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BRIEF-Oscar Properties buys three properties in Södra Värtan | April 12 OSCAR PROPERTIES HOLDING AB
* BUYS THREE PROPERTIES IN SÖDRA VÄRTAN
* BUYS PROPERTIES FROM AFA SJUKFÖRSÄKRING AB Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: (Gdynia Newsroom) |
Egypt cabinet re-shuffle to include ministers of investment, agriculture | CAIRO Feb 13 A reshuffle of Egypt's cabinet will involve at least eight ministers, including those responsible for investment and agriculture, parliamentary sources said on Monday.
The final names for the new posts have not yet been disclosed. A vote in parliament to confirm the new cabinet is expected on Tuesday.
(Writing by Eric Knecht; Editing by Gareth Jones) |
Uber's trucking ambitions in lower gear after Otto deal | By Heather Somerville and Julia Love
SAN FRANCISCO, June 15 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc's drive to become a major player in the trucking business is off to a bumpy start, with analysts and industry executives questioning what exactly the company can bring to the sprawling $700-billion industry.
The San Francisco ride-services giant had planned to disrupt freight hauling by offering a complete package of trucking technology including self-driving trucks and smartphone-based logistics services.
But what has emerged so far, industry watchers say, is a modest effort to build a brokerage service connecting truckers looking for loads to shippers with cargo to haul. Uber's self-driving truck effort is weighed down by a high-stakes lawsuit over allegedly stolen trade secrets linked to its $680-million purchase of self-driving trucking startup OttoMotto last year. Testing of the autonomous technology has slowed and several Otto engineers have been redeployed to Uber's cargo business, according to state transportation agencies and Uber officials.
Meanwhile, that unit, dubbed Uber Freight and launched publicly in May, looks a lot like the firms it is trying to displace. Rival startups and old-line transport firms alike have come out with apps to match truckers to cargo. Uber Freight also uses a conventional call center and online "load boards" where truckers have found work since the dot-com era began.
"The world doesn't need another broker," said Eric Gilmore, chief executive of Turvo, a Sunnyvale, California logistics startup that's trying to wring paperwork out of the shipping process.
Turmoil among Uber's top ranks could also prove damaging as the company grapples with a series of scandals related to its hard-charging culture and business practices. Just this week, Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick announced he is taking a leave of absence; his second-in-command Emil Michael left the company; and board member David Bonderman resigned.
HITTING THE GAS
Uber executives say the company's push into trucking is moving forward at full throttle. Bill Driegert, director of operations at Uber Freight, said the business is shipping "large brand names" and has "a solid core of drivers who have signed up and are using it regularly."
"We are all in on this," Driegert said. "We are in it for the long-term and we think we can make a difference."
Still, he acknowledged that Uber's self-driving truck initiative and its freight business are on separate tracks, with no plans to collaborate on a full complement of services anytime soon. Otto doesn't yet have a commercial product for customers to buy.
That's a different message from last fall. In a September interview, just a month after Uber acquired Otto, the startup's co-founder Lior Ron told Reuters he expected truckers would be using the firm's driverless technology to haul freight by 2017 as part of a suite of trucking services offered under the Uber banner.
In April, Uber retired the "Otto" name without explanation and now lumps the business into its Advanced Technologies Group, a unit that works on a variety of self-driving technologies and mapping.
Detours and course-corrections are typical with any startup. Uber's challenge is to make inroads in a fragmented, low-margin industry where many shippers and brokers have ties going back decades.
Delivering cargo requires more complex logistical planning than does ferrying people home from bars. The financial stakes are higher too. Goods can spoil and shippers and fleet managers can lose money if a load doesn't arrive on time.
Uber must prove "they have the same capabilities as any broker that has been doing this for years," said Thom Albrecht, president of Sword & Sea Transport Advisors, a Virginia-based consulting firm.
Investors are counting on it. Optimism that the San Francisco ride-services giant can "Uberize" other transport businesses has propelled the firm to a $68 billion valuation, despite its lack of profits. Uber lost $708 million in the first quarter, down from $991 million in the fourth quarter last year, the company said recently.
Privately held Uber is under pressure to go public. Investors, including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Fidelity Investments, are waiting for a big payoff.
But Uber has struggled to dominate other markets the way it has ride-hailing. Its food and package-delivery services, UberEats and UberRush, for instance, aren't major players in their categories.
"This is ambition porn at its finest," said Anand Sanwal, chief executive of venture capital data company CB Insights. "Uber continues to enter new verticals to feed the narrative that their total addressable market is massive."
Uber's trucking aspirations are achievable and it continues to invest in both Uber Freight and its autonomous truck division, Uber Freight's Driegert said.
"They are two independent businesses and we are both charging forward at 100 miles per hour," he said.
AUTONOMOUS DRIVING DUEL
Still, the distancing of Uber Freight from Otto, two businesses Uber once saw as complementary, removes what trucking industry executives say was Uber's distinct advantage in the crowded logistics market: self-driving technology.
Otto's future could hinge on a lawsuit filed in February by Alphabet Inc's self-driving car unit, Waymo, against Otto and Uber. The lawsuit claims Otto co-founder and former Waymo employee Anthony Levandowski stole more than 14,000 documents containing Waymo trade secrets before decamping to start Otto.
When Uber purchased Otto in August, the most important asset was Levandowski, who is recognized as one of Silicon Valley's top experts in self-driving technology. He quickly was named head of the Advanced Technologies Group and reported to Kalanick.
Uber fired Levandowski last month after he refused to turn over the Waymo documents, which had been requested by the federal judge overseeing the case. A trial is scheduled for October.
Levandowski has asserted his constitutional right against self-incrimination. His attorneys did not respond to a request for comment. Uber has never denied that Levandowski took the files, which Waymo alleges include confidential designs. But Uber contends no information contained in those documents made its way into Uber's self-driving technology.
The suit is one of several controversies now dogging Uber.
The company last week fired 20 employees following an internal investigation into 215 claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, bullying and other employee concerns. Its executive ranks have been decimated after a wave of departures.
Uber also faces legal battles related to how it classifies and pays its drivers as well as a federal criminal probe relating to its use of technology to evade regulators.
Otto's autonomous driving efforts, meanwhile, appear to have downshifted.
After making a splash last year with test runs in Colorado, Ohio and Nevada - including a $500 deal to haul 52,000 cans of Budweiser in a self-driving truck for Anheuser-Busch - Otto has not done additional test runs in those states.
An Uber spokeswoman declined to offer an explanation, but said the company hoped to demonstrate the technology in action again soon.
Otto trucks continue to be tested in California, but not in fully autonomous mode, a separate Uber spokeswoman said. California regulators are investigating the company over whether it used self-driving technology without approval.
The North American trade association for independent truck drivers says it held talks with Otto as recently as a couple months ago, but any prospect of using the technology is premature.
"From our side, it's been mostly a matter of educating Otto" about the truck industry, said Todd Spencer of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. "They realize there is a tremendously big market, if only they can find something that works."
(Additional reporting by Alexandria Sage in San Francisco; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Marla Dickerson) |
BRIEF-Astrum financial holdings expects to record hk$16.0 mln profit and income for three months ended 31 march 2017 | April 6 Astrum Financial Holdings Ltd :
* Expected to record profit and total comprehensive income of approximately hk$16.0 million for three months ended 31 march 2017
* Expected results due to significant increase in revenue derived from placing and underwriting services
Source text (bit.ly/2od9f3H)
Further company coverage: |
BRIEF-Zhejiang VIE Science & Technology Scraps Plan To Buy Stake In Evatran | March 19 (Reuters) - Zhejiang VIE Science & Technology Co Ltd:
* SAYS IT SCRAPS PLAN TO BUY STAKE IN EVATRAN Source text in Chinese: bit.ly/2ICoDy7 Further company coverage: (Reporting by Hong Kong newsroom) |
Business Watch: Gauging Trump's first 100 days | U.S. President Donald Trump departs the White House in Washington, U.S. April 28, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
A funny thing happened on Wall Street in Donald Trump's first 100 days in the White House: Shares of companies that got closest to the president lagged the market's march higher.
Read our analysis here.
We also have graphics and interactives on:
S&P performance by sector
Hope vs. Reality in the currency and bond markets
Who has Trump's ear?
The math behind Trump's trade plans - such as the renegotiation of NAFTA - might be wrong. Reuters' Howard Schneider tells you why.
In non-presidential news:
Tesla is recruiting engineers from Mexico as part of its push to mass produce its Model 3.
General Motors reported a record quarterly profit.
A U.S. appeals court blocked health insurer Anthem bid to merge with Cigna. |
BRIEF-Pledpharma appoints Nicklas Westerholm as new CEO | Urban warfare takes heavy civilian toll in Syria, Iraq, Yemen -ICRC
GENEVA, June 14 Urban warfare is taking root in conflicts across the Middle East, with five times more civilians in Syria and Iraq killed in cities than in rural areas over the past three years, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Wednesday. |
I traveled to Cuba after Fidel Castro's death | In early December, Fidel Castro, the country's long-time leader, died . It had been my assumption that his death was like the sun dropping out of the solar system for the long-stagnating island nation.
Start the conversation, or Read more at Silicon Alley Insider. |
BRIEF-Faes Farma sees net profit growth of between 10 pct and 13 pct in FY 2017 | March 30 Faes Farma SA:
* Sees net profit growth of between 10 percent and 13 percent in FY 2017, to between 40 million euros ($43.0 million) and 41 million euros
* Sees EBITDA growth of between 2.8 percent and 6.5 percent in FY 2017, to between 55 million euros and 57 million euros
* Sees revenue growth of between 3.2 percent and 4.5 percent in FY 2017, to between 236 million euros and 239 million euros
Source text for Eikon:
Further company coverage: ($1 = 0.9312 euros) (Gdynia Newsroom) |
Spokeswoman says US Rep. Hoyer hospitalized with pneumonia | WASHINGTON (AP) - A spokeswoman says Democratic U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland is being treated at a Washington hospital for pneumonia but is expected to recover quickly.
Spokeswoman Katie Grant said Wednesday in an emailed statement that the congressman was being treated with antibiotics and resting after being admitted to The George Washington University Hospital a day earlier. Grant says the 79-year-old Hoyer was diagnosed with pneumococcal pneumonia.
She says Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat, looks forward to being back at work "very soon." |
Understanding your relative's mobility needs | If you don't know where to start, just answer a few questions to find information best suited to your needs.
Have you noticed that your relative seems to be less mobile recently, or maybe they have hinted at this themselves? If this is the case, find out more about mobility aids here.
Common mobility problems
Older age affects muscle strength, joint flexibility and stamina. If this is combined with aches and pains, as well as fatigue and potential other medical conditions, it is likely that your relative will experience difficulty with:
steps, stairs and inclines
uneven ground or loose surfaces
walking long distances.
Under these circumstances, your relative might well benefit from more awareness of stair safety and the support of a mobility aid, such as a walking stick, walking frame or even a mobility scooter.
The installation of grab rails around the home to support those with balance or mobility issues might also be helpful.
Getting a mobility needs assessment
As well as investigating the options for mobility aids, it is worth getting an assessment for mobility equipment needs by a physiotherapist, who may make recommendations for what kind of help your relative requires. These could include learning about certain mobility techniques (for example, how to move up and down the stairs) and exercises to help with strength and balance.
Appropriate footwear can also help with stability and support. Make sure that slippers around the home are supportive. It's best not to wear ones that you slip your feet into - instead there is a good range of 'bootee'-type slippers that have zip or Velcro fastening and non-slip soles. For outdoors wear, consider well-fitting supportive footwear with a low heel and non-slip soles.
More information
Sitting comfortably and safely, Kitchen safety and Getting into and out of bed safely: three of our articles exploring the options for safety in the home for older people.
Care services directory: use our directory to find what home care agencies are in your relative's area if you think he or she is in need of more support at home.
Dealing with a fall: sometimes a person with mobility problems may be at an increased risk of experiencing a fall - read our advice for helping to prevent a fall and what to do if your loved one has already fallen.
Page last reviewed: November 2016
Next review due: February 2019 |
Old Florida Fish House announces new executive chef | Richards has worked as a chef for a handful of well-known restaurants in the area including Elephant Walk, Destin Chops, Marina Café and Hogs Breath. "Chef Richards brings a fresh, innovative cooking style, and his passion for cooking aligns perfectly with our time-honored commitment to serving incredible food," General Manager Michael Pruitt said.
Start the conversation, or Read more at Walton Sun. |
T-Mobile U.S. quarterly revenue, profit beat estimates | People pass by a T-Mobile store in the Brooklyn borough of New York June 4, 2015. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
T-Mobile US Inc, the No.3 U.S. wireless carrier, reported quarterly profit and revenue above estimates as promotional offers helped add more subscribers.
The company has been gaining market share from rivals Verizon Communications Inc, AT&T Inc and Sprint Corp, in an oversaturated U.S. wireless market. T-Mobile had a number of promotional offers in the fourth quarter, including a free iPhone 7 offer with eligible trade-in around Black Friday.
But T-Mobile could face more competition following Verizon's announcement this week that it would reintroduce an unlimited data plan as well as from a new promotion launched earlier by Sprint.
On a conference call with analysts and investors, Chief Executive Officer John Legere dismissed such concerns.
"The competitive environment so far is based upon moves that others are making out of desperation," he said.
Net income rose to $390 million, or 45 cents per share, for the quarter from $297 million, or 34 cents per share, a year earlier. Total revenue rose 23.4 percent to $10.18 billion.
Analysts, on average, were expecting a profit of 30 cents per share and revenue of $9.84 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
For 2017, T-Mobile expects branded postpaid net additions of 2.4 million to 3.4 million.
Analysts said the numbers may be viewed as disappointing but noted that T-Mobile tends to give conservative forecasts at the beginning of the year.
The company also expects free cash flow to grow between 45 percent to 48 percent annually for the next three years, in line with analyst estimates.
Shares were roughly flat in Tuesday trading on the Nasdaq.
Industry watchers have long speculated that T-Mobile and Sprint, the No. 3 and No. 4 biggest players in U.S. wireless, will combine. Asked last week about renewed merger talks with T-Mobile, Masayoshi Son, whose SoftBank Group Corp is a majority shareholder in Sprint, said he was keeping his options open.
Legere said on the call in response to a question on Sprint that T-Mobile was "a very healthy growing franchise, and if we choose to, we can continue to drive tremendous shareholder value on our own or participate in various forms ... of consolidation."
T-Mobile, which had released its subscriber numbers for the quarter in January, added 933,000 postpaid phone subscribers, or those who pay monthly bills, on a net basis, in the three months ended Dec. 31. Churn, or customer defections, declined to 1.28 percent, from 1.46 percent a year ago.
(Reporting by Anjali Athavaley in New York; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Phil Berlowitz) |
Which? Elderly Care | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
Bedford Care Home | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
BRIEF-Intek Group Says KME AG Announced It Will Issue EUR 300 Mln Bond | Feb 2 (Reuters) - Intek Group Spa:
* SAYS KME AG, ITS MAIN INVESTMENT, ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL ISSUE A EUR 300 MILLION BOND RESERVED TO INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS DUE 2023 AT 6.75 PERCENT
* PROCEEDS FROM OFFERING ARE EXPECTED TO BE USED TO REPAY EXISTING DEBT AND, IN GENERAL, FOR ACTIVITY OF KME GROUP Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: |
Also Talib Kweli, International Beer Festival at the Fair, and Liberty Statio... | Approximately 140 boats - from entry-level family cruisers to sailboats - to browse, board, and buy, as well as the latest nautical gear, gadgets, and accessories. If you're dreaming big, an expanded selection of 80-foot superyachts.
