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Could Susan Moylan-Coombs be the one to dethrone Abbott? | Broadcaster Susan Moylan-Coombs is the first high-profile independent to announce a tilt at Tony Abbott in the upcoming federal election. Indigenous broadcaster Susan Moylan-Coombs has launched her campaign to unseat former prime minister and current special envoy for Indigenous affairs Tony Abbott from the blue-ribbon Liberal seat of Warringah. Abbott has held the seat for 25 years, and it's been held by the Libs for all but three years since the end of the World War II. When Kerryn Phelps stunned Liberal golden boy Dave Sharma in the Wentworth byelection last year, analysis immediately began over which seats could be the next to fall to a high-profile independent. Inevitably, with its high-profile and unpopular local candidate, Warringah quickly became a favourite. In the weeks following Phelps win, high-profile names were tossed around, and a slew of grassroots organisations emerged with the common goal of ousting Abbott. | https://www.crikey.com.au/2019/01/22/susan-moylan-coombs-abbott-warringnah/ |
Was Autofahrer wissen wollen Muss man bei einem Unfall immer die Polizei rufen? | Erfurt (dpa/tmn) - Quietschende Reifen, die Bremslichter des Vordermanns leuchten pltzlich auf - werden immer grer. Intuitiv tritt der Fahrer die Bremse, doch rumms. Zum Glck ist nicht viel passiert, nur die Stostange wurde leicht touchiert, verletzt ist offensichtlich niemand. Generell ist es in den meisten Fllen ratsam, die Polizei bei der Unfallaufnahme einzubeziehen, erklrt Unfallexperte Achmed Leser vom Tv Thringen. Sie erstelle in der Regel einen Unfallbericht, mit dem der Unfallhergang rekonstruiert werden und letztlich die Schuldfrage geklrt werden kann. Dies kann fr die Schadensregulierung entscheidend sein, betont Leser. Handelt es sich um einen Unfall mit hohem Sachschaden oder sind dabei Personen verletzt oder gar gettet worden, ist die Polizei unbedingt zu verstndigen. Bei einem Bagatellschaden muss zwar nicht zwingend die Polizei gerufen werden. Leser rt dennoch dazu. Wer beispielsweise nicht der Halter des Fahrzeugs ist - weil er mit einem Mietwagen, einem Firmenfahrzeug oder mit dem Wagen eines Bekannten fhrt, sollte schon aus Haftungsgrnden den Unfall der Polizei melden. Ist die Schuldfrage strittig oder besteht der Verdacht, dass der Unfallgegner unter dem Einfluss von Alkohol oder Drogen steht, sei man bestens beraten, unverzglich die Polizei zu alarmieren. Wer bei einem Blechschaden auf die Polizei verzichtet, sollte die wichtigsten Daten austauschen. Dazu zhlen Name und Anschrift der Unfallparteien, Versicherung und Versicherungsnummer sowie das amtliche Kennzeichen des gegnerischen Fahrzeugs. In jedem Fall sollte zudem ein Unfallbericht mit einer Unfallskizze angefertigt werden, den beide Unfallbeteiligten unterschreiben. Kommt es zu einem Unfall mit dem ruhenden Verkehr - beispielsweise zu einem Parkrempler - muss der Verursacher eine angemessene Zeit auf den Besitzer warten. Taucht der Unfallgeschdigte nicht auf, ist dieser Unfall der Polizei anzuzeigen. Wer das nicht tut, auch wenn es sich nur um einen Kratzer oder eine Delle handelt, macht sich dem unerlaubten Entfernen vom Unfallort strafbar. | https://www.azonline.de/Welt/Ratgeber/Auto/3627709-Was-Autofahrer-wissen-wollen-Muss-man-bei-einem-Unfall-immer-die-Polizei-rufen |
Who should replace Tom Rogic for the Socceroos Asian Cup quarter-final? | Its been glossed over in the aftermath of the Socceroos penalty-shootout win over Uzbekistan, but Graham Arnold needs to find a Tom Rogic replacement for the Asian Cup quarter-final against the UAE. After being lambasted for his display in the opening-round loss to Jordan, Rogic has been in fine form for Australia. In the three games since, the Celtic midfielder has two assists and a goal, and has looked far more the world-class player we all know he can be. But the horrendous decision to show him a yellow card early in the match against Uzbekistan means hell be out for the must-win clash against the tournament hosts. Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share Here are some options. Massimo Luongo Luongo was unreal in the last Asian Cup, finishing as the tournaments MVP and scoring Australias first goal in the final. Despite not playing a minute at last years World Cup, hes been in excellent form of late, and would no doubt enjoy slotting into Rogics advanced role, further up the pitch from where hes often been deployed in the green and gold. Hes the most likely replacement for Rogic. Advertisement Advertisement Jackson Irvine Having started against Uzbekistan in a holding midfield role, Jackson Irvine could be pushed up the field to cover for Rogic, with Luongo playing alongside skipper Mark Milligan in the heart of midfield. Irvine has been used as an attacking midfielder for Australia in the past, and has displayed a good goalscoring touch in club football in the past. However, he and Milligan have been working well in tandem together, and it would be a risk to disrupt that engine-room combination for such an important clash. Chris Ikonomidis Ikonomidis has been superb for Australia this tournament playing on the left wing. The Perth Glory man has an Asian Cup-best four assists, as well as a goal to his name, and has been vital in freshening up the attack after a poor first-up performance. But with Mathew Leckie getting over his injury, Graham Arnold needs to find a place in the side for the Hertha Berlin winger. Moving Ikonomidis into a central role would do just that, although it would make the bench skinnier and give the midfield less defensive steel. Sports opinion delivered daily Advertisement Advertisement Mustafa Amini A left-field option, Amini doesnt offer much of a goalscoring threat, but he has the technical capability to unlock opposition defences. It would be a massive ask of the 25-year-old, who only has only earned five caps and just one start in his international career to date, but he played under Arnold as a youngster for the Mariners, and the UAE wouldnt expect to see him lining up against him. If picked, he could be an inspired selection. Or it could backfire spectacularly. For me, its got to be Luongo, with Ikonomidis staying on the bench, Leckie offering a super-sub option, Irvine remaining next to Milligan as a holding midfielder, and Amini ready to burst off the bench for a memorable cameo. | https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/01/22/who-should-replace-tom-rogic-for-the-socceroos-asian-cup-quarter-final/ |
Is It Time To Buy Aflac Ahead Of Their Anticipated Dividend Increase? | In today's dividend stock analysis, I wanted to take a look at a stock that I own and would like to increase my position in one day in the future. On top of it, the company is expected to announce a dividend increase in the coming weeks. We are the Dividend Diplomats for goodness sake. Dividend increases our one of our FAVORITE events to monitor. So today, we will review the recent news surrounding Aflac (NYSE:AFL), their recent investment from Japan Post, and run them through the Dividend Diplomats' Dividend Stock Screener to determine if AFL is considered an undervalued dividend growth stock. Unfortunately, based on our screener, it doesn't appear that AFL is considered undervalued. However, let's take a deeper look at the insurance giant. AFL is one of the major players in the Accident and Health Insurance industry and the company possesses one of the iconic brand images. Aflac is a Fortune 500 company and has a major presence in both the United States and Japan. In fact, the majority of Aflac's operating earnings are earned from their Japan operating segment, not in the United States. Per the company's September 30, 2018 10-Q, the company's Japan operating segment earned $11,481 million for the 9 months during the year and the U.S. operating segment earned $4,831 million during the same period. Speaking of Japanese operations, the company's announced a new investment from Japan Post Holdings Co. In December, it was announced that Japan Post will invest over $2.6b dollars in Aflac, increasing their investment to 7%. The investment allows Japan Post to increase their investment to 20% in four years. The transcript from the call announcing the investment was pretty interesting and can be found here on Seeking Alpha. Here were some interesting pieces I found about the investment. The investment will not dilute current shareholders. Rather, stock purchases will be made on the open market. It was even stated that "the open market acquisition of shares by Japan Post Holdings will not disrupt our share repurchase plans and guidance for 2019." This will further expand and enhance the current business relationship between Aflac Japan and Japan Post to provide cancer insurance. With a further investment, Japan Post will have a larger, vested interest in growing this relationship as the company will report earnings on their income statement (once their investment reaches 20%) Overall, I am pretty positive on the investment, given the fact that Japan Post has a large investment from the Japanese government. I'm excited to see the company's top and bottom line grow as the relationship develops. Aflac is a Dividend Aristocrat that is getting ready to announce a dividend increase at the end of January/beginning of February. We monitor dividend increases closely, down to the exact month/week that the company is expected to announce their next dividend increase. Prior to last year, AFL typically increased their dividend in October/November. The company announced a small dividend increase in October 2017. Then, tax reform happened. We started seeing large dividend increases announced in the first quarter post tax-reform. Aflac was one of the first companies to partake. They announced their dividend increase at the end of January. In fact, the dividend increase was 15% and it was already on top of their regular dividend increase that was announced in October 2017. Lastly, before proceeding to our stock screener, I wanted to take a quick look at the company's investment portfolio. Since Aflac is a an insurance company, a large part of the company's earnings are from investment income, gains/losses, etc. So I wanted to look at the company's investment portfolio to gain an understanding of the quality of the company's investment portfolio. Looking at the company's 9/30/18 10-Q, the majority of the company's investment portfolio are in debt securities, compared to a small portion that are invested in equity securities or other investments. As of Sept. 30, 70% of the company's debt portfolio had a credit rating of A or higher (the majority of these were rated A, rather than AA or AAA), 23.9% were rated BBB, and just under 5% were rated BB or lower. Overall, based on this review, I am comfortable with the quality of the company's investment portfolio. Dividend Diplomats' Stock Screener The time to run Aflac through the Dividend Diplomats' Stock Screener is upon us. This is our simple stock screener that we use to determine if the company we are analyzing currently passes our investment filters used to identify undervalued dividend growth stocks. If a company passes our screener and a few other metrics, we will consider purchasing. Our stock screener uses three simple screens to identify the stocks: P/E ratio (valuation), dividend payout ratio (ability to continue growing their dividend), and their dividend growth rate/history of increasing their dividend (as we focus on companies that have demonstrated their ability to increase their dividend over a long period of time). Let's see the results! Ticker Price - 1/18/19 Forward EPS Annual Dividend Yield Payout Ratio 5 Yr DGR P/E Ratio AFL $47.70 $4.20 $1.04 2.18% 24.76% 8.08% 11.36 **Sources: Pricing information, forward EPS, and annual dividend were obtained from Yahoo! Finance. The 5-year average dividend growth rate was obtained from Dividend Investing|Best Dividend Paying Stocks. The remaining figures in the table above were calculated by the author. 1) Dividend Yield: Typically, I look to invest in companies with dividend yields exceeding the S&P 500 yield of just under 2%. Otherwise, I would consider investing in a nice, diversified S&P 500 mutual fund, or ETF. AFL's current dividend yield is slightly above the broader market at the moment. Interestingly too, AFL's current dividend yield is below their 5-year average dividend yield (2.39%). I like the fact the company's yield is above the market; however, the fact that it is below their average dividend yield could potentially indicate that the company is over-valued compared to historical levels. 2) Payout Ratio: We typically use a 60% threshold when reviewing a company's payout ratio, as we believe this percentage point allows a company to continue to grow their dividend going forward without sacrificing the safety of their dividend. AFL is WAY below the threshold we use. This is not surprising given the fact that the company's dividend yield is just over 2%. AFL's dividend could double and their dividend payout ratio would still be below our threshold. While I expect a nice dividend increase at the end of the month, I would imagine a 100% dividend increase is a stretch. Something closer to their average sounds much more appropriate. 3) Dividend History and Dividend Growth Rate: I've already mentioned that AFL is a Dividend Aristocrat and the company is expected to announce a dividend increase at the end of the month. AFL's 5-year average dividend growth rate is just over 8%, which is solid. Not great, not terrible, but pretty solid! I'm not expecting a 15.5% dividend increase like last year. Rather, something closer to their average dividend increase. 4) P/E Ratio: The final metric of our stock screener focuses on the current valuation of the company. I'm always looking for companies that are trading at a multiple below the broader market. Currently, the broader market has a historical P/E ratio in the mid-20x and a forward P/E ratio between 17x and 18x (per The Wall Street Journal). This number has been even lower based in December based on a crazy month. But, here is the caveot to this metric. The insurance industry typically trades at a multiple below the market. So the stock market may not be the best metric to assess whether or not AFL is trading at a discount at the moment. So instead, I'll compare AFL's P/E ratio to the company's 5-year average P/E ratio. For this, I review the statistic as calculated by YCharts. Per YCharts, the company's 5-year average P/E ratio is 9.99X. Hypothetically, assuming earnings of $4.20/share per the table above, AFL's price would have to fall to $41.96/share to trade at a multiple of 9.99X. That is a pretty steep drop at the company's current price. Remember, the purposes of our dividend stock analysis is to identify potentially undervalued dividend growth stocks. AFL's dividend growth rate, dividend history, and dividend payout ratio all pass our stock screener. Further, I love the company's new investment from Japan Post as it will further expand the company's presence in one of its major markets and grow their top line. The one negative in this analysis is the valuation. The company is below the market, but we showed in our stock screener how the company is trading at a multiple above their 5-year average. Indicating that the company is not trading at a discount. This analysis isn't to say whether or not the company warrants the premium. Because there is definitely an argument to be made there based on the recent news. However, since my investment strategy is to invest in undervalued dividend growth stocks, I will unfortunately have to pass on investing in Aflac at this time. If the company's stock price falls below $43/share, like it did in the fourth quarter, they will. Disclosure: I am/we are long AFL. 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 own shares of AFL; however, I am not planning on adding to my position in the next 72 hours | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4234589-time-buy-aflac-ahead-anticipated-dividend-increase |
Did Sara Ali Khan wish Kareena to become her stepmother? | MUMBAI: Bollywood's emerging actress Sara Ali Khan, who reigns in the hearts of millions with her charismatic personality, shared sweet words about her relationship with her stepmother and actor Kareena Kapoor. Daughter of Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan is just two films old, but has millions of fans because of her down to earth personality and exceptional fashion sense. Sara Ali Khan is such a big fan of Kareena Kapoor that people tell her she may have willed her into her life as a stepmother. In her recent interview Sara opened up herfriendship with stepmom Kareena Kapoor, revealing that people even tell her she willed it to happen because "I was such a big fan of Poo." During an interview, Sara had the most hilarious reaction when she was told she has Poo as her stepmom, asking the interviewer to repeat the phrase that 'Poo is your stepmother.' "Can you imagine! Say that again!...Yaa!! I do," she says with a big laugh. "Admirers tell me you have willed this to happen. You have been such a die hard fan of Bollywood's charming actor Kareena Kapoor Khan that you have willed her into your life and this is what you get," she said in the interview. Kareena is the second wife of Saif Ali Khan. He married Kareena in 2012 and has a son, Taimur, with her. Sara's father was married to actor Amrita Singh for 13 years until 2004. Earlier in Koffee With Karan, daughter and father appeared together and talked about their modern family, sharing how they interact with each other. "Everyone has been clear about their dynamics with me. It has never been confusing. Kareena herself says that look you have a mother and a great one and what I want is for us to be able to be friends. My father also never said this is your second mother or made it any way uncomfortable," she said. Sara recently started her Bollywood journey with Kedarnath opposite Sushant Singh Rajput and stared in her next film, Simmba with Ranveer Singh. Both the movies did well at the box office, but Simmba emerged as a blockbuster, making Rs 350 crore at the box office. | https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/422011-did-sara-ali-khan-wish-kareena-to-become-her-stepmother |
Will Experience Benefit Patriots In Super Bowl LIII Clash With Rams? | The New England Patriots are no stranger to the biggest stage the NFL has to offer. With Sundays AFC Championship Game win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Patriots punched tickets to their third consecutive Super Bowl and 11th overall in franchise history. The track record is much different for New Englands Super Bowl LIII opponent, the Los Angeles Rams, who will be appearing in their first Super Bowl since 2002. In fact, the Rams only have been a playoff team twice dating back to the 2005 campaign. As such, some might believe New England has an immediate edge over Los Angeles in Super Bowl LIII purely from an experience perspective. But if you ask the Patriots themselves, previous Super Sunday go-arounds might not provide as much of an advantage as youd think. I would say it helps a little bit, special teams ace Matthew Slater said Monday. But ultimately, its not about experience as Coach [Bill Belichick] always says, its about playing well under pressure when your team needs you to play well. Weve seen time after time, a guy who hasnt been in those moments, Malcolm Butler or even Tom his first Super Bowl, guys that hadnt been in those moments before but they were ready when their number was called and they were ready to execute. Experience does help with some aspects of this whole process, but ultimately, theres going to be a football game thats played, two teams that are going to be giving everything they got and theres only going to be one winner. Experience, Pro Bowls, years in the league none of thats going to matter. Its going to be about who has one more point than the other team at the end of the day. Center David Andrews added: The experience stuff really doesnt matter. Its about who goes out there and plays the best. Theres reason to believe Slater and Andrews arent just blowing smoke either. Just take a look at last seasons Super Bowl which saw the Patriots fall to the Philadelphia Eagles, whose roster didnt feature many players with past Super Bowl experience. The Eagles just let it all hang out and executed to perfection, which is what Sean McVays team will look to do Feb. 3 in Atlanta. Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports | https://nesn.com/2019/01/will-experience-benefit-patriots-in-super-bowl-liii-clash-with-rams/ |
Whats really in vegan cheese? | The appetite for fake foods that try to evoke old favourites escapes me. January is Health Month in The Irish Times. You can find articles, columns, advice and tips at irishtimes.com/health, as well as in print every Tuesday in the Health & Family Supplement. But one food many vegans and the lactose-intolerant miss is cheese. Now it is surprisingly easy to find a variety of cheese substitutes in supermarkets and health food shops. The first thing you notice is that many are made from soya beans or nuts, such as cashews, and oil. Take Tofutti Creamy Smooth, which describes itself as the delicious soya alternative to cream cheese. It is made by British company Triano Brands and the original flavour product is made from: water, cold-pressed natural oil blend (soya bean, palm fruit and olive), maltodextrin, soy protein, tofu (soya), non-dairy lactic acid, sugar, stabiliser (carob bean, guar, cellulose, xanthan [sic]) and salt. So its mostly water and oil. The gloopy cheesy feel comes mostly from the soy protein and tofu, which is soya bean curd. Gloopy: Tofutti Creamy Smooth, describes itself as the delicious soya alternative to cream cheese It is made from soya beans, which are from the same family as peas and have been grown in China for thousands of years. The difference now is that many of those beans in processed foods are genetically-modified ones grown in the United States or Brazil, the worlds biggest exporters. (Soya and tofu are written in bold on the label as soya is one of the common allergens food manufacturers must highlight.) Non-dairy lactic acid is made by fermenting sugars from carbohydrates such as cornstarch, potatoes or molasses. This packet also highlights that it is dairy-free. Thats to save confusion as some may think lactose-free means dairy-free, but it doesnt. So for example lactose-free cows milk simply has the enzyme lactase added to aid digestion. It also has a K symbol in green with the word Parve underneath indicating the spread is kosher. Tastes like very cheap processed cheese: Creamy Sheese Another option is Creamy Sheese from Scotland. Its original 100 per cent dairy free spread is made in a dedicated vegan and free-from factory at Bute Island Foods. It has water, coconut oil (24 per cent), soya protein concentrate, salt, acidity regulator: lactic acid (dairy-free), sugar, thickener (carrageenan) and natural flavourings. So it too relies on soya. There is a small V for vegan symbol on the front and a note saying it makes animal-free food, which is good to know as natural flavourings can be from animal sources as well as plants. The Cheddar style spread has spirit vinegar, yeast extract and paprika extract for colour in addition to the other ingredients. Yeast extract is popular as it can give a rich, savoury taste, though it does have a high concentration of glutamate. This tastes like very cheap processed cheese, but it can be used to make a grilled sandwich. Sheese also offers herb, garlic and chili flavours. A more expensive product is Happy Cashew, which describes itself as a raw, vegan, fermented cashew product. It is 100 per cent organic, which means no genetically-modified ingredients. Its organic credentials are highlighted with a hexagon symbol on the front with the word Bio inside indicating the German governments approval. It contains cashews (88 per cent), water, salt and vegan fermentation cultures, which can be made using vegetables. It costs almost 12 for 150g, but then it may be worth it given the lack of stabilisers, preservatives and additives. Violife works well for those who cant or do not want to eat soya or cashews Violife works well for those who cant or do not want to eat soya or cashews. It is made using water, coconut oil (24 per cent), starch, sunflower kernel grounded, sea salt, cellulose as a thickener, non-dairy lactic acid as an acidity regulator, flavourings, olive extract, colour from B-carotene and vitamin B12. Beans and nuts are good for protein but dont have the levels of calcium or vitamins, such as vitamin B12 and vitamin D, seen in real cheese. Thats why these are often added to dairy-free alternatives. Violifes cheddar version also has cheddar flavour, whose origins it does not explain, and modified starch, which maker Arivia notes is not to be confused with GMO (genetically-modified) ingredients. Modified starch can be used as a bulking agent, stabiliser and a thickener. It pops up a lot in the ingredient lists of cheap products, such as baked beans and ready meals. Many of these cheese alternatives have similar additives and processing agents seen in other processed foods, thus tarnishing their healthy halo. Vegan cheese alternatives lack the subtlety of flavour of the real thing. For those who need or want them, however, there are more and better choices appearing on Irish shelves all the time. FOOD LABELS SERIES - Bread - Soup - Crisps - Sliced ham - Cream crackers (search other food labels articles here) | https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/what-s-really-in-vegan-cheese-1.3759847?localLinksEnabled=false |
Could Vietnams political clamp down threaten its economic growth? | Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and his Russia's counterpart Dmitry Medvedev (L) review an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, 19 November 2018. Medvedev is on an official visit to Vietnam from 18 to 19 November 2018. Source: Minh Hoang/Pool/AFP VIETNAM has been on average the most rapidly growing economy in Southeast Asia for more than a decade. Its economic growth of 6 to 7 percent a year over the past half-decade rivals that of China and its exports are worth just over the total value of its GDP. Anything from Nike sportswear to Samsung smartphones are manufactured in this hub of ASEAN global production networks. As the United States has put the screws on trade with China, Vietnam has benefited from increased interest from multinational investors as an alternative location for low-cost production. Thirty years ago, Vietnam was one of the poorest countries in the world. Last year, its per capita GDP at current exchange rates was just over US$2,500. Vietnam appears to be headed rapidly towards achieving middle-income levels. SEE ALSO: North Korea seeks to model Vietnams economic development Three main factors account for the rapid turnaround in Vietnams economic fortunes. It has embraced international trade liberalisation with enthusiasm. It brought down barriers to trade after its commitment to membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) group in 1995, gained accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2007 and signed on to free trade agreements along the way, most recently the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP-11). Its complemented foreign trade liberalisation with domestic reforms through deregulation and lowering the cost of doing business. And it has invested heavily in human and physical capital, predominantly through public investments. While the country continues as a one-party state under the political control of the Vietnam Communist Party, economic liberalisation and reform has effected a remarkable social and political transformation that has lifted social welfare. But economic liberalisation chafes against political control and the continuing heavy presence of the state-owned enterprise sector has been a fertile ground for corrupt officials in their dealings that intersect with the market. Last year, a number of high-profile officials were charged with fraud connected to the state-owned PetroVietnam Construction Joint Stock Corporation and Sacom, Ocean and Vietnam Construction banks. PetroVietnams chief executive officer was sentenced to death and fellow executive Trinh Xuan Thanh was sentenced to double life terms in prison. SEE ALSO: What the next Trump-Kim Summit could end up costing Vietnam A full-fledged anti-corruption campaign reached into the highest-level of the party-state apparatus. In January 2018, Dinh La Thang became the first member of the Partys Politburo to be sentenced to prison in decades and Truong Minh Tuan, Minister of Information and Communications, was dismissed. Bui Van Thanh, a deputy minister in the Ministry of Public Security, and Dinh Ngoc He, chairman of the militarys Thai Son Joint Stock Company, were arrested. Party officials in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh cities and other provincial officials were also caught in the web. Until a few years back, Vietnam seemed to have lost its revolutionary spirit and moral principles, and the ruling elite had begun to look more like a mafia organisation, skimming off a substantial fraction of the surpluses from Vietnams economic growth for private benefit. But since 2016, Nguyen Phu Trong has consolidated command of the Party, foiling Nguyen Tan Dungs bid to supplant him as general secretary, and was installed concurrently as president when Tran Dai Quang died last September. Trong, an avuncular-looking political theoretician, has ratcheted up the anti-corruption campaign and doubled down against political liberalism. In East Asia Forums (EAF) lead essay this week, David Brown, observes that the public, initially sceptical that the party-states campaign against corruption would endure, has been impressed as indictments piled up against a long list of senior officials and businessmen. Trong is the first leader in a long time to make headway toward restoring the partys image says Brown. Two years ago, the Vietnam Communist Party endorsed a list of 27 deviations, including not only opportunism but also the notion that the Vietnamese party-state could ever evolve into a pluralist democracy. A soft purge of tainted cadres is well underway. SEE ALSO: Facebook runs afoul Vietnam authorities as cybersecurity law takes effect All this might sound familiar. The quest for political and moral purity, married to the consolidation of political power, alongside achieving prosperity through an open, market-based economy is what Vietnams big neighbour under President Xi Jinping is also struggling with, though Xi is more geopolitically exposed than Trong in Vietnam. They are, of course, very different characters, but it is not much of a stretch to see Xis dream of making China strong again as the flipside of Trongs saving Vietnam from moral decay. The more telling comparison will be of how the struggle to restore the integrity of the Party in both China and Vietnam affects economic outcomes over time. Certainly, political retrogression would appear to impose higher costs on an economy like Chinas on the cusp of transition from middle income to advanced economy standing than on an economy such as that of Vietnams that is still catching up on the way to middle-income status. Middle-income countries are defined by their distance from the global technology frontier and their ability to upgrade, catch up and innovate is important for closing that distance. Above all, to reach the frontier, countries need to be open to ideas and have institutions that allow for more complex interactions across the domestic economy and across the world. That includes good governance characterised by decentralised economic decision-making. So while Vietnams economy continues to burn along, its unlikely to continue to without further lifting the heavy burden of state-owned enterprises and the state. Thats the dilemma, at a different stage, for China too. SEE ALSO: China: Expect a Communist Party on the offensive in a year of potential unrest Governance systems and institutions suited to growth and development differ vastly at different stages of development. Those considered second-best practice such as industrial policy or quick fixes through market suppression that substitute for functioning markets may serve developing countries well enough and Asian countries demonstrate that this has certainly been true during the process of catch-up growth. The existence of economic rents, while inefficient in theory, may stimulate entrepreneurship, investment and exports in countries at lower levels of development. Yet these institutional and political systems may prove a substantial burden as a country tries to move further up the income and technology ladder. How Vietnams current political clamp down affects its investment environment and the vigour of its economic growth over time is, therefore, an open question. The EAF Editorial Board is located in the Crawford School of Public Policy, College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University. This article is republished from East Asia Forum under a Creative Commons license. | https://asiancorrespondent.com/2019/01/could-vietnams-political-clamp-down-threaten-its-economic-growth/ |
Would Martin Luther King Oppose NATO? | The United States attempted to co-opt the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by recognizing his birthday. The ruling elites tried to strip King of his militancy and suspend him above the mass movement that produced him. The state certainly had no intention to remain the focus of Kings opposition to the Vietnam War or even more threatening, his opposition to militarism in general and U.S. military imperialism in particular. But we are actively liberating the meaning of Dr. Kings life and re-inserting it into the history of Black resistance. We argue with some confidence that Dr. King would be opposed to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) because it is an instrument of U.S. and European militarism. He would not be confusedand neither are weabout why the liberal establishment, neocons, military-industrial complex, corporations and the corporate media are opposed to ending an anachronistic structure. NATOs only reason for being today is to serve as the military wing of the dying U.S.-European colonial project. BAP will use Dr. Kings birthday on January 15 and his assassination on April 4 as bookends during 2019 to intensify our efforts to engage the public in a conversation about the bipartisan commitment to war and violence. We will raise the visibility of our campaign to shut down AFRICOM as we prepare to launch a second campaign on April 4 that will focus on ending the state violence being waged against Black, Brown and poor people across the United States. We remind our readers and supporters of a very important development, the creation of an international campaign to oppose NATO that BAP played a key role in helping organize in 2018. The saying goes, Follow the money. Here you can see why NATO and keeping the U.S. public on a war-footing is so incredibly profitable for the merchants of death. The U.S. dependency on force and militarism is also becoming a major threat. BAP member Karanja Keita Carroll, Ph.D., an organizer and African-centered academic, presented a lecture at George Jackson University this past week. He begins speaking at 20 minutes into this recording. We are alarmed at the FBIs arrest and detention of U.S.-born African sister Marzieh Hashemi, who anchors Irans PressTV. Her hijab was forcibly removed and she has only been served pork in prison while she is being detained as a material witness. A campaign to #FreeMarziehHashemi has kicked off on Twitter. The Network in Defense of Humanity published a statement calling for respect for the people of Venezuela as they struggle for self-determination through the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro. His administration has recently been under attack, with various U.S. politicians claiming the right-wing president of Venezuelas National Assembly is the real leader of the country. All this while the United States mulls another round of sanctions and a military coup in the Bolivarian republic. And finally, please help us get to 3,000 signatures on the petition to shut down AFRICOM that we will present to the Congressional Black Caucus. Please share the petition if youve already signed. No compromise. No retreat. * Note to readers: please click the share buttons above. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc. The original source of this article is Black Alliance for Peace Copyright Black Alliance for Peace , Black Alliance for Peace, 2019 https://www.globalresearch.ca/would-martin-luther-king-oppose-nato/5665974 | https://counterinformation.wordpress.com/2019/01/21/would-martin-luther-king-oppose-nato/ |
Will Halifa Sallah And Ex-Captain Mamat Cham Appear Before The TRRC To Clarify Matters To The Nation? | 1 SHARES Share Tweet QUESTION OF THE DAY Foroyaa has reliably learnt from Halifa Sallah that he has put a letter in the hands of Mr Edi Jallow to deliver to the Chairman of the TRRC requesting for Ex-Captain Mamat Cham to be recalled and the Commission to grant him leave to appear and be examined by Ex-Captain Mamat Cham in order for the Commission to know who is not telling the truth to the nation. Mr Edi Jallow said he handed over the letter to Dr Baba Galleh Jallow, the Executive Secretary of the TRRC. Halifa Sallah said he expects a reply today. Foroyaa will inform its readers on developments as one of the most dramatic events in our history is unfolding. All eyes should be on the TRRC especially the young who were not old enough to know the truth. | https://foroyaa.gm/will-halifa-sallah-and-ex-captain-mamat-cham-appear-before-the-trrc-to-clarify-matters-to-the-nation/ |
Will Jesus Aguilar Take a Major Step Back in 2019? | Expand Scott Paulus The fact that the Brewers came within a single game of the World Series in 2018 can be at least partially credited to Jesus Aguilar, whose breakout season bumped Eric Thames from his spot in the starting lineup and helped power an offense that finished second in the National League in home runs and fourth in runs scored. Aguilar was the first Brewer ever, and one of just 22 players in National League history, to hit 35 or more home runs in under 500 official at bats. As such, its easy to salivate over what he could do given a full season of everyday playing time in 2019. At least one projection system, however, isnt as excited about the possibility. Steamer, a widely-respected prediction model used at FanGraphs, among other places, has Aguilar projected for a major step back in 2019. Aguilar batted .274 with a .352 on-base percentage and .539 slugging in 2018. This projection has him dropping significantly in all three areas, hitting just .242 with a .317 on-base and .454 slugging in 2019. When combined with expected below-average defense, Aguilars value drops from 3.1 wins above replacement in 2018 to just 0.9 in the 2019 projections. That would also be a slight downgrade from Aguilars value in his partial MLB season in 2017. The reasons for Steamer to project a major downturn for Aguilar are unclear: The system, originally developed by a high school science and statistics teacher in Brooklyn and his students, is proprietary, so its not possible to look into the data and see why Aguilar drops off. His age should not be a factor in any projected decline, however. Aguilar wont turn 29 until June, and as such he should still be in the prime of his career for another year or two. Aguilars strikeout rate is also a bit of a concern, as more than 25% of his 2018 plate appearances ended with him being retired on strikes, down from over 30% in 2017. Hes not unique in being a star offensive player with a high propensity to swing and miss, however: In 2018 Cubs second baseman Javier Baez, Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge and Diamondbacks (now Cardinals) first baseman Paul Goldschmidt all also had K rates equal to or higher than Aguilars. Those four players were still among the most valuable in baseball. Aguilars projection also shows a significant decrease in his batting average on the balls he does put in play, falling from .315 over his first two seasons as a Brewer to .286 in 2019, well below the league average of .296. Dropping Aguilars BABIP by 29 points would cost him about 15 hits over the course of the season. It makes sense that a player like Aguilar wont get extra hits by legging out infield singles, but he has a history of hitting the ball hard enough to make up for what he loses in speed and contact. Steamer does not give him the benefit of the doubt based on past performance here. MLBs StatCast data lends some credibility to that prediction, however, suggesting Aguilar hit his way into some lucky breaks in 2018. Given the quality and amount of contact he makes on his swings, Baseball Savant estimates that Aguilar could have been expected to post a .255 batting average and .491 slugging in 2018, down 19 and 48 points from his actual numbers, respectively. That doesnt cover the full gap between his 2018 numbers and Steamers projections for 2019, but it does narrow it a bit. Its also worth noting that Aguilars numbers dipped significantly following the All Star break last season. In his final 62 regular season appearances in 2018 Aguilar posted a .760 on-base plus slugging, down from .995 before the break. He still connected for 11 home runs over that time, but the pace of his offensive contributions slowed significantly, raising some questions about whether his first half was an actual breakout or just a prolonged hot streak. Its possible the Brewers are also acknowledging a wide array of possible 2019 outcomes for Aguilar by holding onto Eric Thames, who lost playing time to Aguilar in 2018 and doesnt have a clear path to consistent at bats in 2019 unless Aguilar falters or gets injured. Steamer projects Thames for significantly less playing time (200 plate appearances) but his expected batting line (.235 average, .329 on-base and .459 slugging) isnt much different from Aguilars. At the end of the day most projection models are just a well-educated guess based on past outcomes, and there are certainly plenty of cases where theyve been incorrect. Steamer correctly predicted Chase Andersons step back in 2018, however, and now they have the same expectation for Jesus Aguilar in 2019. | https://shepherdexpress.com/sports/brewers-on-deck/will-jesus-aguilar-take-a-major-step-back-in-2019/ |
Could Elizabeth Warren bridge the gap between Democrats and Republicans in 2020 election? | As 2019 swings into view, and the midterm winners have been inducted into office, now voters are curious about whos going to run for the 2020 election. Rumors have circulated about several candidates, but on New Years Eve, Elizabeth Warren announced her exploratory committee for a presidential campaign run. Elizabeth Warren Warren is a Democratic Senator from Massachusetts. So far into the campaign, her policies focus around the middle class and economics as much as the Republican Party typically does. She says big companies are one of Americas largest issues and says the rules need to be rewritten to ensure companies arent cheating the system against the American people. As a former professor of law at the University of Texas School of Law, the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Harvard Law School, her credentials back up the expertise needed to rewrite business law in advocacy for the consumer and company employees. She also believes there is corruption in the government, which isnt an old idea nor one that hasnt been expressed in many campaigns. Trump pushed to drain the swamp, and Warren intends to do the same, though without Trumps rhetoric. But the heart of it is this question of corruption, Warren said at her first campaign event in Sioux City, Iowa. Every issue that affects us in this country right now whether it is around the environment, whether its about gun safety, whether its about student loans, social security, pensionsthey intersect this fundamental question of who government works for. The beginning of her campaign can be considered moderate for the Democratic Party. Lots of debate surrounded the midterms with questions about how the Democratic Party should market themselves in the elections. Since the results from the elections, its clear the moderate Democrats didnt make as much a blue wave as the staunchly liberal candidates did. Many have called 2018 Year of the Woman since so many of the Democratic candidates elected into office are a diverse group of women. With Warrens announcement for presidential candidacy, 2019 is riding off the Year of the Woman and into a new saga. Plenty can be said about Hillary Clintons run for office, but despite personal opinions about Clinton, she seems to have set a precedence for women an inspiration that shows female candidates can run for office and even take the public majority vote. Granted, there remains plenty of controversy around her claim to viable Native American ancestry. While her claim is problematic for a variety of reasons, perhaps she will explain the issue and hopefully apologize. With Trumps divisive rhetoric about racial minority communities, it is essential for candidates in the 2020 election to finally recognize and respect Americas wide range of diversity. As candidates announce themselves this year, the race is certainly to be an interesting one against Trumps campaign for re-election. With the country at a political polarization, hopefully better prospects will be provided for the 2020 election who both parties can, more or less, understand and agree. | http://easttennessean.com/2019/01/17/could-elizabeth-warren-bridge-the-gap-between-democrats-and-republicans-in-2020-election/ |
Did Tony Romo predict where Bryce Harper will sign? | Tony Romo's reputation as a broadcaster grew stronger on Sunday with his accurate prognostications in the Patriots vs. Chiefs AFC championship game. Romo might have extended his psychic ways to another sport on Monday, exchanging tweets with MLB free agent and former NL MVP Bryce Harper. Confirmed: Just called Tony Romo to see where Im going to play next year. #YoureAWizardTony Bryce Harper (@Bharper3407) January 21, 2019 Well... looks like youll be playing for the Texas @Rangers opening day https://t.co/xVw1LDnm18 Tony Romo (@tonyromo) January 22, 2019 It's anyone's guess who will sign Harper, but credit Romo with embracing the momentum gained over the weekend. | http://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/tony-romo-predicts-bryce-harper-will-sign-with-rangers/1bbi9irbec71516w2psgecbrm5 |
