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[ "the government of nepal the prime minister is the head of the council of ministers of nepal he she should be member of the house of the representative pratinidhi sabha the prime minister is the senior most member of cabinet in the executive of government in a parliamentary system the prime minister selects and can dismiss members of the cabinet allocates posts to members within the government and is the presiding member and chairperson of the cabinet the federal cabinet headed by the prime minister is appointed by the president of nepal to assist the latter in the administration of the affairs of the executive the prime minister has to enjoy the confidence of a majority in the pratinidhi sabha and shall resign if they are unable to prove majority when instructed by the president the residence of prime minister of nepal is in baluwatar kathmandu the seat of the prime minister is singha darbar since the time of chandra shamsher jang bahadur rana the basic monthly salary of prime minister of nepal is npr 77 280 the prime minister of nepal does not have a term limit the current prime minister is kp sharma oli since 15 february 2018", "he was a long time leading member of the unified communist party of nepal maoist prior to founding a new party naya shakti in 1996 the maoists started the nepalese civil war which had a huge impact on the political system in nepal the decade long civil war in which more than 12 000 nepalese died had a major role in the transformation of nepal from a monarchy into a republic bhattarai was elected to the constituent assembly from gorkha as a maoist candidate in 2008 and became minister of finance in the cabinet formed after the election bhattarai became prime minister in 2011 as a way out of the political deadlock since the dissolution of the first nepalese constituent assembly in may 2012 he was replaced by chief justice khil raj regmi as head of an interim government that was to hold elections by 21 june 2013 he was a senior standing committee member and vice chairperson of the maoist party until his resignation from his post and all party responsibilities on 26 september 2015 he was until recently the coordinator of the naya shakti as of 2019 he is the chairman of the federal council of the newly", "nepal announced his resignation as prime minister on june 30 2010 he was previously the general secretary of communist party of nepal unified marxist leninist for 15 years he is also one of the only prime ministers in the world whose name features the name of his country i e nepal madhav kumar nepal was born into brahmin family to mangal kumar upadhyaya and durgadevi upadhaya he graduated in commerce from tribhuvan university in 1973 and worked in banking and civil service before turning to full time politics he has two brothers binod kumar upadhyaya and saroj kumar upadhyaya and three sisters kalika bhandari indira neupane and basudha pokharel he is married to gayatri acharya he has a son and a daughter saurav and suman nepal nepal joined the communist movement in 1969 in the underground struggle he used party names such as subodh sunil ranjan and bibek in 1971 he became a district committee member of the nepal revolutionary organisation marxist leninist at a conference held in biratnagar june 7 8 1975 m k nepal was elected as a bureau member of the all nepal communist revolutionary coordination committee marxist leninist when the ancrcc ml founded the communist party", "the kot meeting was called upon by queen rajya laxmi devi after the same night murder of her confidante kaji gagan singh bhandari while performing worship at his prayer room the kot meeting turned ugly and eventually jang brothers and their supporters led an open court full fledged assault on all his rival participants in the meeting this massacre led to the loss of power of political clans such as chautariyas pandes thapas and basnyats and that of king rajendra bikram shah and queen rajya laxmi devi and ultimately the establishment of the rana autocracy in nepal at the peak of instability in nepalese politics a coalition ministry was formed in september 1845 headed by fateh jang chautaria but the real power behind the throne was general gagan singh bhandari who controlled seven regiments in the army compared to the three under the prime minister abhiman singh rana magar and jung bahadur kunwar also served as commanders each with three regiments it is occasionally alleged that general gagan singh bhandari had an improper relationship with queen rajya laxmi devi but this is unlikely given the mores of the age and society since the king was mentally unfit to rule it", "he was also president of the nepali congress party from 2010 to 2016 koirala was elected as prime minister of nepal by the parliament on 9 february 2014 koirala joined the nepali congress in 1952 and served in various capacities prior to becoming its president in 2010 sushil koirala was born to bodh prasad koirala and kuminidi koirala on 12 august 1939 in biratnagar second largest city of nepal koirala was unmarried and known to live a simple life a member of the politically prominent koirala family he was the cousin of former prime ministers matrika prasad koirala girija prasad koirala and bishweshwar prasad koirala a heavy smoker koirala was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2006 and lung cancer in june 2014 he died on 10 february 2016 at 12 50 am of pneumonia in kathmandu nepal at the age of 76 he used to be known as sushil daa it is said that koirala had a formal education of i com from a college of india according to his sister in law although he always mentioned his qualification as informal education koirala entered politics in 1954 inspired by the social democratic ideals of the nepali congress in 1958 he", "he was born in siraha district nepal in 1926 tulsi was a minister in the congress government of 1959 1960 before its dissolution by king mahendra he became the first prime minister following the two year period of mahendra s direct rule he studied at the suri vidyasagar college when it was affiliated with the university of calcutta he received a medical degree prior to entering politics tulsi was married 3 times and had 2 sons and 4 daughters as of 2005 to sarah giri a deaf rights advocate as of 2013 they had been married 34 years as an adult tulsi was baptized to his wife s faith jehovah s witnesses he resigned as chairman rastriya panchayat in 1986 and moved to sri lanka where he stayed for two years and then finally settled in bangalore india until 2005 he died on december 18 2018 at his home in budhanilkantha kathmandu aged 92 from liver cancer", "he was born as seventh son of kaji bal narsingh kunwar from his second wife ganesh kumari thapa daughter of thapa kazi general nain singh thapa as per the family roll of succession ranodip singh succeeded his elder brother jang bahadur following his death in 1877 chautariya colonel ambar bikram shah son of general h e sri chautaria pushkar shah and his gorkhali aide attempted a coup d tat at teku in january 1882 they were killed by the ranas for their part in the attempted assassination of ranodip singh ranodip singh was assassinated by his nephews khadga shumsher bhim shumsher and dambar shumsher during a coup d tat in 1885 he was succeeded by his nephew bir shamsher", "he is remembered as a statesman who made important reforms and infrastructure improvements bir shamsher jung bahadur rana was known as kailay in his childhood this name was given by jung bahadur his mother died as soon as he was born and he was taken care by putali maharani wife of jung bahadur he spent his childhood at thapathali durbar bir was born to the chief of the army dhir shamsher jung bahadur rana younger brother of jung bahadur rana he then served from 1885 to 1901 and was invested as tung ling ping ma kuo kang wang in 1889 during his tenure he received prince albert victor duke of clarence and the ill fated archduke franz ferdinand his successor for three months at his death in 1901 was his progressive brother deva shamsher jung bahadur rana there were many reforms during bir shumsher s time water pipes were laid english was taught in schools and hospitals were made he reorganized land tax and created a better administrative body he sent large number of troops to the british the british gave him the title of knight grand commander of the order of the star of india on queen victoria s", "he served in this capacity from 27 june 1901 to his death in 1929 after he successfully disposed his liberal and reformist brother dev shamsher although generally perceived as despotic and conservative he is credited with several reforms including the abolition of slavery and the nepal britain treaty of 1923 which recognized nepal as an independent nation and an ally of britain chandra shumsher was the sixth of the seventeen sons of dhir shumsher rana the youngest brother of jung bahadur rana through his thapa wife nanda kumari of whom he was the third son he was educated in kolkata and thus became to be the first nepalese prime minister who had passed matriculation examination in the convocation address of 1884 the then vice chancellor of calcutta university praised him as a gentleman who has shown he can handle pen as efficiently as sword seto bagh a historical novel set on the early days of chandra shumsher depicts him as an ambitious and cunning young man with an excellent command of the english language he along with his brothers khadga shumsher and bir shamsher orchestrated the murder of his uncle sri teen maharaja ranodip singh in order to rise in", "thapa had split away from the rastriya prajatantra party in november 2004 the party is registered with the election commission of nepal in march 2005 the party is led by a central working committee thapa is the chairman of the party prakash chandra lohani is the vice chairman of the party rjp emerged from a split in the rastriya prajatantra party as thapa left rpp on november 4 2004 thapa had been a founder of rpp in 1990 on november 19 2004 thapa and his followers opened a contact office in balutwar kathmandu to organise a broad political conference and coordinate the construction of a new party on december 27 2004 the group formed a 320 member organising committee for the holding of the conference of the new party thapa was chairman of the committee lohani vice chairman and buddhiman tamang secretary other prominent members of the committee were kamal thapa hari bahadur basnet sarvendra nath sukla and renu kumari yadav kamal thapa left the committee in january 2005 the rjp was founded on march 13 2005 the broad political conference was however postponed due to the imposition of emergency rule by king gyanendra on february 1 2005 rjp had", "he was the chairman of the communist party of nepal unified marxist leninist cpn uml and leader of the constituent assembly parliamentary party of the cpn uml born in sakhejung in the ilam district khanal was a member of the communist party of nepal marxist leninist and was its general secretary from 1982 to 1986 later he was a member of the cpn uml khanal served for a time as minister of information and communication in the 1997 coalition government khanal won the seat of the ilam 1 constituency in the 2008 constituent assembly election he led the cpn uml as general secretary from 2008 to february 2009 and was elected as the chairman of the cpn uml on february 16 2009 on 3 february 2011 after seven months of political gridlock in which no candidate could muster enough votes to be elected as prime minister jhala nath khanal was elected as prime minister by the constituent assembly khanal received 368 votes in the 601 member parliament while his nearest rivals ram chandra poudel of the nepali congress and bijay kumar gachhedar of madhesi people s rights forum democratic got 122 votes and 67 votes respectively nepal had no proper", "his brothers were bishweshwar prasad koirala and girija prasad koirala who also served as the prime minister of nepal and politician and journalist tarini prasad koirala matrika prasad koirala was politically active in india where his father krishna prasad koirala was living in exile he stayed in the house of dr rajendra prasad the first president of free india and was influenced by the indian independence struggle he participated in the indian independence movement with his brother bp koirala both brothers were arrested and imprisoned by the british raj for three months in 1930 he was made president of the congress party in bihar by dr rajendra prasad for a while as all the other senior indian leaders were jailed during the quit india movement he later joined the nepali national congress led by tanka prasad acharya and fought against the rana regime koirala became the first president of nepali congress when it was formed as a result of the merger of nepali national congress and nepal democratic congress in april 1950 koirala became the first commoner prime minister of nepal after rana rule ended in 1952 he was expelled from the nepali congress for violating the party principles and", "he was the son of tika prasad acharya and tika devi acharya tanka prasad acharya was an anti rana pro democracy politician under the influence of freedom movement in india five men acharya dharma bhakta mathema dashrath chand sukra raj shastri gangalal shrestha founded the nepal praja parishad in the late 1930s with acharya as chairman their motive was to overthrow the rana regime and establish a democratic government in nepal tyranny debauchery economic exploitation and religious persecution had characterized rana rule acharya was the first person to bring the printing machine into nepal he brought it from banaras to publish four leaflets advocating overthrow of the rana empire he along with four other activists were captured for opposition and sentenced to death by the ranas in 1940 but acharya was never executed as the then nepali law influenced by hinduism forbade the killing of brahmins the movement later led to the overthrow of the rana oligarchy acharya was released from the captivity in 1951 when king tribhuvan returned to power he went on to become prime minister in 1956 during his premiership the first 5 year plan was started nepal rastra bank was established and the supreme court was", "he was the first mukhtiyar to title himself as a prime minister as per the british convention he was the nephew of bhimsen thapa who was falsely sentenced for imprisonment for the death of king rajendra s six months old son mathabar singh thapa fled to shimla after the execution of bhimsen thapa to avoid his own execution as he was bhimsen s nephew four years later the second queen of rajendra queen rajya lakshmi called him back and installed him as the mukhtiyar paving the way for him to eventually title himself as the prime minister mathabar singh however enraged the queen by refusing to make her son ranendra bikram the king the queen in turn had him shot by his own nephew janga bahadur rana and thereby making him the last dynast of the thapa dynasty not much is known of mathabar singh thapa s childhood he was born in borlang gorkha he was the son of kaji nayan singh thapa who was killed in the war against the kingdom of kumaon he was a nephew of bhimsen thapa and also the maternal uncle of jang bahadur rana through his mother s side he was the grandson of", "he is the chairman of the nepal communist party ncp oli previously served as prime minister from 11 october 2015 to 3 august 2016 and was the first elected prime minister under the newly adopted constitution of nepal k p oli was born on 22 february 1952 in a brahmin family at terathum he was the eldest child of mohan prasad and madhumaya oli oli was raised by his grandmother rammaya after his mother died of smallpox when oli was four he did his primary school education in tehrathum and later his family migrated to the south eastern district of jhapa he resided mostly in jhapa during his early political life oli started his studies at himalaya higher secondary school in damak municipality of jhapa district at the age of 12 he left school in grade eight he migrated to jhapa district in 1963 ad oli met his wife radhika shakya a fellow communist after coming out of prison they first met in the course of party activities and married later oli began his political career in 1966 in opposition to the party less panchayat system in place at the time he joined the communist party of nepal in february" ]

[ "ali akhtar mikrani was an advisor of the prime minister of nepal at the tenure of prime minister madhav kumar nepal from may 2009 to february 2011 he is architecture engineer by profession as well as involved in several social works throughout the nepal he was recommended as the ambassador of saudi arabia for nepal during k p oli government but later he was withdrawn due to fell down of government he has been worked as member construction and planning of kathmandu valley under the government of nepal he was born at kattarban village of rajdevi vdc of rautahat district in the year of 1956 in one of the well established muslim family of nepal he did his schooling in his village and later studied in india his grandfather maula bakhsh mikrani was once jailed for 6 months at nakhu kathmandu at the time of rana prime minister chandra shumsher jang bahadur rana his grandfather was also a well known social activist in the area of sarlahi and rautahat district his grandfather maula bakhsh mikrani was honored by chaudhry title by that times rana government of nepal as his ancestor died by fighting with british force at samanpur of rautahat", "he was one of the main leaders involved in transitioning nepal from an absolute monarchy to a democratic multi party system bhattarai became prime minister of nepal in april 1990 after a popular democratic movement referred as jana andolan bhattarai was twice the prime minister of nepal once heading the interim government from 19 april 1990 to 26 may 1991 and then as elected prime minister from 31 may 1999 to 22 march 2000 bhattarai was the officiating president of the nepali congress for nearly 26 years from 12 february 1976 and was elected to the post of president of party in 1988 till 1992 he participated in the democratic movement of nepal from its inception the constitution of nepal 1990 was promulgated while he was interim prime minister and he was credited for successfully holding the parliamentary election in 1990 a milestone in nepalese political history in his youth bhattarai was a journalist he was also one of the foreign journalists to interview the general secretary of the communist party of the soviet union nikita khrushchev bhattarai had participated in a long struggle to modernize the nepalese political system aiming to transform a society that was isolated for centuries", "the embassy was established in march 1961 after diplomatic relations were established between the two countries in june 1960 under the leadership of david ben gurion the first prime minister of israel and b p koirala the first elected prime minister of nepal israel opened its embassy in kathmandu in march 1961 nepal opened a consulate general in israel in november 1993 and then the embassy of nepal in israel on 17 august 2007 israel has inked cooperation with nepal in the following sectors a protocol of cooperation between the federation of nepalese chambers of commerce and industry and the federation of israeli chambers of commerce was signed on 25 june 1993 in tel aviv during a visit to israel by prime minister girija prasad koirala of nepal a memorandum of understanding mou between the governments of nepal and israel relating to a scholarship program 16 february 1995 was signed by the joint secretary ministry of finance of nepal and the ambassador of israel a framework agreement on cooperation in the field of agriculture was signed in march 2010 between the governments of israel and nepal activities of israel s agency for international development cooperation mashav in nepal started in", "despite the nepali congress securing more votes in the popular vote than the communist party of nepal unified marxist leninist the latter secured 88 seats to the former s 83 neither party was successful in forming a coalition to hold a majority of the 205 seats after failed coalition negotiations however adhikari became prime minister of a minority government acquiring the support of the rastriya prajatantra party and the nepal sadbhawana party adhikari only served as the prime minister of nepal for nine months and was the first democratically elected prime minister from the communist party of nepal unified marxist leninist during his time in office then chief of the world bank paul wolfowitz rejected funding the arun iii hydro electric project also the adhikari government promoted programs such as the build your own village program prime minister adhikari also enhanced the relationship with mongolia in june 1995 the rastriya prajatantra party and the nepal sadbhawana party who helped to form a minority government supported the nepali congress s call for a vote of no confidence in adhikari s government in a special session of the house of representatives adhikari attempted to dissolve parliament and call elections in an attempt", "he is the current member of parliament from rupandehi constituency no 2 he won the election with a margin of 22 000 votes in the parliamentary election of 2017 during the second constituent assembly election in 2013 he defeated the former prime minister baburam bhattarai from rupendehi constituent no 4 paudel was appointed as the minister for finance in 5 november 2015 to 1 august 2016 in kp sharma oli s first prime ministership he got the responsibility of a defense minister from 6 february 2011 to 29 august 2011 during the prime ministership of jhala nath khanal he was the minister for water resources from 18 august 2008 to 25 may 2009 under the prime ministership of puspa kamal dahal at the age of just 37 paudel got the responsibility of cabinet minister for the ministry of youth sports and culture in 12 march 1997 under the ex prime minister lokendra bahadur chand s cabinet bishnu prasad paudel was born to devilal paudel and devaki paudel on 20 november 1959 in syangja nepal he joined politics in 1978 during the panchayat system in nepal he faced jail time in 1977 he passed the slc examination and moved to rupendehi", "he was born in 1942 in khalanga bazar salyan nepal he served as prime minister of nepal from 15 june 1986 to 6 april 1990 prior to that he was speaker of the national assembly of nepal he was a member of the newar community and was the first member of that ethnic group to become prime minister in his office he braved the sixteen months long ordeal of economic blockade march 23 1989 imposed on nepal by india he was responsible for the mass suppression of democratic forces during the mass movement of 2046 bs 1989 ad and this act highly degraded his status he was dismissed by the king birendra during political tensions in which protestors called for multiparty elections subsequently a draft constitution was introduced which allowed for direct elections to a bicameral parliament shrestha was brought to the kathmandu from new delhi based medicity hospital where he had been undergoing treatment and was on ventilator support he told family members that he wished to die in his own country and was air lifted to kathmandu shrestha died of lung cancer at 3 00 on 15 august 2013 at norvic hospital kathmandu", "the treaty was signed at kathmandu on 31 july 1950 by the last rana prime minister of nepal mohan shumsher jang bahadur rana and indian ambassador to nepal chadreshwar narayan singh and came into force the same day as per article 9 of the treaty rana rule in nepal ended just 3 months after the treaty was signed the treaty allows free movement of people and goods between the two nations and a close relationship and collaboration on matters of defense and foreign policy after an abortive attempt in 1952 of the communist party of nepal to seize power with chinese backing india and nepal stepped up military and intelligence cooperation under treaty provisions and india sent a military mission to nepal the india nepal treaty of peace and friendship was signed by the last rana prime minister of nepal mohan shamsher jang bahadur rana and the indian ambassador to nepal chandreshwor narayan singh on 31 july 1950 and came into force the same day it has ten articles the treaty provides for everlasting peace and friendship between the two countries and the two governments agree mutually to acknowledge and respect the complete sovereignty territorial integrity and independence of each", "he is former deputy prime minister defence minister of nepal in oli cabinet 2015 and former minister of home affairs of nepal in madhav nepal cabinet he was the vice chairman of communist party of nepal unified marxist leninist he was taken as prospective future prime minister and cpn uml chairman by his cadres during 2017 nepalese legislative election campaign he won the election from achham 1 defeating bharat swar rawal was born in achham nepal he is from chhetri cast and has a wife and two sons he obtained both master s and bachelor s degrees from the tribhuwan university and in the 1980s became a lawyer who specialized in legal awareness for the nepal bar association rawal began his political career when he began serving as jhalanath khanal s adviser in 1990 from 1992 to 1993 he served on the united nations s cambodian elections panel and later allied himself with madhav kumar nepal in 1994 he was elected into parliament following by being its minister for commerce tourism and civil aviation till 1995 from 1998 to 1999 he served the same positions for second term and also was minister of science and technology in april 2008 he", "is a nepalese politician and former deputy prime minister and minister of poverty alleviation of nepal he is the chairman of the rashtriya jana morcha and the general secretary of the all nepal peasants association linked to rjm chitra bahadur k c belonged to the communist party of nepal fourth convention in the 1983 he sided with mohan bikram singh and joined the communist party of nepal masal chitra bahadur k c contested the baglung 2 constituency in the 1994 election he finished second with 15089 votes he was elected to the pratinidhi sabha in the 1999 election as a candidate of rashtriya jana morcha the electoral front of the communist party of nepal masal 2006 in the constituency of baglung 2 with 24124 votes when janamorcha nepal was formed in 2002 through the merger of rjm and samyukta janamorcha nepal chitra bahadur k c became a member of jmn when jmn split in 2006 he sided with communist party of nepal unity centre masal the parent party of jmn general secretary mohan bikram singh in rejecting participation the seven party alliance government effectively jmn was split a conference of the jmn led by chitra bahadur k c was held", "he was the first brahmin prime minister of nepal ranga nath poudyal was born in 1773 a d at makhantole kathmandu to pandit brajnath a who was prominent courtier in the palace who was later exiled to benaras he was a bahun by ethnicity ranga nath poudyal spent his childhood years in benares where he mastered sanskrit he was granted the title pandit raj by the then king of benares ranga nath poudyal met bhimsen thapa in benares varanasi he was deeply influenced by bhimsen thapa and thus he forged his path to power by establishing himself as the prominent supporter of bhimsen thapa after the execution of mulkaji chief kaji damodar pande paudyal was appointed as raj guru royal preceptor along with ranajit pande as appointed as mulkaji bhimsen thapa as second kaji and sher bahadur shah as mul chautariya he became prime minister of nepal at the time of utmost political turmoil he is remembered as a clever brahmin rather than an able administrator although he was the prominent supporter of bhimsen thapa he is also characterized by his loyalty towards brian houghton hodgson the then british resident to nepal his political career was doomed after the downfall", "she resigned as minister of foreign affairs of nepal on april 16 2008 she also served as deputy prime minister of nepal within the coalition government of prime minister girija prasad koirala from 2007 to 2008 pradhan was married to communist stalwart pushpa lal shrestha and was a leading figure in his communist party of nepal when pushpa lal died in 1978 balaram upadhyaya became party leader in 1986 pradhan became the leader of the party in 1987 the party merged with manmohan adhikari s faction forming the communist party of nepal marxist when the cpn uml was divided in 1998 pradhan sided with the break away faction she became chairperson of communist party of nepal marxist leninist however in 2002 cpn ml merged back into cpn uml at the 2003 7th conference of cpn uml pradhan was reelected to the central committee pradhan was the number two candidate of cpn uml in the proportional representation list for the april 2008 constituent assembly election pradhan died of a brain hemorrhage on 22 september 2014 at the age of 86 in at vayodha hospital in kathmandu", "he was the son of the 5th rana prime minister of nepal chandra shumsher and bada maharani chandra loka bhakta lakshmi devi he became prime minister at a time when the king tribhuvan was attempting to assert himself tribhuvan wanted to establish a stronger monarchy and some democracy which mohan shamsher opposed in 1950 mohan shumsher s policies against the monarchy forced tribhuvan and his son mahendra to flee to india with the help of the indian residency and the indian government which led mohan shamhser to proclaim mahendra s three year old son gyanendra the king of nepal later in the revolution of 1951 tribhuvan returned to nepal after signing the delhi treaty between mohan shamhser tribhuvan and nepali congress thus restoring his throne and bringing the stately power back to the monarch by the end of 1951 the king and his allies the nepali congress had triumphed and mohan shumsher and the rest of the rana family lost power the ranas were deprived of all the hereditary offices and privileges conferred by king surendra bikram shah on jang bahadur even though mohan shumsher still held the office of the prime minister for until several demonstrations by ranas in", "on 6 may 2019 the party merged with federal socialist forum nepal to form samajbadi party nepal baburam bhattarai was a senior vice chairman of the unified communist party of nepal maoist and was involved in the party for over two decades including during the nepalese civil war he became the prime minister of nepal while a member of the ucpn maoist as prime minister he dissolved the 1st nepalese constituent assembly to pave the way for new elections after the constitution of nepal was promulgated on 25 september 2015 by the 2nd nepalese constituent assembly he resigned from the newly formed parliament of nepal and quit his party to form his own political force on january 21 2016 he announced the formation of the naya shakti nepal interim central council which he said would develop into a political party finally on june 12 2016 he announced the establishment of naya shakti party nepal under his leadership the party gained its first parliamentarian after the tharuhat tarai party democratic merged into the party on february 14 following this ganga satuwa chaudhary was announced as the parliamentary party leader of naya shakti the 2017 nepalese local elections were the first major", "he is also a member of the standing committee of the unified communist party of nepal maoist on april 12 2007 janamorcha nepal of which he was then a vice chairman nominated him as the new minister of health pokharel was appointed to the said position on april 29 2007 in april 2008 he won the mahottari 1 seat in the constituent assembly election as a candidate of janamorcha nepal people s front nepal he then served a second term as minister of health and population in the government formed under the leadership of the communist party of nepal maoist after it won the most seats in the constituent assembly election pokharel s second term as minister of health and population was from 31 august 2008 until 4 may 2009 when then prime minister pushpa kamal dahal prachanda resigned along with his cabinet and dissolved the government pokharel began his second term as the sole representative in the government of his party janamorcha nepal however in january 2009 janamorcha nepal and its parent party the communist party of nepal unity centre united with the communist party of nepal maoist to become the unified communist party of nepal maoist pokharel completed", "the present defence minister is ishowor pokhrel the origin and evolution of the defence administration of modern nepal dates back to the unification of nepal in 1770 from the foundation to until popular movement the defence administration was directly overseen by the crown itself before 1950 there was no division of duties between the ministry and the army headquarters the commander in chief and the senior commanding general between themselves dealt with the whole range of administration and policy regarding defence for the first time in the history of nepal a separate ministry by the name of defence ministry was set up in the interim government of 1950 headed by prime minister mohan shumsher the first defence minister was babar shumsher the organizational structure of the defence ministry at the time was quite simple having only two branches viz i general and ii budget the ministry had a secretary two deputy secretaries and two assistant secretaries since then the ministry has undergone continuous evolution and assumed the present structure the ministry of defence was established to protect and defend the nation and the people from internal instability and external threats by ensuring the sovereignty national independence and integrity of the", "k i singh was prime minister of nepal for four months in 1957 he was known as the robin hood of the himalayas after initiating an extensive land redistribution scheme in the early 1950s he was a member of the nepali congress in 1981 he joined the breakaway nepali congress subarna he was a former first aid attendant for which he was called dr k i singh dr k i singh is also the first known doctor of nepal known as dr k i singh he also played important role for revolution against autocratic rana rule of nepal his full name is dr kunwar indrajeet singh and birth name is indra dhwoj shahi but is popularly known as dr k i singh he worked in india and burma myanmar in the japanese occupied areas during 1932 34 in 1946 he joined the nepali national congress party and actively participated in the 1950 51 revolution against the ranas to establish democracy in nepal because of his strong opposition to the 1950 agreement he was arrested and jailed for 6 months he escaped and fled to china but returned later after amnesty by king mahendra he also served as the prime minister", "at the time of the shah dynasty the mulkajis chief kajis or chautariya served the function of prime ministers in a council of 4 chautariyas 4 kajis and sundry officers these bharadars officers were drawn from high caste and politically influential families such as pande dynasty basnyat dynasty thapa dynasty etc the nobility of gorkha was mainly based from chhetri families and they had a strong presence in civil administration affairs all of the prime minister of nepal between 1768 to 1950 were chhetris with the exception of ranga nath poudyal being a brahmin the executive power allocation was fluctuating between kajis and chautariyas in 1804 a single authoritative position of mukhtiyar was created by rana bahadur shah which carried the executive powers of nation mukhtiyar held the position of executive head till adoption of title of prime minister on november 1843 a d by mathabar singh thapa who became mukhtiyar as well as prime minister and commander in chief of the nepalese army during the rana dynasty the position of prime minister was hereditary and the officeholder held additional titles maharaja of lambjang and kaski supreme commander in chief of nepal and grand master of the royal orders of", "in the 2008 elections cpn m emerged as the largest party with dahal becoming prime minister in august of that year he resigned as prime minister on 4 may 2009 after his attempt to dismiss the army chief general rookmangud katawal was opposed by president ram baran yadav dahal is also widely known by his nom de guerre prachanda in nepali and other indo aryan languages the word prachanda is an adjective that translates as fierce prachanda was born into a brahmin family in pokhara a city in kaski district some west of nepal s capital kathmandu prachanda spent much of his childhood in the chitwan district he received a diploma of science in agriculture isc ag from institute of agriculture and animal science iaas in rampur chitwan and was once employed at a rural development project in jajarkot sponsored by usaid witnessing severe poverty amongst nepalis since his youth prachanda was drawn to left wing political parties he joined the underground communist party of nepal fourth convention in 1981 he became general secretary of the communist party of nepal mashal in 1989 after several iterations this party became the communist party of nepal maoist prachanda lived in secret even", "the party was established on april 5 2017 after merging with the madheshi jana adhikar forum democratic the rastriya janamukti party democratic and the dalit janajati party on october 16 2017 nepal loktantrik forum merged into the nepali congress the nepal democratic forum underwent a series of frequent mergers between april and june 2017 first the tharuhat tarai party led by bhanu ram chaudhary merged with the nlf on april 20 2017 three weeks later on may 7 the rastriya janata party nepal people s party united nepal republican people s party and shanti party nepal all merged with the nlf as well on june 2 the liberal democratic party merged with the nlf and on june 10 the citizen socialist party also joined the party joined the pushpa kamal dahal led government on may 8 with bijay kumar gachhadar as deputy prime minister and minister for federal affairs and local development jitendra dev as minister for tourism and civil aviation and gopal dahit as the minister for land reforms and management on june 3 the party chairman bijay kumar gachhadar supported the proposal of pushpa kamal dahal to endorse sher bahadur deuba as prime minister then he joined the", "in 2008 nepal was proclaimed a federal republic and old administrative units restricted after adoption of new constitution on 20 september 2015 formerly nepal was divided into 5 development regions 14 zones 75 districts 58 municipalities and 3157 village development committee kingdom of nepal was formed in 1768 by unification of nepal before the treaty of sugauli in 1814 16 the territories under nepalese control included darjeeling to the south east whole of sikkim to the east nainital to the south west and the kumaon kingdom and garhwal kingdom to the west after the sugauli treaty in 1814 16 nepal came to existence in today s shape during the time of king rajendra bir bikram shah and prime minister bhimsen thapa nepal was divided into 10 districts during the time of prime minister bir shumsher jang bahadur rana 1885 1901 nepal was divided into 32 districts and doti palpa and dhankuta were 3 gaunda english meaning cantonment hilly region had 20 districts and terai had 12 districts even after bir shumsher jang bahadur rana to the end of rana rule in nepal in 1951 and till the proclamation of new constitution of kingdom of nepal in 1962 nepal remained divided", "he was a diplomat who served king prithvi narayan shah of gorkha two of his diplomatic missions were with dolakha and kathmandu while the latter remained unsuccessful he also served as the national military commanders in the forces of prithvi narayan shah he was the patron of the gora pande clan a minor faction of the gorkha based aristocratic pande family some of his patrilineal descendants became influential politicians such as ranajit pande and dalabhanjan pande in the nepalese history through their marital ties with the thapa dynasty his matrilineal descendants became significantly influential queen tripurasundari of nepal went on to become queen mother of nepal and mathawar singh thapa the prime minister of nepal and jang bahadur kunwar ranaji the latter period ruler of kaski lamjung and prime minister of nepal he was born to father vali pande or baliram pande around 1782 vikram samvat the pande family tree published by dr dilli raman regmi shows him a patrilineal descendant of ganesh pande tularam s lineage can be traced through the inscription installed by his son kapardar bhotu pande on the bishnumati bridge the inscription explains his patrilineal relationship to ganesh pande minister of drabya shah the first king", "the election took place after the previous nepali congress government collapsed and king birenda called new elections the results saw the communist party of nepal unified marxist leninist win the most seats in the house of representatives and man mohan adhikari became prime minister at the head of a minority government king birenda agreed to introduce democracy in 1990 and to become a constitutional monarch after increasing protests by the 1990 people s movement the 1991 multi party elections saw the nepali congress party win a majority with 112 of the 205 seats girija prasad koirala was chosen by the nepali congress as their leader in parliament and was appointed prime minister by 1994 the economic situation in nepal had worsened and the opposition accused the government of being corrupt divisions had also arisen within the nepali congress after prime minister koirala was accused of helping to ensure that the president of the nepali congress krishna prasad bhattarai was defeated in a by election in february 1994 these divisions led to 36 nepali congress members of parliament abstaining on a parliamentary vote in july 1994 leading to the government losing the vote as a result koirala offered his resignation as", "the office was created in may 2008 after the country was declared as a republic the first president of nepal was ram baran yadav the current president is bidhya devi bhandari elected in october 2015 she is the first female nepali head of state the president is to be formally addressed as the right honourable sam m nan ya under the interim constitution adopted in january 2007 all powers of governance were removed from the king of nepal and the nepalese constituent assembly elected in the 2008 constituent assembly election was to decide in its first meeting whether to continue the monarchy or to declare a republic during the suspension of the monarchy girija prasad koirala then prime minister of nepal acted as head of state on 28 may 2008 the assembly voted to abolish the monarchy dr ram baran yadav won the historic election from the constituent assembly and was sworn in as the nation s first president ending a 247 year old monarchy the president is elected by an electoral college comprising the parliament of nepal and the members of the provincial legislatures a law shall determine the weight of each of their votes whoever receives a majority", "he is the son of five time prime minister of nepal surya bahadur thapa he has recently won in the constituent assembly of nepal sunil thapa worked with united nations high commission for refugees from 1988 2012 a career that spanned twenty two years and took him to disaster prone countries for the protection and reparation of refugees early in his career after returning from united states of america where he was pursuing his degree in public administration and government thapa worked in center for economic development and administration as a consultant in addition thapa was also a lecturer at kathmandu s tribhuvan university sunil thapa joined joined politics in september 2012 by taking active party membership of rashtriya prajatantra party in the general convention of rpp in may 2012 thapa garnered the second highest votes and was elected to the central working committee of rpp in november 2012 during the elections of the constituent assembly thapa was elected mp through the first past the post system from dhankuta district subsequently thapa was appointed as minister of petroleum commerce and supplies from april 2014 to september 2015 thapa then played a critical role to facilitate the unification of rpp and", "it hosts the office of the president of nepal the main palace building was and still is known as sital niwas it was built by rana prime minister chandra shumsher jbr in 1923 the government of nepal decided to make shital niwas the presidential residence at a cabinet meeting on july 4 2008 bidhya devi bhandari the incumbent president of nepal currently resides in this palace the palace was built by chandra shumsher jbr for his youngest son krishna shumsher from his first wife lokbhakta lakshmi devi in the year 1924 krishna shamsher because of political pressure from his brothers handed over sital niwas to the government of nepal in 1948 and later fled kathmandu to bangalore in 1961 after the fall of rana regime sital niwas was used by government of nepal as stately guest house and later converted into ministry of foreign affairs after the fall of monarchy in nepal the government of nepal decided to make shital niwas the presidential residence at a cabinet meeting on july 4 2008 bidhya devi bhandari the incumbent president of nepal currently resides in this palace it is located adjacent to central investigation bureau cib headquarters and a military barrack", "the party was formed in 2007 through the merger of three groups the general secretary of the party is ram singh shris rajbir the party had two members in the interim legislature of nepal pari thapa and navraj subedi in april 2013 the party merged into the communist party of nepal the party presented its manifesto for the constituent assembly polls on march 10 2008 the party proposes making nepal into a federal republic with 11 states and 2 sub states based on ethnicity language and geography it proposes having a ceremonial president and resting executive powers in the office of the prime minister according to its manifesto there would be a limit of two mandate periods for the prime ministership both prime minister and president would be elected by the parliament the party won two seats through the proportional representation vote but no seat in the first past the post system the communist party of nepal unified nabaraj subedi fraction has formally merged with the unified cpn maoist on april 2010 maoist chairman pushpa kamal dahal and cpn unified leader nabaraj subedi signed a memo on the unification between the two parties at a programme in the capital katmandhu", "the election was held alongside the first provincial elections for the seven provincial assemblies a political deadlock between the governing nepali congress and the winning left wing coalition over the system used to elect the upper house led to delay in forming the new government following the announcement of final result by the election commission k p oli of communist party of nepal unified marxist leninist was sworn in as prime minister on 15 february 2018 by the president according to article 76 2 of the constitution he passed a motion of confidence on 11 march 2018 with 208 votes the previous house of representative elected on may 1999 was dissolved by gyanendra on advice of prime minister sher bahadur deuba on may 2002 in order to hold new elections elections could not take place due to the ongoing civil war which eventually led king gyanendra to stage a royal coup on february 2005 after dismissing four prime ministers following the democracy movement of 2006 the king reinstated the earlier legislature on 15 january 2007 the house of representatives was replaced by an interim legislature the interim legislature consisted both of members appointed by an agreement between the seven party", "he was the overall commander of the nepal army in the conquest of western provinces and authoritative ruler of kumaon garhwal and its west in the kingdom of nepal he was referred by the king of nepal to have been deployed as mukhtiyar equivalent to prime minister of western provinces of kumaon garhwal and its west he is often hailed as living lion of nepal jy m do b gha and was posthumously regarded as one of the national heroes of nepal who led the anglo nepalese war for the gorkhali army he was grandson of ranjai singh of sirhanchowk and son of bhim sen known as umrao bagh bhim singh thapa who commanded and died in the battle of palanchowk in 1759 ad he belonged to bagale thapa clan his family members were added to the royal court by mukhtiyar of nepal bhimsen thapa also a member of bagale thapa clan his eldest son ranadhoj thapa was deputy to mukhtiyar prime minister bhimsen thapa sharing the authority while other four sons namely bhaktabir singh narsingh ramdas and ranjore singh all of them were kajis at some point his youngest son ranajor singh thapa fought with him in the anglo", "he is also involved in literature and have won madan puraskar for his book bisarjan in 2054 b s chand was born in kurkutiya village baitadi district nepal in 1940 he is a major supporter of the nepalese monarchy during his first two terms as prime minister he did not belong to any political party but by 1997 he was a member of his current political party the conservative rashtriya prajatantra party rpp he became prime minister on october 11 2002 a week after the king launched a coup against the nepali congress government of sher bahadur deuba chand was the head of the 2002 cabinet chand was forced to resign in 2003 after massive protests and an intensification of the civil war with maoist rebels ahead of the 2008 constituent assembly election chand is the top candidate of rpp for the closed proportional representation list he has four sons and three daughter sons jayant chand arun chand binod chand and bhupenn chand jayant chand is in politics and became minister twice and is active in his father s party arun chand is a businessman binod chand is a computer engineer and the youngest son bhupenn chand is an actor", "it was formed by former prime ministers surya bahadur thapa and lokendra bahadur chand the party has had two prime ministers thapa and chand serving two terms each since the end of the rastriya panchayat the rastriya prajatantra party was formed by the ruling elite of the panchayat era on may 29 1990 the party split in 1991 over technical differences and two parties bearing the same name ideology and statute came into existence the two parties one led by surya bahadur thapa and the other led by lokendra bahadur chand contested the 1991 elections the two parties did not perform as expected thapa s party winning 1 seat and chand s party winning 3 seats and the two parties decided to merge again the party held its first general convention on 1992 in kathmandu and unanimously elected surya bahadur thapa as its chairman lokendra bahadur chand and rajeshwor devkota were elected leader and co chairman respectlively in the 1994 elections the party received 18 percent of the votes and won 20 seats to the house of representatives making them the third largest party in the parliament no other party got a majority and the party joined coalition governments with", "he served as high commissioner of nepal to the court of st james uk and as ambassador to the united states france and the netherlands his father chandra shumsher jang bahadur rana was the prime minister of nepal from the rana dynasty born 1909 at singha durbar katmandu 4 june 1976 general gbe c 16 11 1949 kbe m 24 9 1946 he was son of bada maharani bala kumari he was educated at durbar high sch katmandu in 1927 rana was appointed maj gen from 1930 to 1931 he was acting head shrestra kousal from 1931 to 1934 he was head of madesh report nixari and 1947 1949 kothamahal from 1936 to 1943 he was dir gen pwd in 1946 he was a member of the special diplomatic mission to confer the order of ojaswi rajanya and the rank of commanding general to george vi from 1946 to 1947 rana was dir gen roads railways dept from 1947 to 1949 he was dir gen police dept in 1948 he was promoted to the rank of general from 1948 to 1949 he was adc general chief of staff to the prime minister from 1949 to 1954 rana was ambassador at", "around 1873 thapa son in law of prime minister jung bahadur rana was on a tour of darjeeling he was impressed by the sight of the young tea plants and the taste of the drink he was offered everywhere he went upon his return to nepal he set up two plantations the ilam and soktim tea estates each and so began nepal s tea industry colonel thapa was then the governor general bada hakim of the eastern region of nepal translation of various signposts placed in ilam shown below reads that the very first tea saplings planted by thapa was received as a gift from the government of china it was gifted to his father in law prime minister jung bahadur rana according to the signpost the genus of tea planted in the estate were camellia sinensis camellia assamica camellia assamica sub sp lasiocalyx or cambodensis thapa was born c 1830 to hemdal singh thapa in 1860 he married maharajkumari badan kumari rana of kaski and lamjung the eldest child of sri teen jung bahadur rana they had one son and four daughters the son was colonel harka jung thapa" ]

[ "Don River" ]

[ "A River Runs Through It", "Chicago Union Station", "Run Through the Jungle", "Toronto", "River Run, Ohio", "Run Run Run", "St. Louis Union Station", "City of Toronto", "Over the River and Through the Wood", "Let the River Run", "Union Station in Los Angeles", "running", "Run", "In the Running", "the Six Rivers Running Club", "runs", "Run Fatboy Run", "a run", "that which burns", "that which purifies", "On the Run", "Run It!", "the Toronto Marlies", "Scarborough, Toronto", "Run, Baby Run", "Toronto area", "Ubisoft Toronto", "Toronto Rifles", "The Run", "Toronto, Canada", "Run Rabbit Run", "running an electric current through salt water" ]

[ "Monika Mueler Kroll stopped by the American bluegrass bar \"SIN\" in Kreuzberg to see how how a couple country musicians ended up so far from home." ]

[ "Anthropologist Sydney Mintz once said, \"The mystery of food taboos is a test case for exploring a culture's gustatory selectivity.\" The traditional German street food known as \"currywurst\" provides such a case, allowing outside observers an opportunity to taste something unique, indulge in a little post-war history, and discover how the universal need for food can bind individuals and groups together. The currywurst's origins are attributed specifically to the German capital. In 1949, a resourceful German housewife, Herta Heuwer, traded some spirits with British soldiers for ketchup. The trade created the dish - composed of German sausage, or wurst, sliced and doused in ketchup and sprinkled with curry powder. An odd and unforeseen match, currywurst became an overnight success and eventually a staple, mainly amongst construction workers who valued its high protein content, hint of exotic flavor, and low cost. At first it maintained this function as a substitute for a poor man's steak, but soon it extended beyond the proletarian palate and became a popular meal amongst Berliners of all social apparati. This simple street food, with origins stemming from a combination of post-war hunger, resourcefulness, and openness to new flavors, may seem like a culinary contradiction in a city like Berlin, with its large sprawl of bio and organic markets and its renewed interest in supporting local agriculture. (Berlin is one of the greenest cities in Europe, and Germany as a whole has one of the highest followings for the international movement known as \"Slow Food.\") However, its simplicity, accessibility, low cost, and large following of movie stars, businessmen, and high-profile politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, Gerhard Schröder and Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit, reflects Berlin's egalitarian attitude towards food. Although it rivals New York City hot dog stands and carries the qualities of fast food, currywurst has managed to escape mass-manufacturing. There is no McCurrywurst, nor is each stand the same. The difference in taste is particularly evident whether you're in East or West Berlin. During the lifetime of the Berlin Wall, the East had no access to casing for the sausage, and, therefore, the currywurst in the East tended to be softer than its Western counterpart. Today, it remains the same. At its core, currywurst is a simple street food - something you can eat while standing up, on-the-go, or late at night after a few too many beers. However, its gastronomical growth remains its best ingredient, providing a window into Berlin's post-war mentality. Its ability to move beyond a terrible past, to embrace new flavors and make them its own, reflects a food culture that is both traditional and still evolving.", "Not too long ago, certain attention-getting molecular gastronomy cookbooks just dared you to go buy xanthan gum and a sous-vide machine. But now the summer cookbooks have arrived, and they evince a plainspoken, blushing charm that puts that prior fuss and fanfare to shame. Single subjects and simple preparations dominate the summer list this year. Whether they focused on whole grains, summer produce or seasonal ingredients, authors found ways to craft memorable recipes revolving around just a few well-chosen flavor elements. And while I saw contenders from all the usual warm-weather cuisines (especially Italy and Mexico), the standouts this year were in American regional fare. There are, it goes without saying, enticing Southern books — but also coastal ones, and, in what may be a first, a book that splendidly and unironically praises the culinary traditions of the American Midwest. As spring closed its breezy doors, I missed, for a moment, the high-spirited summer staples that so stood out in years past — the grill books with their macho flame decor, the funny little cocktail or ice cream books. But not for long, for while this summer's books may be basic and uncluttered, they are anything but austere. Amber Waves, But Also So Much More Heartland: The Cookbook, by Judith Fertig, hardcover, 304 pages, Andrews McMeel, list price: $35 There are two views of the Midwest which Heartland sets out to defy: 1) that nothing grows there anymore except vast tracts of soy and wheat; and 2) that the food is traditional, bland and purged of ethnic flavor. The Midwest, Fertig counters, is the home of a burgeoning small-farm movement, a culinary heritage enriched by decades of immigration, and a host of artisanal producers: La Quercia's smoked meats, Maytag blue cheese, Minnesota wild rice. The photographs are expansive, the recipes farmhouse-earthy — but also just a trifle chic, like a Farm Girl Cosmo made with rhubarb syrup. A Rainbow Of Flavors, All Of Them Southern Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen, by Sara Foster, hardcover, 416 pages, Random House, list price: $35.00 It's no surprise that in a summer full of American regional standout cookbooks, there are two Southern books worth rushing out for. Sara Foster has a thriving Piedmont enterprise (gourmet stores in Durham and Chapel Hill), but her cooking is more pan-Southern than not. She'll cook Cajun, Tidewater, Low Country — any idiom, but always looking for the deep layers of flavor that give food tourists the feeling that Southern cooks really care. Yes, you have to work a little sometimes, but it's always for a reason. I mean, you don't have to make the buttermilk biscuits for pork tenderloin with roasted tomato-thyme gravy , but how else are you going to make sure you get every last drop of that goodness off your plate? Let Me Tell Y'all A Story A Southerly Course: Recipes and Stories from Close to Home, by Martha Hall Foose, hardcover, 256 pages, Clarkson Potter, list price: $32.50 A Southerly Course has glorious photography and quirky, unexpected recipes (a souffle with day lilies and apricots! Cold soybean salad with cucumbers and sesame seeds!) but for me, it's all about the stories. As in her previous book, Screen Doors and Sweet Teas, Foose has an anecdote for every occasion — profiles of local characters, stories from her footloose childhood, and completely random observations. Every time I read a Martha Hall Foose book I try to pin down its elusive charm, but I just end up sitting there mesmerized until some mouthwatering suggestion about asparagus drives me to the kitchen. The Catch And The Harvest, Down East-Style Maine Classics: More than 150 Delicious Recipes From Down East, by Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier, hardcover, 320 pages, Running Press, list price: $30 Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier might come across as upscale chefs, but the Maine restaurateurs have turned out an elegant, close-to-the-source cookbook that anyone can enjoy provided they can get the pristine ingredients Maine is celebrated for. \"Mark & Clark,\" as they're affectionately known, systematically trawl the foodways chapter by chapter: from Shore (shellfish galore!) to Sea (lobster, but also familiar Atlantic finfish, as in Bacon-wrapped cod with Hominy Cake). They stroll through Forest, Garden and Farm — even Bakery (blueberries, maple, rhubarb). The pair work in a fervently eat-local idiom, which makes one suspect that in the end, the best way to enjoy these dishes (as easy as they are to cook in a home kitchen) may be to simply travel Down East oneself. The Cold And Flavorful Pacific Good Fish: Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the Pacific Coast, by Becky Selengut, paperback, 288 pages, Sasquatch Books, list price: $29.95 It seems unfair to include an East Coast book without also including a West Coast one, and fortunately this year there's a doozy -- Good Fish from regional publisher Sasquatch Books. Although not everyone will be able to get Arctic char and sablefish, there ", "Few dishes showcase Southern tradition more perfectly than a slice of pecan pie, with its dark custard filling and crunchy, nutty topping. Sweet and buttery, the pecans that figure so prominently in that iconic pie are America's only major indigenous tree nut. They're native to the Deep South, where the long, warm growing season provides an optimal climate. And they're the third-most-popular nut in the U.S. behind peanuts and almonds, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. With 10 million pecan trees producing over 200,000 tons of pecans in America today, the nut hardly needs bolstering. But recently, it has become the focus of experiments by Southern farmers, chefs and craft breweries. Inspired in part by the fast-growing farm-to-table movement, which sets a premium on local products, they are giving the pecan new opportunities to shine in the form of cold-pressed oil, gluten-free flour and even beer. Toasting or roasting brings nut oils to the surface, and pecans are practically overflowing: 75 percent of the nut is pure oil. Compare that with the peanut, which is 50 percent oil, and the almond, which is around 45 percent oil. As with all nuts, roasting not only intensifies the pecan's flavor but also it adds to its richness. At Oliver Farm, an award-winning producer of artisan oils in Cordele, Ga., Clay Oliver uses an old-fashioned screw press to produce several thousand bottles of delicate pecan oil a year. He sells to Southern chefs, specialty stores around Georgia and online. \"Pecans have that mysterious extra-something and an unforgettable flavor that renders the oil and flour delicious,\" says Oliver. Native Georgia chef Steven Satterfield, a James Beard Foundation Award finalist in 2013 and 2014, uses Oliver Farm's oil for everything from frying food to crafting pecan pesto vinaigrette at his Miller Union restaurant in Atlanta. \"I love traditional Southern food,\" he says, \"but I want to experiment just enough to keep it fresh and interesting and new.\" Oliver Farm's defatted, gluten-free flour has earned such a big following of Southern bakers that it quickly sells out. Dede Wilson's Bakepedia, a baking and dessert recipe website, offers a recipe for pecan flour buttermilk pancakes with an added drizzle of pecan oil. Georgia chef Jennifer Booker, author of Field Peas to Foie Gras: Southern Recipes with a French Accent, uses the pecan oil in traditional southern shrimp and grits, and for sautéeing collard greens. But perhaps the most surprising new venue for the pecan is a craft beer called Southern Pecan Brown Ale, produced by Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company in Kiln, Miss. Founded by husband-and-wife team Mark and Leslie Henderson, it's the state's first brewery since the Prohibition. \"Our pecan ale is our flagship beer and the first one in the world made with whole roasted pecans,\" says Leslie Henderson. The beer won a Bronze Medal in the 2006 World Beer Cup and is now available in 17 southern states. \"We were initially worried the oils would kill the foam on our beer,\" says Henderson. \"But the pecans ferment just like a grain and provide nuttiness and flavor unmatched in other beers. There's still a lot of hops and malt, but the nutty flavor shines through.\" What inspired the beer in the first place? \"Comfort foods like pecan pie and pecan pralines give us that old, charming, Deep South romance,\" Henderson says. \"We wanted to hearken back to that hospitality yet create something new. Our beer is complex but really approachable.\" Pecan pancakes and beer for breakfast, anyone? Jill Neimark is an Atlanta-based writer whose work has been featured in Discover, Scientific American, Science, Nautilus, Aeon, Psychology Today and The New York Times.", "Hailing from Murfreesboro, Tenn., Glossary has persevered as an underdog for more than a decade. After releasing albums independently and self-financing tours throughout its career, the quintet was finally picked up by a label, which released Feral Fire earlier this month. Named after a line in Cormac McCarthy's The Road, Feral Fire expands upon many of the ideas in Glossary's previous album, The Better Angels of Our Nature. Describing its style as \"American rock 'n' roll,\" the band plays soulful Southern rock, but with an accessibly pop-flavored hum.", "Known for freeways more than forests, Los Angeles isn't the first place one thinks of when it comes to foraging for food in the wilderness. But for Pascal Baudar, the city is a treasure trove of hundreds of varieties of wild plants and insects that he uses in unusual culinary creations. Thirty years ago, Baudar moved to Los Angeles from a small town in Belgium where, as a child, he spent much of his time in the forest. \"You pick up plants, you munch on [them], walnuts, hazelnuts. ... And sometimes you ask the old people ...'Can I eat that? What can you do with it?' So you learn,\" he says. These days, he's passing on that knowledge to the public. Baudar holds classes every weekend that usually end with a tasting of his wild-sourced cuisine. A couple of months ago, I joined a group of about 20 students who followed Baudar on a foraging expedition in a pocket of private land in the Angeles National Forest. Hunting and gathering for your supper is an age-old idea, of course. But the rise of restaurants like the world-acclaimed Noma, in Copenhagen — renowned for its menu scavenged from the Nordic Coast — has made foraging fashionable in haute cuisine. Baudar has been working with Michelin-starred restaurants in the Los Angeles area, like Niki Nakayama's n/naka. While many foragers provide wild foods to restaurants, Baudar also contributes his culinary expertise on the wild plants he forages. \"I'm not interested in providing wild food to restaurants. It's not fun. My passion is to work with the chef,\" figuring out which techniques and flavors fit best with the menu, Baudar explains. Baudar experiments with a wide range of culinary processes, inspired by everything from medieval cookbooks to Native American preservation techniques. He says his passion is to rediscover the lost flavors of Southern California. \"If you ask what California cuisine is, practically every chef will give you a different definition,\" says Baudar. For instance, acorn is an abundant nut that was a staple food for California's Native Americans for thousands of years. He uses ground acorn to add a nutty flavor to meat. On our trip into the forest, he cooks up a sweet treat for us — a dish called \"pears cooked in forest floor.\" The fruit is cooked in a solar oven on a bed of wild grasses and herbs. We also sample what Baudar calls \"trout pickled in its own environment,\" which involves brining trout in vinegar and plants local to the area in which the fish lived. Later, he tells me he is experimenting with cooking in sea water and candying leaves. Baudar bridges the gap between plant identification and cooking in his recently released book The New Wildcrafted Cuisine, which deals with \"what you can actually do with wild plants.\" Still, Baudar wishes foraging was quite a bit less popular than it's become. In parts of the world, the country, and even nearby in Northern California, foraging is turning from the hippest way to spend the weekend, to an inconsiderate trampling of local plants. Baudar shakes his head, \"That's not cool.\" The foremost rule of foraging, he says, is that \"you don't take more than 10 to 20 percent of what you find.\" And more importantly, mindful foragers must also be well educated about the habitats in which they forage. Knowing the habitat's ecological history, which plants are native vs. non-native (and invasive), and what the local animals rely on are all essential considerations when foraging. Baudar says he is well-versed in identifying plants not only from research in books and on the Internet, but through developing his own senses. \"You see it, you smell it, you taste it.\" But, he warns, \"you have to know what you're doing before you taste it.\" He laughs, \"Poison oak, for example.\" When I asked Baudar about the threat of over-foraging in Southern California, he says there are few plants that are susceptible to this. He has seen local sellers over-forage white-sage, however. But he is quick to report such people. Baudar tells me, \"A true trained forager is someone who will take care of the trees. I'm going to prune them, go to the waterways and remove blockages. ... You kind of become a steward of the forest.\" I leave Angeles National Forest feeling worlds away from the fancy restaurants and buzzing streets of Los Angeles, with the taste of those wild-cooked pears still lingering in my mouth. Baudar assures me that there are many more flavors to explore. \"In Southern California very, very few people are using wild plants in cuisine,\" he says, adding, \"There is so much more to experiment with!\" Like white sage, mallow — an herb with an okra-like flavor — and even an insect secretion called lerp that he uses as a sugar. As Baudar says, \"So many wild plants! So little time!\"", "There is perhaps no Sunday morning pastime more beloved by Berliners than das Frühstück, an extended brunch that permits bleary-eyed morning diners to linger over a glass of Bavarian beer and neutralize a pleasure-saturated weekend with a hand-rolled cigarette and an almond milk, double-shot cappuccino. Lucky Leek, a recently opened vegan eatery in Prenzlauer Berg, provides such an experience, infusing the Berliners' tradition of leisurely breakfasting with a plant-based twist. With a kitchen nestled inside a snug, half-basement building with small windows, eye-level to the yawning, pedestrian-plenty Kollwitzstraße, Lucky Leek's smattering of outdoor picnic tables and benches are marked by massive, mandarin-colored umbrellas. German-born co-owner Seb Happe says brunch-goers might not find the restaurant, which is indicated with a nondescript sign; \"Lucky Leek\" is stenciled and painted directly onto the exterior in cursive script. \"We didn't want to create a place that was trendy or pricey-looking,\" Happe says of his and co-owner Jojo Hartanto's aesthetic inclinations. \"Just a good, clean, honest space where our guests can feel cozy.\" Seb and Jojo (pronounced yo-yo) opened Lucky Leek in April of this year. The two are business partners, as well as a couple, and they have an endearing, punkish air about them. Blue-eyed Seb wears a backwards ball cap and has stretched ears accessorized with onyx-black plugs, roughly the size of a 2 Euro coin. Jojo, with tousled pigtails and fork-and-spoon medallions on a chain dangling from her left ear, wears boyish clothes and beat-up sneakers-what a woman wears when she is a chef who oversees a busy back-of-house. They are a perfect pair and a seemingly unlikely fit in Prenzlauer Berg, whose closest micro-cultural analog might be New York's Park Slope, a neighborhood inhabited by the artsy-gentry demographic. Seb and Jojo live in the decidedly less-manicured Neukölln district, where they visit their neighborhood's local markets to procure the seasonal produce that is the centerpiece of Lucky Leek. At their restaurant, there is no set menu; just as local harvests vary, so do the fickle whims of Jojo's gastronomic inventions. \"I bore easily,\" she says, \"and I object to recipes.\" Her culinary process is intuitive; she simply senses what farm-fresh ingredients will combine to please diner's palates and forges ahead, developing dishes in medias res. This isn't to say her laissez faire approach is naive. Not only are her variegated, literally irreproducible dishes flavorful and often astonishing in their simplicity, (think California-style cuisine) but they are also born of the technical expertise she cultivated during her formal training at culinary school in 2000. At the time, Jojo says, \"I prepared meat, and I ate it.\" Then, laughing, she went on to explain that she became vegan in what she describes as the \"classic\" way: One day a trigger was pushed in my head. Jojo and Seb named Lucky Leek by riffing off the name of the classic cartoon character Lucky Luke, first created mid-century by Belgian comics artist Rene Goscinny. Lucky Luke is a cowboy whose adventures occur in America's fabled Wild West, and the eponymous hero is known for his lightning-quick draw: Lucky Luke can shoot faster than his own shadow. Abigail Wick is an American freelance writer living and working in Berlin. She is the founder of the food blog Eating With Abs, an in-house editor for Unlike international city guides, and a weekly love and relationships columnist for EcoSalon magazine. For the NPR Berlin Blog, Abigail will be writing \"Berliner Veg,\" a city-specific culinary arts column that highlights plant-based gastronomy in Europe's vegetarian capital.", "A year ago, NPR's Uri Berliner decided to take his money out of a savings account that was losing value to inflation and turn it loose in an investing adventure. A series of stories in 2013 described his newly acquired assets and sought to shed light on how the markets for them worked. I had up to $5,000 of savings I was willing to risk. I ended up investing around $3,600. (For a breakdown of the investments, click here.) I separated the investments into two distinct categories: Plain vanilla, which were the kind of low-cost, diversified funds we ought to have in our retirement accounts. More flavorful assets that I chose primarily (OK, exclusively) for their storytelling potential, like buying a painting online, making a bulk haul at Costco as a hedge against inflation, and betting on coffee futures. A number of my colleagues have said, \"Hey, whatever happened to your investments, Mr. Business Editor?\" So here's the scorecard. Fair warning 1: My idiosyncratic portfolio was assembled for a reporting adventure. It's not meant to be investment advice. Far from it. This in no way, shape or form resembles how I've invested for retirement. Do not copy my investments. It could be an epic mistake. You've been forewarned. Fair warning 2: All strong returns were entirely the result of luck and/or fortuitous timing. As they say on Wall Street, past performance is no guarantee of future results. All disappointing results were well worth it in pursuit of a good story. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Next we have the story of a colleague who put his money where his mouth is. NPR business editor, Uri Berliner, helps us to understand business, so he decided to do some. The cash he was keeping in a savings account was not keeping up with inflation, so he bet on assets - ranging from stocks to a painting bought online. Here's his update. URI BERLINER, BYLINE: I had up to $5,000 I was willing to invest. A chunk of it would be heading to the stock market. What mattered to me was diversification and keeping my fees and expenses as low as possible. So I reached out to Miranda Marquit, a personal-finance blogger. We went shopping together for low-cost ETF's - funds that match broad portions of the market. MIRANDA MARQUIT: This has an expense ratio of .04 percent, so that's really - that's low. BERLINER: I didn't want my basket to be filled entirely with U.S. stocks. It needed an international flavor. MARQUIT: Yeah, that one would be a good one. So you can get most of the total world stocks. BERLINER: How am I doing? Since I put together my little stock portfolio last spring, it's gone up 20 percent. What hasn't done so well is a fund I bought that invests in commercial real estate - it's up 4 percent. So that's the plain vanilla chapter of my investing story. Let's move on to a much more speculative bet - coffee futures. Last spring, coffee futures were in a rut at a three and a half year low. I went to Chicago to meet Jack Scoville. He is a futures broker and I asked him - what was keeping prices down? JACK SCOVILLE: We've had a significant uptick in production. When you look at Columbia, their production's increased. And Brazil has just had a whopper year. BERLINER: But a year later, the situation has changed. The excess supply of coffee beans - it's gone, and my coffee futures fund is up 21 percent. So I check in with Jack Scoville again and ask him, what's been happening over the past year? SCOVILLE: What's really sent prices higher is a draught in Brazil, which is threatening to really curtail the production there. BERLINER: My next investment is a lot more tangible than the future price of coffee. It filled up an entire shopping cart at Costco. BERLINER: All right, toothpaste, pecans, big bag of onions - we're getting my items run up here. My strategy - bulk buying. Buying in bulk is cheaper than purchasing items one at a time. And if prices are rising, those bulk purchases can be a good hedge against inflation. Last year, I asked economist Russ Roberts to come along while I shopped at a Costco in Washington DC. RUSS ROBERTS: So it's certainly true that cash, if you can spare it, to convert your cash into real goods, whose price is rising, that's not a bad idea. BERLINER: A little more than a year later, I put the idea to the test. Here I am at Costco. This is round two, the update. Again, my bet only pays off if the prices on last year's bulk purchases are now higher. OK, last year I bought 3 pounds of pistachios for 14.89, his year they're 18.99 - a lot more expensive. Pistachio inflation - I never would have guessed that. How about a four-pack of toothpaste? So last year this toothpaste went for 12.99. This year, 8.99 with a rebate. So it's a lot cheaper. And so it goes. Trash bags are up in price but tuna fish is cheaper. All told prices from last year's haul have climbed only around 1 percent, making my hedge against inflation a bit of a bust. For my last investment, I took to the Internet - all the way to Vilnius, Lithuania.", "After another week of financial turmoil in Europe, there was little hope that the Eurozone debt crisis is any closer to being resolved. NPR's Eric Westervelt in Berlin and Sylvia Poggioli in Athens join host Scott Simon to discuss how northern and southern Europeans differ in their attitudes to the debt crisis in Europe.", "From a concert at Victoria Hall, in Geneva, conductor Pinchas Steinberg leads the Orchestra of the Suisse Romande in music from the L'Arlesienne (lar-lazy-ENN) Suite by Georges Bizet. The music was written for a play set in the south of France called \"The Girl from Arles,\" and Bizet made sure it reflected the flavor of southern French countryside.", "This week marks the 70th anniversary of V-E Day, the great Allied victory over Hitler's forces in Europe during World War II. What you may not realize is that the war helped forever change the American palate, as returning GIs brought home a craving for a pungent, fragrant herb they had encountered overseas: oregano. It's hard to believe that an herb now so ubiquitous was practically unheard of in American cooking before the war. For instance, in How to Cook a Wolf, M.F.K. Fisher's legendary 1942 cookbook on preparing simple meals during a time of privation, oregano gets just one mention: a teaspoon for the Minestrone soup recipe — as an \"optional but nice\" ingredient. Little knowing how Italian food would take off in the next decades, Fisher patriotically offered a \"green garden soup\" as an alternative to minestrone, because, as she noted, \"I know several earnest, thoughtful women who would rather see their children peaked than brew something with the foreign name minestrone, because in this year of 1942, the United States is at war with Italy.\" But there's no escaping oregano today. It is found in breadcrumbs and salad vinaigrettes; garlic bread is speckled with it, meatballs are loaded with it, and billions of slices of pizzas are smothered with it. Americans consume more than 14 million pounds every year. Of all the herbs the U.S. imports, oregano is No. 1 in terms of both quantity and value. It's safe to say that oregano, whose name is derived from the Greek words oros (mountain) and ganos (joy), can rightfully stake its claim to the title of America's herb of choice. The first time a large and diverse group of Americans came into contact with oregano was during the grueling Italian campaign fought from 1943 to 1945. On the stormy morning of July 10, 1943, a massive influx of 150,000 British and American troops made air and sea landings on the island of Sicily. The plan was to invade Southern Italy, which Winston Churchill called \"the soft underbelly of Europe.\" But the region also had other belly enticements in store for the invading soldiers. Southern Italy is the region where oregano grows abundantly. It perfumes both the air and the food, where it is used liberally, unlike in Northern Italy, where it is hardly used at all. It was here that many soldiers first encountered oregano and fell in love with the way its sharp, woodsy flavors transformed their pizza, another rustic food many of them were tasting for the first time. As it happened, one of the food suppliers to the U.S. Army was the Italian immigrant Hector Boiardi, who later Americanized his named to Chef Boyardee. During the war, thousands of GIs ate his tins of spaghetti in tomato sauce. When they got back home, they began to look for the same kind of food, but this time they wanted it flavored with their new favorite \"pizza herb.\" \"It's my understanding that the American soldiers brought [oregano] back from Italy with them after World War II,\" Italian-American celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich told me in an email. She adds, \"When I arrived in America as a young girl, over a decade after the war, oregano was definitely in most of the Italian-American restaurants, pizzerias and family homes that I visited. Of all the aromatic herbs, the only one I like and use dried is oregano. Its aroma and flavor seems to intensify when dry, but still bring a freshness to the palate.\" Between 1948 and 1956, sales of oregano in the U.S. rose by an astounding 5,200 percent, says food writer and historian John F. Mariani in his 2011 book, How Italian Food Conquered the World. From an herb the Department of Commerce didn't even bother to list separately in its import records, oregano became one whose imports zoomed to 1.5 million pounds a year by the 1960s. Even Peg Bracken's delightful 1960 I Hate to Cook Book, which takes a perverse pride in shunning exotic ingredients and sticking to stuff available in the average kitchen cupboard, lists oregano as a staple, along with curry powder and chili powder. As food writer Mariani rightly points out, the use of oregano in the U.S. predated the war — it was a central part of the food of New York's immigrant Italians, who were predominantly from Southern Italy. New York was the nursery of Italian food in America. By the time the GIs went marching off to fight Hitler and Mussolini, Italians made up close to a fifth of the city's population. But Italian food was still a distinctly niche affair, Mariani tells me. While some Americans around the immigrant hubs of New York, New Orleans and California were adventurous enough to sample this new fare, the larger populations in the Midwest and South remained ignorant of pizza, as did many city people. So much so that in a 1939 column, the New York Herald Tribune's food writer felt it necessary to explain what a pizza pie was and that it was pronounced \"peet-za.\" The war changed everything. By 1951, the jazz saxophonist Art Pepper had composed a sharp, sibilant number called \"Ar", "Monika Mueller-Kroll has lived in Amsterdam, Los Angeles, and Berlin, filing radio reports for German Public Radio, including MDR, BR and Deutschlandradio Kultur. She has worked for the BBC World Service and contributed to American radio programs, producing reports for \"Studio 360\" and NPR's former midday program \"Day to Day.\" In 2005, she won the RIAS Berlin Kommission Radio Award for her essays \"Berlin Impressions.\" For NPR Berlin, Mueller-Kroll produces short features for the \"Life in Berlin\" series. She currently lives in Berlin.", "Vanilla, chili, garlic, soy. We’ll taste the “Eight Flavors” that writer Sarah Lohman says now define American cuisine and culture. This show originally broadcast on December 15, 2016. Flavor is a sensation that goes deep, to taste and smell and memory. The flavors that hold and tell the American story go deep, and all over the world. From the black pepper that Yankee sailors brought back from the East to exotic vanilla, to chili and garlic and soy and the Sriracha sauce brewed up in California by a refugee from Vietnam. Historical gastronomist Sarah Lohman finds America in eight defining flavors – and great stories behind each. This hour On Point: the defining flavors of America. — Tom Ashbrook Guest Sarah Lohman, writer, food historian and blogger. Runs the gastronomy site, Four Pounds Flour. Author of the new book, “Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine.” (@FourPoundsFlour) From Tom’s Reading List NPR: How Just 8 Flavors Have Defined American Cuisine — “She made a list of common flavors from many historical cookbooks, and used Google’s Ngram viewer to count how often the various flavors were mentioned in American books from 1796 to 2000. Eight popular and enduring flavors emerged: black pepper, vanilla, curry powder, chili powder, soy sauce, garlic, MSG and Sriracha.” The Atlantic: How American Cuisine Became a Melting Pot — “Early on, she establishes her argument that food is much more than nourishment: It’s an intrinsic part of human culture. ‘The physiological signals of flavor are interpreted in our brain’s frontal lobe,’ she writes, ‘the part of the brain where emotional reactions are processed and personality is formed. Personal experience, our memories, and our emotions all inform the experience.’ No Thanksgiving dish is an island; each one carries its own weight of memory and emotional connection before we so much as take a single bite.” USA Today: ‘Eight Flavors’ is a tasty history of American cuisine — “When Sarah Lohman describes herself as a “historic gastronomist,” she is being too modest. She is, in addition, an accomplished writer, an intrepid traveler, dogged researcher and pundit. She knows what Americans eat, what our ancestors ate, and why.”", "I first got to taste Blue Seal ice cream 13 years ago. I was 24 years old and teaching English in a tiny mountain town called Furukawa, which means \"Old River.\" One weekend, some Canadian friends and I flew to Okinawa, Japan's southern-most island. Once we arrived in downtown Naha, Okinawa's capital city, my friends decided to dine at a steakhouse. And as the only vegetarian in the group, I was on my own. As I wandered down Kokusai-dori, or International Street, I saw the welcoming orange and blue entrance of a Blue Seal ice cream shop. Inside, there were rectangular tubs of bright purples and greens, almost like an Easter egg basket full of pastel-colored delights. I soon realized these were flavors I'd never tasted before: the light purple beni-imo (a slightly sweet Okinawan sweet potato) and the darker purple ube (a hearty, tropical purple yam). I gorged on delicious scoops and somehow found comfort in these unfamiliar flavors in a shop that felt quintessentially American. I was surrounded by waffle cones, a spacious seating area, and bright lights that reminded me of after-school trips to Dairy Queen for chocolate dipped cones. That night, I ate ice cream for dinner, not an uncommon meal choice for an obsessive sweet tooth like me. For me, then a newbie in Japan, the novelty of Blue Seal's rare, enticing Okinawan-style flavors seemed to mix perfectly with the familiarity of an ice cream parlor that brought back childhood memories. I was hooked. And during many subsequent trips to Okinawa in the coming years, when I visited the island as a journalist, I returned to the same Blue Seal shop – to indulge my obsession with its flavors and learn about the brand's unusual history. Blue Seal ice cream's slogan is \"Born in America, Raised in Okinawa.\" It was originally created for American soldiers in the days after World War II, when the U.S. military established its first bases in Okinawa. The fledgling ice cream company opened its first factory in 1948 inside a military base, so American troops stationed there, thousands of miles from home, could enjoy dairy products, especially ice cream. In the post-war era, Okinawans had to ration food supplies due to shortages, and ice cream was considered a rare treat that few could ever try. In those years, Blue Seal was only available to the U.S. military. Okinawan Blue Seal factory workers were allowed to eat leftovers once in a while. It wasn't until 1963 that Blue Seal ice cream finally became available to locals. That year, the company set up operations at the site of the current flagship store, adjacent to one of the island's main highways. The brand later transferred to Okinawan ownership and over the years, added local flavors. I first visited the flagship location on a trip to the island in 2011. It's an American-themed diner complete with large, red vinyl booths, vintage Pepsi Cola ads, and a life-size statue of a U.S. military serviceman seated at the counter. On my most recent visit this past November, I found the shop full of Okinawan mothers with young children adding toppings to their ice cream bars, couples sharing a banana split, office workers treating themselves to slices of pie à la mode, and a cluster of mainland Japanese guys with dyed hair, low-rise jeans and hip street wear (the \"bad boy\" look, my colleague told me). These days, while tourists from mainland Japan and abroad are drawn to the uniquely Okinawan flavors such as Shiiquasa, an Okinawan citrus fruit, and Ryukyu Royal Milk Tea, made from locally sourced tea, it's the American flavors that appeal most to locals. \"They like the original American flavors like San Francisco mint chip, vanilla and cookies, and strawberry cheesecake,\" says Arisa Odo, a member of Blue Seal's marketing team. Soon after my conversation with her in one of the diner's plush vinyl booths, I see a group of Okinawan teen girls in a neighboring booth, their school backpacks lined up on the ledge around them. Each one is wielding a long spoon, eagerly awaiting an ice cream treat that's about to come their way. Soon enough, a mountainous 17-scoop sundae in a glass platter arrives at their table. Armed with smart phones, they begin to Instagram away before digging in. Turns out they're English majors at the nearby Okinawa International University, and have stopped by for an after-school ice cream outing. They tell me it's a popular place to hang out with friends and eat ice cream. And they find the American theme \"cute.\" \"Young people in Okinawa like Blue Seal ice-cream because they have eaten and become familiar with it since they were little,\" explains Odo. For the people over 40, she says it brings back a sense of nostalgia. Okinawa was under U.S. occupation up until the 1970s. American culture infused so many aspects of Okinawan life. Cars even drove on the right side of the street until the island reverted back to Japan. Despite the Okinawan movement to free themselves from U.S. control in the post-war era and ongoin", "Chef, former model and television personality Barbara Smith may not be from the South, but that doesn't stop her from cooking Southern style. \"If you're of African-American descent, somewhere along the line, you have family that's lived in the South,\" she tells Weekend Edition Sunday host Liane Hansen. \"The foods that my mother cooked in Western Pennsylvania were Southern foods.\" Smith draws on those Southern influences as the proprietor of three restaurants and the author of the new cookbook B. Smith Cooks Southern Style. The new book offers techniques for putting more healthful twists on traditional Southern dishes, including braise of black-eyed peas and greens soup and Southern-style collard greens. \"I love fat because it adds such great flavor, but in moderation these days,\" she says. Though she learned Southern-style cooking from her parents and her extended family in North Carolina, Smith says anyone can learn to cook Southern cuisine. But, she warns, some of the recipes in the book require quite a bit of effort. Take, for instance, Turducken (chicken, within a duck, within a turkey), which merits its own chapter in the book. Smith's Turducken recipe includes a different type of stuffing for each, and, the chef admits, the dish is not for amateurs: \"It might be something you want to try with a sister or a pal, where they do all the dressings, and you make sure you have the turkey and the duck and the chicken.\" Despite step-by-step instructions for the more complex recipes, Smith says it is important to add individual flair when cooking. \"That's what I like about recipe books,\" says Smith. \"Mine is a map, and then you take that map and go where you want to go with it.\" Braise of Black-Eyed Peas and Greens Soup Yields 6 servings Braising is a method of cooking that involves first browning an ingredient such as meat or vegetables, then finishing cooking in a liquid over low heat. This slow style of cooking allows you to create dishes with incredible flavor and tenderness. While this dish isn't a traditional braise, I use the term because there's a whole lot of slow cookin' goin' on in this soup of vegetables, black-eyed peas, meat, and greens. I like to use kale or collard greens in the recipe because they hold up well to this type of slow cooking. Serve this hearty soup with a loaf of crusty bread for dipping! 1 1/4 cups (about 10 ounces) dried black-eyed peas, or two 15-ounce cans cooked black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup diced sweet onion, such as Vidalia 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup diced celery 1/2 cup diced carrots 2 bay leaves 1 1/2 cups chopped kale or collard greens, stems discarded 1 cup diced pork, ham, or smoked turkey breast 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste1 cup cooked barbecued rib meat, shaved off the bone and chopped, optional for garnish 1. The day before serving, in a large bowl, place the dried black-eyed peas. Cover with water and let soak overnight. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Or, to quick-soak the peas, place them in a large pot or Dutch oven, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat, cover tightly, and let stand for 1 hour, then drain and rinse thoroughly. 2. In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots, and saute for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the bay leaves, kale or collard greens, and meat to the pot, and saute, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes. 3. Add the chicken stock, soaked dried black-eyed peas or drained and rinsed canned black-eyed peas, Creole seasoning, and oregano to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the peas are tender. 4. Remove the bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately, garnished with chopped rib meat if desired. Southern-Style Collard Greens Yields 8 servings Collard greens are one of the oldest members of the cabbage family. This recipe is reminiscent of my mother's. She seemed to let her greens simmer away for hours! I make mine with ham hocks, which help tenderize the greens and add flavor, along with a little brown sugar to take away any bitterness. A lot of Southern families serve their greens with a side of bread to dip in the cooking broth, known as pot-likker. The broth is packed with vitamins and refers to the leftover \"liquor\" in the pot, after your greens have cooked. It not only tastes good — it's really good for you! 4 smoked ham hocks 1 large onion, thinly sliced 3 bay leaves 4 pounds collard greens Chicken stock or broth, or water, as needed 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1. Rinse the ham hocks and score the skin in several places. In a heavy 8- to 10-quart pot, co", "Every day at noon, Berliners are reminded of the American ideals of freedom and democracy as the Freedom Bell rings out from a tower of the government building where U.S. President John F. Kennedy gave his famous \"Ich bin ein Berliner\" speech in 1963. Modeled on Philadelphia's Liberty Bell, the 10-ton bronze bell arrived in 1950 as a gift from the National Committee for a Free Europe to the people of what was then West Berlin. At the beginning of the Cold War, it served as a symbol of U.S. solidarity, a sentiment already shown in the years following World War II with the Berlin airlift and the United States' Marshall Plan aid funds. Even today, many of those who remember the Second World War and those born after hold an appreciation for the legacy of America's commitment to West Berlin. So last week's violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., has particularly shocked those who grew up in West Berlin's American sector. German politicians have condemned the Capitol siege and President Trump's role behind the actions, which U.S. Democratic House members charge as \"incitement of insurrection.\" Over the weekend, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called for a \"joint Marshall Plan for democracy\" and warned that \"without democracy in the U.S., [there is] no democracy in Europe.\" Jürgen Siegismund, a 63-year-old retiree, agrees with Maas, although he's not so sure about naming it after George Marshall's European recovery plan. He says he was appalled by the events in Washington last week. \"Trump has created a huge chasm in American society, and it is a threat to U.S. democracy,\" he says. Siegismund is waiting for a friend on the steps of Berlin's Rathaus Schöneberg borough hall, home of the Freedom Bell, in a public square called John-F.-Kennedy-Platz. As the bell tolls, he thinks about its meaning and how he felt growing up in West Berlin's American sector. \"The commitment of the Americans to West Berlin was always very clear and strong, and their notion of liberty is something that shaped me from an early age,\" he says. Siegismund's friend arrives ready for their Sunday stroll in the nearby park. Martina Pachaly, 59, works in the energy sector and describes herself as an \"Urberliner\" — not only was she born in the city, but her parents were too. Her mother was 11 years old during the Berlin airlift and remembers waiting for the U.S. \"Candy Bomber\" to drop sweets to the starving kids below. Pachaly says the news footage from the Capitol siege looked like scenes from a civil war and not like the democracy she has always understood the U.S. to be. \"I also grew up in West Berlin's American sector, and it was a very positive experience. You always had a good feeling with the Americans,\" Pachaly says. Pointing to Kennedy-Platz, Pachaly says it will always symbolize freedom for her. Her mother was at the square when Kennedy spoke, and Pachaly came here shortly after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, when politicians gathered to give speeches about freedom and democracy. Clara Rienits, a 44-year-old high school teacher, was also born in West Berlin. Her father held a seat in the Schöneberg hall when it housed West Berlin's government. Rienits teaches politics and has been discussing the events of last week with her students via Zoom. She says that Germans know better than most what the demise of democracy means. \"I always tell my students that we have to learn how to live and participate in a democracy again and again,\" Rienits says. \"Everyone must be given the right, the space and the time to participate. If democracy becomes so gridlocked within its own structures that you can only play along but not take part, then you must question the strength of that democracy.\" Rienits says she learned about political participation initially from her parents, who were part of the 1968 West Berlin student protest movement. They denounced the U.S. war in Vietnam and stood up to their own parents' generation, asking what they did during World War II, heralding Germany's long-term reckoning with its Nazi past. Rienits says this reckoning with the past instructs how she views the present, adding that Germans have as much reason as the United States to be concerned about the rise in far-right extremism. Walking his dog nearby, 55-year-old Pejram Tahmasbi agrees that political participation is essential, adding that it doesn't now fall upon President-elect Joe Biden alone to fix the reasons behind the deep divisions within society. \"Americans need to be politically more active,\" says Tahmasbi, a small-business owner. \"They need to open up and switch on their minds.\" Tahmasbi was born in Iran and came to then-West Berlin as a teenager in 1985, after claiming asylum near Nuremberg in what was then West Germany. He used to play basketball with U.S. military officers' children, who used to sneak him into the canteen at the nearby barracks where their parents were stationed. The memory of the welcome he received as a refugee from the", "Recently during a phone call with my mom, I mentioned that I was going to make broccoli rabe for an upcoming dinner party. \"Oh, no, honey, you can't serve broccoli rabe,\" she said. \"Why not?\" I asked. \"Because, you know, broccoli rabe has a distinctive flavor,\" and she whispered \"distinctive\" like someone would whisper \"cancer\" at the dinner table. It's difficult for me to imagine anyone not liking broccoli rabe, a green vegetable known for its distinctive bitter flavor. Growing up in Italian-centric Rhode Island, broccoli rabe was everywhere -- at markets large and small, on restaurant menus and in most people's refrigerators. Broccoli rabe was a staple at every Sunday dinner and appeared at least one other time midweek, topping pizza, smothering a veal cutlet or nestled inside a crusty Italian roll with grilled Italian sausage. My mom made it all the time for our family but not for company. It was too risky. Broccoli rabe originated in the Mediterranean and China and today is grown throughout the world. It features prominently in both Italian and Asian cuisines, particularly in Southern Italy and Hong Kong. It has taken a while for Americans to embrace this full-flavored vegetable, but thanks to popular chefs such as Lidia Bastianich, a grande dame of Italian-American cooking, broccoli rabe has become more mainstream in the past couple of decades. Once people start cooking with broccoli rabe, they realize it's remarkably versatile. As well as making a delicious side dish, it's a robust addition to sandwiches, pizzas, calzones, crostini, pastas, frittatas and soups. Although broccoli rabe is in the same genus as broccoli (Brassica), it's more closely related to the turnip, so its flavor is akin to turnips, mustard greens and kale. It does resemble broccoli, though -- or, rather, its more attractive cousin: Svelte, dark green stalks are topped with small, tight clusters of green broccoli flowers and dramatic, spiky leaves. Perhaps more than any other vegetable, broccoli rabe is known by various names, including rapini, broccoli raab (pronounced rob), raab, rape, rapa, broccoli di rape and rappi. In the U.S., it is most commonly called broccoli rabe or rapini. It is not, however, the same thing as broccolini or baby broccoli, which are much sweeter. Broccoli rabe's peak season runs from late fall through late spring, though it's available at most major supermarkets year-round. When selecting broccoli rabe, look for richly colored dark green leaves and firm, green flower clusters. Avoid bunches with yellow- or brown-tinged leaves, yellow flower clusters or woody stems, all signs that the vegetable is old. All parts of broccoli rabe are edible, but stalks should be trimmed. Broccoli rabe can be steamed, boiled, sauteed and roasted. I generally prefer to parboil and \"shock\" broccoli rabe before sauteing it. Simply boil the broccoli rabe for two minutes. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water for three to five minutes. Drain and squeeze to release excess water. This helps maintain its vivid color, reduce bitterness and make it more tender. To balance broccoli rabe's bitterness, do not add sugar, which creates an unpleasant flavor. Instead, pair it with salty, sweet or acidic foods that naturally reduce bitterness and enhance flavor. Salty foods such as sausage, pancetta, anchovies and olives have an affinity for broccoli rabe. Sweet currants, raisins and cherry tomatoes are natural pairings, as are tangy vinegars and lemon juice. Broccoli rabe is also wonderful with various meats and seafood, such as chicken, veal, sausage, sardines and halibut. Perhaps the simplest way to serve broccoli rabe and appreciate its assertiveness is to saute it with olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. My family's favorite recipe for sauteed broccoli rabe includes kalamata olives and toasted pine nuts. Sun-dried tomatoes, raisins and fennel seeds are also flavor boosters. The next time you're planning a dinner party, be bold and serve broccoli rabe for even your best company. Just don't tell my mom.", "Bad news if you like cheap wine: California’s drought could affect production of low-cost bottles. But, if can you shell out for the more expensive stuff, you might be in for a treat. Grape growers on the West Coast are facing a trade-off. If they want the best flavor, they use as little water as possible, but a reduction in water use means they can’t grow as many grapes and have to sell fewer bottles. Ben Bergman from KPCC reports in Southern California. \nRead more via KPCC\n\nReporter\n\nBen Bergman, reports on business for KPCC/Southern California Public Radio, with a focus on media, tech and sports business. He tweets @thebenbergman.", "There is no escaping artificial flavor. It's everywhere, and the people who invent it argue that it will enhance your experience of a food — making it more tropical, more floral, or more bitter, in a good way. Artificial flavors of familiar favorites also have long tricked kids into eating things they think they don't like. That's part of the idea behind the Grapple (pronounced gray-pull), an apple product sold in grocery stories. The Grapple wears an aromatic disguise, thanks to \"a relaxing bath\" in natural and artificial Concord grape flavors. That is, it's an apple that tastes like a grape. \"We're trying to increase apple consumption of kids and get a very healthy apple inside them,\" Grapple co-inventor and Washington state apple grower Todd Snyder tells The Salt. \"So we said, back in 2001, how can we make an apple more popular and fun to eat?\" Kids do seem to like grape flavoring — look no further than the grape-flavored dental floss marketed to kids. Snyder claims that he chose the flavor in part because \"grape is the number one flavor for kids.\" And some might ask, why take a perfectly good fruit, with its very own complex flavor and aroma, and douse it with something associated with Dimetapp and lollipops? Well, Snyder says, because the people, and especially the kids, want it. But it's not just the grape flavor. Snyder specifically chose Gala and Fuji apples, the two sweetest apple varieties around, to entice the next generation of apple eaters. But even though we couldn't find any evidence that most kids prefer grape flavor to apple flavor, one flavor expert we spoke to said she's not surprised some kids do. The apple with grape flavors \"becomes associated with candy and sugar,\" Marcia Pelchat, a psychologist and associate member of the Monell Chemical Sense Center, tells The Salt. That might be why the heightened scent would be more appealing than plain fruit. \"It would seem sweeter to them.\" Continue Reading Whatever the reason, Snyder seems to be onto something. In the last two years, he says he managed to sell about 20 million of his gussied up apples, for between $3 and $6 for a 4-pack. They're not so easy to find, though; we discovered you can't buy them in Washington, D.C., proper, only in the distant suburbs, which we couldn't get to during our lunch hour. And what's up with that \"relaxing bath\" the website speaks of? Snyder won't divulge much, because it's a patented technology, but he wants to be clear that his apples aren't injected — the flavor seeps in through the fruits' pores. That doesn't produce a soggy apple, he says. Its shelf life is about the same. These apples kind of reminded us of Y Water, a flavored water line aimed at kids, with such varieties as \"immune water,\" \"bone water,\" muscle water,\" and \"brain water\" because of their respective added \"functional ingredients to boost performance.\" We wondered whether adulterated water and apples are just a way to get parents to spend more on what is essentially cheap and accessible sustenance for kids — plain apples and plain water. Lars Perner, assistant professor of clinical marketing at the University of Southern California, wondered this, too. \"There is a possible ethical issue if this encourages low income families to spend a great deal more on this product than what plain natural apples would cost,\" he wrote us in an email. Pelchat says, though, she's not sure it's such a bad thing. \"Once kids start eating these apples, they're not only going to cognitively see themselves as apple eaters, they're also more likely to try unflavored apples,\" she says.", "This weekend Viktor Orbán will try to win a third consecutive term as prime minister of Hungary, his fourth overall. Orbán is admired by Europe’s far-right for his anti-migrant policies, which include building a fence along Hungary’s southern border and refusing to take in migrants under the European Union’s quota system. Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd speaks with Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson (@sorayanelson), NPR’s Berlin correspondent.", "Swedish art-pop singer Jens Lekman; distinguished country crooner Nick Lowe; Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew; the gentle voiced, poignant Jose Gonzalez; the political and passionate Steve Earle; Southern flavored story songs from Vic Chesnutt; brilliant psychedelic pop from Rotary Downs. Download this show in the All Songs Considered podcast. Sign up for the All Songs Considered newsletter and we'll tell you when new music features are available on the site.", "\"Feast\" is the name of a private dining club located on a quiet street in Neukoelln. The club is a former storefront turned into a simple, but elegant eatery by American Suzy Fracassa. “I am really attached to the name \"Feast,\" Fracassa says. \"It means a lot in just one word, about eating, celebrating and cooking - the whole bit.\" “Feast” is Fracassa's playground; she tries out new recipes, mixing different cuisines - pretty much the way her Italian grandmother cooked. \"Talking about fusion food. Italian cooking plus the...hills of the Ohio River, where she was raised as a little girl. Those two cuisines came together and it's definitely influenced my family, that’s for sure.\" Pigs Feet \"My grandmother loved pigs feet, chickens feet and all those things. When I speak to Italians here, it's the same. There is a lot of peasant orientated food. They are liking the same pigs feet, just on the other side of the world, maybe basted into a little different sauce,\" Fracassa says. Pigs feet is not something Suzy Fracassa eats, although the 43 year-old is into traditional cooking, which she calls \"good hillbilly food,\" but with a dash of delicacy. For her private dinner events at \"Feast\" in Neukoelln, she prepares dishes like ham and sweet potatoes with fried eggs, jalapeno cheddar burgers, gazpacho, and bittersweet chocolate waffles with strawberry sauce. It's simple, well-prepared American food with all its different flavors and influences. Food that, Fracassa feels, is rarely served in Berlin. \"I lived in New York City before, but when I came here I realized there is this huge gap in the food industry. There is just that pervading mediocrity in this section of the food industry here.\" \"There are some great ideas, but we came to the conclusion it could be the slacker mentality eventually brings things down again, because to make good food on a consistent basis takes hard work, discipline and a long run,\" Fracassa says. Fracassa never really cooked in the United States, but when she moved to Berlin in the late 1990's, she turned her passion for food into a professional job. For a couple of years she co-owned a restaurant in Prenzlauer Berg. Then in 2003, the self-taught cook started the catering service \"Fortuna's Table,\" which is now her main job. \"Feast\" is her place for experimentation and a more open approach to cooking. It opens every Friday as a private dinning club, by reservation only. It's also available for private gatherings and celebrations. Occasionally she invites guest cooks to prepare a menu for the evening. Most of the time it's Suzy Fracassa's stage. \"To have a platform, to always touch the heart of why I am cooking in the first place and that's how I enjoy myself immensely when I am cooking, when I am in that zone,\" Fracassa says.", "\"Primitive Rock 'n' Roll and Fine Food\" is the motto at Three Sisters. However, upon entering the restaurant, one senses there is nothing primitive about this place. With its lofty ceilings, whitewashed walls, and small stage featuring a grand piano, it feels more like an old-fashioned ballroom reminiscent of the American South. It masks its self-proclaimed primitive nature, exuding an elegant and distinct charm. Three Sisters is another example of the growing number of Berlin spaces where art and food happily collide. With its unique fusion of blues-style swing music and traditional German cuisine, this young venture is a testament to the city's ingenuity when it comes to the arts – including the art of eating well. Although the Three Sisters' menu is mainly German, serving a variety of traditional Bavarian style dishes, such as pork roast and breaded dumplings, spaetzle, and pickled herring, it's not overly patriotic. Head chef, Patrick Pecker, although a native of southern Germany, previously worked in a vegetarian style restaurant, and he incorporates this philosophy into the establishment's cuisine. Pecker seeks out the freshest ingredients, both within the Three Sisters' native neighborhood of Kreuzberg, and outside Berlin. Not everything is certified organic - take for example the apple-fed pig used for the roast pork dish, but it is the next best thing and evidence of the Three Sisters' attitude when it comes to food. \"We're young,\" explains Wolfgang Sinhart, one of the owners, alongside White Trash Fast Food's Michael Bohl. Only 10 months old, so we are just learning. But we make a concerted effort when it comes to quality ingredients. This goes for the music too. Our original intention was to have a space where things can happen naturally: encouraging artists to perform here, drawing in diverse and eclectic crowd - people who want to sit down and have a nice meal, as well as those that are younger and more interested in the music aspect. Interestingly enough, it works. The neat thing is this place supports that. The restaurant has some interesting associations too. Located in Mariannenplatz 2, it was once part of an old hospital; its name is hence a tribute to the nuns who once lived and worked there, as well as a nod to Bohl's favorite Chekhov play. But unlike the Russian tragedy, these Three Sisters have managed to push past the rubble and decay that once bound Berlin and find meaning in the modern world through fine food and rock'a billy tunes.", "As orchards go, truffle orchards are upside-down and backwards. The magic happens not on the branches of oak and hazel trees, but beneath them, where a richly flavored mushroom sprouts from fungal colonies laced about the trees' roots. This cultivated variety is the black Perigord truffle, or tuber melanosporum. These truffles are notoriously hard to farm, even in France, where Perigords originate. Now, in the rolling hills and clay soils of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, a growing number of farmers are hoping to establish southern Appalachia as the new truffle capital of the world. Tom Michaels, owner of Tennessee Truffle, says he was the first American to grow Perigords commercially in 2007, from trees inoculated with melanosporum fungus using a relatively new French technique. He tells The Salt that about 200 orchards are now in development in the U.S., but because it takes years before truffles appear, few are producing yet. \"The next few years are the moment of truth\" for the burgeoning industry, he says. Continue Reading Restauranteurs and gourmands are taking notice. Last weekend Michaels joined a roster of truffle experts at the fourth annual National Truffle Fest in Asheville, N.C. Similar celebrations of the truffle have sprung up in Oregon, where wild and cultivated truffles grow, and Napa Valley, in recent years. Although there are dozens if not hundreds of truffle species – some native to North America – most are not edible. Among palatable varieties, the Perigord is considered the crown jewel and, accordingly, is known as the \"black diamond\" truffle. It's prized for its pungent aroma, a delicate mix of fruit, musk, and earth. Michaels says each truffle has a unique flavor profile. He selects them individually to meet his customers' requests, and delivers them fresh the next day, which has earned him accolades from chefs like Momofuku's David Chang. European truffles can take ten days to reach American kitchens, by which time the flavors have already started to fade. Freshness doesn't come cheap, however: Even American Perigords can fetch upwards of $800 a pound. The long years of cultivation mean many truffle growers are still in the dark about how to squeeze the most from their trees. How far apart to place the trees, or what balance of minerals to maintain in the soil, are still very much open questions. Michaels says managing a truffle orchard \"is really art. It's not [yet] a science at this point.\" But truffle-gathering will probably always rely on old-world methods: specially trained dogs – or pigs, who find truffles irresistible – to sniff out the mature fungi. Between rapid growth and rising demand, the small American truffle industry could soon be big business. Michaels says he currently harvests just 3 to 5 percent of what his orchard could, in theory, produce. \"I'm supposed to be famous because I grow a few pounds per acre,\" he says. \"But if you look at what is possible, it's way more than that.\"", "Barbecued pork or fried chicken served with a heaping side of mac and cheese or creamy potato salad, sweet tea and peach cobbler — these Southern classics, loaded with as much history as flavor, have become comfort foods for Americans from all over. But a study published Tuesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that Southern cuisine isn't serving African-Americans, whose ancestors imagined and perfected it, very well. The Southern diet may be at the center of a tangled web of reasons why black people in America are more prone to hypertension than white people. Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham crunched data collected from nearly 7,000 men and women older than 45 living across the U.S. — not just in the South — over the course of a decade. Their goal: to figure out why black Americans are at greater risk for high blood pressure. Over the course of the study, 46 percent of black participants and 33 percent of white participants developed hypertension — and diet seemed to explain much of the disparity. Black participants were much more likely than white participants to eat a Southern-style diet, which the researchers defined as one that heavily features fried foods, organ meats and processed meats, dairy, sugar-sweetened beverages and bread. And this diet was more strongly correlated with hypertension than any other factor the researchers measured, including participants' levels of stress and depression, exercise habits, income or education level. \"If you think about [the] disparity — African-Americans' life expectancy is about 3.5 or 4 years less,\" says George Howard, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who led the study. Hypertension — which can lead to heart attacks, stroke and kidney failure — is a big contributor to that, Howard says. Approximately 75 percent of black men and women develop high blood pressure by their mid-50s, compared with 55 percent of white men and 40 percent of white women of the same age. \"Figuring out why is sort of the holy grail of research,\" Howard says. \"And this study tries to take a stab at it.\" In some ways, the findings weren't terribly surprising, says biostatistician Suzanne Judd, also of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who co-authored the study. A diet high in fat, salt and sugar would increase the risk of hypertension for anyone, of any race. What does surprise Judd is \"how this one particular style of eating explained so much of the difference between the rates of hypertension for black and white participants.\" What it really came down to was the fact that while people of both races ate some amount of Southern-fried comfort food, African-Americans, on average, were eating much more of it — with the highest consumers eating something fried, overly salted or doused in fatty dairy every day. \"This has led me to wonder — what are we missing?\" Judd says. Could it be a matter of access to healthy options in minority communities? This recent study didn't measure that, nor was it able to calculate how several factors can work together to increase blood pressure. While higher levels of stress in black participants didn't seem to correlate strongly with hypertension in this new JAMA study, other research has found that the stresses of racial discrimination can affect blood pressure in direct and indirect ways. \"If you think about it, stress can, for example, affect how well people sleep, which can lead them to overeat or crave unhealthy food,\" Judd says. And then there's also the possibility that the food reveals something about the social history of those who eat it, Judd adds. African-Americans who eat soul food on a regular basis may be more likely to have descended from generations who suffered slavery, discrimination, poverty — and the health consequences. It's complicated. What it all comes down to, for Thomas LaVeist, a dean and professor of health policy and management at Tulane University, \"is the fact that diet is cultural.\" To truly untangle the relationship between disease and the Southern diet, he says, you have to start by understanding African-American foodways. \"See, the traditional African-American Southern diet was really designed for survival,\" he says. \"African-Americans were not able to access a balanced, nutritious diet during slavery and during Jim Crow. What they had was organ meats and parts of slaughtered animals that others didn't eat, and greens they grew themselves. And what they did is take those scraps and turn it into what's now an internationally renowned cuisine.\" That is, and should be, a matter of pride for the black community, LaVeist says. \"But the thing to realize is the food that once helped sustain African-Americans through a truly insane period of history isn't well-adapted to the food environment today, or the health challenges of today.\" Indeed, adds food historian Adrian Miller, \"Southern food, the way it's traditionally prepared, has been h", "Berlin is a favorite with many top American filmmakers and actors, and chances are you've seen landmarks from the German capital in movies — even when you didn't expect it. Take The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2. The film's fictional capital, Panem, was partly filmed at Tempelhof. This one-time airport was the focal point of a humanitarian airlift in 1948 and 1949 that helped break the Soviet blockade of West Berlin. One of the German capital's biggest Hollywood fans is Tom Hanks. He first came to Berlin four years ago when filming Cloud Atlas, and has been back many times since. \"I have been in the deserts of Morocco, I've been on the islands of Fiji, I've been in Moscow, London, Paris, Florence. I've been in some very glamorous world capitals,\" he tells NPR. \"But the affection I have for Berlin is much deeper than anywhere else.\" Hanks, who lived in Berlin last year during the filming of Bridge of Spies, says he's fascinated by the city's complex history, especially its frontline status during the Cold War between the Soviet Bloc and the West. \"The Cold War aspect of Berlin is something I grew up with,\" he says. \"It was in the news, it was part of our social studies.\" But Berliners themselves are also appealing, Hanks says. There's \"the most fabulous conversation to be had in your average coffee house or hotel lobby or cinema at 2 o'clock in the morning, as you are lining up to see an old movie that everyone else in the neighborhood is showing up to see as well.\" Such enthusiasm for Berlin, and Germany in general, from Hollywood A-listers is something the government has tried to nurture since 2008, says Die Welt newspaper's veteran film critic Hanns-Georg Rodek. \"The German culture minister said we must get big productions in order that German filmmakers can learn their craft, actually,\" he says. \"So you can get a percentage of your film's budget [from the government] if you do it in Germany.\" And American film and TV companies keep coming. Besides Bridge of Spies and the latest Hunger Games, the current season of the Showtime series Homeland recently wrapped up production in Berlin. A new spy series for American TV by Epix called Berlin Station is shooting at Studio Babelsberg now. The 103-year-old studio, which features Nazi-era architecture and sprawls over 40 acres on the outskirts of Berlin, is legendary among cinema buffs. Studio spokesman Eike Wolf says the concept for the V for Vendetta mask was created here, as was the countdown eventually used by NASA to launch spaceships. The countdown first appeared in the 1929 German movie Woman in the Moon, Wolf says. The studio grounds are chock-full of bits and pieces of Hollywood and TV productions, like the V for Vendetta mask and a Styrofoam recreation of part of the Berlin Wall. Studio Babelsberg \"is the full-service company for these film projects,\" Wolf says. \"We do location scouting, get all permissions. We take care of film funding, accounting, all the insurances. We set up the crew, we do set construction with our art department, so a film producer can get everything.\" But film critic Rodek says neither the studio nor the German government should rest on their laurels if they want to keep attracting American moviemakers. \"The problems for Berlin are not the technical capabilities, but the working costs,\" he says. Filming in Eastern Europe, for example, is far cheaper than in Germany. And Great Britain subsidizes a quarter of the costs of movie productions shot there, which is a lot more than the roughly $11 million maximum per film provided to American productions filmed in Germany, Rodek says. Hanks has another suggestion: \"If you want to attract the big motion pictures to your local film industry, the best thing you could do is probably build five or six very large, state-of-the-art sound stages that motion pictures can move into for their duration.\" Wolf says he agrees in theory, but that in reality, it's a costly proposition the studio can't afford without more big movie projects. Nor does Wolf believe sound stages can lure filmmakers away from the generous tax incentives and other funding provided in other countries. He says the studio is among those lobbying the German government to become more competitive. \"If we want to set up a really good film industry here in Germany,\" Wolf says, \"these subsidies must be so attractive that the American films are coming to Germany.\" SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Many top U.S. filmmakers and actors are choosing to shoot their films in Berlin. The capital of Germany provides the backdrop for the final chapter of \"The Hunger Games,\" in theaters now. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports from Berlin on the rewards and the struggles that can come with being a favorite destination for Hollywood. SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: Tom Hanks is one American actor you'll often see working here in the German capital, a city he came to know four years ago when filming \"Cloud Atlas.\" TOM HANKS: I've been in the deserts of Mor", "Many people think of the seedless watermelons popping up at grocery stores and markets everywhere in the last few years as a marvel of modern scientific technology. In fact, more than 60 percent of watermelon shoppers seek this smoother pink flesh, and the numbers are increasing every year, according to a recent survey done for the National Watermelon Promotion Board. The seedless melons sure are easier to eat and cut up for fruit salads. But they somehow don't taste the way they did when seed-spitting contests were the highlights of our summers. So here at The Salt we wondered, are watermelons destined to go the way of supermarket tomatoes, where flavor has been sacrificed for convenience? Continue Reading Before we get to that, a quick science lesson: How do you get a seedless watermelon? In a word - colchicine. The chemical, derived from the crocus and developed to treat and prevent gout since ancient Egypt, has found a niche in plant biology because of the way it impacts chromosome development. According to North Carolina State University's research blog, The Abstract, when young watermelon plants are treated with colchicine, \"... the eggs in the flowers develop with two sets of chromosomes (2n), instead of one. When the eggs are pollinated, they create triploid cells ... These cells are capable of maturing into fruit, but the seeds in that fruit are not genetically viable – so they can't be fertilized and develop the hard, black [seed coat].\" Hence, you get the little thin white \"seeds\" that you see in seedless watermelon, as opposed to the hard black ones good for spitting into your sister's hair (not that I'm admitting anything here). Basically, \"it's the watermelon version of the mule,\" as our colleague Andrea Seabrook put it a few years back. And that's what the public demands, so that's what most producers are growing. That brings us back to the question of what these immature seeds do to flavor. The official word: If you think seedless watermelons taste bland compared to the seeded ones, it's all in your head. It's nostalgia, pure and simple, says Todd Wehner of N.C. State's horticultural science department. Who can blame us when Mark Twain's Pudd'nHead Wilson said it so eloquently: \"It is the chief of this world's luxuries, king by the grace of God over all the fruits of the earth. When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat. It was not a Southern watermelon that Eve took; we know it because she repented.\" What really matters with watermelons is when they were harvested and how far they've traveled, Wehner says. In a fair taste test between seeded and seedless watermelons picked fresh from a field, \"the triploids always win,\" he says. The triploids — the seedless ones — have three sets of genes instead of two, so any genes that affect sweetness, flavor, and texture are more likely to be expressed. And, he adds, some people prefer the caramel flavor of the Sugar baby variety, while others like the straight watermelon flavor of Crimson sweets. So the definition of \"sweet\" is variable. \"Think about where we started back in 6,000 years ago,\" Wehner says. \"Watermelons came from southern Africa - they were white, hard, late maturing, low-yielding, and full of seeds.\" While the supermarket may only have one or two varieties of the red seedless ones these days, seed catalogs and farmers' markets offer dozens more. I feel an experiment coming on.", "In 1963, Alabama was culturally closer to Brooklyn than it is now. The Great Migration of African-Americans out of the South created enclaves in cities all over the country, and the Civil Rights movement trained the eyes of the North on cities like Birmingham. Alabama native Naomi Shelton came to Brooklyn that year with the gospel in her heart and soul music turning her head. She found a place to sing, a bar on Flatbush Avenue, and a musical partner in keyboardist Cliff Driver. Flatbush Avenue rang out with the sound of her Southern blend of grace and grit. Fast-forward to 2014, when the South's seems to be moving back toward that old proximity with New York. As part of the Daptone Records family, Naomi Shelton has been a key player in the soulful revival that's been heating up for the past few years. Shelton's powerful personality connects her to Daptone labelmate Sharon Jones, but grit and sense of the groove also recall the music of younger Southerners the Alabama Shakes. Produced with just a touch of reggae flavor by Daptones boss Gabriel Roth, \"Sinner,\" from her new album Cold World, out July 29, unfolds as intense testimony, with Shelton confessing and expressing her determination to rise above the pitfalls of the human condition. You can feel the spirit of the great Alabama gospel queen, Dorothy Love Coates, and her Gospel Harmonettes shining down on this track. Not just for believers, but also for anyone who's shouldered a burden, \"Sinner\" simply tells the story of one soul's survival through life's inevitable changes. Naomi Shelton has crossed many boundaries in her long career, and here she brings the spirit home.", "It's a good time to be a craft brewer, as Americans are thirsty for full-flavored and local beers. But when small breweries grow, they can also risk losing some of the \"craftiness\" their fans love. And when they expand, many brewers have to rewrite their recipes — starting with the water. As we've reported before, there are now about 2,000 breweries in ­the United States — the most ­­­since the late 1800s. And while most craft brewers are tiny operations that sell beer in just a few towns, others are expanding beyond their home states — selling and producing beer far from where they started. For instance, brewers New Belgium and Oskar Blues are expanding from Colorado into North Carolina. California's Sierra Nevada is doing the same. And while that means Southerners could soon get fresher beers from those brands, it will also likely force the companies to adjust their recipes and even chemically \"tweak\" the water at their new breweries. Continue Reading Water is an essential part of beer. But its flavor is only part of the equation. Water also supports yeast, which then eats sugar and turns it into alcohol. Those are two reasons why a town's water supply has long determined what the local beer tastes like. \"People have always thought about the water, because if you went back 100 years ago, when maybe you couldn't do anything about the water — people put breweries where there were great water supplies,\" Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver says. \"The flavor of the beer would often be based upon the local water. And they would position the brewery in the right place to take advantage of that.\" Oliver tells The Salt that these days, \"everything's been cleaned up so much — in wine, in beer, in food. And a lot of what is going on in craft brewing, in natural winemaking, in food movements, is bringing flavors of real stuff back. And also, it's giving things back a character of terroir.\" (That's the French word for the flavor something gains when it's nurtured by a certain plot of land.) For instance, consider the famed \"Burton snatch\" — a term for the sulfurous quality of certain beers, especially those made in Burton-on-Trent, England. As Oliver wrote in his Oxford Companion to Beer, \"high levels of sulfate in Burton waters (up to 800 ppm) bring a hard dry mineral edge... and this makes the water ideal for the production of pale ales.\" Its unique water turned Burton into a brewing boomtown back in the 19th century, building such a solid reputation that just a few years ago, it was called \"the world's most important beer town.\" \"What could be more terroir than a particular aroma that comes from the fact that their water has come down through these strata of limestone?\" Oliver asks. Looking For A Pure Source So what happens when a brewery is perfectly happy with its water — but decides to make the same beer across the country? To answer that question, I asked some brewers. \"We're lucky here in Chico [California] to have a really great and pure source of water,\" says Bill Manley, Sierra Nevada's product development manager. \"We do very little to adulterate the chemistry prior to brewing (deoxygenation and filtration).\" Manley says that for some of its beer styles, Sierra Nevada hardens the water to enhance the hops' flavor. And he adds that the company's new brewery in North Carolina is \"also blessed with naturally great brewing water.\" Sierra's goal with the new brewery will be \"to match the finished flavor profile of every beer so that it is identical to beer brewed in Chico,\" Manley says. Matching flavors can be a long and painstaking process, even when you use the same water. Michael LaLonde, COO of Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Ore., says his company ran into a flavor challenge when it added a new brewery in 2003. \"We actually took five years to flavor-match our old brewery to this new brewery, before we could actually sell that beer brewed in the new brewery,\" LaLonde says. After a batch of beer has been made, brewers then have specially trained staff taste it, to be sure it matches the flavors the brand is going for. LaLonde explains how the process works. \"The way we do it is, we actually have a triangle test,\" he says. \"So, we'll have one beer that's different than the other two. Our sensory panel tastes them all, and if they can identify the different beer, then we know we have an issue. If they can't, then we know that we have a flavor match.\" Art And Craft — And Some Science Not every brewery is lucky enough to sit on top of underground water deposits that are secretly perfect for a certain style of beer. But in the age of filters and chemical manipulation, is the idea of tasting an actual \"place\" in beer soon to become ancient history? Craft beer expert Julia Herz, of the Brewers Association, says no. \"No, it's not history,\" she says. In fact, we've been drinking taste-manipulated beers a long time. \"I think that you have to look at New World brewers making Old World styles... when they're trying to", "Sarah Lohman has made everything from colonial-era cocktails to cakes with black pepper to stewed moose face. She is a historical gastronomist, which means she re-creates historical recipes to connect with the past. That moose-face recipe dates back to the 19th century, and it wasn't easy. She recalls spending hours trying to butcher the moose from Alaska in her kitchen in Queens, New York. She tried scalding the face in hot water to remove the fur, but it didn't quite work and her apartment stunk of wet moose. But \"at the end of the day, people showed up and ate it, someone actually liked it, and then we ordered a pizza,\" she says. Spurred by her friends' enthusiasm, she started a blog. \"Every time I made something, a conversation would start. It was just this gateway ... as soon as they were eating, they were asking questions,\" she says. \"They loved the good recipes and the schadenfreude of the bad ones.\" Lohman's work got her wondering about the flavors that represent American cuisine and where they came from. That's the subject of her new book, Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine. She made a list of common flavors from many historical cookbooks, and used Google's Ngram viewer to count how often the various flavors were mentioned in American books from 1796 to 2000. Eight popular and enduring flavors emerged: black pepper, vanilla, curry powder, chili powder, soy sauce, garlic, MSG and Sriracha. \"I didn't so much choose the flavors that appear in this book, as discover them,\" Lohman writes. Researching the book \"really upended my idea of these flavors that always stood on the shelf in my kitchen,\" she says. \"I would always pick up a pepper grinder or a bottle of vanilla extract and would never think about what it was and where it came from.\" Many historical recipes don't exactly work now — like one for black pepper cake from Martha Washington. Lohman says the original recipe is \"really gross\" because it used as much ground spice as flour. She reworked it for our modern tastes, and says more people should be open to adapting recipes to taste rather than following instructions to the letter. \"I find when I'm teaching cooking classes ... my students are often afraid of doing something so massively wrong in the process of cooking that will be irrecoverable that they don't even try in the first place,\" she says. \"I would love to get back to a world where we can be a little bit more relaxed and confident in the kitchen.\" But Lohman quickly discovered there was much more than translating historic recipes for modern use: \"I didn't realize I was going to be telling the story of disenfranchised people in America throughout history.\" She says food study \"wasn't really seen as a real way of looking at society and culture\" until recently, because it's mostly a history of women, slaves and immigrants — \"the people that have been cooking for the people that have been enfranchised for the past 200 years.\" She hopes the book is \"a successful ode to these people that have affected our history in this country just as much as the establishment, but up till this point, have not gotten the attention they deserved.\" For instance, \"vanilla is here thanks to a 12-year-old slave who figured out a botanical secret no one else knew. Chili powder spread across the country because of entrepreneurial Texan-Mexican women who fed soldiers and tourists — and a clever German immigrant who was looking for a culinary shortcut,\" she writes. One story that stands out to her is the creation of Sriracha, which, according to the book, has \"seen a meteoric rise in popularity\" since its debut in 1980. Lohman notes sales of bottled Sriracha exceeded $60 million in 2014. She calls it a \"quintessentially American story\" — founder David Tran is ethnically Chinese, but he is also a Vietnamese refugee. He combined elements of French and Thai cuisine, using peppers grown on a farm north of Los Angeles to make a hot sauce produced entirely in Southern California. After the Vietnam War ended, the new government systematically targeted and forcibly expelled ethnic Chinese from the country, while charging each person $11,500 for the \"privilege\" of leaving. Tran, along with his immediate family and more than 3,000 refugees, boarded a Panamanian freighter called the Huey Fong. After arriving in the U.S., Tran needed to support his family. He was a hot-sauce maker in Vietnam, so he decided to try that in his new home. Now Tran's company is called Huy Fong Foods. \"This ... says immigrants are our culture; they are who we are,\" Lohman says. \"We have to broaden our idea of what an American is.\" She points out the Italians, who brought us garlic, were initially \"considered a separate race of people that were damaging to the climate of our country.\" She says that attitude is still playing out today. \"Food is something that is often accepted in this country before we accept the immigrants themselves. ... We happily buy hummus in our grocery store, but", "Barack Obama will give a major speech in Berlin, the site of famous speeches by Presidents Kennedy and Reagan. Andreas Daum, the author of Kennedy in Berlin and a history professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, says though Obama's talk may lack a unifying theme such as the Cold War, it does come amid common global challenges. MELISSA BLOCK, host: Barack Obama is in a middle of a week-long overseas trip. On Thursday, he'll deliver a speech in the heart of Berlin. And in doing so, he invites historical comparison. Berlin, of course, has been the venue for now-iconic speeches by U.S. presidents. In 1963, President Kennedy spoke before hundreds of thousands of West Berliners gathered outside what was then city hall. It was the height of the Cold War, one year after the Cuban missile crisis, two years after the Berlin Wall was built, dividing the city and keeping East Berliners from fleeing to the West. President JOHN F. KENNEDY: There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin. (Soundbite of applause) President KENNEDY: There are some who say, there are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. BLOCK: Kennedy asked Berliners to lift their eyes beyond the dangers of today to the hopes of tomorrow, hopes of a free and united Europe. And he closed with these words. President KENNEDY: All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore as a free man I take pride in the words: Ich bin ein Berliner. BLOCK: I am a Berliner. Nearly a quarter century later, in 1987, President Reagan spoke at the majestic Brandenburg Gate in front of the Berlin Wall. And he addressed those in East Berlin who could hear his words. President RONALD REAGAN: For I join you, as I join your fellow countrymen in the West, in this firm, this unalterable belief: Es gibt nur ein Berlin. (Soundbite of applause) BLOCK: There is only one Berlin. Reagan spoke of the deadly threat of Soviet nuclear missiles, the economic failures of communism, and the tentative steps toward reform and openness being undertaken by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, which led to these words. President REAGAN: General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. (Soundbite of cheers) BLOCK: The crowd went wild, and Reagan went on. President REAGAN: Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall. (Soundbite of cheers) BLOCK: Two years later, the wall was torn down and the Berlin that Barack Obama will visit is a transformed city. Andreas Daum joins us. He's author of the book \"Kennedy in Berlin,\" and a professor of history at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Professor Daum, welcome to the program. Professor ANDREAS DAUM (SUNY, Buffalo): Thank you for inviting me. BLOCK: Let's start with the Kennedy speech in 1963. It seems that the estimates of the crowd at that speech range hugely. How many people do you think were there? Prof. DAUM: There were roughly 450,000 people assembled. Some had gathered on balconies of friends who were fortunate enough to have an apartment near the square. Others were literally hanging in the trees. So the estimates vary, but we can be sure that there were certainly more than a million people in the streets of Berlin following his tour from the airport through West Berlin, and certainly way over 400,000 listening to his speech live. BLOCK: What was the significance to Germans, whether in the East or the West, as a U.S. president coming and saying those words in Berlin in 1963? Prof. DAUM: Well, let me just start by saying the only president who had visited Berlin while in office was Harry F. Truman, when he went to the Potsdam Conference in the summer of 1945. There was a crisis in German-American relations and American-European relations. There were all kinds of policy differences. And yet the Germans were eagerly waiting for this man. He encapsulated, he embodied a new generation. Let's just mention that Konrad Adenauer, who was then chancellor of West Germany, was almost twice as old as John F. Kennedy. So Germans were eagerly waiting to see, to hear someone, almost to touch someone who was young, who was dynamic and who represented an intellectually sophisticated understanding of politics that seem to, and did - at least partially - depart from the old Cold War paradigm. BLOCK: Let's fast forward 24 years, 1987, to the speech by Ronald Reagan, and he's commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Marshall Plan. He's also speaking in the midst of an arms race that's escalated in Europe - very different times, but many of the same issues. How were his words received in Germany? Prof. DAUM: Well, there wasn't that much fuss about his most famous line in his speech - Mr. Gorbac", "Thousands of people cross the U.S.-Mexico border everyday. An untold number buy tostilocos — chips loaded with toppings many might consider loco, as in crazy. The gastronomic marvel that is tostilocos involves a snack-sized bag of salsa verde-flavored Tostitos piled with hot sauce, pickled pork rinds, chopped cucumbers, jicama, deep-fried peanuts, tamarind candy, pickled fruit sauce called chamoy and a squeeze of lime. All those toppings go straight in the bag, and often spill out over the sides. This combination of salt, sour, sweet and heat will set you back about $3. And it is not for the faint of heart. \"I pride myself on trying everything at least once,\" says NPR photographer Kainaz Amaria, who crossed from Tijuana to San Ysidro, Calif., in March. But with the combination of the exhaust fumes at the border crossing, the \"electric pink\" fruit sauce and the pickled pork rinds plucked from a bucket, she says: \"I just couldn't do it.\" Amaria, Morning Edition Host Steve Inskeep and several producers traveled 2,428 miles along the Mexican-U.S. border this spring to gather stories of the area's unique culture for the Borderland radio and Web series. (For a slowed-down look at tostilocos, go here.) They found Fidencio Rodriguez, 46, making tostilocos in a stall he's had for 25 years near the port of entry where pedestrians and cars line up to cross. \"I like working here. I have my own schedule, and it's good work,\" he tells NPR. He's from Querétaro state, and says the tostilocos craze took off in 2011. But Southern food expert John T. Edge puts the snack's birth date back farther. It probably began popping up in Tijuana about 10 years ago as a cheap, fun filler at soccer games and along the town's Avenida Revolución after the bars closed, he says. Now the unique flavor profile is attracting the attention of everyone from high-end American chefs to Taco Bell. As Edge sees it, tostilocos is quintessential border food. \"It's almost like a Mexican reclamation effort,\" Edge tells The Splendid Table. \"It's like if American companies took tortilla chips and packaged them and sold them to everyone, that would be Tostitos. Then Mexican-Americans and Mexicans from Tijuana are reclaiming Tostitos chips for Mexico by adding all these things to them and creating a new product.\"", "When American novelist Anna Winger moved to Berlin seven years ago with her German husband, she didn't have much experience with the culture and she didn't speak the language. Though she had traveled extensively before her move to Germany, she says it was initially difficult picking up the language. It wasn't until she had children that she really learned to speak German. \"I kind of learned it on the playground to be honest with you,\" she says. As she spent more time in Berlin, Winger also became increasingly familiar with the literary scene. She found herself meeting English-speaking writers all over the city. And though she says there isn't a particular scene for English speaking writers in Berlin, the numbers are increasing. \"I have met so many so many different people with so many different backgrounds, most are American, but some are English, or Irish or Australian who are writing in English, living here, that we are kind of creating a scene of our own,\" she says. Winger published her first novel in 2008. This Must be The Place explores the friendship between a German man and American woman living in the same apartment building in Berlin circa 2001. After her book was released, she was approached by NPR to write about her experiences as an American living in Berlin. Rather than focus on herself, she decided it would better to hear several different voices talk about Berlin. \"I thought it would be a lot more interesting to have a lot of different writers talk about their experiences of the city so that we would have a kind of kaleidoscopic view on one thing. I think there are few cities that merit that degree of attention, but Berlin is a place that has been changing really fast in the last few years and there's just so much to say about it on so many different levels that having so many different people write about their very specific experiences of the city paints a really interesting picture.\" Though she had never worked in radio before, she was a lifelong listener of NPR and thought it would make a great medium for the project. \"I remember, when I was in graduate school, saying to my father, I'd come out of eight hours in the dark room and I'd feel like I'd had the most interesting conversation that I could have possibly had.\" As Berlin Stories begins its third season on NPR Berlin, Winger says she's really happy about the diverse line-up of writers involved in the series. \"Some of our best pieces have come from totally unknown writers and we really like the idea of the mix: Old and young. Men and women. Well known and not well known writers. Up and coming writers. Some of the people that have written pieces for us, although few, are not professional writers at all.\" When asked if she'll ever do a Berlin Story of her own, Winger says there might be one in the future, but for now she likes to give other writers the spotlight. \"I have lots of things I could write about...it's kind of fun to do something that's not about me but rather kind of about a collective experience. The thing about this project is that it's really a collective sort of labor of love.\"" ]

[ "10 TB" ]

[ "The Heights", "In the Heights", "Float On", "drive", "heights", "driving", "protoplanetary disk", "accretion disks", "Maximum Inc.", "floating fern", "A maximum wage", "float or slack", "Rhododendron maximum", "floating kidney", "floating palette", "floating voter", "Floating fountains", "IT capacity planning", "to float a basket", "Pacific Heights", "horse float", "Garden Heights", "floating bridge", "Photosynthetic capacity", "Capac Raimi", "Floating into the Night", "Dorchester Heights", "Arlington Heights", "University Heights", "On Floating Bodies", "Effective capacity", "Washington Heights" ]

[ "By . Steve Robson . PUBLISHED: . 20:34 EST, 27 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:58 EST, 28 February 2013 . Two Crown Prosecution Service staff face criminal fraud charges over an alleged £1million fraud involving bogus taxis for witnesses. Finance manager Lisa Burrows, 41, and another unnamed worker, face conspiracy to commit fraud charges over allegations concerning false claims for witness taxi services that were never supplied. Both work for CPS West Midlands. Finance manager Lisa Burrows and her colleague both worked at CPS West Midlands . Malcolm McHaffie, deputy head of special crime for the CPS, said: ‘Following a complaint by the Crown Prosecution Service and a subsequent investigation by West Midlands Police into two members of CPS staff, I have carefully considered available evidence in relation to Lisa Joanne Burrows, a finance manager, and another member of staff, an administrative officer. Both are employed by CPS West Midlands. ‘I have now concluded that it is appropriate to charge both Burrows and the other individual with conspiracy to commit fraud. The charge relates to an alleged £1million fraud involving bogus claims for taxi services (file photo) ‘The charges relate to an allegation that Burrows and the other member of staff, on or before 27 February 2013, conspired together to commit fraud by false representation by submitting to the Crown Prosecution Service false claims for witness care taxi services to the value of at least £1,000,000 when no such services had been supplied. This is contrary to s1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977. ‘This decision was taken under the Threshold Test of the Code for Crown Prosecutors. I have tonight authorised West Midlands Police to charge these two individuals, and Lisa Burrows has now been charged. The other individual has not yet been charged.' Lisa Burrows will appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court on February 28. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons." ]

[ "By . Mark Duell . A glamorous care worker stole nearly £10,000 to go on a fashion spending spree, a court has heard. Laura Nichols, 26, of Houghton, Pembrokeshire, plundered the bank account of a vulnerable 41-year-old man she was looking after while working as a team leader for a care company. Nichols admitted theft after stealing £9,831.99 over a year-long period from the man’s bank account - and spent the money on her love of fashionable clothes, shoes and handbags. Theft: Laura Nichols, 26, of Houghton, Pembrokeshire, plundered the bank account of a vulnerable 41-year-old man she was looking after while working as a team leader for a care company . Ellie Morgan, prosecuting, told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court: ‘Police found clothes, shoes and handbags at her parents’ house. Nichols said she had bought them herself.' However, Miss Morgan added that she 'admitted supplementing her account with the stolen money’. Her victim could not manage his own finances and received 24-hour care at his home in Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, the hearing was told on Tuesday. To be sentenced: Nichols admitted theft after stealing £9,831.99 over a year-long period from the man’s bank account - and spent the money on her love of fashionable clothes, shoes and handbags . Hearing: Nichols appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates' Court on Tuesday and will be sentenced next month . Nichols had full control of her victim’s finances because he could not remember his PIN to use a cash machine, the court heard. Large sums of money had been withdrawn across Pembrokeshire and in Cardiff - and withdrawals were made when the victim was visiting his parents in France. Jonathan Webb, defending, said Nichols had a second job at a pub but still found herself in ‘financial difficulties’. She will be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court next month.", "By . James Rush . Two Crown Prosecution Service employees have admitted making more than £1 million worth of bogus claims for taxi fares. Finance manager Lisa Burrows and officer worker Tahir Mahmood were warned to expect 'inevitable' jail terms after pleading guilty to fraud by abuse of position at Birmingham Crown Court. Burrows, 41, of Oldbury, West Midlands, and Mahmood, 50, from Hodge Hill, Birmingham, are believed to have used the proceeds of the five-year scam to pay off a mortgage and fund trips to Dubai. Jailed: Burrows and Mahmood were given six-year jail sentences as Birmingham Crown Court, pictured . The pair, who will be sentenced in July, showed no obvious sign of emotion as they admitted conning the CPS out of £1,021,475 by producing invoices for a fictitious cab firm purporting to cater for witnesses. Prosecutor Brian Dean told the court that investigators were still attempting to trace the proceeds of the fraud. Asking Judge Nicholas Webb for the case to be adjourned until July 4, the barrister said ongoing inquiries into international bank accounts were being made by the Serious Organised Crime Agency. Mr Dean added: 'There is not, at the moment, any explanation for where the money has gone. 'A financial analyst is considering all the information so that a sentencing judge can be given a very clear idea of precisely what has happened to the money.' It was possible, Mr Dean said, that Mahmood had used £120,000 to clear a mortgage, while Burrows was thought to have visited Dubai on many occasions. 'These things need to be run to ground so that the sentencing judge has a full and accurate picture of the precise nature of the spending and the whereabouts of the money,' Mr Dean said. Burrows and Mahmood were charged last month after an investigation by police acting on a complaint from the CPS. The pair admitted making more than £1 million worth of bogus claims for taxi fares (file picture) Mahmood, thought to be a former taxi driver, worked for the CPS as an administrative assistant. An earlier hearing at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court was informed that he opened bank accounts using a different surname to facilitate the fraud. The hearing at the lower court also heard that inquiries into Burrows’ finances found evidence of expensive purchases of designer clothes, jewellery and holidays. At the time of the previous hearing on February 28, no more than £1,400 had been found in accounts connected to Mahmood, who claimed no funds were left from the extensive fraud. The CPS colleagues, both of previous good character, were remanded in custody pending the preparation of pre-sentence reports. Judge Webb told them: 'You have both pleaded guilty to what is a serious offence and both of you recognise that the court will impose a custodial sentence when you come back to be sentenced.'", "The wife of the Sydney man Mohamed Elomar who is fighting with the extremist group ISIS in Syria, has been ordered to face court next week over charges she was preparing to travel to Syria to join the jihadi front. Fatima Elomar, 30, will appear in person at the Downing Centre court in central Sydney after Magistrate Lisa Stapleton told her lawyer that any further delays in the case were 'unacceptable'. On Tuesday, Ms Stapleton flatly rejected an application by Elomar's latest lawyer, Muhammad Tehseldar, to have her case adjourned for a further three weeks. Citing the fact it had been before the same court for mention seven times since Elomar's arrest by counter terrorism police in May last year, Ms Stapleton described any further delay as 'unacceptable'. 'She must be ready for committal or arraignment,\" Magistrate Stapleton said and order Elomar to appear on February 3. Scroll down for video . Enough is enough: Sydney magistrate Lisa Stapleton has ordered Fatima Elomar (pictured) to appear at the Downing Centre court in central Sydney next week on terrorism charges, saying any further legal delays were 'unacceptable' Be ready: Fatima Elomar (pictured, getting into her black Jeep Patriot following her last court appearance last November) has had her case up for mention seven times, but a magistrate has now demanded that the Brisbane mother face an arraignment or committal hearing . Poster boy: Ms Elomar's husband, Mohamed Elomar (pictured allegedly holding the severed heads of Syrian government soldiers) has become one of the Australian 'poster boys' for the extremist group ISIS since he travelled to war-torn Syria last year . New lawyer: Fatima Elomar (pictured at Goulburn Street parking station in central Sydney with her previous lawyer, Zali Burrows) has now appointed solicitor Muhammad Tehseldar, but his application to further postpone her case was rejected by magistrate Lisa Stapleton . Elomar, who is the mother of Sydney ISIS recruit Mohamed Elomar's four children, was arrested trying to board an international flight earlier this year to allegedly join husband Mohamed in Syria. She was allegedly carrying cash and camouflage clothing. Joint counter terrorism detectives arrested and charged Elomar with preparing for incursions into a foreign state with the intention of engaging in hostile activities. She has since appeared before a number of Sydney magistrates and last appealed to Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan in November not to have to appear personally in January because she had a baby to look after. The accused, whose face has been uncovered during her brief court hearings, has always donned a a full-face niqab when leaving the court complex for the street. During one court appearance, for which she brought along her four children, the family group all left court draped in cloths and blankets. Turning heads: Mother of four, Fatima Elomar, on a street corner in central Sydney last November after successfully appealing not to have to turn up in court in January because she had ababy to look after . Time's up: Fatima Elomar (pictured in full-face niqab on the street, right, and, left, with her previous lawyer, Zali Burrows) will now be arraigned on February 3 to face charges of preparing for incursions into a foreign state with the intention of engaging in hostile activities . Final appearance: Fatima Elomar pulls out of the parking station following her appearance at Downing Centre Court. Her lawyer Zali Burrow (pictured in Ms Elomar's Jeep) has successfully applied for Ms Elomar not to appear in person at the next court hearing because she has a baby to look after . Hoped reunion: Fatima Elomar (pictured, left, leaving court last year with her four children draped in sheets and cloths) is the wife of Mohamed Elomar (right) and mother of his four children. She was caught last May allegedly trying to leave the country to join husband, Mohamed Elomar (right) in Syria . High court bid: Fatima Elomar (above) with her former lawyer, Zali Burrows, leaving a central Sydney court after she briefly appeared on foreign incursion charges may still lodge an appeal against the Federal Government laying terrorism charges, saying the matters are unconstitutional . Ms Elomar has maintained since her arrest that she was travelling to Malaysia on holiday with her with her two young sons, daughter and baby. In the ensuing months last year, her husband Mohamed Elomar  became one of ISIS's 'poster' Aussie terrorists, posing in the besieged Syrian town of al Raqqa with a pair of severed heads and posting the photos on social media. Through her lawyer, Ms Elomar has said she is a ‘devoted mother’ of her four children and described the charges against her as ‘serious and over-zealous’. Ms Elomar (above, leaving the Downing Centre last year) appears in court with her face bare before covering up when she emerges onto the street . In a statement released following her arrest last year, Ms Elomar said her children had suffered enough from not being able to visit Malaysia for the holiday, and by being questioned by detectives. 'The ordeal of being interviewed without their mother, being unable to return home to their friends and school, having to adjust to a new way of life of reporting in to the police station with mum, and the task of trying to make new friends at a new school in a new state,’ Ms Elomar said in the statement. Ms Elomar's husband, Mohamed, is the nephew of convicted terrorist Mohamed Elomar, who plotted with four other men in 2005 to bomb targets in a bid to force Australia's government to change its policy on Middle East conflicts. Mohamed Elomar Snr is still wielding significant influence over would-be Australian jihadis, despite the fact he is being held in Australia's Supermax jail in Goulburn, NSW, the Australian reports. Mr Elomar is believed to have flown to Syria in 2013 with Khaled Sharrouf, a convicted terrorist, who fled the country on his brother's passport. Mr Sharrouf has also posted photographs of himself and his children allegedly from Syria on social media, with one of his sons posing with a severed head. Ms Elomar said last year through Ms Burrows that her arrest highlighted the pitfalls for travellers packing camouflage gear as a fashion item. 'At the end of the day this is an example of one must be careful what you pack to travel, let it be a travel warning to leave the camouflage pants at home and best check with Smart Traveller as to what the acceptable fashion is,’ she said. Ms Elomar will be arraigned on February 3. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.", "A teenage girl has been accused of recruiting her girlfriends to have sex with a 62-year-old  businessman for money. Chelsey Elizabeth Taylor, 17, pushed her friends into prostitution, according to police and prosecutors in Webster, Texas. The League City high school student solicited her 'easily manipulated' friends to provide sex for Michael Wayne McIntosh at his home in Friendswood this past summer, according to Galveston County prosecutor Adam Poole. Chelsey Elizabeth Taylor (left) allegedly solicited her 'easily manipulated' friends to provide sex for Michael Wayne McIntosh (right) at his home in Friendswood, Texas . Webster police detective David Nettles says the student would drive the girls to McIntosh's home and receive a percentage of more than $3,600 paid to the girls. The girls would call the 62-year-old 'Money Mike' and according to court documents, Taylor brought younger girls to have sex with him because she hated him and believed the girls would 'take one for the team'. Police say the friends were as young as 14 when they were allegedly brought to the house for sex. McIntosh's neighbor, Lindsay Diekman, told ABC: 'I mean, they're young, real skinny girls -- different girls all the time.' The alleged teen madam is charged with compelling prostitution. She's free on $40,000 bond. McIntosh is charged with three counts of sexual assault on a child and is free on $120,000 bond. Police have so far identified eight victims with more potentially still to come forward.", "By . Andy Dolan . PUBLISHED: . 08:06 EST, 30 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:48 EST, 30 August 2013 . Two Crown Prosecution Service staff who swindled more than £1million from the taxpayer to fund a high-rolling lifestyle were each jailed for six years yesterday. Finance manager Lisa Burrows, 42, and her boyfriend, Tahir Mahmood, 50, worked ‘as a team’ to rake in up to £4,000 a week in a ‘colossal’ fraud stretching over five years. They set up a fake taxi firm to lodge hundreds of claims for non-existent journeys, which they claimed were to transport witnesses to and from court. Team: Lisa Burrows, an area manager with the . Crown Prosecution Service, left, operated a £1million fraud over five . years with her tax-driver boyfriend Tahir Mahmoo, right. They have both . been jailed for six years . The pair spent thousands of pounds on designer clothes, jewellery and holidays in New York, Spain and Dubai, cleared credit card debts and a mortgage, and put down a £20,000 cash deposit on a bungalow. They were so arrogant they named the fake taxi firm B&M Taxis, which stood for their surnames.Yesterday the lovers showed no emotion as they were jailed for what a judge described as a ‘gross abuse of trust’. Birmingham Crown Court heard that Burrows – who had worked at the CPS for more than 20 years – met Mahmood in an internet chat room in early 2008. He was a taxi driver and she began giving him legitimate driving work with the CPS at the Birmingham office where she worked. Prosecutor Brian Dean said Burrows was aware of the vast sums of money the service spent on taxis. Mahmood quickly suggested the fraud and within months of meeting the pair had set up the fictitious company. The court heard he had changed his name by deed poll to Joseph O’Neil to set up the account for the bogus taxi firm. Finance manager Lisa Burrows and her colleague both worked at CPS West Midlands . Lisa Burrows and Tahir Mahmood were both jailed for six years at Birmingham Crown Court today . Burrows signed off the invoices while Mahmood ‘held the purse strings’ managing the account and withdrawing the money. Last year, Burrows found her lover work as a trainee administrator at the same CPS office, but the pair kept their relationship a secret from colleagues. The scam was missed by four annual audits and was only uncovered in February when a colleague became suspicious of the amount Burrows was paying to B&M Taxis. By the time the pair were arrested later that month, they had stolen £1,021,475. Police found 11 B&M Taxis invoices in Burrows’ handbag which were ready to be submitted. Mahmood, who has children from a previous relationship, was discovered to have withdrawn more than £985,000 from the dummy account. Spoils: Burrows and Mahmood also visited New York with their stolen money . Financial investigators discovered that Burrows, who earned £24,000  a year as a regional finance manager, spent almost £250,000 on her Marks & Spencer credit card during the fraud. They found a receipt for an £8,000 luxury hotel stay in New York and a bill for a £10,000 trip to the five-star Dubai Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Burrows bought dozens of designer handbags and jewellery from high-end shops including  Tiffany and Prada and the department store Bloomingdale’s, while Mahmood was found to have put down the cash deposit on the bungalow in Erdington, Birmingham. Mr Dean said: ‘The money was spent on high living, foreign holidays, designer handbags, jewellery, expensive meals and deposits on properties. Burrows identified that the CPS spent considerable sums on taxis. They decided to exploit that by making claims for non-existent journeys. ‘Mahmood played a full and significant role in the conspiracy in the initial planning of the fraud and by ensuring that they could get their hands on the money in cash form by setting up bank accounts in false names. They were caught red-handed and had little option but to plead guilty.’ He said investigators are still working to discover how more than £660,000 of the stolen public money was spent. Burrows, of Oldbury, West Midlands, and Mahmood, of Hodge Hill, Birmingham, admitted a single count of conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of position between January 1, 2008 and February 28, 2013. Judge William Davis QC said they had carried out a ‘huge fraud on the public purse causing substantial losses to a department already under serious financial pressure.’ He added: ‘The fraud was motivated purely by greed. ‘The fact the fraud involved the Crown Prosecution Service and was committed by a senior member of that service – the body responsible for bringing criminals to justice – will have affected and eroded public confidence in that service.’ Luxury: The couple took holidays to laces such as Dubai with the proceeds of their fraud .", "By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:11 EST, 16 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:26 EST, 16 August 2013 . A 41-year-old Florida woman has been arrested for having sex with a teenager but she claims the minor seduced her not the other way around. Lisa O'Neill, who owns a flooring company in Royal Palm Beach, admitted to sleeping with the unnamed boy multiple times over the past 10 months and sending him naked photographs of herself, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said. But, according to a police report, the married woman said he seduced her while she was under the influence of alcohol. Arrested: Lisa O'Neill, pictured, who owns a flooring company in Royal Palm Beach, has been arrested for sleeping with a teen . The woman remained in county jail late on Thursday in lieu of $37,000 bail. The teen told sheriff's deputies he and O'Neill began flirting in June 2012 after the older woman started texting him about 'sexual stuff.' According to the Sun Sentinel, he said three months later she threw a party at her house and gave him several Bud Light beers. He left the party after drinking the alcohol, but she later invited him back to er house over text message and he returned. The two had sex the first time that night, according to the report. In the months that followed, the teen asked O'Neill for naked photos and videos of herself, and she complied. Jail: The married woman is being held in Palm Beach County jail, pictured . Police recovered seven incriminating photos from the teen's phone. Four of the images were of O'Neill naked and three of her in her underwear. The pair continued having sex for months, though the boy said only once at his request. The most recent encounter was in May, when the woman sent the teen a menssage asking him to meet her at a closed Toys R Us store. At that meeting, O'Neill told the boy that 'she could get in a lot of trouble' if anyone found out about the relationship. On Wednesday, a deputy appeared at O'Neill's house and asked her to come to the sheriff's office for questionin but she declined and was arrested. O'Neill faces sexual assault and cruelty toward a child charges. She admitted to deputies that she had sex with the victim and sent the images of herself to him. The woman runs a flooring business called O'Neill Brothers flooring in the Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach area. It's not clear how old the teen is.", "PUBLISHED: . 12:57 EST, 25 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 15:43 EST, 25 January 2014 . Jailed: Lisa Mitchell was caught stealing thousands of pounds from an elderly woman and her husband - after their worried son turned detective and hid a secret surveillance camera inside a pen . A carer was caught stealing thousands of pounds from an elderly woman and her husband - after their worried son turned detective and hid a secret surveillance camera inside a pen. Lisa Mitchell was working as a carer for 81-year-old Sheila Read, who had dementia, when she helped herself to cash totalling £35,000 over four years from the couple's home in Dereham, Norfolk. Her crime was uncovered when Mrs Read's son, Allan, noticed money going missing, Norfolk Police said. He set up a CCTV camera in a pen strategically placed in an office inside the house. Mitchell was filmed on two occasions in the office which she had no reason to enter. She was pictured going through the bureau and the elderly man's wallet. Mr Read, who ran the family business with his father, had made a note of serial numbers on the bank notes which police then used along with the images to prove the offence. Mitchell, 38, of Dereham, pleaded guilty to theft and was jailed for 18 months at Norwich Crown Court, the force said. Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Gemma Weeks said: 'Over four years Lisa Mitchell took advantage of an elderly couple whom she was trusted to care for. 'She thought nothing of helping herself to their personal money and cash from their family business, which she spent on jewellery and designer handbags. 'Even when presented with CCTV evidence, Mitchell denied stealing from this vulnerable couple, and could not account for living beyond her means. 'Over and above the financial impact of her crime is the emotional one, particularly when it appeared that Mitchell was searching for money instead of caring for the elderly lady.' Video nasty: Mitchell was filmed via the secret pen entering an office and going through a wallet .", "The policeman shot and blinded by Raoul Moat has formed a close friendship with a survivor of the 7/7 terror attacks. Pc David Rathband, 43, has been photographed out with Lisa French days after splitting with his wife. Lisa French, 34, who was seriously injured in a blast on board a bus six years ago, was introduced to Pc Rathband at a charity event, the Sunday Mirror reported. Close friendship: Pc Rathband walking with 7/7 survivor Lisa French after splitting from his wife . The pair were pictured out walking together days after the officer announced on Twitter that he was divorcing Kath, 41, after 20 years. Pc Rathband, a father-of-two, was blinded after being shot in the face by Raoul Moat while he was sat in his police patrol car. Shot: Fugitive Raoul Moat blasted Pc Rathband while he was sat in his patrol car in July last year . Lisa, who was a BT human resources manager, was knocked unconscious by the bomb which killed 12 people on the No 30 bus in Tavistock Square in July 2005. Miss French lives close to Pc Rathband in Newcastle and was on a trip down to London six years ago when she was caught up in the atrocity. She told the 7/7 inquest how she decided not to sit next to bomber Hasib Hussain, 18, because she had her laptop with her and didn't think there would be space as he had such a large bag. Instead, Miss French sat four rows in front of him on the upper deck. She suffered perforated eardrums as well as broken teeth, cuts and bruises in the blast – and described herself as ‘very lucky’. Pc Rathband separated from his wife after being arrested on suspicion of assault by his colleagues in Northumbria Police. The former traffic officer was spoken to at the scene and officers gave the couple advice before leaving. No further action was taken. The couple remained in contact with one another and appeared to be rebuilding their marriage. However, two weeks ago he wrote on Twitter: 'Sad to announce Mrs R has called time on our marriage. Separation permanent.' Break-up: Pc Rathband, 41, announced he was splitting from wife Kath, 43, on Twitter . In response, minutes later she Tweeted: 'Slight inaccuracy in the tweet by @pcdavidrathband - He left us and refuses to come home.' Just a day later Pc Rathband was pictured out with Lisa French near his home. PC Rathband was shot twice at close range by Moat as he sat in his traffic car at a roundabout in the West Denton area of Newcastle in July last year. Blast: Lisa French was seriously injured after Hasib Hussain blew himself up on this No 30 bus in Tavistock Square on 7/7 . He was left with more than 200 pellets lodged in his skull yet gave evidence at the trial of Moat’s two accomplices, Karl Ness and Qhuram Awan. Both were jailed in March this year. Since then PC Rathband, who has won bravery awards, has launched his own charity, the Blue Lamp Foundation, to help emergency service personnel injured in the line of duty. Raoul Moat shot himself after being cornered by officers.", "By . Hugo Gye and Daniel Bates . PUBLISHED: . 02:41 EST, 20 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:41 EST, 20 August 2013 . A wealthy hedge fund manager who used $113million of his clients' money to fund a life of luxury has been fined and banned from the finance industry for five years after agreeing to settle over the charges. Phil Falcone was famous for rising from a humble background and dramatically falling from grace in the wake of the financial crisis. His hedge fund, Harbinger Capital, once managed assets worth $26billion, although that has now fallen to a fraction of its former value. Ban: Phil Falcone has been barred from the finance industry for five years and fined $11.5million . The five-year ban brings an end to Falcone's controversial career as an asset manager, although he is still able to run non-financial companies. He is said to have borrowed clients' cash to pay for his estate on the Caribbean island of St Barts and a $10million renovation on one of his two Manhattan homes. The money allegedly kept the hockey team he owns in business and paid for the running of his private jet. And some was also reportedly used to finance wife Lisa’s film production company Everest Entertainment, which made the 2010 Samuel L. Jackson movie Mother and Child. The new settlement agreement comes after the SEC rejected an earlier proposal because it was too lenient, lacking any admission of wrongdoing or a full industry ban. Phil Falcone, pictured with his wife Lisa Marie, left, is accused of illegally using $113million of his company's money to maintain his life of luxury . 'Falcone and Harbinger engaged in . serious misconduct that harmed investors, and their admissions leave no . doubt that they violated the federal securities laws,' said Andrew . Ceresney of the SEC. 'Falcone . must now pay a heavy price for his misconduct by surrendering millions . of dollars and being barred from the hedge fund industry.' The . 51-year-old, who made a hugely successful bet against the subprime . mortgage market before racking up steep losses from a failed wireless . startup, said in a statement he was 'pleased' to reach a settlement. 'I believe putting these issues behind me now is the best course of action for me and our investors,' he said. To . settle the charges, Falcone will have to admit to the SEC charges, . paying around $11.5million in fines, while Harbinger will pay $6.5 . million. New York home: Phil Falcone is said to have borrowed the cash to pay for his estate on the Caribbean island of St Barts and a $10million renovation on one of his two Manhattan homes . The charges mark the latest step in the downfall of one of Wall Street's most colorful investors who has been profiled in Vanity Fair and a string of business magazines. Last year, He was named the 1,075th richest man in the world by Forbes magazine with a fortune of $1.1billion - but that was not enough to save him. The SEC complaint states that in 2009 Falcone ‘fraudulently’ borrowed the $113million from a $2.4billion fund operated by Harbinger to pay his personal tax bill. Ironically, the fund had banned anxious investors from taking their own cash out. Falcone is said to have kept his actions quiet for months until June 2010 when it became overwhelmed by investor demands for their money back, and an SEC investigation was begun. The complaint states that the same time Falcone ‘undertook significant personal expenditures’ including paying for his own personal security detail. Left to right: Joshua David, Lisa Maria Falcone, Edward Norton, Robert Hammond and Philip Falcone attend the First Party on the High Line at High Line Park on June 15, 2009 . There were ‘extensive’ renovations on his $49 million Upper East Side townhouse he had bought from former Penthouse publisher Bob Giuccione. He also had to maintain his $10million townhouse a few blocks away complete with Vietnamese potbellied pig which had been bought one Halloween as a present to his twin girls. The SEC however claims that it was not until it began investigating that Falcone finally got his financial affairs in order - and by then he had allegedly broken the law. Falcone, a father-of-two, was the son of a utility superintendent who came from a working class family in Chisholm, Minnesota, before he began his rise to riches. He was educated at Harvard and was a Varsity hockey player before entering finance and earning $1.7billion betting against sub-prime mortgages in 2007. Splurge: Falcone is said to have borrowed the cash to pay for his estate on the Caribbean island of St Barts and a $10million renovation on one of his two Manhattan homes . With the money he and his socialite wife Lisa Marie splashed out and lived a life few could dream of. He spent millions to become the minority owner of his beloved Minnesota Wild hockey team while she devoted herself to becoming a member of society New York and became famous for her designer clothes and penchant for Christian Louboutin heels. She became a board member of the New York City Ballet and paid $50,000 for a seat at the American Friends of Versailles Tour in 2007. In 2009 however, Lisa Marie put noses out of joint by storming on stage during the gala for the High Line park in which she seized the microphone and gave an impromptu announcement that she and Falcone would be giving $10million on top of the $1.4million they had pledged already. Falcone’s luck started to run out when his $3billion wireless network company LightSquared went into bankruptcy because regulators ruled it could not go forward as it would mess up GPS navigation systems.", "By . Kieran Corcoran . Two fraudsters who stole more than £1million from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in a taxi expenses scam have been told they need only pay back £300,000. Lisa Burrows, 41, and Tahir Mahmood, 50, worked for the state prosecutor in the West Midlands, and stole money from their employer by billing fake taxi journeys for court witnesses to their own bank accounts. They spent the money paying down a huge chunk of the mortgage on a house, while splurging on designer clothes and upmarket hotels in Dubai. Fraudsters: Lisa Burrow, left, and Tahir Mahmood, right, set up a fake taxi . Both of pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position in Birmingham Crown Court last March and given six year prison sentences for taking a total of £1,147,101. It was discovered the swindlers were still sitting on £600,000 of taxpayers' money on their first day in prison. Shortly after they were imprisoned it emerged that the two were still holding around £600,000 of the haul - but a court hearing designed to recover the money for the public purse offered them a more lenient repayment. Burrows, a former finance manager at the CPS, was ordered to repay £73,213 by January 1 or have her sentence lengthened by 18 months. Mahmood, a junior member of staff in Burrows' office who was also her lover, was told to return £233,991 by January or have his sentenced extended by two years. During the fraud - which continued for five years - he had operated the bank account, withdrawing money which had been fraudulently sent to bogus company B&M Taxis. The company - named after Burrows and Mahmood themselves - supposedly ferried witnesses to and from court cases, but in fact the journeys were invented and the cash spent on high living. Jailed: Burrows and Mahmood were given six-year jail sentences as Birmingham Crown Court, pictured . Brett Wilson, defending, said both of his clients would have to sell properties to pay back the cash during the hearing at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday. He added: 'For Mr Mahmood, while there is some cash that can be used and some from a sale of a property, it does leave him a balance to find from either borrowing or the sale of another property.' Burrows, of Oldbury, and Mahmood, of Hodge Hill, accused each other of launching the scam after they met in 2008. When they were sentenced originally, Judge Davis QC condemned the pair for the serious breach of public trust, saying they were driven by 'pure greed'. He said: 'That money went on high living – expensive holidays in Dubai and New York, designer clothing, jewellery... It is difficult to envisage a more serious fraud of its type that the one you committed.'", "Two teenage girls have been charged with abuse after filming themselves laughing as they hit an elderly resident at the Illinois care home they worked in. Chemyra Barnett and Jacqueline Santos, who are both 18, were charged with aggravated battery of a person over 60, and unlawful videotaping in court on Friday. The teenagers have also been banned from the Rosewood Care Center, where they were alleged to have hit a 98-year-old woman. Arrest: Jacqueline Santos, left, and Chemyra Barnett, right, have been charged with aggravated battery . Police were called to the care home on Thursday, after another employee contacted them to report the alleged abuse. Barnett and Santon, who had both worked at the home for less than a year, could be seen laughing as they struck the elderly woman, who has dementia, according to court documents. The young nursing assistants are also accused of sharing the video with friends. Their alleged victim, who has not been named, was not injured in the attack. 'It's just a sad situation all around,' police spokeswoman Lisa Blackwell told the Chicago Tribune. Bail has been set at $15,000 each for the pair, who are due to appear in court again on March 27. Shocking: The nursing assistants are accused of filming themselves laughing as they hit an elderly woman . Fired: Barnett, above, and Santos have lost their jobs at the care home . As part of their bail conditions, Barnett and Santon were banned from going to the care center or contacting the victim or her family. They have also been banned from having a cell phone or sharing the video. Ivy Gleeson, the nursing home administrator, confirmed that the nursing assistants had been fired, adding: 'In our facility, resident safety is our utmost concern.'", "Charged: Paul Hewitt, pictured leaving Exeter Magistrates' Court today, is one of seven managers and 15 other care home staff accused of ill-treating residents . Twenty two members of staff at three care homes have appeared in court accused of abusing vulnerable residents and keeping them prisoner. Seven senior managers and 15 workers face a total of 86 charges - 11 counts of ill-treating patients and 75 counts of false imprisonment. The offences are alleged to have taken place at the Veilstone, Gatooma and Teignmead homes in Devon, run by Atlas Project Ltd. All the homes were shut down in 2012 and the residents moved elsewhere. The charges say seven victims were 'unlawfully and injuriously imprisoned' and detained against their will on 68 separate occasions. Three victims are said to have been ill-treated by staff on five occasions while being treated 'for mental disorder as an in-patient'. Exeter Magistrates' Court heard the alleged abuse occurred at the care homes, in north and south Devon, between December 31 2009 and January 1 2012. All three homes, which cared for adults with learning disabilities, were closed in 2012 following inspections by the Care Quality Commission. Two more workers have been summonsed to appear at the court next week to answer eight charges of false imprisonment and one of ill-treating a patient. District Judge Stephen Nicholls committed the case to Exeter Crown Court where the defendants will next appear on November 21. Speaking after the hearing, Detective Inspector Steve White, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: 'This case is unique in terms of the number of suspects, the complex needs of the victims and the volume of investigation material. 'It has and continues to involve many partners and agencies and we will continue to work together to support those affected as the judicial process continues.' The defendants are all former employees and worked at Gatooma, in Holsworthy, Teignmead, in Teignbridge, and Veilstone, near Bideford. Case: Jolyon Marshall (left) and his wife Rachel are also managers accused of offences related to three care homes in Devon . Case: Camilla Cameron, Christine Kent, Lisa Pluckrose and Lee Farrant (top left to bottom right) are among 15 other staff accused of poor care . Seven defendants, described as 'senior managers' by police, were arrested and charged with separate offences of false imprisonment and ill-treating patients. They are: Victoria Cobbett, 25, of Bideford; Paul Hewitt, 68, of Teignmouth; Russell Hewitt, 40, of Teignmouth; Jolyon Marshall, 39, of South Molton; Rachel Marshall, 29, of South Molton; Timothy Stevens, 43, of Bideford; and Emma Turner, 27, of Teignmouth. It is alleged that the seven, who were all released on conditional bail, conspired together to commit the offences between 2009 and 2012. Fifteen members of staff appeared before the same court to answer summonses for offences of false imprisonment. Four of them also face a charge of ill-treating a patient. Case: Sarah Eke (right holding the hand of an unknown man) is accused of false imprisonment . Chloe Massey-Caines is accued of false imprisonment while James Lawson is accused of false imprisonment and ill-treating a patient . Natasha Stapleton leaves Exeter Magistrates' Court with an unnamed man, where she is accused of false imprisonment . Julie Barlow, 50, of Bideford,  Simon Beechey, 38, of Westward Ho, Dawn Bond, 46, of Holsworthy, Sarah Eke, 40, of Holsworthy, Aaron Jones, 32, of Bideford, Christine Kent, 55, of Okehampton, Chloe Massey-Caines, 25, of Bristol, Alison Palmer, 41, of Holsworthy, Mark Pilbrow, 35, of Barnstaple, Lisa Pluckrose, 45, of Bideford, Natasha Stapleton, 40, of Torrington, are all accused of false imprisonment charges. Camilla Cameron, 23, of Holsworthy, Lee Farrant, 28, of Bideford, Lucy Cawsey, 26, of Bideford, James Lawson, 39, of Bideford, are accused of ill-treating a patient and false imprisonment charges. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.", "By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 07:30 EST, 10 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:30 EST, 10 December 2012 . A spy appeared in court today to deny sexually assaulting and beating a colleague. The MI5 officer - who is known in court by the pseudonym 'Mark Barton' - is accused of attacking the female colleague between August and December last year. Today, 'Barton' appeared at London's . Southwark Crown Court behind a screen to deny four charges: two of . assault, one of sexual assault and one of putting a person in fear of . violence and harassment. Spy base: Thames House in Millbank, London, is the headquarters of MI5 . The security services officer, who will also go on trial under his false name, spoke only to deny the charges. Although the 28-year-old is screened from the public, the jury will see him and all the witnesses. The witnesses will also be given anonymity and be referred to by numbers and some first names, the court heard. The defendant is allowed to go through the court process under a false name because of fears that his life would be at risk if he were to be identified. Judge Alistair McCreath, the Recorder of Westminster, set a seven-day trial for June 24 with a pre-trial review listed for April 2. 'Barton' was released on bail with conditions of not contacting the complainant. Southwark Crown Court: The MI5 officer appeared in court this morning to deny the charges against him . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.", "By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:17 EST, 24 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:12 EST, 24 January 2014 . Accused: Brenda Watts was arrested for allegedly stealing $1m from school lunch line . A dinner lady has been accused of stealing more than $1million from pupils' lunch money during five years manning the canteen tills. Former cafeteria manager Brenda Watts has been arrested by police in Fulton County, Georgia. The alleged thefts took place at North Springs High School in north Fulton County. Police claim this was a long-running and extremely profitable theft scheme. A whistleblower has provided detectives with a video from inside the North Springs cafeteria. It apparently Watts bypassing four lines that each had a cash register to keep track of the money, instead taking the money before it could be passed through the records. Now Fulton County school police obtained 10 arrest warrants for Watts. The warrants accuse Watts of stealing $500 a day from the cafeteria. The whistleblower Beth Walsh said the a la carte line had been running 'at least 15 years, up to maybe 20.' The police charge suggest that Watts stole $500 a day. That's $2,500 a week, which is a staggering $90,000 in a school year. Over 15 years, that would be $1,350,000. According to the arrest warrants, Watts lives in a five-bedroom, 5,400 square-foot home in south DeKalb County. Watts retired last June, the day after Channel 2 Action News aired the first story about North Springs. She had been with the school system for 26 years. Position of trust:Brenda Watts, former cafeteria manager at North Spring High School in Fulton County, is alleged to have taken around $500 a day for at least five years from payments made for food . Walsh was fired but said she does not regret blowing the whistle. 'You know, just, if you feel like something's going on, look into it. You could be wrong. But if you're right, you're doing the right thing,' Walsh said. In a statement issued by Deputy Fulton County School Superintendent Patrick Burke, he said: 'Beyond taking appropriate personnel actions, when a potential crime occurs, we will investigate and work with law enforcement to prosecute to the full extent of the law.'", "A crazed stalker who tried to give a CBS journalist an apple has agreed to spend 90 days in a psychiatric facility in a bid to avoid a jail sentence. Richard Pagani, 30, pleaded guilty to the third degree stalking of CBS anchor Diane Macedo, consenting to a three-month stay in a Coney Island Hospital. The New Yorker posted photographs of Macedo on his Facebook and Twitter accounts. Richard Pagani, pictured repeatedly tried to contact CBS News anchor Diane Macedo in person and online . Pagani tried to meet Macedo while she was covering the funeral of a policeman in Queens, New York . Pagani even took photgraphs of Macedo while she was appearing on television before positing them online . He even took photographs of Macedo appearing on television and uploaded them onto the internet. In one bizarre Facebook post, Pagani claimed: 'I'm surprised my c*** didn't fall out of my pants when I saw you on television.' On one occasion, Pagani approached Macedo while she was covering the funeral of a police officer and tried to give her an apple. When she wouldn't accept the fruit, Pagani slammed it against the news van. He also tried to visit Macedo at the CBS office in Manhatten. Pagaini also posted some images on Twitter where he claimed not to be talking about an unnamed individual . In a later post, Pagani took a photograph of himself, posted it on the internet describing himself as 'stir crazy' Pagani also retweeted a selfie posted on the internet by Macedo's colleague Andrea Grymes, left . According to the NY Post, Judge Lisa Sokoloff asked Pagani at Manhattan Criminal Court: 'Do you admit when you saw her sitting inside the news van you approached the van, knocked on the window and offered her and her colleague an apple and when she refused to acknowledge your presence you slammed the apple into the hood?' He replied: 'Yes.' Judge Sokoloff warned Pagani that he would be sent to prison if he attempted to contact Macedo again. Judge Lisa Solkoff ordered Pagani to spend 90 days in a psychiatric institution . He was also ordered to avoid contacting Pagani either in person or over the internet or face prison .", "London (CNN) -- A bank trader accused of fraud in connection with a $2.3 billion loss in unauthorized trading reported by Swiss giant UBS is \"sorry beyond words,\" his lawyer said Thursday. Kwaku Adoboli was remanded in custody until October 20 by the City of London Magistrates' Court. In a statement to the court, lawyer Patrick Gibbs said his client was \"sorry beyond words for what happened here.\" His client \"went to UBS himself,\" the lawyer said. Adoboli faces a charge of fraud by abuse of position between January and September 2011, causing losses in excess of $1.5 billion, and two counts of false accounting. A new charge of fraud by abuse of position from October 2008 to October 2010 was also added Thursday. Adoboli's legal team has not applied for bail and he has not yet entered a plea on the charges. The 31-year-old was first charged Friday, a day after he was arrested in connection with the discovery of unauthorized deals at UBS. The Financial Services Authority, the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Prosecution Service are also involved in investigating the case. UBS said no client positions were affected by its $2.3 billion loss. But the \"unauthorized trading by a trader in its investment bank\" could cause UBS to post a loss in the third quarter of this year, it said. The loss would potentially be among the largest ever to a bank in unauthorized trading. CNN's Erin McLaughlin contributed to this report.", "An ex Queensland health employee has broken down in court after being sentenced to two years prison after stealing nearly $40,000 in overtime. 36-year-old Karma Elms faced the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to the offence before becoming defensive about the course of events. Magistrate Wendy Cull handed down the two-year prison sentence which is to be suspended after three months saying that the fraudulent behaviour was planned and systematic. 36-year-old Karma Elms has been sentenced to 2 years jail after stealing nearly $40,000 in overtime . The offence saw 36-year-old, Karma Elms scam the Health department out of $39,352 over 15 months. According to the Magistrate, Elms showed a 'degree of defensiveness' despite pleading guilty and made note of the fact that she had travel a long way to get to work. She has not yet repaid the debt and is on the brink of bankruptcy after spending all of the stolen funds on credit cards, rent and gift hampers. 'Clearly you are a poor manager of your personal finances and have spent money that far exceeded your income,' The ABC reported Magistrate Cull said. Elms was hired by Queensland health in 2010 to help with the large workload after the department's flawed payroll system was introduced that left 1800 employees with little or no pay. The Caboolture woman pleaded guilty to the charges and is still to repay the $39,352 as she has spent it all . The court was told that the Caboolture woman may have been suffering from anxiety from work demands . The court was told that the Caboolture woman may have been suffering from anxiety from the extra work demands. Magistrate Cull told the court that Elms had a disadvantaged childhood with an abusive stepfather who she escaped at the end of high school and now supports her mother. Despite her background and a glowing reference from her new employer, the Magistrate said she had swindled money that she had no right to. Elms' lawyer, Mark Williams said she is apologetic about her actions and has rejected the idea that she wished to refute the charges. The Crime and Corruption Commission hope to use Elms as an example to other public servants. 'It is totally unacceptable that public money was diverted from other essential health services which should benefit all Queenslanders,' acting director Paxton Booth said. 'If public sector employees defraud the Government, they can expect to be caught and prosecuted.'", "A woman has been charged with assault after she allegedly threw a cup of boiling hot water in the face of a co-worker at a Sydney university cafe. Police will allege that a fight broke out between a 53-year-old woman and a 26-year-old staff member at a cafe at the University of Technology at Ultimo, in the CBD, before the older woman threw hot water in the eye of her young colleague. The 26-year-old was treated for burns at the Sydney Eye Hospital where she was listed as stable on Wednesday night. Staff have been involved in an altercation where a woman was burnt in the face with a hot cup of tea . A UTS spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that the university was helping police with their investigations. 'UTS was very concerned to learn of the incident, which occurred in a food outlet owned and operated by a third party, and is cooperating with NSW Police,' the spokesman said. He said none of the staff involved were directly employed by the university as it the 'building 6 cafe' was an independently operated business. A 53-year-old was arrested at the scene and taken to Sydney Central Police Station where she was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm. She was granted conditional bail to appear at  Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday 12 November 2014.", "A couple falsely claimed £90,000 in benefits to fund their dream wedding in Cuba which took place while they were on bail for previous fraud. Tracey Dougherty, 38, and Stephen Turner, 60, claimed tens of thousands of pounds together over a period of 15 years. Dougherty told officials she was a single mother of four to claim income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit while Turner claimed out-of-work benefits despite being a self-employed driving instructor. Tracey Dougherty and Stephen Turner conned officials out of almost £90,000 in benefits that was used in part to fund their lavish Cuba wedding . The couple's deception was discovered when police searching their Wigan home found wedding invitations on which Ms Dougherty boasted about paying for guests' flights. She was jailed for eight months while her husband was ordered to repay more than £2,000 following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court. The court heard how Dougherty had been claiming taxpayer's money on the premise that she was a single parent since 2000. She had in fact moved in with Turner who was also given government money as his mother's carer for a spell. Alone the woman claimed more than £84,000 over 12 years, all the while living with her partner. In August 2013 the couple were arrested when officials suspected they had been committing benefit fraud. The couple flew 20 guests to the exotic destination for their 2013 nuptials after being bailed for fraud . Ms Dougherty claimed benefits for a single parent despite living with her partner and her four children for 12 years . The following month, after denying living together, they married in the exotic setting while on bail, the conditions of which did not prevent them from travelling abroad. They both pleaded guilty to falsely claiming benefits at Liverpool Crown Court. Council bosses have slammed their behaviour since. Councillor Paul Kenny said: 'This couple lived a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the local taxpayer. 'At a time when people are struggling to make ends meet, this kind of behaviour will no doubt frustrate those footing the bill. 'Benefits are there for people who need them, not for those who want to subsidise their income and pay for expensive holidays.' The couple appeared before Liverpool Crown Court where they admitted benefit fraud. Dougherty was jailed for eight months while her husband must repay more than £2,000 .", "By . Francesca Infante . PUBLISHED: . 12:24 EST, 9 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:59 EST, 9 October 2013 . Greedy: Sara Beale pictured leaving court today after pleading guilty to stealing more than £10,00 from her elderly father . A daughter stole more than £10,000 from her frail father as he battled Alzheimer’s in a nursing home - to fund her online gambling addiction. Sara Beale, 45, blew the cash on shopping and ‘evil’ internet betting rather than her 70-year-old father Brian Beale’s care, a court heard. Beale, who regularly withdrew money from her father’s account over 10 months, has walked free from court after pleading guilty to theft. He initially received respite care at home for his health problems, including Alzheimer’s disease, Southampton Crown Court heard. But his behaviour became difficult to manage and it was arranged that he would move into a home full time. Beale - who has a young son herself - met with social services and the home and agreed to pay £158 a week from her dad’s funds to cover costs. But no money arrived and she later wrote a letter to social services saying she was no longer responsible for his finances and he should be invoiced. Authorities decided her father was unfit to look after his accounts and agreed they would take control. A trawl of his bank records revealed the elderly man’s pension was still going in - but his daughter had taken out £10,167 over 10 months. Beale was arrested and initially denied taking the money, but later admitted it and said she had spent it on gambling and trying to pay off debts. Judge Derwin Hope handed Beale, from Sholing, Hampshire, a 12-month suspended sentence and 200 hours’ community work. Sentencing, Judge Hope said: 'Gambling is an evil addiction, you got caught up in it and committed this high breach of trust.' Evil addiction: The Judge at Southampton Crown Court said that Beale had committed a 'high breach' of trust .", "A NYPD sergeant has been indicted along with a Colorado woman on charges of conspiracy to molest her one-year-old child. Keira Norton and officer Alberto Randazzo each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison if they are convicted. Randazzo, 38, was arrested In February on charges of downloading child pornography. At the time he was on bail and before the courts for soliciting women to sexually abuse their children. NYPD sergeant Alberto Randazzo has been charged with conspiracy to molest a 1-year-old after police uncovered a series of Skype video chats with a woman where they claim he directed her to abuse her child . Norton was arrested after investigators went through Randazzo's laptop and uncovered 11 files of Skype video conversations between the two, the New York Daily News reports. Court papers detail the conversations between the two in late 2010. In one video Norton follows instructions from Randazzo to perform sexual acts on the child. The child has not been publicly identified. Norton, 44, was arrested last year and has been held at Rikers Island jail because she cannot pay her $100,000 bail. Randazzo, who has been on the force for 15-years and is assigned to the Midtown North Precinct, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is currently suspended without pay. Randazzo is also accused of possessing 23 child pornography images and videos (stock image) Randazzo allegedly admitted to federal agents that he had downloaded about 30 video files depicting child pornography while he was free on bail. In relation to that matter, he is accused of possessing 23 still images and videos depicting lewd acts involving children as young as one, on his cellphone and laptop. Randazzo is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center.", "A woman caught stealing sunglasses from cars parked at her children's high school has told officials that she was searching for members of terrorist group ISIS. Lisa Carol Roche, 41, was charged with commercial burglary of an automobile after authorities caught her taking various personal items from vehicles outside East Central High School in Mississippi. The mother claimed that she was looking for members of the Islamist State of Iraq and Syria, a Jihadist militant group believed to be responsible for the recent series of beaheadings of journalists and aid workers. Lisa Carol Roche, 41, was charged with commercial burglary of an automobile after authorities caught her taking sunglasses and other personal items from vehicles outside East Central High School in Mississippi . Investigators believe there is no merit to the woman's claim, spokeswoman Cherie Ward told the Sun Herald. Officials said her children attend classes at the school where she was caught. Roche, of Hurley, was taken to the Jackson County jail and detained with no bond pending an initial court appearance. She faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, if convicted.\\ . She faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted .", "In disgrace: Commander Sarah West, 41, was dramatically removed from the frigate HMS Portland amid claims she was having an affair . Royal Navy top brass were last night accused by women MPs of ‘disgraceful’ sexual prejudice over their treatment of a female warship captain stripped of her command after allegations of an affair with a male officer. Commander Sarah West, 41, was dramatically removed from the frigate HMS Portland and flown back to Britain in disgrace after reports emerged that she was having a relationship with a male subordinate officer. West – the first woman to captain a frontline warship in the Navy’s 500-year history – was hauled off her ship amid claims she breached the military’s strict codes of social conduct. She was also accused of letting down women in the services for allegedly getting involved with a married colleague, Lieutenant Commander Richard Gray, 37, while on operations. While the MoD has confirmed that Cmdr West has been removed from her command, they have refused to say what action, if any, Lieut Cmdr Gray will face. Two female Labour MPs questioned if a man would have been subjected to such swift military justice or similar public humiliation. Gisela Stuart, a member of the Commons Defence Select Committee, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I am wondering that if she had been a man and it had been the other way around whether the [military] machinery would have managed to move with such speed. 'It is all rather sad. I think she has probably been judged more harshly than a man in a similar position would have been. There is a lack of clarity over what has been proved and what the consequences are for those involved.’ Madeleine Moon, another committee member, said West’s treatment by the Navy had been ‘disgraceful’. She added: ‘The treatment of Sarah West gives out a message that women who achieve her rank and seniority will be punished in a way that is more rigorous and more public than if it were a man.’ However the longest-serving woman in Royal Navy history came to the service’s defence. Warrant Officer First Class Susan Morgan, who retired from active service in 2012 after a 34-year career, said: ‘The public need not worry about the outcome of this situation. It will be treated with the same sense of equality as with a male commander.’ 'Sexism': MPs question whether the same punishment would have been levelled at a man . Sarah West was considered a rising star among her generation of officers. She is now set to be given a lower-profile position in the Navy. A new, and as yet unnamed, captain has been appointed to HMS Portland, which returned to Britain last weekend after a seven-month deployment around the coastlines of Africa, the Falkland Islands, South America and the Caribbean. She docked at Plymouth with her second-in-command, Lieut Cmdr Rob Brann, at the helm. Also on board was Lieut Cmdr Gray, who married his second wife in December 2013, just a month before the ship set sail.", "Police investigating fraud at A4e have arrested a sixth person. The firm is owned by David Cameron's former adviser Emma Harrison (pictured) Detectives investigating fraud at welfare-to-work company A4e arrested a sixth person yesterday. The firm, which holds Government contracts, is owned by David Cameron’s former adviser, Emma Harrison. In January, four former A4e employees, two men and two women, were arrested after it was alleged that they had falsely claimed that customers had been placed into employment. Three of the staff involved were suspended once the allegations had been made and the other had already left the business. All four have now left the company. Another woman was arrested in March. All have been released on bail. Yesterday, . a 33-year-old man was arrested in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, on . suspicion of fraud. He was also released on bail. Police . officers first visited the firm’s offices in Slough after allegations . were referred to them by the Department for Work and Pensions. A spokesman said: 'Thames Valley Police officers investigating allegations of fraud in connection with A4e have arrested a sixth person. 'The 33-year-old man was arrested from an address in Milton Keynes this morning. 'The arrest was on suspicion of fraud and he has been released on bail until mid-June. 'Four . people arrested in January, two men aged 35 and 41, and two women aged . 28 and 49, and a 35-year-old woman arrested in March, have also been . released on bail until various dates in May and June. 'The investigation remains ongoing and there are no further updates at this time.'", "By . Ian Gallagher . Last updated at 12:57 AM on 8th January 2012 . Fall from grace: Derek Smith has been forced to resign from West midlands Police after claiming expenses for a hotel stay with a female colleague . A married police finance chief has quit  his £121,000-a-year job over an expenses claim for an unauthorised hotel stay with a blonde female colleague. Derek Smith, who advised the Government on charging for police services, faced an investigation into the £200 bill. But the West Midlands Police civilian director of finance and resources resigned before the inquiry – conducted by another force – was completed. Mr Smith was also a member of the Association of Chief Police Officers and helped lead West Midlands Police’s £750 million cost-cutting drive, involving hundreds of job losses. An internal investigation into alleged misconduct by the woman, a civilian police worker who is understood to be married, has also been launched. She is not expected to lose her job. It is not the first time Mr Smith has been at the centre of controversy. In June last year it was reported that a £40,000 BMW 5 Series car – normally used by undercover officers – was stolen from outside his home, raising questions about why desk-based staff had access to emergency vehicles. It was kitted out with sirens, police radio and special covert blue lights and was said to be for ‘personal use’. It was unclear how long Mr Smith had been using the car. He spent 20 years with the West Midlands force and had a range of responsibilities, including managing the human resources department, the police estate – its stations and patrol bases – and its fleet of vehicles. In his senior management role, which included attending conferences, Mr Smith was authorised to charge legitimate expenses – including hotel stays. But his fall from grace began after he booked into a Manchester hotel, where he was joined by a female colleague, and charged the stay to the force. The stay was not linked to any police-related event. Long career: Mr Smith had spent 20 years with West Midlands Police (above) where his latest post was that of civilian director of finance and resources . The £200 claim is understood to include the accommodation bill, drinks, food and travel expenses. A West Midlands Police spokesman said its professional standards unit was ‘made aware of an allegation of misconduct against two members of police staff’ in November last year. He added: ‘The allegation concerns the use of police funds in connection with expenses, travel and accommodation. West Midlands Police expects every employee to act with integrity and honesty. ‘In line with our values, any allegation of misconduct or inappropriate behaviour will be investigated by our Professional Standards Department. ‘One individual has left the force. The second individual concerned  continues to be investigated under  the police staff disciplinary arrangements.’ The spokesman defended the decision to accept Mr Smith’s resignation rather than pursuing costly misconduct proceedings. ‘Regardless of the outcome of  the investigation, it was felt by  the individual concerned, the force and the Police Authority that  this person’s position would be  untenable,’ he said. Mr Smith had offered to pay  back the money ‘and this will be accepted’. It is understood there is no suggestion of financial impropriety involving the woman and the allegations are  not serious enough to risk her losing her job. Mr Smith could not be reached for comment last night. When contacted by The Mail on  Sunday, his female colleague said: ‘I’m sorry, I can’t comment on that.’", "Career in tatters: Jonathan Burrows has resigned from his job with asset managers BlackRock . A high flying city executive who dodged rail fares for five years has been branded as 'greedy' and 'selfish' after his identity was revealed. Jonathan Burrows has been unmasked as the mystery fare dodger of East Sussex who hit the news after settling a £43,000 bill for unpaid tickets over five years. The 44-year-old investment executive is thought to be the biggest fare dodger in history - avoiding the £21.50-a-day fee, despite owning two mansions worth £4million. He had hoped to avoid prosecution and publicity by reimbursing Southeastern trains just three days after being caught by a ticket inspector last November. Law-abiding commuters were outraged when the story broke in April that the rail firm had allowed him to quietly settle the allegations without being prosecuted. Now they have condemned his actions further. Lee Harris from London said: 'Apart from losing his job and getting the publicity that he so badly wanted to avoid, it is the selfish attitude of people like him that makes me sick. 'Did he think that all his honest fellow travelers were mugs? I bet he wishes he could turn the clock back now.' Stephen Kandy, also from London, said: I just don't understand how this man got away with it for so long. 'I know the Hastings/Cannon Street train well - Stonegate is one of the stops on the way - and the ticket inspectors are always on the train, and check tickets after every stop.' Richard Barclay added: 'The guy has the good fortune to earn a spectacular amount of money and he still doesn't want to pay for his rail ticket like everyone else.' Another said: 'Earns over one million a year and scams the transport system of a few thousand a year. Beggars belief how tight people can be. He is said to have told Southeastern he wanted his name kept secret because of the impact the scandal could have on his job.' But the Mail can reveal that his career is in tatters after British Transport Police read the story in the Press and began investigating. The news also came to the attention of City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority, with which  Burrows was registered. It started its own probe over concerns that his actions showed a lack of probity that could make him unsuitable for City work. But it wasn’t until last week that he warned bosses at asset management firm BlackRock – who knew nothing of his fare-dodging shame – that they might be getting a call from the regulator. The married father of one was suspended from his job as a managing director and when BlackRock pressed him on the nature of the investigation he quit. Although his resignation brought the FCA probe to an end, the scandal means he is unlikely to be able to work in finance again. A City source told the Mail: ‘Burrows was a very senior fund manager with BlackRock, dealing with hundreds of millions of pounds on a daily basis. But only last week he suddenly told his bosses, “The FCA might give you a call”. ‘He only let slip in passing that it was about this £40,000 fare-dodging payment. They suspended him immediately, but he refused to explain anything at all about the fare-dodging – and when more questions were asked he resigned without a payoff. ‘I’m amazed the FCA aren’t continuing their investigations even though he’s no longer registered with them. If they did, and found he has dodged rail fares for five years, I’d expect him to be barred from the industry for life. Even as it is I doubt he’ll ever be able to work in the industry again. ‘He won’t get much sympathy, but he has lost his livelihood.’ Scroll down for video . Barred for life? One City source told the Mail that Burrows could struggle to find work again . Dodge: Burrows managed to commute from Stonegate to central London for just £7.20 a day because his home station had no barriers . Porsche-driving Burrows owns two huge, mortgage-free mansions in the East Sussex countryside – a £1million house near Wadhurst and his impressive home near the village of Stonegate, which he bought for £2.725million in 2011. He shares the Victorian property – which boasts acres of landscaped grounds, ponds and a tennis court – with his wife Louise and their young child in an isolated spot not far from Stonegate station. Last night a Range Rover and a £30,000 Land Rover Freelander could be seen at the property. His commuting scam was uncovered last year when a ticket inspector at London’s Cannon Street station, close to Burrows’s office, saw him swiping through the ticket barriers with his pre-paid Oyster travel card. The inspector realised Burrows had been charged only £7.20 – the modest penalty imposed when a passenger has failed to swipe in at the start of a journey. Burrows admitted having failed to use his Oyster card to tap in for five journeys between London Bridge – where he got off his train from East Sussex – and Cannon Street, which should have cost him just £2.30 a time. However, further inquiries revealed that until 2008 Burrows had been buying an annual season ticket from Stonegate, which has no ticket barriers, to Cannon Street, which costs around £4,500 a year for standard class. A standard daily single fare is £21.50. Rural: Pictured is Stonegate station, from which Burrows dodged his fares for years . He had then stopped buying season tickets, but simply continued working in London, apparently only paying £7.20 for the brief final leg of his long train journey. Southeastern told Burrows he owed them £42,550 in unpaid fares, plus £450 in legal costs. Burrows paid up promptly, apparently hoping that would be the end of the affair and no one would find out what he had done. But in April the tale emerged, and British Transport Police contacted Southeastern and began a criminal investigation. Last night, BlackRock spokesman Jonathan Mullen said: ‘Jonathan Burrows has left BlackRock. ‘What he is alleged to have done is totally contrary to our values and principles.’ Asked about the case by the Mail, Burrows said: ‘Dunno what you’re talking about.’ British Transport Police and Southeastern said they were still investigating. An FCA spokesman said that when anyone applies for fresh authorisation, ‘past misconduct will be taken into consideration’, adding: ‘That doesn’t have to be a criminal record, it can be anything that calls into question someone’s fitness and propriety to work in the industry.’", "By . Neil Sears . PUBLISHED: . 19:41 EST, 28 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:52 EST, 29 November 2013 . The huge wealth of Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson meant that paying £1million a year in credit card bills for their five personal assistants was considered too ‘trivial’ to worry about, a court heard yesterday. Yet when an accountant investigated he found two of the assistants had spent £685,000 on themselves in only four years. One of the pair spent more than £8,000 . on designer clothes in a single day, had flown to New York and back for . almost £5,000, and stayed at the Ritz in Paris. Scroll down for video . Wealth: Charles Saatchi and . Nigella Lawson paid £1million a year in credit card bills . for their five personal assistants, a court heard yesterday . Accused: Elisabetta Grillo (left) and her sister Francesca arrive at . Isleworth Crown Court yesterday where the jury has heard they spent £685,000 . on company credit cards . But in a case laying bare the bitter break-up – and sensational cocaine addiction allegations – between £100million art collector Saatchi and his former wife, the jury were told it took years for the alleged massive fraud to emerge. Personal family assistants Elisabetta Grillo, 41, known as Lisa, and her sister Francesca, 35, each deny a single charge of fraud at Isleworth Crown Court in West London. Glamour: Soho House Hotel in New York where Francesca allegedly spent £613 on June 3 last year . The pair, who live together in central . London, are said to have spent wildly on restaurants, flights, and . fashion, as well as taking out thousands in cash, on Coutts credit cards . given to them by the wealthy family. Over four years up until June 2012 they allegedly spent a total of £685,000 on themselves. But . Mr Saatchi, and the financial team running the former advertising . guru’s modern art gallery and collection, and Miss Lawson – who has her . own fortune of £20million – were so awash with cash it was only a chance . occurrence that uncovered the Italian sisters’ spending. It . happened when the sisters ordered a taxi with a firm kept on account by . Mr Saatchi’s art company Conarco, and left it waiting for an age . outside the family home. Irritated by its beeping, 70-year-old Mr . Saatchi made enquiries. He was shocked to discover it had been waiting to take one of his personal assistants to a polo match in Berkshire. Mr Saatchi’s finance director at . Conarco, Rahul Gajjar, told the court that although he had noted . Francesca Grillo’s credit card spending creeping up – with her monthly . limit leaping from £25,000 to £100,000 – he had not yet thought to raise . the matter. Only when the taxi issue arose did he . investigate properly and tell Mr Saatchi that each month Francesca was . spending on average £48,000 and Lisa £28,000. Luxuy: Francesca spent £1,424 at Gansevoort . Hotel in New York (left) in June last year, the court heard. She also . used the credit card the same month to pay a £1,280 bill at the Ritz . hotel in Paris on the day she bought a Chloe dress for £723, it is . alleged . 'Spending spree': Elisabetta spent thousands of . pounds on designer clothes from Calvin Klein at Harrods (left) and . Harvey Nichols (right), both in central London . Miss Lawson was typically spending . £7,000, while three other assistants, Anzelle Wasserman, Alice Binks and . Zoe Wales, were on average spending £8,000, £6,000, and £3,000. Those bills totalled £100,000 a month or £1.2million a year. Mr Gajjar said of the massive credit . card bills: ‘It was on the back burner. We were dealing with more . serious corporate matters and Mr Saatchi and Miss Lawson normally didn’t . have time for what we thought was trivial matters.’ It was, the court was told by . prosecutor Jane Carpenter, a tale of luxury goods and designer shops . from a group of people living the type of ‘high life’ usually only seen . ‘portrayed in glossy magazines’. Yet even as the scale of the sisters’ spending emerged, Mr Gajjar investigated in a surprisingly informal way. Credit card spending: Charles Saatchi, 70, arrives at Isleworth Crown . Court where he will give evidence against his two former PAs . who are accused of spending £685,000 . Evidence: Charles Saatchi is ushered into the court by security as he makes his way past press photographers yesterday . Appearance: Mr Saatchi is seen arriving at Isleworth Crown Court where . he will today give evidence against Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo . He told the court that he knew how . close they were to the family – with Lisa having worked for Miss Lawson . for 14 years, originally as a nanny, and Francesca for ten, at first as a . housemaid – and did not want to upset them. So he met them in the kitchen of the . large family home early last July to discuss their spending on the . cards. He said he ran through the bills for the Coutts cards they held . in their own names, and detailed masses of expenditure which the women . readily accepted had been for their personal benefit. Mr Gajjar listed the sisters’ personal expenditure in June last year alone. Francesca had spent more than £4,700 . on flights to New York, where she spent £1,850 at high-end fashion store . Miu Miu and more than £2,000 on hotels. She also used the card to pay a £1,280 . bill at the Ritz hotel in Paris on the same day that she bought a Chloe . dress for £723. On June 12 she spent £5,385 at Miu Miu London, and . £2,650 at designer store Prada. Departure: Charles Saatchi leaves the court yesterday after being . discharged by the judge. He will now give evidence tomorrow . Court hearing: Mr Saatchi gets into a taxi outside Isleworth Crown Court . yesterday after being sent home for the day just half an hour . after he arrived . 'Trivial': Mr Saatchi's accountant said he did not tell the millionaire about the credit card spending earlier because he considered it a 'trivial' matter . Lisa visited more high street shops . and fewer high fashion boutiques than Francesca – with Zara and John . Lewis among them – but still managed to rack up almost £5,000 personal . expenditure in the month, including cash withdrawals on her card. Among other luxury brands the women . blew thousands at Dolce and Gabbana, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Vivienne . Westwood and the Four Seasons hotel group. But other personal assistants not . charged with any offence also spent money – at Annabel’s nightclub, the . Babington House country venue and on Christian Louboutin shoes. Anthony Metzer, QC, defending Lisa, . said of the Grillos: ‘They believed they were authorised to incur this . personal expenditure.’ 'Slavery': Finance director Rahul Gajjar told Isleworth Crown Court yesterday that Elisabetta Grillo, 41, complained that she was being treated worse than Filipino slaves during conversations with her about credit card spending . Mr Gajjar said that at first both . women talked of wanting to move on – but their tone changed when he . asked the pair to sign letters admitting defrauding Mr Saatchi and Miss . Lawson, and promising to slowly pay it back while still working for . them. It was said that Francesca apparently . turned against her employers through outrage that Miss Lawson had phoned . the elite London private members club Soho House and cancelled her . membership. And the Grillos were also said to be . furious when one of the couple’s children said they had heard the . sisters had bought a house with money they stole from the family. The . Grillos deny buying any house with the cash. Claims: TV cook Nigella Lawson is expected to give evidence to the court next Wednesday against her former employees . Thanks to supporters: As Saatchi was arriving at court today, Nigella tweeted a recipe on Twitter . Mr Metzer told the court that the . Italian sisters worked long hours for ‘modest’ salaries – £25,000 for . Lisa and £28,000 for her sister – and suggested it was common practice . for assistants to be allowed to spend on themselves. He has told the court he plans to . claim Miss Lawson allowed them to spend like crazy in return for them . keeping quiet about her prolific drug abuse. The case continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.", "Lisa Kays, mother of two, ran after-hours Latin club . By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 12:54 EST, 15 February 2012 . A high school teacher has been arrested on three counts of rape and two of oral sex after encounters with a 17-year-old male student. Lisa Kays, 46, taught Spanish at the school and ran the after-hours Spanish-Latin Club. She was taken away from the Putnam City High School in Oklahoma on Monday and arrested on five counts of sexual assault. Scroll down for video . Rape charges: Lisa Kays, 46, of Yukon, Oklahoma was arrested on three counts of rape and two of oral sodomy . Kays, from Yukon, was held at Oklahoma County Jail on Monday but released after posting bail. Police said charges against the teacher were likely to be filed this week after suspicions were raised by an email sent on the internal mail service used on the high school campus. According to the Oklahoman, Kays' husband Skyler Kays had filed for divorce last month. The estranged . couple had been married for 26 years and have two children. Chief Stout said: 'The teacher was . arrested for a total of five counts which referred to five separate . sexual encounters with the student. Distress: Kays taught Spanish at Putnam City School where she was said to have been carrying out an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old student . 'Three of these were at the school, inside the school building, after school hours when a few people were around. 'One of the incidents occurred off-campus in the city of Warr Acres and another in Oklahoma City.' Putnam City Schools Superintendent Paul Hurst also told a news conference: 'We know that this is a distressing time for our students, we want to provide as much support as we can for them. 'Any student who needs to talk with someone, we will make sure that a caring adult is available for them.'", "By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 10:42 EST, 19 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:18 EST, 19 September 2013 . 'Ruthless and resourceful': John Anslow was sprung from a prison van while on route to court . A man accused of murder escaped a prison van on his way to court after jail staff took shortcuts with security, a court has heard. 'Ruthless and resourceful criminal' John Anslow, 33, fled a secure van still in his handcuffs after it was held up by a gang of men wearing balaclavas and armed with a shotgun and sledgehammers. Woolwich Crown Court heard that Anslow, who admitted conspiring to escape from custody, had just left HMP Hewell, near Redditch, Worcestershire, in January last year. Prosecutors told the court that Anslow managed to smuggle a mobile phone out of prison after guards failed to perform proper checks despite the prisoner being classed as an escape risk. Michael Burrows QC said that Anslow was strip searched and asked to squat by an officer on the morning he escaped. But guards failed to make him sit on a special chair which scans inmates for electronic devices. Mr Burrows said: 'That morning, none of the prisoners were scanned in that way. 'One of the prison officers says of that \"it was staff just short-cutting the process to make it quicker\". 'John Anslow was an E-lister (escape risk), following his search he should have been put in a holding cell on his own. 'But that morning, he wasn’t. He was put in a holding cell with at least 10 other prisoners who were also going to court that morning.' He added that Anslow, of Tipton, West Midlands, 'is a ruthless and resourceful criminal who arranged his own escape with help from others'. As his prison van was driven out of the jail’s grounds, a Volkswagen Scirocco pulled in front of it and three men got out and launched an attacked. Gone: Anslow escaped from this prison van after another vehicle stopped in front of it and threatened guards with a shotgun and sledgehammers . Hunt: Police didn't catch Anslow until March this year, more than a year after he went on the run . Mr Burrows said in the moments beforehand another inmate who was also being transferred began asking Julie Curran, a prison officer escorting them, whether they were on camera, where they were going first and if there was another van in front of them. Mr Burrows said: 'His questions prompted her to say to John Anslow \"Bloody hell, John, you ain’t got nobody to hold this van up, have you?”’ Once the van was attacked the driver was pulled out of his seat and punched in the face by one of the attackers while another pointed what appeared to be a sawn-off shotgun at him. Shortcuts: The court heard that security guards at the prison failed to carry out proper checks on Anslow before he left for court . Anslow told Miss Curran to let him go. He fled while still wearing handcuffs. He was eventually arrested on March 14 this year in north Cyprus and deported back to the UK. Four other people - Paul Cadby, 47; Luke Hazel, 24; Moysha Shepherd, 23; and Ryan Powell, 21, all from Birmingham - have also admitted conspiring to free Anslow. Ben O’Reilly, 30, Craig Wright, 29, Anslow’s partner Samantha Glover, 27, Daniel Morgan, 29, Robert Riddell, 41, and Stuart Reid, 52, all deny the same charge. Failures: Anslow should have been placed alone in a custody cell at the prison before leaving for court, but was placed in a holding room with ten other inmates . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.", "A teenager is facing life behind bars after she was charged with aggravated murder in connection with the death of her foster mother. Sabrina Zunich, 19, was arrested following the murder of Lisa Knoefel in November 2012. Last month a Lake County jury convicted her foster father Kevin Knoefel of conspiring to kill his wife. The 43-year-old, of Ohio, was accused of having a sexual relationship with his foster daughter and showing her how to stab his wife. Sabrina Zunich has been charged with aggravated murder in connection with the death of her foster mother . Kevin Knoefel (left) was convicted last month of conspiring to kill his wife Lisa (right) Prosecutors told jurors that Kevin Knoefel wanted his wife out of the picture but was afraid he'd lose custody of their three-year-old daughter if they divorced. Knoefel was convicted of six counts of sexual battery against Zunich, three counts of complicity to aggravated murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated murder. Knoefel, who reportedly planned to appeal, could face 25 years to life in prison. During the trial, Zunich said she had fallen in love . with her foster father and feared he would commit suicide if she didn't . carry out their plot to kill his wife. She said it was he who devised the plan to murder his wife. Zunich testified that she put on a ski mask and fatally stabbed 41-year-old Lisa Knoefel in her bed as she fought back in November 2012, when she was 17. Prosecutors said Zunich stabbed and cut her more than 150 times with a 10-inch serrated knife. Kevin Knoefel is led out of Lake County Common Pleas Court on June 11, 2014, after a jury found him guilty of all 11 charges including conspiracy to commit aggravated murder . She . said they were carrying on a sexual relationship and discussed several . plans to kill Lisa Knoefel, including shooting her and making it look . like a burglary, or finding a hit man. Zunich has now been indicted in the murder of her foster mother, Fox8 has reported. She is expected to be in court next week. She could face 23 years to life in prison if convicted of aggravated murder.", "By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 05:24 EST, 21 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:24 EST, 21 June 2013 . Three years ago she was kicked out of the U.S. for spying and faced an uncertain future. But, as these pictures show, the arrest and deportation of Anna Chapman could well have been the best thing that ever happened to her. The 31-year-old former spy was pictured yesterday on the same red carpet as Brad Pitt at the Moscow International Film Festival. Star: Former Russian spy Anna Chapman appeared on the same red carpet as Brad Pitt at the Moscow International Film Festival yesterday . She was pictured looking glamorous as she posed on the red carpet at the opening ceremony of the 35th film festival. Miss Chapman's intelligence career came to an abrupt end when, along with her nine . colleagues, she was arrested in New York City in 2010 in an FBI . counter-intelligence swoop. She was then deported along with nine other Russian sleeper agents. Sultry: Chapman was pictured looking glamorous as she posed on the red carpet which also featured Brad Pitt . Arrest: Chapman was deported from the U.S. in July 2010 on charges of espionage . Before her capture, Anna Chapman worked as a New York real estate agent. Along with other Russian sleeper agents, she lived a quiet life in a middle-class neighbourhood. However, the Russian agents, known as illegals because they took civilian jobs instead of operating inside embassies, were being sent tasks from Moscow. Their assignments involved burrowing deep into U.S. society and cultivating contacts with academics, entrepreneurs and government policymakers on subjects from defense to finance. FBI videos of the Russian agents show Chapman and the other illegals surreptitiously passing information and money as part of their operations. The Russian spy ring was exposed by the FBI on June 27, 2010. The pin-up was quickly catapulted into the limelight as her pictures were splashed around the world. Since then, the daughter of a senior KGB agent has become a celebrity in Russia. She has previously appeared on the catwalk at Russian Fashion Week in Moscow clothed in a skin-tight leather ensemble. She has also modeled, edited a magazine, given lectures and now runs a foundation. Last year she appeared on the catwalk in the Mediterranean city of Antalya, a top Turkish vacation destination. The Russian was flanked by two men posing as secret service agents in black suit and sunglasses. Pitt's new film World War Z opened the Moscow Film Festival. The actor's fellow American Christian Slater also walked the red carpet at the Pushkin Theatre. Following state and private investment in recent years, the Russian film industry is now booming, leading to stars like Pitt and Slater attending the Moscow Film Festival. Stunning: The ex-spy is pictured modelling on  a Turkish catwalk at a fashion show in Antalya, Turkey last year . Deported: She was kicked out of America after being accused of working for a spy ring under Russian intelligence .", "By . Rupert Steiner . PUBLISHED: . 18:25 EST, 18 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:09 EST, 19 November 2012 . Four bosses at Starbucks have walked away with £50million in pay despite the coffee chain having paid no corporation tax in Britain over the past three years, it has been reported. Documents filed on the firm’s website show the quartet managed to receive handsome fees over the past three years as well as owning shares worth a combined £563.7million. While Starbucks has been trading healthily in recent times, it has managed to post a profit from its UK business only once in 15 years, according to reports. Starbucks has been trading well but pays little in UK tax because of legal accounting techniques . And it has paid a total of just £8.6million corporation tax in 14 years, with nothing in the last three. Some . of this is due to the legal practice of writing off the costs of . growing a business against tax, and the payment of royalties for the use . of technology to a parent company. But the firm has been able to pay handsome wages to its most senior staff over the past three years. It . was reported that finance chief Troy Alstead, who owns £6.8million of . shares, was paid £5.7million, and founder Howard Schultz £33million – he . also owns shares, worth £545million. Paid handsomely: UK director John Culver was paid £3.8million over two years and owns £4.7million in shares . Ex-UK boss Cliff Burrows who now oversees the firm’s Americas operation and has shares worth £7.2million, earned £6.5million. UK director John Culver was paid £3.8million over two years and owns £4.7million in shares. Last week Starbucks, Amazon and Google were slammed over measures they have taken, within the law, to reduce their tax liabilities. Ex UK boss Cliff Burrows now oversees the firm's Americas operation and has shares worth £7.2million. He earned £6.5million over the past three years . Bosses of the three giants were grilled by MPs over how they managed to pay little or no corporation tax on their UK operations. All three denied they were engaged in aggressive tax avoidance. Business secretary Vince Cable yesterday indicated that action can be expected from Chancellor George Osborne, who delivers his Autumn statement on December 5. Speaking on BBC1, Mr Cable told The Andrew Marr Show: ‘Our own tax authorities have got to be very tough on things like royalty payments, which is where a lot of the subterfuge takes place.’ He said it was ‘completely unacceptable where there is systematic abuse taking place’. Howard Schultz was paid £33million on top of the £545million worth of shares he already has . ‘Starbucks claims they are actually making losses in the UK,’ he added. ‘I don’t know whether they are or not. But you would need some pretty intensive investigation by the Inland Revenue to establish what exactly is going on, whether their transfer prices and their royalties are being fiddled or not.’ Last week Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis, warned  that firms based in overseas tax havens could ‘out-invest and ultimately out-trade’ rival businesses paying full taxes in the UK. A Starbucks spokesman said: ‘Corporation tax is a tax on profits and although we would very much like to and are moving in the right direction, we just don’t make a profit in the UK yet. Finance chief Troy Alstead, who owns £6.8million of shares, was paid £5.7million . ‘Starbucks does however pay a number of other taxes in the UK. For example, we directly contribute more than £25million to £30million per year to the Exchequer in various taxes, including employers’ National Insurance contributions and business rates.’ HM Revenue and Customs has nearly doubled its estimate of unpaid tax on executive pay to up to £400million, compared with last year. Bosses at Britain’s 700 largest businesses are being investigated using new powers. Jason Collins, a partner at law firm Pinsent Masons, said: ‘HMRC has increased its focus on executives.’" ]

[ "Millions of workers, including public transport staff, bankers and teachers, have been urged to take part by trade unions and social groups.\nProtesters are taking a stand against the president's proposed pension reforms.\nPresident Michel Temer says the changes are needed to overcome a recession.\n\"It is going to be the biggest strike in the history of Brazil,\" said Paulo Pereira da Silva, the president of trade union group, Forca Sindical.\nDemonstrations are taking place across the country, with organisers saying they would focus attention on disrupting cities rather than small towns and rural communities.\nParticipants are opposed to the government's pension overhaul, which will be voted on in Congress next week and which could set the minimum retirement age at 65 for men and 62 for women. Public sector workers have been able to retire at much earlier ages.\nA congressional bill to weaken labour laws also progressed earlier in the week, and the country is experiencing an ever-unfolding corruption scandal, which has been linked to many top politicians, fuelling further public discontent.\nSome protesters set up roadblocks in various cities, including Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Brasilia.\nThe route to Sao Paulo's international airport was among those barricaded with burning tyres in the early hours of the morning.\nPolls suggest President Temer is very unpopular but up until today he had not yet faced a mass demonstration like Friday's general strike.\nMany private and public schools are closed across the country. In Sao Paulo - the country's biggest city - most bus, metro and train services are not operating. There are few people on the streets here and it feels like a holiday.\nThe government says the current pension system is unsustainable and is dragging down the economy. Unions say the president wants Brazil's poor and unassisted to pay the price for the country's economic woes.\nWhatever the turnout is for the protest, Mr Temer still looks fairly strong in Congress. Earlier this week he won a vote for his labour reforms with a wider margin than needed.\nThis has been the hallmark of his administration: a president who is very unpopular in the streets, but is able to get things done in Congress.\nA spokesman for the Anglican Church in the coastal city of Recife, Dr Juanildo Burity, told the BBC that it would also be taking part in the strike.\n\"Officially the Church has taken a position that encourages its members to be part of this movement, because it understands the political situation,\" he said, citing concerns over living standards.\nPresident Temer says capping pension benefits and raising the retirement age will fix the finances of the country, as it undergoes the worst recession in more than a century.\nThe president has said the austerity measures are needed to prevent a future crisis such as that suffered by Portugal, Spain or Greece.\nThe country has also been hit by rising unemployment.\nGovernment statistics released on Friday say more than 14 million people are out of work." ]

[ "The total casualties could even be higher than other weather-related disasters like floods, landslides and droughts.\n\"The frequency of lightning has somehow increased from what it used to be,\" says Michael Nkalubo, commissioner at Meteorological Department of Uganda, a country where lightning storms are common.\n\"I cannot say that a study has been carried out on this but I am saying this on the basis of my general observation.\n\"It is something increasing every year and we think this is a manifestation of climate change but we also need to establish whether deforestation has also contributed.\"\nSouth Africa is another country in the African continent where lightning-related deaths and injuries are or the rise, officials say.\nIn South East Asia too experts believe lightning incidents and casualties are going up.\n\"It is a growing problem in the region,\" said Hartono Zainal Abidin, a lightning protection expert in Malaysia.\nBy Luis BarruchoBBC Brasil\nThe replacement of the forest by urban areas has been causing an increase in the lightning activity in the Amazon region, Brazilian researchers suggest.\nAccording to a study led by scientist Osmar Pinto Junior of Brazil's National Institute for Space Research, the city of Manaus, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, has seen a 50% rise in lightning strikes in the past 30 years, reaching a current rate of 13.5 strikes per km² per year.\nLooking at satellite images, Mr Pinto Junior and his team have found that, over the city, the lightning activity is larger than that in neighbour regions.\n\"Our results indicate that such changes have been caused by what we call Urban Heat Island (UHI)\", he said.\n\"While in the last three decades the surface air temperature in the tropics has increased by approximately 0.4C, it has increased by 0.7C in Manaus.\"\nPinto Junior explains that this phenomenon occurs when green areas are replaced by buildings and other urban features, pushing the temperatures up and prompting more lightning storms.\nAlthough \"very likely\", he says, it is still unclear whether the lightning enhancement has been causing more fires in the Amazon forest.\nThe research was published in the American Journal of Climate Change in December.\n\"Lightning incidents are indeed going up and so are the deaths and injuries but the problem is many countries in the region including Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand don't even have proper experts and so the issue is left unaddressed.\"\nMeteorologists in South Asia have also noticed the trend.\n\"My observation is that in the last few years, we have seen increasing cases of lightning,\" said Shamsuddin Ahmed, deputy director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.\n\"Of course, it is not a big disaster like cyclone, but we cannot ignore it and we should take up special programmes to study this phenomena.\"\nScientist Osmar Pinto Junior of Brazil's National Institute for Space Research said lightning in Brazil and other parts of Latin America has been on the rise and so have the casualties.\nMeteorologists from the developing world say lightning incidents and their impacts remain under-reported as they are sporadic, making them difficult to record.\nSome scientists believe that, with the increase in global temperature, thunderstorms and lightning will grow more common.\nThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the supreme authority in climate science, has said: \"It is generally expected that lightning will increase in a warmer climate, although a study for the 2030 climate finds no global increase but instead a shift from the tropics to mid-latitudes.\"\nProfessor Colin Price, a lightning and climate researcher at Tel Aviv University, says climate models show about 10% increase in lightning for every one degree of warming.\nMore than a hundred lightning bolts hit the earth every second, experts estimate, and more than 70% of those take place in tropical and sub-tropical regions.\nProf Price said: \"The underdeveloped world is where you have the maximum frequency of lightning and thunderstorms - in places like the Central African Republic and DR Congo, the Amazon region of South America, the Indonesian islands and Borneo in South East Asia.\n\"When you add the figures up, there may even be more people killed or injured by lightning than most of the other natural hazards we have on the earth today.\"\nMeteorologist Ron Holle, who works for a Finnish company Vaisala that makes weather equipment, also said lightning fatalities were high in Africa.\n\"In the last 10 years our finding in Malawi, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and some parts of South Africa is that the lightning fatality rate is what it used to be in the US 100 years ago.\n\"We have seen a major reduction, to almost a zero, in the developed world. In contrast, in the developing world, people still are involved in labour intensive agriculture and are living in houses that have no lightning protection.\n\"So it is mainly a population and lifestyle issue.\"\nProfessor Price agreed that rising population is a factor.\n\"We passed the seven billion mark last year so there are more people out there who can be hit by lightning.\n\"We cannot separate the climate and population effects. But, whatever is happening, the observations on the ground are correct that there are more and more deaths and injuries due to lightning.\"\nNot all scientists agree with that.\n\"I haven't seen the statistics to show that actually the total number of deaths or events from lightning is increasing,\" says Prof Robert H Holzworth of the University of Washington, who also heads the World Wide Lightning Location Network that has about 80 detection stations.\n\"What we found was that in the last several years, the number of thunderstorms in the world seems to be relatively stable. But the number of lightning strikes we are detecting with our network has been zooming up.\n\"And that's because we are more efficient at detecting lightning and not necessarily because there is more global lightning.\"\nExperts say the science of lightning is quite complicated.\n\"Under a changed climate scenario there will be more lightning but there is a sort of paradox between drier environments where there will be more lightning and less rain,\" said Giles Harrison, professor of atmospheric physics at the University of Reading.\n\"So maybe what happens is we get much more explosive thunderstorm events which will generate a lot of lightning but overall our rainfall rates are not particularly changed.\n\"Droughts associated with El Nino seem to be also associated with increases in lightning and that's the contradiction and the paradox to think about. It's not a simple picture.\"\nExperts say politicians and policy makers' indifference to the subject has not helped either.\n\"They immediately respond to disasters that impact many people at the same time,\" said Prof Arun Kulshrestha who heads the Centre for Science and Technology of the Non-aligned and Other Developing Countries.\n\"The total lightning casualty figure may be more than that of other disasters but they are always in ones and twos, so politicians' positions are not at stake and governments don't fall.\"", "Stephen O'Brien, the UN humanitarian affairs chief, called for an inquiry into the attack on the Kamouna camp in the northern Idlib province.\nReports say the strike on the rebel-held area was by Syrian or Russian planes but this has not been confirmed.\nThursday's attack came a day after the extension of a truce was confirmed.\nThe Syrian military and non-jihadist rebel forces had agreed to a temporary truce around the city of Aleppo, following pressure from the US and Russia.\nBut the UK-based monitoring group, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), reported an upsurge in fighting between Syrian forces and al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadists close to Aleppo, killing more than 70 fighters from both sides.\nThe insurgents, including the al-Nusra Front, are reported to have seized the strategically important village of Khan Tuman back from government forces, which had captured it in December.\nA nationwide partial cessation of hostilities has been in place since February, but it has come under severe pressure recently, particularly around Aleppo, where some 300 people have died in clashes over the past two weeks.\nThe UN has warned that if the nationwide cessation fails, it will be \"catastrophic\" and could send 400,000 more people heading for the border with Turkey.\n\"The suspicion will fall initially on the Syrian government and we will want to make sure that they, or whoever it is, are fully held to account for this absolutely abominable act,\" Mr O'Brien told the BBC on Friday\n\"Be in no doubt that all these terrible acts, wherever they happen and whoever perpetrates them, will not be forgotten and the people who perpetrate them will be held to account.\"\nThe Kamouna camp for the internally displaced is about 4km (2.5 miles) from Sarmada and 10km from the Turkish border.\nThe SOHR reported that 28 people had been killed, including women and children, and that 50 more were wounded.\nThe Local Co-ordination Committees, an opposition activist network, said about 30 people had been killed and dozens wounded.\nImages on its Facebook page showed the aftermath of fires among the blue tents in the camp, with the ground still smouldering.\nThe Syria Civil Defence, a group of volunteer rescue workers, gave a similar number of civilian deaths.\nThe White House condemned the attack.\nSpokesman Josh Earnest said: \"These individuals are in the most desperate situation imaginable, and there is no justification for carrying out military action targeting them.\"\nUK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the attack was \"horrifying\", adding: \"The [Bashar al-] Assad regime's contempt for efforts to restore the cessation of hostilities in Syria is clear for all to see.\"\nThe fighting in Aleppo earlier this week has been the most intense there for more than a year.\nThe Observatory said rebels had advanced into government-held western districts on Tuesday night but were pushed back by Wednesday morning.\nRebels began observing a ceasefire there on Wednesday and the Syrian military announced a 48-hour truce in the city from Thursday morning.\nSome rocket attacks were reported on government-held areas on Thursday, but the intense air force strikes of recent days were absent.\nThe nationwide partial truce agreement does not include so-called Islamic State or the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front.\nFighting involving government forces and jihadist groups continued on Thursday, with clashes reported near Khan Touman, south of Aleppo.\nIS militants captured the Shaer gas field in the east of the country, killing 30 troops, monitors said, while Russian jets were reported to have struck militants in Sukhna, north-west of Palmyra in central Syria.", "The operation was aimed at preventing attacks being planned by Pakistan-based militants, a senior army official said.\nHe said \"significant casualties have been caused to the terrorists and those who are trying to support them\".\nPakistan denies India carried out any strikes and says two of its soldiers were killed in cross-border shelling.\n\"The notion of surgical strike linked to alleged terrorists' bases is an illusion being deliberately generated by India to create false effects,\" the Pakistani military said in a statement.\nPakistan said its soldiers died in \"unprovoked\" firing along the Line of Control (LoC)dividing the disputed region.\nA territorial dispute between the two countries over Muslim-majority Kashmir has been running for decades, but tensions flared earlier this month after a militant attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir left 18 soldiers dead.\nIndia blamed the attack on Pakistan, which denied the claim.\nThe operation is thought to have taken place in the early hours of Thursday. Later, Pakistan captured an Indian soldier in a village in the Goi sector on the Pakistani side of the LoC.\n\"One soldier from 37 Rashtriya Rifles with weapons has inadvertently crossed over to the Pakistan side of the Line of Control,\" said a statement from an Indian army official in Delhi.\nIndia's military gave few details of the operation it says it carried out overnight.\nAt a joint press briefing by the army and the foreign ministry, officials said the \"motive of the operation was to hit out at terrorists who were planning to infiltrate into our territory\".\nIndia's Director General of Military Operations, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, also blamed Pakistan for \"being unable to control terror activities in territories under its control\".\n\"Based on receiving specific and credible inputs that some terrorist teams had positioned themselves at launch pads along the Line of Control to carry out infiltration and conduct terrorist strikes inside Jammu and Kashmir and in various metros in other states, the Indian army conducted surgical strikes at several of these launch pads to pre-empt infiltration by terrorists,\" a statement said.\nIt said the \"surgical strikes\" had caused \"significant damage to terrorists\".\nBut the army did not say whether troops had entered Pakistan-administered Kashmir or had fired across the border.\nIf Indian troops did cross the LoC it would be a serious escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.\nHowever, the Press Trust of India quoted sources saying the operation took place between midnight and 04:30 local time on Thursday, that it was a combination of helicopter and ground forces, and seven militant \"launch pads\" had been targeted.\nSome unconfirmed Indian media reports said more than 30 militants had been killed in the operation.\nPakistani army officials said the fighting started in the early hours of Thursday morning and continued for about six hours.\nIndian army's anger over Kashmir killings\nNarendra Modi's BJP government swept to power promising a tough line on Pakistan, so it has been been under tremendous pressure to retaliate after the 18 September attack on the army base in Uri in Indian-administered Kashmir. The raid was the deadliest of its kind for years.\n\"I assure the nation that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished,\" Mr Modi declared just hours after the base was attacked.\nThere was also much talk of whether India should continue with its doctrine of \"strategic restraint\" against Pakistan.\nA \"strike\" now is seen by many observers as aimed at placating an angry domestic constituency and sending out the message that Mr Modi is a strong leader.\nWhat's behind Kashmir's deadliest militant raid in years?\nThe country's prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, criticised the \"unprovoked and naked aggression of Indian forces\" and said his military was capable of thwarting \"any evil design to undermine the sovereignty of Pakistan\".\nIslamabad says India's stance is a \"blatant attempt\" to deflect attention from human rights abuses in the region.\nMore than 80 people, nearly all anti-government protesters, have died in more than two months of violence against Indian rule.\nThe response in India has been predictably supportive of the army.\n#ModiPunishesPak was trending top of Twitter in India, hours after the media first reported \"the strikes\". The other top trending hashtags included #SurgicalStrike and #Indian Army. A Narendra Modi fan club account tweeted a clip from a Tom and Jerry cartoon film to show India spanking Pakistan.\nGovernment supporters gushed that this was a \"proud moment for India\", with one Bollywood actor thanking the army for doing what India \"should have done 30 years ago\".\nA clutch of news channels were waxing delirious on how India had taught Pakistan a lesson and speculated endlessly about the details of the operation.\nThings were much more serious between the two nuclear-armed rivals, they say, after the 2001 attack by Pakistan-based militants on the Indian parliament but there was no social media then, and the calls to escalate the conflict were more muted.\nWhy India needs cool heads\nBoth India and Pakistan claim Muslim-majority Kashmir in its entirety but control only parts of it.\nThe territorial dispute between the two countries has been running for over six decades, and two out of the three wars fought between the nuclear-armed rivals have been over Kashmir.\nAs with every stand-off in Kashmir, the fear of many is that this could eventually escalate into a major clash between two nuclear-armed states.\nBut most analysts still believe that is unlikely to happen and that sporadic clashes and diplomatic sabre-rattling are likely to continue.\nWhy India's water dispute with Pakistan matters\nDisputed Kashmir profiled\nConcern over Kashmir police's pellet guns\nViewpoint: Living in the shadow of Kashmir\nViewpoint: Why mass funerals spark violence in Kashmir", "The truce announced by Syrian forces became operational in two areas an hour after midnight local time on Friday.\nA statement said it would last for 24 hours in Damascus and the Eastern Ghouta region outside the capital.\nFurther air attacks have been carried out on parts of Aleppo - a key battleground in the Syrian civil war.\nStrikes hit rebel-held districts for a ninth day, with at least three areas reported to have been targeted, causing an unknown number of casualties.\nThe truce is due to last for 72 hours in the northern countryside of Latakia province.\nThere has been no explanation as to why the halt in fighting is only temporary,\nDuring Friday, rocket barrages fired by rebels were reported to have killed 15 worshippers in a government-held part of Aleppo.\nThe Malla Khan mosque in Bab al-Faraj was hit, government officials said, causing heavy casualties. Some of the injured were in a serious condition and were likely to die, state television said.\nIn the rebel-held east, government air strikes reportedly left at least 11 dead and destroyed a medical facility - the second to be hit in a week.\nCrude barrel bombs were also reported to have smashed into residential neighbourhoods as rescue workers struggled to cope with the casualties.\nThe BBC's Jim Muir says that the partial truce is the result of high-level contacts between the Americans and Russians, who are being urged by the UN and others to shore up the collapsing cessation of hostilities which came into effect two months ago.\nThe Syrian army says the partial truce is aimed at depriving the rebels of a pretext for hitting civilian targets and bolstering the existing ceasefire.\nThe Americans are hoping the process can be extended to Aleppo, which the Russians are reported to have refused to include in the latest truce.\nMore than 240 people are reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights to have been killed in the past nine days of violence there.\nOur correspondent say this has raised fears of a long and bitter new bout of hostilities, which would destroy any hope of a return to negotiations in Geneva.\nThe Syrian Civil Defence force, whose volunteer emergency response workers are known as the \"white helmets\", said that among the sites targeted by warplanes was a clinic in the Marja area. A nurse was among several people hurt.\nOn Wednesday night, the al-Quds Hospital in the rebel-held Sukkari district was destroyed in air strikes that US Secretary of State John Kerry said appeared to have been \"deliberate\".\nMedecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which supported the hospital, said on Friday that 50 people, including six members of staff, were believed to have been killed.\nThe aid agency has warned that government forces are preparing for a major offensive against rebel-held areas of the city.\nLarge parts of Aleppo have been destroyed and its infrastructure has been severely damaged, leaving civilians without water and electricity for months.\nIn an interview with the BBC, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Syria's leaders to \"go beyond their narrow personal perspectives\" and call a halt to the destruction.\nThe UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein, said the failure of the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court was \"an example of the most shameful form of realpolitik\".\nRussia and the US are backing opposing sides in the conflict.", "Labs in the US states of Washington and Louisiana began \"listening\" on Friday for the gravitational waves that are predicted to flow through the Earth when violent events occur in space.\nThe Advanced Ligo facilities have just completed a major upgrade.\nScientists believe this will now give them the sensitivity needed to pick up what should be a very subtle signal.\nThe theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, one of the pioneers behind the experiment, went so far as to say that it would be \"quite surprising\" if the labs made no detection.\n\"We are there; we are in the ball park now. It's clear that this is going to be pulled off,\" he confidently told The Documentary programme on the BBC World Service.\nGravitational waves are a prediction of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.\nThey describe the warping of space-time that occurs when masses accelerate.\nBut their expected weakness means only astrophysical phenomena on a truly colossal scale are likely to generate waves that will register on even the remarkable technologies assembled at Hanford in the American northwest and at Livingston in the southeast.\nSources that Advanced Ligo might observe include merging black holes and neutron stars (very dense, burnt-out stars), and, with luck, some exploding giant stars (supernovae).\nRipples in the fabric of space-time\nThe technique being employed is laser interferometry.\nBoth Ligo labs work by splitting a light beam and sending the two halves down separate, 4km-long, evacuated tunnels.\nThe beams are bounced back and forth by mirrors before being recombined at their starting point and sent to detectors.\nIf the delicate gravitational waves pass through the set-up, the laser light should show evidence of having been ever so slightly disturbed - either lengthened or shortened.\nAdvanced Ligo is looking for changes in laser-arm distance that are on the order of one one-thousandth of the width of a proton.\nThe equipment's peak sensitivity will be to waves with a frequency of around 100 Hertz, which in auditory terms is at the low end of what humans can hear. And it is for this reason that gravitational wave detection is often described as trying to pick up the \"sounds of the cosmos\".\n\"These detectors are like microphones where we're listening to the Universe,\" said Jamie Rollins from the California Institute of Technology, one of the project's lead institutions.\n\"It's sort of like we've been deaf to the Universe until now, and turning on these detectors is like turning on our ears.\"\nThe Documentary: A New Ear on the Universe will be broadcast first on the BBC World Service on Saturday, 26 September. Presented by Aleem Maqbool, and produced by Adrian Washbourne, the programme will also be available online.\nThe Ligo labs first began hunting for gravitational waves in 2002. They were then switched off in 2010 to undergo their more than $200m upgrade.\nThe improvements suppress further the \"noise\" in the instrumentation that would otherwise swamp real signals.\nImportant contributions have been made by the project's international partners, which include the UK.\nBritish scientists provided the technology to keep the mirrors rock steady.\n\"The mirrors have to be super-quiet so that they're not disturbed by anything other than a gravitational wave. So they're suspended on four pendulum stages, the last stage being ultra-pure glass fibres,\" explained Sheila Rowan from the University of Glasgow.\nThe labs have been running in an engineering mode for some weeks, but they were switched to begin formal science observations at 15:00 GMT on Friday.\nLike all instruments, they will need to be tuned to gain further improvements in sensitivity.\nThe upgrade was designed to give the detectors a 10-fold jump in performance over the old set-up. Refinements should achieve another factor of three by the end of the decade.\n\"The one thing I personally like about Ligo is it's used every bit of physics I know, from the most arcane solid-state and surface physics to lasers, electronics, quantum mechanics - everything,\" said Vern Sandberg, the lead scientist at the Hanford lab.\n\"And it's a very gratifying area to work in, a very frustrating area, too. Hopefully, we will know in a few months whether it's very fulfilling,\" he told The Documentary.\nScientists must now wait for the Universe to comply - for two black holes to spiral into each other, or, perhaps, for a supernova to go off in our Milky Way Galaxy.\nSupercomputers will be sifting constantly the data for patterns that match the expectations from simulations - and even for those signals that stand out as so unexpected they may hint at something that goes totally beyond current understanding.\n\"Recording a gravitational wave for the first time has never been a big motivation for Ligo,\" said Kip Thorne.\n\"The motivation has always been to open a new window on the Universe, to see what I like to call the warped side of the Universe - an aspect of the Universe we've never seen before, objects and phenomena that are made either entirely from warped space and time, or partially from warped space and time. And it's going to be fantastic when we do.\"", "A monitoring group has backed the Syrian government's claim that the city was recaptured overnight by the army.\nMilitary sources say the Syrian army now has \"full control\" after days of fighting backed by Russian air strikes.\nMeanwhile, Syria's antiquities chief said the damage to the ancient city was less than previously feared.\n\"We were expecting the worst. But the landscape, in general, is in good shape,\" Maamoun Abdulkarim told the AFP news agency.\nHe said he felt \"indescribable joy\" that the city had not been completely destroyed.\nAn on-the-ground assessment of the destruction will be carried out in coming days in order to develop restoration plans, Mr Abdulkarim said.\nMore images of the damage caused by IS have emerged since Palmyra's recapture.\nPresident Assad said the recapture of Palmyra showed the success of the army's strategy.\nRussian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Mr Assad, a Kremlin spokesman said.\nThe Kremlin said President Assad knew the Palmyra operation \"would have been impossible without Russia's support\".\nWhy IS militants destroy ancient sites\nPalmyra and the logic of loss\nIS seized the Unesco World Heritage site and modern town in May 2015.\nPalmyra is situated in a strategically important area on the road between the capital, Damascus, and the contested eastern city of Deir al-Zour.\nThe Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said at least 400 IS fighters were killed in the battle for Palmyra.\nIn a statement released on Saturday, Russia's defence ministry said its strikes hit 158 IS targets, killing more than 100 militants.\nThis is a victory for President Bashar al-Assad, who wants to show the world that he is a partner in fighting terrorism.\nBacked by Russian war planes and Shia militias, government forces gained control over the ancient city and are now close to securing a vast area of the country.\nBut residents and observers cast doubts on why Mr Assad's forces pulled out from Palmyra in the first place, allowing Islamic State militants to get in to the city.\nIn May 2015, hundreds of IS fighters drove hundreds of kilometres across the desert to reach Palmyra, almost uninterrupted, while government forces were dropping barrel bombs over opposition areas full of civilians.\nPresident Assad has now secured a stronger position in the peace talks. He is certainly seen as a problem-solver, but many say he is the source of the problem.\nWhen IS seized the city it destroyed archaeological sites, drawing global outrage. Two 2,000-year-old temples, an arch and funerary towers were left in ruins.\nThe jihadist group, which has also demolished several pre-Islamic sites in neighbouring Iraq, believes that such structures are idolatrous.\nPalmyra: Blowing ruins to rubble", "Economic output, GDP, fell by 0.6% in the three months to June, worse than analysts had predicted, and revised figures for the first quarter of the year also showed a fall of 0.2%.\nA recession is usually defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction.\nThe news will be damaging for the government of President Dilma Rousseff.\nAccording to the most recent poll, Ms Rousseff would lose to a rival candidate, environmentalist Marina Silva, if October's election went to a second round.\nThe World Cup, held in June and July, was not regarded as generally good for business, says the BBC's Wyre Davies in Rio de Janeiro.\n\"There were more days off for employees and many traditional tourists stayed away,\" he says.\n\"The problem is that, with elections due in early October, the economy is increasingly seen as President Dilma Rousseff's weak point.\"\nThe data showed that civil construction, manufacturing and investment especially suffered during the second quarter.\n\"This recession shows the exhaustion of a growth model that has been centred on internal consumption,\" said Eduardo Velho, chief economist at investment firm INVX Global in Sao Paulo.\n\"It is a good picture of what the economy is suffering - a slowdown in industry, a fall in investment, rising inventories. The recovery from here will be slight,\" he continued, saying that deep reforms would be needed whoever wins the next election.\nThe second quarter figures prompted analysts to revise down expectations for full-year figures.\n\"With the sharp fall in investment, the potential GDP growth rate shows a significant and worrying slowdown in recent quarters,\" said Cristiano Oliveira, economist at Banco Fibra in Sao Paulo.\n\"That said, we now expect no growth in the Brazilian economy in 2014, despite moderate growth in the global economy.\"\nA decade ago, Brazil was the darling of emerging economies. The country reaped the benefits of soaring commodity prices and government spending helped millions of poor Brazilians enter the middle class - the future looked bright.\nBut it's a very different picture now. Investor and consumer confidence has fallen, just like industrial output and retail sales are struggling too.\nThe World Cup may have taken people's minds off economic worries temporarily, but the issue is now top of the agenda. There is just over a month to go before the presidential elections and today's figures will be seen as an opportunity for candidates hoping to unseat President Dilma Rousseff.\nThey'll use the R-word to try to convince voters that their economic policies are a better alternative for the country's future.", "Clashes between police and protestors killed at least three people. More than 300 others were reportedly arrested.\nMr Maduro said the strike was minimal and that its leaders would be arrested.\nSince April, when opposition protests intensified, almost 100 people have died across the country.\nProtesters barricaded roads in the capital, Caracas, and other cities with rubbish and furniture. The opposition said that 85% of the country joined the strike.\nBut in pro-government areas of the capital, life went on as usual, with shops open and streets busy. Public employees also appeared to have worked normally.\nIn several cities, police fired tear gas as they clashed with protesters. One death was reported on the outskirts of Caracas while two others died in the northern city of Valencia.\nMore than 360 people had been arrested across the country, a local rights group said.\nColombia, France, Spain, the US and the EU have urged the Venezuelan government to cancel the vote for a new constituent assembly on 30 July.\nBut Mr Maduro has rejected the calls.\nIn a speech on TV, he claimed \"triumph\", saying that key sectors had not joined the strike.\n\"Work has triumphed, love, life, and hope; work has triumphed. They [the Venezuelan opposition] who have never worked, let them carry on not working, we are moving forward, comrades.\"\n\"I've ordered the capture of all the fascist terrorists.\"\nThe assembly would have the power to rewrite the constitution and to bypass the opposition-controlled legislature.\nOpposition politicians say Mr Maduro wants to use the assembly to entrench himself in power, while the president argues a new constitution will promote dialogue in the polarised country.\nThe opposition have ramped up their schedule of protests in the days leading up to the elections, including Thursday's general 24-hour strike and a mass demonstration on Saturday.\nMeanwhile, Isaias Medina, a senior diplomat representing the country at the UN, resigned, saying he could no longer represent the government because of human rights abuses.\nVenezuela's ambassador to the UN, Rafael Ramirez, said Mr Medina had acted \"dishonestly\" and been fired.\nEarlier, the head of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, warned of a \"calamitous deterioration\" of the situation, accusing Mr Maduro's government of having \"blood on its hands\".\n\"Behind every detainee, every political prisoner, every person tortured and every person killed there is someone that is institutionally responsible,\" Mr Almagro wrote in a report.\n\"The fear that is on everyone's mind, but we are too afraid to speak out loud, is our fear that this will escalate into a bloodbath.\"\nMr Almagro has long been one of the fiercest and most outspoken critics of the Venezuelan government.\nMore on Venezuela's turmoil", "Images on social media showed tents destroyed at the Kamouna camp near Sarmada in Idlib province, close to the Turkish border.\nSome reports say the attack was by Syrian or Russian warplanes but this has not been confirmed.\nThe strike comes a day after the extension of a truce was confirmed.\nThe Syrian military and non-jihadist rebel forces had agreed to a temporary truce around the city of Aleppo, following pressure from the US and Russia.\nA nationwide cessation of hostilities has been in place since February, but it has come under severe pressure recently, particularly around Aleppo, where some 300 people have died in clashes over the past two weeks.\nThe UN has warned that if the nationwide cessation fails, it will be \"catastrophic\" and could send 400,000 more people heading for refuge at the border with Turkey.\nThe Kamouna camp for the internally displaced is about 4km from Sarmada and 10km from the Turkish border.\nThe Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, reported that 28 people had been killed, including women and children, and that 50 more were wounded.\nThe Local Co-ordination Committees, an opposition activist network, said about 30 people had been killed and dozens wounded.\nImages on its Facebook page showed the aftermath of fires among the blue tents in the camp, with the ground still smouldering.\nThe Syria Civil Defence, a group of volunteer rescue workers, gave a similar number of civilian deaths.\nThe White House condemned the attack.\nSpokesman Josh Earnest said: \"These individuals are in the most desperate situation imaginable, and there is no justification for carrying out military action targeting them.\"\nUK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the attack was \"horrifying\", adding: \"The [Bashar al-] Assad regime's contempt for efforts to restore the cessation of hostilities in Syria is clear for all to see.\"\nEU humanitarian aid commissioner Christos Stylianides tweeted: \"Shocking bombardment of refugee camp on Syria/Turkey border is unacceptable. My thoughts are with the people who suffered already enough.\"\nThe fighting in Aleppo early this week has been the most intense there for more than a year.\nThe Observatory said rebels had advanced into government-held western districts on Tuesday night but were pushed back by Wednesday morning.\nRebels began observing a ceasefire there on Wednesday and the Syrian military announced a 48-hour truce in the city from Thursday morning.\nSome rocket attacks were reported on government-held areas on Thursday, but the intense air force strikes of recent days were absent.\nThe nationwide partial truce agreement does not include so-called Islamic State or the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front.\nFighting involving government forces and jihadist groups continued on Thursday, with clashes reported near Khan Touman, south of Aleppo.\nIS militants captured the Shaer gas field in the east of the country, killing 30 troops, monitors said, while Russian jets were reported to have struck militants in Sukhna, north-west of Palmyra in central Syria.", "The US government has partially closed after Congress failed to agree a budget and will run out of cash on 17 October unless its debt ceiling is raised.\nIn a TV interview on Wednesday, Mr Obama said he was \"exasperated\".\nHe later held talks with Congressional leaders that ended without agreement.\nThe US government closed non-essential operations on Tuesday after Congress failed to strike a deal on a new budget.\nRepublicans and Democrats are blaming each other for the impasse.\nThe shutdown has left more than 700,000 employees on unpaid leave and closed national parks, tourist sites, government websites, office buildings, and more.\nHowever, as one budget crisis raged in Washington DC, another one - potentially more dangerous - loomed in the coming weeks.\nOn 17 October, the US government will run out of cash to pay its bills unless the debt ceiling is raised.\nBy Mark MardellNorth America editor\nOn both issues, the Republicans who control the House of Representatives have demanded concessions from Mr Obama and his fellow Democrats in return for funding the government's continued operation and for raising the debt ceiling.\nChiefly, the Republicans demand the repeal, delay or defunding of a healthcare reform law - dubbed Obamacare - passed by the Democrats in 2010.\nMajor portions of that law, which was subsequently validated by the US Supreme Court and was a major issue in the 2012 presidential election, took effect on Tuesday.\nOn Wednesday, Mr Obama met the heads of some of Wall Street's biggest banks - including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America - to discuss the debt ceiling and other economic issues.\nThe bankers are members of the Financial Services Forum, a lobby group which has, along with 250 other businesses, sent a letter to Congress urging it to raise the debt limit.\nFollowing the meeting, Mr Obama told CNBC \"it's important for them to recognise that this is going to have a profound impact on our economy and their bottom lines\".\nMr Obama also said he was unwilling to negotiate \"with the extremist wing of one party\" as the 17 October deadline neared.\n\"The message I have for the [Congressional] leaders is, as soon as we get a clean piece of legislation that reopens the government... until we get that done, until we make sure that Congress allows [the Department of the Treasury] to pay for things that Congress itself already authorised, we are not going to engage in a series of negotiations,\" he said.\nAs foreign markets anxiously monitored the US budget crisis, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi warned that a protracted shutdown was \"a risk not only for the US, but also the world economy\".\nOn Wednesday evening Mr Obama met Republican House Speaker John Boehner, as well as Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi at the White House.\nMr Boehner later left the talks complaining that the Democrats would not negotiate.\n\"All we're asking for here is a discussion and fairness for the American people under Obamacare,'' he told reporters.\nNancy Pelosi, however, accused the Republicans of \"moving the goalposts\" on the budget deal.\nHarry Reid said Democrats were \"locked in tight on Obamacare'' and neither the president nor Democrats in Congress would accept changes to the law as the price for a deal on reopening the government.\nAnalysts say Mr Boehner could end the current government showdown by allowing the House to vote on a \"clean\" budget bill that does not alter the health law, because that could pass with a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans.\nBut doing so would risk his standing with the most conservative elements of his caucus.\nEarlier on Wednesday, senior US intelligence officials warned the shutdown of the government seriously damaged the ability of spy agencies to protect the US.\nDirector of National Intelligence James Clapper told a Senate panel that an estimated 70% of intelligence workers had been placed on unpaid leave.\nAlso on Wednesday, the White House announced Mr Obama would cut short a planned four-nation tour of Asia next week.\nHe will attend regional summits in Indonesia and Brunei, but skip Malaysia and the Philippines due to the government shutdown.\nThe US government ceased operations deemed non-essential at midnight on Tuesday, when the previous budget expired.\nNational parks and Washington's Smithsonian museums are closed, pension and veterans' benefit cheques will be delayed, and visa and passport applications will go unprocessed.\nHowever, members of the military will be paid.\nUS shutdown in 60 seconds\nWho will be affected\nQ&A: 2013 US budget brawl", "The Bearded Broz, who have cleared 45 tonnes of waste in Birmingham during the six-week strike, were criticised in the socialist Morning Star.\nThe group said it respected workers, but wanted to clean the streets.\nThe Unite union warned on Friday action could continue \"unless the city council negotiates a fair settlement\".\nLabour-run Birmingham City Council said it was \"very disappointed\" by the union's warning and said Unite was \"effectively holding the city to ransom\".\nThe article published in the Morning Star said: \"The community group, known as Bearded Broz, are encouraging people to join their scab operation as they undermine the strike by Birmingham City Council refuse workers over job losses.\"\nWhy are the refuse workers striking?\nHowever, Naveed Sadiq from the group, which was set up and run by volunteers from the Muslim community, said members had met refuse workers, who said they \"respected\" the team for taking care of their areas.\nMr Sadiq said the respect was mutual: \"We can see the work that they do and respect them for the work that they do.\n\"We don't undermine them at all, we don't have a personal agenda or a personal grief with the binmen. Our issue is, these are our streets and we're gonna do something about it.\n\"If you want to call me a scab, that's fine.\"\nThe BBC has asked Unite to respond to the comments made about the Bearded Broz, but the union is yet to comment.\nThe council had said earlier positive discussions were continuing with unions and it had visited more than three-quarters of the city's 8,200 streets as part of its \"operation to ensure all wards receive refuse collections during the industrial dispute\".\nMore stories from across Birmingham and the Black Country\nHowever, on Friday Unite said it was balloting refuse collection members to renew its industrial action mandate, which could result in more strikes after the present round ends on 21 September.\nUnite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said: \"We continue to hold talks with the council, but progress has been slow and we would call on the council to now step up and conclude this urgently.\"\nThe union will ballot members on 17 August. The ballot closes on 31 August.\nCouncillor Lisa Trickett, cabinet member for clean streets, recycling and environment at the city council, said: \"We are very disappointed by this latest development.\n\"Unite are effectively holding the city to ransom with this announcement.\n\"They have talked about red lines they wish to negotiate with us, but this threat of extended industrial action will not help the process of achieving a swift resolution so we can get on with delivering a modern, effective and efficient refuse collection service for the people of Birmingham.\n\"We have put the offer of [conciliation service] Acas to Unite as an open, fair and transparent way of ending the dispute.\"\nMeanwhile, action escalated on Friday, with the three-hour stoppages being split into three separate hour-long blocks, spaced out across the shift.\nIt means workers will return to their depot - which they also do for breaks - three times a day.\nPreviously they had taken a two-hour stoppage from 06:00-08:00 and a one-hour stoppage between 12:30-13:30.\nThe BBC has contacted the Morning Star for comment.\nGet news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning", "The military has been conducting air strikes in Marawi, on Mindanao island, after it was overrun by jihadists.\nThe region is a stronghold for the local Maute group, which has pledged allegiance to IS.\nAnalysts say it is a rare admission by authorities that foreigners are now fighting alongside local militants.\nPresident Rodrigo Duterte said the presence of foreign fighters was proof that IS had gained a foothold on Mindanao.\nOfficials said that six jihadists, including Indonesian and Malaysian citizens, were killed as the army continued its operation in Marawi, a mainly Muslim city in Lanao del Sur province.\nFighting erupted after the army tried to capture top militant leader Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf militant group. He has pledged allegiance to IS and Philippine Solicitor General Jose Calida said IS had designated him its leader in the Philippines.\nWhen the raid failed, dozens of gunmen came out on to the streets of Marawi, reportedly flying IS flags. Buildings were burned, prison inmates freed and hostages taken as the militants battled troops across the city.\nAt least 11 soldiers and 31 militants had been killed, a military spokesman said. It is not clear if any civilians are among the dead. Thousands of residents have fled from the city.\n\"We were preparing for exams and we could hear the gunfire and bombs,\" one student who evacuated told Reuters news agency. \"We were so scared and so were our Muslim brothers and sisters. We were sure they would get to us.\"\nPresident Duterte imposed martial law in Mindanao on Tuesday in response to the violence.\nMartial law allows the use of the military to enforce order, and the detention of people without charge for long periods. Mr Duterte said it was needed to safeguard national security.\nMindanao is home to several Muslim rebel groups fighting for greater autonomy. The main ones are now holding peace talks with the government but some smaller, more hardline groups remain active.\nLinks between some of these groups and those from Indonesia and Malaysia go back many years, predating the formation of IS.\nBut Mr Calida, the solicitor-general, said domestic rebels had subscribed to the ideology of IS and the situation was evolving.\n\"What is happening in Mindanao is no longer a rebellion of Filipino citizens. It has transmogrified into an invasion by foreign fighters,\" he told a news conference. \"They want to make Mindanao part of the caliphate.\"\nThe admission confirms what observers see as moves by IS targeting Muslim-majority parts of the southern Philippines to establish a stronghold in South-East Asia.\n\"It is clear that the number of men from both Indonesia and Malaysia who have travelled to Mindanao has increased over the past year,\" Sidney Jones, director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict in Jakarta, told the BBC.\n\"And it's crucial that the government acknowledges that there is a serious IS problem in the Philippines,\" she said, saying much better co-ordination between local and national authorities was needed to deal with the situation.\nShe warned that images of militants in Marawi were already having an impact on social media, working as PR for the militant groups. \"There's a lot of praise and enthusiasm,\" she said.\nA Philippine military spokesman, however, said that while the groups in Marawi were inspired by IS, they had not seen \"any concrete evidence of material support from IS\".\nWith fighting ongoing in Marawi, Mr Duterte said on Friday he was willing to talk to the militants. \"My message mainly to the terrorists on the other side is we can still solve this through dialogue,\" he said.\nBut he has also indicated that martial law could be expanded to the rest of the country if he felt it was necessary, a potentially controversial move in a nation that spent almost a decade under martial law under Ferdinand Marcos.\nOn Friday, former President Fidel Ramos, who served under Marcos but then helped oust him, warned against the use of martial law.\n\"Let us not talk about spreading it to the... rest of the Philippines. Let's talk about confining it to the part of Mindanao and making it smaller and smaller,\" he said.", "In an interview ahead of his Asian tour, Mr Obama said the US would oppose any attempt to undermine Japan's control over the islands.\nUS officials have made such comments in the past, but this is the first time Mr Obama has given such explicit support.\nHe arrived in Japan on Wednesday ahead of stops in three other Asian nations.\nChina's foreign ministry has said it opposes the islands being covered by the defence treaty.\n\"The so-called US-Japan alliance is a bilateral arrangement from the Cold War and ought not to harm China's territorial sovereignty and reasonable rights,\" spokesman Qin Gang said in Beijing during a regular press briefing.\nBy Celia HattonBBC News, Beijing\nWould China fight for disputed islands?\nMr Obama is not going to Beijing, but relations with China are expected to dominate his meetings with regional leaders.\nThe trip was an opportunity to reinforce the importance the US placed on Asia, former US Assistant Secretary of State PJ Crowley told the BBC.\n\"Many traditional allies... [also] value a strong US presence in the region to balance against an assertive China,\" he said.\nThe visit comes amid a \"period of very significant tension among American allies, and between American allies and China\", he added.\nMr Obama's trip - from 23-29 April - comes nearly seven months after he cancelled a visit to the region due to a government shutdown.\nHe will have a private dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as well as bilateral meetings with the South Korean, Malaysian and Philippine leaders.\nTies between Tokyo and Beijing were expected to be high on the agenda as Mr Obama touched down in Tokyo on Wednesday evening.\nRelations are severely strained over a raft of issues, including East China Sea islands - called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China - that both claim.\nJapan controls the islands but Chinese ships have sailed repeatedly in and out of what Japan says are its territorial waters as Beijing presses its claim. Last year, China declared an air defence identification zone over the islands, drawing widespread criticism.\nAhead of his visit, Mr Obama said in a written response to Japan's Yomiuri newspaper that the US opposed \"any unilateral attempts to undermine Japan's administration of these islands\".\n\"The policy of the United States is clear - the Senkaku Islands are administered by Japan and therefore fall within the scope of Article 5 of the US-Japan Treaty of Mutual Co-operation and Security,\" he wrote.\nJapan depends on the US for its security, under a decades-old alliance that dates back to the end of World War Two.\nThe US, however, is keen for Japan to take on greater responsibility for its own security - an area where Mr Obama and Mr Abe are likely to be in general agreement.\nThe two leaders are also expected to discuss the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade deal which requires each country to strike an agreement with other prospective members.\nA rift between Japan and the US over agriculture product tariffs has proved a major sticking point.\nBy Carrie GracieBBC China editor\nMr Obama is also expected to have to balance bolstering US ties with each Asian ally with improving communication among them, particularly between South Korea and Japan.\nThe two Asian nations are at odds over a separate set of disputed islands, as well as historical issues linked to Japan's war history.\nThe Japanese prime minister's views on World War Two have poisoned relations to the point where Tokyo and Seoul are now barely on speaking terms, reports the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo.\nOn Tuesday, Seoul accused Mr Abe of romanticising \"Japanese colonialism and its war of aggression\" after he sent an offering to the Yasukuni Shrine, where Japan's war dead - including convicted war criminals - are enshrined.\nBut the US - which last month brokered a meeting of the Japanese and South Korean leaders - wants the two to co-operate on North Korea, amid long-term deadlock in moves to end Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.\nOn Tuesday, South Korea's defence ministry said that it had detected \"a lot of activity\" at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site.\nNorth Korea could be planning to hold a \"surprise nuclear test or just pretend to stage a nuclear test\", a spokesman said.\nMr Obama arrives in Seoul on Friday. A state department spokeswoman said the US was \"closely monitoring the situation\". The test, if it went ahead, would be North Korea's fourth.", "UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien told the Security Council that the plane dropped 21 tonnes of humanitarian items on a government-held part of Deir al-Zour.\nInitial reports indicated that the aid had successfully reached the target area, Mr O'Brien said.\nThe UN says 200,000 civilians are living under siege in Deir al-Zour.\nIn a recent report, the UN said those trapped in the besieged areas were facing \"sharply deteriorating conditions\" with reports of \"severe cases of malnutrition and deaths due to starvation\".\nLast week, more than 100 lorries carrying food and other basic goods reached 80,000 people in five other besieged areas of Syria. Two more convoys were sent to two towns besieged by government forces on Tuesday.\nIn another development on Wednesday, the main Syrian opposition umbrella group said it would respect a provisional ceasefire due to come into force on Saturday \"for two weeks\".\nThe statement from the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) came after the Syrian government also said it would observe the \"cessation of hostilities\" brokered by the US and Russia.\n\"Earlier this morning, a WFP (World Food Programme) plane dropped the first cargo of 21 tonnes of items into Deir al-Zour,\" Mr O'Brien told the Security Council.\nHe said teams from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent on the ground confirmed that \"pallets have landed in the target area as planned\".\nBBC UN correspondent Nick Bryant says the air drop is a last resort by aid agencies after warring parties blocked access to the city.\nConvoys of lorries are considered the most efficient form of delivery for much-needed supplies, he says.\nThe World Food Programme had previously ruled out humanitarian air drops in Syria due to the complexities of obtaining use of airspace, organising distribution on the ground, and finding suitable drop zones.\nThe UK government also said air drops were \"high risk and should only be considered as a last resort when all other means have failed\".\nBut Jan Egeland, who chairs a humanitarian taskforce, said last week that the strategy was the only way to feed people in Deir al-Zour.\nThe UN estimates that more than 480,000 Syrians are living in besieged areas, with four million more people in \"hard-to-reach\" areas.\nLast week, convoys of aid lorries reached rebel-held Muadhamiya, Madaya and Zabadani, near Damascus, and pro-government northern villages of Foah and Kefraya.\nThe supplies are expected to last for about a month.\nAll sides in the civil war are believed to have used siege warfare, in which forces surround an area and cut off essential supplies, in breach of international law.\nThe temporary \"cessation of hostilities\" is scheduled to take effect across Syria on Saturday after midnight Damascus time (22:00 GMT Friday).\nIt excludes IS and the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.\nThe Syrian government has said it will observe the partial ceasefire, but insists it will continue to fight IS, al-Nusra and \"other terrorist groups linked to them\".\nOn Tuesday, the HNC warned that its acceptance of the truce was \"conditional\" on the implementation of a UN resolution that calls on all parties to lift sieges, allow aid deliveries, halt aerial and artillery attacks on civilians, and release detainees.", "But in Sao Paulo's Santa Ifigenia neighbourhood - the city's main market for electronic devices - consumers are not kind to Chinese brands.\n\"The first thing that comes to my mind when you say Chinese is an inferior product, probably contraband. I would avoid them,\" one shopper tells me.\nThere is even a pejorative term for Chinese brands that try to rival or imitate other established brands: \"Xing Ling\".\nYet this is the market chosen by China's Xiaomi to start selling its smartphone outside Asia.\nLeading this Chinese \"invasion\" is a Brazilian executive.\nHugo Barra, Xiaomi's vice-president, is a rare case of a Latin American businessman heading a top Chinese company.\nThe world's third largest smartphone maker is not very well known outside Asia and it chose Latin America as its first major Western venture. Not Europe, not the US.\n\"Latin America as a whole is a tremendous opportunity,\" Mr Barra told the BBC last month.\n\"It is a very large market where people are, at a very fast pace, replacing their feature phones for their first smartphone.\"\nHe is right. Brazil's economy grew only 0.1% last year - yet smartphone sales were up a whopping 55%.\nBrazil is now the world's fourth largest market for mobile phones, after China, the US and India.\nWhereas in Europe and the US, Xiaomi would have to convince experienced users to switch to their brand, in Latin America they want to sell to consumers who are only now buying their first smartphone.\nXiaomi is excited about a country where market research shows that 45% of consumers still have older \"non-smart\" models.\nIt has plans to eventually branch out to the rich world, but that will depend on how successful it is in Brazil and Mexico, which is their next step in the region.\nOvercoming Brazilians' uncertainty about Chinese brands is not Xiaomi's sole challenge.\nAlthough Brazil is often lumped in with other Asian economies in the category of \"emerging markets\", consumers here behave very differently - especially when it comes to smartphones.\nXiaomi has achieved its market share in Asian countries by imposing what it calls a \"fair price\" - usually much lower than those of its big rivals.\nIn India, where 41% of the smartphone market is dominated by lesser-known makers, the low \"fair price\" strategy works well.\nYet Brazilians are different - they love big established brands.\nOnly six top makers - Apple, LG, Microsoft, Motorola, Samsung and Sony - account for more than 95% of sales.\nThis is a tough place for new entrants.\n\"Xiaomi will need to take some market share from these strong, global brands that have been here for the past 10 years at least\", says Leonardo Munin, market researcher for IDC Brasil.\nAnother challenge, he says, is that online sales are not as strong in Brazil as they are in Asia.\nOnly 15% of smartphones are sold online in Brazil - and for now Xiaomi has plans to sell its products exclusively via the internet, bypassing the local retail sector.\nOne market analyst I spoke to believes that Hugo Barra has the credentials to succeed in his home country as he will be familiar with many of the country's singularities.\nDespite being Brazilian, Barra is almost as unknown to the general Brazilian public as Xiaomi itself.\n1996: Student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), graduating with a bachelor's degree in management science and masters in electrical engineering and computer science.\n2000: Co-founded LOBBY7 with MIT classmates\n2008: Group product manager for the Google Mobile team in London\n2010: Google Android team\n2012: Google vice-president\n2013: Vice-president at Xiaomi\nWith a degree in computer science and electrical engineering from MIT, the 38-year-old executive has made his career in London and the US.\nFrom 2008 to 2013, working for Google, he was a key figure in developing the Android operating system for smartphones.\nBut two years ago, he surprised the Silicon Valley world by moving to a then relatively unknown Chinese start-up owned by billionaire Lei Jun.\nThe move seems to have paid off so far.\nUnder Barra's leadership, Xiaomi has established itself as the world's third largest smartphone maker, with 60 million units sold last year.\nThe company is one of a number of big Chinese brands - such as Alibaba - that has a huge presence in the East, but has not yet crossed the bridge to Western markets.\nXiaomi is unlike other traditional Western technology firms, because it is not exclusively dedicated to producing handsets.\nBarra says it is an amalgamation of a Google-like, Apple-like and Amazon-like company.\nIt produces the handsets, like Apple; it developed its own Android-based Operating System, like Google; and it dedicates a great deal of its operation to online sales and logistics, like Amazon.\nXiaomi's growth in Asian markets has been very rapid under an executive who has been very successful in California's Silicon Valley.\nThe next big challenge for Hugo Barra will be to win over consumers for Xiaomi in his own country.", "The study by the London School of Economics and the Institute for Fiscal Studies says the success should boost social mobility in the capital.\nThe proportion of pupils on free school meals in inner London obtaining five or more A*-C grades at GCSE has more than doubled over a decade, it finds.\nLondon could offer \"valuable lessons\" for improving standards in other areas.\nThe study seeks to find out what is behind the \"London effect\" that has seen the performance of disadvantaged pupils improve dramatically.\nIn 2002, fewer than a quarter (22%) got at least five A*-C GCSEs (including maths and English) but by 2013, this had risen to nearly half - 48%.\nOutside England's capital, the figure rose from 17% to 26%.\nResearchers say the improvement in performance of disadvantaged children in London cannot be attributed to one single factor and is \"complex and stretches back a number of years and through the education system\".\nHowever, steady improvement in the capital's schools is cited as one major factor, with improvements in primary schools playing a major role.\nThey found that disadvantaged pupils generally started primary school at a similar level or behind their peers elsewhere in England, but then made faster progress from the age of five to 11.\nThe ethnically diverse mix of London is cited as another possible factor for the capital's success, because poorer pupils from ethnic minorities tend to obtain better GCSE results than children from poor, white British backgrounds.\nBut the report says this only explains about one-sixth of the improvement relative to the rest of the country and most of it can be explained by rising attainment at primary level - pupils entering secondary school with better test results.\nThe researchers say the tide started to turn in London - \"an educational success story\" - before various schemes aimed at improvement were introduced.\n\"We show that the London advantage for poor children was present in primary and secondary schools from the mid-1990s,\" the report says.\n\"This is well before the introduction of many recent policies that have previously been cited as the reasons for London's success, such as the London Challenge or academies programme.\"\nThe study concludes that the academic success of the capital's young people is likely to gain ground.\n\"London's schooling success seems likely to further grow over time as age-11 test scores continue to improve relative to elsewhere in England,\" it says.\n\"Furthermore, it is striking that London's improvement appears to be driven by higher quality attainment, including higher grades and GCSE qualifications rather than lower value equivalent qualifications.\n\"While it is too early to observe if this trend continues at later stages, there are reasons to be optimistic that this may translate into more social mobility in the capital city,\" the study concludes.", "Speaking at the UN in New York, the prime minister said \"past mistakes\" must not be an \"excuse\" for inaction.\nHe spoke as US and Arab jets continued bombing Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria, after attacks began on Tuesday.\nThe UK cabinet has been meeting to discuss possible air strikes in Iraq, with Parliament due to vote on Friday.\nMPs will debate a motion ruling out any air strikes against Syria or using ground troops.\nBut they will be asked to back UK bombing of IS in Iraq which the motion says poses a \"clear threat\" to the \"territorial integrity\" of the country.\nThe motion also \"condemns the barbaric acts\" of IS and the \"humanitarian crisis\" the militants are causing.\nIn his UN speech, Mr Cameron said the Iraqi government had made a \"clear request\" for international military assistance against IS, which has taken control of large parts of Iraq and Syria in recent months.\nHe said this provided a \"clear basis in international law for action\".\nby Nick Bryant, BBC United Nations correspondent\nDavid Cameron's address at the UN felt like a dress rehearsal for the speech he'll deliver in the House of Commons on Friday, and his target audience seemed to be parliamentarians as much as diplomats in the hall.\nOther than a few cursory words about Middle East peace, Ukraine and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, it was devoted almost exclusively to making the case for British air strikes in Iraq.\nReferring to the war there a decade ago, a conflict lodged so firmly in the minds of parliamentarians, he said that past mistakes should not become an \"excuse for indifference or inaction\".\nHe was also careful to spell out the legal case for air strikes in Iraq, a touchier issue in Westminster than it is in New York.\nAs well as air strikes, Mr said Western forces could equip, train and support local fighting forces.\nHe said IS, also known as Isil and Isis, had killed people of \"every faith and none\" and had \"murderous plans to expand its borders well beyond Iraq and Syria and to carry out terrorist atrocities right across the world\".\nIt comes after a third night of US-led air strikes against the militants targeted oil refineries in Syria.\nFive civilians and 14 IS fighters were killed in the east of the country, according to UK-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.\nBritish jihadists are among those thought to have been killed in air strikes earlier this week.\nKhadijah Kamara told the BBC she believed her 19-year-old son Ibrahim, who went to Syria in February, was among the dead.\nThe 35-year-old, from Brighton, said: \"I forgive him, may God have mercy on him. I'm not angry.\n\"I just pray that God forgives him. Think about how your actions will affect your family. The impact on people who care about you.\"\nHe is thought to have been fighting with al-Qaeda affiliate group Jabhat al-Nusra, BBC Newsnight's Secunder Kermani said.\nOur reporter added that a source in Syria had told him that, as well as Mr Kamara, three British men of Bengali heritage from the London area were killed on Monday.\nAddressing the UN, Mr Cameron said it was \"right\" to learn lessons from the past - especially from the 2003 invasion of Iraq - but leaders must not be \"frozen with fear\".\n\"Isolation and withdrawing from a problem like Isil will only make matters worse,\" he said.\n\"We must not allow past mistakes to become an excuse for indifference or inaction.\"\nHe also said:\nMr Cameron said IS had recruited fighters from around the world, including 500 from Britain.\nOne of these Britons \"almost certainly\" killed the two American journalists and the British aid worker whose beheadings featured on IS videos posted online in recent weeks, he said.\nThe UN Security Council has adopted a binding resolution compelling states to prevent their nationals joining jihadists in Iraq and Syria.\nUS President Barack Obama chaired the session and called for global efforts to dismantle the IS \"network of death\".\nThe president said more than 40 countries had offered to join the coalition against IS.\nThe US started bombing IS targets in Iraq last month and began air attacks in Syria on Tuesday.\nLabour and the Liberal Democrats are supporting the plan for UK air strikes in Iraq.\nSir Menzies Campbell - a former Lib Dem leader and prominent opponent of the 2003 Iraq invasion - said he was \"satisfied there are perfectly sound legal grounds\" for the attack.\n\"The request has been made by the Iraqi government,\" he told Sky News.\n\"The very future of Iraq is at stake and we're quite entitled to adopt and accept that request and to become involved\"\nSir Menzies accused IS of \"systematic barbarism\", adding: \"Effectively there's ethnic cleansing going on.\"\nFull text of Friday's Commons motion\nThat this House:\nCondemns the barbaric acts of ISIL against the peoples of Iraq including the Sunni, Shia, Kurds, Christians and Yazidi and the humanitarian crisis this is causing;\nRecognises the clear threat ISIL pose to the territorial integrity of Iraq and the request from the government of Iraq for military support from the international community and the specific request to the UK government for such support;\nFurther recognises the threat ISIL poses to wider international security and the UK directly through its sponsorship of terrorist attacks and its murder of a British hostage;\nAcknowledges the broad coalition contributing to military support of the government of Iraq, including countries throughout the Middle East;\nFurther acknowledges the request of the government of Iraq for international support to defend itself against the threat ISIL poses to Iraq and its citizens, and the clear legal basis that this provides for action in Iraq;\nNotes that this motion does not endorse UK air strikes in Syria as part of this campaign, and any proposal to do so would be subject to a separate vote in Parliament;\nAccordingly supports Her Majesty's Government, working with allies, in supporting the government of Iraq in protecting civilians and restoring its territorial integrity, including the use of UK air strikes to support Iraqi, including Kurdish, security forces' efforts against ISIL in Iraq;\nNotes that Her Majesty's Government will not deploy UK troops in ground combat operations;\nOffers its wholehearted support to the men and women of Her Majesty's armed forces.\nBBC deputy political editor James Landale said the government was \"confident\" of winning Friday's vote - but it did not propose military action in Syria because of the legal impediments of acting there without the support of the Assad regime.\nHowever, former UK attorney general Dominic Grieve told BBC Newsnight the Iraqi government's request for help could make it possible for the UK to take military action in Syria without breaching international law.\nHe said there was evidence that some attacks were \"spilling over the border\" from Syria into Iraq, so the UK could use \"reasonable, necessary and proportionate means\" to help Iraq defend itself.\nHe said it might also be possible to make a legal case for intervening in Syria under the \"doctrine of humanitarian necessity\" to protect people from IS genocide.", "UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had recorded no civilian deaths in the first 15 hours of the truce.\nResidents in the embattled northern city of Aleppo reported calm.\nSeparately, Israel denied on Monday that Syria had shot down one of its jets over the contested Golan Heights.\nIn a statement on state TV, Syria's military said it had downed a jet and a drone flown by Israel's military.\nAn Israeli military statement said: \"Overnight two surface-to-air missiles were launched from Syria after the mission to target Syrian artillery positions. At no point was the safety of [Israeli] aircraft compromised.\"\nSome reports said the truce in Syria was broken by sporadic attacks carried out by both government forces and rebels after the ceasefire had come into effect.\nThe Observatory said they had seen reports of aerial bombardment of some villages in Hama province, and shelling near Damascus.\nThe Syrian army has said the truce will be applied throughout Syria for seven days, but that it reserves the right to respond decisively to any violation by armed groups.\nA number of rebel factions have given a guarded welcome to the deal but expressed reservations about its implementation.\nThe Syria truce was described by US Secretary of State John Kerry as possibly the \"last chance to save a united Syria\".\nThe deal was struck on Friday in Geneva after months of talks between Russia and the US. It also requires both sides to allow unhindered access for humanitarian aid to besieged areas.\nHumanitarian groups are hoping to make aid deliveries to the worst-hit areas, especially the war-torn city of Aleppo.\nIf the truce holds for seven days, the US and Russia will carry out co-ordinated air strikes on militant groups - including so-called Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (known until recently as the Nusra Front).\nThe opposition Free Syrian Army group has said that while it will \"co-operate positively\" with the ceasefire, it was concerned it would benefit the government.\nAnother major rebel group, the hardline Islamist Ahrar al-Sham, initially rejected the deal but later appeared to have softened its stance.\nOpposition sources quoted by Reuters said a forthcoming statement supporting the cessation \"with harsh reservations\" would be backed by \"the largest groups\", including Ahrar al-Sham.\nSpeaking earlier, President Bashar al-Assad welcomed the deal but said the Syrian state was still \"determined to recover every area from the terrorists, and to rebuild\".\nThe strength, or otherwise, of the ceasefire is a big test of what appears to be a less sour, more workable relationship between the foreign ministers of the US and Russia.\nDiplomacy failed in the first, critical years of the war. A major reason for that was diplomatic deadlock between President Bashar al-Assad's ally, Russia, and the US, which demanded his immediate departure from office.\nSince then Russia has become the most influential outside power in Syria. The US and its Western allies have struggled to keep up.\nPerhaps Moscow is now ready to build on a ceasefire, if it lasts, to push President Assad towards a political transition that might end the war.\nOr perhaps, as enemies of President Assad and the Russians believe, the ceasefire will be a chance to regroup and rearm.\nThe conflict in Syria, which began with an uprising against Mr Assad, has raged for five years and claimed the lives of more than a quarter of a million people.\nMore than 4.8 million have fled abroad, and an estimated 6.5 million others have been displaced within the country, the UN says.\nJihadist groups like so-called Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham face the joint might of the Russian and US air forces\nModerate rebels and civilians in the areas they hold will no longer face the threat of indiscriminate air strikes such as barrel-bombing although the Syrian air force will not be grounded completely; aid deliveries will be allowed to areas currently under siege\nPresident Assad will be in a stronger position as the US and Russia engage two of his most effective military opponents while moderate rebels observe the truce with his forces\nFebruary 2012: Syrian government \"categorically rejects\" an Arab League plan calling for a joint Arab-UN peacekeeping mission\nJune 2012/January 2014/January 2016: Three failed UN-sponsored peace conferences in Geneva\nSeptember 2013: Kerry and Lavrov negotiate a deal to strip the Syrian government of its chemical weapons in return for the US backing away from air strikes. Since then, the government has again and repeatedly been accused of using toxic chemicals against rebel-held areas\nFebruary 2016: World powers agree in Munich on a nationwide \"cessation of hostilities\" in Syria excluding jihadist groups. There is no agreement on any joint US-Russian operations. The \"pause\" quickly unravels as Assad promises to regain control of the whole country\nMarch 2016: President Vladimir Putin declares \"mission accomplished\" in Syria and orders removal of \"main part\" of Russia's air army in Syria. Russian air strikes have continued ever since", "The government-commissioned study said plant operators and regulators had failed to adequately anticipate a huge tsunami and its likely impact.\nThe interim findings were issued by an independent panel set up in May.\nMore than 20,000 people were killed when an earthquake and tsunami struck.\nTens of thousands had to be evacuated as radiation leaked into the atmosphere, sea and food chain.\nThe six-reactor Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was badly damaged by the earthquake and tsunami, with blasts occurring at four reactors after the cooling systems went offline.\nLast week, the authorities declared the plant had been stabilised, but said it would take decades to dismantle it completely.\nThe panel said its aim was not to apportion blame for the disaster, but to learn why the accident happened in the way it did, AFP news agency reported.\nTokyo Electric Power (Tepco), the company which operated the plant, did not \"take precautionary measures in anticipation that a severe accident could be caused by (a) tsunami such as the one (that) hit... Neither did the regulatory authorities,\" the report said.\nIt also accused Tepco of failing to \"incorporate measures against tsunamis exceeding the design basis. This indicates the limit of voluntary safety measures\".\nFurther, the government's nuclear regulatory body \"did not require Tepco to take specific measures, such as additional construction, after they received simulation results from Tepco in 2008 and early in 2011 regarding the impact of tsunamis on their facilities\".\nTepco's own report on the disaster, by contrast, said there was no way it could have been prepared for a 9.0 magnitude quake and huge waves that triggered meltdowns and explosions at the plant.\nThe panel's report said the situation was also made worse by;\n\"Collection of accurate and most up-to-date information is a pre-requisite for timely and appropriate decision-making. This issue, together with the need for providing information to the nation, is of a major concern,\" it said.\nIt said Tepco staff at the plant were not trained to handle emergencies like the power shutdown that struck when the tsunami destroyed back-up generators, AP news agency reported.\nStaff also misunderstood problems that arose with the cooling systems for reactors 1 and 3.\nThe 506-page report was based on interviews with more than 450 people, including government officials and plant workers.\nThe 12-member panel is headed by Yotaro Hatamura - an engineering professor at Tokyo University who specialises in the study of failures - and includes seismologists, former diplomats and judges.\nIt was set up in May by then prime minister Naoto Kan, and is expected to issue its final report in mid-2012.\nIn an earlier report, submitted to the UN nuclear watchdog, the Japanese government said it had been unprepared for a nuclear accident on the scale of the one at the Fukushima plant.", "Now the city risks falling to the hands of Islamic State (IS), which launched an offensive to capture the town on 15 September.\nKurdish forces are heavily outgunned by IS, which has tanks and other heavy weapons. They have managed to slow down IS's advance, but militant fighters have now reached the south-west corner of the town.\nKurdish fighters who have been defending the hills around the city have pulled back to the streets of Kobane, and their commanders say the fight to control the town is entering a new phase.\n\"Our forces have been preparing for a street battle,\" says Salih Muslim, the co-leader of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the main Kurdish party in Syria.\n\"They will defend the city to the very end. Kobane will never fall to IS,\" he says.\nKurdish commanders believe that IS may not be able to use its heavy weaponry, such as artillery and tanks, as effectively when the fighting turns into a street battle. They hope this will mean Kurdish fighters can put up a strong fight.\nIn picking its battles, IS seems to be selecting soft targets, usually taking over towns that don't put up much of a fight.\nKobane is surrounded by two IS-controlled towns to the east and west, faces the Turkish border to the north and lies some 140km north of Raqqa - the heart of IS-controlled territory - so it is easy to understand why jihadist fighters might choose to stage an all-out attack there.\nBut fighters in Kobane have been resisting takeovers by Islamist militants for over two years.\nLocals say this is because of the town's symbolic importance.\n\"Kobane might be our soft spot, if you look at it from a geopolitical point of view. But Kobane is where the will of our people and Kurdish cause is strongest,\" says Polat Can, spokesperson for the Kurdish People's Protection Unit (YPG).\n\"They are of the same tribe of Kurds that produced leaders and fighters like Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan and top PKK leader Murat Karayilan,\" he adds.\nHowever, fighting a heavily armed IS without any sophisticated weapons is proving to be difficult for fighters in Kobane - IS is moving closer, and coalition air strikes have done very little to stop the jihadist advance.\nAccording to Salih Muslim, the coalition has yet to effectively bomb IS positions near Kobane. \"That is why the IS thinks it is safer to deploy most of its forces near Kobane in order to protect them from air strikes,\" he says.\nMost coalition air strikes have targeted areas near Mosul and Irbil in Iraq, and Raqqa in Syria.\nWhile co-operating closely with the Kurds in Iraq, who are allied to Turkey, Washington is wary of empowering and encouraging Kurds in Syria, who are allied to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought against the Turkish army for three decades, although it has observed a ceasefire since 2013.\nTurkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says his country will do what it can to prevent Kobane from falling to IS, but stopped short of committing to military intervention.\nHis words followed a statement by the imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan, who said the peace process between Ankara and the Kurdish rebels would collapse if IS militants seized Kobane.\nKurdish officials in Syria have repeatedly said that they don't want Turkey to intervene in the conflict, but have called for an easing of border controls to allow in other Kurds to supply arms to the fighters in Kobane.\nThey also believe that Turkey is in league with IS in a bid to prevent the Syrian Kurds from becoming more powerful - a claim strongly denied by Turkey.", "Upper chamber leaders resumed work overnight on a deal to raise the US borrowing limit and end a partial government shutdown.\nAmid the congressional disarray, a top ratings agency warned of a possible downgrade in US creditworthiness.\nThe US must raise its $16.7tn (£10.5tn) debt limit by Thursday or risk default.\nPoliticians, bankers and economists have warned of global economic consequences unless an agreement can be reached.\nBy Robert PestonBusiness editor\nThe Democratic-controlled Senate took control on Tuesday night, working on a bipartisan deal that aides said would extend the federal borrowing limit until 7 February and fund the government to mid-January.\nSenate Democratic leader Harry Reid and his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell, were expected to brief their colleagues on Wednesday.\nThe Senate is due to reconvene at noon (16:00 GMT).\nBut even if a compromise can overcome procedural hurdles, it remains unclear whether it can muster enough votes in the Republican-led House to pass before the 17 October deadline.\nThe Wall Street Journal writes: \"None of this is worth a partial government shutdown, much less the risk of a debt default, and both sides are looking like losers.\"\nThe New York Times urges an end to \"debt-ceiling moments\", making them \"less fraught with peril, less prone to stalemate and more conducive to productive negotiations\".\nThe Republicans, says The Washington Post, seem \"determined to thrash about in search of something it can call a political win for a few more hours, or days\".\nThe Los Angeles Times compares the Republican leaders of the House and Senate saying the latter, Mitch McConnell, has been able to \"discern when his party is holding a losing hand and make the decision to cut a deal\".\nDemocratic Senator Barbara Mikulski warned her colleagues that the US was \"hours away from becoming a deadbeat nation, not paying its bills to its own people and other creditors\".\nThe Senate's negotiations were initially put on hold on Tuesday to give House Republicans a chance to come up with a deal.\nBut the lower chamber's efforts ended in chaos after two proposals floated in the space of a few hours were torpedoed from right and left, forcing the leadership to shelve plans for a vote.\nEmbattled House Speaker John Boehner failed to rally his fractious rank-and-file Republicans behind either plan.\nAmid the legislative turmoil, the Fitch credit agency warned it could downgrade the US government's AAA rating, while the Dow Jones index ended the day down 133 points.\nOn Tuesday afternoon, President Barack Obama told a local ABC broadcaster he expected the debt ceiling impasse would be resolved.\n23 October: Social Security benefits $12bn\n28 October: Federal employee salaries $3bn\n30 October: Medicaid payments to providers $2bn\n31 October: Interest payment on public debt $6bn\n1 November: Medicare payment to providers & plans $18bn; Social Security benefits $25bn; military active pay, retirement and veteran benefits $12bn; supplemental security income benefits $3bn\n14 November: Social Security benefits $12bn\n15 November: Interest payment on debt $29bn\nNote: These are the key payments, not all the payments, the US Treasury must make in the next month\nBut he added: \"I think the House Republicans still believe they can get concessions for doing their job.\"\nHardline conservatives triggered the budget warfare 16 days ago, forcing the first government shutdown in 17 years by demanding that Mr Obama gut his signature healthcare overhaul.\nBy Tuesday afternoon, the House leadership was left offering a relatively modest proposal to deny discounts for lawmakers and their staff members on health insurance policies.\nIn the Senate plan under negotiation, Republicans may only emerge with a sop in the form of language tightening income verification for anyone seeking subsidies on medical coverage.\nAlthough both parties have fared badly in opinion polls during the fiscal standoff, Republicans have taken the brunt of the blame from voters.\nBy Mark MardellNorth America editor\nAnd with concerns about potential damage to the party's prospects in next year's midterm elections, the political recriminations have already begun.\nModerate Republican congressman Peter King told the Huffington Post: \"After shutting down the government for two-and-a-half weeks, laying off 800,000 people, all the damage we caused, all we would end up doing was taking away health insurance from congressional employees. That's it? That's what you go to war for?\"\nSenator John McCain, who was the Republican 2008 presidential nominee, was quoted by the New York Times as saying: \"Republicans have to understand we have lost this battle, as I predicted weeks ago, that we would not be able to win because we were demanding something that was not achievable.\"\nThe White House has refused to negotiate over its healthcare law, pointing out that it passed in 2010, was subsequently validated by the Supreme Court, and was a central issue in the 2012 presidential election, which Mr Obama won comfortably.", "Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said US warplanes and drones were now arriving at Turkish airbases.\n\"We will soon launch a comprehensive battle against Islamic State all together,\" he said.\nLast month Turkey launched its first strikes on the militants since the group began its advance through Iraq and Syria in 2013.\nIt had previously been reluctant to take military action, but that position changed after a number of attacks within Turkey that were blamed on IS.\nSyria said on Wednesday that any military action not co-ordinated with Damascus would breach its sovereignty.\nTurkey agreed to let the US military use the Incirlik airbase, in the south-west of the country, in July.\n\"As part of our agreement with the US we have made progress regarding the opening up of our bases, particularly Incirlik,\" Mr Cavusoglu told reporters as he met US Secretary of State John Kerry in Malaysia on Wednesday.\n\"We're seeing that manned and unmanned American planes are arriving and soon we will launch a comprehensive battle against Islamic State all together.\"\n'More effective strikes' - Selin Girit, BBC News, Istanbul\nCoalition planes currently take off from bases in the Gulf to hit IS targets in Syria. The use of Turkish bases, especially Incirlik, will potentially make the strikes much more effective.\nBecause of Turkey's proximity, coalition warplanes will be able to reach targets in Syria in less than an hour and spend up to six hours in Syrian airspace.\nOne Turkish official said the operations could start any moment now. That might please many in Turkey, and outside, who have been calling for a tougher stance against IS.\nBut there is serious opposition to any Turkish boots on the ground in Syria and concern about the proposed \"safe zone\" there.\nMany suggest that as Turkey only has an interim government - since the June general election - it should not take such serious decisions as engaging in a \"comprehensive battle\".\nThe US military is familiar with the southern Turkish base, and its recent history is tied closely with recent US military operations.\nTensions increased after a series of attacks on the Turkish side of the Syrian border.\nA Turkish soldier was killed in an exchange of fire with IS fighters near the Syrian border in July.\nJust days earlier a suicide bombing blamed on IS killed 32 people in the predominantly Kurdish town of Suruc.\nTurkish police have arrested hundreds of people in raids against IS and Kurdish militants across the country in recent weeks.\nThe country has also carried out a series of air strikes, saying they were targeting militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq as well as Islamic State militants.\nBut observers say PKK fighters have been on the receiving end of far more attacks than IS.\nTurkish officials deny that the campaign against the Islamic State group is a cover to prevent Kurdish gains.\nThe government has previously faced criticism at home and abroad for not doing enough against IS, despite being part of the international coalition fighting it.", "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the test proved that the entire US was within striking range, state media reported.\nThe launch came three weeks after North Korea's first ICBM test.\nUS President Donald Trump called it \"only the latest reckless and dangerous action by the North Korean regime\".\nChina also condemned the missile test but urged \"all parties concerned\" to exercise restraint \"and avoid intensifying tensions\".\nConfirming the launch, the North said the ICBM flew for just over 47 minutes and reached an altitude of 3,724km (2,300 miles).\nIt said the launch had \"successfully tested re-entry capabilities\" of the missile.\n\"The leader said proudly the test also confirmed all the US mainland is within our striking range,\" the Korean Central News Agency said.\nThe statement said that the rocket was a Hwasong-14, the same model North Korea tested on 3 July.\nMelissa Hanham, Senior Research Associate in the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies\nNorth Korea's latest ICBM test went farther and higher than their previous 3 July test, meaning that they may be able to strike even deeper into the heartland of the United States than initially assessed.\nWithin minutes of the launch, South Korean, Japanese and US officials reported data about the location, range, apogee, and flight time of the missile. While full analysis has not been finalised yet, several points stand out.\nFirst, the data available indicates that the missile may have a range of approximately 10,400km. Since this missile is road-mobile, a launch from the north-eastern city of Rason would put New York City in range of the ICBM.\nSecond, the US reported that North Korea launched the ICBM from Mupyong-ni, North Korea. This location was different from many press accounts leading up to the launch which predicted a Kusong launch. The missile launched at 23:11 local time, an unusual time for North Korea's tests as well. It is possible that North Korea is already experimenting with deploying the missile under the cover of night or setting up multiple launch sites to confuse observers.\nReports on Friday said the missile had come down in the sea off northern Japan.\nIn response, the US and South Korean military conducted a live-firing exercise using surface-to-surface missiles, a US defence official said.\nThe missiles were fired into the \"territorial waters of South Korea along the east coast,\" a US military statement said.\nSouth Korean Defence Minister Song Young-moo said the country would prepare independent measures to curb the North Korea threat, speeding up the deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system (Thaad) provided by the US.\nThe North has repeatedly tested missiles in breach of UN resolutions.\nThe Pentagon said the latest missile was launched at 23:41 (15:41 GMT) from an arms plant in Jagang province in the north of the country.\nIt is unusual for North Korea to launch a missile at night - the significance is as yet unclear. No missiles had been fired from Jagang province before, indicating a previously-unknown launch site is operational.\nICBMs can reach altitudes well outside the earth's atmosphere. Using sharp trajectories with high altitudes allows North Korea to avoid firing over neighbouring countries.\nThe US, Japan and South Korea roundly condemned the latest action by Pyongyang.\nJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the threat to his country's security was \"grave and real\" while Pentagon spokesman Capt Jeff Davis said the US was prepared to defend itself \"and our allies from any attack or provocation\".\nSouth Korea's President Moon Jae-in convened an emergency security meeting for the middle of the night.\nDespite the ongoing tests, experts believe the North does not yet have the capability to miniaturise a nuclear warhead, fit it on to a long-range missile, and ensure it is protected until delivery to the target.\nThey say many of North Korea's missiles cannot accurately hit targets.\nOthers, however, believe that at the rate it is going, Pyongyang may overcome these challenges and develop a nuclear weapon within five to 10 years that could strike the US.", "The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels advanced into government-held western districts overnight but were pushed back by Wednesday morning.\nThe battle was the most intense in Aleppo for more than a year, it added.\nLater, the US said an agreement has been reached with Russia to extend a truce in Syria to include Aleppo.\nThe Syrian military confirmed it would observe a 48-hour ceasefire in the city.\nA surge in fighting in Aleppo in the past two weeks has killed almost 300 people.\nThe nationwide cessation of hostilities brokered in late February by the US and Russia, which back opposing sides in the war, is close to collapse.\nA coalition of rebel groups fighting under the name \"Fatah Halab\" (Aleppo Conquest) launched the assault on the government's defensive lines in the west of the city on Tuesday by detonating a tunnel bomb, the AFP news agency reported.\nIntense gun battles, air strikes and artillery attacks went on through Tuesday night. Intermittent clashes continued on Wednesday.\nActivists also reported that government warplanes carried out more than 20 air strikes in the rebel-held eastern Ghouta outside Damascus, after a freeze in fighting declared by the government around the capital expired.\nOn Wednesday, the US State Department announced that an extension to the cessation of hostilities had been agreed with Russia on Tuesday.\n\"Since this went into effect today at 00:01 (local time; 21:01 GMT on Tuesday) in Damascus, we have seen an overall decrease in violence in these areas, even though there have been reports of continued fighting in some locations,\" a US statement said.\nAl-Nusra, an al-Qaeda affiliate that is allied to a number of rebel groups, is excluded from the cessation of hostilities.\nThe government and its ally Russia say only al-Nusra positions in Aleppo are being targeted, but the opposition and the US accuse them of indiscriminately attacking civilians and rebels abiding by the cessation of hostilities.\nUN humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland complained later on Wednesday that the government was still refusing to allow aid deliveries to hundreds of thousands of people in besieged areas of Syria, including rebel-held eastern Aleppo.\n\"It is a disgrace to see that while the population of Aleppo is bleeding, their options to flee have never been more difficult than now,\" he told reporters in Geneva.\nFrench Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault asserted that the Syrian government bore full responsibility for the bloodshed in Aleppo.\n\"What is happening in Aleppo is a tragedy that requires a stronger reaction,\" he said at the start of talks in Berlin with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura and Syrian opposition leader Riad Hijab.\nRussia meanwhile said it had withdrawn about 30 aircraft from its airbase in Syria, including all of the Su-25 ground attack planes stationed there.\nThe Russian military began the withdrawal of most of its forces from Syria in March, six months after launching an air campaign to bolster President Bashar al-Assad.", "Still, some pointed out the empty seats and poor weather at the event, suggesting it was symbolic of a Games marred by a number of significant problems.\n\"Brazil celebrates the success of the Games,\" says a headline in the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper.\nBrazilian daily O Globo says those taking part in the closing ceremony seemed delighted to have taken part in \"the world's most important sports event but also because it worked well\".\nOn social media, Brazilians are mourning the end of the games, with one posting a crying emoji \"I don't want this to be over\" and another saying she would not mind if the Games went on \"until December\".\n\"Olympics ends in relief for Brazilians,\" says US paper The Washington Post, adding that the closing ceremony was a \"festive Brazilian farewell to a zany 17 days of brilliant athletic performances served with a sideshow of mishaps and scares\".\nThe New York Times focuses on the positive, describing the rain during the closing ceremony in terms of \"the heavens lamenting the end of the 17-day sports extravaganza\".\nIt adds that despite concerns before the Games, many Brazilians now view them as a \"triumph and a much-needed distraction from the country's economic malaise\".\nSpanish paper ABC is impressed by the carnival-themed closing ceremony, describing it as \"a beautiful show, full of colour, play of light, fireworks, beautiful choreography, mosaics, music performances and carnival spirit\", while La Vanguardia found it a \"a grandiose show of light and colour\".\n\"Rio responded,\" says French daily Liberation, adding that the Games \"ended on a good note on the whole... despite the predictions of some Cassandras\".\nBut some strike a sour note about the ceremony, and the Games in general.\n\"Only Mario was Super,\" German news magazine Spiegel says of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cameo as the game character Super Mario.\nThe closing ceremony was \"no highlight\", it says, amid \"empty seats\" and bad weather.\nGerman paper Sueddeutsche Zeitung says the closing ceremony and the Games in general leave behind an impression of \"cynicism\".\nIt mocks organisers for quickly filling empty seats behind IOC President Thomas Bach as he gave his address, and adds that his opening promise of a \"new world\" at the games jarred with the fact that most locals could not afford tickets and the sense that athletes \"did not trust each other in the slightest\" following doping allegations.\nGerman tabloid Bild has as its headline the word \"Olympics\", with the letters \"lym\" crossed out and replaced with the \"leer\" - the German word for \"empty\".\nIt notes that even at the \"colourful farewell party\", thousands of seats were empty: \"A negative impression that was present throughout the Games, and will be remembered.\"\nIn pro-government Russian daily Izvestia, Russian athlete Sergei Lisin carps at the treatment of Russian competitors by athletes from other countries angered by allegations of a state doping programme.\n\"At one point it looked like all Olympic ideals were forgotten and it was not a sports celebration that took place in Brazil, but some media project aimed at discrediting our country in the eyes of the whole world,\" he argues.\nBut an article in business daily Kommersant looks on the bright side: Russia's fourth place on the medal table.\n\"Taking into account the circumstances that accompanied the preparation for the Games, this is a very good result,\" it says.\nIn the Middle East, Qatari satellite TV channel Al-Jazeera says the Olympics ended with a \"brilliant closing ceremony, despite bad weather\".\nBut it also features a table showing only Bahrain and Jordan winning gold, despite hopes of a large haul because of the unusually large presence of Arab athletes. \"The winds did not blow as the ships desire,\" it says, using an Arabic proverb.\nIn China, state media betray no disappointment at the country's performance, with national broadcaster CCTV praising the athletes for their \"hard work\" and calling them \"the pride of China\".\nSeveral outlets highlights Chinese athletes' graciousness in defeat. \"Winning gold medals does not mean everything anymore in China,\" says China Daily.\nBut Global Times says the women's volleyball team's Gold on Sunday was a \"timely\" highlight, after what it terms the \"most boring\" first half of an Olympics in 20 years.\nBBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "French PM Manuel Valls and US Secretary of State John Kerry said civilians were dying in Russian air strikes.\nRussian PM Dmitry Medvedev said there was \"no evidence of our bombing civilians, even though everyone is accusing us of this\".\nOne observers' group says at least 1,015 civilians have been killed in Russian air strikes.\nThe UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said late last month that close to a quarter of those killed were under the age of 18.\nHow Putin is succeeding in Syria\nDisplaced Syrians struggle to survive\nSyria: The story of the conflict\nRussia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has consistently denied hitting civilian targets and insists it is battling terrorists.\nMr Valls said his government \"respects Russia and Russia's interests\" but \"that to re-discover the path to peace, to discussion, the Russian bombing of civilians has to stop\".\nMr Kerry again accused Russia of using so-called 'dumb bombs' in Syria that do not hit precise targets. Last week, he said women and children were being killed \"in large numbers\" by Russian raids.\nMr Medvedev said Russia was \"not trying to achieve some secret goals in Syria\", adding that \"we are trying to protect our national interests\".\nTheir comments were made at a security conference in Munich, days after world powers agreed a deal to push for a cessation of hostilities in Syria within a week.\nAgreement to try to bring about a cessation of hostilities and allow more access for humanitarian aid was reached by world powers late on Thursday in Germany, but neither the Syrian government nor the rebels were involved.\nUnder the plan, efforts will be made to try to make urgent aid deliveries to besieged and hard-to-reach areas in Syria. Steps will also be taken to work towards an eventual ceasefire and implementation of a UN-backed plan for political transition in Syria.\nThe halt will not apply to the battle against jihadist groups Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra Front.\nThe tentative deal reached here in Munich to pause the fighting in Syria was always going to be a tough sell to the warring parties on the ground. Now its chances of success look even slimmer - \"Forty-nine per cent,\" said Russia's foreign minister. \"Closer to zero,\" said his British counterpart.\nFor much of the day the Russian and Western ministers have been trading accusations and counter-accusations as to who is to blame for the ongoing misery that is the Syrian civil war.\nFrance, Britain and the US all accused Russia of targeting mainstream rebels and civilians with air strikes while leaving so-called Islamic State largely unscathed. Russia flatly denied this, saying most of those civilians were being besieged by rebels rather than by Assad's forces. Again, Western delegates disagreed.\nSo there are clearly two, diametrically opposed, versions of what is going on in Syria. That leaves little prospect of the concerted effort for peace by all parties that is so desperately needed.\nRebel groups in Syria have told the BBC they would not stop fighting because they do not believe that Russia will end its bombing campaign in support of the government.\nThey also reiterated their demand that President Assad be removed from power. On Friday, the president said he wanted to retake \"the whole country\" from rebels.\nBut US state department spokesman Mark Toner said Mr Assad was \"deluded\" if he thought there was a military solution to the conflict.\nSyrian government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, have almost encircled rebels in parts of the northern city of Aleppo.\nMore than 250,000 people have been killed and some 11 million displaced in almost five years of fighting in Syria.\nIn another sign of the complexity of the conflict, reports said that on Saturday Turkish forces had shelled Kurdish militia targets in Aleppo provinces.\nThe Kurdish fighters had seized territory from Islamists in recent days. Turkey views the Kurdish militia as allied to the PKK group, which has a waged a campaign against Turkish security forces for decades.\nOn Saturday, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Saudi Arabia would send war planes to the Turkish air base of Incirlik, from where they would attack militants in Syria from the so-called Islamic State.\nSaudi Arabia is already part of the international coalition against IS.\nMr Cavusoglu also said it was possible that troops from his country and Saudi Arabia might participate in a ground operation against IS forces. The US has so far ruled out a ground invasion.\nMoscow has warned against any new foreign ground intervention in the country, saying such a development could even lead to a world war.\nWhy is there a war in Syria?\nAnti-government protests developed into a civil war that, five years on, has ground to a stalemate, with the Assad government, Islamic State, an array of Syrian rebels and Kurdish fighters all holding territory.\nWho is fighting whom?\nGovernment forces concentrated in Damascus and the centre and west of Syria are fighting the jihadists of Islamic State and al-Nusra Front, as well as less numerous so-called \"moderate\" rebel groups, who are strongest in the north and east. These groups are also battling each other.\nHow has the world reacted?\nIran, Russia and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement are propping up the Alawite-led Assad government, while Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar back the Sunni-dominated opposition, along with the US, UK and France. Hezbollah and Iran are believed to have troops and officers on the ground, while a Western-led coalition and Russia are carrying out air strikes.", "Mr Lieberman said a permanent Mid-East settlement could take decades and pressed a plan for transferring Israeli Arabs to any Palestinian state.\nHe said Iran controlled militant groups such as Hamas and could foil any deal.\nMr Netanyahu said the speech did not reflect Israel's official position.\n\"The content of the foreign minister's speech at the United Nations was not co-ordinated with the prime minister,\" his office said in a statement.\n\"The various issues of the peace deal will be discussed and determined only at the negotiating table and nowhere else.\"\nMr Lieberman's comments come amid uncertainty about the US-brokered negotiations, which only resumed last month, after a partial freeze on the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank expired.\nIn his speech, the leader of the right-wing nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict hinged not just on practical issues but on \"emotional problems\", such as the \"utter lack of confidence\".\n\"That is why the solution should also be a two-staged one,\" he said. \"We should focus on coming up with a long-term intermediate agreement, something that could take a few decades.\"\n\"We need to raise an entire new generation that will have mutual trust and will not be influenced by incitement and extremist messages.\"\nHe also said the guiding principle for a final agreement should not be \"land for peace, but rather exchange of populated territory\".\n\"We are not talking about population transfer but about defining borders so as best to reflect the demographic reality,\" he added.\nMr Lieberman said the \"other misguided argument is the claim that the Palestinian issue prevents a determined international front against Iran\".\n\"In truth, the connection between Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is precisely reversed. Iran can exist without Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, but the terrorist organizations cannot exist without Iran.\"\n\"Relying on these proxies Iran can, at any given time, foil any agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, or with Lebanon.\"\nThe speech caused a walkout by Palestinian delegates at the UN.\n\"The remarks were so offensive that one cannot tolerate them,\" Permanent Observer Riyad Mansour told the Reuters news agency. \"This man is completely detached from political reality.\"\nThe BBC's Barbara Plett, at the United Nations, says that as foreign minister, Mr Lieberman could have been expected to speak for Israel's government while addressing the General Assembly.\nHis decision to strike out on his own therefore exposes the serious disagreements within Mr Netanyahu's coalition on the current peace talks, and illustrates the hardline pressures he faces, our correspondent says.\nJerusalem\nBorders and settlements\nRefugees\nWater\nOn Monday the US said it was \"disappointed\" by Israel's decision not to extend the 10-month freeze on settlement building in the West Bank, which expired on Sunday.\nConstruction resumed in several settlements, but was reportedly slow because of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.\nDespite the end of the freeze, Mr Netanyahu called on the Palestinians to continue direct peace talks - which recently resumed after a 20-month pause.\nPalestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he would make a decision about continuing with the talks after a meeting of Arab leaders in Cairo next Monday.\nHamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and is not taking part in the talks with Israel, has urged Mr Abbas to withdraw from them.\nUS President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, has been sent to the region to try to salvage the negotiations.\nIsrael has occupied the West Bank since the Middle East war of 1967, settling some 500,000 Jews in more than 100 settlements which are held to be illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this. About 2.5 million Palestinians live in the West Bank.", "Support for Ms Rousseff has fallen to single-digit figures in recent polls.\nMany voters have accused her of failing to stamp out corruption and blame her for the economy's worst slump in 25 years.\nMarchers took over Copacabana beach in Rio and also demonstrated outside congress in the capital Brasilia.\nMany wore the yellow shirts of the Brazilian football team, and sang the national anthem, carrying banners saying \"Dilma Out\".\nAbout 350,000 people took part in protests in Sao Paulo, police say.\nAnother 25,000 people took part in a demonstration in the capital, Brasilia.\nThe national day of action is the third major protest against Ms Rousseff and her left-wing Workers' Party this year. Hundreds of thousands took part in demonstrations in March and April.\n\"We want things to change and if the people don't go in the street that's impossible,\" said retired engineer Elino Alves de Moraes, who joined the march in Brasilia.\nMs Rousseff is less than a year into her second term as president.\nThere have also been demonstrations in recent months showing support for the embattled leader, with many claiming calls for her impeachment amount to a coup attempt.\nPeople took to the streets to demand the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, even though the perceived mood across the country in recent days has been one of reconciliation. There's been an acceptance that to remove a democratically elected president might do more harm than good.\nOverwhelmingly white and middle class, the protesters in Sao Paulo were having none of that argument. In generally jovial mood, they condemned the ruling Workers Party for its role in the corruption scandal surrounding Petrobras.\nMs Rousseff may have more to worry about further down the line, if Brazil's economy continues to decline after a decade of growth.\nIf inflation creeps above 10% and the economy goes into recession, that could alienate not only the privileged protesters of Sao Paulo, but her own working class base.\nRead more from Wyre\nAnti-government protesters say Ms Rouseff must have known about a corruption scandal in the state oil firm, Petrobras, as alleged bribery took place when she was head of the company.\nShe was exonerated in an investigation by the attorney general and denies involvement. However, several senior members of her government have been implicated.\nGovernment austerity measures are also hugely unpopular with the electorate, correspondents say, as are rising unemployment and inflation rates.\nA survey by the Brazilian company Datafolha showed support for Ms Rousseff's impeachment was strongest in the poorest areas, which backed her in the last election." ]

[ "One exception that allows you to start a business while you are not a U.S. citizen nor a permanent resident, is by investing $1 million into a new business and hire at least 10 people. Once you do that, you'll be on your way to permanent residency in the US." ]

[ "isn't that what they are doing...in a clip mexican protesters were talking about having infantry...mexico has been educating it's citizens on how to swim across the border. so why wouldn't mexico want them to fight to stay here....it will happen if usa starts deporting!!! ppl need to wake up and realize that there is an invasion of usa!!!", "There is a store here in Wisconsin.(USA) called Hollywood video that can get pretty much any movie. I am not sure if they have a web site. If I can find it here How would I let you know?", "nope, i dont know the diference. i think im both. a us.american citizen. U.S. stands for United States as in The United States of America.", "I am trying to do a mock business plan for my college course and I am very familiar with business plans, but the problem I am running into is getting the numbers from the RMA Annual Statement Studies. If you can get your hands on one of those you will have all of your numbers. I hope this helps you. There is also a sample business plan written up on bplans.com", "I work with an Inc. 500 Company that has operations in many countries, but I personally work with people in the US and Canada. This is an International Health and Wellness Company, that believes in family and total wellness... I work from my home and am paid very well for what I do.\\n\\nI can show you how you can start your own business from home to either suppliment or replace your current income. This is NOT a get rich quick scheme... it is a legitimate business which would require work and dedication. I am willing to work with you to reach your goals if you are serious about finding a business opportunity. (It takes a lot of time and training to help someone set up their home based business, so I am only interested if you are serious)\\n\\nIf you would like more details on how I have been able to suppliment my income from home... please contact me through yahoo360 or IM.", "I studied at UAG in Mexico, I learned Spanish, had great practical experience, and am now licensed all over the world, and almost finished with licensing here in USA.", "Well I'm Latino, I was born in South America, I came to the USA when I was just 5 years old, now I'm 35. I served the USA in the Gulf War from 91 to 95. I'm very proud to be an American Citizen now. But Why in the world should I fly my South American Flag when I live in the USA and This great country been so good to me. ((( why do Mexicans fly there Damm Flag here in the USA ))) If it wasn't for this great country all the Mexicans living in here would all be in a Piss hole somewhere in Mexico.", "Well, im american, and we have a lot of debate always going on about immigration policy here too. I know little of canadian immigration matters, however, if it helps, most{not all} immigrants to usa dont contribute much but cheap labor, however, there children usually assimilate very quickly, and that generation becomes contributing tax paying citizens. So, if your an optimist, it can be looked at as an investment in the future.", "well here in NH USA our black bears do hibernate.. they start to wake up in the late spring ... but the warm weather here has brought a few out \\n\\nthe old timers have heard them so i would say yes for here any how", "hi im 15 and i live in USA-TX how r u", "I'm a citizen of the US. When I go overseas (mainly to Europe), I always say I am from the \"States.\" However, Europeans overwhelmingly refer to US citizens as \"Americans\" or the country of the US as \"America.\"\\n\\nIt's isn't US citizens calling their country \"America.\" It's Europeans, from what I've seen!", "You have two different questions here. \\n\\nThe first one, about migrating to USA. It will be hard with no money, but still possible. For instance, you can find a USA citizen who fall in love with you, will marry you, feed you while you are moneyless. You can migrate here as a spouse of a citizen. Since you have no money, of course your spouse has to pay for your transportation to get here and also other moving expenses. \\n\\nYour second question, about GMI. I think GMI is not illegal, but the same as other similar online business opportunities, more people will lose than gain. Please don't do it unless you are sure you can follow all the terms.", "There are Eleven Million ILLEGAL immigrants in the USA -\\nin addition there are Millions of Legal Residents who are not Citizens - I do not know how many.\\nAlso, a lot of Immigrants are now Citizens.", "The term \"America\" is not the formally correct name for anything in particular. You're right: the name comes from Amerigo Vespucci. If I remember correctly some French guy started calling the western hemisphere America, after that Vespucci dude's name, and it caught on. An alternative name for the western hemisphere is \"Columbia,\" as in Washington, District of Columbia or the South American country called by the Spanish version of the name \"Colombia.\" I guess somewhere along the line people started shortening the name United States of America to simply America. Then that caught on. I don't know why those people didn't just shorten it to USA. Anyhow, I think when most people these days say \"America\" what they mean is USA. Of course the case could be different in a few hundred years. It's funny how language evolves, huh?", "I hear it is easier to migrate to Canada. Apparently it takes less time to migrate there and become a citizen than here in the United States. If you want to come to America it is easier to go through Canada and become a Canadian citizen THEN apply to come to America.\\n\\nhope this helps!", "Absolutely none, as I am too lazy to start a business. I can think up all sort of ways to make $$$, but never want to follow-through. Good luck!", "u know this happens to be a bigger problem than i had expected... i thought i was one of the only people in my age range that had never kissed someone before...but after being on here i have seen MANY people like me...Im 19 and im a male and i am super hot but i have never kissed anyone before either... i think it is because people are intimidated to approach us maybe...oh im not just saying im hot either i really am...a local modeling agency wants me to sign on with them so i know im not ugly!!! ANYWAYS... i dont know how to help you but when you get a good answer just hit me up at jwilliams@inbox.com...im extremely interested", "Yep, I am glad to live in Oklahoma and be a part of the USA. It's not perfect, but it's home. It's up to us to make it better, to try to live up to the high standards our founding fathers set down for us. It isn't easy, and we do fail. Sometimes we even take rights away, have all kinds of civil unrest and debate, but in the end we somehow start making things right again. As a gay American, that gives me hope that I'll be treated as a full and equal citizen someday and not just a second class or third class citizen who pays taxes.", "Starting a small business takes a lot of courage. But, as they say, courage does not pay the bills. To be successful – to stay in business – you need more than courage. You need a combination of hard work, skill, perseverance, and lots of luck. \\n\\nSome things you need to consider:\\n- \"How can I support my family while I build up by business?\" \\n- \"What are my abilities?\" \\n- \"Is there a market for the product or service I have chosen?\" \\n- \"How long will it take this business to reach the financial goal I have?\" \\n\\nYou may want to read the article \"How to Start a New Business Successfully\" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol51/launch.htm , which lists six steps to launch a new business successfully:\\n\\n1. Provide a benefit.\\n2. Determine the fit with your market.\\n3. Right timing is everything\\n4. Be ready to support your business\\n5. Develop a blueprint for success\\n6. Market, market, market\\n\\nThere is so much to learn about starting a business that it is hard to put everything here. I suggest that you to check out the following websites and learn from their content:\\n\\nEntrepreneur http://www.entrepreneur.com\\nInc.com http://www.inc.com\\nSBA http://www.sba.gov/starting_business/\\nPowerHomeBiz.com http://www.powerhomebiz.com\\n\\nAs for financing your business, here's a general guide on where to get finance your business \"How to Raise Money to Start a Business\" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol8/howtoraise.htm\\n\\nI recommend that you read the following books:\\n\\n- What No One Ever Tells You About Starting Your Own Business : Real Life Start-Up Advice from 101 Successful Entrepreneurs \\n- Starting From Scratch: How To Start A Business When You Don't Have Money \\n- If You're Clueless About Starting Your Own Business and Want to Know More \\n- On the Move : How to Succeed and Survive As an Entrepreneur \\n- How to Make 1000 Mistakes in Business and Still Succeed", "You can find start-up information from the article \"Starting a Home Based Photography Business\" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol56/photography.htm . The article also cover tips on pricing your services, marketing your business\\n\\nYou may also want to check the following associations:\\n\\nAdvertising Photographers of America ( http://www.apanational.com ) American Society of Media Photographers ( http://www.asmp.org ) Professional Photographers of America, Inc. ( http://www.ppa-world.org ) Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (http://www.wppi-online.com)\\n\\nYou can also read the following books for more indepth information on the topic:\\n\\nKen Oberrecht. \"How to Start a Home-Based Photography Business.\" 3rd edition. Connecticut: The Globe Pequot Press, 2000. \\n\\nGeza Szurovy. \"Profitable Photography: Start and Run a Profitable Business:.\" New York: TAB Books, 1995.\\n\\nThe Business of Studio Photography : How to Start and Run a Successful Photography Studio by Edward R. Lilley", "we think it might be bad here i have a magazine from Voice of the Martyrs(VOM) and Christians are persecuted alot worse in foreign countries than we are!!their churches are torn down and ppl and murdered.so we really dont have it bad like we think!!i pray in public no matter whio ikm with or what im doin or who ever is around me i stand up for JESUS CHRIST!!!im Baptist and that is how I am brought up!", "No I don't think that it is bad to be here and speak the language very well. I feel that if you are learning the language that is all that you can do. My feelings come into play with people who refuse to learn our language. I DO feel that people who come here for what America can offer should atleast respect us enough to do the best they can to learn OUR language. Not force us to learn theirs in order to get a job (all the jobs that need bi-lingual). I am of Mexican descent (my father is Mexican) so I dont feel that I am being biased. When my father came to the USA he learned English. It was the language spoken here.", "There are number of things that are taken into consideration besides ratios while assessing a credit proposal . I am specifically referring to ratios since stress has been laid on it. If the business is already started , the trends are gathered . In such cases , the important ratios seen are [a] Debt Equity Ratio [b] Current Ratio [c] Gross Profit Margin Ratio to name a few . There are about 30 ratios which can be studied . However , I have mentioned only a few . After ratios are calculated , they are compared with other businesses who are in the same line . Thereafter , the partners/directors' ability to run the business profitably is studied . It is also gathered as to whether there is demand for the said product . Finally it is also seen as to how much you are able to contribute --it is called margin . Further security aspect is also looked into . At the time of processing a proposal , it is not only the ratios but a number of other things that are also studied .", "Depends on where you are. \\n\\nSee here in the philippines the only loaning thing here is for small business units. They gove loans up to 5m or if your business plan is really good it can be up to 10m...\\n\\nSometimes the most important thing in your business plan or study is the ROI and stability.", "Starting a small business takes a lot of courage. But, as they say, courage does not pay the bills. To be successful – to stay in business – you need more than courage. You need a combination of hard work, skill, perseverance, and lots of luck. \\n\\nSome things you need to consider:\\n- \"How can I support my family while I build up by business?\" \\n- \"What are my abilities?\" \\n- \"Is there a market for the product or service I have chosen?\" \\n- \"How long will it take this business to reach the financial goal I have?\" \\n\\nYou may want to read the article \"How to Start a New Business Successfully\" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol51/launch.htm , which lists six steps to launch a new business successfully:\\n\\n1. Provide a benefit.\\n2. Determine the fit with your market.\\n3. Right timing is everything\\n4. Be ready to support your business\\n5. Develop a blueprint for success\\n6. Market, market, market\\n\\nI recommend that you read the following books:\\n\\n- What No One Ever Tells You About Starting Your Own Business : Real Life Start-Up Advice from 101 Successful Entrepreneurs \\n- Starting From Scratch: How To Start A Business When You Don't Have Money \\n- If You're Clueless About Starting Your Own Business and Want to Know More \\n- On the Move : How to Succeed and Survive As an Entrepreneur \\n- How to Make 1000 Mistakes in Business and Still Succeed \\n\\nThere is so much to learn about starting a business that it is hard to put everything here. I suggest that you to check out the following websites and learn from their content:\\n\\nEntrepreneur http://www.entrepreneur.com\\nInc.com http://www.inc.com\\nSBA http://www.sba.gov/starting_business/...\\nPowerHomeBiz.com http://www.powerhomebiz.com", "Yes, im listening to them right now!!! hehehe\\nyeah, especially Look Into My Eyes, it has so much meaning to it!!!!! im a really big fan of them, but unfourtunately, they are not very popular in america, and im hoping someday everyone will soon here it. im trying to spreadit around school, cuz i know alot of people will enjoy it! someday, they WILL be popular around america, and i wont b the only one!!!", "I am not a US Citizen but I would say financial security and stability is the priority - I dont have to say much about Bush and Adm cause the whole world knows - so God help America", "You should be happy with what you do.. you spend a good majority of your day at \"work\". Personally I am in the process of replacing my \"job\" with a work at home program. (Not get rich quick... but a legit business that with time and committment... I will NEVER have to listen to another boss tell me what, when or HOW to do something).\\n\\nInterested in the possibility of changing the direction of your future and possible starting your own home business contact me through yahoo 360 or IM.", "im in college, and i start at 6:45 am. i live an hour and a half away, and it takes me an hour to get ready. i'm up by 4am everyday... i finish at around 5pm... do you really think you have a good complaint? i wish i was back in high school starting at 7am, i use to wake up at 6 am get ready in 30 minutes, and get to school in 15 mins", "People become American citizens automatically either by being born in America or to an American citizen (either mother or father). People not born citizens can also naturalize through a fairly lengthy process.\\n\\nThe president is required to be a natural citizen (aka born in America or to American citizens), but for all other offices, the person must merely be a citizen, no matter how they became that way.", "I recommend you to visit www.entrepreneur.com and click on 'Start-up' section. You'll find tons of information on how to start a business.", "I am assuming that you want to run for President of the United States of America. According to the Consitiution of the United States of America in Artilce II, you must be a natural born citizen of the United States of America, at least 35 years old, and you have to been living in the United States of America for at least 14 years." ]

[ "We're so confident in the quality and craftsmanship of our products that we offer our customers a global 30 day return policy. We offer returns for all unworn, unwashed, unaltered standard sized wedding gowns, bridesmaid’s dresses, veils and accessories.Made to order custom measurement gowns and dresses are not eligible for returns.et us help you to find the perfect dress! We pride ourselves in providing our brides with the very best in customer support, quality, selection, and price. We want our brides to be satisfied with their purchases, please review our full Return Policy below." ]

[ "Easy Returns. Your Satisfaction is Guaranteed! Vegan Chic wil be happy to make an exchange or refund your credit card for any purchase that you are not 100% satisfied with, within 30 days of the ship date of any unworn / unused items. Unworn sale items can be returned for store credit only.", "We are happy to process a FREE exchange for a new size, color, or different item. If you would prefer to return the item, all unworn, unwashed or defective merchandise can be returned within 90 days of purchase for a refund of the purchase price (excluding shipping and prepaid return label charges).", "Wedding Dress Rental vs. PreOwned Purchase Save this search and get email alerts when new matches are added to the site. If you are considering renting a wedding dress to save money, consider buying a preowned wedding dress instead. Buying preowned can actually be less expensive than renting (it’s true!) And there are so many other great benefits too. Wedding dress rentals typically range from $200 - $2,000. Gowns are often only delivered 1-5 days before the wedding, and usually must be returned 1 day after. A damage deposit of $200+ may also be required.", "Wedding Dress Rental Wedding dress rentals typically range from $200 - $2,000. Gowns are often only delivered 1-5 days before the wedding, and usually must be returned 1 day after.", "Love the top of the back of the dress, but would be nicer if it was loose on the bottom not mermaid style. New Arrival Wedding Dress,Charming wedding dress, lace wedding dress, cheap wedding dress,cheap wedding gown,bridal wedding dress from Hiprom.", "See Returns Policy. If it doesn’t fit, return it within 45 days, as long as it’s unworn, unwashed and unaltered. Please Note: MyChacos custom sandals are not returnable. See Returns Policy. If it doesn’t fit, return it within 45 days, as long as it’s unworn, unwashed and unaltered. Please Note: MyChacos custom sandals are not returnable.", "Buying a used wedding dress can be a bit of a gamble, but as long you're cautious, it's a thrifty way to snag a designer wedding dress for half the retail value. Plus, if you get lucky and buy a wedding dress from someone with a similar body type, you may not have to make too many alterations, which also cuts down on your costs.", "Consider selling your wedding dress online and help another bride to save on her wedding budget. By selling your wedding dress, wedding accessories and wedding decor décor items, online you: 1 Can recoup about50 % of the cost of your. itemsy selling your wedding dress, wedding accessories and wedding decor décor items, online you: 1 Can recoup about50 % of the cost of your. 2 Items clear up space to make room for shared. closets", "Wedding Guest Dresses Garden/Outdoor. Order your Wedding Guest Dresses at uwdress.com. The discount Wedding Guest Dresses can help you save money and perfect for the occasion. Items 1 to 36 of 389 total. Show: 36 72.", "Wedding Dresses from the Top Bridal Shops in Milwaukee. Find the best wedding dresses in Milwaukee. Looking for wedding dresses in Milwaukee? Check in with these top Milwaukee bridal shops to find the latest styles of wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, menswear and more. Shopping for wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses should be a fun experience that you can share with family and friends.", "In wedding dress gallery on The Knot, you can search by silhouette and view a-line, ball gown, mermaid, and sheath wedding dresses. You can find dresses made from different fabrics such as lace, chiffon, silk, and tulle. You can also search by neckline, waist style, and train length. The Knot displays a variety of dresses for all price ranges, from high-end, expensive dresses to affordable, cheap wedding dresses. The Knot also has wedding dresses for all body types including plus size wedding dresses. There is something for everyone.", "If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase from Zappos you can return your item(s) for a full refund within 365 days of purchase. (Returns must be unworn, in the state you received them, and in the original packaging.).", "How to dress for a garden wedding. Garden weddings are always amazing events! It is less formal than indoor weddings and with the lovely setting the wedding is usually very enjoyable. Dressing for a garden wedding can be somewhat tricky if you don't know how to dress for a garden wedding.", "If you have an unused wedding dress in your closet – you may be in luck to make a quick buck.Hopefully you’re just trying to sell an old dress because you fell in love with a new one – but if an engagement was called off for some reason, know that you can get at least some money back by selling your dress.f you have an unused wedding dress in your closet – you may be in luck to make a quick buck.", "Wedding Dress Cost Estimator. Use the wedding dress cost estimator to create a wedding dress budget starting point. Simply enter your US based zip code, enter number of guests, and select the options that describe your ideal wedding dress. The wedding dress cost estimator will provide an average spent by other couples in your area along with estimate based on your selected wedding dress options. Tell us about the wedding dress you want to purchase so we can provide you with the most accurate wedding dress cost estimate.", "If you are not fully satisfied with your purchase, you may return or exchange unworn shoes at any local Famous Footwear store, or mail them with the original receipt, within 30 days of purchase. Refunds will be given in the original form of payment.", "Find the wedding dress of your dreams by browsing thousands of dresses in popular styles. In wedding dress gallery on The Knot, you can search by silhouette and view a-line, ball gown, mermaid, and sheath wedding dresses. You can find dresses made from different fabrics such as lace, chiffon, silk, and tulle.", "Tiana Wedding Dress Up is a free game for girl to play online at MaFa.Com. You can play Tiana Wedding Dress Up in your browser for free. Princess Tiana is going to marry the prince she loves. She must be dressed for royal wedding. You must dress up princess Tiana for her wedding.", "Where would you find the most fabulous wedding dresses ever created? Where can you find elegant designer wedding dresses and wedding dress couture for inspiration for you own special day? Where else but in a museum! In the 18th and 19th centuries brides wore many colors on their wedding day. It was not until the 20th century that white became the traditional color of wedding dresses.", "1 Ask if either a pre-or post-wedding cleaning is included in the rental fees. 2 A damaged dress fee of $8 up to the entire retail cost of the dress might apply. 3 Normal wear and tear and make-up stains are usually excluded from this. 4 Late fees of up to $25 per day may apply for returning the dress after the due date. Ask if either a pre-or post-wedding cleaning is included in the rental fees. 2 A damaged dress fee of $8 up to the entire retail cost of the dress might apply. 3 Normal wear and tear and make-up stains are usually excluded from this. 4 Late fees of up to $25 per day may apply for returning the dress after the due date.", "If you haven't opened the parcel, you can return it at no charge. Just obliterate your name and address; write Return to Sender on the front, and you're good. If you've opened it, though, you have to pay the return postage, because otherwise you're trying to return a dress with a big ole red wine stain on the bodice for a full refund. No dice. Written Sep 23, 2015 · View Upvotes.", "Returns without a receipt. Unwashed, unworn or defective merchandise may be returned with a valid photo ID. Merchandise returned without a receipt will be refunded at the last activity/ sale price or the current selling price, whichever is lower, in the form of a merchandise credit usable on future H&M Store purchases.", "Court Train Wedding Dresses. When you think about what makes a wedding dress a wedding dress, you may think about the train. The sweep of fabric that follows you as you walk can help you make a dramatic entrance. Court wedding dresses begins at the waist and extends about 1 foot behind you, maximum. This dramatic train adds style and flair, but may not be best for outdoor weddings.", "Second-hand wedding dresses usually cost a fraction of the original price of the wedding gown. A wedding dress that was €2000 could be yours for €1000. Great if you love a designer dress but not the price tag. Start by looking online at sites such as Donedeal.ie, SellMyWeddingDress and Discount Designer.", "View complete Online Purchases Policies. Customers may return clothing within 90 days of purchase. Returns and exchanges may be made online or at an Express store location. Shipping and handling fees will not be included in a refund. Customers who purchase special occasion dresses from Express should keep the tag in tact before returning the dress.", "If, within 30 days of receipt, you're not happy with your standard sized dress or accessory order and would like to return it, call us at 213-688-8513 or email us at info@simplybridal.com to request a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA).et us help you to find the perfect dress! We pride ourselves in providing our brides with the very best in customer support, quality, selection, and price. We want our brides to be satisfied with their purchases, please review our full Return Policy below.", "Consignors can get anywhere between 45% and 60% of the gown's final selling price. Sell My Wedding Dress: For only $19.97 you can list your wedding dress on this no-nonsense site with a to-the-point name.Pick your price, post your dress, and let the offers roll in.ell My Wedding Dress: For only $19.97 you can list your wedding dress on this no-nonsense site with a to-the-point name. Pick your price, post your dress, and let the offers roll in.", "Terrible wedding dress,strange wedding dress, ugly wedding dress, crazy wedding dress, inappropriate wedding dress,revealing wedding dress,sluty wedding dress,Worst wedding dresses,wild wedding dress, Weird Wedding Dress, inappropriate Wedding dress, Wedding Dress Fail, unusual wedding dress,celebrity wedding dress fail,sexy wedding dress,worst ...", "Unless you buy a ready-to-wear dress or a sample gown, wedding dresses are custom-made. And once your dress arrives, it's going to have to be altered -- usually several times -- until it fits you perfectly. That said, many companies can turn a dress around more quickly if need be.", "Buy, sell and save with Still White Australia. Still White Australia is the largest online marketplace for preowned, used and second hand wedding dresses. With over 10,872 wedding gowns for sale, you can find your dream wedding dress at a fraction of the cost of retail.ith over 10,872 wedding gowns for sale, you can find your dream wedding dress at a fraction of the cost of retail.", "I ordered a dress on clearance on HSN for $22.00 plus $3.00 shipping. The dress did not fit, so I returned it. I received a refund of $15.00. I called HSN and was informed they charged me almost $8.00 to return the item. So, just remember when they say you can return within 30 days, it will cost you.", "That way, if your dress is stained badly or damaged on your wedding day, a family or bridal party member can take your dress to the preservationist for you so that you can make your honeymoon get-away." ]

[ "The average human hand weighs about 0.4kg, and that the average slap has a velocity of 11m/s. Plugging these values into the formula mv2 = mcΔT results in: ½(0.4kg)(11m/s)2 = mcΔT, or 24.2kgm2/s2 = mcΔT\n\nSince kgm2s2 can also be conveyed as joules, the units convert into 24.2J = mcΔT\n\nAn average 1kg rotisserie chicken has a specific heat capacity of 2720J/kgºC. The formula has now made it to 24.2J = (1kg)(2720J/kgºC)(ΔT), or 24.2J/2720JºC = ΔT. Therefore, ΔT = 0.0089ºC. This value represents the temperature increase associate with 1 average slap on a frozen chicken (initial temperature of 0ºC)\n\nThe frozen chicken must reach a temperature of 205ºC to consider it cooked. We can calculate the number of slaps needed by dividing 205ºC by the temperature increase of 0.0089ºC\n\nSo, in conclusion, by slapping the chicken 23,034 times" ]

[ "\"What's the worst that could happen?\"", "I can no longer smell what The Rock is cooking.", "I love the smell of what The Rock is cooking.", "Way too many. Gaming, cooking, history, technology, lore, etc.", "Dane Cook. I just don’t find him funny in any way shape or form, like his form of comedy is the opposite of what I find funny.", "The egg would have had to come first. Whatever gave birth to a \"Chicken\" was like 99.9% a Chicken but not 100%. What came out of the egg was 100% Chicken. So the egg came first.", "I've started getting into cooking since I'm at home so much nowadays. Wasn't a big cooking guy (could barely make scrambled eggs) and it's amazing how good and proud of yourself you can feel from just cooking the simplest dishes. \n\nPlus, I've subconsciously become way more conscious of what I'm eating and have been trying to cook healthier foods. Lost 6kgs so far!", "The best chefs in the world are men, what’s to say a man isn’t able to cook op?", "It was the worst of times, it was the worst of times.", "The proto-chicken laid the egg and a chicken hatched from it.", "They asked, \"What's a shorter way of saying 'What the fuck?'\"", "I ask myself three questions:\n* What's the worst that could happen?\n* What's the best that could happen?\n* What's most likely to happen?", "What a way to give a compliment.", "What if it is the other way around?", "Because I don't want a hamburger. I want steak and I want it cooked all the way through. Say or feel as you may but they are my taste buds and my hard earned money so I'm going to eat what I want the way I want it.", "I think we can all agree that porn is the worst thing.\nIt ruined my life in many ways.", "It was like a bad cold, but not the worst sickness I've ever had. Pneumonia and food poisoning were both way worse.", "At the moment binging with babish. His smooth voice is great and even though I don’t have the money to cook what he cooks I love watching him make food.", "Imagine them being really sick and looking their worst. If you still feel the same way about them, then it's love." ]

[ "You can do it, but not while it's stopped. All motors are generators (a consequence of conservation of energy.) Most ceiling fans use induction motors, and these behave as generators if they're connected to an AC power supply, and then forcibly spun faster than their unloaded RPM. So heh, you'd have to stick your finger in a moving fan, then push it's blades along in the same direction but faster. Or you could use the fan as a wind turbine. Either get it running and then blast air downwards from above it, or reverse the angle of the blades so you could send air upwards from beneath. For more info, here's a ham radio site with a [DIY induction generator](_URL_0_)" ]

[ "It's interesting that you bring up the example of a guitar in front of a fan. If you have a ceiling fan, play guitar with it off, and then play the same thing with it on. When the fan is on, everything will sound slightly sharper. I always thought my guitar was going out of tune until one of my friends pointed out the ceiling fan.", "The ELI5 version: Big fan on top pushes down, causing the helicopter to go up. The little fan in back keeps the body of the helicopter from spinning due to the torque created by spinning the big fan. Tilt the fan forward, you go forward. Tilt it left, you go left. The reality is helo aerodynamics are very complex. Source: I am a helicopter pilot", "It's speed. Box fans are smaller so you want them to go faster. When I turn my ceiling fan on top speed, I hear it.", "As you move from a waking state to a sleeping state, your senses get (mostly) turned off. This last summer, I was running a box fan in my bedroom to stay cool. In addition to providing airflow, it also make a pleasant low drone. One night, I noticed my hearing turn off because I was listening to the fan's noise. I was startled and the change woke me up, turning my hearing back on. I say mostly turned off because there does seem to be some kind of watchdog that listens for unusual and important noises, such as your name being called and so on. But snoring falls into the \"usual\" category, so your brain blanks it out.", "Look up \"wagon wheel effect (it's 2 a.m. local and I'm too lazy to source) Basically, the \"spokes\" on the hubcap are slightly offset from when our eyes last saw them (because it takes time for our eyes to register each position), giving the impression the wheel is spinning backwards. You can get a similar effect staring at a ceiling fan. If you stare past the blades the fan will start spinning backwards, until your eyes adjust to the fan blades, then it will spin normally. This sudden shift is easier to see than on car wheels because fans spin slower.", "It takes a lot more energy to get a fan going from a standstill than it does to keep it spinning. Some fans aren't able to get enough energy to start spinning from a standstill using only the power provided on the low setting. By putting \"high\" next to \"off\" the manufacturer ensures that you always start the fan with enough power to get going from a standstill.", "Spinning fan blades are in contact with the air more than stationary fan blades. More contact with the air = more opportunity to collect dust. The dust doesn’t fall off the blade from spinning like you would think. Dust is inherently electrically charged too I believe, so that might have something to do with it not sliding off the fan blades when spinning initially. Friction creates a static charge between the dust and the fan blades as they spin, building up more and more dust. Moisture. Van see Waal’s forces too. **Edit**: *I* *see* my error: Van der Waals* **Edit**: u/ultrab1ue added: Blasius boundary layer, which says the speed of the fluid \\(air\\) closest to the surface \\(fan blade\\) doesn't move with respect to the surface. \\(The dust on the hood of your car also doesn't get blown off despite driving 90mph.\\) These guys explain it better: [_URL_0_](_URL_1_)", "The magnet pushes on the magnets glued to the fan blades, the fan blades repel, the fan spins, and the motor in the fan generates electricity that lights the LED in the bulb. The potential energy comes from moving the magnet towards the fan. Notice that he never leaves it there for long. That's because the fan would wind down with the magnet in one place. You can use electricity to spin the fan, and it will spin for a good long time after the power is turned off. It takes force to move the magnet closer to the repulsive magnets. That force costs energy. Some of the energy he's putting in is turned into power for the LED, most is lost. If you make a machine that moves the magnet in, and then takes it back, and then moves it in again, over and over; you'll find that the energy to run that machine is more than the energy to light the lightbulb. TL;DR: if they don't explain it, the explanation would spoil the trick, just like \"magic\".", "They are actually quite helpful. If you run them at a good speed, they keep the air in the room moving, which improves heat exchange between the air and the people in the room. On a hot day, they can make people comfortable at a warmer temperature, saving energy. On a cold day, they keep the warm air from rising to the ceilings, saving energy. My house has fans in just about every room, and I like them quite a lot.", "Some fans don't have enough power in the low setting to get themselves going from a standstill (AC motors can be weird). By putting High as the first setting, the fan is guaranteed to be spinning and have momentum before it gets switched to Low. You can try it out with a power strip to turn the fan on and off while the switch on the fan is set to Low. Some fans will start up fine, but some will just wiggle a bit without spinning.", "If I sleep on my side, I sleep with a pillow between my legs and if I sleep on my belly, the pillow goes to the ground beside the bed. So when I roll over back onto my side and grab the pillow and throw it between my legs, its generally pretty damn cold and if that pillow touches my balls it starts the chain reaction that ends with my crotch and stomach cramping then a poop and all back to normal. WTF is going on with my body??", "Well, it's like this problem I had the other day. I was just getting home from work when I noticed that I was slowly phasing in and out of planes of existence, and couldn't seem to stop. As I reached my home (a nebula caught inside of a time loop, constantly being crushed to negative mass and exploding again) I realized that it wasn't just going to stop on it's own so I pulled over, and dialed up my astral lawyer to see if he could offer advice. Almost IMMEDIATELY, the greedy fucker ingested my physical form into his tentacles, and tried to digest my projection of reality as a manifestation of existence. Obviously, on my only weekend where I'm not stuck being torn asunder by gravitrons just to pay my interstellar mortgage, I wasn't about to let that greedy fucker ruin my day. However, before I could banish him to the negative dimensions, time began flowing backward, and I phased out of reality forever. I'd make a rage comic about it, but I think I'll just browse /r/fifthworldgonewild instead", "Because the design of the chips is made such that even though it's a quad core processor, it doesn't run as fast/hot as a desktop quad-core. they're designed to run slower so as to not overheat. And have you felt the back of a smartphone after it's been recording video or something for more than 5 minutes? I use a dashcam program to record my commute. If I don't keep my front windshield A/C fans blowing, I literally can't touch my phone by the time I get home, it's so hot.", "The same reason I have have a calorie ceiling. I WANT to control my the number of cookies I eat but cookies are delicious so I say \"screw it\" to my calorie ceiling and say I'll make it up tomorrow.", "UNC or \"Universal Naming Convention\" is just a common naming convention used in Windows for different shared resources on the local network. The general schema is \\\\\\\\ < device name > \\\\ < share name > \\\\ < optional path > . So let's say I have a several computers at home, and they are connected to my home network. Let's also say that my PC is named ALEX-PC on my home network, and I shared my C:\\Documents folder as Documents with other computers at my home. A person browsing my home network from another computer will see it as a \\\\\\\\ALEX-PC\\Documents resource, where ALEX-PC is a device name, while Documents is a share name. Now if I have a Letter.txt file located in C:\\Documents\\Texts\\ folder, it can be accessed on my home network using \\\\\\\\ALEX-PC\\Documents\\Texts\\Letter.txt path. This is an UNC path. It's not just folders that can be accessed using UNC paths, but also printers.", "Can't speak for others but when I do it I catch it in my mouth. That is I use the back of my tongue to block off my throat so stuff actually gets caught in my mouth instead falling straight into my throat", "Mazes are generally designed in one way, especially kids mazes. The dead ends are easily to end up in as they aim towards a likely finish point. Going the other way, backwards, the dead ends will aim also backwards, and be less tempting to take to get to the outlet (start, if backwards). I drew an example but reddit does not support single page breaks. Hopefully my answer alone makes sense.", "Caveat - I mess with boats but I'm not expert or pro. In general marine equipment is made with more corrosion resistant materials,such as stainless steel. The A/C on my boat exchanges the heat in the cabin air into water that flows through the other side of the heat pump, so this is an air/water heat pump where most home units are air/air heat pumps. Also some or most marine units are 12 Volt DC power, possibly also 24 volt. I think some few are powered directly off the engine via a 'fan belt'. The reefer on my boat is three way power - 120 VAC, 12 VDC, and propane. I suppose this would be possible in A/C but I've ever heard of this.", "The idea of a fan isn't that it makes your room cooler (although ceiling fans can move cold air from the ground upward, or hot air off the ceiling) The benefit a fan gives you is that you feel cooler because the air is more efficient at pulling moisture off your skin.", "For one, ceiling fans are generally moving a lot slower which generates less noise. Turn a ceiling fan up to high and it will make more sound Also, since ceiling fans are intended to be a permanent fixture to a room, the better quality ones use larger better quality motors than \"normal fans\", which run with less sound. The shape of the blades can also affect how much noise they make", "I think it feels different for different people. But on our good days it feels like coming home. No matter what day I’m having, the best part of it is knowing that I get to come home and tell my love all about it. It’s consistent love, support, and warmth. Even on the days when he pisses me off, I know he’s my best friend and he isn’t going anywhere so we hash it out and then we’re all over each other again lol", "I'm out at the moment so I can't answer fully on my phone but the short answer is the general population of imperial Japan was not fully aware of the extent of war crimes committed overseas. They were aware of a brutal war going on but specifics were not even circulated in military ranks, never mind back home. Extensive propaganda, censorship and information control were realities of war time Japan. When I get home I will explain more. Hopefully someone else can weigh in here as well.", "While not specific to transplants, nerves do regrow, albeit very slowly. One night in college, I sliced (quite neatly) the tip of my thumb off. The sliced-off bit healed nicely, but for about 20 years, I had no sensation in that bit of my thumb. 30 years after, it's almost back to normal.", "Not sure if this applies but I used to get bad “knots” in my calf muscles in the middle of the night. My muscle would ball up and generate intense pain. I remember punching it and kneading it like dough trying to get it to release. Basically I had to wait it out. Well this went on for sometime till I got to the point were I’d panic when I knew it was about to happen. One night I felt it start and immediately leaped out of my bed to my feet and stood still with my feet flat on the floor and BAM instant relief. I haven’t had it happen for a while but when it does I just get up and stand there till it quits then go back to sleep. Hope this is helps. Or is relevant lol", "I'll give you mine. I make $48,000 a year, paid in 24 payments (2 per per month). I'm going to round the numbers off, but after my Federal Taxes, State Taxes, health insurance, and my retirement savings (9% into a 401k, 5% into a Stock Purchase Plan) I end up taking home around $1200 per check... so 2400 a month. Or about 60% of my money. That ignores my commission checks (I work in sales) but those create a lot more complications.", "It has to do with the amount of power being supplied to the fan. From the \"Off\" position, a fan's going to need a certain amount of power in order to overcome inertia and get its bearings spinning. By switching from Off to High, you give it a lot of juice so that it can get going. If you tried to go from Off to Low, it might not get enough power to spin.", "It's the same concept as a ceiling fan. The blades of a propeller are at an angle (or more often curved into one) so as the air or fluid moves along the surface it is pushed backwards thus creating forward thrust.", "Lets step back and not talk about programming at all. If I told you to come to my trailer home, there are two things I could do. I could either give you my address or I could drive my trailer home to you. Obviously, moving my whole house is going to be a lot of work and giving my address much easier. Pointers are addresses of memory. Instead of copying the memory everywhere you simply copy the memory's address. This makes things faster and has less overhead. It also is sometimes more intuitive. For example: by passing the address around you only have one of those objects in memory. Hence changes of that state are viewable through the whole program, but leaves the address the same.", "I work in new home construction in a mid-Atlantic market. We do smooth ceilings (you are describing textured). In my market textured is about 50% of the multifamily housing market and about 0% of the single family market. From my perspective you do this more to hide imperfections in drywall seams than as a sound dampening device. In multifamily it also hides wear and tear where a tenant my cause dents moving in/out of a unit.", "It tends to regulate your body temperature. I always sleep with my window open and fan on every day of the year. I use sheets in the summer, comforter in spring and fall, and comforter with a possible added blanket on top for winter. If my body gets too hot the release of heat from my head, being in cold air can transfer heat easier than if I was in a warm room under warm blankets. Without the fan on and my window open, I overheat and kick off my blankets in the middle of the night then wake up because my body is too cold, OR I just overheat and sweat and wake up feeling like I have been sleeping on Mercury. EDIT: I also LOVE being cold. I find the feeling of getting warm to be extremely euphoric and even addictive. Being too hot is nauseating and disgusting.", "When I roll over, I spin actually. I don't cover any real estate on the mattress, I just stay in the same spot and turn over. I have an insulin pump on as well and I carry it in my hand while I turn over- all while sleeping.", "You've done it before, so you know how much energy is needed, or how much extra/less is needed. If I want to touch an 8ft ceiling (being 5ft 11.5in), I won't go all out, though I would if it were a 10ft ceiling." ]

