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Will Irans oil revenues satisfy next years budget expectations? | So, considering the significance of oil in Irans macro-economic planning, every year in preparing the countrys budget bill the government administration meticulously analyzes the market dynamics to estimate an average oil price and also an amount for the countrys oil exports. In the $405-billion national budget bill for the next Iranian calendar year 1398 (starts on March 21, 2019), which was presented to the Majlis by President Hassan Rouhani in December 2018, the estimated oil incomes stood at 1.425 quadrillion rials (about $34 billion), with the countrys oil exports expected to be 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) and the oil prices estimated at $54 per barrels. Clearly, even in case of oil prices staying at the channel of $54 throughout 2019, with 1.5 million bpd of oil exports still the expected $34 billion for the oil incomes in Irans next year budget will not be realized, this begs the question that how well Irans oil revenues could satisfy next years budget expectations? Clearly, oil prices and oil exports are the main variables in Irans oil income equation. So in estimating the level of realization in the oil share of Irans next budget bill, what is important is assessing the factors which can affect these two variables. The US sanctions Currently, the most important factor which plays a significant role in determining the amount of Irans oil exports and consequently the outlook of the countrys oil revenues in 2019, is the impact of US anctions. In May 2018, Donald Trump withdrew the US from an international deal with Iran, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and in November the sanctions were reimposed on the countrys oil sector. Although shortly after the sanctions took effect, the US government granted exemptions to eight countries - China, India, Greece, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, Turkey, and South Korea - allowing them to temporarily continue buying Iranian oil, but the possible changes in the US policies toward Iran and the continuous slowdown in the global economy as a result of US-China trade war could create a less promising outlook for Irans oil market throughout 2019. Some analysts believe that the United States is likely to extend waivers in May but will reduce the number of countries receiving them. As New York Times quoted analysts at Eurasia Group, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Turkey are likely to be given waivers after they expire in May. This means Italy, Greece, and Taiwan will not be granted any more waivers. So obviously, the USs stand toward Iran is the main factor determining the extent to which the oil revenues could realize the countrys budget estimations. Last years budget bill was planned based on an estimation of selling 2.5 million bpd of oil and byproducts at a price of $55 per barrel. The great reduction in the expected oil exports 1.5m bpd - in the next years budget, however, clearly shows how the situation could unwind. US-China trade war Another factor which has had a drastic impact on the global oil markets in the last six months is the trade war between the US and China, a prolonged row which caused the oil prices to fall near 20% in Q4 of 2018. Crude oil had a great start in 2018. The oil prices touched $80 per barrel for the first time in almost four years thanks to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decision to extend the oil production cuts until end of 2018. However, as the trade war between the US and China got worse, crude oil was the first frontier to feel the pinch. Brent oil prices started declining since the beginning of July, thanks to the implementation of the US tariffs on several billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods. Now, nearly six months after the first signs of the trade war started to show in the oil market, still the concerns over the future of oil demand and a global economic slowdown are haunting the oil prices. In its latest World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its forecast for average oil prices to just below $60 per barrel in 2019 from close to $70 in its October edition. Reuters said on Monday that China this week reported its lowest economic growth figure since 1990, with GDP rising by 6.6% in 2018. Most economists and market analysts believe that slowing manufacturing activity in China will negatively impact the demand and consequently the oil prices in 2019. OPEC+ cuts Earlier in July 2018, under pressure from the US for reducing the oil prices, Saudi Arabia decided to increase its oil production to a record high. Following this decision and with Russia and some other OPEC nations like Iraq and Libya also increasing their output and of course with the surge in US shale output, suddenly the market was overflown by oil and the stable market which was the result of a long-lasting deal between OPEC and non-OPEC members once again fell into chaos. The reduction of global demand as a result of the trade war between the US and China added to the severity of the situation and warning bells started to ring across the global oil market. As a result, later in December despite opposition from US President Donald Trump, headed by Saudi Arabia and Russia once again major oil producers agreed to cut oil production and rebalance the market. In a meeting in Vienna, the OPEC+ decided to take 1.2 million barrels per day off the market for the first six months of 2019. Although as an immediate response to the deal, oil prices rapidly recovered from an under-fifty ceiling, however, the OPEC+ announcement didnt result the expected upward impact on the oil market. The recent news regarding a gloomy global economic outlook has also spread a sense of skepticism throughout the oil market and the support from supply cuts that started in late 2018 by OPEC+ doesnt seem to be enough to withhold the darkening impact of dimming demand. Considering all the above-mentioned factors which could individually or together impact Irans oil revenues in the upcoming fiscal year, it is hard to have any absolute view about the Iranian oil incomes in 2019. However, what is clear is that Irans oil exports are expected to rise in the upcoming months since the countrys Asian buyers are stepping up their intakes. And with the prices at the current $62, one can say that the current situation is standing exactly at the threshold of Iranian budget bill expectations. So, fingers crossed for a better situation or permanence of the current dynamics. MNA/TT | https://en.mehrnews.com/news/141809/Will-Iran-s-oil-revenues-satisfy-next-year-s-budget-expectations |
Was real estate a good investment in 2018? | By Penelope Graham Its commonly touted that buying a home is the largest financial investment that many Canadians will ever make and aside from merely providing a roof over ones head, owning a property offers an effective and safe way to grow your money over a long-term horizon. That homeownership is a savvy investment choice is certainly a favoured selling point for many agents, and is a generally agreed-upon sentiment among those already in the market. According to a recent survey conducted by Zoocasa.com, 68 per cent of Canadians whove owned their home 10 years or longer felt it was a good financial move. That long-term homeowners have seen exponential growth in their initial investment, especially following the boom times experienced in 2016 and the first half of 2017, is accurate in most of Canadas major urban centres. To assess whether this is the case, Zoocasa crunched the numbers in three key housing markets, comparing the monthly trajectory of the local average home price to the performance of three popular investments over the course of 2018: A high-interest savings account (+1.1 per cent y-o-y) The S&P / TSX Composite Index (-11.6 per cent y-o-y) The S&P Canada Aggregate Bond Index (+1.5 per cent y-o-y) The findings reveal that purchasing a home in each market would have yielded a better return than investing in the S&P / TSX Composite Index, which finished a tumultuous year with an 11.6 per cent loss. However, only one market the Greater Toronto Area outperformed the bond market, while neither Calgary nor Greater Vancouver had the price growth to challenge even that of a high-interest savings account. A lot of this variation can be attributed to the unique combination of provincial and federal policies that hit markets last year. While buyers across the country had to grapple with tougher mortgage rules, B.C. markets encountered new anti-speculation and empty-homes taxes, while Alberta remains hard hit by a downturn in the oil patch. | https://www.remonline.com/was-real-estate-a-good-investment-in-2018/ |
What Happens to Fish After a Wildfire? | Article body copy When a wildfire rages, some animals fly, hop, or run to safety. But fish cant. During a fire, the temperature of a stream or river will sometimes rise to a lethal degree. If a fish survives without being cooked, short-term changes to its environment might finish it off. Denuded stream banks erode quickly, with topsoil and ash clouding streams and making it difficult for fish to breathe or find food. Even firefighting efforts are a threat: foam fire suppressants can suffocate fish, while fire retardants can be toxic. Following those immediate threats, wildfires can also change a fishs habitat for months and even years. If trees that once provided shade burned down, that streams water could heat up enough to make it unsuitable for cold-water fish, such as trout. Heat is particularly dire for eggs and fry. Not surprisingly then, in the weeks and months after a wildfire, fish populations will decline, sometimes dramatically, says Rebecca Flitcroft, a fish biologist at the US Forest Service. Flitcroft points out that as populations, many animals, including fish, have evolved to survive severe, shorter events such as fires even if their numbers temporarily decline. Indeed, while fire can be terrible for individual fish, the story for populations can be quite different. Ash from burned plants typically makes its way into streams and rivers, causing heightened loads of phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. These nutrient dumps often result in algae blooms, which, in turn, support more insects for fish to eat. Uldis Silins, a forest hydrologist at the University of Alberta, has studied the post-fire repercussions of the Lost Creek fire that torched 200 square kilometers of southwestern Alberta in 2003. In that case, Silins saw benefits to the local cutthroat trout: Fire produced a change to a limiting nutrient that was a benefit to the insect communities. And that increased [the] growth rate of fish, he says. In the watershed he studied, Silins found that underground springs kept the stream consistently cold, mitigating the loss of shade plants. The geology of the area helped the fish, tooparticularly silty sediments held on to phosphorus, feeding the algae (and eventually the fish, via insects) at a constant rate. Flitcrofts research also indicates that wildfire can sometimes benefit species over the long-term. After the most recent fire in the Wenatchee River subbasin in Washington State in 2014 for instance, spring chinook salmon populations dropped, and then rebounded. Debris flowing into the river increased the amount of suitable habitat and actually ended up boosting the population. Whether a fish population ultimately recovers from the devastation of a fire, Flitcroft says, depends on whether there are safe refuges up or downstream from burned areas, and whether intact populations from other areas move in to repopulate the spots decimated by fire. Because the ability of fish communities to recover depends on several interacting factors, predictions for a specific population can be tricky, Silins says. We cant speak too generally about wildfires. Silins says there is still lots more research to do to understand how wildfires affect fish. His team has already begun: theyre now tracking how a vast span of British Columbia10 times the size of their Lost Creek study areaevolved after it was burned in 2017 and 2018. | https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/what-happens-to-fish-after-a-wildfire/ |
When is it going to snow next in Devon? | Get Daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email More snow could fall across Devon over the next week as temperatures continue to plummet. After parts of Dartmoor saw a covering of wintry weather on Tuesday, more wintry showers have been forecast on Wednesday. The Met Office has updated its weather warning, in place for Devon until 11am, to say snow could settle anywhere over 200metres above sea level. That warning covers the whole of Dartmoor and Exmoor as well as other parts of the county across mid and North Devon. But the current forecast shows snow should be restricted to the highest parts of Dartmoor today. Princetown is forecast to see more snow at 9am and then sleet or snow at around 4pm. And today may not be the last we see of the snow, as the Met Office predicts snow for Devon this Sunday. Currently, wintry showers are forecast to fall on Princetown during the early hours of Sunday, with even more snow set to arrive next Tuesday. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now Temperatures will also drop, with highs this weekend of just 4C. A spokesperson for The Weather Channel said: It will be turning less cold towards the end of the week, with temperatures briefly recovering to around normal to slightly above for the time of year on Friday and Saturday, although still feeling chilly. Becoming colder once again on Sunday, and into the beginning of next week. The current Met Office regional forecast: Today: Some frost and ice at first, especially in the east. Otherwise a fine day in store with sunny spells and lighter winds than on Tuesday. The odd shower may affect Cornwall and Devon, but most will be dry and cold. Maximum temperature 7 C. Tonight: Turning cold and frosty in eastern areas with clear spells, however western parts will become cloudy with outbreaks of rain. Minimum temperature -2 C. Thursday: Bright in the east, otherwise a largely cloudy day with outbreaks of rain and drizzle slowly spreading in from the west. Becoming less cold in the far southwest. Maximum temperature 9 C. Outlook for Friday to Sunday: Cloudy, damp and breezy on Friday, but slightly milder. Wet and windy weather on Saturday, clearing southwards to leave a cold and windy day on Sunday with sunshine and showers. | https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/going-snow-next-devon-2458765 |
Will Joe Biden or Kamala Harris Apologise? | On this episode of "By Any Means Necessary" host Eugene Puryear and Sean Blackmon are joined by Anoa Changa, lawyer and host of "The Way with Anoa," to talk about Senator Kamala Harris officially entering the 2020 Presidential race, the vapidness of mainstream progressivism, and what local races may dominate the headlines in 2019. In a special third segment "By Any Means Necessary" is joined by Ra Shad Frazier Gaines, Founder of Black Progressives, to talk about the Covington Catholic students clashes with Black Hebrew Israelites and a Native American man. Later in the show, Eugene Puryear and Sean Blackmon continue to be joined by Ra Shad Frazier Gaines and Dane Figueroa Edidi, a Black, Cuban, Indigenous, Nigerian trans woman, performance artist, and playwright to talk about the Supreme Court upholding Donald Trump's trans military ban, the shocking number of murdered and missing Native American women, and singer Gladys Knight agreeing to sing the National Anthem before the NFL Super Bowl. We'd love to get your feedback at [email protected] | https://sputniknews.com/radio_by_any_means/201901231071726076-joe-biden-kamala-harris-maga-student/ |
Why Jaya Bachchan Had STRICTLY WARNED Karan Johar When He Invited Abhishek & Shweta On KWK? | Jaya Had Warned Abhishek & Shweta A source close to the Bachchans revealed to Deccan Chronicle, "Jaya Bachchan personally warned her two children against getting provoked into saying things they would regret later." Jaya Counselled Karan "She also told Karan to watch his mouth. This, in any case he's doing post the uproar over Hardik Pandya's statements. But Jayaji counselled Karan against asking controversial provocative questions." Interestingly, Shweta & Abhishek Talked About Jaya Bachchan Like Never Before On the show, Shweta Bachchan revealed why her mom Jaya Bachchan hates paparazzi and said, "She gets very claustrophobic when there are too many people around her. She also doesn't like it when people take her pictures without asking her. She comes from that school of thought." Abhishek & Shweta also added that their mother has a 'moral problem' with selfies as she believes she doesn't look good in the selfies and that's reason she dislikes clicking one. Shweta Also Commented On Jaya Bachchans Mother Love Towards Abhishek While chit-chatting with Karan, Shweta also revealed how Jaya Bachchan's eyes light up every time Abhishek enters a room, much like her reaction on seeing Shahrukh Khan in the film, Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham. While Shweta made it very clear that Abhishek is mom's favourite, Abhishek also revealed that no one's opinion matter more to Amitabh Bachchan as she's daddy's favourite. Do let us know in the comments section below.. | https://www.filmibeat.com/bollywood/gupshup/2019/jaya-bachchan-warned-karan-johar-when-he-invited-abhishek-shweta-bachchan-koffee-with-karan-281884.html?utm_source=/rss/filmibeat-fb.xml&utm_medium=23.50.225.237&utm_campaign=client-rss |
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Will Priyanka Gandhi's formal political entry bring back Indira Magic for Congress? | With the general elections only months away, Congress President Rahul Gandhi appointed sister Priyanka Gandhi as the party General Secretary for the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. The political entry of Priyanka has always been a matter of speculation. On Monday, the party formally announced she will take charge of the Eastern Uttar Pradesh with immediate effect. The Congress also elevated up and coming new generation leader KC Venugopal as its general secretary in charge of Organisation. Priyanka's block buster entry at the cusp of Lok Sabha elections 2019 definitely means that the party smells blood. Incidentally, she will assume charge of the eastern part of the state, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi falls. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath's power base of Gorakhpur is also in the same region. Priyanaka's formal political entry also happens after the Bahujan Samaj Paarty (BSP) and the Samajwadi party (SP) cold-shouldered Congress when they formed an electoral alliance last week. Congress would be hoping that Priyanka's entry would boost its potential in the state, which elects as many as 80 MPs. Significantly, Jyotiraditya Scindia, another young beacon in the party, was given the charge in western Uttar Pradesh. "I have given the UP mission to Priyanka and Jyotiraditya for two months..." Rahul Gandhi said. Many times during the last decade, the Congress rank and file have clamoured for Priyanka's entry into politics. The demand was vociferous each time Rahul Gandhi faced an electoral fiasco. Many in the Congress party believe that Priyanka would be able to bring back the Indira Gandhi magic and lift the party's fortune in the crucial hour. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, 47, has campaigned actively in previous elections, mainly in the constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi from where her mother Sonia Gandhi and brother Rahul have contested. Though Congress rank and file always thought she was the right political heir to Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi, she chose to operate from behind the scenes for many long years. Wednesday's development changes that completely and she will be thrown into the political melting pot in India's heartland. | https://www.ibtimes.co.in/will-priyanka-gandhis-formal-political-entry-bring-back-indira-magic-congress-790600 |
Is Katrina Kaif going to be a part of IPL 2019? | It's 2019 and the IPL fever seems to be catching up with everyone, even Bollywood celebs, and Katrina Kaif has been gripped by it. After Salman Khan's batting skills, we recently caught a glimpse of Katrina Kaif showing off some of her cricketing moves on the sets of their upcoming film 'Bharat'. In a playful mood, Kaif shared a video of herself playing a match on the sets of Bharat and asked Anushka Sharma to put in a good word for her to the Indian captain, Virat Kohli. While Anushka is busy with hubby Virat in New Zealand, Preity Zinta was quick to jump into the conversation. Preity, who is the co-owner of Kings XI Punjab team, had a positive response to Katrina's request. She replied, "Wow babe, we should hire you." However, this wasn't the end of the cheerful banter. Preity's response made Katrina write, "Pl do it PZ come on let me play (sic)." Anushka Sharma too replied to Katrina's request and said, "Hahahaha there is nothing that you can't do (sic)." While comedian Sunil Grover, who is playing an important role in the film, had a rather funny comment. He wrote, "After looking at the shots, I am sure you will be offered to be part of badminton team as well. Saina Nehwal will agree." | https://www.ibtimes.co.in/katrina-kaif-going-be-part-ipl-2019-790581 |
Was bringt ein generelles Tempolimit auf Autobahnen? | Hier kostenlos registrieren Zugang erwerben Einzel-Pass Zugriff auf diesen Artikel Zahlart whlen einmalig 0,49 Per Handy bezahlen Tages-Pass 24 Stunden Zugriff auf Rhein-Zeitung.de Zahlart whlen einmalig 1,00 Per Handy bezahlen Per PayPal bezahlen Monats-Pass 30 Tage Zugriff auf Rhein-Zeitung.de Zahlart whlen einmalig 11,90 Per Handy bezahlen Per PayPal bezahlen Jahres-Pass 12 Monate Zugriff auf Rhein-Zeitung.de und RZmobil-App Zahlart whlen monatlich 10,90 Per Lastschrift bezahlen Digital-Abo 4 Wochen Zugriff auf Rhein-Zeitung.de, RZmobil-App, E-Paper und E-Paper-App Zahlart whlen 29,00 monatlich zum Testen 0 29,00 Per Lastschrift bezahlen Um einen Zugang zu erwerben muss JavaScript aktiviert sein. Alle Angebote im berblick. Wir helfen gerne weiter: Telefonisch unter 0261/9836-2000 oder per E-Mail an: [email protected] | https://www.rhein-zeitung.de/ratgeber/ratgeber-auto-verkehr/autonews_artikel,-was-bringt-ein-generelles-tempolimit-auf-autobahnen-_arid,1925724.html |
Was bringt das neue Mittel fr Diabetes-Patienten? | Hier kostenlos registrieren Zugang erwerben Einzel-Pass Zugriff auf diesen Artikel Zahlart whlen einmalig 0,49 Per Handy bezahlen Tages-Pass 24 Stunden Zugriff auf Rhein-Zeitung.de Zahlart whlen einmalig 1,00 Per Handy bezahlen Per PayPal bezahlen Monats-Pass 30 Tage Zugriff auf Rhein-Zeitung.de Zahlart whlen einmalig 11,90 Per Handy bezahlen Per PayPal bezahlen Jahres-Pass 12 Monate Zugriff auf Rhein-Zeitung.de und RZmobil-App Zahlart whlen monatlich 10,90 Per Lastschrift bezahlen Digital-Abo 4 Wochen Zugriff auf Rhein-Zeitung.de, RZmobil-App, E-Paper und E-Paper-App Zahlart whlen 29,00 monatlich zum Testen 0 29,00 Per Lastschrift bezahlen Um einen Zugang zu erwerben muss JavaScript aktiviert sein. Alle Angebote im berblick. Wir helfen gerne weiter: Telefonisch unter 0261/9836-2000 oder per E-Mail an: [email protected] | https://www.rhein-zeitung.de/startseite_artikel,-was-bringt-das-neue-mittel-fuer-diabetespatienten-_arid,1925733.html |
Does Manila want to move away from US? | Recently, the Philippines has taken steps which are not friendly toward the US. For example, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said the country will no longer purchase weapons from the US as Washington banned Manila from buying arms and military equipment from China and Russia. Last December, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana proposed to review the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) which was signed with Washington, triggering concern that Manila would scrap the agreement. Last July, President Duterte said, "There will never be a time that I will go to America during my term or even thereafter. "Meanwhile, the Philippines seems to be getting closer to China and Russia. Russian Navy warships finished their visit to Manila on January 11. On January 17, three Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Naval vessels reached the Philippines for a goodwill visit of four days.Do these moves signal Manila's intention of breaking with Washington and pivoting toward Moscow and Beijing?These steps may only be a strategic readjustment by the Philippines. Unilateralism propounded by slogans like "America First" of Trump administration has to some extent offered Duterte an opportunity to tweak its US foreign policy.One domestic mission of Manila is to augment the Duterte-proposed "Build, Build, Build" program, aiming to accelerate infrastructure spending, boost promising industries, create more jobs and enhance living standards. Washington can neither provide capital nor technology for the program, but China can. Adjusting its policy toward the US is also a result of the Philippines' overall national demand.Additionally, in recent years, nationalism among Filipinos has been rising, especially after Duterte took office. Anti-US voices and sentiments have gained ground within the archipelago nation.The US-made weapons are expensive, and may not be consistent with Manila's national strength. Hence, the nation plans to purchase arms from other countries. Weapons sourced from China or Russia are much cheaper but equally good. One of Manila's tasks is to counter terrorism and eliminate terrorists from the southern Philippines. In order to achieve this goal, the nation needs military devices and weapons with night-viewing capability, like night-vision helicopters and rifles with night vision goggles. Such hardware provided by China and Russia is cost-effective.Washington has exercised huge political influence on Manila because of the MDT, considered the anchor of US-Philippines ties. Hence, it would be hard to scrap the treaty.Currently, Manila is unlikely to lean completely toward Russia and China. First, the Philippines is a member of ASEAN and one of its important national policies is to pursue a balance among great powers. Second, Manila has been a traditional ally of Washington, and it would be unrealistic to change that status in the short run. In the context of evolving global geopolitics, it is normal for Manila to adjust its policy toward US. The nation will seek a balanced strategy and avoid a complete tilt to either side.Furthermore, the US has had a long-term impact on the Philippines, including on its education and ideology. Pro-US sentiment in Manila is still strong, especially inside the military. It is unrealistic that the Philippines will pivot away from US to China and Russia in the short term.The Philippines is significant to the Indo-Pacific strategy of the US. However, Manila's recent moves are a blow to the strategy. Last November, when US Vice-President Mike Pence visited Japan, he reaffirmed US' commitment to the Indo-Pacific region. He and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a combined $70 billion for the development of infrastructure in this region, with $60 billion from Washington and $10 billion from Tokyo. The US intends to gain support from Indo-Pacific nations, including the Philippines.As Manila has been an important ally of the US and is strategically important, Washington will try to maintain close ties by applying the carrot and stick policy. The US may court the Philippines by offering more economic and military assistance. Meanwhile, Washington would also come down hard on Manila to force a rethink if it continues to show an unfriendly attitude.The author is a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' National Institute of International Strategy in Beijing. [email protected] | http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1136742.shtml |
What time is Celebrity Coach Trip with Roxanne Pallett on tonight? | Roxanne Pallett will appear later in the series with George Sampson (Picture: Channel 4) One of the most anticipated parts of the current series of Celebrity Coach Trip has been the impending appearance of Roxanne Pallett. The actress caused one of the TV scandals of 2018 after her appearance on Celebrity Big Brother led her to quit showbusiness. She was at the centre of one of the shows biggest ever media storms, after she falsely accused Ryan Thomas of deliberately punching her in the ribs and called for him to be removed from the house. Since then shes stepped away from the limelight but is about to return to screens with a Celebrity Coach Trip appearance filmed before she went into the house. The actress caused a media storm after she falsely accused Ryan Thomas of punching her while they were in the house (Picture: Rex Shutterstock) You can see Roxanne on Celebrity Coach Trip on Wednesday night on E4 from 7.30pm. Advertisement Advertisement She will join the coach along with Britains Got Talent turned Waterloo Road star George Sampson. News of Roxannes appearance on the show surfaced in the wake of the Celebrity Big Brother scandal. An insider told OK! Online in September: Roxanne Pallett will be in Celebrity Coach Trip. It was filmed earlier this summer. Five pairs of celebrity tourists will join Brendan Sheerin on the coach (Picture: Channel 4) The line-up also includes James and Ola Jordan, as well as Charlotte Crosby and Joshua Ritchie. Made In Chelseas Sam Thompson and James Dunmore have also been taking part along with Towies Bobby Norris, teaming up with former Celebs Go Dating star Nadia Essex. Sugababes singer Mutya Buena and So Solid Crews Lisa Maffia have completed the line-up this series although Sam and James miss out on the chance to hang out with Roxanne and George after they were voted off the bus just two days before Roxannes arrival. If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/23/time-celebrity-coach-trip-roxanne-pallett-tonight-8378315/ |
Why arent this years queer Oscar contenders being marketed as LGBTI stories? | This awards season finds queer stories edging further into the mainstream. Laurence Barber looks at the complex intersection of cinema, LGBTI representation, and commerce. * * * I like it when she puts her tongue inside me. If you were to guess which 2018 film starring Rachel Weisz contained that line of dialogue, you might first guess Disobedience, in which the Oscar winner played a British woman who rekindles a passionate, youthful romance with Rachel McAdams upon returning to the Orthodox Jewish community she had left behind. The Favourite may be a surprise if you havent seen it yet. Yorgos Lanthimos film about two women vying for the Queens favour, with competing but often overlapping motives, is queer from start to finish. The trailer, however, bears minimal suggestion that Weisz Sarah Churchill has long been fucking the Queen. It hints only slightly that Churchills cousin Abigail Hill (Emma Stone) enters the picture and herself sets about wooing the Queen. If you rewatch the trailer after seeing The Favourite, its like watching a trailer for Jurassic Park which leaves out the dinosaurs. been papered over; the biopic of noted lesbian literary forger Lee Israel centres around her friendship with Jack Hock, a gay conman who became Israels confidant. Their identities are significant details, woven delicately through the tapestry of this sadly underseen film. The trailer, of course, gives no indication that the rare dynamic of their friendship forms a major, climactic part of the story. Green Book, which is out in late January, turns Dr. Don Shirley, a noted African-American classical and jazz pianist, into a supporting character in his own life. The film dramatises one of Shirleys 1960s tours of the Deep South, having hired racist Italian-American Tony Lip Vallelonga as his driver. Its a hopelessly dated and facile inversion of the Driving Miss Daisy formula. Worse than that is that Shirleys family has condemned it as a fundamental mischaracterisation of a man who kept company with civil rights leaders and the likes of Nina Simone and Duke Ellington. Green Book instead posits Shirley as a lonely, borderline effete black man adrift from and unfamiliar with African-American culture, ladling only the most pitying vision of his queerness on top to emphasise his otherness. These films, from a marketing perspective, all face a certain quandary. Queer stories are becoming increasingly prominent in cinema, and closer to the mainstream than ever. But when queer stories become films and are allowed a certain prominence, such as that afforded by the looming sparkle of Oscar attention, they become fraught financial prospects. They typically hit a mid-to-low budget ceiling, most often having been financed or made outside the Hollywood studio system, as with Call Me By Your Name, Moonlight, and Carol. Distributors often pick them up at film festivals following rave reviews, using the possibility of eventual Oscars as a marketing tool to reach a wider audience where most films of their size fail. But those examples are explicitly queer, and near-impossible to market as otherwise. 2018s queer awards contenders make up something of a representational middle period, trapped somewhere in between; queer enough to be comparable, but not so gay that its immediately obvious. This middleground is one weve seen before with the likes of The Imitation Game and The Danish Girl, which were cravenly designed around the idea they were telling a human story rather than a queer one. But films like these only survive if they make money. Bohemian Rhapsody, which seems poised to appear at the Oscars as well, became an enormous hit this year, despite the scandal of being largely directed by Bryan Singer, who has been repeatedly accused of sexual misconduct and assault over the years. Despite early reports suggesting otherwise, the film does show Freddie Mercurys queerness. But the film bathes his relationship with a woman in golden hues before presenting his queerness as lurid and damaging; by the end, the film advances his AIDS diagnosis by two years just to add false emotional resonance to its climactic Live Aid recreation. The key here is that global box office means more than ever before in terms of a films success, with American and Australian moviegoers tending more towards event films like Marvel blockbusters. Going to the movies is expensive, and watching smaller films at home suits our modern day streaming habits. As queer stories globalise, audiences may end up the Queen Anne of it all; beset by the need to smooth over a films queerness to maximise international market appeal on one side, while besieged by the prospect of high-profile queer films failing financially and slowly being lost to the overgrown wilds of television on the other. As in The Favourite, perhaps no one really wins. | http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/international-news-news/why-arent-this-years-queer-oscar-contenders-being-marketed-as-lgbti-stories/175092 |
Why is James Dyson moving his head office to Singapore? | (Picture: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Dyson) Some people may have believed that Brexit may take our freedom, but it appears its taken our vacuum cleaners instead. Brexiteer James Dyson has announced that he will be relocating his companys head office to Singapore, following a number of prominent businesses who have decided to leave the UK. The current headquarters is located in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, and Dyson employs around 4,000 people across the country. Although the move should not affect these jobs, its still being considered something of a shock given how strident James was in his support of Brexit and British enterprise. (Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire) Dyson, and their billionaire inventor and entrepreneur James, have had links in Singapore for some time now. For example, the company announced last year that it was where theyd locate their electric car operation. As well as this, although Dyson vacuums are designed in the UK, they have been made in Asia for some time now. Advertisement Advertisement The move will affect their chief financial officer Jorn Jensen and chief legal officer Martin Bowen, and allegedly no further jobs will be affected. More staff will eventually relocate, but the total number has not yet been announced. Chief executive Jim Rowan said that Brexit was not the motivation for the move: The move is nothing to do with Brexit or tax, its about making sure we are future proofed. There are huge revenue opportunities in Singapore, China is the poster child of that. The tax difference is negligible for us, we are taxed all over the world and we will continue to pay tax in the UK. We will continue to invest in the UK, in Malmesbury, in Bristol and London. Dyson are still set to spend around 300 million on projects here in Britain, including on infrastructure and education for young people. He continued: We have seen an acceleration of opportunities to grow the company from a revenue perspective in Asia. We have always had a revenue stream there and will be putting up our best efforts as well as keeping an eye on investments. (Picture: Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP) We would describe ourselves as a global technology company and in fact we have been a global company for some time. Most successful companies these days are global. Mr Rowan did, however, confirm that Sir James was integral to the decision to ditch Britain. There have been a number of critics of the move, with Liberal Democrat MP and Best for Britain supporter Layla Moran saying the move smacks of staggering hypocrisy. Advertisement Advertisement She added: It is utterly unbelievable that the business face of Brexit is moving yet another part of his business out of the UK. This can only be seen as a vote of no confidence in the idea of Brexit Britain. Similarly, South Swindon MP General Robert Buckland told BBC Radio 4s PM programme that many Dyson employees live in his constituency, adding: Im disappointed to say the least that at this time a company led by a person who advocated Brexit has decided to relocate outside of this country. Im going to want to have a clear explanation as to why this is happening and what effect this will have on the constituents who I represent. MORE: Google Chrome could soon start blocking popular ad blockers MORE: Millennials are much more likely to have an asthma attack | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/23/james-dyson-moving-head-office-singapore-8378237/ |
What time is Danny Dyer's Right Royal Family on BBC One? | Danny Dyer is checking out his roots in Danny Dyers Right Royal Family (Picture: BBC) Fresh from his latest National TV Awards triumph Danny Dyer is back on our screens and this time its all about family. Except this time its the Royal Family were referring to as the EastEnders star goes about tracing his royal roots. youll remember that he discovered he is descended from King Edward III. And now hes taking a closer look at that family tree, working his way through hundreds of years of British history as he does. Sorry, this video isn't available any more. Well you can see the first of the two-part show on BBC One on Wednesday night at 9pm. The second part is on BBC One next Wednesday night at the same time. Advertisement Advertisement The show will see him head to Paris to find out more about his 26 X great grandfather King Louis IX. Hes going to get pretty close to his royal roots (Picture: BBC) Danny meets medieval historian Dr Emily Guerry who tells him: He was very religious, very devout. He was anti-bad behaviour. He became a man who actually modeled himself on Jesus Christ and lived to imitate Christ. He says of his ancestor: I can be told all sorts of information but to actually walk in King Louis IXs footsteps, to think that he did this as a King. I admire him because he does exactly as he preaches and is showing everybody. He walked for six miles barefoot, in pain, and that youve got to respect. Considering the money and power he had and the life he could have lived, I think its very brave. If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/23/time-danny-dyers-right-royal-family-bbc-one-can-expect-8377997/ |
Is Shah Rukh Khan really doing DON 3? | So okay. We all know Shah Rukh Khan has opted out of the astronaut Rakesh Sharmas biopic Saare Jahan Se Accha produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur because he didnt want to do another space film after Zero. So far so convincing. But, it was the second part of that announcement, stating that instead of the Rakesh Sharma bio-pic, SRK would be doing the third part of the Don franchise, that turns out to be an intriguing bit of fabrication. Sources close to the Don series say this is just not true. There is no Don 3. Not yet. Director Farhan Akhtar has no script for a third installment. Shah Rukh and Farhan have been struggling for three years to come up with a tenable idea of Don 3. Theyre yet to crack the plot, says the source who wonders where these bogus reports on Don 3 came from. It made sense for SRK s team to announce his exit from the Rakesh Sharma biopic. Farhan has no plans of starting Don 3 in the near future. Right now, he only wants to concentrate on his acting career. He is starting his new sports film Toofan directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra which will keep him busy for the next one year. Directing Don 3 or any other film is not on his mind at all, says the source. If you are wondering why Farhan Akhtar is silent over this misinformation, the answer is very simple. The guy just doesnt want to contradict any positive media report on Shah Rukh Khan. Also Read: Find out why Shah Rukh Khan does not want to be a director | http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/shah-rukh-khan-really-don-3/ |
Is lime green fashions new favourite colour? | A screengrab from Kylie Jenners Instagram. AFP pic NEW YORK, Jan 23 Living Coral might have officially been declared the colour of 2019, but unofficially, a very different shade is making its way onto the fashion radar. Lime green has been flashing up on celebrity Instagram accounts for some time now, as some of the most famous faces in the fashion industry embrace the vivid neon hue. For the boldest of fashion followers, the obvious choice would be to channel Blake Lively and do head-to-toe green in an eye-wateringly vivid shade. The actress, who was one of the earliest champions of the current trend, stepped out in a zesty suit and matching sweater back in August, igniting Hollywoods fascination with the trend. If that feels a little too full on, make like supermodels Ashley Graham and Kendall Jenner and opt for neon separates. Graham caused a stir back in November when she debuted a pair of bright lime flared pants. Meanwhile Jenner was seen wearing the shade more than once over the holiday period, ringing in the new year in a lime ruffled top. Since then, there have been several other celebrity lime incidents, including Victorias Secret model Elsa Hosks mini dress (toned down with a black jumper and Doc Martens), and Kylie Jenners lime green swimwear (she also dolled up her best friend Jordyn Woods and daughter Stormi in the shade). Bella Hadid has shown her appreciation for all things neon with a knitted vest, and Rita Ora has been snapped combining trends in a neon animal print bikini. There has never been a better time to indulge your inner green-eyed monster. AFP-Relaxnews | https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2019/01/23/is-lime-green-fashions-new-favourite-colour/1715686 |
What's Wrong with Radio Free Europe and Voice of America? | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has a budget of more than 123 million dollars (2018), and its mission is to "report the news in 20 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established." It should "provide what many people cannot get locally: uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate." Unfortunately, the answer to both these questions is negative. As an Iran expert who reviews Persian-language media every day, I want to report my take from the organization's Persian section (Radio Farda). VOA Persian (under the same mother institution, BBG) is as disastrous as Radio Farda. To explain the waste and politicians' delusions regarding the efficiency of these two sections of the Congress-fnanced media system, I will focus on three criteria of free and professional media: 1) independence, 2) fact-based news broadcast and report, and 3) fair and balanced news and analysis. Radio Farda and VOA Persian have failed in all three categories. Manipulated by Obama Admin VOA and Radio Farda were more open to reporting human rights violations and providing criticism of Islamist points of view before the negotiations for the 5+1 nuclear deal. As Ben Rhodes has mentioned, the Obama team manipulated the media during the JCPOA negotiations. They were desperate to have a foreign policy legacy, and the Iran deal was their only chance. Similar to the administration, both VOA Persian and Radio Farda tried hard to appease the Islamist government and its loyalists abroad to make the deal happen. Before and during the negotiations, tens of Iranian experts abroad were put on their blacklists, and several shows were canceled; in that period, Iran's lobbyists were regular guests on their programs. VOA put me on that blacklist; before that, I was a regular guest on their news and analysis programs. My fault was to compare ISIS and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Cut-and-Paste Habit Instead of newsgathering and reporting, the dominant pattern in these two institutions is to cut and paste news from the IRI propaganda machine. Their excuse is "not having a correspondent" in Iran. All news agencies in Iran are controlled by the security and religious establishment. They are very good at misinformation and disinformation campaigns. To cut and paste pieces from IRI news agencies is in apparent conflict with the RFE/RL and VOA missions. Radio Farda cut its only fact-checking program (two minutes per day) in March 2018 after just one year running. Bias against Anti-Islamism Opposition Most of the employees of these outlets are coming from the reformist newspapers inside the country. They are mostly socialists or Islamists who had some differences with the official interpretation of Islamism. This does not mean they were pro-Western civilization or pro-liberal democracy. Their lingo and discourse have nothing to do with open societies. The anti-Israel, anti-American, and anti-capitalist bias is clear in their programs. Almost all of the guests in their programs are reformist Islamists and socialists. Their staff is picked in a way that the overarching discourse is pro-socialism and pro-Islamism (the reformist version that supports a more moderate Islamic Republic that is still anti-Western and anti-Israel). While anti-Islamism opposition is for toppling the Islamist state, these outlets give their minutes to the ones who want the Islamic Republic to survive. I believe that media outlets should not have an agenda in toppling a regime; rather, they should not have an agenda to protect it. There is no balance in analysis segments on any issue regarding the Islamist state's policies and decisions. When I used to write for Radio Farda's website, censorship was the rule and not an exception. Islamist Discourse of Radio Free Europe/VOA What is dominant in these two outlets' discourse and actions can be summarized in these three elements: The West should support the reformist faction if it wants to strengthen moderates. The problem is that the reformist faction's foreign and domestic policies are not significantly different from the fundamentalist faction. What is introduced as moderate is as fundamentalist as the other faction. The reformist faction is wrongfully introduced as liberal by left-leaning media. Pressure from the West makes fundamentalist factions more powerful and oppression rampant. This is not true. The Islamist police state under both reformist and fundamentalist factions has behaved in the same way. The leader has the upper hand, and sharia law is enforced by both factions. The right strategy is to root for reformed Islam. As leftists and Islamists have been in a coalition during the Obama and Trump administrations, high-ranking leftist management and low-ranking leftist and Islamist staff are working together to promote their agenda that is bringing Islamism to their diversity tent. If you do not believe that this coalition exists, look at the Democratic Party nominees and political ads in the 2018 elections. More than anyone else, the oppressed around the world need a window into what a free world looks like. By bowing to the tyrannical regime in Iran, these radio organizations do a grave disservice to those who need them most. | https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/01/whats_wrong_with_radio_free_europe_and_voice_of_america.html |
