year regarding the notion of a neutral rate reflects how Fed members have clearly been discussing the need to normalize interest rates as much as possible. Therefore, in the event that the Fed does not follow through with its dovish remarks, and continues to tighten amid weakening economic conditions, then this could seriously trigger recession fears among market participants again. In this case, long-term yields would plummet, which would allow the TLT ETF to surge higher. Bottom Line The weakening economy is making investors confident that the Fed will definitely halt its rate hiking process this year. This has induced a risk-on sentiment, which has reduced demand for long-term bonds. While the TLT ETF has been declining lately, I believe it could turn around as it realizes that a recession/economic pain is inevitable over the long-term. Investors should also beware of a scenario where the improving financial market conditions make the Fed more hawkish, which would induce recession fears again over the long-term, and allow the TLT ETF to rally higher. Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, but may initiate a long position in TLT over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4233697-dovish-fed-hurting-tlts-performance |
Will Dubarry benefit from the Kate Effect? | Apparently, it's the phone call that all fashion designers lie in wait for, and once it comes through, it means a retail red-letter day. Apparently, it's the phone call that all fashion designers lie in wait for, and once it comes through, it means a retail red-letter day. And this week, it was the turn of Irish brand Dubarry, when Kate Middleton stepped out in one of their 480 jackets, produced by John Hanley tweeds in Nenagh, on her first public engagement of the year. Dubarry, originally a shoe retailer established in Ballinasloe in 1937, has already enjoyed a celebrity endorsement boost from the likes of Geri Horner and Amanda Holden. And they're already a brand loved by the Queen, Princess Anne and Zara Phillips. Yet it's assumed that the Kate Effect will provide a huge shot in the arm for the design house. At the time of going to press, the Bracken Heath jacket that Kate wore had sold out online, in all sizes but a size 18. "There has been a notable uplift in our website traffic in the past 24 hours and indeed significant sales of the Bracken jacket in the immediate aftermath," reveals Dubarry's Marketing Director Michael Walsh. "This has also seen significant foot flow into our stores in Dublin, London and Cheltenham enquiring about the Bracken jacket." Fashion boost: Kate Middleton visits King Henrys Walk Garden in Islington, London, in a Dubarry jacket on Tuesday. Her fashion choice could trigger an upsurge in sales for the Galway brand Irish designers have enjoyed royal connections before with, it must be noted, varying degrees of success. It all started with couturier John Cavanagh, who designed a wedding dress for Katharine Worsley (bride of the Duke Of Kent) in 1961. Two years later, he then dressed Princess Alexandra of Kent for her own wedding in Westminster Abbey. Paul Costelloe was roundly regarded as one of Princess Diana's favourite designers in the 90s, and was a regular caller to her inner sanctum at Kensington Palace. "That was the beginning, that was one of the biggest things for my career, dressing Princess Diana," he told the Irish Independent last year of the association. Following Diana's endorsement, Costelloe went on to work with Zara Tindall and Princess Anne, both of whom are still clients. Philip Treacy has been a blueblood staple for longer than he cares to remember, and the connection with the Royal Family has been, on reflection, a mixed bag of fortunes. He designed no fewer than 20 hats for Harry and Meghan Markle's big day, though back in 2011, he admitted that he'd end up with his "head on a spike" for creating Princess Beatrice's 'octopus' hat for Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011. Yet adopting the maxim that there's no such thing as bad publicity, the infamous fashion creation has been part of his journey to the top of his game. Last year, Irish designer Don O'Neill's white ballgown was one of the many designers that Meghan Markle packed for her 16-day tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga. The Kerryman, back then a relative unknown, noted that creating the gown for the duchess was "beyond my wildest dreams". It's a major coup for any designer on the up, amounting to acres of publicity that could scarcely be bought. London-based consultants Brand Finance certainly seem to think it's the former, and two years ago pitched Middleton's potential worth annually to the British fashion industry at 1b (1.12b). Relative newcomer Meghan, says Brand Finance, boosted the British economy by $677m (594m) in 2018 alone. Where Kate Middleton's 'purse-friendly' approach (relatively speaking) has apparently aided an ailing high street, animal lover Meghan is said to be doing the same stellar work for sustainable and eco-friendly labels. Prince George (5) may be king one day, but he is reportedly worth a mere 