[ "The England Under-19 international had an MRI scan on Monday on the same shoulder he dislocated two seasons ago.\n\"It's the last thing we need,\" Walsall boss Jon Whitney told BBC WM.\n\"These things never come at good times. But we have to take it on the chin. It's part of football. We'll move on. We've got a Plan B ready.\"\nHenry, 19, suffered the injury making a brave headed clearance after half an hour of Saturday's goalless draw at Oldham.\n\"He's dislocated it before,\" added Whitney. \"It's the risks we take playing this game.\n\"He's gone for an MRI as we just needed to see if there was any damage to the structure around the shoulder.\"\nWhitney expects both skipper Adam Chambers and midfielder Erhun Oztumer to be in contention for Tuesday night's trip to Chesterfield.\nGoing back to Chesterfield conjures up memories for Whitney, who took charge for the first time in March following the sacking of previous boss Sean O'Driscoll - and the Saddlers won 4-1 at the Proact Stadium." ]

[ "He follows the lead of midfielder Kieron Morris, who signed a new deal on Wednesday.\nBakayoko, 20, who has been with the club since he was 16, missed the end of the season with a knee injury.\n\"It's about getting fit through the summer now because next season is a big season for me,\" Bakayoko told the club website.\n\"There are high expectations at this club and I really want to step up and become a big part it.\n\"There's lots of young players who have been given a chance here. I'm in the same age group as Liam Kinsella and Rico Henry and we really push each other on.\"\nBakayoko has had three separate loan spells with non-league clubs, first at Southport, then last season at AFC Telford United and fellow National League North side Worcester City.\nHighly-rated Henry, 18, has been called up to represent England Under-19s against Mexico in June, replacing Manchester United's Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.\nThis third international call for the Saddlers' young player of the season comes on top of his three goals in 44 appearances as a first-team regular during the 2015-16 season.", "The Saddlers say the fee for Henry, 19, could rise to more than £5m if additional clauses are met.\nThe left-back, currently sidelined with a shoulder injury which may require surgery, has agreed a five-year deal to rejoin his former boss Dean Smith.\nKaikai, 21, moves to Griffin Park on a deal until the end of the season.\nThe wide man, who scored 12 goals in 26 League One appearances during a loan spell at Shrewsbury last season, made his Premier League debut for the Eagles in May.\nMeanwhile, Brentford midfielder Ryan Woods has extended his contract until 2020 and Emmanuel Ledesma has joined Greek Superleague side Panetolikos on a free transfer.\nThe 28-year-old Argentine made two appearances for the Bees after signing non-contract terms with the west London club earlier in August.\nFind all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "The Belgian midfielder limped off half an hour into Tuesday's 0-0 draw at Scunthorpe with a calf strain.\nHe has played in the Saddlers' past 11 games, his longest run since his second spell on loan with Walsall in 2012.\n\"He's been so unlucky with injuries. But you're always at your most vulnerable when you're at your best,\" Walsall boss Jon Whitney told BBC WM.\n\"He's really down. It's a kick in the teeth but I'll help him get over it.\n\"We haven't had a chance to bring him over, as he lives in Sheffield, and we're trying to get him scanned to know what we're dealing with.\n\"It's still non-weight bearing,\" added the former Saddlers physio. \"He's still on crutches. We'll know more by Monday. He got his studs caught in the grass. But, from the pain he's in, it's not going to be a short-term injury.\nCuvelier's run of fitness has coincided with Walsall's best run of results this season - a sequence of just two defeats in 11 games, which has lifted them to 12th in League One.\nThe first game which the influential Cuvelier will miss is Saturday's visit of Peterborough, when Amadou Bakayoko hopes to start, after being replaced in midweek by Simeon Jackson, along with Franck Moussa and Andreas Makris.\nReece Flanagan remains out with a dislocated shoulder which, on top of a serious knee injury, is expected to keep him out for the rest of the season.\nJon Whitney was talking to BBC WM's Rob Gurney", "Flanagan, 22, has not played this season after tearing his anterior cruciate knee ligament in April.\nBut, playing for the Saddlers' development squad at Morecambe on Wednesday, he dislocated his shoulder.\n\"He's seeing a specialist, as he's done it before,\" said boss Jon Whitney.\n\"It's a bit of a dampener, but he's in good spirits as at least he wasn't his knee. When I saw him go down, I thought maybe it was his knee. But this might be a mixed blessing because it now gives him a bit longer with his knee.\n\"He won't be back this season but he'll still be fit and contracted for next season, and it gives him the chance to come back even stronger.\"\nFlanagan, who has made 35 appearances for the Saddlers, signed a new contract in December, tying him to the League One club until June 2018.\nOn a more positive note for Walsall, on-loan defender Jason McCarthy has been voted League One player of the month for January.\nThe 21-year-old Southampton centre-back has made 30 league appearances, scoring five times.\nHe has been a key part of a Walsall side who have now lost just once in nine games under Whitney to move up to 11th, within four points of the play-offs.\nHaving gone five games unbeaten with an unchanged line-up, Saturday's 2-1 victory over Northampton Town earned them a third straight home win for the first time since December 2015.", "The Seasiders went close in the first half through Jack Redshaw, who forced a fine save from Neil Etheridge.\nWalsall took a 66th-minute lead when Anthony Taylor's cross-shot found Jason Demetriou at the far post for a tap-in.\nBut Uche Ikpeazu's free-kick deflected into the path of Danny Philliskirk, who poked into an empty net to level the scores in injury time.\nThird-placed Walsall, who have a rearranged league game at Fleetwood in midweek ahead of next Saturday's FA Cup fourth round tie at Reading, finished the game without three of their key players.\nTop scorer Tom Bradshaw, highly-rated teenage left back Rico Henry and Romaine Sawyers, who was feeling his hamstring, were all substituted.\nWalsall head coach Sean O'Driscoll told BBC WM 95.6:\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\n\"The players adapted really well to a difficult game. Blackpool were coming off an excellent 5-0 win against Scunthorpe.\n\"They came full of confidence and you can see from the first half that they were dangerous.\n\"We evolved as the game went on and controlled the second half. They didn't create a chance apart from the goal.\"", "The 27-year-old injured the same right knee in February 2015, on his first start for five months after hamstring and shoulder problems.\nTrinder played 14 games last season, scoring four tries.\nBut he suffered the latest injury towards the end of it and has now had to undergo another operation.\nA club statement said: \"The new injury is not as severe as the previous one, but surgical repair was deemed to be necessary.\n\"Henry underwent the procedure last week and will now embark upon an extended rehabilitation programme.\"\nSwindon-born Trinder, who has played all his professional career at Kingsholm apart from one brief loan spell at Moseley, has scored 19 tries in 78 Premiership appearances for the Cherry and Whites.\nHis news comes in the wake of Gloucester signing another centre, Worcester's Andy Symons, who opted to move to Kingsholm rather than relegated London Irish, where he had agreed a deal.", "Taunton-born Laird, 28, comes in on the day that Walsall sold fellow left-back Rico Henry to Dean Smith's Brentford.\nHe began his career at Plymouth Argyle, where he was loaned to Torquay before moving to Stevenage in January 2008.\nAfter four-and-a-half years at Broadhall Way, where he made 216 appearances, he followed his old manager Graham Westley to Preston, before joining Scunthorpe in June 2015.\nLaird is new Saddlers boss Jon Whitney's 15th signing of the summer transfer window.\nFind all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "Burns sustained a dislocated collarbone after falling awkwardly during the first half of his side's 4-1 victory.\nBurns may be out of action for four to five weeks and is set to miss the 7 February County Antrim Shield Final.\nMitchell was helped off in the second half with an ankle injury and faces a two-month spell on the sidelines.\nStriker Mitchell, who is the league's leading scorer with 19 goals, will visit a specialist this week to have the injury assessed.\nThe Dungannon forward last week agreed a pre-contract deal to play for Glenavon next season and will join the Mourneview Park club in the summer.\nLinfield manager David Healy lamented the loss of Burns for an important period of the season.\n\"Aaron is a big player for us and has scored important goals. He could be out for at least four to five weeks,\" said the Blues' boss.", "The 24-year-old Belgian midfielder, who rejoined the Saddlers for a third time last summer, has played 20 times for the League One club this season.\n\"It's a fantastic signing,\" said Walsall boss Jon Whitney. \"He's an important player. He's the type of person you can build your team around.\"\nCuvelier is currently sidelined until April, having not played since 14 February because of a calf injury.\nYoung defender Kory Roberts, 19, and his fellow teenager midfielder, Jordon Sangha, also 19, have also signed new deals, which tie them to the Banks's Stadium until 2019.", "The 25-year-old centre made his first start since September in Saturday's 48-10 win over London Welsh, following hamstring and shoulder problems.\nBut he was stretchered off the field after only nine minutes after suffering a serious knee injury.\nTrinder must now undergo surgery on the problem and will be sidelined until at least the summer.\nGloucester director of rugby David Humphreys told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: \"We're so disappointed to lose Henry to another injury.\n\"More so for him. He's put so much work into this year to get back from two previous injuries. He's owed a little bit of luck.\"\nHumphreys is optimistic Trinder will be fit enough to start the 2015-16 Premiership season, as it begins late in October because of the Rugby World Cup.\n\"He'll have a long pre-season and hopefully he'll be back into good shape again for the start of the new season,\" Humphreys continued.\nSwindon-born Trinder has played 94 games for Gloucester since his debut in the 2007-08 season.\nHe was one of three uncapped centres in Stuart Lancaster's England squad for the autumn Tests last year, but was forced to withdraw through injury.", "The 58-year-old knows what it takes to succeed, having taken Doncaster up to the Championship in 2008.\nOne of the keys this time round was to resist any approaches, if there were any, in the January transfer window.\nAnd hanging on to the likes of Tom Bradshaw and Rico Henry is a huge plus.\nSuch was the surfeit of rumours about the future of 14-goal top scorer Bradshaw in particular that Walsall even felt compelled to put out a deadline-day statement.\n\"In light of recent media speculation,\" it read, \"the club wish to place on record that reports claiming a bid for Tom Bradshaw has been accepted are categorically untrue.\n\"The player remains an important part of Sean O'Driscoll's squad and is key to our promotion push.\"\nBradshaw, still had 12 months remaining on his previous contract with the Saddlers when he signed an extended two-year deal at the League One club last summer to run until the end of the 2016-17 season.\nWalsall have already seen their previous manager, Dean Smith, snapped up by Brentford this season, but the fact that his replacement O'Driscoll has his squad intact will further enforce belief at Bescot that they can now go and reach the Championship themselves.\n\"Deadline day wasn't about what Walsall did, but what they didn't do. Saddlers boss Sean O'Driscoll re-stated only on Friday that they were not seeking to sell any of their senior players, despite seemingly endless speculation that they would part with any or all of Bradshaw, Romaine Sawyers and Rico Henry.\n\"They were adamant all day that the most-coveted members of their squad, specifically top scorer Bradshaw, would not be sold.\n\"Walsall's brief but strongly-worded statement followed a brief flurry of morning media reports that the club had agreed a transfer fee with Bristol City. But these reports appear to have been based on a parody Twitter account.\n\"Walsall quickly asserted that he wasn't going, nor would he be. And he didn't. Their promotion challenge continues on Tuesday night at Doncaster, no doubt with renewed optimism among their supporters.\"", "Henry is expected to play for Ulster against the Scarlets this weekend after a lengthy spell out with a shoulder injury.\nThe openside hopes to force his way into Ireland reckoning after Sean O'Brien suffered a hamstring injury against France on Saturday.\n\"There may be enough time to have some Six Nations involvement,\" said Henry.\nDefending champions Ireland play England at Twickenham on 27 February.\nHenry, 31, admits he's not yet \"battle-hardened\" for international duty but his chances of being called up have been boosted after O'Brien was ruled out of the England clash.\n\"I don't know how long Sean is going to be out for, but if there's a thing about Joe Schmidt, he rewards people who he trusts that haven't let him down,\" he said.\n\"Tommy O'Donnell hasn't let Joe down, and Rhys Ruddock hasn't let Joe down, but I hope that he knows I've done a job for him in the past and I'm still there.\n\"It would be an amazing feeling to get back involved with Ireland at some stage.\"\nHenry started every one of Ireland's games in the Six Nations championship-winning season two years ago.\nHe was sidelined last year after having heart surgery, as a result of a blocked blood vessel.\nHe came on as a replacement for Sean Reidy in Friday night's Pro12 win over Glasgow and is now poised to start having finally recovered from the shoulder injury he picked up against Toulouse in mid-December.\nHenry added: \"It's been a frustrating enough injury, one that has lingered, and now I have to try and get as much game-time as I can.\n\"I'm not battle hardened. In my position, you need to be in the mix and have those bumps and bruises.\n\"You can't just throw yourself back in but I'd love to think Joe is watching the (Scarlets) game on Sunday.\"", "The 35-year-old dislocated his shoulder in the opening minutes of the second game of last season, and has not played a competitive game since.\n\"It's like having a new signing,\" Cattle told BBC Radio Cornwall ahead of the opening Championship game of the season at Bedford.\n\"To bring somebody with his wealth of experience in is a big boost.\"\nDuring his year on the sidelines, back-row Morgan has assisted the club's coaching team, which has been whittled down to just backs expert Cattle and forwards coach Alan Paver, after Ian Davies left the club because of financial constraints.\n\"He's had a massive input not just on the playing side of things over the years, he's also been a big asset to the coaching team as well,\" added Cattle.\n\"Myself and Paves played with him for a number of years and he holds knowledge in different areas that we don't.\n\"His input not just as a captain, but as a member of the coaching team you could say, has been very good this pre-season.\"", "In new Latics manager Stephen Robinson's first home league game in charge, the hosts had the better of the first half, Billy McKay firing just over with a 20-yard shot.\nBut Walsall suffered a blow on 31 minutes when left-back Rico Henry was led off after dislocating his shoulder, having made a superb headed clearance from a Marc Klok free-kick.\nFranck Moussa shot wide early in the second half for the Saddlers before teeing up Simeon Jackson for a near-post effort that was well saved by Connor Ripley.\nOldham's goalkeeper was again tested soon after by a fine effort from substitute Andreas Makris that he tipped aside.\nBut McKay had a chance with a header saved by Etheridge before Lee Erwin hit the post with a header after Ryan Flynn's shot was blocked by the Walsall goalkeeper.\nReport supplied by the Press Association.\nMatch ends, Oldham Athletic 0, Walsall 0.\nSecond Half ends, Oldham Athletic 0, Walsall 0.\nCorner, Walsall. Conceded by Cameron Burgess.\nCorner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by James O'Connor.\nPeter Clarke (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\nFoul by Simeon Jackson (Walsall).\nIsaiah Osbourne (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\nRyan Flynn (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\nFoul by Isaiah Osbourne (Walsall).\nJosh Law (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing.\nFoul by Amadou Bakayoko (Walsall).\nJosh Law (Oldham Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\nFoul by Josh Law (Oldham Athletic).\nFranck Moussa (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nAttempt saved. Jason McCarthy (Walsall) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.\nSubstitution, Oldham Athletic. Darius Osei replaces Lee Erwin.\nSubstitution, Walsall. Amadou Bakayoko replaces Florent Cuvelier.\nFoul by Paul Green (Oldham Athletic).\nSimeon Jackson (Walsall) wins a free kick on the right wing.\nHand ball by Oliver Banks (Oldham Athletic).\nLee Erwin (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing.\nFoul by Joe Edwards (Walsall).\nAttempt missed. Ryan Flynn (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.\nCorner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Jason McCarthy.\nSubstitution, Oldham Athletic. Oliver Banks replaces Ousmane Fane.\nCorner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Jason McCarthy.\nAttempt saved. Lee Erwin (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the top centre of the goal.\nAttempt saved. Ryan Flynn (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.\nFoul by Jamie Reckord (Oldham Athletic).\nFranck Moussa (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\nCorner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by James O'Connor.\nAttempt blocked. Billy McKay (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.\nAttempt saved. Billy McKay (Oldham Athletic) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.\nSubstitution, Oldham Athletic. Ryan McLaughlin replaces Marc Klok.\nAndreas Makris (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Marc Klok (Oldham Athletic).\nCorner, Walsall. Conceded by Marc Klok.\nAttempt missed. Simeon Jackson (Walsall) header from the centre of the box misses to the left.\nAttempt saved. Andreas Makris (Walsall) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.\nCorner, Walsall. Conceded by Connor Ripley.", "Oztumer - a summer signing from Peterborough - crashed in a 25-yard free-kick off the post to put Walsall ahead just seven minutes in after fellow new boy Jackson was fouled by Chris Whelpdale.\nWhelpdale should have levelled on 28 minutes when he smartly turned Saddlers defender James O'Connor but scuffed wide from 10 yards.\nA double save from Walsall keeper Neil Etheridge kept the hosts in front, blocking from first Lyle Taylor and then Andy Barcham as Wimbledon went close.\nBut the Saddlers doubled their lead on 38 minutes as the Dons' defence made a hash of dealing with a floated Oztumer free-kick and Jackson bundled home from close range.\nWalsall put the game to bed on 72 minutes when Jackson tucked home substitute Amadou Bakayoko's cross on the volley from close range.\nWimbledon claimed a 90th-minute consolation when Taylor picked himself up to fire home from the spot after being hauled down by Walsall full-back Rico Henry.\nReport supplied by the Press Association.\nMatch ends, Walsall 3, AFC Wimbledon 1.\nSecond Half ends, Walsall 3, AFC Wimbledon 1.\nFoul by Barry Fuller (AFC Wimbledon).\nFranck Moussa (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nAttempt blocked. Kieron Morris (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.\nAttempt missed. Sean Kelly (AFC Wimbledon) header from the centre of the box is too high.\nCorner, Walsall. Conceded by Sean Kelly.\nDean Parrett (AFC Wimbledon) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\nFranck Moussa (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Dean Parrett (AFC Wimbledon).\nGoal! Walsall 3, AFC Wimbledon 1. Lyle Taylor (AFC Wimbledon) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.\nRico Henry (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\nPenalty AFC Wimbledon. Tyrone Barnett draws a foul in the penalty area.\nPenalty conceded by Rico Henry (Walsall) after a foul in the penalty area.\nCorner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by Joe Edwards.\nFoul by Amadou Bakayoko (Walsall).\nDarius Charles (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\nAttempt missed. Sean Kelly (AFC Wimbledon) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.\nFranck Moussa (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\nFoul by Franck Moussa (Walsall).\nBarry Fuller (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick on the right wing.\nAttempt missed. Kieron Morris (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner.\nCorner, Walsall. Conceded by Ryan Clarke.\nAttempt saved. Kieron Morris (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.\nSubstitution, Walsall. Franck Moussa replaces Florent Cuvelier.\nIsaiah Osbourne (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\nFoul by Tyrone Barnett (AFC Wimbledon).\nAttempt missed. Amadou Bakayoko (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.\nGoal! Walsall 3, AFC Wimbledon 0. Simeon Jackson (Walsall) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Amadou Bakayoko.\nSean Kelly (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\nFoul by Simeon Jackson (Walsall).\nSubstitution, AFC Wimbledon. Dean Parrett replaces Chris Whelpdale.\n(Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\nFoul by Tyrone Barnett (AFC Wimbledon).\nSubstitution, Walsall. Amadou Bakayoko replaces Erhun Oztumer.\nFoul by Chris Whelpdale (AFC Wimbledon).\nFlorent Cuvelier (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nDarius Charles (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Simeon Jackson (Walsall).\nSubstitution, AFC Wimbledon. Tyrone Barnett replaces Andy Barcham.", "The 21-year-old will require surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament after coming off in the first half of Saturday's 2-1 loss to Scunthorpe.\n\"It's a massive blow for the club, but first and foremost for the player,\" boss Darren Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.\n\"We have to help him through the next 10 to 12 months.\"\nBaldwin joined Posh from Hartlepool in January and has gone on to feature 24 times for Ferguson's side.\n\"It was innocuous. His studs just caught in the grass. Many players have had this injury in this day and age and come back stronger,\" said Ferguson.\n\"The boy is devastated but players come back from these things.\n\"I'll keep him busy. He'll become one of my scouts now.\"", "Two years on, he has signed an extended three-year deal and is tipped for the very top by his manager Dean Smith.\nAdded to that, he is the latest Midland talent to be voted Football League Young Player of the Month.\n\"I can honestly say there was never any risk in my mind with Rico,\" said Smith.\n\"He was 16 when I threw him in against Leeds in a pre-season friendly. And he's a quick learner. You give him a bit of information and he takes it on board.\n\"He fully deserves the award as he's been excellent. If I were to liken him to anyone it would be a young Ashley Cole. And it's up to him how far he can now go in the game.\n\"I've recommended him a couple of times to the England Under-19s because, if there's a better left-sided player in the country at 18 years of age, I'd like to see them.\n\"That's probably me being a little bit biased because I know the kid and what he has to offer. He's got a great desire and a will to win. His attitude and application to everything he does is spot on.\"\nSmith added: \"If he keeps developing and keeps his feet firmly on the ground - his parents will make sure of that - then he'll go the right way. He's a pleasure to coach and to have around the place, not just as a footballer but as a person. He's got a great personality, which will hold him in good stead.\n\"He's got a good engine and pace, he can get up and down the pitch and he's got two goals already this season which is very good for a left-back.\"\nMention of Henry's obvious knowledge of where to find the opponents' goal is the single-most thing that brings a gleam to the Birmingham-born youngster's eye.\nCurrently, since earning a regular place in Dean Smith's line-up, they are going in at the rate of one a month. He hit a late winner to dump Championship leaders Brighton out of the Capital One Cup, then got the only goal of the game at Scunthorpe in League One a month later.\n\"The goal against Brighton is definitely my highlight,\" he said. \"Until getting this award,\" he quickly added. \"I feel very honoured to win it.\n\"My targets are to score goals and do well here. And I want to get to the Championship with Walsall. We've shown that we've got the ability to stay near the top and hopefully we can get promoted.\n\"The gaffer believes in me. He's good to work with. He chucks me in difficult games but I deal with the pressure. I want to keep progressing.\"\nFor a young footballer on the up like Henry, one of the biggest plus points in his future development is being brought through in the safe hands of Smith, Richard O'Kelly, John Ward and the rest of the stable background provided by Walsall's backroom team.\nSaddlers manager Smith, in fact, touched on this with a cautionary word on the last young Saddlers player to win this award - striker George Bowerman - not so very long ago in September 2012.\nBowerman won the award for a marvellous month in which he netted five times in six matches. But he failed to find the back of another League One net all season - and he was released, since when he has been at Woking and Accrington Stanley before his current club Altrincham.\n\"It was clear from his debut at the age of 17 that Rico Henry was some prospect. His poise, calmness and excellent distribution belied his tender years and he's gone from strength to strength since.\n\"Dean Smith, quite rightly, speaks very highly of him and, if he keeps developing, listening and learning, then Rico is destined to go to the very top - Premier League, Champions League, England, the lot.\n\"He's that good, in my view.\"\nRob Gurney (BBC WM 95.6)", "The 27-year-old has played 10 games this term, his most recent appearance coming in Exeter's European Champions Cup win over Ulster on 15 January.\n\"We were told from the first scan there was a chance the cartilage issue could be quite bad,\" said boss Rob Baxter.\n\"He's had to have a significant amount of cartilage repaired, which becomes quite a major operation.\"\nLast season's Premiership runners-up are short on options at scrum-half, with Will Chudley, Niko Matawalu and Haydn Thomas also on the sidelines.\nThat leaves only youngsters Jack Maunder and Stu Townsend, who has been on a dual-registration deal with Cornish Pirates, as options for the number nine shirt as Exeter host Wasps in the Anglo-Welsh Cup on Saturday.\n\"I think Stu will be starting for us this week,\" Baxter told BBC Radio Devon.\n\"Hopefully Haydn will be back next week to back them up, and then we'll probably keep our eye on the market just to see who is potentially available.\"", "The Kilcoo pair both underwent surgery on dislocated shoulders in March and are out of the provincial quarter-final with the champions at Clones on 5 June.\nNo indication has yet been given of a return date for the injured pair.\nMeanwhile Niall Madine has informed Down boss Eamonn Burns that he is opting out of the Mourne panel.\nMadine, who has been a Championship regular for Down in recent seasons, has decided to travel to America in June.\nThe Saval forward only made two substitute appearances, against Donegal and Roscommon, in the Mournemen's Football League campaign, which saw them lose every game in being relegated from Division One.\nLast month, Rostrevor's Caolan Mooney informed Burns that he was quitting the county panel.\nIn a boost to his defensive options, Burns is soon expected to be able to call upon the experienced Benny McArdle, who has been sidelined since rupturing his Achilles tendon last summer.", "The 31-year-old Australian has not played since June 2015 after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.\n\"We're hopeful he'll be fit for the first rounds of Super League but we don't want to rush him back,\" Chester told BBC Radio Humberside.\n\"He certainly won't be missing half of the season as I've seen reported on some websites.\"\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nChester added: \"He's trained very, very well in Australia and when he is ready to go he will play.\n\"We were told it was a nine-month injury and that would take him to the end of January or the start of February.\"\nThe Robins coach is hopeful that youngster Matty Marsh, 20, can continue to impress should Campese miss the first few weeks of the season.\nMarsh made six league appearances last season.\n\"The way Matty Marsh performed towards the back end of last season and in pre-season so far, it is going to be for difficult for Campo to get back in,\" Chester said.\n\"He is kicking the ball well, taking the line on and he defends well. Hopefully he is here for a few more years.\"", "With the game in extra time and Yeovil leading 1-0, midfielder Dolan launched his huge effort over goalkeeper Neil Etheridge to help the Glovers through.\nEarlier, Saddlers forward Amadou Bakayoko scored an own goal trying to stop Kevin Dawson's header.\nBakayoko hit the crossbar later on as Walsall pressed for a goal.\nMatch ends, Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 2.\nSecond Half Extra Time ends, Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 2.\nAttempt missed. Kieron Morris (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.\nJoe Edwards (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\nFoul by Tahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town).\nAttempt missed. Simeon Jackson (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.\nSubstitution, Yeovil Town. Omar Sowunmi replaces Tom Eaves.\nTom Eaves (Yeovil Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\nRico Henry (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town).\nAttempt saved. Tahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.\nAttempt missed. Kieron Morris (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.\nMatthew Dolan (Yeovil Town) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration.\nGoal! Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 2. Matthew Dolan (Yeovil Town) left footed shot from more than 35 yards to the top left corner.\nJoe Edwards (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Tahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town).\nJason McCarthy (Walsall) wins a free kick on the right wing.\nFoul by Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town).\nJoe Edwards (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\nFoul by Joe Edwards (Walsall).\nTahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nSecond Half Extra Time begins Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 1.\nFirst Half Extra Time ends, Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 1.\nAmadou Bakayoko (Walsall) hits the bar with a left footed shot from the centre of the box.\nGoal! Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 1. Tahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Ryan Hedges with a cross following a set piece situation.\nJoe Lea (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Matt Preston (Walsall).\nSubstitution, Yeovil Town. Tahvon Campbell replaces Otis Khan.\nAttempt blocked. Amadou Bakayoko (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.\nJoe Edwards (Walsall) wins a free kick on the left wing.\nFoul by Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town).\nAttempt missed. Rico Henry (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is too high.\nFoul by Liam Kinsella (Walsall).\nRyan Hedges (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nAttempt blocked. Otis Khan (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.\nFoul by Liam Kinsella (Walsall).\nKevin Dawson (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\nFirst Half Extra Time begins Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 0.\nSecond Half ends, Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 0.\nCorner, Yeovil Town. Conceded by Neil Etheridge.", "Mitchell - who has 15 Wales caps and has also played for Ospreys, Exeter and Cardiff Blues - has been at the Rec on a short-term deal since being released by Dragons last May.\nBath director of rugby Todd Blackadder said Mitchell's injury could sideline the 31-year-old for up to six months.\n\"We got Craig on trial, basically, and he's done his shoulder,\" he said.\n\"We were going to see what he was like and make a decision.\"\nMitchell made his Test debut against Canada in 2009 and went on to play for Wales during the 2011 World Cup.\nHe played 11 times for Dragons last season and had seemed set to join the sizeable Welsh contingent at Bath that includes fellow internationals Taulupe Faletau, Luke Charteris, Rhys Priestland and Aled Brew, plus backs and skills coach Darren Edwards.\nBut Blackadder, speaking to the Bath Chronicle, said the English Premiership club had a duty of care for the stricken player.\n\"Because he's dislocated his shoulder on our watch we'll look after him,\" Blackadder added.\n\"We think that's the right thing to do. It could be a six-month injury.\"", "It was thought that Benning, 21, could miss the rest of the season with cruciate ligament damage, but he could now be available in January.\nMurray told the club website: \"We expected the worst when we got the scan results and the original diagnosis.\n\"We thought it was going to be the whole season, if we're being honest. It's not as bad as we expected.\"\nFormer Walsall full-back Benning suffered the injury earlier this month against Bristol Rovers and he was expected to be out for several months.\nHowever, the club have confirmed that the defender does not need an operation.\nMurray continued: \"We think we'll have him back January-time. He's got to be in a brace for 12 weeks, obviously Mal's young and he's very, very fit.\n\"It's great news for the club, great news for Mal and it's great news for me.\"", "Ikpeazu has scored eight goals in 36 matches for the U's this campaign, but left the pitch during Saturday's defeat by Portsmouth with his arm strapped.\nThe 22-year-old dislocated his shoulder and will have surgery on Thursday.\nMcGurk, 28, has been restricted to 15 games this term because of injury and will miss the rest of the term after tearing his hamstring in training.", "The full-back, 25, was hurt in Town's 3-1 defeat by Millwall on 9 April - his first game since last December - and a scan has shown he needs surgery to repair ligaments.\n\"It's disappointing - he's just got back into the side,\" assistant boss Mike Jackson told BBC Radio Shropshire.\n\"Hopefully he'll get it sorted and be back playing as quickly as he can.\"\nDemetriou, who is out of contract in the summer, has made 50 appearances for Shrewsbury, scoring three goals, since joining from Kidderminster Harriers in June 2014.\nHe spent the first half of this season on loan at Cambridge United and returned to the Shrews in January.\nFollowing last season's automatic promotion, Shrewsbury are trying to avoid an immediate return to League Two over their final six games.\nOne point clear of the relegation zone, Town have a tough-looking start to their run-in with back-to-back home games against fourth-placed Bradford City and Sheffield United before trips to Gillingham, in sixth, and automatic-promotion chasers Walsall.\nMicky Mellon's side then finish with two games against mid-table sides - Peterborough, currently 14th and Swindon in 16th.", "It means Slade is likely to miss the Six Nations, which starts in February.\nThe 22-year-old, capped twice by England, was hurt during Exeter's Premiership win over Wasps on Saturday.\n\"It was a pretty major operation but certainly not one we don't expect him to make a full recovery from,\" head coach Rob Baxter told the club website.\n\"We are certainly not pencilling in any date for Henry's return because we know it is long term.\n\"We will start talking about a return date in eight to 10 weeks' time when we know a bit more - it will take a bit of time though and a lengthy rehab process.\"\nMeanwhile, Chiefs have announced that back-rower Dave Ewers, 25, will miss \"a fair few weeks\" after suffering a knee injury.\n\"It is difficult to put a timescale on these things but he will be out for a significant period of time,\" said Baxter.", "The Saddlers led 2-0 at half-time after Kieron Morris' low 11th-minute right-foot shot was followed by a deflected strike from Rico Henry.\nFormer Saddlers defender Mat Sadler headed home Andy Mangan's cross on the hour to pull one back.\nBut, despite an improved second-half display, Town remain at risk.\nWith two matches left, they could still be overhauled by two of the bottom four clubs - Blackpool and Doncaster Rovers.\nSaddlers boss gets right reaction\nWalsall interim boss Jon Whitney made four changes following Saturday's 4-0 defeat at Bradford City, the Saddlers' biggest of the season, dropping Liam Kinsella, Andy Taylor, Sam Mantom and Jordy Hiwula.\nIt had the right effect in a much improved first-half display capped by two goals - both rewards for surging runs.\nMorris glided along the edge of the box before turning to plant a low right-foot shot into Jayson Leutwiler's bottom-right corner.\nHis third goal of the season - and second in three games - was followed on the stroke of half-time by Henry's jinking run inside from the left flank, before his shot took a big deflection and bobbled over the line beyond the despairing Leutwiler. It was also his third goal of the season but his first since September.\nAfter Sadler headed powerfully home from Mangan's superb hanging right-wing cross, substitute Ian Black's deflected shot then looped off Henry onto the top of the bar - but Shrewsbury got no nearer\nThe final shake-up\nIn the battle for the second automatic promotion place, Burton are up next at home to faltering Gillingham, before Walsall host Fleetwood in a televised lunchtime game on Bank Holiday Monday.\nOn the final day, the Saddlers are at Port Vale, while Burton are at relegation battlers Doncaster.\nShrewsbury's final two matches are at home to managerless Peterborough this Saturday before a final-day trip to Swindon.\nWalsall boss Jon Whitney told BBC WM:\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\n\"It got a bit tense but we deserved to win overall. These players can handle pressure. I believe in them.\n\"We were so disappointed on Saturday but we're resilient. We showed character and we're still in with a chance of automatic promotion.\n\"It would have been a lot easier for Burton if we'd got beat tonight, but we've made it a bit more nervy for them now.\"\nShrewsbury manager Micky Mellon told BBC Radio Shropshire:\n\"I was disappointed with the first-half performance but I take responsibility for that. I pick the shape and the personnel.\n\"We need to manage the fuel tanks inside their heads. A few looked a bit chuggy but the big positive on the night was the energy we added. The second half was miles better.\n\"We looked a real threat after the break and we can count ourselves a little unlucky not to get something. But we move on now and get the lads ready for a massive game on Saturday.\"", "A scan revealed the defender suffered a tear to his anterior cruciate ligament in Saturday's 4-0 win over Dundee.\nA club statement said: \"He will deal with our medics on the proposed operation or rehab as appropriate. All at Accies wish him a full recovery.\"\nHamilton travel to Tannadice for the first leg on Thursday before hosting the return game on Sunday.\n\"He was out of Sunday anyway because he was suspended, so he was going to miss the second leg regardless,\" said manager Martin Canning of 23-year-old Devlin.\n\"It is a blow as he's been great for us all season, but hopefully we can get Georgios Sarris back for Thursday as it would be replacing like for like.\"\nSarris missed the weekend win over Dundee with a back problem.\nAccies' victory ensured that they finished the season one point clear of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who have been automatically relegated.\nCanning is hopeful that Accies can build on that win, which ended a run of four straight defeats.\n\"It was a very similar performance to the Tuesday night game against Ross County when we didn't get any breaks at all and when we played really well,\" he added.\n\"The last two performances have been of a good standard and the pleasing thing about Saturday is there was a lot of pressure on that game.\n\"So to go and perform that way hopefully bodes well for Thursday, because there'll be a lot of pressure on this game as well.\n\"Maybe Dundee weren't bang at it as they normally would be because they couldn't go down, but I think United will be.\n\"So we've got to be careful of falling into the trap of thinking 'we've turned up, beaten Dundee comfortably, the games gone great'.\n\"It isn't going to be the same on Thursday. It can be if we go and play as well as we have, but we need to win the battles first.\"", "The 21-year-old has been an ever-present in the Saddlers side this season, scoring twice in 30 games.\nThe right-back, whose only Premier League appearance came two years ago, spent most of last season on loan at Wycombe Wanderers in League Two.\n\"He really believes in what we're doing for him and it's been great watching him develop,\" boss Jon Whitney said.\n\"He's shown trust in me, like I've shown trust in him, and he feels he will continue to develop as a player and a person with another spell at Walsall,\" the Saddlers boss added to the club website.\nFind all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "The 23-year-old, who was part of the England Saxons squad last summer, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and damaged cartilage after slipping during a touch game in training.\nHepburn, who featured in last season's Premiership final defeat, had just got fit after breaking his hand in October but will now need to undergo surgery.\n\"It's a pretty significant injury,\" head coach Rob Baxter told BBC Sport.\n\"I feel very sorry for Alec, he's worked extremely hard to get back fit and was just getting to that stage where everything was done.\n\"He had a bit of a freak incident and now he's going to be out until next season.\n\"He'd played well enough at the end of last season to be taken on the Saxons tour where, truth be known, he was the standout prop on the tour.\n\"He's an improving player, we're expecting and hoping for him to be a very important player for us going forward, but these things happen.\"", "Defender Chris Stokes headed City in front on 34 minutes when he met Adam Armstrong's aerial flick-on from Joe Cole's free-kick on the left.\nBut Bradshaw got on the end of Rico Henry's left-wing near-post cross to steer home left-footed on the volley.\nWalsall were earlier indebted to a string of saves from Neil Etheridge.\nBut, after Bradshaw's 81st-minute leveller, his 13th goal of the season, it was the home side who were left desperately hanging on in injury time.\nWalsall stay third, within two points of top spot, a point ahead of fourth-placed City, who now host leaders Burton at the Ricoh this Saturday.\nIn a well contested, but largely uninspiring first half, City led at the break after Walsall paid a heavy price for on-loan Manchester City midfielder George Evans' unnecessary free-kick, for a foul on Jacob Murphy.\nFrom Cole's well-floated dead-ball delivery, Armstrong flicked for Stokes to steal in at the far post among a pile of bodies and bravely head home.\nCity midfielder Jim O'Brien was just wide either side of the break before visiting keeper Etheridge turned away a James Maddison free-kick, then came up with an even better save to deny League One top scorer Armstrong. But, in a superb final 20 minutes, Walsall found enough in the tank to earn a share of the spoils.\nCity's gate of 15, 671 was their second highest of the season at the Ricoh Arena, bettered only by the Boxing Day game against Port Vale.\nIt was also higher than the gates for six of the 11 Championship games taking place on Tuesday night.\nSky Blues boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:\n\"For an hour, we've controlled the game. It seemed the team pressing for the goals was us and we had several chances to put the game to bed. If they go in, we take the points I'm sure.\n\"I think I'm right in saying they've scored with their first shot on target so it's hugely frustrating when we've had numerous chances at the other end. The dressing room is hugely disappointed.\n\"Give credit to Walsall though. They're a good side who play football really well. And, with the goal they scored, they've showed why they're at the top end of the league.\"\nWalsall manager Sean O'Driscoll told BBC WM 95.6:\n\"We thoroughly deserved a draw. We showed great character to come back after going in one down at half time. We played fantastically second half, both defensively and with our attacking play.\n\"It was a well worked goal that got us level. That sort of ball into the box on a wet night is always tough to deal with.\n\"And our keeper was terrific. He goes under the radar sometimes but he's performed fantastically. There might be times when people say he's made a mistake because he's come for something that he shouldn't have. But, overall, people would prefer that. He's developing into a fine keeper.\"", "May suffered a knee injury while playing for Gloucester in last month's Premiership draw with Harlequins.\nThe 25-year-old England's first-choice left wing at the World Cup and has won 19 international caps so far, but will now miss the Six Nations.\n\"Following an operation on his left knee on Tuesday, Jonny May will be ruled out of the remainder of the campaign,\" said a club statement.\nGloucester director of rugby David Humphreys described the injury as \"significant\" but refused to disclose exact details of what May had suffered.\n\"He had surgery on Tuesday, the operation went well,\" Humphreys told BBC Radio Gloucestershire. \"It's very difficult to put a timeline on any knee injury. It's a disappointing end to the 12 months for Jonny, both at club and international level.\"\nMay's absence is a further blow for new England head coach Eddie Jones, with Bath forward Dave Attwood and Leicester lock Ed Slater ruled out of next month's championship earlier this week.\nNorthampton prop Kieran Brookes is also set for an extended spell on the sidelines after having an operation on his knee, as is Exeter centre Henry Slade and back row Dave Ewers.\nEngland start their Six Nations campaign under Jones against Scotland on 6 February.\nAnthony Watson and Jack Nowell featured in the World Cup and may be the likely starters at Murrayfield, while Chris Ashton and Semesa Rokoduguni are pushing for places in the squad.\nHumphreys hopes to have May back for the start of next season, with the winger likely to also miss England's summer tour of Australia.\n\"He was very quick to text me after the operation to tell me he plans to come back fitter and stronger,\" added Humphreys.\n\"Jonny has shown in the past when he has been injured that he will work hard and I have no doubt we will see him back performing and shining in Gloucester colours.\"" ]

[ "Handbag.com, TheSite.org and Arizona State University have it all figured out. Remember, your underwear doesn’t dictate who you are, but instead expresses your personality.\nFor Women:\nHigh-cut briefs\nLadies who wear “granny panties” tend to be perfectionists, except when it comes to style. They care most about comfort and function.\nBoy shorts or thongs\nWomen who don these are confident go-getters who enjoy a challenge. (The challenge is not to let people see you picking your butt) They like to show off their curves, are outgoing and open to new things.\nMatchy matchy\nSome women must have a matching bra and panty set. These confident women are quite fashion-conscious and enjoy pampering themselves. Some might even call them spoiled or high-maintenance.\nFor Men:\nBoxers\nWearing boxers is all about comfort, but men who prefer boxers are generally laidback, not too flashy and light-hearted. Boxers are the No. 1 choice in underwear for men.\nBriefs\nNicknamed tightie-whities even if they are red, blue or some other colour, briefs are worn by men who are inhibited and like the restricted feel of this kind of underwear.\nBoxer-briefs\nCan you say the best of both worlds? Men who opt for boxer-briefs are very good at committing in relationships. Hey, they already know how to compromise since they’ve done it with their underwear!\nThongs\nMen who wear thongs are tremendously outgoing and even exhibitionists at times.\nGoing commando\nEither someone forgot to do the laundry or he is very down-to-earth and embraces a natural way of life." ]

[ "fizkes/Shutterstock\nWhat was the last thing you dreamed about? You might want to start keeping track. Believe it or not, your mind’s unconscious wandering could say a lot about your personality.\nAccording to a recent survey by Best Mattress Brand, certain traits can influence the content of your dreams, including who is in them and what they are about. Here are even more surprising things your dreams could reveal about you.\nOver 1,000 Americans took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) personality test to determine their basic characteristics. (Not sure where you fall? You can take the Myers-Briggs test in minutes.) Afterward, the participants answered questions about their sleep and dream patterns. Then the researchers compared those responses to their Myers-Briggs personality traits.\nThe final results reveal a fascinating link between our personalities and dreams. For instance, introverts dream of their teeth falling out 14.2 percent more often than extroverts. Extroverts also remember dreams more often than introverts.\nOverall, “Introverts were more likely to dream of being unable to influence the world around them and dreamed more often of punching without effect,” the researchers said. “Extroverts, however, dreamed of more active pursuits, such as traveling.” Dreaming aside, these are the hidden strengths of extroverts and the hidden strengths of introverts, too.\nAnother interesting finding: Individuals with the Feeling trait dream about partners cheating 12.6 percent more than those with the Thinking trait. Feelers were also more likely to talk in their sleep and have nightmares than Thinkers.\nIntrigued? Check out the infographic below to determine how your personality type determines your dreams. Then, learn how your personality can be revealed through everything from your handwriting to your favorite ice cream flavor.\nCourtesy Best Mattress Brand", "Ryan Gosling Remembering His Late Dog George Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and Want to Hug Your Pet\nRyan Gosling Remembering His Late Dog George Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and Want to Hug Your Pet\nRyan Gosling has already solidified himself as a certified hunk and an A-list actor, but his undying devotion to his late dog George will also tug at your heart strings!\nRyan Gosling has already solidified himself as a certified hunk and an A-list actor, but his undying devotion to his late dog George will also tug at your heart strings!", "Please enable Javascript to watch this video\nST. LOUIS, Mo. - It's time to break out your undies for the 10th annual St. Louis Undy RunWalk, a family-friendly 5K event where people run or walk in their undies to show support and solidarity for colorectal cancer patients, survivors and caregivers.\nChristy Fry, St. Louis Undy RunWalk volunteer and colorectal cancer survivor, joins us to talk about the event, which has drawn over 1,000 colorectal cancer survivors and their supporters during the last 10 years. Participants don fun, underwear-themed outfits and even walk through a giant inflatable colon.\nThe St. Louis Undy RunWalk is hosted by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, a national nonprofit organization committed to promoting access to screening, conducting innovative research and connecting patients to treatment.\nFunds raised from the event will support the Mercy Hospital St. Louis JFK Clinic's work in the community to help the underserved access much-needed colorectal cancer screenings. In 2018 alone, nearly 3,000 Missourians are expected to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and nearly 1,000 will die from this highly treatable cancer.\nThe 2018 St. Louis Undy RunWalk is March 24 at Forest Park in the lower Muny parking lot. Onsite registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the 5K begins at 9 a.m.\nFor more information or to register online, visit www.UndyRunWalk.org.", "Radio host and writer Melanie Tait has penned an honest essay about what it's like to be fat during the summer.\nMs Tait, who is a presenter at ABC Radio Tasmania, revealed that the summer she was a size 12 was the most blissful of her life.\n'I enjoyed every second of it, because I’d lived 33 summers before as a fat person,' she wrote on news.com.au.\nReality: Radio host Melanie Tait (pictured) penned an honest account of what it is like being overweight in summer\nShe enjoyed paddle boarding, spending days at the beach and hiking up hills with worrying about her thighs chafing, she said.\nSince then, however, she said she has gained more than 50 kilos - and summer is hard again.\nFrom sweating from every part of her body to not being able to shop for summer clothes in plus sizes, she goes through the physical realities of being fat in summer as well as the psychological effects.\nIn her piece for news.com.au she listed many occasions when being on the larger side 'sucks' - including at high school dances or in clothing stores where the shop assistants are tiny.\nBut the absolute worst time to be 'a fatty' is the summer, she insisted.\nFirst of all, she said, being overweight means a lot of sweating - from under your arms, your back, your neck and in every uncomfortable fold in your skin.\nFinding clothes that will keep you cool and in the right size is difficult too, she claimed - and this year, she has about three outfits that she rotates.\nIssues: She listed excessive sweating, thigh chafing and difficulty buying clothes among the problems that plague overweight people during the warm months\nSex isn't fun either, she said, because 'everything becomes sticky.'\nShe added: 'Your undies become like a heavy second skin and your bra enjoys digging into swollen up, hot sweaty, skin. Yum.'\nThe worst thing to deal with, in her opinion, however, is the dread thigh chafe.\nShe said if you dare to venture out in a dress without adequate means to prevent chafing - such as bike pants, anti-chafe cream or reapplying talcum powder often - you're doomed.\nAs well as being physically uncomfortable, being fat can be mentally damaging as well she said.\nBe considerate: Ms Tait urged thinner people to think about the pain overweight people may be in before judging them\nShe explained: 'We live in a society where it's a sin to be fat - it's seen as lazy and indulgent and deliberate (though why anyone would choose the above if they had an actual choice, beats me!'\nIt takes a lot of strength and confidence to reveal the cellulite, stretch marks and rolls on your body, she added.", "Paxton: Last yr I was kinda feeling my way around rather than just cutting it loose. Now you can have a little bit more swag about yourself.", "Carindale, Australia – 04 July 2018 – Socks And Undies is offering the best way to Buy underwear online Australia for the best prices.\nOne way or the other, we all need our underwear. Both the sucks and the undies need to be comfortable as well as let the body breathe, so to speak. Sure enough, the market these days is pretty much filled with all kinds of offers that are meant to easily satisfy even the most refined needs and requirements. Yet, odds are, you are going to be off looking for the ideal combination of price and quality out there. Which is one of the many reasons why you will want to view Socks And Undies as your number one Cheap underwear Australia provider out there.\nWith years of experience on the market, Socks And Undies is offering the one of a kind opportunity to really make the most from your needs and requirements within the very least amount of time possible. And, of course, regardless of what size you may well be, what kind of socks or undies you may well be looking for and what color, the resource will allow you to both Buy men’s underwear Australia and Buy womens underwear Australia for the prices that will suit you the most. Regardless of what kind of underwear you need to wear and even if you are looking to Buy plus size underwear Australia, Socks And Undies has got you covered and will prove to be an invaluable asset in finding the perfect pair of undies that will last very long and will not let you down. Hence, if you are looking for the ideal option and one that will not cost you a small fortune, but something of a brand name indeed, do not hesitate to check out the above-mentioned solution and you will definitely keep on coming back for more.\nUnlike many other providers and vendors that are just as readily available on the market these days, you can count on Socks And Undies to provide you with the best Massimo Underwear Australia that will look good and will be extremely comfortable as well.\nAbout Socks And Undies:\nSocks And Undies is an established Australian provider that is offering a one of a kind opportunity to make the most from the best socks and underwear the market has to offer. Regardless of what kind of socks or underwear you may well be looking for, this is the ideal way to go indeed.\nContact:\nCompany Name: Socks And Undies\nAddress: 107 Scrub Rd, Carindale, QLD 4152, Australia\nPhone: 1300 782 862\nEmail: info@socksnundies.com.au\nWebsite: https://socksnundies.com.au", "Sometimes we just need to be reminded that most people like looking at big ol’ butts. . . regardless if they were made by God or man.\nAlso On 101.1 The Wiz:", "We asked for it and you gave it to us. Here’s what we learned about you dirty fuckers from our annual Love and Sex survey. May you fuck well and may you always remember to say, “Thanks, keep it comin’,” after sex.\nHave you ever been injured during sex?\n“I hit my head off my partner’s headboard changing positions. Hurt really bad but we shrugged it off and kept going. Woke up in the middle of the night vomiting, so I went to the doctor the next day—turns out I got a concussion.”\n“He kneed me in the balls. Repeatedly. I’m on top from now on.”\n“Girl riding reverse cowgirl slipped off and crushed my dick.”\n“Only my HEART.”\n“I got hit in the face by a crotch bone, my lip was bleeding.”\n46.2% of respondents have never been cheated on. About 36 per cent have been. Roughly 18 per cent said they’ve cheated on someone.\nAbout 62 per cent of respondents plan on getting married. Twenty-one per cent don’t. About 17 per cent will only marry someone if they’re rich.\n73.3% of respondents would rather have sweaty bathroom sex with The Eyeopener than go for dinner and a movie with The Ryersonian.\nWe asked you to TALK DIRTY TO US….\n“Independent hard-hitting journalism makes the ladies’ panties get wet. I touch myself to your RSU-related live tweet sessions.”\n“The dirtiest thing is what the capitalist system does to us on a daily basis.”\n“Push me up against the wall and lift me up so my legs wrap around your waist. Carry me to the bed and throw me onto the mattress. Rip my underwear off my hips and spread my legs. Spread my soft pink pussy lips with your finger and then your tongue. I want you to taste me while I scream your name and cum on your tongue.”\n“What I do have is a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. If you don’t come over soon, I will look for you, I will find you and I will fuck the brains out of you.”\n“The RSU’s financial records.”\n“You can open my eyes and legs any time you want.”\n”Buy me a drink first.”", "Valentine's Day is almost upon us, and consumers are shopping like crazy for the big day, with the NRF reporting that they'll spend $18.2 billion around the lovers' holiday.\nThe NRF cites jewelry, an evening out, flowers, clothing, candy, gift cards, and greeting cards as the categories that make up the multi-billion dollar pie. That all sounds like pretty conventional stuff, but rest assured eccentrics, oddballs, and lovers of novelty: Cupid has plenty of fun gift options for you!\n\"Until just a few years ago, Valentine's Day gift seekers were limited to buying the traditional mass-produced cards and chocolate unless they purposely sought [other types of products] out,\" said Brent Shelton, online shopping expert at Fatwallet. \"Online shopping platforms like Etsy have made it much easier to find personalized and custom gifts tailored to individual people. It provides consumers with a dual feel-good: helping small business and receiving something truly unique and thought out.\"\nHere's a look at some of the more original and even eccentric gifts out there for your special someone.\nIronic Wine Glasses, Beard Kits, and Funny Undies\nWhen you're in your early 20s, there's nothing quite so adult feeling as going to a wine shop with your sweetie and picking out a bottle of red that costs more than $7. Surely, you should commemorate this pinnacle moment by gifting this oversized wine glass — it can hold an entire bottle — that reads, \"This is how you adult,\" available at Spring for $9.99. Perhaps you could add a humorous twist to the bottle with some of these punny labels available in sets of four starting at $15.99 on Jet.com. \"Wine not?\"\nAs so many men realize, maintaining the perfect beard or mustache is no small feat. Help him keep that precious facial hair in impeccable shape with a beard care kit. On Amazon, the Ultimate Beard Kit by Maison Lambert has a five-star rating. It will set you back about $65, but if this stuff it's all it's talked up to be, your guy may just reimburse you.\nMaison Lambert\nNot every girl desires lacy lingerie — so if your lady is a Star Wars fan, check out these coyly suggestive Chewbacca undies available on Etsy from the shop HappyHankie, for $9.75. If your sweetheart was one of those who took to the street during the recent Women's Marches, she may like these panties which pay homage to the hugely popular Facebook group (and soon to be actual book) Pantsuit Nation, and sell for $10 from Etsy vendor UnderstatementsShop.\nSpeaking of our bottoms, check out this Valentine's Day-appropriate toilet paper, available from JustPaperRoses.com for $15.62. For something that will literally be flushed down the toilet, that's ridiculously expensive, but the look of weirded-out surprise on your darling's face should make it worth it.\n'Weird' Pillows, Insect Jewelry, and a Binge-Watching Survival Kit\nAre you a total weirdo? If so, your quirks and eccentricities are likely some of your partner's favorite things about you. Here's a pair of pillows to snuggle up against with the significant oddball in your life. One says \"I am weird;\" the other says \"I love weird.\" Etsy seller AndersAttic retails the set starting at $35.00.\nDiamonds are divine, but you can get much more creative (and cost-efficient) this Valentine's day. Just about any type of jewelry you can dream up is available on Etsy, from this personalized fingerprint heart necklace starting at $39.99 to these butterfly earrings made with real monarch wings that start at $24.\nOne of the best parts of being in a relationship is binge-watching TV shows together. But when you're watching a series for hours at a time, you may have to frequently get up to stretch and refill on snacks and tissues (hey, these shows get emotional). Minimize the time spent taking breaks with a gift you can both enjoy such as the Binge-Watching Survival Kit.\nAvailable from Urban Outfitters for $20, the kit comes with face cleansing towelettes, stain-removing towelettes, hand cleaning towelettes, dental floss, breath drops, socks, coasters, a snack slip, a decision coin, folding sporks, tissues, and a sofa yoga guide.\nNot So Corny Cards\nAny gift is best served with a thoughtful card — but thoughtful doesn't have to mean clichéd. Here's a look at some less traditional cards that may make your partner laugh or even cry, but hopefully in a good way!\nLike to cuddle up with your honey-pie and watch scary movies? They may want to tear open this Freddy Krueger Card. \"You're horrifying,\" the card caption reads, alongside an image of Freddy's infamous striped sweater and bladed glove. The card retails for $4.95 from Etsy shop LazyFriend. You can also trade in the typical big red hearts for something a bit more accurate with this anatomical heart card for $5.99 from Etsy shop TheStaggeringTruth.\nThe math nerd of your dreams may appreciate this Isaac Newton card with the caption, \"You're the solution to all my equations,\" sold on Zazzle for $3.35; while with this card, available for $4.50 from Etsy seller ClassyCardsCreative, assures your darling that for them, you'd put down your smartphone to hold their hand.\nAnd don't forget the power of e-cards: you can find tons of funny (and free) ones over at someecards.com, like this one that will remind your lover that you're obviously the best thing that ever happened to them.", "Staff Reporter\nWINDHOEK – The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) party yesterday congratulated and heaped praises on the country’s Para-athletes, who scooped medals at the just-ended International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Berlin Grand Prix in Germany.\n“Over the past few years, PDM has noted with great enthusiasm as our Paralympic athletes making history and inspiring the Namibian nation, both young and old. The outstanding performance of Johannes Nambala, Ananias Shikongo, Bradley Murere, Bernardo Immanuel and Dian Jansen reflects the talent and hard work of our athletes and the undying support from fellow Namibians,” said PDM’s Secretary-General Manuel Ngaringombe in a statement.\nHe urged Namibians to continue rallying behind the activities of Para-athletes as they play a vital role in raising the Namibian flag high, both on the African continent and the world at large.\n“PDM also would like to plead with the nation to offer our medalists the necessary support and encouragements for them to even aim to bring home more medals at future events. To the athletes that took part and did not manage to bring any medals home, PDM warmly embraces your efforts. To the technical team behind our athletes, we recognise your important role in mentoring our athletes and may you continue with your great work.”", "Personally, I’m IMPRESSED when I see a guy walking around in a tiny Speedo or a pair of leather pants. Now THAT’S confidence. But a lot of you aren’t seeing it that way, I guess.\nA new survey asked people what clothes they HATE the most. And here is the VERY judgmental top 10 . . .\n1. Speedos. 69% of people have an “unfavorable” opinion of them.\n2. Leather pants, 63%.\n3. Crocs, 59%.\n4. Bell bottoms, 57%.\n5. Clothes with elbow patches, 54%.\n6. Tracksuits, 52%.\n7. Bright red pants, 51%.\n8. Uggs, 51%.\n9. Sweater vests, 49%.\n10. Deep V-neck t-shirts, 49%.", "After giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. just a short eight months ago, Serena Williams is back to serving on and off the court. The 36 year old tennis champion, mother, wife, and now fashion designer unveiled her namesake clothing line, and we are all for her subtle and sexy-cool collection. The sporty-chic looks are perfect for the everyday woman whose goal is to keep it cute and comfy. Most of these versatile ensembles can be rocked with sneakers or heels, and the prices range from $15-$250. If minimalism yet trendy is your style mood, then you may have found your go-to clothier in Serena.\nCheck out some of the looks from the line below!\nAn olive green slip dress with a low ruched back and side slit.\nBlack Pencil Skirt\nSignature S Logo Undies\nDenim Skirt\nCompton Tee\nChain Strap Denim Jumper\nBoyfriend Joggers + Logo Cropped Sweater\nVarsity Dress\nMesh Gray Top and Jogger\nWhich look could you see yourself rocking? Click here to purchase your Serena gear!", "\"the things u manufacture in your inner spirit is exactly what people see in ur outer reflection\"\nBy: christy brown", "Hundreds were on hand Saturday, February 11, for the Annual Cupid’s Undie Run. Held around Valentine’s Day, it’s a one-mile(ish) run in downtown St. Louis while donning your best boudoir attire. Pre- and post-run festivities are held at The Barn at PBR in Ballpark Village. They’re not crazy, just crazy serious about raising money for The Children’s Tumor Foundation.", "When we think Spanx, sex appeal doesn’t exactly come to mind. But, as many a woman knows, sometimes you need a little help fitting into your favorite bodycon dress — we get it, and so does Jenna Dewan Tatum. Yep, the host of World of Dance may have the most rockin’ body around, but she too wears control-top undies and we have proof: she posed in hers in an photo on Instagram on Thursday, February 1.\nReese Witherspoon and Mini-Me Ava Phillippe Launch Draper James Spring Collection — See Every Look\nThe dance pro posed on a chaise longue in a cropped tank and some high-waisted undies, which in and of themselves evoke the fire emoji. But her caption totally poked fun at herself: “No to the sequin pants. Yes to the spanx.” This is basically the a-political slogan of our time. How refreshing to find out that stars really are just like us — sometimes they need help getting into their pants!\nKate Middleton’s Maternity Style: Her Absolute Best Looks From Her Third Pregnancy\nThis isn’t the first time that Dewan has had a good sense of humor about her glam. Earlier this week in a moment of exhaustion she posted a pic of herself rocking an otherworldly glow that she compared to a glazed donut. You have to admit, she’s got a good sense of humor. But in all honesty, it’s nice to know that Dewan relies on some approachable solutions when she needs a little boost: illuminating beauty products and Spanx.\nAbout Last Night: See the Best-Dressed Stars on the Red Carpet and Beyond\nThe Step Up star isn’t the first to opt for a little shapewear under her glamorous attire this week. You know that killer “Wild Thoughts” performance at the Grammys? Well, Rihanna wore a Yummie Hidden Curves High-Waist Thong under her bejeweled magenta Adam Selman dress for the affair. Bridget Jones had it right all along: shape wear (or as she calls them “scary stomach-holding-in panties”) is the way to go!\nSign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter to get breaking celebrity news, hot pics and more delivered straight to your inbox!\nWant stories like these delivered straight to your phone? Download the Us Weekly iPhone app now!", "12647412- suresh- thana- realtor\nContact\nSuresh Thana\n647 335 8888\n***@realtorsuresh.ca Suresh Thana647 335 8888\nEnd\n--is a worry that chases most of the new buyers. But when you have Suresh Thana, such worries just get dissolved. Suresh Thana is a notable real estate agent at Royal LePage Ignite Realty. Most of the worried souls looking for their dream house find respite with his help. He possesses years of in-depth experience in brokerage in theof GTA, which makes him ace the trade.With mushrooming real estate brokers, promising great deals and valued property, the number of real estate properties and their takers are also on a rise. Hence, what is needed now is the right medium to link aspiring home purchasers to suitable properties. And Suresh Thana is the perfect fit for such a role. He has a benchmark track record of successful endeavors which makes him stand out from common realtors, because it is experience to identify the right property for a house owner in waiting.Clients served by Suresh Rana vouches for his undying commitment for the cause of his clients and his sense of professionalism. He has been known for providing top-notch services to his clients that makes him the mostly referred realtor. Success and work speaks for him.Suresh Thana owns sharpened knowledge, years of experience and an ability to access great properties and get good deal for his clients. You can approach him for buying your dream house and even selling off properties. He is the realtor for every cause. He has an efficient team trained and guided under his enriched supervision which makes the team a minor reflection of the realtor himself. His team can get the best available customers for your property and the best possible value for your house that you want to sell off.What makes him an understanding realtor and also increases his popularity is that he respects 'time' and ensures your deal is done in less possible time, thus making no one wait and waste their time. If you are looking for your dream house or a realtor for the best deal for your property, then Suresh Thana is the name that you can trust and will be glad that you trusted. Visit http://www.bestrealtormississauga.ca/ for more details or talk to him for details or deal.Contact person: Suresh ThanaContact address: 40 New Delhi DrCity: MarkhanPost code: MarkhanCountry:CanadaEmail: sthana@realtorsuresh.ca Phone no.: 647 335 8888", "Sometimes you just have to say it with a swimsuit. Seriously though, we're loving the one-pieces with cheeky phrases on them. It's a playful trend we're seeing all over Instagram, and we approve. There are so many options out there, so we rounded up our favorite picks for you to choose from. Check them out and buy one for your next pool party.", "We ask…is it ok to sit around your house in your underwear? Kelly can’t believe that this is something guys do on a regular basis.\nShare this: Facebook\nTwitter\nGoogle\nReddit\nPinterest", "I’m pretty sure that last year wasn’t just about self-love for you. Whoever is guilty, raise your hands. I’m typing with one hand here, too.\nWe always try to indulge in self-love but it’s not as easy as it may sound. Recently, of the three Mohan sisters, Shakti was targetted for being too manly.\nThanks, Shakti, your Karara response gave me a lot of courage to love myself like never before. I guess that’s a great start to 2017, isn’t it?\nShe took to Facebook to give a strong response to the haters:\n“I have been told I sit like a man, I walk like a man, your body looks masculine and voice is heavy not female like. I have been told to be more feminine by well meaning people.\nI wasted many years trying to be who I am not in my effort to fit in.\nI don’t know why the world is after making you fit in to a category. Be You and stop fulfilling people’s expectations of you to look busty, assy, fair, thin, shy, masked with make up.\nYou can either live for yourself or for the world.\nUse your power to Choose…”", "So filthy we’ll need a clean-up on aisle five. In what appears to be the latest viral craze taking the web by storm, some young people are apparently flashing their private parts in public places and subsequently posting photos and videos of this lewdness on social media. The horror!\nWe’ve recently covered trends that ranged from amusing to borderline dangerous. But this one moves the dial to the latter, and then points down south.\nSince no other place seems to get these kids going, the chosen location for this shtick happens to be the home of sausages, bottled beverages, and phallic-shaped produce. Hence, the trend was aptly named the #SupermarketFlash.\nTake a look at how bad it’s gotten:\nWelp. That’s one way to take your mind off those student loans.\nNothing screams empowerment like unsolicited public nudity.\nWe just wanna know what flavors those are. Looks good.\nNow, don’t even argue with the “Oh, did you never do stupid sh*t when you were young?” line. Please. This generation grew up with a smartphone instead of a rattle in their hands; they know very well what they’re doing and that the Internet always remembers.\nAnd if some reports are to be believed, significant others seem to be in on it. So don’t even pivot to a sexist narrative because we’re not absolving the boyfriends for this either.\nHere’s a silver lining: this whole thing seems quite poetic. In the true spirit of variety that supermarkets espouse, these ladies serve as shining examples that there are billions of potential partners to settle for, employees to hire, and people we’d like to associate ourselves with.\nThanks for narrowing down our choices, girls.\nVia Daily Star", "It's a weird thing when your parents size you up as a pubescent teen and tell you it's time to start dressing provocatively if you want to eat. Even weirder when you're filthy rich and that not eating part isn't even close to a legit threat. Your folks simply want to turn you out.\nCindy Crawford and her tequila millionaire model husband, Rande Gerber, are Little League parents. Except instead of living through their sad sack kids in the dugout, they're taking off her bra and sending her out on the town at fifteen.\nThey bred their genetic doppelgängers of pretty fay boy like dad and tall slinky girl like mom into models as soon as prevailing laws allowed. With a hundred million in the bank and both parents having fucked important men in numerous industries, their kids could've had anything teed up for their future. Their parents chose skimpy tight leather clothing for their teens.\nLikely there are multiple standard deviations of subpar IQ tests the world isn't privy too. Still, you couldn't set them up with a catamaran business in Laguna or something to do with Jaguar sales?\nKaia Gerber was all over Los Angeles hot spots this past weekend in various stages of revealing outfits. Most girls had to sneak about at fifteen. Kaia has her mom undoing her buttons before she leaves and urging her out of undergarments. It's like a Handmaid's Tale only there are no evil theocratic men in charge. The women are raping themselves out of attention whore instinct.\nYou have to wonder about parents who encourage their kids to be masturbation fodder. Somewhere between being a fuddy-duddy and a pimp lies the answer to decent parenting.", "As 2016 rolled by, the leader of the Supreme Mavin Dynasty, Don Jazzy has penned down a thank you note to fans of the record label. The ace producer took his time to thanks members of staff and affiliates of the Supreme Mavin Dynasty.\nHowever, amongst other things in the note published on his Instagram page, Don Jazzy mentioned plans to expand the music imprint. He also indicated that as part of plans to expand it reach job vacancies are thrown open for interested and qualified fans.\nRead his unedited message below:\nAs the year 2016 winds up, it is important for me to express my profound and esteemed gratitude to all the people that matter to the Supreme Mavin Dynasty all through the year. I will like to say a big thank you to all the Mavin fans both in Nigeria and globally for their love and support.\nMy appreciation would not be complete if I don’t thank our artists, producers and DJs for their relentless commitment and diligence in making the label a driving force in the music and entertainment scene, also I will like to thank the backend staff, crew and business leads for representing the business and the brand in a professional and ethical manner.\nTo our corporate partners thank you for believing in us by consistently doing business with The Supreme Mavin Dynasty, we appreciate you. To the Media platforms and personalities, I say a very big thank you to you for your undying support, we shall attain greater heights together in 2017.\nOn a final note, who is a Mavin? A Mavin is someone who has exceptional talent and skill in their field. As part of our 2016 goals, we decided to increase our workforce to 50, which we surpassed by a slight margin as we have a workforce of 55. As you all know, the Entertainment Business is not complete without those who are skilled in the Business, therefore we are seeking to expand our work-force to 120 team in 2017 considering our forthcoming projects.\nWe are reviewing portfolios for Business executives, Client servicing professionals, Style and Image experts, Digital Data and VAS Management executives, Government Liaison officers, CSR enthusiasts, Creative and Visual Production nerds, Talent and Catalog Management professionals, Content Developers, Retail, Sales and Fashion, Licensing specialist, Touring and Logistics specialist, Social Media Analyst and International Representatives in Accra, Nairobi , Abidjan, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg, Douala , New York , London and Paris.\nIf you are Mavin and you have what it takes become part of a revolution in the Music and Entertainment industry, then send your CV with a detailed cover letter to info@mavinrecords.com for consideration.\nHappy New Year to you all, have a prosperous 2017.", "Every year a group of big-hearted people run through Uptown in their underwear. It’s freezing cold and ridiculously funny. The event – “Cupid’s Undie Run” – is in the middle of February.\nEvery year I post about this for 16-year-old Adam Cowden. Longtime #MollysKids.\nAdam fights neurofibromatosis, a diagnosis he got before his first birthday. He’s now a sophomore with developmental delays, decreased\nrespiratory function and requires a feeding tube for nutrition.\nWhen I originally featured Adam he had one spinal tumor and one femur tumor. Since then he has had multiple surgeries and more tumors on his retina, spine, arms and legs.\nHe’s a great kid.\nHe’s a great kid.\nHe’s a great kid.\nHe’s a great kid who lives his life fighting daily battles.\n“Adam has been fighting harder this year, so I’ve been working harder for him,” mom Michelle Cowden said. “His ‘Cupid Undie’s Run’ team went nationwide. There are now teams in Charlotte, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Miami, Raleigh, Denver, Atlanta, NYC and San Diego.”\nMichelle is a single mom who works her butt off to help her son. We’ve been in touch many times over past months. She sent this collage. She never skips a beat.\n“We need a cure for Adam!” she said. “We need a cure for all these kids. It’s an illness you don’t hear much about so it’s hard to make people care. At the end of this month he’ll be going back to Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore to begin research treatment. I pray the treatment he’ll receive will shrink some of his tumors.”\nLast year Adam’s family raised over $10,000 in Charlotte alone… all because they ran in their underwear. The money went towards the Children's Tumor Foundation (www.ctf.org). This year's race is February 11th.\n“Hopefully our hard work will benefit Adam,” Michelle said. “We have to do something.”\nRegister for February's race here >> https://my.cupids.org/registration/\nOr, go to Adam’s page directly >> http://my.cupids.org/teampage.asp?fundid=28325\nKeep hanging in there Adam. I know you already know this, but your mom is one strong lady who loves you dearly.\nEditor’s note: This is about one of #MollysKids, children WBTV Anchor Molly Gr antham follows closely on her Facebook page. It was first published there – which is why it’s written in a personal way. For years Molly has followed hundreds of kids with uphill medical battles. Find this story (and updates on all #MollysKids) HERE.\nCopyright 2017 WBTV. All rights reserved.", "IN THE MAIL: From Amy Alkon, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.\nPlus, fresh Gold Box and Lightning Deals. New deals every hour.\nPlus, shop the Twelve Days of Deals!", "24 images\nPrimark’s lingerie collection is the hot topic of the LOOK office right now. And for very good reason.\nFrom lace overlays and satin fabrics, to pretty pinks and pastel mint greens, Primark’s lingerie range has covered all the bases and is only getting better with its new-in offerings.\nSEE: The Lingerie We’re Loving\nWe’re completely obsessed with the gorgeous new rose embroidered mesh bra and matching thong set, which would work perfectly as pretty Christmas lingerie. The intricate strap detailing on both the bra and thong gives the set a luxe feel. Guarenteed to make you feel instantly glamorous at bedtime? Most definitely.\nPrimark’s latest range of women’s underwear boasts a sea of sheer panelling, lace detailing and soft satin. The colour palette includes soft pastels and nude shades, as well as classic black and jewel green colourways to compliment your everyday wardrobe.\nCriss-cross straps also feature heavily, which can turn even the most simple bra design into an instant feature – simply layer underneath a low-back top or dress.\nWe’re loving the soft pink oriental print bra set too, which nods to the current print trend and could work under a party-style sheer top.\nWhether you’re looking to stock up on cute everyday undies, or want to add some spice to your lingerie collection, Primark’s lingerie range has something that will tick your boxes.\nAnd with a range of different shaped bras, from balconette to t-shirt styles, there’s bound to be something to compliment your shape too.\nWe’re also crushing on the latest Primark swimwear range right now, perfect for your holiday or just hanging pool-side.\nPrimark just doesn’t get any better.", "Guru Shukracharya is known as the teacher of the demons. It is believed that he taught the demons the rituals which can appease Lord Shiva and Brahma. The aim behind this was the defeat of Indra, the king of the demons, at the hands of demons, and the acquisition of the whole universe.\nThough favouring the devils, he was certainly one of the most learned and intelligent personalities in Hindu mythology. He gave some lessons for life, which are collectively known as Shukracharya Niti. From the collection, we are going to share with you one of his lessons.\nIn this lesson, Shukracharya has said that we must never reveal these secrets to anyone. Sharing these things about your personal life might get you in trouble. Here is the list of those secrets. Take a look.\nWealth\nWho does not aspire to be wealthy? People work day and night just to earn wealth and live a life of comfort. But displaying it is what Shukracharya has advised against. One must never show off their wealth or talk about it to anyone. It has two demerits. The first one is that your wealth comes under risk of getting stolen away.\nThe second is that it becomes a reason for the jealousy of the people, which results in negative energy flowing towards you and ultimately, the wealth goes away. It is similar to the belief of \"an evil eye\" (when an evil person eyes your wealth) because of which the positivity in a person's life starts fading away.\nHe has further said, you must also not reveal if you are not wealthy at all. This makes people abandon you alone and look down on you.\nChants For Success\nShukracharya says that we must never share what mantras we chant during the morning prayers. It is believed that this reduces the effectiveness of those chants. The mantras we use for achieving success should not be shared with anyone.\nDoctor\nOne must never share which doctor one visits and for which ailment. Shukracharya has said that since a doctor knows all about your physical and mental health, your enemy might use them against you some day. Sometimes, the doctors even know a lot about your personal life as well.\nHence, one should never share which doctor they visit and the ailment they are suffering from. It must be concealed from enemies as well as friends.\nDonations\nIt is believed that donations become successful only when not revealed to anyone. After making big donations, one should not boast about them merely for the sake of few words of praise. The sole purpose of charity must be serving the purpose of the needy.\nHowever, people make donations with the belief that charity gets one good luck as well. But, there is another belief, that no fruits are earned if you cannot keep your donations a secret.\nPlanetary Positions In The Birth Chart\nShukracharya has said that revealing the favourable planetary positions in the birth chart can make people jealous. Similarly, they will know about your weaknesses if you tell them the unfavourable aspects of the birth chart.\nAstrological Remedies To Get A Job Soon\nDetails Of Intimacy\nDetails of intimacy with one's partner might be used by your enemy against you. It might become a reason for humiliation once it is revealed before the enemy. One must abstain from sharing these with friends as well. Because it is uncertain when a friend might turn into a foe or when an enemy might try to misuse your friend against you.", "Nothing says Valentine's Day like a perfectly curated playlist. To help get you and your partner in the mood for the holiday, we've put together some songs we think will be the perfect accompaniment to your cozy night in, the long drive to your favorite restaurant or wherever else the night may take you.\nFrom the Spice Girls to Rihanna, here are our choices to help set the mood for your special Valentine's Day.\nJanet Jackson, \"That's the Way Love Goes\"\nA Valentine's Day playlist is not complete without a little Janet Jackson. Jackson's sensual and soulful \"That's the Way Love Goes\" is the perfect track to kick off your night.\nShania Twain, \"Forever and for Always\"\nShania Twain's \"Forever and for Always\" is the ultimate song to commemorate your undying love for your partner. If possible, take them to a beach and frolic in the sand to really seal the deal.\nSpice Girls, \"2 Become 1\"\nNothing says love like a girl-group ballad, and the Spice Girls excelled when it came to matters of the heart. The lyrics for \"2 Become 1\" are about as literal and obvious as the title, but the girls sound great.\nWhitney Houston, \"I Will Always Love You\"\nHow could we make a list of love songs and not include the greatest cover of all-time? We couldn't. Whitney Houston's \"I Will Always Love You\" is for the lovers celebrating several years together or, um, those of you who just met and things are moving really quickly.\nRihanna feat. Calvin Harris, \"We Found Love\"\nRihanna: Queen of attending award shows and queen of love dance tracks. While we're still not over Anti missing out on a nomination for album of the year at this year's Grammys, \"We Found Love\" is a timeless and perfect pop classic about finding love in a hopeless place and will help you dance your night away.\nThe Supremes, \"Baby Love\"\nNo list is truly complete without an inclusion of The Supremes. \"Baby Love\" is one of the trio's most beloved classics and a sweet ode to that special someone.\nMumford & Sons, \"I Will Wait\"\nMumford & Sons \"I Will Wait\" still brings a single tear to our eyes with the band's moving lyrics about waiting for the one you love. The sweeping love song reminds you that waiting for them to reply to your text truly is worth it.\nBeyoncé, \"Love on Top\"\nYes, \"Crazy In Love\" is the quintessential Beyoncé love song. But \"Love On Top\" is just as good and the live performances have become a staple for all Bey concerts. If you have time, learn the choreography and perform it for your partner tonight to truly win them over.\nKelly Clarkson, \"My Life Would Suck Without You\"\nRemind the person that you're with that your life would suck without them. Kelly Clarkson's iconic pop-rock anthem will help you with that and you can sing it loud and proud for your neighbors' listening pleasure.\nCeline Dion, \"The Power of Love\"\nValentine's Day is a very in your face holiday that lets couples brag about their love in front of their single friends, and what better way to show it off than with a Celine Dion power ballad? \"The Power of Love\" is Dion at her most love-inspired and emotional.\nLily Allen, \"Chinese\"\nWhile some couples may prefer going out to a fancy, probably over-priced restaurant on Feb. 14, others enjoy celebrating their love from the comfort of their couch with takeout food. Lily Allen's \"Chinese\" is a sweet little song about having a quiet night in with your partner. Having takeout and binge watching Netflix is the ultimate relationship goal.\nMariah Carey, \"Vision of Love\"\nMariah Carey's \"Vision of Love\" is one of her many timeless masterpieces and like many of the divas on this list, a staple for your perfect night.\nBarbra Streisand, \"Woman In Love\"\nFor all the ladies in love this Valentine's Day, look no for further than Barbra Streisand's classic \"Woman In Love.\" This Streisand standard is about doing anything for the one you love and she sings is effortlessly, of course.", "Being a celebrity is tough enough as it is, add in being naked and not fitting into the stereotype of what is \"pretty\" then you're bound to get additional hate. Just ask Zodwa Wabantu.\nThe entertainer said she often gets asked how she handles the hate, and instead of taking it to heart, she smiles and agrees.\n\"No darling, what I do is just agree. I just agree with everything that people decide to say about me.\"\nShe said she has been called a donkey and a slut, but she's doesn't care.\n\"'Zodwa you are sick,' and I just say 'yes.' Because what do you want me to do? Argue with you? No, I won't. It's your opinion mos.\"\nWatch her explanation below.", "How is that Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Leo treating you? A lot of us are in agreement that the first month of 2018 felt like a year. So many of us are feeling wiped out, a bit cranky and like we could use a really long nap. But now’s not the time to settle in and play it low-key. Even in the middle of winter, February in New York offers too much sparkle and fun to stay cooped up at home.\nBut here's another dilemma: With all the awesome NYC events in February, how the hell are you going to cram them all in, especially when this is the shortest month of the year? It’s inevitable that you will have to make sacrifices and save certain parties, concerts and cultural events for another time.\nThis runs the risk of you catching a serious case of FOMO, however, and no one wants that. So we're using a little help from the moon, stars, planets and our astrology expert (this writer) to help you find the No. 1 event you simply cannot afford to miss this month. Think about it. You could meet the love of your life, network with a potential employer or have the best effing night in NYC you’ve always wanted at one of these events below.\nDon’t believe us? Fine, but the answer you seek is not only written in this article—it's written in the stars!\nAquarius: RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3 Viewing Party\nDrama, drama, drama. Has all the bullshit you've endured within the last year left you in an unshakeable funk, Aquarius? There, there. This month, it's your party and you can totally cry if you want to. But you know what might cheer you up? Getting inspired by some seriously stylish and fierce drag queens. (Yes, fellas, you too.) That's right, RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars is back, and nothing makes us happier than watching these femmes duke it out to be crowned head of their Kweendom. Added bonus: It gives you a chance to escape your own drama and tune into one of the most dramatic showdowns on television.\nPisces: Fuck Love at House of Yes\nCupid's arrow has struck your behind, Pisces, so gear up for a month filled with heart-eyes emojis. It doesn't matter if you didn't ask for it. You can try to rebel all you want, but don't be deceived. Even when you attend Fuck Love, a rager at House of Yes which appears to be anti-romance, you're still going to feel sparks flying everywhere you turn. Our advice? Embrace it. Now's your time to shine.\nAries: Yoga & Poetry with Farrah Field\nPoor ram. You've been overworked nearly to the point of exhaustion lately, so your sign in particular could really benefit from a little R & R. Before you cue up Netflix and settle in for a well-deserved night on the couch, try going to this yoga and poetry event that allows you to relax, unwind and expand your mind. Trust us, it will be more rewarding than that appealing but lonely hermit lifestyle you're considering.\nTaurus: Valentine’s Day Pet Adoption at Bideawee\nTaurus-folk are prone to be loyal and sensitive, and this month's planet alignment is making you feel extra in-touch with your emotions and your softer side. Embrace your feelings and desire to help and nurture others by heading to this pet adoption event at Bideawee. Chances are, you'll walk away with a new best friend. Just make sure you can devote enough love, time and money to properly provide and care for this newly found fuzzball before you fully commit.\nGemini: Pop-Up Magazine\nIt's your gift to gab, Gemini. A natural conversationalist, you're usually perceived as witty and charming. But this month is not the time to get too chatty. Something you say might get misconstrued by the wrong person. Now's not the time to be the center of attention. So leave the talking to the guest speakers at Pop-Up Magazine, a live showcase that welcomes authors, comedians, scientists and more to share stories on interesting topics, instead. You don't have to tape your mouth shut completely, twin. Feel free to mingle in the audience between presentations. You might strike up a conversation that turns into a potential networking opportunity.\nCancer: It’s Friday I’m (Not) In Love: Anti-Valentine’s Day Party\nThis month, crabs are feeling particularly...crabby. But don't worry, we're not going to suggest you turn that frown upside down. Life is not all butterflies and rainbows, and it's okay to wallow in self-pity (for a moment) and air your grievances. There's no better place to do this than at this Anti-Valentine's Day bash. Love be damned! But who knows? After grooving in a sea of bitterness, you might meet someone on the dance floor who inspires you to sweeten up.\nLeo: Cupid’s Undie Run\nYes, we know. You're a fierce lion and everyone can hear you roar. But you don't have to be so ferocious and serious all the time, Leo. Loosen up and do something ballsy or just plain silly this month, like joining the scantily clad Cupid's Undie Run! Do a quick sprint in your underthings to help raise money for charity before shaking your rump at the afterparty. The next day, no one would dare call you a cowardly lion. Going to a party in your underwear takes c-o-u-r-a-g-e.\nVirgo: Parks and Recreation Trivia\nOne of the most overused phrases in the book—there's no \"I\" in team—rings true for you this month, Virgo. In fact, everything you do will only be elevated when you invite members of your tribe to share the experience. Put your teamwork skills to the test during this fun trivia night spotlighting one of best TV shows ever, Parks and Recreation. Never watched it before? Er, well use this as your excuse to binge some of Amy Poehler's best work immediately. Just make sure to invite your pals before you hit play. (They'll bring the cheese and the wine in exchange for your hospitality.)\nLibra: Wine Tour de France: Valentine’s Day Champagne and Chocolate Tasting\nIntimacy. That is the theme of the month for all you Libras. Upping some much-needed one-on-one time with your significant other or your bestie is essential if you want your relationship to flourish in the coming months. Whether you invite your BFF or your boo, take a moment to treat yourselves to this fabulous wine and chocolate tasting provided by the French Institute Alliance. Vino and cocoa make everything better, no? Oui, c'est vrai!\nScorpio: Raw Love: CBD Dinner Supporting #MeToo\nYou're truly up for anything this month, Scorpio, and we love that easygoing attitude. If you're down to clown, head to this incredible tapas dinner serving food, cocktails and chocolates infused with legal CBD oil. During the feast, activists from Denim Day NYC speak on how to fight against sexual assault in the city—a very useful and important conversation for you to be paying attention to right now.\nSagittarius: Chinese New Year Firecracker Ceremony\nCan you feel the heat, Mr. or Mrs. Archer? Your bow is on fire at the start of the month, but the flame will start to die down toward the end of February. We get it, you want to keep the excitement and those electric feels going. Well, you can! Head to the Chinese New Year Firecracker Ceremony, during which 600,000 firecrackers will be set off to ward away evil spirits. It's an event filled with life and bright colors—you're going to truly be in your element when you go.\nCapricorn: The Second Buddha\nThings are getting a little foggy for you this month, dear Capricorn. Combat confusion and find clarity at The Second Buddha, a new exhibit at The Rubin Museum of Art exploring the story of Padmasambhava, an 8th century master of tantra credited with bringing Buddhism to Tibet. FYI: It is known that Padmasambhava's legends carry lessons about impermanence and triumph over obstacles, so listen (or view) closely, Cappy.\nSign up to receive great Time Out deals in your inbox each day.​", "The video will start in 8 Cancel\nGet daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email\nA man has been accused of creeping into a family's back garden and smelling children's underwear hanging on a clothes line.\nThe man, wearing a white vest, is spotted wandering into the yard and lowering his head close to the clothes horse in confusing and disturbing CCTV footage.\nHe appears to be inspecting and feeling the clothing items hung on the airer outside the home in Lurnea, south west Sydney, at about 2.30am yesterday.\nJust a couple of minutes later, the man allegedly strolled back out of the driveway, carrying a pair of girl's underwear, the Daily Mail reports.\n(Image: Facebook/Mary Issa)\n(Image: Facebook/Mary Issa)\nA woman who posted about the incident on Facebook wrote: \"Captured last night on our home surveillance a man in our backyard.\n\"Went through the kids cloths on the line and took underwear nothing else.\n\"We found our daughters undies in the front yard and the police have taken them for DNA testing, they are treating it seriously.(sic).\"\n(Image: Facebook/Mary Issa)\n(Image: Facebook/Mary Issa)\n(Image: Facebook/Mary Issa)\nHer post has been shared 4,627 times so far by people who are outraged and saying how \"disgusting\" and \"scary\" it is.\nThe incident is being investigated by police.\nA spokesman for NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia: \"Police are investigating an incident in which a person allegedly entered the backyard of a residence in Lurnea overnight.\"\nThe spokesman reportedly said the man allegedly touched clothes on the clothes line and peered inside a window at the home.\nHe added: \"The man left the backyard after a resident yelled at him.\"", "Not to brag (well, maybe to brag a little), but I’m thriving on my 12,000-step program. Every day this year I’ve endeavored to walk that much, with my iPhone’s distance tracker as my witness. Yes, I’ve missed a few days but for the most part I’ve nailed the daily dozen times a thousand.\nYou can, too. Even if you’ve been a sloth all winter, the time is right to walk your way to happiness and summer shape. With spring in full bloom and daylight stretching into the evening, there’s no excuse not to hit the trail or sidewalk. Was that an excuse I heard? Here’s the gear to make you go that extra mile:\nOuterwear\nFjallraven\nFjällräven’s Barents Pro Jeans ($150) look almost futuristic with their ballistic snaps and various spy pockets. That's great because the Barents are pretty much the only trekking pants you’ll ever need. The gently waxed power trousers for men and women are wind and water-resistant, stretchy yet hard-wearing, and have zippers at the legs and sides for instant venting or to turn pants into shorts.\nKÜHL\nEvery time I see the legendary Kuhl “shield” that is the outdoor clothing company’s logo (it’s a snowy mountain on a blue backdrop), my gear-envy alerts start flashing. For rain and wind, it’s hard to beat Kuhl’s Jetstream and Airstorm lines—both of which are waterproof and windproof yet impressively lightweight. The Jetstream jackets and pants are champions during massive downpours or even just a quick misty morning hike in the mountains. Airstorm is the more rugged of the lines, with water-repellant nylon body fabric, mesh inserts for better airflow and moisture defying zippers and seals to keep you dry in monsoon.\nBoots\nVasque\nYou get nowhere without great boots and several days of research points to two winners: Vasque Footwear has delivered \"trust on the trail\" since 1964, a trait that's embodied in the Saga GTX boot ($229). With models for both men and women, the GTX is super-durable with just enough tech to make it lightweight and breathable (the shoes have toe and heel vents). Scour the web and you’ll also see raves for Columbia’s Daska Pass II Titanium OutDry Extreme ($200), which are waterproof with a permeable membrane on the upper portion to provide lightweight, quick dry performance, even in the squishiest muck.\nUndies and Socks\nExOfficio\nAs matters of personal choice go, socks are second only to underwear when it comes to outfitting your walk or hike. On the underwear front, I really only recommend ExOfficio, if you’re out hiking for more than an afternoon. I’ve taken their multi-country, multi-day challenge several times and proven for myself that it’s possible to pack just one pair of underwear and still feel fresh as a daisy on a long trip.\nSock preference comes down to height, cushioning, how hot your feet get, and whether you like your socks micro, mini, mid-crew, crew, over-the-calf or, you know, full body stocking. Smartwool covers you on (almost) all that. Personally, I love Smartwool's brilliant PhD Crews ($25), with two types of elastic to stretch and keep the socks in place, ultra-strong fibers that prevent annoying toe holes, and moisture wicking that’s like having a sump pump inside your boots.\nHiking Pack\nOsprey\nI’ve never heard anyone regret buying an Osprey bag. There’s a reason it’s a top-selling pack line at REI and elsewhere. In my book, the fail-proof choice for day hikes is Osprey’s Talon 22 ($110). It’s a high-tech piece of engineering disguised as your everyday backpack. The shoulder and lumbar supports are breathable and flexible so you stay cool and balanced. There’s a hip belt for added bracing, and pockets everywhere for quick stowage, whether for a Cliff Bar or water bottle.", "RICH CONFIDENT AND ATTRACTIVE: Science says these are the men who will make you orgasm. WHO could have guessed?" ]

[ "Digestion takes place whenever and wherever food comes into contact with digestive enzymes. Salivary glands at the base of the tongue secrete enzymes that begin the digestion of carbohydrates. Enzymes secreted by the lining of the stomach are involved in protein, fat and milk digestion." ]

[ "Brush border cells are found in the following main locations: 1 The small intestine tract: This is where absorption takes place. The brush borders of the intestinal lining are the site of terminal carbohydrate digestions.", "How does flatulence take place? Generally, flatulence comes in two air sources- from the swallowed air that mixes up with the food in the stomach and from the gas which produced by the intestines during digestion. An enzyme is needed to break down carbohydrates from food for easy digestion and absorption.", "Pay attention to digestive enzymes-your food moves from your stomach to your small intestine, where 90% of nutrients are absorbed. Your pancrease produces digestive enzymes so that you can digest carbohydrates, fats and proteins. It relies on the gallbladder and liver for the bile necessary for the digestive process to take place. LivAmend can be useful at this stage of digestion also because it increases bile flow from the liver and gallbladder.", "How and where does water absorption take place? Water absorption takes place in the large intestine which is separated from the improperly digested food and sent to several parts of the body. . . That is a grade 7 answer be … cause I am in grade 7.", "The small intestine is the section of your digestive tract where the majority of food digestion and nutrient absorption takes place. To understand how digestion and absorption take place in the small intestine, it is important to first understand the structure or anatomy of the organ.", "Where does transcription take place? Where does translation take place? Briefly explain how these processes are related. Thanks.", "Mouth and oral structures. Little digestion of food actually takes place in the mouth. However, through the process of mastication, or chewing, food is prepared in the mouth for transport through the upper digestive tract into the stomach and small intestine, where the principal digestive processes take place.", "Digestion begins in the mouth (very little happens), then in the stomach where digestion truly begins, then it moves to the small intestine where most the digestion takes … place, and then it moves to the large intestine and out the rectum. + 7 others found this useful.", "It is asumed as no. Even when the amount of food decreases along the way to stomach, it is still a no, here are the reasons: -- Digestion does not take place in the gullet a … s gullet does not produce any digestive juice.", "It is the part of the digestive tract where approx 90% of the digestion and absorption of food occurs, the other 10% taking place in the stomach and large intestine.", "Differences Between Mechanical Digestion and Chemical Digestion: First, let us look at the primary difference between these two digestive processes. The primary difference is in the areas where these two processes takes place. While mechanical digestion happens primarily in the mouth and to a certain extent in the stomach, chemical digestion takes place primarily in the stomach and then the intestines and the mouth. Let us look at the other differences as well.", "How long a particular food takes to digest depends primarily on its macronutrient makeup. Of the three macronutrients, carbohydrates digest the quickest, while fats are the slowest to digest. Pasta is primarily made up of carbohydrate with some protein and a trace amount of fat.", "Sugars are simple carbohydrates that can be easily digested by your body and include foods like cake, soda, candy, jellies … and fruits. Starches are complex carbohydrates that take longer to be digested and include foods such as breads, grains, pasta, tortillas, noodles, fruits and vegetables.tarches are complex carbohydrates that take longer to be digested and include foods such as breads, grains, pasta, tortillas, noodles, fruits and vegetables.", "tongueEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Little digestion of food actually takes place in the mouth. However, through the process of mastication, or chewing, food is prepared in the mouth for transport through the upper digestive tract into the stomach and small intestine, where the principal digestive processes take place. Chewing is the first mechanical process to which food is subjected.", "It is not unheard of for people to suffer from lactose intolerance, where the body does not produce enough (if any) enzymes to digest the carbohydrate lactose. When adults suf … fer from the condition, it's not very pleasant.", "The three main categories of nutrients that undergo digestion within the small intestine are proteins, lipids (fats) and carbohydrates. 1 Proteins. 2 Proteins and peptides amino acids. 3 Proteolytic enzymes e.g. including trypsin and chymotrypsin, secreted by the pancreas, break proteins into smaller peptides.t is the part of the digestive tract where approx 90% of the digestion and absorption of food occurs, the other 10% taking place in the stomach and large intestine. The main function of the small intestine is absorption of nutrients and minerals.", "A tube connected to the stomach where most chemical digestion and absorption take place peristalsis involuntary muscle contractions that push food through the digestive tract.", "What is the purpose of the small intestine in the digestive system? The small intestine is where the majority of digestion takes place. It is where the nutrients, vitamins, minerals are removed from food and taken into the blood stream for use… in the body.", "One thing that a food’s glycemic index does not tell us is how much digestible carbohydrate – the total amount of carbohydrates excluding fiber – it delivers. That’s why researchers developed a related way to classify foods that takes into account both the amount of carbohydrate in the food in relation to its impact on blood sugar levels.", "Carbs with three to ten units of sugar are sometimes called oligosaccharides (oligo = few). Because complex carbohydrates are, well, complex, with anywhere from three to a zillion units of sugars, your body takes longer to digest them than it takes to digest simple carbohydrates.", "Intracellular digestion is a form of digestion which takes place within the cytoplasm of the organism. Intracellular digestion takes place in animals without a digestive tract, in which food items are brought into the cell for digestion. Intracellular digestion is a form of digestion which takes place within the cytoplasm of the organism.", "How do plants create food What is the formula for photosynthesis Where does photosynthesis take place and why is it possible? Answer The formula for photosynthesis (abv. photos.) is: Light Energy + Co2 + H20 -----> Carbohydrate + Oxygen As a whole, photos. takes place in the … chloroplasts of a plant cell. There are two main reactions that occur during photos. The light-dependent reaction and the light-independent reaction.", "Fiber is a type of carbohydrate. It is the portion of plant food that cannot be digested by the body. Since it is not digested, it does not contribute any calories to the diet. There are two types of fiber found in all plant foods: insoluble and soluble fiber.iber is a type of carbohydrate. It is the portion of plant food that cannot be digested by the body. Since it is not digested, it does not contribute any calories to the diet. There are two types of fiber found in all plant foods: insoluble and soluble fiber.", "On average, food digestion takes between 12 and 48 hours. Some items, such as liquids, fruits and vegetables, digest in 20 to 30 minutes, while most carbohydrates take about three hours to digest. Meats, on the other hand, can take 24 hours or more to digest.", "These tiny nutrients are then absorbed out of the digestive tract and into your bloodstream. Your small intestine is the section of your digestive tract where the majority of nutrient absorption takes place.", "In which two body organs does re-absorption of water take place? Where does absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream take place? The absorption of nutrients takes place in the small intestines, where they diffuse through the walls and are passed into the bloodstream. Making the world better, one answer at a time.", "Chemical and mechanical ingestion take place in the mouth. Chemical and mechanical digestion also take place in the stomach. Chemical digestion takes place in the small intestine. Ingestion, digestion then absorption. In the mouth, both chemical digestion and mechanical digestion happen.", "Net Carbs. Net carbs are simply the grams of total carbohydrates in a portion of food minus its grams of fiber. Because fiber is a carbohydrate that your body cannot digest, it does not raise your blood sugar levels or trigger an insulin response.et Carbs. Net carbs are simply the grams of total carbohydrates in a portion of food minus its grams of fiber. Because fiber is a carbohydrate that your body cannot digest, it does not raise your blood sugar levels or trigger an insulin response.", "A carbohydrate is a food that is turned into sugar (glucose) when you digest it. Any carbohydrate food will raise your blood sugar. Complex carbohydrates raise sugar more slowly (it takes your body longer to digest and absorb these) while simple carbohydrates or sugars can raise your sugar level more quickly.", "Energy is also required for the involuntary functions that take place incessantly such as beating of the heart, digestion of food and respiration. Although carbohydrates are the main contributors of energy in most diets, two other nutrients that also provide energy are fats and proteins.", "How long does fruit take to digest? Time taken to digest (i.e. the time in the stomach & small intestine): ** Proteins - 12 hours ** Fats & Oils - 12 hours ** Carbohydrates - 5 hours ** Non-starchy veges… - 5 hours ** Sweet fruits - 3 hours ** Other fruits - 2 hours.", "It is the part of the digestive tract where approx 90% of the digestion and absorption of food occurs, the other 10% taking place in the stomach and large intestine. The main function of the small intestine is absorption of nutrients and minerals.That is, absorption of the nutrients and minerals in the food ingested, usually via the mouth, at an earlier stage in the digestive process.t is the part of the digestive tract where approx 90% of the digestion and absorption of food occurs, the other 10% taking place in the stomach and large intestine. The main function of the small intestine is absorption of nutrients and minerals." ]

[ "We don't want to embarrass our friends." ]

[ "We want to embarrass our friends.", "We have plenty of room for error, this situation is hardly a delicate one.", "They were not embarrassing.", "We've decided not to tell our friends about the mistake that happened.", "We're unable to agree if we should tell our friends about the error or not.", "I don't want to make a friend upset.", "It is normally not a one time mistake.", "There's no question whether or not it was a mistake.", "In my opinion, we won't get in trouble doing that.", "We have no desire to sleuth at all.", "It was embarrassing seeing them be so unprofessional.", "Mistakes are made by them.", "Minimally we expectantly desire as such.", "We have desire to attend.", "We don't have any friends.", "Mistakes are not being talked about.", "The misunderstanding was not critical.", "We are embarrassed for them to see out worn out carpets.", "The errors have been fixed.", "Hospitals are error-free, and never make mistakes.", "We don't want to argue about it.", "Errors are acceptable no matter what.", "You should not assume that every person intends to deceive you.", "I think we must have made an error on the computer.", "We still have them.", "If you misuse the information nothing bad at all can come of it.", "you are aware there won't be those common adding mistakes", "Are we not friends?", "Common decency is not offended by it.", "We hope this doesn't become a tradition.", "The site advises them where there is a mistake.", "There was a mistake." ]

[ "Coffee can cause temporary bloating. Too, Dr. Roger Gebhard, M.D., gastroenterologist, states that coffee of any kind \"can overexcite the digestive tract and may stimulate spasms in the bowel that cause bloating.\" Luckily, bloating is temporary." ]

[ "It's probably the best known natural diuretic, so that's why many people sip it to banish bloat, Middleberg says. However, in those who are caffeine sensitive, coffee can actually lead to bloating.", "['Salt. Consuming lots of salt leads to water retention, which can result in bloating. ... ', 'Sugar. ... ', 'Coffee. ... ', 'Alcohol. ... ', 'Spicy foods. ... ', 'Red meat. ... ', \"Foods you don't tolerate well.\"]", "Fluids that have caffeine -- like coffee and soft drinks -- may make you dehydrated and make your constipation worse. And milk can make some people constipated.", "Skinny Coffee Club is laxative free and packed with fat-burning ingredients designed to speed up your metabolism, curb cravings and increase energy, helping you get rid of bloat and lose weight with just one cup of coffee each day, when combined with a healthy diet and exercise.", "Artificial sugars that you might add to your morning coffee or tea (like manitol, sorbitol and xylitol) can lead to bloating, says Shawn Khodadadian, MD, of Manhattan Gastroenterology, because our gut bacteria have to do the lion's share of digesting them, and those bacteria produce gas as they digest.", "Choose the right drinks to ease digestion Drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, colas, tea and some fizzy drinks, boost acid in the stomach, leading to heartburn in some people. Fizzy drinks in general tend to bloat the tummy, which can also lead to heartburn.", "Coffee grounds Coffee can be used in two ways to deal with cockroaches. First, you can make a trap using a jar, water and coffee grounds. The cockroaches are attracted to the coffee and drown in the trap. Alternatively, you can sprinkle coffee around your home to repel the cockroaches.", "The main difference between Dolce Gusto and Nespresso is: Dolce Gusto is more of a beverage center. You can make coffee, but you can also make other beverages. Nespresso is mostly an espresso / coffee maker.", "May be you've drinking too much tea. The caffeine present in the tea may cause bloating in some people. Bangalore-based Nutritionist Dr. Anju Sood explains, \"Excess consumption of tea may cause dehydration which calls for unwanted water retention and thus, you may feel bloated.\"", "This means that for every cup of coffee or two cups of black tea, you should drink one cup of water to make up for the diuretic effect. However, in the long term you may not need to make up for coffee's effects at all. After a while of drinking coffee your body actually adjusts and can actually become less dehydrating.", "Coffee doesn't cause acne, but drinking a lot of it, especially coffee loaded with milk and sugar, can make your acne worse. If you're still worried that coffee is making you break out, there's no need to quit cold turkey.", "Drinking coffee on an empty stomach increases acidity, and without food to act as a buffer, this can quickly result in digestive problems. Consistently having too much acid in your stomach can cause damage to the digestive tract and lead to other issues including heartburn, ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome.", "Honda says she sees patients with heartburn who gulp excessive amounts of coffee, sometimes 10 or 12 cups a day. A habit like that can aggravate reflux and burping, she explains, because the acidity in coffee irritates the ring of muscle that's supposed to tighten to prevent stomach juices from entering the esophagus.", "Coffee (Drinking Coffee) Dream Meaning and Interpretations. Coffee Dream Symbol – When you dream of coffee this indicates you are looking deeper into the heart of the matter before making a decision or choice. ... Coffee in your dreams is also a sign you have a happy home and your financial position makes you comfortable.", "A 1 group coffee machine can make two coffee cups within two minutes on avarage. The 2 group coffee machine is able to make up to four cups of coffee within the same time frame. Lastly, the 3 group coffee machine can make a maximum of six coffees at the same time.", "Beer, like carbonated beverages, releases carbon dioxide gas into the body, which leads to increased bloating, making you feel heavier, and resulting in that belly bloat, according to Healthline.", "The primary reason why coffee makes you sleepy sometimes is likely because it's making you dehydrated. Coffee is a diuretic. In other words, it makes you need to urinate. Drinking it to stay awake can quickly lead to a vicious dehydrating cycle that actually makes you more tired.", "Although cough medicine might calm your cough, it can make you feel bloated and produce gas.", "Since a single k-cup only has around 9-12g of coffee inside, 6-8 ounces of coffee is how much one k-cup should make. Of course, you CAN use one k-cup to make more coffee, but it will reduce the flavor and produce more watered down coffee.", "Beans may cause bloating because they have a high fiber content and contain oligosaccharides, which are sugars that the body can find difficult to break down.", "Like any other carbonated beverage, drinks like LaCroix, San Pellegrino, and Perrier can cause gas and bloating due to the release of carbon dioxide into the digestive system.", "It's strong, filled with caffeine, acid, oils, aromas—and it's a lot for your stomach to handle without something else to spread out the impact. If you drink coffee on an empty stomach, you're bound to have tummy trouble. The natural laxative effects won't feel good. Your stomach will probably over-produce acids.", "Caffeine may stimulate your gastrointestinal tract. That can lead to an upset stomach, nausea and diarrhea. Coffee, for example, is acidic, which can irritate your stomach lining and cause abdominal cramping.", "No, you can't make a regular cup of coffee with an espresso machine, unless you have a dual purpose machine that makes both espresso and coffee. The process of making espresso is different from that of making coffee. With espresso the hot water is forced through compacted coffee grinds at pressure.", "How Much Coffee Can You Make From a K-Cup? Most coffee experts recommend that you use a ratio of around 10 grams of coffee (or 2 rounded tablespoons or 1 level coffee scoop) for every 6 ounces of water. Since a single k-cup only has around 9-12g of coffee inside, 6-8 ounces of coffee is how much one k-cup should make.", "Eating a lot of salty food and carbohydrates can make you feel bloated, as can swallowing air when you eat too fast or drink a lot of fizzy drinks. Regular bloating can be caused by other problems, including: constipation. coeliac disease.", "\"This one's a no-brainer to take a pass on,\" Glassman says. \"The bubbles found in carbonated beverages may be oh so satisfying, but they can also build up in your stomach, causing uncomfortable bloating and gas.\" What to drink instead: It is possible to get your caffeine fix and a flat belly at the same time.", "Caffeine is a stimulant that can make a person have more bowel stools or in excess, diarrhea. If a person is dehydrated, the caffeine in coffee, black tea, colas, and chocolate can make the constipation worse.", "Additionally, coffee “increases the acidity in the stomach,” which can cause a stomach ache—especially for people with acid reflux or acidity, explained Dr. Ali. ... Cold-brew coffee, for example, has less acid than hot coffee due to the way it's prepared.", "Thankfully, you're no longer limited to the pod flavors – you can brew any kind of coffee you want when you want it. In fact, you are not even limited to regular coffee, you can now make cappuccinos with your Keurig.", "If you have trouble digesting certain foods — for example, dairy for lactose intolerance — consuming that food can result in bloating and swelling that can make your stomach feel hard. IBS can cause several symptoms that may result in a hard stomach: bloating.", "“Drinking it very slowly with small sips can make it easier on your stomach,” Dr. Ali said. Additionally, coffee “increases the acidity in the stomach,” which can cause a stomach ache—especially for people with acid reflux or acidity, explained Dr. Ali." ]

[ "Intel 8088" ]

[ "First Geneva Convention", "What Happened to Us", "the ratio of what is produced to what is used in producing it", "by convention", "effort being used in the working memory", "Us", "convention", ".us", "conventions", "What's Up?", "Memories", "What a Friend", "What's Happening!!", "USE", "What's in It for Me", "things are what they are", "What If Nothing", "the US", "what application should be used to open a file", "What a Life!", "This is Us", "What A Night", "What If It's You", "The Used", "What Are Words", "What Not to Wear", "What Car?", "what is visible", "What Part of No", "What If We", "What So Not", "What a Waste" ]

[ "far enough to cure cancer. We should also be able to clone our own organs so that if we ever needed a new heart or lung or whatever, we won't have to wait on a list for a year till someone died in order to get it. \\nIf we were able to grow a heart on a dish, then we wouldn't have to wait for someone to die.. and we wouldn't have to worry about rejection because it's our own organ." ]

[ "Stem cells are little cells that babies have to form their organs. They can be made into whatever cell you need basically. Stem cell implantation is a handy little thing that transfers embryonic cells (like the kind you had when you were first convieved) into basically whatever kind of adult cell that you need. (It could be a kidney, heart, lung etc..) Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with that, but there are people why believe that it is inhumane. Stem cells can be taken out of the mothers umbilical cord, and also when women get their tubes tied we want to use the rest of their eggs for stem cell research. Some people say that this is murder in itself and should be banned, but they probably know nothing about it. Stem cells could save lifes of many people. (people that have diseases such as Parkinsons, Alzheimers, Diabetes, etc..)", "Stem cell research is NOT illegal. \\nIt is just not AS WELL sponsored by the government as it can be.\\nGovernment only sponsors research on the already existing cell lines. In fact Federal government spent $607 last year on funding stem cell research.[1]\\n\\nIN addition, private Companies like Merck, or Pfizer and private Universities are free to do their OWN research with any kind of cells they like.", "If you're asking if embryos should be created then destroyed just for experimentation, then, no.\\n\\nBut if you're asking if stem cell research using existing embryos and non-embryonic stem cells should be used for good instead of just destroyed, I'd vote \"yes\".\\n\\nIf you're asking if stem cell research could some day lead to return of the eugenics movement (selective breeding, euthanasia of the handicapped--that sort of thing) my answer is that it's a chance I'm willing to take.", "I am for it. Esp if it can help cure diseases that we can not prevent with any other alternative method. Why wouldnt anyone want to spend more time with the ones they love. I do understand that stem cells come from aborted fetuses. But if we can use the stem cells that are collected to better help everyone then we should do what we can with what we have. But lets not start creating abortions to just harvest stem cell. I am healthy.", "During prenatal development, enough \"stem cells\" differentiate into neurons that each newborn infant has enough multipolar neurons to last a lifetime. While neurons die continually throughout the life span, barring accident or disease, we still have plenty of neurons left, even into the 2nd century of life.\\n\\nHowever, certain diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's Disease) cause premature and widespread death of neurons - with devastating results. \\n\\nOne of the great hopes we have for stem cell research is that there is very promising data from animal models that \"flooding\" a neuron-depleted area of the brain with stem cells can repopulate the lost neurons and reform the neural network.", "None of these are theories. You are listing technologies, or areas of scientific inquiry in the case of stem cell research and genetic research.\\n\\nIf you mean to ask for a critique of each of these (e.g. how should the technologies be used, or how should these subjects be studied, if at all) I think it would be best to pose each question individually! They are not really related in any way.", "It is legal in all states... the controversy is over government funding of stem cell research.", "Women are going to have abortions. Whether it's right or wrong to do so, they are going to do it. Why shouldn't we as a society utilize this stem cell resource? We're more than willing to destroy the rain forests and other resources for chemical \"cures\". We'll pump ourselves full of chemicals and endure side effects worse than the disease we're trying to treat when stem cells offer cures, not just symptom cover ups.", "There are some research centers working on this.\\nOne of them is the Howard Hughes Medical Institute:\\nhttp://www.hhmi.org/research/investigators/melton.html\\n \\n\"Summary: Doug Melton's laboratory is interested in the genes and stem cells that give rise to the pancreas and insulin-producing beta cells, with possible therapeutic implications for diabetes.\"", "Since stem cells are abundant in the blood remaining in the umbilical cord after delivery, there does not need to be a moral trade off... I favour harvesting of stem cells from donated cord blood and see no reason at all why embryonic cells are needed at all in order to do the research that holds such incredible promise.\\n\\n\\nAdded after reading the answer below...WOW! Now, this is interesting...I am pro choice and the person below is clearly not, and yet on this issue we are in agreement... If a \"Pro Lifer\" and a \"Pro Choice Advocate\" are both saying, in essence, \"Hey, you don't need to create embroyos for this purpose, there is another perfectly viable source of stem cells, use it.\" we have to be right, because usually we probably wouldn't be able to agree that water is wet.", "I would fund stem cell research. When we get the cure to all these disceases, if someone doesn't approve of the research, then they don't have to use them.", "Several universities in Canada do stem cell research. Probably most well known is the University of Toronto which maintains human embryonic stem cell lines. Other Universities include: Dalhousie, Univeristy of Calgary, Queens University, and many more. For a more complete list, please see the Source link.", "It is not banned. But the government cut the federal funds. So only if someone donates a couple million dollars to a laboratory that does stem cell research, the research keeps going.", "I think there are far too many people who have never actually examined stem cell research that make assumptions about unborn babies being involved. Embryonic stem cells are only a small part of the issue here. I myself have a hard time figuring out where the dividing line is on embryonic cells, since every time a human being has sex they kill more potential unborn babies, and every time a woman menstruates she is killing a potential baby. I can't figure that one out. Why draw the line at fertility? I know I don't have an answer. \\n\\nAnd where do you get millions of embryonic stem cells? That many don't exist. Since they are taken from in vitro fertilization with the permission of the donors, and would have been disposed of anyway as waste, how does this translate into killing innocent babies?\\nhttp://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics3.asp\\n\\nBut, for adult stem cells there is absolutely no connection to this argument about abortion. I quote: \\n\\nA. Where are adult stem cells found and what do they normally do?\\nAdult stem cells have been identified in many organs and tissues. One important point to understand about adult stem cells is that there are a very small number of stem cells in each tissue. Stem cells are thought to reside in a specific area of each tissue where they may remain quiescent (non-dividing) for many years until they are activated by disease or tissue injury. The adult tissues reported to contain stem cells include brain, bone marrow, peripheral blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin and liver.\"\\n\\nWhere in adult stem cell research is the ethical or religious problem? I just don't see it. I'm not so sure that religion has taken over science, but am worried that ignorance has taken over government.\\n\\nFinally, why is this under EARTH SCIENCE and not BIOLOGY?", "At this point, it isn't possible to grow organs, but at some point this may be possible. The idea would be to take some cells and \"instruct\" them, by giving the right amounts of certain molecules, to grow into certain types of cells that would form an organ.\\n\\nIt will be easier to make replacement cells of a certain type, such as bone marrow, or nerve cells, than to make a whole organ that has many types of cells and a complex architecture. We're still trying to learn all the signals that go into telling cells how to become one type versus another, so there is still a ways to go.\\n\\nThe stem cell issue comes in because most cells in the adult have already decided what they will be when they grow up, and they can't go back and become anything different. Stem cells haven't decided yet, so they could be \"told\" what to be, when we know all the instructions. The research is very slow now in the United States, because of limitations from the government, but other countries are pulling ahead nicely (and some of our best scientists are leaving to go to those places).", "OK so first switch to decaf. \\n\\nStem cells are undifferentiated cells that retain the ability to divide and differentiate into other cell types. You don't have to kill babies with little souls going off to heaven to get them either. I'll give you a link for real info, but as far as your area 51 stuff goes sorry that's not going to happen. If you had alien skin cells and dumped a bunch of stem cells on them all you would get is a lot of alien skin cells. Cloning and stem cells are two completely different things.", "most adult cells in your body have undergone a process call differentiation which means they have specialized their structure into a specific cell function such as blood, bone, muscle, stomach lining etc. Most adult cells after differentiation cannot transform into another cell of a different type. Current research focuses on stem cells which are usually most abundant in embryos which have yet to fully differentiate and has the potential to form into any cells at all. Stem cell research are trying to use this property by converting adult cells back into their intial stem cell state but have not fully suceeded in such an attempt as of yet.", "Researchers in Adelaide have found stem cells exist inside the teeth, in a discovery that could one day lead to teeth being regrown or repaired.\\n\\nResearchers say they have found a colony of stem cells existing in the core of a human tooth.\\n\\nStem cell biologist Stan Gronthos yesterday told a symposium on stem cell research that the goal is to store harvested dental stem cells in liquid nitrogen, ready for use to repair damaged or diseased teeth.\\n\\nBut he says there is a lot of work still to be done.\\n\\n\"It's a complex organ and it's got many tissues associated with it so it's going to take a lot of study to actually try and form a living tooth in an animal,\" he said.\\n\\n\"At the moment technology is at the stage where we can probably repair portions of the tooth.\"", "You answered your own question about stem cell research. I encourage you to learn more. \\n\\nRegarding replacing animal testing, you are comparing 2 completely different things. A stem cell is a cell. It has the functionality of a cell. It is unique because it can be treated with a variety of biochemical processes to cause it to differentiate, but it will never function as a whole living system. \\n\\nWhen a vaccine is studied, for example, the creators must know how the vaccine interacts with every system of the body. Sure, you can demonstrate in a petri dish that the vaccine binds flu virus. Great. That's the FIRST step! But how do you know it won't bind the interior surface of the lung in a living body? how do you klnow how it is working? How do you know what systems in the body improve its function? How do you know that 3 days after vaccination there can be an allergic reaction in people with impaired immune systems becasue the incidence of CD4 cells in the airways can cause asthma (this is a hypothetical case, BTW, used to illustrate the complexity of the issue)? The only way to know is to test it in a living body. Period. \\n\\nHere is a very good web site debunking the popular myths surrounding animal research: \\n\\nhttp://www.huntingdon.com/index.php?currentNumber=4.9&currentIsExpanded=0\\n\\nBy the way- two facts most people do not know:\\n1) Animal research is much more strictly regulated than human\\n2) At all reputable research facilities, the use of every animal used in testing must be justified to government regulatory agencies, and to a representative of public interest\\n\\nThe use of animals is governed by groups of people dedicated to making critical, and tough, ethical decisions, weighing risk vs benefit, and carefully assessing every proposed study. The benefit to human and animal health and well-being is alwasy considered very carefully in each decision.\\n\\nI encourage to learn more about this topic, and continue to ask thoughtful questions.", "stem cell research\\nalot is in the paper and online news", "Stem cells are primal undifferentiated cells which retain the ability to differentiate into other cell types. This ability allows them to act as a repair system for the body, replenishing other cells as long as the organism is alive.\\n\\nMedical researchers believe stem cell research has the potential to change the face of human disease by being used to repair specific tissues or to grow organs. Yet as government reports point out, \"significant technical hurdles remain that will only be overcome through years of intensive research.\"[1]\\n\\nThe study of stem cells is attributed as beginning in the 1960s after research by Canadian scientists Ernest A. McCulloch and James E. Till.\\n\\nStem Cell Types\\n\\nPotency\\nStem cells are categorized by potency, which specifies the ameliorative potential of the cell type.\\n\\nTotipotent stem cells are produced from the fusion of an egg and sperm cell. Cells produced by the first few divisions of the fertilized egg cell are also totipotent. These cells can grow into any type of cell without exception. \\nPluripotent stem cells are the descendants of totipotent cells and can grow into any cell type except for totipotent stem cells. \\nMultipotent stem cells can produce only cells of a closely related family of cells (e.g. blood cells such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets). \\nUnipotent cells can produce only one cell type, but have the property of self-renewal which distinguishes them from non-stem cells. \\n\\nSources of stem cells\\n\\nStem cells are also categorized according to their source, as either adult, embryonic or cord blood stem cells.\\n\\nAdult stem cells are undifferentiated cells found among differentiated cells of a specific tissue and are mostly multipotent cells. They are already being used in treatments for over one hundred diseases and conditions. They are more accurately called somatic (Greek σωμα sōma = body) stem cells, because they need not come from adults but can also come from children or umbilical cords. Particularly interesting are adult stem cells termed \"spore-like cells\". They are present in all tissues (Vacanti, M. P., A. Roy, J. Cortiella, L. Bonassar, and C. A. Vacanti. 2001. \"Identification and initial characterization of spore-like cells in adult mammals.\" J Cell Biochem 80:455–60.) and seem to survive long time periods and harsh conditions. \\nEmbryonic stem cells are cultured cells obtained from the undifferentiated inner mass cells of an early stage human embryo (sometimes called a blastocyst, which is an embryo that is between 50 to 150 cells). Embryonic stem cell research is \"thought to have much greater developmental potential than adult stem cells,\" according to the National Institutes of Health.[2] However, embryonic stem cell research is still in the basic research phase, as these stem cells were first isolated in 1998 (at least for humans), whereas adult stem cells have been studied since the 1960s.[3] Research with embryonic stem cells derived from humans is controversial because, in order to start a stem cell 'line' or lineage, it requires the destruction of a human embryo and/or therapeutic cloning, which some believe is a slippery slope to reproductive cloning and tantamount to the objectification of a potential human being. In an attempt to overcome these moral, political and ethical hurdles, medical researchers have been experimenting with alternative techniques of obtaining embryonic stem cells by extraction, which does not involve cloning and/or the destruction of a human embryo. \\nCord blood stem cells are derived from the blood of the placenta and umbilical cord after birth. Since 1988 these cord blood stem cells have been used to treat Gunther's disease, Hunter syndrome, Hurler syndrome, Acute lymphocytic leukemia and many more problems occurring mostly in children. Umbilical cord blood use has become so common that there are now umbilical cord blood banks that accept dona", "We have been using yeast cells to make alcoholic beverages for a long time, even before we knew what they were. And now, as a result of scientific investigation, people are studying ways to try to make yeast produce other useful materials. For example, if we could modify yeast to produce polyethylene, we would not have to make it out of oil and the US would buy less oil. \\n\\nAs far as animal cells go, people are studying ways to grow skin cells in big sheets, so that skin grafts can be done on people who have suffered deep or widespread burns. That will be a big, important discovery if we can do it.", "I say yes. It is needed and has good scientific merrit.\\n\\nAs for using aborted babies as stem cell sources, I have this to say. At the moment, in the US, abortion is legal. Whether you like it or not, aggree or disagree, that is the way it is. Why not use stem cells from terminated pregnancies and have them contribute to good use and the future of some other child who is living and needs help and could die? Why let them be incenerated? I think it is far more fitting that any potential use to save future lives should be. You cannot change the fact the pregnancy was terminated, so make the bets of the situation you have.", "It is found out that all the cells of inner cell mass are totipotent.Recent studies on embryonic stem cell (which are derived from inner cell mass)proved their ability of differentiating into all the cell types of body.previously the cells of 8 cell stage embryo are call as totipotent.", "He is against most stem cell research. \\n\\nIt is very expensive ($10K). However, some poeple have chosen to freeze only their head. They believe that this will push their thaw date back further so they will be more in the future when they are thawed. This process is cheaper. \\n\\nYou cannot be thawed back to life at this point. The problem is that most cells crystalize and stab and puncture other cells so when you thaw there is significant damage. The idea is to keep frozen until the technology exists that can thaw without consequence. When they freeze bodies, they keep them upright, but feet up. That way if there is ever a leak and temperature goes up only the feet and legs will damage, not the brain. \\nIts a neat process but there is a ways to go.", "While I am a fan of the Cord Blood Registry (the link previously posted), I have to point out that they work with a subset of stem cells, the hematopoietic stem cells, and most of what is talked aobut in the media has to do with embryonic stem cells. Their web site does distinguish the two, but it's worth keeping the difference in mind.\\n\\nGood link nonetheless.", "it has evolved as a defense mechanism. it can be seen that if a limb is cut off of a fetus before a specific time point, the limb will grow back. in children if tehy cut off their finger tips at a young age they may grow back. there is a point when your cells can no longer regenerate body parts from specific stem cells. this is what much of the stem cell research is on, the signals that tell the stem cells to differentiate into teh correct cell.", "Stem cells originate from embryos which are a few days old. There are very strict guidelines regarding the harvest of stem cells, and they cannot be harvested from human beings beyond the embryo stage. They certainly do not come from the human brain.", "Well, our professor was telling us about the possibility of applying stem cell technology in this area. Embryonic stem cells when given the right environmental cues can develop into neurons. Alternatively, Schwann cells which are the ones that wrap around the axons and allow for conduction can also be generated from embryonic stem cells. Hope that helps.", "8-12 years. It depends on what you want to do!", "It's not so much the acutal medical risks, but the ehtical and moral implications of conducting research in the field.\\n\\nThe following is an excerpt from a research paper I recently wrote concerning stem cell research:\\n\\nEmbryonic stem cell research raises immense ethical and religious concern:\\nThe issue of research involving stem cells derived from human embryos is increasingly the subject of a national debate and dinner table discussions. The issue is confronted every day in laboratories as scientists ponder the ethical ramifications of their work. It is agonized over by parents and many couples as they try to have children or to save children already born. The issue is debated within the church, with people of different faiths- even many of the same faith- coming to different conclusions. Many people are finding the more they know about stem cell research, the less certain they are about the right ethical and moral conclusions. (“Bush Embryonic Stem Cell Decision” 1)\\nQuite often, the status of an embryo is debated among scientists, politicians, theologians, philosophers, and even everyday people. There are many ideas circulating the globe as some vie to protect the embryo and others hope to use it to benefit society. Those that oppose stem cell research claim that the methods scientists use are not morally justifiable. Human embryos, in their minds, are “not mere biological tissues or clusters of cells; they are the tiniest of human beings” (Espejo 49). According to the Human Embryo Research Panel and the National Bioethics Commission, the embryo should be considered a living organism from its earliest stages (Espejo 46-50). People therefore claim that scientists are alienating the rights of living human beings by performing experiments on embryos: \\nThe painful lessons of the past should have taught us that human beings must not be conscripted for research without their permission- no matter what the alleged justification- especially when that research means the forfeiture of their health or lives. Even if an individual’s death is believed to be otherwise imminent, we still do not have a license to engage in lethal experimentation- just as we may not experiment on death row prisoners or harvest their organs without their consent. (Espejo 49)\\nThe widespread Christian view that life begins at the moment of conception has caused many to believe that the destruction of the human embryo is murder (Espejo 4). People also believe that is irrelevant whether the embryos are capable of implanting in a uterus and developing, as they are embryos nonetheless (Morris 2). As Morris questions, “are we willing to recognize life, even if it’s living in a Petri dish?” (2). Those that sympathize with these concerns feel that research requiring the destruction of a human embryo should be banned. Others argue that since IVF procedures often generate more embryos than needed, the excess embryos should be used for potentially life-saving research rather than being discarded (Espejo 36-37). Also, they claim embryos do not have the same rights as adult humans. The suggestion that a mass of 50-100 cells with no heart and no brain is entitled to the same protections is “unprecedented and not embodied in American law” (Espejo 38). With this in mind, it seems that embryonic stem cell research should not be undermined by the aforementioned arguments. There are additional concerns however. The use of SCNT is often criticized by those opposed to cloning, as a majority of people view cloning as morally wrong. SCNT has been used in reproductive cloning, such as the cloning of Dolly the sheep. In the public’s mind, the distinction between this form of cloning and therapeutic cloning, which involves SCNT used for medical purposes, has blurred. The two should not be confused however, as they are completely separate procedures. Outlawing the use of SCNT would prevent the development of very promising techniques for curing disease", "Tests with lab rats using stem cells have allowed rats with broken spinal cords to regain enough control of their hind legs to walk again (albeit with some limping). The company that has developed this treatment is expected to start human trials within then next twelve months or so. See the link to the site for more inforamtion." ]

[ "Through the 1860s, Victoria relied increasingly on a manservant from Scotland, John Brown. Slanderous rumours of a romantic connection and even a secret marriage appeared in print, and the Queen was referred to as \"Mrs. Brown\". The story of their relationship was the subject of the 1997 movie Mrs. Brown. A painting by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer depicting the Queen with Brown was exhibited at the Royal Academy, and Victoria published a book, Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the Highlands, which featured Brown prominently and in which the Queen praised him highly." ]

[ "Queen are one of the most bootlegged bands ever, according to Nick Weymouth, who manages the band's official website. A 2001 survey discovered the existence of 12,225 websites dedicated to Queen bootlegs, the highest number for any band. Bootleg recordings have contributed to the band's popularity in certain countries where Western music is censored, such as Iran. In a project called Queen: The Top 100 Bootlegs, many of these have been made officially available to download for a nominal fee from Queen's website, with profits going to the Mercury Phoenix Trust. Rolling Stone ranked Queen at number 52 on its list of the \"100 Greatest Artists of All Time\", while ranking Mercury the 18th greatest singer, and May the twenty-sixth greatest guitarist. Queen were named 13th on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock list, and in 2010 were ranked 17th on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list. In 2012, Gigwise readers named Queen the best band of past 60 years.", "In October 2006, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was split into two entities: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, which manages the endowment assets and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which \"... conducts all operations and grantmaking work, and it is the entity from which all grants are made\". Also announced was the decision to \"... spend all of [the Trust's] resources within 20 years after Bill's and Melinda's deaths\". This would close the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust and effectively end the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In the same announcement it was reiterated that Warren Buffett \"... has stipulated that the proceeds from the Berkshire Hathaway shares he still owns at death are to be used for philanthropic purposes within 10 years after his estate has been settled\".", "Between 135 BC and 71 BC there were three \"Servile Wars\" involving slave uprisings against the Roman state. The third and final uprising was the most serious, involving ultimately between 120,000 and 150,000 slaves under the command of the gladiator Spartacus. In 91 BC the Social War broke out between Rome and its former allies in Italy when the allies complained that they shared the risk of Rome's military campaigns, but not its rewards. Although they lost militarily, the allies achieved their objectives with legal proclamations which granted citizenship to more than 500,000 Italians.", "Bush focused his campaign on national security, presenting himself as a decisive leader and contrasted Kerry as a \"flip-flopper.\" This strategy was designed to convey to American voters the idea that Bush could be trusted to be tough on terrorism while Kerry would be \"uncertain in the face of danger.\" Bush (just as his father did with Dukakis in the 1988 election) also sought to portray Kerry as a \"Massachusetts liberal\" who was out of touch with mainstream Americans. One of Kerry's slogans was \"Stronger at home, respected in the world.\" This advanced the suggestion that Kerry would pay more attention to domestic concerns; it also encapsulated Kerry's contention that Bush had alienated American allies by his foreign policy.", "Victoria's youngest son, Leopold, was affected by the blood-clotting disease haemophilia B and two of her five daughters, Alice and Beatrice, were carriers. Royal haemophiliacs descended from Victoria included her great-grandsons, Tsarevich Alexei of Russia, Alfonso, Prince of Asturias, and Infante Gonzalo of Spain. The presence of the disease in Victoria's descendants, but not in her ancestors, led to modern speculation that her true father was not the Duke of Kent but a haemophiliac. There is no documentary evidence of a haemophiliac in connection with Victoria's mother, and as male carriers always suffer the disease, even if such a man had existed he would have been seriously ill. It is more likely that the mutation arose spontaneously because Victoria's father was over 50 at the time of her conception and haemophilia arises more frequently in the children of older fathers. Spontaneous mutations account for about a third of cases.", "Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust was formed on 1 October 2007 by the merger of Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust (Charing Cross Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital and Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital) and St Mary's NHS Trust (St. Mary's Hospital and Western Eye Hospital) with Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine. It is an academic health science centre and manages five hospitals: Charing Cross Hospital, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, St Mary's Hospital, and Western Eye Hospital. The Trust is currently the largest in the UK and has an annual turnover of £800 million, treating more than a million patients a year.[citation needed]", "The discovery of gold in Victoria in mid 1851 led to the Victorian gold rush, and Melbourne, which served as the major port and provided most services for the region, experienced rapid growth. Within months, the city's population had increased by nearly three-quarters, from 25,000 to 40,000 inhabitants. Thereafter, growth was exponential and by 1865, Melbourne had overtaken Sydney as Australia's most populous city. Additionally, Melbourne along with the Victorian regional cities of Ballarat and Geelong became the wealthiest cities in the world during the Gold Rush era.", "The Royal Collection, which includes thousands of historic works of art and the Crown Jewels, is not owned by the Queen personally but is held in trust, as are her official residences, such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and the Duchy of Lancaster, a property portfolio valued in 2014 at £442 million. Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle are privately owned by the Queen. The British Crown Estate – with holdings of £9.4 billion in 2014 – is held in trust by the sovereign and cannot be sold or owned by Elizabeth in a private capacity.", "Neptune's weather is characterised by extremely dynamic storm systems, with winds reaching speeds of almost 600 m/s (2,200 km/h; 1,300 mph)—nearly reaching supersonic flow. More typically, by tracking the motion of persistent clouds, wind speeds have been shown to vary from 20 m/s in the easterly direction to 325 m/s westward. At the cloud tops, the prevailing winds range in speed from 400 m/s along the equator to 250 m/s at the poles. Most of the winds on Neptune move in a direction opposite the planet's rotation. The general pattern of winds showed prograde rotation at high latitudes vs. retrograde rotation at lower latitudes. The difference in flow direction is thought to be a \"skin effect\" and not due to any deeper atmospheric processes. At 70° S latitude, a high-speed jet travels at a speed of 300 m/s.", "In the 1874 general election, Disraeli was returned to power. He passed the Public Worship Regulation Act 1874, which removed Catholic rituals from the Anglican liturgy and which Victoria strongly supported. She preferred short, simple services, and personally considered herself more aligned with the presbyterian Church of Scotland than the episcopal Church of England. He also pushed the Royal Titles Act 1876 through Parliament, so that Victoria took the title \"Empress of India\" from 1 May 1876. The new title was proclaimed at the Delhi Durbar of 1 January 1877.", "The original USB 1.0 specification, which was introduced in January 1996, defined data transfer rates of 1.5 Mbit/s \"Low Speed\" and 12 Mbit/s \"Full Speed\". Microsoft Windows 95, OSR 2.1 provided OEM support for the devices. The first widely used version of USB was 1.1, which was released in September 1998. The 12 Mbit/s data rate was intended for higher-speed devices such as disk drives, and the lower 1.5 Mbit/s rate for low data rate devices such as joysticks. Apple Inc.'s iMac was the first mainstream product with USB and the iMac's success popularized USB itself. Following Apple's design decision to remove all legacy ports from the iMac, many PC manufacturers began building legacy-free PCs, which led to the broader PC market using USB as a standard.", "The foundation explains on its website that its trustees divided the organization into two entities: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (foundation) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust (trust). The foundation section, based in Seattle, US, \"focuses on improving health and alleviating extreme poverty,\" and its trustees are Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. The trust section manages \"the investment assets and transfer proceeds to the foundation as necessary to achieve the foundation's charitable goals\"—it holds the assets of Bill and Melinda Gates, who are the sole trustees, and receives contributions from Buffett.", "Plymouth is served by Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust and the city's NHS hospital is Derriford Hospital 4 miles (6 km) north of the city centre. The Royal Eye Infirmary is located at Derriford Hospital. South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust operates in Plymouth and the rest of the south west; its headquarters are in Exeter.", "Melbourne rates highly in education, entertainment, health care, research and development, tourism and sport, making it the world's most liveable city—for the fifth year in a row in 2015, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. It is a leading financial centre in the Asia-Pacific region, and ranks among the top 30 cities in the world in the Global Financial Centres Index. Referred to as Australia's \"cultural capital\", it is the birthplace of Australian impressionism, Australian rules football, the Australian film and television industries, and Australian contemporary dance such as the Melbourne Shuffle. It is recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature and a major centre for street art, music and theatre. It is home to many of Australia's largest and oldest cultural institutions such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the National Gallery of Victoria, the State Library of Victoria and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building.", "The new SuperSpeed bus provides a fourth transfer mode with a data signaling rate of 5.0 Gbit/s, in addition to the modes supported by earlier versions. The payload throughput is 4 Gbit/s[citation needed] (due to the overhead incurred by 8b/10b encoding), and the specification considers it reasonable to achieve around 3.2 Gbit/s (0.4 GB/s or 400 MB/s), which should increase with future hardware advances. Communication is full-duplex in SuperSpeed transfer mode; in the modes supported previously, by 1.x and 2.0, communication is half-duplex, with direction controlled by the host.", "Illustrated humour periodicals were popular in 19th-century Britain, the earliest of which was the short-lived The Glasgow Looking Glass in 1825. The most popular was Punch, which popularized the term cartoon for its humorous caricatures. On occasion the cartoons in these magazines appeared in sequences; the character Ally Sloper featured in the earliest serialized comic strip when the character began to feature in its own weekly magazine in 1884.", "Melbourne (/ˈmɛlbərn/, AU i/ˈmɛlbən/) is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia and Oceania. The name \"Melbourne\" refers to the area of urban agglomeration (as well as a census statistical division) spanning 9,900 km2 (3,800 sq mi) which comprises the broader metropolitan area, as well as being the common name for its city centre. The metropolis is located on the large natural bay of Port Phillip and expands into the hinterlands towards the Dandenong and Macedon mountain ranges, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. Melbourne consists of 31 municipalities. It has a population of 4,347,955 as of 2013, and its inhabitants are called Melburnians.", "Starting on 30 April 1916, Germany and its World War I ally Austria-Hungary were the first to use DST (German: Sommerzeit) as a way to conserve coal during wartime. Britain, most of its allies, and many European neutrals soon followed suit. Russia and a few other countries waited until the next year and the United States adopted it in 1918.", "Founded by free settlers from the British Crown colony of Van Diemen's Land on 30 August 1835, in what was then the colony of New South Wales, it was incorporated as a Crown settlement in 1837. It was named \"Melbourne\" by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Richard Bourke, in honour of the British Prime Minister of the day, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. It was officially declared a city by Queen Victoria in 1847, after which it became the capital of the newly founded colony of Victoria in 1851. During the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s, it was transformed into one of the world's largest and wealthiest cities. After the federation of Australia in 1901, it served as the nation's interim seat of government until 1927.", "The use of lossy compression is designed to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent the audio recording and still sound like a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio for most listeners. An MP3 file that is created using the setting of 128 kbit/s will result in a file that is about 1/11 the size of the CD file created from the original audio source (44,100 samples per second × 16 bits per sample × 2 channels = 1,411,200 bit/s; MP3 compressed at 128 kbit/s: 128,000 bit/s [1 k = 1,000, not 1024, because it is a bit rate]. Ratio: 1,411,200/128,000 = 11.025). An MP3 file can also be constructed at higher or lower bit rates, with higher or lower resulting quality.", "As in the other Western Romance languages, the main plural expression is the suffix -s, which may create morphological alternations similar to the ones found in gender inflection, albeit more rarely. The most important one is the addition of -o- before certain consonant groups, a phonetic phenomenon that does not affect feminine forms: el pols/els polsos (\"the pulse\"/\"the pulses\") vs. la pols/les pols (\"the dust\"/\"the dusts\").", "Liberia has a long, rich history in textile arts and quilting, as the settlers brought with them their sewing and quilting skills. Liberia hosted National Fairs in 1857 and 1858 in which prizes were awarded for various needle arts. One of the most well-known Liberian quilters was Martha Ann Ricks, who presented a quilt featuring the famed Liberian coffee tree to Queen Victoria in 1892. When President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf moved into the Executive Mansion, she reportedly had a Liberian-made quilt installed in her presidential office.", "At war's end, American, British, and Soviet scientific intelligence teams competed to capture Germany's rocket engineers along with the German rockets themselves and the designs on which they were based. Each of the Allies captured a share of the available members of the German rocket team, but the United States benefited the most with Operation Paperclip, recruiting von Braun and most of his engineering team, who later helped develop the American missile and space exploration programs. The United States also acquired a large number of complete V2 rockets.", "Between 1836 and 1842 Victorian Aboriginal groups were largely dispossessed[by whom?] of their land. By January 1844, there were said to be 675 Aborigines resident in squalid camps in Melbourne. The British Colonial Office appointed five Aboriginal Protectors for the Aborigines of Victoria, in 1839, however their work was nullified by a land policy that favoured squatters to take possession of Aboriginal lands. By 1845, fewer than 240 wealthy Europeans held all the pastoral licences then issued in Victoria and became a powerful political and economic force in Victoria for generations to come.", "An unauthorized user gaining physical access to a computer is most likely able to directly download data from it. They may also compromise security by making operating system modifications, installing software worms, keyloggers, or covert listening devices. Even when the system is protected by standard security measures, these may be able to be by passed by booting another operating system or tool from a CD-ROM or other bootable media. Disk encryption and Trusted Platform Module are designed to prevent these attacks.", "According to the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1907-1912, materialism, defined as \"a philosophical system which regards matter as the only reality in the world [...] denies the existence of God and the soul\". Materialism, in this view, therefore becomes incompatible with most world religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In such a context one can conflate materialism with atheism. Most of Hinduism and transcendentalism regards all matter as an illusion called Maya, blinding humans from knowing \"the truth\". Maya is the limited, purely physical and mental reality in which our everyday consciousness has become entangled. Maya gets destroyed for a person when s/he perceives Brahman with transcendental knowledge.", "With Japanese and Allied forces occupying various parts of the island, over the following six months both sides poured resources into an escalating battle of attrition on land, at sea, and in the sky. Most of the Japanese aircraft based in the South Pacific were redeployed to the defense of Guadalcanal. Many were lost in numerous engagements with the Allied air forces based at Henderson Field as well as carrier based aircraft. Meanwhile, Japanese ground forces launched repeated attacks on heavily defended US positions around Henderson Field, in which they suffered appalling casualties. To sustain these offensives, resupply was carried out by Japanese convoys, termed the \"Tokyo Express\" by the Allies. The convoys often faced night battles with enemy naval forces in which they expended destroyers that the IJN could ill-afford to lose. Later fleet battles involving heavier ships and even daytime carrier battles resulted in a stretch of water near Guadalcanal becoming known as \"Ironbottom Sound\" from the multitude of ships sunk on both sides. However, the Allies were much better able to replace these losses. Finally recognizing that the campaign to recapture Henderson Field and secure Guadalcanal had simply become too costly to continue, the Japanese evacuated the island and withdrew in February 1943. In the sixth month war of attrition, the Japanese had lost as a result of failing to commit enough forces in sufficient time.", "More generally, corruption erodes the institutional capacity of government if procedures are disregarded, resources are siphoned off, and public offices are bought and sold. Corruption undermines the legitimacy of government and such democratic values as trust and tolerance. Recent evidence suggests that variation in the levels of corruption amongst high-income democracies can vary significantly depending on the level of accountability of decision-makers. Evidence from fragile states also shows that corruption and bribery can adversely impact trust in institutions.", "Universal Studios was founded by Carl Laemmle, Mark Dintenfass, Charles O. Baumann, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley, Robert H. Cochrane[a] and Jules Brulatour. One story has Laemmle watching a box office for hours, counting patrons and calculating the day's takings. Within weeks of his Chicago trip, Laemmle gave up dry goods to buy the first several nickelodeons. For Laemmle and other such entrepreneurs, the creation in 1908 of the Edison-backed Motion Picture Trust meant that exhibitors were expected to pay fees for Trust-produced films they showed. Based on the Latham Loop used in cameras and projectors, along with other patents, the Trust collected fees on all aspects of movie production and exhibition, and attempted to enforce a monopoly on distribution.", "Government revenues largely come from sales of fishing licenses, income from the Tuvalu Trust Fund, and from the lease of its highly fortuitous .tv Internet Top Level Domain (TLD). In 1998, Tuvalu began deriving revenue from the use of its area code for premium-rate telephone numbers and from the commercialisation of its \".tv\" Internet domain name, which is now managed by Verisign until 2021. The \".tv\" domain name generates around $2.2 million each year from royalties, which is about ten per cent of the government's total revenue. Domain name income paid most of the cost of paving the streets of Funafuti and installing street lighting in mid-2002. Tuvalu also generates income from stamps by the Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau and income from the Tuvalu Ship Registry.", "Eisenhower, as well as the officers and troops under him, had learned valuable lessons in their previous operations, and their skills had all strengthened in preparation for the next most difficult campaign against the Germans—a beach landing assault. His first struggles, however, were with Allied leaders and officers on matters vital to the success of the Normandy invasion; he argued with Roosevelt over an essential agreement with De Gaulle to use French resistance forces in covert and sabotage operations against the Germans in advance of Overlord. Admiral Ernest J. King fought with Eisenhower over King's refusal to provide additional landing craft from the Pacific. He also insisted that the British give him exclusive command over all strategic air forces to facilitate Overlord, to the point of threatening to resign unless Churchill relented, as he did. Eisenhower then designed a bombing plan in France in advance of Overlord and argued with Churchill over the latter's concern with civilian casualties; de Gaulle interjected that the casualties were justified in shedding the yoke of the Germans, and Eisenhower prevailed. He also had to skillfully manage to retain the services of the often unruly George S. Patton, by severely reprimanding him when Patton earlier had slapped a subordinate, and then when Patton gave a speech in which he made improper comments about postwar policy.", "Historians agree that Napoleon's remarkable personality was one key to his influence. They emphasize the strength of his ambition that took him from an obscure village to command of most of Europe. George F. E. Rudé stresses his \"rare combination of will, intellect and physical vigour.\" At 5 ft 6 in (168 cm), he was not physically imposing but in one-on-one situations he typically had a hypnotic impact on people and seemingly bent the strongest leaders to his will. He understood military technology, but was not an innovator in that regard. He was an innovator in using the financial, bureaucratic, and diplomatic resources of France. He could rapidly dictate a series of complex commands to his subordinates, keeping in mind where major units were expected to be at each future point, and like a chess master, \"seeing\" the best plays moves ahead." ]

[ "LAN is not limited to what your ISP provides, but you would otherwise see no benefit, barring upgrading your ISP services in the future." ]

[ "Depending on the set-up, the plane either has a satellite receiver pointing up or a cell phone antenna pointing down to get Internet. That connection is plugged into a wireless router, not all that much different from what you get at home.", "ISPs are what makes up the internet. The internet isn't one thing, it's a collcetion of computer networks that has decided to cooperate. So when I send this message from Sweden to reddits servers in the US it first goes to my local ISP but they only deal with local stuff. So they hand it over to a large nordic telecommunications company but they don't operate any transatlantic communications cables so they can only take it as far as Denmark or perhaps Germany. So they in their turn hand my message over to [Level 3 Communications](_URL_0_) that has the capability to take it over the Atlantic. All these different computer networks is what makes up the internet.", "The Internet is a giant connected network. Routers are in charge of directing packets of data. An IP address is like a street address in that it is the location that the data request or return is being sent. When you type in a URL, that name is looked up by asking a DNS (Domain Name Server) the IP address. Every router connected to the Internet is in turn connected to one or more other routers. It gets a request for data from x.x.x.x and asks the next router ('next hop') to pass it along. That router does the same, then the cycle repeats until the IP packet gets to the server. Then the requested data is sent back the same way, because all along the way the routers involved maintain the source address (the IP address of you or your home router), so they know where to send the data back to. TL;DR All ISPs are interconnected. All devices on the Internet are in fact interconnected. It's an Inter(connected)net(work).", "Effectively, what you're talking about there is using your phone as a type of router - which is pretty much what it does when it's in use as a hotspot. A router transfers traffic between two or more network interfaces - in the case of your phone as a hotspot, it uses the mobile interface (i.e. the one that connects to the cellular network) for its internet connection, and its wifi network interface for the devices that are tethering to the hotspot. There's a problem here, though - it's only got one wifi interface, and it can either connect *to* a network (to the hotel's wifi) or it can form a network for other things to connect to. It can't do both, and so you can't use your phone to share your hotel internet connection.", "Satellites beam a network connection to the plane. The plane has a router on it that uses that signal like the router in your home. That router creates a wifi hotspot.", "It's the cable you use for a normal computer network. It's likely what is connecting your computers at home to your router (unless you are using a wireless connection). [They look like this](_URL_0_)", "It costs money to build out more bandwidth. High speed routers and firewalls, fiber runs, etc. That being said most in the US are being way overcharged. To answer the actual question it is limited only by telecommunications technology which continues to grow in capabilities at a fairly rapid pace. There is not unlimited bandwidth; it is limited to what the the telecom companies can and are willing to build. EDIT: Oh and data centers/network operation centers cost a lot of money to run as well, so no bandwidth is not free.", "The technology exists. Computers have had wake-on-lan capability for decades and root kits have allowed for unwanted remote access/control for as long as the internet's been in homes. It's not inconceivable that it could be used through smartphones.", "A country like that has only a couple of internet interconnections to the outside world. You simply send people in to unplug the routers.", "Switches don't assign IP addresses. That is the job of a DHCP server, which is one of the functions performed by typical home routers. Most OSs, when connected to a network with no DHCP server (and lacking any fixed configuration) will assign themselves [link local addresses](_URL_0_) which let them talk to other computers on the network but won't help with Internet access since no upstream router knows about them. These addresses start with 169 in ipv4.", "no. the cloud is the internet. the internet is made up physically of computers, routers, and a lot of cabling. the cloud is just a metaphor for the vastness of the internet.", "When you connect on a p2p game, where one of the players is considered the server, you have to deal with whatever kind of internet connection that person may have(i.e. my 7d/1uMbps). Whereas for a dedicated server, everyone connects to a server thats likely in a datacenter where they can afford gigabit up/down internet and likely has a lower average distance to players.", "You post an unsavoury picture on the internet \"anonymously\". Police go to wherever you posted the photo with a warrant (in the UK we don't need one) and say \"what was the ip address of the account that posted the picture. They then take that ip address to your isp and say \"what is the name and address of the person using this ip address\". If you're on a mobile phone they will get your phone details as well. If you're using an internet cafe they can examine the router logs and get the mac address of your device. From the router they can also get details of sites you visited etc which could eventually lead them back to your door.", "All your internet traffic is sent through a device called a router. That router keeps logs of what IP address (a unique identifier for each computer on the network) performs what actions and what traffic goes through it. If a known viral program is accessing the internet through your computer, we get alerts. If you're visiting websites that you shouldn't be, we get alerts. The history on your browser has nothing to do with it.", "What the internet is, at its most basic level, is a network of networks. A network is a collection of computers, servers etc. all connected together and exchanging information. When you put a router in your network it allows your network to talk to other networks with routers. So to answer your question, in terms of hardware, it's entirely possible to create another internet. You might run in to trouble when it came to software though.", "By either putting a low range WiFi-router or cellphone tower with internet support within the required range everywhere on the planet. If worldwide access is your demand, satellite communication would be the way to go although it will be terribly difficult to make this enterprise happen. It wouldn't surprise me if in the future high speed mobile internet access would be possible with satellites.", "Google is turning into an Internet Service Provider, similar to Comcast, AT & T, or Charter. VERY high speed -- I'd say nearly 100x the speed most common ISPs offer at roughly the same price. The only place that it will be available in the next couple months though is Kansas City. They're reporting to offer speeds of up to 1 gigabit up and down, which is roughly 125MB/sec. I don't know the specifics of it, but basically Google will be creating \"fiberhoods\" based on pre-registrations on [their fiber page](_URL_0_). The neighborhoods with the highest pre-registrations in KC will probably get built up first. There's more information on their actual plan prices on that webpage.", "The MAC address is just an identifier for your computer (well, your network device, to be exact), but it can't be used to locate it. If I take my computer and fly halfway around the world, I'll still have the same MAC address but I'll be in an entirely different location, so how would packets know where to find me? IP addresses however are dynamic and structured. They are assigned by whatever network I am currently connected to and determine where I am, so that routers will know where to deliver packets that are addressed to my specific IP address. For example if my IP address starts with '9' then the routers will know to deliver the packets to IBM's routers (who own the 9.0.0.0 IP block). IBM's routers will look into the rest of the IP address and decide how to route the packet internally. For an analogy, a MAC address is like your name, while an IP address is your home address.", "Cell phones use a data connection through cell towers, while laptops use wifi that needs to connect to a wireless router connected to the internet via an ISP (Comcast, etc.).", "The Internet itself was designed to be completely distributed. It's mostly just a collection of servers, with routers that all figure out the routes to the different servers on their own. The only largely centralized piece of this is the Domain Name System- the thing that turns URLs into IP addresses. If you took out all 13 clusters that make up the root of that system, you'd pretty well cripple people's ability to use the Internet, although there's enough redundancy in the system that we'd probably be able to recreate it pretty quickly. The biggest risk is probably someone cutting all of the trans-oceanic cables which would splinter the Internet into an American Internet and a European-Asian-African Internet.", "I feel like questions like these are the result of an ignorance of what the internet *is*. The internet is a bunch of computers and routers connected together over a network. Essentially, that's it. Now, you can talk about [emergent behaviour](_URL_0_) occurring, but the internet 'becoming self-aware' doesn't even conceptually make *sense*.", "VPNs do not hide the fact that you are using one. The way it works is you connect to the VPN and all your Internet traffic goes to that VPN, who then forwards it on your behalf, just like your home router. Instead of your ISP seeing all the IP addresses you connect to and sites seeing your IP address when you connect, they will see only the unidentifying VPN IP, which is why they are \"anonymous\". Most VPN providers have a set range of IP addresses. If your ISP or a site like Netflix can figure out these ranges (not really difficult), they know you are connected to a VPN.", "Phone companies don't care about you or about what you want or about what you need or about what you like. What they care about is the best way to bend you over the counter and fuck you for every single one of your dollars. Net neutrality? Maybe if you buy it. Gigabit internet? No one wants that. VoIP? We can't charge extra for phone calls if you do that.", "Comcast is a provider of cable television and high speed internet services in the US. I have had Comcast for 15 years and for the most part have very few complaints. People have a hatred for Comcast because they have very few choices when it comes to cable and high speed internet in the US due to only a few companies providing that service in the US. When you lack choices, you often have to settle for what you can only get. Also, when your company has little competition, you don't have to provide awesome service since customers don't have much of a choice beyond your company. So there are stories floating around the internet where Comcast is providing legendary lousy service, if you do your research on Google.", "The answer is that they only fly to one location. The birds that are used are called \"Homing Pigeons\" because they have an ability to return home to their nest. When they get to their nest, you grab the message. They do not have an outbound capability. The birds have to be carried out on the outbound trip each time.", "There are DNS (domain name system) servers which translate a address like _URL_0_ to the IP-address of the server. It goes a bit like this: your browser sends a request to your router to translate the address. If the router doesn't know it (the router only saves some of your recently visited pages) he asks a bigger server and so on. The IP-address is a unique identifier for every computer in the internet. Because IPv4 only has about 4 billion addresses we need to change to IPv6 in the future to have enough for everyone.", "Typically the rule is: if the wired port (Ethernet) is connected, use that. Otherwise use wireless. You can always override it. If both have a signal you can go into your settings and choose which one to use. Historically it was pretty dumb. If the Ethernet port was connected to a router but that router had no Internet connection, it would still use Ethernet even though Wifi worked. Only the very latest versions of operating systems have started to be a bit smarter and skip something that has no connection to an outside network. I'm not aware of any desktop or mobile operating system that will make use of both ports simultaneously by default. However, there's lots of third-party software and even hardware routers that can do this. For example, you could subscribe to two different ISPs and get more bandwidth by using both simultaneously.", "They have had direct internet access on the ISS since [January 2010](_URL_0_). Basically they simply route the internet information over the same channels they use for radio communications, a simple analogy would be that your home ADSL or cable internet uses the same channels that your phone or TV connection use. The ISS orbits at approximately 400km above the earth, so the radio waves (which travel at the speed of light) will get there and back in less than 3 one-thousandths of a second. That's certainly quick enough for a real-time Q & A session :)", "No, the internet is simply a combination of computers, switches, and routers all which require power. If humans go, our power plants will shut down, the machines powering the internet will go down too", "WiFi connects you to your router, which is what connects you to the rest of the Internet. Your WiFi connection is basically just a replacement for a cable. Or did you mean how does WiFi itself work?", "Your confusing Network Address Translation (NAT) for some kind of security protocol or system. It isn't. Very simply put as per the ELI5 principle, it's a system that allows several computers to sit behind a router utilising one public IP address and have traffic to and from the internet routed to the correct computers behind the router. Although it's not designed to be a security protocol/system, it does offer enhanced security for the computers utilising NAT as the computers cannot be accessed directly from the internet except under a pre allowed set of certain conditions that utilises port forwarding. The reasons games sometimes do not work properly when on a computer using NAT is they may use specific ports or protocols. The router needs to be told where this information needs to go in it's NAT settings. It's not about security, it's about knowing which computer to send the data to.", "**ELI5**: Sometimes the router gets confused and needs a restart to figure things out again. **A bit more**: The router is plugged into modem (DSL or cable modem). A reboot of the router causes the router to request an IP address from the modem. Sometimes it's the modem that needs a reboot - rebooting it causes it to re-sync with its control servers at the Internet Service Provider (ISP). Usually its a bug in the software running on the router, or modem that causes it to lock-up, resetting it just clears the RAM and restarts the program. For further reading see: [memory leak](_URL_10_)" ]

[ "If you feel the indulgence of an all-you-can-eat restaurant calling out to you, there's one within your home state to enjoy. Whether it's comfort food, seafood, an international favorite such as sushi or Indian, or an over-the-top Brazilian steakhouse, here are 50 buffets well worth stopping in for a visit." ]

[ "All the best-laid New Year's resolution plans to eat better can go out the window when the midday meal rolls around at work. To help you make healthier and more delicious choices, we asked Under Armour chef Dan Churchill for some better ideas.", "Every few years, Texas Monthly Magazine compiles a list of the top 50 barbecue joints in the state. But if there's one thing Texas does as well as barbecue, it's tacos. That's why Texas Monthly has hired a taco editor, whose job it is to tell readers all about the best taco joints in Texas. His name is José Ralat, and he's spent years traveling the world, eating and writing about some of the best tacos money can buy. He's even written a book...", "The \"fake\" meat trend is everywhere: at restaurants, in grocery stores, and even at fast-food chains. Here, healthy food pros break down what's really in these patties and what you should know about eating one.", "14 years ago this month I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. This experience has shaped how I approach my health - working out, eating well, and always thinking about my blood sugar and insulin needs. You can't always see what goes into managing an invisible illness, and Type 1 diabetes can feel lonely and isolating. That's why I co-founded @BeyondType1 in 2015, to make sure no one feels alone with this diagnosis and to share how you can thrive...", "Don't feel like cooking a turkey this year? You can order a Cracker Barrel Thanksgiving dinner to bring home, or eat at the restaurant on T-Day.", "Have a grandparent from one of these countries? You can get another passport. Buzz60's Natasha Abellard has the story.", "This mother pig has her hands full with ten hungry little newborn piglets to take care of. They were born just two days before this video was taken. The pigs are wild and they live on the edge of a jungle around a village on Vava'u Island in Tonga. Pigs are farmed here but they often run free, grazing and eating whatever they can find. Many pigs are fully wild, like this one and they can be seen foraging for food in compost heaps, farmer's fields, and under fruit trees. This very loving mother has ten piglets and they are extremely hungry. She lies down on the ground every few hours to let them feed. They nurse hungrily, climbing on each other adorably as they scramble for a chance at the best milk. This mother was also seen hiding her piglets in a little thicket so she could lie down beside them and sleep. Fiercely protective, the mother pig would be a formidable opponent for any dog or other predator who decided to try harming one of these little piglets. They will feed and grow rapidly under her watchful eye. They will need to be fast and strong if they want to survive life in the jungle. Tonga is a beautiful Kingdom with islands surrounded by crystal blue water. A visit here is like stepping back in time as guests witness a simple lifestyle and traditional ways. The Kingdom has not been industrialized as heavily as North America or Europe, and the people here enjoy a beautiful and natural home. But life is also hard and they work for everything, including food. Pigs like these are harvested as a food source by many. Hopefully, these little piglets will learn quickly and keep their wits about them.", "DENVER The Colorado Department of Transportation is urging drivers to avoid or delay driving in the Denver Metro Monday morning due to the snowy and icy conditions. CDOT says all state offices in the Denver Metro and Colorado Springs areas will open at 10 a.m. Monday. You can see a full list of closures and delays here. CDOT is also asking drivers to avoid driving the I-25 South Gap from ...", "As our understanding of nutrition has evolved, we've learned that eating earlier in the day can be more favorable for shedding pounds, while eating later can interfere with weight loss -- and for more than one reason.", "At a typical brewpub, the pitch would be something like this: \"All you can drink beer!\" But Moody Tongue isn't a typical brewpub. In fact, don't even call it a brewpub. \"It's a restaurant,\" Moody Tongue co-founder Jared Rouben said. The endless 8-ounce pours of pilsner at The Dining Room at Moody Tongue, which opens Tuesday, therefore aren't an all-you-can-drink type of thing. The weighty ...", "The 2006 Concept S was a one-off meant to go into production. It never did, and you can own the only running example.", "This is the hilarious moment an astonished Brit stumbled upon two kangaroos chomping on TOILET ROLL in the men's loos. Video shows one kangaroo munching away on hand roll in the middle of the room while the other can be spotted in a cubicle eating loo roll. Matt Trayner, 29, can be heard saying: \"Lads, what is going on?! They're eating the toilet paper! Guys, that's not nutritious - what are you doing?!\" He filmed the bizarre scene after drinking with his girlfriend and pals on their first night of camping in Flinders Ranges National Park in south Australia. This video was filmed October 25th 2019.", "You've heard that eating clean can give you more energy (in life and at the gym), and can help you lose weight and keep it off, but how do you get started?", "EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) Michigan State's basketball team is ranked No. 1 in the preseason for the first time and is looking forward to validating the votes. \"Now you have to go out and prove why you're ranked No. 1,\" All-America guard Cassius Winston said. The Spartans will find out soon if they're that good because Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo has put together one of his toughest schedules even for him. Izzo regularly tests his teams during...", "We've all been upset with our boss, but have you ever been this upset? Buzz60's Tony Spitz has the details.", "Fall for Greenville, the veritable Greenville food festival is upon us again. But with 47 restaurants, how do you choose what to eat?", "From a preview, I can tell if I'll like a movie. The best ones tease you without giving away plot points or revealing every funny line.", "NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - When it comes to shopping, you're probably always on the lookout for the best deal possible. But could some discounted products just be a dud, and could those duds also be harmful? Consumer Investigator Lindsay Bramson explains what you need to look for the next time you're trying to score a deal on beauty products. It's all about looking your best and just about everywhere you go, you can purchase products for your lips,...", "GRINNELL, Iowa -- A snow-trodden field and empty stands is all that remains of an abruptly shortened football season for Grinnell College, but 130 years ago it was place where history was made. \"It`s cool. It`s one of those deals where you tell people that and they think you are joking,\" said Ted Schultz, Grinnell College's sports information director. In the fall of 1889, the University of ...", "Despite what you may have read or heard, Flacco can be easily moved by Denver and his restructure didn't add any additional cap burden onto Denver.", "Fans of Queen certainly went all out for a one of a kind opportunity to perform some of their iconic hits! Buzz60's Mercer Morrison has the story.", "The kids at Covedale School marched to the cafeteria Thursday in their Halloween's best for the school's annual Halloween parade. Fifth-grader Kaylee Bull led the pack. Sign up for our Newsletters \"She can't walk or talk or eat like you or I would. She has a feeding tube,\" said her mom, Allison Buelterman. Bull has cerebral palsy, and uses a wheelchair. When she was three she had to have two emergency surgeries and was in the hospital for...", "The old slogan \"You are what you eat\" contains a reasonable amount of truth. The same goes for your car, as the quality of the fuel you use can greatly influences how it performs", "An inappropriate joke made during a North Surry High School Improv Club performance, prompts Surry County Schools officials to issue a release Wednesday. According to a release from Surry County Schools, team members and a sponsor started an improvisation about jobs at the White House, which included an inappropriate joke about the President. School counselor, Mr. James Moore, one of the sponsors of the Improv Club, stated, \"At no time did I...\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBWJlkC.html\t[]\t[{\"Label\": \"White House\", \"Type\": \"F\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q35525\", \"Confidence\": 0.921, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [274], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"White House\"]}]\nN42756\tfoodanddrink\tnewstrends\tCentral Florida veteran preps new classroom for healthy eating\tChef Rich Rosado gave WESH 2 News a tour of his new cooking school that will open its doors on Nov. 25th. We first met Chef Rich in 2018, promoting his passion after attending UCF's Veteran Business Incubator. Sign up for our Newsletters A decade ago, the Marine veteran started 1pl8, a full-on refresh of food as the best medicine for life. \"We can produce a meal for you and you can do the same thing. In 7 minutes you'll have the perfect meal for...", "As the old saying goes, \"When in Texas, eat barbecue\" … or something like that. So while we were on the road following the Nationals to the World Series, we thought we would do just that. When you ask any Houstonian, \"who has the best barbecue in town?\" the answer is always the same; Ronnie Killen. So we decided to take a drive down to Pearland, Texas to check it out for ourselves. It was there we met owner and pit master Ronnie Killen. This guy...", "A site trailer for a nonprofit that serves weekly hot meals to people in need was stolen Tuesday out of Bastrop County before employees found it dismantled and burglarized, the nonprofit said. The damage and missing property will cost them thousands of dollars, employees with Feed the Need Missions said. \"If you, or someone you know, has a way to help recoup some of these items or maybe even ...\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBWIyOc.html\t[]\t[{\"Label\": \"Bastrop County, Texas\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q108436\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [104], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Bastrop County\"]}]\nN26247\tnews\tnewsus\tVenice floods: swimming across St. Mark's square\tWith St. Mark's square in Venice flooded on Tuesday evening one man thought it was the perfect occasion to work on his swimming style.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBWGQG4.html\t[{\"Label\": \"St Mark's Basilica\", \"Type\": \"F\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q172988\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [31], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"St. Mark's\"]}, {\"Label\": \"Venice\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q641\", \"Confidence\": 0.99, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [0], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Venice\"]}]\t[{\"Label\": \"St Mark's Basilica\", \"Type\": \"F\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q172988\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [5], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"St. Mark's\"]}, {\"Label\": \"Venice\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q641\", \"Confidence\": 0.99, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [26], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Venice\"]}]\nN51517\tfoodanddrink\tnewstrends\tThis Denver Barbecue Joint Is One of the Country's Best\tWhether you crave smoked brisket, baby back ribs, pulled pork, or something else, you can find it on this list of the best barbecue joints in every state in America. From burnt tips and sausage to St. Louis-style ribs mopped with sauce, our list of the best BBQ has got you covered across the U.S., including a Denver favorite.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBVAf21.html\t[{\"Label\": \"Denver\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q16554\", \"Confidence\": 0.983, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [5], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Denver\"]}]\t[{\"Label\": \"Denver\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q16554\", \"Confidence\": 0.983, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [311], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Denver\"]}, {\"Label\": \"St. Louis-style barbecue\", \"Type\": \"U\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q7589551\", \"Confidence\": 0.999, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [197], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"St. Louis-style\"]}, {\"Label\": \"United States\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q30\", \"Confidence\": 0.999, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [157, 293], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"America\", \"U.S.\"]}]\nN63542\tfinance\tfinance-credit\tThe Best Credit Cards of 2019\tToday's popular credit cards come with generous rewards, standout bonus offers, long zero percent intro periods and low fees.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBRGvdJ.html\t[]\t[]\nN38735\tfinance\tfinance-taxes\tThe biggest tax havens in the world\tIt's tax season, and in the past couple of weeks you've probably been checking out your return or figuring out how you're going to pay your bill. Large corporations and wealthy individuals, though? They've figured out a way around that. These are the 20 countries that most often serve as tax havens, based mostly on research from activist group Oxfam.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBVd50O.html\t[]\t[{\"Label\": \"Oxfam\", \"Type\": \"O\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q267941\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [346], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Oxfam\"]}]\nN47405\tmovies\tmovies-gallery\tEvery DC Comics Movie Ranked From Worst to Best, Including 'Joker'\tHow does the origin movie \"Joker\" fare in our rankings?\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBRhoGh.html\t[{\"Label\": \"Joker (character)\", \"Type\": \"R\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q217533\", \"Confidence\": 0.977, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [60], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Joker\"]}, {\"Label\": \"DC Comics\", \"Type\": \"O\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q2924461\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [6], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"DC Comics\"]}]\t[{\"Label\": \"Joker (character)\", \"Type\": \"R\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q217533\", \"Confidence\": 0.977, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [27], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Joker\"]}]\nN18724\ttv\ttv-gallery\t100 best TV shows of all time\tStacker explores the 100 top-rated TV shows of all time. The shows with the highest IMDb score are ranked the highest, with #1 being the best TV show of all time, as rated by IMDb users, and with ties broken by the number of votes.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBUWbc3.html\t[]\t[{\"Label\": \"IMDb\", \"Type\": \"M\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q37312\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [84, 175], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"IMDb\", \"IMDb\"]}]\nN37051\tnews\tnewsscienceandtechnology\tLaunch schedule: Upcoming Florida rocket launches and landings\tIf schedules hold, Florida's Space Coast could see up to three dozen launches in 2019 thanks to missions that will fly on SpaceX and ULA rockets.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBUPAyN.html\t[]\t[{\"Label\": \"United Launch Alliance\", \"Type\": \"O\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q1236833\", \"Confidence\": 0.999, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [133], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"ULA\"]}, {\"Label\": \"SpaceX\", \"Type\": \"O\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q193701\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [122], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"SpaceX\"]}, {\"Label\": \"Space Coast\", \"Type\": \"U\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q2920489\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [19], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Florida's Space Coast\"]}]\nN23167\tlifestyle\tshop-all\tWe Tested 6 Wireless Car Chargers on a 1,600-Mile Road Trip to Find the Best One\tKeep your smartphone alive on long drives!\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBUuJPJ.html\t[]\t[]\nN9751\tfinance\tfinance-retirement\t11 Social Security mistakes you can avoid\tSocial Security's complicated, but it's worth the effort to learn the facts.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBV0eGF.html\t[{\"Label\": \"Social Security (United States)\", \"Type\": \"U\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q13479957\", \"Confidence\": 0.999, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [3], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Social Security\"]}]\t[{\"Label\": \"Social Security (United States)\", \"Type\": \"U\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q13479957\", \"Confidence\": 0.999, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [0], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Social Security\"]}]\nN3689\ttravel\ttravelarticle\tThe Slaughterhouse moves downtown, announces Krampusnacht celebration\tThe haunted attraction has become a staple in Iowa and will be moving to the old Bank of America building at 317 Sixth Avenue.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBWLaoz.html\t[]\t[{\"Label\": \"Haunted attraction (simulated)\", \"Type\": \"C\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q1139917\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [4], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"haunted attraction\"]}, {\"Label\": \"Bank of America\", \"Type\": \"O\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q487907\", \"Confidence\": 0.999, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [81], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Bank of America\"]}, {\"Label\": \"Iowa\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q1546\", \"Confidence\": 0.989, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [46], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Iowa\"]}]\nN38311\tentertainment\tcelebrity\tCelebrity PDA of 2019\tSee the stars kissing and hugging on the red carpet and out and about!\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBUmgXM.html\t[]\t[]\nN23585\tnews\tnewsworld\tBangladesh train collision kills at least 12 and injures 100\tAt least 12 people have been killed and around 100 others injured after two trains collided in eastern Bangladesh in the early hours of Tuesday morning.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBWDuIE.html\t[{\"Label\": \"Bangladesh\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q902\", \"Confidence\": 0.995, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [0], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Bangladesh\"]}]\t[{\"Label\": \"Bangladesh\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q902\", \"Confidence\": 0.995, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [103], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Bangladesh\"]}]\nN15806\tweather\tweathertopstories\tJapan weather bureau says 60% chance of no El Nino, La Nina through spring\tJapan weather bureau says 60% chance of no El Nino, La Nina through spring\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBWzaGa.html\t[{\"Label\": \"La Niu00f1a\", \"Type\": \"U\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q642867\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [52], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"La Nina\"]}, {\"Label\": \"El Niu00f1o\", \"Type\": \"U\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q7939\", \"Confidence\": 0.997, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [43], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"El Nino\"]}, {\"Label\": \"Japan\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q5287\", \"Confidence\": 0.992, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [0], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Japan\"]}]\t[{\"Label\": \"La Niu00f1a\", \"Type\": \"U\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q642867\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [52], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"La Nina\"]}, {\"Label\": \"El Niu00f1o\", \"Type\": \"U\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q7939\", \"Confidence\": 0.997, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [43], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"El Nino\"]}, {\"Label\": \"Japan\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q5287\", \"Confidence\": 0.992, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [0], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Japan\"]}]\nN41334\tlifestyle\tvoices\tI'm 29, and I Love Spending Time With My 55-Year-Old Parents\tIs it weird that they're my best friends?\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBWiyO8.html\t[]\t[]\nN49165\tnews\tnewsscienceandtechnology\tDeath Stranding's Hideo Kojima wins Guinness World Record for social media following\tThe beloved video game director is the most followed on Twitter and Instagram.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBWAAOe.html\t[{\"Label\": \"Hideo Kojima\", \"Type\": \"P\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q315577\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [18], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Hideo Kojima\"]}, {\"Label\": \"Death Stranding\", \"Type\": \"W\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q24666782\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [0], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Death Stranding\"]}]\t[]\nN41795\tmusic\tmusic-awards\tSee what your favorite country music stars looked like at the beginning of their careers\tYou won't believe what these country singers looked like way back when.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBVxgvL.html\t[]\t[]\nN20265\tsports\tbasketball_ncaa\tPenn 75, La Salle 59. Stats, highlights, and reaction from Quakers' win\tPenn had walked into the Palestra Wednesday night with a five-game Big 5 winning streak ... but that had been the only Quakers winning streak coming in, after Saturday's 80-61 loss at Rice had extinguished the glow of a season-opening victory at Alabama. At halftime Wednesday against La Salle, keeping the City Series run seemed very much in doubt, until the Quakers found a quick rhythm after ...\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBWIyRn.html\t[]\t[{\"Label\": \"Philadelphia Big 5\", \"Type\": \"O\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q9059071\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [67], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Big 5\"]}, {\"Label\": \"Palestra\", \"Type\": \"S\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q7127443\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [25], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Palestra\"]}, {\"Label\": \"City Series (Philadelphia)\", \"Type\": \"U\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q5123419\", \"Confidence\": 0.986, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [307], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"City Series\"]}, {\"Label\": \"Alabama\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q173\", \"Confidence\": 0.987, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [246], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Alabama\"]}]\nN49005\tnews\tnewspolitics\tSome big names in energy endorse drastic climate action\tWASHINGTON - A climate change think tank working with some of the world's largest energy companies is pressing Congress to take drastic action to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, including a drastic cut in carbon-emitting vehicles and an end to subsidies for fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas. Among the companies whose names were listed on the report, which is set to presented to Congress by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions...\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBWGQgQ.html\t[]\t[{\"Label\": \"United States Congress\", \"Type\": \"B\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q11268\", \"Confidence\": 0.99, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [111, 391], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Congress\", \"Congress\"]}, {\"Label\": \"Center for Climate and Energy Solutions\", \"Type\": \"O\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q5059547\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [407], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Center for Climate and Energy Solutions\"]}, {\"Label\": \"United States\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q30\", \"Confidence\": 0.941, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [150], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"U.S.\"]}]\nN49699\tfoodanddrink\ttipsandtricks\tThis Is Exactly How Long Hard Boiled Eggs Last\tBeware before you bite.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBVAxVY.html\t[]\t[]\nN49577\tsports\tgolf\tEuropean Tour's Race to Dubai finish struggles to get buy-in from top players\tOnly four of the top 10 golfers in the latest Race to Dubai standings have committed to play in the European Tour's final three events\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBWpB7v.html\t[{\"Label\": \"PGA European Tour\", \"Type\": \"O\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q121571\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [0], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"European Tour's Race to Dubai\"]}]\t[{\"Label\": \"PGA European Tour\", \"Type\": \"O\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q121571\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [46, 100], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Race to Dubai\", \"European Tour\"]}]\nN21512\tlifestyle\tlifestylecareer\t24 signs you have a terrible boss, and how to stop them from crushing your happiness\tKnow the signs of a terrible boss from gossiping to throwing tantrums so you can get out before it's too late.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBVd9iM.html\t[]\t[]\nN55887\tfoodanddrink\tvideos\tEXTRA SHARP: How to Make Challah Cinnamon French Toast\tThe addition of fresh orange zest really makes this French toast pop, so don't skip it.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBRhobD.html\t[{\"Label\": \"French toast\", \"Type\": \"C\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q197973\", \"Confidence\": 0.998, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [42], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"French Toast\"]}]\t[{\"Label\": \"French toast\", \"Type\": \"C\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q197973\", \"Confidence\": 0.998, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [52], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"French toast\"]}]\nN63910\tfoodanddrink\trecipes\tThese Tasty Shrimp Appetizers Are Sure to Please\tShrimp=guaranteed crowd pleaser.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBUWdGi.html\t[]\t[]\nN62763\tfinance\tmarkets\tHistory of gold and which countries have the most\tFind out more about the history of gold in the United States and which countries have the largest gold reserves today. This ranked list comes from 2018 data from the International Monetary Fund.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBUDRrz.html\t[]\t[{\"Label\": \"International Monetary Fund\", \"Type\": \"O\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q7804\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [166], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"International Monetary Fund\"]}, {\"Label\": \"United States\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q30\", \"Confidence\": 0.997, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [47], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"United States\"]}]\nN16317\tentertainment\tcelebrity\tStars who came out\tFind out how these celebs revealed their sexual or gender identities to the world.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBUPCH9.html\t[]\t[]\nN27738\tnews\tnewspolitics\tHouse to hear from US official who said he overheard Trump, Sondland call\tIn a closed-door deposition, House investigators will hear from David Holmes, the U.S. embassy official who overheard Trump and Sondland speak about \"the investigations.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBWO5CR.html\t[{\"Label\": \"Donald Trump\", \"Type\": \"P\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q22686\", \"Confidence\": 0.999, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [53], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Trump\"]}]\t[{\"Label\": \"Donald Trump\", \"Type\": \"P\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q22686\", \"Confidence\": 0.999, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [118], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Trump\"]}, {\"Label\": \"United States\", \"Type\": \"G\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q30\", \"Confidence\": 0.999, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [82], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"U.S.\"]}]\nN18381\tfoodanddrink\trecipes\t15 Low-Maintenance Dump Dinners That Basically Make Themselves\tDump dinner (noun): An easy, hands-off dinner recipe where you dump a bunch of ingredients together before cooking.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBV0kv5.html\t[{\"Label\": \"Low maintenance\", \"Type\": \"U\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q16864994\", \"Confidence\": 1.0, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [3], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Low-Maintenance\"]}]\t[]\nN59059\tnews\tnewsus\tApartments for rent in Newark: What will $2,600 get you?\tCurious just how far your dollar goes in Newark real estate? From budget apartments to luxury apartments, here's what you can get locally by price point, with photos and amenities.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBWLapE.html\t[]\t[]\nN45561\tnews\tnewsphotos\tInside the world's largest plane, which has a wingspan longer than a football field and a mysterious new owner\tThe Stratolaunch is 238 feet long, 50 feet tall, and has a 385-foot wingspan. It made its first flight in April.\thttps://assets.msn.com/labs/mind/BBUmvkw.html\t[]\t[{\"Label\": \"Stratolaunch Systems\", \"Type\": \"O\", \"WikidataId\": \"Q620534\", \"Confidence\": 0.965, \"OccurrenceOffsets\": [4], \"SurfaceForms\": [\"Stratolaunch\"]}]\nN53512\tsports\tbasketball_ncaa\tJalen Wilson's surgery deemed successful; recovery time 10 to 12 weeks, KU's Self says\tLAWRENCE -- Kansas freshman Jalen Wilson had successful surgery on his left ankle on Monday, KU coach Bill Self confirmed to The Star in a text message. \"Surgery went well. Same rehab. Ten to 12 weeks,\" Self said. Wilson's mom, Lisa, earlier Monday reported on Twitter that the surgery, \"went great. Thank u for your prayers.\" Also, after surgery, Jalen Wilson tweeted: \"Thank you ...", "Being a pet owner is a real pleasure. Our furry friends bring us joy, comfort, and offer companionship. In turn, we have a duty to treat them right and care for their needs. We want them to be happy and healthy, after all. Are you doing the best you can? Let's take a look at some of the secrets that your vet wished you knew about your pet.", "WalletHub released its 2019 Best Small Cities in America list. Do you agree with the rankings?", "October 17 has been dubbed National Pasta Day, and we're not mad about it. Pasta is a classic dish that can be fast and easy if you're cooking up store-bought options, but it can also be a time-consuming affair if you're making your noodles from scratch. If you want to go out to eat today, there's lots of options to get a deal: Macaroni Grill: First responders including police officers, firefighters, EMTs, emergency service personnel, paramedics...", "The Big Apple, the City That Never Sleeps, Gotham whatever you call it, New York City is alluring all year round. We might be biased, given the location of our headquarters, but we think it's one of the greatest cities in the country. Between the museums, the parks, the red-hot restaurant scene and the …", "Chef Rachael Ray has spent nearly two decades delivering food to the public, through TV, cookbooks, events, grocery store shelves -- no restaurant, though. But this month, Ray announced a partnership with Uber Eats for a \"virtual restaurant,\" her first-ever restaurant concept of any kind, she said. It begins Tuesday in Chicago -- part of a nationwide launch -- and runs through the end of 2019. ...", "Dining out is one of life's simpler pleasures. Here's how to enjoy it and save money while doing it, from smart approaches with credit cards or apps or just good eating practices whether you're happy to go casual, get takeout, or share meals, manage a bar tab better, or just need to look for restaurant trickery." ]

[ "By Matt Citak\nJacob deGrom has been unbelievable for the New York Mets this season.\nIn 11 starts, the 29-year-old right-hander has recorded an impressive 1.52 ERA. This incredible mark currently leads the National League, and has deGrom ranked second in ERA in all of baseball, trailing only Houston’s Justin Verlander and his 1.11 ERA.\nThrough 65.1 innings, deGrom has allowed a mere 11 earned runs while racking up 85 strikeouts and recording a 1.01 WHIP.\nYet two months into the season, despite being one of the top performers in the National League, deGrom has been the winning pitcher in just four contests due to the lack of overall support from his teammates.\nOver his last seven starts, deGrom has pitched to an unworldly 0.45 ERA. One of the biggest reasons for this has been his ability to work himself out of a jam- opposing hitters are hitless in their last 28 at-bats against deGrom with runners in scoring position.\nHowever five of those starts resulted in no decisions for the righty, while only two ended with him as the winning pitcher.\nFor example, let’s take a look at his most recent outing.\nOn Monday, deGrom tossed a masterful seven innings during the first game of New York’s doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves. He allowed one earned run on five hits with eight strikeouts, needing 115 pitches to get through the seven frames. He exited the game with the Mets leading 2-1, hopeful the bullpen could hold on to the lead to earn him his fifth win of 2018.\nBut, the normally reliable Seth Lugo allowed a run in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game, and after the Mets took the lead back in the top of the ninth, surrendered a two-run walk-off home run to pinch-hitter Charlie Cluberson.\nIt was Cluberson’s first home run since September 25, 2016.\nUnfortunately that has been the story of the 2018 season for deGrom and the Mets, who have failed to take advantage of the games with the team’s ace on the mound.\nBefore Monday’s loss to the Braves, deGrom threw an absolute gem five days earlier against the Miami Marlins. The starting pitcher threw seven shutout innings of four-hit ball and left the game with a 1-0 lead, just to watch Mets closer Jeurys Familia give up two runs in the top of the ninth.\nThis is nothing new for deGrom and the Mets. In fact, deGrom has never left a start while trailing this season. Yet somehow, the Mets are 5-6 on the year in his starts, a statistic that’s hard to fathom considering his 1.52 ERA. But game after game, the bullpen has found a way to crumble and spoil his dominant performances.\nNow in his fifth season in the majors, deGrom has left the game with a lead just to watch the Mets bullpen blow it an astounding 22 times throughout his young career…\nWhile the relief pitching has been bad, the Mets’ lineup has not been doing their part this year either.\nIn those six losses with the team’s No. 1 pitcher on the hill, the Mets have been able to score just 15 runs of offense, with six coming in one contest alone.\nOn the other hand, deGrom has allowed only four earned runs in 33.1 innings during those same six games.\nIt’s almost remarkable how little help deGrom has received from his teammates this season, between the lack of run support and the continuous failures of the bullpen. But with the latest injury to Noah Syndergaard, along with the inconsistent play from the rest of the starting rotation, the Mets can ill afford to waste such strong outings from the team’s best pitcher and current Cy Young candidate.\nIf the Mets want to salvage the season and make a true playoff run this year, they need to start by providing Jacob deGrom with the run and bullpen support that the ace deserves.\nMatt Citak is a contributor for CBS Local Sports and a proud Vanderbilt alum. Follow him on Twitter." ]

[ "Though the operation is a slight setback for Vargas, it also could provide a fleeting but symbolic moment for the Mets.\n“Something that I’ve been thinking about and wanting to do for a while,” Wheeler, who was fighting to make the opening day roster, said of the five starters all pitching at once. “Fans have, too.”\nThe Mets did not initially plan to build around their five talented starters, all of whom have fastballs in excess of 94 miles per hour. While Harvey (in 2010) and Matz (in 2009) were drafted in the first and second rounds, the Mets traded for Wheeler in 2011 and for Syndergaard a year later.\nCatcher Travis d’Arnaud, not Syndergaard, was the centerpiece of a 2012 trade with Toronto. DeGrom, a ninth-round pick, blossomed into a top prospect for the Mets after converting from shortstop to pitcher.\nBut once Syndergaard and Matz reached the major leagues in 2015, the Mets dreamed big. Harvey was having a dominant season. DeGrom had been named the National League Rookie of the Year the season before. The only one missing was Wheeler, who had debuted in 2013 and was still recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2015.\nPhoto\n“But we’ve all been hurt at different times, so it hasn’t come to fruition,” said Wheeler, who will start in Vargas’s place on Thursday in spring training.\nWhen the Mets lost the World Series to the Kansas City Royals at the end of that 2015 season, many believed the Mets’ potent rotation would keep them in contention for years.\nAdvertisement Continue reading the main story\n“We’re here to stay,” Harvey said after the Mets clinched the 2015 N.L. East division crown. “We’re here to do this more often.”\nNewsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters.\nInjuries scuttled that plan. Harvey, a free agent after this season, hasn’t been the same since that World Series. Wheeler, 27, was supposed to return for the second half of the 2016 season but endured several setbacks. The Mets reached the 2016 wild card game despite DeGrom, Matz and Harvey having had surgery that year.\nThe closest the Mets ever got to having all five starters in the same rotation was last season, but Matz, now 26, landed on the disabled list with an elbow injury a week before the season began. Syndergaard, Wheeler and Harvey joined him there later in the season. DeGrom was the only Mets starter to play through the entire disappointing 2017 season.\nAnd now, some of them aren’t so young by baseball standards: Harvey will be 29 soon and deGrom will turn 30 in June.\nVargas, 35, was signed last month to a two-year $16 million contract to provide stability, but he was hit by a line drive on his right hand during a start in a minor league game last week. Doctors recommend the removal of the broken bone.\n“This was the fastest way to get better,” Vargas said on Monday after throwing a bullpen session with the laces of his glove loosened to fit his taped-up right hand. He then packed his bags to fly to New York for the operation.\n“Being my glove hand, hopefully we can get moving a little bit quicker and know I won’t have any issues when I go to catch a ball,” he added.\nThe specter of seeing all five starters in the same rotation, even once, elicited no nicknames or fanfare from Alderson.\n“We’re past that,” he said. “It’s about winning games and being competitive.”", "ATLANTA — Welcome to bizarro world for the Mets.\nNow it’s the suddenly productive lineup bailing out a slumping starting rotation. You know, the same lineup that couldn’t score runs with Yoenis Cespedes playing, but has improved with the All-Star outfielder on the disabled list.\nSomehow it all makes perfect sense for a team that was expected to compete for first place, but began Wednesday in last. That was before the Mets beat the Braves 16-5 at SunTrust Park for a second victory in three games and moved ahead of Atlanta in the standings.\nThe beauty of this one for the Mets (12-15) was they received contributions from the entire lineup and didn’t even hit a home run in scoring at least five runs for a seventh straight game. Jose Reyes led the rampage with a 2-for-4 performance in which he matched a career high with five RBIs, on a night the Mets hammered out 20 hits — nine of which were doubles.\n“We were hitting with men in scoring position, so that is what you want,” Reyes said. “Hopefully we can continue to play like this. Not that we are going to score 16 runs every game, but if you get a key hit with two outs and runners in scoring position, that is huge.”\nThe starting pitching is another matter.\nHanded a six-run lead in the fifth, Jacob deGrom staggered through his final inning to barely qualify for the victory. The right-hander allowed five earned runs on eight hits and five walks, marking a return of the control problems that surfaced two starts earlier against the Nationals. In that start he walked six over 5 ²/₃ innings.\n“I feel good early on, but I don’t know what’s happening later in the game,” deGrom said. “I don’t know if I am trying to do too much out there and for some reason lose control, and it’s not a very good effort for me tonight.”\nAt least deGrom contributed at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance that included two RBIs.\n“I guess I have to do something good when I go out there and stink on the mound,” deGrom said.\nSo in succession the Mets have watched Noah Syndergaard — before he tore his right lat and hit the DL — Robert Gsellman, Matt Harvey and deGrom struggle. Overall, the Mets entered play with a 4.56 ERA among starting pitchers, which ranked 24th in the major leagues.\nJosh Edgin, Addison Reed, Fernando Salas and Josh Smoker each pitched a scoreless inning after Jace Peterson’s two-run double against deGrom (2-1) in the fifth had sliced the Mets’ lead to 9-5.\nThe Mets seized control with four runs in the fifth, with Curtis Granderson’s second double of the night serving as the key hit. But Rene Rivera and deGrom each delivered a run-scoring single after Reyes’ sacrifice fly.\n“We have a good offensive team,” manager Terry Collins said. “And you knew at some time we were going to start getting some hits.”\nReyes iced the game with a three-run double in the eighth. The Mets scored seven runs in the inning to ensure their highest scoring output of the season. Previously, the Mets had scored in 14 runs in a victory over the Phillies on April 11.\nIn his second start this season against his former teammates, Bartolo Colon lasted just four innings and allowed five earned runs on seven hits and two walks. It continued a slump for the 43-year-old Colon, who has surrendered at least four earned runs in each of his last three starts and is now sporting a 6.27 ERA in his six starts this season.\nColon relied heavily on his offspeed pitches, but the Mets weren’t fooled.\n“He threw more tonight than he did in a month for us, maybe the last three years,” Collins said. “We were all pretty surprised.”", "PORT ST. LUCIE -- Dust off the Five Aces posters from 2016 or '17. The day may finally have arrived when the Mets' five pitchers, formerly known as all aces, will be in the same rotation for at least one turn.\nWith Jason Vargas having surgery to remove the hamate bone from his right, non-pitching, hand Tuesday, it is shaping up for the first time to have the Big Five, as they were once called, in the same rotation.\nZack Wheeler is slotting into Vargas's spot for the final week of spring training and should be\njoining the other highly-touted one-time top pitching prospects -- Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Steven Matz -- in the rotation for the first time.\nMickey Callaway says Mets lefty Steven Matz showed ‘conviction’\nBut Sandy Alderson wasn't all that sentimental about the one-time Fab Five getting together.\n\"Me personally, no,\" Alderson said if it meant anything to see the one-time dream rotation together for the first time. \"We're past that. It's about winning games and being competitive.\"\n(L-R) Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler. (Marc Serota/Getty Images)\nThe Mets GM said all winter that the key to winning games and being competitive in 2018 was the health of his rotation. In fact, that's why Alderson smartly went out and signed Vargas last month as insurance against the injuries that have plagued theses five hard-throwing pitchers.\nSo, what's the rush with Vargas?\nMets' Jason Vargas hoping for quick recovery from hand surgery\nMonday, the Mets were not ready to rule out Vargas for the start of the season, despite the fact that he will have surgery just nine days before Opening Day. Technically, even if the Mets put Vargas on the disabled list to start the season, they could get through the start of the season without a fifth starter and let him slot in during the second turn through the rotation.\n\"We haven't determined that yet, right now we're trying to kind of evaluate what's kind of going on and where he can pitch next,\" Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. \"He threw a good bullpen this morning.\"\nWell, he kind of threw a bullpen.\nVargas threw the ball to the catcher Monday morning, but needed bullpen catcher Dave Racaniello standing next to him on the bullpen mound to catch the return throw from the catcher and place the ball back in his hands. The Mets put out that Vargas will be able to resume his throwing program five days after surgery, which means he will still be able to stretch out.\nVargas' injury proof Mets made right move to get SP insurance\nJason Vargas is set to have surgery on Tuesday. (Howard Simmons/New York Daily News)\n\"When you are talking about five days, not going to lose arm strength, especially with a guy like Vargas, who is going to rely on command and it's not going to be too hard to get his 84 (miles an hour) again,\" Callaway said with a laugh.\nVargas said he chose the surgery because it was the best option \"to have a normal hand in six weeks.\" He will have to be able to squeeze his glove to catch the ball and defend himself on the mound.\n\"Regardless if I would have fixed it or not, I wouldn't have been able to do the things that you have to do at the plate,\" Vargas said. \"But being my glove hand, hopefully we can get moving a little bit quicker and know we're not going to have any issues when I go to catch a ball or when I have an impact.\"\nAlderson said Monday that the hamate bone has also affected Vargas' \"motor nerves\" in his hand and he would not give a timetable for his return.\nTravis d’Arnaud making case for more playing time with Mets\nZack Wheeler is expected to slot into Jason Vargas’ spot in the rotation. (John Bazemore/AP)\n\"It's a matter of the pain subsiding and the motor function coming back,\" Alderson said. \"That's just a matter of time. He pitched today, I expect he will continue to pitch, then it really becomes a question of when the surgical wound has healed, the pain has subsided to some extent and his grip strength comes back sufficiently. He'll be able to pitch. We're optimistic, I am not here to make a prediction as to when it will happen.\"\nOther than the Mets needing Wheeler in the bullpen or the Mets being concerned that the five would pitch so well it would be hard to find a spot to slot Vargas, who they gave a two-year, $16 million deal to, there is no reason that they shouldn't be cautious.\nAnd all the trials and tribulations of Wheeler, Harvey, Matz, Syndergaard and deGrom have been through since their names first came onto the radar back in 2012 should be a reminder that patience is important. The Mets made the right move getting insurance for their rotation, now, they should use it.\nSign up for BREAKING NEWS Emails privacy policy Thanks for subscribing!", "FILE- In this Oct. 1, 2017, file photo, Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jason Vargas throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Kansas City, Mo. Vargas is expected to miss four to six weeks after fracturing a bone in his right hand. The 35-year-old Vargas was hit on the hand by a line drive during a minor league game Friday, March 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)\nFILE- In this Oct. 1, 2017, file photo, Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jason Vargas throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Kansas City, Mo. Vargas is expected to miss four to six weeks after fracturing a bone in his right hand. The 35-year-old Vargas was hit on the hand by a line drive during a minor league game Friday, March 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)\nPORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) - Jason Vargas wants to make his regular-season debut with the New York Mets as soon as possible - even if takes more than a month past opening day.\nThe lefty could miss up to six weeks after he has surgery Tuesday for a broken right hand, an injury incurred last week when he was hit by a line drive during a minor league game.\nVargas met with a hand specialist over the weekend to talk about the test results. He then opted to have the operation.\n\"I don't know if I was surprised,\" Vargas said. \"It kind of reinforced what some of the CT scans and how they were read the first time. Getting the word from the specialist is kind of the defining fact on what needed to be done. This is the fastest way to get better.\"\nVargas threw a bullpen session Monday morning, but it wasn't without difficulty.\nThe 2017 All-Star had to loosen the laces on his glove to get his right hand inside the mitt, then tightened the laces to keep his pitching balance the same. And he didn't take a return throw from his catcher.\n\"It's all going to depend on how things go post-op, but the word is I should get back to throwing in about five days after surgery. It's definitely a positive that I won't have to be shut down and have to rebuild a throwing program,\" Vargas said.\n\"Hopefully we don't lose too much because of how fast we're able to get back into throwing,\" he said.\nThe 35-year-old Vargas tied for the major league lead with 18 wins last season for Kansas City. He joined the Mets last month, signing a two-year contract for $16 million with an option for a third year.\nMets general manager Sandy Alderson said at the time he had his eye on Vargas from the start of free agency, saying he liked the durability the pitcher displayed by working nearly 180 innings in 32 starts last year in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery in 2015.\nVargas has played in the American League since making two starts for the Mets in 2007. Being back in the National League means he has to bat, which would be affected by his injured hand.\n\"Regardless if I would have fixed it or not, I wouldn't have been able to do the things you have to do at the plate, but being my glove hand, hopefully we can get to moving a little bit quicker and know that we're not going to have any issues when I go to catch a ball when I have an impact on it,\" said Vargas, who held his injured hand in front of his chest while speaking to the media.\nThe Mets open at home on March 29 against St. Louis. They won't need a fifth starter to follow opening day starter Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and likely Steven Matz until the middle of next month. Zack Wheeler is in position to be part of the rotation, too.\nThe Mets play games on 10 consecutive days beginning April 13 when they host the Milwaukee Brewers, bringing the fifth starter into play after two prior weeks with off days.\nNOTES: Star OF Yoenis Cespedes went 1 for 3 against Houston starter Justin Verlander and played six innings in the field. Cespedes had a cortisone shot last week for an injured right wrist. ... Wheeler tossed a simulated inning against Dominic Smith and Gavin Cecchini in the morning. The right-hander will start in place of Vargas when the Mets host Washington on Thursday. ... DeGrom will pitch a simulated game on Wednesday and close spring training in Monday's intrasquad game against Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas.", "Aaron Judge hit a tying home run in the sixth inning, Aaron Hicks and Gary Sanchez went deep in the eighth and the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Mets 4-2 Monday night in the first of four Subway Series matchups this week.\nCurtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes homered in the third inning off Luis Cessa to give the Mets a 2-0 lead at Yankee Stadium.\nSanchez started the Yankees' comeback with a sacrifice fly in the fourth against starter Rafael Montero. Two innings later, Judge hit his AL-leading 36th home run — just his sixth since the All-Star break. The ball was dropped in the right-center field bleachers by a fan wearing a Judge jersey.\nHicks, who returned last week from an oblique injury, homered against Hansel Robles (7-4) leading off the eighth, his career-best 12th of the season. Sanchez connected two batters later against Erik Goeddel. With 20 homers, Sanchez matched his total in his rookie season last year.\nDavid Robertson (6-2) pitched a hitless eighth, and Dellin Betances finished a six-hitter for his seventh save, throwing a called third strike past Mets rookie Amed Rosario to end the game with a runner on.\nYankees manager Joe Girardi rested closer Aroldis Chapman, who took the loss after blowing a ninth-inning lead against Boston on Sunday night and threw 46 pitches over the previous three days.\nWith their ninth win in 13 games against the Mets, the Yankees closed within 4 1/2 games of the AL East-leading Red Sox.\nThe Yankees had lost two of three to Boston over the weekend. After the Subway Series, they go to Fenway Park for three games.\n\"I've been laughing because our rivalry week is actually 10 days long,\" Girardi said.\nWhile the Yankees weren't playing an AL East rival, the crowd had an edge for a matchup of crosstown teams.\n\"It's big, because one of my best friends in New York is a Mets fan and I don't want to listen to him,\" Girardi said.\nWith the Mets out of contention and experimenting with prospects, Rosario, a 21-year-old shortstop, and 22-year-old first baseman Dominic Smith made their Subway Series debuts.\n\"This is as close to the playoffs as it gets,\" said Mets outfielder Michael Conforto, who entered with 10 home runs in his previous 25 games. \"It's that kind of atmosphere here in the Subway Series, so we're pretty fired up for it.\"\nTwo injury-ravaged rotations led to a matchup of starting pitchers who had combined for a 1-11 record this season.\nCessa was recalled from Triple-A to start because Masahiro Tanaka is sidelined with right shoulder inflammation. The Mets acquired Cespedes from Detroit two years ago in a trade that sent Cessa to the Tigers, who later dealt him to the Yankees.\nCessa allowed five hits in 4 1/3 innings and reached 99 mph with his fastball. The right-hander left after two visits to the mound from a trainer, stretching his arm. He had discomfort behind his pitching shoulder and is scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday.\nGranderson, who played for the Yankees from 2010-13, sent a low slider into the second deck in right. Cespedes reached out for a high fastball and drove it to right-center, where it ticked off the glove of a leaping Judge, hit the top of the wall and bounced over.\nSanchez's sacrifice fly traveled only 273 feet. Cespedes' throw from left was up the third-base line, and the speedy Hicks made a nice feet-first slide to the inside of the plate to evade catcher Rene Rivera.\nMontero gave up five hits over six innings and is 0-4 in eight outings since winning at San Francisco on June 25.\nWHIFF\nJudge took a called third strike in the first inning and has fanned in 31 consecutive games, five shy of the major league record for a position player set by Adam Dunn during his last four games in 2011 and first 32 the following year.\nTRAINER'S ROOM\nMets: All-Star closer Jeurys Familia, recovering from surgery in May to repair a blocked artery near his right armpit, is to make his first minor league rehabilitation appearance on Tuesday in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League. ... RHP Matt Harvey (stress injury to right shoulder) will make a second rehab appearance this week, but the Mets haven't determined where. Sidelined since mid-June, Harvey threw 18 pitches in one inning for Class A Brooklyn on Saturday. \"Hopefully, we can get the pitch count up,\" manager Terry Collins said. ... RHP Noah Syndergaard, who hasn't pitched since April 30, is to throw a bullpen session Tuesday for the first time since tearing a lat muscle.\nUP NEXT\nRHP Jacob deGrom (13-5) starts Tuesday night for the Mets against RHP Sonny Gray (6-7). DeGrom pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings to win at Philadelphia on Thursday, leaving after Nick Williams lined a single off his right triceps. Gray is 0-2 since the Yankees acquired him from Oakland, losing at Cleveland and Toronto.\n———\nMore AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball", "PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Jason Vargas wants to make his regular-season debut with the New York Mets as soon as possible — even if takes more than a month past opening day.\nThe lefty could miss up to six weeks after he has surgery Tuesday for a broken right hand, an injury incurred last week when he was hit by a line drive during a minor league game.\nVargas met with a hand specialist over the weekend to talk about the test results. He then opted to have the operation.\n\"I don't know if I was surprised,\" Vargas said. \"It kind of reinforced what some of the CT scans and how they were read the first time. Getting the word from the specialist is kind of the defining fact on what needed to be done. This is the fastest way to get better.\"\nVargas threw a bullpen session Monday morning, but it wasn't without difficulty.\nThe 2017 All-Star had to loosen the laces on his glove to get his right hand inside the mitt, then tightened the laces to keep his pitching balance the same. And he didn't take a return throw from his catcher.\n\"It's all going to depend on how things go post-op, but the word is I should get back to throwing in about five days after surgery. It's definitely a positive that I won't have to be shut down and have to rebuild a throwing program,\" Vargas said.\n\"Hopefully we don't lose too much because of how fast we're able to get back into throwing,\" he said.\nThe 35-year-old Vargas tied for the major league lead with 18 wins last season for Kansas City. He joined the Mets last month, signing a two-year contract for $16 million with an option for a third year.\nFILE- In this Oct. 1, 2017, file photo, Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jason Vargas throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Kansas City, Mo. Vargas is expected to miss four to six weeks after fracturing a bone in his right hand. The 35-year-old Vargas was hit on the hand by a line drive during a minor league game Friday, March 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)\nMets general manager Sandy Alderson said at the time he had his eye on Vargas from the start of free agency, saying he liked the durability the pitcher displayed by working nearly 180 innings in 32 starts last year in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery in 2015.\nVargas has played in the American League since making two starts for the Mets in 2007. Being back in the National League means he has to bat, which would be affected by his injured hand.\n\"Regardless if I would have fixed it or not, I wouldn't have been able to do the things you have to do at the plate, but being my glove hand, hopefully we can get to moving a little bit quicker and know that we're not going to have any issues when I go to catch a ball when I have an impact on it,\" said Vargas, who held his injured hand in front of his chest while speaking to the media.\nThe Mets open at home on March 29 against St. Louis. They won't need a fifth starter to follow opening day starter Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and likely Steven Matz until the middle of next month. Zack Wheeler is in position to be part of the rotation, too.\nThe Mets play games on 10 consecutive days beginning April 13 when they host the Milwaukee Brewers, bringing the fifth starter into play after two prior weeks with off days.\nNOTES: Star OF Yoenis Cespedes went 1 for 3 against Houston starter Justin Verlander and played six innings in the field. Cespedes had a cortisone shot last week for an injured right wrist. ... Wheeler tossed a simulated inning against Dominic Smith and Gavin Cecchini in the morning. The right-hander will start in place of Vargas when the Mets host Washington on Thursday. ... DeGrom will pitch a simulated game on Wednesday and close spring training in Monday's intrasquad game against Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas.\nCopyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.\nSign up for BREAKING NEWS Emails privacy policy Thanks for subscribing!", "NEW YORK — Aaron Judge hit a tying home run in the sixth inning, Aaron Hicks and Gary Sanchez went deep in the eighth and the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Mets, 4-2, Monday night in the first of four Subway Series matchups this week.\nCurtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes homered in the third inning off Luis Cessa to give the Mets a 2-0 lead at Yankee Stadium.\nSanchez started the Yankees’ comeback with a sacrifice fly in the fourth against starter Rafael Montero. Two innings later, Judge hit his AL-leading 36th home run – just his sixth since the All-Star break. The ball was dropped in the right-center field bleachers by a fan wearing a Judge jersey.\nHicks, who returned last week from an oblique injury, homered against Hansel Robles (7-4) leading off the eighth, his career-best 12th of the season. Sanchez connected two batters later against Erik Goeddel. With 20 homers, Sanchez matched his total in his rookie season last year.\nDavid Robertson (6-2) pitched a hitless eighth, and Dellin Betances finished a six-hitter for his seventh save, throwing a called third strike past Mets rookie Amed Rosario to end the game with a runner on.\nYankees manager Joe Girardi rested closer Aroldis Chapman, who took the loss after blowing a ninth-inning lead against Boston on Sunday night and threw 46 pitches over the previous three days.\nWith their ninth win in 13 games against the Mets, the Yankees closed within 4 1/2 games of the AL East-leading Red Sox.\nThe Yankees had lost two of three to Boston over the weekend. After the Subway Series, they go to Fenway Park for three games.\n“I’ve been laughing because our rivalry week is actually 10 days long,” Girardi said.\nWhile the Yankees weren’t playing an AL East rival, the crowd had an edge for a matchup of crosstown teams.\n“It’s big, because one of my best friends in New York is a Mets fan and I don’t want to listen to him,” Girardi said.\nWith the Mets out of contention and experimenting with prospects, Rosario, a 21-year-old shortstop, and 22-year-old first baseman Dominic Smith made their Subway Series debuts.\n“This is as close to the playoffs as it gets,” said Mets outfielder Michael Conforto, who entered with 10 home runs in his previous 25 games. “It’s that kind of atmosphere here in the Subway Series, so we’re pretty fired up for it.”\nTwo injury-ravaged rotations led to a matchup of starting pitchers who had combined for a 1-11 record this season.\nCessa was recalled from Triple-A to start because Masahiro Tanaka is sidelined with right shoulder inflammation. The Mets acquired Cespedes from Detroit two years ago in a trade that sent Cessa to the Tigers, who later dealt him to the Yankees.\nPet Photo Contest Enter and Win APPLE 9.7 INCH I PAD-WI –FI SILVER WITH RETINA DISPLAY Wi‑Fi ‑ 32 GB\n$50 GIFT CARD FROM DIPPY’S ICE CREAM CAKES $50 GIFT BASKET FROM PET AESTHETICS\n$25 GIFT CARD TO FRANK PEPE PIZZERIA $25 GIFT CARD TO CHILI’S BAR AND GRILL$25 GIFT CARD TO THE GAP ALL WINNERS WILL RECEIVE : A YEARS ELECTRONIC SUBSCRIPTION TO THE REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN Enter Today ALL WINNERS WILL RECEIVE : A YEARS ELECTRONIC SUBSCRIPTION TO THE REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN\nCessa allowed five hits in 4 1/3 innings and reached 99 mph with his fastball. The right-hander left after two visits to the mound from a trainer, stretching his arm. He had discomfort behind his pitching shoulder and is scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday.\nGranderson, who played for the Yankees from 2010-13, sent a low slider into the second deck in right. Cespedes reached out for a high fastball and drove it to right-center, where it ticked off the glove of a leaping Judge, hit the top of the wall and bounced over.\nSanchez’s sacrifice fly traveled only 273 feet. Cespedes’ throw from left was up the third-base line, and the speedy Hicks made a nice feet-first slide to the inside of the plate to evade catcher Rene Rivera.\nMontero gave up five hits over six innings and is 0-4 in eight outings since winning at San Francisco on June 25.\nWHIFF\nJudge took a called third strike in the first inning and has fanned in 31 consecutive games, five shy of the major league record for a position player set by Adam Dunn during his last four games in 2011 and first 32 the following year.\nTRAINER’S ROOM\nMets: All-Star closer Jeurys Familia, recovering from surgery in May to repair a blocked artery near his right armpit, is to make his first minor league rehabilitation appearance on Tuesday in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League. … RHP Matt Harvey (stress injury to right shoulder) will make a second rehab appearance this week, but the Mets haven’t determined where. Sidelined since mid-June, Harvey threw 18 pitches in one inning for Class A Brooklyn on Saturday. “Hopefully, we can get the pitch count up,” manager Terry Collins said. … RHP Noah Syndergaard, who hasn’t pitched since April 30, is to throw a bullpen session Tuesday for the first time since tearing a lat muscle.\nUP NEXT\nRHP Jacob deGrom (13-5) starts Tuesday night for the Mets against RHP Sonny Gray (6-7). DeGrom pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings to win at Philadelphia on Thursday, leaving after Nick Williams lined a single off his right triceps. Gray is 0-2 since the Yankees acquired him from Oakland, losing at Cleveland and Toronto.\n—\nMore AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball\nShare this: Facebook\nTwitter\nGoogle\nWhatsApp\nPinterest\nReddit\nTumblr\nMore\nSkype\nLinkedIn\nPocket\nPrint\nTelegram", "NEW YORK (AP) -- Aaron Judge hit a tying home run in the sixth inning, Aaron Hicks and Gary Sanchez went deep in the eighth and the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Mets 4-2 Monday night in the first of four Subway Series matchups this week.\nBox score | MLB scoreboard\nCurtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes homered in the third inning off Luis Cessa to give the Mets a 2-0 lead at Yankee Stadium.\nSanchez started the Yankees' comeback with a sacrifice fly in the fourth against starter Rafael Montero. Two innings later, Judge hit his AL-leading 36th home run -- just his sixth since the All-Star break. The ball was dropped in the right-center field bleachers by a fan wearing a Judge jersey.\nHicks, who returned last week from an oblique injury, homered against Hansel Robles (7-4) leading off the eighth, his career-best 12th of the season. Sanchez connected two batters later against Erik Goeddel. With 20 homers, Sanchez matched his total in his rookie season last year.\nDavid Robertson (6-2) pitched a hitless eighth, and Dellin Betances finished a six-hitter for his seventh save, throwing a called third strike past Mets rookie Amed Rosario to end the game with a runner on.\nYankees manager Joe Girardi rested closer Aroldis Chapman, who took the loss after blowing a ninth-inning lead against Boston on Sunday night and threw 46 pitches over the previous three days.\nWith their ninth win in 13 games against the Mets, the Yankees closed within 4 1/2 games of the AL East-leading Red Sox.\nThe Yankees had lost two of three to Boston over the weekend. After the Subway Series, they go to Fenway Park for three games.\n\"I've been laughing because our rivalry week is actually 10 days long,\" Girardi said.\nWhile the Yankees weren't playing an AL East rival, the crowd had an edge for a matchup of crosstown teams.\n\"It's big, because one of my best friends in New York is a Mets fan and I don't want to listen to him,\" Girardi said.\nWith the Mets out of contention and experimenting with prospects, Rosario, a 21-year-old shortstop, and 22-year-old first baseman Dominic Smith made their Subway Series debuts.\n\"This is as close to the playoffs as it gets,\" said Mets outfielder Michael Conforto, who entered with 10 home runs in his previous 25 games. \"It's that kind of atmosphere here in the Subway Series, so we're pretty fired up for it.\"\nTwo injury-ravaged rotations led to a matchup of starting pitchers who had combined for a 1-11 record this season.\nCessa was recalled from Triple-A to start because Masahiro Tanaka is sidelined with right shoulder inflammation. The Mets acquired Cespedes from Detroit two years ago in a trade that sent Cessa to the Tigers, who later dealt him to the Yankees.\nCessa allowed five hits in 4 1/3 innings and reached 99 mph with his fastball. The right-hander left after two visits to the mound from a trainer, stretching his arm. He had discomfort behind his pitching shoulder and is scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday.\nGranderson, who played for the Yankees from 2010-13, sent a low slider into the second deck in right. Cespedes reached out for a high fastball and drove it to right-center, where it ticked off the glove of a leaping Judge, hit the top of the wall and bounced over.\nSanchez's sacrifice fly traveled only 273 feet. Cespedes' throw from left was up the third-base line, and the speedy Hicks made a nice feet-first slide to the inside of the plate to evade catcher Rene Rivera.\nMontero gave up five hits over six innings and is 0-4 in eight outings since winning at San Francisco on June 25.\nWHIFF\nJudge took a called third strike in the first inning and has fanned in 31 consecutive games, five shy of the major league record for a position player set by Adam Dunn during his last four games in 2011 and first 32 the following year.\nTRAINER'S ROOM\nMets: All-Star closer Jeurys Familia, recovering from surgery in May to repair a blocked artery near his right armpit, is to make his first minor league rehabilitation appearance on Tuesday in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League. ... RHP Matt Harvey (stress injury to right shoulder) will make a second rehab appearance this week, but the Mets haven't determined where. Sidelined since mid-June, Harvey threw 18 pitches in one inning for Class A Brooklyn on Saturday. \"Hopefully, we can get the pitch count up,\" manager Terry Collins said. ... RHP Noah Syndergaard, who hasn't pitched since April 30, is to throw a bullpen session Tuesday for the first time since tearing a lat muscle.\nUP NEXT\nRHP Jacob deGrom (13-5) starts Tuesday night for the Mets against RHP Sonny Gray (6-7). DeGrom pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings to win at Philadelphia on Thursday, leaving after Nick Williams lined a single off his right triceps. Gray is 0-2 since the Yankees acquired him from Oakland, losing at Cleveland and Toronto.", "Judge’s homer to lead off the sixth tied the score at 2-2 and dampened what had been an outstanding performance from the Mets’ beleaguered right-hander Rafael Montero. It was only the seventh extra-base hit since the All-Star break for Judge, who entered Monday batting .165 since he played in the All-Star Game.\nHicks had an All-Star-caliber first half before straining his oblique, forcing his way into the lineup regularly by giving Brett Gardner a rest, or more regularly for the struggling Jacoby Ellsbury in center field. Hicks, who missed six weeks with his injury, has immediately asserted himself since his return last Thursday, with a homer, a run scored and a pinpoint throw to stop a potential tying run at third base in Friday’s 5-4 win over Boston.\nThe Mets took a 2-0 lead in the third inning when Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes hit homers off the Yankees’ spot starter, Luis Cessa. Judge just missed catching Cespedes’s home run, which bounced off the top of the bullpen wall in right field. Cessa is a former Mets minor leaguer who was traded to Detroit two years ago in the deal for Cespedes.\nCessa pitched solidly, aside from the two home runs, the only scores he allowed through four and a third innings.\nHe did not leave of his own volition, though. When Cessa shook his shoulder after a pitch to Juan Lagares, the assistant trainer Tim Lentych and Manager Joe Girardi came out to check on him. After a warm-up throw, Lagares saw two more pitches, the second one a 0-2 slider he rifled up the middle for a base hit. That brought a return visit from a trainer and Girardi, who called on Chad Green to replace Cessa because of an apparent arm injury.\nNewsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters.\nIt continued a rather traumatic week for the Yankees’ starting pitchers.\nC. C. Sabathia was placed on the disabled list on Friday with a bad knee. On Saturday, Masahiro Tanaka was sent to the disabled list with an inflamed shoulder, and Jordan Montgomery was hit in the head by liner while he was signing autographs during batting practice. Though he was woozy, Montgomery pitched effectively in Sunday night’s loss to Boston.\nMontero had made his major league debut in 2014 against the Yankees at Citi Field and was followed the next day by a less-touted prospect, Jacob deGrom — just as they will do to start this series.\nWhile deGrom has progressed into an All-Star starter for the Mets, Montero has become an enigma — a pitcher with the repertory to develop into a frontline starter, but one who has never developed the requisite consistency or confidence to do so.\nAdvertisement Continue reading the main story\nMontero carried a 1-8 record and a 6.06 E.R.A. and has continued to get opportunities in large part because the Mets’ rotation has been plagued by injuries.\nYankee Stadium, with its unforgivingly short right-field fence and alley, would provide a test for Montero.\n“If you walk people here, you’re asking for big innings,” Mets Manager Terry Collins said. “This is where you really have to trust yourself and realize you’re going to have to take your chances on swings as opposed to letting guys get on. This is a tough place to pitch.”\nMontero breezed through the first three innings, facing only nine batters. But after a one-out bloop single by Hicks in the fourth, Montero’s command deserted him. He walked Judge on four pitches and then walked Didi Gregorius to load the bases after jumping ahead, 1-2.\nIf Montero might have collapsed on many occasions, he did not on Monday. On his eighth pitch to Sanchez, Montero induced a fly ball to shallow left field. But Cespedes, the Mets’ strong-armed left fielder, took his time unloading a throw that was slightly off line. By the time catcher Rene Rivera corralled it, Hicks was able to beat his tag. Montero then retired Chase Headley to escape with the lead.", "ATLANTA (AP) — On another day of injuries in another season filled with them, the New York Mets were trying to put their finger on the latest problem.\nA pair of finger injuries sent Noah Syndergaard to the disabled list and knocked Steven Matz out of his start against the Atlanta Braves after just three innings Tuesday.\nSyndergaard was placed on the 10-day DL before the game with a sore right index finger, though the Mets are hopeful the right-hander will only miss one start.\nThen, in an almost surreal development for the injury-plagued team, Matz exited with discomfort in the middle finger of his left hand. Leading 4-0, he went out to warm up for the fourth inning but suddenly stopped throwing and began looking at his pitching hand.\nNew York manager Mickey Callaway and a trainer popped out of the dugout to examine Matz. The pitcher flexed the finger a bit before heading slowly to the dugout, his night over after just 42 pitches. He allowed only one hit, walked two and struck out two.\nAdvertisement\nThree New York players have gone on the DL since the team arrived in Atlanta. Relief pitcher AJ Ramos (right shoulder strain) and infielder Wilmer Flores (sore lower back) were sidelined before Monday's doubleheader.\nIn all, the Mets have 11 players on the DL, including reliever Anthony Swarzak and three projected regulars in slugger Yoenis Cespedes, third baseman Todd Frazier and catcher Travis d'Arnaud.\nSwarzak and Frazier have reported to Triple-A Las Vegas to continue their rehabilitation. Swarzak struck out two in a scoreless inning Tuesday and got the win for the 51s.\nX-rays on Matz's finger were negative, but the team had no further details on the discomfort and whether it might affect his next scheduled start. The left-hander is 2-3 with a 3.55 ERA.\nSyndergaard's injury was another unexpected development.\nAdvertisement\nAfter traveling with the team to Atlanta, he returned to New York on Tuesday to be examined at The Hospital for Special Surgery.\nAn MRI and examination confirmed a strained ligament.\nCallaway said the injury is not considered serious. If all goes according to plan, Syndergaard would throw a bullpen this weekend and return to the rotation next week.\nSyndergaard was scheduled to pitch Wednesday in the series finale against the Braves. Jason Vargas is moving up to make the start on just three days of rest after lasting only three innings in his last appearance at Milwaukee on Saturday.\nVargas is 1-3 with a 10.62 ERA in five starts this season. He has given up 34 hits, including six homers, and walked 10 in 20 1/3 innings.\nAdvertisement\nSyndergaard is 4-1 with a 3.06 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings as one of the Mets' aces, along with Jacob deGrom. Syndergaard last pitched Friday night in a loss at Milwaukee, receiving no decision after allowing three runs in six innings.\nRight-hander Gerson Bautista, called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to serve as an extra player for the doubleheader, remained with the team in the bullpen Tuesday.\nSyndergaard missed 4 1/2 months last season with a partial tear of his right lat muscle.\n___\nFor more AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball", "NEW YORK -- One bullpen was clearly far superior than the other in the first game of the Subway Series on Monday night at Yankee Stadium, and it made all the difference.\nThe Mets' bullpen gave up two homers while the Yankee 'pen gave up none, and the team from the Bronx beat the team from Queens 4-2.\nAaaron Hicks broke a 2-2 tie with a leadoff shot in the eighth inning, taking Hansel Robles' 1-1 fastball back deep. Two batters later, Erik Goeddel gave one up to Gary Sanchez.\nThe Mets went quietly in the ninth inning against closer Dellin Betances.\nRafael Montero had a rocky outing but managed to finish with a decent line. Montero pounded the strike zone through the first three innings before getting knocked around in the fourth. He was clearly rattled after giving up a one-out single to Hicks and walked the next two batters.\nFamilia eying return | What it means\nA shallow fly ball to left field by Sanchez scored Hicks. Yoenis Cespedes' throw home was off the line and catcher Rene Rivera was unable to tag him at the plate. He then gave up a game-tying home run to Aaron Judge in the sixth inning before being removed for Robles (7-4).\nRobles had another erratic of outing, stranding a runner at first in the seventh inning, before falling apart in the eighth. He took his third loss in his last six outings.\nCurtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes both homered in the third inning off former Mets prospect Luis Cessa to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. It was the third home run in as many games for Cespedes.\nMontero: The right-hander limited the damage to just two earned runs on five hits. He walked just two and struck out six over six innings.\nOn the mend: Left-hander Tommy Milone (sprained left knee) gave up five home runs in a rehab assignment for Double-A Binghamton. Milone allowed six earned runs on nine hits, walked one and struck out four over 6 2/3 innings.\nWhat's next: A marquee pitching matchup is on tap for the second game of the Subway Series.\nRHP Jacob deGrom (13-5, 3.21) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (6-7, 3.39); Yankee Stadium, 7:05 p.m. (SNY, WOR 710 AM, 104.3 FM HD, ESPN 1050 AM)\nAbbey Mastracco may be reached at amastracco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @abbeymastracco. Find NJ.com on Facebook.", "New York Yankees pitcher Luis Cessa, left, walks off the field with a trainer after an injury during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Monday, Aug. 14, 2017, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz) (Photo: The Associated Press)\nNEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez redefined the meaning of 40-40 club.\nJudge hit a tying home run in the sixth inning , the 40th of his big league career, just a year and a day after his debut.\nAfter Aaron Hicks hit a go-ahead drive in the eighth , Sanchez hit the 40th of his career , too, and the Yankees rallied from a two-run deficit to beat the Mets 4-2 on Monday night in the first of four Subway Series matchups this week.\n\"It's awesome to watch and be a part of,\" said Hicks, who also hit his 40th career home run.\nNormally 40-40 is baseball parlance for reaching those figures in home runs and steals. The Baby Bombers are defined by power: Judge reached the mark in his 140th game and Sanchez in his 139th, the third-fastest behind Mark McGwire (110) and Rudy York (129).\n\"To be able to do that with him feels good,\" Sanchez said through a translator.\nHicks hit No. 40 in his 435th major league game.\nSanchez had only four homers through May, slowed by an early-season strained biceps, but has matched his total of 20 in his rookie season last year — all in a 43-game burst from Aug. 10 to Sept. 27.\n\"He's going to be one of the greatest catchers in this game. We're just seeing the beginning of it,\" Judge said.\nCurtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes homered in the third off Luis Cessa to give the Mets a 2-0 lead at Yankee Stadium. Cespedes' drive to right-center ticked off the glove of a leaping Judge, hit the top of the wall and bounced over.\nSanchez started the Yankees' comeback with a 273-foot sacrifice fly in the fourth against starter Rafael Montero. Hicks made a nice feet-first slide to the inside of the plate to evade catcher Rene Rivera on Cespedes' throw from left, which was up the third-base line.\nJudge hit his AL-leading 36th home run — just his sixth since the All-Star break. The opposite-field shot was dropped in the right-center field bleachers by a fan wearing a Judge jersey.\n\"He's made some adjustments and feels a little bit more comfortable in the box,\" Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. \"It's better balance. It's being on time. There's a lot of things that go on, especially with a guy that's 6-7.\"\nHicks, who returned last week from an oblique injury, homered against Hansel Robles (7-4) leading off the eighth, his career-best 12th of the season. Sanchez connected for an opposite-field drive with two outs against Erik Goeddel. Both went 401 feet.\n\"They're dangerous in this park, and you're not satisfied that two runs is going to hold up in Yankee Stadium,\" Mets manager Terry Collins said.\nCessa was recalled from Triple-A to start because Masahiro Tanaka is sidelined with right shoulder inflammation. The Mets acquired Cespedes from Detroit two years ago in a trade that sent Cessa to the Tigers, who later dealt him to the Yankees.\nCessa allowed five hits in 4 1/3 innings and reached 99 mph with his fastball. He had discomfort in the rhomboid muscle behind his pitching shoulder that worsened in the fifth inning , and is scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday.\n\"I think it's something minor,\" Cessa said through a translator.\nChad Green followed with 2 2/3 hitless innings , David Robertson (6-2) struck out three in a hitless eighth and Dellin Betances finished the six-hitter for his seventh save. He threw a called third strike past Amed Rosario to end the game with Dominic Smith on second. Rosario was playing his 13th major league game and Smith his fourth.\nAroldis Chapman, who took the loss after blowing a ninth-inning lead against Boston on Sunday night, was not available after throwing 46 pitches over the previous three days.\nWith their ninth win in 13 games against the Mets, the Yankees closed within 4 1/2 games of the AL East-leading Red Sox.\nTwo injury-ravaged rotations led to a matchup of starting pitchers who combined for a 1-11 record: 0-3 for Cessa and 1-8 for Montero. Still, both teams and the crowd felt extra energy.\n\"This is as close to the playoffs as it gets,\" Mets outfielder Michael Conforto said. \"We're pretty fired up for it.\"\nWHIFF\nJudge has fanned in 31 consecutive games, five shy of the major league record for a position player set by Adam Dunn during his last four games in 2011 and first 32 the following year.\nTRAINER'S ROOM\nMets: All-Star closer Jeurys Familia, recovering from surgery in May to repair a blocked artery near his right armpit, is to make his first minor league rehabilitation appearance on Tuesday in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League. ... RHP Matt Harvey (stress injury to right shoulder) will make a second rehab appearance this week, but the Mets haven't determined where. Sidelined since mid-June, Harvey threw 18 pitches in one inning for Class A Brooklyn on Saturday. \"Hopefully, we can get the pitch count up,\" Collins said. ... RHP Noah Syndergaard, who hasn't pitched since April 30, is to throw a bullpen session Tuesday for the first time since tearing a lat muscle.\nUP NEXT\nRHP Jacob deGrom (13-5) starts Tuesday night for the Mets against RHP Sonny Gray (6-7). DeGrom pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings to win at Philadelphia on Thursday, leaving after Nick Williams lined a single off his right triceps. Gray is 0-2 since the Yankees acquired him from Oakland, losing at Cleveland and Toronto.\n___\nMore AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball\nCopyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.", "PORT ST. LUCIE — He was wearing flip-flops on this sunny and warm Friday, but Mets manager Mickey Callaway has hit the ground running at First Data Field.\nCallaway broke down some specific plans on how he will handle the rotation, as he and pitching coach Dave Eiland begin the quest to keep Mets starters healthy, a staff that includes Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey.\n“If you look at our starting pitchers,” Callaway told The Post, “there are 25 teams out there that would love to have who we have. So we can make adjustments along the way.”\nCallaway has mapped out with Eiland, who was Callaway’s mentor when he pitched in the Rays organization, a major change to the pitchers’ preparation routine.\nThere will be a pre-workout, what the pitchers do before they even hit the field.\n“When I look at this staff and think about them, I see the same thing that they had in Cleveland,” said Callaway, 42, who was the Indians’ pitching coach the previous five seasons. “The one difference has been the health — if we get them healthy and get them in good routines to keep them that way.”\nCleveland’s 3.30 ERA was the best in baseball last year. The Mets were 27th at 5.14.\n“You have to have that routine in place at all times,” Callaway said. “We are going to implement some things that maybe they haven’t done before.\n“Everyone I’ve been around pretty much walks outside, stretches, plays catch, they do their bullpen. Our pitchers in Cleveland had about an hour-and-a-half routine before they even went out and played catch. They were with massage therapists, then they were with trainers, getting all these hands-on things done, then they went to the weight room to see the strength coach for extra stretching, then they went on the bike, then they went outside and stretched.\n“It’s pre-hab. If we can implement those types of things, we have a better chance to stay healthy. It does work. When you present it to these guys, they are going to want to do it.”\nsee also Meet Mickey Callaway New Mets manager Mickey Callaway took a timeout for some...\nAlso, be prepared for a six-man rotation.\n“We may go to a six-man rotation at some point to give guys a break when we can,” Callaway said. “I pitched over in Asia, and when you start pitching every sixth day, it is a hundred times easier. It really is. I think we have enough depth to make those adjustments.\n“There might be times when we have an off-day coming up and we can make that happen without using the extra pitcher or we can slide a guy in and go from there. For any team to expect to use five starters a whole season is silly.\nAs for how he will work with his pitchers, Callaway said: “You have to listen to guys. To create a relationship, you have to listen. It can’t be, ‘You have to do this to get you back to who you were.’ ”\nTo that end, Callaway will ask pitchers: “What do you need?”\nThat is the starting point.\n“You work on their confidence and feeling comfortable again. That goes a long way,” Callaway said. “You have to get feedback from players, especially today. These guys are more like people today. When I played, players were more like warriors. I don’t know if it’s better for baseball or not, but they’re different.”\nSounds like the perfect recipe to get Harvey and the others going in the right direction. Callaway and Harvey have talked a number of times and have texted.\n“He’s excited,” Callaway said. “He’s sending me videos.”\nAccountability is the word.\n“The thing I love about Dave [Eiland] is he holds guys accountable, and that’s what we need,” Callaway said. “You’ll notice on our coaching staff, every guy has that quality. That’s how you show people you care. It’s holding them responsible for the things that they need to do to make them better. It’s not for us. It’s for them to be the best versions of themselves.\n“I’m just excited to get everyone together. We can compete at a very, very, very high level if we do the things we need to do.”\nWith many Mets arriving here for pre-camp next week, the plans will be implemented.", "Sandy Alderson had jokes on opening day of the winter meetings. He also had the same somber message Mets fans have been hearing for years.\nAs Alderson laid out his priorities this week in Florida, he made it clear, to borrow the immortal line from agent Scott Boras, the club will again shop in the fruits and nuts section.\nThe first clue was Alderson's attempt at levity in explaining why the front office didn't even try to \"feign any interest\" in soon-to-be Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton.\n“With Brandon Nimmo in right field, we just didn’t feel we had a need there,” Alderson said, per the New York Post.\nWYLLYS: Young players who could shine for Mets in 2018\nReally funny. Nimmo might be the Mets' fifth outfielder by spring training if Alderson can lure an economicial/cheap vet to Flushing.\nNot that Stanton would have entertained a move there, anyway, even though he has feasted at Citi Field in his career (21 home runs, .962 OPS in 52 games). He wanted to play for a contender for once.\nAlderson insists the Mets \"want to be as good as we can possibly be,\" and considering the team's opening day payroll last season was $154 million (in the top half of the majors), that sounds like an earnest commitment. But then you remember the late-summer sell-off that brought back just a bunch of minor league relievers (and helped balance the budget), and you see the limits that are placed on that commitment.\nRIVERA: What could be, should be, is with Stanton\nMaybe one or two of those pitchers will help out this year. If they stick, they'll probably be joined by the red-tag specials Alderson hopes to pluck in January or February.\n“We think there are some values out there to the extent the market gets overheated. I don’t think we will jump into the inferno, but we want to improve our bullpen,\" he said, per the Post.\nTranslation: Get excited for Bryan Shaw, or maybe reunions with Addison Reed and Joe Smith, instead of Wade Davis and Greg Holland.\nBULLPEN MARKET: Cards land Gregerson | Cubs close with Morrow\nAnother way Alderson might try to fix the 'pen: trade Matt Harvey for a reliever. The New York Daily News reported Alderson has discussed such a move with two teams.\nBefore you get psyched about the possibility of Zach Britton or Kelvin Herrera or even Brad Hand being the return, remember that Harvey has been broken for two years and can become a free agent after next season. He could be sitting on a monster walk year, but it's more likely he still won't adjust to having diminished velocity. Other teams know that and will deal accordingly.\nAs for the Mets' other major problem areas — Alderson is focusing on second base, first base and outfield depth — get ready for an Adam Lind-Jose Reyes right side of the infield, with cameos by Wilmer Flores against lefties. Or, get ready for Lind patrolling the corner outfield a few days a week.\nEric Hosmer or Carlos Santana to replace Dom Smith at first? Too many zeroes. Jason Kipnis or Ian Kinsler or Starlin Castro at second? Those guys would require a trade, and Alderson admits he doesn't have many high-end prospects to deal. Lorenzo Cain in center? His market won't come down enough. Trade for Andrew McCutchen? That'll be at least $15 million, please. Re-sign Jay Bruce? How much will you come down from your initial demand, Jay?\nThe Mets entered the winter meetings with $69.25 million committed to five players, per Baseball Prospectus. One of them is David Wright, who may never play again. They also have eight arbitration-eligible players, led by the core of the rotation (Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom), Harvey, closer Jeurys Familia and catcher Travis d'Arnaud. It's an expensive group.\nAlderson told reporters in September the payroll would shrink in 2018. In August, he indicated the 2017 opening day figure was a stretch for ownership. Seems odd a franchise with its own TV network and decent ticket sales (2.46 million last season, 14th in the majors), that's past the worst of the Bernie Madoff debacle, would have to pinch pennies, but here we are.\nThen again, the message was clear long ago: The Mets have deep pockets, short arms and a strange attraction to trail mix. The annual restocking is about to commence.", "WEST PALM BEACH — Steven Matz is a believer — finally. The Mets lefty showed \"conviction\" Monday as he struck out nine in six innings of work against the Astros at the Ballpark of the palm Beaches.\n\"Conviction,\" Mets manager Mickey Callaway said was what he liked of Matz's outing. \"You saw it. Obviously the strikeout total was high, but that's maybe the best lineup he is going to face all year. That's a pretty potent lineup, and he went right after them.\n\"That's what I thought was best about him today.\"\nMatz has been battling for a spot in the rotation this spring and started out slowly. He had allowed 10 earned runs, walked four and struck out one in 1.2 innings work over his first two starts. Since then, he has allowed four earned runs, walked four and struck out 16 in 14.1 innings work over three starts.\nMets' Jason Vargas hoping for quick recovery from hand surgery\nSteven Matz pitched well against the Astros, striking out nine batters across six solid innings. (Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports)\n\"After the slow start I had, I put the work in and it is starting to pay off a little bit and starting to feel comfortable on the mound now,\" Matz said.\nMatz, who has struggled with injuries in his three seasons in the big leagues, was not finishing his pitches earlier this spring. One scout who has seen Matz's five starts said it looked like a bad habit he picked up last year before he was shut down to have surgery to move the ulnar nerve in his elbow.\n\"He's corrected it well,\" the American League scout said. \"He even got out of it a little bit his last start and self-corrected. That's a good sign.\"\nMatz had the edge over Zack Wheeler for the fifth rotation spot, but the injury to Jason Vargas will likely mean they both get to start the season in the rotation.\nVargas' injury proof Mets made right move to get SP insurance\nZack Wheeler will likely take Jason Vargas' rotation spot in the early going, but he is still determined to prove himself. (John Bazemore/AP)\nWheeler, who only pitched half a season after a two-year rehab from Tommy John surgery, still feels like he is battling for his spot.\nHe will slide into Vargas' rotation spot this week, making the Grapefruit League start on Thursday. He threw a simulated inning Monday, throwing 18 pitches and facing Dominic Smith three times and Gavin Cecchini twice.\nWheeler said Monday he has not been told anything about taking Vargas' spot in the rotation and still feels like he needs to win a spot.\n\"I am just going to continue to do the best I can,\" Wheeler said after his simulated inning. \"I haven't been told anything. I am going to battle and try to win a spot best I can, all I can do and stay healthy.\"\nTravis d’Arnaud making case for more playing time with Mets\nThe Mets are keeping Jacob deGrom on schedule this week, bringing him in to pitch in a simulated game on Wednesday's scheduled off day at the main ballpark. He will face minor league hitters and Michael Conforto for six simulated innings up to 80 pitches.\nLAGARES STRUGGLING\nJuan Lagares' offseason adjustments to his swing haven't paid off this spring. (Jeff Roberson/AP)\nAfter spending the winter trying to revamp his swing, Juan Lagares has struggled to implement the changes this spring. Lagares went 0-for-4 Monday and is 7-for-40 with one extra base hit ( a double) and an RBI. He has struck out 14 times and walked three in 40 at-bats.\n\"I mean, what you do at the plate affects things, you don't want just one-dimensional players. I think Lego is gonna come along,\" Callaway said. \"I think he's still thinking internally, thinking about mechanics, which make it tough. At some point he's going to have to make sure he goes out there and competes. I am not sure when that time is, it is probably vastly approaching. Sooner or later, you just have to go out there and don't worry what you are working on, just go out there and put good swings on the baseball.\nMets think Jason Vargas will be ready for start of season\n“Obviously he's an unbelievable center fielder. When you look up, he's underneath everything,\" Callaway said. \"Those are hard decisions to make for us. One of the things we have is really good pitching. We want really good defense. It's going to be a tough decision, who is going to be playing out there on a daily basis.\"\nMeanwhile, Brandon Nimmo is hitting .286 with three doubles, two triple and three home runs. He has driven in nine runs and struck out 13 times while drawing five walks in 49 at-bats.\nCESPEDES RETURNS\nYoenis Cespedes singled Monday in his return to the lineup for the Mets. The slugger had not played in a Grapefruit League game in over a week because of discomfort in his right wrist.\n“I felt great,” Cespedes said in a statement issue by the team. “ It was great to be back out on the field in a game and I plan on playing tomorrow.”\nCespedes had a cortisone shot in his right wrist Tuesday and began taking at-bats in minor league games Saturday.\nThe 32-year-old, who also had a sore shoulder earlier this spring, said Saturday that he is confident that if he returns to the lineup Monday he will have enough at-bats to be ready for Opening Day.\nCespedes is hitting .269 with three home runs and five RBI in nine games this spring.\n“I will be fine,” Cespedes said.\nThe Mets have to hope so.\nAfter signing Cespedes to a four-year, $110-million deal before last season, he missed 81 games with injuries to both hamstrings.\nThat pretty much torpedoed the Mets' offense in 2017. They are certainly concerned about his health heading into the regular season.\nWhile any wrist injury is a red flag with a power-hitter, Cespedes said this is not a major issue and it did not really concern him because he had dealt with it before.\n“In 2016, I had a cortisone shot in my left wrist, so I know what’s going on and how I’m supposed to feel,” Cespedes said. “I’ll be fine.\"\nSCRIMMAGE\nThe Mets' scrimmage against the Triple-A club next Monday at 1 p.m. will be open to the public. The money from the $5 tickets will benefit the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event being held on April 14. The ticket will also come with a voucher for one ticket to the St. Lucie Mets’ Home Opener on April 5. Parking is free and gates will open at noon.\nSign up for BREAKING NEWS Emails privacy policy Thanks for subscribing!", "Cristina Carpio Pettersen explores the wonders of South America on her blog \"Travel to South America highlighting Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands\" which details her travels & discoveries on the continent & the\nVisit Ecuador and South America\nSpread the Word\nListed Under Tags:\n* Tourism\n* Ecuador\n* Galapagos Industry:\n* Tourism Location:\n* Stavanger - Rogaland - Norway Subject:\n* Projects\nContact\nCristina Pettersen Carpio\n***@visitecuadorandsouthamerica.com Cristina Pettersen Carpio\nEnd\n-- In her new self-published ebook \"Travel to South America highlighting Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands\", Cristina Carpio Pettersen narrates her travel recommendations for Galapagos and South America from the eyes of an Ecuadorian expat. Additionally, the 44 page guide provides the reader with an unusual blend of sights, food musts and travel tips both for people who have never visited the region and seasoned travelers that may have missed some of Galapagos and South America's treasures. Several issues are addressed that are of interest to regular travelers, backpackers, travel guides, and those who have always wanted to know more about a the enchanted islands and the mainland attractions for tourists. \"I was born in Ecuador and got my first taste of travelling at a very young age, partly due to my family´s keen interest in history, nature and their love for travelling and meeting new people\" says Carpio Pettersen. \"I am keen on learning about other cultures, meeting new people from all walks of life, tasting different flavors and all that comes along with traveling. The guide reflects this wanderlust feeling and serves fellow travelers and travel guides to better profit from their travels down South\"\"Travel to South America highlighting Ecuador and Galapagos\" has been met with favorable reviews and high applause from early readers and is being hailed as a \"unique guide to the islands and the mainland travel treasures.\" The hindsight perspective aims to educate the reader into making better decisions in their own travels to the South.Carpio Pettersen is also the author of \"Living Healthier Ideas\", a holistic lifestyle blog and studies a Master in Hotel and Tourism Leadership – Universitetet i Stavanger – Stavanger, Norway. She has also attained a Communications and Public Relations – Master´s Degree Programme from University of Barcelona (Spain) an Associate of Arts (AA), Sales and Marketing Operations from University San Francisco of Quito (Ecuador) and is a certified tourist guide in English, Spanish and French with GuideCompaniet, Stavanger, Norway. She is married to Kjell Anders Pettersen, a Norwegian musician and festival organizer, and currently travels from Norway to Ecuador and the US, exploring flavors and sights for her incoming travel guides. For more information or to acquire the (free) ebook, visit http://www.visitecuadorandsouthamerica.com . You can learn more about Cristina Carpio Pettersen by visiting, http://www.visitecuadorandsouthamerica.com/ about , or on Twitter @carmencristina", "French metal hardcore band, Beyond The Styx, have released a music video for “Danse Macabre”, a track taken from their new album Stiigma, out on February 23rd via Klonosphere/Season of Mist Distribution & Diorama Records.\nStiigma was recorded at DOME Studio by David Potvin, in Avrillé, France. Poduced, engineered, mixed & mastered by Nick Jett (Terror, Backtrack, Lionheart) & Beyond The Styx.\nArt direction, illustrations & design by AMMO. Guest vocals on “Neoblivion” by Paul Marie, on “King S” by Romain Vée and on “Lightmare” by Sylvain Tardiveau.\nTracklisting:\n“Neoblivion”\n“Poison IV”\n“paranØmmunation”\n“Decima”\n“King S.”\n“Danse Macabre”\n“DTNT”\n“Lightmare”\n“Walls (Cement Of Disorder)”\n“Checkfate”\n“Danse Macabre” video:", "NJ Advance Media for NJ.com\nNEW YORK --What a difference a year makes.\nAaron Hicks went from a light-hitting trade bust in 2016 to a crucial part of a contender in the span of a year. The valuable Yankees outfielder came through again--days after a do-it all effort vs. the Red Sox--by crushing a go-ahead home run vs. the Mets to spur a 4-2 Yankees win over the Mets.\nThe solo blast to right field completed a comeback for the Yankees in a game that started with surprisingly good pitching.\nOn Monday night, the Mets arrived to Yankee Stadium for the first of a four-game, two-stadium Subway Series. Although the marquee pitching names are on hold for the second game of this set, a trio of young right-handed pitchers combined for a duel in the Bronx.\nFor the Yankees, the combination of Luis Cessa and Chad Green--two former rotation options in 2016--combined to hold the Mets two only a pair of runs through seven innings.\nBoth the runs came via the home run in the third inning. Ex-Yankee Curtis Granderson rocketed a shot to right field. Two batters later, Yoenis Cespedes went to right-center to put the Mets up 2-0.\nCessa exited in the fifth with what looked to be a shoulder injury. His final line: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 SO, 1 BB, 2 HR, 66 pitches.\nChad Green replaced him and posted zeros for two-plus innings.\nDown 2-0 after three, the Yankees came back to tie the game with a combination of small ball and power. After being shutdown by up-and-down Mets righty Rafael Montero for the first three innings, the Yankees rallied in the fourth. Aaron Hicks singled, Aaron Judge walked and Didi Gregorius walked to load the bases. Gary Sanchez knocked in Hicks on sacrifice fly to left field, cutting the Mets lead to 2-1.\nTwo innings later, the struggling Judge broke out. Judge--after striking out in the first innings, his 31st consecutive game with a punch out--crushed a solo home run to right-center field. The game was tied, 2-2.\nDavid Robertson entered to pitch a clean eighth for the Yankees. Green's final line of relief work: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 SO, 1 BB, 45 pitches.\nSanchez added a solo blast to right-center field in the eighth, giving the Yankees their third home run of the night and pushed the lead to 4-2.\nDellin Betances acted as the closer in the ninth to preserve the lead.\nThe win pushed the Yankees record to 62-55. With Boston's loss to Cleveland, the deficit in the AL East has been cut to 4.5 games.\nTURNING POINT: Judge's home run. Once the game was tied up, the Yankees bullpen strength and power gave them the advantage.\nSECOND GUESS: Mets manager Terry Collins allowing Hansel Robles to start the eighth. After a clean seventh, pushing an inconsistent arm vs. the middle of the Yankees order was risky. Hicks took him deep for the go-ahead run.\nSTAT TO KNOW: Granderson has now hit five home runs in eight games in Yankee Stadium as a member of the Mets.\nUP NEXT: Game-two of the four-game set, and the final 2017 Subway Series game in the Bronx. Jacob deGrom (13-5, 3.21 ERA) will oppose Sonny Gray (6-7, 3.39 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EST at Yankee Stadium.", "It almost seems like a given: more holiday fun creates more holiday trash—but it does not have to.\nAccording to the Environmental Protection Agency, American households produce 25 percent more waste than usual during the six-week period from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, culminating in over six million additional tons of garbage in the nation’s landfills.\nThe waste comes primarily from increased food waste, gift wrap and product packaging.\n“I’m sure (people) know that their trash bins or recycling bins are overflowing a whole lot more than they normally do,” said Sheela Backen, trash and recycling coordinator for Colorado State University facilities management. “But, they don’t really think about (the waste)—where it goes or anything else.”\nWhile overall waste collected by CSU decreases during the holiday season due to many students leaving campus, Backen said there was still a noticeable amount of trash made by students staying in the university apartments within the last few years. International students who might not celebrate the same winter holidays do not produce nearly as much trash as their American counterparts, according to Backen.\nHonore Depew, the environmental planner for the City of Fort Collins, wrote in an email to the Collegian that the average Fort Collins resident produced 4.65 pounds of waste per day in 2015, with 3.13 pounds of that going to landfills.\nWhile the waste disposal data the City collects from private trash haulers does not allow for analysis of seasonal waste increase or decrease, Fort Collins tries to prevent the numbers from going up during the holiday season, according to Depew.\nThe City website has multiple guidelines for waste reduction specific to holiday traditions.\nAccording to Fort Collins Environmental Services, 23 percent of household waste is discarded food and that amount goes up during the holidays. To minimize food waste, the City recommends planning out meals ahead of time, sending leftovers home with dinner guests and composting food scraps among other things.\nWhen it comes to gifts, Energy Engineer for CSU facilities Carol Dollard suggested focusing more on gifting consumables or experiences like concert tickets instead of just “a thing that’s going to sit on the shelf.”\n“The thing to remind people … is to sort of back up in your present-buying experience and think about what you’re buying in terms of packaging and—honestly, is it even something the people need?” Dollard said.\nWhen wrapping the present, Dollard recommends using recyclable scrap paper or reusable cloth or gift bags.\nThe amount of waste going to landfills can also be reduced through recycling.\n“It’s not hard to (recycle holiday waste) if you pay attention a little bit,” Dollard said. “But, sometimes when you’re cleaning up after Christmas morning, you just wad all the paper in one big box and throw the whole box away, which is like, really?”\nDollard said recycling holiday waste requires people to pay some attention because of the limitations on what can and cannot be recycled.\nHoliday recycling guidelines provided by the City say wrapping paper, tissue paper and cardboard should all be recycled in curbside bins. In fact, it is illegal to put recyclable cardboard into the waste stream. Stickers and tape do not have to be removed from the cardboard.\nHowever, any paper with metallic foil or glitter cannot be recycled, nor can ribbons or bows.\nStyrofoam, packing peanuts, cooking oil, batteries, plastic bags, holiday lights, extension cords and electronics can be reused or recycled when taken to the proper facilities, such as the Timberline Recycling Center located at 1903 S. Timberline Rd. or Larimer County Household Hazardous Waste Facility located at 5887 S. Taft Hill Rd. Citizens are not allowed to put those items in curbside recycling bins.\nOld Christmas trees can also be recycled Dec. 26 through Jan. 15 at various drop-off locations.", "Anyone thinking golf is an individual sport will be wrong this week.\nTeam golf returns to the PGA Tour for this week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The event adopted the team format last year in an attempt to freshen up the field and get more big names involved.\nThe format calls for best-ball play Thursday and Saturday, alternate-shot Friday and Sunday. The field receives FedEx Cup points but not world ranking points.\nSIGN UP for a FREE 30-day trial of DAZN and watch the first two days of the Zurich Classic\nA number of top stars are in the field this week, including Masters winner Patrick Reed, making his first start since Augusta National, and Brooks Koepka returning from a wrist injury that has kept him out of action since January.\nDates: April 26-29\nLocation: Avondale, La.\nCourse\nTPC Louisiana is a 7,425-yard par 72 created by Pete Dye to challenge golfers with a number of tree-lined holes amid wetlands. Featuring a number of large bunkers and waste areas, the course has become more difficult after recent renovations.\nDefending Champions\nCameron Smith and Jonas Blixt needed an extra day to defeat Kevin Kisner/Scott Brown in a playoff, giving Kisner an 0-4 playoff record on the PGA Tour. The win was a breakthrough for Smith, a talented Australian who has contended in major championships.\nSmith and Brown have teamed back up together this year, hoping to rekindle the magic they found last year. Blixt has struggled for form since the win, but Smith has skyrocketed up the world ranking.\nThis week, DAZN features the Zurich Classic, Champions League semifinals and the NFL Draft. SIGN UP for FREE 30-day trial\nMost Intriguing Teams​\nHenrik Stenson/Justin Rose — The Ryder Cup staple return to claim another notch on their belt in team play. Rose has cooled off since a torrid fall that helped him rise inside the top 5 in the world ranking. Stenson has been steady all year and contended at the Masters.\nJordan Spieth/Ryan Palmer — The two Texas natives have similar games, with Palmer a little more aggressive out of the two. Spieth's putting has rebounded after a tough start to 2018, and his iron play looked sharp at Augusta National. Plamer has been quiet this season, but he often does most of his damage midseason.\nTommy Fleetwood/Chris Paisley — The two Englishmen have been in scintillating form in Europe this season. Fleetwood, last year's European Tour Player of the Year, contended at Augusta, while Paisley has a win and two other top-5 finishes on the European Tour this year.\nBubba Watson/Matt Kuchar — Power and poise: that's what this pairing brings. Watson's intensity and power off the tee should be a nice blend with Kuchar's clam, cautious nature. Kuchar was paired with Dustin Johnson during the last Ryder Cup, so he knows handle to play alongside the longer hitters.\nSergio Garcia/Rafa Cabrera Bello — The Spanish duo played well together in 2016 at the Ryder Cup. Neither have been in top form over the last month-plus, but Cabrera Bello has a number of top-25 finishes this season. Garcia crashed and burned at the Masters, but expect him to pick up top form soon.\nOther Intriguing Teams\nJustin Thomas/Bud Cauley\nJ.B. Holmes/Brandt Snedeker\nLouis Oosthuizen/Charl Schwartzel\nBrooks Koepka/Marc Turnesa\nIan Poulter/Graeme McDowell\nHow to watch the Zurich Classic\nThe first two rounds of the Zurich Classic, April 26-27, will stream on DAZN\nWhat is DAZN?\nDAZN is a revolutionary live sports streaming service that lets fans watch their sport, their way. With access to the world’s best sports including top European football, the NFL, MLB, PGA, WTA, boxing and more, fans can watch their favourite teams, leagues and players at home or on the go for an affordable price.\nDAZN features the widest array of live sports ever offered on one TV service and has the ability to play, pause and rewind any game live or on-demand.\nGolf fans can access DAZN's coverage of the Zurich Classic on the following devices: Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Stick, Amazon Fire Tablet, Android Phone & Tablet, iPhone & iPad, Android TV, LG, Smart TV, Panasonic Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, Sony Smart TV, SmartCast, Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 Pro, and Roku.", "Kannur: Kerala BJP President Kummanam Rajasekharan leading ‘Janaraksha Yathra’ at Pinarayi in Kannur on Thursday. PTI Photo (PTI10_5_2017_000081B) Kannur: Kerala BJP President Kummanam Rajasekharan leading ‘Janaraksha Yathra’ at Pinarayi in Kannur on Thursday. PTI Photo (PTI10_5_2017_000081B)\nThe BJP, which is holding Janraksha Yatra in Kerala against the CPI(M)’s “violent politics”, has landed in a spot because of a slogan raised by some of its supporters that threatens to physically assault CPI(M) rivals.\nIn a video of the yatra, believed to have been shot in Kannur and posted on Twitter and Facebook by senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan, the party workers are heard shouting that “one-handed” CPI(M) district secretary P Jayarajan would find his other hand missing. Jayarajan was attacked by an RSS-BJP gang in 1999 and his right hand was almost severed. The BJP workers are heard shouting: “Ottakkayya Jayaraja, matte kayyum kanilla. (One-handed Jayarajan, other hand will also go missing).”\nRecalling the murder of Yuva Morcha leader K T Jayakrishnan Master, the crowd was heard saying that blood spilled by the slain leader will not be wasted. V Muraleedharan was not available for comments.\nBJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan, who is leading the yatra, said the CPI (M) has been treading the path of violence because the party made Che Guevara its role model. He was speaking in Koothuparamba in Kannur after the completion of the day’s leg of the yatra.\nFor all the latest India News, download Indian Express App", "Transport company Beaumont wants to establish a waste transfer station at North Tivoli, near established company Candy Soils.\nTransport company Beaumont wants to establish a waste transfer station at North Tivoli, near established company Candy Soils.\nANOTHER application to establish a waste facility has been lodged with Ipswich City Council.\nTransport company Beaumont owns the land where S&W Transfers wants to establish a waste transfer station at North Tivoli, near established company Candy Soils.\nThe proposed facility off the Warrego Hwy at Mount Crosby Rd would not be open to the public.\nAccording to application documents lodged with Ipswich City Council the type of waste would be dry general domestic waste, largely garden organics and soil, construction and demolition waste.\nThe application documents specifically states regulated waste, such as asbestos, or putrescible waste (which creates smell) will not be taken at the facility.\nIf approved, the company would be able to bring in 160 tonnes of waste a day in 40 trucks.\nThe maximum daily deliveries would be 50 trucks for 200 tonnes per day.\nBeaumont Transport and the consultant for S&W Transfers has been contacted.\nThe proposal - officially lodged with the council in September last year - is out for public consultation now.\nBetween March 20 and April 11, residents can have their say on the development application.\nSubmissions should be addressed to;\nThe assessment manager\nIpswich City Council\nPO Bpx 191 Ipswich Q 4305\nPh: 07 3810 6666\nwww.ipswich.qld.gov.au\nEmail: council@ipswich.qld.gov.au\nThe application can be viewed online at http://pdonline.ipswich.qld.gov.au.\nSelect application enquiry; the application number is; 2360/2017/MCU\nOR\nSelect property enquiry; 540 - 604 Warrego Highway North Tivoli\n'Long battle ahead': Ipswich mayor says\nIPSWICH is preparing for an onslaught of applications to establish waste facilities within the city.\nThe council is already considering an application from waste giant BMI to open a super dump at New Chum.\nThe company operates a facility at Swanbank where a gigantic pile of rubbish sits and can be seen from a distance.\nRubbish pile in Blackstone. Rob Williams\nEarlier this month, Mayor Andrew Antoniolli warned dump companies would soon descend on Ipswich.\n\"Council expects more applications... This is going to be a long battle,\" Cr Antoniolli said, at a public meeting earlier this month.\nThe application to establish a landfill facility in a 50 metre deep disused mining pit from BMI was lodged in February.\nThe company says it will only accept construction and demolition waste.", "Tennis - Monte Carlo Masters - Monaco, 23/04/2017. Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a shot to his compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters. REUTERS/Jean-Pierre Amet\nTennis - Monte Carlo Masters - Monaco, 23/04/2017. Rafael Nadal of Spain serves to his compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters. REUTERS/Jean-Pierre Amet\nTennis - Monte Carlo Masters - Monaco, 23/04/2017. Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after defeating his compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters. REUTERS/Jean-Pierre Amet\nTennis - Monte Carlo Masters - Monaco - 23/04/17 - Rafael Nadal of Spain hugs his compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas after the final of the Monte Carlo Masters. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard\nTennis - Monte Carlo Masters - Monaco - 23/04/17 - Rafael Nadal of Spain poses with his trophy after winning his final tennis match against his compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the Monte Carlo Masters. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard\nTennis - Monte Carlo Masters - Monaco - 23/04/17 - Prince Albert II of Monaco shakes hand with Rafael Nadal of Spain after winning his final tennis match against his compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas (L) at the Monte Carlo Masters. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard\nTennis - Monte Carlo Masters - Monaco - 23/04/17 - Prince Albert II of Monaco poses with Rafael Nadal of Spain and his compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard\nTennis - Monte Carlo Masters - Monaco - 23/04/17 - Prince Albert II of Monaco looks at Rafael Nadal of Spain holding up his trophy after winning his final tennis match against his compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the Monte Carlo Masters. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard\nTennis - Monte Carlo Masters - Monaco - 23/04/17 - Rafael Nadal of Spain poses with his trophy after winning his final tennis match against his compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the Monte Carlo Masters. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard\nMONTE CARLO Rafael Nadal claimed a record-extending 10th Monte Carlo Masters title as he geared up for his beloved French Open with a 6-1 6-3 victory over fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos on Sunday.\nThe fourth seed, who is also targeting a 10th Roland Garros trophy this year, was always in command as he won his first ATP title since triumphing in Barcelona a year ago.\nThe 14-times grand slam champion had won his two previous encounters against Ramos and the 15th seed failed to snap that run on Sunday.\n\"It has been an amazing week on one of the most important events on the tour. I played well here, which helps me a lot to start the claycourt season with confidence,\" said Nadal.\n\"For me, that's the most important thing, feel myself happy when I am playing. If I am healthy and I feel myself competitive, I am happy.\n\"Then it is obvious I would like to win. But I know if I am in finals of important events, the normal thing is I finally win titles. So today was another chance. I lost the first three finals this year, but with positive feelings. Today I won a very important title for me.\"\nNadal wasted three break points in the second game as Ramos levelled for 1-1, only for the claycourt king to win the next five games to bag the opening set.\nWith Nadal's topspin working with devastating effect, Ramos struggled to stay close to his baseline.\nThe Mallorcan broke for 3-2 in the second set when Ramos sent a backhand long and from then on Nadal was unstoppable.\nRamos ended his first Masters final with a double fault that handed Nadal his 70th ATP title on the third match point.\n(Writing by Julien Pretot, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Clare Fallon)", "Dec 11 (Reuters) - Penn Virginia Corp:\n* MANGROVE PARTNERS MASTER FUND-CONTINUES TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH PENN VIRGINIA BOARD, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARDS TO STRATEGY AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE\n* MANGROVE PARTNERS MASTER FUND-ON DEC 6, MET CHAIRMAN OF PENN VIRGINIA TO DISCUSS ISSUES,FRUSTRATION WITH REGARD TO LACK OF PROGRESS IN ADDRESSING ISSUES\n* MANGROVE PARTNERS MASTER FUND REPORTS 9.6 PERCENT STAKE IN PENN VIRGINIA CORP AS OF DECEMBER 6 - SEC FILING Source text: [bit.ly/2BBQnmu] Further company coverage:", "RESIDENTS have reacted with fury to the decision by An Bord Pleanala (ABP) to grant planning permission to a controversial €160m waste incinerator project in Cork.\nRESIDENTS have reacted with fury to the decision by An Bord Pleanala (ABP) to grant planning permission to a controversial €160m waste incinerator project in Cork.\nThe decision followed more than 10 postponements of an announcement over the past two years on a decision about the plan by Indaver to develop a major incinerator at Ringaskiddy in Cork harbour.\nThe shock decision means that Indaver have been given the green light to develop a project they first proposed over 18 years ago. The project has been the focus of three separate planning applications.\nAn artist's impression of the project\nCork harbour residents have now vowed to challenge the decision - and, if necessary, to appeal the incinerator planning all the way to the European Court. Letters confirming the decision to grant planning were being delivered to environmental action groups and objectors across Cork today.\nThe planning ruling was adjourned early last year after further information was sought on claims its operation could impact on military flights into Haulbowline Naval Base. Indaver has insisted that construction and operation of the incinerator will in no way impact on military flights to the nearby naval base.\nData in support of that assurance was submitted to ABP. However, Cork Harbour for a Safe Environment (CHASE), who have fought the project for almost two decades, dismissed the Indaver assurances as \"farcical.\"\nThey have also urged ABP to treat Cork harbour residents with respect.\nA decision was originally expected on the planning issue in July 2016.\nCHASE Chairperson Mary O'Leary had challenged why so much time was being taken over the ruling - and why such additional time was afforded to Indaver. \"Indaver has been engaged with ABP since August 2012 which is more than adequate time to submit a comprehensive and detailed submission,\" she said.\nABP was considering the incinerator proposal in light of a two month oral hearing last year. CHASE concluded their submissions to the hearing with the warning it was “the wrong project in totally the wrong place.”\nIndaver, insisted that the 240,000 tonne incinerator will have no environmental impact and will provide Ireland with an critical asset to process waste, much of its produced by industry in the Cork harbour area. Indaver boss, John Ahern, repeated his insistence that waste will not be imported for treatment at the complex. Senior Cork politicians united to warn the incinerator proposal was “an outdated project” which threatens the future development of one of the world’s great natural harbours.\nFianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, Tanaiste and Fine Gael TD, Simon Coveney and Fianna Fáil finance spokesman Michael McGrath all made strong personal submissions to the oral hearing. The Indaver proposal for Ringaskiddy was first tabled 18 years ago and is now under its third consideration phase. Mr Coveney warned that it was “inconceivable” for a major incinerator to be developed in a harbour area where the Government has already invested millions in a marine college, clean-energy research centres and the clean-up of the old Irish Steel/Irish Ispat site on Haulbowline island.\n“I am fundamentally opposed to what is being proposed and where it is being proposed for,” Mr Coveney said. “I have spent a lot of time around the Cabinet table making the case for significant investment in Cork harbour.” “We have a master plan for Spike Island and a master plan for Haulbowline Island. What we are creating at the heart of Cork harbour is something very special and of national significance.”\nMr Martin rejected the incinerator as “a totally outdated project.” “Cork is a beautiful natural harbour. We have an opportunity to prevent this destruction of the visual landscape,” he said. “It seems to me from the (planners) guarded comments, and they are guarded, that this is going to have an incredible impact on the harbour.”\nMr Martin said that while the incinerator might have made sense 18 years ago, the world has moved on since then with viable waste management alternatives now available. Fianna Fáil finance spokesman, Michael McGrath, said it was “terribly unfair” that harbour residents should have to live with the spectre of a new incinerator proposal seven years after it was emphatically rejected by ABP. CHASE warned that the incinerator proposal will be fought tooth and nail, if necessary all the way to the European Court.\nThe environmental group challenged Indaver over submissions to the hearing on dioxin figures based on soil samples. Ms O’Leary said the project runs contrary to the development goals for Cork harbour and, in particular, the Ringaskiddy-Haulbowline area. “The site is fundamentally unsuitable and all Indaver’s problems stem from this. The expertise and the knowledge we have in our community is second to none and something that we are all very proud of.”\n“We are a proud community, a strong community and a united community,” she said. However, Indaver’s boss argued that the incinerator was a critical part of Ireland facing up to its waste management responsibilities at EU level. Mr Ahern pointed out that it was simply unsustainable for hazardous waste to be continually exported from Cork from major pharmaceutical and chemical plants in the region for treatment overseas. “We had been granted permission before for the industrial and hazardous waste part of our project,” he said.\n“We have always argued that Cork needs a solution to its household waste. We believe that both of those needs are coming together and are recognised by the waste authority saying we need a municipal, hazardous and industrial facility in Cork and Munster,” he said. The current application is Indaver’s third since 2001. The new proposal differs in that it will include a smaller hazardous waste incineration element – though the municipal or domestic waste incineration element will double in size. It is now expected to cater for 200,000 rather than 100,000 tonnes of domestic waste annually.\nIn total, the revised proposal will involve a waste-to-energy facility capable of handling 240,000 tonnes of commercial, industrial, hazardous and domestic waste each year.\nOnline Editors", "Nobunaga no Shinobi Official Site Key visual art for the upcoming third season of the Japanese historical comedy anime series, “Nobunaga no Shinobi,” also known as “Ninja Girl and Samurai Master,” based on the four-panel manga series written and illustrated by Naoki Shigeno.\nThe Japanese historical comedy anime series based on Naoki Shigeno's four-panel manga is returning for a third season under the official title, \"Nobunaga no Shinobi: Anegawa Ishiyama-hen (Nobunaga's Ninja: The Anegawa/Ishiyama Arc).\"\nThe series, which is also known as \"Ninja Girl and Samurai Master,\" was first adapted into anime in 2016, with a second season airing shortly after the first one ended in 2017. The 2018 season will air in Spring and, as the title itself reveals, will be depicting the history-making Battle of Anegawa.\nThis particular battle was when Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu 's forces battled with Azai and Asakura's armies. What role will the young female ninja, Chidori, be playing in this upcoming fight? Will she still be able to help the warlord Nobunaga achieve his goals when a large-scale battle such as the one that's about to happen breaks out?\nThe original gag manga made its debut on Hakusensha's manga magazine \"Young Animal\" in 2008 and has since been published in nine collective volumes. It has also led to a couple of spinoff manga series, including, \"Nobunaga no Shinobi: Owari Tooitsu-ki\" and \"Gunshi Kuroda Kanbee Den\" both of which are also created by Shigeno.\nOn the other hand, the upcoming third season of the anime adaptation will be handled by a returning staff that consists of director Akiaro Daichi, character designer Junko Yamanaka, art director Manami Koyama, director of photography Akemi Sasaki, color key artist Rie Katoh, editor Ikuyo Fujita, musical director Toshio Masuda and sound director Kazuya Tanaka.\nThe main cast members who will also be reprising their roles include Inori Minase as Chidori, Wataru Hatano as Nobunaga, Kappei Yamaguchi as Hideyoshi, Ayumu Murase as Sukezoo, Chiaki Takahashi as Kichoo, Suzuko Mimori as Oichi, and a host of other series favorites.\n\"Ninja Girl and Samurai Master\" season 3 will premiere in April. Information on the official broadcast schedules and online resources will be available on the series' official site at a later date.", "Chad Bettis was diagnosed with testicular cancer in November, battled through chemotherapy in the spring, and didn’t miss a beat in his first game back for the Rockies on Monday. On the bump against the Braves, the right-hander dealt seven shutout innings, scattering six hits, striking out two batters and walking none.\nWith the game scoreless, Colorado manager Bud Black pulled Bettis before the eighth, and in the bottom of the inning, the Rockies got three runs home and went on to win, 3-0. Bettis took a no-decision, but that did not take away from the 28-year-old's dazzling return.\nCool moment between @cbettis35 and manager, Bud Black... Bettis (cancer fighter) worked 7 shutout innings in first @MLB start of the season. pic.twitter.com/EvXO3RoV8X — Nick Griffith (@NickGriffithTV) August 15, 2017\nAs solid a performance it was, it seemed someone was watching over Bettis on Monday. Ender Inciarte, the first batter Bettis faced, nearly got home on an inside-the-park home run but was thrown out at the plate.\nApart from allowing a double in each of the fourth and fifth innings, Bettis remained pretty much trouble free until the seventh. That’s when it got dicey again, as a lead-off double by Kurt Suzuki was followed by a sacrifice bunt that got Suzuki to third with just one out. Bettis pitched himself out of the jam by getting Ozzie Albies to fly out to short center and Dansby Swanson to fly out next.\nWith the win, the Rockies improve to 66-52 to retain their hold on the National League's first wild-card spot.\nStuds of the night\nWith the game tied 3-3 in the top of the fifth, Indians DH Edwin Encarnacion smashed a two-run homer off Red Sox starter Doug Fister. In the sixth, with Cleveland up 5-3, Encarnacion took reliever Heath Hembree deep to bust the game open, 7-3. That’s the score at which the game finished, as the Tribe snapped Boston’s six-game home winning streak.\nManny Machado’s got thing for grand slams. As in, he hits a lot of them. With the bases loaded in the top of the second in Seattle, the Orioles third baseman put a Yovani Gallardo pitch into the Safeco Field upper deck for his fifth slam in two years, more than any other player over that stretch. He later added a single as the Orioles cruised to a blowout win.\nDuds of the night\nIt wasn’t just that Hansel Robles served up the game-winning home run to Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks in the bottom of the eighth inning of the first game of this week’s Subway Series, it’s also that the Mets reliever pointed skyward as if Hicks popped the ball up. The ball actually traveled about 400 feet, and Robles took the loss in the Yankees’ 4-2 victory.\nA second inning for Hansel Robles works out about as well as you'd guess. Aaron Hicks rocks a 400-foot home run. Yankees lead the Mets, 3-2. — Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 15, 2017\nHow about Robles pointing to the sky like it was a pop up to the catcher? Buddy, the ball landed on the Moon. pic.twitter.com/s3nC0Ee3p3 — Frankie Borrelli (@FrankieBorrelli) August 15, 2017\nCubs center fielder John Jay was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle, but he wasn’t about to accomplish the rare feat on Bryan Price’s watch. With his Reds trailing 9-2 and Jay up in the seventh inning, the Reds manager ordered Jay to be intentionally walked. The move didn’t go over well at Wrigley, and as karma would have it, Chicago went on to put up six more runs that inning and win the game, 15-5.\nLive look at Wrigley crowd when Bryan Price intentionally walking Jon Jay trailing 9-2 pic.twitter.com/e2lN4RkLPa — crawly's cub kingdom (@crawlyscubs) August 15, 2017\nHighlight\nAstros right fielder Josh Reddick fully extended to rob Diamondbacks outfielder J.D. Martinez of an extra base hit in the second inning of Arizona's 2-0 victory.\nWhat’s next\nMets (53-63) at Yankees (62-55), 7:05 p.m ET: Yankees fans are still looking for trade deadline acquisition Sonny Gray (6-7, 3.39 ERA) to deliver his first win for the Bombers, and even though it’s against the Mets, Tuesday night doesn’t figure to be an easy way for Gray to snap his two-game losing streak in pinstripes. That’s because ace Jacob DeGrom (13-5, 3.21) gets the call for the Mets after shaking off a 99-mph line drive to his right throwing arm Thursday.", "NEW YORK (AP) — On a night when Matt Harvey fizzled and so much went wrong for the New York Mets, they still rallied late for a rousing win.\nCurtis Granderson opened a five-run eighth inning with his 300th homer, a tiebreaking shot that helped the Mets bail out an ailing Harvey in a 9-4 victory Wednesday over the Chicago Cubs.\nHarvey lost the zip on his fastball and gave up three homers in four innings — including Anthony Rizzo’s latest leadoff shot and a titanic drive by Kyle Schwarber . After the game, the former ace said he’s at a pretty low point physically and plans to see a doctor Thursday.\n“My arm was just not working at all,” said Harvey, who had a rib removed last year during surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. “I think the last time I threw 87 (mph) with a fastball was probably freshman year of high school.”\n“It’s been very difficult. A very difficult year,” he added. “A lot of ups and downs. A lot of discomfort and trying to battle through weaknesses and strengthening areas that I’m not used to. It’s been rough. I have one less rib. I had pretty major surgery. There’s going to be discomfort with that.”\nNew York also lost second baseman Neil Walker to a left leg injury , the latest issue to befall a team hampered by a long list of health problems the past two seasons. But replacement Lucas Duda hit a three-run homer off Hector Rondon in the eighth, and T.J. Rivera capped the outburst with an RBI single for his third hit.\nWith sluggers Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto on the bench to begin the game, the resurgent Mets came back from a 4-1 deficit and took two of three from the World Series champions heading into a pivotal four-game series against NL East-leading Washington. New York (30-34) has won five of six overall.\n“This is a big win for us, especially going into tomorrow night,” manager Terry Collins said.\nGranderson received a standing ovation and came out for a curtain call after connecting in the eighth off Carl Edwards Jr. (2-1). The veteran outfielder had the souvenir ball from home run No. 300 in his locker after the game.\nJerry Blevins (4-0) struck out three of his four batters, and Addison Reed retired Rizzo with the bases loaded for the final out.\nJuan Lagares hit a tying triple on an 0-2 pitch from Pedro Strop with two outs in the sixth, the start of a meltdown by Chicago’s bullpen.\nThe Cubs (32-33) hit back-to-back homers to begin the game but played some sloppy defense and lost for the eighth time in their past nine visits to Citi Field, including the 2015 NL Championship Series.\n“There’s a certain unpredictability about us. That’s why we’re a .500 ballclub right now,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I believe in our group, but we have to prove it on the field. Very simple.”\nChicago has dropped six of eight following a five-game winning streak.\n“We developed guys last year and won the World Series. No team has ever done that, I don’t think,” Rizzo said. “So, you’ve got to take your lumps.”\nCubs rookie Ian Happ, who hit a grand slam Tuesday night, followed Rizzo’s leadoff shot with his seventh home run and Chicago had a 2-0 lead after seven pitches. Schwarber’s 467-foot shot over the Shea Bridge, a walkway for Citi Field fans above and beyond the bullpens in right-center, made it 4-1 in the fourth.\nLEADING MAN\nBatting leadoff Tuesday for the first time in his career, Rizzo homered on Zack Wheeler’s second pitch to spark a 14-3 rout by the Cubs. The 240-pound slugger did himself one better this time, connecting on the first pitch from Harvey and prompting excited high-fives from giddy teammates in the dugout. “I am statistically the greatest leadoff hitter of all-time,” Rizzo said. “I would like to retire there just to talk smack to everyone that tries to do it.”\nBIG STICK\nWith the bases loaded in the fourth and the Mets short on the bench, Collins sent up pitcher Steven Matz to pinch hit for Harvey. Matz legged out an RBI infield single off starter Mike Montgomery, and Lagares trimmed it to 4-3 with a sacrifice fly.\nTRAINER’S ROOM\nCubs: 2B-OF Ben Zobrist (left wrist) was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game but available to pinch hit, Maddon said. After a day off Thursday, the team hopes Zobrist can start Friday night in Pittsburgh. If not, the disabled list could become a consideration. … RHP Kyle Hendricks (hand tendinitis) was scheduled to have a second MRI.\nMets: Walker pulled up lame trying to beat out a bunt in the third inning and will have an MRI on Thursday. Duda entered in the fourth at first base, with Rivera shifting from first to second. And it appears the Mets once again will hold off on calling up hot-hitting shortstop prospect Amed Rosario from Triple-A Las Vegas: Second baseman Gavin Cecchini was scratched from the 51s lineup after Walker got hurt.\nUP NEXT\nCubs: Begin a three-game series Friday night in Pittsburgh with RHP Eddie Butler (3-2, 4.03 ERA) on the mound against Pirates rookie RHP Trevor Williams (3-3, 5.13).\nMets: With the Mets using a six-man rotation during a long stretch between days off, rookie RHP Robert Gsellman (5-3, 4.95 ERA) gets another start Thursday night in the series opener against Washington. Gsellman threw 6 2/3 shutout innings Saturday in Atlanta and has won a career-best three straight outings. He faces Nationals LHP Gio Gonzalez (5-1, 2.91), who is 9-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 14 starts at Citi Field — including a 3-1 win over Jacob deGrom on April 22 during Washington’s three-game sweep.\n___\nMore AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball", "Sometimes, getting a 5:30 a.m. text is a good thing.\nSuch was the case Monday morning for Master of None creator and executive producer Alan Yang, whose phone blowing up alerted him to Master of None‘s nomination for best TV series, comedy or musical, at the 2018 Golden Globes.\nA few hours later, once he’d removed the sleep from his eyes but not the thrill from his voice, Yang talked to EW about what the honor means to him — especially given how personal the sophomore season of the Netflix series was — as well as an update on season 3.\nENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: First of all, congratulations! What’s the feeling right now?\nALAN YANG: Thank you so much, I appreciate it. It’s good, man! I woke up had some texts from people. I guess the announcements are really early in the morning; I didn’t realize they were today but yeah, it’s great news and it’s good recognition for the show and everyone who worked on it.\nWhat were those texts like?\nI woke up and people on the East Coast — Aziz is on the East Coast right now so he was up before me — me and him and Lena are on a text chain and we were texting each other. I have another chain with Eric Wareheim and Igor [Srubshchik], our line producer. Like everything these days, it’s only experienced as a group through electronic means. It was a lot of texting.\nThose are some pretty cool group texts to be in, honestly.\nYeah man! It’s mostly about food but yeah!\nA lot of Master of None season 2 is based on personal experiences, from yourself, Aziz, and Lena Waithe, so where does this nomination rank for you in your career?\nIt’s really great, it’s really wonderful and I’m really proud of what we did in season 2 because one of our goals for this season was to make it different from season 1, and not in a trivial way. You know, we wanted to go deeper, we wanted to be more ambitious, more experimental, and I think the season was more aggressive and more ambitious. I’m glad that it totally didn’t turn people off. We took some big swings and I’m happy with how it turned out.\nYou’re nominated amongst shows like black-ish and Will & Grace that also use humor to touch on timely topics like race relations, sexuality, immigration, and even politics. What’s it like to be recognized among shows like this?\nThose are great shows made by really talented people. I’ve actually known Kenya Barris, creator of black-ish, for years and it’s just so funny because we met playing in a basketball game in L.A. and I didn’t even know he was a writer. We’ve been playing together for a couple of years, and I was like, ‘You’ve got a show? Oh, you’ve got a show too.” We started seeing each other’s stuff and doing interviews together, and I’m really proud of being in the company of those shows. It just feels it’s, in some ways, hard to make a show that doesn’t touch on those issues because you want it to be relevant to what’s going on. Not to say that every show has to have topical issues or social issues, because there’s room for everything. Certainly, for us, the personal intersected with some of those issues because it comes from our lives.\nComing off such a successful run for Master of None, is there anything you can tell me about season 3?\nI can tell you that Aziz and I talk a lot. Obviously, we’re friends as well, so we’re always chatting. Basically, our standard is the same as it was in between seasons 1 and 2, which is we want to do the show if we have something that we’re excited about, as we were for season 1 and season 2. We took a little longer to make season 2 until we were like, “Hey, now we have ideas that we’re really passionate about and can really see throwing ourselves into it with as much excitement and energy as we did for the previous season.” The same applies here: so much of it comes from our actual experiences and personal lives, so we want to make sure we have enough in the well to make it a worthwhile season.\nWhat are you most excited about the ceremony, besides possibly winning?\n[Laughs] It’s a crazy room, man! I want to see what Steven Spielberg picks as his entrée, I want to see Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks chatting.", "RICHLAND, WA – Hanford contractor Mission Support Alliance (MSA) is pleased to announce that Bob Wilkinson will be stepping into the position of company president effective October 16, 2017. Bob succeeds Bill Johnson who has accepted a position with MSA parent company, Leidos. Wilkinson has served as MSA’s chief operations officer for the past two and a half years.\nWilkinson has more than 20 years of experience at Hanford in all aspects of operations -- operating nuclear facilities, decontamination and decommissioning, tank farms, waste site remediation, waste packaging and treatment, project management, environmental compliance, construction management, engineering, emergency response, and radiological control --and all phases of project execution, ranging from early startup to commissioning. Prior to joining MSA, he was a member of the senior leadership team at with Hanford contractor Washington River Protection Solutions.\nWilkinson has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Montana State University and holds a master’s degree in business administration from Eastern Oregon University.", "Waste to energy processes refer to a technique used for converting municipal solid waste, which is generated from the industrial, commercial, and domestic sectors, into energy. Various technologies are deployed to process the waste generated from the various sectors to produce fuel cell, steam, and electricity. The course of action in every technology is comparatively different and the end product is used in industries, commercial units, and domestic dwellings. Waste to energy technology helps in regaining monetary value from different kinds of wastes such as plastic and tin cans, among others.\nRequest Sample Report @\nhttps://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=633\nThe global waste to energy market is expected to be driven by the growing demand for renewable resources worldwide and the shift towards alternative renewable sources of energy such as coal to decrease carbon emissions. Governments across the world have been impelled to impose stringent regulations regarding waste control due to the rising volume of industrial and domestic waste. The market is further expected to benefit from the incentives provided by governments in the form of tax benefits and subsidies. The deployment of waste to energy techniques is anticipated to rise over the forthcoming years owing to the burgeoning environmental concerns across the globe.\nThe market is projected to rise to a valuation of US$31.8 bn by the end of 2019.\nRequest Brochure @\nhttps://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=633\nThe key players operating in the market are Suez Environment S.A., Waste Management Inc., Constructions industrielles de la Méditerranée (CNIM), C&G Environmental Protection Holdings, Covanta Energy Corporation, China Everbright International Limited, and Veolia Environment.", "Sandy Alderson stood in the Mets dugout, looking at his watch as if to double-check his time and space. The Mets were scheduled to play a Saturday afternoon game against the Phillies at Citi Field in what would be their 80th game of the season, one short of the official halfway point of the 162-game schedule.\n“If we can win two games and can be three under [.500], then maybe we can play 10 or 12 over in the second half of the season,” the Mets general manager said hours before his team would beat the Phillies, 7-6, to capture their seventh win in eight games. “It can be done. You never know.”\nIt was more of a passing thought than a proclamation. Still, it was a continuation of the “we haven’t given up yet” theme the organization has been preaching of late, postponing any notion they will become early sellers ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.\nIt is good to be optimistic, but if any of this renewed hope has a chance of becoming a reality, Zack Wheeler has to pitch better than he did Saturday. Wheeler was making his first start after coming off the disabled list with biceps tendinitis. He lasted just 3 ²/₃ innings in which he allowed two hits, two unearned runs and two walks. He had four strikeouts.\nHis undoing came in the fourth inning when a one-out fielding error by third baseman T.J. Rivera was followed by back-to-back walks that loaded the bases. It looked as if Wheeler might have induced Ty Kelly into an inning-ending double play when the Phillies second baseman hit a ground ball to first baseman Lucas Duda. But after Duda got the force at second, Wheeler, who was covering first base, couldn’t handle the throw from shortstop Jose Reyes. The second error of the inning allowed two unearned runs to score.\nAfter Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp followed with a hard single, manager Terry Collins removed Wheeler from the game. Collins thought Wheeler might have been unnerved by the errors.\n“I thought he was doing OK early in the game,” Collins said. “But after we made the error, it just seemed like he kind of unraveled a little bit.”\nWheeler insisted his poor inning had nothing to do with the errors, and said his misplay of Reyes’ throw was more about timing.\n“I didn’t break right away like I should have,” he said. “Jose’s got a strong arm and he had to throw it pretty hard. I was just trying to find the bag and catch it all at the same time. I should have made the play.”\nIt was the third straight miserable outing for Wheeler, who gave up seven earned runs in two innings during his last start on June 19 against the Dodgers in Los Angeles and eight runs in just 1 ²/₃ innings against the Cubs on June 13.\nWith Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard out with injuries, the Mets need Wheeler to stabilize the rotation. The Mets can’t afford many more wasted outings by a starter if they expect to have a chance to rebound from their disappointing first half.\n“I have to pick it up,” said Wheeler, now 3-5 on the season with a 5.01 ERA. “I really didn’t show it today, but personally I feel I’m on the right direction. Maybe the next start I can turn it around.”\nThe Mets, who set a team record with 50 home runs in June, used three homers Saturday to recover from Wheeler’s poor outing.\nAsdrubal Cabrera hit a three-run blast in the seventh to celebrate his bobblehead day and give the Mets their 7-6 advantage before a brief rain delay. Closer Addison Reed got the final four outs after the game resumed.\nThe Mets, who entered Saturday 9 ½ games out of the second NL wild card, can talk turnaround after coming from nowhere the last two seasons to make the playoffs. But they will need a better effort from Wheeler to have any chance for another Amazin’ finish this year." ]

[ "U.S. commanders in Iraq say the insurgents are on the run. The problem is that when the insurgents are chased from one place, such as Fallujah, they pop up elsewhere, to deadly effect." ]

[ "Revelations that nearly 400 tons of conventional explosives have gone missing in Iraq have experts wondering what other weapons might be in jeopardy of falling into insurgent or terrorist hands.", "TOKYO: Donors to Iraq&#39;s reconstruction are examining billions of dollars in aid pledges that have gone mostly unused amid an insurgency, as the interim government appealed for firmer world support.", "Iraq's historic election was widely hailed as an unexpected success on Monday but diplomats and analysts warned that the failure of insurgents to wreck the poll did not mean they were on the run.", "Iraq's election workers are surviving the frontlines of an insurgency determined to stop the electoral process.", "FALLUJA, Iraq - The offensive that crushed Iraq's fiercest insurgents in Falluja in November turned U.S. Marines into heroes and insurgents into celebrated martyrs.", "Major U.S.-run detention facilities in Iraq are nearly full, with the number of suspected insurgents in custody at the highest level since March, according to detention officials.", "Prime Minister Tony Blair rejected a call for an independent inquiry into civilian deaths in Iraq, saying \"terrorists and insurgents\" were to blame for fatalities in the run-up to elections.", "In Iraq, the Sunnis are the targets of an intimidation campaign by insurgents using violence to disrupt the elections. Under threat of death, they have been warned not to run, not to vote, not to participate.", "Insurgents in Iraq have kidnapped more than 180 foreigners:", "Iran's supreme leader accused the United States of damaging relations between Iran and Iraq and charged that American and Israeli agents were behind the Iraqi insurgency, state-run Iranian television said Tuesday.", "BAGHDAD, Iraq - While US troops drove deeper into insurgent strongholds in southern Fallujah on Friday, insurgent violence raged across the rest of Iraq.", "Three alleged Irish republicans convicted of training Marxist rebels in Colombia have seemingly gone on the run.", "5 November 2004 -- Iraq&#39;s interim prime minister says time is running out for a peaceful solution to the standoff with insurgents in the western Iraqi city of Al-Fallujah.", "The Black Watch&#39;s new base in Iraq has come under attack for the third day running. Insurgents have fired mortars at Camp Dogwood south of Baghdad.", "Insurgents continued their relentless assault on Iraq's fledgling security forces today.", "President Bush told Marines on Tuesday that Iraqi insurgents have suffered a \"severe blow\" but are not defeated, as he sought to boost U.S. troop morale and prepare the public for a violent run-up to next month's election in Iraq.", "With the ouster of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the original Iraq War team is now all gone - with one exception", "The family of a child rape victim whose attacker has gone on the run are appealing for help in tracing him,", "The US military in Iraq says it is checking reports that a helicopter has gone down north of Baghdad.", "Astronauts have gone outside the International Space Station (ISS) for the second day running to continue construction work on the platform", "Big run-ups in a few fast-food favorites might suggest that the value is gone, but take a closer look.", "A look at some insurgent-linked material recovered by the U.S. military in Iraq:", "Insurgents in Iraq have kidnapped more than 160 foreigners. Those held are:", "Insurgents run near a burning oil facility in Eid al-Jahish, near Mosul, Iraq, Monday, Nov. 15, 2004. Gunmen attacked and set fire to the station, where oil is stored and then pumped to Ceyhan port, according to eyewitnesses.", "BAGHDAD, Iraq American forces across Iraq are being repositioned to prepare for an assault on insurgents and for elections early next year.", "Insurgents in Iraq fired several mortar rounds into central Baghdad Tuesday, as US forces hit insurgent targets in the Sadr City neighborhood.", "As U.S. deaths in Iraq surpassed 1,000, Pentagon officials said insurgents controlled important parts of central Iraq.", "Clashes on the streets of Baghdad between one of Iraq's main home-grown insurgent groups and members of an al Qaeda-led militant movement have exposed a deepening rift within Iraq's Sunni Arab-led insurgency.", "By key measures of the level of insurgent violence against American forces in Iraq - numbers of dead, wounded and insurgent attacks - the situation has grown worse since summer.", "HERAT, Afghanistan - Three Afghan guards of a U.S. private security firm were killed in an ambush by Taliban insurgents in western Afghanistan and 10 had gone missing, officials said on Monday.", "The US ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, said Thursday that Al Qaeda is 'simply gone' from some areas.", "DIWANIYA, Iraq - A former police chief in southern Iraq has been arrested and accused of assisting insurgents, police said on Saturday." ]

[ "Vijay Iyer is an acclaimed jazz pianist, MacArthur winner and Harvard professor of music. His new album, recorded with a six-person band, is called Far From Over. With the band, he says, he wanted to write with \"different dance rhythms and dance impulses\" in mind; the record also reflects Iyer's belief that jazz is \"a category that keeps shifting.\" Iyer spoke with NPR's Scott Simon about his approach to jazz and the histories it carries. Hear the conversation at the audio link, or read on for an edited transcript. Scott Simon: How did this group of musicians begin to come into your life, and how did you begin to play together? Vijay Iyer: Well, I moved to New York about 19 years ago, and some of them I met not long after that. It's really come into its own; it has its own identity and its own way of working together — you know, that builds a certain kind of trust, a certain bond that I think is expressed in the music. And it sort of supports it, so that we're able to sometimes go out on a limb and do something a little bit wild. Going out on a limb: Isn't that what jazz is all about? I don't know; I think that word gets used and overused and misused and kind of caricatured. I think of it as the history of a people, and the history of ideas, a history of defiance, a history of unity, a history of joy and transcendence — and also a history of responding to conditions of oppression and terror. So I always think about my relationship to that history as a South Asian-American, and I try to honor that history while still being myself. I want to ask you about a track on the album, \"Good On The Ground.\" Is it OK if I hear some south Indian folk rhythms in there? [Laughs]. It's OK; that's perfectly OK. I mean, my parents are from India and the rhythmic and melodic ideas from Carnatic music and from Indian folk music had an influence on me. It has sort of been in the background my whole life, and then when I was in my 20s I started trying to put it more in the foreground. And I guess with this band, I wanted to kind of work with different dance rhythms and dance impulses and so that was one that you kind of associate with the courtyard of a temple in south India or something like that — it's a very simple rhythm that excites and electrifies. What kind of music did you grow up listening to and enjoying in your family? Well, I actually grew up listening mostly to the radio: pop music, and rock and soul music from the 1970s and '80s when I grew up. But jazz is where you felt the greatest connection? Well, I sort of regard that word as a pretty open one, in the sense that if you look at the history of the music, it's been a category that keeps shifting. I think the main idea is that you tell your story, you know? And I've studied Duke Ellington's music, Thelonious Monk's music, Bud Powell — but I also know that the reason we're on this planet as individuals is to express and reflect the moment we're in. I wonder if you think it has something particular to say to these times. Well, I think that there's a history of defiance in it. You know, when I talk to my students about it, I kind of frame it as a history of community organizing. Because it was about people coming together in pretty dire circumstances, and — sort of against all odds — creating beauty and changing the world. [Laughs.] You know? That's really what it was. So, when understood in that way, there's a lot to learn about what we must do today." ]