Who owns the ghost plane in Madrids Barajas airport? | Someone has parked an airplane at Madrids Adolfo Surez Barajas airport and left it there. The McDonnel Douglas MD-87, an aircraft connected to a series of failed businesses, which is showing the toll of years of inaction, is currently sealed off on the airfield. It has not been moved for years, like a ghost made of aluminum, copper and titanium. The McDonnell Douglas MD87 is currently the only abandoned aircraft at Barajas To find out if anyone wants to claim it, the director of Madrid-Barajas airport, Elena Mayoral, signed a notice this past Friday in the Official State Gazette (BOE) in which she reported the aircraft, its license plate EC KRV, and its obvious state of abandonment. When a plane is stationed at an airport for an extended period of time and displays external signs of having been abandoned, the Aircraft Registration Registry of Spain's Air Security Agency (AESA) and the Central Property Registry are consulted to investigate whether there has been a change of ownership, and to locate the last registered owner, according to Spanish news agency EFE. The last registered owner is sent an official request to pay the amount of the existing debt for the prolonged parking fee. If the amount due is not paid, procedures are initiated with the Spanish Tax Agency. These proceedings continue until the sum is voluntarily paid or the Tax Agency begins enforced collection procedures. If the owner does not respond, or if it is discovered that they have disappeared in the case of death without heirs, liquidation or company closure three notices are published in the BOE in three consecutive months, each indicating the aircraft registration, the model and the brand, as well as its state of abandonment. Once a year has passed since the last notice is published, the airplane is legally considered abandoned and can be put up for public auction. Proceedings have begun to put the airplane up for public auction According to the Spanish airport authority AENA, the McDonnell Douglas MD87 is currently the only abandoned aircraft at Barajas airport. In 1990, the airplane flew for the first time for Iberia, according to online magazine Preferente.com. Eighteen years later it was acquired by Pronair, a charter airline headquartered in Albacete in Castilla-La Mancha. But the airline, which at one point was flying regularly to China, closed down in just a year due to the increase in fuel prices and the 2008 financial crisis. Two years later, the plane was acquired by Saicus Air, a Spanish airline based in Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. The airline operated two airplanes from Madrid and up until that point, had been dedicated to transporting cargo. The plane was meant to fly passengers between Spain and the Republic of Guinea Bissau in west Africa. But it never flew for Saicus Air. Instead it was rented to third parties along with a cabin crew. Saicus Air bought the plan in July 2010, and in December of that same year, it too had gone bankrupt. Someone then sealed off its motors, pilot-static system, Pitot tubes and the rest of its openings. Since then it has been waiting for an owner one who is yet to appear. English version by Asia London Palomba. | https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/01/21/inenglish/1548063549_611743.html |
Could hi-tech Netherlands-style farming feed the world? | The small, overcrowded, low-lying Netherlands might not sound like the answer to feeding a world whose population is predicted to rise to 9.6 billion people by 2050, but farmers and agronomists there would beg to differ. The country known best globally for its traditional tulips and wooden footwear, is the second largest vegetable exporter in the world with exports totalling 6 billion annually. Onions, potatoes and some southern climate vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and chiles are among its top selling products. The Netherlands is growing them with far less water and pesticides than if production was happening in the soil or open air. They do it using greenhouse technology, termed 'precision farming', that some in the Dutch food industry claim is the most advanced in the world. An old technology modernized Modern greenhouse farming took off in the country after World War Two as a reaction to one of Europe's last experiences of famine. Up to 20,000 people died in the "Dutch hunger winter," during the last months of the German occupation. Nowadays, the most advanced part of the country's greenhouse technology is in the southern region of Westland, where 80 percent of cultivated land is under glass. In the Dutch farming region of Westland, farmers tend to grown tomatoes in bags rather than soil In the vast high-tech greenhouses of sustainable producers Duijvestijn Tomatoes, vines drip with red, yellow, green and dark purple fruit. In these highly controlled spaces, visitors are required to wear hygiene overalls. "In the end, the plant is around 13 to 14 metres (42.7 feet to 45.9 feet) long and will produce about 33 clusters of tomatoes," Ad van Adrichem, general manager at Duijvestijn Tomatoes told DW. Read more: Transforming German cities into organic food gardens Reaching such heights is important in a country where land is as precious as it is scarce: the tiny Netherlands has one of the highest population densities in the world. In the greenhouses of Westland, an area that was reclaimed at great cost and effort from the sea, they grow almost 70 kilograms (154 pounds) of tomatoes per square meter. That's at least 10 times the average yield from an open field in Spain or Morocco, but with eight times less water and practically no chemical pesticides. Alternative thinking The secret to the success is that Dutch tomatoes are grown in small bags of mineral wool a fibrous material that can also be used for insulation and soundproofing. "It gives you far more control," said van Adrichem. "So we can steer very precisely the amount of nutrition we need and the amount of water we need." But that's not all that's at play. There are also the greenhouses themselves. Duijvestijn Tomatoes has invested in a revolutionary double-glass roof which conserves more heat and, thanks to special coatings, diffuses the light that gets through, thereby making sure it also reaches the plants' lower leaves. The constant warm temperature comes from two geothermal wells. The level of CO2 gas on which the plants thrive, is doubled in the air inside the greenhouse, carefully piped in from the local oil refinery. LED lights inside these state of the art stuctures allow the crops to keep growing into the night. Instead of using pesticides, Duijvestijn Tomatoes unleashes insects in a box to deal with pests The water used is all pure Dutch rain, captured and stored in an underground layer of sand for use through the dry months. Whenever pests appear, they bring in insects to eat them. They even have cardboard hives of bees on hand for pollination. Yet some ecologists are skeptical of the new technology. Herman van Bekkem, campaign leader for Greenpeace Holland, is one of them. "We indeed see promising examples of farmers doing their best to reduce pesticides," he told DW. "But if you look at the facts, like the statistics for water pollution in the Netherlands, there is no other region more polluted by pesticides than the greenhouse region." He says water managers in Westland have been complaining about the high amounts of pesticides in surface water for many years. "Not from us." said van Adrichem. "We work with a closed water circuit. We give the plants the exact amount of water they need and because the tomatoes aren't planted in the soil, there is no run-off." A vertical future Leo Marcelis, horticulture professor at Wageningen University and Research (WUR), the research hub for the Dutch food industry, says vertical farms are the way forward. Students from around the world are researching future farming methods at WUR "In the future, we'll have vertical farms that will go as high as tall buildings that will only use artificial light," said Marcelis. With units built on top of each other as high as you like, with only artificial light and where farming will be completely independent of the climate and completely reliable, he adds. Half the students at WUR are from abroad, and when they finish their studies, many will be taking this new science home to countries in Asia and Africa. WUR Plant Sciences Group managing director Ernst van den Ende describes a project he is working on in Africa that optimizes the symbiosis between beans and a bacterium that is able to fix nitrogen a key plant nutrient from the air. Read more: From grey to green: Urban farming around the world "By optimizing this symbiosis, we are able to increase yields without using fertilizers," said van den Ende. For him, WUR's research is about stopping people going hungry, as his grandparents' generation did in the Netherlands. "My grandmother would travel 80 kilometers for a sack of brussel sprouts," he said. Now van den Ende believes the technology the Dutch are developing will, in years to come, be able to feed the world. | https://www.dw.com/en/could-hi-tech-netherlands-style-farming-feed-the-world/a-47105412 |
Are CEOs overstaying welcome? | Institutions like to invest in companies that are run by experienced CEOs, Stanlib analyst Ahmed Motara said. You would invest in Bidvest because then you got exposure to Brian Joffe, who built the company and delivered consistent returns. It is a perception shift that Motara believes will take a while, but Wits Business School Professor Gregory Lee says things are already changing. As companies diversify abroad, they require leaders with experience in different markets. With that, he says, more international norms are being adopted here. This shift is also underpinned by increased activism on the part of investors. Retail analyst Anthony Clark says SA investors started becoming more active, and less accommodating of CEOs, in about 2010. Id say the majority of shareholders were quite comfortable with CEOs sticking around for more than a decade, Clark said. People didnt go to AGMs in the late 1990s and early 2000s things were rubberstamped as long as their investments didnt do terribly. But in the past eight years or so, we have seen investors challenge companies on corporate governance, remuneration and shareholder demands, he said. By way of example, he points to Spur Corps shareholders, who recently raised flags over the restaurant groups remuneration policy, as well as disgruntled investors wanting Grand Parade Investments Hassen Adams to step back from the company he founded in 1998. One sector with a heavy weighting in long-serving CEOs is listed property. The largest property company in the country, Growthpoint Properties, has been run by Norbert Sasse and Estienne de Klerk since 2002. They have taken it from having less than R1bn in assets to about R133bn and in so doing have built one of the most reliable property companies in SA, according to Jay Padayatchi, executive director at Meago Asset Management. Similarly, Rebosis Property Fund, the first majority blackowned and managed real estate group to list on the JSE, has been led by Sisa Ngebulana since he founded it in 2010. Keillen Ndlovu, head of listed property funds at Stanlib, says property companies have a propensity for founder CEOs because property as an asset class lends itself to leaders who stick around. Many real estate CEOs started these companies and built them up over a number of years, earning investors trust along the way. Trust is very valuable in our industry and not easy to replicate, he said. | https://www.heraldlive.co.za/business/2019-01-23-are-ceos-overstaying-welcome/ |
Can Bats Lead Us to Clean Water in the Desert? | By Theresa Laverty, Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University Conservation Biology, Colorado State UniversityDesert life depends on reliable access to water. In Namibias stark Namib Desert, where I spent 18 months doing research for my Ph.D., wildlife concentrates around natural springs. Increasingly, animals there also rely on man-made ponds intended for livestock. But water can vary both in quantity and quality, and animals have different needs. Some species, like the kangaroo rat, can survive without drinking water for years by obtaining it instead from its food. More often, the movements of desert animals are restricted by reliable access to water. Part of my research examines relationships between bat species and water quality in an African desert. Based on my observations, I believe that in arid places, people may be able to locate usable water sources and detect changes in the quality of sources they are already using by observing bats. MEASURING POLLUTION WITH CANARIES, MOSS AND FISH People have used plants and animals as environmental indicators for many years. Most famously, miners carried canaries into coal mines with them to detect toxic gases, including carbon monoxide, before the development of modern safety equipment. Today, scientists use many living organisms in their natural habitats to assess changes in the environment. Good bioindicators are typically species that are abundant, common and whose lives are relatively well-understood but also are sensitive to specific disturbances or stresses, such as water scarcity or pollution. For example, some researchers infer pesticide concentrations by monitoring the population sizes and body conditions of amphibians and fish-eating birds. Plants are useful bioindicators for many types of air pollution because they absorb air through their leaves. Similarly, fish and other small aquatic organisms can be effective bioindicators of water pollution. CLEAN DRINKING WATER IS SCARCE AND DWINDLING According to the United Nations, global water use has grown at more than twice the rate of human population growth over the last century. In many places groundwater is being used at faster rates than it can be replenished. And water quality is declining. At least a dozen major cities could face limits on water use in the next several decades. Water quality typically worsens as humans pump up increasing quantities from underground. Salt and toxic substances become more concentrated in the remaining groundwater as its volume decreases. At the surface, pollution from agriculture, mining and human waste reduces water quality in rivers, lakes and ponds. Government agencies in developed countries monitor and treat freshwater supplies to ensure that they meet drinking water standards designed for humans and livestock. Costs for laboratory analysis often start at US$100 or more per sample and quickly add up. Therefore, scientists often resort to biological indicators, such as aquatic insects and fish, to assess water quality. FOLLOW THE BATS In the Namib Desert, pools of freshwater are rare and isolated. The ephemeral rivers of Namibia flow only a handful of days each year, so it is very hard for aquatic insects and fish to travel between bodies of water. But since bats can fly, they can find freshwater sources over large areas, and may visit multiple ponds in a single night. One question I am studying is whether bats are more likely to travel to seek out high-quality water than to find food. There are more than 1,300 bat species worldwide, living in diverse environments on every continent except Antarctica. They pollinate plants, disperse seeds and consume insects including disease-spreading vectors like mosquitoes. Because their wings are large and uninsulated, bats are vulnerable to dehydration. Even the most desert-adapted species need water. Water quality affects them directly when they drink and indirectly when they consume insect prey, many of which spend part of their lives growing in water. This makes bats excellent indicators of water quality. In extreme cases, they have died after drinking water contaminated with insecticides or heavy metals. To find high-quality surface waters, people could observe bat activity levels using acoustic detectors to record bats echolocation calls. Although mostly inaudible to humans, people can typically identify bats to the species level by their calls. Monitoring species that are associated with high-quality water over time would help municipalities detect changes in water quality. During my time in Namibia, I observed that activity by all local bat species dwindled at springs with high salt concentrations. Water chemistry affects different bat species in different ways. For instance, one study found that certain species in Israels Negev Desert, such as the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros), avoided drinking water of lower quality, while other species appeared to be more pollution-tolerant. Scientists are still trying to discern whether and how well bats tolerate salty drinking water. A study from western Australia suggests that elevated salt levels in surface waters due to gold mining may decrease bat activity, foraging and drinking. If this is true, people living in those areas could detect changes in water quality, such as increased salinity, by gauging activities and drinking patterns of sensitive bat species. With new tools such as bat detectors for smartphones, this is becoming easier and cheaper than testing water samples in labs. WATER QUALITY NEAR AND FAR Water quality challenges arent limited to distant deserts or cities in arid regions such as Cape Town, South Africa. In my New Jersey coastal hometown, production wells pump freshwater from about 900 feet below ground out of the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system. As water levels decline in the aquifer, saltwater enters pores previously filled with freshwater. Saltwater is currently approaching my countys wells at a rate of about 300 yards per year. In addition to groundwater pumping, paved surfaces and deicing road salts have increased salt concentrations in bodies of freshwater across the United States, threatening the state of our drinking water at vast scales. Bats potential as environmental indicators is just the latest reason for studying and conserving these important creatures. Worldwide, about one-third of bat species are endangered, vulnerable to extinction or data deficient, meaning that scientists know too little to make judgments about their status. But with effective protection, monitoring sensitive bat species soon could be a viable way to find clean water in the far reaches of remote deserts or even the rural United States. This post originally appeared on The Conversation. | https://www.thedailybeast.com/can-bats-lead-us-to-clean-water-in-the-desert?source=articles&via=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29 |
How much credit card debt does the average Brit really have? | Credit card debt in the UK has been steadily climbing since July 2013, with Britain as a whole owing 72.5bn on credit cards according to statistics released by the Bank of England. A combination of austerity and wage stagnation over the past ten years means that the amount of borrowing on credit cards has continued to climb, reaching an annual growth rate of 7.9% in November 2018. I would like to receive emails from you about product information and offers from The Fool and its business partners. Each of these emails will provide a link to unsubscribe from future emails. More information about how The Fool collects, stores, and handles personal data is available in its Privacy Statement. Register by giving us your email below to continue reading all of the content on the site. Soon you will also begin to receive our FREE email newsletter, The Motley Fool Collective. It features straightforward advice on whats really happening with the stock market, direct to your inbox. Its designed to help you protect and grow your portfolio. (You may unsubscribe any time.) Credit card debt in the UK has been steadily climbing since July 2013, with Britain as a whole owing 72.5bn on credit cards according to statistics released by the Bank of England. A combination of austerity and wage stagnation over the past ten years means that the amount of borrowing on credit cards has continued to climb, reaching an annual growth rate of 7.9% in November 2018. The stats show that each UK household has an average of 2,688 unpaid on credit cards, with the Money Advice Service saying that 8.3m of us are over-indebted. Meanwhile, interest rates have continued to climb over recent years, despite the Bank of England base rate remaining at historically low levels. The average APR stood at 18.5% in October 2018, compared with 15% in 2006. To put this into perspective, if you owed the average balance of 2,688 and had a credit card with an APR of 18.5%, if you paid 100 off your balance each month, you would not clear your debt until December 2021 and you would incur interest charges amounting to 725. In the same scenario but played out with an APR of 15%, the debt would be cleared two months earlier and the interest costs would be 559. Not only are Britons borrowing more, but they are doing so at a higher cost, resulting in credit card debt piling up. One of the ways to tackle credit card debt is to find a balance transfer deal. These are credit cards that allow you to transfer an existing balance from another card or several other cards, to consolidate your debt. Balance transfer cards typically offer a set introductory period over which you are charged no interest on your balance. If you take the example above of a balance of 2,688 and repayments of 100 per month, if you secured a balance transfer card with an introductory 0% period of 30 months, the balance of 2,688 could be paid off by April 2021 with no interest charges incurred. However, most balance transfer cards with a long introductory period charge a balance transfer fee. If the fee were 3%, you would be required to pay 80.64 to transfer your balance. There are fee-free options out there, but they usually have shorter 0% introductory periods. Based on the trend of the past ten years, the likelihood is yes credit card debt is likely to continue to increase. With the economic uncertainty surrounding Brexit, it is unlikely that the key factors for increased debt (austerity and wage stagnation) will change any time soon. The Bank of England is also expected to raise the base rate further this year, something which could then be passed on to consumers in the form of increased interest rates. Some borrowers, however, are being savvy. According to UK Finance, for just under 45% of credit card balances no interest is paid, as borrowers are either clearing their balance in full each month or have secured a 0% deal something to think about if you are one of the 8.3m Britons currently over-indebted. See our list of top balance-transfer cards. | https://www.fool.co.uk/personal-finance/2019/01/23/how-much-credit-card-debt-does-the-average-brit-really-have/ |
Where do Leicester City rank in Premier League average home attendances for the 2018/19 season so far? | Get Weekday Leicester City FC updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email The reign of Jose Mourinho did little to slow down Manchester United fans from heading to Old Trafford as they have recorded the highest average attendance in the Premier League so far this season. Old Trafford has been 99.5 percent full this season, with an average attendance of 74,503 - just 376 shy of the stadiums massive 74,879 capacity. Arsenal boast the second largest average turnout at their home games this season, with 59,900 fans turning out at the Emirates to watch the beginning of the Unai Emery era in north London. Somewhat surprisingly, West Ham are third on the list, with the London Stadium hosting around 57,398 supporters per game, good for more than 95 percent of the stadiums capacity. Across the league, Tottenham Hotspur are the only team to fail to fill more than 90% of their stadium each week, but that is down to clubs reduced capacity at Wembley where they still turn out the fifth highest (54,030) attendance each week. At the bottom of the rankings is Bournemouth whose 10,525 average showing is nearly half of the next smallest average in Watford at 20,277. But with a capacity of just 11,329 at the Vitality Stadium, the Cherries are hardly playing to a stadium of empty seats. Check out the full list of average attendances in the Premier League so far this season. 1. Manchester United - Average attendance: 74,503 (99.5% of 74,879 capacity) 2. Arsenal - Average attendance: 59,900 (99.4% of 60,260 capacity) 3. West Ham United - Average attendance: 57,398 (95.7% of 60,000 capacity) 4. Manchester City - Average attendance: 54,113 (98.4% of 55,017 capacity) 5. Tottenham Hotspur - Average attendance: 54,030 (60% of 90,000 capacity) 6. Liverpool - Average attendance: 52,781 (98.9% of 53,394 capacity) 7. Newcastle United - Average attendance: 51,046 (97.5% of 52,338 capacity) 8. Chelsea - Average attendance: 40,509 (99.2% of 40,853 capacity) 9. Everton - Average attendance: 38,860 (98.2% of 39,571 capacity) 10. Leicester City - Average attendance: 31,895 (98.8% of 32,273 capacity) 11. Cardiff City - Average attendance: 31,021 (93.2% of 33,280 capacity) 12. Wolverhampton Wanderers - Average attendance: 31,005 (96.7% of 32,050 capacity) 13. Brighton & Hove Albion - Average attendance: 30,509 (99.5% of 30,666 capacity) 14. Southampton - Average attendance: 29,836 (92.1% of 32,384 capacity) 15. Crystal Palace - Average attendance: 25,443 (97.7% of 26,047 capacity) 16. Fulham - Average attendance: 24,302 (94.6% of 25,700 capacity) 17. Huddersfield Town - Average attendance: 23.184 (94.6% of 24,500 capacity) 18. Burnley - Average attendance: 20,322 (92.4% of 21,994 capacity) 19. Watford - Average attendance: 20,277 (99.4% of 20,400 capacity) 20. Bournemouth - Average attendance: 10,525 (92.9% of 11,329 capacity) | https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leicester-city-rank-premier-league-2459274 |
Was it red tape that killed Lesmahagow blast survivor? | A Lesmahagow man who cheated death in a gas explosion in 2012 was buried on Friday, his family bitterly blaming bureaucracy for making the final years of his life a misery. Indeed, relatives of Danny Martyn claim that a government agencys red tape played a huge part in his eventual demise a fortnight ago. On March 25, 2012 a gas explosion ripped apart the home of Danny and his partner Sheila at Turfholm, Lesmahagow. By some miracle, Danny was brought out the ruins injured but alive while Shiela was blown clear out of the house but also survived. Dannys brother Douglas, of Sandilands, said: Their lives were shattered like their home and although their own insurance rebuilt their home, it could not rebuild their lives and their retirement dreams. Danny never recovered and his health went in a downward spiral for the next seven years. He died without receiving a penny in compensation and not knowing whether his partner would ever receive any. He explained that the couple had raised a court action for damages against the company blamed for the explosion but claimed foot-dragging by the Health and Safety Executive in producing the accident report delayed the case by five years. In February 2018, when the report was at last completed, the Sheriff at the Lanark court made known his displeasure at the ridiculous delay. It is indisputable that this inordinate delay played a huge part leading to Dannys eventual death. They were both unable to get on with their lives; the frustration and trauma never went away and impacted Dannys health. The delay was a major a contributor to Dannys death. A HSE spokeswoman said: From the outset, we carried out thorough enquiries into this incident which led to a successful prosecution. While we appreciate the process was lengthy this was a complex investigation, dependent on a number of agencies, with many obstacles to navigate. During the investigation and subsequent prosecution, we tried to make contact with the Martyn family, with whom we sympathise, and the offer of a meeting remains in place. She added: This matter was investigated by HSE at the time and our original investigation report was submitted to the Procurator Fiscal for review in early 2014. The Procurator Fiscal reviewed the report before asking HSE to collect more evidence so we pursued additional lines of inquiry, resulting in the submission of two further supplementary reports in the resulting four year period. Now the late Dannys family are asking both their MP Dr Lisa Cameron and MSP Aileen Campbell to look into the matter, Douglas commenting: The delay was a major a contributor to Dannys death. There has never been any explanation as to why this Health and Safety Executive report took over five years to produce or why no consideration was ever given as to the impact this delay had on the victims. As to an apology - there has never been one. A Health and Safety Executive spokeswoman explained this week: From the outset, we carried out thorough enquiries into this incident which led to a successful prosecution. While we appreciate the process was lengthy this was a complex investigation, dependent on a number of agencies, with many obstacles to navigate. During the investigation and subsequent prosecution, we tried to make contact with the Martyn family, with whom we sympathise, and the offer of a meeting remains in place. The Gazette understands that the Health and Safety report was first submitted to the Procurator Fiscal early in 2014: after reviewing it, the fiscal requested more information and the Executive duly collected more evidence. It submitted a total of two further supplementary reports over the next four years before the matter finally came to court early last year. | https://www.carlukegazette.co.uk/news/was-it-red-tape-that-killed-lesmahagow-blast-survivor-1-4860811 |
Has Nigel Farage been nobbled by some secret Eunatic hit-squad with negatives of him shifting Chteau dYquem by the bucket load with Jacques Delors at a topless bar in Clochemerle? | Goodness! Its all very well re-shuffling the pack, but when most of the cards are Jokers, the results remain the same. Mrs. Dismay handled her musical chair interlude with the all the aplomb of a Titanic deck-chair attendant and the look of a desperate housewife, but then the Conservative think-tank is overstocked with minnows so one shouldnt carp (yes, I am mixing metaphors and dont give a monkeys). Now that Axminster-munching is no longer the plat de jour at the Ministry of Education, one hopes children will be taught the traditional alphabet and not the one that begins LGBGTQWERTY, but time will tell. The Revised Code will still prevail at Dr. Wortles School, rest assured. The prize, as usual, will be virtual hobnobs and the satisfaction of being smug. With all sorts of germs sweeping the land and laying people low, it is comforting to know that Mr. J. Hunt remains in charge at the Ministry of Health and has added Social Care to his briefs, which I am assured have ample capacity. I called in at Hirams Hospital this morning to impart this piece of news to the old wool-carders, all of whom were tucked up in their beds, coughing and sneezing. Non-essential operations will henceforth be postponed, I began, which in practical terms means your bedpans will only be emptied every second Tuesday. Lord save us, Mrs. P! Were doomed! declared Mr. Bunce. Id rather take a stroll down Eugenics Street and be done with it! croaked Mr. Handy. Id give that weasel a piece of my mind! said Mr. Moody. If only you ad one, muttered Mr. Skulpit darkly, before hiding under his blanket. Of course I scolded them most severely, pointing out that Mr. Hunt is a presentable, clean-shaven, snake-eyed young gentleman, the epitome of modern Conservatism, who would do his utmost to ensure the care and welfare of all at which point a flock of pigs flew by on their way south. I read in the Court Circular that the North Koreans are sending a team to this years Braemar Gathering, on condition that we pay for the privilege. I suppose it is a step forward in establishing civilised relations and respite from the threat of incineration, but it is a bit of a cheek. What they will make of caber-tossing and sporran-swirling I have no idea. One only hopes there are no slitty-eyed comments from the Prince Consort. Signora Neroni, who is always up to speed with things literary, informs me that Mr. Kipling has published a book in honour of the North Korean leadership, entitled Kim. I believe it contains a chapter headed How to mince your uncle. I also understand that the choir at Crathie Church are busy practising singing the North Korean national anthem, which Im told translates as Who let the dogs out? Mr. Verhuffenpuff of the Fourth Reich has taken time out from his position on top of Notre Dame Cathedral spouting rainwater to be beastly to the Poles and Hungarians. Either they obey the diktats from Brussels by welcoming the heathen horde or they must leave the Zollverein. No mention of long-winded divorce settlements or interim periods for these patriotic folk; just Allez!. Perhaps Mrs. Dismay could learn something from this and play her cards differently, but whilst Mr. Barmier is poker-savvy, the Prime Minister insists on playing Happy Families. Speaking of bullying wind-bags, Toy Boy Jupiter has told the French that refusing to accept Islam is to commit treason. Time for another dose of Aux armes, les citoyens, methinks. Copying the Egyptian Museum in Turin, Italy, which is now offering two-for-one tickets to Arabic speakers so they can enjoy an ancient culture their religion seeks to obliterate, the Barchester Archaeological Museum has come up with a similar promotion, aimed at Ancient Britons. If you are a native pre-Roman Celtic speaker daubed in woad and mistletoe, the doors are open wide free-gratis. There has been little take-up. Unlike Turin, we cannot stimulate interest by throwing in a child-bride with every purchase it just didnt seem right. The Mayor of Palermo, Sicily, a Signor Orlando I believe, has declared the future belongs to Google and Ali the Immigrant. The Archdeacon attended a regimental dinner at the recently re-named Oscar and Bosie Barracks, hosted jointly by the officers from the Queens Own Mounted Diversity Hussars and the Royal Wessex Kumbaya Rifle Brigade. It was explained to him that the old image of HMs forces was not attracting the right sort of mix, for the army has been ordered to move with the times and reflect the population at large. The traditional Hussars scarlet tunics have been replaced by pink ones with lilac facings and a low-slung rainbow-coloured sabretache, and the Rifles now wear frocks. Imagine my outrage, dear lady! blustered the Archdeacon as we strolled back across the Cathedral Close after Matins, I thought I had set foot inside a Molly House! The army needs fighting men, soldiers who will face cannons to the left of them and cannons to the right without shirking, not military-two-step dance tutors and strategic flower-arrangers! When I was a lad, camouflage did NOT mean mascara and lippy! Having faced the odd canon or two in my time, I could only agree. Of course, the news that has got all of Barchester agog is the announcement that Mr. Farage is actually mulling over the idea of a second Neverendum to put the thing to bed. The Archdeacon is convinced he has been nobbled by some secret Eunatic hit-squad with negatives of him shifting Chteau dYquem by the bucket load with Jacques Delors at a topless bar in Clochemerle. Well, I must go and chain myself up to a tree in protest at practically everything thats going on in Britain at the moment in truth it is too difficult to pick just one outrage to fulminate against, so I have gone for a job lot. It only remains to say, as the unveiled face of Anna Soubry turns die-hard Brexiteers to stone and ocean-polluting throw-away plastic effluent is recycled and turned into a major five-part series by the BBC, au revoir until next time. | https://archbishopcranmer.com/has-nigel-farage-been-nobbled/ |
Has Trump's approval really increased among Latinos? | Since Sunday, the President Trump has begun a new campaign that surprisingly has Latinos as positive protagonists. This time, Donald Trump has not mentioned that they are "traffickers" or "criminals." He has instead assured that his support has increased among the community. "Wow, just heard that my poll numbers with Hispanics has gone up 19%, to 50%," he wrote. "That is because they know the Border issue better than anyone, and they want Security, which can only be gotten with a Wall." Wow, just heard that my poll numbers with Hispanics has gone up 19%, to 50%. That is because they know the Border issue better than anyone, and they want Security, which can only be gotten with a Wall. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 20 de enero de 2019 Bypassing the presidential generalization that equates "Hispanic" with "border," what the figures really mean goes much further. The data was published last week thanks to an evaluation conducted between PBS and NPR which found that "50 percent of Latino adults approve of Trump's job as president", in a considerable increase of 31 points since December. This has been the first poll that the president actually liked. His campaign for fake news and the loss of prestige of official sources sharply contrasts with his sudden approval of a survey that breaks with national myths, and no wonder. Any negative polls are fake news, just like the CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election. Sorry, people want border security and extreme vetting. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 6 de febrero de 2017 But to generalize when talking about Latinos in the United States is to fall victim to tacit inaccuracies. For example, a survey conducted by the International University of Florida in conjunction with Adsmovil determined that in Florida - one of the states that turned the results of the 2016 election in his favor - less than 13 percent of Latino voters are considering voting for the Republican Party in the next elections. There has always been a deeply conservative Hispanic base with religious and political traditions maintained through generations, and which has supported the president from the beginning - it's just that he was never very aware of it. However, while his joys decant elsewhere, the real discovery of the PBS/NPR poll is that more than half of the country questions his management, as his approval rate is at 39 percent in the entire country and less than 80 percent among the voters that brought him where he is. "For the first time, we saw a fairly consistent pattern of having his base showing evidence of a cracking," said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted the poll. "Dont know if thats temporary tied to the government shutdown - or a broader problem the president is having." | http://aldianews.com/articles/politics/national/has-trumps-approval-really-increased-among-latinos/54851 |
Is Norwich Patisserie Valerie closing? | Video Patisserie Valerie to stay open Nick Ansell/PA Wire PA Wire/PA Images Patisserie Valerie is not planning to immediately close its stores in the region. Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. Stores in Norwich and Bury St Edmunds will be opening as usual for the time being. A staff member at the Norwich branch confirmed that the cafe on Davey Place would not be closing imminently: As far as we know, we are remaining open for now - were not one of the 70 cafes closing immediately. The cake chain said discussions with its lenders HSBC and Barclays to extend a standstill agreement on its debts had failed, leaving it with no option but to appoint KPMG as administrator. The move puts 3,000 jobs at risk across the country. Blair Nimmo, head of restructuring at KPMG and joint administrator, said: Our intention is to continue trading across the profitable stores, as collectively the brands have a strong presence on the high street and have proven very popular with consumers. At the same time, we will be seeking a buyer for the business and are hopeful of a good level of interest. Unfortunately, however, we have had to take the difficult decision to close 70 stores resulting in a significant number of redundancies. We will be working with those affected employees, providing all support and assistance they need. The cake firms parent company Patisserie Holdings has been grappling with the fallout of an accounting fraud since October. It said the extent of fraud meant it was unable to renew its bank loans and did not have sufficient funding to continue trading. | https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/business/patisserie-valerie-is-closing-a-store-in-east-anglia-1-5862597 |
What is a sandwich carer and what help is available? | I carry my dads emotions on my shoulders says woman part of the growing sandwich generation Waking up at night, unable to sleep because you're thinking about everything that has to be done in the morning. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto Archant Carers can often be invisible - they look after members of their family and we know little about it. Among their numbers are 1.3 million people still caring for children while also looking after older family members. We found out more and hear one East Anglian womans story. Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. So many calls on your time. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto So many calls on your time. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto A report issued this month shows there is an emerging generation of sandwich carers. They are people who, with increased life expectancy and deciding to have children at an older age, now have the twin responsibility of caring for sick, disabled or elderly relatives, as well as their own children. Despite the fact there are more than 1.3 million of them, they are some of the most stressed and least acknowledged people in the UK population. Among them is Sue (not her real name) who works in the care sector in East Anglia, juggling work alongside the demands of her home life, and a parent who has physical and emotional problems. Sue had her children in her 30s and is now in her 40s with an oldest child with ADHD, who requires more attention than many young people his age. His condition means Sue has to look out for him all the time. He is constantly on report at school. The school is supportive but he often leaves his bag in a lesson. He needs constant prompting, reminding and focusing. He is a real character - he just needs more support than the average 14-year-old. Hes almost a full time job, smiles Sue. At the same time: My dad has multiple sclerosis and is paralysed from the waist down. He was living with my step-mum but she has advanced Alzheimers and is now in a home. So now dad is living on his own and has to try and manage his emotions as he misses my step-mum badly. He has a care package and so carers go in to help him and members of the family take it in turns to go and see him, I go Mondays and Fridays. Practical help is easier to provide than emotional support. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto Practical help is easier to provide than emotional support. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto I phone him every night and I have reduced my hours at work so that I can do his shopping on Friday. The demands on Sues time have taken their toll. Its had a huge impact on me. I work Monday to Thursday and I dont have a lunch break so that I can pick the children up from school. It affects myself and my husband. He is an absolute diamond but our relationship does get put on the backburner because of the demands on my time. It has also had an impact on my mental health. With my step-mum going into care I have to support my dad emotionally. This was the first Christmas they have been apart in more than 25 years. He was taken into hospital and then given respite care, during which time he was on suicide watch because he was so distraught. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto I carry that emotion on my shoulders. It affects everybody. It has a ripple effect on everyone in the family. For Sue, though, it is as much about love as duty. I would do anything for my dad - its that emotional side of things... I can help him put his coat on and get ready to go out but I cant fix it for him and it impacts on my mood at home. Her dad, she says, seems to have lost his confidence and, as a result, Sue is also completing his paperwork. He was always so independent until recently. A parent that needs care can be in distress. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto A parent that needs care can be in distress. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto Sue clearly adores her father and her family but her life seems tinged with sadness. That isnt to say she doesnt laugh - she does and she says a sense of humour can be a great reviver. She also recognises her husbands role and appreciates him being there for her. I dont tell my husband he is a brick, but he is. I dont want to let anyone down... I try to be superhuman, I suppose. She wakes up in the night and finds it difficult to get back to sleep. My head is full of what I have to do tomorrow. Remarkably, Sue speaks without self-pity. The tears, when they come, are mine. She is keen to say that she is very fortunate to have an understanding employer, being conscious that some workplaces would not be as flexible and accommodating. As one of the sandwich generation, Sues story is replicated around the country. She is one of an increasing number of people who will be in the same position in coming years. Hugh Stickland, head of strategy and engagement at ONS said: This affects more women than men, with women more likely to feel restricted in how much they can work alongside looking after older, sick or disabled relatives and children. The wellbeing of sandwich carers is varied, with parents who spend less than five hours a week looking after older, sick or disabled relatives seeing slightly higher health and life satisfaction compared with the general population. However, those who spend more time caring show lower levels of health and life satisfaction, and are more likely to experience symptoms of depression or anxiety. If you are a carer needing support find it here in Suffolk, here in Norfolk and here in Essex. Get in touch to tell us your story. | https://www.derehamtimes.co.uk/news/what-s-it-like-to-be-a-sandwich-carer-in-2019-1-5862723 |