Start the conversation, or Read more at San Diego Reader. |
Melania Trump upstages Brigitte Macron in Chanel gown for state dinner | All eyes were on First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday night as she stole the show in a glittering Chanel gown for their first White House state dinner.
Mrs Trump wore a Chanel black Chantilly lace haute couture gown that had been hand-painted with silver and embroidered with crystal and sequins, which she paired with a pair of gunmetal stilettos.
France's First Lady Brigitte Macron opted for a cream full-length gown with long sleeves and gold details.
The US First Lady clearly embraced her moment in the spotlight during the French president's state visit.
All eyes were on First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday night as she stole the show in a glittering Chanel gown for their first White House state dinner
Melania upstaged France's First Lady Brigitte Macron who opted for a cream full-length gown with long sleeves and gold details
The dinner for 123 guests marked Mrs Trump's highest-profile hostess gig to date as First Lady.
The White House had stressed that Melania, who planned her 2005 wedding, had a hand in every detail of the dinner from the place-settings to the giant flower arrangements greeting guests.
The FLOTUS released a brief video showing her working on the details with her staff, including the menu and the cream-and-gold table settings prior to the event.
Reporters were briefly allowed into the White House ahead of the dinner to see the gold table settings, gold silverware, gold candlesticks, gold wine glasses, gold chairs – situated elegantly around puffs of green and white flowers – in the candlelit state dining room.
At each of the place settings there was a menu, with the White House seal and the fleur-de-lis, which were also in gold.
Just outside the state dining room, the first lady went with a different theme, using some 1,200 cherry blossoms in giant black vases that would greet guests as they came in.
Donald and Melania Trump greeted French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte ahead of their first White House state dinner on Tuesday evening
Melania exchanged hugs and kisses with President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte ahead of the glitzy White House state dinner
Macron and his wife Brigitte arrived at the White House as a light rain fell Tuesday evening
All eyes were on Melania as she stole the show in a Chanel black Chantilly lace haute couture gown that had been hand-painted with silver and embroidered with crystal and sequins
Earlier on Monday, the White House had released some details about the dinner, including the menu.
Mrs Trump's glittering gown was her second big fashion statement of the day.
She had earlier worn a stylish white belted suit with a broad-brimmed chapeau for her public appearances, including on a brief outing to the National Gallery of Art with Mrs Macron to view an exhibit of works by French painter Paul Cezanne.
The hat stayed atop her head as she returned to the White House and took her front-row seat in the East Room for the president's joint news conference with Macron. It bobbed up and down across the bottom of television screens as she entered the room and again as she rose to leave, spawning many a Twitter meme.
The hat was designed by Herve Pierre, the first lady's French-born stylist, according to Mrs Trump's office. The skirt suit was a creation of Michael Kors, a designer the first lady has worn in the past.
Mrs Macron also opted for all-white on Tuesday morning. The 65-year-old chose a more classic Chanel-style boucle dress and jacket
Brigitte's white above-the-knee dress had black accents at the pockets, as well as a white suit jacket with black piping and chain detailing. She accessorized with black pumps.
Matching first ladies: Brigitte Macron and Melania Trump matched in their all-white ensembles on Tuesday morning
Pomp and circumstance: The two women accompanied their husbands to an arrival ceremony at the White House
Shield: Melania also donned a dramatic white hat with a wide brim |
New data from FEMA: Hundreds of Baton Rouge-area families still living in hot... | Red Cross worker Tonda Hatchett, left, checks with a smiling Mechael Williams, right, making sure that all of her and her family's belongings have been removed to their transportation from the site. The last shelter located at Celtic Studios for displaced flood victims closed at noon on Wednesday Oct. 5, 2016.
Start the conversation, or Read more at The Advocate. |
Tara Reid heads to nightclub after Drake concert | She was left devastated after her father Thomas passed away at the end of last year.
But Tara Reid looked sensational as she headed to TAPE nightclub in London with a pal following a Drake concert on Tuesday night.
The 41-year-old American Pie actress wrapped up in style in a faux-fur shrug, which was attached with the Hotline Bling rapper's keyring, along with a pair of skinny jeans.
Scroll down for video
Night out: Tara Reid, 41, looked sartorially savvy as she headed to TAPE nightclub in London with a pal following a Drake concert on Tuesday night
The star looked in great spirits as she teamed the fashionable look with studded flat lace-up shoes and a chic handbag.
The New Jersey born beauty sported side-parted blonde locks, which framed her heavily lined peepers and pink pout.
Tara couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she sauntered forth with her glamorous friend in hot pursuit.
The talented beauty paid an emotional tribute to her beloved dad last month where she told fans on social media that he had passed away in December.
Trendy: The American Pie actress wrapped up in style in a faux-fur shrug, which boasted a midriff-cinching belt, along with a pair of skinny jeans.
Fashionista: The star looked in great spirits as she teamed the fashionable look with studded flat lace-up shoes and a chic handbag
Beauty: The New Jersey born beauty sported side-parted blonde locks, which framed her heavily lined peepers and pink pout
Nice touch: Clearly having enjoyed her time at Drake's concert earlier in the night, Tara attached the Hotline Bling rapper's keyring on her ensemble
Alongside a poignant snap of her and her father, 75, she said: 'Today, I've received terrible news that my father, Thomas Reid, has passed away,' she wrote. 'He was a man full of life, love, wisdom, and strength.
'He was not only fun and in good spirits, but he was also one of the best story tellers I've ever heard.
She added: 'My dad was so supportive, kind, strong, and my hero. He was my heart, my soul, and my entire world. I love you and will miss you so much daddy! #RIPDaddyReid.'
Thomas had six children - Kathy, James, Tommy, Tara, and twins Colleen and Patrick - and eight grandchildren.
He and his wife Donna brought up their family in New Jersey where Tara was talent-spotted at an early age.
'He was my entire world': The talented beauty paid an emotional tribute to her beloved dad last month where she told fans on social media that he had passed away in December
So sad: Tara also tweeted about her father's death in December
Festive: Tara had spent Christmas with Thomas and Donna who worked as teachers and day car centre owners
Tara had also spent Christmas with Thomas and Donna who worked as teachers and day car centre owners.
Meanwhile, Tara has a plethora of film commitments keeping her busy this year.
She is set to star in the fifth instalment of her hugely successful Sharknado film franchise, as well as starring in the drama thriller Worthless.
She will also grace the big screen with the flicks, Dark Ascension, Due Justice, Baby Bulldog and Andy The Talking Hedgehog. |
BRIEF-Future Land's January-March contract sales up 102.8 pct y/y | BRIEF-BB&T increases prime lending rate to 4.25 pct from 4.00 pct
* bb&t corp says it is increasing its prime lending rate to 4.25 percent from 4.00 percent, effective immediately Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: |
Golf: Aussie young gun Smith has major credentials - coach | May 1, 2017; Avondale, LA, USA; Jonas Blixt (left) and Cameron Smith (right) hold the Zurich Classic championship trophy after winning the sudden-death playoff at TPC Louisiana. Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
MELBOURNE Cameron Smith underlined his enormous promise with his breakthrough win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event and the Australian tyro has the all-round game for major success, according to his long-time coach Grant Field.
The 23-year-old's triumph in a playoff with Swedish partner Jonas Blixt at TPC Louisiana on Monday put him in esteemed company in his native Australia.
Only Jason Day and Adam Scott have claimed a U.S. Tour event at a younger age among Smith's compatriots.
Both Day and Scott have gone on to win majors and claim the world number one ranking since their breakthroughs in America and a number of pundits feel Brisbane-born Smith could be cut from the same cloth.
Although reluctant to put too much pressure on his charge, Field, who has worked with Smith since he was 11 years old, feels the high expectations are justified.
"I don’t think he has a real weakness," the Gold Coast-based coach told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
"There’s nothing in his game that really lets him down.
"Especially, he has an amazing short game which was evident over the last few days as well.
"When things get tough (at the majors) you need to rely on that and it’s a huge skill for him to have.
"It’s also his attitude and belief in his abilities is second to none. All those combined, who knows what that will entail in the future."
The finish at TPC Louisiana was delayed due to a long thunderstorm, leaving Smith and Blixt to battle the American duo of Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown in a long, tense playoff on Monday.
On the fourth extra hole, Smith stuck his approach to inside three feet at the par-five 18th and calmly tapped in.
Having kept a check on his emotions during the tense final holes, an overwhelmed Smith was speechless during a TV interview by the green, eventually mumbling: "I can’t even talk, I’m sorry."
Had he missed the putt, it would have hardly mattered for him, suggested Field, describing a player who never gets too down on himself and tends to leave the game on the course when he steps off it.
Smith is also unlikely to be too fazed by any extra attention as he makes his way through the rest of the season.
"It doesn't bother him too much. His nature is to go about his business," said Field.
"He doesn't go for the limelight. He doesn’t sort of go chasing stardom as such. Anything that comes his way, he will have earned.
"Over time we will see what happens. At the moment we’ve just got to enjoy where he's at."
Smith turned professional in 2013 and it wasn't long before he made a splash, grabbing a top 10 finish in his first U.S. Tour event at the co-sanctioned CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur in 2014.
He raised eyebrows with his finish at the 2015 U.S. Open, smashing a three-wood from the fairway of the par-five 18th at Chamber Bay to within inches of the hole.
The tap-in eagle put him into a tie for fourth and gave him his first taste of the U.S. Masters last year, where he made the cut but struggled on the weekend.
Smith has not qualified for next month's U.S. Open but Monday's win secured him a spot in next week's prestigious Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Florida, a short drive from the Australian's home base at Jacksonville Beach.
Another big stage looms with his debut British Open at Royal Birkdale in July, which was sealed by a joint runnerup finish behind fellow 23-year-old Jordan Spieth at the Australian Open in November.
Having honed his game on some rustic Queensland golf courses when growing up, Smith should have no major bother with the vagaries of links golf, Field said.
"They're not the most manicured and perfect golf courses (here)... You've got to learn to deal with different situations and create different shots.
"He's learnt a lot of that in Queensland and playing in the wind (here) will serve him well."
(Editing by Amlan Chakraborty) |
County lodgers tax board to increase social media advertising | Members of the Grant County Lodgers Tax Advisory Board looked at how to spend $3,400 they have left before the end of the fiscal year. The money is left over from items that were budgeted for but not spent.
Start the conversation, or Read more at Scdailypress.com. |
Former chairman of China's Anbang appeals fraud conviction | BEIJING, May 31 (Reuters) - The former chairman of China's Anbang Insurance Group Co, Wu Xiaohui, has lodged an appeal against his conviction for fraud and embezzlement that led to a sentence of 18 years in prison, his lawyers said.
While not unknown, it is unusual for convicted suspects in high-profile cases in China to appeal. The news comes on the same day that China's top court, in a rare reversal, declared the founder of retailer Wumart innocent, overturning a decade-old conviction for fraud and bribery.
Wu, who steered the insurance giant as it became one of China's most aggressive dealmakers, was put on trial in late March, charged with illegal fundraising worth 65.2 billion yuan ($10.2 billion) and embezzling 10 billion yuan from its insurance fund.
The government took control of Anbang in February, part of a sweeping campaign to reduce financial risk and discourage what it sees as profligate investing by large private conglomerates.
Li Guifang, a lawyer best known for defending Chinese politician Bo Xilai in a blockbuster corruption trial in 2013, and fellow lawyer Chen Youxi have been hired for the appeal.
The Shanghai High People's Court has started preparations for a review, they said.
A state takeover group will control Anbang for at least one year to overhaul its equity structure, seek fresh capital from strategic investors in the private sector and dispose some of its assets.
Anbang brokerage Century Securities was put up for sale this month with a price tag of at least $560 million - the first of the planned asset sales. ($1 = 6.4033 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Shu Zhang and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) |
Experts say no motive known for deadly home, school shooting in Saskatchewan | As a hearing continues today for a teenager who killed four people and injured seven in La Loche, Sask., no motive for the devastating crime has yet emerged. The teen, who can't be named because he was just under 18 at the time, has pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder.
Start the conversation, or Read more at The Chronicle-Journal. |
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S&P, Moody's cut trading firm Noble ratings, cite high default risk | FILE PHOTO: The company logo of Noble Group is displayed at its office in Hong Kong, China January 22, 2016.
LONDON (Reuters) - Ratings agencies S&P and Moody's cut their credit ratings on commodities trader Noble Group (NOBG.SI) on Monday, citing high default risks.
Once Asia's largest commodities trading house, Noble is slimming down to its core Asian coal trading business after a two-year crisis. Last month it announced the sale of its U.S. gas and power business and began the sale of its oil liquids unit.
"We see an increased risk that Noble may not be able to meet its debt obligations in the next six months, especially if the company is not able to turnaround or if it breaches its financial covenants and fails to get a waiver from banks," S&P said on Monday.
Last week, Noble reported a second-quarter loss of $1.75 billion, weeks after warning it faced its steepest quarterly loss in a year and a half and would slash jobs and sell assets to cut debt.
S&P said it had cut Noble's long-term corporate credit rating to CCC- from CCC+ meaning it heightened default risks from substantial to imminent.
Moody's also cut Noble's corporate family rating and senior unsecured bond ratings to Caa3 from Caa1, reflecting a similar reading of risks surrounding the trading house.
"The downgrade reflects significant default risk for Noble within the next several quarters, given its operating cash burn, declining cash levels and large debt maturities. Moreover, should it default, we believe the prospect of a full recovery of principal and interest will be low for unsecured bondholders," Gloria Tsuen, Moody's Vice President and Senior Analyst, said.
Noble's liquidity headroom — including readily available cash and unutilized committed facilities — fell to $1.4 billion at end-June 2017 from $2.4 billion at end-March 2017. This is insufficient to cover the company's $2.6 billion in bank debt and bonds due in the next 12 months, Moody's said.
S&P said Noble's cash on hand and the potential proceeds from the sale of Noble Americas Gas & Power Corp will not be enough to cover the company's revolving credit facilities. |
HIGHLIGHTS-Bank of Canada's Poloz speaks in Ottawa | TORONTO, April 12 Below are some key quotes from an appearance on Wednesday by Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz in Ottawa following the central bank's decision to hold benchmark interest rates unchanged:
POLOZ ON WHETHER A RATE CUT REMAINS AN OPTION:
"A rate cut, or further easing in policy, remains possible in the sense that there may be risks that are realized in the outlook, that pull us below the projection that we are offering up today."
"When we talked about that a few months ago we had seen a series of disappointing data points that led us to believe that the risks were beginning to tilt towards to the downside and the uncertainties that we were dealing with were similarly negative."
"And so it's in that context that we discussed the possibility of easing. But in this context, given the data that we've seen in the last few months, I can quite clearly say no, a rate cut was not on the table at this time." (Reporting by Fergal Smith, Alastair Sharp; Assembled by Dan Burns) |
BRIEF-Bright Scholar Q2 Loss Per Share RMB 0.13 | April 24 (Reuters) - Bright Scholar Education Holdings Ltd :
* BRIGHT SCHOLAR ANNOUNCES UNAUDITED FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR 2018 SECOND FISCAL QUARTER
* Q2 REVENUE ROSE 20.6 PERCENT TO RMB 323.1 MILLION
* COMPANY REAFFIRMS ITS GUIDANCE OF ORGANIC GROWTH FOR 2018 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: |
Box Office: 'Spark' Fails To Ignite At The Box Office | According to weekend estimates, the Aaron Woodley-directed film grossed an estimated $112,352 from 365 theaters, a per-theater average of $308. To put into perspective how little that amount is, The Lost City of Z outgrossed Spark this weekend with $112,633, and that film was playing in just four theaters.