[ "I'm no critic, so I'm in no position to declare anything an \"Album of the Year.\" I would simply direct your attention to Vijay Iyer's Historicity, and let you deduce what jazz can still achieve. That is, if you haven't already heard the Newport concert, the Song of the Day feature or the review on Fresh Air. The relentlessly creative pianist has even been declared the Toast of the Jazz Internet. All Songs Considered? Yep, been there, too. And this is just coverage on NPR Music. Historicism, as a philosophical premise, occurs when external conditions influence an organic process like improvised music. \"It's a conversation between us and the original creators. Or you could also see it as a collision, in a way,\" Iyer says, laughing. \"We're bringing something that I imagine to be quite different from its origins.\" Beyond Standards Apart from the title song, Iyer's singular contribution here, the trio — bassist Stephan Crump, an Iyer associate for more than a decade, and 24-year-old wunderkind drummer Marcus Gilmore — take on three \"standards\" in this WBGO session. \"Dogon AD\" and \"Mystic Brew\" are both from 1972. The first is a composition by Julius Hemphill, the saxophonist, composer and co-founder of the World Saxophone Quartet. \"I'm really inspired by this whole history of artist collectives,\" Iyer says. \"I guess that ethos is very close to my heart, and it's been very influential to the way I work.\" \"Mystic Brew\" was originally the handiwork of organist Ronnie Foster, though it has made its way into hip-hop lingua franca via Slum Village's \"Fantastic\" and A Tribe Called Quest's \"Electric Relaxation.\" The latter is Iyer's reference material. \"We take it through some rhythmic transformations, which is why Marcus likes it so much,\" Iyer says. \" 'Trixation' comes from \"Electric Relaxation.\" It's sort of a composite of those two words.\" Connecting Histories It's the cover — if I may call it that — of pianist Andrew Hill's \"Smokestack\" here that makes the case for the Viyay Iyer Trio's brand of historicism. The original drummer on the December 1963 session for Blue Note Records is Roy Haynes. He's the grandfather of drummer Marcus Gilmore. Beyond the familial connection, Hill is the strongest pulse in Iyer's brand of jazz. After hearing Hill's Point of Departure, Iyer says it threw him completely. \"I thought I had some handle on what was happening,\" Iyer says. \"That was like a whole new level of mystery to me. There's deep beauty to it, but there's also a systemic quality. You feel like there's some kind of hidden order in there.\" The connection to Hill became even more personal. \"He gave me a lot of advice, and did a lot for me in terms of my career,\" Iyer says. \"He'd come to my gigs, and then call me the next morning and wake me up to tell me something devastating about what he thought. It messed with my head for a few days. But then I'd think about it and say, 'Yeah, he's right.' \" While there may be some critical debate about the merits of historicism versus post-structuralism versus other fancy words, I'll say this about Vijay Iyer: There may be nothing new under the sun, but certain objects reflect light with more intensity than others. Historicity's gamma-ray magnitude penetrates jazz in a way that alters its DNA. That alone makes the case for benevolent radiation.", "Nigerian-American writer Teju Cole's fans and followers — especially on Twitter — are scattered across the globe. For Tell Me More's \"In Your Ear\" series, he shares the music that's a part of his world. \"Lately I've been listening a lot to Nigerian dance music,\" he says about Naeto C's 5 & 6. \"Nigerian pop music is very, very big in Lagos right now.\" Cole describes American jazz musician Vijay Iyer as \"one of the best composers in any genre today.\" He lists Iyer's cover of The Star of the Story as \"something that I listen to over and over and over again.\" He also points out the art collective Just a Band, \"who are anything but just a band.\" He loves their song Migingo Express. \"They are four young Kenyans who just seem to have the pulse of the world at their fingertips,\" he explains. Teju Cole's Playlist 5 & 6 by Naeto C The Star of The Story by Vijay Iyer Migingo Express by Just a Band MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: Finally today, we have the regular feature we call In Your Ear, that's where we invite some of our guests to tell us about some of the songs that give them inspiration. This February we decided to observe Black History Month by featuring global voices - artists and achievers who have roots in Africa, but who are making an impact all around the world. People like Nigerian-American writer Teju Cole, whose fans and followers, especially on Twitter, are scattered all over the world. When we spoke to him recently we asked him to share the music that's a part of his world. TEJU COLE: Hi, I'm Teju Cole, and these are some of the songs that are in my ear right now. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, \"5 AND 6\") COLE: Lately I've been listening a lot to Nigerian dance music. Nigerian pop music is very, very big in Lagos right now. Unlike what it used to be 20 years ago when we mostly listened to American R&B and hip-hop. So we've got our own music that is very popular now. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, \"5 AND 6\") COLE: One of the best composers in any genre today is the American jazz musician Vijay Iyer. And his last studio album was called \"Accelerando.\" And a cover of \"The Star of the Story\" by him on that album is something that I listen to over and over and over again. I consider it a perfect track. I just really, really love his music and I really admire the many different things he does. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, \"THE STAR OF THE STORY\") COLE: And finally, one of my favorite groups is the Kenyan art collective called Just a Band, who are anything but just a band. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, \"MIGINGO EXPRESS\") COLE: They do their own videos, they do cartoons, they do animation and, of course, they do music. And from their album \"82,\" is a song, \"Migingo Express.\" They are four young Kenyans who just seem to have the pulse of the world at their fingertips. And I just really, really adore all of them and I really, really love the music they make. \"Migingo Express\" is my favorite at the moment. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, \"MIGINGO EXPRESS\") MARTIN: That was Nigerian-American writer Teju Cole telling us what is playing in his ear. To hear our previous conversation with him, head over to NPR.org, click on the programs tab and go to TELL ME MORE. Please listen throughout February for our Black History Month series. And you can also weigh in on Twitter if you'd like with the hashtag #AfroGlobal. And that's our program for today. I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Let's talk more tomorrow.", "The history of jazz in the 20th century is well known, but the course of the genre in the 21st century is still being charted. According to Nate Chinen, music critic for NPR Music and WBGO, jazz in the new millennium has enjoyed a type of Renaissance thanks to some key players. Chinen's new book Playing Changes: Jazz for the New Century opens with a spotlight on Los Angeles saxophonist Kamasi Washington. At 37, Washington's collaborations range from jazz greats like Herbie Hancock to rappers like Kendrick Lamar. \"His emergence is just utterly remarkable,\" Chinen says. \"He has this intense physicality as a performer. His music strives for transcendence and I think, often communicates that.\" And while artists like Washington are making jazz cool in the new millennium, Chinen's aim with Playing Changes is to get the root of the resurgence. \"This is a perennial question — this idea of a savior or a messiah figure in jazz,\" Chinen explains. \"I wanted to get to the heart of that question: 'Why do we need someone like that?' What it comes down to I think is a baseline insecurity about the art form's foothold in larger culture.\" Whereas jazz artists used to have to fight to be taken seriously, the perception of jazz in this century has almost calcified to a point where it's seen as a genre that should be respected but not enjoyed. In Chinen's opinion, the image of jazz has become \"too good.\" \"Jazz used to be disreputable. It used to grasp and scramble for respect for cultural esteem. And we no longer have that problem,\" he says. And although that's a good thing, Chinen argues that esteem comes with a certain cost. \"When the push for esteem comes with such a strong veneration for history and for a canon of recordings. Then you begin to see the music at large as a kind of museum piece,\" he says. Like Kamasi Washington, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis was greeted as a savior when he arrived on the national scene in the 1980s. Marsalis led a Renaissance that raised public appreciation for jazz through a return to its traditional values. Chinen says that became polarizing when Marsalis became the head of New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center. This drew a clear divide between what Chinen calls \"the traditionalist wing and the experimental wing\" of jazz musicians in New York City. This divide was literal just as much as it was figurative. \"Jazz at Lincoln Center and the mainstream jazz clubs were uptown and The Knitting Factory and places like Tonic were downtown,\" Chinen says. \"There was a kind of sorting into camps.\" But luckily, this rigid division has been relaxed in the last 20 years. Chinen uses Playing Changes to give attention to particular artists who represent something about where jazz is in this moment. Jazz pianist Vijay Iyer is an example of an artist whose work is based on experimentation. \"Vijay is to me a really important figure because he comes out of an avant garde tradition,\" Chinen says. \"He's second generation Indian American. But really he is able to appeal to a really broad base of listeners. He's become sort of a consensus figure for the Jazz establishment.\" And Chinen calls vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant the \"greatest new arrival on the jazz vocal scene.\" \"If she had come up in the 90s, her interest in the past would have led a lot of people to kind of slot her in this idea and it would have become a kind of trap,\" Chinen says. That means jazz's next great hero could be a heroine.", "One of the most brilliant and exciting commemorations of the 100th anniversary of Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring is a new work that references the Russian composer's music — but in an entirely new cultural framework. It's a pairing of film and music called Radhe, Radhe: Rites of Holi. Created by two Indian-American artists, pianist and composer Vijay Iyer and filmmaker Prashant Bhargava, and played by Iyer and members of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Radhe Radhe transports Stravinsky's semi-mythological tale of mysterious primordial Russian rituals with an actual religious festival that takes place each spring: the Hindu festival of Holi. The duo's work was commissioned by Carolina Performing Arts at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, which dedicated its entire 2012-13 season to examining and celebrating The Rite of Spring from an enormous variety of vantage points, including several world premieres of pieces inspired by Stravinsky. One such work is Radhe Radhe, which was debuted in March. Bhargava's footage comes from the city of Mathura in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Mathura has special prominence in Hindu tradition: It's claimed as the birthplace of Lord Krishna, one of the most important deities of the Hindu pantheon and who is especially tied to this springtime holiday, and so the city becomes a place of pilgrimage for Holi celebrants. In Mathura, Holi is a celebration of the goddess Radha's and Krishna's love for each other, a love depicted throughout Hindu poetry, religious ritual, music and art as feelings that are at once divine and deeply human. (The reference to Radha is what gives this project its name.) Holi is also known as \"the festival of colors\" for the brilliantly shaded powders that people throw on each other during the festival. Iyer and Bhargava's Radhe Radhe picks up upon Stravinsky's musical and conceptual ideas in smart and subtle ways. Bhargava, a filmmaker whose previous credits include the feature-length Patang (The Kite), has an extraordinary eye for small gestures and visual details — no small thing, given Mathura's overwhelming whirl of brilliant hues and pressing crowds. He captures the upending of social norms during Holi, when women have free rein to beat men with sticks — playfully, but with the undercurrent of society experiencing a temporary respite from rigid gender roles during a time of magic. Bhargava also captures the simmering menace inherent in the Stravinsky. The shots move deftly from pre-festival preparations to exuberant celebrations to far more unsettling scenes. Bonfires roar; in Hindu tradition, they symbolize the triumph of good over evil, but here you're highly aware of fire's destructive power. And Bhargava witnesses how the good-natured tossing of colored powders — the quintessential Holi activity — sours into ugly bullying, particularly of women, on the street. Similarly, Iyer uses the spark of Stravinsky in creative and dexterous ways that may not be immediately apparent. Just as the original Rite opens with a solo bassoon traveling a strange and lonely melodic path, the music of Radhe Radhe begins with Iyer and fellow pianist Cory Smythe, spinning in their own musical galaxy before opening up to the ensemble. And just as Stravinsky seized upon Russian folkloric musical ideas though not directly quoting them, Iyer occasionally transforms ICE into a band of Indian musicians playing devotional-sounding creations of his own devising. (And that's not even to touch upon the long history jazz musicians have had with Stravinsky's Rite; for more on this, go to our colleague Patrick Jarenwattananon's excellent survey of these relationships, past and present.) Radhe Radhe is both a testament to Stravinsky's continued influence and a richly successful creative expression on its own terms, well apart from the Rite centennial. Bhargava and Iyer are planning that their visually and sonically dazzling collaboration will get wider exposure through the film festival circuit and potentially a DVD release; here's hoping that many viewers and audiences get a chance to experience Holi through Bhargava and Iyer's eyes and ears.", "Overnight, 24 outstanding talents learned that they had received one of the biggest windfalls imaginable: They are the newest class of grant winners from the MacArthur Foundation. These \"geniuses,\" as the MacArthur recipients have become popularly known, earned this honor by being \"talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.\" As such, they are free to spend their $625,000 of MacArthur money however they see fit. Two of this year's grant winners are pianists who exemplify creative thinking and varied intellectual and artistic pursuits: classical musician Jeremy Denk and jazz artist and composer Vijay Iyer. And as it happens, NPR has a long history with each of this year's musical winners. In 2001, Denk was a Performance Today Young Artist in Residence; more recently, he has collaborated with NPR Classical on a video project documenting his work with Gyorgy Ligeti's Etudes and in a week-long series of essays and videos exploring Bach's Goldberg Variations. All this week, you can stream his new recording of the Goldbergs as part of our First Listen series. Iyer has been frequently featured on NPR as well, in an array of musical settings. This spring, we featured his collaboration with filmmaker Prashant Bhargava in their multimedia project Radhe Radhe, which transported the kernel of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring to India; you can watch excerpts from their work. You can also watch Iyer perform with his trio, including bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore, in a show recorded live in New York in January 2012. And before the MacArthur announcement, Iyer was already slated to be featured on All Things Considered this Saturday. While Iyer and Denk work in very different musical spheres, they are both masters of the keyboard — and also share stunningly expansive gifts away from the piano. Denk is as beloved for his funny and brilliant essays and videos explaining the music he loves as he is for his performances of composers like Bach, Ives and Ligeti; he is writing a book for Random House titled Every Good Boy Does Fine. Iyer — a self-taught pianist who earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in an interdisciplinary study of the cognitive science of music — has, along with his own incisive compositions and work as a bandleader, produced fascinating collaborative projects that include partnerships with such poets as Mike Ladd and Robert Pinsky. In January, Iyer will join Harvard University as its first Franklin D. and Florence Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts. This year's announcement came at an unusual hour. The list of this year's recipients was leaked, apparently by accident, by a Mississippi newspaper that published the names of the winners the night before the information was supposed to be made public. This particularly odd state of affairs meant that congratulations were pouring in to the two pianists on social media in the middle of the night. The recurrent theme offered by friends and colleagues of both artists? \"We knew this was coming.\"", "[Redacted] are chillin' on our linkz: The talented young trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire gets a New York Times profile, from Nate Chinen. WFIU's Night Lights this week is on Scott LaFaro, the great bassist who died too young. SFJAZZ executive Randall Kline talks about his institution to Larry Blumenfeld, for The Wall Street Journal. An intriguing detail: Bill Frisell, Regina Carter, Jason Moran, Jon Santos and Miguel Zenon are the new resident artistic directors starting in fall 2012. Also, Ben Ratliff reviews an SFJAZZ Collective show for the Times. Dr. Lewis Porter, scholar (and pianist), is now blogging for WBGO. Here's post one, about a bluesy recording from 1906 ... from the Congo. The Revivalist chops it up with Jason Moran about making dance music, teaching and possibly collaborating with Ghostface Killah. Ben Waltzer on Omer Avital, for Tablet. A jazz recording a year, for 50 years. Cool piece, at Culture Catch. Hank Shteamer juxtaposes Wynton Marsalis and John Zorn. George Colligan on the late James Williams. Also, see the JazzSet recording. JazzTimes editor Lee Mergner interviews Gregory Davis, who books the jazz tent at the eclectic New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. (No questions why Kenny G is playing the jazz tent this year, though.) Peter Hum asks (Canadian) jazz folks why they bother to make CDs any more. Plus, he has exit interviews with all the jazz Juno winners at jazzblog.ca. Chris Barton sees young phenom Austin Peralta and talks to guitarist Anthony Wilson for the L.A. Times. A list of 30 jazz blogs, by an unnamed contributor to ... accreditedonlinecolleges.com. As they say, it is what it is. The Duke Performances blog reviews The Bad Plus' Rite Of Spring performance. By Chris Vitiello. Not quite jazz, but Ben Sisario's New York Times feature on Clyde Stubblefield — aka the featured player on James Brown's \"Funky Drummer\" — is worth your while. And here are more insights from ?uestlove. A new play called Cool Blues is based on Charlie Parker's last days. From Daniel M. Gold/The New York Times. ICP vs. ICP, from Ars Nova Workshop and The A.V. Club Philadelphia. (Psst: That's Instant Composers Pool vs. Insane Clown Posse.) This is cold. Destination: Out has a meeting of Dudu Pukwana with Misha Mengelberg and Han Bennink. Plus: an ICP recording, c. 1977. JazzWax has a variety of features, including a 1956 documentary you oughta see. The Jazz Session speaks with guitarist Nico Soffiato and trumpeter Brian Lynch. The Checkout this week has an interview with Vijay Iyer about Tirtha, a panel discussion about the new Smithsonian Jazz Anthology and a look into Adam Rogers' iPod. Links to other NPR Music jazz stuff: Read More &gt;&gt; Vijay Iyer and Tirtha played for WBGO on Thursday. Their recording is a Favorite Session at NPR Music. Have we mentioned the Gretchen Parlato First Listen enough yet? Betto Arcos shared some worldly jazz with Guy Raz of Weekend All Things Considered. Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz has a session with singer Roberta Gambarini. JazzSet airs live recordings by pianist Carmen Staaf and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. The blues label Alligator Records turns 40 — here's an interview with Scott Simon of Weekend Edition. Marcia Ball on Song of the Day.", "Where we're all Jazzercising like never before. --A Puzzling Turn For The Portland Jazz Festival: I'm very glad that the Portland Jazz Festival, embattled for its existence this year, will be back in February 2010. From a PR perspective, it also looks to be in good hands, with veteran publicist Don Lucoff of DL Media named as managing director. But the announcement of the 2010 programming made me do a spit take. In addition to a host of North American acts, next year's thematic programming features three bands billed under the title Is Jazz Dead (Or Has It Moved to a New Address)? -- New Music from Norway. The theme refers to a 2005 Stuart Nicholson book; it's summarized here by the festival's press release: Nicholson confronts traditional jazz musicians and audiences who insist on narrowly defining what jazz should be, while maintaining the importance of this music as being indigenously American. Nicholson claims that such rigidly defined art alienates younger audiences from jazz, and points to the exploding scene in Europe, specifically Norway, that has developed both a new culture and audience for jazz. Which would be all hunky-dory -- if that were all that Nicholson argues. It is not. The mere title of his book leaves no doubt that he believes that jazz is artistically stagnant in the U.S. That alone is an erroneous assertion -- I dare Mr. Nicholson to spend a week seeing jazz in Brooklyn alone -- but he follows it up with an argument that the new European scene is actually the real center of innovation. (A 2001 New York Times article lays out a condensed version of his viewpoint.) There's little doubt that jazz is financially healthier in Europe, that there is plenty of interesting stuff going on across the pond, and that the U.S. is glutted with plenty of copycat musicians. But Nicholson is comparing mediocre jazz vocalists and the repertory approach of Jazz at Lincoln Center to a small subset of genre-bending artists. One could easily point out the obverse comparison of Desi-American jazz hybrids, Israeli immigrants to New York, pan-Latin improvisers, the Chicago underground, the Brooklyn underground and stylists who draw on contemporary African American music to all those European hot swing bands and national radio big bands. And what about the facts that American musicians like Kurt Rosenwinkel, Chris Potter and Brian Blade are headliners and influences everywhere they go in Europe? I'm not alone here either: Peter Hum expresses reservations, David Adler expresses strong reservations, and pianist George Colligan, formerly based in New York, tears Nicholson a new one. [UPDATE: Peter Margasak does too, as Kevin Whitehead before him.] So the question is: why would an American jazz festival evoke a thesis which dumps all over American jazz -- and whose veracity ought to be hotly contested by anyone paying attention to the present scene, like, say, a festival director? Why not just call the bill something about \"New Sounds From Norway\" or something without overtones so ignorant of interesting American music? Many of us who like modern jazz are fascinated by what's going on in Norway and really, the whole European continent. (If Nicholson's writing is good for something, it's about learning what some hip new European acts actually are.) But we also maintain that there's plenty of extraordinary music going on within these shores too. Does anyone else find it oddly self-defeating for a U.S. jazz festival which was almost dead a year ago to ask if jazz is dead in the U.S.? --The French Honor Wynton Marsalis: With a Legion of Honor, France's highest award. Apparently the French government doesn't share Stuart Nicholson's views on Marsalis. --Vijay Iyer Explains The Golden Ratio: Specifically, how the Fibonacci sequence manifests itself in his trio version of \"Mystic Brew.\" Editorial in The Guardian. As if I didn't like his new record Historicity enough already, dude up and blew my mind with this. (Related: Hear the Vijay Iyer trio perform on WBGO's The Checkout.)", "On his new album Trombone Tribe, trombonist Roswell Rudd plays with a number of groups including his own sextet, Trombone Tribe. Rudd began his career as a trombonist in a traditional jazz band called Eli's Chosen Six at Yale University. He went on to become a leading trombonist in the jazz avant-garde scene of the 1960s and 1970s. Throughout the 1980s Rudd lived in New York's Catskill Mountains, playing in various house bands at the old resort hotels there. In the 1990's he re-emerged on the music scene and explored different genres of music from around the world. Fresh Air's jazz critic Kevin Whitehead has a review of Trombone Tribe. DAVE DAVIES, host: Trombonist Roswell Rudd started out in Dixieland in the 1950s, then got into another kind of collective improvising free jazz in the 1960s. Back then, he also played the music of modern jazz pianists Herbie Nichols and Thelonious Monk. Later, Rudd kept a low profile, setting the stage for a triumphant return in 1990s. On his new album, Rudd plays with his new band, Trombone Tribe, and sits in with some other groups as well. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead has a review. (Soundbite of music) WHITEHEAD: Roswell Rudd is a warm, enthusiastic guy, who enthuses mostly about the trombone, his fellow trombonists, and brass ensembles featuring trombone. So, Rudd's really in his element on his new album 'Trombone Tribe'. Half of it is by a sextet of the same name where he's reunited with an old colleague enjoying his own big comeback, bassist Henry Grimes. The Tribe's other trombonists are Steve Swell, an extrovert like his boss, and ex Frank Sinatra sidewoman Deborah Weisz, who is handy with a plunger fluegel. (Soundbite of music) WHITEHEAD: The 'Trombone Tribe' channeling a Duke Ellington train song with Bob Stewart on tuba and Barry Alstchul on drums. On record, as live, the band gets a little shaggy around the edges, as irrepressible as its leader. The other half of Roswell Rudd's new album ropes in still more trombone players. He throws together a couple of numbers with five slip horn colleagues, including big band vets Eddie Bert and Sam Burtis, wild man Ray Anderson and open-for-anything younger colleagues, Josh Roseman and Wycliff Gordon. (Soundbite of music) WHITEHEAD: Roswell Rudd's tune 'Astroslyde' inspired by the percussive role low brass plays in East European bands. On one number on the trombonist's new album, he sits in with Steve Bernstein's sextet, Sex Mob, to play the tune 'Twelve Bars' by Rudd hero Herbie Nichols. Bernstein plays slide trumpet here -a smaller, higher trombone. (Soundbite of music) WHITEHEAD: Rudd also hit the road to meet with like-minded players. In New Orleans, he joins the four trombone unit Bonerama, and in Belgium, he rendezvous with a favorite West African sextet the Gangbe brass band of Benin. Rudd wrote them a short suite with echoes of his old boss Carla Bley, composer with her own brass band influences. As with the other groups Rudd saves some solo work for himself. (Soundbite of music) WHITEHEAD: Roswell Rudd's album 'Trombone Tribe' is a grab-bag, skimming from a few different projects. But that all-over-the-globe quality is a strength. It helps explain Rudd's enthusiasm for so many kinds of brass music. To him it's all one big thing. (Soundbite of music) DAVIES: Kevin Whitehead is a jazz columnist for emusic.com. He reviewed \"Trombone Tribe\" featuring Roswell Rudd, on the Sunnyside label. Coming up, a classic vampire story. John Powers reviews \"Let the Right One In,\" now out on DVD. This is FRESH AIR.", "This weekend, The Jazz Gallery in New York will host a three-day festival called Celebrating Ornette Coleman. As tributes to the jazz legend go, this one is special. For one, the lineup is packed with stars and musician's musicians: Mark Turner, Joe Lovano, Nasheet Waits, Johnathan Blake, Kevin Hays and Joel Frahm are leading bands with such sidepersons as Matt Wilson, Seamus Blake, Marcus Gilmore, Stanley Cowell, Avishai Cohen, Joey Baron and more. (The collaborative trio of Vijay Iyer, Matana Roberts and Gerald Cleaver will also perform.) For another, The Jazz Gallery is a small room usually committed to the up-and-coming generation of artists -- this weekend, they'll be packing in artists who often command theaters and weeklong club runs. And as a third, the shows are presented by Jimmy Katz, the jazz portrait photographer and audio engineer. With his wife, Katz raised all the funds; he is also recording the shows, and the musicians will own their masters. There are no guidelines for how each group will play their tributes. In advance of the performance, I reached out to a number of the artists performing this weekend for their brief thoughts on Ornette Coleman. Here's what I got back. What makes Ornette Coleman special for you? Leave us a comment. Read More &gt;&gt; Mark Turner, saxophones: Master Ornette Coleman knows where he comes from, where he is and where he wants to go. Joe Martin, bass: As a bassist, Ornette's music enlightens how crucial, beautiful, and dramatic the relationship between a bass line and melody is. (Of course melody and bass line counterpoint have always existed, but for me hearing Ornette's music showed me that even without a specific harmony, this said relationship is even more pronounced, perhaps essential.) Johnathan Blake, drums: Ornette's fearlessness and honesty is a constant inspiration to me. I've always loved the humor that he puts inside his music. Joel Frahm, saxophone: For me, Ornette is a great example of the power of flow in music; when I listen to him, I feel like he's never out to prove something to anybody. It's more like discovery and reaction. For me, he's hard to talk or write about without feeling like words are completely useless to describe him. Matt Wilson, drums: Mr. Coleman personifies courage. He persevered through intense scrutiny and criticism to convey his sonic message. That alone is a reason to celebrate this American master. Did you know that Ornette Coleman once commented at a rehearsal, \"Let's find the right temperature for this tune\"? Is that hip or what? BIG love to Maestro Coleman! Matana Roberts, saxophone: Ornette Coleman is a saxophonist in a class all by himself. He stands for what making interesting art is all about -- having a voice all of one's own, but having a creative spirit that is wide open, selflessly nuturing and welcoming to collectivity and celebration of the human experience. Seamus Blake, saxophone: Ornette has profoundly touched and influenced every important jazz musician since he first recorded in 1958. The genius and stylings of Wayne Shorter, Joe Lovano, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny and John Scofield as well as many, many more greats owe a great deal to Mr Coleman. He is without a doubt as crucial a figure in jazz as Charlie Parker. Nasheet Waits, drums: What Ornette Coleman represents to me is a fierce dedication to being yourself. He listens to the inner voice whose source is within and beyond. Vijay Iyer, piano: Ornette Coleman's music combines conceptual innovation, rigorous detail, and profound emotional resonance. He completely changed the music we know and love, and yet his ongoing impact extends well beyond the \"jazz\" world, into punk rock, American literature, cinema and contemporary art. To me, the best way to pay tribute to Mr. Coleman is to follow his lead -- i.e., to be radically, audaciously yourself.", "The results of this year's Jazz Critics Poll — NPR's fourth annual and my 11th, counting from its 2006 inception in the Village Voice — slightly resemble those of the last two. Henry Threadgill, Jack DeJohnette, Mary Halvorson and Vijay Iyer all are repeaters from last year's Top 10, and Steve Lehman and Wadada Leo Smith are back from 2014's, when they finished No. 1 and No. 2. With Smith, Threadgill and DeJohnette all over 70, and Charlie Haden 76 when he died two years ago, the average age of the musicians in this year's Top 10 might be the oldest since '06, when Nels Cline (No. 7 this year and 10 years older) was the baby at 50. That's the troubling news, if you choose to see it as a sign of jazz's dwindling life expectancy. I don't. The 2016 honor roll also includes Halvorson and Lehman, both in their 30s, and two-time winner Iyer, who isn't significantly older. And slightly further down the list, in the Top 20, are Darcy James Argue, Tyshawn Sorey and Jonathan Finlayson, all past winners in Debut (the poll's equivalent of Rookie of the Year). Gregory Porter, who made the Top 50, and Noah Preminger, who just missed, are also previous winners in this category. Besides, watching the polls as long as I have has taught me the folly of drawing conclusions about the state of jazz's creative health from just one year's standings. Over the last 11 years, the poll has shown critical consensus forming behind the above-named musicians, plus others including JD Allen (No. 13 this year) and Cecile McLorin Salvant. And if you go by magazine covers and White House invitations, 2016's breakout jazz star was Joey Alexander, a 13-year-old piano prodigy about whom this poll's voters seem to be wisely playing wait-and-see (some of us overheard mumbling about child labor laws). But the year belonged to what I think of as avant elders, or better yet, the avant gentry — musicians who have remained in the jazz vanguard for three to five decades now. Threadgill made his recording debut in 1970, on a date by Muhal Richard Abrams that teamed him with Wadada Leo Smith on the front line; both went on to become guiding lights in the Chicago AACM and its New York diaspora. Haden and Carla Bley (who deserves a career retrospective as well as co-leader billing on Time/Lines) were there for the birth of free jazz, as was No. 19 Andrew Cyrille. No. 14 David Murray and the individual members of Smith's rhythm section on America's National Parks (Anthony Davis, John Lindberg and Pheeroan akLaff) were among those who reenergized the avant-garde in the late 1970s and early-1980s. And DeJohnette, though most associated these days with '70s Miles and Keith Jarrett's Standards Trio, has had one foot in the avant-garde since his apprenticeship in Chicago, as an AACM fellow traveler — witness his frequent reunions with Smith. Though they'd be entitled, these musicians aren't riffing on their laurels. Smith and Threadgill, in particular, are making perhaps the most adventurous music of their careers, and this year's poll reflects that. My own album choices require explanation. I asserted pollmaster's privilege in splitting some of my votes between different albums. But in each case, in compliance with the rules I set for my colleagues, only one album — indicated by an asterisk — received points and appears on my actual ballot. My Top 10 Henry Threadgill Ensemble Double Up, Old Locks and Irregular Verbs Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra, Time/Life *Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith, A Cosmic Rhythm with Each Stroke/Wadada Leo Smith, America's National ParksI felt I had to take my pick, but you don't. You need to hear both of these. Sonny Rollins, Holding the Stage: Road Shows, Vol. 4More from the great one's personal concert archive, spanning more than 30 years (1979-2012). He's transcendent throughout, and the period funk and superfluous percussion on the stuff from the early '80s gives him an awful lot to transcend. But who would have guessed that '79's \"Disco Monk\" would sound as fresh as it does all these years later, when it seemed so dated way back then (too bad nothing can be done about that title). Aruán Ortiz Trio, Hidden VoicesThe year's best piano trio album (with Eric Revis on bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums) lets you imagine what it must have been like first hearing Andrew Hill on Blue Note in the 1960s. Ortiz has shown enormous potential on a handful of earlier recordings as a sideman or leader, and here he delivers on that potential and then some. His taste in covers is inspired (Monk's \"Skippy\" and a pair by Ornette Coleman), his attack is bracingly percussive and his phrases come at you in waves or shards. Mary Halvorson Octet, Away with You Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus, The Distance *Michael Bisio & Kirk Knuffke, Row for William O./Whit Dickey & Kirk Knuffke, Fierce SilenceKnuffke, Ambose Akinmusire's only rival among young trumpeters, excels at duets, and you can't go wrong with either of these, the first with a peren", "Tonight, six new performers will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Public Enemy, Randy Newman, Rush, Albert King, Donna Summer and Heart. According to the Hall's own language, one of the criteria for induction is \"an artist's musical influence on other artists.\" That influence is built into each year's ceremony: Musicians are inducted by younger artists who display some of their qualities. (Tonight, Donna Summer will be inducted by Jennifer Hudson and Christina Aguilera.) But if a musician makes it to the level of the Rock Hall, that influence has likely spread to unlikely corners. In the mid-1980s, Vernon Reid co-founded Living Colour, and with it, a movement that came to be called the Black Rock Coalition, which promoted black musicians playing rock music. Reid, who was raised on heavy metal, jazz and funk and whose music showed all of those influences, first saw Rush, the power trio from Toronto, on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert on television. He says he was floored by the sound the singer made. \"Geddy Lee's voice was so unusual — high and reedy and declamatory. I dug it,\" Reid says. \"There's this kind of idea of the individual versus society. And I just thought there's something in what the music is talking about that was just very appealing to me.\" \"I think the music that hits you when you're innocent stains your soul,\" says music journalist Holly Gleason. In other words, the songs you hear as a kid stay with you. Some of this year's inductees have a clear line of musical DNA that leads to today's stars. \"You can't deny the impact Donna Summer had on Madonna or Beyonce or, to an extent, Rihanna,\" Gleason says. \"Donna put it out there, and all of those women picked it up.\" The influence of blues master Albert King has been similarly well-documented. King has inspired legions of guitarists since his 1967 Stax hit \"Born Under a Bad Sign.\" Performers ranging from Eric Clapton to John Mayer have cited King's impact on them (Mayer will induct King into the Hall), but Gleason says she has learned to measure the influence of legendary musicians through the music younger bands listen to on the road. \"You might be at a Kenny Chesney show and you'll hear Albert King coming off one of the band buses,\" she says. Or another of this year's inductees: \"You'll be backstage at a show with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and they may be listening to Randy Newman, of all things. You don't expect it, but when you step back and look at what they do, you can usually get a broken line into, 'Oh yeah, that makes sense.' \" Sometimes the influence of a musician sneaks up over time — other times, it grabs hold immediately. When Vijay Iyer was a teenager in Rochester, N.Y., he listened to a steady diet of pop and rock on the radio. But then he heard Public Enemy in college. \"There was an edge to it, just sonically, that was really intense,\" the jazz pianist says. \"They had that kind of incantatory quality that was really arresting — especially for me as an adolescent at that time.\" Elements of that sound, as well as Public Enemy's mission, made their way into his own music. \"I think in intensity and density and sonic thrust, you can hear it in certain aspects of my trio music,\" Iyer says. He adds that the music he plays today has a lot to do with helping him understand who he was, as a child of Indian immigrants growing up in the lily-white suburbs. \"For me it was more about becoming a 'person' in America, which meant finding a space to be accepted as an individual and not a type,\" he says. Sometimes you don't have to look any further than home to find your role models. Gleason says the Seattle-based '70s band Heart, led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, was an unlikely influence on a bunch of Pacific Northwest grunge rockers 20 years later. \"When you look at all the bands that came out of Seattle — the Nirvanas, the Pearl Jams — they are huge fans of those girls,\" Gleason says. \"I was talking to someone up there who's a critic, and I said, 'This makes no sense. They hate gloss. They hate slick. They hate shiny.' And the guy looked at me and said, 'No. They rock.' \" When you get down to it, maybe it's just that simple.", "Some links we haven't mentioned yet: Sonny Rollins turned 80. Marc Myers drove around Harlem with him, while Larry Blumenfeld did an interview. Label man, promoter, artist manager and guitarist Greg Pasenko, late of the short-lived Chicago venue Club Blujazz, has a new blog dedicated to the business end of things. It's called The Jazz Artist's Survival Guide. Speaking of that, Dave Holland responds to an NPR blog (this post in particular) about the nature of the DIY music business. Don't remember when I first came across it, but the folks at the blog Something Else! listen to an awful lot of jazz. Vijay Iyer makes a great mix with lots of unreleased music (psst: all the Search and Restore podcasts), and the Wall Street Journal does one of the better pieces I've read on him. Plus, he also made this track for Das Racist. Twitter births a jazz band. (!) Kit Downes, the pianist whose trio's recording was nominated for The Mercury Prize, has some interesting reflections on the whole affair. Speaking of British jazz, the Neil Cowley trio plays on WNYC's New Sounds. Taylor Ho Bynum's bicycle tour has begun. The Brilliant Corners reference guide to grunting pianists. The Latin Jazz Corner speaks with Danilo Pérez and Hilario Durán. Destination: Out is putting on a concert series in real life! Also, they preview William Parker's new Curtis Mayfield double-disc. JazzWax talks to Mose Allison, Jerry Lee Lewis and gives us a few other cool features. The Jazz Session speaks with Theo Bleckmann and Steve Cardenas. The Checkout this week has Hermeto Pascoal, Butch Morris and a studio session with Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band. A few links we have mentioned: Read More &gt;&gt; Soundscape lives at WKCR. RIP Hadley Caliman and Noah Howard. MOBO and Latin Grammy Award nominations were announced, including jazz. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is going to Cuba. Links to other NPR Music jazz stuff: Happy 80th, Sonny Rollins, from Take Five. You have one weekend left to hear all of The Bad Plus' new album Never Stop as part of NPR Music's First Listen series. Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz has a cool feature on the famous photo \"A Great Day In Harlem.\" Also, NPR's The Picture Show digs a bit further. The Nels Cline trio's Tiny Desk Concert. JazzSet re-airs the Stefon Harris and Blackout set(s). On Issac Delgado's Nat King Cole tribute album. The great jazz critic Nat Hentoff talks to NPR about his new book. Lee Ritenour plays a studio session in Jazz24's Seattle studios. Dirty trombones: Eww, gross. Tune in next Wednesday for our live webcast of the Renee Rosnes quartet from the Village Vanguard!", "On paper, at least, the genre of guitar-focused instrumental albums seems to imply the 1980s heyday of \"shred\": the guitarist as gladiator, obscured by bad L.A. fashion and outsize ego, making music that's only interesting to those attempting to play it themselves. In reality, there's been loads of stylish, wordless American music with a fetish for the electric guitar: the surf combos, Freddie King's instrumental sides and Ry Cooder qualify, as does the seminal work of players associated exclusively with the Fender Telecaster (say, Roy Buchanan's blues and Danny Gatton's \"redneck jazz\"). The Telecaster's influence spreads across Americana — it is, inarguably, country music's foremost six-string — but its functionality, combined with some design quirks and a high potential for customization, has rendered the instrument a school unto itself. Jim Campilongo, a guitarist from San Francisco now based in New York, offers a distinctive, postmodern take on Telecaster music. He's mastered many of the idiomatic techniques and tones that define the style — the swells in volume, the tautly plucked pick-and-fingers licks and the reverb-heavy, trebly timbre known as \"twang\" — even if his sound tends to be less piercing, with more bottom end. But Campilongo, who also plays with Norah Jones in The Little Willies, has an artier edge. On his new album, Orange, he crafts tumbleweed soundscapes in the manner of Cooder, Bill Frisell or Friends of Dean Martinez; taps vocalist Leah Siegel for dirge-like covers of the Stones and the Stooges; and infuses \"When You Wish Upon a Star\" with spooky nostalgia. There's a sense of economy about his playing that forces listeners to savor the gymnastics, and he keeps sharp company: Orange was produced by Anton Fier, a drummer with heavy downtown credibility, and features bassist Stephan Crump, who topped jazz polls in 2009 as part of pianist Vijay Iyer's game-changing trio. \"Backburner,\" Orange's lead-off track, bends toward the artist's guitar-shop demeanor. Pretty much everything you'd want in a rock 'n' roll instrumental is here: a terrific groove, trick-filled riffs and solos, and a point of combustion in which Campilongo thrashes and burns in a way that argues he paid attention to punk rock. (Crump's opening arco screech foreshadows the tumult.) It's all fabulously entertaining, even if you wouldn't know what to do with Campilongo's signature Fender Custom Shop guitar. Listen to yesterday's Song of the Day, and subscribe to the Song of the Day newsletter.", "This year, the Newport Jazz Festival is celebrating its 60th anniversary. For most of that time, its guiding force has been producer George Wein, who remembers all too well the first event in 1954. It was pouring rain. Wein was being urged to call it off but refused. The audience stayed, broke out their umbrellas, and the musicians played. The scene was caught by a photographer. \"And that picture went out all over the world,\" Wein says, \"of people sitting for five hours in the rain, listening to jazz.\" And who wouldn't have stayed? The lineup included Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday. After its soggy debut, it wasn't long before the festival started making musical history. In 1956 Duke Ellington and his orchestra were playing the bandleader's composition \"Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue\" when Ellington turned to saxophonist Paul Gonsalves for a solo. Gonsalves blew for 27 choruses, turning the sit-down Newport audience into a surging crowd. \"We were sitting there and we saw this thing evolving and we couldn't believe it,\" Gonsalves says. \"I was worried it was maybe too exciting because the crowd, for the first time, had left their seats and was coming towards the stage.\" The crowds actually did get too rowdy, and in 1961 the festival was cancelled. It resumed the next year, but audiences started to dwindle. As the decade wore on and musical tastes began to change, George Wein added rock to the lineup for the 1969 festival. Bands like Led Zeppelin drew an overflowing crowed to Newport — which nearly caused another riot. The rock experiment was a mistake, Wein says. But he did have a keen ear for what might sell. In 1959 when the folk boom was taking off, he launched the Newport Folk Festival. Over the years, he watched as taste shifted back and forth between the two events. \"Next thing we knew, the folk festival was surpassing the jazz festival,\" he says. \"Then when Bob Dylan went electric, the folk festival went down and the jazz festival was coming up again.\" The jazz festival left Newport for New York City in 1972 and returned 9 years later. Wein eventually sold his festivals and went into semi-retirement. But he couldn't stay away. Historian and jazz critic Nat Hentoff says his old friend has made an important contribution. \"By keeping the Newport Jazz Festival alive,\" he says, \"George also, I think, had a lot to do to ignite festivals all over the world.\" There's now a foundation to take care of both Newport festivals. Wein says he's not too worried about their future, but he does contemplate the future of jazz — a music that was fighting for acceptance when he started the festivals 60 years ago. \"The difference now is, we're looking for relevance in this age of pop culture,\" Wein says. \"What is the relevance of jazz? It's not classical music. It's not pop culture. It's a culture of its own.\" Nat Hentoff says it's a culture that will survive. \"It may not be a very popular form of music, but inevitably, it survives,\" he says. \"Because of that, it has an impact. When it does reach people, it is lasting, and they in turn will infect other people with that enthusiasm.\" For his part, Wein puts his faith in the musicians, who this year include jazz elder statesmen Ron Carter, Lee Konitz and Gary Burton as well as such younger musicians as Iraqi-American trumpeter Amir ElSaffar, big band leader Darcy James Argue and Indian-American pianist Vijay Iyer. \"Jazz will go where the musicians take it, because they'll always want to play,\" Wein says. \"As long as they want to play, somebody's gonna listen.\" Wherever the musicians take jazz, he hopes to be there. At 88 years old, Wein at least wants to be able to say he's producing the Newport Jazz Festival when he's 90.\" ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: The Newport Jazz Festival is celebrating its 60th anniversary. For most of that time, it's guiding force has been producer George Wein, and he's there again this year. Rhode Island Public Radio's Catherine Welch caught up with him to talk about the festival's history and its impact on jazz. CATHERINE WELCH, BYLINE: George Wein remembers well that first Newport Jazz Festival in 1954. It was pouring rain. He was being urged to call it off, but refused. The audience stayed, broke out their umbrellas, and the musicians played. The scene was caught by a photographer. GEORGE WEIN: And that picture went out all over the world, of people sitting for five hours in the rain listening to jazz. WELCH: And who wouldn't stay? The lineup included Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday. After its soggy debut, it wasn't long before the festival started making musical history. In 1956, Duke Ellington and his orchestra were playing the bandleader's composition \"Diminuendo and Crescendo In Blue\" when Ellington turned to saxophonist Paul Gonsalves for a solo. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, \"DIMINUENDO AND CRESCENDO IN BLUE\") WELCH: Gonsalves blew for 27 choruses, turning the sit-down Newport audience into a", "More links from this week: Nate Chinen on the youthful elements of the Seattle jazz scene, for the Times. Very glad somebody has told this story. Brad Mehldau writes on \"Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, Beethoven and God,\" filtered through the lens of German authors and philosophers. Also, Mehldau recently duetted with John Mayer. Branford Marsalis turned 50. Here's a Nate Chinen reflection, and a discordant note from Phil Freeman. Howard Mandel on the #jazzlives Twitter hashtag, after one year. Also, in the comments last week, Mandel linked to this amusingly dated 1997 piece he wrote called \"Jazz Vs. Computers.\" Mark Stryker of the Detroit Free Press on Mulgrew Miller, who is artist-in-residence at the Detroit International Jazz Festival. A Chicago club, actually doing well in this rough summer. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History blog posted photos and audio clips about Lena Horne and Abbey Lincoln this week. A 1979 Abbey Lincoln interview. Also, Chinen (again!) on Abbey's lasting influence. Chico and Rita: The animated story of a Cuban couple of musicians making their way in bebop-era New York (H/T Peter Hum). More Savory Collection goodies from Newsweek. Also, Seth Colter Walls speaks with historian Loren Schoenberg. And WNYC spoke with Schoenberg and Bill Savory's son at length too. It takes two saxophonists to replace one Joe Lovano. This is a fun New York Times human interest piece (plus video) from Aidan Levy about jazz musicians' ping-pong obsessions after hours. (Who knew that Aaron Goldberg was so good at table tennis?) Also, I'm a little confused as to why it's a bit heated in the comments. Dennis Hopper among the jazz beatniks, from WFIU's Night Lights. From The Onion: \"Ask A Guy Who's Not Doing The Gig For Less Than $200.\" Destination: Out re-posts a Pat Martino jam. JazzWax has an interview with historian Phil Schaap (a personal mentor as well). The Jazz Session speaks with Jimmy Amadie and Shane Endsley. The Checkout this week was a rerun. It is, like, the second rerun in about a year and a half? Busy man, that Josh Jackson. Finally, this is funny (H/T Jazz24): A few links we have mentioned: Read More &gt;&gt; JazzCorner's InnerViews, and Anil Prasad's Innerviews. The National Visionary Leadership Project video oral histories, and the Smithsonian jazz oral histories. \"Has Your Partner's Musical Taste Ever Been A Dealbreaker?\" Apparently, yes. The Village Vanguard folding bicycle. The Vijay Iyer trio + M.I.A. \"Galangs\" mashup. Links to other NPR Music jazz stuff: You have one weekend left to hear all of the fantastic new Danilo Pérez album Providencia as part of NPR Music's First Listen series. The Take Five series this week explores lesser-known Indo-Jazz Fusion. JazzSet airs a 2000 set with Abbey Lincoln and Kendra Shank. Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz reruns the Allen Toussaint and Elvis Costello episode. Bluesman Piano Red does \"CC Rider.\"", "When you work the weekend shift in an empty office, sometimes you just happen to notice stuff sitting on your colleagues' desks. Like this Bob Boilen script for Monday's All Songs Considered episode: It's hard to pick just one great saxophone player, but if I had to name my favorite, it would be Julius Hemphill. Julius started the World Saxophone Quartet in the late 1970s, and if you want to hear some remarkable playing give any of their CDs a listen. I also have a soft spot for Julius because I was lucky enough to play with him for a brief shining moment. His band was playing up in the loft one New Years Eve at a Washington, D.C. club called d.c. space, and my band Tiny Desk Unit was playing downstairs. Just after the stroke of midnight, Julius came downstairs and joined us on stage with his sax and started to wail. I cranked the volume on my homemade synthesizer and did the same. I'll never forget it. Check out All Songs Considered sometime late on Monday to hear Hemphill's classic \"Dogon A.D.\", as interpreted by the Vijay Iyer trio on its forthcoming Historicity. (Pre-order here.) And while you're at it, hear a live version, as recorded at this year's Newport jazz festivities. ----- Two NPR Music stories this weekend about records which aren't necessarily jazz, but involve serious jazz talent. The first is Jon Kalish's report on Mazel Tov, Mis Amigos -- a 1961 Riverside album which sets Jewish popular and folk songs to Latin beats. It's an interesting piece because it sheds some light on the crossover between Latino and Jewish communities in post-World War II New York. Moreover, the music is really solid; not only did it call upon the talents of folks like Doc Cheatham, Clark Terry, Ray Barretto and Charlie Palmieri, but Arturo O'Farrill deemed it worthy enough to lead a recreation of the album live at Lincoln Center Out of Doors. The second story is an interview with Bloomington, Ind.'s Dena El Saffar, leader of a band called Salaam. She's an Iraqi American violist who got bitten by the Iraqi music bug during a family trip to Baghdad right before the Gulf War. Salaam blends Iraqi maqam, among other Middle Eastern musics, with all sorts of Western this and that. And it's quite interesting. If any of this sounds familiar, you may know of her brother, Amir ElSaffar, who also contributes to Salaam. He's a legitimate practicioner of Iraqi maqam, but also a jazz trumpeter who's played with Cecil Taylor and other heavy cats. (An NPR profile from 2006.) Anyway, I think I've made it clear that I dig his natural-feeling maqam-inspired improvised music on these servers before; these days, ElSaffar is also collaborating with Iranian American saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh, and he recently won a CMA grant to do further work with his Iraqi-jazz ensemble.", "A jazz fan visiting Albuquerque, N.M., might equate the chances of seeing great live jazz there with the chances of getting caught in a rain shower. But since the 1970s, a devoted group of musicians and educators has turned the area into a hotbed of jazz performance, with a scene so hearty, its musicians can support themselves by playing out. Its venues are so magnetic that international stars often make it a stop on their tours. The nonprofit New Mexico Jazz Workshop began in 1976 as a collective of just eight musicians in nearby Santa Fe who realized that if they were going to survive as jazz players in the desert, they were going to have to hustle gigs and educate an audience. So they put on summer shows at a small-town ball field between Santa Fe and Albuquerque and started a series of concerts in the schools. Thanks to the efforts of the Jazz Workshop, Albuquerque locals can count on a salsa or Latin jazz band every Friday night, and a jazz or blues band every Saturday night throughout the summer in an outdoor amphitheater at the Albuquerque History Museum. For 15 years, the Jazz Workshop has built a solid audience with these weekend concerts. Transforming The Scene Boston-raised avant-garde saxophonist Tom Guralnick entered the New Mexico music scene in the late 1970s and briefly took over the reins of the Jazz Workshop in those early years. He left to work more on his own music career, but returned to New Mexico in 1985 with an idea that would transform the local scene. \"My idea was, in being here, that I would start another organization that did different kinds of experimental music and world music and then later jazz,\" Guralnick says. \"Key to what I wanted to do was to have a small performance space like some of the places that I'd been to in Europe.\" What he settled on was small: a storefront one block south of the legendary Route 66. \"It was a print shop,\" he says. \"It was owned by two brothers — the Furry Brothers, believe it or not.\" Like most jazz musicians, Guralnick wasn't rich. He sold his house to raise the money to buy the place, and he moved into the upstairs apartment. Below, he created a 90-seat, nonprofit listening room — not a club. He called it The Outpost Performance Space. \"We set it up as a long, narrow space where people would only be three rows from the stage,\" he says. \"You know, the whole thing was ... No, maybe it wasn't the perfect performance space, but it was what we had.\" Attracting Big Names Over the course of 10 years at that location, with the help of some large grants, Guralnick was able to turn the Outpost into a tour stop for internationally known jazz musicians. Names such as Dave Holland, Bill Frisell, Eddie Harris, Bobby Bradford, Jane Ira Bloom, James Moody, Oliver Lake and a pair of Guralnick's favorites, the late saxman Steve Lacy and trombonist Roswell Rudd, all played the Outpost. In 2000, Guralnick bought a karate studio in the University District a few miles west of the original Outpost and converted it into the new-and-improved 150-seat Outpost Performance Space. The space is humming almost every night, with performances of jazz, folk, blues or world music, or jazz classes for teens and adults. Pianist and composer Vijay Iyer first played the Outpost in 2005. He says the reason musicians keep coming back is simple: People go to the Outpost to listen. \"First of all, when we drove up to the place, I was just amazed that there was a free-standing structure in the United States that's dedicated all year 'round to this kind of music. And it wasn't a club,\" Iyer says. \"Because most of these venues, you know, if you go to Yoshi's in Oakland, Calif., or some of the clubs in New York, these are great places to play, but you're always competing with what's on the menu. I mean, if every state in the United States had one venue like this, the entire landscape would be totally different.\" Supporting The Sounds The landscape in Albuquerque has been carefully designed to build a supportive audience base. From the beginning of the Jazz Workshop, education for adults and young people was part of the plan. Those efforts continue today, with classes presented by both the Jazz Workshop and the Outpost. One of the products of the Albuquerque scene is 25-year-old Matt Brewer. He went to shows, took classes at the Outpost and started playing professionally when he was 12. Now, he's one of Manhattan's most sought-after bassists. \"All the best players in New York that I've spoken with about Albuquerque have been really impressed with their time there,\" he says. \"Because audiences are really attentive, shows are often packed full of people. And I think people can tell that the organizations that are bringing shows in are run by people who actually have a passion and love for the music.\" It's certainly not to get rich, Guralnick says. \"Club owners, nonprofit organizations, musicians are not making a lot of money. And we all support each other in our efforts to keep this music go", "Cherry-picking the Jazz Internet at the tail end of cherry season. --Matthew Shipp On Piano Jazz: All this week, Lars Gotrich has been filing in excess for NPR Music, and especially for A Blog Supreme. But he couldn't let this week's Piano Jazz go without comment: All this talk about getting 20-somethings into jazz got me thinking beyond the Jazz Now project. Late in college, I discovered Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz on my local NPR station, WUGA. While the guests weren't always my taste in jazz, the interviews were consistently engaging. Imagine my surprise just a year later when A) I became Piano Jazz's Web producer and B) that avant-jazz pianist and composer Matthew Shipp was slated as a guest in Dec. 2006. I listened with fascination -- McPartland was completely game to Shipp's angular chords and melodic sidesteps. After improvising one of her famous musician portraits of Shipp, McPartland said, \"It's inspiring to hear someone like you play, because it does make me sort of think differently.\" This, of course, forever sold me on McPartland, the classy pianist with encyclopedic jazz knowledge. And since then, McPartland has been a large part of my jazz education not just because she can hang with the avant-cats (Cecil Taylor and Andrew Hill have also appeared on the show), but because she teases new information and realizations out of all of her guests. With that, I'm excited to point y'all to the Matthew Shipp Piano Jazz session, which re-ran on-air this past week, and now lives on our little piece of the interwebs. --The John H. Baker Film Collection: Columbus, Ohio lawyer John Baker -- a non-musician and hard of hearing -- was almost single-mindedly obsessed with collecting jazz on film. It was a constant issue with his wife and children. He even sold 10,000 jazz records in 1972 to finance his jazz film habit. And now, Kansas City's American Jazz Museum is opening a permanent exhibit of Baker's collection. As a Columbus Dispatch article says, the 10,000 feet of film restored so far amounts to all of 1% of his collection. --Jazz In Tokyo: At the Wall Street Journal, a lengthy survey of the Tokyo jazz club scene. Among interesting notes: that coffee shops dedicated to spinning jazz recordings are all over the city; that U.S. conservatory grads are populous enough that they've been labeled \"Berklee jazz\"; and that the Blue Note Tokyo charges $70 to $170 in covers. (!) Fascinating stuff that I assume needs to be lived to be fully understood. --Guitarist Rez Abbasi On WNYC's Soundcheck: Performing from his new album Things To Come with Vijay Iyer, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Dan Weiss, Johannes Weidenmueller and Kiran Ahluwalia. The big guns turn up for a studio performance and interview.", "So who else can't wait for the Grammy Awards Pre-Telecast Ceremony with Dave Koz and MC Lyte? [stifled laughter] Dred Scott, pianist, on Tumblr. Yes, his name is Dred Scott. Yes, it's good reading. Try the Sofia's or Cannes 2010 articles on to start. His website. Martin Porter is (ostensibly) also a musician who writes thoughtfully about jazz he sees. Vijay Iyer cover story in JazzTimes. Charles Gayle, aka Streets the Clown, in the Village Voice. The free jazz saxophonist has a new record coming out. Jason Moran on three important albums pertaining to Black History Month, via Alternate Takes. The Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel, a top Manhattan jazz and cabaret room, has closed. The Times. The Journal. Here's Murray Horwitz for NPR on the dying art of cabaret. Rudy Van Gelder, up for what is essentially a lifetime achievement Grammy, in the WSJ. Marc Myers also wrote about Benny Golson for the Journal, though that piece is behind the paywall. His blog JazzWax has more Golson bits. Bombay's jazz age, as captured in a BBC audio slideshow. Duke Ellington's D.C. legacy, in photos. Via the Washington Post. Philip Glass on BAM. Seriously, Philip Glass talks black music, in the Village Voice. Latin jazz artists protest the Grammys with a concert on Sunday. Keyon Harrold, trumpeter, talks gigging with Cirque du Soleil in St. Louis' alt-weekly. (Five months of rehearsal!) Spotify: a jazz fan's perspective. In the San Diego Reader. Purely on programming terms — not having to do with royalty disagreements. H.R. 658 was passed through Congress this week. Among other things, it includes provisions that make U.S. commercial flights allow musical instruments on board. Musicians are celebrating. Chicago to gain good Jazz Internet. Ted Panken has posted a Butch Morris (!) Blindfold test. Destination: Out has posted Claude Delcloo/Arthur Jones BYG stuff, c. 1969. The Jazz Session spoke with saxophonist Tim Berne and keeper of the flame Sue Mingus. Elsewhere at NPR Music: Read More &gt;&gt; We are live at the Village Vanguard on Monday night for the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Piano Jazz Rising Stars lives. More on the new series, featuring Taylor Eigsti, Grace Kelly, Aaron Diehl, Jason Moran, Stefon Harris, etc. Leala Cyr and Ricardo Vogt were live at Berklee College of Music this week. WBGO was there for this partial recording. Chico And Rita is out. Bob Mondello does a movie review on the animated film, based loosely on the life of Bebo Valdes. The Grammy Latin jazz controversy, explained by Felix Contreras on Tell Me More. JazzSet this week features the Mingus Orchestra. Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz this week features a Tanglewood special. Matt Wilson's Arts and Crafts CD reviewed on Fresh Air.", "During a career spanning seven decades, trumpeter Doc Cheatham was involved in virtually every phase of jazz history. He started as an ensemble player and blossomed into an expressive soloist in small group settings. He was comfortable playing big, brassy music, but his sound could also be soft and delicate. His articulation and clarity became pillars of his style. Adolphus Anthony \"Doc\" Cheatham was born on June 13, 1905, in Nashville, Tenn. Although Nashville was not known for jazz, the town did have the Bijou Theater, where Cheatham began playing with the pit band at an early age. It was there that he met and played with the great blues artists Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. In 1926, Cheatham met trumpeter Louis Armstrong, an encounter Cheatham would later describe as the best thing that ever happened to him. Armstrong and his wife Lil helped Cheatham get work, and eventually Armstrong asked Doc to fill in for him. \"I substituted for him two or three times,\" Cheatham says. \"It was hard to do, because he was such a great player. I knew I wasn't capable, but I was young and I listened to what he was doing, and I learned what he was playing.\" After his experience with Armstrong, Cheatham became more dedicated than ever to playing the trumpet, absorbing all he could from fellow musicians. From the late '20s to the '40s, he played lead trumpet with Sam Wooding, the McKinney Cotton Pickers, Benny Carter and Cab Calloway. Cheatham also played in Calloway's Orchestra, with its grueling schedule, for nine years. For health reasons, Cheatham left the band and took a few months off, but he eventually returned to music, joining Teddy Wilson's big band and later the Eddie Heywood Jr. Sextet. With the decline of big bands, Cheatham found a new challenge playing Latin music. He joined the bands of Marcelino Guerra, Perez Prado and later Machito's band. By the mid-'60s, and at the age of 60, Cheatham landed a job with the Benny Goodman Quintet and decided to use his past influences to refashion himself as a soloist and improviser. \"One of the prime motivations in improvised music for jazz musicians is to be able to tell a story when we play a solo,\" trumpeter Jon Faddis says. \"Doc is a master at that, because you can hear all of his background and influences.\" In 1972, Cheatham added vocals to his performances. For the rest of his career, Cheatham remained in demand on both the concert and festival circuits, and he maintained his peak musical form until his death at age 91. He was an eyewitness to 70 years of American musical history and a living testament to the diversity and vitality of jazz, blues, big band and Latin music. On June 2, 1997, Cheatham died while on tour, doing what he loved to do.", "New York-based composer Steve Reich has won the Pulitzer Prize for music with his piece Double Sextet. Reich composed the work for two identical sextets of instruments, each made up of flute, clarinet, violin, cello, vibraphone and piano. \"I'm very glad that this particular piece got it, because I do think it's one of the better pieces I've done in the past few years,\" Reich tells NPR's Tom Cole, who broke the news to the composer over the phone at his home in New York. \"The piece can be played in two ways,\" Reich says. \"Either with 12 musicians or with six playing against a recording of themselves.\" That's exactly how the Double Sextet was premiered, in May 2008, by the ensemble eighth blackbird. The concept of musicians playing against taped recordings of themselves is not a new idea for Reich. He used it in his \"Counterpoint\" series and Different Trains in the 1980s, and as far back as 1967's Violin Phase. \"It's the idea of writing basically unison canons,\" Reich says. \"The same timbre playing against itself, so that when they intertwine, you don't hear the individual voice; you hear the composite. Now, if you have several composites going on at the same time, you really get to an interesting situation, and that's what's going on in Double Sextet.\" It's About Time Tim Page, professor of journalism and music at the University of Southern California and himself a former Pulitzer winner for music criticism, says he was overjoyed to hear the news about Reich. \"It's about time the first generation of minimalist composers were honored,\" Page says, \"because they changed American music. It could be argued they changed world music.\" Page points to the generation of composers before Reich, with their penchant for an atonal, serialist style of music that left many listeners cold. \"And here comes Reich, and he's tonal and rhythmic,\" Page says. \"He helped teach the world to listen to music in a new way. Also, it's music that has touched every other kind of music, from rock and jazz to hip-hop. He is a universal composer.\" Anne Midgette, chief classical music critic of the Washington Post, agrees. \"This is a richly deserved award to a man who may be America's greatest living composer,\" Midgette says. \"Double Sextet combines the probing intellectual rigor that's a Reich hallmark and the live-against-recorded-playing that he's returned to again and again throughout his career, with an autumnal richness of tone and timbre that makes it meditative — and even, in places, outright melodic.\" Double Sextet was commissioned by eighth blackbird, an adventurous ensemble of young musicians who grew up listening to Reich's music. \"Thankfully, a lot of young musicians have not only played all kinds of my pieces, but have played them well,\" Reich says. \"It's because they heard them when they were younger. This is the case in all music history. Composers have a real difficulty in that first generation when they are writing these works. But the following generations grow up with it as part of the furniture in the room. So eighth blackbird, and many other groups I'm happy to say, can not only play it, but play it convincingly and enjoy themselves.\"", "The announcement of Grammy Award nominations last night featured some unexpected nods in the jazz world. Chief among them was the inclusion of bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding among the five acts nominated for Best New Artist. She faces heavy competition -- namely teen hearthrob Justin Bieber, but also Drake, Florence & the Machine and Mumford & Sons -- and appears a dark horse candidate for an award which seems to congratulate commercial success. But her inclusion on this list of superstars is a remarkable indicator of how many people she's reached, especially for a musician rooted in jazz sensibilities and training. Here's the full list of Grammy nominees. Among those in jazz categories (and other categories which feature jazz) there were many familiar names, but also a few surprises. Here are the jazz nominees, along with my picks and my predictions for what the Recording Academy will decide: Read More &gt;&gt; Best Contemporary Jazz Album The Stanley Clarke Band, The Stanley Clarke Band (Heads Up International) Never Can Say Goodbye, Joey DeFrancesco (HighNote Records) Now Is The Time, Jeff Lorber Fusion (Heads Up International) To The One, John McLaughlin (Abstract Logix) Backatown, Trombone Shorty (Verve Forecast) Pick: Trombone Shorty. Last year, this category featured a few stellar records with a grasp of subtlety -- Stefon Harris' and Julian Lage's albums, notably. It's not so much the case this year, all seemingly go-gonzo-or-go-home selections. In that vein, I wouldn't mind seeing Trombone Shorty take this one; I'm not in love with Backatown, but live, his band moves crowds with serious musicianship. Prediction: Stanley Clarke. In spite of Joey DeFrancesco's Grammy-baiting Michael Jackson tribute, Jeff Lorber's enduring popularity in the smooth jazz world, and Shorty's Treme turns, it strikes me that the Academy will go with a someone who's been making \"contemporary jazz\" -- i.e. fusion, in its many incarnations -- for a long time. My gut tells me it's Clarke over McLaughlin. Best Jazz Vocal Album Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee, Dee Dee Bridgewater (Emarcy) Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B, Freddy Cole (HighNote Records) When Lights Are Low, Denise Donatelli (Savant Records) Ages, Lorraine Feather (Jazzed Media) Water, Gregory Porter (Motéma Music) Pick: Dee Dee Bridgewater. She brings a certain raw energy and tremendous vocal flexibility to bear, and her band is rock solid on To Billie With Love. Granted, I haven't heard Freddy Cole's tribute to Billy Eckstine, and I enjoyed Cole's appearances on the Issac Delgado album L-O-V-E, so that might change. Prediction: Dee Dee Bridgewater. She's easily one of the two big names here; her last two records were nominated but didn't win; she's saluting Billie Holiday, who everybody loves. The last time she took home a Grammy, it was for her Ella Fitzgerald tribute. She seems the favorite here. Best Improvised Jazz Solo \"Solar,\" Alan Broadbent, from Live At Giannelli Square: Volume 1 (Chilly Bin Records) \"A Change Is Gonna Come,\" Herbie Hancock, from The Imagine Project (Hancock Records) \"Body And Soul,\" Keith Jarrett, Jasmine [Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden] (ECM) \"Lonely Woman,\" Hank Jones, Pleased To Meet You [Hank Jones and Oliver Jones] (Justin Time Records) \"Van Gogh,\" Wynton Marsalis, Portrait In Seven Shades [Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra] (Jazz At Lincoln Center) Pick: Wynton Marsalis. Out of this, the silliest of categories (seriously, how many jazz solos were recorded this eligibility year?), the Academy has chosen work from five veterans, all fine musicians. Somewhat less arbitrarily, I'll nod to Wynton for his expressive, well-developed feature on Ted Nash's Portrait in Seven Shades suite. Prediction: Hank Jones. Perhaps I'm underestimating the Grammys' tendency to award things to Herbie Hancock. But at least I'm not underestimating the Grammys' tendency to award things to dead people. And Hank's is a compact, deceptively simple solo; there's elegance there. Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group Positootly!, John Beasley (Resonance Records) The New Song And Dance, Clayton Brothers (ArtistShare) Historicity, Vijay Iyer Trio (ACT Music + Vision) Moody 4B, James Moody (IPO Recordings) Providencia, Danilo Perez (Mack Avenue Records) Pick: Vijay Iyer. I didn't think Historicity would even make it on this list; the Grammys are a somewhat conservative award when it comes to jazz, and I thought they might see this music as too \"difficult.\" But it was among my favorite records of 2009, and I'm delighted to see it winning wider recognition. The same goes for Danilo Perez's 2010 offering, by the way. Prediction: James Moody. And I can't hate on that, either; if it gives Moody an emotional boost in fighting a potentially terminal cancer, it'd be worth it. Also, out of all the categories, this is the one which most suggests the Southern California bias of the Recording Academy, which is headquartered in S", "Where we're swimming in top ten lists of all stripes ... --The Top Tens Keep Coming: JazzTimes unveils the top 50 new jazz releases of 2009 on its critics' poll aggregation -- and you can browse the individual ballots too. Elsewhere, there's: Fred Kaplan for SlateWill Layman and Andrew Zender for PopMattersKarl Stark for the Philadelphia InquirerChris Barton for the L.A. TimesThe AllMusic Guide staff picksHoward Reich on \"innovative jazz\" in the Chicago TribuneGene Seymour's blogThe eMusic editors mix some jazz among their top 60 picksGreenleaf Music's Jim Tuerk talks the year in music --The Jazz Appreciation Paradox: Michael J. West, writing in the Washington City Paper (our alt-weekly here in D.C.) does a good job of identifying one of jazz's most frustrating barriers to mainstream attention. \"The circular logic here is devastating: Jazz isn't played because people don't listen to it, but people don't listen to it because it isn't played,\" he writes. And also: \"It's once again death by circular logic: Jazz can't get wider circulation until it shakes its stodgy reputation, but how can it shake its stodgy reputation until it gets wider circulation?\" Anyway, this is all couched in a discussion of this year's records from Stefon Harris, Robert Glasper, Darcy James Argue and Ben Allison, three of which I see made West's Top 13. --Every Time We Say Goodbye: JazzTimes has been republishing its \"Farewells\" feature where top musicians remember their colleagues who died this decade -- or at least many of the archives have recently cropped up on my RSS reader. By this, I mean Sonny Rollins on Jackie McLean, Randy Brecker on Michael Brecker, Tain Watts on Max Roach, Branford Marsalis on Alvin Batiste, Charlie Haden on Alice Coltrane, Joe Lovano on Dewey Redman, Dave Valentin to Hilton Ruiz, Oscar Peterson on NHOP ... there are many, many more on the JazzTimes Farewells page. --Vijay Iyer On Thelonious Monk: The pianist's appreciation of the pianist, also via JazzTimes. --Steve Lehman On Contemporary Classical Music: At Destination: Out. --Christian McBride On Ray Brown: In two parts (one and two) at Jazz.com. --Ethan Iverson On The AACM: At Do The Math. --Show Me The Money: The Ottawa International Jazz Festival claims to have delivered $10.6 million (Canadian, I presume) in economic benefits to the city of Ottawa. This via Peter Hum. What was that about the arts being an economic engine in their communities?", "Interviews, news and assorted information: An old documentary of Ornette Coleman, c. 1986, has been restored. First link is to The New Yorker, this one to a New York Times review. A freewheeling interview with Tim Berne in the Village Voice. The saxophonist and composer, happily profane and frank, reflects on his own label, being on a major label, the '70s lofts, the '80s \"downtown\" scene and pretty much everything else relating to his career in music. Wynton Marsalis interview. I know, another Wynton interview, but this is notable that it 1) appears in Ebony, a black-interest magazine (you can see other jazz content on the right-hand side) and 2) adds some nuance to someone often thought of as against pop music (the bit about Robert Glasper especially). Interview with Vijay Iyer about his latest collaboration with spoken word artist Mike Ladd. This is hip — it was done via instant message while watching the Democratic National Convention, and the project itself revolves around U.S. military veterans. The first review that I've seen for the new book on Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi band of the late '60s and early '70s, and it comes from pianist George Colligan. A reminder here of the blog around the book. Paul Desmond, the alto saxophonist best known for his time with Dave Brubeck, once had a \"Canadian quartet\" of his own. Here's some deep digging into that brief and little-recorded history. Blues clubs in Chicago over time, since 1945. The maps here also plot out density of black populations by neighborhoods, which makes for some fascinating data. A remembrance of Shimrit Shoshan from WBGO's Simon Rentner, who knew her well. A fuller obituary for the late saxophonist Byard Lancaster. Mariah Carey seems to have stopped by a famous cabaret room in New York to sing some standards the other night. The Jazz Session spoke with organist Matthew Kaminski and the owner of The Gnu's Room in Auburn, Ala. Elsewhere at NPR Music: Read More &gt;&gt; Matt Wilson's Arts and Crafts: Live at the Village Vanguard. Karrin Allyson in the KPLU/Jazz24 studios — just voice and brushes on a snare. The story of the man behind \"Strange Fruit.\" JazzSet features the Branford Marsalis Quartet playing from their new record. Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz features the Stephane Grappelli episode. Rayuela, the new Miguel Zenon/Laurent Coq album, is reviewed on Fresh Air.", "The drummer Marcus Gilmore is coming off a major year in his career. In 2012, DownBeat magazine named him its top Rising Star Drummer in its long-running Critics Poll; pianist Vijay Iyer's trio, of which Gilmore is a member, also took the Jazz Album and Jazz Group of the Year categories. Over the last decade, he's worked with an esteemed roll call of performers including Cassandra Wilson, Nicholas Payton, Kenny Garrett and the legendary pianist Chick Corea, with whom he just recorded a new album. He's currently in the studio working on a solo project. Gilmore is 25. It's no secret that he's also the grandson of iconic drummer Roy Haynes, but it's not something Gilmore wears on his sleeve — at least not in a typical sense. While he says he doesn't feel any pressure to follow in such enormous footsteps, he does intently advocate for his grandfather's rightful legacy. \"What people don't realize, when they talk about people like Roy Haynes as one of the great jazz drummers, is that really he is one of the original drummers creating the language for everybody,\" Gilmore told me in a backstage interview, in between sets with Iyer at the Jazz Standard in New York. \"But people don't think about it like that; they think of him as a jazz great. But the thing is really the drum — the trap set — is pretty new, maybe like 100 years. If you're playing that much drums in 1945, that means you're one of the pioneers of the instrument.\" In addition to hundreds of recording and performance credits — including those with Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Sarah Vaughan, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane — Roy Haynes is also one of the foremost architects of contemporary jazz practice. Arguably, he is the preeminent living jazz musician. Gilmore's relationship with this 87-year-old legend, his grandfather, is a story of close family ties, an acute sense of history and profound musical irony. Raising A Drummer Gilmore was raised in Hollis, Queens, a New York City neighborhood renowned as a settling place of jazz musicians for decades. His musical pedigree runs deep on both sides of his family. His father, a saxophonist, and his mother, a singer, had a gospel group in the '70s. His uncle Craig Haynes, Roy Haynes' son and also a drummer, lived upstairs. Another uncle Graham Haynes, also son to Roy, is a cornetist, composer and one of the founding members of the M-Base Collective. Music was inescapable, but Gilmore came to the drums on his own terms. In fact, he had to convince his grandfather that percussion was his passion. \"I knew I wanted to be a drummer as a profession at 7 years old,\" he says. \"I knew at that point, but I don't know if everybody else knew I was as serious as I was.\" It would be three more years until Gilmore received his first drum set. On his 10th birthday, his grandfather gave him the one he'd been using. Both Haynes and Gilmore started their professional careers as teenagers. But while Gilmore attended LaGuardia High School (New York City's arts magnet), The Juilliard School's Music Advancement Program and The Manhattan School of Music, Haynes is primarily self-taught. \"He would say, 'Back in my day it's what you call [being] a natural,'\" Gilmore says. \"I remember it was so simple, the way he would explain things. 'Just start here, and then take it wherever you want to take it ... that sounds about right,' and that was that. \"It was really good for my development,\" Gilmore adds. \"It wasn't that his views were so definitive. He allowed me to find my voice, the way he gave me the information. He was never dictating how things should turn out. He was giving me so much information without saying much at all. Older, wiser people usually do.\" While Haynes wasn't giving his grandson formal lessons, he was grooming him for the inevitable. Gilmore was sitting in with his grandfather while still a junior in high school. In 2002, Haynes' Fountain of Youth band was closing out a jam-packed week at the club Birdland, which would become part of a live album. After the set, Haynes introduced the audience to Gilmore, and summoned him on stage to take a solo. Now He Sings Around the same time, Haynes started watering the seeds of another pivotal relationship between Gilmore and one of Haynes' longtime friends and colleagues: Chick Corea. The pianist and Haynes have been playing together since the 1960s. \"I actually got to play with [Corea] during a Blue Note run [celebrating his birthday],\" Gilmore says. \"You know, I would always tell Gail, his wife, that we would always play 'Windows' in high school, and she was really happy to hear that. She said, 'Maybe you all can perform for Chick?' and I said that sounded great. \"Then she said, 'Or maybe you can play it with Chick,' and I said, 'Um... that would be great. Yeah, let's go with that one!' And so he let me sit in and I got to play with him and I got to play with [Christian] McBride and Joshua [Redman], and it was amazing. I was really nervous. I do remember after we played it, m", "Lennie Tristano had a cool, egghead reputation — Time called him the \"Schoenberg of Jazz\" — but he could play pretty hot. Fresh Air jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a newly released 1951 live recording by the pianist's sextet at Chicago's Blue Note club. TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. A 1951 live nightclub recording by pianist Lenny Tristano's sextet at Chicago's Blue Note club has been released for the first time. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says, Tristano had a cool, egghead reputation. That same year, Time magazine called him the Schoenberg of jazz. But Kevin says he could play pretty hot. Here's Kevin's review. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) LENNY TRISTANO: We'd like to play \"Sax Of A Kind.\" (SOUNDBITE OF LENNY TRISTANO SEXTET SONG, \"SAX OF A KIND\") KEVIN WHITEHEAD, BYLINE: Lennie Tristano's sextet with Willie Dennis on trombone in 1951. \"Sax Of A Kind\" is by band saxophonists and Tristano star pupils, Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh. Lennie told them to write lines that sounded like how they wanted to play - in their case, fast and fleet, with plenty of complications, like their teacher. When Tristano solos on piano, his right hand sings like a horn, or jumps into hyperspeed, or hints at Bach keyboard inventions. But he also knows piano is a percussion instrument. (SOUNDBITE OF LENNY TRISTANO SEXTET SONG, \"ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE\") WHITEHEAD: Funny to hear Tristano shrink into the background whenever the horns speak up - he didn't like a rhythm section to upstage a soloist. This is from the nightclub recording \"Chicago April 1951,\" on two CDs from the Uptown label. As ever, Tristano used the chords to familiar pop tunes as grist for improvisation; here they improvise a little counterpoint too, though not in the Bach style. Dave Brubeck once trashed Tristano's casual approach to such interplay, and for sure this sextet's free-for-alls are less tidy than Brubeck counterpoint. This is from \"All The Things You Are.\" (SOUNDBITE OF LENNY TRISTANO SEXTET SONG, \"ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE\") WHITEHEAD: The Tristano gang's cool reputation owes a lot to his thoughtful tenor saxophonist, Warne Marsh. His prime inspiration was Lester Young, the epitome of cool, who could make a few well-chosen notes swing like crazy. Marsh could do that, too. Here he takes off from his own soloistic written lines. (SOUNDBITE OF LENNY TRISTANO SEXTET SONG, \"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH ME VARIATIONS\") WHITEHEAD: Warne Marsh made an excellent fit with alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, who’s still out there exploring the same tunes 64 years later. Marsh is great, but Konitz moves me more. In 1951 he had his partner's unflappable cool, but his tone had more bite - had some of that Charlie Parker cry in it. It still does. (SOUNDBITE OF LENNY TRISTANO SEXTET SONG, \"I'LL REMEMBER APRIL\") WHITEHEAD: All those standard chord progressions and the string-of-solos format get confining after a while; you wish they'd break up the routines a bit. Lee Konitz has spoken of Tristano gigs where the counterpoint would break into free improvisation sometimes. They don’t get up to that here, but we'll take what we do get - Tristano and company narrowly focused and burning bright - jazz laser beams. (SOUNDBITE OF LENNY TRISTANO SEXTET SONG, \"I'LL REMEMBER APRIL\") GROSS: Kevin Whitehead writes for Point Of Departure and is the author of \"Why Jazz?\" He reviewed \"Chicago April 1951,\" the live nightclub recording by pianist Lennie Tristano's sextet, released for the first time on the Uptown label. For those of us who are fans of \"Breaking Bad\" and have been waiting for the spinoff \"Better Call Saul,\" the wait is about to end. Coming up, our TV critic David Bianculli reviews the premiere. This is FRESH AIR.", "Philadelphia's Best Of The Bass, Part 1 includes WRTI's 8 favorite bebop and hard bop players. Philadelphia's Best Of The Bass, Part 2 features some of the most impactful jazz, rock, funk, and fusion bassists to have come out of Philly. This final installment of the series showcases artists at the crossroads of jazz, pop, hip-hop, and R&B. 16. Anthony Tidd A London native transplanted into the heart of the Philly scene, Tidd's myriad contributions come as instrumentalist, producer, educator and curator of some of the best cutting-edge jazz programming in the city. As an internationally touring bassist, he's shared stages with jazz artists like Vijay Iyer and Ravi Coltrane, and worked with alto saxophonist Steve Coleman as a member of his Five Elements. But he's appeared nearly as often with hip-hop and R&B icons like The Roots, Jill Scott and Common. \"What I do is creative music,\" Tidd has said, not finding it necessary to label things beyond that. \"The masters of Black creative music have inspired me.\" As the Artistic Director of the Creative Jazz Institute, Tidd nurtures an important collaboration between Philly's University of the Arts and the city's Kimmel Center, literally setting the stage for a summer program for young musicians. Expect some of these youngsters to soon graduate to the Sittin' In series, the Tidd-curated, genre-defying jam session at the Kimmel Center for new and emerging artists. Can't see the video above? Click here to watch Anthony Tidd & the Sittin' In All Stars play Ursula Rucker's \"L.O.V.E.\". 17. Leonard Nelson Hubbard Best known simply as Hub, Hubbard was The Roots' bass player from 1992 to 2007; he left the crew after being diagnosed with cancer. Prior to his departure, Hubbard had played on every The Roots album, taking part in timeless recordings like Illadelph Halflife (1996), Things Fall Apart (1999), and the double live album The Roots Come Alive (1999). When Fender made a list of the 11 greatest Fender moments in hip-hop, Philly bassists were responsible for two of them. The first was Hub's work on Things Fall Apart's \"The Next Movement,\" and the second was this next guy anchoring a 96-piece orchestra to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nas's Illmatic. 18. Derrick Hodge Yes, Derrick Hodge was center stage, fronted by Nas and backed by the 96-piece National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in 2014 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ilmmatic, an album that's spurred more hyperbole and impassioned debate in hip-hop circles than just about any other. He's also a product of classical training, with equal facility on the electric and acoustic, and a Blue Note recording artist with three albums as a leader to his name, most recently 2020's Color of Noize. Perhaps best known as the bassist for that cauldron of amalgamated jazz called the The Robert Glasper Experiment, Hodge has also toured and recorded with cats more associated with the straight-ahead thing like trumpeter Terence Blanchard, the Academy Award nominee and frequent Spike Lee collaborator who's mentored Hodge in composing for film. 19. Gail Ann Dorsey Gail Ann Dorsey grew up on 61st St., between Race and Vine, in West Philadelphia. After leaving home to go to college in California in 1980, when she visits now it's usually as part of a major tour rolling through town. Gwen Stefani, the Indigo Girls, Lenny Kravitz — she's toured with them all. But most meaningful was her nearly two-decade relationship playing and touring with David Bowie. Originally signed to a six-week contract, Dorsey stayed on with Bowie through his final concerts in 2004 and penultimate recording, 2013's The Next Day. Her now-famous \"Under Pressure\" duets with Bowie comprised both the pinnacle, and initially, the most terrifying moments of her time with the mega-star. \"I said to him, 'There's no way I'm going to be able to sing and play that — are you kidding?'\" Dorsey recalled to Rolling Stone in 2016. \"He was like, 'I'll give you two weeks.' And then he walked out of the room....\" 20. Christian McBride Forget Alexander Hamilton; it's Christian McBride who's nonstop. There are the six Grammys, dates anchoring symphony orchestras, sessions with Questlove, and, of course, McBride is the host of NPR's Jazz Night in America. McBride grew up around prodigious talent. His father, the bassist Lee Smith, worked with the stars of Philly Soul, Benny Golson, Odean Pope and organ icon Trudy Pitts. Smith could easily be on this list. McBride's uncle, Howard Cooper, another Philly bassist, played with Sun Ra. He could be on this list. A friend and high school classmate was Joey DeFrancesco, considered the world's best jazz organist. The two phenoms were gigging with pros long before they could drive themselves to the dates. McBride resides in Montclair, N.J., when he's not relentlessly touring or recording or hosting something, but you know what they say about taking Philly out of the kid... Headlining the Love From Philly (virtual) ", "Three-day weekend! See you on Tuesday after the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. The Rhaposdy Jazz Critics Poll, the most comprehensive 2011 year-end consensus roundup, is finally out. (Yes, I submitted.) Complete with essays, listings and links to all the ballots. More Winter Jazzfest roundup: Ben Ratliff, Jim Fusilli, Geoffrey Himes, Benjamin Lozovsky, Lucid Culture, Feast Of Music, Vanity Fair. Also, photos from Jati Lindsay. More stories on this year's NEA Jazz Masters. Here's Larry Blumenfeld on Jack DeJohnette. Hear the WNYC studio session he mentions here. Also, Mark Stryker on Sheila Jordan. And check out the NEA Art Works podcast for a few more interviews with NEA Jazz Masters (and jazz musicians, period). More links on last week's roundup. Do note! Howard Mandel reports that the NEA Jazz Masters program will continue for 2013. Finally, we archived the audio from the ceremony and concert, on-demand for your convenience. The jazz/\"j-word\"/BAM discussion continues. Here's video from the conference that happened last week in New York. Here's Nicholas Payton's history lesson on the topic. Of the folks who disagree with the premise, Greg Thomas' AllAboutJazz essay is one of the better responses. UPDATE: Payton responds strongly. And a piece in the Kansas City Star asks local musicians (including Bobby Watson) what they think. The black audience question, at The Independent Ear. Ron Miles interview. at jazzblog.ca. Also, Steve Amirault's 12 jazz propositions. Sorta-viral video the first: Roy Haynes and Jack DeJohnette tap dancing. Sorta-viral video the first: \"EPIC Drum Solo FAIL!\" (not for the faint of stomach)(but still bad, like, bad meaning good). The Jamey Aebersold canon on Spotify. Ted Panken's archives this week: A Max Roach piece, and another on the Pizzarellis (John and Bucky). Destination: Out has posted a Sam Rivers memorial. JazzWax spoke with saxophonist Anthony Ortega. The Jazz Session spoke with drummers Jack DeJohnette and Deric Dickins. The Checkout also spoke with Jack DeJohnette. Elsewhere at NPR Music: Read More &gt;&gt; First, do note that on Wednesday Jan. 18 we have a live broadcast with the Olatuja Project and E.J. Strickland. More info to come. Vijay Iyer Trio in concert from Winter Jazzfest. David Murray Cuban Ensemble in concert from Winter Jazzfest. Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz this week features the Matthew Shipp episode. (!) JazzSet this week features an Abbey Lincoln tribute. Francois Houle and Benoit Delbecq have a duo disc reviewed on Fresh Air.", "When she was 5, saxophonist and composer Matana Roberts was asked by her dad to listen to entire albums by progressive jazz musicians such as Sun Ra and Albert Ayler. By the end, she would be in tears. Roberts then rebelled and started studying classical music. But she re-encountered the sax in high school, and has since made music that derives from what she used to call \"daddy's crazy music.\" Her latest album is titled The Chicago Project, and she joined host John Schaefer to talk about it. Though Roberts' music is derived in part from the avant-garde jazz of the 1960s and beyond, she says that she dislikes the label \"free jazz.\" In fact, she says she's used her classical training to provide structure to her improvisations. \"Well, personally, I have a real problem with the term 'free' in regards to the music that I play, because as a composer there are a lot of structural bases there for me,\" Roberts says. \"And I try to write in that way. And I guess studying classical music kind of set me up for that. And I think that one of the problems that I had with my dad and his music was that I just couldn't understand the formats. But now I have such an understanding of the format, it's not really that much of an issue.\" Forward Thinking For The Chicago Project, she relied on the talents of two prominent forward-thinking musicians — neither of whom actually play on the record. The record was produced by New York-based pianist Vijay Iyer, and John McEntire of the instrumental Chicago rock group Tortoise engineered it. \"I was looking for a really good-sounding record,\" Roberts says. \"And I knew that John could deliver on that, but I also knew that having Vijay helping with the production side would be very helpful, because he's so experienced.\" Though Matana Roberts has been based in New York for about six years, she felt inspired to center her new record on Chicago, where she grew up and learned to play the saxophone. So she brought together a group of Chicago-based musicians to perform her compositions, including a guest appearance by a long-time stalwart of the Chicago scene, club owner and saxophonist Fred Anderson. \"I decided to make sure I was charting my trajectory, kind of looking at the larger picture,\" Roberts says. \"And I wanted people to be clear that my roots are very much still in Chicago. But also because it was such a comfortable situation, I felt like I had to make sure I was honoring the people that made it possible for me to even be here in New York.\" Looking Backward It's not the first time Roberts has attempted to distill personal history into art. Her ongoing project Coin Coin draws on her family's genealogy back through 10 generations to the 1750s. The musical narrative she created was based on her own research. \"The slave code in Louisiana was very peculiar, and there were a lot of things that people of color could get away with in that state that they couldn't in others,\" she says. \"So a lot of my family members from that area were very wealthy. And because of that, there were records — land records. And so I have records to those people going back to before the Louisiana purchase.\" Roberts' family history hasn't always been an easy pill to swallow, she says. The many ethnic groups in her ancestry have fueled some interesting revelations, including the fact that some of her relatives passed as \"white.\" \"So digging in this, I'm contacting people who didn't even know that I existed,\" Roberts says, \"and trying to bring those together and also kind of codify the fact that, yes, I have a first cousin who, when they checked the box on race, they checked Caucasian. And I know I'm mixed with all sorts of things, but that kind of threw me into a loop.\" Roberts remains committed, however, to telling her story in music. \"I mean, not only paying homage, but trying to dig so I can have a clearer understanding of who I am, or who it is I'm supposed to be,\" Roberts says. \"That was one of the reasons I started the project. \"And the more and more I dug, I was like, 'Oh.' Well, let me see if I can take these lives, those people who probably thought their lives were very mundane, and make something creative out of it.\"", "Muhal Richard Abrams, a pianist and composer of staunch independence and sweeping influence, inseparable from his role as a founding father of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians [AACM], died on Sunday at his home in New York City. He was 87. His daughter, Richarda Abrams, confirmed his death. No cause was given. Abrams was a brilliant, mostly self-taught pianist who combined a strong foundation in the blues with keen attunement to the shadow art of vibration and overtone. While he came up in a hard-swinging jazz context, and created some of his early work in that style, he was serious about a non-idiomatic approach to improvisation. He is regarded as a paragon by some of the most acclaimed pianists now in circulation, including Jason Moran, Craig Taborn and Vijay Iyer. Among the roughly two dozen albums that Abrams released over the last 50 years are several that feature him in a solo piano setting, illuminating both the percussive rumble of his touch and the oblique yet holistic logic of his improvisations. You can hear this signature as clearly on an early effort like Afrisong, released on the India Navigation label in 1975, as on a late work like Vision Toward Essence, recorded in 1998 and released on Pi Recordings in 2007. Abrams' piano can be heard on an array of albums by members of the AACM, including 1977's Nonaah, by the saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, and 3 Compositions Of New Jazz, the 1968 debut by saxophonist Anthony Braxton. To hear an excellent example of Abrams' catalytic genius as a sideman, seek out a live Braxton album on the hatOLOGY label, Quintet (Basel) 1977. As a composer, Abrams worked in a billowing sprawl of settings, from solo to quartet to big band and beyond. His large-canvas works have been performed by the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the American Composers Orchestra, among others. He also wrote chamber pieces for ensembles like The String Trio of New York, Bang on a Can and Kronos Quartet, which premiered his String Quartet No. 2 in 1985 at Carnegie Hall's intimate space now known as Weill Recital Hall. Some of the standout titles in the Abrams discography are large-ensemble works loosely in the jazz continuum, including two back-to-back releases, The Hearinga Suite (1989) and Blu Blu Blu (1991). \"On the basis of these thoroughly engaging works alone,\" writes the critic Gary Giddins in his book Visions Of Jazz, \"he must be accounted a preeminent figure in the development of big band music in the period since the '60s.\" But Abrams will probably be best remembered for his co-founding and stewardship of the AACM, which has been a stalwart presence in the American avant-garde for more than 50 years. Established on the South Side of Chicago, it began in part as an extension of Abrams' Experimental Band, which he first convened in the early 1960s. \"I needed a place to experiment with the things I wanted to do with music,\" Abrams told me in 2008. \"So I organized the Experimental Band, the forerunner of the AACM. And I fortunately attracted musicians who were interested in that. It included quite a few of the musicians that you know today that are very accomplished in what they do. The reason they could accomplish what they did is that they found a workshop where they could experiment and learn and test themselves as to what could be done with things they find out, in terms of research and study.\" In a recent conversation, Roscoe Mitchell recalled the Experimental Band as a workshop of sorts. \"Because you were invited to write pieces for the big band,\" he said. \"Or bring your existing pieces in, have them played. And then if there was something you wanted to change about the piece, something you weren't happy with, you could bring that back the next week, have it played, and so on and so forth.\" The AACM, which was formally established in 1965, mobilized around a handful of core principles, including an independence from the commercial apparatus of the music business and a stated commitment to original music. From early on, the organization flew a banner of Great Black Music, but under that banner, a diversity of voices and perspectives was welcomed, and even insisted upon. \"We believe that in general, in terms of humanity, we are first given individual rights to self-realize, which was part of our focus in terms of philosophy,\" Abrams told me. \"The AACM is basically a group of individuals who agree to agree, and sometimes not to agree. Our cohesiveness has been intact because we respect each other's individualism.\" Richard Lewis Abrams was born in Chicago on Sept. 19, 1930, to Milton and Edna Abrams, the second of nine children. He attended DuSable High School, but was compelled early on by his own interests. Columbia University professor George Lewis, in his 2008 book A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music (University of Chicago Press), notes that Abrams had an early mentor in the trumpeter Will Jacks", "More links which are not chillin' on my unmentionables: What's the value of jazz canons, anyway? Ben Ratliff muses for The New York Times, in his somewhat negative assessment of the new Jazz: the Smithsonian Anthology. Also, this week's Popcast goes into this subject too. You can listen to one of the more offbeat selections from the anthology. Jimmy Heath and Benny Golson reminisce, in a piece by Greg Thomas for the New York Daily News. The Hamilton College Jazz Archive has just announced that its 300+ interviews are now fully transcribed and publicly accessible. Here's the archive director's blog. More new listening: Julian Lage. Matana Roberts' COIN COIN. Lynne Arriale. Here's a big New Orleans Times-Picayune/Nolavie profile of Evan Christopher, a clarinetist who deserves your attention. By Edward Anderson. The Los Angeles Times profiles Ben Goldberg, another clarinetist you ought to know about. By Andrew Gilbert. Another valuable Revivalist interview: The ever-quotable Nicholas Payton. The Roy Ayers Project, a documentary and more, is underway. Here's a Philadelphia Inquirer column about the great saxophonist Odean Pope who had undiagnosed bipolar disorder for over 30 years. By Anette John-Hall. RIP Melvin Sparks. Jazzwax, Jambands.com. Possibly his last recording? More on Sista's Place, from The Independent Ear. A Jazz Online video interview with drummer Cindy Blackman. \"The Lady Who Shot Lee Morgan\" is circulating about. Sandy Warren, the woman who lived with Art Blakey for years, has written a book about it. The Kennedy Center announced its 2011-12 jazz season recently — its first without Dr. Billy Taylor — and the Washington Post has some pointed words. Vijay Iyer + M.I.A. + mashup + high school jazz ensemble. Hear it. The Sexy Sax Man. Destination: Out has a really great post of rare Ornette Coleman tracks. Plus, Peter Brotzmann plays a solo version of \"Lonely Woman.\" (!) JazzWax has a variety of features up. The Jazz Session speaks with accordion player Rob Curto and bassist Alexis Cuadrado. The Checkout is a rerun this week. Elsewhere at NPR Music: Read More &gt;&gt; NPR Music and WBGO recorded the Terell Stafford Quintet: Live At The Village Vanguard. (Nate Chinen was there for The New York Times.) Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz this week features the episode where Elvis Costello interviews Marian McPartland. JazzSet this week reairs its Bill Frisell trio set. Kevin Whitehead reviews a new Stan Getz box set. This is still going on: npr.org/sxsw. Colin Stetson playe d the saxophone there.", "This episode of Piano Jazz features the unique music of soprano saxophonist Paul Winter. He joins host Marian McPartland, along with bassist Gary Mazzaroppi and drummer Glenn Davis, for a set of ballads and originals. The set also features an additional special soloist — a humpback whale. \"It was very impressive,\" remembers McPartland. \"And we don't often do a show so full of ballads. It was a different sort of show.\" The alto and soprano saxophonist was born and raised in Altoona, Penn. At the age of 5, he began playing drums, piano and clarinet. He found his instrument, however, when he began to play the saxophone in the fourth grade. He played several kinds of music, including Dixieland, big band and, eventually, bebop, in groups of various size while in school. In 1961, while Winter was in college at Northwestern University, his sextet won the Intercollegiate Jazz Festival, and he joined Columbia Records at the behest of none other than John Hammond. The Paul Winter Sextet was formed in 1962 with Winter on alto sax. The group toured nationally and internationally, even taking a State Department-sponsored tour of Latin America in 1962. Throughout the 1960s, the group's performances and recordings brought it greater notoriety throughout the world. It was in 1967 that he established the Paul Winter Consort, a group that combined African, Latin American and Western instruments and musical influences. The group became one of the leading exponents of \"world music.\" The group's first big album was Icarus, and the title song became the Paul Winter Consort's theme song. The group included guitarist Ralph Towner, reed player Paul McCandless, double bassist Glen Moore, cellist David Darling and percussionist and sitarist Colin Walcott. Walcott, Towner and McCandless eventually moved on to create their own group, Oregon, which continued the musical experiment started by Paul Winter. Winter disbanded the Consort after three albums for A&M Records — one of which, Road, accompanied the Apollo 15 astronauts to the moon. From the 1970s onward, Paul Winter continued to push musical boundaries. At the same time, he was becoming increasingly involved in environmental causes. He began to blend these two passions, embarking on several breakthrough projects including now-legendary compositions that integrated the songs of humpback whales, as well as a similar project in which he played along with the howls of wolves. Winter further explored his concept of collaborating with nature on recording expeditions to the Grand Canyon. Winter has performed more than 2,000 concerts, playing everywhere from major cathedrals — like Washington's National Cathedral, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and New York's St. John the Divine — to the White House and the palace of the Crown Prince of Japan. He has won numerous humanitarian, environmental and musical awards. Paul Winter records for his own label, Living Music. Originally recorded May 5, 2008." ]

[ "A doctoral student at the University of Central Florida was arrested Friday and accused of inappropriately touching four women and trying to grab a fifth on campus between November and January.\nAbdullah Mohammed Zaman, 30, faces three counts of battery and one count of attempted battery. A fifth charge is pending, police said.\nThe victims told police a man would strike up a conversation or ask for help, then either grope them or try to grab them.\nOrange County Jail Abdullah Mohammed Zaman Abdullah Mohammed Zaman (Orange County Jail)\n“The reason we were able to make an arrest in this case were good police work, tips from the community, great witnesses and technology the university has installed over the years,” said UCF police Chief Richard Beary.\nThe first incident occurred Nov. 10, but was not reported until Jan. 22 after the victim’s mother saw the incidents in the media and thought it matched what happened to her daughter, police say.\nThe victim told police she was in Garage C near the Business Administration II building when a man approached her and asked for help jumping his car, according to the arrest affidavit. He said she had a scratch on her leg and touched it. She stepped back and he said it was on the other leg and touched it, the affidavit said.\nThe second incident was Nov. 28 in Garage A. He went up to a woman who was getting into her car and put his hand on her back, saying she had a scratch on it, the affidavit said. When she turned around, he pushed her up against her car, touched her leg and said, “I bet you have scratches here, too,” the affidavit said.\nOther incidents occurred Dec. 4, Jan. 10 and Jan. 22, police said. One woman said Zaman touched her breasts after asking for help with a vending machine. Another said he grabbed her buttocks after asking where to find the science building.\nPolice were able to see the suspect on surveillance video during the Jan. 22 incident, when he reached for another woman’s leg inside a parking garage, the affidavit said. The video showed him walking from the CREOL building to Garage C where the incident occurred, the affidavit said.\nVideo also captured Zaman entering the CREOL building earlier in the day. Another man used his key fob to get into the building; Zaman followed him inside.\nPolice interviewed the man with the key fob and he gave them Zaman’s name, the affidavit said. Four of the five victims identified Zaman as the suspect.\nIn an interview with police, he admitted being in the parking deck waiting for his wife to pick him up, but denied touching the woman or any other victim.\n“She must be confused,” he said, according to the affidavit.\nZaman is a student working toward a doctorate degree in electrical engineering, police said. A spokeswoman said police will notify the Office of Student conduct about the arrest. The results of those investigations are protected from release by federal privacy laws, she said.\nHe was taken to the Orange County Jail on a $2,000 bond.\ndharris@orlandosentinel.com, 407-420-5471 or @DavidHarrisOS" ]

[ "Grant Hackett's arrest at his parents' Gold Coast home is the latest in a long line of bizarre incidents that have marked the Australian swimming legend's fall from grace.\nWitnesses said the 36-year-old Olympic gold medallist was 'going off' and 'stabbing a chopping board' before he was arrested and taken to Southport Police station on Wednesday.\nHackett was seen sitting handcuffed in the back of the police car looking worse for wear as his father, Nev, told News Corp his son has been battling 'mental health issues' and 'receiving treatment from a doctor.'\nBut it is not the first time Hackett's behaviour has caused concern.\nScroll down for video\nGrant Hackett's (pictured with her ex-wife Candice Alley) arrest at his parent's Gold Coast home is the latest in a long line of bizarre incidents that have marked the Australian swimming legend's fall from grace\nLast April Hackett (seen here at Melbourne Airport) was accused of 'tweaking' a fellow plane passenger's nipple during a Virgin Australia flight from Adelaide\nHackett was spotted wandering round Melbourne's Crown casino half-naked in February 2014 after taking the sleeping pill Stilnox\nGRANT HACKETT'S FALL FROM GRACE 2008 – Hackett retired from competitive swimming. 2011 – He raises concerns by trashing the home he shares with then-wide Candice. 2012 – Hackett was asked to move out of his marital home after a drunken night at the Logies. 2014 – The 36-year-old is seen wandering around Melbourne’s Crown Casino in his underwear. He enters a rehab centre in Arizona, U.S., for five weeks. 2016 – Failed to qualify for the Rio Games after coming out of retirement. Just a few days later he was escorted off a Virgin Australia flight for allegedly tweaking a fellow passenger’s nipple. 2017 – Hackett arrested again at his parent’s home on the Gold Coast after allegedly stabbing a chopping board repeatedly.\nLast April, the father-of-two was accused of tweaking a man's nipple 'quite forcefully' on a Virgin Australia flight after the man reclined his chair.\nHe allegedly 'smelt like alcohol' and was questioned Federal Police about the incident.\nPhotos taken by fellow passengers showed Hackett slumped over a wheelchair after he was escorted out of the plane at Melbourne Airport.\nThe business class passenger, who was sitting in front of Hackett, said he felt 'violated' when the swimmer 'groped his chest' during the row.\n'There was no altercation - I was sexually assaulted by that man,' the passenger said.\n'As I reclined my chair he grabbed it and yanked it back. Then he put his hand through and groped my chest and tweaked my nipple quite forcefully.'\nThe young executive from Sydney, who was travelling on the flight with his partner, said they both turned around and asked the swimmer what he was doing.\n'Mr Hackett then stroked my arm and said: \"It's Okay, it's all right\".'\nFormer Olympian Grant Hackett (pictured) was arrested at his parents house on Wednesday after allegedly stabbing a chopping board\nHackett, 35, was detained and questioned by Federal Police over the 'nasty' altercation on the Virgin Australia flight\nThe 36-year-old Olympic gold medallist first raised concerns in 2011 when he smashed up the multi-million dollar penthouse he shared with his then-wife, Candice Alley\nHackett was kicked out of the marital home in 2012 following a drunken night out after the Logies\nHackett was then restrained by flight crew and escorted off the flight at Melbourne Airport.\nThe alleged incident came just days after the father-of-two fell short in a comeback attempt when he failed to qualify for the Australian Olympic team for the Rio Games.\nIn 2011, he smashed up the multi-million dollar penthouse he shared with his then-wife, Candice Alley, and their two children in an alcohol-fuelled rage following the Melbourne Spring Carnival.\nAlley called police after Hackett reportedly went on a rampage through their apartment, smashing furniture and photo frames, and upending a grand piano.\nWestpac dumped him as a brand ambassador after the incident, while a children's charity also cut ties.\nHackett was kicked out of the marital home in 2012 following a drunken night out after the Logies.\nHis high-profile marriage to pop star Alley ended in flames with both sides battling over pre-nuptial agreements and custody of their twins, Charlize and Jagger.\nHackett is one of the most successful swimmers in Australian history, and has held world records in the 200m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle\nThe former champion failed to qualify for the Australian Olympic team for the Rio Games\nIn February 2014 he was photographed wandering around Crown Casino in Melbourne in his underpants.\nIt later emerged he had taken the sleeping pill Stilnox on the night the infamous pictures were taken.\nHis prescription drug dependency plunged his life into chaos, forcing him to check into a rehabilitation centre for a five-week program in Arizona in 2014.\nUpon his return to Australia, Hackett told media he was ready to get back on track with his life.\nHackett later spoke about how the 2012 breakdown of his marriage to Candice Alley took a 'physical, mental and emotional' toll on him.\nHackett said the 2012 breakdown of his marriage to Candice Alley (pictured together) took a 'physical, mental and emotional' toll on him\nWestpac dumped him as a brand ambassador after he trashed the home and his wife was forced to call the police\nHe walked away from an illustrious career in sport in 2008 after winning the 1,500m freestyle at both the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, and claiming four world titles in the event.\nHackett came out of six years of retirement to try to make the Games, hoping to become the oldest Australian swimmer to qualify for an Olympics.\nBut the dual 1500-metre Olympic champion finished seventh in his semi-final and 11th overall in the 200-metre race, missing out on a place in the final.\n'I have no regrets,' Hackett said.\n'At some stage, you have to let go of all this.\n'I don't feel sad at all... I am disappointed that I didn't get a good result. There was no way I thought I would be lining up for a crack at another Olympics. Just to get this far has been great.\n'To make that team would have been huge but it wasn't to be - now I can get back to my normal life.'", "Years before his arrest for alleged sexual battery, Andy Dick publicly groped Ivanka Trump while on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2007.\nIn resurfaced footage of the incident, Trump was greeted by Dick, now 52, and Jimmy Kimmel, with the comedian rubbing his hands on her legs.\n“You don’t play up the glitter on your legs?” Dick told Trump, with his hands rubbing her legs.\nTrump, now 36, look shocked but attempted to laugh it off while slapping his hands and trying to remove them from her legs. Kimmel also attempted to help her, telling Dick, “Andy, don’t, please, don’t touch Ivanka.”\n“Oh wait, did I say I was single? I thought I had a boyfriend,” Ivanka said as Kimmel rose from his seat to remove Dick’s hands.\n“Andy, please don’t. Donald Trump will kill both of us,” Kimmel told the actor. Moments later, Dick was dragged off the stage by a security member and Kimmel.\nAndy Dick, Ivanka Trump and Jimmy Kimmel in 2007 ABC\nAfter the episode aired, Kimmel told Extra Dick “was a little out of it.”\n“She came out, he wanted a big, wet kiss. It was time for Andy to go, so I escorted him out by his feet,” the host said at the time.\nHe revealed Dick was not upset by being dragged off the stage, saying, “He’s Andy. He’s not upset. He’s not apologetic. He’s just nutty.”\n“He always makes me a little uncomfortable,” Kimmel added. “You have no idea what he’s going to do next.”\nIn December 2017, Dick brought up the incident by sharing a screenshot of it on his Instagram account.\n“The time I “groped” Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Her legs were sparkling, and I was trying to see if the glitter would wipe off,” he wrote in the caption.\n“I also mistakenly thought she would date me. I was jokingly carried off by security. Is anybody going to carry Trump off? No joke,” he continued.\nAndy Dick, Ivanka Trump Maury Phillips/WireImage; Tasos Katopodis/WireImage\nHe added, “Confusing times. (the weird thing is, I shot this same scene a YEAR EARLIER for my movie Danny Roane: First Time Director, but I was peeing on Malcolm in the middle, not groping #tbt#slapyourself #christmas #whatisreal #lifeimitatesart p.s. Look it up on Youtube.”\nDick is now facing legal action after he reportedly groped a woman passing by him on the streets of Los Angeles.\nHe was charged with misdemeanor sexual battery and misdemeanor simple battery related to an April incident, the L.A. City Attorney confirmed to PEOPLE on Monday.\nThe charges come in relation to Dick allegedly squeezing the stranger’s butt twice and making lewd comments to her, TMZ reported.\nDick’s arraignment is set for July 18 at the Van Nuys Courthouse, according to the city attorney.\nThis isn’t the first time that Dick has been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter in an Oct. 2017 article that the actor groped, kissed and licked people’s cheeks, as well as made sexual proposals, involving at least four people on the production of the independent feature Raising Buchanan.\nRELATED: Andy Dick Charged with Sexual Battery for Allegedly Groping a Woman on L.A. Street\nTHR also revealed that Dick had also been fired from the low-budget comedy Vampire Dad after similar accusations.\nDick responded to THR concerning the Raising Buchanan accusations, denying the groping accusations. However, he confirmed that he did lick people.\n“I didn’t grope anybody. I might have kissed somebody on the cheek to say goodbye and then licked them. That’s my thing,” he claimed. “I licked Carrie Fisher at a roast. It’s me being funny. I’m not trying to sexually harass people. I didn’t grab anybody’s genitals.”\nHe also admitted to THR that he propositioned people on set.\n“Of course I’m going to proposition people,” Dick said. “I’m single, depressed, lonely and trying to get a date. They can just say no, and they probably did and then I was done.”", "A man who may have been trying to kill himself has rammed his car into a pizzeria east of Paris, killing a 13-year-old girl and injuring her younger brother and at least 11 others, authorities said.\nThe driver was immediately arrested. Police said the man's actions in the town of Sept-Sorts were deliberate, but not thought to be terrorism-related.\nThe 13-year-old girl and her brother were among the restaurant customers eating on the outdoor terrace of Pizzeria Cesena when a man in a BMW accelerated toward them, an official with the national gendarme service said.\nPolice officers block a road approaching the town of Sept-Sorts, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of Paris, France after an incident when a driver slammed his car into the sidewalk cafe of a pizza restaurant. Picture: AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu\nThe girl died immediately, while the boy's injuries are considered life-threatening, the official said.\nAt least three others were taken to hospital in a serious condition, and eight more sustained light injuries, said the official.\nThe incident reignited fears in France after a string of attacks in which a vehicle was used as a weapon.\nAn Algerian man drove his car into a group of French soldiers last week, and an Islamic extremist truck attack in the French city of Nice left 86 people dead a little more than a year ago.\nThe man arrested in Monday's attack is thought to have tried to kill himself last week, French Interior Ministry Pierre-Henry Brandet said on BFM television.\nMr Brandet said the man, born in 1985, was not known to intelligence or police. He did not identify him.\nTwo police officials said the incident is considered over and authorities are not searching for accomplices, but to find out what motivated the driver.\nPolice officers block a road approaching the town of Sept-Sorts, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of Paris, France after an incident when a driver slammed his car into the sidewalk cafe of a pizza restaurant. Picture: AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu\nA judicial official said on Monday night that the Paris prosecutor's office, which oversees French terrorism investigations, was not involved in the case because there was no proof of terrorism at this stage.\nA security official echoed that there was no evidence of a political or Islamic extremist motive.\nThe targeted pizzeria is in a shopping area in the town of Sept-Sorts about 40 miles east of Paris near Champagne country.\nPolice cordoned off a large perimeter of the area.\nAP", "Former Olympic swimmer Grant Hackett has been arrested at his parent's house on the Gold Coast.\nHackett, 36, was taken to Southport Police station on Wednesday afternoon.\n'A man has been arrested following a disturbance at an address in Surfers Avenue at Mermaid Waters, around midday today,' Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia.\nIt's understood Hackett's father Nev called police to the address because his son was in an agitated state and apparently intoxicated.\nFootage showed the swimming star in the back of a police car wearing handcuffs, before giving a 'shaka' sign to the camera.\nScroll down for video\nFormer Olympic swimmer Grant Hackett has reportedly been arrested on the Gold Coast\nHackett, 36, was believed to have been arrested at his parent's house\nFootage showed the swimming star in the back of a police car wearing handcuffs\nHackett is believed to have been arrested at his parent's house, and witnesses told Seven News the swimming star was 'going off' and 'stabbing a chopping board'.\nThe 36-year-old's father Nev told News Corp his son has been battling 'mental health issues', but would not comment further.\nLast April Hackett was accused of 'tweaking' a fellow plane passenger's nipple during a Virgin Australia flight from Adelaide to Melbourne.\nHe allegedly 'smelt of alcohol' during the flight, and was questioned by Australian Federal Police over the matter.\nLast April Hackett (seen here at Melbourne Airport) was accused of 'tweaking' a fellow plane passenger's nipple during a Virgin Australia flight from Adelaide\nHackett was spotted wandering round Melbourne's Crown casino half-naked in February 2014 after taking the sleeping pill Stilnox\nThe business class passenger, who was sitting in front of Hackett, spoke about how he felt 'violated' when the swimmer 'groped his chest' during the row.\n'There was no altercation — I was sexually assaulted by that man,' the passenger told the Herald Sun at the time.\nThe alleged assault came just days after the father-of-two fell short in a comeback attempt when he failed to qualify for the Australian Olympic team ahead of the Rio Olympics.\nIn February 2014 Hackett was photographed wandering around Crown Casino in Melbourne in his underpants.\nIt later emerged that he had taken the sleeping pill Stilnox on the night that the infamous pictures were taken.\nHis prescription drug dependency plunged his life into chaos, forcing him to check into a rehabilitation centre for a five-week program in Arizona in 2014.\nIn 2011, Hackett smashed up the multi-million dollar penthouse he shared with his then-wife, Candice Alley, and their two children, in an alcohol-fuelled rage following the Melbourne Spring Carnival.\nAlley called police after Hackett reportedly went on a rampage through their apartment, smashing furniture and photo frames and upending a grand piano.\nWestpac dumped him as a brand ambassador after the incident, while a children's charity also cut ties.", "A car smashed into a pizza restaurant east of Paris late Monday, killing a girl, but investigators said the young driver had tried to commit suicide and the incident was not terror-related.\nThe episode came just five days after a terror-linked car attack on soldiers, the latest in a string of assaults in France since early 2015.\nInvestigators have \"ruled out the terrorist hypothesis\" behind the latest incident, which took place in the town of Sept-Sorts, 55 kilometres (34 miles) east of Paris, a source close to the inquiry said.\nThe man, who was arrested, said \"he had tried to kill himself yesterday (Sunday) without success and decided to try again this way,\" the source said.\nIn Paris, interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said the fatality was a girl aged 13, and not aged eight as initially reported.\nFour people were seriously hurt, after a preliminary figure had been given of six.\nThe driver, born in 1985, \"is not known to the intelligence services and has no criminal record,\" Brandet said.\nOne of the four was the girl's younger brother, police said.\nEarlier, the public prosecutor's office in the town of Meaux said investigators believed the act was \"deliberate... but apparently has no connection with a terrorist act.\"\nFrance is on edge after suffering a string of terror-related attacks, including the use of cars as weapons.\nOn August 9, six soldiers were injured after they were hit by a rented BMW in the western Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret. A BMW was also involved in Monday's incident.\nThe suspect, a 36-year-old Algerian man, was later shot and wounded after a dramatic motorway chase.\nThe death toll from jihadist attacks in France has exceeded 230 since January 2015.\nThe country has been under a state of emergency since the Islamic State group attacked in Paris in November 2015, leaving 130 people dead.", "LUCKNOW: A gangster was killed and nearly two dozen criminals were arrested by police in 15 encounters in different districts of Uttar Pradesh during the past two days, a police spokesperson said here today.\nThe encounters took place in Bulandshahr, Shamli, Kanpur, Saharanpur, Lucknow, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Gorakhpur, Hapur and Meerut.\n\"As many as 24 wanted criminals were arrested and one gangster killed in 15 police encounters reported from 10 districts of the state over a span of 48 hours,\" the spokesperson said.\nGangster Inderpal, who carried a reward of Rs 25,000, was gunned down by the Special Task Force in the encounter in Naglakhepad jungle yesterday.\nAccording to Superintendent of Police (STF) Rajiv Narain Singh, Inderpal was wanted in more than 30 cases of loot and murder in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.\nThe police also claimed to have recovered countrymade arms, ammunition, motorcycle, cars apart from cash which was robbed by the criminals.\nThe maximum number of encounters was reported from Bulandshahr and Shamli, where four and six criminals were arrested respectively.\nThree of those arrested in Bulandshahr carried a cash reward for Rs 20,000 each on their head. Two encounters took place in Kanpur.\nYesterday, two suspected criminals and as many policemen, including a station house officer, were injured in an encounter in Gorakhpur.\nThe incident took place when Maneesh Yadav and Manoj Yadav were escaping after threatening a village head, police said.\nPolice said that a team was rushed to the spot after receiving a complaint from the victim.\nIn the encounter, Station House Officer, Khorabar, Sudhir Kumar, and Sub-Inspector, Jhangha, Sunil Kumar Singh suffered minor injuries, they said.\nThe police have seized a .32 bore pistol, a 12 bore gun, bullets and the motorcycle on which they were escaping.\nThe criminals were injured in the gunfight. They were subsequently arrested and admitted to BRD Medical College.\nPolice claimed that they have confessed to their involvement in the murder of businessman Dinesh Gupta of Nai Bazaar, Jhangha, in Gorakhpur on Sunday.\nThe Uttar Pradesh Police has intensified its crackdown on criminals after the new DGP O P Singh took charge last month.\nChief Minister Yogi Aditynath hnd vowed to take strict action against the criminals after his government faced criticism over a string of crimes in the state.", "Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has been in custody for four months\nZambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema pleaded not guilty to treason on Monday as the start date of his trial was set for Wednesday, his party said.\nHichilema has been detained since April over an incident when he allegedly failed to give way to President Edgar Lungu's motorcade.\nHe \"pleaded not guilty\", the United Party for National Development (UPND) said on its Twitter feed, after several reporters from foreign media outlets were barred from the court in Lusaka.\nThe case has fuelled political tension in the country, and a UPND lawyer, who declined to be named, had said on Sunday that the party expected the charges to be dropped and for Hichilema to walk free.\nLungu invoked emergency powers in July, increasing police powers of arrest and detention after he blamed opposition parties for a string of arson attacks.\nLungu, who narrowly won last year's presidential election, has denied allegations of growing authoritarianism and has accused his rivals of trying to overturn the election result.\nHichilema, 55, says the vote was rigged and has refused to recognise the president.\n- Lawmakers suspended -\nZambia has enjoyed relative stability since its first multi-party election in 1991.\nZambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has been charged over an incident when he allegedly failed to give way to President Edgar Lungu's motorcade\nBut last year's election was marked by clashes between supporters of Lungu's Patriotic Front (PF) party and the UPND.\nParliament has suspended 48 UPND lawmakers after they boycotted an address by Lungu in March.\nPolice on Thursday released the leader of a smaller opposition party who is a fierce critic of the president after one week in detention.\nSavior Chishimba, leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), was detained by plain-clothed police, triggering further accusations of a crackdown on dissent.\nHichilema has been held in custody after allegedly putting Lungu's life in danger when his convoy failed to make way for the presidential motorcade in a high-speed road drama caught on video camera.\nThe two men were both travelling to Western province for a traditional ceremony.\nDays later, more than 100 armed police surrounded Hichilema's house outside Lusaka, firing tear gas before detaining him.\nBusinessman-turned-politician Hichilema has claimed that he was assaulted by police during his arrest and has suffered mistreatment in detention.\nTreason is a non-bailable offence in Zambia, with a minimum jail term of 15 years and a maximum sentence of death.\nLungu did not mince his words during the election campaign, warning political rivals and activists that \"if they push me against the wall, I will sacrifice democracy for peace.\"", "Zambia's detained opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema is due to appear in court Monday on treason charges, four months after he was arrested and as political tensions rise in the country.\nHichilema, who narrowly lost last year's presidential elections, has been in custody since April over an incident when he allegedly failed to give way to President Edgar Lungu's motorcade.\nA lawyer from his United Party for National Development (UPND) told AFP that the party expected the charges to be dropped and for Hichilema to walk free.\n\"They don't have a case against him. We are certain that he will come out tomorrow,\" the party lawyer, who declined to be named, told AFP on Sunday.\nLungu invoked emergency powers in July, increasing police powers of arrest and detention after he blamed opposition parties for a string of arson attacks.\nThe president has denied allegations of growing authoritarianism and has accused his rivals of trying to overturn the election result.\nHichilema, 55, says the election was rigged and has refused to recognise the president.\nRelative stability\nZambia has enjoyed relative stability since its first multi-party election in 1991.\nBut last year's election was marked by clashes between supporters of Lungu's Patriotic Front (PF) party and the UPND.\nParliament has suspended 48 UPND lawmakers after they boycotted an address by Lungu in March.\nPolice on Thursday released the leader of a smaller opposition party who is a fierce critic of the president after one week in detention.\nSavior Chishimba, leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), was detained by plain-clothed police, triggering further accusations of a crackdown on dissent.\nHichilema has been held in custody after allegedly putting Lungu's life in danger when his convoy failed to make way for the presidential motorcade in a high-speed road drama caught on video camera.\nThe two men were both travelling to Western province for a traditional ceremony.\nDays later, more than 100 armed police surrounded Hichilema's house outside Lusaka, firing tear gas before detaining him.\nBusinessman-turned-politician Hichilema has claimed that he was assaulted by police during his arrest and has suffered mistreatment in detention.\nTreason is a non-bailable offence in Zambia, with a minimum jail term of 15 years and a maximum sentence of death.\nLungu did not mince his words during the election campaign, warning political rivals and activists that \"if they push me against the wall, I will sacrifice democracy for peace.\"", "The maximum number of encounters was reported from Bulandshahr and Shamli, where four and six criminals were arrested respectively.\nThe police also recovered country-made arms, ammunition, motorcycle, cars apart from cash which was robbed by the criminals. (Photo: PTI)\nLucknow: A gangster was killed and nearly two dozen criminals were arrested by police in 15 encounters in different districts of Uttar Pradesh during the past two days, a police spokesperson said in Lucknow on Saturday.\nThe encounters took place in Bulandshahr, Shamli, Kanpur, Saharanpur, Lucknow, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Gorkahpur, Hapur and Meerut.\n\"As many as 24 wanted criminals were arrested and one gangster killed in 15 police encounters reported from 10 districts of the state over a span of 48 hours,\" the spokesperson said.\nGangster Inderpal, who carried a reward of Rs 25,000, was gunned down by the Special Task Force in the encounter in Naglakhepad jungle on Friday.\nAccording Superintendent of Police (STF) Rajiv Narain Singh, Inderpal was wanted in more than 30 cases of loot and murder in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.\nThe police also claimed to have recovered country-made arms, ammunition, motorcycle, cars apart from cash which was robbed by the criminals.\nThe maximum number of encounters was reported from Bulandshahr and Shamli, where four and six criminals were arrested respectively.\nThree of those arrested in Bulandshahr carried a cash reward for Rs 20,000 each on their head.\nTwo encounters took place in Kanpur.\nOn Friday, two suspected criminals and as many policemen, including a station house officer, were injured in an encounter in Gorakhpur.\nThe incident took place when Maneesh Yadav and Manoj Yadav were escaping after threatening a village head, police said.\nPolice said that a team was rushed to the spot after receiving a complaint from the victim.\nIn the encounter, Station House Officer, Khorabar, Sudhir Kumar, and Sub-Inspector, Jhangha, Sunil Kumar Singh suffered minor injuries, they said.\nThe police have seized a .32 bore pistol, a 12 bore gun, bullets and the motorcycle on which they were escaping.\nThe criminals were injured in the gunfight. They were subsequently arrested and admitted to BRD Medical College.\nPolice claimed that they have confessed to their involvement in the murder of businessman Dinesh Gupta of Nai Bazaar, Jhangha, in Gorakhpur on Sunday.\nThe Uttar Pradesh Police has intensified its crackdown on criminals after the new DGP O P Singh took charge last month.\nChief Minister Yogi Adityanath had vowed to take strict action against the criminals after his government faced criticism over a string of crimes in the state.", "Treason is a non-bailable offence in Zambia, with a minimum jail term of 15 years and a maximum sentence of death.\nThe president has denied allegations of growing authoritarianism and has accused his rivals of trying to overturn the election result.\nMr Hichilema has been held in custody after allegedly putting President Lungu's life in danger when his convoy failed to make way for the presidential motorcade in a high-speed road drama caught on video camera.\nBy AFP\nMore by this Author\nLUSAKA\nZambia's detained opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema is due to appear in court Monday on treason charges, four months after he was arrested and as political tensions rise in the country.\nMr Hichilema, who narrowly lost last year's presidential elections, has been in custody since April over an incident when he allegedly failed to give way to President Edgar Lungu's motorcade.\nA lawyer from his United Party for National Development (UPND) told AFP that the party expected the charges to be dropped and for the opposition leader to walk free.\n\"They do not have a case against him. We are certain he will come out tomorrow,\" the party lawyer, who declined to be named, told AFP on Sunday.\nPresident Lungu invoked emergency powers in July, increasing police powers of arrest and detention after he blamed opposition parties for a string of arson attacks.\nRIGGED ELECTION\nThe president has denied allegations of growing authoritarianism and has accused his rivals of trying to overturn the election result.\nMr Hichilema, 55, says the election was rigged and has refused to recognise the president.\nZambia has enjoyed relative stability since its first multi-party election in 1991.\nBut last year's election was marked by clashes between supporters of Mr Lungu's Patriotic Front (PF) party and the UPND.\nParliament has suspended 48 UPND lawmakers after they boycotted an address by the president in March.\nDETENTION\nPolice on Thursday released the leader of a smaller opposition party who is a fierce critic of the president after one week in detention.\nSavior Chishimba, leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), was detained by plain-clothed police, triggering further accusations of a crackdown on dissent.\nMr Hichilema has been held in custody after allegedly putting President Lungu's life in danger when his convoy failed to make way for the presidential motorcade in a high-speed road drama caught on video camera.\nThe two men were both travelling to Western province for a traditional ceremony.\nDays later, more than 100 armed police surrounded Mr Hichilema's house outside Lusaka, firing tear gas before detaining him.\nWARNING\nBusinessman-turned-politician Hichilema has claimed he was assaulted by police during his arrest and has suffered mistreatment in detention.\nTreason is a non-bailable offence in Zambia, with a minimum jail term of 15 years and a maximum sentence of death.", "Deliberate car ramming by man in a town east of Paris kills one adolescent girl and injures at least 13 other people.\nA man who may have been trying to kill himself rammed his car into a pizzeria east of Paris on Monday, killing a 13-year-old girl and injuring her younger brother and at least 12 other people, authorities said.\nThe driver was immediately arrested. Police said the man's actions in the town of Sept-Sorts were deliberate, but not thought to be \"terrorism-related\".\nA French prosecutor says it is \"highly probable\" that the man was under the influence of drugs.\nThe 12-year-old girl and her brother were among the restaurant patrons eating on the outdoor terrace of Pizzeria Cesena when a man in a BMW accelerated toward them, an official with the national gendarme service told The Associated Press.\nThe girl died immediately, while the boy's injuries are considered life-threatening, the official said. At least three others were hospitalised in serious condition, and eight more sustained light injuries, said the official, who was not authorised to be publicly named.\nThe incident occurred on a warm summer's evening on the eve of a national holiday and witnesses said the outdoor eating area was busy.\nREAD MORE: Clichy-sous-Bois - A suburb scarred by 2005 French riots\nThe incident reignited fears in France after a string of attacks in which a vehicle was the weapon of choice.\nAn Algerian man drove his car into a group of French soldiers last week, and a truck attack in the French city of Nice left 86 people dead a little more than a year ago.\nThe man arrested in Monday's attack is thought to have tried to kill himself last week, French Interior Ministry Pierre-Henry Brandet said on BFM television.\nBrandet said the man, born in 1985, was not known to intelligence or police. He did not identify him.\nTwo police officials said the incident is considered over and authorities are not searching for accomplices, but are trying find out what motivated the driver.\nA judicial official said on Monday night that the Paris prosecutor's office, which oversees French terrorism investigations, was not involved in the case because there was no proof of terrorism at this stage.\nA security official echoed that there was no evidence of a political motive.\nThe targeted pizzeria is in a shopping zone in the town of Sept-Sorts about 65 kilometres east of Paris near Champagne country. Police cordoned off a large perimeter of the area.\nSource: News agencies", "The episode came just five days after a terror-linked car attack on soldiers, the latest in a string of assaults in France since early 2015.\nInvestigators have \"ruled out the terrorist hypothesis\" behind the latest incident, which took place in the town of Sept-Sorts, 55 kilometres (34 miles) east of Paris, a source close to the inquiry said.\nThe man, who was arrested, said \"he had tried to kill himself yesterday (Sunday) without success and decided to try again this way,\" the source said.\nIn Paris, interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said the fatality was a girl aged 13, and not aged eight as initially reported. Four people were seriously hurt, after a preliminary figure had been given of six. One of the four was the girl's younger brother, police said.\nThe driver, born in 1985, \"is not known to the intelligence services and has no criminal record,\" Brandet said.\nEarlier, the public prosecutor's office in the town of Meaux said investigators believed the act was \"deliberate... but apparently has no connection with a terrorist act.\"\nFrance is on edge after suffering a string of terror-related attacks, including the use of cars as weapons.\nOn August 9, six soldiers were injured after they were hit by a rented BMW in the western Paris suburb of Levallois Perret. A BMW was also involved in Monday's incident. The suspect, a 36-year-old Algerian man, was later shot and wounded after a dramatic motorway chase.\nThe death toll from jihadist attacks in France has exceeded 230 since January 2015.\nThe country has been under a state of emergency since the Islamic State group attacked in Paris in November 2015, leaving 130 people dead.", "Laos national Xaysana Keopimpha faces a string of drug smuggling and possession charges in Thailand\nAn alleged Laos drug lord linked to some of Thailand's rich and famous denied being a major player in the regional narcotics trade when he appeared in a Bangkok court Tuesday.\nXaysana Keopimpha, 42, was nabbed by Thai police on his way through Bangkok's main airport in January, shining a rare spotlight on communist Laos' shadowy role in the Southeast Asian pill trade.\nNarcotics cops alleged he was an \"international drug kingpin\" and trumpeted his capture in a part of the world where major cartel figures are not big names in criminal folklore and are rarely caught.\nThe heavy-set Xaysana faces a string of charges including drug smuggling and possession -- mainly of methamphetamine, which is known in Thai as \"yaba\" or crazy medicine for its effect on addicts.\n\"He denies all the charges,\" said his lawyer Vorakon Phongtanakul, adding his client had also backtracked on a confession he allegedly signed in police custody.\n\"He didn't understand Thai laws and officials told him he could change his plea at court,\" Vorakon said.\nUnder Thai law the maximum penalty for drug smuggling is death though the country has not executed anyone for years.\nXaysana's arrest drew widespread coverage in Thailand after police said a string of celebrities, including a famous soap opera star, and wealthy individuals were linked to his smuggling network.\nThai police have linked him to a massive seizure of 1.2 million methamphetamine pills made shortly before his arrest. Such pills are hugely popular across Southeast Asia.\nThe Golden Triangle, a region in the borderlands of Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and southern China, is the world's second largest drug-producing region after Latin America.\nLarge amounts of opium and heroin and hundreds of millions of methamphetamine pills are churned out in remote jungle labs each year and smuggled through the Golden Triangle across Asia and beyond.\nPorous borders and rampant corruption have allowed the lucrative drug trade to flourish.\nYet compared to Latin America, cartel leaders face little risk and garner none of the public notoriety.\nDrug experts say Thai, Chinese, Myanmar and Malaysian police make frequent arrests and seizures but rarely catch any top figures, and there is little information on Xaysana's seniority in the criminal chain.\nLaos is seen as a particularly weak link in efforts to combat the trade.\nThai police say Xaysana flaunted his wealth, owning a string of luxury sports cars -- some of which were seized by police -- and travelling frequently to Bangkok where he held parties for members of the city's so-called \"hi-so\" (high society) elite.\nA photo of the suspected drug lord posing with relatives of a former Laos prime minister also raised eyebrows.\nThe ex-premier's daughter-in-law later told Radio Free Asia the photo was taken \"by accident\" and Xaysana was only a casual acquaintance.", "A subcontractor that provided steel for a Magic Kingdom construction project is suing Disney, alleging nearly $80,000 in unpaid bills.\nJacksonville-based Allstate Steel Company accused the theme parks and the general contractor, Vanson Enterprises of Winter Park, of not paying for construction work at a site in Adventureland’s Liberty Square, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Orange Circuit Court.\n“We will respond to these allegations in court,\" Disney said in a statement when reached for comment Monday.\nIn March 2015, Allstate signed a subcontractor’s agreement with Vanson for the work, court documents said.\nThe project included the Verandah Restaurant, which has been known for its character meet-and-greets.\nAllstate provided the labor and “specially fabricated steel” for the project, finishing the work in August 2016, but Vanson and Walt Disney refused to pay the remaining $79,481 allegedly owed, the lawsuit said.\n“Allstate has exhausted all other remedies by making multiple payment demands upon Vanson,” the lawsuit said. “Upon information and belief, Vanson has not been paid for the scope of services for which Allstate is seeking payment.”\nIn November, the company, which is also seeking interest, court costs and attorney fees, recorded a claim of lien on the property, according to court records.\nVanson could not be reached for comment. Allstate’s attorney declined to comment.\nGot a news tip? grusson@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5470; Twitter, @GabrielleRusson\nCAPTION Angel Sanchez, a UCF graduate who beats the odds after spending 12 years in prison for gang-related crimes, talks about being accepted into the University of Miami Law School, Friday, July 28, 2017. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Angel Sanchez, a UCF graduate who beats the odds after spending 12 years in prison for gang-related crimes, talks about being accepted into the University of Miami Law School, Friday, July 28, 2017. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) CAPTION Angel Sanchez, a UCF graduate who beats the odds after spending 12 years in prison for gang-related crimes, talks about being accepted into the University of Miami Law School, Friday, July 28, 2017. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Angel Sanchez, a UCF graduate who beats the odds after spending 12 years in prison for gang-related crimes, talks about being accepted into the University of Miami Law School, Friday, July 28, 2017. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) CAPTION Five felons, two of whom authorities described as documented gang members, were arrested after deputies and a SWAT team served a search warrant on the suburban New Port Richey mobile home. Five felons, two of whom authorities described as documented gang members, were arrested after deputies and a SWAT team served a search warrant on the suburban New Port Richey mobile home. CAPTION The Amway Center hosted the Call of Duty World League Championship Esports competition. Teams competed for the $600,000 prize. The Amway Center hosted the Call of Duty World League Championship Esports competition. Teams competed for the $600,000 prize. CAPTION 20-year employee Ross Ashmead talks about the evolution of Aloma Bowl to stay modern and competitive by adding family-friendly activities and customer service at the lanes in Winter Park, Friday, August 11, 2017. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) 20-year employee Ross Ashmead talks about the evolution of Aloma Bowl to stay modern and competitive by adding family-friendly activities and customer service at the lanes in Winter Park, Friday, August 11, 2017. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) CAPTION High school football players from across Central Florida share their thoughts and concerns about concussions. High school football players from across Central Florida share their thoughts and concerns about concussions.\nDisney fans buy up goodbye merchandise as two rides close »", "Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has been in custody since April over an incident when he allegedly failed to give way to President Edgar Lungu's motorcade\nInternational media in Zambia were barred from a court Monday where opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema was due to appear on treason charges in a case that has fuelled political tensions.\nThe High Court in Lusaka issued press accreditation cards to foreign media outlets last week but later withdrew them.\n\"We initially withdrew the cards to activate the barcodes in good faith (but) unfortunately your applications have now been rejected,\" Neto Zulu, senior assistant registrar at the court, told AFP and other media outlets.\nA large number of police officers were on duty at the court, where Hichilema was due to enter a plea to the treason charges.\nPresident Edgar Lungu has denied allegations of a crackdown on dissent in Zambia.\nHe invoked emergency powers in July, increasing police powers of arrest and detention after he blamed opposition parties for a string of arson attacks.\nHichilema, who narrowly lost last year's presidential election, has been in custody since April over an incident when he allegedly failed to give way to Lungu's motorcade.\nA lawyer from Hichilema's United Party for National Development (UPND) told AFP that the party expected the charges to be dropped and for Hichilema to walk free later Monday.\nos/bgs/txw", "An ‘isolated’ incident, but one of several across the county\nSwastikas were found spray painted on a vehicle in a Mineola parking garage last week, an incident the Nassau County Police Department says was “isolated” and not targeted.\nThe NCPD says officers responded to the public parking garage located on Main Street and First Street on Monday, Feb. 6, at 9:40 p.m. for a complaint of two swastikas spray painted on the driver and passenger side door of a parked vehicle.\nThis is not the first time swastikas have been reported in Mineola. Swastikas were also found drawn in the snow on Saturday, Dec. 17, outside a Fairfield Avenue residence; that incident came less than a month after the anti-Semitic symbol and racist epithets were found spray painted on Washington Avenue and Elm Street sidewalks.\nBut these bias incidences aren’t just happening in Mineola. According to Nassau County police, since November, swastikas have been found in various neighborhoods, made from a variety of mediums; silly string in front of an athletic field in Jericho, spray painted on a wall at Brady Park in Massapequa Park, dug into the ground at a ballfield in Levittown, carved into a cafeteria table at Carle Place High School, drawn in black marker in the bathrooms at Nassau Community College (a case in which an arrest was made) and a bathroom in a Port Washington High School.\nThose who vandalize property with racist or gang related graffiti may soon face harsher penalties. The New York State Senate recently passed legislation to create stronger penalties for individuals who vandalize property with graffiti targeting someone’s religion or race, gang-related graffiti and the defacement of places of worship with graffiti.\n“Destroying someone else’s property to promote gangs and encourage hate are serious crimes that deserve a more serious punishment,” said Senator Elaine Phillips, who cosponsored the legislation. “Strengthening penalties will send an important message that these despicable acts promoting violence and intolerance will not be tolerated in our communities.”\nThe legislation would create class E felony charges—which carry the potential of anywhere from one to three years in prison—for individuals who make graffiti promoting or encouraging gang related activities or on religious buildings, structures symbols or places of worship.\nThe legislation also expands the existing crime of aggravated harassment to include graffiti which is motivated by factors such as a person’s religion, race or ancestry. It would create consistency under the current law, which covers certain symbols such as swastikas, burning crosses and nooses, but not others expressing the same hateful sentiments.\nJudges would be allowed to require offenders to personally clean up their mess under the measure. The legislation has been sent to the Assembly for consideration.", "UCF announced vice president and director of athletics Danny White signed a contract extension following a successful run by numerous coaches he hired and a surge in fundraising.\nWhite’s deal includes an option to renew annually and spans five years. He makes a base salary of $525,000, with a new round of 5 percent pay increases for each remaining year of the contract, according to records obtained by the Orlando Sentinel. The contract also includes numerous performance incentives and additional compensation.\nWhite has made a dramatic impact on the UCF athletics program since he was first hired in December 2015, selecting new coaches to lead football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball and tennis programs along with other changes throughout athletic administration.\nThe football team went from winless to a bowl bid, the men’s basketball team won a league title and reached the NIT Final Four, the women’s basketball team delivered its best season in the American Athletic Conference, the baseball team won a conference title and the tennis program set numerous school marks.\nThe school has not taken a step back from its past academic success and White has led a surge in fundraising, landing multi-million dollar donations for the extensive Kenneth Dixon Athletics Village renovation plan and other projects.\n“I hired Danny two years ago because he understood that success starts with winning with integrity and student-athletes thriving in the classroom, and because he had a strong history of hiring successful coaches,” UCF President John Hitt said in a news release.\n“Danny has exceeded my expectations in all of those areas while also leading athletics to its best year of philanthropy ever. ... I look forward to seeing what Danny and his talented colleagues will achieve this year.”\nIn addition to White’s new deal, UCF Athletics has negotiated contract extensions for the rowing, men’s golf, women’s golf, baseball and men’s and women’s basketball coaches. A source confirmed UCF also is negotiating to extend tennis director John Roddick’s contract.\nWhite, who has the potential to be a top candidate for other jobs if UCF continues to build on its rapid success, told the Orlando Sentinel his sole focus is continuing to help the Knights succeed.\n“We’re very, very committed to being here and building this program,” he said.\n“My family loves it here. I’m not pushing so hard to get things done here to politic nationally. I’m pushing so hard because I’m a competitive person and I believe we can become a top 25 program. I believe you can accomplish everything you want to do to have a fulfilling career right here at UCF.”", "When he was arrested, Amnesty International said Mr Hichilema and the five co-accused were \"victims of longstanding persecution\" by the authorities, and faced charges that are designed to \"harass and intimidate\".\nPolice officers in riot gear sealed off the court precinct as scores of UPND supporters waited outside.\nMr Hichilema and five aides \"denied the charge of treason and the state has decided to take the matter for trial on Wednesday,\" UPND spokesman Charles Kakoma told foreign journalists outside the court.\nLUSAKA\nZambia's detained opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema pleaded not guilty to treason Monday, ahead of a trial set to fuel political tension in a country previously known for its relative stability.\nMr Hichilema, leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND), has been in custody since April over an incident where he allegedly failed to give way to President Edgar Lungu's motorcade.\nDENIED\nMr Lungu, who narrowly beat Mr Hichilema in last year's presidential election, has dismissed allegations of growing authoritarianism and instead accused his rivals of trying to overturn the election result.\nMr Hichilema and five aides \"denied the charge of treason and the state has decided to take the matter for trial on Wednesday,\" UPND spokesman Charles Kakoma told foreign journalists outside the court.\nHe added that Mr Hichilema, who remained in custody, appeared in good health at the brief hearing.\nPolice officers in riot gear sealed off the court precinct as scores of UPND supporters waited outside.\nRELATIVE STABILITY\nA UPND lawyer, who declined to be named, had said on Sunday that the party expected the charges to be dropped and for the opposition leader to walk free at the hearing.\nPresident Lungu invoked emergency powers in July, increasing police powers of arrest and detention after blaming opposition parties for a string of arson attacks.\nZambia has enjoyed relative stability since its first multi-party election in 1991.\nBut last year's election was marked by clashes between supporters of President Lungu's Patriotic Front (PF) party and the UPND.\nMr Hichilema, 55, says the vote was rigged and has refused to recognise Mr Lungu as the president.\nParliament has suspended 48 UPND lawmakers after they boycotted an address by the president in March.\nDETENTION\nPolice last week released the leader of a smaller opposition party who is a fierce critic of the president after one week in detention.\nSavior Chishimba, leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), was detained by plain-clothed police, triggering further accusations of a crackdown on dissent.\nThe government has also increased pressure on media outlets that support the opposition, eroding Zambia's reputation as a stable democracy.\nMr Hichilema was arrested after allegedly putting President Lungu's life in danger when his convoy failed to make way for the presidential motorcade in a high-speed road drama caught on video camera.\nDays later, more than 100 armed police surrounded his house outside Lusaka, firing tear gas before detaining him and his aides.\nThe two men were both travelling to Western province for a traditional ceremony.\nMISTREATMENT\nThe businessman-turned-politician has claimed he was assaulted by police during his arrest and has suffered mistreatment in detention.\nTreason is a non-bailable offence in Zambia, with a minimum jail term of 15 years and a maximum sentence of death.\nWhen he was arrested, Amnesty International said Mr Hichilema and the five co-accused were \"victims of longstanding persecution\" by the authorities, and faced charges that are designed to \"harass and intimidate\".", "A Minneapolis woman was sentenced recently for her role in the death of Sarah Wierstad, a young mother who was shot after interrupting a burglary at her St. Paul home.\nMichelle Lee Koester, 43, was sentenced April 13 in Ramsey County District Court to 11 years in prison on one count of aiding an offender in the Oct. 18, 2015, slaying, court records say.\nWhen first questioned about the shooting, Koester initially misled police and obstructed their investigation. She later opened up and told police that the group of people suspected in the burglary and shooting had taken part in armed robberies in the past.\nShe told police that she knew a group of her acquaintances was heading to St. Paul to steal credit cards on the night Wierstad was killed. She also admitted that she had benefited from credit cards the group had stolen in the past.\nOther charges previously filed against Koester in the Ramsey County case, including two additional counts of aiding an offender and second-degree unintentional murder, were dropped as a part of her plea deal.\nKoester was one of several people charged following Wierstad’s death. Albert George McIntosh, 32, the man suspected of killing the young mother, was acquitted of the charge in September after prosecutors failed to prove he pulled the trigger.\nAlvin Rudolph Bell, 26, was found guilty of aiding and abetting second-degree murder in the case and was sentenced in March. Another accomplice, Isiah Lee Harper, 26, pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary for his role in the shooting.\nThe men broke into Wierstad’s home around 8 p.m. Oct. 18, 2015. They were surprised when Wierstad returned to the residence in the middle of the burglary.\nThe 24-year-old mother of a then 5-year-old girl was shot twice from a distance and bled to death. Related Articles Traffic circles make bicycling safer. So why is St. Paul nixing two circles on East Side?\nAunt sentenced in gun-discharge incident at St. Paul elementary school\nTwo injured in downtown St. Paul crash involving police officer\nUniversity Club hosts annual Easter event in St. Paul\nOne arrested in connection with St. Paul homicide\nHer death was part of a nightlong crime spree by McIntosh, Koester and the other men.\nMcIntosh was convicted in Hennepin County earlier this month of aiding and abetting robbery, burglary and murder for the deadly string of robberies that resulted in the killing of Julio Mozo-Cuate, 43, in Minneapolis. Koester, McIntosh’s girlfriend, was convicted of the same crimes, as well as one count of aiding an offender after the fact for trying to sell or use the stolen items.\nThe other three people involved, including Bell, Harper, and Shannon Haiden, pleaded guilty to lesser charges related to the incidents.", "DENVER (AP) — Immediately after a jury determined that Taylor Swift had been groped by a radio station host before a concert in Denver, the singer-songwriter turned to one of her closest allies — her mother — and later said she hoped the verdict would inspire other victims of sexual assault.\nSwift hugged her crying mother after the six-woman, two-man jury said in U.S. District Court on Monday that former Denver DJ David Mueller had groped the pop star during a photo op four years ago. Per Swift’s request, jurors awarded her $1 in damages — a sum her attorney, Douglas Baldridge, called “a single symbolic dollar, the value of which is immeasurable to all women in this situation.”\nSwift released a statement thanking her attorneys “for fighting for me and anyone who feels silenced by a sexual assault.”\n“My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard,” she said, promising to make unspecified donations to groups that help victims of sexual assault.\nNancy Leong, a law professor at the University of Denver, said the verdict is important because “we are getting to the point in society that women are believed in court. For many decades and centuries, that was not the case.”\nLeong, who also teaches in the university’s gender studies program, said the verdict will inspire more victims of sexual assault to come forward.\n“The fact that she was believed will allow women to understand that they will not automatically be disbelieved, and I think that’s a good thing,” Leong said.\nSwift and her mother initially tried to keep the accusation quiet by reporting the incident to Mueller’s bosses and not the police.\nBut it inevitably became public when Mueller sued Swift for up to $3 million, claiming the allegation cost him his $150,000-a-year job at country station KYGO-FM, where he was a morning host.\n“I’ve been trying to clear my name for four years,” he said after the verdict in explaining why he took Swift to court. “Civil court is the only option I had. This is the only way that I could be heard.”\nSwift countersued for assault and battery, and during an hour of testimony blasted a low-key characterization by Mueller’s attorney, Gabriel McFarland, of what happened. While Mueller testified he never grabbed Swift, she insisted she was groped.\n“He stayed attached to my bare ass-cheek as I lurched away from him,” Swift testified.\n“It was a definite grab. A very long grab,” she added.\nMueller emphatically denied reaching under the pop star’s skirt or otherwise touching her inappropriately, insisting he touched only her ribs and may have brushed the outside of her skirt as they awkwardly posed for the picture.\nThat photo was virtually the only evidence besides the testimony.\nIn the image shown to jurors during opening statements but not publicly released, Mueller’s hand is behind Swift, just below her waist. Both are smiling. Mueller’s then-girlfriend is standing on the other side of Swift.\nSwift testified that after she was groped, she numbly told Mueller and his girlfriend, “Thank you for coming,” and moved on to photos with others waiting in line because she did not want to disappoint them.\nBut she said she immediately went to her photographer after the meet-and-greet ended and found the photo of her with Mueller, telling the photographer what happened.\nSwift’s mother, Andrea Swift, testified that she asked radio liaison Frank Bell to call Mueller’s employers. They did not call the police to avoid further traumatizing her daughter, she said.\n“We absolutely wanted to keep it private. But we didn’t want him to get away with it,” Andrea Swift testified.\nBell said he emailed the photo to Robert Call, KYGO’s general manager, for use in Call’s investigation of Mueller. He said he didn’t ask that Mueller be fired but that “appropriate action be taken.”\nJurors rejected Mueller’s claims that Andrea Swift and Bell cost him his job.\nOn Friday, U.S. District Judge William Martinez dismissed similar claims against Taylor Swift, ruling Mueller’s team failed to offer evidence that the then-23-year-old superstar did anything more than report the incident to her team, including her mother.\n___\nAssociated Press writer Thomas Peipert contributed to this report.", "Get Daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email\nA man arrested for having a 30-inch samurai sword in the street in Torquay says he only took out to have the handle re-stringed.\nLee Johnson, 42, was seen by a witness shouting ‘Someone’s going to get this tonight, I’m not happy.” Exeter Crown Court was told.\nThe defendant said he could not remember doing any such thing but did admit having a bladed or sharply pointed article in Princes Street on May 2 last year.\nHe said he was taking the sword to a friend’s house who had promised to re-string the handle for him and did not threaten anybody or even see the witness in the street.\nJohnson was given a suspended prison sentence by the judge who told him it was ‘completely ridiculous’ and dangerous to be out on the street with such a potentially dangerous item.\nProsecutor Mr Gordon Richings said a member of the public was stood in the street with his friend when he saw an angry-looking man approaching.\nIt turned out to be Johnson who appeared to start shouting threats at the window of a property opposite.\n“He then drew a samurai sword from under an orange towel he was carrying,” said the prosecutor.\n(Image: Google)\nThe sword was later measured by police at 76cm from handle to tip, with a 46cm blade.\nThe witness said he was ‘extremely scared’ by the appearance of Johnson and called police. Johnson walked off towards the town but was later found at his house.\nMr Paul Dentith, defending, said Johnson suffered from anxiety, depression and a form of agoraphobia.\nHe was in a stressful mood because of problems with his teenage son but did not remember waving the sword about. He took the sword to a friend who had promised to re-string it and was not aware of the witness.\n“Anxiety, depression, stress, some alcohol – it wasn’t a good thought process,” said Mr Dentith.\nJohnson has a caution to his name from 2013 for having a bladed article.\nThe defendant had suffered an injury in the past when he fell off a roof and had ‘also been hit twice with a meat cleaver on the head in Abbey Road’, said Mr Dentith.\nJudge Timothy Rose said such an incident should have brought home to the defendant how dangerous it is to have a sharp weapon in public.\nHe jailed Johnson for five months but suspended the sentence for two years.\nThe defendant, of St Efrides Road, was given a night-time curfew for 13 weeks, told to do 10 days rehabilitation with probation and 20 sessions on a Thinking Skills course.", "Immediately after a jury determined that Taylor Swift had been groped by a radio station host before a concert in Denver, the singer-songwriter turned to one of her closest allies — her mother — and later said she hoped the verdict would inspire other victims of sexual assault.\nSwift hugged her crying mother after the six-woman, two-man jury said in U.S. District Court on Monday that former Denver DJ David Mueller had groped the pop star during a photo op four years ago. Per Swift's request, jurors awarded her $1 in damages — a sum her attorney, Douglas Baldridge, called \"a single symbolic dollar, the value of which is immeasurable to all women in this situation.\"\nSwift released a statement thanking her attorneys \"for fighting for me and anyone who feels silenced by a sexual assault.\"\n\"My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard,\" she said, promising to make unspecified donations to groups that help victims of sexual assault.\nNancy Leong, a law professor at the University of Denver, said the verdict is important because \"we are getting to the point in society that women are believed in court. For many decades and centuries, that was not the case.\"\nLeong, who also teaches in the university's gender studies program, said the verdict will inspire more victims of sexual assault to come forward.\n\"The fact that she was believed will allow women to understand that they will not automatically be disbelieved, and I think that's a good thing,\" Leong said.\nSwift and her mother initially tried to keep the accusation quiet by reporting the incident to Mueller's bosses and not the police.\nBut it inevitably became public when Mueller sued Swift for up to $3 million, claiming the allegation cost him his $150,000-a-year job at country station KYGO-FM, where he was a morning host.\n\"I've been trying to clear my name for four years,\" he said after the verdict in explaining why he took Swift to court. \"Civil court is the only option I had. This is the only way that I could be heard.\"\nSwift countersued for assault and battery, and during an hour of testimony blasted a low-key characterization by Mueller's attorney, Gabriel McFarland, of what happened. While Mueller testified he never grabbed Swift, she insisted she was groped.\n\"He stayed attached to my bare ass-cheek as I lurched away from him,\" Swift testified.\n\"It was a definite grab. A very long grab,\" she added.\nMueller emphatically denied reaching under the pop star's skirt or otherwise touching her inappropriately, insisting he touched only her ribs and may have brushed the outside of her skirt as they awkwardly posed for the picture.\nThat photo was virtually the only evidence besides the testimony.\nIn the image shown to jurors during opening statements but not publicly released, Mueller's hand is behind Swift, just below her waist. Both are smiling. Mueller's then-girlfriend is standing on the other side of Swift.\nSwift testified that after she was groped, she numbly told Mueller and his girlfriend, \"Thank you for coming,\" and moved on to photos with others waiting in line because she did not want to disappoint them.\nBut she said she immediately went to her photographer after the meet-and-greet ended and found the photo of her with Mueller, telling the photographer what happened.\nSwift's mother, Andrea Swift, testified that she asked radio liaison Frank Bell to call Mueller's employers. They did not call the police to avoid further traumatizing her daughter, she said.\n\"We absolutely wanted to keep it private. But we didn't want him to get away with it,\" Andrea Swift testified.\nBell said he emailed the photo to Robert Call, KYGO's general manager, for use in Call's investigation of Mueller. He said he didn't ask that Mueller be fired but that \"appropriate action be taken.\"\nJurors rejected Mueller's claims that Andrea Swift and Bell cost him his job.\nOn Friday, U.S. District Judge William Martinez dismissed similar claims against Taylor Swift, ruling Mueller's team failed to offer evidence that the then-23-year-old superstar did anything more than report the incident to her team, including her mother.\n———\nAssociated Press writer Thomas Peipert contributed to this report.", "The police chief in Lawrence, Massachusetts, is holding an emergency meeting Monday in response to a string of violent crimes in the city.\nChief James Fitzpatrick said the meeting will involve his operational captains and representatives from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Prevention and Control. The move comes following 10 incidents so far in April alone where shots were fired.\n\"This is an unusually high number of calls for services involving this type of activity,\" Fitzpatrick said. He said his department has taken steps to curb the violence, but they have not had a lasting effect. \"We need to get everyone in the room and reevaluate our tactics. Although we have made arrests for some of these crimes and have identified a suspect in the most recent homicide, we need to do better.\"\nLawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera also issued a statement Monday on the recent spate of shootings.\n\"On the holiest of days we experienced yet another shooting and homicide in our City,\" he said. \"This incident makes it 9 shootings in 6 days and 2 homicides in 3 days for a total of 6 homicides for the year... These facts are both alarming and a trend that is unacceptable.\"\nTwo people were shot and killed and a third person injured in two separate shootings in Lawrence over the weekend. The first shooting occurred early Saturday morning near a Burger King on Broadway and Concord Street. The second was around 8 p.m. across the street from La Cava Bar on Union Street.\nPolice said they believe much of the recent violence is related to drug sales and domestic violence.\nRivera specifically cited the ongoing opioid crisis, the proliferation of illegal guns and \"Out of towners acting out in Lawrence.\"\nDeveloping Dragnet for Suspected Facebook Killer Widens Beyond Ohio\nLawrence police have already increased their presence in areas where violence is known to occur - bars, clubs, restaurants and neighborhood parties - four nights a week and are planning to add a fifth night given the recent spate of violence. In addition, Fitzpatrick said the Essex County Sheriff's Department will be providing additional resources in the coming weeks in the form of two full-time sheriff's deputies to help capture some of the city's most violent fugitives.\nRivera said Fitzpatrick is also calling for a special prosecutor to oversee all serious violent crimes committed in Lawrence. And the mayor said he plans to work with the City Council to determine if the city needs to hire additional police officers, and to require any liquor-selling establishment with a DJ or live entertainment that is open past midnight to have a detail from dusk to close.\n\"Chief Fitzpatrick and I and the men and women of the Lawrence Police Department have been hard at work dealing with the increase in violence, the immediate crimes and also how to be more proactive,\" Rivera said. \"There is nothing easy about these problems nor are there any easy solutions.\"", "More than 180 people across the United States have filed sexual assault lawsuits, police reports and other sexual misconduct complaints against Massage Envy spas, their employees and the national company, according to an investigative report by the website BuzzFeed News.\nThe website reported that many of those who complained believed their claims were mishandled or ignored by employees and owners of individual Massage Envy spas and by the national company.\nContinue Reading Below\nDozens of women reported digital and oral penetration. More than 100 reported that massage therapists groped their genitals, groped their breasts, or committed other explicit violations.\nAdam Horowitz, a lawyer who has handled more than two dozen sexual misconduct lawsuits involving Massage Envy, said Monday that he received 25 calls from alleged new victims following the report's publication.\nThe claims represent only a fraction of the tens of millions of services Massage Envy says its franchises have provided, Buzz Feed News reported.\nLawyers for spa clients told BuzzFeed News that there are cases of women reporting massage therapist abuse to police where no arrests have been made with Massage Envy spas offering settlements before lawsuits have been filed, leaving no public record.\nMassage Envy in a statement Monday said the complaints documented by BuzzFeed News spanned a period of more than 15 years and said each account was heartbreaking.\nAdvertisement\n\"But, we believe that even one incident is too many, so we are constantly listening, learning, and evaluating how we can continue to strengthen our policies with respect to handling of these issues,\" the company said.\nMelanie Hansen, general counsel of Massage Envy Franchising, told BuzzFeed News that the company has worked hard to create the industry's \"most stringent, rigorous policies\" for hiring, screening, and training therapists.\n\"We hold franchise owners accountable to our policies and, when we say nothing is more important to us than treating clients with respect and giving them a safe, professional experience, we mean it,\" she said in an email to BuzzFeed News.\nExcept in some places where local laws might demand it, the company does not compel franchisees to notify law enforcement or to hire qualified investigators to help determine what happened, BuzzFeed News reported.\nThe company tells franchisees they must conduct their own \"prompt, fair, and thorough\" investigation of any abuse or misconduct claims, but Buzz Feed News reported it provides little guidance on how to do so.\nIn court filings and in public statements, Massage Envy said it is not liable for sexual assaults that take place at the spas because of the nature of the franchise arrangement, BuzzFeed news reported. Spas control their own day-to-day operations, Hansen said, including figuring out how best to investigate inappropriate conduct.\nThe franchise network, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, has nearly 1,200 spas across the United States, collectively employs 20,000 massage therapists and has 1.6 million member clients nationwide.\nEmployees undergo background checks and are told of a zero-tolerance policy about inappropriate touching but Hansen said \"there are no policies in any business that can ensure that an employee of a business will not break the law.\"\nThe American Massage Therapy Association said massage therapists who inappropriately touch clients should face legal consequences and that people who think they have been victimized should call police." ]

[ "The A-Team" ]

[ "areal features", "topographical features", "albedo feature", "Serie A", "type of feature", "tactile feature", "that which burns", "that which purifies", "feature film", "structural features", "bathymetric features", "that which is heard" ]

[ "Serves 8-10 Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper3 tablespoons butter3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour10 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced6 fresh bay leaves1 quart reduced-fat (2 percent) milk4 cups elbow macaroni8 tomatoes1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheeseA few springs of fresh thyme, leaves pickedOptional: a couple of splashes of Worcestershire sauce, such as Lea & PerrinsOptional: a grating of nutmeg3 big handfuls of fresh bread crumbsOlive oil Get a large saucepan of salted water on to boil. Melt the butter in a large ovenproof saucepan, or Dutch oven, over a low heat, then add the flour and turn the heat up to medium, stirring all the time, until you get a paste -- this is your roux. Add all the sliced garlic -- don't worry about the amount, because each slice will caramelize like toffee in the roux. Keep cooking and stirring until golden and the garlic is nice and sticky. Add the bay leaves and slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time to ensure you get a nice smooth sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then leave on a low heat to simmer and tick away, stirring occasionally. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Farenheit. Add the pasta to the pan of boiling salted water and cook following the package instructions. Meanwhile, roughly chop the tomatoes on a board and season them well with salt and pepper. Drain the pasta and add it immediately to the sauce. Give it a good stir and take the pan off the heat. Stir in your grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, and some of the thyme leaves. A little Worcestershire sauce added now is nice, so is a little grating or two of nutmeg. Now work on the flavor -- taste it and season it until it's hitting the right spot. You want it to be slightly too wet because it will thicken up again in the oven, so add a splash of water if needed. If you've made your sauce in a Dutch oven, leave everything in there; if not, transfer it to a deep earthenware dish. Bake it for 30 minutes in the oven, until golden, bubbling, crispy, and delicious. While it's cooking, put your bread crumbs and remaining thyme into a frying pan with a few drizzles of olive oil over a medium heat. Stir and toss the crumbs around until crunchy and golden all over. Remove from the heat and tip into a nice bowl. Serve your macaroni and cheese in the center of the table, with your bowl of crispy bread crumbs for sprinkling over, and a lovely green salad. Wine suggestion: dry Italian white -- a good pinot grigio Excerpted from Jamie's America by Jamie Oliver. Published by Hyperion. All Rights Reserved." ]

[ "For NPR's \"How Low Can You Go\" family supper challenge, some of the nation's best cooks have each agreed to come up with a budget-conscious, delicious meal for a family of four. The hitch? The meal must cost less than $10 — and the cheaper the better. Pat and Gina Neely own Neely's Bar-B-Que in Memphis, Tenn., and host the popular Food Network show called Down Home With The Neelys. Now culinary superstars, the Neelys are also releasing their cookbook, Down Home with the Neelys: a Southern Family Cookbook in May. But before they hit the big time, both Pat and Gina grew up in households where their families had to come up with all kinds of creative ways to stretch the grocery budget. \"We didn't have a lot of money, from Gina's family and mine,\" Pat says. \"And we all played football — me and my brothers — and my mother cooked big hearty meals, so it was always stews and spaghettis and all types of casseroles and all of these very economical dishes that were passed down from my grandmother to my mother. And now Gina and I are cooking 'em, and we're cooking 'em for our girls as well.\" Because the Neelys grew up having to think about money, Pat says the NPR challenge wouldn't \"be any problem.\" \"You can bank on that,\" he says. \"We were doing this challenge long before you guys even starting having it, because we grew up on those kind of dishes.\" For the challenge, the Neelys chose to cook a twist on mac 'n' cheese called cheesy corkscrews with crunchy bacon topping — what they call \"down-home comfort food.\" \"It is an incredible way of taking a simple mac 'n' cheese recipe and putting your own spin on it,\" Pat says. By their calculations, the Neelys spent $8.96. Pat says the dish, which he says is simple to make, can be eaten as a side dish or an entree. Besides macaroni and cheese, another way to be economical, says Gina, is to make big pots of stews and soups. \"Those are dishes that you can make a big pot of. It doesn't matter who drops in, who comes over, there's always plenty to go around,\" Gina says. ROBERT SIEGEL, host: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel. MICHELE NORRIS, host: And I'm Michele Norris. And now it's time for the final installment of our \"How Low Can You Go?\" budget cooking challenge. It's where we ask chefs to make a meal for four on $10 or less. Patrick and Gina Neely own Neely's Bar-B-Que in Memphis, Tennessee, and they're the hosts of the popular Food Network show called \"Down Home with the Neelys.\" (Soundbite of television program \"Down Home with the Neelys\") Ms. GINA NEELY (Chef): Now, we're going to get started on our fried green beans. Mr. PAT NEELY (Chef): Ooh, yes. Ms. NEELY: So we're going to use one pound of green beans. We're going to have to use the whole thing. We can get started on these. Mr. NEELY: And we're just cutting off the woody stems on each end. Ms. NEELY: Right. NORRIS: The Neelys are now culinary superstars. Their \"Down Home with the Neelys\" cookbook comes out next month. But before they hit the big time, Pat and Gina grew up in households where their families had to come up with all kinds of creative ways to stretch the grocery budget. Mr. NEELY: We didn't have a lot of money, I think from Gina's family and mine, and we all played football, me and my brothers, and my mother cooked big, hearty meals. So it was always stews and spaghettis, and all types of casseroles, and all of these very economical dishes that were passed down from my grandmother to my mother. And now Gina and I are cooking them, and we're cooking them for our girls as well. Ms. NEELY: And that's why we try to make big pots of stews and soups because those are dishes that you can make a big pot of. It doesn't matter who drops in, who comes over. There's always plenty to go around. And of course, it's very economical. Mr. NEELY: So this challenge won't be any problem. (Soundbite of laughter) Mr. NEELY: You can bank on us because… Ms. NEELY: We got that. We got that. Mr. NEELY: …we were doing this challenge long before you guys even started having it… Ms. NEELY: Yeah. Mr. NEELY: …because we grew up on those kind of dishes. (Soundbite of laughter) NORRIS: So, for our family food challenge - your show is called \"Down Home with the Neelys,\" so it's not surprising that you chose something that is down home comfort food, macaroni and cheese. Ms. NEELY: Michele? NORRIS: Hmm? Ms. NEELY: You sort of have to say it like, \"Down Home with the Neelys.\" (Soundbite of laughter) NORRIS: Oh, excuse me. Excuse me. I - I gave you the NPR version of that. Ms. NEELY: Yeah, yeah, yeah. NORRIS: \"Down Home with the Neelys.\" (Soundbite of laughter) NORRIS: I'm sorry. I didn't put my foot in it, is what you're telling me. Ms. NEELY: Oh my God, you (unintelligible) the show. Mr. NEELY: Oh, yeah. You watch the show. Ms. NEELY: Yeah. (Soundbite of laughter) NORRIS: So what you got for us? Mr. NEELY: Well, we have a corkscrew… Ms. NEELY: Corkscrew, yeah. Mr. NE", "Adrian Miller is a lawyer and former special assistant to President Clinton. After the president's second term, finding himself with extra time on his hands, he ended up spending the next decade or so researching soul food. \"With the only qualifications of eating the food a lot, and cooking it some, I dove in,\" says Miller. Getting past some stereotypes about soul food is one goal of his new book. Miller says the common perception is that soul food is slave food, but that's only partially true, he tells Michel Martin, host of NPR's Tell Me More. \"A lot of time master and slave were eating out of the same pot,\" he says. \"So it was really only on the really large plantations ... that you had this bifurcated feeding system where the enslaved got some set of foods and the big house got different cuisines. But for the most part, the economics and the reality of such meant that people were often eating the same food.\" During his research, Miller ate in over 150 restaurants serving soul food, often posting pictures of his meals on Facebook. Concerned friends sent messages, asking about his health. \"Reflexively they're looking at the African-American community and they're seeing all of the health problems, you know, obesity, chronic disease like diabetes, heart attacks, cancer and all these other things and just linking the two,\" Miller says. He's careful to say that he's not a nutritionist but points to other factors that contribute to these diseases, such as the rise of processed and fast foods. And he offers plenty of alternatives for preparing soul food dishes. For example, he suggests using smoked turkey in greens rather than ham hocks. Miller's book is an extensively researched look at the history of soul food, but also its future: \"I say honor the past, work on the future ... but then let's be creative and play around with these foods.\" Miller hopes soul food will be celebrated and get the same treatment other ethnic foods have received. Interview Highlights On the difference between soul food and Southern food There's a lot of overlap; hence the confusion, because there are a lot of common ingredients. But I think of soul food as the limited repertoire of Southern food. And it's really about the food that black migrants from the South took with them to other parts of the country. And they did what other migrants do when they got to a new place — they tried to re-create home often through food. And if they couldn't get the exact same ingredient, they found substitutes. And ...it becomes this national cuisine over time. On how mac and cheese became a soul food staple Mac and cheese used to be royalty food. So it goes back to the 1300s. [It] wasn't the goopy thing that we love today. The earliest iteration of it was pasta with some Parmesan cheese on it. ... It was royalty food and then it becomes elite food. ... It crosses the Atlantic as a rich person's dish, and so when it made its way to the South, it was enslaved African-Americans who were cooking this dish, often in the big houses. [A recipe for macaroni and cheese with butter is found in the Forme of Cury cookbook (circa 1390), which was used in the royal kitchens of England's King Richard II and Queen Elizabeth I.] On why red Kool-Aid is a common soul food beverage There are two traditional red drinks that crossed the Atlantic during the slave trade. And most people have had them but probably didn't even know it. ... One is the kola tea, because there are white kola nuts and red kola nuts and so they would use that as a drink of hospitality. And then another drink was called bissap. Which is a tea made from the flowers of the hibiscus plant, which we call over here agua de jamaica or red zinger tea or just hibiscus tea. ... As I look through the historical sources, whenever there was a communal setting, there was some kind of red drink. Nyesha Arrington's Mac And Cheese Makes 10 servings 1 pound elbow macaroni3 1⁄2 tablespoons butter, divided1 medium yellow onion, sliced3 tablespoons all- purpose flour2 1⁄4 cups whole milk, plus more as needed, warmed1 teaspoon salt1⁄8 teaspoon ground white pepperPinch of freshly grated nutmeg3 1⁄2 cups coarsely grated Cantal, Gruyere, or sharp white cheddar cheese, divided (1 pound)2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme2 cups fresh white bread crumbs2 tablespoons melted butter Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 2 1⁄2-quart casserole dish. Cook the macaroni al dente according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until very soft and golden brown, about 12 minutes. Set aside. Melt the remaining 2 1⁄2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is pale yellow and frothy, about 2 minutes. Do not allow it to brown. Slow", "With recent news that even Paris has one, food trucks are certainly in vogue these days. In the U.S., they're now spreading from the hot scenes in Los Angeles and New York to smaller cities, like Milwaukee and Madison. Even school systems are jumping on the food truck bandwagon. Southern food historian and writer John T. Edge set off on a road trip to discover what mobile chefs were cooking up and came back with The Truck Food Cookbook -- part recipe collection, part travelogue and part social analysis of the food truck frenzy. I caught up with him at a taco truck in Birmingham, Ala., where we sampled the tostado de ceviche at Taqueria Guzman. The truck is parked at a Texaco gas station, just across the street from Steel City Bolt and Screw. Continue Reading Edge is director of the Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi and tends to view food through a cultural prism. He admires the composition of the tostado. \"The bracketing of the avocado slices, the chop of the cilantro on top. It's not low-rent food,\" he says. \"It's artisanal food ... on a foam plate.\" But at $2 a taco, it is artisanal food — fast and within reach for just about anyone in Birmingham. Secretaries, hospital workers and Hispanic construction workers line up at Guzman's truck. \"It's a really democratic portrait of America,\" says Edge. \"And in the same way that lunch counters were this great democratic space in years past, the democratic space where people of all walks of life are eating at trucks now.\" His book includes recipes for Kogi tacos from the famous Los Angeles truck of the same name. There are fried Brussels sprouts from Austin, Ethiopian lentils from Madison, and a quirky Hawaiian treat from Seattle called Spam Musubi, which Edge describes as \"a little lozenge of vinegared rice, with a slab of pan-fried soy-sauce doused Spam on top, wrapped with a piece of nori.\" It's one thing for aspiring chefs to peddle their plates on the street, but what's the appeal of this cookbook for those of us just trying to get dinner on the table between homework and the soccer fields? Edge says it's a natural fit when you consider that truck food cooks are working in really small spaces, with a limited number of ingredients, and with little time. \"Sounds like a home cook,\" he says. Here are a couple of recipes from The Truck Food Cookbook that might make family dinner a little more fun. Grilled Cheese Mac And Cheese Sandwiches These sandwiches, inspired by The Grilled Cheese Truck, are all about texture. But they're about goofball creativity, too — about adding cheese to cheese in an act of righteous excess. Optional additional fillings served at The Grilled Cheese Truck include caramelized onions and pulled pork. Makes 2 sandwiches 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 slices white bread or Texas toast (see note), toasted 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese 1 cup macaroni and cheese (use your favorite recipe or, God help you, crack open a box) 1. Heat the oil on a griddle or in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. 2. Top all the slices of Texas toast with a slice of cheese. Spoon 1/2 cup macaroni and cheese onto 2 of the slices of bread and top each with one of the remaining 2 slices, cheese side down. Place the sandwiches on the griddle and let cook until the bread is nicely toasted, 2 minutes. Carefully flip the sandwiches and cook on the second side until the macaroni and cheese is warmed through and the Texas toast is golden, 2 minutes more. Reduce the heat if the toast is browning too quickly. To serve, cut the sandwiches in half on the diagonal. Note: Texas toast is just white bread cut in double-thick slices. It's great for toasting. Spam Musubi Travel in Hawaii and you'll notice these tiles of rice and Spam, bound in wraps of nori, displayed in hot boxes on the counters at neighborhood convenience stores. Spam is a vestige of World War II, when canned meat rations fed soldiers stationed on the islands. In this musubi recipe, inspired by the Marination Mobile, those pink slabs of pork get a quick fry in a pan and a douse of soy. Makes 8 musubi 1 can (12 ounces) Spam 1/4 cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine) 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 4 sheets of nori, cut in 2-inch wide strips (see notes) 4 cups cooked sushi rice Furikake (see notes) 1. Remove the Spam from the can and set the can aside. Cut the Spam horizontally into 8 equal slices. Cook the slices in batches in a skillet over medium-high heat until a crisp crust forms on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked Spam to paper towels to drain. 2. Combine the soy sauce, mirin and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and let come to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the soy sauce mixture simmers, then add the drained Spam slices, turning them to coat completely. When the soy sauce mixture has thickened, use a slotted spoon to remove the Spam from the pan. Discard the soy sauce mixture. 3. Remove both the top and bottom from the can of Sp", "Under fire for differences in amenities for its men's and women's basketball tournaments, the NCAA revealed an upgraded weight room Saturday for players participating in the women's college basketball tournament in San Antonio. What had been a single small rack of dumbbells has now been replaced with a larger space with more equipment, including a variety of bars, racks and stands. The facilities were upgraded overnight after the organization was widely criticized by players, coaches and fans alike. \"I want to be really clear,'' NCAA President Mark Emmert said in an interview on Friday with reporters. \"This is not something that should have happened and, should we ever conduct a tournament like this again, will ever happen again.'' The controversy broke Thursday after a coach from Stanford University posted a photo to social media comparing the men's and women's weight setups. Responding to the controversy Friday, the NCAA's vice president of women's basketball, Lynn Holzman, acknowledged in a press briefing that the organization \"fell short.\" She added that the NCAA had originally intended for women to have access to a full weight room once their teams had reached the third round of the tournament. The men's teams have access to a full weight room during the entirety of their tournament runs. The controversy picked up steam as more disparities were revealed: uninspiring box meals compared with a buffet with steak fillets and lobster mac 'n' cheese; swag bags appearing to be a third the size of the men's. Perhaps most eye-opening, University of Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma told reporters Friday that the school's men's team was being tested daily with highly accurate PCR coronavirus tests, while his women's team was receiving antigen tests, which are less accurate. The NCAA later confirmed that the two tournaments are using different testing methods. Reaction to the disparities was swift and negative. Joining the voices of female players facing the conditions in San Antonio were NBA stars like Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving alongside top college administrators and coaches. \"I appreciate that [the NCAA] is working on a solution but this is unacceptable to begin with,\" wrote Ross Bjork, the athletics director at Texas A&M, on Twitter. \"No one in athletics would have thought this was appropriate if someone would have been consulted.\" Others were less surprised by the discrepancies. The fact that \"there's a huge disparity between men's and women's sports is hardly breaking news,\" said former longtime Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw. \"The NCAA had an opportunity to highlight how sport can be a place where we don't just talk about equality we put it on display. To say they dropped the ball would be the understatement of the century.\" Addressing the other apparent disparities Friday, NCAA officials said that despite appearances, the swag bags were equal in value and that the food quality had been \"addressed immediately\" with the hotels in San Antonio housing the women's teams. As for the differences in testing, Emmert, the NCAA's president, said Friday that he had \"complete confidence\" in the different protocols, pointing to the organization's partnerships with local health organizations in Indianapolis and San Antonio. \"All of the health experts say the protocol that they're using right now in all our venues and all our championships is one that has no difference at all in our ability to mitigate risk,\" he said.", "Nearly 63 years after the brutal, racist killing of Emmett Till, a black 14-year-old from Chicago who was visiting family in Mississippi, the Justice Department has reopened the investigation into the killing. The department says it has received \"new information\" in the case but cannot provide any details about the reactivated investigation. The reopening was announced in an annual report to Congress in March and widely reported on Thursday. Last year, a new book on the killing, The Blood of Emmett Till, combined archival research with new interviews; members of Till's family had hoped the book would lead to the case being reopened. Till's death in August 1955 was followed by an open-casket funeral, which famously laid bare the savagery of his killers. Two white men were originally prosecuted on murder charges, but in a closely watched case, an all-white jury found them not guilty. The men later confessed to a journalist that they did, in fact, kill Till, because he refused to stay in his \"place\" as a black man in the South. They did not express regret. The events helped spur the burgeoning civil rights movement in the late '50s. And the lack of any consequence for Till's killers has troubled and frustrated many people, in Mississippi and beyond. Filmmakers who have looked into Till's death say they have heard accounts of multiple other accomplices. However, aside from the two acquitted men, no one else was charged in the death. A review in 2004 determined that the statute of limitations had run out on any federal crime that could be prosecuted. In 2007, a state grand jury also declined to indict any other suspects. But earlier this year, the Department of Justice informed Congress it has reopened the case In re Emmett Till \"based on the discovery of new information.\" The department also provided updates on a number of similar cold cases involving \"crimes of racial violence,\" including cases in which investigators sent state authorities information on still-living suspects who might be prosecuted. \"The Department is committed to achieving justice in civil rights-era cold cases,\" the report to Congress says. Till was buying candy in August 1955 when he whistled at a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, according to a cousin who witnessed the encounter. (Bryant also claimed he grabbed her and made obscene comments, but author Timothy Tyson says she has since retracted that claim, saying, \"That part's not true.\") Several days later, Till was kidnapped, beaten and shot. Barbed wire was wrapped around his neck and tied to a heavy cotton gin fan, and his body was thrown in the Tallahatchie River. Till's uncle, Mose Wright, identified the killers in court as Bryant's husband, Roy Bryant, and his half-brother, J.W. Milam. \"It was a dramatic moment,\" NPR's Debbie Elliott wrote in 2015. \"Never in anyone's memory had a black man in Mississippi confronted whites in court.\" The jury acquitted the two men anyway. Bryant and Milam later admitted to the crime in an interview with Look magazine, without identifying any accomplices who might face further charges. They described Till as a confident young man, one who told them, even as they beat him, \"I'm as good as you are.\" They said they decided to \"make an example\" of him. Milam told the reporter: \"As long as I live and can do anything about it, n*****s are gonna stay in their place. N*****s ain't gonna vote where I live. If they did, they'd control the government. They ain't gonna go to school with my kids. And when a n***** gets close to mentioning sex with a white woman, he's tired o' livin'. I'm likely to kill him.\" As Debbie Elliott reported in 2015, some citizens of Sumner, Miss., where the trial took place, have sought reconciliation in the years since the two men's acquittal. There's a marker along the river where Till's body was found. \"But confronting a fraught history has been an ongoing struggle in Mississippi,\" Elliott reported. \"Today, that marker is riddled with bullet holes.\"", "The true rock legends change the game. Stevie Nicks, as a member of Fleetwood Mac, and later in her solo career, changed the game not only for women, but for what you could do in rock as a songwriter and a singer. While living in the male-dominated world of the very peak of the music industry in the 1970s, she wrote indelible songs that tell real, true stories, often about the bond between women, and about the life of an adventurer. Nicks has stayed busy. In April, she'll join Fleetwood Mac for a world tour. In 2011, she released an album, In Your Dreams, produced by Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics, which was the basis for a new documentary that Nicks co-directed with Stewart. And at this year's South by Southwest, Nicks joined Dave Grohl on stage to perform as part of his Sound City players, a group of musicians who have all recorded at Los Angeles' famous Sound City Studios and later came together to make a soundtrack to Grohl's documentary about the history of the studio. Earlier that day, NPR Music's Ann Powers spoke with Nicks in front of an audience at the Austin Convention Center. Over the course of a nearly hourlong conversation, Nicks talked about what it takes to sing harmonies, a recent movie that sparked both memories of her own complicated romantic history as well as creative inspiration, the three musicians who provided templates for her style on stage, which Fleetwood Mac rarity the band will perform on its upcoming tour and why, when she and Lindsey Buckingham were being courted by Fleetwood Mac, the band placed the ultimate decision in the hands of Christine McVie. Ann Powers: I want to start by talking about In Your Dreams, the new record. I feel that it's a culmination of the best aspects of your solo work. I know you have said that it's your favorite solo album, in many years at any rate, and it includes at least one song written in the '70s and some that you wrote it right there during the sessions. So for me it really is an apex. And it also shows, I think, the two sides of your songwriting process merged so beautifully. Many people talk about, \"Oh Stevie Nicks, she writes about, you know, fairies and witches and all that.\" But to me you are one of the most realistic songwriters about male/female relationships, especially. And about what it's like to be a woman in \"man's world,\" especially of rock 'n' roll. And I wonder how in your writing process you bring those two sides of you together. The wild dreamy Stevie and the Stevie with so much wisdom? Stevie Nicks: What a question. You know, I think that the best way to start the answer to that question is to say that, when I first joined Fleetwood Mac and met Christine I was later to find out that it was all up to her whether or not they would accept me into the band or not. They needed a guitar player. Bob Welch had just quit. They did not need another girl. They already had a girl. And what a girl. So we all had dinner at a Mexican restaurant on like the second day of 1975. Mick [Fleetwood] had called us on New Year's Eve night and said, 'Would you like to have dinner with us? We really want to talk to you about joining our band.' And you know, Lindsey wasn't really — and he doesn't get mad at me for telling this, 'cause it's really the truth. He wasn't really all that excited about it. Because we had already started our second Buckingham Nicks record. And we were making it on spec, which means that the studio, Sound City, was giving us free time. So if somebody didn't come in, you know, our producer Keith would call us and say, come down right now. There's five hours of empty time that you can have for free. So he was really excited about this record that we were making. And also, the [first] Buckingham Nicks album was, in its own weird way, starting to simmer back in the South, you know. Powers: You played Birmingham, Ala. Nicks: We played Birmingham for 5,000 people. So anyway, Lindsey wasn't all that excited. And I went to Tower Records and spent our last dime on all the Fleetwood Mac records, of which there were many. Powers: Yeah. Nicks: And I sat by myself, because he knew he wasn't going to sit with me and listen to this music. I sat by myself and I listened to — back to front — all six or seven albums. And I came away that night with an idea that there was something that we could add to this really great blues band. And yes, in fact, Lindsey in many ways was able very much to play like in the genre of Peter Green, if he so chose. Which he didn't so choose that often. He was much more, he wanted to pick, you know. Powers: Right. Nicks: He really wanted to be, I don't know, something like an Appalachian ... Powers: Bluegrassy kind of thing. Nicks: You know, bluegrass crazy man. But he could do Peter Green very well. And also all the other guitar players in Fleetwood Mac that had come after Peter. So I went and I said to him, you know, \"We need to go and meet these people. Because it's a great band, Lindsey. They have a great rhyth", "Saying he is \"completely puzzled by the notion that there was something immoral that went on here,\" the man at the top of the agency that regulates Freddie Mac has explained why he believes the taxpayer-owned mortgage company did nothing wrong when one of its arms, as NPR and ProPublica have reported, \"placed multibillion-dollar bets against American homeowners being able to refinance to cheaper mortgages.\" Edward DeMarco told Morning Edition co-host Steve Inskeep in an interview broadcast on today's show that Freddie Mac's actions were \"in the class of ordinary business transactions.\" The \"reverse floaters\" in Freddie Mac's investment portfolio, which as NPR has reported \"brought in more money for Freddie Mac when homeowners in higher interest-rate loans were unable to qualify for a refinancing,\" did not affect the agency's efforts to stabilize the mortgage market, DeMarco said. Instead, DeMarco characterized the investments as part of Freddie Mac's effort to make sure it doesn't lose money. And he said one of his major responsibilities, is to \"make sure Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac undertake activities that don't cause further losses to the American taxpayer.\" DeMarco is acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) — the agency that regulates Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. As we reported Thursday, two key senators \"who have taken the lead on legislation aimed to help homeowners refinance at historically low interest rates,\" are critical of FHFA's oversight of Freddie Mac. One of them, Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, laid much of the blame on DeMarco and accused him of not looking out for American homeowners who want to refinance at today's historically low interest rates. DeMarco told Steve, though, that \"not only I, but my staff think of the average homeowner on a daily basis\" and believe that their efforts to stabilize the mortgage market and prevent losses at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are good for all Americans in the long run.", "Every Wednesday this summer, we're offering a quick course in early rock 'n' roll. Your professor will be Tom Moon, NPR contributor and author of the book 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. These overviews, mostly from the 1950s, are not intended to be comprehensive, but to help curious listeners dive in and explore some of the genre's often-overlooked building blocks. Whether you're a novice or a rock snob, join the conversation below. THIS WEEK: Give the Piano Man Some! The guitar wasn't always the supreme rock 'n' roll instrument. During the 1950s, guitarists had competition from a bunch of unruly, irreverent piano players. Some of these musicians exhibited great refinement -- think about the calm, lilting pulse Fats Domino put behind \"Blueberry Hill\" -- and others were distinguished by their harsh pounding \"technique.\" Arguably the most exciting of them: the Georgia-born whirlwind known as Little Richard, who sent devastatingly precise electric shockwaves of rhythm shooting through the piano. Read More >> In terms of sheer piano-punishing force, the only one to rival Little Richard was \"The Killer,\" Jerry Lee Lewis. As part of the roster at Sun Records, Lewis helped create the boisterous sound of rock 'n' roll abandon. His playing, on singles like \"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On\" and others, combines tight chordal jabs with extravagant slides and runs -- the pianistic equivalent of an ecstatic yelp. A few such flourishes turn up on this 1957 clip: ESSENTIAL LISTENINGLittle Richard: \"Lucille,\" \"Tutti Fruitti\"Jerry Lee Lewis: \"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On\"Fats Domino: \"Ain't That a Shame,\" \"Blueberry Hill\" EXTRA CREDITHuey \"Piano\" Smith: \"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu\" from Having a Good TimeElton John: \"Honky Cat\" from Honky Chateau DISCUSSION In terms of intensity, do these musicians \"rock\" as hard as their guitar-playing contemporaries? Why did the piano recede from the rock spotlight after the 1950s? Was it, as Jerry Lee Lewis complained, simply too unwieldy in a dance context? Is there a solid line -- or a dotted one? -- between the flamboyant players of the '50s and Elton John, the reigning flamboyant piano player of the 1970s?", "This year saw the reissue of two vintage albums by Fleetwood Mac: the hugely popular Rumours,and the last album to feature the band's founder, Peter Green, called Then Play On. \"I think it's one of the most beautiful records and exciting records ever made,\" Rolling Stone senior writer David Fricke says. He wrote the liner notes for the reissue. \"I think as a statement of searching — within blues, within rock, within the possibilities of the electric guitar — like I said, I think it's one of the best records ever made,\" Fricke says. \"I've got three copies of it — I wouldn't be caught with anything less.\" Then Play On was recorded in the spring and summer of 1969, and the story of the album is the story of a band at a turning point. The previous fall, Fleetwood Mac added 17-year-old guitarist and singer Danny Kirwan, giving the band a powerful three-man front. \"You had Peter Green playing the B.B. King-style Chicago blues, mainly; Danny Kirwan with his more melodic rock, as it turned into; and then Jeremy Spencer doing these remarkable Elmore James impersonations is what they were, really,\" says Peter Green's biographer, Martin Celmins. \"And for all that package to be in one band was a huge draw. And the response they got from the audience was wild. You know, they were just the top live band.\" Fed Up With Stardom Fleetwood Mac was also on top of the British charts. Its members were pop stars, and they'd only been together a little more than two years. But when it came time to make their third studio album, Green was fed up with stardom. He'd grown up poor in a tough neighborhood in London's East End, and the piles of money the band was making started to make him uncomfortable. Green was determined to escape the music-industry treadmill, and he wanted his band to follow him. \"Peter Green was all about making an album that was going to be different and pushing the other members to say, 'Hey, wake up! We gotta do something special here,' \" drummer Mick Fleetwood says. \"And we as a band — especially myself and John as a rhythm section — were all about following our friend and our musical mentor into the fire, which became the Then Play On album.\" Guitarist and singer Jeremy Spencer co-founded Fleetwood Mac with Green but says he had no idea how he could contribute to this new direction the band was taking. \"He would want me to play rhythm licks like Hubert Sumlin. [Demonstrates.] That sort of thing,\" Spencer says. \"He very much liked that. But at that time, I wasn't really — I didn't feel proficient enough to do that, and so I would sort of back off. And so that pretty much opened the door for Danny Kirwan to move in.\" Spencer chose not to play on the sessions, though he is pictured with the band inside the album cover and remained a member. Kirwan composed half of the songs on Then Play On, including the album opener, \"Coming Your Way.\" On A Quest During the sessions, Green became increasingly withdrawn, composing material on his own and sometimes playing many of the parts himself. He was searching for something — both in the free-form improvisations that punctuate the album and in his personal life. \"He found himself in a band where the rest of them were a bunch of lads who were having a great time, you know, playing music live and making records,\" biographer Martin Celmins says. \"And I think that Peter kind of went on a spiritual journey, the beginnings of which are very evident in Then Play On.\" The 23-year-old Jewish kid from London's East End went from an interest in Buddhism to Christianity. It was a journey influenced to some degree by Green's experimentation with LSD. But Celmins says Green was not an acid casualty. \"The influence of drugs didn't help, but I think it's been exaggerated,\" Celmins says. \"I think there were far more musical lifestyle reasons why he no longer wanted to be a member of a world-beating rock 'n' roll band.\" Drummer Fleetwood says Green's bandmates couldn't keep up with their leader's vision. \"Part of his frustration was thinking he couldn't move forward with the existing band,\" Fleetwood says. A Remarkable Accomplishment Green left Fleetwood Mac just months after Then Play On was released. He made several albums trying to integrate his spiritual search with music that would express it, until he abandoned music under the weight of what was eventually diagnosed as schizophrenia, as he said in a 2009 BBC documentary. \"We saw a doctor,\" Green says. \"He said, 'Do you hear voices?' I said, 'Yeah, I do. I am having a lot of kind of strange experiences inside of my head.' But I didn't think I was schizophrenic. To them, it's schizophrenic, but to you it's hellishly single-minded.\" Green underwent electroshock therapy and took powerful medications that left him unable to play. He was institutionalized. Mick Fleetwood says the members of Fleetwood Mac had no idea going into the sessions for Then Play On that Green was suffering so much. It makes the album's accomplishment all the more rem", "Rock 'n' roll maxims are garbage — and so is this one. We declare this and that about rock 'n' roll because it's bigger than us; it's dirty, it's dumb, it's truth and so on down the line of superlatives, none of which mean much when throwing a fist in the air to a killer riff. Sheer Mag, for the most part, gets this. Over the three EPs the Philly band has released since 2014, their promise was writ in grimy, hooky-as-hell rock 'n' roll songs about love and politics. By the third, its members must've realized their soulful grit could translate, without losing itself, beyond sounding like it was recorded in a beer can. For a band built on short doses, the debut album Need To Feel Your Love is Sheer Mag's chance to spit a little polish on those s***kickers, but just enough to keep the scuff intact. Case in point: \"Just Can't Get Enough,\" a three-minute, rough-and-tumble love song that, for the first time, truly does live up to the Thin Lizzy comparisons that have been foisted upon these punks. There's always been serious heat to Tina Halladay's voice, somehow naturally in-the-red and raring to shred, while lead guitarist Kyle Seely is a riff anthology. But Thin Lizzy was more than hooks — those classic '70s and early '80s songs are from a hard-rock bleeding heart, with immaculately-written full-band arrangements that never showed their hand. While \"What You Want\" and \"Fan The Flames\" are fun songs, \"Just Can't Get Enough\" is the first sign that Sheer Mag wants to learn those lessons — clean, but thoughtful songwriting and production -- but stay true to its punk roots. Seely's leads morph constantly, but don't get in the way of a bass that both steadies and punctuates the melody or the jangly rhythm guitar holding it all together. You can hear the lovesick desperation and blood stains on Halladay's sleeve when she sings, \"I get dizzy with you, honey / Cause you keep me spinnin' on.\" It's uncomplicated, felt so damn deeply. \"'Just Can't Get Enough' is a straight-up-and-down rock ballad about actually being in love, which is something we don't often write about without being cynical in some way,\" the band writes in a statement on the new album. \"Being away from the one you love is hard. This song speaks as if that feeling for that person is something as natural and powerful as a gravitational pull.\" Need To Feel Your Love comes out July 14 on Wilsuns Recording Company. Track list below: \"Meet Me In The Street\"\"Need To Feel Your Love\"\"Just Can't Get Enough\"\"Expect The Bayonet\"\"Rank And File\"\"Turn It Up\"\"Suffer Me\"\"Pure Desire\"\"Until You Find The One\"\"Milk And Honey\"\"Can't Play It Cool\"\"(Say Goodbye To) Sophie Scholl\"", "In 1993, President Clinton was giving a news conference when someone mentioned that a certain Air Force official had criticized him. \"How could he say that about me?\" Clinton responded. \"He doesn't know me from Adam's off ox.\" Most of the journalists at that news conference had no idea what Clinton was talking about. It turns out the president was using a regional expression that meant the official didn't know him at all — or didn't know him from Adam. \"Adam's off ox\" is one of the phrases included in the Dictionary of American Regional English, Volume I: Introduction and A-C , part one of a multivolume effort to capture regional expressions. The DARE project, as it is known, was initiated in the 1950s by Frederic Cassidy, a well-known linguist who sent field workers out across the country in \"word wagons\" to interview people. Cassidy's catalogers talked to nearly 3,000 people over six years, making recordings along the way in order to capture pronunciations. The first volume of the DARE was released in 1975, with additional volumes following in time. But the final volume still had not been published by the time of Cassidy's death in 2000, and the linguist's tombstone reads, \"On to Z!\" Now, after five decades of research, \"S to Z\" of the DARE will be published next year. Joan Hall, the book's chief editor, says the dictionary is unique because it tells us how we speak, rather than how to speak. \"It's very helpful because it's really more descriptive than prescriptive,\" says Stephanie Grayson, the founder of CorporateSpeechTrainer.com. The DARE also helps capture obscure expressions before they fade away. Grayson says that in some ways, American language is becoming more uniform, and television and the Internet are giving us all a common vocabulary. \"We're living in a world of 140 characters or less on Twitter,\" she says. Stanford University linguist John Rickford disagrees. He says people speak one way in e-mails and another way at the local coffee shop: \"The primary driving force behind language use and language change is face-to-face interaction. And that takes place in smaller communities and smaller groups, the kinds of people you hang out with.\" But when this reporter tested out some words from the DARE at a Starbucks in suburban Detroit, none of the patrons seemed familiar with a \"monkey's wedding\" (a chaotic, messy situation in Maine); \"cockroach killers\" (pointy shoes in New Jersey) or \"mumble squibbles\" (noogies, North Carolina-style). While it's fun to learn about colloquial language, Hall says, there are serious practical uses for the DARE as well. Forensic linguists once used it when a little girl was kidnapped and police had only a ransom note to go on. \"In this ransom note, the writer said, 'Put $10,000 cash in a trash can on the devil's strip,' \" Hall says. The key phrase in the note was \"devil's strip,\" a term used only in a tiny section of Ohio to refer to the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street. As it happened, one of the suspects on the police list was a man from Akron. After being confronted with the evidence, linguistic and otherwise, the man ultimately confessed. Doctors also use the DARE to understand patients who use colorful language to describe their illnesses. A patient complaining of \"the groundage\" or \"pipjennies\" likely has a rash on the feet or pimples. And of, course, there's always a social element to regional phrasings. When the final volume of the series is released next year, the completed DARE, containing 75,000 entries, will help you understand that if you're invited to a \"pitch-in\" or a \"scramble,\" you're really going to a potluck. The following definitions were adapted from the Dictionary of American Regional English. elbedritsch (n) An imaginary creature which, as a practical joke, a greenhorn is sent to hunt or capture. (Usage: Southeast Pennsylvania) flannel cake (n) A pancake. (Usage: Appalachians) flea in one's ear (n) A hint, warning, disquieting disclosure; a rebuke. (Usage: chiefly the Northeast) hell-for-leather (adv) At top speed, in great haste. (Usage: scattered, but especially the West Coast) honeyfuggle (v) To swindle or dupe; to intend to cheat or trick. (Usage: scattered) hookem-snivey (adj) Deceitful, sneaky. (Usage: scattered) Lucy Bowles (n) Diarrhea; loose bowels. (Usage: scattered, but especially Pennsylvania, New Jersey and southeast New York) mulligrubs (n) A condition of despondency or ill temper; a vague or imaginary unwellness. (Usage: scattered, but especially the South) nebby (adj) Snoopy, inquisitive. (Usage: chiefly Pennsylvania) pungle (v) To shell out; to plunk down (money); to pay up. (Usage: chiefly West) rantum scoot (n) An outing with no definite destination (Usage: scattered) roller bird (n) blue jay (Usage: In the vicinity of Dothan, Ala., bluejays are often called \"roller birds\" because when chinaberries are ripe, the birds sit in the trees and gorge themselves until they grow drun", "At the end of 2010, the federal government announced a settlement with Bank of America in which the bank bought back $2.87 billion in mortgages that did not meet Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's standards — that is these were mortgages where, for example, someone inflated their income to guarantee a loan. In an Inspector General report released today, however, regulators found that Fannie, Freddie and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) failed to scrutinize hundreds of thousands of loans to see if they were eligible for repurchase and that could have cost taxpayers billions. What's more, a \"senior examiner\" raised a red flag before the settlement was reached. The Washington Post does the best job at boiling down the report into one graph: By not expanding its inquiry to include loans that ran into problems three to five years after they were originated, \"Freddie Mac did not review over 300,000 loans for possible repurchase claims,\" the report states. That led a senior FHFA examiner to conclude that the company could be passing up \"billions of dollars\" that would have benefited taxpayers. Here's how the Inspector General explains it in its report: Read More First, in mid-2010, prior to the Bank of America settlement, an FHFA senior examiner raised serious concerns about limitations in Freddie Mac's existing loan review process for mortgage repurchase claims, which, according to the senior examiner, could potentially cost Freddie Mac a considerable amount of money. Freddie Mac's internal auditors independently identified concerns about the process at the end of 2010. These concerns merited prompt attention by FHFA because they potentially involve significant recoveries for Freddie Mac and, ultimately, the taxpayers. Further, unless examined and addressed, the underlying problems are susceptible to recurrence. Second, FHFA did not timely act on or test the ramifications of these concerns prior to the Bank of America settlement. FHFA-OIG did not independently validate Freddie Mac's existing loan review process and, therefore, does not reach any final conclusion about it. Nevertheless, by relying on Freddie Mac's analysis of the settlement without testing the assumptions underlying Freddie Mac's existing loan review process, FHFA senior managers may have inaccurately estimated the risk of loss to Freddie Mac. Third, following the initiation of FHFA-OIG's evaluation, FHFA, to its credit, suspended future Enterprise mortgage repurchase settlements premised on the Freddie Mac loan review process and set in motion activities to test the assumptions underlying the loan review process. Additionally, other findings tend to support the validity of the concerns about the process. For example, on June 6, 2011, Freddie Mac's internal auditors issued an audit opinion that the Enterprise's internal governance controls over this process were \"Unsatisfactory.\" Furthermore, at the end of 2010 and then again in mid-2011, a Freddie Mac senior manager advised the board of directors that the Enterprise could recover more in the future if it used a more expansive loan review process. CNN reports that the FHFA stuck by its guns saying the settlement was \"appropriate and reasonable.\" The Post also reports that Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Tex.), chairman of the House Financial Services oversight subcommittee, said he was \"concerned the FHFA is not exercising independent judgement.\" \"Deferring to [Fannie and Freddie] in this case may well have cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars,\" he said in a statement. \"The American taxpayers deserve better than business as usual, especially when they have already spent $160 billion to keep Freddie and Fannie afloat.\"", "At noon on Oct. 8, 2016, the performance artist Taylor Mac will take the stage at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, N.Y., with a full orchestra and backup singers — 24 musicians total. They'll begin singing American songs from the year 1776. Each hour, one person will leave the stage — and each hour, history will advance one decade, without a break. By midday on Oct. 9, Mac will be the only one left on stage, singing songs from the present day. It's a show that Mac has spent years developing, called A 24-Decade History of Popular Music. \"I wanted it to be so long that the audience is falling apart. I'm falling apart. We're all falling apart,\" Mac says. \"But because we go through the history all together, and because I make the audience do so many things, they start to get to know each other, and we actually are building some kind of a tangible community out of an ephemeral art form.\" The idea is that, as they collectively fall apart, the audience and the performers come together. Mac (who uses the gender-neutral personal pronoun \"judy\" but also accepts masculine pronouns) has been dreaming about creating a show like this for nearly 30 years. \"In 1987, I went to the very first AIDS walk in San Francisco, and it was the first time I'd ever seen an out homosexual before,\" Mac says. \"I was 14. And the first time I saw an out homosexual, [it] was thousands of them all at the same time. So that kind of weird dichotomy of a community building itself and being introduced to that community for the first time, and the community is being torn apart from the epidemic. I thought I wanted to make a show about that.\" It took a long time to figure out what form the show should take, but Mac eventually decided on a 24-hour feat of endurance. Each decade is about a different community that builds itself as a result of being torn apart. Mac covers the struggles of groups like suffragists, Jewish tenement dwellers and civil rights activists — but often comes at them from a strange angle. For example, one part of the show is devoted to children's songs that were popular during the era of the Indian Removal Act. Mac has been performing excerpts of this show all over the world and has picked up raves from the press. But next month is the only time Mac's scheduled to perform the entire 24-hour epic, and he really wants people who sign up for the full performance to stay the whole time. There will be nooks to sleep in and food to eat. People can get up and walk around. But they'll be moving around anyway. During the decade Braille was invented, Mac blindfolds the audience and makes them play musical chairs. During the tenement section, everyone is directed to crowd together on stage and imitate crying babies. \"It's the genre of the ridiculous,\" Mac says. Mac even finds it useful to add a dose of the absurd to serious topics like slavery, the Trail of Tears and internment camps. \"Sometimes you have to show the ridiculousness of something to expose it,\" he says. \"So sometimes you have to exaggerate something in order to show what the thing is.\" That principle extends to the outfits: headdresses, gowns, elaborate makeup and plenty of glitter, all created by Mac's longtime costume designer, Machine Dazzle. Mac's physical presence is a spectacle — not exactly a clown, and not quite a drag queen — and it can be difficult to pin down the artist's gender, or genre. And there's a completely different look for every hour (including a couple dozen pairs of high heels). Mac's Civil War costume includes, surprisingly, a hot-dog headdress. \"Yeah, [Dazzle] tends to do some research about, you know, German immigration at the time, so hot dogs were being sold on the street to make people money,\" Mac says. \"That's how it became a thing.\" As for the barbed-wire-inspired skirt that goes along with it? Yes, barbed wire was also invented in that era. And Mac says the ketchup-inspired fringe dripping off the headdress looks a bit like blood in the right lighting — appropriate for a decade about the Civil War. After working for years to craft a show that tells the story of America through music, Mac is resistant to the idea of a single historical narrative. \"There isn't one story,\" Mac says. \"I think that's the story of America is that there is not one story. And it's something that often gets framed as one story, one nation under God, and also because it all has to fit in a history book when we're kids ... And often the default is white and often the default is straight, and often the default is male. So it's just fun for me to think, what are the other stories that we don't think of as the American story?\" There's a lot about this show that Mac is still unsure about. And he's embracing the uncertainty. He doesn't even know whether he can make it through 24 hours — he says it could just be the audience singing by the end. But when the performance does become ragged and things start to fall apart, Mac hopes the community he is building inside that Brooklyn", "Several U.S. lawmakers and prominent economists on Monday said Congress and the White House should end a financial conflict of interest at the taxpayer-owned mortgage company Freddie Mac. Freddie Mac, which has a public mission to help make home ownership affordable, also has placed multibillion-dollar bets against American homeowners being able to refinance to cheaper mortgages. NPR, in partnership with ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit newsroom, first revealed Freddie's bets on NPR during Monday's Morning Edition. Later in the day, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., expressed \"outrage\" in a letter to President Obama, calling on the White House to \"to put an end to these practices.\" Freddie's regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), late Monday issued a statement saying that last year, it began assessing Freddie Mac's controversial investment strategy. In December, \"Freddie Mac agreed that these transactions would not resume pending completion of the examination work,\" it said. However, FHFA acknowledged that Freddie continues to hold $5 billion worth of the investments, known as inverse floaters. That figure was even higher than the $3.5 billion NPR and ProPublica had tracked down. Read More FHFA did not say when its examination of Freddie's practice would be completed. It said only that FHFA already had \"identified concerns\" about the kinds of risks Freddie Mac was taking and \"the controls\" it had placed over its investments. White House spokesman Jay Carney said at a press briefing that the Treasury Department is looking into the matter. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., told NPR that having a financial stake in blocking mortgage refinancings means Freddie Mac officials \"would be in conflict with themselves, and that wouldn't be the right thing to do.\" For months, Isakson has been promoting legislation to make it easier to refinance mortgages backed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, another government-sponsored enterprise in the mortgage industry. The bill, written with Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., is intended to help some eight million homeowners with mortgage rates exceeding 6 percent to refinance at today's lower interest rates, below 4 percent. Boxer issued a statement saying Freddie Mac's investment practices \"raise serious questions about Freddie's commitment to new efforts to increase refinancing opportunities to help struggling borrowers.\" Columbia University economist Chris Mayer has long been urging Congress and the White House to promote a large-scale refinancing strategy. He says that dropping the typical mortgage down to today's rates could save each homeowner roughly $3,000 a year. That would help the U.S. economy by \"putting tens of billions of dollars back in consumers' pockets, the equivalent of a very long-term tax cut,\" Mayer said. Not all economists agree. Anthony Sanders, an economist at George Mason University, said lowering mortgage payments wouldn't be a quick cure for the housing crisis. \"That's wishful thinking,\" Sanders said. \"The primary causes of mortgage default are job loss, or job curtailment, health problems where they get excessive bills, or believe it or not, divorce.\" Still, Sanders says Freddie Mac should not be structured in such a way that it has two goals: 1) to help make home ownership affordable and 2) to run up financial gains in its own portfolio through the use of risky investments — especially those that run counter to the interests of homeowners. He says his email inbox has been getting filled with messages from other economists and policy experts reacting to the investigation into Freddie Mac's investment strategies. \"Everyone is in various degrees in rage,\" Sanders said. His correspondents have been saying this is \"a terrible public-policy debacle by Freddie Mac.\" Public documents, checked by NPR and ProPublica, show that in 2010 and 2011, Freddie Mac set out to make gains for its own investment portfolio by using complex mortgage securities that brought in more money for Freddie Mac when homeowners in higher interest-rate loans were unable to qualify for a refinancing. Freddie's trades came at a time when mortgage rates were falling to record lows. This is the conflict: Millions of homeowners wish they could refinance, but their lenders tell them they can't qualify for today's low rates because of tight rules. Freddie Mac is one of the gatekeepers with the power to set those rules, and lately, it has been saying no more often to homeowners. \"Freddie Mac prevented households from being able to take advantage of today's mortgage rates — and then bet on it,\" Alan Boyce told NPR. He is a former bond trader who has been involved in efforts to push for more refinancing of home loans. Freddie officials repeatedly declined to comment on the specific transactions, but Freddie did say that its employees who make investment decisions are \"walled off\" from those who decide the rules for homeowners. No evidence to the contrary has emerged. More about the reaction to ", "Freddie Mac, a taxpayer-owned mortgage company, is supposed to make homeownership easier. One thing that makes owning a home more affordable is getting a cheaper mortgage. But Freddie Mac has invested billions of dollars betting that U.S. homeowners won't be able to refinance their mortgages at today's lower rates, according to an investigation by NPR and ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit newsroom. These investments, while legal, raise concerns about a conflict of interest within Freddie Mac. \"We were actually shocked they did this,\" says Scott Simon, who heads the mortgage-backed securities team at the giant bond trading and investment firm called PIMCO. \"It seemed so out of line with their mission, out of line with what Congress wanted them to do.\" Freddie Mac, formally called the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., was chartered by Congress in 1970. On its website, it says it has \"a public mission to stabilize the nation's residential mortgage markets and expand opportunities for homeownership.\" The company is owned by U.S. taxpayers and overseen by a regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). In December, Freddie's chief executive, Charles Haldeman, assured Congress his company is \"helping financially strapped families reduce their mortgage costs through refinancing their mortgages.\" But public documents show that in 2010 and 2011, Freddie Mac set out to make gains for its own investment portfolio by using complex mortgage securities that brought in more money for Freddie Mac when homeowners in higher interest-rate loans were unable to qualify for a refinancing. Those trades \"put them squarely against the homeowner,\" PIMCO's Simon says. Freddie Mac's trades came at a time when mortgage rates were falling to record lows. Millions of homeowners wish they could refinance, but their lenders tell them they can't qualify for today's low rates because of tight rules. Freddie Mac is one of the gatekeepers with the power to set those rules, and lately, it has been saying no more often to homeowners. That raises concerns among some industry insiders who see a conflict: Freddie Mac's own financial health improves when homeowners can't refinance. Simply put, \"Freddie Mac prevented households from being able to take advantage of today's mortgage rates — and then bet on it,\" says Alan Boyce, a former bond trader who has been involved in efforts to push for more refinancing of home loans. Freddie and FHFA repeatedly declined to comment on the specific transactions, but Freddie did say that its employees who make investment decisions are \"walled off\" from those who decide the rules for homeowners. When Homeowners Lose, Freddie Mac Wins Freddie Mac, based in Northern Virginia, says its job is to purchase \"loans from lenders to replenish their supply of funds so that they [the lenders] can make more mortgage loans to other borrowers.\" That's one reason why Freddie has a gigantic portfolio containing loans that generate income from mortgage payments. Critics say this investment portfolio has been allowed to grow far larger than necessary to further Freddie's policy mission. Plus, in 2010 and 2011, Freddie didn't just hold a simple pile of loans. Instead, for hundreds of thousands of home loans, it used Wall Street alchemy to chop these loans up into complicated securities — slices of which were sold in financial markets. This hypothetical example may help explain what happens: 1) Freddie Mac takes, say, $1 billion worth of home loans and packages them. With the help of a Wall Street banker, it can then slice off parts of the bundle to create different investment securities, some riskier than others. The slices could be set up so that, say, $900 million worth are relatively safe investments, based upon homeowners paying the principal on their mortgages. 2) But the one remaining slice, worth $100 million, is the riskiest part. Freddie retains that slice, known as an \"inverse floater,\" which receives all of the interest payments from the entire $1 billion worth of mortgages. 3) That riskiest investment pays out a lucrative stream of interest payments. But Freddie's slice also has all the so-called \"pre-payment risk\" associated with that $1 billion worth of loans. So if lots of people \"pre-pay\" their old loans and refinance into new, cheaper ones, then Freddie Mac starts to lose money. If people can't refinance, then Freddie wins because it continues to receive that flow of older, higher interest payments. If the homeowner is unable to refinance, the Freddie Mac portfolio managers win, Simon says. \"And if the homeowner can refinance, they lose.\" Refinancing A Path To Recovery In his State of the Union address, President Obama pushed for legislation to allow \"every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage\" by refinancing without what he called \"red tape\" or a \"runaround from the banks.\" Columbia University economist Chris Mayer supports such an approach. \"A widespread refina", "A new concert DVD from Wilco is out, called Ashes of American Flags. The film includes concert footage from 2008 at historic venues in Tulsa, Mobile, Nashville, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. The film was shot by Brendan Canty (of Fugazi) and Christoph Green. Read More >> I loved the film, which is mostly a concert film with a change of pace now and again to give you context and insight into the personalities that make up Wilco. Interestingly, though, when the tour blew through the 9:30 Club last year, I wasn't completely thrilled. Sky Blue Sky never got its hooks in me, and I was a bit of a grump by the end of the night. Here's what I missed in my sullen mood: Wilco is the best live band in America. Watch the DVD to see an airtight case in defense of this argument. I will say, I don't like the way the film takes a line from Jeff Tweedy in one venue and makes you think it happened in another. It's a bad journalistic decision, but it makes for a killer moment in the film. (I won't spoil it for you.) Here's a clip from Ashes of American Flags, featuring my favorite song from Sky Blue Sky: \"Side With the Leaves.\" So, is Wilco America's best live rock 'n' roll band?", "Senators on Capitol Hill have criticized Edward DeMarco for the investment practices of Freddie Mac. DeMarco heads the federal agency that controls Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. NPR and ProPublica reported that certain trades at Freddie Mac amounted to bets against homeowners being able to refinance their mortgages. DeMarco tells Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep that the trades were not particularly risky, and would not have prevented homeowners from refinancing their loans." ]

[ "Malicious insiders are the most dangerous security risk of all.\nMay 30, 2018 5 min read\nOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\nA major risk to businesses is one that they often overlook -- rogue employees, also known as the \"insider threat.\"\nRelated: No One Is Safe From the Data Breach Epidemic (Infographic)\nWhile many companies today are devoting more resources to preventing hackers from stealing sensitive information, rogue employees can pose a far more serious risk because they have inside access to company secrets, clients and technologies, and they are often not sufficiently monitored. According to the Ponemon Institute, the cost of an insider-related incident is actually higher than a data breach caused by an outside hacker - $4.3 million per incident versus $3.62 million, respectively, and these costs could exceed $8 million over a 12-month period.\nInsider threats are also on the rise. A 2018 report by the Ponemon Institute found that malicious insider incidents have grown by 56 percent since 2016.\nA quick scan of the news on any given week will show how prevalent these cases are. For instance, in a recent case at Facebook, a security engineer was accused of abusing his privileged access to stalk women online. In January, a Chinese company was found guilty of using an AMSC employee to steal $800 million worth of intellectual property from that company. In April, a former Manhattan dental office receptionist was convicted of stealing the identities of over 650 patients. And the list goes on and on.\nRelated: Passwords Are Scarily Insecure. Here Are a Few Safer Alternatives.\nYet, in spite of the risks, many companies remain unprepared. Nearly one-third of companies admit they have no ability to prevent or deter an insider attack, and only 9 percent consider their insider prevention measures to be effective, according to a 2015 study by the SANS Institute.\nPreventing this type of abuse isn't easy, but it can be done.\nHere are four ways to manage the risk posed by trusted insiders.\nAccess controls\nThe key to reducing a company's exposure to insider threats is by creating strong \"access controls\" that prevent how much data a single employee is able to freely access in the first place.\nNo single employee should have unfettered access to all of the company's secrets -- rather, sensitive data should be siloed, and employee access should be decided on a case by case basis, determined by the employee's need to access such data in order to fulfill her duties. For example, a sales manager does not need access to the company's intellectual property, and an IT administrator does not need access to the company's client roster. The separate roles within a company should also be separated by the level of data access they have.\nRelated: Making Your Data Unreadable to Whoever Steals It Might Be the Only Way to Keep It Safe\nTechnical controls\nIn addition to establishing policy controls on data access, a company should also have in place strong technical controls that prevent over-access or abuse by insiders.\nThese controls should include: encrypting highly sensitive data, so that only specific people can access it; blocking or restricting certain types of tools and websites from employee devices, such as Tor, file transfer protocol (FTP) services, etc.; restricting the use of remote logins to the company's network; resetting passwords immediately for any terminated employee; and requiring regular password resets for all employee accounts in order to reduce the likelihood of learned or shared passwords.\nMobile device management\nThis is another crucial step, particularly in today's highly mobile and bring-your-own-device business world. A mobile device management (MDM) service enables a company to monitor the content on both company-owned and personally owned devices, as well as to containerize company data and allow for remote wiping if needed.\nRelated: Why This Cybersecurity Expert Wants You to Rethink What You Keep Secret\nMonitoring\nThere are many different tools available for keeping an eye on employees, ranging from all-inclusive Big Brother-style technologies that monitor all employee activity on devices (such as email, social media, web browsing, etc.) to more focused tools like exfiltration monitoring, which only look for files being transmitted from the company network to a remote IP address.\nHowever, it's important for companies to not be too heavy-handed with employee monitoring, or it could backfire. If employees feel they aren't trusted or valued by the company, they could act out -- the exact thing the company is trying to avoid in the first place.\nIt is best to take a more moderate approach with monitoring, by focusing on what really matters. Exfiltration monitoring, file access monitoring (who is accessing important files, and when and where) and email monitoring are three good steps to take.\nRelated: What You Need to Know About Multifactor Authentication\nWhile there is no way to completely eliminate the insider threat, by taking a few key steps, companies can drastically lower their risk and keep employees in check. For more on this issue, see the FBI's tip sheet on averting the insider threat." ]

[ "All eyes on Wall Street were focused on Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB) Monday after reports that data from more than 50 million users was improperly shared during the 2016 campaign season. The news sent Facebook’s FANG peers tumbling as well, perhaps on fears that their data-driven businesses could soon be threatened by harsher regulations.\nWhat Happened?\nCambridge University professor Aleksandr Kogan reportedly shared user data collected by his Facebook personality test app with Cambridge Analytica, a company that worked to develop social media ads for the Trump campaign. Kogan wasn't authorized by Facebook to share the data, which Facebook believed had been destroyed.\nHere’s a look at how the FANG stocks traded on Monday:\nFacebook fell 6.7 percent to close at $172.56;\nAmazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) fell 1.7 percent;\n(NASDAQ: AMZN) fell 1.7 percent; Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) fell 1.6 percent; and\n(NASDAQ: NFLX) fell 1.6 percent; and Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOGL)(NASDAQ: GOOGL) fell 3 percent.\n'Not Going Away Anytime Soon'\nCNNMoney digital correspondent Paul La Monica discussed the fallout on Monday's PreMarket Prep trading show.\n“I think the concern on the part of investors is whether or not Facebook has done enough to really prevent anything like this from happening in the future,” La Monica said. He said investors may be starting to question CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s leadership.\nHe also said Facebook investors could be dealing with this story for a while.\n“Given all the controversies regarding [President Trump’s] election to begin with, the polarization that I think we have politically in the country and how that’s manifested on Facebook, I really don’t think this is going away anytime soon.”\nFacebook said in a blog post it hired digital forensics firm Stroz Friedberg to conduct a \"comprehensive audit\" of Cambridge Analytica.\nMarket Sells Off\nAlphabet and Facebook were the two hardest hit of the FANG stocks. As leaders in online advertising, both companies' ad businesses are heavily reliant on user data, and collection and storage methods may soon be under the regulatory spotlight.\nEurope has already taken steps to help protect internet data with the General Data Protection Regulation, which will be implemented in May.\nFANG stocks have led the market higher throughout most of the nine-year bull market, so it’s not surprising the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled more than 330 points (1.3 percent) on Monday, while the S&P 500 fell about 42 points (1.5 percent). Considering the size and market weighting of the FANG group, a FANG problem is also a problem for almost all U.S. stock investors.\nThe iPath S&P 500 VIX Short Term Futures TM ETN (NYSE: VXX) jumped more than 8 percent on fears that bearish market volatility is returning to the market.\nRelated Links:\nCramer: Brand Loyalty To FANG Companies As Strong As Ever\nGoldman Compares 'FAAMG' Stocks To High-Flyers Of The Dot-Com Bubble", "Custom Dental Ear Plugs Provide Dentists A Way To Stop Rapid Rise Of Tinnitus In The Industry\nBig Ear Inc, a company that specializes in products that provide hearing protection, has released The One®Dental Protection Premium Series. The custom dental earplugs were created to prevent dentists from enduring low-level noise that affects hearing while still being able to hear patients and colleagues throughout the day.\nThe dental industry has seen a spike in dentists developing tinnitus and hearing loss. Due to the equipment used in dental clinics on a daily basis, dentists constantly put their hearing at risk. The One®’s revolutionary design and features allows dentists to eliminate noise while still being able to communicate easily and effectively.\nThe One®is a set of custom dental ear plugs worn by a dentist while working with patients. The earplugs allow a dentist to hear his or her patients clearly. It also enables a dentist to hear others within the room. The major difference with The One®and other earplugs used by professionals is the feeling that dentists get from the protection device. The One®is light and it doesn’t cause the wearer to miss out on important dialogue with a patient or a colleague. It simple eliminates the sounds that damages hearing over the long-term.\nBig Ear’s TheOne®works using two filters. The main filter reduces the sound that enters the device, while the second filter allows natural sound to move through the custom dental earplugs. The second filter makes hearing natural sounds possible until the noise pressure reaches 85 db. Once the figure is reached, the pressure is unable to pass through the device. This is one of the ways the custom dental earplugs prevent dentists from suffering hearing loss.\nThroughout the day, dentists are bombarded by natural and unnatural noises that damage hearing. Dentists must hear patients while the sounds of suction and drills ring out all day long. The custom dental earplugs will give dentists the opportunity to eliminate unwanted sounds and preserve their hearing.\nTheOne®Premium Series comes with four sets of filters, one set of silicon full stop earplugs, one set of lanyard plugs, one tactical piece for interoffice communication, one lanyard and one premium case.\nFor more information please visit https://bigearinc.com/product/premium-dentist-custom-earplugs-the-one/.\nContact: Big Ear Inc\nName: Glenn Hood\nWebsite: https://www.bigearinc.com\nEmail: ghood@bigearinc.com\nPhone: 719-271-9081\nAddress:231 Oleander Mill Dr.\nCity: Columbia\nState: SC\nZip: 29229\nCountry: United States", "Newswise — A Missouri University of Science and Technology student recently became one of the first members of the public to get an inside look at the cockpit of a new Boeing aircraft and to test its advanced training system.\nKatie Frogge of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, a sophomore majoring in aerospace engineering at Missouri S&T, was one of five students from universities and high schools in the St. Louis area to recently visit Boeing’s St. Louis location to experience the company’s T-X aircraft and pilot training system. The training system was designed specifically for the U.S. Air Force with future generations in mind, according to a Boeing news release, and the T-X cockpit features a simple layout, better visibility, stadium seating, an upfront controller display and a large area touchscreen display.\n“I’ve flown before in a smaller plane, and it was nothing like this,” Frogge says. “The cockpit was totally different, and I had a lot of trouble trying to figure out what everything did. Here it was just way more intuitive. I could just poke the screen and go where I wanted to go or zoom in on the map. … It just made a lot of sense.”\nDuring the Jan. 24 visit to Boeing, Frogge and her fellow students also toured a classroom, which features desktop trainers and interactive displays, and flew what Boeing calls “the real-as-it-gets” ground-base training simulator while guided by a former T-38 pilot instructor. They then had the opportunity to climb into one of the jets with Boeing T-X chief test pilot Steven “Bull” Schmidt.\nThe Boeing T-X advanced pilot training system includes trainer aircraft, ground-based training and support.\n“It was so incredible to be one of the first people to experience the T-X firsthand,” Frogge says. “Everyone at Boeing was great; not only did they want our input on this project, but they also took the time to answer all of our questions and encourage us in our futures as engineers.”\nAt Missouri S&T, Frogge is a member of Kappa Delta sorority and the Society of Women Engineers. She works in the S&T admissions office as an admissions ambassador, giving tours to prospective students. She says she chose to attend Missouri S&T “because everyone was so incredibly welcoming and supportive when I visited.”\n“To this day the thing I love most about S&T is about how genuine and helpful the community here is,” Frogge says. “I know I can succeed here because so many people are willing to work with me to see me through it.”\nHer love of aviation led Frogge to choose aerospace engineering as her major.\n“I have always been fascinated by how freeing aviation is because it allows us to travel anywhere, anytime,” she says. “It connects our world in ways that no other mode of transportation ever could.”\nAfter graduation, she hopes “to improve the field of aviation in any way possible.”\n“I want to help make air travel safer, more cost-effective for consumers and more environmentally friendly,” she says. “I want to study aviation disasters to determine why they happened so that similar disasters can be prevented in the future.”\nFrogge’s visit to Boeing was arranged by Carl Schmitz, Boeing’s engagement focal to Missouri S&T and the company’s warehouse systems IT manager. Schmitz earned a bachelor of science degree in information science and technology from Missouri S&T in 2010 and is a member of the Dean’s Leadership Council for S&T’s College of Arts, Sciences, and Business. He also serves on the board of directors for Missouri S&T’s Miner Alumni Association.", "The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation was one of the hot topics debated during the third edition of the CES-inspired digital conference Viva Tech, which brought together such high-profile speakers as CEO Mark Zuckerberg, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and French president Emmanuel Macron.\nZuckerberg was interviewed by Publicis Groupe chairman Maurice Levy on May 24, a couple of days after appearing at the European Parliament to address data privacy, fake news and his company’s monopoly power. At VivaTech, Zuckerberg discussed some of the these hot-button issues, including the Cambridge Analytica scandal, as well as the E.U.’s General Data Protection Regulation which kicked off the following day, May 25.\nZuckerberg, who was greeted like a rock star at Viva Tech, said has been submitting a GDPR privacy flows to users to ask permission about gathering some data from apps they use; and found that “the vast majority of people choose to opt in to make it so we can use the data from other apps and websites they’re using to make ads better.”\n“The reality is that if you’re going to see ads in a service, you want them to be relevant and good ads,” said the CEO.\nZuckerberg said Europeans were particularly concerned about privacy due to the continent’s history — notably in Germany, where the Stasi (the former East German secret police) spied on the population. Yet, he added that “everyone cares about privacy. That’s not only here, that’s a global thing,” which is why Facebook will be rolling out the GDPR protections to Facebook users “all around the world.”\nReflecting on the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Zuckerberg reiterated his apologies and said Facebook\nwas investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and hiring thousands of people to actively prevent and track down bad content.\n“By the end of this year we’re going to have more than 20,000 people at the company working on security and content review to make sure that we get rid of bad content,” said Zuckerberg, who added that “99% of the ISIS and Al-Qaeda related content is flagged by (Facebook’s) AI system before any person in our community reports it.”\nZuckerberg acknowledged that Facebook had not taken “a broad enough view of how people might use these tools for harm, and that goes for fake news, for interference in elections, hate speech and for developers potentially using the tools in ways that don’t respect people’s privacy.”\n“We need to take a broader view of our responsibility to make sure that we’re not just reacting to issues as they come up but they’re out there trying to prevent any issues from happening going forward,” said the CEO.\nThe three-day conference, which wrapped on May 26, welcomed more than 1,800 startups from 50 countries and over 100,000 participants, a 47% year-on increase.", "Yet another former Facebook executive has come forward to confess that he helped create a monster.\nChamath Palihapitiya, who joined Facebook in 2007 and later became its vice president for user growth, said that he and the company’s founders “have created tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works.”\nThe engineer-turned-investor added that he feels “tremendous guilt” for the impact Facebook has had on the world, and said that his kids don’t have profiles on the social network.\n“They’re not allowed to use this s–t,” he said.\nPalihapitiya is the latest Facebook alum to admit regrets about their role building the company. Last month, Facebook’s first president, Sean Parker, admitted he was “something of a conscientious objector” to the social networking giant.\nParker said Facebook is designed to exploit “a vulnerability in human psychology” to get its users addicted.\nFacebook “literally changes your relationship with society, with each other,” Parker told Axios in early November. “God only knows what it’s doing to our children’s brains.”\nThe bashing from Palihapitiya came at a talk given at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Palihapitiya admitted to the audience that he has been off Facebook and other social networks “for years.”\nHe said that the way people interact on social networks — through likes and retweets and shares — have become a plague on the way people communicate with each other.\nPalihapitiya added that he resents that Facebook programs its users behaviors, and makes them “give up … intellectual independence.” He said it has become a platform “where bad actors can now manipulate large swathes of people to do anything [they] want.”\nFrom fake news stories flooding feeds in the US, to dictatorial regimes in the Philippines, Turkey and Kenya using Facebook to target dissent, Facebook is lately catching heat for its role in politics worldwide.\n“We are in a really bad state of affairs right now, in my opinion. It is eroding the core foundation of how people behave by and between each other,” he said. “And I don’t have a good solution. My solution is I just don’t use these tools anymore.”\nPalihaitiya said that when Facebook was still in its early stages, there were discussions about the sort of impact the platform could have.\n“I think in the back, deep, deep recesses [of our minds], we kind of knew something bad could happen,” Palihapitiya said. “But I think the way we defined it was not like this.”\n“The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops we’ve created are destroying how society works,” he continued. “No civil discourse, no cooperation; misinformation, mistruth. And it’s not an American problem—this is not about Russians ads. This is a global problem.”", "At the core of Mr. Schrems’s complaints is the question of whether tech companies are giving people realistic choices about how their data is collected and used.\nLike many companies, Facebook and Google, which developed the Android mobile operating system, prompted users last week to accept new terms of service that explained their data collection particulars. Facebook members who declined to accept the new terms were unable to log into their accounts. Android users who didn’t agree to the new terms were, in effect, locked out of their phones.\nMr. Schrems said these all-or-nothing privacy policies violated the G.D.P.R.’s requirement that consent be particularized and “freely given.” To comply with the law, he said, large tech platforms need to give privacy-conscious users the option of sharing certain types of data but not others.\nRealistically, Mr. Schrems said, “you’re not going to walk away from all your friends on Facebook.”\nOpponents of the G.D.P.R. have said the law could end up backfiring by making it harder for smaller companies, which don’t tend to have huge teams of European legal experts at their disposal, to compete with the American tech giants. It could mean that European users are required to pay more for certain internet services, to offset reduced advertising revenue. (The Washington Post is already offering an ad- and tracking-free “premium E.U. subscription” that costs 50 percent more than a regular subscription.) In a worst-case scenario, it could turn Europe into a kind of technological dead zone, a place where influential American tech companies simply refuse to tread.\nMr. Schrems shrugged off these concerns. The European market is too lucrative for companies like Google and Facebook to abandon, he said. And he doesn’t believe that social networks and search engines would suffer unduly if they were forced to be more judicious about how they collected fine-grain data about people for the purposes of selling more ads.\n“You can still make a lot of money without microtargeting,” he said.\nMr. Schrems’s quest is far from finished. Regulators could decide not to pursue investigations, expensive litigation could drag on for years, and Silicon Valley companies are furiously adding lobbyists to try to influence the nascent rule-making process.\nBut if these types of complaints succeed — and it’s not entirely crazy to think that they could, given the current antipathy toward American tech giants and the satisfaction that European officials might take in kneecapping a few of them — it could be a watershed moment for large tech companies.", "AOL announced today that their instant messenger service is shutting down for good. Effective December 17 you will no longer be able to use the service.\nAll good things come to an end. On Dec 15, we'll bid farewell to AIM. Thank you to all our users! #AIMemories https://t.co/b6cjR2tSuU pic.twitter.com/V09Fl7EPMx — AIM (@aim) October 6, 2017\nIn a statement released on tumblr by Michael Albers, the VP of Communications Product at Oath, the company reminisced on old times while looking forward to new ones.\nIf you were a 90’s kid, chances are there was a point in time when AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) was a huge part of your life. You likely remember the CD, your first screenname, your carefully curated away messages, and how you organized your buddy lists. Right now you might be reminiscing about how you had to compete for time on the home computer in order to chat with friends outside of school. You might also remember how characters throughout pop culture from “You’ve Got Mail” to “Sex and the City” used AIM to help navigate their relationships. In the late 1990’s, the world had never seen anything like it. And it captivated all of us.\nThis is likely to start a wave of nostalgia for ’90s kids. People on Twitter are already disappointed about the news:\nI guess I am going back to ICQ pic.twitter.com/VWqS2gfIUX — Will Moeller (@WillMoeller) October 6, 2017\nIn the release, the company thanked users and asked that they stayed tune to look for new AIM products.\nAIM has been around since the late 1990s and was the leading instant messaging application through the early 2000s. AOL cut off access from third-party chat clients in March, hinting at this shutdown. Text messaging could be to blame for the decline of instant messaging services, and it’s likely that social apps like Facebook messenger, WhatsApp and Snapchat have finalized the decline.\nMSN Messenger shut down in 2014 and Yahoo Messenger followed their lead last year, later launching a new messenger under the same name.\nWorried about your AIM email? See if you can still use it here:", "Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email\nPatients at a Neston village dental practice describe the treatment they receive as thorough and first class, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) watchdog heard.\nThe announced inspection was carried out at Willaston Dental Practice in Wheatley Bungalow, Neston Road, Willaston which is run by Dr Susan Elaine Haworth.\nThe inspector, who was able to consult a specialist dental advisor, found no reasons to take any further action on any aspects of the service.\nThe CQC describes the practice as safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.\nIt is close to the centre of Willaston and provides dental care and treatment to adults and children on an NHS or privately funded basis.\nThe dental team includes the principal dentist, a dental hygienist, a dental hygiene therapist, five dental nurses, one of whom is a trainee, a receptionist and an administrator. The practice has three treatment rooms.\nHours are Monday to Thursday 9am to 5.30pm and Friday 9am to 4pm with dedicated emergency appointments available.\nThe surgery is owned by Dr Haworth. The CQC says it received feedback from 35 people during the inspection said to be ‘positive’.\nKey findings included the practice is clean and well maintained, infection control procedures are in place, staff know how to deal with emergencies and medical emergency medicines and equipment are available.\nStaff provide patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines and treat patients with dignity and respect. They take care to protect their privacy and personal information.\nThe appointment system takes patients’ needs into account and staff feel involved and supported. They work well as a team.\nPatients and staff are asked about the services they provide and the practice has arrangements in place to help manage risk but not all risks, specifically when handling sharps, had been monitored appropriately. The CQC asked for this to be reviewed.\nPatients describe the treatment they receive as thorough and first class and are positive about all aspects of the service.\nThey told the CQC staff at the practice are ‘knowledgeable, friendly and welcoming’ and are ‘kind and helpful’ when they are in pain, distress or discomfort.\nThey are given ‘clear explanations’ about dental treatment and options and the clinicians listen to them.\nStaff make them feel at ease especially when they are anxious about visiting the dentist.\nPatients can obtain an appointment quickly in an emergency and staff promptly respond to any concerns and complaints .\nArrangements are in place to ensure the smooth running of the service.\nStaff know their responsibilities should they have concerns about the safety of children, young people or adults who are vulnerable due to their circumstances.\nThey know what to do in a medical emergency and complete training in medical emergencies and life support every year.\nArrangements are in place to ensure X-ray procedures are carried out safely and detailed dental care records containing information about patients’ current dental needs, past treatment and medical history are kept.", "BALTIMORE (WJZ) — AOL announced on Friday that it is ending AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) in December.\nThe company released a statement and made an announcement on Twitter.\nAll good things come to an end. On Dec 15, we'll bid farewell to AIM. Thank you to all our users! #AIMemories https://t.co/b6cjR2tSuU pic.twitter.com/V09Fl7EPMx — AIM (@aim) October 6, 2017\nThe messenger service will end on December 15, after launching in May 1997.\nIn a statement, VP of Communications Product at Oath wrote:\n“If you were a 90’s kid, chances are there was a point in time when AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) was a huge part of your life. You likely remember the CD, your first screenname, your carefully curated away messages, and how you organized your buddy lists. Right now you might be reminiscing about how you had to compete for time on the home computer in order to chat with friends outside of school. You might also remember how characters throughout pop culture from ‘You’ve Got Mail’” to ‘Sex and the City’ used AIM to help navigate their relationships. In the late 1990’s, the world had never seen anything like it. And it captivated all of us.\n“AIM tapped into new digital technologies and ignited a cultural shift, but the way in which we communicate with each other has profoundly changed. As a result, we’ve made the decision that we will be discontinuing AIM effective December 15, 2017. We are more excited than ever to continue building the next generation of iconic brands and life-changing products for users around the world.\n“Thank you to all of our AIM users. And definitely, stay tuned as we’re fired up to provide more products and experiences that people around the world love.”\nFollow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook", "Best Seller Publishing announces the release of Isa Herrera’s new book, “Female Pelvic Alchemy: Trade Secrets For Energizing Your Sex Life, Enhancing Your Orgasms, and Loving Your Lady Parts.” It will be available for free download in the Amazon Kindle Store on August 14th.\nWith “Female Pelvic Alchemy: Trade Secrets for Energizing Your Sex Life, Enhancing Your Orgasms, and Loving Your Lady Parts,” physical therapist, educator, and author Isa Herrera continues to empower women to achieve lifelong health and wellness. This comprehensive but easy-to-read manual is brimming with tools, exercises and techniques that she has developed and used to successfully treat thousands of women suffering with incontinence, prolapse and sexual dysfunction. The right way to Kegel, how to perform your own self-exams and massages, how to reconnect to your orgasms and how to strengthen your core are among the many trade secrets that Herrera shares with her readers.\n“Female Pelvic Alchemy” addresses pelvic floor muscle dysfunction from a holistic, energetic, and integrated approach. Herrera explains how chakra exercises and the mind/body connection are as vital to her self-healing program as traditional therapies. Acting as a guide and coach, Herrera arms her readers not only with information but with the compassion and insight to help them develop a positive fighting attitude and learn how to take control of their symptoms. Step-by-instructions, photos, diagrams, and additional resources make “Female Pelvic Alchemy” a must-read for the woman who wants to embark on her own healing journey.\n“Female Pelvic Alchemy” by Isa Herrera will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days (08/14/2017-08/18/2017) at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0742FKW1H. “Female Pelvic Alchemy” has a 4.8-star rating on Amazon.com. Here’s what some people are saying:\n“Amazing resource. There are 1000s of women suffering from pelvic pain and frustrated because they are not receiving an accurate diagnosis from their medical professionals. Often the treatment makes the symptoms worse or creates new medical issues. Isa has compiled her years of hands on experience as physical therapist and a healer and generously created this guide to holistically heal yourself. It is truly a gift.” – Donna Cravotta\n“How cool that this book has been written for us! Most people don’t want to talk about lady parts in detail and women have few places they can turn for intimate advice and guidance. This book is about wellness, addressing a central part of our bodies that no one wants to talk about! Thank you for this book; first for the idea and wisdom and then for the concrete advice of things to do and exercises and herb recommendations - I look forward to exploring your sage advice!” – Melissa Green\nFor More Information:\nFor more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Rebecca, Author Liaison, at (626) 765-9750 or email info@bestsellerpublishing.org .\nBest Seller Publishing is a Los Angeles Publishing Company dedicated to helping business owners and entrepreneurs become “the hunted” with their best-selling books.\nAbout the Author:\nIsa Herrera, MSPT, CSCS is a New York City-based holistic women’s pelvic floor specialist, author of 4 books on pelvic health, including the ground-breaking self-help book, Ending Female Pain, A Woman’s Manual. She has dedicated her career to advancing awareness of pelvic floor conditions so that more people can find relief from this silent epidemic that affects over 30 million people in the US alone. Ms. Herrera holds a BA in Psychology and Biology from Fordham University and a Masters in Physical Therapy from Hunter College, and her online pelvic education portal is www.PelvicPainRelief.com", "Most people would rather not have to go there so Dentist on Glasgow is aiming to make a visit to their surgery as comfortable and friendly as possible.\nDoctors Vasu and Karuna Atluri have owned the practice for eight years and recently undertook a major expansion and refurbishment of the Glasgow St surgery.\nDentists Taryn Yew and Han Yeang have recently joined the team.\nThey have added two new dentists, Taryn Yew and Han Yeang, to the team. Yew and Yeang graduated from the same dentistry class at the University of Otago and, after living in Dunedin, opted to move to Whanganui for its milder climate.\nPractice manager Nicky Trethewey said there are now four dentists (one of them part-time) and a part-time hygienist as well as four dental assistants, three of whom are new. The surgery is now so busy they are looking at employing another fulltime receptionist so there are two people on the front desk.\nAdvertisement\n\"Like all dental practices in town, we have had a lot of new patients, particularly ones who are new to Whanganui which is great for Whanganui,\" Trethewey said.\nIt's not just the team that has a new look - the building has undergone a major makeover and equipment has been upgraded.\n\"We have two brand new surgeries in the new extension so we now have four surgeries instead of three,\" Trethewey said.\n\"The new staff room used to be the staff room, my office, the storeroom and the laboratory. We now have a separate purpose-built locker room, a storeroom, a room for the laboratory and I have an office.\n\"There had been no serious renovations of the building for at least 20 years so it was well due for a major overhaul. The reception area was quite old-fashioned and not friendly but we've opened it up and it's brighter and fresher.\nPractice manager Nicky Trethewey (left) and receptionist Casey-Kay Knott enjoy working in the brighter and friendlier reception area.\n\"We had a great team of contractors working for us. We didn't close so they were working around us and they did late nights and weekends. It's been a challenge but it's been great.\"\nOne new piece of equipment is yet to arrive. It is an omnicam which is the latest technology for making crowns and bridges on the spot rather than having to send jaw impressions to a laboratory for processing.", "According to reports, Cambridge Analytica stole information from 50 million Facebook users' profiles to help design software to predict and influence voters' choices At the centre of a scandal over alleged misuse of Facebook users' personal data, Cambridge Analytica is a communications firm hired by those behind Donald Trump's successful US presidential bid.\nAn affiliate of British firm Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL), Cambridge Analytica has offices in London, New York, Washington, as well as Brazil and Malaysia.\nHere's the story behind the company using data to fuel political campaigns:\nWhat does Cambridge Analytica do?\nThe company boasts it can \"find your voters and move them to action\" through data-driven campaigns and a team including data scientists and behavioural psychologists.\n\"Within the United States alone, we have played a pivotal role in winning presidential races as well as congressional and state elections,\" with data on more than 230 million American voters, Cambridge Analytica claims on its website.\nSpeaking to TechCrunch in 2017, CEO Alexander Nix said the firm was \"always acquiring more\" data.\n\"Every day we have teams looking for new data sets,\" he told the site.\nWho are the company's clients?\nAs well as working on the election which saw Trump reach the White House, Cambridge Analytica has been involved in political campaigns around the world.\nIn the US, analysts harnessed data to generate thousands of messages targeting voters through their profiles on social media such as Facebook, Snapchat, or the Pandora Radio streaming service.\nBritish press have credited Cambridge Analytica with providing services to pro-Brexit campaign Leave.EU, but Nix has denied working for the group.\nGlobally, Cambridge Analytica said it has worked in Italy, Kenya, South Africa, Colombia and Indonesia.\nCambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix has said the firm was \"always acquiring more\" data\nWhat has the company been accused of?\nAccording to the New York Times and Britain's Observer newspapers, Cambridge Analytica stole information from 50 million Facebook users' profiles in the tech giant's biggest-ever data breach, to help them design software to predict and influence voters' choices at the ballot box.\nUniversity of Cambridge psychologist Aleksandr Kogan created a personality prediction test app, thisisyourdigitallife, which was downloaded by 270,000 people.\nThe tool allowed Kogan to access information such as content Facebook users had \"liked\" and the city they listed on their profile, which was then passed to SCL and Cambridge Analytica.\nThe Observer reported the app also collected information from the Facebook friends of people who had taken the test.\nChristopher Wylie, a former Cambridge Analytica employee, worked with Kogan and told Canadian television channel CBC the company used \"private data they acquired without consent\".\nWho else is involved?\nUS hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer—and major Republican party donor—bankrolled Cambridge Analytica to the tune of $15 million (12 million euros).\nThe Observer said it was headed at the time by Steve Bannon, a top Trump adviser until he was fired last summer.\nHow has Facebook responded?\nFacebook suspended SCL and Cambridge Analytica, as well as Kogan and Wylie.\nIn explaining its decision on Friday, the social media giant said the thisisyourdigitallife app was legitimate, but accused Kogan of subsequently violating Facebook's terms by passing the data on to SCL/Cambridge Analytica.\nFacebook said it found out what had happened in 2015 and was told all parties involved had deleted the data.\n\"The claim that this is a data breach is completely false,\" Facebook said in a new statement on Saturday, saying app users knowingly provided their information.\nExplore further: UK lawmaker: Facebook misled Parliament over data leak risk", "Lisa Jewell of UXTraining outlines why embracing UX is a worthwhile undertaking.\nIf you’ve worked on design-led projects, you probably know the benefits of UX already.\nBut what if you’re working in a business that has yet to embrace UX? Is your management sceptical that it’s worth the time, effort or money?\nThey may think UX is a ‘nice-to-have’ and not a ‘must-have’. Here are some points to prove it’s well worth the investment.\nUX saves you money\nUX is a problem-solving discipline. At its heart, it’s about building products that solve customer problems. If your product doesn’t solve problems, or doesn’t solve them efficiently, it will need to be reworked.\nThis costs time and money, and it’s estimated that a mind-boggling 50pc of a developer’s time is spent on avoidable rework. That is, work that could have been avoided if the software had been designed properly the first time.\nOne study (reported in Usability: A Business Case) has estimated that fixing issues after development can be up to 100 times more expensive than fixing them during design.\nThe same study shows that, on average, programmers spend nearly half their time on a project reworking issues that were avoidable. Getting it right from the start can save those labour costs.\nIn a less direct way, getting it right from the start can help reduce employee churn. Reworking avoidable issues is a thankless task, and doing so regularly drains morale. Keep your precious developers motivated with meaningful work, not grunt work. (For ways to retain developers, check out this article.)\nInvesting in UX can also help reduce other costs including customer support and training costs (see Usability: A Business Case for more on this).\nWell designed software should be intuitive. Users shouldn’t need to make a call or send an email to figure something out. It means you can put less resources into manning customer service and more into other areas of your business.\nUX increases your sales\n“The impact of UX is crystal clear: the more satisfied your users are, the more likely they are to do whatever it is you are encouraging,” said Abby Covert, information architect and author of How to Make Sense of Any Mess.\nIf you are encouraging users to buy products, UX will get them to do more of that, increasing your sales.\nThere are no concrete metrics as to how much UX can increase your revenue (it’s not as linear or as easy to measure as, say, pay-per-click). Websites and apps are complex products with many variables, and companies that practise UX don’t tend to create a UX version and a non-UX version of products for comparison. That said, there is compelling evidence that good design can increase sales.\nOne often quoted statistic is that every dollar spent in UX brings in between $2 and $100 in return (this stat originated in Roger Pressman’s classic textbook, Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s Approach). Increasingly, the evidence is pointing towards the upper end of that scale.\nIn 2016, the Future of Design in Start-Ups survey found that companies with the highest investment in UX (referred to as ‘design unicorns’) saw their sales increase by 75pc. Other companies, who had invested less in UX, still saw their sales increase by 60pc. These are huge numbers.\nAlternatively, If you aren’t putting your user at the heart of your design, your sales can suddenly start to go in the wrong direction – as Marks & Spencer found out when they launched their new website in 2014. The site was two years in development but, after its launch, the company had an 8pc decrease in online sales and some very frustrated users.\nA fresh look and feel was well overdue, but the focus on aesthetic design was not matched with a corresponding focus on UX design. Users had difficulties with navigation, registration, the shopping cart and checkout to name but a few problems (check out this post by Econsultancy for an interesting take on the site’s usability issues). All of these are things you clearly don’t want to happen with an e-commerce website.\nUX increases customer loyalty\nA whopping 88pc of online consumers are less likely to return to a website after a bad experience, according to a Gomez report, Why Web Performance Matters.\nMore than a third will tell others about their disappointing experience.\nWell-designed software increases the probability of users solving their problems with ease, thus becoming repeat users and bringing others along too. This will also filter through to your brand reputation.\nThe Future of Design in Start-Ups survey found that the more a company invested in and focused on design, the higher their customer retention and engagement rates were.\nUX helps you be competitive\nIt shouldn’t come as a surprise that the companies that heavily invest in UX are market leaders and continue to grow – Apple, Facebook, Google, Amazon, the list goes on.\nThese companies invest in UX because it delivers better products, happier customers, motivated employees and reduced development costs. All sources of competitive advantage.\nResearch by Forrester shows that, when compared to their peers, the top 10 companies leading in customer experience outperformed the S&P index with more than triple the returns.\nIn your own competitive market, well-crafted products that help customers get the job done efficiently is one way to help you stand out from the pack.\nDriven by Apple et al, customers’ expectations in terms of user experience will continue to grow. If you’re not paying attention to the needs of your users but your competitors are, you’ll soon start to see the negative effects on your business.\nAs Steve Krug sums up in Don’t Make Me Think, “You can get away with a site that people muddle through only until someone builds one down the street that makes them feel smart.”\nBy Lisa Jewell\nLisa Jewell is content manager for UXTraining.com, a specialist provider of user experience and design thinking training. Based in Dublin, it delivers classroom-based training across Europe and North America and its online training programme has students across the globe. Its mission is to help organisations, teams and individuals make better software and services through user-centred design.\nA version of this article originally appeared on the UXTraining.com blog.", "As brilliant as the human brain is, it’s so often the random information that it holds on to rather than the stuff you really need to remember.\nIt’s these nuggets that are on the menu on Reddit, where user ablackenedrose asked their fellows to share “the most useless piece of information that you know off the top of your head”.\nHere are 12 of the best responses.\n1.\nComment from discussion ZigguratofDoom’s comment from discussion \"What’s the most useless piece of information that you know off the top of your head?\"\n2. From user Benu5\n“There is a place in England called the ‘Rhubarb Triangle’ where rhubarb grows so fast you can hear it.”\n3.\nComment from discussion elee0228’s comment from discussion \"What’s the most useless piece of information that you know off the top of your head?\"\n4. From user SonneillonIV\n“There were 48 years between the invention of the can and the can opener.”\n5.\nComment from discussion beanz415’s comment from discussion \"What’s the most useless piece of information that you know off the top of your head?\"\n6. From user lamiller0622\n“Flatworms have two penises that they use to fight each other (called “penis fencing”). The winner inseminates the loser, who then becomes the female and carries the eggs.”\n7.\nComment from discussion Terri23’s comment from discussion \"What’s the most useless piece of information that you know off the top of your head?\"\n8. From user VictorBlimpmuscle\n“Hippos secrete a red, oily substance called ‘blood sweat’ that keeps their skin moisturised and water-repellent.”\n9.\nComment from discussion Bilgistic’s comment from discussion \"What’s the most useless piece of information that you know off the top of your head?\"\n10. From user ExCostco\n“The item number for pumpkins at Costco is 80085.\n“I giggled every season because new hires wondered how I memorised it since we just got them and it’s been a whole year since. Until I tell them the number and the mind of their inner child clicks.”\n11.\nComment from discussion Spuffdozer’s comment from discussion \"What’s the most useless piece of information that you know off the top of your head?\"\n12. From user General_Bubbles\n“Betty White is older than sliced bread by six years.”\n- Press Association", "Afero, the next-generation IoT company with a fully integrated and highly secure edge-to-cloud platform, announced today that it is presenting and exhibiting at Microchip’s 2017 MASTERs Conference, the premier technical training event for embedded control engineers, from August 16 through 19 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona.\n”We are excited to participate in this year’s MASTERs Conference to support Microchip’s leadership in IoT,” said Joe Britt, CEO and co-founder of Afero. “We are deeply engaged with Microchip to enable their teams to integrate our secure edge-to-cloud connected platform into their consumer and enterprise solutions. Our collaboration will enable Microchip customers to prototype and get to production faster, at a lower cost, and more securely than with other IoT platform solutions.”\nBen Gibbs from Afero will present a class titled, “The Afero Secure IoT Platform: We Do the Internet, You Do the Things.” The class will discuss the current disaggregated approaches to IoT and how they are creating roadblocks for engineers. Ben will demonstrate how Afero was built to solve this pervasive problem by pioneering a new model for IoT development, which radically simplifies the process of bringing a connected device to market. Attendees will be provided free hardware solution kits to start prototyping during the lab-based class.\nIn addition to the class, the Afero solution will be exhibited at Microchip’s security booth, with the team offering hands-on demonstrations of the secure Afero IoT Platform. Attendees will learn how they can leverage the platform’s hardened edge-to-cloud security, flexible developer tools, and hassle-free user onboarding with their products. The Afero IoT Platform gives IoT projects a jumpstart, going from prototype to product in 50% less time than with any other solution in the market.\nHeaded to the event? Stop by the Microchip security booth to sign up for the class. For more information, visit afero.io and the MASTERs Conference page.\nAbout Afero\nAfero offers a new platform for Internet of Things that delivers hardened security, easy on-boarding of devices, rapid mobile application development, and robust data analytics. The Afero platform was designed to simplify and accelerate product development, and deliver convenience and peace-of-mind to consumers and end users. Afero was created by world-class mobile and hardware veterans from Google, Apple, Nest, Danger, Microsoft, Amazon, Twitter, and Netflix. To learn more about Afero, please visit www.afero.io.", "The whistleblower at the center of the ‘Cambridge Analytica’ scandal has had his account suspended by Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. We spoke to mc schraefel, Professor of Computer Science and Human Performance at the University of Southampton about the scandal.\nChristopher Wylie accused his former employees of harvesting the personal data of more than 50 million Facebook users in the USA- data which was then passed on to Trumps campaign manager Steve Bannon to profile potential swing voters. Facebook is under harsh fire for the affair, which has been widely viewed as election meddling.\nSputnik: The interesting thing is that unlike the anticipated ‘1984’ scenario, we are voluntarily signing off our data (more ‘Brave New World’) — but how much is this really voluntary, and how much are we being coerced into giving our data through deceptive mechanisms?\nmc schraefel: Big industry always tries to optimize for its own benefit. If these breaches are happening, generally speaking, it's because there is a capacity to enable them to happen. If there is an opportunity to be seized and to exploit something it's not a surprise that it is being exploited, and that there is not always going to be the nicest people working in an election, or in an organization.\nI'm aware of efforts within pockets of Facebook that are doing really incredible work on trying to design better privacy, better terms and conditions, to give users a better experience. They know that if they don't, people will rise up as they have before, and it hurts their business. This is not going to be a painless event right now.\nThese companies appear to us as monolithic, and I guess that that's the most important thing, that we don't see as much of the other things that are going on- small groups within companies that are trying to make a difference- I guess they need more help to make a difference and be noticed. At some point it might be great to push on, saying that there are these groups inside of these companies, what's holding them back from having more of an effect?\nSputnik: How much could this kind of breach influence the election?\nmc schraefel: If we look at historical precedents, to say what has happened in the past — What is similar to this in the past? Again, the only time that something changes a position, is when there is the belief that this is personally relevant. So here, it's very difficult to see theft of one’s personal data having any direct effect on the victim. It's very difficult to assess the cost, in the way that for instance, if an airbag fails in a car, you can see the cost of that immediately if the airbag doesn't perform. It's really difficult to pinpoint exactly where our personal data gets used and to be able to say 'my data was exploited' unless you are involved in an identity theft, and then again, that has so far been on a relatively personal scale as opposed to a whole city. It's not too hard to imagine how if you want to affect something, you have to go to some kind of belief system.\nAgain, if we look at the use of data to influence an election, how is a nation state going to influence an election? Well it's going to be able to get peoples personal data from a social network. Maybe this happened, maybe it didn't. The question might be though, is that actually happening or is this leveraging a little bit of what's happening in order to create a political story that has political benefit in other ways? Is so much energy going to be focused on who is the supposed bad actor here, that how that activity actually took place becomes incidental. The media focus doesn't seem to be around the data, as much as it is around assuming that this is some kind of evidence of interference or collusion.\nSputnik: The whistleblower at the heart of the scandal has had his accounts blocked from fb, whatsapp and twitter- suggesting that we are not free to question the motives of these companies- is this unduly censorship?\nmc schraefel: Maybe not today, but tomorrow or next week, it's going to become increasingly important to be able to connect with your communities on these various social media sites. If a channel of communication is so important for society, does anybody have the right to exclude you from it? If one says, well, this is a business and of course I have the right to exclude you from it, it's my business, then that again becomes a question of 'who runs this'? If it is a utility, like water, you cannot turn it off unless they don’t pay their bill. Even then, there are conditions in which it is socially unacceptable to turn off somebodies water or electricity if it puts them in harm’s way. Is social media becoming the same thing? That effectively by blocking somebody from being on these platforms, you are denying them of something that is going to become a social right.\nThe views expressed in this article are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Sputnik.", "Hello. Here's your morning briefing:\nImage copyright Getty Images\nCambridge Analytica: Warrant sought to inspect company\nThe British company Cambridge Analytica is accused of using the personal data of 50 million Facebook members to influence the US election. Now the UK's Information Commissioner says she will seek a warrant to inspect the databases and servers used by the firm.\nCambridge Analytica executives have also been filmed by Channel 4 News suggesting the use of honey traps and potentially bribery to discredit politicians. The company denies any wrongdoing.\nBBC technology reporter Zoe Kleinman says it's a \"sensational story containing allegations of sleaze, psychological manipulation and data misuse\". So, how much do we know so far? And BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones wonders what questions have been raised about how our data is handled.\nCorbyn: UK must still deal with Putin\nLabour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said the UK must continue to do business with Russia, despite \"all fingers\" pointing to it being behind the Salisbury nerve agent attack. He told BBC Radio 4's World at One that, if he became prime minister, he would challenge President Vladimir Putin over his human rights record.\nThe 23 Russian diplomats expelled from London after Theresa May said the country was \"culpable\" for the attack are due to leave later today. Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, are still critically ill in hospital after being found slumped on a bench in Salisbury on 4 March. Russia denies being behind their poisonings. Here's the latest on the case.\nSign up for a morning briefing direct to your phone\nPrices 'could fall after Brexit'\nHow will UK prices fare after Brexit? Well, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says they could fall by 1.2% if the UK were to abolish all tariffs after leaving the EU. But, in a report, it adds that any gains would be small and the figure is based on \"optimistic\" assumptions.\nWho is being expelled from school?\nBBC Reality Check\nBy far the most common reason given for permanently expelling a child is \"persistent disruptive behaviour\". Other less common reasons include physical and verbal abuse, bullying, racist or sexually inappropriate behaviour and drug and alcohol use. This isn't the whole story, though. The official statistics only capture formal exclusions. But there are concerns that some children are being \"managed out\" of schools in less formal ways.\nRead the full article\nWhat the papers say\nThe i proclaims the agreement reached between the EU and the UK's Brexit negotiators a \"big step\" towards a final deal. But the Daily Telegraph says Prime Minister Theresa May faces problems over a perceived \"abject betrayal\" of Britain's fishermen, who would remain under the EU's Common Fisheries Policy until the end of 2020. Elsewhere, there's widespread coverage of the allegations against Cambridge Analytica. And the Daily Express leads on a report that a new stem cell-based treatment could bring a breakthrough in treating age-related macular degeneration - the most common form of sight loss.\nDaily digest\nAlfie Dingley Six-year-old with a rare form of epilepsy to hand medical cannabis petition in to Downing Street\nCareer disadvantage Dads losing out in workplace, say MPs\nClass A drugs Staff allegedly supplied patients at a mental health trust with narcotics, BBC investigation finds\nEaster worry Up to a third of an egg's weight can be packaging, says Which?\nIf you see one thing today\nChildren on the front line\nIf you listen to one thing today\nIn praise of passion\nIf you read one thing today\nHow I went from Mouthy to Wisey\nLookahead\n09:30 The Office for National Statistics releases its Consumer Price Inflation figures for February.\n10:30 The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee questions broadcasters and journalists from the BBC in a public evidence session on pay.\n11:00 Sir Richard Starkey - otherwise known as Beatles drummer and Thomas the Tank Engine narrator Ringo Starr - receives his knighthood for services to music.\nOn this day\n1993 A boy is killed and more than 50 people are injured in two bomb blasts in Warrington, Cheshire.\nFrom elsewhere\nThe prison for Greenland's most dangerous criminals (CNN)\nWhy I didn't join my school's walkout (New York Times)\nThe female sniper who terrorised the Nazis (Independent)\nWhy chocolate turns white - and how to stop it (Daily Mail)\nGet news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning", "First all-in-1 Personal Cardiovascular Monitor and AI-based Stroke Prevention System to enable early detection of key factors indicating stroke risk\nHsinchu, Taiwan May 28th, 2018 – Maisense, an innovative startup, devotes itself to stroke prevention. The company”s corporate mission is to assist users with early detection of atrial fibrillation, and to support physicians in the efficient treatment and better cardiovascular care for their patients. Unlike other cardiovascular care products, which need multiple devices to measure ECG/EKG and blood pressure separately, Maisense Freescan in combination with the myFreescan App delivers an all-in-1 solution for early atrial fibrillation detection, arrhythmia (bradycardia and tachycardia) detection, pulse wave velocity, and blood pressure monitoring in a single device.\nThe Maisense Healthy Heart Hub (HHH) is a smart solution for cardiovascular care which consists of 3 components:\n1. Freescan – the personal cardiovascular monitoring device for the patients and health conscious users. The device senses the lead 1 ECG and radial artery pulse by using 3 electrodes (1 as RA, 1 as LA, 1 as RL) combined with 1 pressure sensor. With the aforementioned bio-signals, Freescan can register parameters such as pulse transmission time (PTT), and calculates systole (SYS) and diastole (DIA) blood pressure respectively according to a formula. The devices can also calculate the heart rate (HR) and indicates irregular heartbeat. With its build-in Bluetooth technology, Freescan uploads each measurement to the Mobile App, and combines it with Maisense artificial intelligence (AI) to provide additional conclusions. The device has received an EU CE medical certification.\n2. myFreescan – the Mobile App for patients or health conscious users to keep track of their personal health trends and to screen AFib/Arrhythmia. In addition, the pulse waveform and ECG/EKG waveform captured by Freescan provide the artery pulse wave velocity which is the indicator for artery stiffness and alerts the user to seek professional medical advice.\n3. The Patient Care System – the platform used by doctors and professional physicians to monitor a patient”s vital parameters. Through the system personalized advices can be given instantly to guide patients. A detailed health report can be generated by the doctors via the system to support the patients for short-term/long-term heart health monitoring.\nFreescan could proof a highly exact performance compared with Holter monitor systems in clinical field tests. In May 2018, Maisense finished the clinical research on AFib detection in the Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan. The clinical results demonstrate the feasibility of using Freescan in detecting AFib as the preliminary screening results with over 95% sensitivity and over 99% specificity. The clinical results are under submission to the American Heart Association (AHA) 2018.\nMaisense will present the solution at the ESH (European Society of Hypertension) conference in Barcelona from June 8th-11th in hall 8, booth 22, In addition to product demos for Freescan, myFreescan and the Patient Care System, the Maisense experts are available to discuss atrial fibrillation detection and the latest results of clinical studies.\nFreescan is now available in Germany at Mindtech (https://www.mindtecstore.com/Maisense_1). Maisense is looking for distributors in European Union.\nMaisense is proud to be a member of the Global Research & Industry Alliance (GLORIA-Semicon) which focuses on future-oriented technology and builds a cooperation platform between universities and the industry. The organization stimulates innovation and introduces Taiwan startup companies to the global market. GLORIA will also exhibit alongside Maisense at ESH – booth 22.", "Updated 20 March 2018, 10:15 AEDT\nFacebook faces pressure to explain how 50 million user profiles were potentially used to help Donald Trump's election campaign, while the broader technology sector sinks Wall Street.\nFacebook has had its worst trading day in five years, with about $US35 billion wiped off its total market value overnight.\nThe social media company's share price fell by 6.8 per cent, as its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg faces calls from US and European politicians to explain an enormous data breach.\nOf particular interest is how political analytics firm Cambridge Analytica had harvested the private data of more than 50 million Facebook users without their consent to support Donald Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign.\nThe scrutiny presents a new threat to Facebook's reputation, which is already under attack over Russia's use of Facebook tools to sway American voters with \"fake news\" posts before and after the 2016 US elections.\nFacebook said on Monday it had hired digital forensics firm Stroz Friedberg to carry out a comprehensive audit of Cambridge Analytica, which had agreed to comply and to give the forensics firm complete access to their servers and systems.\nCambridge Analytica strongly denies the claims, according to a statement on its website.\n\"It's clear these platforms can't police themselves,\" Democrat senator Amy Klobuchar tweeted.\nOn Monday, Republican senator John Kennedy joined Senator Klobuchar in calling on Mr Zuckerberg to testify before Congress, and Democratic senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to Mr Zuckerberg asking about company policies for sharing user data with third parties.\nIt was not clear whether Republicans who hold congressional committee gavels would announce hearings related to Facebook and Cambridge Analytica.\nBut the calls reflected mounting bipartisan concern in Washington over whether internet firms are fair trustees of the massive amounts of user data they collect.\nTech sector sinks, along with Wall Street\nFacebook was the worst performing stock on the S&P 500 overnight.\nThe sharp fall in Facebook's share price weighed heavily on the S&P technology sector, down 2.3 per cent, as well as the Nasdaq, off by 1.8 per cent.\nOther major companies with large tech businesses also dropped as recent concerns over regulation in the arena increased.\nApple, Microsoft and Google shares fell sharply — by 1.5, 1.8 and 3.3 per cent respectively.\n\"Everyone knows that tech fundamentals are solid, but rumblings like what you are seeing today, that does sort of prompt people to think 'is this as good as it is going to get or should I take some profits here?'\" said Eric Freedman, chief investment officer for US Bank Wealth Management.\nThe S&P 500 fell by 1.4 per cent, while the Dow Jones fell by 1.4 per cent (336 points) to 24,611.\nSelling was broad, with each of the 11 major S&P sectors in the red.\nThe CBOE Volatility index was up 5.48 points at 21.28, in one of its sharpest gains since the market sell-off in February.\nAustralian market today\nAustralian shares are expected to fall sharply in early trade, following negative leads from US markets.\nThe Australian dollar is steady at 77.2 US cents.\nBut it has fallen against the British pound (-0.6pc) and euro (-0.4pc), and New Zealand dollar (-0.3pc).\nIn economic news, the ABS will release its fourth-quarter house price index, and the Reserve Bank will release its meeting minutes from earlier this month.", "All good things come to an end. On Dec 15, we'll bid farewell to AIM. Thank you to all our users! #AIMemories https://t.co/b6cjR2tSuU pic.twitter.com/V09Fl7EPMx — AIM (@aim) October 6, 2017\nIf you were a 90’s kid, chances are there was a point in time when AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) was a huge part of your life. You likely remember the CD, your first screenname, your carefully curated away messages, and how you organized your buddy lists. Right now you might be reminiscing about how you had to compete for time on the home computer in order to chat with friends outside of school. You might also remember how characters throughout pop culture from “You’ve Got Mail” to “Sex and the City” used AIM to help navigate their relationships. In the late 1990’s, the world had never seen anything like it. And it captivated all of us.\nAIM tapped into new digital technologies and ignited a cultural shift, but the way in which we communicate with each other has profoundly changed. As a result we’ve made the decision that we will be discontinuing AIM effective December 15, 2017.\nTwenty years after launching as a download for Microsoft Windows computers in 1997, AOL Instant Messenger will be officially discontinued from December 15, 2017. AOL parent company Oath announced the end of AIM in a blog post earlier this morning, celebrating with a nostalgic recollection of how big the messaging platform was in the late 1990s and early 2000s.According to Michael Albers, VP of Communications Product at Oath, the reason behind the discontinuation is how \"profoundly\" the ways we communicate have changed over the years, leading many to abandon AIM for mobile apps like Apple's iMessage, Facebook's WhatsApp, and more.There are still plans to \"continue building the next generation of iconic brands and life-changing products,\" Albers said, similar to what AIM did for instantaneously messaging friends in the early days of the internet. No further specifics were given as to what the company might launch next.Last month, AIM was also removed as a chat option from Apple's Messages app in macOS High Sierra, providing another hint that many users no longer logged into the service. Over the years, there have also been AIM apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.", "Chamath Palihapitiya, Facebook’s former vice president for user growth and currently founder and CEO of the Social Capital partnership, was asked last month at a Stanford Graduate School of Business event about digital companies exploiting consumer behavior. Here is the question and Palihapitiya’s response, lightly edited for clarity.\nQ: You said that this is a time for soul searching in social media businesses, and you were part of building the largest one. What soul searching are you doing right now on that?\nPALIHAPITIYA: I feel tremendous guilt. I think we all knew in the back of our minds, even though we feigned this whole line of “there probably aren’t any really bad unintended consequences.” I think in the deep recesses of our minds we kind of knew something bad could happen, but I think the ways we defined it were not like this.\nIt literally is at a point now where I think we have created tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works.\nIf you feed the beast, that beast will destroy you. If you push back on it, we have a chance to control it and rein it in, and this is a point in time where people need a hard break from some of these tools and the things that you rely on. The short-term dopamine-driven feedback loops that we have created are destroying how society works: No civil discourse, no cooperation, misinformation, mistruth. And it’s not an American problem — this is not about Russian ads — this is a global problem.\nSo we are in a really bad state of affairs right now in my opinion. It is eroding the core foundations of how people behave to and between each other, and I don’t have a good solution. My solution is: I just don’t use these tools anymore, I haven’t for years. It’s created huge tension with my friends, huge tensions in my social circles. If you look at my Facebook feed I probably have posted less than 10 times in seven years.\nAnd it’s weird — I guess I kind of just innately didn’t want to get programmed and so I just tuned it out. But I didn’t confront it and now I see what’s happening and it really bums me out.\nThere are examples where there was a hoax in India. People were afraid that their kids were going to get kidnapped, etc. And then there were these lynchings that happened as a result, where people were running around like vigilantes.\nImagine when you take that to the extreme, where bad actors can now manipulate large swathes of people to do anything you want. It’s just a really, really bad state of affairs. And we compound the problem. We curate our lives around this perceived sense of perfection because we get rewarded in the short term — signals, hearts, likes, thumbs-up — and we conflate that with value and we conflate it with truth. And instead what it really is, is fake brittle popularity.\nThat’s short term and that leaves you even more vacant and empty before you did it. Because then it forces you into this vicious cycle where you think, “What’s the next thing I need to do now? Because I need it back.”\nThink about that compounded by 2 billion people, and then think about how people react to the perceptions of others. It’s just really bad.\nI think Facebook overwhelmingly does positive good in the world. Where I have decided to spend my time is to take the capital that they rewarded me with, and now focus on the structural changes that I can control.\nI can control my decision, which is that I don’t use this s - -t. I can control my kids’ decision, which is that they’re not allowed to use this s- -t.\nAnd everybody has to soul-search about what they’re willing to do, because you are being programmed. It was unintentional, but now you have to decide how much of your intellectual independence you’re willing to give up.", "Exosite, a leading provider in the Internet of Things (IoT) platform market, today announced its participation in the 2017 Microchip MASTERs Conference August 16-19 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix, AZ. At the event, Exosite Senior Applications Engineer, Will Charlton, will present technical classes on the end-to-end IoT security of Microchip’s ECC508 secure element solution and Exosite’s cloud platform, Murano.\nThe premier technical training event for embedded control engineers around the globe, the 21st annual worldwide MASTERs Conference arms system-design engineers of every level with extensive product information and hands-on training to help attendees both scale the learning curve and acquire the know-how to transition products to market faster. Classes cover a broad range of topics and are taught by Microchip’s application and design engineers. The conference has now expanded to locations in 8 countries and provides training classes at all technical levels. Engineers can choose from classes about Microchip’s products as well as general embedded control topics such as motor control, power supply design, lighting control, communication protocols like USB and TCP/IP, C programming, graphic display technologies, touch sense methods and analog system design.\nCharlton will teach two in-depth classes on the topic of “IoT Security: From Edge Device to End User with Microchip’s ECC508 and Exosite’s Murano Cloud Platform.” This hands-on class will guide attendees through the important building blocks of an end-to-end IoT security solution that includes Microchip’s ECC508 Secure Provisioning Kit and Exosite’s Murano cloud platform.\nMore information on the event can be found here.\nAs a proven leader in IoT, Exosite enables the world’s leading manufacturers in consumer, commercial and industrial markets to quickly build and deploy connected products leveraging Murano, Exosite’s cloud-based IoT-enablement platform, and Exchange, a curated library of reusable IoT elements, including industry-proven services, products and content. Exosite also offers technology-driven Digital Transformation Services and Professional Services designed to help organizations develop and execute an IoT strategy for long-term success.\nAbout Exosite\nSince 2009, Exosite LLC, has pioneered IoT software solutions. Based in Minneapolis, with offices around the globe, the Exosite team possesses a wealth of experience and expertise in IoT technology and business strategy. Exosite engages with leading manufacturers, providing an unparalleled software platform and rich ecosystem of tools, partnerships, and professional services to quickly guide connected-product concepts to marketable IoT applications. Visit www.exosite.com to learn more about how Exosite powers digital transformation.\n###", "Each day, Benzinga takes a look back at a notable market-related moment that occurred on this date.\nWhat Happened?\nOn this day 22 years ago, Open Text Corp (USA) (NASDAQ: OTEX) became the first internet search engine company to go public.\nWhere Was The Market?\nThe S&P 500 was trading at 635.84 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 5373.99.\nWhat Else Was Going On In The World?\nIn 1996, a Mad Cow Disease epidemic in the U.K. resulted in the mass slaughter of entire herds of cows. The number of global internet users reached 10 million. The minimum hourly wage in the U.S. was raised to $5.15 per hour.\nThe Beginning Of Something Big\nInvestors today know Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL) and its Google search engine as the dominant force in internet search and advertising. However, more than eight years before Google went public in 2004, there wasn’t a single internet search company trading on a major U.S. exchange.\nOpen Text changed that story when it held its IPO in February 1996. Open Text led the charge of search engine IPOs and was followed by Lycos, Excite and Yahoo within four months time.\nCompared to the other search engine stocks of the Dot Com Bubble, (notably Yahoo) Open Text’s run-up was relatively modest. The company’s market cap peaked at just around $1.3 billion in early 2000 before crashing back down to around $400 million later in the year.\nOpen Text still trades on the Nasdaq to this day. The company now develops and sells enterprise information management software.\nRelated Links:\nThis Day In Market History: Alphabet Briefly Becomes World's Most Valuable Company\nHow Often Is Your Stock Being Searched For Online?", "DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — The families of two people killed in the September crash of a Duke Life Flight helicopter in rural northeastern North Carolina have filed a lawsuit against the makers of the helicopter and its engines and the estate of the pilot.\nThe lawsuit contends that a combination of pilot error and a known problem with the engines contributed to the crash, which killed all four people aboard the flight.\nFACEBOOK USERS: Click here to view more photos\nThe families of Mary Susan White Bartlett, the patient on the flight, and Kristopher Harrison, a flight nurse, are the plaintiffs.\nThe pilot, Jeffrey Burke, died in the crash, as did flight nurse Crystal Sollinger, whose family and estate are not involved in the lawsuit.\n“All evidence points to a blocked engine drain line,” said the plaintiff’s attorney, Gary C. Robb, in a news release.\nRobb is a Missouri-based expert in helicopter-related litigation.\nRobb said the plaintiffs believe the blocked line led to an engine fire, and then engine shutdown. He said a crash in January 2017 first brought the engine problem to regulatory and company officials’ attention.\nThe FAA released a bulletin describing the engine problem last month, specifically referencing both the South Dakota crash and the North Carolina crash.\n“This was absolutely a preventable crash,” Robb said in the news release.\nEARLIER: Duke Life Flight crew identified after deadly NC helicopter crash\nThe suit also contends that Burke, the pilot, should have continued forward flight and executed an autorotation landing maneuver.\nA National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report days after the Sept. 8 crash said witnesses saw dark smoke streaming from the helicopter before it crashed in a field.\nThe French engine maker Safran, and the European helicopter company, Airbus Helicopter, as well as their American distributors, are named in the suit. None of them immediately responded to requests for comment.\n— The Associated Press contributed to this report", "Would you like whiter teeth? Nine times out of 10, the answer would be yes. It seems that nowadays almost everyone wants to have whiter teeth.\nCommercials for whitening products advertise that whiter smiles boost confidence. Right now you can do something for yourself and also help a child at the same time.\nWe at The Gentle Dentist are participating for our 19th year in the Smiles For Life Campaign. The campaign runs from March through June each year where participating dentists offer discounted teeth whitening services and donate all the proceeds to children. Hundreds of dental practices across the U.S. and Canada join in to raise money for seriously ill, disabled and underprivileged children. Our office has been participating with this campaign since 1998.\nOne hundred percent of the proceeds go to charity. Smiles For Life sends 50 percent to approved children’s charities such as the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation, Feed the Children, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and Ronald McDonald House.\nAdvertisement\nThe other 50 percent goes to a charity of the dental office’s choice. Our supported charity is the Sand Castles Grief Support Program located in Detroit.\nA whitening company called UltraDent donates the bleaching material and supplies, and the dentist and the staff donates their expertise and time.\nAn oral examination and cleaning are recommended before doing professional tooth whitening. It is important to have healthy gums and teeth before bleaching. During the consultation, the dentist will inform you of any areas of decay or recession. It is advised that these areas be fixed or filled prior to whitening to prevent any unnecessary sensitivity.\nSensitivity can still be a side effect of whitening, but proper measures can be made to minimize this. Using sensitive toothpaste with potassium nitrate will help the most. It is most effective if the toothpaste is used two weeks or more prior to starting the bleaching and to continue using it during the process.\nAlso studies have shown that chewing sugarless gum helps due to the increase in saliva, and it can be a distraction technique. If the sensitivity becomes overwhelming, then it is beneficial to back off on using the whitening products to every-other day.\nThe majority of people prefer to whiten in the comfort of their own home. The take-home whitening entails custom-fit trays in which teeth whitening material is placed inside and then worn either during the day or at night depending upon the strength of the bleach being used.\nTo have the trays made, a dental assistant will take impressions of your upper and lower teeth to make soft plastic custom trays that will be used to hold the whitening agent. The trays typically need time to be fabricated, and you would need a follow-up visit once they are completed.\nWhen you pick up your custom trays, instructions will be given along with whitening syringes and a case to keep your trays in. The most common types of bleaching material contain carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. They range in percentages normally from 10-35. The stronger the bleach, the higher the percent. For example, the 35 percent carbamide peroxide is usually a daytime bleach that is only kept in for a short period of time whereas a 10 percent is worn in the trays overnight. You typically get to choose which percentage would work best for your lifestyle. Also, keep in mind that if your teeth are sensitive you would want to use a lower strength.\nWhen using the trays, you place only a small drop of whitening material into every tooth chamber; you do not need to fill the whole tooth chamber with bleach. An amount smaller than a grain of rice does the trick because your saliva will cause the material to spread around the teeth. The material has active ingredients that penetrate the tooth enamel and bleach out any stains or discoloration. This type of whitening works best on teeth with a yellowish shade instead of a grayish hue.\nThe usual duration of take-home whitening is two weeks with daily use. However, the length of treatment can vary depending on the current tooth shade and desired results. Normally professional whitening trays can lighten teeth by up to three to five shades.\nFor more information, please call us at 586-247-3500 or visit our website at TheGentleDentist.com. You can also learn more about the Smiles For Life Program at smilesforlife.org.\nIf you have questions about any dental procedure, please contact us at info@thegentledentist.com.", "CAPE TOWN - Instagram has launched a new feature that will let you know when you’ve scrolled through all new posts from the last 48 hours.\nThe company is calling this new feature “You’re All Caught Up” which will show up in the form of a message when you’ve seen every post from the last two days.\n\"We’ve heard that it can be difficult to keep track of your seen posts. With this message, you’ll have a better understanding of your Feed and know you haven’t missed recent photos or videos\", the company said in a blog post.\nAdditionally, posts found beyond the line break are posts that have been up for longer than two days mixed with more recent ones you’ve already seen and scrolled past. This new feature comes after it was revealed that Facebook and Instagram are working on other tools for showing users how much time they’ve recently spent in the apps.\nInstagram CEO Kevin Systrom has said that the company is developing “tools that will help the Instagram community know more about the time they spent on Instagram,“ adding that “any time should be positive and intentional.”\nUnderstanding how time online impacts people is important, and it's the responsibility of all companies to be honest about this. We want to be part of the solution. I take that responsibility seriously. — Kevin S. (@kevin) May 16, 2018\nThis feature is available on iOS and Android starting today.\nFollow us on our new Instagram page HERE!\n- BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE", "Why will Dr. Ronny L. Jackson fail to be confirmed as the head of the Veterans Affairs Department? As Nicholas Fandos and Michael D. Shear have reported in The New York Times, President Trump’s nominee to lead the V.A. “oversaw a hostile work environment as the White House doctor, allowed the overprescribing of drugs and possibly drank on the job.”\nHiring managers, you can avoid your own Ronny L. Jackson hiring fiasco by putting these two tasks at the top of your to-do list.\nEnsure That Your Company’s Values Statement Is Easy For The World To Find\nGo to your website, and if it takes you more than ten seconds to find a list of your company’s values, you have some work to do.\nI went to the website for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to see if the organization’s values were clearly presented. No dice. I had to type “values” into the search engine and then click on a link to find a list of their core values:\nIntegrity: Act with high moral principle. Adhere to the highest professional standards. Maintain the trust and confidence of all with whom I engage.\nCommitment: Work diligently to serve Veterans and other beneficiaries. Be driven by an earnest belief in VA’s mission. Fulfill my individual responsibilities and organizational responsibilities.\nAdvocacy: Be truly Veteran-centric by identifying, fully considering, and appropriately advancing the interests of Veterans and other beneficiaries.\nRespect: Treat all those I serve and with whom I work with dignity and respect. Show respect to earn it.\nExcellence: Strive for the highest quality and continuous improvement. Be thoughtful and decisive in leadership, accountable for my actions, willing to admit mistakes, and rigorous in correcting them.\nWhat message does it send to the public that the V.A.’s values are buried deep within the organization’s website? The message is, “These things aren’t that important.” If they were, they’d be above the fold on the home page for all the world to see.\nDon’t make that mistake in your own organization.\nRefer To Your Values Throughout Your Job Descriptions\nThe Department of Veterans Affairs lists lots of jobs all over the country, and those descriptions are a perfect example of missing the forest for the trees. Take a look at this one for Medical Administration Officer in Richmond, Virginia. At a bloated 1,354 words, I’ve read Russian novels shorter than this. (Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but you get my point.)\nThe job description is an exhaustive and exhausting list of every possible technical qualification you need to run a complex, state-of-the-art medical center, but there is not a single reference to the values that the Department claims are so important. This makes no sense. Would it matter if the person running the hospital where your mother or father is receiving life-sustaining treatment is dishonest and irresponsible, even if he or she is highly skilled and deeply knowledgeable?\nOf course it matters. That’s why references to the V.A.’s values should be integrated into the job description for this position and for all others too.\nDon’t you want to increase the likelihood that the people who put themselves forward as job candidates at your company will embody its core values? You can do that by making it clear that you hire for character as well as competence, and that means checking (and, most likely, rewriting) every job description you post.\nToward A Values-Based Job Description\nSuppose your company wants to hire a new Director of Compliance. Here’s how you might introduce a notice for this position:\nWe are looking for a highly knowledge and skilled Director of Compliance who is deeply committed to our company’s values of honesty, accountability, fairness and humility. We expect you to embody these values in your work every day. All employees must walk the talk, but it is of particular importance in compliance, because your effectiveness in the role depends upon your evincing the very values that you seek to uphold in your work for us.\nThere is much more to say, of course, and I will do so in forthcoming columns. For now, your assignment is to:\n• Go to the home page of your company’s website\n• Make sure your company’s values statement is easily found there\n• Review your job descriptions and begin discussing how you can incorporate references to your company’s values in those notices\nIf you choose not to do any or all of these things, you will increase the risk of having a Ronny L. Jackson fiasco on your hands. That mess will hard to clean up, but you can prevent it from happening if you have the will to do so.\nGet to work!", "Amid the fallout over the revelation that a political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, obtained personal data from more than 50 million Facebook users without their permission, Facebook and some of its executives objected to the use of the phrase “data breach” to describe the controversy. Nicholas Thompson, a CBS News contributor and editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, said on CBSN on Monday that Facebook was “very upset” about the use of the word “breach” in a headline in the British newspaper the Guardian, which first broke the story over the weekend.\nThe newspaper has continued to refer to the incident as a breach in subsequent stories. Their reporting exposed how Facebook users’ data was initially obtained through an app that collected information on people who took a personality quiz and all their Facebook friends, supposedly for academic research purposes only. The data was then provided to Cambridge Analytica, which helped the Trump campaign during the 2016 Republican primaries.\n- Advertisement -\nFacebook Vice President Andrew Bosworth defended the company Saturday morning and denied that any “data breach” took place.\n“This was unequivocally not a data breach,” Bosworth said. “People chose to share their data with third party apps and if those third party apps did not follow the data agreements with us/users it is a violation. no systems were infiltrated, no passwords or information were stolen or hacked.”\nThis was unequivocally not a data breach. People chose to share their data with third party apps and if those third party apps did not follow the data agreements with us/users it is a violation. no systems were infiltrated, no passwords or information were stolen or hacked. — Boz (@boztank) March 17, 2018\nReporter April Glaser with the online magazine Slate posted to Twitter screenshots of tweets from Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos also taking issue with the phrase. The tweets appear to have since been deleted from Stamos’ page.\n“The recent Cambridge Analytica stories by the NY Times and The Guardian are important and powerful, but it is incorrect to call this a ‘breach’ under any reasonable definition of the term,” Stamos says in one screenshot. “We can condemn this behavior while being accurate in our description of it.”\nHere are @alexstamos now deleted tweets on the app Cambridge Analytica used to harvest millions of Facebook users’ data. pic.twitter.com/jPwRHUyW1w — april glaser (@aprilaser) March 17, 2018\nCambridge Analytica has denied any wrongdoing.\nMeanwhile, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, called the controversy a “major breach that must be investigated” and has called on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.\nFacebook breach: This is a major breach that must be investigated. It’s clear these platforms can’t police themselves. I’ve called for more transparency & accountability for online political ads. They say “trust us.” Mark Zuckerberg needs to testify before Senate Judiciary. — Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) March 17, 2018\nThompson told CBSN’s Vladimir Duthiers and Anne-Marie Green on Monday that the word “breach” has a specific meaning in the tech community.\n“‘Breach’ is a word in the tech community that means they cracked the protections, right? You got over the moat and you got in through the door,” Thompson said.\n“Facebook, a company of engineers, [is] really proud that hasn’t happened at Facebook, so if you say data is breached, to Facebook it’s like, ‘Oh my God, that’s the most offensive thing you can say.’ To the rest of the world, it’s like, ‘Of course this is a breach!’ Right? ‘They got the data! We didn’t think they had our data!’ It’s just a difference in how you define the word ‘breach.'”\nThompson said the “nefarious action” was done by the developers of the app that initially obtained the personal data.\n“The app developers took Facebook data, which we kind of know exists and kind of know it should be shared, and we kind of know that people get access to our friend lists, like, we’re sort of OK with that,” he said.\n“It’s the step between the app developers getting all that stuff and sending it to Cambridge Analytica – that’s really bad – then there’s Cambridge Analytica using it in a way to try to manipulate us and create fake news, and that’s really bad. So you’ve got kind of really bad things happening on top of really bad things but happening on top of, I don’t know, sort of expected things.”", "California: Uber Technologies Inc is talking with Alphabet Inc`s autonomous driving unit Waymo about using its technology on Uber`s ride-hailing app, Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said on Wednesday, signaling a possible thaw in relations between the firms.\nKhosrowshahi said on stage at the Code Conference that Uber`s relationship with Waymo was \"getting better\" since Uber in February agreed to pay Waymo $245 million in shares to settle a legal dispute over trade secrets.\n\"We`re having discussions with Waymo. If something happens, great. If not, we can live with that, too,\" Khosrowshahi said.\nWaymo is an \"incredible technology provider\" and having it on Uber`s network would be a good thing, he added.\nWaymo declined to comment. It has, though, proceeded with plans to operate without Uber`s help, developing a fleet of cars that it said has self-driven 6 million miles on public roads.\nIn a lawsuit filed last year, Waymo said that one of its former engineers who became chief of Uber`s self-driving car project took with him thousands of confidential documents. The lawsuit cost Uber both time and money in its self-driving car development.\nKhosrowshahi said he believes the technology behind autonomous driving will be shared, and that any company such as Waymo that wants to lead the sector will need to partner with Uber because of Uber`s network of smartphone users.\nWaymo plans to roll out an app-based service this year offering rides to passengers in a fully self-driving Waymo car with no driver. It also has a partnership with Lyft Inc, a rival of Uber.\nUber plans to restart its own self-driving car operation in the coming months, Khosrowshahi said. The company shut down testing in Arizona this month after a fatal crash involving one of its vehicles.\n\"We will get back on the road over the summer,\" he said, adding that the fatal episode eventually \"is going to make us a better company\".", "ZoZo Go LLC\nAfter 36 months of living with the Tesla Model S, would I recommend it to family and friends?\nYou bet. Driving the car has delivered many unexpected joys. I discovered some flaws along the way, too.\nLet's get the imperfections out of the way right up front.\n• Door Handle. Tesla door handles extend out automatically when you approach the car. One of mine stopped working 22 months into ownership. I called Tesla to report this issue. The next morning a Tesla mechanic in a giant Mercedes work van showed up with tools, replaced the part and was gone within an hour. No charges. And no issues with any handles since.\n• Bluetooth. The bluetooth connection randomly conks out every ten weeks or so. As a result, many operations that go through the center screen interface are simply not available. Maps, phone, audio, internet searches all go offline.\nThe first time this happened, I called the Tesla 800 number and they walked me through the simple fix. I did the re-set by pressing my thumbs on toggles on the steering wheel for about 45 seconds, just as you might restart your computer.\nTesla phone reps were professional and matter-of-fact about re-booting the system. However, I feel that Tesla should have warned me about possible bluetooth connection instability when I first took delivery of the vehicle. Fortunately, even though the \"system breakdown\" disconnects many car-internet services, the car remains safe for driving.\n• Autopilot. The Tesla Autopilot is impressive, even thrilling. But the current system is far away from automatic driving. Tesla's own Autopilot engagement protocol essentially confirms this. When I turn on the Autopilot system - two quick finger pulls on a short stalk on the left side of the steering wheel - a notice appears on the instrument panel screen instructing me to keep my hands on the wheel. And second line of text instructs me to be prepared to take over the wheel at any time.\nThe Model S on Autopilot manages highway traffic admirably -- provided that you remain in your own lane. The car stays exactly at the center of its lane and a certain fixed distance behind the car ahead even as speeds change up and down.\nThe Autopilot system also changes lanes at a flick of the turn signal. It is an unforgettable moment the first time you witness your own car smoothly changing lanes at 80 mph and then locking onto to a center stance in the new lane. Wow.\nWhere things can get dicey however, is in the right hand of a highway. When cars merge onto the highway from the onramp, Tesla on Autopilot has little or no ability to anticipate when and where those cars will want to merge into the lane. Instead, my Model S continues straight ahead, seemingly oblivious to the merging traffic. La de da...\nTherefore, I stay out of right lanes on highways. Also, the Autopilot cannot (yet) handle red lights and stop signs. So, at this point, you are really talking about highway driving only.\n• Charging. I would be less than truthful if I said that charging was care-free and utterly convenient. It is not. Think about charging your mobile phone. It requires mindfulness and management. With the Tesla - any electric car - you need to adjust your mindset from \"filling up\" on gas to regularly topping up battery power. Like with phones, the ideal is to keep energy levels between 20 and 80 percent.\nAt home, charging the battery from low to full takes about seven hours. But what if I forget to charge overnight? Well, there are no quick fixes. Once I was invited on short notice to a family party that was just out of range of the battery level. I simply could not drive to the event.\nThat exhausts my criticism of the Model S.\nNow here is my greater challenge: Share with you why I'm so delighted with the Model S - without sounding like a commercial for Tesla. Let's give it a shot. I'll make the comments brief.\nDesign. This is entirely subjective, I know, but the Model S is a gorgeous-looking vehicle. I've had so many people comment on its beauty (and show me, please, any car owner who is averse to flattery).\nQuickness. You step on the accelerator and you go. Fast. No delay, no hitch, no engine revving. No coursing through the gears. Just pure, direct speed.\nQuiet. Before ordering the Model S, I took three test drives. What struck me most was the utter quiet of this large and powerful machine. You get \"powered on\" by putting your foot on the brake and flicking the column stalk into gear. Done. You walk away from your car by stopping and setting the stalk back to park. No keys. No ignition. Simple.\nSpace. Our three pre-teen children have plenty of leg and head room in the back seat. The rear seats two adults comfortably with ample elbow room. The trunk plus the frunk (front trunk) combine to offer remarkable space for suitcases and sports equipment, both.\nNo Pumping. No need to go to the gas station, fumble around for the credit card, lug the heavy nozzle and pump gas. I do my charging at home, using the Tesla App to set the charge time for off-peak hours when the electricity rates are lowest.\nDollar Perks: I received thousands of dollars in cash back thanks to California's rebates for electric vehicles. As an electric vehicle driver, I also get free access to High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lanes even when I am traveling alone. How to measure the immense relief that comes from averting traffic jams?\nBye Bye Oil Changes. No oil changes. No oil filter changes. No oil leaks on the garage floor. I bring the Model S into the service station once a year for annual inspection. These visits can take 1-2 days during which time Tesla has loaned me a new Model X to test drive. Feel good points go way up.\nSuperchargers. I have driven the Model S from San Diego to San Francisco and back (about 500 miles) about 11 times during the past three years. The trip is made possible thanks to Tesla's network of Supercharger stations that allow me to get a full charge in about 30 minutes. Tesla co-locates its Supercharger stations with malls and hotels so that you can walk nearby for a meal or a coffee break. What makes the experience even better is that fast-charging is free for people like me who acquired their Teslas before 2018.\nSpouse Factor. You know you have a winner when your spouse loves the car, too -- maybe even more than you do.\nMy next vehicle will be a Tesla. It would be hard to point to one single feature that keeps me liking Tesla. It is more about the overall feel, comparable to my first experiences with an iPhone so many years ago. As my father Jim Dunne, automotive journalist and notorious car spy, put it during a recent ride in my Model S. \"This vehicle is in a different class from everything else on the road.\"\nYes, that's it, exactly.", "MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — Facebook will soon rely on centuries-old technology to try to prevent foreign meddling in U.S. elections: the post office.\nBaffled in 2016 by Russian agents who bought ads to sway the U.S. presidential campaign, Facebook’s global politics and government outreach director, Katie Harbath, told a meeting of the National Association of Secretaries of State in Washington on Saturday that the company would send postcards to potential buyers of political ads to confirm they reside in the U.S.\nThe recipient would then have to enter a code in Facebook to continue buying the ad. The method will first apply to ads that name candidates ahead of the midterm elections in November, said Facebook spokesman Andy Stone.\nThe plan was unveiled a day after special counsel Robert Mueller charged 13 Russians with interfering in the presidential election. Mueller’s indictment described how Russian agents stole social security numbers and other information from real Americans and used them to create bank and PayPal accounts in order to buy online ads. Agents also recruited Americans to do things such as hold up signs at rallies organized to create content for Russian-created social media posts.\nFacebook uncovered some 3,000 Russian-linked ads on Facebook and Instagram bought before and after the November 2016 election that it says may have been seen by as many as 150 million users. But ads were only part of the problem, as the Mueller indictments say that Russian agents also set up fake pages with names such as “Secured Borders,” ″Blacktivist” and “United Muslims of America” that had hundreds of thousands of followers.\nFacebook did not say how the new postcard method of verification would prevent foreign agents from setting up local mailing addresses and hiring people in the U.S. to check them. But Stone said the method was “one piece of a much larger effort to address foreign electoral influence on our platform.”\nFacebook’s efforts largely center around verifying people on the platform are who they say they are. To catch duplicitous ad-buyers, for instance, it is now testing out in Canada a system that allows people to see which ads are being bought by a Facebook page — say, a candidate’s — even if the person checking the ad is not in the group to whom the ad was intended to be shown.\nStone said Facebook was also able to detect and remove “tens of thousands” of fake Facebook pages in advance of French, German and British elections last year using improved machine learning techniques.\nThe company has said it would double the number of people working on its safety and security team to 20,000 this year and add 1,000 people to review advertising content.", "Snap's CEO takes shots at Facebook for security, says he's happy for 'wake-up call' on culture\nRANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. — The co-founder of Snap, Inc., which has been struggling through a controversial app update and poor performance as a public company, threw some digs at larger rival Facebook while saying he appreciated the \"wake-up call\" from a former female engineer who blasted the company for a toxic corporate culture.\n\"If you design something so simple and elegant that the only thing people can do is copy it, as a designer that is the most fantastic thing in the world,\" said Evan Spiegel, the CEO of Snap, Inc. at the Code conference here.\n\"We would appreciate it if they would copy our data protection, as well,\" he said, an apparent reference to Facebook's Cambridge Analytica data scandal.\nSnap, Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel speaks at the Code conference (Photo: Jefferson Graham)\nAt the conference, Spiegel was asked to respond to a recent report by news outlet Cheddar of a former female engineer who quit Snap in 2017 and sent a letter to employees complaining of a \"toxic,\" male- dominated culture, such as top executives making penis enlargement jokes and all-male push-up contests in the office.\nSpiegel said the letter was a \"wake-up\" call.\n\"We need to do even more, and do it even faster,\" to change the company culture, he said, adding that Snap hired external consultants to study the firm and show Snap where it needed to improve.\n\"We're proud of the progress we've made in the last 6 months,\" he said.\nSnap has resisted publicly releasing its diversity numbers, a preliminary step now made by most tech companies to hiring and retaining more women and people of color, who represent few of the tech industry's leadership and technical staff. Since before its IPO, Snap had come under fire for racist filters, the augmented reality features users of the app add to their posts.\nFacebook repeats apologies\nFacebook COO Sheryl Sandberg speaks at the Code conference (Photo: Jefferson Graham)\nFacebook COO Sheryl Sandberg also spoke late Tuesday at the conference, an annual gathering of tech CEOs and insiders.\nSandberg repeated apologies for allowing the data of an estimated 87 million people to be harvested by political ad targeting firm Cambridge Analytica and vulnerabilities that allowed Russian manipulators to pose as authentic users to try to sway voters during the 2016 election.\nIt was a tale of two social media companies, one the biggest and most profitable, but under fire from lawmakers that it hasn't done enough to protect its users' data. One of its most vocal critics, Virginia Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat, is scheduled to speak at the same conference Wednesday.\nOn stage, Sandberg and chief technology officer Mike Schroepfer avoided the harder questions posed by Recode's Kara Swisher and Peter Kafka, such as why anyone wasn't fired at Facebook in response to the scandals. Their answers all ended up with different variations of apologies.\n\"We know it's an arms race,\" said Sandberg. \"We need to protect people using our platform.\"\nShe did add that the most important thing Facebook has done on improving the News Feed, which has been a massive source of faked news, is \"eat away\" at click bait, and focus more on friends and family and less on video, she said.\nIn the coming months, Facebook wants to prioritize local news, \"and make sure people see local news in their news feed.\"\nOnline, Facebook's chief security officer Alex Stamos didn't let Spiegel's jibes go unchecked.\nHe tweeted that \"Snapchat’s implicit promise that photos really disappear combined with poor API security has lead to serious mass leaks of revenge porn. So no, I don’t think copying Snapchat would be a smart move.\"\nA vulnerability in Snapchat's systems allowed hackers to access data on 4.6 million users in 2014.\nSnapchat’s implicit promise that photos really disappear combined with poor API security has lead to serious mass leaks of revenge porn. So no, I don’t think copying Snapchat would be a smart move.https://t.co/FSfTA8ry5A — Alex Stamos (@alexstamos) May 30, 2018\nFollow USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.\nRead or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2J1HDGi" ]

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[ "Lol you are in for a surprise, where do you think the US learned it’s racist issues", "How I coped with loneliness", "I don’t think anyone thinks our military fights for our freedom of speech.... If you think that you are probably a retard.", "...and why do you think they had to strengthen the laws against incest? Because it WASN'T an issue?", "I think one of our issues is that a lot of ppl think this is already how it works", "How often do you think that happens?", "I think Reddit is a travesty to free speech and think free speech should be open online as much as possible, including gore.", "How tf do you think of this in the shower", "How do you think 2020 got this way?", "I don't think that's how those kinds of mental health issues work..........", "Learning healthy coping skills and how to cook.", "How do you think a blind person would read this?", "It's free speech when the person hearing it agrees and hate speech when they do not.", "How do you think I got my username?", "Are you suggesting forbiding free speech will do better to protect the truth?", "I think the real question is how do you know that?", "They try to love you but they can’t. They think they do but they don’t know how.", "How many amish people do you think have reddit", "If you’re in college, you’re probably not as broke as you think you are.", "It always has been. How do you think you were conceived?", "How many 3 year olds do you think are on here?", "Freedom of speech. People are starting to think that if literally a single person is offended, hurt, etc. by what someone says it becomes hate speech", "The issue is not bringing the child. The issue is not teaching the child how to behave.", "Human flesh....\n\nHow do you think I ended up getting sent there.", "Question is: How does a man cope with a woman's low libido?", "How the fuck do you think they're gonna type without arms?", "I think the moral of the story is you have issues with women and grammar.", "Why are you assuming that I cope?", "You didn't hear this from me. But apparently these FOOLS think parents do it. How dumb is that? How can parents even do that??", "How can you not be annoyed by twinks/fairies/feminine guys voices? I have no issue with whatever you wanna do but some peoples voices are just obnoxious.", "freedom of speech- the government can't punish you for your opinion of the state\n\n&amp;#x200B;\n\nfreedom of tought- think what you want", "What the hell do you think? Whats next rape victims how do you feel about rapists?" ]

[ "Please enable Javascript to watch this video\nSALT LAKE CITY -- The website MormonLeaks released the results of its own investigation into investments controlled by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, showing more than $32 billion held in 13 separate funds.\nFox 13 confirmed the numbers from the MormonLeaks report, but did not include one of the investment funds because it hasn't filed forms with the SEC in two years, suggesting the fund may no longer be active.\nThe LDS Church press office referred Fox 13 to a statement and a series of questions and answers posted on the church's official press website, mormonnewsroom.org.\nPart of the statement, from Presiding Bishop Gerald Causse, talks about the similarity between the LDS approach to church-wide finances and their teaching about family budgets. In each they emphasize saving and building wealth for the future.\n\"In addition to food and emergency supplies, the Church also sets aside funds each year for future needs. These funds are added to Church reserves, which include stocks and bonds, taxable businesses, agricultural interests and commercial and residential property,\" Causse said in the published statement.\nMormonLeaks linked the investment funds to the church by finding a number of internet domain names owned by Intellectual Reserve, the LDS Church's intellectual property arm.\nMormonLeaks also said they also used an old church employee directory and found the names of the registered business managers in the federal filings were the same as names of employees of the LDS Church who served in finance-related positions.\nFox 13 was able to confirm the federal filings and internet domain names, but did not have access to an employee directory.\nIt's hard to compare finances of different churches because their governing structures and levels of transparency differ widely, but some publicly disclosed investment amounts provide perspective.\nIn 2012, the Vatican bank disclosed assets amounting to about $7.5 billion.\nThe largest protestant denomination in the United States, the Southern Baptist Convention, provides a public financial report that includes cash and investments totaling just over $20 million.\nBoth the Southern Baptists and Catholic Church have far larger annual operating revenue than the LDS Church, but the cash tends to flow through without an emphasis on investment.\nThe Southern Baptist Convention is non-hierarchical affiliation of churches sharing beliefs, but governed locally with churches operating on separate budgets.\nThe Catholic Church is hierarchical and may be the wealthiest organization in the world in terms of property ownership, but it also venerates the poor and views wealth cautiously as a potential stumbling block." ]

[ "CAIRO: Egypt’s central bank on Wednesday removed limits on international currency transfers, scrapping a $100,000 monthly limit on individual bank transactions in a long-awaited reform intended to lure back badly needed foreign investment.\nEgypt put in place strict controls on the movement of foreign currency after its 2011 political uprising in an effort to limit the flight of capital.\nAs part of a three-year $12 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) lending program that began late last year, Egypt is obliged to end these controls, which still include a $50,000 per month deposit cap for importers of non-priority goods.\n“This decision comes as the central bank continues to take steps in the framework of economic reform which it began to implement last year and in order to strengthen confidence in the Egyptian economy,” a central bank statement said.\n“The lifting of controls also contributes to attracting more foreign investment inflows and deposits from Egyptians abroad, given their ability to re-transfer them outside the country without any restrictions,” it said.\nThe controls were imposed to crush a black market for dollars that had sucked foreign currency out of the formal banking system.\nEgypt let its currency float freely in November when it agreed to the IMF program and has seen it halve in value since effectively ending the black market for dollars.\nThe central bank statement did not comment on the status of the $50,000 deposit cap for some importers.\nCAIRO: Egypt’s central bank on Wednesday removed limits on international currency transfers, scrapping a $100,000 monthly limit on individual bank transactions in a long-awaited reform intended to lure back badly needed foreign investment.\nEgypt put in place strict controls on the movement of foreign currency after its 2011 political uprising in an effort to limit the flight of capital.\nAs part of a three-year $12 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) lending program that began late last year, Egypt is obliged to end these controls, which still include a $50,000 per month deposit cap for importers of non-priority goods.\n“This decision comes as the central bank continues to take steps in the framework of economic reform which it began to implement last year and in order to strengthen confidence in the Egyptian economy,” a central bank statement said.\n“The lifting of controls also contributes to attracting more foreign investment inflows and deposits from Egyptians abroad, given their ability to re-transfer them outside the country without any restrictions,” it said.\nThe controls were imposed to crush a black market for dollars that had sucked foreign currency out of the formal banking system.\nEgypt let its currency float freely in November when it agreed to the IMF program and has seen it halve in value since effectively ending the black market for dollars.\nThe central bank statement did not comment on the status of the $50,000 deposit cap for some importers.", "Didi Chuxing, the rideshare giant that drove Uber out of China, is turning its attention to Mexico in a bid to gain a foothold on North American soil. The move marks Didi’s first attempt at international expansion.\nThe company has already met with Mexican trade and investment officials, and is in the process of recruiting drivers, with the intent of launching its service by spring of 2018.\nIn China, Didi and Uber waged a hard-fought battle for several years, as Uber launched in several dozen Chinese markets and tried to out-spend Didi — and reportedly lost nearly $2 billion in the process. After a billion-dollar cash injection from Apple, however, Didi took control of Uber’s Chinese operations, effectively ending the competition. As part of the deal, Uber gained a one-fifth share of Didi, while Didi invested a billion dollars in Uber.\nThe close-knit relationship-slash-rivalry also stands to become further intertwined with Softbank investing in both, but that doesn’t appear to be enough for Didi to stop in its attempt to expand into new territories currently dominated by Uber. Earlier this year, Didi raised over $5.5 billion in funding with an eye toward global expansion. So far, that expansion has included investing in fellow Uber competitors including Lyft and operations in Brazil, India, Singapore, and the Middle East.\nEstablishing direct competition against Uber in Mexico is a distinct elevation in the battle, and the stakes for Uber are huge. Mexico City is Uber’s third strongest market, behind only Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.", "Venture capital (VC) is seldom provided at startup. Nearly all VC is provided after Aha – after the venture shows signs of potential. Entrepreneurs who get VC usually start with their own savings with help from family and friends, from crowd capital (CC) or from angel capital (AC). But most families struggle to invest. Over half of crowdfunding fails and those who succeed, do so “by a little”. And only about 10 percent of entrepreneurs are said to get angel capital.\nThis means that entrepreneurs need to know how to use the limited capital they get to grow till they can get VC, or develop a strategy to grow without VC.\nEntrepreneurs who get CC/ AC often assume they will get VC, and therefore develop a capital-intensive strategy. But history shows that only about 1-5 percent of those getting AC get VC (about 66,000 get AC each year and 3,000-4,000 get VC, but those getting VC have an average age of three – and assuming a range of 1-5). This means that 95-99 percent of those getting AC may not get VC.\nThe reasons why many of the ventures that get AC do not get VC are varied and can include\nFailure : Obviously, the risk of failure is high in new ventures and some ventures fail with CC and AC\n: Obviously, the risk of failure is high in new ventures and some ventures fail with CC and AC Lack of potential : VCs like to invest in ventures with proof of high potential and high-growth. Many of the ventures funded by angels may not have the potential to become big, or don’t achieve their potential\n: VCs like to invest in ventures with proof of high potential and high-growth. Many of the ventures funded by angels may not have the potential to become big, or don’t achieve their potential Unattractive industry : VCs focus on emerging, high-potential industries.\n: VCs focus on emerging, high-potential industries. Unattractive location : Most of the successful VCs are in Silicon Valley and most of their successful investments are in Silicon Valley. If you are outside, you may not attract VC\n: Most of the successful VCs are in Silicon Valley and most of their successful investments are in Silicon Valley. If you are outside, you may not attract VC Inability to dominate the industry : VCs like ventures that have the potential to dominate the industry they enter.\nThe best reason for not getting VC is because the entrepreneur does not need VC and can grow without it. This group, i.e., those who grew to over $1 billion without VC, includes Chipotle (Steve Ells), Dell (Michael Dell), and Under Armour (Kevin Plank). Some entrepreneurs don’t seek VC because they cannot agree to the investors’ terms, including dilution and loss of control. And they learn to grow without VC.\nOther reasons why entrepreneurs should learn to grow with CC/ AC and without VC include:\nTo reduce dilution : By delaying VC, entrepreneurs reduce dilution.\n: By delaying VC, entrepreneurs reduce dilution. To stay in control : By reaching leadership-Aha without VC, entrepreneurs prove the potential of their venture and their own leadership skills (like Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates), and stay in control of their venture, further reducing dilution and maintaining leadership.\nSo what should you do?\nAssume that the CC/ AC you get is all the capital you will get and adjust the business to grow without capital. If you can continue to grow without VC, you control the venture and the wealth it creates\nAssess your competition. If your direct competitors have VC, you may need it too. In my study of billion-dollar, and hundred-million-dollar, entrepreneurs, all of those who had direct competitors with VC got it also.\nCan you build high-growth ventures without VC? Since about 90 percent of billion-dollar entrepreneurs outside Silicon Valley did so, the answer is yes. And in Silicon Valley, about 80 percent delayed getting VC by using CC/AC judiciously. These billion-dollar entrepreneurs learned to use the meager resources they had for maximum advantage -- and dominated their industries. Even VCs like entrepreneurs who know how to dominate their high-potential industries without wasting money.", "BEIJING - China will further tighten controls on individuals' foreign currency purchases to try to curb massive capital flight from the country as the yuan falls sharply against the dollar.\nIndividuals wishing to convert yuan to foreign currencies will now have to provide more detailed information to their bank, including an explanation of the funds concerned in addition to their identity papers, said the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE). Each year individuals can convert up to the equivalent of $50,000, a maximum sum that will not change, it said on its website.\nThe tighter controls are aimed at preventing attempts to circumvent this quota. The idea is to \"combat illegal transactions, money-laundering and clandestine banks\", the agency said, vowing to multiply random checks and toughen its sanctions.\nBanks must verify the authenticity of the information provided. In addition, from July, financial institutions will have to report to the central bank any international transfer exceeding 200,000 yuan ($28,800), in order to fight laundering, the central bank announced Friday.\nThe tighter controls are part of an array of measures taken by the Communist government to curb huge capital outflows. The equivalent of about one trillion dollars was transferred out of China in 2015 and another $690 billion in the first ten months of 2016, according to Bloomberg Intelligence estimates.\nSlower growth in China, the weakness of the yuan and the recent rise in US interest rates are encouraging savers to invest their money in other currencies. The yuan is at its lowest in eight years against the dollar and the outflows are putting further pressure on the currency. Authorities are trying to support it by buying yuan, drawing on China's foreign exchange reserves which fell by nearly $70 billion in November.\nFoxconn invests $8b in China LCD plant\nTaiwan tech-giant Foxconn plans to build an $8.8-billion factory in China, state media said, amid reports its billionaire boss is cooling off on future US investments.\nFoxconn, a major Apple supplier, will spend the vast sum on an industrial complex in the sprawling southern city of Guangzhou. The factory will make large-screen liquid crystal displays (LCD), the firm said at an event in the Chinese city on Friday. It will be operational by 2019.\n\"We have in China a government that knows how to be efficient and supports new technology,\" said Foxconn president Terry Gou in an interview with China's 21st Century Business. \"As to whether we'll invest in the US in the future I've no idea. As a matter of fact, the new administration isn't in office and its new policies aren't in place,\" Gou added.\nFoxconn employs around a million workers at its factories across China and has operations in more than 10 countries. In the US, it has a plant in Virginia for packaging and engineering which employs over 400 people.\nEarlier this month Foxconn confirmed it was in talks over a new US investment, while Japanese telecoms giant SoftBank shares soared after President-elect Donald Trump unveiled a $50 billion deal with the two firms.\nTrump announced the agreement -- which he said would bring 50,000 jobs -- in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York. Gou said he would only divulge details after discussions with relevant US authorities, but made no mention of it during the factory announcement Friday. The Guangzhou plant will be jointly run by Foxconn and Japan electronics firm Sharp, which Foxconn has a 66 percent stake in.", "Boner Candidate #1: TURNS OUT ‘FEARLESS GIRL’ IS REALLY ‘UNDERPAID GIRL.’\nThe firm that commissioned the popular “Fearless Girl” statue in New York’s financial district has agreed to pay $5 million, mostly to settle claims that it discriminated against 305 top female employees by paying them less than men in the same positions. In the agreement, officials at the United States Department of Labor also allege that the firm, State Street Corporation, discriminated against 15 of its black vice presidents by paying them less than white employees in the same positions. State Street, a financial services firm, denies the allegations, according to the agreement. Still, the filing says that the firm has agreed to pay about $4.5 million in back pay and about $500,000 in interest into a settlement fund for the affected employees.\nRead More\nBoner Candidate #2: IT’S NOT FUNNY WHEN A FEMALE, OR A MALE, IS RACIST LIKE THAT.\nThe sports reporter Cam Newton patronized during a press conference Wednesday is now apologizing for racist tweets she made a few years back. Jourdan Rodrigue, who covers the Carolina Panthers for the Charlotte Observer, asked Newton: “I know you take a lot of pride in seeing your receivers play well. Devin Funchess has seemed to really embrace the physicality of his routes and getting those extra yards. Does that give you a little bit of enjoyment to see him truck-sticking people?” Newton seemed surprised a woman might actually know something about the game. “It’s funny to hear a female talk about routes like that,” he said. “It’s funny.” Various other sportswriters came to Rodrigue’s defense. So did Dannon yogurt, which dropped Newton as a spokesman on Thursday. Read More\nBoner Candidate #3: WELL, IT’S NOT BLACKFACE; IT’S JUST BROWNFACE.\nA student comedy troupe at Brigham Young University has cut a sketch — a parody of Disney’s “Moana” and the LDS camp classic “Johnny Lingo” — from an upcoming production after complaints from members of Utah’s Pacific Islander community that it was offensive. “They didn’t know the extent to which that would offend that population,” said George Nelson, a theater professor at BYU and faculty adviser to the student group, BYU’s Divine Comedy. BYU is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The sketch, “Moana You Ugly,” combined music from last year’s Disney hit and ideas from the 1969 LDS Church-produced short “Johnny Lingo.” The short film, once a staple of LDS lessons but now regarded as comically out-of-date, tells of a Polynesian woman, Mahana, who is deemed ugly and unmarriageable by her elders — until a trader offers the exorbitant sum of eight cows for her hand, thus raising her self-worth. Read More Take Our Poll", "Joseph N. DiStefano writes about Philadelphia-area enterprise, and the people and money that make it go.\nMayor Kenney is applauded by fellow politicians and city workers March 1 as he presents his 2018 budget, including a property tax hike. The city’s big bet on U.S. stocks helped its retirement investments last year, but pension funding will still consume 15 percent of the city budget. Pennsylvania public school teachers’ separate pension plan missed out on U.S. stock gains and earned lower profits, forcing an increase in funding from Philadelphia, suburban, and upstate taxpayers.\nLast year’s rising stock market boosted public retirement plans, easing pressure on taxpayers who had been paying more each year since the early 2000s to keep the retirements funds from running low on cash.\nThe benchmark Standard & Poor’s index of the stock of 500 large U.S. companies rose 22 percent last year, a fat return on every dollar invested. Some foreign stock markets did even better.\nThe pension plans didn’t do that well, because they don’t own just stocks. They own bonds, the best of which keep their value in market crises, despite low returns. Big pension plans pump billions into buyout, hedge, venture capital, and real estate funds, whose managers grow rich on high fees, with mixed results for their investors.\nAfter paying costs and fees:\nThe $5 billion Philadelphia Board of City Pensions posted calendar-year 2017 returns of 15.4 percent\nThe $29 billion Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) was close behind, at 15.1 percent.\nThe $77 billion New Jersey Division of Investment clocked just under 15 percent.\nThe $55 billion Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) returned 12.3 percent, trailing the pack.\nWhy this matters to your wallet: The more a fund makes from its investments, the less it has to raise from taxpayers. SERS did well enough last year that it was able to reduce the surcharge it collects from the state on public worker pay for next year, to 32 cents on every $1 of state wages, down from 33 cents last year, after steady increases since the early 2000s. (Public workers pay smaller amounts through payroll deductions.)\nBut PSERS, which was less profitable, had to boost its yearly surcharge once again, to 33.4 cents per dollar, up from 32.6 cents. That charge is split by state taxpayers and school district property owners.\nWhy do pension returns vary? Philadelphia, last year’s top performer, had 30 percent of its $5 billion invested in U.S. stocks, its favorite investment category. SERS bet almost as much — 26 percent. By contrast, PSERS had just 7 percent in U.S. stocks; the plan invested more in foreign stocks, real estate, private-equity funds that buy small companies, junk bonds, and other high-rate debt, and hedge funds — most of which returned less than stocks, even after PSERS paid private investors nearly half a billion dollars in fees (plus additional manager profits).\nWhy is PSERS stock-shy? Since the 2008-09 financial crisis that briefly cut stock values by nearly half, PSERS has a policy “to reduce equity risk should another downturn occur,” spokeswoman Evelyn Williams told me.\nBy contrast, the Philadelphia plan, after ditching high-fee hedge funds two years ago due to poor performance, has focused more on U.S. stocks, and profited from the bull market, while it lasts.\nGov. Wolf, State Treasurer Joe Torsella, and other Democrats, and some Republicans, have argued that more public money ought to be invested in low-fee stock and bond index funds. Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania funds have in recent years emphasized low-fee indexed investments, managed by state employees or by private managers.\nA few of Pennsylvania’s county pension funds have gone further, firing most of their outside money managers and buying Vanguard Group index funds.\nHow’d that go? In Montgomery County, $530 million managed by Vanguard Group (almost 90 percent) and by Oaks-based SEI Corp. posted net returns estimated at 14.7 percent, slightly behind Philadelphia, SERS and PSERS.\nIn Western Pennsylvania, the $200 million Butler County Employees’ Retirement Plan, which fired private managers in 2009-10 and replaced them mostly with 13 different Vanguard Group index funds, reported 13.9 percent returns for the year, beating Pennsylvania teachers but trailing the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey funds by more than a percentage point.\nWhile Butler and Montgomery Counties are mostly in Vanguard index funds, their other investments diverged. Montco’s SEI funds last year outperformed the Vanguard funds, driving total returns higher. (In earlier years, the SEI funds, which include some “alternative investments,” trailed the Vanguard returns.)\nButler invested $22 million, close to 20 percent of its total, with a private New York investment manager called Twin Capital, founded by an ex-Pennsylvanian, Muhlenberg College grad David J. Simon. Twin Capital returns for 2017 trailed the S&P 500 and the Vanguard stock index funds, lowering Butler’s returns compared with what stock-index managers would have done.\nWhy bother with Twin Capital? Plan overseers believe the firm’s “low-volatility strategy” of owning big, stable stocks gives the fund “less exposure” to stock market losses, Butler County Controller Benjamin Holland told me. He questioned the wisdom of one-year comparisons: “They are useless! Even three years barely scratches the surface.”\nSo here are longer-term averaged annual returns, with top returns for each category in bold:\nPSERS: 3 years (from the start of 2015 through 2017), 6.9 percent; 5 years (2013-17), 7.6 percent; 10-years (2008-17), 4.2 percent\nSERS: 3 years, 7.2 percent; 5 years, 8.3 percent; 10 years, 4.1 percent\nNJDI: 3 years, 7.4 percent; 5 years, 8.7 percent; 10 years, 5.5 percent (the 10-year data is for fiscal year ended June 30)\nPhiladelphia: 3 years, 6.2 percent; 5 years, 7.5 percent; 10 years, 5.0 percent\nButler County: 3 years, 7.1 percent; 5 years, 9.2 percent; 10 year, 6.9 percent.\nMontgomery County: 3 years, 7.3 percent. (The county went all-index in 2014; I’ll add longer-term results when county officials produce them).\nAll these funds trailed the S&P 500, which yielded 11.4 percent over the last three years, 15.8 percent over the last five years, and 8.5 percent over the last 10 years, which includes the big 2008 drop.\nWhat difference does a percentage point or two make? A lot, when you’re a state investing billions for teachers, legislators, prison guards, and social workers.\nPlease enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.", "Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc. Announces that CSPA Group Inc. has Received an LOI for One Thousand Liters of Extraction per Month\nThe issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.\nLifestyle Delivery Systems Inc. Announces that CSPA Group Inc. has Received an LOI for One Thousand Liters of Extraction per Month\nVancouver, British Columbia, Canada, May 30, 2018, Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc. (CSE: LDS), (OTCQX: LDSYF), (Frankfurt: LD6, WKN: A14XHT) (\"LDS\" or the \"Company\") announces that its affiliate, CSPA Group, Inc. (\"CSPA\"), has received a Letter of Intent (the \"LOI\") to purchase one thousand liters per month of extracted distillate from cannabis oil.\nThe distillate produced under the LOI will not be in direct competition with any of the CSPA's products, and will allow CSPA to gradually build up its production volume to the required one thousand liters per month.\nIn order to accommodate the production level required by the recent orders, the Adelanto facility is currently in the process of increasing its extraction capabilities to over 800 liters of extracted material per month. These equipment modifications are expected to be completed in the next three weeks. To accommodate the volume requirements anticipated under the LOI, the Company ordered additional equipment for installation within the Adelanto Facility. In addition to equipment modifications at the Adelanto facility, the Company plans to also expand the current square footage of the facility by approximately 2,400 sq. ft. CSPA Group intends to increase its production capability to over 3,000 liters of extracted material per month.\nBrad Eckenweiler, the CEO of LDS, stated, \"These equipment and facility modifications are required to fulfill current orders, as well as anticipated future orders for extracted cannabis material from licensed white label manufacturers and wholesale market distributors. This LOI at wholesale prices represents between six and seven million dollars in revenue per month for CSPA Group\". The Company believes that it is uniquely positioned in the market to be a significant wholesale/white label provider. The Company has the necessary extraction expertise and, with increased production capabilities, will be able to supply those wholesale or white label customers that are not in direct competition with the Company. The Company will continue to update its shareholders on its progress as information becomes available.About Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.\nLifestyle Delivery Systems Inc. is a licensed, state-compliant, vertically integrated cannabis-related company. From our isogenic pollination nursery to our cutting edge, state-of-the-art production facility located in Southern California, LDS has become one of the most diverse, innovative and scientifically based cannabis companies throughout North America. The Company's technology produces infused strips (similar to breath strips) that are not only a safer, healthier option to smoking but also a new way to accurately meter the dosage and assure the purity of the product. From start to finish, the production process tests for quality and composition of all the ingredients used in each and every strip, resulting in a delivery system that is safe, consistent and effective.\nOn behalf of the board of directors of Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.\nBrad Eckenweiler\nCEO & Director\nLifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.\nSuite 820, 1130 W. Pender St.\nVancouver BC, V6E 4A4\nT: +1 (866) 347-5058 F: +1 (604) 648-0517\nCSE : LDS\nOTCQB : LDSYF\nFrankfurt: LD6, WKN: A14XHT\nwww.lifestyledeliverysystem.com\nFOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:investor.relations@lifestyledeliverysystem.com\n1-866-347-5058\nCautionary Disclaimer Statement:\nThe Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.\nInformation set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. In addition, marijuana remains a Schedule I drug under the United States Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Although Congress has prohibited the US Justice Department from spending federal funds to interfere with the implementation of state medical marijuana laws, this prohibition must be renewed each year to remain in effect. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.\n30.05.2018 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de\n690989 30.05.2018\nSHARE THIS POST EMAIL COPY LINK", "One of the most important macro stories of the last 15 months has been the dramatic decline in the U.S. dollar. This has helped spur international equity indexes that package foreign currency returns on top of the equity investments.\nBloomberg Dollar Spot Index\nWhen looking at historical factors that drive currency movements, interest rate differentials are important, and the recent environment has been one in which the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) has been hiking interest rates, while the major developed market central banks in Europe and Japan have kept short-term rates in negative territory. This makes the collapse of the dollar all the more interesting and perhaps surprising.\nThe best explanation for what has been happening, in our view, is really politically motivated uncertainty around whether U.S. policy actions were going to favor a weaker dollar environment with reduced capital flows and investments into the U.S.\nThe changing of the guard in the White House, with the departure of Gary Cohn as Trump’s primary economic advisor and the insertion of Larry Kudlow, may be ushering in a very important strategic change in the currency markets and sentiment. In February, Kudlow and fellow authors Stephen Moore and Art Laffer authored the following story:\nSome excerpts from Kudlow’s article:\n“The Trump Administration and the Republicans in Congress have passed one of the best pro-growth tax bills ever. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ranks in the all-time hall of fame of legislation, along with Ronald Reagan’s 1981 and 1986 Tax Acts and John F. Kennedy’s posthumous tax cuts of 1964. …”\n“When this is combined with President Donald Trump’s deregulation agenda, we see no reason why the economy cannot grow for a sustained period at 3 to 4 percent growth—up from 1.6 percent in Obama’s last year. But there is still a missing pillar of prosperity in the Trump economic agenda, and that is a sound dollar strategy.”\n“The dollar weakened in 2017 and we want it stabilized. …”\n“… under Reagan the U.S. dollar increased by 67 percent in value on foreign exchange markets through 1985. The price of gold, interest rates, and inflation all fell as well from double-digit inflationary highs, while the American economy reignited and the stock market launched its 18 year bull market.”\n“Or, go back further in time. In May of 1962, President Kennedy’s Revenue Act was passed and he reaffirmed that the U.S. dollar was as good as gold—thus launching the incredible boom called the ‘Go-Go Sixties’. 1”\nA change in tone from the White House economic team that welcomes a strong dollar environment could challenge those in the international investing world, many of whom are exposed to foreign currency risk when sending their international investments overseas.\nIn 2017, the ETF industry saw more than $460 billion in ETF flows—$160 billion of that went to international equities, approximately $120 billion into the developed world and $40 billion into emerging markets. All of these ETF flows went into strategies that package currency risk on top of the foreign equities—as there was net $2.5 billion in outflows from international equity ETFs that hedge currency risk to focus on the international equity component of the returns. 2\nDon’t Bet on Currencies\nWisdomTree was the first ETF issuer to advocate that currency risk has no expected return—sometimes the dollar weakens (as it has over last 15 months) and sometimes the dollar strengthens, but investors often have no idea which direction the dollar is going to move. Many investors believe the discussion to mitigate currency from the table by hedging is an “active call,” but from a pure exposure perspective, unhedged strategies have two levels of exposure (stock plus currency) and are actually making an active directional call. Hedging tries to remove any directional calls from the equation.\nWisdomTree believes currency adds to expected risk in broad international settings and for most markets. Japan is an outlier over the last 20 years. Its currency and equities were so negatively correlated that yen weakness was almost a necessity for positive equity returns, but because the yen and Japanese stocks moved in different directions, the yen was a “dampener” in volatility—a weak yen ate away at the returns when the market was going up, and a strong yen cushioned declines in stocks as the rising yen often was a catalyst for falling stocks.\nWe have tried to make investors more aware of the currency bets embedded in their unhedged strategies and that hedging helps investors move to being net neutral and more indifferent to currency movements.\nWith Kudlow, a strong advocate for a stable and strong U.S. dollar, entering the White House, now would be a good time to review your own currency thought process.\nWhy Invest Abroad?\nAre you investing overseas because you want equity diversification and see the stocks as reasonably or better priced than U.S. equities? If so, why would you want to bet that the dollar will decline, as most investors default to with unhedged strategies?\nDynamic Currency Hedging\nSince we launched our strategic and 100% currency-hedged strategies starting in late 2009, we have pushed the innovation curve further to incorporate a currency factor model that uses three signals to determine how much currency exposure to hedge. Those signs are based on momentum, value and interest rates.\nJust like many have focused on “smart beta” as a factor investing strategy, we think of a dynamic currency-hedging approach as “smart hedging” to hedge when the odds are more in your favor of the hedges paying off. We believe over time this currency factor approach can add value over unhedged, fully hedged and half-hedged benchmarks if there are enough currency cycles to capture—say, over three- to five-year periods.\nWhether one moves to a more currency-neutral allocation using fully hedged strategies or a dynamic approach to managing currency risk, we believe now is a good time to consider various options for international equities.\nLearn more about our different currency hedged ETFs and strategies.\n1 Lawrence Kudlow, Arthur B. Laffer and Stephen Moore, “Kudlow: Trump needs a return to ‘King Dollar,’” CNBC, 2/16/18.\n2 Sources: WisdomTree, Bloomberg, 12/31/17.\nImportant Risks Related to this Article\nThere are risks associated with investing, including possible loss of principal. Foreign investing involves special risks, such as risk of loss from currency fluctuation or political or economic uncertainty. Funds focusing their investments on certain countries, sectors and/or smaller companies may be more vulnerable to any single economic or regulatory development. This may result in greater share price volatility. Investments in currency involve additional special risks, such as credit risk and interest rate fluctuations. Derivative investments can be volatile, and these investments may be less liquid than other securities, and more sensitive to the effects of varied economic conditions. Derivatives used by the Funds may not perform as intended. The dynamic currency Funds invest in derivatives in seeking to obtain a dynamic currency-hedge exposure. The composition of the Index underlying each dynamic currency Fund is heavily dependent on quantitative models and data from one or more third parties, and the Index may not perform as intended. The Funds invest in the securities included in, or representative of, their Indexes regardless of their investment merit, and a Fund does not attempt to outperform its Index or take defensive positions in declining markets. Please read each Fund’s prospectus for specific details regarding the Fund’s risk profile.\nInvestors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Funds before investing. U.S. investors only: To obtain a prospectus containing this and other important information, please call 866.909.WISE (9473), or click here to view or download a prospectus online. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest. There are risks involved with investing, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results.\nYou cannot invest directly in an index.\nForeign investing involves currency, political and economic risk. Funds focusing on a single country, sector and/or funds that emphasize investments in smaller companies may experience greater price volatility. Investments in emerging markets, real estate, currency, fixed income and alternative investments include additional risks. Due to the investment strategy of certain Funds, they may make higher capital gain distributions than other ETFs. Please see prospectus for discussion of risks.", "A 100 Yuan note is seen in this illustration picture in Beijing March 7, 2011. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo\nBEIJING Capital outflows from China eased sharply in the first quarter and cross border flows were more balanced, the foreign exchange regulator said on Thursday, in the latest official comments indicating policymakers are growing less worried about the yuan currency.\nReduced pressure from outflows has helped steady the yuan this year and brought China's foreign currency reserves back over the closely watched $3 trillion mark.\nExpectations for further yuan depreciation have weakened significantly, State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) spokeswoman Wang Chunying told a news conference.\nNet foreign exchange sales by China's commercial banks fell sharply in the first quarter after policymakers tightened supervision on money leaving the country and as a weaker U.S. dollar took pressure of the yuan and other emerging currencies.\nNet sales of foreign exchange by Chinese commercial banks dropped to $40.9 billion in the first quarter, compared with $124.8 billion in the first quarter of 2016 and $337.7 billion in sales last year, SAFE data showed.\nThe yuan slumped around 6.5 percent against the surging dollar last year, but has firmed nearly 1 percent so far in 2017 at the dollar recoiled.\nThough most analysts polled by Reuters earlier this month [AXJ/POLL] still expect the yuan's downtrend to resume later in the year -- assuming the dollar will recover -- some market watchers such as Macquarie Capital Ltd now forecast no depreciation this year.\nChina's improving economy has helped support the currency even as the U.S. central bank raises interest rates, Wang said. The economy grew at the strongest pace since mid-2015 in the first quarter.\nThe central bank said last week its net foreign exchange sales in March were the lowest in 10 months at 54.7 billion yuan ($7.94 billion), while China's foreign exchange reserves edged up in March to $3.009 trillion.\nPremier Li Keqiang said on Tuesday that market confidence in the yuan has significantly improved, Xinhua news agency reported.\nSources told Reuters on Wednesday that China's central bank has relaxed some of the curbs on cross-border capital outflows, the first signs of easing of measures put in place last year as authorities and financial markets feel more confident that pressure on the yuan has eased.\nAs the yuan fell against the dollar and capital outflows accelerated late last year, the government stepped up capital controls, making it harder for individuals and companies to move money out of China.\nThose measures are credited with quashing speculative outflows and helping to stabilize the currency, but have also hampered legitimate outflows as China Inc goes more global.\nNon-financial outbound direct investment from China tumbled 48.8 percent in the first quarter year-on-year, with dealmakers saying many Chinese firms are unable to close deals because they cannot secure official permission to transfer yuan into foreign currency.\nBut Wang said on Thursday China will push forward with opening up its capital account in a prudent and orderly way and will not backtrack by adding more capital controls.\n\"China's foreign exchange management will not turn back, we will not go back down the old road of capital controls,\" said Wang.\nWhile clamping down on outflows, China has also been looking to encourage more inflows by opening up its bond market to foreign investors and promising to open more sectors to foreign investment.\nForeign central banks held $81.1 billion in yuan assets at the end of last year, up 13 percent, with 92.5 percent of those assets in bonds, SAFE data showed.\nThat number was slightly different from the International Monetary Fund's total of $84.51 billion in foreign government-held yuan assets, with Wang saying the reason for the difference could be that some yuan assets were held by intermediaries.\nThe yuan was added to the International Monetary Fund's basket of reserve currencies last October, but fears of further weakness have impaired Beijing's push for more global usage of the currency and foreign investors' appetite for yuan assets.\n(Reporting by Kevin Yao and Cheng Fang; Writing by Elias Glenn; Editing by Joseph Radford and Kim Coghill)", "Just a day after U.S President, Donald Trump have a phone conversation with Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, Power Africa, an initiative by the US government to light up Africa, on Tuesday said it was planning to invest about one billion dollars on the power sector in Nigeria, the programme's coordinator, Mr Andrew Herscowitz said.\nHerscowitz announced this in Abuja at a news conference on strengthening the power sector in Nigeria.\nHe said U.S. was committed to strengthening the power sector in Nigeria and that America has already committed billions of dollars in funding the nation's energy projects.\nHe said 'Power Africa', launched by President Barack Obama in 2013 to increase electricity access, is aimed at adding more than 30,000 megawatts of cleaner, more efficient energy development in sub-Saharan Africa.\nHerscowitz said the project also targets unlocking the substantial wind, solar, hydro power, natural gas, biomass, and geothermal resources on the continent.\n\"Since Power Africa was launched, U.S. Trade Development Agency has committed approximately 6.5 million dollars in funding for 10 activities supporting Nigeria's energy sector, which could leverage up to 2.7 billion dollars in investment.\n\"It has advanced 50 million dollars in financing from the Oversea Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to Lumos, a Nigeria-based solar energy company, to scale up it's off grid solar power service to about 200,000 Nigerian homes and businesses.\n\"Power Africa has supported power companies in the country to the tune of 100 million dollars capital expenditure credit enhancement facility with a corresponding 6.5 million dollars in technical assistance\n\"And (supported) another 1.5 million dollars for limited commodity to turn around the DISCOS,\" he said.\nHe said that functional power distribution companies were critical to the development of the country.\nAccording to him, well functioning DISCOs are critical to the delivery of electricity in Nigeria.\n\"If the DISCOs do not work, the energy sector as a whole does not work.\"\nHe said Nigeria, like any country, needed to see capital flowing through the entire energy value chain.", "* Says could take more than a decade to launch projects\n* OTPP is one of world's largest infrastructure investors\n* 2016 rate of return hit by negative currency impact (Recasts, adds CEO comment on Canada/US infrastructure)\nBy Matt Scuffham\nTORONTO, March 29 Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, one of the world's biggest infrastructure investors, warned it could take more than 10 years for infrastructure investment plans by Canada and the United States to come to fruition.\nCanada hopes its planned 'infrastructure bank' will facilitate billions of dollars of financing from private investors for critical projects in areas such as public transit and green infrastructure. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will launch a $1 trillion infrastructure programme funded from private sources.\n\"To really make a coherent, long-term, visionary infrastructure plan for Canada or the U.S. you've got to think in terms of a decade or a decade and a half to really get momentum in these projects,\" Mock told reporters after the OTPP published its annual results on Wednesday.\nCanada's Liberal government has come under pressure to move more quickly in rolling out a planned C$180 billion ($135 billion) infrastructure programme.\nChief Investment Officer Bjarne Graven Larsen said he believed Canada was ahead of the United States in progressing with its infrastructure plan, partly because of the creation of the infrastructure bank.\nOntario Teachers' pioneered a move by Canadian pension funds in the 1990s to invest directly in private companies, infrastructure and real estate internationally as an alternative to Canadian equities and government bonds.\nThe fund's infrastructure portfolio includes investments in Britain's high speed railway connecting London and the Channel Tunnel and in one of the largest desalination plants in the world in Sydney, Australia.\nThe OTPP, which administers pensions for 316,000 working and retired teachers in Canada's most populous province, said its rate of return dropped to 4.2 percent last year from 13 percent in 2015. It cited unfavorable currency movements as a factor behind the weaker performance.\nThe results still exceeded a benchmark target of 3.5 percent for the fund, Canada's third-biggest public pension plan.\nThe OTPP said its net assets grew to C$175.6 billion at the end of 2016 from C$171.4 billion a year earlier.\nThe fund, which has investments in more than 50 countries, said currency movements had a negative impact of 280 basis points on its rate of return in 2016, compared with an 830-basis-point positive effect in 2015.\nOntario Teachers' said it was 105 percent funded as of Jan. 1, meaning it had a surplus of assets with which to meet its future pension obligations.\n($1 = 1.3372 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Matt Scuffham; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Bernard Orr)", "NEW YORK, April 5 A California pension fund has fired Franklin Templeton Investments, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Pacific Investment Management Co from some portfolio-management responsibilities in a shakeup that puts more of its assets in lower-fee, index-tracking investments, the fund said.\nThe Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS) is the latest institutional investor to scrap some of its active managers, stemming from a consultant's recommendation to avoid high fees and subpar performance in its $14.1 billion investment portfolio, according to a notice posted online this week.\nLast year, active mutual funds lost $343 billion to withdrawals. Billionaire investor Warren Buffett earlier this year said most investors are better off buying index funds.\nThe retirement system based in Santa Ana, California, decided to move more than $1 billion of assets from the managers late in March, the notice said.\nParts of the portfolio managed by Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & CO LLC and Standard Life PLC are also being liquidated.\nFranklin Templeton and Standard Life did not respond to requests for comment, while the other fund companies declined to comment.\nThe changes were reported earlier Wednesday by FundFire, an industry news service.\nHalf a trillion dollars moved into index funds last year, according to Morningstar Inc, the seventh straight year they have outpaced counterparts whose managers try to pick winners and losers in the market. Those figures do not include privately managed institutional accounts.\nThe California retirement system's investment consultant, Meketa Investment Group Inc, told the pension plan it could save at least $9 million a year, excluding performance fees, by cutting some managers and transferring some of the funds to index-tracking investments.\nMeketa advised cutting equity strategies run by Franklin, GMO and JPMorgan for \"historical underperformance\" and \"expected performance challenges relative to passive exposure going forward.\"\nAnd it said cutting funds such as the Pimco All Asset All Authority Fund and the Standard Life Investments Global Absolute Return Fund could also help save fees.\nMarc Seidner, Pimco's chief investment officer for \"Non-traditional Strategies,\" and Robert Arnott, who manages the All-Asset fund, are slated to speak to an OCERS committee on Thursday, according to an agenda posted online.\nThe pension fund has cut hedge funds as a separate investment category, but has kept some hedge funds in its portfolio, including products run by Pimco, D. E. Shaw & Co LP and Bridgewater Associates LP. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Jennifer Ablan and Richard Chang)", "* Loans offered at double rates previously provided by banks\n* Lucrative returns draw private equity, hedge funds, others\n* Lenders drawn to developers with presold apartments\nBy Paulina Duran\nSYDNEY, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Australia’s push to control a housing bubble by reining in bank lending to property developers has unleashed a highly profitable market for shadow lenders, including international hedge funds.\nThe lenders are funding some developers at more than double the interest rate for the same type of loans that banks were providing just a few months earlier, a reflection of how some construction firms have been forced outside the regular banking system to secure financing.\n“Effectively, the risk hasn’t changed, but the pricing today is about 12 percent, not the 6 percent that banks were charging 12 months ago - so you are getting very attractive spreads of almost double in this space,” said Martin Scott, the Australian head of the Swiss-based Partners Group, an investment manager with some $65 billion in assets.\nThe lenders are generally attracted to developers with pre-sold apartments in otherwise unfinished projects. There are no figures on the size of this market, but Dan Simmons, a Hong Kong-based partner with hedge fund OCP Asia, which is providing funding, estimates it is worth tens of billions of dollars.\nThe broader shadow banking market in Australia is about 7 percent of total financial assets, the country’s central bank says.\nAustralia’s home prices doubled in the 12 years to the end of 2016 so last year, Australia’s regulators imposed measures that forced banks to take fewer lending risks and made securing mortgages for investors, particularly foreign investors, more difficult.\nThat caused a sharp pullback in construction lending by mainstream banks and once rampant buying interest from Chinese flittered away, hitting developers and opening up a funding gap.\nFeeling the squeeze from the measures, Australia’s only listed developer, McGrath Ltd, issued a profit warning last month.\nIn a global low-rate environment, the likes of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, Goldman Sachs & Co and Nomura have joined local firms including Qualitas, Alceon Group, and Wingate Group to lend senior debt to real estate developments, according to market sources.\n“All the big PE funds are bringing their special-sits (situations) groups in to fill this funding gap, because effectively these are equity-type returns in debt positions,” Scott said.\nPartners Group secured annual returns of close to 15 percent by providing senior debt to two pre-sold projects in Brisbane and Melbourne, Scott said.\nHe declined to identify the projects because they were private. But he said one of them had been unable to secure bank loans because many of its apartments had been pre-sold to Chinese buyers, who are finding it more difficult to take money out of China because of tight capital controls and who face stiff taxes on purchasing new property from Australian authorities.\nRegional hedge funds, such as OCP Asia, are also swooping in.\nOCP’s Simmons said its multi-billion dollar fund had invested over A$600 million in senior debt in construction projects, securing returns in excess of 15 percent.\n“We are seeing settlements take longer but buyers are definitely coming up with the funds,” Simmons said.\n“We are funding developers that have pre-approved projects with healthy profit margins that only lack a bank to finance them,” he said.\nRISKS?\nSimmonds warned that many developers who had not pre-sold their projects would struggle to pay higher funding costs.\nFor now, lenders and borrowers in this shadow market do not see significant risks.\nThe Reserve Bank of Australia said in its fourth-quarter bulletin that it was “monitoring” shadow bank lending to property, acknowledging that “on a large enough scale it could damage financial system resilience.”\nThe government has also pledged to give the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), the banking watchdog, the power to collect information about the sector, to consider potential formal oversight of the funds, finance companies and securitisation vehicles that are not currently under its umbrella.\nThe funds chasing the high returns from lending to these projects shrugged off concerns of the risks involved after such a sharp run up in housing prices. Scott estimated prices would need to fall more than 40 percent to adversely impact Partners Group.\nLuke Heartman, the chief executive of one of Australia’s biggest private developers Metro Property Development, said the higher cost of borrowing is manageable as demand for property continues to grow.\n“Our product is continuing to settle and perform well,” he said, highlighting a low level of rental vacancies.\n“Our target is a minimum return (on capital) of 22 percent.” (Reporting by Paulina Duran: Editing by Jane Wardell and Neil Fullick)", "Nicky Loh/Getty Images\nMalaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak has been charged with criminal breach of trust.\nNajib was arrested on Tuesday in relation to a probe investigating billions of dollars missing from the state investment fund 1MDB.\nHundreds of millions of dollars were reportedly found in Najib's bank account in 2015, and the ensuing financial scandal led to Najib's losing his reelection bid in May.\nNajib's spokesperson said the charges were \"politically motivated.\"\nMalaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak was officially charged with criminal breach of trust on Wednesday.\nNajib lost his bid for re-election after being tainted by a financial scandal that saw billions of dollars go missing from the 1MDB state investment fund he created. Hundreds of millions of dollars were reportedly found in Najib's personal bank accounts, but he has denied any wrongdoing saying he received $680 million as a donation from Saudi Arabia.\nBut Malaysia's new prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, made investigating 1MDB an early priority of his government and on Tuesday Najib was arrested by anti-corruption officials. He was detained overnight and appeared in court on Wednesday morning.\nNajib was charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust, each of which faces a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and whipping. He was also charged under a specific section of anti-corruption laws that describe using an office or position for gratification, which could also lead to up to 20 yeears in jail and a fine five times the value of the siphoned money.\nThe attorney general is leading a 12-person team to prosecute Najib, according to Channel News Asia's Sumisha Naidu. Najib pleaded not guilty after the case was moved to the High Court.\nThe charges are in relation to the suspected mishandling and misappropriation of funds from SRC International, a former unit of state investment fund 1MDB, between 2011 and 2015. $US10.6 million was allegedly transferred from SRC to Najib’s personal accounts, which Malaysia's former attorney general reportedly chose not to investigate.\nThe US Department of Justice has previously said over $4.5 billion was siphoned off from 1MDB. Mahathir, 92, last month said Najib was fully responsible for the scandal, and the case against his former protege was \"almost perfect.\"\nNajib's spokesman has called the charges \"politically motivated.\"\nSince leaving office, Najib has been barred from leaving the country and police seized $273 million-worth of valuable from properties linked to the former prime minister, including 567 handbags, 234 pairs of sunglasses, and 12,000 pieces of jewelry. Najib has said these items were gifts.", "Clarification and Retraction of Previously Announced Revenue Projections Associated with an LOI for One Thousand Liters of Extraction per Month\nThe issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.\nClarification and Retraction of Previously Announced Revenue Projections Associated with an LOI for One Thousand Liters of Extraction per Month\nVancouver, British Columbia, Canada, May 30, 2018, Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc. (CSE: LDS), (OTCQX: LDSYF), (Frankfurt: LD6, WKN: A14XHT) (\"LDS\" or the \"Company\") announces that its affiliate, CSPA Group, Inc. (\"CSPA\"), has received a Letter of Intent (the \"LOI\") to purchase one thousand liters per month of extracted distillate from cannabis oil. The proposed contract will end December 31, 2018.\nThe Company has retracted comments as to the possible monthly revenue associated with the LOI.About Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.\nLifestyle Delivery Systems Inc. is a licensed, state-compliant, vertically integrated cannabis-related company. From our isogenic pollination nursery to our cutting edge, state-of-the-art production facility located in Southern California, LDS has become one of the most diverse, innovative and scientifically based cannabis companies throughout North America. The Company's technology produces infused strips (similar to breath strips) that are not only a safer, healthier option to smoking but also a new way to accurately meter the dosage and assure the purity of the product. From start to finish, the production process tests for quality and composition of all the ingredients used in each and every strip, resulting in a delivery system that is safe, consistent and effective.\nOn behalf of the board of directors of Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.\nBrad Eckenweiler\nCEO & Director\nLifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.\nSuite 820, 1130 W. Pender St.\nVancouver BC, V6E 4A4\nT: +1 (866) 347-5058 F: +1 (604) 648-0517\nCSE : LDS\nOTCQB : LDSYF\nFrankfurt: LD6, WKN: A14XHT\nwww.lifestyledeliverysystem.com\nFOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:investor.relations@lifestyledeliverysystem.com\n1-866-347-5058\nCautionary Disclaimer Statement:\nThe Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.\nInformation set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. In addition, marijuana remains a Schedule I drug under the United States Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Although Congress has prohibited the US Justice Department from spending federal funds to interfere with the implementation of state medical marijuana laws, this prohibition must be renewed each year to remain in effect. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.\n30.05.2018 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de\n691177 30.05.2018\nSHARE THIS POST EMAIL COPY LINK", "Australia's push to control a housing bubble by reining in bank lending to property developers has unleashed a highly profitable market for shadow lenders, including international hedge funds.\n[SYDNEY] Australia's push to control a housing bubble by reining in bank lending to property developers has unleashed a highly profitable market for shadow lenders, including international hedge funds.\nThe lenders are funding some developers at more than double the interest rate for the same type of loans that banks were providing just a few months earlier, a reflection of how some construction firms have been forced outside the regular banking system to secure financing.\n\"Effectively, the risk hasn't changed, but the pricing today is about 12 per cent, not the six per cent that banks were charging 12 months ago - so you are getting very attractive spreads of almost double in this space,\" said Martin Scott, the Australian head of the Swiss-based Partners Group, an investment manager with some US$65 billion in assets.\nThe lenders are generally attracted to developers with pre-sold apartments in otherwise unfinished projects. There are no figures on the size of this market, but Dan Simmons, a Hong Kong-based partner with hedge fund OCP Asia, which is providing funding, estimates it is worth tens of billions of dollars.\nsentifi.com Market voices on:\nThe broader shadow banking market in Australia is about seven per cent of total financial assets, the country's central bank says.\nAustralia's home prices doubled in the 12 years to the end of 2016 so last year, Australia's regulators imposed measures that forced banks to take fewer lending risks and made securing mortgages for investors, particularly foreign investors, more difficult.\nThat caused a sharp pullback in construction lending by mainstream banks and once rampant buying interest from Chinese flittered away, hitting developers and opening up a funding gap.\nFeeling the squeeze from the measures, Australia's only listed developer, McGrath, issued a profit warning last month.\nIn a global low-rate environment, the likes of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, Goldman Sachs and Nomura have joined local firms including Qualitas, Alceon Group, and Wingate Group to lend senior debt to real estate developments, according to market sources.\n\"All the big PE funds are bringing their special-sits (situations) groups in to fill this funding gap, because effectively these are equity-type returns in debt positions,\"Scott said.\nPartners Group secured annual returns of close to 15 per cent by providing senior debt to two pre-sold projects in Brisbane and Melbourne, Mr Scott said.\nHe declined to identify the projects because they were private. But he said one of them had been unable to secure bank loans because many of its apartments had been pre-sold to Chinese buyers, who are finding it more difficult to take money out of China because of tight capital controls and who face stiff taxes on purchasing new property from Australian authorities.\nRegional hedge funds, such as OCP Asia, are also swooping in.\nOCP's Simmons said its multi-billion dollar fund had invested over A$600 million (S$610.26 million) in senior debt in construction projects, securing returns in excess of 15 per cent.\n\"We are seeing settlements take longer but buyers are definitely coming up with the funds,\" Mr Simmons said.\n\"We are funding developers that have pre-approved projects with healthy profit margins that only lack a bank to finance them,\" he said.\nMr Simmonds warned that many developers who had not pre-sold their projects would struggle to pay higher funding costs.\nFor now, lenders and borrowers in this shadow market do not see significant risks.\nThe Reserve Bank of Australia said in its fourth-quarter bulletin that it was \"monitoring\" shadow bank lending to property, acknowledging that \"on a large enough scale it could damage financial system resilience.\"\nThe government has also pledged to give the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), the banking watchdog, the power to collect information about the sector, to consider potential formal oversight of the funds, finance companies and securitisation vehicles that are not currently under its umbrella.\nThe funds chasing the high returns from lending to these projects shrugged off concerns of the risks involved after such a sharp run up in housing prices. Mr Scott estimated prices would need to fall more than 40 per cent to adversely impact Partners Group.\nLuke Heartman, the chief executive of one of Australia's biggest private developers Metro Property Development, said the higher cost of borrowing is manageable as demand for property continues to grow.\n\"Our product is continuing to settle and perform well,\" he said, highlighting a low level of rental vacancies.\n\"Our target is a minimum return (on capital) of 22 per cent.\"\nREUTERS", "SALT LAKE CITY — The funeral service for Elder Robert D. Hales, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will begin today at 11 a.m. MDT at the Tabernacle on Temple Square.\nElder Hales died Sunday of causes incident to age between sessions of the church's international general conference. He was 85. Elder Hales had served 42 years as a general authority of the church — 23 as an apostle, nine as the church's presiding bishop and 10 as an assistant to the Twelve and member of the First Quorum of Seventy.\nThe speakers will be President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; President Russell M. Nelson, president of the Quorum of the Twelve; and Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Twelve.\nThe Mormon Tabernacle Choir will perform three hymns, \"Each Life That Touches Ours for Good,\" \"I Need Thee Every Hour\" and \"God Be With You Till We Meet Again.\"\nThe Temple Square gates and the Tabernacle doors opened at 9:30 a.m. Those wishing to attend were asked to be in their seats by 10:30 a.m. Overflow seating was available in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. The church campus buildings were to be closed from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.\nThe funeral services also will be broadcast live via KSL TV 5.2, the KSL TV app, MormonNewsroom.org, LDS.org (English, Spanish, and Portuguese), BYUtv, BYUtv Global, KBYUtv Eleven, BYUtv International, Mormon Channel, Canal Mormón (Spanish) and on the church satellite system. In addition, audio broadcasts will air on KSL radio, BYU Classical 89 and BYU Radio.\nElder Hales is the fourth apostle to pass away in the past 29 months. Elder L. Tom Perry died in May 2015 at age 92, President Boyd K. Packer was 90 when he passed away in July 2015 at age 90 and Elder Richard G. Scott died in September 2015 at age 86.\nThe four apostles served in the Quorum of the Twelve for a combined 135 years.\nLDS Church President Thomas S. Monson called three new apostles in October 2015, Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Elder Gary E. Stevenson and Elder Dale G. Renlund. President Monson, 90, missed the faith's international general conference last week because of limitations incident to age.\nChurch leaders have not determined when the new vacancy in the quorum will be filled, according to a news release.\nA private burial service will take place at the Bountiful Memorial Cemetery in Bountiful, Utah, following the funeral.\nElder Hales and his wife Mary celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary in June. The program listed their sons, David and Stephen Hales, as providing the family prayer and dedication of the grave, respectively.\nThere was no public viewing, but expressions of sympathy can be posted on the Elder Robert D. Hales Facebook page or emailed to condolences@ldschurch.org.\nIn lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the humanitarian aid fund or the church’s general missionary fund at give.lds.org/hales.\nClick here to see photos from the life of Elder Hales.\nClick here to read quotes from his talks.\nClick here for a timeline of his life.", "The FHLB is a AA+ rated wholesale cooperative bank owned by 658 member financial institutions. The FHLB supports housing finance and community development by lending to a diverse membership base including commercial banks, thrifts, credit unions, insurance companies and community development financial institutions in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. It annually sets aside a portion of its profits for grants supporting affordable housing, and since 1990 has awarded more than $666 million in subsidies towards the creation of approximately 84,400 units of affordable housing.\nOperating Results and Profitability\nFor the first quarter, net income was $83 million and return on average equity (ROE) was 6.23 percent. This compares to net income of $65 million and ROE of 5.25 percent for the same period of 2017.\nand return on average equity (ROE) was 6.23 percent. This compares to net income of and ROE of 5.25 percent for the same period of 2017. The increase in net income and ROE was primarily the result of higher net interest income. The increase in net interest income was driven mostly by higher short-term interest rates, which improved earnings from funding assets with interest-free capital, and the growth in average asset balances.\nDividend\nThe FHLB paid its stockholders a cash dividend on March 15, 2018 at a 5.75 percent annualized rate, an increase of 25 basis points from the dividend rate paid in December 2017 . The dividend paid in March was 3.82 percentage points above the first quarter average 3-month LIBOR.\nHousing and Community Investment\nThe FHLB's net income for the first quarter of 2018 resulted in an accrual of $9 million to the Affordable Housing Program (AHP) pool of funds available to members. These funds assist members in serving very low-, low-, and moderate-income households and community economic development.\nto the Affordable Housing Program (AHP) pool of funds available to members. These funds assist members in serving very low-, low-, and moderate-income households and community economic development. The FHLB continued its two voluntary housing programs in 2018. These programs provide grants to cover accessibility rehabilitation and emergency repairs for special needs and elderly homeowners, and for the replacement or repair of homes damaged or destroyed by natural disasters within the Fifth District. The FHLB's Board of Directors re-authorized its accessibility rehabilitation and emergency repairs program in the amount of $1.5 million for use in 2018.\nBalance Sheet Highlights\nDuring the first three months of 2018, the FHLB fulfilled its mission by providing readily available and competitively priced wholesale funding to its member financial institutions as well as providing access to the secondary mortgage market through the Mortgage Purchase Program.\nMission Asset Activity – comprising major activities with members including Advances, Letters of Credit, and the Mortgage Purchase Program – was $89.4 billion at March 31, 2018, a decrease of $5.0 billion (five percent) from year-end 2017.\nat March 31, 2018, a decrease of (five percent) from year-end 2017. The balance of investments at March 31, 2018 was $36.0 billion , an increase of $9.0 billion (33 percent) from year-end 2017. The increase in investments was driven by higher liquidity investments, which can vary by up to several billion dollars on a daily basis. The investments balance at the end of the first quarter included $16.1 billion of mortgage-backed securities and $19.9 billion of other investments, which were mostly short-term instruments held for liquidity.\n, an increase of (33 percent) from year-end 2017. The increase in investments was driven by higher liquidity investments, which can vary by up to several billion dollars on a daily basis. The investments balance at the end of the first quarter included of mortgage-backed securities and of other investments, which were mostly short-term instruments held for liquidity. The FHLB exceeded all minimum regulatory capital and liquidity requirements. On March 31, 2018, GAAP capital was $5.5 billion , an increase of six percent from year-end 2017. The GAAP and regulatory capital-to-assets ratios were 4.90 percent and 4.94 percent, respectively, at March 31, 2018. Retained earnings grew $21 million in the first three months of 2018 to end the quarter at $961 million .\nAbout the FHLB\nThe FHLB provides members access to products and services (primarily Advances, which are a readily available, low-cost source of funds, purchases of certain mortgage loans from members, and issuance of Letters of Credit to members) and a competitive return through quarterly dividends on their capital investment in the FHLB. The FHLB funds these products and services by raising private-sector capital from member-stockholders and, with the other Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks) in the FHLBank System, issuing high-quality debt in the worldwide capital markets. The FHLB also funds community investment programs that help its members create affordable housing and promote community economic development.\nThis news release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could affect the FHLB's financial condition and results of operations. These include, but are not limited to, the effects of economic and financial conditions, legislative or regulatory developments concerning the FHLBank System, financial pressures affecting other FHLBanks, competitive forces, and other risks detailed from time to time in the FHLB's annual report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements speak as of the date made and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results or developments could differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, and the FHLB undertakes no obligation to update any such statements.\nThe Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati\nFinancial Highlights (unaudited)\nDollars in millions\nSELECTED BALANCE SHEET ITEMS\nMarch 31,\n2018\nDecember 31,\n2017\nPercent\nChange (2) Total assets $ 111,709\n$ 106,895\n5 % Advances (principal) 63,985\n69,978\n(9)\nMortgage loans held for portfolio (principal) 9,509\n9,454\n1\nTotal investments 36,012\n27,058\n33\nConsolidated Obligations 104,856\n100,374\n4\nMandatorily redeemable capital stock 28\n30\n(6)\nCapital stock 4,524\n4,241\n7\nTotal retained earnings 961\n940\n2\nTotal capital 5,469\n5,165\n6\nRegulatory capital (1) 5,513\n5,211\n6\nCapital-to-assets ratio (GAAP) 4.90 %\n4.83 %\nCapital-to-assets ratio (Regulatory) (1) 4.94\n4.88\nOPERATING RESULTS\nThree Months Ended March 31,\n2018\n2017\nPercent\nChange (2) Total interest income $ 524\n$ 344\n52 % Total interest expense 406\n241\n69\nNet interest income 118\n103\n14\nNon-interest (loss) income (4)\n(11)\n64\nNon-interest expense 22\n20\n10\nAffordable Housing Program assessments 9\n7\n27\nNet income $ 83\n$ 65\n27\nReturn on average equity 6.23 %\n5.25 %\nReturn on average assets 0.30\n0.26\nNet interest margin 0.44\n0.41\nAnnualized dividend rate 5.75\n4.50\nAverage 3-month LIBOR 1.93\n1.07\n(1) Regulatory capital includes capital stock, mandatorily redeemable capital stock (classified as a liability) and retained earnings.\n(2) Amounts used to calculate the change column are based on dollars in thousands. Accordingly, recalculations based upon the disclosed amounts (millions) may not produce the same results.\nView original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fhlb-cincinnati-announces-first-quarter-2018-results-300635402.html\nSOURCE Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati\nRelated Links\nhttp://www.fhlbcin.com", "HONG KONG The financial services arm of state-owned China Everbright Group plans to allocate $1.5 billion of its 2017 spending to the purchase of a fund manager, private bank or insurer overseas to help it raise cash more easily and extend its presence abroad.\nChen Shuang, chief executive of Hong Kong-based China Everbright Limited (CEL) (0165.HK), said in an interview on Friday that the company was planning to \"significantly\" increase overseas deals, including in the financial sector.\nChinese companies have come under pressure from Beijing to rein in overseas purchases, as the government tries to stem speculation, slow capital flight and shore up the yuan.\n\"It's not an easy job (for Chinese firms) to raise capital in U.S. dollars and invest in overseas markets,\" Chen said.\n\"We certainly need to make such strategic acquisitions to help our fundraising and extend our footprint overseas.\"\nChen said the firm, which raised $6 billion last year, was actively scouring America, Europe and Hong Kong for possible financial targets. He declined to elaborate.\nAfter deals including the tie-up between UK fund managers Standard Life (SL.L) and Aberdeen Asset Management (ADN.L) earlier this year, more acquisitions are expected among asset managers and the broader financial sector in 2017.\nChen said Beijing's capital restrictions would not prove a hurdle for the company, which manages a total of 36 funds in both yuan and U.S. dollars - but the constraints would contain corporate China's broader ambitions overseas.\n\"The Chinese regulatory changes have already caused some difficulties for Chinese companies going global. It's an irresistible trend - Chinese firms and individuals going abroad to diversify their asset allocations,\" he said.\nIn 2014 and 2016, CEL launched two dollar funds worth a combined $460 million - its first moves to tap overseas markets and buy international know-how to upgrade China's domestic industry.\nLast summer, it teamed up with venture capital firm IDG Capital Partners to set up a $3 billion fund, China's largest buyout fund at the time.\nChen said CEL was looking to raise another $1.4 billion to help fund the overseas push, including $600 million to be raised by its Overseas Infrastructure Fund within the year, which in 2016 acquired Albania's Tirana International airport for an undisclosed sum.\nAlready invested in tech and finance, CEL, through the infrastructure fund, will further invest in infrastructure-related projects in Hong Kong and regions covered by China's ambitious \"One Belt, One Road\" initiative.\nCEL has been among China's financial players that have pushed into leasing: it is the biggest stakeholder in China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings(CALC) (1848.HK).\nChen said CALC, which leases mostly to Chinese airlines, would increase the number of its planes from 85 currently to 120 this year and 200 by 2020.\n(Reporting by Julie Zhu; Editing by Clara Ferreira Marques)", "JERUSALEM Israeli institutional investors are placing billions of dollars in foreign private equity funds after government reforms to encourage household savings brought an influx of cash.\nInsurance and retirement fund managers have seen their assets swell 50 percent in five years, reaching $441 billion in 2016, according to the Bank of Israel, after a series of changes that started in 2008 aimed largely at bolstering pensions.\nWith record low interest rates making bond investments less attractive and falling trading volumes on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, partly because successful Israeli companies are listing elsewhere, managers are looking for other investments.\n\"More money than ever is coming into the industry. Fund managers are sitting on mountains of cash that suddenly aren't producing yields, so there is a need to diversify,\" said Rami Dror, chief executive at Halman-Aldubi, an Israeli investment house. (For a graphic on private equity holdings of Israeli institutional investors click tmsnrt.rs/2lLR8OE)\nThe Tel Aviv Stock Exchange cannot absorb such large volumes of investment. Trading volumes in 2016 averaged 1.27 billion shekels ($340 million) a day, down from 1.45 billion in 2015 and 2 billion in 2010.\nThe number of companies listed on the bourse has dropped by 200 over the past decade to 451 while there are few public share offerings, and many choose to list elsewhere.\nThe move to foreign private equity is already underway and is in line with global trends as investors look for better returns in the low interest rate environment.\nPraedicta, a data analysis firm, estimates Israeli institutional investors had $11 billion in private equity funds in 2016, a 162 percent increase from five years earlier. Two-thirds is invested in foreign funds with the rest invested locally.\nHalman-Aldubi Global, the group’s fund distribution unit, estimates that allocations for alternative investments such as private equity, hedge funds and real estate, will more than double in the next three years to reach $30 billion and could double again to $60 billion within five years.\nCAPITAL WINDFALL\nIsrael, like many other countries, introduced pension reforms to cope with an ageing population. In 2008 it raised the percentage of all salaries that must be set aside for retirement and severance, to 18.5 percent from 2.5 percent.\nIt expanded the use of employee mid-term savings funds and began depositing 50 shekels ($13) each month for every Israeli child into his or hers own provident fund or bank.\nThis led to a capital windfall for institutional investors that has attracted the attention of foreign funds.\n\"Israel, while it starts from a fairly modest base, may expand at a much faster rate over the next few years, and that makes it more interesting to people like us,\" said Michael Granoff, CEO of New York-based private equity firm Pomona Capital.\nPomona manages about $9 billion and, for its ninth fund, is for the first time engaging Israeli institutional investors.\nIn five years the number of active private equity investors in Israel has jumped from nine to 28, according to research firm Preqin. Europe and North America are the preferred destinations for private equity investment abroad, it said.\n\"We changed our approach in the last few years and we try to invest most of our money outside of Israel,\" said Asaf Shoham, head of investments at Migdal, one of Israel's largest insurers.\nHe sees Migdal at least doubling the percentage of its portfolio dedicated to private equity, which means investing each year between $500 million to $1 billion.\n(Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Anna Willard)", "Get Daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email\nCheltenham Borough Council has committed to investing £100million into homes for young people and families.\nCouncillor Max Wilkinson (LD, Oakley) is behind the plans, which he says are intended to combat high rents and an exodus of youth from the town.\nThe £100million will be invested in around 500 homes to rent affordably on secure long-term contracts, in a bid to help those struggling with insecure accommodation.\nThe news comes amid fears Cheltenham is becoming an 'economic time bomb' as young people leave to find cheaper housing.\nMr Wilkinson, the Lib Dems' prospective parliamentary candidate for Cheltenham, said some of the properties could be available on a shared ownership model, for those who want to take up an affordable mortgage.\nHe added: “The scheme could include a range of different purchase and building options and we don’t have earmarked sites. It depends on what becomes available.\n\"We all know that young people are getting a bad deal at the moment, so it’s vital that Cheltenham works to solve this - politicians on all sites need to replace crocodile tears with action.\n“There’s a particular problem with young people leaving our area and we’ve got to stop that, otherwise we’ll end up with an unbalanced town.\"\nThe homes will remain in the ownership of a new council-controlled company indefinitely. Any money made in the scheme will be reinvested in housing for Cheltenham.\nNeither the start date of the project nor the time-frame of the £100million investment are known, but Mr Wilkinson said it will take place over several years.\nSites designated for housing in the Joint Core Strategy (JCS) and Cheltenham Local Plan could be among those chosen for the scheme.\nMr Wilkinson added that funding will be secured \"soon\", through borrowing at low rates from the Public Works Loan Board.\nHe said: “Some people might say that the council shouldn’t borrow money, but I think borrowing money at low rates to make a long-term investment helping young people and families with housing is exactly what we should be doing - we can't continue to ignore the problem.”\nCouncil deputy leader Peter Jeffries, who holds the housing portfolio, said: “Max has been very effective at speaking up on the issue of housing for young people and convincing the council that more assertive action is needed.\n“These proposals will make a big difference to people’s lives while helping our town to become more prosperous.”", "DENVER (AP) - Record-high oil production, rising wages and the anticipated benefits of the new federal tax law will inject hundreds of millions of extra dollars into Colorado’s tax collections, giving lawmakers a cushion for the next budget, according to economic forecasts released Monday.\nThe bipartisan Joint Budget Committee heard testimony about the forecasts that it uses to write the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper had submitted a $30.5 billion budget request that increases education funding, stabilizes state pensions and boosts reserves in case of an economic downturn.\nKate Watkins, chief economist for the Colorado Legislative Council, told the budget committee that general fund revenue could reach $12.5 billion, compared with this year’s $11.3 billion.\nMuch of the extra $1.2 billion is spoken for. The state needs to fund a road construction initiative enacted in 2017 and compensate local governments for property tax exemptions for seniors and disabled veterans.\nHenry Sobanet, director of the governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting, noted that other legislative priorities will consume the infusion of revenue.\nColorado lawmakers face a $9 billion backlog in road maintenance and improvements; $32 billion in unfunded liabilities in state pensions; and roughly $6 billion in delayed payments for K-12 education.\nThe U.S. tax law passed last year is encouraging business investment and is expected to increase state tax collections that are tied to higher federal taxes, the forecasts said.\nColorado oil production also is at a record high, with an estimated value surpassing $10 billion, thanks to increased U.S. exports and a lower U.S. dollar that makes exports cheaper for foreign buyers.\nHigher oil prices - averaging near $63 a barrel this year, compared with $51 in 2017 - will mean more state tax revenue as well as taxes that compensate local governments for the costs of energy extraction.\nBut both Watkins and Sobanet cautioned that the strong outlook should not be taken for granted.\nThey noted that rising interest rates, the prospect of rising inflation, volatile U.S. markets, barriers to immigration that affect the labor supply, unresolved trade negotiations with Canada and Mexico, and political tensions with Russia, China and North Korea could quickly affect that outlook.\nSobanet asked the committee to increase education funding by $200 million and transportation funding by $250 million. Hickenlooper’s budget, submitted in November, sought $6.9 billion for K-12 schools, $4.5 billion for higher education and more than $1.7 billion in Department of Transportation funding.\nCopyright © 2018 The Washington Times, LLC.", "President Donald Trump released his long-awaited infrastructure plan last month, which calls for $200 billion in federal spending and hopes to encourage over $1.5 trillion in new infrastructure investments through the use of public-private partnerships and incentives.\nCritics correctly point out that Trump’s plan doesn’t actually indicate where that $200 billion in spending will come from, though he reportedly floated raising the gas tax by 25 cents a gallon in recent meetings with lawmakers. Raising the gas tax, however, has limited support in Congress so it is likely that the funding will have to come from somewhere else.\nIf the plan moves ahead and major parts of the Trump administrations plan are passed into law, it will shift a lot of the burden for funding infrastructure onto state and local governments, where it should be. For California, this shift could be a burden and a blessing.\nThe good news: California’s urban areas, particularly Southern California, need many of the types of mega-projects that private companies would gladly finance, build, and operate. For example, added capacity on I-5, an extension of the SR-91 HOT lanes, and the construction of the I-710 tunnel would all be prime candidates to be built via the types of public-private partnerships the Trump administration is counting on to boost the total spending figures to over $1 trillion.\nThe bad news: California has struggled to prioritize infrastructure projects and inefficiently spends its transportation dollars, which could get worse if the state gets fewer federal dollars in the years ahead. Consider that California ranks 42nd in the nation in road conditions and cost-effectiveness in the latest edition of the Annual Highway Report published by Reason Foundation earlier this month.\nThe report finds California has a relatively low fatality rate on its highways, ranking 14th best in the nation. And the state ranks in the middle of the pack when it comes to deficient bridges, ranking 28th out of 50 states, and 33rd in the condition of rural Interstate pavement.\nBut beyond that, the state’s results are poor. The legendary Southern California traffic jams, along with similar bottlenecks in the Bay Area, help give the state the second worst urban traffic congestion in the country. Only New Jersey’s gridlock is worse. The state’s urban Interstate pavement is bumpy and pothole-riddled enough to rank 46th out of 50 states.\nRelated Articles Iran persecutes Christians, so why won’t President Trump welcome them to America?\nHow pensions are clobbering small California cities like Santa Cruz\nStay away from Lake Mathews, Californians\nCalifornia bill offers phony solution to ‘fake’ news problem\nThe Board of Equalization got the last laugh on a gas tax increase The traffic congestion and pavement conditions are more worrisome when you consider how much the state spends on its state highway system. California spends $84,000 on maintenance for every mile of state-controlled highway and yet still ranks 46th in urban Interstate pavement condition. It’s administrative costs for the state highway system also rank 46th – meaning only four states spend more per mile than California on office and other organizational costs. In total disbursements for its state-controlled highways, California spent $471,000 per mile in 2015, ranking 43rd.\nGiven how large California is, ranking 43rd in spending might not seem too bad. But the spending is per mile. California should have efficiencies of scale since it has the 15th largest state-controlled highway system in the country. Yet states with much smaller systems like Arizona and Oregon are much more efficient.\nThose performance metrics could get even worse if California doesn’t improve the way it prioritizes projects and spends transportation dollars and the Trump administration’s blueprint becomes law. The Trump plan says local and regional transportation projects should be funded primarily by state and local governments – with the federal government only providing up to 20 percent of the funding for a project, which means a much larger share of the funding for those projects will need to come from a state that struggles with efficiency. Thus, California will need to seriously dedicate itself to maximizing taxpayers’ dollars and prioritizing transportation projects that will improve mobility for the greatest number of citizens possible.\nBaruch Feigenbaum is assistant director of transportation at Reason Foundation and co-author of the Annual Highway Report.", "Logo of Saudi Aramco is seen at the 20th Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference (MOES 2017) in Manama, Bahrain, March 7, 2017. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed\nDUBAI The planned sale of a stake in Saudi Arabia's national oil company Saudi Aramco will occur through an initial public offer of shares in 2018, and the stake sold \"will be not be very far off 5 percent\", Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Tuesday.\nPrince Mohammed was speaking in a nationally televised interview, a year after he launched a series of radical economic reforms including the partial privatization of Aramco.\nThe listing of Aramco, expected to be the world's biggest IPO and raise tens of billions of dollars, is a centerpiece of the government's ambitious plan - known as Vision 2030 - to diversify the economy beyond oil.\n\"We have two main factors to decide the percentage to be listed ... First the demand, whether there will be demand or not. Second, what do we have in terms of investments in the pipeline inside Saudi or outside,\" Prince Mohammed said, referring to opportunities to invest proceeds of the IPO.\nAramco will be listed on the Saudi bourse in addition to one or more foreign stock exchanges, Saudi officials have said.\nPrince Mohammed said that even after the listing, the Saudi government would retain sole control over Aramco's oil and gas reserves and would decide on production levels. Aramco will have a concession to monetize those reserves.\n\"The Saudi government will decide on the production ceiling. It is in the interest of the Saudi government to increase the production not reducing it,\" Prince Mohammed said.\n\"The government will not take a decision that goes against its interest or the interest of the company regarding the production.\"\nRiyadh has traditionally kept an \"spare cushion\" of excess production capacity, allowing it to raise or reduce levels to influence prices according to the government's market strategy. Private oil companies, by contrast, do not hold back output for strategic gain.\nThe proceeds from the Aramco sale will help to develop other industries inside Saudi Arabia and will be invested by the kingdom's Public Investment Fund, its top sovereign wealth fund, which will spend more than 500 billion riyals ($133.3 billion) over three years after Aramco's IPO, Prince Mohammed said.\nPrince Mohammed, who oversees the kingdom's economic and energy policies, is leading the Vision 2030 reform drive.\nLast year, he said he expected the IPO would value Aramco at least $2 trillion. Any valuation would account for both oil price expectations and the size of Saudi Arabia's proven oil reserves.\nSaudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, has led OPEC and other oil producers to cut crude supply by 1.8 million barrels per day from January for six months to drain a global glut and support prices. The pact is expected to be extended for another six months when OPEC meets on May 25.\n\"Production is not a political decision, it is an economic decision ... governed by supply and demand, and through the coordination with OPEC and producers from outside OPEC so there is no collapse in oil prices,\" Prince Mohammed said.\n(Reporting by Rania El Gamal; Editing by Andrew Torchia and Jane Merriman)", "HONG KONG Aviva Plc (AV.L) is exploring a sale of its Friends Provident International unit, which offers life assurance and investment products, in a deal that could raise between $500 million (398.26 million pounds) and $700 million, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.\nThe British insurer has received preliminary interest from about half a dozen Chinese firms and European funds for the business, said the source, declining to be named as the process was not public.\nAn Aviva spokeswoman declined to comment. The news was earlier reported by the Wall Street Journal.\nFriends Provident provides life assurance and investment products to global expatriate and affluent domestic customers in Hong Kong, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and other selected markets, according to information available on its website.\nThe company, domiciled in the Isle of Man, serves over 160,000 customers and employs more than 500 people worldwide.\nAviva, which offers life and general insurance such as motor and home cover, took control of Friends Provident as part of its $8.8 billion all-share takeover of rival Friends Life in 2015.\nThe insurer earlier this month generated a forecast-beating annual profit, boosted by growth in general insurance and asset management, and said more of its growing cash pile would be handed back to shareholders in 2017.\nChief Executive Mark Wilson said at the time that the Friends Provident business was under review.\nAccording to the Wall Street Journal report, which cited people familiar with the situation, Chinese conglomerates Fosun Group (0656.HK) and HNA Group were among those evaluating the Aviva unit. Both companies declined to comment to the newspaper.\nThe Reuters source said Chinese firms and some European private equity funds would be the likely bidders for the asset, though some of the prospective Chinese buyers may be deterred by Beijing's capital outflow curbs aimed at propping up the yuan.\nChinese insurers have snapped up both domestic and overseas assets worth billions of dollars over the past two years to counter falling investment yields, a sharp drop in the yuan currency and sluggish stock markets at home.\nThe sale of Aviva's Friends Provident unit, if closed, will add to the growing list of insurance M&As in Asia.\nLast week, First Origin International Ltd, a Hong Kong-based investment firm, agreed to buy Hong Kong Life Insurance for $914 million.\nChina's Thaihot Group 000732.SZ, a relatively new entrant to Hong Kong financial circles, in 2016, agreed to buy Dah Sing Financial's (0440.HK) life insurance unit for $1.4 billion in Hong Kong's most expensive insurance M&A.\n(Reporting by Sumeet Chatterjee; Additional reporting by Carolyn Cohn in LONDON; Editing by Clara Ferreira-Marques, Mark Potter and Himani Sarkar)", "By Karol Y. Ruiz\nPresident Donald Trump and Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.), are proposing a reckless and dangerous federal budget to fund a deportation machine designed to rip apart families.\nThe proposed federal budget slashes billions from medical research to infrastructure, housing assistance, early childhood programs, K-12 education, and instead puts it in the pockets of private corporations to build immigration prisons and an outrageous border wall.\nFrelinghuysen, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, is leading the charge to fund Trump's policies of fear and hate.\nWe, the families of New Jersey, demand that Frelinghuysen instead build a budget that invests in our children, roads and highways.\nTo help make our voices heard, join us in a week of action today through to Aug. 18 in New Jersey's 11th District. Make the Road New Jersey, Wind of the Spirit, and dozens of other organizations from across the state - and the country - have organized to demand real leadership that rejects the politics of division and fear and makes a real investment in New Jersey families.\nNew Jersey residents face daily challenges; we need a federal budget that alleviates harm, not one that exacerbates our problems.\nOur children are trying to succeed in some of the most segregated schools in the country, while those of us fighting illness live in fear of losing our health care. Our elders often struggle with the dilemma of paying rent or paying their medical bills, unable to afford both.\nOur young families recognize the benefits of preschool for their children, but scramble to find affordable programs. One out of seven New Jersey children live with hunger. More than 10,000 homeless children attend New Jersey Schools. 75,000 New Jersey kids are still uninsured.\nPublic policy, and the budget that funds it, is intended to prevent and solve these problems; it did for my family. When my son was young, I worked as a waitress and as a preschool teacher's assistant. The federal Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) helped to keep food on our table. Today, I'm an attorney and my son is a student at the County College of Morris. Federal initiatives helped us climb out of poverty and contribute to New Jersey's economy.\nThe Trump-Frelinghuysen budget cuts billions from WIC and SNAP, decimates Medicaid, and ends federal funding for NJ FamilyCare. Instead, the Trump-Frelinghuysen budget commits $23 billion to ramping up the mass deportations that have proven harmful to New Jersey families and our economy. He plans to funnel our tax dollars into the troops, walls, and jails that deny refuge to families fleeing war, violence, and poverty. This proposed budget misuses our tax dollars to imprison mothers and their children, and to staff a deportation force that rips families apart. When our state faces such serious challenges, that money must be better spent.\nFrelinghuysen must insist on a responsible and responsive budget. He has, so far, served instead as Trump's rubber-stamp, providing full funding for key components of Trump's deportation machine. Our congressman is complicit in funding the president's brutal campaign against immigrant families while harming our most vulnerable residents with deep cuts in programs New Jersey families desperately need.\nThe $1.6 billion Frelinghuysen allocates to Trump's border wall would pave hundreds of miles of New Jersey roads.\nThe $4.4 billion the congressman commits for 44,000 detention beds (an increase of 4,676 over fiscal 2017, and 129 Fugitive Operations teams) would provide millions of nutritious meals through the National School Lunch program.\nThe $185.6 million Frelinghuysen allocates to hire 1,000 more ICE officers and 606 support staff would cover every uninsured child in New Jersey through NJ FamilyCare.\nThe $100 million Frelinghuysen spends for 500 border patrol officers and $131 million for E-Verify would give 12,000 New Jersey toddlers access to high-quality early education through the Head Start program.\nThankfully, there is still time. Congress is unlikely to pass a final funding plan until late this year. We have time to tell our congressional delegation - and especially Frelinghuysen - that Trump's out-of-control deportation obsession is out-of-step with New Jersey priorities.\nTo learn about our organized protests, visit us online: Wind of the Spirit (windofthespirit.net) or call 973-538-2035; Make the Road NJ (maketheroadnj.org/augustweekofaction2017), call (908)768-4991.\nKarol Y. Ruiz co-president of Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center in Morristown.\nBookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.", "Najib Razak, Malaysia's former prime minister, has pleaded not guilty to corruption charges in connection with the disappearance of billions of dollars from a government investment fund.\nHe has been granted bail following his arrest on Tuesday, but was ordered to surrender his passports.\nAl Jazeera's Florence Looi reports from Kuala Lumpur.", "Group, the Singapore-based parent company of Indian e-commerce major Flipkart, saw losses rise by 68 per cent to Rs 87.71 billion on a revenue of Rs 198.5 billion in the financial year that ended 31 March 2017. While the company’s revenue grew by 29 per cent on a year on year basis, its losses shot up primarily due to a drop in its valuation. Group attributed a loss of Rs 34.1 billion to ‘fair value loss on derivative financial instruments’ according to filings it made in which were sourced by data intelligence platform Paper.vc. In last April, reported that it has closed a $1.4 billion funding round led by Chinese internet major Tencent, at a valuation of $11.6 billion, down from its previous valuation of $15.2 billion. Omitting the losses due to its increase in finance costs, Flipkart's losses for the year that ended March 2017 would have come in at Rs 53.5 billion, or just marginally up from the Rs 52.2 billion loss the company had posted in the previous year. In the 18 month period before managed to raise funding from Tencent, and eBay, the company had cut discounting in an effort to conserve cash. This would have been reflected in Flipkart’s losses was it not for the massive loss incurred due to a drop in the company’s valuation. Since then, has raised a massive $4 billion in two rounds, the second footed by Japanese investor SoftBank. The money has brought the company back in the running to compete for the top spot in India’s e-commerce space which US online retail giant Amazon is desperate to win. India being the last large open market globally has drawn in several of the largest investors and globally. While the period between mid-2015 until the end of 2016 saw funding dry up for startups in the country, post that there have been several multi-billion dollar investments made in large Indian internet firms. While experts had then opined that the days of massive discounting in Indian e-commerce was over, the resurgence of capital in the space has led to yet another price war being fought. Post Flipkart’s funding rounds, rival Amazon stepped up the pace of its investments in the country, investing Rs 62 billion in its e-commerce marketplace in 2017 alone.\nBoth Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO of Flipkart, and Amit Agarwal, head of Amazon’s India business, have likened India’s e-commerce space to being just a day old. They have said that the sector will require far larger investments in the coming years to help grow it to its full potential.\nFor now, both and Amazon are heavily investing in the grocery category, which according to them will help transition customers from making purchases on their platforms once or twice a year to several times a month. Globally, the business of selling groceries online has proven to be capital intensive and the same is expected here in India.\nExpecting a challenge in this space, India’s largest online grocer BigBasket recently announced that it had raised $300 million in funding led by Chinese Internet giant Alibaba. Apart from Softbank and Tencent, Alibaba is turning out to be one of the most prolific investors in Indian Internet companies, as it looks to win the market and drive out its biggest rival Amazon.", "In the State of the Union, President Trump announced a bold intention: Turning $200 billion in federal money into $1.5 trillion for fixing America's infrastructure by leveraging local and state tax dollars and private investment.\nIs creating that much funding from such a small number of federal dollars even possible?\nExperts say yes, technically, but caution that such a large private sector add-on is far from guaranteed.\nA White House spokeswoman told CNNMoney that their internal estimates found that the $200 billion could shake loose a total of between $800 billion and $1.5 trillion in other investments, but didn't explain further.\nProgressives have attacked the proposed $200 billion as woefully inadequate, saying that states and cities are already burdened by pension debt and would not be able to raise enough money to finance 80% of the cost of major projects, as a leaked draft of the proposal said would be required. (The White House has declined to comment on the draft, which was first published last week by Axios.)\n\"While [Trump] just gave away trillions in tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires, he is putting a pittance on the table and expecting cash-strapped state and local governments to come up with the lion's share,\" said Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois on a press call this week organized by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a liberal advocacy group.\nRelated: What we know about Trump's infrastructure plan\nLeft-leaning think tanks including the Economic Policy Institute and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities were also skeptical, pointing out that the Trump administration has previously proposed large cuts to infrastructure spending by Amtrak and programs like TIGER grants, an Obama-era pot of money for transportation projects awarded on a competitive basis.\nJeff Davis, a senior fellow at the Eno Center for Transportation, a nonprofit professional development organization that publishes research on transportation issues, said that while it's feasible to drum up $1.5 trillion in total spending with $200 billion in federal money, the proposal relies on some dubious assumptions.\nTo understand the White House's argument, Davis walks through the math. According to the leaked draft, half of the $200 billion will go toward incentive grants that can only make up 20% of any given project, so that part would lead to $500 billion in total investment.\nAnother $70 billion would go toward grants for rural areas and \"transformative\" projects that are more experimental, with the feds picking up between 30% and 100% of the tab. Davis said that amount can leverage about $20 billion, so let's be generous and round up the total to $100 billion.\nSo far, $170 billion from Washington has gotten us to $600 billion in total investment, with $30 billion in federal spending left, according to Davis' calculations. Where does the extra $400 billion to $900 billion come from?\nMost of it, Davis said, can be found in the fine print of the leaked draft: Beefing up funding for the federal infrastructure credit programs that provide loans, loan guarantees and lines of credit to transit agencies and utilities for everything from highway expansions to desalination plants.\nRecent loans through these programs have leveraged about $15 million for every $1 million of credit assistance. If such loans were only part of a financing package, the leverage ratio could get as high as 45-to-1, although Davis found in 2015 that there weren't enough projects that could qualify for assistance under the program's rules. In many cases, the projects were too big of a credit risk or they did not have all the proper permits.\nRelated: The U.S.' biggest infrastructure nightmare\n\"These assumptions may be fanciful, but they are bipartisan,\" Davis said, noting that Democrats have also counted on small amounts of federal capital pulling in enormous amounts of private and local money.\nPeople who facilitate private investment in public infrastructure, such as pensions and private equity funds, think Trump's proposal could make a lot of deals happen that otherwise wouldn't happen.\n\"Literally dozens of these funds have been raised for the purpose of investing in infrastructure,\" says Kent Rowey, a partner in the firm Allen & Overy who specializes in public private partnerships. \"There's more product than demand at the moment, because we haven't had the catalyst at the federal level to really kick it into high gear. ... It's a terrific idea.\"\nPrivate investors can be paid back either through user fees, like highway tolls, or by other dedicated revenue streams, like sales taxes. But Rowey acknowledges that model works best in large population centers with robust tax bases, not rural areas or shrinking Rust Belt towns that could really use the help.\nAlso, as a report by the Democratic staff of the Joint Economic Committee argued, relying on private investment is risky and can cost more than direct taxpayer funding, since investors expect a healthy return. In the past, some public-private partnerships have been poorly negotiated and shut out competition that would have resulted in better pricing and improved public services, the report said.\nThat makes leveraging $1.5 trillion in investment with $200 billion in funding technically possible — but perhaps not entirely wise.", "To access the newsletter, click on the link: here If you would like to receive this newsletter via email, please register at: here FACTORS TO WATCH 10:30 am: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at ICICI Bank event in New Delhi. LIVECHAT - POLITICS We take a look at the political betting odds ahead of the second round of French elections with Reuters analyst Rob Howard, at 2:30 pm. To join the conversation, click on the link: here INDIA TOP NEWS • ANALYSIS-Global pension funds warm to India's solar power ambitions Some of the world's biggest pension funds, seeking long-term returns on green investments, are scouting for deals in India's solar power sector, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is targeting $100 billion in investment in the next five years. • India court approves $1.18 billion settlement of Tata-DoCoMo dispute - TV The Delhi High Court has approved a settlement of the $1.18 billion dispute between Tata Sons and NTT DoCoMo, allowing the Indian firm to buy out the Japanese firm's stake in the telecoms joint venture, TV news channels reported on Friday. • Paytm parent One97 set to raise over $1.8 billion from SoftBank One97 Communications, owner of electronics payments provider Paytm, is set to raise more than 120 billion rupees ($1.87 billion) from Japan's SoftBank Group, the Economic Times reported on Friday citing sources. • Ambuja Cements Q1 profit jumps four fold on higher sales volume India's Ambuja Cements, part of global conglomerate LafargeHolcim Ltd, on Friday reported an over four-fold surge in first-quarter net profit, as higher cement sales volume and favourable pricing offset rising costs. • India's Federal Bank aims 3.25 pct net interest margin, growth across segments India's Federal Bank, a mid-sized private sector lender, is targeting a net interest margin of 3.25 percent in the fiscal year that began in April by focusing on growing its books, improving loan recovery and deposit portfolio, its chief executive officer said. • Global med-tech firms, India locked in tussle after stent price sting A group of global medical-technology companies plans to tell Indian officials next month that any further price control measures would risk future investments and make them less likely to introduce new products in the country, according to an industry source familiar with the matter. GLOBAL TOP NEWS • Trump opens door to N.Korea meeting as Pyongyang hints tests to continue U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday opened the door to meeting North Korea's Kim Jong Un, saying he would be honored to meet the young leader under the right circumstances, even as Pyongyang suggested it would continue its nuclear weapons tests. • ANALYSIS-Asian nations pulled into China's orbit as Trump puts America first Across Asia, more and more countries are being pulled into Beijing's orbit, with the timid stance adopted by Southeast Asian nations on the South China Sea at a weekend summit a clear sign this fundamental geostrategic shift is gathering momentum. • Japan wrestles over smoking ban as Olympics loom Tokyo risks being one of the unhealthiest Olympic Games hosts in years, as an anti-smoking law exposes deep rifts over tobacco tax revenue, personal freedom and the dangers of passive smoking, which kills thousands of Japanese each year. LOCAL MARKETS OUTLOOK (As reported by NewsRise) • The SGX Nifty Futures were trading at 9,357.00, trading little changed from its previous close. • The Indian rupee is likely to edge higher against the dollar in early trade, in line with regional peers, tracking broad dollar weakness following soft U.S. data. Bunched-up foreign fund inflows following an extended weekend will also likely help the rupee, traders said. • Indian government bonds will likely edge lower tracking gains in U.S. Treasury yields ahead of the central bank’s auction of securities to soak up liquidity in the banking system. The yield on the benchmark 6.97 pct bond maturing in 2026 is likely to trade in a 6.94 pct - 6.99 pct band today. GLOBAL MARKETS • Wall Street climbed on Monday, boosted by gains in Apple and other big tech stocks that more than offset weak economic data and pushed the Nasdaq Composite to another record high. • Wall Street climbed on Monday, boosted by gains in Apple and other big tech stocks that more than offset weak economic data and pushed the Nasdaq Composite to another record high. • The dollar hit a one-month high against the yen, lifted by Treasury yields which surged after U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin commented on the possibility of ultra long-term bond issuance. • U.S. Treasury debt prices dropped on Monday in generally thin volume, pressured by comments from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin saying the government is looking into the issuance of ultra long-term bonds, or those with maturities beyond 30 years. • Oil prices edged down, as a recovery in Libyan output and rising U.S. supplies raised worries that OPEC-led production cuts may not significantly tighten a bloated market. • Gold was steady after falling nearly one percent to a three-week low in the previous session as equities and the dollar climbed, while worries over North Korea eased. CLOSE FII INVESTMENTS EQUITIES DEBT PNDF spot 64.19/64.22 April 28 -$179.02 mln -$44.52 mln 10-yr bond yield 7.21 Month-to-date -$171.38 mln $3.92 bln Year-to-date $6.61 bln $9.39 bln For additional data: India govt bond market volumes Stock market reports Non-deliverable forwards data Corporate debt stories [IN CORPD] Local market closing/intraday levels [IN SNAPSHOT] Monthly inflows [INFLOWS RTRS TABLE IN] ($1 = 64.24 Indian rupees) (Compiled by Sai Sharanya Khosla in Bengaluru)", "By Trevor Hunnicutt NEW YORK, April 5 Investors amped up their bets on the fixed-income market during the latest week, adding cash to U.S.-based taxable-bond funds for the 17th straight week, Investment Company Institute data showed on Wednesday. The move into U.S.-based bond funds, which has lasted more than a year, comes despite a risk of rising U.S. interest rates and as the Federal Reserve incubates a plan to cut its cache of bond holdings this year. Fixed-income funds attracted $7.6 billion during the seven days through March 29, the trade group said, including $7 billion in taxable-bond funds and the remainder in municipal debt. Minutes from the latest meeting of the Fed's policymaking committee released on Wednesday showed its members think the U.S. central bank should take steps to begin trimming its $4.5 trillion balance sheet this year as long as the U.S. economy holds up. Bond funds have nonetheless remained immensely popular. They took in $261 billion in the United States over the 14 months through February, earlier ICI data showed. Equity funds posted nearly $19 billion in withdrawals over that period. By contrast, bond markets reacted violently in 2013 to the possibility that the Fed might slow down its bond buying. Bond mutual funds posted $71 billion in withdrawals during the \"taper tantrum\" that year. In March, U.S. ETF investors sopped up investment-grade bonds, emerging markets sovereign debt and Treasuries, according to data service FactSet Research Systems Inc, while mortgage-backed securities also attracted cash. Those moves could be a bet on stable rates, said Rusty Vanneman, chief investment officer at CLS Investments LLC, but he said the more obvious reason is investors are \"just reaching for more yield.\" That behavior did not extend to stocks, which attracted just $1.7 billion during the week, ICI said, a reversal from withdrawals during the prior week. Investors added $1.3 billion into funds focused on international shares, their 17th straight week adding cash, while $339 million went to equity funds focused on domestic companies. The following table shows estimated ICI flows, including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (all figures in millions of dollars): 3/29 3/22 3/15 3/8 3/1/2017 Equity 1,659 -1,752 10,992 9,112 9,116 -Domestic 339 -6,849 9,014 4,284 5,766 -World 1,320 5,097 1,978 4,828 3,350 Hybrid -1,066 -778 -242 -376 -912 Bond 7,626 13,190 2,834 6,921 9,707 -Taxable 6,985 12,511 3,037 6,868 9,432 -Municipal 641 679 -203 53 274 Commodity 100 -151 237 -663 192 Total 8,319 10,508 13,821 14,994 18,103 (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by James Dalgleish)", "* Euro-denominated issuance volumes double since 2007 * European institutional investors driving demand * LatAm euro issues trade wider than dollar counterparts By Claire Milhench LONDON, April 13 Peruvian and Indonesian euro-denominated bonds and Mexican sterling issues are just some of the more esoteric hard-currency issues attracting fund managers with their juicier yields compared with plain-vanilla emerging dollar bonds. Once shunned by managers as too illiquid, the steady growth in issuance volumes of such bonds, particularly in euros, has led to a viable market. Outstanding volumes of euro-denominated emerging market bonds stood at $72 billion last year, up from about $37 billion in 2007, ThomsonReuters data show, though their share of the overall market is steady at around 13 to 16 percent (see table). Issue sizes have grown, as well. In February, the Mexican oil company Pemex set a record for the biggest-ever euro-denominated emerging market issue, raising 4.25 billion euros. And because they are excluded from the most widely used emerging market benchmarks, such as JPMorgan's EMBIG for dollar bonds, they often trade at higher yields than their dollar equivalents, offering fund managers extra bang for their buck. \"You used to see 300 million euros issued, and now it's half a billion,\" said Alejandro Arevalo, an emerging market bond fund manager at Jupiter Asset Management. \"From a liquidity side it has improved. It's more attractive as I am less concerned about whether I can get out of the bond if I need to sell it.\" Demand for euro issuance has been underpinned by European insurers and pension funds, which need higher yields to meet future payments to policyholders. Arevalo refers to such investors as \"sticky hands\" because they tend to buy and hold. \"If there is a panic in the market, people tend to sell the benchmark securities first,\" said Wouter van Overfelt, a senior portfolio manager at Vontobel Asset Management. \"So some of these dollar-denominated securities will sell off whereas the euro-denominated securities won't necessarily move as much.\" He cited the example of Pemex, where big losses and poor sentiment in late 2015 sharply pushed up yields on its 2024 dollar bond but more or less spared the 2025 euro issue. YIELD PICK UP Due to European institutions' preference for local names, Latin American euro- or sterling-denominated bonds can trade at much wider yield spreads - several managers cited the pick-up offered by the Mexico's 2114 \"century bond\" denominated in sterling over its dollar equivalent. Similarly, the 2025 and 2022 euro issues from Petrobras and Mexican cement firm Cemex respectively offer a yield pick up over their dollar equivalents of 40 to 90 basis points. Tina Vandersteel, the head of GMO's emerging country debt team, was among those who bought Mexico's century dollar bond when it was issued in 2010. But she rotated out of it and into the 2114 sterling issue when sterling assets sold off before last June's Brexit vote in Britain. As a predominantly institutional manager, GMO doesn't have a lot of in and out flows, she said. The trade also suits managers who are benchmark-agnostic, like van Overfelt, who currently has about 35 to 40 percent of his fund in non-dollar hard currency debt. \"We see a lot of opportunities there today,\" he said, citing Indonesia's 2028 euro issue, which pays almost 50 percent more in spread terms versus the dollar equivalent. His largest overweight, Mexico, is expressed through the century bonds and Pemex euro bonds. Bryan Carter, head of emerging market fixed income at BNP Paribas Investment Partners, also cites a Peruvian 2026 euro bond that offers a 30-basis-point yield pick up relative to its nearest dollar equivalent. \"If you can find them, they can be very interesting at those valuations – they are cheap because no one even remembers they exist,\" Carter said. Euro debt supply has remained steady, with over $26 billion raised in the first quarter, TR data shows. About 9 percent of outstanding emerging market corporate debt is now denominated in euros, according to JPMorgan, but that rises to 21 percent for emerging Europe. However, euro or sterling will not displace the dollar's hegemony in emerging bond markets. First, most dollar bonds are eligible for the JPMorgan's EMBI Global or CEMBI indexes tracked by funds managing hundreds of billions of dollars. Second, euro-based investors tend to favour investment- grade, frequent issuers, so junk-rated or debut issuers from Africa, for instance, may not find takers. Finally, the euro's increased market share may have come at the expense of other currencies - the yen, for instance, saw its share dwindle last year to 1.1 percent of bond sales versus 2.6 percent in 2007. That has reduced liquidity. \"Unless there are other investors looking at the same thing and unless there's liquidity, you won't get the repricing,\" Carter said. EMERGING MARKET YEARLY ISSUANCE VOLUMES - 2007 CURRENCY PROCEEDS MARKET SHARE NO. OF ISSUES (US$ MLN) US Dollar 145,320.2 63.7 350 Euro 36,787.9 16.1 70 British Pound 8,671.4 3.8 14 Japanese Yen 6,000.8 2.6 29 Swiss Franc 2,965.8 1.3 9 EMERGING MARKET YEARLY ISSUANCE VOLUMES - 2016 CURRENCY PROCEEDS MARKET SHARE NO. OF ISSUES (US$ MLN) US Dollar 408,137.2 77.3 628 Euro 71,891.5 13.6 89 Chinese Yuan 17,549 3.3 54 British Pound 6,882.5 1.3 7 Japanese Yen 5,654.9 1.1 26 Swiss Franc 3,716.4 0.7 14 Source: ThomsonReuters (Reporting by Claire Milhench, editing by Larry King)" ]