What does beer and federal IT mergers have in common? | Views from the Corner Office is designed to talk to the private sector leaders that influence and impact the federal market. The goal of this monthly discussion is for federal executives, lawmakers and other industry experts to gain insights and a better understanding into the trends, the challenges and the evaluation of the technology, acquisition and leadership in the federal market by the executives who lead the federal practices of government contractors. Mehul Sanghani, the chief executive officer and founder of Octo Consulting, sat down with Federal News Networks executive editor Jason Miller in December at his office in Reston, Virginia. Here are some excerpts from that discussion. Advertisement MS: Yeah, absolutely. I think if you look at it from the macroeconomic perspective, you look at the budget cycles, and I think we were in a period of significant belt tightening during sequestration. We had things like lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) sort of rear its head, and I think for high-value contractors, like my firm, that was particularly challenging, a challenging environment to sort of differentiate your solutions. But I think what we have nowit doesnt matter what administrationis a budget of political priorities and this administration has certainly laid one out. Its blueprint and political priorities are improving infrastructure on the civilian side and improving our defense posture are significant priorities. We have a two-year cycle now where we have significant budget visibility. And I think when you look at that at an aggregate from a macroeconomic perspective, thats a positive environment for contractors. And I think one barometer for that is if you look at the public markets. The public markets and how they value aerospace and defense public stocks. There has been a recent correction here with the market correction. But overall there has been significant confidence in the public markets that public markets have put into the airspace and defense stocks. And I think that foreshadows confidence in the overall environment for aerospace and defense contractors and certainly contractors like myself that service other areas of the market. MS: When you look at it just from an internal operations perspective during the last couple of years prior to having a greater budget certainty, we responded to a lot of requests for information (RFIs), and I think that is a market research mechanism for the government to understand their requirements going forward, but also to gain an aperture for how they might solicit the need for those services going forward. What the demand is. And there were a ton. We felt a ton of RFIs, but not many of those, not enough of those were really translating into real opportunities for us to bid. And so, we spent a lot of time and energy responding to that type of market research, but not having enough of it translate into the funnel into specific opportunities, actionable opportunities for us as a firm. From an internal operations perspective, from a vendor perspective, how that can be challenging. You end up chasing your tail a little bit. JM: Ive talked to several vendors, some hate RFIs and some love RFIs. MS: Well, I think you have to be judicious. We certainly take a look at the RFI and look at its propensity for being able to turn it into an actual opportunity. There are a number of different dimensions you can look at an opportunity like that. We look at it through a number of different lenses and then try and prioritize whether its a good use of our internal time and energy. Conversely, you can also exhaust a lot of internal resources and you can waste a lot of money pursuing opportunities. Theres certain opportunities that weve been pursuing in our pipeline that have issued now theyre now in their third or fourth RFI. Not only is there fatigue on our part, but I think theres certainly some internal questioning of whether thats a good use of our time, effort and energy. So I can certainly see it from both perspectives. And so in those cases, customer intimacy, being able to understand what the customers intent is, and oftentimes I believe thats also a challenge within the acquisition community is having that line of communications open with the vendor community to adequately express intent. Theres certainly still a lot of fear within the contracting community that if they talk to the contractor community, that in and of itself offers an equal advantage when in effect all contractors are looking for is better visibility in the intent. I think with better visibility and intent, we can respond not only more appropriately, but we can apply resources to the right opportunities to. MS: I think what I found interesting is the move toward best-in-class (BIC) contracting vehicles. I think that has the propensity to really shape how the market acquires things, the IT category management approach to how things are bought that GSA has largely been spearheading. I believe some of that is still in its nascency, but theyve certainly made some progress. I think those are significant trends because it can shape, from a strategic sourcing perspective, how goods and services are acquired. But I think it also puts more onus from a responsibility perspective on those that oversee those best-in-class vehicles because they certainly can wield a lot of power relative to who is going to have access to the key vehicles that are going to be the sources of supply. JM: One big question thats come up around best-in-class. MS: Now, Im irritated by it as well. Ill go ahead and say that I think perhaps the most frustrating thing when we look at opportunities that weve been pursuing where we have, perhaps even longstanding relationships, it is oftentimes arbitrary how some of the decisions are made relative to the vehicles agencies choose. And now you attach an additional policy relative to vehicles being named best-in-class. Ill use the example of Alliant 2. I think that has been deemed the best-in-class vehicle. We just missed the cut on that vehicle and thats a 10-year IDIQ contract. Certainly, GSA has been open about on-ramps that asset and certainly we were looking forward to participating in that, but certainly frustrating for us not to have been a part of that. MS: Yeah, weve been judicious with how we approach M&A. Weve done, and it sounds very large, five M&A transactions. Weve acquired four business units from established companies where they were looking to divest those particular business units. What we were able to garner via acquiring those particular business units was not only access to some of some minor capabilities, but we were able to access to strategic vehicles that were contained in those those business units. MS: I know that this is going to sound like a standard answer, but I see tremendous opportunity with that. I think what youre seeing right now is effectively almost a Walmartization of federal IT. You have these large aerospace defense behemoths and theyre looking for scale. You see that in the Engility buy. You see that in previously the Leidos acquisition of the Lockheed Martin IT business unit and you see that in the merger now of GDIT and CSRA on the heels of CSCs merger with SRA. So its clearly a signal to the market that theyre in search of scale, and being able to look at when youre looking for scale at that level, youre looking for cost efficiencies. With that Walmartization of IT, what youre going to see is that theres going to create a tremendous vacuum and a need for mid-tier providers like Octo. One of the things that Ive done at our all-hands meetings is point to the parallels of what were seeing now in the aerospace and defense space and what you saw in the beer industry and the beverage industry. You have the Millers and the Budweisers consolidating large multinational, behemoths. You saw them looking for scale and cost efficiencies. And that created the microbrew movement. It created the need on the part of the consumer to have other options besides just the Walmarts or the large Miller and Budweiser brands. You saw some of the microbrews become established midsize companies and almost large companies their own right, like Samuel Adams. And so I think the parallels are striking. Its certainly a referential example that folks that like to indulge certainly can relate to and I think its particularly apt for what were seeing in the market here today too. A member of Hokie nation JM: This is my favorite part of the show. Tell me a little bit about you outside of your normal work day. MS: My parents growing up were entrepreneurs. They owned a small mom-and-pop motel in Blacksburg, Virginia. So I learned a tremendous amount just watching their sweat equity they put in into building their enterprise. They really didnt have a staff in operating that motel. They were the maids, the desk clerks, and my sister and I operated every aspect of that property. So it was literally a crash course in MBA. I went to Virginia Tech and Im an avid football fan. I have the privilege of serving on the board for my alma mater, Virginia Tech and was appointed by the governor four years ago and I was recently reappointed by Governor Ralph Northam (D) just this June. So in terms of volunteering, theres no better way to volunteer your time then to have it associated with something that youre extremely passionate about. So having grown up in the town, having met my wife at the school, having graduated from this school and now having the trials and tribulations of being a diehard fan, thats a big part of who I am, but its also a big part of where I like to spend my free time. | https://federalnewsnetwork.com/views-from-the-corner-office/2019/01/what-does-beer-and-federal-it-mergers-have-in-common/ |
Can Donald Trump get his border wall? | U.S. President Donald Trump has been fighting to erect a physical barrier along the southern border with Mexico a battle that has now plunged the federal government into the longest shutdown in the nation's history. CBC explains. Building a border wall was Trump's signature election campaign promise, a pledge that he says is needed to stem a tide of illegal migrants and stop drug trafficking. The president is demanding $5.7 billion US to fund "steel slats or a wall," though many experts doubt such construction will have much effect. Democrats, who now control the U.S. House of Representatives, refuse to offer more than $1.3 billion for "border security," not a wall. The budget impasse means Congress hasn't appropriated the necessary public funds to keep the government running. The result: 800,000 federal government employees are working without pay or have been furloughed. Romaine lettuce is displayed on a shelf at a supermarket on April 23, 2018 in San Rafael, Calif. Workers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, who normally inspect products for bacteria and other safety issues, have not been working at full capacity because of the shutdown. Consider who isn't working right now, or working without financial relief in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration had scaled back inspections of high-risk foods like dairy products, fruits and vegetables. Air traffic controllers, tasked with keeping the skies safe, are probably losing sleep as they fret about their finances. And this week, 10 per cent of workers with the Transportation Security Administration called in sick. If you're a Canadian farmer who relies on weekly reports on U.S. stats on grain stockpiles and sales metrics, you might not like the fact that the U.S. Department of Agriculture isn't putting out those reports right now. But also think about the pain of being denied a regular paycheque. Federal workers are trying to make ends meet, lining up at food banks to feed themselves and their families. Rachel Abraham, a Transportation Security Administration at Reagan Airport in Washington, delivers boxes of donated pizza to her TSA colleagues during the 26th day of the partial U.S. government shutdown. (Matt Kwong/CBC) They fear being unable to make their mortgage payments or pay to keep the lights on. They're tapping into savings and driving Ubers. According to a report by the employment website CareerBuilder, 78 per cent of Americans say they're living paycheque to paycheque. No, it shouldn't. Budgets can fail to pass in the House of Commons. If that happens, the government would fall, said Robert Jackson, who served as a senior policy advisor to prime ministers Pierre Trudeau and John Turner. Jackson said an election would likely be called and the prime minister would ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament. The Governor General would be expected to grant that request. "The Canadian system operates on the basis that the executive continues no matter what," Jackson said. "It continues to be funded, the taxation system continues, money can be spent by the government using Governor General's special warrants when Parliament is dissolved, and so on." On Saturday, Trump pushed a new proposal to extend three years of reprieve for "Dreamers" 700,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, and shielded from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in exchange for $5.7 billion US for the wall. A community dinner is seen in Silver Spring, Md. Dubbed a 'Shutdown Social,' the dinner was organized so federal workers and their families could eat for free. (Jean-Francois Benoit/CBC) Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi promptly dismissed the plan as a "non-starter." A more enticing deal would have offered permanent protections for DACA recipients. Despite the rejection from Democrats, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected on Thursday to take up the proposal in a Senate vote. Even if it clears the Senate, it likely will be dead on arrival in the House. Trump has also previously threatened to invoke the emergency powers of the presidency to secure funds for the wall. He would do so by declaring a "national emergency," though constitutional scholars note that it would be difficult to make this case, given that it's not as if an overwhelming crisis critically threatening the nation's security suddenly materialized on the border. Such a move would trigger court challenges. Trump is in a bind, and there's no resolution in sight. His popularity over the last month has dipped below 40 per cent, according to a recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. Immigration hardliners in his own base have complained the president is tilting towards offering "amnesty" for undocumented immigrants. 100 miles of border wall in exchange for amnestying millions of illegals. So if we grant citizenship to a BILLION foreigners, maybe we can finally get a full border wall. @AnnCoulter The risk for Democrats is that Trump's weekend offer could put more pressure on their party if it begins to look like Republicans are more willing to compromise. But recent polling indicates that most Americans blame Trump and the Republicans for the current stalemate, and Democrats say they won't negotiate until Trump reopens the government. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of federal workers are bracing to miss another paycheque this Friday. And Trump, who said last month he would gladly own a shutdown in the name of border security, has warned this could last "months, or even years." | https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-shutdown-cbc-explains-border-wall-funding-impasse-1.4988207?cmp=rss |
Has the new Good Omens trailer sneakily confirmed when the series will be released? | Neil Gaiman has teased that the new trailer for Good Omens contains clues about when the show is set to be released. Advertisement The new video is mostly just scrolling, explanatory text which sets out the story of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchetts apocalyptic plot. The clip states that the world will end this Spring, putting the Good Omens release on Amazon Prime Video firmly in the spring 2019 window. There are clues in the trailer I tweeted today. https://t.co/fq8ZJaMseR Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) January 22, 2019 The world will end this Spring according to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the text in the video reads. Except, a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon who live here on earth are not actually looking forward to it. David Tennant and Michael Sheen are set to star as the angel and the demon respectively. Aziraphale and Crowleys quest to end Armageddon is off to a rough start. Tweet #GoodOmens now and tell us where you think the #MissingAntichrist is. One inspired suggestion from a fan pondered what apocalyptic events are set to take place this spring and pointed at Brexit (29th March 2019). Autumnal Flowers (@JGJones2014) January 22, 2019 29th March is at least a Friday, traditionally the day that Amazon shows are revealed, so the suggestion isnt as out there as you might think. Following its release on Amazon, Good Omens will be broadcast at some point on the BBC. Gaiman also added that the music in the new video is actually the theme tune for the series composed by David Arnold. This is also the first time you can hear @DavidGArnold's glorious Good Omens theme. https://t.co/ApZncR2sK7 Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) January 22, 2019 Advertisement Good Omens is set to be released on Amazon Prime Video in 2019 | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2019-01-23/good-omens-tv-show-amazon-prime-video-spring-2019-release-date-confirmed-new-trailer/ |
When does The Great British Bake Off 2019 start? Who are the contestants? When is filming? | Another year, another batch of bakers are set to enter the famous Great British Bake Off tent. The Great British Bake Off is expected to return to Channel 4 in August 2019. Judging from previous years, the competition is likely to commence in late summer and run until late October. The applications to be a contestant on GBBO 2019 are now closed. For those budding bakers who have already applied, a member of the Bake Off production team will be in touch by Friday 22nd February if your application is successful. The entire series of The Great British Bake Off including the final is recorded a long time in advance. This means that every year the competition is shrouded in secrecy that is, until Prue Leith accidentally reveals the winner early on Twitter. In previous years, every April, the tent is erected for ten weeks, and each episode is filmed over the course of a weekend. The bakers stay at nearby hotels, arriving at 9am on Saturday mornings and returning home during the week. Bake Off has been filmed in Berkshire since 2014, in the grounds of Welford Park in Newbury. You can find out more about the filming location here. Usually, with the competition beginning in August and running for ten weeks, the final of The Great British Bake Off airs in October. As soon as the date of the 2019 grand finale is confirmed, well update this page. The inimitable Rahul Mandal won GBBO last year here are his most Rahul Bake Off moments. He was followed by runners up Ruby Bhogal and Kim-Joy. Jo Brand is expected to be back once again this year with the Channel 4 spin-off show. It was one of the biggest stories of the year when Love Productions who make Bake Off decided to switch from BBC1 (where the show had been since its inception) to Channel 4. Advertisement The news created a media storm and judge Mary Berry quit the format, along with Mel and Sue (who released a statement saying they were not going with the dough). But Paul Hollywood stuck around and was soon joined by a new line-up for Bake Offs tenure on Channel 4. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-23/bake-off-2019-start-applications-contestants-filming/ |
Who Made My Puzzle? | Somerville, Mass. My first two published puzzles both ran in August 2008 one in The New York Times and the other in The New York Sun. My recollection is that the Sun puzzle was accepted first and scheduled to run on Aug. 27, but the Times puzzle ended up running before that on Aug. 5. I was always into puzzles, games and solving as a kid, but I was more of a logic/math nerd than a word nerd. I experimented with crosswords in college. Again, seeing the movie Wordplay. In the movie, the constructor Merl Reagle made it look so easy. I just figured, I can do that. Well, it turns out Im not Merl , and its not nearly as easy as he made it look, but my instinct was right I could do that. I have a highly addictive personality. Ive gone through a number of competitive hobbies (math contests, tournament bridge, competitive quizzing, board games), and when I get into them, I really get into them. I think that pretty well explains the solving addiction. | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/23/crosswords/who-made-my-puzzle-pahk.html |
How Many Oscars Will Black Panther Actually Win? | Jon When news broke this morning that Marvels Black Panther landed seven Oscar nominations, many fans viewed this as a giant leap forward for the reputability of superhero movies. However, the films actual triumph is less impressive when you consider the category-by-category breakdown. While theres no denying that Black Panthers nod for Best Picture is a major breakthrough, the films other nominations are in relatively minor categories that have been comprised of similar movies in the past. Production Design / Costume Design These are both well-deserved nominations, but Oscar history tells us that the award for costume design is more likely to go to a realistic costume drama than a science fiction or fantasy movie (though recent winners have included Mad Max: Fury Road and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), giving a slight edge to The Favourite. Having created a vivid world of its own, Black Panther is far more likely to win the Oscar for production design, making that its first win of the night. Original Song / Original Score Not many people are betting against Kendrick Lamar in 2019, but the momentum for original song seems to be behind Lady Gagas Shallow (from A Star is Born). While original score is a more likely win for Black Panther, Nicholas Britells powerful score for If Beale Street Could Talk is the more resonant, memorable choiceand the most likely winner. Sound Mixing / Sound Editing Good news, Black Panther fans: sound mixing and sound editing are the categories where the Academy always honours genre movies. In just the last five years, winners in these categories have included Arrival, Dunkirk, Gravity, and Mad Max: Fury Road. With that in mind, expect Black Panther to win both awards, bringing its Oscar total to three. As the biggest domestic hit of 2018, its definitely the popular favourite. However, Black Panthers lack of any other major nominations (Best Director, Best Screenplay, all four acting categories) makes it an extremely unlikely Best Picture winner. In other words, were predicting three wins for Black Panther, but this years field of eight Best Picture nominees is a little confusing and Black Panther seems to be one of the four frontrunners, along with Green Book, Roma, and A Star Is Born so there is a chance those three wins could become four, shocking everyone and making superhero movie history. Black Panther is now available on home video and streaming. Check out the trailer below, and watch the Oscars live on CTV on February 24 8e 5p. | https://www.space.ca/oscar-nominations-2019-black-panther/ |
Can Jacob Rees-Mogg deliver Brexit for Theresa May? | Theresa May and ERG chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg. Credit: Press Association The Prime Minister's whole game now is to persuade the leaders of the EU27 nations that if they were to ditch or to put a time limit on the widely hated backstop, her and their Brexit plan would be ratified at last by MPs. Well with backbench MPs poised via a vote on the Cooper/Boles amendment to force Theresa May to plead with the EU to delay the moment the UK leaves the EU and take a no-deal Brexit off the table, Brexiters are panicking that a referendum and staying in the EU will soon become the default position. So both the DUP and the Brexiters of the European Research Group have come over all emollient in respect of the PM's deal - saying very publicly that so long as the backstop dies, her version of Brexit could possibly live (and there'll be more of this from ERG chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg at lunchtime). Many of them would hold their noses and support her deal, shorn of the backstop, they say. Which puts the EU in a tight spot. Because the PM has to shift the votes of a staggering 116 MPs to win second time round, and the best she would be able to say to the EU27's prime ministers - in the words of one of her ministerial colleagues - is that she could "possibly" win. DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds and DUP Leader Arlene Foster in Downing Street. Credit: Press Association And such a win would not be obtained by a further backstop fudge. The position, in the worlds of one rebel MP, is that "if they bury the backstop and drive a stake through its heart, the deal might squeak through by a handful of votes but it would be close." Here is the thinking that is going on in EU capitals, relayed to me by a senior official from one of them: "Given that the majority of two thirds [of the Commons] by which the Withdrawal Agreement [or Brexit deal] was defeated is composed of Unionists, hard Brexiteers as well as Remainers, it would take very clear evidence that it is 'only' the backstop that prevents passage of the WA. "Theresa May (or whoever) would have to be able to show there is a large and stable majority for the WA on such a basis, and a majority good enough to deliver not just the meaningful vote, but also the ratification and adoption of all necessary UK internal legislation [that will translate the deal into an orderly Brexit on by 29 March]. "I don't think that at the moment anyone is convinced about that. And all MPs seem to want to talk about is the future relationship - not the backstop". Protesters outside the Houses of Parliament. Credit: PA | https://www.itv.com/news/2019-01-23/can-jacob-rees-mogg-deliver-brexit-for-theresa-may/ |
Could Americans be caught in the crossfire of an extradition request for Huaweis Sabrina Meng Wanzhou? | Canadians may be in the firing line now but the US nationals could be at risk as the extradition saga involving Chinese tech executive Sabrina Meng Wanzhou unfolds, observers say. Beijing warned Washington on Tuesday against proceeding with its formal extradition request for Meng, chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies, which US officials are expected to file before the January 30 deadline. If Canada extradites Meng to the US to face charges, Americans could face repercussions, albeit to a lesser degree, according to observers. Since Mengs arrest last month, ties between China and Canada have been damaged over what has been seen as Beijings retaliatory detentions of two Canadians former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor on vague national security charges. Canadas envoy to China, John McCallum, warned last week that the actions could taint Beijings global reputation. Observers said China had reacted more aggressively to the case of Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, because the company was a high-profile symbol of Chinese national pride. Julian Ku, a professor at Hofstra Universitys law school, said it would not be out of the question for there to be arrests of US nationals. But it is worth noting that China has not tried to play this hostage game with the US, Ku said. He said China might also issue a travel warning about the US, as it did for its citizens in Canada, cautioning about arbitrary detention at the request of third-party countries. That advisory came hours after Canada released a travel warning for Canadians travelling to China, warning of arbitrary enforcement of local laws. Ku said that if the United States kept up pressure on other countries not to use Huawei products and it pursues a criminal prosecution against Huawei the corporation in the US, it is possible the Chinese government will retaliate in some other way, for example prosecuting a US company. The US has banned government use of Huaweis technology products and services on security concerns. It has also pressed its allies to follow suit. Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing, said if China took retaliatory measures against the US, it will be of less intensity than those taken against Canada. Regardless of whether Meng was extradited, there would not be a significant impact on ongoing trade talks or the scrutiny that Huawei faced in developed countries, he said. But in the longer term, if tensions escalate between China and the US, or between China and Canada, it will not be because of this case, Shi said. It will be because of other factors. Meng was detained at the US request on December 1 while on a 12-hour layover in Vancouver airport, on the same day that US President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed trade on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina. Although the White House said Trump was unaware of the request at the time, many in China felt Mengs arrest was a politically orchestrated move in the midst of the trade talks. Stephen Nagy, a Canadian politics and international studies professor at the International Christian University in Tokyo, said he felt Mengs detention was partly tactical by the US to use as a negotiating tactic in the trade war, given the Trump administrations tendency to apply all leverage against their negotiating partner. Nagy said Canada had no choice but to act according to its extradition treaty with Washington, and China had retaliated against Canada to pressure the US. China very much understands that the best way to put pressure on the United States is to peel away its partners in the region, to use these kinds of tactics to make Canadians and other middle powers think twice about cooperating with the United States, he said. This does dilute the US influence and its negotiating position vis--vis China, so I think that this is a purposeful tactic by the Chinese. You peel away the closest partners of the United States, then it makes it more difficult for them to apply a comprehensive concerted policy on China. But the result was very, very serious damage to perceptions of China for Canadian businesses and the government, he said. Scott Romaniuk, postdoctoral research fellow at the China Institute at the University of Alberta, said the US was expected to make a formal request for extradition. The concern on the Canada side is that the US will simply hand her over to China, which would be an ugly situation for Canada as the country has come under dual pressure with little possibility of coming out of this looking like the good guy, Romaniuk said. If the US were to not make this request, the situation would not be a positive one for Canada as it would have then done the majority of the heavy lifting and been the recipient of bad publicity the entire way. | https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2183359/could-americans-be-caught-crossfire-extradition-request-huaweis |
What! Shah Rukh Khan's Don 3 Might Not Be Happening AT ALL This Year? | Earlier this week, rumours around Don 3s script getting finalised had been doing the rounds on a high note. Fans were all excited, and couldnt wait for their favourite hero, Shah Rukh Khan, to come back on the screen with a bang. Now amidst the high hopes, there comes another disappointment. The third movie from the franchise might not be happening at all this year! In a report published by leading daily Deccan Chronicle, a source close to them revealed that theres no script to be finalised and director Farhan doesnt have dates to allot. There is no Don 3. Not yet. Director Farhan Akhtar has no script for the third instalment. Shah Rukh and Farhan have been struggling for three years to come up with a tenable idea for Don 3. Theyre yet to crack the plot, he shared. Moreover, the source cleared the air around Farhans availability saying, Farhan has no plans of starting Don 3 in the near future. Right now, he only wants to concentrate on his acting career. He is starting his new sports film Toofan directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra that will keep him busy for the next year. Directing Don 3 or any other film is not on his mind at all. We have no idea to whats exactly in stores for us when it comes to SRK, but as far as the reports are concerned hes opted out of Saare Jahan Se Achcha owing to his last failures, due to which he isnt willing to take any more risks in his career! Android & IOS users, download our mobile app for faster than ever Bollywood & Box Office updates! | https://www.koimoi.com/bollywood-news/what-shah-rukh-khans-don-3-might-not-be-happening-at-all-this-year-deets-inside/ |
Is a West Palm Beach Doctor Heir to the Indian Throne? | Dr. Lord Lee-Benner has seen the dark side of the Sunshine State: its schizophrenics, neurotics, addicts, depressives, illiterate bipolars, disturbed teens, even psychotic ex-ministers. Many of the indigent patients who come to see him at Community Health Center of West Palm Beach, a nonprofit clinic where he volunteers as a psychiatrist, just want a pill or a refill of psych meds prescribed by a previous doctor. Continue Reading But that doesn't fly with Lee-Benner, an 85-year-old Korean War vet who says he's a prince. "There are certain cases where I agree they need medication," Lee-Benner says. "But I tell others: 'You have to show me that you're going to do something for yourself. I expect results.' It requires tough love sometimes." Visit his home office at his West Palm penthouse condo and you'll find a framed photo on a shelf above his desk that shows him falling from a horse during a polo match 20 years ago. In another, he poses shirtless in black short-shorts with the physique of Adonis. Watch the doctor's Dorian Gray-like biography morph into something else completely. Facebook Twitter More shares recommend reddit email "Of course, I've gone downhill since then," he laments, staring at the photos on a recent afternoon. Downhill, though, is a relative term. Despite his age, he's prone to wisecracks. Today he's dressed in white linen pants and a sleeveless white linen shirt that reveals defined shoulders and impeccable posture. You haven't heard of Dr. Lee-Benner. He keeps a low profile. Continue scanning the row of photographs on his shelf and you'll understand why, as you watch the doctor's Dorian Gray-like biography morph into something else completely. Older, grainier photos show him in front of splendid forts and mausoleums and at his wedding in the gardens of a royal palace. It all hints at a backstory he says he's kept hidden until now. It's a tale of kidnappings and orphanages, of turbaned impresarios and British MI6 assassins (who wanted him dead), of Miami rags and international riches. Lee-Benner with his stepfather Roger and younger brother Sirdar. Courtesy of Lord Lee-Benner Lee-Benner was born in Chicago in 1934. His first four years are a blur, but he has vague recollections of singing and dancing with his younger brother for small crowds and being shuttled around the country in buses and trailers along with a cast of carnies: the Tattooed Lady, the Indian Rubber Man, Priscilla the Monkey Girl, the Fat Man, giants, and erotic dancers. His parents, both traveling performers, told him he was an extra in Hollywood films starring Errol Flynn and Gene Autry, but he can't recall those experiences or find his name in the credits. Years earlier, in 1920, his father, Khaja Monavor Shah, had arrived at Ellis Island on a ship from England. The ship's manifest, which is still listed on a news database, says Shah was 22 years old. News articles from across the nation, also discovered online, show that by the end of the '20s, Khaja Shah had become Prince Shah Babar. He is variously described by the papers as "a mystic," "mind-reader," "fortune-teller," "psychic," "miracle man," and "prophet with telepathic powers." The 36-year-old Babar told Constance a riveting story of royal exile. Facebook Twitter More shares recommend reddit email A dashing ladies' man, Babar performed shows to packed houses where he read minds and advised audience members on love, work, and personal dilemmas. He often held ladies-only shows and wrote an advice column for The Montgomery Advertiser, an Alabama newspaper, in which he sometimes advised women on how to keep their men happy: "Always be sweet and devoted to your prospective husband and endeavor to show a constantly charming smile, whether you are really cheerful or not." Like any good hustler, he eventually made his way to Miami, where he met an 18-year-old bohemian showgirl, Constance Reardon, who lived with her sister and widowed mother in Miami's Lemon City, now called Little Haiti. The 36-year-old Babar told Constance a riveting story of royal exile. Babar, Lee-Benner says, told his bride-to-be that he was born in Kashmir, India, and was the great-grandson of Zofar Bahadur Shah II, the last "Mughal" emperor of India. The Mughals were Indo-Persian Muslims who ruled India for more than 300 years. In 1858, English imperialists took control of India, exiled the emperor, and killed his heirs. Some heirs, however, escaped. In the decades following, the British continued to hunt and kill them to prevent their return to power. When the Brits discovered Babar in India in 1920, he made a last-minute escape through a bathroom window, jumped a ship to London, where he eluded authorities, and fled across the Atlantic. (The existence of Bahadur Shah and all of that history, at least, is confirmed by the BBC.) In America, the Roaring Twenties were just kicking off, and Babar found a nation of prosperous people hungry for the new and the exotic. He donned a turban and gem jewelry and hit the road. By 1934, when he met Constance in Miami, he was thriving, even though the rest of the country wasn't. The two married and began traveling Depression-era America together, performing vaudeville, burlesque, and mind-reading shows. Lee-Benner's parents: Constance Reardon and Shah Babar. Courtesy of Lord Lee-Benner Dr. Lee-Benner was born the year those travels began. His younger brother, Sirdar, was born a couple of years later. The doctor describes his father as a "bullshit artist" who learned to "live by his wits." But, he says, the princely part of his father's tale is legit. British MI6 agents eventually discovered him living in the United States. "We were hunted and chased for years," he says. "My brother and I were kept hidden, living in boarding schools, or placed in one foster home after another. I have memories of living for a time in a convent in Pittsburgh. Also, our names were changed five different times to keep us from being detected." | https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/west-palm-beach-doctor-lord-lee-benner-says-hes-the-heir-to-the-indian-throne-10166871 |
How easy is it to make homemade crumpets? | Recipe: Make our thyme infused crumpets with salted maple peanut butter Homemade thyme crumpets with salted maple peanut butter Picture: Charlotte Smith-Jarvis Archant Take the edge off the chilly weather with our recipe for homemade crumpets. Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. I dont have a picture to illustrate, but earlier this week our pond froze over and my husband took a huge glacial chunk of ice out and pushed it, steadfast into the ground where it remained for several days our very own Shard. When we originally moved to our new house six months ago wed already decided to take the pond out but just a few days in, and it became a point of fascination for our family. Watching the tadpoles turn into a proliferation of toads. Feeding the fish. Seeing the milky-hued lilies unfurl in the sun at the warmest part of the day. It also became a focal point for weekend breakfast. Like clockwork, every Saturday and Sunday last year we could be found in our dressing gowns, sitting on camping chairs by the water, enjoying a lazy brunch while seeing which creatures we could spot. In the blazing sun, those breakfasts ranged from window-ledge ripened mangoes with honey, to fresh waffles dosed with chocolate sauce, bacon sarnies and even a full English not the easiest thing to eat on your lap! This weekend, now we actually have a garden with trees, were taking part in the RSPBs Big Garden Birdwatch and with snowy or at least frosty conditions predicted, theres only one portable breakfast we want to take outside with us and thats crumpets. Its a humble thing to eat is the crumpet. It looks pretty dull and uninspiring. But oh the decadence of lavishing the top with lashings of salted butter, and watching it pool into the holes! We do love a good crumpet in our house but they are amongst one of the saltiest bready things you can buy. According to Action on Salt, one crumpet has a similar amount of salt to a packet and a half of ready salted crisps. So when I have the time, I do like to make them myself as I am this weekend. They look tricky, but all you need is a bowl, a heavy bottomed frying pan and some egg rings, or round metal cookie cutters. That extra hint of salt comes from the topping of salted maple and peanut butter. A grating of dark chocolate makes these even yummier. And the inclusion of thyme gives these an edge. Thyme crumpets with salted maple and peanut butter Ingredients For the crumpets: 300ml milk,warmed 220g strong white flour 1/4tsp fine sea salt 1 7g sachet dried yeast 1tsp caster sugar 1/2tsp fresh thyme leaves For the butter: 4tbsps salted butter 2tbsps smooth peanut butter 3tbsps good quality maple syrup Method Pre-heat the oven to 160C and line a baking tray. Mix together all the crumpet ingredients in a large bowl to make a batter. Cover with a teatowel and put in a warm place for one hour. Grease a heavy bottomed frying pan and place some greased 9cm metal rings in it I recommend no more than four at a time. Turn the heat to high. Put 2tbsps of batter in each and cook for one minute. Turn the heat right down now and cook for 10 minutes. Youll see lots of little bubbles pop up on top. Now remove carefully from the rings and slide them onto your tray and finish in the oven for around five minutes to completely cook through. Mix together all the butter ingredients. Allow the crumpets to cool slightly then serve with the butter. | https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/make-our-homemade-crumpets-with-maple-peanut-butter-1-5862822 |
Does It Pay to Hire a Business Plan Consultant? | Hiring a consultant shouldn't take the place of your own understanding of your business plan. December 2, 2003 4 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Q: I've managed to partially write a business plan, but I lack some crucial elements. I would like someone who doesn't charge high fees. A: It's a very tricky call, deciding which parts (if any) of your plan should be delegated to a consultant. When push comes to shove, you will be the one running the business. When it's time to write the paychecks, your signature will be on those checks. When buying supplies, you are committing to payment. Even if you're not the person who creates your financials from scratch, it's essential that you understand them and understand the assumptions behind the numbers. You'll also need to understand the rest of your plan: Who your market is, how to reach them and what you expect them to buy are all part of your marketing plan. A consultant may help design the plan, but you'll have to make it come to pass. If you get six months into things and the business isn't materializing, the consultant will be long gone, and your best chance at adapting will be knowing what assumptions underlie your plan and revising them based on reality. If you've never managed a contractor before, it can be a lot of work. Check in often with your consultant, and make sure you're both working off the same set of expectations. Have a written agreement that details the deliverables, timetable and payment schedule. You'll almost certainly decide on changes when you see intermediate results and drafts. Save yourself hassles later by agreeing upfront on how you'll handle the need for redoing parts of the plan. I recommend doing as much as you can on your own. There are many great books out there that can help you look at your business's attraction to investors. One of my favorites is New Venture Creation by Jeffry A. Timmons. The book is pretty dense, though, so be prepared for a hefty read. There are also software products that will lead you through many parts of the analysis that you aren't familiar with. Business Plan Proby Palo Alto Software Inc. comes with several sample business plans, a manual to help you understand what goes into a plan and software to walk you through the writing of each section. While it can't do your research for you, it can help you figure out what questions to ask and where to find the answers. If you really want to hire a consultant, keep in mind that it often pays to spend extra to get the very best. When you're paying for someone's knowledge, you want assurance that what the person has to offer is high-quality. There are several Web sites where you can find independent consultants, including Bplans.com, eLance and Vfinance.com. You may want to consider hiring two low-cost consultants to do the same part of the plan and then comparing/contrasting what they each give you, in the hopes that you'll get a far better value than you would hiring only a single person. For market research, you can try MarketResearch.com. For help in hiring a consultant, the Institute of Management Consultants offers several resources, including a list of their members, a downloadable guide to hiring a consultant, and the code of ethics enforced by the IAMC. Even if you find a consultant who can help you come up with the answers, do yourself a favor and make sure you understand what those answers are and how he or she reached them. You deserve as much control as possible over the business--plan goals you'll be expected to meet. Stever Robbins is a consultant specializing in mastering overwhelm, power and influence. The author ofIt Takes a Lot More Than Attitude...to Lead a Stellar Organization, he has been a team member or co-founder of nine startups, an advisor and angel investor, and co-developer of Harvard's MBA program. You can find his other articles and information at SteverRobbins.com. This article originally appeared on Entrepreneur.com in 2001. | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/41912 |
Can authors still make a living? | Except for a relatively small group of authors churning out bestsellers, writing has never been a lucrative career choice. But a report by the Authors Guild, a professional organization for book writers, shows that it may not even be a livable one anymore. According to the report, the median pay for full-time writers was $20,300 in 2017, and that number fell to $6,080 when part-time writers were considered. The latter figure reflects a 42 percent drop since 2009, when the median was $10,500. These findings are the result of an expansive 2018 study of more than 5,000 published book authors, across genres and including both traditional and self-published writers. In the 20th century, a good literary writer could earn a middle-class living just writing, said Mary Rasenberger, executive director of the guild. Now, most writers need to supplement their income with speaking engagements or teaching. Strictly book-related income which is to say royalties and advances are also down, almost 30 percent for full-time writers since 2009. Writing for magazines and newspapers was once a solid source of additional income for professional writers, but the decline in freelance journalism and pay has meant less opportunity for authors. Many print publications, which offered the highest rate, have been shuttered altogether. The decline in earnings also is tied to the self-publishing, e-book and resale markets, according to Rasenberger. Small and independent publishers, which have fewer resources and bargaining power, have been particularly hard hit. Book publishing companies are passing these losses along to writers in the form of lower royalties and advances. Authors also lose out on income from books resold on the internet. The writing industry as a whole has always eluded standardization in pay. The people who are able to practice the trade of authoring are people who have other sources of income, said Manjula Martin, one of the authors of the book Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living. This creates barriers of entry and limits the types of stories that reach a wide audience. There is also, she added, a devaluation of writing in which it is often viewed as a hobby as opposed to a vocation. Everyone thinks they can write, because everybody writes, said Rasenberger, pointing to the proliferation of blogging. But she distinguishes these from professional writers who have been working on their craft and art of writing for years. What a professional writer can convey in written word is far superior to what the rest of us can do, Rasenberger said. As a society we need that, because its a way to crystallize ideas, make us see things in a new way and create understanding of who we are as a people, where we are today and where were going. | http://www.startribune.com/can-authors-still-make-a-living/504703122/ |
Can a Self-Help Book a Month Yield a Years Worth of Life Changes? | No, she did not. Being human, she read and read and did nothing. Each month, she would follow a different book. So, while reading Susan Jefferss Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, she sky-dived, posed naked for a life-art class and tried stand-up comedy, arguably more terrifying than jumping out of a plane. With Kate Northrups Money: A Love Story, she decided to face her debt head on and get to the root of why she had overdrafts on all her credit cards. Trying to be serious about money was so difficult she then decided to follow The Secret, a book by Rhonda Byrne whose basic principle is that you dont need to do anything but wish and visualize to make great things happen. So she goes from watching every penny to writing herself fake 100,000 checks and eating whatever she wants because, if you really believe, money (and men and houses and weight loss) will come your way. Its surprising to discover that The Secret wasnt written by a 5-year-old, but maybe not surprising to learn that it has sold millions of copies. Image And so it goes. Walking on hot coal with Tony Robbins. Rejection therapy. Still. The misery. I started to see how self-help can be dangerous for someone like me, Power writes. I was too busy reading books, spouting affirmations and dreaming big to get on with silly stuff like earning enough money to pay the bills. Power occasionally brings the funny; her description of one bad date was a genuine Bridget Jones moment. (He sounded interesting. He thought so too. I spent two hours being run over by his voice.) But the navel gazing and the guilt about the navel gazing make her go a bit mad about halfway through her journey; she pushes friends and family away, drinks excessively, bolts from perfectly lovely men and continues to avoid washing her hair. Some of those closest to her begin to avoid her. But all have an annoying way of showing up again to tell her that, despite her self-loathing, the rest of the world doesnt see her the way she sees herself. As a writerly contrivance, you can do this once or twice; when you do it over and over the reader begins to think, Maybe she skimped on the self-help books about writing. The contradiction at the heart of many self-help books is that youre supposed to accept yourself more while simultaneously changing to create a better you. I say: Pick one. If youre making daily vision boards and writing yourself fake checks, then the chances of embracing the life you have are kind of slim. If youre doing daily affirmations to yourself in the mirror, naked, learning to love your cottage cheese thighs, thats great; but the chances of losing those thighs arent so great. Either takeaway from self-help is fine, but instead, Power pingpongs between the two. Help Me! is filled with epiphanies that are unceremoniously discarded a few pages later. Perhaps thats the point of the book, but this can be a little exhausting. | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/23/books/review/marianne-power-help-me.html?partner=rss&emc=rss |