Will An NFL Team Hire Tony Romo To Coach? | Darren Rovell thinks Tony Romo will have an NFL coaching gig if he wants one next season. Romo lit it up during the AFC championship game between the Patriots and Chiefs, and showed an insane amount of knowledge as he predicted plays it was truly incredible. It also apparently has people thinking about the future. The former ESPN employee tweeted Monday on a video of Romo calling the AFC championship, Truly believe theres going to be a massive financial battle between teams for Romos services and CBS. (RELATED: The Patriots Will Face The Rams In The Super Bowl) Truly believe theres going to be a massive financial battle between teams for Romos services and CBS. https://t.co/4R95Y7743W Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) January 21, 2019 I agree with Rovell 100 percent here, and its not even a tough call for me. He was simply spectacular on the mic, and has only gotten better. The answer is not many at all. Romo knows exactly whats going to happen every time pic.twitter.com/8A8Sv5uZUM The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 21, 2019 Oh, theyre killing it. Usually means a motion and a run out wide to the right. Tony Romo before Patriots play Brady motions; Sony Michel runs ball to right, scores touchdown. pic.twitter.com/PzxyrV2JoO NFLonCBS (@NFLonCBS) January 21, 2019 There will almost certainly be an NFL team that throws a ton of money Romos way in order to try and get his services. A premium will always be attached to guys who can identify offensive sets, read a defense and pretty much predict the future. No, but he should leverage any offers he gets in order to stack up even more cash from CBS. Either way, I think the former Cowboys quarterback is going to be making a ton of money next year. | https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/21/tony-romo-nfl-darren-rovell/ |
Which young West Coast Eagles are ready to take a step up in 2019? | History proves it is extremely difficult to win back-to-back flags. Just ask Richmond, and the Western Bulldogs before them. Weve been lucky enough (if you can call it that) to witness some great dynasties this century, but even that unbelievable Geelong side of 2007-11 couldnt get it done in consecutive years. So if West Coast want to emulate Hawthorn, theyve got their work cut out for them. Its hard to put a finger on what sets the back-to-back premiership teams apart, but there is one constant and thats change. Including three-peats, there have been an average of four changes to teams that won successive flags throughout the past 35 years. Here are a handful of young Eagles who might make the leap: Jake Waterman Games: 16 | Goals: 13 | Avgdisposals: 11.13 | Avg marks: 4.69 | Avg inside-50s: 2.19 Waterman is the obvious choice for a number of reasons, one of those being the fact he played so many games last season before falling out of favour at the wrong time of the year, and another being that he looms as an ideal replacement for Mark LeCras, who retired after the grand final. He complements Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling beautifully in the forward line as the third tall, and knows where to run to be an effective link in scores from the back half. Hell be given every chance to cement a best-22 spot. Camera Icon Jake Waterman has already showed a glimpse of what he is capable of. Picture: AFL Media Oscar Allen Games: 2 | Avg disposals: 10.5 | Avg marks: 4 Hes been dealing with shin soreness this pre-season so may be a little bit behind the pack early in the season but Allen looks ready to come in and play a role in defence, with opportunities up forward likely to be harder to come by. He was drafted as a goal-kicker, but his game down back against GWS on debut gave the coaches plenty of food for thought in terms of his long-term future. Allen rarely puts a foot wrong on or off the park, is a great size at 193cm and works as hard as anyone. The Eagles defensive unit is as good as any in the competition, but should the opportunity present itself, Allen is capable of filling it. Francis Watson Yet to debut The lad from Balgo is all class. Hes shown plenty of it in the WAFL, but in his third season on the rookie list its time to make the leap. Watson has all the attributes needed to become a damaging half-back at AFL level, its just fitness and consistency he needs to work on. When the 23-year-old has the ball in his hands he can hurt you with both pace and skill, and his athletic profile means he can be a menace one-on-one as well. He should get a look-in during the pre-season series, and if he can start the WAFL season like he finished the last one - Watson averaged 19 touches and five marks in his final four games - he could easily jump into senior selection talks. Camera Icon Watson is coming into his third season on the rookie list. Picture: Daniel Wilkins Brayden Ainsworth Games: 3 | Avg disposals: 13.67 | Avg tackles: 4.33 West Coast have a very balanced midfield unit, theres a couple of guys there to do the grunt work in Jack Redden and Mark Hutchings and the rest of them have a really good mix of inside and outside game. Ainsworth has work to on his outside game, but hes as tough as they come and showed he was up for the contest in his limited AFL exposure last year. The Esperance junior has played against men for years, and racks up possessions in the WAFL, averaging 25 touches in his 14 games last season - including a 39-disposal, 14-mark effort against East Fremantle in round 19. If they need some more tough nuts, hes ready to stick his head over the ball and get it out to the sides damaging ball users. | https://thewest.com.au/sport/west-coast-eagles/which-young-west-coast-eagles-are-ready-to-take-a-step-up-in-2019-ng-b881081190z |
What credit or loan options do federal employees have? | Video A lot of federal employees are looking for ways to get cash for rent or other items. Maybe, maybe not. If one of those ideas is a title or payday loan, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox known as "The Money Coach" told NBC News that you should "not turn to payday lenders." Experts suggest trying to negotiate with your creditors to defer some payments for example. In the case of federal workers, a number of credit unions around the country are offering interest-free loans. If you do business with a credit union, you may want to find out if your Institution is one of those with a similar program. Then there are your credit cards. If you are thinking of taking a cash advance, you may want to talk to Bill Hardekpf from Lowcards.com before you do. "if you're ever considering a cash advance on your credit card you should probably wipe that idea off your list," he told WSAV. "It's not a good idea because it's a much more expensive loan and it's not something that we recommend." Hardekopf says the interest rate on a cash advance may be 25 percent (at least). With many people having an interest rate on purchases of about 15 to 16 percent, he says you'd be better off to simply use the card at the grocery store or gas station. He also told us if you are in trouble, it's always a good idea to reach out to your creditors. "My first piece of advice would be to call your credit card issuer and explain your situation and see if they can grant you some grace and not charge you interest for a certain period of time," said Hardekpf. He also says if you have the option, it may be wise to get a new card with a promotional zero percent interest rate. There are a significant number of credit cards right now that offer a zero percent introductory rate for anywhere from 12 to 21 months," said Hardekopf. "That way if you are using your credit card for living expenses, at least you won't rack up interest." Hardekopf also says pay off that zero percent card when your pay resumes (if you are a federal employee) or when your financial circumstances improve (if you're anyone else.) | https://www.wsav.com/news/local-news/what-credit-or-loan-options-do-federal-employees-have-/1714290342 |
Who Did the Worst MLK Day Tweet? | Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP For most of us, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time to reflect on one of the most honorable and morally righteous figures in our countrys history... and/or to sit at home eating Cheez-Its and watching a bad Netflix show. But for the denizens of Online, MLK Day is a time to tweet extremely badly. And boy, did people ever do that today. There were so many bad tweets about King today that even narrowing them down to a list that fits in one blog is difficult, but we did our best to do so, and to break them down by category. Advertisement Government Entities An obvious place to start is the U.S. government, which was no fan of King during his lifetime, to put it lightly. Many on Twitter were sharing a 2017 tweet from the FBIthe same FBI who sent King fake suicide letter from himself and sent Coretta Scott King recordings of what was allegedly King cheating on her. But this year it was the CIA that tweeted in remembrance of King with a simple graphic. Advertisement *Bill Maher music plays* NEW RULE: If you spend your time overthrowing democratically elected governments and surveilling the Black Panthers, you dont get to pretend to give a shit about MLK. Advertisement In a similar vein, the U.S. Marines tweeted in remembrance of King, in the great tradition of taking his quotes out of context for purposes he would have absolutely hated. King may have indeed said that, but he probably wasnt referring to dying for the U.S. militaryas a proponent of non-violence, he wasnt a big fan of the military-industrial complex. King spent the last few years of his life as a staunch opponent of the Vietnam War and American imperialism, something that even many on the left werent yet onboard with at the time of his famous anti-Vietnam speech in 1967. Advertisement The U.S. Air Force also got in on the game, using what appears to be the Lion King font in their tweet, which also includes a word cloud of concepts vaguely related to King. Very cool. Outright Racists Weve now reached perhaps the most despicable category of MLK Day tweets: those by white racists who not only would have hated King while he was alive, but almost certainly still despise everything he stood for today. Advertisement Case in point: We love the implication (made using a fake quote) that your own principled stand against uh, *checks notes* PEOPLE WHO THINK WHITE SUPREMACY IS BAD is equivalent to Kings selfless fight to end segregation and Jim Crow. Extremely cool. Please kill me. Advertisement Moving on, another contender in both the best Fake Quote and Racist Guy Pretending to Like MLK categories: the embattled Prime Minister of Israel and noted proponent of segregation, Benjamin Netanyahu! This fake King quote is so well known that it has its own Wikipedia page. The supposed Letter to an Anti-Zionist first appeared in 1999, thirty years after Kings assassination. The basis of this fake letter may be the account of one Jewish author, who has written that at a dinner in 1967, King once reprimanded a student for making a sharply anti-Zionist comment, equating it to anti-Semitism. Whether that happened or not is anyones guess. Advertisement What we do know is that King welcomed the Jewish community into the his movementquite a few Jews participated in his efforts to end segregation. But King didnt often mention U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, so any views on Israel attributed to him are almost certainly bullshit. Cops. Especially cops who instituted racist stop and frisk policies and oversaw the killing of unarmed black men like Eric Garner. Advertisement Last but not least, the National Rifle Association decided to get in on the game, honoring a guy who was a FUCKING PACIFIST WHO BELIEVED IN NON-VIOLENCE. Thanks NRA. We look forward to your retroactive defense of every black man who has died at the hands of the police for touching anything that vaguely looks like a weapon! Advertisement SPORTS!!! Advertisement (It does, we should note, seem appropriate that the NFLs tribute to King consists of appropriating black football players words without compensation.) The NFL wasnt the only one to get in on the MLKFest. Would King have supported the XFLs reimagin[ing] football for a revolutionary fan experience?! Whatever the answer, it didnt stop them from using his words as a branding exercise. Advertisement And then... theres this, which appears to be a photoshopped image of King wearing a wide receivers glove. B R A N D S Next up, whatever this is: Advertisement Yum! Brands is the parent company of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC. Three organizations fighting, like King did, to make the world a better place for people who want to Live Mas. We dream of the day that @jack will finally ban Nazis from his platform. Finally, this parody post (?) , presented without comment: Advertisement In conclusion: never tweet. | https://splinternews.com/who-did-the-worst-mlk-day-tweet-1831937329 |
How To Copy A File/Folder From A Local System To Remote System In Linux? | Copying a file from one server to another server or local to remote is one of the routine task for Linux administrator. If anyone says no, i wont accept because this is one of the regular activity wherever you go. It can be done in many ways and we are trying to cover all the possible options. You can choose the one which you would prefer. Also, check other commands as well that may help you for some other purpose. I have tested all these commands and script in my test environment so, you can use this for your routine work. By default every one go with SCP because its one of the native command that everyone use for file copy. But commands which is listed in this article are be smart so, give a try if you would like to try new things. This can be done in below four ways easily. SCP: scp copies files between hosts on a network. It uses ssh for data transfer, and uses the same authentication and provides the same security as ssh. scp copies files between hosts on a network. It uses ssh for data transfer, and uses the same authentication and provides the same security as ssh. RSYNC: rsync is a fast and extraordinarily versatile file copying tool. It can copy locally, to/from another host over any remote shell, or to/from a remote rsync daemon. rsync is a fast and extraordinarily versatile file copying tool. It can copy locally, to/from another host over any remote shell, or to/from a remote rsync daemon. PSCP: pscp is a program for copying files in parallel to a number of hosts. It provides features such as passing a password to scp, saving output to files, and timing out. pscp is a program for copying files in parallel to a number of hosts. It provides features such as passing a password to scp, saving output to files, and timing out. PRSYNC: prsync is a program for copying files in parallel to a number of hosts. It provides features such as passing a password to ssh, saving output to files, and timing out. scp command allow us to copy files/folders from a local system to remote system. We are going to copy the output.txt file from my local system to 2g.CentOS.com remote system under /opt/backup directory. We are going to copy two files output.txt and passwd-up.sh files from my local system to 2g.CentOS.com remote system under /opt/backup directory. # scp output.txt passwd-up.sh [email protected]:/opt/backup output.txt 100% 2468 2.4KB/s 00:00 passwd-up.sh 100% 877 0.9KB/s 00:00 We are going to copy the shell-script directory from my local system to 2g.CentOS.com remote system under /opt/backup directory. This will copy the shell-script directory and associated files under /opt/backup directory. If you would like to copy the same file into multiple remote servers then create the following small shell script to achieve this. To do so, get the servers list and add those into server-list.txt file. Make sure you have to update the servers list into server-list.txt file. Each server should be in separate line. Finally mention the file location which you want to copy like below. # file-copy.sh #!/bin/sh for server in `more server-list.txt` do scp /home/daygeek/2g/shell-script/output.txt [email protected]$server:/opt/backup done Once you done, set an executable permission to password-update.sh file. # chmod +x file-copy.sh Finally run the script to achieve this. # ./file-copy.sh output.txt 100% 2468 2.4KB/s 00:00 output.txt 100% 2468 2.4KB/s 00:00 Use the following script to copy the multiple files into multiple remote servers. # file-copy.sh #!/bin/sh for server in `more server-list.txt` do scp /home/daygeek/2g/shell-script/output.txt passwd-up.sh [email protected]$server:/opt/backup done The below output shows all the files twice as this copied into two servers. # ./file-cp.sh output.txt 100% 2468 2.4KB/s 00:00 passwd-up.sh 100% 877 0.9KB/s 00:00 output.txt 100% 2468 2.4KB/s 00:00 passwd-up.sh 100% 877 0.9KB/s 00:00 Use the following script to copy the directory recursively into multiple remote servers. # file-copy.sh #!/bin/sh for server in `more server-list.txt` do scp -r /home/daygeek/2g/shell-script/ [email protected]$server:/opt/backup done Output for the above script. pscp command directly allow us to perform the copy to multiple remote servers. Use the following pscp command to copy a single file to remote server. # pscp.pssh -H 2g.CentOS.com /home/daygeek/2g/shell-script/output.txt /opt/backup [1] 18:46:11 [SUCCESS] 2g.CentOS.com Use the following pscp command to copy a multiple files to remote server. # pscp.pssh -H 2g.CentOS.com /home/daygeek/2g/shell-script/output.txt ovh.sh /opt/backup [1] 18:47:48 [SUCCESS] 2g.CentOS.com Use the following pscp command to copy a directory recursively to remote server. # pscp.pssh -H 2g.CentOS.com -r /home/daygeek/2g/shell-script/ /opt/backup [1] 18:48:46 [SUCCESS] 2g.CentOS.com Use the following pscp command to copy a single file to multiple remote servers. # pscp.pssh -h server-list.txt /home/daygeek/2g/shell-script/output.txt /opt/backup [1] 18:49:48 [SUCCESS] 2g.CentOS.com [2] 18:49:48 [SUCCESS] 2g.Debian.com Use the following pscp command to copy a multiple files to multiple remote servers. # pscp.pssh -h server-list.txt /home/daygeek/2g/shell-script/output.txt passwd-up.sh /opt/backup [1] 18:50:30 [SUCCESS] 2g.Debian.com [2] 18:50:30 [SUCCESS] 2g.CentOS.com Use the following pscp command to copy a directory recursively to multiple remote servers. Rsync is a fast and extraordinarily versatile file copying tool. It can copy locally, to/from another host over any remote shell, or to/from a remote rsync daemon. Use the following rsync command to copy a single file to remote server. # rsync -avz /home/daygeek/2g/shell-script/output.txt [email protected]:/opt/backup sending incremental file list output.txt sent 598 bytes received 31 bytes 1258.00 bytes/sec total size is 2468 speedup is 3.92 Use the following pscp command to copy a multiple files to remote server. # rsync -avz /home/daygeek/2g/shell-script/output.txt passwd-up.sh [email protected]:/opt/backup sending incremental file list output.txt passwd-up.sh sent 737 bytes received 50 bytes 1574.00 bytes/sec total size is 2537 speedup is 3.22 Use the following rsync command to copy a single file to remote server overh ssh. # rsync -avzhe ssh /home/daygeek/2g/shell-script/output.txt [email protected]:/opt/backup sending incremental file list output.txt sent 598 bytes received 31 bytes 419.33 bytes/sec total size is 2.47K speedup is 3.92 Use the following pscp command to copy a directory recursively to remote server over ssh. This will copy only files not the base directory. If you would like to copy the same file into multiple remote servers then create the following small shell script to achieve this. # file-copy.sh #!/bin/sh for server in `more server-list.txt` do rsync -avzhe ssh /home/daygeek/2g/shell-script/ [email protected]$server:/opt/backup done Output for the above shell script. In the above two shell script, we need to mention the file and folder location as a prerequiesties but here i did a small modification that allow the script to get a file or folder as a input. It could be very useful when you want to perform the copy multiple times in a day. # file-copy.sh #!/bin/sh for server in `more server-list.txt` do scp -r $1 [email protected]$server:/opt/backup done Run the shell script and give the file name as a input. Use the below shell script to copy a file or folder if you are using Non-Standard port. If you are using Non-Standard port, make sure you have to mention the port number as follow for SCP command. # file-copy-scp.sh #!/bin/sh for server in `more server-list.txt` do scp -P 2222 -r $1 [email protected]$server:/opt/backup done Run the shell script and give the file name as a input. # ./file-copy.sh ovh.sh ovh.sh 100% 3558 3.5KB/s 00:00 ovh.sh 100% 3558 3.5KB/s 00:00 If you are using Non-Standard port, make sure you have to mention the port number as follow for rsync command. # file-copy-rsync.sh #!/bin/sh for server in `more server-list.txt` do rsync -avzhe 'ssh -p 2222' $1 [email protected]$server:/opt/backup done Run the shell script and give the file name as a input. # ./file-copy-rsync.sh passwd-up.sh sending incremental file list passwd-up.sh sent 238 bytes received 35 bytes 26.00 bytes/sec total size is 159 speedup is 0.58 sending incremental file list passwd-up.sh sent 238 bytes received 35 bytes 26.00 bytes/sec total size is 159 speedup is 0.58 | https://www.2daygeek.com/linux-scp-rsync-pscp-command-copy-files-folders-in-multiple-servers-using-shell-script/ |
Is Green Plains a Buy? | After a rough 2017 investors might have been hoping that things couldn't get worse for ethanol producers. Then 2018 happened. Last year, ethanol prices averaged their lowest selling prices since 2002 -- years before the United States started blending the renewable fuel into its gasoline supply. That spoiled the operations of Green Plains (NASDAQ: GPRE). While it began 2018 as the nation's third-largest ethanol manufacturer, it exited the year a peg or two lower. Management sold noncore assets and 20% of the company's ethanol production fleet, then used the proceeds to retire $495 million in long-term debt. The move should save enough in interest expense to tip the business into profitability, but there are still some questions that won't be answered until year-end results are announced. Let's dig into the details. A man staring at a chalk board with money bags and question marks drawn on it. More Image source: Getty Images. By the numbers Green Plains generates revenue and income from multiple products and services supporting ethanol production. The business also creates animal feed products (primarily byproducts of the overall ethanol production process), sells meat from its cattle feedlot business (one of the largest in the United States with 355,000 head of cattle), and generates income from an ownership stake in Green Plains Partners (a storage and transportation partnership supporting the parent). Vertical integration has become a necessity for improving the margin structure of ethanol production. That was especially true last year. In the first nine months of 2018 the company's ethanol segment reported an operating loss of $60.7 million, compared to an operating loss of $26 million the year before. High-margin products and services in the animal feed, food ingredients, and partnership segments allowed Green Plains to post an overall operating profit -- barely. Metric First Nine Months 2018 First Nine Months 2017 Year-Over-Year Change Revenue $3.03 billion $2.67 billion 13% Operating expenses $3.02 billion $2.64 billion 14% Operating income $8.4 million $34.3 million (75%) Net income ($23.1 million) $29.4 million N/A Operating cash flow less inventory change $31.1 million $54.6 million (43%) Data source: SEC filing. Of course, the slimmed-down business will look a bit different in 2019. Late last year, Green Plains sold off its high-margin vinegar business, which, alongside the cattle feedlot business, helped to generate $34 million in operating income for the food ingredients segment through the first nine months of 2018. Losing that high-margin income will hurt, but the company will save more in interest expense from paying off its term loans. Shedding 20% of its ethanol production will also help to shrink losses in the core segment. The biggest improvements might arrive on the balance sheet. Here's how management last communicated the changes, with the pro forma results indicating the impact from recent transactions: Metric Sept. 30, 2018 (Pro Forma) Sept. 30, 2018 (Actual) Total long-term debt $337.8 million* $832.8 million Net debt ($46.9 million) $598.3 million Shareholders' equity $1.06 billion $898.9 million Book value per share $25.61 $21.70 Net debt to EBITDA 2.5x 6.3x *NOTE: Comprising convertible debt and a revolving credit facility. Data source: Investor presentation. Overall investors have to like the improvements in the table above, but investors will want to make sure these asset sales don't result in sharply lower EBITDA -- therefore hiking up leverage ratios -- going forward. Despite the overnight improvements on the balance sheet, Wall Street hasn't changed its pessimistic outlook for the business. Perhaps analysts are waiting for clearer signals from management on what to expect in the near term, but they haven't updated their earnings expectations for the next 12 months. That much is obvious from a side-by-side comparison between Green Plains and its closest publicly traded ethanol-producing peers Archer Daniels Midland (NYSE: ADM) and Valero (NYSE: VLO), notably in the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios. | https://news.yahoo.com/green-plains-buy-034800922.html |
What Actually Works to Prevent Kids from Getting Colds? | Kids get three to six colds a year. 71 percent of parents try methods with little scientific proof of working. Things like making sure kids dont go outside with wet hair or just staying inside to prevent colds have been passed down through generations. Those theories have little to do with getting sick. Studies say that while Vitamin C is fine for kids to take, there is little evidence to suggest it prevents colds. The best thing to help kids from getting colds is hygiene. Frequent and correct hand washing with soap and water or antibacterial solution kills cold germs before they reach the body. Heres the complete story from CBS News. | https://www.wccq.com/what-actually-works-to-prevent-kids-from-getting-colds/ |
Is America About To Officially Dump Pakistan As An "Ally"? | Authored by Andrew Korybko via Oriental Review, Republican Congressman Andy Biggs just put forth House Resolution 73 seeking to remove Pakistans designation as a major non-NATO ally, which would eliminate its privileged military cooperation with the US thats already been put under strain over the past year since Trump decided to suspend various sorts of aid to the country and decried it for supposedly not doing enough to fight terrorism. Biggs wants to make any reclassification of Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally contingent on the President proving to Congress that the country is fighting the so-called Haqqani Network thats bedeviled the US for years, suggesting that this initiative might have something to do with once again scapegoating Pakistan for the latest setback to the incipient US-Taliban peace process. In addition, the move itself is highly symbolic because it comes over two years after the US designated Pakistans rival India as its first-ever Major Defense Partner after entering into a military-strategic partnership with the country to tacitly contain China. Its very likely that the US might be toying with the idea of replacing Pakistan with India as its newest major non-NATO ally, though that would provocatively push Pakistan even closer to the US Russian and Chinese rivals, something that could have serious implications for Afghanistan if Islamabad refuses to broker any more talks between Washington and the Taliban, for example. Altogether, however, the suggestion to strip Pakistan of its major non-NATO ally designation is predicable because the US was never Pakistans ally to begin with. It never mattered how much Pakistan assisted the US with its War on Terror, nor how many tens of thousands of Pakistanis died as the countrys military fought its own version of this conflict on its home soil, the US always condescendingly treated Pakistan as a junior partner and criticized it to do more. Over the past couple of years, Pakistan finally decided to say no more and began pursuing an independent foreign policy that strives to achieve a balance between the worlds Great Powers instead of indefinitely perpetuating its erstwhile strategic dependence on a single one like the US, which has actually revolutionized regional and global affairs by virtue of the geostrategic importance of the CPEC megaproject. NATO trucks crossing Pakistans border For as much as some in the US permanent military, intelligence, and diplomatic bureaucracies (or deep state) might want to punish Pakistan for this through various means such as symbolically stripping away its major non-NATO ally status, others also understand that many Pakistanis would be happy to see their faux alliance with the US finally end and know that their country could potentially make matters difficult for the US in Afghanistan, which is why it remains to be seen whether this measure will pass into law. Even so, it nevertheless sends a very strong signal to Islamabad that some in Washington harbor very hostile intentions against their country and dont appreciate its many sacrifices that were made on their behalf in the War on Terror. | https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-21/america-about-officially-dump-pakistan-ally?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zerohedge%2Ffeed+%28zero+hedge+-+on+a+long+enough+timeline%2C+the+survival+rate+for+everyone+drops+to+zero%29 |
Is now the time to think about a second independence referendum? | Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon recently claimed that the case for Scottish independence has been materially strengthened by the Brexit process. The 2014 Scottish independence referendums successful no campaign promised security and EU membership within the United Kingdom as opposed to the uncertainty of being left outside of it. Both of these assurances have since been obliterated by the 2016 vote for the UK to exit the European Union. The SNPs initial attempt at a second vote in 2017 was rebuked by Prime Minister Theresa May who said that now is not the time. She characterised this as being a distraction from the immediate pressures of Brexit. However, the SNP argues that Scotland, which overwhelmingly voted to remain in the European Union, is not being listened to by the government in Westminster. Ms Sturgeon has claimed that Scotlands interests have been completely ignored and sidelined. In the days leading up to the 2014 independence vote, the leaders of the three main parties signed a joint statement promising to Scotland that [a] no vote will deliver faster, safer and better change than separation. Brexit Britain has shattered these promises. The call for a second independence referendum should not be seen as a distraction from the Brexit process but a legitimate part of it. It is a reaction to how the Brexit process has failed to uphold the interests of the Scottish people. An independent Scotland has to be a viable prospect. When oil prices plummeted and Scotlands oil tax revenue fell from 1.8 billion in 2015 to 60 million in 2016, the economic forecasts of the 2014 campaign were left in tatters. If Scotland is to make a viable economic case for independence this time, it cannot be so heavily reliant on oil, but turn its attention to its renewable energy, food, drink and tourism sectors. An independent Scotland would also stop receiving finances from Westminster via the Barnett Formula, which assigns population-based budgets to each nation. Currently, Scotland often receives a higher proportion of UK government spending per head than England and Wales. In 2012-13, Scotland got 10,152 per head, Wales 9,709 and England 8,529. An independent Scotland would have to account for these new financial shortfalls, which could involve adjusting tax rates and rethinking funding for existing things like free tuition fees for Scottish students. In some ways this vision of independence appears challenging and in some ways threatens Scotlands status quo. However, it may appear to be less of a gamble to voters this time when the alternative is a divided and a potentially chaotic United Kingdom struggling in the aftermath of Brexit. In any case, it seems that the argument for a second independence referendum will be much stronger if it is based on the economic and social realities of life after Brexit, not just speculation. This can only be known once the UK has left the EU. A Panelbase poll for LBC and the Sunday Times Scotland published in December 2018 found that almost 59 per cent of respondents think Scottish independence would be better than a no-deal Brexit, with 53 per cent saying that independence would be more beneficial than staying in a UK which is not a member of the EU with a negotiated trade-deal. However, if the vote took place now, 53 per cent would still vote against independence. This suggests that the flames of Scottish independence are not extinguished but are definitely smouldering. It is clear the path that Brexit takes from here onwards will determine whether they ignite again and if so, just how brightly they will burn. Image: Alasdair McKenzie via Flickr Share this: Tweet | http://www.studentnewspaper.org/is-now-the-time-to-think-about-a-second-independence-referendum/ |
Should we feel guilty about our body-related resolutions? | As we come into the new year, the time of New Years Resolutions comes around. While in some cases these can be very helpful, and allow you to break a bad habit or start up a new activity, often resolutions focus on changing the way we look, usually through dieting of some kind. Resolutions such as lose 10 pounds or cut out carbs are common and the idea that we will be better off if we are thinner or eating better is encouraged. This can be very dangerous and although there has been a huge growth in the body positivity movement in the past couple of years, more needs to be done to stop this damaging culture that we must lose weight in order to be happy. The idea of New Years Resolutions is to change oneself for the better in the new year. Whilst this in itself is not a bad thing, and many resolutions can be positive changes such as quitting smoking or giving more to charity, the idea can also give rise to a damaging narrative that says that you are not enough, and so you must change things about you in order to be better. When these are focused on weight loss or bodily appearance, this can be even more dangerous. The idea that the less you weigh the happier you will become also adds to the damaging culture of fat-shaming and pressuring people into wanting to change their appearance when they dont need to. It also makes the focus looking better rather than feeling better. This is especially damaging for children and young people, as being brought up on the idea that we must pick something we dont like about ourselves and change it each year can give issues such as eating disorders and low self-esteem the fuel they need to develop in a young person. Resolutions such as needing to work off the Christmas weight also add to the unhealthy view that in order to enjoy ourselves at Christmas time, we must then be extra strict afterwards. As if enjoying yourself and eating too much cheese at Christmas is something that must be earned. The pressure of New Years Resolutions can be hard to ignore and when people are always asking what you are going to give up this year, it is easy to see why so many people make resolutions. But when most people fail at achieving the resolution, if it was focused on body issues and appearance this can make us feel even worse. Rather than losing weight like we wanted to, we end up failing at our goal and this negativity is then reflected on our sense of self. We start to view our bodies in this negative light, having failed to lose the Christmas weight and continually vowing to start a new diet or exercise regime. Therefore, rather than the desired effect of losing weight in the new year, we begin to obsess over the fact that we havent been that successful. Obviously, in some cases, a resolution to lose weight or get a bit fitter is completely fine. As long as your goal is realistic, and set out for the right reasons, it can be beneficial to your health to start a new exercise regime or diet and is not necessarily a bad thing. The important thing to remember is that the aim of the resolution should be to improve body positivity and embrace our bodies for what they can do, rather than focusing on, and trying to eliminate, any flaws. Image Credit: stevepb via Pixabay Share this: Tweet | http://www.studentnewspaper.org/should-we-feel-guilty-about-our-body-related-resolutions/ |
Are university balls worth the cost or should we have them at all? | Its already at the time of year where everyone has started posting pictures of them all dressed up, at their societys Winter Ball. There were a huge number of these throughout November and continuing into this year, with the History Society Winter Ball having taken place recently, and the Sports Ball looming this semester. There is at least one society ball for each student in Edinburgh to attend, which is demonstrative of the enormous spending by these societies, and therefore leads to the question of how far they can really be justified. There is a very high cost to organise and host these student balls. The History Society Ball cost an estimated 18,000 last year, breaking even with full tickets costing 60 for members or 67 for non-members, and after-dinner tickets costing 17. In contrast, a Cambridge May Ball is estimated to cost over 150,000, with over 1000 guests spending 145 on a ticket at one college alone. When related to this extravagance, perhaps Edinburgh societies are being fairly responsible with their spending. However, the cost of tickets is still high even if not quite at the Cambridge level and shows a certain level of exclusivity. Students with less money to spend on luxuries will struggle to afford the tickets, let alone the fancy clothes necessary to fit in. The high cost and low numbers of tickets means that many are unable to attend, which will make many feel excluded from the society. Surely there must be a way to hold a large social with less cost for those wanting to attend. A simple ceilidh instead of a ball, a cheaper location, or even just a larger number of small socials through the year; These would enable more people to feel involved, and to join the societys community. However, students clearly do enjoy attending balls. This air of exclusivity allows for those attending to feel part of the privileged few, which is heightened by the formal dress-code and fancy meal. Many students spend their time at university in informal, comfortable clothes, especially when coursework deadlines loom, and while normal socials provide the chance to dress slightly better than usual, a ball can present the perfect excuse to properly dress to impress and look fancy. After graduation most will not have further chances to attend this sort of event, so university is the perfect opportunity to enjoy these extravagances while they still can. Even if it is a lot of money to spend for just one night, the memories made can last long past leaving university. While there is a high cost to host the events they will break even with ticket prices, and although tickets are expensive most societies offer after-dinner tickets at a much lower price. With cheaper clothing websites there is also the chance to reduce the cost of clothing needed, which is a further help. It would perhaps be more inclusive if societies held cheaper events, which a larger number of people could attend, however, there would still be limits to the number of people who could go to each social. Ultimately, the high demand for tickets for these student balls shows that students do enjoy them and want to attend. They let students get dressed up, have fun, and relax during an increasingly stressful period of their life, which is not the worst thing in the world. Image: Eric A. Hegg Photographs via Wikimedia Commons Share this: Tweet | http://www.studentnewspaper.org/are-university-balls-worth-the-cost-or-should-we-have-them-at-all/ |
Is social smoking causing more damage to us than we think? | Research presented in the Journal of American College Health reports that university students at least think it does. But in reality, not a lot of conclusions have been reached. Heres the relevant information: The amount of tobacco consumed and the rate of cardiovascular mortality does not have a linear relationship. In other words, smoking a limited amount still significantly increases your risk of heart problems. And thats not all, a paper by Glantz et. al reported (from a release by the US Surgeon General) that low levels of exposure have large risks for lung and gastrointestinal cancers, lower respiratory tract infections, cataracts, compromised reproductive health, and osteoporosis. Despite Glantzs observations, there is not necessarily a need to panic. The definition of low levels of exposure is variant but typically seemed to be around 1 to 4 cigarettes per day, long into adulthood. Many social smokers dont intend to smoke past college and smoke less than 1 to 4 a day. The tricky thing is that social smoking is relatively new to research, because social smokers often dont identify as smokers and because longitudinal studies (studies that follow people their whole lives) dont exist yet. So its unclear what exactly the effects are, though it is clear that nondaily smokers are at a much higher risk for tobacco-related diseases than nonsmokers. And, while daily smoking is still decreasing, nondaily smoking is actually increasing. A more optimistic, study looked at how the age of quitting effects health. If you smoke your whole life you lose on average 10 years. Quit by 40 and you lose 1 year. Quit by 30 and you lose 1 month. While predicting ones end of life like this is a little terrifying, it may be of comfort to youthful, intermittent smokers, who often intend to quit much earlier and smoke much less. The younger you can quit the better it is for your body. But, evidence suggests that those who are nondaily smokers are much less motivated to quit than daily smokers. This is because, again, they dont believe that the low levels they smoke at will be damaging to their health and so may go on to intermittently smoke for years to come. New research suggests that smoking a little bit for a long time is worse than smoking a large quantity for a short time because your lungs start to lose their ability to heal with increased age. But, early death isnt the only adverse effect. Smoking decreases fertility rates and can increase the likelihood of miscarriage; it increases chances of cataracts; people can lose their sense of smell and taste; it can trigger asthma; degrade your teeth; and a slew of other things. On top of this, the onset of these effects does not wait until youre old. And it should be noted that secondhand smoke affects people around smokers in many of the same ways as if they were smoking themselves. Typically, smoking cessation programs (to help facilitate quitting) are directed toward daily, heavy smokers, however now that social and intermittent smoking is becoming so prevalent, cessation programs will have to start to include non-daily smokers as well. Alcohol actually does increase the enjoyment of a cigarette, which is probably why lots of social smokers start to crave them only when theyre drunk and so cutting back on alcohol is recommended as a way to cut back on smoking. 71.5 per cent of smokers are said to regret ever having started smoking and want to quit. And while there is warring evidence on this point, researchers have found that those who smoked intermittently were more likely to smoke heavily in the future. With such an increase in social smoking, more research will be done to study the particular health effects on social smokers, but the conception that low-level smoking is devoid of ill effects is, unfortunately, a misconception. Image: Denis Defreyne via Flikr Share this: Tweet | http://www.studentnewspaper.org/is-social-smoking-causing-more-damage-to-us-than-we-think/ |
Can Prince Philip (and other members of the Royal family) be charged with a crime? | Posted There are calls for Prince Philip to be prosecuted if he is found to be at fault for a car crash last week. The Duke of Edinburgh was driving a Land Rover last Thursday when he was involved in a violent collision in which two women in a Kia car were injured. Now one of those women says the Royal should be charged if he's found to be at fault. Here's what we know. Considering that the Sovereign used to be a key figure in establishing and enforcing the law, it may be no surprise that the Queen is immune to prosecution. It is the same for other heads of state while they remain in office. "Although civil and criminal proceedings cannot be taken against the Sovereign as a person under UK law, the Queen is careful to ensure that all her activities in her personal capacity are carried out in strict accordance with the law," the Royal family says on its website. The Queen is also exempt from giving evidence in a witness box. The prospect was raised at an inquest into Princess Diana's death, but the Queen was not required to give evidence. No, they are not exempt from the law. In fact, back in 2002 Princess Anne became the first senior member of the Royal family to be convicted of a criminal offence after her dog attacked two children. In the case of the car crash, Norfolk's former roads policing chief Chris Spinks said Prince Philip would be treated "like any other driver" by officers. "In terms of process, he will be dealt with like any other driver," he told the BBC, adding there would not be any favouritism. "Dealing with someone from the Royal family is only different in that you probably can't pick up the phone to talk to them." The UK's freedom of information laws do not apply to the Royal household. But they do apply to communications with members of the Royal family held by public authorities. This was the case for 27 of Prince Charles's Black Spider letters sent from him to ministers in Tony Blair's government which were published. They Royal family can also choose to give a public statement on any matter, but they do not have to. The Queen can claim ownership of any unmarked mute swan swimming in open waters, and is able to eat it. Hundreds of years ago, penalties for killing or injuring swans were severe, and someone caught pinching swan eggs could be jailed for one year and a day. Swans are no longer eaten and are a protected species, but historically they were served at banquets. Yes he does. Only the Queen is exempt from holding one. Buckingham Palace says Prince Philip has a valid driver's license. There is no upper age limit for licensing drivers in Britain, although drivers over 70 are required to renew their licenses every three years. They are also required to tell authorities about any medical conditions that might raise safety issues. Royal commentators told Reuters that Prince Philip would be loath to give up driving. Topics: royal-and-imperial-matters, human-interest, law-crime-and-justice, united-kingdom | https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-22/prince-philip-can-he-be-charged-with-a-crime/10736062 |
