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Venezuela detains 85-year-old survivor of 1950s dictatorship | CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan intelligence agents detained before dawn on Friday an 85-year-old activist who is the sole survivor of a clandestine group that fought against a 1950s military dictatorship, according to his family and Twitter feed.
Lawyer Enrique Aristeguieta is an outspoken opposition campaigner who regularly compares the 1952-1958 dictatorship of Marcos Perez to the current “narco-tyranny” of socialist President Nicolas Maduro.
His family and political party Justice First said he was taken from his home in Caracas in the early hours.
“(Intelligence agents) are in my house looking for me,” Aristeguieta tweeted just before 4 a.m., without giving further details.
Maria Alejandra Aristeguieta, his daughter, said in a statement they had no idea of his whereabouts.
“We demand the immediate liberation of Enrique Aristeguieta,” she wrote.
Venezuelan authorities did not respond to a request for comment.
Local rights group Penal Forum said Aristeguieta was one of 14 activists rounded up over the past week, among about 200 in total who are being detained by the Maduro government.
Critics say the ruling Socialist Party persecutes dissenters, while officials insist they are acting legitimately against people plotting against the government with U.S. support. |
Kings’ Drew Doughty at 100 goals, wants to catch Rob Blake | When the Kings’ Drew Doughty scored a goal during a 3-0 victory at Dallas on Tuesday, it gave him 100 for his career. He surpassed Steve Duchesne for second on the team’s all-time list for defensemen and is behind only team vice president/general manager Rob Blake, who had 161 for the Kings.
Ever humble, Doughty still takes pride in the accomplishment.
“It was a pretty big milestone,” said Doughty, in his 10th season, all with the Kings. “Obviously, it’s something I guess I’ve never really thought of before until it kind of came up. It was never one of my goals to score 100 goals in the league; I never really thought of that.
“So, obviously, take a lot of pride trying to put up points and score goals for the team. But that’s not my main objective.”
Doughty, 28, has eight goals and 28 assists this season. His 36 points were second on the team to forward Anze Kopitar’s 53 before the team took on Arizona on Saturday at Staples Center.
Doughty acknowledged during the morning skate that he wanted to be a scoring defenseman at the outset of his career.
“I knew I needed to chip in on offense because I knew I had the ability to, and I think I’ve grown in that category,” he said.
Coach John Stevens, a defenseman during his short NHL career, has an appreciation for a defender who can also put up points. He referred to Doughty’s 100 goals as a “pretty significant number.” Related Articles Kings have no trouble dispatching cellar-dwelling Coyotes
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“If you talk to Drew and you watch Drew, you understand Drew,” Stevens said. “I think points are important … because it helps the hockey team, but he has a real deep passion to be a great defender and keep the puck out of the net. I see Drew as a guy who can make a difference at both ends of the rink.
“But certainly his ability to produce offense and get involved in the play, I think has always been a part of his game. I think the fact that he’s such a well-rounded player is what makes him such a valuable guy.”
So, Doughty was asked, can he catch Blake?
“I would like to, you know,” Doughty said. “It would be kind of cool to catch him. He was one of my idols growing up. I loved the way he played. I don’t think I’ll ever catch him in total goals scored, but if I re-sign here like I’d like to, hopefully I can play another 10 years in the league.
“All I’ve gotta do is score, I guess, 10 on average to beat him, so I have a shot at it.”
Actually, if Doughty plays another 10 seasons, he would only need to average about six goals to get to Blake. Doughty is averaging roughly 10 per season.
But like he said, catching Blake’s overall goal total would be very difficult. Blake also played for Colorado and San Jose during his 20-year career and had a combined 79 goals for them for 240 lifetime.
Ice Chips
The Kings will next play host to Edmonton on Wednesday. They then leave for a seven-game trip over 12 days that will have stops at Florida, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Chicago and Winnipeg. … The Kings entered Saturday two points out of a playoff spot. |
EPA Classifies Santa Barbara County as ‘Marginal’ in Meeting Ozone Standard | If its final designation is nonattainment, additional air quality planning requirements will be required
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it will implement the 2008 federal eight-hour ozone standard of 0.075 parts per million (ppm), and in a preliminary statement listed Santa Barbara County as a probable nonattainment area with a classification of “marginal.”
The EPA announced it will issue final designations and classifications in mid-2012. Ground-level ozone is a principal component of smog.
“We have seen declining ozone levels in Santa Barbara County over the past decades,” District Director Dave Van Mullem said. “So our local air quality is improving, but the standards have changed as we learn more about the health effects caused by ozone.”
If the county’s final designation is nonattainment for ozone, there will be additional air quality planning requirements. The EPA noted that it expected many of the “marginal” areas to reach attainment by 2015, based on rules already in place.
“Santa Barbara County will strive to achieve attainment by 2015,” Van Mullem said.
Implementation of the 2008 ozone standard was delayed, and the county was considered in attainment of the previous federal eight-hour ozone standard of 0.08 ppm. The county is currently not in attainment of California’s eight-hour ozone standard of 0.070 ppm, and has issued a Clean Air Plan and associated control measures with the goal of attaining this standard.
Ground-level ozone is formed when nitrogen oxides and reactive organic gases react chemically in the presence of sunlight and heat. Ozone damages lungs and respiratory systems. It is known to harm lung development in children over time, has a role in causing early childhood asthma, and produces a range of respiratory symptoms in children and adults.
Click here for more information.
— Mary Byrd is a public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District. |
Mario Batali Steps Down Sexual Misconduct Accusations | Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Fast Company
Celebrity chef Mario Batali is stepping away from the “day-to-day operations of his businesses for an unspecified period of time” after four women told Eater that Batali had inappropriately touched them over the span of two decades. Batali said in a statement to Eater that much of the accusations “match up” with how he has behaved in the past. Per Eater:
“I apologize to the people I have mistreated and hurt. Although the identities of most of the individuals mentioned in these stories have not been revealed to me, much of the behavior described does, in fact, match up with ways I have acted. That behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused to my peers, employees, customers, friends and family.”
One woman, a chef who was in her 20s at the time of the alleged misconduct, said that at dinner with Batali he began to touch her breasts after she spilled wine on her shirt. She told Eater, “[H]e just went to town, and I was so shocked … Jaw on the ground, I just stepped back from him in utter disgust and walked away.”
All four women worked in the restaurant industry, and three worked for Batali. All of them describe Batali groping them or inappropriately touching them in some way. The first formal complaint against Batali was filed two months ago, according to a spokesperson for the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group. Batali was reprimanded and required to undergo training. Now, he will be stepping away from the operations of his restaurant empire, as well as his co-hosting gig at ABC’s The Chew pending review of the allegations.
Chef Anthony Bourdain, who has been outspoken about believing accusations of sexual misconduct following the Harvey Weinstein revelations, tweeted this morning “It’s Batali. And it’s bad.” Fellow chef Tom Colicchio responded “And no one should be surprised.” |
Warm in blankets, Thai boys smile, joke with rescuer in cave | A Thai provincial governor says all 12 boys and their coach have been found alive in the cave
In this July 3, 2018, image taken from video provided by the Royal Thai Navy Facebook Page, a Thai boy smiles as Thai Navy SEAL medic help injured children inside a cave in Mae Sai, northern Thailand. (Royal Thai Navy Facebook Page via AP)
Their skinny faces illuminated by a flashlight, the Thai soccer teammates stranded more than a week in a partly flooded cave said they were healthy on a video released Wednesday, as heavy rains forecast for later this week could complicate plans to safely extract them.
The 12 boys and their coach are seen sitting with Thai navy SEALs in the dark cave. The boys, many wrapped in foil warming blankets, take turns introducing themselves, folding their hands together in a traditional greeting and saying their names and that they are healthy.
The video lasting about a minute was recorded sometime Tuesday and was posted on the navy SEAL Facebook page Wednesday morning. The navy later released two more videos of the boys.
The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach disappeared after they went exploring in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in northern Chiang Rai province after a soccer game June 23. The teammates, who were trapped inside when heavy rains flooded the cave, were found by rescue divers late Monday night during a desperate search that drew assistance from experts around the globe.
Authorities said the boys, who had also been shown Tuesday in a video shot by the British diver who discovered them, were being looked after by seven members of the Thai navy SEALs, including medics, who were staying with them inside the cave. They were mostly in stable condition and have received high-protein drinks.
In all of the videos the boys have appeared in good spirits. In the most recent videos a navy SEAL is shown treating minor cuts on the feet and legs of the boys with antibiotic ointment. Several of the boys are seen smiling as they interact with the navy SEAL, who cracks jokes.
Seeing the boys has boosted the mood of relatives, and officials are working to install an internet cable to the cave so that parents can talk to their children.
Related: Thai boys and coach found alive in cave where they went missing
Related: Thai prime minister to families of missing boys: Have faith
Kian Kamluang, whose 16-year-old son Pornchai is inside, said she had thought it was a 50 per cent chance that her son would be found.
“It’s like he has been given a new life,” she said, adding that she’ll never let her son go into a cave or near water again.
SEAL commander Rear Adm. Arpakorn Yookongkaew said Tuesday that there was no rush to bring the group out of the cave, since they’re safe where they are. The current flooding situation means the boys would have to dive, which rescue experts have said could be extremely dangerous.
While efforts to pump out floodwaters are continuing, some Thai officials have indicated that heavy rains forecast for this weekend could force them to decide the boys should swim and dive out using the same complicated route of narrow passageways through which their rescuers entered.
Chiang Rai provincial Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn said Wednesday that the boys have been practicing wearing diving masks and breathing, but he doesn’t believe they have attempted any practice dives.
He said it is unknown when an extraction could be attempted, but it is unlikely to be Wednesday.
“If it’s risky or not safe, we will not proceed yet,” Narongsak said. “It has to be 100 per cent safe.”
Authorities said they were still exploring other options, such as scouring the mountainside for other ways into the cave and finding faster ways to pump water from the cave.
Cave rescue experts have said it could be safest to simply supply the boys where they are for now, and wait for the water to go down. That could take months, however, given that Thailand’s rainy season typically lasts through October.
The British Cave Rescue Council, which has members taking part in the operation , said in a statement that “although water levels have dropped, the diving conditions remain difficult and any attempt to dive the boys and their coach out will not be taken lightly because there are significant technical challenges and risks to consider.”
Gary Mitchell, the group’s assistant vice chairman, said getting out of the cave requires about a kilometre (half a mile) of diving total, though not all in one stretch, and takes about three hours.
“There’s air pockets along the way,” he said. “It’s confined spaces. It’s almost zero visibility. There’s currents to battle against in places as well. So it’s a really quite a strenuous environment to be in,” he said.
Tassanee Vejpongsa, The Associated Press
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Former Arkansas coach, AD Broyles dies at 92 | By Kurt Voigt
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Frank Broyles, who guided the University of Arkansas to its lone national football championship and later moulded the overall program as its athletic director, died Monday at the age of 92.
Broyles died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a statement from his family. “He passed peacefully in his home surrounded by his loved ones,” the statement said.
Broyles won almost 71 per cent of his games as head football coach with the Razorbacks for 19 years. He became the school’s athletic director in 1974 while still the football coach, eventually retiring from the gridiron to focus on administrative duties following the 1976 season.
As athletic director, Broyles led an overhaul and upgrade of Arkansas’ facilities — as well as leading the school in its move to the Southeastern Conference. Following his coaching career, Broyles — who earned a spot in the National Football Foundation’s College Hall of Fame — served as an analyst on ABC’s college football telecasts.
While his coaching record of 144-48-5 defined the first part of his career, Broyles’ legacy at Arkansas is every bit equaled by his work as athletic director.
Arkansas’ athletic facilities underwent a near-complete overhaul following the school’s move from the Southwest Conference to the SEC in 1991.
Broyles’ spearheaded the fundraising efforts that led to the construction of Bud Walton Arena, the renovation of and additions to Razorback Stadium and the building of Baum Stadium. He also guided the school as it built indoor and outdoor tracks, a tennis facility and the athletic administrative complex that bears his name.
Broyles was known for his ability to identify top coaches, both head coaches and assistants.
He was responsible for the hiring of basketball coaches Eddie Sutton and Nolan Richardson as well as Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield in football. Broyles also hired former great John McDonnell in track.
McDonnell won 40 national championships with the Razorbacks, while Richardson led Arkansas to the 1994 national championship in men’s basketball.
Broyles retired as athletic director in 2007, moving into a fundraising role with the school’s Razorback Foundation until his retirement from that role in 2014.
“For the past 56 years, I have had the privilege or working in the only job I ever wanted — to be the head football coach and then the athletic director of the Razorbacks,” Broyles said at the time. “The Razorbacks have always been my passion.”
He spent much of his time later in life attending various Arkansas sporting events and raising money for Alzheimer’s awareness after the 2004 death of his wife, Barbara, following a battle with the disease.
He started the Frank and Barbara Broyles Foundation CareGivers United, an Alzheimer’s education organization, and wrote a book that published more than 800,000 copies and focused on helping those who care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s.
“In 50 years, people are going to look back and that’s what they are going to remember him for, his second legacy,” said Broyles’ daughter, Betsy Arnold.
Under Broyles as coach, the Razorbacks won or shared seven Southwest Conference football titles and went to 10 bowl games.
That included a win over Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl following the 1964 regular season, which left the Razorbacks 11-0. Alabama was also undefeated entering the bowl season and was named the national champion by The Associated Press poll, but the Crimson Tide lost its bowl game to Texas — leading to Arkansas being named the champion by the Football Writers Association of America.
The Associated Press poll soon thereafter changed its policy and began naming its champion following the bowl games.
Several prominent football figures were members of the undefeated 1964 football team, including Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, former Miami Hurricanes and Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson and Hatfield.
“He’s a life teacher,” Jones told The Associated Press in 2014. “He always spoke about football as it related to life … All things pointed to life’s lessons.”
One of Broyles’ first moves as athletic director was the hiring of Sutton, the coaching great who took over a struggling basketball program and turned it into a national power.
Following Sutton’s departure, Broyles once again struck coaching gold with the hiring of Richardson — though the two strong personalities later clashed when Richardson was fired in 2002 and claimed he was a victim of racial discrimination, a lawsuit that was eventually ruled without merit.
At Decatur, Georgia, Broyles was a star in football, basketball and baseball. He won 10 letters in those three sports at Georgia Tech and was the All-SEC quarterback in 1944 and 1946.
He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1947 with an industrial management degree and turned down professional football and baseball offers before he accepted a position on Bob Woodruff’s staff at Baylor.
After a year as an assistant at Florida, Broyles returned to Georgia Tech as the offensive backfield coach and the Yellowjackets won 31 straight.
In 1957, Broyles was hired as head coach at Missouri and guided the Tigers to a 5-4-1 record. The following January, Arkansas athletic director John Barnhill offered Broyles the Arkansas job vacated by Jack Mitchell.
Broyles’ first team started 0-6 and finished 4-6. Only one other time did the Razorbacks finish below .500 under Broyles.
A couple dozen of Broyles’ players or assistants became head coaches, leading to the creation of the annual Broyles Award — giving to the nation’s top assistant coach — in his honour.
Broyles had four sons and two daughters with his first wife, Barbara, and later remarried Gen Whitehead in late 2005.
“I will forever be grateful for the generosity, graciousness and unwavering support he extended to me when I came to the University of Arkansas,” current Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long said. “The thoughts and prayers of the entire Razorback nation are with his wife Gen, his children and the entire Broyles family.”