Will UDAN finally help bring Hampi on the world tourist highway? | More than a century ago, as he stitched together narratives that offered a glimpse of the lost City of Victory, Robert Sewell, in his seminal work A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of India, couldnt help note yet in the present day the very existence of this kingdom is hardly remembered in India Even the name has died out of mens minds and memories, and the remains that mark its site are known only as the ruins lying near the little village of Hampe. Advertising On the banks of the Tungabhadra in Ballari district of Karnataka, Hampi is testament to the glory that was Vijayanagar, the Hindu kingdom in the South when Islam held sway over much of India. Under Krishna Deva Raya (reign 1509-1530), Vijayanagar rose to dizzying heights. Portuguese traveller Domingos Paes, Sewell recalled, spoke of a street where you will find all sorts of rubies, and diamonds, and emeralds, and pearls, and seed-pearls, and cloths, and every other sort of thing there is on earth and that you may wish to buy. Paes said the city seemed to me as large as Rome, and very beautiful to the sight; there are many groves of trees within it, in the gardens of the houses, and many conduits of water which flow into the midst of it, and in places there are lakes. Vijayanagars end was cataclysmic. A confederacy of Deccan Sultans, scoring a decisive victory in the Battle of Talikota (1565), lay waste the City of Victory, never to be rebuilt. Hampis monuments are now part of the World Heritage List with UNESCO underlining: The sophistication of the varied urban, royal and sacred systems is evident from the more than 1600 surviving remains that include forts, riverside features, royal and sacred complexes, temples, shrines, pillared halls, Mandapas, memorial structures, gateways, defence check posts, stables, water structures, etc. Ranked No. 2 in The New York Times list of 52 Places to Go in 2019, Hampi has always been a difficult destination. Most tourists head to Bengaluru, take a taxi for a seven-hour ride to Hosapete, the town nearest to Hampi, or board the night train Hampi Express. But that could soon change. Working with the Tourism Ministry, the Civil Aviation Ministry, expanding its UDAN programme, has unlocked Ballaris Vidyanagar airport, 40 km from Hampi. For now, TruJet operates flights to Ballari from Hyderabad and Bengaluru. | https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/will-udan-finally-help-bring-hampi-on-the-world-tourist-highway-5552399/ |
What to expect as Putin and Erdogan discuss Syria's war? | The leaders of Turkey and Russia hold talks on Wednesday against the backdrop of the planned withdrawal of US troops from Syria, a proposed security zone in the north, and the security situation in a rebel-held stronghold. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin to discuss the complex situation in Syria, as the nearly eight-year conflict winds down and various players - including numerous armed groups - seek to gain control of territory. Turkey is seeking a 30-km long buffer zone along its border with Syria to contain a US-allied Kurdish militia that it considers to be a "terrorist" group. Sinan Ulgen, a political analyst and former Turkish diplomat, told Al Jazeera the Putin-Erdogan meeting is key for the two countries to draw a roadmap on cooperation in war-torn Syria following the planned pullout of about 2,000 American forces. "Regarding the security zone, Turkey would not take the military risk of creating it without the blessing of Russia, even if the US totally agrees to it," said Ulgen. "Official statements coming from Russia and Turkey suggest a clear difference in positions of the two countries over the issue, and this meeting will make us understand if the two actors will come to an initial understanding to get over these." Erdogan said last week after a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump that they agreed for Ankara to set up a 32-km security zone along the Turkish-Syrian border. The technical aspects of the zone were still being discussed. Along with the buffer zone, discussions will also focus on the fate of Washington-backed Kurdish fighters who fought Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS) and control of the wider region in northern Syria after the US pullout. Russia has allied itself with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and allied militias, and wants his forces to regain control of the areas lost to rebel fighters after the war began in March 2011. The region east of the Euphrates River is under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - the anti-ISIL force spearheaded by Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters - which the US has armed and trained, but which Ankara calls "terrorists". Northern Syria conundrum Turkey has demanded the YPG's withdrawal from the east of Euphrates River and has repeatedly threatened to launch military operations against the group. The United States, meanwhile, has put the security of its allies as a precondition for its planned troop withdrawal. With the security zone, the US seeks to satisfy Ankara's security concerns over the YPG, while preventing clashes between the two sides. Russia has welcomed recent talks between representatives of the YPG and the Syrian government over who should control the area. 190114090055032 "We are convinced that the best and only solution is the transfer of these territories under the control of the Syrian government, and of Syrian security forces and administrative structures," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week. "We welcome and support contacts that have now begun between Kurdish representatives and the Syrian authorities so they can return to their lives under a single government without outside interference," he added, apparently referring to Turkey. Mensur Akgun, a professor of international relations, noted there are differences between Turkey and Russia over the buffer zone, but said he believes Moscow doesn't have much interest in preventing it from happening. However, he said Russia would ask for concessions from Turkey in other areas as a quid pro quo. "Ankara has been stressing in a high pitch the necessity for this zone for its national security, so Moscow in the end is likely to agree to it in return for other benefits in its interest," Akgun told Al Jazeera. Turkey has supported militias fighting the hardline armed group Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, and Russia may use Ankara's influence in that area as a bargaining chip, he added. "Concessions over the situation Idlib might be one of these, or the [Assad] regime controlling other parts of northern Syria might be another. Although Turkey's position is generally against the Syrian government, having stability and security in northern Syria is the top priority for Ankara regarding this region," said Akgun. Idlib will be discussed Rising tensions between Tahrir al-Sham, listed as a "terrorist" group by Russia, and moderate opposition fighters in Idlib is a source of concern for Russia and Turkey, which agreed to establish a "demilitarised zone" there. Turkey pledged to disarm and remove Tahrir al-Sham fighters in Idlib in a deal reached in September 2017, which prevented the Russia-backed Syrian government from launching a major military operation against the group. 190108094851818 Lavrov said last week "terrorist" groups were operating in about 70 percent of the Idlib's demilitarised zone in Idlib, which he stressed is against the 2017 deal. "Tahrir al-Sham dominates [in the region] and violates the demilitarised-zone agreements," he said. Turkey says it has been implementing the Idlib agreement without any problems, despite provocations from different sides in the war. Several civilians were killed on Tuesday in artillery attacks by Syrian forces, Turkish media reported. Ulgen said Turkey has been having a difficult time implementing the Idlib deal, according to reports from the ground, as Tahrir al-Sham controls most of the province. "The sides are to discuss in this meeting how to address this problem. They might prefer to coordinate in a different manner to solve it, agree to let the [Syrian] regime conduct an operation there, or try to find another way," he said. Trilateral talks 190122081955863 Meanwhile, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday the meeting between the two leaders is likely to be followed by a trilateral meeting between Russia, Turkey and Iran, the guarantors of the so-called Astana process in Syria. He added no date has been set yet for the summit. Iran and Russia, which support the Syrian government in the conflict, and Turkey, which backs the moderate opposition, have been in close cooperation through a series of talks aimed at finding a solution to the bloody war since last year. Various so-called "de-escalation zones" were agreed among the three powers in Syria, including the one in Idlib, as a result of multiple rounds of talks since 2016. Major clashes in the country largely stopped amid ongoing negotiations. Follow Umut Uras on Twitter: @Um_Uras | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/expect-putin-erdogan-talk-syria-war-190123093136227.html |
Can Art of the Deal Re-Open Our Govt-Jenny Beth Back From Border-Higher Taxes? | 3 Compelling Hours of Experts, and Authors Pursuing The Truth No Matter Where It Leads 9:06-9:28a ET - Maria Espinoza - The Art of the Deal. Trump offers yet another proposal and Pelosi remains stuck on No. National Immigration Analyst and Co-Founder of the Remembrance Project reports. President of Americans for Tax Reform, America's preeminent center-right expert on taxes has details 10:06-10:29a ET - James Hirsen - Gladys Knight Takes a Stand for the National Anthem. sNew York Times best-selling author, commentator, media analyst and law professor discusses. 10:32-10:42a ET - Dario Gil - Year-end report from IBM touts top 10 achievements in AI, and offers bold predictions on whats ahead for the game-changing technology next year, and beyond. Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Quantum and AI, IBM Research has details. 10:46-10:58a ET - Norman Rogers - Pentagon Warns Bases Imperiled by Climate Change in Dire Report. The retired physicist and author of Dumb Energy: A Critique of Wind and Solar Energy discusses 11:06-11:29a ET - Rabbi Evan Moffic - Subject: New book explores the explosive resurgence of antisemitism in the U.S., why Christians should care (deeply) and how we stop it. 11:32-11:58a ET - Eddie Scarry - Commentary writer for the Washington Examiner reports, Texas border agents took him on a tour of the most highly crossed area of the Mexican border, showing him where they have some "wall" and explaining why they need more. | http://www.gcnlive.com/forum/index.php/topic,4819.msg7159.html |
Who Was Lil Tay? | Photo: Philip Cheung The Lil Tay fairy tale begins not with Once upon a time but YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT IT IS. If you were on Instagram or the internet at all last spring, you very well may. Her toilet, Lil Tay announced, costs more than your mommas rent. So does her wardrobe, her bed, her jewelry really anything in her vicinity. Her kitchen is bigger than your entire living room. She wears Gucci belts across her chest like sashes and Louis Vuitton belts draped around her waist. Shes almost exclusively seen holding a stack of cash. And Im only 9 years old! Not only has the grammar-schooler driven a Rolls-Royce (granted, only for five feet in a parking lot), but she has kicked one so hard she left a dent. She is, as she likes to put it, the youngest flexer of the century. There are, in the social-media universe, two kinds of influencers, meaning people who make money, one way or another, by amassing a following. There are those who pose thoughtfully for Instagram while reading a book of Rupi Kaurs poetry by candlelight, a cup of tea by their side. These people hope to eventually get paid to post content for a wellness start-up. Their lives are, at least from a Gwyneth Paltrowish perspective, too perfect to believe. But, in the manner of the Donald Trump of 80s tabloid fame, the second group of influencers takes an almost opposite path. They tend to be younger and make their mark not on Instagram but YouTube. They look straight at the camera and make statements meant only to shock. They are fourth-graders, but they curse. They are white but speak in blaccent. They get face tattoos so people will stop and stare. They repeat catchphrases like youngest flexer of the century to give viewers a mnemonic by which to remember them. Their specialty is becoming living, breathing memes, blips of pop culture that live in ten-second clips or viral photos. The attention sticks if they can attach themselves to a song or TV show. A whole separate Hollywood has sprouted in Los Angeles for those out to capitalize on this oft-fleeting kind of fame. In apartment buildings on Vine and, once they make some money, in the Hollywood Hills, meme stars team up, sometimes living together in McMansions, sharing their followings and clout, all angling toward a more lucrative hustle, most often in hip-hop. Photo: Lil Tay/Instagram Last April, as if shed walked right out of her Instagram feed and into the real world, Lil Tay appeared in L.A., a badass Dora the Explorer come to life. Two weeks after arriving, perhaps faster than any aspiring celebrity before her, she landed her big break. It was the afternoon of April 15, a Sunday, at the Americana mall in Glendale (the Grove isnt for meme stars yet), and Lil Tay had been hanging out with Woah Vicky, another meme sensation, famous for claiming shes 25 percent black. They ran into Bhad Bhabie, who by then had converted her status from girl who frightened her mom on Dr. Phil (catchphrase: Cashmeousside) to respectable rapper. A meme dream, if you will. Like most things in Hollywood, the meeting among the three principals had been prearranged. Its agenda: Woah Vicky and Bhad Bhabie were to squash their beef which had recently involved Woah Vicky using a racial slur for one of Bhad Bhabies friends while on-camera. It was to have been just another snippet in the drama creation that defines the meme life cycle. Memes fight, memes apologize, memes post it all online for clicks and ad money. As usual, TMZ was there filming. Bhad Bhabie instigates, taunting Woah Vicky to put your bag down, tough stuff. In other words, free up your hands so we can get physical. Woah Vicky complies, but shes smiling goofily. The truth is, she really isnt tough enough even for this WWF style of faux fighting. At 25 seconds, the camera pulls back to reveal Lil Tay. Shes wearing a delicate white lace shirt, hair dyed blonde, standing at least three heads shorter than anyone else in the frame. Shes got a cherubic face and rosy cheeks, but her delivery is stone cold: You tryna fight? Watching Lil Tay is like seeing a baby with a bouffant incomprehensible and funny. In the next scene, men surround Vicky, but Bhabie jumps in from camera right and throws an awkward punch over their shoulders. The girls are separated, and as Bhabie escapes up an escalator, Lil Tay stands a floor below, screaming into the void, Bitch! There were three girls in the fight, but in the end, only one mattered. That morning, on her way to the mall, Lil Tay had around 300,000 Instagram followers. Three days later, she was up to 675,000 and officially verified. Over the next week, she hit 2.5 million followers and averaged about 15 million impressions per post. By the end of 2018, the eighth-most-Googled question beginning with the word who was Who is Lil Tay? Photo: Lil Tay/Instagram Lil Tays origin story, according to Lil Tay, and to the dictates of the theater of the absurd that is meme-dom: She grew up broke as hell in Atlanta but worked really hard moving bricks. Eventually she got into Harvard and then dropped out. She hasnt specified). She began sharing this rags-to-riches tale on Instagram and YouTube late in 2017, and by January 2018 her antics had found an audience. Theres a whole genre of YouTubers who entertain by roasting fellow social-media stars, and Lil Tay followed in that tradition by taking aim at an Asian-American 21-year-old who goes by RiceGum and who leads the insult school with a remarkable 10 million subscribers. Lil Tay mocked him for being three times her age and still on YouTube with nowhere near her bank account. He took the bait and recorded two videos in response; collectively, theyve been viewed over 13 million times. In March, roughly four months after posting her first videos, Lil Tay connected with Dooney Battle, co-founder of the management group Tha Lights Global. Battle, who did not respond to interview requests, manages Lil Pump the face-tatted, colorful-haired rapper who appeared in images across Instagrams meme-focused accounts before releasing music and eventually collaborating with Kanye West. Tha Lights Global has emerged as the premier management group specializing in musicians and rappers who begin their careers with social-media fireworks. Heres the thing: When Battle and other aspiring managers sent Instagram messages to Lil Tays account, they say they didnt hear back from a 9-year-old girl. According to Instagrams rules, users must be 13 to open an account, anyway. Instead, a 16-year-old boy, Jason Tian, wrote back. Lil Tay is the face and the attitude, but if this is a case study in the creation of social-media fame, then Jason, Lil Tays half-brother, is the genius behind the curtain. Lil Tay with her brother, Jason Tian (center), and the rapper Lil Pump. Photo: rycie2k / Instagram Jason had his own past on the internet. Going by Rycie on YouTube, he primarily posted diss raps in hopes of igniting online fights with YouTubers who had more followers. But his act was derivative and redundant and never gained much traction. So Jason, whos reportedly obsessed with the internet and its star-making power, hatched a different plan. A little girl saying all of the things he thought that was something new, much more outrageous, and clickable. And he had just the little girl. Here, Jason introduces a whole new form of stage mom: the stage brother. According to many of the managers Lil Tay temporarily worked with in L.A., Jason wrote Lil Tays lines and coached her on how to say them; Tay was a natural actress and an eager participant. The word bitches exploding out of her miniature body, all zipped up in a pink Gap sweatshirt, was sensational enough to break through and a meme star was born. Before working with Battle, Lil Tay had recorded a song via FaceTime and GarageBand with another music executive, but Lil Pump was Jasons idol. For him, Battle was the ultimate get. But because Jason was only 16 and Tay only 9, Battle needed more than Jasons admiration. He needed parental consent. Jason connected him with Angela Tian, Jason and Lil Tays mom. Lil Tay, of course, talked a big game about her hard-earned riches and Atlanta street cred, but in fact she is the daughter of a Vancouver real-estate broker. Those were all in homes that Angela, who was an active participant in her childrens careers, had on the market. In addition to putting her job on the line by letting her progeny film inside her properties, Angela borrowed a co-workers Mercedes 550 SL (which led to her resignation from the company) for filming purposes. Battle bought the trio plane tickets to come to L.A. and discuss his representing them, Angela says, and he offered to put them up in a hotel for ten days. When they arrived, in early April, he told them he wanted a five-year management deal, period. But Angela, whose sharp black bangs are nearly as fierce as her support for her children, wasnt having it. I was brand-new to this industry, and Tay was just a young child, she says. I didnt want to make any mistakes by binding her to some long-term contract. Lil Tay on Good Morning America with her mother, Angela Tian. With battle in the past, the family moved in with Woah Vicky and Josiah Jenkins, who had made a name for himself on Vine and at one point ran the Instagram account @mom. Over a late lunch on Melrose, the family met Vickys manager, Harry Tsang. They got to know one another. Tsang spoke Mandarin, which is Angelas first language. It went well enough that, a couple days later, Lil Tay joined Vicky at the Glendale mall for the fateful encounter with Bhabie. Overnight, Lil Tay became the hottest commodity in L.A. Its this peak-viral moment that is the most pivotal for rising influencers. At this juncture, Lil Tay is no longer a person as much as a brand, a product, and a potential business. To get it right and hit lasting fame (or just something like a recording deal and an agent) requires the same level of strategy it takes to win a Super Bowl or to get the crowd out of Times Square after the ball drops. That means planning, organizing, networking. The right tags in the right places in the right time slots. Jason, at 16, had created the character and the scripts, but now the family needed someone with experience. A Kris Jenner to Lil Tays Kim Kardashian. But Lil Tay became so big, so quickly, that everyone wanted to, and did, declare her their own. It only added to the confusion that her family bounced among managers, taking meetings and discussing deals without signing any contracts. At least six people told me they were her manager, says Diablo, an L.A. music producer who spent some time in the studio recording music with Lil Tay. Even in this scammy milieu, multiple managers claiming responsibility for a single client is unusual. Tsang played a temporary management role but never signed any contracts. A man named Alex Gelbard is credited in early interviews as Lil Tays manager and consultant, but Angela will say only that, at one point, he answered emails for them. In the meantime, Lil Tay quickly ran through the up-and-coming-meme-star rites of passage. There was a video appearance with the rapper Chief Keef. Jake Paul, one of the most famous YouTubers, interviewed her. She FaceTimed with Diplo, and he DMed her: Your [sic] winning Tay. She met with the superstar rap producer Rick Rubin, who has worked with Adele and Jay-Z, because thats just how high up the ladder these things can go in mere days. Howard Stern reached out to schedule an interview with Lil Tay, but to Jason, Sterns no Jake Paul. They ignored it. The song Lil Tay recorded before connecting with Battle, called Money Way, was uploaded to YouTube by her very first contact in the scene, Ousala Aleem, a.k.a. Prestley Snipes, a.k.a. Pres. After he saw her video with Chief Keef, Pres says, he reached out to Angela to arrange a meeting with Warner/Chappell, Warner Music Groups music-publishing arm. He estimates that he couldve arranged a six-figure deal for Lil Tay at the time, but the family never got back to him. They had unfollowed him and say they never authorized the songs release. They never collected its royalties either, Pres says, which add up to a few thousand dollars by now. Lil Tay and Swaggy Wolfdog. Photo: Lil Tay/Instagram In late April, Jason, Tay, and Angela were at Mels Drive-In on Sunset Boulevard when they saw that the canine influencer Swaggy Wolfdog (@Swagrman) had a milkshake named after him. Lil Tay should collaborate with this flexing dog, Jason thought. So he sent Wolfdog an Instagram message. The dogs owner, it turned out, also speaks Mandarin. I saw that their life was all over the place, and they didnt know what they were doing and people were taking advantage of them, the owner says. So he connected the family with Diomi Cordero, a manager who had previously worked for Beyoncs Parkwood Entertainment and Republic Records. They decided to give him a try. In an unusually common arrangement in the L.A. social-media world, Cordero moved out of his apartment and in with Swaggys owner, so that Angela, Jason, and Lil Tay could settle in at his place. Cordero says he began working for the family without a contract to prove to them that they could trust him. His goal was to build an influencer team around Swaggy Wolfdog, Lil Tay, and Victor Garibay, a movie and TV producer who, as Cordero describes him, is rich-rich, not brand-rich. When influencers need a Lamborghini, they borrow Garibays. When Lil Tay needed a Rolls-Royce, she hit up Garibay. Cordero also looked into homeschooling for Lil Tay and Jason and attempted to limit Lil Tays more controversial filming habits. In other words, he tried to make his reckless young influencer a little less so, to mold her into something more mainstream to appeal to a larger number of brands. Early on, his plan worked. He brokered a charity-focused video between Lil Tay and the influencer Amanda Cerny. He landed her first brand partnership, a $20,000 deal with Tunes headphones. But internally, Cordero says, he had scant control. For instance, hed persuaded a celebrity hairstylist to dye Lil Tays hair in return for an Instagram tag (an $800 barter), but he had to spend hours persuading Jason to actually post the tag. To Cordero, it seemed as if Jason was overprotective and stingy about sharing his hard-earned following. Yet he was the only person with access to the @LilTay account. There was a bigger problem, too, Cordero says: They were taking on these big meetings without my guidance, and they were getting screwed. I had to fight with Logan Pauls manager, I had to fight with Jake Pauls manager. I had to deal with Atlantic Records. And, intentionally or not, the family was screwing people back, he says. Theyd lead everyone to believe they were going to work with them so that they would take us out to dinner, and then the last day before making it official, they would cancel. As a last-ditch effort to get them back on track, Cordero organized an interview for Lil Tay, her mother, and brother on Good Morning America. He told them that in this appearance, Lil Tay should confess that her character is an act, but Jason refused, fearing that followers would flee. The GMA segment is a somewhat confusing balancing act. The family seems normal, for the most part. Jason appears on-camera filming Lil Tay and wearing his signature hoodie and face mask. Juju Chang, the anchor, calls Lil Tay precocious and soft-spoken, introducing a more subdued and age-appropriate version of the star. But when Lil Tay sits down next to Angela for an interview, she admits to nothing. No one is forcing me to do this, Lil Tay says. They werent ready for this business, Cordero says now. Jason especially: Hes a fame-obsessed teenager who was uneducated about the entertainment industry. Lil Tay lights up. Six weeks into the familys stay in L.A., Corderos cleanup effort was falling apart. A video leaked of Lil Tay smoking a hookah; another showed her pretending to smoke a baby carrot as if it were a joint. As happens with anyone who finds attention on the internet, videos from months earlier resurfaced. In one of those first efforts aimed at RiceGum, Lil Tay said, I wear a belt as a sash like I just won a beauty pageant, cuz I slaying all these niggas, bitch. On Sunday, June 3, two and a half months after shed skyrocketed to fame, and the day before I was supposed to fly to L.A. to meet her, Lil Tay disappeared. Her Instagram account was taken down. All of the photos and videos were gone. And Angela forbade me from speaking directly with either Lil Tay or Jason. YouTuber RiceGum and Lil Tay mix it up. Chris Hope learned about Lil Tay from the principal of the elementary school in Vancouver that shed attended as Claire Hope. This was pre-L.A., but when the kids in Claires class started gossiping about her act, her principal and teachers watched some of the videos and became concerned that their content might harm Claires future. So they called her dad. Claire Eileen Qi Hopes origin story: She was born to a Chinese mother and a Canadian father on July 29, 2007. (In case youre doing the math, when Tay said she was 9 she was actually 10.) Her parents were never married and broke up before her 2nd birthday. She has taken ballet classes since she was 4 and participated in Royal Ballet Academy competitions. She has studied piano, singing, and Chinese, along with taking skating, swimming, and art lessons. She has an amazing capacity for memorization. Shes smart and witty. One of her favorite movies is La La Land. Claire Hope was always training to become a star. Lil Tay was the vehicle. Although Chris Hope has joint custody of his daughter, his ex-girlfriend Angela was Claires primary caretaker, and he felt he couldnt do much to stop the making of Lil Tay. Only days after he learned of the memes existence, Chris says, Angela told him she wanted to take Claire to L.A. to pursue her career and needed his permission to leave the country. Theyd be gone for only a few days, Angela said, according to Chris, and he agreed. The trip might give Lil Tay the chance to transition toward something more professional, like music or acting, he thought, not just flexing on the internet. Weeks later, he couldnt get a straight answer on when theyd return home. His daughter was missing school and eventually racked up 72 absences for the year. Chris watched the videos of her at a concert with Chief Keef; hanging out with adults who appeared to be smoking weed; the Bhad Bhabie fight; the carrot joint. He lists them over the phone in a voice soft with the shock of it all, as if the more quietly he speaks, the less true it all becomes. Chris, a lawyer, realized that L.A. wasnt turning into an opportunity for Claire to broaden her pursuits. He got a court order requiring his daughter to return to Vancouver and close down the account. On the evening of June 3, Lil Tay and her entourage were back. Lil Tay and the rapper Chief Keef. Photo: Lil Tay/Instagram Unsurprisingly, perhaps, Lil Tay wasnt happy to be home, Angela says. Tay blamed her dad for keeping her from going after her dream and began to refuse to spend time with him. He was the bad guy. The thing is, Chris wasnt some prudish moralist standing in the way of his daughters career he just wanted to help her have a different kind of career. Like Cordero. Chris set some basic requirements for Tays return to L.A. The first: She had to sign up for a visa and an American work permit. One reason Angela had never signed any contracts in L.A. may have been because she actually couldnt. Given Chriss joint custody, he also had to sign for any agreement to be enforceable. Without a visa, Angela and her children couldnt legally collect money, either. Chris wanted to trademark Lil Tay, buy a domain, and settle on management. And he stipulated that a percentage of her earnings be put in a trust for her future, as is required by Canadian and California law. Since his daughter might ruin her future by acting outrageous on the internet, shed better at least have some money saved, he figured. In the meantime, he wanted to make sure she still attended school. And last, if she was to continue as Lil Tay, he wanted her to add something of artistic value to her repertoire, whether it be singing, dancing, or acting. Again, he repeats, not just flexing on the internet. While they were in Vancouver, removed from much of the meme scene, a family friend who describes himself as Lil Tays secretary got in touch with Chris Jones, a promoter who runs the record label Genre Bend and has signed music deals with tween social-media stars like Rocco Piazza and Lil Terrio. Angela and Jones struck yet another verbal agreement: Hed come to Vancouver and record music with Lil Tay. Her father okayed the plan, and in September, Lil Tay recorded behind closed doors, as her parents continued to try to work out something more permanent. Things seemed to be looking up. Chris Hope even allowed Lil Tay to travel to L.A. for a week in September to film a cameo in Piazzas video The Ellen Dance, a piece of viral bait named after Ellen DeGeneres, scheduled for release in February. While in L.A., Lil Tay also recorded a few of her own songs with Jones. He was just waiting for her parents to come to terms to release them Lil Tay was almost back. But this fairy tale doesnt end with happily ever after and Lil Tay making brand-new music for the movie adaptation. Her parents have a difficult history: Numerous times since Claire was born, theyve had to go to court to hash out their differences, and meanwhile, according to people who dealt with Jason in Hollywood, he was frustrated that, after all of his hard work with his sister, he was being pushed aside. In fact, before Jason left L.A. in June, Cordero, Tsang, and a few other managers say he raised the possibility of a #FreeLilTay T-shirt campaign. He wanted to print merch with Lil Tays face in front of an American flag, positioning her as the American Dream in limbo, ripped from her rightful place by a father eager to cash in on her newfound fame. In mid-October, the Lil Tay account returned, supposedly the result of a hack, with a series of stories that portrayed Chris as a neglectful absent father. There were screenshots of documents with claims that Chris refused to take Lil Tay to ballet lessons, that his new wife cursed at her and locked her in a closet, that he forced her to watch scary movies and was behind on his child-support payments. The documents were presented as court papers, but they referred to Claire Hope only as Lil Tay, which isnt exactly standard legal form. Whoever was behind the posts also released the phone number of Chriss law firm and his email address with instructions to get in touch. That prompted tens of thousands of calls, FaceTimes, and WhatsApp messages, plus hundreds of emails. I was bullied, cyberbullied, whatever phrase you want to use, by the millions of people that follow those posts, Chris says. Still, he hasnt changed his mind. He remains firm in his determination to shape his daughters career in the way he thinks best. Lil Tay, a.k.a. Claire Eileen Qi Hope, with her father, Christopher John Hope. Photo: Courtesy of Christopher John Hope Lil Tay is homeschooled now because, even though she had 2 million followers for only two months, shes too famous. All the kids recognize her. She can barely leave the house. Toward the end of the summer, Angela took her children on vacation. They went to a small town called Campbell River, about four hours northwest of Vancouver. She thought it was far enough away, in a quiet enough place, that Lil Tay wouldnt attract attention. But one evening, out at a restaurant, the waitress recognized her. I was so surprised, Angela says. They have to strategize before they can go to the mall, too. Lil Tay gets mobbed before she even leaves the parking lot. So it seems that Lil Tay will continue life as a celebrity without benefits until her parents can reach an agreement. Angela and Chris have a court date scheduled for April, and Lil Tay has the music with Jones waiting to be sent out into the world. This probably isnt the end of her story. After all, she only turned 11 this summer. *This article appears in the January 21, 2019, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now! | https://www.thecut.com/2019/01/who-was-lil-tay.html?utm_source=nym&utm_medium=f1&utm_campaign=feed-part |
What can we expect from Tiger Woods in 2019? | It was last August that Paul Dunne posted a photo on his twitter feed that was very much tongue-in-cheek but which underscored the effect Tiger Woods has on the sport. They here for me or Tiger? asked Dunne, accompanied by an image of spectators packed like sardines into a tin can. Quite literally, the crowds were so big that there was nowhere to move. That photo came during a weather delay in the US PGA Championship at Bellerive, where Woods whod started his 2018 season at the Farmers Insurance Open this time last year ranked 539th in the world contended like his old self and there was a giddy anticipation, and a genuine realisation, that his comeback from spinal surgery was for real. Dunne was just a whippersnapper when Woods prowled the fairways as the world number one and most dominant player of his or any era, yet there was something about the atmosphere in St Louis that transcended generations and reaffirmed how Woods can move the dial like no other when it comes to golf. Now, there is a renewed sense of anticipation as Woods now ranked 13th in the world again makes his seasonal debut at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, a place which has provided so many highlights for the player, and spectators too, throughout his career. Woods is a seven-time winner of the FIO and, to boot, also won the US Open there in 2008. That US Open win was actually the last of his 14 Major successes; and, if there was a time when we wondered if he would ever win another, given his injury travails with knee and spine in the interim, it is fair to say that any such doubts have gone and there is again a renewed sense of expectation. Woodss last competitive appearance out on tour (disregard the Hero World Challenge if you will) was at the PGA Tours season-ending Tour Championship, which he won. After that, came the Ryder Cup which was a whole different kettle of fish. He was plainly exhausted and not himself for that one. So, really, his last outing of note was that Tour Championship back last September and we can only trust that he has wintered well. Woods won for the first time since 2013 at last years Tour Championship. Photo: Tim Bradbury/Getty Images Returning to competition on a favoured hunting ground is a wise one. On Tuesday, he played a practice round with Jordan Spieth and recounted a snippet of conversation which had taken place between the two: How long have you been coming here? asked Spieth. Well, 10 years longer than youve been alive, replied Woods. And that says so much about Woods and the impact he has had through his career. What wasnt remarked upon was that Woods, at 13th in the world rankings, has now moved clearly ahead of Spieth, once seen as the pretender to his crown, who is ranked 20th. For Woods, this is a new season that doesnt have any of the doubts which were part of his psyche this time last year. As he put it, I know what my body can and cannot do. Last year was very fluid, and it was like trying to hit a moving target . . . . it was quite interesting trying to figure it all out as the year progressed and it evolved. This year, I have a great understanding of what I can and cant do. Theres not uncertainly that I had going into the year last year after what I did at the end of last year. Sounds like were in for an interesting old season, with Woods just like the old times the centre of the golfing universe. | https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/golf/what-can-we-expect-from-tiger-woods-in-2019-1.3767773?localLinksEnabled=false |
Is there any way to avoid a hard Border in a no-deal Brexit? | Probably not, is the answer. Just as the European Commission spokesman said on Tuesday. The reason for the qualification is that there would technically be ways around it, but not ones which the governments involved in Ireland, the UK and the rest of the EU would be likely to all sign up to in the wake of a no-deal Brexit. So if there is a no-deal Brexit, some kind of checks and controls at the Irish Border look very difficult to avoid. Where there may be scope for discussions is how these would operate. After Brexit, the Irish Border becomes an external frontier for the EU trading bloc. In a no-deal scenario, the UK would leave the EU trading regime the customs union and single market overnight. Goods are checked crossing borders for a few reasons. First, there is a need for customs checks to ensure goods are properly cleared, that there is clarity on where they come from and that all appropriate taxes and duties are paid. Under EU rules, goods cannot enter the single market unless this happens. Second, there is a need in some sectors for goods to be checked to ensure standards and regulations are met. For the EU, these rules are set by single market regulations. Movements of animals and food products are particularly sensitive to ensure food safety standards and animal health, in particular but there is also a wider issue of safety, for example in toys and electronic products. Checks are vital not only to ensure compliance but also to control smuggling. The Irish Border has a history of smuggling of diesel, tobacco and alcohol, but new opportunities would emerge post-Brexit, particularly as the UKs custom rules and regulatory procedures diverged from the EU over time. There would be scope for discussion about how the border would operate. Technology and online compliance could help a lot. But goods entering the EU need to clear customs, some need to be checked for standards and smuggling needs to be controlled. For the Irish Border, the food and livestock issues are central and the nature of these products means it is impossible to avoid physical checks at some stage. Well the only way to avoid a border in Ireland would be to conduct the necessary checks somewhere else. Practically and politically after a no-deal Brexit, this looks very difficult to achieve. Consider the options. Goods could be controlled crossing the Irish Sea from the UK to Ireland. However, for this to work, the North would need to remain in the same customs regime as the Republic and to apply the same regulatory rules to goods. As the UK has said it wants to leave these regimes, this would lead to separate rules applying in the North than the rest of the UK and some new checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea. And all that is anathema to the DUP, which is supporting the UK government. It would, in effect, be a return to the original idea of the Northern Ireland only backstop. It is hard to see it being a runner in the immediate wake of a no-deal Brexit, though it would presumably be the direction our Government would try to push the discussion, reminding London and Brussels of the commitments in the Good Friday Agreement and the fact that the majority in the North voted to remain. The Northern Ireland only backstop was replaced at the UKs insistence in the withdrawal agreement by a wider idea that all of the UK would remain in a customs union with the EU if needed until some other way was found to avoid a hard Irish border. But this is the very concept that threatens to sink the withdrawal agreement the House of Commons. The idea that checks could be conducted at EU ports like Calais and Rotterdam rather than at the Irish border was reportedly referred to at the Taoiseachs briefing with other party leaders on Tuesday evening. This appears to have been raised as an example of what the EU might insist on if we dont put up border checks. In other words, the EU would say to us that this is how they would control goods coming into the single market if we did not do it.This would leave Ireland as half-in and half-out of the EU trading bloc. It is hard to see how this would even be possible, or would operate in practice. Any suggestion of checks on goods leaving Ireland for the EU would threaten our membership of the EU single market, a cornerstone of our economic policy. The effect of putting the border in France or Netherlands would be considerably worse than that of a border to the North and Britain. This is categorically not an option, according to Edgar Morgenroth, economics professor at DCU who has studies the trade impact of Brexit in detail. He points out that trade with the other EU countries outweighs that with the Britain and the North and membership of the EU trading bloc is central to our attraction for foreign direct investment, particularly from the US. So in the event of a no-deal Brexit, avoiding a border on the island looks impossible, even if there is scope for debate on how it would operate. Movements of people should continue unimpeded we are not talking about a security border. But goods will need to be checked and controlled somewhere. In the longer term, the greater the UK diverges from the EU, the more vital these become. There are questions about how this would play out. It is assumed that it will revert to rules set by the World Trade Organisation, including the imposition of tariffs, but no guarantee it will do this from day one. Or would events lead towards a Border poll, as Sinn Fin has argued. All these things will play into the debate if a no-deal happens. But Ireland will quickly come under pressure to bring in border checks of there is a no-deal Brexit and so, incidentally, will the UK. It is just the way the world works. | https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/is-there-any-way-to-avoid-a-hard-border-in-a-no-deal-brexit-1.3767813?localLinksEnabled=false |