Can homebuyers be deprived of a refund under RERA? | On January 9, MahaRERA set aside the plea of over 10 flat buyers who had wanted to exit from a project in Mumbai, stating that bulk withdrawal from the project may mean jeopardising completion of the project and impact the remaining 500 home buyers. The 13-odd buyers had booked units worth Rs 7.5 crore each in the 65-storey Island City Centre project in Dadar constructed Bombay Realty, an arm of The Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Company, way back in 2012. They had alleged that the builder had made false assurances regarding amenities and made changes to the carpet area and overall layout of the project. "Keeping in mind the larger interest of approximately 520 allottees of the said project, allowing bulk withdrawal from the MahaRERA registered project to so many complainants at this stage would mean jeopardising the project completion. Money for the refund will have to be taken out from the separate account, which is meant specially for the completion of the project and would eventually slow down the progress of the project work especially at a stage where the project is nearing completion with more than 800 of the super structure work completed," the order said. In October last year, the Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (HRERA) had directed Supertech to refund the amount taken from the buyers of a housing project for cheating the buyers by accepting pre-launch booking before obtaining licences and not handing over the possession of the units on time. The HRERA bench had ordered that the funds received by the respondent from the complainant by way of advance be refunded along with interest at the rate 10.45 percent per annum as 'he has cheated/defrauded the innocent buyers'. Interestingly, Chairman of Gurugram Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (HARERA) KK Khandelwal had also made it clear at a later date that in projects where construction is 40 percent complete, refund may not be allowed to ensure that the project is completed. The purpose of RERA is to balance the interests and protect the rights of the key stakeholders: builders, buyers and agents. "But our first priority is to ensure that home buyers get possession of their homes." While homebuyers are of the view that they are not responsible for pledging their money with the developer 'indefinitely' and that they have every right to seek a refund if the project has been unreasonably delayed, builders are of the opinion that refund should not be allowed to a few buyers, especially if construction is on, as that would harm the interests of other buyers and make the project unviable. Section 18 of The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 clearly lays down that if the promoter fails to complete or is unable to grant possession of an apartment, plot or building, (a) in accordance with the terms of the agreement for sale or, as the case may be, duly completed by the date specified therein; or (b) due to discontinuance of his business as a developer on account of suspension or revocation of the registration under this Act or for any other reason, he shall be liable on demand to the allottees, in case the allottee wishes to withdraw from the project, without prejudice to any other remedy available, to return the amount received by him in respect of that apartment, plot, building, as the case may be, with interest at such rate as may be prescribed in this behalf including compensation in the manner as provided under this Act: provided that where an allottee does not intend to withdraw from the project, he shall be paid, by the promoter, interest for every month of delay, till the handing over of the possession, at such rate as may be prescribed. The promoter should compensate allottees in case of any loss caused to him due to defective title of the land on which the project is being developed or has been developed, in the manner as provided under this Act, and the claim for compensation under this subsection shall not be barred by limitation provided under any law for the time being in force. Section 12 of the Act also states that if a buyer has made an advance or a deposit on the basis of the information contained in the notice advertisement or prospectus, or on the basis of any model apartment, plot or building, as the case may be, and sustains any loss or damage by reason of any incorrect, false statement included therein, he shall be compensated by the promoter in the manner as provided under this Act: Provided that if the person affected by such incorrect, false statement contained in the notice, advertisement or prospectus, or the model apartment, plot or building, as the case may be, intends to withdraw from the proposed project, he shall be returned his entire investment along with interest at such rate as may be prescribed and the compensation in the manner provided under this Act. "If a builder has promised a house within three years and does not deliver even after more than five years, I have every right to seek a refund as I cannot guarantee funds to a builder for eternity. The timeline of a project should be reasonable and should be met," said Abhay Upadhyay, President, Forum for People's Collective Efforts and member, Central Advisory Council, RERA, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs. A buyer cannot be forced to wait until 2021 for a project that was to be delivered in 2012 nor can he forced to accept the extended deadlines. A buyer cannot be responsible for ensuring sufficient funds in an escrow account to complete the project, he added. Some legal experts are of the view that the MahaRERA order is a blatant violation of Section 18 that empowers the consumers to seek a refund in case of undue delay in completion of a project'. If these buyers do not get relief from the appellate authority, they can again go in appeal to high court but they cannot approach a consumer court and a high court at the same time. That would amount to forum hunting and is not a fair practice, a lawyer explained. Legal experts said authorities cannot pass any order which is against the express provisions of the Act and based on the internal guidelines framed by the authorities themselves. While the law does not differentiate between a buyer and an investor, some legal experts are of the view that it is often the investors who have not been able to book profits on their investments, queuing up for refund. These are property hoarders who were expecting an appreciation and because the market has not improved, they want their monies with interest. Their request for refund can sabotage the entire project and strangulate the genuine buyer, Anand Patwardhan, a Mumbai-based lawyer, said. Having said that, it is best such matters are decided on a case-by-case basis as it is often seen that the biggest challenge is getting commencement certificates by the authorities on time and that is the main reason for delays, he added. Niranjan Hiranandani, CMD, Hiranandani Communities and President (National), NAREDCO, is of the view that there are two aspects to the argument. If there is a reasonable delay, then compensation will be given to a buyer but if there is an undue delay, buyers can ask for refund. Also, if only 20 people ask for refund, then the building will not be completed. Undue delay depends from building-to-building for a two-floor building it may mean over a year's delay and for a 30-60-storey building, it could be entirely different," he said. A year ago, Madhya Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MP RERA) did not allow a group of 40 buyers to walk out a project in which over 300 buyers had invested in on grounds of delay. The project was going ahead and there were hundreds of workers on site. We granted buyers compensation for delay but did not allow them to exit, lest the project became unviable. The builder actually completed the project within three months. Therefore, walking out of the project, should be the last resort, said Anthony de Sa, Chairman of MP RERA. RERA has to reconcile various problems and see that the primary objective which is to complete the project is met. And if the project is much delayed, compensation should be provided for the period of delay. In case the project is at a standstill and not moving forward, buyers should be allowed to walk out of the project and get their money back. The primary concern is not if it there are more end-users or investors as one assumes that everybody is an end-user. For a handful of buyers, the majority should not be turned into a scapegoat, he said. Certainly not. We will never allow that to happen, de Sa said, adding thats only reserved for construction. The builder will have to pay refund from his share of 30 percent profit. However, homebuyers are of the view that for providing refund, the source of funds is of no consequence. The Act does not bar a builder from utilising reserves from other projects, past profits or even by monetising personal assets, a buyer said. [email protected] | https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/real-estate/can-homebuyers-be-deprived-of-a-refund-under-rera-3417721.html |
Will Kangana Ranaut join Rajamouli and Bhansalis elite league with Manikarnika? | Joginder Tuteja Manikarnika - The Queen of Jhansi is set to hit the theatres on January 25. In the making for a while now, it is one of the most awaited films, right at the beginning of the year. Considering the fact that there are hardly any historical dramas are made in Bollywood, the film is special for the audience. It is special especially for Kangana Ranaut as she is not just acting in the film but has also worn the director's hat. While it was Krish (of Gabbar Is Back) who had started it, Ranaut took over the film due to creative differences and reshot a major portion of it. Currently, Krish and Ranaut are jointly credited as directors for the movie. If the film indeed turns out to be a big success, Ranaut could join the league of SS Rajamouli and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the only two filmmakers in the current era who have delivered big blockbusters with historical subjects. While Rajamouli is the man behind Baahubali - The Beginning and Baahubali - The Conclusion, both of which made excellent numbers in their Hindi versions, Sanjay Leela Bhansali first delivered Bajirao Mastani and then returned with an even bigger Padmaavat. There was a time when Ashutosh Gowariker was delivering successes too with period films. First, Lagaan and then Jodha Akbar turned out to be good successes. However, failure of films like Khelen Hum Jee Jaan Se and Mohenjo Daro pegged him down. He is now returning with another major historical Panipat before the end of the year which is expected to bring his vintage touch back. There are others as well in the industry who are bringing historical films in 2019. Akshay Kumar would be seen in Kesari, Ajay Devgn has Taanaji - The Unsung Warrior lined up and Ranbir Kapoor is gearing up for Brahmastra that is said to bridge the gap between mythological times and the present. In 2020, Karan Johar would be coming up with Mughal era flick Takht. However, it would be Ranaut facing the acid test of audience acceptance first when it comes to a period war drama. Last year, Thugs of Hindostan turned out to be a major disaster and though it was a fictional tale, it was set around the same time as Manikarnika - The Queen of Jhansi. Nonetheless, one just hopes that it was an aberration since as a subject, Ranaut's offering holds a lot of promise. In fact, there are quite a few filmmakers who have dreamt of turning the subject into a big screen affair. More than a decade ago, Sushmita Sen wanted to make a film on the subject and had also prepared extensively to turn into 'Jhansi Ki Rani'. Later, Ketan Mehta wanted to bring this story on screen and was even in talks with Ranaut. However, the plan did not materialize and Ranaut proceeded with Krish, only to wield the baton herself. So far, just one major film that has been made on this subject. Legendary filmmaker Sohrab Modi had made the film called Jhansi Ki Rani back in 1953 with actress Mehtab in the lead. After that, there were a series of shelved or aborted projects but it is only Ranaut who managed to put all her resources behind the film and pull it through. This has indeed been a labour of love for the actress who has lived her personal as well as professional life on her own terms. Though, at least twice during the making of the film, it had seemed that the shooting would be indefinitely delayed. However, she let her head high and ensured that there was no looking back. Some of the actors such as Sonu Sood also quit the project. What needs to be seen though is how exciting the narrative of this biggie turns out to be. If it is indeed as enthralling as the very subject in question, then the film could well be challenging the lifetime numbers of Baahubali - The Beginning at least, before setting its eye on higher milestones. Lifetime numbers of Bollywood historical biggies: Baahubali - The Conclusion [Hindi] Rs 511 crorePadmaavat Rs 302 croreBajirao Mastani Rs 188 crore Baahubali - The Beginning [Hindi] Rs 117 crore Joginder Tuteja is a trade expert and film critic, and loves to talk and write about anything that is related to films. He loves the word 'Bollywood' and truly believes that it has a ring to it that is sweeter than 'Hollywood'. | https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/entertainment/will-kangana-ranaut-join-rajamouli-and-bhansalis-elite-league-with-manikarnika-3418131.html |
Will my child's school be open today if it snows? | Get Daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email The Met Office has issued an extreme weather warning for the whole of Devon, Plymouth and parts of Cornwall with cold temperatures forecast today. Heavy snow is set to be followed by plummeting temperatures with hail, sleet, more snow and ice likely. The Met Office says injuries are possible with ice set to form on paths, roads and cycle routes from throughout Tuesday. Princetown and Okehampton on Dartmoor are likely to see the thickest flurries of snow - and could see 24 hours of continuous snow fall. Last year hundreds of schools across Devon and Cornwall took the decision not to open when the Beast from the East hit in March 2018. Some schools left the decision until the morning to announce whether they were operational. And because of the threat of snow again, many parents will be wondering what to do and how to check if their child's school is open in the event of snow. The best way to find out is check your local council's website, on the pages below. Devon County Council's list of school closures can be found here, Plymouth's here and Cornwall's here. The Met Office warning reads: "A band of rain and hill snow will move southeastwards across the UK during Monday evening and overnight. "A brief spell of wet snow is possible on high ground of southern Scotland, northern England and north Wales, with some small accumulations possible. "Behind this surface temperatures will rapidly fall away with some ice forming on some surfaces. Once the rain has cleared, some hail, sleet and snow showers will follow from the northwest, with 1-3 cm above 200 metres and some small accumulations expected at lower levels." The warning is in place for the whole of Devon and Plymouth as well as east and mid Cornwall. Falmouth and Truro fall within the warning but Newquay and Penzance do not. Temperatures are set to feel as low as -6 with winds gusting at up to 30mph from the west. Heavy snow is forecast for Dartmoor and Exmoor. | https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/childs-school-open-today-snows-2453772 |
How Safe Is Aflac's Dividend? | In this article, we investigate Aflac's current dividend safety by analyzing its dividend relative to earnings, free cash flow, recession resiliency, and debt (including an interest rate stress test). Despite the company's 35 years of dividend increases, some investors may still question the safety of its ongoing dividend payments. Aflac (AFL) is one of only two insurance companies within the Dividend Aristocrats Index. Aflac (AFL) is one of only two insurance companies to be a Dividend Aristocrat (the other is Cincinnati Financial (CINF)). The company's dividend history is well more than the minimum, as Aflac has increased its dividend for an impressive 35 consecutive years. With that said, investors should not rely on Aflac's dividend history alone to be assured of the safety of its future dividend payments. Further investigation is required. In this article, we'll measure Aflac's dividend safety by looking at four fundamental measures of dividend safety: earnings, free cash flow, recession performance, and debt (including an interest rate stress test). If you prefer learning through videos, you can watch a video analysis on the topic below: Business Overview Aflac is a diversified insurance corporation that provides accident, short-term disability, critical illness, dental, vision, and life insurance. Approximately 70% of the companys premium income is derived from Japan, with the remaining 30% coming from the United States. Aflac was founded in 1955 and currently trades with a market capitalization of $35 billion. Aflac is a well-known dividend stock because of its compelling track record of dividend growth. With 35 years of consecutive dividend increases, Aflac is a member of the Dividend Aristocrats Index, a group of elite dividend stocks with more than 25 years of consecutive dividend increases. Looking ahead, investors cannot rely on Aflacs dividend history alone to measure its dividend safety. For the remainder of this article, we will discuss the companys current dividend safety from four perspectives: its dividend safety in the context of its current earnings its dividend safety in the context of its current free cash flow its dividend safety in the context of its recession performance its dividend safety in the context of its current debt load Aflacs Dividend Safety Relative to Earnings First, lets discuss Aflacs dividend safety in the context of the companys current earnings. When Aflac reported its third quarter financial results on October 24th, the company announced that it generated adjusted earnings-per-share of $1.04 in the three-month reporting period. For context, Aflac paid a $0.26 quarterly dividend during the same time period for a payout ratio of 25%. Looking out over a longer time horizon, our conclusion is the same. Aflac generated $3.08 of earnings-per-share through the first nine months of fiscal 2018 and paid $0.78 of common share dividends during the same time period for a payout ratio of 25%. Using earnings, Aflacs dividend appears very safe for the foreseeable future. Aflacs Dividend Safety Relative to Free Cash Flow Many analysts believe that comparing a companys dividend payments to its free cash flow is a better method for assessing dividend safety. Accordingly, we will now compare Aflacs current dividend payment to its free cash flow. Through the first nine months of fiscal 2018, Aflac generated $4.7 billion of free cash flow and distributed $595 million of common share dividends for a free cash flow dividend payout ratio of just 13%. Using free cash flow, our conclusion is the same as when we used earnings to measure Aflacs dividend safety. The companys dividend appears safe for the foreseeable future, and its payout ratio using free cash flow is actually lower than the earnings-per-share equivalent. Aflacs Dividend Safety Relative to Recession Performance Companies do not cut their dividends in the good times. Instead, dividends are reduced when companies experience financial difficulties. Accordingly, this section will analyze Aflacs current dividend safety in the context of the companys historical recession performance. We believe that the best way to measure a companys recession resiliency is by measuring its earnings-per-share performance during the financial crisis that occurred between 2007 and 2009. Aflacs performance during this time period is shown here: 2007 adjusted earnings-per-share: $1.64 2008 adjusted earnings-per-share: $1.31 2009 adjusted earnings-per-share: $1.96 2010 adjusted earnings-per-share: $2.57 2011 adjusted earnings-per-share: $2.09 2012 adjusted earnings-per-share: $2.93 Although Aflacs earnings did experience a minor downturn during the last recession, they rebounded to a new high in the subsequent fiscal year. They also continued to cover the companys dividend, and it continued its multi-decade streak of dividend increases. With all this in mind, we have no concerns about the companys ability to pay rising dividends during future economic downturns. Aflacs Dividend Safety Relative to Its Current Debt Load The last angle that we will use to assess Aflacs current dividend safety is by looking at the companys current debt level. More specifically, we will see how much the companys weighted average interest rate will need to increase before the companys free cash flow will no longer cover its dividend payment. Through the first nine months of fiscal 2018, Aflac generated $164 million of interest expense and had $5.3 billion of debt outstanding for a weighted average interest rate of 4.1%. The following image shows how changes to Aflacs weighted average interest rate would impact the companys dividend safety as measured by free cash flow. Source: Sure Dividend Calculations As the image shows, Aflacs weighted average interest rate would need to rise to well above the 25% level before its dividend would no longer be covered by free cash flow. Accordingly, we believe that the companys debt level is unlikely to impact the safety of its dividend moving forward. Final Thoughts Aflac's dividend history suggests that the company has demonstrated both the ability and willingness to pay rising dividends over time. However, an analysis of dividend safety relative to underlying fundamentals is also required before investment. In this article, we assessed Aflac's dividend safety relative to its earnings, free cash flow, recession performance, and debt. As its dividend history suggests, the company's dividend appears very safe for the foreseeable future. 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. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4234585-safe-aflacs-dividend |
Is The Return of The Apple iPhone SE Indicating That a Truly Affordable iPhone May be in The Works? | The curious case of the reappearance of the Apple iPhone SE over the past few days on the Apple website is exactly what it isnot a mystery. The iPhone SE that went on sale, and eventually got completely sold out quickly, was being offered at a significantly lesser price. The 32GB version was priced at $249 while the 128GB version was selling for $299. The former is $100 lesser than its original price, while the latter is a whole $150 lesser than its price when launched. Clearly, the re-emergence of the iPhone SE was taken full advantage of by those who wanted an iPhone, but were perhaps put off by the higher price tags of the iPhone XR, the iPhone XS or even last years iPhone X. To put this into perspective, the least expensive iPhone if we are to not consider the iPhone SE is the iPhone 7, which sells upwards of $400.This move, to bring back the iPhone SE even if in limited numbers, would have surprised us at any other time. But not, here and now. Apple is just emerging from the announcement earlier this month, that the company was slashing revenue forecast from iPhone sales for the Q4 2018 quarterdown from an earlier estimated $89 billion to around $84 billion. $84 billion isnt a hardship by any means, but this change of estimates, admitted by the company, indicate a larger problemthey arent selling as many iPhones as they had expected. A number of reasons were pointed out. The slowing down of iPhone sales in Greater China, for example. Currency valuation fluctuations, reductions in subsidies by carriers in many countries and also the fact that enough people didnt upgrade to the new iPhones, all combine for the lesser than cheerful outlook.We have to admit that some of these problems are genuine, but a lot of why enough iPhones arent being sold is also self-inflicted, so to say. The high price tags of the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max are undeniable, but that could perhaps have been cushioned slightly had the iPhone XR been the truly affordable iPhone which many were expecting it to be. To put this into perspective, the iPhone XR still retails in India around Rs75,000 while the iPhone XS prices start around Rs99,900.With this, we circle back to the iPhone SE. This could very well be Apple testing the waters, we feel. The first thing it wanted to reaffirm was an interest in iPhones, if genuinely affordable. Secondly, it could perhaps also be checking user interest in smaller screen smartphones. The conclusion that it got in addition to the two questions above is that a lot of potential iPhone buyers arent necessarily bothered about running the latest and the greatest hardware either.After all, the iPhone SE was released in 2016, and runs the same internals as the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plusincluding the Apple A9 processor, 32GB and 128GB storage options and a more compact 4-inch screen inside a chassis that reminds us of the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5s. The demand for more affordable price tags will mean Apple could keep enough technology gap to distinguish between a possible new affordable iPhone and the top-of-the-line iPhones (the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max at present).Catch the biggest newsmakers and the biggest newsbreaks on CNN-News18, the only news destination.. Contact your cable/DTH operator now! *Rental/capacity fee of Rs. 130/- as charged by cable/DTH operator may apply. **GST extra. | https://www.news18.com/news/tech/is-the-return-of-the-apple-iphone-se-indicating-that-a-truly-affordable-iphone-may-be-in-the-works-2009739.html |
What is fate of non-euro EU states after Brexit? | Despite the United Kingdom never having adopted the euro, the upcoming Brexit will have consequences for EU monetary integration. The UK's withdrawal from the EU will heighten fears of marginalisation among the 'euro-outs', that is, the eight member states that have not adopted the euro. Britain's departure from the EU could compel non-euro EU countries to reconsider their ties with the euro area. The eight euro-outs (Bulgaria, Denmark, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Hungary) are a heterogeneous group of countries, with different EU priorities and different relationships to the euro and the eurozone. This makes it difficult for the group to cooperate politically with one another within the EU. The UK's withdrawal represents a political power shift within the EU, as a major non-euro state will leave European decision-making processes, increasing the voting power of the EU-19. The impact of the superior weight of euro area countries on voting procedures in the council will be limited, if the body maintains its tendency to take decisions by consensus or in areas, where unanimity is required (eg EU multi-annual fiinancial framework, MFF, or social issues). The UK's strength in the EU has, however, not only been formally reflected through its weight and population in legislative processes, but has also made itself felt at an informal level. London has strongly supported the deepening of the single market in services, digitalisation and energy, an attitude that was in line with that of all EU members outside the euro, in particular the central and eastern European countries. Although there is currently little potential for conflicts of interest between the EU-19 and the EU-8, further integration, particularly in the field of financial markets, may lead to increasing dissent. Conflicts between the euro-ins and the euro-outs do occur, as demonstrated during the discussions on the banking union in 2012. In this conflict the UK feared that the interests of the euro area would prevail at the European Banking Authority (EBA), which is responsible for setting common supervisory standards in the banking sector of the single market. Under pressure from London, a special voting system was agreed for the EBA: a double simple majority of EU states inside and outside the euro area. Fearing marginalisation in the post-Brexit EU, some countries recently met in a new format. The New Hanseatic League, initially included the euro states Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and the two euro-outs Denmark and Sweden. The group stands for rules compliance, economic self-responsibility and inclusiveness of the EMU reforms to the euro-outs. In June 2018, the Netherlands, an informal spokesperson for the group, protested against the Franco-German proposal to set up a separate Eurozone budget. The group now comprises ten countries following the accession of the Czech Republic and Slovakia and it is an example of how successful joint representation of euro-ins and euro-outs can be on the issue of Eurozone reforms. Although all EU countries, except Denmark and the UK, have a legal obligation to participate in the monetary union, this obligation is not linked to any timetable. The most likely candidates to introduce the euro are the EU's three poorest countries: Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia. However, their structural problems, institutional weakness and economic conditions need to be significantly improved before Eurozone accession. Another important aspect for adopting the euro is public support for the single currency. According to Eurobarometer surveys from May 2018, it seems that only Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria seem supportive to the euro. The new realities in the EU after Brexit are likely to persuade the euro-outs to revise their links with the euro area. The first test of the political weight of the euro-outs will be the distribution of key EU positions after the European parliamentary elections in May 2019. The appointment of some candidates from eurozone countries such as Slovakia, Slovenia or the Baltic States to key EU positions could convey the message that the political and financial risk of joining the euro is one worth taking. Besides, the euro-outs should be encouraged to strengthen their links with the euro area by participating in the single supervisory mechanism (SS). The recent case of massive money-laundering at Danske Bank shows that banking supervision needs to be strengthened, not only in the euro area but throughout the single market as a whole. This could intensify pressure on Copenhagen to join the SSM. Sweden, whose banking sector is dominant in the Baltic states, should also be encouraged to join the SSM for the same reasons. More generous financial support for those countries about to adopt the euro in order to strengthen institutional convergence in the MFF for 2021-2027 should be advanced. This facility must be substantial enough to tackle huge structural challenges in the most likely euro candidate countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia). Further eurozone enlargement is in the interest of the EU. This could reduce both the problems associated with the dual nature of economic governance in the EU and the risk of fragmentation of the internal market. However, the most important condition for further accessions to the euro is the lasting stabilisation of the euro area itself. A longer version of this article, in German, appeared in the journal of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Dr Pawel Tokarski is a senior associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Serafina Funk is a researcher at the same institute | https://euobserver.com/opinion/143962?utm_medium=rss |
Can Indias draft labour code really bring social security to its informal workers? | Rekha Patil, a vegetable seller on a footpath in suburban Mumbai, is a small part of Indias vast informal economy. Her husband, a farmer in Palghar, about 110 km north of Mumbai, has an unreliable income. But Patils earnings of Rs 350 a day barely sustain her family. She pushes herself to work even when she is sick, afraid of losing a days income. This is getting difficult as she ages. But with scant savings and no pension to bank on, 50-year-old Patil cannot dream of retirement. Indias social security laws are currently applicable only to the organised sector. The Unorganised Workers Social Security Act, 2008, has been poorly implemented. A decade after the Act came into force, the majority of Indias workers, like Patil, do not have access to medical insurance, maternity support or retirement benefits. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government claims it can change this through a new law drafted in 2017. Called the social security code, it will consolidate 15 existing laws on pension, disability and life insurance as well as maternity, medical and unemployment coverage. It is one of the four labour codes that the Union government has drafted to ease the implementation of Indias labour laws. The main advantage of the new social security code is that it will cover both the organised and the unorganised sector about 50 crore workers, the government claims. But labour activists say the law has major flaws that will keep most informal workers out of its ambit. Worse, they point out that workers will be cross-subsiding other workers since the government will not contribute to the social security fund that the law seeks to create. It is good that the code includes both formal and informal sector workers, but the way the latter needs to be dealt with is very different, said Mirai Chatterjee, the director of social security at the Self-Employed Womens Association, or SEWA, a trade union of more than 15 lakh women. Registration woes Two key problem areas in the social security code are the registration of workers and the monetary contribution they will be expected to make towards their social security benefits. The code proposes to set up a Central Social Security Board and corresponding state-level boards for managing all aspects of the code. All workers across India will have to register themselves with the boards and get an Aadhaar-linked social security account called the Vishwakarma Karmik Suraksha Khata, or VIKAS. Registration details will have to be updated every time a worker migrates or moves from one employer to another. A person working with two or more entities will have to pick one employer and register themselves through them. Registered workers are to be classified into one of four socio-economic categories. The aim of such registration is to ensure universal coverage of social security benefits. However, labour rights workers are also concerned about how the code will ensure the registration of every single worker in the informal sector, given the diversity and fluidity of their work. Except in the case of self-employed people, workers need to establish employer-employee relations in order to register. But what about a whole range of daily wage workers, like naka workers, construction workers, painters, plumbers, electricians? asked Santosh Poonia, the programme manager of legal services at Aajeevika Bureau, a non-profit labour rights organisation. They work for different employers almost every day, and do not qualify as self-employed. How will they show their employee status? Another concern is the medium through which workers are to be registered. According to independent labour researcher Vaibhav Raaj, labour unions usually take up most of the work of registering workers in a particular industry to the welfare boards that may exist for them. For instance, construction workers unions are the ones currently providing the service of getting workers registered to the Construction Workers Welfare Board. However, under the new code, these separate industry-specific boards will be reconstituted under an entirely new institutional system, said Raaj. Under this system, the role of registering workers under various schemes is likely to be taken over by facilitation centres run by private entities. So the government is essentially creating a huge market for private players to enter the social security space, he said. For Poonia, the entry of private companies raises another crucial concern. These private players will then have access to Aadhaar data, since Aadhaar linkage is compulsory for availing benefits, he said. Construction labourers at work in Siliguri, West Bengal. (Photo credit: AFP/Diptendu Dutta). Paying for social security Under the code, each state has to set up a Social Security Fund from which various benefits will be given out to eligible workers. The fund is to be made up of monetary contributions by both workers and employers contributions that are mandatory if a worker wishes to avail of social security benefits. The employers contribution has been fixed at 17.5% of each employees wages (including contract-based workers). Workers will have to contribute between 12.5% and 20% of their monthly wages if they do not belong to the below-minimum wage income category. Labour experts say this is too high even for organised sector workers from higher income categories. How will self-employed people, like rickshaw drivers, for instance, pay 20% of their income towards social security? asked Raaj. For vegetable vendor Rekha Patil, contributing even 12.5% of her income towards a social security fund would severely hamper her ability to put food on the table every day. The prohibitive contribution amounts, particularly for those with smaller incomes, might push people to not register themselves as workers at all, said Poonia. Because the contributions workers give will go into a pool, workers will want to register only if they feel that the returns they are getting are worth it, he said. Those earning less than the minimum wage are exempted from paying contributions towards social security. But to avail of benefits, workers are required to periodically submit detailed accounts of their income and employment. But in the case of below-minimum wage workers who are not self-employed, which employer will provide a salary slip showing that they are not paying their employee the minimum wage? said Raaj. These are highly exclusionary criteria, since the onus will be on workers to prove their eligibility for social security. Some trade union leaders are also disgruntled that state or Union governments will not be directly contributing to the Social Security Fund. The government claims it wants to provide social security to the vast majority of people, but the contributions for the fund will come from employers and employees, said AR Sindhu, secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions. The government will not be putting in money even for those who are exempted from contributions. So benefits for some workers will be cross-subsidised by other workers. The code, Sindhu says, envisions a centralised system in which social security contributions are pooled into a central fund and then disbursed to state governments, who will then provide benefits to eligible workers in the form of pensions, gratuity, medical coverage, maternity coverage and more. If the government invests workers and employers contributions to the fund, without pooling in its own contribution, who is going to offer a guarantee against the risks of market fluctuations? said Sindhu. A rickshaw puller transports a passenger in Kolkata. (Photo credit: Reuters/Rupak De Chowdhuri). Trade unionists working with women are particularly concerned about the dilutions of the Maternity Benefits Act, as its provisions feature in the code. Like the current Act, the 2017 version of the draft code included the clause that every establishment with 50 or more employees must set up a creche facility nearby so that women workers can leave their children there and visit them four times a day. However, the provisions for setting up childcare facilities have been dropped from the 2018 revised draft of the code. Mirai Chatterjee pointed out that even in the first draft of the code, the discussion on childcare and creches was limited to women in the organised sector, who have one specific workplace to go to everyday. But what about the majority of women who work in the unorganised sector? asked Chatterjee. What about those who work in fields or move around for work? Chatterjees organisation, SEWA, has been providing comprehensive childcare facilities for unorganised sector workers for the past 30 years. Besides recommending full-day childcare, we had suggested to the government that it should first ensure the proper implementation of the provision of Rs 6,000 to pregnant women as per the cash maternity benefit scheme under the National Food Security Act, said Chatterjee. That scheme is not even mentioned in the code, and its implementation is very poor. The child of a woman worker rests in a basket at a roadside construction site in Chandigarh. (Reuters/Ajay Verma). One of four codes Since coming to power in 2014, the Narendra Modi government has consolidated 44 existing labour laws into four new labour codes. So far, only one of them the code on wages has been tabled in Parliament as a Bill. It is currently receiving final recommendations from the Standing Committee on Labour. The three remaining codes on social security, industrial relations and occupational safety, health and working conditions are yet to be tabled in the Lok Sabha, and are currently being discussed by different panels set up by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The social security code was first introduced in March 2017 and then revised a year later following consultations with trade unions. However, in November, after intense opposition from trade unions, the labour ministry dropped some contentious clauses from the 2018 draft. This included a clause about setting up a National Social Security Council that would merge and centralise the current Employees Provident Fund Organisation and the Employees State Insurance Corporation. Trade unions contended that both organisations have both been functioning satisfactorily for more than 60 years, and that merging their funds and their staff would upset the system and lead to cross-subsidies. As the labour ministry continues its discussions on the draft social security code, it remains to be seen whether it will incorporate the remaining concerns of labour rights groups. | https://scroll.in/article/909579/can-indias-draft-labour-code-really-bring-social-security-to-its-informal-workers |
Was passiert mit dem Heizkraftwerk Mnchen Sd? | Der Kamin des stillgelegten Heizkraftwerks Sd im Stadtteil Sendling ragt 176 Meter nach oben. Noch hher ist in Mnchen nur der Olympiaturm mit seinen 291 Metern. Der Kamin prgt zusammen mit seinen etwas kleineren Nachbar-Schloten durchaus die Silhouette der Stadt noch. Denn die Stadtwerke Mnchen planen den Abriss. Heizkraftwerk Mnchen Sd soll Geothermie-Anlage werden Die Stadtwerke wollen das Heizkraftwerk zur Geothermie-Anlage umbauen, den entsprechenden Bauantrag haben sie schon im vergangenen Frhjahr eingereicht. Heute prsentieren die Stadtwerke die aktuellen Plne. Vorgesehen sind demnach zum Beispiel ein mchtiger Wrmespeicher, Vernderungen an der Fassade, und eben ein kleinerer Kamin gerade einmal halb so hoch wie das bisher hchste Exemplar. Bleibt es dabei, wre in Zukunft brigens das Hochhaus Uptown mit seinen 146 Metern das neue zweithchste Gebude nach dem Olympiaturm. | https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/was-passiert-mit-dem-heizkraftwerk-muenchen-sued,RFnrdVp |
Why do people discriminate against speakers with foreign accents? | While most people will insist they do not treat anyone differently on the basis of how they speak, there is growing evidence that foreign accents are discriminated against. Studies in the past few years have shown someone speaking with a non-native accent can find it harder to get job, and might be perceived as less educated and as less trustworthy. With an estimated 257 million people living and working outside the country they were originally from, this accent-related bias is a major problem. It can lead to discrimination in everyday life, said Dr Alice Foucart, a psycholinguistics researcher at Ghent University, Belgium, and Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain. People make judgements about people with foreign accents in jobs, in criminal cases. They think they are less intelligent and less trustworthy. Now research conducted by Dr Foucart as part of a project called SocialAccent has revealed a possible reason for why this discrimination can occur. She looked at how the brain processes information when it is delivered in a foreign accent and found higher levels of activity compared to when it comes from a native speaker. It is more costly at a cognitive level as it requires extra effort to understand the person, said Dr Foucart. The increased levels of activity show difficulties in processing lexical and semantic information. This can trigger negative perceptions. Negative bias Dr Foucart, who conducted the research while at Ghent University in Belgium, studied the brain activity of native Flemish-speaking participants listening to local, Italian, American, German and Czech people speaking Flemish. She also asked each of the participants to rate how intelligent, confident and successful they felt the speakers were and how they felt about the speakers and what they said. There were significant differences between the two, Dr Foucart said. Native speakers were considered more successful and intelligent than foreign speakers. But there was no difference in how friendly or nice they thought they were. There are social aspects such as stereotypes that can also trigger bias of a foreign speaker, but we didnt touch on this in the project. In a final experiment, she also had a native Flemish speaker translate what the foreign speaker was saying to compare this with when the foreigner spoke in Flemish themselves. This replicates many international political meetings where delegates will speak themselves or through a translator. We are still analysing the results of this but it could have important implications in the real world, she said. If the results show a difference in the way information is processed say that using a native translator is better than someone speaking in a foreign accent it could lead to new advice for politicians, businesses and criminal trials involving foreign defendants or witnesses. People make judgements about people with foreign accents in jobs, in criminal cases. Dr Alice Foucart, Ghent University, Belgium, and Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain What I really want is for people to be aware in the first place that they have this negative bias, added Dr Foucart. It isnt necessarily because of the person themselves, but because something cognitively is happening. One thing we do know is that eventually we get used to an accent and bias can be reduced. Perhaps it would be good for people running job interviews or the jury in a trial to do tasks to get them used to a persons accent beforehand. New accents When it comes to a foreigner moving to a new country, the way they speak will slowly change over time as they absorb elements of the accents they hear around them, but they too can have an influence on the accent of their new neighbours. This is because every time we talk with someone else we memorise attributes about their speech and this can have a subtle effect on the way we speak. Over time this can also lead to entirely new accents developing. It is this process that a project called InterAccent is studying. Accent change is the first stage towards the development of a new language, said Professor Jonathan Harrington, director of the Institute of Phonetics and Speech Processing at the University of Munich, Germany, who is leading the project. Around 1,000 years ago, for example, English, Dutch and Swedish were actually intelligible dialects and the people who spoke them could understand each other. With the passage of time they devolved into separate languages. If we can understand and model how spoken accent change actually gets started, then we will have a traceable model of language change and diversity. Prof. Harrington and the InterAccent team are attempting to build a computational model of how accents and so languages emerge, using data from real world observations. One of the studies that is helping them build a picture of how this happens involves recording children twice a year over four years at four schools two in Germany and two in Albania. At one school in each country there are few migrants attending, but at the other, just a few kilometres away, the migrant intake is much higher. Migration Migration is one of the things over a long period of time that will have an affect on accent, said Prof. Harrington. And children change their accents much more rapidly than adults do because they have less experience and memory of speech. Each school is a microcosm of children who will spend the next four years together and will make innovations to develop shared accent characteristics. Although the study is only in its first year of collecting recordings, Prof. Harrington believes that the children at the different schools will develop accents that will diverge in different directions. Another of the groups that the InterAccent team will study will be the international teams of scientists and support staff who spend several months together in the Antarctic when they are isolated during the harsh winter. With a mishmash of people from different parts of the world living in confined, close quarters, it is the perfect place to analyse how individual accents can influence each other and how an entirely new accent can emerge over time. It can tell us a great deal about how the huge variety of accents that we have here in Europe have developed, added Prof. Harrington. But it might also give us some clues about how our accents might change in a world where travel and international migration is so common. The research in this article was funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media. Originally published on Horizon | https://horizon.scienceblog.com/642/why-do-people-discriminate-against-speakers-with-foreign-accents/ |