[ "How much do you have to make to qualify for a million-dollar home? You need to make approximately $220,000 a year to qualify for a million-dollar home. This assumes that you have a strong financial portfolio, i.e. savings in the bank, few or no debts, etc. Expect a monthly mortgage payment of around $5,000." ]

[ "Originally Answered: How much money should you have to be called a millionaire? Your net worth (including assets) need to equal 1 million dollars - minimum. If your net worth (including assets) is $10 million, you are a decamillionaire.", "To afford a house that costs $600,000 with a down payment of $120,000, you'd need to earn $104,232 per year before tax. The monthly mortgage payment would be $2,432. Salary needed for 600,000 dollar mortgage. This page will calculate how much you need to earn to buy a house that costs $600,000.", "How much do you need to buy a house in Canada? The average detached house in Canada costs $498,943 and you'll need a down-payment of $24,947 and a household income of at least $97,000 to buy it. If you want to know the price of your current home before you buy a new one, you can get your free quote from Properly.", "A good rule of thumb: Make sure you're covered for an amount equal to the total value of your assets (Add up the dollar values of your house, your car, savings and investments). How much insurance do you need for yourself? You probably don't need to spend a lot of money on a Personal Injury Protection policy.", "['What Questions Should You Ask Before Buying a House? ... ', \"What's my housing budget? ... \", 'How much should I save for a down payment? ... ', 'How much are closing costs? ... ', 'Do I need to save for moving expenses? ... ', 'How will I furnish and decorate? ... ', \"What's the neighborhood like? ... \", 'What are the schools like?']", "Why You Will Need $2 Million To Retire. If you are in your 20s or 30s, you could need to save at least $2 million to be able to retire comfortably. ... And today, the truth is, even $2 million isn't as much money as we think it is. When we plan for retirement, we focus on how much money we think we'll need.", "In terms of how much money you'll need to retire, the AARP will tell you that $1 million is a good goal to aim for.", "['How much money do you make? ... ', 'Are you pregnant? ... ', \"Why aren't you married? ... \", \"Why don't you want/have kids? ... \", 'Do you believe in God? ... ', \"How much does your house/rent/car/purse/child's tuition cost? ... \", 'How many people have you slept with?']", "Costs of starting a nightclub. How much money do I need to start a nightclub? The short answer is anywhere from $25,000, to 15-million. There are numerous variables, which range from the buying a property versus leasing one, to looking at nightclubs for sale.", "Income to Afford a $250,000 House. How much do you need to make to be able to afford a house that costs $250,000? To afford a house that costs $250,000 with a down payment of $50,000, you'd need to earn $43,430 per year before tax.", "Here's how much money Americans say you need to be 'rich' To be considered \"rich,\" Americans say you need a net worth of at least $2.3 million.", "Nominal exchange rates tell you how​ many, say, euros you will receive in exchange for a U.S.​ dollar, but they do not tell you how much of another​ country's goods and services you can buy with that U.S. dollar. ... The real exchange rate is the price of one​ country's currency in terms of another​ country's currency.", "['When Should I Begin Taking Social Security? ... ', 'How Long Will My Money Last? ... ', 'How Much Money Do I Need to Retire? ... ', 'Should I Buy an Annuity? ... ', 'How Much Will I Spend? ... ', 'How Will I Pay for Medical Expenses in Retirement? ... ', 'Should I Take My Pension as a Lump Sum?']", "The largest difference is since we do not have a production or materials purchase budget, we still need to know how much inventory we need to buy for a merchandiser. The merchandise purchases budget is similar to the production budget. The purchases budget can be done in units or in total dollars.", "So how much is 1 million dollars? The answer is 6 crores, 50 lakh rupees.", "50 million is a lot of money, and if that is after taxes, it could last a lifetime. ... You can do a lot with $50 Million, but you could also pee it away. You could buy and maintain a $1 Million boat, you could not buy a $50 Million airplane.", "In any Poker tournament people buy-in for a fixed sum of real money, and are given a number of tournament chips that have no direct monetary value. ... Nevertheless the winner of the US$10,000 buy-in WSOP Main Event will get several million dollars from the total buy-in that usually exceeds US$60 million.", "“Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it.”", "For most Americans, having a million dollars isn't enough to be considered “wealthy.” It would take a net worth of more than double that amount: $2.27 million. ... That means total assets after you've subtracted any liabilities.", "In Canada, you must put down a minimum of 5% as a down payment for homes less than $500,000. If the purchase price is between $500,000 and $1 million, you'll need 10% on the amount between $500,000 and $1 million. For houses over $1 million, the minimum down payment is 20%.", "Do you need a real estate license to flip houses? You don't necessarily need a real estate license to flip houses, but it could be useful. ... House flippers who've obtained a real estate license can earn money buying and selling other people's properties while they're working on their own.", "['What are your sales? This is always the first question. ... ', 'What do you bring to the table? ... ', 'Why do you need our money? ... ', 'Why the big valuation? ... ', 'Is your product unique? ... ', 'How much debt do you have? ... ', 'How much inventory do you have? ... ', 'What are your costs?']", "How Much Do TikTokers Make? On average, A TikToker with half a million followers with good engagement in the comments and likes can get paid around $450 a month. To make money from TikTok, you need to gain popularity with a good engagement rate on your videos.", "There's no hard-and-fast rule for how much you need. Some buyers might put down $200, while others will write a check for $2,000.", "['5.0% on the first $150K.', '4.0% on the next $150K.', '3.0% on the next $1.2M.', '2.0% on the next $1.5M.', '1.5% on the next $1.5M.', '1.0% on the next $1.5M.', '0.5% on the next $1.5M.']", "Buying a home you'll need at least a 10% deposit, however restrictions may apply if you have less than a 20% deposit. Building a home you'll generally need a 20% deposit of the total cost (to buy land and fund the build). Buying or building a residential investment property you'll generally need at least a 20% deposit.", "How much does it cost? A gas station is not a cheap business to buy, but the most lucrative businesses rarely are. There are a few businesses for sale that are around the $200,000 mark, however the majority retail from $500,000 up to prices in the millions of dollars.", "10 Habits Of Successful Real Estate Investors That means you will need a minimum of $20,000 up front for a property valued at $100,000. There are also closing costs, which typically run around 5% of the purchase price. 7 More money will be needed to get the property in rentable condition.", "Cloned phones do work, but they are not as reliable as genuine Samsung devices. ... Although they're cheaper, cloned phones are bad investments since you will need to buy a new phone much, much sooner than you would need to if you spent the money on a real Samsung device.", "28 Million Dollars in Prize Money on Offer The eight teams participating in the first FIFA Club World Championship will share a total of 28 million US Dollars in prize money.", "If you are buying or building a new home valued up to $750,000, you may be eligible for a First Home Owner Grant (FHOG). If you are eligible for the FHOG and the home you are buying is in regional Victoria, you will receive $20,000. If the home is not in regional Victoria, the grant is $10,000.", "Totally depends on how much you need to live and what interest rate you can get. Your average person can live comfortably on around $20,000. With some solid investments, you can probably pull around 5% interest. So, you would need a starting sum of $400,000." ]

[ "Clashes between US forces and Shia insurgents across Baghdad's Sadr City leave at least 33 people dead." ]

[ "BAGHDAD -- Police found more than two dozen bodies across the capital yesterday and the government said 73 people had died in fighting in the south, as violence surged despite signs that a US crackdown is curbing sectarian killings in Baghdad.", "Dozens of insurgents killed in fighting in southern Afghanistan, NATO says.", "BAGHDAD, June 9 -- A suicide truck bombing at an Iraqi military checkpoint south of Baghdad killed a dozen soldiers, the deadliest in a series of explosions throughout Iraq on Saturday.", "A car bomb explodes in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens more.", "A car bomb targeting Shia pilgrims in central Baghdad kills more than a dozen people, police say.", "A car bomb kills at least 10 people in eastern Baghdad, a day after dozens died in an attack on the city centre.", "BAGHDAD, March 5 -- A suicide car bomb exploded midday Monday at a open-air book market in central Baghdad, killing several people and wounding dozens.", "Car bombs killed at least a dozen persons in Baghdad and another major city yesterday as kidnappers of a British-Iraqi aid worker threatened to kill her.", "Description: A mortar attack on an Iraqi National Guard headquarters north of Baghdad kills four guardsmen and wounds dozens of other Iraqis.", "BAGHDAD: At least 75 people were killed yesterday in a Baghdad car bombing and in an ambush on police in Baquba as fighting flared between US troops and insurgents in Ramadi.", "A wave of fighting in Afghanistan's south and west killed 16 police and dozens of suspected militants, Afghan officials said Thursday.", "BAGHDAD A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into the Baghdad headquarters of the Shiite political leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim on Monday, killing 13 people and wounding dozens more.", "A suicide bomber killed at least a dozen Iraqi soldiers and wounded 30 more in Iskandariya, an insurgent stronghold, south of Baghdad.", "Bombs struck workers in a predominantly Shiite area on the southeastern edge of Baghdad, killing at least eight people and wounding two dozen.", "A bombing at an outdoor dog fighting competition killed and wounded dozens of people in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, an official and a witness said.", "A bomb struck a popular pet market in central Baghdad on Friday, killing at least 14 civilians and wounding nearly two dozen, police said.", "At least two people were killed in a car bombing south of Baghdad today, the latest in a series of attacks in Iraq that have killed dozens of people in the last two days.", "BAGHDAD - US and Iraqi forces, backed by Polish Army helicopters, swept through Shi'ite militia strongholds south of Baghdad yesterday, rounding up dozens of militants and killing two.", "BAGHDAD Insurgents drove a car bomb up to the Ministry of Education headquarters in northwestern Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least six people in a powerful blast and wounding dozens more, an Iraqi official said.", "Strong explosions shook central Baghdad at dawn on Sunday and heavy fighting erupted in a street notorious as a rebel stronghold, in violence that killed", "BAGHDAD : Fourteen US soldiers were killed within 24 hours as the US death toll hit 1,001 amid fierce fighting in a Shiite rebel bastion in Baghdad.", "A suicide bomber blew up a minibus at a Baghdad market on Sunday, killing at least 33 people and wounded dozens, police said.", "BAGHDAD, Feb. 25 -- A suicide bomber detonated a belt of explosives Sunday afternoon at a university in Baghdad, killing dozens of students, in the second large-scale attack on a college campus in the capital this year.", "BAGHDAD: Six people, including three US soldiers, were killed and dozens were injured across Iraq. Insurgents detonated a roadside bomb next to a US tank patrol north of Baghdad on Saturday, killing a US soldier, the army said.", "Insurgents killed a U.S. Marine during fighting in the violent Anbar province west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said Friday.", "BAGHDAD -- Sunni insurgents unleashed a wave of attacks yesterday, killing at least 23 people, including two US Marines and a dozen Iraqi Army recruits.", "BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide truck bomb killed eight policemen and wounded dozens more at a police station north of Baghdad on Sunday in the latest assault by insurgents on Iraq's security forces, police said.", "A double bombing kills 14 in Baghdad, including the head of a US-backed Sunni armed group fighting al-Qaeda.", "Three car bombs were set off near an American military convoy in western Baghdad today, killing at least 35 people and wounding dozens.", "Insurgents fired mortars at an Iraqi National Guard headquarters north of Baghdad. The Defense Ministry says four people were killed and dozens of others were injured.", "More than a dozen suspected Tamil Tiger rebels were killed in fresh fighting in the island's embattled north, the defence ministry said Saturday.", "Car bombs killed at least a dozen people in Baghdad and another major city as American forces prepared for a full-scale US attack on the insurgent stronghold Fallujah." ]

[ "The bell at ringside has tolled for the last time this year, thereby ringing in this column’s awards for Anno Domini 2014. A Merry Christmas to fight fans everywhere – and many a Happy Boxing Day. BOXER OF THE YEAR - Carl Froch . Froch fought only once these 12 months but what a night it was. Upwards of 80,000 at Wembley – the biggest post-war boxing crowd in Britain – saw the Nottingham Cobra deliver the punch which rang out around the world. No controversy this time as Froch put a devastating end to a second successful defence of his world super-middleweight title against dashing young pretender George Groves. A case could be argued for Kell Brook after the away win over American Shaw Porter which gave him a world welterweight title. Hearty congratulations, also, to Andy Lee for his knockout world middleweight title win over Matt Korobov. But it was Froch who carried British boxing to a new, wider, younger, crossover audience in spectacular style. KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR - Carl Froch . See above. Carl Froch secured a thrilling win over George Groves in a fight that captured the imagination of the public . VIDEO Froch v Groves II highlights . Froch prevailed in  an eagerly-anticipated rematch between the pair in front of over 80,000 fans at Wembley . Froch landed a devastating punch on Groves that left the challenger unable to continue at Wembley . WORLD BOXER OF THE YEAR - Gennady Golovkin . Golovkin, the most feared middleweight on the planet, inflicted massive knockouts on three challengers for his world titles in this one year. Osumanu Adama, Daniel Geale and Marco Antonio Rubio all fell in 1914 to the Kazakh hammer, who now boasts 28 KOs in a perfect record of 31 wins. Golovkin has not been taken the distance for almost seven years and now holds the highest knock-out ratio – 90 per cent – in the history of the classic middleweight division. Good luck to our Martin Murray in Monte Carlo on February 21. Gennady Golovkin took his record to 28 knockouts from a perfect 31 wins in his career . FIGHT OF THE YEAR - Billy Joe Saunders vs Chris Eubank Jnr . Two brilliant British prospects for world titles had the courage to take each other on early in their careers and delivered a thriller in which Saunders claimed a valid decision but Son of Eubank enhanced his future, also. Not only a roller-coaster ride but vibrant proof that there is no crime in losing. Chris Eubank Jnr and Billy Joe Saunders produced a thrilling contest when they met at the Excel . Eubank and Saunders had been rivals for a while, and the latter won on a split division in November . STILL….THE No 1 POUND-FOR-POUND - Floyd Mayweather . Not a vintage year for the Money man but he still minted a pair of hard-currency wins over the pesky, hard-punching Marcos Maidana to retain his status as both the best boxer on the planet and the pay-per-view king. Floyd Mayweather extended his perfect record to 47 wins from 47 contests in 2014 . Mayweather twice got the better of tough Argentine Marcos Maidana in Las Vegas . COMMAND PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR - Manny Pacquiao . Pacquiao looked virtually back to his lightning, thunderous best in Macau as he hounded a young world champion, New York’s Chris Algieri, around the ring, decking him six times on his way to a modern record points victory by 18 points, 120-102. Bring on PacMan v Money Man. Manny Pacquiao dominated Chris Algieri when they met in Macau on November 23 . VIRTUOSO PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR - Amir Khan . Having promised a statement against Devon Alexander, Khan delivered not only that but a masterclass of hand and foot speed. The boy from Bolton came of age in Las Vegas, not losing a round as he raced into the Mayweather-Pacquiao sweepstakes. Amir Khan produced a dazzling display in beating Devon Alexander in Las Vegas in December . Khan is targeting a fight against Mayweather after his impressive victory over Alexander . PROMOTER OF THE YEAR - Eddie Hearn . Hearn, at Matchroom, for backing his belief that Froch-Groves could fill Wembley, turning the stadium from an England football ground into a boxing Colosseum overnight and putting on the event of not just this but many a year. Eddie Hearn at a press conference to launch Froch's rematch against Groves at Wembley . LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - Bernard Hopkins . Already, at 49, the oldest boxer ever to hold a world title, the former Executioner who re-dubbed himself The Alien came within a month and one week of wearing the light-heavyweight crown at 50 when he faced Sergey Kovalev in Atlantic City this November. Although he lost Hopkins still achieved what many have not, by taking the Krusher from Russia the distance. For a life heart-warmingly redeemed from a Philadelphia prison as a teenager, we salute the grand old man of the prize-ring. Bernard Hopkins came within a month and a week of wearing the light-heavyweight world title aged 50 ." ]

[ "Carl Froch delivered his riposte to the unfortunate 'Death Row' taunt from George Groves, which is also likely to get the Londoner in a little trouble with the authorities. At the weigh-in in front of 4,000 boisterous fans, Froch said: 'I want to send him back into the hole he crawled out of and put this saga behind me'. Groves had likened Froch to a man on death row and his comment has not gone unnoticed by the Boxing Board of Control. VIDEO Scroll down to watch the pair showboat at the weigh-in and their intense square-up . Job done: Carl Froch and George Groves both made weight ahead of their rematch on Saturday . Face to face: Froch did the talking as both men came together for the final time before the first bell . General Secretary Robert Smith said: . 'It was a silly thing to say. We know that boxers sometimes say silly . things as a fight nears but this was unfortunate. 'It . is not appropriate to talk in terms of death in relation to this very . hard game of ours because unfortunately death sometimes happens. 'We . won't do anything about this until the fight is over but we will have a . think next week as to whether to have a word with George.' Froch was reprimanded by the Board after threatening to kill Mikkel Kessler before their rematch. The . Nottingham Cobra, who is defending his world super-middleweight titles . in front of a Wembley crowd of 80,000, was booed and jeered as he took . to the scales by a predominantly London crowd in the nearby Arena. Surprisingly, given that he is naturally the heavier man, Groves came in 1lb 4oz lighter than Froch. No worries: Groves looked confident as he weighed in well within the 12st limit at Wembley Arena . Inside: Froch weighed in just within the limit to ensure the rematch goes ahead on Saturday night . The . Cobra said to The Saint as they posed for the eyeball-to-eyeball . photographs: 'You look drawn and dehydrated. You've come in under . weight.' Later, Froch said: . 'He looks to me like he has put himself under pressure by saying he'll . knock me out in three rounds. Very nervous, if you ask me.' Groves responded by saying: 'I did the weight comfortably, we wanted to moan about the 4pm weigh-in for the sake of moaning. Business time: The trash talk will stop between Froch and Groves when they go toe-to-toe at Wembley . Cheeky to cheeky: Both Brits try to show they're relaxed ahead of the super middleweight world title bout . 'I feel perfect in mind, body and soul. I couldn't be more ready. 'Carl needs reassurance but he can't find it and for that reason he's going to struggle. I'd beat Carl Froch every night of the week.' Groves weighed 1lb 10oz under the 12st limit, while Froch scaled 11st 13lb 9oz. The . closest we came to drama was when one of Groves' sizeable contingent of . bodyguards engaged in a brief scuffle with an official security man.", "WBA and IBF super-middleweight champion Carl Froch has revealed he is close to agreeing a dream fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr in Las Vegas. Froch has sought a meeting with Chavez since stopping George Groves for the first time in November 2013 and is now confident promoter Eddie Hearn will deliver the fight. Carl Froch celebrates after defending his WBA and IBF super-middleweight titles at Wembley last May . It had been rumoured Froch would look to get his revenge on Andre Ward after his points defeat when the duo met in 2011, but the Nottingham fighter, 37, is only interested in a Box Office frenzy. ‘Professional boxing is a business first and foremost, let’s not forget that,’ said Froch. ‘People talk about Andre Ward, but I don’t want to fight him, he’ll probably beat me on points. ‘I’m a fighter and if I didn’t knock him out he’d beat me on points. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr celebrates his victory over Brian Vera in Los Angeles in September . ‘He’s not a big fight. American TV don’t want to show him on Box Office. So what’s the point?’ Froch hopes the Chavez fight will take place in March and insists plans beyond that will be dictated by his performance against the Mexican. ‘Dare I say it, but we’re nearly there with the Chavez fight in Las Vegas which we’ve long talked about,’ Froch added. ‘After knocking out Groves I was talking about the Chavez fight happening. It’s nearly there and I’m very optimistic that Eddie Hearn will make an announcement very soon. ‘This fight will take me to Las Vegas. Between beating Mikkel Kessler and speaking about Chavez, I’ve had the two epic fights with George Groves. Froch (left) floors George Groves during the super-middleweight bout at Wembley last year . ‘Last year was a great year for me. But definitely my next fight is in Vegas.’ 'I've talked about retiring since I fought Lucian Bute when everybody though I was going to get beaten. 'I would have retired had I lost that fight, but since winning it I've gone from strength to strength. 'Here I am in 2015 talking about a dream fight in Vegas. Hopefully I'm getting that fight with March being talked about. 'If I beat Chavez on style and I feel great doing it, why would I retire at 37 years old? I'm not 47, I'm 37 and still feeling fresh and fit. As long as I can still do what I need to do physically, then I'll continue to box. 'It's one fight at a time, which is the way I've approached it for the last couple of years. Chavez next and then who knows? 'James DeGale is looking really good. I'm impressed with what he's doing. He's improved so much. That's a massive fight in Britain.' Since losing to Andre Ward in December 2011, Froch has posted impressive wins against Bute, Yusaf Mack, Kessler and George Groves - his bitter domestic rival who failed to go beyond nine rounds in their two contests. Ward is the division's undisputed number one but his career has stalled due to promotional issues and injuries that have rendered him inactive for the past 14 months, while the American's spoiling style also makes him a less attractive opponent. Froch (left) and James DeGale ringside as they wait for an interview at the Liverpool Echo Arena last July . Chavez, the 28-year-old former WBC middleweight champion and son of all-time great Julio Cesar Chavez, is a more aggressive fighter who has a record of 48 victories from 51 outings, although he has experienced weight and disciplinary problems in the past. 'It's an intriguing fight, because you can't say either myself of Chavez will win,' Froch said. 'I've improved since the Ward fight, had a great win over Kessler and almost found the second Groves fight easy - it wasn't hard work. When I'm producing that, why would people doubt me against Chavez? 'Chavez is a great fighter and in this weight division he'll be more comfortable. The fight carries its question marks - will he be good enough at super-middle? Have I still got what it takes to go 12 rounds because Chavez is very tough?' Chavez Jr (right) lands a right hand to the head of Vera during their fight in Los Angeles last September .", "George Groves has hit back at WBC champion Anthony Dirrell after the American claimed the Saint was not a worthy challenger to his belt. Groves has been told by the WBC that he will be the mandatory challenger to Dirrell if he can beat Frenchman Christopher Rebrasse in his comeback fight this Saturday. The west Londoner has not been seen in the prize ring since he was emphatically knocked out by Carl Froch at Wembley on May 31st. But Dirrell told Sportsmail that the former British and Commonwealth super-middleweight champion does not deserve a shot at him after successive defeats to the Cobra and a potential win over 'bum' Rebrasse. George Groves (left) and Christopher Rebrasse pose for the cameras at a press conference on Thursday . Groves (left) and Rebrasse square up to each other ahead of their fight at Wembley Arena on Saturday . Groves performs a workout for the media earlier this week ahead of his fight with Rebrasse . Groves, who faces the 28-year-old Frenchman for the European and WBC silver titles, responded: 'I'm not taking my eyes off Saturday but Dirrell seems very animated saying I don't deserve it. 'The most important bit of news regarding Dirrell is that, once I win this fight, I have confirmation that my next fight will be against him. 'We've got the letter from the WBC, on headed paper, saying the winner of this becomes his mandatory challenger. We were going to get it blown up and put it on the gym wall. 'I've sparred him, I know him a little bit, we spent some time out in Miami before my fight with James DeGale. I sparred him and his brother.He's a very good fighter and our styles would certainly gel. Groves is put through his paces in preparation for Saturday's big bout at Wembley Arena . 'He's got a lot of courage, good power but he wouldn't beat me in a month of Sundays. 'He was a nice guy then but we were not on each other's radar ­ people change once that happens so we will see how he is now.' And Groves' promoter Kalle Sauerland was left fuming by Dirrell's comments that Saturday's fight at Wembley Arena is against 'a bum' in European champion Rebrasse, known as the 'iceberg', who comes from suburban Paris. Sauerland added: 'Dirrell's statement that he's boxing a bum ­well Rebrasse is two places below him in the WBC rankings. Maybe he should drink some coffee, turn on the internet and have a look. To say the No 3 in his federation is a bum? Well that says a lot about Anthony Dirrell.' Dirrell has also stated that he has no intention of coming over to the UK should Groves earn a shot at his WBC title after his older brother, Anthony, was beaten on points by Froch in Nottingham in 2009. But Sauerland added: 'I've got history with the Dirrell family and the crap they talk about coming over to Britain and getting robbed by Carl Froch? It was a close fight. Champion Dirrell (right) lands a punch on Sakio Bika during their fight in Los Angeles last month . 'I saw what happened in Detroit with Arthur Abraham and Dirrell and it still makes my blood boil to this day. 'I'm already looking into making the [title] fight. Saturday night we're going to do a job and Monday morning we will be on the phone. We've got the money, the talent, the fans and the market. I haven't got a problem with travelling but we're not going to be dictated to.' Groves and his promoter are hoping that, should they come through against Rebrasse, they could secure the world title shot before the end of the year. Sauerland said: 'There's a loose agreement that they're [Dirrell's team] allowed to take a voluntary defence until November. 'Well we're in September and I don't see a voluntary scheduled. We'll be pushing for it and I don't know where else he can go. Cash is king in this business ­and George is cash.'", "Anthony Dirrell has told his mandatory challenger George Groves that he must 'prove himself' before he is given a shot at his WBC super-middleweight title. Since being knocked out by Carl Froch at Wembley in May, Groves has responded with back-to-back victories, the first of which made him the No.1 contender in the WBC's 168lb rankings. In a Sportsmail exclusive in September, Dirrell described Groves as a 'fraud' who did not deserve a crack at his title. Anthony Dirrell (right) may sidestep George Groves and make a voluntary defence of his title . The Saint has since won twice, outpointing Christopher Rebrasse to claim the European title before knocking out Denis Douglin in November. But, despite those victories, Dirrell's attitude has not changed and he insists he will not be agreeing to a fight with the west Londoner. When asked about Groves, Dirrell said: 'Who? I don't know that guy. 'Oh that guy who fought Carl Froch and got knocked out by him twice? Oh that guy. 'There's no interest. Why would there be? He got knocked out twice. Dirrell wiith Muhammad Ali's daughter Laila Ali at WBC convention in Las Vegas on Monday . 'Why would you get a shot if you got knocked out twice? He's a good fighter but you got knocked out twice. 'You need to prove yourself. You haven't fought anybody yet to prove yourself and won. 'He still has to prove himself. You have to fight, that's how you prove yourself. 'He got knocked out twice. Who deserves a shot after that? That's like me saying, if he had the championship and I got knocked out twice by Carl Froch, they wouldn't want to see me fight the champion. 'Vice versa it's the same thing.' Groves' promoters, Team Sauerland, have attempted to make contact with Dirrell's representatives to get the ball rolling on their mandatory challenge. George Groves is No 1 contender for WBC super-middleweight title after back-to-back victories . It is unclear whether the Americans are considering their options but Dirrell seems relaxed about the possibility of being stripped of his belt, should he fail to meet his mandatory requirements. Groves and his promoters are in Las Vegas this week for the WBC convention and are expected to force the issue with the governing body about their plans for the super-middleweight strap. But Dirrell will be allowed to make a voluntary defence of his title as late as March before being forced to turn his attention to Groves. Dirrell, the self-styled 'Dog' added: 'We're looking to make money, that's what this business is about. I got the belt, I got what I came here for and now it's time to get paid. 'Me and my management team need to go and see who we want to fight but not yet. We should have one soon and that's what I'm waiting on.' Dirrell has dismissed Groves as a 'fraud' after being knocked out twice by Carl Froch . When asked whether he would consider facing Groves in the UK, considering how much money the Saint generated in ticket sales in 2014, Dirrell replied: 'Never. Why have I got to go over there to fight him if we have to fight? He has to come and see me. That's just how it is. I'm not going to go over there just because. That's not how it works. 'Floyd [Mayweather] never went anywhere and he's selling out arenas. You've got to come to the Us to fight, to get your name known, before you can you're somebody.' Eddie Hearn has revealed that Groves could be in line to fight for the vacant IBF title, should Carl Froch vacate it, in an all-British grudge match with James DeGale, meaning the mandatory shot at Dirrell could be put on the back-burner. On DeGale Dirrell added: 'He's a good fighter, he's an Olympian I heard. He's a good fighter also.'", "A year ago Andy Murray went to Wimbledon as a British hopeful with the burden of ‘not since Fred Perry’ on his shoulders. He ended the 77-year hoodoo, walked away with the crown, and so this year returns with a new challenge: a rematch with destiny and the tough task of keeping his title. In the Open era only Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer have been able to follow a first SW19 singles title with a second the following year. As a boxing fan, Murray was transfixed recently by another rematch which he hopes will help him. ‘I am a huge fan of boxing, so obviously I really enjoyed the Carl Froch and George Groves fights,’ he says. Sealed with a kiss: Andy Murray celebrates winning Wimbledon last year . Champion: Andy Murray will start the defence of his Wimbledon title against Belgian David Goffin . Golden moment: Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic (right) to win his first Wimbledon title last year . ‘The training and mentality you need for boxing isn’t too far from what it’s like to be a tennis player: you have to be physically strong but also mentally; you can’t give anything away before you compete and both fighters did this perfectly. ‘[In their first fight last year] they kept everyone guessing right up to the point Groves knocked Froch down. It was a great advert for British boxing. I thought both boxers demonstrated incredible attitudes throughout, particularly in the run-up to the second fight at Wembley. ‘Carl Froch had massively underestimated Groves in the first fight, a mistake that he learnt from, and returned stronger and better than we had ever seen before. Learning from your mistakes is one of the most important things to do. ‘I really enjoyed the never-say-die attitude from Groves in securing the rematch, he fought hard to get Froch to fight him again, and although it didn’t quite work I think he gained a lot of people’s respect, which is important in any sport. The most important message I will take away from those fights is to always have that attitude: fight till the bitter end and believe in yourself.’ Practice: Defending Wimbledon champion Andy Murray trained with new coach Amelie Mauresmo on Friday . No scapegoat: Andy Murray insists it won't be his new coach's fault if he crashes out early . Taking a breather: Murray looks up at new coach Mauresmo as she chats with him in between practice . Murray, 27, has heard plenty of stories about what it’s like to defend a Wimbledon title, not least from new coach Amelie Mauresmo, who won the women’s singles in SW19 in 2006. ‘Pure joy,’ is how the Frenchwoman described it. ‘Of course there is a goal of winning again and focusing on the game and what to do on the court, and how to behave,’ she added. ‘But I feel first of all it’s joy, and being so proud to be there to defend the title.’ Murray has heard that you return to Centre Court with a zip in your step, confidence pulsing through you and in the certain knowledge that you have what it takes to win the most prestigious event in the world. ‘It’s a different feeling this year,’ he says. ‘After spending so many years wanting to win and not, I always put a lot of pressure on myself heading into the Championships. But after finally finding the breakthrough last year, I think I’m definitely more relaxed. Down and out: George Groves is stopped by Carl Froch in their second fight at Wembley Stadium last month . Brutal battle: Carl Froch and George Groves gave everything in their two fights against each other . ‘This year I’m just looking forward to going out and enjoying playing tennis as the defending champion, but they’ll still be plenty of pressure from me to win!’ Retaining his crown will be no easy task. Eighteen men have won the Wimbledon single’s title for the first time in the open era of tennis since 1968, and only four of them have followed up by retaining their title the next year. That quartet names are a roll call of some of the greatest players the game has known, all of them titans on grass in their pomp. Borg, Becker, Sampras and Federer have won 48 Grand Slam singles titles between them, 22 of those at Wimbledon . ‘I’ve heard from a few of the guys that returning as defending champion is very special,’ Murray says. ‘The British fans are always incredible and I’m sure they will all be just as fired up this year. My mindset heading out onto Centre Court on the first day will still be the same as it has been every year. This tournament means everything to me, and I will be giving everything I can to go all the way again.’ Pure joy: Amelie Mauresmo celebrates after winning the women's final at Wimbledon in 2006 . So intense, so tumultuous was last year’s win, Murray barely took it in. He returned alone on the Monday to Centre Court to let it sink in. ‘It was a funny feeling,’ he says. ‘It was literally just me, so the contrast from the day before was incredible. ‘I couldn’t remember much about the final game, so being able to just stand on the court, I was able to reflect on the day before, I even tried to replay a few of the points in my head.’ Mauresmo takes over where Ivan Lendl left off as Murray’s coach. They could not be more different. Asked if she too would sit in the players’ box, unsmiling, shades on, stern and authoritarian, she can but laugh at the thought. Then she sits up in the chair, pretending for a split second to be steely. ‘So I have to sit up straight?’ she asks. ‘It’s tough to compare Ivan and me. We are so different in every way. I don’t . know Ivan very well. I know him through Andy’s eyes. I don’t think I . will bring him the same as Ivan. Which is good, because Ivan brought him . a lot and maybe I can bring him different things.’ Suits you: Andy Murray poses with former coach Ivan Lendl after winning Wimbledon last year . Dynamic duo: Andy Murray hugs Ivan Lendl in the players box after beating Novak Djokovic last year . Dynamic duo: Lendl and Murray proved a successful partnership, winning Wimbledon and the US Open . Lendl, says Mauresmo, made Murray more consistent, physically, against the biggest opponents. ‘And something else was helping him [overcome] the finals he lost in Grand Slams. And finally finding the switch to make it happen.’ Her role, she says, will be more about psychology, at least immediately. ‘Andy’s DNA is not going to change drastically in the way he plays . . . on grass, playing the final in 2012, winning the Olympics, winning last year, he knows how to do this stuff.’ Instead it seems she will help him remain calm on the court, on top of the demons that sometimes hurt his chances in his youth. She will also share the bad times she had at her own home Slam, Roland Garros, and how she felt crushed by pressure, and arguably under-achieved over the span of her career. ‘Sharing my experience, sharing what I felt, these moments. Sharing maybe the mistakes that I made,’ is how she describes what she is doing.It was interesting to share these feelings and maybe help him try to avoid [negative thoughts]. His career is moving on and he’s learning many things . . . I should have done things a little bit differently at some points and hopefully he can learn from my mistakes.' Three is the magic number: Andy Murray has been seeded third for his defence of the Wimbledon title .", "The mega-fight for which the world has been waiting what seems like an eternity may finally happen not just once, but twice. Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather is tantalisingly close to becoming reality after the PacMan’s dazzling, rejuvenated performance here in Macau. The target date is May and if Pacquiao were to win the scene would be set for them to do it again next September. Manny Pacquiao (right) dazzled in Macau during his victory against American Chris Algieri . Floyd Mayweather could demand a re-match with Pacquiao should he lose the first proposed bout . Mayweather is believed to be demanding a re-match clause in the contract if he succumbs to the mounting pressure to fight Pacquiao and then loses. That was revealed by Pacquiao’s iconic trainer, Freddie Roach, as he reviewed the prospects for a Mayweather fight before flying back from China to Los Angeles. Roach told me: ‘My understanding is that Floyd is insisting on the re-match if Manny beats him, which I believe he will. That’s okay with us.’ And why not, given the huge amount of money which would be involved? The original projection of boxing’s first $300 million fight will soar to one billion dollars if Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum succeeds in opening up the vast Chinese television market to pay-per-view. Pacquiao's iconic trainer Freddie Roach (left) has reviewed the prospects of a re-match . That would make for not just one but two Billion Dollar Fights if his PacMan beats Mayweather the Money man first time out. Pacquiao put the heat back on Mayweather after decking Chris Algieri no fewer than six times on his way to victory by a record 18 points in the Cotai Arena. That was compiled by his winning of all 12 rounds and the American having half a dozen points deducted for those knock-downs. Job done, world welterweight title retained, Pacuaio then called out Mayweather for the first time, saying: ‘I want this fight and it is time now to give it to all our fans. They deserve to see it.’ One by one the several obstacles raised by Mayweather have been removed, including Pacquiao agreeing to random blood tests for drugs and accepting a 60-40 financial split in favour of his rival for the mythical title of greatest pound-for-pound boxer in the world. Pacquiao dominated his fight with Algieri from the first bell and won convincingly in Macau . Arum, having said that the fight needs to happen if boxing wants to be regarded as a major sport, adds: ‘Enough is enough. Let’s do this. All it needs now is for them to make the call. Me and Manny are waiting to pick up the phone.’ Arum is working also on the rivalry between the two major US cable television networks, HBO who screen Pacquiao’s fights and Showtime who have two fights left on their mega-bucks contract with Mayweather. He is reported to be in talks with CBS, Showtime’s parent company, about them sharing the pay-per-view broadcast in America with HBO, the way they did with Mike Tyson versus Lennox Lewis. That puts the ball in Mayweather’s court. Promoter Bob Arum (left) has been accused of blocking a potential fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather . As Roach says: ‘Floyd is afraid of losing his unbeaten record to Manny. But that’s not what defines greatness. Ali lost, Robinson, lost Leonard lost….but they’re still all-time greats. What counts is fighting the best of your era.’ Correct. It would have been preferable for these two to meet five or six years ago, in their prime, But although Mayweather is 37 and Pacquiao coming up 36 next month, there is still time for the fight, or fights, to be meaningful. Both men live clean, eat healthy and adhere to rigorous training regimes. Given the remarkable physical conditioning made possible by those disciplines, they are still the greatest fighters of their age. Manny’s waiting. Come on Floyd. Let’s get it on. Undefeated Mayweather (left) defeated Marcos Maidana in Las Vegas back in September . Pacquiao shows his softer side after Algieri demolition . Manny Pacquiao will dip into his £20million-plus purse for turning Algieri into a human yo-yo to fund the education of three hundred under-privileged kids in the poor district of the Philippines which he represents as a Congressman. He is paying the school fees as well providing the computers and other equipment. Floyd Mayweather has used a portion of the $40 million he received for September’s repeat victory over Marcos Maidana for his latest glitzy extravagance, the purchase of a gold-plated Bentley golf buggy for his son’s birthday. They are both great fighters but there is one thing Money can’t buy. Class. Pacquiao will fund the education of under-privileged kids in the Philippines with his Algieri winnings . VIDEO Pacquaio delighted with performance . Froch set for a final fling in Las Vegas? Carl Froch’s hopes of ending a stellar ring career with his first fight in the glamorous boxing Mecca of Las Vegas are still alive. Negotiations for him to defend his world super-middleweight titles there against Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr seemed to have stalled on a contract dispute between the son of the Mexican legend and his promoter Bob Arum. However, before flying back to Vegas from his successful staging of Manny Pacquiao’s latest victory in Macau, Arum said: ‘Although Chavez wants to move on, we have one fight left on our contract with him. Carl Froch (pictured) could be set for a final fight against Julio Chesar Chavez Jnr . ‘Now he tells us he wants the fight with Froch so if he bites the bullet with us it will happen.’ The delay is expected to push the proposed date of January 31 back to late February or early March. By then the IBF may strip him of their belt for failing to give fellow Brit James DeGale a mandatory defence, even though he has been an exemplary, high-profile champion for that body. But that would still leave his WBA title at stake and Froch will not be railroaded into another domestic scrap, the way he was for two successive mandatories against George Groves. Froch doesn't want another domestic scrap following two successive mandatories against George Groves . James DeGale (right) must wait for Froch to decide if he will grant him a shot at his world title .", "David Haye has stepped up his training as he prepares to return to the ring. The former heavyweight world champion confirmed last weekend that he would fight this autumn, more than two years after he stopped Dereck Chisora at Upton Park. And the 33-year-old has also posted video clips of his training regime on Instagram. VIDEO: David Haye trains in the gym ahead of comeback . Haye can be seen performing pull-ups, dips and punching the speed bag in his Vauxhall gym. On Saturday he told iFL TV: 'I'll have nights in the future to talk about. If I was a betting man, I'd bet that I'll fight in September or October.' The Londoner was at Wembley on Saturday night to see his friend Carl Froch knock out his former training partner George Groves in front of 80,000 fans. Haye twice pulled out of a clash with fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury last year, first with a cut suffered in sparring and then after rupturing tendons in his shoulder. A five-hour operation last November looked set to bring down the curtain on his illustrious career but Haye has gradually stepped up his training. Old friends: David Haye (right) speaks to Carl Froch after his victory over George Groves at Wembley . And last week, his trainer and manager Adam Booth confirmed a comeback was imminent. Speaking to the Daily Express, he said: 'It's true, 100 per cent true, David is coming back. 'We will not be making any big announcement but David has been given the all clear by his medical people and he wants to fight again. 'We plan to get back in the ring before the end of the year and preferably by October. 'David has started training and there is no need to keep this a secret any longer. He has been trying to recuperate for five and a half months and only now has he been given the all clear to fight again.' Haye will have one eye on the second of this year's British grudge rematches when Fury takes on Chisora at the Manchester Arena in July. Last time out: Haye has not fought since he knocked out Dereck Chisora at Upton Park two years ago . Down and out: Haye stopped Chisora in the fifth round of their grudge match at West Ham's ground . The pair first met in 2011 with Fury winning a unanimous decision over an overweight and unfit Chisora at Wembley Arena. The winner in Manchester will be installed as the mandatory challenger to world champion Wladimir Klitschko and it is unlikely that either man would risk that position for a fight with Haye. Another option for the former unified cruiserweight world champion is Bermane Stiverne who won the vacant WBC title after Vitali Klitschko's decision to retire. Stiverne beat Chris Arreola last month but has his own mandatory due against knockout sensation Deontay Wilder, a former sparring partner of Haye. The American has stopped each of his 31 opponents and is yet to go beyond the fourth round as a professional. Clash of the titans: Dereck Chisora and Tyson Fury ahead of their rematch in Manchester next month . New champion: Bermane Stiverne (right) beat Chris Arreola to win the WBC heavyweight title last month .", "Tyson Fury is back on form on Twitter. He loves a good Twitter rant, this time calling out Anthony Joshua for a fight. It's great news for us that the leading domestic heavyweights are realising that AJ is the 'money' in the division and even though that fight won't be next, I can certainly see it happening in 2015. You know how I feel about that fight - Anthony would destroy him. But I give Tyson plenty of credit - he is a talented young fighter with a wicked sense of humour! About 90 per cent of people who replied to his rant on Twitter share that view. No one can see Fury taking a clean shot off Joshua, who I can reveal here will likely have a fight on January 31 at the O2 Arena in London. Anthony Joshua (left) in action against Russian Denis Bakhtov at London's O2 Arena earlier this month . Tyson Fury is back on form on Twitter and recently called Joshua out for a fight in December . Even though Fury has only fought twice in 18 months and has gone off the radar, we’d love to make the fight for AJ. The interest will be immense, but I think that is the case for all his fights at the moment. The public realise he is a special talent and I, as his promoter, know that very well. That is why we are doing everything right. We are picking the right opponents at the right times to enable him to grow as a fighter. David Price, another talented British heavyweight, is also keen and even though the British public see that as an easy night's work for AJ I believe it's a stern test, particularly at this stage of his career, but for all these guys there can only be one outcome - AJ by the big KO. As it happens, Joshua is destroying everything in sight. He is out next against Michael Sprott on November 22, which should hopefully provide him with his biggest challenge. Sprott is durable, as is Denis Bakhtov, but we saw what Joshua did to him last time out. We called Sprott after AJ beat Bakhtov to check he still wanted it. I think he was offended. He is training hard and has already told me to make sure I pay him well for the rematch! We are confident for another impressive win but anything can happen in heavyweight boxing. Then I hope to put him on a show at the O2 on January 31. Kevin Johnson is a name that's been touted. Surely he can give AJ the rounds? After that, bring on the Brits. In Fury, Price, Chisora and David Haye there is a pathway of excellent fights and I want, as a fan, to see them all. I am still working on making a fight between Carl Froch and Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr. I think it’s the only fight at the moment that would motivate him to go back into a training camp. To make it, Chavez has a few issues he needs to resolve with his promoters, Top Rank. If they can do that then it is my job to deliver this fight for Carl. Obviously James DeGale was hoping to fight Carl, but he must now focus on his November 22 fight against Marco Antonio Periban. That’s a tough fight and I give James massive credit for taking such a big test when he is already mandatory. Assuming Carl vacates his IBF super-middleweight world title, DeGale as the mandatory challenger will then fight for the belt in early 2015. DeGale as a world champion – I can see that appealing to Carl. Summer 2015 at Wembley for a unification fight? Let’s wait and see. Carl Froch lifts his arms in the air after defeating George Groves at Wembley Stadium back in May . VIDEO Carl Froch v George Groves highlights . James DeGale celebrates after beating Brandon Gonzales in the fourth round at Wembley on May 31 . The November 22 show now features George Groves fighting against Denis Douglin. I see this as a massive banana skin for Groves. On paper he should be comfortable. But I rate Douglin close to Christopher Rebrasse, who took George the distance in his last fight. For Douglin, this is his big chance to make a name for himself. For Groves, you have to wonder how driven he is after what happened against Carl at Wembley. Douglin is certainly confident, judging by his comments. He’ll be looking to take Groves into the second half of the fight so he can see how much Groves wants it. Groves needs to be careful. Brit George Groves (right) takes on France's Christopher Rebrasse at Wembley Arena last month . I love a top-level domestic fight, I think they are special. When the two guys are from the same city then you have something unique. I think that is what we have in Tommy Coyle and Luke Campbell in Hull. It is a great fight city. I have taken four shows there following the one at the weekend and they are getting better and better. The people there realise they are fortunate to have two world-class lightweights on their doorstep and those same fighters are on a collision course for a huge fight in the summer. The way they both handled themselves on my Hull show at the weekend was perfect. Coyle pulled off a stunning knockout against the brilliant and well-prepared Michael Katsidis. Katsidis spent seven weeks over here preparing but had no answer to Coyle. Tommy Coyle celebrates after winning his fight against Michael Katsidis at Hull Ice Arena on Saturday . Coyle has made a name for himself in his own right. People thought he would fade away a bit after losing to Derry Mathews last year, but he has been superb since coming back. Campbell, meanwhile, is an Olympic champion-turned-world champion in the making. I am certain of it. He has done so much in so few fights. I think he will be a star at this weight and win another title in the next division as well. Campbell versus Coyle is a fight I have already started working on. Craven Park and the KC Stadium are both interested in a summer fight. The date of May 30 at the KC Stadium has been discussed but it might clash with rugby, so we are considering alternatives. I want them both to fight again in February or March and then it’s the big one. Luke Campbell poses for the cameras following his win inside five rounds over Daniel Brizuela in Hull . All the indications are that we might finally see Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao get in the ring together. About time. Like all fans I’ve found it infuriating that the two best fighters never went in the ring. Now it looks like it will happen. It’s a couple of years too late for my taste but it’s a fight we all want to see anyway. I think Floyd realises that this is the only major box office draw left. I don’ t see him fighting Amir Khan and none of the other names are particularly interesting. A fight with Pacquiao is worth mega money and it’s a fight I think he wins. If they had fought four or five years ago I think it would have been close with Floyd edging it. I think he will win more comfortably if they fight next year. For now, I just want to see it happen. Floyd Mayweather looks on during his fight against Marcos Maidana at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas last month . Manny Pacquiao trains during a media workout in Hong Kong on Monday ahead of his WBO title fight . We are deep in talks for two of our top fighters to challenge for the world title, one here and one in Europe. Expect these in January and February and also expect more world champs for Britain. Details soon.", "Watching Kell Brook win his world title against Shawn Porter on Saturday night ranks right up there with my best nights in this sport. It was just incredible. I have seen up close what he has gone through to get to this point. He has had world-title fights postponed and people have doubted his desire. They have asked whether he has the stomach for it and whether he has the hunger to be a champion. He has proved everyone wrong and shown just how special he is. He came of age in that ring and great things lie in wait for him, including Amir Khan. I am looking at next spring or summer in a fight, maybe at Wembley, that will be just as big as Froch-Groves. I’ve started talks on it, but more of that later. Stomach for the fight: Kell Brook (left) beat American Shawn Porter on Saturday . Blood sweat and tears: Brook (right) gets stuck into Porter in Los Angeles . Special: Brook and his corner go wild when he's awarded the win - now his target is Amir Khan . Before the fight against Porter, Kell was very quiet. I’d never really seen him like that - I felt he was very nervous but I was wrong. He was just totally calm, ready to go out and get what he has always dreamed of. It was pure focus. We had an hour chat in his room on the morning of the fight. I explained what victory would mean and how it would change his life. I told him he must not let this opportunity pass him by. That’s the beautiful thing about boxing - after all the training and all the years of dreaming, you’ve got 36 minutes to make it happen. I am a great believer in things happening for a reason and perhaps that is what happened with Kell when his world title shot against Devon Alexander was called off. Maybe it took missing that fight to realise just how much he wanted a title. He came back hungrier, desperate to get what he deserved. He trained so hard for this fight. He comfortably made the weight, which is all you need to know really for such a huge welterweight. And on the night he was brilliant. He put so much pressure on himself. In his head he was thinking his whole life led to that moment. I was saying the same to him in the dressing room. But he handled the pressure we all put on him so well. I was sitting with Oscar De La Hoya and he felt Kell won with ease. It was controlled, professional, brilliant. He executed every part of his gameplan. For me, he proved he is special – one of the absolute best talents in world boxing. Khan is suddenly very interested in a fight. We are too. People from Showtime, who show Khan’s fights in the US, came into the dressing room after Kell won and said ‘Let’s talk’. Other US broadcasters have also been on - it’s exciting times. I think this fight can be made, but people have to put arrogance and ego to one side. Before, when we offered Khan £3m to fight, he didn’t fancy it. Kell had a reasonable name and no title. He has a huge name and a world title now. We Khan't wait: The Bolton boxer (right) is very interested in a fight against Brook . Read Riath Al-Samarrai's exclusive here . That changes the negotiating position a lot, but this is such a big fight everyone can do well out of it, so long as Khan doesn’t demand an unrealistic split we should make it happen. I want to make this fight and I think it will be huge. Maybe Floyd Mayweather will feature down the line. Kell is certainly in that reckoning now. Kell is next out on December 6 in Sheffield and we will now start looking at opponents. Andre Berto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Brandon Rios, Josesito Lopez are all names being thrown in the pot but it is very early days. We will talk over the options and go from there. Kell has a great future and I am so happy for him. The next big thing: Brook vs Khan could be just like Froch-Groves (left) - and Floyd Mayweather could lie in wait . Joshua sparring with the best . Anthony Joshua had a call to go sparring with Wladimir Klitschko and he is out in Austria now. I discussed it with him and said he simply had to go. Wladimir is one of the greatest heavyweights in history and the best of his generation. This is a wonderful opportunity for AJ to see how the best do it – how they live, eat, train. He will gain a huge amount from this experience. I am looking forward to a progress report as I’m sure Anthony can hold his own. Expect him to look sensational on September 13 at the Phones 4 U Arena. Smith vs Groves would be a highlight of next year . On Kell’s fight card in the US, there were great wins for Callum Smith and Luke Campbell, two of the best prospects in world boxing. They keep destroying whoever I put them in with. For Callum, he will next fight on October 4 in Leeds but I can reveal here that a fight I have one eye on is against George Groves next Spring or summer. By George: Callum Smith (left) beat Abraham Hernandez on Saturday and could fight Groves next year . Groves is making his comeback in September and I think a fight with Smith could be a highlight of 2015. Believe me when I say he will be ready. Campbell will fight on October 25 in Hull, on a card featuring Tommy Coyle. Both of them have big, tough fights that I will announce next week. Don't rule out a return to the ring for Kellie . It’s never dull in boxing, as demonstrated by Kellie Maloney and Audley Harrison going into the Big Brother house. Who knows what will happen next? Since wanting an apparent quiet life, Kellie was seen at a show in Germany last weekend and is now taking part in one of the biggest reality TV shows in the World. Could a comeback be on the cards? Stranger things have happened! Comeback Queen: Don't rule out a return to boxing for Kellie Maloney, pictured entering the Big Brother house . RIP Glyn . I would like to pay my respects here to Glyn Leach, the editor of Boxing Monthly who died this week. He was a lovely man and did so much to help me in the early part of my career. He loved the sport, knew it as well as anyone and was always great for a chat. He will be sorely missed. VIDEO Froch v Groves highlights .", "Floyd Mayweather has confirmed how wise Amir Khan is not to fall for the bait of appearing on the great man’s undercard after being dumped from the big fight itself. At his first media conference since announcing Marcos Maidana as his opponent in Las Vegas on May 3, the world’s pound-for-pound king has made this very clear: ‘I choose who I want to fight, when I want.’ Mayweather had tried to goad Khan into fighting his protegee Adrien Broner that night, hinting that he would give our young man from Bolton his big-bucks shot if he won. Announcement: Floyd Mayweather will fight Marcos Maidana on May 3 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas . While that would have boosted Mayweather’s pay-per-view revenue, Khan nursed serious doubts that he would be Floyd Jnr’s next Chosen One come September, win or lose against Broner. After all, one promise had already been broken. So Khan, having lost almost a year waiting for God in gloves, will go his own way this spring. Perhaps as early as this week, he will name a comeback opponent and a date. That will not be Kell Brook in the UK, either, since that would not improve his chances of ever fighting Mayweather. Khan is looking for a marquee win in America. Mayweather, meanwhile, continues to exercise his box-office power over his sport. In the pipeline: Amir Khan is looking for a marquee win in America, not a British showdown with Kell Brook . Does what he wants: Mayweather ignored his own poll about who to fight next . That privilege has been hard won but by hand-picking the likes of Maidana – whose rough-hewn style is likely to suit him – he risks accusations of evading rivals who might have the speed to pose a different problem. ‘I don’t duck anyone,’ says Mayweather. Personally, since he is the best in the world and knows it, I believe him. But we are approaching the point where he may have to prove it. If, next month, Manny Pacquiao avenges that scandalous decision given to Tim Bradley the pressure will crank up yet again for the long-deferred super-fight between the PacMan and the Money Man. Mayweather, having instigated his . Twitter poll asking fans to vote whether he should fight Khan or . Maidana, then ignored the result. But at some point, for credibility’s sake, he may have to let the public choose his opponent for him. Different paths: Khan rejected the chance to fight on Adrien Broner on Mayweather's undercard . Warrior: Maidana pushed Khan all the way when they fought in Las Vegas in 2010 . The Cinammon Kid made a tasty comeback at the weekend. Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez served up a timely reminder that no boxer should be consigned to the slops bucket just because he loses the odd fight. What matters is how he responds to that setback when he returns to the ring. Back with a bang: Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez beat Alfredo Angulo on Saturday in Las Vegas . Alvarez, having been bewildered last September by Floyd Mayweather’s most recent master class, resurfaced in Las Vegas with a dynamic performance against a fellow Mexican considered so dangerous that he revels in the nickname El Perro – The Dog. Alfredo Angulo never got close to putting the bite on Canelo, despite a couple of quibbles nagging at the event. In an echo of Froch-Groves 1, the referee was booed for a tenth round stoppage which many in the crowd at the MGM Grand Garden arena deemed premature. Just as the British Boxing Board of Control backed their official Howard Foster, so the Nevada State Athletic Commission is defending Tony Weeks. Although Alvarez was well behind on the cards, in contrast to George Groves who was leading Carl Froch, the argument was similar: Do we want one punch too few, or one punch too many? It is a fine line which the referees have to tread but, in principle, better to stop it a mite early than end up in hospital later that night. Less acceptable was Canelo’s failure to make the light-middleweight limit. He said he could have squeezed off the extra poundage had it been a title fight but really that only made it more cynical. Too many boxers are hitting the scales too heavy these days and that in itself hints at another medical risk. Rather than dehydrate to make the weight, shouldn’t they be moving up to a more natural division? The consolation for Angulo was that he picked up an extra $100,000 deducted from the Alvarez purse. Nevertheless, Canelo made a statement as important for boxing as for himself. Most champions are defined by how they come back from losing their titles. The great boxers of the past, with such rare exceptions as Rocky Marciano and Joe Calzaghe, had defeats on their records, Muhammad Ali , Joe Louis and the two Sugar Rays, Robinson and Leonard, among them. Response: Alvarez bounced back from his disappointing loss to Mayweather by beating Angulo . Yet of late it has become a crime to lose a fight. That misconception keeps growing the longer Mayweather - 45-0 and counting - goes without suffering his first defeat. Canelo, fully restored now to world title contention, has dished up a powerful defence against that nonsense. Expect Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan to do the same, shortly. Carl Frampton – anointed by his coach the great Barry McGuigan as his successor to the throne of Ulster boxing – has been given added incentive to win his world title eliminator against Hugo Cazares in Belfast next month. Leo Santa Cruz, after impressively retaining his WBC super-bantamweight crown against former champion Cristian Mijares in Las Vegas on Saturday night, pronounced himself eager to do the same against Frampton. That would appear to put Frampton just one victory away from his first world title bid, possibly at a sold-out stadium in Belfast in September. If so, it should be an Irish cracker. Clash: Carl Frampton (left) could be just one fight away from a crack at WBC champion Leo Santa Cruz (right) When Muhammad Ali came to Newcastle in 1977 he struck up a friendship with a Geordie fan which endures to this day. The Greatest never forgot the courtesy and attention he received from Russell Routledge when he visited Tyneside to have his marriage to former wife Veronica blessed at a local mosque. The pair kept in touch and three years later Ali not only invited Routledge to meet him in Los Angeles but invited him to stay at his mansion. Ovation: Former world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali touches down in Newcastle in 1977 . Geordie nation: A young admirer gives Ali a kiss on his arrival in Newcastle . Much more recently, Routledge travelled from Newcastle to be a guest at Ali’s 70th birthday dinner in Louisville. That relationship offers a touching insight into the caring side of Ali’s nature and now Routledge has put pen to paper for a new book. By his own admission, Routledge is not a writer but this memoir adds a different dimension to the Ali story and is worth the read. *Muhammad Ali – Tyneside 1977. Amberley, £12.99.", "It really will be Titanic occasion – in terms of scale and location and not that sinking feeling – when Carl Frampton makes his bid for the IBF world super-bantamweight title on September 6. Promoter Barry McGuigan will stage Frampton’s challenge to Spain’s Kiko Martinez in a specially built arena on the site from which the Titanic was launched in Belfast. The 16,000-crowd - the biggest fight attendance ever in Northern Ireland – will assemble in a space around the new Titanic Museum and cranes of the old shipyard. VIDEO: Scroll down to watch Carl Frampton talk about Kiko Martinez . Battle ready: Kiko Martinez and Carl Frampton (right) after the press conference on Tuesday . The temporary stands will be erected and then taken down, in quick fire-fashion, similar to the conversion of Wembley Stadium for Carl Froch’s victory over George Groves. A rescued Titanic stairway in the museum, as well as the slipway into which the great ill-fated ship was launched and the tug which pulled it into the water, will be used for VIP entertaining. The boxing set-up must be in and out quickly to accommodate the Belfast Proms. This unique project has required the support of Northern Ireland’s first minister Peter Robinson. Frampton himself is thrilled by the concept and said: ‘I mustn’t be letting anybody down here. ‘I’m already virtually in shape for the fight. Everybody in Ulster expects me to win a world title as a matter of course but I know it’s not as easy as that. Big hitter: Frampton is launching a bid for the IBF world super-bantamweight title . ‘I’m preparing for a tough fight.’ This a rematch following Frampton’s earlier stoppage of Martinez in an eliminator. But the Spaniard has regrouped since to beat Frampton to the IBF belt. Martinez claims: ‘I have regained all my confidence from winning the title and I have no doubts about coming back to Belfast to defend it.’ The idea for the very special setting was born, ironically, from McGuigan’s memory of an open air fight in a huge temporary arena which used to be erected in the car park of Cesar’s Palace Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. McGuigan lost his world title in 120-degree heat there to American Steve Cruz in 1986. But he said: ‘It will be a nostalgic venue but, trust me, there’s not the same result for Carl this time.’ Bout: Frampton (right) in action against France's Jeremy Parodi at the Odyssey Arena in October, 2013 . Frampton v Martinez will be live on BoxNation on September 6 .", "Tyson Fury put tape over his mouth to ensure that he gave the first silent press conference in the loud mouthed history of boxing. So determined was the giant 26-year-old not to cause further offence in the build-up to his heavwyeight battle of Britain with Dereck Chisora that he uttered not one word as the two came face to face in London. Fury has been fined £15,000 by the British Boxing Board of Control for the four-letter outburst at their previous head-to-head confrontation. Tyson Fury taped up his mouth and wouldn't speak to the press ahead of his fight with Dereck Chiso . Tyson Fury promised to maintain his silence until the Chisora fight is over . Peter Fury, his uncle and trainer, did have something to say: 'The Board wanted us to tone it down a bit so here's Tyson... the Board dummy.' Fury was prepared to respond to questions with gestures and indicated that he will knockout Chisora in one or two rounds at the ExCeL arena in London's Docklands on November 29. That is the rescheduled date for a world title eliminator which was postponed when Chisora cracked his hand in sparring. Fury, who had the initial letters BBBC written on his mouth tape, stripped off his shirt to reveal a torso well-honed with the fight still two months away. When asked if he would maintain his vow of silence throughout those eight weeks he nodded in the affirmative. Muhammad Ali – not only the greatest but the most voluble of all boxers - famously taped over his mouth after being pilloried for speaking too much. He ripped away the gag after a few minutes, unable to contain himself any longer. Promoter Mick Hennessy made it clear how seriously the Board viewed Fury's previous rant when he said: 'This fight could be in jeopardy. If anything else happened, we could be looking at a year's ban.' Frank Warren, the lead promoter, made his own apology for the outrageous uproar which went before when he said: 'I should have controlled that press conference better. I hold my hands up. I share some of the blame for what went on. Fortunately there was nothing physical.' Peter Fury and Hennessy revealed that they were upset at being excluded from the Board of Control hearing. Hennessy said: 'We need characters in boxing. Sometimes Tyson is the gentleman but on other occasions he gets rubbed up the wrong way and he should be allowed to express himself.' The irony, of course, is that this impersonation of Marcel Marceau will generate as much publicity as his wild misconduct has done hitherto. Muhammad Ali once taped his mouth shut but only kept up the appearance for a matter of minutes . Dereck Chisora will take on Fury in six weeks and promised to knock the silent fighter out . Fury was fined £15,000 for his four-letter outburst when the pair last came face to face this year . Chisora was in a mellow mood but when it was drawn to his attention that Fury was indicating with his fingers a first or second round stoppage, he said simply: 'I will knock him out.' Boxing now holds its breath, waiting to see if Tyson will be able to hold his peace until the end of November. Tyson Fury v Dereck Chisora will be live on BoxNation on Saturday 29 November. Smith in with a sniff of world title against Abraham . Paul Smith, at 31 the eldest of the four boxing brothers from Liverpool, becomes the first of the family to fight for a world title when he challenges Arthur Abraham for the WBO super-middleweight belt in Germany on Saturday night. He will have the support of 2,000 travelling fans on what will be a tough assignment. But he believes the veteran Abraham has slipped into decline since his Super Six loss to Carl Froch four years ago. Paul, Stephen and Liam Smith have all won British titles. Their youngest brother Callum is unbeaten and widely predicted to become the most successful. Paul Smith celebrates victory against David Sarabia in Cardiff in May . While Paul realises that the odds are against him, he expects all his siblings to become world champions. Smith, having been stopped by both Carl Froch and George Groves, has been selected for this fight as a warm-up for bigger things for Abraham. But if he is at his very best it might not be beyond him to spring the upset. Wilson showing signs of recovery . Sheffield boxer Jerome Wilson is showing signs of recovery from brain surgery following a devastating knock-out in his home town. Wilson, in an induced coma for more than a week, has opened his eyes, squeezed his mother’s hand and is reported to be breathing 90 per cent independently. A Jerome Wilson Rehabilitation Fund has been opened to help pay for the long and complex treatment ahead. Donations are being accepted at: Barclays Bank, Sort Code 20-76-92, Account number 63868354. Stars turn out for Astaire . Michael Watson, Dave Boy Green, Maurice Hope, Billy Schwer and Colin McMillan were among many champions guided down the years by Jarvis Astaire who have turned out to support the 90-year-old boxing grandee at a nostalgic occasion in east London. Astaire had a Variety Sunshine Coach named after him. The fleet of £30,000 buses are purpose designed for taking physically challenged children on holidays and outings. In addition to his partnership with Mickey Duff which controlled British boxing for decades, Astaire is a long-time luminary of the Variety charity. Jarvis Astaire (left) and George Foreman watching the title fight between Joe Frazier and Joe Bugner in 1973 . Michael Watson shares a joke with Astaire after an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in 2004 . Astaire (centre) with Princess Anne and singer Dean Martin at a lunch in London in 1983 .", "Paul Smith, having bravely lost his two challenges to Arthur Abraham in Germany, now finds himself in pole position for a third successive joust against a reigning world super-middleweight champion. Only this time the elder of Liverpool's fine family of four fighting brothers will not be boxing for a title, even though it is against a far more formidable champion. Andre Ward, still ranked by many among the top five pound-for-pound boxers in the world despite 17 months out of the ring, sees Smith as the ideal warm-up opponent, possibly before a rematch with Carl Froch. Paul Smith (right) throws a punch towards Arthur Abraham during their title fight in Berlin in February . Andre Ward (left) poses with his many title belts after defeating Edwin Rodriguez in November 2013 . Kell Brook could have had his much-craved Battle of Britain... if Eddie Hearn had not been so 'disrespectful', claims Amir Khan's dad Shah. Read more here. Virgil Hunter, California-based trainer of both Ward and Amir Khan, says: 'Smith is who we want and I'm told it's a done deal. But it won't be for Andre's belt even though it will be over the 12-round championship distance.' The WBA have ordered their two super-middle world champions – Ward 'super,' Froch 'regular' – to meet in a unification fight. Froch declared willingness if Ward returns the compliment by travelling to the UK, having won their first meeting in the US. Ward (left) lands a left jab on Carl Froch before going on to win their title bout in New Jersey in 2011 . Froch (left) stands alongside James DeGale before a television appearance in Liverpool last July . Ward said he would make the away trip but only as far as London, not to Nottingham where Froch has long desired to box on his hometown City Ground. Hunter declares: 'Andre would have gladly taken Carl straight away.' But now it appears the WBA are granting the so-called Son of God licence to shake off the ring rust where he almost always fights, in his native city across the Bay from San Francisco. Froch, meanwhile, is turning his attention to his other remaining ambition before retirement – a first appearance on the Las Vegas Strip, against the namesake son of Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez. Step into Oakland's Oracle Arena, Paul Smith. Good luck to him, in every sense of the phrase. Julis Cesar Chavez Jr (centre) celebrates after winning the WBC World Middleweight title in June 2011 .", "Lewis Hamilton has hailed Rory McIlroy as 'phenomenal' ahead of their Sunday night showdown for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. McIlroy has long been a clear favourite for the honour given his wins this year in The Open and USPGA, as well as helping Europe to victory in the Ryder Cup. But after claiming his second Formula One world title a fortnight ago in Abu Dhabi, so Hamilton's odds have shortened considerably and he is pushing McIlroy to the wire. 'I'm excited to be going,' said Hamilton ahead of flying into London from Los Angeles, where he has held a number of business meetings over recent days. Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton says he's excited for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards . Hamilton returns to London for the ceremony after spending time in the United States . 'I went in 2007 and 2008 and I'm certain that back then I didn't even have one hundredth of the support I have right now. I went in 2007 and 2008 and I'm certain that back then I didn't even have one hundredth of the support I have right now. 'That support has really grown over the years. The fans have just been amazing, incredible. 'A lot of Brits have come up to me and told me how proud they are, that they are huge fans.' Hamilton recognises what McIlroy has achieved this year, and ahead of the SPOTY event at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow showed true sportsmanship to tell him as much this past week. 'I messaged Rory, wishing him all the best for it and told him I'll see him this Sunday,' added Hamilton. 'I also congratulated him on an incredible year because he has been phenomenal, and at his age too.' After finishing runner-up in his F1 debut year of 2007 to Joe Calzaghe and again in his first title-winning season of 2008 to Sir Chris Hoy, Hamilton is expecting to finish second for a third time, not that that concerns him. Hamilton describes fellow nominee Rory McIlroy's year as 'phenomenal' with the Open's Claret Jug among the Northern Irishman's prizes that have made him favourite for the award . Hamilton holds his F1 championship trophy after it was presented in Doha by FIA President Jean Todt (right) 'I remember '08 and losing to a Sir, so I didn't mind that,' said a joking Hamilton. 'But I don't think I have to win anything more than I have, or to show what I've achieved, or to prove how much support I have. 'I know I'm aware of the support I have. I never thought I'd have people tuning in to their TVs or turning up at races to support me. McIlroy poses with the Wanamaker trophy after his one-stroke victory in the PGA Championship . 'And this isn't like I'm going for the world championship and I'm dying to win it with everything in my power. 'Instead this is one of those events where you feel quite privileged to be amongst all the great stars also there. 'I know it's going to be a good experience being there - although I do anticipate me being runner-up again!' After what has been a whirlwind past two weeks for Hamilton following his championship triumph, SPOTY represents the last awards event prior to him finally taking a break. 'The last couple of weeks have been pretty intense, pretty crazy with interviews, doing stuff for Mercedes, various other awards shows. 'I've not really had any time for myself, but I'm still on a high, and the reception and response has been amazing. 'But after these awards I'm gone. 'Every year you have to be very selfish with your time. I believe you have to be because it is such a long year. 'You have to get away as soon as possible, have a couple of weeks' break and then start training again just before Christmas for the next season. That's what I like to do. 'This year the BBC Sports Personality has shifted everything later, so my break starts a lot later than usual, and now I can't wait.' There is a 10-strong shortlist with McIlroy tipped to win the public vote and become the first golfer to win the award since Nick Faldo in 1989. Jo Pavey, whose 10,000m gold medal in Zurich made her the oldest female European champion in history at the age of 40 years and 325 days, is one of four female contenders and has described her inclusion as 'beyond my wildest dreams'. Olympic skeleton champion Lizzy Yarnold did her own chances no harm by claiming victory in the opening World Cup race of the new season in Lake Placid on Friday night. Olympic skeleton champion Lizzy Yarnold (left) and European 10,000m gold medallist Jo Pavey . Yarnold, who will jet back across the Atlantic to be present at the ceremony, warned she could be star-struck by the big occasion. Yarnold said: 'I didn't watch things like Sports Personality when I was a kid because I wasn't allowed to watch much TV, but in recent years I have become aware just how prestigious it is. 'For me it's all about getting to meet my sports heroes, the types of people I would never get to meet in everyday life like Rory McIlroy and Max Whitlock. I follow these people when I am away and it is going to be great to meet them in person.' Skier Kelly Gallagher, who with her guide Charlotte Evans was crowned Great Britain's first Winter Paralympic champion, and all-conquering dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin are also included on the list. Dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin is also among the contenders for this year's BBC gong . Alpine skier Kelly Gallagher (left) earned he nomination after becoming Britain's first Winter Paralympic champion with guide Charlotte Evans (right) Gareth Bale is the only footballer to make the cut after an impressive first season with Real Madrid, while boxer Carl Froch also earns a place after his conclusive Wembley rematch win over George Groves. The list is completed by gymnast Max Whitlock, who won world, European and Commonwealth medals in 2014, and swimmer Adam Peaty, who won four European titles and two Commonwealth Games golds. Gareth Bale's outstanding form with Real Madrid and Wales earned him a nod on the 10-strong list . Gymnast Max Whitlock and swimmer Adam Peaty have had a sensational year at major events . Boxer Carl Froch rounds out the list after his famous victory over George Groves at Wembley .", "The door to Aladdin’s Cave may just have opened a crack for Tyson Fury. To find out for sure he must batter Dereck Chisora off his hinges this July, having already pronounced himself willing to fight for a world heavyweight championship soon after that. Opportunity knocked when Bermane Stiverne flattened Chris Arreola in Los Angeles on Saturday night to win the WBC title. Big shot? Tyson Fury (left) could fight for a world title if he beats Dereck Chisora (right) in July . New champion: Bermane Stiverne celebrates after beating Chris Arreola to win the WBC heavyweight title . Since Stiverne is promoted by none other than Don King all manner of possibilities presented themselves at the knock-out moment, including that of a voluntary defence against Fury. The assumption that Saturday night’s winner would automatically meet his mandatory challenger, KO phenomenon Deontay Wilder, in his next fight were brushed aside by King. He of the electrified hair and electrifying rhetoric sees money to be made for Stiverne as well as rejuvenation of his own image while he is back in control of the most cherished of all the heavyweight belts. ‘The official challenger does not automatically get the next fight,’ pronounced King. ‘Under the rules we are entitled to a voluntary match after winning the title.’ Cue T. Fury. The giant traveller his new boxing gym at The Platinum Community Centre in Bolton on Tuesday, in partnership with his uncle and trainer Peter Fury and his younger but only slightly smaller fighting cousin Hughie. Fury, he who would become the first member of the travelling community to wear a heavyweight crown, is hoping that a second victory over Chisora, in this ill-tempered re-match, will deliver his shot against the holder of all the other alpha-belts, Wladimir Klitschko. However, the younger of the Ukrainian brothers declares himself ‘super interested’ in restoring to the family Klitschko the WBC title his sibling Vitali vacated when he committed himself full-time to the political struggle in their homeland. That would make Wladimir the first in heavyweight history to wear all the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, IBO and Ring Magazine belts. To strengthen his argument he has also expressed ‘a powerful desire’ to box in America for the first time in six years. Wladimir has also been instructed by the IBF, who have been waiting their turn, to honour their mandatory challenger, Bulgaria’s Kubrat Palev. Hitting the target: Stiverne stopped Arreola in the sixth round of their fight in Los Angeles last weekend . Game over: Stiverne beat Arreola for the second time to become the heavyweight champion of the world . Calling it a day: Referee Jack Reiss steps in to stop the fight between Stiverne and Arreola . To complicate the picture further, not only Wladimir but also Vitali have written to the WBC requesting a fight with Stiverne. Since Vitali is that organisation’s champion emeritus they are duty bound to consider his claim, which suggests he may be cutting back his involvement in troubled Kiev after withdrawing his candidacy for the presidency of Ukraine in forthcoming elections. King, though, is unlikely to be rushed in any of those directions. The architect of Muhammad Ali’s Rumble in the Jungle with George Foreman and Thrilla’ in Manilla against Joe Frazier – among many historic fights – is relishing his return to the spotlight. He will also want to maximise earnings. Fury could bring the prospect of a big-money fight in England, or offer himself up as a box-office opponent for Stiverne in Canada, where Haitii’s first-ever heavyweight champion is now based, or the US. Back in the big time: Don King (right) wants to maximise his earnings from his new champion Stiverne . Up close and personal: Fury and Chisora came face to face at the weekend when promoting their fight . Calm down: Fury will be looking for his second win over Chisora having outpointed him three years ago . The American people were hoping that Arreola would bring the world heavyweight title home from Eastern Europe for the first time in almost a decade. Instead, they are basking in a little reflected glory as Stiverne restores at least one of the belts to their continent. Wilder, who has blown away all his 31 professional opponents inside four rounds, is their best bet for reclaiming what they long-regarded as the symbol of American machismo. But King may well see the flamboyant, outspoken Fury as not only a marketable opponent but also a softer option than either the Bronze Bomber or the Klitschko brothers. Even so, whoever takes on Stiverne next has been warned by Arreola, who was knocked down twice on his way to sixth round defeat and then said of this 35-year-old late developer: ‘He hits like a bulldozer.’ Deontay Wilder, meanwhile, has been keeping his hand in by beating up an internet troll who called him the N-word on twitter and threatened to tape up his daughter’s mouth. The Bronze Bomber, so-called after his Olympic medal of that colour, protected himself against prosecution for using his fists against a member of the public  by obliging a rather unpleasant individual by the name of Charlie Zelenoff to sign a waiver and a contract  if he wanted to fight him. That done, the irregular sparring session then took place in the Hollywood Gym in Los Angeles late at night on the eve of the Stiverne-Arreola world heavyweight  title fight. Zelenoff, who once provoked Floyd Mayweather’s trainer-father into a similar event, was duly knocked down three times – even though the 6ft 7in Wilder said: ‘I held back despite my original plan being to hurt this dude real bad. He threatened to murder me and called me the N-word. ‘But what really got to me was when he said he was going to duck-tape my daughter’s mouth. Talk like that about my kids and that’s when you see the other side of the humble, funny Deontay Wilder. The part that will come and get you.’ That message comes with a health warning to Messrs Klitschko, Stiverne, Fury and anyone else fancying their chances:  Don’t sledge Mr Wilder. Man on a mission: Deontay Wilder (left) has knocked out every one of his 31 professional opponents . Closing in: Wilder is the mandatory challenger to Stiverne and wants his shot at the WBC world champion . Mikkel Kessler’s unexpected comeback raises a multitude of enticing possibilities, starting with Froch-Kessler III if Carl the Nottingham Cobra wins his re-match with George Groves, or a fight with Saint George if not. Kessler stands at one win apiece with Froch, who outpointed the Viking Warrior a thriller at London’s O2 arena a year ago. At 35, he is a five-time super-middleweight champion and his only other defeats came against Joe Calzaghe and Andre Ward. Kessler, as he became a father, seemed about to call time on his 16-year career but says now: ‘I don’t want to go out a loser, after that second fight with Carl. So Froch again? Why not?’ He is also eyeing a rematch with Ward and a world-title challenge to Gennady Golovkin and adds: ‘Froch, Groves, Ward, Golovkin... whoever it is I’ll be ready in October.’ Not done yet: Mikkel Kessler (left) has announced his intention to carry on boxing . Last time out: Kessler has not fought since losing his rematch to Carl Froch last May . So, we have Bernard Hopkins a world champion at 49, Wladimir Klitschko at 38 vowing to reign as heavyweight champion for another ten years, Floyd Mayweather, Froch and Kessler still going strong in their mid-30s…..to name but a few. Whoever was it who said they never come back? RIP Jimmy Ellis. The former world heavyweight champion who died last week, aged 74, was laid to rest this very Monday in Louisville, the home-town of himself and his peer Muhammad Ali, who said: ‘In the world of heavyweights Jimmy was one of the best. He had exceptional hand speed and a strong chin but his greatest qualities were his gentle manner and the compassion in his heart. I had a kinship with Jimmy. We were of the same cloth.’ Ali stopped Ellis in the 12th of 15 rounds in their only fight but says of him: ‘Great competitors who happen to be great friends are rare. Jimmy was that to me and I will miss him.’ Back in the day: Muhammad Ali (right) stopped Jimmy Ellis in the 12th round of their heavyweight clash . Remembered: Ellis, who gave Ali a tough fight, passed away aged 74 after a battle with dementia . As The Greatest misses so many of the great men with whom he shared a ring but who, incredibly while he is engaged in his long battle with Parkinson’s, he has survived. Men like Joe Frazier, Henry Cooper, Sonny Liston, Ken Norton, Floyd Patterson, Archie Moore, Cleveland Williams, Ron Lyle, Trevor Berbick. All gone... while the Miracle of Muhammad lives on. One of the best: Ali praised Ellis, saying he had excellent hand speed as well as a strong chin . Take that: Joe Frazier connects to the body of Jimmy Ellis who misses with a right during their fight in 1970 ." ]

[ "I look at what insects are around and use something that I have that is as close to them as possible." ]

[ "Normally, \"time flies\" is a phrase where 'time' is the noun, and 'flies' is the verb - meaning that time moves quickly.\\n\\nHere, however, 'time' is the verb (like what you use a watch for during a race) and 'flies' is the noun (like the pesky insect). Thus, it's saying: we can't say how fast flies are flying - they're going too fast.\\n\\nMildly funny at best, but there you go.", "He wanted to see time fly and how far time flies.", "What type of lecture are looking for? How to turn it on and operate it, how to use certain programs, how to build one, etc?", "have you tried groups? or does yahoo ban you from those too? (I don't use chat or groups, so I wouldn't know) there are a lot of groups out there for certain types of music. do a search for what you like, then join some of the groups, if you can.", "It depends on how you operationally define stress and what type of research you are doing. YOu could do qualitative observations or you could have students do likert scales where they rate how certain things known as stressors effect them.", "You should never try to recharge an extinguisher of any type. Many people have been injured or killed by not knowing what they are doing. Even on a water unit at 100 PSI, you cannot trust the guage by itself. Most types must be charged (usually with nitrogen) using a regulated pressure supply not to exceed 25 PSI over service pressure. There are also EPA concerns for recharging certain types. Hope I talked you out of it!", "firstly pixies dont fly, and angels use the power of the almighty so a different set of rules apply to them, fairies how ever use insect type wings to cut down on weight (and they look nice in the moonlight)most of the fairies i know are about 2 inches tall", "i dont know what are available to the members but what most people would be surprised to know is that the course is only open to its members 4 months during the entire year. durign the other 8 months they are doing work on the course to get it ready for the masters. i also know you have to be worth atleast 10 million dollars to be a member and its THE most exclusive country club in the country. not many of that kind of stuff in your question gets out on the street.", "Ah, now, it IS okay for another flag to fly above the US flag if it is on, say, embassy soil, which, while may be located in the US, is actually part of the country that the embassy is for.\\n\\nSo, if the Mexican embassy in the US flies its flag, its actually in their own country.\\n\\nThat not being the case, well, there is actually a LAW that states no other flag will fly higher than the US flag.", "I enjoy fishing but seldom do. I really don't care if I catch anything because I don't care to eat fish unless someone else that knows what they are doing cooks it. It is peaceful and relaxing to go.", "what type of music she like, talk about her eyes, or her day, or say \" hey, can you help me with something (like how to do somthing on us girls know)", "I am not quite sure what the question is. What should the manufacturer do? Did they already do the experiments or do you want to know what sort of experiments to do? Do you want to know how to reduce the data? How to present the data? What statistical tools might be useful?", "Where did you train and for how long? What do you feel you could contribute to this practice? What was your most signigicant experience as a PA? How do you work with a patient who has difficulty communicating? Do you find it difficult to work with certain types of patients, why or why not? Have you ever had an ethical conflict with a policy or procedure and why?", "I am not positive if the army does or does not issue officers sabers but I know they are authorized to wear approved sabers... US Army field Manuel 22-5 specifies the type of saber and how it is worn during drill and ceremony.", "I would have been more consistent with discipline. If you threaten to take something away, then do it. When you use certain actions with certain problems, continue to do the same everytime. Therefore, the children know what is expected of them and the consequences otherwise. Good luck!", "6 types?\\n\\ni only know 2 and there are live birth and by laying eggs\\n\\nyou can find your answer by typing types of reproduction for fish\\n\\nif that dosen't work email me \\ni am not a fish expert but i have experience with fish reproducing\\n\\nor you can check the libray for fish books\\ntry looking uo for guppies\\nthey reproduce really quick", "Um, you can keep in touch with her like a friend, think of any of your friends , how do you keep in contact with them? Do the same thing.\\n\\nBut if yor feelings are still fresh and strong, try not to talk to her in a long time, keep busy, after a few months, you will begin to cool down. Everytime you want to talk to her, think of how she feels and remind yourself that she does not want to come back to you.\\n\\nHave you imagined how it would be like if she came back? Trust me it will be never be the same knowing that she once wanted to leave you. You will never be sure about her or her feelings again.\\n\\nSo let the healing begin. I have been there , so I know what am talking about. And what helps is that you two can still talk.\\n\\nSo do not speak to her like for a month, then may be call her after and then do the same after a month. But keep busy during this time, do the things you love the most. Hang out with your friends more.\\n\\nBut if you keep talking to her, your healing will be delayed.\\n\\nHope that helps. I know what you are going through but you will come through. Good luck.", "Are you ready for this? This is a branch of philosophy called epistemology, or the the study of knowledge. In order to answer how you really know what you think you know, you first have to know what knowledge is. That isn't easy either. In fact, how do I even know I exist and that I'm sitting at this computer typing and am not simply a brain in the jar in some mad scientists laboratory? (Metaphysics)", "This can be a scary time in your life. Let your mother know - she can give you some insight as to what is going on and can even give you a few pointers as to how to better manage your life during that time of the month.", "Incidentally > Search...\\n\\nThe options are pretty self-explanatory and you can search for files of a certain type, modified with in a date or time range or over/under a certain size etc etc\\n\\nIncidently: \"How can I find a file without knowing the exact path?\"", "North Shore Fly Fishing Rod and Reel Combo at Overstock \\nBuy North Shore Fly Fishing Rod and Reel Combo for $179.99 in Recreation & Sports > Fishing Rods & Reelsoverstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=PRODUCT&...&cid=71742&fp=F", "Do you understand what you are asking? There are thousands of such cases. Are you interested in certain eras. Maybe cases under the various Chief Justices. How about certain types of cases? Would like to compare similar case subjects prior to 1868 as opposed to post 1868? However, you can start by going to the source link:", "There is flying fish in the Ocean.", "I don't know you, your abilities, or your grade. Consider the following. Maybe one of them will trigger you to come up with your own original ideas.\\n\\nTry building a homemade solar oven:\\nhttp://www.everything-candles.com/homemade-solar-oven.html\\n\\nOr plan an energy efficient community. Use your imagination. How many people will live there? How will the houses be constructed? How will the roads be maintained? How will the schools be heated? What fuels will you use? Types of energy? Etc.\\n\\nWhich types of alternative energy would work well where you live? Wind? Solar? Hydro? Do some experiments and some research of local landforms and resources to see what type of energy could best be harnessed in your area.", "Hey Dude! Do you know how many different types of gases there are!!!! Do you! I can't even list all the types of gases here! Jeez!", "no no no! how many times do we have to say it? if you have a big d*** and don't know how to use it. it's no use to me.\\nif you have a small d*** and you know what you are doing i will be back.", "you know that old saying give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach a man how to fish and he will eat for life . well thats what they need to do learn as a country stand for themselves if they would unite for this, its a crazy ideal i know but it just might work. we cant just keep taking more and more and think their will be know social , economic ,population ramifications is stupid !!!\\n\\nthey must understand we are for immigration not illegal immigration this law was put in place for a REASON !!", "FISHING, also called ANGLING, is the sport of catching fish, freshwater or saltwater, typically with rod, line, and hook. Like hunting, fishing originated as a means of providing food for survival.\\n\\nFishing as a sport, however, is of considerable antiquity. An Egyptian angling scene of about 2000 BC shows figures fishing with rod and line and with nets. A Chinese account of about the 4th century BC refers to fishing with a silk line, a hook made from a needle, and a bamboo rod, with cooked rice as bait. References to fishing are also found in ancient Greek, Assyrian, Roman, and Jewish writings.\\n\\nToday, fishing, often called sport fishing to distinguish it from commercial fishing, is, despite the growth of towns and the increase of pollution in many sources, one of man's principal relaxations and is, in many countries, the most popular participant sport.\\n\\nThe problems of the modern angler are still those of his ancestor: where to find fish, how to approach them, and what sort of bait to use. The angler must understand wind and weather. Fishing remains what it has always been, a problem in applied natural history.\\n\\nThe history of angling is in large part the history of tackle, as the equipment for fishing is called. One of man's earliest tools was the predecessor of the fishhook, a gorge: a piece of wood, bone, or stone an inch or so in length, pointed at both ends and secured off-center to the line. The gorge was covered with some kind of bait. When a fish swallowed the gorge, a pull on the line wedged it across the gullet of the fish, which could then be pulled in.\\n\\nWith the coming of the use of metals, a hook was one of the first tools made. This was attached to a handline of animal or vegetable material, a method that is efficient only when used from a boat. The practice of attaching the line in turn to a rod, at first probably a stick or tree branch, made it possible to fish from the bank or shore and even to reach over vegetation bordering the water.\\n\\nFor thousands of years, the fishing rod remained short, not more than a few feet in length. The earliest reference to a longer, jointed rod is from Roman times, about the 4th century AD. At that time also, Aelian wrote of Macedonians catching trout on artificial flies and described how each fly was dressed (made). The rod they used was only 6 feet (1.8 metres) long and the line the same length, so that the method used was probably dapping, gently laying the bait on the surface of the water.", "I'm not a doctor. However, what i know is HIV cannot be ruled out without specific tests for HIV.\\n\\nAt the early stage of AIDS, there is no change in white blood cell (CD4 lymphocyte) count.(CD4 lymphocyte is a type of white blood cells that HIV attacks.). It is only when virus load reaches a certain limit and symptoms start appearing, then CD4 count will be decreased.\\n\\nEven when someone is infected with HIV, a period of about 3 months is required for the HIV detection test to turn positive. During this \"window period\", the anti-HIV antibody cannot be detected.", "Yes there is, but I have to know what browser you are using in order to tell you how to do it.", "FLYING : usually represents freedom from the physical body, as we experience in sleep & while dreaming where we don't use our physical bodies but instead use our mental & spiritual bodies to experience our dreams. It's one of the first things people attempt to do when they gain control of their dreams and start lucid dreaming. Everybody seems to have a natural inclination to want to fly, unless that is changed by a fear of flying due to a frightening incident in their waking lives. Flying = freedom; either a desire for freedom, an \"escape\" from restraints in your physical life (like a mini-vacation for the mind) or any number of possiblities. Tie it in with the context of your dream...what were you doing in your dream besides flying? How did it make you feel? etc. Also, the type of flying I'm referring to, here, is the person flying on their own without an airplane or any aircraft at all. That would be a different symbol dealing with spiritual awareness, among other things. \\n\\nBy the way, people usually do not dream in color....\\n\\nI hope this helps...\\n\\nDon\\nDream interpretations for anyone.......", "If you're hired to type at a certain speed, but can't - what will you do when you're at work?" ]

[ "Kharif crops are the crops which are sown at the beginning of the rainy season, e.g. between April and May. Rabi crops are the crops that are sown at the end of monsoon or at the beginning of winter season, e.g. between September and October. ... Major Rabi crops are wheat, gram, peas, barley etc." ]

[ "Mustard is the only crop which is not a Kharif crop. Mustard is an example of Rabi crop which is grown in the months between October and March.", "Gujarat was the largest producer of groundnut followed by Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in 2011-12. Linseed and mustard are rabi crops. Sesamum is a kharif crop in north and rabi crop in south India. Castor seed is grown both as rabi and kharif crop.", "The Indian cropping season is classified into two main seasons-(i) Kharif and (ii) Rabi based on the monsoon. The kharif cropping season is from July –October during the south-west monsoon and the Rabi cropping season is from October-March (winter). The crops grown between March and June are summer crops.", "Rabi season A good rain in winter spoils the rabi crops but is good for kharif crops. The major rabi crop in India is wheat, followed by barley, mustard, sesame and peas. Peas are harvested early, as they are ready early: Indian markets are flooded with green peas from January to March, peaking in February.", "1. Alluvial soil is rich in chemical properties and is capable of yielding Rabi and Kharif crops. ... Black soil is suitable for cotton, groundnut.", "\"Stretched between the rabi and kharif (between April to July), zaid crops are grown. This is a short duration crop cultivated mostly in Northern India,\" said Anirudh Dubey, agro-meteorologist at CSA. He went on to add that among the zaid crops, sunflower, melons and cuckerbits are the most important crops.", "Answer: Since, they dwelt in a semi-arid region with poor soil texture and minimum rainfall round the year, so they could only grow bajra in Rabi season. In Kharif season, they would move to the Konkani area with high rainfall to cultivate rice.", "Jowar (Sorghum) is a tropical millet, typically grown as a rain-fed crop - both - kharif and rabi. Jau (Barley) is a temperate grain crop, similar to wheat, inferior in terms of versatility for food applications, but with significant health benefits, grown mainly as a rabi crop in Northern parts of India.", "Common kharif crops Rice is the most important kharif crop of India. It is grown in rain fed areas with hot and humid climates, especially the eastern and southern parts of India.", "India is geographically a vast country so it has various food and non-food crops which are cultivated in three main cropping seasons which are rabi, kharif and zaid. Food crops- Rice, Wheat, Millets, Maize and Pulses. Cash crops- Sugarcane, Oilseeds, Horticulture crops, Tea, Coffee, Rubber, Cotton and Jute.", "It makes you immune to it. What is one difference between the rabies virus and the influenza virus? The rabies virus causes aggression and the influenza virus doesn't.", "Kharif crops are usually sown with the beginning of the first rains during the advent of the south-west monsoon season, and they are harvested at the end of monsoon season (October-November).", "Rabri (IAST: Rabaḍī) is a sweet, condensed-milk-based dish, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made by boiling milk on low heat for a long time until it becomes dense and changes its colour to off-white or pale yellow. Jaggery, spices, and nuts are added to it to give it flavor.", "Kharif season In India the season is popularly considered to start in June and to end in October. Kharif crops are usually sown with the beginning of the first rains during the advent of the south-west monsoon season, and they are harvested at the end of monsoon season (October-November).", "['Rabies (required by law) Understanding and identifying rabies (PDF) Rabies: what, how and where (PDF) Protecting pets from rabies (PDF) OVMA Rabies Q & A - handout (PDF) Rabies in Ontario.', 'Distemper.', 'Hepatitis.', 'Parvo virus.']", "wheat and rice are crops called grains,cereals or rabi crops....", "Rabies Vaccination Requirements (Generally, the only difference between the 1-year rabies vaccine and the 3-year rabies vaccine is how it's labeled.) On revaccination, the pet is considered immunized immediately.", "['What is the difference between SQL and MySQL?', 'What are the different subsets of SQL?', 'What do you mean by DBMS? What are its different types?', 'What do you mean by table and field in SQL?', 'What are joins in SQL?', 'What is the difference between CHAR and VARCHAR2 datatype in SQL?', 'What is the Primary key?', 'What are Constraints?']", "Jaabi is one who collects Zakat. First collection of Ahadith is Sahifah-e-Saadiqa. Saying of Prophet are called Wahi Ghair Matlloo.", "During the last 10 days of Ramadan, many Muslims spend their days and nights at the mosque (masjid) in order to ensure that they are there for whichever night Laylat al-Qadr occurs. This is called itikaf. Literally translated, it is an Arabic word that means \"to isolate oneself and to stick or adhere to something.\"", "Rabies vaccinations are considered outdated 1 day beyond the 1-year or 3-year anniversary of the vaccination. (Generally, the only difference between the 1-year rabies vaccine and the 3-year rabies vaccine is how it's labeled.) On revaccination, the pet is considered immunized immediately.", "A major difference between these two sects of Islam is their opinion on guidance by an Imam. Whereas Deobandis are Hanafis and follow Imam Abu Hanifa, Wahhabis are ghair muqallid, which means that they do not follow any imam for jurisprudence. ... The founder of Wahhabism was Abdul Wahab in Saudi Arabia.", "If I need rabies shots, what should I expect? If you never had rabies shots before, then you can expect to receive four doses of vaccine over a 14 day period and a dose of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) on the same day as the first dose of vaccine.", "Kalbi or galbi generally refers to a variety of gui or grilled dishes in Korean cuisine that are made with marinated beef (or pork) short ribs in a ganjang-based sauce (Korean soy sauce). In the Korean language, galbi literally means \"rib\" and can refer to cooked or uncooked ribs.", "Salat al-Eid is Wajib (necessary/mandatory) according to Hanafi scholars, Sunnah al-Mu'kkadah according to Maliki and Shaf'i jurisprudence, and Fard according to Hanbali scholars. Some scholars say it is fard al-ayn and some say it is fard al-kifaya.", "Rabboni comes from Rabbi and Rav. According to Jewish sources, Rabbi is greater than Rav; and Rabban is greater than Rabbi. ... It was only after the destruction of the temple that the term Rabbi became a FORMAL TITLE for a teacher of Torah. This title is used today in Judaism.", "Atif (also spelled Atef or Atiph, Arabic: عاطف‎) and Atıf in Turkish, is a masculine Arabic name generally used in the Muslim world, it means \"the kind one\".", "Did you know that every year your pet's Rabies tag is a different color and different shape? 2017 Rabies tags are blue rosettes. The rotation of shapes and color tags is an international system to help animal control officers and local authorities to determine from afar if a pet has a current Rabies vaccine.", "These include 1 arab (equal to 100 crore or 1 billion), 1 kharab (equal to 100 arab or 100 billion), 1 nil (sometimes incorrectly transliterated as neel; equal to 100 kharab or 10 trillion), 1 padma (equal to 100 nil or 1 quadrillion), 1 shankh (equal to 100 padma or 100 quadrillion), and 1 mahashankh (equal to 100 ...", "As a literary device, irony is a contrast or incongruity between expectations for a situation and what is reality. This can be a difference between the surface meaning of something that is said and the underlying meaning. It can also be a difference between what might be expected to happen and what actually occurs.", "The only difference between them is that misri/mishri is allowed to form larger crystals than is typically the case for table sugar. There is no chemical difference; there are no medicinal differences. In Anglophone countries, mishri is called Rock Sugar or Rock candy . It's not terribly common, but neither is it rare.", "[' What is the difference between the QA and software testing? ... ', ' What is Testware? ... ', ' What is the difference between build and release? ... ', ' What are the automation challenges that SQA(Software Quality Assurance) team faces while testing? ... ', ' What is bug leakage and bug release? ... ', ' What is data driven testing?']" ]

[ "Gerund and present participle phrases are easy to confuse because they both begin with an ing word. The difference is that a gerund phrase will always function as a noun while a present participle phrase describes another word in the sentence." ]

[ "A gerund phrase is a phrase consisting of a gerund and any modifiers or objects associated with it. A gerund is a noun made from a verb root plus ing (a present participle). A whole gerund phrase functions in a sentence just like a noun, and can act as a subject, an object, or a predicate nominative.", "A gerund is a noun made from a verb root plus ing (a present participle). A whole gerund phrase functions in a sentence just like a noun, and can act as a subject, an object, or a predicate nominative.", "A verb ending in -ing is either a present participle or a gerund. These two forms look identical. The difference is in their functions in a sentence.", "A verb ending in -ing is either a present participle or a gerund.", "A gerund is the –ing form of a verb that acts as a noun. Gerund subjects are singular. For example, “Running is fun.” The gerund is running. A longer gerund phrase is still singular, even if the phrase ends with a plural noun.", "A verbal is a word formed from a verb but functioning as a different part of speech. A gerund is a verbal ending in -ing that functions as a noun. In the example below, the gerund phrase renames the subject, this.", "Base Form: Hold. Past Simple: Held. Past Participle: Held. 3rd Person Singular: Holds. Present Participle/Gerund: Holding.", "Verbal phrases are verbals and any of the verb form's modifiers, objects, or complements. The three types of verbal phrases are participial, gerund, and infinitive phrases.", "So, what's the difference between the past tense and the past participle? Basically, the past tense is a tense while the past participle is a specific verb form used in the past and present perfect tenses. The past participle is not a tense. It's a form of a verb and can't be used on its own.", "The different types of word ending in -ing: Words ending in -ing can be gerunds, verbal nouns, or present participles. Distinguishing (= gerund) between these, and using them correctly is not always easy – until you understand these three simple rules.", "A participle is a verbal ending in -ing (present) or -ed, -en, -d, -t, -n, or -ne (past) that functions as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun. A participial phrase consists of a participle plus modifier(s), object(s), and/or complement(s).", "A verbal noun is different from a gerund. A gerund is a noun that, having derived from a verb, retains a few verb-like properties. For example, a gerund can be modified by an adverb and take take a direct object. ... (This is a verbal noun.", "A phrase is a group of words that express a concept and is used as a unit within a sentence. Eight common types of phrases are: noun, verb, gerund, infinitive, appositive, participial, prepositional, and absolute.", "The participial phrase does not contain the subject-participle relationship of the absolute phrase; it modifies the subject of the the independent clause that follows. The absolute phrase, on the other hand, is said to modify the entire clause that follows.", "Gerunds. A verbal is a word formed from a verb but functioning as a different part of speech. A gerund is a verbal ending in -ing that functions as a noun. ... NOTE: Do not confuse gerunds with verbs (predicates) in the progressive tense.", "As a preposition, rather than is synonymous with instead of and begins subordinate clauses (clauses that can't stand alone as a sentence) that have a present participle (the -ing form) of a verb serving as a noun (in other words, a gerund).", "Been is a form of 'be', which is a past participle one. On the other hand, being is also a type of 'be', but present participle one. ... Been can be used as a verb only, whereas being can be used as a verb, noun and gerund. While been is used with has, have and had, being is used with is, am, are, was and were.", "Originally Answered: What is the difference between a phrase and a fragment? Loosely, a fragment of a sentence is missing the subject. Whereas a phrase is a group of words missing either subject or verb or both.", "Verbals are verb forms which act as another part of speech in a sentence (i.e. as adjectives, nouns, and adverbs). Verbal phrases are verbals and any of the verb form's modifiers, objects, or complements. The three types of verbal phrases are participial, gerund, and infinitive phrases.", "Swimming is a verb; the present participle of swim. Here, it is the subject of a sentence and it can be called a noun. So, swimming is a gerund.", "Every prepositional phrase is a series of words consisting of a preposition and its object. In the example above, \"with\" is the preposition and \"reusable tote\" is the object. In a prepositional phrase, the object may be a noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause. A prepositional phrase can function as an adjective or adverb.", "Now, the main difference is that being is the present participle (all present participles end in “–ing”, like swimming, running, learning). On the other hand, been is the past participle (some past participles end in “–ed”, like learned, studied; others are irregular like, run, swum, written, spoken).", "Verbal nouns are morphologically related to verbs, but they are not non-finite verb forms. The non-finite verb forms are forms such as gerunds, infinitives and participle in English. Some grammarians use the term \"verbal noun\" to mean verbal noun, gerund and noun infinitive.", "A gerund (often known as an -ing word) is a noun formed from a verb by adding -ing. ... Not all words formed with -ing are gerunds.", "A gerund is the –ing form of a verb that functions the same as a noun. For example, “Running is fun.” In this sentence, “running” is the gerund. It acts just like a noun.", "Since the doer of the action expressed in the participle has not been clearly stated, the participial phrase is said to be a dangling modifier.", "The answer is “you don't”. You can use the word run as a noun—because it has meaning as a noun—but the verb run can only be used as a verb. ... The gerund-participle running can be used as a noun—e.g. “running is not my idea of a good time”.", "Gerunds. The gerund always has the same function as a noun, although it looks like a verb. It can be used in the same way as a noun.", "There are five types of prepositions. They are simple, double, compound, participle, and phrase prepositions. A preposition is used to show a relationship between the noun, pronoun, or phrases in a sentence.", "Both say exactly the same thing, but the grammatical structure is different, and thus it is have in one case and has in the other. In this sentence, the gerund selling is the subject, and that is what the verb must agree with, so the correct form would be has increased.", "Participles are words formed from verbs. Present participles always end in -ing and function as adjectives. ... Past participles end in -ed, or other past tense irregular verb endings, and function as adjectives. They also combine with the verb to be to create passive verb forms.", "Gerunds. A gerund is a type of verbal that ends in -ing and is used like a noun. Examples of gerunds include actions like chewing, writing, whispering, and snoring. Similar to infinitives, gerunds can also function as the subject of the sentence, the direct object, or as the subject complement." ]

[ "Significance of identifying human resource competency in organizations and the necessity for valuating human resource in accounting persuade many researchers to design a conceptual model for measuring human resource accounting. This study, first, examines dimensions of various valuation models of human resource and then they are compared with Goleman individual and social competency indicators. Next, individual, organizational and social competency indicators are designed through developing Goleman model. Finally, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and experts’ ideas in human resource accounting in superior universities of the world are used to classify the indicators; and the conceptual model of measuring human resource accounting is designed based on guidelines of management and human capital development vice-presidency and inspiring effort rate of return method." ]

[ "The modern approach to human capital consists in a comprehensive vision hereof as a crucial socio-economic resource and as a factor of public goods’ creation. Human capital acts simultaneously as a factor and purpose of development for a person, family, and society. Jointly with financial, natural and physical resources, it lay the basis of the national wealth. The article discusses the main approaches and criteria for measuring human capital, its importance in different countries, as well as ways of efficient investments in human capital.", "This artide attempts to deal with the strategies and measures of the development of human resources by exploiting some new ways of service in the library", "In new economy,the core of enterprise management has changed from the material-oriented management to a people-oriented one. Management of people is more than the management of human resources within an enterprise. It's the management of all the bearers of equity who are closely connected with the enterprise, that is, the integration of their equity in the enterprise. As an important component of enterprise management, accounting plays an important part in the integration of the equity of an enterprise. Integrating the equity of an enterprise with accounting means is to set up the brand-new conception of equity accounting and construct a new pattern of equity accounting to adapt to the needs of new economy.", "Based on analysing of the characteristic of the virtual human resource,one kind of new virtual human resource platform based on the Web service is proposed,which can be used to solve human resource to enterprise share,dynamic team management and outside the non-core human resources management.The structure of the system based on Web service is also presented.", "Globalization is a phenomenon with a high degree of impact on the new type of human resource training. The present study aims to model some influence variables triggered by globalizatoin upon the human resource training by means of the dynamic programmig method and risk quantification using the WinQSB software.", "Purpose ::: ::: ::: ::: – This paper explains how Sabio approached benchmarking of their overall human resource (HR) performance. ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: Design/methodology/approach ::: ::: ::: ::: – Sabio asked employees for feedback, achieving an impressive 92 per cent response rate. ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: Findings ::: ::: ::: ::: – Feedback from employees highlighted issues around leadership, communication and corporate social responsibility. The article explains how Sabio addressed these issues. ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: Originality/value ::: ::: ::: ::: – This paper gives a first-hand account of benchmarking for HR departments and how the company addressed the issues raised.", "Abstract This paper presents a new measure of income inequality that allows more weight to be given to inequality in the lower end of the income graduation. The measure is non-parametric and based only on the underlying Lorenz curve.", "This study divided firm's IT resources into three categories from resource-based view of firm:IT infrastructure resource,IT human resource and complementary organizational resources. It pointed out that IT resources impact organizational performance via business processes,and brought forward a hierarchical model of IT performance evaluation. It also used a case to illustrate evaluation scope and measurement of every level to help management carry out effective assessment of IT business value.", "Lexical Simplification is the task of replacing complex words with simpler alternatives. We propose a novel, unsupervised approach for the task. It relies on two resources: a corpus of subtitles and a new type of word embeddings model that accounts for the ambiguity of words. We compare the performance of our approach and many others over a new evaluation dataset, which accounts for the simplification needs of 400 non-native English speakers. The experiments show that our approach outperforms state-of-the-art work in Lexical Simplification.", "The role of Human Resources in healthcare sector and challenges it faces has always been an important area of research both in developed and developing countries. Public expectations and increasing financial pressures are requiring health services to adopt new approaches to the management of their resources, particularly human resources. This paper addresses the health care system from a global perspective and the importance of human resources management (HRM) in improving overall patient health outcomes and delivery of health care services, human resource indicators, human resource development, HR issues, characteristics of HR, HR policies.", "In this paper,the adoption of new accounting standards for intangible assets recognition condition,accounting and disclosure statements of three changes to the new accounting standards on the effective management of surplus constraints.It is also stated the concept of earnings manipulation and its harm to circumvent the means and methods that affirmed the new accounting standards effective in earnings manipulation.", "The article is dealing with two problems regards the quality management in automotive industry such as: human resources management and processes monitoring. This connection is really difficult because of entrepreneurs generally have a problem with processes monitoring. Additionally human resources management is unmeasurable, so measurement must often be done using qualitative criteria, rather than quantitative. Furthermore the regulations of the new ISO 9001 include evaluate the performance of processes. It emphasizes the importance of the problem. The study provides examples of ways to monitor the process of human resource management in small and medium-sized enterprises automotive. Examples were evaluated for suitability to assess the effectiveness of the process and to generate guidelines for improvement. The form of keeping and visualization in order to use the information for periodic reviews of the management was discussed.", "Information and communication technology ICT infrastructure is an essential foundation of the information society characterized by modernization and advance. ICT infrastructure consists of main five elements including physical resources, human resources, software, databases and networks and communication. The study aims at identifying the impact of the development of ICT infrastructure, which includes physical and human resources, software, databases and networks and communications, on the effectiveness of accounting information systems. To achieve the purposes of the study, a researcher has used a descriptive research methodology; a questionnaire has been distributed to the employees at various management and accounting positions in the bank. ::: ::: The study found that the developments of ICT infrastructure, consisting of physical and human resources, software, databases and networks and communications, affects extremely the effectiveness and security of accounting information systems.", "Thanks to the growing sophistication of artificial agent technologies, businesses will increasingly face decisions of whether to have a human employee or artificial agent perform a particular function. This makes it desirable to have a common temporal measure for comparing the work effort that human beings and artificial agents can apply to a role. Existing temporal measures of work effort are formulated to apply either to human employees (e.g., FTE and billable hours) or computer-based systems (e.g., mean time to failure and availability) but not both. In this paper we propose a new temporal measure of work effort based on fractal dimension that applies equally to the work of human beings and artificial agents performing management functions. We then consider four potential cases to demonstrate the measure's diagnostic value in assessing strengths (e.g., flexibility) and risks (e.g., switch costs) reflected by the temporal work dynamics of particular managers.", "The quality-type human resources are the central resources of modern economic development. The key to the sustainable and sound development in weastern China is the quality-type human resources development. It is a strategic measure of promoting the economy in the Western China to accelerate quality-type human resources development .", "In this essay, the core role of human resources management was discussed. Its new characteristics and demands in the new era were abstracted. The way to construct HRMs and e-HR system to meet the need of the time was proposed.", "Human resources programs are evaluated by comparing the productivity of individuals who have benefited from a specific program to the productivity of similar individuals who have not had this benefit. To implement such an evaluation may require a model of the demand of households and individuals for several distinct forms of human capital, of how public agencies and private firms work with households to produce these forms of human capital, and of how these investments increase the lifetime productivity of individuals and thereby contribute to ecnomic growth and socio-demographic development. This paper proposes to estimate an integrated wage function that provides the policymaker with a basic tool for simulating the private and social returns to human resource stocks, specifically those in schooling, vocational experience, child nutrition, migration, adult health and nutrition and family planning.", "The allocation of human resource is one of the most essential aspects in a project management. A situation with employees working on tasks that they are not well-suited for can lead to a significant loss of time and resources in addition to a sub-par product or service. The simple difference between a good and bad task assignment for employees can easily result in major differences in a company's bottom line. In this paper, we present a project human resource allocation method based on software architecture and social network in a project organization. An algorithm for matching employees and tasks is put forward which are based on task attributes, software architecture, employee skills and employee preference and social network relations. As a result, we have created a new human resource allocation method in a project management.", "The author discusses the significance of research on human resource value and the measurement of human resource value and human resource's contribution radio. It helps us to know and (comprehend) the content and the importance of human resource value well.", "As is known human resources serve as the basis of university growth and competing strengths. And at the mean time, market economy helps human resources exchange considerably, with different universities drafting personnel by taking different measures. Hence, this also brings us with the imputing risks of investment on their human resources, which is not in favor of the long-term development. So, the writer of the paper thinks it necessary to study the preventive measures to reduce the investing risks on the human resources in universities.", "Through the analysis of human resource management characteristics in Chinese,American and European companies and their strengths and weaknesses respectively,this paper compares differences in culture,philosophy,system and standard of human resource management in Chinese,American and European companies.It also studies current human resource management of Chinese local firms under the transitional economy,explores human resource management application and improvement in Chinese local firms,and provides guidance for conducting research on human resource management and practical application under the Chinese transitional economy.", "Joseph K. Winsen* The API metric, as initially formulated by Ball and Brown [1], has been used to examine the relationship between stock prices and accounting numbers. Its use in this manner has raised at least three difficulties: (1) the metric does not utilize all of the information portentially available from accounting 2 numbers, (2) the statistical significance of the API metric and of differences between API's has not always been satisfactorily considered, and (3) the meaning 3 of the metric has been questioned. This paper will attempt to resolve these difficulties by reformulating the API approach. Two nonparametric statistical procedures are considered, both of which provide a test of the statistical sig? nificance of the relationship between accounting income numbers and stock prices. The first procedure is particularly appropriate when alternative accounting in? come numbers are considered. Both procedures provide a conventional unambiguous interpretation of the results.", "Abstract This paper discusses the development of the Energy accounting mid analysis system as well as the impact of “human factors” for successful implementation of system at industries. The system is a hierarchical computer-aided system with subsystems for commercial accounting, analysis, management and control of energy use. The man-machine interaction has a key role in the practical system operation To match the needs of the system operator die customised energy management software has been developed taking into account main features of resources utilisation at all levels of plant processes.", "In this paper, we present a coherent method for Quality Control planning that tackles the limitations of traditional approaches when applied to an advanced high-mix medium volume 300mm fab. The proposed approach consists of two stages and takes into account both the risk exposure, expressed in terms of quantity of products potentially lost, and resources capabilities (process and measurement tools).", "This pap er develops a \"two-tiered frontier\" estimation procedure to decompose the residual of an earnings function into three components. The first component can be interpreted as being purely random. Search theory is used to show that the other two components represent employee and employer ignorance of offer and reservation wages respectively. Relative employee and employer ignorance estimates are presented for various population strata. Copyright 1987 by MIT Press.", "Managers may desire an approach to combining multiple productivity measurements into one score. This article demonstrates two approaches to aggregating multiple measurements, data envelope analysis (DEA) and the Multicriteria Performance/Productivity Measurement Technique (MCP/PMT). These methods are applied to actual hospital materials management data and do not result in significantly different results. The productivity analysis must then be tempered according to managerial judgement.", "The need for an interdisciplinary approach in the emerging field of hate studies has recently been highlighted by Kenneth Stern. His working definition describes both a “diagnostic” and a “preventive/restorative” task for hate studies. What themes might emerge from the Bible when it is read in light of hate studies? The Psalms give a realistic account of what it means to have an enemy. The stories of Dinah and the Sons of Shechem in Genesis 34 and of Cain’s Murder of Abel in Genesis 4 indicate that every human being stands in need of repentance and healing. David and Elisha each show that it is possible for enmity to give way to friendship and peace. The New Testament has many resources for diagnosing and transforming hate. A concluding section focuses on what Scripture has to say about (1) respect for human dignity, (2) friendship across sociological fault-lines, and (3) the connection between worship and justice.", "The objective of this research is to verify the relationships among human resource outsourcing of four activities such as recruitment activities, training administration, payroll management, and human resource information system and organizational performance through HR cost efficiency, effective HR development and HR flexibility. The model is tested by using data collected from mail survey questionnaires of 165 multinational firms and using a questionnaire as the instrument. The results of OLS regression analysis show that HRM outsourcing has a significant impact on organizational performance both direct and indirect via HR cost efficiency, effective HR development and HR flexibility. In sum, this study contributes to manager by providing the knowledge that organizational performance can be increased by HR outsourcing implementation. Theoretical and managerial contributions, conclusion and directions of the future research are mentioned.", "We use a new method to better measure internal control quality. Specifically, we construct an internal control index for all public firms in China, because the lack of internal control regulations during our sample period presents an interesting setting, in which the diversity of internal control quality is preserved. Two distinctive features set our index apart from the information currently available under SOX 404 in the U.S. First, it comprehensively evaluates a firm’s internal control, based on the COSO framework. Second, it quantitatively measures a firm’s internal control, using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) designed for analyzing complex decisions. We proceed to validate our index by confirming the known relation between internal control quality and earnings management. Further, we theorize that our internal control index has a positive impact on the earnings response coefficient (ERC), and find that better internal control indeed makes financial reporting more credible to investors.", "Based on human resources theory at home and abroad and the theory of economic growth, this article analyzes the internal mechanism of the exploitation and utilization of business industry human resources from the perspective of competition mechanisms, incentive mechanisms, market allocation mechanisms and protection mechanisms. On the basis of statistical analysis of business industry human resources situation in Zhejiang, it studies empirically the term cointegration relationship between business industry human resource and business economic growth through the establishment of econometric model, and analyzes the output elasticity of business industry human resources to business economic growth. The paper draws some conclusions and puts forward corresponding countermeasures.", "Nowadays the management of HR has been the important content of business administration. This paper approaches the development of HR from three aspects, which are the connotation, soul and core of the Human Resource.", "The challenging task of in vivo polarimetric glucose sensing is the identification and selection of a scheme to optically access the aqueous humor of the human eye. In this short communication an earlier approach of Cote et al. is theoretically compared with our new optical scheme. Simulations of the new scheme using the eye model of Navarro, suggest that the new optical geometry can overcome the limitations of the previous approach for in vivo measurements of glucose in a human eye." ]

[ "In Britain's \"imperial century\", victory over Napoleon left Britain without any serious international rival, other than Russia in central Asia. Unchallenged at sea, Britain adopted the role of global policeman, a state of affairs later known as the Pax Britannica, and a foreign policy of \"splendid isolation\". Alongside the formal control it exerted over its own colonies, Britain's dominant position in world trade meant that it effectively controlled the economies of many nominally independent countries, such as China, Argentina and Siam, which has been generally characterized as \"informal empire\". Of note during this time was the Anglo-Zulu War, which was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Empire." ]

[ "On 14 January 1858, an Italian refugee from Britain called Orsini attempted to assassinate Napoleon III with a bomb made in England. The ensuing diplomatic crisis destabilised the government, and Palmerston resigned. Derby was reinstated as prime minister. Victoria and Albert attended the opening of a new basin at the French military port of Cherbourg on 5 August 1858, in an attempt by Napoleon III to reassure Britain that his military preparations were directed elsewhere. On her return Victoria wrote to Derby reprimanding him for the poor state of the Royal Navy in comparison to the French one. Derby's ministry did not last long, and in June 1859 Victoria recalled Palmerston to office.", "After four years on the sidelines, Austria sought another war with France to avenge its recent defeats. Austria could not count on Russian support because the latter was at war with Britain, Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire in 1809. Frederick William of Prussia initially promised to help the Austrians, but reneged before conflict began. A report from the Austrian finance minister suggested that the treasury would run out of money by the middle of 1809 if the large army that the Austrians had formed since the Third Coalition remained mobilized. Although Archduke Charles warned that the Austrians were not ready for another showdown with Napoleon, a stance that landed him in the so-called \"peace party,\" he did not want to see the army demobilized either. On 8 February 1809, the advocates for war finally succeeded when the Imperial Government secretly decided on another confrontation against the French.", "The war had also brought to an end the \"Old System\" of alliances in Europe, In the years after the war, under the direction of Lord Sandwich, the British did try to re-establish this system. But after her surprising grand success against a coalition of great powers, European states such as Austria, The Dutch Republic, Sweden, Denmark-Norway, Ottoman Empire, and Russia now saw Britain as a greater threat than France and did not join them, while the Prussians were angered by what they considered a British betrayal in 1762. Consequently, when the American War of Independence turned into a global war between 1778–83, Britain found itself opposed by a strong coalition of European powers, and lacking any substantial ally.", "Anglo-Saxons arrived as Roman power waned in the 5th century AD. Initially, their arrival seems to have been at the invitation of the Britons as mercenaries to repulse incursions by the Hiberni and Picts. In time, Anglo-Saxon demands on the British became so great that they came to culturally dominate the bulk of southern Great Britain, though recent genetic evidence suggests Britons still formed the bulk of the population. This dominance creating what is now England and leaving culturally British enclaves only in the north of what is now England, in Cornwall and what is now known as Wales. Ireland had been unaffected by the Romans except, significantly, having been Christianised, traditionally by the Romano-Briton, Saint Patrick. As Europe, including Britain, descended into turmoil following the collapse of Roman civilisation, an era known as the Dark Ages, Ireland entered a golden age and responded with missions (first to Great Britain and then to the continent), the founding of monasteries and universities. These were later joined by Anglo-Saxon missions of a similar nature.", "In 1869 the Suez Canal opened under Napoleon III, linking the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean. Initially the Canal was opposed by the British; but once opened, its strategic value was quickly recognised and became the \"jugular vein of the Empire\". In 1875, the Conservative government of Benjamin Disraeli bought the indebted Egyptian ruler Isma'il Pasha's 44 percent shareholding in the Suez Canal for £4 million (£340 million in 2013). Although this did not grant outright control of the strategic waterway, it did give Britain leverage. Joint Anglo-French financial control over Egypt ended in outright British occupation in 1882. The French were still majority shareholders and attempted to weaken the British position, but a compromise was reached with the 1888 Convention of Constantinople, which made the Canal officially neutral territory.", "During the 19th century, Britain and the Russian Empire vied to fill the power vacuums that had been left by the declining Ottoman Empire, Qajar dynasty and Qing Dynasty. This rivalry in Eurasia came to be known as the \"Great Game\". As far as Britain was concerned, defeats inflicted by Russia on Persia and Turkey demonstrated its imperial ambitions and capabilities and stoked fears in Britain of an overland invasion of India. In 1839, Britain moved to pre-empt this by invading Afghanistan, but the First Anglo-Afghan War was a disaster for Britain.", "The slave trade was engaged in by European state and non-state actors such as Great Britain, the Netherlands, Portugal and private companies, as well as various African states and non-state actors. With rising anti-slavery sentiment at home and changing economic realities, Great Britain outlawed the international slave trade in 1807. Following the Napoleonic Wars, Great Britain established the West Africa Squadron in an attempt to halt the international traffic in slaves. It stopped ships of other nations that were leaving the African coast with slaves; the seized slaves were taken to Freetown, a colony in West Africa originally established for the resettlement of freed slaves from Britain. Britain intervened in the Lagos Kingship power struggle by bombarding Lagos in 1851, deposing the slave trade friendly Oba Kosoko, helping to install the amenable Oba Akitoye, and signing the Treaty between Great Britain and Lagos on 1 January 1852. Britain annexed Lagos as a Crown Colony in August 1861 with the Lagos Treaty of Cession. British missionaries expanded their operations and travelled further inland. In 1864, Samuel Ajayi Crowther became the first African bishop of the Anglican Church.", "Napoleon was born in Corsica to a relatively modest family of noble Tuscan ancestry. Napoleon supported the French Revolution from the outset in 1789 while serving in the French army, and he tried to spread its ideals to Corsica but was banished from the island in 1793. Two years later, he saved the French government from collapse by firing on the Parisian mobs with cannons. The Directory rewarded Napoleon by giving him command of the Army of Italy at age 26, when he began his first military campaign against the Austrians and their Italian allies, scoring a series of decisive victories that made him famous all across Europe. He followed the defeat of the Allies in Europe by commanding a military expedition to Egypt in 1798, invading and occupying the Ottoman province after defeating the Mamelukes and launching modern Egyptology through the discoveries made by his army.", "Unhappy with this change of policy by the Portuguese government, Napoleon sent an army to invade Portugal. On 17 October 1807, 24,000 French troops under General Junot crossed the Pyrenees with Spanish cooperation and headed towards Portugal to enforce Napoleon's orders. This attack was the first step in what would eventually become the Peninsular War, a six-year struggle that significantly sapped French strength. Throughout the winter of 1808, French agents became increasingly involved in Spanish internal affairs, attempting to incite discord between members of the Spanish royal family. On 16 February 1808, secret French machinations finally materialized when Napoleon announced that he would intervene to mediate between the rival political factions in the country. Marshal Murat led 120,000 troops into Spain and the French arrived in Madrid on 24 March, where wild riots against the occupation erupted just a few weeks later. Napoleon appointed his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, as the new King of Spain in the summer of 1808. The appointment enraged a heavily religious and conservative Spanish population. Resistance to French aggression soon spread throughout the country. The shocking French defeat at the Battle of Bailén in July gave hope to Napoleon's enemies and partly persuaded the French emperor to intervene in person.", "Russell's ministry, though Whig, was not favoured by the Queen. She found particularly offensive the Foreign Secretary, Lord Palmerston, who often acted without consulting the Cabinet, the Prime Minister, or the Queen. Victoria complained to Russell that Palmerston sent official dispatches to foreign leaders without her knowledge, but Palmerston was retained in office and continued to act on his own initiative, despite her repeated remonstrances. It was only in 1851 that Palmerston was removed after he announced the British government's approval of President Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte's coup in France without consulting the Prime Minister. The following year, President Bonaparte was declared Emperor Napoleon III, by which time Russell's administration had been replaced by a short-lived minority government led by Lord Derby.", "Napoleon continued to entertain a grand scheme to establish a French presence in the Middle East in order to put pressure on Britain and Russia, and perhaps form an alliance with the Ottoman Empire. In February 1806, Ottoman Emperor Selim III finally recognized Napoleon as Emperor. He also opted for an alliance with France, calling France \"our sincere and natural ally.\" That decision brought the Ottoman Empire into a losing war against Russia and Britain. A Franco-Persian alliance was also formed between Napoleon and the Persian Empire of Fat′h-Ali Shah Qajar. It collapsed in 1807, when France and Russia themselves formed an unexpected alliance. In the end, Napoleon had made no effective alliances in the Middle East.", "Before the formation of the Third Coalition, Napoleon had assembled an invasion force, the Armée d'Angleterre, around six camps at Boulogne in Northern France. He intended to use this invasion force to strike at England. They never invaded, but Napoleon's troops received careful and invaluable training for future military operations. The men at Boulogne formed the core for what Napoleon later called La Grande Armée. At the start, this French army had about 200,000 men organized into seven corps, which were large field units that contained 36 to 40 cannons each and were capable of independent action until other corps could come to the rescue. A single corps properly situated in a strong defensive position could survive at least a day without support, giving the Grande Armée countless strategic and tactical options on every campaign. On top of these forces, Napoleon created a cavalry reserve of 22,000 organized into two cuirassier divisions, four mounted dragoon divisions, one division of dismounted dragoons, and one of light cavalry, all supported by 24 artillery pieces. By 1805, the Grande Armée had grown to a force of 350,000 men, who were well equipped, well trained, and led by competent officers.", "Napoleon had a civil marriage with Joséphine de Beauharnais, without religious ceremony. During the campaign in Egypt, Napoleon showed much tolerance towards religion for a revolutionary general, holding discussions with Muslim scholars and ordering religious celebrations, but General Dupuy, who accompanied Napoleon, revealed, shortly after Pope Pius VI's death, the political reasons for such behaviour: \"We are fooling Egyptians with our pretended interest for their religion; neither Bonaparte nor we believe in this religion more than we did in Pius the Defunct's one\".[note 8] In his memoirs, Bonaparte's secretary Bourienne wrote about Napoleon's religious interests in the same vein. His religious opportunism is epitomized in his famous quote: \"It is by making myself Catholic that I brought peace to Brittany and Vendée. It is by making myself Italian that I won minds in Italy. It is by making myself a Moslem that I established myself in Egypt. If I governed a nation of Jews, I should reestablish the Temple of Solomon.\" However, according to Juan Cole, \"Bonaparte's admiration for the Prophet Muhammad, in contrast, was genuine\" and during his captivity on St Helena he defended him against Voltaire's critical play Mahomet.", "The 5th Regiment was sent to intercept him and made contact just south of Grenoble on March 7, 1815. Napoleon approached the regiment alone, dismounted his horse and, when he was within gunshot range, shouted to the soldiers, \"Here I am. Kill your Emperor, if you wish.\" The soldiers quickly responded with, \"Vive L'Empereur!\" Ney, who had boasted to the restored Bourbon king, Louis XVIII, that he would bring Napoleon to Paris in an iron cage, affectionately kissed his former emperor and forgot his oath of allegiance to the Bourbon monarch. The two then marched together towards Paris with a growing army. The unpopular Louis XVIII fled to Belgium after realizing he had little political support. On March 13, the powers at the Congress of Vienna declared Napoleon an outlaw. Four days later, Great Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia each pledged to put 150,000 men into the field to end his rule.", "In 1808, Napoleon and Czar Alexander met at the Congress of Erfurt to preserve the Russo-French alliance. The leaders had a friendly personal relationship after their first meeting at Tilsit in 1807. By 1811, however, tensions had increased and Alexander was under pressure from the Russian nobility to break off the alliance. A major strain on the relationship between the two nations became the regular violations of the Continental System by the Russians, which led Napoleon to threaten Alexander with serious consequences if he formed an alliance with Britain.", "The initial military maneuvers began in September 1806. In a notable letter to Marshal Soult detailing the plan for the campaign, Napoleon described the essential features of Napoleonic warfare and introduced the phrase le bataillon-carré ('square battalion'). In the bataillon-carré system, the various corps of the Grande Armée would march uniformly together in close supporting distance. If any single corps was attacked, the others could quickly spring into action and arrive to help. Napoleon invaded Prussia with 180,000 troops, rapidly marching on the right bank of the River Saale. As in previous campaigns, his fundamental objective was to destroy one opponent before reinforcements from another could tip the balance of the war. Upon learning the whereabouts of the Prussian army, the French swung westwards and crossed the Saale with overwhelming force. At the twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt, fought on 14 October, the French convincingly defeated the Prussians and inflicted heavy casualties. With several major commanders dead or incapacitated, the Prussian king proved incapable of effectively commanding the army, which began to quickly disintegrate. In a vaunted pursuit that epitomized the \"peak of Napoleonic warfare,\" according to historian Richard Brooks, the French managed to capture 140,000 soldiers, over 2,000 cannons and hundreds of ammunition wagons, all in a single month. Historian David Chandler wrote of the Prussian forces: \"Never has the morale of any army been more completely shattered.\" Despite their overwhelming defeat, the Prussians refused to negotiate with the French until the Russians had an opportunity to enter the fight.", "With French, Belgian and Portuguese activity in the lower Congo River region undermining orderly incursion of tropical Africa, the Berlin Conference of 1884–85 was held to regulate the competition between the European powers in what was called the \"Scramble for Africa\" by defining \"effective occupation\" as the criterion for international recognition of territorial claims. The scramble continued into the 1890s, and caused Britain to reconsider its decision in 1885 to withdraw from Sudan. A joint force of British and Egyptian troops defeated the Mahdist Army in 1896, and rebuffed a French attempted invasion at Fashoda in 1898. Sudan was nominally made an Anglo-Egyptian Condominium, but a British colony in reality.", "On 1 April, Alexander addressed the Sénat conservateur. Long docile to Napoleon, under Talleyrand's prodding it had turned against him. Alexander told the Sénat that the Allies were fighting against Napoleon, not France, and they were prepared to offer honorable peace terms if Napoleon were removed from power. The next day, the Sénat passed the Acte de déchéance de l'Empereur (\"Emperor's Demise Act\"), which declared Napoleon deposed. Napoleon had advanced as far as Fontainebleau when he learned that Paris was lost. When Napoleon proposed the army march on the capital, his senior officers and marshals mutinied. On 4 April, led by Ney, they confronted Napoleon. Napoleon asserted the army would follow him, and Ney replied the army would follow its generals. While the ordinary soldiers and regimental officers wanted to fight on, without any senior officers or marshals any prospective invasion of Paris would have been impossible. Bowing to the inevitable, on 4 April Napoleon abdicated in favour of his son, with Marie-Louise as regent. However, the Allies refused to accept this under prodding from Alexander, who feared that Napoleon might find an excuse to retake the throne. Napoleon was then forced to announce his unconditional abdication only two days later.", "In the spring of 1800, Napoleon and his troops crossed the Swiss Alps into Italy, aiming to surprise the Austrian armies that had reoccupied the peninsula when Napoleon was still in Egypt.[note 5] After a difficult crossing over the Alps, the French army entered the plains of Northern Italy virtually unopposed. While one French army approached from the north, the Austrians were busy with another stationed in Genoa, which was besieged by a substantial force. The fierce resistance of this French army, under André Masséna, gave the northern striking force precious time to carry out their operations with little interference. After spending several days looking for each other, the two armies finally collided at the Battle of Marengo on June 14. General Melas had a numerical advantage, fielding about 30,000 Austrian soldiers while Napoleon commanded 24,000 French troops. The battle began favorably for the Austrians as their initial attack surprised the French and gradually drove them back. Melas concluded that he'd won the battle and retired to his headquarters around 3 pm, leaving his subordinates in charge of pursuing the French. However, the French lines never broke during their tactical retreat; Napoleon constantly rode out among the troops urging them to stand and fight. Late in the afternoon, a full division under Desaix arrived on the field and dramatically reversed the tide of the battle. A series of artillery barrages and fortunate cavalry charges managed to decimate the Austrian army, which fled chaotically over the Bormida River back to Alessandria, leaving behind 14,000 casualties. The following day, the Austrian army agreed to abandon Northern Italy once more with the Convention of Alessandria, which granted them safe passage to friendly soil in exchange for their fortresses throughout the region.", "Napoleon was born on 15 August 1769, to Carlo Maria di Buonaparte and Maria Letizia Ramolino, in his family's ancestral home Casa Buonaparte in Ajaccio, the capital of the island of Corsica. He was their fourth child and third son. This was a year after the island was transferred to France by the Republic of Genoa. He was christened Napoleone di Buonaparte, probably named after an uncle (an older brother who did not survive infancy was the first of the sons to be called Napoleone). In his 20s, he adopted the more French-sounding Napoléon Bonaparte.[note 2]", "While the churches eventually worked out their differences and came to an initial agreement, both Nicholas I of Russia and Napoleon III refused to back down. Nicholas issued an ultimatum that the Orthodox subjects of the Empire be placed under his protection. Britain attempted to mediate, and arranged a compromise that Nicholas agreed to. When the Ottomans demanded changes, Nicholas refused and prepared for war. Having obtained promises of support from France and Britain, the Ottomans officially declared war on Russia in October 1853.", "Unarmed fox hunting on horseback with hounds is the type of hunting most closely associated with the United Kingdom; in fact, \"hunting\" without qualification implies fox hunting. What in other countries is called \"hunting\" is called \"shooting\" (birds) or \"stalking\" (deer) in Britain. Originally a form of vermin control to protect livestock, fox hunting became a popular social activity for newly wealthy upper classes in Victorian times and a traditional rural activity for riders and foot followers alike. Similar to fox hunting in many ways is the chasing of hares with hounds. Pairs of Sight hounds (or long-dogs), such as greyhounds, may be used to pursue a hare in coursing, where the greyhounds are marked as to their skill in coursing the hare (but are not intended to actually catch it), or the hare may be pursued with scent hounds such as beagles or harriers. Other sorts of foxhounds may also be used for hunting stags (deer) or mink. Deer stalking with rifles is carried out on foot without hounds, using stealth.", "A series of swift Prussian and German victories in eastern France, culminating in the Siege of Metz and the Battle of Sedan, saw the army of the Second Empire decisively defeated (Napoleon III had been captured at Sedan on 2 September). A Government of National Defence declared the Third Republic in Paris on 4 September and continued the war and for another five months, the German forces fought and defeated new French armies in northern France. Following the Siege of Paris, the capital fell on 28 January 1871 and then a revolutionary uprising called the Paris Commune seized power in the capital and held it for two months, until it was bloodily suppressed by the regular French army at the end of May 1871.", "Directive 23 was the only concession made by Göring to the Kriegsmarine over the strategic bombing strategy of the Luftwaffe against Britain. Thereafter, he would refuse to make available any air units to destroy British dockyards, ports, port facilities, or shipping in dock or at sea, lest Kriegsmarine gain control of more Luftwaffe units. Raeder's successor—Karl Dönitz—would—on the intervention of Hitler—gain control of one unit (KG 40), but Göring would soon regain it. Göring's lack of cooperation was detrimental to the one air strategy with potentially decisive strategic effect on Britain. Instead, he wasted aircraft of Fliegerführer Atlantik (Flying Command Atlantic) on bombing mainland Britain instead of attacks against convoys. For Göring, his prestige had been damaged by the defeat in the Battle of Britain, and he wanted to regain it by subduing Britain by air power alone. He was always reluctant to cooperate with Raeder.", "In September 1939, Britain entered the Second World War, which lasted until 1945. During the war, many of London's children were evacuated to avoid the frequent aerial bombing. The suggestion by senior politician Lord Hailsham that the two princesses should be evacuated to Canada was rejected by Elizabeth's mother, who declared, \"The children won't go without me. I won't leave without the King. And the King will never leave.\" Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret stayed at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, until Christmas 1939, when they moved to Sandringham House, Norfolk. From February to May 1940, they lived at Royal Lodge, Windsor, until moving to Windsor Castle, where they lived for most of the next five years. At Windsor, the princesses staged pantomimes at Christmas in aid of the Queen's Wool Fund, which bought yarn to knit into military garments. In 1940, the 14-year-old Elizabeth made her first radio broadcast during the BBC's Children's Hour, addressing other children who had been evacuated from the cities. She stated: \"We are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers and airmen, and we are trying, too, to bear our share of the danger and sadness of war. We know, every one of us, that in the end all will be well.\"", "Some historians argue that Napoleon III also sought war, particularly for the diplomatic defeat in 1866 in leveraging any benefits from the Austro-Prussian War, and he believed he would win a conflict with Prussia. They also argue that he wanted a war to resolve growing domestic political problems. Other historians, notably French historian Pierre Milza, dispute this. On 8 May 1870, shortly before the war, French voters had overwhelmingly supported Napoleon III's program in a national plebiscite, with 7,358,000 votes yes against 1,582,000 votes no, an increase of support of two million votes since the legislative elections in 1869. According to Milza, the Emperor had no need for a war to increase his popularity.", "During the campaign, Bonaparte became increasingly influential in French politics. He founded two newspapers: one for the troops in his army and another for circulation in France. The royalists attacked Bonaparte for looting Italy and warned that he might become a dictator. All told, Napoleon's forces extracted an estimated $45 million in funds from Italy during their campaign there, another $12 million in precious metals and jewels; atop that, his forces confiscated more than three-hundred priceless paintings and sculptures. Bonaparte sent General Pierre Augereau to Paris to lead a coup d'état and purge the royalists on 4 September—Coup of 18 Fructidor. This left Barras and his Republican allies in control again but dependent on Bonaparte, who proceeded to peace negotiations with Austria. These negotiations resulted in the Treaty of Campo Formio, and Bonaparte returned to Paris in December as a hero. He met Talleyrand, France's new Foreign Minister—who later served in the same capacity for Emperor Napoleon—and they began to prepare for an invasion of Britain.", "During the period of the Napoleonic Wars, the East India Company arranged for letters of marque for its vessels such as the Lord Nelson. This was not so that they could carry cannon to fend off warships, privateers and pirates on their voyages to India and China (that they could do without permission) but so that, should they have the opportunity to take a prize, they could do so without being guilty of piracy. Similarly, the Earl of Mornington, an East India Company packet ship of only six guns, also sailed under a letter of marque.", "However, Mathews' frustration with Whitehead's books did not negatively affect his interest. In fact, there were numerous philosophers and theologians at Chicago's Divinity School that perceived the importance of what Whitehead was doing without fully grasping all of the details and implications. In 1927 they invited one of America's only Whitehead experts – Henry Nelson Wieman – to Chicago to give a lecture explaining Whitehead's thought. Wieman's lecture was so brilliant that he was promptly hired to the faculty and taught there for twenty years, and for at least thirty years afterward Chicago's Divinity School was closely associated with Whitehead's thought.", "At the end of the last ice age, what are now the British Isles were joined to the European mainland as a mass of land extending north west from the modern-day northern coastline of France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Ice covered almost all of what is now Scotland, most of Ireland and Wales, and the hills of northern England. From 14,000 to 10,000 years ago, as the ice melted, sea levels rose separating Ireland from Great Britain and also creating the Isle of Man. About two to four millennia later, Great Britain became separated from the mainland. Britain probably became repopulated with people before the ice age ended and certainly before it became separated from the mainland. It is likely that Ireland became settled by sea after it had already become an island.", "The last decades of the 19th century saw concerted political campaigns for Irish home rule. Ireland had been united with Britain into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland with the Act of Union 1800 after the Irish Rebellion of 1798, and had suffered a severe famine between 1845 and 1852. Home rule was supported by the British Prime minister, William Gladstone, who hoped that Ireland might follow in Canada's footsteps as a Dominion within the empire, but his 1886 Home Rule bill was defeated in Parliament. Although the bill, if passed, would have granted Ireland less autonomy within the UK than the Canadian provinces had within their own federation, many MPs feared that a partially independent Ireland might pose a security threat to Great Britain or mark the beginning of the break-up of the empire. A second Home Rule bill was also defeated for similar reasons. A third bill was passed by Parliament in 1914, but not implemented because of the outbreak of the First World War leading to the 1916 Easter Rising.", "From European settlement in 1888, child convicts were occasionally sent to Australia where they were made to work. Child labour was not as excessive in Australia as in Britain. With a low population, agricultural productivity was higher and families did not face starvation as in established industrialised countries. Australia also did not have significant industry until the later part of the 20th century when child labour laws, and compulsory schooling had developed under the influence of Britain. From the 1870s Child labour was restricted by compulsorry schooling." ]

[ "Which is the best SAP SD training institute in Noida?" ]

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[ "AT&amp;T Corp. (TN: Quote, Profile, Research) will cut another 7,400 jobs and reduce the value of its assets by $11.4 billion, spurred by its retreat from traditional consumer" ]

[ "SBC Communications Inc. expects to eliminate about 13,000 jobs after its $16 billion acquisition of AT&amp;T Corp. closes, but the phone company said yesterday that many positions can be cut through attrition.", "AT&amp;T, the US telecommunications group, yesterday said it will take a restructuring charge of about $1.1 billion in the third quarter mainly to cover the cost of about 7,000 job cuts and revalue downward its assets by $11.", "A rash of job cuts â€-ore than 16,000 layoffs just this week from a handful of companies, including AT&amp;T Corp. — -e created some gloom on the jobs front.", "AT&amp;T Corp. said it would restructure its business, cutting 20 percent of its jobs and writing down the value of its network by $11.", "ZDNet&#39;s survey of IT professionals in August kept Wired &amp; Wireless on top for the 18th month in a row. AT&amp;T will cut about 7,000 jobs and reduce the value of its assets by $11.", "Cingular Wireless, the nation&#39;s largest cellular phone company, plans to cut about 10 percent of its work force, or 7,000 jobs, as a result of its purchase of AT&amp;T Wireless, the company said yesterday.", "AT&amp;T Corp. swung to a third-quarter loss of $7.12 billion after recording huge charges related to the company&#39;s retreat from traditional telephone services, which has included at least 7,500 more job cuts", "NEW YORK (CP) - AT&amp;T is deepening its job cuts and now expects to eliminate 20 per cent of its workforce this year. The formerly dominant long-distance telecommunications operator also said Thursday it will", "AT&amp;T Corp., the No. 4 U.S. telephone company, said on Thursday its fourth-quarter earnings increased as it cut costs through slashing jobs and lower equipment expenses.", "AT&amp;T Corp. two decades ago employed more than 1 million people in the United States. The recent announcement that AT&amp;T will cut its work force 20 percent to 49,000 by year&#39;s", "RadioShack Corp. notified about 400 workers by e-mail that they were being dismissed immediately as part of planned job cuts.", "ConAgra Foods announced plans to close five plants and eliminate about 400 jobs as part of a long-term plan to cut costs.", "Cingular Wireless will cut close to 10% of its 68,000 jobs over the next 12 to 18 months as it combines operations with the recently acquired AT&amp;T Wireless, the chief executive of the nation&#39;s largest cell phone company said Tuesday in an", "Capital One says it expects to cut 2,000 jobs - about 7% of its workforce - as it battles rising competition.", "US phone company SBC says it expects to cut nearly 13,000 jobs following its $16bn takeover of AT&T.", "Putnam Investments said Monday it will cut about 100 jobs, an announcement that came a week after parent company Marsh &amp; McLennan Cos.", "Industry analysts expect close to 10,000 job cuts in the coming weeks so that the workers can be removed from AT&T's books by the end of the year.", "RadioShack Corp. followed through on its announced plans to cut about 400 jobs, but the electronics retailer has been forced on the defensive about its method of notifying laid-off employees by e-mail.", "Cingular Wireless plans to cut about 10 percent of its work force next year as the company adjusts to complete its recent merger with Redmond-based AT&amp;T Wireless Services inc.", "Cingular Wireless LLC, the largest wireless operator in the US following its $41 billion acquisition of AT&amp;T Wireless Service Inc, plans to axe 7,000 jobs, about 10% of the post-merger workforce.", "The record company's response to dwindling CD sales is cutting up to 2,000 jobs worldwide in an attempt to save $400 million", "Cingular Wireless expects to cut its work force of 68,000 by about 10 percent over the next year to 18 months as it digests its merger with AT&amp;T Wireless Services, Cingular&#39;s chief executive has said.", "AT&amp;T Corp. on Thursday said it is reducing one fifth of its workforce this year and will record a non-cash charge of approximately $11.", "US mobile phone giant Cingular announces plans to cut about 7,000 jobs in the next 12 to 18 months.", "The investment bank said BNC Mortgage will be combined with Aurora Loan Services into a single residential mortgage business, cutting 400 jobs.", "Colgate-Palmolive Co. plans to cut about 4,440 jobs or 12 percent of its workforce in four years as competition from Procter &amp; Gamble Co.", "AT&amp;T Corp., the largest US long-distance telephone company, will eliminate 20 percent of its work force this year and write down $11.", "Colgate-Palmolive Co. will cut about 4,440 jobs and close a third of its factories and put the savings into advertising and product development amid rising competition with Procter &amp; Gamble Co.", "US telecom giant AT and T will shrink even further, announcing on Thursday it would cut 20 percent of its workforce in 2004 and take an $US11.", "US mobile firm Cingular is laying off 7,000 people, or ten per cent of its workforce, as part of its integration of AT&amp;T&#39;s wireless unit.", "About 400 workers at the American Airlines maintenance base in Kansas City will lose their jobs, The Associated Press reported Thursday.", "The blood-letting continued yesterday at AT&amp;T as the once-mighty phone company announced it has increased the number of layoffs to 20 percent of its workforce, or 12,300" ]

[ "0:56\nJacquez Terrell after rushing for 112 yards and two touchdowns in Spring Valley's 42-21 win over Irmo" ]

[ "(AP Photo/John Raoux). Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo (1) blocks a shot by United States' Bobby Wood (9) as Panama's Roman Torres (5) watches during the first half of a World Cup qualifying soccer match, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Fla.\n(AP Photo/John Raoux). United States' Jozy Altidore celebrates in front of fans after scoring a goal against Panama during the first half of a World Cup qualifying soccer match, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Fla.\n(AP Photo/John Raoux). United States' Christian Pulisic (10) celebrates after scoring a goal against Panama during the first half of a World Cup qualifying soccer match, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Fla.\n(AP Photo/John Raoux). United States' Christian Pulisic (10) gets past Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo (1) to score a goal during the first half of a World Cup qualifying soccer match, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Fla.\nBy RONALD BLUMAP Sports Writer\nORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Teenage star Christian Pulisic scored with a brilliant touch to complete a field-length attack just eight minutes in, then split the defense with a pass that set up Jozy Altidore for the first of the forward's two goals and put the United States back on track for next year's World Cup with a 4-0 rout of Panama on Friday night.\nPulisic fed Altidore for a 2-0 lead in the 19th. Altidore converted a penalty kick with a chip in the 43rd after Bobby Wood was fouled, and Wood added a goal in the 63rd.\nThe U.S. ended a three-match winless streak in qualifying and with 12 points and moved two points ahead of Panama into third place - the last automatic berth - in the North and Central American and Caribbean region. Honduras has nine points going into its match Saturday at Costa Rica, which is second with 15.\nGoal difference means the Americans put themselves in great shape to reach an eighth straight World Cup, almost certainly with a win Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago and likely with a draw if Honduras fails to win Saturday. The U.S. is plus-five to minus-two for Panama and minus-seven for Honduras.\nThe region's fourth-place team advances to a playoff next month against Australia or Syria.\n\"We could have finished better on the day and scored more goals,\" U.S. coach Bruce Arena said.\nPlaying his first international match since he turned 19 last month, Pulisic was moved to central midfield from the flanks by coach Bruce Arena and sparked the attack from the opening whistle with pace and ball control seldom seen from Americans.\nAfter Gabriel Gomez broke free from Omar Gonzalez and shot over the crossbar, Tim Howard's goal kick was headed forward by Bobby Wood about 10 yards past midfield.\nAltidore one-timed the ball ahead to on a sprinting Pulisic, and the midfielder reached back with his left leg to flick the ball ahead. Pulisic jumped to avoid Roman Torres' challenge and used the outside of his right foot to play the ball forward. As goalkeeper Jaime Penedo came off his line, Pulisic used the outside of his right foot again to play the ball wide and jumped over Pinedo's outstretched arm. At the edge of the 6-yard box and just 2 yards from the endline, Pulisic reached with his right foot to slot the ball in, completing a 112-yard U.S. move. Pulisic tumbled over as the ball rolled in for his eighth goal in 19 international appearances, his fourth in the hex.\nPulisic created the second goal when he played the ball between his feet and faked Michael Murillo on the left flank Pulisic broke ahead and fed Altidore, who split the center backs and redirected the ball in from 5 yards for his first goal of the hexagonal. At that point, Pulisic had played a part in 11 of the Americans' 14 goals in the hex.\nAfter Wood and Altidore failed to convert good chances, Wood drew the penalty kick when he exchanged passes with Paul Arriola along a flank, broke past Felipe Baloy, spurted diagonally into the penalty area and was pushed down by Armando Cooper. As Pinedo dived to his left, Altidore chipped the ball down the center for his 41st international game.\nHacked down several times by Panamanians, Pulisic was removed in the 57th minute and walked out to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 25,303 at Orlando City Stadium, which opened in February,\nWood added his 10th international goal off a pass from Arriola.\nPanama was trying to move into position to qualify for its first World Cup. The Panamanians were 90 seconds from advancing to a playoff against New Zealand four years ago, when Graham Zusi and Aron Johannsson scored late goals at Honduras, which dropped Panama behind Mexico and into fifth place.\nNotes: All U.S. players stood at attention during \"The Star-Spangled Banner\" and all but Jozy Altidore and DeAndre Yedlin had their right hands over their hearts.\nCopyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.", "ORLANDO, Fla. — Teenage star Christian Pulisic scored with a brilliant touch to complete a field-length attack just eight minutes in, then split the defence with a pass that set up Jozy Altidore for the first of the forward's two goals and put the United States back on track for next year's World Cup with a 4-0 rout of Panama on Friday night.\nPulisic fed Altidore for a 2-0 lead in the 19th. Altidore converted a penalty kick with a chip in the 43rd after Bobby Wood was fouled, and Wood added a goal in the 63rd.\nThe U.S. ended a three-match winless streak in qualifying and with 12 points and moved two points ahead of Panama into third place — the last automatic berth — in the North and Central American and Caribbean region. Honduras has nine points going into its match Saturday at Costa Rica, which is second with 15.\nGoal difference means the Americans put themselves in great shape to reach an eighth straight World Cup, almost certainly with a win Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago and likely with a draw if Honduras fails to win Saturday. The U.S. is plus-five to minus-two for Panama and minus-seven for Honduras.\nThe region's fourth-place team advances to a playoff next month against Australia or Syria.\n\"We could have finished better on the day and scored more goals,\" U.S. coach Bruce Arena said.\nPlaying his first international match since he turned 19 last month, Pulisic was moved to central midfield from the flanks by coach Bruce Arena and sparked the attack from the opening whistle with pace and ball control seldom seen from Americans.\nAfter Gabriel Gomez broke free from Omar Gonzalez and shot over the crossbar, Tim Howard's goal kick was headed forward by Bobby Wood about 10 yards past midfield.\nAltidore one-timed the ball ahead to on a sprinting Pulisic, and the midfielder reached back with his left leg to flick the ball ahead. Pulisic jumped to avoid Roman Torres' challenge and used the outside of his right foot to play the ball forward. As goalkeeper Jaime Penedo came off his line, Pulisic used the outside of his right foot again to play the ball wide and jumped over Pinedo's outstretched arm. At the edge of the 6-yard box and just 2 yards from the endline, Pulisic reached with his right foot to slot the ball in, completing a 112-yard U.S. move. Pulisic tumbled over as the ball rolled in for his eighth goal in 19 international appearances, his fourth in the hex.\nPulisic created the second goal when he played the ball between his feet and faked Michael Murillo on the left flank Pulisic broke ahead and fed Altidore, who split the centre backs and redirected the ball in from 5 yards for his first goal of the hexagonal. At that point, Pulisic had played a part in 11 of the Americans' 14 goals in the hex.\nAfter Wood and Altidore failed to convert good chances, Wood drew the penalty kick when he exchanged passes with Paul Arriola along a flank, broke past Felipe Baloy, spurted diagonally into the penalty area and was pushed down by Armando Cooper. As Pinedo dived to his left, Altidore chipped the ball down the centre for his 41st international game.\nHacked down several times by Panamanians, Pulisic was removed in the 57th minute and walked out to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 25,303 at Orlando City Stadium, which opened in February,\nWood added his 10th international goal off a pass from Arriola.\nPanama was trying to move into position to qualify for its first World Cup. The Panamanians were 90 seconds from advancing to a playoff against New Zealand four years ago, when Graham Zusi and Aron Johannsson scored late goals at Honduras, which dropped Panama behind Mexico and into fifth place.", "United States' Christian Pulisic (10) celebrates after scoring a goal against Panama during the first half of a World Cup qualifying soccer match, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)\nORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Teenage star Christian Pulisic scored with a brilliant touch to complete a field-length attack just eight minutes in, then split the defense with a pass that set up Jozy Altidore for the first of the forward's two goals and put the United States back on track for next year's World Cup with a 4-0 rout of Panama on Friday night.\nPulisic fed Altidore for a 2-0 lead in the 19th. Altidore converted a penalty kick with a chip in the 43rd after Bobby Wood was fouled, and Wood added a goal in the 63rd.\nThe U.S. ended a three-match winless streak in qualifying and with 12 points and moved two points ahead of Panama into third place — the last automatic berth — in the North and Central American and Caribbean region. Honduras has nine points going into its match Saturday at Costa Rica, which is second with 15.\nGoal difference means the Americans put themselves in great shape to reach an eighth straight World Cup, almost certainly with a win Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago and likely with a draw if Honduras fails to win Saturday. The U.S. is plus-five to minus-two for Panama and minus-seven for Honduras.\nThe region's fourth-place team advances to a playoff next month against Australia or Syria.\n\"We could have finished better on the day and scored more goals,\" U.S. coach Bruce Arena said.\n? | ¡GOOOOOOLL! Pulisic, con gran jugada individual, abre el marcador para @ussoccer. USA 1-0 PAN https://t.co/xeVAR607cC pic.twitter.com/bKMCuPaHks — Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) October 6, 2017\nPlaying his first international match since he turned 19 last month, Pulisic was moved to central midfield from the flanks by coach Bruce Arena and sparked the attack from the opening whistle with pace and ball control seldom seen from Americans.\nAfter Gabriel Gomez broke free from Omar Gonzalez and shot over the crossbar, Tim Howard's goal kick was headed forward by Bobby Wood about 10 yards past midfield.\nAltidore one-timed the ball ahead to on a sprinting Pulisic, and the midfielder reached back with his left leg to flick the ball ahead. Pulisic jumped to avoid Roman Torres' challenge and used the outside of his right foot to play the ball forward. As goalkeeper Jaime Penedo came off his line, Pulisic used the outside of his right foot again to play the ball wide and jumped over Pinedo's outstretched arm. At the edge of the 6-yard box and just 2 yards from the endline, Pulisic reached with his right foot to slot the ball in, completing a 112-yard U.S. move. Pulisic tumbled over as the ball rolled in for his eighth goal in 19 international appearances, his fourth in the hex.\nPulisic created the second goal when he played the ball between his feet and faked Michael Murillo on the left flank Pulisic broke ahead and fed Altidore, who split the center backs and redirected the ball in from 5 yards for his first goal of the hexagonal. At that point, Pulisic had played a part in 11 of the Americans' 14 goals in the hex.\nAfter Wood and Altidore failed to convert good chances, Wood drew the penalty kick when he exchanged passes with Paul Arriola along a flank, broke past Felipe Baloy, spurted diagonally into the penalty area and was pushed down by Armando Cooper. As Pinedo dived to his left, Altidore chipped the ball down the center for his 41st international game.\nHacked down several times by Panamanians, Pulisic was removed in the 57th minute and walked out to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 25,303 at Orlando City Stadium, which opened in February,\nWood added his 10th international goal off a pass from Arriola.\nPanama was trying to move into position to qualify for its first World Cup. The Panamanians were 90 seconds from advancing to a playoff against New Zealand four years ago, when Graham Zusi and Aron Johannsson scored late goals at Honduras, which dropped Panama behind Mexico and into fifth place.\nNotes: All U.S. players stood at attention during \"The Star-Spangled Banner\" and all but Jozy Altidore and DeAndre Yedlin had their right hands over their hearts.", "ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Teenage star Christian Pulisic scored with a brilliant touch to complete a field-length attack just eight minutes in, then split the defense with a pass that set up Jozy Altidore for the first of the forward’s two goals and put the United States back on track for next year’s World Cup with a 4-0 rout of Panama on Friday night.\nPulisic fed Altidore for a 2-0 lead in the 19th. Altidore converted a penalty kick with a chip in the 43rd after Bobby Wood was fouled, and Wood added a goal in the 63rd.\nGOT THREE 🇺🇸 dominance from start to finish. pic.twitter.com/LeZ4LynXdI — U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) October 7, 2017\nThe U.S. ended a three-match winless streak in qualifying and with 12 points and moved two points ahead of Panama into third place — the last automatic berth — in the North and Central American and Caribbean region. Honduras has nine points going into its match Saturday at Costa Rica, which is second with 15.\nGoal difference means the Americans put themselves in great shape to reach an eighth straight World Cup, almost certainly with a win Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago and likely with a draw if Honduras fails to win Saturday. The U.S. is plus-five to minus-two for Panama and minus-seven for Honduras.\nThe region’s fourth-place team advances to a playoff next month against Australia or Syria.\n“We could have finished better on the day and scored more goals,” U.S. coach Bruce Arena said.\nPlaying his first international match since he turned 19 last month, Pulisic was moved to central midfield from the flanks by coach Bruce Arena and sparked the attack from the opening whistle with pace and ball control seldom seen from Americans.\nAfter Gabriel Gomez broke free from Omar Gonzalez and shot over the crossbar, Tim Howard’s goal kick was headed forward by Bobby Wood about 10 yards past midfield.\nAltidore one-timed the ball ahead to on a sprinting Pulisic, and the midfielder reached back with his left leg to flick the ball ahead. Pulisic jumped to avoid Roman Torres’ challenge and used the outside of his right foot to play the ball forward. As goalkeeper Jaime Penedo came off his line, Pulisic used the outside of his right foot again to play the ball wide and jumped over Pinedo’s outstretched arm. At the edge of the 6-yard box and just 2 yards from the endline, Pulisic reached with his right foot to slot the ball in, completing a 112-yard U.S. move. Pulisic tumbled over as the ball rolled in for his eighth goal in 19 international appearances, his fourth in the hex.\nPulisic created the second goal when he played the ball between his feet and faked Michael Murillo on the left flank Pulisic broke ahead and fed Altidore, who split the center backs and redirected the ball in from 5 yards for his first goal of the hexagonal. At that point, Pulisic had played a part in 11 of the Americans’ 14 goals in the hex.\nAfter Wood and Altidore failed to convert good chances, Wood drew the penalty kick when he exchanged passes with Paul Arriola along a flank, broke past Felipe Baloy, spurted diagonally into the penalty area and was pushed down by Armando Cooper. As Pinedo dived to his left, Altidore chipped the ball down the center for his 41st international game.\nHacked down several times by Panamanians, Pulisic was removed in the 57th minute and walked out to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 25,303 at Orlando City Stadium, which opened in February,\nWood added his 10th international goal off a pass from Arriola.\nPanama was trying to move into position to qualify for its first World Cup. The Panamanians were 90 seconds from advancing to a playoff against New Zealand four years ago, when Graham Zusi and Aron Johannsson scored late goals at Honduras, which dropped Panama behind Mexico and into fifth place.", "United States' Jozy Altidore celebrates in front of fans after scoring a goal against Panama during the first half of a World Cup qualifying match on Friday. (Photo: John Raoux, Associated Press)\nOrlando, Fla. — Christian Pulisic burst up the field, scoring with a brilliant touch to complete an 11-second, breakneck, field-length attack just eight minutes in.\nThen his cross found Jozy Altidore’s right foot like an arrow striking a bull’s-eye , leading to a two-goal lead in the 19th minute.\nExhale, U.S. fans.\nAltidore converted a penalty kick with a chip in the 43rd after Bobby Wood was fouled, Wood added a goal in the 63rd and the United States routed Panama, 4-0, on Friday night to put the Americans back on track to reach next year’s World Cup.\n“We needed a win, but the job’s not done,” Pulisic said.\nThe U.S. ended a three-match winless streak in qualifying and with 12 points moved two ahead of Panama into third place — the last automatic berth — in the North and Central American and Caribbean region. Honduras has nine points going into its match Saturday at Costa Rica, which is second with 15,\nGoal difference means the Americans put themselves in great shape to reach an eighth straight World Cup, almost certainly with a win Tuesday in their finale at already eliminated Trinidad and Tobago and likely with a draw against the Soca Warriors if Honduras fails to win Saturday. The U.S. is plus-five to minus-two for Panama and minus-seven for Honduras.\n“We’re well positioned to hopefully qualify for Russia. The game in Trinidad is not going to be an easy one,” said coach Bruce Arena, who led the U.S. at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, then returned after the Americans opened the hexagonal last fall with two losses under Jurgen Klinsmann.\n“This team went from 0-2 in November with a minus-five goal differential, we’re now at plus-what, five, right?” Arena said. “I know everyone thought we were going to qualify in whatever, six games in 2017. It doesn’t happen that way. So I think we’re moving along well. We’ve advanced from sixth to third position with goal differential. Now we have to finish it off on Tuesday in Trinidad.”\nPlaying his first international match since he turned 19 last month, Pulisic was moved to central midfield from the flanks and sparked the attack from the opening whistle with pace and ball control seldom seen from an American.\n“He was able to just disrupt them in so many ways, and you saw the difference he can make in the middle of the park, being able to go each way and just being so dynamic,” Altidore said. “I hate to kind of pour too much praise on him. I know he’s a young kid. He’s got a lot of work to do. But you can’t help not see the difference he makes when he’s on the field, especially when he’s in the middle of everything.”\nTension built after last month’s 2-0 loss to Costa Rica in New Jersey and a 1-1 tie at Honduras. The Americans dropped to fourth, which earns a playoff next month against Australia or Syria, and were in danger of finishing fifth and missing the World Cup for the first time since 1986.\nA defeat would have meant the U.S. could finish no better than fourth.\n“Of course there was pressure,” defender Matt Besler said. “We all felt it and felt a big responsibility for the team and for our country.”\nArena started five attacking players, with Pulisic flanked by Darlington Nagbe and Paul Arriola, and Altidore and Wood up top. Panama coach Hernan Dario Gomez said the U.S. was “superior in total” and the score could have been 10-0 at halftime.\n“On a night where so much was on line, maybe everything, we played in a way from the get-go that gave no doubt as to who was going to win the game,” U.S. captain Michael Bradley said.\nPulisic fed an open Altidore for a good opportunity in the third minute, Arriola shot wide in the fourth and Wood in the fifth.\nAfter Gabriel Gomez broke free from Omar Gonzalez and shot wide from 19 yards, Tim Howard’s goal kick was headed forward by Wood about 10 yards past midfield.\nAltidore one-timed the ball square to a sprinting Pulisic, and the midfielder reached back with his left leg to flick the ball ahead. Pulisic jumped to avoid defender Roman Torres’ challenge and used the outside of his right foot to play the ball forward.\nAs goalkeeper Jaime Penedo came off his line, Pulisic used the outside of his right foot again to tap the ball wide and jumped over Penedo’s outstretched arm. At the edge of the 6-yard box and just 2 yards from the endline, Pulisic reached with his right foot to slot the ball in, completing a 112-yard U.S. move. Pulisic tumbled over as the ball rolled in for his eighth goal in 19 international appearances, his fourth in the hex.\n“Jozy just laid it off to me and I was just gone, I guess,” Pulisic said.\nPulisic created the second goal when he played the ball between his feet and faked Michael Murillo on the left flank. Pulisic broke free and fed Altidore, who split the center backs and redirected the ball in from 5 yards for his first goal of the hexagonal — the 11th of 14 U.S. goals in the hex that Pulisic played a part in.\nWood drew the penalty kick after he exchanged passes with Paul Arriola along a flank, broke past Felipe Baloy, spurted diagonally into the penalty area and was pushed down by Armando Cooper. As Pinedo dived to his left, Altidore chipped the ball down the center for his 41st international goal.\nHacked down several times by Panamanians, Pulisic was removed in the 57th minute and walked off to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 25,303 at Orlando City Stadium, which opened in February, Wood added his 10th international goal off a pass from Arriola.\n“The job isn’t quite done yet,” Bradley said. “We’ve got enjoy this, use it for confidence and spirit and make sure that come Tuesday we’re ready to finish the job.”", "The U.S. Men’s National Team moved one step closer to the World Cup on Friday night by stepping up in the biggest game of the qualifying cycle.\nEntering Friday, the USMNT’s World Cup status was very much in doubt, but that doubt was all but removed in a 4-0 shellacking of visiting Panama in Orlando. The match saw a pair of goals from Jozy Altidore, a goal and an assist from Christian Pulisic and a finish from Bobby Wood to vault the USMNT up to third in the Hex.\nThe USMNT came out of the gates hot, and that hot start led to an early goal. Just moments after a Panama chance, Altidore and Bobby Wood combined to flick a pass towards Pulisic. The 19-year-old attacker rounded Jaime Penedo, firing into an open net to open the scoring.\nPulisic provided on the second goal, firing an assist from the left-hand side. After beating his defender, Pulisic fired a pass across the box, leaving Altidore with a simple finish for 2-0.\nThe third came just before the halftime whistle as Wood was dragged down by Armando Cooper just inside the box. Altidore stepped up and scored via a Panenka, finishing off an ideal first half for the U.S.\nPulisic was taken out early in the second half, but it was more of the same for the USMNT. Wood pushed the lead to four in the 63rd minute on a Paul Arriola assist.\nIt was a dominant performance from the attacking group, who stepped up after scoring just one goal in September qualifiers. The Panama defense was on its heels throughout the opening half with Penedo making one-on-one saves on both Altidore and Wood to keep the scoreline from getting completely out of hand.\nDefensively, the U.S. had nervy moments of their own as the match opened up late in the first half. However, the backline did just enough to keep Panama quiet and seal a massive shutout win with a World Cup on the line.\nWith the win, the USMNT moves up to third in the Hex, two points ahead of Panama. Because of the swing in goal differential, a draw on Tuesday against Trinidad & Tobago would more than likely be enough to seal the USMNT’s spot in Russia. Panama, meanwhile, faces off with Costa Rica in their final match of the Hex needing a win to stay alive for an automatic berth.", "The U.S. national team played a game it couldn’t afford to lose Friday. And it didn’t, overwhelming Panama 4-0 to move a big step closer to an eighth consecutive World Cup appearance next summer.\nChristian Pulisic, who seemed unstoppable for much of the first half, and Jozy Altidore did most of the heavy lifting, with Altidore scoring two first-half goals while Pulisic scored one and assisted on another.\nBut a game was all the U.S. won and there is work that remains to be done to assure the Americans’ safe passage to Russia.\nWith Friday’s victory the U.S. vaults over Panama into third place in a six-team CONCACAF qualifying tournament that will qualify three nations for the World Cup. The Americans can secure their trip to Russia by beating Trinidad and Tobago in their final qualifier next week.\nA draw likely will be enough to see the U.S. through as well because it would leave Panama needing to both beat Costa Rica at home and overcome a seven-goal margin in goal differential to overtake the Americans.\nPlaying before a rain-splattered sellout crowd of 25,303 at Orlando City Stadium, the U.S. was dangerous from the start, playing its most complete game of the tournament.\nThe Americans went in front to stay in the eighth minute on a spectacular goal from Pulisic. After taking a deft right-footed touch from Altidore, Pulisic split two defenders on his way into the penalty area, rounded keeper Jaime Penedo at the edge of the six-yard box and pushed a right-footed shot in from a difficult angle for his fifth goal of the year.\nPulisic, who turned a somersault after taking the shot, quickly climbed to his feet and dashed to the corner flag, where he was engulfed by his teammates.\nThe Panamanian defense, which pounded Pulisic in a 1-1 draw in a March qualifier, had no answer for the teenage playmaker Friday. Eleven after scoring, he set up Altidore for the second goal. The play started with Pulisic eluding Michael Murillo on the left wing and sending a low left-footed pass to the front of goal for Altidore, who redirected it in.\nThe assist gave Pulisic a hand in 11 of the last 13 U.S. goals in qualifying.\nAltidore then made it 3-0 just before the half, chipping in a penalty kick after Bobby Wood was taken down by Armando Cooper in the 18-yard box. Wood then closed the scoring 18 minutes into the second half, taking a short pass from Paul Arriola with his back to the net, spinning and sending a right-footed shot by a pair of stationary defenders and into the back of the net.\nThe four goals marked the most Panama has given up in a World Cup qualifier since a 6-0 loss to the U.S. in October 2004 while for the U.S. the four scores equaled its total output in its previous four qualifiers. The result also ended Panama’s four-game unbeaten streak against the Americans.\nThe U.S. didn’t get out of the game unscathed, however, with Pulisic limping off the field briefly early in the second half favoring his right ankle after a strong tackle by Anibal Godoy. After a few short sprints on the sideline, he was allowed to stay in briefly before being replaced by Dax McCarty in the 57th minute.\nBut while Friday’s win greatly improved the Americans’ chances of reaching the World Cup, it didn’t clinch a berth. A U.S. loss in Trinidad combined with a Panama win next week would leave the Americans no better than fourth in the standings, sending them into a two-leg intercontinental playoff against either Syria or Australia with the final World Cup berth at stake. That’s the route Mexico followed to the 2014 tournament in Brazil.\nAnd Honduras could complicate even that scenario because if the U.S. doesn’t win its final game, the Central Americans could pass it by beating Costa Rica on Saturday and Mexico next week in its last two qualifiers. That could drop the U.S. as low as fifth in the standings, leaving it with no way to qualify for Russia.\nBut for now the Americans, who haven’t gone into the final day of qualifying with their World Cup status in doubt since 1989, control their own destiny. Win and they’re in; anything short of that and there’s a chance they could be watching the World Cup on television.\nCAPTION In his second season with the Dodgers, Dieter Ruehle is putting a hip spin on baseball stadium organ music. In his second season with the Dodgers, Dieter Ruehle is putting a hip spin on baseball stadium organ music. CAPTION In his second season with the Dodgers, Dieter Ruehle is putting a hip spin on baseball stadium organ music. In his second season with the Dodgers, Dieter Ruehle is putting a hip spin on baseball stadium organ music. CAPTION Bill Plaschke previews game one of the NLDS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Bill Plaschke previews game one of the NLDS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. CAPTION The 0-4 Chargers will face the 0-4 Giants Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Hear from quarterback Philip Rivers on both teams trying to get their first win of the season. The 0-4 Chargers will face the 0-4 Giants Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Hear from quarterback Philip Rivers on both teams trying to get their first win of the season. CAPTION Chargers beat writer Dan Woike has a new name for the Chargers when they return to StubHub ... For now, though, he discusses the upcoming battle between the winless Chargers and Giants with reporter Annie Heilbrunn. Chargers beat writer Dan Woike has a new name for the Chargers when they return to StubHub ... For now, though, he discusses the upcoming battle between the winless Chargers and Giants with reporter Annie Heilbrunn. CAPTION Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw on short rest and how he prepares for the playoffs. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw on short rest and how he prepares for the playoffs.\nkevin.baxter@latimes.com\nFollow Kevin Baxter on Twitter @kbaxter11", "Since 1990, qualifying for the World Cup has seemed like a birthright for the U.S. men’s national team. In the three decades since it last failed to qualify for a World Cup (1986), all of England, France, Portugal, Uruguay and the Netherlands have missed the cut at least once. In fact, largely because of the comparatively easy qualification process for teams from this part of the world, only six countries have a longer active World Cup streak than the U.S.\nThat run may come to an end this year. After taking just 1 point from its last two matches, the U.S. is running dangerously close to being left at home when the World Cup convenes in Russia next year. What happens in the Americans’ high-stakes match against Panama in Orlando on Friday night will go a long way to determining that. Here are three three factors that will bring you up to speed on the match.\n1) Make no mistake — this one is really important.\nESPN’s Soccer Power Index projects that if the USMNT can win, the side will have a 93 percent chance of making the tournament. But a loss cuts the U.S.’s chances down to 44 percent.\nHow #USMNT's SPI chances to qualify for the World Cup will change based on Friday's result. Apparently this game is a big deal. pic.twitter.com/VUqsSdLsLK — Paul Carr (@PCarrESPN) October 3, 2017\nAmong the group of six in CONCACAF, Mexico has already punched its ticket to Russia, and Costa Rica needs only a single point from two matches to join El Tri. That leaves two remaining spots for the region: Third place gets the last automatic qualifier while fourth place will play in an inter-confederation playoff against either Australia or Syria. Panama is currently a point ahead of the U.S. in the table, and every team has two matches left to play. Here is how the result of this game will affect the various scenarios::\nA win for the U.S. against Panama would boost the Americans into the third guaranteed qualifying place with only a relatively easy trip to Trinidad and Tobago remaining. Any other result will leave the USMNT scoreboard-watching.\nIf the two countries draw in Orlando, Panama will need only a win over an already qualified Costa Rica team to secure the third qualifying spot.\nA win for Panama would clinch World Cup qualification for Los Canaleros for the first time in their soccer history, leaving the U.S. sweating Honduras’s results in hope of landing in the fourth-place playoff.\n2) Home Pulisic is the best Pulisic.\nIn such a huge match, the U.S. will be looking to its young superstar to step up. However, Christian Pulisic has been a very different kind of star in home and away matches. Since Bruce Arena took over for Jurgen Klinsmann, he has kept Pulisic on the wing in the team’s three away matches in CONCACAF qualifying (against Panama, Mexico and Honduras). But during the three qualifying home matches (against Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, and Costa Rica), the Borussia Dortmund attacker has been free to roam infield in a free, creative role — and this has been true regardless of formation. In the three home matches, Pulisic had three goals and two assists. In the away matches, he had a clutch assist against Panama but has otherwise been kept off the scoresheet.\nHere’s a look at all of Pulisic’s pass receptions (home and away) in those six World Cup qualifying matches.\nIn the home matches, Pulisic received 40 passes in the central area of the final third. In the qualifiers on the road, he received just 11 in that area. At home, he has been free to drop back in buildup, receiving 30 passes in the defensive half, compared with 12 while away. Pulisic is distinctly a winger in away matches, with 63 percent of all his away receptions (40 out of 64) taking place in wide areas; in home matches, that figure is only 35 percent (43 out of 123).\nThis is by design. With half the teams in the CONCACAF “Hex” qualifying group reaching the World Cup, a pattern of home wins and away draws is more than sufficient for a berth. In the recent away matches, the USMNT has taken a more conservative approach and kept Pulisic in his assigned position to protect the wing and offer a counterattacking outlet. Looking for wins at home, Arena has freed Pulisic to make plays either early in buildup (dropping back into the defensive half) or around the box (receiving passes in the center).\nThe U.S.’s attack has thrived with such tactics, outscoring its opponents 8-2 in home matches. Even in the 0-2 loss to Costa Rica, the Americans led the expected goals tally 1.3 to 0.8, meaning that they had more opportunities despite the result. Panama was able to slow Pulisic down in its home fixture (a 1-1 draw), but he will be much harder to contain in a less tactically restricted role on Friday night — assuming that Arena and Pulisic continue this recent pattern.\n3) The U.S. needs to plug the holes in midfield.\nThe U.S. lined up in a 4-4-2 formation in both of its last qualifying matches, with a pair of strikers in each (Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood vs. Costa Rica; Clint Dempsey and Jordan Morris vs. Honduras). Two strikers, plus the use of Pulisic in a more aggressive role, should strengthen the attack, but Arena will need to tighten his midfield at the same time. The opening goal against Honduras shows why U.S. fans should be a little worried.\nWATCH: Romell Quioto puts the #USMNT in an early hole in San Pedro Sula (via @beINSPORTSUSA)pic.twitter.com/qVZwneBIdW — Planet Fútbol (@si_soccer) September 5, 2017\nCertainly defender Omar Gonzalez’s missed tackle was the biggest problem on this goal, but he was put in position to make this mistake because the U.S. midfield allowed a pass to be picked out under absolutely no pressure. The 4-4-2 formation gives the U.S. one fewer player to challenge opposition passers in midfield. What’s more, the U.S.’s back line has been shaky, which puts more pressure on the midfield to prevent the sort of attacking moves that can apply pressure on the defense.\nAnd in the last two games, the two center midfielders — first Darlington Nagbe and Michael Bradley, then Bradley and Kellyn Acosta — have been unable to disrupt opposing midfielders, who have connected on many direct forward passes. Against Costa Rica and Honduras, the U.S. conceded 21 direct attacking moves driven by long, forward passes through midfield. In the four previous matches, the U.S. had conceded just 22 of these direct midfield attacks.\nThe USMNT should be favored against Panama no matter the lineup, but a susceptibility to direct, central attacks doesn’t bode well. One or two good counterattacks could be enough to get Los Canaleros their result. The solution here could be some sort of single-striker system. By not playing two out-and-out-strikers, Arena would have flexibility to get another presser into midfield without limiting Pulisic positionally. Of course, this puts more of the burden on the 19-year-old to create goals by himself, but ultimately, what else is a superstar for if not that?\nWhatever he chooses, Arena needs to get this game right because a World Cup trip — as well as his legacy — may hang in the balance.", "John Raoux/Associated Press\nThe United States took a massive step toward qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia with a 4-0 victory over Panama on Friday night at Orlando City Stadium in Florida.\nChristian Pulisic put the Americans on his teenage shoulders with a goal and an assist inside the first 19 minutes to prevent tensions from mounting. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder now has eight goals in 19 international caps. Jozy Altidore also scored twice for the winning side.\nThe U.S. moves into third place in CONCACAF qualifying by earning all three points. A road victory over Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday would likely clinch a World Cup berth, barring a huge goal-differential turnaround by Honduras. A loss or draw would leave the team's fate dependent on other results.\nThe USMNT came into the match facing an unusually high amount of pressure for the penultimate match of the Hex. An extended stretch of lackluster form, including a loss to Costa Rica and a draw with Honduras during the September fixtures, created legitimate doubt about its World Cup prospects.\nJason La Canfora of CBS Sports commented on the situation before the game:\nPulisic got the Americans off to an electric start with a tremendous individual effort en route to the opening goal in the eighth minute. He corralled an off-target pass from Altidore, outran the Panamanian defense and slipped around goalkeeper Jaime Penedo to place the ball into an empty net.\nU.S. Soccer highlighted the much-needed early tally:\nThe 19-year-old new face of the American national team had too many indifferent stretches during the qualifying games last month. It took him less than 20 minutes to ensure that wouldn't be the case Friday as he almost single-handedly took over the contest.\nJust over 10 minutes after scoring the goal he found space behind the Panama back line again before delivering a picture-perfect cross to Altidore. The Toronto FC striker, who appeared a bit hobbled during warmups but still made the start, made no mistake with a simple finish for the 2-0 lead.\nESPN FC‏ provided a field-level view of the second U.S. goal:\nGrant Wahl of Sports Illustrated commented on the Pulisic-Altidore connection:\nThe United States stretched the lead to three shortly before halftime from the penalty spot.\nBobby Wood created a scoring chance out of nowhere with a couple quick touches to dance around the Panama defense and got taken down in the box to earn the penalty. Altidore stepped up and calmly chipped the ball down the middle for his brace.\nUnivision Deportes spotlighted the third goal for the home squad:\nSam Borden of ESPN summed up the first half nicely:\nThe U.S. predictably slowed the pace of play after halftime in order to protect the lead. Panama responded by increasing their physical play, including a couple quick fouls on Pulisic, which led head coach Bruce Arena to wisely sub him out for precautionary reasons.\nWood capped a workmanlike effort alongside Altidore up front by scoring the fourth goal just after the hour mark. He made a nifty first touch just inside the top of the box after taking a pass from Paul Arriola and then buried his shot in the corner.\nU.S. Soccer showcased the match's final goal:\nESPN Stats and Info passed along the updated outlook following the win:\nLooking ahead, the United States' chances of ending up in Russia are far more promising than they were coming out of the September matches. Winning on the road in CONCACAF is always a challenge, however, so there's work to do Tuesday against Trinidad and Tobago.\nWhile Pulisic is the engine behind the Americans' success, the side's all-around performance against Panama presented plenty of reason for optimism. A similar showing next week should be enough to punch their ticket to the World Cup after some uncertain moments during the qualifying run.", "ORLANDO, Florida (AP) - American soccer players do not want fly over 8,000 miles (12,800 kilometers) to Malaysia next month for a playoff against Syria or make a more-than 7,000-mile (11,300km) journey for a match in Australia.\nAfter getting just one point in two September qualifiers, a loss to Panama on Friday night would have left the U.S. with one more chance to reach next year's World Cup: by winning a playoff against the fifth-place nation in Asia. And the Americans weren't even assured of that.\n\"We still knew that everything was in our hands. It still is,\" defender Matt Besler said after Friday night's 4-0 rout of the Panamanians lifted the United States back into third place - the last automatic berth in the North and Central American and Caribbean region.\nUnited States' Bobby Wood (9) celebrates his goal against Panama in front of cheering fans, with teammates Dax McCarty (13) and Michael Bradley (4) during the second half of a World Cup qualifying soccer match, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. The United States won 4-0. (AP Photo/John Raoux)\nThe Americans have overcome an 0-2 start and head into their final game of the hexagonal grouping on Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago with 12 points, two ahead of Panama and three ahead of Honduras, which plays Saturday at Costa Rica.\nA win would put the U.S. in its eighth straight World Cup as long as Honduras does not defeat the Ticos and Mexico while overcoming its goal difference against the U.S., which is currently 12.\nA draw at Trinidad would be sufficient unless Honduras wins its last two matches and Panama does not beat Costa Rica by eight goals (or seven if Panama somehow overcomes its deficit in total goals vs. the U.S., currently nine).\nRetired goalkeeper Kasey Keller, now an ESPN analyst, said the reality of the situation hit the Americans after the 2-0 loss to Costa Rica in New Jersey and the 1-1 draw at Honduras.\n\"Oh, boy. We don't have any time. We have to put it right,\" Keller said of the thought process. \"So much of the rhetoric before the game was there had to be a start to this match that kind of emphasized the poor results from September, and I think you saw that. You needed stars to show up, and the U.S.'s biggest star showed up and scored the first, created the second.\"\nChristian Pulisic, the 19-year-old from Hershey, Pennsylvania, who is a rising star with Germany's Borussia Dortmund, helped energize the U.S. when he was shifted to central midfield from the flanks. He scored with a brilliant touch in the eighth minute and passed to Jozy Altidore, who doubled the lead in the 19th.Altidore converted a penalty kick in the 43rd and Bobby Wood got the final goal in the 63rd.\n\"It was exactly what I expected,\" U.S. captain Michael Bradley said, \"and now we've got to make sure that in a few days' time were ready to go to Trinidad and after 15 games of qualifying make sure that we finish things off in the right way.\"\nA playoff against Syria would raise the issue of whether President Donald Trump's administration would allow opposing players to enter the U.S. for the first leg. Syria is among the nations in the administration's current travel ban. A playoff against either team would include wearying travel, especially for American players based in Europe who would return home for the first leg, travel to Malaysia or Australia for the second, then return to Europe for matches with their clubs.\nFireworks explode over Orlando City Stadium during the U.S. national anthem before the team's World Cup qualifying soccer match against Panama, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. The United States won 4-0. (AP Photo/John Raoux)\nFans hold banners and cheer as the U.S. team takes the field for a World Cup qualifying soccer match against Panama, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. The United States won 4-0. (AP Photo/John Raoux)\nUnited States' Christian Pulisic (10) gets past Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo (1) to score a goal during the first half of a World Cup qualifying soccer match, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)\nUnited States' Christian Pulisic (10) celebrates after scoring a goal against Panama during the first half of a World Cup qualifying soccer match, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)", "Pulisic fed Altidore for a 2-0 lead in the 19th. Altidore converted a penalty kick with a chip in the 43rd after Bobby Wood was fouled, and Wood added a goal in the 63rd.\nThe U.S. ended a three-match winless streak in qualifying and with 12 points and moved two points ahead of Panama into third place — the last automatic berth — in the North and Central American and Caribbean region. Honduras has nine points going into its match Saturday at Costa Rica, which is second with 15.\nGoal difference means the Americans put themselves in great shape to reach an eighth straight World Cup, almost certainly with a win Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago and likely with a draw if Honduras fails to win Saturday. The U.S. is plus-five to minus-two for Panama and minus-seven for Honduras.\nThe region’s fourth-place team advances to a playoff next month against Australia or Syria.\n“We could have finished better on the day and scored more goals,” U.S. coach Bruce Arena said.\nPlaying his first international match since he turned 19 last month, Pulisic was moved to central midfield from the flanks by coach Bruce Arena and sparked the attack from the opening whistle with pace and ball control seldom seen from Americans.\nAfter Gabriel Gomez broke free from Omar Gonzalez and shot over the crossbar, Tim Howard’s goal kick was headed forward by Bobby Wood about 10 yards past midfield.\nAltidore one-timed the ball ahead to on a sprinting Pulisic, and the midfielder reached back with his left leg to flick the ball ahead. Pulisic jumped to avoid Roman Torres’ challenge and used the outside of his right foot to play the ball forward. As goalkeeper Jaime Penedo came off his line, Pulisic used the outside of his right foot again to play the ball wide and jumped over Pinedo’s outstretched arm. At the edge of the 6-yard box and just 2 yards from the endline, Pulisic reached with his right foot to slot the ball in, completing a 112-yard U.S. move. Pulisic tumbled over as the ball rolled in for his eighth goal in 19 international appearances, his fourth in the hex.\nPulisic created the second goal when he played the ball between his feet and faked Michael Murillo on the left flank Pulisic broke ahead and fed Altidore, who split the center backs and redirected the ball in from 5 yards for his first goal of the hexagonal. At that point, Pulisic had played a part in 11 of the Americans’ 14 goals in the hex.\nAfter Wood and Altidore failed to convert good chances, Wood drew the penalty kick when he exchanged passes with Paul Arriola along a flank, broke past Felipe Baloy, spurted diagonally into the penalty area and was pushed down by Armando Cooper. As Pinedo dived to his left, Altidore chipped the ball down the center for his 41st international game.\nHacked down several times by Panamanians, Pulisic was removed in the 57th minute and walked out to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 25,303 at Orlando City Stadium, which opened in February,\nWood added his 10th international goal off a pass from Arriola.\nPanama was trying to move into position to qualify for its first World Cup. The Panamanians were 90 seconds from advancing to a playoff against New Zealand four years ago, when Graham Zusi and Aron Johannsson scored late goals at Honduras, which dropped Panama behind Mexico and into fifth place.\nNotes: All U.S. players stood at attention during “The Star-Spangled Banner” and all but Jozy Altidore and DeAndre Yedlin had their right hands over their hearts.\n(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)", "Thanks to the stylish efforts of their attack hydra, the US national team easily got their backs away from the World Cup qualifying wall with a convincing 4-0 rout of Panama in Orlando on Friday night.\nJozy Altidore, Christian Pulisic and Bobby Wood got the home side off to a racing start and would eventually provide all the goals needed to lift the Nats into prime position for another World Cup ticket.\nTim Howard (6.5): The US netminder was rarely tested, but he comfortably made an important first half save. Howard also completed a handful of long boots, including one that led to the opener.\nDeAndre Yedlin (7): The Newcastle right back made the biggest defensive play of the night when he raced over to wipe out an Alberto Quintero penalty area chance near the half hour. Yedlin didn't frighten much on the overlap, but he ably supported possession when called upon.\nOmar Gonzalez (6.5): Gonzo was turned early, but was solid defensively the rest of the way. The defender also played some smart passes to ignite the break.\nMatt Besler (6.5): Though sent scrambling by pace in space on a couple of occasions, Besler effectively shut down Panama's crossing game. Like his partner, the Sporting Kansas City man offered some incisive passes into attack.\nJorge Villafana (6.5): The Santos Laguna left back played conservatively on the ball, but smothered most of the Panama attackers that ventured into his corner.\nMichael Bradley (6): Guilty of a couple of cheap giveaways in the opening frame, the skipper kept it safer after intermission. Bradley covered a lot of ground defensively until the subs gave him some late help.\nPaul Arriola (7): The D.C. United winger's was ever eager to provide pressure valve work and turn these moves into counter attacks. He eventually picked up a smart assist to go with his eight total defensive stops.\nDarlington Nagbe (5.5): It was a somewhat vanilla outing for Nagbe, even if he completed 22 straight passes after committing a weak early turnover in central park. The Portland Timbers midfielder definitely could have offered more defensive resistance.\nChristian Pulisic (8.5): The Borussia Dortmund phenom's fancy feet were in full effect. Pulisic's technical skills were key on both his icebreaker and the set-up for Altidore's first. He also beat five defenders on the dribble in the opening 25 minutes, setting the tone for this important romp.\nBobby Wood (8): The Hamburg ace's movement on and off the ball thoroughly unsettled Panama's defensive set-up. Wood's insistent dribbling earned the US a spot kick, and after a couple of missed chances he chalked up a deserved goal with a splendid turn-and-finish in the box.\nJozy Altidore (8.5): The team's cobra head was in a strike pose from the onset. Altidore repeatedly plowed the road forward with his link touches, most notably on Pulisic's quick opener. The Toronto FC star then got to the end of some moves to bag a double.\nCoach Bruce Arena (7.5): The boss took a tactical gamble and it paid off big time. While the US were worryingly stretched at the back a few times, they never broke and the team's aggressive game plan lit up the scoreboard early and often.\nSubs\nDax McCarty (7): The 57th minute sub put in one of his most assured US performances. McCarty moved the ball shrewdly and offered Bradley some needed help guarding the gate.\nClint Dempsey (5.5): The Seattle Sounders goal monster was never in a position to strike for the USMNT scoring record, but typically kept the ball moving.\nAlejandro Bedoya (--): Just a few touches in a late cameo.", "Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE The USMNT responded to the threat of not qualifying for the World Cup in 2018 by destroying Panama 4-0 on Friday night. Time_Sports\nUSMNT forward Jozy Altidore (17) is congratulated by midfielder Christian Pulisic (10) after scoring a goal against Panama. (Photo: Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)\nORLANDO — One more win would clinch a World Cup place for the United States after Jozy Altidore and Christian Pulisic spearheaded a vital 4-0 victory over Panama at Orlando City Stadium on Friday night.\nPulisic, just 19 but already the team’s most exciting and accomplished player, eased U.S. nerves with a rapid burst forward followed by a clinical finish in the eighth minute, then set up Altidore for the second 11 minutes later. Altidore added a third with a cheeky chipped penalty just before halftime, while Bobby Wood iced it with a comfortable finish after finding space in the box on 63 minutes.\nDefeat would have left the U.S. on the brink of elimination and even a tie would have raised serious concerns that its streak of seven straight World Cup appearance could come to an end.\nInstead, three points against Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday will guarantee head coach Bruce Arena’s side one of the three automatic qualifying spots offered by the CONCACAF region.\nArena was understandably upbeat and described his team as \"well positioned now hopefully to get the third spot.\"\n\"It was great,\" Arena added. \"The first goal in this game was going to be important. To get it early and put Panama under pressure ... got us into the game.\"\nPulisic was the mastermind behind most of the United States' dangerous attacks and wasted no time in making his impact felt. The opening score came when he collected an Altidore pass and charged goalwards, rounded Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo and slotted the ball home from a tight angle.\nThe Borussia Dortmund youngster’s horizontal pass to Altidore for the second was inch perfect, and then Wood started to also make his mark. Wood, whose late equalizer in Honduras last month saved the team from an even more nervous plight, won the penalty for the third goal, then smashed home the fourth with effortless composure.\nThe U.S. was in such control that Arena pulled off Pulisic in the 57th minute, resting him for Tuesday. Altidore also made way with 20 minutes left, to be replaced by Clint Dempsey, by which point the crowd was rocking, the scoreboard and the points table both told a happy message, and the World Cup was suddenly within reach once more.", "ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Accustomed to qualifying for the World Cup with games to spare, United States players realize another slip could cause them to miss next year's tournament, a circumstance that has swelled angst among a growing fanbase.\n\"We need three points bad,\" star teenage midfielder Christian Pulisic said ahead of Friday's qualifier against Panama. \"We want to come out flying.\"\nFourth in the North and Central American and Caribbean region with two games left, the Americans still can earn one of the region's three automatic berths. They likely will need a win against the Panamanians followed by a victory or a draw Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago.\n\"I haven't dwelled on what went wrong or what we didn't do,\" defender Omar Gonzalez said Thursday before the Americans practiced in a warm rain. \"We all understand what needs to be done, how we need to step out on the field, the focus that we need to have, the match intensity we need to have throughout the 90-minutes plus.\"\nThe Americans have lost two home games in a World Cup cycle for the first time since 1957, 2-1 to Mexico last November and 2-0 to Costa Rica last month — their first defeat in 16 games since Bruce Arena replaced Jurgen Klinsmann as coach.\nEl Tri have clinched with 18 points, and Los Ticos have 15 and are of the verge of securing a berth. The U.S (nine) would vault over Panama (10) into third with a win. Honduras also has nine points going into its match at Costa Rica on Friday, but the U.S. has a plus-one goal difference to the Ticos' minus-seven.\nCONCACAF's fourth-place nation goes to a playoff next month against Australia or Syria, tied 1-1 in their two-leg matchup heading into Tuesday's game at Sydney.\n\"I think we have to be all more aggressive,\" forward Jozy Altidore said. \"It's a matter of everybody just being a little more confident, taking a little bit more risk in the final third.\"\nArena, who coached the national team from 1998-2006 before returning in November, brought in a new temporary assistant this week — Bob Bradley, who succeeded him as U.S. coach. Bradley became the first American manager in England's Premier League and has been hired to lead Los Angeles' Major League Soccer expansion team that starts play next year. He also is the father of U.S. captain Michael Bradley.\n\"I can't think of a greater resource to have available for us,\" Arena said.\nPanama and the U.S. have played four consecutive 1-1 ties, including a March 28 qualifier at Panama City. Fouls of Pulisic prompted Arena to criticize Mexican referee Cesar Ramos and say \"I think Panama thought there was a bull's-eye on his back.\"\n\"It's to be expected in CONCACAF,\" Pulisic said. \"They're going to come in hard.\"\nHeading into his first international match since turning 19 on Sept. 18, Pulisic has developed into the top American player since making his debut in Germany's Bundesliga in January 2016.\n\"He plays at Borussia Dortmund in front of 80,000 people,\" Altidore said. \"He plays in Champions League against the biggest players, biggest teams in the world. He's very relaxed. He's fine.\"\nWhile the U.S. is seeking its eighth straight World Cup berth, Panama is seeking to reach soccer's showcase for the first time. Goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, defender Felipe Baloy and forward Luis Tejada are all 36, part of a talented generation running out of time.\nFour years ago the U.S. rested many regulars heading into its qualifying finale at Panama, and the hosts were about 90 seconds from winning and advancing to a playoff against New Zealand. Graham Zusi and Aron Johannsson scored in second-half stoppage time, allowing Mexico to climb over Panama into fourth. El Tri then beat New Zealand for a World Cup berth.\nThis time, it is the U.S. struggling to remain in contention.\n\"It's a big occasion,\" Arena said. \"I don't think I need to lecture our players on the significance of the game.\"\nNotes: Roberto Garcia of Mexico will be referee. He was to have worked the March 29 match but got hurt. ... Nine Americans have yellow cards and with another would be suspended for the Trinidad game: Kellyn Acosta, Paul Arriola, DaMarcus Beasley, Alejandro Bedoya, Matt Besler, Bradley, Geoff Cameron, Clint Dempsey and DeAndre Yedlin. ... The U.S. clinched with one game to spare in 1997, 2001 and 2009, with two left in 2013 and with three remaining in 2005.", "The US national team are three points away from booking their place in Russia.\nChristian Pulisic scored the opener and set up the second in Orlando, Jozy Altidore hit a brace and Bobby Wood added a later goal as the US cruised to a 4-0 victory over Panama in both teams' penultimate match of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying on Friday night.\nIn the process, the Americans moved above Panama into third in the Hexagonal standings, meaning another victory next Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago would seal the region's third and final automatic berth for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.\nA fourth-place finish would see the US thrown into a two-leg, do-or-die playoff against the fifth-place team from the Asian confederation.\nGoals\n8' - USA - Christian Pulisic Watch\n19' - USA - Jozy Altidore Watch\n43' - USA - Jozy Altidore (PK) Watch\n63' - USA - Bobby Wood Watch\nThree Things\nGOAL ORIENTED: With his goal and assist, Pulisic has now been involved in eight of the US’s 16 goals during the hexagonal phase of qualifying. … Altidore’s brace gives him an all-time US best of 11 goals in the hexagonal across multiple World Cup cycles. He’s the first American to reach double digits. … The US have now outscored their opponents 10-0 its two games following losses in the current hexagonal phase. BACK IN THE MIDDLE: After playing him on the right side of midfield in the US’s last two qualifiers, coach Bruce Arena shifted Pulisic back into a central attacking midfield role to start Friday night. The move so flummoxed Panama that, by the 26th minute, coach Hernan Dario Gomez made a tactical sub and switched from a 4-4-2 to a 4-1-4-1. Arena's tactics also influenced Mexico boss Juan Carlos Osorio into a first-half substitution at the Estadio Azteca in June. Hernan Dario Gomez on Christian Pulisic: \"He did whatever he wanted tonight.\" #USMNT #USAvPAN — Franco Panizo (@FrancoPanizo) October 7, 2017 HISTORY (SORTA) REPEATING: For the first time since 1989, the US’s World Cup qualifying hopes come down to the final day of CONCACAF play. And again the Americans will play their final match at Trinidad and Tobago. Unlike qualifying for Italia 90, however, Trinidad and Tobago have been eliminated from contention, while there are also alternative ways the US could qualify without a victory in Couva.\nThey Said It\nCrowd here in Orlando was simply amazing. Couldn’t have asked for a better showing with this magnitude of a situation. Good on you Orlando!! — Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) October 7, 2017\nNext Up\nUSA: Tuesday, October 10 at Trinidad and Tobago (8 pm ET | beIN Sports, NBC Universo)\nTuesday, October 10 at Trinidad and Tobago (8 pm ET | beIN Sports, NBC Universo) PAN: Tuesday, October 10 vs. Costa Rica (8 pm ET)\nVote for Man of the Match", "And breathe. All those worries and crippling fears of missing out on the World Cup were banished by the brilliance of Christian Pulisic, who produced the kind of stellar performance needed in these type of career-changing games.\nBruce Arena had demanded a big performance ahead of this crucial qualifier and, luckily for him, America’s bright young hope brilliantly delivered. A superbly-taken opener on eight minutes was just the tonic to ease rampant worries of missing out on the party in Russia next summer before the Borussia Dortmund starlet turned provider for strike partner Jozy Altidore to pick up the first of his two goals.\nHis second, a cheekily-chipped penalty after Bobby Wood was brought down in the area just before half-time, spoke volumes about the sudden jolt of confidence flowing through Arena’s men. It was a dominant performance when it really mattered and now that ticket to Russia can be rubber-stamped with a win in Trinidad on Tuesday, though a draw should be enough.\nPanama, who arrived with such great hope and left totally and utterly deflated, still have a play-off against Australia or Syria to aim for. Honduras, whose match in Costa Rica was put back a day because of adverse weather, also remain in the mix.\nYet this night was all about the preciousness of Pulisic. Kicked here, there and everywhere during the 1-1 draw with Panama in March, he responded by driving a dagger through the visitors hearts with pace, vision and skill. Boot him? They could barely lay a finger on him.\nHis unforgettable first 45 minutes produced a stat which proves Arena must build a team around the 19-year-old: the goal and assist here means Pulisic has had a hand in 11 of the 14 goals scored in this Concacaf hexagonal. The Dortmund forward is a game-changer, that precious commodity which separates the best from the rest and with youth firmly on his side, the future, all of a sudden, seems incredibly brighter.\nDef Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) WHAT A GOAL FROM CHRISTIAN PULISIC 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸\npic.twitter.com/LVRHlhgsd6\nNone of the 25,303 who packed Orlando City’s stadium will think Arena’s team head to Russia with an eye on the prize, yet this kind of performance in a must-win match will boost confidence levels no end. And, for that, they have that little man Pulisic to thank.\nWhile the Panamanians arrived in Orlando knowing a positive result would help them take them a strident step towards an emotional, debut World Cup appearance, it was hard to escape the feeling that it was the home side feeling all the pressure. The last four matches between the sides have all ended in draws. Coming into this encounter, the US couldn’t afford another one. With Panama facing up to a Costa Rican side who should be on cruise control, a win was imperative.\nFor Arena’s side not to participate in next summer’s finals was something the brilliantly loud American Outlaws dare not envisage let alone Arena and the man who appointed him, Sunil Gulati. This kind of nail-biting scenario wasn’t what the head of US Soccer anticipated when he brought Arena back for his Second Coming as national coach. His reintroduction gave them the spark so badly missing under Jürgen Klinsmann yet the last few results have induced serious panic.\nIt is as if a run of just one defeat in 16 has somehow been airbrushed from history. That’s what World Cup worries can do to a team. The US should have already qualified by now, sitting on easy street with Mexico and Costa Rica. Nevertheless, the task in hand was simple. Two games, two wins.\nUnsurprisingly, Arena had urged his side to come out the blocks firing and heap pressure straight onto a Panama side who’ve been notoriously difficult to break down. And so it emphatically proved. Just five goals conceded in this hexagonal qualification tournament meant the US had no option but to sense blood early on.\nWood, who helped salvaged a draw in Honduras last month, was selected ahead of Clint Dempsey in the hope his pace could help the US get behind the visitors backline. It was a smart move. The atmosphere was raucous. Expectant. And very loud.\nAltidore almost helped increase the volume with just two minutes gone when his close-range effort was charged down before Wood poked wide yet this was the kind of high-octane start Arena wanted. Panama, on the other hand, looked nervous. They barely saw any of the ball but on six minutes, Gabriel Torres wriggled free of Matt Besler only to fire high and wide. It was costly miss because just seconds later, Pulisic superbly opened the scoring.\nAltidore flicked the ball on and the diminutive midfielder expertly skipped clear of Roman Torres before rounding Jaime Penedo and squeezing the ball home. That was just what Arena ordered. The early goal – it was Pulisic’s sixth of this qualifying campaign – to calm nerves on the pitch and in the stands.\nPulisic was already proving the difference and with 19 minutes on the clock, he brilliantly turned provider for Altidore, his excellent, low cross from the left wing easily steered home by the former Sunderland striker. The US were rampant.\nFacebook Twitter Pinterest Christian Pulisic celebrates with Jozy Altidore after USA score against Panama. Photograph: Kim Klement/USA Today Sports\nWood almost made the game safe three minutes later only for Penedo to stand tall and keep him out. Pulisic was irrepressible – every time he ran at the Panama defense, they were firmly on the back foot. He was terrorizing them. It was hugely encouraging stuff from Arena’s side, even if their defending at times was of a quality which better teams than Panama will have field days with.\nTim Howard kept out Torres well on the half-hour mark though Hernan Dario Gomez must have been furious on the touchline. All that hope had been extinguished as his side spent the first half chasing shadows. When the lively Wood was clipped in the area just before the break by substitute Armando Cooper, the game was done and dusted. Altidore’s chip down the middle was the coup de grace on an emphatic first-half performance.\nPulisic left the field on 56 minutes to a standing ovation which was utterly deserved before Wood capped his workmanlike performance with a well-taken fourth on 62 minutes.\nQuestion marks remain for Arena. His defence needs shoring up and a deeper squad would be handy if serious waves are to be made on the international stage. Yet this was the night Pulisic arrived. And in some style, too.", "ORLANDO, Fla. — Christian Pulisic put on another masterpiece Friday, reminding us all why he has begun to draw comparisons to Argentine superstar Lionel Messi. Even Messi might have come away impressed, but probably would been more jealous at the type of support the 19-year-old's teammates gave him.\nWhile Messi endures his own personal World Cup qualifying nightmare with an Argentina squad that simply can't give him any support, Pulisic's latest gem came with the considerable help of teammates who were as determined as he was to deliver a vital qualifying victory on Friday night. They did just that in an emphatic 4-0 win that has the Americans on the verge of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.\nIt was Pulisic who set the tone early, going right at Panama's normally stingy defense from the start, with his speed and confident dribbling tearing through opposing defenders with ease. That might not have been enough to unlock the feisty Panamanians if Jozy Altidore hadn't also been in top form on the night. It was Altidore whose pass sprung Pulisic on the opener, and it was Altidore's well-timed run that put him in place to finish off Pulisic's inch-perfect cross soon after.\nAltidore earned Man of the Match honors on a night where everyone in the attack played well. Both Altidore and Bobby Wood were effective at getting into dangerous spots, and each played a part in multiple goals. Paul Arriola was especially effective on the night playing on the right wing, where presumably Fabian Johnson would have played if Bruce Arena hadn't chosen to leave him out. Darlington Nagbe was his usual confident self on the ball working the left wing, and while he had the quietest night among the U.S. attackers, he still provided a calming presences when needed.\n\"Those guys are great players so it’s not difficult to play with great players,” Pulisic said. “I’m happy I was able to contribute a little bit, and contribute a goal. It was a really good team performance.\"\nYou could feel the U.S. attack feeding off of Pulisic's confidence, as every member of the group contributed, making Panama pay for giving the U.S. attack too much room to operate.\n“It didn’t surprise me because they’re players who need space and we gave them space,” Panama coach Hernan Dario Gomez said when asked about the performances of Pulisic's supporting cast. “In the other games we played against the United States we never gave them so much space in the back. This time we gave them space and that was the error. They took advantage and they were superior and we were bad and they hit us hard.”\n\"We needed a lot of movement against a physical Panama team that was going to sit in and not make it easy for us. Our movement was good today,\" Pulisic said. \"I was able to play off those guys, they had some great layoffs to me. I think the spacing was pretty good for most of the night — there were still some things we could do better — I think the game plan was pretty much executed.\"\nThis was the kind of team effort the U.S. desperately needed, and the kind we hadn't seen from the Arena's side since the 6-0 thrashing of Honduras back in March. In the matches since, the U.S. attack had grown a bit predictable and overly reliant on Pulisic, which made it easy for opposing defenses to neutralize the Americans.\nOn Friday, the U.S. attack came out as a motivated group, and made a Panama side that had allowed just five goals in eight previous Hex matches look old and slow. The Canaleros were simply overwhelmed by the speed, passing and movement from the entire American attack, not just Pulisic.\nThat said, the 19-year-old was still the most impressive player on the night. You could certainly make a case for Altidore for the night's man of the match honors, but the way Pulisic took control of the game early on was a sight to behold. Playing in the biggest game of his young international career, Pulisic chewed up the pressure like a chocolate bar from his hometown of Hershey, Pennsylvania, and did it with the swagger of a player who absolutely expects to do the magical things he can do at such a young age.\n\"That kid killed us,\" Gomez said of Pulisic. \"He did what he wanted.\"\nAs much as Pulisic was the catalyst of an impressive attacking performance by the team, U.S. coach Bruce Arena was once again wary of saying the team was built around its youngest player.\n\"I really don’t build a team around one player. I know he’s an exceptional player and he stands out, and you think that, but we don’t build a team around Christian,\" Arena said. \"He’s a good player, but for Christian to be more effective he needs to have good players around him. The better collection of players we have around Christian he’s just going to be a better player.\"\nMessi might want to borrow a copy of the U.S. win to show to his teammates as evidence of what can be done when you attack as a group, and support your star. Against Peru on Thursday, it was tough to single out any other Argentina player for praise on a night when there were scoring chances but no goals against a disciplined Peruvian defense. If Messi doesn't get any teammates to step up in the attack on Tuesday against Ecuador he and Argentina won't even make the World Cup.\nAfter Friday's win, the United States is on the verge of making their eighth straight World Cup, and as much as Pulisic is now the unquestioned star of the U.S. team, we saw Friday a U.S. side that showed it has the ability to be more than a one-man team.", "Months and months of stumbles have put the United States in a precarious position. The Americans could miss the World Cup for the first time since 1986.\nPreparing for Friday's crucial qualifier against Panama, the U.S. held a closed-doors scrimmage Wednesday against Orlando City's B team. A victory Friday would put the U.S. on track to reach its eighth straight World Cup with a win or possibly a tie at Trinidad and Tobago next week. Less than a victory against the Panamanians could lead to either a playoff next month or elimination.\n\"There's been a real sense of urgency,\" captain Michael Bradley said. \"Obviously you get to the end and our margin for error is virtually gone.\"\nMexico has 18 points and has clinched one of the three berths from North and Central America and the Caribbean. Costa Rica has 15 points heading into its game against visiting Honduras and is on the verge of clinching.\nPanama is third with 10 points, and the U.S. has nine and leads Honduras on goal difference. Trinidad has three points and is all-but-eliminated.\nThe top three nations qualify, and fourth place has a home-and-home playoff next month against Australia or Syria -- which plays its home games in Malaysia.\n\"People can come in and say it's just another game, but the reality is it's not just another game,\" winger Paul Arriola said. \"We can be out. We could really, really complicate ourselves if we don't get three points this next game against Panama.\"\nThe U.S. has scored just 12 goals in eight matches in the hexagonal, half in a home rout over Honduras in Arena's first qualifier after he replaced Jurgen Klinsmann. One of Arena's more intriguing roster decisions was to bring back 32-year-old midfielder Benny Feilhaber, who hasn't appeared in a qualifier in eight years.\n\"He's a good passer, and in the final third of the field he has some qualities that I think we're lacking,\" Arena said.\nChristian Pulisic, the star American midfielder who just turned 19, has been repeatedly fouled by opponents, and the U.S. will be seeking more offensive outlets.\nBradley said the goal is \"to make sure that from the beginning we play in a way where the bar tilts in our favor, where we're mobile and aggressive.\"\nAfter an 0-2 start in qualifying, the U.S. climbed back into contention before last month's 2-0 home loss to Costa Rica in Harrison, New Jersey. A significant percentage of the crowd at Red Bull Arena backed Los Ticos.\nAmerican players are hoping for a better atmosphere in Orlando.\n\"I'm expecting it to be a home game. We're in the United States,\" Arriola said. \"This time I hope that it's filled with all Americans.\"\nBradley let a question go by without an answer when asked about players had discussed any signs of unity or protest, such as the ones in the opening weeks of the NFL season.\nThe U.S. Soccer Federation said it had received permission from FIFA to hold a moment of silence before the match in memory of the victims of the Las Vegas shootings.", "United States' Bobby Wood (9) celebrates his goal against Panama in front of cheering fans, with teammates Dax McCarty (13) and Michael Bradley (4) during the second half of a World Cup qualifying soccer match, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. The United States won 4-0. (AP Photo/John Raoux)\nORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — American soccer players do not want fly over 8,000 miles to Malaysia next month for a playoff against Syria or make a 7,000-mile-plus journey for a match in Australia.\nAfter getting just one point in two September qualifiers, a loss to Panama on Friday night would have left the U.S. with one more chance to reach next year's World Cup: by winning a playoff against the fifth-place nation in Asia. And the Americans weren't even assured of that.\n\"We still knew that everything was in our hands. It still is,\" defender Matt Besler said after Friday night's 4-0 rout of the Panamanians lifted the United States back into third place — the last automatic berth in the North and Central American and Caribbean region.\nThe Americans have overcome an 0-2 start and head into their final game of the hexagonal on Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago with 12 points, two ahead of Panama and three ahead of Honduras, which plays Saturday at Costa Rica.\nA win would put the U.S. in its eighth straight World Cup as long as Honduras does not defeat the Ticos and Mexico while overcoming its goal difference against the U.S., currently 12.\nA draw at Trinidad would be sufficient unless Honduras wins its last two matches and Panama does not beat Costa Rica by eight goals (or seven if Panama somehow overcomes its deficit in total goals vs. the U.S., currently nine).\nRetired goalkeeper Kasey Keller, now an ESPN analyst, said the reality of the situation hit the Americans after the 2-0 loss to Costa Rica in New Jersey and the 1-1 draw at Honduras.\n\"Oh, boy. We don't have any time. We have to put it right,\" Keller said of the thought process. \"So much of the rhetoric before the game was there had to be a start to this match that kind of emphasized the poor results from September, and I think you saw that. You needed stars to show up, and the U.S.'s biggest star showed up and scored the first, created the second.\"\nChristian Pulisic, the 19-year-old from Hershey, Pennsylvania, who is a rising star with Germany's Borussia Dortmund, helped energize the U.S. when he was shifted to central midfield from the flanks. He scored with a brilliant touch in the eighth minute and passed to Jozy Altidore, who doubled the lead in the 19th.Altidore converted a penalty kick in the 43rd and Bobby Wood got the final goal in the 63rd.\n\"It was exactly what I expected,\" U.S. captain Michael Bradley said, \"and now we've got to make sure that in a few days' time were ready to go to Trinidad and after 15 games of qualifying make sure that we finish things off in the right way.\"\nA playoff against Syria would raise the issue of whether President Donald Trump's administration would allow opposing players to enter the U.S. for the first leg. Syria is among the nations in the administration's current travel ban. A playoff against either team would include wearying travel, especially for American players based in Europe who would return home for the first leg, travel to Malaysia or Australia for the second, then return to Europe for matches with their clubs.\nBut if the Americans clinch, next month's games likely would be a pair of exhibitions in Europe.\nIn the days leading up to the Panama match, American players spoke with seriousness. After the big win, they could admit the burden they had felt.\n\"Of course there was pressure,\" Besler said. \"We all felt it and felt a big responsibility for the team and for our country.\"", "ORLANDO, Fla. — American soccer players do not want fly over 8,000 miles to Malaysia next month for a playoff against Syria or make a 7,000-mile-plus journey for a match in Australia.\nAfter getting just one point in two September qualifiers, a loss to Panama on Friday night would have left the U.S. with one more chance to reach next year's World Cup: by winning a playoff against the fifth-place nation in Asia. And the Americans weren't even assured of that.\n\"We still knew that everything was in our hands. It still is,\" defender Matt Besler said after Friday night's 4-0 rout of the Panamanians lifted the United States back into third place — the last automatic berth in the North and Central American and Caribbean region.\nThe Americans have overcome an 0-2 start and head into their final game of the hexagonal on Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago with 12 points, two ahead of Panama and three ahead of Honduras, which plays Saturday at Costa Rica.\nA win would put the U.S. in its eighth straight World Cup as long as Honduras does not defeat the Ticos and Mexico while overcoming its goal difference against the U.S., currently 12.\nA draw at Trinidad would be sufficient unless Honduras wins its last two matches and Panama does not beat Costa Rica by eight goals (or seven if Panama somehow overcomes its deficit in total goals vs. the U.S., currently nine).\nRetired goalkeeper Kasey Keller, now an ESPN analyst, said the reality of the situation hit the Americans after the 2-0 loss to Costa Rica in New Jersey and the 1-1 draw at Honduras.\n\"Oh, boy. We don't have any time. We have to put it right,\" Keller said of the thought process. \"So much of the rhetoric before the game was there had to be a start to this match that kind of emphasized the poor results from September, and I think you saw that. You needed stars to show up, and the U.S.'s biggest star showed up and scored the first, created the second.\"\nChristian Pulisic, the 19-year-old from Hershey, Pennsylvania, who is a rising star with Germany's Borussia Dortmund, helped energize the U.S. when he was shifted to central midfield from the flanks. He scored with a brilliant touch in the eighth minute and passed to Jozy Altidore, who doubled the lead in the 19th.Altidore converted a penalty kick in the 43rd and Bobby Wood got the final goal in the 63rd.\n\"It was exactly what I expected,\" U.S. captain Michael Bradley said, \"and now we've got to make sure that in a few days' time were ready to go to Trinidad and after 15 games of qualifying make sure that we finish things off in the right way.\"", "ORLANDO, Fla. – Panama knew it wasn’t going to be an easy match heading into Friday’s crucial World Cup qualifying game against the US national team.\nBut after a 4-0 defeat, which certainty puts their World Cup dreams in considerable peril, Panama head coach Hernan Dario Gomez is left with one lingering question after his side were thrashed at Orlando City Stadium.\n“I think we should ask ourselves what happened?\" Gomez told reporters following the match. \"We encountered a team immensely superior from the start, to every capacity in everything they were superior. They played excellent tonight and for us, a bad night. We played really bad… we looked ugly. This is not the team or performance we worked so much for. That’s what happened.”\nThe Panamanians were outshot 23-11, but it was the USMNT racing out to a 3-0 lead by halftime that proved the difference on the night.\n“It was such, at halftime, I told the guys to let’s try to hold their 3-0 goal lead because we needed at least one goal for goal differential,” Gomez continued. “It wasn’t a good moment tonight for us, especially against a rival so superior. We were saved because that performance should have warranted 10 goals against us.”\nFor defender Roman Torres, having to mark US star Christian Pulisic brought its difficulties.\n“To be honest, he’s a player that moves really well, but not only him, but the other players as well moved well around the field, and I think that’s what hurt us,” said Torres. “We needed to be more concentrated, but for them it was a good night. I think we have to move on to the next stage and focus on the next challenge.”\nBobby Wood capped the scoring for the Yanks when he made it 4-0 in the 63rd minute, encapsulating a nightmare game for Los Canaleros.\nLike his coach, Torres was left stunned by the capitulation.\n“Honestly, I don’t understand what happened tonight,” said Torres. “We lost, which is something hard and difficult for us, but we have to keep our heads up. We have to continue to move forward. Right now, we have to pick ourselves up and look forward to Tuesday and give our maximum and think about playing for the final spot.”\nFor Panama, the loss provisionally places them fourth the Hex standings with 10 points, with one game left, next week against Costa Rica in Panama. The fourth-place finisher in CONCACAF will play an inter-confederation playoff against either Australia or Syria.\nAdolfo Machado, who did not play on Friday night, lamented over the loss. The 32-year-old defender from the Houston Dynamo called for calm and expressed hope Panama can still fight for their first ever World Cup spot.\n“We have to be realistic… we can’t find excuses, they were better than us tonight,” said Machado. “The possibility to go the World Cup still exists, we just now have to shift our focus on holding on to that last qualification spot that puts us playing in the playoff match.”", "It has been nearly eight months since Christian Pulisic’s dream of playing in the 2018 World Cup died on a bumpy soccer field in Trinidad. How long does one take to recover from that degree of disappointment? It would seem the answer is somewhere between eight months and never.\n“Being a young American, playing in the World Cup was my biggest dream in my soccer world,” Pulisic told Sporting News. “You can imagine how it feels.”\nMORE: Tottenham and Liverpool rumors are 'hogwash' - USMNT star's father dismisses Premier League links\nHonestly, it’s hard for anyone to imagine how that feels.\nIt’s hard to compare what Pulisic and his U.S. men’s national teammates experienced to anything else in sports, because soccer runs on parallel tracks that don’t exist for basketball players or track athletes.\nThe Duke players who missed their chance to play in a Final Four because a buzzer shot rimmed out at least were granted an entire offseason to prepare for their professional careers or another year with the Blue Devils. When Jamaica’s Johan Blake missed a bronze medal in the 100-meter dash by two-hundreds of a second, he didn’t have to run another Olympics for four years.\nPulisic had a game with Borussia Dortmund four days later against RB Leipzig.\nHe had almost a full season still to play. It was not the ideal season. He scored five goals in all competitions and assisted on eight others. With the lineup experiencing some major changes, Dortmund did not advance out of its Champions League group, finished fourth in the Bundesliga and won no major trophies. In February, he acknowledged to ESPN his play was “not the best it’s been.”\nUSMNT: George Weah's son Timothy on scoring first international goal\nNow he’s finished with his year, preparing for what’s next with his club and the U.S. What’s next will not be the World Cup, except in the sense he will watch it while he rests.\n“It’s not going to be easy. But I’ve had time to get over it,” Pulisic said. “I’m excited to see some good football, some good games. I’ll have some friends playing in the World Cup, which is always fun to watch. I just love watching soccer because there’s so many good players and things you can learn from them.”\nPulisic has spent the past week with the U.S. in a camp that ordinarily would be designed to prepare the team for the World Cup, which opens June 14 in Russia, but instead is being operated by an interim coach (Dave Sarachan) with a roster full of players so young their U.S. appearances were mostly at the U-20 level.\nWith 21 appearances at age 19, Pulisic had the second-most caps of any American starter when the U.S. played a friendly Monday against Bolivia in suburban Philadelphia.\n“I think it’s just continuing to grow our youth talent. I think that’s what’s most important for us now,” Pulisic said, sounding like a veteran though he made his first appearance two years ago. “You know, gaining some chemistry and getting these players minutes and good training with the national team and building a new team for our future.\n“Still being a young player, it’s interesting having some of the most caps on the team. I’m having to be more of a leader now, but if that’s what it takes for me, I’m ready to do that and help some of our younger players learn. Obviously, it’s a tough situation not being part of the World Cup. It’s tough. But we still have good coaches and players we need to develop. It’s been good. Younger players have gotten more minutes in these friendlies and I think it is good for our country right now.”\nMORE: FC Cincinnati announced as the next expansion club in MLS\nPulisic grew up in Hershey, Pa., in a soccer family. His parents were both soccer players, and his father is a coach who now works with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and trained Christian from a young age. “My dad was constantly throwing a ball at me when I was as young as I can remember,” he said.\nThat connection with his hometown is one reason The Hershey Company signed him to help launch the Reese’s Outrageous bar, a campaign that included the design of special soccer cleats to showcase the product.\n“I’ve probably been to Chocolate World more than anyone else in this world,” Pulisic said. \"This is very close to my heart.\"\nHis success in the Bundesliga before his 18th birthday was unprecedented. and not just for an American player. He was the youngest ever to score twice in the league. But particularly for an American player, he is doing what no one has before.\nSince his debut, defensive midfielder Weston McKennie became a regular at Schalke 04 and young striker Josh Sargent signed to play at Werder Bremen.\nThe key to making the next World Cup, and the one after, is for Pulisic to become less of an outlier among American players.\n“No one expected me to be this far at such a young age. I’m trying to set that standard and show Americans what they can do,” Pulisic said. “I don’t think there’s any reason we can’t have a lot of Americans coming over and having success at young ages. That’s exactly what I’m trying to do.”\nWIEDEY: The World Cup has come to 'FIFA 18' for free\nIf Pulisic were preparing for a World Cup, the energy generated likely would push him toward performances better than the one he delivered in the Bolivia game, when he was just a shade off on so many of the chances he tried to create. Toward the end, his evening was punctuated when an opponent played a ball that few directly into Pulisic’s face.\nHe looked very much like someone who needed a break.\n“First of all, it’s about taking a solid few weeks off to rest and recover and take care of my body,” Pulisic said, half-chuckling, when asked how he’ll prepare for next season. “After I have a little bit of time off, I’m going to be right back doing my workouts and working on all parts of my game.”\nWatching the World Cup might even lead to him discovering a move or technique to incorporate in his game. It would have been better to see it firsthand, though.", "related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.\n4 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.\nChristian Pulisic pulled the strings and Jozy Altidore grabbed a brace as the United States overran Panama 4-0 in Orlando on Friday to leave them on the verge of automatic qualification for next year's World Cup finals in Russia.\nREUTERS: Christian Pulisic pulled the strings and Jozy Altidore grabbed a brace as the United States overran Panama 4-0 in Orlando on Friday to leave them on the verge of automatic qualification for next year's World Cup finals in Russia.\nThe victory lifted the United States into third place in the six-team CONCACAF group, above Panama, who started the day a point ahead of them.\nA win in their final match against Trinidad and Tobago will likely be enough to see the United States through as Honduras would need to win both their remaining games and overturn a goal difference currently at 12.\nTop team Mexico are already through from the North, Central American and Caribbean Confederation and second-placed Costa Rica need just a point from their final two matches to join them.\nMexico came from behind to beat the already eliminated Trinidad and Tobago 3-1 at home on Friday.\nBottom side Trinidad had won just one of their previous eight matches but Shahdon Winchester gave them a surprise lead after 66 minutes.\nAdvertisement\nAdvertisement\nHowever, Hirving Lozano got the equaliser after 78 minutes and Javier Hernandez popped up to save Mexico’s blushes two minutes from time. Hector Herrera capped the scoring with a free kick in injury time.\nCosta Rica's scheduled qualifier at home to Honduras was postponed until Saturday from Friday due to severe rainfall caused by tropical storm Nate.\nThe top three teams qualify automatically, while the fourth-placed side goes into a play-off against a team from the Asian confederation.\nPulisic got the United States' opener after eight minutes when he sprinted free of the defence and slotted the ball home from a tight angle after rounding the goalkeeper.\nAltidore made it two 11 minutes later when he side-footed home an inviting low cross from Pulisic. The burly striker made it 3-0 just seconds before half time when he chipped home a penalty after Bobby Wood was upended in the box.\nWood got the goal his play deserved 18 minutes into the second half when he spun inside the box and fired past goalkeeper Jaime Penedo.\nThe United States should have scored more but profligate finishing and a fine performance from Penedo kept the score down.\n\"On the night we actually didn’t finish well,\" said U.S. coach Bruce Arena. \"We could have scored a lot more goals.\n\"Now we have to finish it off Tuesday in Trinidad.\"\n(Reporting by Andrew Downie; Editing by Peter Rutherford)", "* Pulisic superb in commanding U.S. win\n* Mexico come from behind to win 3-1 (Adds Mexico result, quotes)\nOct 6 (Reuters) - Christian Pulisic pulled the strings and Jozy Altidore grabbed a brace as the United States overran Panama 4-0 in Orlando on Friday to leave them on the verge of automatic qualification for next year's World Cup finals in Russia.\nThe victory lifted the United States into third place in the six-team CONCACAF group, above Panama, who started the day a point ahead of them.\nA win in their final match against Trinidad and Tobago will likely be enough to see the United States through as Honduras would need to win both their remaining games and overturn a goal difference currently at 12.\nTop team Mexico are already through from the North, Central American and Caribbean Confederation and second-placed Costa Rica need just a point from their final two matches to join them.\nMexico came from behind to beat the already eliminated Trinidad and Tobago 3-1 at home on Friday.\nBottom side Trinidad had won just one of their previous eight matches but Shahdon Winchester gave them a surprise lead after 66 minutes.\nHowever, Hirving Lozano got the equaliser after 78 minutes and Javier Hernandez popped up to save Mexico's blushes two minutes from time. Hector Herrera capped the scoring with a free kick in injury time.\nCosta Rica's scheduled qualifier at home to Honduras was postponed until Saturday from Friday due to severe rainfall caused by tropical storm Nate.\nThe top three teams qualify automatically, while the fourth-placed side goes into a play-off against a team from the Asian confederation.\nPulisic got the United States' opener after eight minutes when he sprinted free of the defence and slotted the ball home from a tight angle after rounding the goalkeeper.\nAltidore made it two 11 minutes later when he side-footed home an inviting low cross from Pulisic. The burly striker made it 3-0 just seconds before half time when he chipped home a penalty after Bobby Wood was upended in the box.\nWood got the goal his play deserved 18 minutes into the second half when he spun inside the box and fired past goalkeeper Jaime Penedo.\nThe United States should have scored more but profligate finishing and a fine performance from Penedo kept the score down.\n\"On the night we actually didn't finish well,\" said U.S. coach Bruce Arena. \"We could have scored a lot more goals.\n\"Now we have to finish it off Tuesday in Trinidad.\" (Reporting by Andrew Downie; Editing by Peter Rutherford)", "With the road to Russia winding down, the United States are still without a ticket to the big show. A disastrous start to the final round of World Cup Qualifying saw the dismissal of Jurgen Klinsmann as manager. Now, with two games to play, the Americans need big results to go directly to Russia.\nHeading into the final matches, the U.S. sits in fourth with nine points, one behind Panama and tied with Honduras, but ahead of the latter on goal differential.\nWith Mexico already claiming one of CONCACAF’s (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) automatic qualifying spots, and Costa Rica in need of either just one point or Panama and the U.S. to drop points to get in, the other three nations are fighting for the final automatic spot. First runner-up in that race will have to face a third place team from the Asian region, either Australia or Syria.\nThis puts in impetuous on the Americans to take six points in the final two matches. The good news for the U.S. is that they have the easiest two games of the three in the fight for third. Friday’s match in Orlando against Panama has become a must win, with even a draw allowing the Panamanians to control their own destiny on the final match day.\nThankfully for the U.S., the last game is against Trinidad and Tobago. T&T are rooted firmly at the bottom of the table.\nBut if there is anything from this qualifying cycle’s Hexagonal round, it is that the gap within CONCACAF is shrinking.\nThe Americans were undefeated at home in the last three World Cup qualifying cycles in the Hex, but dropped two this time around. In fact, the U.S. have lost more matches at home during the Hex than away.\nAway games in the Hex are always a grind, played in some rather trying climates in front of passionate fans. Escaping Mexico, Panama and Honduras with draws mean the U.S. still have a chance.\nDefensive stability has been the main issue for the Americans so far. With Wolfsburg’s John Brooks sidelined with a thigh injury, the U.S. has struggled at center back.\nPick any combination of Geoff Cameron, Omar Gonzalez, Tim Ream and Matt Besler to start in the middle of the line. While all have had their moments, all have had issues this cycle.\nThe ongoing search for a full time left back also hinders the Americans. Jorge Villafana held down the spot for the Costa Rica match last month. He was then replaced by the ever-ageless DaMarcus Beasley for the Honduras match. Both were called up for this month’s squad.\nMoving up the field, there is a deep generation gap that is still transitioning. The U.S. may have one of the brightest young talents in the world in Christian Pulisic. One can’t doubt his abilities, as he has more goals for club and country than Lionel Messi and Crisitano Ronaldo had before turning 19.\nThe Borussia Dortmund man has had a hand in 75 percent of U.S. goals in the Hex. Because of that, teams are taking notice.\nPulisic took a beating against Costa Rica and Honduras, and that affected the rest of the U.S. attack.\nThat attack, despite having 12 goals in the Hex, is sputtering. Clint Dempsey has become more effective in his role off the bench. Putting him through 90 minutes of tough competition twice a week is taxing on the veteran.\nJozy Altidore continues to be a streaky player, while Bobby Wood and Jordan Morris still lack true big game experience. In fact, the latter was dropped for this week’s games, replaced by the goal-scoring enigma that is Chris Wondolowski.\nAs a whole, the team needs to be more forward thinking and not be content sitting back and waiting for opportunities. In a cycle where the results have often come from grinding, the next two games they will have to dominate. Otherwise, the road to Russia will be closed, and there may not even be an Asian detour.", "The U.S. Men’s National Team understands what Friday’s game means. Various players reiterated the same message all week. The match against Panama isn’t just any other game on the road to World Cup qualifying. It’s a do-or-die test, one which could push the U.S. one step closer to Russia or one step closer towards something much, much worse.\nIt’s simple, really. A USMNT win would all but lock up a spot in Russia. A tie keeps a slim hope for automatic qualification alive heading into the final match of the Hexagonal. A loss? Utter chaos and, at best, a chance at a playoff berth against Australia or Syria.\n“It’s not as normal as possible. If that was the case, no one would be here,” Arena said. “I think it’s a big occasion. I don’t think I need to lecture our players on the significance of the game. I think they understand that. We have a group of players who have been in these games, maybe you people haven’t realized it, since March, every game has been do-or-die for us. This is no different, but as you get to the end of the Hex there’s more significance in it.”\n“To be honest, I don’t think I’ve had a year where the stakes weren’t high since I started,” added Jozy Altidore. “I want to say that, looking back, every game is a big game, but the next game is always the biggest game. That’s evident now. Being in World Cup qualifying and where we are right now, I think everyone is prepared for it.”\nFriday’s match is a defining moment in the U.S. cycle, and it also could very well be a defining moment in American soccer. As the game continues to grow throughout the country, missing out on the World Cup would be catastrophic for a team still pushing towards the elite on the world stage.\nThe good news? The USMNT is likely more talented than Panama. Players like Christian Pulisic, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore are in good form. Veterans like Tim Howard, Omar Gonzalez and Geoff Cameron are healthy and ready to contribute. There are tactical options and decisions to make, but the U.S., John Brooks aside, generally has the pieces in place.\n“From the get-go in this Hex, we’ve been in a situation where our backs were against the wall,” Bradley said. “We’ve been in games where we need to win, where we need points, and there’s been a real sense of urgency. Obviously, you get to the end our margin for error is virtually gone and we all understand what’s at stake. We’re excited by the opportunity to have it all on the line. As athletes, as competitors, the chance to play and represent our country and play in the biggest games, there’s nothing better.”\nOn the other side, Panama has virtually the same attitude with the added motivator of revenge. Los Canaleros have been a contender in CONCACAF in recent years, but the nation has never experienced a World Cup. Panama was oh so close last cycle before Graham Zusi’s big moment provided one of the most shocking stories in CONCACAF history.\nStill, a group of players that make up a golden generation remain in the fold. There are defenders like Roman Torres and Felipe Baloy alongside midfield regulars like Armando Cooper and Anibal Godoy. Up top, there are players like the ageless Blas Perez and Luis Tejada leading the charge with longtime goalkeeper Jaime Penedo in net. It’s a group of players that has tasted heartbreak before and has one last chance to reach the World Cup.\n“You look at some of the experiences they had as a group, some of the success they’ve had, some of the moments where they’ve come close but not quite gotten where they wanted to,” Bradley said. “I think it all comes together in a way where they realize this may be their last chance as a group in terms of these players to do something special and qualify for a World Cup.\n“Certainly from our standpoint, we expect a very motivated team, a group of guys that will come in here and be ready to give everything to keep their dream of going to a World Cup alive.”\nThat dream will be felt on both sides on Friday as Orlando will play host to a match that could very well be a World Cup eliminator. The winner would be all but assured of a spot. The loser would have to sweat it out in a big way in the days and weeks to follow.\nKnowing that, the U.S. has no intentions of dropping points. The mood has been confident all week long, but it will take more than confidence to book a spot in Russia.\n“Until your place is secured there’s always pressure,” Altidore said. “There’s pressure for them, pressure for everybody. It’s part of being pro. It’s nothing new.”\n“We’ll have a group of guys who are ready to go for it in a fearless way and make sure that we control every little thing we could control in terms of our attitude and mentality,” Bradley added. “In the end, we’re going to go for it, and let the chips fall where they may. “", "Stymied police seek help in uncovering Vegas gunman's motive\nLAS VEGAS (AP) - After five days of scouring the life of Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock and chasing 1,000 leads, investigators confessed Friday they still don't know what drove him to mass murder, and they announced plans to put up billboards appealing for the public's help.\nIn their effort to find any hint of his motive, investigators were looking into whether he was with a prostitute days before the shooting, scrutinizing cruises he took and trying to make sense of a cryptic note with numbers jotted on it found in his hotel room, a federal official said.\nSo far, examinations of Paddock's politics, finances, any possible radicalization and his social behavior - typical investigative avenues that have helped uncover the motive in past shootings - have turned up little.\n\"We still do not have a clear motive or reason why,\" Clark County Undersheriff Kevin McMahill said. \"We have looked at literally everything.\"\nThe FBI announced that billboards would go up around the city asking anyone with information to phone 800-CALL-FBI.\n___\nA casino regular, quiet but prickly, unleashes a rampage\nLAS VEGAS (AP) - Stephen Paddock usually kept a cigar at hand, even though he didn't smoke. But he was quick to notice when somebody sat down beside him and lit up.\nThen Paddock, a denizen of hazy casinos, would take out his cigar, light it and carefully aim its smoke back into the faces of those whose puffing annoyed him.\n\"He was the king of microaggression,\" his brother, Eric, said.\nLast week, Stephen Paddock returned to the Las Vegas Strip, where he spent many hours and thousands of dollars at high-limit video poker machines, and eyed the fun-seekers crowding his oasis. But this time he did so from a 32nd floor casino hotel suite. Then he smashed open a pair of windows with a hammer and opened fire with a carefully assembled arsenal, murdering 58 fans gathered at an outdoor country music concert and injuring 500 more before killing himself.\nInvestigators and those who knew the 64-year-old former accountant and real estate investor say they cannot fathom what drove him to slaughter. Authorities, who have been trying to track Paddock's movements before the massacre, say there is evidence he also scoped out recent music festivals in Chicago and Boston. So far, though, they say there is no indication that any one incident or grievance turned the sometimes prickly high-stakes gambler into an executioner.\n___\nTrump's one-two punch hits birth control, LGBT rights\nWASHINGTON (AP) - In a one-two punch elating religious conservatives, President Donald Trump's administration is allowing more employers to opt out of no-cost birth control for workers and issuing sweeping religious-freedom directions that could override many anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people and others.\nAt a time when Trump finds himself embattled on many fronts, the two directives - issued almost simultaneously on Friday - demonstrated the president's eagerness to retain the loyalty of social conservatives who make up a key part of his base. Leaders of that constituency were exultant.\n\"President Trump is demonstrating his commitment to undoing the anti-faith policies of the previous administration and restoring true religious freedom,\" said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council.\nLiberal advocacy groups, including those supporting LGBT and reproductive rights, were outraged.\n\"The Trump administration is saying to employers, 'If you want to discriminate, we have your back,'\" said Fatima Goss Graves, president of National Women's Law Center.\n___\nUS states declare emergency ahead of Tropical Storm Nate\nMEXICO CITY (AP) - Tropical Storm Nate gained force as it sped toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula Friday after drenching Central America in rain that was blamed for at least 21 deaths. Forecasters said it was likely to reach the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane over the weekend.\nLouisiana and Mississippi officials declared states of state of emergency and Louisiana ordered some people to evacuate coastal areas and barrier islands ahead of its expected landfall Saturday night or early Sunday. Evacuations began at some offshore oil platforms in the Gulf.\nMississippi's government said it would open 11 evacuation shelters in areas away from the immediate coast, with buses available for people who can't drive.\nThe U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that Nate could raise sea levels by 4 to 7 feet (1.2 to 2.1 meters) from Morgan City, Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border. It had already had caused deadly flooding in much of Central America.\nThe center added metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain to its latest hurricane warning.\n___\nUS back on track for World Cup, Pulisic leads rout of Panama\nORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Teenage star Christian Pulisic scored with a brilliant touch to complete a field-length attack just eight minutes in, then split the defense with a pass that set up Jozy Altidore for the first of the forward's two goals and put the United States back on track for next year's World Cup with a 4-0 rout of Panama on Friday night.\nPulisic fed Altidore for a 2-0 lead in the 19th. Altidore converted a penalty kick with a chip in the 43rd after Bobby Wood was fouled, and Wood added a goal in the 63rd.\nThe U.S. ended a three-match winless streak in qualifying and with 12 points and moved two points ahead of Panama into third place - the last automatic berth - in the North and Central American and Caribbean region. Honduras has nine points going into its match Saturday at Costa Rica, which is second with 15.\nGoal difference means the Americans put themselves in great shape to reach an eighth straight World Cup, almost certainly with a win Tuesday at Trinidad and Tobago and likely with a draw if Honduras fails to win Saturday. The U.S. is plus-five to minus-two for Panama and minus-seven for Honduras.\nThe region's fourth-place team advances to a playoff next month against Australia or Syria.\n___\nWeinstein on 'indefinite leave' during harassment inquiry\nNEW YORK (AP) - Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is on indefinite leave from the company he co-founded while an internal investigation into numerous sexual harassment allegations against him is completed, The Weinstein Co.'s board of directors announced Friday.\n\"We strongly endorse Harvey Weinstein's already announced decision to take an indefinite leave of absence from the Company, commencing today,\" the board said in a statement. \"As Harvey has said, it is important for him to get the professional help for the problems he has acknowledged. Next steps will depend on Harvey's therapeutic process, the outcome of the board's independent investigation and Harvey's own personal decisions.\"\nThe announcement came a day after The New York Times reported that the co-chairman of the Weinstein Co. has over the years reached at least eight legal settlements with women over alleged harassment.\nAttorney John Kiernan of the firm Debevoise & Plimpton LLP was named the head of the investigation. The Weinstein Co. board did not give a time frame for when the investigation would be completed.\n\"We believe it is important to learn the full truth regarding the article's very serious accusations, in the interests of the Company, its shareholders and its employees,\" the company said. The statement was signed by four board members: co-chairman Bob Weinstein, who is Harvey Weinstein's brother, Tarak Ben Ammar, Lance Maerov and Richard Koenigsberg.\n___\nAP-NORC Poll: Just 24 percent say US heading right direction\nWASHINGTON (AP) - Just 24 percent of Americans believe the country is heading in the right direction after a tumultuous stretch for President Donald Trump that included the threat of war with North Korea, stormy complaints about hurricane relief and Trump's equivocating about white supremacists. That's a 10-point drop since June, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.\nThe decline in optimism about the nation's trajectory is particularly pronounced among Republicans. In June, 60 percent of Republicans said the country was headed in the right direction; now it's just 44 percent.\nThe broader picture for the president is grim, too. Nearly 70 percent of Americans say Trump isn't level-headed, and majorities say he's not honest or a strong leader. More than 60 percent disapprove of how he is handling race relations, foreign policy and immigration, among other issues.\nOverall, 67 percent of Americans disapprove of the job Trump is doing in office, including about one-third of Republicans.\nTracy Huelsman, a 40-year-old from Louisville, Kentucky, is among them. A self-described moderate Republican, Huelsman said she's particularly concerned about the \"divisiveness\" she feels the president promotes on social media.\n___\nAnalysis: Nobel says to Korea nuke players: We are watching\nBANGKOK (AP) - They couldn't award it to Kim Jong Un or Donald Trump. That much was certain.\nBut the granting of the Nobel Peace Prize to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons opened itself to a clear interpretation across Asia: When it comes to the nuclear-saturated war of words on the Korean Peninsula, attention must be paid and treaties must be signed. And it must be done in a preventative way, at top speed, before something happens that can't be undone.\nLooming in the background of the award announcement Friday was the sometimes scalding, sometimes tepid, never silent geopolitical scuffle this year between the young leader of the third-generation Pyongyang regime and the always voluble president of the United States.\nEven the Nobel committee's language keyed in on that. It sounded like a plaintive cry to push parties to the negotiating table - to fix something that's already cracked before it's completely, irreversibly shattered.\nThe head of the group listed an assortment of the world's nuclear nations when she spoke after the win. But it was easy to find significance in the two she mentioned before all others - North Korea and the United States.\n___\nIn Pacific, rising tensions evoke troubling nuclear legacy\nWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - As a young boy growing up on Bikini Atoll, Alson Kelen spent idyllic days playing on the beach and fishing.\nHis grandfather built canoes and his father tended the land. With fewer than 150 people on the remote Pacific island it was a close community, he says, with few signs of the former U.S. nuclear testing program other than the concrete bunkers he was told to avoid and the sunken ships in the lagoon.\nBut in 1978, when Kelen was 10, officials evacuated everybody. It turned out they'd been premature in declaring the Marshall Islands atoll safe again for humans. Radiation levels were still dangerously high.\nMore than 70 years after the first tests, the atoll remains contaminated today. It's part of a troubling nuclear legacy that continues to affect islands and people across the Pacific long after the U.S., Britain and France stopped their testing programs there.\nAs nuclear tensions rise in the Asia-Pacific region, Kelen and others are reflecting on that legacy anew.\n___\nHam for a watch: Venezuelans struggle with cash shortages\nCARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuelans already struggling to find food, medicine and other basic necessities have a new shortage to worry about: cash.\nTroubling shortfalls of Venezuelan bolivars are forcing many in this distressed South American nation to form long lines outside banks several times a week to withdraw what little cash is available. Others are resorting to bartering goods and services to skirt cash transactions.\n\"As if we didn't have enough problems already,\" said Roberto Granadillo, 37, a watchmaker. \"Now we can't even find bills.\"\nVenezuelan President Nicolas Maduro blames the cash crunch on mafias moving bills overseas in an attempt to derail the nation's economy, though he's presented only scant evidence to back the claim. What is certain is that the country's triple-digit inflation continues to skyrocket, meaning Venezuelans must find larger quantities of the scarce bills to purchase even relatively inexpensive items like bread or a cup of coffee - or turn to electronic transfers from their bank accounts.\nThe Venezuelan government released new, higher denomination bills in values of 500, 5,000 and 20,000 bolivars earlier this year after the currency meltdown left the country's then-largest note worth around 2 U.S. cents on the black market.", "Panama can qualify for next summer's World Cup finals by beating the United States in Orlando on Friday night.\nFollowing a loss against Costa Rica and a draw against Honduras, the Americans find themselves a point behind Panama with two games left to play.\nAs a result, the U.S. currently occupy the inter-confederation play-off spot and must at the very least avoid defeat at Orlando City Stadium to keep their hopes of finishing in the top three - and qualifying automatically - alive.\nGame USA vs Panama Date Friday, October 6 Time 19:35 ET / 00:35 BST\nTV CHANNEL & LIVE STREAM\nIn the U.S., the match will be available to watch live on television on ESPN2 and by stream via WatchESPN. It can also be watched in Spanish on Univision.\nUS TV channel Online stream ESPN2 WatchESPN\nIn the UK, the match will not be available to watch live on television or by stream.\nUK TV channel Online stream None None\nSQUADS & TEAM NEWS\nPosition USA players Goalkeepers Howard, Guzan, Rimando Defenders Beasley, Zusi, Cameron, Gonzalez, Yedlin, Besler, Orozco, Ream, Villafana Midfielders Bradley, Bedoya, Feilhaber, Nagbe, Pulisic, Acosta, Arriola, McCarty Forwards Dempsey, Altidore, Wondolowski, Wood, Agudelo\nGyasi Zardes has dropped out of the American squad due to injury, while Jordan Morris and Kelyn Rowe are also sidelined and Fabian Johnson is a surprise omission.\nBruce Arena's inclusion of five strikers and five central defenders in his squad suggests he could be leaning towards a 3-5-2 formation.\nPotential starting XI: Howard; Gonzalez, Cameron, Besler; Yedlin, Bedoya, Bradley, Villafana; Pulisic; Altidore, Dempsey.\nPosition Panama players Goalkeepers Penedo, Calderon Defenders Torres, Baloy, Machado, Davis, Ovalle, Murillo, Escobar, Vargas Midfielders Gomez, Cooper, Quintero, Godoy, Buitrago, Barcenas, Gonzalez Forwards Perez, Tejada, Torres, Arroyo, Nurse\nPanama are unlikely to make major changes to the side that beat Trinidad & Tobago 3-0 last time out, though captain Felipe Baloy could come back into the lineup.\nPotential starting XI: Calderon; Murillo, Torres, Baloy, Ovalle; Quintero, Gomez, Godoy, Barcenas; Perez, Torres.\nBETTING & MATCH ODDS\nUSA are 8/15 favourites to win, according to dabblebet, with Panama priced at 5/1 and the draw available at 13/5.\nClick here to view dabblebet's full selection of available match markets.\nGAME PREVIEW\nThe table looks perilous for the United States, with Panama a point ahead of them and Mexico and Costa Rica well out of reach with just two games to play.\nBut while it certainly has not been a smooth qualification process for the Americans, their fate remains in their own hands.\nIf Bruce Arena's side can win this match, things look a lot better: they face the weakest team still left at this stage, Trinidad & Tobago, in their final match while Panama host Costa Rica, who have only lost away at Mexico.\nA USA team that has won two of their eight qualifying games so far, though, can certainly not afford to be relaxed.\nHaving to play through the play-off would be a nightmare for the States, with the scheduled dates clashing with crucial MLS postseason matches the likes of Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore are expecting to be involved in.\nIt would also not say much about the ability of this team to make any noise in Russia next year.", "Almost as badly as they needed a result and the accompanying three points, the U.S. national team needed to put forth a performance that once again inspired confidence — not only for USMNT fans, but for themselves as well.\nSimply put, Bruce Arena’s bunch responded in a manner that left absolutely nothing to chance. Christian Pulisic and Jozy Altidore will (rightly) garner all the headlines, but they were far from the only standouts on Friday night…\n[ RECAP: USMNT routs Panama to boost World Cup dreams in a big way ]\nGK — Tim Howard: 6 — Asked to make only two saves on the night, but he did so with relative (to the 2014 game against Belgium, at least), and staked his claim to the no. 1 shirt after being selected ahead of Brad Guzan once again. It might just be a godsend the Colorado Rapids won’t sniff the MLS playoffs this year, as he’ll be 39 before next summer’s tournament kicks off.\nRB — DeAndre Yedlin: 7 — So that’s what it’s like to have a right back who’s meant to be playing right back. I’ve defended Graham Zusi, Right Back, on a number of occasions (and I’ll continue to do so), but there’s no two ways about it: Yedlin, at age 24, is the right back of the present and the future. In a game that got a little too stretched for most Americans’ liking, his recovery speed snuffed out would-be chances before they could be taken on a number of occasions.\nCB — Omar Gonzalez: 5 — I think Gonzalez could be good — I really do — in the right system which features a midfield that sits deep and clogs the space in front of him and beside him. Unfortunately for Omar, a midfield diamond where only one of the four actually plays centrally isn’t that. As an opposing attacker, face him up one-on-one, and enjoy.\nCB — Matt Besler: 6 — Didn’t struggle as badly as Gonzalez, mostly because he’s more accustomed to playing in open space, but playing alongside Gonzalez really highlights his most problematic deficiency: a minor lack of pace and athleticism. A healthy Geoff Cameron should complement Besler very well, should the two partner one another between Tuesday and next summer.\nLB — Jorge Villafaña: 5.5 — What’s to say about the left back position right now? Villafaña will continue to play there because no better option exists. If the midfield can remain solid in possession as they were in this one, limiting the direct counters thrown at him, he can pretty regularly avoid being a net-negative.\n[ WONDERBOY: Pulisic puts USMNT 1-0 up after 8′ ]\nCM — Michael Bradley: 6 — He was asked to do a lot in this one — run the entire middle third of the field as the only truly central midfielder — which he struggled to juggle at times in the first half, but that’s an impossible ask. He doesn’t need to be a 9/10 performer every night for the USMNT succeed. In fact, they need him to play a smaller part more frequently, and allow every one else to carry their own weight. He can still be Superman when it’s asked of him, but it’s not necessary all the time.\nCM — Paul Arriola: 7 — Every team needs a Paul Arriola. The defensive cover he provided down the right side allowed Yedlin ample freedom to venture forward and stretch the field. His relentless pressing and winning of 50-50 balls makes for an uneasy evening for any opposition midfielder, and most importantly, takes that responsibility off Bradley’s plate, allowing him to sit deeper, read the game and dictate tempo.\nCM — Darlington Nagbe: 6.5 — *checks boxscore* *checks boxscore again* Yup, Nagbe did indeed play on Friday. Nominally deployed as a shuttler in a diamond(-ish) midfield, it’s not the worst thing in the world to go unnoticed. He remains tidy with his passing and forever an outlet when Bradley is harried. You can make the case he’s “too talented” for such a role, but at this point in time, this is his role and he’s done it masterfully.\nCM — Christian Pulisic: 9 — 10/10 ratings are reserved for hat tricks (or three goals and assists combined, at the very least), so the wonderboy checks in with a 9/10 for the parts he played in the first (scoring) and second (assisting) goals, plus the attention (and fouls) he now commands are truly game-changing for everyone else in the attacking third.\n[ MORE: Pulisic to Altidore for USMNT’s second goal (video) ]\nFW — Bobby Wood: 7 — Wood’s partnership with Altidore has required some kinks be worked out over the course of the last year, but Friday’s game showed what so many thought possible for the duo: Altidore drops into midfield to 1) pulling center backs out of shape; 2) be the playmaker that he is, and Wood capitalizes on that space by running the channels until his lungs explode. Every goal that Wood scores is oh so deserved.\nFW — Jozy Altidore: 9 — Also, no 10/10 when one of the three is a penalty. So sorry, Sir Josmer. I’m not really sure what more needs to be said. When healthy, and in the form of his life as he is right now, Altidore is an impossible nightmare.\nThese next 12 months are Jozy's 12 months. The 12 months we've been waiting for for almost 12 years. I just feel it. #USMNT — Andy Edwards (@AndyEdMLS) October 7, 2017\nSUB — Dax McCarty: 6.5 — Arena brought him on just before the hour mark to 1) save Pulisic’s life; 2) plant someone alongside Bradley at the base of midfield. McCarty accomplished a ton in his 33 minutes on the field, winning the ball back eight times, connecting just about every one of his passes, and threading an inch-perfect through ball to Arriola late in the game.\nSUB — Clint Dempsey: 5.5 — The thought of Dempsey as a late-game super-sub next summer should provide all USMNT fans with a wealth of hope and excitement. Provided he remains accepting of the role, he will change one or two games in unbelievably meaningful ways.\nSUB — Alejandro Bedoya: 5.5 — Only got 10 minutes, but continues to make his case as a lock-down central midfielder who offers more than most think when he surges forward.\nFollow @AndyEdMLS", "The U.S. men's national team's back is against the wall in World Cup qualifying, but it has a chance to seize control of its own destiny when it hosts Panama at Orlando City Stadium in Florida (7:35 p.m. ET, ESPN2, Univision).\nThe USA enters the day in fourth place in CONCACAF's World Cup qualifying table, with the top three assured berths in Russia 2018 and fourth place sent to an intercontinental playoff against either Australia or Syria. In order to avoid the latter–or worse, miss out altogether–Bruce Arena's side must bounce back at home, where it's uncharacteristically dropped two qualifiers during the Hex. The Americans trail third-place Panama by a point and cannot cement an eight-straight berth with a win, while Panama can clinch its first World Cup berth with a win over the United States and a Honduras draw or loss vs. Costa Rica on Saturday.\nNine U.S. players enter the day on card accumulation watch, with another yellow card ruling any of Kellyn Acosta, Paul Arriola, DaMarcus Beasley, Alejandro Bedoya, Matt Besler, Michael Bradley, Geoff Cameron, Clint Dempsey and DeAndre Yedlin out of Tuesday's qualifying finale at Trinidad & Tobago.\nChristian Pulisic sparked an early moment of promise for the United States, nutmegging a defender in the center of the park before spraying it left for Jozy Altidore, but the forward's chance from 18 yards was blocked in the third minute.\nThe USA maintained its early pressure and nearly went ahead through Bobby Wood, the late-game hero of the previous qualifier against Honduras. After a corner kick, Darlington Nagbe found wood in the center of the box with a cross from the left, but the Hamburg forward pulled his hurried chance just wide of the right post in the sixth minute.\nHere is who is starting in Orlando:\nStay tuned here for updates and highlights of goals and key plays from this vital match.\nHere are the rosters for both teams:\nUSA\nGOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)\nDEFENDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), Tim Ream (Fulham), Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)\nMIDFIELDERS: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Paul Arriola (D.C. United), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Dax McCarty (Chicago Fire), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund)\nFORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg)\nPANAMA\nGOALKEEPERS: José Calderón (Marathón), Jaime Penedo (Dynamo Bucharest)\nDEFENDERS: Felipe Baloy (Municipal), Érick Davis (Dunajská Streda), Fidel Escobar (New York Red Bulls), Adolfo Machado (Houston Dynamo), Michael Murillo (New York Red Bulls), Luis Ovalle (Deportes Tolima), Román Torres (Seattle Sounders FC), Jan Carlos Vargas (Tauro)\nMIDFIELDERS: Édgar Bárcenas (Tapachula), Ricardo Buitrago (Juan Aurich), Armando Cooper (Toronto FC), Aníbal Godoy (San Jose Earthquakes), Gabriel Gòmez (Atlético Bucaramanga), José González (Árabe Unido), Alberto Quintero (Universitario)\nFORWARDS: Abdiel Arroyo (Danubio), Roberto Nurse (Zacatecas), Blas Pérez (Municipal), Luis Tejada (Universitario), Gabriel Torres (Lausanna-Sport)", "Welcome back to the TwitBag, my (almost) weekly attempt to answer, with more than 140 characters, some of the best questions I get on Twitter. Thanks to all who contributed and sorry to those whose questions I couldn't quite get to.\nIt's a big and diverse week here, with the latest round of World Cup qualifiers wrapping up, the US Open Cup stealing headlines, MLS returning with a full slate this weekend, and an important debut for Canada.\nLet's dive in with that last bit:\nDid Alphonso Davies show more in 20 mins for #CanMNT than Cyle Larin has shown in all his matches combined? — Vancouver Armada (@VancouverArmada) June 14, 2017\nThis is a very \"Vancouver\" way to frame the question. Canadian fans are understandably a bit worried about Cyle Larin's yips in front of net – he's got just one goal since 2015 – but the dude's already scored three times in World Cup qualifying and he's just 22 years old. If they sort the midfield out behind him and get him consistent service, I've little doubt that Larin will be the most productive forward in Canadian history.\nAlphonso Davies is, of course, one of the big keys to sorting out said midfield. The 17-year-old dual-national made his Canadian debut last night in a 2-1 win over Curaçao, and while that didn't cap-tie him, it's safe to assume he'll be on the final roster for next month's Gold Cup. That will cap-tie him, the second he steps on the field. And he will be very good for them for a very long time.\nElsewhere in CONCACAF...\nIs Roman Torres just having an off couple months or do you think his less than stellar form is the new norm? — Thomas DeLorenzo (@tmdelorenzo) June 14, 2017\nThe Sounders center back scored a late goal for Panama in their soul-crushing 2-2 home draw against Honduras (a result that seriously helps the USMNT's chances of qualifying for next summer's World Cup, which are now up to 91 percent according to Paul Carr). Torres's goal was a well-taken striker's goal, of all things, but he once again looked slow both physically and mentally in defense. For both club and country, the 31-year-old has been nowhere near the presence he was last year.\nDefenders go through slumps, just like strikers and midfielders and goalkeepers, so this could just be that. And 31 isn't \"old\" – Torres should have another couple of years left in his legs.\nBut when the Sounders braintrust start talking about the need to get younger and more athletic in central defense, and their disappointment at how flaccid the team has been this year... there's no writing that's necessarily on the wall as of yet. Warning shots, however, have been fired. And don't be super-surprised if we see 18-year-old Homegrown center back Sam Rogers, who just signed with S2 and went the distance in Seattle's 2-1 win over Portland in Open Cup action last night, pushing for minutes with the full MLS side by the end of the year.\nThere's much more US Open Cup action tonight, including the annual NY Derby. A lot of these games are annual affairs now because of the regionalization of the tournament, which has prompted no end of discussion across various social media channels.\nWith all due respect to that particular game, and to the Orlando City vs. Miami FC game, and to the San Jose Earthquakes vs. San Francisco Deltas game (which I'll be attending – come say hi if you're around), the one that's caught my interest the most is the first-ever official meeting between FC Cincinnati of the USL and Columbus Crew SC. It looks like there could be close to 30,000 people in attendance at Nippert Stadium – including a couple-thousand traveling fans for Columbus – which would make it one of the largest US Open Cup crowds in the 100-plus year history of the tournament.\nIf the current state of the USOC was a stock, would you buy or sell? — Oh, it's THAT guy (@GeoffTebbetts) June 14, 2017\nBuy. The tournament will set another overall attendance record this year, the play continues to improve, and there are more soccer specific stadia popping up every year, which makes for a better viewing experience. With the top flight (MLS) continuing to expand, and the D2 leagues growing at a rapid rate, and at least one D3 aiming to come online within the next couple of years, there will be more games in more parts of the country and that exposes the tournament to more fans, which leads to more overall interest.\nBuy. Buy buy buy.\nIs the gap between lower divs and MLS closing? When should \"upsets\" not be surprising given squad rotation and nonMLS teams \"playing up\"? — Benjamin Bellman (@BenInquiring) June 14, 2017\nThe gap has actually grown quite a bit over the last few years as MLS budgets have grown (thanks, TAM!) and as teams have gotten more and better contributors out of their academies. When Kellyn Acosta is out on international duty, FC Dallas can turn to Victor Ulloa. When Felipe needs a rest, the New York Red Bulls can turn to Dan Metzger (who was one of the best defensive midfielders in all of USL over the last few years). When Toronto FC need to win a second leg outright, they can put Victor Vazquez into the lineup from the start.\nThat doesn't mean upsets will no longer happen, and that doesn't mean the current gap between leagues is permanent. But the lower levels really do need to stabilize before they'll start to narrow the gap.\nEveryone should be rooting for that stability, by the way. One of the best ways for soccer to continue to grow in the US and Canada is for there to be a robust domestic transfer market going in both directions.\nIs 4231 with an Acosta/Pulisic/Bradley midfield triumvirate the go-to against \"strong\" teams until proven otherwise? — Kevin Chan (@kjchanusmnt) June 14, 2017\nKelyn Acosta was really good for the US against Mexico, and he's been a must-watch player for FC Dallas since about midway through the 2015 season. His ability to play both sides of the ball, to cover ground within the structure of the team, to spread the field with either foot... he does seem like a perfect piece to fit next to Michael Bradley in support of Pulisic.\nThat said, we've yet to see those guys get an extended run together in a 4-2-3-1 so we should hold off on assuming they'll be the go-to group, or that'll be the go-to formation. Bruce Arena has preferred a 4-1-3-2 in his two home qualifiers, used a box-ish 4-4-2 on the road at Panama, and a 5-4-1 at the Azteca on Sunday night.\nThus at the moment there does not appear to be a \"go-to.\" But if you were to lay money on those three guys being the heart of the team over the next 13 months, I don't think that'd be a dumb bet.\nWhen we play Panama in our Gold Cup opener, how close do you think the squads will be to what we saw this weekend? — Paul Calixte (@paulcalixte1) June 14, 2017\nNot very! Panama will have more regulars than the US, but it is still not going to be their complete team.\nAs for Arena's group, this is very clearly going to be a \"B\" squad. None of the prominent Europe-based players will be involved, and most of the regulars who are based in MLS will also get a break. This tournament is going to be used to see if Dax McCarty is the right guy to back up Bradley at d-mid, or if Matt Hedges can lead a back line at the international level, or if someone can finally unseat DaMarcus Beasley on the left back depth chart, etc. etc.\nIt's about filling out spaces around the core group, tinkering with formations, and maybe discovering a difference-maker in the process. I have what are maybe unrealistically high hopes in that regard for Hedges, Kelyn Rowe and Juan Agudelo. If these guys play up to their abilities then the US can win a trophy, and there's no better argument to make for yourself than that.\nBased on Bruce's comments via @GrantWahl , Who's your starting XI for the gold cup? — Christopher Kerr (@kerrc17) June 14, 2017\nThe relevant quote from Grant Wahl's latest piece, here:\nWhen asked how many players on the Gold Cup roster will come from his best possible U.S. roster, Arena said: “Almost none. Very few. Maybe [Omar] González and [Matt] Besler. Maybe [Clint] Dempsey and [Jozy] Altidore at some point. [Darlington] Nagbe is a possibility.\"\nBruce has been known to fib a little bit in the past, so it's hard to take everything he listed above completely at face value. But I do believe that he wants to give his regulars time to rest, wants to address a few needs (McCarty's performance is probably the biggest thing to keep an eye on, while Rowe probably has a chance to win a job as the back-up No. 10 here), and wants to see if Acosta can run the show in central midfield.\nWith that in mind, here's my USMNT XI for the opener on July 8 against Panama:\nFire away in the comments below. I'll be around for the bantz.", "Trump’s one-two punch hits birth control, LGBT rights\nWASHINGTON (AP) — In a one-two punch elating religious conservatives, President Donald Trump’s administration is allowing more employers to opt out of no-cost birth control for workers and issuing sweeping religious-freedom directions that could override many anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people and others.\nAt a time when Trump finds himself embattled on many fronts, the two directives — issued almost simultaneously on Friday — demonstrated the president’s eagerness to retain the loyalty of social conservatives who make up a key part of his base. Leaders of that constituency were exultant.\n“President Trump is demonstrating his commitment to undoing the anti-faith policies of the previous administration and restoring true religious freedom,” said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council.\nLiberal advocacy groups, including those supporting LGBT and reproductive rights, were outraged.\n“The Trump administration is saying to employers, ‘If you want to discriminate, we have your back,”‘ said Fatima Goss Graves, president of National Women’s Law Center.\n——\nStymied police seek help in uncovering Vegas gunman’s motive\nLAS VEGAS (AP) — After five days of scouring the life of Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock and chasing 1,000 leads, investigators confessed Friday they still don’t know what drove him to mass murder, and they announced plans to put up billboards appealing for the public’s help.\nIn their effort to find any hint of his motive, investigators were looking into whether he was with a prostitute days before the shooting, scrutinizing cruises he took and trying to make sense of a cryptic note with numbers jotted on it found in his hotel room, a federal official said.\nSo far, examinations of Paddock’s politics, finances, any possible radicalization and his social behaviour — typical investigative avenues that have helped uncover the motive in past shootings — have turned up little.\n“We still do not have a clear motive or reason why,” Clark County Undersheriff Kevin McMahill said. “We have looked at literally everything.”\nThe FBI announced that billboards would go up around the city asking anyone with information to phone 800-CALL-FBI.\n——\nUS states declare emergency ahead of Tropical Storm Nate\nMEXICO CITY (AP) — Tropical Storm Nate gained force as it sped past Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula late Friday after drenching Central America in rain that was blamed for at least 21 deaths. Forecasters said it was likely to reach the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane over the weekend.\nLouisiana and Mississippi officials declared states of state of emergency and Louisiana ordered some people to evacuate coastal areas and barrier islands ahead of its expected landfall Saturday night or early Sunday. Evacuations began at some offshore oil platforms in the Gulf.\nMississippi’s government said it would open 11 evacuation shelters in areas away from the immediate coast, with buses available for people who can’t drive.\nThe U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that Nate could raise sea levels by 4 to 7 feet (1.2 to 2.1 metres) from Morgan City, Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border. It had already had caused deadly flooding in much of Central America.\nThe centre added metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain to its latest hurricane warning.\n——\nWeinstein on ‘indefinite leave’ during harassment inquiry\nNEW YORK (AP) — Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is on indefinite leave from the company he co-founded while an internal investigation into numerous sexual harassment allegations against him is completed, The Weinstein Co.’s board of directors announced Friday.\n“We strongly endorse Harvey Weinstein’s already announced decision to take an indefinite leave of absence from the Company, commencing today,” the board said in a statement. “As Harvey has said, it is important for him to get the professional help for the problems he has acknowledged. Next steps will depend on Harvey’s therapeutic process, the outcome of the board’s independent investigation and Harvey’s own personal decisions.”\nThe announcement came a day after The New York Times reported that the co-chairman of the Weinstein Co. has over the years reached at least eight legal settlements with women over alleged harassment.\nAttorney John Kiernan of the firm Debevoise & Plimpton LLP was named the head of the investigation. The Weinstein Co. board did not give a time frame for when the investigation would be completed.\n“We believe it is important to learn the full truth regarding the article’s very serious accusations, in the interests of the Company, its shareholders and its employees,” the company said. The statement was signed by four board members: co-chairman Bob Weinstein, who is Harvey Weinstein’s brother, Tarak Ben Ammar, Lance Maerov and Richard Koenigsberg.\n——\nExtra special: Indians edge Yankees 9-8 in 13, take 2-0 lead\nCLEVELAND (AP) — They’ve won this season in almost every way imaginable: comebacks, walk-offs, blowouts, nail-biters.\nNo. 104 for the Cleveland Indians topped them all.\nYan Gomes singled home Austin Jackson from second base with none out in the 13th inning as Cleveland rallied from five runs down to stun the New York Yankees 9-8 on Friday and snatch a 2-0 lead in the AL Division Series.\nDespite an atrocious start by ace Corey Kluber, losing slugger Edwin Encarnacion with a severely sprained ankle in the first and facing the possibility of playing their final game at home, the Indians, with some help from a call that went their way, continued a charmed season growing more and more special by the day.\n“The tendency of this team is to never give up,” Kluber said. “Even when we were down 8-3, we didn’t believe the game was over. We never feel like we’re out of a game.”\n——\nAP-NORC Poll: Just 24 per cent say US heading right direction\nWASHINGTON (AP) — Just 24 per cent of Americans believe the country is heading in the right direction after a tumultuous stretch for President Donald Trump that included the threat of war with North Korea, stormy complaints about hurricane relief and Trump’s equivocating about white supremacists. That’s a 10-point drop since June, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.\nThe decline in optimism about the nation’s trajectory is particularly pronounced among Republicans. In June, 60 per cent of Republicans said the country was headed in the right direction; now it’s just 44 per cent.\nThe broader picture for the president is grim, too. Nearly 70 per cent of Americans say Trump isn’t level-headed, and majorities say he’s not honest or a strong leader. More than 60 per cent disapprove of how he is handling race relations, foreign policy and immigration, among other issues.\nOverall, 67 per cent of Americans disapprove of the job Trump is doing in office, including about one-third of Republicans.\nTracy Huelsman, a 40-year-old from Louisville, Kentucky, is among them. A self-described moderate Republican, Huelsman said she’s particularly concerned about the “divisiveness” she feels the president promotes on social media.\n——\nAnalysis: Nobel says to Korea nuke players: We are watching\nBANGKOK (AP) — They couldn’t award it to Kim Jong Un or Donald Trump. That much was certain.\nBut the granting of the Nobel Peace Prize to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons opened itself to a clear interpretation across Asia: When it comes to the nuclear-saturated war of words on the Korean Peninsula, attention must be paid and treaties must be signed. And it must be done in a preventative way, at top speed, before something happens that can’t be undone.\nLooming in the background of the award announcement Friday was the sometimes scalding, sometimes tepid, never silent geopolitical scuffle this year between the young leader of the third-generation Pyongyang regime and the always voluble president of the United States.\nEven the Nobel committee’s language keyed in on that. It sounded like a plaintive cry to push parties to the negotiating table — to fix something that’s already cracked before it’s completely, irreversibly shattered.\nThe head of the group listed an assortment of the world’s nuclear nations when she spoke after the win. But it was easy to find significance in the two she mentioned before all others — North Korea and the United States.\n——\nIn Pacific, rising tensions evoke troubling nuclear legacy\nWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — As a young boy growing up on Bikini Atoll, Alson Kelen spent idyllic days playing on the beach and fishing.\nHis grandfather built canoes and his father tended the land. With fewer than 150 people on the remote Pacific island it was a close community, he says, with few signs of the former U.S. nuclear testing program other than the concrete bunkers he was told to avoid and the sunken ships in the lagoon.\nBut in 1978, when Kelen was 10, officials evacuated everybody. It turned out they’d been premature in declaring the Marshall Islands atoll safe again for humans. Radiation levels were still dangerously high.\nMore than 70 years after the first tests, the atoll remains contaminated today. It’s part of a troubling nuclear legacy that continues to affect islands and people across the Pacific long after the U.S., Britain and France stopped their testing programs there.\nAs nuclear tensions rise in the Asia-Pacific region, Kelen and others are reflecting on that legacy anew.\n——\nIn book, Ivana Trump relives divorce from future president\nNEW YORK (AP) — A new book from Donald Trump’s first wife pulls back the curtain on a tumultuous period of the president’s life, including the messy divorce that was splashed across New York’s tabloids for weeks.\nIvana Trump, who was married to the real estate magnate from 1977 to 1992, writes in “Raising Trump” that she knew her marriage was over soon after a day in December 1989.\n“This young blonde woman approached me out of the blue and said ‘I’m Marla and I love your husband. Do you?”‘ writes Ivana Trump. “I said ‘Get lost. I love my husband.’ It was unladylike but I was in shock.”\nTrump’s public affair with Marla Maples spawned the infamous “Best Sex I’ve Ever Had” headline in the New York Post in 1990. After divorcing his first wife, Trump married Maples in 1993.\n“Raising Trump” is set to be released next week. The Associated Press purchased an early copy.\n——\nUS back on track for World Cup, Pulisic leads rout of Panama\nORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Christian Pulisic burst up the field, scoring with a brilliant touch to complete an 11-second, breakneck, field-length attack just eight minutes in.\nThen his cross found Jozy Altidore’s right foot like an arrow striking a bull’s-eye , leading to a two-goal lead in the 19th minute.\nExhale, U.S. fans.\nAltidore converted a penalty kick with a chip in the 43rd after Bobby Wood was fouled, Wood added a goal in the 63rd and the United States routed Panama 4-0 on Friday night to put the Americans back on track to reach next year’s World Cup.\n“We needed a win, but the job’s not done,” Pulisic said." ]

[ "SkyPixel, the world’s most popular aerial photography community run in cooperation with DJI, has selected some of the best aerial stories submitted to the 2017 SkyPixel Photo Storytelling Contest.\nFrom a crystal selfie in the middle of Lake Baikal to witnessing a polar bear hunt in Nunavut, each photo is a story in itself, providing audiences with fresh perspectives of the world we live in. These photos not only represent some of the best work submitted to the contest thus far but also capture key moments of 2017 as the year comes to an end.\nThe 2017 SkyPixel Photo Storytelling Contest continues to welcome entries until December 29, 2017. Participants can submit their photos to three different categories – Landscape, Portrait, and Story (which requires a series of photos taken from the ground and in the air), for a chance to win up to 15K USD worth of prizes.\n“The SkyPixel platform has become a gathering place for aerial photographers, creators and artists, to share, to inspire and to provide us with unique perspectives of the world,” said Danny Zheng, DJI’s Vice President of Marketing, “With the new ‘Story’ category, we hope to provide participants more creative freedom and a chance to curate their story. The entries we’ve seen so far have exceeded our expectations and we hope they will also serve as inspirations for others who plan to take part.”\nThe final winners will be announced on January 31, 2018. This year’s Grand Prize winner will receive prizes worth approximately 15k USD, including a DJI Inspire 2 with Zenmuse X7 DL-S 16mm F2.8 ND ASPH, an iPhone X 256G, a Nikon D850 FX-format Digital SLR Camera Body, a Lowepro Pro Runner RL x450 AW II, a Manfrotto MKBFRC4-BH Befree Carbon Fiber Tripod with Ball Head, and more.\nProfessional and Enthusiast groups will have a First, Second and Third Prize in each category, with rewards up to 7,000 USD. SkyPixel will also give out a Popular Prize reward to the top ten most liked entries and an additional nine will stand to win Nominated Entries rewards.\nVisit SkyPixel for more details." ]

[ "Cameras capture stories, but give a camera wings and you get something like the list of winners from the Skypixel 2017 Photo Story Contest. The 44,000-plus submissions make the contest the largest of its kind in the world, representing aerial photographers from 141 countries. Earlier this week, Skypixel announced French photographer Florian Ledoux took top prize for his overhead shot of a polar bear crossing between ice floes.\nLedoux took the shot in Nunavut, Canada. Calling the image “Above the Polar Bear,” the photographer used a Phantom 4 Pro to capture the bright turquoise waters contrasting with the white of the bear and the ice floes. Ledoux took the image while reporting on wildlife in the area, a project which also included travel to Greenland.\n“I have witnessed incredible moments and scenes of the wild but I can guarantee you that this, by far, is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” Ledoux said, “I hope that future generations will still be able to witness the beauty and grandeur of the Arctic wildlife the same way we do today.”\nFor taking that top title, Ledoux takes home a DJI Inspire 2 along with other prizes from the contest’s sponsors with a value over $15,000. Winners were determined by a group of judges including photographers as well as filmmakers and creative directors.\n“There are images that might impress you with their technical mastery, and then there are images that make you feel something,” Jarrad Seng, a SkyPixel judge, said. “This photograph floored me. It’s especially poignant given the climate crisis our world is facing right now.”\nJudges also selected first, second and third prizes for each category, including landscape, portrait, and story. Categories were also split into professional and enthusiast groups, along with popular prizes and honorary nominations for the most-liked images.\nThe contest broke the record set in the previous year for the number of entries. “The SkyPixel Photo Contest of 2017 is now the world’s largest aerial photography contest, breaking the record it created in 2016,” Danny Zheng, vice president of Marketing at DJI, said in a press release. “SkyPixel was initially established to provide a platform for aerial photographers to share their creativity and unique perspectives of the world. Today, it has evolved to a global platform where we are able to document remarkable moments from once inaccessible areas of the world for future generations to witness and appreciate.”\nSkypixel is a photo-sharing platform run in conjunction with drone company DJI. After launching in 2014, the platform now has more than 7 million users and hosts several annual photo and video competitions.\nThe complete gallery of contest winners can be viewed from Skypixel’s website.", "The Cleveland Browns are still winless, but the perpetual silver lining for the Dawg Pound is the chance to add premium talent with high draft picks every offseason.\nThis year will be no different, as the Browns are not only leading the race to land 2018’s top overall pick, but should also have an additional top-10 pick courtesy of last year’s trade with the Houston Texans.\nIn the latest 2018 NFL mock draft from Bleacher Report, the Browns use those selections on two of the most recognizable names in the entire class.\nAt No. 1 overall, this mock has the Browns cutting their losses on 2017 second-round pick DeShone Kizer, replacing him with UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen. At No. 8 overall, Cleveland adds a rare talent in Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.\nRosen is one of four quarterbacks to land among the top 32 picks in this projection, followed by USC’s Sam Darnold (No. 2 overall, New York Giants), Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield (No. 13 overall, Arizona Cardinals) and Wyoming’s Josh Allen (No. 31 overall, Pittsburgh Steelers). Louisville’s Lamar Jackson and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph fail to make the cut.\nSome interesting names in this mock that we’re not used to seeing projected in the first round: Ohio State offensive tackle Jamarco Jones (No. 20 overall, Seattle Seahawks), Auburn cornerback Carlton Davis (No. 26 overall, New Orleans Saints) and Clemson offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt (No. 28 overall, Los Angeles Rams).\nJones and Hyatt are among five offensive tackles in this projection, signaling how much better this year’s class is at the position that 2017’s offering. That said, seeing those two names (along with Mississippi State’s Martinas Rankin) come off the board while Notre Dame’s Mike McGlinchey and Western Michigan’s Chukwuma Okorafor fall to Day 2 is curious, at best.\nSign up Like this article? Sign up for the The Draft Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning Success Thanks for signing up.\nYou'll be waking up a little more awesome tomorrow. Whoa! Something went wrong. Try again?\nTo check out the complete first-round projection at Bleacher Report, click here.", "As 2017 begins to draw to a close, year-end lists are starting to gain lots of momentum, which is why it's fitting that last night the Toronto Film Critics Association named their top picks of the year.\nThere's no doubt these films, many of which screened at TIFF, will be strong contenders going into the next phase of high-profile accolades including the Golden Globes and the Oscars.\nHere are the TFCA's 2017 winners by category.\nBest Picture\nWinner: The Florida Project\nRunners up:\nBest Actor\nWinner: Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread\nRunners up:\nBest Actress\nWinner: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri\nRunners up:\nBest Supporting Actor\nWinner: Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project\nRunners up:\nSam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri\nMichael Stuhlbarg, Call Me By Your Name\nBest Supporting Actress\nWinner: Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird\nRunners up:\nAllison Janney, I, Tonya\nLesley Manville, Phantom Thread\nBest Director\nWinner: Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird\nRunners up:\nPaul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread\nJordan Peele, Get Out\nBest Screenplay, Adapted or Original\nWinner: Get Out by Jordan Peele\nRunners up:\nLady Bird by Greta Gerwig\nThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri by Martin McDonagh\nBest First Feature\nWinner: Get Out, directed by Jordan Peele\nRunners up:\nLady Macbeth, directed by William Oldroyd\nWerewolf, directed by Ashley McKenzie\nBest Animated Feature\nWinner: The Breadwinner, Elevation Pictures\nRunners up:\nCoco, Disney/Pixar\nWindow Horses, Mongrel Media\nBest Foreign Language Film\nWinner: The Square, The Archive of Film Inc.\nRunners up:\nFaces Places, Cohen Media Group\nLoveless, Mongrel Media\nAllan King Documentary Film Award\nWinner: Faces Places, Cohen Media Group\nRunners up:\nJane, National Geographic\nKedi, Blue Ice Docs\nRogers Best Canadian Film Award Finalists", "One of the smartest flying cameras available is now even smarter.\nThe Skydio R1, which started shipping earlier this year for $2,500, is a \"fully autonomous flying camera\" that uses its 13 cameras to see in all directions and map its environment in real time using an Nvidia Jetson TX1 processor. Today, the company announced its first major software update for the drone, which will allow it to follow a moving vehicle all on its own. Though with a 25 mph (40 kph) top speed, you can't go all too fast while it does it.\nThe update will add four new cinematic modes -- Quarter Lead, Quarter Follow, Car Follow, Car Tripod -- as well as update the landing experience and improve the UI and Skydio Autonomy Engine's prediction system for more intelligent behavior around obstacles.", "The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.\nI reviewed a lot of incredible tech this year, so I decided to round up my 10 favorite gadgets to help you with your holiday shopping.\nI kept my descriptions of why each one made the cut brief, but I encourage you to read my full reviews if you'd like to learn more about any of these devices.\nWhile these are my personal favorites from the year, Insider Picks has many other tech-focused gift guides you can browse —tech under $25, tech under $50, tech under $100, tech gifts for women, tech stocking stuffers, tech for iPhone lovers, and tech for Android lovers, to name a few.\nHaving trouble buying gifts for everyone on your list? Check out all of our 2017 gift guides on Insider Picks.", "College football’s year of the QB\nPotentially the first three picks in the 2018 NFL draft. The reigning Heisman winner. A two-time top-four Heisman vote-getter. And that's just the half of it. Add it all up, and 2017 is truly shaping up as college's year of the quarterback. BY LUKE KNOX ", "NEW YORK (REUTERS) - Chinese drone maker SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd is tightening data security on its drones after the US Army ordered its members to stop using DJI drones because of\"cyber vulnerabilities,\" a company official told Reuters.\nThe privately held Shenzhen-based company is speeding deployment of a system that allows users to disconnect from the internet during flights, making it impossible for flight logs, photos or videos to reach DJI's computer servers, Brendan Schulman, vice president of policy and legal affairs at DJI, said in an interview on Monday (Aug 14).\nThe security measure had been in the works for several months but DJI said it is bringing it out sooner than planned because of an Army memo earlier this month that barred service members from using DJI drones.\nDJI said it has not had any communication with the Army about the issue.\nThe Army had no immediate comment. The other branches of the military have not banned the use of drones by DJI, the largest consumer drone maker with millions of the devices sold.\n\"The Army memo caused customers to express renewed concern about data security\" and prompted DJI to speed up data security changes, Schulman said.\nSome drone pilots choose to share images and video with DJI, which makes them visible on its SkyPixel website. But many businesses and government customers have raised concerns about sensitive video and pictures - such as movie footage or images of critical infrastructure - and want to ensure it is never sent to DJI, he said.\nDJI said it does not collect images, video or flight logs from users unless they share them. But turning on the new \"local data mode\" will prevent accidental syncing with DJI's servers. Its drones do not rely on an internet connection to fly.\nCutting the link between the internet and DJI's controller apps that run on tablets and mobile phones will disable updates of maps, flight restrictions and other data that the controller application receives from the internet while the drone is in use, he said.\nSchulman said DJI plans to make updates to its controller applications available by the end of September, earlier than previously planned. The new apps with local data mode may not be available in all countries if there are regulations that require pilots to have the most updated maps and information.\nDJI had about 70 per cent share of the global commercial and consumer drone market, analysts at Goldman Sachs and Oppenheimer estimated in 2016.\nGoldman analysts estimated the market, including military, to be worth more than US$100 billion (S$136 billion) over the next five years.", "Image copyright 2017 Getty Images. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.", "London: Egypt star Mohamed Salah won the prestigious BBC African Player of the Year award on Monday, rewarded for a 2017 packed with sparkling displays for Liverpool, Roma and his national team.\nThe 25-year-old topped a poll that saw a record number of votes cast after firing Egypt to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations and almost single-handedly taking Egypt to their first World Cup finals since 1990, scoring five and setting up their other two goals in qualifying.\nSalah, the Premier League`s top scorer with 13 goals, also scored 10 times in all competitions for Serie A club Roma in 2017 before making the move to Merseyside.\n\"I am very happy to win this award,\" Salah told BBC Sport.\n\"It`s always a special feeling when you win something. I feel like I had a great year, so I`m very happy.\"\nSalah beat a star-studded cast of rivals to become the third Egyptian to win the award and first since Mohamed Aboutrika picked up the gong in 2008.\nGabon`s Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Guinean Naby Keita, his future Liverpool team-mate currently at RB Leipzig, fellow Reds star Sadio Mane of Senegal and Chelsea`s Nigerian winger Victor Moses lost out to the pacy attacker, nicknamed the \"Egyptian Messi\".\n\"I want to be the best Egyptian ever so I work hard,\" added Salah, who helped with 15 goals helped Roma to their best ever points total of 87 as they finished second in Serie A last season.\n\"I always follow my own way and I want everyone in Egypt to follow my way.\"\nSalah joins African legends such as Ivorian duo Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure, the latter won it twice, as well as Liberian striker George Weah in winning the award.", "Tesla's Model X has earned top safety marks from the government (Photo: James Lipman / jameslipman.com)\nTesla's Model X luxury electric crossover has hit the spot on safety by winning top marks in crash testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.\nSkip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE USA TODAY auto writer Chris Woodyard got a chance to get behind the wheel of Tesla’s new $132,000 Model X SUV before the launch event in Fremont, Calif. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY\nThe Model X SUV was awarded the highest rating, five stars, in each of the government's three crashworthiness categories. Those include frontal, side and rollover crashes.\nThe versions of the all-wheel-drive Model X earning the top safety honor include the 60D, 75D, 90D, P90D and P100D. The Model X has yet to be tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for consideration as a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick Plus designee.\nBy comparison, the only other model currently being delivered by Tesla, the Model S sedan, earned five stars in rollover tests for the 60, 60D, 75, 75D, 90D, P90D and P100D models, but was not tested in frontal or side crash tests for an overall rating.\nIt fell short of a Top Safety Pick rating from IIHS, the testing arm of the insurance industry, but was rated acceptable in the stringent small overlap front test. It's headlights, however, like so many other models from other brands this year, were rated poor.\nTesla's closest competitor in terms of battery range, the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle, has not yet been tested under either program.\nTesla wasted no time celebrating its safety milestone for the Model X.\n\"More than just resulting in a five-star rating, the data from NHTSA's testing shows that Model X has the lowest probability of injury of any SUV it has ever tested,\" Tesla stated on its website. \"In fact, of all the cars NHTSA has every tested, Model X's overall probability of injury was second only to [the] Model S.\"\nThe California-based automaker attributed the Model X's crashworthiness to its all-electric architecture and powertrain design, including its \"rigid, fortified\" battery pack mounted beneath the floor to create an uncommonly low center of gravity for an SUV, which helps prevent rollovers.\"\nTesla said in a serious crash, Model X occupants have a 93% probability of escaping serious injury.\nRead or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2tn8QuV", "Vivint Smart Home announced it earned the No. 22 spot on Fast Company’s annual ranking of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies for 2017.\nThe magazine recognized Vivint “for opening the door to the connected home of the future” and highlighted its cross-platform approach to smart homes, the release of an AI assistant, and a partnership with Airbnb that streamlines the guest experience.\n“Innovation is a core value woven into the fabric of everything we do at Vivint Smart Home,” said Matt Eyring, chief strategy and innovation officer at Vivint Smart Home. “Each function within our company consistently looks for ways to dramatically improve our ability to lead the smart home revolution. This recognition is a strong validation of our mission to move smart home from an inaccessible ideal to a mainstream reality for every home.”\nTo complement its smart home system, the company recently launched Sky, the first true smart home assistant that leverages artificial intelligence to manage all of the devices in a connected home. Recently named the No. 1 smart home service provider in the U.S. by Strategy Analytics, Vivint is also the preferred smart home provider for Airbnb and has integrated with Amazon Echo to offer the most comprehensive voice-controlled smart home, according to the company.\n“Each year, our reporting team scours the globe to identify organizations that have been both innovative and impactful in their industry, the business world, and the larger culture,” said Robert Safian, editor and managing director of Fast Company. “Culture will keep moving, and those enterprises that move with it—that attack their missions with fearlessness—will find themselves in the strongest position to weather whatever political or economic disruption comes our way.”\nVisit www.vivint.com for more information.", "Stocks in multiple industries have shot up since Donald Trump won the presidential election on a pro-business agenda focused on corporate tax cuts and deregulation.Bank stocks have emerged as major beneficiaries, as have shares of for-profit education companies. Yet there's one sector that's benefited more than most: private prison stocks.\nContinue Reading Below\nCoreCivic (NYSE: CXW) serves as a case in point. It's the largest operator of private prisons in the United States, owning or controlling 49 correctional and detention facilities and 25 residential reentry facilities, and managing an additional 11 government-owned correctional and detention facilities.\nSince the beginning of November, shares of CoreCivic have gained 136%. And it isn't alone. The Geo Group (NYSE: GEO), another leading private prison operator, has seen its stock soar 103% over this same stretch.The S&P 500 is up only 10% since the election.\nData source: YCharts.com. Chart by author.\nStocks in other sectors have begun to give back some of their post-election gains as the challenge of getting Trump's campaign promises through Congress sinks in. In contrast, shares of private prisons have continued to be buoyed by the Justice Department's vow to crack down on crime and reduce federal oversight of state and local law enforcement agencies.\nAttorney General Jeff Sessions said in February, \"If we take the right actions now, affirm good, effective, proven law enforcement techniques, we can avoid another surge in crime rates in America.\"\nContinue Reading Below ADVERTISEMENT\nAs the market's response to Trump's victory has shown, this is music to the ears of shareholders in CoreCivic and The Geo Group.\nOffer from The Motley Fool: The 10 best stocks to buy now\nMotley Fool co-founders Tom and David Gardner have spent more than a decade beating the market. In fact, the newsletter they run,Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the S&P 500!*\nTom and David just revealed their ten top stock picks for investors to buy right now.\nClick here to get access to the full list!\n*Stock Advisor returns as of 4/3/2017.\nOffer from The Motley Fool: The 10 best stocks to buy now\nMotley Fool co-founders Tom and David Gardner have spent more than a decade beating the market. In fact, the newsletter they run, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the S&P 500!*\nTom and David just revealed their ten top stock picks for investors to buy right now.\nClick here to get access to the full list!\n*Stock Advisor returns as of 4/3/2017.\nJohn Maxfield has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.", "Tesla's Model X SUV was the overall top pick in the Automobile Association of America's 2017 Green Car Guide.\nAAA testers found the car to be the best choice among the 65 cars tested, including full-battery electrics, hybrids, alternative fuel-based cars and even fuel efficient internal combustion cars.\nIn fact, Tesla's Model S and Model X cars claimed three out of the seven top spots in the ranking — the same Model X, with the 75-kilowatt hour battery pack, also won the SUV category, and the Tesla Model S, with the 60 kWh pack, won best large car.\nAAA uses a collection of quantitative measures to evaluate cars, said Greg Brannon, director of Automotive Engineering for AAA, in an interview with CNBC. Criteria include ride quality, safety and performance, and cars are test-driven on AAA's test track in southern California.\nThe all-electric Chevy Bolt EV Premier was considered best compact, and the Ford F150 XLT Super Crew won best pickup.\nHere is the full list:", "The Chicago Bears are sitting pretty with the eighth overall pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft. With as many as four quarterbacks potentially coming off the board in the top-five selections, the Bears will have a stud position player fall gracefully into Ryan Pace’s arms.\nNFL Network’s Mike Mayock is one of the draft industry’s most respected talent evaluators. He recently published his prospect rankings, and the list of players who could fall to Chicago is impressive.\nHere’s Mayock’s top 10:\n1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State\n2. Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame\n3. Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State\n4. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia\n5. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama\n6. Derwin James, S, Florida State\n7. Sam Darnold, QB, USC\n8. Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame\n9. Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming\n10. Vita Vea, DT, Washington\nAfter eliminating the two quarterbacks — Darnold and Allen — the eight remaining players are all instant upgrades and starters for the Bears, including Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.\nThe player most likely to be Chicago’s pick from this list is Notre Dame’s Quenton Nelson, although there’s been late momentum for an upgrade in the secondary via Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick or Florida State’s Derwin James. The emergence of Adrian Amos and Eddie Jackson in 2017 makes that scenario unlikely, but in a division with Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford, it’s impossible for the Bears to have too much talent in the secondary.\nA name to keep an eye on is Nelson’s teammate, Mike McGlinchey. Mayock has him ranked No. 8, which suggests he wouldn’t think it’s a reach if Chicago were to draft him in the first round. McGlinchey has been the target of pre-draft critique, but his experience and athletic ability will appeal to NFL front offices looking for an upgrade at tackle. The Bears qualify as one of those teams.\nFor Mayock’s complete top 100, click here.", "Knowing what we know now, are you interested in the new Pixels?\nYes.\nMaybe, I'll have to see more.\nNah. View Results", "The start of the new year is finally at hand. With a very wild financial 2016 in the rear view mirror it is time once again to look forward to my potential stock picks for new month.\nStart the conversation, or Read more at Seeking Alpha.", "Our 2017 stock picks handily topped the market in the past 12 months, returning 29.8% (including dividends), against 22.8% for the Standard & Poor’s 500 index. The best performers were Toll Brothers, Apple, and Unilever. None of these companies has materially beaten earnings estimates this year, but investor sentiment has improved markedly. The stocks were too cheap 12 months ago, with Toll trading at a modest premium to book value and Apple commanding just 12 times forward earnings.\nToll is benefiting from a stronger...", "From OLED TVs to Amazon Echos to iPads, 2017 was all more about evolution than revolution on the consumer tech front. Last year's products with a bit more speed and polish was the order of the day. Of course, there were pockets of innovation, too: Consider iPhone X's Face ID and Nintendo's pick up and go Switch console.\nHere at CNET, we reviewed hundreds of products over the past 49 weeks. And now, with the year drawing to a close, it's time to highlight the ones we liked the best.\nWe've rounded up our 50-some favorite products of the year across all categories, including phones, laptops, TVs, appliances, smart home, audio -- and everything in between. The list includes nearly everything we rated 8.5 out of 10 and above, including our Editors' Choice products.\n(With two more weeks worth of reviews on deck for 2017, there's always a possibility of a late bloomer. If and when that happens, we'll add it to the list.)\nThink we missed anything? Or do you think we overpraised a product that's only so-so? Let us know in the comments.\nNow Playing: Watch this: CNET's top-rated products of 2017\nHoliday Gift Guide: CNET's full gift guide, including dozens of products priced under $25, $50 and $100\nHoliday Buyer's Guide Live: Tune in for our live show on Thursday, Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. PT, 1 p.m. ET", "On Sunday, the 1st and 2nd overall picks of the 2016 NFL draft will face off – with the potential to determine which of their teams gets a leg up in homefield advantage for the entirety of the NFC playoffs. Bills fans would love to have such a situation in Buffalo – as opposed to the near mythic strata in which many fans have placed 5th round pick Nathan Peterman. With the top 7 picks of the draft potentially having 4-5 teams interested in a signal caller – with the Browns potentially picking twice in that span – finding a partner and securing the pick pre-draft would be ideal.\nIf the NFL draft were held today, the Browns would have the No. 1 and No. 5 overall picks (via Texans in Deshaun Watson trade). — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 11, 2017\nTo get a truly transcendent player – that’s widely seen as such – a big move will need to be made in the off-season.\nHow big?\nWell, if you, like I thought trading a 1st and 4th rounder to move from 8 to 4 for Sammy Watkins was a lot – just wait.\nIf you want to do what the Rams did to get to number one (from 15th overall) The Bills will have to give up:\n1st that year, 2 2nds that year, 3rd that year and:\n1st and 3rd in the following year.\nWith their lowest 1st rounder, both seconds, and their third round pick, as well as 2019’s 1st and 3rd I would love to see the Bills make a move to get their quarterback and be done with it. You have all of them available, but to get Cleveland to part with that pick will be a possibility only if their brass, led by former Chiefs GM John Dorsey, thinks that they can get the QB they want (and they want a QB – just ask their owner!) with the 5th overall pick via Houston. If that is the case, Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott might be able to swing a deal that’s fair for both sides.\nIf you want to go with the Eagles’ route to the second overall pick, you can hop around a bit:\nThe Eagles traded their 13th overall pick and two players to Miami for the Miami 8th overall. Then, Philadelphia traded their 8th overall pick, a 3rd and 4th in 2016 as well as a 1st in 2017 and a 2nd in 2018.\nGiven the Bills mixed signals on Cordy Glenn, I would bet that’s the method they’re going to be more than willing to execute. Trading a Glenn and their lowest first, plus some sweeteners (1st in 2019 and probably more) would get them to San Francisco, Indianapolis or Chicago. However, given the competition for those spots, the question might become not what is “fair” – ala the jump from 10 to 27 with Kansas City. Rather, the question will become what is going to get one of those non-QB needy teams to say yes to a deal.\nYou also have to look at the decision makers making the picks for each team and see if there is an assumption currently in the blogosphere that may be different than the reality of draft day. Consider if you will, the New York Giants. Currently, the thought is that Eli’s days as lead signal caller are over. However, say rumored favorite to land the GM position Dave Gettleman gets the gig and thinks Eli has a few more years left in him. That adds another name to the pile – and one that has a close relationship with Bills GM Brandon Beane. Those are the sort of relationships, similar to the Chiefs – Bills trade this past draft – that can make such a big move as stress free as possible.\nPersonally? If they want a quarterback, and you know which one(s) are in the targeting sights – go after it with a ferocity unknown to man. Get into that top 2 and make sure you get your guy, and deal with surrounding him with a quality cast. And that cast needs to not revolve around never having any separation from your receivers, because you can use that to explain Taylor away, but when you get your new shiny toy and he can’t get a chance – good luck!", "A selection of work from early 2017\nTop to bottom — Kentizan for Personal Work, Jordan Coourt, Joey Bada$$ for Rolling Stone, USA Investors for Institutional Investor, Why Humans Build Upwards for TIME, 3 Seasons style guide & EMI Top 40 Hip Hop chart cover.", "While the world was dead set on saying goodbye to 2016, Fabolous and Trey Songz were in the studio cooking up something new for the New Year. The Brooklyn rapper and the Virginia singer collaborated for their joint mixtape Trappy New Years, which they released just minutes before the ball dropped in the U.S.\nOn the project, Fabolous invites Trigga Trey to lay down new vocals over 2016’s top jams like Migos’ “Bad & Boujee” Drake & Future’s “Used To This,” and Travis Scott’s “Pick Up The Phone.” There’s only six records on the project, but it serves as dope addition to your 2017 playlist as everyone begins the first business day of 2017.\nStream Fabolous and Trey Songz’ new mixtape Trappy New Years below.", "In case you missed it, here are some of Benzinga's top stories from Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017.\nThe Best Of Benzinga\nIn “Benzinga's Bulls & Bears This Past Week: Amazon, Apple, Lululemon And More,” Nelson Hem lays out some of our readers’ favorite stocks and stories from the previous week.\nGet a glimpse of the top 10 stock picks for the coming year from Barron’s panel of investing strategists.\nRelated Link: ICYMI: Digital Power Shares Sink On News, Unexpected Winners From A Tesla Report, And Will Bitcoin Go Boom Or Bust?\nProof That Advertisers Are ‘Doing It For The ‘Gram’\nJayson Derrick, in his piece, “Report: Brands Are Recognizing Instagram’s Marketing Power,” explains how the social media giant’s business profiles have fared since their introduction in 2016.\nIt’s official - in 2017 digital ad spend outmatched that of traditional television. Shanthi Rexaline breaks down the numbers and takes a look at which companies are benefiting most.", "From Petersen Media\n(December 11, 2017) – 2017 was by far a year for Shane Golobic to remember, and that is not event including his racing accolades. Amidst a rigorous schedule that saw him compete 81 times across the United States and record 10 wins and a USAC Midget Week Championship, Golobic also found time to get on one knee and propose to long time girlfriend, Sarah Wood.\n“It was a great year,” Shane Golobic said. “It was one of those busy seasons that I really didn’t grasp how great it was until it was all done, and I was able to put pen to paper and really see what we were able to accomplish. Mix that in with getting engaged to my biggest fan and great supporter, Sarah Wood, and you really have something special.”\nGolobic made waves while competing in California with the Keith Day Racing team, as well as running a full USAC Midget schedule aboard a potent Clauson-Marshall Racing midget. In some down time, Golobic was able to take part in the USAC National Sprint Car Series’ Eastern Storm aboard the Dave Ely/Gene Franckowiak machine, and even made a cameo aboard the Golobic Brothers Racing No. 57 entry one night in Placerville, CA.\nAll in all, Golobic was in action on 81 occasions, racking up 10 feature event wins, 18 second place finishes, and six third place finishes, giving him a remarkable 34 podium finishes on the season.\nWhile competing aboard the Elk Grove Ford/Keith Day Trucking/Gabilan Ag Services backed No. 22 machine, Golobic was able to pick up eight of his 10 wins including the Fall Nationals, the Silver Cup, the Pombo Sargent Classic, and was able to pick up his second career Trophy Cup Championship.\nIt was a very strong year for the Keith Day Racing team as Golobic was in action 42 times picking up 10 second place finishes, three third place finishes, 26 Top-5’s, and 36 Top-10’s to go along with his aforementioned eight wins.\nCompeting with the upstart Clauson-Marshall Racing team for his first full run at the USAC National Midget Championship, Golobic proved to be up for the challenge as he stayed in the championship hunt up until the final few races on the schedule before he officially finished in the second spot.\nTaking part in 30-races, Golobic flexed his muscle nightly as he was able to score two feature event wins including the Outlaw Showdown, 10 podium finishes, 18 Top-5’s and 26 Top-10’s.\nOne of his biggest wins of the season wasn’t a race, but it was an impressive body of work that saw him claim the ultra tough 2017 Indiana Midget Week Championship. The Fremont, CA native also put forth a great effort at the Turkey Night Grand Prix, as he scored a third place finish behind NASCAR standouts Christopher Bell, and Kyle Larson.\n“Looking back at it all, it was a really fun season, and I am extremely fortunate to be in the position that I am in with Keith Day Racing, and Clauson-Marshall Racing,” Golobic added. “We had some great partners on both teams that made it all possible, and I have to thank them all for their support. I have some of the hardest working guys in motorsports on my side, and I owe all of the success we had in 2017 to them. I am looking forward to 2018, and hopefully looking to turn some of our second place finishes into more wins.”\nGolobic continued, “I also have to thank Matt Wood and Elk Grove Ford for all of their continued support. He has really gone above and beyond supporting both the Sprint Car team and the Midget team, and I really want him to know how much I appreciate everything he does.”\nShane Golobic would like to thank Matt Wood and Elk Grove Ford, Keith Day Trucking, Gabilan Ag Services, Riley Collins Auto Body, Keizer Wheels, LRB Manufacturing, KSE, DMI, Astro Titanium, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, FK Rod Ends, and Simpson Racing Products for their continued support.", "MOSCOW, April 18 (Reuters) - En+ Group, which manages Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska's aluminium and hydro power businesses, reported 2016 adjusted core earnings of $2.3 billion on Tuesday, in its first public disclosure of financial results in two years.\nEn+, owner of a 48 percent stake in aluminium giant Rusal , is considering an initial public offering (IPO) in 2017, financial market sources told Reuters previously.\nEn+'s 2016 adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) reached $2.3 billion. Rusal accounted for $1.5 billion of that sum, and EN+'s other businesses - power operations, coal mining and logistics - accounted for $822 million.\n\"These results reflect positive trends which we have seen continuing into 2017, notably stronger aluminium pricing and growing demand for electricity in Siberia,\" Maxim Sokov, En+ chief executive, said in a statement.\nEn+'s performance was supported by an accelerated schedule for power capacity liberalisation and increased hydro power generation in Siberia. Sokov also said that he expected stronger aluminium pricing to continue in 2017 and to have a positive impact on the group's top and bottom line.\nHong Kong-listed Rusal, the world's second largest aluminium producer, is the major consumer of hydroelectricity produced by En+'s generating assets.\nEn+'s 2016 consolidated revenue totalled $9.8 billion, the group said. It did not disclose its results for 2015. It is the first public set of financial results from EN+ since it disclosed its 2014 revenues and adjusted EBITDA.\nEn+ Group is aiming to raise $2 billion by selling 20 percent of its shares during an IPO in London and possibly in Moscow, Russian newspaper Vedomosti reported in April, citing sources familiar with the matter.\nThe group picked VTB Capital, which holds a 4.35 percent in En+, as one of the arrangers for the possible sale along with U.S. banks Citi and JP Morgan and Russia's Sberbank CIB, financial market sources have told Reuters.\nVTB Capital, the investment banking arm of Russia's second biggest bank VTB, bought its stake in En+ for $500 million in 2011, valuing the entire group at $11.5 billion. ($1 = 7.7748 Hong Kong dollars) (Reporting by Polina Devitt and Anastasia Lyrchikova; editing by Jane Merriman)", "Don’t look now, but it’s 2017 and a whole lot of techies are headed to Las Vegas this week. That’s because CES 2017 is upon us, with the action set to begin as soon as January 3rd.\nIf you know anything about the industry, you know that CES is a show stage for all things tech, and history suggests that there won’t be a ton of new phones to look forward to seeing at the show. But we will get some, so let’s talk about them.\nFor starters, there’s ASUS, who is probably going to be making the most noise of the bunch. They have not one, but 2 phones confirmed to be on the way, and they should represent some of the company’s best work yet.\nThere’s the ASUS ZenFone AR , for starters. We didn’t know much about the phone ever since ASUS revealed that it would be the second commercially-available Tango phone. Thanks to a slip by Qualcomm today, though, the early word is that it’ll be sporting a Snapdragon 821 chipset and will be the first Tango phone to be Daydream compatible, and in true ASUS fashion, will be aggressively priced. We’ve also gotten word that ASUS will be parading one of the first Snapdragon 835 phones onto the stage, too, so the two will be quite busy in the week ahead.\nElsewhere, Honor has something epic to show us, Sony is probably going to have a pretty phone ruined by ugly bezels, and we can always count on a surprise or 2. The action won’t stop at CES, either, with HTC prepping a little something of their own in an independent event of theirs going down the next week.\nBut whether any of these newbies will be enough to make it onto the list of the best Android phones 2017 will have to offer is yet to be determined. Hit the link below to see how the list shapes up as we head into 2017, and let’s look forward to another year of exciting smartphone launches starting tomorrow, and see how the list shapes up.", "These are some clear favourites among investors for 2017. All things Russian and Indian are popular, as are Brazilian corporate bonds and Mexico’s cheap peso.The top calls for this year are centered on markets where the political climate is improving and assets are less vulnerable to external shocks arising from higher US borrowing costs and President-elect Donald Trump’s policy announcements.\nRussia\nFor investors that borrow in currencies with low interest rates and buy high yielding ones, Russia’s ruble is a top bet. UBS Group says the ruble’s carry trade could potentially return 26 percent over the next 12 months, the most among developing EMEA peers. Aside from having relatively high interest rates, is benefiting from rising oil prices. That helps make its equity market an “obvious candidate” for NN Investment Partners.\nSouth Africa\nSome investors see President Jacob Zuma’s power waning, boosting the appeal of South African stocks and bonds, especially given that some say the country will probably avoid a debt downgrade.\nMexico\nThe currency is the most attractive among developing Latin American peers. Not only is the peso cheap, it will benefit from a hawkish Banxico and a US presidency that’s less protectionist than expected, says Enrique Diaz-Alvarez, chief risk officer at Ebury Partners.\nBrazil\nbonds are “still cheap,” Banco do Brasil’s Coco bonds have upside and Samarco is an aggressive bet as the company will likely resume operations this year and renegotiate its bonds, says Carlos Gribel, the head of fixed income at Andbanc Brokerage in Miami.\nChile\nThe nation’s stocks will benefit from rising copper prices and the prospect of more business-friendly policies after 2017’s presidential election, according to Morgan Stanley, & Co and BTG Pactual Group.\nIndia\nGiven the possibility of a protectionist turn from the US under this year, the South Asian nation’s assets are looking increasingly attractive. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s November decision to withdraw high-denomination bills may see a slowdown and prompt more interest-rate cuts, which will be good for bonds.\nIndonesia\nIndonesia’s higher-yielding bonds are a perennial investor favourite, especially since the current-account deficit has narrowed in the past few years, making it much less vulnerable to higher US borrowing costs.", "On August 31, the Thursday of the first week of the regular season, Bovada updated its Heisman Trophy odds.\nThe Pac-12 had four contenders:\nUSC’s Sam Darnold: 9/2Washington’s Jake Browning: 18/1UCLA’s Josh Rosen: 25/1Washington State’s Luke Falk: 33/1\nStanford’s Bryce Love wasn’t on Bovada’s 21-player board.\nAdvertisement\nArizona’s Khalil Tate: Who?\nYet by season’s end, Love and Tate were the only west coast players in the discussion. (Love finished second to Baker Mayfield; Tate wasn’t a top-10 finisher.)\nThat unexpected development was, in a sense, entirely predictable: It followed the same arc as several recent Heisman journey from the west coast to Manhattan.\nPrior to the 2015 season, Cal quarterback Jared Goff was the conference’s top candidate. Christian McCaffrey, who would finish second, wasn’t so much as a third-tier candidate.\nPrior to the 2016 season, McCaffrey and Rosen were the Pac-12’s top candidates. Browning, who would finish sixth, wasn’t a reasonable consideration (or even an unreasonable one).\nThe 2017 season played out in similar fashion:\nNone of the four conference’s four contending quarterbacks finished in the top 10, while Love, a first-year starter, dominated the spotlight and Tate, a first-week non-starter, swiped a month’s worth of attention.\nAs we look to ’18, the conference has a handful of clear frontrunners: Love, Tate and Darnold, with a nod to Browning, as well.\n(I’m assuming, for the purposes of this exercise, that Rosen turns pro. Darnold and Love may, as well. But Rosen seems far more likely than not to depart.)\nBut if 2018 plays out like 2017 and 2016 and 2015, the Pac-12’s top Heisman candidate is not currently considered a top candidate.\nHere are the Hotline’s favorites to become the favorite:\n1. Oregon QB Justin Herbert.\nMight have entered the Heisman discussion in ’17 if not for the broken collarbone but, as a result, is perfectly positioned: Poised for a huge season behind four returning starters on the offensive line but free of the pressure and hype that will accompany Love, Tate and Darnold through the offseason.\nThe Ducks’ cupcake non-conference schedule won’t provide an early showcase opportunity, but Herbert’s numbers should prop up the campaign until Pac-12 play provides the necessary lift.\nWere I to bet a nickel on one player from the west coast to receive an invitation, Herbert would be the pick.\n2. USC TB Ronald Jones.\nTrojan tailbacks, like Trojan quarterbacks, have an inherent advantage in Heisman campaigns, courtesy of the seven previous winners.\nJones has rushed for 1,486 yards this season — enough to carve his own identity in the same backfield as Darnold.\nIf the latter turns pro, the spotlight shifts to Jones. If Darnold stays, the attention diminishes but the Trojans are better positioned to execute offensively.\nWhat Jones needs: Darnold to return and the coaching staff to recalibrate the offense, with the running game taking on greater significance.\n3. Washington TB Myles Gaskin.\nHaving another first-rate but attention-free season (1,282 yards). That trajectory will change in September if he produces a breakout season-opener against Auburn in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.\nWith three starters expected to return up front, the Husky offense seems well-suited for Gaskin to play a role fit for the national stage:\nIt’s well-managed and efficient with Browning in charge but not overly reliant on the aerial game.\n4. Stanford QB K.J. Costello.\nNo program in the west, including USC, has done a better job recently of producing Heisman candidates than Stanford — five runner-up finishes in nine years — and in four instances (Toby Gerhart, Andrew Luck I, McCaffrey and Love), it was a dark-horse campaign.\nCostello gained the requisite experience over the second half of the season, and produced enough big plays, to lay the foundation for a legitimate campaign.\nYes, he’d have to escape Love’s shadow. But as we saw with McCaffrey in ’16, repeat campaigns can be easily derailed.\n5. Arizona State WR N’Keal Harry.\nHuge talent who averaged 13.7 yards per reception as a freshman and has the speed and size (6-foot-4) to become an unstoppable playmaker on the perimeter if the Sun Devils become more efficient in the passing game with senior-to-be Manny Wilkins.\nThe Heisman is a difficult journey for receivers, however: Michigan’s Desmond Howard, in 1991, was the last wideout to win it.\nThat backdrop, not talent, explains Harry’s position on this list.\n*** Hotline readers: Please fill out the survey linked in this article, and thanks for the support these past few months.\n*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com\n*** Follow me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline\n*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.", "FILE PHOTO: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., July 19, 2017.\nNEW YORK (Reuters) - Momentum for domestic U.S. stock funds waned during the latest week, with investors pulling cash from those products for a sixth week out of the last seven, Investment Company Institute (ICI) data showed on Wednesday.\nThe funds posted $3.9 billion in withdrawals during the week ended Aug. 2, the trade group said, even as U.S. stocks steamed higher. The S&P 500 is on pace to deliver double-digit percent returns for seventh year in the last decade.\nInvestors say that rise has left U.S. stocks richly valued and that they have been moving to taxable bonds and international stocks. Each of those categories had a 35th straight week of inflows, according to ICI.\nTaxable bonds added $6.1 billion, while world stock funds attracted $4.2 billion.\nBond funds sold $203 billion in shares during the first half of 2017, compared to $136 billion in stocks. Of that, domestic equities took in just $4.3 billion, ICI data showed.\nPhil Bak, chief executive at ACSI Funds, said the growth in index funds that own big stakes in technology companies like Facebook Inc and Apple Inc has exacerbated fears of a top-heavy market.\n\"A lot of people feel that trade will start to unwind,\" said Bak, whose firm is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.\nBut stocks are not trading in tandem, meaning there are relative winners and losers and in the market. A CBOE S&P 500 Implied Correlation Index that uses options to measure how much markets expect stock prices to move together is trading at 31.4, compared to 57.7 on the day of the U.S. election in November, a turning point for markets.\nS&P 500 earnings for the second quarter rose an estimated 12 percent, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. But in recent days some large companies turned in disappointing results, including airlines, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it wants to reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes, hitting Altria Group's shares.\nBak said a lack of correlations between stocks creates a good environment for investors who pick equities beyond those held in the highest proportion by indexes such as the S&P 500.\n\"We think it's a pretty good environment to be in stocks,\" he said.", "BY MONTH BY MONTH Select Month April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 August 2007 July 2007 May 2007 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 December 2005 May 1990 April 1990 January 1989", "Has your dog, cat, rabbit or even skunk been groomed for success?\nThen we have good news because it’s that time of year again, when the team up with Riverside Shopping Centre to find 2017’s Prettiest Pet.\nSo whether you’ve got a dog that’s always posing for the camera, a cat who loves the attention, or a horse that’s always showing off, enter them into the competition for the chance to be crowned the Prettiest Pet in Hemel Hempstead.\nBetween now and Wednesday, March 8, you can enter as many of your pets as you like by submitting one picture of each of them plus their name via the following platforms:\n- Uploading a picture to the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/RiversideHemel;\n- Tweeting a picture to @RiversideHemel;\n- Emailing a picture to riversidehemel@shoppingcentrepr.uk;\n- Posting a picture and information to Prettiest Pet in Hemel Hempstead 2017 competition, Centre Management Suite, Unit 27, Riverside, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 1BT.\nThe top ten will be picked by the Gazette and Riverside Shopping Centre, and will be revealed on Wednesday, March 15.\nIt will then be over to you to vote for the Prettiest Pet in Hemel Hempstead 2017, with fantastic prizes including vouchers up to the value of £150 to spend at Riverside and more.\nSo whether your pets are made up of dogs and cats or rabbits and tortoises, enter them into this year’s competition! Good luck!\nFor more information and full terms & conditions, visit www.riversidehemel.com", "Tesla’s pricing and product matrix can sometimes be challenging to keep track of. Not only does one have to take into account a $7,500 federal income tax credit, but many states offer additional incentives and tax rebates that vary considerably. Tesla buyers in Colorado, for example, can take advantage of a generous $5,000 rebate on top of the aforementioned federal income tax credit. Additionally, Tesla’s own pricing scheme is constantly in-flux given that the company has an insatiable taste for tweaking the selection of features and performance capabilities across its Model S lineup.\nTo this point, Elon Musk took to Twitter this past January and said Tesla models will undergo substantial revisions every 12 to 18 months. In short, the Tesla you buy today may very well be outdated in just a few months time.\n@dtweiseth Tesla will never stop innovating. People are buying the wrong car if they expect this. There will be major revs every 12 to 18 months. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 22, 2017\nAs a prime illustration of Tesla’s ever-changing Model S lineup, the company this past summer re-introduced the Model S 60 (with a starting price of $66,000) and the Model S 60D as a means to offer prospective buyers a more affordable pricepoint. Not even a year later, Tesla announced plans to discontinue both the Model S 60 and Model S 60D in an effort to “simplify the ordering process for our customers…”\nWith the Model S 60 no longer an option for buyers, Tesla today lowered the price on the Model S 75 by a substantial amount. Whereas the entry-level Model S 75 previously cost $78,000, you can now pick up Tesla’s entry-level Model S for $69,500. In short, the entry-level Model S now costs about twice as much as the Model 3 will cost when it gets released later this year. All in all, this is a welcome change as it makes Tesla’s car lineup a bit easier to make sense of. It also firmly positions the Model 3 as Tesla’s budget-car and the Model S as the company’s flagship car, a distinction the company has been desperately trying to make more apparent over the past few weeks.\nNow if you happen to be a Tesla owner who recently purchased the Model S 60, Teslarati relays that those users can now unlock more range with an over the air software update that costs $2,000.", "Skyscanner’s co-founder and chief executive Gareth Williams is to take up a new role as chair of the Edinburgh-based travel search engine.\nWilliams will oversee the long-term strategy of the business with the chief executive’s role taken up by current chief technology officer Bryan Dove.\nSkyscanner was officially launched in 2003 and has since moved from flight comparison to include hotels and car hire. It received investment from the likes of Sequoia Capital before being acquired in late 2016 by Chinese travel site Ctrip, in a deal valued at some £1.4 billion.\nWilliams said: “I’m very excited to take on the role of chair, where more of my focus will be on [the] long-term vision. Former CTO Bryan Dove is a natural fit as my successor, having been pivotal in shaping our current strategy and structure. He has a wealth of experience and is additionally supported by a brilliant senior leadership team.”" ]