Which is the world's most LGBT-friendly city? | Even when cities seem progressive on the surface, the lived experience of members of the LGBT community can tell a dramatically different story Amid a mass of colour and pounding Latin rhythms, revellers at this years Bogot Pride march waved banners stating not one step back. They were among tens of thousands who took to the streets to celebrate and support Colombias LGBT community. Many annual Pride marches that were once solemn protests against repression have become celebrations of now-existing rights or progress, reflecting the strength of LGBT communities. In Bogot, for example, the capital of a macho and socially conservative country, there has been surprising progress in LGBT rights. In March, Anglica Lozano Correa, a former member of the Bogot city council, became the first openly LGBT person to be elected to the countrys Senate. In 2016 the countrys government passed laws allowing same-sex couples to adopt and marry, and the previous year it granted transgender people the right to change their identity on official government documents policies which have allowed more equality and openness. But while these laws and political representation might suggest Bogot is friendly and tolerant of the LGBT community, the issue is not clear-cut. This years Bogot Pride march was marked by an undertone of resistance to and fear of the right-wing government of the new president, Ivan Duque. Duque openly opposes the LGBT-inclusive peace agreement his predecessor, Juan Manuel Santos, signed with leftist rebels Farc in 2016. Activists claim he is also against same-sex marriage and adoption rights. Although the government promised there would be no setbacks to LGBT rights, the appointment of several anti-LGBT officials, cuts in resources for public policies and the continued strengthening of radical religious movements that promote hate speech and misinformation against the LGBT population are worrying, says Marcela Snchez, director of Colombia Diversa, a leading LGBT rights organisation. Facebook Twitter Pinterest A man decorates his facade with clothes of the rainbow flag in Spain during the week of Pride celebrations. Photograph: Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images Rough measures Indeed, determining a citys attitude towards the LGBT community is complex. Studies that try to do this often look at political or legal metrics such as freedom to marry, or laws protecting against discrimination. Equaldex, a collaborative knowledge base for the global LGBT movement that maps the legality of homosexuality, identifies a number of factors including freedom to change gender and to adopt although it hasnt ranked countries or cities in order of best to worst. An index from the Human Rights Campaign looks at municipal services, law enforcement and the city leaderships public position on equality across the US. Seventy-eight out of 506 US cities had a perfect score of 100, for reasons such as introducing trans-inclusive health benefits to city employees, as in Brookings, South Dakota. Birmingham, Alabama, obtained a full score for passing comprehensive nondiscrimination ordinances, along with other cities such as Cleveland in Ohio, a state that had previously prohibited same-sex marriage and civil unions. However, the Human Rights Campaign clearly states its index does not and cannot reflect a citys friendliness. Other global surveys have tried to assess friendliness by covering public attitudes, access to nightlife and personal safety. A 2017 survey by the housing website Nestpick ranked the best LGBT cities by asking thousands of people how friendly they felt their city was based on safety and nightlife. Madrid, Amsterdam and Toronto came out as the top three. Facebook Twitter Pinterest San Francisco has the biggest proportion of LGBT residents in the US. Photograph: Brigitte MERLE/Getty Images/Photononstop RF Modern strongholds for LGBTQI culture remain in western Europe and Canada, says Merryn Johns, editor and chief for Curve, a lesbian-focused magazine in New York. Arguably the size of the LGBT population in urban areas could reflect the level of friendliness, as many LGBTI folk head to cities from rural areas because of the promise of a freer, more tolerant life there, says Andr du Plessis, executive director of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. A study of US metro areas found San Francisco has the biggest proportion of LGBT residents in the country at 6.2%, followed by Portland and Austin. San Francisco has often been called the gay capital of the world for its culture of tolerance and vibrant scene. But even when cities seem progressive on the surface, the lived experience of members of the LGBT community can tell a dramatically different story. For a certain social strata [sic], Cape Town and Johannesburg are gay meccas, but at the same time black lesbians living in poor areas there are dealing with violence and targeted rape, says Graeme Reid, director of the LGBT rights programme at Human Rights Watch. A study in 2017 found that four in 10 LGBT South Africans know of someone who has been killed for being or suspected of being LGBT. Black members of this community are twice as likely (49%) as white people (26%) to know of an LGBT person who has been murdered. Even in London and Paris, which both have a reputation of being queer-friendly cities, hate crimes have increased in recent years. A report from Stonewall in 2017 found that 25% of Londons LGBT community had experienced harassment or assault. Brazils second-largest city, Rio de Janeiro, has been branding itself as an LGBT tourist destination for years. It has made huge efforts in providing anti-bullying projects aimed at students, and has outlawed discrimination in nightclubs. However, the last year has seen record numbers of violent attacks against the queer community. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro once said: Yes, Im homophobic and very proud of it. Photograph: Evaristo Sa/AFP/Getty Images And with a newly elected far-right government, there are fears it could get worse. With the election of an openly homophobic president, Jair Bolsonaro, who has infamously said he would rather have a dead son than a gay son, Rios reputation as a destination city may falter, and violence increase, Reid says. Rio is seen as a liberated city, but also has high levels of [homophobic] violence. Gay Disneyland Conversely, in some countries with backward and dangerous attitudes to the LGBT community, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, discreet but vibrant underground scenes can thrive. This is even the case in Russia, where activists say two people were killed last week and nearly 40 detained, as part of a new homophobic crackdown by police in the Chechnya region. Youll find a gay scene in many places that may surprise you, says Ed Salvato, an LGBT travel expert. Some places like Moscow and St Petersburghave vibrant gay communities, despite the homophobic laws there. In Dublin, an exciting scene exploded out of a staunchly Catholic country. Dublin is like gay Disneyland now, and that wasnt the case 20 or 30 years ago, says Prof Andrew Reynolds, founder of the University of North Carolinas LGBTQ Representation and Rights Research Initiative. With the last couple of referendums, Ireland and Dublin have embraced their new presentation as an inclusive, progressive and loving place. When Reynolds visited Ireland in 2016, many from the LGBT population told him stories of growing up in conservative coastal towns and moving away due to prejudice. The country was the first to legalise gay marriage by popular vote, in a 2015 referendum with a yes vote of 62%. He says: They went to Australia. They went to America. Now theyve come home. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ireland became the first country in the world to adopt same-sex marriage by popular vote in 2015. Photograph: Cathal McNaughton/Reuters Progress in politics The political glass ceiling has broken for many LGBT people across the world, which inevitably has ripple effects on the community. Minneapolis made US history last year by electing Andrea Jenkins, the first openly trans woman of colour to office in 2017. The gay stronghold of Palm Springs, California, has elected an entire city council that identifies as LGBT. And in November, Jared Polis became the first openly gay man to be elected as a US state governor. In Poland, one of Europes most Catholic and conservative countries, voters in the small city of Slupsk this year elected a gay atheist mayor, Robert Biedron. Just a few years ago, Biedron was attacked on the streets of his city because of his sexuality. In Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunil Pant became Asias first openly gay federal-level elected official in 2008, resulting in a spate of public scrutiny. I think that the spinoff is that Kathmandu is a lot more gay-friendly than it was before, says Reynolds. Whilst it is not perfect by any stretch, like Bogot, it is a place now that I feel like is much more friendly and accepting and thats obviously coming from a place where the Hindu religion was not helpful before. LGBT London: what venue closures mean for the capital's future Read more As the most direct representatives of citizens, city officials are uniquely positioned to understand and address the needs of their communities, says Xavier Persad of the Human Rights Campaign, pointing to the need to provide for ones family without the fear of being fired, to secure housing without the fear of eviction, and to participate in community life. When cities enact LGBTQ-inclusive protections, he adds, they send a clear message that they value and welcome everyone, attracting the countrys top talent and spurring economic growth. Ultimately, even the most progressive laws and equal representation at political levels do not necessarily reflect the efficiency of enforcement, or indeed capture the lived experience of discrimination and fear many LGBT people face every day. Follow Guardian Cities on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to join the discussion, and explore our archive here | https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jan/23/which-is-the-worlds-most-lgbt-friendly-city |
When should senior drivers give up the keys? | Everyone ages differently. Changes in hearing, vision or memory may be signs it's time for an elderly loved one to stop driving. You've passed your driving test, and your parents hand you a set of keys. Your first car might be a little rusty and nearly as old as you, but it gives you the power to go where you want, when you want. Your memory isn't as good as it used to be, and you stop driving at night because it's too hard to see. If you still live on your own, no longer driving may be the first step to losing the independence you gained when you became a newly licensed teen. Real life scenarios Canal Futon Police Chief Doug Swartz said a patrolman was led on a pursuit that took him into Summit County in early January. The officer observed the vehicle driving over the solid yellow line on multiple occasions. The same vehicle traveled through a school zone at a high rate of speed. When he attempted to make a traffic stop, the driver continued on. The driver was an elderly woman who seemed confused. While she knew she was in Canal Fulton, some of her answers to questions asked by the officer didn't quite make sense. The situation became more concerning when the woman told the officer she teleported herself to her location. The Canal Fulton Police Department used the incident to caution others about discussing safe driving with elderly family members. Swartz included information about the traffic stop in a social media post on the department's Facebook page. "It's a very important topic because it's a safety issue," he said. Do I feel safe getting in the car with them?'" When officers come into contact with a confused elderly driver, Swartz said, a relative is contacted to drive them home. Depending on the situation, the officer might request the elderly driver be evaluated by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Lt. Leo Shirkey, of the Ohio Highway Patrol, said it's not uncommon to come across confused older drivers who didn't realize they had broken a traffic law. Typically, these drivers are stopped during the daytime when they need to do grocery shopping or go to a doctor's appointment, he said. Many older drivers are aware of limitations such as loss of vision and avoid driving at night or on busy roadways, Shirkey said. "We make thousands of stops a day," he said. "It does happen around here. I've come across it myself where you stop somebody, and they don't realize they ran that red light or were bumping up against the curb." If a family member is concerned about their senior driver, Shirkey said, they can contact their local law enforcement agency or physician to submit a retest form at the BMV where a professional can gauge the older driver's capabilities. This makes it easier on family members who don't want to be the "bad guy" by taking away a person's "last little bit of freedom," Shirkey said. According to Lindsey Bohrer, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the BMV has provided evaluations since 1988. The assessment includes meeting in person with the driver to discuss concerns, driving requirements, accidents, citations, etc. The investigator also looks at the car, garage and house to see if there is any damage, Bohrer said. In 2018, 21 cases were conducted in Ohio, she said. Law enforcement officials countywide are looking to do additional training when it comes to handling older drivers with a cognitive impairment, said Sharon George, of Stark County Safe Communities. Driver Orientation Screen for Cognitive Impairment, or DOSCI Project, is an educational tool to help first responders recognize when a driver or patient has a cognitive impairment. The program originated in California and was adapted to meet the needs of Stark County, George said. The DOSCI Project includes a card with nine questions on it and a scoring system to aid officers evaluating a confused driver. "We just want to make sure that everybody has the tools and information they need to address the senior drivers," George said, noting she's a senior driver. "There's a lot of us out there, and Stark County doesn't have a lot of alternative transportation." Other resources In an effort to serve the senior population, eight officers, nine firefighters and three Safe Communities members were trained as CarFit Technicians in September, George said. At least 11 departments sent technicians to the training. At least two firefighters in the Perry Township Fire Department were among those at the September training, Fire Chief Mark Martin said. The department has not begun to put the training to use but plans to host specific days to do CarFit presentations. Andrew Kendrick, of the Perry department, was one of those trained. During the training, he said, technicians were taught how to ensure the driver was properly wearing his seat belt, sitting an appropriate distance from the steering wheel and had all mirrors adjusted correctly. The first day, Martin said, will likely be in line with the township's annual Memorial Day event Patriot's in the Park. Senior groups can also reach out to the department to host a presentation by contacting the office at 330-833-3865. "So many outreaches are for young kids," Martin said. "This reaches another segment of the population." Like the Ohio BMV, Ohio Area Agencies on Aging also offers free in-home assessments through Direction Home, which serves Stark, Summit, Portage and Wayne counties. Matt Reed, vice president of communications and administrations, said family members concerned about their senior driver can start with a telephone conversation by calling 1-877-770-5558. The telephone conversation can offer advice, recommend resources or schedule an in-home visit, Reed said. The in-home assessment can take up to two hours and considers age, physical capabilities, diagnoses and medicines, he said. "It's great for anyone who has questions," Reed said. "We don't want to see anybody get hurt. We want to make sure everybody is safe." Reach Samantha at 330-775-1133 or [email protected] On Twitter: @sickesINDE | https://www.indeonline.com/news/20190123/when-should-senior-drivers-give-up-keys |
Was ist die Blauzungenkrankheit? | Wiesbaden Der Ausbruch der Blauzungenkrankheit zieht immer weitere Kreise. Am Dienstagabend ist die Sperrzone in Hessen ausgeweitet worden mehr als 11.000 Betriebe sind davon betroffen. Zwar gab es in Hessen bisher noch keinen Fall, allerdings reichen die um Ausbruchsbetriebe in Baden-Wrttemberg, Rheinland-Pfalz und dem Saarland eingerichteten Sperrgebiete mit einem Radius von mindestens 150 Kilometer bis nach Hessen. Die Blauzungenkrankheit wird durch Viren verursacht und mittels Mcken von Tier zu Tier bertragen. Die Krankheit wird nicht beim Kontakt mit infizierten Tieren, deren Wolle oder Milch bertragen, wie die Weltorganisation fr Tiergesundheit mitteilt. Sie betrifft vor allem Schafe, Ziegen und Rinder, aber auch beispielsweise Antilopen, Bffel, Hirsche oder Kamele. Ein typisches Symptom ist eine geschwollene, blau gefrbte Zunge. Andere Symptome bei erkrankten Tieren sind zum Beispiel Geschwre, Wunden oder schmerzende Hufe. Fr den Menschen ist die Tierkrankheit ungefhrlich. Fleisch- und Milchprodukte knnen ohne Bedenken verzehrt werden. Blauzungenkrankheit in Deutschland Zuletzt wurde die Blauzungenkrankheit 2012 in Deutschland nachgewiesen, teilt das Niederschsische Landesamt fr Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit mit. Das nderte sich, als am 12. Dezember 2018 bei einer Routineuntersuchung, bei der bei zwei Tieren ein Ausbruch festgestellt wurde. Blauzungenkrankheit in anderen Lndern Auch in Italien, Frankreich und der Schweiz gab es im vergangenen Jahr mehrere Ausbrche. Von RND/asu/dpa | http://www.dnn.de/Nachrichten/Wissen/Was-ist-die-Blauzungenkrankheit |
What time is the vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal? | After five days of debate on Theresa May's Brexit agreement, MPs will finally vote on the deal later. The final day of debate will end with a speech from the prime minister at about 18:20 GMT. But before the vote on the Brexit agreement happens, MPs will get a chance to reshape, or reject, the deal by voting on a series of amendments to it, from about 19:00 GMT. This will start with votes on three or four backbench amendments that could reshape the deal. Each amendment will take about 15 minutes. The vote on the withdrawal agreement itself is unlikely to happen before 20:00 and is expected to be followed by a statement from Mrs May. There will be live updates on the BBC News website and it will be broadcast on the BBC News channel or watch BBC Parliament live on BBC iPlayer. Amendments give MPs the chance to reshape, or reject, the deal. Commons Speaker John Bercow has selected four amendments to be put to the vote: Labour frontbench amendment Rejects the deal because it fails to provide a permanent customs union and "strong single market deal", as set out in Labour's "six tests" Rejects leaving with no deal Resolves to "pursue every option" that prevents either no-deal or leaving on the basis of the current deal SNP and Plaid Cymru amendment Declines to approve Theresa May's Brexit deal "in line with the views of the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly that they would be damaging for Scotland, Wales and the nations and regions of the UK as a whole" Calls for the UK's departure from the EU to be delayed until another withdrawal deal is agreed. Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh's amendment Makes clear the Northern Ireland backstop is temporary and should remain temporary Calls for assurance that, if the backstop doesn't end by the close of 2021, this will be treated as a fundamental change of circumstances and would terminate the Withdrawal Treaty on 1 January 2022 Backed by 15 other Tory Brexiteers. Conservative MP John Baron's amendment Gives the UK the right to terminate the Northern Ireland backstop without the agreement of the EU Amendment backed by cross-party group of Brexiteers, including 12 Conservatives, one independent and one DUP MP. John Bercow told MPs that if they back Sir Edward Leigh's amendment, John Baron's amendment will not be voted on. There is a question mark over how far the government's withdrawal agreement could be modified by MPs before it no longer has force under international law, or the EU judges it to be in breach of what was agreed by Mrs May. The government had indicated it would back an amendment proposed by Conservative MP Hugo Swire, which accepted the government's deal as the EU Withdrawal Bill but included provisions to: Make the government report to Parliament in March 2020 on the status of the arrangements to supersede the Northern Ireland backstop. This is the controversial "insurance policy" aimed at preventing the return of a physical border in Northern Ireland if the UK and EU have not agreed on a new trade deal by December 2020 Give Parliament a vote on whether to extend the 21-month post-Brexit transition period, which would end in December 2020 Give Parliament a vote on whether to implement the backstop Impose "a duty" on the government to agree a future relationship with the EU, or alternative arrangements, within one year of the backstop coming into force. But Speaker Bercow has not selected this amendment to be put to the vote, although MPs will be able to refer to it during the debate. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46507010 |
When does the January transfer window close and what are the rules if Sheffield Wednesday want to sign new players? | Were entering the final stages of the January transfer window as clubs across the country try to add that extra special player that could make or break the second half of the season. Last summer the transfer window was brought forward, meaning most permanent deals had to be wrapped up in the early stages of the new season. Hillsborough A new loan window remained open until the end of August, to allow players arriving and departing clubs on a temporary basis to secure their moves once all the permanent business had been wrapped up. For the first time we also saw a high volume of loan to buy deals, which saw players loaned out to their new clubs at the start of the season in deals that would become permanent in January for a transfer fee. The January transfer window closes at 11pm on Thursday, January 31 2019. It has been open since midnight on New Years Day. Despite the changes to transfer window rules this season, free agents can still be signed at any time in the season. It definitely could for clubs competing in Europe as UEFA confirmed that players will no longer be cup-tied for their competitions. This means that players can move between teams playing in the Champions League and Europa League and play for their new teams in the same competition, even if they represented their old team in the same tournament earlier in the campaign. Emergency loans are no longer available for outfield players, but clubs are able to bring in goalkeepers on a temporary, emergency basis if all of their professional goalkeepers are either injured or suspended. | https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-wednesday/when-does-the-january-transfer-window-close-and-what-are-the-rules-if-sheffield-wednesday-want-to-sign-new-players-1-9552559 |
When does the January transfer window close and what are the rules if Sheffield United want to sign new players? | Were entering the final stages of the January transfer window as clubs across the country try to add that extra special player that could make or break the second half of the season. Last summer the transfer window was brought forward, meaning most permanent deals had to be wrapped up in the early stages of the new season. Bramall Lane. Pic: Richard Markham Photography A new loan window remained open until the end of August, to allow players arriving and departing clubs on a temporary basis to secure their moves once all the permanent business had been wrapped up. For the first time we also saw a high volume of loan to buy deals, which saw players loaned out to their new clubs at the start of the season in deals that would become permanent in January for a transfer fee. The January transfer window closes at 11pm on Thursday, January 31 2019. It has been open since midnight on New Years Day. Despite the changes to transfer window rules this season, free agents can still be signed at any time in the season. It definitely could for clubs competing in Europe as UEFA confirmed that players will no longer be cup-tied for their competitions. This means that players can move between teams playing in the Champions League and Europa League and play for their new teams in the same competition, even if they represented their old team in the same tournament earlier in the campaign. Emergency loans are no longer available for outfield players, but clubs are able to bring in goalkeepers on a temporary, emergency basis if all of their professional goalkeepers are either injured or suspended. | https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-united/when-does-the-january-transfer-window-close-and-what-are-the-rules-if-sheffield-united-want-to-sign-new-players-1-9552571 |
Will Molina Healthcare Continue to Surge Higher? | As of late, it has definitely been a great time to be an investor in Molina Healthcare, Inc (MOH). As of late, it has definitely been a great time to be an investor in Molina Healthcare, Inc MOH. The stock has moved higher by 0.7% 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 MOHs recent earnings estimate revision activity. From this look, the companys future is quite favorable; as MOH has earned itself a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong 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. From more than 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank, these 10 were picked by a process that consistently beats the market. Even during 2018 while the market dropped -5.2%, our Top 10s were up well into double-digits. And during bullish 2012 2017, they soared far above the market's +126.3%, reaching +181.9%. This year, the portfolio features a player that thrives on volatility, an AI comer, and a dynamic tech company that helps doctors deliver better patient outcomes at lower costs. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/molina-healthcare-continue-surge-higher-113011103.html |
Will Williams Companies Continue to Surge Higher? | As of late, it has definitely been a great time to be an investor in Williams Companies, Inc. As of late, it has definitely been a great time to be an investor in Williams Companies, Inc. WMB. The stock has moved higher by 2.5% 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 WMBs recent earnings estimate revision activity. From this look, the companys future is quite favorable; as WMB 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. From more than 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank, these 10 were picked by a process that consistently beats the market. Even during 2018 while the market dropped -5.2%, our Top 10s were up well into double-digits. And during bullish 2012 2017, they soared far above the market's +126.3%, reaching +181.9%. This year, the portfolio features a player that thrives on volatility, an AI comer, and a dynamic tech company that helps doctors deliver better patient outcomes at lower costs. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (WMB) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/williams-companies-continue-surge-higher-111511000.html |
Will WNS (Holdings) Continue to Surge Higher? | On this episode of the Full-Court Finance podcast, Associate Stock Strategist Ben Rains breaks down Nike's new Bluetooth connected, self-lacing Adapt BB shoes before he dives into how they tie into the sportswear giant's overall digital growth plans. As of late, it has definitely been a great time to be an investor in WNS (Holdings) Limited WNS. The stock has moved higher by 1.6% 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 WNSs recent earnings estimate revision activity. From this look, the companys future is quite favorable; as WNS has earned itself a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong 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. From more than 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank, these 10 were picked by a process that consistently beats the market. Even during 2018 while the market dropped -5.2%, our Top 10s were up well into double-digits. And during bullish 2012 2017, they soared far above the market's +126.3%, reaching +181.9%. This year, the portfolio features a player that thrives on volatility, an AI comer, and a dynamic tech company that helps doctors deliver better patient outcomes at lower costs. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report WNS (Holdings) Limited (WNS) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/wns-holdings-continue-surge-higher-111211724.html |
Will Zai Lab Continue to Surge Higher? | As of late, it has definitely been a great time to be an investor in Zai Lab Limited (ZLAB). As of late, it has definitely been a great time to be an investor in Zai Lab Limited ZLAB. The stock has moved higher by 24.3% 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 ZLABs recent earnings estimate revision activity. From this look, the companys future is quite favorable; as ZLAB 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. From more than 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank, these 10 were picked by a process that consistently beats the market. Even during 2018 while the market dropped -5.2%, our Top 10s were up well into double-digits. And during bullish 2012 2017, they soared far above the market's +126.3%, reaching +181.9%. This year, the portfolio features a player that thrives on volatility, an AI comer, and a dynamic tech company that helps doctors deliver better patient outcomes at lower costs. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Zai Lab Limited Unsponsored ADR (ZLAB) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/zai-lab-continue-surge-higher-110811873.html |
What Me Worry? | How smart entrepreneurs harness the power of paranoia March 1, 1997 7 min read This story appears in the March 1997 issue of Business Start-Ups magazine. Subscribe Depending on whom you're talking to, paranoia is: 1) a psychotic disorder characterized by delusions of persecution, 2) an irrational distrust of others, or 3) a key trait in entrepreneurial success. Not according to Andrew S. Grove, president and CEO of Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, California, and author of Only the Paranoid Survive (Doubleday/Currency). The title of Grove's book comes from an oft-repeated quote that has become the mantra of the chip king's rise to the top of the technology business. "I have no idea when I first said this," Grove writes, "but the fact remains that, when it comes to business, I believe in the value of paranoia." To those who suffer from clinical delusions of persecution, of course, paranoia is neither a joke nor a help. However, in a business context, the practice of voluntarily being highly concerned about potential threats to your company has something of a following. "If you're not a little bit paranoid, you're complacent," says Dave Lakhani, an entrepreneur in Boise, Idaho, who offers marketing consulting to small businesses. "And complacency is what leads people into missed opportunities and business failure." Pick Your Paranoia Being paranoid, according to Grove, is a matter of remembering that others want the success you have, paying attention to the details of your business, and watching for the trouble that inevitably awaits. That basically means he is paranoid about everything. "I worry about products getting screwed up, and I worry about products getting introduced prematurely," Grove writes. "I worry about factories not performing well, and I worry about having too many factories." For Grove, as for most advocates of paranoia, being paranoid primarily consists of two things. The first is not resting on your laurels. Grove calls it a "guardian attitude" that he attempts to nurture in himself and in Intel's employees to fend off threats from outside the company. Paranoia in business is also typically defined as paying very close attention to the fine points. "You need to be detail-oriented about the most important things in your business," says Lakhani. "That means not only making sure you're working in your business but that you're there every day, paying attention to your customers." As an example of paranoia's value in practice, Lakhani recalls when sales began slowly slumping at a retail store he once owned. He could have dismissed it as a mere blip. Instead, he worried and watched until he spotted a concrete cause. "It turned out one of my employees had developed a negative attitude, and it was affecting my business," Lakhani says. "As soon as I let him go, sales went back up." The main focuses of most entrepreneurs' paranoia, however, are not so much everyday internal details as major competitive threats and missed opportunities. Situations in which competition and opportunity are both at high levels are called "strategic inflection points" by Grove, and it is during these times, typically when technology is changing, that his paranoia is sharpest. Paranoia is frequently a welcome presence at major client presentations for Katharine Paine, founder and CEO of The Delahaye Group Inc. In the past, twinges of seemingly unfounded worry have caused Paine to personally attend sales pitches where she learned of serious problems with the way her firm was doing business, she says. The head of the 50-person Portsmouth, New Hampshire, marketing evaluation research firm traces her paranoid style to childhood days spent pretending to be an Indian tracking quarry through the forest. When she makes mental checklists about things that could go wrong or opportunities that could be missed, she's always keeping an eye out for the business equivalent of a bent twig. "If you are paranoid enough, if you're good enough at picking up all those clues, you don't have to just react," says Paine, "you get to proact and be slightly ahead of the curve." Paranoid Parameters There is, of course, such a thing as being too paranoid. "There are times when it doesn't make any sense," acknowledges Lakhani. Focusing on details to the point of spending $500 in accounting fees to find a $5 error is one example of misplaced paranoia. Worrying obsessively about what every competitor is doing or what every potential customer is thinking is also a warning sign, he says. Lack of balance with interests outside the business may be another. "If your whole life is focused around your work, and that's the only thing you're thinking about 24 hours a day, that becomes detrimental," Lakhani says. For Paine, failing to act is a sign that you're going past beneficial paranoia and into hurtful fear. "Fear for most of us results in inaction--absolute death for an entrepreneur," she says. "If we feared the loss of a paycheck or feared entering a new market, none of our businesses would have gotten off the ground." All this may be especially true for small-business owners. While paranoia may be appropriate for heads of far-flung enterprises, some say entrepreneurs are already too paranoid. It's all too easy for entrepreneurs to take their desire for independence and self-determination and turn it into trouble, says Robert Barbato, director of the Small Business Institute at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. Typically, entrepreneurs take the attitude that "nobody cares as much about this business as I do" and exaggerate it to the point of hurtful paranoia toward employees and even customers, he says. "They're seeing ghosts where ghosts don't exist," warns Barbato. That's especially risky when it comes to dealing with employees. Most people--not just entrepreneurs--do their work for the sense of accomplishment, not because they are plotting to steal their employer's success, Barbato says. He acknowledges this may be a difficult concept for competition-crazed entrepreneurs, especially those who have never themselves been employees, to understand. "People who own their own business are not necessarily used to moving up the ranks," Barbato notes. Entrepreneurs must learn to trust and delegate if their businesses are to grow. Practical Paranoia Now matter how useful it is, paranoia may be too loaded a label for some entrepreneurs. If so, critical evaluation or critical analysis are the preferred terms of Stephen Markowitz, director of governmental and political relations of the Small Business Association of the Delaware Valley, a 5,000-member trade group. The distinction is more than name-deep. "When I say `critically evaluate,' that means look at everything," Markowitz explains. "If you're totally paranoid, the danger is not being able to critically evaluate everything." For example, Markowitz says a small retailer threatened by the impending arrival of a superstore in the market would be better served by critically evaluating the potential for benefit as well as harm, instead of merely worrying about it. "If you're paranoid," he says, "you're not going to critically evaluate how it might help you." Whatever name it goes by, few entrepreneurs are likely to stop worrying any time soon. In fact, experience tends to make them more confirmed in their paranoia as they go along. Paine recalls the time a formless fear led her to insist on going to a client meeting where no trouble was expected. She lost the account anyway. "The good news is, my paranoia kicked in," she says. "The bad news is, it was too late. That made me much more paranoid in the future." Contact Sources The Delahaye Group Inc., (800) 926-0028, (http://www.delahaye.com); Dave Lakhani, c/o Direct Hit Marketing, 770 Vista, Boise, ID 83705, (208) 368-7979; Small Business Association of theDelaware Valley, 320 MacDade Blvd., #100, Collingdale, PA 19023, (800) 533-3732, (610) 237-1336; Small Business Institute, (716) 475-2350, [email protected]. Mark Henricks is an Austin, Texas, writer specializing in business topics. | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/13974 |
Are we running out of touchscreens? | Key raw material used to make touchscreens may run out in the next decade Just as we are all getting used to being surrounded by touchscreen gadgets in our daily lives, it looks like we could be heading towards a serious manufacturing problem within the next few years, according to New Scientist. Indium tin oxide is one of the key raw materials used to make touchscreens for our tablet PCs, smartphones and gadgets, yet the latest warnings are that supplies may well run out in the next decade. Indium is an expensive by-product of lead and zinc mining. Indium tin oxide has a rare ability to be able to conduct an electrical current while also being optically transparent like glass hence that cool touch-control on your iPhone. Smartphone touchscreens are now based on the concept of touch-control by the finger, which is conductive, and allows us to do away with those old-fashioned and unwieldy styluses. However, Yale University's Thomas Graedel warns that stocks of indium are running low and are likely to be exhausted by 2020. Northwestern University's Mark Hersam suggests to the New Scientist this month that the future is in carbon nanomaterials. Specifically, scientists point towards a material called Graphene - sheets of graphite that are a single atom thick. Hersam also suggests that carbon nanotubes - graphene sheets rolled up into cylinders - might also be a good option to develop for flexible displays, as they can be flexed "with little to no degradation in their performance," says the scientist. Other materials scientists looking for materials that can mimic ITO's combination of transparency and conductivity are taking a different tack, developing silver nanowires, which are far more conductive electrically, but (as you would expect) also far more expensive to manufacture. Hopefully somebody in a lab somewhere soon will crack the problem. Via New Scientist | https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/phone-and-communications/are-we-running-out-of-touchscreens-903798 |
Who's The Boss? | Helping family business handle office politics. April 1, 1997 3 min read This story appears in the April 1997 issue of Business Start-Ups magazine. Subscribe The Curtis family, like any other, has its ups and downs. Sibling rivalry rears its ugly head every now and then, and Mom and Dad don't always see eye to eye. The Curtises also run a small business, and this makes their interpersonal relationships all the more important . . . and complicated. And while the Curtises are fictional characters, their story--told in the interactive CD-ROM movie "A Matter of Time"--can help real-life family businesses contend with the unique issues they face. Created by MassMutual: The Blue Chip Company, "A Matter of Time" doesn't profess to know all the answers, but it does offer several solutions to issues family businesses face, including estate and strategic planning, leadership development, and compensation and performance. (Plus, the movie contains some pretty engaging scenes, especially the harrowing episodes where nonfamily employees get caught in the middle of family disputes.) Users can choose from different scenarios, which are then played out, or click on characters to see what they're really thinking. "Family businesses tend to be successful, but they have a heck of a time moving from one generation of management and ownership to the next," says Peter O'Neil with Springfield, Massachusetts-based MassMutual. With more than 12 million family-owned businesses in the United States, "A Matter of Time" is more than good drama--it's a valuable tool for family businesses. Contact your local MassMutual office for more information. Hire Hopes By Cynthia E. Griffin Small business is bullish on hiring in '97. You're not alone. According to a quarterly survey of more than 400 small-business owners and opinion leaders (delegates to the White House Conference on Small Business) from a cross section of companies, entrepreneurs are optimistic when it comes to hiring. The National Small Business Attitudes Survey, conducted by Cicco and Associates Inc. in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, found that 38 percent of entrepreneurs questioned planned to hire employees during 1997. "We had not expected entrepreneurs to be as optimistic as they are regarding hiring," says John Cicco, president of the marketing research firm, which has assessed small-business owners' attitudes in 46 such surveys since 1987. "But we've found it's very close to last year's number [40 percent of those surveyed in 1996 planned to hire], and we haven't gotten the indications we normally see for a recession." The study, which received responses from businesses in 14 industries, found that larger firms (those with 21 or more employees), older firms (at least 10 years old), and those owned by opinion leaders tended to be more optimistic about hiring. Fifty-six percent of larger businesses were planning to hire this year, compared with 33 percent of smaller businesses. Companies in the service sector were also more willing to hire, as were companies owned by men. The top 10 business books at press time (based on net sales) were: 1. Ernst & Young Tax Guide 1997, by Editors, $14.95 (John Wiley & Sons) 2. Wall Street Money Machine, by Wade Cook, $24.95 (Midpoint Books) 3. J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide 1997, by J.K. Lasser, $14.95 (Macmillan Publishing) 4. Milionaire Next Door: The Surprising Truth About Wealth in America, by Thomas J. Stanley and William Danko, $22 (Longstreet Press) 5. The Dilbert Principle, by Scott Adams, $20 (Harper Collins) 6. Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook, by Scott Adams, $16 (Harper Collins) 7. What Color Is Your Parachute 1996, by Richard Nelson Bolles, $14.95 (Ten Speed Press) 8. Personal Finance for Dummies, by Eric Tyson, $19.99 (IDG Books Worldwide) 9. Investing for Dummies, by Eric Tyson, $19.99 (IDG Books Worldwide) 10. Financial Peace, by David Ramsey, $21.95 (Penguin USA) Contact Sources MassMutual--The Blue Chip Co., (617) 527-0444; Cicco and Associates Inc., Murrysville, PA 15668, (412) 325-4600; | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/14102 |
Where will Sacramento put its new homeless shelters? | More than six weeks after Mayor Darrell Steinberg asked all council members to find sites for 100 homeless shelter beds in each of their districts, three members are disclosing potential locations. Councilman Jeff Harris is exploring the possibility of a Sprung structure with up to 100 beds on a small portion of the state-owned Cal Expo property near the riverfront. Sprung structures are semi-permanent tent-like facilities that can be erected in a matter of weeks. City officials have been in talks with Cal Expos board of directors for months about the idea, and Harris trying is to win the support of the business community, he said. He would like to devote some city resources toward prohibiting panhandling in the area, and other measures to mitigate the effects of homelessness, before opening the shelter, he said. Digital Access for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. If we cant manage these and not harm a community, nobody will let it happen, Harris said. So we have to be realistic and allocate enough resources not only to get the shelter up and running, but to manage it and keep it clean, make sure its not an attractive nuisance, make sure theres no ancillary crime that people can attribute to the shelter. Harris wants to get at least 200 beds in his district, which includes East Sacramento, the riverfront and parts of north Sacramento. Hes looking at several other potential sites. The Cal Expo is a good option because its near the riverfront, where many homeless sleep at night, and not near residential areas, he said. The state fair and all other Cal Expo events would not be affected. Councilman Jay Schenirer is looking at a portion of a parking lot near the Florin light rail station owned by Sacramento Regional Transit District as a potential spot for a 100-bed Sprung tent. Schenirer said he will inform the Sacramento Regional Transit board which he sits on Monday about the potential to lease the site to the city. The lease would require approval from the board as well as the City Council. Schenirer plans to hold a public meeting early next week to gather public input on the idea, he said. Hes also looking at another site, but isnt ready to talk about it yet, he said. Im looking at two sites, each of which can handle 100 individuals, and if I can work out both sites, Im happy to do that, said Schenirer, whose district includes Oak Park and Curtis Park. Schenirers best case scenario is to have 200 beds in the district available by early fall, he said. Councilman Larry Carr said he suggested city staff look at a paved lot near the Meadowview light rail station in his district to see if it could work for a 100-bed Sprung structure. Carr also suggested the site near the Florin light rail station in Schenirers district, but said that a shelter should not go on both sites, which are about a mile and a half apart. I dont want (the shelters) concentrated in the undeserved areas, he said. Councilman Allen Warren agreed. Warren said he has several potential sites that could work for Sprung tents or tiny homes, but he will not announce them until all the other council members announce sites in their districts. While the 100-bed Railroad Drive shelter the city opened in December 2017 is located in Harriss district, the closest residents are in Warrens, including the Woodlake neighborhood, he said. Warren urged his colleagues to announce sites within the next two months. The longer this continues to drag, the less likely it is to happen, he said. Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said she plans to house women who are victims of domestic abuse in single-family homes spread throughout Natomas in undisclosed locations. There is a really big need for women and children in the city, Ashby said. They cant go to the (Railroad Drive) triage shelter. Im seeking to provide an avenue for that population. Unlike Railroad Drive, which is low-barrier shelter, residents of the Natomas shelters would be screened for drugs and alcohol a typical requirement for organizations that serve women and children, Ashby said. Steinberg originally requested all shelters be low-barrier, but said this week he is supportive of Ashbys idea. This is not a cookie cutter operation here, Steinberg said. I want to meld all my colleagues passions, talents and perspectives and we want to get thousands of people off the streets. The homes would offer the triage services the Railroad Drive shelter does, though, such as providing residents with medical and mental health treatment, and help removing the barriers they face in finding permanent housing, such as getting state identification cards, Ashby said. Councilman Steve Hansen is exploring several potential sites, some for a Sprung tent and some for smaller facilities where 10 to 15 people could stay at a time, he said. We are looking at every potential option to meet the mayors goal, Hansen said. Hansen has a goal to announce potential sites in March or April in his district, which includes midtown, downtown and most of Land Park. Councilman Rick Jennings said he has two to three sites in in his district in retail centers and open areas, and will disclose them when it is narrowed down to one or two, he said. Im hopeful what we have will bear fruit, but if it doesnt, well go back out and start looking again, said Jennings, who represents a section of south Sacramento, including Pocket/Greenhaven. Vice Mayor Eric Guerra said its been difficult to find shelter sites in his southeast Sacramento district, where there is no available city-owned property, but hopes to announce one by the summer and open it before winter. It hurts me to see people on a day like this when the wind is so harsh and its been rainy and theyre sleeping in the mud, Guerra said. Whats next Steinberg plans to announce a proposal to fund several new shelters for several years on or before the councils Budget and Audit Committee meeting Jan. 29, he said. The council will likely approve a funding plan Feb. 12 when it adopts the mid-year budget, he said. The mayor does not expect any of the members will have announced finalized locations by then, though, he said. Funding several shelters for several years will take tens of millions of dollars, using a mixture of private and public funds from state, local and other sources, Steinberg said. The city last week received $5.6 million in state funds, mostly to be used for new shelters. The city wont start receiving the additional revenue from the Measure U sales tax increase until June, but currently has roughly $15 million in current Measure U revenue in reserves that could be spent on one-time projects, Assistant City Manager Leyne Milstein told the Bee previously. City officials set that money aside in case Measure U failed at the polls in November. The Railroad Drive shelter was originally supposed to just be open last winter, but city officials extended the lease multiple times, using city money and money donated from Sutter Health, U.C. Davis Medical Center and others. Ive raised money to keep Railroad open several times beyond expected closure date, but its piecemeal, Steinberg said. Its finding the money and saying now we have another three months. I dont wanna do that anymore. Ashby said she hopes the new shelters can be less expensive than Railroad, which costs about $400,000 a month, and that they are not fully funded by the citys general fund. We create a reliance we cant maintain, Ashby said. | https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/homeless/article224642900.html |