2.3b (2.59b) by comparison to three-year-old Charlotte's 3b (3.38b). A princess is worth potentially more to the economy because of the fashion she might wear in the future, and Charlotte's birth alone is said to have generated economic benefits of over 100m (124m). "As well as the boost to baby clothing sales that we have seen from Prince George, a Princess would be able to set trends throughout her life, which will be great for the people who designed her clothes or those who can make quick knock-off copies," says Brand Finance Chief Executive David Haigh. The vintage Silver Cross pram that carried Charlotte to her christening at Sandringham in 2015 enjoyed a dramatic upswing in popularity, for instance. Prams With Pizazz, a company that restores them, was "inundated" with calls after the ceremony, according to owner Scott Frew. One designer who has certainly felt the warm glow of the Kate Effect is London-based Erdem Moralioglu, who has credited Kate with transforming him from a struggling designer to a fashion powerhouse boasting $15m (13.1m) in annual sales. Designer Jenny Packham, similarly, reported a 58pc increase in frock sales when Middleton wore her buttercup yellow shift dress outside St Mary's Hospital after Charlotte's birth. They're healthy numbers by anyone's standards, but the Kate Effect (or the Meghan Effect, for that matter), doesn't always inure designers from the slings and arrows of a famously fickle industry. Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive at St Mary Magdalene's church for the Royal Family's Christmas Day service on the Sandringham estate in eastern England, Britain, December 25, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah McKay Besides equating a 'sellout' item with a wild streak of success is something of a misnomer. If, for instance, Kate or Meghan wear a certain label or item without prior warning to the fashion houses, it means precious little if the designer in question has a humble amount of stock to sell. And this can often be the case. Just ask Orla Kiely, the Kilkenny-born Irish designer whose fashion empire collapsed late last year. Kate was a fervent champion of Kiely and was regularly spotted in her dresses and frock coats. In one instance, a dress that Kate favoured sold out online within minutes of photos being published. "We don't know in advance (when Kate wears our outfits), so it is a case of 'oh, holy smoke'. It's good for business, absolutely," Kiely said in May 2017. But evidently, not good enough: the ringing endorsement from one of the world's biggest fashion icons wasn't enough to save the fashion label. The full story behind the demise of Kiely's fashion empire has yet to surface, although a statement released last year alluded to "various challenges that have faced the company over the past few years, both in the UK and abroad". Proof positive then, that a doff of the cap from even the most fashion forward and influential princess doesn't always mean that a designer can sit back and rest on their royally recommended laurels. Irish Independent | https://www.independent.ie/style/fashion/fashion-news/will-dubarry-benefit-from-the-kate-effect-37719399.html |
What does EE arrival mean for Orange and T-Mobile customers? | 'Eligible' UK customers of Orange and T-Mobile will be offered a 'straightforward' way of moving onto the newly formed EE 4G network, according to Everything Everywhere. In a veritable confusion of brands old and new, Orange and T-Mobile are owned by Everything Everywhere and it has launched the new EE brand ahead of its 4G rollout. But the question on current Orange and T-Mobile customers lips is 'what does this mean for me?' and EE has done its best to explain. 3G, 4G, EE by gum "Everything Everywhere, the company behind Orange and T-Mobile, is launching a new brand and network called EE," said the statement. "As an Orange or T-Mobile customer you'll now use EE's new 3G network, the biggest in the UK, so soon you'll start to see 'EE' on your phone or device screen. "We're also replacing your local T-Mobile and Orange stores with exciting new EE stores, giving you access to almost twice as many stores as today. "When EE launches, we'll make it easy and straightforward for eligible Orange and T-Mobile customers to move to EE." PAYG no go And in answer to another question EE adds: "To use 4G you'll need 4G coverage, a 4G compatible phone, 4G SIM card and 4GEE plan on EE. EE is working with the major manufacturers to offer a range of 4G phones and tablets. "There won't be any pay as you go plans available on EE at launch but look out for great pay as you go offers on EE in the future." Some of this not particularly enlightening of course; you will have to move across to the new network if you want to use a 4G device and although there is no indication as yet as to whether that will require you to renew your contract we'd assume it will. EE has insisted that it will update us closer to the time, and people can sign up for updates (as long as you are prepared to give them carte blanche to use your email, postal address and mobile number to market its wares to you). Of course, we will be chasing the answers on your behalf as the situation becomes more clear. | https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/what-does-ee-arrival-mean-for-orange-and-t-mobile-customers-1096246 |