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The Dementia Cafe provides information about living with dementia and other services available locally in an informal and comfortable environment. A Dementia Cafe is also a place to relax, socialise and meet other people with dementia and their carers. |
A year on, Myanmar's Suu Kyi acknowledges reforms have been slow | FILE PHOTO: Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to the Myanmar community living in Singapore, on the island of Sentosa in Singapore September 22, 2013. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
YANGON A year after sweeping to power in a historic vote, Myanmar's first de-facto civilian leader in about half a century, Aung San Suu Kyi, acknowledged on Thursday the public's frustration with the slow pace of reforms and development.
With a festering Rohingya crisis, increased fighting with ethnic armed groups and a slower economic growth, Suu Kyi has struggled to match the sky-high expectations that swept her National League for Democracy (NLD) to power a year ago.
"We did what we can for the sake of our country and the people in one year," said the Nobel Peace Prize winner in a televised address.
"We know that we weren't able to make as much progress as people had wanted ... One year is not a long period," she said.
NLD lawmakers have told Reuters that voters in their constituencies feel frustrated because of pervasive low-level corruption, ramshackle public services and wages among the lowest in Southeast Asia.
In a major blow to Suu Kyi's reputation as the legendary defender of human rights, the United Nations last week announced an investigation into allegations of crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya Muslim minority by soldiers during a security operation last year.
As a result of the military crackdown, about 75,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh. The U.N. investigators have accused the soldiers of widespread abuses, including rapes, killings, arson and looting.
Suu Kyi also talked about her number one priority of ending the myriad ethnic conflicts involving about 20 rebel groups that have kept Myanmar in a state of near-perpetual civil war since independence in 1948.
"Peace process is not easy. We have a lot of hope ... But hope is just hope - nothing is for sure yet. We have to keep trying," she said.
Around the time of her speech, the government announced that five more groups had decided to join the landmark peace deal engineered by the previous semi-civilian administration.
Still, major rebel armies engaged in active clashes with the military have not come forward. Several conflicts have reignited since Suu Kyi took office, displacing an estimated 160,000 more people, according to U.N. data.
"Last year, I said the motto was, 'It's time for change'. Now ... I want to say the motto is: 'Together with people'," she said.
(Additional reporting by Wa Lone, Aye Win Myint and Simon Lewis; Editing by Andrew Heavens) |
Satish Acharya on... Sasikala behind bars | Mel B asks fans for patience on Spice Girls reunion as they struggle to sync up their busy schedules but admits to having 'set aside time this year for a tour' |
Sir Aubrey Ward House | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
Fed's Powell suggests removing qualitative test from bank stress-testing | WASHINGTON, April 20 Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell expressed support Thursday for removing the qualitative standard applied by regulators to regular stress testing of banks.
Powell said that applying a qualitative standard after the financial crisis played a key role in getting banks to understand their risks. But as banks have improved their books after the financial crisis, the need for that part of the regular stress test has lessened. "We’ve seen a great deal of progress," he said. “I do think we’re getting to the point where qualitative supervision of risk management can no longer be part of the stress test but will return to being part of the normal supervision of firms." (Reporting by Pete Schroeder; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) |
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Cosby prosecutors say his 'time to escape justice is over' | NORRISTOWN, Pa. (Reuters) - Evidence of being a serial rapist finally caught up with Bill Cosby after decades of assaulting women and hiding behind his kindly television persona, prosecutors told a Pennsylvania jury on Tuesday in closing arguments of his sexual assault trial.
“The defendant spent years and years and years building up a bank of trust. He used it every time he sexually assaulted one of his victims,” Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Stewart Ryan told the jury. “The time for the defendant to escape justice is over.”
With evidence and closing arguments concluded, the jury of seven men and five women was due to begin deliberations on Wednesday to decide whether to convict Cosby, 80, on trial on three counts of aggravated indecent assault of Andrea Constand, 45, at his home outside Philadelphia in January 2004.
In his first trial last year, 12 different jurors deliberated five and a half days before declaring themselves deadlocked.
Some 50 women have accused Cosby, the once-beloved comedian and TV dad, of sexual assault going back decades, but only Constand’s case was recent enough to be prosecuted.
Cosby has denied wrongdoing, saying any sexual contact was consensual.
Last time only Constand and one other accuser were allowed to testify. In this trial, five other women took the stand, each saying they, like Constand, had been drugged and violated by the man who played the genial Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable on “The Cosby Show” in the 1980s.
Actor and comedian Bill Cosby departs after a day of closing arguments at his sexual assault retrial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
In their closing arguments, defense lawyers attacked the credibility of women who testified against him, drawing a stern rebuke from prosecutors who said such shaming of victims was the reason women do not report sex crimes.
Defense lawyer Thomas Mesereau labeled Constand “a pathological liar” and reminded the jury she continued to call Cosby after the alleged assault. He declared Cosby “must be acquitted on all counts.”
Co-counsel Kathleen Bliss then assailed the five other accusers who testified, saying they fabricated stories in search of money and fame.
“What is this case about? Money, press conferences, TV shows, salacious coverage, ratings. Sex sells,” Bliss said.
When the prosecution got its opportunity, Assistant District Attorney Kristen Feden turned attention not just to Cosby but also to Bliss, calling the defense lawyer’s attack on the accusers “shameful, utterly shameful.”
Slideshow (6 Images)
His wife of more than 50 years, Camille Cosby, attended court for the first time since the trial began on April 9, watching the defense summation. Constand was there to see the prosecution closing statement. |
Glencore, four others interested in Hellenic Petroleum... | ATHENS, May 30 (Reuters) - Greece has received five expressions of interest for a majority stake in its biggest oil refiner Hellenic Petroleum, the country's privatisations agency said on Wednesday.
Greece last month launched a tender to sell at least 50.1 percent of Hellenic in one of the biggest asset sales under Athens' three international bailouts since 2010.
Initial interest was submitted by Alrai Group Holdings Limited, a consortium comprising Carbon Asset Management DWC-LLC and Alshaheen Group, Gupta Family Group Alliance, Glencore Energy UK and Vitol Holding B.V., the agency said.
Greece and Paneuropean Oil and Industrial Holding are jointly selling a stake of at least 50.1 percent in the refiner.
Hellenic is Europe's third biggest oil refiner based on its market value of 2.2 billion euros. Paneuropean Oil owns 45.5 percent and the Greek government holds a 35.5 percent stake.
The deadline for making submissions expired at 1400 GMT on Wednesday.
Sources have said that Greece and Paneuropean Oil want to maintain a stake of about 15 percent each in Hellenic. The exact size of the holding to be sold will not be disclosed until short-listed investors are invited to submit binding offers.
The agency said its advisers would evaluate the expressions of interest and make recommendations to its board of directors on the companies qualifying for the next phase of the tender. (Reporting by George Georgiopoulos and Angeliki Koutantou. Editing by Jane Merriman) |
Bush got contractor donations after $13M Harvey contract | AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Employees of a disaster recovery accounting firm donated almost $30,000 to Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush's re-election campaign days after his agency signed a nearly $13.5 million contract with the company to help manage the state's Hurricane Harvey response.
Bush's office is overseeing the housing rebuild post-Harvey and agreed to the contract in October with Horne LLP. Three days later, 34 Horne officials collectively donated $27,500.
The story was first reported by the Texas Tribune.
Land office spokeswoman Brittany Eck says Horne won the bid after scoring highest among four finalist firms according to metrics measuring experience, project cost and adherence to schedule, which the agency uses when choosing contractors.
Ash Wright, the Bush campaign's political director, called the donations "the biggest non-story in the history of non-stories." |
Shire chairwoman says talks with Takeda ongoing | DUBLIN (Reuters) - Shire (SHP.L) on Tuesday said discussions are ongoing with Takeda Pharmaceutical (4502.T) about the Japanese firm’s bid for its Dublin-based rival ahead of a deadline to strike a deal on Wednesday. [L8N1S14PR]
“Following several offers from Takeda, the board requested that the advisers of Shire and Takeda enter into a dialogue to discuss whether a further, more attractive proposal may be forthcoming,” Susan Kilsby told Shire’s annual shareholder meeting in Dublin.
“As of today the board can confirm that it is reviewing that offer. As of now we can only say that discussions between the advisers of Shire and Takeda are ongoing.”
Shire executives declined further comment on the proposed deal at the annual general meeting, which was completed in less than 15 minutes. |
US STOCKS-Energy, banks fuel Wall St's rebound, S&P 500... | By Medha Singh
May 30 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday, with a surge in energy stocks helping Wall Street recover from a steep selloff in the previous session that was driven by political turmoil in Italy.
Hopes that Italy might avoid a potentially damaging general election set the markets off to a strong start on Wednesday.
At the session's peak, the S&P 500 erased all its losses from Tuesday on news that Italy's 5-Star Movement party called for eurosceptic economist Paola Savona to withdraw his candidacy as economy minister to the possible formation of a government.
"The extent that it sold off was probably a little too much. So a little bit of a bounce back is not that big a surprise," said Randy Frederick, vice president of trading and derivatives for Charles Schwab in Austin, Texas.
Fears about the political instability had sent investors scurrying to safety assets on Tuesday, with the U.S. Treasury market enjoying its best day in at least about seven years. However, stocks took a beating, with the S&P 500 posting its first 1 percent drop in May.
At 13:13 p.m. EDT the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 286.48 points, or 1.18 percent, at 24,647.93, the S&P 500 was up 32.91 points, or 1.22 percent, at 2,722.77 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 61.05 points, or 0.83 percent, at 7,457.65.
Traders also said the political uncertainty in Italy also led to a drop in the expectations for U.S. interest rate hikes for the year, helping the stock markets gain momentum.
"In essence, investors perceived the mounting risks in Europe to warrant almost one less rate hike this year than just one week ago, a meaningful shift in investor sentiment," John Lynch, chief equity strategist at LPL Financial in Charlotte, North Carolina, wrote in a note.
The S&P energy index jumped 3.13 percent and was on track for its biggest one-day gain in nearly three weeks.
Energy shares, which provided the biggest boost to the S&P 500, benefited from a more than 2.4 percent surge in crude oil prices.
Bank stocks, which were the worst hit on Tuesday, recovered with the S&P financial index rising 1.86 percent.
Cloud-based business software maker Salesforce.com rose 1.7 percent, while computer and printer maker HP Inc jumped 3.4 percent after raising full-year profit forecasts.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 4.28-to-1 ratio on the NYSE. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.77-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.
The S&P index recorded 24 new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 171 new highs and 21 new lows. (Reporting by Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur) |
Canada's telecom regulator says online content must be treated equally | TORONTO, April 20 Canada's telecom and broadcast regulator ruled on Thursday that all data delivered online must be treated equally by internet service providers, a blow to large companies seeking to leverage either their own or other companies content to win customers.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission specifically ruled that Quebecor Inc's Videotron can no longer offer music streaming services from the likes of Spotify and Google Music to some wireless customers without them counting against a monthly data allowance. (Reporting by Alastair Sharp; Editing by Denny Thomas and Diane Craft) |
Going green: Georgia man repeats as kale-eating champ | When it comes to chowing down on kale, Gideon Oji is once again the top dog, beating back a challenge from hot-dog-eating champ Joey Chestnut.
Oji gulped down 22½ 16-ounce bowls of the leafy green vegetable in eight minutes during Sunday's Kale Yeah! Competition at the Erie County Fair in New York. The kale was served raw with oil and vinegar.
The contest is billed as the world's healthiest eating competition.
Chestnut, of San Jose, California, consumed 20 kale servings. He is the reigning hot dog-eating champion at the Nathan's Famous in New York City.
Oji is Nigerian and now lives in Marrow, Georgia. He took the inaugural kale-eating title last year, consuming 25½ servings.
Sunday's event was an unlikely partnership between the Independent Health Foundation and Major League Eating. |
Street corner sign shares love | Visiting from Sacramento, Rob Smith walks along the corner of Mason and Depot streets in Vacaville professing his Christian faith and hoisting a sign as drivers pass by that read, “Repent, Jesus Love.” Smith shared that he's traveled as far as New York and Los Angeles to spread the Word wherever God leads him. “What I'm doing is about love and making peace,” Smith said.
Start the conversation, or Read more at The Reporter. |
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Doctors are jailed after mother died in agony during boob op in Russia | Two doctors have been jailed after a mother died in agony when an anaesthetic failed during a boob job operation in Russia.
Ekaterina 'Katya' Klementieva, 25, had wanted to 'surprise' her husband by increasing her 34B bust and unknown to him had secretly saved £2,150 to cover the surgery, a court in Magnitogorsk was told.
But the mother-of-one suffered excruciating pain during the operation - leading to a cardiac arrest. The victim was unable to alert the doctor to the appalling agony she felt.
But following a relentless campaign by Katya's mother, surgeon Viktor Markov and anaesthetist Yevgeny Yashin have been jailed for two years each, convicted of providing services that led to death.
Two doctors have been jailed after Ekaterina 'Katya' Klementieva (pictured) died in agony when an anaesthetic failed during a boob job operation in Russia
Klementieva, 25, had wanted to 'surprise' her husband by increasing her 34B bust and unknown to him had secretly saved £2,150 to cover the surgery
Following a relentless campaign by Katya's mother, surgeon Viktor Markov (pictured) and anaesthetist Yevgeny Yashin have been jailed for two years each, convicted of providing services that led to death
The victim was unable to alert the doctor to the appalling agony she felt at the clinic (pictured)
They were also banned from carrying out any medical operations for three years.
Tatyana Verzilova, 59, the victim's mother, said: 'It was already a victory for me when the criminal case was opened and reached the court.
'I had hoped that they would be given three years, as the prosecutor called for.'
She said: 'The experts found that my daughter could feel everything.
'But she couldn't say a word when she was having her surgery.'
After her death, no criminal case was opened by the Russian authorities, and it took a campaign by the bereaved mother to secure justice.
In 2015, the clinic was ordered to pay £22,000 to Katya's widower Maxim, her son Stas, then eight, and Tatyana.
But the distraught mother pursued the battle further ensuring that criminal charges were paid against the doctor.
The mother-of-one (left, and right with husband Maxim) died suffering excruciating pain during the operation by a Russian clinic - which led to a cardiac arrest. The victim was unable to alert the doctor to the appalling agony she felt
In love: Katya and Maxim, who have one son Stas, were childhood sweethearts. They married when she was 18 and he was 20
Plastic surgeon Viktor Markov told the court in the city of Magnitogorsk that the procedure to put implant into one breast was successful.
An emergency occurred as she was given an anaesthetic for the second implant.
'When we injected it for the second time, there were problems,' he admitted.
An independent review found that Katya died from 'pain shock and hyperventilation' triggered by the operation and failure of the anaesthetic.
On the day of the surgery she asked husband Maxim to drop her off at the clinic,- telling him she was having a minor procedure - 'a woman's thing' - and he shouldn't worry.
Her widower said that if he had known she was planning breast surgery, he would have stopped her.
'I play that scene over and over again,' he said.
'I should have got out of the car and asked her exactly what this was about,' he said.
After her death, no criminal case was opened by the Russian authorities, and it took a campaign by the bereaved mother to secure justice
On the day of the surgery she asked husband Maxim to drop her off at the clinic,- telling him she was having a minor procedure - 'a woman's thing' - and he shouldn't worry
An independent review found that Katya (pictured) died from 'pain shock and hyperventilation' triggered by the operation and failure of the anaesthetic
'If I had the slightest inkling she was having a boob job, I'd have stopped her.
'I wouldn't have let her leave home.
'She had the most perfect breasts, and body, and why did she need this....?
'I curse myself for not stopping her.'
He had imagined she was having tiny polyps removed from her face.
'I had no idea you could do a boob job overnight, so I didn't think it was anything major,' he said.