Has Big Brother coverage crossed the line? | Behind-the-scenes footage has gone viral throughout the Australian Open, with more cameras than ever able to capture athletes expressing their raw emotions - and leading to some funny exchanges as well. Fans around the world felt for Croatian star Petra Martic when she was captured breaking down in the hall on the walk back to the players' locker room and bursting into tears. She'd blown two sets up 3-1 and the emotion simply took its toll, as she slumped into a corner where she believed she was free to sob in private - completely unaware of the prying camera sitting meters from her. "It's just heartbreaking to watch," noted one member of ESPN's commentary team. "This is just pure agony." Petra Martic was captured breaking down after her defeat to Sloane Stephens. The vision was similarly engrossing following Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta's extraordinary blow-up after his tie-breaker meltdown in a five-set defeat to Japan's Kei Nishikori. As Busta made his way back to the locker room, after a remarkable on-court tantrum, he continued to scream and kick items as stunned staff looked on - but he may not have been aware his actions were about to go global. With cameras positioned throughout Melbourne Park, fans are being given unprecedented access to the biggest tennis stars on the planet. But the question is being asked about whether the coverage has gone too far, and if players' rights are being impinged. Men's world No.1 Novak Djokovic lamented the "Big Brother society" that leads to such unfettered access. "The only thing I don't like is there is no connection between the ice baths, recovery centre and the locker rooms," Djokovic said. "I have seen a lot of players, including Fabio Fognini who is our favourite male model in his bath robe, you know, going back and forth. "I guess for women, it's even worse because they have to go out and they are in a towel because they just went out from the bath and they didn't carry their bag to change their clothes so they have to go back, and there is camera and corridors and people. Busta prepares takes out his frustration on his bag. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) "That's the only thing I mind a little bit. "But other than that, you know, we live in Big Brother society. I guess you just have to accept it." Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova - and you'll struggle to find two more recognisable tennis stars on the planet - have both been caught on camera in bizarre situations where they were stopped by security and asked to show their accreditation. "I think we have known that (cameras are everywhere), because that's been the way that - we have had a lot of cameras here for the last couple of years, warm-up areas," Sharapova said. "They're not in the locker room, not that I know of (smiling). (We are) safe there." Federer added: "It's not like we never have anybody taking pictures or videos of us. Now it's just like everywhere all the time. It's hard to find the corner where you can actually sort of relax a bit. But I can deal with it. It's no problem." | https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/australian-open-coverage-has-pulled-the-curtains-b/3628393/ |
What Sophie Turner revealed about Game of Thrones season 8 ending? | HBO's Game of Thrones is coming this April with its final season eight. After the recently released marketing clip, fans from around the world are eagerly waiting to see the full-length trailer of Game of Thrones season eight. As of now, there are several theories as to how the epic fantasy drama will end but if recent reports are to be believed, the show's star Sophie Turner has already spoiled the ending for some people. As earlier reported, the security on the sets of Game of Thrones season eight was extremely tight as no one wanted to leak any details about the most anticipated season. Over the course of its production, fans were hoping to see some leak photos from the location set but apparently, that did not happen. However, there are few people who already know the show's ending all thanks to Sophie Turner. After revealing some shocking details about her character, Sansa Stark, Sophie Turner recently revealed that she is not the best person when it comes to holding back the secrets of GoT. Sophie Turner told W Magazine that she is bad when it comes to keeping secrets. Sophie Turner stated during her interview that she has revealed Game of Thrones season eight's ending to a few people. When asked during the interview if she has revealed the secrets because she was drunk, Sophie Turner responded by saying that she was sober when she revealed the secrets of Game of Thrones. However, she added that she only talked about the ending to those who are extremely good at keeping secrets. Over the last few years, Sophie Turner has come extremely close with her to-be sister-in-law Priyanka Chopra and now several fans are speculating that Chopra is among those people who might know how HBO's Game of Thrones will come to an end. After starring in Game of Thrones season eight as Sansa Stark, Sophie Turner will feature in the upcoming X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Following which, she will also star in Girl Who Fell From the Sky -- a biographical drama film about a high school student who was the sole survivor of a plane crash. Sophie Turner will then star in Matthew Coppola's drama movie Broken Soldiers. | https://www.ibtimes.co.in/what-sophie-turner-revealed-about-game-thrones-season-8-ending-priyanka-chopra-790495 |
How hard will adding replay for pass interference be? | A year ago around this time, when the NFL was still wobbling from its time in the political shredder, the idea that the league would dare entertain extending the time of game just to review certain judgment calls on top of the current replay slate seemed ludicrous. A vocal minority of fans were convinced that the game was too choppy. Too soft. Too long. Too bogged down by a rulebook where even the most basic questionswhat is a catch?could not be answered without a mountain of legalese. It wasnt football anymore. How times change. The NFL came roaring back in 2018 and reestablished itself atop the American sports hierarchy. As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk noted Monday, the AFC championship game just about tripled the most watched World Series and NBA finals games of 2018. Assuming the Super Bowl keeps us fat and happy offensively, there should be plenty of momentum to pacify those on the competition committee who want to review pass interference calls. Reviewing pass interference is a thing we say we dont want until something like Sundays Saints-Rams game happens. While I think theres some interesting revisionist history already being applied to the callmaking it seem like the sole reason the Saints are not in the Super Bowl and that the Rams werent also the victim of some fairly egregious no callsit was significant and horrifying enough to warrant immediate action. And really, this shouldnt take more than a long lunch at the owners meetings to hammer out. It wouldnt even change the game all that much. Make it reviewable, as CBS suggested, only under two minutes and keep the challenge system the way it is. Or, allow coaches to challenge, during the game but keep a minute running clock on the central replay crew, making it so the judgment calls could only be overturned if it was outrageous enough to come across as such to Alberto Riveron in a short period of time. This season confirmed that fans will stick with a good product even if theres an encyclopedic rulebook that can sometimes get in the way of good competition. So, if youre going to have all the rules, make sure theres enough of them on the books to cover your behind in any situation. Sign up for The MMQBs Morning Huddle. HOT READS NOW ON THE MMQB: Albert Breer covers the nightmare day for officials in his Monday column . . . Andy Benoit on how Bill Belichick might try to slow the Rams . . . Jenny Vrentas on the Patriots making the remarkable seem routine . . . and more. WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED: Greg Bishop and Ben Baskin on the early years of the Robert Kraft Patriots . . . Kalyn Kahler with the latest NFL Draft Big Board . . . Tim Rohan on the incredible athletic feats of Young Andy Reid . . . and more. PRESS COVERAGE 1. Andy Reid took some issues with the officiating too, though I doubt hell be able to control that narrative. 2. 3. The Patriots are putting on a unified front ahead of the Super Bowl. 4. Shoot yeah, his agent says. 5. 6. Alex Smith was seen out at a Wizards game. Let the team know at [email protected] | https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/01/22/how-hard-will-it-be-install-replay-pass-interference |
Why Is Uranus The Only Planet Without Interesting Features On It? | The eight major planets of the Solar System all possess their own unique features. The rocky planets have craters, ridges, mountains and more: evidence of a violent past and interior activity. All the planets except Mercury have atmospheres, where volatile materials form clouds and hazes. On the gas giant worlds, banded structures, storms, and turbulent streams are commonly seen. Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune all display spectacular changes over time whenever we've examined their atmospheres in detail. But not Uranus. Alone among all the planets in the Solar System, Uranus is a light, blue-colored, otherwise featureless world. Even when it was visited up close by the Voyager 2 spacecraft, the most remarkable part of the story was how unremarkable Uranus appeared. To the human eye, Uranus is the only planet without interesting features on it. Here's the scientific story of why. Uranus, as seen from Earth, is just a tiny turquoise disc. Voyager 2, which had previously revealed unprecedented details of storms and bands on Jupiter and Saturn, saw a large, featureless, turquoise globe when it came to Uranus. Even by turning up the image contrast as high as possible, there was practically nothing to see. Uranus appeared to be, quite disappointingly, the most boring planet we could have imagined. Initially, we thought we understood why it was such a featureless world. With such a small size relative to Saturn or Jupiter, it was conjectured that Uranus wasn't able to generate any of its own internal heat, and was therefore only at the temperature you'd expect if it were heated by the Sun. It was blue and featureless because it was cold, distant, and didn't produce its own heat. Its upper atmosphere was a constant 58 K. And that seemed to be the entire story. Of course, that isn't the case at all! Sure, it is cold and distant, and doesn't generate very much internal heat; that part is true. But Uranus is unique among all the worlds in the Solar System for a special property it possesses: its rotation. Unlike all the other worlds, which rotate at some tilt relative to the plane of the Sun's rotation, Uranus is practically on its side, rolling like a barrel instead of spinning like a top. When the Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past Uranus in 1986, it was solstice: the side illuminated by the Sun was one of Uranus' polar regions. But as the years and decades ticked by, Uranus moved from solstice towards equinox, when its equatorial region would be illuminated by the Sun instead. Instead of a constant influx of sunlight on one hemisphere, lasting years, there was a rapid day/night shift, coincident with Uranus' rotational period of about 17 hours. Since Uranus takes 84 Earth-years to complete a revolution around the Sun, that means it takes 21 Earth-years to go from solstice to equinox. With Voyager 2 flying by it at solstice in 1986, that implied the best time to view it next would be in 2007, when it was at equinox. We didn't have another mission ready to go at that time, but we did have the Hubble Space Telescope. As you can see, above, there are all the features you would have hoped for the first time. There are swirling clouds, storms, and even characteristic atmospheric bands. There are dark spots and light spots, hazes and clear regions, with differential colors at different Uranian latitudes. Instead of a monochrome, featureless world, we at last found the active atmosphere we had expected all along. The reason for Uranus' uniform color during the solstice is because of its temperatures when it's in continuous day, which produces a haze of methane. Methane, in this state of matter, absorbs red light, which is why the reflected sunlight takes on that turquoise hue. Simultaneously, the methane haze masks the clouds below it, which is what causes Uranus to have the featureless appearance we came to know ubiquitously after the Voyager 2 visit. With its 97.7 degree axial tilt, a solstice Uranus will appear to be a boring Uranus. But that methane haze, so prevalent in the upper atmosphere of Uranus, only represents the top 1% of the atmosphere. Observing in bands other than visible light will reveal even more of its non-uniform properties. Because an equinox-like Uranus will cool off during the night, the methane haze goes from being a top-layer aerosol which is a solid or liquid particle suspended in a gas to particles that mix with the lower atmospheric layers. Thus, when day emerges again, the uppermost layer is partially transparent. And what we've found, when that occurs, is that there are observable changes in the upper atmosphere, which holds clues to the 99% of the unseen atmosphere beneath it. There are storms that are present even in the old Voyager 2 information, visible only by stacking over 1,000 images together and looking for variations between frames. According to astronomer Erich Karkoschka, who did this work back in 2014: Some of these features probably are convective clouds caused by updraft and condensation. Some of the brighter features look like clouds that extend over hundreds of kilometers. [...] The unusual rotation of high southern latitudes of Uranus is probably due to an unusual feature in the interior of Uranus. While the nature of the feature and its interaction with the atmosphere are not yet known, the fact that I found this unusual rotation offers new possibilities to learn about the interior of a giant planet. By looking in wavelengths of light beyond what the human eye can see, such as the infrared, we can construct enhanced-color images. As you'd expect, when Uranus is near equinox, these reveal a slew of features that are invisible to the human eye, including: bands of atmospheric structure, hemispheric differences between the sun-facing and space-facing poles, storms and clouds present in the upper atmosphere, and even a faint ring system that likely results from shattered or tidally-disrupted moons. There are also storms that are visible only in the infrared that intensify and subside. Contrary to our initial observations, Uranus is a feature-rich world, but only if you look at it in the right ways. There are still plenty of mysteries to solve about the second-most-distant planet in the Solar System. Uranus has an oddly tilted but strong magnetic field, about 50 times the strength of Earth's, which rotates like a corkscrew around the planet. The dual presence of carbon and hydrogen suggests that, in the lower layers of the atmosphere, the pressure causes a rain of diamonds to fall. Uranus displays a uniform temperature during solstice, but severe temperature differences across its surface during equinoxes, suggesting that something inherent to it is causing a lag between temperatures and the seasons. And the storms we see, also driven by the seasons, are suggestive of a vortex deeper down in the atmosphere, farther past what we can see. Uranus, to many, is still the most boring planet, and I suppose that's true if you're willing to add a caveat: sometimes. When Uranus is at solstice, it truly is the most boring, featureless world you can find among our eight planets. But the lack of an internal heat source and the fact that it rotates on a tipped-over axis also gives us a unique opportunity to learn how a gas giant planet behaves when its energy balance is driven by the Sun. Uranus, once thought to be a featureless world, turns out to be incredibly rich and diverse. This turquoise world holds a number of mysteries that are suggestive of a complex, internal structure beneath the easily-observable upper atmosphere. So long as there's an energy difference, either between the polar hemispheres or between the day-and-night sides, there will surely be interesting phenomena to investigate. The case for a dedicated mission to Uranus has never been stronger. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2019/01/22/why-is-uranus-the-only-planet-without-interesting-features-on-it/ |
Why no love for romcoms? | Serenity, opening Friday, finds Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway on a tropical isle where life drifts along in a hazy breeze of booze and sex. Yet this quirky thriller hardly pairs the Interstellar co-stars romantically. She hopes he will murder her sadistic billionaire husband. Its a far cry and years away from when McConaugheys island adventures were such romantic comedies as Fools Gold or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, both with Kate Hudson. Once romcoms were a Hollywood staple, with Nora Ephron and Nancy Meyers writing and directing Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson or Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Theyve gone the way of the dodo. Instead, its bromances that are flourishing, perhaps because theyre absent the complications of sex. Dwayne The Rock Johnson and Kevin Hart are now Hollywoods hottest team after Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. They had previously struck box-office gold with 2016s Central Intelligence (A little Hart and a big Johnson teased the ad). Their Jumanji sequel opens in December. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are three movies into their partnership. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby in 2006 launched an inspired teaming, followed by Step Brothers (2008) and the Christmas misfire Holmes and Watson. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn began with Starsky and Hutch in 2004, sparked in 2005s smash Wedding Crashers and wrapped it with The Internship (2013). Easily the reigning bromance kings are James Franco and Seth Rogen. Theyve never stopped collaborating since Freaks and Geeks in 1999. Consider: Knocked Up (2007), Pineapple Express (2008), This is the End (2013), The Interview (2014), Sausage Party (2016), The Disaster Artist (2017). Still to come: Zeroville, with Franco director and co-star. As to why were in the midst of a bromantic moment, There always seems to be a genre that is hot at the moment. When you look at the last five years, its been Will Ferrell, Dwayne Johnson or Kevin Hart. Jumanji surprised everyone by grossing over $700 million worldwide, said Wilson Morales of BlackFilm.com. Romantic comedies just arent clicking at the box-office. Crazy Rich Asians was more about the culture than the couple. The last successful pairing weve seen is a dramatic story, A Star Is Born, which is an example of star power. | https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/01/22/romcom/ |
What can we do about the constant noise from the young family next door? | My wife and I purchased a semi-detached house a number of years ago and we had a single elderly neighbour who unfortunately passed away. The house was sold to a very pleasant family of four with two children under 5 (including a baby). Unfortunately, this has completely changed our experience and enjoyment of our home and weve gone from hearing virtually nothing next door to long nights of crying and early morning debates over what the children are going to wear to crche and tantrums. Despite speaking to our neighbours, the situation is not improving (despite their genuine best efforts and apologies). At times my wife and I sleep on a pull-out bed in the sittingroom just to get through the night. Noise of this kind is a common complaint among next-door neighbours in close proximity to each other, and especially if theyre at different stages of life. It sounds as though you and your wife have handled this difficult situation in a fair and peaceful manner up to this point despite the inconvenience it has caused you both. To answer your question, all homes built from 1991 onwards should be designed and constructed in accordance with building regulations. Design guidelines on how to limit sound transfer is identified within technical guidance document E 1991 (TGD). This document was updated and improved in 1997 and 2014. The overall requirement stipulated that a wall or floor should have reasonable resistance to airborne/impact sound. It should be noted that even if constructed in accordance with guidelines, the wall/floor will not totally prevent the transfer of sound from one property to another, however, sound transfer should not be sufficient enough to prevent quiet enjoyment. Excessive Where excessive sound transfer is occurring, this is more than likely as a result of poor workmanship or incomplete detailing. Knowing the construction type (timber frame/concrete) and identifying the shortcomings in construction technique will allow a tailored solution to resolve the problem for you and your wife. The key to reducing sound transfer is to increase wall density and remove any inconsistencies in the overall construction or provide a separation layer. This could include: Constructing a separate 50mm/75mm thick stud partition wall/separation layer will significantly reduce the level of unwanted noise, it will also reduce the space of the room. Cost ranges between 100 and 110 per sq m. Installation of a high-density acoustic insulation board, finished with two layers of 12.5mm plasterboard. This method will reduce sound transfer and reduce the loss of space by about 50 per cent. Cost ranges between 65 and 75 per sq m. Installation of a 12.5mm heavy plaster sound board will marginally reduce sound transfer but will significantly reduce space loss. Cost ranges between 20 and 30 per sq m. Additional cost allowance for the relocation of electrical sockets, radiators, alterations to floorboards/joists and carpet will need to be considered. Again, it is difficult to say without knowing the property construction type, but once you do identify any shortcomings in construction you will be in a position to take action to suit your needs and hopefully get a better nights sleep. Andrew Ramsey is a chartered building surveyor and chartered project management surveyor and member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), scsi.ie | https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/interiors/what-can-we-do-about-the-constant-noise-from-the-young-family-next-door-1.3761425?localLinksEnabled=false |
What does it mean to dress like a congresswoman? | Students discuss if there is importance in the fashion choices made by female politicians and leaders. Next time someone tells Bronx girls to take off their hoops, they can just say theyre dressing like a Congresswoman. United States Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted that message on Jan. 4 after receiving attention for wearing hoop earrings and red lipstick at her swearing-in ceremony. Her outfit choices have met criticism from some conservatives and heightened support from many others. Ocasio-Cortez said her all-white outfit was inspired by suffragettes and her hoops and lipstick came from Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who ignored advice from the Obama administration to avoid wearing bright-colored nail polish to her Supreme Court confirmation hearings in order to avoid scrutiny. Ocasio-Cortez is one of the record 131 women serving in the 116th Congress, which has more women of color than any other Congress. Several women sworn in earlier this month paid tribute to their roots during their swearing-in ceremonies. At Temple University, some students said these female politicians fashion choices sent a powerful message about culture and individuality. How a woman dresses can be very powerful, said Karin Naktin, a freshman chemistry major. Especially in this day and age as more women are moving into a higher political standing. Naktin follows political news and said Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., serves as a role model for young girls who wear headscarves. Omar is one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress and wears a hijab. Along with Omar and Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., represented her culture by wearing a thobe, a traditional Palestinian gown. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., wore a traditional Native American dress. Haaland is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe and is one of the first Native American women to be elected to Congress. While the womens decisions to wear cultural dress was empowering, some students felt placing too much worth on what female politicians wear took away from the emphasis on their policies and actions. Focusing on what a woman politician is wearing rather than their policies puts us back a few years, freshman business and management major Addison Elizabeth Whittemore said. Female politicians should wear whatever they deem fit as long as it is professional, she added. Stylish women in politics hold a lot of power and value in the fashion industry. Michelle Obama generated $2.7 billion in value for brands she wore in the first year after former President Barack Obamas election, Collective Culture Magazine reported. Additionally, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middletons Kate Effect, the idea that if Kate Middleton wears it, everyone else will want to buy it, is estimated to be worth $1 billion Euros to the United Kingdoms fashion industry, Newsweek reported. Focusing on womens physical appearances is not wrong, but unbalanced, said Patricia Amberg-Blyskal, a political science professor. Rather than saying its not something that should be discussed ever, perhaps [we should ask], Why is it something that comes up with one gender and not the other gender? Amberg-Blyskal said. Is that something that we should explore? At the 2015 Women in the World Summit, Theresa May, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, said women can be intelligent and like fashion at the same time. Im a woman, I like clothes, May said. One of the challenges for women in politics, in business, in all areas of working life, is to be ourselves, and to say you can be clever and like clothes. It is important to prioritize the persons politics and not to focus on someones physical traits or clothes, Amberg-Blyskal said. Although we might have commented on someones choice of lipstick or jewelrywe [should] move past it, Amberg-Blyskal said. If politicians fashion choices get people engaged in political conversations, it could be beneficial, she added. In some way, something caught their attention, she said. | https://temple-news.com/what-does-it-mean-to-dress-like-a-congresswoman/ |
Whats in a name? | Theres a longstanding controversy over what to call the Balkan nation just north of Greece. It calls itself Macedonia. However, Greece, which also includes a chunk of what historically was called Macedonia, has objected to assigning that name to another country, and a Slavic one at that. The dispute came to the fore following the breakup of Yugoslavia, of which Macedonia had been a part. An interim agreement in the mid-1990s came up with the official name The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia until a final resolution could be reached. But, as you can imagine, this was a formal name only. Finally, in June of last year, the two nations reached a proposed final agreement on the naming issue. The nation in question would be called the Republic of North Macedonia. In exchange for its neighbor not calling itself just Macedonia, Greece agreed to drop its opposition to that countrys admission to NATO and the EU. European and U.S. officials were pleased with the deal. For one thing, it was an instance of the peaceful and orderly resolution of nationalistic disputes. More importantly, it would mean the integration of another Balkan state into Europe and the NATO defense umbrella. Russia opposed the name-change deal for the same reason. Former Secretary of Defense Mattis accused the Russians of funding an influence campaign against it, and Greece expelled Russian diplomats for alleged bribery efforts designed to fuel Greek opposition. In Macedonia, the agreement was the subject of a referendum, which occurred while I happened to be in Greece. The vast majority of those who voted favored the agreement, but turnout was less than 50 percent, meaning that the referendum did not carry. The government forged ahead, and this month parliament approved the deal, the required two-thirds parliamentary majority having narrowly been obtained. In Greece, quite apart from any Russian influence, opposition to the agreement has been intense. Several ministers resigned from the government over the dispute, and the Greek prime minister barely survived a no-confidence vote this month. There has been no referendum in Greece. The upcoming vote in the Greek parliament is expected to be close. Many Greeks strenuously oppose attaching any label that includes Macedonia to a country populated primarily by Slavs. Yet a great many residents of the Macedonian part of Greece have little historical connection with the region. This part of Greece is heavily populated by the ancestors of folks who came from Asia Minor as part of a population swap with Turkey in the 1920s. Politically, it made sense for Greek leaders to speak of a Macedonian people as they forged a common Greek identity in the context of mass migration into a relatively new nation (Greece gained independence in the 1820s and did not acquire its Macedonian region until almost 100 years later). Similarly, it makes sense for leaders of Macedonia to use that name as they try to forge a national identity. And it makes sense to use it if one is interested in irredentist expansion of territory. Outside of these purposes, Im not sure that the concept of a Macedonian people holds together. And as a region, Macedonia encompasses parts of several countries in addition to Northern Macedonia and Greece. I say this not as a critique, or deconstruction, of nationalism. Nationalism can be a fine thing and I think it has served modern Greece well more often than not. However, its possible to take nationalism too far. The controversy over the name Macedonia arguably provides an example. I hope it will be resolved based on the agreement the two governments have reached. | https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/01/whats-in-a-name-5.php |
How can I use two-step verification in a mobile blackspot? | I cant access calls or texts and want to start protecting my email account from hackers You have frequently advised readers to set up two-step verification to protect the security of their email system. Wed like to do this, but we live in a mobile blackspot, and cant access calls or texts at home. SD, Maidenhead, Berks You are absolutely right to set this up, and we would strongly urge other readers to follow your lead. Two-step verification protects against hacking as it requires the user to input a code every time they log into their email on a computer they havent used previously. Most email systems use the mobile phone networks to send the verification code by text. Only once you have entered it can you access your emails. It will halt most scammers from taking over your account. You only have to do this once on that computer but it may have to be updated every 30 days, if at all. For people like you who dont get a decent mobile service at home (or dont own a mobile), you can ask Google or the email provider to call your landline instead. You can typically add two mobile and landline numbers to the two-step process. A landline is arguably more secure. Alternatively, use a smartphone-based app which automatically generates a one-time passcode using an algorithm. The code changes every 30 seconds. Crucially, you dont need a mobile phone signal or to be online to receive the code. The Guardians tech gurus recommend using Google Authenticator, or Authy. One last thing to consider is upgrading your mobile to 4G. Living where you do, you should be able to get a mobile service. Buying a 4G phone could improve your service and mean you can make and receive calls at home. We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at [email protected] or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions | https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/jan/22/two-step-verification-email-security-mobile |
What are May's options for a plan B that could win over the Commons? | Theresa Mays plan B is to try to get her plan A through the Commons with some tweaks on the Irish backstop. Heres a quick guide to what MPs could vote for, based on dividing the Commons into various groupings, explained below. The numbers of those groups are roughly estimated using public records and voting histories, although these factions could easily splinter further in any of these scenarios. The groupings explained Tories for a second referendum 9 These are the Conservative MPs like Dominic Grieve, Sarah Wollaston, Anna Soubry, Phillip Lee, Sam Gyimah, Guto Bebb, Justine Greening and Jo Johnson who will back any moves for a second referendum and stopping no deal. Conservatives who will block no deal 12 These MPs are not in favour of a second referendum and mostly voted for Mays deal, but will put as many roadblocks as they can in the way of a no-deal Brexit. They include former minister Nick Boles, Nicky Morgan and Sir Oliver Letwin. Brexiters who oppose Mays deal 109 These are the Tory MPs who have voted against the prime ministers Brexit deal. Many are hard Brexiters who would be comfortable with no deal, but others are ex-remainers uncomfortable with the backstop. Should May manage to deliver a firm end date to the backstop, she could win back most of their votes. A minority would also like to see the backstop removed entirely and a reduction of the 39bn payment to the EU. Conservative loyalists and payroll 186 This group include ministers, whips and other frontbenchers, as well as Tory loyalists who are happy to vote for Theresa Mays Brexit deal as it currently stands. Democratic Unionist party MPs 10 The Northern Irish party voted against the governments Brexit deal because of the backstop arrangement, and could be won over if there are some changes to it. Labour for a second referendum 71 Support for a second referendum is likely to be more widespread than this but not all Labour MPs who hold frontbench position have publicly declared support. These 71 MPs are those who have publicly declared their support and would vote for a referendum even if they were whipped to oppose. Labour MPs opposed to a second referendum 30 Labour MPs who do not want the party to back a second vote have been privately keeping track of the number who would actively oppose it, even if it was whipped by the Labour frontbench. Sources claim about 30 would be actively prepared to rebel. Labour loyalists and independents 150 These include Jeremy Corbyns frontbench and the majority of Labour MPs who are likely to follow the Labour whip. Labour Brexiters and MPs who back Mays deal 3 Only three Labour MPs have backed Mays deal as it currently stands though this number would be likely to grow if it became a softer Brexit or if no deal became a more likely possibility. Others could merge into this group depending on the question, including Labour hard Brexiter Kate Hoey. How admirable that MPs want to amend Brexit. It wont work | Matthew dAncona Read more The SNP, Lib Dems and other parties 51 These MPs, who also include Plaid Cymru and the Greens Caroline Lucas, are all supporters of a second referendum. Independents 8 These MPs are not easy to place. Ex-Labour MPs Ivan Lewis and Jared OMara have tended to vote with their former party. Independent MP Sylvia Hermon, former Labour MP Frank Field and the former Lib Dem MP Stephen Lloyd have tended to vote with the government on Brexit issues. Another ex-Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins is a Brexiter, but also a Corbyn loyalist. Dont vote 11 The Speaker, his three deputies and seven Sinn Fein MPs do not vote. | https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/22/what-are-mays-options-for-a-plan-b-that-could-win-over-the-commons |
Should schools fill key roles with volunteers? | It used to be help on the cake stall. Now an academy chain is seeking an unpaid accounts assistant and a free PA News that an academy trust founded by the Conservative peer Lord James OShaughnessy is advertising for unpaid volunteers to fill key roles in its two primary schools was met with disbelief and dismay by teachers earlier this month. The Floreat Education Academies Trust is looking for full-time and part-time volunteers to fill the jobs of finance assistant, office administrator and personal assistant to the chief executive, Janet Hilary, who was paid 128,768 in 2018. Andrew Morrish chief executive, Victoria Academies Trust, West Midlands No, schools shouldnt rely on volunteers although with funding levels at an all-time low, I can understand why school leaders are having to make such difficult decisions. We are at a cliff edge. There are more than 300,000 additional pupils in the system since 2015, the education services grant for academies has been scrapped to the tune of 600m, and almost a third of local authority secondary schools are in deficit. Not to mention the increase in pensions and national insurance contributions. That said, the solution to the problem seems obvious fairer funding for schools so that heads wont be forced to make such decisions. If my dentist wasnt being paid, Id go elsewhere Andrew Morrish Ironically, of course, the role of the volunteer has been the bedrock of the school system for generations, whether its going on school trips, listening to children read, fundraising, or sitting on a governing body. You want your parents to volunteer because its also a way for you to engage with them and demonstrate that you value them. The issue here is that for the first time we are seeing this creeping into key strategic posts. This is a worrying trend that needs to stop as it undermines the work of those highly skilled and trained professionals that have been doing the job for years. There are issues then around confidentiality and safeguarding. Its about public confidence as well I could probably live with going to my dental surgery knowing some of the backroom posts are being covered by volunteers, but if my dentist or assistant was not being paid, Id probably go elsewhere. Running schools is no different. Chris Jagger parent volunteer at a state primary school in Cambridge Yes, I think schools absolutely need to rely on volunteers to do certain kinds of work. If the teacher spent her time listening to children reading, it would take her an entire day to hear each child read for just 10 minutes a week. Yet thats nowhere near enough to improve childrens reading. So I think its good for parents to be involved. I have found it very rewarding, helping children who were struggling and seeing them improve. It wouldnt bother me if my school advertised for a full-time volunteer to fill a key role. But at the same time, its not ideal. Volunteers can usually only commit to a small numbers of hours a week and Id be concerned an unpaid worker wouldnt be able to spend as much time doing the role as is needed. Raj Unsworth chair of trustees, Pride Multiple Academy Trust, Barnsley The simple answer is no. We are all aware funding is an issue, especially in small schools. But there are other options. Top of my list would be to look at staffing structure and collaboration with other schools. The board should ensure money is not wasted on top-heavy leadership. As for collaboration, this could mean sharing a business manager or even a headteacher. The pool of people you are going to attract to volunteer will be limited. These people will still need to be managed and trained in statutory responsibilities, such as safeguarding and confidentiality. Are you going to accept a lower level of performance from an administrator who is not paid compared to another in the school who is? Lorna Jackson headteacher, Maryland primary school, east London No. At Maryland, we use volunteers parents and other family members to enhance the experiences of our children, but not as free labour. To put volunteers in places to fill employment gaps, especially where there is a high level of skill needed, is misguided. Our volunteers are trained, supervised and treated as part of the schools welfare team. We carefully select the activities we need them to support us with. For example, not just listening to children read but also reading to children, as this is very important for children whose first language is not English. The elephant in the room is that funding for schools is diabolical and has been cut year on year. Clearly, anyone turning to unpaid volunteers to fill jobs that qualified people should be doing is desperate. We need to address the funding, not fill the gaps. That is the direction this country is going in. | https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jan/22/should-schools-fill-key-roles-with-volunteers |