——
More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP–Top25 |
Lewis, Urlacher, Moss, Owens headed to Canton | MINNEAPOLIS—Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher terrorized opposing offences from the middle of the field. Randy Moss and Terrell Owens did the same to defences on the outside. The two hard-hitting linebackers and two big-play receivers highlighted an eight-person class voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Safety Brian Dawkins also received at least 80 per cent support from the 47 Hall of Fame voters, along with contributor Bobby Beathard and senior nominees Jerry Kramer and Robert Brazile. But the biggest stars of the class are the two linebackers that made it on their first tries, and the pair of lightning-rod receiver who sometimes caused as many problems for their own teams as for the opposition. Moss also made it on his first try, while Owens needed to wait for his third year on the ballot to get enough support. Moss and Owens each played for five teams in their careers as they often wore out their welcome with their inability to get along with teammates and coaches at times. But at their best, there were few players ever able to strike fear in defences as much as Moss and Owens, who were both all-decade selections for the 2000s.
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Moss burst on the scene as a rookie in Minnesota in 1998 when he caught a league-leading 17 TD catches and helped lead the Vikings to the NFC title game. His combination of speed and athleticism made him the game’s most dangerous big-play threat and led to the phrase “You got Mossed” for embarrassed defensive backs. He led the NFL in TD catches five times, including his record 23 for New England in 2007, and earned four All-Pro selections. He finished his career with 982 catches for 15,292 yards and ranks second all-time with 156 TD receptions. Owens entered the league as a third-round pick by San Francisco in 1996 but developed into a star known for some memorable playoff appearances, including his winning 25-yard TD catch to beat Green Bay in 1999; his 177 yards in a comeback win against the Giants in 2003; and his nine catches for 122 yards in the 2004 Super Bowl against New England just seven weeks after breaking his leg. |
La Times Crossword Answers August 15th 2017 | Thank you for visiting our website. Since you landed on this page you are looking for the solutions to La Times August 15th 2017 Crossword and you are in luck! We have just updated our site with the latest answers so without wasting time, scroll down and find the clue that you are looking for.
Click any of the clues to reveal the answer and see the rest of the solutions from other publishers too. |
Trail Blazers: Eighth Seed in the Western Conference or Tank? | As 2016 closes tonight, the Portland Trail Blazers are almost done with half of their season and sit 5.5 games out of seventh place in the Western Conference. It's also worth noting that Portland is 1.5 games out of eighth place.
Start the conversation, or Read more at Rip City Project. |
Polling Matters podcast: GE17 debrief. Breaking down the YouGov model & focus on Northern Ireland | This week’s podcast is split into two parts.
In part one, Keiran chats with Ben Lauderdale from the LSE. Ben was behind the infamous YouGov model which turned out to be so successful. He explains how the model works, what it tells us about the campaign and British politics more generally and where the polling industry goes from here.
In part two, Keiran is joined by Mick Fealty of Slugger O’Toole to discuss what the DUP might want from the Tories and what any potential deal might mean for the future of the Northern Ireland peace process. Mick gives an interesting perspective on why he is worried about the peace process but still remains optimistic for the future of Northern Ireland.
Keiran then finishes by giving his thoughts on the election and the state of play in British politics
LISTEN HERE
Follow this week’s guests here:
@keiranpedley
@benjamin_lauderdale
@mickfealty |
Feds could erase debt by 2060, while most provinces face bigger fiscal woes: PBO | OTTAWA _ The federal government’s bottom line is on a sustainable path that could see Ottawa eliminate the national debt entirely in about 40 years, a new report from the parliamentary budget officer said Thursday.
However, the analysis highlighted far bleaker fiscal outlooks for many of the provinces, with particular long-term budgetary challenges in Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador.
While Ottawa is on track to pay off its debt by 2060, the document projects the combined debts of provincial and territorial governments to rise to over 100 per cent of gross domestic product from 28 per cent of GDP within the next 75 years under existing fiscal policies.
“Taken from the perspective of the government sector as a whole _ that is, federal and subnational governments and public pension plans combined _ current fiscal policy in Canada is sustainable over the long term,” said the report from parliamentary budget officer Jean-Denis Frechette.
“However, this perspective masks unsustainable fiscal policy at the subnational level.”
The office notes that these fiscal projections are not forecasts or predictions and it stresses they only show the possible consequences if governments were to maintain their current fiscal structures over the long term.
It did identify two bright spots that stand out from their provincial peers: Quebec and Nova Scotia.
They are the only provinces with fiscal trajectories that will be sustainable over the long haul, leaving them room to introduce tax cuts or to increase government spending, the research said.
The report found Quebec to be in the best fiscal position. It said Quebec could even maintain its fiscal sustainability after introducing permanent tax cuts or spending increases worth up to three per cent of its GDP or $11.7 billion.
At the other end of the spectrum, the analysis found that the remaining provinces and territories will likely be forced to raise taxes or reduce expenditures to avoid decades of deficits
It says the energy-producing provinces of Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador face the biggest challenges.
For Newfoundland, the analysis estimated that permanent tax hikes or spending cuts of 6.5 per cent of provincial GDP _ or $2 billion _ would be required to achieve fiscal sustainability.
In Alberta, the government would need permanent tax increases or spending reductions of 4.6 per cent of provincial GDP _ or $14.1 billion _ to return to a sustainable track.
At the federal level, the PBO estimates permanent tax cuts or spending increases worth 1.2 per cent of gross domestic product _ or $24.5 billion _ could be implemented while maintaining fiscal sustainability.
The parliamentary budget office says the federal government is on a trajectory that, without any changes, could see it eliminate its annual deficits by around 2040.
The federal numbers look different from a Finance Department report released last December by the Trudeau government, which predicted that, barring any policy changes, the federal government could run annual shortfalls until at least 2050-51.
Since then, the country’s outlook has changed after the economy easily beat expectations with a powerful performance in the first half of 2017. |
Duplex fire in Bend confined to kitchen | Bend firefighters put out a fire yesterday at a duplex on Savannah Avenue in Bend. The family living in the home came back to find the house in flames. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the kitchen. No one was injured. Total damage from the fire was estimated to be about 3 thousand dollars. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The home didn’t have any working smoke alarms. |
Can the court punish Anurag Thakur for perjury? | Anurag Thakur (File/Express Photo) Anurag Thakur (File/Express Photo)
Did Thakur seek such a letter?
In Monday’s order, the court stated that there are two contrasting versions before them – one from BCCI general manager (administration and game development) Ratnakar Shetty and the second from Thakur.
The SC order reads: “In the response filed by Mr Shetty on behalf of BCCI, there was a specific denial that its President had requested ICC to issue a letter stating that the Committee amounted to governmental interference. On the other hand, in the affidavit which the President of BCCI filed in pursuance of the directions of this court dated 7 October 2016, he accepted having made a request to the Chairman of ICC for issuing a letter “clarifying the position which he had taken as BCCI President”.
What did Thakur state to the court?
“There was an ICC governance review committee meeting scheduled to be held in Dubai on 6th& 7th August 2016. I pointed out to the Chairman of the ICC, Mr. Shashank Manohar, that when he was the President of BCCI he had taken a view that the recommendations of the Justice Lodha committee appointing the nominee of the CAG on the Apex Council would amount to governmental interference and might invoke an action of suspension from ICC. I, therefore, requested him that he, being the ICC Chairman, can a letter be issued clarifying the position which he had taken as BCCI President. Mr. Manohar explained to me at the meeting that when the stand was taken by him, the matter was pending before this Hon’ble Court and had not been decided. However, on 18.07.2016, this Hon’ble Court delivered its judgment in the matter. In the said judgment, this Hon’ble Court has rejected the submission that the appointment of the nominee of CAG on the Apex Council would amount to governmental interference and had also held that the ICC would appreciate the appointment as it would bring transparency in the finances of the Board.”
What did Shashank Manohar tell the court-appointed committee?
“At the meeting, apart from myself and Mr Anurag Thakur, Mr Giles Clarke, Mr David Peever and Mr Imran Khwaja, who are all Directors of ICC, were present. The ICC CEO, Mr David Richardson, and ICC COO Mr Lain Higgins were also present. During the meeting, Mr Thakur pointed out to me that when I was the President of BCCI, a submission was advanced before the Supreme Court at my behest that the appointment of a nominee of the CAG on the Apex Council might amount to governmental interference and would invoke an action of suspension from the ICC. He, therefore, requested me to issue a letter to that effect in my capacity as ICC Chairman.
I declined to issue such a letter and explained to him that the said submission was advanced before the Hon Supreme Court when the court was hearing the matter… I therefore explained to Mr Thakur that the issue having been decided by the Hon Supreme Court of India, which is the highest court of the country and whose judgment binds everybody, I cannot give him any such letter.”
What does Supreme court say in its order?
The conduct of the President of BCCI in seeking a letter from the President of ICC in August 2016, after the final judgment and order of this Court, is nothing but an attempt on the part of the head of BCCI to evade complying with the Order of this court. That he sought a letter is clear even from the affidavit of Mr Thakur dated 15 October 2016 (though he states that he had requested the ICC Chairman to clarify the position which he had taken as BCCI President). Even going by that version, we are constrained to note that there was absolutely no occasion for the President of BCCI to solicit any such clarification from the Chairperson of ICC in the teeth of the judgment that was delivered by this Court.
The controversial meeting in Dubai: Why is there a variance from the minutes of meeting?
Firstly, this is what the minutes say, according to the apex court order. “During the meeting with regard to the review of the constitutional provisions of ICC, it was informed by Mr Thakur that he asked Chairman ICC Mr Shashank Manohar that when he was the President of BCCI, he had taken a view that the recommendations of Justice Lodha committee appointing the nominee of the CAG on the Apex Council would amount to governmental interference and might invoke an action of suspension from ICC. It was, therefore, requested from him that he, being the ICC Chairman, could a letter be issued clarifying the position which he had taken as BCCI President. Mr Manohar, thereafter, explained that when the stand was taken by him, the matter was pending before the Supreme Court and was not decided.”
How does the Court view these minutes – was it fabricated?
“Prima facie, it would appear that these minutes had not seen the light of the day when the response by Mr Shetty to the status report of the committee was filed, and have been fabricated subsequently to lend credence to the version of Mr Thakur.
The statement that Mr Manohar was requested to clarify the position which he had taken as BCCI President is falsified by Mr Manohar’s disclosure that he was asked to give a letter in his capacity as ICC Chairman. The version of Mr Thakur that he had requested Mr Manohar that “he, being ICC Chairman, can a letter be issued clarifying the position” which he had taken as BCCI President, is belied by the disclosure which has been made by Mr Manohar.
His response dated 2 November 2016 clearly indicates that during the course of the meeting at Dubai on 6 August 2016, Mr Thakur requested him to issue a letter in his capacity as ICC Chairperson that the appointment of a nominee of CAG in BCCI might amount to governmental interference, leading to action of suspension from ICC.
Prima facie, it emerges from the record that Mr Thakur did seek such a letter from the ICC Chairperson as stated by Mr Manohar. The disclosure which Mr Thakur has made in his affidavit dated 15 October 2016 is prima facie false to his knowledge. Prima facie, we also find that the minutes of the meeting of the Working Committee of BCCI which were produced before this court have been made up to lend support to the version of Mr Thakur.”
What does the Court conclude on Thakur?
“Prima facie we are of the view that Mr Thakur has made statements on affidavit before this court which are false to his knowledge. A notice to show cause should be issued to Mr Thakur why he should not be proceeded with under Section 195 read with Section 340 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 for having made false statements before this Court.” |
Lawsuit: Dude ranch owner asked chef for 'black people food' | In this July 25, 2006, file photo, Oklahoma energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens, right, with his wife, Madeleine, appear at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. A federal lawsuit accuses Madeleine Pickens, the ex-wife Pickens, of racial discrimination at her rural Nevada dude ranch.
Start the conversation, or Read more at MySanAntonio.com. |
Spring Training Update: Top prospects on display in Grapefruit League | FLORIDA -- My tour of the Grapefruit League lasted four days and included five big league games, four minor league contests, and the usual long hours watching batting practice. Spring training sites in Florida are very spread out, so I concentrated my activities around Tampa, where the teams with the deepest farm systems (Phillies, Braves, Blue Jays, and Yankees) and the most top prospects/potential fantasy baseball sleepers (in both redraft leagues and dynasty formats) are located.
The following are my top takeaways.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: 2018 fantasy baseball cheat sheet
Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF, Atlanta) is making life hard for the Braves. The bomb Acuna hit when I saw him against the Tigers was just one of four he’s clubbed this spring. He’s also leading the Grapefruit League in batting average, boasts an OPS of 1.255, has stolen four bags, and is playing plus defense. Yeah, and he’s likely ticketed for Triple-A to open the season due to service time concerns. I bet the Braves wish he actually had something that needed improvement so they had a better excuse for sending him down. They don’t because he’s clearly ready and he’s such a fierce competitor that he’s just going to continue to bring it until they finally give him a shot. Expect Acuna back in the majors sometime in late May.
Sixto Sanchez (RHP, Philadelphia) should throw fewer strikes. I saw Sanchez throw a bullpen on the back fields and, surprisingly, he threw a few pitches out of the strike zone. I say "surprising" because Sanchez has only walked 32 batters in 175 pro innings and typically goes right after hitters with an electric mid-90’s fastball. However, he did get roughed up a bit in five late-season starts at High-A last year when hitters took advantage of his aggressive approach. When I saw him, Sanchez was also working on his slider and change, which will be important weapons if he wants to keep advanced hitters off his fastball. Still, he’s only 19 and already has electric stuff, which eventually should allow him to pitch at or near the top of the Phillies’ rotation.
JoJo Romero (LHP, Philadelphia) isn’t really six feet tall, but he’s still a stud. In today’s game, pitchers are supposed to throw downhill in order to create “plane” on their pitches. Sub-six-feet hurlers get dissed in scouting reports so, guess what, you see lots of guys listed at 6-0 who don’t seem to be anywhere near that height. I stood next to Romero as he was throwing a bullpen session and he’s clearly on the “under” side of 6-0, but he gets good movement on his fastball and pounds the bottom of the strike zone with three above-average pitches. He’s polished, consistent, and performed well at High-A last year. It won’t be long before he’s starting in Philly.
2018 FANTASY BASEBALL RANKINGS:
Catcher | First | Second | Third | Shortstop | Outfield | Starter | Reliever
Nick Gordon (SS/2B, Minnesota) keeps getting better. I typically don’t get too excited about raw, toolsy players, and I think “big league bloodlines” are overrated. As a result, I’ve been slow to get on the Gordon bandwagon. Ironically, I’m higher on him now that his prospect stock has cooled. When I saw him versus the Pirates, he looked stronger and more athletic with a more direct bat path and improved bat speed. He’s clearly dedicated himself to getting better, and, if he keeps it up, he may just turn himself into an above-average big league middle infielder.
Kyle Tucker (OF, Houston) will play in the big leagues in 2018. Tucker appears to have made some adjustments to his swing this offseason and tore it up in Grapefruit play (.410 batting average with four home runs in 39 at-bats) before being sent to minor league camp. Tucker has minimized his lower body movement, and the simpler stride has kept him more balanced and improved his pitch recognition. When I saw him play on Friday, he had a little trouble with the Yankees’ Jordan Montgomery, which is a reminder that he could probably benefit from some additional experience against advanced off-speed stuff, especially from lefties. On the other hand, he’s gotten stronger and more athletic and easily swiped a bag in the game I saw. The world-champion Astros can afford to let Tucker get more reps in the minors, but he’ll force the issue if he keeps up his current pace.