Why attend The Telegraph Alternative Investment summit? | Identifying the most significant benchmarks for sustainability or ESG (environment, social, governance) taking into account pricing, price transparency and quantifying impact over different time horizons Overcoming the lack of price transparency due to the more clunky way that the alternatives market works in comparison with traditional stock and shares which run like clockwork Register interest The Summit will gather together 250 to 300 attendees who are actively engaged in alternative investments. Expect to meet and network with asset owners from pensions, insurance, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations with discussions focussing on emerging opportunities in alternative investment and a particular interest in sustainable and ESG investing. If youd like to attend, register your interest to be the first to know when the tickets go on sale. | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/alternative-investment-summit/why-attend/ |
Can a sunny escape from the pressures of daily life help post-natal depression? | I never thought Id be the kind of person who takes their 10-month-old baby on a long-haul flight to a tropical island for an indulgent week away. My earliest family holidays were taken under canvas in crowded French campsites. But then I never thought that six months after my daughters birth Id be sitting in a consulting room trying to explain through my tears that there was simply too much in my head. In the referral letter, my GP had written that I was appropriately dressed; I was wearing a pair of Gucci loafers. I remember looking at my shoes trying to recall being the same woman who less than a year earlier had walked confidently into fashion shows and filed reviews to be printed in this newspaper within an hour. I was now too terrified to leave the house or be left alone. | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/family-holidays/postnatal-depression-sun-holiday-helps/ |
Did Stan and Ollie perform on South Tyneside? | The new film Stan & Ollie, which sees Steve Coogan and John C Reilly, play one of the worlds greatest comedy teams, Laurel and Hardy, should resonate with people here on South Tyneside. For one of the famous duo, Stan Laurel, has strong links with the area, as my predecessor Janis Blower reminded readers back in 2011. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy on a visit to Leeds. At the time, she was reporting on the publication of a book, The Making of Stan Laurel: Echoes of a British Boyhood, by Danny Lawrence. In her article, Janis wrote: When Hollywood might as well have been another planet, it was unimaginable that this film star had once hopped across here regularly on the ferry, en route to visit his fathers theatre at Hebburn, or that he counted folk from Shields and its neighbouring towns among his closest friends. Here was someone who could write that the smell of North Shields fish quay was like a garden of roses compared to the cat-infested school he had attended at Tynemouth: You could smell the joint from Jarrow, he said. In his book, Lawrence, a retired sociologist, brings to life, says Janis, the now lost-world of the old variety theatres and halls, venues like the Theatre Royal, at North Shields, which Laurels father, Arthur Jefferson Snr, took over in 1895, and which was just one of a number that, like the theatre at Hebburn, he leased across the North East. It was a world of precociously juvenile stars, for instance: acts like 12-year-old Jarrow-born George Wood, alongside whom the young Stan appeared in a production of The Sleeping Beauty, with the Levy and Cardwell Juvenile Pantomime Company in 1907. The two would become lifetime friends and they were days that Stan would look back on with great affection. In a letter written many years later, he would recall, with hilarity, falling into a barrel of fish guts near that iconic North Shields figure, the old Wooden Dolly. The Making of Stan Laurel: Echoes of a British Boyhood was published in paperback, price about 29, by McFarland (www.mcfarlandpub.com) The new film is set in 1953 when, diminished by age and with their golden era as the kings of Hollywood comedy behind them, Laurel and Hardy set out on a variety hall tour of Britain. The tour becomes a hit, though there are plenty of ups and downs along the way, including the fact that Oliver Hardys health is failing (he died in 1957 after a series of strokes), and ultimately, the unfolding of their partnership. Perhaps you or a member of you family saw them on stage; if so please get in touch with your memories. Meanwhile, back to the film. Talking of his role as Stan, Steve Coogan says he can relate to the character her plays on screen: I write comedy, and Ive performed comedy for 25-plus years. Stan was from the north of England, and I am. Please drop me a line. | https://www.shieldsgazette.com/lifestyle/nostalgia/did-stan-and-ollie-perform-on-south-tyneside-1-9541978 |