He told how Dr Markov called him to say his wife - his teenage sweetheart - had been rushed to hospital from the plastic surgery clinic because 'her heart suddenly stopped during the breast implant operation'.
He said: 'I felt like I'd been hit with a mallet. What breast operation? I couldn't take it in there and then but I knew I had to get to the hospital right now.'
He arrived too late to see her alive.
The plastic surgeon told him: 'I've never seen this before, and I'm so sorry. We did everything to revive her.'
Nightmare: Katya was left in agony during the surgery, but was unable to tell the doctors performing the operation
Maxim said: 'She was stunning - and I never put pressure on her to have treatments.
'Believe me, I never even hinted at anything being wrong about her body - and least of all her breasts. They were beautiful.
'This is why for me the shock is even worse than it might be. And she, too, never said: "Oh, I want bigger breasts". Never once.'
But he assumed she wanted to 'surprise' him.
He guessed: 'Maybe she thought this is what all men want, but I swear I didn't and now my beautiful perfect wife, who loved life so much, is in a coffin under the ground.'
He is now raising their son, Stas, now 11.
After their teenage romance, the couple had married when she was 18 and he was 20, but he found it impossible to comprehend why she went for the surgery.
She had not told her closest girlfriends either, he said.
'I really can't understand what was behind her decision to "improve" her body.
'I try to guess and fail. It wasn't worth it. I wish so much Katya could know how much it was not worth it.
'If I'd have known, I'd have locked the doors and hidden the keys to stop her.
'I just hope that by telling our tragic story I can prevent at least one other happy family from going through the pain and loss we've suffered.
'Please think of Katya - and us - if you're planning such an operation.' |
BRIEF-Shenguan Holdings (Group) Posts FY Profit Attributable Of RMB 68.8 MILLION | March 19 (Reuters) - Shenguan Holdings (Group) Ltd :
* FY REVENUE RMB1,008.0 MILLION VERSUS RMB980.6 MILLION
* FY PROFIT ATTRIBUTABLE RMB 68.8 MILLION VERSUS RMB 154.2 MILLION
* BOARD PROPOSES A FINAL DIVIDEND OF HK2.0 CENTS PER SHARE
* BOARD RECOMMENDED SPECIAL FINAL DIVIDEND OF HK1.6 CENTS PER SHARE Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: |
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Property market continues to lose steam as average UK house price falls 0.2% in May, says Nationwide | UK house prices fell by 0.2 per cent in May and annual growth slowed down further as the housing market continues to lose steam.
The modest monthly drop is the third fall in four months, with the average home now valued at £213,618, according to the latest index by Nationwide. The headline figure is actually a bit higher than April’s £213,000, but Nationwide uses seasonal adjustments to calculate the monthly rise or fall.
Annual price growth also slowed, from 2.6 per cent in April to 2.4 per cent in May, according to the report.
Stagnating: UK house price growth is set to be around 1% this year, according to Nationwide
Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist, said there were few signs of an imminent change in the housing market as both demand and supply remained subdued.
‘Surveyors continue to report subdued levels of new buyer enquiries, while the supply of properties on the market remains more of a trickle than a torrent,’ he said.
Looking ahead, Nationwide reiterated it expects house prices to rise by 1 per cent over 2018 as a whole, with employment and interest rates decisions set to influence how the housing market will perform.
Gardner added: ‘Looking further ahead, much will depend on how broader economic conditions evolve, especially in the labour market, but also with respect to interest rates.
‘Subdued economic activity and ongoing pressure on household budgets is likely to continue to exert a modest drag on housing market activity and house price growth this year, though borrowing costs are likely to remain low.’
The average UK home is now valued at £213,618
Mike Scott at estate agent Yopa said Nationwide’s report indicated little had changed in the housing market.
‘Both supply and demand remain subdued, and Nationwide is sticking with its forecast of a 1 per cent increase in prices for 2018 as a whole, behind the likely rate of overall inflation,’ he said.
Brian Murphy at the Mortgage Advice said Nationwide’s figures suggest that whilst there has been a small monthly decrease in terms of values, average annual growth figures are still in positive territory, in line with expectations.
But he added: ‘That said, conditions are becoming increasingly fragmented, with more granular housing data from other sources pointing to some areas seeing significant price increases as a result of lack of stock and strong buyer demand, and other conurbations seeing a similar lack of properties coupled with fewer levels of buyers, meaning that values are stagnating or, in some cases, moving into reverse gear.'
Nationwide's figures chime with official data that point to a slowing market.
Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics shows British house prices dropped in March, with London recording its weakest performance since 2009.
The ONS said the decline in London can be linked to reforms to stamp duty and the Brexit vote, which has deterred foreign buyers and seen net migration to the city fall.
Home ownership: The most rapid period of growth in the private rental sector has been over the last 10 years, when the number of privately rented dwellings increased by 50%
Nationwide also analysed data relating to home ownership over the past 20 years.
It found that despite a small recent decline last year, the proportion of buy-to-let properties has doubled from 10 to 20 per cent over the past two decades.
The most rapid period of growth in the private rental sector, however, has been over the last 10 years, where the number of privately rented dwellings increased by 50 per cent, Nationwide said.
The increase in privately rented properties mean that the proportion of homeowners declined from 68 per cent to 63 per cent and social landlords from 22 per cent to 17 per cent during the last 20 years.
Scott at Yopa added: ‘These figures come as no surprise since households are being squeezed out of owner-occupancy by high prices and out of the social rented sector by a shortage of social housing, leaving the private rented sector their only option.’ |
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Oil eases off one-month peak as traders eye Cushing build, U.S. supply | FILE PHOTO: A pump jack is seen at sunrise near Bakersfield, California October 14, 2014. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
NEW YORK Oil futures fell on Wednesday, pulling back after eight straight sessions of gains after U.S. crude inventory data suggested the market was still heavily supplied.
Traders focused on preliminary U.S. production estimates in the weekly EIA report that suggested domestic output is still climbing. The report also showed stockpiles at the U.S. crude hub at Cushing, Oklahoma, rose 276,000 barrels in the week.
Brent crude futures settled down 37 cents to $55.86 a barrel after hitting a one-month high of $56.65.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 29 cents and settled at $53.11 a barrel after touching the highest since March 7 at $53.76.
Both contracts had jumped to the highest in more than a month after Saudi Arabia was reported to be pushing fellow OPEC members and some rivals to prolong supply cuts beyond June.
Analysts and traders said long-term fundamentals remained strong and more stockpile draw-downs are likely as refiners exit maintenance season.
"Crude inventories at Cushing rose 0.28 million barrels (mb) to 69.42 mb; however, this leaves just over 10mb of available storage before operational efficiency starts to be compromised," Standard Chartered said in a note.
"We do not expect inventories to reach this point, particularly with the added downward pressure on Midwest inventories from the reduction in Canadian flows."
The data showed an unexpected drop in overall U.S. crude inventories, which fell in the week by 2.2 million barrels as imports declined by 717,000 barrels a day. [EIA/S]
The U.S. data followed bullish reports from OPEC nations, which said they had cut March output beyond measures they had promised, according to figures the group published in a monthly report, as it sticks to an effort to clear a glut that has weighed on prices. [OPEC/M]
However, OPEC also raised its forecast for supplies from non-member countries in 2017 as higher prices encourage U.S. shale drillers to pump more, reducing demand for OPEC's oil this year.
OPEC and other producers, including Russia, agreed late in November to cut output by around 1.8 million barrels per day in the first half of 2017 to rein in oversupply.
Fearing a loss of market share, Saudi Arabia is shielding its most important customers in Asia from the cuts, continuing to supply them with all contractual volumes.
(Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein in Singapore and Amanda Cooper in London; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and James Dalgleish) |
City of Tecumseh Receives $2 million for Revival Commons Redevelopment Project | The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality today announced a $1,000,000 grant and a $1,000,000 loan to the City of Tecumseh to address brownfield conditions at the former Tecumseh Products, located at 600 South Ottawa Street. The brownfield redevelopment grant and loan will pay for a protective vapor barrier under a building that will be reused, and demolition of another building.
Start the conversation, or Read more at State of Michigan. |
Lompoc Passes Water Quality Tests; Report Available | Water testing results from 2016 have been released for the city of Lompoc, and the city has again met all drinking water health standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state of California. The 2016 Water Quality Report is available in brochures at Lompoc City Hall, Lompoc Aquatic Center, Lompoc Public Library, Dick DeWees Community and Senior Center, Lompoc Water Treatment Plant, and on the city website www1.cityoflompoc.com/departments/utilities/2016ccr.pdf.
Start the conversation, or Read more at Noozhawk. |
BRIEF-WeedMD Completes Strategic Investment In Blockstrain Technology Corp | March 19 (Reuters) - WeedMD Inc:
* WEEDMD COMPLETES STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN BLOCKSTRAIN TECHNOLOGY CORP. Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: |
Eadar Glinn Residential Home | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
Dangerous health risks at Popua landfill are obvious | I cannot over emphasize the potential gravity of development in and around the reclaimed Popua landfill. I recommended this area not be used for a landfill from its onset in the 1980's.
Start the conversation, or Read more at Matangi Tonga. |
Tigers score 5 after Ohtani's departure, beat Angels 6-1 | DETROIT (AP) - Jose Iglesias' two-run single keyed a Detroit's five-run sixth as the Tigers took advantage of Shohei Ohtani's departure following the second rain delay to beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-1 Wednesday night.
Ohtani, starting for the first time since May 20th, allowed one run ond three hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out five while throwing 83 pitches.
Tigers starter Mike Fiers was also knocked out by the second rain delay in the top of the sixth, allowing one run and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Detroit Tigers' Dixon Machado scores from second on a single by Nicholas Castellanos during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Wednesday, May 30, 2018, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Tigers quickly took the lead in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases against Cam Bedrosian (1-1) on a single, a walk and a hit by pitch. Greyson Greiner struck out, but Iglesias lined a two-run single to center to put Detroit ahead 3-1. Dixon Machado grounded to short, but Andrelton Simmons' throw to the plate was too late to get JaCoby Jones.
Leonys Martin and Nicholas Castellanos followed with RBI singles off Jim Johnson to push the lead to 6-1.
Louis Coleman (2-0) got he win with 1 1/3 innings of relief.
Ohtani looked rusty in the first inning, walking two of the first four batters he faced before allowing Niko Goodrum's two-out RBI single.
The Angels tied it in the third when Albert Pujols' two-out single drove in Mike Trout.
Ohtani, who was throwing 91-mph fastballs in the first inning, hit 98 on his final pitch of the third to retire Victor Martinez on a soft liner to shortstop.
The game was delayed for 23 minutes by rain at the end of the fourth inning, but both starters stayed in the game.
Ohtani walked Martin with two out in the fifth and allowed a double to Castellanos before getting Jeimer Candelario to ground out on a 101-mph fastball.
The game was delayed again by rain in the top of the sixth, this time for 41 minutes. Coleman replaced Fiers to get the last strike of the sixth, and Bedrosian came in for Ohtani.
GOOSE HUNT
A Canada Goose settled into right-center field during the second rain delay, and an attempt to remove it ended in chaos. After the grounds crew set off two firecrackers and another member gave chase, the bird tried to escape, but crashed into an LED board on the façade of the third deck and fell two levels into the stands.
After several moments, a veterinarian who was attending the game wrapped the stunned goose in a blanket and took it to the concourse, where it was released outside the stadium and dashed into nearby bushes.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: Zack Cozart (forearm tightness) was a late scratch from the Angels' lineup.
Tigers: Detroit put LHPs Francisco Liriano (right hamstring strain) and Daniel Stumpf (ulnar nerve irritation) on the 10-day DL. Liriano's move is retroactive to Sunday, Stumpf's to Tuesday. The Tigers recalled RHP Johnny Barbato and LHP Ryan Carpenter from Triple-A Toledo. ... Iglesias left the game after the sixth with a hip contusion.
UP NEXT
Carpenter (0-1) starts for the Tigers on Thursday against Angels LHP Andrew Heaney (2-3) in the finale of the four-game series.
___
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout catches a fly ball for the out on Detroit Tigers' Niko Goodrum during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 30, 2018, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers third baseman Jeimer Candelario steps over Los Angeles Angels' Andrelton Simmons as Simmons is out on a fielder's choice hit into by Martin Maldonado during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 30, 2018, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers shortstop Dixon Machado (49) and center fielder Leonys Martin can't come up with a fly ball by Los Angeles Angels' Martin Maldonado during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 30, 2018, in Detroit. Andrelton Simmons was forced out at third on the play, and Maldonado was safe at first. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) |
Paul Ryan tweets woman pay up $1.50 week is success story | The first effects of the Republican's new tax code were felt on Friday, when changes to tax withholding tables caused some people to see more money in their paychecks.
One of those people was Julia Ketchum from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who told the Associated Press that her check went up a total of $1.50 per week, and she was happy about it.
For some reason, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (Wisconsin) thought that was a point worth celebrating when he retweeted the article on Saturday, and wrote:
'A secretary at a public high school in Lancaster, PA said she was pleasantly suprised her pay went up $1.50 a week ... she said that will more than cover her Costco membership for the year.'
Ryan later deleted the tweet, but before he took it down, social media users had a lot to say about it, and none of it was nice.
A woman from Pennsyvlania told the Associated Press that her check went up a total of $1.50 per week, due to the GOP's tax reform; Paul Ryan saw this, tweeted it, and Twitter freaked out
Ryan tweeted, but later deleted: 'A secretary at a public high school in Lancaster, PA said she was pleasantly suprised her pay went up $1.50 a week ... she said that will more than cover her Costco membership for the year'
US Representative from California Eric Swalwell asked Ryan over Twitter if Ketchum had all the facts.
He wrote, apparently addressing the Speaker:
'Did you tell her how much the paychecks of the 1 percent went up a week? Or that hers could have gone up a lot more if you had given them a lot less?'
Some people on Twitter couldn't believe that Ryan actually meant what he said, when he hit the send button on that tweet at 11.51 am Eastern on Saturday.
'This isn't a typo?' wrote Andrew Kaczynski, a reporter with CNN's KFile.
Colorado-based scientist Phil Plait shared a similar sentiment, asking, apparently sarcastically, 'This is a parody account, right? …right?'
Brian Schatz, a US Senator from Hawaii, shared his opinion of the answer to that question.
'That tweet about the $1.50 a week is not a PR mistake,' Schatz wrote. 'It is really what they [Republicans] think.'
Some people on Twitter couldn't believe that Ryan actually meant what he said, when he hit the send button on that tweet at 11.51 am Eastern on Saturday; Ryan is seen here in Washington, DC on January 30
'This isn't a typo?' wrote Andrew Kaczynski, a reporter with CNN's KFile
Colorado-based scientist Phil Plait shared a similar sentiment, asking, apparently sarcastically, 'This is a parody account, right? …right?'
'That tweet about the $1.50 a week is not a PR mistake,' Brian Schatz, US Senator from Hawaii, wrote; 'It is really what they [Republicans] think'
AmpliFire News editor Jordan Uhl responded with plain shock, writing:
'Republicans are proud of themselves for [checks notecard....adjusts glasses....squints] someone making 21 cents more a day?'
When Uhl noticed the tweet was no longer posted, he called Ryan out in the thread, saying: 'He deleted it, like a goddamn coward.'
Other users, like Cullen Crawford, took the opportunity to poke fun at the Speaker of the House.
The writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert posted a meme of Montgomery Burns, the notoriously frugal power plant owner from the animated sitcom, The Simpsons, telling his employee's daughter, Lisa Simpson, 'Oh, don't pooh-pooh a nickel, Lisa.'
Cullen wrote with the meme, 'We go now to @SpeakerRyan.'