MORE TOP PROSPECTS:
Top 50 | Catcher | First | Second | Third | Shortstop | Outfield | Pitcher
Miguel Andujar (3B, New York Yankees) will be back. Andujar was sent to minor league camp on Sunday after an impressive Grapefruit League performance (four home runs; .916 OPS in 42 at-bats). Despite his spring success, Andujar needs more experience against advanced off-speed stuff. His toe tap makes him susceptible to breaking balls down, and his aggressiveness leads him to chase pitches out of the zone. But there’s no doubt he can mash, and a little more polish will help him hit for more average (.262 batting average) than he managed this spring.
A.J. Minter (LHP, Atlanta) s an undersized lefty with a big fastball and no fear. He’s been termed a lefty specialist, but’s a legit closer candidate if current ninth-inning guy Arodys Vizcaino falters or gets traded. Facing the right-handed heart of the Tigers order (Miguel Cabrera, Nicholas Castellanos, Victor Martinez) in an inning of work on Thursday, Minter didn’t mess around – he challenged them with fastballs and retired the side in order. Last year he struck out 26 in 15 big league innings. Not an accident, folks.
Tyler Wade (2B, New York Yankees) is a sleeper. I’ve seen Wade numerous times in previous seasons, but I didn’t recognize him this spring. The lefty-hitting second sacker has a revamped swing that has produced solid results in Grapefruit League play (.313 average and .452 OBP). He hasn’t hit any spring home runs, but he can launch the ball in batting practice. It looks like he’s still learning how to hit in games with his new swing, and it might take a while for the power to show up. In the meantime, keep an eye on him. He just might turn out to be an above-average hitter in the majors.
Gleyber Torres (SS/2B, New York Yankees) needs work. I saw Torres in a minor league game after he struggled and was sent down from big league camp (.160 batting average in 25 Grapefruit League at-bats). Torres is still shaking the rust off after missing the second half of 2017 due to Tommy John surgery on his non-throwing elbow. His tools are still there (plus bat speed; excellent hand-eye coordination), but his timing and balance are off at the plate and he seemed a little frustrated in the at-bats I viewed. He wasn’t a finished product when he got hurt and he just turned 21, so a little additional seasoning isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
SLEEPERS:
Catcher | First | Second | Third | Shortstop | Outfield | Pitcher | One from every team
The next wave of Blue Jays position prospects is downright scary. Toronto is in the middle of a mini rebuild, but the good news is that help is on the way. Shortstop Bo Bichette and third baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr. get all the attention, but watching the Blue Jays’ Double-A and Triple-A squads this weekend was a reminder of the club’s impressive position player depth.
Vlad’s plus bat speed, jaw-dropping raw power, and exceptional plate discipline make him stand out like a man among boys even though he just turned 19 on Friday. Bichette’s intensity and laser focus were on full display in a minor league game when he took a big cut only to swing through a fastball and fall into the opposite batter’s box from the force of the back swing. He stalked slowly around the plate while glaring intently into space, settled back into the box and then, on the next pitch, hit an absolute missile into the right field corner for a double.
It’s hard to see anything keeping Bichette and Guerrero from major league stardom, but they’ll probably be joined by a number of their current minor league teammates, including infielder Lourdes Gurriel and catcher Danny Jansen.
Jansen showed good hand-eye coordination, solid plate discipline, and above-average bat speed in the at-bats I saw. He was slowed by injuries early in his pro career, but he’s already a polished hitter and his advanced approach should allow him to hit for average and show moderate pop even as a rookie. Gurriel is a much more aggressive hitter, hacking at the first pitch in the at-bats I viewed. The Cuban infielder, who profiles best at second or third, is still a bit raw despite the fact that he’s already 24. Having played only 64 minor league games since being signed by the Blue Jays as an international free agent, Gurriel might be a little slower to arrive in the majors. He’ll need to be more selective to succeed against big league pitching, but his bat speed and above-average strength should allow him to hit for moderate average while stroking 15-plus home runs.
The Blue Jays aren't the rebuilding team with a bunch of top prospects. The rebuilding Marlins will probably be a painful club to watch this season, but their young Fish will go to school. Miami's roster makeover will allow numerous rookies to see extended playing time. Much of that potential lineup was on display against the Yankees when I was there, and while of course the Marlins lost, the youngsters showed glimpses of what they could do.
Third baseman Brian Anderson took Luis Severino deep and then almost put a hole in the fence with a screaming line-drive double. Center fielder Lewis Brinson also performed well against Severino and finished the day 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly. Both guys could open the season in the starting lineup, and, while they’ll certainly have some growing pains, they’ll get the chance to learn on the job. Brinson will need to improve his pitch recognition and selectivity, but his plus bat speed, impressive batting practice rounds, and success this spring (.359 batting average in 39 Grapefruit League at-bats) offer a glimpse of his potential. Anderson hasn’t performed as well this spring (.235/.366/.500) but he’s a more selective hitter with good balance and, as he showed against Severino, plus power and the ability to handle top-shelf velocity. |
Russia's Vladimir Putin orders beginning of withdrawal from Syria | - Advertisement -
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a surprise visit to a Russian base in Syria and ordered the start of his troops’ withdrawal from the war-torn country.
Syrian state TV reported that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with Putin at Khmeimim Air Base southeast of Latakia on Monday morning.
Russia’s state news agency Novosti cited Putin as saying that “in general, the combat work in this territory is completed by the complete eradication of terrorists”.
Putin made the stop in Syria on his way to Egypt where is scheduled to meet President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
As the Syrian government’s main ally in the war, Russia started its intervention in September 2015, after an official request by the Syrian government for military help against rebel groups.
Since then, Russia mainly conducted air strikes against goups opposed to the government, including the Syrian National Coalition, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), al-Nusra Front, and other rebel groups.
In addition, Russian military advisors and special operations forces are stationed in Syria. Prior to the intervention, Russian involvement in the war had mainly consisted of supplying the Syrian army.
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‘Saving Syria’
In November, Assad thanked Putin for “saving” his country and for Russia’s support in Syria.
The two heads of state met for talks in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on November 22 to discuss the fight against “terrorism” and the possibilities for a political settlement in Syria, which has entered its seventh year of war.
After the meeting, Assad in a statement expressed his readiness to hold discussions with parties interested in resolving the conflict.
In response, Putin commended Assad’s cooperation.
Last month, various factions, including the Syrian government and opposition groups, met in Kazakhstan’s capital for talks aimed at implementing a lasting ceasefire agreement.
Several international initiatives to end the war have commenced over the years, including an attempt at establishing four “de-escalation zones” across the country, with Russia, Turkey and Iran acting as guarantors.
To date, some 465,000 people have died in the conflict, and more than 12 million Syrians have been displaced. |
INSIGHT-Plans to restart giant Bougainville mine stall as operating rights battle rages | * Bougainville due to hold independence vote in less than 2 yrs Bougainville government wants Panguna mine reopened in 2019
* BCL says emergence of Australian consortium impeding development
* Australian consortium head banned from Papua New Guinea
* Consortium member Hains says has good access to capital markets
* Consortium has been making payments to landowners
By Jonathan Barrett
SYDNEY, October 6 (Reuters) - Plans to reopen one of the world's biggest copper mines, shut by a civil war on the Pacific Island of Bougainville in 1989, have run into trouble. The quarter of a million people of Bougainville are tentatively scheduled to vote on independence from Papua New Guinea in June 2019, and revenue from the reopening of the Panguna mine is essential for the otherwise impoverished island to have any chance of flourishing if it becomes the world's newest nation.
But there is now a struggle over who will run the mine between Bougainville Copper Ltd - the previous operator now backed by the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the Papua New Guinea government - and a consortium of Australian investors supported by the head of the landowners who own the mineral rights.
The dispute is opening old wounds – and is almost certainly going to delay any reopening. That could help to drive copper prices higher as many forecasters expect that demand for the base metal will exceed supply in the next few years.
The battle lines have been hardening on several fronts, Reuters has learned.
Papua New Guinea has told airlines that Sydney businessman Ian de Renzie Duncan, who set up the consortium, is banned from entering the country until 2024, according to a Papua New Guinea government document reviewed by Reuters. The request for the ban was made by the Bougainville government, three sources with knowledge of the document said.
The consortium has also acknowledged for the first time that it is paying some landowners a monthly stipend and has pulled in some big backers that have not previously been disclosed. They include Richard Hains, part of a billionaire Australian race-horse owning family which runs hedge fund Portland House Group.
In a sign of how ugly the row is getting on the ground, local opponents of BCL becoming the operator – and some who are opposed to the mine reopening altogether – blocked Bougainville government officials from entering Panguna in June.
They had hoped to get key landowners to sign a memorandum of agreement that would have endorsed BCL as preferred developer, according to a copy of the document reviewed by Reuters. The proposed agreement also stipulated the mine would be re-opened by June 2019, ahead of BCL's own timeframe of 2025-26.
The Papua New Guinea government didn't respond to requests for comment for this story.
Bougainville's main political leaders say getting the mine reopened is critical. "If the independence of the people is to be sustained then we need Panguna to run," Bougainville Vice President and Mining Minister Raymond Masono told Reuters in a phone interview.
He said he believes BCL has first right of refusal to operate the mine under laws passed three years ago, and only if BCL declined to take up that right should an open tender take place.
DEEP RESENTMENT
The abandoned copper and gold mine contains one of the world's largest copper deposits. During its 17-year life until the closure in 1989, Panguna was credited for generating almost one-half of Papua New Guinea's gross domestic product.
The civil war was largely about how the profits from the mine should be shared, and about the environmental damage it had caused. There was deep resentment among the indigenous Bougainville people about the amount of the wealth that was going to Papua New Guinea and to the mine's then operator, Conzinc Riotinto of Australia Ltd, a forerunner of Rio Tinto .
The mine was forced to shut after a campaign of sabotage by the rebel Bougainville Revolutionary Army.
The conflict between Bougainville's rebel guerrilla army and Papua New Guinea forces left as many as 20,000 dead over the following decade, making it the biggest in the region known as Oceania since the Second World War.
Rio Tinto divested its stake in BCL in 2016, and the listed company is now just over one-third owned by the Bougainville government and one-third owned by Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said last year his government would gift the shares received from Rio, or 17.4 percent, to the people of Bougainville, although that is yet to take place.
"NEVER AGAIN"
The challenge from the Australian consortium that now includes listed gold and copper explorer RTG Mining was made public in June. Duncan and his fellow investors have joined forces with a group of Panguna landowners, the Special Mining Lease Osikaiyang Landowner Association (SMLOLA) led by Philip Miriori.
Miriori was in the Bougainville Revolutionary Army as the private secretary to the late Francis Ona, the former BCL mine surveyor who became leader of the resistance.
Ona had declared that BCL should "never again" be allowed to run the mine and Miriori, Ona's brother-in-law, still supports that stance.
"They have caused a lot of damage, they don't have the money and they are not telling the truth and so I wouldn't accept them," Miriori said in a telephone interview from the Bougainville town of Arawa.
The consortium’s challenge is based on new mining laws introduced in 2014 that downgraded BCL's mining rights to an exploration licence and gave landowners powerful rights over the minerals on their land to acknowledge the losses suffered by those in Panguna during the conflict.
Miriori told Reuters that the government did not have authority over mine negotiations.
PAYOUTS TO LANDOWNERS
Duncan, a former barrister with a background in mining law, heads an entity called Central Exploration that has a half share of the consortium.
Duncan’s consortium has been paying money, described as a stipend, to some of the landowners, but denies this amounts to bribery.
"We are really talking about people receiving a couple of thousand kina ($608) a month," said Duncan, who added that the money helps the landowners to travel and find accommodation in towns where Panguna negotiations take place. "It's not bribery, it's business," he said.
BCL claims to have the support of eight other landowner groups in Bougainville with an interest in the project. They have land rights covering access roads and the port site, among other areas, though crucially not the mine site itself. BCL chairman Robert Burns, who formerly worked for Rio Tinto, said Bougainvilleans were the ones being impacted by Duncan's attempt to gain control of the mine.
"Everyone is being frustrated and impeded by this issue," Burns told Reuters in a phone interview from the PNG capital, Port Morseby.
FINANCING DOUBTS
The uncertainty is going to make it difficult for either group to raise the capital that will be needed to get the mine restarted.
In 2012, BCL estimated the cost of re-opening at $5 billion. With few of its own assets, the company would need to secure the mining rights before tapping capital markets.
The Australian consortium may be in a stronger position, according to Hains, who is a 15 percent owner of RTG. He said the consortium has strong access to the North American capital markets and could re-develop Panguna in a "highly timely fashion".
As it stands, BCL has no mine without the support of the owners of the minerals, and Duncan's group has no project without road and port rights as well as government support.
Anthony Regan, a constitutional lawyer at the Australian National University and an adviser to the Bougainville government, said the immediate outlook for the mine is bleak. "The need of Bougainville to have a significant source of revenue if it's to be really autonomous or independent has become hopelessly enmeshed with the future of Panguna."
(Reporting by Jonathan Barrett in SYDNEY; Editing by Martin Howell) |
Installing a NI Product Package as a Volume License Administrator | Identifies the process for Volume License Administrators to use Package Manager and install products directly.
1. OVERVIEW
Most Volume License Administrators use a DVD or USB drive to create a Volume License Installer to make NI software available to their end users. For other administrators follow these procedures to download LabVIEW NXG and make it available to your end users without needing a DVD or USB drive.
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2. FIND AND PREPARE FILES TO TRANSFER
From an online machine navigate your browser to http://www.ni.com/en-us/shop/labview.html Follow the path to download LabVIEW NXG. Note that you will need to provide your NI User Account (NIUA) to login to the website. Download in install LabVIEW NXG. With your download you will also obtain NI Package Manager
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3. LOCATE LABVIEW NXG IN PACKAGE MANAGER.
On the left menu, choose PROGRAMMING ENVIRONMENTS Location LabVIEW NXG. Select INSTALL When installation is complete, open the Installed tab, search for your product, and select it. Select the What’s Included tab, and hover over the product name to see its internal package name in the hover text.
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4. LOCATE THE PACKAGE NAME OF THE REPOSITORY
Open Package Manager. Because you installed by downloading the software (as opposed to using a DVD or USB drive) you need to create a feed to support installation by your end users. Navigate to the INSTALLED section. Scroll over the software you want to make available to your end users – in this case LabVIEW NXG. The package name appears first in the associated pop-up screen.
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5. CREATE A PACKAGE REPOSITORY
Using command line prompts you can create your own package repository. Open a COMMAND PROMPT. Change your drive to the location of package manager. Example: cd C:\Program Files\National Instruments\NI Package Manager Identity the software you want to provide for your end users and the destination. In this example we are providing LabVIEW NXG in the Temp folder. Example: nipkg.exe download --all-deps --destination-dir="C:\repositories\temp" ni-labview-ng The folder name "C:\repositories\temp" must be able to be accessed by your end users, but the package name (ni-labview-ng) must be the package you found in Step 3. To download more than one package at a time put a space between the package names. You will see a screen similar to this which means you are executing your command line.
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6. CREATE A CUSTOM FEED
Continue to use the COMMAND PROMPT for the next steps. Be sure that the folder is accessible by your end users and use the same folder you used in Step 4. Example: nipkg.exe feed-create "C:\repositories\temp" You will see a screen similar to this which means you are executing your command line.
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7. MOVE TO YOUR END USERS COMPUTER AND INSTALL
Use the feed you created at your End Users Computer. Download and Install NI Package Manager. Open NI Package Manager and select the Settings Gear (all the way to the right). Click the checkbox Show Available Packages and Feed Management Tools. Select FEEDS then ADD. Type in a descriptive name for the feed. Browse to your product package folder location (from Step 5) for the Feed URL Navigate to the PACKAGES tab (at the top). Select INSTALL to install the package feed. The installation will include any product you included in the feed. In our example we only included LabVIEW NXG, however you can include as many options as are available in Package Manager (such as application software, drivers, etc)..