Where does Andy Reid rank among coaches who never won a Super Bowl? | Andy Reid had a good chance to finally get a ring, but his 20th season as a NFL head coach ended the same as the previous 19. Without a Super Bowl title. His quest to raise the Lombardi will continue. Theres no denying that Reid otherwise has one of the best resumes in league history. Reids 195 regular season wins are the eighth-most in league history and he has both Marty Schottenheimer (200) and Paul Brown (213) in his sights. To put it in further perspective, Reid has more regular season wins in similar timeframes than both Chuck Noll (193 wins over 23 season) and Bill Parcells (172 wins over 19 seasons). He took the Eagles to four straight NFC title games in the early 2000s, winning one before falling to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX. Scroll to continue with content Ad Andy Reid is among the best coaches to never win a Super Bowl. (AP) Whats more, Reids coaching tree is full of thick and sturdy branches and its hard to find anyone in the league who will say a bad word about him, which is rare. There were a lot of people left disappointed on Sunday that Reid couldnt get by Bill Belichick again. The presence of Patrick Mahomes and the trust of the Hunt family should guarantee that Reid gets a few more good shots at winning a Super Bowl. But even if he doesnt, he wont be the first great coach to never win a title. Heres how he currently ranks among the best coaches to never finish a season atop the league: Story continues 10. This isnt a listicle of best coaches to never win a playoff game? Eh, thats still OK. Getting the Bengals into the playoffs seven different times was a great feat for Lewis, who was finally fired after this season. He may not be the peers of the men at the top of this list, but leading one of the greatest defenses of all time (the 2000 Ravens) plus winning in Cincinnati is enough to land him on it. 9. John Fox, Panthers/Broncos/Bears Regular season: 133-123 (.520) over 16 seasons Playoff record: 8-7, two Super Bowl appearances Fox is a tricky one. Take away three dismal seasons with the Bears and his career winning percentage is .569. But take away three seasons of Peyton Manning and it plunges to .456. (Its not lost on anyone that taking Fox away from Manning in Denver resulted in Mannings second Super Bowl ring.) Still, Fox is just one of six coaches to take two different teams to the Super Bowl. 8. Chuck Knox, Rams/Bills/Seahawks Regular season: 186-147 (.558) over 22 seasons Playoff record: 7-11, four NFC title game appearances Fox, then Knox, then box in socks. Sounds like a Dr. Seuss stanza. Knox never made a Super Bowl, but the tough-nosed coach had a knack for turning teams around. He made four conference title games (including three in the mid-70s with the Rams) but could never quite reach the biggest stage. An unsuccessful second tour of duty with the Rams in the 90s marred his overall record a bit, but its hard to argue with 186 wins. 7. Dan Reeves, Broncos/Giants/Falcons Regular season: 190-165 (.535) over 23 seasons Playoff record: 11-9, four Super Bowl appearances Another non-winning member of the two-team Super Bowl club, its also hard to judge Reeves career. Coaching an AFC team in the NFCs era of dominance didnt do him any favors. Don Coryell was an offensive genius with the Chargers. (Getty Images) 6. Don Coryell, Cardinals/Chargers Regular season: 111-83 (.572) over 14 seasons Playoff record: 3-6, two AFC title game appearances Coryells innovations in the passing game earn him a revered spot amongst the coaching fraternity as does the success of his coaching tree (John Madden, Joe Gibbs among others). Unfortunately, Coryells Chargers teams, which made two AFC title games, were the equivalent of the Steve Nash-era Suns. A great show that ultimately wasnt built for postseason success. 5. Andy Reid, Eagles/Chiefs Regular season: 195-124 (.611) over 20 seasons Playoff record: 12-14 over 14 appearances, one Super Bowl appearance Hes the only man on this list who has a job and thus a chance of removing himself from it. Only reaching the Super Bowl once keeps him from being ranked ahead of the coaches below. 4. Marv Levy, Chiefs/Bills Regular season: 143-112 (.561) over 17 seasons Playoff record:11-8, four Super Bowl appearances Levy doesnt have as many wins as other coaches on this list, but think about what he accomplished with those teams. A lot of coaches have won a Super Bowl, but only one has played in four straight Levy. Considering those Bills teams could have easily been torn apart by a mixture of ego, success and disappointment, Levys coaching acumen is unquestionable. 3. Marty Schottenheimer, Browns/Chiefs/Chargers/Redskins Regular season: 200-126 (.613) over 21 seasons Playoff record: 5-13, three AFC title game appearances Schottenheimer is seventh on the NFLs all-time coaching wins list; the six men ahead of him are all in the Hall of Fame and have at least one Super Bowl or NFL title to their names. Schotty was a great regular-season coach, but he suffered from some of the most horrendous luck in the playoffs. Were it not for The Drive, The Fumble, Lin Elliott or Marlon McCree, Schottenheimer might already be occupying a deserved spot in Canton. 2. George Allen, Rams/Redskins Regular season: 116-47-5 over 12 seasons Playoff record: 2-7, one Super Bowl appearance The father of the nickel defense, Allen was known as a football coachs football coach. He never posted a losing season and helped turn around both the Rams and Redskins upon taking over. Allen could never win the playoffs, though, and his one Super Bowl appearance unfortunately came against the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. Bud Grant reached four Super Bowls, but went 0-4. (Getty Images) 1. Bud Grant, Vikings Regular season: 158-96-5 (.621) over 18 seasons Playoff record: 10-12, four Super Bowl appearances The Vikings are one of the most underrated tortured fanbases and not enough people talk about Grant as the guy who never got the big one. After winning the Grey Cup four times in the CFL, Grant came to Minnesota and dominated the 70s. The Vikings won 11 of 13 NFC Central titles behind the Purple People Eaters and made the Super Bowl four times. Grant won a 290 games between the NFL and CFL, a combined total that puts him just behind George Halas and Don Shula for career coaching wins. Grant and Levy are the only Super Bowl-era coaches in the Hall of Fame who never won a Super Bowl. More from Yahoo Sports: Wetzel: TomBradys message to PatrickMahomes Report: Pacquiao may have suffered serious injury Controversial OT rule costs Chiefs chance vs. Patriots The Rams know it was a bad call. And no, they dont care. | https://sports.yahoo.com/andy-reid-rank-among-coaches-never-won-super-bowl-170329165.html?src=rss |
Why does a lunar eclipse make the moon red? | If you were one of the millions of people that looked up at the moon last night to view the Lunar Eclipse, or was bombarded by pictures on social media today, you may have noticed that the moon appears reddish. It all has to do with Earths atmosphere, and how the suns rays are bent around the Earth. Image: A lunar eclipse takes place when the sun, Earth, and moon line up in space. The moon passes through Earth's shadow. Image Credit: Wikipedia Commons If there was not an atmosphere on Earth, then the Earths shadow would make the moon appear black and very difficult to see. Thankfully for us, there is an atmosphere that surrounds the Earth, and it extends about 50 miles above the Earths surface. From the moon, the eclipse would look as if there was an illuminated ring around the Earth, which the suns rays is interacting with the Earths atmosphere. Image: A combination of images taken by the Apollo astronauts and the Japanese lunar probe Kaguya during the lunar eclipse in 2009. The pink ring around the Earth is our atmosphere aglow with the combined light of all the sunrises and sunsets on the planet. Image Credit: JAXA Sunlight is comprised of a range of frequencies that are associated with color. Shorter wavelengths are blue, and as the wavelength gets longer, the associated color transitions to green, then yellow, and finally red. Raleigh Scattering is the process of these wavelengths colliding with air molecules in the atmosphere, and scattering outward in all directions. Its the reason that the sky is blue, and that the sky appears more yellow-red during sunrise and sunset. The blue wavelength is so short that it is scattered by air molecules as it interacts with the Earths atmosphere. This interaction scatters the incoming blue wavelength, causing the sky to be blue through much of the day on clear days. The only time that it is not necessarily blue is during sunrise and sunset. During these times, the sunlights path takes a lengthier journey through the atmosphere, making it possible for the longer wavelengths of yellow and red to be scattered and be prevalent in the sky. Image: This diagram shows the moon at different times during the eclipse. Image Credit: F. Espenak, NASA/GSFC This is the same reason that the moon appears reddish during a lunar eclipse. The sunlight is bent, or refracted, around the Earths surface to project the longest wavelengths (red) onto the moon surface. The reddish color projected onto the moons surface ranges from copper-colored to deep red, depending on conditions of the Earths atmosphere at the time of the eclipse. Conditions include the amount of dust, clouds, and humidity that are present at the edge of Earths atmosphere. The Earth can even completely block out all wavelengths if volcanic ash and heavy dust are in the atmosphere, resulting in the moon turning dark during the eclipse. The Danjon Scale breaks up the moons appearance and luminosity into 5 categories. It was developed by Andre-Louis Danjon in 1921 when hypothesizing that the brightness of a lunar eclipse was related to the solar cycle. Image: The Danjon Scale was created by French astronomer Andre-Louis Danjon. Image Credit: UCR If you missed this years total lunar eclipse, have no fear! The next one will include the eastern half of the U.S. on May 15-16, 2022. The next full lunar eclipse that will encompass the entire nation will take place on March 13-14, 2025. Image: The dates and locations of the next 5 total lunar eclipses. Image Credit: timeanddate.com Title Image: Lunar Eclipse observed on O'Neal Lane in Baton Rouge. Image Credit: Judah Santiago | http://www.wbrz.com/news/why-does-a-lunar-eclipse-make-the-moon-red-/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wbrz%2Fweather+%28WBRZ+Weather%29 |
What Might University HR Make of 'Rebel Talent'? | Rebel Talent: Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life by Francesca Gino Published in May of 2018. In sociology, we have this concept of positive deviance. This is an extension of Durkheims (1858-1917) conception of the function of deviance in reinforcing social norms. Where deviance is the negative violation of social codes and cultural practices, positive deviance is the process in which norm violation enhances well-being. In their 2017 article, Positive Deviance in Theory and Practice: A Conceptual Review (subscription perhaps required), Henington and Fliert define the term as: "Positive deviance employed as a practical strategy is about looking for champions for change outliers who succeed against all the odds. It is a method of social inquiry grounded on the premise that in every community there are certain individuals or groups whose uncommon behavior and strategies enable them to find better solutions to the same problems facing their peers." In Rebel Talent, Harvard Business School (HBS) professor Francesca Gino applies the concept of positive deviance to the world of work. Rebel Talent would probably be classified as a business book. The audience is executives, managers, and knowledge workers - not academics. But going with Dr. Ginos advice that an under-recognized leadership and collegial trait is the authentic display of emotions and feelings, I will say that I was sad that the book never connected her thinking on rebels with positive deviants, or gave sociologists the credit that they deserve. Okay, Im over it. What Rebel Talent does do is make three convincing arguments. First is the recognition that most people are disengaged from their jobs. Second is that work unhappiness comes mostly when work is not built around strengths, and when the workplace is rigid. Third is that many of the behaviors at work that we think we should be following to move forward in our careers are actually counterproductive. To make this case, professor Gino spends time with some workplace rebels, and in the organizations that rebel bosses can create. Fans of restaurant workplace books - the genre kicked off by Kitchen Confidential - will enjoy the descriptions of the nonconformist Italian chef Massimo Bottura, and his three-Michelin star restaurant, Osteria Francescana. Apparently, and I didnt know this, Italian cooking has all sorts of rules. Chef Botturas relaxed kitchen and nontraditional dishes set his restaurant apart. Rebel Talent goes on to spend time with Napoleon, pirates, a tomato company, a software game company, Pixar, and Campbell's soup. In each case, the workers who are willing to bring their authentic selves to work, challenge authority and the conventional wisdom and the status quo, and do things a bit differently always seem to come out on top. What makes Rebel Talent more sophisticated than a one-note business book on the value of think differently is Dr. Ginos analysis of the costs of nonconformity. Unsurprisingly, and so depressingly, women pay a much higher cost for their workplace rebel actions than men. For instance, women are much more likely to receive negative comments on performance reviews. Womens fashion choices are policed. In promotion decisions, women are penalized for behaviors like assertiveness that are viewed as positives for men. Going back to performance reviews, the evidence should lead any HR professional to question why they are still done. Rebel Talent shares stories from companies that have moved away from the typical goal-setting methods and instead moved to build reviews around strengths. It is common to hear from bosses of all types - including university bosses - that they value employees who push boundaries and take risks. The reader of Rebel Talent will come away from the book with many insights about the downsides of playing it safe at work. What I wonder about Rebel Talent is the same thing I wonder about almost everything that business school professors write. Professor Gino profiles all the cases where breaking the rules paid off for employees and companies. We all want to believe that we have rebel talent. I imagine that most of us, and almost all of us in academia, are pretty much rule followers. | https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/what-might-university-hr-make-rebel-talent |
What kind of city does Santa Rosa want to be? | I love Santa Rosa for many reasons. I know you do as well; there is a lot to love. Our assets are diverse and incredible. We are Beer City in the heart of Wine Country. We hold an important history in agriculture and regional commerce. Our outdoor recreation events and opportunities are world class, and the foundation of our tourism economy. Underneath all of what makes Santa Rosa amazing is our people, diverse and resilient. Our Latino population is nearly 30 percent. While we are certainly an older city 23 percent of residents are over age 65 our younger generation (under 18) is nearly a quarter of our city and growing. The metro region of Santa Rosa is the second gayest in the country, with 12.4 same-sex couples per 1,000 households according to a 2010 study. We also face challenges. For one, approximately 18,500 people must commute into Sonoma County to work every day, and more than double that leave Sonoma County every day. With virtual full employment locally, this commute pattern shows two critical needs: more housing and more high-wage employment opportunities. The cities in the photo are also wonderful in their own way. While also facing challenges, they are thriving with downtowns boasting interesting skylines providing a mix of civic, residential and commercial uses necessary for the health and prosperity of their residents. Providences nightlife attracts young professionals and has driven its reputation as a vacation destination. Downtown Grand Rapids has a bourgeoning art district, Souix Falls a well-used greenway and outdoor sculpture garden. Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002, and Vancouver has built a positive reputation for urban renewal. Little Rock has long been an attraction for history buffs, and the pulse of its downtown entices tourists to stay. The cities in the photo are also each the same size as Santa Rosa, give or take a few thousand. With a population of just under 180,000, Santa Rosa is the 5th largest in the Bay Area and 26th largest in California. Nationally, Santa Rosa is in the largest 150 cities by population. That Santa Rosa is a major city, diverse in its assets and people, is an unassailable fact. But we have yet to embrace this fact and are pushing prosperity away as a result. It is vital we ask ourselves not whether Santa Rosa is a city, but what kind of city do we want Santa Rosa to be. It is vital that we strive for a prosperous city, where business, industry and the environment thrive so that our residents can thrive as well. This prosperity isnt only for today; it is for tomorrow. That question drives our action at the Metro Chamber. We work every day to address our housing crisis, knowing that environmentalism isnt about living alone in the wilderness. It is about building what we need to live amongst each other. We work every day in support of our education system, knowing that providing all children with opportunity is as much an economic development issue as is business attraction. We work every day to help create a more vibrant downtown with a bustling center of commerce and arts, knowing that doing this benefits the city as a whole. | https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/opinion/9149130-181/opinion-santa-rosa-sonoma-housing-business |
What Would Dr. Martin Luther King Think? | When one considers that it has been almost 51 years since Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated, it is easy to understand why so many of our fellow Americans today have so little understanding of who he was and what he accomplished. Every school child for the past generation knows well the story of Martin Luther King. But an elementary school textbook cannot truly convey the extent to which he brought about real change in our country. To anyone under the age of 50, Martin Luther King is just another historical figure. But for those of us who can recall the 1960s, a time when racial segregation prevailed throughout half of our country and overt racism throughout the other half, Martin Luther King stands out as one of the great leaders in American history, a man whose stirring words and perseverance in his cause changed forever the historical trajectory of race relations in America, a subject that some historians refer to as the Original Sin of the American experience. However, as much as things have changed for the better in the past 50 years in terms of racial equality in our society, it also is clear that we still have a long way to go before can say that all Americans are judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character, as Dr. King famously put it in his speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. It is clear that there is a movement in our country that seeks to take away many of the hard-fought gains of the past 50 years. The shootings and deaths of African-Americans while in police custody that have shocked all of us in the past few years are just the tip of the iceberg. Much more significant have been the judicial decisions that have stripped away key provisions of the voting rights act, the disproportionate treatment and incarceration of minorities for drug-related offenses, and the voter ID laws and gerrymandering in many states that, in the words of a federal court in North Carolina, attain with surgical precision the goal of preventing people of color from being fairly represented in government at all levels. What would Dr. Martin Luther King do? we often ask ourselves. We cant say for sure, but we do know that he that as much as King accomplished in his lifetime, he would be the first to understand that his work for which he gave his life still is far from done and we can only hope that his spirit and courage can continue to inspire this and future generations to bring about a world in which all persons are treated with dignity and respect. | http://reverejournal.com/2019/01/20/what-would-dr-martin-luther-king-think/ |
How much would Blackpool legend Jimmy Armfield be worth in today's transfer market? | It's fair to say football has changed a lot since Blackpool's Jimmy Armfield was playing at Bloomfield Road as transfer fees have skyrocketed in the decades following his retirement. It's fair to say football has changed a lot since Blackpool's Jimmy Armfield was playing at Bloomfield Road as transfer fees have skyrocketed in the decades following his retirement. During his 17-year career, Armfield captained the Seasiders and made a record 627 appearances for the club. He was also part of England's 1966 World Cup winning squad although he didn't play in the finals due to injury. At his peak, Armfield was regarded as the best right back in the world after his performances in the 1962 World Cup. However his true value was never known as he stayed at Blackpool throughout his playing career despite interest from several clubs including Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs. In Armfield's era transfer fees would just be pocket money for top clubs now and when he retired in 1971 the record British transfer fee was just 200,000. Fast-forward 48 years and inflation, owners and huge TV deals have changed the footballing landscape completely. This has led to a substantial increase in club's incomes while transfer fees have soared to astronomical levels. In 2016, Manchester United signed Paul Pogba for a British record of 89 million while the 20 Premier League clubs spent a total of 1.23 billion on transfers last summer. Christine Seddon, chair of the Blackpool Supporters Trust, believes that he'd still be one of the most valuable players in England. She said: "Its very difficult to compare and contrast then and now but I'd say hed be up there with the most expensive Premier League players now definitely. "If he was playing now I would think all the good clubs including European clubs would be interested in him because he was of that calibre. The days of a player staying at one club are long behind us so I think thered be plenty of competition for him." Former Blackpool player Paul Stewart thinks that Armfield would be worth millions now and feels that he was ahead of his time as a full back. He added: "Full backs now are going for around 50 million and he'd be up there with the best full backs that money can buy. All the top clubs would be vying for him as he was the whole package. "The modern game would've suited him down to the ground. Full backs now are asked to play as wingers as well as defend and Jimmy was able to do both so the modern game wouldn't have phased him." BST secretary Steve Rowland said: "My guess is that Jimmy would be up there in the same bracket as Kieran Trippier so a market value of approximately 30 million. "He'd be that valuable because he had a great football brain and he had tremendous stamina. He was technically very accomplished, a great tackler and distributor of the ball plus he was excellent as a captain, leading by example." | https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sport/football/blackpool-fc/how-much-would-blackpool-legend-jimmy-armfield-be-worth-in-today-s-transfer-market-1-9549495 |
Will the Galaxy S10 feature a secondary display area? | The problem with punch holes is the fact that a portion of the display is missing, being replaced by cameras and/or sensors. Hence, that part of the display is inactive, pretty much like in the case of notches. Where theres no display, there will be no content. Samsung is apparently working on fixing this problem. Whether it will be a secret Galaxy S10 feature, or we will have to wait until the next flagship is announced, is yet unknown. A recent patent filed with WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) was uncovered and it describes a smartphone with a secondary display area. Its sole purpose is to prevent the punch hole from not displaying images, or, to make use of the punch hole and make it display something. It would be a transparent display area that can be used to display icons, animations, or other relevant graphics. These might include camera aperture animations, heart animation for fitness and biometric operations, and even rings around the punch hole camera, like in the case of the Galaxy A8s. | https://pocketnow.com/galaxy-s10-secondary-display-area?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+pocketnow+%28pocketnow.com%29 |
How does women's sport coverage weigh up? | Womens sport is at its peak, so I have had a look at how all the womens sports broadcast deals weigh up. Womens soccer (Fox Sports, SBS and My Football App) For the first time ever in W-League history, every match in the 2018/19 season is being broadcasted. Fox Sports has the full broadcast rights to 30 W-League matches with SBS simulcasting 16 matches of these on the SBS Viceland Channel including both the semi-finals and the grand final. All other matches are streamed on the My Football App. All of the Matildas internationals in Australia and the majority of overseas Matildas internationals are broadcasted on Fox Sports, SBS and streamed on the My Football App. Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share AFL womens (Fox Footy, Seven and AFL.com.au) In the new AFLW broadcast deal, every AFLW match, including the grand final, is broadcasted live on Fox Footy. In 2019, two matches per round will be broadcasted live on the Seven Network with it upping to three matches per round in 2020. Every final is broadcasted live on Channel Seven. All non-Victorian matches will be simulcasted to their respective states on the Seven Network. All matches are streamed live and free on AFL.com.au. Womens basketball (Fox Sports and SBS) Fox Sports regained the WNBL in 2017 meaning that the WNBL returned to TV. One match per round, including the semi-finals and the grand final, are broadcasted on Fox Sports with SBS simulcasting 14/15 matches per season. All Australian Opals matches are broadcasted live on Fox Sports along with womens international tournaments. Womens cricket (Fox Cricket, Seven and Cricket Network) The Seven Network have the rights to broadcasting 23 WBBL matches per season, including both semi-finals and the final live. Fox Cricket simulcasts these matches. The Cricket Network streams all other matches live and free via Cricket.com.au, the Cricket Network and WBBL Facebook page. Selected matches in the WNCL are broadcasted on The Cricket Network. All Australian Womens Internationals in Australia are broadcasted live and free on the Seven Network with Fox Cricket simulcasting these matches. Selected overseas matches are also broadcasted on Fox Cricket. Every match of ICC womens events are broadcasted live on Fox Cricket with Australian matches being broadcasted live and free on the Nine Network. Advertisement Advertisement Netball (Nine Network and Telstra TV) Two games of Suncorp Super Netball are broadcasted live on Nine per round with the additional two games broadcasted on delay on Nine. Every SSN match is broadcasted live on Telstra TV. Every Diamonds international and every Netball World Cup and Fast 5 World Series match is also broadcasted on the Nine Network. Womens rugby league (Fox League and Nine Network) Every match of the NRL Womens Competition including the Grand Final is broadcasted live on Fox League and the Nine Network. All Womens State of Origin matches, NRL Womens All Star matches and all Jillaroos matches are also broadcasted on Fox League and the Nine Network. Womens rugby union (Fox Sports) Every match of the Super W Competition is broadcasted live on Fox Sports with selected Australian womens internationals also broadcasted on Fox Sports. The majority of coverage has been improved for womens sport, but womens cricket does deserve additional coverage. WNCL matches should be broadcasted on national television and with the WBBL moving to a standalone slot next summer, I would like to see all games broadcasted on Fox Cricket with the 23 games currently remaining on Channel Seven. Super W should also be broadcasted on free-to-air television in an attempt to boost womens rugby union. | https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/01/22/how-does-womens-sport-coverage-weigh-up/ |
Are Aditya Roy Kapur and Disha Patani roped in for Mohit Suri's next film? | bollywood If rumours are to be believed, we could soon see Aditya Roy Kapur and Disha Patani in Mohit Suri's romantic thriller Disha Patani and Aditya Roy Kapur Reports suggest that Disha Patani and Aditya Roy Kapur could pair up for director Mohit Suri's romantic action-thriller. The yet untitled film is being produced by Luv Ranjan and Jay Shewakramani, and will be shot in Goa. A source said, "A huge set is also being put up in Mumbai. The film goes on floors in the next couple of months." Speaking to Mumbai Mirror earlier, Patani had denied having any discussions with Suri about the film. Rumours were also rife of a fallout between Kapur and Suri over the latter having added more actors to the cast of his film, but the filmmaker had shot these reports down. If this film is indeed happening, it will mark a reunion between Kapur and Suri after their breakthrough romantic flick Aashiqui 2 with Shraddha Kapoor in 2013. It will also be Patani's first collaboration with Suri. Kapur was last seen in Welcome To New York, starring Sonakshi Sinha, Diljit Dosanjh, and Riteish Deshmukh among others, but the film didn't do very well at the box office. His upcoming film Kalank is a period drama also starring Varun Dhawan, Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Alia Bhatt among the all-star cast. Patani, on the other hand, was last seen in Baaghi 2, which did well at the box office, and will be seen next in Salman Khan-starrer Bharat. Also read: Disha Patani receives a heartfelt letter from her youngest fan from Bareilly 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/are-aditya-roy-kapur-and-disha-patani-roped-in-for-mohit-suris-next-film/20284155 |
What did Canadian mining executives know about possible human rights violations in Eritrea? | For years, Vancouver-based mining firm Nevsun Resources has dismissed allegations that forced labour was used to build its mine in the repressive east African country of Eritrea. Nevsun executives have denied direct knowledge of human rights violations at their Bisha mine site in a CBC interview and during an appearance before a parliamentary committee. But company documents filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia last November and reviewed by CBC's The Fifth Estate show executives at the highest level appear to have been informed of issues of forced labour at their mine site a decade ago. Former Bisha mine workers are suing Nevsun in B.C. for alleged human rights violations including forced labour, slavery and torture. The company denies the allegations and has appealed the matter of whether the case can be heard in B.C. to the Supreme Court of Canada. Nevsun argues that the case should be adjudicated in Eritrea. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter on Wednesday. The court's decision could have a far-reaching impact on Canadian corporations operating abroad. "The Supreme Court of Canada will be asked to rule on whether in fact it is possible in our legal system to hold a corporate citizen of Canada to account for decisions made in Canada, by a Canadian corporation, in how it will engage in business in Eritrea," said law professor Audrey Macklin, counsel for the University of Toronto's International Human Rights Program, which has intervener status in the Supreme Court matter. Mass exodus In recent years, there has been a mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of people from Eritrea, a small country of six million in the Horn of Africa. They have fled in part because of the country's controversial national service program, which the United Nations and human rights groups have charged involves lengthy military conscription and forced labour. "Eritrea is a human rights pariah and the use of indeterminate conscription and forced labour has been widely reported," said Macklin. "The question would be what kind of due diligence did Nevsun do prior to its foray into Eritrea?" Nevsun is partners with the government of Eritrea through the Bisha Mining Share Company (BMSC). The mine is 40 per cent owned by the Eritrean National Mining Corporation (ENAMCO). The Bisha mine opened in 2011 and has produced hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of gold, copper and zinc. For years, the mine was the only major source of revenue for the regime of President Isaias Afwerki. But back in 2009, Nevsun was seeking financing during the construction phase of the mine when the issue of forced labour in Eritrea was raised by potential lenders. One email filed in court, dated March 4, 2009, and written by then Nevsun CEO Cliff Davis, is headlined "Private and Confidential due to Sensitivity." Workers and visitors walk within the processing plant at the Bisha Mining Share Company in Eritrea on Feb. 18, 2016. (Thomas Mukoya/Reuters) Davis writes that the lenders "have placed another obstacle in the road to finance. They assert that the country practises involuntary labour (forced labour) and before they can lend to the project, BMSC must demonstrate that the Bisha mine will not be a benefactor in any way of such labour, either directly or via any of its contractors." In the same email, Davis notes "we understand there are currently some National Service people working for a key contractor working at site" and that "we are in the process of determining whether the terms of employment would constitute forced labour." Davis suggests BMSC could hire the workers directly or offer them contracts "where they could leave on their own free will." But Davis goes on to say "None of these solutions are palatable to the Eritreans because: 1. another Westerner telling the Eritreans how to run their country; 2. potential disruption to the national development campaign. Politically a very sensitive topic." 'Permeates the whole region' As part of its due diligence, according to the documents filed in court, Nevsun and the lenders brought in U.S. social development expert Kerry Connor to review the operation. Connor is based in Washington, D.C., and has done risk reviews for mining operations around the world. In a March 25, 2009, email from Connor to then Nevsun vice-president Trevor Moss, she refers to a conversation she had with Stan Rogers, the manager of the mine at the time. "Just spoke with Stan," she writes. "He recognizes it's forced labour and says it permeates the whole country with nearly everyone in some way associated with the "program." "Also says no one understands the scope of the issue viz a viz project employment of program people -- so we need to concentrate on this before we can determine what can be done." Connor later concluded in an April 2009 report, also part of the court filing, that "the project is at risk for contravention of the prohibition on the use of forced labour, as represented by the use of NS workers." A truck arrives to ferry excavated gold, copper and zinc ore from the main mining pit at the Bisha Mining Share Company on Feb. 17, 2016. (Thomas Mukoya/Reuters) The workers in question were provided by an Eritrean state-owned subcontractor called Segen. Connor also reported that "Segen, the only project sub-contractor, indicates that its project workforce is composed primarily of longtime Segen employees, complemented by some expatriates with special skills, and that no NS workers have been employed on the project. A rapid assessment by BMSC social staff, however, found evidence of approximately 23 NS workers employed by Segen at various times on the project." "[Nevsun] were not avoiding it. They were very much aware of it," Connor said in a recent interview. "They were somewhat aware of it in the beginning and the initial question was: 'Well, is it even possible to employ a contractor who isn't government?' " 'No corroborating claims' While the company documents filed in court would suggest Nevsun had been informed of possible forced labour at their mine site in 2009, company officials have not disclosed this information in the past. In a 2016 documentary about the Bisha mine by The Fifth Estate, host Mark Kelley asked Todd Romaine, then Nevsun's vice-president of corporate social responsibility: "You don't believe there was any conscripted labour that was ever used in the development or operation of your mine?" "We've done extensive investigations to date inside Eritrea and at the Bisha mine," Romaine said. "There's no corroborating claims to support any of the allegations being made." Todd Romaine, who was vice-president of corporate social responsibility at Nevsun Resources in 2016, told The Fifth Estate at the time that the company had done extensive investigations in Eritrea and at its Bisha mine. (CBC) Romaine, who is no longer an official at the company since China's Zijin Mining Group made a successful bid for it in December, declined to comment for this story. In 2012, testifying in front of the parliamentary subcommittee on international human rights in Ottawa, Davis, then the company's CEO, was asked by Liberal MP Irwin Cotler: "So you are not aware yourself of any human rights violations in Eritrea?" Davis responded: "I'm certainly not directly aware at all. All I have is the same access that you have with respect to the internet, and postings on the internet, and articles." When Cotler asked again: "So you have received no reports of any human rights violations while you have been in Eritrea?" Davis replied: "No." Now retired from Nevsun, Davis did not return calls for comment. Longstanding skepticism The Eritrean plaintiffs have made an application to the B.C. Supreme Court to join Davis personally as a defendant in the lawsuit. Davis's lawyer, David Schacter, said "the matter is before the court and Mr. Davis will simply advise you that that's the case. He's not going to be commenting on a matter before the court." In 2013, Human Rights Watch published a report on alleged human rights violations at the Bisha mine. In a meeting with Human Rights Watch, "Nevsun did not acknowledge that Segen had used conscript labourers at Bisha, but neither did it rule out the possibility," the report said. In a January 2013 media release, Nevsun said that the company "expresses regret if certain employees of Segen were conscripts four years ago, in the early part of the Bisha Mine's construction phase." But Human Rights Watch has always been skeptical of Nevsun's position. "It defies belief that Nevsun did not know that a state contractor would be using national service labour," Felix Horne, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a recent interview. "The Nevsun experience is an important lesson for the other international mining companies that are operating in Eritrea, that unless proper procedures are put in place from the beginning, you will likely be using national service labour for the development of your mine." More investigation Nevsun has maintained that it screens for military conscripts requiring proof that their workers are no longer in the national service program. In response to concerns raised by the United Nations, Nevsun also conducted further investigation by another social responsibility expert. "I am very confident that there's no forced labour, there's no national service used either in the direct workforce or in the Eritrean contractors that provide labour or transportation or security guards to the Bisha mine," Montreal human rights lawyer Lloyd Lipsett told The Fifth Estate in 2016. But according to the company documents filed in court last November, forced labour at its mine site was not the only possible human rights violation Nevsun executives became aware of early on. Eritrean officials were also arresting workers off their mine site without clear cause. In a June 28, 2010, email under the subject line "Staff Arrests," mine manager Stan Rogers writes to Davis: "Cliff, I think that brings the number to seven or eight!! We of course have no idea why they have been taken away." Rogers signs off on the email: "Great Country...:-)" A general view shows the sag mill and ball mill within the processing plant at the Bisha Mining Share Company. (Thomas Mukoya/Reuters) An Aug. 5, 2010, memorandum from a company executive to Nevsun's audit committee reviewed "allegations of fraud" that the Eritreans apparently provided as the reason for the arrests. "Over the past three months, five BMSC staff have been arrested by Eritrean authorities," the memo said. "According to BMSC senior management, the Eritrean state has alleged the employees were involved in various frauds including the theft of food and fuel inventories and kickbacks on purchasing." But the memo goes on to report that it "should be emphasized that no evidence of fraud has been uncovered by BMSC management or received from the Eritrean state. However, ENAMCO personnel have confirmed to BMSC management that the employees have confessed to having a role in the frauds." At the time of publication, Nevsun had not officially responded to a request for comment. | https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nevsun-resources-mining-eritrea-1.4980530?cmp=rss |
Will the SEC Redefine Who Can Be an 'Accredited Investor'? | October 7, 2014 5 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. For years, federal law has only allowed accredited investors to invest in most private-securities offerings for startup and growing businesses. This will change to a certain degree with the enactment of equity crowdfunding under the JOBS Act, but there will still be a large number of private investments limited to accredited investors. This month, the Securities and Exchange Commission will consider revising the definition of who qualifies as an accredited investor. Unfortunately, some of the proposals the SEC is considering would make qualifying as an accredited investor more difficult, and thereby limiting the pool of investment money that presently is available to small businesses. Related: Thriving in Finance Requires Patience and Humility Currently, an investor is accredited if his or her net worth exceeds $1 million, excluding a primary residence, or if their income is $200,000 or more. Most estimates say there are more than 9 million people in the United States that qualify under this easy-to-verify standard. Of that number, it is estimated that a small percentage actually invest in startups and small businesses. The theory behind the accredited investor rule is that someone who makes a lot of money, or has a high net worth, is sophisticated enough to determine if an investment is risky or not, and can withstand the loss if the investment goes bad. More than 60 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that someone who has a lot of money can fend for themselves when it comes to investments. Of course, this reasoning is idiotic. Anyone who hears the horror stories about millionaire athletes or lottery winners who lose everything knows that a high net worth does not equal investing sophistication. But having a simple, income-based definition of accredited investor gives everyone involved in the process certainty that the investor is accredited, thereby avoiding legal troubles when an investment goes bad. The reality is, there are millions of financially-sophisticated people who are not able to invest in private offerings because of this rule. Yet, if you are a securities lawyer, an investment banker, a stock broker, a certified public accountant or a tax advisor, but do not have a net worth of more than $1 million, or did not earn $200,000 last year, the SEC does not consider you sophisticated enough to be called an accredited investor. Think about it. These people can give advice to others about investments, accounting and taxation, but they cannot participate in the investments themselves because they do not meet an arbitrary amount of earnings or wealth. The Dodd-Frank financial reform law requires the SEC to review the accredited investor standard this year, the first time a review has been done since 1982. The SEC is meeting this week to consider major changes to the definition of accredited investor, a decision that will have far-reaching implications to entrepreneurs in the near future. Here are four possibilities: 1. They could increase the monetary requirements. Some people believe that the 30-year-old $200,000 salary and $1 million net worth thresholds are too low, and should be raised. Small businesses will suffer if the already-small number of people who qualify to invest is restricted even more. The SEC estimates that increasing these numbers to account for inflation since 1982 would exclude 60 percent of those considered accredited investors from being allowed to continue investing in private placements. 2. They could scrap the monetary requirements, and require proof of investment sophistication. The SEC might allow people with certain professional licenses to automatically be labeled as accredited investors, and for others to provide other demonstrable proof. While this seems like a good idea, having a license to dispense investment advice, for example, does not mean that someone is able to handle the loss of a large investment in a private placement. 3. They could broaden the number of people who are accredited, but limit the amount they can invest. In the equity crowdfunding provisions of the JOBS Act, there are limitations of how much someone can invest in certain offerings, and these seem reasonable on their face as a way to protect investors from catastrophic losses. 4. They could do some combination of the above. This is my best guess of what will happen. I suspect we will see new, slightly higher financial thresholds, a group of licenses or occupations that become accredited investors automatically and, unfortunately, some limitation on the amount certain accredited investors will be allowed to invest. Know How to Diversify Your Investments. | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238120 |
Who Will Step Up and Disrupt the Real Estate Industry? | October 6, 2014 5 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. In the last decade weve seen countless so-called disruptive innovations emerge, bringing with them tremendous change. New technologies continue to revolutionize our world, and along the way they inevitably render many industries obsolete. Just take a look at what digital content did to Blockbuster. As another example, look no further than Uber, the 5-years-young transportation network that is revolutionizing the taxi industry. In its last round of funding, Uber raised a remarkable $1.2 billion on a pre-money valuation of $18 billion. Its estimated worth is today almost the equivalent of Hertz and Avis combined. Ubers focus on fast and seamless transportation is helping to drive this company forward and the result is that its pushing traditional cab companies to keep up, or give up. Just as Uber is changing the taxi industry, and web-based companies such as Airbnb are disrupting the hotel industry, the real estate industry is another industry thats vulnerable to information-driven disruption. Related: 'We're the Uber of X!' It is very likely that the real estate industry will be one of the next industries to be hit by the changing tide of the digital age, heres why: A diminishing value proposition. Diminishing value is something thats been slowly creeping into the real estate industry for some time now. Theres less of a need for real estate agents who exist solely to provide consumers with information already available to them via Zillow. If its just about opening the doors for home showings, this is something that surely doesnt warrant their 6 percent commission. The need for real estate agents that dont provide anything of true value is diminishing rapidly. This isnt to say that real estate agents arent needed. They certainly are. Knowledgeable and professional agents offer a wealth of value. However, a differentiator that separates the wheat from the chaff is long overdue. This will allow the real estate agents who are worth their weight in gold to have a chance to shine. Outdated methods: the way of the travel agent. Many of todays real estate agents still rely on outdated marketing methods and archaic business models. They think that hanging a sign on the window is the best way to draw in new business. And while these methods do still work -- to some degree -- the fact is that the first signs of change are in the air. The younger crowd knows that the first place to go for information is the Internet, and companies are cropping up all over to accommodate this need. A quick online search will show you which properties are for sale in your area and what they are worth. Often, the consumer is privy to this information before the real estate agent. Related: To Spur Real Estate Deals, Open Up the Data An industry thats ripe for change. Its time for a change. Take a look at the real estate industry, and you will see that this industry is one that has grown complacent. Even though technology and consumer acceptance have grown, with instant information access, and consumers becoming more comfortable with the idea of selling their own homes, the real estate industry has struggled to keep up with the changing tide. In short, this industry is waiting for the right innovation to come along and turn it on its head. New, potentially disruptive technologies such as automated agent selection and virtual home staging are all happening. These innovations are not quite yet at the level to overtake the industry though. Zillows planned acquisition of Trulia has everyone wondering whether this company has big things in store for the industry, but that remains to be seen. Simple: that the smart entrepreneur who addresses the pain points in the real estate industry and asks the age-old question is there a better way? just might be able to come up with an idea -- or an app -- that will help to make life easier and better, and in the process, inject real change into the real estate industry. While the full impact of the digital revolution on the real estate industry has yet to be seen, there is a strong movement towards empowering the consumer. With people being able to access the data that they need to make more informed decisions, its scaling back the need for the less informed middleman. Smart real estate agents will embrace these technology advances and use them to survive, while others will woefully cling to their brochures and rolodexes, lamenting that the old ways are better because thats the way that things have always been done. Unfortunately though, as history has shown time and again, nostalgia is rarely a good business model -- no matter what industry you are in. Share your thoughts in the comments sections below. Related: Zillow to Acquire Chief Competitor Trulia in $3.5 Billion Deal | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237944 |