Other users, like Cullen Crawford, took the opportunity to poke fun at the Speaker of the House with a Simpsons meme
HuffPost political writer Matt Fuller referenced House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi 's comments, calling $1,000 bonus checks sent out by companies in response to corporate tax cuts, 'bread crumbs,' when he mocked Ryan
AmpliFire News editor Jordan Uhl responded with plain shock, writing: 'Republicans are proud of themselves for [checks notecard....adjusts glasses....squints] someone making 21 cents more a day?' and then saying, 'He deleted it, like a goddamn coward'
Previously, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (California) was criticized for calling $1,000 bonus checks sent out by companies in response to corporate tax cuts, 'bread crumbs.'
That large corporate tax break, and Ryan's response to Pelosi's choice of words, provided additional ammunition for social media users who were shocked by Ryan's post.
HuffPost political writer Matt Fuller tweeted:
'Paul Ryan: A secretary is saving $1.50 a week from the tax bill.
'Also Paul Ryan: These aren’t crumbs.'
Senior staff writer for Upworthy and GOOD, Parker Molloy, thought the figure to be extremely comical when she broke it down into a daily figure.
'You gave $1.5 TRILLION to the richest people on the planet, and you’re using an anecdote about someone making an extra 21 cents a day to argue it was good for the rest of us? Hahahahahaha,' she wrote.
Vox's Matthew Yglesias responded by running the numbers the other way, which didn't quite seem to add up, either.
'$1.50 a week for 52 weeks equals $78 per year, times 125 million workers, that equals $9.75 billion a year,' Yglesias wrote.
'Yet the tax cut costs $1.5 trillion — with a t — over ten years. Where’d the money go?'
Senior staff writer for Upworthy and GOOD, Parker Molloy, thought the figure to be extremely comical when she broke it down into a daily figure
Vox's Matthew Yglesias responded by running the numbers the other way, which didn't quite seem to add up, either
Former Obama administration speech-writer-turned-podcast host, Jon Favreau, may have had the best zinger of all.
The political alum wrote:
'As a thank you for passing a $1 trillion corporate tax cut, Paul Ryan received $500,000 in campaign contributions from the Koch brothers, which would probably cover the cost of buying a Costco.'
DailyMail.com was unable to reach Ketchum to ask whether she would be using the projected additional $78 in her yearly paycheck for a new Costco membership, or to pay for one she had already been using.
Presumably, if it were for a new membership, the secretary might be happy about potential additional savings she could enjoy, by buying in bulk at the wholesale warehouse club.
Of course, that argument ignores the notion that individuals who shop at those kinds of so-called 'big box stores' don't actually save money in the long run, because they end up buying things they don't need.
In any case, Ryan must have felt some embarrassment over the tweet, because he ended up deleting it.
US Representative Eric Swalwell (California )asked over Twitter if Ketchum had all the facts
Former Obama administration speech-writer-turned-podcast host, Jon Favreau, may have had the best zinger of all
Ryan later deleted the tweet, but before he took it down, social media users had a lot to say about it, and none of it was nice
Patton Oswalt wrote, 'Hey @PRyan, why’d you delete this tweet? You seemed so excited about struggling Americans making an extra DOLLAR AND A HALF A WEEK. You s***-lizard'
Whether you saw an increase in your paycheck this week or not, it's important to note that more money up front doesn't necessarily mean you'll get to keep it, come tax time.
Be aware that right now, it’s the effect of changes to individual paycheck withholding amounts that workers are seeing.
While these changes are meant to anticipate what effect the entire code will likely have on a worker's yearly tax liability, that’s not guaranteed, because lots of other changes to the tax code also went into effect.
That means a person's overall tax bill at end of year might be different and lower than it has been in year's past, but it also might stay the same, or even require that money be paid back, if not enough was withheld by that person's employer, throughout the year.
Other tax code changes that will impact that bottom line include that the standard deduction has been doubled, but the personal exemption has been dropped.
'For families with fewer than three dependent kids, that’s probably a net gain,' Rick Newman said in a column, writing for Yahoo Finance.
'But for larger families it could push up their taxable income and their total tax bill.'
Deductions for state and local taxes are also now capped at $10,000, which is a pretty big change for those in higher income brackets that pay state tax on that income, and for those with high state and local property or school taxes.
These kinds of deductions aren't factored into what your employer automatically withholds from your paycheck.
Owen Ellickson wrote, sarcastically: '"A Costco mention will please the poors,"' thinks Ryan. "That is where they buy their huts, and the slurry that they eat"'
Whether you saw an increase in your paycheck this week or not, it's important to note that more money up front doesn't necessarily mean you'll keep to keep it, come tax time
It's possible these new default withholding amounts may leave some underpaying, with a tax bill to even things out when they file for the 2018 year.
Individuals can still ask their employers to withhold more taxes from each paycheck if they like, if that's a concern for them.
This new tax overhaul passed the Senate with a vote of 51-48, with all yes votes coming from Republicans.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona is the only Senate Republican who did not vote for the bill, because he abstained from voting at all.
Every Senate Democrat voted no.
The bill passed the House with a vote of 227-203, again with all yes votes coming from Republicans.
No votes came from 12 Republicans and 191 Democrats, with two Democrats abstaining from the vote.
Trump signed the tax bill into law on December 22. |
Russia's Putin, Egypt's Sisi to sign nuclear power station deal -Kremlin | CAIRO, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will sign an agreement on Monday about the construction of a nuclear power station in Egypt and supplies of nuclear fuel, according to a document provided by the Kremlin.
Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova; Writing by Jack Stubbs; Editing by Maria Kiselyova |
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Which? Elderly Care | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
Tips to make swimwear shopping season less stressful | In this photo provided by Lands' End, a model wears the Lands' End Beach Living squareneck underwire top and swim mini. For those looking for the right swimsuit shopping experience that includes more size options, versions under $100 and generous return policies, there are plenty of stylish choices.
Start the conversation, or Read more at The Gazette. |
Column: PGA Tour primed for big 2nd half of season | The PGA Tour began the second half of the season at the Texas Open, with Andrew Landry becoming the seventh first-time winner.
Never mind that it feels as though the season is just getting started.
Still to come are three majors and The Players Championship. Not to be overlooked are the FedEx Cup playoffs. Quibble about points and prestige, but they deliver four tournaments over five weeks of the top available players.
FILE - In this April 8, 2018, file photo, Tiger Woods hits a drive on the third hole during the fourth round at the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga. Woods brought back the largest crowds to golf with his return from back surgery. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
Most sports prefer to become more relevant the closer they get to the finish line, so that's one benefit of the PGA Tour's wraparound season.
The opening 22 weeks featured one major and three World Golf Championships, one of them in Shanghai last October, the other two in March separated by two weeks. Justin Thomas, Bubba Watson and Patton Kizzire are multiple winners. Dustin Johnson should be. Jordan Spieth would settle for one victory at this point.
The first half did a good job setting the table for what should be a compelling five months.
BATTLE FOR NO. 1
Not long after Dustin Johnson closed with a 67 at the RBC Heritage, he left for the Bahamas as part of a three-week break. His tie for 16th at Hilton Head was important. It assured Johnson of staying at No. 1 for a few more weeks, but maybe not by the time he returns at TPC.
He will be No. 1 for at least 62 weeks, significant in that only three other players have stayed atop the world ranking longer since it began in 1986 - Nick Faldo (81 weeks), Greg Norman (96 weeks) and Tiger Woods (264 weeks and 281 weeks).
It might not last much longer. Thomas, who could have replaced Johnson by winning his semifinal match in the Dell Technologies Match Play, gets another chance next week at the Wells Fargo Championship. That's at Quail Hollow, where Thomas won the PGA Championship last summer.
Jon Rahm also had a chance to get to No. 1 in January until a 75-77 weekend at Torrey Pines.
With so many big tournaments coming up, a half-dozen players are in the mix for No. 1 by the end of the season.
BEST SEASON
Patrick Reed can easily claim this because of that green jacket he loves to (and should) show off. Winning the Masters makes it a great year no matter what else happens, and Reed will have a hard time topping this one even if he wins all five Ryder Cup matches in France.
Three others are worthy of consideration.
Thomas faced a most difficult encore after he won five times last season, including his first major, the PGA Championship, and the FedEx Cup. He has backed it up so far with two victories. One of them was the Honda Classic, where he made two birdies on the par-5 18th - with a wedge to force a playoff, and with a 5-wood to set up the win.
Watson won against two strong fields at Riviera and Match Play. Kizzire won't get as much recognition from winning at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in the fall and the Sony Open in January. But he went head-to-head in beating Rickie Fowler in Mexico and won a six-hole playoff on Oahu. In a rarity, he won twice in a season while ranked outside the top 100 in the world.
TIGER ANNIVERSARY
One year ago, the Texas Open was the same week Woods had his fourth back surgery, and all sorts of speculation followed. Would he ever play again? Did he even want to play again? And if he did, how much would fusion surgery limit him?
The answers: Yes, yes and not much.
He recorded a swing speed of 129 mph. He was runner-up by one shot at the Valspar Championship. A year ago, no one would have been surprised if he missed the Masters. Instead, the surprise was that he didn't break par until Sunday and tied for 32nd.
Interesting about Woods at this point in the season is that he played three of his six tournaments on courses where he has never won.
THE REVIVALS
Even as the PGA Tour gets younger, five players in their 40s managed to win.
Phil Mickelson tops the list. Ian Poulter isn't too far behind.
His victory drought approaching five years, Mickelson was on the verge of falling out of the top 50 in the world for the first time in 25 years when he ran off four consecutive top 10s, the last one a playoff victory in the Mexico Championship.
Poulter had gone more than six years without a win, would have lost his full PGA Tour card last year except for a clerical error and then was told at the Dell Match Play that he was in the Masters, when in fact he needed to win one more match (which he lost badly). Poulter opened with a 73 the following week in Houston, answered with rounds of 64-65, made a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th to force a playoff and won on the first extra hole to get into the Masters.
Those victories will go a long way in getting Mickelson and Poulter to France in the fall as captain's picks if they don't qualify for their Ryder Cup teams.
But it's early.
Even though one half of the season is gone, the bigger half is coming up.
FILE - In this April 2, 2018, file photo, Tiger Woods, right, greets Justin Thomas on the driving range during practice for the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Woods and Thomas were two central figures the first half of the PGA Tour season.(AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2018, file photo, Dustin Johnson hits on the fourth fairway during the final round of the Tournament of Champions golf tournament, in Kapalua, Hawaii. Johnson will be No. 1 for at least 62 weeks, only the fourth player to hold the top ranking that long. (AP Photo/Matt York, File) |
BRIEF-IAI Q4 net profit down at 114,931 zlotys YoY | BRIEF-Eoh Holdings sees six-month HEPS up between 20-25 pct
* HEPS for six months ended Jan. 31 is expected to be between 431 cents and 449 cents, reflecting an increase of between 20-25 pct Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: (Bengaluru Newsroom) |
BRIEF-Pergamon Status Dis Ticaret reports Q1 net profit of 2.1 mln lira | UPDATE 3-Nestle takes food price rises in its stride
ZURICH, Aug 9 Nestle expects pressure from the rising price of ingredients for its products such as chocolate bars, coffee and soup to ease, helping it meet its target for increasing sales despite tough markets. |
5 things we learned from Northern Ireland´s defeat to Germany | World champions Germany’s passage to Russia next summer was secured on Thursday with a third victory over Northern Ireland in 16 months.
A 3-1 triumph maintained Die Mannschaft’s 100 per cent record in qualifying and left Northern Ireland still waiting to confirm one of the eight play-off berths available to group runners-up.
Here Press Association Sport details five things we learned from events at Windsor Park.
Five-three-two is not the answer against these Germans
Playing two up front left Northern Ireland exposed in midfield (Niall Carson/PA)
It is not as if Joshua Kimmich’s brilliance is alien to Northern Ireland. He dazzled against them at the Euros and was fabulous again at Windsor Park, though the home side’s set-up allowed him to flourish.
Left-back Chris Brunt could not cope with Kimmich’s raiding runs alone and only got protection when Stuart Dallas was brought on for the second half.
Michael O’Neill named two forwards to pose the Germans more attacking problems, yet it only left them exposed to Kimmich time and time again.
The Germans can get better…apparently
It is hard to believe after seeing how awesome they were, again, in Belfast, but Joachim Low insisted Germany “need to improve in many more areas” before they begin their World Cup title defence in Russia.
Quite where those weaknesses are was not obvious on this showing, though perfectionist Low wants his team to eliminate their opponents having any openings at all.
However, as O’Neill himself noted, this squad may be even better than the 2014 World Cup winners.
Northern Ireland can keep their discipline
Skipper Steven Davis is one of six Northern Ireland players who are one yellow card away from suspension (Brian Lawless/PA)
Five of the starting Northern Irish XI were one booking away from missing Sunday’s clash with Norway through suspension but referee Danny Makkelie did not brandish his card once.
Half a dozen remain on that disciplinary tightrope as their situation carries into the play-offs, but this was evidence that O’Neill’s side can keep their cool even when faced with a test like Germany. They will have to do so again in Oslo.
The play-off situation is no clearer
A win over Germany, who have still never lost an away World Cup qualifier in their entire history, would have guaranteed Northern Ireland a play-off berth.
A draw would have done if three results in England’s group went their way, but Scotland’s success over Slovakia scuppered that anyway.
The only way Northern Ireland will be assured of a play-off spot before kicking off against Norway on Sunday is if Bosnia and Herzegovina fail to beat Belgium and Greece do not defeat Cyprus on Saturday.
Debutant George Saville could have a bright international future
A few weeks ago O’Neill did not even know Millwall midfielder Saville was eligible for his squad. On Thursday he was thrown in at the deep end when brought on against a German midfield ran by Toni Kroos and Sebastian Rudy.
Yet Saville was far from overawed, looked neat in possession and made a crucial sliding intervention to prevent Leroy Sane sweeping home. He gives O’Neill another option in a department where he is short. |
Austrian police arrest man who appeared in public as Hitler | VIENNA Feb 13 Austrian police have detained a man for glorifying the Nazi regime, after he appeared in public dressed as Adolf Hitler, a police spokesman said.
The 25-year-old was arrested on Monday night in Braunau am Inn, the Hitler's birthplace, the spokesman said.
The daily newspaper Oberoesterreichische Nachrichten said on Saturday the man had been seen outside the house in which Hitler was born and in a local bookstore browsing through magazines about World War Two.
He had a Hitler-style moustache and similar haircut to the dictator's, and wore "a suit reminiscent of Hitler", the paper said, adding he identified himself in a local bar as "Harald Hitler".
"It is definitely not a carnival joke or an art project, the young man knows exactly what he is doing," the police spokesman said.
Hitler, born in 1889, led Nazi Germany into World War Two and the Holocaust. Glorifying Hitler or the Nazis is a crime in Austria, which Nazi Germany annexed in 1938. (Reporting by Kirsti Knolle; editing by Andrew Roche) |
Lucinda Williams brings tour to the Capitol Theatre | Three-time Grammy Award-winner Lucinda Williams will perform Thursday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m., at Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleveland St., Clearwater. Williams is touring in support of her latest release, 'The Ghosts of Highway 20.' Recorded in the middle of arguably the most prolific period of her nearly four-decade career, 'The Ghosts of Highway 20' is unlike any other Williams' album.
Start the conversation, or Read more at Tampa Bay Newspapers. |
Tiny Michigan town in water fight with Nestle | Maryann Borden looks over her yard at Twin Creek, which she says is not the same since Nestle began pumping water in the region
Global food conglomerate Nestle is in a battle with critics in tiny Osceola Township, Michigan where residents complain the Swiss company's water extraction techniques are ruining the environment.