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8. REDIRECT NI LICENSE MANAGER TO THE LICENSE MANAGER SERVER
Navigate to NI License Manager. Choose the option for Network LicensesC. Choose Manage volume license servers Enter the name of the Volume License Server and choose OK.E. Verify the server is found. NILM will now use the Volume License Server
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9. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
If you have media then follow this process: http://www.ni.com/tutorial/53918/en/
Visit the NI Volume License Web Resource Page.
Contact Us if you need assistance. |
Trump administration sued over protection for vanishing bumble bee | The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a branch of the Interior Department, in September proposed bringing the bee under federal safeguards.
The rule formalizing the listing of the vanishing pollinator, once widely found in the upper Midwest and Northeastern United States, was published in the Federal Register on Jan. 11 and was to take effect last Friday.
The Natural Resources Defense Council said the listing has been delayed until March 21 as part of a broader freeze ordered by Trump's White House on rules issued by the prior administration aimed at protecting public health and the environment.
The group argued in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York that U.S. wildlife managers had violated the law by abruptly suspending the bumble bee listing without public notice or comment. They said the rule technically became final when it was published in the Federal Register.
The lawsuit seeks to have a judge declare that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acted unlawfully and to order the agency to rescind the rule delaying the bumble bee's listing.
"The science is clear—this species is headed toward extinction, and soon. There is no legitimate reason to delay federal protections," Natural Resources Defense Council senior attorney Rebecca Riley said in a statement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could not immediately be reached for comment.
Bumble bees pollinate wildflowers and about a third of U.S. crops, from blueberries to tomatoes, according to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
The bee's population and range have declined by more than 90 percent since the late 1990s due to disease, pesticides, climate change and habitat loss, according to wildlife officials.
The insect is one of 47 varieties of native bumble bees in the United States and Canada, more than a quarter of which face the risk of extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
In September, seven varieties of yellow-faced bees in Hawaii became the first such insects to be added to the U.S. list of endangered species because of losses due to habitat destruction, wildfires and the invasion of nonnative plants and insects. |
Ormskirk to take on Lytham on opening day of Liverpool Gin Liverpool Competition | Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Ormskirk will begin their defence of the ECB Premier League title they won last September with a trip to Lytham on April 14 but the opening day’s fixtures in the Liverpool Gin Liverpool Competition shows no shortage of other intriguing matches.
Northern, who finished fifth last season, visit Firwood Bootle while the First Division champions, Rainford, begin their campaign at Formby.
Highfield, the other promoted club, look to have a tough assignment at Rake Lane against New Brighton.
The Second Division champions, Liverpool, begin life in the Competition’s middle tier at home to Burscough while the other promoted side, Wavertree, host relegated Ainsdale.
As was the case two years ago there will be no shortage of local derbies in Southport with each of the town’s three clubs playing four of their 22 league matches against near neighbours.
In the Second Division promoted Sutton return to the Comp with a home game against St Helens Town.
The Competition’s 2018 league season will end on September 15.
However, Saturday, May 12 will be dedicated to cup fixtures in order to give teams the opportunity to play their matches in the Ray Digman Knockout Trophy Second and third teams will also be able to play on September 16, 22 and 23 should they need to do so.
Fixtures
1st XI Premier League
April 14 (Week 1)
Bootle v Northern
Colwyn Bay v Leigh
Formby v Rainford
Lytham v Ormskirk
New Brighton v Highfield
Rainhill v Wallasey
April 21 (Week 2)
Highfield v Rainhill
Leigh v Formby
Northern v New Brighton
Ormskirk v Colwyn Bay
Rainford v Bootle
Wallasey v Lytham
April 28 (Week 3)
Bootle v Leigh
Colwyn Bay v Wallasey
Formby v Ormskirk
Lytham v Rainhill
New Brighton v Rainford
Northern v Highfield
May 5 (Week 4)
Highfield v Lytham
Leigh v New Brighton
Ormskirk v Bootle
Rainford v Northern
Rainhill v Colwyn Bay
Wallasey v Formby
May 19 (Week 5)
Bootle v Wallasey
Colwyn Bay v Lytham
Formby v Rainhill
Highfield v Rainford
New Brighton v Ormskirk
Northern v Leigh
May 26 (Week 6)
Colwyn Bay v Highfield
Lytham v Formby
Ormskirk v Northern
Rainford v Leigh
Rainhill v Bootle
May 28 (Week 6)
Wallasey v New Brighton
June 2 (Week 7)
Formby v Colwyn Bay
Leigh v Highfield
Lytham v Bootle
Ormskirk v Rainford
Rainhill v New Brighton
Wallasey v Northern
June 9 (Week 8)
Bootle v Colwyn Bay
Highfield v Formby
Leigh v Ormskirk
New Brighton v Lytham
Northern v Rainhill
Rainford v Wallasey
June 16 (Week 9)
Colwyn Bay v New Brighton
Formby v Bootle
Lytham v Northern
Ormskirk v Highfield
Rainhill v Rainford
Wallasey v Leigh
June 23 (Week 10)
Highfield v Bootle
Leigh v Rainhill
New Brighton v Formby
Northern v Colwyn Bay
Ormskirk v Wallasey
Rainford v Lytham
June 30 (Week 11)
Bootle v New Brighton
Colwyn Bay v Rainford
Formby v Northern
Lytham v Leigh
Rainhill v Ormskirk
Wallasey v Highfield
July 7 (Week 12)
Highfield v New Brighton
Leigh v Colwyn Bay
Northern v Bootle
Ormskirk v Lytham
Rainford v Formby
Wallasey v Rainhill
July 14 (Week 13)
Bootle v Rainford
Colwyn Bay v Ormskirk
Formby v Leigh
Lytham v Wallasey
New Brighton v Northern
Rainhill v Highfield
July 21 (Week 14)
Highfield v Northern
Leigh v Bootle
Ormskirk v Formby
Rainford v New Brighton
Rainhill v Lytham
Wallasey v Colwyn Bay
July 28 (Week 15)
Bootle v Ormskirk
Colwyn Bay v Rainhill
Formby v Wallasey
Lytham v Highfield
New Brighton v Leigh
Northern v Rainford
August 4 (Week 16)
Rainhill v Formby
Leigh v Northern
Lytham v Colwyn Bay
Ormskirk v New Brighton
Rainford v Highfield
Wallasey v Bootle
August 11 (Week 17)
Bootle v Lytham
Colwyn Bay v Formby
Highfield v Leigh
New Brighton v Rainhill
Northern v Wallasey
Rainford v Ormskirk
August 18 (Week 18)
Colwyn Bay v Bootle
Formby v Highfield
Lytham v New Brighton
Ormskirk v Leigh
Rainhill v Northern
Wallasey v Rainford
August 25 (Week 19)
Bootle v Rainhill
Formby v Lytham
Highfield v Colwyn Bay
Leigh v Rainford
Northern v Ormskirk
August 27 (Week 19)
New Brighton v Wallasey
September 1 (Week 20)
Bootle v Formby
Highfield v Ormskirk
Leigh v Wallasey
New Brighton v Colwyn Bay
Northern v Lytham
Rainford v Rainhill
September 8 (Week 21)
Bootle v Highfield
Colwyn Bay v Northern
Formby v New Brighton
Lytham v Rainford
Rainhill v Leigh
Wallasey v Ormskirk
September 15 (Week 22)
Highfield v Wallasey
Leigh v Lytham
New Brighton v Bootle
Northern v Formby
Ormskirk v Rainhill
Rainford v Colwyn Bay
TBA & team requesting the change
LDCC Fixtures 2018
1st XI First Division
April 14 (Week 1)
B’head Park v Wigan
Liverpool v Burscough
Prestatyn v F’wood Hesketh
Sefton Park v Orrell RT
S’port & B’dale v Newton le W
Wavertree v Ainsdale
April 21 (Week 2)
Ainsdale v Liverpool
Burscough v B’head Park
F’wood Hesketh v Sefton Park
Newton le W v Prestatyn
Orrell RT v Wavertree
Wigan v S’port & B’dale
April 28 (Week 3)
B’head Park v Ainsdale
Burscough v Wigan
Liverpool v Orrell RT
Prestatyn v S’port & B’dale
Sefton Park v Newton le W
Wavertree v F’wood Hesketh
May 5 (Week 4)
Ainsdale v Burscough
F’wood Hesketh v Liverpool
Newton le W v Wavertree
Orrell RT v B’head Park
S’port & B’dale v Sefton Park
Wigan v Prestatyn
May 19 (Week 5)
B’head Park v F’wood Hesketh
Burscough v Orrell RT
Liverpool v Newton le W
Sefton Park v Prestatyn
Wavertree v S’port & B’dale
Wigan v Ainsdale
May 26 (Week 6)
Ainsdale v Orrell RT
F’wood Hesketh v Burscough
Newton le W v B’head Park
Prestatyn v Wavertree
Sefton Park v Wigan
S’port & B’dale v Liverpool
June 2 (Week 7)
F’wood Hesketh v Ainsdale
Newton le W v Burscough
Orrell RT v Wigan
Prestatyn v Liverpool
S’port & B’dale v B’head Park
Wavertree v Sefton Park
June 9 (Week 8)
Ainsdale v Newton le W
B’head Park v Prestatyn
Burscough v S’port & B’dale
Liverpool v Sefton Park
Orrell RT v F’wood Hesketh
Wigan v Wavertree
June 16 (Week 9)
F’wood Hesketh v Wigan
Newton le W v Orrell RT
Prestatyn v Burscough
Sefton Park v B’head Park
S’port & B’dale v Ainsdale
Wavertree v Liverpool
June 23 (Week 10)
Ainsdale v Prestatyn
B’head Park v Wavertree
Burscough v Sefton Park
F’wood Hesketh v Newton le W
Orrell RT v S’port & B’dale
Wigan v Liverpool
June 30 (Week 11)
Liverpool v B’head Park
Newton le W v Wigan
Prestatyn v v Orrell RT
Sefton Park v Ainsdale
S’port & B’dale v F’wood Hesketh
Wavertree v Burscough
July 7 (Week 12)
Ainsdale v Wavertree
Burscough v Liverpool
F’wood Hesketh v Prestatyn
Newton le W v S’port & B’dale
Orrell RT v Sefton Park
Wigan v B’head Park
July 14 (Week 13)
B’head Park v Burscough
Liverpool v Ainsdale
Prestatyn v Newton le W
Sefton Park v F’wood Hesketh
S’port & B’dale v Wigan
Wavertree v Orrell RT
July 21 (Week 14)
Ainsdale v B’head Park
F’wood Hesketh v Wavertree
Newton le W v Sefton Park
Orrell RT v Liverpool
S’port & B’dale v Prestatyn
Wigan v Burscough
July 28 (Week 15)
B’head Park v Orrell RT
Burscough v Ainsdale
Liverpool v F’wood Hesketh
Prestatyn v Wigan
Sefton Park v S’port & B’dale
Wavertree v Newton le W
August 4 (Week 16)
Ainsdale v Wigan
F’wood Hesketh v B’head Park
Newton le W v Liverpool
Orrell RT v Burscough
Prestatyn v Sefton Park
S’port & B’dale v Wavertree
August 11 (Week 17)
Ainsdale v F’wood Hesketh
B’head Park v S’port & B’dale
Burscough v Newton le W
Liverpool v Prestatyn
Sefton Park v Wavertree
Wigan v Orrell RT
August 18 (Week 18)
F’wood Hesketh v Orrell RT
Newton le W v Ainsdale
Prestatyn v B’head Park
Sefton Park v Liverpool
S’port & B’dale v Burscough
Wavertree v Wigan
August 25 (Week 19)
B’head Park v Newton le W
Burscough v F’wood Hesketh
Liverpool v S’port & B’dale
Orrell RT v Ainsdale
Wavertree v Prestatyn
Wigan v Sefton Park
September 1 (Week 20)
Ainsdale v S’port & B’dale TBA
B’head Park v Sefton Park
Burscough v Prestatyn
Liverpool v Wavertree
Orrell RT v Newton le W
Wigan v F’wood Hesketh
September 8 (Week 21)
Liverpool v Wigan
Newton le W v F’wood Hesketh
Prestatyn v Ainsdale
Sefton Park v Burscough
S’port & B’dale v Orrell RT
Wavertree v B’head Park
September 15 (Week 22)
Ainsdale v Sefton Park
B’head Park v Liverpool
Burscough v Wavertree
F’wood Hesketh v S’port & B’dale
Orrell RT v Prestatyn
Wigan v Newton le W
TBA & team requesting the change
LDCC Fixtures 2018
1st XI Second Division
April 14 (Week 1)
Northop Hall v Maghull
Old Xaverians v Caldy
Parkfield L’card v Spring View
Skelmersdale v Hightown St M
S’port Trinity v Alder
Sutton v St Helens Town
April 21 (Week 2)
Alder v Skelmersdale
Caldy v Parkfield L’card
Hightown St M v Northop Hall
Maghull v Sutton
St Helens Town v Old Xaverians
Spring View v S’port Trinity
April 28 (Week 3)
Northop Hall v Skelmersdale
Old Xaverians v Maghull
Parkfield L’card v St Helens Town
S’port Trinity v Caldy
Spring View v Alder
Sutton v Hightown St M
May 5 (Week 4)
Alder v Northop Hall
Caldy v Spring View
Hightown St M v Old Xaverians
Maghull v Parkfield L’card
St Helens Town v S’port Trinity
Skelmersdale v Sutton
May 19 (Week 5)
Alder v Caldy
Old Xaverians v Skelmersdale
Parkfield L’card v Hightown St M
S’port Trinity v Maghull
Spring View v St Helens Town
Sutton v Northop Hall
May 26 (Week 6)
Caldy v St Helens Town
Hightown St M v S’port Trinity
Maghull v Spring View
Northop Hall v Old Xaverians
Skelmersdale v Parkfield L’card
Sutton v Alder
June 2 (Week 7)
Hightown St M v Spring View
Maghull v Caldy
Northop Hall v Parkfield L’card
Old Xaverians v Sutton
St Helens Town v Alder
Skelmersdale v S’port Trinity
June 9 (Week 8)
Alder v Old Xaverians
Caldy v Hightown St M
Parkfield L’card v Sutton
St Helens Town v Maghull
S’port Trinity v Northop Hall
Spring View v Skelmersdale
June 16 (Week 9)
Hightown St M v St Helens Town
Maghull v Alder
Northop Hall v Spring View
Old Xaverians v Parkfield L’card
Skelmersdale v Caldy
Sutton v S’port Trinity
June 23 (Week 10)
Alder v Parkfield L’card
Caldy v Northop Hall
Maghull v Hightown St M
St Helens Town v Skelmersdale
S’port Trinity v Old Xaverians
Spring View v Sutton
June 30 (Week 11)
Hightown St M v Alder
Northop Hall v v St Helens Town
Old Xaverians v Spring View
Parkfield L’card v S’port Trinity
Skelmersdale v Maghull
Sutton v Caldy
July 7 (Week 12)
Alder v S’port Trinity
Caldy v Old Xaverians
Hightown St M v Skelmersdale
Maghull v Northop Hall
St Helens Town v Sutton
Spring View v Parkfield L’card
July 14 (Week 13)
Northop Hall v Hightown St M
Old Xaverians v St Helens Town
Parkfield L’card v Caldy
Skelmersdale v Alder
S’port Trinity v Spring View
Sutton v Maghull
July 21 (Week 14)
Alder v Spring View
Caldy v S’port Trinity
Hightown St M v Sutton
Maghull v Old Xaverians
St Helens Town v Parkfield L’card
Skelmersdale v Northop Hall
July 28 (Week 15)
Northop Hall v Alder
Old Xaverians v Hightown St M
Parkfield L’card v Maghull
S’port Trinity v St Helens Town
Spring View v Caldy
Sutton v Skelmersdale
August 4 (Week 16)
Caldy v Alder
Hightown St M v Parkfield L’card
Maghull v S’port Trinity
Northop Hall v Sutton
St Helens Town v Spring View
Skelmersdale v Old Xaverians
August 11 (Week 17)
Alder v St Helens Town
Caldy v Maghull
Parkfield L’card v Northop Hall
S’port Trinity v Skelmersdale
Spring View v Hightown St M
Sutton v Old Xaverians
August 18 (Week 18)
Hightown St M v Caldy
Maghull v St Helens Town
Northop Hall v S’port Trinity
Old Xaverians v Alder
Skelmersdale v Spring View
Sutton v Parkfield L’card
August 25 (Week 19)
Alder v Sutton
Old Xaverians v Northop Hall
Parkfield L’card v Skelmersdale
St Helens Town v Caldy
S’port Trinity v Hightown St M
Spring View v Maghull
September 1 (Week 20)
Alder v Maghull
Caldy v Skelmersdale
Parkfield L’card v Old Xaverians
St Helens Town v Hightown St M
S’port Trinity v Sutton
Spring View v Northop Hall
September 8 (Week 21)
Hightown St M v Maghull
Northop Hall v Caldy
Old Xaverians v S’port Trinity
Parkfield L’card v Alder
Skelmersdale v St Helens Town
Sutton v Spring View
September 15 (Week 22)
Alder v Hightown St M
Caldy v Sutton
Maghull v Skelmersdale
St Helens Town v Northop Hall
S’port Trinity v Parkfield L’card
Spring View v Old Xaverians
TBA & team requesting the change |
Court dissolves Toke Makinwa, Ayida's marriage | The three-year-old troubled marriage between a popular radio presenter, Omotoke Makinwa and her estranged husband, Maje Ayida has been dissolved.