Will the Saints' run defense hold up without DT Sheldon Rankins? | In the divisional round of the playoffs, the New Orleans Saints held serve in the NFC as they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to move on to the Championship Round. With that win, the Saints will now host the Los Angeles Rams with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl. However, that Divisional Round win came at an expensive cost for the Saints. Star defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins tore his left Achilles tendon early in the first quarter on Sunday and has since been placed on the teams injured reserve list, ending his season. Before his injury, Rankins was playing outstanding football. He was Pro Football Focus 21st-ranked defensive tackle in the league and racked up 15 quarterback hits, 12 tackles for a loss and eight sacks. The answer may not be kind to the Saints faithful. According to The Quant Edge, the Saints defensive success rate against the run took a massive hit when Rankins wasnt on the field this season. Teams averaged just 3.41 yards per carry when he was on the field and that sky-rocketed to 3.83 without him. Simply put, the Saints defense looks very different without Rankins in the lineup. In the Saints first matchup with the Rams, New Orleans struggled to stop the run as Los Angeles averaged 4.8 yards per carry on the ground. On the season, the Saints allowed just 3.6 yards per rush, the fewest yards allowed in the league according to Team Rankings. Even with Rankins, the Rams had no problem moving the ball on the ground. Now that the Saints will be without Rankins and the Rams running game is heating up with the presence of C.J Anderson, New Orleans could be in a lot of trouble on Sunday. To fill in for Rankins, the Saints signed veteran defensive lineman Tyrunn Walker, who has not played in a game this season. That could be troubling as the Rams present one of the most creative and productive rushing attacks in the NFL. Running almost exclusively out of 11 personnel, the Rams dangle a lot of eye candy for the defense. They will run fake jet-sweeps, read-options and will utilize endless amounts of pre-snap motion to keep linebackers on their heels. Watch how the fake jet-sweep held Leighton Vander Esch just long enough for the WR to block him. pic.twitter.com/QjsEXVcc0x Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) January 14, 2019 To stop this juggernaut of a rushing attack, the interior defensive linemen need to hold up against double teams and play fundamentally sound. That is much easier said than done against this Rams offensive line. One wrong step by a defensive lineman and Gurley and Anderson can slip into the second level with ease. It truly takes an entire team effort to stop this rushing attack consistently. Without Rankins, the Saints will be left with an interesting decision. My belief is that the Saints dont want the Rams controlling the clock in New Orleans. They would prefer to get into a shoot-out than play a ball-control style of game against the Rams. They are likely going to dare Jared Goff to beat them down the field with big plays and/or force the Rams to run into stacked boxes, something they havent done much of all season. Expect Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to send blitzes and use multiple fronts and different personnel groupings to keep the Rams off balance. The last thing the Saints can afford to do is allow Gurley and Anderson to control the pace of the game on the ground. But without Rankins, that is going to be very difficult to do. Its going to take an A+ game-plan from Sean Payton and Allen to stop Gurley and Anderson without their best run defender. | https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2019/01/17/will-the-saints-run-defense-hold-up-without-dt-sheldon-rankins/ |
Is LG about to take another stab at the tablet game? | LG may be getting back into the tablet game in a big way, with reported plans to push out a new slate in the third quarter of this year. We haven't seen LG release a tablet since its not-so-impressive Optimus Pad two years ago, which arrived running on Android 3.0 Honeycomb but failed to resonate much beyond that. The latest story, translated from Munhwa, gives nothing on what specs we might be expecting this time round though, or if it will be running on Android. While unlikely, it's certainly not out of the question. Optimus's revenge While it was a speedy device, the LG Optimus suffered thanks to its steep price tag. It also had a 3D camera but lacked a 3D screen, which didn't make an awful lot of sense at the time. But LG's business has picked up and thanks to its phones doing quite well, the company is in a better position to have another try at the tablet market. LG is currently revving up for its 'Save the Date' event at the end of this month, where we're expecting the launch of the Optimus G2. Via AndroidGuys | https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/mobile-computing/tablets/is-lg-about-to-take-another-stab-at-the-tablet-game-1150301 |