Where Are They Now? | An update on entrepreneurs featured in past issues. May 1, 1997 8 min read This story appears in the May 1997 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe An update on entrepreneurs featured in past issues. Esoteric Sports Tours Inc. Carey Dean THEN:1993 Sales: $2 million Talk about true love. Back in 1993, Carey Dean and his staff were working 12- to 15-hour days to get their rookie business, which organizes custom travel packages to classic U.S. sporting events, off the ground. The team's efforts were paying off, but Dean was running himself ragged establishing Duluth, Georgia-based Esoteric Sports Tours as a player in the United States and, at the same time, marketing the business' services to foreign countries. In short, playing the game of business didn't leave Dean much time to watch the sporting events he's so passionate about. NOW: 1996 Sales: $3.5 million Hiring a full-time staff of five and firmly establishing contacts as the business matured has given Dean more time to himself--exactly what this entrepreneur wants. "I didn't get into this business to see how much money I could make," explains the 36-year-old entrepreneur. "I fully intended to live an easier life at some point in time, and that's still my goal." Dean attributes Esoteric's heavy-hitting sales to three things: lots of repeat business, a strong economy, and just plain getting his company's name out there. Dean has also scored on the international front, with overseas contacts selling Esoteric's tours to clients in Australia, England and South Africa--proving that sports truly is the international language. "We've matured in a lot of ways," muses Dean. "Our markets have become more defined, our relationships with contacts have matured, and we've learned how to say no instead of taking every piece of business that comes down the pike"--something only an experienced, successful business owner has the luxury of doing. Guess change is the name of this game. Super Vision International Inc. Brett Kingstone THEN: 1994 Sales: $2.4 million Brett Kingstone doesn't take business lightly. In 1994, his fiber-optic light and cable manufacturing company was doing $2.4 million in sales--but Kingstone still didn't consider it a shining success. He knew Orlando, Florida-based Super Vision International could do much more. Fiber-optic lighting offers so many advantages over neon (for starters, it uses less than one-third the electricity, and it's unbreakable), Kingstone felt confident it would continue to steal market share from neon, eventually edging it out of the spotlight. Even though his company's fiber-optic Coke bottle sign in New York City's Times Square was the world's largest, the entrepreneur was sure he could take his business to even greater heights. NOW: 1996 Sales: $6.8 million In March 1996, Super Vision broke its own record. The company designed the gargantuan AT&T sign, also in Times Square, which is almost twice the size of the Coca-Cola sign. If you placed all the fiber used in the AT&T sign end to end, it would reach more than halfway from Times Square to Orlando. "We outdid ourselves," Kingstone says proudly. Meanwhile, the 37-year-old entrepreneur keeps setting his sights higher. Although Super Vision's annual sales have more than tripled in just over two years, "we don't consider that a major jump in sales," Kingstone says. "Approximately $30 billion worth of neon is sold worldwide, so if we were to get 10 percent of the world market, that's $3 billion in sales!" Not that Kingstone will view Super Vision as inferior until then. He simply has loftier goals for his company. "A lot of people ask me, `When will you say you're a success?' " he says. "On the sales side, it's when our sales become a certain percentage of the overall neon market; on the earnings side, it's when every employee in this company--including the receptionist and the people on the production line can pay off their mortgages and put their kids through college." The Princeton Review John Katzman THEN: 1987 Sales: $15 million Some people are born overachievers. Consider John Katzman: By the age of 27, he had already started a business and begun franchising it--to the tune of $15 million in annual sales. His Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) preparation courses were helping thousands of teenagers ace the dreaded test. And the Princeton Review had begun to complement the classes with a line of SAT preparation books. NOW: 1996 Sales: $70 million As a matter of fact, yes. The SAT books were just the beginning of what Katzman refers to as a "change in direction to a cross-media education company." The Princeton Review has added books and software to help kids make the transition from high school to college and from college to graduate school. And, of course, it's still offering its staple--the SAT prep courses, now available year-round in 65 cities at 600 locations across the country. Also in the works: courses aimed at helping students pass licensing tests (for example, helping medical school students pass boards) and classes for professionals looking to change careers. Katzman got invaluable help from a Washington, DC, franchise attorney who taught him not only the legal side of franchising but the ethical side as well. As a result, says Katzman proudly, "we're one of the few franchisors that have never been in court with a franchisee." And while students may find cramming for exams a bit of a drag, boredom has never been a problem for Katzman. "Over the years, we've hit our plateaus, but we've managed to work our way through them," he says. "The business has changed enough to keep me interested. There's always a next peak." Well, Vicki DeArmon got her start in the industry in 1985 by printing a history of the San Francisco 49ers, paying for the whole thing with her credit cards. Hardly, considering she was deep in debt. But the success of that book led Petaluma, California, Foghorn Press to publish more sports-related books, as well as some regional recreational and travel guides. By 1993, the business had a staff of 10 and published 33 titles annually . . . but that's not the end of the story. NOW: 1996 Sales: $2 million Here's the plot twist: Foghorn Press no longer publishes sports books; in the past several years, DeArmon has whittled down her list of titles to outdoor recreation guidebooks. Among the bestsellers are California Camping and the Dog Lovers' Companion series, which gives canine aficionados the inside scoop on where they can frolic with their furry friends. Narrowing down Foghorn's title list did a lot to make the publishing house a success. "There's a shakeout in the publishing industry. You need a very focused publishing program to make it," explains DeArmon, 38. Another chapter in this success story was switching to a "virtual workplace." The company has one fewer employee than in 1993, but with its CFO, editors and production people all working from their homes in Northern California's Bay Area, DeArmon says productivity has actually improved. To achieve her goal of being the country's leading outdoor recreation guidebook publisher by the year 2000, DeArmon intends to customize the California Camping and Dog Lovers' formats to different parts of the country. Says DeArmon, "We're taking our show on the road." Checkfree Corp. Pete Kight THEN: 1993 Sales: $30 million A 50-square-foot basement in Worthington, Ohio, may not seem like the most auspicious location for an electronic payment processing service. Indeed, when former fitness club manager Pete Kight started Checkfree Corp. in January 1981, nobody--family, friends and industry experts included--thought the business would succeed. But Kight proved them all wrong. By 1993, the business boasted 1,200 corporate clients and handled $3 billion in payments annually. Better yet, Checkfree was at the forefront of an emerging market--what's now called financial electronic commerce--and was fast becoming known as the industry leader. Kight's big dream: "to offer people the power to manage their personal finances electronically." NOW: 1996 Sales: $120 million plus Kight no longer has to dream. Today, finances are just one thing people are managing electronically--and Checkfree Corp. is the reason why. Going public in September 1995 enabled Checkfree to acquire its number-two competitor, Norcross, Georgia-based Servantis Systems Inc. (SSI), the banking industry's leading provider of electronic funds transfer software, in 1996. By the time electronic banking really took off and banks began seeking out electronic funds transfer software and hardware, Checkfree was the provider of choice. Now Kight is cashing in. Checkfree's client roster has grown to 1.3 million customers, and the company, now in Norcross, Georgia, handles more than $25 billion in payments every year. And that's not all: Kight has a new dream--one that could forever eliminate the dreaded phrase "The check's in the mail." The company is working on a product to deliver bills and statements to customers via e-mail, enabling them to pay on screen and have the funds automatically deducted from their checking accounts. "There's no reason to write out paper checks anymore," contends Kight, 40. Believe it or not, even with partnerships with nine of the nation's top 10 banks--among them Chase Manhattan and Wells Fargo--and 1,500 employees at seven regional offices nationwide, Kight says, "We still have people who look at us and think we're too small to pull all this off." That's OK--the naysayers keep Kight's ego in check--or balance, as the case may be. | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/14144 |
How long has Knight & Lee has been open in Portsmouth for? | Have your say THE oldest department store in the city is set to close, following a shock announcement. John Lewis and Partners confirmed the Knight and Lee store on Palmerston Road, Southsea, will be closing in July this year. Knight & Lees on the corner of Elm Grove and Grove Road South 1949. The store has been closed for the day and staff were informed of the news in an announcement this morning. With 127 jobs set to be lost as a result of the closure. Knight & Lee has been a fixture of Southsea for over a century and the company is known for its employee ownership scheme. It started as a lace business, which operated in Queen Street, run by William Winks but by 1865 Frederick Winks had taken over the business and he moved it to Palmerston Road in 1874. He expanded the business and increased it's offering to become a department store. The company was then bought by brothers-in-law Jesse Knight and Edward Herbert Soden Lee in 1887. They greatly expanded the business to include a novel Boys wear department which was followed by a menswear department. READ MORE: Live reaction as closure of Knight & Lee in Portsmouth announce Knight & Lee was a popular place to work at the start of the 20th century and their was a waiting list of people hoping to get a job with the company. In the years following they expanded shop by shop until eventually a considerable distance of Palmerston Road fell under the Knight & Lee umbrella. In 1908, they bought a fishmongers shop on the corner of Stanley Lane and Palmerston Road. Mr Knight died in 1922 and Mr Lee passed away two years later in 1924. John Lewis Partnertship purchased the store in the 1930s as part of its provincial expansion plan and it is one of only two stores to retain its original name. And the deal proved to be a success with turnover increasing to 100,000 in 1937 which would be the equivalent of 4,762,650.60 in 2019. | https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/our-region/portsmouth/how-long-has-knight-lee-has-been-open-in-portsmouth-for-1-8781042 |
What Price Advice? | When looking for financing, consider the expertise a value-added investor can offer. July 1, 1997 6 min read This story appears in the July 1997 issue of Business Start-Ups magazine. Subscribe Entrepreneur Gerard Powell attributes his success to a simple strategy: Take a product or service that is sold only to the wealthy and make it affordable to the masses. Following this formula in the early '90s, Powell parlayed a modest investment into a small fortune with his Y-Rent program, which allowed consumers to buy homes for no money down, with monthly payments not much higher than their rental payments. So in late 1994 when Powell learned that cosmetic surgery was something only very wealthy consumers underwent, a light bulb went off in his head. He joined with partners Charlie Lynn and Vincent Trapasso in their fledgling venture, Cooperative Images Inc., which markets elective surgeries on behalf of physicians. "The key to the market was making the procedures affordable," says Powell. Through elaborate financing mechanisms and tight credit controls, Powell reduced the price of some surgeries to just $38 a week. But to put the business over the top, Cooperative Images wanted an infusion of capital to ramp up marketing efforts and increase the number of physicians under contract. While Powell was certain of his ability to create a sales and marketing dynamo, he was less certain in the arena of high finance. "I began to question exactly what I needed," says Powell. "Was it just capital, or was it something more?" What Powell had hit upon was the great divide in early-stage financing. The distinction is vital to consider. After all, some entrepreneurs don't appreciate advice at every turn from what appears to be a meddling investor. At the same time, a business owner who wants help from a new shareholder and doesn't get it might flounder his or her way into bankruptcy. For Powell and Cooperative Images, these considerations were more than academic. Offers of capital came from two investors occupying opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of their involvement in the company--and left Powell searching for the answer to his happy dilemma. Attracting Opposites One of the potential investors was Richard Gwinn. Gwinn's company, Radnor, Pennsylvania-based The Abbotts Organization, has been buying, selling and investing in companies for more than 20 years. Gwinn's approach to early-stage investing is hands-on; he not only invests in companies but also offers strategic management services. The other potential investor was a much larger competitor from Powell's home-building days. This investor had enjoyed substantial success but, in Powell's opinion, didn't have as much knowledge of or connections with the capital markets Powell felt would be critical to Cooperative Images' long-term success. While Gwinn concedes that value-added investors are not right for every entrepreneur, in most cases, he says, they can play an important role in shaping a company's destiny. "The reason an early-stage company should seek a value-adding investor rather than simply a source of funds," says Gwinn, "is that management, financing, cash management and marketing hazards are absolutely critical to overcome, and an experienced value-adding investor, if he or she is the right one, will spot costly problems early on." In the case of Cooperative Images, Gwinn brought big guns to the offering table in the form of other experts and professionals who would invest along with him. These included a former partner from a Big Six accounting firm, a corporate attorney, and a successful entrepreneur who had done well in the telemarketing industry. The expertise in telemarketing was more than a little relevant since a good part of Cooperative Images' success relied on effective telemarketing operations. In Powell's mind, these investors possessed not only a deep well of related experience but also the contacts in investment banking that would help him attain his ultimate goal of setting up an initial public offering or selling the company. Hands Off While Gwinn espouses a hands-on approach to investing, he knows it doesn't work in every situation. "If you're autocratic or egocentric in nature," he says, "you don't want the kind of investor who is going to challenge your thinking on sensitive and critical areas." In addition, Gwinn says that entrepreneurs who can afford the price of outside assistance can also forego seeking out value-added investors. "You can get all the expertise, guidance and counsel you need from accountants, attorneys, marketing and financing consultants," says Gwinn. There's an important distinction between advice from shareholders and consultants, however. "The consultant is often passive, providing advice, which if followed, should generate a successful result. The value-added investor, on the other hand, will provide advice but has a vested interest in its successful implementation." If all this sounds a little too touchy-feely, there is a more concrete reason for considering what type of financial partner you really want. In general, hands-on, value-added investors require more equity in a company than strictly passive investors. The value-added investor is taking the same financial risk as the passive investor but with the additional investment of his or her time. This added investment generally translates into owning a bigger piece of the company. This was true in Powell's situation. Gwinn and his co-investors offered a package that would give them about 18 percent of the company. The passive investor's deal would cost Powell just 12 percent of his equity. Powell feels that 6 percent difference may someday soon be worth $6 million. Knowing this, he is reluctant to give it up unless absolutely necessary. What's swaying Powell in the value-added direction, however, is the other great elixir of wealth: time. "I can grow the business," he says. "But if at the end of three years we want to sell it, the company will not get the highest possible price unless it's packaged properly right from the beginning, which is what I hope a value-added investor would help us do." In other words, getting the highest possible price on the back end might be worth some sacrifice on the front end. Though at press time Powell was undecided about which offer he would take, he believes going with hands-on investors might pay big dividends down the road. "All schooling requires tuition," he says. "Mine might be 6 percent. But with the knowledge I acquire, I'll make it up 10 times over my lifetime." Contact Sources The Abbotts Organization, fax: (610) 964-3630; | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/14376 |
Did Prince William just step out with a hole in his shoe? | Prince William flew out to Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum and interview none other than David Attenborough on Tuesday, taking part in a discussion about conservation, wildlife and preserving the natural world. The conversation, which was streamed live online, drew in viewers from all the world though many royal watchers got a little distracted when they noticed William seemed to have a hole in the sole of his shoe, which was clearly on display as he sat with his legs crossed. Oops! There was a dark mark on William's shoe which many thought was a hole From the photographs, it's hard to tell if the Duke's shoe is merely a little worn down or if he is in fact feeling the fresh air on his feet though either way, we've certainly all been there. In fact, while attending his best pal's wedding back in August, Prince Harry showed he is equally loyal to his own favourite pair of brogues, since fans also spotted he had a tear on his soles at the time. Somebody call a royal cobbler, stat! MORE: 9 times the Countess of Wessex dazzled us with her off-duty wardrobe Loading the player... One eagle-eyed viewer wrote on Twitter: "In other news, can we have confirmation about Prince Williams shoes here, is this a hole, or black tape underneath his shoe?" while another added: "Have we just seen the Duke of Cambridge on BBC 1 News with a hole in his sole?" It's a footwear mystery. During the conversation with the legendary nature presenter, William admitted that it was nice to be the one conducting the interview for a change. He said: "It's a personal treat for me to be sitting here asking you questions. Normally I have to endure people asking me questions so it's quite nice to be turning the tables for once." The pair discussed their shared passion for protecting the environment, with David saying, "The future of the natural world is in our hands. We have never been more powerful. We can wreck it with ease. We can wreck it without even knowing we are doing it. And if we wreck the natural world, in the end, we wreck ourselves." MORE: This video shows off Queen Elizabeths impeccable style through the years | https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/royal-style/2019012366932/prince-william-hole-in-shoe-interview-david-attenborough/ |
Will Piers Morgan leave Good Morning Britain after Ant and Dec win National Television Award? | Get Daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Last night marked the 18th time Ant and Dec took home Best Presenter at the National Television Awards. And this time may well be the most controversial, as Piers Morgan vowed to give up his job at Good Morning Britain host if they won. Piers looked visibly disappointed when Declan Donnelly and Ant McPartlin were announced as the winners of the gong following his pledge. Ant took a break from TV following a drink driving conviction last spring, claiming that he'd only walked his dog during his hiatus from on-screen presenting. Ahead of the awards, Piers tweeted he would take a year off if Ant won, and would spend it walking his dog - despite not having one. (Image: ITV) After the Geordie duo won the award, he put out an appeal for a pup, tweeting: "Does anyone have a dog I can borrow?" Piers was raging that Good Morning Britain didn't win Best Daytime Show at the awards, losing out to This Morning. In the hopes of winning an accolade next year, he told GMB viewers: "I'm going to change my name to Ant McMorgan. Then I will have a chance of winning Best Presenter." Piers has spent the week fuming about Ant's nomination, saying: "Come on! Sure he's put a shift in." It is the 18th year in a row that Ant and Dec have won the award. 'I dont really feel like I can accept this award this year' The pair were not at the ceremony because they were filming Britain's Got Talent, but appeared via video link live at the auditions. Dec was left in tears, with Ant thanked everyone for voting for them. He added: "I dont really feel like I can accept this award this year. The one reason why we won the award this year is because of this guy." Dec went on to present Saturday Night Takeaway, Britain's Got Talent and I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here without the star. | https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/piers-morgan-leave-good-morning-2460086 |
When is Mindhunter season 2 released on Netflix? What is going to happen? | David Fincher returned to TV in 2017 with Mindhunter, a slow-burning detective drama about the inception of the FBIs criminal profiling programme in the 1970s. Advertisement The series introduced us to agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) of the bureaus Behavioural Sciences unit as they endeavoured to understand patterns in murderous behaviour by interviewing incarcerated serial killers a la Jodie Foster in Silence of The Lambs. The show was renewed for a second season before the first had aired, and it is set to air this year. No release date has been announced as yet but given that filming was well underway in May of last year, we suspect and hope that it will arrive in the first half of 2019. Netflix has been very quiet about the second season of Mindhunter, beyond confirming that it is in fact happening. Theyve released no concrete casting or plot info as yet, but a few things have slipped out. In an interview with Billboard in 2017, Fincher revealed that season 2 would cover a notorious series of murders in Atlanta from 1979-81, which saw 28 children, teens and adults (all African-American) killed in the Georgian capital. Atlanta native Wayne Williams was tried and convicted for two of the killings. On top of this, there have been reports that Australian actor Damon Herriman has been cast as Charles Manson. Bizarrely, he is already set to play the infamous killer in Quentin Tarantinos upcoming film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. At the end of season 1, Fords methods were being called into question by Wendy, Bill and their boss, as he became increasingly unguarded around their subjects. In a brilliant scene in the finale, he is embraced in a bear hug by serial killer Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton), and, once free, has a panic attack in the hall, having realised how dangerous the situation had become. The new season will likely deal with the fall-out of this, and (hopefully) see him take on a more pragmatic approach to the study. Of the original cast members, we know that Groff, McCallany and Torv will be back for the second season. It is as yet unclear if Britton will return as Kemper. On top of this, Once Upon A Time in the West star Damon Herriman is rumoured to be playing Charles Manson Advertisement Mindhunter season 2 will be released on Netflix in 2019 | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2019-01-23/mindhunter-2/ |
When was Roxanne Palletts appearance on Celebrity Coach Trip filmed? | Roxanne Pallett is about to be seen on Celebrity Coach Trip (Picture: Channel 4) Roxanne Pallett is returning to TV tonight, months after she caused one of the TV scandals of 2018 on Celebrity Big Brother. The actress was at the centre of one of the shows biggest ever media storms, after she falsely accused Ryan Thomas of deliberately punching her in the ribs and called for him to be removed from the house. Since then shes stepped away from the limelight until Celebrity Coach Trip came along, that is. Her episode airs on Wednesday night, as she and former Waterloo Road star George Sampson join the celebs on the road to Benidorm. The actress caused a media storm after she falsely accused Ryan Thomas of punching her while they were in the house (Picture: Rex Shutterstock) Well actually the show went before the cameras last summer, before Roxannes controversial CBB appearance aired. Advertisement Advertisement An insider told OK! Online in September: Roxanne Pallett will be in Celebrity Coach Trip. It was filmed earlier this summer. It is not on screen until next year. Its not the only time shes been seen onscreen since the CBB controversy, as she also appeared on Bear Grylls Celebrity Island. That appearance was shown in early September just days after she left the Celebrity Big Brother house in the wake of the scandal. Five pairs of celebrity tourists will join Brendan Sheerin on the coach (Picture: Channel 4) The line-up also includes James and Ola Jordan, as well as Charlotte Crosby and Joshua Ritchie. Made In Chelseas Sam Thompson and James Dunmore have also been taking part along with Towies Bobby Norris, teaming up with former Celebs Go Dating star Nadia Essex. Sugababes singer Mutya Buena and So Solid Crews Lisa Maffia have completed the line-up this series although Sam and James miss out on the chance to hang out with Roxanne and George after they were voted off the bus just two days before Roxannes arrival. If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/23/roxanne-palletts-appearance-celebrity-coach-trip-filmed-8379425/ |
When is The Voice UK 2019 final on TV? | All the blind auditions, Battle Rounds and Knockouts it will all come down to this: The Voice UK 2019 live final. Advertisement The judges coaches Jennifer Hudson, Olly Murs, Sir Tom Jones and will.i.am will have to narrow down their teams of 10 to just one performer each, with four acts competing in the grand final. Heres everything you need to know about The Voices grand final 2019. Its still too early to say who will be singing for this years crown. Although the exact song choices havent yet been announced, were expecting each act to perform two songs in the final: one solo tune and one duet with their coach. Its too early to say whether a guest star will sing on the show, but its likely, as per last year, that the guest performers will be the coaches themselves. In the 2018 competition, the four coaches performed Beatles classic Come Together on stage. Yes, although the coaches had the final say in the competitions previous rounds, the public will decide the shows winner. Details of how to vote will be posted here when available. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-23/voice-uk-final-date/ |
Who got eliminated from The Voice UK 2019? | Sadly, the search for the next singing sensation (or at least the next winner of The Voice UK) doesnt come without a few casualties. Throughout the Battle Rounds, Knockouts and live shows the coaches Jennifer Hudson, Olly Murs, Sir Tom Jones and will.i.am must whittle down their teams of 10 hopeful acts in the build-up to this years final. No acts have yet left the competition yet. However, after the blind auditions the coaches will have to halve their teams in the Battle Rounds you can see which acts are through to that stage of the competition here. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-23/the-voice-uk-who-left-eliminated-contestants/ |
Did Sunday's lunar eclipse symbolize end of an era in New Orleans? | CLOSE Lorenzo Reyes says that although the Saints got hosed on an obvious missed pass interference call, that's not the only reason they fell to the Rams. Just a couple of hours after the Saints NFL Championship Game loss, a bloated moon became dark and then ominously reddened. Forget the blown call. For what its worth, the NFL called Sean Payton after the game and stated the obvious we apologize, bad call, sorry. The sunlight starting to return as the eclipse was ending Sunday, Jan. 20 2019. (Photo: Michael Lanty) We will never know what could have happened if the referee had tossed a flag, so dont obsess. Maybe the Saints would have scored a touchdown or possibly they would have fumbled away the chance. At least that non-call got Marcus Williams off the hook for the Minneapolis Miracle. If youre a Saints fan, youve been victimized many times, so you know how to handle it. Those were hard to take too, but at the time, all the Saints had was hope. More: Attorney considers injunction to stop Super Bowl LIII My focus this day is the significance of the eclipse and whether it indicates or relates to something more important than just a unique celestial experience. Brees enjoyed his 40th birthday party a few hours after the Saints defeated Philadelphia last week. I thought about Brees age after watching Tom Brady move the Patriots down the field twice once at the end of regulation and another in overtime to defeat Kansas City. Brady was nearly flawless. A similarly aged Brees struggled after the first quarter against the Rams. Saints quarterback Drew Brees is shown during Sunday's NFC Championship Game in New Orleans. (Photo: SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network) Yeah, Brees was throwing to a pretty overmatched bunch a couple of former practice squad tight ends, Michael Thomas who was effectively covered and Ted Ginn, Jr. just coming back from injured reserve. His tool box contained metric wrenches when standard sizes were required. So its not just on Brees shoulders. 'Bleaux it': Angry Saints fan buys billboards for Atlanta area But Brees 40-year-old performance on Sunday was still outclassed by Brady with some lackluster receivers and a young quarterback named Jared Goff. Brady has recently discussed the R word; Brees hasnt approached retirement seriously. The window for him is closing too. More: Hundreds of thousands sign petition for rematch with Rams Brees told reporters after Sundays game that he feels fine most of the time and he plans to come back for another season. One thing is certain: The Saints need to reconsider whos now catching Brees throws and acquire much more depth for an offensive line that was dominated by a Rams defensive front, something I alluded to in my Sunday prediction. Until then for Brees the eclipse looms. I didnt need to remove myself from the couch Sunday night to view an eclipse. I was thinking instead that I had already seen an eclipse occur on a football field during the afternoon. | https://www.dailyworld.com/story/sports/nfl/saints/2019/01/22/did-sundays-lunar-eclipse-symbolize-end-era-new-orleans/2648670002/ |
Who is Emmerdale actor James Moore and his character Ryan Stocks? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Emmerdale newcomer James Moore , the actor who plays Charitys son Ryan Stocks on the soap, has certainly impressed fans since his debut in 2018. After it was confirmed Charity had been raped when she was 14 and later gave birth to a son, the soap soon announced Ryan would be heading to the village. Charity grew up believing he had died all those years ago, but after learning this was not the case she tracked him down, with the mother and son since developing a sweet bond. Heres all you need to know about Ryan and the actor who plays him, after his win at the National Television Awards 2019. Ryan is the long-lost son of Charity Dingle, who arrived in the village in June 2018. His father, DI Bails, had raped Charity when she was 14, with the storyline being revisited last year. Ryan is the brother of Charitys other children Debbie, Noah and Moses Dingle. James is a British actor and musician from Cheltenham. The actor has ataxic cerebral palsy, with his character on Emmerdale having the same disability. James won the Best Newcomer award at the National Television Awards 2019 for his portrayal of Ryan. His inspirational acceptance speech left viewers praising the star, with many also in tears. (Image: Lia Toby/WENN.com) James opens up on disability The actor spoke out just weeks after his Emmerdale debut, after some viewers complained they couldnt understand him. He hilariously tweeted: To everyone who says they cant understand me in Emmerdale, I have compiled this easy to use guide for your viewing pleasure. Simply set the option to English' and enjoy. James has also taken to social media to encourage others to be more open-minded and accommodating with disability, while recently telling Digital Spy that more needed to be done for disabled actors. Viewers are hoping the pair might finally together, after growing close since Dawns return to the village. Ryan wanted a romance with Dawn, but the recovering drug addict, who recently suffered an overdose, told him she wanted to get better before giving love a try. *Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7pm, with an additional episode at 8pm on Thursdays | https://www.irishmirror.ie/tv/who-emmerdale-actor-james-moore-13895966 |
Do I need a hub to use C by GE smart bulbs? | Best answer: While you can control C by GE bulbs locally without a hub, you'll need a C-Reach to control them from out of Bluetooth range or use them with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. Operate your bulbs from afar with a C-Reach C by GE makes relatively inexpensive smart bulbs that operate over Bluetooth, rather than Wi-Fi like bulbs from other brands like LIFX and Philips Hue. This helps keep the cost of each bulb down, but it means that you can't control them once you're out of their Bluetooth range about 50 feet. If you have multiple bulbs, they can mesh together to extend range, but you still can't control them from afar unless you add a C-Reach smart bridge to the mix. While not essential for using C by GE's C-Life and C-Sleep bulbs, the C-Reach improves the usability of each bulb by allowing them to work over Wi-Fi. This allows you to control your lights from anywhere through the C by GE app, even when you're not home. The C-Reach bridge also allows you to control your C by GE bulbs by voice through Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa (HomeKit support isn't available yet, but C by GE says it's coming soon). To use Alexa, you'll need to sign into your C by GE account in the Alexa app and add the "CbyGE" skill. For Google Assistant, just sign into your account within the Google Home app. | https://www.androidcentral.com/do-i-need-hub-use-c-ge-smart-bulbs?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+androidcentral+%28Android+Central%29 |
Why micro-finance and women empowerment go hand-in-hand? | No amount of awareness programmes could motivate women to step out of their homes if they are not financially independent. (Representative image) As the Indian economy went through liberalization in the early 90s, there were several reforms and the economic growth was on an upwards trajectory. However, this also opened up another debate- is this growth reaching every section of the society, or being restricted to crme de la crme. By World Bank estimates in 2018, India witnessed the fastest rise in inequality of all major world regions between 1980 and 2016, and 55% of the countrys income share is in the hands of the wealthiest 10%. The gap is because of the uneven spread of income in rural, semi-urban, and urban areas. As per the 2011 census, about two-thirds of the India population lives in rural areas. They are constantly challenged with a shortage of services such as banking and health care. As a result, the true potential of rural India is yet to be fully harnessed, particularly that of women who possess great entrepreneurial skills and leadership abilities. There are many studies around the world which suggest that women empowerment is closely linked to financial inclusion and that no amount of awareness programmes could motivate women to step out of their homes if they are not financially independent. In the absence of formal banking services and credit facilities in the remotest parts of the country, Micro-finance Institutions have played a commendable role in empowering women and providing them with easy credit access, in the form of loans, thus giving wings to their dreams. Because an empowered and financially independent woman can significantly contribute to the health and productivity of her family and community. In this context, it is noteworthy to hearken to the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who, applauding the role of women in building a healthy society, stated that no country can progress if its women are not equal partners in the developmental process. Nevertheless, it is worrying to see that despite this understanding and awareness, India ranks 108 among 144 countries in the Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) conducted in 2017. The report further highlights that along with other parameters, economic participation and opportunity, remains a key challenge for women as the nation managed 139 ranks on this parameter. Womens labour participation in India is a meagre 28%. According to the Sixth Economic Census by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, women constitute around 14 per cent of the total entrepreneurship in India. 98 per cent of them work in the informal sector. The Global Findex Survey suggests that only 5 per cent Indian women with bank accounts receive bank loans compared to 11 per cent in China. Hence, they often end up limiting their business within the boundaries of their locality or borrow from informal sources, at a much higher rate of interest, thus making their products or services uncompetitive. Microfinance, with its reach and connect with the rural population, is widely seen as an effective tool to reach out to the underbanked yet aspiring women who are determined to bring about a change in society. The significance of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the country can be understood from the recent rise in borrowings by women. According to MicroFinance Institutions Network, there were more than 2.65 Crore borrowers associated with these institutions with the outstanding Gross Lending Portfolio of Rs. 1,48,097 Crores as of June 2018. Majority of them are women, who do not have access to formal credit. The launch of MUDRA scheme and institutional provisions like revised RBI guidelines for NBFC-MFIs have provided the necessary boost to the industry. Further, Micro-finance institutions connect women entrepreneurs through small joint liability groups. Each member of the group receives a certain amount of loan without any collateral or cumbersome documentation process, which can be used for income generation purposes like animal husbandry, agriculture, handicraft, trading and other forms of business. More importantly, the presence of branches even in the remotest parts of the country implies that easy access to loans and streamlined disbursal processes. Experience suggests that women are more financially disciplined as compared to men. Thus, there is a far more social value generated when women access formal credit. Thus, each micro-loan that is disbursed to women entrepreneurs goes a long way towards multiplying jobs, poverty alleviation and creation of a prosperous society. Thus, it can be argued that financial inclusion plays a key role in empowering women and preparing them for greater roles as contributors to national growth. However, this is a collective responsibility that should be shared by the banking communities, Micro-finance institutions and the Government alike. Its no easy task to build a financially inclusive and empowered society, taking into account Indias geographic and demographic diversity with protruding educational backwardness. Therefore, a comprehensive action plan needs to be put in place that not only aims at a financially inclusive society but also empowering and equipping the women with the basic skills of self-employment. This will undoubtedly lay the foundation for a new and progressive India, rooted in self-reliance and economic resilience. | https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/why-micro-finance-and-women-empowerment-go-hand-in-hand/1452759/ |
What is a vote of no confidence? What time is it? | Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn tabled a motion of no confidence after the crushing defeat of Theresa May's Brexit deal by MPs. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tables no confidence motion A vote of no confidence lets MPs decide on whether they want the government to continue - and has the power to trigger a general election. The motion's wording is: "That this House has no confidence in Her Majesty's Government." Jeremy Corbyn tabled the motion after Theresa May's Brexit deal was rejected by MPs on Tuesday evening. It is backed by MPs from the SNP, Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and Green Party. Prime Minister's Questions go ahead as usual at 12:00 GMT on Wednesday. Following a brief debate on banning low level letterboxes, MPs should start debating the motion at about 13:00 GMT. The confidence vote is expected at about 19:00 GMT. Image copyright AFP A 14-day countdown is started if a majority of MPs vote for the motion - and a general election will be called if, during that period, the government or any other alternative government cannot win a new vote of confidence. These 14 days are calendar days and not the days in which Parliament is sitting - so the deadline would be Wednesday 30 January. If there is to then be an election, the earliest it could happen would be 25 working days. Under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011, UK general elections are only supposed to happen every five years. At the moment, the next one is due in 2022. Mrs May has already said that she will not be leading the Conservatives into the 2022 general election. This is the outcome that is widely expected. Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell has told the BBC that they are expected to lose the vote and the DUP - the party that props up Mrs May's government - has said it will vote in favour of the government. Following the vote, Mrs May will have to go back to focusing on getting some form of Brexit deal through Parliament. She offered cross-party talks to determine a way forward in the aftermath of her plan's rejection in the Commons. Mrs May is expected to begin a series of meetings with "senior Parliamentarians" on Thursday. She also told MPs she will return to the Commons with an alternative plan next week, provided she survives the confidence vote. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46890481 |
What time is Monaghan v Dublin and where can I watch it on TV? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Dublin will begin their defence of the Allianz League trophy this weekend with a trip to Clones to face Monaghan in the league opener. The Dubs will likely field a very different team to the one that lost the O'Byrne Cup final to Westmeath over the weekend, while Monaghan will surely be fielding a very strong side in an effort to start the season right. (Image: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo) The game takes place at St. Tiernach's Park in Clones on Sunday January 27th. (Image: INPHO/Bryan Keane) The match will get underway at 2 PM. (Image: INPHO/Bryan Keane) The game will be live on TG4, with coverage starting at 1.30 PM. You can follow the match right here on Dublin Live with our live blog as well. | https://www.dublinlive.ie/sport/what-time-monaghan-v-dublin-15720018 |