An Igbosere High Court in Lagos on Thursday dissolved the union, citing husband's adulterous lifestyle, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Makinwa, is the co-host of the 'Morning Drive' on Rhythm 93.7FM, a blogger and an author.
She had on March 9, 2016, asked the court to dissolve the marriage on the grounds that the husband committed adultery.
Justice Morenike Obadina, while delivering judgment held that Ayida filed an answer to the petition but did not give oral evidence in support of it.
She said the position of the law was settled as pleadings did not amount to evidence.
“Pleadings on which no evidence was led are deemed abandoned. Therefore, Ayida's evidence is deemed abandoned.
“The effect being that the petitioner's evidence is unchallenged and uncontroverted,'' she ruled.
The judge said the issue of cruelty which the petitioner (Makinwa) relied on was established because of the “mental and emotional stress” she was subjected to by her husband.
He said Makinwa had sufficiently proven that the husband committed adultery and continued to flaunt his adulterous relationships even to her face.
“I hold that the marriage has broken down on grounds of intolerable behaviour.
“I hereby pronounce a `Decree Nisi' dissolving the marriage between Makinwa and Ayida which was administered at the Federal Marriage Registry, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Jan. 15, 2014.
“The order Nisi shall become absolute three months from today unless within that period sufficient cause is shown why it should not be made absolute,” Obadina said.
Makinwa had told the court that her husband committed adultery with his mistress, Anita Solomon, adding that the relationship produced a child.
She said since their marriage was contracted, the husband had “behaved in a way she could not reasonably be expected to continue to bear”.
She also said the husband was cruel towards her, adding that their differences became irreconcilable.
NAN also reports that during the trial, the petitioner (Makinwa ) testified in court and tendered some documents including their marriage certificate which were admitted in evidence.
In her testimony, she said that after their marriage was contracted in 2014, cohabitation with her husband ceased on Nov. 8, 2015, without any child from the marriage.
She also told the court of an instance where her husband threatened separation and even drafted a separation agreement because she discovered that he bought a ticket for his mistress to travel to London.
The first respondent (Ayida) who replied to the petition when served, however, instructed his counsel, Mr T. O. Lawal, not to continue with the defence.
Ayida through his counsel, therefore, foreclosed all evidence.
The mistress (Solomon), who is the second respondent, refused to join issues with the petitioner.
Credit: NAN |
Danske Bank's Estonian operations allegedly used to launder US$8.3b | As the laundering allegations balloon, public indignation towards Danske is mounting. The government and central bank say the case risks hurting the reputation of the whole country.
Copenhagen
DANSKE Bank A/S's Estonian operations may have been used to launder as much as US$8.3 billion in a case that has rocked Denmark and triggered calls for tougher penalties from the country's political establishment.
The amount, which represents roughly a third of Danske's market value and almost 3 per cent of the Danish GDP, is more than double that previously estimated, according to figures first reported by Berlingske and confirmed by Bloomberg. The alleged illicit transactions span the years 2007 to 2015.
Shares in Denmark's biggest bank opened more than 3 per cent lower in Copenhagen on Wednesday, making Danske the day's worst performer in the Bloomberg index of European financial stocks, which was little changed.
sentifi.com Market voices on:
"It's not clear what the consequences might be as the volume of this case is much bigger than anyone could have imagined," said Christian Thatje, an equity dealer at Sydbank A/S. "This case brings a lot of uncertainty and investors don't like that."
Danske Bank's riskiest euro and dollar bonds also lost ground on Wednesday morning. The 7 per cent dollar contingent convertible bond dropped a cent to 97.1 cents on the dollar, while the 5.76 per cent euro CoCo fell to its lowest level since January 2017.
It is not known who exactly is behind the transactions, but previous leaks showed money made its way from Russia, Moldova and Azerbaijan through Danske's laundromat. The laundering is also thought to have involved funds linked to an illicit scheme exposed by Sergei Magnitsky, an auditor who died in custody in Russia in 2009.
Bill Browder, who was expelled from Russia in 2005 after his firm Hermitage Capital Management released documents it said exposed corporate and government corruption, said he will use the latest allegations against Danske as the basis for an official complaint.
"We are working on a new criminal complaint including these discoveries, which we intend to file with the Danish and Estonian law enforcement authorities shortly," Mr Browder said by e-mail on Wednesday.
Danske Bank expects to release the findings of an internal investigation of the money laundering breaches in September. Before Wednesday, the bank had said that it could not comment fully until the results of that probe are ready.
After the latest allegations, Danske's head of group compliance Anders Meinert Jorgensen said: "It is too soon to draw any conclusions about the extent of the potential money laundering in Estonia ... That is the reason why we have not ourselves published figures or commented on speculations about potential amounts. On several occasions, however, we have said that the extent seems to be somewhat larger than previously estimated," he said by e-mail.
The bank is continuing to cooperate with the authorities and provide material "on an ongoing basis to the extent that this has not already been done", Mr Jorgensen said.
Jesper Nielsen, head of banking in Denmark at Danske and a member of the executive board, said the laundering investigation is taking up a "big chunk of management's time", in an interview conducted before the latest allegations became public.
"Obviously it takes some time and gives us some worries in terms of how we are perceived in the market," Mr Nielsen said. "This impacts the story around Danske Bank."
Denmark's business minister Rasmus Jarlov said this week that the bank's internal probe won't be enough to satisfy the government, and said he was awaiting the findings of other investigations. The government and central bank have said the case risks hurting the reputation of the whole country, which has otherwise been associated with extremely low levels of corruption.
Danske was reprimanded in May by the Financial Supervisory Authority in Copenhagen and ordered to hold an additional five billion kroner (S$1.07 billion) in regulatory capital, among other disciplinary measures.
Chief executive officer Thomas Borgen has publicly apologised for the bank's failure to act sooner. Last month, he revealed that he had even discussed with the board the option of stepping down. But the board concluded he should remain so that the bank could draw on his experience to avoid a repeat.
Denmark is in the process of tightening its laundering laws in response to the Danske scandal, but Mr Jarlov has lamented the fact that it won't be possible to apply the legislation retroactively.
As the size of the laundering allegations balloons, public indignation towards Danske is mounting. Per Hansen, an investment economist at Nordnet, says the latest figures "of course place an increasing amount of pressure on the executive management" at Danske.
Before Wednesday, the stock reaction had been relatively muted. But "investors are responding this time, given the sheer size of the scandal", said Mr Thatje at Sydbank. "It's the biggest known ongoing money laundering case worldwide and that's putting pressure on the management and raises questions about what the consequences will be." BLOOMBERG |
Short, sharp, chaud: French bus drivers get right to look cool | related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.
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As northern Europe swelters, Parisian bus drivers have won a years-long battle: the right to wear shorts during a heat wave.
PARIS: As northern Europe swelters, Parisian bus drivers have won a years-long battle: the right to wear shorts during a heat wave.
French public officials generally wear formal uniforms, and employers show little flexibility. But, bowing to longstanding staff requests, state-owned transport operator RATP will allow its 15,000 drivers to wear bermuda shorts or skirts from June to September when temperatures rise above 28 Celsius (82F).
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"It has been a recurring conversation every year and this year, surprise, we got them," said bus driver Abdelkader Arioua.
Men - who make up 90 percent of the drivers - will receive trousers that can be turned into shorts with a zipper, while women will receive skirts.
(Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) |
North Korean official accuses U.S. of trying to start a nuclear war | North Korea's deputy U.N. ambassador accused the United States on Monday of turning the Korean peninsula into "the world's biggest hotspot" and creating "a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment."
Kim In Ryong told a news conference that "if the U.S. dares opt for a military action," North Korea "is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the U.S."
He said the Trump administration's deployment of the Carl Vinson nuclear carrier task group to waters off the Korean peninsula again "proves the U.S. reckless moves for invading the DPRK have reached a serious phase of its scenario."
Kim stressed that U.S.-South Korean military exercises being staged now are the largest-ever "aggressive war drill" aimed at his country, formally the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"The prevailing grave situation proves once again that the DPRK was entirely just when it increased in every way its military capabilities for self-defense and pre-emptive attack with a nuclear force as a pivot," he said.
Kim spoke on a day that U.S. Vice President Mike Pence traveled to the tense zone dividing North and South Korea and warned Pyongyang that after years of testing the U.S. and South Korea with its nuclear ambitions, "the era of strategic patience is over."
After 25 years of trying to deal patiently with North Korea over its nuclear program, Pence said, "all options are on the table" to deal with threat. And he warned that any use of nuclear weapons by Pyongyang would be met with "an overwhelming and effective response."
Kim said the Trump administration is "trumpeting about 'peace by strength'" by deploying "one strategic striking means after another in South Korea," citing the Carl Vinson carrier group, nuclear strategic bombers and stealth fighters.
But he said the "the DPRK remains unfazed."
"We never beg for peace but we will take the toughest counteraction against the provocateurs in order to defend ourselves by powerful force of arms and keep to the road chosen by ourselves," Kim said.
He warned that as long as the United States and its allies "scheme to bring down the socialist system in the DPRK," the government will keep increasing "its military muscle" to protect the country.
Kim called the press conference to "categorically reject" the U.S. decision to hold an open meeting of the Security Council on April 28 on North Korea's nuclear program which is scheduled to be chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
He called it "another abuse of authority" by the United States, which holds the Security Council presidency this month, and a violation of the DPRK's sovereignty.
Pointing to the recent U.S. airstrike on a Syrian base in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack, Kim said "the U.S. without any hesitation perpetrates military attacks" and threatens sovereign states.
He said the United States insists "on the gangster-like logic that its invasion of a sovereign state is 'decisive, just and proportionate' and contributes to 'defending' the international order in its bid to apply it to the Korean peninsula as well." |
Jennifer Aniston talks Free the Nipple movement: 'I wear a bra' | Jennifer Aniston recently spoke with Vogue about what it's been like being labeled a pioneer of the #FreeTheNipple movement.
When she starred on "Friends," from 1994-2004, Aniston's nipples were often visible through her clothes.
“Yeah, I don’t know what to say about that!" she told the magazine when asked about having her named paired with the popular social media campaign. "It’s just one of those things, I guess. I wear a bra, I don’t know what to tell ya! And I don’t know why we’re supposed to be ashamed of them — it’s just the way my breasts are!"
When told by her interviewer she was recently called "the OG" of the movement she replied, "...hey, OG, I’m not going to complain."
We didn't realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun. #FriendsForLife A post shared by Jennifer Aniston (@jenniferanistononline) on May 22, 2017 at 11:46pm PDT
Meanwhile, the 48-year-old star has been outspoken about the paparazzi's invasion of celebrities’ privacy.
Aniston said while she has tried to advocate for change, she hasn’t noticed a shift.
She told the fashion mag, “I don’t think it’s getting much better. I think the problem is the tabloids and the gossip columns taking the human body and putting it in a category. They’re either fat-shaming, or body-shaming, or childless-shaming. It’s a weird obsession that people have and I don’t understand exactly why they need to take people who are out there to entertain you, and rip them apart and bully them? Why are we teaching young women this? It’s incredibly damaging. I was finally like, 'This has just got to stop!'"
Particularly for Aniston, the tabloids have repeatedly focused on whether or not she could be pregnant.
"I couldn’t hear this narrative anymore about being pregnant or not pregnant; you have no idea what is going on personally in our lives and why that is or is not happening and it feels. . . In my own brain, I’ve shifted my perspective, so who gives a s--t!”
These days, Aniston is promoting self-acceptance.
“If you’re going to walk out and have your nipples showing, or your belly is a little bloated, or you’re not at the weight you want to be—you are perfect no matter what you are and no matter where you are and who cares! You have to tune out the noise... Maybe [gossip magazines] will be dead one day. Who ever thought Donald Trump would be the President of the United States? I didn’t. I can’t predict squat anymore." |
TBI charges Mt. Juliet suspect with theft | At the request of 16th District Attorney Jennings Jones, TBI agents joined U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General detectives Sept. 11 to investigate a theft allegation. During the investigation, agents developed information in July, an individual employed at a car dealership in Murfreesboro fraudulently used credit cards intended to pay for repairs to a U.S. government vehicle. Agents were able to identify the suspect as Bruce Jamar Orr, 27, of Mt. Juliet.
Agents arrested Orr on Friday in Hendersonville. He was booked in at the Sumner County Jail and has a hold on the Rutherford County charge of theft of less than $1,000. His bond amount wasn’t immediately available. |
Mirotic, Portis lead way, Bulls blow out Celtics 108-85 | CHICAGO — Nikola Mirotic scored 24 points, Bobby Portis added a career-high 23 and the Chicago Bulls blew out Boston 108-85 on Monday night with Celtics star Kyrie Irving sidelined because of a bruised left quadriceps.
Owners of the NBA's worst record, the Bulls built an 18-point lead in the second quarter against the Eastern Conference leaders. And when Boston cut it to 12 in the fourth, the Bulls simply pulled away for their third straight win.
Mirotic made his first start of the season with leading scorer Lauri Markkanen sidelined because of back spasms. The 6-foot-10 forward hit 9 of 14 shots and grabbed eight rebounds in his third appearance.
Portis shot 10 of 15 and nailed all three 3-pointers.
Before Monday night, Mirotic and Portis had only made headlines together this season for the wrong reasons. Mirotic missed the first 23 games with facial fractures he suffered in a fight at practice with Portis.