Does my employer match count towards my 401(k) maximum contribution? | In 2018, the total contribution limit from all sources is $55,000 if you are under the age of 50 and $61,000 if you are age 50 or older. This includes both employee and employer contributions. Most commonly, employers match the employees payroll contribution (can be 100% match or 50% match) up to a set percentage of the employees annual salary. For example, if you earn $60,000 a year and your employer offers a 100% match up to 5% of your salary, then the maximum they will contribute is $3,000, but only if you also contribute at least $3,000 into the plan. If you only contribute 4%, or $2,400, then your employers contribution will be reduced to that amount as well. Therefore, if possible, it is always more beneficial to maximize the match amount your employer offers. Scott Gaynor KCS Wealth Advisory, LLC Los Angeles, CA | https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/100314/does-my-employers-matching-contribution-count-towards-maximum-i-can-contribute-my-401k-plan.asp?utm_campaign=rss_headlines&amp;utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=referral?src=rss |
Does the Hitachi decision mean the end of the UK's nuclear dream? | Ever since Tony Blair rebooted support for nuclear power 13 years ago, British governments have been committed to a new generation of reactors to secure supplies and cut carbon emissions. But those ambitions have yielded just one project under construction, Hinkley Point C in Somerset, south-west England. The past two months have dealt serious blows to hopes for more, with Toshiba scrapping its plans for Moorside in Cumbria and Hitachi scrapping its Wylfa plant on Anglesey. Wylfas death means a second Hitachi plant planned for Oldbury, Gloucestershire, is doomed too. Together the three projects would have provided 15% of todays electricity demand. Hitachi scraps 16bn nuclear power station in Wales Read more What is not in question is the UKs need for more low carbon power. Coal and old nuclear plants are shutting in the 2020s and tough climate targets are looming. The Green party and groups such as Greenpeace advocate ditching nuclear in favour of more renewables, energy efficiency and flexibility through imports, batteries and other technologies. But most energy industry experts think the future involves some new nuclear. The government has already restated its commitment to new nuclear power. Its difficult to see a low-carbon energy system in the future which has no new nuclear, says George Day, head of policy and regulation at the government-funded Energy Systems Catapult. If you try and rely on just renewables and storage, without carbon capture and storage or nuclear, you are looking at a very challenging transition and one that is more costly than a balanced mix [of supplies]. All of National Grids four future energy scenarios envisage some new nuclear, although the amounts differ considerably. Peter Atherton, an analyst at Cornwall Insight, said it was hard to imagine an energy system without the baseload power, or continuous electricity supply, provided by nuclear. There is a school of thought that says baseload is a 20th century thing. They might be right. But it would be a big call by government to bet baseload wont be a thing by 2025. The government has already downgraded the amount of new nuclear it expects to be built in the future. It assumes 13 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity by 2035, implying three further nuclear power stations in addition to the 3.2GW one at Hinkley. Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Hinkley Point C nuclear power station under construction near Bridgwater, Somerset, England. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images There are now just two firms in the running, which are both involved in plans for two new plants. French state-owned EDF Energy, which is behind Hinkley, wants to start building a carbon copy at Sizewell on the Suffolk coast in 2021. Chinese state-owned CGN, meanwhile, is accelerating work on a Chinese-designed reactor for Bradwell in Essex, with the aim of being operational around 2030. Hitachis withdrawal suggests the financing model used for Hinkley, and proposed for Wylfa, is dead. The government will now likely junk that approach of offering a guaranteed price of power for 35 years for an alternative known as the regulated asset base (RAB) model. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has created a whole division to develop RAB, where a regulator would set a fixed sum for the power stations costs and fixed returns for the developer, paid for by energy billpayers or taxpayers. Officials are assessing RABs viability, with a decision expected this year. But critics say the approach loads the risk of nuclear plant construction delays, such as those seen in France and Finland, on citizens. Returns would also be paid for years before any electricity was generated. EDF Energy backs the RAB model and the Chinese have said they would look at it. Influential government adviser Dieter Helm has called it plausible and preferable to the Hinkley approach if the UK wants new nuclear. Day believes it could deliver the power stations that ministers want. Toshiba's failure shows private sector cannot deliver nuclear future for UK | Phillip Inman Read more Labour, which is pro-nuclear, has branded the approach risky and reckless, but has not put forward an alternative. Maybe. The obvious route is a lot more renewable power capacity than currently planned. The governments climate change advisers last year hiked up the amount of renewables they expected four years ago, to 45-60% of electricity supplies by 2030, up from 40-55% previously. Both are a big increase from the 33% level today. The Committee on Climate Change said there is evidence the energy system could cope with as much as 60% of supplies coming from intermittent renewables. Filling the 9.2GW-sized hole left by Moorside, Wylfa and Oldbury would require 14GW of offshore wind power, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit thinktank. That is equivalent to more than 20 of the worlds biggest offshore windfarm, which consists of 87 turbines. According to Atherton, the only way renewables and storage could plausibly fill the nuclear gap would be to spend a vast amount of money on saturating the UK with offshore wind. That could end up with enough turbines in enough different locations to replicate the always-on nature of nuclear. Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk Large-scale batteries will help with the variable nature of renewables, and are expanding fast. But they will not address the fact that electricity demand is much higher in winter than summer, or solve long windless spells. The other big techno fix in the arsenal of low-carbon energy options is carbon capture and storage (CCS). However, many years of government efforts to kickstart it failed and ministers have switched their focus away from CCS for power stations to CCS for industrial uses. Day said gas power stations with CCS still looked pretty promising but significant policy changes would be needed to enable firms to invest in it. Others are more dismissive. Atherton said: People have been working on CCS gas for 20 years, and nobody has got within a mile of it yet. People will tell you the technology works that doesnt mean I can do it on a budget. | https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jan/17/does-the-hitachi-decision-mean-the-end-of-the-uks-nuclear-dream |
Can Cadillac ever get its groove back? | DETROIT For many Americans, Cadillac is an adjective used to describe something luxurious. Despite Cadillac's aura of refinement, the General Motors premium brand has been losing customers for the last several years and now it's embarking on yet another turnaround plan. The latest roadmap calls for scrapping struggling cars, investing in electric vehicles, introducing new body styles, redoing ads and moving the brands headquarters. At the Detroit auto show this week, GM introduced a new three-row Cadillac crossover called the XT6. It comes as the automaker discontinues two sedans, the Cadillac ATS and CTS, hoping to capitalize on a preference for SUVs over cars in todays luxury market. Cadillac must remake its image in the eyes of shoppers who arent even considering the brand right now despite better-than-ever products, analysts say. Measured in total U.S. sales, the brand lags luxury rivals Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Tesla and Acura, according to Kelley Blue Book. Cadillac sold 154,702 vehicles in the U.S. in 2018, trailing luxury leader Mercedes' 354,144 and just ahead of Nissan luxury brand Infiniti's 149,280. More: Follow our latest auto show coverage More: These are the 10 most collectible cars of the Detroit auto show's past 30 years A 2020 Cadillac XT6 Sport sits on display during the 2019 North American International Auto Show held at Cobo Center in downtown Detroit on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. (Via OlyDrop) (Photo: RYAN GARZA, Detroit Free Press via USA TODAY Network) Steve Carlisle, Cadillacs new global president, said the comeback must start with an honest assessment of the brand's missteps. If you look back over the long history of Cadillac, which I have 116 years of it where weve done best, where weve thrived, is when were leading, Carlisle said. We stepped away from that for a long time. Sales slump Cadillac began to end a quarter-century drought in appeal around the turn of the 21st Century, Carlisle said. Vehicles like the ATS and CTS won acclaim from critics in the last decade. But it hasn't paid off in the form of U.S. momentum. In China, the brand has flourished, leading Cadillac to its best global sales ever in 2018. But in the U.S., sales fell about 15 percent from 2013 to 2018 despite a 10-percent increase in overall industry sales. GM CEO Mary Barra ousted Carlisles predecessor, Johan de Nysschen, in April after his turnaround plan didnt generate enough results during his four-year tenure. The de Nysschen plan included moving Cadillac from metro Detroit to New York City, marketing Cadillacs to urban coastal