Is Gonzalo Higuain the man to save Sarri-ball? | Gonzalo Higuain will arrive in England on Wednesday to complete his loan move from Juventus to Chelsea as Maurizio Sarri urgently tries to revitalise their season. There have been signs in recent weeks that the Italian manager is struggling to adapt his playing philosophy to the unique rigours of the Premier League. With Chelsea still competing on four fronts this season, attacking reinforcements during the current window were essential and they will hope Higuain is the answer. This isn't difficult to answer. Higuain has always been a classic centre forward and he will slot in right in the middle of Sarri's three-man forward line. It's proved a troublesome position for Sarri and likewise for his predecessor Antonio Conte after the sale of Diego Costa to Atletico Madrid in September 2017. Alvaro Morata, signed from Real Madrid for 60million in the summer of 2017, was meant to replace the goals of Costa but has struggled in the Premier League. Morata has managed just 16 goals in 47 league matches for Chelsea and just 24 goals in 72 games overall. The Spaniard is about to be put out of his misery by joining Atletico Madrid on loan this week with an option to make the transfer permanent for 48.5m at the end of the season. There have been more downs than ups to Alvaro Morata's goalscoring form at Chelsea Olivier Giroud was signed from Arsenal six months after Morata's arrival but the Frenchman was always viewed as a back-up. He has managed just 10 goals in 43 games for Chelsea and hasn't won the approval of Sarri since the Italian manager arrived last summer. The fact Sarri has opted to play Eden Hazard as a false nine in seven matches this season indicates his lack of faith in Morata and Giroud. Higuain is more than comfortable taking the leading role in a front line and his arrival allows Hazard to return to his more familiar position wide on the left. Olivier Giroud has also struggled to gain the trust of Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri That's not necessarily to say Hazard has struggled with the demands of playing up top - he has scored three goals and contributed four assists in that role. Pedro will continue in his position on the right-side of the attack and, like Hazard, will be entrusted with supplying the ammunition for Higuain. Of course, if Higuain flourishes and makes his move permanent in the summer, then Chelsea will also have the option of playing Christian Pulisic, their 58m signing from Borussia Dortmund, on the right. We all awaited the arrival of Sarri and his playing style in the Premier League with excitement. Chelsea would have known what they were getting with Sarri and, if they didn't, his insistence on bringing in Jorginho from his former club Napoli for 50m certainly offered a big clue. Jorginho came tailor-made for the system Sarri had perfected, sitting in front of the defence and controlling the tempo like a metronome. In the early weeks of the season, we saw this in action as Jorginho set new passing records for the Premier League. Opponents have realised that man-marking Jorginho exposes weaknesses in Sarri's tactics It meant that N'Golo Kante had to reinvent himself as a box-to-box player, not something he was used to but something he did willingly for the cause. Initial signs were promising. Chelsea started the season with an 18-match unbeaten run in all competitions and scored 27 goals in their first 11 Premier League matches. Jorginho and others were in excellent form. But their 3-1 defeat at Tottenham on November 24 proved a turning points. Not only was it their first defeat of the campaign, but Mauricio Pochettino successfully worked out the achilles heel of Sarri-ball. By deploying Dele Alli to man-mark Jorginho, Spurs exploited the fact that Chelsea lack forward thrust in other midfield areas since reverting to a 4-3-3 system under Sarri. Dele Alli performed an excellent man-marking job on Jorginho during Spurs 3-1 win CHELSEA PREMIER LEAGUE STATS SINCE 0-0 DRAW WITH EVERTON Total Per match Games Played 12 - Goals 13 1.08 Expected Goals 15.84 1.32 Total shots 158 13.17 Shots on target 52 4.33 Shot conversion % 8.23 - Big chance total 26 2.17 Big chance conversion % 34.62 - Touches in opp. Box 296 24.67 Courtesy of Opta Because Sarri is stubborn in sticking to the philosophy that has made his career, other opponents have been able to exploit the weaknesses after Pochettino set the template. In the 12 league matches since the goalless draw that preceded the Spurs defeat, Chelsea have mustered just 13 goals and their chance conversion rate has slumped to 8.32 per cent. With Morata short on confidence and Giroud not entirely trusted to do the job, the goals have dried up and the hope is that Higuain will get them back on track. One thing that is noticeable from those last dozen Premier League matches is that Chelsea are continuing to carve out chances - they're just not putting them away. They have had 158 shots, at an average of 13 per game, and 26 of those have been described as 'big chances' you'd expect them to score. Higuain has been a prolific striker throughout his career, whether at Real Madrid, Napoli or Juventus. He has surpassed the 20-goal mark in eight seasons and the 30-goal mark twice. Higuain celebrates scoring for his first club, River Plate, against Boca Juniors back in 2006 The Argentine hotshot was also a regular goalscorer during his time with Real Madrid Higuain career statistics RIVER PLATE 2004-2005 Four games, 0 goals 2005-2006 18 games, 7 goals 2006-2007 19 games, 8 goals REAL MADRID 2006-2007 23 games, 2 goals 2007-2008 34 games, 9 goals 2008-2009 44 games, 24 goals 2009-2010 40 games, 29 goals 2010-2011 25 games, 13 goals 2011-2012 54 games, 26 goals 2012-2013 44 games, 18 goals NAPOLI 2013-2014 46 games, 24 goals 2014-2015 58 games, 29 goals 2015-2016 42 games, 38 goals JUVENTUS 2016-2017 55 games, 32 goals 2017-2018 50 games, 23 goals AC MILAN (LOAN) 2018-2019 22 games, 8 goals ARGENTINA 2009- 75 games, 31 goals The Argentine is renowned for his opportunism and clinical finishing inside the penalty area. His movement to locate space is first class and his 6ft 1in height makes him dangerous in the air. If you go back to the start of the 2015-16 season, when he worked with Sarri at Napoli, he has scored 82 goals in Serie A and 101 altogether. He averages 4.25 shots on goal per match and has a conversion rate of 17.3 per cent, so you can expect him to score about one in every five chances he has. When it comes to the 'big chances', the ones world class strikers should take, he has converted 52.63 per cent of them. That kind of clinical touch is precisely what Chelsea need. So the statistical evidence bodes well but, of course, the great unknown is how Higuain will take to the Premier League. Higuain enjoyed some of his most prolific seasons when at Napoli in the Italian top flight From Napoli, he moved on to Juventus and was equally prolific for the Serie A champions HIGUAIN'S RECORD IN SERIE A SINCE AUGUST 2015 Total Per match Games Played 123 - Minutes played 10043 - Goals 82 0.73 Expected Goals 60.48 0.54 Total shots 474 4.25 Shots on target 205 1.84 Shot conversion % 17.3 - Big chance total 95 0.85 Big chance conversion % 52.63 - Touches in opp. Box 411 3.68 Courtesy of Opta Ironically, he is currently going through one of his worst seasons having scored just eight times in 22 matches during his loan spell at AC Milan. But Higuain has not enjoyed the same level of service there as he did at Real Madrid, Juventus or Napoli and he will at Chelsea. Chelsea fans pining for Costa will be encouraged to learn that as well as being a reliable scorer, Higuain can also be something of an irritant to opposition defenders. While that Costa-esque ability to wind up rivals can be a positive thing, Higuain can also overstep the mark. Earlier this season, he was red carded during a 2-0 loss to his parent club Juventus. Higuain, let's not forget, was sent out on loan because Juve had bought Cristiano Ronaldo for 100m last summer and no longer needed him. He had seen a penalty saved by Wojciech Szczesny with Milan 1-0 down and then the sign of Ronaldo scoring Juve's second tipped him over the edge. Higuain snarls at Giorgio Chiellini after being sent off against his old club in November Higuain was booked for a foul on Mehdi Benatia and then carded again for dissent afterwards Higuain left the field in tears after seeing red playing for AC Milan against his parent club The striker had earlier seen his penalty, which would have made it 1-1, saved by Szczesny After being booked for a challenge on Mehdi Benatia, Higuain screamed angrily in the face of referee Paolo Mazzoleni and was promptly shown a second yellow. He left the field in tears. So there is a volatile side to Higuain and he will have to tread that disciplinary tightrope in the Premier League as Costa so often did. But if he can prevent the red mist descending and lets his goals do the talking, he will be a success at Chelsea. Even by the impressive standards Higuain has set, his numbers during the 2015-16 campaign - the one and only season he spent under Sarri at Napoli - stand out. Sarri had just arrived at the Stadio San Paolo, keen to test the priciples and philosophy he had painstakingly developed in Italy's lower divisions in Serie A. Napoli had achieved a fifth-place finish under Rafa Benitez the previous year, with Higuain contributing 18 league goals, but everything improved under Sarri. The Argentine scored an astonishing 36 goals in 35 league appearances - equalling the historic Capocannoniere [top scorer] record established by Torino's Gino Rossetti way back in 1928-29. Remarkably, Higuain scored just one hat-trick all season - on the final day against Frosinone - showing a remarkable consistency of scoring goals. Sarri informed Higuain that he was 'too lazy' during pre-season and got the desired response Chelsea fixtures Premier League unless stated Thursday Tottenham (H) Carabao Cup semi-final, second leg Sunday Sheffield Wednesday (H) FA Cup fourth round January 30 Bournemouth (A) February 2 Huddersfield Town (H) February 10 Manchester City (A) February 14 Malmo (A) Europa League last 32, first leg But it might not have turned out this way had Sarri not given Higuain an almighty does of home truth during pre-season. 'What did I say to Higuain in pre-season?' Sarri said in October 2015. 'I told him he was too lazy and if he didn't change his attitude he'd never become the best centre forward in the world.' Sarri, knowing that Higuain was a 'sensitive' character like a lot of strikers, mixed praise and constructive criticism during that season, with excellent results. 'He is a little hard-headed but you just have to know how to handle him,' Sarri told Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport. 'Even a great player like he is sometimes needs some advice so that he feels as though someone is on his side. 'Higuain is a very sensitive guy and up to this point he has been trying to keep up an image that doesn't really go with his real character. 'He is not only the best forward in the world but he is also a man with very genuine feelings that are hidden behind that image.' Higuain revealed his deep gratitude for Sarri after scoring a record-equalling 36 league goals Following a few weeks of adjustment to Sarri's methods, Napoli embarked upon a sequence that saw them lose just once in 23 matches and they led Serie A until mid-February. But hopes of a first Scudetto since the days of Diego Maradona in 1990 were dashed when Juventus beat them 1-0 on February 13, sparking a collapse in form that would ultimately see them come second, eight points shy of Juventus. Higuain's outstanding goalscoring feats attracted interest from Juventus, who signed him for 90m in the summer of 2016. Things soured a little, with Higuain claiming he was forced out of the club quickly by president Aurelio De Laurentiis, who allegedly called him 'fat' before he left for Turin. Sarri admitted he was upset Higuain didn't at least call him to say thanks and goodbye. 'I've just seen him with a Juve shirt and while I will still talk to him, I won't be happy to do so,' he said. Higuain greets his former manager while playing for Juventus against Napoli back in 2016 But the player was full of warm sentiment for his manager: 'Sarri made me grow and he has been a great coach for me. I can only thank him.' The pair were soon back on good terms, embracing on the sidelines before Higuain scored Juve's winner against Napoli in October 2016. 'He is a phenomenon, a loose ball at Gonzalo's feet means certain death for defenders,' said Sarri after the game. The coach will now hope Higuain can bring that touch of death to Chelsea's attack. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6622841/Is-Gonzalo-Higuain-man-save-Sarri-ball.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490 |
Will DuPage Airport tenants have to pay back taxes? | hello DuPage Airport Authority tenants owing thousands of dollars in overdue property taxes still haven't ponied up. Coupon clipping can save you a few dollars on a product, but you might have to pay full freight on the sales tax. And a suburban legislator wants to crack down on municipal conference spending. These updates, plus an answer to a reader's question, are the topics of this week's column. Delinquent tenant taxes Tenants at the DuPage Airport Authority that owe hundreds of thousands in back property taxes still haven't paid up. That's according to DuPage County Treasurer Gwen Henry, who said her office and airport leaders are working together to ensure the airport's tenants pay their tax bills in the future. The airport is owned by the county and overseen by DuPage County Board appointees. A Daily Herald investigation in November uncovered the issue when airport-owned properties showed up on the treasurer's annual report that lists properties with overdue tax bills. Three current tenants owe more than $475,000 combined in delinquent property taxes, according to tax records from Henry's office. "We haven't forgotten about it," Henry said. "We're working on it." Another four former tenants that owed about $300,000 combined will probably never have to pay, Henry said. "The DuPage Airport Authority has met with the DuPage County treasurer and all tenants who are in arrears to secure back payments," said David Bird, the airport's executive director. "We are looking at possible legislation to prevent this from happening again, not only to the authority, but to all governmental agencies across the state." Airport officials said they haven't approached a specific legislator about sponsoring such a bill yet. In Cook County, the Board of Review has been checking for similar instances of nonpayment since November but has not found any, Commissioner Dan Patlak said. Despite being on land owned by a government, DuPage Airport tenants are charged property taxes on what the value of that land and structure would be if it were privately held. However, because it is public land, it can't be seized if the tenants fail to pay property taxes. Without that leverage, some DuPage Airport tenants admitted they chose not to pay the taxes, in some cases for decades. Going forward, Henry said the airport administration will receive copies of tenants' tax bills and delinquency notices "to make sure the taxes get paid." Coupon clipped Retired certified public accountant Dwayne Ennis of Naperville keeps meticulous records of his spending. So it's not uncommon for him to go over his receipts when he runs errands to make sure everything adds up. "McDonald's once gave me a free cup of coffee when I told them they refunded me for the cost of an item, but not the tax," he said. "It was only three cents to me, but three cents here and three cents there begins to add up, and who's getting it?" After a recent trip to a major retailer to pick up paper towels, his inspection of the receipt left him flummoxed. He had a coupon for $6 off his $19.98 purchase. His sales tax should've been around $1.19, but instead it was $1.70, he said. "It didn't make any sense to me, and all they said was that's how the state wants them to do it," Ennis said. It did sound odd, and that's why we called the Illinois Department of Revenue to seek clarity. It turns out, the retailer was still getting the full $19.98 for the paper towels because it was being reimbursed by the manufacturer for the $6 coupon Ennis used. So the actual sale price was $19.98, and the state's sales tax law requires payment for actual selling price. According to state statute, the selling price is the total amount received by the retailer "whether received in money or otherwise, including cash, credits, property and services." If the retailer was not being reimbursed, the smaller price would have been taxed, IDOR officials explained. Ennis wasn't thrilled about the additional taxes, but he was happy to have an explanation. "It's not going to change the way I shop," he said. "As long as I'm not being cheated, I'm fine. And as long as I find the explanation satisfactory, I'm fine. So I'm fine." Back at it After abandoning legislation last session aimed at banning tax dollars from being used by state agencies to rent out "booths, hospitality suites or other physical spaces" at conventions and conferences, Barrington Hills Republican state Rep. David McSweeney is trying again. David McSweeney However, his new bill would also make it harder for municipal officials to participate in conferences and conventions. "My hope is that the spending would be eliminated, but if someone really, really wants to do it, then it should be proved necessary to the public," McSweeney said. The bill would require municipal officials to list the name, position and amount spent at these conferences on a separate line item of a municipal board's meeting agenda. Then, town officials would have to post that information on the municipal website 30 days before the board votes on the expenditure. And finally, three-fifths of the city council or village board would have to approve the spending. McSweeney filed the initial bill last year after a Daily Herald investigation of municipal spending at the annual Illinois Municipal League conference in downtown Chicago showed taxpayers covered bar tabs, meals and thousands of dollars in hotel charges during the three-day event hosted by the lobbying group. The investigation revealed taxpayers covered more than $120,000 in expenses incurred by 151 elected officials or municipal employees in 50 suburbs. The four tiny "Round Lake Area" suburbs accounted for more than $35,000 of the total spending. McSweeney's previous bill had bipartisan support, but so far he has no other co-sponsors for the new bill. Contact Jake at [email protected] or (847) 427-4602. | https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20190123/will-dupage-airport-tenants-have-to-pay-back-taxes |
Can there be a suburban ice fishing season now? | Lack of deep freeze this winter up to now has had a chilling effect on sport in the suburbs hello A state agency's graphic shows how much ice is needed to support various objects. Courtesy Illinois Department of Natural Resources The familiar sight of ice fishermen silhouetted on lakes in northern Illinois has been missing this season as mild winter weather kept augers in the garage or sent anglers seeking solid ice elsewhere. But with this week's cold snap, the situation is expected to turn around. Finally, the ice fishing season is getting underway. "The outlook is much, much better," said Greg Dickson, owner of Triangle Sports and Marine Inc., in Antioch. "People have been waiting to go all year long." By this weekend, enthusiasts who have been relegated to shallow isolated backwaters or headed north to Wisconsin or Minnesota to get their ice-fishing fix are expected to be back at their favorite local spots in force. A brutally cold forecast for Friday and Saturday may be a temporary deterrent, but temperatures are expected to moderate thereafter. "I would expect we'll be extremely busy on Sunday," said Dickson, whose family opened Triangle in 1948. "This is kind of the kickoff (of the ice fishing season) for sure." It's been a while. Despite a brief spurt after Illinois' eighth-coldest November on record, conditions until recently have not cooperated. "People are itchin'. Not just me," Ryan Jacobsen, co-founder of the LVVA Ice Fishing Derby in Wauconda said last week. At the time, he said he'd seen "a few crazy guys" fishing but hadn't been able to get out on Bangs Lake. "Finally," he said Monday, after returning from a weekend trip to Minnesota to ice fish. "I'm sure there will be a couple of portable shanties out there." Until now, Jacobsen and others have had to adjust. The LVVA derby drew 537 participants last year but was switched from the originally scheduled Jan. 26 to Feb. 9 in hopes the ice thickens by then. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County was in the same boat, so to speak, and delayed its Hard Water Classic at Silver Lake in Warrenville from Jan. 12 to Feb. 9. The average ice depth at Silver Lake as of last Thursday was about 2 inches, according to Jay Johnson, manager of site operations for the district. Fingers are crossed for the makeup date. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources recommends ice be at least 4 inches thick for safe fishing or skating. The Lake County Forest Preserve District offers ice fishing at Lakewood (near Wauconda), Independence Grove (near Libertyville) and Van Patten Woods (near Wadsworth) forest preserves and requires 4 inches of uniform thickness. Banana Lake opened to ice fishing Tuesday morning, but until then none of three locations had been available this winter, according to John Nelson, director of operations and infrastructure. Bait shop owners say customers have been going to the Madison or Wisconsin Dells areas or other points north. "There's been no (ice fishing) season," John Moy, owner of Lee's Bait & Tackle with stores in Elk Grove Village and Carol Stream, observed last week. He held back inventory because of an anticipated delay. On Tuesday, Moy said anglers were starting to get out locally, but many still were heading north for safe ice. "Probably by this weekend, it will be a lot better," he said, as he prepared for the Chicagoland Fishing Travel & Outdoor Expo Thursday through Sunday at the Schaumburg Convention Center. The first solid ice historically forms around Dec. 6, but that is not a consistent occurrence, said Frank Jakubicek, fisheries biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources covering the Chain O' Lakes/Fox River area. "The Fox River and Chain O' Lakes system has a lot of flow, so you have to be careful," he said. "Ice fishing is tricky in our part of the state." "It's strictly an 'ice fish at your own risk' situation, and that's pretty true anywhere you go" in northern Illinois, he said. Jakubicek and others stressed caution. "There are still thick ice and thin ice areas interspersed near each other because there are mini-currents that keep ice from freezing consistently across a lake," he said. Sections of Bangs Lake, for example, freeze differently based on depth, current and warm spots, making it difficult to gauge what's safe, said Mike DaValle, division chief of fire prevention for the Wauconda Fire District. "We suggest those who wish to ice fish use caution, especially this year, to check the depth of the ice in several spots along their way to the place they would like to set up and fish," he said. Forecasters are giving anglers hope for coming weeks. Brian Kerschner, Illinois state climatologist, said forecasts released Monday by the Climate Prediction Center continue to strongly favor below-normal temperatures at both the 6- to 10-day and 8- to 14-day time frames. "In fact, the highest probabilities are centered over northern Illinois and the Great Lakes region," he said. "This should continue to be beneficial for ice growth." Dickson and others say every season varies. "What's a typical year?" he said. "It's one of those things -- timing is of the essence." | https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20190123/can-there-be-a-suburban-ice-fishing-season-now |
Will government shutdown quiet hearings on O'Hare noise? | hello Mark Welsh/[email protected] jets prepare to land at O'Hare International Airport running parallel to the houses on Hillside Drive in Bensenville. It's possible if hearings set for February on a temporary overnight runway rotation at O'Hare International Airport are postponed. The Federal Aviation Administration has scheduled local forums Feb. 4 through 7 to explain the rotation plan intended to evenly distribute jet noise. But the workers who would staff those events are furloughed. Clarification should come later this week, Chicago Department of Aviation Deputy Commissioner Aaron Frame said at an O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission committee meeting Tuesday. Collateral damage from the shutdown is "becoming real now," Bensenville Village Manager Evan Summers said, adding he intended to appeal to local members of Congress. Despite weeks of furlough, the FAA is prepared, ONCC Chairwoman and Mount Prospect Mayor Arlene Juracek said. "They've got their staffing scheduled, white boards made up and the halls are reserved," she said. However, if the government reopens, any backlog in critical work could take priority over the forums, Juracek noted. The ONCC approved the interim rotation plan in 2017, which triggered a substantial FAA review. A draft report is available online at faa.gov/airports/airport_development/omp/ifq_re_eval/ and comments will be accepted through Feb. 27. The rotation proposal wasn't without controversy because some neighborhoods will be getting unexpected jet noise at night, although supporters say the plan is meant to evenly distribute the din around the region. The interim conditions would last just 11 months -- starting in November 2019 through mid-May 2020, halting for construction, then continuing from mid-September 2020 through January 2021. The ONCC is developing a more permanent rotation to operate after O'Hare's sixth and final east-west runway is built in November 2020 and another existing one is expanded. Both are located on the north airfield. Hearing dates include Feb. 4 at Belvedere Banquets, 1170 W. Devon Ave. in Elk Grove Village, and Feb. 7 at the Diplomat West, 681 W. North Ave. in Elmhurst. Both are 2 to 8 p.m. | https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20190123/will-government-shutdown-quiet-hearings-on-ohare-noise |
How healthy is Aylesbury compared to the national average? | We compare figures of common ailments provided by the government, and have stacked them up again the national average. Each year NHS Digital publishes data from GP practices in England which includes the number of people recorded as having a range of health conditions. Aylesbury has above average disease prevalence of asthma and depression, while it is level with the national average for dementia. Here's how Aylesbury lines up with national disease prevalence: Asthma: Aylesbury 6.4%, National 5.9% Dementia: Aylesbury, 0.8%, National 0.8% Depression: Aylesbury 10%, National 9.8% Diabetes: Aylesbury 6.3%, National 6.7% High Blood Pressure: Aylesbury 12.6%, National 13.8% Obesity: Aylesbury 7.7. Statistics provided by Mind [Mental Health charity] suggest: Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. In England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week. With regards to Asthma, 5.4 million people in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma: 1.1 million children (1 in 11) and 4.3 million adults (1 in 12). Asthma prevalence is thought to have plateaued since the late 1990s, although the UK still has some of the highestrates in Europe and on average 3 people a day die from asthma. | https://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/health/how-healthy-is-aylesbury-compared-to-the-national-average-1-8780793 |
How long has Knight & Lee been open in Portsmouth for? | Have your say THE oldest department store in the city is set to close, following a shock announcement. John Lewis and Partners confirmed the Knight and Lee store on Palmerston Road, Southsea, will be closing in July this year. Knight & Lees on the corner of Elm Grove and Grove Road South 1949. The store has been closed for the day and staff were informed of the news in an announcement this morning. With 127 jobs set to be lost as a result of the closure. Knight & Lee has been a fixture of Southsea for over a century and the company is known for its employee ownership scheme. It started as a lace business, which operated in Queen Street, run by William Winks but by 1865 Frederick Winks had taken over the business and he moved it to Palmerston Road in 1874. He expanded the business and increased it's offering to become a department store. The company was then bought by brothers-in-law Jesse Knight and Edward Herbert Soden Lee in 1887. They greatly expanded the business to include a novel Boys wear department which was followed by a menswear department. READ MORE: Live reaction as closure of Knight & Lee in Portsmouth announce Knight & Lee was a popular place to work at the start of the 20th century and their was a waiting list of people hoping to get a job with the company. In the years following they expanded shop by shop until eventually a considerable distance of Palmerston Road fell under the Knight & Lee umbrella. In 1908, they bought a fishmongers shop on the corner of Stanley Lane and Palmerston Road. Mr Knight died in 1922 and Mr Lee passed away two years later in 1924. John Lewis Partnertship purchased the store in the 1930s as part of its provincial expansion plan and it is one of only two stores to retain its original name. And the deal proved to be a success with turnover increasing to 100,000 in 1937 which would be the equivalent of 4,762,650.60 in 2019. | https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/our-region/portsmouth/how-long-has-knight-lee-been-open-in-portsmouth-for-1-8781042 |
Did the NFL tinker with the Rams-Saints game? | All the sport's world knows by now about the game-deciding pass interference that wasn't called against the Rams in the fading minutes of regulation time in the NFC Championship game. Come Monday, everyone admits, including a 'contrite' NFL, that the refs blew the call. But the League's apology won't send New Orleans to the Super Bowl. To an impartial observer, there were many bad calls throughout the Saints-Rams game. Strangely, most seemed to go against New Orleans. To some, this smells fishy. Money. In the two championships games on Sunday, there was a chance the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs would prevail. This would then lead to two small market teams playing in the NFL's yearly extravaganza event -- the Super Bowl. From the League's perspective, this would be every bad news. Far better for ratings if the massive LA market was instead involved. This is especially true since the NFL has been struggling with sagging ratings all season long. It is also in the NFL's interest to pump up the Rams. In recent years, LA has not been happy hunting grounds for pro football. Both the Rams and Raiders failed there. The Rams are now back for a second try with hopes that a new multi-billion-dollar stadium in 2020 will make a difference. It is bottom line imperative for the NFL that the Rams succeed in L.A. I'm sure this is all just wild conjecture. No matter. The NFL has diminished itself. The question of the integrity of the game is more in doubt than ever. There is too much game-deciding subjectivity involved. And this can only get far worse as legalized sports betting is allowed in more and more states. Whether or not refs (or players) are on the take won't matter to many. Just the possibility will poison the game for them, and they'll stop watching. Look at what gambling did to boxing. Answer: Much more water than does the Trump-Russia collusion theory, and look at the legs that story has so far. | https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/01/did_the_nfl_tinker_with_the_ramssaints_game.html |
Does Anderson Silva Consider Israel Adesanya His Clone? | (Subscribe to MMAWeekly.com on YouTube) Anderson Silva has long wanted to fight a clone of himself, but he meant that literally. He really does want to fight himself. That obviously isnt going to happen any time soon. I living, breathing opponent that mimics his style. A lot of pundits have been saying that Silvas UFC 234 opponent, Israel Adesanya, is that living, breathing clone that Silva and the rest of us have wanted to see line up across from him in the Octagon. TRENDING > Joe Rogan Addresses His Future with the UFC After Contemplating Retirement Silva and Adesanya square off in the cage at UFC 234 on Feb. 10 in Mebourne, Australia. But first, listen in to what Silva had to say about the comparisons between them. | https://www.mmaweekly.com/does-anderson-silva-consider-israel-adesanya-his-clone-ufc-234 |
Why is my Gmail suddenly full? | Around the holidays, I started getting an alert on my Gmail that I was running up against a storage limit. Gmail has always had storage limits, but they were so large relative to the size of an email, or even tens of thousands of emails, no one ever needed to pay attention to it. Then, sometime in the last couple of years, Google started lumping all my data from Gmail, Photos, and Drive into a single bucket that turned out to be only 0.01GB bigger than all of my data combined. I was using 16.99GB of data, with 15GB in Gmail alone, and it was all suddenly together in one 17GB-sized place. If I hit the limit, Google warned, Id stop receiving email altogether. I could figure out what items Google suddenly decided were so big and try to manage it down, or I could buy more storage, for a minimum of $2 per month. From casting around desperately on Gmail support pages, as best I can tell, I came up against this storage limit because of large-attachment emails, but there are only 50 emails in my inbox with attachments bigger than 10MB, and only 30 more with attachments bigger than 5MB (you can check this for yourself by putting has:attachment larger:10M in the Gmail search field). Google is likely hoping I wont bother trying to figure any of this out and will just pay the relatively small amount of money to make this problem go away, and I admit Im very close to doing so because its an extremely annoying problem that they have made just barely difficult enough to solve with anything other than my own money. My Gmail has crashed every time Ive tried to delete a significant number of emails once on just 754 emails, from the Trash folder, which self-deletes after 30 days by default (and probably shouldnt count against storage limits, but does). It feels ironic for Google to suddenly try to charge me to store my data when it has been making money on it for so long. Not only that, but theoretically, the more data Google has, the more money its making from me. Its like a bank charging me for having too much money in my checking account. For the better part of a decade, Google has read my emails and attachments; it knows where I go and who I talk to, everything Ive ever searched for in every moment of insecurity or stupidity (just yesterday, why is tom bradys coat so big), and it uses this frankly enormous body of information to serve me targeted ads constantly across the internet. More to the point, most email I get, I did not ask for. Ive subscribed to some newsletters in my day, but Im pretty diligent about checking the Dont email me promotions box, and despite this, they show up anyway. Ive gotten emails from companies whose forms I didnt even complete, my email captured by an abandoned, unsubmitted page. The companies that collect and use my data, which include Google, no doubt play an enormous role in the sheer amount of email I receive, making the sudden storage limit a triple injustice: Google is profiting from my personal information, padding out how much data space Im taking up on their service by offering me up to advertisers at every possible opportunity, and then charging me for it, all at the same time. Perhaps Google is finally satisfied with its complete knowledge of me, and this is just the spitting-out part of having been chewed on for so many years. I am surprised only that the alerts that I am running out of email storage didn't come in the form of several daily emails. I've used Google products because it's functionally impossible to extricate myself from the Big Five, free is a compelling price, and I hold out borderline irrational hope that eventually some regulatory body in which the politicians are not too old to comprehend the internet will come to my defense as a consumer. But now Google isnt free anymore, and it isnt any less predatory. Even if I happen to be using wildly more data than everyone else, inertia dictates that the data charges will come for everyone. Gmail has more than a billion users; all Google services have double that. Originally I was going to list out here some ways or tools that Google could make that would help me cut down the on the sheer amount of garbage in my Google account, but in writing this I have thoroughly convinced myself that this situation is not only not my fault, but I shouldnt be responsible for cleaning any of this up or managing it at all. This is convenient, as Im lazy, but Im also pretty sure Im right. Google did not return a request for comment. | https://theoutline.com/post/6997/why-is-my-gmail-suddenly-full?zd=1&zi=vlbmq2ah |
Why are we so afraid of our gardens? | On February 15, Gardening Australia will air a 90-minute special to mark its 30th birthday. Judging by those who approach Edmanson in public, its especially popular among retirees and children. (The boom in school gardens, she believes, has drawn younger viewers.) Jane Edmanson, the only original host still with Gardening Australia, in the front yard of her Melbourne home. Credit:Simon Schluter Another demographic is more surprising: people without gardens. Some fans dont even own a houseplant. They just want a break from all the depressing stuff on TV, Edmanson says. And we give them smiling people and happy plants. Its as simple as that. You wont do irreparable damage if you cut off the wrong bit. Jane Edmanson When Gardening Australia began, national host Peter Cundall, who retired in 2009, gave Edmanson some advice. No marching girls, Jane! hed say. In other words, dont resort to embellishments or gimmickry. If a segment needs whiz-bang effects to hold viewers attention, its already failed. Cundall, now 91, was an unlikely TV star. As a British soldier in 1946, he was jailed without trial after straying across the Yugoslav border, enticed by a beautiful, flaxen-haired girl hed met in an apple orchard. Hes a pacifist, atheist and environmentalist, espousing organic gardening long before its middle class fetishisation. In 1961, he ran as a Communist Party candidate in Tasmania, winning just a handful of votes. His ultimate goal is to become worm food. When I die, they can shove me into the nearest compost bin, he told one interviewer. That way, I can keep on working. Viewers really respected his knowledge and they trusted him, Edmanson says. They loved his enthusiasm. Peter Cundall hosted Gardening Australia until 2009. Credit:Peter Mathew. Cundall and his successor, Stephen Ryan, will feature in the special alongside Costa Georgiadis, who took over in 2012. At the time, Georgiadis lavish beard caused a stir in the normally polite realm of online gardening groups. A dirty hippy, scoffed one person. A demented Hobbit, wrote another. Such pearl-clutching gives Edmanson the irrits. The garden, she insists, is no place for right and wrong. Hints and tips are fine, rigid rules are not. Maybe you just adore dahlias, she says. If you want to plant nothing but dahlias, go for it! I admire people who devote themselves to one kind of plant. Several years ago, she filmed a segment at a house in Melbournes west. Its front yard was a topiarian wonder; an assortment of elephants, eagles and dinosaurs in dramatic poses. Owner Ick Chu knew nothing about decorative sculpting when he migrated from Laos in the 1990s; he taught himself through trial and error. This have-a-go approach is what Edmanson has preached for years. People are scared of their gardens and they shouldnt be, she says. Its not brain surgery. You wont do irreparable damage if you cut off the wrong bit. Gardening Australia's Current host Costa Georgiadis. Credit:ABC As she refills the kettle, I notice her hands, spotless apart from the dirt under her nails. She sees this as proof of a fortunate life. I get paid to do this and Im not stuck in an office. Or, indeed, a classroom. After training as a high school teacher in the early 1970s, Edmanson took a job in Dimboola, 300 kilometres west of Melbourne. The headmaster had never seen anyone so enthused about showing teenagers how to grow dill. While he didnt want to lose her, he worried shed missed her calling. My friends thought I was nut, Edmanson recalls. They couldnt understand why Id quit a steady job to do something that was so underpaid. By day, she worked a junior assistant at the State Schools Nursery, studying horticulture and landscape technology at night. When she applied to other nurseries, the response was predictable: We dont take women. It was as if a child had asked to fly a plane; an amusing but fanciful notion. Loading This didnt stop Edmanson becoming deputy director of the Schools Nursery. She has since been a partner in a Preston gardening centre, worked on talkback radio and hosted So What?, the series that preceded Gardening Australia on ABC. When nerves threatened to derail her fledgling television career, she gave herself a stern talking-to: Its only a camera, Jane. The viewers are friendly and they want to hear what I have to say. After that, she rarely turned crimson. In the US, gardening is known as yardwork, giving it all the romance of a chore, while in England, its a national obsession. Edmanson has her own definition. Just sitting there and enjoying it, soaking it all in, is a form of gardening. It can be passive as well as active. As a girl, shed spend hours in the crab apple tree outside her house, reading books or inspecting the insects crawling along the branches. That home was on a typically large plot with lots of flowers, a vegie patch and a willow tree. It's a contrast to most newer homes, which are squeezed on to ever-smaller blocks. Unsure of what to do with their tiny yards, many residents plant a few spiky yuccas and call it a day. Yuccas are hardy and tough and I cant knock anyone for having them, Edmanson says. But it would be nice to move on. "We need new ways to engender a wonderment of nature in kids. How does it grow? WHAT: Gardening Australia's 30th birthday special WHEN: Friday February 15, 7.30pm on ABC | https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/why-are-we-so-afraid-of-our-gardens-20190115-p50rk1.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_entertainment |
How did the Tesco accounting scandal unfold and who were the cleared trio? | News of Tescos accounting scandal sent shockwaves through the City in 2014 and raised serious questions over how a FTSE 100 firm could get away with cooking the books. The grocery giant issued a series of profit warnings in the run up to the September announcement about overstated profits as the group reeled under the disastrous reign of then-chief executive Philip Clarke. Mr Clarke, who left the retailer just before the scandal, presided over a tumultuous period for Britains biggest retailer, in which market share slumped as Tesco came under pressure from discount rivals Aldi and Lidl. The bombshell disclosure came on September 22, when the company admitted that issues uncovered in its UK food business meant it was likely to have overstated profits by 250 million. The revelations wiped 2 billion off the supermarkets share price in one day, and the overstatement was later revised up to 326 million. Tesco ordered an immediate review into the errors, undertaken by Deloitte and law firm Freshfields, but the damage had already been done. Tesco suspended eight directors and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) charged three former executives Carl Rogberg, Chris Bush and John Scouler with fraud after the black hole was discovered. To compound matters, the scandal contributed to Tescos 6.4 billion loss in 2015, one of the largest in corporate history. In 2017, Tesco reached an agreement with authorities over the scandal that saw it pay 85 million in compensation payouts to investors and 129 million in fines and costs. The Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the SFO saw the company escape prosecution but book a total hit of 235 million. The agreement came as Britains financial watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, concluded that Tesco had committed market abuse. Although Mr Clarke was spared charges linked to the scandal, Mr Rogberg, Mr Bush and Mr Scouler the former finance chief, managing director and food commercial head faced a lengthy court case that eventually began in 2017. The trio stood accused of being involved in a white-collar crime plot and were charged with fraud by abuse of position and false accounting. The prosecution claimed that Tesco and the stock markets credibility had been undermined and alleged that they had cooked the books. All three maintained their innocence and have all been cleared. Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis has attempted to draw a line under the scandal (Gareth Fuller/PA) Dave Lewis, Mr Clarkes successor as Tesco chief executive, has attempted to move the group on from the scandal. He has said the firm is doing everything possible to restore trust after seeing the brand suffer. He said previously: What happened was a huge source of regret to all of us at Tesco, but we are a different business now. The decisions over the last years are evident to all and the job now is to keep this momentum. I am pleased with how our colleagues have responded and that has allowed us to rebuild the business since 2014. The brand was affected by the announcement back in 2014, that is clear. I think everyone will recognise that there is nothing here to be proud of, but I am proud that we faced into it. Carl Rogberg, Christopher Bush and John Scouler were charged with one count of fraud by abuse of position and one count of false accounting. The trio worked under former chief executive Philip Clarke, who will not face any charges linked to the scandal. Former Tesco executives John Scouler, Carl Rogberg and Christopher Bush were accused of failing to correct inaccurately recorded income figures (Hannah McKay/PA) Carl Rogberg Tescos former finance director joined the supermarket in 2007 and held down numerous roles including at its Thai unit. A graduate of the Stockholm School of Economics, he was also finance director at Kraft Foods between 1996 and 2000. During the trial, Mr Rogbergs lawyer denied that he had bullied colleagues, as alleged by the prosecution. He also claimed that Mr Rogberg was outside the circle of knowledge of a report prepared in the run-up to the scandal coming to light. His trial was abandoned last year after he suffered a heart attack and he was too ill to face a retrial. The 51-year-old lives in Chislehampton, Oxfordshire. Chris Bush Managing director at the time of the scandal, Mr Bush was a Tesco veteran with a 30-year association with the retailer. He was appointed managing director in January 2013, around a year-and-a-half before the supermarket admitted that it had over-estimated profits by around 250 million. Mr Bush was alleged to have failed to correct inaccurately-recorded income figures which were published to auditors, other employees and the wider market. The 52-year-old, who opted not to give evidence at his trial, lives in High Wycombe. John Scouler Tescos former food commercial head, 49, joined the grocer in 2002. Since leaving in December 2014, the year of the scandal, he has become commercial director at TalkTalk. He did not give evidence at his trial and the jury instead heard from a number of character witnesses. During the trial, Mr Scoulers lawyer insisted he did not commit fraud but instead helped to uncover accounting irregularities. He claimed that Mr Scouler told Amit Soni, the whistleblower who exposed the scandal, to investigate accountancy problems. He lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire. - Press Association | https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/business/how-did-the-tesco-accounting-scandal-unfold-and-who-were-the-cleared-trio-899524.html |
How Will Legal Providers Be Affected By The Next Recession? | The thought came to mind several times recently as the stock market recorded its worst December since the Great Depression. Stocks have rebounded during the early weeks of 2019, but political turmoil at home; Brexit and its chaotic implications for the UK, Europe, and beyond; the slowing Chinese economy and the threat of a U.S.-China trade-war; and other destabilizing factors remain. So too does the question of what happens to legal providers when the other shoe drops again. The Impact of 2008 One way to predict the future is to examine the past. Ten years after the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the global financial crisis it precipitated, the contours of todays legal landscape remain superficially similar to the pre- 2008 marketplace. Sure, Cravaths stunning offer in 2009 to pay incoming $80,000 to incoming lawyers to defer their starting dates for a year shook up the industry for a while. But that and other post-crash fallout has been relegated to ancient history in a world fixed on the here-and-now. The Citi Report, an industry bellwether, proclaimed that 2018 was the best year for Big Law in a decade. The traditional law firm partnership model persists, and so too does the billable hour, rising rates, high profit-per-partner (PPP), escalating starting salaries, and hefty associate bonuses. Many in-house legal departments continue to operate as captive law firms, mimicking law firm culture. All legal service providers that are not traditional partnership model law firms are collectively lumped together and called alternative legal service providers (ALSPs). The self-regulated U.S. legal market, the worlds largest, continues to resist re-regulation (adopted in Australia, the UK, and other advanced economies). Non-lawyer investment, ownership, and control of law firms as well as multi-disciplinary practice is prohibited except in the District of Columbia. The access to justice crisis persists as does laws distribution problem--most individuals and U.S. businesses cannot afford legal representation at current rates even as tens of thousands of lawyers are unemployed or underemployed. On the surface, the legal industry has undergone modest change during a decade of unprecedented pan-industry disruption. A closer look reveals a different perspective-- systemic changes are reshaping the legal industry, albeit more gradually than the disruption many pundits had predicted. Some key transformative currents include: (1) a shift in power from providers to consumers; (2) new providers; (3) new skillsetslaw is not solely about legal expertise anymore; (4) technological adoption; (5) the practice of law and the business of delivering legal services; (6) infusion of capital (funding law companies, litigation finance, legal tech investment, etc. ); (7) multi-disciplinary problem solving; (8) law firm hegemony over; (9) ascent of legal professionals/legal operations; (10) the rise of data and digital transformation; and (11) an emerging global legal community. The last ten years have not produced the end of lawyers, but they have witnessed laws transformation from guild to emerging global legal marketplace. Change has been propelled principally by legal consumers-- not law firms-- and by entrepreneurs, business and technology experts focused on improving the delivery of legal services, not legal experts/practitioners. The influx of expertise from other disciplinesas well as institutional capital-- into the lawyer-centric ecosystem has produced new delivery models that are better aligned with consumers and that reward efficiency, predictability, cost-effectiveness, value and results. Law is no longer about scorched-earth labor intensity and lawyers decreeing that's what necessary to produce the best legal product possible. It's about problem solving at the speed of business. New model providers have ignited a cultural transformation that embraces diversity; the potential of technology to help solve laws wicked problems; the importance of collaboration and scale; the upside of automation; the predictive prophylactic, and analytical uses of data to substitute information for hunch; the power of capital; the importance of access; and the need to realign the interests of consumer with provider. Its too speculative to pick individual winners and losers, but industry trends and evolving legal buy/sell dynamics make it easier to predict which categories and characteristics of providers will fare better or worse during the next economic downturn. Spoiler alert: providers that have embraced digital transformation will fare far better than those that have not. Law Firms The next recession will be a reckoning for most large law firms, especially those that have kicked the existential who are we? can down the road. Thats most firms. They continue to pursue a short-term strategy focused on preserving PPP at all costs and have yet to pay the price for it. The next financial downturn will be harsh on those firms that have failed to differentiate and to embrace a client-centric approach predicated on measurable results, efficiency, value, cost-effectiveness, proactivity, collaboration, and transparency. The trend lines are already pointing in this direction. Most firms are experiencing flat or declining demand for their services, stiffer competitionnot only from other firms but also from in-house departments and a growing array of ALSPs including the Big Fourand a talent gap fueled in part by promising young talent opting out of the partnership sweepstakes. Above The Law recently reported the mass stealth layoff by Cahill Gordon of the overwhelming majority of senior litigation associates in a particular class. The associates were told they were not partnership or counsel material, provided six months notice, and given a portion of their bonus. A cadre of elite, brand-differentiated firms have separated themselves financially because of their stranglehold on high-value, price-insensitive work for which they command premium fees. That is unlikely to change in the near-term. So too will firms that have differentiated, digitized, and integrated practice and delivery expertise prosper even during the next downturn. There will also be opportunity for law firms that create new organizational and economic models that are corporate, client-aligned, diverse, agile, collaborative, tech and process-enabled, entrepreneurial, multi-disciplinary, and industry-focused to thrive-- even in a down market. Legal buyers have crossed the Rubicon and have overcome their reticence to engage new-model providers responsive to their needs. Law is a more open marketplace than ever. Corporate Legal Departments In-house departments, like law firms, are by no means monolithic. They vary in size, corporate culture, portfolio, philosophy, performance metrics, and management. The financial crisis resulted in a decade of steady migration of law firm work in-housenot just in volume but also in complexity and significance. In-house departments are already feeling unrelenting pressure from the C-Suite to do more with less. Rather than increase headcount, its more likely that many in-house departments will become more creative in slicing and dicing their portfolios and take an even harder look at who does what? For many, that would likely result in even less fat middle (everything except bet the company and commoditized) work sourced to firms, mandates to cap or reduce existing departmental headcount, and more work sourced to ALSPs. There is already evidence to support this thesis; UnitedLex rebadged several hundred professionals from DXCs legal team and PwC took on approximately 600 of GEs global tax professionals. Other Providers The Big Four have stepped up their presence as major players in the global legal market, and this will no doubt continue in good and bad economic times. They enjoy many competitive advantages over traditional law firms: (1) strong, trusted global brands; (2) deep war chests; (3) digital transformation expertise; (4) strong C-Suite relationships; (5) multi-disciplinary talent; (6) global footprint; (7) strong commitment to ongoing professional training/re-training; and (8) client-centric, long-term approach to professional engagements. They are a safe harbor, especially in turbulent financial times. Elite, law-centric legal providers like UnitedLex, Axiom, and Thomson Reuters are also well-positioned to expand their imprint, even during down markets. Someone must do the work. They have the track record, brand recognition, global footprint, and financial backing to invest in client relationships and the resourceshuman and technologicalrequired to sustain them and to deliver consistent, quantifiable results. These providers, like the Big Four, are anything but alternative and are positioned not only to survive but also to thrive in the next economic downturn and beyond. Conclusion The next major economic downturn is likely to produce the disruption that many in the legal industry have been expecting since 2008. It has taken nearly a decade for legal consumers to wrest control of the industry from lawyers and to open up the long closed legal guild to other professionals, paraprofessionals, technology, and capital. Corporate consumers call the shots now. They have effectively marginalized archaic, self-serving, and protectionist lawyer self-regulation. More importantly, theynot law firmsnow determine value, what is and is not a legal matter, when lawyers are required, from what delivery model they are optimally deployed, and at what price. This has accelerated disaggregation and paved the way for providers with tech and process-enabled delivery models offering the expertise, resources, capital, diversity, customer-centricity, and competition to incumbent providers to compete favorably for market share in good times and especially in bad ones. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcohen1/2019/01/23/how-will-legal-providers-be-affected-by-the-next-recession/ |