[ "On September 21, 1953, Thomas Watson, Jr., the company's president at the time, sent out a controversial letter to all IBM employees stating that IBM needed to hire the best people, regardless of their race, ethnic origin, or gender. He also publicized the policy so that in his negotiations to build new manufacturing plants with the governors of two states in the U.S. South, he could be clear that IBM would not build \"separate-but-equal\" workplaces. In 1984, IBM added sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination policy. The company stated that this would give IBM a competitive advantage because IBM would then be able to hire talented people its competitors would turn down." ]

[ "In 1952, Thomas Watson, Sr., stepped down after almost 40 years at the company helm; his son, Thomas Watson, Jr., was named president. In 1956, the company demonstrated the first practical example of artificial intelligence when Arthur L. Samuel of IBM's Poughkeepsie, New York, laboratory programmed an IBM 704 not merely to play checkers but \"learn\" from its own experience. In 1957, the FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslation) scientific programming language was developed. In 1961, Thomas J. Watson, Jr., was elected chairman of the board and Albert L. Williams became company president. The same year IBM developed the SABRE (Semi-Automatic Business-Related Environment) reservation system for American Airlines and introduced the highly successful Selectric typewriter.", "IBM's employee management practices can be traced back to its roots. In 1914, CEO Thomas J. Watson boosted company spirit by creating employee sports teams, hosting family outings, and furnishing a company band. IBM sports teams still continue in the present day; the IBM Big Blue continue to exist as semi-professional company rugby and American football teams. In 1924 the Quarter Century Club, which recognizes employees with 25 years of service, was organized and the first issue of Business Machines, IBM's internal publication, was published. In 1925, the first meeting of the Hundred Percent Club, composed of IBM salesmen who meet their quotas, convened in Atlantic City, New Jersey.", "The company originated in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) through the consolidation of The Tabulating Machine Company, the International Time Recording Company, the Computing Scale Company and the Bundy Manufacturing Company. CTR was renamed \"International Business Machines\" in 1924, a name which Thomas J. Watson first used for a CTR Canadian subsidiary. The initialism IBM followed. Securities analysts nicknamed the company Big Blue for its size and common use of the color in products, packaging and its logo.", "IBM was among the first corporations to provide group life insurance (1934), survivor benefits (1935) and paid vacations (1937). In 1932 IBM created an Education Department to oversee training for employees, which oversaw the completion of the IBM Schoolhouse at Endicott in 1933. In 1935, the employee magazine Think was created. Also that year, IBM held its first training class for female systems service professionals. In 1942, IBM launched a program to train and employ disabled people in Topeka, Kansas. The next year classes began in New York City, and soon the company was asked to join the President's Committee for Employment of the Handicapped. In 1946, the company hired its first black salesman, 18 years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1947, IBM announced a Total and Permanent Disability Income Plan for employees. A vested rights pension was added to the IBM retirement plan. During IBM's management transformation in the 1990s revisions were made to these pension plans to reduce IBM's pension liabilities.", "In 2005, the company sold its personal computer business to Chinese technology company Lenovo, and in the same year it agreed to acquire Micromuse. A year later IBM launched Secure Blue, a low-cost hardware design for data encryption that can be built into a microprocessor. In 2009 it acquired software company SPSS Inc. Later in 2009, IBM's Blue Gene supercomputing program was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by U.S. President Barack Obama. In 2011, IBM gained worldwide attention for its artificial intelligence program Watson, which was exhibited on Jeopardy! where it won against game-show champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. As of 2012[update], IBM had been the top annual recipient of U.S. patents for 20 consecutive years.", "Thomas J. Watson, Sr., fired from the National Cash Register Company by John Henry Patterson, called on Flint and, in 1914, was offered CTR. Watson joined CTR as General Manager then, 11 months later, was made President when court cases relating to his time at NCR were resolved. Having learned Patterson's pioneering business practices, Watson proceeded to put the stamp of NCR onto CTR's companies. He implemented sales conventions, \"generous sales incentives, a focus on customer service, an insistence on well-groomed, dark-suited salesmen and had an evangelical fervor for instilling company pride and loyalty in every worker\". His favorite slogan, \"THINK\", became a mantra for each company's employees. During Watson's first four years, revenues more than doubled to $9 million and the company's operations expanded to Europe, South America, Asia and Australia. \"Watson had never liked the clumsy hyphenated title of the CTR\" and chose to replace it with the more expansive title \"International Business Machines\". First as a name for a 1917 Canadian subsidiary, then as a line in advertisements. For example, the McClures magazine, v53, May 1921, has a full page ad with, at the bottom:", "IBM has 12 research laboratories worldwide, bundled into IBM Research. As of 2013[update] the company held the record for most patents generated by a business for 22 consecutive years. Its employees have garnered five Nobel Prizes, six Turing Awards, ten National Medals of Technology and five National Medals of Science. Notable company inventions or developments include the automated teller machine (ATM), the floppy disk, the hard disk drive, the magnetic stripe card, the relational database, the Universal Product Code (UPC), the financial swap, the Fortran programming language, SABRE airline reservation system, dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), copper wiring in semiconductors, the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) semiconductor manufacturing process, and Watson artificial intelligence.", "With financial support from Sanders and Hubbard, Bell hired Thomas Watson as his assistant,[N 15] and the two of them experimented with acoustic telegraphy. On June 2, 1875, Watson accidentally plucked one of the reeds and Bell, at the receiving end of the wire, heard the overtones of the reed; overtones that would be necessary for transmitting speech. That demonstrated to Bell that only one reed or armature was necessary, not multiple reeds. This led to the \"gallows\" sound-powered telephone, which could transmit indistinct, voice-like sounds, but not clear speech.", "In January 1915, Bell made the first ceremonial transcontinental telephone call. Calling from the AT&T head office at 15 Dey Street in New York City, Bell was heard by Thomas Watson at 333 Grant Avenue in San Francisco. The New York Times reported:", "As another example, she points to work by Thomas et al., who sought to distinguish between the Y chromosomes of Jewish priests (Kohanim), (in Judaism, membership in the priesthood is passed on through the father's line) and the Y chromosomes of non-Jews. Abu el-Haj concluded that this new \"race science\" calls attention to the importance of \"ancestry\" (narrowly defined, as it does not include all ancestors) in some religions and in popular culture, and people's desire to use science to confirm their claims about ancestry; this \"race science\", she argues, is fundamentally different from older notions of race that were used to explain differences in human behaviour or social status:", "In addition to films, Turner Classic Movies also airs original content, mostly documentaries about classic movie personalities, the world of filmmaking and particularly notable films. An occasional month-long series, Race and Hollywood, showcases films by and about people of non-white races, featuring discussions of how these pictures influenced white people's image of said races, as well as how people of those races viewed themselves. Previous installments have included \"Asian Images on Film\" in 2008, \"Native American Images on Film\" in 2010, \"Black Images on Film\" in 2006 \"Latino Images on Film\" in 2009 and \"Arab Images on Film\" in 2011. The network aired the film series Screened Out (which explored the history and depiction of homosexuality in film) in 2007 and Religion on Film (focusing on the role of religion in cinematic works) in 2005. In 2011, TCM debuted a new series entitled AFI's Master Class: The Art of Collaboration.", "In the year 743 the synod in Leptines (Leptines is located near Binche in Belgium) spoke out furiously against the excesses in the month of February. Also from the same period dates the phrase: \"Whoever in February by a variety of less honorable acts tries to drive out winter is not a Christian, but a pagan.\" Confession books from around 800 contain more information about how people would dress as an animal or old woman during the festivities in January and February, even though this was a sin with no small penance. Also in Spain, San Isidoro de Sevilla is written complaint in the seventh century that people coming out into the streets disguised in many cases the opposite gender.", "The king appoints the prime minister from the legislature and also appoints a minority of legislators to both chambers of the Libandla (parliament) with help from an advisory council. The king is allowed by the constitution to appoint some members to parliament for special interests. These special interests are citizens who might have been left out by the electorate during the course of elections or did not enter as candidates. This is done to balance views in parliament. Special interests could be people of gender, race, disability, the business community, civic society, scholars, chiefs and so on.", "Ideas for affirmative action came as early as the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877) in which a former slave population lacked the skills and resources for sustainable living. In 1865, General William Tecumseh Sherman proposed to divide the land and goods from Georgia and grant it to families of color which became the \"Forty acres and a mule\" policy. The proposal was never widely adopted due to strong political opposition. Nearly a century later (1950s-1960s), policies to assist classes of individuals reemerged during the Civil Rights Movement. The civil rights guarantees came through the interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The decisions came to be known as affirmative action in which mandatory, as well as voluntary programs, affirmed the civil rights of people of color. Furthermore, these affirmative action programs protected people of color from the present effects stemming from past discrimination. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy became the first to utilize the term \"affirmative action\" in Executive Order 10925 to ensure that government contractors \"take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin.\" This executive order realized the government's intent to create equal opportunities for all qualified people. This executive order was eventually amended and superseded by Lyndon B. Johnson's Executive Order 11246 which prevented discrimination based on race, color, religion, and national origin by organizations which received federal contracts and subcontracts. In 1967, the order was amended to include sex as well. The Reagan administration was opposed to the affirmative action requirements of Executive Order 11246, but these contemplated changes[which?] faced bi-partisan opposition in Congress.", "Laws dating from 17th-century colonial America defined children of African slave mothers as taking the status of their mothers, and born into slavery regardless of the race or status of the father, under partus sequitur ventrem. The association of slavery with a \"race\" led to slavery as a racial caste. But, most families of free people of color formed in Virginia before the American Revolution were the descendants of unions between white women and African men, who frequently worked and lived together in the looser conditions of the early colonial period. While interracial marriage was later prohibited, white men frequently took sexual advantage of slave women, and numerous generations of multiracial children were born. By the late 1800s it had become common among African Americans to use passing to gain educational opportunities as did the first African-American graduate of Vassar College Anita Florence Hemmings. Some 19th-century categorization schemes defined people by proportion of African ancestry: a person whose parents were black and white was classified as mulatto, with one black grandparent and three white as quadroon, and with one black great-grandparent and the remainder white as octoroon. The latter categories remained within an overall black or colored category, but before the Civil War, in Virginia and some other states, a person of one-eighth or less black ancestry was legally white. Some members of these categories passed temporarily or permanently as white.", "In March 1875, Bell and Pollok visited the famous scientist Joseph Henry, who was then director of the Smithsonian Institution, and asked Henry's advice on the electrical multi-reed apparatus that Bell hoped would transmit the human voice by telegraph. Henry replied that Bell had \"the germ of a great invention\". When Bell said that he did not have the necessary knowledge, Henry replied, \"Get it!\" That declaration greatly encouraged Bell to keep trying, even though he did not have the equipment needed to continue his experiments, nor the ability to create a working model of his ideas. However, a chance meeting in 1874 between Bell and Thomas A. Watson, an experienced electrical designer and mechanic at the electrical machine shop of Charles Williams, changed all that.", "In 2002, IBM acquired PwC consulting. In 2003 it initiated a project to redefine company values. Using its Jam technology, it hosted a three-day Internet-based online discussion of key business issues with 50,000 employees. Results were data mined with sophisticated text analysis software (eClassifier) for common themes. Three emerged, expressed as: \"Dedication to every client's success\", \"Innovation that matters—for our company and for the world\", and \"Trust and personal responsibility in all relationships\". Another three-day Jam took place in 2004, with 52,000 employees discussing ways to implement company values in practice.", "On October 28, 2015, IBM announced its acquisition of digital assets from The Weather Company—a holding company of Bain Capital, The Blackstone Group and NBCUniversal which owns The Weather Channel, including its weather data platforms (such as Weather Services International), websites (Weather.com and Weather Underground) and mobile apps. The acquisition seeks to use Watson for weather analytics and predictions. The acquisition does not include The Weather Channel itself, which will enter into a long-term licensing agreement with IBM for use of its data. The sale closed on January 29, 2016", "Proponents of affirmative action argue that by nature the system is not only race based, but also class and gender based. To eliminate two of its key components would undermine the purpose of the entire system. The African American Policy Forum believes that the class based argument is based on the idea that non-poor minorities do not experience racial and gender based discrimination. The AAPF believes that \"Race-conscious affirmative action remains necessary to address race-based obstacles that block the path to success of countless people of color of all classes\". The groups goes on to say that affirmative action is responsible for creating the African American middle class, so it does not make sense to say that the system only benefits the middle and upper classes.", "In 1937, IBM's tabulating equipment enabled organizations to process unprecedented amounts of data, its clients including the U.S. Government, during its first effort to maintain the employment records for 26 million people pursuant to the Social Security Act, and the Third Reich, largely through the German subsidiary Dehomag. During the Second World War the company produced small arms for the American war effort (M1 Carbine, and Browning Automatic Rifle). IBM provided translation services for the Nuremberg Trials. In 1947, IBM opened its first office in Bahrain, as well as an office in Saudi Arabia to service the needs of the Arabian-American Oil Company that would grow to become Saudi Business Machines (SBM).", "Raskin was authorized to start hiring for the project in September 1979, and he immediately asked his long-time colleague, Brian Howard, to join him. His initial team would eventually consist of himself, Howard, Joanna Hoffman, Burrell Smith, and Bud Tribble. The rest of the original Mac team would include Bill Atkinson, Bob Belleville, Steve Capps, George Crow, Donn Denman, Chris Espinosa, Andy Hertzfeld, Bruce Horn, Susan Kare, Larry Kenyon, and Caroline Rose with Steve Jobs leading the project.", "Many of the non-alphanumeric characters were positioned to correspond to their shifted position on typewriters; an important subtlety is that these were based on mechanical typewriters, not electric typewriters. Mechanical typewriters followed the standard set by the Remington No. 2 (1878), the first typewriter with a shift key, and the shifted values of 23456789- were \"#$%_&'() – early typewriters omitted 0 and 1, using O (capital letter o) and l (lowercase letter L) instead, but 1! and 0) pairs became standard once 0 and 1 became common. Thus, in ASCII !\"#$% were placed in second column, rows 1–5, corresponding to the digits 1–5 in the adjacent column. The parentheses could not correspond to 9 and 0, however, because the place corresponding to 0 was taken by the space character. This was accommodated by removing _ (underscore) from 6 and shifting the remaining characters left, which corresponded to many European typewriters that placed the parentheses with 8 and 9. This discrepancy from typewriters led to bit-paired keyboards, notably the Teletype Model 33, which used the left-shifted layout corresponding to ASCII, not to traditional mechanical typewriters. Electric typewriters, notably the more recently introduced IBM Selectric (1961), used a somewhat different layout that has become standard on computers—​​following the IBM PC (1981), especially Model M (1984)—​​and thus shift values for symbols on modern keyboards do not correspond as closely to the ASCII table as earlier keyboards did. The /? pair also dates to the No. 2, and the ,< .> pairs were used on some keyboards (others, including the No. 2, did not shift , (comma) or . (full stop) so they could be used in uppercase without unshifting). However, ASCII split the ;: pair (dating to No. 2), and rearranged mathematical symbols (varied conventions, commonly -* =+) to :* ;+ -=.", "Actor Dominic West has been unenthusiastic about the career benefits of being an Old Etonian, saying it \"is a stigma that is slightly above 'paedophile' in the media in a gallery of infamy\", but asked whether he would consider sending his own children there, said \"Yes, I would. It’s an extraordinary place... It has the facilities and the excellence of teaching and it will find what you’re good at and nurture it\", while the actor Tom Hiddleston says there are widespread misconceptions about Eton, and that \"People think it's just full of braying toffs... It isn’t true... It's actually one of the most broadminded places I’ve ever been. The reason it’s a good school is that it encourages people to find the thing they love and to go for it. They champion the talent of the individual and that’s what’s special about it\".", "On June 14, 1987, about 5,000 people gathered again at Freedom Monument in Riga, and laid flowers to commemorate the anniversary of Stalin's mass deportation of Latvians in 1941. This was the first large demonstration in the Baltic republics to commemorate the anniversary of an event contrary to official Soviet history. The authorities did not crack down on demonstrators, which encouraged more and larger demonstrations throughout the Baltic States. The next major anniversary after the August 23 Molotov Pact demonstration was on November 18, the date of Latvia’s independence in 1918. On November 18, 1987, hundreds of police and civilian militiamen cordoned off the central square to prevent any demonstration at Freedom Monument, but thousands lined the streets of Riga in silent protest regardless.", "The company's 14 member Board of Directors is responsible for overall corporate management. As of Cathie Black's resignation in November 2010 its membership (by affiliation and year of joining) included: Alain J. P. Belda '08 (Alcoa), William R. Brody '07 (Salk Institute / Johns Hopkins University), Kenneth Chenault '98 (American Express), Michael L. Eskew '05 (UPS), Shirley Ann Jackson '05 (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), Andrew N. Liveris '10 (Dow Chemical), W. James McNerney, Jr. '09 (Boeing), James W. Owens '06 (Caterpillar), Samuel J. Palmisano '00 (IBM), Joan Spero '04 (Doris Duke Charitable Foundation), Sidney Taurel '01 (Eli Lilly), and Lorenzo Zambrano '03 (Cemex).", "Sometimes people of mixed African-American and Native American descent report having had elder family members withholding pertinent genealogical information. Tracing the genealogy of African Americans can be a very difficult process, as censuses did not identify slaves by name before the American Civil War, meaning that most African Americans did not appear by name in those records. In addition, many white fathers who used slave women sexually, even those in long-term relationships like Thomas Jefferson's with Sally Hemings, did not acknowledge their mixed-race slave children in records, so paternity was lost.", "In 2012, Fortune ranked IBM the second largest U.S. firm in terms of number of employees (435,000 worldwide), the fourth largest in terms of market capitalization, the ninth most profitable, and the nineteenth largest firm in terms of revenue. Globally, the company was ranked the 31st largest in terms of revenue by Forbes for 2011. Other rankings for 2011/2012 include №1 company for leaders (Fortune), №1 green company in the United States (Newsweek), №2 best global brand (Interbrand), №2 most respected company (Barron's), №5 most admired company (Fortune), and №18 most innovative company (Fast Company).", "President Kennedy stated in Executive Order 10925 that \"discrimination because of race, creed, color, or national origin is contrary to the Constitutional principles and policies of the United States\"; that \"it is the plain and positive obligation of the United States Government to promote and ensure equal opportunity for all qualified persons, without regard to race, creed, color, or national origin, employed or seeking employment with the Federal Government and on government contracts\"; that \"it is the policy of the executive branch of the Government to encourage by positive measures equal opportunity for all qualified persons within the Government\"; and that \"it is in the general interest and welfare of the United States to promote its economy, security, and national defense through the most efficient and effective utilization of all available manpower\".", "The first time \"affirmative action\" is used by the federal government concerning race is in President John F. Kennedy's Executive Order 10925, which was chaired by Vice President Johnson. At Johnson's inaugural ball in Texas, he met with a young black lawyer, Hobart Taylor Jr., and gave him the task to co-author the executive order. He wanted a phrase that \"gave a sense of positivity to performance under the order.\" He was torn between the words \"positive action\" and \"affirmative action,\" and selected the later due to its alliterative quality. The term \"active recruitment\" started to be used as well. This order, albeit heavily worked up as a significant piece of legislation, in reality carried little actual power. The scope was limited to a couple hundred defense contractors, leaving nearly $7.5 billion in federal grants and loans unsupervised.:60", "The FBI frequently investigated Martin Luther King, Jr. In the mid-1960s, King began publicly criticizing the Bureau for giving insufficient attention to the use of terrorism by white supremacists. Hoover responded by publicly calling King the most \"notorious liar\" in the United States. In his 1991 memoir, Washington Post journalist Carl Rowan asserted that the FBI had sent at least one anonymous letter to King encouraging him to commit suicide. Historian Taylor Branch documents an anonymous November 1964 \"suicide package\" sent by the Bureau that combined a letter to the civil rights leader telling him \"You are done. There is only one way out for you...\" with audio recordings of King's sexual indiscretions.", "In 1976, a group of Italian American professors at City University of New York asked to be added as an affirmative action category for promotion and hiring. Italian Americans are usually considered white in the US and would not be covered under affirmative action policies, but the professors believed they were underrepresented. Libertarian economist Thomas Sowell wrote in his book, Affirmative Action Around the World: An Empirical Study, that affirmative action policies encourage non-preferred groups to designate themselves as members of preferred groups [i.e., primary beneficiaries of affirmative action] to take advantage of group preference policies.", "In the 1980s, parents of mixed-race children began to organize and lobby for the addition of a more inclusive term of racial designation that would reflect the heritage of their children. When the U.S. government proposed the addition of the category of \"bi-racial\" or \"multiracial\" in 1988, the response from the public was mostly negative. Some African-American organizations, and African-American political leaders, such as Congresswoman Diane Watson and Congressman Augustus Hawkins, were particularly vocal in their rejection of the category, as they feared the loss of political and economic power if African Americans reduced their numbers by self-identification." ]

[ "Chuck Barris" ]

[ "Murder, She Wrote", "Gui" ]

[ "Spider webs are made from silk. And silk is made from something scientists call “proteins”." ]

[ "The US Army cannot enlist enough spiders to provide the silk it needs to make stronger bullet-proof vests. These vests are currently made of Kevlar. But spider silk is stronger than Kevlar, even if it is less readily available.", "Yes, But their lifestyle isn't one where web-weaving is necessary. That's why they don't build webs as often as female spiders do. That said, male spiders do spin their own webs from time to time. ... Some males have clever uses for the silk they produce.", "What are cobwebs? A cobweb is made up of threads of an abandoned spider's web. The web stays sticky after a spider dies or migrates elsewhere collecting dirt, dust, cat hair and so forth. While the thin silk of an active spider web may be hard to spot, the accumulation of dust on a cobweb can quickly become an eyesore.", "Spider silk is light and flexible, and is stronger by weight than high-grade steel. ... For soldiers in particular, spider silk could provide a new type of protection beyond than the traditional, solid Kevlar vest.", "Like most spider webs, the webs of cobweb spiders are sticky. When the spiders move away or die, the abandoned webs start to collect airborne lint and dust. The resulting dust laden strands hanging around lead to the false idea that cobwebs are not made by spiders.", "(Spider dragline silk has a tensile strength of roughly 1.3 GPa. The tensile strength listed for steel might be slightly higher—e.g. 1.65 GPa, but spider silk is a much less dense material, so that a given weight of spider silk is five times as strong as the same weight of steel.)", "When silk was subsequently gathered from the spiders, it was found that the graphene/nanotubes had been passed into the fibers. As a result, its tensile strength and toughness were much higher than that of regular spider silk.", "Spider-Man is significantly stronger than Silk, but Silk is shockingly quicker. Her agility and reflexes surpass even Spider-Man's. Not only that, but her Silk Sense (Cindy Moon's version of the Spider-Sense) is stronger than almost all members of the Spider-Family.", "Theridiidae, The Cobweb Spider Like most spider webs, the webs of cobweb spiders are sticky. When the spiders move away or die, the abandoned webs start to collect airborne lint and dust. The resulting dust laden strands hanging around lead to the false idea that cobwebs are not made by spiders.", "Cobwebs are the work of spiders As it turns out, the majority of cobwebs are actually formed from abandoned spider webs! Web-building spiders create elaborate webs for catching prey (wandering spiders chase after their prey, rather than building webs).", "Many spiders build webs specifically to catch insects to eat. However, not all spiders catch their prey in webs, and some do not build webs at all. \"Spider web\" is typically used to refer to a web that is apparently still in use (i.e. clean), whereas \"cobweb\" refers to abandoned (i.e. dusty) webs.", "Daddy longlegs also do not produce silk, unlike spiders. They do not spin webs, and they do not use webs to capture prey. If you find a harvestman in a web, it does not live there. It probably would like to be rescued from the spider that is about to eat it.", "Primary structure. Spider silk primarily consists of proteins that possess large quantities of nonpolar and hydrophobic amino acids like glycine or alanine, but for example, no or only very little tryptophan.", "Where does it come from? Most spiders have four or more openings, or glands, on their abdomen called spinnerets. When the spider releases the silk, it looks like one thread but it is actually many thin threads that stick together.", "As it turns out, the majority of cobwebs are actually formed from abandoned spider webs! Web-building spiders create elaborate webs for catching prey (wandering spiders chase after their prey, rather than building webs).", "Art silk essentially refers to artificial silk. While real silk is made by cultivating silk worms that feed on mulberry leaves, artificial silk is made from cellulose fibre and mixture of materials like rayon. The impact which printing of pattern has on the fabric is a key difference between the two.", "As @Meat Trademark said fake spider webs can be made out of cotton. Here is a good video to demonstrate it. Another faster method using rubber cement is described here. Another method is by using hot glue.", "The majority of cobwebs are actually formed from abandoned spider webs. These home-abandoning spiders, mainly those of the species Theridiidae, build these sticky webs for catching prey.", "They generally live on the undersides of leaves of plants, where they may spin protective silk webs, and they can cause damage by puncturing the plant cells to feed. Spider mites are known to feed on several hundred species of plants.", "However, researchers have now revealed the Darwin's bark spider (Caerostris darwini) has the toughest silk ever seen — more than twice as tough as any previously described silk, and more than 10 times stronger than Kevlar.", "Introduced to North America, Argentina, India, Australia, New Zealand.\" This particular spitting spider features the presence of silk glands in its cephalothorax. Besides the silk glands in its abdomen, the spider also has silk glands connected with its venom glands.", "Spiders, of the order Araneae, have a distinct waist between the cephalothorax and the abdomen. Opilionids have just two eyes, compared to the usual eight in spiders. Daddy longlegs also do not produce silk, unlike spiders. They do not spin webs, and they do not use webs to capture prey.", "Dragline silk is around 1.1 GPa. Depending on the specific alloy, this can be stronger than steel, which lies in the same range. But it is still beaten by Kevlar, which has a tensile strength of 3.0 – 3.6 GPa. ... Spider silk fibers are not as strong a Kevlar carbon fiber but they are tougher.", "A Sydney funnel-web spider. These spiders are among the most venomous in the world. Funnel-web spiders are spiders that build funnel-shaped webs, which they use as burrows or to trap prey. ... Some species are among the most deadly spiders in the world, while others are not harmful to humans.", "['As @Meat Trademark said fake spider webs can be made out of cotton. Here is a good video to demonstrate it.', 'Another faster method using rubber cement is described here.', 'Another method is by using hot glue.']", "Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons.", "They are made of hair, lint, dead skin, spider webs, dust and sometimes light rubbish and debris and are held together by static electricity and felt-like entanglement. They can house dust mites or other parasites and can lower the efficiency of dust filters by clogging.", "\"Spider web\" is typically used to refer to a web that is apparently still in use (i.e. clean), whereas \"cobweb\" refers to abandoned (i.e. dusty) webs. However, the word \"cobweb\" is also used by biologists to describe the tangled three-dimensional web of some spiders of the family Theridiidae.", "Silk is made up of two primary proteins; a fibrous protein known as fibroin, and a sticky protein known as sericin, with the two comprising 70–80% and 20–30% of silk, respectively. ... The source of these silk amino acids is typically the domesticated moth, silkworm (Latin name: Bombyx mori).", "As far as the silk Industry is concerned, silkworm cocoon is the raw material for silk reeling. The raw silk is obtained from the shell of silk worm cocoons and is made up of long and continuous silk filament which is proteinaceous spun by the mature silkworm.", "Nylon is made of repeating units linked by amide links similar to the peptide bonds in proteins. ... Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons.", "A giant funnel web spider - dubbed 'The Rock' - has been discovered in Newcastle. ... The reptile park on the NSW Central Coast is the only facility in Australia that milks funnel web spiders for their raw venom to be made into lifesaving antivenom." ]

[ "Consider a demand equation,\n$$Q=\\alpha\\ +\\beta\\ P$$\n\nIf you were to just use,\n\n$$e_{{\\langle p\\rangle }} = {\\frac {{\\mathrm {d}}Q}{{\\mathrm {d}}P}}$$\n\nThen the result is only the differentiation with respect to $P$. This doesn't give you the information that you are looking for because you haven't specified the point at which you are measuring elasticity. To do this the second portion of the equation is necessary. Suppose you want to know the elasticity at $P=\\$8$. By plugging $\\$8$ into the demand equation you can calculate the quantity demanded at $P=\\$8$. \n\nPersonally, I have to think of this in two parts, (1) the differentiation with respect to $P$ (2) multiplied by the \"spot\" of the demand curve that I am examining, ${\\frac PQ}$.\n\n$e_{{\\langle p\\rangle }}={\\frac {{\\mathrm {d}}Q}{{\\mathrm {d}}P}}* {\\frac PQ}$\n\nedit\n\nThe number that you calculate is the percent change of a 1% increase in price. For example, if $e=-0.3$, you can say that a 1% increase in price should cause a 0.3% drop in the quantity demanded." ]

[ "I assume you are talking about Price elasticity of demand/supply and not cross elasticity or income elasticity of demand/supply.\n\nNot necessarily.\n\nPerfectly inelastic demand means that a change in price leads to no change in quantity demanded. Imagine a country where, say, tomato is super crucial to survival, any change in its price will not make people want to buy more/less of it.\n\nInelastic supply can exist separately from perfectly inelastic demand. This is just how responsive supply is to changes in price. Just because the price increases/decreases, doesnt mean producers can make more/less of it more easily, even if they wanted to, e.g. think about sudden weather changes for crop production as an example.\n\nIn conclusion, no perfectly inelastic demand is not always coupled with inelastic supply, but it can be.", "Eichenbaum and Fisher (2005) follow Kimball (1995) in allowing for the possibility that the elasticity of demand is increasing in a firm’s price. Which is not exactly what I was looking for, but it's a start.", "Such a situation can be explained in the following ways:\n\n\nIf supply is perfectly elastic (horizontal supply curve), then an increase in demand does not increase the price. It's highly unlikely that supply of petrol here is perfectly elastic. This could be the case under perfect competition with constant marginal costs of petrol. However, typically petrol has increasing marginal costs. Alternatively, it could be the case with constant marginal costs and Bertrand competition (price competition, with few firms) meaning they also set prices equal to marginal costs as in perfect competition.\nThere may be costs to increasing the price. So-called menu costs make prices sticky and therefore changes are not as often as we expect. E.g. if you're a restaurant and want to increase prices, you have to reprint all menus, which may not be worth it for a temporary demand increase. However, this is probably not tbe case in your example.\nWhen setting the price before the shortage was announced, the increase in demand was expected and the price already set accordingly high. Was there an increase in the price (shortly) before the announcement? If not then the next explanation is the only possibility.\nGovernment regulation of the price.", "As mentioned by Mas-Colell, Whinston and Green, the equality is true \"for all $p$ and $w$\". It is a consequence of the budget constraint, which is satisfied for any prices and income values:\n$$\n\\Sigma_{k=1}^{L} p_k x_k (p,w) = w.\n$$\nAs you mention, the equality \n$$ \\Sigma_{k=1}^{L} \\frac{\\partial x_l (p,w)}{\\partial p_k} p_k + \\frac{\\partial x_l (p,w)}{\\partial w} w = 0 $$\narises when applying the Euler-theorem to the budget constrained demand functions. As demand functions are homogeneous of degree zero in $(p,w)$, they are left unchanged when prices and income are up- or downscaled by any number $\\kappa&gt;0$: \n$$\nx_l (\\kappa p,\\kappa w) = x_l ( p, w) ,\n$$\nand this equality holds for any value of $p$ and $w$. This implies the former equality and also explains why it is not only true for the upscaled new prices and income $(p,w)=(\\kappa p_0,\\kappa w_0)$ but actually for any prices and income because both $\\kappa$ and $(p_0,w_0)$ can be arbitrary.\n\nWhat about the economic interpretation? Hmm... I would say that any simultaneous (marginal and arbitrary) change in $p$ and $w$ triggers changes in the values of demands such that the (own- and cross-) price reactions and the income response compensate. It is equivalent saying that all price elasticities and income elasticity add to zero for any demand function $x_l$.", "The way how they estimated elasticity is definitely not an accurate and unbiased way.\n\nYou are correct that when you estimate elasticity it is important to control for income, but not only for that you should also have controls for prices of competing products and other relevant controls.\n\nSupply-Demand is an endogenous system and every observed price and quantity is result of an interaction of the two. In order to estimate elasticity some method that can model them simultaneously or allows for endogeneity is required. The author does not specify methodology used in the blog post but there is no indication that this was acknowledged.\n\nIn order to make valid inferences from data when using parametric models you need at least 25-30 observations per independent regressor (see Newbold et al statistics for business and economics for example). The blog post tries to estimate the elasticities from 3-6 data points (depending on the model). That is woefully inadequate.\n\n\nSo in conclusion even though the blog you refer to does not share it's methodology, it seems to be acknowledging neither of the issues above so their estimates of elasticities are likely biased.", "This is an excellent question (and congratulations for spotting an apparent inconsistency in your problem set!) To answer it, we need to distinguish between two slightly different concepts: the arc elasticity and the point elasticity.\n\nThe arc elasticity of demand can defined as the percentage change in quantity demanded divided by the percentage change in price. (Other definitions are available.) For instance (to borrow your example), if initially $P = 2$ and $Q = 100$, and later $P = 2.02$ and $Q = 99$, then the arc elasticity of demand is:\n\n$$\\frac{\\%\\Delta Q}{\\%\\Delta P} = \\frac{\\frac{100-99}{100}}{\\frac{2-2.02}{2}} = -1$$\n\nNotice that to calculate the arc elasticity of demand we need two price/quantity pairs.\n\nIn contrast, the point elasticity is defined slightly differently: it is the limit of the arc price elasticity as the size of the change in price goes to zero. In other words, it is essentially the same as the arc elasticity, but for a infinitesimally small price change. As a result, the 'old' price/quantity and 'new' price/quantity are essentially the same, so to compute the point elasticity we need only one price/quantity pair.\n\nA bit more formally, consider a small price change $dP$ that leads to a small change in demand $dQ$. The point elasticity is given by\n\n$$\\frac{\\%\\Delta Q}{\\%\\Delta P} = \\frac{\\frac{dQ}{Q}}{\\frac{dP}{P}} = \\frac{dQ}{dP}\\frac{P}{Q} $$\n\nThese preliminaries out of the way, we are now in position to answer your question.\n\n\nUnder standard assumptions (downward sloping and differentiable demand), revenue is maximised when the point elasticity equals 1. (You may wish to verify this!)\nHowever, at the revenue maximising point, the arc elasticity need not be one. Conversely, if the arc elasticity is one, revenue need not be maximised (as your example indicates).\nInsofar as the point elasticity is a good approximation for the arc elasticity (i.e. when considering small prices changes), the arc elasticity should be close to 1 at the revenue maximising price/quantity.", "You are right that for $|\\epsilon|\\leq1$, you would have issues with the wedge. However, this cannot occur in equilibrium, so it is not a problem.\n\nBoth your questions stem from the same issue. I will illustrate it for monopolists, but it is analogous for monopsonists.\n\nFirst note, elasticity is not constant (except in the rare case of a constant elasticity of demand function). The elasticity of demand varies across the points on the demand function. In some regions it is $|\\epsilon|&gt;1$ and in others it is $|\\epsilon|\\leq1$. \n\nSecond, note that the monopolist chooses the point on the demand curve, that she operates in, unlike under perfect competition.\n\nIt is a well known result that monopolists optimally only choose to operate in the elastic region of demand. This is because, if they are in an inelastic region, then in response to a price increase, demand is reduced proportionally less than the price increase. In such a case, the monopolist can increase its profits, so that cannot be an optimal price. The profit maximizing price chosen by the monopolist is always in the elastic region of the demand curve.\n\nThis means that $|\\epsilon|&gt;1$ always holds for a profit maximizing monopolist and the wedge is always positive.", "The solution to this issue is called \"Arc Elasticity\", used for \"large\" absolute changes. On the surface, the formula for Arc Elasticity is the familiar one, for example for price elasticity of demand\n\n$$\\eta_{arc}= \\dfrac{ \\text{\nPercentage change in quantity demanded }} { \\text{ Percentage change in price } }$$\n\nBut the thing is how these percentage changes are calculated: If we went from quantity $q_a$ to quantity $q_b$, then while we \"usually\" calculate the percentage change as $(q_b-q_a)/q_a$ for the Arc Elasticity we divide by the mid-point of the interval -not by the point we started with. Same for price. So\n\n$$\\eta_{arc}= \\dfrac{ \\text{\nPercentage change in quantity demanded }} { \\text{ Percentage change in price } } = \\frac {\\frac {q_b-q_a}{(q_b+q_a)/2}}{\\frac {p_b-p_a}{(p_b+p_a)/2}}$$\n\n$$\\implies \\eta_{arc} = \\frac {q_b-q_a}{p_b-p_a}\\cdot \\frac{p_b+p_a}{q_b+q_a}$$\n\nRe-arrange the terms at will to suit your own mnemonic triggers.\n\nThe Arc Elasticity has the convenient properties\n\n(1) it is symmetric with respect to the two prices and quantities,\n(2) it is independent of the units of measurement,\n(3) it yields a value of unity if the total revenues (price times quantity) at the two points are equal. \n\nSee Allen (1933).\n\nP.S. to OP: Use this for your other question.", "Does it change any interpretation of the elasticity ($β_1$)?\n\n\nYou walk into the firm where you work as an analyst, and the Sales Director calls and asks \"I want to raise the price $10\\%$ today. How will demand be affected in percentage terms?\n\nWell, you don't expect income to have changed from one day to the next, and what was demanded yesterday -it was yesterday. So the only variable (for today) in the equation is price, and the best you can say is \"I expect a $(10 \\times \\hat \\beta_1) \\% $ effect\".\n\nSo it is the short term price elasticity of demand, irrespective of the fact that the level of demand is determined by other factors also, lagged demand included.\n\n\n I understand that I could also have some sort of long-run inferred\n elasticity if I set $q_t=q_{t−1}$ after estimating the coefficients of the\n equation.\n\n\nYes, either in an old fashioned \"deterministic\", $q_t=q_{t−1}$ way, or in a stochastic, $E(q_t) = E(q_{t−1})$ \"mean-stationary\" way.\n\nAssume now that demand is already mean-stationary according to your analysis , and you get the same question from the Sales Director as before. Will your answer change compared to the previous one?\n\nANSWER \n\n\n The answer to the Sales Director should not change, because you can condition on the given and known past, for a more accurate (= focused on the specific situation) answer so you use $\\hat E(q_t \\mid p_t, I_t, q_{t-1}) = \\hat \\beta_0+ \\hat \\beta_1\\hat{p_t}+\\hat \\beta_2I_t+\\hat \\beta_3q_{t-1}$ and not the unconditional (estimated) relation $\\hat E(q_t) = \\hat \\beta_0+ \\hat \\beta_1E[\\hat{p_t}]+\\hat \\beta_2E[I_t]+\\hat \\beta_3E[q_{t-1}]$,which would lead to the long-run (unconditional) elasticity. But if he was to ask, say, \"I want to introduce the product to a new market where the consumers are comparable in income to what we already have. What demand-responsiveness to price should I have in mind?\", then the best you could do is provide the long-run elasticity.", "Your question does not provide enough information for me to walk you through the process step-by-step using your information, but hopefully I can point you in the right direction.\n\nYou question about Price Elasticity of Demand (usually just called Elasticity of Demand). Elasticity of Demand is used to show how responsive demand is to a change in price. For example, if a $1\\%$ increase in price leads to a massive drop in the quantity demanded, say 75%, then we would say that the demand is relatively elastic. If an increase in price does not really cause a drop in the quantity demanded then demand is relatively inelastic. The concept of elasticity of demand translates to your question because $price\\ multiplied\\ by\\ quantity\\ equals\\ revenue$.\n\nYou mention that if you increase $(C)$, you reduce $(B)$. Yes, this is (usually) correct because the relationship between price and quantity is negative-- the higher the price, the fewer items sold. As for reducing $(D)$, this depends on the elasticity of demand. For example,\n\nAssume the price for each subscription is $\\$2$. Assume that at a price of $\\$2$, you sell $1,000$ subscriptions. This gives you a revenue of $\\$2,000$: $$\\$2( 1,000)=$2,000$$ \n\nElasticity demand can be calculated a few ways, I'm going to use: $$Elascitity\\ of\\ Demand = {\\frac {{\\mathrm {Percent\\ Change\\ in\\ }}Q}{{\\mathrm {Percent\\ Change\\ in\\ }}P}}$$ Where $Q$ is quantity demanded and $P$ is price. \n\nLets consider the following two examples:\n\nScenario 1:\n\nAssume that you increase the subscription price from $\\$2$ to $\\$3$. Now assume that an increase in price from $\\$2$ to $\\$3$ decreases the total number of subscriptions sold from $1,000$ to $960$. Notice that the number of subscriptions decreased, but revenue increased from $\\$2,000$ to $\\$2,880$: $$\\$3(960)=$2,880$$ This happened because the demand for subscriptions is considered inelastic. Price by 50% [$(3-2)/2$], and your quantity decreased by 4% [$(960-1000)/1000$]. Since the percent of the price increase increased by more than the quantity demanded decreased, you increased your revenue. Your elasticity of demand in this scenario is, $$\\frac {\\mathrm -0.04}{\\mathrm 0.50}=-0.08$$ \n\nScenario 2:\n\nAssume that you apply the same price increase from $\\$2$ to $\\$3$ per subscription, but this time the quantity sold drops from $1,000$ to $400$. Your revenue is now, $\\$1,200$ $$\\$3(400)=$1,200$$ In this case an increase in price caused your revenue to decrease. What happened? In this case subscriptions are considered elastic. The price increased by 50% [$(3-2)/2$], and your subscriptions demanded decreased by 60% [$(960-1000)/1000$].Your elasticity of demand in this scenario is, $$\\frac {\\mathrm -0.6}{\\mathrm 0.50}=-1.5$$ \n\nTo answer your question, you are looking for the place on your demand curve where the % change in price is the same as the percent change in quantity demanded. This is point is called Unit Elastic. In order to calculate this for yourself, you will need to know the relationship between the price of subscriptions and the quantity demanded. \n\nConsider reading more about elasticity of demand as there are a couple of ways to calculate it. When you do the calculations you will get an elasticity of demand number that ranges from $0$ to $-∞$. (Some people will convert these numbers to absolute value... $0$ to $∞$, means the same thing.) The number you get from calculating your elasticity of demand will tell you what to do with your price. For example, if you get an elasticity of demand number that is greater than $-1$ (or less than $1$ if you use absolute value), then increase your price because revenue should increase. If you get back an elasticity of demand number less than $-1$ (or greater than $1$ if you use absolute value) then decrease your price and your revenue should increase. You want to adjust your price until your elasticity of demand number is $-1$ (or $1$ if you use absolute value). $-1$ is the point of unit elastic.", "What you're looking for is the price elasticity of demand of your product. That is: by how much will your sales rise or fall depending on how you manipulate price? It depends on what you're selling and, like you said, each variation of your product will have a different elasticity. So, say you increase prices by 5% and experience a %5 decrease in sales; your price elasticity of demand would be -1 (unit free). \n\nThe strategy you outlined to parse out the price elasticity sounds reasonable from a data collection standpoint, albeit a bit risky. I might change the price of just one of your variations (maybe one that sells somewhat more frequently) to assess the sensitivity your customers are to price changes. However, if your product's elasticity is high, your sales might drop dramatically or stop altogether.", "As @KennyLJ points out I think the reason is partly historical. However it is a useful convention for several reasons.\n\n\nDemand curves are frequently not functions but mappings, e.g. in the case of perfectly elastic demand. So you could not guarantee 'nice' functions anyway.\nIn this coordinate system the surpluses (producer's and consumer's) are areas under the curves. The explanation is more intuitive and it is somewhat easer to see which integral you have to take.", "Example\n\nif p = -1%\n\nand the production increase is +2%\n\nelasticity is -2\n\n[2/-1 = -2]\n\nOur exercise\n\nif this is true\n\nwhen p = -20%\n\nand production is 60% more\n\nelasticity is -3\n\n[60/-20 = -3]\n\nTo sell the 60% more the price has to decrease, if it decreases of 20%, the ratio among products sold (+60%) and price decrease (-20%) is equal to -3.\n\nSo, elasticity is the ratio among variation in quantity (60%) and variation in price (-20%) = -3.", "Start with setting up profit equation:\n$$\\max_p \\pi = (p-c)D(q)$$\nThen substitute demand in:\n$$ \\pi = (p-c)(B-bp)$$\nTake derivative of profit and equate it to 0:\n$$\\frac{d \\pi}{dp}=B-2pb + cb=0$$\nNow solve for optimum price:\n$$p^*= \\frac{B+cb}{2b}$$\nThere is also alternative way how to get to the same solution that uses elasticity of demand.\nThere is well known monopoly optimal pricing rule (see Peitz and Belleflamme Industrial Organization: Markets and Strategies) says that optimal monopoly prices are given by:\n$$\\frac{p-mc}{p}=-\\frac{1}{El}$$\nIn your case marginal costs (mc) are $c$, and your elasticity of demand is actually:\n$$EL= -\\frac{bp}{q}= -\\frac{bp}{B-bp}$$\nIn your attempt you forgot to substitute for Q in your elasticity.\nPlugging these into optimal pricing rule gives us:\n$$\\frac{p-c}{p}=-\\frac{1}{\\left( -\\frac{bp}{B-bp} \\right) }$$\nWhich when solved for $p$ gives us again:\n$$p^*= \\frac{B+cb}{2b}$$\nBoth approaches give the same solution - the first one is quicker in this case in my opinion.\nNow regarding what we say about price and parameter $b$, we can just rearrange the optimal price formula as:\n$$p^*= \\frac{B}{2b}+\\frac{c}{2}$$\nSo clearly we can see that when $b$ parameter increases optimum price decreases.\nWe can also prove it more formally by inspecting derivative of $p^*$ with respect to $b$ which gives us:\n$$ \\frac{d p^*}{d b} = -\\frac{B}{2b^2}$$\nSince the derivative is negative we confirmed that the price varies negatively with $b$.\nNext, per request in comment on what is elasticity at equilibrium price we can calculate that just by substituting the equilibrium price into elasticity which we already calculated above:\n$$EL(p^*)= -\\frac{b p^* }{B-bp^*}= -\\frac{b \\left( \\frac{B+cb}{2b} \\right)}{B-b \\left( \\frac{B+cb}{2b} \\right)} \\\\= - \\frac{B+bc}{B-bc}$$\nThe last expression will be bigger than 1 in absolute value because the numerator will be larger than the denominator ($B+cb&gt;B-bc$) and absolute value will make the value positive.", "Income elasticity of demand\nLet $q(y)$ be the Engel curve for a good, i.e. it gives the demanded quantity for a given level of income $y$ (keeping prices fixed). The income elasticity of demand is then given by:\n$$\n\\varepsilon^y_q = \\frac{\\partial q}{\\partial y} \\frac{y}{q}\n$$\nIt measures the percentage point change in demand $q(y)$, due to a 1$\\%$ increase in income, $y$.\nIf $\\varepsilon^y_q \\ge 0$ the good is normal, if $\\varepsilon^y_q &lt; 0$, it is inferior. If $\\varepsilon^y_q &gt; 1$ it is a luxury good, while if $\\varepsilon^y_q &lt; 1$ the good is called a necessity. The demand for luxury goods increases more than proportionally compared to income. Necessary goods increase less than proportionally.\nThe advantage of using the elasticity $\\varepsilon^y_q$, instead of the slop $\\frac{\\Delta q}{\\Delta y}$ is that it is unit-independent\nWe can see this as follows:\n$$\n\\varepsilon^y_q = \\underbrace{\\dfrac{\\partial q}{\\partial y}}_{\\dfrac{kilos}{Euros}} \\underbrace{\\dfrac{1}{q}}_{\\dfrac{1}{kilos}} \\underbrace{y}_{\\dfrac{Euros}{1}}\n$$\nThis means that $\\varepsilon^y_q$ does not change if we express the goods or the income in different units. For example the elasticity $\\varepsilon^y_q$ does not change whether you express income in Euros or Dollars. Also, the elasticity does not change whether you express demand in kilos or pounds. As such, elasticities can easily be compared across countries and over different time periods. The slope $\\frac{\\Delta q}{\\Delta y}$ does not have this advantage.\nHomothetic preferences\nIf preferences are homothetic, the demand function is linear in income:\n$$\nq(y) = c y,\n$$\nwhere $c$ is a constant. In fact, substituting $y = 1$ into this equation gives:\n$$\nq(1) = c,\n$$\nso $c$ is the unit income demand (the amount that you would buy if you would have 1 Euro). This means that we can also write:\n$$\nq(y) = q(1) y.\n$$\nEngel curves are straight lines through the origin and with slope $q(1)$:\n$$\n\\frac{\\partial q(y)}{\\partial y} = q(1).\n$$\nAs such:\n$$\n\\varepsilon^y_q = \\frac{\\partial q}{\\partial y}\\frac{y}{q(y)} = \\frac{q(1)y}{q(y)} = \\frac{q(y)}{q(y)} = 1.\n$$\nSo demand curves arising from homothetic preferences have unit income elasticity.", "For an industry, one indicator used by competition authorities is the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index measured as $\\displaystyle \\sum_{i=1}^N s_i^2$ where there are $N$ firms in the sector and the market share of the $i$th firm is $s_i$. \n\nThis gives a value of $1$ when there is a single firm and $\\frac1N$ when the $N$ firms have equal market shares, but also deals sensibly with cases where different firms have different shares.\n\nFor a particular product, you could look at something else like comparing its price elasticity of demand when other similar products do not change price, perhaps comparing this with the price elasticity of demand for all the similar products together. An undifferentiated product should have an almost infinite price elasticity as all demand will shift if there is any relative price change.", "The key variable is indeed the derivative's elasticity $\\Omega$ (aka leverage, Lambda). It is defined by $$\\Omega=\\frac{\\frac{\\partial V}{V}}{\\frac{\\partial S}{S}}=\\frac{\\partial V}{\\partial S}\\frac{S}{V}=\\Delta\\frac{S}{V}.$$\nHere, $V$ corresponds to the value of the derivative and $S$ to its underlying.\nThis number measures how much riskier the derivative is compared to its underlying. Intuitively, it tells you by how much the derivative price changes in percent if the price of the underlying asset changes by one percent (ceteris paribus).\nImportantly, volatility and market beta (in a CAPM sense) are linear in the elasticity. That is, $\\sigma_V=|\\Omega|\\cdot\\sigma_S$ and $\\beta_V=\\Omega\\cdot \\beta_S$. You need the absolute value for to ensure that the volatility is positive (puts, for example, have a negative elasticity). These equations are derived, for example, in Cox and Rubinstein (1985).\nFor example, a call option has an elasticity of greater than one (easy to see in a Black Scholes world: $C=S\\Delta-Ke^{-rT}N(d_2)\\leq S\\Delta\\implies1\\leq\\frac{S\\Delta}{C}=\\Omega_C$). Thus, a call option is riskier than the underlying asset. On the other hand, a put option (acting as an insurance) has a negative elasticity and thus has a lower systematic risk than its underlying.", "You can calculate the total social surplus (= CS + PS) in this equilibrium and compare it to the social surplus in the efficient allocation of cars. \n\nEquilibrium allocation\n\nThe equilibrium (under asymmetric information) has price equal to $12000$. Thus, in the lemon's market,\n\\begin{align}\nCS_L&amp;=(8000-12000)\\times1000=-4000000\\\\\nPS_L&amp;=\\frac12\\times(12000-2000)\\times1000=5000000.\n\\end{align}\nTotal social surplus in the lemon's market is \n\\begin{equation}\nTS_L=CS_L+PS_L=1000000.\n\\end{equation}\nIn the plum's market, \n\\begin{align}\nCS_P&amp;=(16000-12000)\\times400=1600000\\\\\nPS_P&amp;=\\frac12\\times(12000-4000)\\times400=1600000.\n\\end{align}\nTotal social surplus in the lemon's market is \n\\begin{equation}\nTS_P=CS_P+PS_P=3200000.\n\\end{equation}\nJoint surplus from the two markets: \n\\begin{equation}\nTS=TS_L+TS_P=4200000.\n\\end{equation}\n\nEfficient allocation\n\nEfficiency occurs when lemons are priced at $8000$ and plums at $16000$. Note that in both markets, since demand is perfectly elastic, consumer surplus is zero at the efficient allocation. So total surplus is the same as producer surplus. \n\\begin{align}\nTS_L^*&amp;=\\frac12\\times(8000-2000)\\times600=1800000\\\\\nTS_P^*&amp;=\\frac12\\times(16000-4000)\\times600=3600000\\\\\nTS^*&amp;=TS_L^*+TS_P^*=5400000.\n\\end{align}\n\n\n\nThe gap between $TS^*$ and $TS$ is the DWL. The inefficiency arises from the fact that, in equilibrium (with asymm info), some cars are in the wrong hands: the last 400 lemons sold and the potential 200 plums that were unsold.", "I would not call it average elasticity rather its elasticity at an average price. For example take the first paper about elasticity of oil you cite (that is Cooper, J. C. (2003). Price elasticity of demand for crude oil: estimates for 23 countries. OPEC review, 27(1), 1-8.).\nIn that paper the Cooper estimates elasticity using the following model:\n$$\\ln D_t = \\ln \\alpha + \\beta \\ln P_t + \\gamma \\ln Y_t + \\delta \\ln D_{t–1} + e_t$$\nWhere $\\beta$ gives you the estimate of elasticity. However, $\\beta$ is not necessary equal to $\\bar{\\epsilon}$ for any model specification (even though the above one would actually imply it -see the last paragraph), rather $\\beta$ gives you point estimate elasticity at $\\bar{P}$.\nIn fact generally OLS regression is constructed in such way that it intercepts point given by $\\bar{y}$ and $\\bar{x}$ - that is $\\bar{y}-\\hat{\\alpha} -\\hat{\\beta} \\bar{x} = 0$. Hence, more correct interpretation here would not be that $\\beta$ gives you average elasticity (i.e $\\bar{\\epsilon}$) but rather that it gives you point estimate for elasticity at average price (i.e. $\\epsilon_{\\bar{P}}= (\\bar{P}/Q)/(dQ/d\\bar{P})$.\nThis being said note that using OLS model such as the one that is used in Cooper would actually imply that the elasticity is constant because its a linear model (linear in its parameters that is) where $\\beta$ is assumed to be constant across all observations (even though you get perfect fit only at ($\\bar{P},\\bar{D}$). In a model with constant elasticity it would actually hold that $\\epsilon_\\bar{P} = \\bar{\\epsilon}$. Nonetheless, I would still caution against that interpretation. The reason for that is that in most cases it is commonly understood that the linear model is used as a simplification and not because people actually assume that elasticity of demand is constant. Mostly, people take this point estimates to be reasonable for small changes around mean price but not really claiming that they found a constant price elasticity of demand, and in most such models if you would look at errors they would get larger the further you get from mean estimate.", "A monopolist maximizes profit. For me, it is usually easier to do this in the quantity space. So you rearange the demand and maximize\n$$\\max_{Q_p,Q_r} \\quad P_p(Q_p)Q_p + P_r(Q_r)Q_r - TC(Q_p+Q_r)$$\n$$\\max_{Q_p,Q_r} \\quad (Q_p-10)Q_p + (28-2Q_r)Q_r - 5-2(Q_r+Q_p) -\\frac{(Q_r+Q_p)^2}{8}$$\nThe FOC gives you two equations with two unknowns, $Q_r$ and $Q_p$, which you solve for. Both FOC equations can be written in the form $MR=MC$. You then plug these $Q$s into the demand equations to get the prices. Next, you calculate consumer surplus and producer surplus and add them to get social welfare.", "Why are complementary goods defined as when a good's demand is inversely correlated with the price of another?\n\n\nWe know that (in this model) the price of patties influences the demand of buns. This is because a cheaper patty makes the whole burger cheaper, which makes me demand more burger and therefore more bun . \n\n\n Why would the demand of hamburger buns increase when the demand of\n hamburger patties decreased?\n\n\nOther things being equal, the price of patties influences the price of buns. The theory says nothing about how the price change came about. You implicitly assume that something changing patty demand would change bun demand, also. In the model world, there are only explicit assumptions.", "For structural FEA, there are a few approaches. Most commonly differential equations are developed that relate the deformation state and the stress state of each element in the structure in order to satisfy equilibrium.\n\nA good resource for the details of structural FEA is a book by Ed Wilson Called \nThree Dimensional Static and Dynamic Analysis Of Structures.\n\nHere is a chapter that shows the basis of equilibrium and compatibility.\n\nhttp://www.edwilson.org/Book/02-equi.pdf\n\n**To be more descriptive: For linear elasticity problems that use FEA to find internal forces and deformations, most FEA solvers do not directly solve the the partial differential equations. Instead FEA is used to approximate the solutions to the PDEs. I would like to note that using this method, solutions can be found to problems which are nearly impossible (if not impossible) to write closed formed elastic solutions.", "You've fallen into a really common pitfall -- the spurious regression. The parameters you chose to include can't be chosen 'willy nilly' by throwing data into a regress command. Ultimately this can't be answered in so little words, without data, while maintaining accuracy.\n\nThat said I can try to answer your question as a reference point. Before even attempting this I couldn't emphasize enough caution. Just remember that a model that's almost correct -- for practical purposes is 100% wrong. \n\nSo it seems you've settled on a linear log-log specification. I would do a quick Google Scholar search on papers forecasting consumer demand for a product similar to the one of interest. The functional form along with parameters you choose to include must be derived from theory. You'd be able to just copy their equation and just modify it to your data. Otherwise, you're doing blind statistics. This is the main reason you're getting inconsistent signs. \n\nWhat you're trying to do is specify a derived demand for the category of goods you're focussing on. Your general model is going to look like this:\n\n$ logQ_t = \\alpha + \\beta_llogP_t + X'_t\\gamma + \\epsilon$\n\nwhere:\nQ sales P selling point\n X vector of factors other than selling price \n$\\epsilon$ random component in demand\n\nHave you included any economic indicator parameters? This would be things like GDP, income, population growth, unemployment, interest rates... etc. Depending on the good -- for your purpose -- there's usually theory providing necessary parameters regardless of statistical significance. I would do this first. Add some macro indicators and re-check the F-statistic for the model. Your model would then provide not only own price elasticity of the good, but you'd get an income elasticity, as well as cross-price elasticities for competing/complementing goods. If your company has spent money on advertising this would be necessary to include as well. Have you added dummy variables for the 'category' of the good itself? And trend variables? Lags of seasonal effects, their quadratic effects? Interaction effect variables? \n\nAny cursory approach would lead to omitted variable bias over your misspecified parameters. On most circumstances you'll have to verify the multiplier effect isn't changing through time. \n\nHave you checked for normality, autocorrelated errors?\n\nThis is as broad and general a reference I can think to give you. The functional specification here might be better calculated through an autoregressive form. But this is beyond the scope I think. \n\nI'm not sure as to your level of econometric/demand analysis so I kept things devoid of much math. I hope this was somewhat helpful. It was great intuition to stop what you're doing when you saw incorrect signs. Keep to that rule of thumb.", "Opportunity Cost of the Seats\n\nOnce the movie is made the cost of production is sunk and irrelevant to the proper pricing of tickets. Only the marginal costs of serving an additional customer and the opportunity cost of showing a different film would enter into ticket pricing. Since cinemas should be setting the number of screens for each movie so that the opportunity costs of the seats are equated across films, this makes them want to charge the same for all films. In support of this idea, I offer that movies do vary in price by time of day. This is a rational response to the perishability of seats (once the movie starts an empty seat for that show is worthless) and time (of day) varying demand for film-going which varies the opportunity cost of the seats by time of day. The theater can't easily equate the opportunity cost across time the way it can across films. \n\nAt the Movies: The Economics of Exhibition Contracts (Filson, Switzer, and Besocke (2004)) provides the following explanation:\n\n\n Practitioners provide several explanations for inflexible ticket\n prices. Exhibitors want to avoid menu costs and eliminate consumer\n uncertainty about what the movie will cost. Exhibitors do not increase\n prices of hits because they are engaged in repeat business with local\n consumers, and the potential loss of goodwill from increased prices\n outweighs the potential gain. Charging different prices for different\n movies at multiplexes necessitates employing monitors to ensure that\n consumers see the movies they pay for. Even offering mid-week\n discounts may lead to more time shifting than new demand. Not all\n analysts or practitioners agree that inflexible prices are optimal\n (see Orbach and Einav 2001), although it seems unlikely that such an\n easy-to-exploit profit opportunity would persist. Some practioners\n have experimented with non-uniform prices in the U.S. in the recent\n past but inflexible prices remain the norm.", "In a framework such as CAPM, agents are assumed to be rational, and usually to have identical preferences. All agents have access to the same information, and agree on the level of riskiness of every particular stock. As returns are a reward for taking risk, the price of every asset do not depend on the supply but on its riskiness. Thus, the demand curve is flat: no matter how much of asset A their is on the market, nobody wants to pay a premium which would lead to have a lower reward for a same level of risk.\n\nThis models have very strong and restrictive assumptions, which is why we end up with this weird infinitely price-elastic demand curve. More complex models, with less restrictive assumptions, might produce downward sloping demand curves.", "There are two possible answers here, depending on whether you want to take a partial or general equilibrium setting. Note that the partial equilibrium analysis of tax incidence is only taught in undergraduate micro textbooks but is not considered a sensible approach in current research.\n\nPartial Equilibrium: Suppose your supply is perfectly inelastic (for example a non-rival but excludable good which you produced last period) and demand is perfectly elastic (let's say another firm produces a perfect substitute with perfectly elastic supply sold at some price p). Then the producer will bear the full burden of the tax.\n\nGeneral Equilibrium: In a general equilibrium setting, anything can happen. In response to a tax, both supply and demand curves may shift. However, in this case the standard definition of tax incidence is no longer meaningful. In such cases, researchers either calculate some loss function for each consumer or simply look at price changes to analyze tax incidence.", "This is a version of Hotelling's Model of Spatial Differentiation \n\nThe easiest solution to this is to find an \"X\" in-between [0,2] such that the customer is indifferent between going to Firm A or Firm B. \n\nThis will happen when \n$ P(A) + Distance(X-A) - Utility = P(B) + Distance(B-X) - Utility $\n\nThen demand [0, X] would go to A, and demand [X, 2] will go to B. Then using Best Response Functions for this Simultaneous game we can compute prices, quantity, and profits.\n\nI have attached my solution below. For more information, you can see - SNYDER NICHOLSON HOTELLING'S BEACH EXAMPLE", "It says\n\n\n If none of the companies with higher costs will gain positive profits\n\n\nI assume this means they're making 0 profits, while strictly speaking it could mean that they make negative profits and leave the market.\n\n\nSo with 0 profits, this means that average costs = price for the high-cost firms.\n\n\nFirst, you need to derive the equilibrium price, using that, for the equilibrium price, demand = supply.\n\n$$ \\text{total demand} = Q(p) = S(p) = \\text{total supply}$$\n\nA firm's supply is the solution to a maximization problem:\n\n$$ q_h(p) = \\arg\\max_q (p-C_h(q))q \\\\\n q_l(p) = \\arg\\max_q (p-C_l(q))q$$\n\nThen, total supply given price $p$ and amount of high-cost firms $n$ is \n\n$$ S(p, n) = 50\\cdot q_l(p) + n \\cdot q_h(p)$$\n\nThen, our equilibrium condition is simply\n\n$$ S(p, n) = Q(p) $$\n\nThis is under defined, as we have one equation and two variables $(p, n)$ to solve for. But wait, we know more! 0 profits for the high-cost firms means\n\n$$ p = C_h(q)$$\n\nTo get rid of the additional variable $q$, just use the solution to the firm's problem: \n\n$$ p = C_h(q_h(p))$$\n\nNow we have two equations and two variables, you are all set!\n\n$$ S(p, n) = Q(p) \\\\\n p = C_h(q_h(p))$$", "Explaining the shape of the horizontal range\n\nIn the very short run, the AS curve is perfectly price-elastic (i.e. on the diagram, it is a horizontal line). It is also referred to as the Keynesian range. In this time period, firms respond to a rise in demand for their product without considering the effects of the rising demand, such as higher prices. This can be generalised for most firms, but not all. \n\nWe can look at the example of a book shop or a food stall. It is highly unlikely for these business owners to revise their prices on daily basis based on their past sales records. Prices are more likely reviewed on a yearly basis, or at some longer time intervals. Regular price revision could complicate simple business accounting and may also dispel customers, especially if your price revisions keep increasing the price. \n\nThere are some firms that are able to change prices based on instantaneous demand. These would include the ride-hailing service providers, such as Uber and Grab. Their computer algorithms are programmed to respond their market conditions of the moment and price according to the level of demand at that instant. Firms that are able to do this are more of an exception rather than the norm. \n\nAnother way to view it would be from the resource employment viewpoint. In this time period, the real national output/income is much lower than the full employment level. Thus, there is an abundance of un-utilised or under-utilised resources. Should there be an increase in aggregate demand, the spare capacity will allow producers to increase output production easily without incurring high costs. Hence, there is no pressure on the general price level to increase. \n\nExplaining the shape of the vertical range\n\nIn the long run, prices do not keep rising. The AS curve is simply perfectly price-inelastic (i.e. on the diagram, it is a vertical line). This is also called the classical range of the AS curve. In the LR, all firms in the economy reach their full employment level (i.e. resources have been fully-utilised to their maximum capacity) and there is no demand-deficient unemployment. \n\n\n Price levels are fully flexible as all firms will make adjustments to their prices in response to changes in demand. \n\n\nThis is what the vertical line indicates, not what you have mentioned. \n\nThe model I have learnt for the AS curve is a hybrid model, which is also depicted by the Wiki page for AS. The \"short run\" here essentially corresponds to your so-called \"very short run\". The \"long run\" here is the same as yours.", "You can see the applications in microeconomics. A tiny example could be on elasticity of demand. \n\nLet's say \n\n$$ D = \\frac{tC}{P+t} $$\n\nwhere $P, t, C$ are respectively price, tax and constant. If you like to see the effect of tax change on demand you can use the difference quotient ;\n\n$$\\Delta D = \\frac{(t + \\Delta t C)}{P + t + \\Delta t} - \\frac{tC}{P + t}$$\n\nI skip the intermediary calculations. This one yields ;\n\n$$\\frac{\\Delta P}{\\Delta t} = \\frac{P.C}{(P+t)^{2}+\\Delta t.(P+t)}$$\n\nHope that it helps.", "Both of them are consistent. The economic profit is the total revenue $TR$ minus total cost $TC$ but in economics costs must include also opportunity costs not just accounting ones.\n\nHowever, for all standard market structures $TR&gt;TC$ happens only if the marginal revenue or price $P$ is above marginal costs $MC$.\n\nAlso if there is positive economic profit then also return on the capital will be higher than opportunity cost of that capital, because by definition such profit must be higher than the minimum necessary to compensate for the opportunity cost.\n\nSo it’s not that the definitions are inconsistent they are just different results based on the same principle. However, if you would try to calculate the true economic profit by different estimation methods you could get different answers because some opportunity cost might be not easy to observe. For example, weighted average costs of capital (WACC) is a crude way how to estimate opportunity cost it’s not the definition of it. Also many inputs in WACC are only proxies not actually directly observable variables.\n\nNow turning attention to your example it’s simply not true the demand for oil is elastic or that oil market is perfectly competitive market. Due to organizations as OPEC oil market was for long time almost monopolized and even though the strength of OPEC decreased in recent years I would still put it somewhere more close to oligopoly. It’s definitely not even close to perfectly competitive market which requires many sellers not just few key players. Also perfect competition requires (virtually) no barriers to entry and in oil industry the entry barriers can be high. \n\nMoreover, demand for oil is also very inelastic. Unfortunately even now in 21st century our civilization crucially depends on fossil fuels to run. Oil is still virtually a necessity and demand for it is highly inelastic. In fact if you try to survey the literature on google scholar by checking for elasticity of oil demand you find that most mean estimates report elasticity less than 1 and many close to 0.1 which is very small. In such setting in most market structures you get a room for significant economic profit as market power varies inversely with elasticity of demand.", "It is worth noting that OP's original question before I edited it asked, \"why would economists lie to us?\" This already leaves a poor taste in my mouth; such a question is loaded enough as it is, only good for picking fights. The author stated at the bottom of the Progressive Dairy article is a lawyer, not an economist, and seems to be the basis for some of your figures in your analysis. The article from the Texas A&amp;M AgriLife study cited by the Farm Bureau/NMPF did have economists writing on the topic, which I'll discuss briefly later.\n\n\n\nRelated to denesp's comment on cost of labor share, consider the firm's cost of milk production:\n\n$$p_L q_L + \\sum^n_{i = 1} p_iq_i = C$$\n\nThe cost $C$ is made up of the cost of labor (price of labor times quantity of labor) plus the cost of all other factors of production. The labor share of cost that was mentioned by OP would be:\n\n$$\\frac{p_L q_L}{C} \\equiv \\boxed{s_L = \\frac{p_L q_L}{p_L q_L + \\sum^n_{i = 1} p_iq_i}}$$ \n\nSuppose as in the hypothetical that the cost of labor doubles. OP argues that then, \n\n\n we can multiply the labor share of a dairy farm's expenses per hundredweight by 2\n\n\nbut this is clearly not true from a mathematical standpoint.\n\n$$2s_L \\neq \\frac{(2p_L) q_L}{(2p_L) q_L + \\sum^n_{i = 1} p_iq_i}$$\n\nMore than this, it also assumes there are no cross-price effects. That is, if the price of one good changes, it will not change the quantity demanded of other factors of production. If there is any sort of substitutability OR complementarity between labor and any other factor of production, this cannot hold. Empirically, low-skill/blue-collar labor is a complement to high skill labor and a substitute with capital.\n\nAll of this walks around a bigger issue. The article in question makes a claim about the effect of disemployment on doubling milk prices. It does not say that it will come about by doubling labor prices, so the argument posed above is just a strawman. That is, it may very well be that doubling labor price would not double the final price of milk, but that is not what the article is arguing.\n\n\n\nThat said, I don't particularly like the analysis done in the Texas A&amp;M AgriLife study cited either. Ultimately, it has no inference/causal modelling and is just a survey with some summary statistics, with a lot of questionable assumptions. There is like one price elasticity in that whole analysis as I could see, and its use was not compelling.\n\nThe lazy way to interpret this is to just say the methods of the study are bad and that its conclusions have no value and only serve to mislead the public. I don't think this is particularly true either. Private sector market analysis is definitely in some ways less stringent than publishing in, say, an economics journal however.\n\nSo what can we do?\n\n\n\nThe long, boring, rigorous way to estimate the impact of a large shock to the labor supply is to look at labor demand and labor supply simultaneously.\n\nConsider an extremely simple set of linear estimations:\n\n$$\\ln(L_s) = \\alpha_s \\ln(w) + \\vec{\\beta}_s \\vec{Z} + \\epsilon_s$$\n$$\\ln(L_d) = \\alpha_d \\ln(w) + \\vec{\\beta}_d \\vec{X} + \\epsilon_l$$\n\nWhere $Z$ is a vector of control variables/supply shifters (e.g. non-labor income), and $X$ is the same but for demand. Notice that labor, $L$ and wage, $w$ are endogenously determined, which nudges us towards the use of IV estimation, rather than the typical OLS.\n\nLabor Demand:\n\nFrom here you'd have to think about what kind of functional form production should take: $Y = f(K, L, \\cdots)$, where $K$ is capital, and you can put in some other factors if you want (legal labor vs illegal labor perhaps?), and derive conditional factor demands, which you can plug into the equation for cost which gets some $C(w, r, \\cdots, Y)$, with $r$ representing the rental rate of capital.\n\nApplying Shephard's Lemma, you can then derive the elasticities of substitution between two different factors of production, which are used to calculate the cost shares of of each production factor, and eventually, we can then find the own-price elasticity of the factors, used to help estimate $\\alpha_d$.\n\nLabor Supply:\n\nSimilar line of thought, but with a specification of utility and working with Frisch elasticities.\n\n\n\nPlugging in the data (number of laborers, capital stock on farms, etc.) could prove difficult or impossible without existing data of course.\n\nThis is obviously a very rough sketch for an empirical framework for analyzing labor supply, but it is a foundation for analyzing all sorts of shocks to the labor supply. For a more detailed analysis, you can refer to Cahuc, Carcillo, and Zylberberg and their first few chapters on labor supply and labor demand.\n\nSometimes in the economic literature, undertaking a more detailed study like this requires a lot of funding and time, with in mind particularly the hassle of data. People want practical policy answers in the short run, particularly in the private sector. With limited resources, sometimes studies like the ones you've looked at provide \"second-best results\" and that is the analysis we have to work with. The productive, honest thing to do with studies that take on partisan issues is to think about how to feasibly improve them and ask specifically about how to look at the research being done on the topic.\n\nThere are plenty of voices accusing all manner of partisan research/analysis as misleading, and still plenty polemics out there who would waste their time writing polemics. It is not for this site." ]

[ "The annual Salvation Army bell ringing campaign began December 1 in Maryville and volunteers are needed for the fundraising drive which keeps all donations in Nodaway County.\nThe money raised in the red kettle drive is distributed in partnership with Community Services, Inc., and is used to benefit the local community.\nFunds provide emergency assistance to county residents during crisis situations. Assistance for basic living essentials include food, clothing, utilities, housing assistance, temporary lodging, transportation, prescription medications and other emergency needs. Salvation Army services are funded through donations from individuals.\nIn 2017, approximately 200 families benefitted from the money collected in the December 2016 red kettle drive.\nThere are red kettles at Wal-Mart and Hy-Vee entrances and counter kettles at the following businesses: South Nodaway Valley Bank, Hy-Vee Gas and Convenience, Pagliai’s, Ace Hardware, Gray’s Restaurant, Orscheln Farm and Home and O’Reilly Auto Parts.\nThose interested in volunteering as a bell ringer can visit signupgenius.com/go/70a0948afab29a13-2017 to register for a one-hour time slot on any day listed. You may also contact Norma at Community Services, 660.582.3113.\nContributions can also be mailed to Community Services, Inc., PO Box 328, Maryville, MO 64468. Make checks payable to Nodaway County Salvation Army." ]

[ "How far would you go to save a life? Would you donate your gently used clothes or household items? Do you have items that have been sitting in your house for a long time, meaning to get rid of them? If the answer to any of these is yes, then why not donate them to The Salvation Army and be our partner in Doing The Most Good.\nWinter is the hardest season for The Salvation Army for clothing donations. We are asking residents to open their closets and donate clothes and shoes and help us fund the Adult Rehabilitation Center. Since the ARC doesn’t solicit government funding, the ministry runs solely on the generosity of individuals, organizations and businesses who donate goods to be sold in our Family Stores. Proceeds from their sale go toward providing important services for the program participants, helping them get back on their feet and live a productive life.\nPlease consider making a donation today by calling 800-SA-TRUCK for a free pickup. Or drop your donation at a store, donation center or donation box near you.\nBil Moriarty, donation development coordinator\nThe Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center\nPortland", "About 125 volunteers helped ensure a successful Dundas Community Services food drive for the Dundas Salvation Army food bank last month.\nDerek Collins, a Dundas Community Services board member, said the effort collected slightly more than 11,500 pounds of food donations, plus approximately $7,500 in cash donations. Collins said the financial contributions included $5,000 from the Dundas Lions Club.\n\"We exceeded our totals from last year's food drive,\" Collins said.\nThe food bank also recently received a $15,000 grant from the Dougher Community Fund of Hamilton Community Foundation.", "Chattanooga, Tenn. (WDEF) – If you visit The Salvation Army warehouse on Covington Street in Rossville, one of your first impressions will be the number of boxes throughout the facility, each representing a family in need.\nThe next will be the cold. Like most warehouses, there is no heat for the volunteers who sort Angel Tree gifts in December.\nIn the midst of the boxes and volunteers, you’ll see Ruth Cote, a Salvation Army volunteer for over 35 years, and her worn, red gloves.\nThe gloves are clean but stained from over twenty years of Angel Tree volunteer work at the warehouse.\nShe proudly shows off the neat mending that’s kept them helpful in the hard work of moving toys three to four times throughout the warehouse to ensure gifts are ready the day families visit.\nRather than mend the little gloves, if you ask Ruth why she hasn’t replaced them, you’ll get a smile as she responds, “People know me for my red gloves. They will see me and ask, ‘Hey, where are your red gloves?’”\nThe truth is that the gloves have become sentimental, reminding Ruth of why she gives her time and energy each Christmas season.\n“Growing up, I lived in the country with my Grandmother,” Ruth begins. “At Christmas, we didn’t get what we wanted, but we got something. When I see these families, I see where they’re struggling and I just want to help them.”\nCote goes on to say that she doesn’t so much see the adults, but “I see the children. It’s the children that breaks my heart.”\nAnd so Ruth and her red gloves continue to lift thousands and thousands of bags of toys and clothing items each Christmas season.\nJoin Ruth and other volunteers as they distribute Angel Tree gifts on December 18th and 19th at The Salvation Army warehouse at 5001 Covington Street by emailing Alissa Best at Alissa.best@uss.salvationarmy.org.\nOr make a gift to ensure all angels are cared for by donating to CSArmy.org, or by mail to 822 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN, 37403.", "Tis the season for the ringing of the bells and the smiling faces out at all the stores collecting donations in their bright red kettles for the Salvation Army.\nTonya Sidbury is a staple at the Porter's Neck Walmart where she dresses in red suede boots to go with her red apron and bright silver hoop earrings.\nShe's been ringing the bell at the big box store for more than four years.\n\"I love to do it, love it, love it, love it,\" she said with a smile. \"It's a wonderful thing. I love it and I could do it all day long.\"\nNotice how many times Sidbury said love? That four-letter word will soon take on a whole new meaning for her.\nSidbury spends each day gleefully greeting customers and employees alike.\n\"Everyone is so wonderful. They tell me I brighten their day,\" Sidbury said. \"Some people tell me I'm the reason why they come to work, so it makes me feel good, touches my heart.\"\nOn Dec. 14, 2016, Sidbury noticed a passerby after greeting a few shoppers.\n\"I was watching him come across the road, and as he was coming in, I could see a yellow arrow just pointing at the back of his head like, 'Is this for real?'\" she said.\nThat man was Perry London.\n\"He turned around and he came back out and we stood out here and we talked,\" Sidbury said. \"He spent countless days out here with me while I rang the bell.\"\nPerry the passerby would soon become the bell ringer's prince.\n\"He is my wonderful king, my amazing grace,\" Sidbury said as the two embraced.\n\"She has a lot of energy. She has a great spirit. She is a people person,\" London said. \"I don't think she ever met a stranger. She always can put a smile on anyone's face. She has a special gift and I am so glad to share that gift with her.\"\nA queen that met her king, and got a ring.\nAfter Sidbury is done ringing her holiday bell, she and London will soon hear some other bells. They are planning to be married March 17 in the Hampstead area.\nCopryright 2017 WECT. All rights reserved.", "By Jenna Leslie\nBELLEVILLE – The Youth Room at Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre is wrapping up its first ever winter clothing drive.\nYouth programmer Nikki De Haan and her volunteers have been working to collect new and gently used winter clothing accessories such as hats, mittens and scarves for those in need. Their plan is to pair the accessories with the Salvation Army’s Coats For Folks program – a program that accepts new and gently-used coats for those in need.\nDe Haan said the idea came to her one night, when she noticed the homelessness population in downtown Belleville while working her second job teaching dance.\n“Constantly hearing of and seeing people out in the cold is just heartbreaking,” said De Haan.\nWhen she came into the Youth Room the next day, still upset about the issue, she talked to one of her volunteers about it. That’s when they came up with the plan. It started with a quickly drawn up poster and a few social media posts and has taken off since then.\nThey reached out to the Salvation Army and decided to pair the donations with the coats. That way when people come to get their coats, they can grab a pair of mittens, a hat and a scarf to go with it.\nAny extra accessories will be left at warming stations throughout the city.\nShe hopes this will help make the community a bit more comfortable until a more permanent solution is put in place, she said.\nThe program also gives youth a chance to get involved, said De Haan.\n“All of the volunteers in the youth room with me, they know they can make a difference in their community,” she said.\nThe drive has been far more successful than De Haan said she thought it would be. Knitting groups donated hats and scarves in bundles. Even some local schools like Quinte Secondary School got involved by starting their own drives.\nIt’s hard for young folks sometimes as they feel like they can’t make a difference, she said.\n“We’re affecting the community so much with just a pair of mittens,” said De Haan.\nThose who wish to contribute to the clothing drive have until Nov. 30 to get their donations to the Youth Room. After that, De Haan recommends contacting Salvation Army about where to drop off any extra donations.\nThe Youth Room will be open to accept donations Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.\nComments", "Nate is approaching the Mississippi Gulf Coast and relief agencies are preparing to respond if or when disaster strikes.\n“I have seen the devastation that has happened in Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico,\" said Lt. JuLinda Davis of the Salvation Army. \"I am just worried that there is a possible hurricane headed our way.”\nDavis recently returned from duty in Florida. Now she, along with volunteers and pastors are preparing to jump into action as Nate threatens the region.\n“We are on standby, so we are ready to go when we get that call to respond to help who could be impacted by the hurricane,” added Davis.\nThe Salvation Army serves in several ways including emotional and spiritual care, emergency communication as well as providing meals, water, and snacks to storm victims and emergency workers.\n“As of right now this division that includes Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, we have 25 of our canteens stocked and ready to serve 1,000 meals a day,\" said Davis. \"We are currently working with MEMA to respond to the areas that need it the most.\"\nThe Salvation Army has also stocked up on cleaning supplies to help storm victims.\n“The importance of the cleanup kits is to distribute them to families and get those things back together in their homes,\" said Davis. \"Things are all over the place and things need to be put back together, so the cleanup kits, they may sound small, but they are a huge help.”\nIf you want to donate to the Salvation Army, call your local chapter.\nCopyright 2017 MSNewsNow. All rights reserved.", "List of books given to the kids as well.\nToys on tables across the center.\nHundreds of toys packed in the Salvation Army Dimond Center.\nMore than 350 kids in Lee County will get Christmas presents thanks to a local program.\nChristmas for Kids is sorting toys for families to pick up this weekend.\nVolunteers are setting up tables for kids to receive three big toys along with some stocking stuffers.\nThis program is supported by donations from local businesses and churches.\nVolunteers say 3,000 toys will be passed out to low income families.\n\"It's very nice,\" Volunteer Kim Albers said. \"We have a lot of parents come up to us and say that this means a lot to them, otherwise their kids would not have Christmas. It gets emotional at times.\"\nFamilies can pick up toys Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Salvation Army Dimond Center at 1415 Avenue M.", "CLOSE Lt. Gov. Ray Tenorio speaks on the importance of donations raised through The Salvation Army's Red Kettle campaign during a kickoff ceremony at the Agana Shopping Center on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017. Rick Cruz/PDN\nBarista/cashier Kaelene Manibusan, 19, rings up a customer's drink order, at the Port of Mocha Coffee House store location, near the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica in Hagåtña, on Tuesday, Oct. 18. (Photo: Rick Cruz/PDN)\nPort of Mocha Guam is hosting their annual \"Coffee for Charity\" event in support of The Salvation Army.\nCustomers will be able to go to any Port of Mocha location on island between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. today, Dec. 12 to avail for free coffee. Any holiday beverage, size tall, is free with a donation of any amount to The Salvation Army.\nPort of Mocha owner Sanjay Dewan said all proceeds of the event will benefit The Salvation Army.\nMORE NEWS:\nRead or Share this story: http://www.guampdn.com/story/life/2017/12/12/free-coffee-port-mocha-donation-today/943174001/", "The Salvation Army store in Salisbury is in urgent need of clothing donations, according to the local captain.\nAn increase in demand and a drop in donations has led to the shortage, according to officials.\nThe most urgent need is for adult work and office type clothing, but school uniforms and children's clothes are also requested.\nNew or gently used clean clothing is preferred.\nAll funds raised at the store go to support Salvation Army local social service programs including utility, rental and food assistance for those in need in Rowan County. The local branch of the Salvation Army also provides clothing vouchers when there is a need.\nDonations are accepted at the Salvation Army Family Store between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The store is located at 532 Jake Alexander Boulevard West in Salisbury.\nCopyright 2018 WBTV. All rights reserved.", "TEGA CAY, S.C. — An anonymous donor left a gold coin worth $1,300 in a Salvation Army kettle in South Carolina last week, WCNC reports.\nThe coin was dropped into a red kettle in Rock Hill on Dec. 4 with a note that said, “use this anonymous gift to publicize giving.”\nDonations to the Salvation Army helps families in need celebrate Christmas.\n“We would like to say thank you to the donor who dropped the gold coin into the kettle,” said Salvation Army corps officer Lt. Michael McGee. “Your generation helps us fight for good in our community all year. God bless you.”\nSO COOL! A gold coin valued at $1,300 was just dropped in a Salvation Army kettle in Tega Cay (York Co). First time this has happened in the Carolinas!! @wcnc pic.twitter.com/QbZtYZyPgn — Savannah Levins (@LevinsReports) December 6, 2017", "Living Realty is conducting a Toy Drive for the festive season, in support of the Salvation Army’s 22nd annual Toy Mountain campaign. Donation bins have been placed at each of Living Realty’s GTA branches to collect donations of new, unwrapped toys and gifts.\nOnce received by the Salvation Army, the toys will be sorted by age group and gender then donated to qualifying families throughout the GTA.\nPeople can donate new, unwrapped toys for children of all ages, from 0 to 18, but the Salvation Army has some special requests. In recent years, they have fallen short of their goals for toys for babies, tweens and teens, so they ask people to keep these age groups in mind when donating toys. For children aged 10 and up, they suggest digital music players, hair accessories like curling irons and hair dryers, makeup kits, electronics, books, school supplies, hats, scarves and gift cards.\n“The excellent response to our recent Thanksgiving food drive inspired us to keep doing more and make our multiple GTA locations donations points for everyone who wants to give,” says Living Realty’s broker of record, Kelvin Wong. “With the festive season approaching fast, a toy drive seemed like the perfect campaign to follow that up.”", "SYRACUSE, NY -- Did you miss the hundreds of Old Newsboys hawking special edition newspapers on Friday and Saturday to raise money for the Christmas Bureau?\nThere's still time to donate and you can do it online.\nFor more than 80 years the goal of the annual Old Newsboys Hope for the Holidays fundraiser has always been the same: Every child deserves a gift under the Christmas tree.\nAndrew Sabbaghzadeh, of the Salvation Army, said the Old Newsboys is vital to the Christmas Bureau. The Christmas Bureau is sponsored by the Salvation Army and the United Way of CNY.\n\"We are very lucky to have these resources in the community,\" he said.\nSabbaghzadeh said the Christmas Bureau served 6,600 children in 2016. The needs in the community continue to grow, he said.\n\"Children deserves to have a Christmas morning - a gift to wake up to,\" he said.", "ROCHESTER, Minn. – The Salvation Army is celebrating two of their leaders.\nScroll for more content...\nMajors James and Paulette Frye are retiring this year after 40 years of service.\nThe two leaders said after more than a decade in Rochester, the Salvation Army’s programs continue to help with the growing community’s needs.\n“As DMC is here and they continue to grow, more people come, there's going to be challenges we face with that, and one of them is affordable housing,” Major James Frye said. “Are people being able to find some place to live? And of course, that always creates a challenge.”\nThe Salvation Army has over 30 programs that help people in the community.\nThis isn’t goodbye for the Majors, they said they plan to keep serving. That’s because they say volunteers are what keep the programs going.\n“That's the only way the Salvation Army is gonna continue to survive and do that work is people coming forward,” Major James Frye said, “giving their time, talents, and treasures to be able to do that and help others.”\nTheir retirement service is set for Sat., June 16. It starts at 11:00 a.m. and will be held at 20 First Avenue NE.", "Please enable Javascript to watch this video\nAKRON, Ohio -- A great-grandmother of 18 is the oldest volunteer at Akron Children's Hospital.\nRose Carlson is 102 years young. She was 95 when she joined her daughter as a volunteer at the hospital. She said she didn't want to sit around and watch bad TV after her husband's death, so she decided to volunteer.\nFrom folding and checking blankets for kids to preparing packets for families coming to the hospital, Rose is quite busy on the days she works.\n\"That's why I come because I like the people; I don't like the work,\" she laughed as she told us.\nHer daughter, Linda, says her mom has always volunteered. Rose was a big part of the PTA when Linda and her siblings were small and has volunteered with United Cerebral Palsy, Toys for Tots, and The Salvation Army.\nIn fact, Rose was with them for 50 years and just stopped ringing a bell at Christmas two years ago.\nLinda says her mom has always been an inspiration because nothing stops her. \"She has a fierce determination. That's for sure -- in whatever it is.\"\nRose says she's worked hard all her life to take care of her family and to make her community a better place.\nShe's raised four children, nine grandchildren and has 18 great-grandchildren.\nBeing busy, she says, is one of the things that she feels has kept her young; that and being willing to make new friends and be a part of something.\nAnd, a good dose of praying, she says, doesn't hurt either. 'Why you think you made it to 102?' \"The man upstairs,\" she laughed. \"I don't know why I got that old; nobody else in the family got that old. I'm the oldest one. I must have lived a good life,\" Rose told us.\nRose says she will continue to volunteer at the hospital as long as she is able.\n41.081445 -81.519005", "By Jamie Leary\nAURORA, Colo. (CBS4)– The Salvation Army is warning shoppers to keep an eye out for imitation bell ringers after two of the organization’s Red Kettles were stolen earlier this month.\n“I’m especially worried because whoever committed the crime might start collecting donations from unwary donors,” said Salvation Army Lt. Sam LeMar of Aurora.\nBoth of the thefts occurred in Aurora. In one case, a kettle was stolen during a shift change. In the second, thieves not only took the iconic red kettle, but also the sign, the apron and the bell.\n“With the whole setup, someone could setup shop in another store someplace and solicit donations for themselves rather than for the Salvation Army. They could just set up on any street corner,” said Will Raihl, Divisional Property Director at the Salvation Army.\nNot only is the Salvation Army worried about imposters, the organization wants everyone to know, these thieves stole money that goes towards valuable programs.\n“We are always saddened by the theft of one of our kettles. The funds otherwise would have gone to help an individual or family in need in our community,” LeMar said, “but I am positive that the kindness of this community will be more memorable than this crime.”\nLast year the Salvation Army helped more than 62,000 Coloradans with toys and gifts for the holidays. In Aurora specifically, where the thefts occurred, each kettle raises between $350 and $500 a day.\nVeteran bellriniger James VanHesteren knows the impact the organization can make on a personal level.\nWhen he was just 11 years old and a fire destroyed part of his home, the Salvation Army not only replaced furniture, it delivered a bag full of Christmas gifts to his family.\n“In a bag was an Al Kaline baseball glove for me. He was one of my two boyhood heroes,” said VanHesteren. “I remember it all these years later, I’m still grateful and it’s a joy every season that I get to do this.”\nVanHesteren can’t fathom why someone would want to steal from an organization which gives so much.\n“I would say somebody has misguided anger toward Christmas.”\nVanHesteren has a message for the thieves, “Please step up and make opportunities happen for another 11-year-old boy.”\nThere are ways to recognize imposter bell ringers. Donors should always check and make sure the Red Kettle is secured to a stand with “The Salvation Army” sign on top. The kettle will always be accompanied by a bell ringer wearing a Salvation Army apron.\nAnother key tip? Bell ringers will never outright ask you for money.\n“Our bell ringers never ask for money. The way we solicit donations is by ringing the Red Kettle bell and that calls people to give so our bell ringers will never ask for a donation,” said Raihl.\nRaihl said the Salvation Army bell ringers are typically in the same place year after year. It’s unlikely you will see them soliciting donations on a random street corner.\nThe Salvation Army says kettle theft is unfortunately not a new crime but it hopes to continue to increase awareness. The Red Kettle Campaign is in its 127th year and is one of the longest-running and most recognizable fundraising efforts in the world.\nJamie Leary joined the CBS4 team in 2015 and currently works as a reporter for CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. She couldn’t imagine a better place to live and work and will stop at nothing to find the next great story. Jamie loves learning about and hearing from her fellow community members, so connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @JamieALeary.", "The Rotary Club of Milton is doing its part to help combat food insecurity here — and around the globe.\nIn May, Rotarians participated in the Kids Against Hunger Canada food-packing event. Last week, they presented the Kids Against Hunger Canada group with a $4,000 cheque to go toward their next event, slated for Nov. 11.\n“I cannot think of a better way to celebrate Remembrance Day than for us to come together as a community to sacrificially serve for the benefit of others both locally and globally,” said Kids Against Hunger Canada chairperson Kinh Quach.\nThis, said Kristi Fry of the Rotary Club of Milton, aligns with the service club’s motto of “service above self.”\nThe Kids Against Hunger Canada group has a goal of stuffing 100 boxes of food, representing 21,600 meals, which will be distributed to a number of organizations.\nAccording to Quach, 33 boxes will go to Truth North Aid, an organization that looks to bring food and hope to remote northern communities in Canada; 35 boxes will be directed to Be Alive Christian Fellowship, which will repack the donation into five shipping boxes destined for the Philippines; 20 boxes for Dominica hurricane relief and 12 boxes for the Milton Salvation Army Food Bank.\nThe food pack event runs at St. George’s Anglican Church, 7051 Guelph Line, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.\nVolunteers are needed to help the event run smoothly. A number of opportunities are available between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Those interested in lending a hand are encouraged to reach out to Quach at kquach@keybase.com.", "x\nA major fire engulfed Grenfell Tower in west London early this morning Reuters\nThe Salvation Army, which has today been helping victims of the major fire at Grenfell Tower in west London, has launched an appeal in response to what it says is the 'overwhelming' offer of assistance from the British public.\nThe appeal comes as churches from across the area came together to help victims of the fire, which killed at least six people and rendered 20 more critically injured, with the death toll expected to climb.\nSome 74 people are in hospital following the blaze, which could still be seen burning the tower block this afternoon, as Christian Today reported earlier.\nLocal residents and church leaders have expressed concerns and anger over warnings that were allegedly ignored by the authorities about the state of the building before the fire struck.\nThis morning, volunteers mobilised two of the Salvation Army's London-based emergency response vehicles, arriving at the scene at 3am following a request to support the coordinated effort from the London fire service. They continue to support well over 500 members of emergency service crews including firefighters and the ambulance service.\nAdvertisement\nThe Salvation Army said that it expects that at least one of its emergency response vans, manned by experienced volunteers and stocked with refreshments and food, will remain on site at Grenfell Towers until tomorrow and possibly Friday. They will be offering emotional support to all emergency service crews and providing guidance to members of the public looking for places of rest and safety.\nMeanwhile, the Salvation Army's corps in Notting Hill (205 Portobello Road, W11 1LU) is now open as a centre for members of the public who are concerned about family and friends. The centre will be operated by a team of Salvation Army volunteers.\nDonations to the appeal will help the Salvation Army continue to operate its emergency response, which supports emergency service crews day and night. Donations will help to stock its vehicles with food and drink, support volunteers and help keep centres open to the public in times of emergency.\nCaptain Ruth Gray, who with her husband Karl, has been co-ordinating the Salvation Army's emergency response on the ground, said: 'We have an understanding with the fire brigade, who asked us to come and support at this tragic incident that happened early this morning.\n'We drove to Shoreditch Fire Station, where our emergency response van is located, and that is permanently stocked with food – chocolate bars, crisps and cans of pop. We picked up items for sandwiches on the way from local shops so that we can support the emergency services and anyone at the incident who needs our help.\n'It is horrendous. I have never seen anything this tragic. People are really glad to have someone be kind and offer them a cup of tea, someone who is just prepared to listen to them.\"\nMajor Paul Scott, Salvation Army officer at Notting Hill, added: 'The community spirit is wonderful. Right from when it happened straight away it was amazing to see the community springing into action. We are now one of four reception centres – we are specifically open for families in need offering teas, coffees and snacks. We have been inundated with people bringing us donations for those who have been affected by this dreadful tragedy.'\nGray asked that people keep those affected by this incident in their prayers. She said: 'People have witnessed things they would rather have never seen. People can pray for the people who will provide long-term support. People have been made homeless, their homes have gone and how people deal with that I don't know. We pray that people find hope in a really horrendous situation. We pray for those who have lost loved ones. And we pray for the emergency services who continue to work so tirelessly.'\nThe Salvation Army runs a number of emergency response teams across the UK, which offer support to the emergency services with on-site refreshment and emotional support. The Salvation Army's emergency response vehicles attend between 170-200 call-outs per year.", "A patron drops some change into a Salvation Army kettle outside an Upstate store.\nAn anonymous person dropped a single gold coin worth about $1,200 in a Salvation Army kettle in South Carolina.\nMultiple media outlets report the one-ounce South African Krugerrand was dropped into a Salvation Army kettle during a fundraising drive at a Walmart store in Tega Cay.\nThe coin will likely be sold to a jeweler's store with proceeds going to Salvation Army programs.\nMike McGee of the Salvation Army in Rock Hill says a typical kettle fundraiser will raise about $300 a day.\nCopyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.", "Friday, June 1st is National Donut Day and Merritt's Bakery in Tulsa is celebrating by donating a portion of their sales to the Salvation Army.\nLarry Merritt as well as one of the Salvation Army's Donut Lassies, Samantha Knappen stopped by 6 In The Morning on Wednesday.\nMerritt's Bakery will donate 20-percent of all donut sales to the Salvation Army between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday, June 1st.", "It's not even Halloween yet, but the Salvation Army is already ramping up to help local families for Christmas.\nThe Salvation Army is once again helping families with their income-based Christmas Assistance Program.\nYou can head over to 620 North Erie Street St. from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 10-13, 23, 25-27 and on Oct 24 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.\nTo qualify you need to bring:\npicture I.D. from all adults living in a home\nproof of income for the household current within 30 days (pay stub, unemployment or SS/SSI/SSD printout)\nproof of address current withi 30 days\nbirth certificate for each child in the household (or a medical card with birthdate or report card)\nThe Salvation Army does this year after year to allow everyone to celebrate the holiday.\n\"Anyone in need of assistance, if you're going through a financial struggle, or just got laid off and you don't think you'll have enough money for your family to have a Christmas, you can come in and apply,” said Megan Cornwell, Salvation Army Director of Marketing. “We just have a few different documentation needs you need to fill out. Last year we assisted over 3,400 households with Christmas assistance so that's food and or toys depending on what the family says.\"\nYou have to apply in person.\nFollow WTOL:\nDownload our app here.\nCopyright 2017 WTOL. All rights reserved.", "Peterborough firefighters swapped their hoses for shopping bags in support of the annual Salvation Army Toy drive on Saturday.\nTwo trucks were overflowing with toys after a little Christmas shopping spree by firefighters at The Toy Shop on Hunter Street in the city’s downtown. It has become a Christmas tradition for firefighters and their way of giving back to the community.\nChristmas toy drive is underway today @PtboFireRescue & @ToyShopPtbo have teamed up again to donate $8k worth of toys to the cause. Story tonight on @CHEXNewswatch pic.twitter.com/9dfpV9wlX3 — Jesse Thomas (@jessethomas21) December 9, 2017\n“There is a great need here in the City of Peterborough,” said firefighter Ed Venuk.\n“We have needs through the hamper fund with the Salvation Army; we have a need with the toy fund. As well as this year we are focusing on other less fortunate by donating to the Warming Room and One Roof Community shelter.”\nThe Toy Shop owner Jean Grant takes the $2,000 the fire department raises and combines that with proceeds of her summer sidewalk sale — the result sees her purchase a bundle of toys worth nearly $8,000.\n“Out there is a child that really needs one of the toys that we have collected,” said Grant.\n“It’s going to make a difference in a child’s life and hopefully many children’s lives. It will help with the stress parents and families feel during this holiday season.”\nFirefighters then deliver the toys to Lansdowne Place mall to add them to the mountain of toys collected for the Salvation Army’s toy drive.\n“We work really hard trying to get the best toys and the best value for the money,” said Grant. “We try to cover all the bases to make sure there is something out there for everyone that will make a difference.\nThe effort not only helps families but also the business community.\n“We love to keep it local and we love to keep that money right here in Peterborough,” said Venuk. “The more that stays here, the better.”\nFirefigthers also donated $1,500 to the Salvation Army’s hamper fund.", "CLOSE The Ventura County Star's annual Julius Gius Bellringer campaign continues through Christmas, raising funds for the Salvation Army. Steve Byerly\nThe Star continues its Bellringer campaign through Christmas.\nThe Star's Bellringer campaign is underway through Christmas. (Photo: FILE ART)\nThe Williamsons lived in the Ondulando neighborhood of Ventura for 13 years before moving to Simi Valley.\nLast week, they watched as the Thomas Fire ripped through the streets there, burning homes in the area they remember fondly.\n\"Just watching that unfold in Ventura, it just broke by heart,\" said Debra Williamson, who described the feeling like a gut punch.\nSo this year, Debra, her husband Peter, and their daughter Taylor donated to the Bellringer campaign in honor of the first responders on the Thomas Fire.\n\"We donate every year. Always have,\" Debra said Monday.\nThey don't always do so in honor of anyone in particular, she said.\nBut this year, they wanted to recognize the firefighters, police, medical personnel, those who stepped up to help the animals, and others involved in rescue efforts.\nThe Star's annual Bellringer drive will run through Christmas with the newspaper publishing a daily list of new contributions, except on Mondays. Although The Star acknowledges all contributions, donors can remain anonymous, if desired. All money raised will be given to the Salvation Army to serve people in need.\nChecks to Bellringer should include the donor's name, phone number and if desired, the name of the person, organization, pet or other cause in whose memory it is given. The information will be shared with readers at vcstar.com.\nList of new donors\nIn loving memory of Lynne Hollenbeck, Dr. Barry Jones and Thomas E. Buckley. From Kevin McGee: $250\nIn gratitude for all the friends that continue to surround me with love and wonderful memories. From Marilyn Harris: $50.\nMichelle McGhee: $104.60.\nIn honor of Sharon at Main Street Meats who gave us an enormous discount when she found out we were feeding two families who lost their homes in the Thomas fire this week. Thank you, Sharon! From Stephanie Robbins: $100.\nVilma Neill and Karen Tarnowski: $100.\nIn memory of a great dad, Dominick Ciuffetelli. From the Ciuffetelli family: $100.\nIn memory of my dad, Capt. William H. Moxley, retired U.S. Marine Corps. From Lisa Moxley: $100.\nIn loving memory of our son, Darren, and dar friend, Melba Kistner. From Warren and Carolyn Finley: $50.\nPatsy Jorgensen: $300.\nIn memory of family, friends and fellow \"Patricians.\" Help for those impacted by the fire. Gratitude for those who \"serve and protect.\" From Bill and Mary Carpenter: $100.\nIn memory of Harry L. Maynard Jr., former Salvation Army chairman. From H.L. and Carolyn Maynard: $50.\nIn memory of our parents, Bud and Mary Needham, and Bill and Marjorie Lowe. From Richard and Julie Needham: $100.\nIn loving memory of Jerry Romano, Terry Wright and Tracy Wilson. Love you and miss you so very much. From Linda Romano: $25.\nIn loving memory of my wife, Myra, our brothers and parents. From Robert Joe: $200.\nAnonymous: $200.\nMay the true spirit of Christmas bless you and keep you. From Kenneth and Ruth Luscombe: $30.\nRichard and Leslie Selfridge: $400.\nThank you to all firefighters and others who helped during the fire. From Lois Thompson: $150.\nIn memory of my wonderful parents, Eva and Joseph Lipari, and my brother, Vince. My Christmas wish this year is to find a cure for multiple myeloma and all other cancers. Merry Christmas. From Joanne Lipari: $100.\nTo thank and honor all the first responders on the Thomas Fire. We pray for your safety and the safety of our neighbors. From Debra and Peter Williamson: $100.\nTo honor the bell ringers of the world. From Sherill and Margaret: $100.\nOn behalf of those who lost their homes in the Thomas Fire. From Anthony and Barbara Volante: $100.\nMargaret Blankenship: $100.\nEditor's Note: The following message from a previous Bellringer article was incomplete. Below is the completed version.\nIn loving memory of my husband, Robert Y. Casey. Forever yw. From Diana Casey: $50.\nPrevious total: $10,613.80\nToday's total: $2,909.60\nTotal to date: $13,523.40\nPlease make checks out to Salvation Army Southern California Division and send them to Bellringer, Ventura County Star, P.O. Box 6006, Camarillo, CA 93011, or pay with a credit card through this link to the Salvation Army: http://bit.ly/Bellringer2017.\nRead or Share this story: http://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2017/12/11/bellringer-family-donates-honor-thomas-fire-first-responders/850810001/", "LAWTON, OK (KSWO) - With 100-degree weather in the forecast, people are trying to find ways to beat the heat, and the Salvation Army is helping out through its annual box fan drive.\nRene Wilkins got a fan for her daughter and granddaughter couldn’t have been more thankful for the fans. She picked the fan up while her daughter was working.\n\"For my daughter, I know it's a peace of mind knowing that she's able to keep her house just a tad bit cooler during these hot days,\" Wilkins said.\nMajor David Robinson said as a former firefighter he has seen how the heat can kill people and he wants to prevent that from happening.\n\"A fan can do so much to save a life. Just moving the air around can keep them cool enough to survive a really hot day,\" he said.\nThe Salvation Army currently has around 10 box fans and needs more. Major Robinson said they usually give out anywhere from 50 to 60 fans, but with summer-like temperatures already here, he thinks they could go through 100 fans this year.\n\"People are always looking for a way to help and this is a quick and easy way to drop a fan off and know that they're going to help a needy family somewhere in the community,” Major Robinson said.\nWilkins said knowing that she could get a fan made her daughters day.\n\"I think that's what is so important to me is knowing that my grandbaby is going to be taken care of because of what the Salvation Army is doing,\" she said.\nThey're giving the fans to people who only have a window unit or don't have air conditioning at all. If somebody needs a fan, they can stop by the Salvation Army in Lawton off E Avenue. Officials ask that you come before noon unless you make an appointment. If someone wants to donate a fan, they can drop it off at the Salvation Army.\nCopyright 2018 RNN Texoma. All Rights Reserved.", "You could feel the Christmas spirit at the Salvation Army Distribution Center on Monday as hundreds of families collected toys and clothing for the holiday season.\nIt was all through the Salvation Army Christmas distribution and Angel Tree program.\nRenee Jackson shopped for her three boys - it was her second year picking up Christmas presents through the Salvation Army program.\n\"I love this place, it's good,” Jackson said. \"Just for the extra help. Sometimes bills get in the way and stuff like that and you can't always get them everything they need, so this place paves the way for you to get a little extra stuff for the kids who need it.\"\nThe Salvation Army has collected for over 5,000 children in the Richmond region. Those children will receive things such as coats, clothing, stockings, toys and some will even get a bike.\n\"Really the idea was to allow families not to worry about the stresses to financially provide and to go out and purchase clothing and toys for their children that would put them further behind in paying their bills perhaps,\" said Donald Dohmann, area commander for the Salvation Army.\nThe Salvation Army isn't just collecting items like toys and clothes for children, they also collected items for senior citizens in the area.\n“We have about 800 of those that will be receiving gifts come Thursday,” Dohmann said.\nThe distribution will go from through Thursday, Dec. 14 at at 6807 Midlothian Turnpike.\nCopyright 2017 WWBT NBC12. All rights reserved.\nReport an Error or Submit a Tip to NBC12", "The series of southern California wildfires, starting with the Thomas Fire on Dec. 4, have burned more than 230,000 acres and forced thousands of Los Angeles residents to evacuate their homes, making it the fifth largest California wildfire in modern history, according to CAL Fire, a fire protection agency. As of Monday, Dec. 11, the fire has only been 15 percent contained and continues to pose a threat to local residents and the neighboring cities of Los Angeles. With the fires still ablaze, there's ways you can donate to California fire victims.\nThe fire, which has been measured as larger than all of New York City and Boston combined, according to CNN, has caused major freeways to temporarily shut down, and at least 180 buildings have been destroyed. There has been a reported death toll of one, and most of Los Angeles and Ventura counties remains under a \"red flag warning\" related to weather conditions, according to CNN. That being said, there are a lot of ways to help.\nFirst, you can give cash donations.\nThe United Way of Ventura County, American Red Cross of Ventura, and the Ventura County Sheriff's office have created a service for the Thomas Fire that allows anyone to text 41444 to make cash donations. You can also make a donation over the phone at 805-485-6288. The proceeds of the fund will go directly to residents affected by the fire.\n100% donations to @vcunitedway's #ThomasFire Relief Fund will support those impacted. Here are three ways to give: Text UWVC to 41444 Visit https://t.co/LuUPcN7SFK Call 805-485-6288. — (@unitedway) #\nSalvation Army is asking for donations to support its work. Those wishing to donate can do so by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY.\nThe nonprofit group, Catholic Churches of Los Angeles, is also taking any and all cash donations on their website for evacuees.\nRed Cross is taking $10 donations via text. You can text \"REDCROSS\" to 90999, visit their website redcross.org, or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.\nYou can also donate through the default search engine, Google. If you type in “California fire relief” to the search bar, Google gives you a pop-up option with a“Yes, Donate” button. From there, you can donate as little from $10 to $250.\nIf you want to support firefighters on the job, you can to donate cash to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation to buy equipment and utilities for the firefighters.\nPlease help Los Angeles and Ventura fight and recover from these terrible fires. Consider the LA Fire Department Foundation at https://t.co/ZHLjjSgFUE or the Thomas Fire Fund organized by @vcunitedway at https://t.co/VRJSYycxgF — (@josephnsanberg) #\nYou can also donate food, water, and other supplies.\nThe Catholic Charities nonprofit is accepting Christmas donations of toys and clothing for Los Angeles residents affected by the fires, which can be taken to the Catholic Charities' Ventura Community Services Center.\nThe Salvation Army Ventura Corps is currently operating out of the Ventura County Fairgrounds to collect donations of food and water to directly help evacuees.\nThe Salvation Army's responds to the #ThomasFire: As evacuations grow, so does our response, serving hundreds of evacuees in the Ventura area. DONATE TO THE RELIEF CAMPAIGN: https://t.co/8RWkbqnD6v — (@salarmysocal) #\nThe Humane Society in Ventura County is accepting donations of horse feed, tarps, rope, and batteries to help horses that were evacuated from staples. The society has taken in at least 300 animals since the start of the fires. Donations can be dropped off at their location, 402 Bryant St. in the city of Ojai, and cash donations can be made on their website.\nPLEASE DONATE: The HSVC has taken in hundreds of animals displaced by the #thomasfire. Please make your donation on our website at: https://t.co/ICMa2TK2Zw #ThomasFireOjai #thomasfireventura #OjaiFire #ojai #ojaivalley #805 #humanesociety — (@hsvc_ojai) #\nThe Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club is also accepting donations of food and barn supplies for the horses that they are sheltering.\nMany organizations also need volunteers to help.\nThe Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club are also looking for local volunteers to help take care of the evacuated horses.\nYou can go on the Red Cross website and see what volunteer openings are listed. If you type in your zip code and your interest (California fire relief), you can see if there any volunteer opportunities close by. The Red Cross Ventura chapter will also likely post volunteer opportunities on their social media accounts.\nCarolyn Pandol, a longtime local Red Cross volunteer, listens to Ventura Fairgrounds shelter resident Michelle Mullin, tell the story of her escape from the wildfires. Michelle also brought her beloved rescue dog with her. #ThomasFire — (@redcrossventura) #\nAs the fire continues to affect Los Angeles residents, these are tangible ways to help, whether it be by pushing a button and donating $10, or by showing up over the holiday season to volunteer.", "Mon, Apr 17: North Shore Rescue is in desperate need of some new volunteers as the recruit deadline looms and the number of members retiring grows. Jennifer Palma reports.", "SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A free summer camp in Suffolk could be closing its doors because of new requirements for volunteers.\nIt’s called the CHOICE Program and it’s been running for three years at the Salvation Army center in Suffolk. This year, Salvation Army is requiring all volunteers have background checks and it’s creating challenges for the program.\nAntwan Robinson knows the streets of Suffolk can be unforgiving.\n“I did some things out here in the streets that I’m not satisfied with,” Robinson said.\nThat’s why he created the CHOICE program three years ago.\n“It’s a way of giving back to our youth in this community, let them know that they matter to us.”\nCHOICE stands for “children helping other individuals see elevation” and it’s a free summer camp for kids and teens in the area. The goal is to keep them off the streets.\n“You got a lot of people doing a lot of things and they are young,” said Doris Taylor, who has volunteered with the program in the past. “These are young folks that are out here stealing, drinking, drugging.”\nJust last year, 170 kids and teens participated in the program.\n“I see a growth in them. I see they’re doing better, talking better, doing things and I see an improvement,” Taylor said.\nRobinson says the background checks are creating a challenge because many of his former volunteers are unable to afford them.\n“We haven’t been able to get the volunteers for this year, and if we don’t get the volunteers to come here, or someone to step up and be a part of these youth’s lives, then there will be no choice program this year,” Robinson said. “The children will be stranded in the streets with nothing to do but fall victim to the streets.”\nThe Salvation Army says they’ve always worked to maintain a safe environment for the kids who come into their building. This new requirement is just a way to reinforce that.\n“I highly respect and understand why and what they’re doing,” Robinson said.\nThe program is supposed to start this coming Monday. They need 10 volunteers and right now only have two.\nFor more information or to get involved, call 757-510-8939 or email anariye@gmail.com.", "More than 100 people enjoyed a turkey dinner with all the trimmings at the Salvation Army in Williams Lake Friday.\nLyn Temple from Interior Health (left), Dave Munroe and Rene Leclerc fill plates for Luke Boerma (right) to serve people during the Thanksgiving Dinner held at the Salvation Army Friday. Monica Lamb-Yorski photo\nMany of the people enjoying a Thanksgiving dinner at the Salvation Army in Williams Lake Friday said it was one of the best meals they’d had in a long time.\n“God is good to us,” George Fletcher said as he enjoyed his meal with a group of friends.\nChef Shaun Weaver, who volunteers his talents every Friday, pulled out all the stops cooking nine turkeys, a huge maple ham, baked potatoes, stuffing, Greek salad, cooked vegetables and an array of desserts.\n“I started cooking the turkeys beforehand on Wednesday,” he said.\nSeveral local RCMP officers traded in the red serge for crimson aprons and joined volunteers from Interior Health, St. Vincent de Paul Society and the community to serve the sit-down meal.\nBefore he received his meal, Alexander Courterielle said he was glad the temperature had warmed up a bit.\n“It was cold out this morning,” he said with a smile.\nFamily services and outreach worker Tamara Robinson said they were prepared to to feed 200 people and in the end said they fed 162 people.\n“It was fantastic,” Robinson said. “Folks took food home and we had hams to give away to everyone that came to us through Foodbanks BC. They had contacted us earlier to say that Maple Leaf Canada is donating hams to communities impacted by the wildfires.”\nAny food banks that we affected by the wildfires got first dibs on how many hams they thought they would need, Robinson said.\nThe Salvation Army will be serving a Christmas Dinner in December and a volunteer appreciation dinner in January, Weaven said.\nRobinson said the kettle campaign will be underway again this year so if anyone is interested involunteering they are asked to call 250-392- extension 208 or 21o.\nAubrianna Boerma and her sisters Heidi and Zeahllah serve dessert to guests during a Thanksgiving Dinner held Friday at the Salvation Army. Monica Lamb-Yorski photo\nWilliams Lake RCMP Insp. Jeff Pelley serves meals during the Salvation Army Thanksgiving Dinner held Friday in Williams Lake. Monica Lamb-Yorski photo\nAlexander Courterielle offers two peace signs with a smile as he waits for his food at the Salvation Army Thanksgiving Dinner. Monica Lamb-Yorski photo", "\"If you want to get involved with the assisted living centers that we have, we have people coming in to play bingo and things like that. Or we're working on getting our daycare into being intergenerational so having more grandmas and grandpas coming in and read or just doing some fun activities. If you have any interest in that, just give us a call.\"", "WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Wichita Salvation Army is making sure kids are prepared to go back to school.\nThe group was out today providing school supplies and backpacks to students in the community.\nHigh school kids also got to get in on the supplies, something new the Salvation Army is doing this year.\nThey say the event is a way to give back to the community.\n“One of the things we hope all of the Salvation Army programs do is restore hope to the community and those who live there. So being able to provide school supplies reduces some stress so funds can still be used for either food or rent or other human needs,” said Major Joseph Wheeler, Wichita City Commander.\nOver the next two days, the group hopes to serve more than 5,000 kids.\nThe organization will interview applicants and provide the supplies at the locations listed below.\n350 N. Market\n1910 S. Everett\n1739 S. Elpyco\nFor more information regarding eligibility, please call 316-263-2769.\nGet breaking news, weather and traffic on the go. Download our News App and our Weather App for your phone and tablet. Follow and like us on Facebook and Twitter.", "Posted By: Channel 8 Eyewitness News\n8@klkntv.com\nGRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) - The Salvation Army says it wants to raise $250,000 to keep its men's shelter open in Grand Island.\nThe shelter regularly helps several hundred men each year by offering 24 beds and an assortment of programs.\nMaj. Chuck Yockey says the program needs a significant long-term investment to continue.\nShelter Director Deny Cacy says the facility works with the men staying there to help them get any identification they might need to get re-established.\nThe organization also helps men find work and get clothing they might need for job interviews and daily life.\nInformation from: The Grand Island Independent", "Please enable Javascript to watch this video\nHAMPTON ROADS, Va - Musician Damien Horne is with us to perform live and remind us to support the Salvation Army's Red Kettles this holiday. Funds raised in Hampton Roads remain within our community to help those in need year round.\nLearn more at salvationarmyhrva.org." ]

[ "An algorithm is presented to compute the self-intersection curves of a rational ruled surface based on the theory of @m-bases. The algorithm starts by constructing the principal subresultants for a @m-basis of the rational ruled surface. The principal subresultant coefficients provide information about not only the parametric loci of the self-intersection curves, but also the orders of the self-intersection curves. Based on this observation, an efficient algorithm is provided to compute the parametric loci of the self-intersection curves as well as their corresponding orders. The isolated singular points of the rational ruled surface are also computed." ]

[ "Based on Nielsen fixed point theory and Gr\\\"{o}bner-Shirsov basis, we obtain a simple method to compute geometric intersection numbers and self-intersection geometric numbers of loops on surfaces.", "Abstract We present algorithms for computing the differential geometry properties of intersection curves of two surfaces where the combination of two surfaces can be parametric–parametric, implicit–implicit and parametric–implicit. We derive unit tangent vector, curvature vector, binormal vector, curvature, torsion, and algorithms to evaluate the higher-order derivatives for transversal as well as tangential intersections for all three types of intersection problems.", "Rational and polynomial parametrizations Fractional linear transformations Cubic curves Cubic surfaces and general hypersurfaces Outline of the theory of plane curves Affine plane and projective plane Sphere with handles Functions and differentials on a curve Polynomials and power series Review of abstract algebra Some commutative algebra Hensel's lemma and Newton's theorem More about Newton's theorem Branches and valuations Divisors of functions and differentials Weierstrass preparation theorem Intersection multiplicity Resolution of singularities of plane curves Infinitely near singularities Parametrizing a quartic with three double points Characteristic pairs Criterion for one place and Jacobian problem Inversion formula and Jacobian problem Surfaces Hypersurfaces Resolution of singularities of algebraic surfaces Birational and polyrational transformations Valuations and birational correspondence Rational cylinders through a variety Resultants.", "Abstract We study projective rational surfaces ruled by conics, describing their singularities and special fibres. In particular, if Sis smooth, we give a “canonical” procedure to determine a minimal model among the geometrically ruled surfaces birational to S.", "Moving surfaces that self-intersect arise naturally in the geometric optics model of wavefront motion. Standard ray tracing techniques can be used to compute these motions, but they lose resolution as rays diverge. In this paper we develop numerical methods that maintain uniform spatial resolution of the front at all times. Our approach is a fixed grid, wavefront capturing formulation based on the Dynamic Surface Extension method of Steinhoff and Fan (Technical report, University of Tennessee Space Institute). The new methods can treat arbitrarily complicated self intersecting fronts, as well as refraction, reflection, and focusing. We also develop methods for curvature-dependent front motions and the motion of filaments. We validate our methods with numerical experiments.", "Families of central and parallel projections of piecewise smooth surfaces (i.e. surfaces whose singular set consists of curves of transverse double points and isolated triple points) onto planes are studied. It is shown that the bifurcation set in the parameter space of such a family has positive codimension for any piecewise smooth C∞-surface. For the special case of piecewise smooth algebraic surfaces M , which consist of n non-singular real algebraic surfaces of degree not more than d intersecting along curves of transverse double points and in isolated triple points, the number of connected components in the complement of the bifurcation set is bounded by a polynomial in n and d . A symbolic algorithm that determines exactly one sample point (with rational coordinates) in each connected component is presented, these sample points are the nodes in the view graph of M .", "It is proved that on a smooth algebraic variety, fibered into cubic surfaces over the projective line and sufficiently ``twisted'' over the base, there is only one pencil of rational surfaces -- that is, this very pencil of cubics. In particular, this variety is non-rational; moreover, it can not be fibered into rational curves. The proof is obtained by means of the method of maximal singularities.", "In this note, we develop a condition on a closed curve on a surface or in a 3-manifold that implies that the curve has the property that its length function on the space of all hyperbolic structures on the surface or 3-manifold completely determines the curve. For an orientable surface $S$ of negative Euler characteristic, we extend the known result that simple curves have this property to curves with self-intersection number one (with one exceptional case on closed surfaces of genus two that we describe completely), while for hyperbolizable 3-manifolds, we show that curves freely homotopic to simple curves on $\\partial M$ have this property.", "A homotopical treatment of intersection cohomology recently developed by Chataur-Saralegui-Tanr\\'e associates a\"perverse algebraic model\"to every topological pseudomanifold, extending Sullivan's presentation of rational homotopy to intersection cohomology. In this context, there is a notion of\"intersection-formality\", measuring the vanishing of Massey products in intersection cohomology. In the present paper, we study the perverse algebraic model of complex projective varieties with isolated singularities. We endow such invariant with natural mixed Hodge structures. This allows us to prove some intersection-formality results for large families of complex projective varieties, such as isolated surface singularities and varieties of arbitrary dimension with ordinary isolated singularities.", "We study the local distribution of rational points of bounded height on a toric surface, on which cuspidal rational curves and nodal rational curves all give the best approximates outside a Zariski closed subset. By deleting a thin set, we prove that there exists a limit measure as well as an asymptotic formula for the critical zoom. This is a local version of the Batyrev-Manin-Peyre principle. We propose an empirical formula for the general local distribution problem together with some heuristics.", "We present a study on the applicability of non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) to carry out accurate ray tracing of x-ray beams for optical systems. We describe how to represent the most typical optical surfaces by exploiting the mathematical and algorithmic properties of NURBS. The intersection points between rays and NURBS surfaces are calculated using a Bezier-clipping algorithm, a prototype implementation of which is presented. A comparison with the results given by a standard x-ray tracing code for some cases of interest in synchrotron radiation optics is also presented.", "We examine the automorphism group of configurations of rational curves on K3 surfaces. We use the properties of finite automorphisms of P to examine what restrictions a given elliptic fibration imposes on the possible finite order non-symplectic automorphisms of the K3 surface. We also examine the fixed loci of these automorphisms, and construct an explicit fibration to demonstrate the process.", "Jean Gallier Department of Computer and Information Science University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA jean@saul.cis.upenn.edu Abstract. In this short paper, we consider the practical problem of drawing a closed rational surface speci ed by a net of control points. The main result is that for any rational surface F , the entire surface F can be obtained as the union of the three square patches F (u; v), F v u ; 1 u , and F 1 v ; uv , over [ 1; 1] [ 1; 1]. Furthermore, if F is de ned by some triangular net N (consisting of weighted control points), the control nets of six triangular patches corresponding to the above three square patches can be computed very easily from the original control net. In the full paper [9], we illustrate our method on some classical examples (including the \\Steiner roman surface\"), and we also discuss a method for resolving base points, using some simple \\blowing-up\" technique involving the computation of new control nets.", "We study families of scrolls containing a given rational curve and families of rational curves contained in a fixed scroll via a stratification in terms of the degree of the induced map onto P^1 and we prove that there is no rational normal scroll of minimal degree and of dimension <=n/2 containing a general binary curve inP^n.", "A birational morphism $f:X\\rightarrow Y$ among smooth surfaces with regularity zero, induces a rational map between Hilbert schemes of points $F:X^{[n]}\\dashrightarrow Y^{[n]}$. We study the restriction of the augmented stable base loci of $X^{[n]}$ to that of $Y^{[n]}$, via $F$, and show that it is equal to the stable base locus decomposition of $Y^{[n]}$. We compute the classes of Severi divisors in $\\mathrm{NS}(X^{[n]})$, where a Severi divisor in $X^{[n]}$ is a locus that can be realized as nodes of irreducible curves on $X$. In the case that $X$ is a Hirzebruch surface, these Severi divisors yield some examples of divisor classes not previously known to be effective.", "We focus on Voisin's conjecture on 0-cycles on the self-product of surfaces of geometric genus one, which arises in the context of the Bloch-Beilinson filtration conjecture. We verify this conjecture for the family of Todorov surfaces of type $(2,12)$, giving an explicit description of this family as quotient surfaces of the complete intersection of four quadrics in $\\mathbb{P}^{6}$. We give some motivic applications.", "We determine the isogeny classes of abelian surfaces over F q whose group of F q -rational points has order divisible by q 2 . We also solve the same problem for Jacobians of genus-2 curves.", "A $K3$ surface with an ample divisor of self-intersection 2 is a double cover of the plane branched over a sextic curve. We conjecture that a similar statement holds for the generic couple $(X,H)$ with $X$ a deformation of $(K3)^{[n]}$ and $H$ an ample divisor of square 2 for Beauville's quadratic form. If $n=2$ then according to the conjecture $X$ is a double cover of a (singular) sextic 4-fold in $\\PP^5$. It follows from the conjecture that a deformation of $(K3)^{[n]}$ carrying a divisor (not necessarily ample) of degree 2 has an anti-symplectic birational involution. We test the conjecture. In doing so we bump into some interesting geometry: examples of two anti-symplectic involutions generating an interesting dynamical system, a case of Strange duality and what is probably an involution on the moduli space of degree-2 quasi-polarized $(X,H)$ where $X$ is a deformation of $(K3)^{[2]}$.", "We investigate the Hasse principle for complete intersections cut out by a quadric hypersurface and a cubic hypersurface defined over the rational numbers.", "New algorithms based on artificial neural network models are presented for cubic NURBS curve and surface interpolation.When all th knot spans are identical,the NURBS curve interpolation procedure degenerates into that of uniform rational B-spline curves.If all the weights of data points are identical,then the NURBS curve interpolation procedure degenerates into the integral B-spline curve interpolation.", "A method of constructing piecewise G/sup 1/ continuous spline surface using boundary C-curves is presented. C-curves are developed by the basis (sin t, cos t, t, 1), and it overcomes some shortcomings of the nonuniform rational B-splines (NURBS) model. How to develop C-curve into surface becomes a very important problem. Using the convex combination method proposed by Nielson, a piecewise G/sup 1/ spline triangular surface is constructed by boundary C-curves.", "In this paper we consider the Willmore flow in three space dimensions. We prove that embedded surfaces can be driven to a self-intersection in finite time. This situation is in strict contrast to the behavior of hypersurfaces under the mean curvature flow, where the maximum principle prevents self-intersections, but very much analogous to the surface diffusion flow.", "with A,B ∈ k. Then the rational point that comes with the curve is O = (0: 1 : 0), in the projective model Y Z = X +AXZ +BZ. There is a group law on an elliptic curve, given as follows. Let P,Q be points on the curve. Draw the unique line through P and Q (the tangent at P if they are equal) and find the unique third point of intersection, R, with the curve; this exists by Bezout’s theorem. Now draw the vertical line through R and define P +Q to be the other intersection point of this line with the curve. By its construction this group law is commutative.", "In assembly, disassembly and maintenance operations, it is necessary to find intersecting surfaces for the automatic recognition of geometric constraints between virtual prototypes. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to determine intersecting surfaces in virtual prototyping environments and use parallel computing methods to improve performance. The proposed algorithm is based on the Overlapping Axis-Aligned Bounding Box (OAABB), to determine intersecting surfaces efficiently. We use OpenMP, taking advantage of shared memory multiple processors to reduce the overall time complexity of the collision detection algorithm. In this research, we also describe our experiences in parallelizing the code to achieve a better work distribution. Our results show that the proposed collision detection achieves interactive rates in real industrial applications as desired.", "In this paper we determine the integral homology and cohomology groups of a closed 4-manifold X obtained as the generalized fibre sum of two closed 4-manifolds M and N along embedded surfaces of genus g and self-intersection zero. If the homologies of the 4-manifolds are torsion free and the surfaces represent indivisible homology classes, we derive a formula for the intersection form of X. If in addition the 4-manifolds M and N are symplectic and the surfaces symplectically embedded we derive a formula for the canonical class of the symplectic fibre sum.", "Iso-surface construction and rendering on programmable graphics hardware has recently been shown for tetrahedral grids. In this paper, we present a novel edge-based approach that avoids redundant computations of edge‐surface intersections. We show how to achieve a significant performance gain by considering intrinsic features of recent GPUs. The iso-surface extraction process is re-formulated in a way that reduces both numerical computations and memory access operations. A span-space data structure allows us to avoid the processing of elements not intersected by the selected surface. Finally, to allow for the rendering of transparent surfaces, a GPU sorting routine is integrated into the rendering pass. Our applications show numerical simulation results, distance volumes and advanced shading effects.", "Let (X, ω, c X ) be a real symplectic four-manifold with real part \\(\\mathbb{R}X\\). Let \\(L \\subset \\mathbb{R}X\\) be a smooth curve such that \\([L] = 0 \\in H_1 (\\mathbb{R}X;\\mathbb{Z}/2\\mathbb{Z}).\\) We construct invariants under deformation of the quadruple (X, ω, c X , L) by counting the number of real rational J-holomorphic curves which realize a given homology class d, pass through an appropriate number of points and are tangent to L. As an application, we prove a relation between the count of real rational J-holomorphic curves done in [W2] and the count of reducible real rational curves done in [W3]. Finally, we show how these techniques also allow us to extract an integer valued invariant from a classical problem of real enumerative geometry, namely about counting the number of real plane conics tangent to five given generic real conics.", "Let $X \\subset Y$ be closed (possibly singular) subschemes of a smooth projective toric variety $T$. We show how to compute the Segre class $s(X,Y)$ as a class in the Chow group of $T$. Building on this, we give effective methods to compute intersection products in projective varieties, to determine algebraic multiplicity without working in local rings, and to test pairwise containment of subvarieties of $T$. Our methods may be implemented without using Groebner bases; in particular any algorithm to compute the number of solutions of a zero-dimensional polynomial system may be used.", "In this paper, we present a method, which can be used to solve the blending problem of two arbitrary surfaces as long as they have regular blending boundaries. The blending surface is defined as a collection of space curves which are defined by point pairs on the blending boundaries and the corresponding information of the given surfaces on the blending boundaries. The blending surface has a parametric form and its shape is easy to be controlled by adjusting the parameters left for the user. As examples of our method, we show how to construct blending surfaces between two quadratic surfaces with boundaries to be the intersection of this surface and a plane or another quadratic surface. Based on this method, a dynamic software package is implemented.", "In recent work (math/0507514) by Etingof, Henriques, Kamnitzer, and the author, a presentation and explicit basis was given for the rational cohomology of the real locus $\\bar{M_{0,n}}(\\RR)$ of the moduli space of stable genus 0 curves with $n$ marked points. We determine the graded character of the action of $S_n$ on this space (induced by permutations of the marked points), both in the form of a plethystic formula for the cycle index, and as an explicit product formula for the value of the character on a given cycle type.", "This paper presents a method to convert rational Bezier curves into non-rational Bezier curve. Using the proposed method, a series of points are first sampled from the input rational Bezier curve. Then a Progressive Iterative Approximation algorithm is used to calculate for a non-rational Bezier curve that fits the sampling points. Demonstration of using the proposed algorithm to approximate input rational Bezier curves is illustrated. Experimental results show that using more sampling points provides better approximation. However, rendering a Bezier curve with too many control points is time-consuming. The optimal result should provide good approximation using as less sampling points as possible. Quality of the approximation also depend on positions of sampling points.", "The determination of invariant curves (when they exist) is a key problem in the study of the phase portrait of a second order autonomous recurrence (cf. [1]) ::: ::: $${x_{n + 1}} = g\\left( {{x_{n,}}{y_n}} \\right)\\quad {y_{n + 1}} = f\\left( {{x_n},{y_n}} \\right)$$ ::: ::: (1) ::: ::: ." ]

[ "A violation of these statutes is a wobbler, meaning that it can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony. If charged as a misdemeanor, the offense is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year." ]

[ "If you get arrested while out with your dog, what happens to your dog? The police call their animal control unit. The dog is placed into custody until they can either find someone to take care of it, like your relatives or the such, or it goes to a shelter, depending on how long you're going to be in jail for.", "Getting Jailed will Cost In-Game Time Arthur will spend time in jail if you decide to surrender to Lawmen. How long you will stay in jail is dependent on high your bounty is.", "Finding someone in federal prison is a lot like finding someone in jail. The best way to locate information on a federal prisoner for free is to go to the Bureau of Federal Prisons website at www.bop.gov. Then, go to the inmate locator tab. You can search by inmate number or name.", "True love is when you honestly wake up and go to sleep and they are the first and last thing on your mind. It's when someone asks you how you feel about someone and you can explain every detail regardless how long it takes. It's when you can't think about being without them because it scares you.", "['Would you rather be snowed in with your crush or lay on the beach with your crush? ... ', 'Would you rather hit on someone much older than you or have someone much older hit on you? ... ', 'Would you rather find true love or be rich? ... ', 'Would you rather go watch a movie or go watch the sunset?']", "“Hitting on someone” is aggressive flirting. Flirting is subtle gestures and remarks that hint your feelings towards another person, where “hitting on someone” is just walking over and outright blurting out how you feel and what you want to do to someone.", "You can bail someone out of jail on a weekend, depending on the jail facilities' operating hours. This usually means going through a bail bond agent like Aladdin Bail Bonds. We are open 24/7 for those who need to request bail help at any time.", "Detainers are lodged by probation officers. When someone gets a detainer and go to jail there is no bail hearing. ... In very rare circumstances the detainer can be lifted and the person can leave jail as he waits for his probation violation hearing. Only a judge can “lift” a detainer and allow the person to go free.", "['What happened to Alex and is he still alive? ... ', 'Why does Tyler have guns and a \"hit list\"? ... ', \"What does Jessica's Dad do once he finds out about her rape? ... \", 'Does Sheri go to jail? ... ', 'Does Bryce Go To Jail? ... ', 'Where does Justin go?']", "CRS can take you to court in order to claim the money owed. If you have been taken to court you will have received a County Court Judgement letter. Can you go to jail for debt collections? You cannot go to jail for debts owed to debt collection agencies.", "You also lose you bounty if you go to jail and have a chance to have a neat cutscene happen depending on where you go to jail at.", "How long can I be AFK on Fortnite before getting banned? Simple: you can't. The game doesn't wait for you at all, there's no time to ban you. If you're AFK, you're GOING to die either by the storm or by someone pickaxing you to death.", "For example, your boss asks if anyone can stay late to help with a project. You want to go home and relax, as it's been a long week. Someone with a can-do attitude would eagerly say \"Yes\" to this, but you're exhausted and want to go to bed. Instead of thinking about how you feel now, look to the future.", "How long do you have to wait before you can unblock someone on Facebook? If you block someone and then unblock them, you need to wait 48 hours until you can friend them again.", "You can't see how many hours, but if you go to Settings > Profile you can see how long you have been on Duolingo.", "You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!", "['Look for the offending user.', 'Go to their profile by tapping their name.', 'Hit the options button at the top right.', 'Select Block User.', \"Tap Yes I'm Sure. How to Unfollow Someone on Instagram. ...\"]", "This is because prison is thought to be much worse than jail. Though they both house people who have committed a crime, the difference between jail and prison is essentially how long they are used for, and the types of people they are used for.", "It is not a crime to go through garbage so long as it is not on someone else's private property. It is not a crime to dumpster dive in Canada so long as the garbage that someone is going into is situated off of someone's private property.", "To “hit on someone” means: “to show someone in a direct way that you are attracted to him or her” hit on someone Definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary.", "How to find someone in Ontario Police Jail: STEP 1: Go to https://pigeonly.com to start a search for your inmate First Click “Search Now” and enter your inmate's facility name. STEP 2: Make sure to check if your inmate's facility is county, state, or federal.", "If you dream of a jail it means you have trapped yourself in waking life. ... To be sent to jail means someone will make you happy, but you will feel trapped in a relationship. The dream suggests captivity and it refers to your fear of punishment.", "Once you start pulling and you notice a decrease in flavor quality from your vape, it might be time to change your pod. If you let your pod go long enough without changing it, it might start to burn when you take hits. This also depends on how often you vape and how quickly you go through your pods.", "Those serving time for 3rd degree or higher felonies (inmates serving an ID sentence) may be housed in any TDC facility, including state jails, except that there is a two year limit on how long they can be housed at a facility not categorized as a regular TDC prison facility - transfer facility, dignostic, state jail ...", "Starvation affects all of the body's systems and processes. It is difficult to determine how long someone can go without food, but experts believe that it is between 1 and 2 months. Doctors strongly advise against starvation diets.", "['Do serial killers get their “ass kicked” in jail? ... ', 'Do all serial killers have 3 names? ... ', 'How do you catch a serial killer who kills randomly without a pattern? ... ', 'How come serial killers get away with murdering so many people for so long? ... ', 'How do I go about sending letters to serial killers?']", "['Start this mission by heading to Strawberry and going into the jail there. ... ', 'When you leave the jail, go around back to the left side and talk to Micah through the bars there. ... ', 'After talking to him, you can use dynamite or the hook and chain mechanism to break him free. ... ', 'GOLD MEDAL REQUIREMENTS.']", "Contact the nearest jail. Another way to find out if someone has been arrested is to call the city or county jail nearest where they were last seen. Typically officers who arrest someone will take them to the nearest jail, so if they've been arrested that's where they'll be.", "No. But he did go to jail for breaking a paparazzis camera. 1 day in jail lol.", "Go to your acount -> viewing activity. Then hit ctrl+f and type in the name of the thing you want to know how much you watched it. Press enter (more then once), and you can see how many times you've watched it.", "The best way is to act natural. If he's someone you already know, and have an established flirty vibe with, try to respond to an Insta story or just hit them up to ask them how they're doing. “Hey” is a shit opener and you know it. At least ask them how their lockdown is going – that's quite nice and works every time.", "If in your dream you see someone in jail, it could mean expectations and unsolved issues. Dreaming of being in an open jail cell means imminent change, while seeing an obscure jail cell suggests you might want to wait about taking a decision about a serious situation in waking life." ]

[ "The Ivory Coast international, who has signed a four-year contract, is the first player to join United since Jose Mourinho was appointed manager.\nBailly, 22, said: \"It is a dream come true to be joining Manchester United. To play football at the highest level is all I have ever wanted to do.\"\nMourinho said: \"Eric has the potential to become one of the best around.\"\nBailly has played 40 times in La Liga, the first five games being for Espanyol.\nHe joined Villarreal for £4.4m in January 2015 and played in every match as Ivory Coast won the Africa Cup of Nations just weeks later.\nBailly said: \"It is a confidence boost that a manager with so much experience of English football has trusted in me by making me his first signing.\n\"English football has a different style to Spanish football. It's more physical and more direct as well. I have always thought it would suit my style of football.\"\nUnited are also tipped to complete the acquisition of Paris St-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.\nHow do you think Man Utd should line-up for the 2016/17 season? Pick your XI - and then share it with your friends." ]

[ "The 34-year-old, capped 116 times by Sweden, left French champions Paris St-Germain at the end of last season.\n\"I am absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester United and looking forward to playing in the Premier League,\" he told the club's website.\nIbrahimovic is United's second signing of the summer after Villarreal defender Eric Bailly joined for £30m.\nThe former Barcelona and Juventus player has scored 392 goals in 677 games and won a trophy every season of his career since 2001, including 13 league titles.\nLast season was his most prolific, scoring 50 goals in 51 matches, a record for PSG. His tally of 38 league goals was also a club record.\nIn his four seasons at the French club, he won 12 trophies, including the domestic quadruple twice. On announcing he was leaving the Ligue 1 club, he tweeted: \"I came like a king, left like a legend.\"\nZlatan needs no introduction. The statistics speak for themselves\nHe links up with his former Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.\nIbrahimovic added: \"I cannot wait to work with Jose Mourinho once again. He is a fantastic manager and I am ready for this new and exciting challenge.\n\"I have thoroughly enjoyed my career so far and have some great memories. I am now ready to create more special memories in England.\"\nIbrahimovic quit international football after Sweden were knocked out of Euro 2016 in the group stages.\nPortuguese Mourinho, who took charge after the sacking of Dutchman Louis van Gaal, said: \"Zlatan needs no introduction. The statistics speak for themselves. Ibra is one of the best strikers in the world.\n\"He has won the most important league championships in the world of football, now he has the opportunity to play in the best league in the world and I know he will grasp this opportunity and will work hard to help the team win titles.\n\"I am certain that his talent will delight fans at Old Trafford next season and that his experience will be invaluable in helping to develop the younger players in the squad.\"", "The France international has been on holiday in the USA following Euro 2016.\nPogba, 23, has been widely linked with a world record £100m move to Old Trafford this summer, with Jose Mourinho suggesting a deal was close.\n\"It makes no sense at the moment talking about potential replacements for Pogba because, right now, Pogba is a Juventus player,\" said Allegri.\nUnited begin their season in the Community Shield against Leicester City on Sunday, and Mourinho says the club are trying \"everything to close the market as quickly as possible\" before next weekend's Premier League kick-off.\nJuventus' Serie A season begins a week later on 20 August, with the Italian champions due to face West Ham in a friendly at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday.\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\n\"I've summoned Pogba together with (Patrice) Evra tomorrow night,\" added Allegri. \"So that means he has training here in Vinovo on Monday.\"\nPogba left Old Trafford in 2012 as a 19-year-old, with the Italian side paying a tribunal fee of just £800,000.\nMourinho said United had identified \"four targets\" this summer - they have so far signed three of them, defender Eric Bailly from Villarreal, midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund and former Paris St-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.", "England forward Rooney, 30, played 52 minutes before going off to a standing ovation from the 58,597 crowd.\nFormer Paris St-Germain striker Ibrahimovic, who joined in July, was replaced in the 65th minute.\nDefender Eric Bailly, a £30m signing from Villarreal, also made his home debut on an emotional night for Rooney.\n\"Tonight is a night myself and my family will always remember,\" he said after the game.\nFormer Manchester United managers Sir Alex Ferguson, who signed Rooney from Everton on 31 August 2004, and David Moyes - who managed the England captain at both clubs - were present.\nIn addition, new England boss Sam Allardyce was also at Old Trafford to see Rooney, who has scored 53 goals in 115 appearances for his country.\nRooney was given a guard of honour as he emerged from the tunnel with his children Kai, aged six, Klay, three, and seven-month-old Kit to a red mosaic with the word 'Rooney' spelt out in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.\nThe former Everton player has scored 245 goals in 520 United appearances and is the club's second-highest goalscorer.\nRooney has won five Premier League titles during his time at Old Trafford, as well as the Champions League, one FA Cup, two League Cups and the Fifa Club World Cup.\nHe will be trying to win the Community Shield for the fourth time with United when Jose Mourinho's side face Premier League champions Leicester City at Wembley on Sunday.\nRooney has announced that all proceeds from his testimonial will go to disadvantaged children and young people across the United Kingdom.\nSubscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "Mourinho has already made three big summer signings and is closing in on Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.\nSchweinsteiger, 31, looks like being one of nine players who may leave.\nThe midfielder, who has announced his international retirement, trained on his own as United's full squad trained together for the first time.\nForwards Adnan Januzaj, Will Keane and James Wilson, midfielder Andreas Pereira and defenders Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Tim Fosu-Mensah, Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair are also reportedly set to be made available, though some may only leave on loan.\nWith all the other senior players who were absent from the recent tour of China present, Schweinsteiger's absence from Thursday's squad training session is being viewed as significant.\nUnited paid a reported £14.4m to sign him from Bayern Munich 12 months ago but the move did not work out as planned.\nInjury restricted Schweinsteiger to 31 appearances and he was involved in just seven of United's final 34 games, including missing the FA Cup final win over Crystal Palace.\nHe injured a knee on international duty in March and only returned at Euro 2016, when he scored on his first appearance, as a substitute, against Ukraine.\nOf the other players who did not train with the United squad on Thursday, Januzaj has had the biggest fall from grace.\nThe 21-year-old Belgian was one of the star performers in David Moyes' single season in charge, when he earned himself a big increase in a five-year contract.\nBut his progress was not maintained and he was loaned to Borussia Dortmund last season.\nHe did not start a league game and the German side were happy to let United cut the deal short midway through the season when Louis van Gaal's squad were badly affected by injury.\nHe then featured for 17 minutes in three substitute appearances.\nSince his arrival, Mourinho has signed Villarreal defender Eric Bailly for about £30m, midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund for an undisclosed fee and former Paris St Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer.", "The Bundesliga club are refusing to let the 27-year-old leave following the departures of both Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundongan this summer.\n\"It would be a sin to stop talking,\" said agent Mino Raiola.\n\"I am a positive guy. If I wasn't confident of reaching some kind of conclusion, I wouldn't try.\"\nThe Armenian has a year left on his contract and has told Dortmund he will not sign another deal, with United his preferred option.\nRaiola added: \"I am very proud Manchester United want him and the talks are being held in a good atmosphere, but at the moment Dortmund are still saying no.\"\nNew United manager Jose Mourinho is attempting to improve his squad after replacing Louis van Gaal.\nHe has already signed Eric Bailly from Villarreal, subject to the Ivorian being granted a work permit.\nUnited are also expected to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic once the Swede is free of his international commitments at Euro 2016.\nIbrahimovic, 34, is a free agent after leaving Paris St-Germain but Raiola, who is also the agent for the Swede, says he is still to decide his future.\n\"Manchester United is a great club, with a great coach,\" said Raiola.\n\"But Zlatan has not yet made his choice.\"\nIbrahimovic has had lucrative offers from China, the United States and Europe.\nSubscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "The Armenia captain, who cost the German club £23.5m in 2013, is out of contract next summer.\n\"Had we refused it, the player would be available for free in 2017,\" Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke told the club's official website.\nMkhitaryan, 27, is yet to have a medical at Old Trafford and personal terms are still to be agreed.\nIf a deal for the player - who will require a work permit - is completed, he will become United's third major signing of the summer after Ivory Coast defender Eric Bailly and former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.\nLiverpool manager Jurgen Klopp recruited Mkhitaryan from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk when he was in charge at Westfalenstadion.\nHe was named Bundesliga Players' Player of the Season in 2015-16 after scoring 18 goals in all competitions, including one against the Reds in the Europa League defeat at Anfield.\nMkhitaryan is the son of one of Armenia's most famous footballers, Hamlet Mkhitaryan, and won the first of his 59 caps for his country a week before his 18th birthday.", "The 21-year-old England defender left the field after nine minutes of Sunday's 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.\nUnited boss Jose Mourinho, who criticised Shaw in April, said he expected him to have a \"big injury\".\nCentre-back Eric Bailly was also forced off injured against Swansea.\nHe joins a casualty list that includes top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic and fellow defenders Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo.\nThe precise length of Shaw's absence will not be known until the specialist analyses the scans properly.\nIn a worst case scenario, Shaw would not only miss the remainder of this season but also be in danger of missing the start of the next one in August - and there are reports the player fears this could be the case.\nShaw joined the Red Devils for £27m in June 2014 but broke his leg in two places during a Champions League game in September 2015, which kept him out of the game for almost a year.\nHe returned in August but has made only 11 Premier League appearances this season, having also suffered a minor groin tear in September.\nIn November, Mourinho questioned Shaw for missing the Premier League win at Swansea after he said he was not able to play.", "The 21-year-old Colombia centre-back has agreed a six-year deal subject to receipt of his work permit.\nSpurs' previous record was the £30m paid to Newcastle for France midfielder Moussa Sissoko in 2016.\nSanchez becomes the Premier League club's second summer signing after goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga joined from Southampton on Wednesday.\nHe joined Ajax from Atletico Nacional in June last year on a five-year deal and made 32 appearances for the club.\nHe also played in last season's Europa League final defeat by Manchester United and was named the Dutch side's player of the year in May.\nFind all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "Ibrahimovic landed awkwardly when challenging for the ball during the Europa League quarter-final second-leg win over Anderlecht.\nThe ex-Sweden international is United's top scorer this season, with 28 goals.\nRojo was replaced on 23 minutes after colliding with a visiting player.\nIbrahimovic, 35, joined the club on a free transfer from Paris St-Germain last summer but is yet to agree an extension to his one-year United deal.\nRojo's injury leaves United manager Jose Mourinho short of options at centre-back with England internationals Phil Jones and Chris Smalling already on the sidelines.\nEric Bailly and Daley Blind are United's only fit senior centre-backs heading into Sunday's game at Burnley (kick-off 14:15 BST), with the Manchester derby at Etihad Stadium to follow on Thursday.", "It will be available to 1.7bn people on the platform worldwide via Rooney's and the Manchester United Facebook pages.\nProceeds will be distributed to Rooney's four chosen charities.\nThe game at Old Trafford, between Rooney's only two professional clubs, marks his 12 years' service at United.\nRooney said: \"I am delighted my testimonial game will be streamed globally, which will hopefully raise awareness and increase donations.\"\nIt is expected to mark the first home appearances for Jose Mourinho's three summer signings; Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly.\nManchester United's Facebook page has more than 70 million 'likes', while Rooney's has more than 25 million.", "The ex-Germany captain, who has trained alone or with the Under-23s under new boss Jose Mourinho, was named in their 25-man Premier League squad on Friday.\nThe 32-year-old World Cup winner retired from international football this week after 24 goals and 121 caps.\nEighteen-year-old defender Axel Tuanzebe has been named in United's 27-man Europa League squad.\nOnly 21 non-\"club trained\" players - those who have spent three years at the club between the ages of 15 and 21 - can be named in squads for the European competition.\nUnited could only count forwards Wayne Rooney and Jesse Lingard as \"club trained\" so a maximum squad of 23 could be named, along with four Under-21 players in Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Tuanzebe.\nSchweinsteiger signed a three-year deal in July 2015 but was told by Mourinho last month that it would be \"very difficult\" for him to play again for the club.\nUnited begin their Europa League campaign away to Dutch club Feyenoord on 15 September. They are in Group A along with Turkey's Fenerbahce and Zorya of Ukraine.\nManchester United's Europa League squad for the 2016/2017 group stage: David de Gea, Sergio Romero, Sam Johnstone, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Chris Smalling, Luke Shaw, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Antonio Valencia, Matteo Darmian, Axel Tuanzebe, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Michael Carrick, Daley Blind, Ashley Young, Ander Herrera, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marouane Fellaini, Morgan Schneiderlin, Memphis Depay, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford.\nSubscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "Media playback is not supported on this device\nThe 32-year-old, who won 56 caps, was available on a free transfer after being released by fellow Premier League side West Ham in May.\nHe said: \"This is a massive club and there's a massive opportunity for the club to push on.\n\"I've been lucky enough to have a really good career, but there's still a lot more I want to achieve.\"\nCole, who also played for Chelsea, Liverpool and on loan at Lille, is Villa's second signing of the summer.\nManager Paul Lambert has also signed former Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos on a free transfer from Valencia.", "Media playback is not supported on this device\nJesse Lingard, who scored the final goal of the Louis van Gaal era with the winner in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, put United ahead before half-time when he ran 40 yards and beat four men to slot home.\nLeague champions Leicester replied when Marouane Fellaini's dreadful back-pass let Jamie Vardy in to round David de Gea and score.\nBut summer signing Ibrahimovic, 34, typically had the final word with seven minutes to go, rising to meet Antonio Valencia's cross and beat Kasper Schmeichel via the post.\nThe outspoken Swede had stated beforehand that the shield would be the first trophy he would be bringing home as a United player, and so it proved for the veteran striker.\nLeicester had brought Mourinho's second stint in charge of Chelsea to an end with a 2-1 defeat at King Power Stadium in December on their way to the title but this was a much happier occasion for the Portuguese.\nMourinho has even more reason to be cheerful ahead of the start of the new Premier League season next week as United announced before the game that Paul Pogba is set to have a medical before a potential return to Old Trafford for what would be a world record fee.\n'Pogba gives Man Utd fear factor' - MOTD analysis\nRelive how Manchester United won the Community Shield\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nIt took less than a minute for the United fans to start chanting their new manager's name, but it is going to take a lot longer for Mourinho to make this team his own, even with his recent purchases.\nThe Portuguese warned this week it would take time to change his players' mentality after two years of former boss Louis van Gaal's regimented safety-first style, and he was right.\nFor much of the game they did not look very different to how they did under the Dutchman, with their continuing lack of creativity their most obvious failing, something Lingard's fine individual effort could not disguise.\nTheir summer signings so far could not change that, especially midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who only appeared from the bench in stoppage time. Along with Pogba, he will be expected to create more chances for United's strikers than they got on Sunday.\nIbrahimovic saw little of the ball in the Leicester box until he scored the winner with only his second effort at goal and his partnership with Wayne Rooney is clearly in its early stages.\nAt the back, Eric Bailly made a solid enough start but is still learning his lines in English football - he was booked for barging over Leicester striker Jamie Vardy and could easily have had a second yellow card for another clumsy challenge.\nThere was a bizarre moment in injury time when Juan Mata, himself a 63rd-minute substitute, was replaced by Mkhitaryan, to the Spaniard's apparent displeasure.\nN'Golo Kante has left for Chelsea but not much else has changed about champions Leicester, or the tactics that brought them their surprise success last season.\nRather than start with any of his six summer signings, Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri brought in long-serving Andy King to replace Kante in the heart of his midfield, and his side continued to sit back, absorb the opposition's possession and threaten on the break through Vardy's pace.\nLike last season, they also threatened from set-pieces, with Shinji Okazaki heading against the bar from an early corner.\nIt was only at the break, with his side trailing, that Ranieri tried something different, bringing on summer signing Ahmed Musa and Demarai Gray.\nNigeria international Musa, who cost a club record £16m from CSKA Moscow, had already made a splash in pre-season with his performance against Barcelona and he made an instant impact with his part in Leicester's equaliser.\nIt was Fellaini who played the final ball but Musa had burst forward to put United on the back foot in the first place.\nTwo more new faces, midfielder Nampalys Mendy and defender Luis Hernandez, came on for the last half hour without making much of a mark but with the Champions League putting extra demands on Ranieri's squad, we are sure to see more of them in the weeks to come.\nManchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic: \"It feels good. First official game, we play for the trophy and we win. That's what it's all about, winning trophies.\n\"This is my 31st trophy, collective trophy, and I'm super happy. This is why I came and hopefully I can win much more than this. Our team is something big going on. We're at the beginning, but we begin with a trophy, so it's a good start.\"\nUnited manager Jose Mourinho: \"The first half performance was much better than the second. The team isn't fit enough yet.\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\n\"When Leicester increased the pace, they had three quick players and changed the game. It's an important victory but we have lots of work to do.\n\"I would be not ambitious if I said it was a fantastic performance. It wasn't. It's always important to start with a trophy.\"\nLeicester manager Claudio Ranieri: \"Congratulations to Manchester United, but also to my players as we made a great match. I thought the minimum we deserved was penalties, but when you play against great champions, this can happen.\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\n\"They knew our counter attacking strength well and did everything to stop us. We're not at 100%, but it's positive.\"\n(Statistics include the Charity Shield, which was the Community Shield's name between 1908 and 2002)\nLeicester begin the defence of their Premier League title against newly promoted - and currently manager-less - Hull on Saturday. Mourinho's first competitive game in charge of United comes on Sunday at Bournemouth.\nMatch ends, Leicester City 1, Manchester United 2.\nSecond Half ends, Leicester City 1, Manchester United 2.\nCorner, Leicester City. Conceded by Antonio Valencia.\nAttempt blocked. Demarai Gray (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.\nSubstitution, Manchester United. Henrikh Mkhitaryan replaces Juan Mata because of an injury.\nAttempt blocked. Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez.\nCorner, Leicester City. Conceded by Eric Bailly.\nOffside, Manchester United. David de Gea tries a through ball, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic is caught offside.\nFoul by Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United).\nDemarai Gray (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nSubstitution, Leicester City. Leonardo Ulloa replaces Robert Huth.\nSubstitution, Manchester United. Morgan Schneiderlin replaces Wayne Rooney.\nJuan Mata (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Demarai Gray (Leicester City).\nCorner, Leicester City. Conceded by Marcos Rojo.\nGoal! Leicester City 1, Manchester United 2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United) header from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Antonio Valencia with a cross.\nAttempt missed. Ahmed Musa (Leicester City) header from very close range is just a bit too high. Assisted by Robert Huth with a headed pass.\nSubstitution, Leicester City. Jeffrey Schlupp replaces Christian Fuchs.\nAttempt blocked. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Wayne Rooney.\nCorner, Manchester United. Conceded by Demarai Gray.\nFoul by Eric Bailly (Manchester United).\nDemarai Gray (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nCorner, Manchester United. Conceded by Daniel Drinkwater.\nJamie Vardy (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\nJuan Mata (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\nFoul by Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).\nAttempt missed. Luis Hernández (Leicester City) right footed shot from long range on the right is high and wide to the left.\nEric Bailly (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\nFoul by Eric Bailly (Manchester United).\nJamie Vardy (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.\nSubstitution, Manchester United. Marcus Rashford replaces Anthony Martial.\nSubstitution, Manchester United. Marcos Rojo replaces Luke Shaw.\nAttempt saved. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Marouane Fellaini.\nDelay over. They are ready to continue.\nSubstitution, Manchester United. Juan Mata replaces Jesse Lingard because of an injury.\nSubstitution, Leicester City. Luis Hernández replaces Danny Simpson.\nSubstitution, Leicester City. Nampalys Mendy replaces Andy King.\nDelay in match Jesse Lingard (Manchester United) because of an injury.\nSubstitution, Manchester United. Ander Herrera replaces Michael Carrick.\nFoul by Eric Bailly (Manchester United).", "By comparison, £870m was spent during the nine weeks of last summer's window.\nBusiness analyst Deloitte expects gross outlay to rise above £1bn before the window closes on 31 August.\nA new £5bn three-year television deal, which starts this season, is fuelling \"unprecedented\" spending amid \"unreal\" player valuations, football finance expert Rob Wilson told BBC Sport.\n\"There's no questioning the impact of the TV deal,\" added Sheffield Hallam University's Wilson, who said he had expected spending in the first week of this summer's window to be even higher.\nEach club can expect to receive between £30m and £50m from the Premier League for 2016-17 as a result of the TV contract, under which Sky are paying £4.2bn and BT £960m for the rights to show live top-flight matches over the next three seasons.\nWilson believes that is driving player values through the roof. \"We've seen this trend, over the last two or three deals at least, but we never thought the valuations would go up that much. It's unreal,\" he said.\nThe combined total spent by Premier League clubs over the summer and winter transfer windows last season was £1.045bn - up from £965m for 2014-15.\nBBC Sport based its own estimate on actual fees announced by clubs and on reported figures when the value of a transfer has been undisclosed.\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nManchester United have been among the biggest spenders, reportedly paying £26m for Borussia Dortmund attacker Henrikh Mkhitaryan and £30m for Villarreal defender Eric Bailly.\nNeighbours Manchester City bought Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan for a reported £20m, and also spent an estimated £13.8m on Celta Vigo winger Nolito.\nLiverpool, one of the biggest gross spenders in 2014-15, paid £34m for Southampton forward Sadio Mane this summer. That deal was announced in late June but clubs can only complete the transfers and register players from 1 July onwards, when the window opens.\nChampions Leicester have broken their transfer record with a £16m deal for CSKA Moscow striker Ahmed Musa, and have also brought in midfielder Nampalys Mendy from Nice for a reported £13m and German goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler from Hannover 96.\nEven clubs promoted from the Championship have spent heavily. Middlesbrough can count Denmark international winger Viktor Fischer, signed from Ajax, among their new arrivals, while midfielder Marten de Roon was signed from Atalanta for a reported fee of around £12m.\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nIn recent seasons, more - and bigger - deals have been completed during the second half of a transfer window, analysts say.\n\"As we go through the window, some other teams respond, such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City,\" Wilson said.\n\"Prices go up quite sharply. With the European Championships finishing, players such as Antoine Griezmann will see their value increase, because of his performances and the valuation of the TV deal.\"\nFrance international Paul Pogba, for example, has been linked strongly with a £100m move to Manchester United, the club he left in 2012. His agent, Mino Raiola, also represents Mkhitaryan and another of United's summer signings, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.\nIt is thought a number of clubs have shown interest in Juventus midfielder Pogba and, if he were to move to the Premier League, the 23-year-old would be likely to command a fee in excess of the world record £85.3m Real Madrid paid to Tottenham Hotspur for Gareth Bale in September 2013.", "Zaha's inclusion follows his decision to switch international allegiance from England, where he grew up.\nThe 24-year-old was born in Ivory Coast but has two England caps, having played against Sweden in November 2012 and Scotland the following year.\nAs both were friendly matches, he is permitted to commit his international future to his country of birth.\nThe tournament in Gabon, which starts on 14 January, could see Zaha miss up to six weeks of the season for Palace.\nManchester United defender Eric Bailly has also been called up to the 24-man squad by French coach Michel Dussuyer, as has veteran forward Salomon Kalou, who is set to appear in his fifth Nations Cup.\nHowever former Arsenal forward Gervinho - who now play for Hebei Fortune in China - will be absent after injuring his anterior cruciate ligament.\nOne player will be cut from the party before the tournament starts.\n\"Gervinho's absence weighs down on us, for sure. But we have had several weeks to get used to the idea,\" Dussuyer said. \"The arrival of Zaha is therefore great news. His profile is similar to Gervinho's.\"\nThe defending champions have a training camp in Abu Dhabi starting on 2 January.\n\"One of the challenges facing us in camp will be that some of the players will be rested and others - those playing in England - will be tired and in need of some rest,\" Dussuyer said.\nIvory Coast kick off the tournament against Togo on 16 January, before facing DR Congo and Morocco in the group stage.\nSquad:\nGoalkeepers: Sylvain Gbohuo (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Badra Sangare (AS Tanda, Ivory Coast), Mande Sayouba (Stabaek, Norway)\nDefenders: Serge Aurier (PSG, France), Mamadou Bagayoko (St Trond VV, Belgium), Eric Bailly (Manchester United, England), Simon Deli (Slavia Prague, Czech Rep), Ousmane Viera Diarrassouba (Adanaspor, Turkey), Wilfried Kanon (ADO, Netherlands), Lamine Kone (Sunderland, England), Adama Traore (Basel, Switzerland)\nMidfielders: Victorien Angban (Grenada, Spain), Cheik Doukoure (Metz, France), Franck Kessie (Atalanta, Italy), Yao Serge N'guessan (AS Nancy, France), Geoffroy Serey Die (Basel, Switzerland), Jean Michael Seri (Nice, France)\nForwards: Wilfried Bony (Stoke City, England), Max Gradel (Bournemouth, England), Salomon Kalou (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa, England), Nicolas Pepe (Angers, France), Giovanni Sio (Stade Rennes, France), Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace, England)", "Shaw, 21, is set to see a specialist to determine the extent of the injury after a scan on Monday revealed he has ligament damage.\nThe England defender left the field after only nine minutes of Sunday's 1-1 draw with Swansea at Old Trafford.\nUnited boss Jose Mourinho confirmed Shaw will not play again this season at a news conference on Wednesday.\n\"Shaw has an important injury and we are waiting for one more opinion before the medical department decides what to do,\" said Mourinho.\n\"But he is out for the season.\"\nThe Red Devils face La Liga side Celta Vigo in the Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday.\nPaul Pogba is fit to face Celta, with Chris Smalling and Phil Jones also ready to return, as is fellow centre-back Eric Bailly, who was forced off injured against Swansea.\n\"[Eric has] this kind of personality that fights against every problem, unless it's impossible,\" said Mourinho.\nManchester United have a maximum of seven games remaining this season, should they reach the Europa League final.", "Media playback is not supported on this device\nUnited, seventh in the table, go to Anfield three points behind Liverpool.\nScholes says there is still \"confusion\" over Mourinho's best side, whereas Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has \"stamped his way of playing football\" on his team.\n\"If you were betting, you would be betting on Liverpool,\" he said.\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nFormer Chelsea manager Mourinho replaced Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford in the summer and made four major signings.\nIvory Coast defender Eric Bailly was brought in for about £30m, Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived on a free transfer, Armenia midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan came in for an undisclosed fee and France midfielder Paul Pogba was re-signed for a world record £89m.\nIn United's seven Premier League games so far, 15 outfield players have started - and Scholes believes this has led to mixed results, including two defeats and a draw.\nIn contrast, Mourinho used 21 outfield players in the whole of his 2004-05 and 2005-06 title-winning campaigns with Chelsea. In 2014-15, when he won the league with the Blues for a third time, the figure was 19.\n\"He was not ruthless enough in the off-season,\" said Scholes, who made 718 appearances for United after making his debut in 1994.\n\"There is so much confusion about who should play.\n\"What I saw of Mourinho at Chelsea, he had 13 or 14 players who played every week. He never rested players even in the League Cup or whatever competition he was in.\n\"With United it is still a settling-in period - it is going to take a bit of time for them to knit together and see what they are about.\n\"Is there an identity to the team yet? I don't think there is.\"\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nKlopp has been in charge of Liverpool since October 2015, when he succeeded Brendan Rodgers.\nFourth in the table, they are on a run of five straight wins in all competitions and have scored 18 goals in seven Premier League games this season, including victories at Arsenal and Chelsea.\nWith Liverpool's high-pressing style, Scholes, who won 11 league titles with United, can see a pattern emerging he says is absent from his former club.\n\"You can see Jurgen Klopp has stamped his way of playing football on the team,\" said the 41-year-old.\n\"There is a definite way about them. You know how they are going to play: they are going to be quick; they are going to try to take the ball off you and try to score goals by flooding the box.\n\"I was worried about them defensively, but they have already played some of the big teams and they are a real threat.\n\"The form they are in, they look as good as any team in the league.\"\nThe impossible job? Probably. Use our shortlist and pick who you think would make the greatest combined post-war Liverpool-Manchester United XI.", "The Premier League club signed the Colombian, 29, on a season-long loan last September and have the option of paying £43.2m for him in the summer.\nIn an interview to run on Football Focus on BBC One on Saturday (12:10 GMT), Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev says: \"I'm not worried for Falcao, he is a world-class striker.\"\nFalcao has scored only four goals in 19 appearances for United.\nVasilyev adds: \"If Manchester United decide not take up the option at the end of the season, we have interest from other great clubs. So I am really not worried for him at all.\"\nUnited have already paid a £6m loan fee and the striker's £265,000-a-week wages.\nFalcao was substituted an hour into the Red Devils' FA Cup fifth-round victory at Preston on Monday.\nUnited manager Louis van Gaal said last month: \"If a player costs £95m or £5,000, it doesn't make any difference. You have to prove yourself.\n\"We have made this deal and everything is clear.\"", "The Mexico international, 27, was on the bench for Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Swansea City but has not started a Premier League match for a year. He has signed a three-year contract.\nMeanwhile, United's Belgian midfielder Adnan Januzaj, 20, has joined Borussia Dortmund on loan.\nGoalkeeper Anders Lindegaard, 31, has signed a two-year deal with West Brom.\nHernandez scored 59 goals in 156 appearances for United after joining from hometown club Chivas de Guadalajara in 2010.\nHe spent most of last season on loan at Real Madrid.\nJanuzaj has scored five goals in 60 United appearances.\nHe has started two of United's four league games this season, scoring the winner at Aston Villa on 14 August.\n\"Borussia Dortmund are a great club, the fans here are supposed to be really incredible. I want to achieve great things with the team,\" said Januzaj.\nDenmark international Lindegaard, 31, has made 29 United appearances since joining in 2011.", "Mason, 25, who has won one cap for England, has signed a three-year deal.\nThe fee for Keane, 23 is also undisclosed, but reported to be £1m.\nThe Tigers' previous record signing was the £10m they paid Italian side Palermo for striker Abel Hernandez on deadline day in September 2014.\nKeane, who has also signed a three-year deal, worked alongside Tigers caretaker boss Mike Phelan when he was assistant manager at Old Trafford.\nCardiff goalkeeper David Marshall, 31, became the club's first summer signing earlier on Tuesday when he joined for a fee that could rise to £5m.\nMason told the club website: \"I'm delighted and excited to be here.\n\"I can't wait to get started and I see this as a massive opportunity for me.\"\nKeane has been on loan at Wigan Athletic, Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday and Preston North End - where he scored twice in 22 appearances last season.\nFind all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "The Red Devils dominated in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, but long-range efforts from Wayne Rooney and Paul Pogba were their best moments of the first half despite having 76% of possession.\nBut Mkhitaryan, who has now started three games in a row, dribbled from halfway to apply a cool finish after the break.\nA key save from Sergio Romero maintained the lead before Zlatan Ibrahimovic raced clear to slot home as United progressed behind Fenerbahce, who won at Feyenoord.\nJose Mourinho's side are now favourites for the competition with most bookmakers but in finishing second in Group A, they go into Monday's last-32 draw as an unseeded side.\nUnited ground out a first win away from home in the Europa League this season on a pitch Mourinho described as \"difficult\" leading up to the fixture.\nThough their final ball was often slack - leading to some visible Mourinho frustration in the first half - they stuck to the task, none more so than Mkhitaryan, who showed balance and poise to create his goal.\nOne goal and two assists in his run of three starts begs the question as to why Mourinho has not used the Armenian regularly since a £26m summer move from Borussia Dortmund. But United fans are starting to see the type of quality which saw him named Bundesliga players' player of the season ahead of his move to Old Trafford.\nThere were other positives for United, who rested keeper David De Gea and forward Anthony Martial with Sunday's Premier League trip to Tottenham in mind.\nIbrahimovic's form is gathering momentum - his late finish was a sixth goal in seven matches - while the sight of central defender Eric Bailly completing a fixture for the first time since October will also please Mourinho.\nThe Ivorian, who has recovered from a knee injury, looked composed, decisive and even shook off a nasty collision to continue late on.\nAn away trip to the rugged surroundings of Zorya Luhansk in Ukraine perhaps sums up the burden this competition can become.\nThe Thursday-Sunday fixture cycle will continue for Mourinho, notably with a trip to Manchester City three days after the second leg of their last-32 fixture on 23 February.\nAn English side has only finished in the top four of the Premier League on three occasions after starting the campaign in the Europa League.\nUnited are nine points off the Premier League's Champions League qualification places. So does Mourinho prioritise the league or a Europa League run and the Champions League berth that comes with the trophy? History shows it is difficult to achieve both.\nManchester United, sixth in the Premier League, host fifth-placed Tottenham - who they trail by six points - in a 14:15 GMT kick off on Sunday.\nMatch ends, Zorya Luhansk 0, Manchester United 2.\nSecond Half ends, Zorya Luhansk 0, Manchester United 2.\nEric Bailly (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Jaba Lipartia (Zorya Luhansk).\nCorner, Manchester United. Conceded by Igor Levchenko.\nAttempt saved. Timothy Fosu-Mensah (Manchester United) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.\nEric Bailly (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\nCorner, Zorya Luhansk. Conceded by Marcos Rojo.\nGoal! Zorya Luhansk 0, Manchester United 2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Paul Pogba with a through ball.\nFoul by Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United).\nJaba Lipartia (Zorya Luhansk) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nSubstitution, Manchester United. Timothy Fosu-Mensah replaces Henrikh Mkhitaryan.\nPaul Pogba (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.\nFoul by Igor Chaykovsky (Zorya Luhansk).\nAnder Herrera (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\nFoul by Ander Herrera (Manchester United).\nDennis Bonaventure (Zorya Luhansk) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nAttempt missed. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Sergio Romero.\nOffside, Zorya Luhansk. Evgeniy Opanasenko tries a through ball, but Ivan Petryak is caught offside.\nFoul by Paul Pogba (Manchester United).\nIgor Levchenko (Zorya Luhansk) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nCorner, Manchester United. Conceded by Rafael Forster.\nAttempt blocked. Jesse Lingard (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Paul Pogba.\nAttempt missed. Jesse Lingard (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a headed pass.\nFoul by Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United).\nMikhail Sivakov (Zorya Luhansk) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nAttempt missed. Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Henrikh Mkhitaryan following a set piece situation.\nPaul Pogba (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\nFoul by Mikhail Sivakov (Zorya Luhansk).\nAttempt missed. Igor Chaykovsky (Zorya Luhansk) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Dmytro Grechyshkin with a cross.\nCorner, Zorya Luhansk. Conceded by Marouane Fellaini.\nAttempt saved. Mikhail Sivakov (Zorya Luhansk) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Dmytro Grechyshkin with a cross.\nFoul by Jesse Lingard (Manchester United).\nArtem Sukhotsky (Zorya Luhansk) wins a free kick on the left wing.\nSubstitution, Zorya Luhansk. Jaba Lipartia replaces Zeljko Ljubenovic.\nDelay over. They are ready to continue.\nSubstitution, Manchester United. Marouane Fellaini replaces Wayne Rooney.\nDelay in match Eric Bailly (Manchester United) because of an injury.\nAttempt missed. Dennis Bonaventure (Zorya Luhansk) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Igor Chaykovsky.\nSubstitution, Manchester United. Jesse Lingard replaces Juan Mata.", "Media playback is not supported on this device\nThe Red Devils are reported to have agreed a world record £100m transfer for the 23-year-old Frenchman.\nPogba left Old Trafford in 2012 as a 19-year-old, with the Italian side paying a tribunal fee of just £800,000.\n\"I am not going to try to make you naive and believe that we are not trying for one player,\" said Mourinho.\nThe Portuguese manager has made three signings so far this summer, bringing in defender Eric Bailly from Villarreal, midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund and striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.\nWhen asked about the possible signing of Pogba, Mourinho replied: \"We set four targets for us, we got three of them and we are going to get the fourth.\n\"We established the profile of four players to improve the squad, to give us more options, especially adapted to my way of thinking about football.\n\"Everybody speaks about one, but it wouldn't be a surprise for me if it is not him and it is another one because we went for profile.\n\"We have two more options in front of us and we are going to close one.\"\nUnited's FA Cup triumph last season was the first piece of silverware the club has won since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as manager in 2013.\nUnder the Scot, they won 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League titles in the space of 26 years.\n\"It is very important to forget the past three years and to focus on good times,\" added Mourinho.\n\"I think that's what everybody wants at the club, it is what every fan around the world wants but at the same time I think it is intelligent to understand that times are different and realities are different.\n\"I don't think it's possible for Manchester United to win so much in the next 20 years than in the past 20 years.\n\"There was a very important evolution in our Premier League.\n\"I want to bring the motivational levels up and bring the confidence back, but be intelligent and know the reality we face in the Premier League is different than 10, 20 years ago.\"\nFollowing the arrival of Mourinho to replace Dutchman Louis van Gaal, who was sacked in May, there has been speculation over the future of Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford.\nThe 30-year-old was made captain by the previous boss and is just four goals adrift of Sir Bobby Charlton's club record of 249, but was part of a disappointing Euro 2016 with England in the summer, playing as a midfielder.\nRooney was the subject of two failed transfer bids from Chelsea when Mourinho was manager in 2013.\n\"I am quite surprised with so many question marks around this guy,\" said Mourinho. \"He is the club captain, he is the manager's captain, he is the players' captain.\n\"I trust him a lot. I think he's going to be a very important player for me and no problem for him.\"\nMidfielder Juan Mata's position has also come under scrutiny as Mourinho sold the Spaniard to Manchester United for £37.1m in 2014.\nBut Mourinho says \"there is a space for Juan\" in the team and that he must \"fight for a place\".\nHe added: \"First of all, I think maybe all of you misunderstood what happened in our previous club because I never told Mata to leave. I never pressed the club to sell him.\n\"It was his decision and only his decision and I don't like players that want to leave. If the player doesn't want to be with us, goodbye - be happy where you want to go.\n\"But, to be fair, I think he is happy and I am not expecting him to ask to leave.\"", "After United's Europa League final win against Ajax on 24 May, Mourinho said he had given executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward a list of transfer targets.\nSenior United figures spoke privately about signing three or four players.\nThere could be developments later this week, but so far the only new signing has been 22-year-old defender Victor Lindelof from Benfica for £31m.\nIt is understood Mourinho wants at least one forward to compensate for the loss of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 35, because of injury, as well as a holding midfield player.\nEfforts to sign Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann, 26, for a fee that would have come close to the world record £89m United paid Juventus for midfielder Paul Pogba 12 months ago were compromised by Ibrahimovic's major knee injury, which will keep him out until the New Year.\nAtletico were also banned from buying players during the current transfer window and Griezmann signed a new contract, retaining a 100m euros release clause.\nAnother potential target, Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, 24, is thought to be more interested in joining Chelsea, so Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata, 24, has emerged as United's preferred striking option.\nHowever, efforts to do a deal with Real have, thus far, met with frustration.\nHis father and agent met with Real officials at the Bernabeu on Monday and although it is still anticipated a transfer will happen, United's departure for their five-match pre-season tour of the USA on Sunday has created an artificial deadline there is no certainty of meeting.\nTottenham's Eric Dier, 23, and Chelsea's Nemanja Matic, 28, have been spoken of by club officials as possible additions to fill the holding midfield role.\nHowever, any attempt to get Dier would involve protracted discussions with Tottenham, which United have never found easy.\nIt is understood Chelsea will not even entertain the prospect releasing Matic until they have completed the transfer of 22-year-old France midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco.\nUnited officials also spoke to Inter Milan about winger Ivan Perisic, 28, but that move is hampered by the Italian side's improved financial situation, meaning they have no urgent need to sell.\nThe situation is somewhat different to 12 months ago, when Ibrahimovic, centre-half Eric Bailly and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan were all signed two weeks before United went on their pre-season tour of the Far East, with Pogba coming in later.\nMourinho is mindful his squad needed improving, as - despite winning the EFL Cup and Europa League last season - they finished sixth in the Premier League.\nTour matches against Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona in particular will offer an indication about how much improvement is required.", "Left-back Shaw has been out since suffering a double fracture of his right leg last September and played the first half against the Latics.\nNew United signings Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly also started as they made their debuts at the DW Stadium.\nGoals from Will Keane and Andreas Pereira gave United a 2-0 win.\nMourinho's other summer signing, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, was absent, as the Swedish forward is on holiday having played at Euro 2016.\nEngland players Wayne Rooney, Marcus Rashford and Chris Smalling were also unavailable following their international commitments. Mourinho confirmed the trio will go on the club's pre-season tour of China but will not play against Borussia Dortmund or Manchester City.\nThe Wigan game was goalless at half-time but Mourinho made seven changes at the break, with Keane and Juan Mata among those coming on.\nUnited then took the lead when Latics keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen's mistake allowed Mata to square for Keane to sidefoot home.\nJust before the hour Pereira made it 2-0, firing home after Ander Herrera's shot was blocked.\n\"When I found Luke Shaw in the training ground, it was a surprise for me because I thought he cannot be ready,\" said Mourinho.\n\"But he did fantastic in the summer, sacrificed his holiday, staying in the city and training every day. He is trying hard and was mad to play more than 45 minutes but for me, it's better 45 safe than more, so let's go step by step.\"\nSubscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "Media playback is not supported on this device\nThe Premier League club agreed a deal for the 21-year-old with the Dutch champions last week.\nHe will play for PSV in their final game of the season on Sunday, then travel to Manchester for a medical and contract signing on Monday.\nDepay, who has scored 21 goals this season, will sign a four-year contract.\nUnited are understood to be paying an initial fee of £24.6m, with a further £6.5m due in performance-related bonuses and additional payments.\nDepay, who has 15 international caps, played under Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal for the Dutch national team.\nVan Gaal claimed United were \"forced\" to sign the player early because of interest from French Ligue 1 leaders Paris St-Germain.", "The Ivory Coast defender, 23, was dismissed after a brawl in the final minutes of United's Europa League semi-final aggregate victory on Thursday.\nA direct red card carries a one-match ban - which means he will miss the final - but Uefa will determine whether to extend that at a hearing on 20 July.\nHis case does not qualify for appeal.\nEuropean football's governing body only overturns decisions made by the referee in cases of mistaken identity.\nBailly was sent off for a swipe at Celta's former Manchester City striker John Guidetti, with Facundo Roncaglia dismissed for retaliating.\nSpeaking on Friday, manager Jose Mourinho said Bailly would play in the club's three remaining Premier League fixtures to \"give a rest to some of the others\".\nUnited play Dutch side Ajax in the Europa League final on Wednesday, 24 May. Victory would guarantee a place in next season's Champions League.\nThe club's final game of the domestic season is at home against Crystal Palace, three days before the match in Stockholm.", "Spurs plan to have their new stadium, built on the same site, ready for the 2018-19 campaign and will play their home matches at Wembley next season.\nMauricio Pochettino's side left their current ground, where they have spent 118 years, on a high by staying unbeaten there this season and securing second spot in the Premier League.\nWanyama got Spurs off to the best possible start with a header five minutes in and Kane doubled their lead early in the second half, flicking home from a Christian Eriksen free-kick.\nCaptain Wayne Rooney gave United hope of a recovery when he poked in from Anthony Martial's low cross, but they were unable to spoil the leaving party.\nDefeat means Jose Mourinho's men cannot now finish in the top four.\nThey can still qualify for the Champions League if they win the Europa League, but Mourinho will have to settle for fifth or sixth place in his first season at the club.\nTottenham's title chances ended last week with their defeat by West Ham, and the trophy went to Chelsea on Friday.\nWith a Champions League place already guaranteed, Pochettino said their final home match was all about making it a special day for the fans.\nThe teams walked out to a display of flags around the ground, Spurs legends including Chris Waddle and Glenn Hoddle were invited as special guests, and local musical duo Chas and Dave provided half-time entertainment.\nAnd the Tottenham players gave supporters a first-half performance to remember.\nBen Davies' sublime cross was headed home by Wanyama to give Spurs the early advantage, and they could have extended their lead before the break had goalkeeper David de Gea not denied Son Heung-min and Kane.\nFive minutes into the second half, the hosts doubled their lead. Eriksen's free-kick curled into the path of Kane and he out-smarted defender Chris Smalling to poke home his first goal against United.\nSpurs' performance dropped off after that, but they managed to hold on - despite Rooney's goal giving them a scare.\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nFour of Man United's five Premier League losses this season have been in games played on a Sunday immediately after a European match.\nAnd just like the defeat by Arsenal last weekend, a much-changed Mourinho starting XI put in an average performance in north London.\nMartial looked lively in attack but could only curl his best effort wide of the post in the first half.\nThe Frenchman instigated his side's goal by ghosting past Kieran Trippier before picking out Rooney, who tapped in from close range.\nSubstitute Marcus Rashford went close at the death, but it proved to be too little too late for the visitors.\nUnited's focus is firmly on winning the Europa League title - they face Ajax on 24 May - and Mourinho said after Sunday's defeat: \"The most important thing for us now is having one less match to play.\n\"We have only one match to play and that's not in the Premier League.\"\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nTottenham boss Pochettino said after his side's win: \"The fans have been fantastic all season. They have helped us a lot during the whole season. It was fantastic, the team played to win.\n\"Of course we will miss it a lot because White Hart Lane is special but at the same time we welcome the new stadium.\"\nTottenham play Leicester City on Thursday at the King Power Stadium (19:45 BST), before ending the season at relegated Hull City (15:00 BST) on Sunday.\nManchester United travel to Southampton on Wednesday (19:45 BST), with their final league game coming at home against Crystal Palace (15:00 BST).\nMatch ends, Tottenham Hotspur 2, Manchester United 1.\nSecond Half ends, Tottenham Hotspur 2, Manchester United 1.\nOffside, Manchester United. Michael Carrick tries a through ball, but Marcus Rashford is caught offside.\nAttempt missed. Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Michael Carrick with a through ball.\nSubstitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Georges-Kévin Nkoudou replaces Christian Eriksen.\nEric Bailly (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card.\nDele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Eric Bailly (Manchester United).\nFoul by Victor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspur).\nHenrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nOffside, Tottenham Hotspur. Harry Kane tries a through ball, but Eric Dier is caught offside.\nFoul by Mousa Dembélé (Tottenham Hotspur).\nAnthony Martial (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.\nFoul by Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur).\nEric Bailly (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nAttempt blocked. Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Harry Kane.\nSubstitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Kyle Walker replaces Kieran Trippier because of an injury.\nBen Davies (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).\nDelay over. They are ready to continue.\nSubstitution, Manchester United. Marcus Rashford replaces Juan Mata.\nDelay in match Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur) because of an injury.\nCorner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Phil Jones.\nVictor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspur) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\nFoul by Victor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspur).\nAnthony Martial (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.\nCorner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Daley Blind.\nSubstitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Mousa Dembélé replaces Son Heung-Min.\nGoal! Tottenham Hotspur 2, Manchester United 1. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Anthony Martial.\nDele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick on the left wing.\nFoul by Eric Bailly (Manchester United).\nFoul by Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur).\nEric Bailly (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nAttempt missed. Anthony Martial (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Wayne Rooney following a fast break.\nAttempt missed. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Dele Alli.\nCorner, Manchester United. Conceded by Ben Davies.\nSubstitution, Manchester United. Henrikh Mkhitaryan replaces Jesse Lingard.\nSubstitution, Manchester United. Ander Herrera replaces Axel Tuanzebe.\nFoul by Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur).\nEric Bailly (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.", "The 18-year-old's fee could rise to £31m, depending on his performance. An initial £27m offer was rejected in May.\nHe has developed immensely during his time at Southampton and has all the attributes to become a top player\nThe left-back has agreed a four-year contract with United, with an option to extend for a further year.\n\"I want to continue to progress my career and joining United is the ideal place for me to do that,\" he said.\nRyan Giggs, United's assistant manager, added: \"Luke is a very talented young left back with great potential.\n\"He has developed immensely during his time at Southampton and has all the attributes to become a top player.\"\nShaw told Saints at the end of last season that he wanted to join United.\nHe became the youngest player to feature at the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil when he played the entire 90 minutes of England's 0-0 draw with Costa Rica on Tuesday.\nHe is United's second summer recruit - and second in as many days - after they signed Spain midfielder Ander Herrera, 24, from Athletic Bilbao for a fee believed to be £29m.\nManchester United's Wayne Rooney was the world's most expensive teenager when he moved to Old Trafford in September 2004 for an initial fee of £20m.\nShaw's signing eclipses that and matches the £27m Paris St-Germain paid Roma for 19-year-old Marquinhos in July.\nThe youngster also becomes the fourth most expensive defender in world football.\nSouthampton insist the money they have received from United will be reinvested in the team.\n\"While we are sad to see Luke depart the club, we fought to ensure that we got the right deal for a player in whom we have invested a great deal of work over the past decade,\" said executive director Les Reed.\n\"This deal is a good one for Southampton Football Club and hopefully sends a clear message to other clubs wishing to bid for our players.\n\"Luke's transfer fee will be reinvested into the team as our new manager, Ronald Koeman, builds for the new season and for years to come.\"\nMeanwhile, Saints midfielder Adam Lallana is set to have a medical ahead of a proposed £25m move to Liverpool.\nThe 26-year-old England international is expected to complete his transfer within the next 24 hours.\nEngland striker Rickie Lambert has already moved from Saints to Anfield.", "The 25-year-old former Ipswich Town youngster has made more than 230 appearances for the U's, but was hampered by injury last season.\nContract options have also been taken up for defenders Lewis Kinsella, Kane Vincent-Young and winger Drey Wright.\nWright, 22, has featured 101 times for the U's, while Kinsella, also 22, joined from Aston Villa last summer.\nVincent-Young, 21, featured 23 times last season for the U's.", "After a first half of few chances, Cedric Bakambu's header clipped the Reds upright shortly after the break.\nLiverpool went closest when Roberto Firmino's low shot hit the post.\nThe Reds looked set for a creditable draw in Spain until they switched off to allow substitute Adrian Lopez to tap in Denis Suarez's low cross.\nDespite the dramatic winner, the Europa League semi-final still remains delicately poised before next Thursday's return leg at Anfield.\nThe winners will face either Spanish holders Sevilla or Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, who drew 2-2 in their first leg, in the Swiss city of Basel on 18 May.\nRelive all the late drama from El Madrigal\nListen to BBC Radio 5 live commentary of the winning goal\nFootball Daily podcast: 'Klopp made a mistake'\nLiverpool have not reached a European final since losing to AC Milan in the 2007 Champions League showpiece, but a stoic display at La Liga's fourth-placed team looked set to leave them a home win away from ending that barren run.\nHowever, the Premier League side lost their defensive discipline in the final few seconds - and it could prove crucial.\nLeft-back Alberto Moreno wandered up field, leaving the space for former Manchester City youngster Suarez to exploit before squaring to Lopez for the easiest of finishes.\nBBC Radio 5 live summariser and former Reds defender Mark Lawrenson said: \"Where did the left-back disappear to? Injury time at 0-0 in a Europa League semi-final - and he's probably 70 metres up the pitch.\n\"0-0 would have been a very good result. All of a sudden because of one aberration you're under pressure for the second leg.\"\nLiverpool will have to score at least twice to go through in 90 minutes at Anfield, but Villarreal know an away goal would mean the Reds then need a minimum of three.\nJurgen Klopp's Liverpool side were installed as favourites to win Europe's secondary club competition after their thrilling quarter-final win against Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund.\nPublicly the 48-year-old German insists there has been no thought about the possibility of reaching the final - but winning the trophy will cap an encouraging debut season with a place in next season's Champions League.\nHis predecessor, Brendan Rodgers, named an inexperienced side in the Reds' opening two matches in the competition, but Klopp has chosen stronger teams since arriving in early October.\nHowever, he decided to play without a recognised striker at Villarreal, leaving England international Daniel Sturridge on the bench throughout - and the Reds offered little attacking threat.\nWales midfielder Joe Allen wasted the best chance in a tight first half, side-footing straight at home keeper Sergio Asenjo early on.\nFurther opportunities were rare, although Brazil forward Firmino - playing as Liverpool's most advanced player - thumped an angled 12-yard drive against the base of the right post.\nLiverpool were playing their first match since inquests concluded 96 Reds supporters who died as a result of a crush in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster were unlawfully killed.\nVillarreal paid tribute to the victims by providing a banner - bearing the number 96 and Liverpool club slogan 'You'll Never Walk Alone' - for their fans to hold up before kick-off.\n\"We were very saddened by the Hillsborough tragedy and we planned events to show the solidarity and support which our club and our fans have with Liverpool and those who were affected,\" said the Spanish club.\nLiverpool boss Jurgen Klopp:\n\"Of course I'm not too happy with the goal we conceded in the last second. Counter-attacking in the 92nd minute makes not much sense - but it is only the first leg.\n\"It is 1-0 and they have to come to Anfield where we know how strong we are. We had our moments, we defended really good. This race is not over.\n\"If we had enough players around the box it was no problem but they played this one chip ball over Kolo [Toure], I don't know where Alberto [Moreno] was in this moment but that was the only big mistake we made in this game and they scored with it.\"\nVillarreal manager Marcelino:\n\"Until the final whistle you can score or concede a goal and this time we were lucky enough to score in the very last minute.\n\"We managed a good result but we don't know if it will be enough or not until the end of the tie.\n\"It was not an unfair result and we didn't beat Liverpool by being lucky.\"\nSeventh-placed Liverpool return to Premier League action with a visit to 15th-placed Swansea on Sunday.\nThe Reds look unlikely to earn Champions League qualification through the Premier League, sitting nine points behind fourth-placed Arsenal with four matches left, although they do have a game in hand on the Gunners.\nVillarreal are better positioned to earn La Liga's final qualifying spot, holding a four-point advantage over Celta Vigo with three matches remaining.\nMatch ends, Villarreal 1, Liverpool 0.\nSecond Half ends, Villarreal 1, Liverpool 0.\nGoal! Villarreal 1, Liverpool 0. Adrián (Villarreal) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Denis Suárez.\nSubstitution, Liverpool. Christian Benteke replaces Roberto Firmino.\nAttempt missed. Alberto Moreno (Liverpool) left footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the left.\nCorner, Villarreal. Conceded by Dejan Lovren.\nCorner, Villarreal. Conceded by Simon Mignolet.\nAttempt saved. Cédric Bakambu (Villarreal) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Denis Suárez.\nAttempt missed. Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jordon Ibe with a cross.\nFoul by Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool).\nSamu Castillejo (Villarreal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Joe Allen (Liverpool).\nAdrián (Villarreal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\nOffside, Liverpool. Alberto Moreno tries a through ball, but Jordon Ibe is caught offside.\nDelay over. They are ready to continue.\nSubstitution, Villarreal. Mateo Musacchio replaces Eric Bailly because of an injury.\nDelay in match Eric Bailly (Villarreal) because of an injury.\nOffside, Liverpool. Joe Allen tries a through ball, but Adam Lallana is caught offside.\nSubstitution, Villarreal. Adrián replaces Roberto Soldado because of an injury.\nOffside, Liverpool. Kolo Touré tries a through ball, but Roberto Firmino is caught offside.\nAlberto Moreno (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Roberto Soldado (Villarreal).\nSubstitution, Villarreal. Samu Castillejo replaces Jonathan dos Santos.\nLucas Leiva (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Roberto Soldado (Villarreal).\nDangerous play by Kolo Touré (Liverpool).\nRoberto Soldado (Villarreal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nFoul by Lucas Leiva (Liverpool).\nTomás Pina (Villarreal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\nAttempt saved. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by James Milner with a through ball.\nDelay over. They are ready to continue.\nDelay in match Jaume Costa (Villarreal) because of an injury.\nAttempt blocked. Adam Lallana (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.\nJaume Costa (Villarreal) is shown the yellow card.\nFoul by Lucas Leiva (Liverpool).\nRoberto Soldado (Villarreal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nAttempt missed. Mario (Villarreal) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Roberto Soldado.\nFoul by Dejan Lovren (Liverpool).\nRoberto Soldado (Villarreal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.\nAttempt saved. Dejan Lovren (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Alberto Moreno.", "Shaw became the fourth-most expensive defender in history when Manchester United signed him earlier this month from Southampton for £27m.\nMourinho says Shaw's reported wages of around £100,000 a week were too large.\n\"If we pay to a 19-year-old boy what we were being asked for, to sign Luke Shaw, we are dead,\" said Mourinho.\n\"We would have killed our stability with financial fair play and killed the stability in our dressing room, because when you pay that much to a 19-year-old kid - a good player, fantastic player - but when you pay that amount of money, the next day, we would have had players knocking on our door.\n\"They would have been saying, 'How is it possible I play 200 games for this club, won this and that, yet a 19-year-old comes here and gets more money than I get?\"'\nShaw, a Chelsea fan as a youngster, made his Premier League debut in November 2012 and earned his first England cap in the friendly against Denmark in February.\nThe left-back has agreed a four-year contract with United, with an option to extend for a further year. The fee could rise to £31m, depending on his performance.\nHe became the youngest player to feature at the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil when he played the entire 90 minutes of England's 0-0 draw with Costa Rica.", "Teams had already spent a combined £1.005bn as of 08:30 BST on Wednesday, shattering last year's record £870m.\nThirteen top-flight teams broke their own transfer records.\nThe 20 clubs in the Premier League have benefited from a record £5.1bn television deal which came into effect this season.\n\"The increases in broadcast revenue, with the 2016-17 season being the first of the new broadcast deal cycle, is the principal driver of this spending power,\" said Dan Jones, a partner at financial analyst Deloitte.\nThis graphic below illustrates the gradual increase in spending by Premier League clubs over the past 10 January and summer transfer windows.\nOther key findings (source Deloitte):\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nWhile this year's figure of £1.165bn easily broke the record set 12 months ago, it dwarfed the £215m spent during the first window in the 2003-04 campaign.\nSuch financial strength owes much to the record £5.136bn domestic TV deal, which was more than £2bn larger than the previous contract from 2013 to 2016.\nFormer England winger Trevor Sinclair said: \"There's so much money in it for a reason - supply and demand. People demand to see the Premier League.\"\nHe added that the players would be the chief beneficiaries.\n\"If anyone is going to get the financial gain, surely it has to be the players,\" said Sinclair. \"They are the ones who make it happen.\"\nBelow is a list of the biggest fees spent by Premier League clubs during the 2016-17 summer transfer window:\nThe two Manchester teams each spent more than £150m in the window.\nManchester United, under new boss Jose Mourinho, ended what was becoming a protracted saga by signing Paul Pogba for a world-record £89m.\nThey also added Armenia midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Ivory Coast defender Eric Bailly, both at a cost of about £30m.\nCity, who also have a new manager in Pep Guardiola, brought in midfielder Leroy Sane from Schalke for £37m and then paid Everton £47.5m for defender John Stones.\nAfter a season that could be classed as terrible by their standards, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich gave another new managerial recruit - Antonio Conte - extra spending power.\nIn an effort to rejoin the Premier League's top four, the Blues spent £120m, including £34m on bringing back Brazil defender David Luiz from Paris St-Germain and £33m on Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi from Marseille.\nThis was also a window when clubs vying for a top-four spot sent players out on loan who, only last season, were seen as first choice.\nAbout £153m worth of talent, based on the fees paid for them, found temporary homes in this window.\nManchester City led, with keeper Joe Hart, midfielder Samir Nasri, striker Wilfried Bony and defender Eliaquim Mangala shipped out. They have a current estimated market value of about £62m.\nChelsea loaned out 38 players - five more than this time last season. Midfielder Juan Cuadrado, who cost £23.3m, signed up to another season at Italian champions Juventus, and £6m forward Lucas Piazon will spend his 2016-17 season at Fulham. It is the fifth club the Blues have loaned the 22-year-old to.\nChelsea defender Nathan Baxter, 17, will play for Metropolitan Police in the Isthmian Premier League - the seventh tier of English football - until January.\nMeanwhile, West Ham's £12m forward Enner Valencia will be at Everton this season and Arsenal's England midfielder Jack Wilshere, who has made more than 100 appearances for the Gunners, has relocated to Bournemouth.\nThere was a record £215m gross spend by Championship clubs, more than twice the previous record.\nHowever, the disparity of wealth between last season's relegated clubs and seasoned Championship campaigners was once again highlighted.\nNewcastle and Aston Villa made use of the £64m parachute payments - guaranteed after dropping down a division - and spent more than £110m between them during this window.\nVilla's outlay was more than £60m. It included £11m on striker Jonathan Kodjia from Bristol City, which might rise to a Championship-record fee of £15m, and the £12m paid to Fulham for forward Ross McCormack.\nThe Magpies finished the window with a net profit of more than £30m, despite spending more than £54m on players.\nThat was largely as a result of the Championship-record £30m deadline-day sale of midfielder Moussa Sissoko to Tottenham.\nNorwich City, who lost a year's worth of parachute payments having stayed in the Premier League for only one season, spent about £15m.\nWolves, under new Chinese ownership, paid a club-record £7m for Monaco forward Ivan Cavaleiro, bringing their total spend on 13 players to £14m.\nBy contrast, league newcomers Burton Albion spent a club-record £300,000 on midfielder Jackson Irvine from Ross County.\nThe English Championship was the fifth-biggest spending league in Europe, beating the amount spent by France's Ligue 1.\nThe graphic below shows the order of the amount spent by Europe's 'big five' leagues. After the Premier League, the next highest spender was Serie A, with a gross spend of £590m. Then came the Bundesliga with a spend of £460m, followed by La Liga (£400m) and Ligue 1 (£165m).\nBrazil defender David Luiz was the star attraction following his return to Chelsea from Paris St-Germain.\nHis move generated around 330,000 tweets, followed by about 180,000 for Arsenal's Jack Wilshere, who joined Bournemouth on loan.\nOther hot topics were:" ]

[ "The Pee Movie" ]

[ "On my way to becoming an animator. Weird change of interests, but I’m not complaining.", "One of the more interesting thoughts that comes with this question is whether to relive your favorite day or change your worst one....", "Other health issues get accompanied with it and it becomes more difficult to treat because one needs total lifestyle change with treatments.", "The ability to become invisible but only if no one is looking", "I'd say start with reading the book. A big part of reading is putting your own interpretation into it, to get to analyze it and see it through your own eyes. Movies are someone else's interpretation of the movie, which can be interesting to see after reading it. Plus, often a lot of more context is given in books, which can be needed in order for the movie to become even more interesting.", "Become interested in them instead of trying to act interesting", "Glad I ain’t the only one that likes that movie", "No regerts...not even one letter", "Girls are only interested in one thing: medical grade respirators", "Do I become interesting?", "Find a more interesting partner\n\nEdit:\nAnd be a more interesting partner", "I will add that it makes the older ones become more attentive to the younger ones", "Try to get more interest in what you do. It will help a ton", "\"I'm not interested in you\" does not mean \"please chase me more, I might change my mind\". It means I'm not interested. Not now, not ever.", "Well, politics would get interesting for a change...", "Pay attention to your child’s interests. The more you relate to them, the cooler you’ll be. Do they play video games? Play with them. Do they have a favorite movie? Watch it with them. Always seem interested in what your child loves.", "Sometimes the trailers make the movie look more interesting than it actually is, so I’m hoping for a boring 2021", "What did Jims letter to Pam say?", "I become more and more content to be honest, I really start to feel like this is \"the one\"", "The only thing that's interesting is that so many find them interesting", "Because the only people who have gone to space are ones there for work. Once leisure space travel becomes a thing, boinking in space will be more common.", "From this title, you should pay more attention at school.", "Payday loans. The interest rate changed is extortionate.", "They become more attractive", "Ohio is the only US state that has no letter in common with the word mackerel", "Three, but I’m more interested in what peoples record of skipping stairs going down is...", "Try lots of things, some you will enjoy and be interested in and others you won't.\n\nPursue those that interest you and one will become your thing.\n\nThat's how you figure it out.", "Privacy. Just look at the movie V for Vendetta. Back then it was a far fetched dystopian future. Now it is more like documentary. As an earlier adopter (±1997), i truly hate what the internet has become.", "A number of post titles very similar in nature to this one.", "There's always a love interest for the main character, even in kids movies.", "no one's seeing the real world but more colours make it more interesting so i value colour sightedness just for that", "No one cares if you steal as long as the title is better." ]

[ "practical test" ]

[ "drive", "the drive", "testes", "a drive", "What's Up?", "the testes", "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two", "What a Friend", "What's Happening!!", "What's in It for Me", "to explore what it means to be in two places at once", "things are what they are", "What If Nothing", "What If It's You", "What a Life!", "What A Night", "What Are Words", "What Car?", "What Not to Wear", "what is visible", "northwestern part", "part 4.5", "What So Not", "part B", "What If We", "western part", "What a Waste", "A Part of the Sky", "Part of the Union", "What Is a Youth", "no moving parts", "What Tingsamitr" ]

[ "I don't know if it is the original that you had in mind, but Gapminder allows you to interactively explore a variety of data sets relating to both developed and developing countries." ]

[ "Given the breadth of your question, there are probably a lot of other good resources which should be listed, but here are three of the big ones. \n\nThe Population Reference Bureau's DataFinder provides access to many data sets. From what I can tell, it would be a manual/interactive process to filter down to the data set you want and then download it as an Excel file. Also, it does not simplify the process of identifying only Asian countries among all represented countries. Nevertheless, there is a wide variety of data available. I didn't find any explicit data license, but by all appearances, the data is free to use.\n\nThe World Bank also provides extensive data, and has a data catalog and API. The World Bank's web interface does support specifically selecting all countries in a given region.\n\nUNData also provides access to a wide variety of statistics—the front page of the site says \"34 databases—60 million records.\" It has an API, although based on SOAP and XML, which many developers find offputting.", "You need to \"convert\" your GeoGraphics object to a Graphics object for Show to deal with it. You can do so by Applying (@@) the Graphics head to the GeoGraphics object.\n\nI can't use your parametric plot because it is missing definitions, so the following will serve as an example of combining objects of various provenance:\n\nc = Graphics @@ GeoGraphics[Polygon@Entity[\"Country\", \"Italy\"], GeoBackground -&gt; None];\n\nd = Graphics[{EdgeForm[{Thick, Red}], FaceForm[Blue], Opacity[0.5], Disk[{12.5, 46}, 1]}];\n\np = ParametricPlot[{Sin[0.5 t] + 16, Cos[0.6 t] + 50}, {t, 0, 15 Pi}];\n\nShow[c, d, p, Axes -&gt; True]", "For starters I recommend looking at this excellent article from UX Matters which talks about how to extend Jesse James Garret’s visual vocabulary to reflect rich interactive applications which recommends highlighting the interactions as synchronous (requiring a page load)and asynchronous (happening within the page). To quote the article\n\n\n For user interactions that do not require a page reload, asynchronous\n interactions—whether implemented in JavaScript, CSS, Ajax, or another\n RIA technology—use an arrow with a dotted line like that shown in\n Figure 3.\n \n Figure 3—Arrow representing an asynchronous state change\n \n \n \n Synchronous State Changes For user interactions that require an entire page to reload, synchronous interactions, use a single-line\n arrow, as shown in Figure 4. This is the standard arrow Jesse James\n Garrett uses in his visual vocabulary.\n \n \n\n\nThe article further gives an example of how the visual vocabulary could be extended and used to show a login process for a site.\n\n\n\nThat said, I generally find it useful to create interactive prototypes using axure which allow users to walk through the different interactions and I use an interaction flow diagram to highlight key interactions in the page which will be of interest to the development team. Other options which we have exploreed are\n\n\nCreating a walk through video of the interactions to show clients the different functionalities\nDoing a live product demo to show the different use cases and documenting the important work flows\nCreating story boards for important user flows to show the different interactions \nTreating it like a flow design where I use flow charts to map out the flows.\n\n\nHere are some articles which you might find interesting\n\nInteractive Wireframes: Documenting RIAs\n\nStop designing pages and start designing flows\n\nWireframes and Interaction Design Documents", "Many others have attempted to define the roles within user experience, but there are no hard boundaries.\n\nJesse James Garret descibes in his book The elements of User Experience (See overview) includes Usability as part of the Strategy Plane, although I'm sure he would agree that as in so many situations, the components of user experience do not fit neatly into little standalone boxes, but spill out into other areas. [Note that JJG adapted his top level 'element' from Visual Design to Sensory Design]\n\nSo, I think the Bible (That's Information Architecture for the World Wide Web by Peter Morville and Louis Rosenfield) very nicely describes various roles within the industry:\n\nI quote directly from Chapter1 of the book: (which I heartily recommend in order to find out about the various methodologies you ask for, as I feel that is too wide a topic to answer here)\n\n\n Gray areas and caveats aside, here is our attempt to draw some\n boundaries between information architecture and a number of closely\n related disciplines.\n \n Graphic Design\n \n Traditionally, a graphic designer was responsible for all aspects of\n visual communication, from the design of corporate logos and\n identities to the layout of individual pages. On the Web, we’re seeing\n increasing specialization due to the complexity of the environment.\n Even so, many graphic designers do a great deal of information\n architecture as part of their work.\n \n Interaction Design\n \n Interaction designers are concerned with the behavior of tasks and\n processes that users encounter in software and information systems at\n the interface level. They often have a background in human-computer\n interaction, and are focused on helping users successfully achieve\n goals and complete tasks.\n \n Usability Engineering\n \n Usability engineers understand how to apply the rigors of the\n scientific method to user research, testing, and analysis. Their\n background in human-computer interaction and their experience\n observing users provide them with useful insights into design. They\n are often concerned with testing all aspects of the user experience,\n inclusive of information architecture and graphic design.\n \n Experience Design\n \n Experience design is an umbrella term that encompasses information\n architecture, usability engineering, graphic design, and interaction\n design as components of the holistic user experience. You’ll find\n relatively few “experience designers,” as there aren’t many people on\n the planet with skills in all these areas. The term is useful insofar\n as it encourages cross-disciplinary awareness and collaboration.\n \n Software Development\n \n People rarely confuse software development and information\n architecture, but the two fields are highly interdependent.\n Information architects rely on developers to bring our ideas to\n fruition. Developers help us understand what is and isn’t possible.\n And as the Web continues to blur the distinction between software\n applications and information systems, these collaborations will become\n even more important.\n \n Content Management\n \n Content management and information architecture are really two sides\n of the same coin. IA portrays a “snapshot” or spatial view of an\n information system, while CM describes a temporal view by showing how\n information should flow into, around, and out of that same system over\n time. Content managers deal with issues of content ownership and the\n integration of policies, processes, and technologies to support a\n dynamic publishing environment.\n \n Knowledge Management\n \n Knowledge managers develop tools, policies, and incentives to\n encourage people to share what they know. Creating a collaborative\n knowledge environment means tackling tough issues surrounding\n corporate culture such as “information hoarding” and\n “not-invented-here syndrome.” Information architects focus more on\n making accessible what has already been captured.", "Update: The original tool seems to be no longer in development (last release from 2013-09). @wb9688 mentioned that there’s a fork: https://github.com/prikhi/pencil\n\nUpdate 2: @nradk commented that the fork is no longer maintained. https://github.com/evolus/pencil is another fork, \"in active development, and it is actually a rewrite of the old one\".\n\n\n\nPencil (License: GPLv2) is a \"GUI prototyping tool\" which is available as \n\n\na stand-alone tool for GNU/Linux (*), Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS X, and\na Firefox add-on (**).\n\n\n(*) It’s included in the software repositories of Arch Linux and Fedora (as pencil).\n\n(**) The Firefox add-on hosted by Mozilla seems to be out of date (currently it’s version 1.0.6 from 2009), while the version hosted on Pencil’s download page seems to be the current one (currently version 2.0.5 from 2013).\n\n\n\nI use Pencil as Firefox add-on. It opens a new window (with no Firefox chrome, it got its own menu bar etc). Sometimes, it gets kind of slow (e.g., when I rearrange graphics), but here my old PC might be to blame.\n\nThe graphics are called \"Shape Collections\" or \"stencils\". It ships with a few sets for different interfaces (including Web). Additional graphics can be imported. Here’s a sample wireframe I made to get an idea of some of the included graphics:\n\n\n\nExport of wireframes is possible as PNG, HTML, PDF, SVG, and ODT. A nice thing about the HTML (\"Single web page\") export is that you can add hyperlinks that link to other mock-ups (included in the same Pencil document), i.e., you can simulate user interactions.", "The answer really depends on how you define the meaning of the word \"is\" \"exploit\".\n\nSome ways in which developer world countries interact with some developing world countries that may be viewed as \"exploitation\" (especially from Marxist or liberal perspective):\n\n\nMany developing countries lack the industrial infrastructure to properly use their natural resources. As such, their main export is the raw natural resource - which sometimes can be very cheap relative to the added value of finished product that the raw resource is used for.\n\nOf course, people issuing this critique fail to notice that the alternative to \"Developed country buys cheaper raw resrouce from developed country, and earns money by processing it and selling end result\" isn't \"developed country makes more money\". The alternative is \"developed country has less demand to sell its raw resource, and makes even less money - and STILL lacks the industrial capacity to process the resource itself\".\nSomewhat related, the actual work of extracting the resources is frequently done by developed-world-based companies, who of course earn the profit for that work.\n\nOf course, people issuing this critique fail to notice that the alternative to \"developed country company invests into infrastructure for resource extraction and then profits from that work\" isn't \"developed country earns those profits\". The alternative is \"developed country can't build its own resource extraction infrastructure, lacking expertise or finances; and thus has no infrastructure to earn profits off of - OR for that matter, enough resources to sell\".\n\nAdditional problem is that the developing country has other benefits from this kind of \"exploitation\" - from knowledge transfer to the developing country when local workers are employed in the infrastructure; to boost to economy from that infrastructure, to tax revenues.\nDeveloping countries act as net importers of \"cheap\" labour, where their populace is paid far less for their labour in absolute value than equivalent worker would be in developed country.\n\nOf course, people issuing this critique fail to notice that (1) the reason for cheaper labour costs is far more the lower cost of living in developed country than anything else and (2) the alternative to \"Developed country exports cheap manual jobs to developed country, and they pay less than they did in developed country\" isn't \"developed country pays same for labour in developing country\". The alternative is \"developed country employs its own citizens paying them that high labour value; while developed country has no jobs to help grow their economy and help their populace\".\n\nMore importantly, the fail to notice the long term trend - the export of cheap labour is just the START. What happens next is, the developed country's economy improves and grows, it develops its own industries and internal demand, and its economy moves towards more self sufficiency. In some cases, the standards of living and thus wages there raise to the point where it starts to EXport cheap labour as well as machinery, like developed countries do (China being a good example).\nDeveloped countries tend to enforce their values on developing countries as condition on accepting economic help (loans from IMF etc...)\n\nOf course, (1) nobody's forcing any country to accept said help; (2) most of those values are long term advantageous to the recipient country - rule of law, low corruption, sound financial system and democracy are highly correllated to raised standards of living.\nDeveloped countries syphon off the best members of societies - what used to be called \"brain drain\" when applied to USSR's best and brightest choosing to emigrate to the West.\n\nWhile a real phenomenon, it isn't really a planned policy aimed at improverishing developing countries specifically - USA is just as happy to poach best minds from UK and France as from any developing country. It simply happens to affect developing countries more due to lower opportinities there.", "If you write software you necessarily have a development environment. It might help or hinder you as you work. A development environment consists of some set of tools that you use to develop the program. The tools might be integrated into a single framework (an IDE) or not, but you have some sort of environment.\nThe tools include at least\n\n\none or more editors to create files of various kinds, text and otherwise.\n\none or more compilers to translate your program files into machine code for one or more machine architectures\n\none or more run-time-environments in which you can execute your code, either on the target architecture or in a simulator\n\n\n\nAdditional tools that are usually needed are (not a complete list but will do for a start)\n\n\na test framework so that you can effectively write both unit tests (the code does what I think it does and doesn't break as I change things) and acceptance tests (the code does what the owner/customer really wants done - irrespective of my understanding).\n\nautomated error checkers to trace back exceptions and race conditions (among other issues)\n\na debugger that lets you interact directly with the target code as an aid in finding and repairing errors.\n\na design framework in which it is easy (or at least possible) to create design documents, which may be textual or graphical. They might be integrated with code generation or not.\n\na code repository and version control system so that old versions can be maintained and errors can be backed out of\n\na team-support system that helps a group of developers work on the same project. These tools may include simple communication tools (email...) or provide things like distributed pair programming.\n\na database system to hold necessary data used by the program. Sometimes a database is also used to store fragments of the program(s) themselves. The database might also contain required test data to assure the correct thing is built. Likewise it might contain information about the success or failure of test runs\n\na documentation system that can be used for either or both of program documentation of use by the team and user documentation that gives instructions to the end-user on effective use of the system\n\na way to make interaction with the file system easy and efficient, such as directory listings that let you easily open/save/close files\n\na way to maintain various &quot;configuration files&quot; so that the system can be tailored for its various uses\n\na way to keep all of the tools updated easily\n\nautomatic error checkers and style checkers beyond those provided by the compiler\n\nFor some kinds of software a sophisticated emulation environment to check the interaction of various components. Mobile apps often need servers and some way test the interactions, for example.\n\n\n\nAn Integrated Development Environment (say Eclipse or NetBeans) will integrate all of this into a single program that may use one or more multi-pane windows to provide a visual representation of all of the tools. A good one is tailorable by language and by need without cluttering up the workspace. A less integrated system (Emacs, say) provides all of these things through (possibly cryptic) user commands. An IDE requires a learning process itself, but it pays dividends if it is flexible and not restricted to a single language or architecture.\nBut even a simple text editor, a compiler, and a run-time for testing is a development environment and for many years was all that was available. Way back, the &quot;text-editor&quot; was just a card punch.\n\nNote that not all files in a project are necessarily just text. Some projects require, for example, graphical files to show design.\n\nI don't claim I have a complete list here. There are many other possibilities. Each person's development environment is personal. It is good if it makes them more productive and less frustrated. Is is subject to update and modification at any time that you learn of a new tool or technique.\n\nAlso note that not all of these are needed in every project and you don't need to be proficient in many of them to get started. But issues that arise as you work may help you see the need to expand your personal set.", "This option is not relevant since version 6 of Mathematica.\n\nBefore version 6, graphics did not display immediately after evauating the (inert) Graphics[] expression. They could be shown using the Show command (it was a side-effect of Show). (This is the reason why the function which today is used to combine graphics has such an unusual name---Show.) \n\nSo building graphics went like this:\n\ng = Graphics[ ... ]\n\n(* the output of this would be formatted simply as the string --Graphics-- *)\n\nShow[g]\n\n(* now the graphics was displayed *)\n\n\nShow displayed the graphics by evaluating its display function. Plotting functions (such as Plot) called Show automatically.\n\nIn version 6, any Graphics object is formatted by the front end as the image it represents (instead of the placeholder --Graphics--). Running the DisplayFunction is no longer needed (at least when using the standard notebook interface). But the mechanism is still in place, and we can try it out:\n\ng = Graphics[Circle[], DisplayFunction -&gt; CreateDialog]\n\n(* this is shown the usual way---remember, the front end formats\n any Graphics expression as the \"image\"/drawing it represents *)\n\nShow[g]\n\n(* now CreateDialog is evaluated and a window with the graphics pops up *)\n\n\nWith the default version 8 DisplayFunction, which is Identity, Show would have returned the original graphics, as applying Identity to something just returns it as it is.\n\nI hope this explains the purpose of DisplayFunction.\n\n\n\nEdit:\n\nThere are still a number of display mechanisms that use DisplayFunction. One is &lt;&lt;Version5`Graphics` mentioned by @Mr.Wizard. You can find some others by checking the files in $InstallationDirectory/SystemFiles/Kernel/Packages, and the readme file there. The available options depend on the operating system. On Windows, you can try for example, &lt;&lt;Terminal` and &lt;&lt;JavaGraphics` (try both when running the kernel in command line mode, and don't forget to use Show).", "I am currently designing an intro to programming course for middle school students using Processing. In particular, I am using these two resources to focus the curriculum:\n\nMake's Getting Started with Processing: A Hands-On Introduction to Making Interactive Graphics\n\nRaspberry Pi Foundation's \"Introduction to Processing\" Resource\n\nMake's resource moves all the way from simple, one-line programs like ellipse(50, 50, 80, 80); to OOP, file IO, JSON, data visualization, etc. \n\nTo supplement these resources, I am using videos from Daniel Shiffman's YouTube channel The Coding Train. Of particular value are his short coding challenges where he completes a programming task in the allotted time while talking through the design process.\n\nI find that Processing's power comes from its scale combined with its ease of entry. I can confidently say that students will be writing \"real\" code on day zero and getting instant results on something other than the command line. Plus, there's the satisfaction of starting to learn programming with a text-based language instead of something like Scratch which can feel restricting and elementary to some students. And, as Daniel Shiffman's videos show, there's really no stopping how far you can go with it.", "The discussion about the relationship between a designer and a developer tends to get really complicated when we talk about communication. \n\nI have to make it clear that it is your responsibility as a designer to communicate how you want elements to behave so in this case you can create animations, prototypes or interaction guides that clearly shows how animations work and feel. \n\nSo the language you need designs.\n\nNow, I know that in real life, your business managers might not give you the needed time for such things but you can have a video recording app and find examples in real life that you can show them when needed.", "Skype\n\nIt doesn't matter if you can't have personal meetings with them. Clients love to be able to do Skype meetings if you don't mind using it. You simply need to make it very clear that you're opened to chat with them about their projects. If you don't like being on video mode, they're usually all right with a voice chat as well.\n\nCurrency Value\n\nThere is another thing that could make you a good candidate for them: the value of the currency of your country. Instead of adjusting your prices all in US dollars, you should really calculate what is good value for you in your own currency and offer it this way to your client, with the US dollar value at the same time. When you adjust your prices already in US dollars, and at the same value as the other American developers, there's absolutely no advantages for them to select you.\n\nTargeting the right market\n\nIf you want to attract more American clients, you need to show them what they want to buy. If your portfolio contains too much \"regional\" designs and not enough \"international\" designs, they might not be as attracted because clients often think what you show them is all you can do! For this reason, it's good to show them some work with more \"Americanized\" flavor.\n\nGo where clients are\n\nDon't wait for them to find you; go where they hang. There are Facebook groups, forums, LinkedIn, and even reach them directly when you see a company is in need of a nice website.\n\nBlog + Website\n\nBe active online. Have a decent blog, show that you know what you're talking about, and share useful tricks with THEM, not with the community of coders/developers! You need to target your content for your target market, not only what you know technically. Be open to share the knowledge that could be useful for them as buyers. You know they won't build their own websites, but they might want tricks on how to find a good developer, what hosting to choose, what they should expect as the process for the creation of a website, etc.\n\nSince you develop WordPress websites, you should have a nice elegant WordPress website yourself (which I guess you have already). Remember that the style you'll use for your own design will also influence which kind of clientele you'll attract. So on this, it's not a question of ego and showing your personality; it's a question of showing you can do nice business and corporate design.... and most of the time, less is better! So keep it simple. You will show your personality in your about page, your posts, your interaction with them, and that's enough for them to judge your character.\n\nFreelance website... (arghh...)\n\nYeah, it is very hard to be respected as a skilled professional and get good work there, but with the tricks above, this might increase your chances on being selected or at least invited for some projects. Don't be too greedy, if you're just starting, or don't have a big portfolio. You might benefit from doing a few jobs that pay less, but that can be used as reference for future work. The truth is that as designers and developers, we're \"practicing\" our skills all the time with the projects of our clients ;)\n\nUnfortunately, if you're not very pro-active and if you don't have much initiative, you will have hard time finding freelance work out of freelance websites. It's often a starting point for a lot of freelancers, but that doesn't mean you'll get your work there for the rest of your life!\n\nBe honest\n\nAlways be honest when selling your services. It's hard for oversea buyers to fully trust services coming from countries where they cannot legally have any reach. So you need to always be an honest service provider, and negotiate clearly. Communication is very important; don't make them waste time.\n\nIf you can also have a contract to show your terms clearly, it's a good thing. It will show them you have some method and how they can expect the projects to be managed by you. And respect the deadline and timeframe. One client who appreciates working with you will refer you to his friend, accountant, boss, etc.\n\nMost of the time, clients will prefer to work with someone who is crystal clear when communicating, who doesn't let them be confused or anxious, doesn't make them wait and then working with a difficult provider with more skills! You need to make their life easier, not harder. They'll really appreciate this!\n\nSince you're targeting Americans... you need to get used to their \"straight to the point\" and very direct approach! They might not exchange a lot of emails before asking you what they want and how much they're willing to pay! If you are not responding well to this or try to make the negotiation process too long, that might not work well for you!", "The paper How Big (Small?) are Fiscal Multipliers? by Ethan Ilzetzki, Enrique G. Mendoza, Carlos A. Végh (2010)should give you useful information.\n\n\n We contribute to the debate on the macroeconomic effects of fiscal\n stimuli by showing that the impact of government expenditure shocks\n depends crucially on key country characteristics, such as the level of\n development, exchange rate regime, openness to trade, and public\n indebtedness. Based on a novel quarterly dataset of government\n expenditure in 44 countries, we find that (i) the output effect of an\n increase in government consumption is larger in industrial than in\n developing countries, (ii) the fiscal multiplier is relatively large\n in economies operating under predetermined exchange rates but is zero\n in economies operating under flexible exchange rates; (iii) fiscal\n multipliers in open economies are smaller than in closed economies;\n (iv) fiscal multipliers in high-debt countries are negative.", "Since BubbleChart does the scaling of the bubbles the trick is to let it draw the circles of the legend too. I do that by adding the legend circles to the plot data. The rest of the graphics can be added using Show.\n\nlc = Append[Reverse@CityData[#, \"Coordinates\"], \n CityData[#, \"Population\"]\n ] &amp; /@ CityData[{Large, \"USA\"}];\n\nsteps = 8;\nlegendCircles = Table[{-120 + 18/steps i^1.25, 22, 1000000 i}, {i, steps}];\ntext = Table[Text[i, {-120 + 18/steps i^1.25, 19}], {i, steps}];\n\nShow[\n Graphics[{FaceForm[LightGray], EdgeForm[Black], \n CountryData[\"USA\", \"Polygon\"], text,\n Text[Style[\"Population (mln)\", FontFamily -&gt; \"Arial\", Bold, 16]]}, \n PlotRange -&gt; {{-126`, -66}, {17, 51}}, AspectRatio -&gt; Automatic\n ], \n BubbleChart[Join[lc, legendCircles], BubbleScale -&gt; \"Area\", \n AspectRatio -&gt; Automatic, BubbleSizes -&gt; {0.01, 0.1}\n ]\n]\n\n\n\n\nor with labels shifted to appear in the bubbles:\n\n\n\n\n\nA note on combining BubbleChart graphics with other graphics\n\nYou might have noticed the above use of AspectRatio and PlotRange. They were pretty much essential. Since BubbleChart uses the AspectRatio of its plot to determine the eccentricity of the ovals it draws (yes, it draws ovals: check its FullForm), it is important to watch the aspect ratio of a combined plot carefully. \n\nFor instance, let's see what happens if we start from scratch and want to have a cartographic projection different from the simple \"Equirectangular\" lat,long coordinate system used above. \n\n(* conversion of city locations to Mercator projection *)\nlc = Append[\n GeoGridPosition[\n GeoPosition[\n Append[CityData[#, \"Coordinates\"], \n CityData[#, \"Elevation\"]] /. Missing[\"NotAvailable\"] -&gt; 0], \n \"Mercator\"][[1, ;; 2]]\n , CityData[#, \"Population\"]\n ] &amp; /@ CityData[{Large, \"USA\"}];\n\n(* CountryData has a built-in projection conversion for its country polygon: *)\n(* CountryData[\"USA\", {\"Polygon\",\"projection\"}] *)\n(* but it results in a grid system different from the GeoGridPosition conversion *)\n(* So, I'll perform the transformation in the same way as above *)\nUSAplot = \n Graphics[{FaceForm[LightGray], EdgeForm[Darker@Gray], \n Apply[\n GeoGridPosition[GeoPosition[{#2, #1, 0}],\"Mercator\"][[1, ;; 2]] &amp;, \n CountryData[\"USA\", \"Polygon\"], \n {3}\n ]}]\n\ncityPlot = BubbleChart[lc, BubbleSizes -&gt; {0.01, 0.1}];\nShow[USAplot, cityPlot]\n\n\n\n\nYou can prevent this from happening by borrowing the background graphics' options when making the BubbleChart plot:\n\ncityPlot = \n BubbleChart[lc, AbsoluteOptions[USAplot, {AspectRatio, PlotRange}],BubbleSizes -&gt; {0.01, 0.1}];\n\nShow[USAplot, cityPlot, AbsoluteOptions[USAplot, {AspectRatio, PlotRange}]]", "This is very common at this age even when there is only one language being spoken! Developing the skill of relating an event takes practice, and as you have discovered, kids often are reluctant. I would suggest a trip to the library to find materials your son actually enjoys. Some possibilities:\n\n\nNon-fiction. Boys often prefer this to fiction stories. He can pick books about robots or sharks or dinosaurs or race cars - whatever interests him!\nMagazines. There are lost of them geared toward kids, and the articles are short, which helps in this situation.\nComics or graphic novels. Comics are in strip form (like Garfield or Snoopy), where graphic novels look like comics but tell a longer story.\nFiction of his choice. Perhaps he would like a particular type of story. Ask the librarian for suggestions. He or she is trained to help discover your child's interests.\n\n\nThe key to getting kids interested and comprehending is often by tying the activity to a desire for information. If your child wants a dog, get some books about dogs and read together to figure out what kind to get. If he shows an interest in construction vehicles, get a book to see how they work. If he sees an animal at the zoo, say to him, \"I wonder why giraffes do that?\" and then get a book about giraffes to find out together.\n\nAlso remember that kids come to this when they are ready, and some kids aren't ready for reading until closer to 7 years at which point they often catch up to their peersquite quickly. Keep exposing him to reading and talking to him about what you are reading. He will get there!", "I think it would be a great idea for the developers of Blender to show these words in search results even if the word is a part of the node (rather than the node's name itself). \n\n\nYou should suggest this to the developers, if enough people find it useful it will have a better chance to be implemented,there is a section in blender about small tasks so that new developers can pick a small task and try to code them to be implemented in blender , yours seem like a good task. \n\n\n Does anyone know of a way to find where to find certain functions of a node when it doesn't show up in the search results\n\n\nThere aren't many nodes like that that have those kind of sub menus, if you use blender long enough and with practice you will know their location by heart. \n\nto ask for a feature to be implemented in blender , see : Best Place to put Feature Requests?", "Are you sure that your posts are public? According to Google Help, Ripples are only available for publicly shared posts:\n\n\n Google+ Ripples creates an interactive graphic of the public shares of any public post or URL on Google+ to show you how it has rippled through the network and help you discover new and interesting people to follow. Ripples shows you:", "try Kaggle datasets: https://www.kaggle.com/datasets\nAlso try the Fed's St. Louis website.", "You can get some spatial data by selcting your country name. http://www.diva-gis.org/gdata?", "For development you can refer the official documentation link", "I find this diagram helpful when relating the two: \n\n\nIt comes from a model curriculum unit on Rates and Ratios for 6th graders (you can see them all here after registering), and I have found this particular graphic very helpful with math content professional development with 6th grade math teachers.", "Unless you can find the license for this program, you must assume the copyright holder(s), which is likely the company or developers of the game, have not granted you permission to use the graphic outside of the game. Hence, you would not be allowed to use the graphic in your GitHub repository.\n\nMicrosoft explicitly allows you to post in-game footage of their games via a license agreement: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/developers/rules.\n\nThere are likely a similar set of rules for this game. However, I would be cautious and do not assume this to be true without any evidence.", "You can try climatemps.com for easy access and plots. There they have a map you can click on or a list by countries.\nMore data and analysis tools are available at the KNMI Climate Explorer, a more reliable and scientifically sound source.\n\nThis is one of the outputs for Jakarta from jakarta.climatemps.com", "For an emulator to be \"cycle accurate\" means the interactions between the components are timed accurately enough so that the emulation behaves the same way as the original machine for any given input. I mean \"input\" in the general sense -- both external inputs such as keyboards, joysticks, buttons, etc. and the program (or programs) being run, the data available on devices and so on.\n\nEarly (late 1970s to early 1980s) game consoles and home computers almost always ran off a single base clock frequency that was divided down by various factors to run the main CPU, graphics, sound and other systems. In those cases a cycle would refer to the highest clock frequency which is typically that provided to the graphics system. So, for example, there was often an exact number of CPU cycles per video frame.\n\nAs you point out, for systems with multiple clocks the notion of a cycle doesn't make any real sense. But each subsystem driven by a clock will operate in fixed steps so we stretch the term \"cycle accurate\" to mean that each part of the system will perform its operations in the same amount of real time as the original and the interactions between each subsystem are such that they will seem the others running at the same relative speed.\n\nFor most of an emulator's operation timing accuracy is not a concern. If the CPU stores 7 into a memory location it doesn't matter exactly when it happens because the change cannot be noticed by anything else in the system. But if the processor changes a video memory location then timing may make the difference between the video output changing or not.\n\nThe other side of cycle accuracy is duration. If the emulated CPU runs faster than a real CPU (perhaps because it takes few cycles for some or all instructions) then a game may be seen to run too quickly. For the most part such timing is easy to get right and is usually made inaccurate by not modelling interactions with RAM or devices. Sometimes the CPU is slowed down a little bit when it reads/writes memory. That can be difficult to emulate correctly but without that bit of accuracy games or other applications will run too quickly. Not generally a problem for a word processor, but for games or more highly interactive applications it will be noticable to the experienced user.\n\nComponent Interactions\n\nExcept for RAM, interaction between the CPU and supporting subsystems is mostly one way. ROM only returns values as asked. Sound systems only change their output based on what the CPU tells them. Joysticks and keyboards only report user input to the CPU. Graphics only change when the CPU sends new data. BUT, only mostly.\n\nGraphics systems can tell the CPU when a new frame has started. Sound systems might report when they have finished playing a bit of audio. Any time a component can give feedback to the CPU there may be a need for timing accuracy. But how much accuracy is required really depends on the particular device and the program's use of that device.\n\nFor instance, in a simple game the positions of various sprites (player and enemies) on screen might be updated once per frame. In that case cycle-level accuracy isn't needed. All you need is for the \"start frame\" indication to come by at a frequency that is close enough to the original for a human to think it exact and the CPU runs fast enough to make the change before the frame drawing begins.\n\nMore complex games might change sprite positions while the graphics display is drawing them. Typically the graphics processor will help out by giving an indication of when each line starts. Now cycle accuracy is more important. If the CPU runs a bit slower than it should the sprites will be updated too late causing them to flicker or briefly appear distorted. There isn't an intrinsic difference between this and the \"once per frame technique\" from an emulator perspective. It's just that the times involved are smaller and thus small timing inaccuracies can make a big difference.\n\nLooking at that you might think that running the CPU a bit more quickly than usual might be fine. Indeed, it might. But then you run into a program which gets the \"new line\" signal an intentionally delays before changing the sprites. This works because the the hardware only looks at new sprite values at the start of the line. If the changes happen while the line is drawing the changes won't show up until the next line which is what the program expects. Unless you want to program your emulator to have special cases for each game (a viable but time consuming strategy) you learn that your best bet is to be \"cycle accurate\" so that these different things all work properly.\n\nAnd there can be even more extreme cases. Some graphics hardware only gives the \"new frame\" indication. But sprites can be changed on a per-line basis. Very clever programmers will use the \"new frame\" signal then go into a CPU delay loop precisely timed to wait until, say, half-way down the screen where they'll update the sprites. That's only going to work if the relative timing of the CPU and graphics is exact and the count of cycles per instruction is perfect.\n\nThe point being that component interactions can happen because of explicit feedback (e.g., the graphics saying a new line has started) or because of implicit knowledge (e.g., the CPU knows exactly what portion of the display is being shown because it can mark time).", "Find a local makerspace and make friends there. They are usually a magnet for creative types. These people usually have a wide background of experience and often don't do their work specialty at the makerspace, so just judging people by their habits there isn't very accurate.\n\nMakerspaces (aka: hackerspace, Fablab) are found all over the US in almost all major cities, most large cities, and quite a few smaller towns. These are usually places that have woodworking, metal working, 3D printers, laser cutters, pottery kilns, electronics, programming, and more. Not all of them have the same stuff or even the stuff I just listed, but they all have the same basic idea behind them: creative people doing work. Usually it's either fun work as a hobby or home improvement work they don't have the tools for themselves, but there's also usually at least a handful that are trying to replace or supplement their day job. And any of this whole group of people are likely to be interested in doing a side project for a friend or for some side money.\n\nHowever, don't expect to go there to \"rent-a-person\". Too often people come in and think they can hire the place to do manufacturing for them, or design a product off specs, or act like a temp agency. No, go there to make friends, learn about the space, learn about people and their abilities, and then approach individuals to see if they are interested in a project. Most times, the makerspace is a member run organization of volunteers. Very few have employees, except for the for-profit commercial versions. They are more of a community or group of makers that share tools, knowledge, and experience rather than a manufacturing company.\n\nBTW, makerspaces can also be found all over the world, too. Many industrial countries are similar to the US in how easily they can be found, but can be harder to find, if they even exist, in less developed countries. Less developed countries would probably benefit most from these types of place, but I digress.\n\nHere's one map that might help you find a location near you. (I'm not affiliated with this site, it's just the first one I could find.) \n\n\n https://www.beautyandthebolt.com/makerspace-map\n\n\nFYI, I've been a part of 2 makerspace, and am currently a member of one. I do everything I mentioned above about makerspaces (and more), but I also so software development and have done computer repair in the past for work. I've met mechanical, network, chemical, and electrical engineers, photographers, painters, graphic artists, inventors, business owners, and a whole lot more at makerspaces. I've also gone to functions to promote the makerspace that included business people, investors, community leaders, and other DIY type people. This type of networking can be indispensable when looking for people to help your business.\n\nGetting into the business of running the makerspace can be frustrating, and I'd suggest trying to stay out of it, but that's off the target for this Answer.", "The data you ask for is in the OECD stats website under\n\n\n Productivity > Productivity and ULC – Annual, Total Economy > Level of GDP per capita and productivity\n\n\nThis is the graph (in 2010 PPP US dollars):\n\n\n\nAternatively, you can compute it manually:\n\n\nSelect a series of constant GDP of your interest. \nDivide it by number of hours for a group of interest.\n\n\nYou can find both series in the above website. GDP is under \n\n\n National Accounts > Annual National Accounts > Main Aggregates > Gross domestic product \n\n\nHours are under\n\n\n Labour > Labour Force Statistics > Hours worked", "If a patent is global, how can a company like Apple defend their patents in one country but not in another?\n\nCurrently, there are no global patents. Apple defends its patents in countries where those patents are granted.\n\nIf a developer like me lives outside the US but a service I operate has code existing on servers in the US, can I be sued?\n\nIn terms of copyright if your code (on the US servers) infringes some other code that is protected in the US, then you can be sued. As for software patents, a software patent is not the code as such, it is on how the whole method of computation that goes about on a microprocessor or in other words, the process of - the algorithm being worked out in the CPU. An example software patent is this.\n\nHow the US patent system impacts development in a global world, where code moves in and out of US borders as a matter of course.\n\nAs such, it does not impact (I will abstain from speculating on any bureaucratic issues). One important thing about patents is - they are enforceable only in the country where they are granted. MNCs obtain patents in individual countries. Having said that, I should also point to the unitary patent system being developed in the EU. More about that here. In my opinion it will be very interesting to see how this goes about.", "Yes but be careful\nYou're looking at 'confirmed cases' - this isn't a good comparitive measure of actual cases as each country has their own approach to testing. Japan and India have been noted for their limited testing.\n\nThis site gives a useful graphic showing testing by country - what you're looking for really is the gradient there - once you flatten the graph to one dimension you loose that extra information thats needed to give context to the numbers you're looking at. You can see the US and South Korea are pretty high up on the number of cases tested.", "I don't see any link to here : \n\n\nhttp://www.diva-gis.org/\nhttps://hub.arcgis.com/pages/open-data\nhttps://gadm.org/\nhttp://dataportals.org/\n\n\nIf you are a ESRI ArcGIS Desktop user then they have ArcGIS Online that has these polygons that you can download:\n\n\nhttp://www.arcgis.com/home/index.html\n\n\nFinally, if you live in those areas or not, you may need to contact their GIS university department that they may help you out for more information.", "I'm sorry but I don't think that just buying foreign books on Amazon is going to help a lot. It's just as difficult for a kid to simply pick up book in a foreign language and make sense of it as it is for an adult. As the parent, how are you going to support that learning when you yourself don't speak that language?\n\nThe same goes for other medias like YouTube or DVDs, though perhaps to a lesser degree. I believe that material like comics such as Donald Duck, or tv shows such as Sesame Street and Muppet Show, would be your best choice because these things are very visual and therefore work well without understanding the language.\n\nBut studies suggest (see references below) that children don't learn well on their own from a screen. What's lacking is the interaction and the actual presence of a real human -- and for language learning, it must be a native speaker. I imagine that when the effect of live human interaction is so profound compared to video, then books must really suck.\n\nWhat does work for language learning is real-world interaction -- the summer is coming, so plan a camping vacation in your neighboring countries; that will provide lots of opportunity to play with other kids that speak a different language. Or find some kind of regular multinational community gathering in your neighborhood.\n\nReferences:\nThis language researcher provides evidence that watching video has limited learning effect and that effective learning requires live humans (as opposed to audio or video recordings): video presentation, article.", "Not sure if a portal is useful, if it doesn't have the right data, but here's the Italy Open Data Portal\n\nhttps://www.dati.gov.it/\n\nwith 27k+ datasets:\n\nhttps://www.dati.gov.it/search/type/dataset\n\nfrom the Agency for Digital Italy: https://www.agid.gov.it/", "As with most requests for spatial data for more than one country, Open Street Map is likely to be your friend here. Depending on what GIS software you're using, you can search for features tagged as barrier=border_control or government=border_control.\nIf you don't want to use Open Street Map (for example because you don't have time to learn how to use it and are unlikely to need those skills in future) there is a file of border crossings derived by identifying places where major roads cross national borders, although you should note that many border crossings do not carry major roads.", "I don't know of a pre-compiled dataset; there are a multitude of factors that would need to be considered in assembling something like that. \n\nAnother option for creating your own would be IPUMS Terra, the Integrated Population and Environmental Data project that's part of the IPUMS series at the Minnesota Population Center, Univ of Minnesota. The data has been gathered from census and statistical agencies of individual countries, or in some cases from estimates generated by the project:\n\nhttps://terra.ipums.org/\n\nChoose the \"Create Your Custom Dataset\" option, then on the next screen on the right choose \"Start Extract Area Level Output\". On the Extract Builder (see pic below) choose variables on the left, like Demographic and Total Population. Then under Datasets on the right you can choose countries and filter by year. Once you move on to the next screen, you can choose to harmonize the output or choose specific years. This is also where you get the chance to choose your administrative level: national, ADM-1, or smallest available.\n\nYou do have to create an account to use it, but it's free and is an academic / non-commercial organization.\n\n\n\nADDENDUM - a second option is the Subnational Human Development Index from the Global Data Lab. Change the Category dropdown from Indices to Indicators, then change the Indicator to population size. This data does not come from census counts or surveys, but are estimates that have been generated from larger sources (UNDP)." ]

[ "The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of changing a cello's endpin material and boundary conditions on the sound and vibration characteristics of a cello. It was hypothesized that an endpin made of a denser material than stainless steel, which is traditionally used, would improve the tone quality of the cello. In terms of endpin boundary conditions, it was hypothesized that using a shorter endpin with fixed end conditions might also improve the vibration characteristics and sound radiation efficiency of the cello. Objective and subjective tests were conducted to examine the effects of the different endpin materials. Sound power level output and vibration measurements of a cellist playing on different endpins were obtained following ISO 3741. In general, sound power levels and measured vibrations were consistent for all endpins for all notes tested. For the subjective study, volunteer cellists played selected excerpts with the different endpins, not knowing which endpin they were using. ..." ]

[ "This study recorded the sound of Korean traditional musical instruments by considering the radiation characteristics of traditional Korean musical instruments and setting the diverse mounting angle and distance of microphone. By following recorded results, the study analyzes the optimum position of microphone and the characteristic of timbre through frequency range spectrum and repeated listening. This experiment of study is for technique of close microphone which is used in popular music, therefore it is recorded in the popular music recording studio. The study also suggests the optimum position for the microphone to record, and explains the difference of timbre at different position. The result of study will suggest the best technique of Close Microphone Techniques for Korean Traditional Musical Instruments not only to accurately express the beautiful and unique sound of traditional Korean musical instruments but also to obtain diverse timbre.", "For powder alloys types 36N and 32NKD we determined the values of the modulus of elasticity, the shear modulus, the speed of sound waves, and of the Poisson ratio in the temperature range from −100 to +100°C. It was shown that the Invar effect applies to these materials and that their acoustic characteristics are dependent on the residual porosity.", "Multilayer structures allow obtaining good performance in acoustic insulation to eliminate ::: unwanted noise in the medium and high frequencies in many applications such as building ::: and transport industry. In this paper, the sound transmission of multilayer systems is stu- ::: died using the Transfer Matrix Method (TMM). The studied multi-layered panels include ::: elastic, viscoelastic and porous materials. Several configurations of multilayer systems are ::: studied, and their corresponding transmission loss TL is computed. Also, the effects of po- ::: rous material characteristics are studied to evaluate the impact of each parameter.", "Abstract Cellulose products made from recycled paper can be utilized as sound absorbing and insulation materials. Cellulose is a sound absorbing material composed of paper, and is thus environmentally friendly and recyclable. In this study, the physical properties of a sound absorber produced using cellulose were investigated. The investigated properties were proof against climate, color change, thermal conductivity, and NRC (noise reduction coefficient). To obtain adequate NRC for the cellulose sound absorber, porous cellulose materials were foamed. Cell size distribution results showed that the most common size range for the cells was 10–25 μm, followed by 25–50 μm. Thermal conductivity of the cellulose sound absorber with a density of 55 kg/m3 was measured to be 0.039 W/m K. Further, NRC of the absorber with a density of 36 kg/m3 and a thickness of 60 mm was measured to be 0.75.", "The results of studying Acoustic Emission characteristics of materials ::: for both new and used sucker-rod (20CrMo, 35CrMo) by use of three ::: kinds of specimens under different tensile speed were presented briefly. ::: Under different experimental conditions, the AE parameters related to the ::: tensile fracture and the characteristics of typical waveforms in time domain ::: of AE signal were analyzed. In addition, a preliminary study of ::: commercial sucker-rod with artificial fatigue crack was carried out, ::: some significant results were obained.", "Mr.Zhao-Yuanren's book the Grammar of Chinese includes plenty of lively materials of spoken Chinese,and the analysis of these materials in aspect of sound characteristics.The sound characteristics of the materials have assistant function and verifying value. The value of grammar study to sound type is in three aspects. That is:the divided criterion of grammar unit, the classifying standard of the sound type,and the main reference of how to define the sentences.", "The purpose of this work is to evaluate the influence of the cellulose polymerization degree (DP) on the dielectric response. The research objects were new and aged pressboard samples of the polymerization degree 1435 and 406, respectively. The authors investigated the dielectric response in the time and frequency domains. The research showed that dielectric response characteristics of new and aged samples, of different DP and an identical water content are very close. Their differences are within the limits of statistical dispersion.", "This paper proposes the identification and separation method of multiple sound sources on a single moving object. The proposed method is based on the compensation of the Doppler effect for a specific sound source and uses the difference of temporal characteristics between the specific sound source and others. After deriving both of observed and compensated spectra in a general form, we discuss the frequency shift of two sound sources model. Then simple models composed of two moving sources which radiate sinusoidal waves are simulated, and the results show the effectiveness of the proposed method. The proposed method is effective only for narrow band or sinusoidal signal, because this method depends on the temporal characteristics of frequency shift due to the movement of sound sources.", "The reason of the common structure flaw of the end cover of ASTM A216 WCA balling drum by casting and heat treating technology is analyzed.The measures which control the quality of casting in manufacture are put up.The material component,technology,structure and performance of the steel casting end cover are studied.The result shows if the casting has the goodness mechanical property and satisfies the demands of the inspection,the chemical composition,the smelting technology and the heat treating technology of the end cover should be controlled,which can eliminate the flaw such as the shrinkage porosity,crack and so on.", "Duplex stainless steel materials are widely used in various industrial sectors due to its excellent stress corrosion cracking resistance and higher strength levels. The present work presents the results of experimental investigation carried out in end milling operation of cast nitrogen alloyed duplex stainless steel ASTM A 995 Grade 5A. The end milling operations were carried out with coated carbide cutting tool inserts. The experiments were conducted at three different spindle speeds, three different feed rates, and three different axial depth of cuts. The cutting parameters are optimized using Taguchi method. The effects of cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut on the surface roughness were analyzed using mean and analysis of variance. It is found out that the significant variable affecting the surface roughness is the feed rate, then the spindle speed, and the axial depth of cut.", "This paper examines how the individual variations of chair type, row spacing, as well as the presence of occupants and carpet, combine to influence the absorption characteristics of theater chairs as a function of sample perimeter-to-area (P/A) ratios. Scale models were used to measure the interactive effects of the four test variables on the chair absorption characteristics, avoiding the practical difficulties of full scale measurements. All of the test variables led to effects that could lead to important changes to auditorium acoustics conditions. At mid and higher frequencies, the various effects can usually be explained as due to, more or less, porous absorbing material. In the 125 and 250 Hz octave bands, the major changes were attributed to resonant absorbing mechanisms. The results indicate that for accurate predictions of the effective absorption of the chairs in an auditorium, one should use the P/A method and reverberation chamber tests of the chair absorption coefficients to predict the absorp...", "As a practical matter, sound propagation in many everyday situations includes interactions with porous materials. Such materials include textiles, foams, gravel, grass-covered ground, asphalt, and trees. Modeling sound propagation in complex environments, such as passenger cabins or urban spaces, with porous materials like these is essential to understanding realistic acoustics problems. The theory behind the sound absorption in porous material is not typically included in introductory acoustics courses. This is, at least in part, attributable to the mathematical complexity of the topic. Despite this barrier, acoustic properties of porous material can be easily introduced to typical undergraduate students using simple experiments to demonstrate the acoustic effects of different materials. This presentation describes acoustic property measurements of rigid-frame porous material with straight cylindrical pores as well as foam and soil included in an “Introduction to Acoustics” class at the Catholic Universi...", "The transmittance and reflectance spectra of two‐dimensional sonic crystals made of hexagonal arrays of cylindrical bars in water is reported. The balance of sound fluxes is analyzed by studying angle‐resolved spectra of transmitted and reflected sound for all directions in space. A characterization of the acoustic band structure along the two high symmetry directions in the lattice (i.e., ΓX and ΓJ directions) in a large region of frequencies will be presented. It is shown that, for example, the shape of the stop band features in different types of acoustical spectra is interlinked and must be studied jointly to understand acoustical phenomena in these materials. Moreover, the dependence of acoustical properties as a function of the number of layers is also studied. The experiments are compared with theoretical simulations based on multiple scattering theory. [Work supported by MEC of Spain.]", "Aiming at the vibration signals of abnormal sound from cylinder's head of motorcycle engine,characteristic values of the abnormal sound of each cycle are computed in time-domain using statistical functions.Comparing these characteristic values with the frequency spectrum of the normal engine,the characteristic frequency of the abnormal sound is found.Through the order analysis,the energy distributions of both normal and abnormal vibration signals of engines are studied.And the energy differences of the vibration signals of various orders are analyzed.The results show that these methods can identify abnormal sound of the cylinder's head effectively.", "A dry skull added with damping material was used to investigate the vibratory pattern of bone conducted sound. Three orthogonal vibration responses of the cochleae were measured, by means of miniat ...", "The violin is a long‐standing problem in acoustics due to the complexity of its shape, the interactivity of its various modes of response, and the inherent complications of coupling these to the acoustic field, independent of any quality aspects. By combining zero‐mass loading modal analysis of the violin with simultaneous acoustic measurements over a sphere in an anechoic chamber, major acoustic energy sources were identified among the coterie of corpus (top+back+ribs) modes and interior cavity (via two ports, or f‐holes) modes up to 4 kHz. Direct radiation from substructures such as the neck‐fingerboard, bridge, and tailpiece was not significant. For each mode the total damping and the radiation efficiency and damping were computed, along with a simple top‐back radiation directivity ratio using rms radiativities. The fraction‐of‐vibrational‐energy‐radiated was estimated from the radiation‐to‐total‐damping ratio. A new addition to the modal violin acoustics investigations was the application of near‐fiel...", "The lumped-mass method was employed to calculate the vibration band gaps of one-dimensional phononic crystals consisted of granite and nitrile rubber,the effects of the number of lumped-mass,lattice constant,volume fraction and viscoelasticity of nitrile rubber on band gaps were also investigated.It could be concluded that the accuracy of band gaps can be improved by increasing the number of lumped-mass,the band gaps are remarkably affected by the lattice constant and volume fraction,in addition,the viscoelasticity makes the width of band gaps increase.Finally,material and structure parameters of phononic crystals were optimized base on our results,and an one-dimensional phononic crystal was designed to mask off noises of 1.5—2.5?kHz frequency which is the most sensitive to person's ear.", "The acoustic radiation pressure expression of a multi-frequency sound source is obtained on the basis of the Fenlon theory. Then using the solution method of a monochromatic source harmonic wave directivity, farfield directivity of second-order approximate is obtained in the case of the dual-frequency sound source interaction. Subsequently, the effect of two-wave interaction on the farfield of first-order and second-order wave of either wave is studied and discussed when the initial radiation pressures and frequencies are different. The conclusion is that there are some different effects of sound wave interaction on the farfield directivity of a sound source, when the relative initial radiation pressure and frequency between the sound waves is changed.", "This article summarizes the results of research aimed at finding material formulation and finishing techniques are suitable for craft products made from various types and qualities of wood. Research method, namely eskperimen build and test formulations appropriate finishing ingredients and apply to the products of craft of various types and qualities of wood, to find the maximum quality finishing. The results of this research are four types of ingredients and formulations suitable finishing techniques applied to the craft products made from various types and qualities of wood, namely: natural finishing for craft products of high quality wood, finish color transparent for craft products of high quality wood and medium quality wood, finishing the color gradation for craft products of medium quality wood, and antique finishing for craft products of low quality wood.", "This article will argue that the damage of electromagnetic pollution which is produced by the modern life household appliances and electrical equipment to human health,the features of wool/radiation-proof stainless steel wire core-spun thin tweed fine,comparing with similar technology specification of fabrics and the permutation percentage of wool stainless steel wire core-spun,and then producing a sample fabric to check its shielding effectiveness.Thus,is chooses the right fabric weave and also selects the different arrangement ratio of the basic yarn and radiation-proof wool stainless steel wire core-spun yarn,and then creats the sample fabric in order to check is shielding effectiveness which is based on the similar technology specification and waves of fabrics.Finally,inventing radiation-proof stainless steel wire core-spun thin tweed.This paper looks more closely at the production process,weaving and finishing process and production process control technology of this tweed yarn.", "The parameters such as the angle in “V” area in Sirofil spinning system, the tension and torque of the filament and roving with different feeding spacing are theoretically discussed. The optimal strand-spacing of different spinning materials is, thus, recommended. The configuration, strength and elongation, hairiness and evenness of the yarn were studied experimentally. The theoretical results agreed very well with experimental data.", "This article investigates how the amplitude and phase characteristics of the inner ear influence the spectrotemporal representation of harmonic complex sounds. Five experiments are reported, in each of which three sets of maskers are compared that differ only in their phase spectra. The amplitude spectra of the complexes were flat and the phase choices were (a) zero phase, (b) Schroeder phases with a positive sign, and (c) Schroeder phases with a negative sign. In the first four experiments, the spectra contained all harmonics between 200 and 2000 Hz. In experiments 1 and 2, the signal frequency was fixed at 1100 Hz and the fundamental frequency of the maskers was varied. In experiments 3 and 4, the fundamental frequency of the maskers was fixed and the signal frequency varied between 200 and 2000 Hz. In experiments 1 and 3, the signal duration was long compared to the period of the maskers. In experiments 2 and 4, the signal duration was only 5 ms and thresholds were determined for different time points ...", "Because of the complicated topography and inhomogeneous electrical characteristics of shallow stratum in Caihuagou copper deposits,magnetotelluric sounding apparent resistivity curves became distorted,namely static effect.It would have a great effect on interpretation to subsurface geo-electrical structure if use the distorted magnetotelluric sounding curves.So a primary work of the magnetotelluric sounding explanation is recognition and correction of the distorted curves.In this paper,the magnetotelluric sounding curves in Caihuagou copper deposits are analyzed and corrected,the effect of calibration curves is also showed.", "In order to solve the question of target recognition on modern artillery battlefield, this article expounds the characteristics of cannon firing sound signal data—shooting sound wave, ballistic trajectory sound wave, and exploding sound wave. It introduces the method and process of AR model spectrum estimation of cannon shooting sound signal. With the MATLAB Signal Processing Toolbox, it makes out the AR model spectrum estimation of three different cannon shooting sound waves. And it classifies some samples of shooting sound wave successfully. At last, it discusses the meaning and application value of AR model characteristics of cannon shooting sound signal in modern battlefield cannon target recognition.", "Abstract A passive approach, using membrane materials for regulating modal characteristics of rooms, is presented which improves undesirable acoustic properties in rooms at low frequencies without modifying room shape. Basic studies are conducted to examine the possibility of this approach through scale model experiment and computational analysis, where the effect on the modal distribution and the sound energy distribution in a rectangular room are investigated. The results show that the modal distribution is remarkably transformed depending on the surface density and the position of membranes. Moreover, they demonstrate some cases where high uniformity in the modal distribution and reduction in the spatial deviation of sound energy are achieved by using membranes even in the room originally having low uniformity. These findings indicate that the present approach works effectively under the proper installation of membranes, and, on the other hand, it requires the prediction of the effect in advance.", "Kinds of woven complex functional fabrics with different blending ratio,yarn arrangement and weave structure were designed and manufactured with blended yarns of PPS fiber and stainless steel fiber.The antistatic behavior,electromagnetic shielding effectiveness and flame resistance were measured according to the standards.And the influencing parameter and mechanism of these properties were analyzed.Results showed that the antistatic behavior and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of the fabrics were influenced greatly by the content of the stainless steel fiber in the fabric and with the increase of the content the properties rise sharply.The content of stainless steel fiber had no significant influence on the flame resistance of the fabric.And the arrangements of blended yarns and fabric weave have significant effect on the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of the fabrics.The results showed that the flame resistances of the designed fabrics were excellent.", "Crackles are impulsive sounds occurring in particular pulmonary diseases. This note presents the preliminary results of a study on the acoustical characteristics of crackles, particularly in cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis, for the purpose of determining the diagnostic effectiveness of such a merely acoustic technique.", "In recent years, many hospitals, schools, and rehabiritation centers are adjusted for speech handicaps. But the speech therapists are not insufficiency for the about 1400 thousands persons as conjecture in japan. The object of this study is the development of the microcomputer system for the inspection of vocalization which is the most basic ability to speaking. The system calculate the sound power, the pitch frequency and formant frequency of input sound from microphone. After that, it display the energy, pitch and formant to CRT. And it display the sound's characteristic for compare the normal sound's characteristic with it's for the diagnosis.", "Noise barriers are typically used to reduce noise near to the highway or near to the building construction. Factors that characterize the barrier effectiveness are the position and geometry of the barrier, its height and materials which is made from. Considering the interaction of noise with the surface of the barrier we can distinguish three principles: reflection, resonance and absorption of the waves. Determination of sound-absorbing nature of these materials is one of the most important acoustic characteristics. In conclusion, this paper may be considered as guidance in choosing a proper absorbing material using an impedance tube.", "A short historical review and an analysis of the current status of both theoretical and experimental studies of long-range sound propagation in the atmosphere are given. Basic results are provided that show how the atmospheric fine-layered structure significantly affects infrasonic pulse propagation and scattering in the lower and middle atmosphere. The effect of time variations (seasonal changes, tides, and both planetary and internal gravity waves) in the effective acoustic speed profile on the characteristics of infrasonic signals from different pulsed sources is discussed. The results of the studies of partial reflection (scattering) of low-frequency acoustic pulses from the fine-layered inhomogeneities of the middle atmosphere are presented. The results of the corresponding theoretical studies are also given. The potential of the method for long-range acoustic sounding of large-scale anisotropic turbulence (fine structure) is discussed.", "A speaker system comprises an acoustic panel. The acoustic panel is constructed of a plurality of thin plate-like sound absorbing panels provided close to the loudspeaker and arranged such that major surfaces thereof are disposed with a predetermined space therebetween so that the front space of the loudspeaker is opened for guiding a sound wave forwardly to radiate along the surface of the panels, while components of the sound wave having a radiation direction oblique to the major central axis of the sound absorbing panels are attenuated due to propagation through the sound absorbing panels. The sound absorbing panels are made of a porous sound absorbing material in which metal powders of Al, Ni, Cu, and others are sintered. In the case where one side of the acoustic panel is opened, it is preferable to provide a sound absorbing material at least at that opening and to further enclose the periphery of the sound absorbing material with a sound insulating material.", "In this study, the fracture properties of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) are compared with those of Styrene-Acylonitrile (SAN). The SAN material is the same type and grade as used for the matrix material of ABS. The fracture characteristics of ABS are non-linear and those of SAN are linear-elastic. Also, the relationship between crack initiation and crack propagation in ABS differ from those of SAN. To study these differing qualities of ABS and SAN, both the Charpy and frozen tongue fracture methods are used. The effect of the rubber particles in ABS at all stages of fracture is well in evidence." ]

[ "A series of complex and highly branched quinones were obtained by reacting an original tetraalkylating agent, 2,3,5,6-tetrachloromethyl-1,4-benzoquinone with primary or secondary nitroalkanes under SRN1 reactions conditions. # 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved." ]

[ "The photostimulated reaction of Me3Sn- ion with mono, di and trichloro arenes in liquid ammonia gave very good yields of stannanes by the SRN1 mechanism. These products reacted by a palladium-catalized cross coupling reaction with halobenzenes to give phenylated products also in very goods yields. Similar yields can be obtained in one-pot reactions.", "Abstract We report a new synthesis of 1,4-diamino-2,5-dioctylbenzene ( 1 ) and its application to condensation polymerisation reactions with terephthaldehyde and tetrafluoroterephthaldehyde to give respectively poly-1,1′-(2,5-dioctyl-1,4-phenylene-1′,2′-azomethine-1″,4″-phenylene-2‴,1‴-azomethine) ( 2 ) and poly-1,1′-(2,5-dioctyl-1,4-phenylene-1′,2′-azomethine-2″,3″,5″,6″-tetrafluoro-1″,4″-phenylene-2‴,1‴-azomethine) ( 3 ). The polymers 2 and 3 were characterised by NMR, SEC, UV-Vis and X-ray powder diffraction. Pulse radiolysis time resolved microwave conductivity (PR-TRMC) was employed for determination of the carrier mobility and carrier lifetimes.", "Abstract A new synthesis of furo[3,4- b ]quinolin-3(1 H )-one derivatives has been established in straightforward fashion in high overall yields. An efficient Hendrickson reagent-initiated cascade annulation, which is composed of mild conversion of the stable amide precursor to the reactive imido-carbonium intermediate and subsequent intramolecular aza Diels–Alder reaction, successfully serves as the key reaction in the synthesis. Final oxidative cleavage of the carbon–carbon double bond of representative tricyclic precursor 8g led to completion of the synthesis of quinoline-lactone 2g in a high yield.", "Summary The importance of newly synthesized RNA in coding for the first protein synthesis during early imbibition stages of embryos of Agrostemma githago seeds has been studied. Both RNA and protein synthesis start immediately after water uptake of the dry embryos. In the presence of inhibitors of mRNA synthesis or its polyadenylation ( α -amanitin, cordycepin) as well as total RNA synthesis (5-fluorouracil, 6-methylpurine) incorporation of 14 C-leucine in protein is reduced. These results may be indicative for the assumption that early transcription of RNA is a necessary prerequisite for early protein synthesis. This conclusion will be supported by the very intensive synthesis of poly(A)-containing RNA (probably mRNA) during the first imbibition stages (about 10% of total RNA synthesis), α -amanitin inhibits the synthesis of poly(A) + - as well as poly(A) − -RNA. The results will be discussed in relation to the regulation of early protein synthesis of imbibing seeds.", "Abstract A concise synthesis of (±)-cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA from readily available 1,5-naphthalenediol is described in which the key step is the radical cyclization process promoted by SmI 2 to make a furan ring.", "New and convenient synthesis of 2, 3, 9, 10-tetraoxygenated protoberberine alkaloids and their 13-methyl alkaloids through the same intermediates was developed. Acylation of the brominated benzylphenethylamine (13) with α-chloro-α-(methylthio)acetyl chloride, followed by cyclization with stannic chloride, furnished tha key intermediates 4-methylthio-3-phenethylisoquinolin-3-ones (14), which were methylated to provide their methyl derivatives (17). Both isoquinolin-3-ones (14, 17) were easily transformed into protoberberine alkaloids (16) and their 13-methyl alkaloids (21) in good yield.", "Performing polymer synthesis in biological systems could provide a biocompatible approach for engineering cells for therapeutic or other applications. A team led by Greg G. Qiao of the University of Melbourne has used components from blood to catalyze the synthesis of poly(acrylates) and poly(acrylamides) via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer, or RAFT, radical polymerization (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201802544). The researchers chose RAFT polymerization because it works in water-based systems with many types of monomers. To kick off the in vitro reaction, they add the enzyme glucose oxidase to produce hydrogen peroxide. The team proposes that the H2O2 degrades the heme group in hemoglobin, releasing iron ions that eventually produce hydroxyl radicals, the initiators for the polymerization, via a Fenton reaction. Purified hemoglobin, isolated red blood cells, and whole blood all catalyzed polymer formation. The researchers plan to use the reaction for encapsulating biomo...", "Abstract The development of the first enantioselective total synthesis of altersolanol N is reported. The decisive step of the synthesis is the enantioselective formation of the tetrahydroanthraquinone nucleus by a [4 + 2]-cycloaddition in high yield and with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity (>95:5 dr and 95:5 er). In addition, a demanding selective monoacetylation of the OH group at the C-2 position was achieved: an epoxide ring opening with the participation of a neighbouring acetyl group could be established. The route proved to be an efficient alternative to also access enantiomerically pure altersolanol A.", "Summary:......... A-sstimingmal--eriaf/sorthe preparationof polyradicalsof triphenylmethyl typelinkedby p-phenylene units bis(4-iodophenyl)phenylmethane (5a) and bis(4-iodo-2.5-dimcth.\\l-phenyl)phenylmethane (Sh)were synthesized by a Sandmeyer reaction from the corre-sponding diamino compounds and subsequently transformed into the correspondingpolymeric hydrocarbons 6a and 6h by an UIImann condensation, in the following step6,, and 6h were brominat_ al the tert. carbon atom by means of N-bromosuccinimide.The reaction of the resulting poly(4.4'-biphenylylen-_-bromobenzylidene)s17a and 7b)with mercury afforded the corresponding radicals, the ESR-spectra of which wererecorded. From the methyl substituted polymer 7h poly[(2.2'.5.5'-tetramethyl-4.4'-bi-phenylylen)phenylmethylidyne] (31was formed, whereas the unsubstituted product 7awas transformed into a para-quinoide polymer with radical properties. / -k\",k* I. Introduction /138_ i) About 70 years ago Gomberg discovered the reversible disin-tegration", "Poly(lactic acid) (poly lactide,PLA)isa biocompatible and bioresorbable polymer,thus it is widely used in the medical area,and is paid much attention to.There are two main methods to synthesis PLA,ring- open- ing polymerization of lactide and condensation polymerization of lactic acid.In the paper,the process of the new re- search of the synthesis PLA was reviewed.Beside,the PLA synthesis methods of reactive extrusion and direct melting polycondensation were introduced,which are two high efficiency methods.Finally,the foreground of PLA synthesis was prospected.", "A simple and efficient synthesis of rubrolide E (1e) has been demonstrated via Meerwein coupling reaction of para-anisyl-diazonium chloride with N-phenylmaleimide (2), regioselective reduction of para-anisylmaleic anhydride (4), Knoevenagel condensation of butyrolactone 5 with para-anisaldehyde and demethylation pathway.", "A new method is proposed for synthesis of 2,6-dialkyl-1,4-benzoquinones by oxidation of 2,6-dimethyl and 2,6-di-tert-butylphenols with oxygen in a two-phase “water-organic” system in the presence of P−Mo−V heteropoly acids.", "A new versatile method for the preparation of oligonucleotides containing hydrazide groups in any position of the oligonucleotide chain by standard phosphoramidite automated oligonucleotide synthesis is proposed. The method is based on the use of a series of new modified components for oligonucleotide synthesis. An original protecting group for the hydrazide group is proposed. The presence of the hydrazide group in the obtained oligonucleotides and its high reactivity were demonstrated by the reaction with 4-methoxybenzaldehyde in solution.", "A series of substituted 2-alkoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives were obtained by acid-catalyzed condensation of substituted 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinones with propan-1-ol, butan-1-ol, or pentan-1-ol in good yields. Based on this reaction a versatile preparative synthesis of spinochrome D was developed.", "The silver-mediated one-pot synthesis of 3-trifluoromethylpyrazoles using a traceless directing group was investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In this paper, we studied computationally the two putative reaction mechanisms and origins of high regioselectivity to elucidate the principal features of this transformation. The calculated results reveal (1) the pathway involving silver-mediated cycloaddition is more kinetically favored; (2) the origin of high regioselectivity for the reaction; (3) silver(I) and nitro group can effectively improve the reaction activity and reduce the overall barrier of the reaction to 22.9 kcal mol−1.", "Abstract Benzamide, an inhibitor of poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase, which augments chondrocytic differentiation, significantly decreased poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase activity in cultured chick limb bud cells. Benzamide significantly increased cell proliferation, but did not affect DNA synthesis per cultured cell. Furthermore, benzamide significantly increased NAD levels and synthesis, while it did not affect ATP levels and synthesis except for ATP synthesis on day 1. Thus, we suggest that benzamide augments both cell proliferation and NAD synthesis during chondrocytic differentiation.", "A novel microwave-enhanced synthesis of 2-propyl benzimidazole by the reaction of o -phenylenediamine with n -butyric acid,using poly phosphoric acid(PPA) as catalyst under solvent-free conditions has been studied.The optimal experiment conditions have been obtained by the orthogonal experimental design.The average conversion rate of the reaction was 52.58%,corresponding to the traditional synthesis method.But the reaction time decreased from 2～3 h to 6～10 min.The samples synthesized under the optimal conditions have been characterized by the digital melting velocity instrument,infrared spectrometer(IR) and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance( 1HNMR ).The result showed that the product was 2-propyl benzimidazole.", "Alkyl 2-(2-benzoyl-2-ethoxycarbonyl-1-ethenyl)amino-3-dimethylaminopropenoates 4a,b were prepared. They react with C-nucleophiles such a 2-pyridinylacetonitrile 5 and methyl-2-quinolinylacetate 8, cyclohexane-1,3-dione 10 and its derivatives 12 and 14, resorcinol derivative 16, 2-naphtol 18, 2-pyranone derivatives 20 and 22, and 4-hydroxypyridin-2(1H)-one 24, to form substituted amino derivatives of quinolizine 6, benzo[c]quinolizine 9, tetrahydrobenzopyran-2-one 11, 13, 15, naphto[2,1-b]pyran-3-one 19, pyranopyranones 21, 23, and pyrano[3,2-c]pyridine 25.", "p-Dibromo xylene, a typical atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) bifunctional initiator, was polymerized in atom transfer radical coupling (ATRC) conditions, yielding poly(p-xylylene). In order to confirm the success of the reaction by 1H-NMR spectroscopy and GPC, a more soluble product, poly(methyl methacrylate-b-p-phenylene-ethylene), was also synthesized by adding 5% poly(methyl methacrylate) with an activated bromine atom at the chain end obtained by ATRP to the polymerization feed. The 1H-NMR spectrum shows the presence of poly(p-xylylene) component in the co-polymer. The GPC measurement also shows an increase of molecular weight together with a decrease of polydispersity, proving the formation of the co-polymer. The method described here opens a new pathway for synthesis of polymers from various classes by using appropriate ATRP bifunctional initiators as monomer, in ATRC or even ATRP conditions.", "Abstract In a polyuridylic acid (poly(U)) stimulated in vitro assay, there is an age-related reduction in polyphenylalanine synthesis with mouse liver microsomes. As measured by the incorporation of leucine under the same conditions, old microsomes make fewer errors in translation than do young ones. Old microsomes have a higher requirement for Mg2+ than young for the optimal synthesis or both amino acids, suggesting an age-related deterioration in poly(U) complexing ability.", "Abstract The rates of synthesis of poly(A)-containing RNA species in the nuclei of erythrocytes from 4- to 9-day-old chick embryos were determined by poly(T)-cellulose chromatography and were found to vary according to the developmental stages of the chick embryos. The rate appeared to increase 1 day prior to the onset of hemoglobin differentiation. The enzymatic activities of ATP polymerization in the nucleus of these erythrocytes were also examined. The enzymatic activity was resolved into two fractions on O-(diethylaminoethyl) cellulose. The ratio of the two enzymatic activities remained relatively constant in erythrocytes from 4- to 19-day-old embryos. However, a threefold increase in the total poly(A) polymerase activities was observed 1 day prior to the onset of hemoglobin differentiation. These results indicate that hemoglobin differentiation in these erythrocytes is associated with an increase in the rate of synthesis of poly(A)-containing RNA and in the activities of poly(A) polymerases.", "Abstract The one-pot eight-component reaction between Meldrum's acid, an aromatic aldehyde, and an aryl amine was achieved in the presence of citric acid catalyst. The corresponding dispirohydroquinolines were obtained in good yields with excellent diastereoselectivity. This method is a combination of the Knoevenagel and Michael reactions.", "The present invention discloses a block copolymer / nano-SiO2 composite material and its preparation method, the composite material is a block copolymer of poly (methyl methacrylate) -b- poly-2-hydroxyethyl acrylate and nano-SiO2 composition; preparation method of the composite material are as follows: the reverse atom transfer radical synthesis of a polymethyl methacrylate chloride-containing end groups, and as a macroinitiator by atom transfer radical synthesis of block a copolymer of poly (methyl methacrylate) -b- poly-2-hydroxyethyl acrylate; silane coupling agent γ- methacryloxypropyl trimethyl silane modified nano-SiO2, nano-SiO2 activated obtain ; the activated nano-SiO2 surface graft initiator is reacted with a block copolymer of poly (methyl methacrylate) -b- poly-2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, to give a block copolymer / nano-SiO2 composite; with embedded compared block copolymer, the composite material having a higher thermal decomposition temperature and good heat resistance.", "A process for producing an activated catalyst for a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction that includes a step of subjecting a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction catalyst prepared by loading an active metal on an inorganic support to a reduction treatment by a gas containing hydrogen gas. This reduction treatment is performed in any reactor among a reactor (10) that conducts a hydrodesulfurization of a hydrocarbon feedstock used for producing the synthesis gas that functions as the feedstock for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction, a reactor (30) that conducts the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction, and reactors (50, 52, 54) that conduct hydroprocessing of a synthetic oil that has been synthesized by the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction.", "Interaction of poly(l,4-phenylene sulfide) with sulfuryl chloride was studied under various conditions. In the absence of solvent, C-halogenation takes place and chlorinated poly(phenylene sulfides) are formed; under the Friedel-Crafts reaction conditions, a perchlorinated poly(phenylene sulfide) is formed. If a mixture of sulfuryl chloride, sulfur monochloride, and aluminum chloride (the BMS reagent) is used, a polymer degradation process takes place besides the polymer chlorination. If strictly sulfuryl chloride is used, the reaction yields poly(2,5-dichlorophenylene sulfide). If the process is carried out in an inert solvent, S-halo-genation takes place yielding poly(phenylene sulfoxide).", "One-pot montmorillonite K-10 clay-supported reactions of substituted/unsubstituted salicylaldehyde and ribosyl/deoxyribosyl thioureas expeditiously yielded novel N-nucleosides, 4-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-3-(beta-D-ribofuranosyl or beta-D-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-2''-benz[e]-1,3-oxazin-2-thione via cycloisomerization of aldehyde intermediate under solvent-free microwave irradiation conditions.", "Hydroquinone and monosubstituted hydroquinones free from –I,–M groups react with dimethyl chloromalonate in methanolic sodium methoxide solution to give 2-oxido-benzo[b]furan derivatives (1). The mechanism of this base catalysed C-alkylation is interpreted in terms of initial mono-O-alkylation followed by fragmentation and 1,4-addition of dimethyl sodiomalonate to the nascent 1,4-benzoquinone so formed. The procedure furnishes, in moderate to high yield, products which cannot be prepared readily by direct nucleophilic addition to 1,4-benzoquinones.", "The title compound is synthesized solvothermally by reaction of Sn, Cu, and S in ethylenediamine (autoclave, 145 °C, 7 d, 47% yield).", "Abstract A general approach to the ( S )- and ( R )-isoflavans was invented, and efficiency of the method was demonstrated by the synthesis of ( S )-equol (( S )- 3 ), ( R )-sativan (( R )- 4 ), and ( R )-vestitol (( R )- 5 ). The key step is the allylic substitution of ( S )- 6a (Ar 1 =2,4-(MeO) 2 C 6 H 3 ) and ( R )- 6b (Ar 1 =2,4-(BnO) 2 C 6 H 3 ) with copper reagents derived from CuBr·Me 2 S and Ar 2 -MgBr ( 7a , Ar 2 =4-MeOC 6 H 4 ; 7b , 2,4-(MeO) 2 C 6 H 3 ; 7c , 2-MOMO-4-MeOC 6 H 3 ), furnishing anti S N 2′ products ( R )- 8a and ( S )- 8b , c with 93–97% chirality transfer in 60–75% yields. The olefinic part of the products was oxidatively cleaved and the Me and Bn groups on the Ar 1 moieties was then removed. Finally, phenol bromide 9a and phenol alcohols 9b , c underwent cyclization with K 2 CO 3 and the Mitsunobu reagent to afford ( S )- 3 and ( R )- 4 and - 5 , respectively.", "The title classes of compounds have been prepared using a sequence of two ring-forming reactions. Initial 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with an azomethine ylide gave N-acylated 3-pyrrolines which were further elaborated to the target compounds by a tandem deprotection/cyclization reaction.", "1-(Cyclohexylamino)-2-(aryl)pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoline-3-carbonitrile derivatives were synthesized in an efficient method from four-component condensation reaction between cyclohexyl isocyanide, quinoline, malononitrile, and aromatic aldehydes in the presence of a catalytic amount of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in CH2Cl2 at ambient temperature in good yields. Silica gel column chromatography was employed for HCN elimination and then 1, 3 hydrogen shift was led to form final products 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e.", "This review article describes methods for the preparation of pyrrolo[1,2- a ]quinoxalines, covering literature sources from the last 10 years. The attention was largely paid to new, original methods for the synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2- a ]quinoxalines on the basis of pyrrole and quinoxaline derivatives, as well as multicomponent reactions leading to the formation of both pyrrole and quinoxaline rings." ]

[ "Bottle bombs are usually beers that are about 10 gravity points above terminal gravity for standard 12oz bottles, then hit TG in the bottles. So 1.020 SG when 1.010 is TG.\n\nFor typical normal carbonation, 3-4 points above TG. Most 5 gallon batches call for about 4oz of monosaccaride priming sugar.\n\nRather than trying to make bombs and risk a mess and possible injury. Try to apply best practices for bottle conditioning.\n\n\nrack to a bottling vessel from fermentor, this allows you to get mostly fined beer and then able to control how much trub you bring in. In 5 gallons I would intentionally bring in about 100m l of the yeast trub and mix.\nuse a powdered monosaccaride priming sugar (corn sugar), mix well in your bottling vessel.\nrepitch fresh yeast at bottling, if there was extreme fining or extended time in fermentation that would significantly reduce yeast health.\nmake sure your caps are sealing well. Cappers fatigue after a while and don't crimp very tight. Test by seeing if you can spin a cap on a capped bottle without tearing flesh on your hand. They shouldn't turn even by the strongest of us. \nswing cap seals, these too can wear out or cause gas off from cracks or chemical damage. Some sanitizers can degrade the seal and cause it to become pourus allowing small molecule gasses to escape. When this happens they can even function like a regulator and only leak at certian a psi. So they still maintain some pressure but not as much as they should.\nWet the caps. Bottle caps should be pulled from submerged in a sanitizer withat least 90% water, or sprayed before going on the bottle. O2 absorbing caps require water to activate and it changes the media to make a good seal. Inverting bottles capped with dry caps doesn't wet the sealing area, so it's not enough." ]

[ "A forest of old trees sequesters more carbon per year than a forest with the same quantity of young trees.\n\nWhen I first saw this question I thought I knew the answer -- trees grow faster when they're young, therefore they sequester carbon at a higher rate. When I went looking for the data to back this up, I found that this is still a somewhat controversial topic. However, based on some recent and comprehensive research, it seems that older trees actually sequester more carbon than young trees, up until their death. \n\nIn a 2014 study titled \"Rate of tree carbon accumulation increases continuously with tree size\" (pdf here), a group of 38 researchers from public and private institutions around the world \n\n\n conducted a global analysis in which [they] directly\n estimated mass growth rates from repeated measurements of 673,046\n trees belonging to 403 tropical, subtropical and temperate tree species,\n spanning every forested continent.\n\n\nThey found that\n\n\n In absolute terms, trees 100 cm in trunk diameter typically add from 10 kg to 200 kg of aboveground dry mass each year (depending on species), averaging 103 kg per year. This is nearly three times the rate for trees of the same species at 50 cm in diameter, and is the mass equivalent to adding an entirely new tree of 10–20 cm in diameter to the forest each year. \n\n\nEssentially, even though old trees are adding mass at a slower rate, kg per kg, than young trees, they are adding more net mass per year because they are already so much larger.\n\nThese lines from the abstract sum up the findings nicely:\n\n\n Thus, large, old trees do not act simply as senescent carbon reservoirs but actively fix large amounts of carbon compared to smaller trees; at the extreme, a single big tree can add the same amount of carbon to the forest within a year as is contained in an entire mid-sized tree.\n\n\nWhat about \"mature\" trees?\n\nIn our experience, species we're familiar with such as dogs, cats, and humans reach a maximum size when they've still got well over half of their lives left (barring dietary issues). Thus we might think the same is true of trees -- after a certain number of years, they \"mature,\" and then no longer increase in mass -- meaning they stop sequestering CO2.\n\nBut in primary school we all learned that trees add a new ring each year -- this is how we can tell how old they are. So even when a tree stops getting taller, it keeps adding rings, meaning it's increasing mass throughout the trunk and branches.\n\nIn a 2008 study, \"Old-growth forests as global carbon sinks\" (pdf here), the authors look at the basis for the idea that forests \"mature\" and become carbon neutral (emphasis added):\n\n\n The commonly accepted and long-standing view that old-growth forests are carbon neutral [...] was originally based on ten years’ worth of data from a single site. It is supported by the observed decline of stand-level NPP [net primary productivity] with age in plantations, but is not apparent in some ecoregions. Yet a decline in NPP is commonly assumed in ecosystem models. Moreover, it has led to the view that old-growth forests are redundant in the global carbon cycle.\n\n\nThe authors then go on to explain the findings of their study, which included analysis of data from over 500 sites in boreal and temperate forests:\n\n\n If, however, the hypothesis of carbon neutrality were correct, the\n expected probabilities of observing a sink or source would be equal and around one-half, the average sink strength for a random ensemble of forests 200 years old and above would be zero, and the mean CO2 release from heterotrophic respiration would equal the mean CO2 sequestration through NPP [...]. However, we observe this ratio to be well below one on average and not to increase with age. Hence, all three quantitative tests fail to support the hypothesis of carbon neutrality. The currently available data consistently indicate that carbon accumulation continues in forests that are centuries old.\n\n\nThey go on to hypothesize a mechanism supporting their observations:\n\n\n If old-growth forests reach high above-ground biomass and lose individuals owing to competition or small-scale disturbances, there is generally new recruitment or an abundant second canopy layer waiting in the shade of the upper canopy to take over and maintain productivity.\n\n\n(The \"if\" here is important because the research excludes the impact of large-scale disturbances such as fire, insect outbreak, avalanches, etc, as these are not a function of the forest itself.)\n\n\n Although tree mortality is a relatively rapid event (instantaneous to several years long), decomposition of tree stems can take decades. Therefore, the CO2 release from the decomposition of dead wood adds to the atmospheric carbon pool over decades, whereas natural regeneration or in-growth occurs on a much shorter timescale. Thus, old-growth forest stands with tree losses do not necessarily become carbon sources, as has been observed in even-aged plantations (that is, where trees are all of the same age).\n\n\nWhile this study did not look at tropical forests, other studies provide smaller-scale evidence that the same analysis does hold in the tropics.\n\nYoung forests may actually be carbon sources\n\nIn the same 2008 study, the authors present some evidence that young forests may be carbon sources:\n\n\n In fact, young forests rather than old-growth forests are very often conspicuous sources of CO2 because the creation of new forests (whether naturally or by humans) frequently follows disturbance to soil and the previous vegetation, resulting in a decomposition rate of coarse woody debris, litter and soil organic matter (measured as heterotrophic respiration) that exceeds the NPP of the regrowth.", "Simple answer: No. The process \"carbon sequestration\" considers the whole Earth system holistically (otherwise it would not serve its purpose), and in your case, you only look at the plant-atmosphere system so nothing can be said of the amount of carbon sequestered. \n\nWhat you are describing is more close to Net Primary Production, which is defined as carbon fixation from photosynthesis minus carbon released from autotrophic respiration (which is somewhat different from transpiration that you mentioned).\n\nCarbon sequestration refers to the transfer of atmospheric carbon into a relatively stable pool of carbon (on a climate-relevant time scale, usually at least in decadal-scale). \"New growth\" implies all the biomass gains of the tree over time, not necessarily \"stable\" biomass only. One obvious case arises for deciduous trees where large portion of \"gained\" leaves fall and decompose relatively rapidly.", "Yes, you are on the right track. You need to measure or estimate how much less electricity is used after your optimization, and multiply that by the (average) emissions caused by generating electricity.\n\n1. Calculating electricity usage reduction\n\nIf your calculation is done always on the same server, then you may be able to find out how much energy you saved by using an electricity meter. If you cannot measure (because the server is in a remote data center) then you could make an estimate based on the average server energy consumption and on how much faster your calculation completes. Alternatively you could try and contact the data center and ask what energy consumption data they can share.\n\nIf your software is run by many people (clients) from all over the world then this will be much more difficult. You would at least need to know or guess how many people are running your code and how often, and then multiply that by an estimate of the average amount of electricity you reduced. If you have access to client device information you can make a more informed guess by taking different devices into account (desktop computers consume much more electricity than smart phones, but phones are probably slower in completing the calculation)\n\n2. Estimating the carbon intensity of electricity\n\nYou need to convert the amount of electricity you saved to CO2 equivalent emissions. For this you need the carbon intensity of the used electricity. Again this could be relatively easy if you have a single server. If that is powered by 100% renewable energy, then you can set your carbon footprint to 0 (this assumes the 'in-use' approach to calculation a footprint, see also this question). If you don't know the source of the electricity you can use the carbon intensity of the average energy mix of the country where the server is located. \n\nIf you have many users from all over the world running your code on their devices, you would need to use a world average carbon intensity. If data on where the users are coming from is available, you could refine this by calculating a weighted world average carbon intensity. The latter could be difficult as not all carbon footprints have the same scope, so you would need a list of carbon intensities from many countries calculated in a uniform way.\n\n3. Optionally add emissions from other, low-impact activities\n\nDepending on the level of detail you are interested in, you could also estimate and subtract the emissions caused by writing your optimized code and putting it into production. However if your code is run very often, then the footprint of producing it will be relatively small and in that case you can probably leave it out.\n\nThere is also a small carbon footprint involved with storing data in the cloud, so if there are big changes there because of your improvement, that could also be included in the calculation.", "Old question. Not sure if anyone is interested, but here is a shot.\nQualifiyer: I am not a bicycle frame Designer or bike repair person; however I have spent 30 years in the aircraft industry telling people how to repair composites.\nThat picture is a bit misleading, looks like a flash blew out some color &amp; detail.\nThe tear line &amp; location makes me think this is a fiberglass isolation ply. If it is, the floppy piece would be white. Delaminated fiberglass is normally white, bonded is nearly translucent. The main use for a thin fiberglass isolation ply would be to prevent galvanic corrosion between the carbon &amp; aluminum. The aluminum will eventually go away via corrosion, again white. I am assuming the head stem is aluminum.\nAlso, fiberglass has a 3X modulus of elasticity over carbon. It's more stretchy. Probably making it more resistant to the abuse from your expander plug &amp; putting that extra layer between the plug &amp; carbon.\nI see no Structural issue here. a thin coat of room temperature curing resin, paint or even fingernail polish just over the missing fiberglass with a very slight overlap will take care of any potential galvanic corrosion issues. If not, it will take a long time for the corrosion to do much damage.", "Only a partial answer, but:\n\n\nHow long ago? A prerequisite for intelligent carbon-based life forms to exist is that there are substantial amounts of carbon in the Universe. This would probably limit us to some time after the Population III (ultra-low metallicity) stars burned out and the Population II (low-metallicity) stars took over. It used to be thought that even the Population II stars didn't have enough \"metals\" for planets to form. But the Kepler probe's results seem to imply that this is not the case; there have been plenty of planets found around low-metallicity stars, it's just that they're not usually gas giants and so we hadn't detected them before Kepler was launched.\n\nThis gets us into the question of whether you need to have a gas giant in a stellar system in order for life to evolve. It's been hypothesized that the influence of the gas giants in our solar system swept up a lot of comets and asteroids that would have otherwise impacted Earth and made things difficult for any proto-life. So if you believe this, then you need a galaxy full of Population I stars rather than Population II stars, and the time window in which carbon-base life can exist opened that much later in the Universe.\n\nFinding information on how long ago the first Population III stars formed, built up carbon &amp; oxygen, and blew said carbon &amp; oxygen into the interstellar medium is remarkably difficult. I'm not an expert in the subject, but I suspect that it's not really known. (With one recently found exception, astronomers do not claim to have ever observed a Population III star.) These stars would have formed during the reionization epoch, which happened a few hundred million years after the big bang, give or take a factor of three. Certainly by the time we get to 1 billion years after the Big Bang, we have a good number of Population II stars around, and we can't rule out carbon-based life after that point.\nHow far away? Given the answer to the above question, an age of the Universe of about 14 billion years, and the question's requirement that the events have occurred in our light-cone, then we're probably looking at somewhere within 13 billion light-years of us.", "Plastic isn't a good way to sequester carbon the sense that this term is usually meant.\n\nCarbon sequestration is normally assumed to mean\n\n\n [...] the long-term removal, capture or sequestration of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to slow or reverse atmospheric CO2 pollution and to mitigate or reverse global warming.\n\n\n(From Wikipedia, my emphasis.)\n\nThis is not how plastic production works: the great majority of plastic is made from petrochemicals. So almost all plastic is made from fossil carbon, not from carbon extracted from the atmosphere recently.\n\nWith plausible assumptions about the energy used in making plastic and its source, then turning fossil carbon into plastic which is then not burnt is probably better in terms of carbon emissions than just putting the fossil carbon straight into the atmosphere. But it's worse (again in terms of carbon emissions) than just not making the plastic at all.\n\n\n\nNote that there have been plastics made from plant materials, and many early plastics were made like that: Celluloid is a good example. I thought Bakelite was as well, but it turns out it's the first one that wasn't.", "Carbon dioxide release occurs when compounds containing carbon are oxidised. In conventional aerobic decomposition, this process is relatively direct and carried out by a range of organisms. In a biogas digester, whilst there is no initial release of carbon dioxide, it is released when the resulting methane is burnt. At the end of both processes, you are left with carbon compounds that are only very slowly decomposed. So the in effect they are equivalent.\n\nThe difference is anaerobic digesters make it easier to recover energy from waste (although it is possible to extract heat from compost piles). They also have an advantage over composting in that most compost piles release some methane and other greenhouse gases. These gases are captured during the recovery of gas in an anaerobic digester and then combusted to carbon dioxide which has a lower warming potential than methane.\n\nSo probably best to use an anaerobic digester first.", "Carbon credit accreditation is a process done by independent accrediting agencies. It is comparable to the way that universities are accredited by various agencies saying that their degrees are legit. You sign up to do a project to reduce carbon output, and then the accrediting agency confirms that you did just that.\n\nCarbon offsetting isn't a future's market, it is a (financial) commitment to a project right now that is dedicated to lowering greenhouse gasses. Here is a list of potential projects, and here is a map showing projects in progress with a certain company. \n\nI'm actually really glad you asked this question, because I just assumed that carbon offsets were effective proven means, like planting trees. But looking at some of these projects is bringing up some doubt in my mind. I don't see how burning methane into CO$_2$ is doing anything except turning a larger short-term problem into a smaller long-term problem. Or how to measure the exact number of tons of carbon you are saving by changing domestic behavior.", "You've mishead; it's not hydrogen, it's nitrogen that is dominant in the atmosphere, which means that the nitrogren and oxygen components are quite similar to Earth (78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen).\nThe stated reason in the movie for why humans can't breathe is the high carbon dioxide content, which at over 3% is significantly higher than that of Earth (0.039%, so it's almost 100 times higher):\n\nJanek: What is the atmosphere?\nRavel: Atmosphere is 71 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, traces of argon gas.\nJanek: Whoa, now, that's weather.\nCharlie Holloway: Just like home.\nFord: Only if you're breathing through an exhaust pipe. CO2 is over 3 percent. Two minutes without a suit, you're dead.\n\nThe Engineers obviously therefore breathe a similar nitrogen/oxygen mix to that which we do, but have higher tolerance for carbon dioxide.\nOn an interesting sidenote, and as noted in this question, carbon dioxide in the movie is an obvious error: carbon dioxide in that concentration is not so poisonous, and nor is it in any event produced by an exhaust; carbon monoxide is what it obviously should be.\nThat the Engineers might have a biological requirement for breathing such a high level of carbon monoxide (or dioxide) may be discounted. The atmosphere inside their ship was breathable by humans (as the scene in the control room - where the humans are without their helmets - confirms), so evidently their preferred atmosphere mix is something that is breathable by humans, i.e non-lethal to us. However, the surviving Engineer apparently made it from his ship to the lifeboat without a helmet, so they appear to have a higher tolerance for a mixture that would be fatal to humans.", "The time for when a beer is ready to drink is process and recipe dependent. The beauty of kegging is that you'll see how the beer changes with a short pour everyday. \n\nMost of my beers go from fermentor to keg and I slowly carbonate. Takes a couple days, maybe a full week for full on carbonation. But they pretty much taste great at that point. Changes in the flavor are usually due to more yeast flocculation more than anything else. If the fermentation process was spot on their isn't anything magical happening when it sits longer (bottle or keg, room temp or cold).\nI used to think \"green\" beer was a thing, but at the homebrew scale I think it really is mostly fermentation dependent. Most pro breweries turn beer over way faster than we do.\n\nSo I guess my answer is: welcome to kegging. You've made that process easier for yourself. Now really focus on your fermentation to improve the beer and shorten the time needed for \"conditioning\".", "Historically beer was almost definitely still (flat) for thousands of years. Before the discovery/invention of force carbonation methods, all beer was carbonated naturally via bottle or cask conditioning. But people were brewing alcoholic beverages commonly referred to as beer in antiquity, and evidence from these cultures (ancient China, Neolithic culture, etc) suggests that they were doing this in big stone and earthenware pots and jugs, which may have had no lids or loose lids. Their vessels probably could not have withstood the pressure of carbonation even if they were using wax or cork to seal the vessels.\n\nSo if you were to brew a historical style and you wanted to be truly accurate, then you would not carbonate it. But the modern historical interpretations usually are carbonated (like Dogfish Head's ancient ales), because they are selling them and Westerners generally prefer them :)\n\nThere is one \"modern style\" (e.g. a style you'd find in the BJCP style guide), that can be served with no carbonation, namely straight (unblended) lambic. Several have little or low carbonation, (e.g. barleywine) mentioned in other answers. Sahti also has very little carbonation.\n\nBut people do still drink flat/still beer all over the world, for example there's some uncarbonated corn beers that are popular, like chicha in Latin America (Dogfish Head made a Chicha inspired beer) and umqombothi in South Africa. There are other names for similar beers in other regions. These are typically homebrewed.", "This is very hard to answer precisely, as there are many different carbon capture strategies, and economics at the scale required is quite different from our normal understanding. However, I'd love to see some attempts to at least get order of magnitude estimates, or sources with more in-depth analyses.\n\nHere is an implementation of carbon capture and storage which is useful to consider for its simplicity rather than its real-world applicability, to give a sense of scale. One way to remove anthropogenic $\\ce{CO2}$ is to do \"inverse combustion\", more specifically:\n\n$$\\ce{CO2(g) -&gt; C(s) + O2(g)}\\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\mathrm{\\Delta H=+390\\ kJ/mol}$$\n\nAssume this process can be done with perfect efficiency, and that the only energy expense in the process is to drive the reaction forwards (that is, zero energy consumed in transportation, collection, construction, etc). According to this source, the amount of anthropogenic $\\ce{CO2}$ emissions from 1750 to 2008 has totalled about $1250\\times 10^9\\ \\mathrm{t_{CO_2}}$. Suppose you wish to remove all this carbon dioxide (only about half is in the atmosphere, the rest is trapped in the ocean or land) using the above process. This would require about $\\mathrm{10^{22}\\ J}$ of energy, which Wolfram Alpha suggests is about 50% more energy than can be retrieved from combustion of all global proven oil reserves in 2003. Put another way, this is about 20 times the world energy consumption in 2012, or 150 times world electrical energy production. This would put the cost of this process in the range of hundreds of trillions of US dollars, meaning two trillion USD barely makes a dent.\n\nIs there some other process where two trillion USD is close to enough? I seriously doubt it.\n\nEdit: Several comments and answers mention biological sequestration, which is a legitimate carbon capture strategy. I did not consider it, however, because its costs are far more complicated to calculate. My intention with this answer was to find a quick and comparatively simple way to attach an energy cost to carbon sequestration. Whether the monetary cost even makes sense at this scale (how do you define \"monetary cost\" when it's larger than world GDP?), I don't know.\n\nBut here's another amusing comparison, which should somewhat temper hopes that biological sequestration will be a magic bullet. The amount of anthropogenic carbon released between 1750 and 2008, ~350 billion metric tons of carbon, is comparable to a significant amount of the biomass on Earth (all eukaryotic life contains approximately 560 billion metric tons of carbon, multicellular life is a fraction of this). Thus, biological sequestration of the majority of anthropogenic carbon would be broadly equivalent to sacrificing all eukaryotic life on Earth (or ~10-30% of all living organisms by mass) in order to collect and bury carbon, then seeding the Earth back to its current biological state. \n\nOver 250 years of constant stimulation to produce as much energy/goods from fossil fuels, we have released a lot of carbon.", "I'm not sure where and why has all CO2 gone every 100.000 years and out of where has CO2 come?\n\n\nThe amount of CO2 in the atmosphere for the last 400000 years is very strongly correlated with temperature.\n\n\nTemperature change (blue) and carbon dioxide change (red) observed in ice core records.\nImage source: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/globalwarming/temperature-change.html.\n\n\nGlaciations currently occur at roughly one hundred thousand year intervals, driven primarily by Milankovitch cycles. So what causes the strong correlation between temperature and carbon dioxide levels? The primary reason for this marked correlation is that carbon dioxide dissolves in cold water much more readily than it does in warm water.\n\nAs a glacial period starts, the oceans gradually get colder worldwide as ice gradually spreads over the Northern Hemisphere. This enables oceans to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Atmospheric CO2 drop as a glaciation proceeds. The plot shows that both temperature and CO2 levels drop rather slowly over the course of a glaciation, and then both rise rather quickly as the glaciation ends.\n\nOne reason for this is atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The Milankovitch cycles triggers the end of a glaciation. The warming oceans cannot hold as much carbon dioxide as they could during the depths of the glaciation and release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. This exacerbates the warming, releasing even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This makes the escape from a glaciation much steeper than the entry into one (Shakun 2012). A nice graph from the cited paper:\n\n\nUpper plot: CO&#x2082; concentration (yellow circles), global temperature (blue), and Antarctic temperature (red).\nLower plot: Simulation results that show that Southern Hemisphere temperatures tends to lead but global temperatures tend to lag CO&#x2082; levels.\nImage source: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v484/n7392/fig_tab/nature10915_F2.html.\n\n\n But if CO2 came from burning trees or volcanoes and disappeared because plants adapted then I have this question:\n \n Plants somehow tolerated these 100.000 year CO2 changes over time which is very evolutionary small time. So perhaps adaptation was just about changing plants' composition percentages which is very flexible. When some rare CO2 eating trees came to be more frequent. But if that's true why can't plants change their composition again to adjust for human CO2-emissions pace?\n\n\nYour question is a bit moot since the increases in CO2 did not come from burning trees or volcanoes and did not disappear because plants adapted.\n\n\n\nJeremy Shakun, et al., \"Global warming preceded by increasing carbon dioxide concentrations during the last deglaciation,\" Nature 484.7392 (2012): 49-54.", "It's not possible to accurately estimate it.\n\nThere are only approximations. There are so many uncertainties. For example:\n\n\nWhen you use electricity, should you use average carbon intensity, or\nmarginal carbon intensity? Each tends to vary constantly (unless\nyou're on one of the handful of already-zero-carbon electricity\ngrids)\nWhat adjustment do you make for the change in congestion if you\ndrive?\nWhat's the CO2e multiplier for flights? (big uncertainties on that\none)\nWhat's the embedded carbon in the objects you've consumed?\nWhich methane-multiplier should you use - 5-year, 30-year, 100-year?\nHow much methane leakage should you include? (It's surprising how little we know about that)\n\n\nThat's why you'll get such wide variations: there are big uncertainties attached to most of the calculations.\n\nSo no, one cannot accurately estimate one's own carbon footprint. The best you can do is get a wide range of possible values, and some clues as to where it's easiest to start reducing it.", "I'd avoid doing this.\n\nBasically, you do a light (typically wet) sanding by hand (very carefully), prime it with an appropriate primer (maybe a few times) and then paint over it with an appropriate color. However, since the sanding has to be done carefully (since its easy to destroy carbon fiber by sanding), you're going to end up paying someone a lot of money to do this (since it takes a lot of time to prep the frame). \n\nYou can't really use chemical strippers or other techniques that you'd apply for aluminum and steel frames can destroy the carbon fiber. You also can't do things like powder coating for the paint step, since you have to heat the frame to the point where the carbon fiber can be destroyed. \n\nIf you're really insistent on doing this, there are shops which specialize in repainting carbon fiber. But, they'll charge you an arm and a leg due to the amount of labor they'll have to put in to prep the frame for repainting.", "Possibly\n\nOne thing you have to understand is that natural carbon sequestration via the formation of fossil fuel is VERY slow, it can take millions of years to build up the coal we burn in a day. In addition, one of the more dominant effects on the climate is solar radiance and continental position which changes over such long stretches of time, making matching such slow changes to carbon with climate change more difficult. Continent position also affects carbon sequestration and CO2 concentration directly making it even more confusing. Things like seaways and deserts can have huge effects on CO2. \n\nThe real problem is matching coal formation to changes in CO2 concentration. \nMost coal comes from the carboniferous and the Permian time periods (along with the evolution of land plants that make it), the carboniferous saw severe cooling and severe drops in CO2. How much of this is CO2 lost to coal versus how much is just the formation of forests and other terrestrial ecosystems combined with changes in contingent positions is still up for debate.\n\nThe Permian however saw severe warming near its end and a rapid rise in CO2 at the same time, but most of it was relatively stable and unchanging both in CO2 and temp. It also included one of the largest volcanic events in earth's history, and again changing tectonic position. So although the link between CO2 and temperature is really well established we can't even say for sure such slow coal formation actually reduces atmospheric CO2 concentrations. \n\n\n\nsource\n\nCompare CO2 above to temp (red line) below. Note that just three variables together predict temprature amazing well.\n\n\nsource", "'because I'm still getting extremely foamy pours two and three pours from the first, I don't think heat is the major cause of these problems.'\nI think you're right.\n\nIf your fridge really is 32 deg. the foaming might be an issue of over-carbonation. Fully saturated, beer at 32 deg/12 PSI will be carbonated to 2.9 volumes (if you're dispensing with pure CO2, which I'm sure you are). Bump this up to 14 PSI for long enough and the carbonation would eventually get over 3.1 vol. At 40 deg. you'd still be at 2.47 and 2.65 vol., respectively, which is not at all inappropriate for some styles, but getting towards the high end if you ask me.\n\n'Is there supposed to be any difference in the reading between the pressure with the shutoff valve turned \"off\" and \"on\"'\nOnly if the system has lost pressure somehow, and you'd hear a hissing of gas and see the needle going back up to where it started as it re-pressurizes. Sounds like your regulator is faulty, as you suggest. Try tapping the gauge, or quickly popping the pressure relief valve open a few times to see if this resets the needle. Fine-tuning it with the valve open might work (see below), but there's probably no reason to think the gauge will read more accurately that way.\n\nIt might be best to adjust the regulator pressure based on the flow rate at the tap. Since it's the only variable that's really easily controlled (much more so than accurately changing the temp. of the fridge or the resistance of your beer lines [but also see below on that]), I think adjusting that, even by eye, makes the most sense. See how low you go can while still getting flow, and see if that helps your foaming. This will at first just be due to lower velocity out of the tap but the lower dispense pressure will eventually lead to lower beer carbonation as the liquid and head-space gas pressures equalize (this can take days, especially at cold temps), so you may have to do fiddle up and down to balance flow and carbonation.\n\nAs I mentioned before, the setup you have may also just be improperly balanced. Balance in draught terms means applying the right pressure on the keg to overcome the resistance of the system, while maintaining the right carbonation level in the beer. According to the Brewers Association Draught Beer Quality Manual, your tubing alone (PVC, 4.5 ft. @ 3/16th\") should give you ~13.5 lb. of resistance, not accounting for other resistance such as from the faucet, or the height of the faucet above the keg. This means you might actually need to apply almost 15PSI to the keg to achieve proper dispense velocity. You may in fact be doing this, if you don't really know what your pressure is set to. 32 deg/15 psi will give you carbonation at almost soft-drink levels (3.2+ vol), and 40 deg/15 psi is still high at almost 2.8 vol. If this is in fact the issue, you'd just have to cut the line down a bit and reattach it to the shank inside the tower, giving you less resistance (shorter line = less resistance) and therefore lessening the pressure you need to apply to the keg, allowing you to maintain a proper carbonation level.\n\nIt's always helpful to remember that the carbonation level of a beer is really a matter of only two factors: temperature and pressure. Increasing pressure and decreasing temperature both have the same effect of increasing carbonation, an important factor when trying to get a draught system working just right. \n\nBonus:\nHere's a good chart that illustrates the relationship between temperature and pressure in beer (and is indispensable to me): http://www.zahmnagel.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=HuVGZ8tLaow%3D&amp;tabid=81\n\nHope that helps.", "This paper suggests that one 20 year old tree will sequester 1 tonne of Carbon which is 3.67 tonnes of CO2 which is roughly a year's CO2 footprint of one UK person or a third of a US person.\n\nHowever, your question is about planting one tree, which is subtly different.\n\nIn order to get a decent healthy twenty year old tree, you need to plant about twelve trees of various species, relatively close together, so that they all grow straight upwards. Young trees require less space than older larger trees, so they can be closer together, and then progressively cut them down over a ten to twenty year period so that one remains and can grow for over a hundred years. Mixed-species forests are less susceptible to pests and disease than mono-culture forests.\n\nI guess its a philiosophical point. If you are operating a carbon sequestration business to maximise the CO2 in the trees, then you could have a mono-culture plantation, of the most CO2 dense wood, and use pesticides and surgical culling to prevent the any infection wiping out the whole site, and have that as a business expense.\n\nOn the other hand if you are merely trying to reforest a bit a wasteland and rebuild a country's ancient woodland, then you'll have a mixed species plantation with a broader community of wildlife that keep pests in check with a huge complex ecology of prey and predator curves, and many diverse native tree and shrub species, and try not to introduce invasive and non-native species. It wouldn't optimise CO2 sequestration, but it would be more sustainable and ecologically 'better'.\n\nI'm afraid I don't know the details of the UN's 11 billion tree plan, but it could end up being 11 billion trees planted, but after twenty years only 1 billion remain.\n\nThere's also another element which needs to be understood, whilst a twenty year old tree might sequester one tonne of Carbon in its woody mass, it has over its lifespan photosynthesized a load more oxygen, and sequestered Carbon in leaves which are dropped each year. Whilst the carbon in the leaves does return to the atmosphere when they break down and decay, that amount of carbon is tied into a cycle of being in the air, then in leaves, then breaking down, and returning to the air. The more leaves there are, the more carbon is in that cycle rather than just building up in the atmosphere.\n\nOur one tonne tree, in any one year might have a tonne of CO2 sequestered in its leaves, and two tonnes sequestered in the dead leaves at its base and three tonnes of CO2 in the air released from dead leaves waiting to be the next years new leaves. If the tree didn't exist, that CO2 would just be in the air.\n\nEven the other trees that are culled will be sequestering CO2 and expiring Oxygen during their shorter lifespans. But this is harder to measure.", "Aerobic is for propagation, anaerobic converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. I doubt a small amount would hurt, like from transfer or minor splashing, but if you intentionally injected oxygen, like how you might aerate the wort prior to fermentation, I would imagine it would not carbonate well and produce a lot of yeast, giving it a \"yeasty\" character.", "From the definition of adjusted net savings:\n\n\n Adjusted net savings are equal to net national savings plus education\n expenditure and minus energy depletion, mineral depletion, net forest\n depletion, and carbon dioxide and particulate emissions damage.\n\n\nIt is a little easier to see on the World Development Indicators Table 4.11\n\n\nThat is:\nAdjusted net savings = Gross savings - Consumption of fixed capital + Education expenditures -Net forest depletion- Energy depletion - Mineral depletion - Carbon dioxide damage - Local pollution damage\n\nThe idea is that ruining the environment is like depreciation in the sense that if you look at savings but ignore depreciation you overstate how much wealth has increased from that savings. Similarly, if you pollute your country that ruined environment makes you poorer than your level of savings suggests. \n\nUpdate:\n\nDespite the label, you should think of the field \"Adjusted savings: carbon dioxide damage\" as actually meaning \"adjustment to savings from carbon dioxide damage\". If you want to calculate national savings rate net of carbon dioxide damage but not net of the other variables, you would calculate it as follows:\n= Gross savings + Education expenditures - Carbon dioxide damage", "Fossil fuels contain less carbon-13 than carbon-12 (and no carbon-14), compared with the atmosphere, because the fuels derive from plants, which preferentially take up the more common carbon-12. The ratio of carbon-13 to carbon-12 in the atmosphere and ocean surface waters is steadily falling, showing that more carbon-12 is entering the atmosphere. This ratio doesn't directly correspond to world ppm or even relate directly to the quantity released because they are just looking at the ratio.\n\nThis change in ratio is only tracked to show there is a correlation between human activity and CO2. The same can be said about the relative drop in carbon-14 as well.\n\nThe carbon cycle is complex and different sink absorption times and source release times make it hard to separate from the current ppm measurements. It is probably impossible to say 10% is from X, 15% is from Y and 75% is from Z.\n\nWhat is well tracked is the industrial and human sources which have climbed. The question still out there is how well do the sinks work? What are their limits/tradeoffs? What new sources might arise in a warmer climate? It's possible a small amount of man-made CO2 could cause a larger release of natural CO2 and create a domino effect of warming.\n\nIn general the human related output of 29 gigatons of CO2 is tiny compared to the 750 gigatons moving through the carbon cycle each year, but it adds up because the land and ocean cannot absorb all of the extra CO2. About 40% of this additional CO2 is absorbed. The rest remains in the atmosphere, and as a consequence, atmospheric CO2 is at its highest level in 15 to 20 million years. A natural change of 100ppm normally takes 5,000 to 20,000 years. The recent increase of 100ppm has taken just 120 years.\n\nThe predictive models of the temperate cycle based on greenhouse gases and energy input/outputs can be tested against observations to see what might contribute to the temperature rise.\n\n\nEdit:\nIn one of the links I provided was from the IPCC. Thousands of scientists and other experts contribute (on a voluntary basis, without payment from the IPCC) to writing and reviewing reports, which are reviewed by representatives from all the governments, with a Summary for Policymakers being subject to line-by-line approval by all participating governments. Typically this involves the governments of more than 120 countries.\n\nIn their report linked above (which you must read completely if you're serious about this subject) they summarize the increase of greenhouse gases:\n\n\n For about a thousand years before the Industrial Revolution, the\n amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere remained relatively\n constant. Since then, the concentration of various greenhouse gases\n has increased. The amount of carbon dioxide, for example, has\n increased by more than 30% since pre-industrial times and is still\n increasing at an unprecedented rate of on average 0.4% per year,\n mainly due to the combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation. We\n know that this increase is anthropogenic because the changing isotopic\n composition of the atmospheric CO2 betrays the fossil origin of the\n increase. The concentration of other natural radiatively active\n atmospheric components, such as methane and nitrous oxide, is\n increasing as well due to agricultural, industrial and other\n activities. The concentration of the nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) and\n of carbon monoxide (CO) are also increasing. Although these gases are\n not greenhouse gases, they play a role in the atmospheric chemistry\n and have led to an increase in tropospheric ozone, a greenhouse gas,\n by 40% since pre-industrial times (Chapter 4).\n\n\nThe idea is that over decades we can measure our human based output and then measure the increase in the sinks vs atmosphere. Then we can estimate how much contributes to the overall atmosphere. Since sinks can sources all have different carbon time cycles you can not say \"this year x% of the ppm increase is anthropomorphic\". You can say that over the decades we see that x% produced leads to y% absorbed and a corresponding z% increase in the atmosphere. But as the sinks saturate and temperatures change they change too, so it is not a rule but a dynamic system which we try to model to understand it. We model these complex systems so that we can answer the types of abstract questions you are asking. \"What does this measured ppm increase mean exactly? What are the possible contributors? What happens yearly? What happens monthly? Why is the average temperature increasing by x? What happens if XX process doubles, or halves?\"\n\n\n Given that CO2 has such a major role in the natural greenhouse effect,\n it makes intuitive sense that changes in its concentration because of\n human activities might significantly enhance the greenhouse effect.\n However, calculating the impact of a change in CO2 is very different\n from calculating the current role with respect to water vapor and\n clouds. This is because both of these other substances depend on\n temperatures and atmospheric circulation in ways that CO2 does not.\n For instance, as temperature rises, the maximum sustainable water\n vapor concentration increases by about 7% per degree Celsius. Clouds\n too depend on temperature, pressure, convection and water vapor\n amounts. So a change in CO2 that affects the greenhouse effect will\n also change the water vapor and the clouds. Thus, the total greenhouse\n effect after a change in CO2 needs to account for the consequent\n changes in the other components as well. If, for instance, CO2\n concentrations are doubled, then the absorption would increase by 4\n W/m2, but once the water vapor and clouds react, the absorption\n increases by almost 20 W/m2 — demonstrating that (in the GISS climate\n model, at least) the \"feedbacks\" are amplifying the effects of the\n initial radiative forcing from CO2 alone. Past climate data suggests\n that this is what happens in the real world as well. (from nasa)", "The answer is \"probably\" although it is hard to know with liquors how much of the difference is social or psychological. There are some important things to keep in mind with alcohol effects and beer though:\n\n\nHops are mildly sedative. It isn't unreasonable to think that very hoppy beers may have a different effect than less hoppy beers.\nGruit beers (unusual but there are some on the market!) often have other psychoactive ingredients in them too. With historical brewing becoming a bit of an industry, it may only be a matter of time before we see commercially available henbane beer too....\nAlcohol absorption will be retarded by carbohydrate content in the beer. You will absorb alcohol more slowly from a heavy beer than a light beer.\nCarbonation works the other way. Lightly (or rarely available uncarbonated) beers will affect one more slowly than highly carbonated beers. For most commercial beers this is not a significant factor but for home-brewed beers or specialty beers it may be.\n\n\nWith this being said, it isn't clear that there is a single objective answer as to what beers will effect who in what way. The purpose of this answer is to go over some factors which may impact how a given individual is affected.\n\nThis being said, I don't condone a general pursuit of drunkenness....", "The text is correct. You are partly correct about the alkenes, but mistakenly assume 1) all are stereocenters. 2, it is incorrect to assume that even if stereogenic, alkenes have two stereocenters simply because they have 2 carbons. What makes them stereogenic is that there are geometric differences relative between the two carbons. Thus stereogenicity comes from that relationship, not the number of carbons. 3) While everyone know what you mean by cis and trans, those are not acceptable terms in organic chemistry unless you are referring to sides of rings or in relative terms only. \n\nLooking at just olefins and going from left to right: \n\nNext, the endocyclic alkene must be cis. You cannot place an E olefin in a ring smaller than 8 eight carbons but that would make the name change...this is asking for configurational (stereo) isomers...not constitutional variants.\n\nNext, the exocyclic alkene is terminal. It has two of the same group (H) on the a carbon, it is therefore not a stereogenic center. How do you know? Switch the two hydrogens...does anything change? no, so it can't be.\n\nNext, the E-olefin next to the quaternary carbon is the only stereogenic alkene...it could be Z. So that is a stereocenter (both carbons are)...though that would be incredibly high energy (the largest substituents (and neopentyl is enormous) are sterically congested). \n\nFinally, the last olefin double bond is not a stereocenter. There are two of the same group on one of the carbons. Transposing them changes nothing. \n\nBut we're not finished. There is a chiral center. Do you see it? The maximum and actual number of stereoisomers is two. 2^2 is 4, the answer is 4. Here they all are.", "As the quote explains, the effect of extra neutrons on chemical properties is usually negligible. Protons and electrons are what matter in chemistry and biology. These fields are more relevant to real life than nuclear physics is, so the concept of an element like carbon makes sense. Nuclides are basically a minor detail. For example, carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas regardless of whether it has Carbon-12 or Carbon-13.\n\nThe reason why neutrons aren’t important in how atoms bind into molecules is that atomic structure is primarily determined by electrostatic attractive forces between the positively charged protons in the nucleus and the negatively charged electrons, and secondarily by electrostatic repulsive forces between electrons in multi-electron atoms. Neutrons, not having any electric charge, don’t exert or feel electrostatic force.\n\nAddendum: I thank @PM2Ring for reminding me in a comment that the mass of the neutrons do affect chemical reaction rates. I was thinking mainly about molecular structure.", "Not much difference in ride from carbon to Cr-Mo. Over 13km not much of a factor. The carbon is going to be lighter, more expensive, and less durable. Same bike on a budget I would go Cr-Mo. You list two different styles of bikes and a purebred road bike in a comment. Pick the style of bike first. I don't think purebred road bike is the right bike for that picture. I personally think drop bars are more efficient and comfortable for paved commuting. And on a budget used might be more cost effective.", "In general, grant or contract money cannot be spent on anything except the designated purposes permitted by the funding agency. If the funding is coming from an agency of the US Government, those purposes probably are not allowed to include carbon offsets.\n\nThat said, it does appear that at least one university has figured out a way to pay for carbon emissions. The key seems to be imposing the cost as part of departmental overhead, such that it's not directly associated with any grant, but mixed in with all the other things the university supports and the funders have no control over, like pencils, daycare benefits, on-the-job injury insurance, and deans of student happiness.", "How long you can store whipped cream for depends on how whipped it is. Lightly whipped cream will start to soften after a couple of hours, stiff whipped cream may last a day or so (in both cases, in the fridge).\n\nWhen you whip cream, air bubbles are trapped amongst the droplets of fat, giving the cream its light texture. These naturally pop and 'leak' out of the cream over time.\n\nAs you guessed, this is one reason (the others being speed and reliability) that commercial kitchens use cream siphons. They force nitrous oxide through liquid cream as it is dispensed, so it's 'whipped' on demand. Cream whipped in this way tastes pretty much like regular whipped cream - nitrous oxide is used precisely because it is flavourless. Using, say, carbon dioxide as in soda would result in sour tasting cream.", "Resistors cases are usually tan, brown, blue, or green, though other colors are occasionally found such as dark red, dark gray, pink and light green.\n\n\n Is there a standard color coding for these parts to identify the\n component and its composition?\n\n\nNot really however tan tends to be carbon film, whereas a blue/light blue resistor is likely made of metal film. Resistors with 5 or 6 color bands are almost always metal film. Take for example your second resistor, it has 5 bands while the one above it only has 4.\n\nYour items from top to bottom, (The power ratings are just a guess, and the links show a similar item.)\n\n\n1/4W 5% Carbon Film Resistor\n1/4W 1% Metal Film Resistor\nAn Inductor*\n1/4W 5% Carbon Film Resistor???\n1/2W 5% Carbon Composition Resistor\n\n\n*As @JYelton pointed out, measuring it with an ohmmeter would be definitive in separating resistors from inductors. Inductors wouldn't obey the resistor color code and thus measured resistance wouldn't agree with the markings.\n\nHow to Tell the Difference Between Carbon &amp; Metal Film Resistors", "I would think this is questionable, though we don't have a definitive answer yet.\n\nWe usually think Jupiter has a roughly solar composition, which according to the solar abundance measurments of Asplund et al. 2009 would mean the total carbon mass of Jupiter is about $10^{-3}$ of Jupiter's total mass. So there's roughly $0.3$ Earth masses of carbon floating around in Jupiter.\nNext we need an idea of where this stuff is floating around. \n\nWe know that Carbon is floating around in Jupiter's atmosphere and is enriched relative to solar values by around a factor of $\\sim3$, which corrects our estimate of total carbon in Jupiter to roughly one Earth mass, if Jupiter is well-mixed. \n\nThe keyword here is \"well-mixed\". If carbon atoms stay solved in hydrogen at high pressures in Jupiter's core, then no diamonds can be formed. Only if there is a rain-out similar to helium (see also the phase diagram for hydrogen and helium-mixtures) then droplets or other accumulations of carbon can form, which will be pressed into diamonds. \n\nThe research however at the moment does not focus very much on carbon dissolution at high pressure, so I cannot cite anything reliable on what carbon will do. The reason for this is that the above cited helium-rainout and core erosion which are considered important at the moment. \n\nI'll try and find some more sources on this as soon as I can go beyond the paywall to the research articles.\n\nComment on the high pressure-experiments and Juno: To my knowledge carbon-hydrogen mixtures are not being looked at in the labs, but this knowledge might also be flawed. \n\nJuno will mostly be sensitive to Jupiter's density distribution at pressures up to ~1000 bars. Initial estimates show, that even if Jupiter has a dense, rocky core of 20 Earth masses, this will be barely visible in the data. To then filter out how much is carbon will be nigh-impossible with the current mission.", "If you have a simple chain with carbon atoms and an aromatic ring, the priority has the ring, not matter how the chain is long. This rule is NOT valid when you have a functional group: if it is in the linear chain, it has the priority, and the numeration starts from the carbon more near at the functional group, for example\n$\\ce{CH3-CH2-CO-CH2-CH2-CH3}$. The numeration starts from left, so you write hexan-3-one.", "If you ship stuff from far away it increases the carbon footprint of whatever you buy. You could find some dark and light river stones in your local river, or find a beach and look for shells. Buying exotic material from far away places, regardless of how sustainable the material is not sustainable bc it creates a bigger carbon footprint to transport the material.", "The thermodynamic stability of m-xylene over o-xylene or p-xylene can be deduced by considering the hyperconjugative effect. More specifically, resonance forms with a positive charge on methyl-substituted carbons are more important than resonance forms with a negative charge on them, as the methyl group stabilises the positively charged carbon by hyperconjugation.\n\nIn the o- or p- isomers, the hyperconjugation of one methyl group produces negative charge at ortho and para position where another methyl group resides. This is highly destabilising. But, in the m-isomer, hyperconjugation does not destabilise the structure and both methyl groups' hyperconjugation effects act in a cooperative way with each other." ]