Maryann Borden, a retired teacher who has lived in the western Michigan town since 1953, has photos documenting changes in the Twin Creek river since Nestle began pumping water in the region in the early 2000s for its "Ice Mountain" brand of bottled water.
"It's not the same creek," Borden, 73, told AFP. "It's narrower and deeper and therefore warmer," compared with the "biting cold" water of her youth.
"The trout can't survive in it because the water is warmer," she added.
Located about four hours north of Detroit and with a population of just 900, Osceola Township is a sleepy rural community whose biggest employer is SpringHill Camp, a Christian-oriented program for kids.
The town opposes granting Nestle a permit to build a pumping booster station along a water pipeline that feeds a tanker load dock in Evart, another small town nearby.
The booster station would help the company pump more water from a controversial Osceola County wellhead if the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality approves the project. Nestle wants to pump 400 gallons of water a minute, up from the 250 a minute currently.
Town officials voted in January to appeal a county court's ruling in Nestle's favor, portending a judicial saga.
"If you look at the culverts, they provide an historic landmark," said Tim Ladd, manager of Osceola Township.
Area residents say water extraction techniques of the Nestle Waters bottling facility in Stanwood, Michigan, have damaged the environment
"You don't have to be a geologist or a hydrologist to see those water levels," he added. "The water lake tables are lower today than what they were two years ago."
Nestle rejects this argument and also has some backing among supporters who praise the company for keeping water rates low.
"There's been no measurable changes to the streams, the aquatic life there," said Arlene Anderson-Vincent, natural resource manager at Nestle Waters North America, who notes that dams in the area "can affect those streams."
Nestle points to company-sponsored research that backs up its stance, but there has been no independent scientific review of the matter.
- $200 a year -
Much of the anger in Osceola Township, that voted heavily for President Donald Trump in the 2016 US election, is due to a sense the town is being exploited by a powerful multinational blinded by profit.
Demand for bottled water, such as these stacks at Nestle's facility in Stanwood, Michigan, is rising
Nestle pays just $200 a year to the state of Michigan to pump more than 130 million gallons (590 million liters) of water.
Other US states have struck similar arrangements with big companies, authorizing them to pump as much water as they wish for a pittance as long as they build the infrastructure themselves. This includes the beverage giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, which sell water under the Dasani and Aquafina brands.
"Nestle has a reputation worldwide of going to poor rural communities, offering all kinds of economic benefits to the community that never really materialize, and taking as much water as they can get and when the stream runs dry they leave," said Peggy Case, president of the Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation.
Nestle said it spends $18 million a year in Michigan, including $2.4 million in taxes in 2016. The company employs 280 people at its factory in Mecosta County, about 40 minutes away from Osceola Township where about 50 Nestle workers live.
Nestle is turning to Twin Creek River as demand for bottled water rises. Wholesale bottled water sales hit a total of $16.4 billion in 2016, surpassing soda sales of $12.5 billion for the first time, according to the Beverage Marketing consultancy.
Nestle's water brands in the US, which includes Poland Springs and Pure Life in addition to Ice Mountain, garnered 55.3 percent of the company's total worldwide water sales in 2016.
- Affordable water? -
Zackary Szakacs, city manager of Evart, credited Nestle with keeping water rates low in the region. The average income in Osceola Township is just $20,000 per year, around the poverty level for a family of three.
"Thank God we have two of those wells in the city of Evart because I would have to lay people off," Szakacs said.
"They help maintain and keep our water rates low so our residents that are poor that live in this community can afford to pay their monthly water bill."
After finding the chemical perchlorate at some wells in 2015, Nestle financed the cleanup.
Evart is only a couple of hours drive from Flint, where a major water contamination scandal has drawn national attention.
Access to affordable drinking water is becoming more problematic, and as many as 36 percent of US households may be unable to afford water within five years, according to a 2017 study by Michigan State University scholar Elizabeth Mack. |
Queensland school sends 'rude' letter to hairdresser | A school has been slammed after it penned a letter to hairdressers in the local region outlining exactly how its young students should have their hair cut to meet uniform rules.
When Lorraine Carter opened an envelope addressed to her from Cooloola Christian College, she expected to find a letter asking for her support with a fundraising drive.
But as the owner of Streetwise Hair salon, in Gympie, Queensland, read further down the note she realised the school was telling her how to cut and style children's hair.
From boys having hair no shorter than a 'number three' to girls having just two plaits, the letter specifically outlined what was allowed - something the hairdresser said she had never seen before.
Cooloola Christian College has been slammed after writing a letter to hairdressers (pictured) outlining exactly how to cut the hair of its young students to ensure they meet uniform rules
Experience salon owner Lorraine Carter (pictured) said she felt the letter was 'rude'
'I think it's just incredibly rude,' Ms Carter told Daily Mail Australia.
'Usually we donate to schools and things and I thought it would be about that, and then I couldn't believe it.
'It's a very good school, but I feel kids should be able to express their individuality and it's just taking away any rights they should have to do that... we're in 2017 not 1996.'
According to Ms Carter other hairdressing salons in the region also received the letter from the school, which all began with the greeting: 'Dear hairdresser'.
While Ms Carter said she again felt this was 'rude', the letter from the school claimed it was aiming to 'be helpful' to the salon.
'From time to time we have students arrive at school with a haircut that falls outside our hairstyle policy which can be problematic for parents and students,' it read.
'By being aware of our requirements then you may be able to assist your clients in selecting a suitable cut/style, or at least notify them that their choice may cause an issue at school.'
With a series of dot points, the school then outlined specifically what it deemed to be appropriate.
According to the letter girls' hair should be worn away from the face, anything more than two plaits is banned and hair that goes beyond shoulder length must be tied up.
Boys can not have hair beyond collar length, can go no shorter than a number two clipper, cannot partially shave their head and must not have rat's tails.
Any student hoping to get adventurous by putting a colour in their hair is also out of luck, with the school pledging to suspend them until it's returned back to normal.
Cooloola Christian College principal Trevor Norman told Daily Mail Australia the note was never meant to offend and that the school had previously written similar letters to shoe and clothing stores.
From boys having hair no shorter than a 'number three' to girls having just two plaits, the letter specifically outlined what was allowed - something Ms Carter said she had never seen before
Cooloola Christian College (pictured) principal Trevor Norman said the note was never meant to offend and that the school had previously written similar letters to shoe and clothing stores
'For us it was just about getting some info to local hairdressers so that if any families came in and said: "We go to CCC, do you think this might be OK?", they could say yes or no,' Mr Norman said.
'We’re certainly not trying to tell hairdressers how to do their jobs and at the end of the day, if their clients want a hairstyle like this or that it's up to them.
'There was no disrespect intended by any means. It was a general letter, we weren't intending to cause any offense at all and apologise if it was taken that way.'
But Ms Carter told Daily Mail Australia that despite the school's letter, she would continue to listen to her paying customers - most often the child's parent.
'I think it's personal preference and should be left up to the parents and the kids,' she said.
'It's the parents who are paying me and our policy is to ask them what they want.
'Most kids who want something a little outlandish do it during school holidays so it's gone by the time they get to school - they understand the rules.' |
Offshore ban in Arctic will hurt northern economy: NWT premier | A boat crosses in front of the Transocean Polar Pioneer, a semi-submersible drilling unit as it arrives in Port Angeles, Wash., aboard a transport ship after traveling across the Pacific before its eventual Arctic destination in an April 17, 2015 file photo. A federal decision to stop issuing offshore oil and gas licences in the Arctic was made without consultation with the people whose economy stands to pay the price, Northwest Territories Premier Bob McLeod said Wednesday.
Start the conversation, or Read more at GlobalNews. |
Chris Froome could be hit with a provisional ban by UCI | Cycling's world governing body the UCI could impose a provisional ban on Chris Froome if it feels his anti-doping case is dragging on too long, it is understood.
The 32-year-old Briton is soon expected to announce where he will be racing for the first time since his third-place finish in the time trial at the Road World Championships in Norway on September 20.
That was the day he learned he had returned an adverse analytical finding for the asthma drug salbutamol two weeks before, on his way to victory at the Vuelta a Espana - the second half of last year's historic Grand Tour double, having already won his fourth Tour de France.
Chris Froome was found to have adverse analytical finding for asthma drug salbutamol
Athletes are allowed to take up to eight puffs of an inhaler every 12 hours and the Team Sky leader denies taking more than the permitted amount that day.
But a urine sample he gave after the Vuelta's 18th stage had twice the permitted concentration of salbutamol and he must now provide an innocent explanation for that reading or face an anti-doping rule violation.
Despite a recent Italian report that he is considering accepting a reduced ban on the basis of negligence, Froome and his team have said they believe there is a physiological reason for the elevated reading and intend to clear his name.
As salbutamol is what is known as a specified, or threshold, drug and he has not yet been charged with an anti-doping rule violation, he has not been suspended by the authorities.
He could, though, have opted for a voluntary suspension and not raced until his case is settled. This would enable him to backdate any ban he may receive to the start of his self-imposed ban.
It would also avoid the possibility of having to give up results or prize money he might earn while riding under the threat of a UCI-imposed ban, which would not start until the date of his anti-doping hearing.
Froome learned the news on the day of his last race in Norway on September 20 last year
This would be the worst outcome for both Froome and his sport, as his case could take months to be resolved, during which time he intends to ride cycling's other Grand Tour, the Giro d'Italia, in May and go for a record-equalling fifth Tour victory in July.
Speaking to reporters at last month's Tour Down Under in Australia, new UCI president David Lappartient said he thought it would be better for cycling if Froome suspended himself but said the governing body could not force him to do so.
The UCI has, however, since clarified this position with regard to article 7.9.3 in its anti-doping rules.
The British rider is expected to announced the location and date of his next race shortly
This states that the Switzerland-based body can impose a provisional ban when there has been an adverse analytical finding, it just has never done it before for a salbutamol case or any other specified substance, for that matter.
It is understood that the UCI is actually continuing to evaluate its position and may trigger article 7.9.3 if the case is not moving along fast enough.
In the meantime, Froome has been riding huge distances, at high altitude and great speed, while training in South Africa.
He is expected to announce where he will make his 2018 season debut in the coming days and the choice appears to be between the Ruta Del Sol in Spain or Portugal's Volta ao Algarve, which both start on February 14. |
Shenandoah County Teachers Receive Moore Grants | North Fork Middle School sixth-grade science teacher John Woods adjusts solar panels outside the school's Net-Zero Classroom on Thursday in Quicksburg. Woods recently won a $14,000 Moore grant to help complete the classroom.
Start the conversation, or Read more at The Daily News-Record. |
Kensington Palace Garden's paths align with solstices | The gardens of Prince William and Kate Middleton are riddled with pathways carved to symoblically align with the solstices, researchers have discovered.
The 300-year-old paths wind across Kensington Palace Garden's 265 acres (107 hectares) of land.
Physicists from Italy reexamined the complex networks of paths using satellite imagery and discovered that key walkways are orientated along the sunrise of the solstices.
The gardens of Prince William and Kate Middleton are riddled with pathways carved to align with the solstices, researchers have discovered. Pictured is a diagram showing the alignment
Kensington Palace (pictured) has been the home of British monarchs since 1689. It is the current home of Prince William and Kate Middleton and their children
KENSINGTON PALACE Kensington Palace has been the home of British monarchs since 1689. It is the current home of Prince William and Kate Middleton and their children, as well as Prince Harry and other members of the Royal family. The Gardens' network of paths was first drawn up in 1728. 'In origin, the Gardens were the western section of the park created by Henry VIII in 1536 for hunting purposes,' Professor Amelia Sparavigna from Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy wrote in a research paper. 'At the request of Queen Caroline, in 1728 the Kensington Gardens were separated from the Hyde Park. 'The Gardens were designed by Henry Wise and Charles Bridgeman in order to form a landscape garden, which included the Round Pond and formal avenues.'
Kensington Palace, which is situated in west London, has been the home of British monarchs since 1689.
The Gardens' network of paths was first drawn up in 1728.
'In origin, the Gardens were the western section of the park created by Henry VIII in 1536 for hunting purposes,' Professor Amelia Sparavigna from Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy wrote in a research paper.
'At the request of Queen Caroline, in 1728 the Kensington Gardens were separated from the Hyde Park.
'The Gardens were designed by Henry Wise and Charles Bridgeman in order to form a landscape garden, which included the Round Pond and formal avenues.'
The paths in the Gardens have remained unchanged for almost 300 years.
Now, researchers from Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy have discovered that the paths align with the British solstices.
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year, when the sun will reach its highest point in the sky.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge leave the Easter Day service at St George's Chapel on April 16
This year, the event will occur on on June 21, 2017.
On the other hand, the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year when the sun will rise to its lowest point in the sky.
This will happen on December 21, 2017.
Near the centre of the public gardens is the Round Pond, which is circled by a path.
Physicists from Italy reexamined the complex networks of paths using satellite imagery (pictured) and discovered that key walkways are orientated along the sunrise of the solstices
Kensington Palace Garden's 300-year-old paths wind across the green space's 265 acres (107 hectares) of land
'In the case of the Kensington Gardens, we [found] that one of the main avenues, radiating out from the circle around the pond, is oriented along the sunrise on the summer solstice,' Professor Amelia Sparavigna said.
'The gardens also have 'another avenue [that] is oriented along the sunrise on the winter solstice.'
Professor Sparavigna added it may be possible to view the sunlight streaming down the paths on the summer solstice because there are no nearby buildings that could block the ancient alignment.
Near the centre of the public gardens is the Round Pond (pictured top right), which is circled by a path. One of the main avenues radiating out from the path aligns with the summer solstice
It may be possible to view the sunlight streaming down the paths (pictured) on the summer solstice because there are no nearby buildings that could block the ancient alignment
But the spectacle could be spoilt by trees looming overhead, she said.
And Kensington Palace opens to the public at 6am, which is after sunrise in the summer months.
It is not clear why the Gardens' pathways were built to align with solstices.
Professor Sparavigna told Live Science that she thinks that the solstice alignments were created 'for symbolic meaning, not for practical reasons.'
But she is unsure as to what the symbolic meaning could be.
The research was published online by the Social Science Research Network. |
Senator warns bankers that Dodd-Frank relief could stall | WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia is warning bankers that legislation rolling back financial rules put in place after the 2008 economic crisis could stall.
Warner says legislation revamping the law known as Dodd-Frank "will not pass if it comes back to the Senate" for another vote.
Warner's comments are a warning shot to House Republicans. They want to amend Senate-passed legislation that would provide regulatory relief for banks.
But Warner tells members of the American Bankers Association that 17 Democrats who voted for the Senate bill have taken "an awful lot of heat." They're not anxious to revisit the debate.
The bankers are in Washington for a conference. Warner tells them the Senate bill contains several House provisions and "we've stretched this about as far as we can go." |
Lais Ribeiro dons cleavage-baring look to Fragrance Awards | Lais Ribeiro was a knockout on Wednesday when she swung by Lincoln Center for the evening's Fragrance Foundation Awards.
The 26-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel had slid into a glistening black dress that was open in front below the waist, revealing form-fitting charcoal trousers.
A section of solid black fabric clashed with the sparkling look and emphasized her trim waistline, and the getup's sloping neckline dipped to her midriff.
Scroll down for video
Showstopper: Lais Ribeiro was a knockout on Wednesday when she swung by Lincoln Center for the evening's Fragrance Foundation Awards
Her hair tucked neatly behind her ears to reveal drop earrings, Lais held an ornately patterned black and silver clutch against her enviably chiseled legs.
Also a scene-stealer was ex-Victoria's Secret Angel Karlie Kloss, who according to the Fragrance Foundation's website is one of three co-chairs of the event.