customers, and adopting a letters-and-numbers naming strategy used in German luxury brands. The problem is Cadillac doesnt need to be a German luxury brand. It needs to be an American luxury brand, said Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst at Portico Analytics. They have great products in the showroom, but the marketing was completely unrelatable and failed to break through. For example, she said, advertising images of Cadillacs in New York City's tony Greenwich Village were out of step with the brand's core customers. Stay Connected: Sign up for USA TODAY's Cars newsletter After replacing de Nysschen, Carlisle pivoted quickly to move the brand back to metro Detroit to be closer to engineers and decision-makers, and to begin overhauling the marketing strategy. Cadillac must find ways to appeal to people who have false impressions of who we are and people who dont know us at all, including millennials, Carlisle said. The brand has the features of industry-leading luxury vehicles, but many people don't know it, he said. Cadillac will focus on new technology and new models that fill gaps in the lineup, he said. It will deliver a remade or new vehicle every six months through 2021. That includes the XT6, which is smaller than the hulking Escalade SUV but larger than the XT5. It will also include a redesigned Escalade at some point soon, GM President Mark Reuss hinted last week. They need more SUVs," said Stephanie Brinley, auto analyst at IHS Markit. "Theyre adding the right products, but theyre adding them a few years too late in the sense that several other automakers have already done that. The future Next up: Cadillac will become GMs lead electric vehicle brand, Barra told investors last week. Its too early to tell how that plan will shape up. But Carlisle said its likely to involve advanced self-driving capability in vehicles available for sale at dealerships, not ride-sharing networks. That continues a trend of GM debuting its most advanced technology in Cadillacs. GM picked Cadillac for its recent introduction of automated highway driving technology called Super Cruise, which has impressed critics with its high-tech functionality and safety features. Enthusiast site Autoblog named Super Cruise its 2019 Technology of the Year. The system steers, brakes and accelerates on its own in highway driving, and keeps a camera trained on the driver's eyes to alert them if they become sleepy while relying on the autonomous technology. CLOSE USA Today's Nathan Bomey takes Cadillac's Super Cruise for a test drive. Luxury rival Lincoln, which is owned by Ford, has already revived the Lincoln Aviator SUV, for example. And Lincoln has gained ground on Cadillac in the sales race. Past vehicles waiting to be dusted off could include the Cadillac Eldorado or the Cadillac Fleetwood. Carlisle said hes very open-minded about resurrecting the brands historical names. But I think weve got to be really good custodians of where we apply those names, he said. You dont want to just throw them out there. But he hinted that past could be prologue. Special cars or engines should have special names, he said. The question, however, is whether Cadillac itself remains special to car buyers. Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2019/01/17/detroit-auto-show-cadillac/2592656002/ | https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2019/01/17/detroit-auto-show-cadillac/2592656002/ |
How should Nottingham Forest line up for Martin O'Neill's first game in charge? | Get Weekday Nottingham Forest FC updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Martin ONeill will take charge of his first Nottingham Forest game this weekend, when Bristol City visit the City Ground. And we want to know what you think the new Reds managers starting XI should be for his debut in the dugout. ONeill will have to contend with something of a defensive crisis for the Championship clash with the Robins. Danny Fox and Tendayi Darikwa will both be suspended after they were sent off in last Saturdays 2-0 defeat away to Reading, while Michael Dawson (hamstring) and Michael Hefele (Achilles) are also likely to be absent through injury. Further up the pitch, ONeill is a little more blessed with options. Ryan Yates came off the bench to make only his second appearance of the season and first in the league at the Madejski Stadium, maybe you think he deserves a longer run-out. Or maybe you would give teenager Arvin Appiah his first Championship start. Meanwhile Jamie Ward and Zach Clough were both pictured in ONeills first training session, having returned from their loan spells, and are available for selection. Heres your chance to be the boss and have your say on how Forest should line up at the City Ground dont forget to share your choice on social media. | https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/football/football-news/how-should-nottingham-forest-line-2437797 |