[ "Can you sell your idea?" ]

[ "Where can I find investors for my show idea?", "Where can I sell my unimplemented business idea?", "How do I protect my idea when looking for investors / partners?", "How do I get to just tell investors about my startup idea?", "I have many online business ideas. How can I sell them?", "How can I sell a functionality idea to Facebook?", "How can I sell my patent?", "I have an idea for a start up, I need funding for that, how can I get the investors?", "How can I get funds for my business idea?", "How can I find investor for my startup firm?", "How do I convince investors to invest in my app idea that am sure it will work?", "How can I find investors for my tech startup?", "How can I find local investors For my startup?", "How can I get investors for my startup in India?", "How can I get funding for my invention ideas?", "How can I find investors for my startup on Quora?", "How can I get funds to turn my idea into a reality?", "How do I find a real investor to invest in my business?", "Where can I get funding for my idea?", "Is it possible to get investors for a software idea without a prototype? How?", "How can I come up with business ideas?", "How can I think of a business idea?", "How do entrepreneurs come up with new startup ideas?", "How can I sell my paintings?", "Where can I get my idea patented?", "Is there a way to find an angel investor only with an extraordinary idea?", "How can I get seed funding for my e-commerce business plan when all I can present to seed investors is a rough plan/idea?", "How can I find Angel Investors or Venture Capitalists in my area?", "How do I write a business plan to investors?", "How can I get the funding for my startup without revealing my idea?", "How do I talk to an angel investor?", "Where can I find and pitch angel investors?" ]

[ "I've been buying this coffee for a while and have found it to be my favorite of all the K-Cup coffees I have tried. It is nice and strong but not bitter or too acid. The price in the new 50 pack is also better than the smaller package sizes." ]

[ "Coffee Bean Direct coffees are better than starbucks! I buy the ground and the whole beans of the dark house blend and everyone seems to like it. It is a great cup of coffee and the price is great. If you are a coffee lover, it is for you!", "Life is hectic and it's the small things that matter. A fresh start to each day with a cup of great coffee! The personalized product of the one cup San Francisco Bay is AMAZING! The depth, aroma, flavor, color are far superior to others on the market. Great quality, great price, great cup of coffee-", "Pilon makes a coffee that is not lavled Gourmet. Their regular grade of expresso is the same as this Gourmet grade. It is an OK coffee, but not great and certainly not worth paying the price that Pilon wants for this type of coffee.", "Coffee is great, delivery was great BUT k-cups are quickly becoming a luxury.<br />Now that many of us know what we like, the price of the k-cups is through the roof. I know the price of coffee is way up, but at .62c cup, or $60/month for at-home coffee (about the lowest I've been able to find for k-cups), this 3-4 cup a day user is likely to be filling her little make-your-own-k-cup device far more often.", "This is a great Kona blend for a great price. It's definitely not top-grade, as there are better, more expensive Kona blend coffees available. This Magnum Kona is bold, with very little bitterness and a hint of the signature Kona aroma. However, it's not as flavorful as the higher quality blends; the more expensive ones have a stronger fruity aroma that I look for in Kona. If you're looking for Kona coffee without paying exorbitant prices, this is the one for you. Combine it with another order from Amazon and get the free shipping for a great deal.", "Grove Square Coffee is not a great product. I was very unhappy with this coffee. It did not work well in my Keurig coffee maker. It often got clogged, and had a poor consistency. This product, although priced well, is not up to Amazon standards.", "I usually buy Nonni's at the supermarket when it is on sale and I have a coupon because they are an expensive luxury. This is a great price, especially if you can take advantage of the $10 off $49 in the grocery department offer. They are great with coffee or hot cocoa.", "These are seriously great cookies, well worth the price to import them from down under. They go great with coffee, better with espresso or a latte. Don't let the six pack fool you, once open a package of Tim Tams can be gone in minutes.", "This coffee is OK but don't let the name fool you. Blue Mountain Coffee, i.e., the genuine article, is the world's best coffee in my opinion. This coffee claims to be a blend, but I find no trace of the Blue Mountain greatness in it. If you want a decent cup of coffee at a good price, this blend suffices. But that's it, folks, nothing more." ]

[ "Dreams of hugging someone, usually symbolize someone or something you are embracing with joy. ... These dreams often reveal your need for affection, support, contact and warmth from other people, especially the ones that are close to you. Sometimes, these dreams could reveal your feelings of relief about some situation." ]

[ "Q> What does it mean when you dream about someone you don't know dying in your arms? This dream means that you will assist a stranger in a way that will be life changing. It may be some small thing like smiling at someone when he/she feeling down.", "What does it mean in dream when you drown someone? When the dream is about actively trying to drown someone into the water; it signifies the feeling or emotions that you want to repress about certain events or people.", "A dream that your ex husband is dead represents your rejection of separation. If your ex was hugging you in a dream, this image means you feel lonely in real life. If you were hugging your ex husband, it is him who feels lonely.", "Dreams usually represent the emotions you experience in real life. When you cannot process these emotions, they appear in your dreams. So, what does it mean when you dream of someone trying to kill you? ... The person trying to kill you in the dream represents that fear of failing.", "What does it mean to dream about someone undergoing a surgery? To dream about someone else undergoing a surgery signifies opening yourself and getting emotional healing. Often, in my experience, this occurs when you are eliminating something in your life which is not worth keeping.", "What does it mean when I dream about someone else falling? Most often, other people in a dream represent the dreamer, so dreaming about someone else falling might simply indicate that the dreamer wishes to emulate the other person in some aspect and fears unable to do so.", "What does it mean when you dream about your boyfriend kissing someone else in front of you? Dreams are connected to our daily lives, fears, and insecurities. ... Seeing your boyfriend kiss another woman may mean that you are scared of him cheating on you or you're afraid of seeing him with someone else.", "What does it mean to dream of seeing someone being run over? To witness someone being run over, or an animal can subsequently indicate that you may be watching someone crash and burn in life.", "What does it mean to dream about burning? When you see something burning in your dream, it is often because you have some intense or passionate feelings about something or someone. Another interpretation is that you are being harsh, hurtful or intense towards someone in your waking life, or even yourself.", "Originally Answered: What does it mean when your having more dreams than usual? It probably means you are remembering more of your dreams, which may mean they are stronger and more urgent. I suggest you write them down and see if a pattern emerges over time. It is also helpful to share your dreams with someone else.", "But If you dream about someone who used to love and you weren't thinking about him , so it has an interpretation . ... But likely, it just means that you're subconsciously still thinking about them. I guess what really matters is how you felt when u meet this person whom you used to love in that dream.", "What does it mean when you dream about someone? If you dream about someone you like (or even love!) it could just go to show how passionate you are about them. ... It could simply mean you no longer feel as passionate about your life as the people around you seem to feel about theirs.", "A hug can indicate support, comfort, and consolation, particularly where words are insufficient. A hug usually demonstrates affection and emotional warmth, sometimes arising from joy or happiness when reunited with someone or seeing someone absent after a long time.", "Originally Answered: What does it mean when you dream about someone you haven't seen for a long time? It means that something you saw, heard, thought, or did very recently brought that person's memory to mind, and you are incorporating them into your dreams as you process the odd thoughts.", "What does XOX mean? XOX, or XOXO, means hugs and kisses, with the x representing kisses and the o representing hugs. It's usually used as a lighthearted way of expressing affection, sincerity, or deep friendship.", "Dreaming of hugging and kissing your romantic partner – If you dreamed of kissing and hugging your romantic partner, that dream usually reflects the love and affection which exists between you and your partner. ... This dream could indicate illness which some of your family members might experience soon.", "What does it mean to dream of marrying a current spouse or partner in a dream / Seeing a partner marry someone else in a dream? To marry a current partner or spouse indicates that you're in the perfect relationship. This suggests love between two people.", "What does a dream of a cat attacking me mean? Cats that attack in a dream are a symbol of fear of someone or something. Dreaming of aggressive cats is quite common for people who are going through a disagreement with a loved one. The end of the dream is also very important.", "Each person you see in your dream is YOU. So if someone is touching you in your dream, it is actually you wanting that someone (who looks like someone else but is actually you) to acknowledge you. That is the way your psyche tells you that you wished that certain someone would be a part of your life!!", "What does it mean when you dream about someone you like, with whom you are in love. Often the presence of the person you love in a dream can be an indication of your level of passion for them. When there is an urgent situation with the person you love could indicate that your life is losing steam.", "What does it mean if I dream that someone else is pregnant when they aren't in real life? \"Sometimes, these dreams can be literal and the person indeed turns out to be pregnant,\" Mead says. \"Usually, though, this is a sign that something has been left inside, unexpressed or undone.", "The hug with head on the shoulder If this hug occurs, there is strong affection and you're both willing to look after each other. You most likely love each other and the relationship is going strong. It also means you're extremely comfortable together.", "Kissing in dreams is very common, and doesn't always mean what you think it does. Often the dream is metaphorical in that you have an issue to deal with—possibly with that person or someone else. Or perhaps it is simply that you are very attracted to the one you dreamed of kissing.", "What does Category U mean? Category U cars are what are known as “unrecorded insurance write offs“. This happens when the vehicle was involved in an accident of some sort but the damage wasn't reported to the insurance company – this sometimes happens when the driver is uninsured.", "What Does It Mean When A Guy Side Hugs You? If a guy gives you a side hug, he probably just wants to be close friends and nothing more. However, if there's something preventing him from giving you a full hug, he may just want to get closer to you, and a side hug was the best he could do.", "When you dream about dating someone you know, it does not necessarily mean that you are physically or romantically attracted to them, it can have deeper secondary meanings. If you are actively seeking dates with someone, the dating dream reflect your anxieties about dating.", "If your loved one has visited you in your dream, it means that you should feel safe and comforted, because you can be sure that there is a life after death and your loved one is waiting you there. Also, your deceased loved one is watching over you in a waking life, so you can feel protected and loved.", "To dreaming of someone touching you represents feelings about people or opportunities becoming personal in your life. Closeness being initiated with you. ... Feeling that someone is asking you for something or wants your attention. Situations in waking life where someone has shown you that they care about you.", "Touching Dream Symbols. Dreaming of touching something or someone can mean you are trying to let them know how you feel. ... When you dream of being touched it reflects the relationship and feelings between you and that person. You have reached out for personal contact and someone has had a positive response.", "To dream that you are kissing someone's hand or someone is kissing your hand signifies respect, reverence and admiration. ... If you are kissing someone on the cheek or someone is kissing you on the cheek, then it signifies adoration, courtesy, friendship and/or respect.", "What does it mean when someone is 'no longer away'? It means they've 'unsoonzed' their account and are active again.", "It can mean that you are experiencing a strong emotion while awake, as love or fear or anger. I often dream with people I really care about or people I'm upset with, and the dreams are always feel pretty real." ]

[ "I was looking to treat myself to some cream soda I had not yet tried, so I chose Blue Sky cream soda. I love Virgil's cream soda, and Boylan's, even Sioux City is pretty good. For me the Blue Sky brand was very artificial tasting. I can't say it tasted quite like a diet soda even though it wasn't diet, but it had more artificial flavor than cream flavor. I only use the word diet because it didn't taste like a regular sugary soft drink. Some people may actually like that. I don't. I ended up giving it to a friend after deciding I couldn't drink it. He likes it just fine." ]

[ "Grape Zevia is great! It is my favorite flavor that I have tried....(cream soda, rootbeer, orange, lemon/lime). It tastes really 'grapey' very close to the grape soda I had as a child. Love love love it.", "We tried diet Materva soda in an airport restaurant in Puerto Rico and loved it. The flavor is hard to describe because it is unlike any American soda we've ever tried. It is a little fruity - maybe with a hint of tea and maybe a hint of cream soda - but is very good. It's worth trying just for a change.", "Sprecher Root Beer is the best root beer in existence, no lie. The cream soda is excellent. Can't say I have enough cream soda experience to say its the best, but it's way up there. Only problem with this amazon listing is the price. Goto sprecher's official website and check out their shop and you'll find their variety and prices much better.", "My daughter was in Peru on a mission trip this last summer and loved their Inca Kola. So for Christmas I decided to order her some. We all had some and liked it as well. It has a bubblegum/cream soda flavor. Different! But the price and shipping terribly high.", "This is some great pop from the midwest, a serious classic in Detroit (where I come from) and Ohio. They have great flavors like Grape, Red, Rock N Rye, and Cream Soda. I miss it so much now that I live in Arizona and I have never found anything comparable to it.", "I bought this sugar to use in my water kefir sodas and it makes my kefir grains so happy. They are going crazy!!! They are reproducing like crazy and bouncing all over the jar!!! They did not even get close to soda fizzy with other sugar but it is so fizzy I have to watch the fermenting time to be sure there are no explosions. Great stuff and great on cream of wheat and grits. Kids even like it.", "First I must say until recently I have never found a diet soda that actually tastes good enough to drink regularly. I was very excited to receive the Zevia All Natural Sodas because I have insulin resistance and I'm not supposed to have alot of sugar. I use the Truvia and Stevia sugar and I thought it would be a good idea to try the soda. I ended up giving the sodas away to a coworker and I'm sure my coworker threw them away. The taste is awful. The \"coke\" soda is way too sweet. The only flavors that I tried to convince myself that I could drink were grape, orange and cream soda and even those are not really good. If you are looking for a good tasting diet soda a coworker brought me a can of Sprite Zero, and it was actually good. It's not far off from the original Sprite. Oh, and my coworker was drinking Rockstar which I guess is another diet soda and he said Rockstar tastes better than the Zevia soda.", "This delivers! I love it in my soy milk, sometimes with raspberry or peach accompanying it. Or making chocolate violet creams. Can't forget putting it in club soda or mineral water. Try making violet/peach or violet/raspberry yoghurt too...Lovely violet flavoring- so hard to find. Thank you Monin- I'm thrilled to find you!!!!", "Moving to Michigan from NYC meant a lot of changes. It is like moving to another country and there were many things I missed. I was thrilled to find Dr Brown Diet Cream Soda available!!! I ordered a case and every time I open a can, I can close my eyes and feel like I'm sitting in Juniors with my friends. Heaven! For me this is a smooth and delicious treat after a tough day.", "I love baking bread. I'm an experimenter. I don't use recipes and have tried a lot of kinds of flour, many of them from Bob's Red Mill.<br />I don't experiment much with yeast. This is reliable. I keep it in a zipper bag after opening in my fridge and it will last a few months that way for me. It's consistency and reliability is why this is my favorite yeast to use for baking bread.<br />I also use it to make cream soda and in small amounts my sodas aren't too yeasty. I've considered trying a brewer's yeast, but everyone in my family likes my sodas made with this so I'll keep using it.<br />So far, I've been able to use this successfully with just flour/water/oil (it does work a bit slower), with molasses, honey, raw sugar, brown sugar, maple sugar and white sugar in my bread recipes.", "I had my first taste way back in the mid 1970's ,I was giving a case of Canfield's chocolate soda from a friend visiting from back east... She showed me how to drink what we called a poor girls ice cream float ... a large frozen glass half filled with ice and a big glug of half and half... poor the soda over stir gently and YUM ! a chocolate float .....", "Being half-Cuban, I had heard of Iron Beer before, but I had never actually had a chance to try it. Unlike Materva, which is relatively easy to get (even in South Carolina), I've never so much as seen Iron Beer on a shelf here. I went ahead and took the plunge, ordering it online, and was ever-so-pleasantly surprised. It definitely reminds me of a mix of cream soda and orange soda (another reviewer said it tasted like orange dreamsicle, which is pretty dead-on actually), but somehow it manages to be a lot more than the sum of its parts...maybe it's that \"hint of island spices.\" Highly recommended for those who want something new, or those who simply want a taste of home.", "So I have tried all the Torani vanilla syrups and this one tastes the best to me by far. The french vanilla is too sweet and fake tasting, the plain vanilla is fine, but this one imparts a more intense vanilla flavor. I'm a huge fan. My kids mostly love it to flavor their milk, cold or hot. Hey, it doesn't stain like chocolate milk, so that's a plus. Also adds awesome flavor to cocoa. We're not coffee drinkers but I'm sure people use it for that, and I have also tasted ice cream flavored with this that was the best soft serve ice cream of my life. Also delicious made into Italian sodas, using club soda, 2 oz. of syrup, and some half and half. Be forewarned that the three-pack usually comes in plastic bottles, rather than glass. A plus for shipping, maybe not as pretty sitting on a shelf, and less recyclable. Just FYI.", "I like \"Vernor's\", and drink it all the time. It is old fashioned drink from Michigan, since 1866, and the labeling was known for its lovely green and gold colors and the gnome character. If you look at the can it is actually called ginger soda instead of ale and is different than typical ginger ale in taste. Vernors has a strong vanilla presence, is smoother and more moist, and sweeter than a ginger ale. It is closer to a cream soda than ginger ale, very good. A ginger ale is more dry, higher in carbonation, and has a spicier bite to it. Vernors has 39 grams sugar per can, versus 33 grams per can for Schweppes Ginger Ale. Neither has caffeine.<br /><br />The recipe has changed a bit over the years mostly in the choice of sweeteners. They use the same high fructose corn syrup that the cost-cutting mega soda companies use, rather than the cane sugar they used to use. The down side to that is that the corn syrup syrup drowns out some of the flavors. Many microbrews are using cane sugar again, although it costs more, to get a better taste. Vernor's is still aged in oak barrels for 3 years, no doubt accounting for the smoothness. All in all a great soda for anytime. The soda is also known, like other ginger drinks, for its use as a home remedy for an upset stomach.<br />Vernor's is a regional soda, and there are many areas of the country you can't find it in. That is why it sells here. They may be selling it in glass bottles again soon, at least there is a page that says so the day I am writing this comment. Search at Amazon for ASIN: B001JK2SEG to see what I mean. Vernors has quite a history, and there are two books at Amazon about the soda. The first is Vernor's Ginger Ale (Images of America: Michigan) ISBN-10: 0738551856. The second book is \"The Vernor's Story: From Gnomes to Now\" ISBN-10: 0472066978 a book about the company's marketing green and gold packaging with the famous gnome, and Vernor's fans.", "The Vitamin Squeeze Water Enhancer is a really great alternative to sweet, sugary drinks. It comes in a plastic squeeze bottle, and all you do is give a single squeeze into each 8 oz. of water. Be sure to shake well before each squeeze, and in my experience even when I had the cap open (I did this right over a sink to avoid any accidents) and shook it vigorously, none of the liquid came out. It actually has to be squeezed to come out, or at least mine did. The fruit punch tastes fine, and depending on how much you are actually putting in the flavor can be very, very subtle or fairly detectable. What it basically comes down to is about the level of Vitamin Water or Gatorade in terms of how prominent the taste is. In my opinion it tastes a little sweeter and a little tastier than those. Because you're squeezing it into water, that's a pretty good analogy to think of how it tastes: this is just a slightly sweeter version of Vitamin Water. With each serving (single squeeze) you'll get 120% of your daily Vitamin C and 40% each of Vitamins B3, B5, B6, and B12. The great thing is that it also has 0 Calories and 0 grams of sugar. That's right...no sugar. You also get 40 mg of natural caffeine, 10 mg of taurine, and electrolytes. Compare that to Gatorade or Vitamin Water and suddenly this is looking really good if you want to cut down on your sugar intake; take a look at one of those bottles next time, I was shocked to see how much sugar is in them. Personally I do not get any extra noticeable energy from the caffeine, but I am notoriously resistant to energy stuff. I don't drink tea or coffee, although I do have roughly a one-can-per-day cream soda habit, and I'm guessing that my relative lack of daily caffeine is what makes it so hard for any energy supplements to work on me...or maybe that's just me. Anyway, take a look at a can of cream soda and you'll find that unfortunately one can exceeds the daily recommendation of sugar intake. I'm happy and proud to say that over the last week or so that I've had this squeeze bottle, I have only had one can of soda and have opted instead the other times to get a glass of water and squeeze some of this enhancer into it when I'm craving a sweet beverage. Will it get me off cream soda? No, I don't want it to. I love cream soda and I do still wan to have a delicious can from time to time. But will it help me lower my average daily sugar intake big-time? Yes, and that makes it something that I can very much recommend to you.", "It's true! This does add an exquisite flavor to almost anything! Try it on ice cream, fruits, jellies, sodas, you name it! Also a stimulant ofr the appetite and for flatulence! And it's not just for bart-ending! Even though it's almost 45% Alcohol by volume. You won't believe the difference until you try it! And I just discovered it's supposed to be the best mosquito repellent around! Be warned though that it will stain clothing, fabric, and most items if left to dry on them.", "Flavors of Sweet Leaf Liquid Stevia that taste really good are: Grape, Plain, Root Beer, Vanilla Cream.<br /><br />Flavors to avoid: Berry and Lemon Drop. These flavors are way to artificial tasting. Waste of money.<br />I would recommend buying organic strawberry flavor/extract and adding it to plain liquid stevia if you want to make this flavor. It tastes much better.<br /><br />Our main use for these is adding them to seltzer to made homemade soda flavors.", "I love this company. Boylan's orange soda is a step above any other. It does not have a typical orange soda taste, it's cleaner and has a slight tartness to it. This soda lacks the over-carbonation and syrupy-sweetness that you get with the mass produced sodas.", "I love to bake. Breads, biscuits, cakes, etc. I keep this on hand because it's convenient. I don't have to buy buttermilk specifically for something, I know I have it on hand for spur of the moment baking.<br />This works great in quick breads, cakes and yeast breads. It adds a nice flavor to yeast breads, and it's acidic enough that in cakes and quick breads you get a lot of lift using it with baking powder or baking soda. It also works very well in pancakes.<br />I haven't yet tried it to culture cream to make creme fraiche with.", "I've tried all of the Dry Soda flavors except the Cucumber and the Juniper Berry. Vanilla Bean is my favorite out of all the flavors I've tried. Yesterday I told my fiance to try the Vanilla Bean since I had just bought a case of them. He loves sweet soda and other sweet drinks, he drinks 3 - 6 cans of coke a day. Yet he told me he loves the Vanilla soda. He said he can't believes that he likes it so much since it doesn't have much sugar in it. The Lavender, the Rhubarb and the Blood Orange are my next favorite flavors. Be warned though the Rhubarb is pretty sour. I personally love sour foods. The Lemon Grass is okay. It slightly has a perfume taste to it. The Lavender just barely has a slight perfume taste. It's so slight that I still really like the Lavender soda. The Vanilla Bean soda is great since it tastes like drinking a marshmellow, only less sweet. If you like gourmet soda I'd definitely try out Dry Soda.", "I am on the HCG diet and I am a soda lover. I just don't like coffee or tea and only getting to drink water was a drag and then I found this soda. Not bad for a natural soda. It is not like soda that most people are used to but after a day or two it can grow on you. It's OK and gets me by. I would recommend this product to anyone that has to has a soda and is looking for an alternative.", "While reading a copy of Saveur from January 2007 a few weeks ago, I found out about Sharbat Rooh Afza. This crimson syrup can be mixed into water, club soda or milk. I find I prefer this syrup mixed with milk as it brings out the floral flavors very effectively. While the magazine said this is infused with the essence of rose, coriander seed, watermelon and other herbs and fruits I found this version mostly contains sugar, fragrant screwpine, rose essence and xanthan gum. This drink is best when you mix nine ounces of water/milk/club soda with two tablespoons syrup. But you can adjust it to taste. Some people add it to lemonade or pour it over ice cream. In milk it reminds me of strawberry milk with a hint of rose.<br /><br />~The Rebecca Review", "I was excited to receive this syrup today since I expected this syrup to be more intensely vanilla flavored compared to the regular vanilla syrup. However, when I compared the two syrups side by side I found the regular vanilla syrup gives more flavor to coffees, ice creams and sodas as opposed to the vanilla bean. I add vanilla to almost everything since I find that it enhances flavors. Next on my list to try is the French vanilla...", "I really love this soda. I think Diet Rite struck gold when they thought of the idea of simply not putting that fake purple food colour into the soda. Now I can enjoy a refreshing grape soda flavour without worrying about staining the furniture, floor, or my clothes.", "This soda is really delicious. I was able to try a sample of it at a booth at a local conference in Seattle and was instantly in love with it. It's a very unique (and yummy) flavored soda because of the blood orange, and because of that it only makes spending the money for it worth it. It's sweet, but not overly so. The bottles are quite hefty which adds to the authenticity, they really do look like the ones on the show. Whether you are buying the soda for decoration (we have one of them on a shelf) or for drinking, it's worth the price for this unique soda. I highly recommend it.", "I just recently discovered Amoretti syrups. I attracted by the fact that they are made in the USA, thought it would be good to give it a try. And Oh Boy! These syrups are a cut above any other syrup I have tried. So far, my favorite use is in plain, unsweetened yogurt. The caramel is a particular favorite. Swirl some into yogurt, top with sliced bananas, sit back and imagine you are in The Olde Soda Shoppe, with a freshly made ice cream treat. You won't miss the calories, or the chemicals. Delicious.", "Izze was started by two friends who wanted to bring to America an all-natural, sparkling soda. The fruits of their labors are the wonderful like of Izze drinks! This delicious drink is made of fruit juice and sparkling water, and NO artificial flavorings or sweeteners.<br /><br />This is a delicious soda that is delicious and yet better for you. I love this drink, and enjoy serving it to friends, some of whom are now raging Izze fans themselves! Jump on the bandwagon - buy Izze soda today!<br /><br />(Review of Izze Sparkling Clementine Soda)", "I'm not a soda drinker at all, but Jones Green Apple Soda is my exception! Although it's carbonated, it's not overwhelmingly carbonated like other sodas or cola products. A wonderfully refreshing treat that takes you from the usual sodas you find at your grocery store, you won't regret purchasing this soda that complements any meal!", "Whenever I drink a soda at home, it is always a Zevia soda. Dr. Zevia has a slight cherry flavor and is similar to the other Dr. I have noticed very little aftertaste from Zevia soda, much less than from regular diet soda. From the reviews I've read, it's clear that you either really like this soda or you don't. I really like this soda. I was a big consumer of the other diet Dr. and both big-brand diet colas for many years. I really didn't like the artificial sweetener in the average diet soda. Thank you to the people who make Zevia soda. It is more expensive than regular soda, but I think it's worth it. It is great to be able to enjoy a diet soda that tastes great and contains nothing artificial. My only negative comment would be about what happens when you pour Zevia soda in a glass over ice. The carbonation seems to dissipate very quickly when poured over ice. Not to worry. Drinking it right out of the can works fine for me.", "Get that diet taste in a non diet soda........ enough said.<br />If you use the Soda Stream, buy the bag in a box brand name soda syrup.", "I love Zevia soda. My favorite flavors are Dr. Zevia and Cherry Cola. They helped me kick a lifelong soda habit. I lost weight and feel much better!", "Zevia orange really tastes like orange soda - and not like orange DIET soda either. How did they do it? I'm impressed. I wasn't a fan of orange flavored soda until now. This is so great! The cola and lemon-lime are delicious, too. All this and all natural - I'll never drink a diet soda again." ]

[ "chameleon" ]

[ "its volume", "its state constitution", "by its cover", "Its factors", "its orbit", "its square", "its pressure", "its date", "apostrophe (in \"Its\")", "its warning call", "Spin on its Axis", "Everything in its place", "its 100-year anniversary", "Signifying nothing", "its last quarter", "With its head cut off", "\"The Usual Suspects\"", "Change", "to change", "ground round", "the ground floor (or the ground level)", "Every dog has its day", "ground rules", "change of address", "\"I Second That Emotion\"", "the usual supects", "ground zero", "Chang & Eng", "a sea-change", "kissing the ground", "ground level", "\"Change Of Heart\"" ]

[ "The Republican National Committee says it raised $13.7 million in March, its best fundraising month this election cycle." ]

[ "Campaign sources say McCain raised more than $15 million dollars in March, calling it their best month and best quarter ever.", "His reelection campaign announced Thursday morning that he had raised $70 million in the third quarter; $42.8 million will go to his own 2012 effort, and the rest to the Democratic National Committee.", "Nelson's campaign says he raised more than $1 million in the first quarter that ended March 30.", "The Romney campaign drastically outraised the Obama campaign by $35 million in June, marking the second month where the campaign and the Republican National Committee drew in more money.", "Republican John McCain says he raised more than 21 million dollars in June, his best month so far in terms of fundraising.", "Mitt Romney raised nearly $12.6 million in March--the best fundraising month of his campaign, according to aides.", "Republican presidential candidate John McCain reports raising more than $26 million and spending $32 million in July.", "The Obama campaign and the Democratic committees that support it raised $43.6 million in April, campaign manager Jim Messina announced in an online video on Wednesday.", "Story highlights Republican presidential candidate John McCain raised more than $21 million in June and spent nearly $26 million, the campaign reported Friday night.", "Indiana Republican Treasurer Richard Mourdock raised $1.6 million during the second quarter of 2012, a source familiar with his total confirms.", "President Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee raised $75 million in July for the president's re-election campaign.", "John McCain raised $27 million in July, his largest one-month fund-raising haul since clinching the Republican presidential nomination.", "An Alberta committee of 21 MLAs that makes more than a quarter million dollars a year, despite not doing a thing for 39 months, was heralded as worst in class on March 7.", "Michele Bachmann raised $4.2 million for the quarter, $2 million of which was transferred from funds in her Congressional committee, spokeswoman Alice Stewart told ABC News.", "Republicans will delay the start of business at their national convention in Tampa by one day due to Tropical Storm Isaac, the Republican National Committee chairman said on Saturday.", "Texas Rep. Ron Paul raised $8 million in the third quarter from more than 100,000 donors, putting him among the top three fundraisers in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.", "Senator Barack Obama has raised $40 million in Democratic presidential campaign contributions for March.", "Amanda Brown/The Star-LedgerLed by Gov. Chris Christie's national popularity in GOP circles, Republicans lead the way in state political party and leadership committee fundraising.", "Former Rep. Anthony Weiner's spent roughly $100,000 on polling and research in March, according to campaign filings released Friday.", "Democrat Barack Obama raised $US32 million for his presidential primary campaign in January, aides said, and Republican Mitt Romney poured $US18 million of his personal fortune into his White House bid during the last three months of 2007.", "A 163-member Executive Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union was elected at an ongoing congress in Hanoi on March 13.", "Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott, who spent more than $3 million -- most of that on television ads. Abbott reported raising some $420,000 in a month-long reporting period that ended last week.", "President Barack Obama and the Democrats' main campaign arm raised more than $70 million from July to September, somewhat less than in the prior three-month period but well ahead of similar Republican efforts.", "The Church at Warhill hosted a dodge ball tournament March 7 to raise money for the church's youth group.", "US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney raised $106 million in June, far surpassing President Barack Obama's $71 million haul in the record-setting money race leading to the November 6 election.", "Mitt Romney has raised over $14 million in the third quarter of campaign fundraising, the former Massachusetts Governor's Presidential campaign announced Friday.", "Sperm donors should be identified Updated: 13:56, Wednesday March 28, 2012 Everyone conceived through sperm donations should be allowed to obtain identifying information about their biological parent, a Victorian parliamentary committee says.", "WASHINGTON Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama raised $32 million in the single month of January, matching his best three-month period last year, aides said Thursday.", "The National Party received more than $195,000 in anonymous donations in the 2011 election campaign, according to official records.", "As embattled Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele considers a bid for a second term, he is rapidly losing the support of several high-profile Republican governors.", "Gorman says she owes creditors more than $13 million.", "Governor Felix Camacho has announced that Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele will be visiting Guam next week." ]

[ "cuisine" ]

[ "style", "any (from Albany)", "In The Kitchen", "In style", "Cooked It", "the cook", "The word", "French", "words", "stile/style", "a Henley style", "the French", "family style", "Andy & any", "a candy kitchen", "Hell's Kitchen", "a kitchen garden", "Prairie style", "the Kitchen Cabinet", "Kitchen sink", "The L Word", "Compound word", "The Elements of Style", "Word processing", "Lord Kitchener", "the Empire Style", "long words", "T (for the word the)", "mission style", "the Moorish style", "Play on words", "(Captain) Cook" ]

[ "Hollywood honchos faced hundreds of striking writers as they went to work this week. Members of the Writer's Guild of America and their supporters sported union t-shirts and plenty of sunscreen as they walked in front of film and television studios. We talked to some of the writers on the picket line." ]

[ "Last week David Letterman's writers went back to work. Now film company United Artists is expected to announce an interim deal with the Writers Guild of America. Madeleine Brand talks with Entertainment Weekly reporter Lynette Rice about what recent contract developments mean for picketing writers. MADELEINE BRAND, host: Back now with DAY TO DAY and new developments in the two-month-old writers strike. United Artists is expected to be the first film company to sign an interim deal with the striking writers. This comes after the Writers Guide signed an agreement with David Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, last week. And there are rumors of even more deals to come. Here now is Lynette Rice. She is senior writer for Entertainment Weekly. Welcome to the program. Ms. LYNETTE RICE (Entertainment Weekly): Thanks for having me. BRAND: So this deal hasn't been signed yet but it has been agreed upon. Why did the Writers Guide decide to do this with United Artists? Ms. RICE: Well, rather than wait for a deal to be made with the larger companies - because basically both sides are at a stalemate - the WGA thought they could divide and conquer and try to work out some interim deals with the smaller companies in town. BRAND: And so there are similar deals maybe in the works with the Weinstein Company and with Lions Gate? Ms. RICE: Yes. These are rumors that are swirling. You know, whether they make them, it's another issue. I mean, you got to get these companies to agree to the same terms that the WGA was trying to hoist upon the AMPTP. But for the most part it may not be a difficult deal to reach because maybe some of these companies don't necessarily care about Internet residuals or unionizing reality show writers. BRAND: AMPTP being the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Lynette, what would be in this interim contract and would it be overwritten by any final negotiations? Ms. RICE: Basically, the independent companies agreed to the terms that the WGA put on the table with the major companies on December 7th but the major companies refused to agree to. And this deal would be superseded by any new deal that the WGA makes with the AMPTP if and when that ever occurs. BRAND: Could this in fact backfire on the Writers Guild in any way? Ms. RICE: It could backfire. One, you know, while this is going on, the WGA is demonstrating that they're being kind of selective about who they want to make pacts with. You know, Dick Clark Productions, which produces the Golden Globes, the American Music Awards, they've offered, for many weeks now, to do a similar pact like the one that we've read extensively about with Worldwide Pants, but the WGA has refused to do that. And it seems evident the only reason they don't want to is because they want to block the Globes from airing on January 13th. You get a lot of great headlines from that. Oh my God. The actors are going to cross the picket lines. There's not going to be a show. And ultimately NBC suffers from that. But an argument possibly could be made, is this unfair labor practice? The WGA is not negotiating this deal, but it's negotiating these other independent deals with Worldwide Pants and with UA. I mean, that could be a beef that Dick Clark could pursue. BRAND: So it looks like the Golden Globes may not go on? Ms. RICE: Right now we're awaiting word with a bated breath today on what they will do on January 13th. There's been a lot of speculation about, okay, maybe they'll just do a non-televised affair. But the Foreign Press is contractually obligated to deliver a broadcast to NBC. And you know, NBC may not want the party to go on if they're not going to make any money off of it. So maybe they can come up with an alternative, maybe figure out a taped show, kind of like what CBS is doing with the People's Choice Awards. But again, that might not be very feasible because the Golden Globes is unique in that this is a live telecast where everyone is champagne-soaked and just having a grand old time. I don't if you can - that would necessarily translate into a taped show. BRAND: Right. Well, tonight there will be live broadcasts of the \"Daily Show\" - John Stewart's show - and \"The Colbert Report.\" They're both coming back. Ms. RICE: Yes, they're back without their writers. So it would be interesting to see what they do. BRAND: If they are funny. Ms. RICE: If they're funny. But all these people, supposedly, you know, had a career at one time as stand-up comedians. They've got the funny in them. And I suspect that those two men will be equally as funny as Letterman and Leno. BRAND: Okay. Lynette Rice, senior writer for Entertainment Weekly, thank for joining us. Ms. RICE: Thank you.", "A reality show drama is playing out on the picket line. A dozen writers for America's Next Top Model, the hit reality show, are on strike. According to the twelve Top Model staffers and the Writers Guild of America, the strike shines a spotlight on an ongoing effort to unionize reality TV. Indeed, without the writers' efforts, Model host Tyra Banks and other reality show stars might be at a loss for words. MICHELE NORRIS, host: Writers on the popular reality show America's Next Top Model have walked off the job. Yes, reality shows do have writers and there's been an ongoing effort in the Writers Guild of America to unionize them. From Los Angeles, Gloria Hillard reports. GLORIA HILLARD reporting: Ever since the term reality show became part of our entertainment lexicon, there have been those in Hollywood just waiting for this. CROWD: On strike. Strike now. Hollywood is a union town. On strike. Strike now. HILLARD: Outside the production offices of the reality show America's Next Top Model were a casually dressed group of men and women striking another kind of pose on the picket line. They say they are the show's writers seeking what their colleagues in scripted television and film enjoy, representation by the Writers Guild of America, West. Sara Sluke has been with the show for four seasons. Ms. SARA SLUKE (Writer, America's Next Top Model): This is a decision that is going to have a ripple effect across the industry. You know this is the first, we are the first reality writers who have gone so far as to go on strike. We know it's worth fighting for and we're just going to stick it out as long as we have to. HILLARD: And the Writers Guild, one of Hollywood's more powerful unions, is sticking right by them. WGA West President Patric Verrone says the striking staffers deserve the same health, pay and pension benefits as other guild members receive, not to mention - Mr. PATRIC VERRONE (President, Writers Guild of America, West): The more reality takes up space on the network and cable lineup, the less work there's been for writers of scripted television, who have traditionally been our members. HILLARD: Reality writers now hold titles like show producers. It's probably not a too hidden secret that reality shows aren't as spontaneous as the title might imply. But are they writers in the same way as their counterparts on scripted sitcoms and dramas? Mr. GARDNER LINN (Writer, America's Next Top Model): In terms of writing from like taking a blank sheet of paper and writing from the beginning, no we're not doing that. But we're telling a story. HILLARD: Twenty-seven-year old Gardner Linn, who is sporting a Writers Guild t-shirt and baseball cap, says what he and his colleagues on America's Next Top Model do is craft an entertaining story out of hundreds of hours of unscripted raw footage. Mr. LINN: There're stories in this footage, but you have to find them and that's what we do is find them and put together scenes that illustrate the characters. So you show who these characters are show their story over the course of the episode. HILLARD: The company that produces the show released a statement saying that the WGA needs to follow the procedures of law by holding a secret ballot election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. Meanwhile, Patric Verrone says he's hoping the producers will sit down with the Guild. Mr. VERRONE: And hammer out an agreement that makes this otherwise profitable show and successful show able to meet its deadlines. HILLARD: America's Next Top Model debuts this fall on the new CW network. Only a few episodes of the show were completed when the writers walked off their jobs. Joe Adalian, who covers television for the trade paper Variety, says he thinks Top Model will go on as planned. He also believes this strike has put all of the networks on notice. Mr. JOE ADALIAN (Variety): No matter what they say there has to be a little bit of nervousness for network executives because reality programming has become very important to them in their bottom line. The costs of scripted programming have soared out of control. They need this sort of programming to balance the books. (Soundbite of protest) CROWD: What do we want? Contracts. When do we want it? Now. HILLARD: Meanwhile, back outside the production offices, the WGA supported picket line was beginning to look like a movie set. Craft services was serving lunch. Unidentified Man #1: Pork? Unidentified Man #2: Ok. Texas style. Here we go. HILLARD: Models from the show were handing out autographs and on the sign-up table were t-shirts autographed by writers from King of the Hill and The Simpsons. Shawn Ryan, the executive producer of The Shield and The Unit, stopped by with words of support and show stuff. Mr. SHAWN RYAN (Executive producer, The Shield): So we have some of these t-shirts as well. Unidentified Woman #4: Thank you. (Soundbite of crowd cheering) Mr. RYAN: First season copies of The Shield. (Soundbite o", "Film and TV writers resolved to put down their pens and take up picket signs after last-ditch talks failed to avert a strike. The first picket lines were set to appear Monday morning at Rockefeller Center in New York, where NBC is headquartered. In Los Angeles, writers were planning to picket 14 studio locations in four-hour shifts from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day until a new deal is reached. The contract between the 12,000-member Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producer expired Oct. 31. Talks that began this summer failed to produce much progress on the writers' key demands for a bigger slice of DVD profits and revenue from the distribution of films and TV shows over the Internet. Writers and producers gathered for negotiations Sunday at the request of a federal mediator. The two sides met for nearly 11 hours before East Coast members of the writers union announced on their Web site that the strike had begun for their 4,000 members. Producers said writers refused a request to \"stop the clock\" on the planned strike while talks continued. \"It is unfortunate that they choose to take this irresponsible action,\" producers said in a statement. Producers said writers were not willing to compromise on their major demands. Writers said they withdrew a proposal to increase their share of revenue from the sale of DVDs that had been a stumbling block for producers. They also said the proposals by producers in the area of Internet reuse of TV episodes and films were unacceptable. \"The AMPTP made no response to any of the other proposals that the WGA has made since July,\" writers said in a statement. The strike is the first walkout by writers since 1988. That work stoppage lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry more than $500 million. The first casualty of the strike would be late-night talk shows, which are dependent on current events to fuel monologues and other entertainment. Daytime TV, including live talk shows such as \"The View\" and soap operas, which typically tape about a week's worth of shows in advance, would be next to feel the impact. The strike will not immediately impact production of movies or prime-time TV programs. Most studios have stockpiled dozens of movie scripts, and TV shows have enough scripts or completed shows in hand to last until early next year. One key factor that could determine the damage caused by the strike is whether members of a powerful Hollywood Teamsters local honor the picket lines. Local 399, which represents truck drivers, casting directors and location managers, had told its members that as a union, it has a legal obligation to honor its contracts with producers. But the clause does not apply to individuals, who are protected by federal law from employer retribution if they decide to honor picket lines, the local said. The battle has broad implications for the way Hollywood does business, since whatever deal is struck by writers will likely be used as a template for talks with actors and directors, whose contracts expire next June. \"We'll get what they get,\" Screen Actors Guild president Alan Rosenberg told The Associated Press. The guilds have been preparing for these negotiations for years, hiring staff with extensive labor union experience, and developing joint strategies and a harder line than producers have seen in decades. \"We haven't shown particular resolve in past negotiations,\" said John Bowman, the WGA's chief negotiator. From NPR reports and The Associated Press", "The Writers Guild of America says it would not grant a waiver to allow members to work on the Feb. 10 Grammys ceremony, but some writers may still be willing to write a joke or two. Meanwhile, studios are cancelling contracts for the TV season. Alex Cohen gets an update from Entertainment Weekly senior writer Lynette Rice. ALEX COHEN, host: Today is Day 72 of the writers strike, a strike that's showing no signs of ending. This week, several TV studios have dropped their contracts with writers - the thought being it's too late now to try and salvage the current season of scripted television. For more we're joined by Lynette Rice, senior writer with Entertainment Weekly. Welcome back to DAY TO DAY, Lynette. Ms. LYNETTE RICE (Entertainment Weekly): Thank you. COHEN: So this began with ABC, which cut a dozen writers at the end of last week. And now several more studios have dumped some of their writers. What does all of these mean? Ms. RICE: Well, it's a simple cost-saving measure. A lot of these writers either were on shows that have already been cancelled from this season, or they weren't really in active development on something, or perhaps the pilot they were working on has no chance of going any farther because of the strike. So that's the easiest place to cut the fat right now. COHEN: And what about the writers and the Writers Guild? How have they reacted to this canceling of contracts? Ms. RICE: They weren't particularly happy about it. But the fact remains that no one is doing business right now. COHEN: This past weekend, the Golden Globes are reduced to kind of a sad little press conference because they weren't allowed to use writers. And now there's rumblings that the same might wind up happening with the Oscars. And even before the Oscars, there is the Grammys. Now, the Grammys is the awards show for musicians. So how is it that the writers strike could impact that show? Ms. RICE: Well, at the very least, if CBS asks the WGA for a waiver so they would be permitted to use a writer to, you know, write the intros, the jokes and whatnot. Beyond that, WGA could once again go and work in cahoots with the Screen Actors Guild. Then the Screen Actors Guild can turn around and start calling musicians and saying, gee, you know, there's a good chance that the writers may picket this show. Do you really want to cross a picket line? You know? And there's a lot of musicians today that have blurred the lines between the music industry and film. So they may not want to cross a picket line, so they'll just avoid the Grammys. COHEN: Now, tonight is the season premier of the seventh season of \"American Idol.\" And in past years it's done incredibly well ratings-wise. And in recent weeks a lot of the other reality shows out there have done better than the scripted shows that they replaced. So with reality doing so well, how might that affect the writers strike? Ms. RICE: Make no mistake. At least in the next season we'll probably see fewer scripted shows by virtue of the fact that there's going to be an abbreviated development season. But you know, realities are here to stay, which is why the WGA is trying so hard to get the companies to agree to unionizing reality workers as well. COHEN: Lynette, do you have any sense of how much longer this strike might last and what any possible resolutions to all of this could be? Ms. RICE: The industry is feeling somewhat hopeful this week because the Directors Guild began formal negotiations with the conglomerates on Saturday. And those continued through the weekend. And if that deal comes out, there's a very good chance that the conglomerates will take the deal that they got with the DGA and then go to the writers and say, hey, take it or leave it. And that could kick-start talks again with the writers. And if that's the case, maybe we'd have something within two or three weeks. And maybe then we'll get the Oscars that we know and love. COHEN: Lynette Rice, senior writer with Entertainment Weekly. Thank you. Ms. RICE: Thank you.", "The Hollywood screenwriters strike — more than two months old — is roiling the entertainment industry afresh. Nine weeks after writers went on strike over payment for work distributed online and in other new media, there's news Monday that a deal has been reached between the Writers Guild of America and the film company headed by actor Tom Cruise. After talks broke down between movie studios and the Writers Guild, the WGA started approaching independent production companies, hoping to negotiate individual interim agreements that would allow writers to go back to work on those companies' projects. Cruise's outfit, United Artists, is the first movie company to sign such a deal; David Letterman's TV production company signed a similar pact last week that allowed its writers to return to work. Meanwhile, the writers strike has pretty much derailed the Golden Globe Awards, scheduled for Jan. 13. Guild writers are planning to picket the ceremony if it's televised, and the president of the Screen Actors Guild said last week that his union was in \"unanimous agreement\" that its members would not cross the picket line to attend the show. That means the big stars won't show up to collect their awards if there's a picket. Monday night, two popular Comedy Central shows return to the air for the first time since their writers joined the picket lines. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert will air back-to-back once again starting at 11 p.m. Eastern time. It remains to be seen whether the two hosts can generate enough content for their news-driven shows without the help of their writers — or if they can win back audiences whose numbers have shrunk by as much as 50 percent since the strike began in November. The Writers Guild has no plans to go back to the bargaining table. And the Directors Guild is preparing to start its own round of contract negotiations with the studios very soon. ROBERT SIEGEL, host: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel. MICHELE NORRIS, host: And I'm Michele Norris. More fall-out from the writers strike in Hollywood today. The Golden Globe awards may not go on as they always have because the actors refuse to cross picket lines to attend. Tonight, \"The Daily Show\" and \"The Colbert Report\" are going back on the air without the benefit of writers, and it appears that United Artists may cut its own deal with the writers union. NPR's Kim Masters has been following all these and she joins us now. Kim, first, what's going on with the Golden Globes? KIM MASTERS: Well, I would like to know. There have been a lot of rumors, some of them published about it on the Internet, that the globes will be canceled. On Friday afternoon, the Screen Actors Guild announced that they had pulled their members and no one who is nominated will show up. So NBC, which broadcasts the Golden Globes every year, is hoping to salvage something. They have yet to say uncle, but the belief is that it's awfully hard to put on that show when no one shows up. NORRIS: Now, this deal that the writers union may cut with United Artists, is this a deal like, like David Letterman has? He went back on the air last week with jokes written by his staff. MASTERS: Yes. That would be a solar sort of an arrangement. The hope of the writers guild, of course, is to split up the block of producers that make up the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Again, we've had a lot of reports that Tom Cruise's supposedly revitalized United Artists, which has released one movie so far, that was \"Lions for Lambs,\" it did not do well, would make a deal and — that it would assume they would then want to follow up by making deals with other smaller companies. Now, there's been no official confirmation of this. I assume that United Artists, which is part of MGM, which is one of the big Hollywood studios, I assume there is a lot of screaming and yelling going on right now to prevent United Artists from going forward with the deal and opening the door to perhaps some other — there aren't very many, bear in mind, small companies that would break off. But I think it would be a psychological victory for the writers, and the producers would be determined to prevent it if they can. NORRIS: Kim, remind us. How long has this strike been going on, and are there any plans for the writers union to go back to the bargaining table with all the studios? MASTERS: The strike has been going on for about two months. And I would say at this point, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television producers would rather have their collective fingernails pulled out than go back to the table with the writers. There's been a lot of rancorous rhetoric. Things are extremely negative. And I think that basically, right now, they're just going to — there's no discussion. NORRIS: Now, as we mentioned, Comedy Central's two marquee shows back on the air tonight without writers, \"The Daily Show\" and \"The Colbert Rep", "David Letterman's production company, World Wide Pants, cut a deal with the Writers Guild of America on Friday that would allow The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson to return to the air with their writers. Bill Scheft, a writer for Letterman, tells Linda Wertheimer what he believes the agreement means for TV and film writers, who have been on strike for almost eight weeks. LINDA WERTHEIMER, host: This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer. Coming up, the nagging problem of big-game poaching in Africa. But first, the \"Late Show with David Letterman\" and \"The Late Late Sshow with Craig Ferguson\" will go back on the air Wednesday with new material instead of reruns. Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, negotiated a deal with the Writers Guild of America that allows both shows to resume broadcast with their writers, with fresh material and topical jokes. Letterman and Ferguson will be the envy of solo late-night hosts like Jay Leno and Jon Stewart, who are returning to the air in January without their scribes. The guild has yet to reach a deal with other studios and production companies over how much writers should be paid for work distributed in new digital formats. Joining us on the line is Bill Scheft. He's a guild member who writes for David Letterman. Thank you for being with us. Mr. BILL SCHEFT (Member, Writers Guild of America; Writer, \"Late Show with David Letterman\"): It's my pleasure. And I'm also the strike captain for the \"Late Show with David Letterman,\" and that's a title I still have and will continue to have as long as this goes on. WERTHEIMER: Does this feel like good news to you that you're going back to work, or do you feel like you're letting people down or… Mr. SCHEFT: It's very, very mixed news. I'm thrilled to be going back under the terms that my guild sought because it proves that the guild's demands were reasonable. WERTHEIMER: Because Letterman signed on those demands. Mr. SCHEFT: Letterman agreed to it. WERTHEIMER: Well, now what about the other late-night shows - \"Conan O'Brien,\" \"The Colbert Report,\" \"Jimmy Kimmel Live\" - do you think that this opens up the possibility that writers on those shows could go back to work? That those shows might cut a deal too? Mr. SCHEFT: For those shows to cut a deal, the networks would have to make a deal because those shows are not independently owned. Here is what's going to happen: It immediately creates an unfair playing field for the other shows. And I'll just talk about the shows we're directly competing with. Jay Leno now have to go on without writers and with a picket line in front of his show that the guest that he books that are SAG guests(ph) or Local 802 who… WERTHEIMER: Who belong to their own unions, right? Mr. SCHEFT: (Unintelligible). There is going to be no picket line in front of our shows. This is real leverage because now if I'm Jay Leno, I go to Jeff Zucker and I go, what are you doing? WERTHEIMER: Jeff Zucker is the big boss at NBC Universal. Mr. SCHEFT: Right. You know, late night is the only profitable arena for NBC right now. So I just can't believe that Jeff Zucker is going to sit by and say, you know what, this is will be all right. This is no big deal. WERTHEIMER: What about the dramas? The primetime shows? The cable dramas? Mr. SCHEFT: Well, everybody benefits from this because let's just go back to Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien. They go to Jeff Zucker and they say, you can't do this to us. We're getting clobbered. Jeff Zucker cannot go to the Writers Guild and say, okay, look, I'm willing to make a deal just for these two shows. No, he runs the network. The network owns those shows. The network has to make a deal with the Writers Guild. WERTHEIMER: So are you optimistic? Mr. SCHEFT: Yeah. I mean, Worldwide Pants, by making this deal, shows that this is a deal that can be had. This isn't a waiver that… WERTHEIMER: Right. Mr. SCHEFT: …the \"Late Show\" and \"The Late Late Show\" got. This is a binding contract with the WGA in which, essentially, they agreed to all the demands that the WGA put on the table before the AMPTP walked on December 7th. WERTHEIMER: That's the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. So I'm taking it from what you're saying that you are optimistic. Mr. SCHEFT: How can you not be optimistic because anything beats a table with 20 chairs and nobody in them? Anything beats that in a labor negotiation. WERTHEIMER: Bill Scheft is a writer for the \"Late Show with David Letterman.\" He spoke to us from New York.", "As the WGA strike enters its fourth week, I checked in with Colbert Report writer Laura Krafft. Krafft is also a comedian, actress, musician, dog enthusiast, and all around great person. I had the pleasure of meeting her earlier this year in the fine state of North Carolina. Laura was kind enough to answer the following questions via email from her home in New York City. Laura Krafft: Well, it's not as glamorous as we, the writers, would have you believe. There are no dancing girls. There's no exotic petting zoo. The snack food is by turns sweet or savory. Basically, we just sit and write at our computers all day. I also spend a lot of time doing handstands against the wall to stretch my back and get oxygen into my brain. In addition, I practice twirling in my chair and devise ways to make people get their feet off my desk. The schedule is pretty much the same each day: -Start the day crammed into the head writer's office with stacks of papers on our laps. Poke around the news, pitch out ideas, try to make each other laugh.-Then, a bigger meeting where we pitch the executive producers and they decide what works for the show and what doesn't.-Go off in twos, or sometimes threes or singles, and write stuff for that night's show.- Turn everything in at one or the whole day gets backlogged.- Cram into one tiny office and come up with the table of content jokes that are at the top of each show. (p.s. This is when everyone orders in lunch, so it's always really claustrophobic and smelly. As a lady, I only smell like roses and violets so I suffer the most.)- Spend the afternoon writing things for upcoming shows.- Trade off late nights, i.e. half of us stick around to help with any last minute rewrites or joke punch-ups.- Stay for a taping a couple of nights a week to leer at the guests and watch that ridiculously talented and whip smart Stephen Colbert strut his stuff. As amazing as he is on TV, he's even better live. CB: What does the research process entail for the show? LK: We all read tons of newspapers, magazines, and blogs. I'm pretty sure we all also all watch a lot of TV. Of course, that could just be me rationalizing. CB: What are your days like now that you are on strike? LK: It's kind of nice. You get up. Make coffee at home because you're on strike. Read the papers on-line because you're on strike. Three days out of five you go picket unless you take a week off, like I did, because of a bum leg. (Torn calf muscle.) Then, sometimes, you meet with the other writers and talk about videos you might make so people outside of the WGA know what's happening with the strike and why we're striking. Sometimes, you make those videos. Watch TV and go to bed early because it's strike time and you need your energy. In between, you get slices of pizza and invent new cookie recipes. I made a really nice mocha chocolate chip cookie the other day. CB: With the show's production on hold, do you still feel the need to write jokes or to research material? LK: Don't get me wrong, comedy writing is a dream profession and I feel very fortunate to be making my living this way. That being said, I think there' a notion out there sometimes that comedy writers are like joke robots who constantly create and spit out jokes and TV producers just put buckets underneath them which they then empty periodically into the TV shows. I know that I, for one, don't really have a burning need to write jokes. Writing jokes is really hard work! You have to think a lot! I also don't have a crazy need to do research. I have a natural interest in the world around me and I like to see how people tick, but beyond that, I don't have a passionate desire to research people's voting records and different congressional districts. Because of the strike, we've missed a lot of funny news stories that would be great for the show but I haven't felt the need to actually write out any jokes. CB: Despite what feels like a lot of support for the writer's strike, it's programs like yours and The Daily Show that people seem to be missing the most. Where should people be getting their news? From where do you get your news? LK: I would hope people would be getting their news from the same places I get my news from; newspapers, magazines, blogs, television and radio. Lord, I hope people only use our shows for what they are, a satirical addendum to the news. We are definitely not a news source. We are a comedy show. CB: The Colbert Report writers produced a video blog. Will you also be forming a band? Has there been any impromptu music playing or performance on the picket lines? LK: There's been some really great music on the picket lines! Mostly percussion. A Colbert writer named Barry Julien plays the drums, so he's been laying down some nice fills on a snare skin. (Skin? - drum lingo) There was some talk of another writer renting a xylophone for the picket line because it's the only instrument he knows how to play. I play flute and piano but haven't tried bringing to a", "Kevin Bleyer, a writer for the Daily Show who in on strike with other Hollywood writers, talks with Melissa Block about what we're missing by not having comedy writers. They discuss some of the missed opportunities for humor in the presidential campaign, the mortgage industry and even Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. ROBERT SIEGEL, host: This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Robert Siegel. MELISSA BLOCK, host: And I'm Melissa Block. As the presidential candidates battle it out in Iowa and New Hampshire, there is something that's missing this campaign season. The writer's strike has silenced some of the most listened-to voices in campaign coverage: comedians. So what have we been missing? Kevin Bleyer is a writer for \"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.\" And Kevin, yours is one of the voices that we haven't been hearing, or at least the words or the humor that we haven't been hearing. Mr. KEVIN BLEYER (Writer, \"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart\"): Well, exactly. Perhaps, perhaps not mine. Perhaps Jon Stewarts, indeed. BLOCK: And we should point out, you are taking a break from the picket line to join us in our New York studios there. Mr. BLEYER: Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm happy to be here, and not just because it gets me out of the cold. I literally came in from the picket lines moments ago. Cheeks are warming up. Punch lines might be frozen, but I can't help but think that that Christmas song, \"Baby, it's Cold Outside\" actually is true when I am trying to defrost as we speak. BLOCK: Yeah, I imagine. You said the punch lines might be frozen. Does it feel like that? Does it sort of feel like some part of your brain is just sort of shut off for a little bit here? Mr. BLEYER: Is the satire busting out at the scenes? Is that what you're trying to say? (Soundbite of laughter) BLOCK: I noticed it disappeared entirely. Mr. BLEYER: I suppose so. You might find that these picket lines, especially the late-night writers who seem to get together in corners, the most sarcastic, jaundiced view of what's happening in the world, certainly. We try to entertain each other if we can't entertain people nightly. BLOCK: What are some of the moments of humor on that picket line? What's the best that line has come up? Mr. BLEYER: Well, we certainly have specific - we have specific items since we - it's a bit of a movable feast of protest. But certainly, it's been, as you can imagine, quite a week to not be on the air. It - just in this week, you can't help but notice that a guy named Huckabee is now the frontrunner. The Republicans had the debate on YouTube, which is normally reserved for cats playing piano. It goes on, you know? And today, of course, Romney went on national television to declare that his most fundamental foundation of religion isn't a cult, which is kind of an amusing thing for a presidential candidate has to do. Certainly, Jon would have something to say about that. The Supreme Court is shocked, shocked to hear that shocking is going on in GITMO and its unlawyered detainees. Yeah, there's a lot that we would love to get our hooks into. But -and with any luck, soon we will be able to, you know? Unemployed satirist and Pulitzer Prize-winning New York playwrights are now getting frostbite, walking in circles in 6th Avenue. It's an injustice. (Soundbite of laughter) BLOCK: Free, free the striking writers. Mr. BLEYER: That's right, exactly. BLOCK: Well, when… Mr. BLEYER: (Foreign language spoken) BLOCK: You know, one of the big stories today - and this is a challenge for you - is the announcing of the freeze on some subprime mortgage rates. Mr. BLEYER: Oh, my. BLOCK: Yeah. Work with that. What you got? Mr. BLEYER: Well, just - the first thing that comes to mind, I have to admit, is a bit self-indulgent. I feel homeless right now. I am spending five hours a day out in the wintery cold, so - my kingdom for subprime mortgage. That would do it for me. BLOCK: Kevin, I think that would get you the hook on Jon Stewart. Mr. BLEYER: I know. BLOCK: I don't think that would even get on the air. Mr. BLEYER: Okay. BLOCK: Try again. Mr. BLEYER: Oh, boy. Tough room. BLOCK: Yeah. (Soundbite of laughter) Mr. BLEYER: Tough satellite feed. BLOCK: Hey, you're getting warm. It's okay. What's - Kevin, what's the best chant you've heard on these picket lines with the writers? Mr. BLEYER: Well, today it wasn't that great, you know? We were in front of HBO, so hey, hey, ho, ho. It's not TV, it's HBO. We write, they wrong. That kind of thing. BLOCK: I like that one. Mr. BLEYER: Those are pretty clever. We didn't quite get - you know, we're - we don't quite know how to protest, how to picket. These are writers. They're not hearty stock. But I sit here in this studio, literally with a strike whistle in my pocket, proving that I guess I have what it takes to become a labor leader, so to speak. BLOCK: You know, does the comedy muscle, if it's not exercised - I'm putting in a stretch, this metaphor to (unintelligible). ", "About 30 people picket in front of a bank in downtown Washington, D.C., wearing big yellow signs that read: \"Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters.\" They shuffle about in circles, many wearing hooded sweatshirts and jeans. Their coats are draped over parking meters; their belongings sit in plastic grocery bags on the sidewalk. I ask a protester named Mike Hodge why he's there. \"We're protesting, we're protesting...\" Then the energy leaves his voice and he concedes, \"I don't know.\" No wonder. Hodge isn't a carpenter; he's a rent-a-picket. Solidarity at $8 an Hour The regional carpenters' union has hired Hodge for $8 an hour, essentially outsourcing protest work that union members traditionally do themselves. And many of the demonstrators are homeless people, according to people familiar with the union and its practices. Rick Hatcher, who works as a monitor in a homeless shelter and was once an apprentice carpenter, says the union often recruits from shelters. \"Most of these people are very much unemployed,\" said Hatcher, as he watched the marchers in front of the bank. \"They're homeless. Trust me. A majority of these people come from the shelters.\" One of the marchers, Roger Washington, who lives in a shelter, recalled the carpenters descending on a meal for the homeless and hiring 140 people in one fell swoop. The union hires them to work on what's called an \"informational\" picket. The assignment: Protest a construction firm that the union says is paying below the prevailing wage to workers renovating the bank. On this day, the protesters chant in a sluggish tone that sounds as if they recently woke up: \"Low pay! No way! Fair pay! American way!\" In the past couple of years, the carpenters' union has hired the homeless to picket in Washington and other cities, according to news reports. The logic is economic. The union pays homeless people $8 an hour to picket so real carpenters can continue to make $24 an hour doing their jobs. People who follow the labor movement say the carpenters' union is the only one they know of in the country that uses the homeless to picket. Some in organized labor say they find the practice embarrassing, even if they are loath to criticize a fellow union in public. Gary Chaison, who teaches industrial relations at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., said renting pickets sends a bad message. \"It's essentially saying that our own members don't have the time, the inclination — or the spirit — to walk picket lines and protect their jobs,\" Chaison said. And if actual carpenters don't care enough about companies paying lower wages, Chaison said, why should anyone else? \"I'm trying to imagine what the civil rights movement would have been like if, in fact, they had hired demonstrators to walk down South,\" Chaison said. 'It's Pretty Good' Getting the carpenters to talk about using the homeless is tough. George Eisner, the lead organizer for the mid-Atlantic regional office of the union, won't discuss it. \"It's always twisted around and used in the wrong context,\" Eisner said in a telephone interview. And it's not much easier getting the homeless protesters to talk about it. Union organizers have ordered them not to talk to reporters. Away from their minders, though, a few explain how they came to be rent-a-pickets. They say the union began recruiting them from homeless shelters and soup kitchens two years ago. They work up to 20 hours a week and use their wages to pay for things such as aspirin and laundry. \"As a part-time job, it's pretty good,\" said a man who only gives his first name, John. Most people who pass the picket line don't look closely at the protesters. Diego Castaneda, a doctoral student from California, snaps a picture of a marcher and gives her a thumbs up. \"I just like seeing people demonstrating and standing up for their rights,\" Castaneda said. But when I tell him the protesters are actually homeless people, his face falls. \"Are you serious?\" he says in disbelief. \"It's pretty disingenuous of the union to hire people who aren't carpenters.\" But that doesn't mean it's likely to change. As long as the union can hire low-wage workers to do the job for its members, it makes good business sense. After all, that's the genius of outsourcing. MELISSA BLOCK, Host: IN Washington, D.C., the carpenter's union have been staging protests at construction sites around town, and they're getting some help. As NPR's Frank Langfitt reports, the carpenters have been outsourcing their picketing to homeless people for $8 an hour. (SOUNDBITE OF PROTESTERS CHANTING) FRANK LANGFITT: About 30 people are marching in front of a bank in downtown Washington. But there's something wrong with this picture. The protesters don't look like burly carpenters. Their shoulders are slump. They shuffle about in circles wearing hooded sweatshirts and dirty jeans. Coats are draped over parking meters, and their belongings sit in plastic grocery bags on the sidewalk. I asked a man named Mike Hodge w", "Independent truck drivers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are on strike against three large trucking firms that operate at the ports. Handling almost half of all the nation's cargo, the ports of Los Angles and Long Beach are the main gateway for imports from Asia. A lot of the shipping containers end up on these idling trucks. The short-haul truckers bring the goods from here to nearby rail yards and distribution centers for companies like Costco, Forever 21 and Skechers. \"We're in this to win,\" says truck driver Byron Contrerras. About 80 percent of all the truck drivers at this port are like Contrerras. They work as independent contractors. According to union leaders, that means they have few workplace protections, and work dangerously long hours for low pay. Plus they have to maintain their own trucks. \"This is my fourth time going out on strike,\" Contrerras says. \"I'm going to be out on the picket line as long as it takes for Green Fleet to get the message that they can't keep trampling our rights.\" In a statement, Green Fleet Systems, one of the three companies targeted, called the strike a distraction, adding that an overwhelming majority of the company's contractors and drivers are paid well and don't sympathize with the picketers. The other companies hit by the truckers strike are Total Transportation Services Inc. and Pacific 9 Transportation Inc. It's a sensitive time at West Coast ports. Nearly 20,000 dock workers are working without a new contract as their union continues to negotiate a labor agreement. A six-year deal with West Coast longshoremen expired July 1. With things already a little tense, it's not yet clear whether those dock workers might honor the truckers' picket lines in a show of support. RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: And at the nation's largest port here in Southern California, short-haul truck drivers are one day into a strike they say will last indefinitely. It's the latest protest against three large trucking companies that operate at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. And the strike comes as a much larger labor dispute looms. NPR's Kirk Siegler reports. KIRK SIEGLER, BYLINE: Handling almost half of all the nation's cargo, the ports in L.A. and Long Beach are the main gateway for imports from Asia. A lot of the shipping containers end up on these idling trucks. The short-haul truckers bring the goods from here to nearby rail yards and distribution centers for companies like Costco, Forever 21 and Skechers. BYRON CONTRERRAS: We're in this to win. SIEGLER: About 80 percent of all the truck drivers at this port are like Byron Contrerras. They work as independent contractors. And according to union leaders, that means they have little workplace protections and work dangerously long hours for low pay. Plus they have to maintain their own semi's. CONTRERRAS: This is my fourth time going out on the strike. And I'm going to be out on the picket line as long as it takes for Greenfleet to get the message that they can't keep trampling our rights. SIEGLER: In a statement, Greenfleet, one of the three companies targeted, called the strike a distraction - adding that an overwhelming majority of the company's contractors and drivers are paid well and don't sympathize with the picketers. Still, it's a sensitive time at west coast ports. Nearly 20,000 dockworkers are working without a contract as their union continues to negotiate a new labor agreement. A six-year deal with west coast longshoremen expired July 1. And with things already a little tense, it's not yet clear whether those dockworkers might honor the truckers picket lines in a show of support. Kirk Siegler, NPR News.", "Updated April 18 at 10:35 a.m. ET The Writers Guild of America is suing four of Hollywood's biggest talent agencies in a fight over writers' wages — and whether agents are keeping too much of the pie for themselves. The guild, along with eight writers including The Wire creator David Simon, filed the complaint in California superior court. They are suing William Morris Endeavor, Creative Artists Agency, United Talent Agency and ICM Partners. At issue are packaging fees — deals that allow agents to be paid directly by studios rather than agents receiving a standard 10% of writers' income. The four agencies receive 80% of the packaging fees that are paid by studios and networks, the WGA says. \"The plaintiffs will seek a judicial declaration that packaging fees are unlawful and an injunction prohibiting talent agencies from entering into future packaging deals. The suit also will seek damages and repayment of illegal profits on behalf of writers who have been harmed by these unlawful practices in the past,\" Tony Segall, general counsel for the Writers Guild of America West, said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. The WGA represents thousands of people who write for television and movies, as well as other platforms. One of the lawsuit's plaintiffs, Meredith Stiehm, created the police drama Cold Case, which ran on CBS from 2003 to 2010. Stiehm said it wasn't until six years after CAA negotiated the deal that she learned the agency made 94 cents for each dollar she made from the hit show. \"That is indefensible,\" she said in a statement. \"An agency should make 10% of what their client makes — not 20, not 50, not like in my case, 94%. 10% is enough.\" The writers complain that not only are agents taking more money than they should, but that they are keeping writers from being better paid. They also take issue with the trend of agents becoming producers themselves, creating possible conflicts of interest. The plaintiffs' complaint hinges on two legal claims, the WGA says. First is that under California state law, talent agents are fiduciaries, meaning they are bound to loyally represent writers, without conflicts of interest. Second, they argue that packaging fees constitute illegal \"kickbacks\" to agents, a violation of California and federal law. The Association of Talent Agents argues that packaging benefits writers by saving them their 10 percent commission if their agency is one of the packaging agents on a show. \"Packaging agencies help assemble a show's creative elements before the show is pitched to potential buyers and continue to service the show during its lifecycle,\" the agents' association says in an FAQ. If packaging fees were to be eliminated, the ATA says \"those packaging fees likely would not be redistributed in any way to talent. The studios would keep the money they pay the agencies now.\" It also pointed to the United Talent Agency's analysis that found its writer clients earned more money on shows that the agency packaged than on shows it didn't. The agents' association says that WGA leaders are \"forcing their members and our industry into long-term uncertainty.\" \"While the legal process runs its course, we strongly believe that in the interim it remains in the best interests of writers to be represented by licensed talent agencies,\" ATA Executive Director Karen Stuart says in a statement. \"We empathize with our writer clients and the untenable position they have been put in by WGA leadership.\" She notes that the association has crafted its own voluntary standards for client representation. On Saturday, the WGA told writers to fire agents who refuse to sign the union's code of conduct, which bans agents from collecting packaging fees. Some writers posted images of the letters they had sent to their agents, saying that under union rules, they can't be represented by the agency until the matter is resolved.", "Updated at 5:35 p.m. ET Amid a labor dispute at the site of next week's presidential primary debate, all seven Democratic candidates who made the stage are siding with unions and threatening not to participate in the event. Candidates are scheduled to meet for the Democratic presidential debate on the Loyola Marymount University campus in Los Angeles on Dec. 19. Workers represented by Unite Here Local 11 have been picketing since November. Union representatives say that Sodexo, the subcontractor that employs the more than 150 university food service workers, abruptly canceled scheduled negotiations. Workers are set to picket Thursday outside the debate venue. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of seven candidates set to appear onstage Thursday, was the first to signal that she would not cross the picket line. \".@UNITEHERE11 is fighting for better wages and benefits—and I stand with them. The DNC should find a solution that lives up to our party's commitment to fight for working people. I will not cross the union's picket line even if it means missing the debate,\" Warren tweeted on Friday. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders followed soon after, tweeting that he \"will not be crossing their picket line\" until the union reaches a deal with Sodexo. Former Vice President Joe Biden also says he won't cross a picket line, adding on Twitter that \"we've got to stand together...for affordable health care and fair wages.\" Mayor Pete Buttigieg also tweeted that he \"will not cross their picket line.\" \"I take the debate stage to stand up for workers' rights, not to undermine them,\" he wrote. And a spokesperson for Sen. Amy Klobuchar tweeted that the candidate told labor leaders in Miami Friday that she would also not participate in the debate without a resolution. Candidate Andrew Yang also vowed not to cross the picket line to take part in the debate. \"[T]here is nothing more core to the Democratic Party than the fight for working people,\" wrote Yang on Twitter. Billionaire and environmental activist Tom Steyer also says he won't cross the picket line but that he believes the Democratic National Committee will find a solution before Thursday's debate. Choosing to participate in the debate as workers picketed would be challenging for any Democratic candidate and would almost certainly antagonize organized labor, a core Democratic constituency. The DNC's communication's director, Xochitl Hinojosa, said in a statement that the committee and the university had learned about the issue on Friday and is working to find a resolution. \"While LMU is not a party to the negotiations between Sodexo and Unite Here Local 11, Tom Perez would absolutely not cross a picket line and would never expect our candidates to either. We are working with all stakeholders to find an acceptable resolution that meets their needs and is consistent with our values and will enable us to proceed as scheduled with next week's debate,\" Hinojosa said. In a statement to NPR, a Sodexo spokesperson said the company is \"100% committed to reaching an agreement, and any statement that we have left the bargaining table is not accurate. We have been negotiating in good faith with the Unite Here Local 11 since December of last year with a goal to reach a new collective bargaining agreement that is equitable for everyone, including our employees, and we still intend to achieve such an agreement.\" Ada Briceño, a co-president of Unite Here Local 11, told NPR that the union had reached out to all campaigns and sent a letter to the DNC. \"We felt that it would be imperative to let the candidates know that we would be holding a picket line on Thursday,\" Briceño said. \"As you can tell, they are pledging their support of the workers and are not going to attend the DNC debate.\" \"I think it's imperative for wages and health care to be taken care of and our contract to be settled,\" Briceño said. \"It has become clear to us that the company Sodexo is not taking the workers seriously.\" Unite Here is the national umbrella organization for the powerful Culinary Union in Nevada. Biden, Warren and Sanders all made stops in Las Vegas this week to speak with Unite Here union members in one-on-one town halls. The sheer amount of time they spent with the group is a testament to its political clout. The culinary union is arguably the most powerful labor union in Nevada, home to roughly 60,000 members; and an endorsement from the group could be key to winning the early voting state of Nevada. In the 2016 caucuses, officially the group was neutral, but reports at the time said former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pressed the culinary union to turn out its members. And that led Hillary Clinton to pull off a narrow win in Nevada. Neither the Democratic National Committee nor Loyola Marymount University had an immediate response to interview requests. This is the second time this cycle that Democratic presidential candidates have found their debate site roiled by a labor dispute. The", "The Writers Guild of America is unhappy with Jay Leno, particularly with his opening monologues. It's not smarting from Leno's jokes about the ongoing writers strike. Instead, it's mad that the Tonight Show host is preparing jokes in advance of the show. That's a violation of union rules, it says. Leno, a guild member, says he's following guild rules by not using outside writers. John Bowman, chairman of the WGA negotiating committee, talks with Robert Siegel about what exactly constitutes \"out-of-bounds writing.\" ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: The writers are on strike figuring that only blockheads would contribute to DVDs and the Internet without compensation. And they're complaining about some of the people who are back on television, cracking jokes that are presumably written. (SOUNDBITE OF SHOW \"THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO\") JAY LENO: Here I'm doing - I'm doing what I did the day I started. I write jokes and I wake my wife up. And then I go, honey is this funny? (SOUNDBITE OF CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) LENO: So if this monologue doesn't work, it's my wife's fault, okay, because she said the jokes were funny. SIEGEL: That was from Jay Leno's return last week. Last night, Jon Stewart was back on \"The Daily Show.\" (SOUNDBITE OF SHOW \"THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART\") JON STEWART: So there you have it. Iowa has spoken. Cold, white people have had their say. Tomorrow night is New Hampshire where colder, whiter people will have their say. And if all goes right, Obama and Huckabee will soon be the presidents of Scandinavia. SIEGEL: Joining us now is John Bowman who is chair of the Writers Guild of America negotiating committee. And John Bowman, are Jon Stewart and Jay Leno skirting the line of what the union, your union, regards as permissible joke- writing right now? JOHN BOWMAN: Well, the law that we have about permissible joke-writing is that if you are a Writers Guild of America member, you cannot do any writing for a struck show. Both Jay's show and Jon's show are struck shows. So unless they made those jokes up in the moment, which they may well have, then they are skirting the issue a bit. SIEGEL: But NBC says that there's an exception if you're writing jokes for yourself, that that doesn't count. BOWMAN: Well, if you're writing jokes for yourself and you're not a WGA member, that's true. SIEGEL: Now, Jon Stewart told a joke about the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. I haven't gone back to do an extensive title search of this joke, but it's possible that similar jokes about whiteness and weather(ph) were made in previous primary seasons. If he's telling a joke that we can find some reasonable ancestry for, is that strike-breaking? BOWMAN: I think every joke has an ancestor. I haven't seen a new one under the sun. So they are both in a very difficult position. If you are a WGA member, you are not supposed to be telling prepared material, period. Now, the question is - we'll go through each one internally and see what we think they have and haven't done. But you know, we'd obviously prefer not to prosecute them, but we will issue them some warnings. SIEGEL: But non-prepared material - I mean, we'd have to assume that somebody who is a creative comedian, like Leno or Jon Stewart, is walking around half the time mentally preparing jokes. BOWMAN: Exactly. You've just said exactly how difficult it would be to try to actually (unintelligible) them up for any committee. And that's the last thing that we want to do. We're not the Committee for Public Safety. We're a guild that is on strike against very powerful companies. We're not interested, really, in prosecuting our own members, but we do want our members to abide by our guidelines. It's the only way that we can bring the strike to an end. SIEGEL: But you're not going to go knee-capping people who've come up with jokes and e-mail them to someone else? BOWMAN: We're not, no. SIEGEL: NBC says according to the minimum bargaining agreement, that some programs are excepted, have an exception, if they're not in primetime, and that Leno can write for himself and prepare for himself because it's not a primetime show. BOWMAN: Right. Well, anybody - if you're not a WGA member, you can do that. Like Johnny Carson, for instance, wasn't a WGA member even though he was a great joke writer. He could go back on and do a monologue that he wrote. And that wasn't a problem. SIEGEL: Okay. This strike has been going on for a long time. BOWMAN: Yes, it has. SIEGEL: Are you beginning to worry whether there might be audiences just lost to some of the programs that are being struck if you don't get some fresh material on pretty soon? BOWMAN: Oh, no, I completely agree that's a possibility. And I think it's a terrible situation to be in. And I hope the networks that employ us are as concerned about it as we are. But they walked away from the bargaining table, we didn't. And this can't get resolved until they come back to the bargaining table. SIEGEL: Well, John Bowman, thank you v", "There's a Jimi Hendrix song, \"Woke Up This Morning and Found Myself Dead.\" Well, I woke up the other morning and found myself unemployed. The Hollywood writers are on strike. Now, I'm guessing for most of the NPR audience, you're mildly interested in this labor dispute, but until somebody cuts off the flow of Ken Burns docs, you're not going to lose it. But here in Los Angeles, we're learning to live in the new normal: a house divided. One exec, who's a friend outside of work, wondered if it was legal for us to even have a conversation. The fear being the talk might touch on creative endeavors, an area of discussion now banned between studio types and writers. And believe me, in Hollywood, where all we ever talk about is entertainment, taking that topic off the table leaves a lot of people just sitting around staring at each other over sushi. But if we can't talk, we writers can certainly advocate, and do so with high spirits. Another friend told me he was going to base his decision about where to picket on which location was closest to his favorite bar. Now that's a writer! And with every writer expected to man the lines 20 hours a week, each and every week, it's good thinking, too. By the way, 20 hours — that's more time than I actually, physically spend writing. But even in these heady first days before the pain of trench warfare sets in, there are realities of this new normal to be dealt with. Realities like Strike Rule No. 8, or as it is euphemistically referred to, the Script Validation Program. The SVP run by our union, the Writers Guild of America, requires writers to submit copies of all literary material in progress to the guild at the outset of a strike. It supposedly ensures that no further work is surreptitiously done. Writers are given four days from the start of the strike to comply or face penalties. Wednesday would be day three. And like many in the working membership of the WGA, I got a pleasant, nicely worded but very legalistic letter from a production company I have a deal with — cc'd to my lawyer — reminding me the scripts I'm working on are the property of that company and cannot be disseminated to a third party without prior permission. Rock. Hard place. Now, seriously, the Script Validation Program — which is just a tad Orwellian for my taste — is also at the heart the eternal question of who owns intellectual property: the production entity that pays for it or the guild that takes it upon itself to protect the writer. What's most interesting to me is that neither side seems to feel the writers as individuals can protect their own creative property when it is in their possession. Now this is a question I vow to ponder for the remainder of the strike at my favorite bar ... in Las Vegas.", "The big Hollywood awards shows — the Golden Globes and the Oscars — are coming soon. Striking screenwriters have already said they won't allow writers to script the Globes and that they will picket. It may be the same for the Oscars, too. Guild members are wondering whether actors and directors will cross the picket lines.", "A pay dispute in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has cancelled performances and the musicians are standing outdoors in picket lines. The musicians say they were locked out after they rejected a contract offer from the symphony earlier this week. Symphony officials dispute that. Tom Weber of member station KWMU reports.", "At an emotional argument before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, the justices struggled with a case testing whether picketers at a military funeral may be sued for inflicting emotional distress on the family of a dead soldier. The case, Snyder v. Phelps, pits the father of a Marine killed in Iraq against seven religious picketers who demonstrated at the soldier's funeral with signs that read \"God hates fags\" and \"You're going to hell.\" Though the Marine wasn't gay, the picketers say they were carrying God's message to condemn \"sodomite enablers.\" The picketers, all members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., traveled with their pastor, Fred Phelps, to Maryland to demonstrate at the funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who died in Iraq. They have picketed at hundreds of other military funerals in recent years, preaching their message that the casualties of war are God's punishment for society tolerating, and even embracing, homosexuality. Context Cpl. Snyder's father, Albert Snyder, sued the picketers for intentional infliction of emotional distress and won a $5 million judgment, but a federal appeals court threw out the award, declaring that even outrageous and offensive opinion is protected by the First Amendment right of free speech. Inside the courtroom, Snyder's lawyer, Sean Summers, told the justices that \"if context ever matters, it matters at a funeral.\" But some justices pointed out that the picketers had obeyed all police instructions and stood 1,000 feet away from the church. Moreover, they noted that part of Snyder's emotional distress claim involves a derogatory Internet posting that he came across a month after the funeral. \"Suppose there had been no funeral protest, just the Internet posting,\" asked Justice Antonin Scalia. \"Would you still have had a claim for damages?\" Summers answered yes, because of the \"personal, targeted epithets directed at the Snyder family.\" Moreover, he contended that just because the picketers were in compliance with the criminal law does not mean they are immune to lawsuits for civil damages. Drawing The Line Justice Stephen Breyer noted that Snyder had not seen the picketers' signs at the funeral, that he only saw the signs when he viewed TV coverage afterward. So, the justice asked, where do we draw the line on when you can sue for damages, and when you can't? It was a refrain heard repeatedly throughout the argument. Summers repeatedly contended that the private, targeted nature of the speech is what makes it unprotected by the First Amendment. But Chief Justice John Roberts wondered obliquely whether it was the content of the speech that was objectionable. \"So you have no objection to a sign that said get out of Iraq?\" Summers replied that he indeed would have no objection to such signs carried by picketers at a funeral. Justice Scalia pounced on that answer, observing, \"So the intrusion upon the privacy of the funeral isn't really what you are complaining about.\" Justice Sonia Sotomayor moved back to the line-drawing dilemma asking: If you were a Marine and I went up to you, objecting to the Iraq war, and I said that \"you are perpetuating the horrors\" of that war, would the Marine have grounds to sue? Summers first said yes, then no. Free Speech Justice Elena Kagan noted that the court has long been protective of even outrageous opinions because to impose damages based on a jury's tastes, likes or dislikes is to undermine the whole idea of free speech. Why, she asked, wouldn't a general statute that simply bars demonstrations within 500 feet of a funeral take care of the problem? Justice Samuel Alito interjected that a law like that wouldn't bar someone from coming up to Snyder at the funeral and spitting in his face. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg caustically pointed out that \"you would have to be a lot closer than the law allows to spit in someone's face.\" If Summers, representing Snyder, had a difficult time of it, Margie Phelps, representing the picketers, faced even tougher questioning. Phelps is the daughter of Pastor Phelps, the lead picketer in the case. And the justices threw one hypothetical after another at her. First Amendment \"Suppose your group or some other group picks a wounded soldier and follows him around, demonstrates at his home, his workplace, at his church,\" postulated Justice Kagan. Suppose in doing that, they are saying offensive and outrageous things similar to those spouted by the protesters in this case. Does that soldier have a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress? Phelps answered that \"any nonspeech activity like stalking, importuning, being confrontational\" could indeed justify a damage suit. Kagan followed up, asking whether there could be a claim for demonstrations, without disruption, at a person's home, workplace or church. Phelps said that in that case, there would be no basis for a lawsuit. Justice Ginsburg neatly summed up the issue in its most basic terms: \"This is a case about exploiting a ", "As the days get colder and the sun sets earlier, sometimes you just want a powerful (if not angry) song to pump you up. Just in time for the chilly temperatures, pop artist Kimbra has released the funky, victorious \"Top of the World.\" The song and accompanying video are decidedly different than \"Everybody Knows,\" the first song the New Zealander issued from her upcoming album Primal Heart. In the lighter, softer \"Everybody Knows,\" Kimbra calls for vulnerability and reflection on a past toxic relationship, and the video finds her in a white dress in a field. In contrast, \"Top of the World\" is tinged with angst. In the video, Kimbra breaks down concrete columns and dances in their ruins, changing her black clothing at each interval and demanding to be seen from her place at the top. Kimbra's vocals are also angrier, and she almost speaks instead of sings in the verses. The song blends pop and R&B elements, heavy with deep synths and steady drums, and the bridge combines nearly every piece of the song into a chaotic swell. In a moment of realization about the people she once trusted, she laments, \"They built me up to be beaten,\" in a subdued voice. The lyrics also carry gendered religious imagery. Kimbra refers to herself as a messiah and a god, terms that not only imply an otherworldly power but also are usually reserved for men. The bridge includes the line, \"We break from the gardens, I wanted to follow you,\" conjuring up the woman blamed for the demise of the Garden of Eden. The line is sung in a lighter voice before the chorus reminds her to focus on her present victory instead of the past. Sometimes the best armor is a good \"girl power\" song, and this tune does just that. The line, \"See me with white picket fences / Now watch me build up my palace,\" delivered with a light laugh, recalls \"Settle Down,\" her 2010 song written from the perspective of a woman dreaming of becoming a housewife. In \"Top of the World,\" she tells the listener to \"see her run with the girls\" on their way to the top. It's an aggressive, confident step forward into the future, leaving behind broken promises and lost trust. Primal Heart is out Jan. 19, 2018, via Warner Bros. Records (pre-order).", "The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that protesters at military funerals cannot be sued for inflicting emotional distress on the family of a dead soldier. The vote was 8 to 1. When Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder was killed in Iraq, his funeral in Westminster, Md., drew thousands to pay their respects. But it also drew a protest from the Rev. Fred Phelps and six other members of the Westboro Baptist Church, based in Topeka, Kan. Phelps and other church members have traveled the country for years, picketing hundreds of military funerals to communicate their belief that \"God hates the USA\" for its tolerance of homosexuality, particularly in the military. The picketers did not contend that Snyder was gay. Rather, their message, as Phelps puts it, was that \"the whole country is given over to sodomy and to sodomite enablers.\" The picketers followed their usual practice at the Snyder funeral. They alerted police in advance and followed instructions to set up their protest on public property, at a site 1,000 feet away from the church, near the vehicle entrance. Though the protest was peaceful and ended before the funeral began, the picketers carried signs with messages offensive to many, including \"Thank God for Dead Soldiers,\" \"Fags Doom Nations\" and \"America Is Doomed.\" Albert Snyder, the father of the dead Marine, did not see the signs until later when he viewed TV coverage. He says the picketers turned his son's funeral into a circus, taking away his \"last moment\" with his son. \"This was a funeral. This wasn't a parade going down the street. I shouldn't have to look away from anything at my own child's funeral,\" Snyder says. \"That's absurd.\" Snyder sued Phelps and his church for intentional infliction of emotional distress. \"These people targeted me and my family, and they have done this to over 200 other military men and women's families,\" Snyder says, his voice rising. \"I want to know how you would feel if somebody stood 30 feet away from the main vehicle entrance of a church where you're trying to bury your mother, with a sign that says, 'Thank God for dead sluts.' You tell me that shouldn't be illegal. Is 'fag' any worse than 'slut'?\" A jury agreed with Snyder and awarded him $5 million in damages. But the Supreme Court set aside that verdict Wednesday. Writing for the court majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said that as repugnant as many of the signs were, they were still plainly related to public, rather than private, matters. They focused on \"the political and moral conduct of the United States and its citizens,\" he said, and speech of such public concern is protected by the First Amendment. Although Westboro may have chosen to protest the funeral to gain publicity for its views, said the chief justice, and although those views may be particularly hurtful to the dead soldier's father, that does not mean the church members' right of free speech can be curtailed or punished. And a jury award amounts to punishment, Roberts contended, by imposing a penalty for expressing an unpopular viewpoint. \"Speech is powerful,\" Roberts said in conclusion. \"It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and — as it did here — inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker. As a nation we have chosen a different course — to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.\" Reaction to the decision was markedly muted, given the outrage voiced by veterans groups and politicians at the time the case was argued in the Supreme Court. The Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate, along with 40 other members of Congress, filed a brief on Snyder's side. But on Wednesday, reaction on Capitol Hill was nowhere to be found, except in a couple of written statements. Lawyer Gene Schaerr, who filed a brief in the case for the American Legion, said he was heartened by the fact that the court specifically mentioned that 43 states have enacted laws that put a buffer zone of 100 feet or more around funeral sites. Such laws would not have affected the protest in this case, since protesters were 1,000 feet away. Nonetheless, says Schaerr, the decision \"sends a clear signal to the lower courts that they should not interpret anything in this opinion as casting any doubt about those statutes.\" The court, however, specifically left open that question, noting that restrictions on the time, place and manner of protests are appropriate in some circumstances. Wednesday's 8-to-1 ruling came as no surprise to First Amendment scholars, both right and left. They note that the decision is in line with many court decisions protecting the rights of fringe groups — from Nazis marching in Skokie, Ill., to flag burners at a Republican convention in Texas. University of Chicago law professor Geoffrey Stone notes that Wednesday's ruling fits neatly into that tradition, calling it a \"classic case.\" The only surprise, maintained Stone", "A florist is forced to let members of her staff go because of the strike. Others in similar situations blame the picketers. ALEX CHADWICK, host: And now an update on a story from yesterday. And it is good news for Cindy Lou Who. The musical version of \"How the Grinch Stole Christmas\" is reopening Friday on Broadway. Here's Jeff Lunden from New York. JEFF LUNDEN: New York State Supreme Court Justice Helen Freedman declared one Grinch is enough as she ruled in favor of the producers of \"The Grinch.\" The show had been the first to be picketed when the stagehands went on strike on November 10th. But \"The Grinch\" has a special agreement with all of Broadway's unions to present up to 15 performances a week during its limited holiday season engagement, so the stagehands relented and took down their picket lines. Jujamcyn Theaters, which owns the venue where the Grinch plays, refused to let the production reopen until the strike was settled. But now, by court order, they'll have to open the doors for Friday's 11:00 a.m. performance. For NPR News, I'm Jeff Lunden in New York.", "NPR blogger and commentator John Ridley says the Hollywood writers' strike has already had quite an effect on life in Los Angeles — even on what can be talked about over lunch. Ridley also finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place. A union rule requires members to turn in copies of works in progress during the strike, but a production company he works with claims the scripts he's working on are its property. STEVE INSKEEP, host: Commentator and screenwriter John Ridley is not taking to mowing lawns yet, but he is taking notes. JOHN RIDLEY: There's a Hendrix song, woke up this morning and found myself dead. Well, I woke up the other morning and found myself unemployed. And now, I'm guessing for most of the NPR audience, you're mildly interested in this labor dispute. But until some cuts off the flow of Kim Burns' docks, you're not going to lose it. But here in Los Angeles, we're learning to live in the new normal, a house divided. One exec, who's a friend outside of work, wondered if it were legal for us to even have a conversation. The fear being the talk might touch on creative endeavors — an area of discussion now banned between studio types and writers. And believe me, in Hollywood where all we ever talk about is entertainment taking that topic off the table leaves a lot of people just sitting around, staring at each other over sushi. But if we can't talk, we writers can certainly advocate and do so with high spirits. Another friend told me he was going to base his decision on where to picket on which location was closest to his favorite bar. Now, that's a writer. And with every writer expected to man the lines 20 hours a week, each and every week, it's good thinking too. By the way, 20 hours, that's more time than I actually physically spend writing. But even in these heady first days before the pain trench warfare sets in, there are realities of this new normal to be dealt with. Realities like, strike rule number eight, which is euphemistically referred to as the script validation program. The SVP, run by our union, requires writers to submit all scripts in progress to the guild at the outset of a strike. It supposedly ensures that no further work is surreptitiously done. Writers are given four days from the start of the strike to comply or face penalties. Today would be day three. Unlike many actual working membership of the WGA, I got a pleasant, nicely worded, but very legalistic letter from a production company I have a deal with, cc to my lawyer, reminding me the scripts I'm working on are the property of their company and cannot be disseminated to a third party without prior permission. Rock-hard place. Now - seriously, the script validation program, which, by the way, is just a tad or well-in for my taste, is also at the heart of the eternal question of who owns intellectual property — the production entity, which pays for it, or the guild, which takes it upon itself to protect the writer. What's most interesting to me is that neither side seems to feel the writer, as an individual can protect their own creative property when it's in their possession. Now, this is a question I vowed to ponder for the remainder of the strike at my favorite bar in Las Vegas. (Soundbite of music) INSKEEP: The script that I'm looking at says the following. He may be in Las Vegas, but you can find John Ridley's blog, Visible Man, and comment on it at npr.org.", "Chicago teachers will hit the picket line Thursday morning. The teachers' union voted to go on strike after delegates rejected the school district's contract proposals.", "Picketing writers in Hollywood are doing something different at Warner Bros. Studios. Veteran writers put down their signs each Thursday to teach their younger counterparts about writing for TV. If it doesn't work the first or second time, it's never going to work, is one of the lessons learned. Brian Watt of member station KPCC reports. ALEX CHADWICK, host: Back now with DAY TO DAY. The Hollywood writers strike is entering its 13th week and there is a news blackout, but that may actually be good because after weeks of silence the studios and the writers are having a series of off-the-record chats that began on Friday, and that has the industry hoping for a settlement. MADELEINE BRAND, host: Still, the pickets continue. And out on the picket line a new kind of conversation has begun. From member station KPCC, Brian Watt reports. BRIAN WATT: No bull horns or loud rousing chants on the picket line at Warner Brothers. The talk was just loud enough to hear over periodic car horns. It was all about writing. Not just the craft, but... Ms. JENNIFER GLICKMAN (Writer): Getting along in this business, just even how to be a productive member of a staff, whether it is a drama or a comedy. WATT: Jennifer Glickman is a staff writer on the CBS comedy \"The Big Bang Theory.\" She and a few other writers initiated Teaching Thursdays outside gate 2. Aspiring screenwriters, even if they're not in the guild, can picket as they pick the brains of veterans like Glickman. Ms. GLICKMAN: I've been on 12 different shows in 13 years, so I feel like I have, you know, a wealth of information to share, maybe mostly about what not to do. (Soundbite of laughter) WATT: What should you not do? Ms. GLICKMAN: Let's see, this is not based only on my experience. (Soundbite of laughter) Ms. GLICKMAN: It's one thing to believe in your idea; it's another thing to say it like 12 times until somebody wants to remove you from the premises. Mr. DAVID ZABEL (Writer): That's true, that's very true. You're like if it didn't work the first time and it didn't work the second time, you know, then it's definitely not going to work the third time, so let it go. WATT: The guy chiming in is David Zabel. He's a show runner for NBC's medical drama \"ER.\" On this Teaching Thursday, he talked about what it's like to write for medical dramas. Mr. ZABEL: Not just storylines within episodes but maybe arcs over many episodes, and the interaction between what's going on in the real world of health care and medicine and the drama of the show. (Soundbite of car horns) WATT: Twenty-year-old Jeff Tuck isn't a guild member yet, but he wants to be. He got a chance to learn from Dr. Zoanne Clack, a physician, consultant and writer-producer on ABC's \"Grey's Anatomy.\" Mr. JEFF TUCK: Do you start with we have this diagnosis, we have this disease we want to go to and then create a story out of that? Or do you guys have a story, then you find an ailment to go along with it? Dr. ZOANNE CLACK (Writer): It can be either one. Sometimes we'll have a very specific disease that we want to track. Sometimes we'll have a story and we need to find the medicine to back up the story. WATT: It's only been three months since Jeff Tuck packed his belongings and drove to Tinseltown from Michigan. Until he heard about the walking seminars, he'd been reluctant to join the picketing. Mr. TUCK: Because I don't want to be the guy on the line who's trying to network. I don't - because this is important. I mean, and this - what they're doing here, what we're doing here is important, and so I didn't want to network. But if it's an opportunity like, okay, you come down and we'll teach you and if that's what it is, then I don't feel weird about like, hey, how you doing and out hobnobbing. WATT: If the strike continues through this Thursday, Tuck can look forward to learning about writing for multi-camera sitcoms. For NPR News, I'm Brian Watt.", "Wednesday is day three in the television and film writers' strike. Late-night talk shows were the first to go off the air on Monday, but now a number of scripted programs are also halting production. Strikers picketed for a second day on Tuesday, getting some support from the Teamsters. Outside the Sony Pictures lot, picketers were heartened when a driver refused to cross the line. Meanwhile, sitcoms shot in front of studio audiences have been closing down because scripts are written just before filming. Among them is Fox's Back to You with Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. CBS is halting shows, including Two and Half Men and The Big Bang Theory. At least one hour-long drama, Desperate Housewives, is also shutting down. In addition, an increasing number of writer-producers who were expected to perform non-writing duties — such as, supervising filming of previously written scripts — have announced that they will not work at all. That list includes Shonda Rhimes of Grey's Anatomy and Carlton Cuse of Lost. STEVE INSKEEP, host: We're in the middle of an experiment this week. We are finding out how long television can go on without anything to say. A writers' strike is on, late-night talk shows are off, and now, some scripted programs are stopping production. NPR's Kim Masters reports. KIM MASTERS: Strikers continue to picket for a second day on Tuesday, getting some support from the teamsters. Outside the Sony Pictures' lot, picketers were heartened when a driver refused to cross the line. Mr. LEV(ph) RAQUE(ph) (Writer, \"Cavemen\"): He was a milk truck driver and he would not drive his truck onto the lot. He told them they had to come and get their stuff out of the truck. And it was incredible. Unidentified Man: That jackass will have black coffee today. MASTERS: That was Lev Raque, a writer for \"Cavemen\" with fellow picketers. Meanwhile, sitcoms shot in front of studio audiences had been closing down because scripts for those shows are written just before filming. Among them, Fox's \"Back to You\" with Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. (Soundbite of show, \"Back to You\") Mr. KELSEY GRAMMER (Actor): (As Chuck Darling) And that's the news. Good night, sister. Ms. PATRICIA HEATON (Actress): (As Kelly Carr) Good night. Mr. GRAMMER: (As Chuck Darling) That was some bad banter. Ms. HEATON: (As Kelly Carr) Terrible. Unidentified Man #1: (As Character) The worst. Mr. GRAMMER: (As Chuck Darling) Bad banter. Unidentified Man #2: (As Character) All right. MASTERS: CBS is halting shows, including \"Two and a Half Men\" and \"Big Bang Theory.\" At least one hour-long drama, ABC's \"Desperate Housewives\" is also shutting down. And an increasing number of writer-producers who are expected to perform non-writing duties, such as supervising, filming of previously written scripts, have announced that they will not work at all. The list includes Shonda Rhimes of \"Grey's Anatomy\" and Carlton Cuse of \"Lost.\" Kim Masters, NPR News.", "A strike by Broadway's musicians union wins supports from actors and stagehands, who pledge to honor the picket lines. Producers are forced to cancel many weekend musicals. The dispute focuses on computerized \"virtual orchestras\" and efforts to abolish a guaranteed minimum number of live musicians for each show. Jeff Lunden reports.", "Denver teachers will be back on the picket line for the third day on Wednesday after the two sides failed to reach a deal Tuesday night. It's the first such strike in Denver in 25 years.", "David Letterman and Jay Leno return to TV Wednesday night. Since the Writers Guild of America went on strike almost two months ago, the late-night talk shows have been in reruns. Letterman and the Late, Late Show's, Craig Ferguson, will have writers off the picket lines and writing them jokes because Letterman's company owns both shows. MELISSA BLOCK, host: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Melissa Block. Striking screen writers are back on the picket lines today. And David Letterman and Jay Leno are back on TV tonight. Since the Writers Guild of America went on strike almost two months ago, the late night talk shows have been in reruns. Well, tonight, Letterman returns with his writers, while Leno will have to do without. Both shows will feature some high-profile political guests. NPR's Kim Masters is following the writers strike and has this report. KIM MASTERS: Bill Scheft is a writer for \"Late Night with David Letterman.\" He says he'll return to work today with extremely mixed feelings. Mr. BILL SCHEFT (Writer, \"Late Night with David Letterman\"): Believe me, we are mindful of the 11,000 people that don't get to go back to work. MASTERS: Scheft intends to keep walking the picket line even though his back to writing. He also promises that tonight's show, and perhaps many others in the future, will be aimed directly at the networks that make up the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Mr. SCHEFT: I can't think of anything that will be on tonight that will not address the strike. MASTERS: But the Writers Guild now faces an awkward situation. David Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants, owns his show. Last week, that company made a deal with the guild and met the union's key demands, so Letterman returns with these writers providing the jokes. So does Craig Ferguson because Letterman's company also owns his show. Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien do not own their shows. Their network, NBC, does. So they cannot make a deal with the union and both must go on the air without pre-written material. Patric Verrone is president of the Writers Guild's western branch, and he was walking the picket line outside the NBC Studios in Los Angeles today. Mr. PATRIC VERRONE (President, Writers Guild West): Now that we have Letterman and Craig Ferguson back on the air with their writers and getting guests that don't have to cross the picket line, we think ABC and NBC feel the pressure. MASTERS: But the risk is clear. Some writers could break ranks if they feel it's unfair for Letterman's writers to go back to work while those employed by his main competitor must stay off the job. Verrone says it was a difficult call, but he thinks most union members support the guild's tactics. Certainly, that was true of the head writer on Jay Leno's show, Joe Medeiros, who also showed up to picket at NBC. Mr. JOE MEDEIROS (Head Writer, \"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno\"): Personally, it's a little tough. But, you know, in the scheme of things, you know, it's good that a company has signed the deal. We need more companies to sign it. We need somebody big like NBC Universal to step up to the plate and put us back to work. MASTERS: Tonight's competition from Letterman will include an appearance by Robin Williams in a taped cameo by presidential contender Hillary Clinton from Iowa. Letterman appears with a beard, as does NBC's Conan O'Brien. He will lament his writerless state. (Soundbite of show \"Late Night with Conan O'Brien\") Mr. CONAN O'BRIEN (Host, \"Late Night with Conan O'Brien\"): We have no writers and we have an hour show, a one-hour show to do every night. MASTERS: Jay Leno's guest is presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. He's a funny guy for a politician, but Michael Winship, president of the Writers Guild's eastern branch is hoping that Leno and other hosts without writers will be at a very obvious disadvantage. Mr. MICHAEL WINSHIP (President, Writers Guild East): I think anything is possible if we can go by the experience of the 1988 strike when David Letterman was being shaved on the air and featuring accordion solos. We'll just have to see what they come up with. It might be quite a contortion act. MASTERS: Letterman writer Bill Scheft hopes that tonight's show is just a beginning of a comedy assault that will drive the networks back to bargaining table. He knows audiences could get tired of hearing about the writer situation, but expects the material will be entertaining enough that they won't. Mr. SCHEFT: Dave, he is still talking about his heart surgery. He's still talking about the Academy Awards from 1995. You know, as long as it's funny, it's okay. MASTERS: Will it be funnier than the competition? Only those with TiVo will find it easy to make a quick comparison. Kim Masters, NPR News.", "The California theater company was born on the picket lines of the United Farm Workers Movement; its mission is to dramatize the struggles of everyday people and bring the stories to a wider audience.", "Thousands of nurses in Minnesota are on picket lines Thursday, staging a 24-hour strike. Their union says it could be the biggest in U.S. nursing history. The new, fast-growing nurses union is trying to counter cuts in pay and benefits and protest staffing levels.", "of one of Detroit's most bitter labor disputes. More than two-thousand workers at the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press are striking over job cuts and wages. Despite the picket lines and the support of six unions, both papers have continued to publish by using replacement workers.", "A bus drivers&#8217; strike in Phoenix, Arizona is making the daily commute for thousands of riders a lot longer this week. The picket line formed Friday morning and so far there’s no sign of a resolution. From Here & Now contributor KJZZ, Carrie Jung reports that 35 major city bus routes there are impacted. \nRead more on the story from KJZZ\n\nReporter\n\nCarrie Jung, senior field correspondent for KJZZ. She tweets @Jung_Carrie.", "Black blogger power was definitely in effect in 2007. Their posts helped spread the word about the Jena 6 case and pushed for BET to change its programming. Here to look back on some of the year's top stories of the year are bloggers Eisa Ulen, Nashieqa Washington of Your Black Friend and John McCann of Book of John. FARAI CHIDEYA, host: This is NEWS & NOTES. I'm Farai Chideya. Black blogger power was definitely in effect in '07. Bloggers did more than just write about the nights at the club or rant about their love life. They used the cyber world to make a change in the real world. Black blogs became a major source of information for African-Americans. Posts helped spread the word about the Jena Six case and pushed for BET to create more positive content. Here to look back on some of the top stories of the year, Nashieqa Washington from yourblackfriend.com. Also John McCann, he blogs at the Book of John. And Eisa Ulen, she's the creator of EisaUlen.com. Hi, folks. Ms. NASHIEQA WASHINGTON (Blogger, Your Black Friend): Hello. Ms. EISA ULEN (Creator, EisaUlen.com): Hi. Mr. JOHN MCCANN (Blogger, Book of John): Merry Christmas to you guys. Merry Christmas. CHIDEYA: Yes, thank you. And so let's do this whole retrospective thing where we look back at the best and worst of blogging in '07. Now, in the summer BET was launching this new line of shows. One of them was titled \"Hot Ghetto Mess\" and it was based on the Web site by the same name. The Web site features home videos that some say glorify racial stereotypes of black folks and black bloggers like Gina McCauley from What About Our Daughters bashed the show. BET said, however, said that the show actually criticizes ignorant behavior and here is what the host, Charlie Murphy, said in one episode. (Soundbite of TV Show, \"Hot Ghetto Mess\") Mr. CHARLIE MURPHY (Host, \"Hot Ghetto Mess\"): Before, you head out with your picket signs and your letters to the NAACP, just hear us out, okay? We want you to think of this show as a little tough love for America. We're here to put on blast those few individuals out there who would make life bad for all of us. And you know who I'm talking about. Those folks, black, white, or otherwise that do this. Unidentified Man: Get out of my business. CHIDEYA: So you got a situation there where you have maybe a little fig leaf for… (Soundbite of laughter) CHIDEYA: …what's going on on the corporate level? Nashieqa, what do you think? I mean, this was re-titled \"We Got to Do Better.\" Ms. WASHINGTON: Right. CHIDEYA: Does changing the title change the game? Ms. WASHINGTON: No, it didn't change the game. I've - kind of have a laugh in my voice because hearing Charlie Murphy just talk about this show and trying to explain it away as this whole, oh, it's an educational tool - that's funny to begin with. But, yeah, changing it to \"We Got to Do Better\" in order to - I'm not sure what point they were trying to make by that but no. It doesn't change anything. CHIDEYA: Eisa, how did this go over with you, personally? Ms. ULEN: Well I think the problem with this site and the short-run BET show is the voyeuristic titillation these stereotypical images induce. I mean, without real context, what's the point? And to follow up the line we got to do better, doesn't say how. How are you going to do better? That's the hard work. And neither the site nor the show did that. CHIDEYA: John, did you actually watch this and weigh in or how did you process this? Mr. McCANN: I didn't see it. I didn't weigh in on it. But I did hear about it. And all I can say is we're worried about Don Imus and what he said? (Soundbite of laughter) Mr. McCANN: This is clearly, I mean, BET is just trying to make the dollar and yeah, with Charlie Murphy trying to clear it up is just a bad attempt. CHIDEYA: Eisa, what about the whole corporate responsibility thing? There have been protesters actually picketing in front of the house of Deborah Lee who is the head of BET at this point. There's a question of whether or not that's crossing a line to go and picket at her home as opposed to at the office. But some people are completely fed up. How do you come down on the idea of whether or not a black network, which, of course, at this point is owned by Viacom has a certain responsibility to the community or is it really just about let's make a dollar? Ms. ULEN: Well, I would draw the line at picketing in front of someone's home especially when that person has children. I think that goes too far. But I think that people's outrage is certainly justified, the fact that BET, with its problematic track record, specifically regarded - regarding black women, was airing the show, just got everyone's antennae up even before its debut. And it's unfortunate that there's this sort of, you know, buying into and I used that term on purpose because of course we're talking about commerce and making dollars. Buying into these stereotypes by African-American producers and television e" ]

[ "CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines (CNN) -- Typhoon Parma crossed the northern tip of the already storm-battered Philippines Saturday afternoon and early Sunday, killing three people, according to local media. A NASA satellite image shows Typhoon Parma as it headed toward the Philippines on Friday. Parma made landfall Saturday afternoon in a rural region of fishermen and farmers in Luzon, the largest of the Philippine islands. Tens of thousands of people to fled their homes for safer shelter. Winds whipped the coastline and felled power lines in northernmost Cagayan Province. Debris littered the roads, making evacuations even more difficult. At 5 a.m. Sunday (5 p.m. Saturday ET), Parma, known locally as Typhoon Pepeng, had maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph) with gusts as high as 148 kilometers (92 mph) as the eye began to leave land, heading to the northeast, according to the U.S. Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Parma avoided a direct hit on heavily populated Manila, but the real menace in the Philippines capital was not wind. It was water, and there was no escape from it. Parma was expected to dump as much as 8 to 20 inches of rain in areas still water-logged from last week's Typhoon Ketsana. That storm resulted in the heaviest rainfall in 40 years and at one point, 80 percent of Manila was submerged. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro appealed to Filipinos to remain in shelters even if they were in cities and towns not directly in Parma's path. He said he was worried about massive flooding and possible mudslides in mountainous regions. The government deployed 10,000 troops to help with rescue and relief operations as frightened Filipinos prepared for the worst. World Vision, the Christian humanitarian organization, was planning to launch relief operations Saturday evening in Isabela Province, one of the areas slammed by Parma. The group also plans assistance for nearby Cagayan province, whose capital, Tuguegarao, is being hit hard by Parma's strong winds. Arturo Fidelino, a telecommunications executive in Manila, described panicked people rushing to stock up on essential goods -- drinking water, canned food and electrical supplies. \"We had a traumatic experience when we had Ketsana,\" he said. \"We don't want that to happen again.\" President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo placed the country \"under the state of calamity.\" Macapagal-Arroyo said disaster-relief crews in vulnerable areas must be equipped with life-saving kits, boats, portable generators and trucks. Ketsana, which swallowed whole houses and buses over the weekend, killed 246 in the Philippines. It later strengthened into a typhoon. An additional 38 are missing, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said. The storm affected nearly 2 million people and forced the evacuation of 567,000. CNN's Eunice Yoon and Pamela Boykoff in Cabantuan City, and Josh Levs in Atlanta contributed to this report." ]

[ "On Wednesday, the United States government looked perilously close to hitting its debt ceiling -- the limit on the amount Washington can borrow to pay its bills. While Americans watched as the specter of a potential debt default and continuation of the government shutdown approached, life went on as usual in the rest of the world. Here are five stories you may have missed. Death toll from Philippines quake rises . Philippine authorities raised the death toll from Tuesday's 7.1 magnitude earthquake to 144. The quake was centered near a town in Bohol province, in the central Philippines, where the bulk of casualties were recorded. Almost 300 people were injured and local media said authorities were checking reports that people were trapped in collapsed buildings. Iran holds nuclear talks with the P5+1 . Representatives from Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- plus Germany -- concluded a meeting in Geneva on Iran's nuclear program by releasing a joint statement. Many in the West fear Iran is pursuing the development of a nuclear bomb, but Iran has always maintained that it is developing nuclear energy capabilities for peaceful purposes only. The joint statement described the talks as \"substantive and forward-looking,\" but details were scarce. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the Iranians had put forward a new proposal \"with a level of seriousness and substance that we had not seen before.\" Discussions are scheduled to resume on November 7 and 8. Passenger plane crashes in Laos . A Lao Airlines passenger plane flying from Laos' capital, Vientiane, crashed as it prepared to land at Pakse Airport, near the border with Thailand. Forty-nine people -- 44 passengers and 5 crew -- were killed in the crash. They included 16 Laotian passengers and five crew, seven French, six Australians, five Thais, three Koreans, two Vietnamese, an American, a Canadian, a Chinese, a Malaysian and one Taiwanese, an airline spokesman said. It was raining at the time of the crash and the spokesman said later that gusts from the remnant of a typhoon appeared to have caused the pilots to lose control of the aircraft. At least 18 die in Tokyo typhoon . Typhoon Wipha pummeled the Tokyo region, killing at least 18 people and leaving more than 40 missing. The majority of deaths occurred after heavy rain triggered flooding and landslides that blocked roads and crushed houses in Oshima, a small island 120km (75 miles) south of the Japanese capital, a local official said. The typhoon cut power to more than 56,000 households and led to the cancellation of more than 500 flights, as well as the suspension of bullet train services in central and northern Japan. Fatwa allows Syrians to eat cats and dogs during Eid . Fighting continued in Syria on the second day of Islam's Eid al-Adha -- or Feast of Sacrifice -- holiday. At least 53 people -- including 13 children and four women -- were killed, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria reported. Meanwhile, Arabic media reported that an imam in the capital Damascus had issued a religious ruling allowing the desperately hungry to eat dogs and cats, where stores of food were inadequate. Eating dog, cat or donkey is forbidden under Islamic dietary laws.", "Tacloban, Philippines (CNN) -- The Philippines struggled to bury the dead and get food, water and medicine to the living Tuesday, four days after Super Typhoon Haiyan claimed untold lives and flattened countless buildings. \"Right now, we don't have enough water,\" typhoon survivor Roselda Sumapit told CNN in Tacloban, a city of more than 200,000 that was flattened by the storm. What they can get may not be clean, she said -- but she added, \"We still drink it, because we need to survive.\" The government's confirmed death toll was 1,774 early Tuesday, said Jose Lampe Cuisa Jr., the Philippine ambassador to the United States. The storm has injured 2,487 more, and displaced 660,000 people from their homes. Government officials have said they fear the final toll may be as many as 10,000. Corpses -- some crudely covered, others left exposed to the burning sun -- added another hellish element to survival in Tacloban, the capital of the southern island province of Leyte. \"We have bodies in the water, bodies on the bridges, bodies on the side of the road,\" said Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross. Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez said authorities there have confirmed 250 deaths and expect that toll to climb. \"A lot of bodies were mixed up with all the rubble and debris, and we're getting reports also of some houses that were buried. And we see some bodies floating,\" Romualdez said. Another 14 people were reported to have died in Vietnam, where the storm made landfall after hitting the Philippines, the country's National Search and Rescue Committee reported early Tuesday. Another four were missing and 81 hurt, it said. And there were at least five storm-related deaths in southern China, where heavy rains caused flooding, destroyed houses and damaged farmland, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. In the Phillipines, troops and aid organizations battled blocked roads to deliver help and search for survivors in the splintered wreckage of homes. Tomoo Hozumi, the Philippines representative of the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, said food, shelter, clean water and basic sanitation were \"in a severe shortage\" early Tuesday. \"The situation on the ground is very hideous,\" he told CNN's The Situation Room. The Philippine government reported early Tuesday that 2.5 million people needed food aid, including nearly 300,000 pregnant women or new mothers. \"Our house got demolished. My father died after being hit by falling wooden debris,\" one woman told the Philippine television network ANC. \"We are calling for your help. If possible, please bring us food. We don't have anything to eat.\" International aid was beginning to work its way to the stricken islands. But Martin Romualdez, the area's congressman, said authorities need help clearing roads where power lines, trees and whole houses are \"literally strewn across the pavement of the highway.\" Romualdez, the cousin of Tacloban's mayor, said airdrops may be needed to reach towns beyond Tacloban. \"We can't wait. People have gone three days without any clean water, food and medication,\" he told CNN's Piers Morgan Live. \"People are getting desperate. There's an exodus out of the storm-ravaged areas. People are just trying to make their way out, and it's causing a big, big jam on the main arteries that are used to get to these people.\" Gordon said the threat of landslides and flash flooding further complicated the problem, and said police were needed to guard aid shipments: \"Any truck, any helicopter that lands is going to be surrounded by people in need,\" he told CNN's Anderson Cooper 360. Compounding the misery, a new tropical depression dumped heavy rain on the area Tuesday morning. The system, dubbed Zoraida by the Philippine meteorological agency, was centered southeast of the southern island of Mindanao, moving northwest with top winds of 55 kilometers per hour (35 mph). Dramatic vignettes show desperation, hope . 'Worse than hell' Haiyan struck Friday, sending a wall of water crashing into neighborhoods of wooden houses along the Gulf of Leyte and flinging large ships ashore like toys. Its top winds were estimated at 315 kph (195 mph) -- a figure that could set a new record for tropical cyclones if confirmed. Magina Fernandez, who was trying to get out of Tacloban at the city's crippled airport, described the situation there as \"worse than hell.\" \"Get international help to come here now -- not tomorrow, now,\" she said, directing some of her anger at Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, who toured some of the hardest-hit areas Sunday. Aid pledges began to pour in on Monday -- $25 million from the United Nations, 3 million euros ($4 million) from the European Union, 10 million pounds ($16 million) from Britain and $10 million from the United Arab Emirates, home to a large population of expatriate Filipino workers. U.N. and U.S. civilian disaster assessment teams were on the scene. U.S. Marines based in Japan worked to outfit Tacloban's shattered airport with lights, radar and other gear to allow it to operate 24 hours a day. The United States also announced that the aircraft carrier USS George Washington and three escort ships have been dispatched to the Philippines to assist in recovery efforts. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered the carrier to head for the islands at \"best speed\" from Hong Kong, where it was on a port visit, the Pentagon said. Two other American vessels, including a supply ship, are already headed for the Phillippines, the Pentagon said. The U.S. Agency for International Development is sending emergency shelter materials and basic hygiene supplies to aid 10,000 families as well as 55 metric tons of emergency rations sufficient to feed 20,000 children and 15,000 adults for up to five days. Both shipments were expected to arrive this week, the agency said. And British Prime Minister David Cameron announced Monday night that his government was also sending a cargo plane and the destroyer HMS Daring to assist, he said. Typhoon Haiyan: Reports from the field . Difficult to assess death toll . But Tacloban is far from the only devastated area. Authorities are trying to establish the level of destruction elsewhere along Haiyan's path, and other settlements along the coast are likely to have suffered a similar fate to Tacloban's. Interactive map of the storm . Aid workers said the recovery from Haiyan will take many months. \"This disaster on such a scale will probably have us working for the next year,\" said Sandra Bulling, international communications officer for the aid agency CARE. \"Fishermen have lost their boats. Crops are devastated. This is really the basic income of many people.\" Across the Gulf of Leyte lies Samar, where Haiyan made its first of six deadly landfalls on the Philippines on Friday. Government and aid officials say they are still trying to reach many affected communities on that island. A similar challenge exists farther west, on the islands of Cebu and Panay, which also suffered direct hits from the typhoon. Aquino declared a \"state of national calamity,\" which allows more latitude in rescue and recovery operations and gives the government power to set the prices of basic goods. Authorities are funneling aid on military planes to Tacloban's airport, which resumed limited commercial flights Monday. As aid workers, government officials and journalists came in, hundreds of residents waited in long lines hoping to get out. Tacloban stadium before and after . 'They've lost everything' The problems are the same in other stricken regions. \"The main challenges right now are related to logistics,\" said Praveen Agrawal of the U.N.'s World Food Programme, who returned to Manila from the affected areas Sunday. \"Roads are blocked, airports are destroyed.\" The need for food and water has led to increasingly desperate efforts. People have broken into grocery and department stores in Tacloban, and local businessman Richard Young said he and others had formed a group to protect their businesses. \"We have our firearms. We will shoot within our property,\" he said. Authorities have sent police and military reinforcements to try to bring the situation under control. Another dire scene played out in the city's only functioning hospital over the weekend. Doctors couldn't admit any more wounded victims because there wasn't enough room. Some injured lay in the hospital's cramped hallways seeking treatment. \"We haven't anything left to help people with,\" one doctor said. \"We have to get supplies in immediately.\" Complicating the search efforts is the lack of electricity in many parts of the storm's path. The northern part of Bogo, in the central Philippines, suffered a blackout Sunday, and authorities said it will take months to restore power. Storm moves onto Vietnam . Meteorologists said it will take further analysis to confirm whether Haiyan -- with gusts reported at first landfall to be up to 235 mph (375 kph) -- set a record. After leaving the Philippines, the storm lost power as it moved across the South China Sea over the weekend. It hit the coast of northern Vietnam early Monday and weakened as it moved inland. Vietnamese authorities had evacuated 800,000 people ahead of the typhoon, according to the United Nations. Aid workers said Vietnam was likely to avoid damage on the scale suffered by the Philippines but warned that heavy rain brought could cause flooding and landslides in northern Vietnam and southern China. Philippines gets more than its share of disasters . Paula Hancocks and Ivan Watson reported from Tacloban; Matt Smith reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Jethro Mullen, Catherine E. Shoichet, Neda Farshbaf, Andrew Stevens, Kristie Lu Stout, Aliza Kassim, Kevin Wang, Jessica King, Pedram Javaheri, David Simpson and Yousuf Basil contributed to this report.", "Kind-hearted Britons have donated an incredible £55million to help more than half a million people affected by the typhoon which devastated parts of the Philippines. The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) said its aid agencies have now reached almost 600,000 survivors across the country, providing much-needed clean water, food, medical care and materials for temporary shelter. A spokesman for the DEC said: 'The . generosity of the UK public has been overwhelming and will make a huge . difference to people's lives. Help at hand: Lieutenant CommanderTelio Elliott-Smith of HMS Daring helps to distribute pre-packed shelters to give to a small village on the island of Calagnaan, Philippines . A British airman from HMS Daring helps unload vital supplies to crisis-hit communities on Canas, Calagnaan and Tulunanaun islands in the Philippines . Royal Navy sailors distribute aid packages on the island of Guintacan which suffered extensive damage to buildings and during Typhoon Haiyan . Relief: A Royal Navy helicopter makes a drop on the island of Gunitacan. HMS Daring has brought a medical team from Save The Children to set up clinics around the main villages . Filipino Villagers and crew members from HMS Daring form a human chain to load humanitarian aid supplies onto a barge for victims of Typhoon Haiyan . Cash raised through the Philippines Typhoon Appeal is helping to fund crucial aid in some of the worst hit parts of the islands. The scale of the disaster remains enormous with more than 13 million people now known to be affected, the DEC said. Four . million people have been forced to leave their homes since Typhoon . Haiyan struck almost two weeks ago, while the death toll is expected to . exceed 10,000. Aid . agencies are focusing on reaching the most remote areas of the country, . after facing difficulties with debris on roads and poor access to ports . and airports. Access is now improving, however, as debris is being cleared from roads and bridges are repaired, the DEC said. Speaking . on behalf of the 14 UK charities which make up the DEC, chief executive . Saleh Saeed said: \"Thanks to the people of the UK, aid agencies have . been able to help save lives. We can and must do more. 'It . will take months and years for people to recover and we will . immediately start helping people with better shelter and the means to . rebuild their lives. Aid: Lieutenant Commander talks to a village elder with two medical volunteers from Save the Children. Britons have donated over £55 million to the crisis-hit region . Needy: 12-year-old Filipino typhoon victim, Monica Sales, 12, shows a few meagre possessions recovered in the wake of the typhoon . Bags of rice stacked in the hangar of British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious which is docked in Singapore are destined for victims of Typhoon Haiyan . Aid agencies are focusing on reaching the most remote areas of the country, after facing difficulties with debris on roads and poor access to ports and airports . Local men unload boxes of supplies from a U.S. Osprey aircraft making a brief drop off in Borongan, Philippines . A U.S. military Osprey aircraft flies over damaged buildings as it prepares to land to deliver relief goods for typhoon survivors in Guiuan, Philippines . Typhoon survivors ride a tricycle during a light rain in Tacloban, Philippines, today . Devastation: Typhoon survivors walk along the shore of the San Jose fishing village on the outskirts of Tacloban on the eastern Philippine island of Leyte more than one week after Super Typhoon Haiyan devastated the area . Rubble: Debris is seen in a Tacloban neighbourhood almost completely flattened by the typhoon. Grieving survivors flocked to shattered churches, as aid workers intensified efforts to reach desperate survivors in remote communities . Hungry villagers who have yet to receive any relief aid, scramble towards a U.S. helicopter as it arrives to deliver aid in a remote village off Guiuan, Eastern Samar, in central Philippines . A young man shelters from the rain as he walks throughTacloban in Leyte, Philippines. British aid agencies have now reached almost 600,000 survivors across the country . International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: 'The British . Government is providing vital aid directly to those that need it with . the help of charities on the ground. Since the Typhoon hit and we . activated the Rapid Response Facility, DFID has helped charities to . immediately scale up their response.  'On top of this, we have . harnessed military assets including cargo planes and logistical . equipment to ensure aid not only gets to the Philippines but reaches the . neediest people in the most remote parts of the country.' Donations . can be made to the DEC Philippines Typhoon Appeal on the DEC 24-hour . hotline on 0370 6060900, by clicking HERE, by donating . over the counter at any high street bank or post office, or by sending a . cheque. People can also donate £5 by texting 'SUPPORT' to 70000. Devastation: A woman washes clothes amidst the rubble and debris on the island of Leyte . Youngsters play a game in a room of house left perched in mid-air after the devastating typhoon swept in . Struggling: The United Nations estimates that 13 million people were affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan with around 1.9 million losing their homes . Survivors of Super Typhoon Haiyan march during a religious procession in Tolosa on the eastern Philippine island of Leyte today as many still don't know if their loved ones are alive or dead .", "This is the heart-warming moment a young homeless boy threw his arms around the Pope after Francis made a surprise visit to a centre for slum children in the Philippines today. The Pope was seen warmly embracing the child on a visit to the Anak-Tnk Foundation - a Jesuit charity in the poverty-stricken Intramuros district of Manila which caters for 300 youngsters. The pontiff had earlier delivered a speech urging the nation's leaders to end the corruption which contributes to tens of millions of Catholics living in poverty in the country. Scroll down for video . Warm embrace: The Pope was seen hugging a homeless boy on the second day of his tour of the Philippines . He arrived in the Philippines yesterday and was given an electrifying welcome - enhancing the nation's reputation as the Catholic Church's vibrant Asian bastion. In his first speech of a five-day tour, the Pope took immediate aim at the nation's elite who have for decades enjoyed the spoils of power while the vast majority lived in poverty. 'It is now, more than ever, necessary that political leaders be outstanding for honesty, integrity and commitment to the common good,' the pope said in the speech at the presidential palace. He challenged 'everyone, at all levels of society, to reject every form of corruption, which diverts resources from the poor'. Surprise visit: Homeless children of the Anak-Tnk Foundation, founded in 1998 by a Jesuit priest, got the shock of their lives when Pope Francis turned up today . The 78-year-old pontiff, seen by many around the world as a bold reformer compared with his predecessor, said the 'great biblical tradition' obliged everyone to hear the voice of the poor. 'It bids us break the bonds of injustice and oppression which give rise to glaring, and indeed scandalous, social inequalities,' he said. About 25 million Filipinos, or one quarter of the population, live on the equivalent of 60 cents a day or less, according to the latest official poverty surveys. The poverty has forced more than ten million Filipinos to head overseas in search of a better life. Pope Francis is on a week-long tour of Asia that began in Sri Lanka and ends with a five-day visit to the Philippines . Electrifying welcome: Thousands of Filipino Catholics greeted the Pope at the Mall of Asia Arena earlier today . Francis said one of the main purposes of his trip was to visit survivors of Super Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Yolanda, which left 7,350 people dead or missing in 2013. He will spend tomorrow in areas of the central Philippines that were devastated by the typhoon, which smashed into coastal communities with the strongest winds ever recorded on land. 'In a particular way, this visit is meant to express my closeness to our brothers and sisters who endured the suffering, loss and devastation caused by Typhoon Yolanda,' the Pope said. While in Tacloban, the pope is expected to get some first-hand experience of the tropical storms and typhoons that claim hundreds of lives each year in the Philippines. Call on leaders: The pontiff delivered a speech today urging the nation's leaders to end the corruption which contributes to tens of millions of Catholics living in poverty . Rock-star status: Pope Francis waves to Filipinos as he rides his Popemobile back to the Apostolic Nunciature after attending the 'Meeting with Families' - which consisted of survivors of Super Typhoon Haiyan . A tropical storm in the area will bring 'heavy to intense' rain tomorrow, according to the Philippine weather agency. Monsignor Pedro Quitorio, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, told AFP the pope intended to press on with the Tacloban trip regardless of the weather. The Philippines has long been the Church's stronghold in the region, with Catholics accounting for 80 percent of the former Spanish colony's population. Francis enjoyed a hero's welcome when he arrived on Thursday night, with hundreds of thousands of people crowding the streets of Manila to get a first glimpse of him as he travelled in a motorcade. Too much excitement: Two nuns watch over a faint woman as she is brought from the crowd waiting for Pope Francis at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Manila today . Massive crowds continued to choke his motorcade route today as he travelled around the city, including near the centuries-old Manila Cathedral where he celebrated mass with priests and nuns. 'My sacrifice was worth it. I feel happy. I feel blessed,' Nanette Hermano, 56, said as she cried after taking a smartphone picture of the Pope outside the cathedral. 'I've been here since 3:00 am, but I don't feel tired, I don't feel hungry. It's like a miracle.' During his first speech, Francis also issued his strongest defense yet of church teaching opposing artificial contraception. Itching to see Il Papa: A nun is pulled from the waiting crowd to get closer to the arrival area of Pope Francis . Another nun was seen fighting her way to the front of the crowd before the Pope's procession arrived . His comments were clearly a nod to the local church, which recently lost a significant fight when President Benigno Aquino III pushed through a reproductive health law that allows the government to provide artificial birth control to the poor. 'Be sanctuaries of respect for life, proclaiming the sacredness of every human life from conception to natural death,' Francis exhorted the crowd. 'What a gift this would be to society if every Christian family lived fully its noble vocation. Later today Francis will lead thousands of people in prayer at Manila's top concert arena, where music fans have flocked in recent years to see the likes of Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. The Pope was pictured leading a mass for local Catholic leaders at Manila Cathedral today . Service: Pope Francis led a a mass at Manila Cathedral after calling on the Philippine government today to tackle corruption and hear the cries of the poor suffering from 'scandalous social inequalities' A line of priests hold out smartphones tin their bid to get a picture of the Pope at Manila Cathedral today . Pope Francis attends a packed meeting at the Mall of Asia arena, in Manila, today, which has a capacity of 20,000 people . The Pope-mania is expected to reach a peak on Sunday, with organisers predicting as many as six million people will turn up to mass at a Manila park. If as big as expected, the crowd will surpass the previous record for a papal gathering of five million during a mass by John Paul II at the same venue in 1995. Francis is on a week-long tour of Asia that began in Sri Lanka. It is his second trip to the region in five months, signalling the importance the Vatican places on Asia's growth potential for the Church. Claim: Speaking on board the plane as he travelled to the Philippines, the pontiff made an impromptu speech in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack saying he he would punch someone if they offended his mother . Speaking on board the plane as he travelled to the Philippines, the pontiff made an impromptu speech, saying you 'cannot insult the faith of others'. He added that he would punch someone if they offended his mother, as he debated freedom of speech in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack. The Pope said there were limits to freedom of expression and that 'provocateurs' should not purposely anger religious people.", "This is tender moment David Beckham gave a baby a polio vaccine while visiting a typhoon-devastated city in the Philippines. The former footballer used his celebrity status and sporting skills to entertain locals in the city of Tacloban as part of UNICEF's relief efforts, vaccinating four babies during his 30-minute stay. Beckham, 38, was welcomed by hundreds of children who have been living in United Nations-provided tents outside a stadium since super Typhoon Haiyan struck in November, killing more than 6,200 people and leaving tens of thousands of survivors homeless. Scroll down for video . Medicine man: David smiled adoringly at one young child while giving them a polio vaccination . The Beckham Effect: the superstar player delighted children with his playful approach to their plight . The father of four mets babies and mothers who survived Typhoon Haiyan and are being helped by UNICEF and partners to have a safe haven to play with their babies as well as learn about the best nutrition for their babies . David Beckham playing with children affected by Typhoon Haiyan at a school in the typhoon devastated town of Tanauan in Leyte province, Philippines . Speaking after the visit, Beckham said: 'I was humbled to visit Tacloban and see how people are still so full of spirit despite the devastation they have suffered' Arriving wearing a black . UNICEF T-shirt with a pair of grey skinny jeans, Beckham also wore a . backwards hat and some brown leather boots for the trip, his second to the region. As . he entered the village he was greeted by hundreds of excited boys who . were keen to meet one of the world's most successful sportsmen. Moved by the reception, he then played a friendly match with them before stopping to sign autographs and pose for pictures. Shortly afterwards the 38-year-old icon stopped for photographs with children inside a large white tent used as a classroom as . they showed him their art works. Beckham then began administering polio medication to young children in the tent, vaccinating four babies, all of them under the age of one. England football superstar David Beckham is greeted by children-survivors of super Typhoon-Haiyan prior to a football game at a school ground in Tanuan town . England football superstar David Beckham carries a boy on his shoulders during a football game with children-survivors of the country's latest natural disaster . Star power: David visited a school in Tanuan town, Leyte province, central Philippines on Valentine's Day . Speaking after the visit, Beckham said: 'I was humbled to visit Tacloban and see how people are still so full of spirit despite the devastation they have suffered. 'Close to six million children are affected and many have lost loved ones,' said Beckham. 'As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, . seeing how children are being given a sense of normality amidst the . rubble of their communities has been amazing,' he added. 'I want to show people around the world how their generous donations have had an enormous impact on children and their families and how thankful people here are for their kindness.' Zafrin Chowdhury, spokeswoman for the UNICEF office in Manila, said Beckham was touched by the typhoon's impact and wanted to meet displaced children and their families. Head start: David carries a young survivor on his shoulders during the match, which delighted locals . England football superstar David Beckham gives comfort to survivors of the Asian country's deadliest ever typhoon . That's not five-a-side: The blonde football ace was besieged by delighted boys . [caption . England football superstar David Beckham signs autographs on the second day of his visit to the Philippiness . Beckham flew to the Philippines on February 13 to give comfort to survivors of the Asian country's deadliest ever typhoon . He removed his shoes on entering a tent where a family has been living, stroking a sleeping infant's hands as he spoke with family members. Officials and UNICEF staff did not say what he and the family members talked about during his 30-minute stay. It's Beckham's second trip to the Philippines as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. He toured a shelter for former street children in Manila during his first visit in 2011 and also played an exhibition game with the Philippine national football team. 'He felt very touched by what happened and that he wanted to come back, not do anything else - no meeting, no media - just to focus on children and meet them, encourage them and see for himself the situation,' Chowdhury said. Beckham made Valentines Day cards with children at the tented space where children play games and can access psychosocial support away from their devastated communities . UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham meets child survivors of Typhoon Haiyan at a UNICEF-supported child friendly space at one of Tacloban's major evacuation points . Beckham is now scheduled to visit a warehouse of the World Food Program in nearby Palo, which was also devastated by the typhoon. The retired footballer and his pop star turned fashion designer wife Victoria, have previously donated some of their most expensive designer clothes and shoes to raise funds for the typhoon victims. The typhoon displaced more than four million people in more than 40 provinces in the central Philippines. At least 1,700 are still missing. Beckham's visit to Tacloban followed trips by pop star Justin Bieber, U.S. State Secretary John Kerry, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and Australian Foreign Minister Julia Bishop.", "A filmmaker who was hired to make a video promoting a new Hollywood movie spent the entire £15,300 ($25,000) budget on helping the victims of the Philippines typhoon. Casey Neistat was asked to create an inspiring film to promote the Ben Stiller blockbuster, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty. Rather than make a traditional advertising film, Neistat flew to the city of Tacloban, which was devastated by last month's Typhoon Haiyan, and handed out more than 10,000 meals, bought using the budget. Scroll down for video . Filmmaker Casey Neistat (centre) was hired to make a promotional video for the Ben Stiller movie The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty but spent the entire budget on providing aid to victims of Typhoon Haiyan . With permission from 20th Century Fox, he went to Philippines and bought thousands of meals for starving victims . With help from locals, they distributed the food parcels in the city of Tacloban, which was one of the worst affected areas . The inspiring video was filmed by Neistat and his friend Oscar using only a single camera and a tripod. Neistat said the idea came to him when he was sent an email by producers 20th Century Fox, five days after the typhoon hit. They asked him to create a film about chasing a dream that would inspire the viewer to do something they have never done. Neistat replied that the only film he wanted to make was to give away the budget to those in need - and they agreed. His response to the email said: 'Here's my concept. Give me the budget and I will go to the Philippines and spend every penny helping people in need'. The company agreed and within three days he and Oscar had landed in the Philippines and set about delivering relief. The six minute promotional video was filmed using a single camera and a tripod so all the money could be spent on aid . They almost emptied a store of its contents before driving two hours to Tacloban with the goods . Neistat said: 'Mitty is a movie about chasing a dream and they wanted me to make a movie about chasing a dream. 'I am a big dreamer but at that time only one thing came to mind; if I could do anything in the world right now what would it be? That's to help the victims of the typhoon.' They filmed themselves travelling to Tacloban on two hired passenger buses before delivering the food to hundreds of queuing people. As well as the food, the budget stretched to tools for 35 villages and medical supplies. The six minute video, called What Would You Do With $25,000?, has now been viewed more than 250,000 times on YouTube and a link has also been retweeted by the movie's star Ben Stiller. More than 6,000 people were killed in the devastating typhoon, which hit the Philippines on November 8. Neistat with a truck filled with individual parcels of food that were then handed out to hundreds of queuing people . The video follows the pair enlisting the help of locals as they load up two passenger buses with food, as no trucks were available . They then drove to Tacloban where thousands had been killed and tens of thousands had lost homes . More than one month later, 1,779 people are still missing and four million people are either homeless or living in damaged houses. Power has been restored to just one per cent of Tacloban . Neistat said: 'Never have I met such people with the resilience of these typhoon victims. 'There was one thing that stuck out, one big huge tiny thing, that was of everyone we were face to face with, thousands of people, not once, at anytime for any reason did anyone complain - no one. 'Their focus was on rebuilding and healing, not sympathy.' The budget stretched to 10,000 meals, tools for 35 villages and basic medical supplies .", "Bangkok (CNN) -- Much of Southeast Asia continued its recovery from heavy rains and extensive flooding Friday, including scores of deaths and extensive damage in Thailand. The wet weather is not entirely abnormal in the region, which is still in the midst of its wet season. Still, the extent of destruction has been particularly devastating in some locales in recent weeks. Thai authorities early Friday said that the flooding had left at least 244 people dead, and some 28 provinces have been affected. More than 820,000 households have been affected in four of the hardest-hit provinces -- Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Chai Nat and Nakhon -- the state-run MCOT news agency reported, quoting the national disaster prevention and mitigation ministry. An official Thai industrial agency urged factories in Ayutthaya province to shut down through October 11 in order to give it more time to tackle pervasive flooding. The same MCOT report described the situation at the Rojana Industrial Park, in particular, as \"critical.\" A government industrial ministry said water will continue to rise over a flood prevention dike, causing issues in the park which has 198 factories that employ 90,000 people. Nationwide, Thai's Labor ministry reported Friday that 1,215 factories in 33 provinces were underwater -- a disaster that affected about 41,000 workers. Almost half of those workers were in Ayutthaya. Moreover, a corrections department official told MCOT that 3,700 inmates in that province had to be evacuated after their prison was submerged under 1.7 meters (6 feet) of water. Filipinos, meanwhile, are trying to regain their footing after being pummeled by successive typhoons in the span of a week. Typhoon Nesat -- known locally as Pedring -- claimed 55 lives, and the death toll from Nalgae -- known locally as Quiel -- rose to four earlier this week. Health and government officials were working fervently to prevent more deaths Friday as they provided medical treatment for people from flood-stricken areas. Health Secretary Enrique Ona said that 54 medical teams from hospitals in and around Manila have gone to evacuation centers in Bulacan and Pampanga to treat the ill, the state-run Philippine News Agency reported. About 3,600 patients in evacuation centers had respiratory diseases, such as the flu and pneumonia, while there were about 600 diarrhea cases, said Ona. In addition, five in Bulacan had leptospirosis, a bacterial disease. Nearby countries were also dealing with the aftermath of severe flooding. That includes Laos, where the top official in Savannakhet province requested \"large amounts of government funding\" in 12 of 15 districts, money that could be used to repair irrigation systems and develop anti-flood systems, according to the state-run KPL news agency. And in Cambodia, Agriculture minister H.E. Chan Saran said that flooding there had affected more than 330,000 hectares (815,000 acres) of rice fields and killed 1,000 working animals in 103 of the nation's 145 districts, the official AKP agency reported Thursday. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered her nation's \"deepest condolences\" for the families of those who died in Southeast Asia due to the heavy rains and flooding. \"Our embassies in the region are working with local authorities and international organizations to assess how the United States can be of help to countries where the impact of the flooding has been especially devastating,\" Clinton said in a statement. CNN's Kocha Olarn contributed to this report.", "With his country grappling with the damage from \"hell-storm\" Haiyan, a Philippines official launched a hunger strike Tuesday to pressure a U.N. climate change conference for concrete steps to fight global warming. Naderev Sano, a member of the Philippines Climate Change Commission, said he was fasting \"in solidarity with my countrymen who are now struggling for food back home\" -- including his own brother, whom Sano said \"has been gathering bodies of the dead with his own two hands.\" \"What my country is going through as a result of this extreme climate event is madness. The climate crisis is madness,\" he said. \"Mr. President, we can stop this madness, right here in Warsaw.\" Sano leads the Philippines delegation to the 19th Conference of the Parties in Poland's capital. He got a standing ovation after he spoke, four days after Super Typhoon Haiyan struck his island nation with estimated winds of 315 kph (195 mph). The storm has left nearly 1,800 people at the latest count. \"Despite the massive efforts that my country had exerted in preparing for the onslaught of this storm, it was just a force too powerful, and even as a nation familiar with storms, Haiyan was nothing we have ever experienced before,\" Sano said. But he said the Philippines refuses to accept that \"running away from storms, evacuating our families, suffering the devastation and misery, counting our dead, (will) become a way of life.\" Sano said he will refrain from eating during the 12-day conference \"until a meaningful outcome is in sight.\" He called for \"concrete pledges\" to the Green Climate Fund -- a U.N. fund aimed at helping developing nations reduce their climate change emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change -- and said he will continue to fast \"until we see real ambition on climate action in accordance with the principles of the convention.\" He told CNN's Connect the World that while the complete picture of climate change is still being studied, the highest increase in measured sea levels over the past seven decades \"has been in the waters just east of the Philippines.\" \"The precautionary principle tells you you shouldn't wait for full scientific certainty before doing something or taking action,\" he said. \"How many lives do we want to lose, not just in the Philippines but in communities that have other climate impacts?\" Read more: Projected Typhoon Haiyan death toll falls, but tensions rise . The idea of long-term climate change driven largely by the use of fossil fuels, which release heat-trapping carbon emissions into the atmosphere, is controversial politically but accepted as fact by most researchers. Scientists say they can't pin any particular storm on the process, but that the warming of the air and oceans \"loads the dice\" in favor of more extreme weather. \"When it's a very rare event, we have a challenge scientifically in distinguishing between the rare chance event and the possible effects of global warming. So for these individual storms, that's a particular challenge,\" said Noah Diffenbaugh, a climate scientist at Stanford University in California. But Diffenbaugh added, \"Even though that's challenging science, we do know that global warming is occurring, we do know that human emissions of greenhouse gases are the primary cause of that global warming, and we do know that a number of extreme events have increased in likelihood as a result of that.\" James Elsner, a climate and statistics expert at Florida State University, said that doesn't necessarily mean more hurricanes or typhoons. \"We could see fewer storms, but the ones that do form could be stronger,\" Elsner said. That appears to be the trend over the past 30 years, he said. An October study in the scientific journal Nature noted that more than 5 billion people live in areas that would be affected by climate change by 2050, and the countries that will first see its effects are the ones least capable of responding. And a June report by the World Bank noted that the Philippines is already seeing the effects of a warming climate, ranking 16 of its provinces among the most vulnerable regions in southeast Asia. Watch the opening session of the 19th COP . The Philippines has launched efforts to better prepare for the impact of climate change, President Benigno Aquino III told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday. But he said addressing the issue is a global problem. \"We all live on one planet,\" Aquino said. \"Either we come up with a solution that everybody adheres to and cooperates with, or let us be prepared to meet disasters.\" On the table in Warsaw is the issue of compensating countries that suffer from the effects of climate change and can't afford to adapt on their own. \"The poorest people of the world are at greater risk because of our vulnerability and decades of maldevelopment, which I also must assert is connected to the kind of pursuit of economic growth that has led to an altered climate system,\" Sano said. In his remarks to the conference, Sano challenged climate change skeptics to \"get off their ivory towers and away from the comfort of their armchairs\" to see the communities battling flooding, hurricanes and fires. \"And if that is not enough, they may want to see what has happened to Philippines now,\" he said. This year's Warsaw conference brings together countries that have signed onto the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. The annual meetings review the parties' progress in limiting global temperature increases. Sano said that at the last conference, held in Qatar less than a year ago, he appealed to the world to open its eyes as the Philippines had confronted another catastrophic storm -- Typhoon Bopha, then the costliest in its history. Read more: December 2012: Bopha death toll rises . \"Less than a year hence, we cannot imagine that a disaster much bigger would come. With an apparent cruel twist of fate, my country is being tested by this hell-storm called Super Typhoon Haiyan,\" he said. He said he spoke on behalf of his delegation as well as \"the countless people who will no longer be able to speak for themselves after perishing from the storm.\" Sano's protest prompted Twitter users to begin using the hashtag #fastfortheclimate in support. The Climate Action Network -- a body of 850 nongovernmental organizations -- later announced that members of \"civil society\" were joining Sano in fasting, in a move it said is \"unprecedented within the history of the climate movement.\" Climate Action Network spokeswoman Ria Voorhaar said the protest is spreading \"far and wide,\" with at least 100 people in Warsaw for the conference also fasting. \"A lot of climate-focused youth groups have jumped on it immediately to show solidarity,\" she said. Voorhaar said the hunger strikers want the Warsaw conference to take \"concrete steps\" toward reducing carbon emissions before 2020, enacting an international mechanism for damages and financing efforts to adapt to a warming world.", "Cebu Port, Philippines (CNN) -- Nearly 3,000 survivors of Typhoon Haiyan disembarked from a Philippines naval ship in Cebu Friday, carrying the few possessions they could take with them. Many cradled exhausted children; a few even carried dogs. Evacuees said they were relieved to have left Tacloban City, which they described as \"dangerous\" and even \"hopeless.\" They said they could not get access to food or water and feared people were ransacking homes. \"We have survived the typhoon, but how to survive the dangers there, it was very, very hard to imagine,\" said Maejoy Vero, who left with her one-year-old son. The sea journey from Tacloban City took roughly 24 hours, in a ship normally used for naval transport. Volunteers greeted those who made it to Cebu, the Philippines' second largest city. Evacuees received boxes of fried chicken and rice, as well as water. Members of the Philippines Navy helped the elderly and those in wheelchairs. At least one man was carried off the ship in a stretcher. Medical experts stood by to treat the injured. Dr. Lourdes Sasoy, a member of the medical team at the port, said she had seen everything from spinal cord injuries to skin infections. She had treated \"countless\" patients, none of whom had access to medical care since the storm. The more severe cases were being sent to local hospitals. Many of the evacuees planned to join family members who live elsewhere in the country, often either in Cebu or Manila, the nation's capital. Cars and trucks lined the streets outside the naval port with those waiting to pickup survivors. People with nowhere to go will be transported to evacuation centers here in Cebu. INTERACTIVE: Typhoon's deadly path . At least one local sports center is currently being used to provide shelter to victims, according to local officials, while the government works out more long-term plans. \"We are so tired,\" said Manilyn Asuncion, who was sitting on board with her extended family, while they waited for relatives to arrive. She and her nieces and nephews were among those holding signs of thanks to the Philippines Navy for getting them out. Another ship plans to leave Tacloban in the next day or two. Asuncion's niece, eleven-year-old Misheiguel Cahuday, said she was sad to abandon her home in Tacloban City, but she understood the dangers and was trying to embrace the future. \"I'll have a new life,\" she said. CNN's Anna Coren contributed to this story.", "(CNN)Measles this year has hit the most disparate places: camps for internally displaced people in northeast Nigeria, who've had to flee from Boko Haram, and Disneyland in California. The differences of the two settings are stark. In one, people are fighting for survival and have difficulty getting health care; the other is a first-world amusement park where people can afford medical choices regarding a vaccine-preventable disease. The United States is grappling with the resurgence of a disease it eliminated 15 years ago. But it's not alone. Data by the World Health Organization indicate that measles immunization rates are declining in several Western countries, like Canada, Belgium, Denmark and Spain, as some parents are opting out due to personal beliefs. The data also show that more than 100 countries, including Zimbabwe, Iran and North Korea, have higher measles immunization rates than the United States, which was at 91%. Dr. Robert Kezaala, senior health adviser of immunization at UNICEF, spent years promoting polio and measles vaccines in Africa. \"Generally, in the developing world, people welcome the vaccines,\" he said. \"The vaccine hesitancy, concern among the elite ... this is not a major issue in immunization against measles, because people have seen devastation from the outbreaks.\" Globally, measles deaths hit record lows in 2012, which the WHO attributed to successful immunization campaigns as annual deaths declined to 122,000 from 562,000 in 2002. But the WHO warned that progress was fragile, because outbreaks still occur and measles remains one of the leading killers of children in the world. A joint global plan involving UNICEF, the WHO, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Red Cross and UN Foundation aims to eliminate measles by 2020. \"In the last two to three years, we've seen more stagnation of progress because there is complacency,\" said Kezaala. Countries with the highest measles incidence per 100,000 population . 1. Georgia -- 79.5 . 2. Bosnia and Herzegovina -- 62.9 . 3. Angola -- 59.3 . 4. Philippines -- 58.2 . 5. Namibia -- 41.9 . Countries with the most suspected measles cases . 1. China -- 107,024 . 2. Philippines -- 57,564 . 3. Vietnam -- 17,267 . 4. Ethiopia -- 16,028 . 5. Angola -- 12,300 . Source: WHO, does not include data from all countries . Asia has the most suspected case of measles, with China at top, followed by the Philippines and Vietnam, according to 2014 data from the WHO. But the rate, rather than raw numbers, offers a more accurate measure of the disease. One of the countries worst hit by the measles is the Philippines, which was struck by Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013. The spread of the virus has been exacerbated by mass migration, with nearly 4 million people displaced by the devastating storm. But what happens in the Philippines has a direct connection to the United States, because the virus can easily travel -- as was the case of the unvaccinated Amish missionaries who brought back measles from the Philippines to cause an Ohio outbreak that infected 383 people in 2014. The CDC reported that 25 U.S. travelers, most of them unvaccinated, got ill with the measles after returning from the Philippines last year. China, which had the most measles cases in 2014, is also going through multiple outbreaks. Measles has been reported in a university in Shanxi province and a downtown Beijing office, resulting in quarantines and vaccinations for thousands of people, according to Xinhua, the Chinese state-run news agency. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported three toddler deaths and more than 2,700 measles cases in January -- double the rate seen in the same month two years ago. \"Measles outbreak occurs every four to five years, and now it's on an uprising stage based on its pattern,\" said Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the local Beijing disease control agency. Officials from the national health agency told state-run CCTV that many of the cases are occurring in adults who never received their vaccines. Vaccine campaigns were not strong in the 1970s and 1980s, so some missed their shots. As many as two-thirds of the Beijing cases are among people over the age of 20. \"This outbreak reveals to us the fact that some unvaccinated people have become older, and it's like an accumulated debt from the past,\" Zeng Guang, an official with the China CDC, told CCTV. Measles outbreaks have also been reported in Sudan and Nigeria. In mid-January, the News Agency of Nigeria reported a measles outbreak in the state of Adamawa in the country's northeast at camps for internally displaced people. The state is frequently under attack by Boko Haram militants. An official told the media that the outbreak stemmed from a daily mass movement of people. UNICEF has to deal with logistical, infrastructure and transport challenges to get vaccines to some of the most remote and insecure areas in the world, said Kezaala. Regarding the current outbreak in the United States, he said: \"It perplexes me, to see a country with no logistical challenges, readily available resources, with refuted studies and the anti-vaccine lobbies, you still see transmission continuing. It's not easy for me to grasp.\" The United States is not the only developed country going through vaccine skepticism. In Canada last year, a group that doesn't get vaccines carried the infection back after visiting the Netherlands. Local health authorities in British Colombia confirmed 375 cases, which was declared the worst measles outbreak in 30 years in Canada. The Netherlands also saw a major measles outbreak from May 2013 to March 2014, where more than 2,600 people contracted the disease in communities that do not typically vaccinate. Europe reported 4,735 measles cases in 2014, in which 85% of the cases were unvaccinated and 10% had not finished their doses. The continent saw a peak in 2010, with 32,480 measles cases. CNN's Lu Shen and Beijing intern Sherry Ju contributed to this report." ]

[ "Ronald Reagan secretly offered the Royal Navy the USS Iwo Jima, one of our first amphibious assault/helicopter carriers as a replacement if they lost one of their carriers. Other than that there was some political pressure used to try and stop Argentina's purchase of more French Exocet missiles after they proved so effective against British warships, but not much. Mostly the US just contributed by getting out of the way, which conflicted with the spirit of the Monroe Doctrine, which is usually central to US policy involving Latin America." ]

[ "May I ask for a clarification; what do you mean by 'declaring war on the Falklands?' Do you perhaps mean 'over' the Falklands? The islands were under British governance at the time of their occupation by the Argentine military.", "hi! you may be interested in this post * [What were the Argentinians plans for the Falkland Islanders after the Falklands war.](_URL_0_)", "Hi, you may be interested in a few earlier discussions * [Why did the Falklands war happen?](_URL_3_) - a nice long Q & A-style thread featuring /u/k1990. About 1/4 down the thread, /u/Borafan asks your question * [Did the Argentinians think they could win the Falklands War against the British, or was it more to prove a point, albeit while starting armed conflict?](_URL_1_) - featuring /u/an_actual_lawyer and /u/tc1991 * [Did the Argentinian Military think it was possible that the British could retake the Falklands and what did other powers think of the military chances of a successful British operation to retake the islands](_URL_2_) * [How \"out of the blue\" was the Argentine invasion of the Falklands?](_URL_0_)", "You may be interested in these questions about “[The Falkland Islands war](_URL_0_)” on our **Popular Questions** page (which is linked at the top of every page in this subreddit, and in the sidebar).", "The Falklands is a British colony, they don't have any voting rights, but are technically British citizens and the majority are of British ethnicity, and they would rather stay under British rule. Argentina believe the islands should be under Argentine rule because when they gained independence they also gained the Falklands and had settlers there before the British expelled them and colonised in the early 19th century. Also, the Falkland Islands are too small to survive as an independent state according to the UN.", "Follow-up question: What role did the US have in the fall of the Soviet Union? Because i've heard some people claim that the United States intervention was the main cause for it's dissolution, by the use of covert operations and support of its internal opposition, and i would like to know if there is any truth in that statement.", "Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?", "I think the present disposition of the Falklands, including the fact that you call them the Falklands and not the Malvinas, is evidence that the Argentine military did not, in fact, fend off the British.", "They weren't actually there first, New Spain was, then they withdrew from it during the peninsular war, which resulted in it going to British hands. The claim is strengthened by the fact that Falklanders overwhelmingly wish to be British instead of Argentinian, and Britain's military might further strengthens the claim.", "I'm Britian and the Falklands are my islands. I'm Argentina and the Falklands are my islands. Pew pew pew pew. Oh no! Britian shot me! Britian wins!", "It seems to be because the British had set up an exclusion zone around the Falklands and stated that any Argentinian military unit found inside that zone would be free to be attacked. However, they ended up changing their mind and deciding that military units outside of the Exclusion Zone could also be attacked and this was passed onto Argentina. The Belgrano when attacked was outside of the former Exclusion Zone. For some reason there is a belief that is a war crime because it was not in a war zone. However, I've never read anything that supports that argument. One argument is that the ship was returning to port and thus wasn't a legit target, but once again how is that a war crime? How does sailing back to port render one no longer a military target? There is also the argument that neither side declared war on each other and so it was not legal to attack any ship, target, etc, but then why only the anger over that one ship?", "It didn't. It forced the United States into a war with Japan. The German declaration of war on December 11th is what got the US into the War in Europe.", "The UN has no troops. Any binding Security Council resolutions preventing Britains reconquest would have been negated by Britains veto powers, never mind the possible French and US veto powers. The UN DID pass resolution 502. but that was fairly tame and was aimed at stopping the Argentinian aggression and suggesting everyone sit around and work things out. Meanwhile Britain invoked Article 51 of the UN Charter regarding self defence, and freed the Falklands. Its very hard to prevent the countries with mandatory veto Powers at the UN from doing stuff. Russia recently vetoed a vote condemning their acquisition of Crimea for example. Source: The UN _URL_0_", "The vice president's Constitutionally mandated roles are: - Serving as a president of the senate, casting a vote only when there is a tie. - Taking over the responsibilities of the office of the President of the United States if the president is dead or incapacitated. Other than that, the role of VP depends entirely on what the president wants/allows the VP to do. This varies greatly from administration to administration, and changes over time. And no, the VP is not the second in command of the United States. The President of the United States is the chief executive of the executive branch of government, as well as the Commander in Chief of all military forces. The VP had no executive or military authority under the Constitution.", "Alright. Don't mention the Falklands unless you want a paddling. 99% of Falkland residents voted to remain part of the UK. The UK has held the Falklands longer than every other nation COMBINED. Argentina has never owned the Falklands. Gibraltar and Northern Ireland also want to remain part of the UK. The UK want to give NI back but they can't just force them to leave.", "There are lots of structural impediments to presidential power in domestic affairs, but as Congress becomes more and more dysfunctional, they de facto cede this power to the president. The president has nearly carte blanche with regard to military matters, though. While he can't technically declare war, he can start and (for a time) fight undeclared wars without any serious role for Congress. This biases the United States towards solving problems of international affairs by killing people, because it's much easier from a bureaucratic standpoint to put military solutions in motion than any other.", "u/Holokyn-kolokyn provided a good answer to this question. _URL_8_ TLDR Falklands are outside the geographical area that NATO covers. Even if the geographical area was covered, the UK would still have had to active Article 5 before NATO came to their aid.", "I think there is still no good book out on United Fruit. Good starting points would be: *The Banana Wars: United States Intervention in the Caribbean, 1898-1934* *The Banana Wars: A History of United States Military Intervention in Latin America from the Spanish-American War to the Invasion of Panama*", "Similarly, what were the 'roles' for NATO countries in this eventuality? I know the UK was supposed to focus on ASW warfare in the Noorth sea and guarding the GIUK gap, Germany was armoured warfare (hence the large numbers of tanks and vehicles they held/hold) and the US was the main 'Air Force' of the conflict, but what were the jobs for other countries?", "There's always more room for more answers, byt there was an excellent recent answer by /u/georgy_k_zhukov on a topic very similar to this: [The recent E3 reveal of the new Wolfenstein game depicts a fictional German occupation of the United States, with Nazis (seemingly) befriending the KKK. What were the positions of the KKK on Germany (and the United States' role) during WW2?](_URL_0_)", "Following World War I, Germany was forced to take the blame and basically left on their own to survive, or not. Following World War II, Germany was split into four zones, occupied by the victorious Allied powers: The United States, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. The first three essentially merged their zones into what became West Germany, allowing industry to recovery without as many reparations as the first war. With the onset of the Cold War and the grip the Soviet Union had over Eastern Europe, there was little any dictator who wasn't \"friendly\" toward the Soviets could do. Plus, you have the international backing of the United States, Britain, and many others with the creation of the United Nations. All of this was done to make sure Germans did not resort to extremism as they had after World War I. Hope I helped!", "In short, the United States believed in a policy of \"containment.\" Containment was a strategy to stop the export of the Communist revolution due to a fear that socialist states would gradually drift towards the Soviet Union's sphere of influence. Since the Soviet Union had no problem with infringing upon the national sovereignty of other states, the United States likewise had no problem with practicing containment. This is what created the Cold War, in which the United States was nominally fighting the Soviet Union through proxy wars be it in Vietnam or in Afghanistan. An accessible book that can tell you more about this subject is [Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy Since 1938](_URL_0_) by Stephen E. Ambrose. Ambrose is an easily digestible author -- questions regarding his historiographic issues aside -- and this book should fill you in on any questions you have about the United States and its relationship to Communism. It's a short but good read.", "In World War Two, the United States successfully fought a war on two fronts-against Germany in the successive North Africa, Mediterranean and North West European theatres and concurrently against Japan in the Pacific theatre. It can be argued that the Americans can't be counted as a singular entity as they were involved in the Anglo-Russo-American Alliance, but their contributions were substantial in both theatres (dominant in the Pacific) and were instrumental in dictating the time with which the conflict, on both fronts, terminated.", "If I may ask, what was the response n the US?", "_URL_0_ Covers the war of 1812 fairly thoroughly, anything not answered in the link we should be able to answer here. The short answer as to why the United States never invaded Canada again was because the United States has never been at war with the UK or Canada since. The popular questions link, located to the right, should cover the increase in relations between Britain and the United States post war of 1812.", "Through 300 years of empire, both World Wars, the Falklands War it was never British practice to ship soldiers' remains home. They were buried where they died, usually in a designated war grave. The locations are kept by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which also maintains the main sites.", "I suspect you are referring to the presidents of the Congress of Confederation under the Articles of Confederation, the system of government that ruled the United States from 1781 (ratification by the states) to 1789 (ratification of the Constitution of the United States, which replaced it). The President of Congress was mostly an administrative functionary rather than a chief executive - he ensured the proper working of the body, but held little power in excess of that of any other Congressman. There is no correlation between this role and that of President under the Constitution.", "The US took Puerto Rico and the Philippines from Spain, was still settling the West, overthrew governments throughout Central America (Banana Wars), and essentially set Cuba'a government up to be pro-Anerican business. So they were in on it as well.", "The U.S. State Department, Office of the Historian has an [article](_URL_0_) on this.", "As a follow-up question, what odds did the British face in retaking the Falkland Islands? How close was the outcome of the conflict? Did anyone expect Argentina to win? From the present day, it seems obvious that Britain would have crushed the Argentinians in a conventional war. But judging from many responses in the thread, it wasn't as clear cut. One person even said \"Britain could have lost everything\". Could they have *really*?", "Argentina was under a heavily repressive military dictatorship at the time- not only was it easy for them to cover things up, their military was essentially always at high alert. However, their preparations were anything but secret. They had \"invaded\" South Georgia and been sabre rattling in the state media for months. There were numerous warnings, but they were simply lower priority at the time. The actual invasion remained somewhat of a mystery in the metropol. The governor got off a short message relaying that Argentina was in control, followed by a CB radio conversation between a journalist and a local resident detailing the Argentine forces, but apart from that the UK was in the dark.", "This question is probably better asked in /r/AskReddit, as any comments on Argentina today breaks the 20 year rule." ]

[ "Allen Ballard knows how to tell a good story. His characters come alive as we accompany them through the tragic events in 1864-1865 western Mississippi. Both white and black characters come across as real people, and I was sorry to leave them when the book was all-too-soon finished." ]

[ "Only time will tell if it is durably made, but it is certainly well made as far as we can tell. Good service from the vendor. Good price on good looking watch cap.", "Truly loved this series. Mia's journey is one that we can all relate to. Audrey Carlan tells a great story, and the steam level is 10+.", "Professor Powell, who created this translation of the Odyssey writes in the introduction that the Odyssey was written in a version of Greek that included vowels (in contrast to Hebrew and Arabic, for example, where vowels are implied). He speculates that this version of Greek may have, in fact, been created by a single individual to record Homer's epic tale of Odysseus' return from the Trojan war.\n\nTranslation from one modern language to another modern language translates between cultures, since there is no case where a good translation can me made word for word. The Odyssey was written around 800 BC - 2800 years ago. In creating his translation of the Odyssey, Dr. Powell is translating not only between culture but across time.\n\nProf. Powell's version of the Odyssey includes interesting footnotes on almost every page noting ancient meanings or, in many cases, noting that even scholars don't understand a reference. The book also has maps to give the reader some idea of the geography in the story.\n\nReading the Odyssey I am reminded that our language is marked by this ancient text. To refer to someone as a Mentor harks back to a character in the Odyssey - Mentor was a man, but actually the Goddess Athena taking mortal form, to advise Odysseus' son Telemachus.\n\nThe Goddess Calypso who appears in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: at Word's End is a Goddess (or person with Godlike powers) in the Odyssey. She holds Odysseus in thrall for seven years before she finally lets him go (either because she gets tired of him or because a God tells her to).\n\nThere have been many translations of the Odyssey. Some of these are in prose form, since the original poetic form of Homer cannot be rendered in english. This translation leaves something like the original poetic form. Prof. Powell has also chosen to leave some of the original style, which contains a fair amount of repetition. Odysseus is referred to as Godlike Odysseus and Athena is referred to as \"Flashing Eyed Athena\" (I kept wondering what flashing eyes look like). Menelaus, the husband of Helen, she who launched a thousand ships, is referred to as golden haired Menelaus. And so on... Prof. Powell admits that in written form this redundancy doesn't serve much purpose, but it does give a feel for the original epic as it might have been recited. I do think that an example of the repetitive style could have been covered in the introduction and then left out of the text, since it can be annoying to the modern reader.\n\nI have read the Iliad a couple of times, but this is the first time that I've read the Odyssey. The first part of the Odyssey involves Odysseus' son Telemachus and his search for news of his Father who left when Telemachus was a baby. Telemachus struggles with the infamous \"suitors\" who are trying to wed Odysseus' wife, Penelope. Telemachus sets sail to search for news of his Father and has some adventures of his own. He visits some of Odysseus' companions in the Trojan war and we see the rituals that were used to greet travelers. Then the story switches without much of a bridge, to an account Odysseus' adventures.\n\nThe Odyssey is an epic from an agrarian era. It is structured to be recounted, probably in episodes. By modern standards the Odyssey is not a page turner. However, Prof. Powell's translation is very readable. Although this is not a book that will keep most people up late at night, it is still fascinating and enjoyable.", "It's good for Champloo but you can tell it's the end the late goodbye and that's good for the series but don't get it for your first album.", "This is an interesting book about a legendary libel case, and I've commented on this case in reviews of other books on the subject, most notably \"Lying About Hitler\" by Richard Evans and \"History On Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving,\" so I don't want to rehearse the subject matter of the book in too much detail.\n\nAs is probably well-known by now, Prof. Lipstadt wrote a book on Holocaust deniers, and among those she denounced was David Irving. He sued her in London, claiming she was the point end of a Jewish conspiracy to demolish her reputation, relying on Britain's tough libel laws to put the burden of proof on her. Irving failed utterly in his task (partially because his case was so idiotic, and partially because he acted as his own barrister), and ruined what little reputation he had left as a serious historian.\n\nMr. Guttenplan's book is interesting, in that he's sympathetic to Prof. Lipstadt's cause, less so to her person, while regarding Irving as a bit of an underdog, while utterly disliking his position. The writing is done in a present active tense, which conveys a good deal of immediacy, and he did a lot of research and work.\n\nI can't give this book five stars because I felt that his dislike of Prof. Lipstadt was neither justified nor called for -- she was being sued, and to make the ordeal worse, she had the double burden of having to prove she was right. She was dealing with the typical tactic of the internet bully, often seen in political and historical forums, where the troll makes a provocative statement and demands that others \"prove him wrong.\" That is now how cases are proved in academia and most courtrooms, where the burden of proof is on the person making the statement, provocative or otherwise. As I have said in the past to other people stating internet idiocies: \"I already have my Master's Degree. I don't have to do your thesis. You prove your argument.\"\n\nI also can understand Prof. Lipstadt's anger at being labeled as the spear-point of a non-existent conspiracy to \"get\" Irving, when his only real enemy is himself. The closest Irving came to \"proving\" his case at trial was to bring in an anti-Semitic college professor from America, whose evidence-in-chief was that \"Jews stick together.\" The defense barrister, Richard Rampton, didn't even rise from his chair or look up when he said, \"I have no cross-examination for this witness.\" The judge didn't bother to mention the professor's testimony in his judgment. Given the power of Irving's threats and paucity of the actual attack, I can understand Prof. Lipstadt's irritation when she finally had to deal with this nonsense.\n\nBecause of that weakness, I cannot give this otherwise riveting account five stars. But I highly recommend it nonetheless.", "A great family feel good movie. I loved Tandies and the little girls performance. Tyler Perry knows how to tell a great story..", "Resuscitation tells the story of a true-to-life villain with personality traits we can believe. The use of flashbacks gives depth to the characters so we can comprehend their motives by the story's end. There's no shortage of plot twists and unexpected developments. I highly recommend it to any avid thriller readers.", "seems like a good value compared from buying them from the manufacturer\nhas worked fine as I can tell...good value", "Not only does it work well as far as I can tell, but the laser dot is a HUGE hit with our dog who will chase it all over the room. Good battery life as far as I can tell as well since we haven't had to replace it yet even though using the laser continuously.", "I could feel the pain, the hate, the frustration. The album gives a very good way of creating a visual for the story it tells. Lyrically; alot of emotion but too repetitive.", "One can tell that there will be more stories about Cormoran Strike, who initially appears like a nice guy but no winner; as the story progresses, he becomes more complex and interesting. A nice satisfying whodunnit, more complex than Agatha Christie, less wordy and detailed than PD James. As in many Mystery! series stars, this detective has his flaws, but is brilliant nonetheless. His efficient secretary provides good contrast to Strike's inconsistent behavior. Very enjoyable.", "Fit great, and well built. I'm an iron worker and I can tell good welds when I see them", "Fits good, pretty ring, but you can tell it's cheap. It turns your finger green after a few hours of wear.", "Product was exactly as stated and appears to be very good quality. It is definitely metal, not plastic. You can tell by the weight.", "This is a beautiful potting bench. It is pre-finished and functions and looks wonderful. However, it must be professionally assembled unless you're a skilled carpenter. There is nothing pre-assembled, which is why I gave it only 3 stars instead of 5. It took a prof. 4 hours to assemble at an additional cost of $100. Be prepared!", "Perfect. Love that you can easily put in your model number and it tells you write away if a part is good for your car.", "What can I tell about a bottle other than it is sturdy, I love the blue color and ...the way it holds the water: very elegantly. Good bottle, good water. BPA free is the cherry on top.", "I thought it was a good book and tells a true story of a heinous crime that people would never expect to happen in this day and age but it did happen. People don't want to believe that crimes like this can happen in today's society and the subject matter and how the tragedy of this crime unfolded is disturbing. The case is still open and investigations are still going on. True mental health crimes like this are not as rare as people think.", "Although the star of this film is among the most controversial men of the XXth Century, Leni Riefenstahl made a film of unprecedented power in 1934. The techniques she used are often used today, but the simple employment of camera angles and vistas combined with mesmerizng music tell the story that Hilter wanted told. It is spectacular as an historical document and in its comparative simplicity it is a extraordinary opportunity to see how films, lenses, and proportion can be used to tell a story or spin a tale. For me, it is the crystal ball that demonstrates how easy it is for genius to influence the masses and how this medium of visual imagery and music can persuade people in the millions to accept the leadership of a demagogue.", "Anybody that reads a mystery or suspense novel knew who the killer was in the first chapters. The epilogue was just as predictable. The writing was good but Ms. Spinella should have picked one way to tell Missy's story and forego the flashback, the soon to be ex-husband and other ghost stories that could have been a spinoff. The story wasn't bad. It just wasn't great.", "Prof. Gunther Barth writes this book of history to document how Chinese came to United States to endure the hardship in order to make a better life after striking gold in the Gold Mountain. In California, Chinese laborers had to face the bias and discrimination from American natives of Indians and Negroes and Whites and sometimes violence and lynching. Their contribution as sojourners to the development of the West and especially California did not win American hearts and minds. Without the presence of consulates and gentry group to fight for them, they depended upon the Chinese merchants association and kinship club to protect and defend. Chinatown was a place of temporary experience to relief homesick, desire and emotion. Their simple, fugal and hard-working style was a point of attack and eventually got the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act by democratic means of the Congress.\n\nProf. Barth's masterpiece was a classic for all Americans wanting to know this sweet and sour chapter of American history.", "Didn't know what this shirt would look like... I washed it and I can tell this shirt is built to last...was told it was very comfortable.....A very good buy!", "Fits perfectly, tight fit in my OEM trailer hitch (2015 Q5), good build quality as far as I can tell. Has the tether.", "I never thought of Beowulf as a superhero story... but it surely is.\n\nGareth Hinds shows that the graphic novel media is perfect for telling this story to modern audiences.\n\nThese drawings would be even more amazing in large format.\n\nThe book is well designed, carefully laid out and printed on a good grade of glossy paper.", "How Skunk Got His Stripes by Tricia Harsley is a very cute story for kids. It tells the myth of how skunks got their stripes and their smell. The illustrations were only fair but got the point across. Good book overall.", "They feel really good when you're wearing them, but completely see through; and I can tell that holes will start appearing where the seam is. Pretty disappointed.", "Have opened the package and can tell construction is good quality. Will use in a couple of months when patio heater is ready to be stored and will know then about fit and ease of use." ]

[ "Postemergence control of crabgrass and some other summer annual weeds involves the use of chemicals that kill growing plants after they have appeared in the turf. Postemergence herbicides can be used to treat only those areas where summer annual grass weeds have emerged." ]

[ "Prevents crabgrass before it starts. 1 WHEN: Applied in early spring with your 1st application. 2 WHAT: Prevents summer annual grasses like crabgrass, goose grass, and foxtail. 3 HOW: Creates a barrier at the soil surface that kills the newly emerging seed as it tries to germinate.", "1 It is particularly important for those who live in an area where…. 2 Crabgrass in the Lawn: Kill, Control and Prevent It Crabgrass is known by many names such as finger grass, water grass, summer grass, digitaria and fonio.", "Once soil reaches germination temperatures, crabgrass continues to sprout through spring and summer. Germination generally slows down in late July and August, as existing crabgrass plants mature and begin to set seed. Freezing temperatures kill the annual in fall.", "As with all chemicals used on lawns and in the garden, toxicity is a concern, especially if you own pets. Scott's Turf Builder with Halts Crabgrass Preventer and Super Turf Builder fertilizer with Halts Crabgrass Preventer contain 1.29 percent pendimethalin, a low-toxicity herbicide.nce herbicides are absorbed into the soil, the lawn should be safe for pets. Crabgrass is an unwelcome inhabitant in many lawns, but you have two ways to eliminate it: use herbicides to kill it, or grow a lush, healthy lawn that crowds out weeds naturally.", "Crabgrass is one of the most prevalent grassy weeds found in Michigan lawns. Crabgrass thrives in full sunlight and high temperatures and can easily out compete common cool-season grasses under these conditions. Crabgrass is in a group of plants known as summer annuals. These plants have a life of less than one year. Summer annuals germinate in the spring, grow through the summer and die with the first hard frost. These plants produce a tremendous amount of seed in the mid- to late summer when the day length starts to shorten.", "1. Prevent crabgrass from growing in the first place with pre-emergent herbicides. Pre-emergent herbicides act by forming a chemical layer at the surface of the soil. As crabgrass seeds germinate, they take in the herbicide, which prevents them from sprouting and ultimately kills them.Ad.2. Apply pre-emergent herbicides in the late winter/early spring when soil temperatures stabilize at 55°F at a depth of 4.s crabgrass seeds germinate, they take in the herbicide, which prevents them from sprouting and ultimately kills them. Ad. 2. Apply pre-emergent herbicides in the late winter/early spring when soil temperatures stabilize at 55°F at a depth of 4.", "If crabgrass has become established in your lawn, proper lawn maintenance alone may not be enough. A pre-emergent herbicide is the next line of defense. Pre-emergent herbicides work by killing the crabgrass seedlings as they germinate.", "These products are designed as a convenience to help control broadleaf weeds in your lawn, while you fertilize. They will not kill crabgrass. Broadleaf weeds and grassy weeds are completely different types of plants. Different chemicals have been designed for each group. Always use a product intended for your purpose.ou want to use a “selective” killer intended to specifically kill crabgrass in a lawn. If the crabgrass you are spraying is young, it may die after one treatment. More mature weeds may require one or two repeat applications.", "Crabgrass plants will be killed by the first hard frost in the fall, and will drop their seed heads. In the spring, new crabgrass seedlings emerge around the previous year's plants, unless this open space was over-seeded in the fall with a desired turfgrass or a pre-emergent herbicide is applied this spring.", "If the crabgrass seeds have already sprouted and crabgrass has appeared in your grass, the pre-emergent herbicide will do no good. However, you still have an option. Post-emergent herbicide products control crabgrass after it has already germinated. Post-emergent herbicides work by killing the crabgrass plants.", "Now what happens is that it kills the crabgrass and will kill some of the grass around it but when it fills in a lot of the times you won't have the crabgrass. But the easiest way that I've found to get rid of the crabgrass is to be diligent because it might take you a couple of years to get rid of all of it.ow crabgrass looks a lot like the grass that grows in your lawn but it's pretty distinguishable because it grows more like a big spider. So you have a nice set of grass and then all of a sudden you've got this big spidery thick piece of grass in the middle that isn't growing straight.", "For crabgrass, use a granular pre-emergent crabgrass preventer in early spring, and a crabgrass killer or a broadleaf weed killer that contains crabgrass killer in summer. To prevent broadleaf weeds from germinating in early spring, you need granular, pre-emergent broadleaf weed killer.rtho weed killer, brand named Weed-B-Gon Weed Killer, is easy to use and can be applied to the lawn more than once in a season.", "Products. The label on Preen Lawn Weed Control lists 200 weeds that it claims to kill, including chickweed, dandelions, and thistles. Preen Crabgrass Control prevents crabgrass and other annual grass seeds from germinating for up to four months. It also kills crabgrass seedlings up to four weeks after germination.", "The active ingredient in Scotts Halts Crabgrass Preventer, pendimethalin, kills at least nine varieties of weeds, not just crabgrass. To prevent winter weeds such as the annual chickweed (Stellaria media) and henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), apply the herbicide in the fall, just as the weather starts to cool.", "As the owner of a landscaping and lawn maintenance company, I can assure you that you can’t put down new seed and Scott’s crabgrass preventer at the same time. The chemicals used in the crabgrass preventer will work in the same way on your new seedlings.They will be killed.Not the outcome you are looking for.s the owner of a landscaping and lawn maintenance company, I can assure you that you can’t put down new seed and Scott’s crabgrass preventer at the same time. The chemicals used in the crabgrass preventer will work in the same way on your new seedlings. They will be killed. Not the outcome you are looking for.", "Please try again later. Weed B Gon MAX Plus Crabgrass Control kills lawn weeds, right down to the root. But here's what makes Ortho Weed B Gon MAX Plus Crabgrass Control so cool: it's tough on weeds, but won't harm your lawn when used as directed, so you can use it on your lawn when weeds or crabgrass pop up.lease try again later. Weed B Gon MAX Plus Crabgrass Control kills lawn weeds, right down to the root. But here's what makes Ortho Weed B Gon MAX Plus Crabgrass Control so cool: it's tough on weeds, but won't harm your lawn when used as directed, so you can use it on your lawn when weeds or crabgrass pop up.", "Here is an Advance Tech Tip for eliminating small spots of crabgrass in St. Augustine grass lawns lightly scatter baking soda on damp crabgrass spots at the rate of 1 # baking soda per 100 square foot area. This will kill the weed without damaging the St. Augustine grass!", "Posted on February 25, 2013 by Byrdie. MSMA is a great solution to kill crabgrass, dallisgrass, sandburrs and many other noxious weeds. If you plan to use MSMA to eliminate your crabgrass, be sure to thoroughly read the label and follow all precautions and directions.osted on February 25, 2013 by Byrdie. MSMA is a great solution to kill crabgrass, dallisgrass, sandburrs and many other noxious weeds. If you plan to use MSMA to eliminate your crabgrass, be sure to thoroughly read the label and follow all precautions and directions.", "Crabgrass is an opportunistic Annual Grass that begins to sprouts in the late spring anywhere that there is bare soil, water, and sunlight. Crabgrass continues to grow all summer and doesn’t really become ugly until late summer when it spreads seeds.", "Store SKU # 769528. Use the Spectracide 32 oz. Concentrate Weed Stop for Lawns Plus Crabgrass Killer to put an end to weeds in your lawn. It kills over 250 types of weeds, including crabgrass.The fast-acting product produces visible results in just 8 hours.Spectracide Weed Stop for Lawns plus Crabgrass Killer Concentrate is a selective herbicide that controls emerged broadleaf and grass weeds in established lawns.he fast-acting product produces visible results in just 8 hours. Spectracide Weed Stop for Lawns plus Crabgrass Killer Concentrate is a selective herbicide that controls emerged broadleaf and grass weeds in established lawns.", "With the extreme heat and drought stress of summer and the loss of grass to things like billbug and brown patch, thin areas in many lawns are overtaken by crabgrass. Even without these pests, lawns next to sidewalks and driveways are particularly susceptible to crabgrass infestations.", "Faster Options. When you're looking for a way to kill crabgrass that doesn't include fertilizer in the mix, you can spread crabgrass preventers with siduron as the active ingredient at the same time as the seed. Mix 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 ounces of siduron with 1 gallon of water in a garden sprayer to treat 1,000 square feet.rabgrass killer doesn't always differentiate between a germinating crabgrass (Digitaria spp.) seed and a lawn grass seed.", "Two species of crabgrass, hairy and smooth, are commonly found in Pennsylvania (smooth crabgrass predominates in turfgrass stands). Both species are summer annuals and have wide (¼- to ½-inch), sparsely hairy, pale-green leaves that taper to a sharp point. Leaves of hairy crabgrass are hairier than smooth crabgrass. The ligules of both species are long and membranous. Crabgrass does not have auricles. Seedheads are divided spikes that project like fingers from the stem, producing thousands of seeds in late summer.", "Ready-to-Use Weed Stop for Lawns Plus Crabgrass Killer to put an end to weeds in your lawn.It kills over 250 types of weeds, including crabgrass.pectracide Weed Stop for Lawns plus Crabgrass Killer is a ready-to-us product intended for “spot” treatment of individual broadleaf and grass weeds by homeowners on residential lawns.", "Generally we don't recommend applying a crabgrass killer until between the 1st and 15th of May. Crabgrass is a fairly warm seasoned grass that doesn't germinate until the soil warms. Just a word of caution! Don't put a crabgrass killer on the lawn if you are trying to thicken up your lawn by interseeding.", "Scott’s Halts Crabgrass Preventer stops the growth of both summer and annual weeds before they have a chance to germinate and establish themselves in your lawn. The application schedule for Scott’s Halts Crabgrass Preventer depends on the type of weed you’re trying to control.", "Pre-Emergent Crabgrass Killers. In a sense, the second best crabgrass killer (that is, after having lush grass) is also not a killer, per se. That is, you're not waiting around for the weeds to emerge and then killing them. I'm talking about pre-emergent herbicides, which are applied in spring.", "Rated 5 out of 5 by ratmobile56 Ortho Weed B Gon Max Plus Crabgrass Control i use Ortho Weed B Gon Max Plus Crabgrass Control all summer long to control the weeds that creep over into my lawn from my neighbors. my lawn looks like a golf course.i highly recomend it to anyone who wants a nice looking yard.ated 5 out of 5 by greenthumb54 kills weeds not grass I use weed and feed granular but I use weed b gon to get the ones that are close to my flower beds as I don't spread the granular close to the edges of the beds for fear of damage to the flowers.", "University Park, Pa. -- Crabgrass is the No. 1 weed problem in Pennsylvania lawns and can turn your picture-perfect turf into a real mess by late summer.", "Killing the right weeds at the beginning can spare you a lot of trouble throughout the entire season. What We Do – This early spring application contained a product that is especially important to your lawn; your first full rate of crabgrass pre-emergent.", "The key is the timing. Pre-emergent herbicides MUST be applied BEFORE crabgrass seed germinate. If Bob and other lawn owners choose one of the products above and put it out on March 1, 2004. I think summer crabgrass control will be much better.hat I found shocked me! The data show that soil temperatures reached 52 degrees F. on Feb. 24 in 2000, Feb. 25 in 2001, Mar. 14 in 2002 and Mar. 4 in 2003. My timing advice has been wrong ! To get good crabgrass control in Atlanta you should apply the pre-emergent on March 1, not March 15.", "Pre-emergent herbicides control summer annual grassy weeds such as crabgrass. Early March is the time to apply pre-emergent herbicides to lawns in southeastern North Carolina. These products are usually applied as a granular and then watered in to the lawn." ]

[ "What are signs of diabetes?" ]

[ "Is diabetes dangerous?", "Is diabetes curable?", "Is there a cure for Type II diabetes?", "What is the perfect treatment for diabetes?", "What are the side effects of Diabetes mellitus type 2?", "Are there any home remedies for diabetes?", "Can salt cause diabetes?", "What are the kalonji benefits for diabetics?", "Will there ever be a cure for diabetes?", "Is there anybody who was cured of Diabetes?", "Is diabetes Destroyer scam?", "What are the best ways to bring down A1C for type 1 diabetics?", "What's a typical day like for a child or teen with type 1 diabetes?", "Why is type 2 diabetes dangerous?", "How can I cure my diabetes?", "Does Future the rapper have diabetes?", "Can consuming too much sugar cause diabetes?", "Will there ever be a cure for diabetes? Why or why not?", "How can we use apple cider vinegar for diabetes?", "What happens when insulin is not administered post angioplasty in type 2 diabetic for 5 days?", "What are the first signs of getting old?", "What is first operating system?", "What are the symptoms of low blood sugar?", "Does eating too much sugar actually give you an increased risk for diabetes?", "What was the first sign of your schizophrenia?", "Will eating bitter gourd help in the control of diabetes, and how much should be taken?", "What was the first novel?", "What are some characteristics of alpha glucose and beta glucose?", "How was the first cell formed?", "What was the first game in the world?", "What is the first computer?", "Why is the very first period a brown discharge?" ]

[ "The smog is caused by smoke from forest fires in Sumatra, which has blown east over Malaysia and Singapore.\nAccording to Prof Roy Harrison, professor of environmental health at the University of Birmingham, this type of air pollution can be very unpleasant.\n\"It's quite different to traffic pollution, but equally toxic.\n\"The particles in the air are mostly made up of carbon compounds and sooty material and there will be nasty acrid gases in the smoke.\"\nThe immediate effects of smog can include problems with breathing, wheezing, coughing and watery eyes.\nDr Keith Prowse, from the British Lung Foundation, says the concentration of the current smog means it will probably affect everyone in some way.\n\"It looks highly irritant to the eyes, nose and chest - and people may then develop a cough or chest symptoms.\"\nIn the longer term, prolonged exposure to air pollution of any kind can have an impact on human health and reduce life expectancy.\nThe World Health Organization says air pollution is a significant risk factor for a number of health conditions including respiratory infection, heart disease, and lung cancer - but there are certain groups who are particularly at risk.\nElderly people and those with respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, are vulnerable when smog hits because their lungs are less able to deal with the pollution.\nThey are more likely to be admitted to hospital, and for those who are already sick, the smog is an additional stress factor.\nPeople with asthma may find their condition worsens and they need to take more medication.\nChildren are thought to be susceptible to the dangers of air pollution because they spend more time outdoors and breathe in more air per unit of body weight.\nProf Harrison says younger adults can be affected too.\n\"We do know that exposure to particles in air pollution affects the rhythm of the heart.\n\"This could affect people in their forties who are beginning to have heart conditions which they may not be aware of.\"\nRepeated exposure to air pollution caused by car fumes is known to carry risks for the heart, as previous studies show.\nRecent research led by Dr Krishnan Bhaskaran, a statistical epidemiologist from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, discovered that high pollution events could trigger heart attacks in people who were already vulnerable.\nAnother recent study from Edinburgh found that air pollution from diesel exhaust fumes has an impact on the heart and blood vessels, potentially increasing the chance of blood clots forming in the arteries.\nSingapore's prime minister said that the smoky haze could remain in place for weeks and possibly until September or October, when the dry season ends in Sumatra.\nProlonged exposure to the smog will mean prolonged health risks for elderly and vulnerable people in an urban area where normal pollution levels are quite high.\nIn the meantime, the advice is to stay indoors when possible, where pollution levels are lower, and limit unnecessary physical activity to reduce breathing in dirty air.\nThe face masks which are in high demand in Singapore can protect against the worst of the smog.\nBut Dr Bhaskaran says they are unlikely to provide total protection.\n\"The masks may be sufficient to keep out some particles, but other gases would go straight through them.\"\nThe British Lung Foundation agrees: \"The use of masks is not recommended; they are often ineffective and may make breathing more difficult.\"" ]

[ "Visibility in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, remained poor on Monday as officials ordered schools closed in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor state.\nIn Singapore air quality continued to improve after last week's record haze, as wind conditions changed.\nIndonesia is working to control the blazes but so far cloud-seeding has not produced enough rain, an official says.\nSutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for Indonesia's national disaster agency, said they had \"carried out 14 water-bombings, dropping a total of 7,000 litres (1,820 gallons) of water onto the fires\".\nHe added that altogether, four helicopters had been deployed for water-bombing operations while two planes were conducting cloud-seeding, AFP news agency reported.\nHowever, Indonesian disaster agency official Agus Wibowo told AFP that two cloud-seeding attempts tried in Riau province over the weekend were not successful.\n\"The cloud-seeding technology is meant to speed up rainfall, but with few clouds, there's little we can do. The rain was more like a drizzle.\"\nOn Sunday Malaysia declared a state of emergency in two southern districts as air pollution levels reached a 16-year high, leaving two towns in virtual shutdown.\nConditions eased somewhat in the south on Monday but worsened in other parts of the country.\nQ&A: Slash-and-burn\nIn pictures: Indonesia fires\nThe Air Pollutant Index (API) in Kuala Lumpur was near the 200 level, or \"very unhealthy\", on Monday, while in Port Dickson, located across from Sumatra, it reached 335, or \"hazardous\".\nThe smog is being blamed on illegal land-clearing fires burning in Indonesia's Sumatra island, mainly in Riau province.\nMalaysia's environment minister is scheduled to meet his Indonesian counterpart on Wednesday to discuss the situation.\nMalaysian and Singaporean officials are also seeking to move forward a meeting of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) haze committee to next week instead of in August, reports say.\nSingapore's prime minister has warned that the problem could continue for weeks, as teams struggle to bring the fires under control amid dry weather.\nMeanwhile air quality in Singapore improved over the weekend \"due to a change in the direction of the low-level winds\", the National Environmental Ministry (NEA) said in an advisory.\n\"The prevailing wind conditions are expected to persist for the next few days,\" NEA said.\nHowever, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsieng Loong said on his Facebook page that Singaporeans \"must expect the haze to come back\".\nSingapore's Pollutant Standards Index hit a record high of 401 on Friday - the previous high was 226 in 1997 - before slowly dropping over the weekend. On Monday, readings remained below 100.", "The claims against the agricultural commodities trader were made in a report by Mighty, a US-based environmental lobby group.\nMighty also accuses Olam and its main stakeholder, Singapore state-owned investment company Temasek, of turning a blind eye to these practices.\nBoth companies reject the allegations.\nSingapore and Malaysia regularly suffer from haze caused by slash-and-burn practices by small-scale farmers and rogue palm oil traders in Indonesia.\nIndonesia is often blamed for not doing enough to tackle the agriculture fires used to clear vegetation for palm oil, pulp and paper plantations in the Riau province in East Sumatra, South Sumatra, and parts of Kalimantan on Indonesian Borneo.\nSingapore-based Olam has confirmed that it buys 99% of its palm oil from third party suppliers and while it is a relative newcomer to the industry, it says it accounts for less than 1% of the global market.\nMighty's report says Olam and Temask could be unwittingly encouraging unsustainable palm oil trading practices that may contribute to the haze that is caused by the fires.\nIt also says Olam created a \"secretive market for rogue palm oil companies\" that allowed the vast majority of its product to be bought from unknown sources.\nBut Olam chief executive Sunny Verghese told the BBC that the firm had a \"very vigorous sourcing policy and we insist that there is zero tolerance for burning, so it's a 'no burn-no peat-no deforestation' compliance policy\".\nThe company only agreed to release the names of its 14 suppliers on Monday, having previously resisted calls by Mighty to do so.\nMr Verghese said he believed the firm's current suppliers all met Olam's strict requirements, but added that the vetting and verification process would take several more years to complete.\nHe added that producers who do not comply with the company's sustainable principles would be removed from its supply chain.\nSince Temasek is the majority stake holder in Olam, Mighty's allegations could link Singapore's state fund to the devastating annual haze affecting Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia - if the claims of sourcing from rogue palm oil producers are proven.\nTemasek's investment in Olam means that \"the people of Singapore have unwittingly financed what is likely one of the world's black boxes for the kind of unsustainably produced palm oil that fuels the haze,\" the report says.\nTemasek has dismissed the allegations, explaining that they \"fully support no-burn policies for land clearance, and would urge oil palm companies and plantation owners to do the same.\"\nThe fund told the BBC: \"Olam's operations are properly matters for the board and management of Olam to address.\n\"As a matter of proper governance, Temasek does not direct the business operations of our portfolio companies, including Olam.\"\nIt would be fair to say that the palm oil industry globally has a troubled track record.\nIt is one of the world's biggest industries, projected to be worth $88bn by 2022 but also often accused of unfair and illegal labour practices, as well as deforestation and the burning of plantations.\nGreen groups and palm oil executives often find themselves at loggerheads with one another - NGOs say that the industry is wilfully turning a blind eye to environmentally unfriendly practices, while palm oil executives claim it is an industry-wide problem, and policing third party suppliers is impossible.\nActivists say governments need to punish palm oil firms that don't comply with acceptable standards of protecting the environment - but changing the government mindset can be challenging, because the reality is many of these firms bring jobs and investment to rural areas.\nThe report also highlights concerns in the African state of Gabon, where according to Mighty, Olam \"bulldozes rainforests to establish monoculture palm oil plantations,\" bringing the same practices to Africa \"that have destroyed vast natural landscapes in Southeast Asia\".\nIn response to the accusation that Olam is responsible for vast forest clearings through its joint ventures with the government of Gabon, Olam said its private-public partnerships in the country strove to be both responsible and transparent.\n\"We agree with Gabon's sovereign right to convert a tiny percentage of its least valuable forested land for agriculture, so long as it is responsibly and transparently done,\" it said.\n\"Our plans and progress for developing sustainable palm oil plantations have been shared transparently with stakeholders and put in the public domain.\"", "Mr Lee, who was 91, led Singapore's transformation from a small port city to one of the wealthiest nations in the world.\nWorld leaders have paid tribute to Mr Lee, who served as the city-state's prime minister for 31 years.\nUS President Barack Obama described him as a \"giant of history\" whose advice had been sought by other world leaders.\nChinese President Xi Jinping said Mr Lee was a widely respected strategist and statesman, and Russian President Vladimir Putin described him as one of the \"patriarchs\" of world politics.\nThe period of national mourning will culminate in a state funeral next Sunday and Mr Lee's body is to lie in state at parliament from Wednesday to Saturday.\nA private family wake is taking place on Monday and Tuesday.\nNews of Mr Lee's death came in a government statement that said he had \"passed away peacefully\" in the early hours of Monday at Singapore General Hospital. Mr Lee had been in hospital for several weeks with pneumonia and was on life support.\nState television broke away from its normal schedules and broadcast rolling tributes.\nAs evening fell, many Singaporeans were continuing to arrive at the Istana, the compound housing the president's official residence and the prime minister's office, where a book of condolence has been placed.\nEarlier, some chanted \"Mr Lee, Mr Lee\" as a hearse carrying the former leader's body arrived at the compound.\nAn area has also been set aside outside the hospital for flowers and other tributes.\n\"I'm so sad. He is my idol. He's been so good to me, my family and everyone,\" said resident Lua Su Yean, 64.\n\"His biggest achievement is that from zero he's built up today's Singapore.\"\nBooks of condolence have also been opened at all Singapore's overseas missions.\nIn an emotional televised address, Mr Lee's son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, paid tribute to him.\n\"He fought for our independence, built a nation where there was none, and made us proud to be Singaporeans. We won't see another man like him,\" he said.\nSingapore's Foreign Minister, K Shanmugam, told the BBC's Newsday programme that Mr Lee was \"George Washington and Churchill combined for Singaporeans\".\n\"There is deep sense of loss, a deep sense of grief,\" he said.\nBusiness in bustling Singapore carried on as normal. At the stock exchange, the normal stream of market prices displayed on a bank of screens instead read: Remembering Lee Kuan Yew, 16 September 1923 to 23 March 2015.\nLee Kuan Yew - widely known as LKY - oversaw Singapore's independence from Britain and separation from Malaysia and co-founded the People's Action Party (PAP), which has governed Singapore since 1959.\nI am often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens. Yes, if I did not, had I not done that, we wouldn't be here today (National Day Rally in 1986)\nIn quotes: Lee Kuan Yew\nMr Lee set about creating a highly educated work force fluent in English, and reached out to foreign investors to turn Singapore into a manufacturing hub.\nHe embarked on a programme of slum clearance, industrialisation and tackling corruption. He was a fierce advocate of a multi-racial Singapore.\nHowever, Mr Lee also introduced tight controls, and one of his legacies was a clampdown on the press - tight restrictions that remain in place today.\nDissent - and political opponents - were ruthlessly quashed. Today, PAP remains firmly in control. There are currently six opposition lawmakers in parliament.\nOther measures, such as corporal punishment, a ban on chewing gum and the government's foray into matchmaking for Singapore's brightest - to create smarter babies - led to perceptions of excessive state interference.\nMr Lee criticised what he saw as the overly liberal approach of the US and the West, saying it had \"come at the expense of orderly society\".", "Sixteen-year-old Amos Yee, who was detained on Sunday shortly after Mr Lee's state funeral, has been given bail set at S$20,000 (£9,800; $14,500).\nThe video sparked a huge backlash from grieving Singaporeans and more than 20 police reports were lodged.\nSingapore has strict hate speech laws strengthened under Mr Lee's leadership.\nLee Kuan Yew was deeply respected by Singaporeans and his death last week prompted unprecedented public mourning.\nHe was widely seen as the architect of Singapore's prosperity, but during his 31 years as prime minister he also clamped down on opponents, imposed strict social rules and tight political control.\nIn the expletive-laden eight-minute video which was uploaded last Friday, Amos Yee celebrated Mr Lee's death and criticised his strict control of Singapore, calling him \"a horrible person\".\nHe said Singaporeans were scared to criticise Mr Lee and compared him disparagingly to Jesus Christ.\nThe video drew a visceral response from Singaporeans, who had turned up in large numbers to mourn Mr Lee last week as he lay in state.\nMr Yee subsequently took down the video, but copies have since been uploaded on YouTube.\nOn Tuesday, Mr Yee appeared in court to be charged on three counts: \"deliberate intention of wounding the religious or racial feelings of any person\", distributing obscene material and harassment.\nHe faces a fine and up to three years in jail if convicted.\nMr Yee - who was originally reported to be 17 - will be tried as an adult. In addition to bail, he agreed not to post any material online while the case is in progress.\nSpeaking outside the courtroom, his father apologised to the current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is Mr Lee's son.\nSingapore's hate speech laws are intended to ensure harmony between its multi-ethnic population and prevent a recurrence of the racial violence of its early years.\nIn a statement Deputy Commissioner Tan Chye Hee said the police \"take a stern view of acts that could threaten religious harmony in Singapore\".\nAmos Yee was one of several people who went online to publicly criticise Mr Lee's legacy - others include human rights activists and a prominent poet - but he is the only one to have been arrested.\nA petition started by a Christian Singaporean has been launched, calling for his release.\nMedia rights group the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the arrest \"highlights the restrictive environment in which Singaporean journalists are forced to work\".\n\"We call on authorities to release Amos Yee immediately and to undertake reform of Singapore's outdated laws restricting the media,\" said CPJ's Asia spokesman Bob Dietz.", "In a video that went viral Muhammad Fadzri, also known on stage as Fakkah Fuzz, made a pun that compared the word prime minister to \"thief\".\nMalaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak has been officially cleared of corruption in a long-running financial scandal that has gripped the nation.\nBut this video has raised the ire of one Malaysian political group.\nIn the one-minute clip which has since been removed from Facebook, the stand-up comedian touched on differences between Malay communities in Singapore and Malaysia.\nOne of the topics he commented on was the difference in terminology.\n\"Singaporean Malays call a thief 'pencuri' while those in Malaysia call a thief 'perdana menteri' (the local term for prime minister),\" he said.\nDespite being cleared Mr Najib still continues to face pressure from his critics and repeated calls to resign.\n1MDB: The case that's riveting Malaysia\nMalaysia prosecutor clears PM Najib Razak of corruption\nNetizens attack Malaysia PM Najib Razak with hashtags\nMalaysia cartoonist faces jail for sedition\nBut Selangor Umno Youth, a wing of Malaysia's largest political party, issued a statement condemning the comedian's video.\n\"Fakkah Fuzz rudely made a comparison on the definition of a thief in Singapore and Malaysia which is very disheartening,\" youth chief Zainuri Zainal said in a statement.\nThe group has also called on Malaysia's Home Ministry to block the Singaporean comedian from entering the country.\n\"He should not meddle in the matters of Malaysia. This should not have happened, taking into the consideration that both countries have enjoy a good diplomatic relationship,\" he said.\nSince the video's release on Saturday, the 30-year-old Singaporean says he has been receiving messages by the hour.\nHe told BBC News that he did not expect such a backlash.\n\"I am not a political activist, I am a stand up comedian - I'm simply here to entertain.\"\n\"There are just so many crazy things happening in this part of the world now and I feel for Malaysia too. I was simply introducing political satire in my act and felt that the best way to do that was to be relatable.\"\nMr Fadzri also said he has also received messages of support.\n\"People have been messaging me from Malaysia and Singapore, telling me they love what I do and want to see me in my next show,\" he said.\n\"Comedy is what I've done for years - it's art and the epitome of freedom of expression. If political satire is welcomed in the West for audiences to take a break from issues and just have a good laugh then I believe this part of the world can do it too.\"", "One practice that has gained popularity is drinking \"anti-smog\" tea, which some believe can \"clean\" their lungs.\nBut a leading Chinese medicine practitioner has sought to dispel this myth, saying it is ineffective.\n\"Anti-smog\" teas have become more widely available in Chinese medicine shops, pharmacies and online sites as the smog in China has worsened over the last few years.\nThere are different recipes, but they generally are made up of Chinese herbs such as dried flowers and roots.\nThe practice stems from the Chinese medicinal belief that drinking certain concoctions can boost one's health and rid the body of impurities.\nA 2015 report by Beijing Morning Post noted that several pharmacies in the capital were selling \"lung-cleansing teas to combat smog\".\nOn popular online marketplace Taobao, \"anti-smog\" teas can be bought for 20 yuan (£2.20, $2.90) per packet and one listing claims that its combination of seven ingredients including dried chrysanthemums and honeysuckle can \"boost lungs and moisten throats\", and \"combat the smog\".\nBut in a recent report by state broadcaster CCTV, Liu Quanqing, president of the Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said such teas were \"unreliable\".\nHe noted, that the digestive and respiratory systems were separate, and that many teas contained ingredients which \"may cause health problems if taken for a long time.\"\nWhat would help instead, Mr Liu added, was maintaining a healthy diet and boosting one's immune system.\nThe same report also quoted officials from China's communicable disease centre as saying that using air purifiers and wearing masks were more effective in combating the smog.\nThe heavy pollution has become an annual occurrence during winter, affecting the north and eastern parts of China the most.\nThis year's smog has prompted school closures and warnings for residents to stay indoors, and triggered widespread health concerns.\nOne Shanghai surgeon's poem linking the smog to lung cancer recently went viral on social media.\nThe poem, which was originally written in English before it was translated into Chinese, describes a lung condition that is \"nourished on the delicious mist and haze\". That line has stirred controversy as authorities have sought to downplay the smog's health consequences.\nBut the surgeon, Zhao Xiaogang, told Global Times that he wanted to make the point that \"the intense rise in lung cancer (in China)... is intimately related to smog\".\nThe government has also tried to censor discussion and block protests, and municipal authorities in Beijing are even contemplating reclassifying smog.\nReporting by the BBC's Tessa Wong", "The Zouk superclub, a local institution, has said the incident was \"a misunderstanding\", but it has triggered a flood of angry comments online, with many siding with Egyptian trance DJ Fadi Wassef Naguib, who accused the club of favouritism.\nIt also underscored unease in the city-state about a possible spill over of the political scandal engulfing its neighbour.\nThe row began after DJ Fila, one half of trance music duo Aly and Fila, ended his headline set at Zouk on Saturday night by saying he had been told to make way for \"the son of a prime minister\".\nHe told the crowd he was \"insulted\" and would never play the club again.\nZouk has not confirmed that Norashman Najib was on the decks, but three people who were at the club told the BBC they saw him perform.\nThey said the club emptied out when he took over the decks.\nAn aide to the family of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted as saying Mr Norashman was invited to play, and did not force DJ Fila to stop performing.\n\"Taking into account that it was an acknowledgment of his talent and hobby, Ashman agreed to do the performance,\" the aide was quoted as saying by news portal Malaysiakini., using his nickname.\nZouk said on Monday it was a \"misunderstanding\" and DJ Fila was \"not at any point of time asked to end his set prematurely before the contracted set end time of 3.30am\".\nBut that has not stopped Singaporean club-goers and his fans from flooding Zouk's Facebook page with complaints.\n\"Music is an escape, something that unites people, a zone where it should be politics free,\" said one user.\nSingaporean Henry Soh, who attended the gig, told the BBC: \"This is Singapore, not Malaysia... In Singapore we do not abuse our power or authority, whether or not one is a local or not a local.\"\nPart of the unhappiness has to do with the complicated relationship Singapore has with Malaysia, and how Singaporeans view the political scandals that sporadically erupt across the border.\nSingapore prides itself on its squeaky clean and stable image, a contrast with the image of its neighbour, even as it maintains close ties with Mr Najib and his government.\nThough he has officially been cleared of wrongdoing, Mr Najib is facing mounting opposition at home amid accusations of corruption connected to the 1MDB state fund, and links to Singapore have emerged.\nSingapore authorities have seized 1MDB-linked bank accounts in a money laundering investigation, while a local banker has emerged as a key figure in the probe.\nThe Zouk case appears to have reinforced worries that Singapore is not immune from Malaysian-style politics.\nSome fans have noted that Zouk was recently purchased by an arm of Malaysian conglomerate Genting.\nGenting is one of several companies named by Swiss prosecutors in connection with a criminal investigation into two former officials of 1MDB suspected of bribery.\n\"Zouk is now under Genting group... Of course now their PR and management... is 'Malaysia Boleh',\" said one Facebook user, using a popular pro-Malaysia slogan.\nSaid another person: \"This is Singapore! Not Najib-sia, we don't have to be subservient to the royal Najib family.\"\n11 March 2016 Correction: A previous version of this article wrongly stated that Genting was a state-linked company and that it had been accused of criminal conduct by Swiss prosecutors.", "After all, the spring's election slog delivered a surprise Conservative majority and the prime minister has rarely looked so secure or confident in the job.\nBut instead of a week's chillaxing, Mr Cameron is filling a plane with business leaders and heading to the furthest corners of South East Asia.\nHis crammed itinerary will take in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore on a whistle-stop trade mission, the first of this Parliament. So what does the prime minster hope to achieve from the trip?\nLast week, Mr Cameron said Britain needed to go \"to the ends of the earth\" to sell its wares.\nWhile the EU remains Britain's biggest trading partner, Mr Cameron has been clear the UK needs to look beyond Europe, an ambition mirrored by frustration at the EU's level of competitiveness and regulation.\nThese are priorities in Mr Cameron's renegotiation of Britain's membership with the EU. And as that grinds on, the prime minster is sending a clear signal Britain must also look east.\nNot just to India and China; but to the largely untapped potential of South East Asia as well. By 2030, the region is expected to be the fourth-largest single market in the world.\nAs Mr Cameron said last week, Britain is still selling more to Hungary than to Indonesia, even though Indonesia is 25 times bigger.\nBritain does more trade with Belgium than it does with Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore combined.\nThe government has a target of doubling UK exports to £1 trillion by 2020 and it sees the booming economies in the east as plum markets for British goods and services as well as sources of direct investment to the UK.\nFor instance, Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country, with an economy roughly the same size as Britain's. Its middle class is growing fast and new President Joko Widodo is very keen on attracting overseas investment.\nIt's a similar story in Vietnam and Mr Cameron will be the first British prime minister to visit the country, which has the fastest-growing middle class in South East Asia.\nHe has already been on a trade charm offensive to Malaysia, back in 2012.\nDefence and education are areas British business is pushing hard.\nBut it's two-way, and a delegation representing the \"Northern Powerhouse\" will also be on this trip, hoping to tempt investors with regeneration and infrastructure opportunities.\nBut as well as the business schmooze, other issues are likely to feature on this trip. Both Indonesia and Malaysia are trying to confront Islamist extremism.\nIndonesia, the world's biggest Muslim-majority democracy, has seen between 200 and 500 of its citizens join so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq.\nBetween 60 and 150 Malaysians are estimated to have done the same and earlier this year a recruitment video emerged featuring young Malay-speaking boys engaging in weapons training in IS-held territory.\nThe country has recently introduced new anti-terror powers and the prime minister is likely to speak to leaders in both countries about what more can be done to tackle IS and the movement of foreign fighters.\nThere could also be diplomatic tension in Indonesia when - or if - Mr Cameron raises the case of Lindsay Sandiford, a 58-year-old from Cheltenham who has been on death row in the country since 2013 after arriving in Bali from Thailand carrying cocaine with a street value of £1.6 million.\nUK government representations against the sentence have so far been ignored and Ms Sandiford is due to be executed by firing squad.\nIn April, seven foreign nationals were executed for drug smuggling offences and dozens more are on death row.\nPresident Widodo recently said Indonesia was in a \"drug emergency\".\nWhile mutually beneficial trade deals will be the ballast of the trip, these new markets present their own obstacles too.", "It has also exposed the uncomfortable realities of show business in a region that is increasingly wooing China's vast market.\nEarlier this month the Singaporean company producing the show, mm2 Entertainment, announced auditions for The Voice.\nIt would be produced and broadcast for both Singapore and Malaysia at the same time.\n\"You are welcome to join as long as you are at least 16 years old, have a good voice, are fluent in Mandarin, and are able to perform Mandarin songs,\" it said.\nSingapore and Malaysia have diverse populations, which include among their ethnicities Chinese, Malays, Indians and others.\nPeople unfamiliar with Singapore are often surprised to learn the predominant language is English, with Mandarin, Tamil and Malay all also official languages. Malaysia uses both English and Malay.\nMany have said the Mandarin requirement effectively discriminates against Singaporeans and Malaysians who are not Chinese, and goes against the two countries' multicultural, multiracial approach.\nSingaporean musician Bani Haykal criticised the producers on Twitter for being culturally \"insensitive\", adding: \"This isn't a singing competition, it's [a] network circus attempting to show off what they've got in order to enter a bigger marketplace.\"\nSome have chosen to respond with humour, like this satirical video which offers a Mandarin translation service for those seeking to join \"talent shows with deeply biased and semi-racist rules\".\nBasically yes. The Mandarin Chinese-speaking market is huge, and hungry for new singing talent. Breaking into that market is the key to huge success.\nmm2 Entertainment also told The Straits Times newspaper that it had only acquired the rights to the show in Mandarin because it was the \"most commercially viable\".\nThe contestants would also have to speak to the judges in Mandarin \"including during the coaching sessions, which are integral to the show format\".\nThe company told the website Bandwagon that contestants would also \"be allowed to perform songs of different languages that showcase their best talents\".\nFacebook user Gina Leong pointed out that for people from the region singing in English, the \"US and UK market is almost impossible to break into\".\nShe added: \"The next best thing is [the] Mandarin pop market which targets China, Taiwan, HK [Hong Kong] and overseas Chinese.\"\nEthnic Chinese from Singapore and Malaysia have in the past competed in talent shows held in mainland China, in the hope of launching their careers in the Chinese entertainment world.\nSingaporean singer Nathan Hartono last year came in second in Sing! China, a show closely modelled on The Voice.\nIn a widely shared Facebook commentary, Singaporean poet Alfian Sa'at said he was tired of people \"seeing no problem when Chineseness is squarely equated with Singapore when it is just one square in the giant patchwork that is Singapore culture\".\n\"I am tired of having to remind others that I exist too, that my language is not the same as yours.\"\nBut he said he would remain open as \"however difficult it is to de-link language and power, one has to do it because it will otherwise trap your ways of thinking\".\nHe added: \"Though there are dominant languages they do not exist to dominate, and though there are minority languages their fate is not to be subordinate.\"", "Mr Lee's coffin will be carried in a procession across the streets of Singapore, and taken to a state funeral attended by world leaders.\nThe statesman's body will then be cremated in a private family ceremony.\nOver the past week, more than one million people have visited tribute sites across Singapore to pay their respects to Mr Lee, local media report.\nMore than 415,000 people, or 12% of Singaporean citizens, visited Parliament House to see Mr Lee as he lay in state, while at least 850,000 others went to community sites to pay tribute.\nThe funeral procession will begin on Sunday at 12:30 local time (04:30 GMT), with Mr Lee's coffin carried through central Singapore to the University Cultural Centre at the National University of Singapore.\nThe funeral service is expected to begin at 14:00, with foreign leaders including former US President Bill Clinton, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and UK House of Commons leader William Hague attending.\nThe country will also observe a minute's silence in the afternoon.\nCurrent Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is Lee Kuan Yew's son, has described the past week's tributes to his father as \"extraordinary, deeply moving\", and \"a tremendous unique experience for Singaporeans\".\nMany of the city-state's shopping and commercial centres are expected to be closed on Sunday as a mark of respect to Mr Lee.\nAnalysis: Jonathan Head, BBC South East Asia correspondent\nThis orderly and usually unemotional city has over the week built up to a crescendo of commemoration for the man they are now calling the father of Singapore.\nPeople queued for many hours to see Lee Kuan Yew's body lying in state, or to sign condolence books. A huge official publicity campaign has celebrated his achievements in building Singapore; special classes about his life are now mandatory in schools.\nOnly a few dissident voices have criticised what they say is akin to a personality cult, pointing out that the authoritarian Mr Lee had his dark sides too.\nOnce the funeral is over, Singaporeans will have to start thinking about what direction their country should take, now they no longer have the outsize personality who has dominated their country since independence.\nMr Lee was Singapore's prime minister for 31 years, stepping down in 1990.\nHe oversaw Singapore's independence from Britain and separation from Malaysia, and was widely respected as the architect of Singapore's prosperity - the city-state's GNP per capita increased 15-fold between 1960 and 1980.\nHowever, Mr Lee also introduced tight controls. Under him, freedom of speech and the press was tightly restricted and political opponents were targeted by the courts.\nSpeaking about his legacy to the New York Times in 2010, Mr Lee said: \"I'm not saying that everything I did was right, but everything I did was for an honourable purpose.\"\nAre you attending Lee Kuan Yew's funeral procession or service? Tell us about your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk\nSend your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.\nRead our terms and conditions.", "The migrants, including 50 women and 84 children, say that many people are now falling ill after the boat crew abandoned them at the weekend.\nTheir exact position is still unclear, said Chris Lewa of the Arakan Project which works with the Rohingya minority.\nIndonesia and Malaysia have been turning away migrant boats.\nThailand has launched a crackdown to disrupt people smuggler networks since the discovery of dozens of bodies in abandoned camps along regular trafficking routes.\nA ship passed by the drifting ship on Tuesday but did not stop.\n\"I heard the boat's engine and then all the people screaming, shouting for help, trying to get attention - then the noises faded away and it became very quiet. All I could hear was the children crying,\" Ms Lewa told the BBC on Wednesday.\nThe migrants have been at sea for two months but their situation only became critical once their crew abandoned the boat and left them without a working engine.\nMs Lewa said that the migrants could see land but could not reach it. \"They have a compass but no-one knows how to use it,\" she added.\nOn Tuesday, the migrants thought they might be close to the Malaysian island of Langkawi.\nThere is growing concern over the health of some of the passengers.\n\"One man said some people had died but others later contradicted him so the situation is very unclear,\" said Ms Lewa.\nAs many as 8,000 migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar are believed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to be stranded at sea.\nPeople smugglers are reportedly refusing to land their boats because they do not want to follow their usual route through Thailand after the government launched a campaign there against them.\nJeff Labovitz, an IOM spokesman, told the BBC on Monday that the discovery last week of the remains of dozens of people in abandoned camps in the south of Thailand had prompted a police crackdown.\nAnother IOM spokesman, Joe Lowry, said that many on board the migrant boats needed urgent help because they were suffering from beriberi - a disease caused by vitamin deficiency which \"leaves you like a walking skeleton\".\nMs Lewa said that some people in Myanmar were no longer attempting the perilous journey.\nTwo boats which originally intended to leave last week have been disembarked, she said. More than 200 passengers were forced to pay a fee to be allowed to leave the vessels.\nFive other boats however were reported to have set out regardless of the dangers.\nOn Tuesday, Indonesia said it had turned away a boat carrying hundreds of migrants believed to be from Myanmar and Bangladesh. What has happened to them is not yet known.\nA senior Thai official told Reuters news agency on Wednesday that Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia would all continue to turn the boats away.\nMyanmar's unwanted people\nMajor General Werachon Sukhondhapatipak said that the three countries had decided \"not to receive boat people\".\nOn Sunday and Monday more than 2,000 migrants arrived in Malaysia or Indonesia after being rescued or swimming ashore.\nThe journey the migrants take - from Bangladesh or Myanmar through the Bay of Bengal to Thailand or beyond - takes several weeks. They have been slowed further by the refugees effectively being held hostage by smugglers.", "The bodies, flown to an airbase in Borneo, bring to nine the total recovered. The funeral of one victim, a flight attendant, has been held.\nHowever, bad weather has continued to hamper the search for wreckage.\nThe plane came down four days ago en route from Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people on board.\nNo survivors have been found.\nSkies brightened over the search area on Thursday but rough seas, which slowed salvage efforts, returned within hours.\nShips and planes are scouring the Java Sea off Borneo. Malaysia, Australia and Thailand are helping Indonesia with the search, while the US destroyer USS Sampson has been sent to the zone.\nDivers are hoping to investigate a large object sighted by a rescue pilot which it is thought could be part of the airliner.\nNaval officer Siahala Alamsyah said that bad weather and high seas on Wednesday night prevented a team of about 50 Indonesian navy divers from flying out to warships at the scene of the disaster.\nSearch teams are hoping to locate the fuselage of the plane on the seabed and find the plane's \"black box\" recorders, which could provide clues about the cause of the crash.\n\"It's possible the bodies are in the fuselage,\" said search and rescue co-ordinator Sunarbowo Sand from his base in Pangkalan Bun on Borneo island - the closest town to the targeted area.\n\"It's a race now against time and weather.\"\nFlight QZ8501, from Surabaya in Java to Singapore, disappeared on Sunday. Debris from the plane, an Airbus A320-200, was located in the sea on Tuesday.\nThere were 137 adult passengers, 17 children and one infant, along with two pilots and five crew, on the plane.\nThe majority of those on board were Indonesians.\nBodies are being flown on from Borneo to Surabaya where relatives, providing DNA samples, are waiting for them to be identified.\nThe only body identified so far is that of AirAsia flight attendant Hayati Lutfia Hamid. Her funeral has taken place in Surabaya.\nSome investigators are reported to believe that the plane may have gone into an aerodynamic stall as the pilot climbed steeply to avoid a storm.\nOfficials quoted by the Reuters news agency say that the plane was travelling at 32,000ft (9,750m) when it requested to climb to 38,000ft to avoid bad weather.\nWhen air traffic controllers consented to allow it to climb to 34,000ft a few minutes later, they got no reply.\nA source quoted by Reuters said that radar data appeared to show that the aircraft's \"unbelievably\" steep climb may have been beyond the Airbus A320's limits.\n\"So far, the numbers taken by the radar are unbelievably high. This rate of climb is very high, too high. It appears to be beyond the performance envelope of the aircraft,\" the source said, while emphasising that more information was needed before a definitive conclusion could be reached.\nHundreds of people, including young children, turned out to a candlelit vigil in Surabaya on Wednesday evening.\nAll New Year's Eve celebrations in East Java province were cancelled.\nIn Jakarta, the capital, residents began new year festivities with a prayer for the victims. A number of other cities cancelled or scaled down their new year celebrations.\nAirAsia previously had an excellent safety record and there were no fatal accidents involving its aircraft.", "Lee, who died last year, is revered by Singaporeans, while his children are respected members of the establishment. His son, Lee Hsien Loong, is prime minister.\nThe family had presented a united front, but that cracked in recent days when Lee Wei Ling, a prominent doctor and newspaper columnist, publicly objected to what she saw as excess in the one-year commemorations.\nShe also accused the government - led by her brother - of exploiting his legacy for its own gain, which Prime Minister Lee has rebutted.\nThe exchange has shocked Singaporeans - public disputes among the establishment in this tightly controlled city are extremely rare, let alone one involving the country's equivalent of the royal family or the Kennedys.\nIt has also fed into ongoing discussions on the tricky issue of how best to remember Lee Kuan Yew, a beloved idol who hated being one.\nLee's death on 23 March last year prompted a massive outpouring of grief among Singaporeans who queued for hours to pay their respects, surprising even government officials.\nAt least 100 events were organised for the one-year anniversary, ranging from solemn ceremonies and a candlelight vigil to tree-planting and kayaking events.\nWax statues of Lee - widely known as LKY - and his wife were put on public display with flowers laid at their feet, a schoolbook teaching Lee's values was launched, while some ardent fans online even claimed to have seen his face in the clouds.\nTwo days after the anniversary, amid unease in some quarters about the commemoration's intensity, Ms Lee posted a disapproving piece on Facebook arguing that her father would have objected.\n\"Any veneration could have the opposite effect and lead future generations of Singaporeans to think that my father's actions were motivated by his desire for fame, or creation of a dynasty. He strove hard and determinedly in life to advance Singapore, and not for his place in history, or leaving a great legacy,\" she wrote.\nShe later accused the government of wanting to \"glorify my father\", and alleged that a newspaper was doing the government's bidding by refusing to publish the piece unedited. The paper, The Straits Times, strongly denied her claims of censorship.\nIn a now-deleted post of an exchange with the paper's editors, she wrote that her brother \"has no qualms abusing his power to have a commemoration just one year after LKY died... if the power that be wants to establish a dynasty, LKY's daughter will not allow LKY's name to be sullied by a dishonourable son.\"\nOne Sunday, the prime minister released a statement saying her accusations were \"completely untrue\", adding that his government felt the level of commemoration and activities \"were generally appropriate\".\nIn Singapore, Lee's admirers face the dilemma of how to honour a famously unsentimental figure who sternly disapproved of any worship - he refused statues and monuments in his name, and wanted his home to be eventually knocked down to prevent it from becoming a shrine.\nIn a 1984 interview, Lee had made clear his objections to the idea of a personality cult in Singapore, saying: \"The danger... is that when the leader dies, you are faced with the difficult problem of finding another.\"\nThe Lee siblings' squabble has divided public opinions, with many taking to their Facebook pages to weigh in.\nSome agreed that the tributes bordered on the excessive and were disrespectful.\n\"If he doesn't want to be hero worshipped then we shouldn't no matter what Singaporeans want. LKY has already given a lot to us. Let him rest in peace,\" said commenter Mohammad Nizam Abdul Kadir.\n\"The best way we can remember him is to continue as a united, multi-racial, progressive country. Uphold his values and principles,\" said another called Mano Sabnani.\nBut others argued that the round of commemoration activities was necessary for citizens, many of whom still feel a personal connection to Lee.\n\"I am one of the many who wanted to express my gratitude to him and also to remember him for his commitment and contributions to Singapore. I would humbly ask Ms Lee Wei Ling to at least indulge us as we miss him too,\" said Daniel Ng.\nCarol Sim said: \"Ms Lee has failed to understand that LKY does not belong to her alone. He belongs to the people of Singapore.\nWe respect your choice to remember your father in your own quiet way but you certainly cannot stop the people from wanting to do more.\"", "Organisers announced the restrictions with \"profound regret\", saying they had been reminded of new rules by police in the wealthy city state.\nPreviously only locals were allowed to actively \"demonstrate\" by holding up placards, but foreigners could nonetheless attend, Pink Dot says.\nGay sex is illegal in Singapore.\nThe Pink Dot rally has been held annually since 2009 in the country's Speakers' Corner, where demonstrations are allowed without a police permit. About 30% of Singapore's population are neither citizens nor permanent residents.\nIn a statement on Sunday, Pink Dot said that recent changes to Singapore's Public Order Act meant that \"the law no longer distinguishes between participants and observers, and regards anyone who turns up to the Speakers' Corner in support of an event to be part of an assembly\".\nThe organisers said they would thus have to check identity cards at this year's event on 1 July. Organisers said 28,000 people attended in 2015.\nIs Singapore's stance on homosexuality changing?\nGroups condemn Singapore gay ruling\nOn Saturday, Singapore police warned that only Singaporean citizens and permanent residents could participate in assemblies at Speakers' Corner that do not have a permit.\nIn a statement, the LGBT event's organisers said they had \"been honoured by the strong support from friends from around the world who have unfailingly attended our events over the years, observing as their Singaporean friends make a stand for inclusion, diversity and the freedom to love\".\nThey acknowledged the new restrictions could separate couples, friends and families, adding they were \"just as upset by this\".\nPink Dot warned that if non-Singaporeans or non-permanent residents insisted on attending the event, both they and the organisers could be charged and prosecuted. The BBC has contacted Singapore's police for comment.\nLast month, Singapore's Home Affairs and Law Minister, K Shanmugram, made a statement about the government's tightening rules on foreigners participating in public assemblies deemed political in nature.\n\"It has been the government's longstanding position that foreigners and foreign entities should not import foreign politics into Singapore; nor should they interfere in our domestic issues, especially those of a political or controversial nature,\" Mr Shanmugam was quoted as saying by Channel News Asia.\nHuman rights group Amnesty International said it was concerned that new powers would be used to \"further curtail freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in a country where government critics and activists are already heavily controlled\".\nThe new rules are the latest setback for Pink Dot, after the government last year barred foreign firms from sponsoring events at Speakers' Corner without a permit.\nGoogle, Twitter and Facebook had been among foreign multinationals that had previously supported the event. Local companies have since stepped in as sponsors.", "The judge ruled City Harvest Church's pastor, Kong Hee, and others used church finances to fund the music career of his wife, Sun Ho, or falsified accounts to cover it up.\nThe defendants had argued Ms Ho's pop music career was a way of reaching out to non-Christians.\nThey have been bailed until sentencing, but could face up to life in jail.\nSun Ho herself is not accused of wrongdoing.\nThe scandal is the biggest corruption case squeaky-clean Singapore has seen in years. From racy music videos to a convoluted money trail, the case has riveted Singaporeans.\nCity Harvest Church was founded by Kong Hee, charismatic pastor, and his wife, pastor-turned-pop singer Sun Ho, in 1989.\nKnown for its slick image and wealth-focused brand of Christianity, it has grown rapidly and is now estimated to have at least 30,000 members in Singapore and others elsewhere.\nThe charges related to the church leadership's attempts to boost Ms Ho's music career worldwide, which ultimately failed. She had been touted as a demure \"singing pastor\" in Asia, cutting several Mandarin singles - but they only had modest success.\nRead more: Inside Singapore's City Harvest megachurch scandal\nCity Harvest - considered a megachurch - is one of Singapore's wealthiest evangelical churches, with an estimated 30,000 members in Singapore and 15 services every weekend.\nIt says it has 48 affiliates in countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Taiwan, Brunei and Australia.\nIn a statement posted on the church's website, Ms Ho said they were \"disappointed by the outcome\" and the six were taking further legal advice.\nShe thanked church members for their \"unwavering faithfulness in loving God and loving one another\" and called for \"a unity that is unbreakable\".\nAs the six leaders appeared in court, the church tweeted messages asking for supporters' prayers.\nProsecutors said the misuse of funds happened between 2007 and 2008.\nThe six leaders and financial staff were accused of funnelling $24m Singaporean dollars from a building fund into fake investments, which were then used in a project to use Ms Ho's music for evangelism. Prosecutors said another S$26m was spent covering up the investments.\nThe defendants all maintained that they did nothing wrong.\nBut Judge See Kee Oon said the background facts of the case were \"largely undisputed\" and that the \"weight of evidence shows they were acting dishonestly\".\nKong and a former church committee member John Lam were found guilty of three charges of criminal breach of trust.\nSenior Pastor Tan Ye Peng, committee member Chew Eng Han and two former finance managers, Serina Wee and Sharon Tan, were each convicted of several charges of criminal breach of trust and and falsifying accounts.\nMs Ho, who was in court to support her husband, launched her music career in 2002. She has several albums in Mandarin to her name and is known in China and Taiwan.\nShe has also worked with US music industry figures such as songwriter Diane Warren and rapper Wyclef Jean, who produced her English album.", "1819 - Sir Stamford Raffles of British East India Company establishes trading post on Singapore island.\n1826 - Singapore, Malacca and Penang become British colony of the Straits Settlements.\n1832 - Singapore becomes capital of Straits Settlements. The port attracts thousands of migrants from China, India and other parts of Asia.\n1867 - Straits Settlements become crown colony of British Empire.\n1869 - Suez Canal opens, trade booms.\n1922 - Singapore becomes main British naval base in East Asia.\n1941 - World War II. Japan bombs Singapore.\n1942 - Singapore falls to Japan, which renames it Syonan (Light of the South).\n1945 - Japan defeated. Singapore under British military administration.\nIndependence\nFormer PM Lee Kuan Yew fostered national identity\nLee Kuan Yew staying on at 80\nSingapore's elder statesman\nSingapore's Lee Kuan Yew resigns\n1946 - Singapore becomes separate crown colony.\n1959 - Self-government attained with Lee Kuan Yew as prime minister.\n1963 - Singapore joins the Federation of Malaya, Sabah (North Borneo), and Sarawak in the Federation of Malaysia.\n1965 - Singapore pulls out of the Federation of Malaysia, at Malaysia's invitation, amid political and ethnic tensions. The territory becomes an independent republic and joins the United Nations.\n1967 - Singapore founder member of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).\n1971 - Last British military forces withdrawn.\nEnd of an era\n1984 - Two opposition MPs elected to parliament for first time.\n1990 - Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew stands down after 31 years, but continues to exert significant influence as senior minister. Goh Chok Tong becomes new prime minister.\n1993 - Ong Teng Cheong becomes first directly-elected president.\n1994 - Caning of American teenager Michael Fay for vandalising cars grabs world headlines.\n1995 - Nick Leeson's disastrous dealings on Singapore stock exchange lead to collapse of Britain's oldest merchant bank, Barings. He is convicted in Singapore and sentenced to six and a half years in jail.\nAsian crisis\n1997 - Singaporean SilkAir airliner crashes into river in south Sumatra, with the loss of all 104 passengers and crew.\n1998 - Singapore slips into recession for the first time in 13 years during Asian financial crisis.\nCitizens abide by strict laws, including restrictions on gum\nSingapore to partly lift gum ban\nSingapore slings a little caution to the wind\nSingapore retains its gay sex ban\nMalaysia bans Singapore's military and rescue planes from its air space, after Lee Kuan Yew's memoirs accuse Malaysia of ''bullying'' during the 1960s.\n1999 - S R Nathan becomes president without election after he is declared only candidate eligible to run.\nNick Leeson released early from Singapore jail for good behaviour.\n2000 November - Singapore Airlines 747 airliner crashes while taking off in high winds at Taipei airport, killing 81 passengers and crew.\n2001 - Unprecedented anti-government rally - the first legal demonstration outside election campaign. Hundreds gather to support veteran opposition leader J.B. Jeyaretnam who faces bankruptcy and consequent expulsion from parliament. Malaysia, Singapore agree to end long-standing disputes, are to build a new bridge and tunnel. General election landslide victory for governing People's Action Party which secures all but two of the 84 seats.\n2002 January - Japan, Singapore sign free trade agreement.\n2003 - Outbreak of pneumonia-like Sars virus; Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong says outbreak is worst crisis country has faced. Singapore becomes first Asian nation to sign free-trade deal with US.\nFormer PM Goh Chok Tong oversaw economic growth\nPower transfer\n2004 August - Lee Hsien Loong, eldest son of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, is sworn in as prime minister.\n2005 - Singapore, Malaysia settle a bitter dispute over land reclamation work in border waters. Government approves a controversial plan to legalise casino gambling, paving way for construction of two multi-billion dollar casino resorts. President S R Nathan begins second term after winning elections from which his rivals were disqualified. Execution of an Australian man for drug smuggling, despite high-level appeals for clemency, is condemned by Australia's attorney-general as barbaric.\n2006 May - Lee Hsien Loong's ruling People's Action Party wins general elections which are seen as the first real test of the prime minister's popularity.\n2007 January - Two African men are executed for drug smuggling despite worldwide appeals for clemency. Parliament votes against a proposal to decriminalise sex between men.\nOctober 2007: Singapore became the first to operate the world's biggest passenger plane, the Airbus A380 'superjumbo'\n2008 February - Mas Selamat Kastari, suspected leader of Islamist militant group Jemaah Islamia, escapes from jail. Security forces mount massive manhunt.\n2009 - Singapore appears to emerge from its worst recession on record after the economy expands at an annualised rate of 20.4% between April and June.\n2010 November - British author Alan Shadrake convicted for insulting Singapore's judiciary in a book on the death penalty.\n2011 - Ruling People's Action Party (PAP) wins all but six seats in parliament, but opposition parties make unprecedented gains in what PM Lee Hsien Loong calls a \"watershed election\". Tony Tan is elected president, in the first election of its kind for 18 years.\n2012 January - Government-appointed committee recommends massive pay cuts for ministers including prime minister and president.\n2012 May - Opposition Workers' Party wins closely fought by-election, retaining seat left empty after MP expelled by the party in February.\n2012 November - Singapore experiences its first strike since the 1980s. Chinese bus drivers walk out complaining their pay is lower than local or Malaysian drivers.\n2013 May - Demonstrators hold an unusually large rally to protest against government plans to boost the population, mostly with foreign workers.\n2013 December - A riot involving some 400 foreign workers breaks out following the death of an Indian migrant worker knocked down by a bus. It is the first rioting in Singapore in more than 30 years.\n2014 March - Singapore becomes the second country in the world after the US to regulate virtual currencies such as bitcoins, in an attempt to prevent money-laundering.\n2015 January - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong unveils stiffer measures against corruption after a number of high-profile graft scandals in the last two years.\n2015 March - Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, dies aged 91. Tens of thousands of people line the streets to attend his funeral procession.\n2015 August - Singapore marks 50th anniversary of independence from Malaysia.\n2015 September - The governing People's Action Party wins a snap election to extend its 50-year-old hold on power.\nA Singapore court sentences a Filipino nurse to four months in prison for posting inflammatory comments about the city state on Facebook.\n2015 November - The government reduces the number of banned publications from that 250 to just 17 to reflect \"changes in society\".\n2015 December - The United States says it is deploying specialised maritime surveillance plane to Singapore in an apparent response to China's pursuit of territorial claims in the South China Sea.\n2016 May - Singapore and Bangladesh arrest a group of Bangladeshi men suspected of being hardline Islamic militants. Singapore said it had detained eight men who were planning to overthow the Bangladesh government and establish a hardline regime aligned with so-called Islamic State.\nSingapore says it will spend more than 1.5 billion dollars expanding the capacity of its military training bases in Australia as part of a 25-year agreement.\n2016 August - Parliament approves a new contempt law which could see offenders jailed for up to three years. Human Rights Watch says the law could further impede freedom of speech and lead the media to self-censor.\nThe world's first driverless taxi service is launched in Singapore.", "Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend an outdoor parade, complete with flybys by the air force and a Singapore Airlines A380 airliner.\nSingaporeans are also being asked to join together in reciting the national pledge and singing the national anthem.\nSingapore became independent when it was ejected from the Federation of Malaya amid social unrest.\nIn 50 years, the former British colony has transformed itself into one of the world's wealthiest countries.\nBut its critics say the rapid development has been accompanied by a strict control on free speech and politics.\nCould Singapore have been communist? - The former detainees who say a crackdown on leftists created a legacy of one-sided politics\nCashing in on Singapore's jubilee - Companies rush to be associated with the \"feel-good\" factor\nThe unstoppable rise of Singlish - The unique hybrid language that can leave visitors completely baffled\nAmos Yee: The boy who criticised Lee Kuan Yew - What does a teenager's trial tell us about modern Singapore?\nThe city state celebrates its independence day in style every year, but this year's SG50 events are being billed as the country's biggest ever celebration, with months of build-up in shops, schools, work places and in the media.\nOne student, Yang Jie Ling, told Reuters: \"It's only 50 years for a small nation like us, so we have achieved so much. It's a year that Singaporeans will want to remember forever.\"\nThe parade this year includes a special tribute to Lee Kuan Yew, who led Singapore into independence and was its prime minister until 1990.\nThe much-respected leader died in March this year, prompting public mourning.\nA recording of him reading the Proclamation of Independence was played on radio and TV at 09:00 local time (01:00 GMT).\nSpeaking on the eve of the celebrations, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Kuan Yew's son, said: \"At 50 years, as we stand at a high base camp, we look back and marvel how far we have come. We are grateful to those who made it happen.\"\nKey figures attending Sunday's celebrations include Malaysian PM Najib Razak and Australian Deputy PM Warren Truss.\nDespite achieving such goals as 90% home ownership and per capita GDP above $56,000, critics continue to point to the strict political controls.\nThe ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has been in power for more than 50 years and the opposition hopes to make more inroads in elections that could be called in September.\nThe last election saw the PAP suffer its worst performance, though it still kept 80 of the 87 seats.\nIt will hope the boost of the anniversary and recognition of the legacy of Lee Kuan Yew will help it at the next election.\nAnalysis: Tessa Wong, BBC News, Singapore\nThe National Day Parade is a chance for tiny Singapore to flex its military muscles and also celebrate its sovereignty - never mind that independence was unplanned thanks to its ejection from Malaysia.\nThe event usually features a military march past with fighter jet displays, large-scale performances by community groups, and a retelling of Singapore's history. It ends with a massive firework display as the country recites the pledge and sings the national anthem.\nIn its early years, organisers used it to push social messages such as courtesy and diligence.\nThese days it's a more sophisticated, glitzier affair, held by the shiny skyscrapers of Singapore's Marina Bay.\nThough the propaganda still gets heavy, Singaporeans love it anyway for its pomp and splendour. Tickets for the parade and its rehearsals run out every year.", "He told the BBC that as a child, he had watched Mr Lee cry on television as he announced one of the country's most traumatic moments: its separation from Malaysia in 1965.\n\"It's a sad day for all Singaporeans. I lived in the era where he built Singapore, and I've seen it progress,\" said the 58-year-old.\nFor Sayeed Hussain, who brought his two teenage children to pay respects before they headed off to school, Mr Lee's legacy was social harmony. \"He did a lot for us, helped to shape a multi-racial and multi-cultural Singapore,\" he said.\nMr Lee was a towering figure in the lives of many Singaporeans, leading a team that transformed Singapore to a rich, stable country.\nHe has also been strongly criticised for his human rights record, his ruthless pursuit of political opponents and views on race and genetics. But in the immediate hours after his death, few Singaporeans were willing to touch on the more controversial aspects of his legacy.\nEven opponents, such as politician Chee Soon Juan who was sued for defamation by Mr Lee, expressed only condolences. Low Thia Khiang, the leader of Singapore's main opposition party in parliament, Workers' Party, said Mr Lee's contribution would be \"remembered for generations to come\".\nOnline and offline, the country mourned. Radio and television played tributes and downbeat music, newspapers darkened their mastheads, digital billboards were blanked out, and television stations ran tickers announcing his death.\nOn Facebook, people turned their display pictures to stylised icons mourning Mr Lee.\nBy mid-morning, several residents of Lee Kuan Yew's Tanjong Pagar constituency had arrived at the local community club to pay their respects.\nAs a boy growing up in the area, L Kalaiselvan, 57, attended many of Mr Lee's election rallies.\n\"When it would be his turn to speak, it was like a bull or a lion charging onto the stage. His voice was so commanding. You felt like you were in safe hands,\" he said.\nMany also showed up at the iron gates of the Istana, the compound housing the president's official residence and the prime minister's office. Officials had set up a tented booth with boards where people could post messages.\nThey came, young and old, bearing bouquets, cards and solemn expressions. Some stayed behind to read what others had written, and several had tears in their eyes.\n\"We've never had a leader who worked so tirelessly for us. He sacrificed a large part of his life for the country,\" said Carolyn Chia, 40.\nAmong the older Singaporeans who spoke to the BBC, there was an anxiety that younger citizens would forget Mr Lee's legacy, and the hardships that earlier generations had faced, and grow complacent.\n\"He was our founding father, he gave us government housing and education, I owe everything to him. Life was hard back then... I don't know if younger ones will remember that,\" said Sum Choi Yoke, 65.\nBut 35-year-old lecturer W Chai said it was the duty of his generation \"to do more to show the country that we do care... it's our job now to move things forward.\"\n\"Whichever direction the current leadership takes now, it will have to be a more open one, and it's been happening. The people now want more say in this country.\"\nYounger Singaporeans said they respected Mr Lee, even if they would not support some of his strong-armed tactics, such as crackdowns on critics, if he was still in politics today.\n\"It would be difficult now, because the political field has changed,\" said Wong Chee Wai, 34. \"But Mr Lee did what was best for Singapore at that time.\"\n\"It's not always possible to be the good guy and also do what's necessary.\"", "Lambert will be the headline act of a lavish New Year's Eve show organised and televised live nationally by state-owned broadcaster MediaCorp.\nOver the course of the week, thousands of Singaporeans have flocked online to sign two duelling petitions.\nOne, started on Wednesday, calls on MediaCorp and the government to drop Lambert, on account of his support for gay rights and reputation for risque performances, which it called \"contrary to mainstream Singaporean values\".\nComments on the petition called Lambert's performances \"disgusting\", \"disturbing\" and \"lewd\". \"Please give more wholesome role models to our youths,\" said one petitioner Elaine Lui.\nA counter petition was started on Thursday night and quickly gathered steam, calling on organisers to keep Lambert as a demonstration that Singapore \"shuns discrimination and promotes diverse inclusive points of view\".\n\"In no way whatsoever does his sexual orientation have any relation to his role as an entertainer and singer. Asking for him to be banned on TV is ludicrous and is akin to asking retailers to stop selling iPhones because [Apple has a] gay CEO,\" said commenter Ivan Lin.\nAs of Friday evening, both petitions were neck-to-neck with thousands of signatures each, drawing in supporters from Malaysia, Australia, Hong Kong and Japan as well.\nLambert previously performed in Singapore in 2013 to few complaints, and concerts by other artists such as Lady Gaga have generated greater controversy.\nThe debate over Lambert this time stems from a cultural divide in Singapore that has widened recently.\nA modern and open city-state with a thriving gay scene and liberal minority, much of its society also remains deeply conservative. A religious right, supported by some Christians and Muslims, has grown in tandem with a burgeoning gay rights movement.\nThe annual gay rights event Pink Dot, where supporters don pink as a message of inclusion, has sparked a counter campaign called Wear White where conservatives tog themselves in white as a symbol of purity.\nBoth sides have become more vocal in recent years, and though the conflict has not gone beyond heated debate, it has unnerved Singapore officials charged with maintaining the peace on the tiny island.\nThey have tried to strike a balance. A controversial law that bans gay sex - a key flashpoint in the divide - remains on the books, but the government has promised never to enforce it.\nAuthorities have also sought to rein in both camps by curbing their public demonstrations, in some cases refusing permits to both conservative and gay rights groups to hold or expand their public events.\nAs for Lambert, they appear to have come to a compromise.\nMediaCorp has not dropped him - but has promised that the show will conform to strict broadcast regulations and be made \"suitable for family audiences\".\nMeanwhile, Lambert has said in a statement that his performance would \"celebrate the entire human family in all its diversity\" and that he was \"a uniter, not a divider\".", "Only citizens and permanent residents are allowed at the event, which has come under growing restrictions.\nEstimates suggested the number of those attending had dropped slightly - but organisers said the event was still over capacity.\nGay sex is illegal in socially conservative Singapore.\nPrevious Pink Dot rallies have been open to everyone. But because it is illegal for foreigners to take part in political protests in Singapore, they were technically there only as observers.\nOrganisers said 20,000 Singaporeans and residents attended - compared with 25,000 or more in previous years.\nHowever, that did not include any foreigners restricted to the sidelines, or those who could not pass the security barriers after the park reached capacity.\nLong queues were seen snaking around Hong Lim Park, as participants lined up for security pat-downs and identity card checks.\n\"Even with this restricted space that limits Singapore's true propensity for love, we feel that we have taken yet another important step in achieving true equality for all,\" spokesperson Paerin Choa said.\nThe new rules appeared to do little to dampen the festive mood at Pink Dot, as thousands dressed in pink crammed into tiny Hong Lim Park to picnic and listen to speeches.\nDozens more were standing beyond the barricades, quietly watching the party. They included Martin, a German, and Kian, a Singaporean. Only Kian was allowed to enter, so the couple decided to stay together on the sidelines.\n\"This event is about anti-discrimination but because of the rules they have to keep out foreigners. I feel that's silly,\" said Martin.\nSome attendees, like Singaporean participant Jinesh Lalwani, believed there was a silver lining to the increased restrictions.\n\"It's galvanised locals to turn up. That's important because some believe foreign forces are behind the gay rights movement here. So this event shows there's actually strong Singaporean support,\" he said.\nRecent changes to Singapore's laws classify anyone attending the event as a participant so organisers announced in May that they had no choice but to bar foreigners altogether.\nAuthorities said the restrictions apply to all political events, not just Pink Dot, and are necessary to prevent foreign involvement in domestic socio-political causes.\nBut several gay-friendly bars in the city organised alternate events, with live screenings of Pink Dot, to host foreigners.\nForeign companies such as Google and Goldman Sachs, which had previously given funding, have also been banned from sponsoring the event this year. This prompted about 100 local firms to step in to provide sponsorship.\nPink Dot, which has been held annually in a small park since 2009, has grown significantly over the years and has sparked a backlash among conservatives.\nIn 2014, religious groups held a counter-campaign called Wear White.\nThe gay rights movement has gained significant momentum in some parts of Asia.\nIn May, a Taiwanese court ruled in favour of gay marriage, paving the way for Taiwan to become the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex unions.", "But Singapore's stability and growth have been achieved in part through its only cursory nod towards democracy, and a determined quashing of dissent and free speech.\nAs news emerges that \"The Old Man\" has died at the age of 91, the BBC looks back at some key images from his life.\nLee Kuan Yew was born on 16 September 1923 in Singapore, to third-generation migrants from China. He lived for a short period in this house on what is now Neil Road. Singapore was at that time under British imperial rule, meaning he was born a British citizen and grew up with English as his first language - he did not speak Chinese until he was in his 30s. He studied at an English school in Singapore, becoming the highest achieving student in his year in Singapore and Malaysia.\nThe outbreak of World War Two put Lee's plans to travel to England for further study on hold. In February 1942, the British colonial army surrendered to the invading Japanese, starting a \"reign of terror\". Lee narrowly escaped being rounded up and killed in the Sook Ching massacre, one of the most large-scale atrocities of the occupation years. He later said he believed between 50,000 and 100,000 people had died, and that the British failure to prevent the massacre was further proof that Singaporeans should be free to rule themselves.\nDuring the war, he went on to work as a Japanese interpreter and ran his own black market glue business.\nAfter the war, Lee belatedly began his university education, studying first at the prestigious London School of Economics and then at Cambridge. While in England he married Kwa Geok Choo (seen above in 1965), a brilliant Singaporean scholar and later lawyer, at a secret ceremony in Stratford-upon-Avon.\nIn 1949 he turned his back on a possible British legal career and returned to Singapore, where he practised law and became involved in the trade union movement.\nIn 1954, LKY became the founder and general secretary of the People's Action Party (PAP), a socialist alliance of Chinese and English-speaking movements which aimed to bring an end to British rule.\nIn December 1959, Lee - seen above campaigning for a 1958 by-election - was present as Britain granted autonomy to Singapore, though it kept control of foreign affairs and defence.\nTwo days later, Lee - then aged 36 - was sworn in as the first prime minister of self-governing Singapore, a position he would hold for the next three decades. He embarked on an ambitious five-year programme of slum clearing, building low-cost quality housing, industrialisation and tackling corruption. He spoke fiercely of the need for Singapore to be a multi-racial nation.\nThe PAP also began campaigning for Singapore to split entirely from the UK and merge into the Federation of Malaya, believing the island to be too small and lacking in resources to survive alone. On 16 September 1963, Lee announced the successful merger from the steps of City Hall, ending 144 years of British rule.\nBut racial tensions were growing between the Chinese majority in Singapore and Malays over what the ethnic character of the Federation of Malaysia should be. Despite Lee's appeals for calm, several large-scale riots left hundreds injured and more than 20 people dead.\nOn 9 August 1965, a weeping Lee announced he had agreed to Malaysia's request that Singapore leave the federation to stop the bloodshed from destabilising the union. It was, he said, \"a moment of anguish\" and went against \"everything we stood for\". Two days later, Lee declared tiny, isolated Singapore to be an independent nation.\nOver the next 31 years, Lee's vision for Singapore turned it from an abandoned and vulnerable colonial outpost to one of the world's wealthiest nations. The country became pioneers in mass house building and nationalised healthcare, while Lee was adamant that education was essential, often saying Singapore's only natural resource was its people, and strongly encouraged well-educated people to marry and have children. Singapore opened up to foreign investment and expertise, recruiting migrant labour widely while enforcing strict racial quotas in housing.\nLee was unapologetic in the face of criticism that Singapore interfered too much in individuals' lives, telling the Straits Times in 1987 \"had I not done that, we wouldn't be here today. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think.\"\nReflecting on his time in power in a New York Times interview in 2010 he said: \"I'm not saying that everything I did was right, but everything I did was for an honourable purpose. I had to do some nasty things, locking fellows up without trial.\"\nLee was critical of what he saw as the overly liberal approach of the US and the West in general, saying it had \"come at the expense of orderly society.\n\"In the East the main object is to have a well-ordered society so that everybody can have maximum enjoyment of his freedoms. This freedom can only exist in an ordered state and not in a natural state of contention and anarchy,\" he said in an interview with Foreign Affairs in 1994. He made no secret of the fact that he wanted the PAP to hold onto power.\nIn 1981 Joshua Benjamin (known as JB) Jeyaretnam - leader of the Workers' Party - won the first ever opposition seat in Singapore. Furious with Jeyaretnam's criticisms of his handling of Singapore, Lee brought repeated defamation lawsuits against him and in 2001 he was declared bankrupt, meaning he could not hold office and was reduced to selling his book on the street to pay his debts. He died in 2008.\nLee was a source of advice for a parade of foreign leaders seeking to better understand Asia.\nChinese leader Deng Xiaoping visited Singapore in 1978 to learn more about its model of development. UK Prime Minster Margaret Thatcher said Lee had a way of \"penetrating the fog of propaganda and expressing with unique clarity the issues of our time and the way to tackle them\", while US diplomat Henry Kissinger said no world leader had taught him more than Lee Kuan Yew.\nWhen they met in 2009, US President Barack Obama described Lee as one of the \"legendary figures of Asia in the 20th and 21st Centuries\".\nIn her later years, Lee's wife Kwa Geok Choo suffered from ill health and dementia and was confined to bed. In the 2010 New York Times interview, he said the stress of caring for her was harder than anything he had faced in politics.\n\"She understands when I talk to her, which I do every night. She keeps awake for me; I tell her about my day's work, read her favourite poems,\" he said. The agnostic Lee told the Times he had taken up Christian meditation to \"keep the monkey mind from running off into all kinds of thoughts\".\nKwa died in October 2010. Thousands lined the streets to pay tribute, or visited her body lying in state.\n\"Without her,\" Lee said at her funeral, \"I would be a different man, with a different life\".\nLee's political involvement continued almost until his death. Though he stood down as prime minister in 1990 he remained a senior minister, his opinion sought on all matters. He represented the Tanjong Pagar constituency in central Singapore for almost his entire political life, campaigning for office here in 2011.\nOne of his last major public appearances was at the age of 90, when he attended celebrations for Singapore's National Day, marking 49 years since he signed the deal which had filled him with such dread. He died months before seeing the 50th anniversary.", "The BBC takes a look at some of the unusual ways the city-state and its people have been paying tribute to its first prime minister.\nSingaporeans are well known for their love of queuing, but the massive lines which formed to see Mr Lee as he lay in state at parliament were unprecedented.\nAuthorities said they were overwhelmed by the response, but in typical Singaporean efficient fashion quickly marshalled staff for round-the-clock viewings, erected tents and organised public transport through the night.\nA cabinet minister even went on state media to reassure people that they were improving the queue system, while businesses donated water to those queuing and some florists reportedly gave out free floral tributes.\nBy Friday morning, officials were warning people the queue was 10 hours long and that they should pay tribute elsewhere.\nSingapore has a tradition of dedicating new orchids - the national flower - to the great and the good. As expected, it announced this week the creation of the Aranda Lee Kuan Yew orchid. The national parks agency said it was a \"vigorous and robust new hybrid\" in a \"bright greenish golden yellow with light tessellations and a tinge of white at the base\".\n\"The stately flower reflects Mr Lee Kuan Yew's stature, not just as Singapore's founding father, but also as an international statesman,\" the agency said.\nMr Lee's namesake orchid is from the same strain as the one named after his late wife, the Vanda Kwa Geok Choo.\nNot many would readily associate Singapore with a Scottish folk song, but on Wednesday as Mr Lee's body was carried from the presidential compound on a gun carriage, a lone bagpiper on the roof played Auld Lang Syne.\nThe two traditions were inherited from the British when Singapore was a colony. The bagpipes were played by a member of the Gurkha Contingent, a special team of soldiers from Nepal first formed in 1949 when the British Army posted Nepalese battalions to various colonies.\nSingaporeans are food-obsessed, so popular Singaporean bakery chain BreadTalk decided to launch a new bun designed to honour Mr Lee - its Chinese name was a play on his surname, roughly translating to \"Lee will never leave you\".\nThe bakery said it was donating the proceeds to charity, but it came under heavy criticism. It quickly withdrew the product and apologised. Though many thought it was gimmicky, that did not stop it from being a hot ticket item, selling out in several outlets before the buns were binned.\nMany on Facebook have changed their display picture to a black and white icon depicting Mr Lee's head in silhouette against a black ribbon.\nOne man even appeared to have tattooed it on his arm, while another stuck the image on his car bonnet.\nDebate also raged on social media on whether Singaporeans ought to wear a black top or a white top to honour Lee on his funeral day, a reflection of the varying traditions of multi-ethnic Singapore.\nYoung Singaporeans are smartphone addicts, constantly taking photos, selfies and video chatting. But there was widespread criticism after images from the day Mr Lee's body was moved from his official residence to parliament showed a sea of cameraphones.\nOne man, Samuel Tan Weicheng, started a social media campaign urging people to promise not to take photos as Mr Lee's funeral procession passed by but instead to salute. His campaign had nearly 18,000 likes by Sunday.\nHe wrote: \"I know it may be difficult for many to resist but I am confident we Singaporeans can do better than being slaves to our digital devices and saddled with social media!\"\nWritten by local songwriter Dick Lee for Singapore's 1998 National Day parade, the song Home was sung by various choirs at Parliament House as the crowds paid their respects to Mr Lee. Clips of their performances, particularly one by the choir of St John's College in Cambridge, spread quickly online.\nMr Lee and his wife read law at other colleges in Cambridge, but one of their favourite spots was the Bridge of Sighs at St John's, said their son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.\nOne junior minister in Mr Lee's party drew criticism when he came up with a new workout to honour \"LKY\", who was known to be a fitness fanatic in his later years.\nThe workout involved repetitions of exercises like squats and burpees based on the numbers of Singapore's independence date, Mr Lee's age and the current year. Teo Ser Luck said it would help him and his workout friends \"remember him in our own way\". But he deleted his Facebook post after the critical response.", "\"I called up several landlords who had listed rooms for rent,\" Sunil, a Sri Lankan who spent eight years living in the UK, said.\n\"Things would start out OK, maybe because of my [Western] accent - but the moment they heard my name, they'd blank out. Many said 'sorry, we don't rent to these people', or 'sorry, no room for Indians'.\"\nSunil, a civil engineer who arrived in 2012, said he was rejected by at least four landlords.\n\"I told them that Sri Lanka was not India, that I wouldn't eat or cook in the apartment, and that I would be outside all day. But still, they wouldn't offer me a room,\" he said.\n\"At that point, I got fed up and decided to only try Indian landlords. I was invited to viewings right away.\"\nSunil is not alone. A quick glance at online rental listings shows many that include the words: \"no Indians, no PRCs [People's Republic of China]\", sometimes followed by the word \"sorry\".\nA count on 24 April found that there were more than 160 housing adverts on the website PropertyGuru that clearly stated that the landlord did not wish to rent to Indians and/or mainland Chinese.\nThe issue appears more common with less expensive properties and on sites where content is posted directly by users, such as Gumtree.\nArticle 12 of Singapore's constitution says:\n(1) All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law.\n(2) Except as expressly authorised by this Constitution, there shall be no discrimination against citizens of Singapore on the ground only of religion, race, descent or place of birth in any law or in the appointment to any office or employment under a public authority or in the administration of any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment.\nExperts say the article can be used by a citizen against the state, but cannot be relied upon to seek legal redress against another individual or legal entity.\nThe UN has noted that article 12(2) does not extend its protection to non-citizens of Singapore.\nIt is not clear how many foreign workers have been affected. However, several expatriates have described experiencing varying levels of discrimination.\nOne Indian expat said his agent told him that many landlords would refuse to rent to him because \"Indians always cook smelly curries\". Another Briton of South Asian descent did not experience any direct discrimination, but was warned by his agent that some landlords could be difficult.\nIt was something I experienced too, albeit indirectly. When I searched for a flat, my housing agent received a phone call from one landlord who was worried that I was from mainland China, presumably after they learned about my Chinese ethnicity.\nI listened to them discussing my background for what felt like an agonisingly long time. After she hung up, I asked her if it would reassure the landlord if they knew I was British.\n\"It doesn't matter,\" she said. \"They may still think you're a PRC who obtained a British passport.\"\nMathew Mathews, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, says: \"There are stereotypes that people have about different immigrant groups and how responsible they are in terms of the upkeep of a rented apartment.\n\"There are notions of which groups take care of their homes better, and what cooking supposedly leaves permanent smells in the house. People have notions about what would devalue the property.\"\nCharlene, an estate agent, said it was common for landlords to prefer not to rent to tenants from India or mainland China because such tenants \"are not people who are house proud\".\n\"Many don't clean weekly, and they do heavy cooking, so dust and oil collect over the months. They may use a lot of spices that release smells people don't like.\"\nThere are also fears that those tenants will illegally sublet to others, she said, adding: \"Cleanliness and culture is a very strong factor.\"\nAnother estate agent made similar points, saying that landlords were less willing to rent to Indian and mainland Chinese tenants as they believed they would not maintain the property well.\nSingapore is an ethnically diverse nation, consisting of 74% Chinese, 13% Malay, 9% Indian and 3% from other groups. However, as 90% of Singaporean households own their homes, a significant portion of renters are foreigners.\nImmigration has also become a sensitive issue, amid concern over living costs and rising housing prices, which many locals blame on foreigners.\nWhile many landlords appear to be concerned about heavy cooking in their kitchens, tens of thousands of Singaporeans launched an online campaign to \"cook a pot of curry\" in August 2011.\nThe campaign was prompted by media reports of a disagreement between a Singaporean Indian family and an immigrant family from China, over the smell of curry from the Indian family's home. Following mediation, the Indian family agreed to cook curry only when the Chinese family were not home.\n\"At that point in time, there was a sense among people that there was some kind of injustice committed,\" says Alfian Sa'at, a local playwright who wrote the play Cook a Pot of Curry (pictured) following the incident.\n\"People felt it seemed as if it was OK for [the foreigners] to somehow reject curry, which a lot of Singaporeans believe is part of Singapore's society, no matter what ethnic background you're from. There was a sense that the government had favouritism towards new immigrants at the expense of native, Singapore-born residents.\"\nHowever despite the support expressed for the Singaporean Indian family, it appears that both race and nationality remain important to many landlords. \"It is likely that people tend to want to rent out only to people of the same race,\" Mr Sa'at says. \"This is a tricky issue, because obviously a lot of landlords are [Singaporean] Chinese.\"\nEugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law at Singapore Management University, says: \"In the current state of ambivalence towards immigration in Singapore, my sense is that race and country of origin have taken on a stronger accent with regards to how landlords may view Indian/PRC tenants.\"\nSingapore's government places a strong emphasis on racial harmony. Studies suggest that there is relatively little racial discrimination in the public sphere, but things can be different in private.\n\"The Singaporean state has considerably influenced Singaporeans' willingness to work and be alongside those who are racially different,\" Dr Mathews says. \"Singaporeans have learned to accept the realities of living in a multi-racial and multi-religious society. The private sphere, however, is one which the state has not tried to influence.\"\nA landlord's choice of tenants \"would probably fall within people's private spheres in terms of who they would choose to come into their home space\".\nAttitudes to race came to the fore in December, when hundreds of foreign workers from India and South Asia rioted after an Indian national was killed in a bus accident. The incident sparked a strong response on social media - many made comments denouncing foreign workers, although many others also spoke out against racism.\nOf course, rental discrimination exists in many countries. A BBC study in October found that several estate agencies in London would refuse to rent to African-Caribbean people at the landlord's request.\nHowever, while the UK has legislation banning discrimination on ethnic or nationality grounds, covering situations including \"buying or renting property\", Singapore offers fewer legal protections.\n\"There is no specific anti-discrimination law that can be used by non-citizens,\" says Prof Tan.\n\"Even if there is an anti-discrimination law, there is the challenge of proving discrimination… Indication of tenant preferences in rental advertisements may not amount to discrimination.\"\nIn a statement, PropertyGuru said discrimination on the basis of ethnicity or nationality was \"absolutely not\" allowed under its guidelines.\n\"There is a whistle-blowing feature for viewers... to report [content] that may be objectionable or derogatory,\" it said, and objectionable statements would be removed.\nAround 1% of listings on its site contained objectionable content, it added.\nThe Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), a government body that regulates the real estate agency industry, has guidelines stating that agents should \"advise their clients against placing advertisements that are discriminatory, offensive or stereotyped in nature against any particular race, religion or group in society\".\nIn a statement, the CEA and the Ministry of National Development said: \"We do not condone racial discrimination. There are advertising guidelines in place.\n\"Some landlords have explained that they face practical considerations renting out their properties, leading to certain requirements in rental transactions.\"\nThe statement added: \"The Government will continue educational efforts on the importance of mutual respect to preserve ethnic harmony.\"\nProf Tan believes that the discrimination will reduce over time.\n\"With more apartments coming on stream in the next few years, landlords cannot afford to be so choosey,\" he says.\nSunil also believes that views may change over the decades.\n\"All the landlords who rejected me were from older generations, but I find I'm not treated differently at work, where the people are younger. I think attitudes are changing, it will just take some time.\"\nSome names have been changed\nHelier Cheung's report can also be heard on From Our Own Correspondent", "The investment is the first deal to be signed during Saudi monarch King Salman's Asian tour, and is expected to help boost profits at Petronas, which has been struggling with low oil prices for the past few years.\nThe visit is the first by a Saudi king to Malaysia in more than a decade, but the ties between the two nations run deep.\nThe Saudi connection came up in Malaysian politics as recently as last year, when Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak said that the $681m found in his personal bank account was a gift from the royal family, and not money embezzled from funds linked to the state investment fund 1MDB.\nThe Malaysian anti-corruption commission cleared Mr Najib of all wrongdoing. However, his critics say the Saudi Arabian excuse is just a convenient cover - and several international investigations into the matter continue.\nMeanwhile, King Salman is expected to head to Indonesia, Japan, Brunei and China as part of his tour of the region.\nBut behind the cheque book diplomacy is the kingdom's desire to extend its influence in the region and attract Asian investors to Saudi Arabia.\n1. Scratching backs: Saudi Arabia is looking for ways to diversify its economy and reduce its dependence on oil. The kingdom has been hit by the twin challenges of trying to reform its economy at a time when it has been losing money from falling oil prices.\nInvesting in nations such as Malaysia may not yield much in terms of reciprocal investment, but watch out for any announcements when King Salman is in China and Japan. Riyadh has already invested in a $45bn technology fund with Japanese firm Softbank, and, according to analysts, the Saudis are looking for investments in logistics, infrastructure and technology from Tokyo and Beijing.\n2. Keeping customers: It's not just about bringing investment into Saudi Arabia - it's also about maintaining business in Asia for Saudi crude. The big prize is China - which has overtaken the US as the world's biggest importer of oil. Data from 2014 shows that it sources most of its energy needs from the Arab kingdom.\nBut Russia and Iran are fast gaining ground, and China has been investing in oil fields in both nations. Riyadh will be keen to ensure that it remains the top supplier for Beijing.\n3. Potential investors: Saudi Aramco, the Arab kingdom's state-run oil firm, is heading for a public share sale in 2018. According to reports this would be the world's biggest share flotation, although there has been some doubt cast on the valuations.\nNevertheless, this trip is very much about drumming up interest from Asian investors into buying a 5% stake in Saudi Aramco. There has also been talk of an Asian share listing, although that has yet to be confirmed.\n4. Don't cry for me Washington: The US has traditionally been Saudi Arabia's most powerful ally, both in terms of trade and politics. But Donald Trump's recent anti-trade stance may have unnerved some in the kingdom, which could explain why a trip to Asia was planned before one to Washington.\nReaching out to Muslim majority nations such as Indonesia and Malaysia makes sense for the Saudis as it won't just be conversations about investment in physical infrastructure - but also about investing in religious pilgrimages and schools.\n5. Investment extends Islamic influence: Traditionally Saudi aid and investment into Malaysia and Indonesia has come through the Saudi government, religious charities and foundations. But in recent years, there's been growing concern in some quarters over the resultant increase in Wahhabism in South East Asia, at a time when the region is going through what some have termed an Islamic revival.\nIn Indonesia, human rights groups have pointed to the funding of ultra-orthodox clerics in mosques who often have views that are at odds with the archipelago's interpretation of Islam.\nIn Malaysia, Marina Mahathir, the daughter of Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, has said that Malays are losing touch with their identity and in danger of undergoing an \"Arab colonisation\" - in the way they dress, speak and practise their faith.\nSaudi Arabia may be keen to deflect this criticism: note that the trip also includes a stop in Indonesia's predominantly Hindu island of Bali.", "Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen posted pictures taken by a Singaporean search robot on his Facebook page.\nHe said the words painted on the side of the wreckage confirmed the plane was flight QZ8501.\nAirAsia lost contact with the flight on 28 December as it was flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people on board.\nDozens of bodies have been found but many of the passengers and crew are thought to still be inside the plane, which made finding the fuselage so important.\nSo far the plane's two flight recorders and a tail section have been found and brought to shore. Investigators are analysing the information in the \"black box\", as the data recorders are known, to piece together the cause of the crash.\nThe pilot of the AirAsia flight had asked for a route change because of stormy weather before contact was lost, but it is not yet known for certain what brought down the plane.\n\"The MV Swift Rescue has located the fuselage of the AirAsia plane in the Java Sea,\" Mr Ng said on Facebook, adding that Singapore had informed the Indonesian search and rescue agency so that recovery operations could begin.\nHe said images taken by a remotely operated vehicle, which he posted as well, showed part of the wing and words on the fuselage that matched with those on the AirAsia flight.\nThe AirAsia slogan \"Now everyone can fly\" could be seen on the wreckage in the pictures.\nThe head of Indonesia's search and rescue agency, Bambang Soelistyo, had said what they suspected was the fuselage had been spotted by search teams on Tuesday but that they were waiting for confirmation.\nHe said it was not yet clear whether there were bodies inside, but that authorities hoped that was the case.\nEarlier in the day when the wreckage was being investigated by divers, the official co-ordinating the search, SB Supriyadi, said raising the fuselage would be a tricky operation and authorities would have to determine the best course of action.\n\"If it is not too heavy, we may lift the whole piece and evacuate the victims,\" said Mr Supriyadi.\n\"If it's too heavy, we may then swim into the fuselage and pull out the bodies one by one before lifting it.\"\nSince the plane disappeared a multi-national search has been under way involving aerial searches and more than 30 ships. However, strong currents, high waves and poor visibility have slowed down search and rescue efforts.\nMost of those on board the flight were Indonesian nationals.", "Thousands of migrants, mainly from the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, are thought to be at sea after being abandoned by people smugglers.\nAbout 2,000 of them came ashore in Aceh earlier this week and are being given medical assistance and food.\nSince then, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have been turning boats away.\nOfficials said 210 of those that landed in Aceh on Friday were from Myanmar and 395 from Bangladesh. Medical officials told BBC Indonesian service that eight on board were critically ill.\n\"According to initial information we got from them, they were pushed away by the Malaysian navy to the border of Indonesian waters,\" Sunarya, police chief in the city of Langsa where the migrants arrived, told AFP news agency.\nHe said their boat started sinking after reaching Indonesian territory but local fishermen ferried them to shore, adding they arrived at 5:00 am (22:00 GMT Thursday).\nOn Friday, a boat carrying about 300 Rohingya Muslims that was stranded off the southern coast of Thailand for a week was sent out of Thai waters.\nThe BBC's Jonathan Head, who went to the boat near Koh Lipe on Thursday, says those on board had contacted their families to say armed uniformed men had boarded overnight. They repaired the broken engine, gave them food and moved the boat south.\nThai officials said the migrants did not want to go to shore but wanted to continue to Malaysia.\nThe heavily packed boat was abandoned by people smugglers who also disabled the engine. The migrants, including women and babies, had told our correspondent they had no food or water and that 10 people had died.\nOur correspondent said it was a \"desperate sight\" as people on board cried out for food and water.\n\"We fixed the engine and the boat left last night after 03:00,\" provincial governor Dejrat Limsiri told AFP news agency.\n\"We gave them ready-to-eat meals. They are now out of Thailand territory... They will try to go to Indonesia as it seems they cannot get to Malaysia,\" he said.\nLt Comm Veerapong Nakprasit of the Thai navy said those on board \"did not want to come to Thailand so we gave them food, medicine, fuel and water\".\n\"We did our humanitarian duty. They wanted to go to a third country,\" he told Reuters. \"This is not a push back because these people wanted to go.\"\nOur correspondent said the officials taught those on board to operate the vessel before sending them on their way.\nRohingya Muslims have been leaving Myanmar, also known as Burma, because they are not recognised as citizens of the country and face persecution.\nEarlier this week thousands of migrants started landing on the shores of Malaysia and Indonesia after being abandoned by people smugglers afraid of a crackdown by authorities in Thailand, the usual route used by the migrants.\nIt is unclear how many boats full of people are adrift at sea, but rights group say thousands of migrants are likely stranded and are not being allowed to land.\nSome of those who are adrift in the Andaman Sea have been provided with food, water and medicine by the Thai navy.\nMyanmar's unwanted people\nThe UN refugee agency has called for countries in the region to co-ordinate a search and rescue operation for some 8,000 migrants it says are trapped on boats in the area.\nSome in Washington asked the US government to consider providing humanitarian assistance, and exert pressure on allies in the region to accept more refugees.\n\"These men, women, children and infants are refugees fleeing well-founded fear of persecution and their deaths may well constitute a mass atrocity in the heart of Asean,'' said Democratic Rep Joe Crowley, referring to the regional block in Southeast Asia that Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Burma are all a part of.", "Officials earlier identified the remains as belonging to a female passenger called Hayati Lutfiah Hamid.\nMs Hamid, 49, was buried at a ceremony attended by family and friends in the Indonesian city of Surabaya.\nThe discovery of two bodies on Thursday brings the number recovered to nine. Bad weather has continued to hamper the search for the plane and other victims.\nThe Airbus A320-200 came down four days ago en route from Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people on board.\nNo survivors have been found and the cause of the crash remains unknown.\nThe identity of Ms Hamid was confirmed using fingerprints \"and other means,\" East Java disaster official Col Budiyono said. Her body was handed over to family members in a brief ceremony at a police hospital in Surabaya.\nThe coffin was then transported to a village, before being buried according to Islamic burial customs.\nOne of Ms Hamid's relatives told AP news agency: \"We have been fraught with worry because at this point, three of our family members are still missing... we pray together every night that they will be found soon.\"\nPrevious media reports had incorrectly identified Ms Hamid as a flight attendant.\nThe nine recovered bodies were flown to an airbase in Borneo but some have since been sent onto Surabaya where relatives, providing DNA samples, are waiting for them to be identified.\nFor a second day in a row, search efforts have been hampered by heavy rain and rough seas.\nSome 50 divers from Indonesia were on standby to investigate a large shadow in the sea, thought to be part of the airliner, but they were unable to gain access due to the bad weather.\nAirAsia chief Tony Fernandes said on Thursday he believed the search was closing in on its final location, tweeting: \"I am hoping that the latest information is correct and aircraft has been found.\"\nShips and planes have been scouring the Java Sea off Borneo since the plane disappeared on Sunday. Malaysia, Australia and Thailand are helping Indonesia with the search, while the US destroyer USS Sampson has been sent to the zone.\nThey are hoping to locate the fuselage of the plane on the seabed and find the plane's \"black box\" recorders, which could provide clues about the cause of the crash.\n\"It's possible the bodies are in the fuselage,\" said search and rescue co-ordinator Sunarbowo Sand.\n\"It's a race now against time and weather.\"\nFlight QZ8501, from Surabaya in Java to Singapore, disappeared on Sunday. Debris from the plane was located in the sea on Tuesday.\nThere were 137 adult passengers, 17 children and one infant, along with two pilots and five crew, on the plane.\nThe majority of those on board were Indonesians.\nSome investigators are reported to believe that the plane may have gone into an aerodynamic stall as the pilot climbed steeply to avoid a storm.\nOfficials quoted by the Reuters news agency say that the plane was travelling at 32,000ft (9,750m) when it requested to climb to 38,000ft to avoid bad weather.\nWhen air traffic controllers consented to allow it to climb to 34,000ft a few minutes later, they got no reply.\nA source quoted by Reuters said that radar data appeared to show that the aircraft's \"unbelievably\" steep climb may have been beyond the Airbus A320's limits.\nHowever, the unnamed source emphasised that more information was needed before a definitive conclusion could be reached.\nAirAsia previously had an excellent safety record and there were no fatal accidents involving its aircraft.", "Singapore has been gripped by the plight of a holidaying Vietnamese factory worker scammed of two months' wages when trying to buy an iPhone 6.\nThe case and subsequent attempts by Singaporeans to help him have made headlines regionally.\nSingapore has long prided itself on being a safe tourist-friendly spot.\nAn advisory posted on China's Consular Services website noted that there had been \"many cases last year\" where Chinese tourists were cheated when buying electronic goods.\nIt said that Chinese tourists who wish to buy mobile phones or other expensive electronic devices in Singapore should first check if the shops they are patronising have had complaints lodged against them.\nThe Consumer Association of Singapore maintains a list of errant retailers.\nChina is the fastest growing source of tourists to Singapore, which is also popular with other Asian visitors.\nEarlier this week, Singaporean media reported a case where Vietnamese tourist Pham Van Thoai was tricked into signing a phone warranty contract at a mobile shop in a well-known electronics shopping centre,.\nThe same shop had previously made the news for refunding a Chinese tourist hundreds of dollars in coins.\nConcern had already been mounting in Singapore of persistent tourist scams.\nBut Mr Pham's case provoked nationwide sympathy and outrage at the shop when newspapers published a photo of him sobbing and a video of him begging on his knees for a refund, filmed by shop staff, surfaced online.\nThough he called in the police and consumer association officials, he still lost S$550 (£266; $440) - the equivalent of more than two months' worth of wages - and left without a phone.\nThe incident sparked concern about consumers' rights and apparent damage to Singapore's image as a tourist destination.\nFrustrated at the lack of punishment, some netizens have named and shamed the shop's owner and published online his personal details, including his address, phone numbers and photos of him posing shirtless.\nOthers donated to a crowdfunding campaign started by a Singaporean to reimburse Mr Pham, which has gathered nearly US$12,000. \"This is not okay. This is not right. We are not a nation of thieves and cheats,\" the campaign website said.\nMr Pham however has reportedly said a Singaporean businessman gave him money for a phone, and declined to accept more donations.\nThe response has been widely covered by Vietnamese media, as well as other South East Asian news outlets, and has drawn appreciative comments from the Vietnamese.\n\"Thank you Singaporean people... I really admire your kindness and devotion to foreigners like us,\" said one on Facebook.", "In 2001, former music executive Tony Fernandes bought the heavily-indebted firm for a token sum of 25 cents.\nKeeping the brand name, he created Asia's first low-cost airline, taking on local established rivals such as Malaysia Airlines and Australia's Qantas.\nWith the slogan \"Now Everyone Can Fly\", AirAsia now covers approximately 100 destinations across more than 15 countries, although many of these flights are serviced by associates and subsidiaries that use the company's brand name.\nIt is one of these associates, Indonesia AirAsia, which was operating flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore when it lost contact with air traffic control on Sunday morning.\nIt flies Airbus A320 aircraft along more than 30 routes, to destinations in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Australia.\nIndonesia AirAsia is 49% owned by the main company, but has a separate chief executive, Sunu Widyatmoko. The rest of the firm is owned by Indonesian shareholders.\nIndonesia's government prohibits foreign companies from owning the majority of any civil aviation firms.\nAirAsia's business model is similar to other so-called budget airlines. It offers no business or first class seats, and the average fare is roughly 170 Malaysian ringgit (£30; $48).\nIn the three months to the end of September, the AirAsia group made a pre-tax profit of 26.5m Malaysian ringgit (£4.8m; $7.6m), and carried almost 5.3 million passengers.\nHowever, the number of passengers carried by Indonesia AirAsia was down by 10% in the same period, dropping to 1.85 million after the airline cut some of its routes.\nIn 2013, it carried almost 8 million passengers in total.\nIndonesia AirAsia was set to float on the stock market in the last couple of years, but rising costs and the depreciation of the country's rupiah currency against the US dollar have delayed such a move.\nIndonesia AirAsia flies just one type of plane - the Airbus single-aisle A320.\nThe A320 seats between 150 and 180 passengers, and is known for its distinctive wingtips, which were designed to make the aircraft more fuel efficient.\nAirbus says the A320 used on flight QZ8501 had accumulated some 23,000 flight hours over 13,600 flights.\nAirAsia's brand image is closely tied with its chief executive, Malaysian entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, who took over operations in 2001. Almost always in jeans and an AirAsia cap when interviewed, Mr Fernandes was seen as Malaysia's answer to Richard Branson.\nIn the same way that Mr Branson took on the dominance of British Airways in the 1980s, Mr Fernandes wanted to compete with established long-haul carriers in the region - like Malaysia's own flag carrier, Malaysian Airlines.\nHe's listed as one of the richest men in Malaysia and has always been adept at spinning his marketing message out to the media. With this plane's disappearance, he's wasted no time in tweeting out messages of support to the family and has already arrived in Surabaya along with members of the Indonesian affiliate of AirAsia.", "Organisers said more than 4,000 people attended the rally, making it one of Singapore's largest ever protests.\nThey are angry at a recent government policy paper that predicted the population would grow by 30% to 6.9 million by 2030, with immigrants making up nearly half that figure.\nMany locals blame immigration for rises in property prices and living costs.\nThe peaceful three-hour rally took place in heavy rain at a park venue known as Speakers' Corner, where protests are allowed without a police permit. Only a handful of uniformed officers were seen close by,\nThe crowds, protected from the downpours by a sea of umbrellas, came out to voice their displeasure at the ruling People's Action Party's (PAP) immigration policies, rally organisers said.\n\"The large crowd here shows the PAP government that they are not afraid any more, they don't want to hide behind a moniker on Facebook to show their displeasure,\" chief organiser Gilbert Goh, a former opposition candidate for parliament, told AFP news agency.\n\"They are showing their deep displeasure with the white paper.\"\nSingapore is known for its strict social controls and intolerance of dissent.\nSaturday's protest came as news emerged that Singapore's first prime minister, 89-year-old Lee Kuan Yew, has been taken to hospital with a brain-related blockage.\nMr Lee, who is the father of current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, will remain in hospital while he recovers from a suspected transient ischaemic attack, which occurs when blood flow to the brain stops for a period of time, a statement from his son's office said.\nThe Singaporean government said last month that it expected its population to increase by 30% to between 6.5 million and 6.9 million by 2030, with foreigners making up 45% of that number.\nIt said immigration was needed to help offset a slowing birth rate and ageing population, and it needed to find a balance between the number of Singaporeans and foreigners in order to sustain its rate of economic growth.\n\"If we do too little to address the demographic challenge, we risk becoming a steadily greying society, losing vitality and verve, with our young people leaving for opportunities elsewhere,\" it said in the white paper.\n\"But if we take in too many immigrants and foreign workers, we will weaken our national identity and sense of belonging, and feel crowded out of our own home.\"\nSingapore's total fertility rate of 1.2, which represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her child-bearing years, has been below the population replacement rate for more than three decades.\nThat has led to concerns that the number of Singaporeans may shrink in the coming years.\nBut many local people say the surge in foreigners in recent years has already put a strain on the small, wealthy island state's resources, and has pushed down salaries while raising property prices.", "\"Ang moh\" (local term for a Caucasian), chilli crab (our national dish) and \"sotong\" (another local term referring to a squid, but also used to describe ignorance) were just a handful of the words chosen for this year's update.\nBut what the heck is a \"Chinese helicopter\"?\n\"A Singaporean whose schooling was conducted in Mandarin Chinese and who has limited knowledge of English,\" the OED's official definition reads.\nBut like me, many of my fellow countrymen have been baffled by the appearance of the word.\n\"This is the first time I've come across the term,\" said Joseph Lim, 29, on Facebook.\n\"If there was no definition provided, I would have thought it was a sexual term.\"\nOther Singaporeans, like Twitter user Chew Yiheng agreed. \"Is that word even Singlish? I feel suaku\", he said, referring to the local term for a country bumpkin, someone not well-informed.\nAn informal variety of English spoken in Singapore, incorporating elements of Chinese and Malay.\nRead more: The rise of Singlish\nDr Danica Salazar, a consultant editor with the Oxford English Dictionary said the inclusion of these new words shows that \"people do not need to speak English like Americans or the British in order for their English to be correct\".\n\"These words have become part of the English language and they show something about the culture of Hong Kong and Singapore,\" she told BBC News.\n\"English is such a global language and this should be celebrated.\"\nBut Belmont Lay, the founding editor at local news portal Mothership, said the Oxford Dictionary was \"having a go at Singaporeans\".\n\"Chinese Helicopter reflects Singapore's Anglophone bias. I think it's great that the term was included but....why are they legitimising our creole English?\"\nThe inclusion of \"Chinese helicopter\" was also being discussed on local radio on Friday.\nTeacher David Tan said he knew where the term came from: it's actually an in-joke from Singapore's military service tradition.\n\"We are not talking about importing Chinese-type of tomahawk helicopter here,\" he said in a comment in response to a post on our BBC News Facebook page.\n\"The term 'Chinese Helicopter' was coined due to a mispronunciation of the word 'educated',\" he explained.\n\"During the early days, Singaporean men who were educated in Chinese schools had difficulty understanding English instructions in the army. Hence when a man would say 'educated', [it sounded like \"helicated\"] and became helicopter.\"\nThere are other terms in the Singlish vocabulary which carry knowing mispronunciations, used to mock others.\nTake for example, the usage of the word \"powerful\".\nA Singaporean would swap it for the word \"powderful\" in a verbal battle.\nWhen someone uses bad English, a normal speaker would reply sarcastically: \"Wow, your English is so powerful\".\nBut a true Singlish speaker would retaliate: \"Wah, your England very powderful ah?\"\nSo there you have it, win already lah!", "\"The world doesn't need to see my ugly crying face... But the world needs to know how proud I am of you,\" Yip Pin Xiu said in her Instagram post marking Theresa Goh's bronze medal win.\n\"You finally did it. You freaking did it.\"\nGoh, who has been a Paralympian since Athens 2004, came third in her 100m breaststroke category in Rio on Sunday night, taking Singapore's second medal of the games.\nYip won Singapore's first gold at Beijing in 2008, and on Saturday she shattered her own world record by two seconds in the 200m backstroke to take her second gold medal.\n\"Nobody knows our journey like us and I am so incredibly proud of you,\" Yip said in her post to Goh.\n\"You are now a Paralympic medallist after 17 years of training and perseverance.\"\nBut the women's success has led to calls for Singaporean Paralympians to be given the same recognition and pay as Olympians.\nIn August, the city-state went into celebratory overdrive when swimmer Joseph Schooling beat his hero Michael Phelps to bring home its first ever Olympic gold medal.\nHe was given a hero's welcome at the airport, a victory parade on an open-top bus and free flights for life on Air Asia, while numerous companies found a way to celebrate (or name-drop) Schooling in adverts. He was also given $1m Singaporean dollars ($735,000; £554,000) in prize money.\nIn contrast Yip is in line for S$160,000 before tax. Like Schooling, the money comes from the national Tote fund, and she'll have to give a proportion back to the training council.\nPrime Minister Lee Hsien Loong praised Yip on Facebook as proof that \"with hard work, determination and grit, we can overcome the odds\".\nBut the overwhelming response in the comments below was for the prime minister to ensure she was properly recognised.\n\"Yip is bringing even more GLORY TO SINGAPORE then Schooling because she did not allow her disability to stop her from achieving her Gold. She Should Be Rewarded the Same $1million reward as Schooling,\" said one comment.\nOne warned Singapore \"will be a laughing stock\" if it didn't offer Yip the same rewards.\n\"I hope you will also move a motion in parliament to congratulate her and hold a victory bus tour for her through the heartlands like what you did with Schooling,\" said another. \"Your actions will speak much louder than your words on Facebook.\"\nPressure is also growing on Singaporean companies to offer Yip the same gold medal perks as Schooling. After Singapore Airlines posted a congratulatory message on Facebook, it was soon being asked if it would also be offering Yip air miles and a celebratory return trip home.\nThe national carrier asked people to \"stay tuned\" for their plans.\nYip told the Today newspaper after her win that she was grateful for all the support she'd had, but that many people still don't believe her achievement can be compared to Schooling.\n\"They don't think para-sports is the same as able-bodied sports,\" she said.\n\"My answer... is that we put in the same amount of effort to get to where we are and it's not easier being in para-sports.\n\"Joseph's gold medal brought Singaporeans together. Hopefully, with this Paralympics gold medal, it would also be able to do the same. That's the magic of sports.\"" ]

[ "Mike d'Abo" ]

[ "The Dog Who Came in from the Cold", "s", "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold", "a robber who stole from travellers", "leading questions", "lead castle", "leading motif", "leading astray", "lead room", "by protecting a lead", "Daring to Lead", "lead mining", "leading zero", "overlapping leads", "USS Lead", "A lead programmer" ]

[ "N'Djamena, Chad (CNN) -- After spending years of working in neighboring Libya, the last place Daoud Mohammed wants to be right now is back to his home in Chad, the landlocked country in central Africa. With no work and few opportunities, he is worried about his and his family's future in Chad's capital N'Djamena. \"To survive I had to be away -- though my family was here in Chad -- because there is nothing for me to do here,\" says Mohammed. He is one of the tens of thousands of Chadians who fled last year's fighting in Libya and are now back in their homeland. \"I don't have any skills, I don't have any qualifications and the rainy seasons here don't come often enough, so we can't cultivate,\" adds Mohammed, who used to work on construction sites in Libya. Like Mohammed, around 300,000 Chadians made their living in Libya, often filling a gap at the lower end of the labor market, working in oil fields and construction sites. Read more: The Africans looking to make it in China . Many of them would send money back home to their families, providing a lifeline for a country where the majority live on less than $2 a day. The remittances helped kick-start Chad's otherwise largely stagnant economy but this was brought to a halt last year after the revolution against Moammar Gadhafi's autocratic rule also forced thousands of Chadians out of the country. The world focused on the uprising and the war in Libya, but from the onset other Africans were targeted. Mohammed says a group of armed revolutionaries stormed his compound in Benghazi, accusing some 300 Chadian workers of supporting Gafdhafi. \"I don't know why they attacked me. I am just a laborer and I don't care about politics or governments, I just don't know why they did this to me,\" says Mohammed. Fellow Chadian Tidjani Ali Mohamed, who worked as a skilled plasterer in Libya, says he spent months in a Tripoli prison where Africans from many other countries were also held. \"They forced me to confess that I worked with Gadhafi. But since I did not work with Gadhafi I just kept saying that I didn't so they just kept on beating me,\" he says. \"It was constant suffering -- they treated me so badly, they beat me all the time and I didn't know if I would die today or tomorrow.\" The International Organization for Migration (IOM) negotiated with the Transitional Council in Libya to get the Chadians and other Africans out in a highly sensitive evacuation operation. In the end, they brought some 90,000 people back to Chad. See more: Is narcotic khat funding terrorism? Though foreigners did play some part in fighting as mercenaries for Gadhafi during the bloody Libyan war, the IOM and local leaders in Chad say the vast majority of Chadians, like Mohammed, were working to send remittances home. \"Libya was always a rich country, they have lots of oil, and therefore there are work opportunities,\" says local leader Sultan Al Sadiq Al Bashir. \"Whoever goes there, even without education, will find something to do. Being a laborer, or working in agriculture, or in construction, there are always opportunities over there.\" Chadian economist and former finance minister Ali Abderahman Hagar says the return of the migrant workers has had a deep impact on the country's economy. \"We welcomed 100,000 people who contributed to Libya's development but returned empty-handed,\" says Hagar, who now runs the Graduate School of Finance in Chad. \"It is difficult to feed one person here in Chad, so to feed 100,000 more without having planned for them is dramatic,\" he adds. \"We haven't received enough support from international states, we have in some way become victims of the war in Libya, even if a few Chadians are in mourning of Gadhafi's death.\" Like Libya, Chad has significant oil reserves. The resource was supposed to be the savior of the country's economy but people say they've yet to reap any rewards from it. \"For 10 years we have seen no benefit from the oil, nothing at all,\" says Al Bashir. \"People are still poor, people need a lot of things, and the oil is not doing anything for the people.\" Opinion: Can Kenya avoid Africa's resource curse? Chad, which has been ruled by Idriss Deby since 1990, has been ranked by Transparency International as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Its industrial output is also minimal, while its agricultural sector has been hit by successive droughts. Despite some recent reforms, state safety nets are almost non-existent, leaving returning migrants to fend for themselves. Thrown out of Libya and with few opportunities at home in Chad, many of them now believe they've become a burden on the people they once supported. \"Now we have to beg for food and the local community gives us some food and that's how we survive -- we have nothing else,\" says Mohammed." ]