Is Charitable Crotch-Grabbing Stunt #FeelingNuts the Next ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? | October 3, 2014 2 min read While the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge transfixed an insatiable Internet and ultimately raised more than $100 million, one is likely to wonder how such viral magic could ever be recreated -- or whether the initiative was merely a singular sensation. But if testicular cancer awareness nonprofit Check One Two has its way, a brand new craze might have everybody #FeelingNuts -- literally. The organization, founded in 2012, encourages men and women across the globe to photograph themselves groping their crotches in order to spread awareness about testicular cancer. The pics -- along with nominations for other participants -- are then to be disseminated on social media with the cheeky hashtag. Related: Soon, Everyone in Silicon Valley Might Be Dousing Themselves in Ice Water And now, thanks to the same celeb cred that spun the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge into a viral phenomenon, #FeelingNuts seems to be gaining momentum. On Wednesday, Wolverine star Hugh Jackman posted a bizarre slow motion Instagram video in which he clutches his crotch while leaping through the air. Jackman nominated Neil Patrick Harris, Michael Strahan and Ricky Gervais -- who promptly accepted with this shot on Twitter. Gervais then challenged an eagerly willing William Shatner. The major difference between #FeelingNuts and the Ice Bucket Challenge, however, is that there is no donation component for those who decline to participate; the stunt merely serves to generate awareness. Related: Why Ello Suddenly Went Viral | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238107 |
Was Yahoo's Tumblr Acquisition a Flop? | The activist hedge fund has stepped up its attack on Yahoo and its CEO Marissa Mayer, and its not hard to see why. Following the initial public offering of the e-commerce company Alibaba, Yahoo netted $9.4 billion. It retains a stake worth approximately $32 billion in the Chinese company. Yahoo also owns a multi-billion dollar slice in Yahoo Japan. Despite this, Yahoos total market value is about $40 billiona clear signal that Wall Street doesnt think much of Yahoos core business. The market is showing significant skepticism about the companys strategy, Starboard wrote in a letter to Yahoo. Its hard to argue with that. (Starboard actually contends that the market gives a negative value to Yahoos core. Some analysts disagree, as any sale of its stakes in Alibaba or Yahoo Japan would come along with hefty tax bills. The debate over exactly how to value Yahoos Asian assets has been going on for years.) The hedge fund has taken specific aim at the $1.3 billion that Mayer spent on acquisitions as she worked to reignite growth at Yahoo. Those acquisitions have failed to deliver, Starboard contends, and it wants Mayer to stop buying companies. Starboard does not mention the social network Tumblr specifically, but Yahoo paid $1.1 billion for that company in May 2013. Its clearly the deal that Starboard is singling out. Yahoo vigorously defended its actions. Tumblr has been important from a consumer standpoint, an editorial standpoint, an advertising standpoint, and a technology standpoint, Kathy Savitt, Yahoos chief marketing officer, said in an interview. Traffic at Tumblr has grown by about a third to 400 million monthly users since last years acquisition, and the numbers of blogs and posts have nearly doubled, according to the companys own figures. Savitt noted that while Tumblr operates independently, Yahoo and Tumblr have collaborated in productive ways. Yahoos ad technology now powers Tumblrs sponsored posts, which are the main vehicle for monetizing the microblogging platform. Tumblr-sponsored posts from brands like Lipton, Lexus, and Lionsgate appear on Yahoo. Brands are able to create rich stories that are engaging in their own right, Savitt said. Yahoo has used the Tumblr platform for some of its own digital magazines. Tumblr has allowed Yahoo to bring those magazineswhich span categories such as technology, travel, food, style, beauty, and moviesto market faster, Savitt said. It also allowed Yahoos editorial teams to produce richer content. With Tumblr, the company has been able to tap into a younger audience, which is important to Yahoos future, Savitt said. What Savitt wouldnt say is what any of this means in dollars. Analysts believe its not much. Tumblr is relatively inconsequential, said Ben Schachter, a long-time Yahoo analyst at Macquarie Securities. They continue to lose share of dollars and mindshare. They havent been able to execute a turnaround. A lot of the new strategy is the same as the old strategy and its not working yet. Schachter said Tumblr had approximately $10 million to $15 million in revenue at the time of the acquisition, and since Yahoo has not updated the numbers, revenue has likely not grown by much. Even if Tumblr revenue had grown, say, twice as fast as traffic, it would have added only single-digit millions to the companys revenues. Mark Mahaney, another veteran Yahoo analyst who works at RBC Capital Markets, was only slightly more cautious, though he also described Tumblr as inconsequential. Its very hard to judge externally how successful the asset has been, Mahaney said. Once a company like Tumblr is acquired, the outside world gets very little visibility into its operations unless the acquisition is a major hit, Mahaney said. The lack of disclosure from Yahoo suggests Tumblr falls far short of that. Not necessarily. For one thing, it can take time for an acquisition to live up to its potential. To wit: For years, investors criticized Googles $1.65 billion purchase of YouTube as the video sharing site struggled with monetization. Today, YouTube has morphed into a multi-billion dollar enterprise, and most everyone thinks the deal was a huge coup for Google. Similarly, it took years for Yahoos modest Alibaba deal in 2005 to reveal its full potential. We are at very excited about our early progress with our synergies between the companies, and there is a lot more to come, Savitt said. Its very premature to be judging it on numbers. I dont think thats a fair to look at it right now. Acquisitions can also be an important tool in turnarounds. This company needs to recover growth to be relevant in the Internet space, Mahaney said. Acquisitions can be a very legitimate part of that strategy. The question is whether they should consider something larger. In other words, Tumblr may have been too small, and Mayer should go for something biggeras her counterpart at Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, did when he shelled out some $19 billion for WhatsApp. With the windfall from the Alibaba IPO, maybe now is the time. Perhaps Mayer will offer us a hint when she speaks as part of New Yorks annual Advertising Week. To be fair, Mayer never pitched Tumblr as a transformative acquisition. It was a modest bet, Mahaney said, that we havent seen pay off. On that last point, theres plenty of agreement. Ive never had an investor call me to say, Were more bullish on Yahoo because they bought Tumblr, Schachter said. | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238037 |
When is Drake coming to Dublin's 3Arena and how can I get tickets? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Drake has announced his long-awaited return to Dublin. The hit-making rapper is coming back to the 3Arena in March, with three dates already announced. He will be hitting the stage on March 19, 21 and 22 with support from his fellow Canadian Tory Lanez. The 22 date 'Assassination Vacation tour' will be also be heading to Manchester, Paris, London, Birmingham, Amsterdam and Antwerp. It will be in support of his latest album Scorpion, which picked up over a billion streams within its first week of release. Tickets will be on sale this coming Friday, January 25 at 9am. They will start at 76, and can be bought at www.ticketmaster.ie. The rapper's last gig in Dublin was in 2017, with fans raving after the show. Dublin Live said: "The breathtaking set, which consisted of over 30 tracks, brought fans on a journey from the early days of a young Drake, right up to his current position as worldwide icon." | https://www.dublinlive.ie/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/drake-coming-dublins-3arena-how-15712850 |
Will South African voters be rational or emotional in 2019? | The crescendo of post-apartheid bad behaviour, either through the abuse of political office or other manners of corruption by powerful South African politicians, especially those who belong to the governing African National Congress, can be said to have begun with the notorious Arms Deal in the 1990s. One could be forgiven for suspecting that they had been waiting impatiently for late President Nelson Mandela to leave the political scene, like mice waiting for the cat to step away, before they began their mayhem. ANC has biggest burden of responsibility The ANC is not the only party without reproach, of course, but it carries the biggest burden of responsibility because of where it comes from, the central role It has played in the long march to South Africas emancipation from apartheid, as well as for the sheer volume of public resources it controls and policy decisions it influences. In addition, a large number of South African men and women we celebrate today as heroes and heroines of South Africas anti-apartheid struggle came from the ANC, even though it can also be argued that in its attempt to rewrite our history only from its own perspective, the ANC might have, wittingly or unwittingly left many brave South Africans out who did not wear its colours even though they contributed significantly to the fight to end apartheid. But history is, after all, written by the victors, as it were. The mayhem gathered pace when former President Thabo Mbeki interfered with the work of a respected National Director of Public Prosecutions by removing him from office in an attempt to shield a criminally compromised National Police Commissioner. Following in Mandelas footsteps, at least partly, Mbeki agreed to let Tibetan Spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, visit South Africa but, reportedly under Chinese pressure, conveniently became too busy to meet him in person during his visit to the country. Former President Mandela had shown the Chinese where to get off by meeting with the Dalai Lama, even taking a walk with him in the picturesque Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, in Cape Town. The Chinese were most unhappy, but that was not to be Mandelas problem. With the growing political rapprochement between the ANC and the Chinese Communist Party after Mandelas departure from politics, the Dalai Lama has since never been granted another VISA to come to South Africa again, despite several high profile invitations. The first one, under the Motlanthe interim presidency, was when the Dalai Lama had been invited to attend Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutus birthday celebration and, on another occasion when Zuma was President the Tibetan spiritual leader had been scheduled to attend and to speak at a meeting of The Elders in Cape Town. The meeting was subsequently cancelled in protest at this government action. Frustrating the Dalai Lamas Visa application might be seen as a small, soft, measure by some people; especially those who are of the view that SA had to choose between doing business with China and being sympathetic to an elderly religious man from a country that doesnt quite exist according to China and who would not open the kind of trade doors to South Africa that Communist China could. They all forget, conveniently, that the Dalai Lama has been a guest of India since he fled Chinese prosecution in the 1950s and that China has never punished India a key member of the BRICS group with a trade boycott. Unlike all the leaders who came after him, Mandela had backbone. He understood his own worth and that of South Africa. From the start, at the time of his inauguration, he is said to have refused to led Americans bully him into refusing invitations to the likes of Cuban Fidel Castro, Palestinian Yasser Arafat, and Libyan Muammar Gaddafi. He famously told them that they were not well placed to choose friends for him, even though he considered them too, his friends and those of South Africa. Crucially, Mandela also lived the values and the promises enshrined in South Africas Constitution. The downward spiral The pace of abuse of political office and public resources quickened after Jacob Zuma took over from Thabo Mbeki who, it must be admitted, might be accused of many things but not of criminal self-enrichment at the cost of South Africa. With Zumas arrival in the countrys highest office, all hell broke loose. Mbeki never made it a secret that he feared what would happen to South Africa were Zuma to become President. It makes one wonder, though, as to why he would have appointed Zuma his Deputy when he knew that in ANC traditions, as we often get told, the Deputy becomes President. One could take this interrogation further and ask why current President Ramaphosa would have chosen a man so many for all the bad reasons as his Deputy. But we know, of course, that wed be told that the numbers were not on his side. The choices South African voters must make Few will refuse to admit that despite all the wrongs that have happened in and to South Africa under ANC rule, especially in the past ten years, our governing party has been blessed with massive emotional capital invested in it by, mainly, the countrys Black majority, former victims of decades of brutal apartheid. To this day many even though these numbers are coming down would rather direct their anger over persistent levels of racialized poverty and other forms of inequalities at apartheid and White people. Attempts to get them to inform themselves on the massive opportunity costs of state capture and other forms of corruption seem futile. Few seem prepared to imagine a South Africa not governed by the ANC because the only time South Africa wasnt governed by the ANC it was a nasty place to live in; brutal, humiliating, bend on breaking them by robbing them of all self-esteem, and utterly merciless towards Black citizens. | https://www.thesouthafrican.com/south-african-voters-2019-elections/ |
Will Thackeray Memorial Event Help Bridge Shiv Sena-BJP Rift Ahead of 2019 Polls? | Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be invited for the bhoomipoojan of Balasaheb Thackeray memorial to be held at the Mayor Bungalow at Dadar Chowpatty by the end of this month.A small ceremony for the handing over of land is going to take place on Wednesday, when Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray will share the dais. The move to invite the CM and PM is being seen in political circles as Sena extending an olive branch to the saffron party.Our dream of building a memorial of late Balasaheb Thackeray is soon going to turn into a reality. We are waiting for one permission to come through. Then, we will hold the bhoomipoojan function there. For the ceremony of handing over of land to the trust and for Ganeshpoojan, we have invited CM Fadnavis, senior cabinet minister and Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai told News18.The late Shiv Sena leaders memorial is soon slated to be built at the Mayor Bungalow at Dadar Chowpatty.The building comes under CRZ 1(Coastal Regulation Zone), hence, governed by environmental norms. It is also a heritage structure. Any changes in its construction require nod from several agencies, including the Union environment ministry. The proposed construction has also been challenged in the Bombay high court for alleged flouting of norms.As of now, we are awaiting nod from the environment ministry. All other papers are in place. Once that permission comes through, decks will be cleared for the memorial, an official told News18.Public spars between the Shiv Sena and BJP have increased over the last few months. The Sena was particularly upset after the BJP did not extend invite to its ally during major infrastructure inaugural events. But these things seem to have been put on the backburner by the Sena now.January 23 is the birth anniversary of Balasaheb Thackeray. The Sena is keen to hold a symbolic function on this day, related to the memorial. Since all the permissions are not yet in place, it will hold a Ganeshpoojan on the day.When asked if the Sena has invited the Prime Minister for the bhoomipoojan ceremony, a Sena functionary said, It is obvious that if both of us are in power together, we will be seen on stage together.Thackeray memorial has emotional value for Shiv Sena. It already feels frustrated for not being able to fast-track the work of the memorial in the last three years. The trust, which looks into the matter of the memorial, is headed by Uddhav Thackeray.Catch the biggest newsmakers and the biggest newsbreaks on CNN-News18, the only news destination.. Contact your cable/DTH operator now! *Rental/capacity fee of Rs. 130/- as charged by cable/DTH operator may apply. **GST extra. | https://www.news18.com/news/politics/will-thackeray-memorial-event-help-bridge-sena-bjp-rift-2009973.html |
How Different is The Hinduism of Sadhus From The Idea of Hindutva? | Every six years, the floodplains come alive - teeming with people the site of one of the holiest pilgrimages that a Hindu can undertake. The tents are pitched and devotees are making their way to Sangam the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati Rivers.This year, an estimated 15 crore people are expected to visit the Kumbh Mela. Some will come to gain Moksha liberation from the cycle of birth and death others to find out what it means to be a Hindu - because as the Sadhus would say, without the Kumbh, Hinduism may not even have survived.If there was no kumbh, sanatan dharma would be extinct. Naga Sadhus had taken up arms against the Buddhist Empire of India. When young people come to Kumbh, they are told this history, says Narendra Giri, president of the Akhara Parishad.It is believed that when the alignment of the planets is just right, a holy dip at Sangam can wash away all sins. Sadhus from all over the country meet here for Kumbh for what is considered the largest religious congregation in the world.At present, Hindutva has acquired centrestage as the nation heads to a general election. But how is the Hinduism of the sadhus and mendicants different from the political idea of Hindutva?The diversity of Hinduism and the Hindu way of life is in sharp relief here. In the camps of the Naga sadhus the ancient order of warrior monks one finds a mosaic of personalities, each representing a different core value of the religion. Sangam Giri is a sadhu of the Juna Akhara, the largest and fiercest of the 13 akharas that makes up the Naga Army. His Hinduism is not rigid or based on any one form of worship. That syncreticism that has bound Hinduism and Islam over the last 12 centuries is very much alive in Sangam Giris faith.They (Muslims) worship nirakar (a formless God) and we worship aakar (idol worship). There may be three routes, but we are going to the same place. There are 25 different ways to get to Allahabad. Everyone takes a different route to the railway station. The people guarding those routes are profiting. Real dharma brings people together, he says.If the flexibility of faith is what works for Sangam Giri, for Digambar Shravan Giri, it is the ideas of personal freedom and liberty that makes him a Hindu. As a Naga sadhu, he says he will find liberation in this life and the next. I didnt decide anything. I just ran away from home and became a baba. My dad brought me back 7 times, but I kept running away. We became sadhus to get mukti (freedom). I now have mukti, I am free of everything. I live freely and eat what I can get. People treat me with respect. I am naked now, so I am completely free.When a man becomes a sadhu, he leaves his old life behind. All distinctions of caste, creed and colour are shed as they merge into this ancient brotherhood. Perhaps few would understand the value of acceptance more than Shravan Giri, an Australian by birth who has now renounced his old life to become an ascetic. He claims he doesnt remember the name he was born with anymore. The Juna Akhara has been his home since 2003.The very first rule of yoga is yama and the first word of yama is ahimsa (no harm). Thats the starting point of Hindu thinking no harm. So stirring people up to attack another group is completely wrong. Whatever you do, cause no harm. If you make a positive word out of ahimsa, its love. The starting point is universal love.But as a muscular Hindutva dominates politics and spills over into daily life, Hindus are being increasingly defined in opposition to other communities. Nearly 300 people have reportedly been killed by mobs since 2014. The fact that the overwhelming majority of the victims were Muslims has been attributed to the rise of a belligerent Hindu nationalism. But here at the Kumbh, the epicentre of the Hindu faith, Mohammed Mehmood an electrical contractor, called Mullahji by the sadhus, never feels like the other. The liberal outlook of the Hindu religion practised by these sadhus is his lived experience.When I don't like something, I tell the Gurus straight away. If they had treated me differently, I would not have come. When I read the namaz, they give me all due respect. The day someone treats me badly, I will stop coming here. Even they (Babas) know all religions are the same, Mehmood says.The deep spiritualism of Kumbh doesnt insulate these mendicants from 21st century realities. The politically motivated violence in the name of the holy cow, they say, goes against every tenet of their faith.No violence is justified. Cow slaughter is not ok. But I dont blame the cow killers, but I blame the cattle farmers for abandoning the cows, says Vasudevanand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of the Jyotishpeeth.Ranjit Bharti, a sadhu who has pitched his tent on the sand, says, Sanatan Dharma doesnt teach us to discriminate. Our policy is to love everyone. Every living creature, even non-living thing has a piece of God in them.The politics of Uttar Pradesh, the state where the Kumbh is held, took a decisive rightward turn when Yogi Adityanath, the head priest of the Gorakhnath Math, was made the chief minister. His governments focus on the Kumbh hasnt gone unnoticed by the sadhus. Spread over 3,200 hectares, this is the largest Kumbh ever in terms of total area. With more toilets, better management and an emphasis on the Hindu heritage of the city with the recent name change to Prayagraj, the chief ministers stock is high.Yogi is doing good work here. He has stopped illegal cow slaughter. Besides, I have never seen such good facilities in the mela before, the Shankaracharya said.They were hoping that Yogis appointment as CM would also pave the way for the early construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. With the BJPs central leadership waiting for the judiciary to decide the matter first, there is a sense of frustration among politicians who have built their entire careers on the back of this promise to Hindus. Those who promised the mandir and didn't do the job. We also canvassed for the BJP. We will need an iron man like Vallabhai Patel. We don't have a leader like him right now. If they don't give us the Ram Mandir after winning so many seats, then we will be disappointed. Our job is to chant the name of Ram. For some their job is to seek votes in the name of Ram. BJP is reaping the benefits of Ram. The 325 seats they got were not in the name of development. If vikas was an issue, Akhilesh Yadav would have won.People thought after Godhra, Modi would make the mandir. There was a Hindutva wave. But there was no mandir.The Shankaracharya adds, Ram Mandir is not a new issue. Lakhs have been killed since Baburs time. The Constitution is a barrier in this. The court agreed that it was the land of Ram Lalla, but still divided the land. No government can go against the Constitution. This government has come in the name of Hindutva, so Hindus hope their religion will be protected under this government.If the leaders of the sadhus are careful in wording their anger, the lower-rung mendicants who live on the sands in Kumbh find no reason to hide their annoyance. Politicians divide people on the basis of religion. Ram Mandir issue is embroiled in politics now. They (politicians) dont actually want to build the temple, says Ranjit Bharti.Meanwhile, worshippers continue to throng the Kumbh to unburden themselves of their sins and seek Moksha or liberation.For thousands of years, people have gathered at the confluence of these rivers. Even as Hindutva seeks to rigidly define identities, each person at Kumbh brings with them their own unique idea of what it means to be a Hindu. Perhaps this diversity is why Kumbh, much like Hinduism itself, has stood the test of time.Catch the biggest newsmakers and the biggest newsbreaks on CNN-News18, the only news destination.. Contact your cable/DTH operator now! *Rental/capacity fee of Rs. 130/- as charged by cable/DTH operator may apply. **GST extra. | https://www.news18.com/news/india/how-different-is-the-hinduism-of-sadhus-from-the-idea-of-hindutva-2009859.html |
Is reversing on the A40 Golden Valley Bypass the stupidest thing a motorist is going to do today? | Get Daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email There is an early contender for Gloucestershire's most reckless driver of the day after a staggeringly dangerous manoeuvre was witnessed on one of the county's busiest roads. As anyone who travels between Cheltenham and Gloucester knows, there are major roadworks taking place on the A40 Golden Valley Bypass. This has meant that motorists heading from the Arle Court roundabout near GCHQ in Cheltenham heading towards the Elmbridge Court roundabout in Gloucester have to go through a contraflow system over the M5. There are two simple rules Motorists heading to Cheltenham have to stay in the right hand lane. Motorists heading to the M5 have to stay in the left hand lane. Big yellow signs make it clear what lane people are meant to be in. But one motorist clearly made a lane error, which is understandable. But then they did something completely reckless at about 8.40am today. After getting into the coned area of the slip road down to the roundabout for the M5, they stopped their car after presumably realising they had gone the wrong way. Rob Illes driving by in the right hand lane said: "I saw them stop and their white reversing lights come on. "Then I saw them go backwards and a van behind the car had to stop. "It was a bit 'what's going on?' "I was shocked, but not that shocked as you see crazy things happening all the time." "It was good there wasn't anything too close behind and the van had time to react." The driving was particularly stupid because even if they had gone on to the roundabout junction, they could easily have rejoined the A40. Contraflow confusion The contraflow system has caused confusion for motorists in Gloucestershire as the major roadworks continue on the A40 Golden Valley. Six months of work on bridges over the M5 has seen lane closures and the contraflow system in place for westbound traffic. A stretch of the carriageway towards Gloucester has been closed and motorists are directed on to the opposite side of the road. And a lot of people have been caught out as they head from the Arle Court roundabout on the western edge of Cheltenham towards the junction with the M5. Of the two westbound lanes, the left-hand lane filters directly on to the roundabout junction 11 and the right takes motorists on to the contraflow. (Image: Mark Watkins) There was some bafflement as in the initial stages of the roadworks, the outside lane of the dual-carriageway heading to Gloucester was closed so all traffic was filtered into the left hand lane. Engineering work to refurbish the Golden Valley East and West bridges between Cheltenham and Gloucester. Highways England said the extensive and essential refurbishment work would improve journeys for the many road users who use the bridges carrying the A40 over the M5 interchange at junction 11. Initial overnight closures, from 8pm to 6am, started on January 2 to install traffic management for the scheme. If you want to stay on top of traffic and travel updates, upcoming roadworks, and bigger issues around transport in Gloucestershire, we have a Facebook group dedicated to the topic. To join, click here and we will shortly approve your membership. You can also see the latest travel and traffic stories as they are published by visiting here. The work, which involves resurfacing, bridge joint replacement waterproofing, parapet and bearing refurbishment and timber fencing repair, started in earnest on January 7 and is scheduled to be completed in June 2019. It has been phased to ensure that no work takes place during the Cheltenham Festival in March, when tens of thousands of people will head to the town for the annual four-day race event. (Image: Mark Watkins) The first phase will see the westbound carriageway closed, with a contraflow in place on the eastbound and the two-lane capacity will be retained by diverting lane one traffic via the slip roads. Once this has been completed, in time for the Blue Riband horse racing event, work will resume with the eastbound carriageway closed and a contraflow operating westbound and diversions again in place via the slip roads. Arle Court and the M5 View fullscreen To carry out and complete the central reservation work, lane two closures will be in place in each direction but again two-lane capacity will be maintained with slip road diversions. HGV traffic will be required to use the slip road diversions throughout the programme of work and an enforceable 50mph speed limit will also be in place to ensure the safety of both road users and the workforce. A Highways England spokesman said: We are investing 1.8million in this essential scheme, which will address a number of defects, prevent any further deterioration and ensure that the bridges remain in good condition for many years to come. We are making every effort to ensure that the impact on the local community is kept to an absolute minimum and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience or disruption that the work may cause. The schedule can be dependent on weather and in the event of any major changes, we will keep people informed. Once started, people will be able to monitor the programme by going to www.trafficengland.com and for any further information, the Highways England Customer Contact Centre number is 0300 123 5000. | https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/reversing-a40-golden-valley-bypass-2454544 |
What does the prog world really think of Yes' Tales From Topographic Oceans? | STEVE HACKETT I know this was an album that divided opinion when it was first released, but I liked it at the time, and still do. I recall Chris Squire once telling me that when the band were working on this album they did no more than a few bars of music a day. This meant they could perfect what they had, and explains why Tales sounds so highly detailed. I know it was Jon Andersons concept, but you can tell from the way everyone got involved instrumentally that all of Yes were at a peak. And here we are, 40 years later, still talking about it. That proves that whether you love or hate it, this album has made a lasting impact. (Image: Will Ireland) JOHN MITCHELL (Lonely Robot/It Bites) Yes have been one of my enduring favourite bands since I accidentally bought an album aged 14 on the basis that I mistakenly took the guitarist to be shredder extreme Greg Howe (big fan as a kid) and not, in fact, Steve Howe. An odd way to get into a band you might think, but my love for the band hasnt diminished since that first accidental encounter. That said, as with most bands theyve made good albums and not so good albums. Tales was perhaps the moment that the cracks on the wall of Yes started to show, and the decline into the preposterousness of progressive rock began. A tenuous concept to begin with, based on a book of Hindu teachings, stretched into four songs over four sides of a double album does not make for particularly enjoyable listening experience. Its not a bad album per se, but it very much sinks under the weight of its own bloated self-importance, and thats coming from a Yes devotee! Apart from The Revealing Science Of God which has some moments of genuine beauty, the rest of the opus clatters on held together with more filler than a Triumph Spitfire. I suppose I should feel more affection for an album written on the year of my birth but Im afraid I dont. Stick with Close To The Edge! (Image: Hajo Mueller) NICK BEGGS (Steven Wilson/The Mute Gods) This is my favourite Yes album. But over the years its come in for a massive amount of public vilification. And to all those naysayers I would just say this: Get your ears syringed! Tales From Topographic Oceans is an amazing musical journey with few rivals in the genre. (Image: Andrew Simpson) THEO TRAVIS Tales From Topographic Oceans was never my favourite Yes record. Steven Wilson has spun his usual magic on the new remix, but I still find the music a little overblown and ponderous. Lots of people are coming out of the closet saying, Actually it was always my favourite Yes album, but I am more excited at the prospect of a remix/reissue (and re-evaluation!) of Time And A Word thats a much crisper album buzzing with fire, edge, joy and great songs. Its not for me, Im afraid. (Image: Robert Smith) MIKE PORTNOY When Transatlantic did a special set of Yes songs with Jon Anderson on my Progressive Nation At Sea 2014 Cruise, little did we realise what we were getting ourselves into! When Jon and I initially discussed the songs, he told me he wanted to keep it simple. Then a few days later he called me up to tell me he had an idea of doing all of side one of Topographic Oceans! Talk about jumping off the deep end! Of course, we were thrilled at the idea and challenge. But once we began rehearsing the material at soundchecks each day, we realised how complex the music was. Not necessarily in terms of the playing itself all of us were more than capable in playing the parts but the composition was so unbelievably unorthodox and complex. I can honestly say that learning The Revealing Science Of God was the biggest challenge Ive ever had! I cannot imagine how this music was composed. Its almost like, OK, do this 5 4 riff 11 times and then do this 9 8 jungle groove five times and then lets do 13 vocal stabs into a keyboard solo and then drop into an acapella vocal part in free time, etc. There was no way to remember these twists and turns unless you had written it. But once we began rehearsing the piece with Jon, he was conducting the transitions and the tempo changes and then suddenly it all made sense. I always wondered how Jons musical contributions fit into the equation of such virtuoso musicianship in Yes, and from this I was able to see that he was the centre of it all. He was the glue that held these four incredible individual musicians together. (Image: Kevin Nixon) TIM BOWNESS If push comes to shove, Ill always choose Close To The Edge and Going For The One as my idea of the creative pinnacles of Yes music. Theyre both extraordinary albums that manage the difficult task of being as accessible as they are experimental. That said, Ive always had a soft spot for Tales From Topographic Oceans, and its probably been more influential to me in its own barmy way than anything else the band have done. It was an amazingly brave and bloody-minded release that has to be one of the strangest number one albums in history. The Revealing Science Of God is a brilliant and logical follow-on from Close To The Edge, while the future-primitive tribal assault of the first half of The Ancient and the timeless beauty of the Nous Sommes Du Soleil section of Ritual rank with the bands best work for me. Ive always been drawn to the stories surrounding the albums making, from the plastic cows and straw in the studio to Wakeman downing pints and playing darts with Black Sabbath as Anderson and Howe sought enlightenment via their spiritual compositions. Topographic Oceans is indulgent, overlong and the sound of a band overreaching its (considerable) abilities, but music would be poorer without it. A tighter three track album featuring an edited Revealing Science Of God, part one of The Ancient and a more fleshed out Nous Sommes Du Soleil may well have been artistically and commercially preferable, but I love the fact that Yes got carried away by a big idea and ended up in a place wholly unrecognisable from where the band had started in the late 1960s. On one level pure excess, on another a triumph of unfettered imagination. JORDAN RUDESS To me, Tales From Topographic Oceans was a very free spirited album. In the grand old days of prog, especially with Yes, there was a wisdom and comfort in everything they brought to us. Even within its wandering nature, this album is a beautiful release, and if one has the patience, there are so many memorable catchy melodies and melodic sections. The sounds themselves, like the classic Mini Moog synthesiser from Wakeman, Andersons golden voice and Howes signature guitar, all shine through. This is an album that could only have existed in 1973, when the world was a much different place! (Image: Wendy Vissers Hagenbeek) DAVE CURETON (IO EARTH) The technical prowess is never in question with a Yes album. The musicianship is incredible. This album with its experimental roots makes this one of the most interesting Yes albums. (Image: Kevin Nixon) MARK KELLY Its one of those albums that shouldnt have been a double. Side One was really good. Side Two was good. Side Three was terrible. Side Four was a bit better. I still play the first two sides when I go out running. (Image: Will Ireland) ROINE STOLT Besides having one of the most iconic album covers, this album has some of the more daring prog rock ever recorded, and one of the coolest album titles. The blend of simple folky songs, symphonic bliss, improvised electronica and odd time signatures, plus fabulous lyrics all make this album stand out. The year is 1973 and I bought it, convinced that Yes were the thing after Close To The Edge. I played it to pieces, sometimes twice a day. The sheer inventiveness from masters Anderson and Howe here is nothing less than a grand landmark in Yes history and in prog generally. All the members shine, even if sometimes in a more silent way. For me, to get to play Side One of this album live onstage with Jon a couple of years back was surreal. I still have my vinyl copy and a handful of remasters and Japanese pressings. Topographic Oceans is the spiritual axis where I wanna take every music project. (Image: Howy White) TONY PATTERSON The first two sides are OK. The rest, though its just crazy. Yes: The Real Story Behind Tales From Topographic Oceans Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans Expanded Edition album review | https://www.loudersound.com/features/what-does-the-prog-world-really-think-of-yes-tales-from-topographic-oceans |
Is something brewing between Sara Ali Khan and Sushant Singh Rajput? | It looks like Bollywood diva starlet Sara Ali Khan and her Kedarnath co-star Sushant Singh Rajput have something brewing between them as the two have reportedly been spotted together at a number of occasions. According to an entertainment portal the two Kedarnath stars bonded well over the filming process of the Abhishek Kapoor directorial and have been in touch ever since. Reports citing a source revealed that the 25-year-old star came back early from her Dehradun trip just so she could be there for Sushant as he turned 33 on Monday. It was further revealed that the Simmba starlet dropped by his house at midnight with a surprise cake after which they went out for dinner with Sushant dropping Sara off at home later. | https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/422208-is-something-brewing-between-sara-ali-khan-and-sushant-singh-rajput |
What was Mnangagwa thinking? | By Eddie Cross Trying to Explain the Unfathomable ALWAYS something new out of Africa. I have always accepted this adage but right now I think the situation in Zimbabwe is beyond reason. Just try to understand what this regime has done in the past seven days. Firstly, the President announces a raft of measures, one of which increases the prices of fuel from about $1.35 to $3.31. Nothing is done to change the policy stance that the Zimbabwean local currency is still valued at 1:1 to the US Dollar and if that is the case then the new price at R44 per litre is now the most expensive fuel in the world or three times the domestic price in South Africa. Secondly, he then promptly leaves Zimbabwe in a leased Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, probably one of the most sophisticated and luxurious aircraft in the world with an entourage of several dozen, and heads for Moscow. What he is going to do in Moscow is a mystery. Many here do not think he will be given the time of day by President Putin or anyone else. Thirdly, instead of rotating the Acting Presidency to Mr Mohadi, the other Vice President, he puts his number two, the former General Chiwenga, in charge as Acting President, dumps this burning coal of policy measures in his lap and leaves for two weeks. Fourthly and predictably, on Sunday the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) supported by Civil Servants, Teachers and the medical profession call for a National Stay Away to protest at rapidly rising prices and now the dramatic change in fuel prices. Fifthly, almost as an afterthought, the team somewhere now over the Mediterranean send a message back to Zimbabwe that a system of rebates will be introduced to soften the impact of the massive fuel price rise, and they indicate that the bulk of the new price increase will be in the form of an increase in tariffs on the oil pipeline. The inevitable happened, on Monday there was widespread rioting accompanied by looting, blockades on roads, door to door harassment by striking workers and threats to any business and institution that remained open. On Tuesday, the crisis in the Country deepened with virtually a complete shutdown of all functioning business and state institutions. No schools were open, the Universities were closed and at 11am the authorities shut down the Internet. In a country where virtually 100% of transactions are conducted electronically, the last measure was the piece de resistance. The country simply came to a halt. The same situation prevailed on Wednesday. Now if anyone can tell me exactly what the President of the Republic was thinking when he announced these measures, I would be delighted to hear the explanation. But for the life of me, I cannot think of any rational explanation of this series of events. Today, Thursday, the President remerges from the depths of the Kremlin in the form of a Tweet, which none of us could read because all social media is closed down and we could only see on International News channels. In the Tweet, the President blandly told the people of Zimbabwe that violence would not help find a solution, that in his view the country was on track and that progress was being made. He is reputed to be visiting four former Soviet capitals in Eastern Europe before paying homage at the altar of capitalism in Davos, Switzerland at the end of the month. So lets try and find a rational explanation. On Monday, the first public action taken by our Acting President was to appear at a meeting in his office of security and military chiefs in full uniform as a General in the Zimbabwe Army. The last time we had seen him in this attire was when he instigated and managed the coup against Mr Mugabe in November 2017. This week, on Monday, he came out of the meeting with Service Chiefs and made a statement that if Law and Order was not restored immediately he would consider imposing Martial Law. So for me, the first possible explanation for these events is that Retired General Chiwenga saw this as an opportunity to take charge and make his Acting Presidents role permanent. I have heard rumours of a deal with political elements including the G40 leadership and the opposition, which has been silent and muted all this time. However, its clear now that what happened at the Monday meeting was not the permanent assumption of power by the Generals, but the refusal by the Zimbabwean professional army, police and security Chiefs to entertain any form of change in the national leadership. What impresses me is the supreme confidence of the President, Mr Mnangagwa, who has continued with his jaunt in Russia and the Far East without any indication that he is concerned or apprehensive about his security over the centre of power at home. Mr Mnangagwa has been urged by everyone (including yours truly) to return home immediately to take charge and put measures in place which will restore peace and stability and normal activity. Even his closest associates and regional associates have urged the same. However, on Thursday morning, a senior associate, close to the President told me that there has been no indication that he was even going to duck Davos, even though the latter may be a public relations disaster. Another interesting hypothesis, was put to me by a friend and colleague who said that this was all a plan by the President to deal with the conflict in the cockpit of Government. Ever since the overthrow of Mr Mugabe, the relationship within the centre of power between the competing elements within the ruling party and the civilian and military establishment has been complex and conflicted. This has not been resolved by the 2018 mid-year elections and the conflict between the power brokers in Mnangagwas regime has led to a conflict over policy and corruption. The result is a paralysis of government in the context of rapidly rising inflation, deteriorating living standards and difficulties meeting commercial obligations. The author of this hypothesis says that in dumping this hot potato in Chiwenga s lap, he left him with an insoluble set of problems which can only be resolved by widespread radical market intervention. In terms of this thesis, the reform to the fuel price regime will be followed by floating the domestic currency, devaluing existing debt balances in banks and at the Ministry of Finance and restoring rational market driven relationships between commodities and services. This series of reforms will scrap exchange control, remove the Reserve Bank from foreign exchange allocation which will revert to the market and in doing so, eliminate the major corruption activity which has continued to drain the national economy of resources and threaten the stability of the body politic. This makes a lot of sense and if it is true, its the most Machiavellian manoeuvre by a Head of State that I have ever seen. We have over 50 people in hospital with bullet wounds and the number of deaths have not been reported. Five million children have not been at school for a week and the cost to the economy will be enormous. But if it deals with the conflict in the cockpit, maybe, just maybe, we may be able to avoid a crash landing and get back into the sky and on some sort of route to a better future. My warning to my friend and colleague was dont take the people of Zimbabwe for granted. This time there is a quiet determination to get the job done. This article by Eddie Cross first appeared on his website www.eddiecross.africanherd.com | https://www.newzimbabwe.com/what-was-mnangagwa-thinking/ |