Al Horford scored 15 for Boston. Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier added 13 points apiece in the Celtics' most lopsided loss of the season.
Boston got within 12 in the fourth quarter when Portis hit a jumper and Mirotic made a 3 to make it 90-73 with just under eight minutes left. The Bulls remained in control the rest of the way.
Mirotic came through with 16 points as Chicago grabbed a 56-42 halftime lead. Portis scored 15 in the first half.
The Bulls wiped out a four-point deficit and led 52-34 after a 24-2 run in the second quarter. Portis scored 10 during that stretch, nailing two 3s, and Mirotic finished it with a short hook.
TIP-INS
Celtics: Coach Brad Stevens said he doesn't expect Irving to be out long, though he added: "Who knows with muscular injuries." ... Stevens also said doctors will re-evaluate F Marcus Morris' ailing left knee on Tuesday. Morris sat out for the second straight night and the third time in four games. He also missed the first eight games of the season.
Bulls: Markkanen participated in the morning shootaround and got treatment afterward. But coach Fred Hoiberg said the prized rookie's back continued to tighten.
UP NEXT
Celtics: Host Denver on Wednesday.
Bulls: Host Utah on Wednesday.
___ |
Kim Kardashian And Donald Trump Met To Talk About Prison Reform | Kim Kardashian met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday to discuss prison reform and sentencing, according to Trump.
A number of news outlets reported on Wednesday that the two reality TV stars would meet, then Trump confirmed it on his Twitter account. Trump tweeted a picture taken in the Oval Office with Kardashian, who has been advocating for criminal justice reform for the last year.
“Great meeting with [Kim Kardashian] today, talked about prison reform and sentencing,” Trump announced on Twitter.
Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing. pic.twitter.com/uOy4UJ41JF — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018
Kardashian, who has built an empire around her family’s reality show, has recently been more engaged in politics. The 37-year-old businesswoman’s interest in criminal justice seems to have been sparked by a number of high-profile cases of controversial sentences against women.
Last year, Kardashian enlisted her legal team to aid in an effort to free Cyntoia Brown. Brown, now 30, was convicted of the 2004 murder of a 43-year-old man who she claimed raped her after she was sex-trafficked at 16 years old. The case elicited widespread outrage when Brown was given a life sentence without eligibility for parole for 51 years.
“The system has failed,” Kardashian tweeted in November. “It’s heart breaking to see a young girl sex trafficked then when she has the courage to fight back is jailed for life! We have to do better & do what’s right. I’ve called my attorneys yesterday to see what can be done to fix this.”
Kardashian has also advocated for Alice Marie Johnson, a great-grandmother who is serving a life sentence for a first-time, nonviolent drug offense.
“Happy Birthday Alice Marie Johnson,” Kardashian tweeted on Wednesday. “Today is for you.”
Happy Birthday Alice Marie Johnson. Today is for you 🙏🏼✨ — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) May 30, 2018
Johnson was sentenced in 1996 for helping in a multimillion-dollar cocaine ring, something Johnson said she became involved with after she lost her job and was unable to support her family. In an op-ed titled “Why Kim Kardashian Thinks I Should Be Released From Prison” for CNN, Johnson wrote that her life “began to spiral out of control” after the loss of her son and her divorce.
Kardashian has pushed for months on social media for Johnson to receive clemency.
“I made the biggest mistake of my life to make ends meet and got involved with people selling drugs,” Johnson wrote in her CNN piece. “This was a road I never dreamed of venturing down. I became what is called a telephone mule, passing messages between the distributors and sellers. I participated in a drug conspiracy, and I was wrong.”
Trump’s meeting with Kardashian incited a debate on social media on why a reality star was the person to advocate for prison reform at the White House. Ava DuVernay, who directed “13th,” a 2016 documentary on mass incarceration, addressed the meeting in a series of tweets along with clips from her film.
“I’m down for anyone who can make positive change in a positive way to give it a try. Notes for Kim. Part 1,” DuVernay tweeted. |
Have A Full Smile Again With Edinburgh Dental Specialists | Smiling with missing teeth doesn’t have quite the same effect as flashing someone a great toothy smile. That’s where dentures from Edinburgh Dental Specialists come in.
[EDINBURGH, 04/07/2018] – Edinburgh Dental Specialists dentures are a solution for anyone in Edinburgh with missing teeth, but they are most commonly used by older people. The gums and teeth have served their purpose for many years, but this does not mean that older people should have to get used to missing teeth or miss out on the benefits of healthy straight teeth.
Depending on the patient’s needs, Edinburgh Dental Specialists can offer partial dentures, or full dentures. Modern technology has enabled Edinburgh Dental Specialists dentures to be more comfortable than before.
Partial dentures from Edinburgh Dental Specialists fill single or multiple gaps by using a plastic, nylon or metal plate with false teeth attached, whereas full dentures will be fitted to patients missing all of their upper or lower teeth.
For patients to get used to them at the beginning, it’s best to wear dentures from Edinburgh Dental Specialists all day. When they are removed, they should be kept in a moist environment overnight to stop them from changing shape.
It’s also important not to neglect the remaining natural teeth, and continue to give them some tender loving care, cleaning them morning and evening, alongside the dentures from Edinburgh Dental Specialists. This will help minimise the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
Patients should also avoid certain foods and drinks if possible, such as popcorn, sticky toffee, and caffeine. It’s best to find other ways to get a kick of energy. In moderation, tea and coffee are okay, but overtime they can cause the dentures from Edinburgh Dental Specialists to stain.
To maintain good oral health, and for dentures from Edinburgh Dental Specialists to do their job, they require a bit more cleaning than natural teeth cleaning. Dentures from Edinburgh Dental Specialists must be brushed with toothpaste or soap and water to remove any bits of food that may have got lodged in the artificial teeth.
Edinburgh Dental Specialists can give details on how to look after the dentures, as well as check that everything is going smoothly, at the patient’s follow-up check-ups.
Visit http://www.edinburghdentist.com/ to learn more. |
ISL 2017: Jeje Lalpekhlua is difficult to stop, says Bengaluru FC coach Albert Roca | Bengaluru FC head coach Albert Roca has identified Jeje Lalpekhlua and Rene Mihelic as Chennai's most dangerous attacking threats ahead of the sides' Indian Super League encounter on Sunday. Bengaluru are currently placed second in the league table behind FC Goa due to inferior goal difference.
"I expect a very tough game. They have been competitive. Against ATK they won at the last minute. They have good central defenders, also good with set-pieces. For us, it will be very difficult. In attack, Jeje is good, difficult to stop in the last metres. Their number 10 is also really good in attack. They have a good balance. I would expect them to play a competitive game as they did in their first games," said Roca.
Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh is back in contention for Bengaluru FC after serving his suspension for the red card he picked up against FC Goa and Roca believes the custodian has learnt his lesson.
"It is very important to talk with players and especially with those who have committed an attitude mistake. I think from the beginning he knew where he was wrong. It is football and where passion is involved it can happen. There will be players who try to provoke. If you are not aware, you make mistakes and that is what he did. It is the best lesson on him. I talked to him, and wanted to know what was behind that action? He is a nice guy, he did not do it on purpose, but it is something that you should learn from."
The fans' rivalry with Chennayin FC makes it an extra incentive for the Spanish coach to win on Sunday.
"The West Block supporters came to me and said that coach we have to win this game. I sai I know that we have to win all the games. But they said that coach this is more important this is a derby. It will be us an extra motivation, that is for sure. It is three points, we are on top and we want to keep our position and everybody knows. Our supporters will do that extra bit for us in such a difficult game."
Roca announced a clean bill of health for his squad for Sunday's match and said that he will be looking to rotate his squad.
"We will adjust to give some rest to the players. In another five days, we have another big game. I am looking for some rotations, but I cannot tell you now. But we will put our best players into winning the match. But these players do not want to rest, as they want to command their fortress."
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ISL 2017: Chennaiyin FC’s John Gregory - You have to try and keep Miku quiet
Albert Roca is aware of the threat that Chennaiyin possesses but feels that his side is ready for it.
"Chennai has very good players.They can put in good crosses. Players like Gavilan are dangerous. But, we are ready for that." |
Louis Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay '07 - Burgundy | Thank you for submitting a review! Your input is very much appreciated. Share it with your friends so they can enjoy it too! |
Man Get’s Caught Cheating And Tells His Girl That His Side Chick Is A Robot Sex Doll | Dummy of The Day 2/2/18 | Today’s Dummy of The Day involves a bad neighbor, a bomb threat and a sex doll. Listen live to the Dummy of The Day weekdays at 6:45am on The Joe And Alex Show.
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Fernandez ties with rival in Argentina Senate primary | BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina's former leader Cristina Fernandez was tied with President Mauricio Macri's candidate as most results were in from a Senate primary seen as a gauge of Fernandez' chances of staging a populist comeback and ending Macri's reform agenda.
With 95.58 percent of votes in Buenos Aires province - home to nearly 40 percent of Argentina's electorate - counted, the coalition led by Macri's former education minister Esteban Bullrich had 34.19 percent while Fernandez's list had 34.11 percent.
There was never a doubt that Fernandez - who ran unopposed from within her own party - would go on to run for the Senate in the Oct. 22 election but many investors feared a strong showing could weaken Macri and pave the way for her to return to the presidency in 2019.
Argentina's peso had weakened around 9 percent since Fernandez formed a new political party and declared her candidacy on June 24. Fernandez was president from 2007 to 2015 and was indicted for corruption last year.
Traders had priced in a Fernandez win by a margin of around 3 percentage points, according to J.P. Morgan. Local brokerage Portfolio Personal said the market expected her to win by between two and 4 percentage points.
Despite falling far short of that, Fernandez took the stage at a rally at 4 a.m. to claim victory and criticized the pace of the vote count.
"I never imagined I would have to ask pardon to all the Argentines for this embarrassment," she said. "It's an offense to democracy."
No matter how many seats his "Let's Change" coalition picks up in October - when Argentines elect one third of the Senate and half the lower house of Congress - Macri will still lack a majority and must build alliances to pass reforms, but analysts said a defeat for Fernandez would strengthen his negotiating position.
Supporters of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, former Argentine President and candidate for the Senate in the mid-term primary elections, display a flag with an image of her as they wait for her to appear at her campaign headquarters in Buenos Aires, Argentina August 14, 2017. Marcos Brindicci
Shortly after taking office in December 2015, Macri lifted currency controls, eliminated export taxes and restrictions on grains, and settled a legal dispute with creditors that paved the way for Argentina's return to global debt markets. He also began cutting subsidies for utilities like gas and electricity in a bid to reduce the country's fiscal deficit.
The moves were praised by investors who were spooked by Fernandez's interventionist policies, but a 2.2 percent economic contraction and inflation above 40 percent last year cut into Argentines' purchasing power.
Slideshow (6 Images)
Booming farm activity and an increase in public works spending have contributed to a nascent economic rebound, but it has not yet been felt in many parts of Buenos Aires province's industrial belt, where Fernandez's message appeals to many.
"Macri made an adjustment that only benefited the millionaires. There's more poverty and more unemployment," said Enrique Greco, 47, a public employee in the province.
Macri's candidate, Bullrich, a little-known politician who made several gaffes in the final weeks of campaigning, was aided by recently improving economic data as well as support from the popular governor of Buenos Aires province, Maria Eugenia Vidal.
"We know you hoped the improvements would come faster," Vidal told voters on Sunday. "This country and this province are profoundly changing into something truly different."
Under Argentina's election system, the winning party in each Senate race gets two of the province's three seats, with the remaining seat going to the second-place finisher.
A second-place finish would thus still grant Fernandez, 64, a Senate seat, which would give immunity from arrest, although not from trial. She dismisses the corruption accusations as politically motivated. |
Justin Timberlake Not Worried About Super Bowl Performance | The video focuses on the intense dance routines planned for the show and features longtime Timberlake choreographer Marty Kedelka (they go back to *NSYNC days).
Despite the exacting rehearsals, Justin is most concerned with having a good time. "Unity, that's all we're gonna try to do. I don't worry about if things go wrong, because perfection is the death of greatness," he says. "If the ethos can be like hey; for 12 to 13 minutes we're gonna have a really good time, I think if everything spawns off of that, I think it'll be fine." Check out latest halftime preview - here. |
Parents protest liberal bias of mandatory seminar at New Trier | Parents of students attending New Trier High School in Illinois are dismayed by the school’s insistence on hosting a civil rights “Seminar Day” that discusses white privilege, microaggressions, and implicit bias.
On February 28, New Trier will host an All School Seminar Day titled Understanding Today's Struggle for Racial Civil Rights. Students are required to attend a keynote speech as well as one homeroom workshop, but many parents are asking the school to cancel or postpone the seminar over perceived liberal bias, The Chicago Tribune reports.
"The history of civil rights in our country is not a controversial issue; it did happen."
According to course catalogs for the seminar, workshops include “Appropriation vs. Appreciation,” “Blackenomics 101,” “Socialization and Implicit Bias,” and “Microaggressions: Not So Small.”
The description for the cultural appropriation course explains that “students will be presented with some of the history of cultural appropriation in America and discuss current controversies over popular culture, media, musical expression, costumes, hair, sports mascots, and film representations of different cultures.”
[RELATED: UMass creates cultural appropriation ‘threat meter’ for Halloween]
In addition to the above workshops, students can choose to attend “A People’s History of Chicago,” aptly named after far-left historical revisionist Howard Zinn’s book A People’s History of the United States.
“Parents of New Trier,” a group of parents created to oppose the apparent political bias in the seminar, said they want the school to add conservative speakers to the event so that it is more balanced.
One member of the group, Betsy Hart, said Concerned Parents want “diverse voices to help problem-solve on race relations,” but Superintendent Linda Yonke insisted that it is too late to change the scheduled programming.
Yonke also challenged claims that any of the material to be presented falls under a school policy that requires balanced coverage of controversial issues, explaining that the civil rights movement “did happen” and thus the programming is “not controversial.”
[RELATED: Civil rights group challenges UConn over blacks-only dorm plans]
“This policy was developed to address issues like sex education and evolution that were considered controversial," Yonke said. "The history of civil rights in our country is not a controversial issue; it did happen."
Notably, Parents of New Trier aren’t trying to cancel the seminar entirely, but rather want to increase the intellectual diversity of the event, and have even suggested additional panelists such as Star Parker, Corey Brooks, and Allen West to help balance its perspective, but have thus far been rebuffed by school officials.
According to Mark Glennon, the daily operating costs for New Trier are over $533,000, and the All Day Seminar will add an additional $30,000 in costs.
Opponents and supporters of the Seminar Day programming both plan to attend the next New Trier School Board meeting on Feb. 20 to debate the matter.
A petition being circulated by supporters of the current program had garnered 4,138 signatures at press time, while Hart told the Tribune that Parents of New Trier had collected several hundred signatures on its own petition as of Friday afternoon.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @amber_athey |
Michigan legislative panels debate teacher pension changes | LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan legislative committees are considering legislation to steer more newly hired school employees into 401(k)-only retirement plans after a deal was reached between Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Rick Snyder.
House and Senate panels are holding hearings Wednesday, and majority Republicans are expected to move quickly so the full Legislature can finish passing the bills along with the state budget next week.
Under a new version of the legislation, teachers and other new school workers hired on or after next Feb. 1 would be automatically enrolled in a 401(k) plan unless they opt for a costlier pension within 75 days. There would be a "trigger" provision to stop new entrants from getting a pension in the future if the system is underfunded by a certain amount. |
NYC officials: 1 person dies, 2 ill from rat-related disease | NEW YORK (AP) — The New York City health department says one person has died and two others have become severely ill after they contracted a rare disease transmitted by rats.