[ "The selloff in global oil markets showed little signs of slowing in the new year with U.S. crude breaking below $50 a barrel, the first time since April 2009, on fears of a supply glut. U.S. crude's front-month contract CLc1 hit $49.81 by the time markets closed, a dip of $2.88 or 5.47 per cent, in a single day. Benchmark Brent crude tumbled about 6 percent, hitting new 5-1/2 year lows after data showed Russian oil output at post-Soviet era highs and Iraqi oil exports at near 35-year peaks. The dip in oil prices caused shockwaves on Wall Street, where the Dow index had plunged 330 points by the time markets closed, shedding 1.85 per cent of its total value. Tumble: One U.S. oil future price hit $49.95 today before climbing slightly. Pictured above is a crude oil tanker outside a harbor in Singapore . U.S. driller ConocoPhillips added to the bearish sentiment somewhat, announcing it had struck first oil at a Norwegian North Sea project. 'There's no doubt that we have a combination of supplies hitting their zenith at a time when demand is weakening,' said Phil Flynn, analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. Front-month Brent LCOc1 hovered at $53 a barrel, down more than $3, after dropping to $52.66, its lowest since May 2009. Some traders appeared certain that U.S. crude will hit the $40 region later in the week if weekly oil inventory numbers for the United States on Wednesday show another supply build. Dip: Oil prices, shown above, hit their lowest level since the depths of the financial crisis . Downward-bound: Oil prices have dipped sharply since the middle of 2014 . 'We're headed for a four-handle,' said Tariq Zahir, managing member at Tyche Capital Advisors in Laurel Hollow in New York. 'Maybe not today, but I'm sure when you get the inventory numbers that come out this week, we definitely will.' Open interest for $40-$50 strike puts in U.S. crude have risen several fold since the start of December, while $20-$30 puts for June 2015 have traded, said Stephen Schork, editor of Pennsylvania-based The Schork Report. Other indexes on Wall Street were also hit hard by the price drop. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 33 points, or 1.6 percent, to 2,024. The Nasdaq composite fell 56 points, or 1.2 percent, to 4,671. Energy companies had the worst declines in the S&P 500 index. Denbury Resources and Noble Energy each lost 9 percent. Russia's oil output hit a post-Soviet high last year, averaging 10.58 million barrels per day (bpd), up 0.7 percent thanks to small non-state producers, Energy Ministry data showed. Iraq's oil exports were at their highest since 1980 in December, an oil ministry spokesman said, with record sales from the country's southern terminals. The Russian and Iraqi data overshadowed reports of drops in Libya's oil output due to conflict. Libya's oil output has fallen to around 380,000 bpd after the closure of the OPEC producer's biggest oil port Es Sider, along with another oil port Ras Lanuf.", "Boko Haram militants have disguised themselves as preachers in order to carry out a savage gun massacre in northern Nigeria that left at least 24 people dead. The Islamic extremists drove cars to a mosque in the remote village of Kwajafa in Borno state, where they told locals they were there to teach Islam. Once a crowd had gathered around the men, the jihadis opened fire using handguns and assault rifles before setting fire to nearby houses that were filled with unsuspecting families. The attack came as new pictures showed how teenagers caught up in previous slaughters carried out by Boko Haram in neighbouring Chad are being encouraged draw spine-chilling pictures of the attacks as part of their therapy. Memories: The attack came as new pictures showed how teenagers caught up in previous slaughters carried out by Boko Haram are being encouraged draw pictures of the attacks as part of their therapy . Heartbreaking: The chilling images illustrate the innocence of the young victims murdered by the jihadis . Shocking: Young men and women at a refugee camp near Baga Sola in Chad were photographed drawing bloody scenes of assault rifle-wielding gunmen carrying out slaughters from the back of pick-up trucks . Boko Haram's six-year insurgency in Nigeria, and President Goodluck . Jonathan's failure to end it were key factors . in the victory of opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari in last . week's election. The group fighting for an Islamic state has killed thousands . and kidnapped hundreds, although a military operation against . them by Nigeria and neighbours Chad, Cameroon and Niger in the . past two months has wrested back much of the territory it . controlled. 'People didn't know the Boko Haram men came for attack . because they lied to our people that they came for preaching,' said Buba in a telephone conversation. 'They opened fire on them and killed many people,' he said, . adding that houses were set on fire. Some people were being treated for gunshot wounds and burns . at a hospital in the Borno state town of Biu on Monday, a source . there said. Young Nigerian refugees draw during a therapy program managed by UNICEF in Baga Sola refugee camp . Young Nigerians refugees play on April 6, 2015 in a refugee camp near Baga Sola. Seven civilians were killed in an attack in Chad blamed on Nigerian Boko Haram rebels, officials said on April 6. AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE DESMAZESPHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images . Last week the U.N.'s human rights chief said Boko Haram fighters have been murdering dozens of young women and girls they had taken as 'wives' and using children as 'expendable cannon fodder'. As the Islamist militant group has retreated from parts of northeastern Nigeria, 'gruesome scenes of mass graves and further evident signs of slaughter,' has been brought to light, Zeid Raad al-Hussein told a special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. Boko Haram's reported use of children as shields and human bombs would, if confirmed, constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, he said. This comes in response to recent reports that hundreds of women and children had been seized from Nigerian primary schools by Boko Haram militants to be used as 'human shields'. The Islamists took as many as 500 adults and children from primary schools in the north-eastern town of Damasak in late February, Mike Omeri, spokesman for the fight against Boko Haram, said. Still there: A boy is photographed yesterday walking past a burnt house and car in N'Gouboua, near Lake Chad in Chad, which was attacked by Islamist group Boko Haram earlier in the year . Today it emerged that those caught up in deadly attacks by Boko Haram - who declared their allegiance to the Islamic State terror group earlier this year - have been asked to draw pictures of the massacres as part of their therapy. Young men and women at a UNICEF-run refugee camp near Baga Sola in Chad were photographed using pencils and crayons to draw bloody scenes of assault rifle-wielding gunmen carrying out slaughters from the back of pick-up trucks. The chilling creations illustrate the innocence of the young victim savagely murdered by the jihadis. Boko Haram has been waging a guerilla war in northern Nigeria and also attacked towns in neighboring countries, prompting nations in the region including Chad and Niger to put together a force to combat them. The newly elected president of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari, who beat incumbent Goodluck Jonathan in a landslide win last night, has promised to 'stamp out' the insurgency . In Kano state, where Boko Haram's 'war' on the civilian population has been most prominent, Buhari delivered a crushing defeat to Jonathan, winning 1.9 million votes for Jonathan's 215,800. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.", "A 12-year-old with a lemonade and cookie stand in his residential area of Florida faces complaints from a neighbor who contacted police to report the stand as 'illegal.' 12-year-old T.J. Guerrero is a young entrepreneur who runs a lemonade stand in Dunedin, Florida to add to the income he makes from mowing-lawns so he can pay his cell phone bill and purchase an iPod. Unfortunately T.J's neighbor Doug Wilkey has a problem with T.J.'s small business and has contacted police at least four times in two years to try and have it shut down. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Business man: T.J. not only has a lemonade stand he also mows lawns and hopes to get a job bagging groceries at Publix when he turns 14 . Trying to make a profit: T.J. uses his lemonade money to pay his own cell phone bill . The Tampa Bay Times reports that Wilkey says that the stand is 'illegal' and causes local problems like traffic, noise, and illegal parking. 'Please help me regain my quiet home and neighborhood,' Wilkey, 61, wrote to town officials. 'We're not in the business of trying to regulate kids like that; nor do we want to do any code enforcement like that,' said Dunedin planning and development director Greg Rice. 'We are not out there trying to put lemonade stands out of business.' T.J. lives about four doors down from Wilkey but his lemonade stand is at neighbor Rodney Shrode's house directly next door to the 61-year-old complainer's home. Have you tried the strawberry?: This truck driver loves T.J.'s refreshing lemonade . Hard worker: T.J. works hard to make money for his cell phone bill . Wilkey lamented that T.J's friends are 'loud' and that they 'use profanity.' Wilkey also complained that the $1 lemonade and $.50 could possibly make someone ill. 'The city could possibly face repercussion in the event someone became ill from spoiled/contaminated food or drink sales,' Wilkey said in an email. 'If this were a once a year event by a couple kids to earn a little money for a holiday or something, I would not have a problem with it. I am very worried about the value of my home, which is why I built in a residential area, not a business area,' he also said. Deputy Wayne Gross asked local residents how they felt about T.J.'s lemonade stand and none of them seemed to have a problem with it. A truck driver working on a project nearby told the Tampa Bay Times, 'I tried the strawberry before and it's perfect. That's what it's about. He's willing to work.' T.J. says he isn’t jilted by the conflict and told reporters he can't wait until he's 14 so he can apply for a bagging job at Publix.", "(CNN) -- A former Libyan military officer who fought against ex-leader Moammar Gadhafi's troops last year was picked to head the country's armed forces, a move that comes as tensions flare among rival militias. The interim National Transitional Council chose Youssef Mangoush to be chief of staff of the country's armed forces Tuesday. Mangoush was a member of Libya's special forces and had been retired for years. He worked as a field commander in the battles against Gadhafi's battalions in February. He was arrested in al-Brega in April by Gadhafi forces. Born in Benghazi in 1950, he enrolled in military school in 1970 and specialized in anti-armor weaponry. He worked in different locations in Libya and fought in Libya's war in Chad, which ended in the 1980s. Mangoush was also a lecturer and instructor in Libya's military school. Dirk Vandewalle, an associate professor of government and an expert on Libya at Dartmouth College, said he believes the government was looking for a top military figure who can \"straddle difficulties\" and 'bridge the gap\" between different groups. \"My hunch is this is a compromise more than anyone else,\" he said. Four people died in clashes Tuesday in Libya's capital between militias from Tripoli and Misrata, officials said. The clashes were over control of a building that previously housed an intelligence center under Gadhafi, said Col. Abdul Monem al-Tunsi, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry. However, former rebels in Tripoli provided different, and conflicting, accounts of what caused the fighting -- meaning the motivations behind it remain unclear. David Schenker, director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, noted reports that Mangoush has ties to Misrata. Militias have a strong presence in Misrata, where fighting raged during last year's war between Gadhafi forces and rebels. He said Mangoush's appointment \"suggests or confirms just how bad and how dire the critical situation is regarding the militias.\" He said the government isn't making headway on disarming militias and it is covering bases geographically to win over the loyalties of militia members and inspire confidence in the central government. \"His selection is reflective of the government's attempt to improve the situation, to encourage a process of disarmament,\" he said about Mangoush. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm, a lecturer in international affairs and political science at Florida State University, sees the choice as \"partially an attempt to reduce fighting between militias.\" He says it's \"significant\" that he has links to Misrata. \"One could read that as being a sign to appease some of the militias that are from the area,\" Wiebelhaus-Brahm said. \"There is probably a calculation going on that he might be better able to bring some militias into the fold of a national army and reduce the factional fighting going on right now.\" It's not the first time rival militias have clashed since the war ended, a possible reflection of mutual distrust that could pose a challenge to the nation's new leadership. In November, dozens of fighters clashed at a Tripoli hospital in what residents said was the biggest armed confrontation in the city since the country was declared liberated. While there were no deaths from gunshots, medical staff said three patients at the hospital died of stress-related causes linked to the fighting. In December, government officials met to discuss the infighting. Residents of many Libyan cities, especially Tripoli, are increasingly frustrated, with their streets awash with weapons and armed men who do not answer to a central command. Former fighters complained to CNN about a lack of jobs and support from the National Transitional Council. Interim government officials have said they will help freedom fighters and incorporate them into the security forces. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh and Yousuf Basil contributed to this report.", "(CNN) -- Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi called Thursday for the U.N. Security Council to carry out an independent fact-gathering mission on Monday's NATO attack in the city of Surman, which resulted in civilian casualties. \"The Security Council should hold an urgent meeting to discuss the matter and stop this barbaric attack,\" he said in a nationally televised address. In the attack, five houses were hit in Surman, which is west of Tripoli, and 15 people died, including three children, according to a government spokesman. NATO has said the target was a command-and-control communications node involved in coordinating attacks on the Libyan people. \"While NATO cannot confirm reports of casualties, we would regret any loss of civilian life and we go to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties,\" the organization said on its website. \"This is in stark contrast to the Gadhafi regime, which continues its policy of systematic and sustained violence against the people of Libya.\" But Gadhafi angrily rejected the claim that the compound was anything but a residential area. \"This is not a military factory, munition factory or military port or a fortified castle,\" he said as video lingered over rubble. \"It has no military identity.\" \"This is the jungle rule,\" he continued. \"The infidels rule. You don't have any conscience.\" He blamed the members of the Security Council who approved the resolution in March that authorized the use of military force to protect unarmed anti-government Libyan demonstrators. \"You will be responsible for any outcome,\" he threatened, \"And you will regret it.\" Gadhafi singled out U.S. President Barack Obama for blame. \"Originally, you're from Africa and originally Arab as well,\" he said. \"You sold out to America. Where will you go? On Judgment Day, you will be in hell. Our dead will be in heaven, and your dead will be in hell. You ought to feel ashamed.\" Gadhafi then directed his vitriol toward the \"so-called heroic pilots\" who flew the NATO planes involved in the attack. \"You know we don't have any air defenses or military planes,\" the Libyan leader said, referring to the no-fly zone that NATO has imposed over Libya. \"You have long-range rockets and you have been flying over the Libyan air territory without any deterrent.\" He said NATO's true motivation was inspired by hatred. \"You hate us because we are Muslims,\" Gadhafi said. \"You hate Libya and people who bear witness to Allah and Mohammed. You bomb them.\" Gadhafi's late-night diatribe came hours after China embraced the Libyan opposition as \"an important dialogue partner\" and urged an end to the fighting and a political solution to the crisis, state media said. \"China is not seeking any private interest concerning Libya, and believes the Libyan situation is essentially an internal issue,\" said Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi after meeting with Mahmoud Jibril, chairman of the executive board of Libya's National Transitional Council. Jibril's was the first visit by a Libyan opposition leader. He arrived in China on Tuesday, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. For the sake of the Libyan people, Yang called on the two sides to \"truly give peace a chance.\" Also Wednesday, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini urged an end to the fighting in Libya to allow for humanitarian aid to flow to the war-devastated North African nation. Speaking in Parliament, Frattini said Italy backs a cessation to hostilities to negotiate a way for a humanitarian corridor. Frattini's comments came after he had been critical of reported civilian casualties in NATO airstrikes and said they threatened the credibility of the alliance. At a weekend summit in Cairo, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Libya was facing shortages of food, fuel and medical personnel and access to water services was dwindling. \"The U.N.'s humanitarian efforts are taking place under extremely difficult circumstances,\" he said. The Libyan war erupted from anti-government protests in February. Following a U.N. mandate to protect civilians, NATO began bombing military targets in March. However, Gadhafi still maintains control in Tripoli and other cities. Meanwhile, pressure has mounted from U.S. lawmakers to withdraw backing for the mission. \"The fact is the president has not made his case to the members of Congress, he has not made his case to the American people,\" House Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday. \"We've been in this conflict for 90 days and the president hasn't talked to the American people for four or five weeks about why we're there, what our national interest is, and why we should continue,\" Boehner said. The day before, Senators John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, and John McCain, R-Arizona, introduced a resolution to counter some of the criticism about the U.S. role in Libya. That resolution authorizes the commitment of U.S. forces for one year while stressing the lack of support for any use of American ground troops.", "London (CNN) -- Coal slag heaps up to 450-feet high may not seem the obvious candidates to join a list that includes the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, and Yellowstone National Park. But the remnants of a once-thriving mining industry in northern France have now been included in a roll call of the world's greatest landmarks. The Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin has been designated a World Heritage site by the U.N.'s cultural organization, UNESCO, and is now ranked alongside nearly 1,000 sites across the globe considered to have outstanding value. Coal was extracted from the region from the 17th to the 20th century, when it suffered an economic slump. Now, after a 10-year campaign, locals are aiming to promote as tourist attractions the old pits, railway stations, workers' estates and mining villages. \"It's important as a piece of history in that part of the world,\" said UNESCO spokesperson Susan Williams. \"It doesn't have to be pretty... but it does have to be of outstanding universal value, in other words important for the whole of humanity. The locals have been so excited about this. This is a site they are very appreciative of,\" she said. In its summary, UNESCO said the mining region was a \"remarkable cultural landscape\" and provided \"exceptional testimony to the exchange of ideas and influences regarding the extraction methods used for underground coal seams, the design of worker housing and urban planning, as well as the international human migration that accompanied the industrialization of Europe.\" The Word Heritage Committee meets once a year to implement the convention defining the kind of natural of cultural sites that can be considered for the prestigious list. The Calais basin is one of three mining sites that made the list this year. Among the 26 additions for 2012 were the Lakes of Ounianga in Chad, Africa, the Chengjiang fossil site in the Yunnan province of China, the decorated farmhouses of Halsingland in Sweden and the Margravial Opera House at Bayreuth in Germany. Nominations for heritage status have to meet the UNESCO criteria agreed by member states and come up with a long-term management plan before they can be scrutinized and judged. However, heritage status does not necessarily guarantee protection. UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said news that mausoleums in Timbuktu, Mali, had been destroyed by Islamic militants was \"extremely distressing\" and called on all parties involved in the conflict to \"protect this invaluable cultural heritage for future generations.\" In 2001 the Taliban destroyed part of another of the world's treasures -- the huge Buddha statues in the Bamiyan Valley on the ancient Silk Road in Afghanistan. Both of these sites are included on a list of 38 sites that are threatened.", "By . Associated Press . and Zoe Szathmary . Staffers were evacuated from the American embassy in Libya on Saturday and sent to Tunisia safely, officials said. 'All embassy personnel were relocated, including the Marine security guards who were providing security at the embassy and during the movement,' Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement Saturday. 'The embassy staff was driven in vehicles to Tunisia,' he said. 'During movement, F-16's, ISR assets and an Airborne Response Force with MV-22 Ospreys provided security.' Kirby said that 'The mission was conducted without incident, and the entire operation lasted approximately five hours.' Scroll down for video . Evacuated: The entrance to the US embassy in Libya in seen here in a May 13, 2009 file photo. Staffers and Marines were evacuated on Saturday morning and taken to Tunisia . Violent: Embassy staff escaped unscathed from the attack which occurred this morning. In this photograph from Saturday, fighters from the Islamist Misarata brigade fire towards Tripoli airport in an attempt to wrest control from a powerful rival militia, in Tripoli, Libya . The battle for control of Tripoli's international airport began two weeks ago when Islamist-led militias launched a surprise assault on the airport, under control of rival militias from the western mountain town of Zintan. On Saturday, the U.S. evacuated its diplomats in Tripoli to neighboring Tunisia and shut its embassy . Smoke rises in Tripoli on Thursday July 24 . An unnamed US official told ABC News a that a destroyer - which was not mentioned in Kirby's statement - was another possible resource. When asked about the number of evacuees, a State Department official told MailOnline 'We do not discuss exact numbers for security reasons.' However, ABC News reported 'there were about 150 Americans that were taken out in the convoy, with more than 80 of them being Marines,' citing its unnamed source. Tom Saunders, a spokesman for US Africa Command, told MailOnline that 'There were two MV-22s deployed from Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy. The MV-22s belong to the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response (SP-MAGTAF-CR) element located at NAS Sigonella. 'The main component of the SP-MAGTAF-CR is located at Moron Air Base, Spain. A portion of the SP-MAGTF-CR matinains a [presence] at NAS Sigonella to be prepared to protect U.S. personnel and facilities on U.S. installations in north Africa. '[One] MV-22 carried one a quick response team of approximately 24 U.S military forces personnel, and the second carried a 2-person medical team. Three Air Force F-16s from Aviano provided air support. And an Air Force KC-135 from RAF Mildenhall, the UK, provided refueling support.' Saunders told MailOnline he was not aware of a destroyer, but said 'it’s not unusual for U.S. naval assets to be in that region during operations or training exercises.' State Department spokesman Marie Harf said in a Saturday statement the evacuation occurred '[d]ue to the ongoing violence resulting from clashes between Libyan militias in the immediate vicinity of the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli.' American personnel at the Tripoli . embassy, which had already been operating with limited staffing, left . the capital around dawn and traveled by road to neighboring Tunisia, . according to Harf. 'We are grateful to the Government of Tunisia for its cooperation and support,' Harf said. As the evacuation was underway, residents of the . city reported in real time on social media that American military . aircraft flew overhead while U.S. soldiers escorted a convoy of vehicles . out of town. The State Department would not confirm the evacuation . until all staffers were safely in Tunisia. The withdrawal underscored the Obama administration's concern about the heightened risk to American diplomats abroad, particularly in Libya where memories of the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in the eastern city of Benghazi are still vivid and the political uproar over it remain fresh ahead of a new congressional investigation into the incident. 'Securing our facilities and ensuring the safety of our personnel are top department priorities, and we did not make this decision lightly,' Harf said. 'Security has to come first. Regrettably, we had to take this step because the location of our embassy is in very close proximity to intense fighting and ongoing violence between armed Libyan factions.' Danger: An airplane on the tarmac of the Tripoli airport belches black smoke into the air during fighting between the Islamist Misarata brigade and a powerful rival militia on Saturday . Fighters are seen Saturday trying to fight another militia for control in Tripoli . Support: MV-22 Ospreys, like the one in this file photo, were on-hand during the evacuation, the Pentagon said in a statement . The Pentagon also said that F-16s were involved in the evacuation . The evacuation was accompanied by the release of a new State Department travel warning for Libya urging Americans not to go to the country and recommending that those already there leave immediately. 'The Libyan government has not been able to adequately build its military and police forces and improve security' it said. 'Many military-grade weapons remain in the hands of private individuals, including antiaircraft weapons that may be used against civilian aviation.' The department said embassy operations will be suspended until a determination is made that the security situation has improved, it said. Tripoli has been embroiled for weeks in inter-militia violence that has killed and wounded dozens on all sides. The fighting has been particularly intense at the city's airport. 'We are committed to supporting the Libyan people during this challenging time, and are currently exploring options for a permanent return to Tripoli as soon as the security situation on the ground improves. In the interim, staff will operate from Washington and other posts in the region,' Harf said. The evacuated staffers will continue to work on Libya issues in Tunis, elsewhere in North Africa and Washington. The move marks the second time in a little more than three years that Washington has closed its embassy in Libya. In Feb. 2011, the embassy suspended operations amid the uprising that eventually toppled longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. After the formation of a transitional government in July, 2011, the embassy reopened in September. Gadhafi was killed in October of 2011. The Obama administration has been particularly sensitive about security of U.S. government employees in Libya since the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. mission in the country's second largest city of Benghazi that killed ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. The administration is still fending off criticism from Republicans and others that it did not either enhance security in Benghazi or evacuate the mission due to rising violence in that city in the months prior to the attack. The Benghazi mission was abandoned after that attack and never reopened. The embassy In Tripoli has been operating with reduced staff since but has remained open even as the violence intensified. On Friday, U.S. Ambassador to Libya Deborah Jones appealed for fighting near the embassy to stop. 'We have not been attacked but our neighborhood a bit 2 close to the action,' she tweeted. 'Diplomatic missions 2 B avoided pls.' On Sunday, Jones tweeted about 'heavy shelling and other exchanges' of fire in the vicinity of the embassy and speculation about the potential evacuation had been rife at the State Department for more than a week. A man looks out at smoke on Thursday. American personnel at the Tripoli embassy, which had already been operating with limited staffing, left the capital around dawn Saturday and traveled by road to neighboring Tunisia . Clash: Smoke rises over the Airport Road area after heavy fighting between rival militias broke out near the airport in Tripoli July 25, 2014 . Libya is now witnessing one of its worst spasms of violence since Gadhafi's ouster. In Tripoli, the militias are fighting mostly for control of the airport. They are on the government's payroll since authorities have depended on them to restore order. The U.S. is just latest in a number of countries to have closed down their diplomatic operations in Libya. Turkey on Friday announced that it had closed down its embassy and militia clashes in Benghazi have prompted the United Nations, aid groups and foreign envoys to leave. In Tripoli, clashes near the international airport have forced residents to evacuate their homes nearby after they were hit by shells. On Friday, the official Libyan news agency LANA reported that explosions were heard early in the day near the airport area and continued into the afternoon. The battle in Tripoli began earlier this month when Islamist-led militias — mostly from the western city of Misrata — launched a surprise assault on the airport, under control of rival militias from the western mountain town of Zintan. On Monday, a $113 million Airbus A330 passenger jet for Libya's state-owned Afriqiyah Airways was destroyed in the fighting. The rival militias, made up largely of former anti-Gadhafi rebels, have forced a weeklong closure of gas stations and government offices. In recent days, armed men have attacked vehicles carrying money from the Central Bank to local banks, forcing their closure. Libyan government officials and activists have increasingly been targeted in the violence. Gunmen kidnapped two lawmakers in the western suburbs of Tripoli a week ago and on Friday armed men abducted Abdel-Moaz Banoun, a well-known Libyan political activist in Tripoli, according to his father. An umbrella group for Islamist militias, called the Operation Room of Libya's Revolutionaries, said in a brief statement on its Facebook page on Friday that 'troops arrested Abdel-Moaz over allegations that he served under Gadhafi' and 'instigated rallies against' the Islamists.", "Recently released transcripts of jailhouse phone calls between murder suspect Curtis Reeves and his family reveal the retired Florida police captain is confident of his acquittal. Other evidence released by the Pinellas-Pasco attorneys office, including photographs taken from inside the Wesley Chapel movie theater where Reeves shot dead Chad Oulson, 43, and injured his wife Nicole Oulson over a text messaging dispute, sheds light on the case. Reeves, 71, faces charges of second-degree murder and aggravated battery in the January 13 shooting and is being held without bail. Scroll down for video . Aftermath: This photo released by the attorney's office shows Curtis Reeves handcuffed in the movie theater where he shot Chad Oulson . Refused bail: Reeves, seen here at a February 5 bond hearing, was ordered to remain in prison until his trial . He is accused of gunning down husband and father Oulson and injuring his wife after the two men became involved in an argument over Oulson text messaging on his cell phone during previews for Lone Survivor at Grove Cobb 16 theater. 'When all the facts come out, we all should be in good shape,' Reeves told his family on January 16 - three days after the shooting, reports the Tampa Bay Times. In the recordings released by the Pasco-Pinellas State Attorney's Office, he tells his wife Vivian and his son and daughter to sell his motorbike or kayak if they are in need of money. Violent scene: A photo released as evidence shows the auditorium in the Grove Cobb 16 theater in Wesley Chapel after authorities say Curtis Reeves shot and killed Chad Oulson in a dispute over texting during previews January 13 . Sudden escalation: The confrontation that resulted in Oulson's death occurred before the movie had even begun . Armed: Reeves entered the theater with this gun, which he then used to shoot Oulson . 'You all need to know that you're all the love of my life. And if it need be, y'all plan on me not being there so you plan whatever you have to do to make your life easy, okay,' he said.  'My life will be easy if your all's is. Plan the future and don't spend all the money on me.' 'We have all of that under control. We're not even going to talk about it,' daughter Jennifer Shaw tells him. Photographs from the movie theater after the shooting show Curtis Reeves in handcuffs sitting in a theater seat, scattered popcorn, a dropped cell phone and a spent casing from the bullet that killed father-of-one Oulson. They also show Nicole Oulson's badly injured hand after she was shot trying to deflect the bullet that killed her husband. Video from the scene appears to show Oulson snatching Reeves' popcorn off his lap and throwing it at him. Reeves responds instantaneously with a single, fatal gunshot. No weapons allowed: The management forbids patrons to bring weapons into the theater . Life cut short: Chad Oulson, pictured with his wife and child, was killed during a confrontation with Reeves in January . Former cop: Reeves served as a Tampa police officer but is now in jail awaiting trial for murder . Reeves is claiming he shot the unarmed Oulson in self-defense because he feared for his life. He told police that Oulson attacked him and that he feared for his life. 'Like I told everybody, I've spent 71 years doing the right thing and this guy just... anyway,' he said to his family over the phone. However, in an interview with police after the shooting, Vivian Reeves gave a conflicting story. A detective asked her, 'Did you see him get hit in the face?' 'No, I didn't,' responded Vivian Reeves. A statement given by Reeves in the aftermath of the shooting has also been released. 'Suddenly, he jumps up and he turns around and he stands in his seat,' Reeves is said to have told investigators. 'He kept on hollering and I'm not sure what he said to be honest with you. He said something that led me to believe he was going to kick my ass, and I don't know if that's exactly how he phrased it or not,' reports ABC Action News. Reeves's next hearing is set for July 9.", "Ed Miliband was accused of plunging the General Election campaign to a ‘new low’ last night by ‘weaponising dead migrants’. The Labour leader and his party’s spin machine prompted the most bitter row of the campaign so far by suggesting that David Cameron bore personal responsibility for drownings of refugees in the Mediterranean. Senior Conservatives claimed Mr Miliband was effectively ‘accusing the Prime Minister of murder’ in a ‘desperate and negative’ attempt to score political points by exploiting a human tragedy. Ed Miliband, pictured, was accused of trying to make political capital from the Mediterranean tragedy . Ed Miliband claimed the Mediterranean crisis was 'in part a direct result' of the PM's Libya policy . The controversy began after Labour spin doctors issued a briefing note which said Mr Miliband would use a speech on foreign policy to say the ‘tragic scenes’ in the Mediterranean were ‘in part a direct result’ of Mr Cameron’s Libya policy. The Labour leader later insisted he was not saying Mr Cameron had ‘blood on his hands’, but was making a ‘very important point about post-conflict planning in Libya’ after the overthrow of Colonel Gaddafi. The Prime Minister said only that Mr Miliband’s remarks were ‘ill- judged’. But a senior Tory source said: ‘A few bad polls for Labour after a poor week of campaigning and Ed Miliband accuses the PM of murder. I think we can see who is getting desperate and running a negative and personal campaign.’ Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg also condemned Labour’s intervention, pointing out that Mr Miliband had backed Western military involvement in Libya. He accused Labour of astonishing hypocrisy, given the catastrophic failure of post-war planning in its Iraq conflict. Mr Clegg told BBC Radio 5 live: ‘I think it is quite distasteful, actually, to reduce this total human tragedy of hundreds of people dying out in the Mediterranean to a political point-scoring blame game, particularly, I have to say, from a party that of course brought us into an illegal invasion in Iraq where there was no planning at all for the aftermath.’ Mr Clegg said there should be ‘a little more adherence to the facts as to who is ending up on these boats, why they are and what we can do about it to stop this terrible human tragedy’. Former foreign secretary William Hague said Mr Miliband’s remarks represented ‘a new low in shallow opportunism’, given that the Labour leader had said ‘nothing’ about foreign policy for five years. Former Tory minister Richard Benyon accused Mr Miliband of ‘weaponising dead migrants’. He said a large percentage of those fleeing North Africa ‘come from other countries than Libya so Miliband is wrong on every level’. And former defence secretary Liam Fox said: ‘Having tried to weaponise the NHS, Miliband is trying to weaponise drowning migrants. It’s quite offensive and reflects extremely badly on both him and his party.’ Mr Miliband, speaking at the Chatham House think-tank in London, was forced to deny that he had ‘politicised’ a tragedy. Former defence secretary Liam Fox said Miliband was trying to 'weaponise drowning migrants' Asked if that was true, Mr Miliband replied: ‘Nonsense. No. Look, what this is about is saying very clearly to the British people that there is a huge issue we face as a country which is learning the lessons of the 2003 Iraq War. ‘The problem is that in relation to Libya we have repeated the mistake because we haven’t done the post-conflict planning. ‘I think people should just read my words and I don’t think anybody in the foreign policy community or in the wider international community would disagree with what I’ve said about the failure of post-conflict planning.’ Labour aides pointed out that Mr Miliband did raise the issue of post-war plans after supporting bombing raids in Libya in 2011. But footage of him also emerged from the same year suggesting the new Libyan authorities should be left to get on with it. ‘This is an important moment to recognise the National Transitional Council and their role in taking Libya forward, and we’ve got to be led by them. It’s very important that Libyans determine their future,’ he said at the time. Labour’s shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker was forced to concede that Mr Cameron is not responsible for migrant deaths in the Mediterranean. ‘Nobody would want to say that the Prime Minister, as a human being, would want to see the terrible things we have seen in the Med,’ he said. In a bruising interview with the BBC’s Andrew Neil, Mr Coaker also struggled to explain when Mr Miliband had raised ‘consistent concerns’ about the issue of post-conflict planning. A senior Labour source said the party ‘did not resile from anything’ in its briefing note and accused critics of a ‘silly, utterly spurious’ response to a ‘serious speech’. Labour accused the Tories of ‘personal attacks’ earlier in the campaign, when Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said Mr Miliband ‘stabbed his brother in the back’ in the party’s 2010 leadership contest.", "(CNN) -- Business leaders, heads of government, entrepreneurs and even the odd celebrity will be rubbing fur and down-quilted shoulders at Europe's highest altitude town, Davos, for the World Economic Forum's annual meeting this week. The high-powered talk-fest, founded by German economist Klaus Schwab in 1971, has become a vital part of the business calendar -- for the intensity of its networking as much as declarations of action from the speakers' podiums. WEF describes itself as \"an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.\" As is traditional, the theme of its annual meeting in Davos is sweeping and, at first glance, somewhat opaque: \"The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, politics and Business.\" The WEF says the theme \"reflects on the disruptions that societies face on a global scale driven by rapid technological and scientific innovation, accelerating social change and a shifting global economic order.\" According to CNN's Richard Quest, the WEF may have a point with its choice of theme. The world has changed, Quest says, after its emergence from the wreckage of five years of crisis. In its wake, there is \"a landscape where old rules no longer exist and the new ones have yet to be written and agreed.\" \"The issues are prescient, they are on everyone's mind, we all know that 'times are different' and we are by no means sure how to handle them,\" Quest says. But he ponders whether those at Davos will be able to unite to plot a way forward in this new landscape. If it's a question of numbers, they've certainly got a head start. The 44th annual meeting is bringing together more than 2,500 leaders, thinkers and public figures representing more than 100 countries. It is strictly invitation only. Certain groups -- heads of state, faith leaders, academics, social entrepreneurs, members of international organizations and news anchors -- can attend free of charge, but for businesses, the cost of a ticket is approximately $20,000. For that fee, from January 22 to 25 participants will be able to attend more than 250 sessions and workshops based around the overarching \"reshaping\" theme. Guest speakers range from the European Commission President Manuel Barroso, International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde, United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki Moon and Microsoft founder Bill Gates to actors Matt Damon and Goldie Hawn. The forum is taking place against a backdrop of violent conflict in South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Syria. Syrian opposition leader George Sabra will be at the Davos gathering, with a second round of peace talks being held in another corner of Switzerland -- on the shores of Lake Geneva -- the same week. Bloodshed in the Middle East and North Africa has disrupted the region's economies, with the World Bank's latest report saying they remained depressed after the Arab Spring that began in Tunisia three years ago and sparked Syria's civil war. \"Political turmoil in Egypt, stalemate in Tunisia and an escalation of the civil war in Syria with spillovers to neighboring Lebanon and Jordan have weakened activity in the developing oil-importing countries,\" the report said. In Iran, there has also been a fall in production but the World Bank points to international sanctions as the reason. However, that may change after last year's historic deal between world powers on an interim deal with Iran that imposes limits on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani -- who replaced the country's controversial previous president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, last year -- will be at Davos and is due to speak on the subject of \"Iran in the World.\" Also walking the WEF corridors will be Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has described Rouhani as \"a wolf in sheep's clothing.\" He is scheduled to speak on \"Israel's Economic and Political Outlook.\" President Shimon Peres will speak on \"Celebrating the 'Spirit of Davos'\" -- which will perhaps explain why the traditional enemies are going to the same talk-fest party. Participants will have some reason to celebrate, as the global economy has shown signs of improvement since last year's meeting. China, often the focus for economic hope, has pushed through bold policies under its new leadership. The country's 300-plus political elite have reportedly agreed to curb government meddling in the economy and make state-owned enterprises compete with the private sector on a level playing field. Davos sessions include one on China's outlook and another on how China, Europe and the U.S. can compete and collaborate. Meanwhile, in Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's bold measures to jump-start his country's economy -- dubbed \"Abenomics\" -- has had an impact, with an initial jump in growth before the economy weakened. He is a speaker at the forum, under the topic \"The Reshaping of the World: Vision from Japan.\" Europe, whose ailing economic health has dominated discussions at the last two year's events, appears to be off its sickbed. Last year the eurozone returned to growth for the first time since 2011 but the difference for ordinary citizens may be negligible, and austerity measures are still in place. Youth unemployment in Spain and Greece is above 50%, while rates in Portugal, Italy and Ireland are all above 30%. As for the United States, much of 2013's focus was on the debt ceiling and October's government shut-down. Government dysfunction passed the economy as Americans' top concern in Gallup's polling late last year. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will attend Davos and deliver remarks on \"the United States' commitment to and engagement in the Middle East region,\" according to the State Department. Kerry has been working to achieve a peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians but recently the U.S. has faced diplomatic hurdles closer to home. A top concern of America's traditional allies may well be the U.S. National Security Agency's surveillance program, details of which were revealed in documents leaked by Edward Snowden last year. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, allegedly among those targeted, is a frequent Davos attendee but will not be present this year. This is not, a spokesman said, because of her skiing accident -- she fractured her pelvis on recent visit to Switzerland -- but because the event coincides with a government meeting. While those attending Davos may not be focusing on their winter sports activities, it is on the side-lines of the main program that some of them may go \"off-piste.\" The raclette, gluhwein and hot chocolate chats could be the ones where deals are brokered. Read more: All you need to know to be a Davos delegate . Read more: China's reforms -- Enlarging but not discarding the cage . Read more: Can Abenomics make Japan's economy fly? Read more: 2013 -- rich got richer, poor got poorer .", "UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The United Nations is calling on NATO to do more to stop the Afghan opium trade after a new survey showed how the drug dominates Afghanistan's economy. Afghan villagers tend to opium poppies in Taliban-controlled Helmand province in April 2007. The report from the U.N.'s Office on Drugs and Crime shows the export value of this year's poppy harvest stood at around $4 billion, a 29 per cent increase over 2006. Despite Afghan security forces' efforts to curb the trade, 660 tons of heroin and morphine were trafficked out of the country in 2007, the report said. Opium is derived from poppies, and the data on cultivation was collected by examining satellite images and by assessments on the ground. The report said opium has accounted for more than half of Afghanistan's gross domestic product in 2007. InvestorWords.com defines GDP as the total market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time, usually a calendar year. According to the U.N. survey, about a quarter of the earnings from opium go to farmers. The rest goes to district officials who collect taxes on the crop, to drug traffickers and to the insurgents and warlords who control the trade. Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, urged NATO to take a more active role in countering the spread of the drug trade, which has increased dramatically since the American-led invasion to remove the hard-line Islamist government of the Taliban in October 2001. \"Since drugs are funding the insurgency, NATO has a self-interest in supporting Afghan forces in destroying drug labs, markets and convoys,\" Costa said in a written statement to coincide with the release of the survey. \"Destroy the drug trade and you cut off the Taliban's main funding source.\" James Appathurai, a NATO spokesman, said coalition forces were equally concerned by the rapid growth in the narcotics trade. \"We share the U.N.'s concerns,\" Appathurai told CNN. \"Drugs not only poison people, but they poison economies and governments, and it is in everyone's interest to stop this proliferation.\" He said NATO forces were providing assistance to Afghan police through training and transport but he said there were no plans to deploy coalition troops to intervene directly. \"The issue of whether we can do more is certainly a live discussion for NATO, but at the moment this is a matter for the Afghan government,\" Appathurai said. Farming of opium poppies has been almost eradicated in the north and west of the country, Appathurai said. However, he said, in the lawless southern provinces and especially in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand, poppy production was going on largely unchecked. According to the report, U.N. observers have noticed a proliferation of heroin labs in neighboring countries and along trafficking routes. Costa said the labs are dependent on precursor chemicals, like acetic anhydride, that must be smuggled into the region. He called for tighter controls in chemical-producing countries and stronger intelligence-sharing between Afghanistan and its neighbors. \"Drug trafficking is a transnational threat, and therefore national initiatives have their limitations,\" the U.N. drug chief said. Appathurai said the most effective way to curb the drug trade was tackling the insurgency head-on. He also said it was important to provide alternative work for poor Afghan farmers to encourage them to give up opium production. \"You cannot have eradication in isolation. If we don't give them the support to produce alternative crops, then by wiping out their opium fields, you are only creating enemies for the future,\" he said. E-mail to a friend .", "(CNN) -- In a sport famous for its all-consuming rivalries, and mirroring a historical conflict that has caused sporting enmity for decades, the figure skating matchup between Mao Asada of Japan and South Korea's Kim Yu-Na is one of the most storied competitions in the sport's history. Sochi will likely host the final chapter in this legendary head-to-head, which has dominated figure skating since both skaters were juniors. Both Asada and Kim plan to retire following this year's Winter Games. It is also the Japanese skater's last chance for Olympic gold. Asada finished up as runner-up to her nemesis the last time they met in Olympic competition, taking the silver while Kim grabbed the top podium spot. Asada, for her part, has won two world championships and the 2013 Grand Prix Final. \"In Vancouver, I had the gold medal as my goal,\" Asada was quoted as saying on the Olympics website. \"I'd worked for it since I was a child, and afterwards I really regretted my mistakes. In Sochi, I'd like to erase those memories by doing everything perfectly. That's what I've been working for these last three years.\" Japan and Korea's history, which spanned decades of occupation before entering a post-war state of grudging truce, is the backdrop for the pair's rivalry. The two country's prior conflicts saw Japanese colonial rule enacted on the Korean peninsula from the early part of the 20th Century to the conclusion of the Second World War. Various diplomatic mis-steps since then have kept relations between the two neighbors as chilly as the surface of Sochi's Iceberg Skating Palace. Asada and Kim have been adversaries since their very early days as competitive skaters, and have shared honors throughout their respective careers. They have both been skating competitively since 2005. They were born only 20 days apart, in 1990, and given the length and depth of their on-ice history, it is fitting that they should both choose to bow out of the sport at the same time. Despite -- or perhaps because of -- their long rivalry, they remain very different skaters. The Japanese skater has long been noted for her technical abilities, while her Korean counterpart is praised as a more artistic, emotional skater. Asada was the first woman to land a triple axel in competition and has since bettered the feat. The 23-year-old has credited the ongoing competition with her Korean counterpart as a key motivation for her continued improvements on the ice. They describe their dynamic as friendly, and Kim has also acknowledged the importance of Asada's part in her professional development. \"We have been constantly compared since we were in junior competition so I always considered her a rival,\" Kim told reporters last year. \"While we want to avoid each other, having her there also gave me motivation and stimulation.\" As the two prepare to meet one final time, their fans around the world will be glued to their TVs. The Ladies Short Program and Free Skating take place on the 19th and 20th of February. Kim has yet to skate at this Olympics, although Asada arrived in Sochi last week and has already taken to the ice for her part in the Team event, a new introduction to the Games. She fell during her Ladies Short Program routine on Sunday, and finished third with a score of 64.07. Despite the Japanese media saying that she has no problem with her triple axel during practice, it was the difficult jump that undid her at the weekend. It is one of her most devastating weapons but she has had trouble re-mastering it following a change of coach. Teammate Akiko Suzuki replaced her for the free skate portion of the event. Kim is only the third woman to defend her Olympic figure skating title, joining Katarina Witt, who took to the ice in Calgary 26 years ago, and Sonja Henie, who competed in the 1920's and 30's. However, a fairytale ending for for one of the skaters could be thwarted by the aptly-named Gracie Gold, the 18-year-old American who will be skating in her first Games. Gold wowed fans with her victory in the U.S. National Figure Skating Championship last month.", "(CNN) -- With every passing day, the wait for the kidnapped Nigerian girls gets more agonizing. Boko Haram seized the nearly 300 schoolgirls and vanished into a dense forest last month. Their abduction sparked a global movement as throngs took to the streets demanding their rescue. Officials say 276 girls remain missing. Here's why their rescue is a risky, complicated effort. It's been more than three weeks . The ticking clock could mean the girls are getting farther away. Militants herded the girls out of bed on April 14 at a school in Chibok in northern Nigeria. A few escaped and shared harrowing tales of fleeing a nearby forest. At the time, relatives roaming through the forest searching for the girls said there were no signs of soldiers in the area considered a militant hideout. \"In a hostage situation, time is of the essence,\" said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby. \"We lost some time.\" Missing girls likely separated . Kirby said the missing girls may have been broken up into smaller groups and taken out of the country. Local residents say they've heard reports of cars filled with girls headed to neighboring Cameroon. The forest is near the Cameroon border, which is porous and doesn't require much to pass through. In some cases, a simple monetary bribe will get you waved into neighboring nations, in this case a list that includes Chad and Niger. \"The search must be in Niger, Cameroon and Chad to see if we can find information,\" said Gordon Brown, a former UK Prime Minister and the U.N.'s special envoy for global education. Location and number of hostages are factors . The girls' abduction occurred in an area where the government doesn't have a firm grip. The school is about 600 miles from the capital of Abuja. And the large number of hostages means airstrikes may not be an option because they can kill captives. A ground assault isn't a great option either -- not when it is done in unfamiliar terrain against entrenched, well-armed fighters. Nigerian military isn't the most trustworthy . Hours after the girls went missing, the Nigerian military faced criticism for its handling of the kidnapping. It said it had rescued all but eight of the girls, a claim it later recanted after their parents said most remained missing. Ensuing attacks have shown that the security forces don't have the capability to protect civilians, which will make many think twice before providing intelligence. It's also ill-equipped . Numerous attacks in recent years make it clear that Nigeria does not have the most sophisticated programs to battle terrorism. In addition, it's lacking in intelligence gathering, a crucial element in the search for the missing girls. This has prompted the United States, Britain, China and a host of other nations to step in to fill the gap. The U.S. offer to help includes the creation of a \"coordination cell\" to provide intelligence, investigations and hostage negotiation expertise, the U.S. State Department said. Boko Haram beheads negotiators . While negotiations may be an option in some hostage crises, this case may not be so clear cut. Rights groups have accused Nigeria of using heavy-handed tactics such as illegal searches, torture and extrajudicial killings to crack down on the militants. As a result, it has eroded trust between the two sides, prompting Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau to say he \"will not enter a truce with infidels,\" U.S. lawmakers said last year. Boko Haram members who try to negotiate with the government get beheaded. \"Reports of beheadings seem to go up when there are talks of negotiation. It is plausible that many of these beheadings, which rose in frequency in early 2012, are purges of moderate members who have complained or attempted to negotiate,\" U.S. lawmakers said. If there are negotiations going on, they have not yielded results so far. Its members are always on the move . The militants don't sit still for long, making them even more elusive. Members hop from one location to another to avoid an intensified government crackdown. They leave their wives behind when they scamper into hideouts deep into forests, forcing the girls and women kidnapped to perform chores and sexual services. Shekau is a cold, ruthless monster . The Boko Haram leader took credit this week for the Chibok kidnapping. \"I abducted your girls,\" he taunted with a chilling smile. \"There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell.\" He operates in the shadows, leaving his underlings to orchestrate his repulsive mandates. And they have been busy. Days after his video surfaced, details emerged of another abduction of eight girls between ages 12 and 15 on Sunday night in the northeast. And a grisly assault on a local village left hundreds of people dead. The bounty on his head may not help much . Shekau has been on the U.S. radar since he came to power five years ago. The United States offered a reward of up to $7 million for information leading to his location. But that may not yield immediate results. \"African warlord Joseph Kony's had a bounty for years. Osama bin Laden was not given up because of the $25 million bounty. And who knows whether this will be the case,\" said Christiane Amanpour, CNN's chief international correspondent. 310 people killed in latest Boko Haram attack while hundreds of girls remain missing . Malala to CNN: Kidnapped Nigerian girls are 'my sisters' Nigerian missing girls: Families sleep in the bushes, fearing more attacks .", "(CNN) -- David Cameron must have whiplash. Practically overnight this week, the British prime minister went from being one of the leading voices demanding that Syria's President Bashar al-Assad be punished for using chemical weapons, to a humbled, chastened politician with his hands tied. British lawmakers voted Thursday night against even the possibility of using force against Syria, forcing Cameron to concede bluntly, \"We will not be taking part in military action.\" What do Syria's neighbors think? The vote was close -- seven MPs out of the 557 who voted could have changed the result -- and the outcome was a shock. Prime ministers aren't supposed to lose votes on the use of military force. British media said it hadn't happened in hundreds of years. But although the result was stunning in one sense, in another it wasn't surprising. Over more than seven hours of debate on Syria loomed one chilling specter: Iraq. Bergen: Syria is a problem from hell for the U.S. Britain feels badly burned by the way Tony Blair led the country into war there a decade ago, and Cameron was fighting a defensive battle against the memory of Blair from the moment he kicked off debate in the House of Commons: \"I'm deeply mindful of the lessons of previous conflicts, in particular the deep concerns of the country of what went wrong in Iraq. We're not invading a country; we're not searching for chemical weapons.\" It's an argument he needed to make. Why Russia, China, and Iran are standing by Syria . Just a few hours earlier, the speaker of Syria's Parliament raised the memory of the \"dodgy dossier\" which Blair's critics say falsely helped lead Britain to invade Iraq. And some lawmakers clearly felt burned by the Blair government's case for war, based on false intelligence. Even a senior member of Cameron's own Conservative Party warned Thursday: \"We must consider that our intelligence might be wrong because it has been before. \"And we must be very hard on testing it,\" David Davis said. Does the public care about U.N. support? \"We cannot ignore the calamitous lessons of the Iraq war,\" said Angus Robertson of the Scottish National Party, who opposed action in Syria. That's a very normal human response -- so common that there are cliches about it, like \"once bitten, twice shy,\" and \"fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.\" It's also the wrong response. Syria is not Iraq. It's not Libya or Serbia or Nazi Germany. Syria is Syria. Be careful in trying to follow history . Tempting as it is to base policy decisions on past experience, it's dangerous. No two situations are the same. And yet politicians and pundits, generals and journalists do it all the time. Traumatized by the image of U.S. troops being dragged dead through the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993, Washington declined to intervene in the mass killings in Rwanda a year later. With those hundreds of thousands of deaths fresh in its memory, the West did intervene in Bosnia when concentration camp-style images suggested that genocide was going on there. Any of those decisions could have been right or wrong on their own merits -- the critical thing is that they must have been made on their own merits. Somalia is not Rwanda. Neither one is Bosnia. Iraq is not Afghanistan. For that matter, David Cameron is not Tony Blair and Barack Obama is not George W. Bush. Difficult as it may be, policymakers must not rely on historical examples because every case is unique. It's intellectually dishonest to say the West shouldn't bomb Syria because Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction; it's naive to say it should bomb because bombing Libya helped dislodge Muammar Gadhafi. Syrian evidence and policy must be considered solely on their own merits. The story of the boy who cried wolf is a caution not to raise false alarms, but it also contains an admonishment for the villagers who didn't check the facts when it turned out there really was a wolf. As usual, Mark Twain put it best: \"We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it and stop there, lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove lid. She will never sit down on a hot stove lid again and that is well but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore.\"", "Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- A battle raged in a strategically located Libyan city Saturday as state television showed a fist-pumping Moammar Gadhafi visiting a school, his first public appearance in days. Rebels fought hard in a back-and-forth war for Ajdabiya, the last stop before their stronghold, Benghazi, further to the east. Witnesses reported three hours of fighting that they said involved explosions caused by NATO aircraft. As the sun set, the rebels appeared to have averted a major setback by maintaining control of the hard-won city -- but it was tenuous at best. Outgunned, they conceded they were facing a formidable foe. In a hospital, witnesses told CNN that three of Gadhafi's fighters who were killed were carrying identification cards from Syria, Algeria and Chad. NATO said in the past 24 hours its aircraft destroyed loyalist ammunition stockpiles east of Tripoli that were supplying troops shelling Misrata and other cities. Attacks also were made on armored vehicles near Misrata and Ajdabiya, it said. Opposition spokesman Shamsiddin Abdulmolah told CNN that rebels flew two attack helicopters from Tobruk to join the fighting in Ajdabiya. \"There were some 50 regime pickup trucks with machine guns and rocket launchers that attempted to enter Ajdabiya,\" Abdulmolah said. \"The helicopters destroyed several of the trucks and the rest took off.\" Abdulmolah did not know what kind of helicopters the rebel forces used in Saturday's attack and could not confirm whether rebel forces coordinated the operation with NATO. Far from the battleground, African leaders were meeting in Mauritania Saturday in an attempt to forge a mediator role in Libya's impasse. The African Union's special committee on Libya -- represented by Mauritania, Congo Republic, Mali, Uganda and South Africa -- will then travel to the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi to meet with the opposition leaders Sunday and Monday, according to the South African government. The South African government also said NATO has granted the committee permission to meet with Gadhafi in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Gadhafi has been a big supporter of the African Union and has channeled large sums of money its way. Libya also holds a seat on the 15-member Peace and Security Council. As such, opposition leaders in Benghazi did not express optimism over the success of mediation. The United Nations said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel to Cairo Thursday to head meetings on Libya at the Arab League headquarters. Among the participants will be Catherine Ashton, the representative for foreign affairs and security for the European Union. Meanwhile, Libyan Foreign Minister Khaled Gaim condemned on state-run television the reopening of key ports in the eastern cities of Tobruk and Benghazi, which he said enables the rebels to resume an oil trade. He accused NATO of violating the United Nations Security Council resolution that mandates the protection of civilians. State TV also aired images Gadhafi visiting on Saturday what appeared to be a primary school in Tripoli. The anchor said the school was a target of international airstrikes and was going to be attacked. Former U.S. lawmaker Curt Weldon visited Libya this week hoping to speak directly with Gadhafi but left without a meeting. He did manage to secure a letter from the strongman to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. \"I am disappointed that I did not get to sit down face to face with Colonel Gadhafi as promised, but I may have been able to get something even more significant -- a path to a resolution of this conflict,\" Weldon said in a statement on his departure. Weldon visited Libya in 2004 when he was a Republican congressman from Pennsylvania and said he was invited this time by Gadhafi. Peace efforts seemed distant Saturday in Ajdabiya, where Gadhafi's forces attacked with a barrage of artillery fire at the city's western gates. Street fighting erupted as the loyalists, aided by sympathizers, entered the city. At one point, opposition fighters appeared to have all but lost again territory that was hard won. At the height of their march toward Tripoli, rebels came within 40 kilometers (25 miles) of Sirte -- Gadhafi's hometown in western Libya. But loyalist forces have steadily pushed the rebels back and now stand poised to run down the highway to Benghazi, the opposition's capital. Burnt carcasses of Libyan army tanks taken out by coalition aircraft three weeks ago litter the road. But it's increasingly harder to distinguish pro-Gadhafi troops. They have changed tactics and have taken to moving about in civilian vehicles. \"The troops of Gadhafi have good weapons and have training and have leadership and have experience,\" one rebel fighter said. CNN's Ben Wedeman, Reza Sayah and Nic Robertson contributed to this report .", "London (CNN) -- The deaths of two Western journalists Wednesday in Syria -- where at least three other journalists have been killed in covering the uprising -- highlight the danger reporters face in covering conflict zones. Marie Colvin, a longtime American foreign correspondent for London's The Sunday Times, and prize-winning war photographer Remi Ochlik, 28, were killed in shelling in the city of Homs, the besieged center of resistance to President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Colleagues remembered Colvin, 56, who lost her left eye to shrapnel while covering a conflict in Sri Lanka, as \"a legend\" and \"a class act.\" Ochlik had covered conflicts from Haiti to Libya, and he won first prize in the 2011 World Press Photo general news category for a photograph of a rebel fighter resting in front of a rebel flag in the war-torn landscape of Libya's Ras Lanuf. The French Foreign Ministry demanded that Syria give the International Committee of the Red Cross access to Homs to remove the journalists' bodies. \"This shows how much the freedom to inform is important, how the work of a journalist can be so difficult,\" French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Wednesday. \"I want to pay tribute to them because if reporters were not over there, we would not know what is going on.\" At least one other journalist, photographer Paul Conroy, was wounded in the attack, The Sunday Times said, adding that initial reports suggest his wounds are not serious. The two journalists' deaths come less than a week after New York Times reporter Anthony Shadid, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, died in Syria apparently of an asthma attack. Colvin's legacy is to \"live a passionate and important life as you see it,\" her mother, Rosemarie, told CNN. \"Do what you're committed to, to the highest level you can do it -- because that's what she always did. Overcome the obstacles that you meet as best you can.\" Rosemarie Colvin said she never told her daughter to stop doing her work because \"it was the most useless conversation you could have had. ... From the time she was a little child, she was committed to doing things that were important.\" \"She was a ferocious correspondent, and ferociously funny,\" said CNN's Jim Clancy. \"I just loved spending hours with her talking about the people, the places and the stories.\" The emergencies director for Human Rights Watch, Peter Bouckaert, called Colvin \"a legend among her fellows. She was always the first one to show up -- long before anybody else would arrive, and she really had a passion to report from these difficult places.\" Bouckaert said Colvin had contacted him Tuesday about a story she had written for The Sunday Times, which requires readers to pay before gaining access to the website. \"She said, 'Please, put my story ... over the pay wall, and I will face the firing squad tomorrow at the paper. I don't often do this, but it is sickening what is happening here.' \"So, we posted the story on a private Facebook page for journalists, and another journalist commented that he was relieved that she had already left Homs. So her response, her last message to us, said, 'I think the reports of my survival may be exaggerated. I'm in Baba Amr. It's sickening trying to understand how the world can stand by and I should be hardened by now. I watched a baby die today. Shrapnel. The doctors could do nothing. His little tummy just heaved and heaved until it stopped. I'm feeling helpless as well as cold. I will try to keep getting out the information.\" Rupert Murdoch, the media magnate who owns The Sunday Times, said Marie Colvin \"put her life in danger on many occasions because she was driven by a determination that the misdeeds of tyrants and the suffering of the victims did not go unreported.\" And John Witherow, the editor of the paper where she worked for more than 25 years, said Colvin \"was much more than a war reporter. She was a woman with a tremendous joie de vivre, full of humor and mischief and surrounded by a large circle of friends.\" See Remi Ochlik's award-winning photos here . Colvin spoke to CNN about the suffering in Homs the day before she died. She told Anderson Cooper that Syria was the worst conflict she had covered, partly because of the sheer amount of ordnance falling on Homs. \"There's a lot of snipers on the high buildings surrounding the neighborhood. I can sort of figure out where a sniper is, but you can't figure out where a shell is going to land,\" she said. Colvin had reported from many conflicts, including last year's Libyan civil war, where she saw the shelling of the rebel port city of Misrata. She stayed in the city after many of her colleagues had left, she told the Public Radio International program \"The World\" in May. \"It is very dangerous, I mean, it has to be said, and I think part of that danger is also the expectation of shelling. I mean, it's very random,\" she said. At 20, Ochlik started photographing conflicts, first in Haiti, and then he went on to cover the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the presidential elections in Haiti in 2010, and the Arab Spring uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, his website says. His work was published by Le Monde Magazine, VSD, Paris Match, Time magazine and The Wall Street Journal. At least three other journalists have been killed in Syria's nearly year-old conflict. France 2 TV journalist Gilles Jacquier was killed on January 11 when a mortar shell struck a pro-government rally he was attending as part of a government-authorized tour of Homs, his network said. Syrian journalists Shukri Abu al-Burghul and Mazhar Tayyara were also killed. Before the deaths of Colvin and Ochlik, the Committee to Protect Journalists said that at least 11 journalists have already been killed around the world this year. CNN's Hala Gorani, who reported from Syria last summer on a government-sanctioned trip, later wrote about the dangers journalists faced. \"Away from the prying eyes of government minders, they risk imprisonment, torture, even death to cover the rebels,\" she said. Why do some journalists decide to risk so much by reporting from dangerous locations such as Syria? These journalists are \"out there doing their job not for the glory, not for the recognition, but because they genuinely believe that truth is valuable and will ultimately end suffering that otherwise would happen in the darkness,\" said Al Tompkins, a senior faculty member at the Poynter Institute, a leading journalism school. \"These are places where we need journalists to be,\" Tompkins told CNN. \"They are there as our surrogates, because without their firsthand information we have only the partisan government reports to rely on. We know the cost of unreliable government information.\" Currently, CNN and other media outlets often cannot independently verify opposition or government reports because the Syrian regime has severely limited access to the country by foreign journalists. \"We know that the cost of sending journalists into harm's way can be high,\" Tompkins said. But \"the cost of not going there is even higher.\" With daily reports of civilian fatalities in Syria, some critics may question the amount of attention focused on the deaths of a couple of Western journalists. But these deaths may resonate more with readers in places such as the United States, said Kelly McBride, another senior faculty member at Poynter. \"In these distant, remote conflicts, it's so hard to know what's really going on,\" McBride said. \"People actually appreciate the valor of independent journalists who do this work. ... That's why people are so upset.\" Tompkins noted that \"in any story when you can attach a recognizable name and face to a story, the story becomes more relatable.\" \"This would be a day where it would be right for readers, viewers, and listeners to just to take a moment and thank the brave men and women who go to the world's hellholes on their behalf, to find out what's going and bravely report it,\" Tompkins said. CNN''s Niki Cook in Paris, Ronni Berke in New York, and Alan Silverleib in Washington contributed to this report .", "(CNN) -- Christian Finnegan describes his character on the TBS comedy \"Are We There Yet?\" as \"the obnoxious wacky neighbor,\" but also admits he's \"... probably more properly known as 'the white guy' on the show.\" For better or worse, it's a role he tackles with a bit of experience. \"This is not my first go-round as the representative of American whiteness.\" It's true. Some people may remember him as Chad from the classic \"Chappelle Show\" sketch \"Mad Real World.\" You can find it online, but be warned that it's beyond not safe for work. Really, not even for the home office if you have pets who are easily offended. The point is: He plays the white guy. And you'll also notice that, at the time, he even played the fat guy. These days, however, Finnegan is rather svelte. In our video interview, he discusses his dramatic weight loss and why he doesn't talk about it in his act. Other fans -- or at least casual observers of things that happen on TV -- may also remember Finnegan for his stint on VH1's \"Best Week Ever\" where, for a time, his personal and professional life revolved around being on top of everything related to pop culture. It's a job he's happy to call his past. \"I am so relieved to not have to give a (expletive) any more,\" he says. \"Like the Kardashians ... that kind of came after 'Best Week Ever' and it's such a delight to not have to know anything about those idiots.\" Finnegan still considers himself somewhat savvy when it comes to contemporary lifestyles and people-being-famous-for-being-famous, but his real interest is government -- a passion that eventually led to regular appearances on MSNBC's former show \"Countdown with Keith Olbermann.\" \"I'm kind of obsessed with politics,\" Finnegan says. \"It's really just sort of the only way a guy in his 30s can procrastinate and justify it. I will watch the same episode of \"Hardball\" three times and tell myself, 'I'm watching the news. I'm staying on top of things.' No, you just don't want to do any work.\" These days Finnegan is doing plenty of work on stage as a stand-up comedian. In July, we sat down with him in Chicago during the Just For Laughs comedy festival, because one should never miss out on an opportunity to chat with the representative of American whiteness. (TBS is a sister network of CNN and both are owned by Time Warner.)", "By . David Wilkes and Nigel Blundell . PUBLISHED: . 18:19 EST, 29 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:19 EST, 29 March 2013 . Ordered to ‘fight to the last man and the last round’, they stuck to their guns as their comrades fell around them. For three days, the brave band of Desert Rats suffered relentless Panzer attacks and mounting casualties as they held the line in North Africa from Rommel’s advancing tanks. Their heroism during one of the bloodiest battles of the Second World War was later immortalised on canvas. Now the only surviving ‘Tommy’ depicted in the painting, 93-year-old Ray Ellis, has told of the ‘miracle’ that saved his life. In an emotional moment to be shown on BBC1's Antiques Roadshow tomorrow, former sergeant Ray Ellis points to the dramatic painting and says: 'I am that man. I fired the last round' 'The Battle of Knightsbridge, 6th June 1942' by war artist Terence Cuneo features the helmeted figure of Ray Ellis and his doomed friend . The helmeted gunner in the foreground of the artwork, he is shown fighting to the end as the bodies of his brothers in arms from the 426th Battery of the South Nottinghamshire Hussars lie all around. In an emotional moment to be shown on BBC1’s Antiques Roadshow tomorrow, the former sergeant points to the dramatic painting and says: ‘I am that man. I fired the last round.’ Describing the events of the last day of the battle on June 6, 1942, Mr Ellis told how he remained at his 25-pounder gun and witnessed the death of the shirtless comrade beside him. He said: ‘My regiment had been given the order to fight to the last man and the last round and not to retire, and this painting shows our position after a long day’s battle. ‘I fought in that battle. I am in fact that man there. And the reason I can say that is because the regiment was almost wiped out – but by some miracle, I was the last man virtually, and I fired the last round. ‘That round, which was at about six o’clock at night, hit a Mark IV tank. Then the man standing at the side of me was killed because a German tank had come up behind us and fired its machine gun, almost point blank. 'And I took a deep breath and waited for mine. For some reason the tank didn’t fire and I survived and am still here.’ Ray Ellis, pictured left on his wedding day with wife Irene in 1946, was also pictured in Mersa Matruh during the war, right. Remarkably, the photograph was found on the battlefield months after being blown up during the Battle of Knightsbridge and made its way back to Mr Ellis . Mr Ellis and his fellow gunners pictured in Palestine in 1940. From left, Clifford Smedley, Reg Leigh, Ray Ellis, Jim Radford and Jim Martin. Smedley died at the 1941 Siege of Tobruk, Leigh survived the war, Radford was also killed at Tobruk while Martin was killed at the Battle of Knightsbridge . Mr Ellis was among 90 men from his regiment who were captured at the ‘Battle of Knightsbridge’, ironically named – possibly by a homesick soldier – because it was a barren desert crossing. The rest of the regiment, which had already served in the nine-month Siege of Tobruk the year before, were killed. They had been ordered to delay the Germans at ‘Knightsbridge’ to protect the 8th Army as it withdrew. The picture was completed by celebrated war artist Terence Cuneo in 1978. Mr Ellis said: ‘When Cuneo was commissioned, he needed someone to tell him what it was all about, and I spent many hours with him describing the situation which he later painted.’ The painting now hangs proudly at the Queen’s Royal Lancers and Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum, near Newark. It was brought to the Antiques Roadshow when the BBC’s experts visited Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire, former home of poet Lord Byron. Mr Ellis turned up there to pay tribute to his dead comrades. The twice-widowed former headmaster, who lives in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, has written a book of his wartime experiences, Once a Hussar, to be published next week. Ray Ellis turned up at the Antiques Roadshow at Newstead Abbey to pay tribute to his dead comrades . He said: ‘You feel guilty for having survived. I found my comrade Jim Hardy lying nearby. He had been cut in two. I took his water bottle and drank his water. I was in tears when I was taken prisoner.’ Mr Ellis was shipped from Libya to a prison camp in Italy. He escaped by marching out of the main gate as if on a work party and hid in the mountains for a year. A young girl discovered him and led him to a farming family who sheltered him. Mr Ellis named one of his daughters, Nerina, after her, and has returned regularly to the hill village of Massa Fermana, near Ancona, to visit the family who kept him alive. A remarkable story also surrounds the photograph showing Mr Ellis in the desert during the war. He said: ‘This photo of me at Mersa Matruh was blown up with my kit when my gun took a direct hit during the Battle of Knightsbridge. ‘It lay on the battlefield for many months until it was picked up  by members of the regiment who visited the site while advancing through Libya after the Battle of  El Alamein.’ On the Antiques Roadshow it is made clear the Cuneo painting is not for sale. Paintings by the artist, who died in 1996, regularly fetch £30,000 to £50,000 at auction.", "New Zealand skiing holidays and Kiwi wines are set to get more expensive with economists predicting the Australian dollar will fall to parity with the New Zealand dollar . ANZ economist Daniel Been said the Aussie and Kiwi dollar will likely reach parity for the first time since both currencies were floated, after the AUD hit a record low 103.01 Kiwi cents last Thursday. 'At the moment momentum suggests that parity is more likely than not,' Mr Been said . New Zealand skiing holidays (such as in Queenstown, pictured) are set to get more expensive with economists predicting the Australian dollar will fall to parity with the New Zealand dollar within 12 months . Settled snow is seen covering houses on New Zealand's lower South Island in Queenstown . 'It's very difficult to see what structures will change that will prompt a change - a catalyst for a sharp reversal is not all that obvious.' Mr Been co-authored a report about the AUD/NZD with fellow ANZ economist Sam Tuck. Mr Tuck said the two currencies would probably hit parity in the next year, with the options market suggesting there is a 57 per cent it will happen. He said this would make New Zealand products more expensive for Australian consumers. 'Australians who like to come over to Queenstown of Christchurch for a skiing holiday in winter, it will make that more expensive and make the Snowy Mountains more attractive,' Mr Tuck said. New Zealand wines would also become more pricey if the AUD and NZD hit parity . A tractor mulches dead wood at one of winemaker Villa Maria Estate Ltd.'s vineyards in Marlborough, NZ . 'Those who enjoy Kiwi wines will have to pay a bit more for it.' Mr Been said parity would not have a big impact on the Australian economy, and parity would be 'unlikely to sustain itself for a long period of time'. 'For the Australian economy I don't think the consequences are as large as they are for the New Zealand economy,' he said. 'New Zealand makes up about 4 per cent of our exports basket, but we make up about 20 per cent of the export market for NZ.' In their report, Mr Been and Mr Tuck said decline in the AUD will add competitiveness pressures on the New Zealand economy. 'A sustained push through parity would make holidaying in destinations like Queensland or Tasmania far more attractive on a relative basis,' they wrote. The Australian dollar hit a record low of 103.01 Kiwi cents last Thursday . The report said the move toward parity was due largely to the fact that the New Zealand economy had confidence whereas the Australian economy did not . The report said the move toward parity was due largely to the fact that the New Zealand economy had confidence whereas the Australian economy did not. New Zealand is enjoying growth beyond the housing sector, but in Australia 'the malaise is going to be hard to shake in the near term', the report said. 'In May last year, as the new government's first budget was delivered it provided a watershed moment,' Mr Been and Mr Tuck wrote. 'It hammered home the consequences of the declines in the terms of trade and that Australia's incomes in aggregate were unlikely to rise. 'This means that the momentum in Australia is going to be hard to shift and the RBA will likely have an easing bias for much of 2015.'", "Now that decision will likely be reversed with a special accommodation just for J.J. By . Daily Mail Reporters . PUBLISHED: . 10:00 EST, 12 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:42 EST, 12 December 2013 . The family of a 3-year-old autistic Florida boy have won their fight to keep the therapy chickens that helped their son finally learn to communicate. City officials in DeBary, Florida nearly took away J.J. Hart’s feathered friends after a December 4 decision to ban backyard coops. ‘We're very happy,’ J.J.'s mother Ashleigh said Wednesday. ‘We like to think that the chickens have been a great help in addition to everything else that we've done for J.J.’ 'Best friends': Here, J.J. stands with his beloved hens. Though unconventional, the autism companions helped bring the boy out of his shell . The City Council relented after a Today show appearance and threats from the family attorney to take the small town case all the way to federal court. Members of the council plan to vote December 18 to accommodate the Hart family’s chickens, reports the Orlando Sentinel. ‘This . is a 100 percent win for J.J.,’ said family attorney Mark Nation. ‘People with disabilities do have special needs and accommodations.’ While . the scales appear tipped in Hart’s favor now, the family once feared . their uncooperative neighbors might take away J.J.’s best friends. Close call: The Debary city council (pictured) voted to end a one-year trial program that allowed chicken coops, which would have left J.J. bereft of the birds the helped him 'find his voice' '100 percent win': The family's attorney Mark Nation claims the city council decided to vote on the exception for J.J. after he threatened to take his case to federal court under the Federal Fair Housing Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act . J.J. Hart's family learned of the . council's decision to last week end a one-year trial program granting . residents the right to own backyard coops. ‘They . expect us to get rid of them, but that's not an option,’ Ashleigh Hart . told the Daily News last week. ‘With a child that has autism, you find . something that works and you keep it.’ The . Hart family hired Nation to help reverse the council's decision and . allow them to keep the chickens they've named Snow, Cinnamon and Ginger. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . They're like family: J.J.'s chickens have helped him to smile, speak and to stop throwing tantrums. The family first tried helping J.J. with a dog, but he wasn't interested . Happy day! 3-year-old autistic Florida boy J.J. Hart will likely get to keep his beloved therapy chickens after all. The city council in Debary will vote on a special exception to the town's no coop rule just for J.J. Nation . says it was his threat to take the case to federal court under the . Federal Fair Housing Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and the . Rehabilitation Act that forced the vote for a special exception to the . chicken ban. DeBary Mayor Bob Garcia told the Orlando Sentinel he supports the Harts. ‘I always felt that it was a violation of a person's rights,’ Garcia said. In December of 2012, DeBary enacted a one-year test run allowing families in residential areas to keep three chickens. The . program was created after the Hart family, who purchased chickens after . researching the positive affect of animals on autism, asked for . permission to keep their chickens. Keeping a coop is no easy task. Residents wishing to maintain chickens must obtain a city permit. It also costs between $500 and $800 per year to keep a coop with proper fencing. The . DeBary council's decision to discontinue residential coops will affect . the only two loving homes in the community who decided to care for . chickens. One application for a backyard coop was from the Hart's and another was from a woman who wanted to use the chickens for eggs. 'We're very happy': Members of the council plan to vote December 18 to accommodate the Hart family's chickens, but Ashleigh (left) and Joe (right) Hart believe they've already won a victory .", "Britain’s tourism industry appears to be taking a slight hit as Russian visitors are less willing to travel and spend money on hotels and shops thanks to the sliding rouble. Tourists from the beleaguered European nation spent 28 per cent less in the UK in 2014 than they did in 2013, according to a study by Global Blue, a tax-free shopping firm based in Switzerland. London is a popular destination for Russians but foreign spending is now twice as expensive for them with the rouble losing almost 50 per cent of its value. Spending by Russian visitors in the UK dropped by 28 per cent in 2014, according to a Global Blue study . With its economy nearing a possible recession Russia’s currency has plummeted amid the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, sanctions imposed by Europe and the US, and slumping oil prices. Global Blue said Russians were previously among the five biggest-spending non-EU tourists in the UK but they have fallen out of the top ten. The European Travel Commission is predicting that Russian outbound tourism will continue to decline in 2015. Meanwhile, Middle Eastern nations continued to see growth with Qatari shoppers spending 16 per cent more and Kuwaiti spending increasing by seven per cent. The European Travel Commission is predicting that Russian outbound tourism will continue to decline . Visitors from Qatar spent an average of £1,406 per transaction thanks to their taste for luxury brands, said the study. Spending by tourists from Hong Kong increased by nine per cent, while Chinese travellers spent six per cent more than they did in 2013. Visitors from China were the biggest spenders in the UK last year, accounting for 25 per cent of the total international spend. Qatari shoppers spent an average of £1,406 per transaction in the UK thanks to their taste for luxury brands . However, overall spending was down three per cent from 2013 to 2014 despite record spending in December. Visitors spent 11 per cent more over the festive period in 2014 compared with the same month a year earlier, said Global Blue. Gordon Clark, Global Blue’s UK country manager, said: ‘2014 was a turning point for how Christmas is a key period for international spend, a trend which we expect to continue. Overall tax-free spending at hotels and shops was down three per cent from 2013 to 2014, said Global Blue . ‘Unlike domestic, globe shoppers are not simply drawn by the heavy discounts but also by the added benefit of shopping these discounted goods tax free in the UK, at a time when the streets are festively decorated to look their best. ‘In what has been a slower year for international spend, it is encouraging for retailers to see strength over this period.’ Looking ahead, VisitBritain is predicting that 2014’s decline will be offset in 2015 as holidaymakers spend more in the UK. Tourism bosses are expecting a total spend of £22.2bn, a year-over-year increase of 4.5 per cent.", "Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 when President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite minority-dominated government launched a crackdown against a predominantly Sunni protest movement that grew into an uprising with an armed resistance. One year later, what is the situation, and what may happen next? How did the unrest start? The spark began in the southern Syrian city of Daraa with the arrests of at least 15 children for painting anti-government graffiti. Outrage over the arrests and the government's humiliating and violent reactions to their complaints emboldened the opposition and helped it spread. By mid-March protests were occurring across Syria. How Syria's unrest unfolded . The government launched a full-scale siege on Daraa April 25, with other towns, including Homs -- the country's third-largest city -- following. Mass arrests unfolded and tales of torture spread across the country. The protest movement grew and solidified. Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, believes \"it's conceivable that if the events didn't happen in Daraa,\" the uprising \"might not have occurred.\" But the deep-seated political and economic reasons underlining Syrian discontent was an omen. Protest in Syria was \"going to happen\" at some point, Salem said. Initially, protesters wanted basic reforms, more freedoms, a multi-party political system and an end to emergency law. The regime introduced some reforms, but they were too little, too late. Protesters now want the al-Assad regime out and true democratic elections. Al-Assad has been in power since 2000; his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for three decades. Read Bashar al-Assad: President defined by violence . What is happening now? The 12-month-old conflict shows no sign of abating. More than 8,000 people have now been killed, including many women and children, the U.N. said this month. Opposition activists put the toll at more than 9,000. Thousands more have been arrested or have disappeared, while about 30,000 Syrians have fled to neighboring countries. CNN cannot independently confirm reports of casualties or attacks in Syria because the government has severely restricted the access of international journalists. But reports from inside Syria indicate the regime is slaughtering civilians to wipe out dissidents seeking al-Assad's ouster. Al-Assad's regime routinely insists \"armed terrorist groups\" are behind the bloodshed in Syria. And the rebels' tactics seem to be changing too. Videos show that jihad appears to have come to Syria with attacks on government forces that closely resemble jihadist tactics that are the hallmark of al Qaeda. How has al-Assad survived? Many analysts admit they under-estimated the Syrian leader's powers of survival. \"Al-Assad proved us wrong on multiple grounds and is far more durable than we thought,\" Fawaz Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, told CNN. \"He's not only weathered the offensive and absorbed the shocks, but he's gone on the attack to try to crush the armed wing of the uprising.\" Unlike former Egyptian and Libyan leaders, Hosni Mubarak and Moammar Gadhafi, who were both deposed after uprisings in their countries, Al-Assad has adapted to the situation in his, Gerges said, and is in no immediate danger. \"His security apparatus has held its ground, and there have been few defections from the top elite in the military and security services.\" So the momentum the Syrian rebels had during the Arab Spring has slowed. One reason was because of the assumption that the regime would not use the level of force it has, said Chris Phillips, lecturer in international relations at Queen Mary, University of London. \"Initially al-Assad had to fabricate the existence of an armed opposition in Syria, but the emergence of such groups gave the regime pretext to crack down so heavily.\" What external factors are in play? The Syrian regime has come under international pressure to stop the crackdown -- the U.N., the United States, the European Union and some members of the Arab League have called for President al-Assad to step down -- but so far there has been little action. Many Western countries have imposed sanctions, but the U.N. Security Council has failed to agree on a resolution calling for al-Assad to go. Arab and Western diplomats voiced their support for a draft resolution calling for a halt to the crackdown, but representatives from Russia and China vetoed it in October. Russia -- which, like China, is one of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council -- has said it is concerned about a Syrian civil war and does not want al-Assad ousted. It has proposed its own draft resolution that assigns equal blame for the violence on both al-Assad and the opposition. Syria's neighbors are concerned about an influx of refugees. Jordan's King Abdullah called for al-Assad to step down, the Arab League suspended Syria's membership, and Turkey, one of Syria's largest trading partners, imposed sanctions and threatened to cut off Syria's electricity. But crucially Iran's Shiite leadership remains loyal to al-Assad, who is an Alawite, an offshoot of Shia Islam that is in a minority in Syria. \"Syria is caught in the middle of a regional crisis,\" said Gerges. \"On the one hand there's Iran and on the other, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries. One must also never under-estimate the lengths that Russia will go to in standing behind the regime.\" With videos posted on social media providing much impetus for the uprising, Tehran's help is vital, analysts say. \"Iran is now supplying crucial intelligence on rebels who are posting YouTube videos as well as finance,\" said Phillips. \"Russia and China are also providing diplomatic cover -- so we can see how al-Assad has deftly repositioned his international alliances to stay in power.\" Is there any prospect of military intervention? Last year, the U.N. Security Council voted to impose a no-fly zone in Libya and use \"all necessary measures\" to protect its people from Moammar Gadhafi. But there is no such appetite for similar action against Syria. \"The Chinese and Russians are dead set against (intervention),\" said CNN's Fareed Zakaria in a recent blog post. \"So it couldn't happen through the United Nations. There would be effectively a kind of unilateral or NATO operation with no international legitimacy.\" And while there are calls for robust military intervention, that could be the worst possible thing to do, according to Rami Khouri, who runs the international affairs program at the American University in Beirut. \"I think foreign military intervention would probably be catastrophic, and to hear Americans suggest this is to think back what they did in Iraq and what an extraordinary catastrophe that has been,\" Khouri said on \"Fareed Zakaria GPS.\" Experts point out that while the opposition groups in Libya were relatively united and organized, the same cannot be said for rebels in Syria. Al-Assad also continues to hold a vice-like grip on the country's security apparatus, and has the support of the army, one that is much stronger, better equipped and more unified than the one in Libya. Geography must also be taken into account when considering intervention in Syria. Libya was relatively easy last year: most targets were near the Mediterranean coast and NATO air bases in Italy. But Syria has a much smaller coastline than Libya (roughly 119 miles vs. 1,110 miles), and neighboring countries probably won't be so accommodating for supplies, troops or anything else needed in a possible mission. Is the opposition united? Weapons are flowing in, refugees are fleeing, but there seems little in the way of an organized Syrian opposition with which to work. And while Sunni Muslim neighbors such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar want al-Assad's removal, this seems more of an opportunistic anti-Iran strategy. Among the resistance forces are apparently some radical Sunni fighters, perhaps al Qaeda itself, and others whose ascension to power would likely cause a further crisis, with millions of Christians and other religious minorities fleeing from the region. The failure of opposition groups to unite is the main reason the uprising has stalled, analysts say. \"If I was the opposition, I'd look to the longer term,\" said Gerges. \"They've presented a narrative to the outside world that al-Assad's days are numbered. They've spent time trying to get military intervention but not enough on unifying themselves into a cohesive group. They believe they're going to win in the end but at the moment they're divided both in and outside Syria.\" The opposition has failed so far to win the support of wider sections of Syrian society, most observers believe. \"The rebels haven't proved a credible force either politically or militarily,\" said Phillips. \"The regime is easily a match for them on the battlefield, but crucially the Sunni merchant classes in cities like Aleppo have remained neutral.\" What might happen next? The conflict is likely to continue with neither side able to deliver a knockout blow. Analysts believe al-Assad is secure in the short-term with regional backing from Iran and wider diplomatic cover from Russia and China. But even if it defeats the opposition, Phillips said it is unclear how the regime can repackage itself. \"It's very difficult to see how the opposition is going to topple al-Assad, but one must ask if he has alienated his core constituents so much that he cannot rule by consent?\" he asked. And the longer the conflict continues, the more fundamentalist Islamist elements will get involved, analysts say. \"If it goes on some Syrians will turn to jihadi-style tactics,\" said Gerges. \"I wouldn't be surprised if it eventually goes the way of Iraq although it's important to stress that the bulk of the armed response now is local Syrian, not al Qaeda.\" In a recent blog posting, Fareed Zakaria pointed out that al-Assad drew an unfortunate lesson from the Arab Spring: \"Don't waiver; don't make concessions; don't show weakness. In al-Assad's eyes, Egypt's Hosni Mubarak vacillated in his response to protests and ended up in prison. Libya's Moammar Gadhafi wasn't ruthless enough and ended up dead. Al-Assad has chosen to be brutal.\" However he said in the longer term al-Assad's position is weak. For this reason, Zakaria said: \"The government will not be able to fully suppress this revolt. The opposition will prove unable to completely overturn the government. The stalemate could go on for a long, long time.\"", "(AOL Autos) -- Magazines are full of beauty and health secrets with tips on how to improve your inner health and polish and paint your external persona. All of this designed to keep you feeling young. With its low price, boxy-yet-stylish shape and must-have technology, the Scion xB is very youthful. We think that the beauty magazines are missing out on the best way to feel young: drive the right vehicle! New cars for a fresh start . No offense to the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Chevy Malibu, but it's almost impossible to feel young behind the wheel of an ordinary sedan, especially when every other car on the road is just like yours. We've picked vehicles that are unique, different and even a little quirky. You are what you drive, and when you drive a spunky, youthful vehicle, that's exactly what you are! So, here are our choices for the top 10 vehicles to keep you feeling young: . 2008 smart fortwo pure coupe . Not since the original Volkswagen Beetle has a more perfectly youthful car been built than the smart fortwo pure coupe. This smart car has everything: it's cheap, it's fuel efficient, it's safe (check out the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ratings), and best of all -- it is the cutest thing on four wheels. 'Nuff said. Starting at $11,590 . 2009 Nissan Versa . An excellent choice for a safe, efficient car, the Nissan Versa is no stripped-down econobox and it has a European style that makes others take a second look. It's a genuinely comfortable, fun-to-drive cute car that will stand up to the rough treatment a young-at-heart driver can sometimes dish out. Starting at $12,990 . 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid . Driving a Toyota Prius is a statement to your friends and neighbors that you're green; driving a Honda Civic Hybrid is living green, pure and simple. There's almost nothing less attractive than conspicuity. Give your inner beauty the opportunity to be green undercover in a subtle, stealthy Civic Hybrid. Starting at $23,550 . 2008 Subaru WRX STi . Nothing gets the heart beating like 305 hp. Add all-wheel drive and hatchback functionality and you have the Subaru WRX STi. Skip those troublesome, time-consuming trips to the gym and just give yourself a workout flogging the STi around the back roads, or throw some golf clubs in the back hatch and make your tee time in youthful style. Starting at $34,995 . 2010 Chevrolet Camaro . This one will take you back to your youth, the last heyday of the American Muscle Car. The 2010 Camaro is one of the most anticipated new cars due in the production pipeline, and anyone who drives one will be the center of attention. And that will make you feel young and beautiful. Prices to be announced . 2008 Mazda5 . When a minivan just isn't mini enough, maybe the mini-minivan is the answer to your needs. With seating for 6, Mazda5 brings the capacity for carpooling without the style penalties of its larger minivan competitors, and fuel economy up to 28 mpg doesn't hurt either. Feel young without looking like a soccer mom. Starting at $18,665 . 2008 Scion xB . With its low, low price, boxy-yet-stylish shape and must-have technology, the Scion xB makes a youthful statement just by showing up. Personalize your xB with accessories from Scion's catalog, or from the extensive aftermarket that has grown up around the car. The bonus is that the xB is a very capable vehicle, and a lot of fun to drive. Starting at $16,420 . 2008 Toyota 4Runner . If you want to project an image of youthful vigor, muscularity, agility and strength -- without going over the top -- few vehicles do it as well as the Toyota 4Runner. That image isn't just on the surface; the Toyota 4Runner is as comfortable on the trail as it is on the pavement. You get timeless good looks and reliability in one package. Starting at $28,415 . 2008 Jeep Wrangler . Is there a car more youthful and exuberant than the Jeep Wrangler? The iconic off-roader has been a symbol of freedom, agility and capability for decades. Drop the soft-top, hang on to the integrated roll bar and head out for points west. Just don't forget the sun block -- you want to look young as well as feel young. Starting at $20,205 . 2008 Vespa S . It was cool in the late 1960's, and it's cool again today. The Vespa S is a modern interpretation of the 1969 Vespa Special and the 1967 Vespa Primavera. An eco-friendly 150cc engine powers the S efficiently and smoothly, with enough oomph to keep up with city traffic. Easy to ride, easy to park, easy to love, the Vespa S might be the coolest ride on the block. Starting at $4,199 ." ]

[ "Check that you are either using the javascript VM or that you have metamask unlocked and connected to a test net if using injected web3.\n\nMake sure you have an allowance mapping that looks like this:\n\nmapping(address =&gt; mapping(address =&gt; uint256)) public allowance;\n\n\nAnd that your Burn event looks like this:\n\nevent Burn(address indexed from, uint256 value);\n\n\nIf you have both of these correct there is probably something wrong with the onlyOwner modifier." ]

[ "The entire operation did not revert because enough gas was provided by the transaction origin of the overall transaction. If insufficient gas was provided, then you would observe the behavior you were expecting, where both internal transactions would be reverted.\n\nThe second internal transaction was reverted because it ran out of gas. To detect this, the function that was called could include a true return value (use a tuple if needed). The caller can explicitly check for this true value, because an out of gas would return the default value which is 0 (false).\n\nHere's an example of what happened. First (internal) transaction requires 200 gas and second transaction requires 700 gas. Overall transaction was provided with 1000 gas. The gas that was made available to the second transaction, was less than 700. All gas was not fully provided to the second internal transaction. See bottom NOTE for explanation.\n\nHere are some things that may help:\n\n\nchanging the order of the operations, as you suggest, may help because the transaction that ran out of gas, will now be first and have all available gas to start with (instead of requiring refunded gas)\nkeeping the operations in the same order, but for the first transaction limit the gas sent with the function call via .gas(amount) syntax. This could then allow the second transaction more gas. (In the example above, it could be explicitly limiting the first internal transaction to 220 gas, so that refunded gas is only 20.)\n\n\nThe simplest solution is for the transaction origin to provide more gas in the transaction. There is little downside since all unused gas will be refunded, and with plenty of gas potentially available for internal transactions, edge cases may be avoided.\n\nNOTE why \"all\" gas is not provided to a call (internal transaction):\n\nchriseth (Solidity author) said:\n\n\n This is one of the quirky places of the EVM. You cannot just say \"send\n all my gas along with the call\", you always have to give an explicit\n number. We do have the GAS opcode which gives us the amount of gas\n still available, but the problem is that performing the call itself\n also costs some gas, so we have to subtract the amount of gas the call\n costs from the value provided by GAS, and we also have to subtract the\n amount of gas it costs to perform the subtraction...\n\n\nEDIT: To clarify possible misinterpretations 1) contracts never pay gas -- they can reserve/delegate/limit the gas for another contract call. 2) Reverted transactions are still included in blocks and pay gas.", "\"Gas\" is the name for a special unit used in Ethereum. It measures how much \"work\" an action or set of actions takes to perform: for example, to calculate one Keccak256 cryptographic hash it will take 30 gas each time a hash is calculated, plus a cost of 6 more gas for every 256 bits of data being hashed. Every operation that can be performed by a transaction or contract on the Ethereum platform costs a certain number of gas, with operations that require more computational resources costing more gas than operations that require few computational resources.\n\nThe reason gas is important is that it helps to ensure an appropriate fee is being paid by transactions submitted to the network. By requiring that a transaction pay for each operation it performs (or causes a contract to perform), we ensure that network doesn't become bogged down with performing a lot of intensive work that isn't valuable to anyone. This is a different strategy than the Bitcoin transaction fee, which is based only on the size in kilobytes of a transaction. Since Ethereum allows arbitrarily complex computer code to be run, a short length of code can actually result in a lot of computational work being done. So it's important to measure the work done directly instead of just choosing a fee based on the length of a transaction or contract.\n\nSo if gas is basically a transaction fee, how do you pay it? This is where it gets a little tricky. Although gas is a unit that things can be measured in, there isn't any actual token for gas. That is, you can't own 1000 gas. Instead, gas exists only inside of the Ethereum virtual machine as a count of how much work is being performed. When it comes to actually paying for the gas, the transaction fee is charged as a certain number of ether, the built-in token on the Ethereum network and the token with which miners are rewarded for producing blocks.\n\nThis might seem odd at first. Why don't operations just have a cost measured in ether directly? The answer is that ether, like bitcoins, have a market price that can change rapidly! But the cost of computation doesn't go up or down just because the price of ether changes. So it's helpful to separate out the price of computation from the price of the ether token, so that the cost of an operation doesn't have to be changed every time the market moves.\n\nThe terminology here gets a little messy. Operations in the EVM have gas cost, but gas itself also has a gas price measured in terms of ether. Every transaction specifies the gas price it is willing to pay in ether for each unit of gas, allowing the market to decide the relationship between the price of ether and the cost of computing operations (as measured in gas). It's the combination of the two, total gas used multiplied by gas price paid, that results in the total fee paid by a transaction.\n\nAs tricky as it is, it's important to understand this distinction, because it results in one of the most confusing things about Ethereum transactions to the initial learner: there is a difference between your transaction running out of gas and your transaction not having a high enough fee. If the gas price I set in my transaction is too low, no one will even bother to run my transaction in the first place. It will simply not be included in the blockchain by miners. But if I provide an acceptable gas price, and then my transaction results in so much computational work that the combined gas costs go past the amount I attached as a fee, that gas counts as \"spent\" and I don't get it back. The miner will stop processing the transaction, revert any changes it made, but still include it in the blockchain as a \"failed transaction\", collecting the fees for it. This may seem harsh, but when you realise that the real work for the miner was in performing the computation, you can see that they will never get those resources back either. So it's only fair that you pay them for the work they did, even though your badly designed transaction ran out of gas.\n\nProviding too big of a fee is also different than providing too much ether. If you set a very high gas price, you will end up paying lots of ether for only a few operations, just like setting a super high transaction fee in bitcoin. You'll definitely be prioritised to the front of the line, but your money is gone. If you provided a normal gas price, however, and just attached more ether than was needed to pay for the gas that your transaction consumed, the excess amount will be refunded back to you. Miners only charge you for the work that they actually do. You can think of the gas price as the hourly wage for the miner, and the gas cost as their timesheet of work performed.\n\nThere are a lot of other subtleties to gas, but that should give you the basics! Gas is the key mechanism that makes the complex computations in Ethereum \"safe\" for the network to work on, because any programs that run out of control will only last as long as the money provided by the people who requested they be run. When the money stops, the miners stop working on it. And the mistakes you make in your program will only affect the people who pay to use it--the rest of the network can't suffer performance issues due to your error. They will simply get a big payday when the performance issues consume all of your ether! Without this critical technique, the idea of a general-purpose blockchain would have been completely impossible.\n\ntl;dr:\n\n\nGas is the way that fees are calculated\nThe fees are still paid in ether, though, which is different from gas\nThe gas cost is the amount of work that goes into something, like the number of hours of labour, whereas the gas price is like the hourly wage you pay for the work to be done. The combination of the two determines your total transaction fee.\nIf your gas price is too low, no one will process your transaction\nIf your gas price is fine but the gas cost of your transaction runs \"over budget\" the transaction fails but still goes into the blockchain, and you don't get the money back for the work that the labourers did.\nThis makes sure that nothing runs forever, and that people will be careful about the code that they run. It keeps both miners and users safe from bad code!", "Answering my own question \nI found solution using this code\n\nvar Web3 = require(\"web3\");\nconst web3 = new Web3('http://localhost:8545');\nvar connection = require(\"../services/connection\");\nconst axios = require('axios');\nconst EthereumTx = require('ethereumjs-tx');\n\n let response = axios.get('https://ethgasstation.info/json/ethgasAPI.json').\n then(function (response) {\n let prices = {\n low: response.data.safeLow / 10,\n medium: response.data.average / 10,\n high: response.data.fast / 10\n }\n let nonce = web3.eth.getTransactionCount(token.public).then(function (nonce) {\n let sendAmount = (prices.high * 1e9) + (prices.high * 1e8);\n let details = {\n \"to\": user.public,\n \"value\": sendAmount,\n \"gas\": 21000,\n \"gasPrice\": prices.low * 1e9,\n \"nonce\": nonce,\n \"chainId\": 4 //chainId - mainnet: 1, rinkeby: 4\n }\n const transaction = new EthereumTx(details)\n transaction.sign(Buffer.from(your_pv_key_without0xprefix, 'hex'))\n const serializedTransaction = transaction.serialize()\n web3.eth.sendSignedTransaction('0x' + serializedTransaction.toString('hex')).\n then(function (transactionDetails) {\n //handle transaction details\n }).catch(function (err) {\n res.json({error: err.message});\n })\n }).catch(function (err) {\n res.json({error: err.message});\n })\n }).catch(function (err) {\n res.json({error: err.message});\n })", "The error states that either the deployment is always failing or it exceeds the gas limit. \n\nYou may want to try deploying to ganache-cli local testnet as I suspect that your deployment is failing on a revert and you will want to see the reason message. Alternatively you could share your smart contract code.\n\n\n\nI deployed the following sample ERC721 using the OpenZeppelin Contracts implementation to Rinkeby using Remix and the gas was: 2,842,493 \n\nhttps://rinkeby.etherscan.io/tx/0x3428fd9210e59c94c89c1397bd6df962ed018573ead524cbf085b1dc22034e37\n\npragma solidity ^0.5.0;\n\nimport \"https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/blob/v2.3.0/contracts/token/ERC721/ERC721Full.sol\";\nimport \"https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/blob/v2.3.0/contracts/drafts/Counters.sol\";\n\ncontract GameItem is ERC721Full {\n using Counters for Counters.Counter;\n Counters.Counter private _tokenIds;\n\n constructor() ERC721Full(\"GameItem\", \"ITM\") public {\n }\n\n function awardItem(address player, string memory tokenURI) public returns (uint256) {\n _tokenIds.increment();\n\n uint256 newItemId = _tokenIds.current();\n _mint(player, newItemId);\n _setTokenURI(newItemId, tokenURI);\n\n return newItemId;\n }\n}\n\n\n\n\nIf you are creating ERC721 tokens you may want to look at the OpenZeppelin Contracts implementation to see if this meets your needs. See the documentation for details: https://docs.openzeppelin.com/contracts/2.x/tokens#ERC721\n\nIf you have questions on using OpenZeppelin you can ask in the Community Forum: https://forum.openzeppelin.com/\n\nDisclosure: I am the Community Manager at OpenZeppelin", "No.\nSmart contract cannot do any work on their own. They have to be always triggered by some transaction.\nHow this kind of things are usually done is that you offer a withdraw function which users can call and it will calculate whether they should be sent something. Or, if you prefer pushing the assets, you can create a function which anyone can call which pushes the assets to all required participants - but this doesn't probably scale well (may run out of gas).", "You can create a smart contract that has a method for sending ether to multiple accounts:\n\npragma solidity ^0.4.13;\n\n\ncontract BulkSender {\n\n /// @notice Send the specified amounts of wei to the specified addresses\n /// @param addresses Addresses to which to send wei\n /// @param amounts Amounts for the corresponding addresses, the size of the\n /// array must be equal to the size of the addresses array\n function bulkSend(address[] addresses, uint256[] amounts) public payable {\n require(addresses.length &gt; 0);\n require(addresses.length == amounts.length);\n\n uint256 length = addresses.length;\n uint256 currentSum = 0;\n for (uint256 i = 0; i &lt; length; i++) {\n uint256 amount = amounts[i];\n require(amount &gt; 0);\n currentSum += amount;\n require(currentSum &lt;= msg.value);\n // Costs 9700 gas for existing accounts, \n // 34700 gas for nonexistent accounts.\n // Might fail in case the destination is a smart contract with a default\n // method that uses more than 2300 gas.\n // If it fails the top level transaction will be reverted.\n addresses[i].transfer(amount);\n }\n require(currentSum == msg.value);\n }\n}\n\n\nHowever it might cost you more or less than sending transactions separately depending on whether destination accounts are existing accounts (e.g. already have a non-zero balance) or new accounts.\n\nAs explained on the Subtleties page in Ethereum's wiki:\n\n\n CALL has a multi-part gas cost: \n \n \n 700 base\n 9000 additional if the value is nonzero\n 25000 additional if the destination account does not yet exist (note: there is a difference between zero-balance and nonexistent!)\n \n\n\nYou can see from this trace for the first CALL (nonexistent account) the gas price is 34700, for the second CALL (existing account) the gas price is 9700.\n\nSo for an existing account you'd save roughly 11300 (21000 - 9700) gas, but for a new account you would waste 13700 (34700 - 21000) gas.", "As you have correctly mentioned this an out of gas error. What happens in this situation is, it returns with failure and rolls back to the state it was before sending the transaction except that you have to pay the gas cost to the miner for executing it.\n\nWhen I inspected your account the balance is 213.119202218 Ether\n\n\n\nTo check the correctness of the balance it's needed to add all the INs and deduct succesfully completed OUTs (except the failed one) and deduct all the Tx costs of OUTs as below (assuming no internal transactions happened),\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n| IN Txs | OUT Txs (Except fails) | Fees for OUT Txs | Balance |\n------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n| 15.42115568 + 100 + 100 | - 2.3 |-(0.001512462+0.000441)|213.119202218|\n------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\ni.e. 15.42115568 + 100 + 100 - 2.3 - 0.001512462 - 0.000441 = 213.119202218 \n\nwhich is exactly your account balance. So your ETH balance in wallet is correct and you have the 2ETH remaining. \n\n\n I expect to see my 2 ETH goes back to my wallet minus the gas fee\n\n\nIf what you meant by this is to see a reverse transaction kind of thing to happen and a see a IN transaction again, that's not the case. There's no need of such thing because actually an amount of 2 ETH was not sent and it's in your wallet already.", "First allow me to give a quick introduction to RNAV and RNP before geting to SAAAR / RNP AR.\n\nArea Navigation (RNAV) is a method of instrument flight rules (IFR) navigation that allows an aircraft to fly on any desired path within the coverage of referenced navigation beacons, rather than navigating directly to and from the beacons. In other words, waypoints can be defined at arbitrary locations and paths betweens those points (and traditional navigation beacons as well) can be defined. \n\nRNAV routes are coded into the navigation database by ARINC 424 path-terminators. Whilst RNAV routes can be designed in such a way that the lateral path is strictly described, in general the lateral path has a quite some freedom due to floating leg types (e.g. turn at altitude, fly heading etc) and wiggle room for the aircraft to negotiate the turns. \n\nWhen the route is described only by TF (track to fix) and RF (radius to fix) path terminators, the lateral path is fully fixed. These fixed lateral paths allow procedure designers, for example, to design approaches through mountain valleys down to the runway. \n\nRNAV defines a 95% accuracy bounds. For example, RNAV 1 requires the aircraft to be within 1 NM from the path centreline 95% of the time. The route designer will ensure a 2 NM obstacle free zone around the path in such a case. \n\nNote that RNAV provides no assurance against exceeding the 2 NM zone. There is no automated system monitoring required. \n\nPotentially causes of deviations between the path intended by the procedure designer and the actual flown path can be grouped into three categories:\n\n\nFirst, there is the Path Definition Error. This is caused by database\ncoding mismatch with the original path design.\nSecond, there is the Path Steering Error, caused by the combination\nof display inaccuracies on the Navigation Display and the inability\nof the pilot or the autoflight system to stay exactly on path (Flight\nTechnical Error).\nThird, there is Position Estimation Error, which is the difference between the position of the aircraft estimated by the navigation system and the true position.\n\n\nIt is not unthinkable that while normally (95% of the time) the aircraft will fly within e.g. 1 NM of the intended centre line, there are cases that the aircraft will exceed the 1NM by far, possibly even busting the 2 NM obstacle free zone. That could potentially ruin your day if it happens in a mountain valley.\n\nThis is where RNP comes in. RNP (Required Navigation Performance) is basically RNAV with added protection. For example, RNP 1 again defines a 1NM accuracy for 95% of the time, but it also offers 99.999% assurance that it will not exceed the 2NM. It will raise an alert if the 2 NM value will potentially be exceeded. So in addition to what RNAV offers, it includes a system monitoring function that will detect navigation errors and alerts for them.\n\nThe RNP value alway gives the 95% accuracy, the 99.999% assurance (integrity) limit is always at twice that value. So RNP 0.3 means that the aircraft has to stay within 0.3 NM of the designed path centreline 95% of the time. And if it exceeds the 0.6 NM threshold, an alert will be raised with 99.999% certainty. \nRNP systems therefore require a system monitoring function. \n\nTo ensure that the RNP values are met, each of the three error sources mentioned earlier must be under control. For RNP values down to 1 NM that is not much of a challenge. Standard procedures and equipment are deemed to be sufficient here. (of course the required RNP values must be met by the Actual Navigation Performance) \n\n\n\nIf an approach requires tighter limits, such as RNP 0.3 or 0.15, then special authorization is required.\nThis is where SAAAR comes in (Special Aircraft and Aircrew Authorization Required), now renamed to RNP AR (RNP Authorization Required). RNP AR routes only make use of TF and RF leg types to fully fix the lateral path. RF legs are not supported by all navigation systems by default. \n\nTo get authorization for RNP AR, the aircraft needs to comply with the applicable functional and performance requirements, the crew needs to be trained and lot's of documentation must be maintained. Basically proof must be provided that all of the three error terms are under strict control. \n\nIn a sense it is somewhat similar to ILS CAT III approval. \n\n\n\nReferences: \n\nAC 90-101A describes a means of compliance for RNP AR \n\nRNAV / RNP presentation gives a good explanation of RNAV and RNP", "They do not serve the same function.\nPutting a relative locktime in the nSequence value means &quot;this transaction cannot be mined until its input is at least that old&quot;.\nPutting a relative locktime with OP_CSV in the script means &quot;Require that the transaction spending this sets an nSequence of at least this value&quot;.\nThe reason why they are split up is to make transaction validation independent of time. If the value passed to OP_CSV would be compared against the time directly, and it failed, there would be no way to distinguish whether the transaction is just outright invalid or it's due to a temporary locktime/nsequence constraint.\nIn other words: splitting them up allows us to see the spending transaction, verify it once, and know for certain that it's valid. We never need to evaluate it again, as this validity never changes; if it is valid once, it is valid always. The question of when it can be mined remains independent of this, and can easily be checked by just looking at the nSequence value and comparing it with the blockchain's time.", "1. Maximum parameter size per transaction\n\nThe maximum\n number of bytes per transaction for a single transaction is limited\n several constants, in particular an upper size of for operations\n max_operation_data_length and the hard gas limits for operations\n and blocks (a block contains a set of operations):\n\n \"max_operation_data_length\": 16384,\n \"hard_gas_limit_per_operation\": \"800000\",\n \"hard_gas_limit_per_block\": \"8000000\",\n \"cost_per_byte\": \"1000\",\n \"hard_storage_limit_per_operation\": \"60000\",\n\n\nThese constants can be obtained by a RPC call if you have a running node:\n\ntezos-client rpc get /chains/main/blocks/head/context/constants | jq\n\n\nPresumably max_operation_data_length is in bytes, meaning that you\nhave a an upper limit of of ~16kB for the parameter per\ntransaction. You would also have to remove the size needed other data\nin transaction, such as sender, recipient, etc.\n\nThe gas limits hard_gas_limit_per_block and\nhard_gas_limit_per_operation indirectly limit both maximum storage\nand transaction size. Each time a smart contract is invoked, the node\npasses through the following phases:\n\n\nRead binary representation of smart contract code + contract state\nfrom disk\nDecode code, storage and input to untyped representation\nTypecheck code, storage and input\nRun code\nEncode storage to untyped repr.\n(write encoded storage to disk – batched &amp; async)\n\n\nEach of these phases consumes gas. Larger parameter increases the gas\nconsumption in phase 2-4. Larger storage increases gas consumption in\nphases 1-5. It follows that storage and parameter size are limited by\nthe hard gas limits. However, I do not have any hard numbers, but you\ncould simulate using tezos-client to obtain estimates.\n\n2. Maximum storage size per contract\n\nFinally, for your second question, which is already partially\n answered by 1. AFAIK, there is no explicit fixed limit on the storage of a\n smart contract. However, after a\n certain size, the storage of contract can no longer be decoded,\n because doing so would exceed the hard gas limits. Another limiting\n factor is funds. The costs_per_byte is currently at 1000\n mutez. This means that each additional kB costs ~1tz (currently ~= 3usd) to store, payed by\n the sender of transaction that increase storage.\n\nWe also have to consider the constant\n hard_storage_limit_per_operation. Whenever a transaction is\n injected on the network, it is associated with a storage limit.\n Typically, it is set by the user, to ensure that their transaction\n does not provoke an unintended amount of storage burn. If the size\n of the storage size diff resulting from applying the transaction\n exceeds the storage limit, then the transaction is rejected. The\n constant hard_storage_limit_per_operation gives the highest\n storage limit that can be set, and thus also limits the maximum\n storage size increase per transaction. It follows that the\n storage of a contract cannot increase with more than 60000 bytes\n per transaction. Note that such a transaction would cost ~180 usd today.", "In my case, it worked after modifying truffle.js.\n\nThe exact steps were:\n\nWhile starting the private network: \n\ngeth --datadir=mychaindata\\ --nodiscover --rpc\n\n\nit showed port opened at 8545 (I didn't use --rpccorsdomain there because truffle migrate doesn't work then)\n\nIn truffle.js changed port to 8545 and after that add a gas value:\n\nport: 8545\ngas: 3000000 // added because on truffle migrate, it showed exceed gas value error\n\n\nI unlocked the accounts and started miner in a separate geth attach\nthen tried truffle migrate, \nMigration completed successfully.\n\nAlso, after running npm run dev it showed failing back to port 9545 error.\n\nI modified app.js by changing the port to 8545.\nRefreshing the page showed cross-origin error, so I stopped the network and restarted like:\n\ngeth --datadir=mychaindata\\ --nodiscover --rpc --rpccorsdomain --unlock 0 --mine 1\n\nAfter accepting the password, network started and everything worked well!", "There is no hard coded limit to the quantity of destinations in a single transaction. However, there is an overall transaction weight limit, which is roughly half the block weight. Therefore, if you tried to pack in an unusually high quantity of inputs / outputs, you could end up with a transaction that exceeds the maximum allowed tx weight limit and thus gets rejected.\n\nSo:\n\n\n Can I transfer to as many addresses as I'd like in a given transaction?\n\n\nNo.\n\n\n Is there a technical upper bound?\n\n\nYes. The transaction cannot exceed its overall weight limit, which is half the penalty-free block weight.\n\n\n is there a reason why the upper bound was chosen? \n\n\nPresumably to prevent spam attacks.\n\n\n Is it a \"consensus\" limit or just a software default? \n\n\nIt's consensus level.\n\n\n If there is a limit, was there always a limit?\n\n\nThere has always been a limit to the maximum tx weight. Prior to HF version 8, this limit was the set to the penalty-free block weight. Since version 8, it's half the penalty-free block weight.\n\nUPDATE\n\nSince bulletproofs, there is also a maximum of 16 outputs per transaction.", "This error happened because, in this case, S has leading zero bytes\n\nR: 4f 9d d7 50 69 b5 1d 36 ....\nS: 00 44 28 04 75 c3 d3 55 ....\n ↑ not allowed while RLP decoding\n\n\nWhile decoding, geth treated R &amp; S as integer, meaning leading zero is not legal to process.\n\nIn order to solve this issue, you simply have to remove leading zeros and RLP it.\n\n\n\nyou understand raw transaction as :\n\n\n RLP{ RLP(nonce) + RLP(Gas price) + RLP(Gas limit) + RLP(to address) +\n RLP(value) + RLP(data) + V + [a0 + FixLeadingZero(R)] + [a0 +\n FixLeadingZero(S)] }\n\n\nbut that isn't right, 0xa0 is not a fixed byte, it's the first byte of RLP code, which represent the length of trailing data. \n( For more detail of RLP implementation you can check out here : \nhttps://github.com/ethereum/wiki/wiki/%5BEnglish%5D-RLP )\n\nSince R &amp; S is usually 32 bytes, so first byte usually is 0x80 + 32 = 0xa0, but as i mentioned above, it won't always be that way.\n\nIn this case, since we trim 1 byte, so the first byte of RLP code is 0x80 + 31 = 0x9f\n\nSo after triming, S in raw transaction shouldn't be : a044280475c3d355c44829ac93118b4ebe044356185c1c08724c8bcfebbd4b3d\n\nit should be : 9f44280475c3d355c44829ac93118b4ebe044356185c1c08724c8bcfebbd4b3d\n\nand the format of raw transaction should be :\n\nraw transaction = RLP( RLP(nonce) + RLP(gas price) + RLP(gas limit) +\n RLP(to) + RLP(value) + RLP(data) +\n V + RLP(trimLeadingZero(R)) + RLP(trimLeadingZero(S)) )\n\n\nwhere + means concatenate.", "You are correct that as long as the methods from the ERC20 interface are implemented, they are accepted to be ERC20 tokens and can be supported by Mist wallet. The implementation of the function could be completely different and that wouldn't still affect the ERC20 status of the token. But, obviously this isn't a recommended practice and is discouraged.\n\nThe gas value would depend on the implementation of the function. ERC20 tokens can perform additional operations in the transfer function - updating values in the storage, setting flags etc which would impact the gas value required to successfully process a transaction. Exchanges will not reject ERC20 tokens based on the gas value required to execute the transfer function.", "Note that you are passing a parameter in your instruction :\n\nCoursetro.newToken(3,{from:web3.eth.accounts[0],gas: 470000})\n\nwhen your smart-contract method does not declare any : \n\nfunction newToken() public returns(address objAddress){\n newContract = new WILDToken(name,symbol,decimals);\n contracts.push(newContract);\n return newContract;\n }\n\n\nAlso note that you are calling WILDToken which is not declared anywhere in the code you provided. \n\nIn order to find easily errors in your code you can use remix IDE that is helpful in notifying errors and warnings when writing smart-contract \n\nEDIT : \n\nInstead of having a method to set parameters of your token you'd better implement variables to pass in your method that creates the tokens, this way you'll only have to call one method to generate it instead of calling two. \n\nIt should give something like this : \n\nfunction newToken(string _name, string _symbol, uint _decimals) public returns(address objAddress){\n\n /* Below WILDToken will have to be replaced with the Contract that has to be instanciated. \n /* Note that in order to have clean code you'd better name your files with the Contract name. \n\n newContract = new WILDToken(_name,_symbol,_decimals);\n\n contracts.push(newContract);\n\n /* Note that in Web3, the returned value by Method is not accessible. You can delete it if you don't intend to have another contract calling this method. If you do so, don't forget to delete the returns declaration also. */ \n\n return newContract;\n}\n\n\non the front-end, imagining you your instance of the contract would be CourseTro you would have something like this : \n\nvar a = web3.eth.accounts[0];\nvar n = 'MyTokenName';\nvar s = 'TknSbl';\nvar d = 18;\nCoursetro.newToken(n,s,d,{from : a, gas : '1000000' }).then(function(r){\n console.log('Transaction succeed, see returned info below :'); \n console.log(r);\n}).catch(function(e){\n console.log('Transaction failed, see logs below :');\n console.log(e);\n});", "When a contract call occurs, it receives some parameters on the stack, among these parameters, Value contains the amount of ETH this contract will receive to make some operations with it.\n\nThe emv.Call function looks like this:\n\nfunc (evm *EVM) Call(caller ContractRef, addr common.Address, input []byte, gas uint64, value *big.Int) (ret []byte, leftOverGas uint64, err error) {\n if evm.vmConfig.NoRecursion &amp;&amp; evm.depth &gt; 0 {\n return nil, gas, nil\n }\n\n // Fail if we're trying to execute above the call depth limit\n if evm.depth &gt; int(params.CallCreateDepth) {\n return nil, gas, ErrDepth\n }\n // Fail if we're trying to transfer more than the available balance\n if !evm.Context.CanTransfer(evm.StateDB, caller.Address(), value) {\n return nil, gas, ErrInsufficientBalance\n }\n\n var (\n to = AccountRef(addr)\n snapshot = evm.StateDB.Snapshot()\n )\n if !evm.StateDB.Exist(addr) {\n precompiles := PrecompiledContractsHomestead\n if evm.ChainConfig().IsByzantium(evm.BlockNumber) {\n precompiles = PrecompiledContractsByzantium\n }\n if precompiles[addr] == nil &amp;&amp; evm.ChainConfig().IsEIP158(evm.BlockNumber) &amp;&amp; value.Sign() == 0 {\n // Calling a non existing account, don't do antything, but ping the tracer\n if evm.vmConfig.Debug &amp;&amp; evm.depth == 0 {\n evm.vmConfig.Tracer.CaptureStart(caller.Address(), addr, false, input, gas, value)\n evm.vmConfig.Tracer.CaptureEnd(ret, 0, 0, nil)\n }\n return nil, gas, nil\n }\n evm.StateDB.CreateAccount(addr)\n }\n evm.Transfer(evm.StateDB, caller.Address(), to.Address(), value)\n\n // Initialise a new contract and set the code that is to be used by the EVM.\n // The contract is a scoped environment for this execution context only.\n contract := NewContract(caller, to, value, gas)\n contract.SetCallCode(&amp;addr, evm.StateDB.GetCodeHash(addr), evm.StateDB.GetCode(addr))\n\n start := time.Now()\n\n // Capture the tracer start/end events in debug mode\n if evm.vmConfig.Debug &amp;&amp; evm.depth == 0 {\n evm.vmConfig.Tracer.CaptureStart(caller.Address(), addr, false, input, gas, value)\n\n defer func() { // Lazy evaluation of the parameters\n evm.vmConfig.Tracer.CaptureEnd(ret, gas-contract.Gas, time.Since(start), err)\n }()\n }\n ret, err = run(evm, contract, input)\n\n // When an error was returned by the EVM or when setting the creation code\n // above we revert to the snapshot and consume any gas remaining. Additionally\n // when we're in homestead this also counts for code storage gas errors.\n if err != nil {\n evm.StateDB.RevertToSnapshot(snapshot)\n if err != errExecutionReverted {\n contract.UseGas(contract.Gas)\n }\n }\n return ret, contract.Gas, err\n}\n\n\nIf you note, it gets the Value in parameters and stores it in the contract struct:\n\n// Contract represents an ethereum contract in the state database. It contains\n// the the contract code, calling arguments. Contract implements ContractRef\ntype Contract struct {\n // CallerAddress is the result of the caller which initialised this\n // contract. However when the \"call method\" is delegated this value\n // needs to be initialised to that of the caller's caller.\n CallerAddress common.Address\n caller ContractRef\n self ContractRef\n\n jumpdests destinations // result of JUMPDEST analysis.\n\n Code []byte\n CodeHash common.Hash\n CodeAddr *common.Address\n Input []byte\n\n Gas uint64\n value *big.Int\n\n Args []byte\n\n DelegateCall bool\n}\n\n\nThis is where the Value is stored:\n\nvalue *big.Int\n\n\nNow in evm.Call() function you see this line:\n\ncontract := NewContract(caller, to, value, gas)\n\n\nThis function stores the Value for further execution:\n\n// NewContract returns a new contract environment for the execution of EVM.\nfunc NewContract(caller ContractRef, object ContractRef, value *big.Int, gas uint64) *Contract {\n c := &amp;Contract{CallerAddress: caller.Address(), caller: caller, self: object, Args: nil}\n\n if parent, ok := caller.(*Contract); ok {\n // Reuse JUMPDEST analysis from parent context if available.\n c.jumpdests = parent.jumpdests\n } else {\n c.jumpdests = make(destinations)\n }\n\n // Gas should be a pointer so it can safely be reduced through the run\n // This pointer will be off the state transition\n c.Gas = gas\n // ensures a value is set\n c.value = value\n\n return c\n}\n\n\nWhen the EVM encounters a CALLVALUE opcode, it gets this Value previously stored in the Contract struct:\n\nfunc opCallValue(pc *uint64, evm *EVM, contract *Contract, memory *Memory, stack *Stack) ([]byte, error) {\n stack.push(evm.interpreter.intPool.get().Set(contract.value))\n return nil, nil\n}\n\n\nSo, in short, CALLVALUE gives you the amount of ETH transferred to the contract by parent contract, or transaction. Sorry for so long explanation.", "From Bittrex FAQ\n\n\n Deposits - Please be aware that some\n coins require us to move your funds to another address before we\n credit them. This means the coins network will charge you the normal\n transaction fee for this send. This is not something we can avoid.\n\n\nYou can read here for a breakdown of why you have been charged that fee, as follows,\n\n\n So the way bittrex eth wallets work is that they have you send money\n to the wallet and then they move the money to the bittrex wallet via a\n smart contract. So that's already 2 transactions. An ethereum simple\n transaction costs 21000 gas and at 70 Gwei gas price, which is high\n (normal is 20GWei), that comes to 0.00147 ether for the first\n transaction. The second transaction is sent to a smart contract, which\n can tell the difference between ETH and ETC, so it is a little more\n expensive to run, but also the cost is indeterminate, so they reserved\n 135546 for gas for the transaction, but only used 34470. The\n transaction cost 0.00258525 Ether based on gas price of 75 GWei. The\n reserved (unused) gas is still in the bittrex wallet ((135546 - 34470)\n * 75 GWei = 0.0075807). which accounts for all of the missing ether. Fortunately, the 0.0075807 is still yours, but you need to contribute\n more to the wallet to get it. The flat cost of contributing any amount\n of ETH will be about 21000 * first gas price + 34470 * second gas\n price ether, and there will always be an unclaimable amount around\n 101076 * second gas price ether. I see the same thing for my\n contributions (albeit I had a lower gas price). The higher the gas\n price, the faster it actually gets processed, so the exchanges keep\n them high and adapt to the size of pending transactions. That all\n means that if you contribute small amounts of ether, you are gonna pay\n 5%+ and if you contribute large amounts, you will see trivial amounts\n of ether missing.", "Every computation on the Ethereum network cost gas, so do value transfers like on the bitcoin blockchain.\n\nEvery computational step, or OPCODE requires a specific amount of gas (which is hardcoded). You pay for gas using ether. To determine the fee you pay you calculate:\n\nrequired gas * gas price = fee\n\nFor example a simple value transfer cost 21000 gas, the current gas price is dynamically set by users and miners and is currently ~0.00000005 ether, so the value transaction would cost ~0.00105 ether or $0.001 to $0.002 USD at current prices. Current BTC transaction fees vary anywhere from $0.01 to $0.09 USD \n\nUsers can set the gas price they are willing to pay and and miners can set the minimum gas price they are willing to accept. This creates a dynamic market, which allows ethers \"fee\" to be dynamic and adopt to ether price swings.", "I'm not 100% sure about gas cost thresholds for various clients. I would tend to think anything north of zero calls for a user confirmation. It would not be a protocol-level strictly enforced detail. \n\nI'm certain that truly read-only functions can be called without user confirmation and 50,000 isn't special. They would run without objection up to the block gasLimit (about 7 million at the time of writing). \n\nReading between the lines, I suspect maybe a little confusion about the subtleties of constant functions and gas. \n\nConstant, view and pure don't cost gas, but ... \n\nconstant functions execute on the local node's hardware using it's own copy of the blockchain. This makes the actions inherently read-only because they are never actually broadcast to the network. \n\n... there are details. \n\nGas is required and gas is calculated. There are scenarios where it matters and others where it doesn't. The scenarios where it matters are covered by doing the accounting. \n\nFor example, a constant function that returns the remaining gas after doing some work. \n\nIt doesn't usually matter\n\nIt will not matter in the case of simply calling a constant function from a client. Nothing is sent to the network and even though gas is counted, there is no state change. The node uses it's own CPU and it's own copy of the blockchain to reach its own conclusions. In the end, the state isn't updated and nothing changes at the consensus blockchain level, so that's sort of like discarding the results. \n\nA not so unusual case\n\nConsider a chain of contract functions calling functions in other contracts. Someone could sign and send a transaction to contract.doSomething(). This is a state-changing transaction that is broadcast to the network. We expect it to cost gas. \n\nSuppose that inside function doSomething() is a read-only message to another contract. otherContract.getSomething(). Suppose that's a constant function. This is not especially unusual. Maybe it just needs to read something from a reference table held by another contract. \n\nIn that context, using \"local\" resources means local to the machine verifying the transaction. Everyone has to verify the signed transaction ... so ... everyone needs to run the constant function. The miners and nodes all need to run the constant function, to discover how it responds, so they can process the state update called for by the signed transaction. \n\nIn that case, the gas accounting for the constant function is relevant. When flow control returns to the calling contract, some gas will have been consumed by the constant function and processing will continue. The cost of the constant function will turn up in the final accounting. \n\nTo turn it around and say it differently ... We can't use constant to trick miners and nodes into heavy lifting for no pay. \n\nHope it helps.", "In Solidity, yes, if the first four bytes of an Ethereum's transaction does not contain one of the contract's encoded function calls, then the fallback function will be called.\n\nSince contract code always runs when a contract gets a message, Solidity effectively featurized it into the fallback function.\n\nNote that the Solidity compiler could have \"disabled\" the feature by generating EVM code that would always do nothing (just uses STOP opcode) or cause an exception if no function signatures match.\n\n\nThe ABI is a convention (outside of the core protocol) across the Ethereum development stack from web3.js to EVM compilers\nfallback functions are a convention and feature of the Solidity compiler\ncontract code always runs when a contract gets a message and is what allows Solidity to have fallback functions\n\n\n\n Would the transaction get rejected if it has non-zero (i.e. non-0x0)\n input data?\n\n\nAt the EVM level, the (input) data field of a transaction by itself has no effect on its validity (for example if a sender has sufficient balance to pay gas for the data, the transaction is valid and nodes should not reject). (Compilers or clients may have their own behavior depending on what they consider desirable or a feature for their users / use cases.)\n\nMore details\n\nA very rough example, for conceptual purposes only, of the bytecode that an EVM compiler would produce:\n\nmethod_id = first 4 bytes of msg.data\nif method_id == 0x25d8dcf2 jump to 0x11\nif method_id == 0xaabbccdd jump to 0x22\nif method_id == 0xffaaccee jump to 0x33\nother code &lt;- Solidity fallback function code could be here\n0x11:\ncode for function with method id 0x25d8dcf2\n0x22:\ncode for another function\n0x33:\ncode for another function\n\n\nWith such an example, the Solidity compiler might implement the fallback function code in the \"other code\" section above. Instead of \"other code\", to \"disable\" the fallback function, the Solidity compiler might just have used a STOP or an INVALID opcode.\n\nSince fallback functions can be misused or abused, Vitalik Buterin suggested \"establishing as a convention that fallback functions should generally not be used except in very specific cases.\"", "Yes, people can buy token through the wallet, for example MEW.\n\nIf you want to test locally:\nfirst connect MEW to your local node, like testrpc (you can read more here &quot;Error: base fee exceeds gas limit&quot; when using the withdrawal pattern);\nthen click tab Contracts, add your Contract address and ABI/JSON interface; finally, select the buy function, entering the amount of ETH you want to spend.\n\nHope this help.", "At the lowest level of the protocol transactions are always processed, meaning they collect the fee and update the sequence number.\n\nThe layer above that, still done by validators, does the same checks done during consensus but actually removes the bad transactions that it will send out to consensus to reduce the chance of collecting fees for failed transactions.\n\nThe checks done by a validator are sanity checks and very simple:\n\n\nit checks if the parameters provided in the operations are valid (like no negative amounts, assets referenced are not garbage). Those checks are independent of the ledger state (so it doesn't need to walk the order book, etc).\nit also checks signatures and that the transaction source account can process the fee and has the proper sequence number.\n\n\nThe next layer above that (Horizon, Wallets, etc) can perform additional checks before signing transactions, for example, enforce some limits on payments (amount, rate per day, etc).\n\nReason for only doing those simple checks is two fold:\n\n\nit's very cheap (so very fast)\nit keeps the concern of tracking dependencies between transactions outside of the protocol layer (other than sequence number tracking). If more validations were done at that layer, it would require complex reordering of transactions when merging transaction sets, and that complexity increases the attack surface of the protocol.\n\n\nWith this explained - a payment can fail with an \"underfunded\" error because the payment amount is not part of sanity checks that validators perform. This responsibility falls onto the upper layers of the stack.", "The nonce is not intended to stop you spending the same money twice. If you had two transactions sending the same 50 ETH, the first transaction would go into the blockchain as a successful transfer, and, assuming you had enough money for the gas of the second, the second transaction would go into the blockchain as a failed transfer. (Note that this last part is different to systems like Bitcoin that don't have the concept of a transaction getting into the blockchain but failing - for them, a transaction either succeeds or is invalid, and if it's invalid, it won't be included in a block at all.)\n\nThe nonce is intended to prevent the same signed transaction being sent twice. If I have 100 ETH, and I make a transaction sending you 50 ETH, I don't want you to be able to copy the data I send, then send the exact same transaction to the network a second time, spending my remaining 50 ETH so you get 100 ETH when I only intended to send you 50 ETH. The nonce system avoids this: Each account has a record on the blockchain of the last nonce it processed, so if you try to send a transaction that has already been processed, the blockchain knows to reject it.\n\nThere are alternative methods used in other systems that don't require a nonce - UTXO-based systems like Bitcoin don't need nonces - but they share the requirement that there has to be something unique in your transaction that can only be processed by the blockchain once.", "Short answer: all the call chain has to fit in one block.\n\nTransactions issued by the smart contract are called \"internal operations\" and are successively executed until there are no more internal transactions or one of the transactions fails (be it due to a call to Fail in a contract, to a lack of gas, or to an invalid transaction). And if one of the transactions fails, the whole call chain (and any side-effects) are rolled back.\n\nSo you are guaranteed that they will be executed atomically in the block: they will not even be interleaved with other transactions from the same block. \n\nThis is documented in the Michelson documentation, under inter-transaction semantics. \nYou can also find the relevant piece of code in the file src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/apply.ml in the definition of apply_internal_manager_operations", "It sounds like you're questioning timing and flow control and maybe thinking about mining delays and so on. \n\nThere's a delay to mine a transaction, but you don't need to consider that delay inside a transaction because transactions always execute or fail completely. \n\nYour address.send() returns a true/false success/failure result to your contract. You can safely think about that as happening immediately. It will log an event if the send() succeeded, or nothing will happen if the send() failed, because (throw). \n\nThere's no time delay between the send() and the event because each new block presents an internally consistent picture of the accepted transactions and the results.\n\nStep-by-step:\n\n\nSomeone sends a transaction to a function\nMiners run the contract and discover if it succeeds or fails. If it succeeds, what changed? There was a value transfer and an event. \nIf the transaction succeeded, it gets included in a block and the state changes are part of the blockchain.\nIf it failed (throw), miners ignore the transaction and there will be no state changes. \n\n\nHope it helps.", "I have no idea what is a GAS token, but it doesn't make much difference. You cannot pay for transactions with tokens - only by gas which in turn uses Ether. So, at least in a simple DEX (decentralized exchange) where you simply swap assets, you can't pay transactions with tokens.\n\nIf the DEX uses state channels or Plasma or something similar for longer trading, then in theory it may be possible to use tokens for some valuation of transactions - but the starting and ending transactions would still require regular gas at least.", "A specifies a gas price.\n\nM1 and M2 decide whether to mine A's transaction if the gas price is high enough. If A's gas price was 1.5 GWei/gas, then only M1 would choose to mine A's transaction (since M2 wants 2 GWei/gas).\n\nA always pays 1000 (given F costs 1,000 gas) multiplied by the gas price it specified; miners cannot change the transaction fee A pays and can only choose whether to include A's transaction in a block.\n\nOnly the winning miner gets the transaction fee paid by A. Other miners and all other (full) nodes do have to verify the transaction and store its results: yes, it's unfair to them and part of the problem related to incentives and scalability.\n\nMore information, https://blog.ethereum.org/2014/02/01/on-transaction-fees-and-the-fallacy-of-market-based-solutions\n\n\n For each individual transaction that a miner includes, the costs are\n borne not just by that miner, but by every single node in the entire\n network.", "The signrawtransaction RPC will verify the input scripts of the transaction after it signs it. If the transaction has not been fully signed (i.e. it isn't complete), then the script verification will fail and produce this error.\n\nThis also happens with multisig transactions. When you don't have enough signatures, the script will fail to verify with the error that you see.\n\nSee also: https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/issues/9988", "You might be underestimating the difficulty here: \n\n\n If an action runs out of gas, it may be re-added to the blockchain and run without running out of gas\n\n\nTransactions from the same account are guaranteed to be mined in nonce order. Appending another one after the failed txn can't be the same nonce. Changing the nonce or increasing the gasPrice in the previously failed transaction would be a different transaction so it would invalidate the signature. \n\nSo, no. It may not be re-added tot he chain as suggested.\n\nIf it were possible for an attacker to use a copy of a signed transaction to send them again it would happen all the time because full nodes have copies of every transaction. \n\nYou may be thinking about chain reorganization issues. \n\nFor example, it IS possible to recall a transaction, with some luck, if it's not already mined. You send another transaction with a higher gasPrice and the same nonce and you hope it gets mined first. A miner considering both candidates will probably select the one with the higher gasPrice. Logically, that's sort of like an overwrite that pre-empts the one you want to recall. Importantly, it only works if the original transaction was pending. Once the original transaction is included in the chain no one will accept its demotion/replacement even if it failed. \n\nHope it helps.", "Yes, Quorum is one open source example.\n\nThe Ethereum wiki has a detailed section on Consortium Chain Development including suggestions for consensus algorithms:\n\n\n In a private chain context, there are three consensus algorithms that\n make the most sense:\n \n Proof of authority - essentially, one client with one particular\n private key makes all of the blocks\n \n PBFT (or some other traditional\n byzantine-fault-tolerant consensus algorithm)\n \n DPOS (or some other\n chain-based limited-validator consensus algorithm)\n\n\nRegarding P2P Networking:\n\n\n A private chain may want to either use the same networking code (but\n with a different network ID set in the config file), or use an\n alternative type of network; the most likely alternative is a design\n where every node connects directly to every other node (quite feasible\n and likely optimal in networks with under ~20 nodes).\n\n\nRegarding transaction fees, it highlights:\n\n\n Important note: \"gas\" and \"ether\" are NOT the same thing. Gas is a\n mechanism that allows computation inside the EVM to be\n deterministically metered, ie. for contracts to deterministically\n restrict calls to some fixed number of computational steps. Ether is a\n way of paying transaction fees, which are expected to be proportional\n to gas consumption. The Bitcoin analog of ether is BTC, the Bitcoin\n analog of gas is the number of bytes that a transaction takes up in a\n block; in Ethereum, measuring bytes alone is not enough as you also\n need to measure computation, hence the concept of gas. On a private\n chain, you do not need to use ether to pay for gas; you can come up\n with alternate rulesets, including for example simply requiring every\n transaction to have a maximum gas limit of 1 million.", "Whether a transaction could fail after being included in block, if so, how do I know about it?\n\n\nYes, once the transaction is in a block it is not executed anymore and, hence, can't fail.\n\n\n Whether a transaction could fail before being included in a block?\n\n\nYes, the response of the transaction call will contain the error.", "I can see your transaction on both block explorers, but eosflare labels it as a hard_fail transaction. Therefore, I assume your transaction exceeded the resources it was entitled to without running into an assert.\n\nFor reference, according to /libraries/chain/include/eosio/chain/block.hpp there are several states of transactions:\n\n enum status_enum {\n executed = 0, ///&lt; succeed, no error handler executed\n soft_fail = 1, ///&lt; objectively failed (not executed), error handler executed\n hard_fail = 2, ///&lt; objectively failed and error handler objectively failed thus no state change\n delayed = 3, ///&lt; transaction delayed/deferred/scheduled for future execution\n expired = 4 ///&lt; transaction expired and storage space refuned to user\n };\n\n\nThe reason why cleos didn't find it may have something to do with the read modes that the nodeos you were querrying was running as:\n\n\n \n speculative : this includes the side effects of unconfirmed transactions.\n head : this only includes the side effects of transactions which have been included in the produced and signed blocks that are part of the best chain nodeos\n irreversible : this only includes side effects of transactions which have been confirmed by the network as irreversible." ]

[ "Variety - NEW YORK -- In one of television's most counterintuitive twists, none of the broadcast news divisions or cable news nets proclaimed George W. Bush the victor until sometime after 11 a.m. Wednesday. That's when Democratic challenger John Kerry ended a tense standoff and conceded the fraught race in a phone call to Bush." ]

[ "'Most Significant Enterprise Applications Alliance in History,'it sez here..." ]

[ "Yeah find like an old shoe box and put it under some books and clothes . I have a crop top and short shorts that are barried in the back of my closet" ]

[ "If you don't finish your food, a demon will hide in the room you left empty in your stomach and live there and slowly eat you from the inside.", "Check in two weeks. Christmas will be a horror show. Do your best to not have to go to the emergency room. Do your double best to not have a major accident or medical emergency. They will not have room for you in a couple weeks.", "It's similar to why you can't see out your living room window at night when lamp is on.", "When you see your parents having sex", "You don't necessarily like your music loud you just don't want to hear them fighting in the next room", "If you’re craving a cigarette you wanna eat something sweet like fruit or a lollipop and it’ll bounce your blood sugar like a cigarette will", "If you’re spelling parents like that you should be doing your homework", "First you gotta clean up your room. - Jordan Peterson", "You know it’s all over when you have to parent your parents and you sound just like them.", "You have a reason to act like you have something up your ass.", "You look exactly like your parents.", "Bring clothes you’re ready to get rid of so you have room in your suitcase for souvenirs.", "Put your alarm at the other side of the room so you need to go out of your bed", "Tinnitus, constant ringing, there are no room for thoughts, only room for screams. Unless you workout your brain, then the screams stop", "1. find something visual. maybe a paper or board you hang up in your room. it's hard to \nignore your tasks when their right in front of you. \n\n2. take your time. take more time than you would normally for your mental health. it's important for adapting to your surroundings especially if you have pre existing problems with your mental health. \n\n3. go outside a lot. don't try to stay stuck indoors, there's plenty of places to go without people, and you could even go to public areas or for picnics with friends if your safe. \n\n4. make your room aesthetically appealing. if you can't or don't have the funs to that's perfectly fine, but at least make your room neat. a good looking room puts me in a better mood. \n\n5. take few and small breaks. working for a long time will lead to a big burn out, and you don't want to be burned out in a pandemic. taking breaks without getting distracted is probably best for this. \n\n\nhope this helped!!", "That your parents will stop telling you what to do with your life after you turn 18 \n\nLOL", "To learn from his fuck up and not pet your wife decorate your computer room.", "Is that when you nut in your hand and throw it across the room? Or did you mean a *live* grenade?", "Porn artist do you jack of to your own stuff?", "I don't get the question. What does a relationship have to do with your sense of self?\n\nRelationships are partnerships. You join with the other person, and build that partnership. But you are still you, and they are still them. \n\nIf you have a partner who is changing you into someone you don't recognize? Into someone you don't want to be? That's not good.\n\nRelationships are about compromise. You might have to do stuff you don't want to do sometimes, as will your partner with you. But the stuff you do is not your \"self\", not your identity. You shouldn't have to compromise your identity.", "Walking away from your computer but forgetting you have headphones on.", "Your parents love you.", "You can do anything you want,\n\non your last day.", "Recognize that 25 is young and you have your whole future in front of you and can start making changes to live the life you want.", "Find your parents and tell them that this is what you spend your time doing", "It's cute, but if you stick your finger in it, I'll eat your beating heart in front of you.", "You guys aren’t hiding your nips?", "No, if you remember that happening with you and your parents that is not normal.", "Where do you guys keep your slaves?", "You can change your \"destiny\" by doing something...", "Something you can do with your girlfriend and the bros", "When they ask, Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Reply, “Doing your job.”" ]

[ "Ghee does have a different aroma and consistency, so, depending on the use of it in the recipe (wether it is used for frying or in the frosting for example), it will quite likely change the final result. So in some cases substituting butter with some neutral flavored oil or margarine might be better than ghee." ]

[ "You can use butter instead of ghee to make halwa. But it will change the taste of the halwa a lo. Also, if you use normal store bought butter, it has some amount of salt in it. ... Although, I recommend that you use ghee only for your halwa.", "Ghee has a much higher smoke point than butter, so it can be used for frying and sautéing where butter would just scorch. However, if you're just brushing ghee on at the end or using it to finish a dish, regular butter is probably fine. ... When recipes call for ghee, I just use clarified butter.", "Ghee is clarified butter, so clarify some butter and use the same amount of that as it calls for ghee. When recipes call for ghee, I just use clarified butter. It's always worked fine in curries.", "Ghee. Ghee is a clarified butter with a distinctive nutty taste and aroma. Like coconut oil, a person can replace butter with ghee at a 1-to-1 ratio in cooking and baking. ... Ghee works best as a butter substitute in baked goods that require cooking at higher temperatures.", "Since butter and ghee butter are similar, they are quite interchangeable, meaning you can substitute ghee for butter and vice versa. Just keep in mind the varying nutritional facts for the two as ghee is found to be a healthier option.", "Use Ghee Instead of Butter for Improved Wellbeing You may also see “milk solids” listed on ingredient labels. Milk solids are added to foods like yogurt and ice cream to give them a creamier texture, without adding fat. ... That's what you get in every jar of Full Moon Ghee.", "Ghee is butter that has been processed to remove the milk solids. ... Salted or unsalted will work, though some insist that the best ghee is made with unsalted butter. I've used both. Put the butter in a saucepan.", "Ghee. Ghee is a type of clarified butter with an aromatic and nutty taste. ... In baked goods for which a strong, buttery flavor is desirable, it can replace butter at a 1:1 ratio. Substituting ghee for butter works best with items that are baked at high temperatures and served warm, such as breads and cookies.", "What Is the Difference Between Ghee and Clarified Butter? While you can use ghee and clarified butter almost interchangeably, there are a few differences. Taste. The extra cooking time gives ghee a nutty flavor.", "TIPS FOR MAKING THIS DELICIOUS GAJAR KA HALWA (CARROT HALWA) Butter may be substituted instead of ghee. But traditionally halwa is made using ghee. ... Instead of sugar, you can also used condensed milk, gives halwa a nice rich taste. Also, you can add khoya or milk powder to enhance the flavor.", "Clarified butter and ghee shouldn't be restricted to home biryani, though. ... If you're making a recipe that calls for, say, coconut oil, you can use clarified butter instead. Steak, too, is delicious cooked in a skillet with clarified butter.", "Ghee is actually clarified butter. Basically it is butter with the milk solids taken out of it. ... However it is very important to understand that over using butter or ghee can definitely affect your waistline and cholesterol. Both of these options are far better for your health than margarine.", "Ghee is a form of highly-clarified butter that is traditionally used in Asian cooking. Like butter, ghee is typically made from cow's milk. Ghee is made by melting regular butter. ... Once separated, the milk solids are removed, which means that ghee has less lactose than butter.", "While eating butter is not necessarily bad for you (in moderation), ghee may be a better alternative depending on your dietary needs. Ghee is a type of clarified butter that's made from heating butter and allowing the liquid and milk portion to separate from the fat.", "In baked goods for which a strong, buttery flavor is desirable, it can replace butter at a 1:1 ratio. Substituting ghee for butter works best with items that are baked at high temperatures and served warm, such as breads and cookies.", "Clarified butter and ghee are not the same. Ghee is clarified butter that has been cooked longer to remove all the moisture, and the milk solids are browned (caramelized) in the fat and then strained out. This gives a rich nutty taste. Ghee has a longer shelf life, both refrigerated and at room temperature.", "To avoid the issue of burning pancakes—or French toast or fried toast or grilled cheese—fry in ghee, not butter. Using ghee or clarified butter will allow you to pan-fry the brioche at a high temperature without burning the milk solids in the butter.", "Ghee has a higher smoke point when compared to butter, so it doesn't burn as quickly. This is perfect for sautéing or frying foods. ... Because ghee separates milk from fat, this butter substitute is lactose-free, making it better than butter if you have allergies or sensitivities to dairy products.", "Butter oil has a bland flavor, whereas ghee has a pleasing flavor. Ghee has less moisture, contains more protein solids, and differs in fatty acid and phospholipid as compared to butter oil. Butter oil is prepared by melting butter at a temperature not exceeding 80°C, whereas ghee is manufactured at 100–140°C.", "Clarified butter is the most direct replacement,. For low temp cooking plain unsalted butter or brown butter works . For high temp frying you might want to use peanut oil. while the flavor won't be the same it will give some of the nutty flavor associated with good quality Ghee.", "Ghee has a slightly higher concentration of fat than butter and more calories. One tablespoon of ghee has about 120 calories , whereas one tablespoon of butter has about 102 calories .", "Ghee tastes like butter but with a slightly roasted, nutty background note. Like butter, commercial brands of ghee differ in flavor depending on the quality of the milk used to produce it. Because the milk solids have been removed, ghee does not have the creamy mouthfeel of butter.", "Ghee. Ghee is a type of clarified butter with an aromatic and nutty taste. It contains virtually no casein or lactose and is thus a safer choice for people with milk allergy or lactose intolerance. In baked goods for which a strong, buttery flavor is desirable, it can replace butter at a 1:1 ratio.", "Pure Ghee is clarified butter whereas Vegetable Ghee is used in restaurants . This ghee is cheaper but has high amount of trans-fats. Pure Ghee on the other hand does not contain oxidized cholesterol or transfatty acids and tastes great too.”", "In addition to boasting intriguing cheese combos, the sandwiches feature one really awesome hack: the use of ghee instead of butter. Ghee, or clarified butter, has a nutty taste and doesn't burn like butter when melted over the stovetop.", "As the milk solids have been removed, ghee doesn't go rancid as rapidly as ordinary butter does, so refrigeration is not so essential. However, it will extend its life, so it's worth keeping opened shop-bought ghee or homemade ghee in the fridge.", "Easy Paleo Recipe Substitute #2: Instead of butter, use ghee or coconut oil. If you're not down with butter, alternatives exist to mimic both the texture and / or flavor. ... Coconut oil, which is mostly saturated fat, is a great butter stand-in because it's solid below 77°F and has a moderately high smoke point.", "Icings made with shortening only can be unpleasant because the fat congeals and coats the inside of the mouth, where it does not melt. However, butter makes a less stable icing because it melts so easily. Use butter cream only in cool whether.", "Soft and spreadable at room temperature, there's nothing easier than slathering a dollop of rich-tasting ghee on toast. Ghee is not only delicious, it's good for you too. ... Ghee brings you the same nutrients as butter (fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins), without potentially irritating lactose and casein.", "The English word is “ghee”. Some people have said the correct term is “clarified butter”, but I heard the word “ghee” as a child, long before I ever heard the term “clarified butter”.", "Since the ketogenic diet calls for plenty of butter, ghee is a great option (or clarified butter) as it doesn't contain as much of the lactose (dairy sugar) or milk solids that butter usually contains.", "Unlike clarified butter, which is cooked just to the point where the water evaporates and the milk solids separate (and sink), ghee is cooked until the milk solids begin to caramelize. ... But like clarified butter, ghee does not contain milk solids and is pure butterfat." ]

[ "Algorithm like Decision Tree, can also work well on ordinal values, i.e. without OneHotEncoding. You can try this one.\n\nAlso Im not sure the importance of Title Name, so you have to take decision based upon the requirements. But I have avoided in my use case.\n\n\n Also, generally when you have large number of categories, you can give\n a try by clubbing uncommon categories into one." ]

[ "They are not the same at all. Datasets are Open if they are available under a free license to everyone. Datasets are Big if... well, they are. Typically big beyond where common software can handle them in real time. \n\nFor example Facebook and Google work with Big Data that is not Open. \n\nMost Open Data sets are actually an example of Small Data: The datasets themselves are not huge, but there is a large number of them that can be correlated to increase their value.", "To add to Steven Lee's answer, the entire transaction level dataset from England's Land Registry can be downloaded from the Land Registry site.\n\nThis dataset contains every house price from house sales since 1995 and contains both the full postcode, the street name and the street number. If you can handle the entire dataset (~20 million rows) it is not immensely hard to aggregate to LSOA (at least approximately even though postcodes don't map neatly onto LSOAs). An exact mapping might be possible with a little GIS wizardry but the approximate mapping is available using the postcode to LSOA lookups from The census service here. The tables provide lookups to most higher-level geographies from full postcodes. \n\nThe datasets are a little large to handle in Excel or Access (there are >2 million postcodes never mind the 20m house prices) so it is worth looking for better tools to process them. My personal choice is Google's BigQuery which is designed for large analytical workloads but is cheap (and for small workloads, free) and available to anyone with a web browser and a Google account.", "Dataset Abusive YouTube Comment\nSexually Abusive Comments and specific words collection from popular youtube videos such as music videos and cartoons (Peppa Pig)\n\nTrending YouTube Video Statistics and Comments\nDaily statistics (views, likes, category, comments+) for trending YouTube videos\nThe dataset includes data gathered from videos on YouTube that are contained within the trending category each day.\nThere are two kinds of data files, one includes comments and one includes video statistics. They are linked by the unique video_id field.\n\nIf you are interested to generate your own dataset the below article might be helpful.\nHow to Build Your Own Dataset of YouTube Comments\nCollecting Comments with YouTube Data API", "The Department of Education maintains rating data on schools in a large number of categories. You can build your own tables here:\n\nhttp://eddataexpress.ed.gov/state-tables-main.cfm\n\nThe US Dept. of Ed also has related search tools here:\n\nhttp://nces.ed.gov/datatools/\n\nThe link below will allow you to very a variety of aggregated data at state, county, school district and school level. Note, only a minimal amount of data is aggregated at county level.\n\nhttp://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi/expressTables.aspx\n\nFor those that want to fully customize their results (datasets), use this tool:\n\nhttp://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi/tableGenerator.aspx", "A paper published in 2009 by the Federal Reserve Board gave a brief description\n\n\n The BLS surveys about 85,000 items a month in its Commodities and Services Survey. Individual prices are collected at around 20,000 retail outlets across 45 large urban areas. The survey covers all goods and services other than shelter, or about 70 percent of the CPI based on BLS consumer expenditure weights. The CPI Research Database (hereafter CPI-RDB) maintained by the BLS Division of Price and Index Number Research contains all prices in the Commodities and Services Survey since January 1988. We use the CPI-RDB through May 2008, for a sample of \"1988-2008\".\n \n The BLS collects consumer prices monthly for food and fuel items in all areas. The BLS also collects prices monthly for all items in the three largest metropolitan areas (New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago). The BLS collects prices for items in other categories and other urban areas only bimonthly.\n\n\nDetails may have changed since then but essentially the database is an detailed dataset of prices for a wide range of selected items charged by a large sample of individual retailers at different points in time\n\nIt is not available to the public. In particular, it contains commercially sensitive information about individual retailers\n\nIt is available to some academic researchers who reach an agreement with the Bureau of Labor Statistics putting restrictions on how they handle and how they use the database and on the locations where they access the data; BLS also charges a fee. BLS provides details on Restricted Data Access on its website", "Multimodal Vision Research Laboratory\nBelow is a list of datasets that are made publicly available for research purposes.\nArchive of Many Outdoor Scenes (AMOS): A dataset containing hundreds of millions of images gathered from publicly available outdoor webcams.\nCrossview USA (CVUSA): A large dataset containing millions of pairs of ground-level and aerial/satellite images from across the United States.\nFace2Year: A large number of images extracted from highschool yearbooks.\nGeoFaces: A dataset containing millions of geotagged images of human faces.\nHorizon Lines in the Wild: A large dataset of images annotated with horizon lines.\nLOST: A large dataset containing streaming video collected from publicly available outdoor webcams.\nSkyFinder: A large dataset of webcam images annotated with sky regions.\nTimelapse Clouds: A dataset containing videos of clouds and cloud shadows captured by stationary ground-based cameras.\n\nSkyFinder\nDataset Description\nA large dataset of webcam images annotated with sky regions.\nArchive of Many Outdoor Scenes (AMOS)\nDataset Description\nA dataset containing hundreds of millions of images gathered from publicly available outdoor webcams.", "It will depend on the rights of the videos themselves, although probably the terms of service of youtube wouldn't agree with it anyway.\n\nBut you have the YouTube 8M dataset, released by Google for research purposes.\n\n\n YouTube-8M is a large-scale labeled video dataset that consists of millions of YouTube video IDs and associated labels from a diverse vocabulary of 4700+ visual entities. It comes with precomputed state-of-the-art audio-visual features from billions of frames and audio segments, designed to fit on a single hard disk. This makes it possible to get started on this dataset by training a baseline video model in less than a day on a single machine! At the same time, the dataset's scale and diversity can enable deep exploration of complex audio-visual models that can take weeks to train even in a distributed fashion. \n\n\nEdit: And Facebook and MIT just released SLAC (dataset to be released soon, as well as pretrained models for transfer learning).\n\n\n This project presents a novel video dataset, named SLAC (Sparsely Labeled ACtions), for action recognition and localization. It consists of over 520K untrimmed videos and 1.75M clip annotations spanning 200 action categories.", "quick web search gives handful of resources\n\nhttp://saliency.mit.edu/datasets.html\n\n\n This was the first data set with held-out human eye movements, and is used as a benchmark test set.\n eyetracker: ETL 400 ISCAN (240Hz) \n\n\nor \n\n\n This dataset contains two sets of images: train and test. Train images (100 from each category) and fixations of 18 observers are shared but 6 observers are held-out. Test images are available but fixations of all 24 observers are held out.\n eyetracker: EyeLink1000 (1000Hz)\n\n\nhttp://gazecapture.csail.mit.edu and https://github.com/CSAILVision/GazeCapture\n\n\n In the dataset, we include data for 1474 unique subjects. Each numbered directory represents a recording session from one of those subjects. Numbers were assigned sequentially, although some numbers are missing for various reasons (e.g., test recordings, duplicate subjects, or incomplete uploads).\n\n\nhttp://calvin.inf.ed.ac.uk/datasets/poet-dataset/\n\n\n We collected eye tracking data for the complete trainval set of ten objects classes (cat, dog, bicycle, motorbike, boat, aeroplane, horse, cow, sofa, diningtable) from Pascal VOC 2012 [2] (6,270 images in total). Each image is annotated with the eye movement record of five participants, whose task was to identify which object class was present in the image.\n\n\netc", "There are quite a few examples of papers where they try and 'teach' neural networks to 'learn' how to solve math problems. Most of the time, sadly, it comes down to training on a large dataset after which the network can 'solve' the sort of basic problems, but is unable to generalize this to larger problems. That is, if you train a neural network to solve addition, it will be inherently constrained by the dataset. It might be able to semi-sufficiently solve addition with 3 or even 4 digits, depending on how big your dataset is, but throw in an addition question containing 2 10 digit numbers, and it will almost always fail.\nThe latest example that I can remember where they tried this is in the General Language Model GPT-3, which was not made to solve equations per se, but does 'a decent job' on the stuff that was in the dataset. Facebook AI made an 'advanced math solver' with a specific architecture that i have not looked into which might disproof my point, but you can look into that.\nIn the end, this comes down to 'what is learning' and 'what do you want to accomplish'. Most agree that these network are not able to generalize beyond their datasets. Some might say that not being able to generalize does not mean that it is not learning. It might just be learning slower. I believe that these models are inherently limited to what is presented in the dataset. Given a good dataset, it might be able to generalize to cases 'near and in-between', but I have yet to see a case where this sort of stuff generalizes to cases 'far outside' the dataset.", "PCA sounds like a good start to see a rough population structure among your 96 individuals, this step is half a sane thing to do, but also it can give you a hint how many distinct populations there are in your dataset. I have not personally run PCA on SNP data, but it seems that there are quite lot of tutorials online. For instance this one looks nice.\n\nOnce you know how many categories you can expect in your population, you can use Structure to classify individuals to the categories.", "Before briefing about the other things, I would like to suggest you something good. It is always better to set a seed number in machine learning and deep learning problems to get a reproducible result and by that I mean that every time when you try to run your model anywhere, it can produce the same best result which you got on your machine while experimenting. So, you should always set numpy.random.seed(*anynumber*).\n\nNow how to compare your result to your expected result? There are a number of parameters that you can look upon during training your model. Some of these are:\n\n\nValidation accuracy: It is the one of the most important parameter to look upon for evaluating your model's performance. This gives you a fair idea if your model is overfitting or not. More the validation accuracy, the better is the model.\nValidation loss: If your model is really good, then validation loss must decrease, at least initially until your best epoch hasn't been obtained. Lower the validation loss, better the model.\nOptimizers: There are a number of optimizers like 'rmsprop', 'sgd', etc. which can be used for different types of problems but not all give the same performance. You should grid-search for a number of optimizers for your model if you are not specific about which is best for your model.\nNumber of training epochs: Depending upon the size of dataset, no. of training epochs differ but if you are not giving enough training to your model, then your model performance will suffer.\nTraining data: If you think your model is fine, but you are not achieving expected results, then you can try to train your model on a large dataset. NN require large dataset for achieving awesome performance.", "I've got the answer to my question at https://www.biostars.org/p/410466/ by chrchang522\n\n&quot;The main regression executed by Plink was introduced by EIGENSTRAT in ~2006; see https://www.nature.com/articles/ng1847 . This is actually straightforward to write in R/Python from scratch; the harder part is optimizing the implementation for large datasets.\nThe Firth regression added to Plink 2.0 to improve handling of rare variants and imbalanced binary phenotypes was motivated by https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4049324/ .\nMixed linear models provide better statistical power when you have lots of close relatives in your dataset, but are much trickier to solve; actually, this is still a significant research area. Two tools covering parts of the current state-of-the-art are SAIGE (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6119127/ ; handles imbalanced binary phenotypes, but relatively slow) and fastGWA (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-019-0530-8 ; great speed, but doesn't support dosage data yet and uses a misspecified model for binary phenotypes).&quot;", "I'm sure there are lots of ways of handling this, but there are only 20 of them (more or less). I really wanted to figure out how the amino acids resulted in the resulting protein structure. So I started to break them down into categories. The categories cannot draw boundaries exactly since one amino acid might belong to several categories in a unique way, but it starts to give you a sense of what the sidechains do.\n\n\n Aliphatic : G A L I V M P\n Aromatic : F Y W H\n Polarizable : F Y W H M C R\n Polar: S T Q N D E K C\n Small: A S T G C\n Large : F Y W H R K\n Strong Structural variation: P G\n\n\nyou still have to memorize them eventually, but you can make it easier to put them in categories and in these groups its easier to bring them to mind.", "Julian McAuley of UCSD compiles a list of datasets for recommender systems. These are a diverse set of labelled text data fortified with additional measures available for various datasets (e.g. network relationships, geospatial data, categorical information, quantitative measures, etc.).\nOne dataset that has been frequently used in topic modelling and other natural language processing tasks is the Amazon Reviews Dataset (versions 2013, 2014 and 2018). Excerpts from the 2019 dataset overview:\n\n... this dataset includes reviews (ratings, text, helpfulness votes),\nproduct metadata (descriptions, category information, price, brand,\nand image features), and links (also viewed/also bought graphs)...\n... The total number of reviews is 233.1 million (142.8 million in\n2014)...\n... Current data includes reviews in the range May 1996 - Oct\n2018...\n... We have added transaction metadata for each review shown on the review page...\n\nThe original study that generated and used this dataset is highly cited on Google Scholar.\n\nMcAuley, J. and Leskovec, J., 2013, October. Hidden factors and hidden\ntopics: understanding rating dimensions with review text. In\nProceedings of the 7th ACM conference on Recommender systems (pp.\n165-172). ACM.", "Color\n\n\n The sizes of the circles must matter, right? So let's assign 0 to the smallest circle, 1 to the next smallest, until 9 to the largest. Doing so gives us something like 3141592653... to start. Aha, it's the digits of pi! This is also consistent with the digit displayed: 1 is the 2nd digit (including the 3) in the hint, and 2 is the 29th digit (including the 3). This is also consistent with large numbers displayed.\n\n\nCategories\n\n\n Granted I only have a few datapoints here, but it seems like the rule is just to consider which categories that number is in. For instance, 2 is a prime, and also appears in the Fibonacci and Tribonacci sequences. 29 is a prime but not the others; 1 is not a prime but is Fibonacci and Tribonacci.\n\n\nTherefore, the next dot:\n\n\n The 101th digit of pi is a 9, so it's a large red dot. 9 is none of the categories so it would not have any categories labeled. The big number is 101 to represent the 101th digit, which is a prime but neither of the other two, so it would get 101ρ.", "LinearModelFit does too much--it computes residuals, etc., etc. When working with large problems, just compute what you need when you need it. It all begins with the fit itself, which should be done with LeastSquares:\n\nFirst[Timing[\nLeastSquares[{ConstantArray[1, #], RandomReal[NormalDistribution[], #]}\\[Transpose], \n RandomReal[NormalDistribution[], #]]]] &amp; /@ (10^Range[7])\n\n\n\n {0., 0., 0., 0., 0.047, 0.437, 4.508}\n\n\nMore than half that time is just the random number generation. In brief, computing the fit only takes about one second per four million points. The timing with more independent variables will be proportionately longer (it should scale linearly with the number of points and cubically with the number of variables).\n\nOnce datasets get this large, regression (with just a single independent variable) is usually pointless: you can do just fine by randomly subsampling the data, sometimes with as few as a hundred points or so, depending on the sizes of the residuals and how precise the estimates need to be.", "Yes, in fact neural networks (NNs) are very efficient at segmentation and it seems to me that your problem matches the capabilities of neural networks very well. \n\nI think it best for you to truly understand what a NN is before using it. First, let's start with the architecture. A NN has 3 regions, the input layer, the hidden layers and the output layer. The input layer depends on the number of features in your dataset. The hidden layers, you can have multiple layers all of different breadth (number of nodes per layer). The output layer depends on the number of classes in your dataset. \n\nAn easy example is applying a NN to the MNIST datatset. This is a dataset which contains handwritten digits between 0-9. Let's assume each of these images is 16*16=256 pixels. Thus, you will need 256 input nodes. And you will need 10 output nodes, one for each possible output. The hidden layers can be set in any way you can creatively imagine. There are however ways to optimize your hidden layer to get the best performance possible while not spending too much computational power. \n\nThis is always how a NN works. The beauty of a NN is that you only need to code it once and it can learn any function. All you need to do is change your architecture, but the underlining principles will always be the same. \n\nIn your case, you want to do segmentation. This is often done using a window around the pixel you want to classify. Popular choices are 3*3 or 5*5 pixels. The choice of your considered window will determine the number of nodes in your input layer. Then you want to classify them as one of two classes, thus you need 2 output nodes. You can also use just 1, but I don't recommend it, I can expand on this if you care.\n\nOne caveat of NN is that you will need quite a bit of training data. So get ready to classify a lot of pixels manually. \n\nHow to know how many layers in hidden layer? How to know how many nodes per layer in the hidden layer?\n\nIn general, for simple operations like the one you are trying to learn you do not need to have multiple layers. One hidden layer should be enough, at most 2. But, how do you determine the number of nodes you should use? You need to use some model validation techniques to do this. One way is through grid search and cross-validation. Train, and re-train your model with multiple number of nodes and then compare their performances to identify the optimal number of nodes. To get good results this does require a large dataset.\n\nRule of thumb: 1 hidden layer for NN! Don't get dragged into deep models if you don't need them.", "This is not an exhaustive answer. This is an evolving research area in terms of applying ML to dataset generation. I am most familiar with the use case for constructing atomistic potential energy surfaces.\nThe most common techniques I have seen all fall under the category of active learning. The goal of active learning in this context is essentially to determine whether or not a newly proposed structure for a dataset is redundant. Of course, no structure will be truly redundant, so the algorithm is essentially building a continuum that discriminates the similarity between structures in terms of how much new information they bring to the dataset. If a structure brings a lot of new information, then the uncertainty in the current models prediction should be large.\nThere are many ways one can train the agent in an active learning model. I am not an expert on any of them, so I'll just give some references and a description of my understanding.\nIn Ref. [1], a gaussian process regression model is used to determine which configurations should be sampled for a many-body potential energy surface (PES). That is, one would have a separate fit for the 1-body, 2-body, etc. pieces of the PES, and these are combined via the many-body expansion. The way this model works is by having the active-learning model try to estimate the uncertainty in the prediction of the model which has been fitted to some initial dataset. So, a good candidate structure to add to the dataset is one which has a large uncertainty in the prediction (likely because it falls in the extrapolation category, rather than the interpolation category).\nIn Ref. [2], the criteria for including a new data point in the training set is determined using a model called query-by-committee. What I have gathered is that one keeps around many different models which are generated from different subsets of the total available dataset. That detail could be wrong, but in any case, there is some way in which you keep around multiple similar models. One then proposes a new candidate structure, and each model labels that structure (predicts the energy/forces in the context of a PES). Then, the new structure is added to the dataset based on a parameter which related to the standard deviation of the predicted labels. Again, higher standard deviation means you want to add that structure more.\nRef. [3] is sort of an on-the-fly application of any active learning method, really, in which the new structures are determined via a molecular dynamics simulation (based on an ab initio method in this case). So, one uses the active learning method to determine if the new structure is similar to old structures, and if so, then you use a trained model to propagate the dynamics, and otherwise you do the full ab initio evaluation, and add the new labeled data to the training set. I guess part of the simulation is pausing to re-train the model on-the-fly, but I imagine it would be more efficient to do this in batches or something. So, this is basically a way that one can start out doing AIMD and end up doing classical MD with an ab initio trained PES. That will be quite cool if this works out in the long-term. I can imagine some interesting things you can do if you have a split CPU/GPU architecture for doing the training and force evaluation in parallel without having to fully stop either at any point (then like rewinding the dynamics at certain points).\nRef. [4] is another example of a similar procedure where the researchers refine a neural-network potential on-the-fly using a committee-based approach. In this case, they definitely do random sub-sampling of an initial ab initio simulation of water, and then train many neural network potentials, all of the same form, and then determine the uncertainty in a prediction based on the standard of all the predictions from the members of the committee, which are the various NN potentials.\n\n[1]: Zhai, Y., Caruso, A., Gao, S., &amp; Paesani, F. (2020). Active learning of many-body configuration space: Application to the Cs+–water MB-nrg potential energy function as a case study. The Journal of Chemical Physics, 152(14), 144103.\n[2]: Smith, J. S., Nebgen, B., Lubbers, N., Isayev, O., &amp; Roitberg, A. E. (2018). Less is more: Sampling chemical space with active learning. The Journal of chemical physics, 148(24), 241733.\n[3]: Jinnouchi, R., Miwa, K., Karsai, F., Kresse, G., &amp; Asahi, R. (2020). On-the-Fly Active Learning of Interatomic Potentials for Large-Scale Atomistic Simulations. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters.\n[4]: Schran, C., Brezina, K., &amp; Marsalek, O. (2020). Committee neural network potentials control generalization errors and enable active learning. arXiv preprint arXiv:2006.01541.", "As chapter numbers grow, will this be too many sections for Craft to handle?\n\n\nProbably not. I suspect as your section list grows to the multi-thousand section range (if it will ever get that large), you'll start to run into MySQL/environmental limitations rather than any Craft ones. But if you do run into any UI/architectural limitations, we'd love to hear about them.\n\nIn the upcoming Craft 2.3 release, we spent a great deal of time addressing UI scaling issues around Structured Sections and Categories when they start to approach the multi-thousand range, but we've seem installations with several hundred thousands of Channel entries/assets/users running just fine.", "You can think of each feature running along its own axis on a graph. Just because we store all feature e.g. in a single DataFrame – one feature per column – it doesn't mean the data's structure is just 2d (rows and columns). This is not the case only in NLP, but in most contexts involving statistics and modelling.\n\nWe can see this with your example data. There are text blocks, which you should match to a category (as far as I can tell).\n\nThe initial dataset contains other meta-data, such as a desctiption of the dataset, the names of the target categories and also the location of each sample's file. We don't really care about these for the pure modelling part. So there are only text blocks, called data, and the target categories, called target. Your input is then 1d - the text blocks.\n\nI will show how to put that into a dataframe, being very verbose about dimensions and features:\n\nfrom sklearn.datasets import fetch_20newsgroups\ngroups = fetch_20newsgroups()\n\nimport pandas as pd # needed to use a dataframe\n\n# Get the desired parts from \"groups\"\ndesired = ['data', 'target'] # we don't care about the 'filenames' ona so on\n\n# make a new dictionary with only desired key-value pairs\nonly_data = {k: v for k, v in groups.items() if k in desired}\n\n\nNow we put this into a dataframe\n\ndf = pd.DataFrame.from_dict(only_data)\n\n# Check the shape of the dataframe\ndf.shape\n(11314, 2)\n\n\nSo there are 11314 samples of 1 feature, to 1 target variable. This is therefore 1-dimensional input data (we don't count the target variable).\n\n\n\nWhen we have e.g. 50 features, explaining some target variable, it may be referred to as a 50-dimensional input space. People then may use dimensionality reduction techniques, such as Principal Components Analysis, which will attempt to squeeze the 50 dimensions into a lesser number (you can choose how many to use).\n\nIn your data, you will likely pre-process the text samples to create more features. These will just be new columns in the dataframe, whose shape could become e.g. (11314, 40) if you add another 38 features, by doing things like counting words or constructing some word-embeddings.", "Way way too complex\n\nOne way to help workout how to solve a problem is to solve it in your head (or on paper) first. That way you know the problem from the top to the bottom. Then use that approach in your script. \n\nThe code looks like you started at the top with no clear idea of the solution, and solve many separate problems as you encountered them. The result is unreadable and way to complex. \n\nI could not make a good assessment due to its complexity and bugs.\n\nYour code does not run.\n\n\nThe name aggregateScope in aggregates should be aggregate\nsum throws TypeError map is not a function\n\n\nPatching those problems it still did not run.\n\nThe hell of a zillion iterators is not easy to traverse so I stopped trying to work it out at that point.\n\nQuestions.\n\nYou have some questions.\n\n\n what are alternative ways of breaking down the problem?\n\n\nIts just a set of nested arrays and named objects. The names are fixed, so its just a process of stepping over each array in turn storing the counts in a named map (see example) \n\n\n what is it's Big O complexity? \n\n\nI am guessing its It more than \\$O(n)\\$ and less than or equal to \\$O(n^2)\\$ where \\$n\\$ is the number of category items. As there is only a small sample dataset and the code does not work I can not give a accurate evaluation.\n\nI did count 18 different iteration function calls throughout your code. With 2 or 7 iterations each, nested to about 6 levels. If I use that and average (2 + 7) / 2 = 4.5 per iterator then its 4.56 approx steps, so that's a big \\$O(n^3)\\$ for the given dataset of 11 category items\n\n\n Can it be reduced?\n\n\nYes, it can be O(n) as there is no need to search, and no need to compare items (see example).\n\n\n are there language features (JS/ES6) that can make this more idiomatic?\n\n\n\nUse for of loops to iterate.\nUse bracket notations to create named properties. \nKeep your functions ordered. From bottom to top, it makes it easier to locate functions and follow the code.\nNo more than one iterator per line. You quickly lose track of how complex it gets.\n\n\nIs all that comes to mind, that and K.I.S.S. \n\nAn alternative example solution\n\nI am not that conventional when it comes to code, so not quite idiomatic. less is good in my book and helps find the optimal \\$O(n)\\$ solution.\n\n\r\n\r\nfunction aggregateTransactionCategories(data, types) {\n const result = {};\n const mapCategories = (type, transactions) =&gt; {\n for (const cats of transactions) { \n const name = type + \"_\" + cats.category;\n result[name] = result[name] ? result[name] + 1 : 1;\n } \n }\n for (const type of types) {\n for (const entries of data) { \n for (const entry of entries[type]) { \n mapCategories(type, entry.transactions);\n }\n }\n }\n return result;\n}\n\nsetTimeout(() =&gt;\n log(aggregateTransactionCategories( data, [\"groups\", \"users\"]))\n ,0\n);\n\n\n\n\nconst data = [{\n users: [\n { id: \"07bd\", transactions: [{category: \"purchase\"}, {category: \"unknown\"}] },\n { id: \"40aa\", transactions: [{category: \"sale\"}, {category: \"unknown\"}] }\n ],\n groups: [\n { id: \"00c6\", transactions: [{category: \"atm\"}, {category: \"cash\"}] },\n { id: \"eb95\", transactions: [{category: \"atm\"}, {category: \"cash\"}] }\n ]\n }, {\n users: [\n { id: \"af09\", transactions: [{category: \"bill\"}] }\n ],\n groups: [\n { id: \"c5ba\", transactions: [{category: \"fee\"}, {category: \"cash\"}] }\n ]\n }\n];\n\n\n//Just displays the result and not related to the problem\nfunction log(data) {\n for(const [name, value] of Object.entries(data)) {\n displayResult.appendChild(Object.assign(\n document.createElement(\"div\"),{ \n textContent : name + \": \" + value + \",\"\n }\n ))\n }\n}\r\n&lt;code id=\"displayResult\"&gt;&lt;/code&gt;", "What you are looking for is an unsupervised learning algorithm algorithm: i.e an algorithm that will by itself determine the 3 most rational groups from your dataset. This method will allow you to choose the boundaries of the groups based on the dataset you provide and not by choosing some given fixed values.\n\nThe algorithm I suggest you to use is the K-means algorithm. You provide it with the data, and the number $k$ of clusters (groups) that you want to have. The algorithm will then split the data into the $k$ groups you would like. Note that this algorithm can handle points with several features, whereas you will be using only one (volatiliy).\n\nHere is an idea of how it works in Matlab:\n\ntest=[0 1 2 3 100 105 98 1000 1001 997]';\n[idx,C] = kmeans(test,3);\n\n\nThe value returned for idx is a vector where each point in test is attributed a cluster number (representing its group):\n\nidx =\n\n 2\n 2\n 2\n 2\n 3\n 3\n 3\n 1\n 1\n 1\n\n\nYou can then look at the variable C which contains the mean of each cluster which could be undrestood as \"the perfect point for each cluster\"\n\nc =\n\n 999.3333\n 1.5000\n 101.0000\n\n\nSo it found three groups in test one around 999.33, one around 1.5, and one around 101.\n\nThat should do the trick.", "TL;DR: Some parts of the claim are true, some are false. The first version of a New York Times story on this report contained an error, which seems to have spread (although the NYT story has been updated with the correct number).\nSoft drinks were the #1 ranked individual commodity purchased by SNAP households in a 2011 dataset of SNAP transactions at one US grocery retailer (compared to #2 among non-SNAP households), but they constitute 5% of SNAP expenditures (compared to 4% in non-SNAP households), not 10%.\nThe $8.5 billion number is not accurate. A better estimate would be about $3.86 billion for 2011 (5.44% of $71 billion in SNAP benefits redeemed), if the spending patterns at this one grocery retailer generalize to all SNAP spending. I don't know where the $8.5 billion number came from, it's not in the NYT article.\n\nHere is the USDA report. Note that although the report is from 2016, the data is from 2011. Also, it is based on a dataset from a single grocery retailer; it includes $6.7 billion worth of SNAP household expenditures from that year, less than a tenth of the &gt; $71 billion total SNAP benefits redeemed that year. The dollar amounts in the tables below show the dollar amount of transactions in the dataset, not of all SNAP transactions that year.\nThe report says:\n\nAcross all households, more money was spent\non soft drinks than any other item. SNAP\nhouseholds spent somewhat more on soft drinks\nthan non-SNAP households (5 versus 4 percent).\n\nIt also notes that 9.3% of SNAP expenditures are on &quot;Sweetened Beverages&quot;, a broader category which also includes many beverages not considered &quot;soft drinks&quot;: juice drinks (containing 50% juice or less), juice blends and smoothies, sports and energy drinks, sweetened instant tea and hot cocoa mixes, and similar items (see report, appendix B-19, B-20). (Compared to 7.1% in non-SNAP households.) &quot;Sweetened Beverages&quot; is the #2 category by expenditures among SNAP households.\nAlso see the following tables, which compare the top food items and top food categories purchased by SNAP and non-SNAP households:\n\n\n\n\nThe erroneous 10% number seems to have come from the New York Times, who in a January 13, 2017 story In the Shopping Cart of a Food Stamp Household: Lots of Soda mistakenly wrote:\n\nThe findings show that the No. 1 purchases by SNAP households are soft drinks, which accounted for about 10 percent of the dollars they spent on food.\n\nThe error was pointed out on Twitter. The current version of the NYT story has the correct 5% number. A correction notice at the bottom of the article says:\n\nCorrection: January 18, 2017\nAn article on Saturday about the grocery spending habits of households receiving food stamps misstated the portion of spending used to purchase soft drinks. Households receiving food stamps spent 9.3 percent of their bills on “sweetened beverages,” a category that includes soft drinks, juices, and energy drinks, among others; they did not spend that percentage on soft drinks alone.\n\nSome more criticisms of the NYT reporting on this story can be found here, here, here, and here.", "You can convert the raster to TIN (Raster to TIN) then edit the TIN to add breaklines. Once you've created the TIN, use the \"Edit TIN\" tool to input Features into the existing TIN - among other options, you can add the 3D lines as hard lines. You can also manually edit and clean up the TIN with the TIN Editing toolbar after the fact if necessary and optionally export the TIN back to raster with the TIN to Raster conversion tool. All of this requires the 3D Analyst extension. \n\nAs @Nxau suggested, and if you do not have the 3D Analyst Extension, you may need to build your raster ground up but with breaklines as barriers/cliff line/stream line/contour line/ etc. Have a look at the Spline interpolation with Barriers or the Topo to Raster tools.\n\nYou can also create terrain datasets and add breaklines but like TINS this is a vector surface but unlike TIN it's designed to render data based on map scale for more efficient display. Terrain datasets can handle very large datasets such as LiDAR.", "Not associated with any \"gods\" as such; there are a large number of folktales containing items with exponential growth. \n\nThe Aarne-Thompson classification system groups many of these stories into category, AT 565. One of the best-known of these is Why the Sea is Salt, where an out-of-control salt mill grinds out an endless amount of salt.\n\nThe goings-on in The Sorceror's Apprentice certainly smack of the Lernaean Hydra, but that one is more literary than folkloric.\n\nAnd of course there is the matter of how darn fast that beanstalk grew...", "The ratio of vocabulary vs embedding length to determine the size of other layers in a neural network doesn't really matter. Word embeddings are always around 100 and 300 in length, longer embedding vectors don't add enough information and smaller ones don't represent the semantics well enough. What matters more is the network architecture, the algorithm(s) and the dataset size. \n\nA simple way to understand this concept is that a bidirectional LSTM model with 50 neurons (nodes) followed by a fully connected layer of 70 neurons will outperform a simple MLP of 1000 neurons (nodes) connected to a embedding layer simply due to its architecture. Adding dropout will improve performance as well.\n\nIn addition, even if the vocabulary is just 300 words, using pre-trained embeddings will probably yield better results than training the embeddings directly on the dataset. The same applies to data size, a dataset with more samples will make a better classifier than a dataset with just a couple thousand samples. \n\nIn summary, it is preferable to try many architectures and cross-validate them (and/or ensemble them depending if you have a large enough dataset) with the smallest number of neurons possible and then start building up in size, depending on what computational resources you have and the speed of development you need. Large models slow down development speed whereas small models speed it up. This goes whether your vocabulary is the size of common crawl or just 300. As usual, try feature engineering (sentence length, special characters, etc.) and increase the dataset size as doing so often helps in whatever task you're trying to predict.", "Here is one approach using TimeSeriesWindow, TimeObject and TakeLargestBy: (for the query syntax, see Dataset)\n\n(* import the data *)\nds = Dataset@Import[\n \"RS3710-TS1948.csv\",\n \"Table\",\n \"FieldSeparators\" -&gt; \";\",\n HeaderLines -&gt; 1 (* skip the first line *)\n ];\n\nds[(* get the two relevant columns *)\n All,\n -2 ;;\n ][\n All,\n {(* for the first column, *)\n 1 -&gt; ((* convert the string to a DateObject by splitting it, \n reordering the parts and converting them to numbers*)\n DateObject[FromDigits /@ {#3, #2, #, ##4}] &amp; @@\n StringSplit[#, \".\" | \" \" | \":\"] &amp;\n )\n }\n ][\n (* group the datapoints by day *)\n GroupBy[DateObject[#, \"Day\"] &amp;@*First]\n ][\n All,\n TimeSeries,(* \n convert the datasets for each day to a TimeSeries... *)\n {1 -&gt; TimeObject} (* after converting the date to a TimeObject *)\n ][\n TakeLargestBy[(* find the day with the highest value of *)\n (* the mean of the value in the window specified *)\n Mean@Quiet[\n Check[(* \n catch TimeSeriesWindow::tswndt messages and return {-∞} in those cases *)\n TimeSeriesWindow[#, TimeObject /@ {{11, 0, 0}, {16, 0, 0}}],\n {-∞},\n TimeSeriesWindow::tswndt\n ],\n TimeSeriesWindow::tswndt\n ] &amp;,\n 1\n ]\n ][\n First,(*get the first result *)\n DateListPlot (* and plot it *)\n ]\n\n\nNote: Updated the code to handle days where no data are available in the relevant window. Essentially, we check for any TimeSeriesWindow::tswndt messages and return {-∞} in those cases, ensuring that Mean and TakeLargestBy work as intended. I have also exchanged MaximalBy with TakeLargestBy, which handles the -∞ correctly.", "Car Models by Manufacturer, Category, and Year\nA dataset with car models categorized by manufacturer, type (SUV, Sedan, etc), and manufacturing year. A developer is able to clone, connect, and download the dataset in a JSON format (transform to CSV after downloading). The dataset is open-source and provides detailed information about motor vehicles manufactured in the US between the years 1992 and 2020.\n\nThis Stack Overflow thread links to a database someone put together and hosted on GitHub, although it sounds like it's fairly incomplete.", "Halfway they state:\n\n\n Furthermore, we introduce a novel large-scale\n and well annotated dataset for quantitative vehicle detection evaluation - ITCVD.\n Towards this goal, we collected 173 images with 29088 vehicles, where each vehicle in the ITCVD dataset is manually annotated using a bounding box.\n\n\nI think they used this one as the source:\n\nThe last-but-one reference in the paper gives you your clue: Xia, G., Bai, X., Ding, J., Zhu, Z., Belongie, S., Luo, J., Datcu, M., Pelillo, M.,\nZhang, L., 2017. DOTA: A large-scale dataset for object detection in aerial images. CoRR abs/1711.10398. \n\nIf you use DOTA: A large-scale dataset for object detection in aerial images as search term you find it here.\n\nAlternatively, contact the authors. They say:\n\n\n We make our code and dataset online\n available", "I think you can do this if you think through how the template hierarchy works carefully enough.\n\n\narchive-post.php should handle your standard post post types\narchive.php would then handle the rest of the archives\nYou may want specialized category-- category.php\nor tag archives-- tag.php\n\n\nA similar pattern should work for single post display.\n\n\nsingle-post.php should handle your single post post type\nsingle.php should handle everything else", "Your company is probably looking for something similar to what OEE (Overall Effective Efficiency) provides.\n\nThere are a couple different factors to this metric:\n\n\nUtilization: How well scheduled is the equipment/work center.\nPerformance: How well the equipment operates upon the schedule.\nQuality: How well the parts are produced.\n\n\nTo calculate Quality (or Scrap Rate) is simply:\n\n\n(# of Good Parts) / (Total # of Parts)\n\n\n\n\nIn most cases, machine data does not contain relevant data for Scheduled part counts (what's on your Work Order). So, you may need to close the loop on your dataset and validate the Total Part Count (number of parts produced OR correct_parts_number+incorrect_parts_number) against what is in your ERP/MRP system.\n\n\n\nUltimately, this is all just to identify what your scrap percent is, you will need to apply some engineering effort in order to actually reduce your scrap rate. The key with scrap rate is to purely identify where to allocate your engineering efforts.\n\nEach part process is unique and quality issues cannot be magically provided without large and complex data structures to support it. In order to automatically provide options for reducing scrap rate, you would need a multitude of datasets talking to each other from ERP/MRP, Machine Data, Inspection Reports, and CAD/CAM just to name a few.\n\nYou may be already working with it, but the machine data standard MTConnect will reach a point that it can accommodate such datasets. It is a semantics-based format, so it just takes time to develop, but hopefully sometime soon it will support ERP-type data. However, don't hold your breath on manufacturing software companies jumping on board in the near future.", "R is free and open source, and contains tools for just about any type of analysis you want to do. Excel is a spreadsheet, not a statistical software, so it is really not built to handle rigorous statistics on large datasets. \n\nGiven that you have programming experience, I think you will feel pretty comfortable in R once you get ahold of the syntax. You can start out with these commands, if you put your data in a data.csv.\n\nmydata &lt;- read.csv(\"data.csv\")\ncorr(mydata)\nmodel1 &lt;- lm(Score ~ Other Variables, data = mydata)\nsummary(model1)\nanova(model1)" ]

[ "A newly developed surgical technique can help some people with facial paralysis regain muscle movement in their face, with some patients able to smile again within a week of surgery, researchers said on Monday." ]

[ "Korean researchers, using stem cells isolated from umbilical cord blood, succeeded in reversing the paralysis of the lower limbs caused by spinal cord injury, of a 37-year-old female patient.", "WHATCOM COUNTY - A Bellingham doctor accused of knowingly giving his patients expired flu shots is back in the office. While Dr. Gary McCallum is under investigation for fraud, he&#39;s bringing patients back for another dose.", "One bee disease, called Israeli acute paralysis virus, seems strongly associated with the beekeeping operations that experienced big losses.", "A woman who has been paralysed for almost 20 years has started to walk again after scientists injected stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood into her spine.", "It was the first time I saw the smiles I could bring to the faces of", "As the official ''greeter\" for patients entering Massachusetts General Hospital's Cox Cancer Center in Boston, McCallum ''Mac\" Moore always brings three things to work -- his ''At Your Service\" cap; his big warm, Caribbean smile; and his little gray psalm book.", "In the moments after a serious spinal cord injury paralyzed Kevin Everett of the Buffalo Bills below the shoulders, doctors began an innovative treatment based on a familiar premise.", "Undersea explorer Robert Ballard leans back and smiles at the screens arrayed above his desk. One displays a view of a remote operating vessel, another scans along a seafloor never before viewed by humans.", "A successful method for healing spinal injuries in dogs has been developed by Purdue University researchers, offering hope for preventing human paralysis.", "China's food and drug safety agency has revoked the license of a company responsible for making tainted leukemia drugs blamed for causing leg pains and partial paralysis among dozens of patients.", "SAN SALVADOR -- The first patient of the day was a plump 16-year-old wearing sparkly barrettes, Mary Jane-style shoes, and a shy smile.", "Analysis: The political paralysis that appears to have killed the India-U.S. nuclear pact threatens to bring down the current government and impede India's hard-won economic reforms", "Researchers have successfully tested injections of a liquid polymer to heal spinal injuries in dogs in an experiment that also offers hope for preventing human paralysis.", "A South Korean woman paralyzed for 20 years is walking again after scientists say they repaired her damaged spine using stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood.", "Paralysed dogs given an unusual treatment for spinal cord injury have shown some success in being able to walk again, a new study reveals.", "A British-Russian team of surgeons and scientists say they are testing a remarkable new polymer implant which is helping them to rebuild the lives of children born with terrible facial deformities.", "DC Mayor Anthony A. Williams Signs Legislation to Bring Major League Baseball Back to Nation&#39;s Capital. Washington, DC Mayor Anthony Williams, is all smiles after signing into law a financing package for a", "The same writers strike that transformed the Golden Globes into a news conference might bring smiles to the faces of agents and filmmakers gathered in this snow-covered ski town.", "A device that reads brain waves may give paralyzed patients a way to control prosthetic limbs without needing brain implants, medical investigators say.", "Separation surgery on a two-year-old Indian girl with four arms and legs has been successful, doctors say.", "Scientists have used stem cells and a potion of nerve-friendly chemicals to not just bridge a damaged spinal cord but actually re-grow the circuitry needed to move a muscle, helping partially paralyzed rats walk.", "Italy's center-left leaders have agreed to back Romano Prodi's bid to stay on as prime minister, boosting his chances of ending a crisis that risks plunging the country into political paralysis.", "PATIENTS will be treated with free complementary therapies to bring alternative medicine to NHS Wales on the advice of Prince Charles.", "Researchers appear to be one step closer to finding a treatment that can reverse paralysis caused by spinal cord injuries. By injecting paralyzed dogs with polyethylene glyco, veterinarians at Purdue University", "Oregon State&#039;s Pat Casey and North Carolina&#039;s Mike Fox were all smiles as they posed for photos and held the College World Series championship trophy. Both coaches know only one of them will bring it back to campus for the first time in their school&#039;s history.", "A two-year-old Indian girl born with four arms, four legs and extra internal organs left hospital smiling on Saturday, nearly six weeks after doctors removed her extra limbs in a grueling operation.", "Jaromir Jagr's smile is back and his corny jokes are drawing laughs again in a happier New York Rangers dressing room.", "An experimental body cooling treatment used on an injured National Football League player offers promise for preventing paralysis in people who sustain severe spinal cord injuries, experts said on Thursday.", "Indianapolis - Dogs with paralysed hind legs walked again after getting a shot of a chemical cousin of antifreeze that helped repair nerve cells in their damaged spinal cords, scientists reported.", "Chinese surgeons said Tuesday they successfully operated on a man with a massive 33-pound tumor that hung down from his face, obscuring his features and warping his backbone.", "Chinese President Hu Jintao was shown on state television Tuesday smiling and shaking hands with AIDS patients, a first for China and signaling a new level of official recognition of", "NEW YORK -- Formerly conjoined twins who were separated this summer are returning to the operating room - this time, to have their tonsils taken out." ]

[ "I think you are missing Thead Id when you are sending emails to Customer.\n\nHave a look into this Knowledge article.\nWhy is the email to case generating new cases from reply emails? \n\nIf you want to update existing case comments based on Customer response you could use InboundEmail object to parse the response and put that in Case comments." ]

[ "Based on additional tests and comments from Demerit, it appears that the report requires the case manager to be assigned to the case to list the case. \n\nThe obvious workaround is to assign a case coordinator to a case and then everything seems to work.", "Assignment Rules are supported on the Lead and Case objects.\n\nAssignment rules automate your organization’s lead generation and support processes. Use lead assignment rules to specify how leads are assigned to users or queues. Use case assignment rules to determine how cases are assigned to users or put into queues.\n\nYou can use either declarative or programmatic automation for this purpose on other objects, but you cannot use Assignment Rules.", "I haven't used TestLink a lot but, as per what I have used it seems not feasible. Because you can assign test cases only to a Role-User (a person generally from Tester role) for execution and update, but it can't be assigned only to a Role.\n\nFor resolving your issue and for achieving what you are trying to do, you can create a dummy user (Passive user) which should not be existing in realty but only in your system like 'Community user' of SQA and assign it Tester role. So, any test case(s) assigned to this user should be considered as 'Open for execution by any tester' test cases and any tester can pick them for execution.\n\nIf you see that there is no such feasibility in your project to create such a user then you should assign such test cases to either QA Lead or Team Lead (one who is not responsible for execution) and treat those cases as 'Open for execution'. This will not require any new user or anything else, such you need to inform all for this change of process.", "In general it is better to comment on the answer than add completely new information to the existing answer, especially if it was not explicitly asked for in the question (unless it is \"Community Wiki). \n\nAlternatives:\n\n\nif information is requested in the question - feel free to add new answer that explains new part. Link to existing answer and provide one-line summary.\nconsider if new question &amp; self-answer would be better. Link back to the existing question from the new one and add a comment to the existing question to check new question.\n\n\nIn this particular case I'd post new Q&amp;A pair like \n\n\n How to store VSTS discussions\n I'm trying to save VSTS work items with corresponding discussions. I found existing answer Backup workitems on VS Team Services but it does not cover discussions.\n\n\nIf you decide to go this route make sure there is no easy to find existing answers. Check https://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/self-answer for general guidance on self-answered questions.", "You can go to Setup > Create > Global Actions > Global Actions then click \"layout\" action link on New Case.\n\nHope this helps", "As already pointed out by Emil Jeřábek in the comments, this is Hilbert's Tenth Problem over the rationals, whose computability is a notorious open question.\nIn this case, note that the Boolean formula $f$ is satisfiable iff $t(f)$ has an integer zero: a satisfying assignment, when treated as 0s and 1s, gives an integer zero, and conversely, given an integer zero $\\vec{\\alpha}$, taking it mod 2 gives a satisfying Boolean assignment (this follows from the form of the translation $t(\\bullet)$). Now, given a rational solution to $t(f)=0$, if all of the denominators involved are odd, then we may still take it mod 2 to get a Boolean solution, so we have\n\n\n\n Boolean solution iff integer solution iff rational solution w/ odd denominators\n\n\nTherefore, deciding the existence of integer roots or of rational roots with odd denominators for polynomials of the form $t(f)$ is $\\mathsf{NP}$-complete.\n\nThis leaves us with the question of how hard it is to decide existence of a rational root of $t(f)$ in general (that is, without restriction on the denominators). I do not know anything more about this question than about Hilbert's Tenth Problem over $\\mathbb{Q}$ (addressed in Q1).", "How does such a comment work and how do I post one?\n\n\nSuch comments are automatically applied if the question was close flagged / voted for the duplicate reason. There are generally two ways to place them at a question:\n\n\nIf a user is below 3,000 reputation, they can flag it and choose duplicate from the pop-up dialogue.\nIf a user has close voting privileges (3,000+ rep), they can click the close link and choose duplicate from the pop-up dialogue.\n\n\nA manually constructed comment would not have the same effect, but the proposed link will appear in the Linked section beneath the question.\n\n\n\nIf the asker accepts the dialogue you've mentioned, the question will be immediately closed by Community ♦︎.\n\nOtherwise it takes 5 users with the close voting privilege, a gold badge holder for one of the question's tags, or a moderator to mark the question as duplicate.", "As Tim Stone has answered in this comment:\n\n&quot;...dropdown defaulted at 250 even before any bounty was assigned at the question.&quot; - Eh, how sure are you about that? The behaviour is indeed to set it to the value of the previous (or perhaps largest) bounty on the question.\n\nTo this, the OP replies in another comment:\n\n@TimStone also, regarding idea that value defaults to previous (or perhaps largest) bounty, this doesn't look like the case: per recent discussion at Programmers chat, to another user it defaulted at 50, not 250. &quot;Curiouser and curiouser&quot; isn't it?\n\nFinally, Tim Stone's final explanation from this comment:\n\nWell, it couldn't default to 250 for that user, since they didn't have enough reputation for a bounty that large. I assume it goes with no selection in that case (i.e. defaults to 50, the lowest).", "Create Set of desired statuses and then use variable binding\n\nif you want to have dynamic control of what statuses should be selected without changes to apex code, you can create Custom Metadata Types add text field CaseStatuses__c api name here, split Case statuses with delimiter (; for example).\nCreate new instance of custom metadata types with name CaseFields and values for CaseStatuses__c = 'New;Working;Escalated'\n\nThen do the following in code:\n\nCustomMetadata_mdt mdt = [\n select CaseStatuses__c\n from CustomMetadata_mdt\n where DeveloperName = 'CaseFields'\n limit 1\n ];\n\nSet&lt;String&gt; caseStatuses = new Set&lt;String&gt;(\n mdt.CaseStatuses__c.split(';')\n );\n[\n... \nwhere Case.Status in :caseStatuses\n];", "If I understand your question correctly you are asking about what rules there are for assigning coordinate frame axes compatible with DH parameters?\n\nThere are definitely rules when assigning coordinate frames. In order to guarantee that there exists a homogenous transformation from frame 1->0 must follow the properties\n\n\nAxis $x_1$ is perpendicular to axis $z_0$\nAxis $x_1$ intersects axis $z_0$\n\n\nIn order to guarantee these the textbook Robot Modeling and Control introduces three possible cases for how to set up the frames compatible with the DH convention. This is in sections 3.2.2 on page 80. \n\nIn short the coordinate frames are assumed to be right handed and picked iteratively based on some guidelines. $z_0$ can be assigned arbitrarily and the following are assigned based on the cases\n\n\n$z_{i-1}$ and $z_{i}$ are no coplanar\n$z_{i-1}$ is parallel to $z_{i}$\n$z_{i-1}$ intersects $z_{i}$\n\n\nFor a more thorough explanation and examples reference the book: Robot Modeling and Control by Spong, Hutchinson, and Vidyasagar.", "I found a work around for this issue.\n\nFor each case type description field, I entered the node id to the corresponding case activity Webform. For example, for Case Type A there is a separate Add Activity Webform (node id 1). So for the view I added the case type description field and rewrote it to Add New Activity and made it a link to http://example.com/node/[description]?cid2=[id1].", "It looks like Case creates 2 SQL views\n\ncivicrm_view_case_activity_upcoming\ncivicrm_view_case_activity_recent\n\nAnd in case dashboard/ find case results- these views are called on to provide upcoming and recent activity data.\n\nWhen the database was restored from backup. These views had been emptied. And upcoming/ most recent activity data was showing as empty on the dashboards.\n\nA colleague found some related SQL commands in\npublic_html/sites/all/modules/civicrm/CRM/Case/BAO/Case.php\nfunction createCaseViewsQuery line 3057\n\nAnd by running the related SQL Query was able to repopulate the views. These now automatically repopulate each time an activity is added.", "Here is a couple of examples from Plautus that could be relevant for your question:\na. Personal use of a transitive verb like decet:\n\ncontempla ut haec (vestis) me deceat (Pl. Most. 172). 'See how this dress suits me.'\n\nb. Impersonal use of a transitive verb like decet:\n\nita ut vos decet (Pl. Most. 729). 'so as befits you'.\n\nThe following example could also be useful for you. Note that in this example fallit is a transitive verb that is also used impersonally:\n\nnisi me fallit (Cic. Fam. 5, 20, 6), 'unless I am mistaken' ('unless it deceives me').\n\nSee A&amp;G (1903: 388c: pp. 241-242) for other similar impersonal verbs that take accusative case.\nFrom a more theoretical point of view, those impersonal verbs that take accusative case are expected to be grammatically marked (e.g., compared to the ones that take dative: cf. ita nobis decet (Ter. Ad. 928), 'thus it befits us'). Cf. the so-called &quot;Burzio's Generalization&quot;, whereby, if a verb does not assign a semantic function to its subject, then it does not assign accusative case to its object.\nNote also that Burzio's famous grammatical generalization appears to be infringed by the well-known constructions of the pudet me tui type since these verbs assign accusative case to the experiencer object but do not assign any semantic function to their subject (these verbs are impersonal). Interestingly, the accusative case of the experiencer argument of these stative psychological verbs has been originally related to those causative verbs of the 2nd conjugation. Cf. Matasović's (2013) proposal that &quot;the irregular case-frames of the Latin bivalent statives are innovations based on the analogy with the case-frames of causative verbs, which had the Causee argument in the accusative case&quot;.\nNote how this proposal somewhat restores Burzio's insight. The impersonal verbs at issue here assign accusative case to their experiencer object since they can be originally related to (not impersonal!) transitive verbs with causative meaning. As predicted by Burzio, those transitive verbs that assign accusative case are not (initially!) expected to be impersonal.\nSo, as for your question above (&quot;Is it possible to form impersonal actives of transitive verbs?&quot;), my preliminary answer is: yes, but only secondarily (e.g., through an analogical process. Cf. Matasović's (2013) proposal). NB: not primarily, because of Burzio's Generalization.", "Information gets old and outdated. This is not only about Ask Ubuntu, it's the case for virtually every SE site.\n\nThere are tools within the Stack Exchange engine you can employ now:\n\n\nDownvote and comment explaining what's exactly wrong with the post; if the answerer is still around, they will react and update it;\nSubmit an edit explaining that the info is outdated. Here was precisely the case, and even when the revision #29 was committed by me, a user with almost-zero reputation on this site, it got accepted;\nA comment straight under question also works to inform the asker OP to revisit their choice of Accepted answer.\n\n\nThe other question is how efficient these tools are, and how many users would get mislead between the moments of facts changed and a collaborative effort brings a result.\n\nIn any case, it seems to be mandatory to try the existing tools first and only when everything else fails to work, bring this issue to SE developers team. Or else they would simply tell you what I said here.", "UPDATE: Can do this with an extension using hook_civicrm_alterEntityRefParams. It also magically adds a Case Status filter in the &quot;refine search&quot; dropdown that appears when you start typing a name. See https://lab.civicrm.org/dev/core/-/issues/2209#note_51075 and https://github.com/AsylumSeekersCentre/civicrm-moveActivityToAnyCase\n\nWhile I'd vote to bring the ability to file on a closed case back, or maybe make it a configuration option to allow or not, one workaround is to use the email processor and put the case id in square brackets in the subject (https://issues.civicrm.org/jira/browse/CRM-21446). It will happily file it on a closed case. Information about setting up the email processor is here https://docs.civicrm.org/sysadmin/en/latest/setup/civimail/inbound/#autofiling-email-activities-via-emailprocessor\nAnd if you edit an activity and add the case id in square brackets to the subject and then save, it will file on case, e.g. &quot;this is the subject [case #1234]&quot;\nAccording to the issue you linked, https://issues.civicrm.org/jira/browse/CRM-17645 you should be able to use a hook_civicrm_entityGet in an extension to alter the query, but I'm not sure from those notes that it actually got implemented.", "Default Values can not refer to other questions in the form. If you want to set the Default Value of a question to a case property you need to load the case property directly into the Default Value instead of via a Hidden Value question.\n\nThere is no difference here between normal modules and advanced modules.", "This function should cover the first cases (comment delimiter followed by &quot; TODO: &quot;)\n(defun insert-todo ()\n (interactive &quot;*&quot;)\n (insert comment-start &quot; TODO: &quot;))\n\nThis one covers the org-mode case:\n(defun org-insert-todo ()\n (interactive &quot;*&quot;)\n (insert &quot;** TODO &quot;))\n\nYou could bind them to a key combination with something like this\n(define-key prog-mode-map (kbd &quot;C-c t&quot;) #'insert-todo)\n(define-key org-mode-map (kbd &quot;C-c t&quot;) #'org-insert-todo)\n\nIn case you're wondering, the * in the interactive form serves to signal an error when the user invokes the function in a read-only buffer (see the manual).", "OK, I ended up getting into a rabbit hole and spending more time than expected here!\n\nThere's a short workaround for you, if you're not trying to edit CiviCase-related option groups: Comment out CRM/Core/Page/Basic.php line 294, which reads:\n\n$caseCount = CRM_Case_BAO_Case::caseCount(NULL, FALSE); \n\n\nFor the in-depth fix, I've opened a new bug on issues.civicrm.org here.", "No, it isn't possible, at least not by using the Atrium web UI out-of-the-box. Cases can only be assigned to users in the current group.", "Short Answer: It is potentially hard (as bRost03 indicates in the comments). To be precise, coNP-hard.\n\nLonger Answer:\n\nIn adiabatic quantum computation, the ground-space of the final Hamiltonian is typically determined by the optimum solution to some constraint satisfaction problem (CSP). If the CSP is perfectly solvable, the ground-space is spanned by (standard basis states which encode) the assignments which satisfy the constraints. If the CSP is not perfectly satisfiable, the ground-space is spanned by all assignments which are closest to being satisfying. In this case, your question amounts just to a question of finding out when the set of satisfying assignments &mdash; or the set of optimal assignments &mdash; of a CSP are the same.\n\nWe can reduce any such CSP to a boolean formula. So what we're looking at in the case of asking whether the satisfying set of two CSPs are the same is whether a boolean formula of the form $$ \\varphi_1(x) \\iff \\varphi_2(x) $$\nis a tautology, which is to say, whether that biconditional is true for all $x$, for some boolean formulae $\\varphi_1$ and $\\varphi_2$ provided as input. This makes it a special case of \"&nbsp;TAUTOLOGY&nbsp;\", the decision problem of whether a logical formula is a tautology.\n\nThe problem TAUTOLOGY is in coNP \n&mdash; in fact, it is coNP complete, because it is in effect the complementary problem to the NP compete problem SATISFIABILITY. This shows that the special case of determining whether the satisfying solution sets of two CSPs are equivalent is no harder than coNP. But because we can test whether $\\varphi_1$ is itself a tautology by setting $\\varphi_2$ to the boolean formula 'TRUE', this special case is as hard as TAUTOLOGY is itself, so it is coNP hard.\n\nThe more general problem of equivalence of optimal solutions contains this problem as a subcase, so it is also coNP hard.", "Why not Testlink?\n\nPros:\n\n\nEvery needed function present\nPossible to add additional fields\nPossible to manage test-cases related to different projects, test-plans\nPossible to manage different versions of test-cases\nPossible to assign test-cases to tester for execution\nPossible to connect to bug-tracking tools (e.g. mantis, JIRA)\nPossible to connect to Selenium tests execution\nAutomatic metrics, reports\nFree, open source\n\n\nCons:\n\n\nDesign\nNot easy to import existing test cases (at least as it was for our team)\nNo custom report designer tool", "Archiving any form causes CommCareHQ to rebuild any cases affected as if that form had never been submitted. So, if you archive a registration form, it actually un-opens that case and it's like that case never existed. \n\nArchiving a registration form when there are follow-up forms submitted can therefore cause problems, as it leaves a bunch of forms that are applied to a case that never existed. \n\nThere is a new change to CommCareHQ which should no longer allow you to archive a registration form when other forms exist for that case, thus preventing the problems described above. Now, if you want to delete a case, you have two options:\n\n\nArchive all follow-up forms and then archive the registration form. This will also delete all of the form data.\nAssign that case to a temporary user (say username Delete). Then delete user Delete. This will delete the case but not the form data.\n\n\nDisclaimer: Always be very careful about deleting any data off of CommCare. It is not always possible to recover data if you delete something accidentally.", "If you wish to manage your comments on your content level (Publication 3) you will have to do some customization here, since the UGC auto generated code indeed does not consider BluePrinting to this level.\n\nSo rather than using the generated code, you can simply add the tags manually with the correct Publication ID considering your BluePrint, so something like:\n\n&lt;ugc:Comments itemURI=\"tcm:3-4952\"&gt; \n ...\n &lt;input type=\"hidden\" name=\"commentIdtcm:3-4952\" value=\"\"/&gt;\n &lt;textarea rows=\"4\" cols=\"30\" name=\"editCommenttcm:10-4952\"&gt;&lt;/textarea&gt;&lt;br/&gt;\n &lt;input type=\"submit\" value=\"Save comment\"/&gt;\n ...\n&lt;/ugc:Comments&gt;\n\n\nYou could also use the TCDL tags &lt;tcdl:Comments&gt; in your templates, as long as you make sure they are transformed to the tags. But the main idea is that you bring in the knowledge of your BluePrint yourself.\n\nThrough this way you could even add comments from multiple Publications in, in the case you want to display all comments from all languages for example.", "Considering the given piece of code following cases can given 100% Decision and 100% Statement Coverage.\nCase 1\nWidth = 10\nLength = 5\n\nCase 2\nWidth = 5\nLength = 10\n\nNow, you add the three statements to print the result. These will also be covered with the above mentioned cases.\n\nSince there is no new decision added to the script, it would be obvious that new cases wouldn't be required for 100% Decision Coverage.\nThe 3 print statements added to the script will execute regardless of whether the decision is false or true. Hence the same 2 cases mentioned above will provide 100% statement Coverage. You don't need to add new cases.", "As somebody who has, for years, hosted assignments publicly I feel that you are vastly overestimating the threat case here. If all you do is make your assignment and material public on GitHub, it is extremely unlikely that somebody will just browse by, do it out of fun, and then make the solution available to your students.\n\nI often analyse GitHub data as part of my research, and the number of repositories out there is downright staggering, and by far most of them get no traction at all. In order to make a repository visible, quite a bit of active marketing is necessary. If you don't go out of your way to advertise your assignment, and if your assignment is not somehow extremely intriguing so that a random developer would really want to work on it, it is very likely to just sit there, all in the public, without getting any kind of attention at all.\n\nAdditionally, even if somebody would solve your assignment and make a solution public, so what? You presumably do some sort of plagiarism check on the solutions your students submit anyway (otherwise, how do you ensure that different students or teams did not copy from each other?) - this is just one more existing solution to compare your student's solution to.\n\nIn my experience, by far the most \"rampant\" type of cheating is student teams copying from each other, and this is really unaffected by how you decided to host your assignment.", "I can't answer your question. I hope remarks below help, somehow. The coherence of your question is questionable, because (as best I can understand) you're asking about case assignment in gerund constructions, but the example you want case assignment for (A below) is actually not a gerund construction. Your example B is a gerund construction, but case assignment in B seems straightforward.\n\n A. The reading of Shakespeare satisfied me. \n\n B. Reading Shakespeare satisfied me.\n\n\nThere have been many discussions here of gerunds. They're tricky. A number of syntactic characteristics show that \"reading\" in your example A is a noun, as against \"reading\" in example B, which is a verb. Distinguishing characteristics include occurrence with articles, modifiability by adjective vs. adverbs, taking direct objects.\n\nGerunds are verbs, even though they are heads of what you call \"DP\" (and what others call \"NP\"). Believe it or not, it's true. Thus, case assignment in example B is straightforward: a transitive verb takes an accusative direct object.\n\nI don't know how in detail the cases work in examples like A, where a verb in a nominalized sentence has been converted to a noun, but it has nothing to do with gerunds (which are verbs).", "I've been doing some research and it seems to be a bad practice from the WC Bookings team to instantiate a class without assigning it to a variable.\n\nBut knowing just that doesn't help me in this case.\n\nFortunately, I was able to find this comment from @MikeSchinkel where he teaches and presents a function on how to remove a filter of an anonymous object.\n\nThis is how I implemented it in my case. First, the original function found in Mike's comment:\n\nif ( ! function_exists( 'remove_anonymous_object_filter' ) ) {\n /**\n * Remove an anonymous object filter.\n *\n * @param string $tag Hook name.\n * @param string $class Class name\n * @param string $method Method name\n *\n * @return void\n *\n */\n function remove_anonymous_object_filter( $tag, $class, $method ) {\n $filters = false;\n\n if ( isset( $GLOBALS['wp_filter'][$tag] ) )\n $filters = $GLOBALS['wp_filter'][$tag];\n\n if ( $filters )\n foreach ( $filters as $priority =&gt; $filter ) {\n foreach ( $filter as $identifier =&gt; $function ) {\n if ( ! is_array( $function ) )\n continue;\n if ( ! $function['function'][0] instanceof $class )\n continue;\n if ( $method == $function['function'][1] ) {\n remove_filter( $tag, array( $function['function'][0], $method ), $priority );\n }\n }\n }\n }\n}\n\n\nFinally, the call to the removal of the filter:\n\nadd_filter( 'woocommerce_payment_complete_order_status', 'unhook_booking_complete_order', 0 );\nfunction unhook_booking_complete_order($status) {\n remove_anonymous_object_filter( 'woocommerce_payment_complete_order_status', 'WC_Booking_Order_Manager', 'complete_order' );\n return $status;\n}\n\n\nBasically, we are filtering woocommerce_payment_complete_order_status again whith a higher priority in order to remove the filter manually (with the remove_anonymous_object_filter function) based in its hook, class name and method.\n\nAll credits to Mike and the original answer that inspired his code.", "As an alternative to the Comments Entity module, and the bug you reported about it, you may want to give the Reply module a try. Some more details about this module, from its project page:\n\nReply is a D7 answer to entity comments.\nReply is basically a fieldable entity so you can create a 'review', 'comment', 'forum post' or whatever you like by creating bundles and attaching fields to them. Such bundles can be attached to any fieldable entity by 'reply field'.\nYou can set access for reading and writing, position the form to the same page as entity or to a custom page, allow or deny replying to replies(= no hierarchy), choose threaded or flatted list. Such settings can be set for bundle, field, instance and entity with build-in inheritance which makes if a four level hierarchy settings system.\nMost common usage of this module is comment replacement and reviews.\n\nEven though this module only has an alfa release for D7 (as compared to a beta release for the Comments Entity module), the issue queue statistics seem to be more healthy:\n\nReply: 66 open, 166 total (about 40% open issues).\nComments Entity: 10 open, 10 total (= 100% open issues).", "The short, oversimplified answer is that Berber languages merge their \"oblique\" and \"nominative\" in much the same way that English merges its \"oblique\" and \"accusative\". Plenty of other languages do something similar, like most of the Northwest Caucasian languages. There's nothing magical about oblique and accusative that forces them to be merged when coming up with a two-overt-case system.\n\n\n\nFrom a quick search, as I understand it, Berber is at least sometimes considered ergative-absolutive, not nominative-accusative, or at least more like E-A than N-A. While it doesn't match the facts of, e.g., Basque exactly, simple constructions give one case (\"ergative\") to transitive subjects, and the other (\"absolutive\") to both objects and intransitive subjects. And the objects of most prepositions get the \"ergative\" case. (There are even analyses that insist that Berber's \"cases\" aren't even really cases, although that seems to be a minority view.)\n\nAt any rate, however you analyze the \"subject case\" in Berber, the one that occurs on the subject of most simple transitive sentences, there's no reason that can't be the same as other cases. English assigning what looks like accusative case to the objects of most prepositions is hardly universal. Whether you prefer to describe English as having created an objective case that subsumed accusative, dative, and oblique, or as having merged accusative and dative into oblique, that's not the only way to get to a two-case system. And patterning transitive subjects with objects of (some) prepositions is one of the many other ways, attested in multiple languages (although mostly E-A languages).\n\nFinally, I don't think Berber is usually analyzed as having case prefixes. Your \"a-\" and \"u-\" prefixes only work for the first class of nouns; you can't describe the other classes (\"tarbat/terbat\", \"iles/yiles\", and \"taddart/taddart\") with the same prefixes. What you called the \"accusative\" is considered the base form (\"free state\"), and the nominative or ergative or whatever (\"construct state\") is described as formed by vowel alternation rules (different ones for each class).\n\nExactly how you handle all of that in Case theory depends on how you handle ergative languages and how you handle case mergers. A system that can't handle anything but English just won't work for Berber languages. Obviously a system that always assigns NOM to the subject position won't work for ergative languages unless there's a second layer than can then map NOM to ergative in transitive sentences and absolutive in intransitive sentences. But a system that can assign ERG in some languages and NOM in others, or that moves subjects to different locations (one ERG-assigning, one NOM-assigning) in different languages, doesn't need that. Whatever you do there, you can do a simpler version of for prepositions assigning case in various different languages. It's impossible to answer for all of the Case theories proposed for every version of GB and MP, but should be easy for any specific theory.", "You can check the caseList variable size by using the below code and return the error message.\n\n if(caseList.size() &gt; 1){\n ApexPages.addmessage(new ApexPages.message(ApexPages.severity.ERROR,'You have more than one active case'));\n\n}", "Some clarification first, \nthe ClusterIP is only accessible inside the cluster this is not the right choice to solve your problem and the LoadBalancer depends on the integration with your network, real or virtual, to generate the correct resources and assign an IP address.\n\nWith that said, an easy way open a service port should be to use services of type NodePort it assigns a port directly on the machine, the same way you do when you open ports on a Linux machine, but with the difference that all the process is managed by Kubernetes. In that scenario, you only need to worry about the routes between the networks managed on your router.\n\nYou have more info about NodePort on the official Kubernetes documentation here\n\nUPDATED\n\nAs per the last comments, for the use case, the use of NodePort should work and probably is a good option to use some DNS management like external-dns to not worry about how to setup the right IP.", "The work around suggested in the answer here appears to be working for me (Thanks @Seth !).\n\nThe line you want to change in the original script (autoreviewcomments.user.js) is as follows:\n\n$('#' + divid).find('.comment-help-link').parent().append(newspan);\n\n\nFrom the answer provided:\n\n\n The workaround for this is to change line 683 to:\n\nsetTimeout(function() {\n $('#' + divid).find('.comment-help-link').parent().append(newspan);\n}, 10);\n\n\n\nPersonally, I would keep this as only a temporary fix, and monitor the question for status updates." ]

[ "Fit as expected. Made well, and my boys wear it all the time.\nIt is understated apparel (doesn't stand out), but still glad I bought it." ]

[ "We needed new phones, and I love that this set offers enough handsets to have one in nearly every room of the house. My favorite feature is the intercom feature that allows you to call whichever handset you wish. It is perfect for contacting my teenage son.", "This book touches on many of the difficult challenges and issues teenage girls face. It was written by teenage girls from all over the United States, who share their personal experiences from their Christian viewpoint, for teenage girls, with one devotion for each day of the year. Each devotion is followed by a brief Scripture verse. I have given this lovely gift to each of my teenage nieces, neighbors, and my son's girlfriend. For those who might be a little too young for some of the topics, I gave it to their moms to give to their daughters when their moms feel they are ready. I wish someone had given me a book like this when I was a teenager!", "The Conductors hat was perfect. It was large enough to fit a 7-1/4 hat size. Greaty educational tool. The Hat band even supported the Conductors Badge.,", "In the Panhandle , exactly in Amarillo Texas , I received many positive complements ! It looks perfect it's made perfect it's my cowgirl hat , just mine!!!!", "<div id=\"video-block-R33L1AS4U5ZVFX\" class=\"a-section a-spacing-small a-spacing-top-mini video-block\"></div><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"\" value=\"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/C1L%2BvRMjLgS.mp4\" class=\"video-url\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"\" value=\"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81VFSUtYO7S.png\" class=\"video-slate-img-url\">&nbsp;So I have to say , this is kind of a cool idea for a Bluetooth Earbuds. This is perfect for the guy in your life that is always wearing a hat, and of course had the never ending need for music. For that matter, my grand daughter thought it was super cool and tried to get me to give it to her. At the moment, it is a toss up between her and my teenage son as to who actually \"owns\" this!\n\nOn to the quality of the Bluetooth that you get with this hat. The earbuds fit nicely in both her young ears and in mine as an adult. I am pretty picky about earbuds, but I have to admit that I found these pretty comfortable. The sound quality that you are getting , well all i can tell you is what I like. I listen to mainly Contemporary Christian based music and it sounds great to me while listening to it with this set. I am by no means an expert on audeo, but I know what sounds good. The control panel is easily accessible, and I found it easy enough to change the channel of the music I was listening to , when I had the hat on. I paired it to my Android phone and to my son's Apple phone and it paired easily to both of them. All in all, it is a great little novelty item and would be a great gift. Feel free to watch my video to get more of an up close vision of the hat and earbuds. Please know that everything that I have written about this product is how I really feel about it and you can read my reviews with confidence. I received this product at a discount in exchange for an honest and unbiased review and all thoughts reflected in this review are solely my own.", "this didn't last very long with my teenager son using it. eventually the SIM card reader was unable to read the SIM card anymore and we just upgraded his phone to Samsung instead after a few months", "I bought this book for my teenage son because he is interested in the Chernobyl disaster. He learned alot from this book. It is very well written with keen attention to detail. A great book to go along with research on Chernobyl.", "I loved this book. It kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. I related to the characters and their personal struggles and their fight to survive. My teenage son ready it and loved it too. It's a great read for all ages.", "It is teenage proof!!! My son broke 6 ph's before... What a drama u would think is the end of the world... But when u add up how much u've paid to replace broken phones u will def. agree. The more protection the better. My sin's cell ph is peace of mind for me too so i nee a teenage proof case cell ph to make sure the ph last longer...", "This movie has become a family favorite. We saw it in the theater. As soon as the credits rolled, my teenaged son declared it his new favorite. We purchased on Amazon streaming and have watched it several more times. Great movie!!!", "I love these cubes for all my kids room. I have them in my son's nursery, my six year old room and even my teenagers. Great for blankets, sheets, toys, books, misc stuff that usually ends up on the floor", "I got this game for my six-year-old son for his birthday. We have lots of teenage/adult games and lots of toddler games, but not many for in between. This game is perfect for that age group, plus the kids are working together instead of competing (arguing) against each other. We love it and can't wait to try some other cooperative games from this company! By the way, for those looking for a fun cooperative game for older kids/adults, we LOVE Forbidden Island. So much fun!", "Bag does not appear \"slouchy\" in the picture; but upon receipt of the purse, I noted that the brown leather straps on each side draw the bag up and you can't loosen the straps. The bag doesn't sit flat based on this and allows my contents to lean over. Not what I thought I was ordering." ]

[ "A girl is looking at the mirror while she puts on makeup." ]

[ "A girl is smashing a mirror.", "Person putting on makeup in a mirror.", "She is in the bathroom while on the phone.", "Girls putting on makeup in front of the mirror", "A woman is putting on makeup and looking in the mirror.", "A man puts contacts into his eyes while looking into a mirror.", "She was talking on the phone.", "A man is talking on the phone while walking.", "A woman is talking on her phone while she walks.", "A man talks on the phone while smoking.", "Two girls riding bikes while talking on the phone.", "The man is running while talking on the phone.", "A girl is putting on makeup outside.", "Girls are talking on the phone.", "She looked at me for a while.", "A person walking while talking on the phone.", "A teen girl looks at another dancer through a mirror while she warms up", "A man waits for the bus while looking in the mirror.", "A little girl doing her hair while looking in a mirror.", "A young man shaving while looking in the mirror", "A man is talking on his phone while on the computer.", "A woman wears clothes while talking on the phone.", "a woman in a coat and scarf looks serious while talking on the phone", "a woman applies eyeliner while looking at mirror", "A man is smoking while talking into his phone.", "Businessmen often talk on the phone while walking.", "A woman talks on the phone while watching TV.", "A person putting on their makeup.", "A black man is running while talking on the phone.", "A young girl talks on the phone.", "A person talks on the phone while petting a animal.", "The female is putting on make up." ]

[ "It's TV discount season. Here's the best big-screen bargains you can get this weekend." ]

[ "You'll see lots of laptop deals in the coming weeks: doorbusters for notebooks under $500, maybe under $400 or $300 if you're lucky. And while there's no shame in putting on three layers in the cold on Black Friday morning only to elbow someone in Best Buy in the name of a bargain (no really, it can be fun), these aren't typically the models we'd recommend if it didn't happen to be deals season. For our holiday gift guide, we skipped straight to...", "Plenty of deals on Surface, Xbox, and more will be coming soon", "Want to get started on your holiday shopping now but worried that anything you get will go down in price after Thanksgiving? The good news is some deals are already available.", "Don't buy anything, especially Amazon devices, until you read this. Find out what deals are coming, what's available now and how to save even more.", "The best-dressed characters of fall TV 2019", "Black Friday is known for being a great time to pick up deals on almost everything but don't be fooled. Not every item is a bargain or even in stock, and some purchases may be better left for a different time of year. Here are some buys to skip over until you don't have to fight Black Friday crowds to get to them.", "If you're not someone who wants to elbow their way to a good deal at 5 a.m. on Black Friday, consider shopping on Cyber Monday instead.", "Several deals will be available until 12:59AM ET on Monday, November 11th", "Apple wants to make Apple TV+ available in as many places as possible. Yes, you have heard us say that before. Just last week, the Apple TV app arrived on Roku, and today, Amazon announced that the Apple TV app is available on the Fire TV Stick (2nd Gen) and Fire TV Stick 4K -- in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and India. When Apple TV+ launches on November 1st, the streaming service will be available on those devices, too....", "The best lease deals on economy cars, Rolls-Royces, and Lamborghinis for November 2019.", "After discounting the Ultra model last week, Amazon is back with another Instant Pot deal ahead of Black Friday. This time around, you can get up to $40 off the Instant Pot Duo, making the family-sized six-quart model $59.99. According to price tracker Camelcamelcamel, that's the lowest price Amazon has ever offered the Duo for. Just note that of the six-quart models, it's only the red one that's down $40. The other colors are on sale too, but...", "Gaming on a massive OLED TV is an impressive experience, but it can be hampered by screen tearing or V-Sync input lag when playing PC games. To combat these issues, LG announced it would be supporting NVIDIA's G-Sync on its OLED TVs earlier this year, and now the release date has arrived. Beginning this week, a firmware update will be pushed to LG OLEDs to allow G-Sync support. It'll be available on this year's E9 (65 and 55 inches), C9 (77, 65...", "The dates for the BayPort Credit Union Holiday Lights Merry Mile on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk have been announced. The tradition begins Friday, November 22 and continues nightly through New Year's Eve December 31. Illumination begins at 5:30 p.m. each night and continues until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 10 p.m. from Sundays through Thursdays. RELATED: Black Friday 2019 ads: An early look at deals from top retailers Visitors will be...", "Kansas City, MO - Online streaming entertainment has exploded in recent years, so much so, there are more than 300 digital streaming services available now. And more are on the way - Apple and Disney. We've come a long way from the days of having three, maybe four, channels to choose from on the family room television. In this KMBZ Cover Story we explore the current state of streaming, and the practice of 'cutting the cord' - ditching...", "NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - When it comes to shopping, you're probably always on the lookout for the best deal possible. But could some discounted products just be a dud, and could those duds also be harmful? Consumer Investigator Lindsay Bramson explains what you need to look for the next time you're trying to score a deal on beauty products. It's all about looking your best and just about everywhere you go, you can purchase products for your lips,...", "With the offseason now underway, theScore's MLB editors rank the top 20 free-agent pitchers (statistics from 2019, ages as of Opening Day 2020). 1. Gerrit Cole, SP (29) Baseball's best pitcher in 2019 is set to break records on the open market. Cole will likely get the biggest free-agent deal ever given to a hurler by topping David Price's seven-year, $217-million contract with the Boston Red Sox while also exceeding Zack Greinke's record...", "November best buys", "In need of holiday gift ideas? From the most simple presents like Lego sets and cardigans to high-tech wonders like the latest Apple Watch and Amazon's Echo Show 5, these products are among this year's top buys. Many like an updated Monopoly game can even be had for less than $50.", "The hottest thing in gaming right now is classic low-tech tabletop experiences. Here's our line-up of the best board games for 2019.", "More Black Friday ads are starting to roll in. Kohl's, Target, BJ's Wholesale Club, Costco, Office Depot, Sears and Kmart have unveiled their ads.", "By clicking one of our links you're supporting our labs and our independence, as we may earn a small share of revenue. Recommendations are separate from any business incentives. Every November, shoppers lose it over Black Friday. Whether you're buying online or in stores, there's an intensity to shopping during this legendary retail holiday that can be overwhelming. For most people, the prospect of saving huge amounts of money on the season's...", "As part of Chevrolet's Black Friday promotion.", "At the halfway point of the NFL season, the draft couldn't come soon enough for some fans. Here's a look at our latest NFL mock draft, as of Oct. 28, 2019.", "Find the perfect gift for everyone without going broke. From a fun Star Wars waffle maker to electronic gizmos like a Roku streaming stick and an Amazon Fire tablet, this list has you covered for less than $50. What's more, you don't even have to leave home to do your shopping.", "You probably didn't notice it, but Verizon (Engadget's parent company) has a dedicated media player of its own. The carrier quietly released a Stream TV device meant to court 5G Home subscribers who've figuratively and literally cut the television cord. It's really a straightforward Android TV device with support for 4K video, Chromecast streaming and a Google Assistant-capable voice remote. Naturally, Verizon is hoping that you'll use this to...", "Netflix for $12.99, Disney+ for $70 a year, Hulu with no ads for $11.99, and add on HBO for $14.99… wait, how much is this all costing? Welcome to the next phase of the streaming wars.", "Diahann Carroll, the Tony-winning, Oscar-nominated singer and actress who paved the way for black actors by becoming the first African American woman to star in her own TV series, \"Julia,\" died on Friday after a battle with cancer. She was 84. Carroll is also known for her work on \"Dynasty,\" \"Grey's Anatomy\" and her Oscar-nominated", "The store is also kicking off early holiday savings with great Sonos, Xbox, Fitbit and other discounts starting Nov. 7.", "Roku really wants you to buy its streaming devices. Last week, the 4K Streaming Stick+ got a permanent price drop to $50, and today, the Roku Ultra is down from $100 to $70 on Amazon. While the device is a bit larger than Roku's other options -- the Ultra is a small set-top box rather than Roku's typical HDMI stick format -- streamers with 4K- or HDR-capable TVs may want to take advantage of the low price. There are a few features that make the...", "BALTIMORE - The Ravens have every right to be sky-high after scoring back-to-back victories over two of the best teams in the NFL, but that doesn't mean they're going to come back down any time soon. Sure, the Cincinnati Bengals have been kryptonite to the Ravens in the recent past, but the winless team Lamar Jackson and Co. will face Sunday won't bear any resemblance to the ones that ...", "Drink too many hard seltzers last night? Fear not, help is on its way. Help that comes in a can. You can now buy bitters and soda in a can from The Bitter Housewife, an artisanal bitters company out of Portland, Ore., available online for easy delivery to your bedside or boat dock. Long a remedy for hangovers, hiccups and general queasiness, the combination of cocktail bitters and bubbly water ...", "WJZ News For Amazon 11-11-19" ]

[ "Racing a Homing (Rock) Pigeon. 1 1. Find a local pigeon racing club and join. 2 2. Attend racing events and observe. 3 3. Get advice from existing pigeon racers. 4. Enter your pigeons in racing 1 events. 5. Race your pigeons." ]

[ "Wiktionary (0.00 / 0 votes) Rate this definition: carrier (Noun). A person or object that carries someone or something else. carrier (Noun). A carrier pigeon, a newspaperese term (misnomer) for a homing pigeon, racing pigeon, racing homer, homer.", "It's a good time to buy in Homer. Home Appreciataion is up 0.9% in the last 12 months. Browse Homer Real Estate. The median home price in Homer is $71,800.", "What colour is Homer Simpson's car? It depends on which car you've got in mind. For example: Homer's sports car from the 70s is green, but Homer's family car is pink. Homer also uses the Canyonero which is… a 4 wheel drive SUV and that is kind of reddish pink.", "Recent News. Clayton Kershaw allowed four runs -- including three home runs -- over six innings in Saturday's loss to the Rockies. Kershaw was stout through five innings, yielding just a Nolan Arenado solo homer, but MVP candidate Mark Reynolds got to the southpaw for a two-run shot in the sixth before Gerardo Parra followed with a solo homer.", "Homer Spit, Homer, Alaska The Homer Spit is a geographical landmark located in Homer, Alaska on the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula. The spit is a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) long piece of land jutting out into Kachemak Bay. The spit is also home to the Homer Boat Harbor.", "Homer Jay Simpson, Sr. (born May 12, 1956.), also known as Homer Samson, Homie, Home-boy, Colonel Homer, Dancin' Homer, Homer Thompson, Max Power, Cornelius Talmadge, El Homo, and The Pie Man, is the protagonist of the show and the spouse of Marge Simpson and the father of Bart Simpson, Lisa Simpson, and Maggie Simpson.", "homer (plural homers) ( 1 baseball) A four-base hit; a home run The first baseman hit a homer to lead off the ninth. 2 A homing pigeon Each of the pigeon fanciers released a homer at the same time. ( 3 sports) A person who is extremely devoted to his favorite team.", "Mark McGwire passes Maris. The 1998 baseball season was captivating. McGwire and Sammy Sosa engaged in one of the best home run races we've seen, with both chasing Roger Maris' single-season home record of 61. On Sept. 8 in St. Louis, McGwire hit a bullet down the left-field line for his 62nd homer of the season.", "A home run hit with the bases empty is seldom called a one-run homer, but rather a solo home run, solo homer, or solo shot. With one runner on base, two runs are scored (the baserunner and the batter) and thus the home run is often called a two-run homer or two-run shot.", "Alaska halibut guides agree that Alaska fantastic fishing vacations including Halibut fishing trips to Homer Alaska are fantastic because Homer, AK is the Halibut Capital of the World and home of the Homer Halibut Derby sponsored by the Homer Alaska Chamber of Commerce. We also have fantastic Alaskan Salmon fishing.", "Pigeons are the oldest domesticated bird. The predecessors of modern day racing pigeons were pigeons bred for their homing ability, primarily to carry messages. Racing Pigeon Posts have been established all over the world and while mainly used in the millitary, some are still in service today.", "Confidence votes 1.8K. An earned run is scored on how the runner got on base not how he came home ... If the runner hit the ball and got on base ... and wound up scoring ... its an earn run for the picher he got the hit off of ...NO matter how he cam home ...onfidence votes 1.8K. An earned run is scored on how the runner got on base not how he came home ... If the runner hit the ball and got on base ... and wound up scoring ... its an earn run for the picher he got the hit off of ...", "It is known from artistic evidence on pottery that the sport existed in the Mycenaean world, but the first literary reference to a chariot race is the one described by Homer, at the funeral games of Patroclus. ... ... A chariot race was also said to be the event that founded the Olympic Games.", "Home Run Derby facts. Not many players have won the Home Run Derby and gone on to homer in the All-Star Game. Perhaps fatigue was a factor. However, of the three Derby winners who did homer, two went on to win the All-Star MVP. Here is is a list of Derby winners, with players who homered in the big game bolded:", "Suburban teen survives shark attack in Bahamas. Johnny Stoch is back home in southwest suburban Homer Glen, Ill., after surviving a shark attack while vacationing in the Bahamas. HOMER GLEN, Ill. Johnny Stoch is back home in southwest suburban Homer Glen, Ill., after surviving a shark attack while vacationing in the Bahamas. The Stoch family has a message to share: paradise can turn into hell in a single second.", "South Peninsula Hospital - 6 reviews - Homer, AK. The South Peninsula Hospital is a combination 22 bed acute care hospital and a 28 bed nursing home located at the southern end of the Kenia Peninsula.... 11 days ago - save job - more... View all South Peninsula Hospital jobs in Homer, AK - Homer jobs. Salary Search: Dietary Aide salaries in Homer, AK.", "Cats have amazing abilities that we mere humans still don't understand. One such ability is the way cats can always find their way home, no matter how far away they might be.Just how they do this is still a mystery, although we do have an idea of how some other animals do it. Salmon tend to go by the smell of their home waters when they return to spawn.ats have amazing abilities that we mere humans still don't understand. One such ability is the way cats can always find their way home, no matter how far away they might be.", "High Quality Sunroom Construction for Homer Glen. Adding a 3 or 4 season sunroom, patio room or patio enclosure is the best and most cost-effective way to give your Homer Glen home a beautiful custom look and help to increase the value of your home.", "One example of how ingenuity is used conceptually can be found in the analysis of Thomas Homer-Dixon, building on that of Paul Romer, to refer to what is usually called instructional capital. In the case of Homer-Dixon, his use of the phrase 'ingenuity gap' denotes the space between a challenge and a solution. His particular contribution is to explore the social dimensions of ingenuity. Typically we think of ingenuity being used to build faster computers or more advanced medical treatments. Homer-Dixon argues that as the complexity of the world increases, our ability to solve the problems we face is becoming critical.", "Originally Posted by homer. The banded mallard I shot last Wednesday got me wondering how old are the bands we harvest. Year or two since banded or much older. The drake I shot was banded in Sept. 2005, in ND making him over 7 years old.", "Rare occurrences. 1 On July 13, 1896, Ed Delahanty of the Philadelphia Phillies hit four home runs in one game (itself an extraordinarily rare feat), two of which were inside-the-park home runs. This event is the only time any homers in a four-homer game have been inside-the-park.", "Wiktionary (0.00 / 0 votes) Rate this definition: ingenuity (Noun). The ability to solve difficult problems, often in original and creative ways. ingenuity (Noun). Ingenuousness; honesty, straightforwardness.Origin: From ingenuitas.ne example of how ingenuity is used conceptually can be found in the analysis of Thomas Homer-Dixon, building on that of Paul Romer, to refer to what is usually called instructional capital. In the case of Homer-Dixon, his use of the phrase 'ingenuity gap' denotes the space between a challenge and a solution.", "By Victoria Belarde. Introduction. Epithets reveal the special abilities of a person or the significance of his emotions during a. certain point in time. Epithets emphasize a particular character's violent capabilities or how strong he. is in comparison to another within a battle scene. An example of this is when Homer adds the epithet.", "How many World Series did Mickey play in, and how many World Championships did he win? Mickey hit 536 career home runs, which placed him third in career home runs when he retired. Mickey hit 18 World Series home runs. His 18 World Series homers are still the record for most home runs hit in World Series play.", "David Freese went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Mariners. Advice: Freese launched a solo homer off Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma in the fifth inning. It would be his only hit in the contest. He's now homered in back-to-back game and is slashing .258/.320/.424 with 13 homers and 53 RBI.", "Standardbreds are a breed of horse best known for their ability to race in harness at a trot or pace instead of under saddle at a gallop.Developed in North America, the breed is now recognized worldwide for its harness racing ability. They are solid, well-built horses with good dispositions.tandardbreds are a breed of horse best known for their ability to race in harness at a trot or pace instead of under saddle at a gallop.", "Confidence votes 22. Chevrolet got its name from the founder, Louis Chevrolet, a race car drive. Chevrolet got its name from the founder, Louis Chevrolet, a race car drive.", "It Central to all of these scenarios is the is hard to see how the sorts of disparities in ability assumption that race is fundamental to all aspects 54 Chapter 3 • The Concept of Race in Contemporary Anthropology of human interaction, with the characteristics of and appropriate concept to be used in particular different groups permanent for the long term.", "Don't forget, Sabathia spent the first eight years of his career in Cleveland. The Yankees lost Friday night's game to the Indians, 10-2, when rookie righty Chad Green got lit up for four homers and the offense hardly got itself going.", "Racing is not a sport. Racing is not a sport. Racing is simply a competition between two or more persons to see who comes out first as the fastest. Racing requires very little to no athletic ability..", "Mickey led the American League in home runs four times: 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1960. Curiously, the year he hit the most homers - 1961 with 54 homers - he came in second to Roger Maris, who hit his record 61. Mickey hit 536 career home runs, which placed him third in career home runs when he retired.", "For patients with diabetes, how often the home health team got doctor’s orders, gave foot care, and taught patients about foot care. 96 %. 96 %. How often home health patients had to be admitted to the hospital. 15 %. 17 %. How often patients got better at bathing." ]

[ "The Lagos State Executive Council" ]

[ "The Lagos State Governor", "Lagos State House", "a government body", "Lagos State University", "Lagos", "Yaba, Lagos state", "government bodies", "Ondo State Government", "The Lagos State Waste Management Authority", "State Government", "the State Government", "The 8th Lagos State House of Assembly", "Lagos, Nigeria", "government agency or legislative body", "Oba of Lagos", "A governing body", "Lagos Island", "Nigerian government", "Welcome to Lagos", "Lagos Colony", "What's Your Mama's Name", "a legislative body of government", "Ikeja, Lagos", "the Nigerian federal government", "Treaty of Lagos", "What Yo Name Iz?", "State governments", "Ajegunle, Lagos", "Lagos lagoon", "Lagos Water Corporation", "Council of State Governments", "The Lagos Plan of Action" ]

[ "The Sunday Herald TV critic Damien Love reimagined the ceremony as a return of the classic science fiction series The Twilight Zone.\nPresident Trump: The Inauguration\n4pm, BBC One/ STV\n\"After a long absence, The Twilight Zone returns with one of the most ambitious, expensive and controversial productions in broadcast history. Sci-fi writers have dabbled often with alternative history stories - among the most common is the \"What If The Nazis Had Won The Second World War\" setting - but this huge interactive virtual reality project, which will unfold on TV, in the press, and on Twitter over the next four years, sets out to build an ongoing alternative present.\nThe story begins in a nightmarish version of 2017 in which huge sections of the US electorate have somehow been duped into voting to make Donald Trump president. It sounds far-fetched, and it is, but as it goes on it becomes more and more chillingly plausible. Today's feature-length opener concentrates on the gaudy inauguration of President Trump, and the stirrings of protest and despair surrounding the ceremony, while pundits speculate gravely on what lies ahead. It's a flawed piece, but a disturbing glimpse of the horrors we could stumble into, if we're not careful.\"\nTrump inauguration boycott grows\nWhy pop stars won't play for Trump\nViews from Route 45 on the 45th president\nLove's satirical piece has amused people on both sides of the Atlantic.\nA Facebook post by singer-songwriter Billy Bragg calling the listing a preview of things to come has been shared more than 125,000 times while Star Trek actor George Takei tweeted: \"The Sunday Herald TV section wins today.\"\nSeth MacFarlane, creator of animated TV series Family Guy, also tweeted his appreciation while Twitter user Scott Wryn worries Mr Trump may invade Scotland in response.\nNot everyone approved of the joke though. One user tweeted: \"They can't even write a TV schedule without filling it with fake news and propaganda.\"\nThe Editor of the Sunday Herald, Neil Mackay, tweeted: \"I would like the good people of the world to help me get @realDonaldTrump to read this from today's Sunday Herald. Love from Scotland x.\"\nThe president-elect, normally quick to react to criticism, has not responded to the piece so far.\nThe inauguration ceremony will take place on Friday 20 January and you can watch the real programme President Trump: The Inauguration at 16:00 GMT on BBC One.\nby UGC and Social News team" ]

[ "The PM said Britain and the US had an \"enduring and special relationship\" and would remain close partners on trade, security and defence.\nLabour's Jeremy Corbyn said an economic system that \"isn't working for most people\" had been rejected.\nScottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged Mr Trump to \"reach out\" to those feeling \"marginalised\" by his campaign.\nUKIP's Nigel Farage drew parallels with the Brexit campaign and said he would \"hand over the mantle\" to the Republican.\nIn a statement issued by Downing Street, Mrs May - who had previously criticised some of Mr Trump's remarks - said: \"I would like to congratulate Donald Trump on being elected the next president of the United States, following a hard-fought campaign.\n\"Britain and the United States have an enduring and special relationship based on the values of freedom, democracy and enterprise.\n\"We are, and will remain, strong and close partners on trade, security and defence.\n\"I look forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump, building on these ties to ensure the security and prosperity of our nations in the years ahead.\"\nIn December 2015 she criticised the Republican's call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States, saying it was \"divisive, unhelpful and wrong\".\nAt the time Mrs May, who was then home secretary, also said Mr Trump's remark that police were afraid to enter some parts of London because of radicalisation was \"nonsense\", saying: \"I just think it shows he does not understand the UK and what happens in the UK.\"\nForeign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted his congratulations to Mr Trump and said he was \"much looking forward to working with his administration on global stability and prosperity\".\nLike Mrs May, he has previously attacked Mr Trump's comments about London, saying that \"the only reason I wouldn't go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump\".\nMr Corbyn said Mr Trump's victory was \"a rejection of a failed economic consensus and a governing elite that has been seen not to have listened\".\nHe added: \"And the public anger that has propelled Donald Trump to office has been reflected in political upheavals across the world.\"\nThe Labour leader also said Mr Trump's campaign had been \"nasty and divisive\" and that he looked forward to \"robust discussions\" with the president-elect about climate change and the importance of the United Nations.\nMs Sturgeon congratulated Mr Trump but said his victory was not the outcome she had hoped for, adding: \"I hope the president-elect will take the opportunity to reach out to those who felt marginalised by his campaign and make clear - in deeds as well as words - that he will be a president for everyone in modern, multicultural America.\"\nHer predecessor Alex Salmond said Mr Trump - who has extensive business interests in Scotland - said the President-elect was a \"protectionist\" when it came to trade but he hoped that his views would change in the White House.\n\"The difficulty with Donald Trump is not when he's winning, it's when he's not getting his own way,\" he said.\n\"He's nice as nine pence when he's getting his own way. It's what happens when he reaches road blocks, obstacles, when somebody says no to him... In these circumstances we'd better all just hope that the Presidency changes a man.\"\nMr Trump was criticised by a number of UK MPs during the campaign, including during a Commons debate in January on banning him from the country.\nAs Westminster reacted to his victory, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said the values of \"moderation, freedom, respect for the rule of law, openness and concern for one another\" had been defeated, while Green Party joint leader Caroline Lucas said it was \"a devastating day\".\nHowever, Conservative MP Michael Fabricant highlighted Mr Trump's reported enthusiasm for a trade deal with the UK, comparing this with the outgoing president's \"back of the queue\" comment.\nMr Farage, who joined Mr Trump on stage during the campaign, congratulated him on his \"brave\" campaign.\n\"We now have a President who likes our country and understands our post-Brexit values,\" he said. \"Voters across the Western world want nation state democracy, proper border controls and to be in charge of their own lives.\"\nSteve Hilton, a former adviser to David Cameron in Downing Street, said the Republican tycoon won because Americans could see in him \"someone who might make a difference to their lives\".\nSir Peter Westmacott, who was UK Ambassador to the US until earlier this year, said Mr Trump had been a \"law until himself\" during the campaign and it was not clear who would form his foreign policy team.\nWhile there were significant policy differences that would need to be \"ironed out\", he told BBC Radio 4's World at One that the UK's relationship with the US was strong and it was natural for Mrs May to want a \"fresh start\" following Trump's election.", "The S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq also achieved new highs, fuelled by hopes that President Donald Trump's policies will boost the US economy.\nThe Dow, which has nudged the 20,000 milestone during January, rose 0.8% to 20,068.51.\nInvestors' cash has poured into shares on hopes of tax cuts and higher growth.\nThe Dow had risen above 20,000 early into the trading day, prompting Mr Trump's senior adviser Kellyanne Conway to tweet that the landmark was down to \"The Trump Effect\".\n\"It was definitely a milestone that the market has been focused on for really the better part of two months and you were starting to get a little bit of anxiety as to whether it was going to be surmounted or not,\" said Julian Emanuel, Equity Strategist at UBS.\nThe Dow reached its latest 1,000-point milestone two months after closing above 19,000, making it the second quickest 1,000 point rise ever.\nThe index rose from 10,000 to 11,000 in only 24 trading days between 29 March and 3 May, 1999, while the rise from 18,000 to 19,000 took 483 trading days (nearly two years).\nFinancial stocks have been a major factor in the gain - with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan accounting for around 20% of the rise.\nThis is because investors believe that some of Mr Trump's policies will trigger inflation and produce a rise in interest rates.\nAlso on Wednesday, the broad-based S&P finished up 0.8% at 2,298.37, while the Nasdaq advanced 1% to 5,656.34 - both fresh records.\nFinally, the Dow hit 20,000 at the US market open after being tantalisingly close for weeks.\nWhen the moment came, floor traders at the New York Stock Exchange were ready.\nLong before the opening bell rang, one trader yelled 'get your hats on, get your hats on'.\nHe was referring to the baseball caps emblazoned with Dow 20,000 on the front.\nIt's a tradition dating back to the first time the Dow passed 10,000. To mark the occasion, they made hats. And the habit stuck.\nWall Street veteran Art Cashin, director of floor operations at UBS had his on.\nWhen asked if the Dow at 20,000 matters, he answered that the publicity would make people think about their own investments and that was a good thing.\nFor many though today's historic milestone is just a round number. Its value is symbolic.\nIn part that has to do with the index itself.\nThe Dow Jones Industrial Average is made up of only 30 companies compared with 500 in the S&P 500. So it is far from comprehensive.\nThen there is the way it is calculated.\nThe Dow puts too much emphasis on share price, unlike the S&P 500 which reflect its members market capitalization. As a result, a few names have the power to significantly move the index.\nMake no mistake though, this will be front page news. And for market professionals, it's a moment to pop the champagne, celebrate and pull out their Dow 20,000 baseball caps because who knows when they'll be able to wear it again.\nTim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of financial management firm Solaris Group in New York, said: \"There is a real belief that [Mr] Trump is real, he has been extremely active these first couple of days of the presidency and a change may happen faster than people had thought.\"\nNeil Wilson, senior market analyst at London brokers Capital, said: \"It's psychologically huge and, after a bit of pullback ahead of the inauguration, really confirms that the 'great rotation' from bonds to stocks is definitely upon us.\n\"Fears about protectionism are running second to optimism about inflation and growth - for now at least.\n\"The question now is how long can this last?\n\"Mr Trump's first steps as president have confirmed much of what investors had hoped for and that he's extremely pro-business and light on regulation for energy and financials. That's what's driving this renewed rally.\n\"The other argument claims that this is a massive bubble and if this is a real rotation from bonds into stocks, ending a 30-year bond bull market, there is still a huge amount of cash piled up that could yet pour into equities and power further gains through 2017.\n\"It might not be too long before 21,000 is in sight.\"", "Nicola Sturgeon publicly backed Hillary Clinton ahead of the presidential vote.\nBut she said the result of the election should be respected, and that Scotland valued its relationship with the US.\nMs Sturgeon removed Mr Trump from a list of Scottish business ambassadors when he suggested Muslims would be stopped from entering the US.\nHer predecessor as first minister, Alex Salmond, has previously backed calls for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK.\nMr Trump is to become the 45th US president after a stunning victory over Mrs Clinton, the Democrat candidate.\nThe Republican nominee's victory came down to a handful of key swing states, despite months of polling that favoured Mrs Clinton.\nAs he addressed supporters at a victory rally in New York, Mr Trump said it was \"time for us to come together as one united people\".\nPresident-elect Trump's mother, Mary MacLeod, was born in the village of Tong on Lewis in the Western Isles in 1912.\nShe left the island at the age of 18 for a holiday in New York, where she met and later married local builder Fred Trump.\nTheir son Donald spoke of his late mother's Scottish heritage in 2006 when he bought the Menie Estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, turning it into a golf resort against the wishes of local residents.\nIn April 2014, the 70-year-old US tycoon also purchased the Turnberry hotel and golf resort in Ayrshire.\nMr Trump also unsuccessfully challenged Scottish government ministers in court over their decision to approve an offshore wind farm near his Aberdeenshire golf course.\nResponding to the result, Ms Sturgeon said: \"While this is not the outcome I hoped for, it is the verdict of the American people and we must respect it. I congratulate President-Elect Trump on winning the election.\n\"We value our relationship with the United States and its people. The ties that bind Scotland and the US - of family, culture and business - are deep and longstanding and they will always endure.\"\nMs Sturgeon said the result had left many people in the US and across the world with a \"real sense of anxiety\".\nShe added: \"I hope the president-elect will take the opportunity to reach out to those who felt marginalized by his campaign and make clear - in deeds as well as words - that he will be a president for everyone in modern, multicultural America.\n\"Today must also be a moment for those who share progressive values - all of us who believe in tolerance and diversity - to speak up loudly and clearly for the values we hold dear.\"\nThe first minister also paid tribute to Mrs Clinton, saying her candidacy had represented a \"major step forward for women in America and across the world\".\nMs Sturgeon told BBC Scotland she did not regret backing Mrs Clinton during the election, calling some of Mr Trump's comments during the campaign \"undoubtedly racist\".\nShe added: \"The comments made during the campaign were deeply offensive to many different groups in society and there's a need now and a big responsibility on his shoulders to bring people together.\n\"I'm never going to shy away from my believe in articulating principles of tolerance and respect and diversity and multiculturalism.\n\"The relationship between Scotland and America is an important one, and I'm not going to, because of my own personal views, risk the interests of Scotland by not engaging with the American government. But the nature of that engagement will depend to some extent on how Donald Trump conducts himself as President.\"\nUK Prime Minister Theresa May has also congratulated Mr Trump on his election as US president, and said Britain and America would remain \"strong and close partners\".\nBut several Scottish political figures have expressed their shock and disappointment over Mr Trump's victory.\nMr Salmond, who is now the SNP's foreign affairs spokesman at Westminster, said his own disappointment at the result was \"as of nothing\" compared to the people, religions and racial minorities who had been \"demeaned and insulted by Donald Trump\" during the campaign.\nThe former first minister added: \"The difficulty with Donald Trump is not when he's winning, it's not when he's getting his own way, he's nice as ninepence when he's getting his own way.\n\"It's what happens when he reaches road blocks, obstacles, when somebody says no to him. In these circumstances we'd better all just hope that the presidency changes a man.\"\nScottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said it was not the result she wanted, and expressed her hope that \"President Trump turns out to be a different man to candidate Trump\".\nHer Scottish Labour counterpart, Kezia Dugdale, said it was a \"dark day\" and accused Mr Trump of running a \"hate-filled campaign that was dominated by lies, misogyny and racism\".\nScottish Greens co-convenor Patrick Harvie called on the Scottish government to shun Mr Trump, who Mr Harvie described as a \"racist, sexist bully\".\nAnd Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said the UK should use its \"special relationship\" with the US to \"stand up for the different minorities in his country who will wake up today more fearful than they have for decades\".\nHowever, UKIP's Scottish leader, David Coburn, predicted Mr Trump would be \"good for Scotland\" because of his strong connections to the country.\nThe endorsements of Mrs Clinton by Scottish politicians could backfire once Mr Trump formally become president, according to Fiona Hill, an analyst at the Brookings think tank in Washington.\nShe said: \"It might actually matter because Donald Trump does take things quite personally.\n\"He's made it quite clear that when he has a rift on a personal and business level that he's quite serious about responding.\"\nBut the former US assistant Secretary of State, Kurt Volker, doubted that these past concerns would feature prominently in the new president's thinking.\nHe said the focus would instead be on global issues including Russia, the economy, Islamic State and forging a new relationship with the UK after Brexit.\nMore than 1,000 students from the University of Edinburgh packed into the city centre to watch the battle for the White House unfold at an event dubbed by organisers as \"the largest US election night party in the UK outside of London\".\nOrganised by Edinburgh University North American Society and the Edinburgh Political Union, the sold-out event in Potterrow saw TV screens beaming results live from across the Atlantic with experts from the school of history providing live analysis on the results throughout the night.\nThe US Consulate General also held an event on Tuesday night at Edinburgh University with hundreds of North American ex-pats attending to watch the results come in.\nAt Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf course, Sarah Malone, executive vice president of Trump International, said it was a \"truly historic day\" and he would serve with \"unwavering passion and commitment\".\nHowever, Menie resident Susan Munro, who fought Trump over his golf development, said her reaction to the win was \"shock horror\".\nShe added: \"He would not have been my choice anyway. It will be interesting\".", "The Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes all rallied robustly during the day and closed more than 1% higher.\nThe pre-open future markets forecasted dramatic sell-offs when Donald Trump's lead became clear overnight.\nShare traders had expected Hillary Clinton to beat Mr Trump to become the next US president.\nHis victory initially sent money flowing into safe haven stocks, gold and currencies including the yen, but as the day has gone on global markets have recovered.\nThe Dow Jones ended the day up by 1.4% at 18,589.69. The S&P 500 was 1.11% higher at 2,163.26 and the Nasdaq was also up by 1.11% at 5,251.07.\nIn London the FTSE 100 index dropped 2% at the start of trading before recovering to end the day 1% up.\nFrance's Cac index and Germany's Dax both closed about 1.5% higher after erasing losses of more than 2%.\nFollow the BBC's live page for more election coverage\nBusiness Live: Markets muted after Trump win\nFive questions on the economy for President Trump\nPresident Trump: All hat, now where are the cattle?\nUK businesses react to Trump's win\nSome analysts had likened the shock of a Trump victory to the Brexit result earlier this year.\nHowever, neither markets nor currencies have swung as wildly as they did after June's EU referendum.\nThe dollar has regained ground it lost earlier. Although it is still down against the pound, it is now up against both the euro and the yen.\nUS stock futures fell dramatically overnight when Mr Trump won key swing states, with traders at one point forecasting the Dow Jones to lose 4% or 800 points.\nThe sell-off hit Asian share markets, leading to them being described as a \"sea of red\" in early trading, before seeing their losses narrow.\nJapan's Nikkei 225 finished 5.4% lower, but the Hang Seng in Hong Kong and the Shanghai Composite - which closed later - lost 2.2% and 0.6% respectively.\nIt's been a \"risk off\" day.\nBuy into safe haven currencies like the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc (both up today); buy into gold (the ultimate save haven harbour); sell the obvious (the Mexican peso has taken a battering).\nBut, trading volumes are average, the FTSE 100 is calm and there has been no rush to the stock market exit doors.\nAfter the turmoil of Brexit, this has not been a \"plus, plus, plus\" day in terms of volatility.\nSo far, this is Brexit minus.\nInvestors are in wait and see mode.\nRead more: Trump victory - markets spy an upside\nKathleen Brooks, an analyst at City Index, said markets were calming down after the initial shock. \"This suggests that a win for President Trump is not yet America's Brexit moment. US Treasuries have reversed earlier gains, and yields are rising.\"\nShe suggested Mr Trump's acceptance speech, in which he called for the country to unite, helped to settle some of the market jitters.\nThe biggest winners on the FTSE 100 were pharmaceutical firms, defence and mining companies, while banks and retailers were among the losers.\n\"What you're seeing is healthcare companies which had been threatened by some of Hillary Clinton's policies actually recovering quite strongly,\" Ben Ritchie, senior fund manager at Aberdeen Asset Management, told the BBC.\nArms makers stand to gain from Mr Trump's proposals to increase defence spending, analysts said.\nGold initially jumped 5% - the biggest one-day rise since after the UK's Brexit vote - before falling back to more modest gains.\nMeanwhile, concerns about the impact of a Trump presidency on the Mexican economy saw its currency, the peso, fall more than 13% overnight against the dollar to its lowest level in two decades. It has since pulled that back slightly to an 8% loss.\nMexico is expected to suffer from a Trump presidency because of his pledges to build a wall along the US border with the country and renegotiate the two nations' trade agreement.", "The PM said: \"I see no equivalence between those who propound fascist views and those who oppose them.\"\nPresident Trump has faced criticism for blaming both sides for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.\nA woman was killed when a car hit people opposed to a far-right rally.\nThe UK prime minister added: \"I think it is important for all those in positions of responsibility to condemn far-right views wherever we hear them.\"\nShe was speaking on a visit to Britain's new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, in Portsmouth, her first engagement since her summer holiday.\nAsked about Mr Trump's response to the Charlottesville incidents, she said: \"As I made clear at the weekend following the horrendous scenes that we saw in Charlottesville, I absolutely abhor the racism, the hatred and the violence that we have seen portrayed by these groups.\n\"The United Kingdom has taken action to ban far-right groups here, we have proscribed certain far-right groups here in the United Kingdom.\n\"And there is no equivalence.\"\nAfter widespread criticism of his initial response, Mr Trump had condemned white supremacist groups on Monday.\nBut at a press conference on Tuesday, he said there was \"blame on both sides\".\n\"You had a group on one side that was bad,\" he said.\n\"You had a group on the other side that was also very violent. Nobody wants to say that. I'll say it right now.\"\nLeading figures in Mr Trump's Republican party have reacted angrily to his latest comments, with House Speaker Paul Ryan saying: \"White supremacy is repulsive.. There can be no moral ambiguity.\"\nTwo of Mrs May's ministers, Sajid Javid and Sam Gyimah, attacked Mr Trump's response in Tweets on Wednesday.\n\"The 'leader of the free world' loses moral authority when he cannot call fascism by its name,\" Mr Gyimah wrote.\nMr Javid said he had learned as a child that neo-Nazis were \"bad\" and anti-Nazis \"good\" and it was \"pretty obvious\".\nEnd of Twitter post by @sajidjavid\nAnd Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson tweeted: \"The president of the United States has just turned his face to the world to defend Nazis, fascists and racists. For shame.\"\nLabour leader Jeremy Corbyn echoed Mrs May's insistence there is no equivalence between fascists and their opponents as he criticised Mr Trump.\nSpeaking on a visit to Cumbria, he said: \"I can find nothing decent about anything the KKK or Nazis say or have ever said.\n\"Surely for goodness sake have we not learnt the lessons of what happened in the earlier part of the 20th Century, surely we have learned the lessons of the brave people that marched from Selma to Montgomery, there can be no return to those days.\n\"I hope president Trump will recognise he is the president of the United States. And that includes all of the people of the United States.\"\nA number of Labour MPs have called on Mrs May's offer of a visit with state honours for Mr Trump to be withdrawn.\nShadow defence secretary Nia Griffith tweeted: \"A state visit by #DonaldTrump would shame this country and betray all we stand for. Theresa May should revoke the invitation immediately.\"\nNottingham South MP Lilian Greenwood said Mr Trump's comments were \"sickening\" and a \"new low\".\nSenior Conservative MP Crispin Blunt, the former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said the visit should be postponed until 2020 - after the next US presidential election - and should have as its centrepiece the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrim fathers arriving in America.\nHe told BBC Radio 4's The World at One: \"I think that's the right way forward out of what is undoubtedly going to be a very difficult situation and very probably a very big public order problem as well.\n\"It then becomes much more about the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrim fathers, rather than Donald Trump.\n\"And I think it then respects the relationship between our two nations and you take the element of Donald Trump as far as you can out of the visit.\"\nLib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable said it would be \"completely wrong\" for Mr Trump's state visit to the UK to go ahead.\n\"Donald Trump has shown he is unable to detach himself from the extreme right and racial supremacists,\" he added.", "@ALT_USCIS anonymously criticised President Trump’s immigration policy, and claimed to be run by employees at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.\nUS government officials issued a summons for identifying information.\nBut Twitter said that demand had been withdrawn after it filed a lawsuit.\nThe @ALT_USCIS account's followers also ballooned from 38,000 to 158,000 during the lawsuit's single-day lifespan.\nThe original summons from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency demanded \"all records regarding the twitter account @ALT_USCIS to include, user names, account login, phone numbers, mailing addresses, and IP (computer) addresses\".\nBut the law cited by the agency - which is part of the Department of Homeland Security - is typically used to obtain records about imported goods.\nThe summons also demanded the information by 13 March 2017 - a day before the request was even sent to Twitter.\nTwitter went to court in San Francisco to block the move, saying the CBP was \"abusing a limited-purpose investigatory tool\" and stifling freedom of speech.\nThe micro-blogging service was backed by the American Civil Liberties union (ACLU), which said it would join the court battle.\nBut the request was withdrawn by the government a day later, after Twitter's court filing became public.\nA justice department official told AFP news agency that the investigation had ended - but no details were given.\n\"We want to thank @twitter and @aclu for standing up for the right of free anonymous speech,\" the @ALT_USCIS account tweeted. \"Thank you resistance for standing up for us.\"\nIn January, when Donald Trump became President Trump, several so-called \"alternative\" accounts for US government services began appearing online.\nMany claimed to be controlled by current of former staff members.\nTwitter said this is \"a new and innovative class of American speakers\" who need anonymity because they could face retaliation or lose their jobs.\n\"Permitting the CBP to pierce the pseudonym of the @ALT _UCCIS account would have a grave chilling effect on the speech of that account in particular and on the many other 'alternative agency' accounts that have been created to voice dissent to government policies\", it said.\nThe \"alternative\" departments sprung up on Twitter following the gagging of the official National Parks Service Twitter account.\nOn Mr Trump's inauguration day, it tweeted a photo of the crowd, comparing it with the 2009 inauguration of then President Barack Obama.\nThe account was briefly shut down in response - reportedly because President Trump complained directly to the head of the National Parks Service.", "The investment guru, known as the \"Sage of Omaha\", said US stocks were \"virtually certain to be worth far more in the years ahead\".\nMr Buffett steered clear of mentioning President Trump in his annual letter to shareholders in his investment firm.\nBut he did praise \"a tide of talented and ambitious immigrants\" in helping the US economy to prosper.\nMr Buffett, who supported Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the US presidential election, did not address Donald Trump's policies.\nBut he took an upbeat view of the US economy, repeating his claim that \"babies born in America today are the luckiest crop in history\".\nMr Buffett's comments came as his firm Berkshire Hathaway, which owns dozens of US stocks including Apple, Coca-Cola and the four biggest US airlines, reported a 15% rise in fourth-quarter profits to $6.3bn (£5bn).\nHowever, over the course of the year it underperformed the S&P 500 share index for the fourth time in the last five years.\nThe growth in the company's book value - that is the company's assets minus its liabilities and Mr Buffett's preferred measure of Berkshire's performance - was 10.7% in 2016, while the S&P 500 rose 12.0%.\nMr Buffett said investors \"will almost certainly do well\" by staying with a \"collection of large, conservatively financed American businesses\".\nThe gifted stock-picker, who is on course to win a 2008 bet that an investment in the S&P 500 would beat five hedge funds over 10 years, also took a fresh swipe at highly paid \"active\" investment managers.\nHe said \"1,000 monkeys would be just as likely to produce a seemingly all-wise prophet\" as 1,000 highly paid professionals.\nHowever, one investment manager said he felt Mr Buffett spent too much of the letter extolling Berkshire's virtues and did not address what went wrong with Kraft Heinz's failed takeover of UK household goods giant Unilever.\nThe letter was more about Mr Buffett's \"epitaph even more so than prior letters\", said Cole Smead of Smead Capital Management.\nLast week, Kraft, in which Berkshire is a major investor, dropped its $143bn (£115bn) takeover attempt amid strong opposition from Unilever's board.\nMr Buffet has previously spoken against hostile takeovers - where firms try to buy out shareholders directly without support from the target's board.", "\"He's a much nicer version of Donald Trump but the campaign is remarkably similar in my opinion,\" said Mr Clarke.\nThe veteran pro-EU MP was speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\nVote Leave have stepped up their focus on immigration, accusing David Cameron of harming public trust in politics with his pledge to cut net migration.\nFollow the latest updates on our live page\nIn a joint letter to the prime minister, Mr Johnson and Justice Secretary Michael Gove said Mr Cameron's promise to reduce net migration to below 100,000 at last year's general election was \"plainly not achievable as long as the UK is a member of the EU\".\nFollowing the letter, a number of Conservative MPs broke ranks to call for Mr Cameron to quit even if the Remain campaign wins in 23 June's referendum on whether Britain should remain in the EU.\nNadine Dorries - a long standing backbench critic of the prime minister who says she would back Mr Johnson in any contest to replace him - predicted the PM would be \"toast\" if Remain won by a narrow margin.\nShe told ITV's Peston on Sunday she had tabled a letter seeking a no-confidence vote in Mr Cameron.\nFellow Leave campaigner Andrew Bridgen suggested more than the 50 Conservative MPs needed to trigger such a vote were ready to move against Mr Cameron.\nIn his Today interview, Mr Clarke said Conservative in-fighting was \"damaging to the referendum\".\n\"The public are getting fed up with Tory civil wars when they thought they were being asked about the future of this country for their children and grandchildren.\n\"All this stuff about whether one or two backbenchers have signed letters calling for David Cameron to resign, I think most of the public would agree, is a bit of a diversion.\n\"I think Boris and Donald Trump should go away for a bit and enjoy themselves and not get in the way of the serious issues which modern countries of the 21st century face.\"\nPressed on his opinion of Mr Johnson, he said: \"He is a much nicer version of Donald Trump but the campaign is remarkably similar in my opinion and about as relevant to the real problems that the public face.\"\nConservative MP Maria Caulfield, who entered Parliament at the 2015 election, said she hoped hostilities between Tory MPs would cease after the referendum.\n\"Of the new intake, the 2015 intake, we're very much hoping that after the referendum we can get back to doing the work we set out to do and that David Cameron as the prime minister will be leading that way,\" she told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.\nNumber 10 dismissed the personal attacks as a \"distraction\" intended to move attention away from the economic arguments for remaining in the EU.\nRepublican candidate Mr Trump sparked controversy by suggesting a temporary \"ban\" on Muslims entering the United States and has pledged to build a wall to prevent Mexican illegal immigrants entering the country.", "Donald Trump's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born and brought up on the Hebridean island of Lewis but emigrated to New York to live a very different life.\nMary Anne was one of tens of thousands of Scots who travelled to the US and Canada in the early years of the last century looking to escape economic hardship at home.\nShe first left Lewis for New York in 1930, at the age of 18, to seek work as a domestic servant.\nSix years later she was married to successful property developer Frederick Trump, the son of German migrants and one of the most eligible men in New York.\nThe fourth of their five children, Donald John, as he is referred to on the islands, is about to become US president.\nHis mother was born in 1912 in Tong, about three miles from Stornoway, the main town on the isle of Lewis.\nGenealogist Bill Lawson, who has traced the family tree of Mary Anne MacLeod back to the early 19th Century, says her father Malcolm ran a post office and small shop in his later years.\nEconomically, the family would have been slightly better off than the average in the township, he says.\nHowever, life during and after World War One, in which 1,000 islanders died, was very hard and many young people were leaving the Western Isles.\nLewis had also suffered the Iolaire disaster in 1919 when 200 servicemen from the island had drowned at the mouth of Stornoway harbour, coming home for the first new year of peace.\nMr Lawson says: \"Mary Anne MacLeod was from a very large family, nine siblings, and the move at that time was away from the island.\n\"The move by Viscount Leverhulme to revive the island had gone bust and there was not much prospect for young people.\n\"What else could she do?\"\nMr Lawson adds: \"Nowadays, you might think of going to the mainland but in those days most people went to Canada. It was far easier to make a life in America and many people had relatives there.\"\nThe genealogist says Mr Trump's mother was slightly different in that her sister Catherine, one of eight members of the MacLeod family to have emigrated to America, had moved from Canada to New York.\nWhen Catherine returned to Lewis for a visit in 1930, her 18-year-old sister Mary Anne went with her to look for work.\nIt appears that she found work as a nanny with a wealthy family in a big house in the suburbs of New York but lost the job as the US sank into depression after the Wall Street Crash.\nMary Anne returned briefly to Scotland in 1934 but by then she had met Fred Trump and soon returned to New York for good.\nThe couple lived in a wealthy area of Queens and Mary Anne was active with charity work.\nDonald Trump still has three cousins on Lewis, including two who live in the ancestral home, which has been rebuilt since Mary Anne MacLeod's time.\nAll three cousins have consistently refused to speak to the media.\nJohn A MacIver, a local councillor and friend of the cousins, says: \"I know the family very well.\n\"They are very nice, gentle people and I'm sure they don't want all the publicity that's around.\n\"I quite understand that they don't want to talk about it.\"\nMr MacIver says Mary Anne MacLeod was well-known and much respected in the community and used to attend the church on her visits home.\nMr Trump's mother became a US citizen in 1942 and died in 2000, aged 88.\nBut she returned to Lewis throughout her life and always spoke Gaelic, Mr MacIver says.\nAccording to genealogist Bill Lawson, surnames are a relatively recent phenomenon on the islands and official records only go back to the early decades of the 19th Century.\nHis research took him back as far as John Roy MacLeod, which in Gaelic is Iain Ruaidh, named for a tendency to red hair.\nMary Anne Trump's paternal MacLeods came from Vatisker, a few miles further north of Tong.\nHer great-grandfather Alexander Roy MacLeod and his son Malcolm were thought to have drowned together while fishing in the 1850s.\nOn Mary Anne's mother's side, the Smiths were among the families cleared from South Lochs area of Lewis in 1826.\nWhen is Donald Trump's presidential inauguration and who is performing?\nIn search of Donald Trump's Scottish roots\nDonald Trump inauguration TV listing goes viral\nDonald Trump hands control of Scottish businesses to sons\nMadonna shares Scottish artist's Donald Trump painting\nThe period of the Highland Clearances on the mainland had largely missed Lewis but after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 some of the better lands for sheep-grazing on the island were cleared of tenants.\nIn most cases the displaced tenants were relocated elsewhere on Lewis rather than sent overseas.\nAccording to Mr Lawson, all four lines of Mary Anne MacLeod's maternal ancestry had been moved to Stornoway parish from elsewhere on the island as a result of the Clearances.\nHis research also found another fishing tragedy when Donald Smith was drowned in October 1868 after his boat was upset in a squall off Vatisker Point.\nHis widow was left with three children, of whom the youngest, Mary, Donald Trump's grandmother, was less than a year old.\nMary succeeded her mother at 13 Tong but it was the smallest of the crofts in Tong.\nAfter her marriage to Malcolm MacLeod, they were able to acquire the Smiths' original croft of 5 Tong and move there.\nDonald Trump's mother Mary Anne was the youngest of their 10 children.\nMary Anne Trump's billionaire son Donald visited the house in which his mother grew up, and his cousins in 2008.\nOn that trip, the now president-elect said he had been to Lewis once before as \"a three or four-year-old\" but could remember little about it.\nIt is estimated he spent 97 seconds in the ancestral home during his whistle-stop tour.\nAt the time, he said: \"I have been very busy - I am building jobs all over the world - and it's very, very tough to find the time to come back.\n\"But this just seemed an appropriate time, because I have the plane... I'm very glad I did, and I will be back again.\"\nThe president-elect was accompanied by his eldest sister Maryanne Trump Barry, a US federal judge, who has regularly visited her cousins on Lewis.\nMr Lawson says: \"If you want to celebrate anyone, you should perhaps celebrate Maryanne, who has done a lot of work for the island.\n\"Donald arrived off a plane and then disappeared again. One photoshoot, that was it.\n\"I can't say he left much of an impression behind him.\"", "Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP and the Greens all back votes at 16 - only UKIP and the Tories are against it.\nSixteen-and 17-year-olds were allowed to take part in 2014's Scottish independence referendum.\nBut Mrs May will tell BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour she believed it was \"right\" to keep the current minimum age of 18 at UK-wide elections.\n\"This is one of those questions where you have to draw a line,\" she will say in an interview to be broadcast at 2200 GMT.\n\"You have to pick a point at which you think it is right for the voting age to be. I continue to think it is right for it to be 18.\"\nHow many people are registering to vote?\nWould visiting Parliament inspire you to vote?\nGreens demand votes for 16-year-olds\nIn an interview with presenter Carolyn Quinn, she argued there are other ways for young people to participate, saying: \"The implication from your question is that the only way to get engaged in politics is by casting a vote.\n\"I think it is important young people watch politics, pay attention to politics, get to think about their own views and where possible start to get involved.\"\nAsked what Conservatives were offering to appeal to young people, she called attention to forthcoming talks on Brexit.\n\"We have to get those negotiations right and we have to get them right for those young people's futures,\" she said.\nShe was also challenged on changes to the housing benefit element of Universal Credit which exclude 18- to 21-year-olds.\nShe told the Westminster Hour: \"I don't think any of us wants to see any one sleeping rough on our streets.\n\"We are putting £500m over these five years into homelessness, into preventing homelessness.\"\nGreen Party co-leader Caroline Lucas told the BBC: \"We should be trusting young people to have a real say about the future direction of their country, not shutting them out.\"\nSNP deputy leader Angus Robertson highlighted that as well as voting in the 2014 referendum, Scottish 16- and 17-year-olds can vote in local and Holyrood elections.\n\"It is ridiculous that thousands of young people who voted in the Scottish local elections just weeks ago are now being denied a say on their future in this Westminster election,\" he said.\nLib Dem spokesman Tom Brake accused Theresa May of \"robbing young people of future opportunities through her damaging hard Brexit agenda\", adding: \"It's no surprise she is now refusing to give 16- and 17-year-olds the vote.\"", "More than 50 House Democrats are refusing to watch as Mr Trump is sworn in as the 45th US president amidst a feud between the newly elected president and the civil rights activist and congressman, John Lewis.\nMr Lewis, a revered veteran of the 1960s struggle, sparked controversy on Friday when he called Mr Trump's victory illegitimate because of Russia's alleged interference in the election.\nThe president-elect hit back on Twitter, attacking the Georgia lawmaker as \"all talk, talk, talk - no action or results\", which prompted a wave of outrage from people saying if anyone embodied action, it was the 76-year-old.\nDozens of members of Congress have announced they will skip the event.\n\"I will not celebrate a man who preaches a politics of division and hate,\" Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota tweeted following the row.\n\"Skipping Inauguration. @RepJohnLewis a civil rights hero. Enormous responsibility to be POTUS. I respect the office, can't tolerate disrespect,\" Maryland Representative Anthony G Brown also tweeted.\nThe number grew to more than 40 over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, but that did not stop Mr Trump from continuing to rail against the civil rights icon on Tuesday.\nThe president-elect tweeted that Mr Lewis had falsely claimed this would be the first inauguration he has missed since joining Congress in 1987.\n\"WRONG (or lie)!\" Mr Trump tweeted, saying Mr Lewis had skipped George W Bush's inauguration in 2001.\nMr Lewis' office confirmed that he did miss Mr Bush's ceremony.\n\"His absence at that time was also a form of dissent,\" said spokeswoman Brenda Jones.\n\"He did not believe the outcome of that election, including the controversies around the results in Florida and the unprecedented intervention of the US Supreme Court, reflected a free, fair and open democratic process.\"\nAnthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington\nAlthough everything connected with President Donald Trump seems unprecedented, this isn't the first time an opposition party has boycotted a presidential inauguration in sizable numbers.\nAccording to Arizona State University historian Brooks Simpson, 80 lawmakers missed Richard Nixon's 1973 swearing-in ceremony.\nRepresentative John Lewis, a vocal Trump critic who plans to stay at home on Friday, also sat out George W Bush's 2001 event, along with some other members of the Congressional Black Caucus.\nNothing quite compares to the harsh glare of today's media spotlight, however, and coverage of today's protesting politicians is only being amplified by Mr Trump's Twitter broadsides against his critics.\nAs with any such partisan show of defiance, there's a risk the move will cause wavering Republicans to rally around their embattled president.\nAt this point - with conservatives holding sway in Washington, DC - party unity is perhaps the most important factor in whether Republicans can successfully enact their policy agenda.\nWhile making a show of sitting out the inauguration might be a feel-good moment for liberals with few arrows in their political quiver, going forward their success will depend on finding ways to fracture Republican ranks, not steel their opponents' resolve.\nMr Trump's team has welcomed the congress members' empty seats, saying that they will be given back out \"to the people\".\n\"As far as other people not going, that's OK, because we need seats so badly,\" Mr Trump said in a Fox News interview on Wednesday.\nTrump's transition team have reportedly been unable to attract A-list celebrities to the event, but Mr Trump said they were \"never invited\".\n\"I don't want the celebrities, I want the people, and we have the biggest celebrities in the world there,\" he said.\nTrump's team have been running adverts on Facebook and Twitter \"personally inviting\" people to come visit Washington for the inauguration and featuring a video of Mr Trump promising that the concert will be \"really fantastic\".\nAn estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people are expected to flood the nation's capital on Friday for the inauguration, but it is unclear whether they will be there in celebration or protest, officials said.\nPresident Barack Obama drew an estimated 1.8 million people to Washington when he took office eight years ago.\nThe \"level of enthusiasm\" and demand for hotel rooms has not reached that of previous inaugurations, according to Elliott Ferguson, president of Destination DC, the city's convention and tourism bureau.\nIn fact, some hotels have reduced the minimum-night stay from four nights to two.\nOther hotels are only 50% full, but higher-end hotels appeared to have more bookings, he added.\n\"It's been much, much slower than anyone would have anticipated for a first-term president,\" Mr Ferguson said.\nMr Trump's swearing-in comes at a time when the nation appears deeply divided after the contested election.\nThough Mr Trump swept the electoral college, his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by almost 2.9 million more votes.\nSome Clinton supporters have said they are leaving the city.\nRobert York, a 48-year-old charity specialist who lives in the Washington suburbs, has booked a cruise because he says he cannot stay and support a president who attacks a hero like Lewis. He says the majority of his friends are also leaving.\n\"The mass exodus of DC residents is simple - people are fearful of this incoming administration, and we have a president-elect who has shown he is not ready to lead this great nation.\"\nRecent polls have also suggested historically low marks for any presidential transition.\nA new ABC News/Washington Post poll found just 40% of Americans view Mr Trump favourably compared with the 79% President Obama received in 2009.\nA CNN/ORC survey released on Tuesday also indicated that Mr Trump had a 40% approval rating compared with the 84% Mr Obama had in 2009.\nA Gallup poll conducted two weeks before the inauguration found 51% of respondents disapproved of how he is handling the presidential transition compared with 44% who approved.\nBut the president-elect on Tuesday dismissed the polls as \"phony\" and \"rigged\", insisting that \"people are pouring into Washington in record numbers\".\nAn estimated 200,000 people are also expected to convene in Washington a day later for the Women's March on Washington.\nNearly 200 activist groups and organisations have signed on to support the grassroots march.\nIt sets out to demonstrate for racial and gender equality, affordable healthcare, abortion rights and voting rights - issues perceived to be under threat from a Trump presidency.", "The two will hold talks in the White House on Friday on issues such as trade and security, with the PM being one of the first foreign leaders to meet the US president since he took office.\nThe \"special relationship\" between the two countries will enable her to raise difficult matters, she told the BBC.\nLater, Number 10 said the two leaders would discuss the importance of Nato.\nThousands of protesters took part in demonstrations on both sides of the Atlantic on Saturday, as part of an international campaign to highlight concerns over the president's views on gender and racial equality.\nMrs May told Andrew Marr she was looking forward to meeting Mr Trump for the first time in Washington and building on the strong relations of past UK and US leaders.\nAsked whether she would raise some of the comments that Mr Trump had made about women and women's issues during the presidential campaign, she said: \"I have already said that some of the comments Donald Trump has made in relation to women were unacceptable.\n\"Some of those he himself has apologised for.\"\nMrs May, who will also reportedly address Republican Party chiefs on Thursday, said she would be making a \"big statement about the role of women\" by meeting and negotiating with the US president on an equal footing.\nCiting her work on introducing new laws around modern slavery and domestic violence, she said she had a record of defending women's interests while in power.\n\"I will be talking to Donald Trump about the issues we share and how we can build on the special relationship,\" she said.\n\"It is the special relationship that allows us to say when something is unacceptable.\n\"Whenever there is something I find unacceptable, I won't be afraid to say that to Donald Trump.\"\nMrs May said Mr Trump's vow in his inauguration speech to put the US first was a \"clear message\" but all leaders prioritised their own nations' interests.\nShe said she was not overly alarmed by Mr Trump's protectionist rhetoric on trade, saying the US president had made it clear he wants a strong relationship with the UK.\n\"He and people around him have also spoken of the importance of a trade arrangement with the United Kingdom and that is something they are looking to talk to us about at an early stage.\"\nShe added: \"There are issue that we will work on together in the future - the importance of Nato and defeating terrorism.\n\"These are issues where we share the challenges and see the threats, where we have worked together in the past and will do so in the future.\"\nAsked whether Mr Trump was likely to be granted a state visit to the UK, Mrs May said she would be pleased to welcome him, but invitations were strictly a matter for Buckingham Palace.\nA Downing Street spokesman said Mrs May had spoken to Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday afternoon, discussing \"the continued importance of the alliance as the bulwark of our defence\".\n\"The prime minister said she would be taking these messages to Washington later this week,\" the spokesman added.\nMr Trump has previously described Nato as \"obsolete\", saying it \"wasn't taking care of terror\", although he later qualified his remarks.\nMeanwhile, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged Mrs May to criticise Mr Trump over his perceived misogyny and his pre-election call to ban Muslims entering the US.\nHe told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday there had been \"no sign\" of any special relationship in Mr Trump's inauguration speech\n\"It was quite the opposite. It was America first, America only, America inward-looking,\" he said.\n\"I would hope that when she meets Donald Trump she will, in no uncertain terms, tell him that his misogyny during the election campaign... is simply not acceptable and not the right way of going forward.\"\nFormer SNP leader Alex Salmond told BBC Radio 5 live's Pienaar's Politics Mrs May appeared to be \"fawning\" in relation to the new US administration, accusing her of \"rushing headlong into a special relationship\" with Mr Trump.\n\"This is a very difficult special relationship and it's a sign of the prime minister's desperation that she's going to put herself in this position.\"\nBut UKIP leader Paul Nuttall said Mr Trump's presidency would be overwhelmingly \"good for Britain\".\n\"The most important thing is that he said Britain will be at the front of the queue when it comes to any trade deal,\" he told ITV's Peston on Sunday.", "Mr Obama said he was \"encouraged\" by their \"excellent\" and \"wide-ranging\" conversation, lasting over an hour.\nDuring the election campaign, Mr Trump vowed to dismantle Mr Obama's legacy and he has previously questioned his US citizenship.\nMr Obama, meanwhile, had called Mr Trump \"uniquely unqualified\".\nBut following Mr Trump's shock defeat of Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's election, Mr Obama appealed for national unity and said he was \"rooting\" for him.\nAfter Thursday's behind-closed-doors meeting in the White House, Mr Obama said: \"My number one priority in the coming two months is to try to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful.\"\nHe said they had discussed domestic and foreign policy and he had been \"very encouraged\" by Mr Trump's interest in working with President Obama's team on issues facing the US.\nMr Trump said he would \"very much look forward\" to dealing with President Obama in future.\n\"I have great respect, the meeting lasted for almost an hour and a half, and it could've, as far as I'm concerned, it could've gone on for a lot longer,\" the president-elect said.\n\"We discussed a lot of different situations - some wonderful and some difficulties.\"\nWhite House spokesman Josh Earnest said the two men did not resolve their differences but \"the meeting might have been at least a little less awkward than some might have expected\".\n\"President Obama came away from the meeting with renewed confidence in the commitment of the president-elect to engage in an effective, smooth transition,\" he said.\nMr Trump flew from New York on his private jet and landed at Reagan National Airport, just outside the nation's capital.\nThe president-elect was accompanied by his wife, Melania, who had a meeting with First Lady Michelle Obama.\nHe, along with Vice-President-elect Mike Pence, then met Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, saying they \"can't get started fast enough, whether it's healthcare or immigration\".\nMr Ryan described it as a \"fantastic, productive meeting\".\nPresident Obama congratulated his successor in a phone call in the early hours of Wednesday.\nThe defeated Mrs Clinton also told supporters Mr Trump had to be given a \"chance to lead\".\nDespite appeals for unity, thousands took to the streets of major US cities on Wednesday. Many chanted: \"Not my president.\"\nSixty-five people were arrested in New York, while shop windows were smashed and missiles hurled at riot police during demonstrations in Oakland, California.\nIn Chicago, crowds blocked the entrance to Trump Tower, chanting: \"No Trump, No KKK, No Fascists USA\", and a mass anti-Trump rally shut down the key 101 freeway in Los Angeles.\nMr Obama and Mr Trump have a history of mutual hostility.\nMr Trump led the charge in challenging the legitimacy of Mr Obama's presidency through the \"birther\" movement, which falsely claimed the Hawaii-born commander-in-chief was actually born outside the US.\nThe businessman also called Mr Obama \"the worst president in the history of the United States\".\nFor his part, the president famously skewered Mr Trump in person at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, which some have suggested may have spurred the New York billionaire to seek revenge.\nAnalysis\nBy Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America reporter\nDonald Trump launched himself onto the national political stage by questioning Barack Obama's US citizenship and eligibility to be president.\nMr Obama spent the last few months of the 2016 presidential election assailing Mr Trump's fitness to occupy the nation's highest office.\nNow they've met for the first time ever - as president and president-elect. Talk about awkward.\nAlthough both candidates played nice in their Oval Office get-together, there's no denying that the two men present a clear contrast in manner and style.\nIn the past, the American public has displayed a tendency to seek qualities in their next president that the current occupant of the Oval Office is perceived to lack. Contrast George W Bush's board-room manner with Bill Clinton's improvisational chaos or Jimmy Carter's squeaky clean reputation after Richard Nixon's Machiavellian manoeuvres.\nIn this case, they have opted for Mr Trump's blunt talk and bombast after Mr Obama's detached professorial coolness.\nAlthough it wasn't on display this morning in the White House, Inauguration Day could provide a severe case of presidential personality whiplash.\nWith the Republicans now holding a majority in both chambers of the US Congress, Mr Trump can more easily target key Obama initiatives like such as his healthcare reforms.\nMr Trump is already setting up bilaterals ahead of his January inauguration as the nation's 45th US president.\nThe office of British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday that the president-elect had invited her in a phone call to visit him \"as soon as possible\".\nMs May's office said in a statement that Mr Trump had praised the trans-Atlantic \"special relationship\" while discussing his \"close and personal connections\" with the UK.\nMr Trump has family and business ties to Scotland.\nThe president-elect's transition team for the 10-week period until inauguration will be led by Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey.\nMr Trump, who has never held elected office, has said his immediate priorities will be restoring the country's infrastructure and doubling its economic growth.\nYour browser does not support this interactive content. You must be using a modern browser with Javascript enabled to view our results maps.\nAs president-elect, he is entitled to get the same daily intelligence briefing as President Obama, which includes information on covert US operations and other data gathered by America's 17 intelligence agencies.\nMr Trump's team is understood to be focused on quickly filling key national security posts.\nIt is not yet clear who will sit his cabinet or fill senior posts in his administration, such as chief of staff, but several figures in his inner circle have been mentioned.", "Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: \"The only response can be: 'yes, Mr President'.\"\nGen Petraeus resigned as CIA director in 2012 following an extramarital affair with his biographer.\nIt later emerged he had shared classified material with her.\nHe served as a senior officer under Presidents Bush and Obama. He was the commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, before retiring from the military to take the top position in the Central Intelligence Agency.\nAsked if he thought Mr Trump had the correct temperament to be the US President, he said: \"It's up to Americans at this point in time not only to hope that that is the case, but if they can, endeavour to help him.\"\nHe then indicated he would personally serve under Mr Trump if asked.\n\"If you're asked, you've got to serve - put aside any reservations based on campaign rhetoric... and figure out what's best for the country,\" he said.\n\"I've been in a position before where a president has turned to me in the Oval Office in a difficult moment, without any pleasantries, and said 'I'm asking you as your president and Commander in Chief to take command of the international security force in Afghanistan.'\n\"The only response can be: 'yes, Mr President,'\" he continued.\nA number of media outlets have linked the retired general with positions in the new administration.\nA report in The Guardian last week linked Gen Petraeus to the race for secretary of state, citing diplomatic sources.\nMr Trump has been putting together his administration made up of friends, family, and former rivals - but several key positions, including secretary of state, remain open.\nGeneral Petraeus was indirectly critical of some of Donald Trump's rhetoric during the presidential election campaign, describing the president elect's anti-Muslim comments as toxic.\nHowever, he said he had heard good things from those who have been speaking with Mr Trump since the election result.\n\"It's interesting that those who have been talking to him have said, you know, he's very personable, very hospitable, very gracious guy, full of questions and dialogue,\" he said.\nHe also suggested that Mr Trump could forge closer ties with Russia, comparing his political position to that of President Nixon's overtures to China in the 1970s.\n\"Only Nixon could have gone to China. Anyone else would have been criticised from the right,\" he said.\n\"I think that the current president would have been criticised from the right had he tried some of the kinds of outreach that, in fact, President-elect Trump may pursue.\"\nBut he warned that any such outreach should be attempted \"with your eyes wide open\".", "In a tweet, Katherine Zappone called for an urgent review of US policy.\nPresident Donald Trump's executive order banning people from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Somalia is being implemented at Dublin and Shannon airports.\nThey are among a small number of airports offering US pre-clearance.\nIt means that checks are carried out pre-departure and travellers are treated as domestic arrivals upon reaching the US.\nAll travellers who have nationality or dual nationality of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen are not permitted to enter the US for 90 days, or be issued an immigrant or non-immigrant visa.\nThis includes those who share dual nationality with allied countries, including the UK, although Canada has been told its dual nationals are not affected.\nHowever, the UK foreign office put out a statement saying only those dual nationals travelling from one of the blacklisted seven countries might be subject to extra checks. It said those travelling from any other country to the US would not be affected and should not be subjected to any extra vetting, \"regardless of your nationality or your place of birth\".\nHowever, one Scottish veterinary student - who travels on an Iranian passport - was unable to fly home from her holiday in Costa Rica because she was told her transit visa for the US was no longer valid.\nWhite House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said US green-card holders - legal residents - would not be affected, although he admitted to NBC's Meet the Press programme that they could be subject to greater questioning at airports.\nOther Irish politicians have added their voices to Ms Zappone's call for a review or suspension of US pre-clearance if it means applying Mr Trump's order.\nHis decision to halt all refugee admissions and temporarily bar people from seven Muslim-majority countries has sparked protests across the country, and drawn condemnation from the wider world.\nThose opposed to it have called it \"the Muslim ban\" and those who support it claim this is Mr Trump making good on election promises.\nAlthough US officials operate US immigration law in the pre-clearance areas at the two Irish airports, nevertheless Irish officials support them.\nIndependent Alliance TD Kevin Boxer Moran said Ireland could not stand by the immigration measures imposed by Mr Trump.\nSpeaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Moran said he would like the Cabinet to meet to look at those measures and make sure that they are not implemented.\n\"We don't want those measures implemented on Irish soil and I think it's important that we set out that signal quite loud and strong to the American administration,\" he said.\nIrish Minister for European Affairs, Dara Murphy, told RTÉ the order was a \"blunt instrument\" that would only play into the hands of those who have suspicions about how the western world operates.\nRichard Boyd Barrett, TD, condemned Mr Trump's \"dangerous and racist orders\" and Ruth Coppinger TD said the Irish government must decide which side it is on.\nMeanwhile, Humanrights.ie - a website run by legal experts - said it could be argued that applying the executive order in the Republic of Ireland would be \"unlawful\".\nThe group described the measure as \"nothing more than discrimination based on religion\".", "Wall Street's three main indexes shed more than 1.7%, and the dollar erased most gains made since his election.\nAsia's main stock markets also fell following the losses in New York.\nJapan's Nikkei 225 index closed down 1.3% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 0.6%.\nThat follows the S&P 500's biggest one-day fall since September. It closed 1.8% lower at 2,357 points.\nBut the biggest plunge was the tech-heavy Nasdaq which lost 2.6% to 6,011.\nGreg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader in Sydney said the falls in Asia were \"all about President Trump\".\nOptimism over the Trump administration's pro-growth policies had driven a sharp rally in US stocks since his election in November.\nBut the row over the firing of FBI director James Comey, and growing scepticism about Mr Trump's ability to push major policies through Congress has cast a cloud over markets.\nMr McKenna said the uncertainty could continue for few days yet with Mr Comey due to address a congressional committee next week.\nThe concerns are shared by traders on Wall Street.\n\"It's kind of worrisome as it could take time to muddle through this,\" said Joseph Benanti, managing director, at share trader Rosenblatt Securities, in New York.\nAlthough the Oval Office has furiously denied wrongdoing over Mr Comey's sacking and claims Mr Trump passed on sensitive intelligence information to Russia, some commentators have even spoken about impeachment.\n\"Calls for President Trump to be impeached are growing louder and that has created a long overdue sense of fear in markets,\" said market analyst Jasper Lawler at London Capital Group.\nMike van Dulken, head of research at Accendo Markets, said investors are having to \"digest the latest real-life episode of House of Cards\".\nAt the very least, analysts say, it will all be a distraction for the administration and may stall the introduction of spending plans and market-friendly legislation.\nHowever, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, insisted that the administration's legislative agenda was not becoming paralysed, blaming \"some people out there who want to harm the president\".\nFinancial stocks, big risers over the last few months, bore the brunt of Wednesday's share price falls. Goldman Sachs fell more than 5% and JP Morgan Chase fell 3.8%.\nEight of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors were lower. However, utilities and real estate sectors - preferred investment options in times of uncertainty due to their slow but predictable growth - were higher.\nGold, another haven asset, rose 0.9%, and the so-called \"fear index\", the VIX, reached its highest level in nearly one month.\nOn the currency markets, the dollar was down 0.6% against the euro and 0.35% lower against the pound. The greenback fell almost 1.9% against the Japanese yen, which has been a traditional haven for risk-averse investors.\nThe dollar index, which tracks the value of the currency against a basket of currencies, is down 0.6% to 97.5, its weakest since November.\nJeremy Bryan, Gradient Investments, said the uncertainty could continue through the summer and beyond. \"We're largely through the earnings season, so political uncertainty is probably going to be the largest source of risk in the next three to six months,\" he said.", "\"He's a good man,\" said Mr Trump, the soon-to-be 45th president, of his predecessor.\nBut that compliment belied years of clashes between the two men. Mr Trump has referred to Mr Obama as the \"worst president\" in the country's history and led a challenge to the legitimacy of his presidency by questioning where he was born.\nMr Obama has returned stinging criticisms by calling Mr Trump \"unfit\" to be commander-in-chief.\nThough their meeting appeared to be cordial, history has shown that the peaceful transition of power between leaders can be outright awkward.\nHere is a look at some other rather uncomfortable presidential handovers.\nThe transition between President John Adams and Vice-President Thomas Jefferson in the tumultuous election of 1800 was famously difficult, according to John Vile, a political science professor at Middle Tennessee State University and author of Presidential Winners and Losers: Words of Victory and Concession.\nThe acrimonious campaign was considered one of the most significant transitions of power in history after a bitterly fought election that ended with Mr Jefferson, a Democrat-Republican, defeating Mr Adams, a Federalist.\nBut the presidential electors failed to make clear whether they were voting for Mr Jefferson or his running mate, Aaron Burr, resulting in a tie between the two men. The House of Representatives decided the outcome, electing Mr Jefferson.\nThe Founding Fathers ended their friendship over the political turmoil and Mr Adams fled Washington before Mr Jefferson's inauguration ceremony.\nMr Hoover once described the man who beat him, Mr Roosevelt, as a \"chameleon in plaid\", while FDR called his predecessor a \"fat, timid capon\".\nThe 1932 election came amid a financial crisis that left the American economy in shambles, ultimately tarnishing President Hoover's legacy, depicting him as a failed leader.\nThe two men did not like or trust each other. Mr Roosevelt dismissed President Hoover's repeated appeals for joint actions before the transition such as issuing an emergency proclamation to limit bank withdrawals.\nInstead, Mr Roosevelt wanted to demonstrate his administration starkly contrasted his predecessor's presidency.\nFDR believed Mr Hoover had not done enough to help Americans who suffered in the Great Depression, said Jeffery Engel, director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University.\nThe mutual disdain was apparent on inauguration day in March 1933, when the two sat in silence in President Roosevelt's open-top car while en route to the ceremony.\nThough the Democratic president had worked with Mr Eisenhower in World War II and in the creation of Nato, the two shared bad blood after Mr Truman invited him to the White House in 1948, according to Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at University of Virginia's Miller Center.\nPresident Truman had entertained the idea of working to nominate Mr Eisenhower as a Democratic candidate for president, but the decorated military general ultimately cast his lot with the Republican Party.\nMr Eisenhower reportedly viewed that offer as a terrible mark of leadership, according to Mr Engel.\nThe political clash heated up when Mr Eisenhower undermined Mr Truman's military policy on the campaign trail, pledging to personally go to Korea to end the war on American terms.\nPresident Truman also became irate when the general remained silent about comments made by Senator Joe McCarthy.\n\"He has betrayed almost everything I thought he stood for,\" Mr Truman said.\nThe president fuelled the fire by mercilessly attacking Mr Eisenhower personally and professionally as unfit to be president, Ms Perry said.\nPresident-elect Eisenhower ignored a pre-Christmas White House lunch invite, and on inauguration day, refused to greet Mr Truman before they left together for the ceremony.\nIn the aftermath, President Truman lamented that General Eisenhower was used to people doing what he said and would soon find out that the presidency did not work that way, Mr Engel noted.\n\"You don't order people as the president, you have to persuade them as the president,\" Mr Engel said.\n\"I think that's perhaps analogous to Trump, who as a business person, could just fire someone he didn't like. He has no idea how to work with people he can't fire.\"\nAfter President Carter lost his re-election bid in 1980 in a hard-fought contest, he reportedly felt Mr Reagan was not paying attention when the two met at the White House.\nRepublican adviser Richard Darman recalled in a New York Times article in 2000 that during their first meeting, Mr Carter attempted to explain to Mr Reagan that a CIA officer began briefings at 7am each day.\nMr Reagan interrupted him and responded: ''Well, he's sure going to have to wait a long while for me.''\nMr Engel pointed out that Mr Carter had spent the remaining days of his presidency tirelessly working to free the American hostages in Iran, which ultimately came after Mr Reagan was sworn in.\n\"It really does speak to the fact that the most precious commodity that a president has is time and not every president chooses to maximise time in the same way,\" he told the BBC.\nPresident Clinton invited George W Bush for coffee before the inauguration day ceremony in 2001 and kept the obsessively punctual president-elect waiting for 10 minutes.\n\"He was noted for locking the door once cabinet meetings started and if you're a cabinet member and you ran late, woe unto you, you didn't get in,\" Ms Perry recalled of the future 43rd president. \"I can see where that would have really gotten under Bush 43's skin.\"\nTo add to the tense confab, Mr Clinton invited Vice-President Al Gore.\nMr Gore had just lost the bitter election to Mr Bush following a dramatic legal battle involving a recount in Florida that ultimately came down to a mere 537 votes.\nIt is also important to note the long, complicated record of the Clintons and the Bushes at each other's throats on the political battle field, Ms Perry added. Mr Clinton defeated Mr Bush's father, incumbent President George HW Bush, in 1992.\n\"There was a lot of underlying tension over the fact that Bush had said he was going to restore honour and integrity to the Oval Office, which was a direct swipe at Bill Clinton and what he had done in that office,\" Mr Engel said, referring to Mr Clinton's indiscretions.", "In his first UK interview, with former justice secretary Michael Gove for the Times, Mr Trump said he thought the UK was \"so smart in getting out\".\nMr Trump promised a quick trade deal between the US and the UK after he takes office in five days time.\nHe also criticised Nato and German Chancellor Angela Merkel's immigration policies.\nMr Trump spoke to the Times and German newspaper Bild ahead of his inauguration on Friday.\nMr Gove - who was a prominent Leave campaigner during last year's referendum - asked Mr Trump whether the UK was \"at the front of the queue\" for a trade deal with the US following the Brexit vote.\n\"I think you're doing great, I think it's going great,\" he replied.\nThe question referred to President Barack Obama's comments last April that the UK would be \"at the back of the queue\" if it left the EU.\n\"Trump said Brexit is going to happen, and it happened. Everybody thought I was crazy,\" the president-elect continued.\n\"Obama said, 'They'll go to the back of the line,' and then he had to retract his statement.\"\nMr Trump added: \"Countries want their own identity and the UK wanted its own identity, but I do think if they hadn't been forced to take in all of the refugees than you wouldn't have a Brexit.\"\nSpeaking about a potential US-UK trade deal, he said: \"We're gonna work very hard to get it done quickly and done properly. Good for both sides.\"\nMr Trump also talked about the recent dip in the value of the pound.\n\"The fact that your pound sterling has gone down? Great,\" he said, \"because business is unbelievable in a lot of parts in the UK, as you know. I think Brexit is going to end up being a great thing.\"\nDuring the interview, held in Mr Trump's offices in Trump Tower, New York, the president-elect also said he thought Mrs Merkel was the \"by far the most important European leader\".\n\"If you look at the European Union, it's Germany - it's basically a vehicle for Germany,\" he said.\nMr Trump described Mrs Merkel's immigration policy as a \"big mistake\", but said \"people make mistakes\".\n\"I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals, you know taking all of the people from wherever they come from. And nobody even knows where they come from,\" he added.\nMr Trump also stressed that he would \"start off trusting both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mrs Merkel\" on taking office, but would \"see how long that lasts\".\nTalking about international security, Mr Trump argued that he had said \"a long time ago that Nato had problems\".\n\"One; that it was obsolete because it was designed many many years ago, and number two; that the countries weren't paying what they're supposed to pay.\"\nLast November, Downing Street said Prime Minister Theresa May and Mr Trump discussed the need for more countries to commit to spending 2% of national income on defence, when they spoke on the telephone after the US election.\nAnd he said he believes the West should have built safe zones in Syria - paid for by the Gulf - to limit the surge.\nOther topics Mr Trump discussed included his mother's \"love\" of the Queen.\n\"She was so proud of the Queen,\" he said. \"She loved the ceremony and the beauty, because nobody does that like the English, and she had great respect for the Queen and liked her.\n\"Any time the Queen was on television, for an event, my mother would be watching.\"", "They will spend about an hour together in the first visit by a foreign leader since Mr Trump became president.\nIn a speech to US Republicans, she said the two countries must \"renew the special relationship for this new age\".\nLabour accused her of \"bartering away our health service in her desperation for post-Brexit trade deals\".\nPost-Brexit trade opportunities, security and intelligence co-operation and the future of Nato are likely to feature prominently in Mrs May's talks with Mr Trump.\nAlthough the UK cannot begin to negotiate trade deals until it leaves the EU, Mr Trump has said he wants a \"quick\" deal after that.\nChancellor Philip Hammond stressed the UK would abide by EU rules on trade talks, when he arrived in Brussels for talks on Friday.\n\"Of course we want to strengthen our trade ties with the very many partners we have around the world but we are very mindful of our obligations under the treaty and we will follow them precisely,\" he said.\nIn her speech to US Republicans on Thursday, Mrs May said she wanted to \"renew the special relationship\" between the UK and America.\nShe said the two countries \"must always stand up for our friends and allies in democratic countries that find themselves in tough neighbourhoods too\", to applause from her audience.\nBut she told US Republicans the UK and US could not return to \"failed\" military interventions \"to remake the world in our own image\".\nTony Blair's former chief of staff Jonathan Powell said Mrs May \"seemed to contradict herself\" by warning against foreign intervention, but then saying the US and UK must uphold their values around the world.\nHe said \"it would be a mistake to encourage Donald Trump to be isolationist\" when he was already talking about \"America first\", he said.\nBut Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"What she's made clear, in future, is that where we are going to commit British troops, there has to be a very real threat to our country.\n\"It has to be in the British national interest that we intervene in these countries... We should not simply embark on foreign adventures for the sake of it.\"\nLast night Theresa May signalled a turn away from American and British foreign policy of recent years - military interventions into countries like Afghanistan and Iraq.\nBut also, she urged President Trump not to turn America's back on the world and not to allow the rise of Asian nations to \"eclipse the West\".\nFor the president who has vowed again and again to put \"America First\", it was an effort to persuade - if not outright criticism. Yet she also heaped praise on Donald Trump's victory.\nWell aware of the dangers, Theresa May is nothing if not ambitious for her relationship with her new political friend.\nUS Congressman Kevin Cramer, who was in the audience for Mrs May's speech on Thursday, told the BBC: \"As I was watching her, and listening to her, I thought, 'Is this Donald Trump's long lost sister?'\n\"There were real similarities, while at the same time, clearly a different take on certain global issues.\"\nThe speech followed comments by UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to a House of Lords committee on Thursday that Bashar al-Assad should be allowed to run for election to remain in power in Syria - a reversal of UK foreign policy.\nMr Johnson told the committee that Britain might have to \"think afresh\" about how to handle the Syrian crisis and had failed to enforce its \"mantra\" that \"Assad must go\".\nHe said: \"I see downsides and I see risks in us going in, doing a complete flip flop, supporting the Russians, Assad.\n\"But I must also be realistic about the way the landscape has changed and it may be that we will have to think afresh about how to handle this.\"\nOn Thursday, the prime minister also spoke in support of Nato - which Mr Trump has called \"obsolete\" - and the Iran nuclear deal, which Mr Trump threatened to scrap during his campaign.\nOn dealing with Russia's President Putin, Mrs May said: \"My advice is to engage but beware.\"\nFor Labour, Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Mrs May had not ruled out including health services in any future trade deals.\nHe added: \"Labour will oppose any attempt to sell off our health service. The prime minister needs to urgently confirm that a rushed trade deal with President Trump will not be a Trojan horse for NHS privatisation.\"\nAsked about whether the NHS was off the table in any trade talks, Mrs May told journalists: \"As regards the NHS, we're very clear as a government that we're committed to an NHS that is free at the point of use.\"\nThe visit comes amid controversy over comments by President Trump about waterboarding.\nHe told ABC News on Wednesday that after he asked intelligence officials if torture \"works\" he was told, \"'Yes, absolutely.'\"\nMrs May has said the UK condemns torture and told journalists: \"My view on that won't change - whether I am talking to you or talking to the president.\"", "Donald Trump will be the Republican candidate, something few would have predicted a little more than 12 months ago.\nAnd after the Democrats' convention in Philadelphia, we know Hillary Clinton will be their candidate.\nWhatever happens from this point on, the outcome will be historic. This is how:\nWhen Barack Obama first walked through the White House front door in January 2009, he was aged 47, and was the fifth-youngest president in history. Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest, at 42 years and 322 days.\nThe next one will be a fair bit older, whatever happens.\nDonald Trump celebrated his 70th birthday on 14 June. If elected in November, he would be the oldest president in history (Ronald Reagan was 69 when he took office).\nHillary Clinton, meanwhile, turns 69 some two weeks before the election, and would become the second-oldest president on inauguration. She would replace William Henry Harrison, who became president in 1841 (and was the last president born on British soil).\nTrump v Clinton is the first presidential contest between New Yorkers since 1944, when the governor of New York, Thomas E Dewey, ran against the incumbent, Franklin D Roosevelt.\nWhoever wins this time will become the first New Yorker in office in 71 years when the inauguration takes place next year.\n(And yes, we know Mrs Clinton was born in Chicago, but she was a senator from New York and lives in the state.)\nIf Mr Trump wins, we could be looking at the least amount of money spent by a winning candidate for some time.\nFederal Election Commission records show he spent $91m (£69m) up to 22 July, of which $50m is his own money.\nNo other candidate since Al Gore in 2000 ($126m) has spent as little. Hillary Clinton is on some $275m so far, by the way.\nOf course, Mr Trump could break out the chequebook given that he has more campaigning to do between now and November, but it looks likely he will come a long way under what Barack Obama spent last time round - almost $556m.\nA Trump win would be significant for another reason - no-one has been elected president in more than 60 years without experience as a governor or in Congress.\nEven then, the last president with no political experience, Dwight Eisenhower, was Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in World War Two, before he was elected to office in 1953.\nBefore that, Herbert Hoover, who was president from 1929 to 1933, was previously an engineer and humanitarian.\nNo previous candidate has ever owned a chain of casinos and hotels. But Mr Trump says his experience doing deals, and the fact he is not too tied to the Washington establishment, stand him in good stead.\nThe long years Hillary Clinton has been on the Washington scene may make it easy to forget one fact: She would be the first female president if elected. She is already the first female candidate for a major US party.\nThe closest we have got before is when Republican John McCain surprisingly picked Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008, and when Democrat Walter Mondale named Geraldine Ferraro as his vice-presidential pick in 1984.\nNeither won the presidency.\nAmazingly, only two Democrats have directly succeeded another Democrat as US president. The most recent was James Buchanan, who was president from 1857 to 1861.\nHarry Truman and Lyndon Johnson were both vice-presidents who were named president when their predecessors died. They both then went on to win the next election.\nA Clinton win, therefore, would bring even more significance to the Democratic Party.", "Taken on 28 January, it shows Trump's inner circle as he received a congratulatory phone call from Russian President Vladimir Putin following his inauguration.\nOn Friday, Steve Bannon became the latest casualty, added to a growing list of departures. But where are Trump and his closest allies now?\nAlmost seven months to the day since his 20 January inauguration, Donald Trump is under pressure on several fronts - but he's still president.\nHis presidency continues to be overshadowed by the ongoing Russia investigation. Key policies like the repeal of Obamacare and his travel ban have faltered.\nTrump has also faced renewed criticism from senior Democratic and Republican figures alike for his response to events involving white supremacists in Charlottesville.\nPriebus was ousted in late July after just six months, following a series of chaotic weeks at the White House.\nThe new (and now former) communications director Anthony Scaramucci was caught days before describing Priebus as \"paranoid\" over alleged internal leaks.\nThe former Republican National Congress Chief was replaced by retired general John Kelly.\nEnd of Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump\nPence remains as Trump's vice-president, the only person in the picture (other than Trump himself) to survive the first seven months.\nBut in early August he was forced to deny he was preparing a 2020 presidential bid after a report by the New York Times.\nBannon has become the latest departure, after the new chief of staff Gen Kelly allegedly reconsidered his position.\nAs a fervent right-winger and former head of Brietbart.com he helped Trump's 2016 election campaign, but apparently came into conflict with the White House's more moderate factions.\nSarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement the departure was \"mutually agreed\" but Trump's comments at an earlier news conference already hinted Bannon was on his way out of the White House.\nSpicer become renowned for his fiery run-ins with the media, but resigned in late July over a shake-up that saw communications director Anthony Scaramucci come in.\nSpeaking to Fox News he said that there was a risk of \"too many cooks in the kitchen\".\n'The Mooch' would himself last less than 10 days in that role.\nFlynn's departure was one of the most contentious - he was forced out after 23 days in February when revelations over his links to Russia came to light.\nTechnically, Michael Flynn resigned, but he was asked to do so by the president. His departure followed weeks of deepening scandal in which it emerged that he had misled White House officials, including the vice-president, over his contact with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak.\nRead more on the Trump administration's departures: The White House revolving door: Who's gone?", "\"I stand here as a great optimist about how we can combat populism. It may seem odd that I am so optimistic, because after all the rise of populism cost me my job.\"\nSo said David Cameron recently, on the lecture circuit for the defeated, at DePauw University in Indiana in the United States.\nThe man who is president of the United States this Christmas and won't be for much longer has opined on the subject too.\n\"This whole issue of populism. Maybe somebody can pull up in a dictionary the phrase populism. But I am not prepared to concede the notion that some of the rhetoric that has been popping up is populist,\" Barack Obama said recently.\nOK then, Mr President, let's take you up on that dictionary idea.\n\"There is no definition of populism. It is like liberalism or conservatism. It varies from continent to continent and century to century,\" John Judis, the author of the book called The Populist Explosion told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.\nBut, he added: \"Populism is based on a dichotomy, on a differentiation between the people and the elite.\"\nSo, can the word \"populist\" be usefully attached to Jeremy Corbyn, Donald Trump and Brexit?\n\"The strategy that we adopted was really quite a simple one because we realised that to get attention, similar to Trump, we had to be outrageous,\" recalled Andy Wigmore, the director of communications for Leave.EU, a group he described as the \"provisional wing\" of the broader Leave movement, during the EU referendum campaign.\n\"There was an element of pantomime to our approach. The more outrageous we were, the more attention we discovered we got. The more attention we discovered we got, the more outrageous we were. That was the foundation of our campaign.\"\nThe Trump campaign in America was their template. Their critics describe both as crude, irresponsible and, yes, populist.\nBut Andy Wigmore said that was unfair: it was about engaging those who had, until then, given up on politics.\n\"They were the two and a half million people who had never voted before, very much in Labour strongholds. And that is what we concentrated on. So were we irresponsible to put messages out to them? No.\n\"We had to use every weapon we could, against an establishment that was attacking everything that was said and everyone who was saying it. Nigel Farage being a classic example.\"\nSo is there a parallel here, however unlikely, between Mr Farage and the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn?\n\"There is the common theme of being against the establishment and challenging an establishment that has become completely corrupt and out of touch with the people,\" Hilary Wainwright, the co-Editor of the socialist, feminist and green magazine Red Pepper said.\n\"Nevertheless, Jeremy's whole ethics and political demeanour is one of him, a politician, believing in the people. He is actually not simply giving a voice to the people but also attempting to build a politics that shares power with the people. I don't think that is yet built into the understanding of populism.\"\nThe success of those who define themselves against the so-called \"establishment\" arguably creates a bigger challenge for them having won, because of the scale of what their supporters expect them to achieve.\nBut, looking at President-Elect Trump, John Judis has noticed a partial shift in emphasis.\n\"What Trump has done is, he's definitely shed some of his populist rhetoric. The idea that he was going to \"drain the swamp\" of all of these fat cats who were controlling Washington.\n\"He's ended up with an administration filled with Wall Street people and billionaires. But in terms of some of his demands about jobs no longer being shipped overseas, bad trade deals, changing the relationship with China, he is going to try to do them. When a populist takes power, that doesn't necessarily mean they are going to fail at their task.\"\nLet's conclude by returning to that fuzzy concept of populism.\nDouglas Murray, an associate editor at The Spectator magazine, says the word is so debased in reality it only conveys one impression.\n\"When I see the term 'populism' used, I know the author is referring to a movement the author he or she doesn't like. That is what it does. It signals to the listener that the thing they are deprecating is to be deprecated.\"\nBut, he argues, whether you think the term has any value or not, what it is attempting to describe does matter and must be celebrated.\n\"We had in Britain, for years, a mounting problem about this issue about our relationship with the European Union.\n\"I am amazed that so many people have chosen to interpret the most legitimate expression of dislike that you can do - ie voting - and interpreting that as some awful, rabble-like, unwashed monstrosity. It is the only thing we have to stop something, far, far worse.\"", "Actors Martin Sheen and Debra Messing are joined by a host of other celebrities - including musician Moby - to ask Republican electors to not cast their vote for President-elect Donald Trump on 19 December.\nThe argument put forward in the Unite for America clip is simple - Mr Trump is not fit to be president of the United States, and therefore members of the Electoral College should block his entry to the White House.\n\"Our founding fathers built the Electoral College to safeguard the American people from the dangers of a demagogue and to ensure that the presidency only goes to someone who is, to an eminent degree, endowed with the requisite qualifications,\" Sheen explains in the video.\nMr Trump, the celebrities continue, is not \"highly qualified for the job\" - and therefore the electors could, and should, prevent him from taking office.\nIn theory, the Electoral College could do this: It would take 37 Republican electors to vote for someone other than Mr Trump - thereby taking the party under the 270-vote threshold necessary for victory - to technically block his path to the White House.\nIt is the latest stance taken by celebrities against Mr Trump's impending leadership. Others have been less direct - designers refusing to dress future First Lady Melania Trump, or rejecting offers to sing at the inauguration.\nIn stark contrast to his predecessor Barack Obama, only one A-list celebrity - Kanye West - has publicly endorsed Mr Trump since his election.\nBut in reality, how much does any of this matter - and how effective is such a direct plea to a group of Republicans?\nIf you believe the New York Daily News, not very.\n\"This video of celebs pleading with the Electoral College is why Hillary Clinton lost,\" the newspaper's website proclaimed in a headline.\nMrs Clinton did have a lot of celebrity supporters - on election night, actress Lena Dunham, singer Lady Gaga and comedian Amy Schumer were all in New York to support the Democrat they hoped would become the first female US leader.\nThey had all been vociferous campaigners for Mrs Clinton, as had Beyonce, whose plea to fans to vote for Mrs Clinton has had 2.4 million views to date.\nIn comparison, Mr Trump failed to attract any huge stars to support his campaign.\nYet Mr Trump won - suggesting celebrity endorsements do not have huge sway over voters.\nIndeed, a study of possible voters in Ohio by professors Melissa Miller and David Jackson, both of Bowling Green State University, found that celebrity endorsements are potentially the opposite of helpful.\nWriting in The Daily Beast, Mr Jackson revealed: \"None of the celebrities [given as possible endorsers in the study] showed a net positive effect, and four of them showed double-digit net negative effects.\"\nWhat's more, this election has taken a swipe at the so-called liberal elite - and nowhere is the elite more liberal than in Hollywood.\nOprah Winfrey may be credited with playing a major role in Barack Obama's 2008 election, but a quick glance at the response on Twitter to the Unite for America video shows there is no appetite for the 1% to lecture the majority on how they should vote.\n\"You stick to pretending to be somebody else,\" wrote one. \"Nobody gives the rear end of a rodent what you and your pampered friends think.\"\nAnother tweeted: \"Y'all prove one thing. being a so-called educated intellectual doesn't mean you have common sense.\"\nMeanwhile, a meme mused whether celebrities were more upset about the election result, of \"finding out people don't give a **** about their opinions\".\nAnd despite the odd tweet praising them for being a \"glimmer of hope in an era of hopelessness\", even fellow liberals have questioned the point of such a video.\nSo with a backlash against celebrities, it seems highly unlikely their doom-laden words will sway Republican electors on Sunday.\nThere is, of course, one huge irony in all of this: Mr Trump has, arguably, only been elected to the highest office in the land because he is a celebrity.", "It is not just an occasion for old allies to renew vows of friendship. These two new, uncertain leaders need concrete achievements and not just gestures.\nThe two could not be more different. Mrs May is serious-minded, steely, attentive to her briefing books, insular, dependent on a tightly-wound inner circle.\nDonald Trump is brash, abrasive, instinctive, revelling in his newly won power to change America.\nOne of them is a vicar's daughter; the other a star of reality TV. Both of them are in office because of a people's revolt.\nSo what will be on Mrs May's agenda as she becomes the first foreign leader to meet the new president?\nBritish leaders tend to attach more importance to the special relationship than the US. But with Britain about to divorce from the European Union, the long-standing link with Washington has assumed more importance. It is an anchor in a less certain era.\nMrs May will stress that the relationship between the two countries helped forge the \"modern world\" and, by implication, can do so again. The White House has indicated that it would welcome the closeness of the Thatcher/Reagan years.\nPresident Trump needs to demonstrate that he has the seriousness to be the leader of the West and that he has command of the issues. The American audience will be watching.\nTheresa May needs to tread carefully. There is much she needs from America, not least a trade agreement, but many in the UK would question deepening a \"special\" relationship with a president they intensely distrust.\nThe prime minister has promised to be \"frank\" in her discussions, but Britain outside the EU needs a close ally in Washington and Donald Trump is likely to get his invitation to visit Britain and stay in Buckingham Palace and risk the demonstrations such a visit may spark.\nFor the UK, trade is the centrepiece of the visit.\nWith the UK leaving the EU and its single market, Britain will need new trading relationships. Already trade between Britain and the US is worth £150bn ($188bn). What the prime minister is looking for is a \"bold and ambitious free-trade agreement\" with the US.\nSuch a trade deal cannot be concluded while the UK remains part of the EU but preparatory work can begin so that a trade agreement can be in place shortly after the UK leaves the EU in 2019.\nThere will be discussions about reducing existing tariffs and making it easier for American and British citizens to work in each other's countries.\nProgress surely will be made but there are deep underlying differences. The president's core policy is \"America First\". Theresa May's slogan is \"Global Britain\". Donald Trump has spent this week signalling he is pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement and bent on re-negotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).\nBritain outside the EU, on the other hand, needs an open global trading system. Theresa May has to be an advocate for free trade in the house of a leader determined to protect first and trade second.\nDowning Street will also know that a deal with the US will strengthen its hand in its negotiations with Brussels.\nDuring the election campaign Donald Trump caused consternation in Europe and in the foreign policy establishment in Washington when he declared Nato \"obsolete\".\nOn one level it was an expression of American frustration that its European allies refused to share the burden of defence. Theresa May will surely support the president in calling on Europe to spend 2% of GDP on its military.\nBut May will be looking for much more. She wants to hear the President commit to Nato's Article Five, that an attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all.\nFor her, Nato is part of the post-war international order. Britain outside the EU needs Nato more than ever. In the future it will be Nato that will be the UK's link to its European neighbours.\nOne of the ironies of the visit is that Theresa May will fight for the EU. It will be a case of a divorcee speaking up for a former partner.\nEurope has been shocked by Donald Trump's comments about Europe breaking up, about the EU being a \"vehicle for Germany\". For the first time since the Treaty of Rome was signed 50 years ago, Europe does not have a friend in the White House who shares the mission and belief in European integration.\nSo Theresa May has an opportunity to win friends in Europe's capitals by standing up for the EU. It is not in Britain's interest, as she has said, for the European Union to unravel. \"It remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's national interest that the EU should succeed,\" she believes.\nA global Britain needs a strong international order and part of that is Nato, the EU, and open trade. In the past it has been the US underpinning this global order. Theresa May will need to be the great persuader.\nThe UK views Moscow and Putin differently from the new administration in Washington. Donald Trump has signalled that he can open a new era with Russia.\nThe UK remains deeply suspicious of the Kremlin. It is not just a question as to whether sanctions should be retained against Russia for its military actions in Crimea and Ukraine.\nThe UK and US have the strongest intelligence-sharing relationship in the world. The UK will want reassurance that any tilt towards Russia does not compromise its intelligence assets.\nRegarding the Middle East, Donald Trump has made it clear that Israel will have his full support. Already, Israel has taken heart from its new friend in the White House by announcing the building of new settlements in the West Bank. Donald Trump has suggested he may move the US embassy to Jerusalem.\nTheresa May's words will be scrutinised closely. In seeking a close relationship with Donald Trump, will there be any change in emphasis in supporting a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians?\nThe British prime minister will also want to talk about energy and her commitment to the Paris agreement on reducing global warming.\nIn the end it is in both Britain and America's interest to forge a close relationship. Theresa May has spoken of \"renewing our nation's ties\".\nOutside the EU, the UK needs the American embrace. The Trump administration brings opportunities. Donald Trump remains an enthusiast for Brexit. He wants Brexit to succeed and has promised to give his backing to a trade deal.\nBut many of his policies are opposed by Theresa May and many British voters. She cannot risk getting too close to a man despised by many in the UK.\nHer priority will be trade but what she wants from the 45th president is a commitment to supporting the post-war international order without pulling away at the threads that bind it.\nOn a personal level they are unlikely allies, but self-interest may yet rekindle the Reagan-Thatcher alliance.", "More than 40 years ago, the unmasking of the Watergate break-in inspired journalists around the world.\nReporters appeared as tireless investigators holding the most powerful to account.\nNow, a new president declares the fourth estate \"dishonest human beings\".\nA global survey published last week found only 43% of people trusted the traditional media.\nJournalists find themselves on the defensive having to demonstrate their integrity to a sceptical public.\nDonald Trump believes he is in a \"running war\" with parts of the media.\nThis struggle over who defines the facts will be a central feature of his administration.\nSocial media enables leaders to bypass traditional media and to talk to the public directly.\nDonald Trump, with his 34,000 tweets, understands the reach and the power this gives him.\nHe can sit in the White House and, with a single tweet, define the news agenda of the day or distract attention away from uncomfortable news.\nSome of the traditional media now accept they were instrumental in the rise of Donald Trump.\nHe was good for ratings.\nHe was the \"candidate that kept on giving\", as you would regularly hear in Washington.\nBut President Trump's rise to power was partly built on attacking the media.\nAt rally after rally, I watched Donald Trump point at the press pen and denounce journalists as \"terrible\" people, the \"worst\".\nIt was a deliberate tactic.\nHe wanted to define much of the media as part of the establishment elite who had ignored the plight of ordinary Americans.\nHe sowed the seed that journalists and their stories about him could not be trusted.\nPainting journalists as untrustworthy gave him cover when he was accused of lying and exaggeration.\nAnd so we inhabit the \"post-truth world\".\nDemocracy can't function without facts that are widely accepted.\nIt doesn't mean that facts shouldn't be disputed or their meaning argued over, but societies need a bedrock of information to inform their decisions.\nIf conspiracies and exaggerations are accepted as alternative realities, then it is much more difficult for a leader to be judged in the court of public opinion.\nWhen, a few days ago, the senior White House aide Kellyanne Conway was asked why the president's press secretary had lied about the crowd size at the inauguration, she defended him by saying he was offering \"alternative facts\".\nHer interviewer, Chuck Todd, of NBC, retorted that \"alternative facts aren't facts, they're falsehoods\".\nIt was an early round in the battle for the truth.\nI recall an exchange I had at a Trump event where it was explained to me that the fact that a lot of people believed something gave it an element of truth.\nMost Americans still get their news from TV, but more than 30% get it from the internet and particularly from Facebook.\nThere is now a lot of research on the role of social media in spreading false information.\nIn Europe, too, the reputation of the media is under fire.\nJournalists have been damaged by hacking, by intrusion and the suspicion that they don't tell the whole story.\nIn Germany, parts of the mainstream media were accused of covering up reports of assaults on women in Cologne on New Year's Day 2016 because many of the allegations related to men believed to be migrants.\nIn the Edelman Trust barometer - published last week - trust in the media had fallen to an all-time low in 17 of the 28 countries polled.\nSo what is to be done?\nIn the United States, news organisations are grappling with difficult questions.\nOne TV executive said the biggest challenge was to avoid being seen as part of the \"running war\" that President Trump describes.\nSome organisations in the US, the UK and Germany - including the BBC - are embracing \"reality checks\" as part of their coverage, but they are time consuming and difficult.\nGovernments, too, are looking into how to boost trust in statistics and official information.\nIt might mean the creation of more agencies that are truly independent of government and politicians.\nThe new White House press secretary has said: \"We are going to hold the press accountable.\"\nIt signals a battle over who defines the truth and who defines the facts.\nAmerican journalism will face one of its severest tests.", "Five other sailors were injured in the crash involving the guided missile destroyer USS John S McCain.\nOfficials are also conducting a \"comprehensive review\" of the Pacific fleet following Monday's incident.\nIt was the fourth crash involving a US Navy ship in a year, and the second in the past two months.\nNavy Adm John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, said in a statement: \"This trend demands more forceful action.\n\"As such, I have directed an operational pause be taken in all of our fleets around the world.\"\nThe pause, which will be staggered across the fleets, will last one to two days and could begin within a week, he later told reporters.\nThe operational pause and review of the Pacific fleet - which the USS John S McCain belongs to - are in addition to a separate ongoing investigation into the latest incident.\nThe USS John S McCain was sailing east of Singapore when the collision with the Liberian-flagged vessel occurred.\nIt was reported before dawn at 05:24 local time on Monday (21:24 GMT on Sunday) and took place east of the Strait of Singapore, as the American vessel went for a routine port stop in Singapore.\nThe destroyer sustained damage to her port side, which is the left-hand side of the vessel facing forward.\nThe tanker it collided with, Alnic MC, sustained damage to a tank near the front of the ship 7m (23ft) above the waterline, but none of its crew was injured and there were no oil spills.\nAt 182m (600ft), the tanker is slightly longer than the 154m-long US destroyer.\nUS military helicopters as well as the Singaporean and Malaysian navies and coast guards are conducting search and rescue operations.\nMalaysian Navy chief Admiral Kamarulzaman said a message had been sent to fishing vessels along the Johor and Pahang coasts to keep a look out.\nA Malaysian Navy spokesman later told a news conference: \"The waves are between 0.5m and 1.5m, so the sea is quite rough and can be very challenging if you don't have a life jacket.\"\nThe US Navy said four of the injured sailors had non-life threatening injuries and were medically evacuated to a Singapore hospital. The fifth person did not require further medical attention.\nThe US Navy 7th Fleet later issued a statement saying the USS John S McCain had arrived at Singapore's Changi naval base.\nThe Alnic MC made its way to the Raffles Reserved Anchorage in Singapore.\nOne crew member of the oil tanker told Reuters over the phone that the vessel sustained some damage to a valve. The ship was carrying nearly 12,000 tonnes of oil from Taiwan to Singapore, the news agency reported.\nThe Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said: \"There is no report of oil pollution and traffic in the Singapore Strait is unaffected.\"\nTwo serious collisions with merchant vessels; some 17 crew members dead or missing; and two guided missile destroyers of the US Seventh Fleet out of action for months - good reason then for a thorough review.\nBut are these unconnected episodes or part of a broader systemic failure? This is what the new review will have to find out.\nAnalysts and former officers note the high tempo of operations. The US Navy - despite its size - is just not large enough, they say, to do everything that is asked of it. Training inevitably suffers.\nAnd the dramatic growth in merchant shipping - the real measure of our globalised world - means the sea-lanes are now more crowded than ever.\nFor years the US Navy has had no obvious peer competitor. And some fear that it may be losing its edge.\nUS Senator John McCain tweeted that he and his wife were praying for the sailors.\nThe vessel was named after his father and grandfather, both admirals in the Navy.\n\"I agree with Admiral Richardson that more forceful action is urgently needed to identify and correct the causes of the recent ship collisions,\" he added.\nUS President Donald Trump has also put out a tweet about the accident.\nThis is the fourth time in a year that a US navy vessel has been involved in an accident.\nJust two months ago, seven US sailors were killed when the USS Fitzgerald collided with a container ship in Japanese waters near the port city of Yokosuka.\nThose who died were found in flooded berths on board the ship after the collision caused a gash under the warship's waterline.\nThe US Navy said last week that about a dozen sailors would be disciplined, and the commanding officer and other senior crew would be taken off the ship.\nIn May, a guided missile cruiser collided with a South Korean fishing vessel, while in August last year a submarine collided with an offshore support vessel.\nUSS John S McCain\nAlnic MC\nSources: US Navy, MarineTraffic.com, AFP", "James Duddridge, who has tabled a no confidence motion in Mr Bercow, said he had used his job to \"pontificate\" on international issues and had spoken publicly against Brexit.\nThe Speaker, who recently criticised US President Donald Trump, told students on 3 February he had voted Remain.\nLib Dem chief whip Tom Brake said Mr Bercow was \"even-handed\" in his job.\nAnd the Speaker's spokeswoman said he had been \"scrupulous in ensuring that both sides of the argument are always heard\".\nBut speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Duddridge said: \"Enough is enough.\n\"We need a new more impartial Speaker.\"\nAlthough Mr Duddridge is currently the only signatory to his motion, he said he had received calls from ministers and MPs from different parties saying they too would vote to oppose Mr Bercow if it was debated.\nHe said Mr Bercow had done \"some very good things\" during his time in the chair, but added: \"One of the key roles of the Speaker is you must not speak on policy issues.\n\"He's broken that rule, he's broken his employment contract effectively with members of Parliament - he should resign, and if he doesn't, the vote of no confidence will go ahead.\"\nHe claimed there would have to be a vote to \"resolve\" his motion, although Early Day Motions tabled by MPs rarely make it as far as a Commons debate.\nMr Brake, a member of the House of Commons commission, said there had been a longstanding campaign by some Conservative MPs to get rid of Mr Bercow.\nHe said the Speaker's style \"may feel like Marmite to some but in practice he is balanced\".\nOn his blog, UKIP MP Douglas Carswell criticised Mr Bercow's \"morally perverse\" stance against President Trump but said he would not back an attempt to unseat him.\nMr Carswell pointed to Commons debates to come as the UK leaves the EU, adding: \"Brexiteers should be exclusively focused on winning those fights - not picking others.\"\nBefore the recording of his Brexit comments emerged, Mr Bercow, who was a Conservative MP before becoming Speaker, was already facing calls for him to be replaced for voicing his opposition to US President Donald Trump addressing Parliament on his UK state visit.\nTalking to Reading students, Mr Bercow said: \"Personally, I voted to remain. I thought it was better to stay in the European Union than not.\"\nHe said this was \"partly for economic reasons - being part of a big trade bloc - and partly because I think we're in a world of power blocs.\n\"I think for all the weaknesses and deficiencies of the European Union, it's better to be part of that big power bloc in the world than thinking you can act as effectively on your own.\"\nHe also said immigration was a good thing and expressed concern Labour had not done more to strike a \"very clear, resonant Remain note\".\nWhen he was elected Speaker in 2009, Mr Bercow said he would serve for no more than nine years.\nResponding to the row over his Brexit comments, his spokeswoman said he had voted in June's referendum \"along with millions of others\".\n\"The record shows that he has rigorously facilitated the raising of concerns of those on both sides of this argument, as he does on every other issue,\" she said.\n\"The Speaker's impartiality is required on matters of debate before the House, and he has been scrupulous in ensuring that both sides of the argument are always heard.\"\nAsked if the prime minister thought Mr Bercow was doing a good job, her spokesman said: \"The Speaker is a matter for MPs, he's the elected chairman of the House of Commons, he's not a member of the government, he's not appointed by the government.\n\"He represents all the MPs in the House of Commons. It's up to them to decide whether they feel he's doing a good job or not.\"", "The foreign secretary said the PM had \"put things back together and got the show back on the road\" after a \"difficult\" election.\nAsked about about any leadership contest, he said there would not be a vacancy \"for a very long time\".\nHe also appeared to backtrack on his previous support for axing the public sector pay cap.\nIn an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Johnson said he agreed with Chancellor Philip Hammond on public sector pay and the need to take a \"fiscally sensible and responsible\" approach.\nA source close to Mr Johnson had previously said the foreign secretary supported a better pay deal for public sector workers and believed this could be done without causing \"fiscal pressures\".\nMr Johnson, who was briefly a rival to Mrs May in the Conservative leadership contest which followed David Cameron's resignation last year, sought to play down talk of a fresh contest.\nHe said: \"The last thing people want is any more of this kind of nonsense.\n\"They want to see a long period of stability and calm and progress for the British people.\"\nMr Johnson also used his Today interview to urge China to step up economic pressure on North Korea following the launch of a long-range missile in defiance of a ban by the UN Security Council.\n\"My view is that what the North Koreans are doing is reckless, it's indefensible, it's in defiance of UN resolutions, repeated UN resolutions, it's illegal and I think that it is very important that the world stands together against what they re doing.\n\"People will say well, what can we actually physically do, and the single most important thing is for the country with the most direct economic relationship with North Korea, that is China, has got to continue to put on the pressure.\n\"In the last six months or so, we are seeing some real changes in Beijing's attitude to North Korea and that's got to go further.\"\nChina and Russia have urged the United States to show restraint, after the American ambassador to the United Nations warned that North Korea's test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile had cast a dark shadow over the world.\nNikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that the test represented a sharp military escalation.\nAsked about whether he believed US President Donald Trump, who will later meet Theresa May in Hamburg, was unpredictable she said the UK did not \"agree with everything Washington currently says\".\nBut she added: \"I think, actually, that Donald Trump's approach to politics has been something that has gripped the imagination of people around the world.\n\"He's engaged people in politics in a way that we haven't seen for a long time, with his tweets and all the rest of it. I do think that he raises people's awareness of issues, he engages in a very direct way.\"", "Oxford University Press analysed more than 120,000 short stories submitted to this year's 500 Words writing competition, run by BBC Radio 2.\nIt found the usage of the word refugee had more than tripled since last year.\nStar Wars, Shakespeare, Tim Peake and social media were some of the other most common themes.\nThe 500 Words writing competition for children aged 13 and under was launched by BBC Radio 2 breakfast show host Chris Evans in 2011.\nThe OUP said in addition to the significant increase in the usage of the word refugee by this year's entrants, children were also using emotive and descriptive language around it.\nAlthough it wasn't the most common word or theme overall, it was the most notable instance of children being influenced by events in the news.\nStories featuring the word refugee were most frequently about the plight of children the same age as the writers leaving home and undertaking difficult journeys.\nVineeta Gupta, Head of Children's Dictionaries at Oxford University Press, said: \"The children writing in this year's competition have demonstrated a sophisticated use of language in their storytelling.\n\"They have used rich descriptions to convey emotion and have produced powerful stories that resonate with the reader.\"\nChris Evans said: \"This analysis has once again proved fascinating. OUP's research has shown how aware and engaged children are with the world around them, not just at home, but globally and even inter-galactically.\n\"The imagination of kids never ceases to amaze me and I'm so proud the competition has again fired up their creativity and shown how talented and inspiring the young people of the UK are.\"\nAll the entries were analysed by an academic and technology team from Oxford University, using specialised software.\nBritish astronaut Tim Peake was a new entry in the top 10 list of famous people most frequently appearing in the stories.\nDavid Cameron, Barack Obama and Donald Trump were the most commonly mentioned politicians.\nThe release of the latest Star Wars movie also caught children's attention, resulting in an increase of words such as lightsabers and Stormtroopers.\nThe rise of social media remained a strong theme in 2016, after hashtag - and the symbol used to represent it '#' - was named Children's Word of the Year in last year's competition.\nThe top 10 characters from real life and fiction used in stories included Santa Claus, Zeus, Lionel Messi, Cinderella, James Bond, Snow White and Harry Potter.\nWilliam Shakespeare was also commonly used, as events took place across the UK to mark 400 years since the playwright's death.\nThe OUP said spelling had consistently improved over the last five years, but added some of the most commonly misspelled words included soldiers and minute.\nThe live final of this year's competition takes place on Friday morning at Shakespeare's Globe theatre in London.\nThe Duchess of Cornwall, who is an honorary judge this year, will present the winners' prizes.\nJulie Walters, Tom Hiddleston, Warwick Davis, Andy Serkis, Nick Jonas and Raleigh Ritchie will present the awards at the event,\nAll Saints, One Republic and Foxes will also be performing with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the London Community Gospel Choir during the show.\nThe event will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans show.", "Speaking at the G20 summit in Hamburg, the prime minister said in areas like free trade and counter-terrorism, the UK remained a key international player.\nAmid speculation about her future after the election, she said she would take a lead, not \"sit back\" and be \"timid\".\nShe is expected to press President Trump on the Paris climate deal.\nAs she attends her first gathering of world leaders since the general election, Mrs May has dismissed suggestions that political and economic uncertainty from the UK's decision to leave the EU and speculation about her own future is hampering the UK's effort to lead on the world stage.\nShe rejected claims by former foreign secretary William Hague that the UK will lose influence on the world stage after Brexit.\n\"What I see as I talk to leaders around the world is engaging with and working with the UK - new friends and old allies alike - as we leave the EU,\" she told the BBC's John Pienaar.\n\"There are no prizes for guessing that the election result did not come out as I hoped it would.\n\"There are two ways the government can react to that. We either be 'very timid' and sit back or we can be bold and that is what we are going to be.\n\"We are going to bold because the UK is facing challenges that we need to address.\"\nOn the issue of counter-terrorism, the PM will tell leaders that must be no \"safe spaces\" for terrorist funding in the global financial system, pledging action to track small sums of money used to finance \"lone wolf\" attacks.\nThe prime minister said the evolving terror threat needed to be tackled \"from every angle\", including working will allies in the Gulf, such as Saudi Arabia, which has been accused of supporting extremist groups in the UK - claims it has strongly denied.\n\"I sit down with Saudi Arabia and others and talk about the issue of terrorist finance,\" she said.\n\"What I am doing here at the G20 is raising the need for us to work collectively and internationally to deal with terrorist finance not just on the large sums of money that funding terrorism but also to find ways to work with financial services and banks to identify small-scale transactions that can sometimes lead to terrorist activity.\"\nWhile world leaders here confront crises from North Korea to climate change, Britain's prime minister faces an additional challenge: maintaining her claim to be numbered among them.\nTheresa May used her moment in the spotlight to call for more effort to close down the sources of finance for international terrorism.\nThat won't be hard for leaders to agree in principle. Much harder for Mrs May to persuade President Trump to rejoin the consensus supporting action against climate change, though she told me she hoped that might be possible.\nHer wider mission though, is to prove wrong those who say Brexit will weaken the UK's influence - and to recover from the diminution of authority that followed the June election.\nToday, she set out her unwanted choice: \"We can be very timid, we can sit back, or we can be bold and that's what we're going to be.\"\nBut her comparative weakness is plain to see among the leaders gathered in Hamburg. And the practical task of achieving a Brexit judged successful by her divided country and business leaders can best be described as a work in progress.\nNew technology and partnerships could help banks and financial technology companies spot suspicious small transfers of cash, she will say, which are hard to identify but must be challenged.\nShe will also press the need for better information sharing about people known to have travelled to fight in IS-controlled territory - to track them if they attempt to return to their home countries.\nMrs May is expected to raise climate change with US President Donald Trump, stressing that Britain \"remains fully committed\" to the 2015 Paris climate accord and hoping Mr Trump will reconsider his decision to pull the US out of it.\nShe told the BBC that she hoped Mr Trump would listen to the G20's \"collective message\" on the issue.\n\"I was clear to President Trump how disappointed the UK was that the United States had decided to pull out of the Paris Agreement and also clear that I hope that they will be able to find a way to come back in to the Paris Agreement,\" she said. \"I think that's important for us globally.\"\nThe summit will also see Mr Trump meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time. The meeting will take place at 15:45 local time (13:45 GMT) and last for an hour, Russian media report.\nMr Trump met German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday and the pair spent an hour talking about North Korea, the Middle East, the conflict in eastern Ukraine and G20 issues.\nThere have been clashes between police and protesters in Hamburg ahead of Friday's meeting, Up to 100,000 protesters are expected in the German city.\nGet news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning", "Paul Flynn said Mr Trump's call to ban Muslims from the US was \"extremely dangerous\" but barring him from the UK risked being seen as anti-American.\nHowever, SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh said a ban would be justified on the grounds of \"religious harmony\".\nA petition advocating a ban has attracted 574,000 signatures.\nMonday's debate, which took place in a packed Westminster Hall committee room, ended without a vote.\nHome Office minister James Brokenshire said the government had the power to exclude people who would \"do harm\" but the US was the UK's most important ally and the UK should \"engage\" with presidential candidates even when it \"profoundly disagreed\" with their views.\nThe tycoon, who is leading several opinion polls in the race to be the Republican candidate for President, called for a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the US in response to the shooting of 14 people in San Bernardino, California in December.\nMr Trump's comments were criticised across the political spectrum in the US and Europe. He caused further anger by claiming that areas of London and other parts of the UK have become so radicalised that they have become no-go areas for the police.\nThe \"Ban Trump\" petition states that the UK \"has banned entry to many individuals for hate speech\" and argues that the rules must be \"fairly applied to the rich as well as poor\".\nA counter-petition, also being debated although it has not reached the 100,000 signature mark, argues that foreign nationals should not be banned \"for their opinions on domestic actions\" and a ban would risk damaging US-UK relations given the possibility of a Trump victory in November's election.\nOpening the debate in a crowded chamber, Mr Flynn said it would be wrong to ignore the ban petition, given that the \"public was speaking with such a loud voice\" and insisted the debate was not an attempt to \"disrespect Americans or the American state\".\nHe said some of those who signed the petition believed that Mr Trump's comments had incited acts of violence in the US.\nListing the names of some of those who had been banned by the UK authorities in recent years he said the risk of a ban would be that it would increase the publicity surrounding Mr Trump \"100-fold\".\nMr Trump's \"prejudice\" should be countered by \"reasonableness, hospitality and courtesy\", Mr Flynn told MPs. \"We should not build him up by our attacks,\" he said.\n\"The great danger by attacking this one man is that we can fix on him a halo of victimhood,\" he said. \"We give him the role of martyrdom which can seem to be an advantage among those who support him.\"\nTory MP Andrew Murrison said Mr Trump was a \"ridiculous\" figure but to ban someone who had a chance of becoming US President could be construed as an \"almighty snub\" to the US.\nFellow Conservative Sir Edward Leigh said the UK had invited despots to the UK in the past who had done \"far, far worse than anything Donald Trump can dream of\" and he warned against \"shutting down an honest debate about immigration\".\nBut, backing a ban, Labour MP Tulip Siddiq said Mr Trump's words \"risks inflaming tensions between vulnerable communities\" and those calling for this \"poisonous and corrosive\" man to be barred were speaking in \"good conscience\".\n\"I draw the line with freedom of speech when it actually imports violent ideology,\" she said.\n\"The legislation exists to protect the public and the people of Britain from individuals such as this... the same rules need to apply to Donald Trump.\"\nKey quotes from the debate\nLabour MP Jack Dromey: \"I don't think Donald Trump should be allowed within 1,000 miles of our shores....Donald Trump is free to be a fool but he is not free to be a dangerous fool in Britain.\"\nLabour MP Naz Shah: \"I would give Donald Trump an open invitation to visit my constituency... I would invite him for a curry. I would welcome him, have a conversation with him and challenge him on his views.\"\nConservative MP Sir Edward Leigh: \"Like it or not, he is quite a contender to be the head of state of the most powerful country on the planet, a country which is a vital ally of ours. We have welcomed to the country Saudi and Chinese leaders, not to mention Mr Ceausescu, whose crimes are far worse than anything Mr Trump can dream up.\"\nConservative MP Sarah Wollaston: \"I would argue that should Donald Trump be excluded from one of the United States' oldest allies, it would send a very clear message to the people of the US about what we feel about those who demonise an entire people for no other reason apart from their religion.\"\nThe SNP's Ms Ahmed-Sheikh said Mr Trump's comments made the UK an \"uncomfortable place\" for her and other Muslims to live in.\n\"The home secretary has explicitly excluded 84 people for hate speech. My view is that Donald Trump should be number 85.\"\nThe UK home secretary has the power to ban people from entering the country on grounds of national security, if they are thought likely to incite racial hatred or if they are deemed not to be \"conducive to the public good\".\nAhead of the debate, Trump International Links Scotland issued a statement saying MPs should be spending their time debating the problems facing the Scottish and UK economies.\n\"For the UK to consider banning someone who made a statement in America, about American borders during a US election campaign is ridiculous,\" said Sarah Malone, the company's executive vice president.\n\"Westminster is creating a dangerous precedent on this issue and is sending a terrible message to the world.\"", "Appearing in public for the first time since conceding, the Democrat said she hoped Mr Trump would be a successful president for all Americans.\nThe Republican will become the 45th US president after an astounding victory which followed a divisive campaign.\nHe holds his first transition meeting with outgoing President Barack Obama at the White House on Thursday.\nMr Trump's transition team for the 10-week period until inauguration will be led by Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey.\nThe president-elect has said his immediate priorities are restoring the country's infrastructure and doubling its economic growth.\nAfter losses overnight as Mr Trump's surprise victory became clear, markets rebounded and a feared meltdown failed to materialise.\nMr Obama, who congratulated his successor in a phone call in the early hours of the morning, said it was \"no secret\" that he and Mr Trump had pretty significant differences.\nBut he added that \"we all want what's best for this country\" and he was \"heartened\" by what he heard in Mr Trump's remarks the night before.\nMrs Clinton also urged her supporters to respect the election result, saying the constitution enshrines the peaceful transition of power.\n\"I'm sorry that we did not win this election for the values we share and the vision we hold for our country,\" Mrs Clinton told her supporters in her address in New York.\n\"We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought.\"\nReferencing her own speech when defeated by Barack Obama in her 2008 bid to become the Democratic nominee, she said:\n\"We have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling. But some day, someone will.\"\n\"To all the little girls watching... never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world,\" she said.\nMr Trump told cheering supporters at his campaign rally in the early hours of Wednesday that Americans must now \"bind the wounds of division\", after the gruelling, acrimonious electoral battle.\n\"I want to tell the world community that while we will always put America's interests first, we will deal fairly with everyone,\" said the real estate mogul, former reality TV star and political newcomer.\nHouse Speaker Paul Ryan paid tribute to his fellow Republican, saying he had \"turned politics on its head\" and would lead a unified Republican government.\nFrom January the Republicans will control the presidency and both houses of Congress - defying pollsters' predictions.\nMr Ryan, a lukewarm supporter of the president-elect, said their party's strong showing in elections to the Senate and House of Representatives was thanks in no small part to Mr Trump.\nHe referred repeatedly to Mr Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, as \"my good friend\" and \"a good man\".\nYour browser does not support this interactive content. You must be using a modern browser with Javascript enabled to view our results maps.\nMrs Clinton's running mate Tim Kaine paid tribute to her as \"a history maker\" and said that it was \"uniquely difficult\" to be elected to federal office as a woman in the US.\nUS media report that Mrs Clinton is ahead in the popular vote, albeit by less than 1%, though Mr Trump carved a path to victory through the electoral college.\nThe last time the defeated candidate won more votes cast than the person elected president was in 2000, when Republican George Bush beat Democrat Al Gore.\nMr Trump's election sparked protests in California, with more than 1,000 high school students walking out of classes in Berkeley, as well as smaller demonstrations elsewhere in the state and in Oregon, Washington state and other university locations.\nThe Republican overturned pollsters' forecasts to win in key battleground states including Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.\nExit polls suggest that he won 58% of white voters to Mrs Clinton's 37% - and did particularly well among white men and white voters without college degrees.\nHis outsize showing with this demographic compensated for his lower appeal to blacks, Hispanics and Asian Americans.\nOn 20 January 2017 he will be inaugurated as president of the United States - the first elected office he will ever have held.\nWhat do you want to know about a Donald Trump presidency and how it might affect you?\nUse this form to ask your question:\nIf you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question." ]

[ "Her hands made noise." ]

[ "Her hands were soft.", "Her hands were wet.", "A woman clasps her hands.", "A person clapping her hands.", "a woman with her hand on her chin", "The guy is holding a crackling fire at night.", "One of her hands was moving in a ritualistic manner.", "The woman has her hands on her lap.", "A woman with her hands in her pockets.", "Her voice shook as she spoke.", "She waved her hands around in complex gestures.", "The woman has her hands in her pockets.", "Crackle makes the world go round.", "She had snapped.", "She put her hand on her head.", "She screamed.", "The woman is moving her hands.", "She made loud noises.", "Then she made a distressed noise.", "There was sweat on her brow.", "She twisted.", "A woman places her hands on her face", "Her hands remained stiff and motionless on her sides.", "She touched them.", "Natalia kept her hands at her side.", "A girl has her hands in her lap.", "The sound of whips cracking and groans echoed throughout.", "The woman is a party with her drink in her hand.", "The lady made a noise.", "She had intense expressions.", "She slumped down and clutched her knees, resignation etched upon her face.", "Her hands were empty." ]

[ "You are fertile on the days leading up to and around the time of ovulation – due to the lifespan of sperm – and if you have a short cycle you could be ovulating just after your period. So you could be fertile very early in your cycle when you are still bleeding." ]

[ "When can I test with Clearblue® Ultra Early? You can test up to 6 days before your missed period, which is 5 days before your expected period. If you test before your expected period and get a 'Not Pregnant' result, there is still a chance that you may be pregnant.", "Clearblue® Rapid Detection Pregnancy Test can be used as early as 5 days before your missed period (which is 4 days before you expect your period to start). If you test before your expected period and get a 'Not Pregnant' (negative) result, there is still a chance that you may be pregnant.", "Clearblue® Digital Pregnancy Test with Smart Countdown can be used to test 5 days before your missed period (which is 4 days before your expected period). If you test before your expected period and get a 'Not Pregnant' (negative) result, there is still a chance you may be pregnant.", "It is more than 99% accurate in detecting whether or not you are pregnant, when used from the day of your expected period. If you test before your expected period and get a 'Not Pregnant' result, there is still a chance you may be pregnant. See below.", "What are the chances I can get pregnant on my period? The chances of getting pregnant if you have sex during your period are very low. However, if you've had unprotected sex, it is still possible to get pregnant during your period.", "Can You Get Pregnant on Your Period? Many people believe you can't get pregnant on your period. It's not your most fertile time of the month, but it's still possible. Relying on your menstrual cycle as a means of birth control is definitely risky, because you can indeed get pregnant on your period.", "e.p.t Pregnancy Test can be used as soon as you miss your period and any day thereafter. If you prefer to test early, e.p.t Pregnancy Test can be used as soon as four days before you expect your period to start. If you test early and get a \"not pregnant\" result, there is still a chance that you may be pregnant.", "After a girl is pregnant, she no longer gets her period. But girls who are pregnant can have other bleeding that might look like a period.", "So always take a tampon out before having sex. There is one thing you should use if you have sex during your period, though: a condom. A girl can still get STDs during her period and she can still get pregnant then too. So protect yourself!", "Intermittent bleeding is a rare occurrence and the cause is uncertain. Because getting your period is mistakenly associated with not being pregnant, many women get intermittent bleeding but think it is their regular period. In that case, it may take them a while to realize they are indeed pregnant.", "Many moms don't have a period for months (or at all) while breastfeeding. But a lapse in your cycle doesn't mean you can't get pregnant. Remember, ovulation occurs before you get your period. It's possible for you to ovulate and then get pregnant before you ever see your period.", "Can a Girl Get Pregnant if She Has Never Had Her Period? Can I get pregnant if I've never had my period? Yes, a girl can get pregnant before she gets her first period. Getting pregnant is related to ovulation.", "After a girl is pregnant, she no longer gets her period. But girls who are pregnant can have other bleeding that might look like a period. For example, there can be a small amount of bleeding when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus. Doctors call this implantation bleeding.", "Yes, a girl can get pregnant during her period. This might happen when: A girl has bleeding that she thinks is a period, but it's bleeding from ovulation .", "If you are bleeding and feel this way, then chances are you have lost the baby. If you're bleeding but still feel pregnant, the chances are very good that the bleeding is just a scare and your baby is fine. An ultrasound will usually be reassuringly normal.", "Irregular bleeding during pregnancy occurs for some women, and it's possible to mistake irregular bleeding for your period. If you get your period twice in one month and are sexually active, you may want to take a pregnancy test to see if you're experiencing irregular bleeding as a result of being pregnant.", "But a lapse in your cycle doesn't mean you can't get pregnant. Remember, ovulation occurs before you get your period. It's possible for you to ovulate and then get pregnant before you ever see your period. So if you don't want back-to-back babies, use protection.", "After a Depo Shot, Can I Get Pregnant Even If My Normal Period Has Not Returned? Yes, you can get pregnant after a Depo shot even if your regular period has not returned. This is because the body can ovulate without a period, too. You normally ovulate for around 2 weeks before your period.", "Women who are still uncertain about whether they have experienced implantation bleeding or a period can take a pregnancy test to find out if they are pregnant. Women should wait a few days after the bleeding has stopped before taking the test, however.", "You're most fertile at the time of ovulation (when an egg is released from your ovaries), which usually occurs 12 to 14 days before your next period starts. This is the time of the month when you're most likely to get pregnant. It's unlikely that you'll get pregnant just after your period, although it can happen.", "It is possible to get pregnant after a pregnancy loss but before your first period, because you can ovulate before your first post-miscarriage period. Research has actually found that women may be more fertile in the three months following a miscarriage. Remember that in order to get pregnant, you need to be ovulating.", "You can actually get pregnant just a few weeks after having an abortion, even if you haven't had a period yet. This will depend on how far along you were in your pregnancy before the abortion happened.", "If you do get pregnant With the patch and ring, you would be getting withdrawal bleeding every month, so a key sign that you're pregnant would be a missed period.", "Breakthrough Bleeding on the Pill, Can I Be Pregnant? If you experience breakthrough bleeding on the pill, it does not mean that you are pregnant. If you are taking your pill correctly each day, the hormones in the pills prevent you from getting pregnant, even if you are experiencing breakthrough bleeding.", "Your periods and fertility will return to normal and it's possible to get pregnant before you have your first period after stopping the implant.", "Myth. Irregular periods make it hard to predict when a woman may ovulate (produce an egg) and most women with irregular periods still ovulate some of the time. This means that they can still get pregnant from sex without birth control. If a woman's partner withdraws before ejaculation, she will not get pregnant.", "This means that menstruating on the pill isn't a real period so much as it is “withdrawal bleeding” produced by a lack of artificial hormones. Your period is not a medically necessary process. It's just your body's way of telling you that you're not pregnant.", "If your period is very late, or you've skipped your period, and you get a negative result, you are unlikely to be pregnant. If you are testing before the date of your expected period, you may be pregnant but your hCG levels are too low for the test to detect.", "Ovulation is when an egg is released from your ovaries to be fertilized. Menstruation, or what is commonly referred to as your period, is the bleeding that occurs after ovulation, if you don't get pregnant.", "Do not take Utovlan: - if you are pregnant, or think you might be pregnant. Your doctor may give you a pregnancy test before starting treatment or if you miss a period during treatment. - if you have now or have ever had any vaginal bleeding (not a period) for which your doctor could not find a cause.", "The only way that sex can delay your period is if you get pregnant. This is because when you're pregnant, you don't get a period. Changes in your period from month to month are normal.", "if my birth control (depo injection) stops my period can i still get pregnant? No. Irregular bleeding is the most common side effect of the shot, especially in the first 6 to 12 months of use. For most women, periods become fewer and lighter." ]

[ "When Landon Donovan scored his last minute goal against Algeria, he didn't merely put the U.S. through to the Round of 16, he inadvertently set up one of sports great rivalries. Fueled by two World Wars, and the adolescent jingoistic inventiveness of the British tabloids, no game looms larger in the English psyche than England vs. Germany. In truth, the German fans don't feel quite as passionate. Arguably, Holland is Germany's natural rival. Imagine the Red Sox obsessed with beating the Yankees, while the Yankees are more bothered about bragging rights over the Mets. But England vs Germany does have a knack for producing great drama whenever the two sides meet. Read More In 1966 England beat West Germany 4-2 to win its only World Cup. Geoff Hurst's controversial goal, which put England ahead 3-2, was ruled by a Soviet linesman as good when many thought it bounced back into play. In the decades since the so called \"ghost goal\" has been the subject of as many documentaries, re-creations and conspiracy theories as the Kennedy assassination.Recent history hasn't served the English so well. In 1970 England lost a heartbreaker to Germany in the quarter finals. In 1990 they went out to the Germans in the semi-finals, losing on penalties. And it was penalties that also cost the English dearly in the 1996 European Championship semi-finals. It's a record of futility that led England player turned pundit Garry Lineker to quip, \"Football is a simple game; twenty-two men chase a ball for ninety minutes and in the end the Germans always win.\"But will the Germans win in Bloemfontein? Depends which England team turns up. The confident team  that cruised through the qualifiers and looked like a legitimate Cup contender, or the tight, nervous squad that has been one of World Cup 2010's bigger disappointments. Against Slovenia, there were signs England was finding rhythm and confidence. To win they'll need Wayne Rooney at his brilliant best, which he hasn't been so far, supported by clutch performances from England's other superstars: Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and John Terry at the back.  After a relatively fallow period by its mighty standards, Germany looks like a team on the up, with a dangerous mixture of terrific young talent and experience. They are always well organized and tactically savvy. But several players are reportedly carrying injuries.  And as they showed in the group matches by losing to Serbia, Germany is far from unbeatable. I'm picking England to finally live up to the hype and win this one--unless the game goes to penalties. Please, please, please soccer gods, don't do that to us again!" ]