Is Influencer-Generated Content The New User-Generated Content? | Today, influencer marketing and content marketing are in the middle of a massive transformation. There are teams around the world trying to figure out the best uses of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to uncover insights across their marketing stacks, there are companies creating new definitions for influencer marketing and there is still a lot of brand dollars pouring into the space. Were all pretty familiar with user-generated content, where users post about a brand on social media, but marketing teams that I have been chatting with are often talking about influencer-generated content now. Its a big shift because were moving into a new evolution of influencer marketing, one in which doesnt necessarily mean people have been paid for promotions. Arguably, direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies are at the forefront of this because they want to capitalize on the earned media and minimize their acquisition budgets. Between 2012 and 2015, there was a surge of companies that began to measure user-generated content like Curalate and Pixlee. However, this new subset of UGC is much harder to identify. You could argue that you can build a simple algorithm to pull out the people who posted with the most followers; however, as we know, there are a lot of con artists with fake followers or those who post with ingenuine intent. So, IGC instantly becomes a lot more complicated, not to mention there wont be that much activity on social media for new brands. With that in mind, a lot of brands are trying to kickstart their IGC communities by systematically targeting micro-influencers so their message can bubble to the top. If you look at the social media accounts of brands like Dollar Shave Club, Harry's and Warby Parker, you can see how they have set the bar. Its an interesting strategy that seems to be working and leading to more community-driven sales. One of the first articles I wrote for Forbes highlighted that the more influencers who mention you, the more likely your organic growth will increase due to the natural mechanics of the Instagram algorithm. Were starting to see this strategy across many brands. They are monitoring their brand health by simply tracking the number of notable mentions because, more often than not, it leads to sales and an increase in community engagement. IGC extends past just social media as well -- we see it in Amazon reviews, Kickstarter and even on retailer websites. Were seeing marketing, PR and data teams collaborating on activities like this, and its one of the main reasons growth in influencer marketing is happening internally vs. externally with agencies. Many teams have 2019 plans of bringing influencer marketing in-house due to its complexity and non-rigidity. If youre thinking about planning more methodical influencer marketing, here are some tips and certain technologies you should consider: Find a great CRM like Hubspot or Salesforce. Rigid CRMs that only solve for a couple use cases wont scale and will be a bigger problem in the future. Find a measurement tool to analyze your IGC across multiple channels (Amazon reviews, social media, etc.). Create a simple dashboard using Google Data Studio or, if your team has a budget, Tableau/Domo are also incredible. Restructure your team to focus on influencer marketing and have data, PR and marketing teams meet once per week to discuss ongoing strategies. Dont be afraid to change your strategies and plans if they arent working out. If you're excited about focusing on IGC or even evolving your mixed media model, the key to success here is to use data to drive decisions. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/01/23/is-influencer-generated-content-the-new-user-generated-content/ |
Could Mexico Again Be An Oil Superpower? | The supply of oil and gas from Mexico over the next decade will depend very much on political decisions made in the next few years, but it is important to realize that the geological potential is very great and the economics are very favorable. The history of relying on a xenophobic ideology which until recently restricted resource development to the national oil company, Pemex. The company suffered from the usual challenges faced by state mineral enterprises, including political interference in decision-making and hiring, as well as a volatile and unpredictable budgetary process. The result is that Mexicos resource base has been underexploited compared to what would occur in a country operating to maximize revenue. The table below shows both proved reserves and estimates of recoverable resources for oil and gas, and it is clear that the country has significant potential, especially when realizing that these estimates tend to be conservative. (Data is from the IEAs 2016 World Energy Outlook.) Given the estimate of 70% of recoverable resources remaining, after a century of exploitation (mostly in the past four decades), the countrys petroleum resource base can be said to be relatively immature. This is reinforced by recent discoveries, such as the AMT fields found by ENI in 100 feet of water, with about 1 billion barrels of oil-in-place, and the Zama field, in approximately 500 feet of water and containing nearly one billion barrels of oil. (Again, these estimates are likely to increase over time.) This is approximately 40 times the size of fields found in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico at similar depths in recent years (the average reserves in water depths of 500-1000 feet is 24 million barrels). And it is a truism that the size of a large discovery is indicative of the resources in an area, as some put it, there is a king field, several queens and many jacks. In Mexico, the Canterall field, one of the worlds largest, is clearly the king (at least in the Campeche Basin), but the recent new discoveries by private companies, AMT, Zama and Hokchi, are all world class and demonstrate that the Mexican Gulf of Mexican is more prolific than the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, as the table below shows. While Pemex and private companies focus on finding elephants, as giant fields are called, the possibility that smaller companies could undertake rehabilitation of marginal fields, as happened twenty years ago in Venezuela, where about 500 tb/d of production was added. This is an endeavor that would benefit from the attention of small companies, who find the scale of investment suits them and the profits acceptable, whereas Pemex prefers to operate on larger projects. At present, Pemex is seeking to develop farmouts with private companies, most probably Mexican. For those with long memories, in the early 1980s at the height of the oil scare, many thought that Mexico would be an oil superpower based on reports that the Chicontepec deposit might contain as much as 100 billion barrels of oil, making it one of the worlds largest oil fields. World Oil editor Thomas Stewart-Gordon was an early skeptic, noting that Pemex budgets seemed to be ignoring the field, and that proved prescient, as the difficult geology could not be overcome at the time. Since then, research has been undertaken in improving well productivity, but to date production remains relatively minor. Farmouts might allow companies with experience in more varied geology to improve production methods, and ongoing research could also allow advances that will make production profitable. Finally, Mexico has unexploited shale resources, as the first table showed. The Eagle Ford shale, which produces 1.5 mb/d of oil and 7 bcf/d of gas in the U.S. extends into Mexico, and could make a contribution to Mexican production, although not necessarily as great as in the U.S. Small companies were the pioneers in U.S. shale production, and could do so in Mexico as well. Ultimately, while Mexico might achieve the production growth of 250 tb/d/yr that Venezuela did after reform in the 1990s, but this will require a continuation of the New Energy Model that the previous administration enacted. If so, Mexico could be a much bigger player on the world oil market, as well as seeing a welcome boost to government revenues and economic growth. [This post is derived from my report on Mexico's energy future, found here.} | https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaellynch/2019/01/23/could-mexico-again-be-an-oil-superpower/ |
Will Brexit split Labour and the Tories apart? | 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 Despite being common elsewhere, coalition governments are a rare occurrence in British politics as the first past the post system favours two big political parties. The Conservative-Lib Dem partnership in 2015 is the only coalition that has been in charge of the UK since the Second World War. The two main parties are already essentially pre-made coalitions that consist of an amalgamation of smaller groups on the left and right of the political spectrum, says Perspecs. Usually this works out alright, there are always going to be some grumblers on the back benches but generally the parties work out their manifestos designed to reflect the wide array of factions within the ranks of MPs. However, Brexit has fractured British politics and the possibility of a major political party breaking up has been mooted. When a significant minority of backbenchers is at odds with the party leadership over such an important issue one would be forgiven for wondering why they don't think more about breaking off and forming their own party. Unfortunately not. The British political system is built to favour two big parties at the expense of others. Different political factions have banded together to ensure they are part of an entity that is likely to win. Party leaders are stuck between taking a decisive direction and appeasing certain elements in their party. Politicians considering splitting off have to abandon the benefits of being part of a well known party. They are throwing away immediate recognition and tribal voting. Certain voters will vote for a party because they always have, or because their parents did, it becomes part of their identity. Convincing them to back a new party is an uphill battle. The Tories have been warned that the party risks splitting if it pursues a Soft Brexit policy, with the hardliners growing increasingly unhappy at prime minister Theresa May's approach to leaving the EU. (Image: PA) Chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond suggested such a thing would "flush out the extremists" but they would take a chunk of MPs and voters with them that would risk putting the party out of government. The Financial Times reports that an attempt to add a customs union to the Brexit deal in an attempt to secure cross party support will be unacceptable to the most Eurosceptic MPs in the party. Many of May's own MPs voted against her deal in the House of Commons and she needs the support of other political parties to have any chance of gaining parliamentary approval for her deal. Doing so could ensure the UK has a Brexit deal but split the Tories in the process. Labour also have their share of issues. With Jeremy Corbyn as party leader the socialist wing of Labour is in charge, whereas most of their MPs fall elsewhere on the political spectrum and don't always agree with the leadership on certain matters. This is reflected in their voting base, which has a wide variety of opinions on Brexit. Corbyn was put into power by the membership but they are overwhelmingly pro Remain while he wants to push on with Brexit if he can. The Times reports the party has lost 150,000 members in recent months as party policy, which was once upheld as something that would reflect the will of the membership, runs contrary to their will. On the other hand, Labour are afraid of backing a second referendum and losing Leave voters after a leaked poll suggested the public at large are more in step with Corbyn's view than the Labour membership. Back Brexit and lose some of your most loyal supporters or try to stop it and risk losing enough of the electorate to destroy any chance of winning a general election. The Daily Mirror reports that Labour MP David Lammy warned some of his colleagues could abandon the party and emulate the SDP, arguing that the split in Labour back then kept them out of power for a generation. Politicians and voters should not be blamed for deciding to break away if they believe the party they represent is no longer reflecting their views, though they should be aware that doing so could doom them to political irrelevance and ensure their former party misses out at the next election. In a political system designed to put one party in power nobody wants to be the person that splits the vote of one of the big two. Democracy is supposed to give the views of the public proper representation, don't be surprised if that doesn't fit neatly into a "50 per cent plus one" system. Compromise is a practical necessity, whether that be in countries where coalitions are common or in the UK where the main parties are already essentially coalitions. They have to compromise to stick together, now they have reached an issue where divisions are too deep to compromise and keep everyone happy. Labour would lose voters with 'stop Brexit' policy, poll suggests A leaked poll commissioned by the pro-EU Best for Britain campaign suggests that voters would be less likely to back Labour if the party was committed to stopping Brexit. According to the poll, passed to the Guardian, almost a third of respondents said they would be less likely to vote Labour, a similar number to those who said it would not make a difference. Twenty-five per cent said it would make them more likely to back Labour, with the rest saying they did not know. The campaign group, which is pushing for a second EU referendum, commissioned the as yet unreleased snap poll shortly before MPs voted down Theresa Mays Brexit deal. The Populus poll asked 2,000 people whether they would be more or less likely to vote Labour if they commit to stop Brexit. Read the full Guardian story here. Theresa May's only route through Parliament will split the Tories - so a general election is becoming more likely Of all the various types of politicians that make up today's Conservative party, Theresa May falls into the category of the dutiful. Unlike her predecessor David Cameron , the Prime Minister didn't rise to the top as a special advisor who was then fast tracked by the party leader. Read the full iNews article here. | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/uk-news/brexit-split-labour-tories-apart-15720632 |
Why are so many kids being hit by cars on the West Side? | CLOSE Shawna Rodriguez is still looking for answers in the hit and run death of her daughter, Gabby, as more pedestrians continue to be hit be vehicles. Sam Greene, [email protected] She was running a little late. Gabriella Christine Rodriguez usually left for school around 6:30 a.m., said her mom, Shawna Rodriguez. But that Monday in September, it might have been closer to 6:40. She was with her older brother and a friend. They walked down Hansford Place to Harrison Avenue, where their bus stop was on the other side of the four-lane street. Usually, the trio would walk a little farther up Harrison, use a crosswalk, then double back to their bus. That morning so they wouldnt miss their ride they decided to cross where they were. The streetlight was out, Shawna said. It was dark, and Gabby was wearing black pants and a black shirt, her required school uniform. CLOSE 13 Cincinnati Public Schools students were hit by vehicles in 2018. Michael Nyerges, Cincinnati Enquirer Her brother and friend made it safely across the street, but Gabby must have been a beat behind. They think she hesitated to pull up her pants or fix her shoe or something, Shawna said. It was 6:42 a.m. when the first vehicle, a silver SUV going west on Harrison, knocked Gabby out of her white Nike shoes. She was always particular about her shoes, Shawna said, so her sneakers were pristine. Shoeless, the 15-year-old was lying on her stomach in middle of the road. Her friend reached her first, and Gabby said three words: Call my mom. Thats when the other car came, the other direction, Shawna said. Never slowed down. Never braked. They say they hit her so hard, and you can actually see it in the road, theres an indent that is forever in the road. Buy Photo Shawna Rodriguez recalls the death of her daughter Gabby Rodriguez at her home in the South Fairmount neighborhood of Cincinnati on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. Gabby Rodriguez was killed in September after she was hit by a car on her way to school. (Photo: Sam Greene, The Enquirer) Gabby was one of 13 Cincinnati Public Schools students hit by a vehicle in 2018, according to police reports and a tally from the school district. Gabby, a sophomore at Western Hills University High School, was the only one killed. The students range in age from 6 to 18. At least nine were in crosswalks when they were hit. And 11, including Gabby, were on Cincinnatis West Side, within a roughly 1.25-square-mile zone. Pedestrian deaths are skyrocketing nationwide, going from 4,302 in 2010 to 5,987 in 2016. In Ohio in 2017, there were 144 pedestrian fatalities, the highest death toll in a decade. This is clearly not a problem isolated to Cincinnati or its schools. Cars keep hitting people: And it's only getting worse. Neil Kelly: This man would like you to stop hitting him with cars. Buy Photo A family photo of Gabby Rodriguez after hitting her first home run at her home in the South Fairmount neighborhood of Cincinnati on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. Gabby Rodriguez was killed in September after she was hit by a car on her way to school. (Photo: Sam Greene, The Enquirer) Again and again and again This is a far-reaching problem touching every area of Cincinnati: students, the school board, city hall, teachers, parents every single person who drives or walks or takes the bus. But it's complicated, practically and politically. There is bickering over who's at fault, what should be done and who should pay for it. There are ideas but no single, affordable fix. Prior to 2018, CPS did not track how often students were hit by cars, so we dont know if this is happening more or less than before. But we do know that pedestrian crashes overall in the city have risen sharply, jumping 46 percent from 2013 to 2018. Of the 13 CPS students hit by cars in 2018, at least three of the crashes involved hit-and-run drivers, leading to calls for heavier police enforcement and more in-depth investigations. And eight of the students were hit before sunrise leading some to question whether CPS needs to push back its start times. Buy Photo A family photo of Gabby Rodriguez at her home in the South Fairmount neighborhood of Cincinnati on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. Gabby Rodriguez was killed in September after she was hit by a car on her way to school. (Photo: Sam Greene, The Enquirer) In May, then- 14-year-old Lauren Wainscott was in a crosswalk outside Western Hills. She was headed to her bus after school when a driver ran into her, launching her into the air. Lauren was scraped up but not seriously physically injured, said her mom, Jenny Mider, but she now has anxiety about being on sidewalks. On Dec. 14, in a crosswalk just up the street from Laurens crash,12-year-old Kenya Joy Austin was hit shortly before 7:30 a.m. Kenya spent several days in the hospital with a fractured femur and a cracked growth plate. She doesnt remember most of what happened, said her mom, Asia Allen, but now Kenya has nightmares and shes afraid to walk outside alone. Two years ago, Kenyas older brother was hit by a car in the same area, Allen said. He had a foot fracture and a concussion, and he still gets migraines. The driver who hit Kenya took off. Theres no information in the police report about the car, but Allen says it was a red Pontiac Grand Prix. Kenya remembers the windows being tinted. The fact that they drove off, thats what bothers her the most, Allen said. On Dec. 3, a group of four siblings was walking toward Covedale School. They came to the intersection of Cleves Warsaw Pike and Covedale Avenue and in the crosswalk, with the walk signal started to cross. A woman was making a left turn onto Cleves Warsaw. She didnt yield and ran into three of the kids, ages 10, 9 and 6. The students escaped with bruises and scrapes, despite all three requiring a trip to the hospital, said their mom, Lamika Mitchell. But, there have been chiropractor appointments and legal paperwork. Mitchell has had to miss work. And now, every weekday, theres the question of how the kids will get to class. Im just not comfortable with them walking to school anymore, Mitchell said. (Drivers) need to start looking out for these children. My kids lives could have been taken before my eyes just because they were walking to school. Two weeks after that crash, an 11-year-old girl was hit in the same crosswalk, in the same manner, by a driver turning left. An hour. It could save a life. The speed limit on Harrison Avenue is 35 miles per hour, but drivers regularly go 50 or faster, said Shawna, Gabby's mom. The family home is on Hansford Place, a dead-end off of Harrison. The never-ending construction on Queen City Avenue is pushing more traffic to Harrison, Shawna said, so its literally a racetrack out there. There are crosswalks, but drivers dont always stop. Plus, she said, everyone knows there are no cops and no cameras. The night after Gabby died, Shawna and her husband went walking around, looking for any cameras that might have captured the driver who fled the scene. At one crosswalk, it took them more than 20 minutes to get across the street, Shawna said, because drivers were just ignoring them. Around here, people dont care, because they know we dont have street cameras. You see, Downtown, a cop almost every block. Somehow, weve got to stay consistent in patrolling. Shawna Rodriguez, mom of 15-year-old Gabby Around here, people dont care, because they know we dont have street cameras, she said. You see, Downtown, a cop almost every block. Somehow, weve got to stay consistent in patrolling. Shawna has a list of what she wants, improvements that might mean her daughter didnt die in vain. She wants more and better crosswalks, the kind with bright, flashing lights that highlight pedestrians. More and better street lights. More cameras. More traffic enforcement from police. And 24-hour parking on Harrison Avenue, which would slow traffic and essentially trim the street from four lanes to two. Mayor John Cranley recently announced 24-hour parking on a stretch of Harrison, but its in Westwood, about 2 miles northwest of where Gabby was hit. The mayor said he would be open to extending that zone, though, if it is what the community wants. Shawna also has a wish list for CPS. She wants different bus routes so students dont have to cross four-lane streets twice a day. She wants lighter uniforms, so they dont have to wear all black. And, she wants later start times. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends middle- and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later, and theres plenty of scientific research that shows teenagers need more sleep than they can get with schools that start earlier. Still, seven CPS high schools, including Gabbys, start between 7:30 and 8 a.m. CPS has been considering later start times for years but so far hasnt made the jump. The district is expected to make a recommendation to the board later this spring about moving start times back. An hour, Shawna said. This is, in some ways, a political battle. CPS spends about $750,000 a year on crossing guards, primarily stationed near elementary schools, but it wants the city to foot that bill. Mayor Cranley has pointed the finger at the school district, saying it needs to either hire more crossing guards or expand its busing program. Currently, high school students who live 1.25 miles or more from their school get a Cincinnati Metro pass. Kindergarten- through eighth-grade students who live a mile or more from their school can ride a traditional yellow school bus. A first grader shouldnt have to walk a mile to school, Cranley said. They had a big school levy pass, so they have to decide what theyre going to fund. They have to do one or the other. Either way, its their job to get kids to and from school. But CPS points right back at City Hall. The districts busing policy, while it does not cover every student, far exceeds the state standards, said CPS spokeswoman Frances Russ, in a written response to questions from The Enquirer. CPS will spend more than $43 million on transportation this year , a cost that has only gone up in recent years. And, it would be one thing if kids were getting hit on school property. But, theyre not. The public school systems job is to keep our students safe on school grounds as we prepare them for a life beyond school, Russ said. The safety and security of our streets and neighborhoods is the responsibility of the city. Despite those differences, CPS and the city have taken steps lately to increase student safety. CPS added crossing guards near the shared Dater/Western Hills campus after it was revealed several students were hit there, and on Friday, Cranley announced nearly $1 million in pedestrian safety improvements, much of it centered around Western Hills school and Westwood. Plus, there is a new joint task force aimed at addressing pedestrian safety in the area. Since 2013, according to an Enquirer analysis, 123 pedestrians have been hit by vehicles within a mile of the Dater/West campus. Within one mile of Dater and Western Hills University high schools, 123 pedestrians have been struck by vehicles since 2013. (Photo: Google) Despite those efforts, though, this is more complicated than it might seem. Changing bus routes or start times would be expensive for CPS. The logistics are daunting, and it could end up solving old problems but creating new ones. And sure, police could spend more time on traffic enforcement, and perhaps pedestrian crashes would decrease as a result. But that means police would have to spend less time on something else. And maybe shootings which have trended down in recent years would tick back up. Heres what it comes down to for Shawna: The attention and care of drivers. Its heroin, speeding and cellphones, she said. In 2016, 3,450 people in the U.S. died as a result of distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Some people want to say, Well, we need to teach our kids, Shawna said. Yeah, we do need to teach our kids. But we can teach our kids a million things if the drivers arent driving safe, if theyre not focusing, if theyre not doing whats right on the street, our kids have no chance. I just dont want people to forget... Gabby is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery. Her parents chose a plot underneath a big tree, because they know she would have liked that. Theres no stone yet, but the grave is blanketed by flowers, balloons and photos. Shawna visits nearly every day. Sometimes, she yells at Gabby for not going to a crosswalk that morning, for not triple checking for cars before she stepped into the street. But most days, she just sits and talks. She tells Gabby how much she loves and misses her. She talks about what Gabbys friends and classmates are doing in her memory. And she asks for help. Doctors have told Shawna and her husband that Gabby didnt suffer, but Shawna is haunted by Gabbys last few moments on Earth. Those last three words, she said. Call my mom. I wasnt there to protect her. Buy Photo A painting of Gabby Rodriguez by her former coach at her home in the South Fairmount neighborhood of Cincinnati on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. Gabby Rodriguez was killed in September after she was hit by a car on her way to school. (Photo: Sam Greene, The Enquirer) The Rodriguezes have three older boys, but Gabby was their baby and their only girl. She was strong-willed, hard-headed, kind, confident and loud. She taught herself to play guitar. Softball was her passion. Shawna treasures everything her daughter was, but she mourns the woman Gabby will never get the chance to become. She wont graduate from high school, she wont get married, shell never have children of her own. Its a never-ending cycle of pain, Shawna said. You cry on your way to work, and you cry on your way home. The Rodriguez living room has turned into a shrine for Gabby, with photos and softball trophies lining the walls and shelves. Shawna wears a sweatshirt with her daughters face on it. The familys truck has a new license plate: GABBY13. This is life now, Shawna said. Every day at the cemetery, she repeats the same plea: Show me youre OK. Then, she pulls herself up and drives home. She goes to City Hall and begs for answers and action. She sits down with reporters and, over and over, tells the story of how her daughter died. She would rather just lie in bed and cry, she said. If she had her way, she might never get out of bed again. But Gabby wont let her give up. Weve got to make changes, Shawna said. We cant just try to put a Band-Aid on it. I just dont want people to forget: A 15-year-old died. CLOSE When she was 10 years old, Gabby Rodriguez wrote a song for her grandpa that she sang and played at his funeral. It was called, "Don't Be Afraid." Hannah Sparling/The Enquirer Read or Share this story: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2019/01/23/why-so-many-kids-being-hit-cars-west-side/2536947002/ | https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2019/01/23/why-so-many-kids-being-hit-cars-west-side/2536947002/ |
Did Dermot O'Leary dig at Holly Willoughby at the NTAs? | The National Television Awards went down last night, and as well as some sneaky backstage behaviour from Phillip Schofield, some fans think host Dermot O'Leary took a swipe at Holly Willoughby during his opening monologue. Following a Bodyguard inspired skit with actor Richard Madden, Dermot began his speech for the night, joking that the NTAs were one of "the few remaining shows on ITV not hosted by Holly Willoughby." Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Getty Images He was, of course, referencing the fact she presents This Morning and Dancing On Ice, and also turned her attention to I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! this year in Ant McPartlin's absence. The camera then panned to Holly, who dropped her jaw in fake shock, before blowing a kiss at the camera. And while some fans thought the joke was hilarious and landed well, others took to social media to question whether Dermot was taking an actual dig at Holly veiled as banter. "Blimey... Dermot can talk about Holly presenting everything on the telly! #NTAAwards #ntas2019 #ntas #NTAs," one person wrote, while another added, "I agree with Dermot's so called joke. Holly Willoughby is everywhere." Getty Images Sounds like a joke to us! Dermot's banter comes as Holly and Phil scooped up the gong for Best Daytime Show for This Morning, with Holly commenting in their acceptance speech: "It's 30 years and the fact that our show has been on for 30 years and still you vote and enjoy the show means everything to us because without you the show wouldn't be possible. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below "Eamonn and Ruth, we adore you, our experts...", before going on to thank Rochelle Humes for filling in her role while she was in Australia for I'm A Celeb. One big happy ITV family, really. | https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/a26004424/dermot-oleary-dig-at-holly-willoughby-at-the-ntas/ |
Was bringt Tempolimit auf Autobahnen? | Die einen fhlen sich in ihrer persnlichen Freiheit eingeschrnkt, die anderen erhoffen sich mehr Sicherheit. Von Margret Scholtyssek Merken Mail an die Redaktion Autos fahren auf der Autobahn A 81 auf einem Abschnitt ohne Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung. Foto: Sebastian Gollnow/Illustration Goslar.In Deutschland wird seit Jahrzehnten ber ein Tempolimit auf den Straen gestritten. Aktuell in der Diskussion: eine generelle, nicht nur abschnittsweise Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung auf Autobahnen mit Argumenten dafr und dagegen. Ein Faktencheck. So lautet die erste Behauptung: Ein generelles Tempolimit auf Autobahnen lsst die Zahl der Verkehrstoten sinken. So ist sie zu bewerten: Das ist schwer einzuschtzen. Autobahnen gelten heute schon als die sichersten Straen in Deutschland, obwohl sie die am meisten befahrenen Strecken sind. Manche Experten versprechen sich von einem Tempolimit weniger schwere Unflle. Das sind die Fakten: Autobahnen sind bezogen auf die gefahrenen Kilometer die sichersten Straen. 2017 legten Kraftfahrzeuge nach Daten der Bundesanstalt fr Straenwesen etwa ein Drittel ihrer Strecke auf Autobahnen zurck. Aber nur jeder achte Verkehrstote (12,9 Prozent) entfiel auf eine Autobahn. Von den 409 Menschen, die hier starben, wurden 181 bei Unfllen gettet, bei denen Autofahrer die Hchstgeschwindigkeit berschritten hatten oder fr die Straen- oder Witterungsverhltnisse zu schnell gefahren waren. Eine vom Potsdamer Ministerium fr Infrastruktur und Raumordnung 2007 verffentlichte Studie fr Brandenburg ergab, dass dort, wo in dem Bundesland Tempolimits eingefhrt wurden, die Zahl der Unflle, Getteten und Verletzten deutlich zurckging. Der ADAC hlt einen Einfluss genereller Tempobegrenzungen auf die Unfallzahlen gleichwohl fr nicht erwiesen. Er setzt auf flexible Hchstgrenzen, die den aktuellen Bedingungen auf der Strae angepasst sind, damit der Verkehr gut fliet. In Scheuers Reflex spiegelt sich mehr ein deutscher Urinstinkt als Abwgung wider, meint unser Autor Bernhard Fleischmann: So lautet die zweite Behauptung: Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzungen tragen zum Klimaschutz bei. So ist sie zu bewerten: Unbestritten ist, dass der Aussto klimaschdlicher Gase zurckgeht. Es gibt unterschiedliche Auffassungen, ob dies ein generelles Tempolimit auf Autobahnen rechtfertigt. Das sind die Fakten: Nach Angaben des Statistischen Bundesamtes war der Autoverkehr in Deutschland 2017 fr die Emission von 115 Millionen Tonnen des Treibhausgases Kohlendioxid (CO2) verantwortlich. Im Vergleich zum Jahr 2010 war das ein Plus von sechs Prozent. Grund sind mehr Autos, hhere Fahrleistungen und immer strkere Motoren. Eine Studie des Umweltbundesamtes, die allerdings aus dem Jahr 1999 stammt, kam zu dem Ergebnis, dass sich durch ein allgemeines Tempolimit von 120 km/h der Stickstoffaussto durch Pkw auf Autobahnen um 16 Prozent verringern wrde. Beim CO2 wre es ein Rckgang um 9 Prozent. Bezogen auf den gesamten Straenverkehr wren es der Studie zufolge allerdings nur jeweils 2 Prozent. Das ist nach dem Urteil des ADAC nicht mageblich. Der Pkw-Verkehr insgesamt verursache etwa 13 Prozent der CO2-Emissionen in Deutschland. Die Einsparungen wrden somit national kaum ins Gewicht fallen. | https://www.mittelbayerische.de/politik-nachrichten/was-bringt-tempolimit-auf-autobahnen-21771-art1741871.html |
Will the Priyanka Trump Card work? | India oi-Hardeep Singh Bedi New Delhi, Jan 23: Finally, the Congress President Rahul Gandhi has played his trump card ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. On Wednesday, he brought his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra into active politics and made her Congress General Secretary in-charge of East Uttar Pradesh. Another senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia has been given charge of West Uttar Pradesh. The duo has been given a mammoth task to revive the Congress in a state that sends 80 representatives to the Lok Sabha. Also Read | In the fight against Modi, Priyanka Gandhi has to find her 'Michelle Obama moment' Rahul himself exuded confidence that his new appointees will change the politics in UP. Talking to media in his Lok Sabha constituency Amethi, he said we want to change politics of UP through youth leaders like Priyanka or Jyotiraditya. "We are confident that Priyanka will bring out Congress' ideology," he said. Whether Rahul's wish will be fulfilled or not, its answer lies in the future. Now, only the current situation can be analysed. It's notable that Rahul plunged Priyanka into active politics when his party didn't get a place in the historic political alliance between btes noires Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Uttar Pradesh (UP) for upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Where does Congress stand in UP could be understood by the statement of former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. Also Read | Give it your best, always by your side: Robert Vadra congratulates wife Priyanka Gandhi He recently said in Kolkatta that the Congress was deliberately kept out of SP, BSP and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance to correct the political arithmetic in the state. This development cements a fact that nobody is a permanent friend or foe in politics. Akhilesh had joined hands with Rahul in the last UP assembly elections and the alliance tasted a major defeat when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept elections and formed a majority government under the chief ministership of former Gorakhpur Member of Parliament Yogi Adityanath. The foundation behind the SP-BSP-RLD alliance was Lok Sabha bypolls in 2018 when riding on the consolidation of Other Backward Castes (OBC), Dalit and Muslim votes; the SP snatched Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats of UP from the BJP. Yogi Adityanath had won Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat for five successive terms and UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was elected from Phulpur seat in 2014. As per 2011 census, the OBCs make 44% of the total UP population. Yadavs are 9%, Lodhi 7%, Jats 1.7%, Kushwaha 4%, Kurmi 3%, other OBCs are 20%, which includes sunars and few Muslim OBCs. The Dalit (SC) population in UP is 21.1%, out of which Jatav Dalits are 9% and non-Jatav Dalits are 11%. The tribals (ST) are 0.8%. Muslims are 19.3% and Christians 0.18%. The population of Forward Castes is 16%, out of which Brahmins are 10%, Thakur 3%, Vaishya 2%, Tyagi and Bhumihar 1%. Also Read | Priyanka Gandhi in politics: BJP leaders take potshot at Congress, Rahul Gandhi The SP, BSP, RLD have joined hands to capture deciding OBC, Muslims and Dalit votes. Though with the introduction of Priyanka, Rahul eyes to make Lok Sabha fight in UP a triangular one but Congress is only likely to dent SP-BSP-RLD vote bank. For, the traditional votes of the BJP are not likely to swing. The grand-old party has announced to field Congress candidates in all 80 seats. It's notable that in the past 'unofficially' Priyanka had been campaigning in Amethi and Rae Bareli for Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. But with her official entry, she will face the ground realities of Congress in UP. While the BJP has the backing of dedicated party workers and Rashtirya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) cadre and SP, BSP, RLD have dedicated voters, the Congress has a feeble organizational structure in the state. Given the fact that Indian voters generally vote emotionally, so largely Priyanka will have to bank upon emotional card to improve her party's tally in the state, which impacts the Delhi Darbar. She will also have to counter allegations of corruption against her husband Robert Vadra. It will be interesting to watch that what Priyanka can deliver in UP that other state in-charges couldn't do. | https://www.oneindia.com/india/will-the-priyanka-trump-card-work-2840961.html?utm_source=/rss/news-india-fb.xml&utm_medium=23.50.225.204&utm_campaign=client-rss |
How could a second UK referendum on Brexit be organised? | Despite Theresa Mays repeated opposition to a second UK referendum over Brexit, many advocates of such a move believe it is increasingly likely. The prime ministers response to the huge parliamentary defeat inflicted on the UK-EU exit deal caused dismay, not only because Plan B bore a striking resemblance to the ill-fated Plan A. It also appeared to confirm that her preferred Plan C would be no deal at all. This has galvanised opposition to a scenario that many politicians, business people and trade experts believe would be catastrophic for the British economy, as well as bad for Europe. By law, the UK is due to leave the EU on March 29. In parliament, moves have been stepped up to wrestle control of the Brexit process away from the government and into the hands of MPs. Amendments are being put forward which could see Brexit delayed in the absence of a deal. The other 27 EU countries would need to agree and may insist on a substantive plan as a condition. If the UK parliament was unable to agree on anything else, another public vote is increasingly seen as the only way out. Existing rules on referendums deal with the time needed for people to be consulted about the question by the independent Electoral Commission, for parliament to examine the legislation, and for the referendum campaign. The UK government estimates that it could take more than a year to organise another vote, Politico has reported. The publication highlights a document it says was drawn up by the Cabinet Office. The paper lists the stages that would need to be completed: drafting the bill, passing primary legislation, testing by the Electoral Commission of the question, passing secondary legislation, designating the official campaigns, and finally, a 10-week period for the campaigns to run. The document cites the timetable from the 2016 EU referendum when the process took 13 months. However, supporters of a second referendum accused the government of trying to undermine support for another vote. Obstacles to a Peoples Vote With political will, legislation can be rushed through on significantly reduced timescales, according to a study published last October by the Constitution Unit at University College London (UCL). However, it warns that given the polarised political environment over Brexit, the result of any referendum must be perceived as legitimate. The more complicated the question, however, with potentially multiple options, the more time the process would take. The UCL study concludes that an extension to Article 50 would be necessary to allow a referendum to be held in fact, for it to be staged by Brexit day, legislation should have been put forward by early October 2018. Another potential obstacle highlighted is the vote for the European Parliament in May. The paper says a referendum could clash with elections for MEPs, given the uncertainty over UK participation. But it argues that if it was held by mid-May, then even if the country voted to remain in the EU, this should allow time for new British MEPs to be elected and take up their seats in early July. The UCL study also recommends improvements to the rules governing referendums and covers for example government activity, the designation of the lead campaigners, and financial regulation. There are recommendations regarding the quality of information available to the public: online advertising should be more transparent; broadcasters could develop fact-checking further. If theres a will If the political will existed to hold a referendum in the UK, this would almost certainly be accommodated in one way or another by the EU27, the UCL study concludes. It has been pointed out that other countries have held a referendum in an extremely short amount of time: in 2015 Greece staged a vote on the EU bailout in barely a week. However, simple arithmetic shows numbers in the British parliament could pose an added complication: given the lack of a strong majority and the controversial nature of legislation linked to a second vote, attempts to disrupt the process would be highly likely. A cross-party group pushing for a referendum has proposed a mechanism to head off unnecessary delays, preparing a bill to allow the Electoral Commission to begin paving the way for a vote without having to wait for the main legislation to be passed. Paul Tyler, a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords and the partys spokesperson for constitutional and political reform, estimated the whole process could take 16-17 weeks enabling a vote to take place as early as May, before the European elections. There are signs from senior figures in the UKs main opposition Labour party that it will back moves in parliament to block a no-deal Brexit. This would likely increase pressure for another referendum. Labour has already called for a Commons vote to formally consider a second poll. Theresa May remains vehemently opposed to a second referendum, telling the House of Commons that such a move could damage social cohesion by undermining faith in our democracy. The prime ministers Brexit strategy has been dedicated to delivering the result of the June 2016 vote when the UK voted to leave the EU. There have been warnings that another vote would create more uncertainty and division. Those who placed such faith in the first referendum would feel cheated. A second poll could even bring another victory for Leave and a likely no-deal Brexit exactly the scenario second vote enthusiasts seek to avoid. But amid the current impasse in parliament over what to do with Brexit, it may become the only solution left standing. | https://www.euronews.com/2019/01/23/how-could-a-second-uk-referendum-on-brexit-be-organised |
Why Did Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin Postpone Wedding? | Hope none of Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin's wedding guests bought plane tickets, because they're postponing their nuptials...again. According to TMZ, the couple's 400 guests were told yesterday (January 22!) that their wedding was being rescheduled for the third time. Because apparently some must-have loved ones couldn't make the March 1 date, and they want everyone there. Getty Images James Devaney TMZ's sources claim that Justin and Hailey "initially panicked and started to scramble for another date" before realizing they're technically already married (they tied the knot in a courthouse last September), so this is really no bigs. Not anytime time soon, and now they're thinking of abandoning Los Angeles for a destination location. Kay! | https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/a26005056/justin-bieber-hailey-baldwin-postpone-wedding-again/ |
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