When is Toy Story 4 released? | Nine years after Andy left for college, the toy box is being opened once more in Toy Story 4. Advertisement Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command are setting off on a quest to find the cowboys lost love but a fourth instalment was not always a sure deal. We made a pinky promise to each other that we would not make another Toy Story unless we found a story that was worthy, said Disney Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter. Thank goodness they found one. Heres everything you need to know about the toys next grand adventure. The film will be released in both the UK and US on Friday 21st June 2019. Luckily, this means it will be easier to avoid spoilers! Originally, the release was set for June of 2017, but production has taken far longer than expected. Three-quarters of the script was scrapped when Rashida Jones and Will McCormack withdrew from their screenwriting gig in November of 2017. Pixar have dropped the first teaser trailer for the film, which sees most of the regular toys returning alongside a new addition, Forky. The third film in the Toy Story franchise sees 17-year-old Andy preparing to leave for college. While packing, his mother accidentally donates Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the rest of his toys to a day care centre. There, Woody and friends must plan their escape from, not only hyperactive toddlers, but also a tyrannical teddy bear who holds them prisoner. The film ends with Andy choosing to gift his toys to six-year-old Bonnie Anderson, thus giving them all a renewed purpose. Our favourite childs playthings are back. Well, not all of them. In between Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3, Woodys romantic interest Bo Peep was sold at a yard sale. The fourth instalment will centre around his search for her, accompanied by Buzz Lightyear. Pixar describes Toy Story 4 as a standalone that is half adventure and half love story. John Lasseter has also revealed that this touching story is inspired by his wife Nancy. This has prompted him to make Bo Peep into a strong character with a rich backstory. Though they now belong to Bonnie Anderson, Mrs Davis Andys mom is set to appear. The official synopsis for the film reads: Woody has always been confident about his place in the world and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether thats Andy or Bonnie. But when Bonnie adds a reluctant new toy called Forky to her room, a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends will show Woody how big the world can be for a toy. Good news the majority of the original cast will return! Its confirmed that Tom Hanks and Tim Allen will reprise their roles as Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear, respectively. In fact, the two of them were on board for the fourth instalment before it was even in the works. Annie Potts will be back to voice Bo Peep alongside Joan Cusack (Jessie), Michael Keaton (Ken), Laurie Metcalf (Mrs Davis), Kristen Schaal (Trixie), Bonnie Hunt (Dolly) and Jeff Garlin (Buttercup). The voice of Mr Potato Head, Don Rickles, passed away before recording. There is no news about whether or not his part will be recast, but Estelle Harriss Mrs Potato Head is set to return. Advertisement There is only one confirmed new cast member thus far: Patricia Arquette, who will play a hippie mother. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/film/2019-01-22/toy-story-4-release-date-uk-us/ |
Where have the fashion investors gone? | Behind the lush layers of lace and chiffon, and shimmering beads of Swarovski crystals that grace the ravishing $100,000 couture gowns in Rami Al Alis Jumeirah boutique, lies the frustration and anguish of a rising star in a slow-moving market. Its getting more difficult by the minute, he says. It puts me down and makes me angry, but Im very stubborn. I keep trying. That drive has seen the fashion designers dresses in department stores such as Bloomingdales and Harvey Nichols in the Gulf, as well as on major international celebrities including Helen Mirren, Kerry Washington and Jennifer Lopez. Name them and Ali has dressed them all with a team of just five. We all produce almost the same product and target almost the same client. But I have five people in my team while the global players have a thousand, he says. Dressed in a dark navy suit and sporting a pencil moustache, Ali looks every bit like youd expect a fashion designer behind his work should. Yet while his tone doesnt betray a hint of emotion, his mood at times is sombre and his voice is audibly anguished. Its not the fashion weeks that will keep the industry alive. Its the support from banks and investors Theres a reason. Take the glamour out of the fashion designers dreamy world and what is left is a business thirsty for investors. And despite 21 years in the GCC, Alis fortunes fare similarly. He hasnt managed to secure a single physical retail spot beyond the Arab world. There are too many designers, too many products and not enough funding, he says. People see the faade: the fashion shows, models, fashion weeks, beautiful features, but they dont know whats happening. Its not the fashion weeks that will keep the industry alive; its the support from banks and investors. Thats the biggest issue facing designers in the region. Analysts predict that the MENA luxury goods market will be worth over $12bn by 2021, but local designers seldom get a piece of the profit pie. Global brands, on the other hand, continue to lure in investors and customers who are too hesitant to take a risk on local products. Why would people pay $500 for a local product if they can pay $600 for an international brand? Ali says rhetorically. Banks are particularly cautious due to the novelty nature of the regional fashion industry and its role as an importer of products. This region has been an importer since its existence. Weve been importing everything, including fashion. So its very difficult to change the mentality and make them believe in the local product, he says. Banks look for someone successful to evaluate. But for a person to be successful, they must first be supported. The minute banks smell money, they will come. Show them youre making money, and they will come. But its not easy to make money in a region haunted by a pool of failed designers-turned-stylists many of whom I know, says Ali - and promises of local support that never came to fruition. According to the MENA Design Outlook 2014-2019 report by the Dubai Design and Fashion Council (DDFC), the regions fashion industry is expected to total $55bn by 2019, an average growth rate of 6 percent per year. On paper, the numbers are impressive. But in reality, there is no clear statistic on the role of local products in the multi-billion dollar market. Fashion Forward Dubai (FFWD), a bi-annual event acting as a platform for local designers to showcase their work, announced last year that it would be postponed until further notice. The news came less than a year after co-founder Ramzi Nakad told Arabian Business, Funding is the main issue for designers in Dubai. Every fashion capital became one because the city itself, either the mayor or the municipality, supported the platform. Once the funding is secured from the government, we too will see a lot of momentum. Its also the big fashion houses who contribute to the growth of the cities and the fashion weeks they host. For example, Cadillac funds the mens fashion week in New York. The challenge in Dubai is that you dont have a lot of big home-grown brands who are successful enough to fund anything, he said at the time. Mall operators offer little help, with high rents preventing local designers from securing retail space with high footfall. [Local designers] should be given more space in the malls, and should not be charged the same rent as other, bigger businesses. The fees should be in line with the size of the business. There should also be certain government funding for small businesses, Ali says. Banks look for someone successful to evaluate. But for a person to be successful, they must first be supported Dubai Design District (D3), which was opened in 2015, aims to, engage, inspire and enable emerging talent, and educate the next generation about the power and importance of all forms of design [And] provide a platform to showcase Middle Eastern creative talent to a larger, global audience, it says on its website. The district claims to house over 6,000 working individuals occupying 85 percent of the space. Yet, it is home to only two retail stores dedicated to local designers. The majority of the rest are stacked with international products. Rent is also high, averaging $50 per sq ft, according to real estate marketplace Property Finder. Theres not much to create footfall in that area anyway, so its all an individual effort at the end of the day. There was a big hype around it when it was established five years ago, but nothing has happened, says Ali. The highly fragmented state of the GCC logistics market raises another challenge, with a package transfer within the region costing as much and taking as long as a package transfer to Paris, according to Ali. This also leads to raising the price tag of the product. I just hope the younger generations have more motivation, because its tough, he says. It doesnt help that the designers couture line experienced a 15 percent dip in sales in 2016 followed by a 25 percent drop in 2017 (although it adjusted slightly in 2018). But his ready-to-wear line, on the other hand, witnessed a 20 percent boost in 2017 and 2018. Questioned about the possibility of dipping into the lucrative world of fast mass fashion - sales of the fast fashion sector have grown at a rapid pace of over 20 percent in the last three years, according to a report by The Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company - Ali cautiously admits it would generate the funds needed to expand his business beyond the Arab world. If we start creating a high street mass line with lower costs that [will] allow the company to grow globally, he says, adding that it would even lead to an initial public offering (IPO). But theres one problem in the otherwise ideal scenario. I know how to make evening dresses, Ali says, I dont know how to make mass fashion. There is hope Ali might not have to resort to fast fashion, as the UAEs implementation of a 100 percent foreign ownership law and longer visas for professionals and students is expected to be a game changer for business owners in industries including fashion. Aramex founder and Wamda Capital executive chairman Fadi Ghandour said last year that it would make the lives of UAE entrepreneurs much easier while attracting new investments and capital. Jacob Abrian, the CEO of the Arab Fashion Council, said the law will give local designers the chance to be sole owners of their brands, giving them more control in attracting partners interested in investing in company shares. Its very important for students to undergo mentorships before graduation because it gives them a glimpse of the real world But Ali is concerned that the law will not help entrepreneurs as much as it will benefit the bigger players in fashion. 100 percent ownership is the least of [entrepreneurs] concerns when starting a business. More support from the government is needed in terms of fees. The commercial obligations [entrepreneurs] go through when starting a business is a big load for someone not earning enough to cover them, he says. Part of the wider funding issue in the Arab world lies in the designers lack of awareness of the industry, especially when building products on par with those of the global fashion houses. The root of the problem is in the absence of regional world-class education platforms for fashion designers. Alis proposed solution is mentorship. The designer is part of a permanent mentorship programme with the French Fashion Institute Esmod Dubai, where eligible students earn the chance to train under the designers guidance. Its very important for students to undergo mentorships before graduation because it gives them a glimpse of the real world. All they do is academic and on paper, but they need to know how to deal with buyers and conduct real transactions, he says. One of the most important elements Ali teaches students is in having the right balance between being creative and commercial. If youre just creative, you will have difficulties and disappointments when you work in the real world. But if you dont think outside the box, you might become too commercial. Dont get me wrong, commercial is not a bad word. Its very important in our line of work because it connects you to reality. But young designers struggle to find the balance, he says. They also give up fast, according to Ali, despite having more sources of education and development at their disposal, including the internet, than previous generations of designers. People today give up after two failures. They dont give a business a third chance. The market is changing so fast that they dont wait for a third or fourth time to invest more time, effort or finance. Some say that if youre making effort and theres no return, its a waste to keep trying. I think if you keep trying and you have real, genuine talent, you will get somewhere, he says. One of the designers own mistakes was fear of failure. He admits being too scared to scale the business at a more aggressive pace. I should have acted faster and been braver. It would have probably positioned us at a different place in the market right now. Going to Paris was like reaching the moon. And when we got there, it was like, Oh thats it. Why didnt anyone tell us it would be easy? he says, referring to the brands presentations in Paris at the citys annual couture fashion weeks. Opportunity on the horizon Alis showcases in the worlds glitziest fashion hub have offered him access to new markets, including Latin America, Europe and parts of Asia, where he plans to expand next. His presence in the GCC will remain the same. More presence in the region will become oversupply, says the designer. But the bigger question is whether Ali will retain his presence in the region beyond product selling points. Ali says younger designers are not patient enough to find out. Theyre leaving, he says. When I talk to young designers, they say, The minute I get money, Im going to Paris, because there isnt enough support in the region. We need to put more trust in our local talent and product. The problem is that in Dubai, people always look for something fast with an immediate response. They dont think long term. So after 2-3 years, if something isnt working, they lose interest. If something was built over 100 years [in Europe], you cant expect it to happen in your local market in 2-3 years. [The fashion industry] needs at least 20 years of support to grow, he says. While only time will tell the fate of the Arab worlds local fashion industry, stubborness is one way Ali has withstood the unfavourable market conditions. As moving as his success may be, however, it doesnt take away from the fact that there remains a sad pool of designers-turned-stylists. It is their abandoned dreams which should be remembered as an example of what is to come should the industry continue on this path. For all the latest fashion trends from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and Linkedin , like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily. | https://www.arabianbusiness.com/style/411657-show-me-the-money |
Could Lima be Emirates' next Latin American destination? | Emirates has "no firm plans" but is evaluating opportunities as Peru trade office continues to push as Conversations are ongoing between authorities at Emirates in Dubai and Lima in Peru about starting flights between both cities continue to take place, Arabian Business has learned. Conversations are still developing, director of Peru Trade, Tourism and Investment Office in the UAE, Alvaro Silva-Santisteban said in an emailed statement. We are attentive to a positive outcome. In August, the trade group said that a lack of direct flights between Dubai and Lima is continuing to subdue trade between the two countries. Peru is the third largest investor in the UAE from Latin America, and was the second largest destination in South America for investment by UAE companies in 2018. We have a delegation of UAE companies visiting Peru every 15 days, said Silva-Santisteban. For the time being, Emirates has no firm plans to start services to Peru, a spokesperson for the airline told Arabian Business. "The airline will continue to explore opportunities to strengthen our South American network according to commercial priorities and operational dynamics, the spokesperson added. However, Silva-Santisteban said he will continue to push for direct flights in the run up to Expo 2020 Dubai. Nearly 98 percent of the value of Peruvian exports to the UAE are airfreighted, he said, and the event is the deadline during which the country will look to gain greater market share with existing exports and the introduction of those in the pipeline, Silva-Santisteban said. Direct flights between Dubai and Perus capital are just a matter of timing, he added. For all the latest transport news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and Linkedin , like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily. | https://www.arabianbusiness.com/transport/411620-could-lima-be-emirates-next-latin-american-destination |
Is the '10-year challenge' a Facebook ploy? | The 10-year challenge meme has caught traction in recent weeks on Facebook, gaining millions of participants. Its rules are simple: upload a photo of yourself from 10 years ago to Facebook, alongside a recent photo of yourself. Although a seemingly harmless, high-tech woman Kate O'Neill posted a different theory about the meme on Twitter, and later in the online magazine Wired. According to ONeill, it is possible that the meme is actually a Facebook ploy designed to improve the companys facial recognition capabilities. Imagine that you wanted to train a facial recognition algorithm on age-related characteristics and, more specifically, on age progression (e.g., how people are likely to look as they get older). Ideally, you'd want a broad and rigorous dataset with lots of people's pictures. It would help if you knew they were taken a fixed number of years apartsay, 10 years, ONeill wrote in Wired. O'Neill admitted that the pictures could have been obtained in another way - by digging through old profile pictures, but she explained that this method has some drawbacks: People do not always upload up-to-date photos, and often upload profile pictures that do not actually show an image of themselves. Facebook denied having anything to do with the 10-year challenge. The 10 year challenge is a user-generated meme that started on its own, without our involvement, Facebook said in a Twitter reply to Wired editor Nicholas Thompson. Its evidence of the fun people have on Facebook, and thats it. | http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/257968 |
What Does The Future Hold For Beef Genetics? | There have been a lot changes in beef genetics over the years. Linda Fox with Manitoba Agriculture, spoke about the topic last week at Beef and Forage Day in Vita. "I think the biggest change are the tools that we have to analyze those genetics," she said. "Grandpa had to choose on actual birth weights and actual growth weights and we have the ability to then adjust those for things like environment and the group that they're being raised in with feed and we have some other options to look at whether they are born to a female that was in her prime or one that is just starting out or maybe one that's a little bit older. We have adjusted numbers, we also have Expected Progeny Difference (EPD), and now we have something called indexes that combine some of those genetics traits into one number that we can easily use to evaluate to make differences in our herd." Fox noted that changes are coming to Canada's yield grade system going from three classes to five, likely mirroring the U.S. system. The changes are anticipated to be announced early this year. | https://pembinavalleyonline.com/ag-news/what-does-the-future-hold-for-beef-genetics |
How do Arsenal replace Hector Bellerin and what are they losing? | One wonders how many black cats and cracked mirrors Unai Emery passes on his morning commute to London Colney, with Hector Bellerin the third Arsenal player lost to a season-ending injury in his debut campaign as head coach. Bellerin, Danny Welbeck and Rob Holding were three players who seemed particularly receptive to Emery's methods and equipped with the attributes to fit his vision - speed, intensity, or comfort playing from the back. The gloomy diagnosis for Bellerin following the knee ligament injury sustained against Chelsea is a kick in the guts for Arsenal, coming just as a difficult period appeared to be passing. The tactical and physical demands on full-backs in modern football also make it more difficult for a dependable reserve to step in and 'do a job'. Bellerin's qualities are not easily replicated in Arsenal's squad. With that in mind, it might take more than Stephan Lichtsteiner and a prayer for Arsenal to prosper without their Cockney-Catalan favourite. | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/01/22/do-arsenal-replace-hector-bellerin-losing/ |
What is Tuesday's Plan B vote and what will it mean? | Because Theresa May's Brexit deal was defeated, the law says she must tell Parliament what her Plan B is. This has to be done in a motion to the Commons, which will be voted on by MPs next Tuesday night. That motion can be re-written by MPs if they table amendments and win a vote in favour of them. Some amendments have already been tabled and MPs can keep producing them until Monday night. It promises more cross-party working, renews commitments to protecting workers' rights after Brexit and says the PM will ask Brussels for more concessions on the backstop. It it based on the current deal that was crushed by 230 votes last week. Jeremy Corbyn's amendment says Parliament should vote on 'options' including a renegotiation of the deal to get a permanent customs union and for a second referendum. A cross party amendment from Yvette Cooper and Nicky Morgan seeks to block no deal by giving time to a draft law that would require the Government to delay Brexit if a deal has not been agreed by February 26. An amendment from Tory rebel Dominic Grieve seeks to set up a full-blown 'indicative vote' on a range of options - likely to be from no deal to no Brexit, via a Norway-style deal and a Canada-style deal, and a second referendum. Legally nothing - but if the Commons votes in favour of a clear way forward by a majority it will be a major political signal of what might happen. No. At some point, the PM will have to stage a repeat of last week's vote to get explicit approval from MPs to go ahead with her deal if she wants it to survive. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/fb-6618515/What-Tuesdays-Plan-B-vote-mean.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 |
Who is hosting the Oscars this year and why did Kevin Hart pull out? | The Oscars will proceed without a host this year (Picture: Getty Images) The Oscar nominations are being revealed on Tuesday as Hollywood gears up for its biggest night of the year. This year the gongs will be dished out on Sunday February 25th (although itll be Monday morning here of course) with the likes of A Star Is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody, Roma, Black Panther and The Favourite all tipped for success. But while the posh frocks and emotional acceptance speeches will all be present and correct on the big night, the show itself might just look a little different because its not going to have a single host this year. Or at least it isnt going to now since comedian Kevin Hart, who had been chosen to present, dropped out. Comedian Kevin Hart pulled out of hosting under controversial circumstances (Picture: Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock) Well Kevin Hart had been set to step up to the plate only to pull out of the show after a string of allegedly homophobic tweets and controversial comedy skits surfaced online late last year. I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's.this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past. Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 7, 2018 After apologising to the Academy and anyone he offended, he confirmed he would no longer host the show in February. I'm sorry that I hurt people.. I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart. Much love & appreciation to the Academy. I hope we can meet again. Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 7, 2018 In a series of tweets from 2009-2010, Kevin was seen calling people f**s, and branding people gay as a slur. Kevins historic tweets came back to haunt him (Picture: Tilly Pearce) Ahead of his withdrawal, he posted a series of messages on Instagram saying that the world was going crazy and while he didnt apologise, instead told others they need to be more positive. With Kevin gone, producers and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have reportedly decided not to replace him and instead give this years show a slightly different spin. Advertisement Advertisement Instead of one host, a bunch of A-list stars will be taking to the stage to introduce various segments with the shows central focus on a game-changing year of music in film. Itll be the first time in 30 years that the show has gone ahead without a presenter. The inaugural host-less telecast went down in history as an embarrassment when 17 leading Hollywood figures including Julie Andrews, Gregory Peck and Billy Wilder wrote an open letter to the Academy calling the show demeaning. The Oscars will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on 24 February 2019. 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: Chances of Kevin Hart hosting Oscars remain slim as he continues to apologise for homophobic tweets MORE: Kevin Hart apologises to the LGBTQ community again for good measure following Oscars debacle | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/hosting-oscars-year-kevin-hart-pull-8373064/ |
Why do Wasps fans boo Eddie Jones at the Ricoh Arena? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Not for the first time at the Ricoh Arena this season, boos greeted the appearance of England head coach Eddie Jones on the big screens during a match. The Australian was in attendance for Wasps' final Heineken Champions Cup clash on Sunday against Leinster casting his eyes over the likes of Six Nations squad members Dan Robson, Elliot Daly, Joe Launchbury and Nathan Hughes while Brad Shields was a late withdrawal with a side strain. It was also an opportunity to see up close and personal many components of the Irish team who helped the visitors secure a 37-19 victory. When Jones' face was beamed up on the big screen early in the first half, boos rang out around the stadium, which included a strong travelling contingent from Dublin. It's not the first time Jones has not been warmly received in Coventry. Back in October 2018, when Wasps and Bath served up a 35-35 Heineken Champions Cup thriller, the big screen repeatedly beamed up Jones' face during the match with boos sounding out. While some cheered with tongues firmly in cheeks, and Jones even affording a wry smile in his unwanted role as pantomime villain, there could be some justification as to why some Wasps supporters boo the man who lead England to successive Six Nations titles and a 3-0 series whitewash of Australia before enduring a torrid 2018. Here's eight possible reasons for his lukewarm reception; 1) Non-selection of Christian Wade Now Eddie Jones is not alone in the England head coach stakes for leaving out Wade, a scorer of 82 Premiership tries during his career with Wasps. Wade's start to the 2018/19 season was uncharacteristically slow, failing to score in his opening five games. But to miss out on the Autumn internationals and see somebody with very little Premiership experience, Joe Cokanasiga, selected among the wingers must have been a bitter pill to swallow. Six days after the 35-man party was announced, Wade confirmed he was retiring from rugby union to pursue a career in American football. The game was up, there was no way he was ever going to feature for England under Jones' tenure. There were many factors that steered Wade away from rugby union and Wasps, but his country's lack of belief in his abilities to perform on the international stage was undoubtedly among them. 2) Danny Cipriani snub Similarly to Wade, Jones is not alone in favouring other fly halves over Cipriani - despite form suggesting he was the best option available to England. Towards the end of his second spell at Wasps and with his future confirmed to be elsewhere, the 31-year-old lit up the Premiership in his final four months in Black and Gold, earning him a place on the summer tour to South Africa. (Image: David Rogers/Getty Images) A fleeting appearance in the second Test ended a near 34-month period of international exile and his first start in nearly 10 years came in the dead rubber third Test. It was scant reward for a player so talented and influential in a Wasps team were minutes away from winning the Premiership in 2017 and reached the semi-finals once more the following season. 3) Sam Jones' injury The retirement of the Wasps flanker was officially confirmed in March 2018, he was aged just 26 and with a big career still in front of him. Jones never played another minute of competitive rugby after fracturing his fibula and suffering significant damage to his ankle while grappling with Maro Itoje during a judo session in October 2016 on England duty. While it is not unheard of for rugby clubs to partake in judo, the consequences of this session had a massive impact on Sam, and Wasps. It lead to many questioning whether professional sportsman should be pitted against one another in another discipline that carried this kind of risk. 4) Elliot Daly indecision Unlike the two aforementioned former Wasps stars above, Daly has been Jones' blue eyed boy, giving him his international debut in February 2016 as a substitute against Ireland. Daly's first start came against South Africa in November 2016. It remains his only starting appearance in his preferred 13 shirt for his country. The following week, Jones decided to deploy Daly on the wing against Fiji where he scored a try. His next 14 international starts were in the number 11 shirt - including for all three British and Irish Lions Test with New Zealand in 2017. Despite having experienced fullback Mike Brown in his touring party for South Africa, Jones switched Daly to fullback for his next seven England games. Rotation between deployment in three different positions across the backline is a feature of Daly's club commitments too, but since his switch to 15 for his country, his Wasps form has suffered. A return of two tries from 15 games this season is way below par for a man of his abilities. 5) The change in Nathan Hughes The montage revealed by Bristol Bears when they announced their capture of the England number eight was like a blast from the past. Whether it is because of the changing demands of the modern game or simply what is needed to fit the England cause, Hughes is more of a battering ram these days. While still effective, as tries in his last two Wasps games attest, I think its fair to say supporters miss 'the old Nathan Hughes' that brought Fijian flair and style to the pack. There is also some resentment for the way Jones whipped Hughes away from Wasps in February last year after playing just 23 minutes of rugby following his recovery from a knee injury. Hughes, clearly short of fitness, was fast-tracked in time to face Scotland in last season's Six Nations but would suffer another knee injury against France that would him out until Wasps' Premiership semi-final defeat to Saracens. His display at Allianz Park was sufficient to warrant another England call-up but this time he came through the three-Test tour to South Africa unscathed. In more recent times, and with Wasps suffering from a crippling lost of back row injuries, Hughes was immediately selected to face Australia when his six-week suspension concluded. Dai Young deployed 19-year-old Tom Willis at number eight against Bristol Bears alongside Thomas Young and Ashley Johnson - who would last only 23 minutes of the 32-28 victory at the Ricoh Arena. No favours were expected regarding Hughes' call-up and certainly none were given. 6) Dan Robson's South African tour Robson's place in the touring party in the summer of 2018 was just rewards for his efforts for Wasps. He looked set for a first cap, competing with Ben Youngs and Ben Spencer for a place in the 23-man matchday squads. He would watch from the stands as Youngs moved to 80 caps starting in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and even playing all 80 minutes of the meaningless final Test in Cape Town. Saracens man Spencer was preferred as Youngs' understudy, returning to England with two caps to his name. 7) Tommy Taylor's testing time The Wasps hooker played all 100 minutes of the 2016/17 Premiership final before joining up with England ahead of the summer tour to Argentina. He would swiftly suffer knee ligament damage that, combined with other subsequent setbacks, has seen the former Sale Sharks play in only 14 front-line Wasps games in the past two seasons. 8) Support from Leinster and Bath It's also fair to mention that supporters of both Bath and Leinster, Wasps' opponents when Eddie Jones appeared on the big screen, could well have joined in with the home support. It was only in May last year when Jones' training methods were criticised by Bath owner Bruce Craig after prop Beno Obano suffered a serious knee injury while on international duty. Irish supporters are never likely to give an England head coach a rousing round of applause, but certainly not when the coach in question has openly stated his belief that Leinster fly-half Johnny Sexton receives preferential treatment from referees. | https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/eddies-jones-wasps-boo-ricoh-15712704 |
When are the Oscars 2019 nominations announced and how to watch? | The nominations announcement will be live-streamed (Picture: David McNew/Getty) The 2019 Oscars are just around the corner with the nominations in the 24 categories announced today. Kevin Hart confirms he will host the Academy Awards 2019 The best pictures and talent from the past 12 months in the film industry will be celebrated at the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday February 24. Some of the movies expected to shine at this years ceremony include A Star is Born, Green Book, Roma and The Favourite. Rami Malek could also be one of the leading stars in the Best Actor category after his success at the Golden Globes for his performance in Bohemian Rhapsody. The nominations will be revealed in a two-part live presentation that will begin at 1:20pm GMT. Fans can watch the big reveal via a global live stream on the Academy Awards website, or on its social media channels Twitter, Facebook or YouTube. There are 24 categories with five nominations per category allowed. The categories include: Actor in a Leading Role, Actress in a Leading Role, Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Picture, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Original Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay, Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film and Animated Feature Film. Rami Malek won a 2019 Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role in Bohemian Rhapsody (Picture: Paul Drinkwater/AP) Also included are Film Editing, Cinematography, Directing, Visual Effects, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Production Design, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Original Song, and Original Score. A new category Best Popular Film was set to debut at this years ceremony but following some backlash it was postponed. For Best Picture, the odds are currently favouring Roma at 7-4 and A Star Is Born at 5-2 for a win. A Star Is Borns Bradley Cooper is also tipped 3-1 to win Best Actor and 6-1 to win Best Director, while Lady Gaga is predicted 7-2 to snap up Best Actress for her role in the film. Advertisement Advertisement However Rami Malek who portrays rock star Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody is looking likely to scoop the award for best actor with odds of 4-7. Glenn Close has the same odds which makes her the favourite to win Best Actress for her work in The Wife. Director Alfono Cuaron is tipped to win Best Director for his critically lauded Roma. Odds courtesy of Coral MORE: Rami Malek admits it was a major risk to play Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody MORE: Glenn Close still feels sexual and eager at 71 as she and Jonathan Pryce share sex scene for The Wife | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/oscars-2019-nominations-announced-watch-8372390/ |
When is A Star Is Born coming out on DVD and Blu-ray? | Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born (2018) (Picture: Warner Bros/Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock) For a remake of a remake of a remake, 2018s A Star Is Born has been doing pretty well for itself. Lin-Manuel Miranda 'in talks for' Moana sequel 'with first ever Latina princess Even though weve seen incarnations of this story on the big screen as far back at 1937, Bradley Coopers directional debut brought this tear-jerking tale to the 21st century. Now, with a host of Golden Globe, SAG, and Bafta nominations under its belt, and the expectation that Academy Award nominations are on the way, it would be remiss to call A Star Is Born anything other thana success. Youll be able to get A Star Is Born on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD on 11th February, 2019. The DVD, Blu-ray and 4K versions are all available for pre-order from Amazon, but even though its not due for release until next month, HMV have already sold out. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/star-born-coming-dvd-blu-ray-8372320/ |
Who was Lev Lendau and why is he todays Google Doodle? | Lev Lendau as featured in todays Google Doodle (Picture: Google) Today, the Google Doodle is celebrating the life of the Nobel prize-winning scientist Lev Lendau. Asteroid named after Egyptian god of chaos, evil and darkness 'could hit Earth in 2068' On what would have been his 111th birthday, Google has decided to pay tribute to him with a temporary redesign of their logo. Lets take a closer look at Lev Lendau and why hes todays Google Doodle. Lendau won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1962. (Picture: Nobel foundation) Born in Azerbaijan in 1908, Lev Lendau was a Soviet theoretical physicist who made many lasting contributions to the field throughout his life. His father was an engineer and his mother was a doctor, while Lev Lendau himself was a child prodigy in mathematics. At 13, he completed his studies and in 1922 at age 14, he was enrolled at Baku State University, where he studied in the Department of Physics and Mathematics, and the Department of Chemistry at the same time. Advertisement Advertisement By 1924, he moved to the Physics Department of Leningrad State University to focus on theoretical physics. Lev Lendaus mugshot. (Picture: NKVD) By 1937, he was the head of the Theoretical Division at the Institute for Physical Problems in Russia. In 1928 however, he was arrested and held in prison for nearly a year for comparing Stalinism to Nazism. He was only released when Pyotr Kapitsa, another prominent scientist who was the head of the institute where Lev was working, wrote a letter to Joseph Stalin himself, vouching for Lendau, and threatening to quit if Lendau was held any longer. After his release, Lendau led a team of mathematicians who worked in atomic and hydrogen bomb development for the Soviets. He calculated the dynamics for their first thermonuclear bomb, and received 2 Stalin Prizes for his trouble. In 1962, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work researching how liquid helium behaves at low temperatures. Sadly though, he was unable to accept the price himself, owing to severe injuries he suffered earlier that year in a car crash. He was never able to properly return to scientific work after the crash and he died in 1968 due to complications from his injuries. MORE: You need to acknowledge the pain of others: Terry Crews calls out Kevin Hart over reaction to backlash MORE: Google Maps driver performed wheel spins to try and stop fatal stabbing | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/lev-lendau-todays-google-doodle-8372107/ |
Can a Nice Doctor Make Treatments More Effective? | The other group, however, met the kind of doctor all too many of us have encountered: glued to the computer screen throughout the exam, the provider didnt bother introducing herself and asked questions only to gather practical information. She also stumbled through some of the procedures in the messy exam room and sounded rather unsure of herself. In both groups, the provider gave patients a cream that she said was an antihistamine to reduce the allergic reaction and decrease itching. The cream was merely unscented hand lotion: a placebo. (A benefit of doing this research in the lab is that for the purposes of the study, we can temporarily lead patients to believe something that is untrue, something doctors could never do in a real clinic visit.) Decades of robust literature on placebo effects demonstrate that, even without any active ingredients, this cream should reduce the allergic reaction. But no one had examined how the doctors demeanor might influence the effects of a placebo treatment. Our study revealed that the placebo cream reduced participants allergic reactions only when the provider projected warmth and competence. When the provider acted colder and less competent, the placebo cream had no effect. It seems that its not just what the doctor says about a treatment that matters. It matters how the doctor who says it engages with patients. Doctors who are warmer and more competent are able to set more powerful expectations about medical treatments. Those positive expectations, in turn, have a measurable impact on health. So, we saw that when the provider projected both desirable qualities of warmth and competence, her words had an effect. When she projected neither, they did not. One other group of patients met a provider who seemed highly competent but remained businesslike and distant throughout the interaction, and they did not respond to the placebo cream as much as when the provider acted warm and competent. Patients of even the most accomplished and skillful doctors may benefit more when that doctor also connects with them. | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/well/live/can-a-nice-doctor-make-treatments-more-effective.html |
How much are ticket prices for Drake's London O2 Arena shows? | The video will start in 8 Cancel Drake announced his latest UK and European tour today (January 22) and it includes six London dates. The rapper is headlining the O2 Arena on April 1-2, 4-5 and 8-9 on the Assassination Vacation Tour. After playing a sold-out run on his 2017 tour, tickets are expected to be in high demand when they go on sale this week. Find out below all you need to know. Tickets go on general sale at 9am on Friday January 25. Yes, an O2 priority sale takes place from 9am on Wednesday January 23. To access the sale go to priority.o2.co.uk/tickets and log into your account using your O2 mobile number. Then head to the Drake artist page and select your preferred date and venue. Here's the seating plan for Drake's show at the O2 Arena. It'll include two tiers of seated tickets and a general admission standing area. | https://www.mylondon.news/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/drake-ticket-prices-o2-arena-15713122 |
Why aren't police downtown instead of the waterfront? | Not if you call North Bay police. They will deny it and say theyre busy and havent got time to talk. Well Im disgusted how our downtown has gone downhill, especially after Pearls was broken into twice. This is unacceptable. We have to stand up and demand answers from our city police service. If I were a tourist and drove down Main Street, Id ask What happened here? and keep going. It takes a village, so stand up and demand answers. Call city police and ask why arent they downtown instead of sitting at the Government Dock or the adjacent parking lot doing nothing. The Nugget welcomes letters to the editor, for both online and print, between 200 and 400 words. Please email yours to [email protected] | https://www.nugget.ca/opinion/letters/why-arent-police-downtown-instead-of-the-waterfront |