The three cases occurred in the last two months in a Bronx neighborhood. City officials say it’s the first time a cluster of cases has been identified.
The disease is called leptospirosis (lehp-toh-spuhr-ROH’-sihs).
Infections commonly occur through exposure to rat urine. The disease is rarely spread from person to person. It can be treated with antibiotics.
The city says it’s reducing the rat population in the area and educating residents about the disease.
The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/2lOMiA9 ) says that from 2006 to 2016, 26 cases were reported in the city; the Bronx had the highest number with eight.
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Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com |
Mark Hamill feels 'disconnected' from Luke Skywalker | Mark Hamill feels "disconnected" from his 'Star Wars' character Luke Skywalker, despite being synonymous with the role for 40 years.
The 66-year-old actor has played the iconic hero in the sci-fi franchise since the first instalment was released in 1977, and although many people consider the star and his character to go hand in hand, he has admitted he doesn't relate to the fictional adventurer.
He said: "I look at Luke Skywalker and there is a disconnect for me. I'm not heroic. I don't even like flying. I'm not a comfortable flier. So all these virtues he has I don't relate to them. Mark Hamill feels pain, Luke Skywalker feels no pain. He is the celluloid hero and I'm not. I do feel pain, I do age and get old. Luke will forever be that farm boy."
Because he doesn't feel connected to his role as Luke, Mark has been watching audition footage on YouTube of other actors reading for the role, and said he was "amazed" that he had managed to win the role for himself.
He added: "What was amazing to me was that I liked all of the Lukes. They were all perfectly valid and would have been great in the movie. I'm thinking: 'Why did it turn out to be me?'"
In the original trilogy of 'Star Wars' movies, Mark teamed up with Harrison Ford's Han Solo, and Princess Leia, played by the late Carrie Fisher - who died in December 2016 aged 60 - and the star believes the trio of character worked because the actors had "chemistry".
Speaking to the latest issue of The Big Issue magazine Mark said: "They picked Carrie, Harrison and me. I think it was chemistry. If you put it in different combinations, it didn't work. I've heard so many people, like Sylvester Stallone, saying he turned Han Solo down. And Burt Reynolds claims he turned down Han Solo and James Bond. That is kind of dodgy, I don't think he could play British convincingly - if he could do the accent he would have done it by now. They are all fine actors. It would have been so different had they taken it." |
Man admits stabbing woman who escaped from moving car | ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) A Pennsylvania man who repeatedly stabbed a woman in an Atlantic City casino parking garage last year has pleaded guilty to attempted murder.
David Legette entered his plea Tuesday as part of a deal with Atlantic County prosecutors. The 54-year-old Bristol Township man faces a 16-year state prison term when he's sentenced July 20.
Authorities say the victim had an active restraining order against Legette when the attack occurred July 2. Prosecutors say Legette stabbed her 19 times, then locked the car doors so she couldn't escape.
As Legette drove in nearby Ventnor, the woman reached out of the window and opened the door from the outside. She then rolled herself out of the car and landed in the middle of the road as Legette drove off. She survived the ordeal. |
India's aviation industry needs a new model | Indias aviation industry traces its roots to December 1940, when industrialist Walchand Hirachand established Hindustan Aircraft Limited (HAL) in Bangalore (now Bengaluru), with American technical assistance and capital and land provided by the Mysore government. Soon after the outbreak of WW II, the Indian government, realising the strategic significance of this enterprise, bought a one-third stake in HAL.
HAL had barely started licensed production when it was nationalised, in 1943, and handed over to the US Army Air Forces (USAAF). Functioning as an Aircraft Maintenance Depot, HAL repaired and serviced hundreds of flying boats, fighters, bombers and transport aircraft for the USAAF during the war. Bangalore, thus, became the hub of aviation industrial support to Allied forces deployed in the SE Asia Command, and produced thousands of aeronautical technicians.
Soon after independence, HAL’s Chief Designer, eminent aeronautical engineer Dr V.M. Ghatage, boldly embarked on three aircraft design projects: Each of them attaining a substantial degree of success. Over the next decade, HAL manufactured more than 400 Ghatage-designed aircraft: The HT-2 basic trainer for the IAF; the Krishak observation aircraft for the Army; and the Pushpak light-aircraft for the civilian sector. Ghatage’s last outstanding achievement was the design of the HJT-16 jet trainer, Kiran, of which 190 were built and are still serving the IAF after nearly three decades.
HAL’s crowning glory, however, came in June 1961 with the flight of the HF-24, Marut, the first jet fighter-bomber designed and built in Asia. The government, in a rare flash of inspiration, had acquired the services of WW II German designer Dr Kurt Tank, in 1956, to help HAL design a jet fighter. An aerodynamically elegant design, the Marut had huge potential as a supersonic fighter, but powered by two, small British Orpheus turbo-jets its performance remained sub-sonic and sub-par.
It is disheartening that having initiated a far-sighted project, both the government and HAL failed to display the zeal necessary to salvage this national endeavour of strategic importance. The IAF, too, remained a mute spectator, as HAL shut the Marut line after delivering just 147 aircraft.
Apart from the Marut, HAL has, since the 1950s, undertaken production of (an estimated) 3,000 aircraft, including the Vampire, MiG-21, MiG-27, Jaguar, Sukhoi-30 and Hawk. The company has also built a few thousand aero-engines. These statistics, however, refer only to “kit-assembly” or “licenced production” and, disappointingly, the HAL management failed to acquire, for its personnel, any aircraft/engine design and production skills. So, when the time came for modernising 125 “HAL-built” MiG-21s, India had to approach Russia and Israel.
This brings us to the well-known saga of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), and now under production in HAL. A CAG report of 2015 reads: “LCA was required to be inducted into IAF by 1994… the programme was riddled with delays right from the sanction of 1983, and even after three decades, it is yet to be inducted into IAF.” Further, it says: “Though ADA claimed achievement of 70 per cent indigenisation; half of these sub-systems are developed with imported electronic components and accessories.”
The Tejas was notionally inducted into service in 2016, but no lessons had been learnt from the aborted Marut project. Again, all agencies involved — the government, DRDO and HAL — showed a lackadaisical approach, by failing to resolutely address hurdles that cropped up and the prestigious LCA programme languished. As for the IAF, this 2015 CAG comment describes its indifference:
“User involvement right from inception is essential for effective and efficient completion of any project. However, active Air HQ participation in the LCA Programme started only in 2006 (23 years after inception).” A project, complementary to the LCA, taken up by the DRDO, was the development of a turbo-jet engine. Initiated in 1986, irresolute project-management and sporadic development have seen the prototype, named Kaveri, yet to qualify for production 32 years later.
This is clearly a combination of absent political vision and direction, combined with insipid project management that has thwarted most of our aeronautical programmes. We must introspect how, starting from a similar base in the 1950s, the aeronautical industries of China, Brazil, South Korea and Turkey have left India miles behind. More importantly, should we persevere with the same unsuccessful model forever? Not if we take a leaf out of the Indian Navy’s (IN) book.
The navy’s leadership, having persuaded the government in 1960 to embark on indigenous warship building, insisted on taking full “ownership” of naval ship design and construction, as well as management of all shipyards. This has seen a hugely successful programme, delivering warships, ranging from patrol-boats, frigates and destroyers to submarines and aircraft-carriers, to the IN.
The success of the DRDO-funded nuclear submarine project, too, is attributable to the fact that it is staffed by IN personnel and headed by a Vice Admiral, granted powers of Secretary to the government. Two excellent lessons emerge from the navy’s rewarding shipbuilding experience, for application to India’s aeronautical industry.
First, the government must mandate intimate involvement of user Service(s) in every project — from the concept/design stage onwards. It is significant that a few years ago, Army, Navy and Air Force members on the HAL Board of Directors were ejected to make place for Defence Ministry bureaucrats. In the recommended model, the user must commit funds as well as personnel, to the project. Decisions related to project-management, including design and other changes would be taken, expeditiously, in a collegiate fashion by users and designers.
Second, repeated heartbreaks have demonstrated that rapid decision-making and imaginative project-management are not the forte of scientists or bureaucrats. The government must, therefore, bring about a paradigm shift and utilise the huge pool of technical experience and leadership talent available in the armed forces to place suitably qualified officers in the driving seat of projects considered critical for national security.
(The author, a naval aviator, is a former Chief of Naval Staff and Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee. The article is in special arrangement with South Asia Monitor) |
The Boomerang Effect of Anti-Israel Lies | When the “massacre” lie appears in the first act, the United Nations Human Rights Council will appear in the third act, to help Hamas.
The UNHRC, as we all know, has an automatic majority of unenlightened anti-Israel countries. Even if all European countries had voted against the new commission of inquiry, whose conclusions we already know, the resolution would have been adopted.
The thing is that the representatives of the unenlightened countries are not alone. The “enlightened” are providing them with ammunition. “How long after this week’s Gaza massacre are we going to continue pretending that the Palestinians are non-people?” asked Robert Fisk, the Middle East correspondent of The Independent.
With Fisk, it’s already a tradition. When the Palestinians fired rockets, he was there to explain that they are simply reminding the world that they were expelled by Israel. If we adopt his logic, Ukrainians should fire rockets at Poland, because that’s where they were expelled from. And Germans should fire rockets at the Czech Republic, because they were expelled. And Finns should fire rockets at Russia, because they were expelled. And Greeks should fire rockets at Turkey, because they were expelled. And Turks should fire rockets at Greece, because they were expelled.
We can go on. The list is long. And we have yet to mention the Jews, who according to Fisk’s logic were not only supposed to fire rockets at Germany but also to wipe it off the face of the earth in acts of retaliation. Interestingly enough, nothing happened. And had it happened, no one would justify it.
But the Arabs are allowed to do it. They attacked the newly established Jewish state with a declared goal to destroy it, violating the UN resolution. Their plot failed. Some of them, it should be mentioned, have gotten over the annihilation aspirations. But the different Hamasniks are openly declaring that their goal is to destroy the State of Israel. And they, of all people, have regiments of Fisks, including Jews and Israelis, to provide them with justifications.
There are countless journalists and academics who are repeating the same lie, that Israel is the result of a crime and that it keeps committing crimes nonstop. The most poisonous propaganda campaign belongs, as always, to Al-Jazeera. I don’t think five minutes passed in the past week without the word “massacre” being uttered. The different Fisks, in the media and in the academia and in politics, are legitimizing the incitement campaign.
This incitement campaign is a boomerang. Israel is the target, but the incitement leads to a radicalization of the Muslim communities across Europe. Because when there is a consensus among Muslims in the continent that Israel committed a massacre in Gaza last week, the obvious result is that they’re allowed to respond with a massacre. There’s no need for thousands to respond. A few individuals are enough. The sympathetic atmosphere is already there. So every media manipulations turning Israel into a criminal adds supporters to the Salafi groups that already exist in Europe.
Only several days ago, a report emerged that a neighborhood in the La Verrière commune in France was turning into a Salafist stronghold. Occasionally, the French take a firm hand and expel imams engaged in incitement. But when certain neighborhoods include a “religion police,” which is stronger than the security forces, the next terror attack is only a matter of time. The perpetrators of the attacks, against Jews or against a country in Europe, will cry out that it’s in retaliation for Israel’s crimes. Of course it is. They believe in this lie with all their heart. They have been brainwashed by the Fisks and Al-Jazeera.
Sometimes, it should be mentioned, Israeli groups add fuel to the fire of hatred. Hamas has already admitted that 50 of the Palestinians who were killed were Hamas operatives, and Islamic Jihad admits it has three shahidim on the list. But that won’t help. The “massacre” claims have become a consensus in progressive circles, in Israel and worldwide.
This includes the New York Times’ main headline, “Israeli forces kill dozens in Gaza,” with a shocking image of bodies. Every human being who isn’t familiar with the facts would rage over what seems like crimes against humanity. This isn’t another lie, because most journalists covering this topic know Hamas is sending its people to the fence. They know this isn’t an innocent civilian protest. But they are insisting on providing their share of incitement. They and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are one and the same. It makes them, in their own eyes, enlightened.
The result will be another rise in the level of anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, hatred and terror. And when blood is shed, and it will be shed, the Fisks will keep going. In the preliminary stage, they presented Israel as a monster committing atrocities. And when terror strikes in the West again, they will explain that we must understand those raging about the atrocities.
Reprinted with author’s permission from YNet News.com |
Jazz Carlin Set To Dabble In Open Water With FINA 10k World Cup | Two-time Olympic silver medalist from Rio, Jazz Carlin of Great Britain, recently raced one of her first open water swims and won gold. We reported how the 27-year-old competed in the 1-mile Serpentine Swim in London, where Carlin beat out more seasoned open water athletes such as Sarah Bosslet of Germany and Danielle Huskisson, also of Great Britain. It turns out Carlin was bitten by the open water bug and is now considering possibly adding the discipline to her pool repertoire for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Tunisia’s Ous Mellouli is the only swimmer in Olympic history to have won medals both in pool and open water swimming at the same Games, but Carlin is at least considering the possibly of trying for both squads in 2020.
“I’ve the Commonwealth Games and European Championships next year and then I’ll start thinking about how it could go for Tokyo,” the Welsh swimmer told BBC Sport recently.
“The danger with training for the longer distances is you can lose the speed you need for the shorter ones.
“I think I have a really great opportunity to be a part of open water and still try and get on that pool team, and it’s quite exciting to think that you could make history in an event.
“I’m very happy with two silvers, but you know it’s Tokyo and why not go for gold, hey? I’m a bit greedy I guess.”
Carlin will try the 10k open water event on for size at Qiandao Lake, Hangzhou City, China on October 15th as part of the FINA World Cup Series.
“I want to keep testing myself and see what I can do,” says Carlin. (BBC Sport)
Carlin won her Olympic silvers in Rio behind American Katie Ledecky in the women’s 400m and 800m freestyle events. |
Suspect Arrested In Death Of N. Korean Dictator's Half-Brother | Malaysian authorities say they have detained a woman in the suspicious death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother, Kim Jong Nam. Kim, who was in his mid-forties, was the eldest of former dictator Kim Jong Il's children. He died en route to the hospital Monday after some sort of encounter at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The woman detained was carrying Vietnamese travel documents, according to police, and was alone at the time of the arrest. Malaysian media cite government sources saying closed-circuit cameras at the airport caught two women approaching Kim. One of them covered his face with a cloth before walking away. Police say Kim fell ill and asked a counter clerk for help.
Sources tell NPR his body was transported earlier Tuesday from one hospital to a larger one — Hospital Kuala Lumpur. An autopsy will be performed.
After growing up in Western countries, Kim has been living outside North Korea for decades. He is believed to have homes in Macau, Beijing and Paris. In 2001, Kim was detained trying to enter Japan on false travel documents. He later said he was trying to bring his family to Tokyo Disneyland.
The big mystery, if he didn't die of natural causes, is why Kim Jong Nam was attacked, and why now.
"I don't think we will know the full story about the death of Kim Jong Nam for many years," says Michael Madden, a visiting scholar at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, who runs the site North Korean Leadership Watch.
Chan Kok Leong contributed to this post, from Kuala Lumpur. |
Don’t hijack UK with Brexit row, Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard warns rebel ministers | Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard warned that rebellious cabinet members were risking Britain’s post-Brexit prospects.
Writing in the Shropshire Star, the Conservative MP warned ministers had no “divine right” to be in post.
Ahead of a crucial cabinet summit at Chequers, Mr Pritchard said it was time for the government to show “corporate discipline”.
He said: “The least Theresa May can expect is that some in her cabinet show a little more strategic patience, collective responsibility and a little less hubris and selfish ambition.