The other two are Carolina Herrera and her daughter Carolina Herrera De Baez, who per Harper's Bazaar is the 'creative director of fragrance' at her mother's brand.
Hello, gorgeous: The 26-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel had slid into a glistening black dress that was open in front below the waist, revealing form-fitting charcoal trousers
Karlie had turned up to Wednesday's awards fête at Lincoln Center dressed in a pale pink dress with wide-set sleeves ending at the elbow and an elegant collar.
Purple and green floral designs were speckled over the dress, which the 24-year-old model had cinched about her enviably slender waist with a turquoise belt.
Presented by Hearst Magazines, the Fragrance Awards will be garlanding Marc Puig as a Hall Of Fame Honoree when the ceremony's held at Alice Tully Hall.
When you got it: A section of solid black fabric clashed with the sparkling look and emphasized her trim waistline, and the getup's sloping neckline dipped to her midriff
Harry Frémont's being celebrated for his Lifetime Achievement as a perfumer at the awards, a black tie event that's got a dinner and after-party also on the schedule.
As the Fragrance Foundation have revealed, Victoria's Secret Angel Jasmine Tooks is being crowned Face Of The Year, Olivia Palermo hailed as Instagrammer Of The Year.
In the section of awards being doled out for Fragrance Coverage, the prize for an Article is being given to The Nude Review, a piece Francis Kurkdjian wrote for Allure, where Jenny Bailly's the Executive Beauty Director. |
S.Korea says Kim Jong Nam poisoned by suspected N.Korean agents | S.Korea says Kim Jong Nam poisoned by suspected N.Korean agents
SEOUL, Feb 15 (Reuters) - South Korea's spy agency said on Wednesday that Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was poisoned by two suspected North Korean female agents, according to lawmakers briefed by the intelligence agency.
The agency also said North Korea had long prepared for the murder of Kim Jong Nam, according to lawmakers, although they did not say how the agency knows that. |
Soccer-Dutch Cup final result | Reuters Sports Schedule at 0001 on Thursday, June 15
We will bring all the latest transfer news from around Europe as teams begin improving their squads for next season. (SOCCER-COUNTRY-TEAM/ expect throughout) |
Leiston Old Abbey Residential Home | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
Kyle Edmund and Novak Djokovic out to set up Wimbledon... | British hopes of Wimbledon success have been tempered by the absence of Andy Murray, and the last three remaining home players in the main singles events are all in action on Thursday.
It is a day loaded with eye-catching matches and storylines.
Here Press Association Sport looks at four aspects to look for on the fourth day of the championships.
Edmund and Djokovic on collision course
British number one Kyle Edmund and Serbia’s three-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic will go head to head on Saturday, as long as both win on Thursday. The prospect is tantalising and it is hard to see Djokovic having any trouble with Argentinian left-hander Horacio Zeballos, and providing that theory holds true it would leave Edmund to take out little-known American Bradley Klahn to get the weekend match on. It should be well within his scope, but Edmund has never reached the third round at Wimbledon before, meaning the 23-year-old is edging towards unexplored territory.
Is Kyrgios a changed man?
Not always smooth sailing ⛵️ Let’s keep it rolling 🎾🔥🌱🐾⚡️🙌🏽🦁🍿😴 #SW19 — Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) July 3, 2018
The Australian has made headlines for his mischievous, sometimes misbehaving ways in the past at Wimbledon and elsewhere. But he was good as gold in his opener on Tuesday, a four-set win over Denis Istomin. On Thursday he tackles Dutchman Robin Haase, a player he beat in their only previous meeting three years ago in Estoril. Kyrgios has the tennis tools to make a huge impact on grass, and might be wising up to the need to adopt the right attitude too.
First big test for Konta
Dominika Cibulkova is a player few seeds would especially relish facing at Wimbledon. The hard-hitting Slovakian can name Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska and Eugenie Bouchard among her past victims at the championships, and she has a point to prove after being knocked out of the seedings when Wimbledon officials elected to promote Serena Williams into the top-32 pack. Johanna Konta will have her work cut out, and if the British number one comes through that will be a highly positive sign of what she might achieve this fortnight. Fellow Briton Katie Boulter, meanwhile, faces a tall order against Japan’s brilliant 20-year-old Naomi Osaka.
Junior-senior
Ashleigh Barty won a junior Wimbledon title seven years ago
Ashleigh Barty and Bouchard both already have Wimbledon titles after winning the girls’ singles in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Bouchard looked the most likely to step up and claim slam trophy success at senior level, only to lose to Petra Kvitova in the 2014 Wimbledon women’s final. The Canadian’s decline in fortunes and ranking since – from a high of fifth to her current 188th – has coincided with Barty going the other way. Australian Barty has soared from outside the top 250 at the start of last year to her current status as world number 17. On Thursday they go head to head. It could be rather special. |
Trump breaks silence on Roseanne race row, attacks ABC | "Roseanne" was rebooted in March after a 21-year hiatus with Roseanne Barr's character recast as a Donald Trump supporter -- garnering positive reviews including from the president
President Donald Trump on Wednesday broke his silence about the racism row engulfing supporter Roseanne Barr, not to condemn her outburst but to attack ABC television for broadcasting "horrible" statements against himself.
The US network on Tuesday canceled hit sitcom "Roseanne," after star Barr fired off a racist tweet against former White House advisor Valerie Jarrett, who was one of Barack Obama's closest aides.
Jarrett revealed that Bob Iger, the head of ABC parent company Disney, telephoned her personally to tell her the network was cancelling the show.
"Bob Iger of ABC called Valerie Jarrett to let her know that 'ABC does not tolerate comments like those' made by Roseanne Barr," Trump tweeted Wednesday.
"Gee, he never called President Donald J. Trump to apologize for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC. Maybe I just didn't get the call?"
On Tuesday, the White House deflected questions on the scandal and whether ABC had been right to cancel the sitcom.
"That's not what the president is looking at," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. "I think that we have a lot bigger things going on in the country right now."
Barr, 65 and a vocal Trump supporter who has used Twitter to voice far-right and conspiracy theorist views, took aim at Jarrett in a post that read: "Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby = vj."
She later apologized for what she called a "joke." But ABC said it was canceling the show, condemning her "abhorrent, repugnant" tweet, which was "inconsistent with our values."
"Roseanne" was rebooted in March after a 21-year hiatus with Barr's character recast as a Trump supporter in a rare depiction of working class life on the US small screen.
The show scored huge ratings and was renewed for an 11th season after largely positive reviews -- including from the president. |
LA congressional delegation reacts to shooting of Majority Whip Scalise | New Orleans Congressman and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise is recovering from a gunshot wound to the hip, as he underwent surgery this morning. Scalise was shot at the practice for the Congressional Baseball Game in Alexandria, Va.
Start the conversation, or Read more at WWL-AM New Orleans. |
Buffalo Wild Wings rejects Marcato's call to replace CEO | April 20 Buffalo Wild Wings Inc said on Thursday that it had turned down activist shareholder Marcato Capital Management's offer to withdraw its board nominees if the restaurant chain replaced Chief Executive Sally Smith.
Hedge fund Marcato, which said it owned a 6.1 percent stake in Buffalo Wild Wings, launched a proxy fight in February, nominating four directors for the nine-member board.
Marcato began to agitate for changes last July, saying Buffalo Wild Wings did not franchise out enough restaurants and citing concerns about the board's lack of experience in the restaurant industry.
One of Marcato's nominees, Kraft Food veteran Sam Rovit, is also part of Buffalo Wild Wings slate.
Marcato also wanted its founder Mick McGuire and Rovit named to Buffalo Wild Wings' board for withdrawing its nominations, the company said in a regulatory filing. (bit.ly/2oOiyaj)
"The status quo is unacceptable – oversight and accountability must be restored and CEO Sally Smith must be replaced," McGuire said in a statement on Thursday.
Buffalo Wild Wings' annual meeting is expected in May.
The company's shares were up 3.4 percent at $159.80 on Thursday in morning trade. (Reporting by Jessica Kuruthukulangara in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila) |
Sony's push into entertainment aims for stability, not splashiness | TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp’s (6758.T) new chief executive is embracing entertainment content, but for now appears to be steering clear of direct competition with tech giants such as Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Netflix Inc (NFLX.O).
FILE PHOTO: Sony Corp's new President and Chief Executive Officer Kenichiro Yoshida attends a news conference on their business plan at the company's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan May 22, 2018. REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File Photo
The company last week announced a $2.3 billion deal for EMI Music Publishing, and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said he would focus on collecting stable profits from existing music, movies and other intellectual property.
The deal made Sony the world’s largest music publisher in an industry that has found new life on the back of streaming services such as Spotify (SPOT.N).
But for now, Sony is doing little to step up its game in Hollywood, where it is lagging behind bigger studios and where Apple, Amazon.com (AMZN.O) and Netflix are battling to become dominant streaming platforms.
“I don’t think we should aim to build platforms of their level or compete with them,” he told reporters last week. “A key pillar of our strategy is, how can we survive, how can we actually shift the turf.”
His strategy is good news for longtime investors, who have watched Sony extract itself from loss-making projects in the past few years. In 2017, Sony wrote nearly $1 billion off the value of its movie business.
Trying to find safer ground to fight on is an extension of Yoshida’s numbers-focused approach. As former chief financial officer, he is credited with turning around the consumer electronics giant using cost cuts and a focus on seemingly bland but highly profitable sensors.
Sony also recently took a 39 percent stake in Peanuts Holdings, of Snoopy fame, for $185 million. In movies and TV, the company wants to further leverage film rights to its old franchises rather than investing in new star-studded movies and TV shows.
Examples would fall along the lines of last year’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” which unexpectedly grossed more than $900 million. The studio plans to release another film based on the 1995 classic “Jumanji” in late 2019.
Macquarie Capital Securities analyst Damian Thong said the new strategy meant “lower cost, faster decision-making, greater synergies, and a potential turning point in theatrical film margins.”
THE RIGHT NOTES
Yoshida has said that rather than trying to make all of Sony’s divisions complement each other, it was important for each to be profitable on its own.
Investors have also speculated that he may be less averse to the idea of putting the movie studio up for sale than his predecessor, Kazuo Hirai, who fought off activist shareholder Daniel Loeb’s recommendation to partially spin off the entertainment division.
Yoshida has not suggested a sale, but he made no secret that Sony’s new emphasis on intellectual property favors music over movies.
Consumers listen to songs more than once but don’t often watch the same movie twice. Similarly, they demand larger song libraries while being satisfied with just a few shows on a platform such as Netflix, he said.
One decision he may have to make is what to do with the company’s struggling internet TV service PlayStation Vue, which is struggling to gain subscribers after launching in the United States in 2015.
With the exception of the PlayStation video game console, Sony has had little success at offering an entertainment platform since losing out to Apple’s iPod and iTunes music store a decade ago.
Walt Disney and cable operator Comcast, meanwhile, are battling for 21st Century Fox Inc’s entertainment assets, while AT&T is trying to persuade the U.S. Justice Department to allow it to buy Time Warner Inc.
Sony’s Hollywood studio, which lags behind Buena Vista, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros, could become an even smaller player ahead thanks to the rapid rise of Netflix as a content provider.
“The movie industry requires scale to some extent, so perhaps it isn’t absolutely necessary for Sony to remain independent there,” said Atsushi Osanai, a former Sony official who is now a professor at Japan’s Waseda University Business School.
Anthony Vinciquerra, CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said the company was happy to sit out the current round of mergers.
“In the longer term, as these companies begin to consolidate and form their ecosystems, we will be developing alliances somewhere along the way. We don’t know with whom yet, because we don’t know what the landscape is going to look like. But we are very confident,” he told investors last week.
($1 = 109.1600 yen) |
Oil prices steady after overnight tumble on dollar strength, China concerns | FILE PHOTO: An employee pumps petrol into a car at a petrol station in Hanoi, Vietnam December 20, 2016.
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices steadied in early Asian trade on Tuesday after sharp falls the session before to the lowest in about three weeks as a stronger U.S. dollar and a drop in Chinese refining runs hit the market.
Global benchmark Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 13 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $50.86 at 0325 GMT. That was just above their 100-day moving average, briefly breached in the previous session.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures CLc1 were up 7 cents, or 0.2 percent, at $47.66 a barrel.
Oil prices tumbled more than 2.5 percent on Monday in volatile trade as the dollar strength and the demand concerns in China, the world's second-largest oil user, weighed on sentiment. A stronger dollar tends to limit the demand for oil for buyers paying in other currencies. Both Brent and WTI had reached two-month highs on Aug. 10.
"Stale speculative long positioning and a reluctance to hold unprofitable positions has been the main force behind the oil rally running out of steam over the last few sessions," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at brokerage OANDA.
Chinese oil refineries operated in July at their lowest daily rates since September 2016, official data showed on Monday, to ease brimming inventories as state-owned oil giants faced off independents in a retail petrol price war.
Analysts said the drop was steeper than expected, exacerbating concerns that a glut of refined fuel products could weaken Chinese demand for oil.
The dollar firmed on Tuesday after North Korea's leader signaled that he would delay plans to fire a missile near Guam, further easing tensions and prompting investors to move back into riskier assets.
The dollar index .DXY, which measures the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, climbed 0.4 percent on Monday and was up 0.1 percent on Tuesday.
Oil prices had earlier on Monday been supported by reports that Libya's top oilfield had cut its output by 30 percent on security concerns.
Efforts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other oil producers to limit output have helped lift Brent past $50 a barrel, but concerns remain that these efforts could be undermined by producers in the U.S. and other countries.
U.S. shale oil production is expected to grow for its ninth consecutive month in September to 6.15 million barrels per day, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Monday.
"Brent oil may fall more to $50.09 per barrel," said Reuters technical commodities analyst Wang Tao, citing charts showing Brent's wave pattern and a Fibonacci ratio analysis. |
Boxer Wilder beats Povetkin in U.S. trial over canceled fight | NEW YORK Heavyweight boxing champion Deontay Wilder has won a fight with Russian boxer Alexander Povetkin - not in the ring, but in the courthouse - in a trial over a title bout that was called off after the Russian tested positive for a banned substance.
After less than an hour, a federal jury in Manhattan on Monday ruled in favor of Wilder in a civil trial, finding that Povetkin ingested meldonium after a World Anti-Doping Agency ban of the drug went into effect in January 2016.
That question had become key to dueling lawsuits the boxers had filed against each other over the championship boxing match scheduled for May 21 in Moscow, which was called off after Povetkin tested positive on April 27 for meldonium.
Lawyers for Wilder and promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc had argued that Povetkin's positive urine test came after three negative ones earlier in April, which meant that the Russian took the drug after passing the earlier tests.
But lawyers for Povetkin and promoter Andrew Ryabinskiy's company, World of Boxing LLC, said he had, like many other athletes, taken meldonium at a doctor's direction before the World Anti-Doping Agency had even announced plans to ban it.
Judd Burstein, a lawyer for Wilder, said he was "extremely happy" with the verdict. Povetkin's lawyer, Kent Yalowitz, on Monday called the verdict an "outrageous miscarriage of justice" and indicated he would seek to have it thrown out.
The lawsuits came after the World Boxing Council announced on May 13 that Povetkin had tested positive for meldonium and subsequently announced the postponement of his bout with champion Wilder.
In June, Wilder and DiBella sued Povetkin and Ryabinskiy's World of Boxing LLC, saying they were owed at least $5 million for the defendants' breach of a contract requiring Povetkin to be produced for the match.
Povetkin and World of Boxing soon after countersued, seeking $34.5 million for what they said was Wilder's own breach of contract for walking away from the fight and defamation for engaging in a "smear campaign."