How will ailing Ashraf survive even if his looted money is recovered? | ISLAMABAD: The story of fraud of lifetime savings of Rs17.85 million committed by government officials with ailing Muhammad Ashraf, 70, shows how pathetic, redundant and inept our overall investigation, prosecution and legal system is. The whole scam unearthed with all evidence, two of the culprits admitted their guilt and were apprehended by FIA still the victim who was spending these old days of his life through the National Savings monthly profit of this amount is now living a miserable life with no income and no member of the family to earn for him and his old wives. Muhammad Ashraf, a resident of Saidpur area of Rawalpindi spent a good life and remained engaged in different small businesses. He was not bestowed with children despite marrying twice. In his sixties, he fell ill and had to undergo dialysis of his kidneys twice a month and thus deposited his hard earned money (Rs17,850,000) from his lifetime struggle in business in National Savings so he can live last days of his life through the income coming from the saving accounts. However, towards the end of 2017, due to his deteriorating health, he was not even able to visit offices of the National Savings (NS) to collect his monthly profit. Upon his request, some junior official of NS visited his home to give him his monthly income. This was the point from where the execution of fraud begun. The NS official who visited Muhammad Ashraf home convinced him to invest in a different scheme of National Savings meant social security with a little more profit margin as he was seriously ill. The NS officials took National Savings certificates from Muhammad Ashraf, managed another person with the name Muhammad Ashraf and acquired whole amount from NS accounts fraudulently. Later, NS itself detected the fraud, investigated it, recovered some one million rupees and gave to victim Muhammad Ashraf who desperately needed that money for his treatment (at least 100,000 per month required only for his treatment) and reported the case to the FIA. The persons involved were also arrested. Everyday living of Ashraf was badly impacted and he has to take loans to meet his household expenses. Now no money left for his regular treatment. If one trusts the FIA and the legal system and if both work properly without any delays, it will take two to three years in completion of the legal process and recovery of the whole amount by selling the assets of the culprits. And all these questions are based on the hypothesis that our investigation, prosecution and legal system would work smoothly, swiftly, efficiently and honestly. Given countless precedents in the past, this will be impossible as the hypothesis is wrong. The precedents show that those who managed to loot tens of million will also manage the whole system at any stage during the trial and will get away with Muhammad Ashraf and the members of his family being disgraced and abused in the streets. The biggest loss to Ashraf is the Rs1 million given to him. It is clear that when the money will be recovered, the investigators would tell him that he has already received Rs1 million which in fact was of no use for him and was wasted in his treatment. He could have gotten his treatment from the regular profit he was earning monthly. If he is given money looted from him in installments, again he will be at great loss. The only justice could be immediate reopening of his accounts in National Savings with the same amount which was looted from him along with returning his due monthly profit of all this duration by recovering the same from the thieves. NS investigation show only some low grade officials as responsible of whole fraud without explaining as to how new accounts were opened with the name of a different person with so much money without the assistance of seniors. A letter No F.2(30) complaint (P.H). NSR.1/2006 dated September 19, 2018 written by Regional Directorate of National Savings, Islamabad to Director FIA Crime Circle Branch (Banking) Islamabad with the Subject: Fraud of Rs17,850,000 by M/s Sameena Nazreen junior National Savings Officer, Noman Ahmad, lower division clerk, Qaiser Saleem, gunman, at National Savings Center, Poonch House, Rawalpindi reads; It is submitted that a financial scam of Rs17,850,000 was surfaced at one of our National Savings Centres namely Poonch House, Rawalpindi on September 3, 2018 and during the preliminary investigation conducted by Muhammad Shahid Arshad, Assistant Director (HQ), RDNS, Islamabad it was unearthed that Mrs Sameena Nazreen, Junior National Savings Officer (BPS-11), Noman Ahmad, LDC (BPS-09) & Qaisar Saleem, gunman were found allegedly involved in the said scam and they in collaboration with one another, pocketed an amount of Rs17,850,000 from Ashraf Khan R/o House No 102/36-A, Mohallah Nazimabad, Saidpur, Rawalpindi by way of opening of bogus PBA Accounts No6163, PBA-9693, PBA-5247 & PBA-10027 on the name of a third person namely Muhammad Ashraf by misusing the official documents. 2. The matter being grave in nature was immediately marked for thorough investigation. A team of two senior & seasoned officers comprising Muhammad Ishaque, Assistant Director (BPS-I8) & Moinuddin, National Savings Officer (BPS-I 7) was assigned the investigation to dig out the whole scam & actual culprits and their modus operandi during the entire fraud 3. The investigation team completed the investigation and submitted their report dated 10.09.2018 and it has been transpired that Ashraf Khan, Resident of House No 102/36-A, Mohallah Nazimabad, Saidpur, Rawalpindi had various investments at State Bank of Pakistan, Rawalpindi, NSC-Poonch House, Rawalpindi & NSC-6th Road, Rawalpindi. He got these investments properly encashed by presenting original certificates (duly signed) on various dates in shape of government cheques on his name. However, instead of receiving government cheques personally, he trusted Qaisar Saleem, who received the same in collaboration with Mrs Sameena Nazreen, JNSO & Noman Ahmad, LDC and handed over fake pass books, withdrawal slips as well as deposit slips (by stealing the same from the stock in the NSC-Tench Bhatta, Rawalpindi) to the investor and managed to arrange a third pen namely Muhammad Ashraf to open his savings account at NSC-Tench Bhatta, Rawalpindi where he deposited all the government cheques for clearance and subsequently withdrew the amount on different dates by accompanying the original account holder. Since, the government cheques contained only name of the investor therefore, the centre staff could not get any clue about fraud. 4. During the investigation, Noman Ahmad, LDC & Qaisar Saleem, gunman have confessed to their respective involvements in the scam by returning some amount in cash and private cheques whereas Mrs Sameena Nazreen, JNSO has denied her involvement in the scam. However, the investigation officers on the basis of statements of all concerned and documentary evidence have established the involvement of Mrs Sameena Nazreen, JNSO along with the other two accused officials. A copy of investigation report is enclosed herewith. The contact numbers and complete addresses of the accused are given as under:- Mrs. Sameena Nazreen, Mr. Noman Ahmad, Mr. Qaisar Saleem, 5. In view of investigation report dated September 10, 2018, it is requested that necessary FIR may kindly be registered/lodged against the above said culprits under criminal act and conduct the thorough investigation to unearth the actual culprit in the above said entire fraud and recover the same from them. | https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/421945-how-will-ailing-ashraf-survive-even-if-his-looted-money-is-recovered |
Can mountain biking support good mental health? | You dont think its therapy - but it really is" Six weeks of mountain biking prescribed as part of a therapeutic recovery programme for people currently experiencing mental ill health. >>> Its time to talk about mountain biking and mental health Quotes from participants Its just the feeling of the wind in your hair. I woke up this morning feeling rubbish, now after mountain biking I am feeling good about myself and ready for the week. I had a crap weekend, but I am back smiling now. You dont think its therapy but it really is and it really works for me. Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS) with Scottish Borders Health and Social Care Partnerships, Galashiels Resource Centre and Edinburgh Napier University recently ran a highly successful and innovative pilot programme in the Scottish Borders which utilised a six week block of mountain biking as part of a therapeutic recovery programme for people currently experiencing mental ill health. There was an identified need within the service, driven by the clients, to provide a therapeutic approach within a non-clinical environment to promote the use of self-management skills to improve their physical and mental health. Given the superb selection of natural and manmade trails and associated facilities in the Scottish Borders, mountain biking was seen as the ideal activity to meet their needs. The project ran from August-September 2018 and saw the ten participants travelling from across the Borders to the internationally renowned mountain biking centre at Glentress near Peebles. Participants were supplied with bikes and helmets from Alpine Bikes store at Glentress before embarking on a two hour mountain bike ride by led qualified leaders from DMBinS with additional support from other local volunteers. Gala Resource Centre staff were also on hand throughout the session to reinforce individual strategies that each person could use to manage their own challenges and difficulties Graeme McLean, DMBinS, Project Manager, said: This was an amazing pilot to be involved with. Every week we went away buzzing from enjoyment everyone was getting from the rides. We were keen to help this programme to happen by delivering the weekly sessions. We wanted to understand if mountain biking aided peoples recovery from a period of mental ill health, how we as leaders could learn from the experience and, using our role within mountain biking in Scotland, how we could take these learnings and spread them across Scotland. Robert McCulloch-Graham, Chief Officer Health and Social Integration for the Partnership, added: This was a hugely innovative and exciting project and I am delighted to hear that our clients found it to be so beneficial. It certainly seems to have been one of the best attended programmes the Partnership has delivered with staff reporting an exceptional response from everyone taking part. Not only did they find it useful to be able to work with participants in a real life setting, they were also able to observe some genuine progress being made in terms of personal resilience, self-efficacy, social skills and confidence. Our thanks go to DMBinS for their support in enabling us to provide our clients with this opportunity. We look forward to seeing the project evaluation when that is available and what potential there might be for the initiative to be available elsewhere in Scotland in the future. The pilot programme will also be evaluated by world renowned sports psychologist, Tony Westbury of Edinburgh Napier University and Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland. Tony said: We think this a fantastic programme and through our observations we can see that the participants really enjoyed mountain biking and the experience provided by DMBinS. We will be studying the impact of the programme from the participants perspective and also collecting the learnings from the leaders and occupational therapists involved into how the programme could be developed, improved and escalated into the future. The partners involved in the programme are investigating future options for rolling out the programme. | https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/mtb-mental-health-383742 |
Can we save the African wild dog from extinction? | Project aim: To maintain the population of African wild dogs in Zimbabwe Project partners: Lowveld Wild Dog Project / African Wildlife Conservation Fund Project area: Save Valley Conservancy in Zimbabwe, which covers 750,000 acres (304,000 hectares) and is one of Africa's largest private wildlife reserves Project budget: Approx $200,000 (173,000) yearly African wild dogs are among Africa's most endangered predators only 6,000-7,000 still roam the continent. The pack hunters require space, which is steadily shrinking as human populations grow. The dogs are also at risk from poacher traps and rabies passed on by domesticated animals. The shrinking populations of wild dogs means there are fewer of them to help regulate populations of herbivores such as antelopes, that impact local vegetation. The animals are also highly intelligent and live in complex social structures. The Save Valley Conservancy in Zimbabwe is one of the few safe spaces for the dogs. Conservationists there are trying to save the remaining animals, even in times of political and economic chaos in the country. A film by Jrgen Schneider | https://www.dw.com/en/can-we-save-the-african-wild-dog-from-extinction/a-47109655 |
Will MGIC Investment Corporation Continue to Surge Higher? | As of late, it has definitely been a great time to be an investor in MGIC Investment Corporation. As of late, it has definitely been a great time to be an investor in MGIC Investment Corporation MTG. The stock has moved higher by 2.6% in the past month, while it is also above its 20 Day SMA too. This combination of strong price performance and favorable technical, could suggest that the stock may be on the right path. We certainly think that this might be the case, particularly if you consider MTGs recent earnings estimate revision activity. From this look, the companys future is quite favorable; as MTG has earned itself a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), meaning that its recent run may continue for a bit longer, and that this isnt the top for the in-focus company. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report MGIC Investment Corporation (MTG) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/mgic-investment-corporation-continue-surge-095109888.html |
Will Twin Disc Continue to Surge Higher? | As of late, it has definitely been a great time to be an investor in Twin Disc. As of late, it has definitely been a great time to be an investor in Twin Disc, Incorporated TWIN. The stock has moved higher by 1.8% in the past month, while it is also above its 20 Day SMA too. This combination of strong price performance and favorable technical, could suggest that the stock may be on the right path. We certainly think that this might be the case, particularly if you consider TWINs recent earnings estimate revision activity. From this look, the companys future is quite favorable; as TWIN has earned itself a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), meaning that its recent run may continue for a bit longer, and that this isnt the top for the in-focus company. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Twin Disc, Incorporated (TWIN) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/twin-disc-continue-surge-higher-095809695.html |
What is it that Taimur wants from daddy cool Saif Ali Khan in these pics? | New Delhi: The adorable and extremely popular filmy bacha Taimur Ali Khan is the apple of not just his parents' eyes but also a million others. His cutesy pictures flood the social media in minutes and before you know, he is waving at paps or smiling wide on your timeline. The star kid is perhaps the bigger star than his cool and stylish parentsSaif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan. The peeping camera captured little Tai Tai and daddy Saifu sitting on the stairs while baby Taimur making a sad face (probably asking for something) Check out the pictures: (Pic Courtesy: Yogen Shah) The expression on Taimur's face will make you anxious right away. But looks like daddy Saif manged to lift his mood as in other pictures he is seen chilling like a boss baby on the 'Sacred Games' actor's lap. A few days back, the shutterbugs clicked Little Tim in Bandra and this time he was seen wearing a grey sweatshirt and trousers which had the 'lion king' on it. It also read 'My Dad is the king'. He surely is daddy's little Tim! | https://zeenews.india.com/people/what-is-it-that-taimur-wants-from-daddy-cool-saif-ali-khan-in-these-pics-2172976.html |
What happened with Jordan Bells argument with Steve Kerr? | LOS ANGELES An argument flared up once again on the Warriors bench at the end of another game here. This time, the people did not involve Kevin Durant and Draymond Green over a late-game play. This time, Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Jordan Bell over late-game performance. With 4:50 remaining in the Warriors eventual 130-111 victory over the Lakers on Monday, Kerr and Bell had a heated argument on the sideline. Bell declined to comment on the incident afterwards, while Kerr kept his explanation brief. Total misinterpretation of something I said, Kerr said. We cleared it up. After Bell appeared in the game for mop-up duty with 7:09 remaining, the Lakers went on a 7-2 run, while Bell missed two jumpers. After Kerr and Bell had their heated argument, Durant pulled Bell to the side and offered him a stern message. You got to stay focused on the game, Durant recalled saying. Were all going to go through times throughout the NBA where we want to speak our mind a bit and will be frustrated about some things. * * * Subscribe to the Mercury News and East Bay Times for $40 a year and receive a free Warriors championship coffee table book* * * Bell has become frustrated with plenty of things this season. After showing varying degrees of progress his rookie season with his athleticism, passing and decision making, the Warriors expected Bell to grow as a mid-range shooter and dependable defender. After averaging 4.6 points on 62.7 percent shooting and 3.6 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per game his rookie season, Bell has regressed his second season in points (2.8), shooting percentage (51.9 percent) and playing time (10.9). Since DeMarcus Cousins made his Warriors debut after healing his left Achilles tendon for nearly the past year, Bell has only appeared on mop-up duty against the Clippers (four minutes) and Lakers (seven minutes). Even before that, Bell mostly faced limited minutes behind Draymond Green, Kevon Looney and Jonas Jerebko. Kerr has often called for Bell to offer more consistency with his decision making, preparation and effort level. Sign up for a free trial of Mark Medinas Warriors text messaging service* * * I think coach has been so open in letting guys get that out, but also challenging some guys as well. Its healthy, Durant said. Its a healthy relationship between us and coach. He let us know what he sees out there. If we have something to say to him back, hes not going to be afraid to go back at you. Jordan understands at this point we just want to continue to get better. Especially with the younger guys on the league, hell definitely be on them a little bit more. He expects a lot out of them. He sees the potential in them. With Jordans side, we want him to continue to keep playing. Stuff happens. Warriors 130, Lakers 111: Inside Klay Thompsons NBA-record shooting night Warriors Draymond Green gets engaged, Steve Kerr announces Live updates: Warriors vs. Lakers, Monday at 7:30 p.m. Warriors report: Warriors eager to rectify Christmas Day loss to Lakers Despite their argument, Kerr kept Bell for the remainder in the game, finishing with two points on 1-of-5 shooting, two assists and two rebounds in seven minutes. But Bell received playing time only because Kerr wanted to rest Cousins (21 minutes) and Looney (22 minutes) during a blowout. Once the game ended, Stephen Curry pulled Bell to the side and spoke with him. Just play basketball. He has a job to do out there and not get distracted, Curry said. Finish out the game strong because thats what his job is. Be ready whenever hes out there and play hard. I think he handled it well and moved on from whatever happened on the bench. WARRIORS HQ PODCAST: Be sure to visit our podcast page at mercurynews.com. You can also get notified of new episodes on iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher and SoundCloud. * * * | https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/01/22/what-happened-with-jordan-bells-argument-with-steve-kerr/ |
How did Warriors react to Stephen Currys slipup in win over Lakers? | LOS ANGELES Normally, Stephen Curry will appear in the highlight reels for one simple reason. He often makes 3-pointers from almost any distance. In the Warriors 130-111 victory over the Lakers on Monday, though, Curry will appear on the highlights because of what he called back-to-back hilarious plays. First, Curry ran the court on the fast-break, only to slip on the floor before he could finish at the rim. Curry stood up immediately. Teammate Andre Iguodala retrieved the loose ball. Curry received an open look from 3. Airball. I have no idea, Curry said. A kid walked into a candy store with the whole half-court empty. I was going to try something real nice that I hadnt tried before. It is not immediately clear. He couldve simply gone for a layup. Perhaps the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Curry wanted to throw down, though that idea sounded absurd Warriors coach Steve Kerr. You think Steph was lining up for a monster dunk? Kerr asked with amusement. I thought it was gong to be one of those layups where he just pulls the net down a little bit to make it seem like hes on the rim. Hes done a lot of those over the years. Curry could not do that against the Lakers, though. Instead, he slipped on the floor that Kerr thought stemmed from a wetspot due to the ice underneath the court. Still, Kerr admittedly remained unsure. So, he called timeout at the next stoppage play after the Lakers scored to cut the Warriors lead to 107-73 with 1:58 remaining in the third quarter. I didnt notice it on other plays. But his feet just slipped out from under him, Kerr said. Sign up for a free trial of Mark Medinas Warriors text messaging service* * * Because of that uncertainty, the Warriors reacted to Currys incident two different ways. Some expressed concern that slip could have led Curry to suffer a debilitating injury. Im just glad hes fine, DeMarcus Cousins said. Im sure there are going to be memes and plenty of jokes. Thats all fine. Im just glad hes okay. That couldve been bad. Some sounded incredulous over all the anxiety over a play that lasted a few seconds. Hes a grown man. Hes 30 years old. Theres no need to be scared, Kevin Durant said of Curry. When he went up, it didnt look bad. When he slipped, that was a little blooper. He was good. He got it really fast to shoot the 3 from the corner. Stuff like that happens. And since Curry came out of that moment unscathed, the Warriors gave him a hard time about it. I was just happy he was safe. Thats scary. But thats definitely on Shaqtin a Fool. said Klay Thompson, referring to TNTs highlight show filled with bloopers. Now that hes all right and healthy, were definitely giving him a hard time. That was funny. Thats because usually Curry appears on the highlight shows for doing some spectacular. That was a tough moment for Steph. Hes had a pretty good run so far in the NBA, Kerr said. Its going to happen at some point. We all have our embarrassing moments in this league if you play long enough. WARRIORS HQ PODCAST: Be sure to visit our podcast page at mercurynews.com. You can also get notified of new episodes on iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher and SoundCloud. * * * | https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/01/22/how-did-warriors-react-to-stephen-currys-slipup-in-win-over-lakers/ |
Why Do Billionaire Bond Traders Bother to Tweet? | Famed bond investor Jeffrey Gundlach has tweeted that he is quitting Twitter. This is the equivalent of promising everyone at the bar that this will be your last round. His account remains active, and all his tweets visible including the one where he labels the head of French bank Societe Generale SA moronic. He has given no extra details on the suspicious activity that apparently triggered his desire to close his account. Still, if he does walk away, it would be no bad thing. Its hard to really see what the upside is for someone like Gundlach to be so vocal on Twitter. Theres something to be said for the old-school fund manager maxim of: My performance speaks for itself. And Gundlachs performance is comparatively decent. His $47.2 billion DoubleLine Total Return Bond Fund returned 1.8 percent last year, the best of the 10 largest actively managed U.S. bond funds, according to Bloomberg. The spin doctors answer might be that the old ways of communicating everythings rosy, heres a press release, now get lost are over. David Dubois, associate professor of marketing at INSEAD, reckons theres no obvious way of putting the Twitter genie back in the bottle. Todays customers have become so used to engaging directly with companies and CEOs that sticking ones head in the sand is no longer tenable. So in that sense, if Gundlachs performance were to fall off a cliff, his public persona (free-thinking, contrarian, cynical in a realpolitik way) might reassure clients more than a canned statement or newsletter. But Twitter isnt exactly a controlled environment. The more users sign up, the greater the platforms obvious helplessness in the face of spam accounts, hoaxes and what its own CEO calls conversational toxicity. The online megaphone that allows Bill Gates to enlighten fans about philanthropy or Tim Cook to thank customers personally is the same one that lets Donald Trump insult women and hoax accounts impersonate billionaires like Elon Musk (even if his own account is often entertainment enough). Twitter Inc. says it is combating malicious activity like spam and fake accounts, but it seems woefully under-resourced, with about 3,372 staff in total at the end of 2017 Facebook Inc. has seven times as many and a CEO unsure of specific measures to take. Theres a so-called tragedy of the commons at play: Plenty of people like using Twitter but no-ones interested in cleaning it up. Which brings us back to Gundlachs Twitter account. The fund manager became noticeably more aggressive on social media in 2017, taking exception to a fake news article about outflows from his flagship fund before it was even published. Theres an increasing temptation to shout aggressively to cut through the noise, and thats one way in which a trigger-happy Twitter persona can backfire. Regulators might also get involved: Musks infamous funding secured tweet for Tesla Inc. ended up costing him $20 million and the carmakers chairmanship for at least three years. He still tweets daily. There are many ways to be on Twitter that dont involve taking extreme risks with your image or company. Letting communications professionals take control of your account is one. Taking a deep breath and counting to 10 before posting preferably calling a lawyer during that interim is another. But however much self-restraint and control CEOs apply to their tweets, Twitter has problems as a platform. When the medium is the message, and the medium is toxic, sometimes stepping away is good for everyone. To contact the author of this story: Lionel Laurent at [email protected] To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Boxell at [email protected] This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Lionel Laurent is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Brussels. He previously worked at Reuters and Forbes. 2019 Bloomberg L.P. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/why-do-billionaire-bond-traders-bother-to-tweet/2019/01/22/d712c5a8-1e30-11e9-a759-2b8541bbbe20_story.html |
Could Bobbi The Twerking Llama Be The Toy Parents Regret Buying In 2019? | As if Hatchimals and slime werent enough, theres a new toy in town a twerking llama (and no, we never imagined those two words would sit together, either). Debuted at the London Toy Fair on Tuesday, Boppi the llama from the Pets Alive range promises to shakes its booty and dance with the best of them. Experts reckon this is going to be one of the must-have toys of the year, but sadly for the kids, the llama isnt on sale just yet. Parents can buy Boppi from June and itll set you back 25. [Read More: Is your kids slime safe?] | https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/boppi-twerking-llama-toy-pets-alive_uk_5c46e9f3e4b0a8dbe174a17e |
Is the Motorola Q11 secretly the Alexander? | Motorola's 'last stand' handset, the rumoured Alexander, could be dropping in our laps sooner than expected if a recent filing to the Bluetooth SIG is to be believed. Oh, maybe headsets...) this is a Windows Mobile 6.1 running device, like the Alexander. High end The Alexander is likely to be a high end QWERTY keyboarded smartphone, but with a decent amount of features, including a possible 8MP camera. It has been dubbed by many as the handset that HAS to do well in order to help Moto recover its handset business. In fairness, Moto isn't really running on its last legs just yet, as it has rallied well in a tough US market, where it has leapt back up the charts. But the lack of stand out handsets in recent months has damaged the company worldwide, prompting a possible full-on split of the handset division from the parent company. | https://www.techradar.com/au/news/mobile-phones/phone-and-communications/is-the-motorola-q11-secretly-the-alexander-462765 |
What will Trump's absence mean for Davos summit? | Many of the world's most influential leaders are gathering in Davos, Switzerland for the annual World Economic Forum. This year's theme is globalisation, but there are several who are not attending. US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Theresa May, and France's Emmanuel Macron are all dealing with pressing domestic issues at home. China's cooling economy is likely to be high on the agenda. This has made worse by its recent ongoing trade war with the United States, while the IMF warns this could lead to a global economic slowdown. Probably the biggest guest missing at the summit this year is Donald Trump. Al Jazeera's James Bays reports on what it will mean for this year's meeting. | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/trumps-absence-davos-summit-190122103805797.html |
Who is Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala? | 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 Cardiff Citys new record 15million signing Emiliano Sala is feared to have been on board a private jet which went missing over the English Channel on Monday night. A major search operation is underway after the light aircraft disappeared from radar near the Casquets lighthouse on Alderney in the Channel Islands. Guernsey Police revealed that the Piper Malibu has been missing since 8.30pm on Monday night. The Argentinian footballer is believed to have been flying from Nantes to the Welsh capital, French police sources have claimed. Reports in France suggest, however, that there is "genuine concern" at Cardiff amid Sala's current status. The Premier League club only unveiled the striker as their record transfer signing from Nantes last Saturday. Emiliano Ral Sala Taffarel is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Welsh side Cardiff City. He was born October 31, 1990, making him 28-years-old. Sala began his playing career at Argentinian side Club Proyecto Crecer. He moved to France, playing at Bordeaux youth set up. He made his senior competitive debut in the 201112 season but never cemented a regular place. He spent three seasons on loan to Championnat National outfit US Orlans, where he scored 19 goals in 37 league appearances, Ligue 2 club Chamois Niortais, and later Ligue 1 club SM Caen. In 2015 Sala signed for Ligue 1 club FC Nantes on a five-year contract for a reported transfer fee of Euro one million. On October 20, 2018, he scored a hat-trick in the 4-0 Ligue 1 home win over Toulouse FC. (Image: Instagram/emilianosala9) Sala signed for Cardiff City on three and a half year deal for a club record transfer fee of 15 million, on January 19, turning down a mega-money offer to play in China. Speaking on Saturday after signing for the Bluebirds, Sala said: I cant wait to start training, meet my new team-mates and get down to work. | https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/who-cardiff-city-footballer-emiliano-15712872 |
Is Press TV Journo Caught in Crossfire as Trump Intensifies Iran Standoff? | On January 16, Iranians were shocked to know that the US-born anchorwoman Marzieh Hashemi had been detained in the US three days earlier. The 59-years-old widow was arrested by the FBI on January 13 at St Louis airport after visiting relatives in the New Orleans and just before boarding a plan to see her sick brother in Denver. But it took days for the case to be publicised, as her family had been kept in dark and had no idea what had happened to their beloved one. While the case grabbed headlines in international media, nothing was known about the reason for her confinement. Her daughter, Sarah, who was eventually contacted by Marzieh on January 15, quoted her as saying that she was being treated disrespectfully by the US police. They had handcuffed and shackled her, removed her hijab, and offered her only pork as a meal, which is banned under Islam. Marzieh was suffering the same US discrimination against women, Muslims and African-Americans she had been trying to expose for decades. Further fueling suspicions and outrage, American officials did not confirm her detention until January 18. On the day, a US federal judge formally announced the confinement in a statement, saying she is not accused of a crime, but her testimony is required over an unspecified case in Washington. The statement said Hashemi was arrested on a material arrest warrant and will be released after the completion of her testimony to a jury investigating unspecified violations of US criminal law. The statement did not elaborate further, refusing to mention what judge ordered the arrest and on what alleged evidence. Material witness warrants are used to arrest potential witnesses or suspects after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, to ensure that people with knowledge of others crimes are available to testify, especially those with a perceived flight risk. But Hashemis family said she had not been contacted by the FBI before she was detained and she would have been absolutely willing to cooperate with the agency. Moreover, such warrants appear to be unconstitutional and illegal, according to law experts. Ricardo Bascuas, a professor at the University of Miami School of Law, has said the US government uses such tactics when it needs a reason to arrest somebody but it doesnt have one. According to a Washington Post report, material witness warrants are rare, with the US courts records indicating only two such cases were filed last year. Justice Department Behind Case Following the storm of controversy over Hashemis detention, a US official hinted the Justice Department was behind the case. The unnamed official told Reuters on Saturday that a US grand jury was investigating Press TV itself over charges that the station was a propaganda outlet and should have been registered with the Justice Department as an agent of a foreign government. Perhaps, Hashemi, who had filmed a Black Lives Matter documentary in St Louis, was taken in for questioning in connection with the foreign registration case against Press TV. If the channel Hashemi was working for is found to be violating the US law, Hashemi herself could face prosecution for filming a documentary in the US for the station. On Sunday, Peyman Jebelli, CEO of IRIB World Service and the head of Press TV, responded by arguing that Press TV did not need to register in the US. Jebelli said, Our activities are conducted through social media and limited satellite broadcast. Do all outlets with international broadcasting register in all countries? he said. In a similar case in late 2017, Russias RT was forced to register as a foreign agent in the US, after a registration case filed by the US Justice Department was about to put the channels US bureau at risk of blockage. Its unclear how Press TV would react to such a court case, as it holds no office in the US. Even if the channel wants to register its name with the DoJ, it might not be able to do as Iran is subject to heavy US sanctions. Press TV was founded in 2007, and Hashemi has been working for the channel since its launch. According to her family, Hashemi used to travel to her homeland once a year to visit her relatives, usually working on documentaries as well. Undoubtedly, something has changed, and that change could be the Trump administration. Hashemis arrest comes following two years of deteriorating relations between Iran and the US, in the wake of Washingtons stepped-up pressure campaign against Tehran. Trump Gets Angry The incident came right after the news came out that Iran has arrested another American citizen. On January 9, Iran confirmed it is holding ex-US sailor Michael White at a prison. White, who had traveled to Iran for what his relatives claim was visiting a girlfriend in Irans holy city of Mashhad, was arrested in July over espionage charges. White is the fifth American known to be held by Iran on such charges, and the first to be arrested during Trumps tenure. The others are Iranian-American Siamak Namazi and his 82-year-old father Baquer, Iranian-American art dealer Karen Vafadari, and Chinese-American graduate student Xiyue Wang. Trump could have seen the arrest of White unhealthy for his credit, seeking a tit-for-tat move or something. To get a better grasp of Trumps style of politics, one would only have to look at his decision to postpone House Speaker Nancy Pelosis upcoming trip to Brussels and Afghanistan in return for her move to postpone Trumps 2019 State of the Union address to the Congress. During his 2016 electoral campaigns and after taking power in the US, Trump had mocked his predecessor Barack Obama for being too soft on Iran. Famously, he once threatened Iranian boats would be shot out of the water if they inappropriately approach US warships in the Persian Gulf during his presidency. Since coming to power, Trump has bragged about his achievements on Iran, claiming his strong-arm tactics have pushed Iran not to threaten US interests in the Persian Gulf, among other interests. A clear hint about Trumps approach towards the case could be found in remarks by unidentified US officials in interviews with CBS News earlier this month. The US-based outlet reported on January 9, four days before Hashemis arrest and on the same day Iran publicised the detention of White, that it has learned Iran floated the idea of a prisoner exchange last year. The outlet reported US State Department officials have not said whether the Trump administration is willing to negotiate, noting that contact between the two countries was cut off after Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in May. Again, on January 16, CBS News points to the prisoner exchange issue in its article covering Hashemis arrest. The outlet quoted US sources as saying that they believe Iran is holding the Americans to try to get concessions, pointing as an example to a prisoner exchange deal with Trumps predecessor Barack Obama. However, this time the agency claimed it was the Trump administration who had offered Iran to discuss prisoners last year, contradicting its own narrative. A senior administrative official told CBS News Iran turned that offer down, leaving the fate of the Americans unclear, it said. Childish Game Hashemi, a familiar face on the Iranian television, could be a valuable hostage for Trump. Marzieh is a person Trump has every reason to hate: An African-American Muslim woman who works as a journalist for Iran. Interestingly, the way she was arrested is Trump-style: unpredictable, unmannerly, and illogical! If so, we ought not hope she will return home anytime soon. However, the case would most likely turn out to be a PR victory for Iran, as the global public opinion is not a fan of Trump and his childish games. It remains to be seen if Hashemi has fell in the crossfire of Iran-US tensions. Perhaps more information will be revealed on Wednesday, when another hearing session on the case will be held. | https://ifpnews.com/exclusive/is-press-tv-journo-caught-in-crossfire-as-trump-intensifies-iran-standoff/ |
Is it time I broke up with my coffee buzz? | Heres the thing: when I am dosed up on coffee, I get serious stuff done. As a result, Im convinced I need that 8am jump-start of a double-shot espresso or I wont power through my day. So, the news from The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, that climate change could lead to the extinction of over half the worlds wild coffee species before the end of the century, has left me feeling depresso. Like a lot of Brits, my love of coffee has grown over the last few years. If you asked me 10 years ago if I wanted a flat white, Id have spluttered, "a flat what?". But now I roam coffee shops with the same giddy delight as Zara, my worktop is dwarfed by a bean-to-cup coffee maker, and I have a drawer in... | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/nutrition/time-broke-coffee-buzz/ |
Was tun gegen Weltraumschrott und Asteroiden? | Bei einer mehrtgigen Konferenz der Europischen Weltraumagentur ESA treffen sich rund 200 Teilnehmer aus mehr als 20 Lndern, um ber die Gefahren von Asteroiden oder Weltraumschrott zu sprechen. Auerdem geht es um das Weltraumwetter, etwa die Auswirkungen von Sonnenstrmen auf unseren Planeten. Der letzte Einschlag eines Asteroiden auf der Erde wurde 2013 verzeichnet. Damals drang ein Brocken mit rund 20 Metern Durchmesser in die Erdatmosphre ein. Er explodierte und kam in kleineren Stcken in Russland herunter. Durch die Druckwelle wurden rund 1200 Menschen verletzt und rund 5000 Gebude beschdigt. Auch grere Einschlge hat es schon gegeben, etwa in der Schwbischen Alb vor 15 Millionen Jahren. Davon zeugt bis heute ein Krater. Vor 65 Millionen Jahren in Mexiko nderte ein Einschlag das Klima auf der Erde, was dazu gefhrt haben knnte, dass die Dinosaurier ausstarben. | https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/esa-konferenz-was-tun-gegen-weltraumschrott-und-asteroiden.1939.de.html?drn:news_id=969059 |
Was will Bara denn mit dem? | Er kommt von Sassuolo. Ein halbes Jahr war er dort, schoss ganze vier Tore in 13 Ligaspielen. Zuvor ein Jahr bei Eintracht Frankfurt, ein Jahr bei Las Palmas, eine halbe Saison bei der AC Milan. Barcelona ist jetzt sein elfter Verein. Kevin-Prince Boateng ist also der Strmer, den Bara gesucht hat. Alvaro Morata soll weit oben auf dem Wunschzettel gewesen sein, wie sie in Spanien berichteten. Doch der frhere Real-Strmer entschied sich, von Chelsea zu Atltico Madrid zu wechseln. Denn Barcelona sucht vor allem einen Back-up fr Luis Suarez. Der Uruguayer ist kongenialer Partner von Lionel Messi im Sturm und schoss in der Liga bisher 15 Tore. Dazu ist sein unermdlicher Einsatz Gold wert fr Spaniens Meister. Ebenfalls zur Debatte standen der frhere Nationalspieler Fernando Llorente (Tottenham), der Uruguayer Cristhian Stuani (Girona) und der Mexikaner Carlos Vela (Los Angeles FC). Fr Boateng sprach, dass er die spanische Liga aus seinem Jahr bei UD Las Palmas gut kenne, schreibt Mundo Deportivo. Angesichts der Tatsache, dass Llorente und Vela massiv lngere La-Liga-Erfahrung mitbringen und Stuani gerade die Meisterschaft etwas aufmischt, eine merkwrdige Begrndung. Namen wie Timo Werner (RB Leipzig), Luka Jovic (Eintracht Frankfurt) oder Krzysztof Piatek (Genua) geisterten immer wieder durch Spaniens Bltterwald, fielen aber wegen ihrer Preisschilder durch das Raster. Vorlufig. Denn Barcelona suchte einen, der eigentlich nur bis Saisonende bleiben soll aufgrund der zweifelhaften Kaderplanung im letzten Sommer. Dort entschied sich Trainer Ernesto Valverde fr den Verbleib von Munir El Haddadi und gegen Paco Alcacer. Letzterer wurde an Borussia Dortmund ausgeliehen, mit einer (bereits aktivierter) Kaufoption von rund 24 Millionen Euro. Alcacer schoss in 13 Bundesligaspielen 12 Tore, sein Marktwert betrgt nun 40 Millionen Euro. Und Munir, dessen Vertrag im Sommer ausluft, weigerte sich jngst, das Arbeitspapier zu verlngern. Also verkaufte man ihn im Januar fr eine Million an Sevilla. Deshalb die Eile. Boateng ist zwar technisch hochbegabt, gilt aber dennoch als Mann frs Grobe. Wohl vor allem wegen seines schlimmen Fouls an Deutschlands damaligem Captain Michael Ballack, der deswegen die WM 2010 verpasste. Der in Berlin geborene ehemalige Nationalspieler von Ghana fand auch spter nicht, dass er gegen den Ruf gross ankmpfen msste. Ausserdem war Kurzpassspiel auch nicht das Geheimrezept der Frankfurter, um 2018 berraschend den DFB-Pokal im Final gegen die Bayern zu gewinnen. Dies verriet Boateng in einer TV-Doku gleich selber. Vor dem Spiel hat der Ante in seinem unvergleichlichen Deutsch gesagt: Bruda, schlag den Ball lang! Und ich habe ihm gesagt: Bruda, ich schlag den Ball lang! Worte, die so in der Bara-Kabine relativ wenig zu hren sein drften. Nicht zuletzt deshalb eher durchzogen. Stuani schien wegen seiner beeindruckenden Torquote im Vorteil (aktuell 12 Ligatore), umso berraschter waren sie in Spanien, als pltzlich die Meldung kam, dass Boateng in die katalanische Metropole wechseln soll. Die Sportzeitung Marca bezeichnete sie einmal als surreal und spter als Witz. Dazu erinnern sie in Madrid gensslich daran, dass Boateng vor zwei Jahren sagte, dass er lieber bei Real als Barcelona spielen wrde. Die Bara nahestehenden Zeitungen sind noch etwas zurckhaltend. Bei Mundo Deportivo wollen sie ihm immerhin Zeit geben. Nun, er ist polyvalent. Er kann Mittelstrmer, zentrales Mittelfeld, tanzen und rappen. Ausserdem trgt kaum einer das Bara-Snapback-Cap so schn wie er. Immerhin: Boateng ist der einzige der realistischen Kandidaten, der zuletzt einen Titel gewinnen konnte. Nun, es wird jetzt immerhin als eines der wenigen Argumente pro Boateng verwendet. Ein zweites liegt Jahre zurck: 2011 schoss er in der Champions League ein hbsches Tor. Mit Milan, gegen den FC Barcelona. Barcelona confirm deal to sign the former AC Milan star. #UCL pic.twitter.com/Ix5rBYDRmd Uefa Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 21, 2019 Schwer zu glauben jedoch, dass die Bara-Verantwortlichen sich ein siebeneinhalb Jahre altes Youtube-Video anschauten und begeistert jauchzten: Den brauchen wir! Vielmehr drfte es primr am Mangel an Alternativen gelegen haben. Und an Boatengs abgebendem Verein. Seit Sassuolo Barcelonas Innenverteidiger Marlon ausgeliehen (und im vergangenen Sommer fest verpflichtet) hat, pflegen die beiden Vereine gute Verbindungen. Auch deshalb kam Bara wohl gnstig an Boateng: eine Million Leihgebhr und Kaufoption fr acht Millionen Euro. Deshalb ist das Risiko mit Boateng relativ gering. Zumindest finanziell. Nicht auszudenken jedoch, sollte sich Luis Suarez in der entscheidenden Saisonphase verletzen. Dann heissts in der Bara-Kabine vielleicht doch: Amigo, schlag den Ball lang! (Tagesanzeiger.ch/Newsnet) | https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/sport/fussball/Was-will-Barca-denn-mit-dem/story/27043082 |
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