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Are We Entering a Brave New World? | Human gene-editing experiment ignites controversy On Nov. 27, 2018, professor He Jiankui announced that a pair of genetically edited twins had been born in China. He and his team used CRISPR/Cas-9, a gene-editing tool that makes it possible to add a healthy gene or disable an unhealthy one. In this case, he says he was able to successfully deactivate CCR5, the gene through which HIV is transmitted. The announcement was met with immediate outrage from the scientific community, as more than 120 Chinese scientists signed two letters calling his research crazy, adding that this use of the CRISPR tool was a huge blow to Chinas reputation in medical research. This group asked the Chinese government to ban the practice of implanting edited embryos, and government officials have ordered an investigation into Jiankuis claims. The response worldwide was quick and emphatic. Experts in the field said things like rogue human experimentation, monstrous, scientific misconduct, morally and ethically indefensible, lack of transparency and disregard for risk, and much more. The gene editing of embryos has been banned or prohibited throughout most of the world. Jiankui graduated from the University of Science and Technology in China, studied for his Ph.D. at Rice University, and did postgraduate research at Stanford University. While at Rice, his advisor was Michael Deem, who collaborated on three professional papers with Jiankui and was also involved in his research. Both men are physics experts, not medical doctors, and neither had any experience in conducting human trials. Deem is now under investigation by Rice. The research project included couples where the father was HIV-positive and the mother was not. Jiankuis stated goal was to edit the genes of in vitro-fertilized babies who were at risk of potentially contracting HIV. However, there are already in place medical treatments that can prevent the disease being passed from parents to their children. The overwhelming majority of scientists feel gene editing should be reserved for diseases that are already terminal and without viable treatment options. Jiankui has been accused of using his experiment not primarily to prevent the babies from possibly contracting HIV, but as an opportunity to demonstrate the ability to edit genes in pre-born infants. The problem is that the risk outweighs the result. By editing the DNA of human embryos, scientists change not just the DNA of a single person but create changes in that person that can be passed on to the next generation. Ed Yong wrote in The Atlantic, Scientists have already begun using CRISPR and other gene-editing technology to alter human cells in attempts to treat cancers, genetic disorders and more. But in these cases, the affected cells stay within a persons body. Editing an embryo is very different: It changes every cell in the body, including the sperm or eggs that would pass to future generations. Eric Topol, founder of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, said that for the first time in history, Jiankui has used this powerful tool in a reckless way for no good reason. Timothy Henrich, a translational HIV researcher at the University of California at San Francisco, said, I cannot find a scientific rationale to do this, other than the proof of concept that you could modify the embryo and bring it to term. The twins, whose names are Lulu and Nana, are at greater risk of contracting diseases like West Nile Virus and dying from the flu, because CCR5 is essential to the human immune system. Feng Zhang, one of the inventors of the CRISPR tool, said, When you change one thing, something else gets changed, too. Jiankui announced at the second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong on Nov. 28 that another couple was pregnant with a genetically modified embryo. Thirty-one IVF embryos have been created by his team, with 70 percent of them edited. Southern Baptist bioethicist C. Ben Mitchell said, We should not move ahead without the assurance that we could reverse any augmentation we make. Part of the issue with Jiankuis project is that he has thus far offered no empirical evidence that has been subjected to peer review. The announcement of his work came on YouTube rather than through a credible scientific or medical journal. He stated that he has presented his findings to an undisclosed scientific journal. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has stated that what we are talking about is the very nature of humanity a redefinition of what it means to be human. While people have DNA, humans are more than biological specimens. Humans are made in the image of God. With this new announcement out of China, it seems we have entered into a brave new world. The importance of ethics and morality cannot be overlooked in this discussion. Medical and scientific researchers are at the beginning stages of learning how the human body can be used to heal the human body. Whatever may happen in the future, we can be sure David was right when he wrote Psalm 139:14: I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knows it very well. | https://baptistcourier.com/2019/01/are-we-entering-a-brave-new-world/ |
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