[ "The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicks off this week in Russia. Here's the nitty-gritty and a few stories to watch as 32 national soccer teams begin their pursuit of the copa mundial. When does it start? The tournament starts on Thursday, June 14, and runs through Sunday, July 15. In the opener, host nation Russia will take on Saudi Arabia. No host team ever has lost the opening match of the World Cup. South Africa is the only host nation to not advance to the knockout stage; Russia hopes to avoid that fate. On Friday there will be three games: Egypt vs. Uruguay, Morocco vs. Iran and Portugal vs. Spain. The full schedule is here. When can I watch the U.S. play? (Sad trombone.) You can't. They failed to qualify, for the first time since 1986. But! (Happy trombones!) In a united bid with Canada and Mexico, the USA was just selected to host the 2026 World Cup. FIFA hasn't said yet whether all the host nations will get automatic spots in the tournament. The field is expanding from 32 teams to 48, though, so the Yanks have a good shot either way. Remind me what happened last time? Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the final in Rio de Janeiro. The tournament's greatest agony belonged to the host country, after Germany demolished Brazil 7-1 in the semifinals. Who are the favorites? No surprise here: Brazil and Germany. Spain and France aren't far behind — though Spain just fired its coach two days before the country's first game in the tournament, so that could change its prospects. Spain fan Max Fontaine, in Sochi, Russia, for Friday's game against Portugal, told NPR's Alina Selyukh the decision was \"crazy.\" \"We were like, 'What is happening?' The World Cup is starting tomorrow,\" he said. \"I hope the guys will be strong enough to manage that and to control themselves.\" Selyukh found the host country's residents more cautious than optimistic about their team's chances. \"I root for Russia, because I'm a patriot, but I think that's going to be over pretty quickly, so I'm also rooting for Brazil,\" said Temirvan Khashev. Any new rules or technology this year? Video assistant referees will help make officiating calls. There will be 13 current or former referees watching on screens in a video control room. Assistant referees on the field have been instructed to keep their flags down on close offside calls, and let the VAR make the decision. The referees in the booth will wear full referee kits, just like their counterparts on the field. \"It's because they sweat like they do on the pitch,\" the chairman of FIFA's referees committee told reporters last week. \"It's not like watching a game on the couch while drinking coffee*. It's very stressful, so they can't be dressed like a clerk.\" *Yes, he's Italian. Where are the matches taking place? The tournament's 64 games will be played at 12 stadiums throughout Russia, with the opening match and the final held at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Among the other arenas is Sochi's Fisht Stadium, built for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Russia has been criticized for building a new stadium in Kaliningrad on an island, one of the city's last natural wetlands. As The Associated Press reports, venues built in other Russian cities raised environmental concerns too. The BBC has photos of all the stadiums, and you can see them from above at The Guardian. Who are some players to watch for? Egypt has one of the tournament's most exciting players, Mohamed Salah. He had a breakout season at Liverpool, where fans have created this chant: \"If he's good enough for you, he's good enough for me. If he scores another few, then I'll be Muslim too.\" The Pharaohs are making their first World Cup appearance since 1990. Salah suffered a shoulder injury in the Champions League final, and team officials say it's uncertain whether he'll play in the opener. South Korean forward Son Heung-min's star is rising fast: The Tottenham Hotspurs forward is now the top Asian goal scorer in the history of the English Premier League. His agent told Time that Son wears a surgical mask in public in Seoul to avoid being mobbed. He turns 26 soon, and as The Telegraph reports, South Korea requires able-bodied men to start 21 months of military service before age 28 — a spectre weighing on the footballer and his fans. France's 19-year-old Kylian Mbappé, who grew up in the banlieues of Paris, has made a name for himself at Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain, and not only for his eye-popping transfer fee — second only to Brazilian star Neymar's. Now he just needs to stay healthy. Any notable goal celebrations? France's Antoine Griezmann is known for his homage to Drake's \"Hotline Bling.\" Recently he has been doing a jig from the video game Fortnite. And of course, whatever Ronaldo does. What about corruption and hooligans? Sepp Blatter, FIFA's former president who was suspended in 2015 for corruption, will attend the World Cup as a guest of Russian president Vladimir Putin. In the UK, police have seized the passports of more than 1,200 Britons to preven", "The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly. Simon & Schuster announced in a press release on Thursday morning that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is coming out with a memoir in 2014. According to the release, the book will \"use a number of dramatic moments during Secretary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State to frame her thoughts about the recent history of U.S. foreign policy and the urgent, ongoing need for American leadership in a changing world,\" and will discuss events including the \"killing of Osama Bin Laden; the overthrow of the Qaddafi regime in Libya; the transitions in Iraq and Afghanistan; [and] the Arab Spring...\" Clinton had mentioned in an interview in January that she was working on a memoir. The book comes amidst increasing speculation that Clinton is considering a run for president in 2016. As NPR's Krishnadev Calamur reported on Wednesday, Booker Prize-winning author Ruth Prawer Jhabvala has died. She was also an Oscar-winning screenwriter and was celebrated for her adaptions of the E.M. Forster novels A Room With A View and Howard's End. Born into a Jewish family in Germany, she fled the country as a young girl in 1939. She lived in England, America and India, where much of her fiction was set, including a story published just last week in the New Yorker, \"The Judge's Will.\" A Map of Tulsa author Benjamin Lytal writes about Nabokov for The New Yorker: \"The flutter of magic, the avuncular twinkle, the B-movie danger—it's all here. The things that make us love Nabokov or tire of him can all be found in \"Mister Morn,\" at least in chrysalis form.\" Mark Twain's beyond-charming book Advice to Little Girls is being republished this week, and has tips like, \"Good little girls always show marked deference for the aged. You ought never to 'sass' old people unless they 'sass' you first.\"", "Legendary theater director Sir Peter Hall might have ended up the grand old man of British theater, but he came from modest beginnings — Hall was born in 1930 in Suffolk, England to a father who was a railway clerk, and his family lived in a house without electricity. Hall went on to run two of the most important theater companies in England — the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre — and directed Waiting for Godot and Amadeus, among dozens of plays, old and new. Hall died on Monday surrounded by family, according to the National Theatre. He was 86. As a teenager, Hall was so in love with the theater that during the Blitz, he used his father's railway pass to see productions featuring actors like Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud. \"I came to London, by myself, aged 14, with the war still on, to go to the theater,\" he told Web of Stories. After attending Cambridge University, he began directing plays professionally in London. When Hall was just 25, a producer handed him a script that many other directors had turned down. The play didn't have much of a plot, but it turned out to be one of the most important dramas of the 20th century: Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. \"I read it and I don't pretend to say that I said to myself: This is the turning point of mid-20th century drama, 'cause I didn't,\" Hall admitted. \"But I did say: This is highly original, beautifully written, very, very funny. And unlike anything that I've never read or experienced. So it's worth a go.\" It was a sensation and, overnight, Hall became the hottest director in London. He was invited to work at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Two years later, he was asked to run it. Hall renamed it the Royal Shakespeare Company, or RSC, and theater critic Matt Wolf says the young director's approach gave the old theater a vitality and purpose. \"What he was saying was — not only Shakespeare has relevance now, as opposed to just then — but also that the company ethos is very, very important,\" says Wolf. If Hall truly left a legacy, it was in the building of great nonprofit British arts institutions. The RSC is still one of the most important theaters in the world — and Hall did that by hiring actors and directors for not just a single play, but an entire season; kind of theatrical team-building. Some of those team members were a young Ian McKellen and Judi Dench. He did much the same at his next post; the National Theatre. But it wasn't easy; Hall continually tussled with the government over funding, even as he turned the National into an artistic powerhouse. \"I think I did 15 years hard labor at the National,\" he said. \"First six or seven years were tough, because we were getting something established, again with great opposition, apart from the public. The last years were very satisfying ... and very happy.\" Part of that happiness came from directing and presenting new plays. Throughout his career, Hall worked closely with authors such as Harold Pinter and Peter Shaffer, whose play Amadeus, about a rivalry that Mozart had with a composer named Antonio Salieri, started at the National and became an international sensation. Hall continued directing plays and operas around the world, until he retired in 2011. He had six children by four different wives, and all six work in the theater, including daughter Rebecca. Hall directed her in several plays toward the end of his career. \"He got a second lease on life from the entry into the profession of his daughter, Rebecca, who, of course, has a whole separate career now as a film star,\" Wolf says. \"And she started her career under his auspices, in productions of Mrs. Warren's Profession [and] As You Like It.\" Because that's what Peter Hall did: He built careers and institutions that will long outlast him.", "Actress and TV movie producer Dawn Wells, who became internationally famous as the stranded girl-next-door on the mid-1960s TV sitcom Gilligan's Island, died Wednesday of complications related to the coronavirus. She was 82 years old. Wells' publicist, B. Harlan Boll, announced her death on social media. Wells was a native of Reno, Nev., and started out as a beauty queen. In 1959, as Miss Nevada, she competed in the Miss America pageant. It was her ticket into show business; soon after, she had minor roles in such shows as 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick, Bonanza and The Joey Bishop Show. In 1964, Wells became the wide-eyed, pigtailed Mary Ann — a sharp contrast to another female castaway, the sexpot movie actress Ginger (played by Tina Louise). The Ginger-vs.-Mary Ann rivalry was a very mid-1960s, straight male fantasy of feminine ideals. After Well's signature success in Gilligan's Island — which ran on prime time for only three years on CBS, but endlessly for decades in syndication — she later appeared on such shows as Vega$, Growing Pains, The Bold and the Beautiful and Baywatch — on which her character was once again named Mary Ann. She also voiced Gumbalina Toothington on the children's show The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants and, as a producer, brought movies to CVS, Showtime and Amazon. But after Gilligan's Island, Wells was always the wholesome Mary Ann. Wells titled her 2014 self-help book (written with Steve Stinson) What Would Mary Ann Do? A Guide to Life. On Christmas Eve, Wells posted a holiday message and short video to her Facebook page. She wrote, \"Keep you heart light and share a few laughs and conversation with someone near and far... Please find joy amidst the pandemic and be cognizant of our overwhelmed first responders. Let's not let our actions make a bigger burden for them. I am thankful and in awe of the dedication of our health care professionals.\" She did not make reference to her own health.", "Roger Rees, the Tony Award-winning Welsh-born actor and director who got his start on the stage but also appeared in film and television shows such as Cheers and The West Wing, died Friday night in New York at age 71 after what his spokesman described as a \"brief illness.\" The Associated Press says Rees \"had abruptly left The Visit on Broadway in late May to undergo a medical procedure.\" Rees played the Sheriff of Rottingham in Mel Brooks' Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) and had roles in The Scorpion King (2002) and The Pink Panther (2006). The AP writes: \"Rees played the snobbish Robin Colcord on TV's Cheers — he was known for his condescending remarks and rivalry with Sam Malone and for dating Rebecca Howe — and the British ambassador, Lord John Marbury, in The West Wing. Other recent TV credits include Elementary and The Good Wife. \"But he was probably best known onstage for playing the title character in the Royal Shakespeare Company's original production of Charles Dickens' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby in England and on Broadway. He won an Olivier Award and then a Tony. When it was adapted to TV, he earned an Emmy Award nomination.\" Playbill.com says: \"Nicholas Nickleby was unlike anything else ever seen on the London or New York stages when it arrived in the early 1980s. David Edgar adapted Dickens' 1839 tale of the fortune-tossed, but loyal and good-hearted Nicholas who, after losing his father, must struggle to support his mother and sister, all without the help of his uncle Ralph, a heartless businessman. \"John Caird and Trevor Nunn co-directed the piece, which was performed in two parts, each four hours in length, for which audiences had to buy two separate tickets. An unlikely prospect to become a hot ticket, the show became a critical and popular sensation after it opened at the Aldrich Theatre in 1980. It arguably inaugurated an era of marathon theatre spectacles which continues to this day.\" Rees is survived by his husband, author Rick Elice.", "Among his other abundant talents, Stanley Tucci gives great smirk. His curling lip lends itself to a devious complacency that, for many years, stuffed the actor's resume with bad-guy roles in all shades of movie noir. Until, that is, casting directors woke up to his wily gift for deploying a smug imperviousness as cover, while signaling inner turbulence that's about to blow up. Who could forget that stomach-churning moment in The Devil Wears Prada when he, as the compulsively loyal lieutenant of Meryl Streep's Miranda, finds out — at a party — that he will not be her successor? All of that makes Tucci a snug fit for Ted Swenson, a disgruntled writer-in-residence at a lower-tier liberal arts college in New England where he teaches creative writing to undergraduates with more motivation than talent. In the nimble new campus drama Submission, Ted's voiceover fills us in on a tawdry tale of crash-and-burn that gives the lie to his habitual air of above-the-fray amusement. We meet Ted in reasonably good shape with one \"moderately successful\" novel under his belt and a marriage to the understanding Sherrie (Kyra Sedgwick) that has yet to run out of juice. Yet he's stalled on his second novel and suffering from a vague discontent he doesn't care to explore. When a waifish student named Angela (Addison Timlin) butters him up with comparisons to Stendhal and asks him to look at her manuscript about a high-school student who enters into a steamy tryst with her teacher, the blocked writer is set up for a swift fall anyone could see coming, even if they hadn't read Francine Prose's wicked 2000 campus novel Blue Angel, from which Submission is adapted by director Richard Levine. Oblivious to the red flags flapping in front of his nose, Ted is also blind and deaf to his own devices and desires. In this he's far from alone. Throw sex into a blender with power and ambition and you get a whole raft of unreliable narrators, and that includes not just Ted and Angela, but the entire English Department of this peaceful New England campus. Holding a fine line between black comedy and low-level terror, Levine deftly skewers, via the supercilious Ted, the petty rivalries and pretensions of academic politics. And what is Tucci doing as Ted falls victim to a fetching predator who's all flattery until she's all business? Calmly spinning the yarn for us while his face subtly strives to contain the mounting panic within. An astute observer of the frailties of others, Ted is a clueless interpreter of his own, until it's too late. The slyly titled Submission may have been a while in the making, but its release is ridiculously timely and likely to usefully ruffle feathers among those who see no shades of gray in the furor over sexual politics on and off campus. Ted may be a train awaiting wreckage, but Angela, played by Timlin with cunning ambiguity, is no saint. She's a conniving minx who knows precisely how to play victim while extracting maximum advantage from the cultural moment. She has a better grasp of the Zeitgeist — and the literary market — than Ted does, and the fact that she can also write puts a bracing kink in the plot that forbids us to set up camp on one side or the other. There are winners and losers here, but while Levine gifts Ted with a more open future than Prose does in her novel, Submission ends up, quite properly, as a tale without heroes. It's an age-old fable about the point where desire meets device, and invariably loses.", "The 2007 Oscar-winning film, The Lives of Others showed how meticulously the East German secret police monitored dissident artists. Wiretapping, ransacking apartments and pitting friends, lovers and family against one another were all common tactics of the regime's Ministry for State Security, or Stasi. But it was all real for artist Reinhard Stangl. Standing now in a Washington, D.C. gallery, he recalls his arrest at age 14 for dressing \"inappropriately\" -- wearing \"old clothes\" at a socialist rally. The police accused Stangl and his friends of mocking the working class -- not their intention at all -- and they ended up spending an hour in jail that day. On Oct. 3, 1990, East and West Germany were united, and East Germany ceased to exist. Now, an exhibition featuring the work of East German artists who challenged the status quo is touring throughout the U.S. It's called Breakthough! 20 Years After German Unification. Photographer Harald Hauswald was under constant observation for smuggling his photos of everyday East German life to the West. More than 20 spies reported on him, according to his now declassified Stasi file. \"My apartment was completely searched from top to bottom two times,\" he explains with the help of a translator. \"And on any public occasion when I was out on the streets, I was followed by a lot of Stasi.\" Hauswald has three photographs in the exhibition -- his pictures are black and white, documentary-style and bleakly funny. One shows fans at a Bruce Springsteen concert held behind the Berlin Wall in July 1988. It attracted more than a 100,000 excited, young East German fans. Hauswald's photo shows the enthusiastic audience singing \"Born In the USA.\" But up in front stand two stiff, sulky teenagers in uniform. \"And that's why these two in front look so miserable,\" Hauswald chuckles. \"They belong to the youth movement for the former East Germany.\" The artists included in Breakthrough! knew people who killed themselves under the stress of political scrutiny. Others were imprisoned for years. Still, Hauswald wryly observes that even for dissident artists, there was one advantage to Communist life. \"It was quite inexpensive to live in East Germany,\" he notes. \"You didn't have much to spend and there wasn't much to buy.  Your rent wasn't that high, and I was therefore able to study for a long time and be free as a student.\" Painter Inge H. Schmidt experienced joy and trauma when, as a young woman, she received official permission to study art in the West in 1985. East German authorities gave her fewer than six hours to pack everything she owned and say goodbye to her family -- she thought -- forever. After the Wall tumbled down, Schmidt's work reflected the problems faced by East Germans after unification, says Jeffrey Alan Thinnes, founder of the Breakthrough Art Organization, which is responsible for the exhibition and the tour. At the D.C. gallery, he gestures to one of her paintings, titled \"Warm Welcome,\" from 1989. \"There's a lot of gold and yellows,\" he says, noting that the West seemed like a gleaming paradise to East Germans. But there's darkness in the painting, too. \"You see a naked gentleman falling down backwards, out of balance, still in midair, not knowing where he's going to land,\" Thinnes says -- an allusion to the plight of East Germans ill-equipped for a new society. Painter Reinhard Stangl says for him, unification was like entering a time machine: \"We came from the past and we [were] in a new century,\" he says. Today, Stangl's paintings show Berlin landmarks through a liquid scrim. Rain, or perhaps, tears. Part of an aesthetic geography of oppression, opposition and transformation. REBECCA ROBERTS, host: Twenty years ago today, this song played in its official capacity for the last time. It's the national anthem of the German Democratic Republic, perhaps better known as East Germany. On October 3rd, 1990, East and West Germany were united. East Germany ceased to exist. Now, as NPR's Neda Ulaby reports, an exhibition featuring the work of East German artists who challenged the status quo is touring the United States. NEDA ULABY: You might have seen the Oscar-winning film, \"The Lives of Others,\" from 2007. It showed how obsessively the East German secret police, the Stasi, monitored dissident artists. (Soundbite of movie, \"The Lives of Others\") (Soundbite of knocking on door) Unidentified Man: (Foreign language spoken) ULABY: That was real for artist Reinhard Stangl. Standing now in a polo shirt in a Washington, D.C. gallery, he remembers being arrested at age 14 for dressing inappropriately - in ragged old clothes - at a socialist rally. Mr. REINHARD STANGL (Artist): We make a joke with old clothes, old hats and so on. And the police keep us and we was in the jail for a moment. ULABY: Police kept Stangl and his friends in jail for only about an hour. They were accused of mocking the working class - not their intention at a", "Mike Leigh, chronicler in chief of class and family in Britain, has boomer aging on his mind, and on the face of things he's in mellow form -- for him. If his last film, Happy-Go-Lucky, was about how hard it is to remain chipper against stacked odds, his latest centers on a couple who make domestic bliss look effortless. In Another Year, now showing on many a Top 10 list, Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen play a long-married middle-class London couple heading into early old age. Tom and Gerri (ha!) hold jobs typical of old hippie lefties -- he's a geologist who shores up London's ancient sewage system; she's a counselor at a National Health Service clinic. They like to grow things, then cook and serve them to friends with a nice glass of wine, and the film ambles pleasurably through four seasons of their joint life, marking its contented rhythms and washing their unpretentious suburban home in a welcoming glow. The only cloud on Tom and Gerri's horizon is that their son, Joe (played by comedian Oliver Maltman), is pushing 30 and lacks a girlfriend. Then again, Joe's single state is a mere blip compared with the misery of a crew of unhappy contemporaries (most of them played by Leigh regulars) who orbit the couple, dropping in for comfort and solace, or to make trouble. A fat childhood friend, Ken (Peter Wight), drowns his loneliness in too much food and drink, while Tom's near-comatose older brother, Ronnie --  played by David Bradley, better known as Argus Filch in the Harry Potter franchise -- has retreated from a wife and children whose unhappiness he probably caused. But the prize loser of this sorry crew is Gerri's colleague Mary, a clingy, compulsive chatterer who seems to have rushed down every available wrong path by turns, and who never misses an opportunity to hijack a party with boozy, self-pitying monologues about her many burdens and sorrows. We've all met a variant of Mary, and though she's played by Lesley Manville with a show-stopping fervor that many are betting will earn her an Academy Award nomination, Mary made me cringe for all the wrong reasons. And that's to say nothing of Gerri, whose queenly serenity and frequent flights of therapy-speak -- \"I'm not angry with you, Mary, but I feel you've let me down\" -- would have been savagely lampooned in an early Mike Leigh work like the landmark Abigail's Party. Now they're clearly meant to lasso our approval. For all its softly meditative tone, accessorized with a gentle acoustic score, Another Year is a stacked deck of a movie that draws a harshly unforgiving, sometimes smug line between boomers who've made good and those who've fallen by the wayside. Leigh aims for compassion, but he's always been a bit of a finger-wagger who shakes out his characters into doers he admires and those who just aren't trying hard enough -- Gerri vs. Mary in Another Year, or, in Happy-Go-Lucky, Sally Hawkins' chipper schoolteacher vs. Eddie Marsan's enraged driving instructor. It's a taxonomy that leaves little breathing space for troubled childhoods, honest mistakes or sheer rotten luck. For a film about a generation that strove to transcend the traditional family, Another Year is also depressingly reactionary. Despite the fond reminiscences of their adventurous youth that punctuate the gatherings around Tom and Gerri's bountiful table, it seems that the choices now boil down to marriage and kids or a lonely old age without benefit of community. Given the wide array of living arrangements that currently shape our world and our movies, that seems anachronistically out of step with the times. Maybe that's Leigh's point.", "Taika Waititi is the writer, director and star of \"Boy,\" which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival. James Rolleston is his pre-teen co-star. The film, based on Waititi's Oscar-nominated short, is a funny and affecting coming-of-age story set in a rural New Zealand village. Waititi previously directed \"Eagle vs. Shark.\"" ]

[ "Much like a plant needs water to grow, so does hair. Water is a key ingredient that supports vitamins, which contribute to your hair growth. ... Drinking at least two liters of water a day will help the strength of your hair, increasing growth. Dehydration immediately halts hair growth." ]

[ "Protein gives your body the right nutrients to grow more hair, and sleep is the necessary time to put it all into place. Even drinking the recommended eight glasses of water a day will help keep the growth thick and healthy. ... Biotin contains Vitamin B6, C, and E, which will help keep your hair and skin in top shape.", "Improves Hair Growth The amino acids present in rice water, in particular, help in the regeneration of hair and aid faster growth of your hair. Also, rice water contains vitamins B, C, and E, which further help in hair growth (7). The best way to use rice water to grow hair is to rinse your hair with it after a wash.", "Drink between 8-10 glasses of water a day. Being dehydrated can prevent your body from getting the nutrients it needs to grow beard hair. Drinking enough water will also help you grow healthier beard hair.", "Also, rice water contains vitamins B, C, and E, which further help in hair growth . The best way to use rice water to grow hair is to rinse your hair with it after a wash. Applying onion juice to the hair and scalp could increase blood supply to hair follicles, which in turn improves hair growth.", "No, not at all. The AC water is not good for hairs because it damages the moisture of the hairs and hence results in hair loss. It is always recommended to implement fresh water on your hairs for better hair growth.", "Encourage Hair Growth The pomegranate is packed with antioxidants that make hair follicles stronger, and improve blood circulation in the scalp—factors which help to stimulate hair growth.", "Coconut water promotes hair growth and is effective against dandruff and lice. It can penetrate into your hair shaft, moisturise it and give it a healthy shine. For healthy and shiny tresses, make sure you drink up this magic potion.", "Onion juice has nothing to do with hair fall or hair growth directly. Most people talk of how onions help in hair growth because of this and that content in it. No! ONIONS DON'T LEAD TO HAIR GROWTH!", "Yes, it helps to detox the skin, reduce swelling and treat wounds, among many other benefits. But overexposure to salt water can wreak havoc on your hair. ... If you have color in your hair, salt water damage would give it a very hard texture.\"", "Onion juice mildly nourishes hair follicles with the help of sulphur. ... A good massage with onion juice can help increase blood circulation, further helping in hair growth. Its antibacterial properties might help keep your scalp away from infections, further promoting healthy hair growth.", "Hair growth: The phyto-nutrients, vitamins and minerals present in amla help in increasing the scalp circulation and stimulate healthy growth. Vitamin C of amla produces collagen protein. This helps in stimulating hair growth, both length and volume wise.", "Collagen in turn helps the production of healthy skin cells and hair growth. It's also believed that onions may boost circulation. Applying onion juice to the hair and scalp could increase blood supply to hair follicles, which in turn improves hair growth.", "Improves Hair Health Drinking hot water prevents dry scalp, which, in turn, improves hair health. The scalp gets hydrated and moisturised when you regularly drink hot water, and as a result, there is no or less formation of dead skin on the scalp.", "Drinking a lot of water can help in hydrating the skin surface by keeping the potent oil blocks away.", "1. Helps In Hair Re-Growth Not only does stinging nettle help in combating hair loss, but it also helps in hair re-growth. Nettle leaves are rich in silica and sulfur. This helps in making hair shinier and healthier.", "Drink lots of water, and eat fiber rich foods – this helps rid your body of excess estrogen which will make your period much easier to deal with. Hiding your Face? Stop. Drink some lemon water – this does wonders for your skin and will help clear up the annoying acne that accompanies your period each month.", "Sometimes drinking lots of water will help, but it depends on the cause of your swollen feet. Drinking alcohol can lead to swollen feet because your body retains more water after drinking. If that's why your feet are swollen, drinking lots of water or even soaking your feet in cool water could help.", "If your hair loss is a result of poor diet or a nutritional deficiency, hair growth supplements may help. A well balanced diet will help you maintain overall health. However, if you don't have a specific vitamin deficiency, there is no evidence to show that extra vitamins or supplements will help your hair to grow.", "Eat more spicy food. Capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers spicy, has been shown to promote hair growth by mimicking natural human growth factors.", "Drink a Ton of Water Drinking lots of water helps flush sodium from your kidneys; staying hydrated will also help you feel less bloated.", "Drink more water Drinking water is another low-cost option that may help with cellulite. Not only does it keep you hydrated, but water helps encourage circulation and lymphatic flow.", "The open pores allow the scalp to absorb moisture and natural oils which are good for hair growth. Hot water also helps get rid of any dirt or excess oil accumulated in the hair. Rinsing with hot water results in taking away essential oils and moisture from your hair.", "Yes, including these juices in your daily diet can actually meet all your hair care needs. ... Fresh fruits and vegetable juices will lessen the chances of hair breakage and thus help promote hair growth. The nutrition from juices get absorbed into our body quickly and the results will be faster.", "Drinking lots of water will flush out toxins All that chugging a lot of water does is increase the volume of urine that you excrete, according to Stanley Goldfarb, a kidney expert at the University of Pennsylvania.", "Drink lots of water Drinking plenty of water can help flush bacteria from the body, helping the infection to be eliminated faster. It can also help clear out the entire urinary system. Drinking plenty of water can also help to prevent UTIs that can lead to kidney infections, so it's a good practice to keep.", "Drink lots of water And you're probably right. However, drinking enough water is a great way to combat circulation issues. Water helps to keep things flowing throughout your body, including the flush of toxins.", "['Drink Lots Of Water. Drinking lots of water, and emptying your bladder when you need to, will help you flush harmful bacteria from your system. ... ', 'Try Unsweetened Cranberry Juice. ... ', \"Don't “Hold It”. ... \", 'Try taking a probiotic. ... ', 'Eat garlic.']", "When it doesn't have the moisture it needs, your hair ends will split or become brittle. This makes it difficult for hair to grow. It is possible for one's hair to stop growing completely if you're not drinking enough water.", "In most cases, hair loss is a permanent condition. As much as people may like to believe that an at-home remedy such as castor oil can stimulate hair growth, there is no scientific evidence to back this claim up.", "The key just might be your diet. Hair craves nutrition, so a balanced diet filled with lots of nutrients will keep it healthy and happy. “The foods you eat should contain vitamins and minerals known to support healthy hair growth, such as vitamin C, biotin, niacin, iron and zinc,” Veliky said.", "Spoiler alert: it certainly does not. Don't smear that stuff on your face, and don't shave your head in hopes of strengthening your hair. ... However, \"[a shaved head] will not affect the hair shaft or growth cycle,\" Sadick says. In fact, hair grows from within.", "Our body is composed of water, and it can aid in circulation, digestion, absorption, and excretion. Meanwhile, experts agree that drinking large amounts of water is good for the skin and hair. Studies show that this can provide you with a healthy, radiant, and younger-looking skin." ]

[ "Suck my dick" ]

[ "Depends on what your making.", "What makes every day in 2020 a bad luck day?", "I would make myself omnipotent for other days.", "I would change your sentence to make it coherent.", "No, but that's part of what would make it the worst food", "Janitor.\n\nI could make the place look clean but it would not be genuinely clean", "Make lists of what you want to accomplish and reference it every day.\nInclude steps that you need to accomplish to get to your bigger goals.\nThere is no step too small to add. Then, just do them.", "I could make a your mom joke but I'm classier than that", "Man I hate ps5's please don't send me them, that would make my life miserable.", "I think that's what makes your life worth living", "Terminator. Could make some fun Arnold jokes and the action would be awesome", "Omg who are your parents? And what did they make up?", "That means the soil is great. Make room for a small garden.", "Ammendmants make it an evolving document. \n\nOtherwise slavery would be legal and woman could not vote.", "Yes, during the 70's you could only buy gas on given days of the week. It is what lead to the US stockpiling oil.", "Small talk, no goals, always making up excuses.", "I would go small and go in a vagina and make my pp grow super big untill she dies", "Would make hiding in your closet at night a lot more challenging", "Grandson, He's a small artist but he makes AMAZING music", "Pasta, I could eat it every day and there’s so many ways to make it that it doesn’t get boring", "Yeah because I would do what ever makes her happy", "Rice, eggs, salt, tomato and chicken. There are hundreds of dishes what we could make with these ingredients.", "That's like 14x what I make now, I would totally do it", "Not at all, that’s what phones are for. I would like to...make phone calls...with my phone.", "You don't. The only way you could make such a person believe in your opinion is by giving proof.", "You will make mistakes, I will make mistakes. And that’s okay. That’s what makes us human. Learning from said mistakes, that’s what makes it okay.", "What difference does it make if its a normal day or a thanksgiving when it comes to movies?", "Translated to English:\n\nIf you had/have a slutty bf/gf, what slutty pun would they make pertaining to your hobby/task.", "Make your bed.", "Actually. Small amounts of certain types of wine can be good for your body. Make you live longer. Maybe not. But make the last bit of life not as miserable and in the hospital as much. Yes.", "Rome, we spent more than a day to make it a great place to spend yours!", "What's the reason for making it?" ]

[ "UPDATE 3-Nestle takes food price rises in its stride\nZURICH, 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." ]

[ "Fund managers welcomed the possible new addition of ANZ's finance company UDC onto the sharemarket, which has been starved of new issues over the last year.\nBull markets, such as the one currently under way in New Zealand and on other stock exchanges around the world, are normally conducive for new initial public offers (IPOs) and share floats, but it has been slim pickings for investors seeking new opportunities in recent times.\nANZ said it would explore the possibility of an IPO of ordinary shares in UDC Finance - which specialises in car loan, fleet and heavy equipment financing - as part of a range of strategic options for UDC's future.\n\"We have been looking at strategic options for UDC's future for some time as part of ANZ's strategy to simplify the bank and improve capital efficiency,\" the bank's New Zealand chief executive David Hisco said in a statement.\nAdvertisement\n\"While UDC is continuing to perform well and there is no immediate requirement to make decisions, after last year's planned sale to HNA did not proceed it makes sense to keep examining a broad range of options for UDC's future,\" he said.\nUDC's planned sale to China's HNA for $660 million fell through after the deal failed to achieve Overseas Investment Office approval.\nThe OIO said in December that it had rejected HNA's application to buy UDC due to unanswered questions about the Hainan-based conglomerate's ownership structure.\nNZX-listed finance company Heartland has in the past expressed an interest in buying UDC but analysts have questioned whether its balance sheet is big enough to take on the company.\nDevon Funds Management's managing director Slade Robertson said the market would be supportive of a quality business coming to the NZX.\n\"The operating environment for UDC has improved, with more conservative lending practices by the banks,\" Robertson said.\nHarbour Asset Management Andrew Bascand said the market would \"absolutely\" welcome a new issue.\n\"We would have to be very careful to make sure than ANZ did not cherry-pick the best bits and pieces of UDC before it split it off, so there would be a lot of due diligence issues for that sort of IPO,\" he said.\n\"I would want to know if ANZ is serious about this, or whether this is just a foil for a trade sale,\" he said.\nMassey University banking expert David Tripe said UDC would provide an opportunity for something like Heartland to take a cornerstone stake.\n\"Heartland has expressed an interest, but I think it's been a bit big for them,\" Tripe said. \"But they might take a small position and expand it later on,\" he said.\nThe issue for a separated UDC would be how it funds itself without ANZ - New Zealand's biggest bank - standing behind it, he said.\n\"It would not have a great credit rating but it would not be as bad as if it had become part of HNA,\" Tripe said.\n\"I think it's a nice thought, but I think it might have some challenges in terms of getting the thing to run,\" he said.\nUDC has a 75-year track record in New Zealand. It's been an important backer for the transport and earth-moving industry and has enjoyed a solid reputation.\nHeartland, which has a market capitalisation of just over $1 billion, first raised the possibility of buying UDC from ANZ in 2016.\nUDC, whose loan book is worth over $3 billion, reported a 5 per cent increase in its net profit to $61.6 million for the September year - a record.\nAt $1.039 billion, debenture funding remains an important part of the funding mix but has declined by 35 per cent from the prior year, the bank said in December.\nANZ last year increased the level of funding support with the limit on the facility increased to $2.7 billion, effective from last November.\nLaw firm Chapman Tripp said last month that competition for assets from private equity firms made 2017 a very quiet year for IPOs -- the worst since 2013 - despite the sharemarket rallying by more than 20 per cent.\nThe current year is expected to be similarly quiet before IPO activity picks up again in 2019, the firm said in a report released last month.", "China’s market regulator is looking into ways to enable domestic investors to trade shares in US-listed Chinese tech firms, as the country looks to spread the benefits of the global success of companies such as Alibaba Group Holding.\nSources close to the market regulator told the South China Morning Post that the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges are drafting detailed rules, and that trading of US-listed Chinese tech firms could begin on domestic bourses as soon as this year.\nThey said the trigger was growing unease in top government circles about the number of top companies listing outside China.\n“China’s top leaders are concerned that China’s best tech companies are all listed in the US or Hong Kong, and has urged the securities regulator to produce a plan to solve the problem,” one of the sources said.\n“The idea had been raised a while ago, but discussions and preparation have been accelerated after Xiaomi decided to go public in Hong Kong,” the source said.\nXiaomi, China’s leading smartphone manufacturer, is poised for an IPO in Hong Kong that would value it at up to US$100 billion and would be the world’s biggest tech listing 2018.\nOverseas listings are popular with China’s top tech firms for a number of reasons, including flexibility and speed.\nOne sticking point has often been that tech companies, including Alibaba, which is listed in the US, and Tencent, listed in Hong Kong, adopt so-called variable interest entity (VIE) ownership structures to bypass Chinese government bans on foreign ownership in some sectors. China does not accept VIE structures for listed firms.\nAnother problem has been the more than two years on average it takes for authorities in China to approve IPOs, as well as strict rules on profitability requirements.\nHong Kong seen winning Xiaomi mega-IPO after revising rules\nDomestic investors in China cannot trade US shares, but they can trade those in Hong Kong listed Chinese companies such as Tencent through Stock Connect schemes linking Hong Kong with the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses.\nThe Shanghai exchange and the London Stock Exchange have also begun talks on a similar link, but any such scheme with a US market would be a complex undertaking.\nThe sources could not give details on how domestic Chinese investors might be able to trade in US-listed shares.\n“It is unlikely that the VIE related restrictions will be scrapped in near future, but domestic trading of overseas listed shares could become easier to be realised,” one of the sources said.\nA separate source close to the Shanghai exchange said that a possible method could be to select a basket of US-listed stocks and allow market makers to handle transactions and settlement during China’s trading hours.\nHong Kong is in a sweet spot to harness Chinese biotech listings\n“Trading of US stocks in mainland China sounds difficult, due to differences in time zones and trading rules,” said Kevin Leung, director of global investment strategy at Haitong International Securities in Hong Kong.\n“But if it were made possible, turnover would be huge, although it may divert away from Hong Kong some of the capital that flows in from mainland China,” he said.\nChina has tried before to make its markets attractive to leaders in the new economy field, to boost confidence in local bourses.\nSingapore exchange chief says Asia’s big enough for all bourses to land tech IPOs\nThe State Council announced a plan in December 2015 to establish a strategic emerging industries board on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and had considered scrapping some IPO restrictions, including the no-VIE rule, for companies with a certain scale and growth potential in new economy sectors including the internet, biotech and new energy.\nThe plan was dumped after the stock market rout in June 2016, that wiped out trillions of yuan in market value in a few trading days.\nAs a measure of the success of firms listed overseas, the MSCI China Overseas index, the benchmark for tracking Chinese firms listed in the US and Singapore, surged 71.9 per cent in 2017. In comparison, China’s Shenzhen based ChiNext Index, which tracks local tech companies and start-ups, tumbled 10.7 per cent in the year.\nAlibaba owns the South China Morning Post.", "Database software startup MongoDB is planning to raise $152 million at a market valuation of $1.1 billion in the latest tech IPO.\nIn an amended prospectus, the company, which was founded in 2007 and booked $124 million in sales for the year ended Jan. 31, 2017, said it would offer eight million shares to the public at a price range of $18 to $20. At the midpoint, MongoDB would command a fully diluted market value of $1.1 billion.\n“MongoDB is the leading modern, general purpose database platform,” the prospectus said. “Our platform unleashes the power of software and data for developers and the applications they build.”\nAccording to IDC, the worldwide database software market was $44.6 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow to $61.3 billion in 2020, representing an 8% compound annual growth rate. The company is seeking “to challenge companies like Oracle with an open-sourced, subscription-based approach to enterprise database software,” MarketWatch said.\n“Legacy database vendors have historically dominated this market,” MongoDB said. “We believe this market is one of the few within the enterprise technology stack that has yet to be disrupted by a modern alternative, creating our opportunity.”\nMongoDB would be the next big tech initial public offering after the successful debuts of Roku and Switch. As of July 31, it had more than 4,300 customers in more than 85 countries, compared to more than 1,700 and 3,200 customers as of Jan. 31, 2016 and 2017, respectively.\nLosses have stabilized but the company has been burning through cash, spending $86.7 million in the year ending Jan. 31 and $45.8 million in the first six months ending July 31. Revenue, which mostly comes from subscriptions, has increased from $40.8 million for the year ended Jan. 31, 2015.\nTo encourage developer usage, MongoDB offers Community Server as an open-source, “freemium” offering. It said the software has been downloaded more than 10 million times in the last 12 months alone but warned that “Competitors could develop modifications of our software to compete with us in the marketplace.”", "Rebecca Bafford\nRobson Ranch Republican Club members have been extremely active in the Denton County Republican Party’s political scene, gearing up for the midterm elections in November. A sizable number of Robson Ranch residents represented our precinct at the biennial Denton County Republican Party Senate District 12 convention on March 24. At this SD12 convention, delegates to the State Republican Party convention in San Antonio on June 14-16, were selected, including nine residents of Robson Ranch. The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) is the largest political convention in the United States. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the RPT and the 300th anniversary of the city of San Antonio.\nDuring the state convention, votes are held on such matters as changes and additions to the State Republican Party platform, various resolutions and the election of key party officers who will lead the state party for the next two years. Delegates to the convention not only help craft party policy, but also become involved at a grassroots level in the political process so important to our country’s continued liberty and democracy. Congratulations to our Robson Ranch residents for their commitment to ensuring that the RPT remains strong.", "For a sector that generally hasn’t been a source of glad tidings, there’s a glimmer. And that glimmer is all the more welcome because in the past 10 days, two issuers in the same sector have announced plans to redeem their shares and delist from the TSX — all because the two couldn’t find a suitable transaction in the prescribed time period.\nGibraltar Growth Corp., one of the country’s six special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), has announced a qualifying transaction: Subject to shareholder approval, it will acquire Montreal-based LXR Produits de Luxe International.\nShareholders of the SPAC — Gibraltar closed a $104.5 million transaction in October 2015 — will be able to hear the details of the proposed transaction at a conference call Tuesday. For those who want to be fully prepared, there is a 244 page non-offering prospectus filed Monday, to pore through.\nRelated\nGibraltar has agreed to pay $82.5 million for LXR, which is less than the amount it raised in its IPO at the end of 2015. While the norm is to use all the proceeds, Gibraltar’s deal passes a key test because at least 80 per cent of the proceeds are being used in the qualifying transaction.\nLXR, which was formed by Fred Mannella and Kei Izawa, has been around since late 2010. It employs about 175 people.\nAccording to the prospectus, it is an “omni-channel retailer of branded vintage luxury handbags and accessories.” It offers all the well-known labels — Hermes, Louis Vitton, Gucci and Chanel. It sources and “authenticates high quality pre-owned products and sells them through its locations.” The 46 locations (eight in Canada, 32 in the U.S with the rest in Europe, specifically Germany and the U.K) are essentially stores within a store.\nThe stores are small, about 250 square feet. If and when LXR goes public, plans call for the number of stores to expand quickly with about 500 locations by 2021. Getting there won’t be a slow build as plans call for 122 by the end of 2017 and 205 by the end of 2018.\nBut in a slight twist, the transaction will be done on an all-paper basis, meaning none of the cash from Gibraltar’s IPO will be used to buy out the shareholders of LXR. Instead, the cash will be retained to help to build out the stores and to expand the company’s e-commerce activities. Currently only about 5 per cent of its $21.9 million in net revenue comes from e-commerce.\nGibraltar and LXR have known each other for almost 10 months. Last June, Gibraltar Ventures Fund One LP, which is part of the Gibraltar Group, invested $3.25 million into LXR.\nGiven Gibraltar’s mission — as detailed when it went public in 2015 — there is no great surprise it ended up in the luxury retail world. Back then it defined its mission as “building the next great consumer-facing company: a growth-oriented platform business that will benefit from our unique experience and expertise.” Joe Mimran, the creative director of Joe Fresh Brand, the co-founder of Alfred Sung and Club Monaco, along with Javier San Juan, the former head of L’Oréal Canada, were part of Gibraltar’s team.\nIn an interview, Cam di Prata, a former executive vice-president at National Bank, and co-CEO at Gibraltar, said, “this (type of transaction) is what a SPAC was made to do (namely) capitalize a growth company.”\nThe news about Gibraltar comes as Dundee Acquisition Corp. and INFOR Acquisition Corp. — the country’s first two SPACs — have announced plans to redeem their restricted shares. In Dundee’s case, the redemption occurs on Friday; in INFOR’s case it will occur early next month.\nFinancial Post\nbcritchley@postmedia.com", "RPT-Soccer-Chelsea to host Burnley in Premier League season opener\nLONDON, England, June 14 Chelsea will open the defence of their Premier League title at home to Burnley when the season kicks off on the weekend of Aug.12-13.", "RPT-For California community in dam's shadow, troubles go back decades\nFeb 15 For nearly 50 years, the Oroville Dam has provided a water lifeline to residents across the state of California. But for the community in its shadow, the dam has been a source of contention and legal battles.", "The stock of Avenue Supermarts got doubled on the listing day only. (Image: Reuters)\nIndian equities have been on a rising run from the beginning of 2017 up until January 2018 with Sensex and Nifty claiming newer all-time peaks with a bunch of stocks vastly outperforming the benchmark indices. Indian capital markets have seen a flurry of IPOs (initial public offering) in the time span of 14 months from January 2017 till now with some of the biggest public issues such as GIC’s Rs 11,370 crore issue, HDFC Life’s Rs 8,700 crore issue and the latest initial share sale of Rs 4,500 crore of Bandhan Bank of which was subscribed over 14 times in the three-day bidding process.\nAmid the heady euphoria of public offers, we bring to you one such stock which has risen 350% within 1 year of its IPO to buy for steady returns.\nShares of Radhakishan Damani-led Avenue Supermarts have nearly risen 350% in only 1 year of its IPO. The stock of Avenue Supermarts had surged as much as 349% to Rs 1,342.55 from the issue price of Rs 299 offered at the time of its initial share sale. The public issue of Avenue Supermarts was subscribed over 100 times during its three-day IPO period following which the stock got a bumper opening on the stock market debut. The stock of Avenue Supermarts got doubled on the listing day only. The share price of Avenue Supermarts advanced as high as 114.58% to Rs 641.6 on NSE from an issue price of Rs 299.\nThe research and brokerage firm HDFC Securities given a target price of Rs 1,550 on the shares of Avenue Supermarts Ltd which implies a potential upside of 15% from its current market price. “Technical indicators are giving positive signals as the stock trades above the 13-day and 50-day SMA. Weekly momentum readings too are in rising mode and not in overbought territory,” HDFC Securities said. Shares of Avenue Supermarts have a face value of Rs 10 and are categorised under the ‘A’ group of BSE.\nAvenue Supermarts successfully raised Rs 1,870 crore from its public offer concluded last year in the month of March mobilising more than Rs 1 lakh crore from its IPO. Avenue Supermarts had appointed Axis Capital Ltd, Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd, HDFC Bank Ltd, ICICI Securities Ltd, Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Ltd, Inga Capital Pvt Ltd, JM Financial Institutional Securities Ltd, Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors Pvt Ltd and SBI Capital Markets Ltd as the book running lead managers.\nAlso Read | Rs 1 lakh crore IPO: The exclusive club of highest money mobilising public issues", "[Sponsored Article]\nAs well as becoming China’s 12th free-trade zone, Hainan, a 35,000 square kilometre (13,500 square mile) island, will go a step further by becoming the largest free trade port in the world and will rival the world’s most developed and elegant areas, like Hong Kong and Singapore in Asia and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.\nWith no doubt, Haikou city, capital of the country’s biggest free trade port, will manfully take the pioneer post to fulfil Hainan’s goal to be the country’s new and main engine in economic and cultural tourism growth. Its efforts will absolutely help make the city the pride of China and the city of the future.\nThe country’s president Xi Jinping highlighted Hainan’s “special advantages” in April a t the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the founding of Hainan province – including its status as China’s biggest special economic zone, its geography and “best ecological environment” – as reasons to make it the test ground for reform and opening up.\nXi Jinping said the Communist Party’s Central Committee had high hopes for Hainan, adding that it was an important step in China’s opening up to the world and advancing economic globalization.\nXi Jinping said Hainan would build a modern economy and develop information technology in fields such as big data, satellite navigation and artificial intelligence. The island will also focus on developing modern service industries such as tourism, the internet, health care, finance and hosting conferences and exhibitions.\nAmong all those ambitious efforts, the key and priority project for Haikou city is to turn itself into a global tourism hotspot and leading strategic base for the tropical island of Hainan.\nHaikou city is exploring new ways to keep its residents and visitors moving in various emerging sectors, including developing fantastic duty-free shopping landmarks and routes, sport and other leisure industries such as beach and water sports and horse racing , cruise industry with far-reaching new routes to across the world, hotel accommodation, conferences and exhibitions and tailor-made travel.\nMost urban countries and regions across the world are among 59 countries granted visa-free access to China’s resort island Hainan for stays of up to 30 days, according to the State Immigration Authority. The\n59 countries include: Russia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Ukraine, Italy, Austria, Finland, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Monaco, and Belarus.\nAs a friendly reminder for individual tourists from these 59 countries, to able to visit Hainan for 30 days visa-free, booking a tour through local travel agencies is a must for their trip to the island of Hainan. Foreign tourists can get 11 per cent sales tax refunds after spending at least 800 yuan in Haikou. The refund is valid for purchases made up to 90 days before departure.\nThe moves are likely to benefit Chinese airlines, including the island’s flagship carrier, Hainan Airlines. It is expected to sharply increase the number of international tourists traveling to Haikou city, as well as other cities of the island province, which to help Hainan eventually become “Asia’s Hawaii” or the world’s other paradise for travelling.\nThe number of overseas tourists to China's southern island province of Hainan exceeded 1.1 million in 2017, up nearly 50 per cent year on year. The foreign exchange earnings from tourism hit $681 million last year, nearly 95 percent more than in 2016. The number of domestic and international tourist arrivals reached 24.27 million last year in Haikou city, up 11 per cent from a year ago.\nBenefit from the initiatives of Free-trade port, it will see a dramatic change and development of Haikou city to go to become an international destination in the coming short term. The 30-day period of stay would be a wonderful vacation in depth Haikou tour.\nHaikou city, similar to Portsmouth in England, is the capital and most populous city of the island province, located in the northern coast of Hainan and by the mouth of the Nandu River, Hainan's principal river. Haikou city has been the economy and transport hub of Hainan since Song Dynasty in 1200s. Today, more than half of the island's total trade still goes through the city’s ports.\nHaikou city is one of China’s most fabulous tropical and coastal city with many faces: Palm tree lined streets; modern skyscrapers; traditional Chinese old town; bustling fishing ports/markets; long beautiful white-sand beaches and home to various ethnic minorities. As a major city, it offers all modern facilities including bars, night-clubs, banks that accept foreign cards, and good transport tools to reach hinterland China and other tour spots across the island, which provides an elevated experience for international tourists as the first step to get into China.\nJust plan and let it happen for a vacation to the most emerging area of China in the coming decade\nWedding tourism and conference tourism could be two new but most emerging sector for Haikou to attract global travelers and businesspeople from across the world, with great potential to be next Las Vegas in Asia.\nAlong the coastline, the international five-star hotels and Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center, which was designed by Atelier Li Xinggang, the chief architect of China's part of the National Stadium, the \"Bird's Nest\", display their unique, cosmopolitan beauty.\nGovernment statistics show that over 8,000 exhibitions and commercial conferences were held in Haikou in last year, being a key indicator of internationalization and economic development in the city. The sector generated 10.3 billion yuan in revenue during the period, around 20 per cent up compared to 2016.\nHaikou city is also an eco-tourism city with tropical seaside scenes and the charms of an island city. Coconut palms stretch along the tourism belt of the gold coast, dotted by golf courses, a sailing training base, Western Beach Park and the Holiday Beach. Integrating leisure, tourism, culture and entertainment, water and beach sports, Haikou city has become an ideal destination for domestic and foreign tourists to hold business conferences and to for vacations. It not only has a “red forest,” which is known as a sea forest, the volcanic wonder “Crater” and other rare natural landscapes, but also a number of famous historical and cultural places of interest like China’s biggest arcade buildings block Haikou Qilou Street, Hairui Tomb and the Temple of the Five Lords.\nHaikou Qilou Street contains the oldest buildings in the city and was largely built by wealthy Chinese from the mainland and some \"overseas Chinese\" who had returned to their homeland. The houses are a mixture of styles including Portuguese, French, and Southeast Asian. The streets used to be divided into different areas selling Chinese and western medicine, for silk and bespoke clothes, one for fresh fish and meat, and others for the sale of incense, candles, paper, ink, and other goods.\nTravel a short distance outside the city and you will find villages where people lead a traditional farming way of life in lush green countryside.\nThe Haikou Marathon, boasting an improved course and upgraded services and starting in the picturesque, landmark Meishe River Fengxiang Wetland Park, will be definitely one of the most beautiful of its kind across the country. For those yachting, Haikou city plans to have 10 big and small marina by 2020 along the city’s coastal bays.\nUnder the grand plan, the island of Hainan, home to 2.2 million people, is expected to be the beneficiary of more opening-up policies, economic freedom and market access.\nIt will be the best choice for your first step to experience China’s flourishing and opening up, as well as a perfect vocation for tropical pleasure.", "​China is drafting a proposal to allow gambling on Hainan Island, people familiar with the talks said, in what would be an unprecedented move that could reshape gaming in China's territories and transform the economy of a strategic southern province.\nGovernment agencies under a party reform group headed by President Xi Jinping are considering allowing online gaming, a lottery or sports betting in Hainan, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions aren't public. The proposal, which is still in an early stage, could open the door to physical casinos over the long term, two of the people said. China bans gambling and casinos on the mainland.\nSHARE\nShare on Facebook SHARE\nShare on Twitter TWEET\nLink A fisherman at work in Tanmen, in China's southern Hainan Province. Photo: Sanghee Liu\nThe proposal is part of a wider plan that includes relaxing visa rules and building a new airport to draw more foreign tourists to Hainan, two of the people said. That comes as the province faces a fiscal deficit and contends with the debt woes of HNA Group Co., its biggest conglomerate, which is facing pressure from creditors after a global acquisition spree.\nAn index of Macau casino stocks tumbled on the news. Sands China and MGM China Holdings dropped as much as 6 per cent, and Wynn Macau fell as much as 6.7 per cent.\n\"I think investors were shocked – I'm a bit surprised,\" said Sam Chi Yung, a Hong Kong-based strategist with South China Financial Holdings. \"It's difficult to say what the impact will be on their profits as it all depends on China's policy and how they arrange the license. But what's sure is that people going to Macau to gamble will drop.\"\nHainan, roughly the size of Switzerland, is often referred to as China's Hawaii for its beautiful beaches. It also serves as a jumping off point for Chinese naval and air force patrols in the South China Sea.\nAdvertisement\nThe people didn't comment on what laws would need to change or the timeframe for implementation. Provincial officials were preparing for a possible visit by Mr Xi in the coming months to promote development on the island, two people said. That trip would kick-start events marking the 40th anniversary of China's embrace of foreign investment under Deng Xiaoping, they said.\nThe Hainan plan would mark a dramatic shift in China's approach toward gambling and could directly threaten the $US33 billion ($41.6 billion) casino industry in Macau – the world's largest gaming hub with revenues five times larger than Las Vegas. Macau has been shifting to attract Chinese tourists and families to the territory, which is the same market Hainan draws.\nChina's approach to gambling\nChina's leaders have agreed to build a new international airport in the area of Dongfang city on Hainan's western coast, according to the people familiar with the situation, who didn't share more specifics on plans to ease visa requirements. The island now has three international airports, all located on the eastern coast.\nChina bans gambling everywhere except Macau. It's against the law to open casinos, organise gambling, profit from gambling, set up online betting websites and market overseas casinos to Chinese citizens. It's also illegal to sell lottery tickets without approval from the Chinese government.\nAllowing gaming on the mainland would be one way for Chinese authorities to limit capital outflows and ensure gaming revenue benefits the provincial economy.\nMr Xi's corruption crackdown in 2014 sent Macau gaming revenue into a slump for more than two years, prompting it to become a more family-friendly destination to target leisure gamblers and tourists. About 70 per cent of Macau visitors are from mainland China.\nChinese authorities have also cracked down on gambling-related activities. More than 10 employees of James Packer's Crown Resorts Ltd were arrested in 2016 and sentenced to months in jail for illegally promoting gaming.\nAlthough gambling is illegal throughout China, the concept isn't new to Hainan. The State Council encouraged Hainan to \"explore a betting-type sports lottery\" in 2009 guidelines to turn it into an international tourism island.\nA casino bar with baccarat tables opened in the resort town of Sanya in 2012 where players earned points they could trade for accommodation and shopping, according to a Reuters report. It was shut down shortly after the report. The owner, Zhang Baoquan, told Reuters the government monitored the casino to test the market.\nChinese officials have shown a particular interest in Hainan in recent months, suggesting a co-ordinated effort to promote the island. Vice-Premier Liu Yandong urged local leaders to work to attract international tourists during a January 13 visit. Foreign Minster Wang Yi is scheduled to address an event Friday in Beijing on \"presenting Hainan province\".\nBloomberg", "Free Price Quote From a Local Dealer Free Price Quote From a View Special Offers\nNo Obligation, Fast & Simple Free New Car Quote Change Car Select Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Buick Cadillac Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari FIAT Ford Genesis GMC Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lotus Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz MINI Mitsubishi Nissan Porsche Ram Rolls-Royce Scion smart Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo Select Model Aerostar Aspire Bronco C-MAX C-MAX Energi C-MAX Hybrid Contour Crown Victoria E-150 E-150 Econoline E-250 E-250 Econoline E-350 E-350 Econoline EcoSport Edge Escape Escort Excursion Expedition Explorer Explorer Sport Explorer Sport Trac F-150 F-250 F-350 F-450 Fiesta Five Hundred Flex Focus Focus BEV Focus Electric Freestar Freestyle Fusion Fusion Energi Fusion Hybrid GT Mustang Probe Ranger Shelby GT500 Taurus Taurus X Thunderbird Transit Transit Connect Windstar ZX2 GO 1. Vehicle Option Trim Exterior Color No Preference Black Blue Brown Gold Green Orange Red Silver White Yellow Interior Color No Preference Beige Black Blue Gray Green Other Red White Buying Time Frame Within 48 hours Within a week Within two weeks Within a month More than a month Payment Method Undecided Loan Lease Cash Trade In? Yes No 3. Dealer Selection Receive your free dealer pricing information by completing your contact information!\nThe next-generation Ford Focus, which is due out in Europe sometime next year, will go more upmarket, according to a new report from Automotive News Europe. Jim Farley, Ford’s head of global markets, revealed to investors that the automaker is moving its compact offering in a more premium direction and its volumes are expected to be lower than they are presently.\nThis news follows a recent speech by Ford’s new CEO Jim Hackett who outlined changes happening in the company including reducing costs and moving a substantial amount of funds away from internal combustion engines to developing electrified vehicles. Like the new generation Fiesta, which reportedly won’t come to the U.S., the Focus will get more upscale features including a Vignale trim for the European market and a crossover-like Active variant. European-spec Focus models will be built in Ford’s Saarlouis, Germany plant. Earlier this year, the Blue Oval announced that the North American-spec Focus will come from China.\nSales of the Focus in Europe dropped by 1.2 percent for the first half of 2017 to 119,052 units, meaning it’s now behind the Volkswagen Golf, Opel/Vauxhall Astra, and the Skoda Octavia. The move to crossovers has also caused the compact car segment in Europe to fall by 1.9 percent. Volumes for the next-generation Focus will be even lower if Ford decides to concentrate on the more expensive models, which is similar to what happened with the Fiesta.\nAutomotive News Europe also revealed that the Blue Oval’s European arm will “accelerate urban utility products,” but Farley didn’t specify what these were exactly. However, it’s possible that Ford is developing another small crossover that will slot alongside the EcoSport in its lineup.\nSource: Automotive News Europe (Subscription required)", "Graphic: Ahmed Raza Khan/Mint\nMumbai: It may have been prudent to sell most initial public offering (IPO) shares on the listing day rather than holding on to them for longer, a Mint analysis of the top 200 initial share sales by issue size since 1999 shows.\nData sourced from primary market tracker Prime Database shows 177 of the top 200 IPOs have completed at least a year since their listing. Of these, 99 stocks had one-year returns that lagged behind listing day gains. The year-end price of 84 stocks dropped below the IPO issue price.\nTo be sure, some of these may have listed at the very end of a bull run or an economic upcycle. Looking at it another way, the one-year returns of 95 stocks trailed those of the benchmark Sensex.\nThe numbers get worse when two-year and three-year returns are compared with the listing day pop (see chart). In other words, the frenzy and hype surrounding IPOs more often than not leads to good trading propositions but not investment ideas.\n“The big question that investors need to consider is, ‘am I buying at a fair price or not?’” said Nilesh Shah, managing director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management.\n“In India, the mistake that retail as well as institutional investors commit is they start looking at grey market premiums and decide on their investment in the IPO,” added Shah.\nThe grey market is usually driven by HNIs (high net-worth individuals), who put in bids to subscribe to large chunks of an IPO, far in excess of the portion reserved for them. This pushes up the overall subscription levels for the issue and, in turn, attracts investors to buy shares in the grey market at a premium.\n“That market has no scientific way of discovery. It could be rigged very easily as it is an unauthorized market,” Shah said.\nAround 12 companies which have filed IPO or follow-on public offer (FPO) documents with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) are awaiting approval. Prominent names include National Stock Exchange of India Ltd, which plans to raise around Rs10,000 crore, and SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd and the New India Assurance Co. Ltd, which plan to raise around Rs7,000 crore each, showed Prime Database data.\nEleven other companies have filed their IPO/FPO documents and received Sebi’s approval. They collectively plan to raise Rs6,580 crore.\nA few were of the opinion that selling on the listing day, was a good strategy in a bull market, and usually led to decent gains.\n“People just hold on and have inertia or are greedy not to sell at a time when they can make profits. That is where they lose the opportunity to make good money,” said Prithvi Haldea, founder and chairman of Prime Database. “Then, if the prices go down, they complain of over-pricing.”\n“IPOs should not be put on a pedestal and expected to perform well and forever,” he added.\nThe top IPO by issue size, Coal India Ltd, which raised nearly Rs15,200 crore in 2010, saw a listing day gain of 39.73%. Over one-year, two-year and three-year periods, it posted gains of 33%, 43% and 19.2% gains, respectively, from the issue price.\nOver the three-year horizon, the best-performing stock was state-run Union Bank of India, which surged 688%. It was followed by Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd, which gained 683% over the first three years. State-run Canara Bank gained 553%.\nShares of Maruti Udyog Ltd (now known as Maruti Suzuki India Ltd), Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd (now known as Bharti Airtel Ltd) and National Thermal Power Corp. Ltd (currently known as NTPC Ltd) rose 525%, 385% and 282%, respectively, in the first three years of their listing.", "The IPO quiet period for email marketing company SendGrid Inc (NYSE: SEND) expired Monday, and the sell-side offered its take on the investability of the stock.\nVolume-Driven Growth\nGrowth at SendGrid is driven by increased email volume and will benefit as overall email usage improves over the next few years, said William Blair analyst Bhavan Suri.\nThe company's platform has best-in-class delivery rates of 94 percent due to strong sender reputation and close relationships with inbox service providers, Suri said. The analyst projects scope for operating leverage, as the company's self-service onboarding process allows it to acquire customers at a reasonable cost and maintain below-average sales and marketing expenses.\nContinued new customer wins in the wake of a large market opportunity; increased wallet share from existing customers; international expansion; the expansion of partner channels; and potential strategic acquisitions will serve as growth drivers, helping the company sustain over 30 percent top-line growth over the next few years, according to William Blair.\nWilliam Blair initiated coverage of SendGrid with an Outperform rating.\nSee also: Blue Apron, Yogaworks Race To The Bottom Of 2017's IPO Heap\nUnique Model Supports Growth and Profitability\nSendGrid's unique business model, with a net dollar retention rate of 116 percent, supports high growth and profitability, said KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Brent Bracelin.\nSendGrid has multiple avenues to further expand into adjacent segments of the broader $11 billion email total addressable market, Bracelin said. KeyBanc projects expansion through both internal development and complementary M&A.\nDespite the 34-percent gain notched by the shares of SendGrid from their $16 IPO offer price — compared to the mere 1 percent rise by the NASDAQ 100 Index in the same period — KeyBanc sees a favorable risk/reward profile on the company looking out to 2019.\nThe firm initiated coverage of SendGrid with an Outperform rating and $26 price target.\nValuation Trims Morgan Stanley's Optimism\nMorgan Stanley analyst Stan Zlotsky sees a $9 billion total addressable market supporting a long runway of growth coupled with margin expansion. The upside to Morgan Stanley's base case price target of $23 is limited, Zlotsky said.\nSendGrid stands out from the pack in delivering email on a massive scale with a very low probability of failing to deliver, the analyst said. In the recent third quarter, the company delivered 115 billion emails for more than 58,000 customers, with a best-in-class delivery rate of 94 percent, he said.\nCurrent valuation levels price in much of the possible growth potential and margin expansion at SendGrid, leaving limited upside, the analyst said.\nMorgan Stanley initiated coverage of SendGrid shares with an Equal-weight and $23 price target.\nThe Price Action\nSendGrid ended Monday down 5.71 percent at $20.41.\nThe shares are still up over 31 percent from their $16 offer price.\nRelated Link:\nRoku Impresses With First Publicly Reported Quarter", "Kshitij Anand\nA flurry of IPOs hit D-Street in the first 3 months of 2018 to capitalise on the raging bull which drove D-Street to record highs in the month of January. But then, the momentum fizzled out slightly even as IPOs kept on hitting D-Street.\nAs many as 47 companies (including SMEs) have collectively raised over Rs 20,000 crore so far in the year 2018. Some of these companies are listed on both NSE and BSE and some are listed on either of the two exchanges. But, only 21 out of the 47 companies, or 44 percent of stocks, have managed to give positive returns of up to 188 percent, according to data compiled from AceEquity.\n“Since there was a lot of liquidity in the system, a lot of primary issues were able to raise a large amount of capital. Mutual funds were desperate for new investment ideas due to large cash pile sitting in their funds there was some disregard of valuations while investing these IPOs,” Abhimanyu Sofat, Head of Research, IIFL told Moneycontrol.\nCompanies which managed to hold on to gains include names like Gautam Gems (listed only on BSE), followed by Focus Suites, which rose 67 percent, and Mishra Dhatu Nigam gained 57 percent from their issue price, data showed.\nAs many as 24 out of the 47 companies that raised funds gave negative returns of up to 69 percent which includes names like Ashoka Metcast, Kenvi Jewels, LEX Nimbles Solutions, etc. among others. Most of the stocks belong to the SME segment.\nAs many as 14 companies, out of the 47, with an issue size of Rs 100 crore to over Rs 4,000 crore made their way to D-Street in 2018 collectively raising about Rs 19,463 crore, but only 8 of them managed to outperform the Nifty.\nAs many as 8 out of 14 companies gave positive returns which include names like Mishra Dhatu (up 57 percent), Bandhan Bank (up 28 percent), Amber Enterprises (up 27 percent), HG Infra (up 22 percent), Lemon Tree (up 17 percent) etc. among others.\nThe remaining 6 out of these 14 companies gave negative returns which include names like Apollo Micro Systems (down 27 percent), ICICI Securities (down 26 percent), Hindustan Aeronautics (down 15 percent), Bharat Dynamics (down 10 percent), and Galaxy Surfactants (down 7 percent).\n“Large IPOs usually enter the market during the peak, which results in their valuations being stretched. Recently, the markets have undergone a period of correction and therefore, IPOs, too, are trading at discount,” Jimeet Modi, Founder & CEO, SAMCO Securities & StockNote told Moneycontrol.\n“However, a company with strong fundamentals will definitely deliver returns in the long term. Listing gains are not assured in uncertain market conditions and high valuation has been the major reason for the negative returns with these companies,” he said.\nThe Road Ahead!\nThe IPO lane seems to be getting busier going ahead as three dozen companies have lined up initial share sale plans worth Rs 35,000 crore in the coming months, largely to fund their expansion projects and working capital requirement, said a PTI report.\nThese include six state-run entities — Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, Rail Vikas Nigam, IRCON International, RITES, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers and Mazagon Dock — as the government intends to unlock the real value of such PSUs and bring in greater accountability.\nThe key question here is — looking at the history of the state-run companies, should investors bet on IPOs of these companies? Well, most experts feel that it is better to avoid them.\n“Most of the IPOs, which have come from the government have limited growth prospects, in addition, threat of government intervention always leads to lower valuations for public sector units. Hence, we would be more cautious on public sector issues relative to private sector issues,” said Sofat of IIFL.\nIn this year, Barbeque-Nation Hospitality, TCNS Clothing Company, Nazara Technologies and Devi Seafoods are among the 12 companies that have secured Sebi's nod to float their public offers.\nIn addition, 24 companies including Route Mobile, CreditAccess Grameen, Sembcorp Energy India, Flemingo Travel Retail and Lodha Developers are awaiting the regulators approval to float IPOs. Together, these companies are expected to raise about Rs 35,000 crore, merchant banking sources said.\n“Investors should have a medium to long-term perspective to earn decent returns. They need to research about the company’s current affairs and the future outlook,” Ritesh Ashar, Chief Strategy Officer, KIFS Trade Capital told Moneycontrol.\n“The Investors also need to compare the new comers with the listed peers which will give them a fair idea of the company’s financial toughness,” he said.\nIs there a formula for selecting IPO?\nWell, there is no specific formula for selecting IPO buy investors should valuations, business model, management pedigree, the lifecycle of the product, as well as growth potential. And, the idea should always be to hold for long term.\n“Before investing in IPO one should look at valuations, business model and standard of corporate governance for the company. Most of the companies that do not do well after listing have issues with management integrity, disclosures standards, and valuation issues,” Atish Matlawala, Sr Analyst, SSJ Finance & Securities told Moneycontrol.\n“Recent example of this is Manpasand beverages. Thumb rule says 30 percent of the companies disappear (destroys 50% wealth) after 3 years of listing, this increases to 50% after 5 years and only 2 out of 10 companies will keep creating wealth after 10 years of listing,” he said.\nMatlawala further added that in current times most of the retail investors’ look at the grey market premium and invest in IPOs only for listing gains. If you have to invest for the long term then do proper due diligence before investing.\nThere is no point going overboard while investing in IPOs if valuations are not correct. A thought second by Modi of Samco Securities.\n“There is no rule regarding the timing of investing in IPOs. An investor should evaluate the business model of the company and subscribe if it is attractive and available at an attractive price,” added Modi.", "LONDON Global equity listings rose in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, driven by issuance in Asia and the United States, Thomson Reuters data showed, pointing to a more buoyant year for share sales than 2016.\nCompanies globally issued $189 billion of equity in the first quarter of the year, up 58 percent from the first quarter of 2016, which was the worst since 2008.\nUpbeat news on the economy helped boost equity capital market activity by U.S. firm by almost 70 percent, delivering proceeds of $59 billion in the first quarter. But global issuance remained below the 2012-2016 first quarter average of $183 billion.\n\"We have had a backdrop of rising markets, low volatility and better macroeconomic data. These combine to produce strong appetite for new issues,\" Bank of America's global head of equity capital markets, Craig Coben, said.\n\"The equity calendar is highly seasonal and so Q2 will really be a litmus test for new-issue appetite as it is generally the busiest quarter of the year.\"\nLondon, Europe's biggest market for initial public offerings, bucked the global trend with equity listings at a five-year low.\nRussell Holden, corporate partner at international law firm Taylor Wessing, said he expected this to continue as companies waited for more favourable conditions.\n\"With the share price gains over the past six months, combined with some uncertainty over the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, a market correction may be down the road so investors are taking a cautious approach at the moment and do not want to be overpaying for assets.\"\nExpected listings of Blackstone's (BX.N) warehousing business Logicor and Telefonica's (TEF.MC) UK telecoms operator O2 may bolster the IPO market in Britain in the coming quarters.\nIn continental Europe, Gestamp is set to become the biggest IPO this year when it lists on April 7 with a valuation of around 3.5 billion euros ($3.75 billion).\nGoldman Sachs (GS.N) overtook JP Morgan (JPM.N) as the leading bank for equity capital markets globally in the first quarter, thanks to its mandates for follow-on offerings. JP Morgan kept the top spot for IPOs globally.\nRepresenting more than a tenth of global follow-on proceeds, Italian bank UniCredit (CRDI.MI) had the biggest equity offering of the year so far, raising 13.8 billion euros and potentially generating hundreds of millions dollars in fees for banks.\nThe listing of Snap Inc (SNAP.N), owner of photo sharing app Snapchat, was the biggest IPO of the quarter helping to produce a 17-fold increase in total U.S. IPO proceeds.\nEd Sankey, EMEA Co-Head ECM and Global Head of Equity Syndicate at Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE), said merger and acquisition activity, subsidiary IPOs and privatisations by European governments would drive deal flow.\n\"There was a wave of IPO exits in 2013-15 and this year we don't expect to see the sheer number we saw in that time frame, especially from private equity in this time zone, but globally we expect a busier year than 2016.\"\n(Editing by Jane Merriman)", "Devotees who will be walking barefoot during the hours-long “traslacion” of the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila, should remember to trim their toenails.\nThe parochial vicar of Quiapo Church has this curious advice to the millions of Black Nazarene devotees who intend to join the procession on Jan. 9.\nFr. Douglas Badong, parochial vicar of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, on Monday said devotees who would take part in the traslacion should trim their toenails to avoid inflicting cuts on other devotees.\nADVERTISEMENT\n“You don’t need to get a pedicure, but just trim your toenails since long toenails can inflict injuries on [the devotee himself] or other devotees. It’s very basic but it’s one of the causes of injuries,” Badong said.\nHe issued the reminder at a news briefing on Monday as part of the preparations for the Feast of the Black Nazarene on Jan. 9, with a procession attended by millions of devotees.\nIn 2016, Quiapo Church estimated that more than 15 million devotees joined the procession, starting from Dec. 31, the thanksgiving procession, up to Jan. 9, the traslacion. Priests expect this crowd estimate to go up this year to 18 million.\n“Every year, the numbers increase. We expect it to go up since Catholics and even non-Catholics join this. It has been declared an international day of pilgrimage,” Badong said.\nBecause of the sheer size of the crowd, Badong urged those too ill or those suffering from conditions such as hypertension not to join the procession.\n“Be sure to rest, sleep and eat well before the procession, or else you will really faint. Once you’re part of the procession it will be hard to go out for a break. Devotees should be sprightly and healthy,” he said.\nThis year’s traslacion has the theme: “Pag-ibig ang buklod sa ganap na pagkakaisa (Love is the bond of unity).”\nPriests from Quiapo Church urged devotees to cooperate with authorities to ensure that the procession run as smoothly as possible, with minimum accidents and injuries to devotees.\nAt Quirino Grandstand where the traslacion will begin, personnel of Luneta Park have begun preparing the 73 restroom cubicles for the millions of devotees.\nThe National Parks Development Committee director, Penelope Belmonte, said park workers would also install portalets for the devotees.", "BEIJING/MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - Chinese conglomerate HNA Group [HNAIRC.UL] Co-Chairman Wang Jian died during a business trip in France on July 3 in what local police said appeared to be an accidental fall from a wall while posing for a photograph.\nWang Jian, Co-Chairman of HNA Group attends a meeting marking the 20th anniversary of company's founding in Haikou, Hainan province, China, April 28, 2013. REUTERS/Stringer\nWang, 57, is regarded as the architect of an eye-popping $50 billion acquisition spree that saw HNA accumulate assets ranging from a stake in Deutsche Bank AG to high-profile overseas properties. Under pressure from Beijing, HNA has since sold off many of those assets to slash debt.\nHe was in charge of HNA’s strategy and ran day-to-day operations, sources familiar with the matter have said, while his fellow chairman and co-founder Chen Feng was often the public face of the group.\nHis death complicates the troubled conglomerate’s efforts to restructure and pay off borrowings, and could increase pressure on HNA to reveal more about its oft-criticized opaque ownership.\nWang fell 15 meters off a wall in the village of Bonnieux, near Avignon, a picturesque area popular with tourists, lieutenant-colonel Hubert Meriaux of the Vaucluse gendarmerie force told Reuters.\n“He stood on the edge of a sharp drop to get his family to take a picture of him and fell,” he said.\nWang held a 15 percent stake in HNA. The group is controlled by a New York-based foundation and a China-based charity that together hold 52 percent of HNA shares. Chen also holds a 15 percent stake.\nThe building of HNA Plaza (R) is seen in Beijing, China July 4, 2018. REUTERS/Elias Glenn\nShareholders have promised that in the event of leaving the company or dying they would pass their stakes to the New York charity fund, according to a document seen by Reuters. It was not immediately clear how binding those promises were.\nAn aviation-to-financial services conglomerate that counts Hainan Airlines Co as its core asset, HNA’s recent sales include holdings in companies such as Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc, Park Hotels & Resorts and Spain’s NH Hotels.\nWang’s death couldn’t have come at a worse time, said Brock Silvers, founder and managing director of Kaiyuan Capital, a Shanghai-based investment advisory firm.\n“Deleveraging pressures on HNA continue to be enormous, and all such plans will probably now be revisited as the management team reconstitutes itself,” he said.\nWang told employees earlier this year that the company’s difficulties were the result of a “major conspiracy” against the ruling Communist Party and President Xi Jinping by foreign and domestic “reactionary forces”, according to an internally-distributed email.\nHowever, the embattled group appeared to have won a reprieve of sorts recently, when at a meeting held by China’s central bank, lenders were told to “support” HNA bonds, Bloomberg and the Financial Times reported last month.\nCONGLOMERATE CLAMPDOWN\nHNA has remained in selling mode: last month, Hainan Airlines said it would offload its stake in Brazilian airline Azul SA, worth around $324 million.\nThe HNA Group logo is seen on the gate of HNA Plaza building in Beijing, China July 4, 2018. REUTERS/Elias Glenn\nAnd this week, HNA canceled its A$280 million ($207 million) debt-funded offer to buy the refrigerated trucking arm of Australia’s Automotive Holdings Group Ltd. The seller cited cashflow problems at HNA as a factor.\nChina’s clampdown on aggressive overseas deals has also seen the likes of Dalian Wanda Group offloading billions of dollars worth of assets last year, while Anbang Insurance Group [ANBANG.UL] was taken over by the government this year.\nWang graduated from the Civil Aviation University of China with a degree in airline management and held an MBA from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands.\n“HNA Group extends deepest condolences to Mr. Wang’s family and many friends,” HNA’s board and management team said in a statement.\n“Together, we mourn the loss of an exceptionally gifted leader and role model, whose vision and values will continue to be a beacon for all who had the good fortune to know him, as well as for the many others whose lives he touched through his work and philanthropy.”\nSocial media posts about Wang’s death appeared to have been censored on China’s tightly controlled internet soon after the news was announced by the group. “HNA Wang Jian died” briefly ranked 11th on Twitter-like Weibo’s hot topics page, but was quickly gone from the top 50.\n“It’s really shocking news to us,” said an employee who works in finance at HNA, declining to give his name.\n“Everyone in the office is talking about it, but we don’t know what impact it will have on the company’s direction.”\n($1 = 1.3539 Australian dollars)", "* Vanke showing some signs it becoming more like an SOE -sources\n* Shenzhen move may end protracted corporate power struggle\n* Some analysts think Baoneng may still want board seats (Recasts, adds comment from lawyer and former employee)\nBy Clare Jim\nHONG KONG, March 31 China Vanke has come under the direct control of the Shenzhen government, a move that may end a struggle for boardroom control but raises questions as to what extent the property giant will remain a market-driven company.\nThe Shenzhen body that oversees government-controlled enterprises said Vanke had become one of its newest members, according to the Wechat post seen by Reuters on Friday.\nVanke, China's No. 2 homebuilder by sales, has been in crisis since late 2015 as financial conglomerate Baoneng Group built up a 25 percent stake and sought to oust management.\nTo counter Baoneng, state-owned Shenzhen Metro Group, a key Vanke ally, bought a 15 percent holding for $5.4 billion and this month became its largest shareholder in terms of voting rights after a proxy agreement with Vanke's No. 3 shareholder.\nThe moves have widely been seen as a prelude to the subway operator gaining control of Vanke and the cause of much speculation that the firm would begin to resemble a state-owned enterprise.\nVanke has attended a recent meeting to set targets on social responsibilities, including the role of state-owned enterprises in promoting Shenzhen's growth, the city's supervisory body for state-owned assets said in its Wechat post.\nSome current and former employees have said that since late last year when Vanke was in talks with Shenzhen Metro, the company has gradually been adopting some practices that pointed to it becoming more like a state firm.\nVanke, worth $33 billion by market value, is reorganising its party committee - which controls corporate governance - and promoting more policies proposed by President Xi Jinping, the sources said, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.\nThe policies include the \"One Belt, One Road\" initiative - which envisions building a network of land, sea and air routes that will open new markets and education campaigns focusing on honesty, they said.\n\"The state-owned culture is obviously growing inside the company,\" said one former senior official who left Vanke earlier this year.\nINTERESTS OF THE STATE\nThe real estate sector contributes around 15 percent to China's economic growth, and both Beijing and local governments have been keen to take a more active role in the market, particularly when sky-rocketing prices have become a serious concern for policymakers.\n\"There's no market traits in this case; it's all about interests of the state,\" said Roy Qiu, a lawyer who specialises in mergers and acquisitions at DeBund Law Offices based in Shanghai.\nAsked to comment on whether it could be considered a state-owned enterprise, Vanke said on Friday it had always been 'a mixed-ownership enterprise' and would continue to be one. It declined to comment on the reorganisation of its party committee.\nWhether the more direct control by the Shenzhen government will cause Baoneng to back down remains to be seen. Some analysts believe it is still interested in gaining seats on Vanke's board.\nBaoneng and Shenzhen Metro did not respond to requests for comment.\nThe term of Vanke's current board officially expired on March 27, although company rules allow the current board to serve until a new one is formed. The property developer said this week that no time frame to select a new board had been set as yet as various parties were discussing proposals.\nThe corporate power tussle has taken a large toll on Vanke. In addition to ceding much power to the Shenzhen government, it has also lost its title as the country's biggest homebuilder to rival China Evergrande Group - one that it had previously held for a decade.\nSome staff had left the company and projects were facing cancellation, it has said. (Reporting by Clare Jim; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Edwina Gibbs)", "Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat Chrysler. Bill Pugliano/Getty Images A Chinese company reportedly made Fiat Chrysler Automobiles a buyout offer, but the US automaker refused.\nFCA CEO Sergio Marchionne has hinted, though, at merging the company with another automaker.\nMarchionne has also hinted at spinning off FCA brands, including Jeep.\nAutomotive News reported on Monday that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles rebuffed a buyout offer from a Chinese carmaker.\nFCA CEO Sergio Marchionne has been trying to merge the company with another automaker for years, so the news wasn't exactly earth-shattering, and Automotive News couldn't pin down which Chinese company made the bid.\nBut it's pretty clear that Marchionne's game plan before he retires in 2019 is to complete an arc for FCA that began in 2009, when Fiat took the bankrupt Chrysler off the US federal government's hands.\nMarchionne has already spun off Ferrari in what has turned out to be a highly profitable initial public offering in 2015 — Ferrari is currently the best-performing stock in the auto sector, up 87% year to date. (That's better than even Tesla.)\nOn earnings calls, he has hinted that a combined Maserati-Alfa Romeo could be next — or Jeep, the crown jewel in the old Chrysler brand and a division that has been raking in the profits for FCA amid an SUV boom in the US.\nHere's Automotive News:\n\"According to one source, any sale likely would involve FCA's highly profitable Jeep and Ram brands, as well as Chrysler, Dodge, and Fiat, but would exclude Maserati and Alfa Romeo. Those two brands would be spun off, as was Ferrari, to maximize returns for Exor, the holding company controlled by the Agnelli family, which owns a controlling interest in FCA, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.\"\nFor all practical purposes, Marchionne wants to maximize value for the Angellis — Gianni Agnelli made Fiat into an Italian industrial colossus after World War II — and his guiding idea is that FCA's brands are worth more than the company as a whole. For example, Ferrari now has a market capitalization of $20 billion, more than FCA's $18 billion.\nJeep could be worth far more than that.\nMarchionne's success with the Ferrari IPO could be influencing his thinking. He unsuccessfully lobbied for General Motors to merge with FCA in 2016, but that was before Ferrari shares took off in 2017. Marchionne also might have thought the Trump administration would assist in pressuring the Detroit rivals to combine forces, an outcome that doesn't appear to be on the agenda.\nSo spinning off brands might now be his favored play. If that's the case, then Maserati-Alfa would probably be next, with Jeep-Ram to follow.\nFCA shares surged in Monday trading, up over 7%, to $12.50." ]

[ "Sadly, I ALWAYS tip well...minimum of 20% on the bill including tax even when the service is terrible. \\n\\nI will probably always tip well, BUT somtimes I wish good service dictated the tip, but I don't feel that way most times." ]

[ "These people are right if you really like dance tip a little than a dollar. The bigger the tip more she will direct the dance towards you and the better the show will be for. Strippers aren't like other services you tip they don't treat you good till they get the good tips.", "I understand your confusion with tipping. Recently I went to China, and being an American I tipped. I may have not needed to. In the US, tipping is expected when people perform a service where you do not pay them directly. E.g. a waitress or pizza driver. sometimes you may want to tip if you feel that someone has done you a good service. Tipping almost never gets turned down. Also good to note: tip these people; hairdresser, tatooist, piercer, bagger at the grocery store, delivery driver, and performance artist. Don't be afraid to tip clerks, but it is not necessary. And if you intend to ask, dont ask the person directly, instead, ask another customer or a one of their co-werkers.", "This service may not be entirely suited to answering a question like that. Sorry.\\n\\nHowever, in the future, to find the best airfare, use the tips at the sites shown in the link below.", "Yes, I would care. If the law required servers to be tipped, that would be giving them a license to be crummy servers and still get paid. I think good service should be rewarded with generous tips (willingly)... I'm sorry there are so many stingy, unappreciative people in the world... Maybe the law should require that everyone (adults) should spend a week being a server -- maybe that's the answer! (They would know how tough it is.)\\n\\n:)", "Communism is a form of economy where, in theory, all property and businesses belong to the people as a whole. It is commonly misaligned with \"dictatorships\" as seen in a previous answer. \\n\\nIf communism could achieve what it was truly meant to be, it would mean that every citizen would have a say in how property and businesses were used and operated. \\n\\nHowever, communism oftens makes it easier for a dictator to take advantage of the people and assume power. It is important to note though that a dictator truly has nothing to do with the economic system of communism.\\n\\nSocialism is somewhere between capitalism and communism. It allows for the private ownership of business. However, the government and the people control services vital to the people such as medical services.", "How much you should tip at a restaurant depends on these factors: the size of your party, the class of the restaurant, and the quality of the service. In this case we'll call a large party anything over 6 people, and an expensive restaurant a \"four-star\" restaurant. But first let's consider more humble establishments.\\n\\nProviding the service was good, a tip of 15% of the bill before tax is a good rule of thumb. If you happen to live where the state tax is between 7% and 8% you can calculate the tip easily by looking at the amount you are taxed and simply doubling it. You can then round this amount off higher or lower, depending on the service and your state's tax percentage.", "I am confused at your question. Dictator= Who dictates what you (commoners) say or do. So he/she does not have to believe in freedom of speech. That person won't be a dictator if he/she did. I hope that answered your quesstion.", "A maid is an employee. Unless you hire a cleaning service for a one time deal. If that is the case I would do the standard 10-15%.\\n You don't tip an employee, unless you want to give a bonus or Christmas gift. \\nPay them a good wage up front.", "My company (www.AccentMaster.com) has a website which offers products and services for accent reduction. We also have a free newsletter filled with tips and advice for acent reduction.", "I think they want to implement the dictators rule in US that's way they are coming and learning something from the dictators of pakistan.", "Age is relative...there is no such thing as \"wrong\" or \"right\". It's only what society dictates that determines labels such as right as wrong. you need to look into your heart. Does being with him feel right? Does he feel comfortable with you? if yes, then it is not wrong, it is right.Do not let societal perceptions dictate your life...if you two are happy then that's all that matters.", "Yes. All tips should be 100% tax free. Individual people paying other individual people for private services have already paid taxes on that money a dozen times over.", "I'm amused by how many people think the government should dictate who private enterprise can pay for services, yet you'd get all bent out of shape if they dictated to you where you can buy your groceries. And yes, absolutely, it's the same thing.\\n\\nEither you believe in the free market, or you don't.\\n\\nDo some research on the impact US phone support outsourcing is having in India, there's a whole new generation of rising-lifestyle youth, plus businesses popping up to provide them goods & services they aspire to with their new-found relative wealth.\\n\\nWhy do you think you deserve the ability to grow and prosper, but that it should stop at the border? If you don't like outsourcing, don't buy products from companies that do it/don't work for companies that do it.", "The best tip I can think of about customer service is to SERVE. Serve your customer, be polite and be educated about what you product is. If you have to call someone back, make sure you do it on time. If you are dealing with executives, keep out the extra chit chat, they don't have the time or interest. I hope some of those tips help.", "yes, if the barber was polite and focused on giving you the cut that you desire i think it is appropriate to give them a little tip. it shows that you have some class. lets say the cut cost you 12.99 and the barber gave you excellent customer service plus the cut you desired I would give him a twenty and tell him to keep the change. It isnt often that he gets a tip that big. You will put a smile on his face and will be remembered the next time. However if you just cannot afford to tip at least give a kind remark.", "A dictator with a good style.", "Well the president has pretty much declared herself a dictator, and is imposing martial law, so it doesn't look good does it?", "Some people in different places are under control by a dictator, which does not allow that, so if they have a job that is what they are assigned to and can't change.", "No, he was a dictator and a genocidal maniac.", "We normaly tip $3 unless the weather is bad, then we tip a little more. No tip if they are rude.", "If you want quality services to publish a novel? then i would suggest \"xlibris\".\\n\\nI believed they have tips to guide you in publishing a novel. At the same time you will be inform on their marketing services... \\n\\nThe website is very informative and user friendly for new visitors... i can give you some blogs-site that may help you in publishing your book.. but if you want professional help with it.. might as well call xlibris at 1-888-795-4274 for Service Representatives Available 24/7", "No reaction goes to completion, and entropy dictates there will be loss.", "To keep from have a dictator.\\nThink Idi Amin.", "Brand does not matter, as long as they are comfortable and lightweight, their good. TIP: just try not to be see nwith some shaqs", "She isn't a facist dictator from Thiland.", "Fidel Castro\\nBatista was a dictator", "Dictator wannnabe, or Commander in Thief.", "Manuel Noriega Former Panama Dictator", "Etiquette does not dictate which wrist you wear jewelry. In fact you can wear a bracelet on both wrists, with or without a watch. It's not a question of right or wrong, just personal style and taste.", "Yeas, i totally agree with you. Wasim is all time best bowler of cricket. But as it is a tradition of india/pakistan not to give due respect to their great players... he was not rewarded for his services in his own country. but it is due to his greatness that all the bowlers no matters from which country consults him for bowling tips.. Recently australians(brett lee especially in ongoing bangladesh tour) consult him for learning tips of reverse swing. and as a great servant of game, he helps everybody... and you can see brett lee delivering reverse swing in future...\\n\\nI am a great fan of Wasim Akram......", "if TIP means the duke tip..im 1", "Because people want to look like Twiggy and because of what society dictates." ]

[ "Human body motion analysis is an important technology which modem bio-mechanics combines with computer vision and has been widely used in intelligent control, human computer interaction, motion analysis, and virtual reality and other fields. In which the moving human body detection is the most important part of the human body motion analysis, the purpose is to detect the moving human body with its behavior from the background image in video sequences, and for the follow- up treatment such as the target classification, the human body tracking and behavior understanding, its effective detection plays a very important role. Index Terms: Human motion detection, object detection, Classification, Subtraction method, Tread tracking system." ]

[ "We present an interactive visualizer that enables the exploration, measurement, analysis and manipulation of trajectories. Trajectories can be generated either automatically by multi-target tracking algorithms or manually by human annotators. The visualizer helps understanding the behavior of targets, correcting tracking results and quantifying the performance of tracking algorithms. The input video can be overlaid to compare ideal and estimated target locations. The code of the visualizer (C++ with openFrameworks) is open source.", "With the transportation development of speed-upgrade and heavy haul,the wheel treads of rolling stocks are subjected highthermal load due to tread braking,which lead to serious thermal cracks on wheel tread.Based on mechanism analysis and fieldobservation of thermal cracks on wheel treads,fracture mechanical mode suitable for practical thermal cracks on wheel treads isprovided.After the typical wheel stresses are determined,the safety size and tolerance size of thermal cracks in wheel treads areassessed and suggested.", "Motion tracking based on commercial inertial measurements units (IMUs) has been widely studied in the latter years as it is a cost-effective enabling technology for those applications in which motion tracking based on optical technologies is unsuitable. This measurement method has a high impact in human performance assessment and human-robot interaction. IMU motion tracking systems are indeed self-contained and wearable, allowing for long-lasting tracking of the user motion in situated environments. After a survey on IMU-based human tracking, five techniques for motion reconstruction were selected and compared to reconstruct a human arm motion. IMU based estimation was matched against motion tracking based on the Vicon marker-based motion tracking system considered as ground truth. Results show that all but one of the selected models perform similarly (about 35 mm average position estimation error).", "The invention relates to extending in the circumferential direction of circumferential grooves to a pneumatic vehicle tire for commercial vehicles with a plurality of belt plies having belt and with a tread (1) (6, 7, 8) which divide the tread (1) in the circumferential ribs (2). A parallel to the tread periphery of the tread (1) extends, the lowest (n) circumferential groove (s) of radially inward contacting envelope h defines a tread-gross volume (V) together with the tread periphery and the shoulder side edge portions (5), wherein all grooves ( 6, 7, 8) (in the tread 1) is a groove volume V Comprise 00% of the tread gross volume (V) and the third circumferential groove (8) at least twice as large groove volume (V", "This paper presents a robotic welding teleoperation system that can learn the skilled welder's behavior and transfer human intelligence into welding robots. In this system a 6-DOF robot arm is equipped with a compact 3D weld pool sensing system. The motion of the human welder movement is tracked accurately by the Leap sensor. A predictive control algorithm is proposed to control the speed of the robot arm movement. Tracking experiments are conducted to track pre-set movement with varying speed and human hand movement. It is found that the robot with the proposed speed control algorithm is able to track human hand movement with acceptable accuracy. A foundation is thus established to realize welding teleoperation and transfer human intelligence to the welding robot.", "Apparatus to assist human walking, incorporating in combination first and second longitudinally extending strut members that are relatively movable, longitudinally, and adapted to transmit body associated loading; the first strut member or members operatively connected to a rack and/or to the user's body; the second strut member or members slaved, i.e. operatively connected to the user's foot or feet, ankles or shoes, to move therewith; and a control that responds to step-by-step treading to control relative movement of the strut members. Such loading is controllably transferred back and forth between left and right pairs of strut members, in response to treading.", "Star-tracking systems, optical communication systems, and infrared tracking systems are examples in which the measurement and correction of alignment errors between the optical source and receiver must be made. In this paper, we develop a new position estimator that retains curacy even under poor SNR conditions. This estimator is derived using an estimation theoretic approach to the problem of tracking a quasi-stationary object given photoevent data in a continuously distributed detector. We derive a maximum likelihood position estimator via application of the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. Simulation results are given to show that under low SNR conditions, the estimator performance is superior to that of the commonly used centroid estimator.", "Starting from the analysis of tire ground contact characteristics, the formulas of ground contact patch of tires are obtained, which are verified by tests, and the calculation formula of lateral stiffness of tread element is determined using the energy method. On this basis, a dynamic model of tread's lateral vibration is established, and the effects of vehicle speed, vertical load and tire pressure are analyzed. The results show that: the lateral self-excited vibration will occur under certain conditions, and vehicle speed, vertical load and tire pressure have great influence on the vibration characteristics; the lateral self-excited vibration of tread is a kind of stable periodic vibration caused by Hopf bifurcation of system.", "A tire (1) comprising a tread (3), a top with a crown reinforcement (2), two sidewalls (5), two beads (4), a carcass reinforcement (6) anchored to two beads (4) and extending from one sidewall (5) to the other, the tread comprising a) an elastomeric matrix which predominantly comprises one or more thermoplastic elastomers comprising at least one elastomeric block and at least one block thermoplastic, and b) a crosslinking system based on one or more peroxides. The invention also relates to a tire production process.", "Traditional particle filter tracking algorithm is vulnerable to the impact of pedestrian occlusion and illumination changes,which leads to tracking failure.To solve this problem,a robust multiple human tracking algorithm was proposed based on Kalman particle filter framework.Aiming at non-linear and non-Gaussian characteristics of pedestrian movement,where particle filter was employed as a tracker,Kalman filter was used to improve the accuracy of object tracking with occlusion.Moreover,the problems caused by light changes and similar color interference can be effectively solved by merging improved color features with texture features for the observation models.Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is more robust and accurate for multiple human tracking than the traditional methods.", "(57) Abstract: a double composition tread band for tires which provides improved comfort and a smooth ride improvement and maneuverability. Tread band has a tread design asymmetric, is split and one portion having a greater modulus of elasticity with respect to elastomer, and a second portion having a lower modulus of elasticity with respect to the elastomer.", "The artical expounded that action of standardization should value in economic treade,after China joins in WTO,and putout that the basic factor of standard was not left in moden international treade.", "A civil engineering machinery tire having a tread (2) of the large initial thickness E (1), this thickness corresponds to the thickness of the abradable material during use, the tread (2) during rolling, smooth adapted to contact the road surface has a (i.e., the recess is completely free) rolling surface (20), the tread (2) is axially by lateral faces (21) limited, as radial extensions of the side face on the tire sidewall (3) is provided, the tread (2) is provided with a wear indicator type device for indicating wear level of the tread visually tire ( 1) includes a plurality of grooves formed on at least one of the lateral faces of the wear indicator type device the tread (21) (211, 212, 213), for each groove, an initial thickness which remains to be worn is one hundred minutes of E Tire characterized in that it has a combination of a visible index for indicating the wear level corresponding (2110,2120,2130) to (1).", "Abstract : The performance of the Tactical Transmission System (TATS) wideband modem is examined in scintillated environments. The analysis included both acquisition of signal and decoding behavior. The effects of time and frequency tracking errors were also included. (Author)", "A metal mold for vulcanizing tire treads reliably preventing incorrect assembling of split pieces. The metal mold 1 for vulcanizing tire treads to form a tread of a tire, comprises a plurality of sector molds 3 equipped with a plurality of pieces 6 which are arranged on the inner circumferential surface of a casing 5 and are split in the circumferential direction in which a tread pattern of the tire is formed, wherein among the adjacent pieces 6 in the sector molds 3, a protuberance 8 is formed on the contact surface of the one piece 6, a dent 9 corresponding to the protuberance 8 is formed in the contact surface of the another piece 6, and the positions for forming the protuberance 8 and the dent 9 are differed for each of the adjacent pieces 6 in the sector molds 3.", "The wear of railway track affects loss of rough ride, noise or vibration of train and traveling safety. Moreover as the track is worn away, this promotes destruction of structural mechanism of rail track which can bring about increasing of rail track maintenance cost drastically. For this reason, it is very important and interested research subject to design railway track structure and to analyse train movement mechanism based on systematic analysis of the reasons causing rail wear possible in real field. In this research, for the efficient maintenance, Life Cycle Performance of rail track and maintenance characteristics are computed considering some track components such as track type, contracting type, sleeper type and roadbed type. Time - Wear probabilistic distribution relationship as well as multiple regression analysis based on time, curvature and wear data are computed to predict the service life remainder of railway track and to be adapted to safety assessment.", "Selecting per capita GDP, proportions of output value of the tertiary industry in GDP, and the proportion of non agricultural population in the general population as three major indexes for reflecting the structural differences of the integration of urban and rural areas; based on Clustering Analysis, taking Ji Yuan of He Nan Province as a sample for analysing the integration of urban and rural areas of the cities directly under the provincial governments. In terms of the structure, there're three ring structures manifested: Distal pole,Tertiary Tread, Core.", "Viruses and malwares can spread from computer networks to mobile networks with the rapid growth of smart cellpone users. In a mobile network, viruses and malwares can cause privacy leakage, extra charges, remote listening and accessing private short messages and call history logs etc. Furthermore, they can jam wireless servers by sending thousands of spam messages or track user positions via GPS. Because of the potential damages of mobile viruses, it is important for us to design a realistic propagation model to observe and understand the propagation mechanisms of mobile viruses. In this paper, we propose a two-layer model to simulate the propagation process of BT-based and SMS-based viruses in mobile networks. Different from previous work, here we focus on the impacts of human behavior, i.e., human operations and mobility patterns, on virus propagation. Through simulations, we aim to gain some insights into how human behavior affects the dynamics of virus spread in mobile networks.", "To research the causation factors of human errors in marine traffic accidents quantitatively,the influencing degree of the causation factors which lead to human errors is analyzed,so as to control accidents caused by human errors.On the base of introducing the classification framework of human's unsafe behavior and the \"man-machine-environment\" system,the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System(HFACS) is used and the Human Error Analysis and Classification System for Marine Traffic Accident(HEACS-MTA) is proposed to classify human errors in marine traffic accidents.The Grey Relational Analysis(GRA) is used to analyze the accident causes quantitatively,and the conclusion is made that the management factor is the root cause of the accidents.The order of the main human error factors which lead to accident is precondition for unsafe acts,unsafe supervision,unsafe acts and organizational influences.", "(57) Abstract: The present invention is reduced elastomeric matrix block copolymer for constituting the crosslinkable rubber composition having a hysteresis, rubber compositions used in the crosslinked state in the tire tread, the titer tread and a tire comprising the tire tread showing a reduced rolling resistance. Copolymer with n blocks of the present invention (n = 2 or 3), each of said blocks comprises a diene elastomer having a molar content of units of larger conjugated diene-derived 15%, n = 2 or n = when 3, at least one block to form a chain end of said copolymer consisting of polyisoprene, the number-average molecular weight M", "Human body motion and gesture analysis has been boosted by the latest developments of 3D cameras and the high demands of emerging applications. Body parts classification and pose estimation are essential for the human body tracking and motion recognition. In this poster, we present a 3D perceptual shape feature-based approach for efficient body parts classification and pose estimation. The contribution of this work is twofold: 1) by utilizing 3D image features and kinematic constraints, the classification task can be efficiently performed without huge training data and costly learning process; 2) by applying the classification results, complexity of body pose estimation can be significantly reduced. Experimental results demonstrate the system performance, and exhibit the potential for complex body pose estimation and tracking.", "This paper presents evaluation results of a method for tracking speakers in seminars from multiple cameras. First, 2D human tracking and detection is done for each view. Then, 2D locations are converted to 3D based on the calibration parameters. Finally, cues from multiple cameras are integrated in a incremental way to refine the trajectories. We have developed two multi-view integration methods, which are evaluated and compared on the CHIL speaker tracking test set.", "We present a numerical method to simulate vesicles in fluid flows. This method consists of writing all the properties of the membrane as interfacial forces between two fluids. The main advantage of this approach is that the vesicle and the fluid models may be decoupled easily. A level set method has been implemented to track the interface. Finite element discretization has been used with arbitrarily high order polynomial approximation. Several polynomial orders have been tested in order to get a better accuracy. A validation on equilibrium shapes and “tank treading” motion of vesicle have been presented.", "Do the insights into human behavior generated by laboratory experiments hold outside the lab? This is a crucial question that naturally troubles both experimentalists and their critics. We address this question by adopting Popper's injunction that hypotheses should be tested, not by seeking instances of confirmation, but through exposure to conditions where falsification is a serious possibility. We test the hypothesis ‘that experimental insights hold outside the lab’ by selecting a population where the non-experimental evidence points to behavior that is quite unlike what is typically found in the laboratory and we examine whether their experimental results track these untypical behaviors. In our case, they do.", "Tracking differentiator(TD)can produce continuous tracking signal and its differential signal from discontinuous and noisy inputs.An arctangent-based TD is presented based on acceleration function analysis,and then its global uniformly asymptotical stability is proved using Lyapunov's direct method.Moreover,phase plane analysis is conducted to show that the origin(0,0)is a stable nodal point or a stable focus point.By these results,we propose the parameter constraint conditions of the arctangent-based TD.The TD is simulated to track square wave input signals,giving three conclusions:first,the tracking output and its differential signals are smooth and continuous;second,the filter performance of the TD is satisfactory;third,the setting time of the response is short and the overshoot is small.", "Skillful motor control by humans is achieved by the appropriate motor commands generating from the central nervous system. An internal model in the cerebellum may contribute to the realization of accurate motor control. In this work, a model of human motor control of manual tracking to move a visible target was constructed based on experimental data from a visual tracking test with normal healthy adults and with patients with cerebellar ataxia. A compensation method to improve the motor function of patients was also developed by using the model.", "In research of WSNs,because of large error of centroid localization algorithm,the region of target localization has been reduced and divided into many small grids.Using the relation of object and location node,effective grids are obtained.By these left grids and modified weighted centroid of grids localization algorithm that is modified weighted centroid of grids localization algorithm is presented.The simulation shows that the localization of target error obtained by this method is about 0.6m.And the errors of centroid localization algorithm and ordinary centroid of grids localization algorithm are about 3.6m and 2.4m.Modified weighted centroid of grids localization algorithm is better than the others.It also has character of real time and has its own advantage.", "This article studies the problems of H ∞ output tracking performance analysis and controller design for networked control systems (NCSs) with time delay and packet dropout. By using linear matrix inequality (LMI)-based method, H ∞ output tracking performance analysis and controller design are presented for NCSs with constant sampling period. For NCSs with time-varying sampling period, a multi-objective optimisation methodology in terms of LMIs is used to deal with H ∞ output tracking performance analysis and controller design. The designed controllers can guarantee asymptotic tracking of prescribed reference outputs while rejecting disturbances. The simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed H ∞ output tracking controller design.", "Disclosed is a water turbine fault prognosis method based on on-line monitoring. On-line monitoring of the pendulum state of a water turbine set and real-time fault prognosis are realized through collection of a pendulum data sample of the water turbine set, real-time library reading and writing, data preprocessing and making of inference rules. The water turbine fault prognosis method based on on-line monitoring comprises the steps of collecting and displaying real-time data, realizing fault early warning and vibration tread displaying, recording and displaying the diagnosis result, fault analysis and processing suggestions, and storing diagnostic reports.", "In the Netherlands, noise exposure forecasting is based on the assumption that lateral track dispersion, for both take-off and landing, can be represented by a symmetrical probability distribution. Radar track observations at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AAS) show that the actual track dispersion is certainly not symmetrical. As a result, forecasting noise exposure calculations can give rather large differences in noise load compared with noise exposure calculations based on the actual tracks. An asymmetric lateral track dispersion model is presented, using three tracks per flight route. Two-dimensional analysis shows that the model gives a better correlation of the calculated noise levels using modelled and actual tracks.", "The present invention relates to a tread for a tire with (1), comprising at least one, each rib includes a substantially transversely oriented grooves (3) defined by longitudinal ribs (2) have the same orientation and into said ribs defining a plurality of cutouts (10) of the grooves, each incision comprises at least three parts, at least two (11) of these portions oriented substantially transversely and into the groove (3), at least one other portion (12) is substantially longitudinally oriented. Characterized in that said tread, all substantially longitudinally oriented portion (12) cut without any hindrance means defining a surface thereof, a substantially laterally oriented portion (11) comprises means for limiting the faces of a relative means the amplitude of the movement of the other surface in the thickness direction of the tread at least.", "Sustainable development means the changes of social value, economic growth path and human behavior manner, in which economic policy plays a dominatiny role. With conceptual recognition of economic policy and sustainable development, the paper examines the objective bases of the economic policy of sustainable development which lie in their potential of readjusting the industrial organization, resources and environmental factor allocation and human consumption behaviors during socio-economic development. Based on the analysis above, the subject, objectives, object and means of economic policy for sustainable development are discussed. An economic policy framework for sustainable development is established in the last part of the paper, considering the policy issues on industrial organization, regional development, investment, finance, taxation, price and international trade with the focus on the developing countries." ]

[ "A distinction can be made between emotional episodes and emotional dispositions. Emotional dispositions are also comparable to character traits, where someone may be said to be generally disposed to experience certain emotions. For example, an irritable person is generally disposed to feel irritation more easily or quickly than others do. Finally, some theorists place emotions within a more general category of \"affective states\" where affective states can also include emotion-related phenomena such as pleasure and pain, motivational states (for example, hunger or curiosity), moods, dispositions and traits." ]

[ "This is a communication-based theory developed by Howard M. Weiss and Russell Cropanzano (1996), that looks at the causes, structures, and consequences of emotional experience (especially in work contexts). This theory suggests that emotions are influenced and caused by events which in turn influence attitudes and behaviors. This theoretical frame also emphasizes time in that human beings experience what they call emotion episodes— a \"series of emotional states extended over time and organized around an underlying theme.\" This theory has been utilized by numerous researchers to better understand emotion from a communicative lens, and was reviewed further by Howard M. Weiss and Daniel J. Beal in their article, \"Reflections on Affective Events Theory\", published in Research on Emotion in Organizations in 2005.", "Emotions are thought to be related to certain activities in brain areas that direct our attention, motivate our behavior, and determine the significance of what is going on around us. Pioneering work by Broca (1878), Papez (1937), and MacLean (1952) suggested that emotion is related to a group of structures in the center of the brain called the limbic system, which includes the hypothalamus, cingulate cortex, hippocampi, and other structures. More recent research has shown that some of these limbic structures are not as directly related to emotion as others are while some non-limbic structures have been found to be of greater emotional relevance.", "Stanley Schachter formulated his theory on the earlier work of a Spanish physician, Gregorio Marañón, who injected patients with epinephrine and subsequently asked them how they felt. Interestingly, Marañón found that most of these patients felt something but in the absence of an actual emotion-evoking stimulus, the patients were unable to interpret their physiological arousal as an experienced emotion. Schachter did agree that physiological reactions played a big role in emotions. He suggested that physiological reactions contributed to emotional experience by facilitating a focused cognitive appraisal of a given physiologically arousing event and that this appraisal was what defined the subjective emotional experience. Emotions were thus a result of two-stage process: general physiological arousal, and experience of emotion. For example, the physiological arousal, heart pounding, in a response to an evoking stimulus, the sight of a bear in the kitchen. The brain then quickly scans the area, to explain the pounding, and notices the bear. Consequently, the brain interprets the pounding heart as being the result of fearing the bear. With his student, Jerome Singer, Schachter demonstrated that subjects can have different emotional reactions despite being placed into the same physiological state with an injection of epinephrine. Subjects were observed to express either anger or amusement depending on whether another person in the situation (a confederate) displayed that emotion. Hence, the combination of the appraisal of the situation (cognitive) and the participants' reception of adrenaline or a placebo together determined the response. This experiment has been criticized in Jesse Prinz's (2004) Gut Reactions.", "In Scherer's components processing model of emotion, five crucial elements of emotion are said to exist. From the component processing perspective, emotion experience is said to require that all of these processes become coordinated and synchronized for a short period of time, driven by appraisal processes. Although the inclusion of cognitive appraisal as one of the elements is slightly controversial, since some theorists make the assumption that emotion and cognition are separate but interacting systems, the component processing model provides a sequence of events that effectively describes the coordination involved during an emotional episode.", "Hogan also explains that the temporal and emotional amount which a person devotes to understanding a character’s situation in literature allows literature to be considered “ecological[ly] valid in the study of emotion”. This can be understood in the sense that literature unites a large community by provoking universal emotions. It also allows readers to access cultural aspects that they are not exposed to thus provoking new emotional experiences. Authors choose literary device according to what psychological emotion he or she is attempting to describe, thus certain literary devices are more emotionally effective than others.", "There are some theories on emotions arguing that cognitive activity in the form of judgments, evaluations, or thoughts are necessary in order for an emotion to occur. A prominent philosophical exponent is Robert C. Solomon (for example, The Passions, Emotions and the Meaning of Life, 1993). Solomon claims that emotions are judgments. He has put forward a more nuanced view which response to what he has called the ‘standard objection’ to cognitivism, the idea that a judgment that something is fearsome can occur with or without emotion, so judgment cannot be identified with emotion. The theory proposed by Nico Frijda where appraisal leads to action tendencies is another example.", "A situated perspective on emotion, developed by Paul E. Griffiths and Andrea Scarantino , emphasizes the importance of external factors in the development and communication of emotion, drawing upon the situationism approach in psychology. This theory is markedly different from both cognitivist and neo-Jamesian theories of emotion, both of which see emotion as a purely internal process, with the environment only acting as a stimulus to the emotion. In contrast, a situationist perspective on emotion views emotion as the product of an organism investigating its environment, and observing the responses of other organisms. Emotion stimulates the evolution of social relationships, acting as a signal to mediate the behavior of other organisms. In some contexts, the expression of emotion (both voluntary and involuntary) could be seen as strategic moves in the transactions between different organisms. The situated perspective on emotion states that conceptual thought is not an inherent part of emotion, since emotion is an action-oriented form of skillful engagement with the world. Griffiths and Scarantino suggested that this perspective on emotion could be helpful in understanding phobias, as well as the emotions of infants and animals.", "Emotion regulation refers to the cognitive and behavioral strategies people use to influence their own emotional experience. For example, a behavioral strategy in which one avoids a situation to avoid unwanted emotions (e.g., trying not to think about the situation, doing distracting activities, etc.). Depending on the particular school's general emphasis on either cognitive components of emotion, physical energy discharging, or on symbolic movement and facial expression components of emotion, different schools of psychotherapy approach the regulation of emotion differently. Cognitively oriented schools approach them via their cognitive components, such as rational emotive behavior therapy. Yet others approach emotions via symbolic movement and facial expression components (like in contemporary Gestalt therapy).", "In his 1884 article William James argued that feelings and emotions were secondary to physiological phenomena. In his theory, James proposed that the perception of what he called an \"exciting fact\" directly led to a physiological response, known as \"emotion.\" To account for different types of emotional experiences, James proposed that stimuli trigger activity in the autonomic nervous system, which in turn produces an emotional experience in the brain. The Danish psychologist Carl Lange also proposed a similar theory at around the same time, and therefore this theory became known as the James–Lange theory. As James wrote, \"the perception of bodily changes, as they occur, is the emotion.\" James further claims that \"we feel sad because we cry, angry because we strike, afraid because we tremble, and neither we cry, strike, nor tremble because we are sorry, angry, or fearful, as the case may be.\"", "Robert Plutchik agreed with Ekman's biologically driven perspective but developed the \"wheel of emotions\", suggesting eight primary emotions grouped on a positive or negative basis: joy versus sadness; anger versus fear; trust versus disgust; and surprise versus anticipation. Some basic emotions can be modified to form complex emotions. The complex emotions could arise from cultural conditioning or association combined with the basic emotions. Alternatively, similar to the way primary colors combine, primary emotions could blend to form the full spectrum of human emotional experience. For example, interpersonal anger and disgust could blend to form contempt. Relationships exist between basic emotions, resulting in positive or negative influences.", "Through the use of multidimensional scaling, psychologists can map out similar emotional experiences, which allows a visual depiction of the \"emotional distance\" between experiences. A further step can be taken by looking at the map's dimensions of the emotional experiences. The emotional experiences are divided into two dimensions known as valence (how negative or positive the experience feels) and arousal (how energized or enervated the experience feels). These two dimensions can be depicted on a 2D coordinate map. This two-dimensional map was theorized to capture one important component of emotion called core affect. Core affect is not the only component to emotion, but gives the emotion its hedonic and felt energy.", "In philosophy, emotions are studied in sub-fields such as ethics, the philosophy of art (for example, sensory–emotional values, and matters of taste and sentimentality), and the philosophy of music (see also Music and emotion). In history, scholars examine documents and other sources to interpret and analyze past activities; speculation on the emotional state of the authors of historical documents is one of the tools of interpretation. In literature and film-making, the expression of emotion is the cornerstone of genres such as drama, melodrama, and romance. In communication studies, scholars study the role that emotion plays in the dissemination of ideas and messages. Emotion is also studied in non-human animals in ethology, a branch of zoology which focuses on the scientific study of animal behavior. Ethology is a combination of laboratory and field science, with strong ties to ecology and evolution. Ethologists often study one type of behavior (for example, aggression) in a number of unrelated animals.", "A common way in which emotions are conceptualized in sociology is in terms of the multidimensional characteristics including cultural or emotional labels (e.g., anger, pride, fear, happiness), physiological changes (e.g., increased perspiration, changes in pulse rate), expressive facial and body movements (e.g., smiling, frowning, baring teeth), and appraisals of situational cues. One comprehensive theory of emotional arousal in humans has been developed by Jonathan Turner (2007: 2009). Two of the key eliciting factors for the arousal of emotions within this theory are expectations states and sanctions. When people enter a situation or encounter with certain expectations for how the encounter should unfold, they will experience different emotions depending on the extent to which expectations for Self, other and situation are met or not met. People can also provide positive or negative sanctions directed at Self or other which also trigger different emotional experiences in individuals. Turner analyzed a wide range of emotion theories across different fields of research including sociology, psychology, evolutionary science, and neuroscience. Based on this analysis, he identified four emotions that all researchers consider being founded on human neurology including assertive-anger, aversion-fear, satisfaction-happiness, and disappointment-sadness. These four categories are called primary emotions and there is some agreement amongst researchers that these primary emotions become combined to produce more elaborate and complex emotional experiences. These more elaborate emotions are called first-order elaborations in Turner's theory and they include sentiments such as pride, triumph, and awe. Emotions can also be experienced at different levels of intensity so that feelings of concern are a low-intensity variation of the primary emotion aversion-fear whereas depression is a higher intensity variant.", "Many different disciplines have produced work on the emotions. Human sciences study the role of emotions in mental processes, disorders, and neural mechanisms. In psychiatry, emotions are examined as part of the discipline's study and treatment of mental disorders in humans. Nursing studies emotions as part of its approach to the provision of holistic health care to humans. Psychology examines emotions from a scientific perspective by treating them as mental processes and behavior and they explore the underlying physiological and neurological processes. In neuroscience sub-fields such as social neuroscience and affective neuroscience, scientists study the neural mechanisms of emotion by combining neuroscience with the psychological study of personality, emotion, and mood. In linguistics, the expression of emotion may change to the meaning of sounds. In education, the role of emotions in relation to learning is examined.", "Emotion, in everyday speech, is any relatively brief conscious experience characterized by intense mental activity and a high degree of pleasure or displeasure. Scientific discourse has drifted to other meanings and there is no consensus on a definition. Emotion is often intertwined with mood, temperament, personality, disposition, and motivation. In some theories, cognition is an important aspect of emotion. Those acting primarily on emotion may seem as if they are not thinking, but mental processes are still essential, particularly in the interpretation of events. For example, the realization of danger and subsequent arousal of the nervous system (e.g. rapid heartbeat and breathing, sweating, muscle tension) is integral to the experience of fear. Other theories, however, claim that emotion is separate from and can precede cognition.", "Emotions have been described by some theorists as discrete and consistent responses to internal or external events which have a particular significance for the organism. Emotions are brief in duration and consist of a coordinated set of responses, which may include verbal, physiological, behavioural, and neural mechanisms. Psychotherapist Michael C. Graham describes all emotions as existing on a continuum of intensity. Thus fear might range from mild concern to terror or shame might range from simple embarrassment to toxic shame. Emotions have also been described as biologically given and a result of evolution because they provided good solutions to ancient and recurring problems that faced our ancestors. Moods are feelings that tend to be less intense than emotions and that often lack a contextual stimulus.", "Some of the most influential theorists on emotion from the 20th century have died in the last decade. They include Magda B. Arnold (1903–2002), an American psychologist who developed the appraisal theory of emotions; Richard Lazarus (1922–2002), an American psychologist who specialized in emotion and stress, especially in relation to cognition; Herbert A. Simon (1916–2001), who included emotions into decision making and artificial intelligence; Robert Plutchik (1928–2006), an American psychologist who developed a psychoevolutionary theory of emotion; Robert Zajonc (1923–2008) a Polish–American social psychologist who specialized in social and cognitive processes such as social facilitation; Robert C. Solomon (1942–2007), an American philosopher who contributed to the theories on the philosophy of emotions with books such as What Is An Emotion?: Classic and Contemporary Readings (Oxford, 2003); Peter Goldie (1946–2011), a British philosopher who specialized in ethics, aesthetics, emotion, mood and character; Nico Frijda (1927–2015), a Dutch psychologist who advanced the theory that human emotions serve to promote a tendency to undertake actions that are appropriate in the circumstances, detailed in his book The Emotions (1986).", "The history of emotions has become an increasingly popular topic recently, with some scholars arguing that it is an essential category of analysis, not unlike class, race, or gender. Historians, like other social scientists, assume that emotions, feelings and their expressions are regulated in different ways by both different cultures and different historical times, and constructivist school of history claims even that some sentiments and meta-emotions, for example Schadenfreude, are learnt and not only regulated by culture. Historians of emotion trace and analyse the changing norms and rules of feeling, while examining emotional regimes, codes, and lexicons from social, cultural or political history perspectives. Others focus on the history of medicine, science or psychology. What somebody can and may feel (and show) in a given situation, towards certain people or things, depends on social norms and rules. It is thus historically variable and open to change. Several research centers have opened in the past few years in Germany, England, Spain, Sweden and Australia.", "An example of this theory in action would be as follows: An emotion-evoking stimulus (snake) triggers a pattern of physiological response (increased heart rate, faster breathing, etc.), which is interpreted as a particular emotion (fear). This theory is supported by experiments in which by manipulating the bodily state induces a desired emotional state. Some people may believe that emotions give rise to emotion-specific actions: e.g. \"I'm crying because I'm sad,\" or \"I ran away because I was scared.\" The issue with the James–Lange theory is that of causation (bodily states causing emotions and being a priori), not that of the bodily influences on emotional experience (which can be argued and is still quite prevalent today in biofeedback studies and embodiment theory).", "Declarative memory can be further sub-divided into semantic memory, concerning principles and facts taken independent of context; and episodic memory, concerning information specific to a particular context, such as a time and place. Semantic memory allows the encoding of abstract knowledge about the world, such as \"Paris is the capital of France\". Episodic memory, on the other hand, is used for more personal memories, such as the sensations, emotions, and personal associations of a particular place or time. Episodic memories often reflect the \"firsts\" in life such as a first kiss, first day of school or first time winning a championship. These are key events in one's life that can be remembered clearly. Autobiographical memory - memory for particular events within one's own life - is generally viewed as either equivalent to, or a subset of, episodic memory. Visual memory is part of memory preserving some characteristics of our senses pertaining to visual experience. One is able to place in memory information that resembles objects, places, animals or people in sort of a mental image. Visual memory can result in priming and it is assumed some kind of perceptual representational system underlies this phenomenon.[citation needed]", "Theories dealing with perception either use one or multiples perceptions in order to find an emotion (Goldie, 2007).A recent hybrid of the somatic and cognitive theories of emotion is the perceptual theory. This theory is neo-Jamesian in arguing that bodily responses are central to emotions, yet it emphasizes the meaningfulness of emotions or the idea that emotions are about something, as is recognized by cognitive theories. The novel claim of this theory is that conceptually-based cognition is unnecessary for such meaning. Rather the bodily changes themselves perceive the meaningful content of the emotion because of being causally triggered by certain situations. In this respect, emotions are held to be analogous to faculties such as vision or touch, which provide information about the relation between the subject and the world in various ways. A sophisticated defense of this view is found in philosopher Jesse Prinz's book Gut Reactions, and psychologist James Laird's book Feelings.", "Based on discoveries made through neural mapping of the limbic system, the neurobiological explanation of human emotion is that emotion is a pleasant or unpleasant mental state organized in the limbic system of the mammalian brain. If distinguished from reactive responses of reptiles, emotions would then be mammalian elaborations of general vertebrate arousal patterns, in which neurochemicals (for example, dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin) step-up or step-down the brain's activity level, as visible in body movements, gestures and postures. Emotions can likely be mediated by pheromones (see fear).", "More contemporary views along the evolutionary psychology spectrum posit that both basic emotions and social emotions evolved to motivate (social) behaviors that were adaptive in the ancestral environment. Current research[citation needed] suggests that emotion is an essential part of any human decision-making and planning, and the famous distinction made between reason and emotion is not as clear as it seems. Paul D. MacLean claims that emotion competes with even more instinctive responses, on one hand, and the more abstract reasoning, on the other hand. The increased potential in neuroimaging has also allowed investigation into evolutionarily ancient parts of the brain. Important neurological advances were derived from these perspectives in the 1990s by Joseph E. LeDoux and António Damásio.", "To put it another way, a thing or person is often seen as having a \"defining essence\" or a \"core identity\" that is unchanging, and describes what the thing or person really is. In this way of thinking, things and people are seen as fundamentally the same through time, with any changes being qualitative and secondary to their core identity (e.g. \"Mark's hair has turned gray as he has gotten older, but he is still the same person\"). But in Whitehead's cosmology, the only fundamentally existent things are discrete \"occasions of experience\" that overlap one another in time and space, and jointly make up the enduring person or thing. On the other hand, what ordinary thinking often regards as \"the essence of a thing\" or \"the identity/core of a person\" is an abstract generalization of what is regarded as that person or thing's most important or salient features across time. Identities do not define people, people define identities. Everything changes from moment to moment, and to think of anything as having an \"enduring essence\" misses the fact that \"all things flow\", though it is often a useful way of speaking.", "The word \"emotion\" dates back to 1579, when it was adapted from the French word émouvoir, which means \"to stir up\". The term emotion was introduced into academic discussion to replace passion. According to one dictionary, the earliest precursors of the word likely dates back to the very origins of language. The modern word emotion is heterogeneous In some uses of the word, emotions are intense feelings that are directed at someone or something. On the other hand, emotion can be used to refer to states that are mild (as in annoyed or content) and to states that are not directed at anything (as in anxiety and depression). One line of research thus looks at the meaning of the word emotion in everyday language and this usage is rather different from that in academic discourse. Another line of research asks about languages other than English, and one interesting finding is that many languages have a similar but not identical term", "Walter Bradford Cannon agreed that physiological responses played a crucial role in emotions, but did not believe that physiological responses alone could explain subjective emotional experiences. He argued that physiological responses were too slow and often imperceptible and this could not account for the relatively rapid and intense subjective awareness of emotion. He also believed that the richness, variety, and temporal course of emotional experiences could not stem from physiological reactions, that reflected fairly undifferentiated fight or flight responses. An example of this theory in action is as follows: An emotion-evoking event (snake) triggers simultaneously both a physiological response and a conscious experience of an emotion.", "Perspectives on emotions from evolutionary theory were initiated in the late 19th century with Charles Darwin's book The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. Darwin argued that emotions actually served a purpose for humans, in communication and also in aiding their survival. Darwin, therefore, argued that emotions evolved via natural selection and therefore have universal cross-cultural counterparts. Darwin also detailed the virtues of experiencing emotions and the parallel experiences that occur in animals. This led the way for animal research on emotions and the eventual determination of the neural underpinnings of emotion.", "Attempts are frequently made to regulate emotion according to the conventions of the society and the situation based on many (sometimes conflicting) demands and expectations which originate from various entities. The emotion of anger is in many cultures discouraged in girls and women, while fear is discouraged in boys and men. Expectations attached to social roles, such as \"acting as man\" and not as a woman, and the accompanying \"feeling rules\" contribute to the differences in expression of certain emotions. Some cultures encourage or discourage happiness, sadness, or jealousy, and the free expression of the emotion of disgust is considered socially unacceptable in most cultures. Some social institutions are seen as based on certain emotion, such as love in the case of contemporary institution of marriage. In advertising, such as health campaigns and political messages, emotional appeals are commonly found. Recent examples include no-smoking health campaigns and political campaigns emphasizing the fear of terrorism.", "Research on emotion has increased significantly over the past two decades with many fields contributing including psychology, neuroscience, endocrinology, medicine, history, sociology, and even computer science. The numerous theories that attempt to explain the origin, neurobiology, experience, and function of emotions have only fostered more intense research on this topic. Current areas of research in the concept of emotion include the development of materials that stimulate and elicit emotion. In addition PET scans and fMRI scans help study the affective processes in the brain. It also is influenced by hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin, oxytocin, cortisol and GABA.", "In the 2000s, research in computer science, engineering, psychology and neuroscience has been aimed at developing devices that recognize human affect display and model emotions. In computer science, affective computing is a branch of the study and development of artificial intelligence that deals with the design of systems and devices that can recognize, interpret, and process human emotions. It is an interdisciplinary field spanning computer sciences, psychology, and cognitive science. While the origins of the field may be traced as far back as to early philosophical enquiries into emotion, the more modern branch of computer science originated with Rosalind Picard's 1995 paper on affective computing. Detecting emotional information begins with passive sensors which capture data about the user's physical state or behavior without interpreting the input. The data gathered is analogous to the cues humans use to perceive emotions in others. Another area within affective computing is the design of computational devices proposed to exhibit either innate emotional capabilities or that are capable of convincingly simulating emotions. Emotional speech processing recognizes the user's emotional state by analyzing speech patterns. The detection and processing of facial expression or body gestures is achieved through detectors and sensors.", "Western philosophy regarded emotion in varying ways. In stoic theories it was seen as a hindrance to reason and therefore a hindrance to virtue. Aristotle believed that emotions were an essential component of virtue. In the Aristotelian view all emotions (called passions) corresponded to appetites or capacities. During the Middle Ages, the Aristotelian view was adopted and further developed by scholasticism and Thomas Aquinas in particular. There are also theories of emotions in the works of philosophers such as René Descartes, Niccolò Machiavelli, Baruch Spinoza and David Hume. In the 19th century emotions were considered adaptive and were studied more frequently from an empiricist psychiatric perspective.", "Social sciences often examine emotion for the role that it plays in human culture and social interactions. In sociology, emotions are examined for the role they play in human society, social patterns and interactions, and culture. In anthropology, the study of humanity, scholars use ethnography to undertake contextual analyses and cross-cultural comparisons of a range of human activities. Some anthropology studies examine the role of emotions in human activities. In the field of communication sciences, critical organizational scholars have examined the role of emotions in organizations, from the perspectives of managers, employees, and even customers. A focus on emotions in organizations can be credited to Arlie Russell Hochschild's concept of emotional labor. The University of Queensland hosts EmoNet, an e-mail distribution list representing a network of academics that facilitates scholarly discussion of all matters relating to the study of emotion in organizational settings. The list was established in January 1997 and has over 700 members from across the globe." ]

[ "Fast forward about 20 years, and it's fair to say he has done just that.\nThe business he runs, Frasers Hospitality, is one of the world's biggest providers of high-end serviced apartments. Its 148 properties span about 80 capital cities, as well as financial hubs across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.\nBut it almost didn't get off the ground.\nWhen Mr Choe was appointed to launch and lead the company, Asia was booming; the tiger economies of Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore were expanding rapidly.\nBut as Frasers prepared to open its first two properties in Singapore, the Asian financial crisis hit.\nIt was 1997. Currencies went into freefall. Suddenly, people were losing their jobs and stopped travelling.\nMr Choe recalls asking staff if they really wanted to continue working with the firm, because when the properties opened they might not get paid.\n\"It was really that serious,\" he says. \"I remember tearing up because they said 'let's open it, let's open it whether you can pay us or not'.\"\nSurvival, Mr Choe admits, came through a bit of luck, and the misfortune of others.\nHe had convinced the board at parent firm, property group Frasers Centrepoint, to open serviced apartments rather than hotels - partly because getting planning permission in Singapore was easier.\nBut he also sensed it was a big, untapped market. And at the time of the crisis, it proved to be exactly what customers wanted.\n\"As we were going through this difficult patch, there were protests and riots in Jakarta,\" he says. \"A lot of companies like Microsoft called up looking for rooms for their staff because they were moving out of Jakarta.\"\nFrasers' 412 apartments were quickly in demand. Occupancy soon hit 70%, and then 90%.\nExplaining the popularity of serviced apartments, Mr Choe says that if people are staying somewhere for just a few days, they happily stay in hotels, but if they are going to be somewhere for one month to eight months, the walls of hotel rooms \"close in on you\".\nBut now, Mr Choe, 57, faces new challenges - the travel tastes of millennials and the disruptive nature of Airbnb.\n\"The way to tackle Airbnb is not to ignore it. I will never underestimate Airbnb,\" he says.\nThere's been no significant impact on Frasers yet. Big corporations still prefer to put employees in big service apartments, he says, because they can guarantee a level of safety and security. But that is likely to change, Mr Choe admits.\n\"I have two daughters who to my chagrin use Airbnb,\" he says. \"We took a family trip to Florence and I stayed in this wonderful boutique hotel, but paid a bundle for it.\n\"When my daughter joined us, she said, 'I'm just staying next door and paying about 80 euros'. We paid about 330 euros.\n\"I asked why they stayed at Airbnb. They say 'it's like a surprise, it's part of the adventure'.\"\nAnd so now, Mr Choe wants to bring some of that vibrancy to Frasers.\nWhile neutral colours, beige curtains and dark wooden chairs dominate its more traditional apartments, many customers want something different, and this is shaping Fraser's strategy.\nIn 2015 it bought Malmaison Hotel du Vin, a UK hotel group that specialises in developing heritage properties into upscale boutique hotels.\nThat has taken them beyond financial centres, including to Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. Or, an intrepid traveller with $500 (£325) to spend could have a night in a converted medieval prison in Oxford.\nAnd Frasers has launched the Capri sub-brand - whose website promises \"inspiring art and inspirational tech\".\nOn a day-to-day basis Mr Choe says he still draws on his experience as a young man, who - having been given a scholarship by the Shangri-La hotel group to study at Cornell University in the US - came back to Asia to learn about the hospitality industry.\n\"They put me in every department conceivable. I remember one of the toughest jobs I had was in the butchery. I had to carve an entire cow. For one month, I could not eat meat.\n\"I'm thankful for those experiences. When you step into a hotel, you immediately pick up what works and what doesn't work.\n\"When I see the check-in staff walking more than three steps, I know the counter is set up wrong.\n\"It's like a cockpit. Can you imagine if the pilot had to turn around when he flies?\"\nMore The Boss features, which every week profile a different business leader from around the world:\nThe 'diva of divorce' for the world's super rich\nThe snacks boss with an appetite for success\nTaking his own path: The world's leading maze designer\nMr Choe adds that loyalty is very important to him, and he remains tremendously grateful to staff who have stayed with him.\n\"I will always respect and remember those who gave up their jobs to join me,\" he says.\nThis loyalty is something that Mr Choe has earned, according to Donald MacLaurin, associate professor at Singapore Institute of Technology, and specialist in the hospitality sector.\nMr MacLaurin points out that Mr Choe introduced a five-day working week, in a part of the world where six days is common, thereby showing \"a focus on quality of life issues for employees\".\nThe associate professor adds says the early success of the business was remarkable given the timing of its launch.\nFast forward to today and the company is now on track to operate 30,000 serviced apartments globally by 2019. That success, say Mr Choe's admirers, should make him something of a visionary.\nFollow The Boss series editor Will Smale on Twitter." ]

[ "Tenth seed Wozniacki, 24, raced through the match in only 65 minutes to claim a place in the last four.\nThe former world number one will face China's Peng Shuai, who reached her first Grand Slam semi-final by beating Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic 6-2 6-1.\nAn emotional Peng, 28, said: \"It's a little too exciting.\"\nIn the other quarter-finals, to be played on Wednesday, top seed Serena Williams faces Flavia Pennetta and Victoria Azarenka takes on Ekaterina Makarova.\nWozniacki, in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in three years, said: \"It means so much to me.\n\"It has been a pretty up-and-down year for me and to be here in the semi-final of the US Open is an incredible feeling.\"\nErrani, a losing finalist at the 2012 French Open, failed to hold her serve once in the match as Wozniacki powered past the 27-year-old world number 14.\nWorld number 39 Peng played a superb opening set against Bencic, breaking the 17 year old twice.\nAnd Bencic, the world 59 who beat sixth seed Angelique Kerber and ninth seed Jelena Jankovic on her way to the last eight, was broken twice in succession at the start of the second set and was also given a violation for coaching as Peng won in an hour and four minutes.\n\"It's an amazing time for me,\" said an emotional Peng. \"I love tennis but it's a long time, my career. It's been tough sometimes. I was thinking about giving up because I don't know if I can make it.\"\nIn the men's singles, 14th seed Marin Cilic needed five sets to reach the quarter-finals with a 5-7 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 3-6 6-3 win over 26th seed Gilles Simon of France.\nCilic, a quarter-finalist in 2009 and 2012, missed last year's tournament at Flushing Meadows while he served a drugs ban.\nThe Croat will meet sixth seed Tomas Berdych, who raced to a 6-1 6-2 6-4 victory over promising Austrian youngster Dominic Thiem in one hour and 38 minutes.\nGael Monfils beat Grigor Dimitrov 7-5 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 to set up a quarter-final meeting with five-time champion Roger Federer, a straight-sets winner over Batista Agut.\nPeng Shuai (Chn) beat Belinda Bencic (Sui) 6-2 6-1\nGael Monfils (Fra) (20) beat Grigor Dimitrov (Bul) (7) 7-5 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 - Report\nRoger Federer (Sui) (2) beat Roberto Bautista Agut (Spa) 6-4 6-3 6-2\nFederer said he \"controlled\" the game well in windy conditions and was looking forward to a quarter-final match-up with Monfils.\n\"The good thing for both of us is we just played in Cincinnati,\" said Federer. \"It was a really tough match.\n\"Gael has been playing some great tennis; he's one of the most entertaining and exciting players out there. I'm sure we'll see lots of retrieving by him and attacking by me.\"\nCaroline Wozniacki (Den) (10) beat Sara Errani (Ita) (13) 6-0 6-1\nEkaterina Makarova (Rus) (4) & Elena Vesnina (Rus) (4) beat Venus Williams (USA) & Serena Williams (USA) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4\nMarin Cilic (Cro) (14) beat Gilles Simon (Fra) (26) 5-7 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 3-6 6-3\n\"It's amazing and really important,\" said Croatian Cilic, who had never beat the Frenchman Simon in four previous attempts.\n\"I knew Gilles would not go away that easily. All of our matches were very close but eventually he was always winning.\"\nTomas Berdych (Cze) (6) beat Dominic Thiem (Aut) 6-1 6-2 6-4\n\"I'm very happy with today's win,\" Berdych said after ruining Thiem's 21st birthday.\n\"I'd like to point out one thing which was the key, when I was 0-40 down in the first game on serve, and I saved it. That was a nice boost in the beginning and from then on I played well.\n\"Everything worked today. Job done, that's good.\"\nAll Tuesday's results\nMartina Hingis is in a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time since 2002 after she and Italian Flavia Pennetta beat fifth seeds Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik 6-4 6-3.\nTwelve years ago, the Swiss, now 33, went on to win her last major doubles title with Anna Kournikova at the Australian Open.\n\"Right now it's kind of a dream coming true,\" said Hingis. \"When I started playing again that was definitely something I was hoping for. Now with Flavia, it's becoming reality.\"\n\"I was very happy to see a lot of people even at 02:00 at night. I don't even know how they go back home.\" Kei Nishikori after completing his epic win over Milos Raonic at 02:26.\n\"Sometimes, you know, I just feel like I want a Coke.\" Gael Monfils on his choice of beverage at changeovers. Asked if he does yoga or any specific exercise routine to maintain his amazing flexibility, Monfils added: \"Just every day thank my mum and my dad. Seriously, it's just because of them.\"\nGrigor Dimitrov was not surprised to see Monfils giving up on service returns, appear out on his feet and yet play well enough to win in straight sets. \"I don't think about that because he's been like that throughout all the matches and I think all the years.\"\nPeng Shuai's career is remarkable in itself, given she had heart surgery at the age of 12. \"At the time it was actually like quite big surgery. They said if I keep playing they worry about if I have a problem. But after the surgery I was OK to do the sport.\"\n\"The most important thing is you have to trust and rely on your partner. That's what I feel with Flavia - she's there when I'm down, she's there when some things don't always work, we're always there for each other.\" Martina Hingis on her doubles partner Flavia Pennetta.\nA ball girl was hit by a stray ball during the warm-up between Marin Cilic and Gilles Simon, who said: \"It's dangerous when you have a tennis ball in your eye.\n\"I just wanted to be sure she was fine because I had the feeling she just wanted to stay on the court, but it was just really hurting her. I asked her 10 times, and 10 times I had the same answer. I hope she's fine.\"", "With a perfect match of winning numbers - 12, 27, 28, 39, 41 and 48 - the ticket holder was immediately launched into the exclusive club of the UK's ultra-rich.\nThat, according to those who assist big money winners, is a \"daunting\" experience that leaves most of them in shock.\nThey say it can take a couple of years for these millionaires to find the rhythm of their new-found riches.\nUnderstanding the reaction and requirements of these lottery winners can tell us a lot about coping with sudden wealth, from inheritance to rapid business success.\nAnyone who has a lottery win of more than £50,000 receives a visit from Andy Carter or one of his team of five winners' advisers.\nThe 41-year-old, employed by lottery operator Camelot, checks the ticket-holder's identity and other paperwork then oversees the bank transfer of the prize. No longer is it written on a cheque and, unlike some overseas lotteries, the money is paid immediately in one lump sum rather than in instalments.\nAfter nine years in the role, Mr Carter has seen the full range of reactions and spending plans, from plastic surgery to buying a fireworks company.\n\"By the time I get there [the day after the winners' call], some have already arranged a viewing on a house,\" he says.\n\"But the perception is that winners go out and buy a fast car. They don't. They are in shock. They realise they need some help.\"\nHe is not allowed to give any financial advice, but he does suggest that winners take a holiday before the spending starts.\nHe says a tiny minority of winners either go out and blow the cash, or do the opposite and put the money in a bank account and leave it untouched.\n\"A win does not change people's values around money, it exaggerates them,\" he says.\nMost want to pay off a mortgage, and find the lack of ceremony when it is done to be strange. Nearly all want to look after their families' finances.\nHe suggests that people take their time and do not promise anything straight away.\nThe odds are firmly stacked against players winning the National Lottery jackpot.\nThere are various odds for the different games but the chances of winning the Lotto jackpot is one in 14 million. The average jackpot won on the Lotto is £2.1m.\nThe price of a ticket to play went up to £2 from £1 in October 2013.\nThe National Lottery is one of many different ways of betting in the UK. GamCare provides information, support, advice and free counselling for those who get into gambling problems and addiction.\n\"When there's a win of £5m then everyone becomes a financial expert,\" says Mr Carter.\nThose who win less than £500,000 will be given some leaflets on managing their money. For the really big winners, financial advisers arrive a few days later.\nCamelot operates a rota of banks and financial firms who visit to explain the principles of risk and reward, and independent advice. The winner can then contact them, or seek their own advice.\nThose scooping, say, £5m will have their winnings put into an account with one of a selection of private banks.\nOn that list is Coutts. Camilla Stowell, the bank's head of international and private office, is among those who have advised lottery winners.\n\"It is exciting [for winners], but it suddenly becomes very daunting. We encourage them to take their time and feel what it is to be wealthy,\" she says.\nShe says that winners tend to ask how much they can get out of the bank, and whether they can quit their job.\nFor her part, she stresses that the bank, via an assigned private banker, can make payments for their immediate \"passion\" purchases. Most importantly, the first tasks are to clear any debts and ensure that winners have a will.\n\"When she won the lottery she was sitting here crying. It was too much stress for her.\" - Mother of Jane Park, who won £1m at the age of 17.\n\"It will enrich her life so much and that's the most important thing on the agenda.\" - Paul and Debbie Lawton, who planned to use their £6.9m helping their three children including eldest daughter Tracey who has cerebral palsy.\n\"Being Trotters we were always going to be millionaires one day.\" - Neil Trotter, who won £107.9m on the Euromillions lottery.\nOnce the initial shock dies down, winners need guidance with seemingly simple financial considerations, Ms Stowell says.\nThose who choose to move to a bigger home need to consider and budget for all the extra costs a bigger property brings - from utilities to cleaning.\nGifts to friends and family can be complicated to structure in the most appropriate way, especially if they want to provide them with an income, rather than a lump sum.\nAlthough the winning sum is tax-free, any subsequent income made from it is taxable. Suddenly, somebody who might only ever have paid tax via PAYE is facing a more complex tax bill.\nMs Stowell says that half of the bank's time with winners is spent on advice, with the other half on guidance and education about money.\n\"We tell people not to be fearful of their wealth but it often brings headaches,\" she says.\n\"There is the financial jargon, and it often brings the best, and worst, out of family and friends.\"\nCoutts organises dinners for wealthy clients to talk to each other about their experiences, privately, and also hosts insight days to explain financial terms, rules, and products.\nIn time, many winners ask for advice on how to give money to charity, often anonymously.\nAfter five or 10 years, most want to organise their financial legacy for the next generation.\nSo does dealing with the super-rich leave Ms Stowell and Mr Carter dreaming of wealth of their own.\nThe former admits she plays the lottery every week. Her biggest win has been £25.\nThe latter, as a Camelot employee, is not allowed to play. He has met more than 1,000 big winners and the football and cricket fan says that if he had wealth like theirs he would travel the world watching sport.\nAfter nearly a decade in the job - including a time of turmoil for the UK economy - he says he has noticed people becoming more financially savvy, more aware of financial hardship, more cautious, and more understanding of the difference between banking and financial advice.\nThat, in itself, is something to celebrate, even for those who never win a million.\nThayer Willis is the daughter of one of the founding brothers of the multibillion-dollar Georgia-Pacific Corporation. This, she says, led to her learning some \"powerful lessons\". She is now an author and wealth counsellor. We asked her what, in her opinion, were the most useful of those lessons:\n\"During [the] first year there is a lot you need to do. This is your year of financial education. Do not underestimate the importance of educating yourself,\" she says.\n\"You need a team of people in place before you do anything at all with the money. During your first year with the money, interview, interview, interview advisers.\n\"It is up to you to match your needs with the advisers' expertise, because expertise will vary even within a well-defined profession.\n\"The most important lessons in life are caught, not taught. Those closest to you will be more influenced by what you do than by anything you say.\"", "The 24-year-old wildcard from Stockport, ranked 164, overcame the world number 94 2-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-0 to reach the second round.\nBut British number three Johanna Konta lost 6-4 3-6 6-4 to China's Peng Shuai.\nJames Ward, Dan Cox, Dan Evans and Kyle Edmund were also beaten in the men's singles first round.\nBroady will face either 16th seed Caroline Wozniacki or Israel's Shahar Peer - Wozniacki led 6-3 2-0 when play was suspended for the day - in the second round.\nHaving lost her Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) funding as a 17-year-old in 2007 for \"unprofessional behaviour\" on a night out, Broady has had to pay her own way on the circuit since.\n\"I don't think they (the LTA) will try and take credit for it, I'll laugh in someone's face if they try and say it was them,\" said Broady.\n\"It's definitely made me hungrier. If I don't win, I don't have any money.\"\nA year ago Broady was exploring alternative career possibilities, but she has guaranteed herself prize money of at least £43,000 with victory over Babos.\n\"When I was looking at other things to do, it was specifically because I couldn't fund my tennis,\" she recalled. \"It was hindering my tennis and I wasn't getting the best out of it.\n\"This time last year I was lucky enough to get a wildcard into Wimbledon qualifying. The week before that, I was researching how to become an au pair, and going to go live in another country.\n\"I was going for Paris and looking at doing first aid courses, language courses, to become an au pair, because I couldn't afford to play tennis. But I won a qualifying round and that got me through for a while, then I had some wins in the doubles and that helped me pay for the singles.\"\nBroady believes the fact she does not get LTA funding has made her hungrier for success.\n\"If I don't win, I don't have any money. I have to fight harder on court,\" she added.\n\"The difference a year can make is amazing. I think I'll be fine for a year or so now. It's very satisfying knowing that it's me that has achieved this.\"\nWard made 30 unforced errors, failed to convert any of his three break points and won just five games as he lost 6-2 6-2 6-1 to 17th seed Mikhail Youzhny, while Cox was beaten 6-2 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 by Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.\nEvans was a 6-1 7-5 3-6 7-6 (7-5) loser at the hands of Russian Andrey Kuznetsov; while Edmund, last year's junior semi-finalist, found Austria's Andreas Haider-Maurer too strong and lost 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.\n\"It went OK,\" said Edmund. \"I got off to a good start, but struggled a bit at the end of the first set. I'm glad I got my game back to take it to a tie-break. I thought I was unlucky to lose the second. He played a good third set. I have lots of experience to take, so it's not all bad.\"\nKonta had lost in the opening round in both 2012 and 2013, but made a strong start in her encounter with Peng when she broke in the first game of the match.\nHowever, the 23-year-old was let down by her serve and Peng broke twice to take the opener. Backed by the home support, Konta broke three times to take the second set, but Peng's consistency and well-placed serve proved too strong in the decider to seal victory.\n\"I believe I came back in the second set with a cool head and just started playing tennis,\" said Konta. \"In that third set, it was just one more break and she played a good service game to serve it out.\"\nBritish number one Heather Watson, who reached the semi-finals in Eastbourne, begins her campaign against Ajla Tomljanovic on Tuesday, along with compatriots Daniel Smethurst, Samantha Murray and Tara Moore.\nEarlier, Andy Murray opened the defence of his Wimbledon title with a straight-sets victory over David Goffin.", "Since then, he has been branded the \"unacceptable face of capitalism\" after BHS, the retail chain he sold in March 2015 for £1, went into administration leaving a £571m hole in its pension fund.\nIn the latest development, a damning report by MPs found that Sir Philip had extracted large sums from BHS and left the business on \"life support\".\nThe retail tycoon's life story to date is rich in character and anecdote, from his failed attempts to take over Marks and Spencer to the lavish lifestyle that has attracted accusations of tax avoidance.\nDespite being born into a well-to-do family in south London, Philip Green prided himself on having worked his way to the top.\nHis competitive streak was apparent from an early age, noticed by school mates at Carmel College, his exclusive boarding school, nicknamed the \"Jewish Eton\".\nSchool friend Tony Rauch recalls Philip making a beeline for the table-tennis table at break time, tussling with another boy to get hold of the bat that was in best condition.\n\"Unfortunately the other kid was a bit bigger than Philip and won,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Profile programme in 2012.\n\"He got very angry; cried a little bit,\" says Mr Rauch. \"He wasn't physically hurt, I think he was just very angry at having lost.\"\nSir Philip never lost his will to win. Profile reported that even when playing a game with his own children, he played to win, and quoted him as saying: \"Why do you want to do something and not win - to not succeed at something?\"\nHe left school aged 15 and began working on the forecourt of the petrol station that his mother managed.\nHe then went on to learn business basics as an apprentice in a shoe warehouse. At 23 years old, he set up his own business importing and selling jeans.\nStuart Lansley, the author of an unauthorised biography of Sir Philip, described those early days for Radio 4.\n\"He had a very mixed track record of starting up companies, and closing them down, working with other people, falling out with people.\n\"He travelled a lot, learning a lot about the supply chain, who the cheaper suppliers were and so on - but he certainly wasn't a household name.\"\nIronically it was BHS, known then as British Home Stores, that marked the moment Sir Philip Green finally \"arrived\" in 2000.\nHe paid £200m for what was already a slightly faded, dowdy chain. According to Stuart Lansley, his restless mind had spotted a beguiling new way to make money from the High Street.\n\"Philip Green moved from having a few million to a few billion in the space of a few years,\" says the author.\n\"He learned the way to make big bucks was essentially to do what's known in the trade as a 'leveraged buyout'.\n\"He borrowed very large sums of money, invested a little bit himself, and bought up companies that were relatively cheap, because they weren't doing very well. He turned them around, paying off his debt, and then tripling - quadrupling - the money he put in, in a matter of a couple of years.\"\nTwo years later, he copied that model of the leveraged buyout when he bought the giant retail empire Arcadia, which owns brands such as Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge, and of course Topshop and Topman.\nSir Philip Green's most ambitious move came in 2004, when he put together £10bn ($16.1bn), much of it from investment banks, to make an offer for Marks and Spencer.\nEven Sir Stuart Rose - then his rival and at the helm of Marks at the time - was impressed.\n\"Philip is not only a first-class retailer, he is absolutely pre-eminent in his generation in terms of his financial nous and ability,\" Sir Stuart told Profile.\n\"If I wanted to be slightly uncharitable, I could say that he came to the market to raise a very, very large sum of money at a time when money was cheap and freely available - but only Philip could have put that together. It was a pretty amazing achievement.\"\nSir Philip's business skills may not be in doubt - but his interpersonal skills are another matter, and he reportedly has a very short fuse.\nSir Stuart Rose has first-hand experience of this, with Sir Philip reportedly grabbing the then Marks and Spencer boss by the lapels during his second unsuccessful takeover bid in 2004.\n\"There was a fairly physical occasion one morning, yes. I think tension had got quite high during the bid and Philip got upset about something,\" said Sir Stuart.\n\"He wasn't above ringing me up during the height of the bid and singing 'if I were a rich man' down the telephone to me, trying to point out the error of my ways [for not selling]... that I would make more money.\n\"He used to say, 'The only jet you know is Easyjet.'\"\nSir Philip Green is not shy about enjoying the trappings of his success - his personal fortune is estimated at somewhere between £3bn and £4bn and he enjoys spending it.\nHe commutes into London from Monaco in a private jet, has a super-yacht called Lionheart, and is famous for throwing extravagant parties for friends and family in exotic places, with entertainment from the likes of Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and George Michael.\nRadio 4's Profile explores the life of British businessman Sir Philip Green\nDownload the Profile podcast\nListen again via the Radio 4 website\nExplore the best of Radio 4's Profile\nHe has also forged a business partnership with supermodel Kate Moss, whose line of clothes helped raise Topshop's profile in the world of high fashion.\nBut what has attracted the most controversy is not the lavish lifestyle, but his tax affairs.\nIn 2005, his company paid a £1.2bn dividend to the owner of Arcadia - Sir Philip's wife, Tina. Since she is a resident of Monaco, she paid no tax in the UK.\nIn 2010, activists demonstrated outside the flagship Topshop and BHS stores in central London after Sir Philip was chosen by then Prime Minister David Cameron to conduct a government efficiency review.\nThey thought his tax arrangements made him the wrong choice. Despite their anger, however, Arcadia has paid significant sums in corporation tax.\nBut some of Arcadia's glamour has waned in recent years. Critics say that Sir Philip, notoriously averse to electronic gadgets, has not embraced online shopping as aggressively as his competitors.\nWhile sales remained steady through the group, BHS was seen as the weakest link, and was sold for £1 to Retail Acquisitions, a group of investors including a Formula 3000 racing driver, bankers and entrepreneurs.\nNow questions are being asked over just how much money Sir Philip had taken out of the company in the years before that sale.\nAngela Eagle, the former shadow business secretary, said: \"In this situation, it appears this owner extracted hundreds of millions of pounds from the business and walked away to his favourite tax haven, leaving the Pension Protection Scheme to pick up the bill.\"\nBBC business editor Simon Jack said: \"In his defence, he ran this company for 15 years, he employed thousands and thousands of people, and he was a great force for UK fashion retail, and made it a great force here and in the US.\n\"It doesn't look good as he jumps on his yacht to go back to Monaco leaving pensioners and employees worried about it, but he is not a natural corporate raider. He's not necessarily the vulture type of capitalist that people have portrayed him as in the last couple of days.\"\nThis edition of Profile was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday, 8 December 2012. Listen again via the Radio 4 website or the Profile podcast.", "The lead singer with rock band Iron Maiden - and aviation fanatic - was at the Paris Air Show to unveil expansion plans for an aircraft maintenance business he started last year.\nThe usual chaos and gridlock, that have become an annoying inevitability of travelling to the show, were compounded by a lightning storm.\nMr Dickinson ended up abandoning his taxi on the motorway and walking a mile in the rain. But it has not dented his enthusiasm.\n\"It's great to be here,\" he says. \"I've done Farnborough [the UK air show] but never Paris. It's all very exciting.\"\nHe left the show a few hours later, heading for Berlin where Iron Maiden's world tour continues. \"But I should be back on Thursday,\" he says. Despite his love of all things aviation, Dickinson adds: \"I'm here to do business, not watch the displays.\"\nLast year, he set up Cardiff Aviation, a joint venture with business partner Mario Fulgoni, a pilot and airline executive.\nThey took over a fully-equipped former RAF maintenance facility at St Athan, just outside Cardiff. The site can park 20 narrow-body airlines, and the hangar is big enough to house a Boeing 767-300, just smaller than a jumbo jet. There is also a 6,000ft runway.\nWith an initial investment of £5m from a mix of government and private sources announced on Monday, the pair want to make it a centre for repairing and maintaining civil aircraft.\nThere are also plans to open a pilot training facility, and Dickinson is in advanced talks about setting up an airline leasing-cum-charter operation. It will be what is called an ACMI airline - providing aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance.\nHe says: \"Asia and the Middle East is going to be where the huge growth in aviation will be. But the smart way to start an airline is not to spend huge sums of money up front, but to come to companies like us.\n\"Our ambition [at Cardiff Aviation] is to create a sort of one-stop shop,\" he says. \"A lot of maintenance facilities are closing, especially in Europe because of high labour costs and inefficiency. We have not inherited that.\"\nDickinson said his business is close to securing a deal to become the sole provider of maintenance to an aircraft leasing company, and he was in Paris to discuss possible contracts with airlines.\nHe says: \"It's early days, but our business plan is perfectly achievable. We are already in profit and have no big debts. I think that's pretty good.\"\nThe business employs about 80 people, though clearly if the expansion plans come to fruition that number will rise considerably, probably by many hundreds, he hopes.\nThere are complex certification procedures to pass, both for the maintenance operation and to start an airline. It will take time, he says, but things are progressing well.\nGiven the Iron Maiden fame, it's easy to assume that Dickinson's role in the venture is to open doors with prospective clients. \"It helps,\" his business partner Fulgoni admits.\nBut it is clear that Dickinson loves being both an entrepreneur and involved in building something that could mean investment and jobs. Music, he said, is now a \"part-time job\" that brings in the money, he joked.\nDickinson went to his first air show aged five, and got his fascination with aircraft from his dad, an engineer, and uncle, who worked for the RAF. \"Don't ask me to put up a shelf, but I love engineering.\"\nAnd that was his cue to go off on a passionate five-minute rant about the failings of the educational system, and engineering itself.\n\"Teachers need to be more inspirational. But it's also up to engineering to make itself more interesting.\nBBC News will be reporting from the Paris Air Show from 17-23 June\nYou will be able to find out the latest on BBC World News TV, on BBC World Service radio and on the BBC News website\nFull coverage: Aerospace industry\n\"Engineering stimulates the mind. Kids get bored easily. They have got to get out and get their hands dirty: make things, dismantle things, fix things. When the schools can offer that, you'll have an engineer for life,\" he says.\nHe got his pilot's licence in 1991, gaining more qualifications and experience so that he could fly bigger planes on longer journeys. He began flying Iron Maiden on tour, and then got a job with the now-defunct British World Airlines.\nLater he became a pilot for Icelandic-owned charter airline Astraeus. That collapsed in 2011. \"I was in the air when it happened, flying a group of pilgrims returning from Jeddah to Manchester,\" he recalls.\nHe does not do much piloting these days. Some of the shine has been taken off the job, because most modern aircraft are flown by computers these days, not pilots.\n\"You just need a pilot in the cockpit in case something goes wrong,\" he says.\n\"It's still a huge thrill to take off and land. But when you are in a plane, you are in the hands of the engineers. That's where it's at these days.\"", "Media playback is not supported on this device\nRobins was reappointed on Monday, and has inherited a City side lying bottom of League One, 13 points adrift of safety with just 11 games left.\nHe is well aware of all the off-field ructions that have further soured City's fortunes in his four years away.\n\"The political side of what's happening makes this place different,\" he said.\n\"It's different to any other club in the country. It is a unique set of challenges, but it can be done.\"\nHe told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire: \"This season has been tough to watch, and I understand the frustration totally. The fans are angry and frustrated with what they've seen and maybe the lack of action or investment.\n\"But this is a great, well-supported club that deserves better. We've got to get back to the stage where we the club can win back the fans' trust and implement a plan that makes sense for everybody.\n\"I just want to steer clear of the politics and get on with the football side of things. But the whole structure needs looking at in terms of the money I can have to rescue it.\n\"Key relationships need to be better and I need the tools to do the job. I need the best recruitment I possibly can.\nIt was Valentines's Day 2013 when Robins ended his previous spell with Coventry and departed for Huddersfield Town.\nNow, just over four years, or 1480 days, later, he admits he felt something stir in his heart when he was offered the chance to return.\n\"I got a call on Sunday evening and that feeling lit up again. It doesn't go away. The opportunity to come back was too great to resist,\" the 47-year-old said.\n\"You look at Coventry and what they nearly achieved last season. The key to that was winning and we were doing plenty of that when I was here before.\n\"I've looked at how difficult it's been and that was something which motivated me to try and turn it round. We need unity and trust. They're things that come over a period of time and we need to foster that.\"\nBBC Coventry & Warwickshire's Clive Eakin\n\"Relegation to League Two is looking all but certain as Mark Robins takes over.\n\"Coventry will have appointed him on the basis of what he did first time around when they moved up the table before Huddersfield nipped in and offered him a job he couldn't resist.\n\"His first stint, albeit fairly brief, was successful. Just about the only manager of recent times to have left Coventry because someone else wanted him.\n\"But there is an irony to him taking over with City on their way to Wembley as he narrowly missed out on getting there in the same competition before, taking the Sky Blues to the semi-finals only to lose to eventual winners Crewe.\"", "But after surviving a gruelling desert trip to Libya and escaping from rebel capture, the 30-year-old would-be migrant was deported back home - more than $3,000 (£2,000) the poorer.\nHe tells the BBC's Raissa Ioussouf in Dakar about his seven-month journey and why he was prepared to risk his life, but would not do so again:\nI wanted to go to Europe because it is well known that you earn a lot there. In Senegal there is nothing; you can't find a job.\nI used to work as a painter here and would only earn 3,000 CFA francs ($5; £3.20) per day. But what can you do with that little money?\nI have two older brothers and three younger brothers; they also have trouble finding jobs. One of my older brothers moved to Mauritania.\nI spoke to my friend who lives in Italy on Skype, and he told me that I should go through Libya, and that I would need to pay 400,000 CFA francs for transport; it took me four years working on a construction site to earn the money I needed.\nWhen I asked my friend if it was easy to get to Italy he told me that you suffer a lot during the journey.\nSaliou Ndiaye's journey:\nInside Mali's trafficking underworld\nMigrant crisis: Special report\nMy family didn't know that I was going to Europe - I let them know once I was in Agadez in Niger.\nI knew that if I had told them in advance, they would have never accepted it. Some members of my family live in Europe but they went there legally, but I am the first one to try the clandestine way.\nI first went through Bamako in Mali, then Niamey and Agadez in Niger.\nYou encounter so many problems when you go to Libya because you have to go through the desert and people die there.\nWe were 26 people in an overloaded 4x4; the car broke down a few hours after departure.\nI spent a week in the desert. After four days we ran out of food and water.\nThe last three days I didn't eat or drink; three men died and we had to bury them there. Thanks to God I was able to keep going.\nThere was no-ne else in the desert, but finally a car came and helped us.\nWhen we reached the Libyan town of Sabha, the rebels took us prisoner.\nThey wanted money and asked for 200,000 CFA francs ($342; £220) each. If you don't pay, they make you call your family and force them to pay. If your family sends the money you are free, if not you stay locked up.\nI refused to call my family and spent four days suffering; you get beaten up - you don't eat or drink.\nOn the fifth day I broke the door down and fled with my friends; we ended up in a Senegalese hostel.\nI worked in Sabha as a scrap merchant for two months. When I earned enough money I went to [Libya's capital] Tripoli, but it was chaos there as well.\nI worked there for another month to pay for my journey to Italy.\nI wanted to go with the first boat, but the day the first boat left, I felt sick and didn't feel confident about leaving.\nThat boat got into an accident and there were no survivors.\nAt the beginning, I really wanted to go to Europe, but when I started earning money in Libya I didn't want to leave anymore.\nI made good money - in four months I earned 2m CFA, although in Europe you can earn that sum in a month.\nBut one day the police caught us coming home from work; they stole all our money and threw us into an overcrowded prison. There were 200 people in a 30m sq room.\nI was transferred to another prison in the Libyan town of Misrata, where I spent three months before being sent back to Senegal.\nI am sorely disappointed I didn't make it to Europe.\nBut I don't want to try travel illegally again, it's too dangerous and now I know what the reality out there is.\nSaliou Ndiaye:\n\"Even if you paid me to go again I wouldn't go\"\nI think it's good that Europe is trying to stop the smugglers because people die every day trying to cross the sea.\nBut I also believe that African leaders should close their borders because people go from Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger without problems.\nThere is little border control and if you pay, you can go through even if you don't have an ID.\nIf I had known how bad it was I wouldn't have gone. Even if you paid me to go again I wouldn't go.\nI was one of 405 Senegalese who were sent back in February.\nUpon our arrival, a government official promised he will find us jobs - but up until now we haven't heard back from him.", "Speaking on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, the president-elect also promised to bring change.\nAmong attendees at the two-hour event were his family, actor Jon Voight and Soul Man singer Sam Moore.\nMr Trump earlier laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.\nThursday evening's Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration was open to the public and featured performances by country stars Toby Keith and Lee Greenwood.\n\"We're going to unify our country,\" Mr Trump said in brief remarks at the end of the concert.\n\"We're going to make America great for all of our people. Everybody, everybody, throughout all of our country. That includes the inner cities.\"\nHis supporters have been streaming into Washington DC, and he reminded them that many had doubted the campaign's chances of success.\n\"They forgot about a lot of us,\" he said. \"On the campaign, I called it the forgotten man and the forgotten woman. Well, you're not forgotten anymore.\"\nPledging to bring back jobs, build up the military and strengthen the border, he added: \"We're going to do things that haven't been done for our country for many, many decades.\n\"It's going to change, I promise you. It's going to change.\"\nThe president-elect's first stop on Thursday was at his Trump International hotel, located just blocks from the White House.\nHe appeared with his wife Melania at a luncheon for members of his incoming administration.\nThe soon-to-be first lady briefly spoke, telling the crowd: \"Tomorrow we're starting the work.\"\nMr Trump told the crowd in the presidential ballroom: \"We have a lot of smart people. I tell you what, one thing we've learned, we have by far the highest IQ of any cabinet ever assembled.\"\nHe hinted that Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets NFL team, would be US ambassador to Britain.\nAfter the welcome concert, Mr Trump is set to spend the night at Blair House, the presidential guest residence located just steps from the White House.\nHe is due to be sworn in at noon (17:00 GMT) on Friday.\nDespite Mr Trump's appeal for unity, billionaire investor George Soros launched a stinging attack on him.\nSpeaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Soros labelled the president-elect \"an imposter, a conman and a would-be dictator\".\nMr Trump has nominated all 21 members of his cabinet as well as six other roles that require Senate confirmation, according to his team.\nThe Republican-controlled Senate is expected to vote on Friday to confirm General James Mattis, the defence secretary nominee, and retired General John Kelly, the pick for Homeland Security.\nMr Trump has asked about 50 senior Obama administration officials to stay on until they are replaced, spokesman Sean Spicer told a news conference.\nThey include Brett McGurk, the special envoy to the US-led coalition fighting the so-called Islamic State, as well as Deputy Defence Secretary Robert Work.\nDown the road at the White House, President Barack Obama spent his last day in office with the daily briefing and lunch with Vice-President Joe Biden.\nMr Obama also spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in his final conversation with a foreign leader as president, according to the White House.\nFirst Lady Michelle Obama and Mrs Merkel's husband, Joachim Sauer, also joined the call.", "The ticket is one of three, together worth $1.6bn, which were sold in Florida, Tennessee and California. So far only the winner in Tennessee has come forward.\nWinners have 180 days to claim the prize after the 13 January draw.\nFlorida officials say it is not unusual for winners to be slow coming forward.\nThree tickets win $1.6bn US lottery\n\"The winner [may want] to get their affairs in order, or seek an attorney,\" Florida Lottery spokeswoman Shelly Gerteisen told USA Today.\n\"It's a life changing amount of money, so [the winner] just may be seeking legal counsel or maybe waiting for media interest to die down.\"\nMs Gerteisen said the winner could even be meeting financial advisers before coming forward to claim the prize - and that it is not unprecedented for a jackpot winner to wait six weeks before claiming.\nBut she said it could also be possible that the winner or winners are not aware they have won the prize.\nThe winning numbers were 4-8-19-27-34 and Powerball 10.\nLottery rules stipulate that if a winner does not come forward within 60 days to get the prize money, they then have a further 120 days to claim the prize as an annuity which works out to be about $7.9m the first year with 30 annual payments to follow.\nIs this really the biggest?\nThe previous jackpot record was a March 2012 drawing of the US lottery Mega Millions which had a $656m (£457m) prize shared by three winners. Spain's El Gordo is the world's biggest lottery in financial terms - its prize in 2015 totalled €2.24bn ($2.43bn; £1.68 bn). But as there is no single jackpot - the same series are printed in multiple tickets - anyone who has the numbers wins a share of the prize. In Europe, the largest lottery prizes have been lower than in the US, but the jackpots are given as a lump sum rather than as an annuity and most countries do not tax the winnings. The biggest European prize was won in July 2011 by a ticketholder in the UK. That person took home a lump sum of $260m (£161.7m).\nWhere do Powerball profits go?\nBack to the participating states. For example, New Jersey has sold more than $50m in tickets during the recent jackpot craze, and lottery officials said about $20m of that would return to the state. More than 15 states use the profits to fund education. California officials estimate the lottery money accounts for about 1% of the state's education budget. In Wisconsin, the profits go towards lowering property taxes.\nHow did the jackpot get so big?\nNo one had won the draw since 4 November. The prize is based on ticket sales so high jackpots usually create a snowball effect until a winning combination is picked. A new format introduced in October makes these massive jackpots more likely, meaning more records could be broken in future.", "When I worked with Pietersen in commentary at the World Cup he was very focused indeed. He is absolutely determined to win back his England place, and I am sure Pietersen sees this decision as an extra incentive for him to work on his comeback and what he will see as an even more realistic opportunity now.\nThe Kevin Pietersen issue has been such a massive part of this year, and one that that was handled badly by the ECB board since they decided to sack him shortly after the 2013-14 Ashes series, which Australia won 5-0.\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nThere was no need to sack Pietersen. They could merely have decided to move on and not pick him again without a big song and dance. But that is the way they chose to go. It has created such a massive reaction and they only have themselves to blame for that really.\nDoes the decision to sack Downton from his role as managing director mean Pietersen will definitely come back? There is more to it than Downton just losing his job.\nFor a start, KP has not faced a red ball in 18 months and there are a lot of things that still need to happen - not least Pietersen scoring some runs in the domestic game having rejoined Surrey - before we see him striding out to the middle in an England shirt again.\nThe ECB have created a new director of England cricket following Downton's departure and I see my Test Match Special colleague, and ex-England captain, Michael Vaughan has been touted as a possible man for the job.\nI will be interested to see if Vaughan can commit himself completely to this job because he would have to give up a lot of other things.\nVaughan would be a great candidate but he loves his media work and he has a lot of other interests that take up his time.\nThere is no way you could have an England director of cricket doing anything else but focusing on this role 100%.\nIt has got to be someone who is really in touch with the modern game and the direction cricket is going.\nWhoever is appointed needs to have retained an involvement with cricket, and someone who comes into the job with fresh ideas and with a resolve to make specific improvements.\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nTwo of the names mentioned for the England director role - Alec Stewart and Andrew Strauss - could have a major say in the next instalment of what happens with Pietersen of course.\nStrauss, given his history with KP, will probably take a lot of convincing that he should return to the fold. With Stewart, his coach at Surrey, it might be a bit more straightforward.\nWe have not seen the job description for the position, but you can imagine it needs someone who is in touch with the game.\nIt needs to be someone who has been out of it just long enough to avoid being too personally involved with the current players.\nDownton, who took over from Hugh Morris, was not in a position as MD in which he was solely dealing with the England team; there was much to the role.\nDownton had a difficult time of it. He was briefed that his first job must be to get rid of Pietersen. He took responsibility for that, but it was not 100% his call - it was a broader decision.\nSo perhaps he was an easy person to target with regards to KP. He has taken a lot of flak for that. And likewise he was not directly hands-on with the England team.\nYou have to question how much responsibility he actually had on England team matters.\nThe new job, however, is going to be more targeted to the England team. It must be. The new role is probably going to be much more focused on that.\nThe change to key elements of the administration - the chairman and the chief executive - made it likely that something had to change after England's dismal World Cup campaign and someone be shown the door.\nIt could have been the coach Peter Moores, it could have the man responsible for selection of the team in James Whitaker.\nBut instead what they have decided to do is reassess the role Downton has occupied which encompasses many different aspects of English cricket; from everything that is done at Loughborough all the way up to the top of the game and the England team.\nHowever, he was only marginally responsible for the England team itself.\nThis new director of England role. Will he be a selector? Might he be a cricket supremo and we go back to the days of Raymond Illingworth with a selection committee of captain, coach and the director - for me that looks favourite at the moment.\nBut if that is the case, James Whitaker would not have a job in the near future either. From the way that it sounds that is where they are going. It all depends on how hands-on this new director of England cricket will be.\nJonathan Agnew was speaking to BBC Sport's Timothy Abraham.", "On Thursday, the 18-year-old striker joined Paris St-Germain - initially on loan - in a deal that will be worth 180m euros (£166m) by this time next year.\nThe France international became the hottest property in European football as he scored 26 goals in all competitions for the Ligue 1 champions last season.\nBut why has a teenager with just 46 first-team appearances and one full season behind him commanded a transfer fee usurped only by Neymar's 220m euro (£200m) move to PSG earlier this month?\nArsenal were among the clubs reportedly keen on Mbappe, with boss Arsene Wenger likening the teenager to another Frenchman - one who joined the Gunners as a 21-year-old in 1999 and went on to become the club's record goalscorer.\n\"Mbappe has similarities to Thierry Henry,\" Wenger said earlier this year. \"He has a huge talent.\n\"But of course, after that, what makes the career after is the mental aspect that Thierry had. This young boy has to show that he has similar qualities on the mental front that Thierry had.\"\nSome similarities between Mbappe and Henry are obvious: both are graduates of France's Clairefontaine academy, both started their career at Monaco, and both won the Ligue 1 title as a teenager.\nMbappe also has blistering pace, likes to cut in from wide areas and possesses composure in front of goal. And, like Henry, he has attracted the attention of Europe's biggest clubs by scoring plenty of goals.\nUnlike Henry, though, he is set to become the world's second most expensive player - and he is still in his teens.\nMbappe, who was born on the outskirts of Paris and started out at his local team AS Bondy, made his first-team debut for Monaco in December 2015.\nAged 16 years and 347 days, he became the youngest player in the club's history - beating the record set by Henry in 1994 - when he appeared as an 88th-minute substitute against Caen.\nThree months later, he became the club's youngest scorer with his first senior goal against Troyes. Who set the previous record? Henry.\nAll this happened before he had even signed his first professional contract...\n\"Since he was very young, he was known everywhere in Europe as the prodigy,\" said French football writer Julien Laurens.\n\"At 11, Real Madrid invited him for the first time to train with their under-12s and visit the club's facilities. At 14, it was Chelsea's turn. And then PSG. He eventually chose Monaco.\"\nAfter helping France win the European Under-19 Championship in the summer of 2016, Mbappe returned to Monaco aiming to build on his breakthrough season and secure a more prominent role in the side.\nCoach Leonardo Jardim started the teenager in the opening Ligue 1 match of the season against Guingamp but he was substituted before half-time because of injury.\nHis next start came on 21 October, scoring his first goal of the season in a 6-2 win against Montpellier, and he hit his first senior hat-trick two months later in a 6-0 win against Nancy.\nBut it was not until the start of 2017 that Mbappe started to score regularly.\nTen goals in nine matches, including one in each leg of their Champions League last-16 win over Manchester City, alerted a wider audience to his talents, and led to his first cap for France in a World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg in March.\nHis stock continued to rise as he scored three times in the Champions League quarter-final win over Borussia Dortmund, but his first-leg goal against Juventus was not enough to prevent a semi-final exit.\nMbappe also added five more league goals as Monaco won their first French title in 17 years, ending the season with more goals and assists combined than any of his team-mates.\nOnly PSG striker Edinson Cavani and Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette - who has since moved to Arsenal for £45m - had more of an impact in front of goal during the Ligue 1 season.\n\"When I watch him dribble, he's thinking. He thinks when he plays and that for me is the most important thing in a player. He uses his brain,\" Henry said. \"That is the sign of a kid who can go a long way.\n\"I'd tell him to develop your brain and become a killer. Develop your brain, your intelligence and your movement. What can you see? When you watch a match, don't just watch the ball, watch the movement off the ball.\n\"Understand quickly who is weak in the match, who you should attack and who you shouldn't attack.\"\nIf Mbappe stays at PSG for 10 seasons, scores hundreds of goals, leads them to multiple trophies and becomes a global superstar, it could prove to be a bargain.\nBut what happens if he does not settle? Or if he suffers a serious injury?\n\"We always tried before signing to know everything about a player,\" says Ramon Calderon, who - while working as Real Madrid president - was involved in the recruitment of several 'Galacticos'.\n\"We ask people who know him, how he behaves on and off the field. This is very important. We know they can come and be a failure if they don't adapt to the city or the club.\n\"Of course it is a risk that he is only 18. You can't ask anyone at 18 to be solid in the way he is going to behave in the future - you just don't know.\"\nPSG will have done their research on Mbappe's character \"by any means possible\", according to Calderon, and the consensus from those who know the teenager is his feet remain firmly on the ground.\nLast season, while he was lighting up the Champions League, the 18-year-old was still living in a room at Monaco's academy. His one luxury, it was said, was a TV with all the live football channels.\nAnd, after Monaco effectively sealed the French title in May with a 2-0 over Saint-Etienne, Mbappe was asked if he was going out partying to celebrate. His response? \"I'm going home to recover.\"\nWhen some of the world's best managers are queuing up to moan about over-inflated transfer fees, you know it is becoming an issue.\nA record £1.4bn was spent by Premier League clubs in this window. Manchester City paid out more than £200m, but manager Pep Guardiola said he would \"like to pay less for the club and for everybody\".\nManchester United spent £146m, and manager Jose Mourinho said some fees were \"amazing\". And that was even before PSG committed to spending a combined £365m on Neymar and Mbappe.\nFollowing Brazil forward Neymar's world-record move from Barcelona, Wenger described the accelerating inflation in transfer fees as \"beyond calculations and rationality\".\nMbappe's future fee represents a staggering 85% increase on the then-world record of £89m paid by Manchester United for Paul Pogba last summer.\nSupply and demand in a competitive market: Monaco wanted £166m and PSG - backed by the state-owned Qatar Sports Investments - were willing to pay it. Sounds pretty simple.\nBut why are the Parisians willing to pay such a fee for an inexperienced teenager?\nAgain, a pretty simple reason. Because the club's hierarchy think the outlay will be recouped through sponsorship, television rights and success on the pitch, says Calderon.\nHe was president at the Bernabeu between 2007 and 2009, laying the foundations for the then-world record signing of Cristiano Ronaldo before the £80m transfer was completed by his successor Florentino Perez in July 2009.\n\"Spending a lot of money or not depends on what the idea of the club is,\" Calderon said.\n\"Our idea at Madrid is to sign the best players, therefore you attract the main brands, the sponsors, the TV rights are higher, the friendly matches give us more money, we get more money for ticketing, and of course we get titles and the titles give us more money.\"\nClearly PSG, who have spent almost £850m since Qatar Sports Investments took over in 2011, are thinking the same.\nQuestions remain about PSG's financial model: how can they afford to spend a combined £366m in transfer fees alone on Mbappe and Neymar? And how can they get away with it under Uefa's financial fair play (FFP) rules?\nPSG made a profit of 10m euros (£9.2m) on revenue of 520.9m euros (£389.6m at the time of conversion) in the 2015-16 financial year, according to the most recent figures published by Deloitte.\nBy FFP rules, clubs are only allowed to make a maximum loss of 30m euros over the three-year cycle between 2015-16 and 2017-18. So committing to a net sum of £366m on two players alone this summer - albeit Mbappe's fee would be paid next year - appears to put PSG in jeopardy of breaking those laws.\nThe six-time French champions have failed to meet FFP rules before - receiving a fine, a spending cap and only being allowed to register 21 players for the Champions League in 2014.\nKieran Maguire, a sport finance expert at the University of Liverpool, said he believes there are a number of ways in which PSG can balance the books to avoid a penalty.\nThese could include striking new deals with shirt manufacturers, improved commercial deals - possibly with Qatari companies paying premium sums - or part of the players' wages going through the books of another company.\n\"I'm fairly sure PSG will have employed lawyers and financial advisers to identify potential flaws, weaknesses and loopholes in FFP,\" Maguire says.\n\"There is nothing to stop Neymar and Mbappe agreeing to sign for 'only' £65,000 a week and simultaneously sign an ambassadorial role for a Qatari company for £300,000 or £400,000 a week,\" said Maguire.\n\"If this is the case only the £65,000 a week would go through PSG's accounts and FFP would be satisfied.\n\"Uefa's FFP inspectors have no authority, I suspect, to review the private deals struck by players with non-football commercial sponsors, so would not have access to these deals.\"", "Tulloch Homes offered to provide money towards the construction of the proposed road, but on condition that it was completed by 2011.\nWork on the route is not expected to start until 2015.\nHighland Council and Tulloch said no discussions had been held yet on a new agreement on a financial contribution.\nLast month, BBC Scotland reported that Tesco was refusing to contribute £340,000 towards the cost of building the West Link because it was not completed as planned by October 2011.\nThe new road is needed to ease travel across Inverness and free up congested city centre streets, according to the local authority.\nIt could cost up to £34m to construct.\nLand along parts of the route has been earmarked for new housing.\nHouse builder Tulloch said that, along with other landowners, it was working with the council on a detailed master plan for the use of the land at Torvean and Ness-side.\nIn a statement, the company added: \"This includes a residential element, in accordance with the Local Plan, with all that would be entailed, including potential developer contribution.\n\"However, given that a crossing may be years away, we have not given thought to any planning application.\"\nHighland Council said that no new legally binding agreement had been reached with Tulloch Homes at this stage.\nIt also said no discussions had been held between the council and Tulloch's solicitors on the 10-year clause that depended on the road being built by 2011.\nIn a statement, the council added: \"Discussions have been held with all landowners, including Tulloch Homes, in the context of the Torvean and Ness-side Development Brief, which sets out the developer contributions expected from all new development within the development brief area.\n\"The Torvean and Ness-side Development Brief sets out the expected developer contributions for the West Link.\"\nHighlands and Islands Conservative MSP, Mary Scanlon, said the council had a responsibility after 10 years to go back and get an extension to the expiry date.\nShe said that, by not taking this action, commercial contributions to the cost of the road had been lost.\nMs Scanlon added: \"I think it's quite outrageous that this is a sum, in these very difficult financial times, that taxpayers will have to fund.\"", "However, it seems that is not so as new collections of pictures continue to emerge.\nTwo such bodies of work stood out for me recently. Both comprise portraits of people on the street from a similar time, the late 1970s and early 80s, which are now far enough away to seem like ancient history to the generation now picking up cameras for the first time.\nChristine Osinski's series, Summer Days Staten Island, was taken when she moved with her husband to what is known as New York's \"forgotten borough\" in 1982 after years of living in Manhattan. The move was enforced to some extent by rising rent prices and this led them to purchase an older property on the island.\nWanting to get to know the area and her new neighbours, she began exploring with her camera, later saying: \"It was an adventure first and became a project much, much later.\"\nThe portraits are direct, the clothes unmistakably of the time and even the poses seem naive, taken in the pre-selfie, self-worship era of today. They remind us what a talented photographer can do with a simple dark box, a lens and some film.\nAt around the same time on this side of \"the pond\", another American photographer, Al Vandenberg, was chronicling life on the streets of London.\nPerhaps best known for his art direction of The Beatles' Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover, Vandenberg had studied with some of the biggest names in the business, like Bruce Davidson, Alexey Brodovitch and Richard Avedon, before moving to London, living off the King's Road, in 1965.\nThere he built a successful career before giving it up to head back to New York, from where he hitchhiked through parts of the US and Canada, before returning to the UK in 1974.\nIt was at this time he began taking portraits of Londoners, the results as compelling at Osinki's. The faces stare back at the lens with an assurance that can only be found in the young.\nVandenberg walked the streets of London to make these pictures, freed from commercial ties and having to produce work on demand.\nHe wrote that once he stopped using his photographs for advertising consumer goods he had \"no visible means of support\".\n\"A lot of people believed in my art and gave me several helping hands and a great deal of support. It seemed that when I stopped making money I gained many friends,\" he added.\nHe was in a good place and that comes through in the open nature of the work.\nThis is perhaps best summed up by Martin Barnes, senior curator of photographs at the Victoria and Albert Museum, who writes in a book of the work published by Stanley / Barker: \"Vandenberg had an unconscious knack of being alert to the nostalgia of the future.\"\nTechnically the two approaches were very different, with Osinski using a large format 5x4 camera and Vandenberg an Olympus OM1 - the entire project shot with one lens and Kodak Tri-X film with it all printed on Agfa paper.\nThese are photographs to enjoy and to inspire - here is a small selection.\nSummer Days Staten Island by Christine Osinski is published by Damiani. On A Good Day by Al Vandenberg is published by Stanley / Barker.", "It's no joke. But Kareem Badr says people did laugh in 2009 when he and two friends paid $20,000 (£13,000) for the Hideout in Austin, when it wasn't making money and the previous owner decided not to renew the lease.\n\"We took over a sinking ship and each brought a bucket to bail it out,\" says Mr Badr.\n\"None of us had any experience of running a business. But we loved what we were doing enough that it carried us through.\"\nThree years ago he was able to quit his day job and draw a salary from the club.\nMr Badr says it's still not as much as he used to make as a programmer (about $80,000 a year), but he now employs around 25 part time and contract workers.\nAnd he recently expanded the premises, taking over the adjoining coffee house which sells alcohol, and leasing more theatre space.\nMr Badr says: \"I think my background in computer science helped because I can take a big problem, break it up into small chunks, and figure out how to make it better and more efficient.\n\"That's basically what we did for every aspect of the business. And by doing that it naturally started to improve.\"\nMr Badr may have been helped by national trends, which imply a growing enthusiasm for comedy clubs in the US.\nAn industry report from data firm Ibis World expects total US annual comedy club revenue to grow by 1.8% over the next five years to $344.6m in 2020.\n\"When the Hideout first opened it was the only improv theatre in Austin,\" says Mr Badr.\n\"But now there are five [comedy] schools and four theatres. We were at the right place at the right time.\"\nWhile the Ibis World report showed that dozens of US comedy clubs were forced to close in the wake of the 2008 recession, when fewer people had disposable income to spend on live entertainment, Stephen Rosenfield, director of the American Comedy Institute in New York, says stand-up comedy is now entering a new golden age.\n\"The US has comedy clubs all over the country, not just in big cities, and they require talent,\" he says.\n\"In any field there are those at the top who make dynastic fortunes. But because of the significance of the local comedy club, there is a career and a living to be made by good comedians who are not superstars.\"\nMr Rosenfield says the growing popularity of stand-up comedy is fuelled in part by younger audiences, who view humorous TV hosts such as Jon Stewart, Jay Leno and Steve Colbert as their primary source for news.\n\"It's not just entertaining them, it's also informing them,\" he says. \"There's a new immediacy to stand-up that makes it much more appealing to a generation that's on social media, tweeting, face booking and blogging.\"\nBut clubs don't only make money from entertainers. Alcohol alone can bring in as much as 40% of the night's takings, and many clubs demand that audiences buy a minimum number of drinks per person.\n\"A club really has three businesses going on,\" says Mr Rosenfield.\n\"It's an entertainment entity, a restaurant and a bar. They make money from selling drinks and dinners, and they make money from the cover charge.\n\"There are usually three people on the bill. The opening act is the new comedian. They do about 20 minutes and introduce the other comics.\nThe middle act does about half an hour, and then there's the headliner. They almost always have TV credits, and are the ones people are coming to see. That headliner could be making six figures a year.\"\nTop-tier performers make much more. According to Forbes, Canadian comedian Russell Peters grossed $19m with 64 shows in 2013, while industry veteran Jerry Seinfeld is the highest paid comedian in the US, set to earn $36m this year.\nSteve Byrne, 41, is a veteran stand-up comedian based in LA, and star of his own television show Sullivan and Son, which ran for three seasons.\nHe describes himself as a successful mid-level comedian who makes an annual six figure salary mainly from touring.\nAnd although he was close to hitting a million dollars a year before his show was cancelled in 2014, he says most comedians make money at clubs and do television to boost their brand rather than their income.\nMr Bryne says: \"Gigs vary because it depends what you're contracted at.\n\"If it's somebody starting off in the business it could be $1,500 a show. For somebody who's had some TV credits you could go from $4,500 to $7,500.\n\"And if you're just a knock out comic, then you're coming in and getting a door deal. You're taking all the tickets, and the club gets the concessions.\"\nMr Byrne says hard work is the key to success. There is no magic short cut, and few lucky breaks.\n\"The one single thing that an aspiring comedian should do is write, write, write. What is it that makes you laugh?\n\"Your voice should resonate with your audience. So find your voice and you will find your audience.\"\nWhile the music and film industries have been impacted by the internet, such as illegal downloads and reduced album sales, Mr Rosenfield says the online world has actually given live comedy a boost.\n\"The format of comedy, particularly stand-up, lends itself to digital media like nothing else. One terrific joke can get a million hits,\" he says.\n\"It's become a new metric for a club manager. If a booker sees that a comic has 500,000 online followers - they'll book him almost sight unseen. That's it.\n\"Digital is gigantically important and has been for a while.\"\nBut in the end, the success of comedy comes down to a very simple fact - people need to laugh.\nBack in 2001 Steve Byrne was a comedian in New York when terrorists flew two planes into the World Trade Centre on 11 September.\nHe says: \"We all thought 'who's going to come to a comedy club? The dream's over, I've got to get a real job now'.\n\"But after a week, I forget which club was the first one to open its doors, but it was packed. People needed an outlet.\n\"And I remember for months on end those clubs in New York City were just jam packed. That was the thing that told me that this was a profession that is foolproof.\"", "\"The costs of delay are felt in businesses going bust, jobs being lost, livelihoods being destroyed,\" he told the CBI employers' group. That was in 2012.\nWinning approval for major infrastructure investments has long been fraught with politicking and protest.\nAirport expansion is just the latest in a long list of problem projects.\nThe bill for upgrading the West Coast Main Line from London Euston to Glasgow and Edinburgh cost six times more than expected at £14.5bn.\nThe Channel Tunnel rail link, running through Kent into St Pancras station, was criticised by the National Audit Office for its \"hugely optimistic assumptions\" about passenger numbers and costs.\nDeciding whether to build new nuclear power stations took years - and then hit a problem of who would pay for them.\nThen there is the HS2 high-speed rail project. After years of consultation, HS2 looks to be going ahead. However, the precise details have not been finalised, and the bill for the first stage has yet to go through parliament.\nNow, a decision on whether to build a new runway at either Heathrow or Gatwick airport has been postponed for another six months. Still, after several decades of wrangling, what's another six months?\nRhian Kelly, business environment director at the CBI, says that once a project gets the green light, Britain tends to move very fast. It's arriving at a decision that is the tortuous part.\n\"By the time a decision is made, our competitors have often caught up or moved ahead,\" she says.\nNot all projects get mired in a political cul-de-sac.\nRichard Threlfall, UK head of infrastructure at the business advisory group KPMG, points to major successes, including the Mersey Gateway bridge, the Manchester Ship Canal, and Crossrail, the first complete new London underground line in more than 30 years.\nBoth look likely to come in on time and on budget, he says.\nThe UK planning process, which used to be much slower than in other countries, has been significantly improved, Mr Threlfall argues. And some projects can be fast-tracked to an early decision.\nA decision to build the Thames Tideway - a sewer running up to 20 miles from west to east London - benefited from this new streamlined process.\nYet, these examples seem to be the exception, not the rule.\nOne impediment to smooth decision-making is the relatively small size of the UK. Its dense population makes it harder to secure the space and necessary approval for big projects.\nImproving the UK's \"particularly ungenerous\" compensation scheme would help, Mr Threlfall says.\nHomeowners displaced by, say, the HS2 project, could be compensated up to the value of their home before the project was announced. But is that enough for someone whose life will be turned upside down?\nMore generous compensation would mean less opposition, and the extra financial outlay would be a drop in the ocean compared with a £50bn project, for example.\nMr Threlfall says the current compensation system \"ignores the fact that the whole of the UK will benefit. So why should that cost be borne by just the people on the route?\"\nCritics often accuse governments of short-termism. Infrastructure is a long-term issue, and governments can be reluctant to commit vast sums of money to projects that will take years to return benefits.\nBut Tony Travers, director of LSE London - a research centre at the London School of Economics - says the apparent reluctance to make decisions is usually due to politics, not resources.\n\"It is the government's sense of danger to itself that stops it making the decision. In west London [where Heathrow is located] the government has a lot of marginal constituencies and cabinet ministers who have seats in the area,\" he says.\nIt is hoped that the creation this year of a National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) - an independent body to oversee £100bn of spending on infrastructure projects - will help ease political indecision.\nThe commission will produce a report at the beginning of each Parliament and take a more strategic review, helping to take politics out of decision-making.\nThe NIC was recommended by Sir John Armitt, former chairman of the UK's Olympic Delivery Authority and head of a 2013 review of infrastructure planning.\nHe says its success will be a key test of whether the UK is prepared to change its ways.\nSir John says: \"The Airports Commission was incredibly thorough. If [government] cannot make a decision after all its work, then you have to ask how it's going to be for the NIC.\"\nPolitics cannot be taken out of infrastructure, and nor should it be, he says. \"But the role of politicians is to make decisions, even if they are unpopular ones.\"\nThe state of infrastructure planning is often compared unfavourably with Victorian times, when bigger sums of money in relative terms were spent on railways, bridges and sewers that are still used today.\nSir John points out that many of these projects were controversial and loss-making.\nBut the Victorians had a vision, self-confidence and industrial drive that forced projects through.\nProponents were better able to garner a broader consensus that developments were in the national interest. In other words, there was more emphasis on the \"big picture\".\nSir John believes that the focus today is too narrow, with too much emphasis on rigid cost-benefit analysis.\nThe costs of a project are added up, along with the benefits. And, hey presto, the financial pros and cons stretching over a couple of decades are deduced.\nThere needs to be much more socio-economic analysis, says Sir John. \"We look at some projects today [the Channel Tunnel or London's Jubilee tube line, for example] and ask: how did we ever survive without them?\" And yet both projects struggled to get off the ground.\nProfessor Diane Coyle says infrastructure projects are particularly inappropriate for standard cost-benefit analysis. The multiple variables make such an approach \"simple in principle, but extremely difficult in practice\", she wrote in the Financial Times earlier this year.\n\"In the UK, we seem particularly prone to short-termism… I think it is because we pay too much attention to the conventional economic approach to assessing projects.\n\"We have forgotten how to take the imaginative leap that inspired some of the most vital infrastructure of the Victorian age,\" she says.", "Mr Spicer is reportedly stepping down because he is unhappy with President Donald Trump's appointment of a new communications director.\nBut he told Fox News he had \"no regrets\" about his six-month stint.\nWall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci has been picked for the role that Mr Spicer had partially filled.\nThe shake-up at the White House comes amid several investigations into alleged Russian meddling in last year's US presidential election and whether Mr Trump's campaign team colluded with Moscow.\n\"The president obviously wanted to add to the team, more than anything,\" Mr Spicer told interviewer Sean Hannity.\n\"I just thought it was in the best interest of our communications department, of our press organisation, to not have too many cooks in the kitchen.\n\"Without me in the way, they have a fresh start, so that I'm not lurking over them.\"\nHe defended President Trump's agenda, saying it was an honour and a privilege to serve him, and hit out at what he termed \"media bias\".\nHe said: \"I was increasingly disappointed about the way the media here do their job - or don't do their job.\"\nThe 45 year old also said he had told Mr Trump he \"would stay on for a few weeks to achieve a smooth transition\", and was looking forward to spending more time with his family.\nPresident Trump tweeted: \"Sean Spicer is a wonderful person who took tremendous abuse from the Fake News Media - but his future is bright!\"\nThe New York Times reported that Mr Spicer had \"vehemently\" disagreed with the appointment of Mr Scaramucci, which he believed to be a \"major mistake\".\nMr Spicer's often chaotic press briefings over the past six months were a cable news hit, but in recent weeks he had withdrawn from appearances in front of the camera.\nIn an assured debut, he attended Friday afternoon's news conference to announce that Sarah Huckabee Sanders, formerly Mr Spicer's deputy, would step into his shoes.\n\"I love the president and it's an honour to be here,\" Mr Scaramucci said, adding: \"He is genuinely a wonderful human being.\"\nMr Scaramucci, who has no previous experience in communications roles, paid tribute to Mr Spicer as \"a true American patriot\" and \"incredibly gracious\".\n\"I hope he goes on to make a tremendous amount of money,\" he added.\nMr Scaramucci also apologised and said he had been \"unexperienced\" as he explained his previous criticism of the president.\nIn an August 2015 interview with Fox Business, he dismissed Mr Trump as a \"hack\" and \"an inherited money dude\" with \"a big mouth\".\nMr Scaramucci is currently senior vice-president of the Export-Import Bank, a US government agency which guarantees loans for foreign buyers of American exports.\nA former member of the Trump transition team, he mistakenly suggested to the BBC in January that Elton John would play at the new president's inauguration. The singer promptly denied it.\nLife on a White House staff is intense and exhausting.\nThis administration is under particular pressure, given the ongoing Russia investigation, recent legislative setbacks and a president who can be, shall we say, occasionally off-message. Now cracks in the structure are beginning to show.\nSean Spicer's departure, reportedly because he doesn't want to work for newly named communication director Anthony Scaramucci, represents the most significant shakeup within the administration's senior team to date. It could also be a sign of bigger tremors to come.\nMr Spicer was closely allied with White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, who was his boss last year in the Republican National Committee.\nThe Trump team has been rife with personal feuds, as various factions vie for a mercurial president's ear. Leaks abound.\nThe prestige and power of advisers and aides wax and wane. Media reports abound of a White House under siege.\nAnd just a reminder - the Trump presidency is only six months old.\nOn day one in January, Mr Spicer set the tone of his relationship with the press by bursting into the briefing room to berate journalists for their reporting of crowd numbers at President Trump's inauguration.\nHis proclivity for gaffes and garbling of his words, as well as making debatable assertions, soon made Mr Spicer a household name.\nBut he could also be charming and was liked by many among the press corps.\nMr Spicer was lampooned on topical comedy show Saturday Night Live, where Melissa McCarthy played him as a loud-mouthed bully who brandished his lectern at reporters.\nMr Trump noted approvingly in April that Mr Spicer \"gets great ratings\". A month later, the president said: \"He's doing a good job but he gets beat up.\"\nMr Spicer was roundly mocked after he reportedly hid by a hedgerow on the White House grounds to avoid reporters on the night Mr Trump fired the FBI director in May.\nHis last on-camera briefing was on 20 June, and there have been few since then.\nMembers of the media have accused the Trump administration of attempting to kill off the daily news conferences to avoid scrutiny.", "But since the 2008 financial crisis, their reputations have taken an almighty battering, and a growing number of technology-focused start-ups are intent on getting a slice of the action.\nCost has become the battleground and technology the weapon in this huge business: people send more than $500bn (£334bn) abroad each year.\nTransferWise, for example, says banks and independent money transfer giants such as Western Union and MoneyGram, charge about 5-8% in fees when transferring money abroad, and these fees are often concealed within the exchange rate.\nIt charges just 0.5% of the amount being converted. This can equate to a £100-£150 saving on a £5,000 international money transfer.\nFounded by Estonians Taavet Hinrikus and Kristo Kaarman, the firm achieves this by matching people transferring money in one direction with people transferring it in the other - so called peer-to-peer transfers.\nIn other words, you are in effect buying your currency from other individuals, thereby cutting out a big chunk of exchange rate and \"foreign transaction\" charges normally levied by banks.\n\"We didn't understand why transferring money had to be so expensive,\" says Mr Hinrikus, who was one of the first employees of Skype, the online communications company.\n\"With us, it's all about transparency - that's really important. We choose the mid-market rate when we transfer money.\"\nAnother key to their success - TransferWise has shifted more than £3bn of customers' money since 2011 - is the simplicity of design, he says.\n\"Banks are really bad when it comes to building consumer-centred products. People expect systems to be as simple as Skype, which we had experiencing building. We've been working on this system for four years - it's quite a piece of art.\"\nTransferWise supports more than 300 currency routes, recently launched in the US, and is in the process of adding other destinations like India and Nigeria.\nBut it does not support transfers into cash at the other end, as do many rivals, such as leader-of-the-pack Western Union with its 490,000 agent locations.\n\"We're a technology company at heart, not a bank,\" he says. \"We believe that the future of money is digital.\"\nThe company is hoping that even in developing economies, the majority of recipients will move online or go mobile.\nWith $91m (£61m) of backing from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, and support from Virgin entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, TransferWise may be forgiven for appearing bullish.\nBut there are others muscling in to this lucrative market, such as Azimo and CurrencyFair.\nBoth offer simple-to-use services, focusing on a wide range of markets and charging very low fees.\n\"We saw how customers' usage of technology was changing,\" says Azimo founder and chief executive Michael Kent. \"They were starting to use smartphones and keep in touch via Skype and Facebook. We knew the High Street model would go the same way as the traditional travel agent.\"\nAzimo focuses on markets such as Poland, Eastern Europe and the Philippines, but is now expanding into Africa and Latin America, he says.\nBut the way people like to receive money depends on the culture.\n\"In Africa, we send money to M-Pesa [the mobile payments system], whereas most orders to the Philippines are picked up as cash. Latin America is also keen on cash. But we we also pay straight into bank accounts.\"\nAzimo enables money transfers to 198 countries and offers 270,000-plus cash pick up locations, as well as home delivery.\nThe peer-to-peer lending operated by TransferWise is only useful for those countries where money is flowing fairly evenly in both directions, says Mr Kent.\nWhen it's foreign workers mostly sending money home, the direction tends to be one way, so \"peer-to-peer is less useful in those circumstances\", he says.\nAzimo offers eye-catchingly low transaction fees - from £1 - but the key is in the exchange rate these online companies offer, and this can make it difficult to compare costs on a like-for-like basis.\nBut on any measure, you are likely to get a better deal using one of these companies than a High Street bank.\nWorldRemit, another tech company attracting a lot of money from financial backers, sees itself competing with the major offline services, Western Union and MoneyGram, and focuses on mobile-to-mobile payments.\nIsmail Ahmed, its founder and chief executive, says: \"We send more transfers than anyone else to mobile money services - sometimes known as digital wallets.\n\"Although uncommon in the West, there are currently 259 of these services across the world, with more than half of them in Africa.\"\nIn many countries, there are more mobile wallets than bank accounts, says Mr Ahmed, with more than 100 million people estimated to use them worldwide.\nLike TransferWise, WorldRemit believes the future of money is digital, given the continued rapid rise of mobile phone adoption.\nSo what are the key technologies enabling such companies to undercut the banks and big operators?\nThe most obvious is the internet itself, allowing money transfer firms to offer their services efficiently and directly to consumers without having to maintain an expensive branch or office network.\n\"The internet gives new players a chance, although the barrier to entry is still high in our industry because of the tough regulatory standards that we have to meet,\" says Mr Ahmed.\nThen there's the plumbing behind the scenes, provided by the likes of Currency Cloud, that gives smaller companies easy access to the colossal, mostly speculative, global foreign exchange markets that handle more than $5tn of transactions every day.\nAnd the rise of the all-conquering smartphone app has proved to be the cherry on the cake.\nCrypto-currencies, such as Bitcoin and Ripple, could further threaten the dominance of the banks, enabling almost instant digital money transfers. But money-laundering concerns remain a barrier to their widespread acceptance.\nWhether such tech-focused upstarts can really challenge the likes of Western Union, which transfers more than $80bn a year, must remain in doubt.\nBut even a small slice of a very large pie is better than nothing at all.", "Announced in March, the then-culture secretary said changes were needed because a \"loophole\" was giving some people a \"free ride\".\nFewer than 2% of UK households only use catch-up services, TV Licensing says, but many who do are under 35.\nSome of them told the BBC whether the new law will affect them.\nSecond-year psychology student Chris Deyes, 24, says he's not going to pay for a TV licence and will be covered by his parents' licence.\n\"Generally I watch catch-up, especially at university - but I rarely watch the BBC except for The Great British Bake Off, The Apprentice and Match Of The Day. It wouldn't make much difference to me if I stopped watching it really,\" he said.\nFor Chris, paying the same fee to watch these shows on iPlayer as those that watch a lot of live TV seems wrong.\n\"I don't know why we are paying for a TV licence if we are only watching a couple of hour-long shows once or twice a week,\" he said.\n\"I do understand that if everyone watches on demand then they wouldn't make any money. But it's quite a lot per person in halls when my accommodation costs £142 per week,\" he added.\n\"I don't see why something like the free over-75s licence can't be brought in for students. Why can't we be exempt from paying? It's only three years off.\"\nRecent English literature and journalism graduate Sophie Moody, 22, from Suffolk, says she paid for a TV licence throughout her studies, and thinks the licence is worth the money overall.\n\"Even if you're watching TV on catch-up, you're still watching something that's been created with just as much work going into it,\" she added.\nSophie doesn't think the current licensing system is perfect though, because she thinks paying separately for their bedrooms in halls is unreasonable, and the content and archive on iPlayer needs improving.\n\"I do agree with giving a discount for people who are students too because I think it's unfair as we're studying,\" she added.\n\"It does seem a bit steep to make everyone pay the full fee. There's no way most students will be able to afford that... when they're living on tinned beans. People will just stream things for free,\" said 26-year-old Ruth Gaukrodger, an editorial assistant from London.\nRuth said after graduating university she got a TV and bought a licence, but still watches a lot of catch-up television on her laptop.\n\"Sometimes you sit down to watch something and it's not at the beginning, or you can watch iPlayer in the bath or in bed,\" she added.\n\"Students are aware of the cost of producing these shows, but for them it's a lot to pay for content when you have clear alternatives. A lot of the BBC shows appeal to a fairly older demographic too.\"\nShe added: \"I wouldn't have paid for the TV licence when I was a student, I would have stopped using iPlayer and paid for Netflix because it's cheaper and has a lot of US dramas, which is what I watched a lot of at university.\n\"I can see how some people are frustrated that they now have to pay for it, but a lot of people are watching TV online now so you've got to change your pricing to go with it,\" said junior doctor Adam Jones, 26, from Oxford.\nHe said he hardly ever watches live TV in his home except for the Six Nations and when he does watch television, he mostly watches documentaries and period dramas on catch-up.\n\"If you compare the monthly cost of a TV licence with the cost of going to the cinema or going out to the pub once a month, it's pretty reasonable,\" he said.\n\"I am watching all this stuff anyway, so somebody's got to pay for it.\"\nBut Adam thinks it will be difficult to 'police' the new system.\n\"How are you going to prove that people have been watching stuff after it's been on, if it's an online service that doesn't track exactly who's logging in and using it?\" he said.\n\"At the end of the day if people don't want to pay the TV licence they won't, they'll figure out a way of doing it.\"\nA TV Licensing spokesman said: \"We know the vast majority of people are law abiding and would anticipate those who need a licence for the first time will buy one.\n\"We have a range of enforcement techniques which we will use, and these have already allowed us to prosecute people who watch on a range of devices, not just TVs.\"", "This little den is festooned with quaint mementos. Ranks of black-and-white photographs line the walls.\nOne image hangs slightly prouder than all its counterparts, its contents elevated to mirror their position in the former Scotland full-back's grand career.\nThe picture was taken in 1959. Thirty blazered Lions peer through the glass frame, preparing to embark on a five-month odyssey to the other side of the globe, the mighty All Blacks lying in wait.\nThat tour was a voyage of extreme physical and psychological resilience - 33 matches and more than 30 flights, four punishing Tests and provincial battles that could get every bit as tough, swashbuckling back play and one towering goal-kicker.\n\"It was a hugely exciting prospect and looking back, it was the trip of a lifetime,\" Scotland, now in his 81st year, recalls.\n\"It was very much a player-led tour. I read there's something like 90 people on this year's tour. We had two staff - the manager and his assistant.\n\"His job was to hand out the 10 shilling-a-day pocket money, and dole out Rothmans cigarettes, if anybody wanted cigarettes.\n\"There weren't many smokers but one or two took them because, like being in jail, they were a form of currency.\n\"[The staff] didn't appear at training, and once we were on tour, we were travelling twice a week, playing twice a week. The team who were playing the next game would have a run-out, that was basically led by whomever was captain that day.\"\nThe cream of British and Irish rugby, bereft of a coach, puffing on Rothmans and trading smokes like inmates. An absurd image? Perhaps, but this was 1959, the year Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba and The Sound of Music opened on Broadway. Neil Armstrong was still a full decade from taking one small step for man.\nScotland chuckles now about the \"supposedly non-stop\" flight that took three days, and seven refuelling pit-stops to reach Melbourne, and meanders through the \"low-key\" six-match preamble in Australia.\nThe whole business seems hilariously alien today, yet some tenets of the trip are every inch as valid now as they were then.\n\"With Gregor Townsend's Scotland team, the watchword seems to be speed - it's getting a lot of publicity in the press,\" Scotland says, thumbing open the handwritten diary he kept to chronicle the tour.\n\"As it happens, our watchword on the 1959 tour was speed, set out by captain Ronnie Dawson. It's amazing how things come around.\n\"Back play in New Zealand at the time was actually at a pretty low ebb. It was a very forward-dominated game. We wanted to play 15-man rugby, which they just didn't do.\n\"To do that, you've actually got to have extremely good forwards, because unless you're getting good ball, your backs are going to be knackered.\n\"We only had 15 forwards to play 33 games against tough, forward-oriented opposition. No replacement forwards came out. We had three replacement backs but no forwards. I don't think praise can be too high for the level they sustained over that number of games.\"\nWith the forwards' mettle holding against the beefy titans of New Zealand rugby, the Lions backs could play, stunning the Kiwi punters and press with their attacking elan.\nScotland, a dashing 22-year-old, came fizzing into the backline in a manner that belied traditional full-back play. In the first Test at Carisbrook, the Lions ran in four unanswered tries, only to be conquered by Don \"The Boot\" Clarke, Scotland's powerful opposite number, who boomed over six penalties.\n\"We at the time thought it was grossly unfair,\" Scotland says. \"We got to a point where we were 17-9 ahead with maybe 15 minutes to go, and we had scored four fairly convincing tries.\n\"Don Clarke then kicked three goals - two of them were debatable. One went straight over the top of a post, and as a full-back, that's something you're very conscious of.\n\"Not only were there were no neutral referees, but of the touch judges, one was a New Zealander, and one was one of our players who didn't play. We provided a touch judge for every game. Our man Mick English didn't signal. That kick was given.\n\"Some of the players felt the refereeing was absolutely awful. He was just an average referee doing his best, from where I was. But he never refereed again - certainly not an international.\"\nMany a Kiwi was said to be mortified at winning an international in such dour, try-less fashion. The All Blacks snatched the second Test too, Clarke again the tourists' tormenter, scoring and converting a last-gasp try, before soundly beating the Lions in the third for an unassailable 3-0 lead.\nThen came the final showdown at Eden Park, the fortress of New Zealand rugby, where no Lions side had ever prevailed, and none has triumphed since.\n\"There was a huge feeling of anti-climax after the first Test. We always thought if we got enough ball we could score points and that was true other than the third Test, where we actually played very badly.\n\"In the last Test, we scored three tries to their none, on a terrible, wet, muddy Eden Park pitch which was really suited much better to them.\n\"In some ways, that sums up the spirit of the tour, because when we lost the third Test, we still had about seven or eight games to go.\n\"The adrenaline had gone, we had a number of injuries, we were down players, but we actually managed to win all the other games.\n\"And in terms of sheer team spirit, that's the best I've ever come across. Everybody really just gritted their teeth and decided that we were going to get some compensation out of it.\n\"We lost two provincial games in the South Island to Canterbury and Otago. When we got to the North Island, every side was absolutely desperate to beat us, and every Saturday game was a real tough physical and mental battle.\n\"It became more mental towards the end. Our 30th game was in Whangarei, where the 2017 boys started.\n\"They had a huge pack of forwards, and all the pre-match publicity was about what they were going to do to the tiring Lions. We were going to get absolutely stuffed, and they were going to be the first side from the North Island to beat the Lions. We actually hammered them - and we took that into the final Test.\"\nAfter almost five months away from work, wives and familiarity, the Lions stopped off in Canada for two more Tests, before at long last setting course for home.\nWithin two days of arriving in Edinburgh, Scotland was coerced into running out for Heriot's, the club where his rugby infatuation began, and where he can still be found every other Saturday.\n\"I think largely because the players make more mistakes, but are still quite ambitious in the style they're playing, it's a better game to watch than the Pro12,\" he says. \"I actually find most of the Pro12 stuff pretty dreary.\n\"It's so brutally hard now, there is no space, so they're running into each other, and it's very, very repetitive.\n\"It's money that's talking. You get some multimillionaire who might be very fond of rugby, but is used to winning, so he uses his money to produce a fabulous team. It doesn't impress me all that much.\n\"It's much better to rely, as they used to, on local talent. You can't be playing quite so much from the heart if you're playing from your wallet. I don't think that's being overly cynical.\n\"Having said that, I think the guys currently playing for Scotland do it because they enjoy playing and are ambitious to play for Scotland - all things that I wanted to do.\n\"But none of my contemporaries that I speak to wish they'd been playing in today's game. Whether they made money or didn't was totally irrelevant. We enjoyed each other's company, got on well together, and had respect for each other.\"", "Set an improbable 478 to win, Essex resumed on 89-2 looking as if saving the game was the only realistic target.\nLawrence shared two century stands to help get the job done for the hosts.\nHe extended his overnight partnership with Tom Westley (61) to 135 before adding a further 102 with Ryan ten Doeschate (41) as Essex reached 316-6.\nLancashire were made to rue the two opportunities they squandered to remove Westley the previous day, on 10 and 11, when he was dropped twice.\nActing captain James Anderson was miserly, his first six overs going for just two runs. But, by the time spinner Stephen Parry knocked back Westley's off stump in mid-afternoon, he had used up 58 overs with Lawrence.\nThere then suddenly followed some hope for the visitors as it proved to be the first of three wickets in eight overs.\nRavi Bopara was caught behind with the new ball off Kyle Jarvis, who then tempted Adam Wheater to hole out to Haseeb Hameed in the covers in his next over.\nBut Lawrence, who now has five first-class hundreds to his name at 19, found another partner in captain ten Doeschate to thwart Lancashire's hopes of a first win in 12 County Championship matches.\nSeamer Jarvis added a third wicket when he trapped ten Doeschate with half an hour's play still to go, but there was no further Red Rose breakthrough.\nLancashire now head to The Oval on Good Friday to face Surrey, when Essex will be at Taunton to face Somerset.\nEssex batsman Dan Lawrence told BBC Essex:\n\"This is my favourite hundred because I've managed to bat all day and get the team out of a bit of a hole.\n\"It's important not to celebrate a draw. We had our backs against the wall and had a really tough first three days, and it took a lot of character from a lot of the boys today to fight through and get a draw.\n\"It's nice to know we're not going to fall down whenever someone puts a lot of pressure on us. We really want to thrive in Division One.\"\nLancashire head coach Glen Chapple told BBC Radio Lancashire:\n\"We feel that we dominated the game, played good cricket and had a good chance to win at the start of the day, in the knowledge, though, that the pitch was getting a bit easier.\n\"Getting them six down we can look at things we could have done a little bit better but on the whole we have to be fairly pleased with our efforts.\n\"I thought there was some good quality cricket and the team played as a unit how we want them to play.\"", "Colin Ingram led the home effort with a gritty unbeaten 72, sharing stands of 62 with Aneurin Donald (36) and 78 with David Lloyd (37).\nNotts claimed three scalps in the first 20 overs but had to labour hard for wickets.\nThe visitors still have a full day to record a fourth Championship win.\nIngram reined in his attacking instincts to bat for five hours as Glamorgan dug in stubbornly for much of the day, despite Steven Mullaney's inventive efforts in the field as acting captain.\nLloyd supported Ingram for 42 overs before Luke Fletcher had him caught at slip with the second new ball for his second wicket.\nStuart Broad got through 23 wicket-less overs conceding just 37 runs.\nGlamorgan batsman Colin Ingram told BBC Wales Sport:\n\"We let ourselves down (in the first innings) with the way we played, it's not where we want to be as a team and I wanted to make sure I kept it nice and simple and prepared to grind it out.\n\"Sometimes you've got to take those options, that's what red-ball cricket teaches you. I like to hit the white ball out of the ground but this was a good lesson for me to stick to a simple plan and grind it out, to see where I can go.\n\"It was nice to see everyone committed to a stronger performance today and nice to see the way the young guys (Donald and Lloyd) played as well.\n\"We'll just keep it simple, their bowlers have bowled a lot of overs and the pitch isn't doing too much so if we can keep gutsing it out, you never know where we can go.\"\nDebutant Notts batsman, India's Cheteshwar Pujara, told BBC Radio Nottingham:\n\"I'm used to fielding for two days, especially in Indian conditions where you expect any team to bat for at least 90 overs. We expected better results today but they batted well, we're still nearly 50 runs ahead and we hope to get five more wickets,\n\"I'm getting used to the conditions, I had jet-lag initially but I'm over it, I'm getting used to the weather and conditions and hitting a few balls every day so hopefully I don't have to bat in the second innings, but if I do I'll be prepared.\n\"I knew Samit Patel because he played in 2012 when England toured India, apart from (Patel and Broad) I didn't know many players but they are really friendly and I'm enjoying the dressing-room atmosphere.\"", "His presence here marks the first time the Vatican has attended the South by Southwest Interactive conference, and their panel - titled Compassionate Disruption - is one of this year's most talked about events.\n\"In a world where increasingly [we're] not invited to part of conversations, I think if people are interested in having us, we're delighted to be here.\n\"I want to learn and get a feeling for what are the things that are driving a generation of people who are in many ways shaping the world as we know it.\nHe glanced around the room.\n\"Really deep down, I see a lot of people looking for some sort of connectivity.\"\nThat's certainly true - though I get the sense for delegates here that means good wi-fi, rather than a strong sense of faith. So Bishop Tighe's mission is to get this industry to find real value in both.\nAs the Vatican's Adjunct Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture, one of Bishop Tighe's many responsibilities is to run the social media accounts for the Pope, as well as considering ways in which the Catholic Church can stretch its influence into our digital lives.\nFive years ago, Pope Benedict decided to set up a Twitter account - @Pontifex - which is continued today by Pope Francis. It was a decision the Church at the time felt was hugely symbolic.\n\"There's an environment that is kinda rough,\" Bishop Tighe said.\n\"There's a lot of trolling, a lot of negativity.\n\"But if the people who want to use it for good withdraw from it, then the trolls have won. There is a potential here to build connections, to learn from people who might surprise us.\"\nThe Bishop winced a little as I asked him whether Pope Benedict received a warm welcome on Twitter.\n\"There was a welcome from many, but there was a huge amount of negativity,\" he said.\n\"There were people saying 'let's launch a Twitter bomb, lets force them out of this environment'. But we stuck with it and said 'no, this is too important a forum'.\"\nHe said the current Pope handed down a clear strategy for communicating - not preaching - on Twitter.\n\"When Pope Francis gave us our instructions he said 'the one thing I want you to be above all is try to encourage people. It's a tough world, it's a hard world, let's be at least encouraging'.\"\nTen years ago, SXSW Interactive enjoyed what's still its most significant moment - the \"launch\" of Twitter. The service had been around for a little while before appearing at the festival, but it was here that its popularity skyrocketed.\nThe Vatican was hesitant to get involved, unsure of how to interact with the new medium - and whether it should be there at all.\n\"Maybe for the Church this world has disturbed us, has disrupted a lot of our ways of forming community. It's making us think again about how to do our business.\"\nPart of that business, he suggested, was in making people consider what kind of online world they want to exist in, and how to achieve it in the face of increased hostility and division. In explaining it he coined a phrase that may just resonate with his audience here.\n\"A few years ago, everyone was talking about User-Generated Content. But I think we also need to recover a sense of User-Generated Culture. That's the choice of individuals.\n\"If you're spending your day with a lot of negative stuff in the environment, it's easy to imbibe that, to take that on board. But the challenge for all of us is to try and say 'yes, I'm going to be there, but I'm not going to be conditioned by the less positive sides of that'.\"\nWhile it's the Vatican's first time at SXSW, it's certainly not the first technology conference it has attended. Bishop Tighe also attended Web Summit in Lisbon last year, and there, as it is here, the hot topic was the growing power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).\nI put it to him that we are living at a time when the majority of people are far more likely to search Google for answers than they are to pray. When the Amazon Alexa in the corner of my kitchen can give me immediate answers based on data, why turn anywhere else?\n\"All the data in the world will still leave room for choices that I have to make,\" he said. \"If we say big data will tell us what's right or wrong, then I am no longer an agent, and my choices have been determined for me. That doesn't correspond to my experience of being a human.\"\nMore profound, he said, will be the emergence of artificial intelligence and robotics in the working environment. Money aside, he argued we should be concerned about what a lack of work could do to our sense of self worth.\n\"Let's not romanticise it - some of the work that might be displaced is fairly tough, dangerous work and fairly menial. Maybe it's no great loss.\n\"[But] we need to reflect on how human beings who work are not just economic units producing products, they're people with stories and families.\"\nI finished by asking him whether, given the chance, he'd offer some advice to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg over how he could change the world's largest online community for the better.\nTo my surprise, he didn't want to change anything - but he made a plea for technology innovators and entrepreneurs to consider how to involve the Church and others in building their products.\n\"I think it's really a time for a good, robust conversation between programmers and people who are coming form different ethical and philosophical positions.\n\"We must ensure that our human values and achievements, in terms of respecting dignity and the worth of people, will somehow be programmed into the machines we work with.\"\nFollow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook. You can reach Dave securely through encrypted messaging app Signal on: +1 (628) 400-7370", "Alonso's best lap of 219.533mph was well down on the fastest of 222.894mph set by Ed Carpenter, but only 14 drivers of the 33-car field posted representative times.\n\"It was tricky, definitely,\" the two-time Formula 1 champion said.\n\"The conditions didn't help, but for me any condition is still a good lesson.\"\nStrong winds can be a major hazard on an exposed superspeedway track, where average lap speeds are so high, as they significantly affect the car's stability in corners.\nAlonso said: \"Everything went according to plan. The team used those runs also to test something in the background on engine tuning, so it was a productive day.\"\nThe 35-year-old Spaniard is competing at Indy - and on an 'oval' track for the first time in his career - at the expense of the Monaco Grand Prix, as he bids to secure the next leg of the so-called 'triple crown'.\nOnly Graham Hill has so far managed to win Monaco, Indy and the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race.\nMedia playback is not supported on this device\nHis presence in the race is a major draw, in both the US and around the world, and Alonso joked that the attention on him was a bonus for the other drivers, with fans allowed close to the pits at Indianapolis.\n\"There is a lot of support here from the fans,\" he said. \"They get very close to us here in the pit lane, in the garage.\n\"It seems that everywhere I go they follow me. I think some of the other drivers are taking advantage of that. They wait until I go, then they go without trouble.\n\"It's the way it is. I'm new here so they all need the autograph for the first time. I hope tomorrow they don't need it for the second time.\"\nAlonso has to use the five days of practice this week to get into the best possible shape for qualifying on Saturday and Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which comprises just four left-hand turns but is an extreme challenge for drivers.\nAlonso, who is driving a car branded for his McLaren F1 team, powered by Honda, which provides his engine in F1 and run by the Andretti Autosport team, said: \"From the outside, compared to F1 circuits, this looks - it is - more simple. Only four corners.\n\"But the spread in terms of timed lap from first to last is just small details on the set-up of the car. Maybe you change a spring and you pick up 3-4mph and that makes three or four places.\n\"From the outside it seems too simple but what we are testing is just the fine-tuning on the set-up to gain milliseconds here and there.\"", "He said she told him to \"go harder,\" a phrase similar to what Mr Evans claims she used with him in a hotel room.\nThe Chesterfield striker denies raping a 19-year-old at a Premier Inn in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, on 30 May 2011.\nMr Evans, 27, was found guilty of rape at Caernarfon Crown Court in 2012, but his conviction was quashed in April.\nThe former Manchester City and Sheffield United player denies having sex with the woman while she was too drunk to consent.\nHe insists she agreed to let him \"join in\" while she was having consensual sex with fellow footballer Clayton McDonald, 27, after a night out in Rhyl.\nA man who said he slept with the complainant multiple times in the months leading up to the alleged offence said he picked her up after a night out on 28 May 2011 and described her as being drunk when he took her home.\nThe man - who cannot be named - said she \"came on to\" him in bed, saying: \"Are you not even going to rip my clothes off?\"\n\"I was quite shocked,\" he said. \"At the beginning I was a little bit nervous. The relationship we had was purely based on sex.\n\"I was very shocked with the words - she was expecting sex to happen as soon as we got into the house.\"\nHe said the complainant \"dictated\" how the sex occurred and told him to \"go harder\".\n\"She was a lot more confident. There had been a break between that time and the previous that I had slept with her, so I was a bit shocked to how much more confident she was,\" he added.\nProsecutor Simon Medland QC asked why he never mentioned the phrase \"go harder\" in his initial statement in September 2011 but did in a statement in December 2015.\nHe said he was not asked for details in the first interview and did not feel comfortable discussing it in that way over the phone.\nThe second interview was in person, and he was \"made to feel at ease\" and asked for more details, he added.\nMr Medland asked the witness if he was aware of a £50,000 reward offered for any information that might lead to Mr Evans' acquittal before he gave evidence at the footballer's appeal.\n\"No,\" he replied, saying he would have a \"lot more to lose than to gain\" if he had given evidence for money as he would most likely lose his well-paid job.\n\"The money I could get paid in the next 20 years outweighs a small lump sum,\" he said.\nThe trial continues.", "Last month 174 people who worked in traditionally-female roles won a ruling at the Supreme Court over the pay.\nThe £757m includes claims by that group and hundreds of other city council workers.\nThe remaining money the council still has to pay out is budgeted into the £600m it says it has to save by 2017.\nCouncil leader Sir Albert Bore said the equal pay ruling had left the Labour-run council in a \"horrendous position financially\".\nHe reiterated warnings that entire services run by the authority, which has an annual budget of about £1bn, would have to be \"decommissioned\" to meet the budget shortfall.\nHe said he also expected the figures of claims to rise \"but by how much, we don't know\".\nSir Albert refused to give a figure of how many people could potentially submit claims.\nThe council leader said the authority could only afford to borrow £429m of the £757m figure without having to get special dispensation from the government to take out more loans.\nThe equal pay settlement figures were released publicly for the first time as part of a report to council chiefs by auditors Grant Thornton.\nThe council said at the end of March it still had to pay out £541m of the total £757m in claims.\nIt has predicted that by 2015-16 the council will have to pay about £75m a year to finance the debt.\nThe group of 174 former employees - all but four of them women - were dubbed the Abdulla Group after the woman whose name was at the top of the list, won the court ruling in October, which could have implications for other workers.\nThe former staff had worked in such jobs as cooks, cleaners and care staff for the council and had discovered they had been denied bonuses given to staff in traditionally male-dominated roles such as refuse collectors and street cleaners.\nBy Kathryn HamlettBBC News Online, West Midlands\nSir Albert Bore is getting used to delivering bad news.\nThree weeks ago he revealed how the council was having to make £600m of cuts over six years - £200m more than originally thought.\nAt Monday's press briefing he kept using \"horrendous\" to describe the position the council found itself in after the equal pay ruling.\nThe £757m figure includes the claims made by the Abdulla group and also another large group of former workers.\nThe council says they account for by far the majority of the claims it has - and will - receive.\nBut legal experts had said last month's ruling could have \"huge implications\" for not just Birmingham, but other councils and private firms.\nSo how much more could Birmingham's council have to pay out in the future?\nCouncil leaders say they have a figure of how many people are potentially eligible - but are too coy to reveal it publicly.\nThe Supreme Court rejected the council's argument the claims should have been submitted through an employment tribunal within a six-month time limit of leaving their jobs.\nJoan Clulow, 71, was one of the women who was part of the Abdulla group and worked as a home carer for the city council in Bartley Green and Weoley Castle for 27 years.\nShe said: \"The council could have saved an awful lot of money if they had listened to us in the first place.\n\"I worked hard - I worked on Christmas Day, whenever they wanted me to. I don't feel guilty at all.\n\"I did a good job and I enjoyed my job - I deserved that pay.\"\nSir Albert said the city council was not the only authority in that situation, and that the Abdulla ruling had \"implications for many more in the public and private sector\".\nHowever, he added the council was committed to abiding with the law.\nA series of public meetings is due to start in the next few weeks to get taxpayers' views on which services should be cut.\nThe council leader said he had now ruled out holding a referendum among voters about whether to increase council tax by more than 1.6%.", "Ministers are giving head teachers across the country direct access to the £120m.\nThe money is being divided according to how many children in primary classes and the first three years of secondary school are entitled to free meals.\nThe list reveals that 2,513 primary, secondary and special schools will benefit from the new scheme.\nThe money is in addition to the funding schools receive from their local council.\nThe Scottish government will give the money directly to head teachers who will be able to spend it on whatever they think will help them raise attainment.\nThe cash was originally going to come from changes to council tax bands, but will now come from the government's own resources.\nAfter publishing the details, Education Secretary John Swinney said: \"I want every child in Scotland to have the best possible start in life, and it is unacceptable for children from the poorest backgrounds to have their chances limited by circumstances outside their control.\n\"This government has made clear our priority is to close the poverty-related attainment gap and our new £120m Pupil Equity Funding is aimed at doing just that.\"\n£120m\nValue of the fund\n100,127\nPupils who will benefit\n1,928 - Primary schools\n358 - Secondary schools\n112 - Special schools\nDalmarnock Primary in Glasgow will receive £278,400 from the fund.\nIts head teacher Nancy Clunie said the money would make a \"huge difference\" to children at the school.\nShe added: \"We already do a lot of work with our partners to put on activities involving parents to improve the health and wellbeing of the whole family, as less stressed children make better learners.\n\"For example, we have a weekly family meal and homework group and a summer club during the school holidays. The Pupil Equity Funding will enable us to expand these activities\".\nFollowing publication of the attainment fund details, Labour's education spokesman Daniel Johnson said that the SNP's \"sums simply don't add up on schools funding\".\nHe added: \"Ministers cannot cut the gap between the richest and the rest while they slash £327m from local education budgets across Scotland.\n\"Head teachers will see this new funding alongside shrinking budgets, so it's simply SNP spin after £1.4bn of cuts since 2011.\"\nThe Scottish Green Party's education spokesman Ross Greer said it was \"just not true\" that the £120m pot of money was additional when they are \"proposing deep cuts to council budgets\".\nHe added: \"If we're really going to close the gap between the most and least privileged children we won't do it through education alone.\n\"We need to eradicate child poverty through better paying jobs, warmer and more affordable homes and strong public services, which Greens are fighting for in parliament and in councils across Scotland.\"\nLiz Smith from the Scottish Conservatives welcomed the government's bid to reduce the gap, but she was worried children in smaller schools had missed out.\nOf 2,500 primary and secondaries, 114 mostly smaller schools would be getting no money this year.\nMs Smith said: \"It's essential no pupils who need it miss out on this cash.\n\"There does appear to be a higher number of schools in Scotland being left out than in England.\n\"Now the Scottish government needs to provide assurances that this is because the money there is not needed, rather than a fault in methodology.\"", "Moyes, 54, stepped down on Monday after just one season in charge.\nThe Black Cats' relegation to the Championship was confirmed in April, with Moyes' side finishing bottom, having won only six games.\nSutton said the Scot would be able to find a new role outside the top flight.\nHowever, speaking on BBC Radio 5 live's Monday Night Club, he added: \"Would he want a job in the Championship? I think he might end up in China.\"\nAfter 11 years in charge of Everton, Moyes left in 2013 to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United but was sacked after 12 months into a six-year deal at Old Trafford.\nHe was also dismissed after a year in charge of his next club, Spanish side Real Sociedad, before taking over at the Stadium of Light when Sam Allardyce left to become England manager.\n\"He'll find it very, very difficult to get a Premier League job but lots of Championship sides will offer him a job - he doesn't need the money but he's got the drive and the desire,\" former Leeds right-back Danny Mills told 5 live.\nMills added that relegated Middlesbrough could be a good fit for Moyes, should they not appoint caretaker boss Steve Agnew on a permanent deal, as they \"have money to spend\".\nFormer Chelsea winger Pat Nevin said Scotland could \"do a lot worse\" than appoint Moyes if current manager Gordon Strachan decided to step down.\n\"[Moyes] has had three bad seasons in a row for a variety of reasons but he'll probably go to the Championship and relaunch his career from there,\" added Nevin.\nSunderland narrowly avoided relegation last season and Moyes warned supporters just two games into this campaign that his squad would again struggle.\nSutton said Moyes' comments had \"sucked the life out of the club\" as they had been \"on a high\" after staying up under previous boss Allardyce.\nHowever, Nevin replied: \"I don't think there was a lot of life there.\"\nNevin added that he was not surprised at Moyes' departure and was \"sold a pup\" when he took over, because he was expecting more money available for transfers.\n\"He's not going to stay on if he's been told he won't be given enough funds to make them competitive because his attitude is he's a winner and he wants to win,\" said Nevin.\nSutton was also critical of Sunderland chairman and owner Ellis Short.\n\"Swansea and Crystal Palace invested in January and backed their manager - Sunderland were buying Everton's reserves,\" said Sutton, referring to deals for Darron Gibson and Bryan Oviedo.\n\"If Moyes resigned because there wasn't enough funds then who would take that job? It's a high-pressured job at a big club and they'll want backing too.\"", "Perhaps inevitably, given her high profile and her legions of fans, it's also sparked a debate about the art of court sketches.\nMany have criticised the court art, arguing that the drawings look nothing like Taylor Swift - or joking that the artist must be a fan of her rival, Katy Perry.\nEnd of Twitter post by @KVJShow\nAnd it's not the first time court sketches have been mocked online - sketches of pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli and NFL player Tom Brady have also seen their fair share of memes and comments.\nEnd of Twitter post by @MarcSnetiker\nEnd of Twitter post by @Local12\nBut actually, court sketches play an important role in modern trials - and the artists say there's a lot more to the job than just sketching a likeness.\nIt's often the only way we can get a visual insight into how a trial looks.\nWhile cameras are allowed in many US courts (and some trials are even televised), cameras are banned from federal courts.\nInstead, court artists are used to capture key moments of the trial - including a speaker's expressions, emotions and body language.\nWatch: The art of the court trial\nArtist William Hennessy Jr, who has covered high-profile trials including those of Chris Brown and Mike Tyson, says it's a challenge because \"nobody's there to pose for you\".\nCelebrity court cases are particularly tough because \"the more people know the individual, the more critical they're likely to be - so the pressure is on for you to get the likeness accurate\".\nHe likens the job to being a court reporter.\n\"You want to think journalistically - you're providing a visual for a story,\" he tells the BBC. \"You want to do it in context and provide a feeling of what a courtroom is like.\"\nJane Rosenberg was behind the 2015 sketches of Tom Brady that went viral.\nAfter they sparked dozens of memes online, she apologised for \"not making him as good-looking as he is\" and said she had been \"under a lot of pressure to work very quickly\".\nShe did try again - and people were pretty happy with her follow up effort - with one newspaper saying she had nailed it.\nSketch of US footballer goes viral\nChristine Cornell, a court artist who sketched the Bill Cosby trial, agrees the job involves \"hideous deadlines\".\n\"You have to get it down very fast - essentially [the moment] the hearing's over is when they want the drawing,\" she tells the BBC.\nShe says the least amount of time she's had to do a sketch is about half an hour, although \"an hour is more typical\".\nAs if the time pressure isn't bad enough - sometimes courtrooms are so crowded the artists can hardly see the person they're meant to be drawing.\n\"The best hearings are without a jury, when the judge may allow the artist to sit in the jury box - then you're actually looking at the faces of the people you're drawing,\" Ms Cornell says.\n\"However, if you're coming in for a hearing you're going to be put in the public area - in which case you're looking at the back of everyone's heads.\nIn those cases, she says, court artists need to be good at capturing a person's face from quick glances.\n\"He may turn to speak to his attorney before the judge comes in, for 30 seconds - you may see his face when he walks in through the door and turns to face the front - those are the moments you wait for so you can capture their likeness.\"\nIn the case of the Bill Cosby trial, she was designated a seat behind a pillar - which she describes as \"drawing under the very worst of circumstances\".\nLuckily, she had practised drawing him during the pre-trial hearings where she was allowed in the jury box - \"so I could draw him very well with just brief glimpses\".\nIf you think US court artists have a tough job, spare a thought for their cousins across the pond.\nIn the UK, most courtrooms ban cameras - and artists are prohibited from sketching people in court as part of the 1925 criminal justice act.\nThe artists have to make notes during the hearings - and then draw their impressions from memory.\nJulia Quenzler, a court artist in the UK, told the BBC in a previous interview that she would write brief notes about the hair, facial features, clothing and body language of the main players, before scuttling off to the press room to commit the image to paper.\nMany judges are against the idea, arguing that that it will change how people behave in court, intimidate witnesses, and make judges and lawyers more likely to perform for the cameras.\nOthers though argue that cameras would allow more transparency - and give the public a better insight into how the judiciary operates.\nA day in the life of a court artist\nWhen can you take notes in court?\nMs Cornell argues that \"photos are very unfair in the courtroom, where there's supposed to be a presumption of innocence\".\nSketches are less intrusive, and capture \"a combination of moments rather than one moment\", whereas a photo or still of someone's expression can be taken out of context, she says.\nCourt sketches are like \"drawing with your heart - and a camera doesn't have a heart\".\nFor journalists, there's one other benefit of knowing a courtroom artist.\nWhen the White House banned cameras from some of its press briefings, CNN sent Mr Hennessy there instead.\nHis sketches of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer attracted a fair amount of media attention, and he said a lot of journalists \"kind of got a kick out of seeing me\" in a room where cameras weren't allowed.\nSo it's fair to say that even though some court sketches go viral for all the wrong reasons, journalists will keep sending artists to places where cameras are forbidden.", "Support for the Arts Council of Wales (ACW), National Museum Wales and the National Library will be cut by 4.7% in 2016/17.\nThe museum said the loss of £1m will \"inevitably\" have an impact and the ACW said it was \"very concerned\".\nDeputy Culture Minister Ken Skates said cuts in Wales had been \"a lot smaller\" than those in England.\nHe was speaking during a visit to NoFit State Circus in Cardiff where he took part in a flying trapeze lesson.\nThe budget for Arts Council England will receive a cash increase over the next five years, but it follows cuts since 2010 that have been deeper than those in Wales.\nThe Welsh government argues that it has offered comparative protection to the arts in Wales, and that cuts in England have been more damaging.\nBut arts funding is diverse, and cuts to local authority budgets on both sides of the border have had a significant impact on companies that rely on their local councils for financial support.\nThe Welsh government has given NoFit State a £24,000 grant to enable them to stage their successful Bianco show in New York next year.\n\"There is always going to be a role for government to provide core funding for arts organisations,\" he said.\n\"The budget reduction this week is a lot smaller than what we've seen in England, where they've seen the loss of a number of arts organisations. That's not going to happen in Wales, and I'm determined to maintain that.\"\nMr Skates said additional project funding, like the grant given to NoFit State, allowed special events and tours to take place which helped to attract new visitors to Wales.\nACW will meet on Friday to discuss its new budget, which will be cut by £1.5m.\nIn a statement ACW said it remained \"very concerned about the ongoing pressure on Welsh government funding and hope that investment in future years will allow us to ensure that the arts in Wales continue to be the great success story that they currently are.\"\nNational Museum Wales said its new budget will be cut by £1m (4.7%), \"which will inevitably have an impact on our services to the public\".\nThe National Library, at Aberystwyth Ceredigion, said it \"will need to secure additional funding from other sources\" to mitigate against the cut.\nACW chairman Professor Dai Smith urged more people to consider private donations to support cultural organisations.\nEarlier this week the philanthropist David Seligman donated a \"significant sum\" to Chapter arts centre in Cardiff.\nIts theatre and studio spaces will now be renamed in his honour.\nIt comes as elsewhere in the city, the council is proposing to cut funding for the Artes Mundi prize and for BBC Cardiff Singer of the World as part of its budget squeeze.\nAndy Eagle, chief executive of Chapter, said: \"We're a very successful operation - with a cafe bar and restaurant which produces a lot of the income but we're reliant on ACW funding for interesting art projects.\n\"To make up the shortfall we need to find ways of generating money to keep an interesting programme.\nProf Smith said: \"It's difficult in Wales to call upon money but when you have it, look at the Donald Gordon Theatre at the Wales Millennium Centre, the work Mathew Prichard has done and David Seligman and if we go back think of the Davies sisters' bequest to the National Museum.\"\n\"But even if those individuals did not exist, Wales would need the arts to be publicly funded and in that sense we the taxpayers are all philanthropists.\"", "But days later Taylor Swift, the global popstar, published an open letter to Apple. She was shocked, she says, that during the three-month free trial for new subscribers, Apple would not be paying musicians for the songs its users streamed. \"We don't ask you for free iPhones,\" she wrote. \"So why should we give you free music?\"\nApple quickly caved. But by then, the spat had reignited an important debate: does streaming reward artists fairly? There are other concerns too. Does it affect the quality and variety of music that's made? And does it change the way we listen?\nIn other words: is streaming good for music? Here, four experts give their views to the Inquiry programme.\nLucy Rose is a 26-year-old British singer-songwriter. She started by recording songs in her parents' living room.\n\"We put a video up and it was only from people sharing that YouTube video that actually anything happened with me. I was unsigned, playing small gigs, but that was a real big break for me.\"\nAfter her videos and songs got millions of plays on streaming sites, a record company took her on, and began to promote her, even in countries where she didn't have a physical record out.\n\"We got flown out to do some shows in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and China, and that was only possible because these streaming services were exposing my music to people that probably wouldn't have heard it otherwise.\n\"I feel like it's getting harder and harder to survive in the music industry and to get established in any way. Not as many people are buying records as they used to, which makes things a lot harder for us. Because if people don't buy my record... I will get dropped by my label.\"\n\"I was interested in the number of streams I got on Spotify and I think it was around five million plays of the entire album from start to finish, in America, which for me was really exciting. But at the same time I didn't see any money from that... so I don't think it's actually made a difference how the company sees me as an artist.\"\nSpotify says that for five million individual plays, it pays $25,000. But they don't pay artists directly: instead they pay the artists' labels and publishers who own the music.\nChris Carey works for Media Insight Consulting, a boutique consultancy focusing on data in the music industry.\n\"The reality for music streaming is you are changing the business model. You're going from paying for all your consumption upfront to almost paying as you go, so you get much smaller payments but you get them much more often. So rather than getting paid once for your album you instead get remunerated every time someone listens.\n\"There's a tightrope to be walked between valuing the artists appropriately for the work, but also then convincing consumers to pay.\n\"There's an argument that says the free service and the premium service are too similar. I think the challenge is to make the premium service even better rather than simply making the free service worse.\n\"The pricing would be different if we hadn't gone through the illegal downloading world but I think the fundamental challenge we've got is that music is undervalued as a result of that first step and what we're now doing is playing catch-up, that we're trying to compete with free.\n\"If you look at the decline of the recorded music industry, we are a small fraction of where we were 10, 15 years ago. We're now arguing about how we get out of that hole. For people who are innovating in that space, I'd be very happy to defend them.\n\"I think it's a giant opportunity if streaming can become a mass-market activity.\"\nCarrie is a music fan and vinyl obsessive who got her first job in a record store aged 20.\n\"I have streaming in my office and I can listen to music all day long and maybe not tell you the next day most of the artists I listen to. But if I'm purposely taking out a record that I own and putting it on, I'm choosing what that is and I'm connecting with it more.\n\"I just really like the idea that I'm holding the physical artefact of what the musicians wanted you to have, what they created in their brain, you know. You can listen to it when you want and you can hold it.\n\"I was obsessive, like a lot of people, about reading the liner notes and learning about, oh, what does this person do, oh, this person was on the other album too, this other band, they must know each other.\n\"I think streaming has turned out to be, and will continue to be, an incredibly effective discovery tool. The fact that you can think of a song or read about an artist and you can go and listen to the music and have this giant listening station at your discretion is fantastic.\"\nLars Ulrich is the drummer with Metallica, the heavy metal band that's sold more than 100 million records.\n\"I believe streaming is good for music. I mean the thing that I read a lot is that people sit there and go, 'I'm not getting paid very much for streaming.' But there's one major thing that gets overlooked in that argument and the whole thing is that streaming is a choice on all fronts.\n\"It's a choice for the fan to be part of, it's a choice for the artists who are involved in making their music available on streaming services. It's a choice by the record companies that represent the artist. Fifteen years ago those choices didn't exist.\n\"Streaming probably does benefit artists with higher profiles. And if you listen to the playlists a lot of these playlists that are being made available for people in the streaming service, they seem to feature higher profile artists and that just seems to be the way it's sort of playing out right now.\n\"One of the main reasons I connect less with new music in my life now is because there's less great new music to connect with. A lot of the stuff that's been played is just regurgitated, this year's flavour, this thing, but it's not people on the leading edge like the Beatles or the Miles Davises or the Jimi Hendrixes taking us all by the hand into these completely unknown, uncharted musical territories.\n\"When there's less people buying music, there's less money generated back and record companies take less chances and instead of promoting 500 records a year, they promote 50 records a year and they don't put the same amount of money into breaking new art. The saddest thing about all of this is that there's less and less money being put into younger artists and there is a danger of younger artists coming close to extinction.\n\"Thirty, 40 years ago I would get on my bike, drive to the record store, spend time figuring out which record I could buy by listening to a bunch of them. By the time I got home I would end up spending every minute of my free time for the next week just acting with this particular record.\n\"Nowadays music, to an extent, for some people it's become kind of background noise.\"\nThe Inquiry is broadcast on the BBC World Service on Tuesdays from 12:05 GMT/13:05 BST. Listen online or download the podcast.", "The pair, dubbed \"fashion icons\" by the Chinese media, last met in March 2014 and their fashion styles have been widely compared in Chinese publications.\nAs a nationally renowned former folk singer, Chinese media have often paid attention to Ms Peng's fashion sense over the years. But given Michelle Obama's \"undeniable\" sense of style, the media say what both women wear \"will be closely watched\".\nThe two first ladies are expected to visit the National Zoo on Friday to look at the giant pandas.\nMuch was made of Michelle Obama's sense of style during her last visit to China in March 2014. Popular news portal Sina devoted a full page to what both first ladies wore, with the headline banner: \"This March, a first lady fashion storm will be blowing in. Are you ready for it?\"\nMany popular Chinese fashion magazines, including Self, carried images of their outfits.\nThe China Daily newspaper said the pair had \"much in common\", were \"symbols of glamour\" and stood \"uneclipsed by their more powerful husbands\".\nAs a folk singer, Peng Liyuan was famous long before her husband came to power.\nThe Hong Kong daily, South China Morning Post, said recently that \"her fashion style has made her a global sensation\" and her fan club on popular microblog Sina Weibo - which has over a million followers - keeps a close eye on what she wears to diplomatic events.\nWhen Ms Peng wore a striking red dress to China's 70th World War Two anniversary parade this September, a \"political clothing expert\" in the Hong Kong's pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao said her decision to wear a \"classic Western-style dress\" rather than a traditional cheongsam \"sent a signal - that China is an international community not restricted to Chinese tradition\".\nAnd when she visited Seattle, thousands of netizens commented on her outfit. \"Mother Peng's style has become the benchmark\" said one user, generating more than 200 likes. Others said she looked like a \"goddess\" and her clothes were \"really beautiful\".\nAs Michelle Obama is already recognised in the US for her fashion sense, China's media have started to weigh in on who will win in the fashion stakes.\nFashion magazines are eager for a sartorial rematch between the two.\nThe South China Morning Post has described their forthcoming meeting as a \"much-anticipated fashion face-off\", triggering a huge online response.\nPopular Chinese website Tencent News describes Ms Peng's fashion sense as \"elegant and refined\" while Ms Obama's style is \"undeniable\", noting that she has \"repeatedly been the face of American fashion magazine covers\". It also highlights the fact that both women made the prestigious Vanity Fair international best dressed list in 2013.\nBBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan received a ceremonial welcome in the capital ahead of a state banquet on Tuesday evening.\nAt Buckingham Palace the president was sitting between the Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge, who was making her state banquet debut.\nThe Queen hailed the \"milestone\" visit and declared Anglo-Chinese ties were being taken to \"ambitious\" new heights.\nBefore the banquet, the Chinese leader met the Duke of Cambridge, and then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.\nPrince William was scheduled to spend about 30 minutes with the Chinese leader in the 1844 Room of the palace.\nBefore heading to Buckingham Palace, Mr Xi had afternoon tea with the duke's father, the Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall, at Clarence House. Prince Charles had already met President Xi several times during the course of the day.\nPresident Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan viewed an exhibition of items from the Royal Collection after having lunch with the Queen and Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace.\nOne of Mr Xi's engagements on the four-day visit included addressing MPs and peers in Parliament's Royal Gallery during which he said he believed his visit would lift UK-China relations to a \"new height\".\nEarlier in the day the Queen and Mr Xi visited Buckingham Palace, arriving in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, while China's First Lady Madame Peng and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, travelled to the palace in the horse-drawn Australian State Coach.\nThousands of supporters lined The Mall hoping to watch the cavalry parade and catch a glimpse of the president and Queen as they travelled to Buckingham Palace.\nAcross the capital colourful lanterns, flags and dragons brightened up the streets to mark the visit.\nBut not all were pleased about the visit with some protests breaking out on Parliament Square and The Mall over China's human rights record.\nMembers of the ceremonial guard underwent an inspection at Horse Guards Parade before the Chinese president arrived.\nThe state visitors and dignitaries came together during the official welcome ceremony at Horse Guards Parade.\nPrime Minster David Cameron made the most of being able to talk to the Queen while they and many dignitaries waited for Mr Xi and his wife to arrive at the royal pavilion on Horse Guards Parade." ]

[ "I ordered these steaks only to have them arrive very bloody, wrapped in freezer wrap with no labeling present at all. I am thankful that I did not<br />send them to someone else! This proves that every meat company selling on the internet should be required to be USDA inspected. This package had absolutely no<br />food safety precautions at all. <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DTMLTK\">New York Prime Meat USDA Prime 21 Day Aged Beef Loin Filet Mignon Steak, 1-1/2-inch thick, 2-Count, 10-Ounce Packaged in Film & Freezer Paper</a>" ]

[ "I love popcorn, especially cheese popcorn and caramel popcorn. This mix is super and I have to say this is the very best popcorn I,ve ever tasted and my family agrees. The popcorn is tender and there's hardly any hulls. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!", "Minor`s has the best beef base i`ve ever tryed. It is not very salty as most beef stocks are. The price is a bit high , but i think it`s worth it. Don`t wast your money on other brands. TRY MONOR`S !!!!", "My six year old son loves these crackers. They are the only kind he'll eat and I 've tried at least half a dozen. I've used them as substitutions in several recipes without anyone noticing.", "These sardines are larger and tastier than many I 've tried costing more. The taste in olive oil is purely lite and tasteful. Add some tabasco, for added pop.", "good enough i/ve set this up for 24 dinners per month to be delivered. no preparation other than heat and eat. the food tends towards mildly spicy, but is really very good for what you pay.", "This is the worst coconut milk ever. My wife is Thai and we had used this brand before and appreciated that it was organic and BPA free cans. However, now its made in Sri Lanka and the quality of the coconut milk is unacceptable. The packaging is completely misleading as the product looks nothing like the image on the label. I would give it zero stars if that was a choice. I now have 11 cans of inedible coconut milk.", "Hawaii Roasters coffee is awesome!!! I discovered it when I received a gift basket from a co-worker last year and have been trying to find a way to buy it ever since!!<p>It is smooth, full-bodied, and comes in a great package!!<p>You'll love it!", "If you enjoy the clean taste of ONE or Vita Coco, this may too sweet for you. I thought it tasted weird and fake. It was the worst plain coconut water I have ever tasted.", "I bought this decaffeinated Midsummer's Peach tea directly from Harney, when they had it on sale for $5.95 a tin. I don't know if there was some mixup with the decaffeination process or what, but the tea in the tin I received certainly had some sort of stimulant in it -- if not caffeine, then something just as potent. I know tea contains theophylline and theobromine as well as caffeine. But I was expecting less of a stimulant effect from this tea than I get from regular tea, not more of one. I'm still baffled as to whether I received \"caffeinated\" peach tea that was mispackaged, or whether the removal of the caffeine somehow increased the amount of theophylline and/or theobromine enough to offset removal of caffeine.<br /><br />As for the flavor, I was a bit disappointed. It's not the worst tea I've ever had, but usually Harney tea tastes better. The peach flavor wasn't even the best \"fake peach\" flavor I've ever tasted. And if the tea doesn't have the benefit of no caffeine (or other stimulants), you might as well buy a better tasting tea.", "worst excuse for Mocha Java we have EVER experienced in the past 35 years ! Mary and I couldn't have been more disapointed. We aren't coffee snobs...we just love Mocha Java... and this isn't it for us.", "Amla oil has the worst smell i ever smelled in my life! I had tried it ones and that was enough for me. I am blonde. Oil made my hair one shade darker and thats a no-no.", "Cream brand name of corn starch is the worst cornstarch EVER. Yes, it is cheap but it is really awful. It never thickens right unless you use a ton of it, which results in a weird texture.", "I have a son in the military and send him Amazon packages at least once a month. I mean, what can you say about Fruit Rollups? They are the same that you can buy in the store. What I love about them is that they stay fresh for ever and with Amazon Prime, my son gets them within 48 hours. I know he shares them with the other guys on base and they love receiving these 'care packages' from Amazon. Thanks!", "<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RHSX9G\">OYSTER MUSHROOMS,(DRIED) 1 lb.</a><br /><br />Very good product quality. These rehydrate and cook up fantastically. The seller's packaging was far and away the best I've ever received. I will purchase from Angelina's again for certain...", "I am in LOVE with bacon. This spread, however does not taste like bacon at all and is probably the worst tasting food product i've ever put in my mouth. It tastes like mayonnaise mixed with sardines. I would not recommend this to ANYONE." ]

[ "It shows that anyone earning above £75,300 is in the top five per cent of taxpayers. In 2017, polling firm Yougov looked into what kind of salary Britons think makes a person “rich”. The results showed that people in the UK think the top 10 per cent of earners – those bagging on average £60,500 a year – are wealthy." ]

[ "$10,000 is “money” but not a lot. I consider a lot of money the same thing as being wealthy. I consider being wealthy having a net worth that starts between $5 and $10 million, and truly wealthy starting at over $25 million.", "A single person needs to earn £18,400, while working parents with two children need to earn at least £20,000 each, the study found. Pensioners appear to have become less frugal, with their budget aligning to those of working adults. Pensions: how much money do you need for retirement?", "Money is simply the currency needed to exchange for goods or services, while wealth is the abundance of money or material possessions. I don't have a lot of money, but I consider myself wealthy far beyond cash or possessions.", "The difference between being rich and wealthy That's because rich people spend a lot of money, but wealthy people save and invest most of their money. ... Instead, a wealthy person saves as much money as possible and invests it in assets. That might mean buying real estate or investing in the stock market.", "Another difference between the two is knowledge. Wealthy people know how to make money whereas rich people only have money. ... Ultimately, being wealthy means that you're financially free — no matter how much money you make. It's not how much money you make that matters, but how long that money works for you.", "So what makes a 'comfortable' retirement income? Ultimately it depends on how you want to spend your retirement. Research suggests that a couple in the UK need an annual combined income of £47,500 to have a retirement with few or no money worries, while a single person would need £33,000.", "['Do I need life insurance if I already get it through work? ... ', 'How much does life insurance cost? ... ', 'How much life insurance should I consider? ... ', 'How are death benefits paid? ... ', 'Will my premiums change or increase over time? ... ', 'How can I save money and still get the coverage I want?']", "['What are your sales? This is always the first question. ... ', 'What do you bring to the table? ... ', 'Why do you need our money? ... ', 'Why the big valuation? ... ', 'Is your product unique? ... ', 'How much debt do you have? ... ', 'How much inventory do you have? ... ', 'What are your costs?']", "['How much money do we want to spend? vs. How much money can we actually spend? ... ', 'How many guests do we want to invite? vs. Who can we not imagine getting married without? ... ', 'What vendors do we need for our wedding? vs. ... ', 'What do we want our day to look like? vs.']", "Originally Answered: How much money can you deposit in cash within the UK before the bank ask questions? There's no set limits. Just what is 'unusual'. So if you claim to be a market fruit seller, bringing in exactly £10,000 every day would be considered unusual.", "A life coach can charge a little or a lot per hour. There is no one figure to say how much money or how many sessions you will need. But, if you are not happy where you are, but are confused as to what you need to do to get there, then a professional coach is the best answer for you.", "['\"Do You Have My Back No Matter What?\" ... ', '\"What Do You Consider Cheating?\" ... ', '\"How Much Honesty Do You Believe Is Actually Needed In A Relationship?\" ... ', '\"How Do You Think You\\'ve Changed Over The Past Few Years?\"']", "['What are you? ... ', \"What's your sexual orientation? ... \", 'Do you plan on having children? ... ', 'How much money do you make? ... ', 'How much do you weigh? ... ', 'How old are you? ... ', 'Do you have a health issue? ... ', 'What religion do you practice?']", "['How much money do you need? ... ', 'What does your credit profile look like? ... ', 'How will you use the money? ... ', 'How will you repay the loan? ... ', 'Does your business have the ability to make the payments required under the loan? ... ', 'Can you put up any collateral?']", "[\"you're on a low income or out of work.\", \"you're 18 or over (there are some exceptions if you're 16 to 17)\", \"you're under State Pension age (or your partner is)\", 'you and your partner have £16,000 or less in savings between you.', 'you live in the UK.']", "The lower limit is £6000, so any capital below £6000 is disregarded. The upper limit is £16000, so anyone with savings (capital) over £16,000 cannot get Universal Credit.", "['How do I retire?', 'When can I retire?', 'How much money do I need to retire?', 'How much will I spend in retirement?', 'Should I retire early?', 'When should I take Social Security?', 'How do I apply for Social Security benefits?']", "The average credit limit in the UK is between £3,000 and £4,000, though the limit you get will very much depend on your income and credit history. If you've a lower income and/or a poor credit history, you're likely to get limits starting around £200 with a maximum of £1,500.", "Almost everyone in the UK gets a Personal Allowance automatically. This is the amount of money you can earn before the taxman can touch it. The Personal Allowance for the 2020/21 tax year, for example, is £12,500. Anything you earn below that is tax-free.", "The standard Personal Allowance is £12,500, which is the amount of income you do not have to pay tax on. Your Personal Allowance may be bigger if you claim Marriage Allowance or Blind Person's Allowance. It's smaller if your income is over £100,000.", "Being wealthy is equivalent to the first statement, while having money is equivalent to the second. Having money does not make you wealthy, but having the ability to make money, through net income generating assets such as businesses, investments, or even just your own skills, that makes you wealthy.", "How Much Do You Need to Travel Thailand? You don't need to spend a lot of money in Thailand. If you're backpacking Thailand, plan to budget between 825–1150 BHT ($25–35 USD) per day.", "What does a New Zealander need before they can consider registering as a foreign nurse to work in the UK? As long as you have a nursing degree, and are a qualified nurse, you do not need any other experience to work as a nurse in the UK.", "Au pairs in the UK do not have the same employment status as regular workers and employees. However, depending on how much pocket money they receive, they may have to pay income tax and National Insurance.", "If your household income is £6,530 or below, you'll get the maximum amounts above. If you earn above this, your tax credits award will be reduced by 41p for every £1 you earn.", "A popular way to estimate this figure is the '70 per cent rule', which states you will need 70 per cent of your working income to maintain the lifestyle you want in retirement. So if you retire on a salary of £50,000 you would be looking at achieving an income of around £35,000.", "A family earning between $30,000 and $50,000 was considered lower-middle class. For high earners, a three-person family needed an income between $100,000 and $350,000 to be considered upper-middle class, Rose says. Those who earn more than $350,000 are rich.", "['Step 1: Financing. Financing is considered to be the first step since you will want to know how much money you can borrow and how much of your funds you will need to make the purchase. ... ', 'Step 2: Land Purchase. ... ', 'Step 3: Planning. ... ', 'Step 4: Delivery. ... ', 'Step 5: Setup and Connection to the City.']", "In terms of how much money you'll need to retire, the AARP will tell you that $1 million is a good goal to aim for.", "If you're willing to do the work and can stomach the risks, here's how to retire by 30: Change the way you think about money. Calculate how much you need to retire early. Reduce your expenses to ramp up your savings rate.", "['How much money do you make? ... ', 'Are you pregnant? ... ', \"Why aren't you married? ... \", \"Why don't you want/have kids? ... \", 'Do you believe in God? ... ', \"How much does your house/rent/car/purse/child's tuition cost? ... \", 'How many people have you slept with?']", "The difference between being rich and wealthy That's because rich people spend a lot of money, but wealthy people save and invest most of their money. Wealthy people might have a lot of money, but they don't spend it all in one go." ]

[ "Nearly 40 years after the Watergate scandal, Watergate, Thomas Mallon's latest historical novel, captures both the metastasizing dishonesty and the ludicrousness of this great American tragedy of political ambition run amok. The book considers the break-in — that botched \"third-rate burglary\" that was a bad idea in the first place made far worse by attempts at a cover-up (and then a cover-up of the cover-up) — from the perspectives of several of the perps and their supporters, as opposed to the legal team and journalists charged with untangling their unbelievably knotted web of deceit. Mallon's book is thus more explanatory than accusatory. His emphasis is on the inanity of the whole mess rather than the darker implications of such rampant disregard for the law. With many of the key players now dead, Mallon's narrative glides along what he calls \"the always sliding scale of historical fiction.\" He writes about what actually happened, with some additions — adopting what he termed, in a recent New Yorker article, the \"as well\" model of \"alt-history,\" as opposed to the \"instead of\" model. Watergate, like Mallon's previous historical novels (which include Henry and Clara and Dewey Defeats Truman), manages to combine extensive research with the tools of fiction to provide a new perspective on an iconic episode in American history. It is sufficiently faithful to the facts to offer a compelling (if initially disorienting) introduction for those who missed this astounding story as it unfolded in the early 1970s, and a fresh view for those who haven't thought about it in years. The novel is immeasurably enriched by the fictional liberties Mallon takes. These include not just thoughts and speech attributed to Pat and Richard Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Howard Hunt, Fred LaRue and Elliot Richardson, among others, but two not entirely convincing made-up supporting characters who give Pat Nixon and Fred LaRue each a lover as part of their secret past. Mallon endearingly explained in his New Yorker piece, \"I simply couldn't resist giving Mrs. Nixon a larger share of happiness than life did.\" Fiction also allows Mallon to ascribe psychological motivations to his characters' behavior, based on their back stories. In his telling, what caused Rose Mary Woods, the president's loyal secretary, to erase 18 1/2 minutes of tape wasn't so much her protective impulse for her boss of more than 20 years. Rather, it's her anger at a conversation between Nixon and his chief of staff, Bob Haldeman, in which Haldeman makes a disparaging remark about her that Nixon doesn't bother to refute. Compounding lie upon lie — a recurring theme of Watergate the novel as well as the historical event — Woods admits to having erased only four or five minutes in an accidental maneuver that would have required the flexibility of a contortionist. Since we'll never know what was really on that missing segment of tape, Mallon was free to invent. Similarly, he's embellished the role of Fred LaRue, a top Nixon campaign official who personally delivered payments from a secret White House fund to the burglars after the Watergate break-in but who always maintained that Nixon did not know of the burglary beforehand. Mallon highlights LaRue's unresolved guilt over his role in a hunting accident that caused his wealthy father's death. Adding a sexy, tough, former girlfriend who's working on the McGovern campaign and who literally holds the secret to LaRue's past in the form of a letter in her desk drawer, Mallon spins a somewhat ridiculous comedy of errors that has Jeb Magruder triggering the Watergate break-in for the wrong target. What's sobering is that it's hardly more absurd than explanations on the historical record. Like Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey, Alice Longworth, the tart-tongued nonagenarian daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, has some of the best lines in the book — many of them actually hers. She presciently warns her friend Nixon before his landslide second election: \"Once McGovern is finished off, all of his supporters will be like fleas who've lost their dog,\" and she refers to the president's counselor turned star witness, John Dean, as \"The Tortoiseshelled Tattler.\" Watergate is the sort of book that will ensnare you in its web of intrigue while raising as many questions as it answers. It sent me to the Internet repeatedly to see who served how long in which prison, who died when, and what Rose Wood's re-enactment of her record-button \"mistake\" actually looked like. Unshackled from the historian's burden of proof, Mallon manages to deftly capture the peculiar mix of unbridled ambition, bumbling ineptitude, hubris, cluelessness and dishonesty that sparked such an all-consuming crisis in American government. His sympathetic, sad Pat Nixon sums it all up with her reflection that \"Watergate was enormous, colossal; and it was nothing.\"" ]

[ "What would happen if you could get to work each morning on the bus for free? Or if you could take your kids to the movies and get there for free? Would you drive less? Would it help you afford the other things you need? Public transportation is supposed to be the low-cost alternative. For millions of Americans, it's a lifeline if they can't afford a car, or if they live in a city where there are no other alternatives but public transportation. New York City is the mecca of mass transit. More than 5.5 million people ride the subway every day, and recently, the city began a crackdown on people who break the rules and ride for free. But which communities suffered most under this enforcement? What does it take to give residents a free ride? Can any city do it? And once you do it, can you sustain it? Joining us to talk about these questions are Laura Wagner, senior staff writer at Vice; David Jones, MTA board member; Angie Schmitt, transportation writer; and Daniel Rivera, mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts. Like what you hear? Find more of our programs online.", "A common complaint of bands playing Latin Alternative music is that it's almost impossible to be included in the lineups of the big multi-day summer music festivals that take place across the country. With very few exceptions, mega-fests like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Coachella ignore the music and its fans. Latin Alternative enthusiasts often go to those festivals anyway, of course, because we don't just listen to one kind of music and are fans of the bands, big and small, who play those events. Fortunately, though, there are now summer music festivals that feature bands from Latin America, Spain and the U.S. that play rock, hip-hop, noise, pop, trap and just about any other form of contemporary Latin music. That's the good news. The bad news: Most of them happen on the same weekend. Which creates a challenge for us at Alt.Latino to get out and visit with the musicians and fans who attend those festivals. But, as they say in The Godfather Part II, it's \"difficult, not impossible.\" So, with a little help from our friends, we bring you four festivals in three cities, all taking place within 48 hours of each other: Nuevo Fest in Philadelphia, Ruido Fest in Chicago, and the Afro Latino Fest in New York City — the last of which is coupled with the Latin Alternative Music Conference, an annual gathering of Latin Alternative musicians and fans that's been going for 17 years now. This week's show is packed with summer fun and music. Maybe next summer we'll see you at one of these fests! Watch performance videos from Nuevo Fest at WXPN's Latin Roots and interviews from Ruido Fest on Alt.Latino's Facebook page.", "After President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey and after reports that Trump asked Comey to stop an investigation into Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn, several critics of the president &#8212; Republicans and Democrats &#8212; have raised the issue of impeachment. Here & Now&#8216;s Jeremy Hobson talks with Allan Lichtman (@AllanLichtman), professor at American University and author of the book &#8220;The Case for Impeachment,&#8221; about the history of impeachment and how the process works. Interview Highlights On whether there&#8217;s something different about calls for President Trump&#8217;s impeachment, compared to previous presidents &#8220;I think there is. I&#8217;ve disagreed politically with many presidents. But I&#8217;ve never suggested that they are impeachable. We should not be impeaching Donald Trump because we don&#8217;t like his policies, we don&#8217;t like his style, we think he&#8217;s too brash. Rather, as the great expositor of impeachment &#8212; and the Constitution &#8212; Alexander Hamilton said, &#8216;We move to impeachment because of the misconduct of public men, the violation of some public trust, and these relate to injuries done to society itself.&#8217; And we have certainly seen at least probable cause of that, if not proof of that, as yet. &#8220;Certainly, there is probable cause of obstruction of justice, when it comes to investigation of collusion with the Russians. There is certainly probable cause of violation of the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which basically says a president can&#8217;t take anything of value from a foreign power. We&#8217;ve already seen Trump take things of value. For example, while president, he received approval from China for some 38 potentially lucrative trademarks. So we are really in uncharted territory here when it comes to possible impeachment. And the charges hanging over &#8212; and I call them &#8216;charges,&#8217; because they&#8217;re not proven yet &#8212; Donald Trump are vastly more serious than the charges involving Bill Clinton, which mostly had to do with covering up a private, consensual affair, and in many ways they&#8217;re even more serious than the charges in Watergate, because they involve an attack on our democracy, the foundations of our nation, by a foreign power.&#8221; On how the impeachment process starts &#8220;I&#8217;m very careful to use the word &#8216;charges&#8217; or &#8216;allegations,&#8217; because at this point, nothing is yet proven and investigations are still ongoing. The framers quite advisedly put the power to impeach not in the courts, but in the Congress, in an elected body. That means, impeachment is not a strictly legal process. It doesn&#8217;t require an indictable, criminal act. Rather, it is a combined legal, moral and political process, left to the judgement of the U.S. House of Representatives. And typically, you would get an impeachment investigation, in the House Judiciary Committee, which by majority vote would decide whether or not to recommend articles of impeachment to the full House. If they recommend such articles, the full House &#8212; by majority vote &#8212; would vote them up or down. And if articles are voted out of the House, the case moves on to the United State Senate, which tries the president with the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court presiding, and the standards are higher here. It takes a two-thirds vote of senators present to convict and remove a president. So it&#8217;s a two-step, maybe even a three-step process. On President Bill Clinton not being removed from office, even though he was impeached &#8220;That&#8217;s correct, and they didn&#8217;t come close to convicting him by a two-thirds vote. I&#8217;ve got to make a very important point here though: Impeachment is a distinct, constitutional process, put into the Constitution by the framers as a constitutional, peaceful and orderly means of removing a rogue president. It was an alternative to the way rulers were removed in their own time, typically by assassination or revolution. We now have an independent counsel. But, the independent counsel is not an impeachment investigator. His task is not to decide whether or not the president merits impeachment. His task is to look into criminal activity. If he finds criminal activity on the part of the president, he certainly could recommend impeachment as Ken Starr did in the Bill Clinton case, but that&#8217;s not his task. &#8220;In Watergate, we had the special prosecutor, but we also had a separate, ongoing impeachment investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, which is very different &#8212; it doesn&#8217;t only have to consider criminal activity. It could consider, as Alexander Hamilton pointed out, &#8216;abuses of power that harm our society.&#8217; Let&#8217;s also remember: The independent counsel works in secret. We may never know what the results of that investigation migh", "\"Electricity is the most likely out of all of the alternative fuels ... to be the next fuel for the consumer.\" That's what Jonathan Strickland of the website HowStuffWorks tells NPR's Jacki Lyden. But electric vehicles are not without their controversies or challenges. One of the biggest questions is how a transition from gasoline to electric fuel can actually take place. Estonia is making that leap. The country now has a nationwide charging network for electric cars, making the claim that it's the first country to do so. The head of Estonia's program, Jarmo Tuisk, said in an interview with Reuters: \"We have proved that there is a real possibility to set up a network in a country, and there are no technical barriers.\" So how many Estonians are actually taking part? Here's what Reuters reports: \"Estonia, with a population of about 1.2 million, has 619 all-electric cars, of which 500 are used by public authorities, and about 100 by private people and companies. \"That amounts to one electric vehicle for every 1,000 cars, second only to Norway, which has four per 1,000. The Netherlands is third at 0.6 per 1,000.\" Size is no small matter. The U.S. is a way off from creating such a network. But New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has a vision of making charging stations omnipresent. In his State of the City address last week, Bloomberg laid out a plan to create up to 10,000 parking spaces for electric vehicles over the next seven years, the New York Daily News reports. He also said the city would have more electric cars for city use and would introduce electric taxis. Strickland of HowStuffWorks says that to transition to a predominantly electric vehicle society, there are a couple of things that would need to happen: \"We'd have to ramp up production, and we'd have to start to really invest in the power grid in the United States to make sure that we could meet the demand of all these cars plugging into the grid.\" There's also the business of generating enough electricity — cleanly. Electric fuel's environmental impact also greatly depends on how it's produced. \"Scalability is a challenge across every single one of these alternative fuels because we don't have anything that can meet the same supply that our gasoline has right now,\" he says. To push the use of manufacturing and using alternative fuels, the government has a few moves it can make, says Adele Morris, who studies energy incentives for the Brookings Institution. Those tools include: tax incentives; mandates on certain kinds of fuel; and having the government buy alternative fuel for itself. There are three common arguments for why the government should take one of these measures, Morris says: Environmental impact. Dependence on oil, particularly imported oil. Job creation in a new industry. In a study, Morris asked the question: Do these arguments make economic sense? \"For example, on the environmental objective, certainly we are concerned about greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels,\" she says. \"But we argue that the best way to address that would be to put a price on carbon, for example through a carbon tax, rather than try to subsidize alternatives. It's much less efficient.\" Morris argues subsidies pay people for things they were going to do anyway, and that setting standards doesn't encourage entrepreneurs to surpass those standards. An important role for government is in research, she says. In the U.S., there is a tax credit for purchasing electric vehicles, but that doesn't guarantee the environment is getting cleaner, Morris says. \"The way the rules work, electric vehicle manufacturers can sell credits to other automakers toward their fuel economy standards,\" she says. \"So that means that other automakers can sell more polluting cars for every electric car that's sold.\" JACKI LYDEN, HOST: It's WEEKENDS on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Jacki Lyden. Coming up on our show this evening, we go backstage at the Oscars and a chat with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. But first, with gas prices headed into the stratosphere, there's a race to produce a low-cost alternative. That's our cover story: fuel fight. Here's the top three contenders. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) JONATHAN STRICKLAND: Well, the top three technologies, you can kind of divide them into broad categories. There are the biofuels. This is a fuel made from organic matter. There are the natural gas and propane fuels, and then there's electricity. LYDEN: That's Jonathan Strickland, writer for How Stuff Works. OK. This isn't the Oscars, and we don't want to tip our hand. But in the '60s, in \"The Jetsons\" TV series, cars noiselessly flew. Gradually, today, the electric cars are replacing the family station wagon. TYRONE SHALVEY: I live in the suburbs, so I use the car to take my kids around, take the kids to school every day. I have three kids. And I put them in the back, take them to school. Then I commute to work and do some errands once in a while. That kind of typical ", "The Supreme Court has dealt privacy advocates a huge setback. By a 5-3 majority, the court ruled that people who sue the government for invading their privacy can only recover out-of-pocket damages. And whistle-blower lawyers say that leaves victims who suffer emotional trouble and smeared reputations with few if any options. Justice Samuel Alito and all four of his conservative colleagues turned back a challenge from a pilot named Stan Cooper. (Justice Elena Kagan did not participate in the case.) Cooper said the Social Security Administration, which was sending him disability benefits, had improperly shared his HIV status with transportation officials. In 1974, while the abuses of Watergate were fresh in people's minds, Congress made that kind of unauthorized information-sharing illegal under the Privacy Act. The law said the U.S. had to pay actual damages to victims. Read More But in Wednesday's ruling, Alito said actual damages represent monetary harm, not mental or emotional distress. That's absurd, according to the dissent by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor said that means people who suffer severe emotional distress can't get any money — but people with minor out-of-pocket expenses can. \"In the vast majority of cases where the government intentionally and willfully violates the Privacy Act, individuals could be left with no remedy at all,\" says Alan Butler of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. At the National Whistleblowers Center in Washington, the result was greeted with a jeer. \"This decision is a severe setback to an important post-Watergate reform,\" says its general counsel, David Colapinto. \"These are very very extreme cases that end up going to court under the Privacy Act. A lot of the plaintiffs are whistle-blowers, people who have suffered retaliation.\" That includes people such as Frederic Whitehurst, the scientist who blew the whistle on sloppy practices at the FBI lab, only to watch as authorities leaked information from his medical and personnel files to discredit him. And Linda Tripp, who made headlines for recording girl talk with the intern who had an affair with President Clinton. The Pentagon leaked Tripp's security file to try to smear her. Both Whitehurst and Tripp got financial settlements — but the new Supreme Court ruling slams the door shut for many others. Unless, Butler says, \"maybe if a plaintiff has to buy a bottle of Tylenol to cure a headache that's caused by a much greater mental anguish.\" Legal experts say the Privacy Act has weak criminal sanctions. Now that most civil penalties are off the table too, the government could be even more brazen about targeting political enemies, Colapinto says. \"When we look at what is happening with government surveillance of citizens, this is just part of a disturbing trend where our courts and our government are throwing out restrictions on government abuse of power,\" he says. \"J. Edgar Hoover would love this opinion.\" Whistle-blower groups and privacy advocates are calling on Congress to modernize the Privacy Act, to account for new pervasive forms of government data collection. Now, they say they'll add an override of the Supreme Court decision to their wish list. MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block. In addition to today's health care arguments at the Supreme Court, the justices also released a ruling, and it dealt privacy advocates a huge setback. By a 5-to-3 decision, the court ruled that people who sue the government for invading their privacy can only recover out-of-pocket expenses. As NPR's Carrie Johnson reports, it leaves victims with few options. CARRIE JOHNSON, BYLINE: Justice Samuel Alito and all four of his conservative colleagues turned back a challenge from a pilot named Stan Cooper. Cooper said the Social Security Administration, which was sending him disability checks, had improperly shared his HIV status with transportation officials. In 1974, while the abuses of Watergate were fresh in people's minds, Congress made that kind of unauthorized information-sharing illegal under the Privacy Act. The law said the U.S. had to pay actual damages to victims. But in today's ruling, Justice Alito said actual damages represent monetary harm, not mental or emotional distress. Absurd, according to the dissent by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor said that means people who suffer severe emotional distress can't get any money but people with a minor out-of-pocket expense can. Alan Butler is a lawyer at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. ALAN BUTLER: In the vast majority of cases where the government intentionally and willfully violates the Privacy Act, individuals could be left with no remedy at all. JOHNSON: At the National Whistleblowers Center in Washington, that result was greeted with a jeer. DAVID COLAPINTO: This decision is a severe setback to an important post-Watergate reform. JOHNSON: David Colapinto is the Whistleblowers Center's general counsel. COLAPI", "The advice President Obama has offered his successor is mostly under wraps. But the outgoing commander-in-chief made a point of going on the record with this wisdom for President-elect Donald Trump: hire a good lawyer and listen to him. Trump has selected elections expert Don McGahn as his new White House counsel. McGahn will have a lot of work to do, mostly behind the scenes. Veterans of the office said if the White House counsel is doing their job the right way, hardly anyone knows their name. The alternative goes something like this: \"We have a cancer within, close to the presidency that's growing,\" then-White House counsel John Dean advised President Richard Nixon in March 1973, as the Watergate scandal festered. \"It's growing daily.\" Preventing scandals is a key part of any counsel's job. But the work gets even harder when the president-elect operates a multinational business empire and some of his cabinet choices have a lot of private investments. \"I think that will be a massive undertaking for the next White House counsel,\" said Kathryn Ruemmler, who served as White House counsel under President Obama. \"I think it really adds to the complications, the areas around financial disclosure, conflict of interest.\" \"Really, it's a question of public confidence and can the people be confident that decisions were made for merits-based reasons and not because someone has personal financial interests or some other type of skin in the game,\" she said, describing the challenges for McGahn. The White House counsel is supposed to defend the interests of the presidency, not the president himself. The goal is to leave the institution with as much clout as possible. In recent years, the counsel has led a team of about 20 junior lawyers. It's like a medium sized law firm with the most interesting work in the country — helping pick Supreme Court justices and handling national security problems. Some counsels have an easier time than others. \"I saw my role to try to keep the president out of trouble,\" Bernie Nussbaum, President Bill Clinton's counsel, told the Miller Center at the University of Virginia. \"Six White House counsel in eight years. It shows. It was a tricky job, a difficult job. It's tough to be a strong lawyer sometime for a client who may not be as strong.\" The counsel can only give advice. The president's not obliged to take it. That's what happened with a last minute pardon Clinton gave fugitive Marc Rich in 2001. Then White House counsel Beth Nolan later told Congress she opposed the idea. \"We were in some heated discussion about one of the pardons and I said, 'Look, my job is to tell you my best judgment and tell you what I think about this, but I know who's president and who's not,'\" Nolan testified. Responding to demands from Capitol Hill is another part of a White House counsel's portfolio. The top lawyer for President George W. Bush spent months trying to navigate lawmakers' demands for information after the controversial firing of federal prosecutors. President-elect Trump will face a Congress controlled by Republicans, so inquiries from Congress may not pose much of an early test for his lawyer. But navigating the relationship with the Justice Department could be tricky. Trump and his top aides have been offering all sorts of opinions about whether or not to prosecute his political opponent Hillary Clinton. Those decisions are supposed to be made by independent prosecutors and FBI agents at the Department of Justice, not the White House. \"It's important that the White House counsel police, for lack of a better word, the lines of communication between the White House and the Justice Department,\" Ruemmler said. \"Under President Obama, those communications were restricted.\" Building a fence around the Justice Department and watching who tries to jump over it represents just one more challenge for Trump's new White House counsel.", "Members of the Senate Banking Committee heard Tuesday from Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, the ranking Republican on the committee, says he won't vote for the plan the way it stands now. He tells Steve Inskeep that he believes it will have to be reconfigured to pass because there are too many unanswered questions. STEVE INSKEEP, host: They have to do more than talk. Remember, it is Senator Obama and Senator McCain, which means they both could be called on to vote on a rescue plan. And their colleagues in the U.S. Senate and elsewhere are raising more and more questions. Senator Richard Shelby is one of the Republicans who questioned top officials for five hours yesterday. And this morning, he's agreed to take our questions. Senator, welcome back to the program. Senator RICHARD SHELBY (Republican, Alabama): Good morning. INSKEEP: Will you vote for this proposal? Sen. SHELBY: Oh, I wouldn't vote for it as it stands. I don't know what it will look like after it's reconfigured. And I believe it will be reconfigured to pass. There were just too many unanswered questions to the proposal before the Banking Committee yesterday. INSKEEP: Tell me one unanswered question. Sen. SHELBY: Well, one - what's going to be the real cost? Is this the floor? Is this the end of it? INSKEEP: You mean you don't buy 700 billion? Sen. SHELBY: Well, it could be a lot more. They didn't - and I'm saying \"they\" as the Treasury secretary and the Federal Reserve chairman - they couldn't give us answers to that. Secondly, what - how are we going to get some of this money back - I mean, a lot of it back? If we replenish the capital - that's basically what we would be doing to some of the same firms who caused this problem in the first case - what are the taxpayers going to get out of it? They're going to get a big bill, I'm afraid. INSKEEP: Well, let me come back to a fundamental question, since you are raising issues here, Senator. The administration has essentially said you've got to do something. You have no choice, in effect. You must pass something. Do you agree with that? Sen. SHELBY: There are a lot of things we can do. We - I asked yesterday, and got no answers, what other alternatives did you consider other than this? There are a lot of alternatives that have been thrown out there. INSKEEP: Is nothing an alternative? Just let these firms fail? Sen. SHELBY: Oh, absolutely. Nothing is always an alternative, because the most disciplined variant(ph) we have is the market itself. And the market would work. It would work with pain, but this is going to be pain itself to the taxpayer. INSKEEP: Are you saying that you might be willing, if it were up to you, to let the economy ride this out even if it means a very severe economic slowdown, a recession or depression? Sen. SHELBY: You don't how - and that's talk now. You don't know how long that would last. There would be repercussions. But there's repercussions in anything. The market has always, just about, in my history, ridden it out. INSKEEP: Well, now if the White House calls you or the Treasury secretary calls you and says, Senator, OK, what do you need? What will it take for you to vote for this plan? What do you tell them? Sen. SHELBY: Well, I'm going to say another reconfigured plan, and we can sit down and do it. But they're not doing that yet. INSKEEP: Well, now do you think that your colleagues in the Senate are going to pass something, that this is going to happen regardless? Sen. SHELBY: Oh, I think they might pass something. But I don't think we should just pass a three-page proposal that gives this kind of power, unfettered power, to the secretary of the Treasury, and with more to come probably. We're talking about a trillion dollars overall. INSKEEP: Unfettered power. So you want that power to be limited in some way? Sen. SHELBY: Absolutely. The secretary of the Treasury would have more power than the president has. INSKEEP: Your colleague Charles Schumer raised the possibility of a partial bailout. Let's give you $150 billion, he said yesterday, and see if you can deal with that for a few months. And meanwhile, we will think more seriously about the larger package. Sen. SHELBY: That might - that's a proposal that's floating around, and Senator Schumer threw out. You know, we don't throw anything off the table. I think right now that this situation's fairly fluid, but we'll have to see what happens the rest of the week. INSKEEP: Are you concerned that even a day or two, or a week's delay, could cause severe trouble in the financial markets? Sen. SHELBY: Well, there's trouble in the financial markets. There's stress out there. And these people that want to get bailed out, they're the ones that caused most of it. We have to be realistic about this. INSKEEP: Meaning, you're not concerned if the stock market goes down another 400 points today because... Sen. SHELBY: Well, I don't think i" ]

[ "the city urban area has a population of 76 511 inhabitants while the city administrative area has 123 362 inhabitants 2011 census data zrenjanin is the largest city in the serbian part of the banat geographical region and the third largest city in vojvodina after novi sad and subotica the city was named after arko zrenjanin 1902 1942 in 1946 in honour and remembrance of his name one of the leaders of the vojvodina communist partisans during world war ii he was imprisoned and released after being tortured by the nazis for months and later killed while trying to avoid recapture the former serbian name of the city was be kerek or veliki be kerek in 1935 the city was renamed to petrovgrad in honor of king peter i of serbia it was called petrovgrad from 1935 to 1946 in hungarian the city is known as nagybecskerek in german as gro betschkerek or betschkerek in romanian as becicherecul mare or zrenianin in slovak as zre anin in rusin as in croatian as zrenjanin and in turkish as be kelek meaning five melons or be kerek it is assumed that zrenjanin s original name be kerek becskerek comes from hungarian word", "they started competing in the serbian superliga in the competition s inaugural 2006 07 season managing to avoid relegation in addition the club s striker sr an baljak was the league s top scorer with 18 goals they also reached the 2006 07 serbian cup semi finals being eliminated by vojvodina afterwards the club spent two more seasons in the top flight of the national league system before finishing bottom of the table in 2009 thus suffering relegation to the serbian first league they were also eliminated in the 2008 09 serbian cup semi finals to eventual winners partizan in the period between 2009 and 2013 the club competed in the second tier of serbian football without notable results they finished 15th out of 18 clubs in the 2012 13 campaign and got relegated to the serbian league vojvodina the club spent the next three years in the third tier before finishing second from the bottom in the 2015 16 season and suffering relegation to the fourth tier in august 2016 it was announced that they withdrew from the vojvodina league east eventually ceasing to exist for a list of all fk banat zrenjanin players with a wikipedia article see", "his father s surname was rac r c or r cz which was a hungarian term for serbs that was considered derogatory so he took the mother s surname bala bal zs he grew up in be ej where he started playing violin in a local kafana with 10 years of age when he realized that he couldn t become the best violinist he switched to prim or bisernica tamburitza which he played ever since later he played with bra a kozaci band in the area of subotica and horgo from 1948 to 1951 he worked in radio titograd in montenegro where he perfected his tamburitza play from its foundation in 1951 to the end of his working career he worked in radio novi sad and was a member of its grand tamburitza orchestra he was spending nights playing with his 8 men band in kafanas of novi sad especially on petrovaradin fortress of which he became one of icons during his career he held concerts across the world including 36 performances in paris olympia allegedly he had several offers from united states and soviet union to move there and work as a tamburitza teacher but he never wanted to", "it is situated in the autonomous province of vojvodina the village has a serb ethnic majority 94 77 and a total population of 3 308 people 2002 census the village is known as the place where bosnian serb general ratko mladi was arrested on 26 may 2011 in serbian the village is known as lazarevo in croatian as lazarevo in hungarian as l z rf ld and in german as lazarfeld lazarfeld is also an older name for the village used in serbian the village was founded in 1809 by german colonists in 1800 the first german immigrants arrived at the enormous estate of j nos l z r de cska the son of luk cs l z r martinica pusta was determined as a location for their settlement it was besides e ka and jankov most the third settlement founded on luk cs l z r s estate in his honor it was named lazarfeld in 1922 the village changed its name to lazarevo until the end of world war ii it was mostly inhabited by ethnic germans after world war ii the german population was placed into concentration camps and the village was colonized by serb families from", "today it is one of the biggest city quarters of zrenjanin serbia gradnulica was formed in medievial period on the banks of the begej river most of the population was serbian there is a story about monastery which was on the spot of today s vavedenska orthodox church name of the monastery was drenovac serbian cyrillic and it was surrounded by a deep forest one of the most famous monks was rafailo of banat or rafailo banatski a missionary from chilandar monastery in holy mountain his grave is in the chapel nearby orthodox church and it is a place of pilgrimage for many orthodox believers this place where is vavedenska church was and still is a historical center of gradnulica there are many theories about the name historians believe that a word gradnulica comes from two words first is gradna from gradina which means cliff and second word is ulica which is serbian word for street that implicates that gradnulica could mean street on the cliff because gradnulica used to be on peninsula surrounded by the begej river until the beginning of the 18th century also today s main street of gradnulica cara du ana or tsar du an street", "the village has a serb ethnic majority 90 80 and its population is 2 959 2002 census in serbian the village is known as in romanian as clec in hungarian as b gaf and in german as klek or klekk the village of klek was founded in 1765 and was initially settled by romanians who originated from pomori je after romanians serbs settled in the village as well but they were resettled to the military frontier in 1783 84 after that the village was settled by the german donauschwaben banatschwaben colonists the german colonists initially gathered in the city of ulm and other areas on the danube and from there they were brought via the danube to the banat the original village of klek was founded on a different spot further to the north from the position of the current village near the river bega on a swampy marsh formed by the temesch and bega river in the banat region in 1718 1723 the construction of the bega canal began the bega canal was the first navigational canal established between the places of temeschwar and present day klek digging of the canal namely the construction of the artificial riverbed of", "the old wooden bridge was built after a great fire in 1807 it was a bascule bridge which was opened for the boat traffic it was replaced in 1904 by the new steel bridge the small bridge is the oldest bridge in zrenjanin it connects the town center with the mala amerika quarter it was built in 1904 the same year as the eiffel bridge often called the eiffel s bridge there are some indications that the small bridge was also designed in eiffel s studio it is similar to some bridges in timi oara the bridge s first official name was franz joseph i bridge most franje josifa in serbian franz josefs br cke in german or ferencz j zsef hid in hungarian named after austro hungarian emperor franz joseph i this bridge also had a movable middle part to accommodate boat traffic on the begej river after world war i new authorities renamed it to karad i s bridge named after vuk karad i this name did not stick among zrenjanin citizens it simply remained small bridge in the year 1985 the bed of the begej river was moved and three lakes were made of its old bed", "it is a seat of the zrenjanin municipality present day zrenjanin formerly known as veliki be kerek nagybecskerek gro betschkerek becicherecul mare was a seat of torontaliensis county from 1779 a great fire in 1807 destroyed almost every building in the city including old county building construction works for a new building started in 1816 and were finished in 1820 under project of architect joseph fischer after 70 years county building was re constructed under projects of two renowned architects from budapest gyula p rtos and d n lechner the county building was added by right and left wings modernised facade in neobaroque new balcony zsolnay roof tile patterns and several other things like electrical lightning and telephone line at that time it was the most modern building in southern part of the kingdom of hungary main stairs are decorated by three stained glasses depicting personifications of justice wisdom and power they were damaged during storm in the summer 2003 and repaired aftermath zrenjanin city hall is today a seat of zrenjanin municipality authorities and central banat district it is one of the most recognisable symbols of zrenjanin depicted on many postcards for 100 years in the building s backyard", "he is the technical director of aek athens a skillful attacker who showed great technical ability ivi could often be found in a supporting attacking role opening up spaces for teammates he played once for the national team of his country against switzerland in september 1998 his football career began at 1986 to proleter fc where he stayed until 1991 he played for three years at red star until 1994 with red star he won the yugoslav national championship with fk crvena zvezda in 1991 92 the season after he joined from first club fk proleter for whom he scored 26 goals in 92 games he was a yugoslav cup winner with the belgrade club in 1993 and departed the following season for greece and olympiacos after registering 16 goals in 30 top flight games where he stays until 1999 while at olympiacos cfp he won the greek championship in 1997 1998 and the double in 1999 having his best campaign in the second of those title triumphs claiming 26 goals in 32 matches he was a member of olympiacos squad in 1999 99 uefa champions league when his team achieved its greatest success in european competition while they reached", "the national museum of zrenjanin moved into it in 1966 and it is located next to the theatre building city authorities chosen project for the building made by hungarian architect istv n kiss construction works started in 1893 and were finished in 1894 by his first choice architect chosen facade towards begej to be building s main facade however he later changed plan and choose square facade to be the most impressive facade of the building the most remarkable detail of this building are there is no doubt four statues on its main facade depicting industry agriculture science and merchantry main facade also has a balcony on the first floor the building has shops at the ground floor and an exhibition gallery the national museum of zrenjanin was established in 1906 as the museum of torontal district according to the decision of the municipal board and on the initiative of the cultural association of torontal district however on the basis of all the available sources the museum did not start its activities until 1911 this delay was caused by some financial reasons as well as by the lack of an adequate building the museum got its first rooms in the", "it is the seat of the roman catholic diocese of zrenjanin that covers the territory of serbian banat the cathedral is located in the zrenjanin s main square trg slobode freedom square it is dedicated to saint john of nepomuk for the duration of the ottoman rule 1552 1718 there stood a mosque but was razed down by the austrians following turkish withdrawal from the city and banat however this is not the first cathedral built following the removal of the mosque prior to the cathedral seen today a baroque style church built in 1768 stood in its place over the next century the building deteriorated badly and the authorities decided to build a new one the construction of the present day cathedral commenced in 1864 by the project of stevan or evi and lasted four years the zrenjanin cathedral was built in the neoclassical style the interior was decorated by josef goigner from tyrol and the cathedral features a pipe organ made in timi oara in 1907 windows are decorated with stained glass due to the cathedral s size the steeple can be seen from most parts of the city", "it is situated in the autonomous province of vojvodina the village has a hungarian ethnic majority 67 56 and its population numbering 498 people 2011 census lukin selo is located south of zrenjanin its municipal seat though the southern zone of zrenjanin mu lja is just to the north on the northeast and east the village borders almost connected villages of e ka and staji evo belo blato is to the southwest the village is situated at an altitude of on the bank terraces in the valley of the bega river which flows just east of it geographically the entire region is actually an alluvial plain of the tisza river which flows west of the village village is located on the northeast shore of the belo jezero the ending section of the large e ka fish pond as the elongated atar village area is much larger than the settlement itself it comprises the entire fish pond and reaches the tisza river of the west apart from the belo the pond consists of kopova lakes several connected lakes ko a mika joca which are part of the old riverbed of the tisza there are two smaller bodies of water in the", "it is located some 1 5 kilometres to southeast from the city centre it is residential area consisting of 50 buildings with 4 or 5 storey each in the street of the same name etvrtog jula population of the neighbourhood is just over 3 000 inhabitants boundaries of the neighbourhood are pan eva ka dositeja obradovi a and dr laze kosti a streets and railway after the fall of communism the neighbourhood kept its name which means fourth of july which was the date of state holiday in the former socialist yugoslavia in a referendum in the early nineties inhabitants refused to change the name of the street into despota stefana but a nearby street got that name surrounding neighbourhoods are lesnina north wards ru a ulman west wards and itni trg further north westwards together with etvrti jul they make up inner city local community dositej obradovi which have 13 000 inhabitants local community occupies southeast part of the city it has the largest population of all local communities in the city serbs are absolute majority in it with large hungarian minority there are also other nationalities in the neighbourhood of etvrti jul or in its edges together with", "it crossed the begej river and was built at the same time as the small bridge the first great bridge was made of wood it was a bascule bridge built in 1807 in 1903 city authorities granted an order for a new steel bridge according to the popular belief to gustave eiffel s company in paris the old wooden bridge was removed and construction work started in late 1903 in the spring of 1904 the new great bridge was finished it was officially named erzs beth h d elisabeth br cke elisabeth bridge after the late austro hungarian empress elisabeth the great bridge represented the most prominent example of secession style bridges in vojvodina functional and artistically valuable at the same time the bridge was equipped with a system of levers that could raise its level for approximately 2 meters the arcs of the bridge were backed by monumental columns decorated with geometrical and floral motifs it connected trg zorana in i a zoran in i square and itni trg wheat square after world war i the new authorities renamed the bridge dositejev most after dositej obradovi during the 1960s local authorities tried many times to remove the bridge finally", "the successor of fk proleter zrenjanin is fk proleter 2006 soon after world war ii the club almost achieved promotion to the yugoslav second league after finishing top of the regional serbian league a 3rd tier back then the most important footballers responsible for this were hirman kir anski and herceg they didn t win the qualification matches but in the next season they ended up selected to participate in the third national league after a league system reorganisation the following year in 1951 the club achieved the quarter finals of the yugoslav cup those matches against dinamo zagreb were played by ciko mosorinski ninkov vin i prodanovi davidovi sokolova ki kir anski radoj i ajnberger and petrov with the direction of radivoje ko e kolarov the main focus was given with the development of the youth squads many squad members were selected to play in the regional vojvodina selection the golden boys of that period were gruba ki rasi uri in sokri radlova ki porin mesaro vlatkovi medan ubin and mirkov milan gali and radoslav be ejac came later as champions of vojvodina regional league they played the access to the yugoslav second league but that failed to manage", "the camp also acted as a transit facility where prisoners were taken before being moved to the sremska mitrovica camp individual reports have said that 1500 people were held there the icty s figure for the camp was 1700 detainees the camp was cited in the international criminal tribunal for the former yugoslavia s case against then serbian president slobodan milo evi goran had i is also indicted on charges by the icty related to the camp prisoners at the camp included future croatian parliamentarian ivica pan i s father and brother former prisoners at the camp reported being beaten with at least one claiming to have received electric shocks by guards according to reports the white eagle paramilitary was also active at the camp according to the reports the age of the detainees ranged from 8 to 80 at least 17 people were killed in the camp the conditions in the camp were generally poor people had to sleep on the concrete floor in november on their first day in the camp but were later given a blanket in the first 10 days they received only two meals a day mostly tea and bread with cheese there were also", "his time at partizan belgrade was however very disappointing and he saw very little playing time which saw a move to second tier club fk teleoptik go through with fk teleoptik he ll see them relegated to the third tier however during this period he would go on to establish himself as an integral member of the team and a return to proleter zrenjanin in the 2004 05 league season who were now in the second tier after a season with proleter zrenjanin marko zori would move abroad to china and join top tier side tianjin teda in the 2005 chinese super league where he immediately established himself as an integral member of the team and helped guide tianjin to fourth within the league which was the best placed finish for the team since the league became fully professional two seasons later marko zori would have a chance to return to serbia and he ll join top tier side banat zrenjanin in the 2006 07 serbian superliga however he couldn t establish himself as a first choice player and left after a season to join top tier turkish side gen lerbirli i in the 2007 08 s per lig but", "along with the neighboring pond of stari begej old arm of the begej river it forms the special nature reserve carska bara carska bara is 17 kilometers south of the town of zrenjanin in the west central part of the serbian section of banat near the mouth of the river begej into the tisa the southern border is bounded by the final navigable section of the begej before it empties into the tisa followed by the belgrade zrenjanin road while to the north are the vast e ka fishponds the largest in serbia and second largest in europe entire bog belongs to the municipality of zrenjanin even though it is in the triangle of large cities belgrade novi sad zrenjanin largest cities in serbia vojvodina and serbian banat respectively all settlements in the vicinity of carska bara are smaller ones ranging from 1 500 to 6 000 inhabitants the closest settlements are perlez in southern corner on the begej and belo blato east of the bog on the southern shore of e ka fishpond in the north are the villages of lukino selo e ka and staji evo while kni anin is southwest of it town of titel is right", "najdanovski represented serbia and montenegro at the 2004 summer olympics at only 16 years of age she was the youngest member of the serbo montenegrin delegation and also one of the youngest athletes to compete at the 2004 summer olympics in athens greece she participated in one event the women s 50 metre freestyle in which she took 43rd place overall among 75 competitors with a time of 27 18 she represented serbia at the 2008 summer olympics in beijing china najdanovski qualified at the 2007 world aquatics championships in melbourne australia she took 36th place in the women s 100 m freestyle with a time of 57 11 later the same year she competed at a national cup in belgrade and qualified for the women s 50 m freestyle as well thanks to a time of 26 03 she therefore competed in both events she competed in the women s 50m freestyle at the 2012 summer olympics in london finishing with a time of 26 46 seconds achieving 42nd place in the heats", "it is named after a slovakian family named bagljas which used to have vineyards in that area the family still has descendants in the village of aradac one part of the area was a graveyard that during the second world war became a place where fascist occupiers systematically killed partisans and patriots among whom was the famous sonja marinkovi a monument has been erected and the graveyard removed baglja was urbanised after the second world war as a city inside a city so that it has a particular urban wholeness it consists of the new and old baglja which are separated by the boulevard of veljko vlahovi it is often considered as zrenjanin s version of the new belgrade bagljas has more than 20 000 inhabitants and is the biggest part of zrenjanin there is a primary school petar petrovic njego kindergarten crvenkapica a health center and a new secondary medical school it lies on the exit from zrenjanin towards novi sad city s hospital is located at the entrance of bagljas west of bagljas is located a new urban industrial zone and new commercial center administratively the neighborhood is split into two the north called after the sonja marinkovi", "records show that healing mud from the lake s bottom peloid has been used for therapeutic treatments at least since the 1760s mud therapy proved to be quite beneficial with muscle inflammation rheumatism gout and especially with the car crash injuries in august 2017 a complete drying out of the lake gained media attention it was reported of the ecological catastrophe which endangered the local population agriculture vineyards orchards and 200 bird species living in the lake area due to the toxic saline dusts blown by the winds also the mud dries and can t be used while the sun damages both the peloid s quality and quantity the hydrologists however said that drying of the lake is not unusual it happens occasionally like in the mid 2000s without disrupting the ecosystem but it didn t gain as much media attention previously when the rainy season starts the lake will fill up again it happens due to the dry summers and possibly because of the disturbance of the level of underground waters caused with the construction of the danube tisa danube canal in order to prevent this hydrological research was conducted in the early 2010s and the plan was made", "he was executed for his part in the hungarian revolution of 1848 and is considered one of the 13 martyrs of arad according to historian g bor b na he was from a family of hungarian nobility of armenian descent born into an armenian hungarian noble family l z r began his military career in 1834 when he entered the service of the 34th infantry of the imperial army emperor ferdinand i commissioned him as a second lieutenant in the hussar regiment but in 1844 he retired from a military career and returned with his wife baroness m ria revitzky to his estate farm in zempl n in 1847 he was the main cashier of the railway company as a result of the 1848 uprising he volunteered his service into the hungarian honv d army he became a lieutenant of the 39 gy r battalions on 19 october and on 13 november he became the captain of the pioneer battalion he participated in the organization of the pioneer staff and in january 1849 he served in the battalion of m r perczel from 1 february on he served in the rank of major as an adjutant of general mih ly", "in 1942 his family moved to szeged hungary where he studied german and slavic languages and discovered the writings of kafka and thomas mann he became a school teacher and also taught russian at the medical academy today szeged university based on his writings about thomas mann he received a grant by the alexander von humboldt foundation and thus came to the university of t bingen in 1963 where he worked on mann s novella die betrogene later he moved to berlin encouraged by inge and walter jens szenessy started to write in german and published his first book in 1967 verwandlungsk nste marcel reich ranicki wrote he who is not a german writes a much better german than almost all who publish books in germany bitter sarcastic and full of temperament sharp springy and lapidary when szenessy s books failed to gain a wider audience he began to write critiques and translations and eventually decided to become qualified as a librarian in 1971 szenessy received the hermann hesse preis for his novel lauter falsche p sse oder die erinnerungen des roman skorzeny mario szenessy died from a bronchial carcinoma in pinneberg in 1976 szenessy wrote in the epic tradition", "he was one of the founders of the hungarian language avant garde literary magazine j symposion published in novi sad yugoslavia that was challenging political confines between 1969 and 1971 he was managing editor and in november 1971 he defended the magazine in court proceedings aiming to ban the j symposion he received his law degree at the university of belgrade faculty of law and he received an s j d at harvard law school between july 1992 and december 1992 he was minister of justice of the federal republic of yugoslavia in the government of milan pani after mr pani lost the elections against milo evi in december 1992 tibor v rady left yugoslavia and continued teaching in the u s and in hungary v rady was teaching at the university of novi sad faculty of law since 1963 until december 1992 since 1993 he has been teaching at the central european university in budapest also for more than 20 years he was teaching one semester almost each year at u s law schools alternating between the university of florida berkeley cornell and emory in 1998 he became a tenured professor of law at emory university and was teaching", "the son of an actress and the poet radivoj ajtinac studied dramaturgy at the faculty of dramatic arts of belgrade s university of arts and graduated in 1999 he worked as a dramaturge at the serbian national theatre in novi sad from 2003 to 2005 then he became professor of dramaturgy at the academy of arts of the university of novi sad he lives in his native place ajtinac is the only serbian playwright of whom a play huddersfield 2004 was first performed abroad in english the artist was inspired to write his play after visiting huddersfield in 2000 in 2006 an u s american performance has been occurred at the tuta theatre in chicago he also participated in creating the screenplay for the same named film the playwright received the jovan sterija popovi award for his play hadersfild at the festival sterijino pozorje 2005 the writer is also laureate of some literary prizes such as the biljana jovanovi award 2007 for walk on the ivo andri award 2014 for banatorium the european union prize for literature 2014 for his novel quite modest gifts and the isidora sekuli award 2017 for his collected short stories the woman from ju rez", "he graduated from his school in budapest where he started studying for a lehramt he went to stuttgart also to improve his german language skills in 1883 he received the lehramtsdiplom for mathematics and physics at the university of budapest in 1884 he went to paris to attend lectures at the coll ge de france and the sorbonne mainly to deepen the french language in student circles he met pierre de coubertin as an educator kem ny was impressed by coubertin s basic idea a sport based reform of education but he was still occupied with the early peace movement for which paris was at that time one of the centers according to sources of the hungarian national olympic committee kem ny who in addition to the educational effect of sport saw the possibility of using the sport for the peace movement and therefore during his stay in paris had submitted to coubertin the antique revival of the olympic games kem ny and coubertin combined a lifelong friendship so they remained in constant contact with each other after kem ny s return to hungary 1888 during his time as a teacher in the hungarian provinces kem ny acquired diplomas for", "he has been the editor in chief of a number of politically and socially themed television programs the editor in chief of the newspaper zrenjanin and the public relations manager for jugoremedija he has also been the marketing director of servo mihalj turist krli became president of the progressive party s information council in zrenjanin after the party s formation in 2008 and has served as vice president of the party committee in the city krli received the 127th position on the progressive party s let s get serbia moving coalition electoral list in the 2012 serbian parliamentary election the list won seventy three seats and the progressive party subsequently became the dominant force in a new serbian coalition government krli was not elected but he was appointed by the new administration as assistant director of the office for kosovo and metohija during his time in office he promoted the twinning of various municipalities in central serbia with their counterparts in kosovo in bid to strengthen connections between the areas he supported kosovo serb participation in the 2013 kosovan local elections and called for a community of serb municipalities to be established after the campaign krli was promoted to the", "he laid the foundations of modern serbian drama with his first major work centrifugal player 1930 today he is considered one of the greatest european men of serbian modern culture todor came from the affluent manojlovic family who lived in beckerek on michael pupin street todor s parents were attorney nikola niko manojlovic and sofija soka manojlovi n e petrovi death took them at the same time they both died of severe illness after 19 years of a happy marriage niko died on 6 december and soka the next morning on 7 december 1899 todor and his brother ivan found themselves suddenly without parents though sofija s sisters linka krsmanovi and olga puti as well as brother joca petrovi immediately took over the responsibilities of caring for them while they were still in their teens todor became a recipient of the avramovi foundation one of 50 theological scholarships granted by the serbian patriarchate then located in sremski karlovci beginning in 1894 when he was in junior high at veliki beckerek he received the 300 florin annual scholarship he first studied law in nagyv rad today oradea romania where he met hungarian poet endre ady who was six years his senior" ]

[ "he serves as the minister of economy of serbia from 11 august 2016 he previously served as minister of agriculture forestry and water management from 2012 to 2013 he also served as the mayor of zrenjanin from 2004 to 2009 and shortly in 2012 he was born in banatski karlovac serbia he graduated from the university of belgrade with a diploma in economics kne evi used to be a basketball player in partizan from belgrade vojvodina from novi sad and proleter from zrenjanin during 1978 79 season he won yugoslav first federal league yugoslav cup and fiba kora cup with partizan also he used to be a president of basketball federation of serbia and montenegro during a short period between 2005 and 2006 kne evi became mayor of zrenjanin municipality in 2004 and was re elected in 2008 on 1 october 2008 by serbian police on suspicion that he was involved in construction mafia helping individuals from organized crime circles launder money by investing it in construction and real estate development on 1 april 2009 the d s mayor was charged with abuse of office the special prosecution states that the zrenjanin municipal budget suffered damages to the amount of", "he was a member of the assembly of vojvodina from 2001 to 2008 and has served in the municipal government of zrenjanin and on serbia s hungarian national council va is a member of the league of social democrats of vojvodina lsv va is an economist based in zrenjanin va was elected to the vojvodina assembly for zrenjanin s sixth division in the 2000 vojvodina provincial election the first to be held following the downfall of serbian and yugoslavian leader slobodan milo evi the lsv participated in this election as part of the democratic opposition of serbia dos which won a landslide majority victory vojvodina s electoral system was subsequently reformed switching from a first past the post model to one in which half the assembly seats were selected by proportional representation and the other half by run off elections in individual constituencies va was re elected in the 2004 provincial election for zrenjanin s redistricted second division as a candidate of the lsv led together for vojvodina alliance following the election this alliance joined with the democratic party and other groups to form a new coalition government and va again served as a supporter of the provincial ministry he", "it is located in belgrade s municipality of palilula krnja a is located on the left bank of the danube across the old belgrade to which it is connected only by one bridge the pan eva ki most the settlement is built behind the long embankment along the danube but it is still often flooded by the river krnja a is much scattered and stretched along two major roads in this area the pan eva ki put which connects belgrade to the town of pan evo and zrenjaninski put which connects belgrade to the town of zrenjanin from the south krnja a is bordered by the danube from the west by the jojki ev dunavac canal from the north by the mokri sebe canal and the bog of veliko blato and from the east by the sebe stream the kalovita canal flows through the middle of the neighborhood through its northern extension of dunavski venac krnja a makes an urban connection to bor a and on the east it stretches all the way to pan evo by the census of 1971 the last one which recorded krnja a as a separate town population was 11 834 according to the 2002", "it is located in the plains of western banat region near the confluence of the begej river into the tisa south of the city of zrenjanin it is a complex system of lakes separated by embankments four lakes belo jezero ko a jezero mika jezero and joca jezero make up over 80 of the total water area while the remainder consists of smaller pools for fish production it is named after the large village of e ka to the north but smaller villages of lukino selo and belo blato lie directly on its shores the lakes occupy the total area of around 15 42 km which makes them together the third largest lake in serbia after two hydroelectric lakes of erdap fish production is performed on around and the annual output amounts to up to 6 000 tons of fish chiefly carp the water area which is not used for commercial production is available for recreational fishing e ka fish pond is located in western banat region some 10 km south of the city of zrenjanin and is entirely contained within its administrative territory the lake system runs in general northeast southwest direction in total length of about 10 km", "it is located to the northeast of the city in the municipality of palilula in serbian the settlement is known as ov a in romanian as ofcea in hungarian as ovcsa or b r nyos and in german as gisellenhain ov a is located in the northern banat section of the palilula municipality pan eva ki rit 13 kilometers north of downtown belgrade the settlement is located 6 kilometers to the east of the settlement of padinska skela and the zrenjaninski put road connects belgrade with the city of zrenjanin in vojvodina first recorded mention of the village of ov i is from 1456 as part of the syrmia county of the kingdom of hungary the name has a slavic origin as some of the first settlers were vlach romanian shepherds it is believed that this gave name to the settlement serbian word ov ar means shepherd in english the village was captured by the ottoman empire in 1537 and was included into the sanjak of smederevo it was granted a waqf status by the sanjak bey mehmet pasha for the mosque and imaret public kitchen of belgrade s dor ol district in the mid 18th century the village was", "he has served in the national assembly of serbia the assembly of vojvodina and the zrenjanin city assembly as a member of the league of social democrats of vojvodina lsv marton was born and raised in zrenjanin socialist autonomous province of vojvodina in what was then the socialist republic of serbia in the socialist federal republic of yugoslavia he studied international relations at the university of belgrade faculty of political sciences before returning to his hometown marton was a member of the opposition group otpor and took part in protests against slobodan milo evi s government in may 2000 it was reported that he and three other otpor members had been arrested and detained for several hours for handing out leaflets in zrenjanin he was first elected to the zrenjanin assembly in the 2000 serbian municipal elections held after the fall of milo evi and has been re elected in every municipal election since then marton appeared on the lsv s together for tolerance electoral list in the 2003 serbian parliamentary election the list did not cross the electoral threshold to win representation in the assembly he served as vice president i e deputy speaker of the zrenjanin city assembly", "he has served in the assembly of vojvodina since 2012 and is currently a deputy speaker of the assembly he is also a former member of the assembly of yugoslavia and the executive council of vojvodina jakovljev is a member of the league of social democrats of vojvodina lsv jakovljev was born in the village of srpski itebej autonomous province of vojvodina in what was then the people s republic of serbia in the federal people s republic of yugoslavia he was raised in zrenjanin studied sociology at the university of belgrade and then returned to zrenjanin where he became editor in chief of library editions at the city s library he has overseen the todor manojlovi and borislav mihajlovi mihiz funds for dramatic works and has been published in several periodicals jakovljev has been a prominent member of the lsv for many years he has served on the party s main board since 1997 was its vice president from 2001 to 2008 and currently serves as a member of its presidency he has also been elected as the leader of the lsv s zrenjanin municipal committee on four occasions he was a leading figure in local protests against the", "he is currently serving his second term in the assembly of vojvodina as a member of the league of social democrats of vojvodina lsv he also served in the national assembly of serbia from 2014 to 2016 and leads the lsv group in the zrenjanin municipal assembly apo was born in zrenjanin vojvodina in what was then the socialist republic of serbia in the socialist federal republic of yugoslavia he was raised in the city and began working at the technical faculty in zrenjanin in 2003 from 2008 to 2012 he was the leader of zrenjanin s public housing corporation apo joined the lsv in his twenties and was included on the party s together for tolerance electoral list in the 2003 serbian parliamentary election the list did not cross the electoral threshold to win representation in the national assembly he was subsequently included on the lsv s together for vojvodina list in the 2004 provincial election in which half the seats were determined by a system of proportional representation while not initially selected for his party s delegation he received a mandate on 22 december 2004 to replace a member who had left the assembly the lsv was a", "as of 2011 it has a population of 46 086 inhabitants bor a is located just north of the downtown belgrade in the banat section of the municipality of palilula at an altitude of it stretches between the zrenjaninski put road which connects belgrade to the town of zrenjanin in vojvodina and the slow streams of pretok sebe and vizelj which flows through the middle of the marshy area of pan eva ki rit the northern part of the municipality of palilula as bor a developed it stretched along the zrenjaninski put to the south krnja a s neighborhood of dunavski venac and to the north suburban settlement of padinska skela earliest remains in the vicinity of modern settlement of bor a are from the bronze and iron age but the medallions figurines and coins from the 3rd and 4th century bc are also found because of the marshy area not much is preserved but the remains which confirm presence of the sarmatians including iazyges and romans were found bor a was mentioned for the first time in 1375 under name barcsa or bercse settlement was under administration of the kingdom of hungary although its name imply possible slavic root", "he began his career in serbia with proleter zrenjanin and subsequently played for red star belgrade with whom he won a yugoslav league title and two yugoslav cups his prolific performances earned him a move to premier league side sheffield wednesday although his time in england was less successful he is mainly known for his spells at real sociedad where his offensive partnership with nihat kahveci was one of the best in spain kova evi also had positive spells with italian club juventus and greek side olympiacos at international level he represented yugoslavia at the 1998 fifa world cup and at uefa euro 2000 beginning his career with his birth town club fk radni ki kovin but was soon spotted by zrenjanin based serbian top league club fk proleter zrenjanin and it became clear at the young age of 19 that kova evi would become one of the country s greatest ever goalscorers spending two seasons with the club kova evi managed over a goal every other game and was quickly snatched up by serbian giants red star belgrade kova evi flourished at the belgrade club winning a yugoslav league title and two yugoslav cups becoming one of europe s", "he has built a reputation as a free kick specialist and a tricky dribbler to i began his career with his local side proleter zrenjanin before making his debuts with mladost luki evo he then joined budu nost banatski dvor who then merged with proleter to form banat zrenjanin a year later he signed for serbian giants partizan for whom he played for two years before a high profile move to manchester united of england after he struggled to break into the red devils first team he was sent on a six month loan to german side 1 fc k ln in january 2010 and was then transferred to cska moscow of russia that summer a full international between 2007 and 2016 to i has earned 76 caps for serbia he was part of their teams at the 2008 summer olympics and the 2010 world cup born in zrenjanin sr serbia sfr yugoslavia to i began his football career with mladost luki evo after he terminated a contract with the club he stayed without a club to play for a six month period he also played futsal with kmf sas in the meantime later he moved to budu nost banatski", "they played mostly in regional leagues during the period before the break up of yugoslavia in 2003 they were promoted to the top national league for the first time they will finish the 2003 04 first league of serbia and montenegro in 13th place out of 16 teams thus being relegated but after only a year they will return to the top tier in the 2005 06 serbia and montenegro superliga they will have a much better performance by finishing in 8th place however in late january during the winter break of the season budu nost was merged with fk proleter zrenjanin and form a new club named fk banat zrenjanin the major highlight of the club happened when they reached the final of the 2004 serbia and montenegro cup which they lost to red star belgrade by 0 1 this led them to qualify for the 2004 05 uefa cup second qualifying round where they met slovenian side nk maribor which beat them in away goals with a 2 2 aggregate this is a list of players with senior national team caps or more than 50 league appearances incomplete for the complete list of all former players with wikipedia", "she served in the national assembly of serbia from 2008 to 2014 as a member of the liberal democratic party ldp and was a deputy speaker of the assembly popovi was born in iti te autonomous province of vojvodina in what was then the people s republic of serbia in the federal people s republic of yugoslavia she graduated from the university of novi sad faculty of law in 1979 from 1980 to 1984 she was a high school teacher a journalist for novi sad television and a trainee at the zrenjanin municipal court she was elected as a judge at the zrenjanin court in 1984 and served in this role for the next ten years before resigning to join the bar association of vojvodina and become a practicing lawyer popovi joined the liberal democratic party in 2007 she received the 180th position on the party s electoral list in the 2008 serbian parliamentary election the list won thirteen mandates and she was subsequently chosen for its assembly delegation from 2000 to 2011 parliamentary mandates were awarded to sponsoring parties or coalitions rather than to individual candidates and it was common practice for the mandates to be distributed out of", "commonly known simply as javornik the place name is derived from the slovene word javor maple primarily a residential community it also contains the bulk of the remaining steel mill facilities in the municipality of jesenice the settlement is located directly southeast of the core of jesenice on the north bank of the sava river its neighbor to the northwest is the village of koro ka bela javornik was founded in 1403 when ulrich the bishop of brixen granted herman esel the rights to mine iron ore below koro ka bela after an ore discovery blast furnaces were established on the right bank of javornik creek below kres hill javornik was the third iron working settlement in the modern jesenice area after sava and plav although all were predated by the agricultural villages of koro ka bela and murova the industrial facilities passed through the hands of several owners including the pasarelli family who built a manorhouse at trebe in the 17th century now lost it was one of four ironworks castles built in the area during the 16th and early 17th centuries the kos manor in murova and the bucelleni ruard manor in sava survive in 1752 the javornik", "it rises in the poiana rusc mountains in romania part of the carpathian mountains and it flows into the tisa river near titel vojvodina serbia its drainage basin covers an area of of which in romania the river starts at the confluence of its headwaters bega luncanilor and bega poienilor after flowing north the river bends to the west at curtea passing through f get balin and topolov u mare where it enters the low banat plains there it begins to spill over so the bega canal was constructed tracking bega veche which is also channelled for 97 km as a parallel waterway for 114 km before the two rejoin northeast of zrenjanin serbia the bega canal runs through timi oara and continues to the southwest enters serbia near the village of hetin near jankov most the begej becomes part of the large danube tisa danube canal or dtd and turns south receiving waters from the novi begej there it is separated from dtd route turning west and reaching zrenjanin from there it continues to the south using the old river bed of the tisa passing through e ka staji evo and perlez in this part it flows through marshlands", "he made one appearance for joinville in the 2006 campeonato brasileiro s rie c and one appearance in each campeonato catarinense 2006 and 2007 earlier he made 2 appearance for caxias in the 2004 campeonato catarinense in january 2009 he was contracted by the serbian superliga club fk banat zrenjanin where he played until summer 2010 when he came the club was struggling in the 2008 09 serbian superliga and after the end of the second half of the season the club ended up relegated with rafael playing 7 matches and scoring once in the next season 2009 10 banat was competing at second national tier the serbian first league with rafael playing further 11 matches in january 2011 he was back in brazil and he signed with am rica futebol clube rn in summer 2011 he moved to mesquita futebol clube", "it is located in the belgrade s municipality of palilula and statistically is part of bor a crvenka is located in banat section of the municipality half kilometer away from the left bank of the danube on the batin kanal stream it is built in the thickly forested area and surrounded by marshes of pan eva ki rit so even being close it can t be seen from the opposite zemun bank and it is not near to any other settlements of belgrade during the 18th century an austrian sentry post was erected here and was named crvenka serbian for red land or red place the settlement was built after the world war ii it developed as an experimental agricultural farm of the university of belgrade s faculty of agriculture which is seated across the danube in the neighborhood of zemun the settlers came to crvenka as they were needed for the work instead of being colonized like in the other settlements in pan eva ki rit part of the original settlers were germans who left for germany in the 1960 s part of crvenka is a weekend settlement which means it has no permanent population it consists of some", "it is located in belgrade s municipality of palilula kote is located in the palilula municipality section that falls in banat region on the northern bank of the kalovita canal it also borders the neighborhoods of dunavski venac to the north and krnja a s neighborhoods blok sutjeska to the east and partizanski blok to the southeast originally intended as the western extension of krnja a and officially part of it until 1971 when krnja a lost a status of the separate settlement and became part of the belgrade city proper itself it was constructed west of the zrenjaninski put road which connects the cities of belgrade and zrenjanin without urbanistic connection to any other neighborhoods as the settlements in this area grew kote today makes one continuous built up area with krnja a and bor a to the north at the time being built in the middle of the nowhere the settlement was constructed in the shape of perfect elongated octagon since the 1980s the settlement stretched over its envisioned geometrical proportions and now it is core of the chaotic and irregular expanded urbanized area mostly to the west and south the area is entirely residential without industrial and", "it is located in belgrade s municipalities of new belgrade and zemun to in bunar generally refers to an area alongside the to in bunar street over long meridionally stretched street that connects be anija novi beograd and zemun it begins at be anijska kosa and also passes between the neighborhoods of franjine rudine studentski grad where it crosses the european route e75 with large interchange kalvarija and paviljoni while in the end through the short ivi eva and be anijska streets it enters the center of zemun and its neighborhood of donji grad the name to in bunar is serbian for to a s water well and it was named after teodor to a apostolovi 1745 1810 serbian merchant and philanthropist who donated the land between be anija and zemun to the serbian church municipality of zemun he dug a eram cattle drawn water well and built a kafana around it urban legend claims that apostolovi was losing his eyesight after he turned 50 he was told in a dream that a waters which could heal him are where the good vineyards grow below the loess ridge of be anijska kosa he was told to roll the barrel down", "it was formerly part of the trebinje municipality up until the bosnian war it is only a few kilometers away from the border with croatia on the road from the adriatic coast to popovo polje it was the birthplace of ragusan merchant nikola bo kovi father of famed astronomer ru er bo kovi the literal translation of orahov do is walnut valley other variants include orahovi do orovi do and orahovo in serbian cyrillic the name is written as the village is mentioned in ragusan documents dating to july 1405 as horachindol 1408 as orachouo dol and 1414 as oracouodol the 1405 document mentions novak grguri as a subject of vojvoda sandalj hrani the 1408 document mentions nobleman pokrajac novakovi s granting his subject novak grguri from orahov do to settle with his family in the ston region the 1414 document mentions radonja pripkovi from the village the region was during the middle ages part of the upa county of popovo during the great turkish war in 1689 hajduks attacked orahov do nijev do and baleni i on the order of serdar nonkovi the village is inhabited by a croat majority and serb minority in the 1991 census the village", "the earliest report published in the united states was in may 1925 renczi s story has surfaced repeatedly but without traceable details such as specific dates of her birth marriages arrest conviction incarceration or death most sources place the murders at berkerekul yugoslavia present day serbia or be kerek which changed the name to zrenjanin in 1946 in 1972 the guinness book of world records found no authoritative sources to support the claim that 35 people were killed by renczi in early 20th century romania according to some accounts renczi was born in bucharest in 1903 but in view of the dates of her alleged crimes a date in the late 19th century would be more appropriate the accounts of her life are lacking in verifiable documentary supporting evidence her mother died when she was 13 and she moved with her father to becicherecul mare today zrenjanin voivodina northern yugoslavia where she attended a boarding school by the age of fifteen she had become increasingly unmanageable and had frequently run away from home with numerous boyfriends many of whom were significantly older than she was early childhood friends described renczi as having an almost pathological desire for constant male companionship", "it is the source of the sava dolinka river a tributary of the danube at zelenci springs water from underground nadi a creek originating in the planica valley re emerges through the porous bottom of a 2 m deep lake whose waters are noted for their deep brilliant green the spring and its surrounding area are named after this colour zelenci is a deadjectival plural noun from slovene zelen green the upper sava valley is the result of action by the planica glacier creeping from below mount jalovec the ponce range and mount mojstrovka the area contains many lake sediments suggesting that zelenci springs is a remnant of the once much larger lake koren created by the retreat of the glacier which carried along much debris in retreat the bulk of it was deposited at what is now podkoren damming the sava with the koren pass which hemmed in glacial melt and formed an extensive lake the sava then tunneled through this natural dam lowering the water level of lake koren until only zelenci springs and its surrounding wetlands were left zelenci springs is considered the beginning of the longer of the two sources of the sava the longest slovenian", "1 march 1977 zrenjanin serbia and lucian muntean b 20 november 1976 novi sad serbia dedicated to documentary filmmaking on human rights and social justice around the world with special attention paid to children rights and child labour the great support and the feedback of the international public to their documentary short punam motivated natasa and lucian to establish the punam fund an organisation dedicated to fundraising for the labour children of nepal the main goal of the punam fund is fundraising for the working children s education their documentaries have received 40 international film awards one of them unicef award for children rights and have been screened at more than 100 international film festivals their films are used for educational purposes in schools around the world from ghana to mongolia the duo split up in 2013 natasa urban born in 1977 in zrenjanin serbia graduated from the university of arts department of photography and video in bucharest romania in 2001 natasa holds a masters degree in photography from the university of arts belgrade serbia lucian muntean born in 1976 in novi sad serbia graduated from the university of film and theatre department of cinematography in bucharest romania in 2000", "it is located in belgrade s municipality of palilula geographically located in banat dunavski venac is located north of the kote and krnja a s blok sutjeska neighborhoods on the west it borders the mokri sebe canal while on the east and north it stretched along the zrenjanski put road which connects belgrade and zrenjanin given its position dunavski venac is the northernmost urban neighborhood of belgrade dunavski venac is entirely residential area it has no industrial facilities while commerce has begun developing only recently as the neighborhood stretched along the zrenjaninski put the name of the neighborhood is descriptive patterned after the name of belgrade s municipality of savski venac and means the danube s rim even though it is not on the danube s bank dunavski venac is also the proposed name for the future municipality of belgrade at the moment it is the name of the local community which comprises most of krnja a with a population of 13 414 in 2002 since the late 1990s a notion of the area on the left bank of the danube splitting from the municipality of palilula began gaining a momentum in 2003 a petition signed by 17 000 inhabitants", "it is located in the south eastern section of belgrade s municipality of zvezdara it marks the border with the municipality of grocka it mostly stretches between bulevar kralja aleksandra and the highway belgrade ni but also north of the boulevard zeleno brdo it extends into the neighborhoods of mirijevo on the north konjarnik on the west medakovi iii on the south west veliki mokri lug on the south and kalu erica in grocka municipality on the east mali mokri lug occupies the northern section of the mokrolu ki potok valley which is today used as a route for the belgrade ni highway and divides mali mokri lug and veliki mokri lug the neighborhood occupies the southern slopes of several hills bajdina zeleno brdo stoj ino brdo with an altitude of descending into the mokrolu ki potok s valley so the entire neighborhood is built downhill belgrade s predecessor was a celtic and roman town of singidunum while the town s castrum occupied part of today s belgrade fortress singidunum s civilian zone spread from the modern kralja petra street over the both sava and danube slopes till the neighborhood of kosan i ev venac extending in a series of", "during his childhood he also spent some time in spain where his father had signed with a club before the family settled in zrenjanin serbia when he was eight years of age radon i started playing football before turning to basketball in the youth system of kk uno grande zrenjanin in the 2013 14 season radon i played with the youth ranks of fc barcelona he moved to real madrid s youth teams one year later for the 2014 15 season he then played with real madrid s reserve team real madrid b in the 2015 16 season he also made his spanish liga acb and euroleague debuts with real madrid s senior men s team during the 2015 16 season in the 2016 17 season he also split playing time between real madrid s main team and their reserve b team on 8 august 2018 real madrid loaned him to san pablo burgos for the 2018 19 season on july 25 2019 radon i part ways with real madrid and signed a two year deal with ucam murcia radon i had his first cap for the senior montenegrin national basketball team in 2016 while playing in the eurobasket 2017", "the town has a serbian ethnic majority and it had a population of 9 001 in 2011 in serbian the town is known as crvenka in hungarian as cservenka and in german as tscherwenka or rotweil the name of the town is derived from the serbian word crveno red in prehistoric times the region around crvenka was covered by water because between the danube river and tele ka plateau there was a large lake which was described by roman historians as sweet lake at that time it was possible to travel by boat to the fru ka gora mountains in the city remains of prehistoric animals have been found such as the mammoth the region was most likely inhabited during the early neolithic when the region belonged to the star evo culture later the celts settled in the area around crvenka in the immediate vicinity archaeological excavations have found objects from celtic and roman times including urns and pottery as well as celtic and roman coins the roman coins known as follis depict roman emperor constantine the great and some others originated from the republic of venice from the middle of the 1st century to the 4th century the region", "it was an autonomous area centered around the town of velika kikinda today kikinda serbia and mainly inhabited by ethnic serbs it was formed on 12 november 1774 by the decision of habsburg empress maria theresa through the special charter as the specific feudal governmental administrative unit with headquarters in velika kikinda today kikinda serbia inhabitants of the district had for that period substantial economic and even political privileges within the habsburg monarchy until 1778 the district of velika kikinda was part of the banat of temeswar a separate habsburg land and then part of the torontal county within the habsburg kingdom of hungary in 1848 1849 it was part of autonomous serbian vojvodina and from 1849 to 1860 it was part of the voivodeship of serbia and banat of temeschwar a separate austrian crown land after abolishment of the voivodeship in 1860 territory of the district of velika kikinda was again included into torontal county the district functioned with some interruptions until 1876 when it was abolished and its territory was allocated both organizationally and administratively to the direct authority of the torontal county with the headquarters in veliki be kerek today zrenjanin serbia which covered most of the", "during its existence it was the most radical yugoslavist group the movement was founded on 7 january 1930 in belgrade but was based in both belgrade in serbia and zagreb in croatia although mainly developed in croatia the movement supported king alexander s royal dictatorship declared in 1929 the organization was claimed by others to be fascist though the party itself denied this it has been described as one of three notable fascist movements the other being the association of fighters of yugoslavia and the yugoslav national movement that emerged in yugoslavia in the 1930s all of whom supported the monarchy and would reach their zenith during the axis occupation of yugoslavia 1941 45 the organization adopted symbols imitating the nsdap such as a blue swastika and a raised right hand it was merged along with other organizations such as boj battle in slovenia and groups surrounding the magazines of zbor council and otad bina homeland based in belgrade and budjenje awakening in zrenjanin to form the yugoslav national movement led by dimitrije ljoti in early 1935 the core of the yugoslav national movement also known as zbor was recruited from yugoslav action zbor played no significant role prior to", "the league was contested in a double round robin format with each club playing every other club twice for a total of 30 rounds two points were awarded for a win and one point for draws budu nost were relegated from the 1950 yugoslav first league after finishing in the 10th place of the league table while 9th placed spartak subotica were allowed to stay in the top level after na a krila zemun were dissolved the four clubs promoted directly to the second level were dinamo pan evo radni ki belgrade vele and nk zagreb while bokelj proleter zrenjanin rabotni ki rudar trbovlje and tekstilac achieved this through qualifications at the end of the season there were no teams relegated as the league changed its format", "nis is a serbian multinational oil and gas company with headquarters in nis building novi sad serbia nis is one of the most profitable companies in serbia and one of the largest domestic exporters it employs around 11 000 people in serbia and the region gazprom neft is the majority shareholder owning 56 15 of nis shares while 29 87 of nis share capital is held by the republic of serbia and rest by minority shareholders the main activities of the company are exploration production and refining of petroleum and natural gas sales and distribution of a broad range of petroleum and gas products as well as the implementation of energy and petrochemical projects the main nis production facilities are in the republic of serbia while subsidiaries and representative offices have been established in bosnia and herzegovina bulgaria romania russia and angola the precursor of today s nis was the oil exploration and production company with headquarters in zrenjanin founded in 1949 by the decision of the government of the federal people s republic of yugoslavia fpry the company for oil exploration and production naftagas was established in 1953 pursuant to the decision of the government of fpry when management", "it includes the eastern and northeastern part of the prizren basin prizrenska kotlina and presents its border region towards the ar upe of sirini ka upa and sreda ka upa it is a sub region of metohija it includes the villages of skorobi ta dojnica grn are novo selo vrbi ane and the urban settlements of kurilo and ba darana and suburb ljubi da of prizren it is inhabited by albanians slavic muslims and serbs the region is stretching from the branches of the ar mountains from prizren to the village of dulje on the crnoljeva mountain it includes the eastern and northeastern part of the prizren basin prizrenska kotlina and presents its border region towards the ar upe of sirini ka upa and sreda ka upa it is a sub region of metohija it includes the villages of skorobi ta dojnica grn are novo selo vrbi ane and the urban settlements of kurilo and ba darana and suburb ljubi da of prizren in the middle ages it was a upa county named podgor the ottomans called the region havazi it is culturally connected to serb inhabited sirini ka upa the locals speak the podgor speech podgorski govor of the" ]

[ "The Duchess of York says people should stop criticising her nephew. But the Prince is still under pressure for wearing a Nazi symbol. Breakfast discusses at 7.39am" ]

[ "By HARRY MINIUM BY HARRY MINIUM The Virginian-Pilot RICHMOND - Del. Robert Bell speaks plainly about why he is trying to amend the state constitution. \"We want to make it more difficult for government to take your home,\" said the Republican from Albemarle County.", "Pardon Mary Beth Harris if she doesn't speak your language. After two years at the University of Louisville's School of Music, the former Musette and 2002 graduate of Harlan High School is living in a world ...", "Holidaymakers caught up in the south east Asian disaster speak of their terror, while relatives at home wait for news.", "Amazon.com's gearing up for Harry Potter at the perfect time.", "Fans gear up for the premiere of the fifth Harry Potter film, The Order of the Phoenix in Tokyo.", "Up this week are blue chip bargain hunters Harry Burn III and Gibbs Kane.", "A rare signed first edition Harry Potter book is expected to fetch up to £12,000 at auction.", "If Brady Quinn has his way, the numbers he puts up this fall will speak louder than any words.", "Militants claiming to speak for Basque separatists Eta say the group will not give up arms until independence.", "The fight for the Oscar is often a bloody one, metaphorically speaking. But this year an unusual amount of mayhem is showing up in the movies themselves.", "Hedge funds are notoriously reticent in part because the government requires them to be. But some of them want to speak up.", "Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe signs up to play the boy wizard in the final two films in the hit series.", "Online auction firm eBay says a first edition copy of a Harry Potter book could fetch up to £20,000.", "Peter Chan's musical Perhaps Love picks up four awards at the Chinese-speaking world's equivalent of the Oscars.", "PRINCE Harry will have to put up with a bit of square bashing after realising his dream of joining the Army. Eton-educated Harry, 20, has passed the entrance exams for elite military academy Sandhurst where he will train as an officer.", "Workers at hair salons, restaurants, discount stores and other businesses are now speaking up and documenting the illegal practice.", "Two key roles in the sixth Harry Potter film go up for grabs, with open casting sessions due to be held in London.", "Commuters in Wales were bemused when they rang up a Welsh-speaking rail inquiry line - to be greeted by Geordies.", "Dinner was over by the time the party's honored guest showed up at the table. She didn't speak a word. And she left in the rabbi's arms.", "Sixth entry in the boy wizard series, &quot;The Half-Blood Prince,&quot; due next July; fans, investors cheer. The sixth Harry Potter book is due out July 16 in the world&#39;s largest English-speaking markets.", "With the Harry Potter series now completed, Scholastic is moving forward with what it hopes will be its follow-up blockbuster series.", "I don't speak Arabic, but I do speak the universal language of boy.", "Veteran coach Jim Smith has teamed up again with Harry Redknapp at Southampton, a month after they both left neighbour Portsmouth.", "A first edition of the debut Harry Potter novel by J.K. Rowling is expected to sell for up to 7,000 pounds at an auction on June 26.", "Dr. Amy Marder still chokes up when she speaks of her Australian terrier, CeCe, who died last year during an operation.", "Cornerback Walt Harris suits up for his first full practice as a Redskin on Monday after missing minicamp and the first two weeks of training camp.", "A lack of nanotech IPOs could hinder short-term returns for Harris & Harris.", "High-capacity flash-memory technology could be a boon to Harris & Harris.", "A former Fresno State volleyball coach was awarded $5.85 million Monday by a jury that ruled the school discriminated against her for speaking up on behalf of female athletes.", "British actor Daniel Radcliffe has signed up for the final two films in the seven-part Harry Potter series, his spokeswoman said on Friday.", "\"Harry Potter\" star Emma Watson has broken up with her boyfriend Tom Drucker after seeing his pictures with other teenagers.", "As the Harry Potter series wraps up this summer, we can look back at two remarkable narratives: Potter the boy wizard and Potter the cultural phenomenon." ]

[ "La Haine is a film that flew beneath my radar for some time. Released to critical acclaim in 1995, it won numerous awards, and earned both the support and criticism of members of the French Government at the time. It explores a day in the life of three hood kids growing up in a public housing project outside of Paris. The film effectively and at times disturbingly shows the tension between the police and Paris' minority communities. Although it is 12 years old, its exploration of police brutality and racial/class disparity is relevant and applicable to modern American society and probably more generally any society in which there is an unequal distribution of wealth.\n\nLa Haine is shot in gritty black and white, and is subtitled. Although it is a deep film, it is still an entertaining and absorbing crime/hood drama. It is raw in its depiction of kids growing up on the fringes of society. It is not pretentious or cliche like 'Crash', a film with a similar theme. This is both an artistic and entertaining film, which retains its power after multiple viewings. La Haine deserves to be watched." ]

[ "San Andreas is the best GTA game, plain and simple. The map is not only huge (not really that important) but very detailed and varied, and feels like a real-life location. The characters and story, while somewhat clichd, are well-animated and believable, and the missions offer more variety in gameplay than ever before - you'll rob banks and houses, shoot people off motorcycles, throw crates of weapons at the National Guard, and gun down RC helicopters, while still performing the traditional gun-and-drive tasks. Granted, some of the additions to this game are a little bit annoying (defending your gang's territory from other gangs in a wave-of-enemies minigame gets old fast because of the imperfect AI - they either outgun you or you plow them all down with ease - and some of the RPG elements, while adding realism to the game, aren't very fun), but at the end of the day San Andreas has the most fun and intricate missions, storyline, and map of any GTA title.", "This oven temperature sensor is easy to change even for a novice. Take out the mounting screws and gently pull it towards yourself to expose the electrical plug." ]