The World Boxing Council in August announced that, based on scientific and medical information it received, it was not possible to determine whether Povetkin ingested meldonium after Jan. 1, 2016, when it was officially banned.
In December, a super heavyweight title bout between Povetkin and Haitian-born Canadian Bermane Stiverne was called off after the Russian tested positive for a different banned substance, ostarine. |
Chubby Pittsburgh toddler can't get on skinny jeans | A chunky little toddler from Pittsburgh is already learning the sad reality so many women face when they can't squeeze into their skinny jeans.
In a video uploaded to Facebook by his mom Alyssa Price, little Ryan can be seen trying to zip up his blue jeans.
It becomes clear that the tot has outgrown this particular pair, though, when he struggles adorably to get them fastened.
Suck it in! Alyssa Price, a mother from Pittsburgh, shared a video of her toddler son Ryan
In a clip that has been viewed 15 million times on the Facebook page Just Girly Things, Ryan can be seen standing on what appears to be his bed or changing table wearing just a pair of dark blue skinny jeans.
His little tummy pushes out over the top, making it difficult for the blonde boy to close them.
'Can you button 'em?' his mom asks from behind the camera as he tries and fails. 'Are they a little too snug?'
He lets out a little whimper and looks up at his mom, asking with his eyes what he should do.
'Gotta do the skinny jeans dance,' his mom says. 'Suck it in!'
Totally adorable: In the video, the little boy struggles to zip his jeans, and his mom shows him how to suck it in
What a chunk monster: The little boy smiles while his mom giggles off-camera
She then appears to show him what she means off camera, making a loud inhaling noise. He imitates her, sucking in his cute belly with a smile and causing his mother to erupt in giggles.
Clearly finding this adorable, she continues to encourage him to suck it in so she can watch his belly move.
'Oh, man, I don't think it's gonna happen, either,' she finally says as they both admit defeat.
Since the video was shared, thousands of people have chimed in to talk about how cute and funny the boy is, saying things like, 'struggle is real'.
Viral cutie pie: The video has been viewed 15 million times
Time to shop: In the end, the mom admits he seems to have outgrown the jeans
A select few, though, have called the video 'awful', chastising the mother for teaching her impressionable son to be ashamed of his belly — baby fat which all children have, and which the mother seems to think is quite cute.
Others have gone so far as to call the baby overweight.
Even more commenters, however, have shushed the critics, writing that 'chubby babies are the cutest'.
'That baby is adorable and HEALTHY,' wrote one. 'My babies were well-fed chunky monkeys. And now they are teens, still well fed, lean and mean and beautiful! You people bashing this baby and mommy should be ashamed!' |
BRIEF-Intel promotes three executives | PRESS DIGEST- New York Times business news - June 15
June 15 The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. |
John Tavares, Ryan Strome lead Islanders past Jets, 6-2 | Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck saves the shot from New York Islanders' Casey Cizikas as Jets' Paul Postma defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. New York Islanders' John Tavares scores on Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016, in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
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Cathedral View House | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
BRIEF-Pengrowth qtrly FFO per share $0.05 | Aug 14 (Reuters) - Pengrowth Energy Corp:
* Pengrowth closes significant asset sales and reaches agreement in principle on key elements of covenant relief
* Pengrowth Energy Corp - achieved average daily production of 49,349 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day during second quarter
* Pengrowth Energy Corp - qtrly FFO per share $0.05
* Pengrowth Energy-agreed on key elements of amendment with noteholders who represent necessary majority of notes affected by proposed amendment
* Pengrowth Energy-proposed amendment includes relaxation of its covenants for period commencing with Q3 & up to and including period ending Sept 30, 2019
* Pengrowth Energy-agent bank for credit facility approached that would also see a reduction in credit facility from $1.0 billion to $400 million
* Pengrowth Energy Corp - revised annual 2017 production guidance of 41,500 to 43,500 boe per day
* Pengrowth Energy Corp - revised annual 2017 funds flow from operations guidance of $90 million
* Pengrowth Energy Corp - Pengrowth anticipates its Q4 of 2017 average production to be 31,000 to 33,000 boe per day Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: |
Central African Republic approves war crimes court | BANGUI (Reuters) - Central African Republic has approved a law creating a special criminal court to investigate allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity during more than a decade of ethnic and religious conflict, a lawmaker said.
Hundreds have died in the violence and scores more have been raped and tortured but the perpetrators have not faced any meaningful legal pursuit, rights activists say.
“With this law, we will now be able to count on the justice system to put an end to the conflicts, to the killings, to the massacres,” Ernest Mezedio, a national deputy, told Reuters on Wednesday.
“The executioners who walk around freely should know that the hour of justice has sounded,” he said. The country’s parliament approved the law late on Tuesday.
The United Nations’ deputy representative in Central African Republic said on Monday that the tribunal - which will be composed of both national and international judges - would begin formal investigations next week.
Rights activists say the court represents the best hope at reversing years of impunity, but concede that the considerable power wielded by potential investigation targets and vast swaths of territory beyond government control pose steep obstacles.
Central African Republic has suffered a series of violent political crises since former president Francois Bozize seized power in a 2003 coup d’etat.
Major violence erupted again in 2013 when mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted Bozize, prompting reprisals from mostly Christian militias.
A United Nations report last year said the litany of killings, rapes, mutilation, looting and torture committed by successive governments and armed groups from 2003-2015 may constitute crimes against humanity. |
China, Taiwan spar over attendance at conflict diamond meeting | BEIJING/TAIPEI China said on Wednesday it was reasonable to have a delegation from self-ruled Taiwan removed from a conference in Australia about conflict diamonds, as Taipei accused Beijing of playing politics for its own ends.
China says Taiwan is part of "one China", ruled by Beijing. It regards the island as a renegade province, ineligible for state to state relations and to be brought under Chinese control, by force if needed, especially if Taiwan moves towards formal independence.
Taiwan says China has stepped up efforts to block its international space and attendance at multilateral forums following the election last year of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party.
Australia's Sydney Morning Herald said the Chinese government delegation shouted over the welcome ceremony and forced the suspension of proceedings at the Kimberley Process meeting, and that Taiwan's delegation was later removed.
The Kimberley Process started when southern African diamond-producing states met in Kimberley, South Africa, in 2000 to discuss ways to stop the trade in conflict diamonds. Taiwan was granted observer status in 2007.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the organisers had improperly invited Taiwan to the meeting, which was in violation of the rules and something China had repeatedly complained about ahead of the event.
"But China's reasonable concerns were not respected," Geng said, adding that many others at the meeting supported China's position though got no reaction from the organisers.
China's complaints about the issue during the meeting were in line with the rules and were "reasonable and fair" and supported by many other attendees, he said.
Taiwan denounced the Chinese interference.
"This kind of inappropriateness is a disregard for the host country and all the participants, seriously affecting cooperation on professional issues and we express regret and condemnation," its Foreign Ministry said in a statement late on Tuesday.
"China has for a long time used political force to limit our international participation or obstruct our attendance at various professional (meetings), particularly in recent times the pressure is stronger than in the past."
The ministry thanked Australia for its goodwill in inviting Taiwan.
Australia, like most countries, does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, though the two have good economic and business ties.
The conference chair withdrew the Taiwan invitation "following objections from China and several other delegations," a spokeswoman for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.
"Continual disruption ... was regrettable and the Australian government's concerns with respect to the behaviour of Chinese delegates have been raised with the Chinese ambassador," she added.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING, J.R. Wu in TAIPEI and Byron Kaye in SYDNEY; Editing by Nick Macfie and Clarence Fernandez) |
Respite holidays | Use our directory to find care homes, domiciliary care and local authority services for older people.
If you don't know where to start, just answer a few questions to find information best suited to your needs.
Everyone deserves a break from time to time and carers and people with illnesses and disabilities should be no exception. There are a number of choices available for respite holidays – from specialist centres that provide holidays for people needing care, to breaks for carers.
Here we explain the options for taking a break from caring, whether that is a holiday with the person you care for, or a little time apart. s
1. What is a respite holiday?
2. Choosing a respite holiday
3. Things to consider
4. Financing a respite holiday
What is a respite holiday?
Respite holidays allow people with illnesses or disabilities, and/or their carers, to take a break from everyday life.
There are three main options:
Breaks for carers: you take a holiday while your relative stays in a care home, or is cared for by someone else, for a short time.
you take a holiday while your relative stays in a care home, or is cared for by someone else, for a short time. Respite holidays with care: the person you are caring for goes on holiday to a specialist centre that can provide the care and support they need.
the person you are caring for goes on holiday to a specialist centre that can provide the care and support they need. Holidays together: if you care for a partner, or other elderly relative, you might want to take a holiday together.
Choosing a respite holiday
There are lots of different options and only you and your family can decide what is best for you. Here are some of the choices available to you.
Breaks for carers
Caring for someone full time can be very demanding – both physically and emotionally – so it’s perfectly natural that you’ll need some time apart every now and then to recharge your batteries.
You might want to take a holiday with family or friends, or alone. Either way you’ll need to find alternative care for your loved one while you are away.
Some organisations offer holidays especially for carers. Carers Holidays brings together a selection of holiday accommodation in the UK and abroad. They offer discounts of 5–30% for carers. Holidays are designed for carers and their friends or families to have an affordable break either with or without the person they care for.
Finding replacement care
If you need a break from caring you might be able to arrange for your relative to be taken care of by other friends and family, in a care home, or through care at home services.
Most care homes focus on long-term residential care, only offering the occasional respite space at short notice. This can make it difficult to plan breaks ahead of time.
But some care homes specialise in short-term respite care and will take advance reservations. Use our Care services directory to find care homes in your area and you can then explore respite care options with those you like the look of.
Respite holidays with care
Respite holidays offer specialist accommodation, travel and activities for people with illnesses or disabilities. They usually offer care and support in accessible surroundings so that your relative can relax and enjoy themselves in a holiday setting, while you can have peace of mind that they are being taken care of.
Richmond Retreats are luxury village resorts in the UK, run by Bupa, that offer respite breaks with bespoke care options. See their website for more details.
Holidays together
You might want to arrange your own holiday with the person you care for. If they have mobility problems you’ll want to find accessible accommodation.
Tourism for All is a UK charity that offers advice and information about accessible holidays both in the UK and abroad.
Some companies offer specialist respite holidays for people with disabilities and their carers/family too. Your relative can get the care and support that they need, and you’ll be able to enjoy your time together more if there is someone to help with your caring duties. A change of scenery and a break from routine could do you both the world of good.
Carers Holidays brings together a selection of properties/holidays in the UK and abroad, which have a wide range of accessibility features. Holidays are designed for carers and their friends and/or families to have an affordable break either with or without the person they care for.
The Holiday Homes Trust provides affordable holidays for families, carers or groups who have a member with a disability, physical, mental, or age-related illness. Their centres are located at popular holiday sites with specially adapted accommodation for all families with a special need, and low-income or single-parent families.
MindforYou offer supported holidays in the UK for people who are living with dementia and their carers to enjoy together.
Revitalise offers holidays for people with illnesses and disabilities, and their carers, at a choice of three centres in the UK. It runs lots of excursions and activities and you can tailor breaks around your interests, such as culture, art or music. They offer special weeks for people with dementia.
For more information about accessible holidays and respite breaks take a look at the Holidays for All website. It lists a large number of accessible holiday providers that provide respite breaks and holidays.
Things to consider
Is the holiday for you, your relative or both of you together?
If you plan to travel without the person you care for, check out respite care options.
If your relative is travelling with you:
Check if you are eligible for any help with funding respite care
Some centres will take larger groups so you could go with other family members too
Different holidays have different levels of care available - make sure that the centre you have chosen can cater for your relative’s needs
How far away is the centre and how would you get there? How long a journey could your relative cope with?
Don’t forget to cancel any homecare and support services while your relative is away.
Do you have adequate travel insurance cover?
Financing a respite holiday
It might be the case that your local authority will contribute towards respite care following a need's and financial assessment of your relative or a carer's assessment of your own needs. The outcome of these assessments might determine that the person being cared for needs short-term respite care, or the person caring for them needs a break from caring.
More information
Financing respite care: find out what financial assistance may be available to help you fund respite care.
Checklist for considerations when choosing respite care: guidance on what to bear in mind when thinking about arranging respite care.
Day trips and going on holiday: practical information about planning a holiday in the UK or abroad with a loved one.
Page last reviewed: June 2015
Next review due: September 2017 |
Valencia ends goal drought as Everton down Southampton | Valencia ends goal drought as Everton down Southampton
EVERTON 3 SOUTHAMPTON 0
Jan 2 (Reuters) - Substitute Enner Valencia scored his first Everton goal to break Southampton's resolve and send the home side on their way to a 3-0 win at Goodison Park on Monday, with Leighton Baines and Romelu Lukaku also finding the net.
Valencia had not scored in the Premier League since getting two goals for West Ham United against Manchester City last January, but secured the breakthrough in the 73rd minute when he bundled home the rebound after Fraser Forster had saved Lukaku's header.
Ronald Koeman's side had struggled to find solutions to prise open his former employers but killed off the contest in the 81st minute when Baines beat Forster from the spot after Maya Yoshida clumsily brought down Lukaku.
Everton ran riot as Southampton crumbled and Lukaku signed off a dominant second half when he slammed an emphatic effort into the top corner from just inside the visitors' box in the 89th minute. |
Which? Elderly Care | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
Melissa McCarthy cuts a chic figure in bird-patterned suit for CinemaCon with husband Ben Falcone | She is currently promoting her new comedy Life Of The Party.
Melissa McCarthy donned a white bird-printed suit for her walk down the red carpet at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Tuesday night.
The 47-year-old actress was joined by her husband Ben Falcone.
Felling fly: Melissa McCarthy donned a white bird-printed suit for her walk down the red carpet at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Tuesday night
New flick: She is currently promoting her new comedy Life Of The Party
Melissa and Ben are the co-creators behind Life Of The Party—a story that follows a recently divorced, middle aged mother who decides to return to college.
The comical film features McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Debby Ryan, Julie Bowen, and Pacific Rim's Adria Arjona.
Pop star Christina Aguilera also makes a brief cameo.
Going strong: The 47-year-old actress was joined by her husband Ben Falcone
Dynamic duo: Melissa and Ben are the co-creators behind Life Of The Party—a story that follows a recently divorced, middle aged mother who decides to return to college
Comedic couple: With hands in pockets, Melissa and Ben got up on stage to talk about the film before an exclusive sneak peak
Falcone was in the director's chair for the production of the PG-13 film.
'He is exceptionally calm. He's a super smart, funny guy and we love being here,' Melissa told ET Canada as she gushed about her husband.
The two have been married since 2005.
Quick hello: Melissa ran into actor Benedict Cumberbatch at CinemaCon
Life Of The Party: The comical film features McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Debby Ryan, Julie Bowen, and Pacific Rim's Adria Arjona
While on Ellen, McCarthy talked about the main message of the movie.
'It's really sweet and hopeful,' she said. 'I've always loved that concept of like it's never too late to do anything. It's never too late to change and accomplish anything.'
She also revealed that her makeout scene with co-star Luke Benward was shot on her 11th wedding anniversary.
'Literally on the day,' she laughed. 'Ben kept weirdly yelling things like "can you grab his butt in the next take?" And I was like "yes, professionally speaking, I can." |
Restaurant Group finance chief Nightingale set to leave - Sky News | April 20 Restaurant Group Plc finance chief, Barry Nightingale, is set to leave the company after less than a year in the role, Sky News reported.
Nightingale's departure is set to be announced as early as Friday, the newspaper also reported. bit.ly/2pWHdak
Restaurant Group named Barry Nightingale, the former head of Monarch Airlines, as its finance chief in June last year. (Reporting by Parikshit Mishra in Bengaluru) |