“Theresa May is not going to resign. She has an important job to do – she should expect her fellow ministers to allow her to get on with that job.”
Mr Pritchard’s intervention came as former leader William Hague, who lives near Welshpool, warned any minister considering resigning over Brexit would prove themselves “not fit” for office. Lord Hague said the “vast sensible middle” of the Conservative Party “deeply dislike naked manoeuvring to become the next leader”.
Cabinet must forget differences and unite
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Wrekin Tory MP Mark Pritchard urges collective responsibility at crucial time for agreeing UK’s terms:
"As the Cabinet heads for Chequers this Friday to finalise the UK’s preferred terms for existing the European Union, Theresa May should expect nothing less from each Cabinet Minister than to sign up to Cabinet ‘collective responsibility’.
If there are to be differences, and there certainly are, ministers should use the Cabinet table to advance their case – not the media or Twitter. This is a time for teamwork, not going solo.
The Conservative Party is a broad church, but those who reside in the Cabinet, by Theresa’s May’s choice, not by divine right, need to maintain corporate discipline.
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If senior ministers want to speak out against agreed Government policy then they can always return to the backbenches. There are many other talented people on the backbenches who can fill their shoes.
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Every deviation or hesitation over the Government’s negotiating position with Brussels will be seized upon as weakness. That is not in the UK’s national interest.
The Prime Minister needs support from her ministers, not disloyalty. The Prime Minister needs to go to Brussels having the public support of all her ministers.
There are those who believe the Prime Minister has failed in her negotiations. This is premature and an ill-advised judgment. No-one can come to an objective and reasoned view until the final details are fully examined. The time will come for a critique, but that time is not now. The full ‘negotiated’ details are not yet known. This is a time for Cabinet unity and putting country first.
Those who seek to replace Theresa May will not be forgiven lightly if, in seeking their own advancement, damage the advancement of the UK’s departure from the European Union. This is the biggest political and diplomatic negotiation in 70 years, and it has to be got right.
Critics should be reassured, the Prime Minister, has made it crystal clear that ‘Brexit means Brexit’. This means the UK taking back control of our money, laws and borders. But it must also not mean introducing new barriers to trade in goods and services or new tariffs, which will mean higher costs for employers and consumers throughout Shropshire and the UK. Whether people voted Remain or Brexit, no-one voted for higher costs and less prosperity.
The Prime Minister has my full backing as she sets out her Brexit reasoning and negotiating position. Not everyone will be satisfied, but with no working majority, and having to negotiate with 27 other EU nations. She is, in my view, doing a remarkable job.
The least she can expect, is that some in her Cabinet show a little more strategic patience, collective responsibility, and a little less hubris and selfish ambition. Theresa May is not going to resign. She has an important job to do – she should expect her fellow ministers to allow her to get on with that job." |
'Pari' scares John Abraham, 'Parmanu' shifts | MUMBAI: The impending clash between Anushka Sharma's "Pari" and John Abraham's "Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran" on Holi has been averted.
Both the films were scheduled to open on March 2. But John has given in to box-office wisdom and "Parmanu" will now release on April 6.
Apparently John had little choice, a person close to the production said.
"Anushka Sharma's scare-fest in 'Pari' is already grabbing a whole lot of attention.
"The latest promo has sent chills down the nations's spine. Whereas John's promotion for Parmanu has not even started. Rather than rush into release, better sense prevailed," he said.
After a spate of flops "Parmanu" is crucial for John. The film has to work as he has signed only one film (to be directed by Milap Jhaveri) after Parmanu. John wants to take no risks. It has to work."
So now "Pari" has March 2 all to itself. |
Australian city of Melbourne to test terrorism alarm system | The Wichita Eagle | Dash cam video shows off-duty officer driving the wrong way before a DUI stop
The City of Ferndale has released dash cam video showing an off-duty Michigan police officer driving the wrong way on a one way road before being stopped for a DUI.(Video by City of Ferndale Department of Police Media) |
Lindsay Pereira: History condemned to repeat itself | I suppose it's finally safe to discuss the monsoon, now that it appears to be petering out. I was, like millions of my fellow residents, left stranded and helpless on more than one occasion over the past couple of weeks, when the rains compelled so many of us to cower in terror as we struggled with memories of July 2005. Any city governed by competent folk would have learned something from a tragedy of that magnitude and yet, 12 years later, it felt as if we were at Square One all over again.
There was no information available on when train services would resume, naturally, which meant some of them would have to stay out all night. File pic
I had a flight to take on August 29 when, by 4 pm that afternoon, everything I hoped wouldn't go wrong promptly started to. First to go were the streets, smothered by waves of water that had no business being there because, as we have been told every year, the BMC is more than equipped to handle water-logging. The BMC has been working on a drainage system longer than Salman and Aamir Khan have been playing college students on the big screen. I suspect the Khans will stop at some point though, while the BMC will continue to divert more funds for its mysterious projects that never seem to work.
A mere hour or two after high tide that evening, arterial roads were inundated, while smaller streets like the one I live on simply disappeared. Open manholes, sewers, potholes and missing paver blocks — the things that plague us relentlessly, and remind us daily of the corruption and incompetence that pervades every department of the BMC — all conspired to create a dangerous cocktail that put everyone on the street in harm's way. There were children on their way back from school, teenagers stuck in buses that weren't going anywhere, and thousands of poor, huddled, homeless masses who are uncared for even in good weather, all at the mercy of a government organisation whose presence was never felt.
The lights went next, presumably to prevent short circuits or electrocutions. This was all conjecture, obviously, because none of the people in my locality were informed about why they had been plunged into darkness. There were no messages, no warnings, no concern for children or senior citizens stuck in dark hallways, lifts or homes. There was only gloom, which we were all expected to accept without question and then cope with.
My Internet and Wi-Fi connections failed, followed by my phone connection. What this meant, apart from the fact that I could no longer rely on much-publicised transportation apps to get me out, was that I had no way of receiving any messages from the government, the BMC or any agency supposedly created to make the lives of people living in this city easier. Luckily, I didn't worry too much about this at the time because I was aware that our government rarely bothers to issue messages of importance. It is usually left to citizens to fend for themselves; which is exactly what happened.
I convinced a local taxi driver to ferry me, and was stopped every 10 minutes by people on the street begging me to drop their wives, mothers or children at safer parts of the city. The trains hadn't worked for hours, they said, and they couldn't bear to see family members cold, hungry and far from home. There was no information available on when train services would resume, naturally, which meant some of them would have to stay out all night.
At least five people died that week. Millions of commuters were stranded, dozens of flights and train services cancelled, roads clogged, office- goers forced to wade through knee-deep water or sit in stranded vehicles for hours. Hospitals were flooded, forcing doctors to evacuate patients while worrying about infections in the aftermath of the waters receding.
Flooding in 2005 claimed over 1,000 lives. It also swept away homes, disrupted water supply, snapped electricity lines and communication networks, and affected public transportation for days. We were promised something like that would never happen ever again, and those promises were repeated every year for the next decade.
I knew, like millions of my fellow citizens, that my government didn't care and had no intention of doing anything to help when I saw a tweet from the PM. 'Urge the people of Mumbai and surrounding areas to stay safe & take all essential precautions in the wake of the heavy rain [sic],' it read. The onus, clearly, was on us. We had no one to rely on but ourselves.
When he isn't ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He tweets @lindsaypereira. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com |
Varadkar comments about Irish media ‘taken out of context’ | Irish government minister Eoghan Murphy has claimed that controversial comments by the premier on Irish media were taken out of context. There have been calls for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to clarify comments he reportedly made at an event in New York. It has been claimed that he criticised the media at the private event, saying it is one of the few issues he could sympathise with US President Donald Trump about. It was reported by The Times and Irish Times that when Mr Varadkar was asked about Mr Trump’s attacks on the media, he said the media was not interested in the truth but in the story.
Eoghan Murphy Credit: Brian Lawless/PA
Housing Minister Mr Murphy said his comments had been “taken out of context”. “Myself and the Taoiseach speak about the importance of being available to speak to the media,” he said. “That’s a cornerstone for local democracy.” Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said he “unreservedly supports the operation and function of the media” within local democracy.
Paschal Donohoe Credit: Brian Lawless/PA
Speaking at an event in Dublin on Wednesday, Mr Donohoe said: “It’s an absolutely essential element in how our country conducts itself. “It’s essential that we have a free and independent media that can report on what is happening in our country and scrutinise and evaluate and hold politicians to account. “I know these are the views of the Taoiseach too. “I would be very against some of the darker tones that we have seen develop in other countries at the moment.” Mr Varadkar is expected to address the matter at the Dail later on Wednesday. He was in the US to launch Ireland’s bid for a seat at the United Nations Security Council. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said his remarks require an explanation.
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Airport kicker soaring to success as he heads to Tennessee - wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina | Blessed with a powerful boot, Airport Eagle Paxton Brooks ranks as the nation's fifth-best kicker by ESPN. He's Tennessee-bound next month, and will officially sign with the Vols on Dec. 20.
Before he heads to Rocky Top in January, he has one more stop to make, playing in the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 4, in Orlando, FL.
"It's a huge honor to be involved in a game that has such a legacy," Brooks said.
Paxton's journey into football started on the pitch as a soccer player. In middle school, his brother’s best friend, who was a kicker at the time at Airport High school, encouraged the young Brooks to try football.
Brooks felt an instant connection to football. He knew right then what sport he wanted to pursue.
"It was weird,” Brooks said. “[It was] tough for sure, telling [soccer] coaches [I had] for a long time and that helped me out."
Brooks knows it was the right choice. It's open many doors for him, including the chance to punt and kick for the University of Tennessee.
"Going up to Tennessee and being around some of the fans I really feel at home," Brooks said.
And he really likes the new Vols coach in Jeremy Pruitt. The Alabama defensive coordinator was recently named as the Vols leading man. Brooks met coach Pruitt over the weekend during his official visit to Tennessee.
"You can really tell how genuine of a person he is,” said Brooks. “He has a teaching background and likes the idea of being a teacher."
Brooks loves to learn and compete. Especially, with his kicking pals in the Carolina’s. He's trained with a group that calls themselves the “SPECIAL OPS,” which includes some of the top kickers from this region.
"Good to be around those guys,” Brooks said. “Kicking again them, you see where you match up against them.”
As valuable as it's been competing with his friends, Brooks thanks his dad for all the help along the way to achieve his goals on the gridiron.
"Can't say enough to appreciate what he did for me to help me reach my dreams," Brooks said.
Copyright 2017 WIS. All rights reserved. |
ICICI Bank to probe allegations against Chanda Kochhar, and other top news | A look at the headlines right now:
ICICI Bank to investigate allegations of conflict of interest against CEO Chanda Kochhar: The bank’s board took the decision on Tuesday after a whistle-blower levelled charges against Kochhar. Fuel prices cut by just 1 paisa a litre for today, ‘clerical error’ blamed for earlier announcement: But, Kerala slashed the prices of petrol and diesel by Re 1 from June 1. Karnataka chief minister says he will announce farm loan waiver in 15 days: HD Kumaraswamy reiterated that he was at the ‘mercy of the Congress’ to implement the scheme. CBI court convicts former top police officer, BSF official in 2006 J&K child sex abuse case: The children were allegedly forced into prostitution and sent to top police officials, bureaucrats, politicians and surrendered militants. Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet criminalises sexual harassment: A person convicted under the new law may be jailed for up to five years and fined a maximum of 3,00,000 riyals. Air Force helps douse Malviya Nagar fire, rubber warehouse’s owner arrested: The IAF used a medium-lift Mi17V5 helicopter fitted with Bambi buckets to spray water. Soldier from Kerala dies of suspected Nipah infection in Kolkata: Samples of Sheenu Prasad’s body fluids have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune. Russian journalist who was reported to have been killed in Ukraine appears for press conference: The head of the Ukrainian security service said Arkady Babchenko’s murder had been staged to expose those who wanted to kill him. IMD forecasts a normal monsoon for the whole country, besides the North East: Better rainfall is expected in 2018 than 2017, said the department’s Director General KJ Ramesh. Elon Musk says tough government regulations delaying Tesla’s entry into India: The Tesla co-founder said the company’s chief financial officer Deepak Ahuja would take a call on the matter. |
Snooping mom discovers secret stash | Dear Amy: I was snooping in my son's basement and discovered he is growing weed. Should I confront him? He could lose his job, house, reputation and shared custody of his daughter.
I am a nervous wreck thinking about how to approach him. My husband would have a stroke if he found out. I know I should do something, but what?
-- Sad Mom
Dear Sad: Here's what you should do: Stop snooping in your son's basement.
Unless he has a sophisticated commercial marijuana ranch down there, you should assume this is for his own use, and leave it alone.
If you absolutely cannot stand it and must confront him about this, you will have to tell him the truth about your own behavior. One natural consequence of your admission would be for him to stop trusting you.
If you are ready to make this sacrifice, you should only urge him not to expose his child to his marijuana growing and weed use. Obviously, if you found this in the basement, so could she, and this would put his daughter in an even worse position than you are in, because involving her in this sort of secret could be ruinous for their relationship, and disastrous down the line.
State laws regarding marijuana cultivation seem to be quite convoluted. If he doesn't have a license to grow and is caught (by someone other than you) the consequences could be extreme in proportion to his crime.
Dear Amy: My daughter, 9, is in Girl Scouts. She loves it. I offer a lot of my time helping out the troop. Today, they went to an ice show in which the troop paid for the tickets, so this was not an out-of-pocket expense for us.
The parents were asked to either provide a snack for their daughters, or send money for the girls to buy a snack. We opted to send a snack instead of sending money, as we struggle financially.
Once they got there, they realized that you can't bring snacks in to the facility (understandable), so one of the troop leaders purchased popcorn buckets for each girl.
All the other girls brought money and were able to purchase their own drinks to go with the popcorn.
My daughter did not have any money with her, so her troop leader bought her a drink with a souvenir cup. My daughter thinks it cost around $15. I emailed the troop leaders and asked how much the souvenir/drink was and offered to reimburse them for it.
I felt like this was the right thing to do. However, my husband disagrees. He feels as though I shouldn't have offered, since we basically followed their initial instructions.
I know this is a small problem but every time someone purchases something on my kids' behalf without us asking, I feel obligated to at least offer to reimburse them when I have the funds. I know they can answer, "No -- don't worry about it." Am I wrong for offering to reimburse the troop leader? Or is my husband right?
-- Confused Girl Scout Mom
Dear Confused: You did the right thing. These troop leaders volunteer their time to help supervise the girls, and in addition to spending their time, they willingly spend money on all sorts of little (and large) things along the way. It was kind of this troop leader to purchase this treat for your daughter. You can assume that she did so very happily and does not expect to be reimbursed, since this was an unanticipated expense.
Of course you should acknowledge this and (if you're able) offer to reimburse her. You can expect her to turn down your offer, but your gesture is a nice way of acknowledging her kindness without making specific assumptions. She was being nice, and now you will be nice in return. That is the social contract your husband doesn't seem to understand.
Dear Amy: The man signing his letter "No Prior Precedent" described his wife's adult biological daughter, who she had surrendered for adoption at birth, entering their lives as an adult and wanting her biological mother to readopt her.
It is quite obvious that this person wants money. Once she is legally their child, she stands to inherit their money.
-- Seeing the Obvious
Dear Obvious: State laws differ, but generally children do not have an automatic right to inherit. And the prospect of inheritance does not always motivate people seeking a relationship with their parents. |
WWE RAW Superstar Suffers Broken Jaw | Dash Wilder of The Revival reportedly broke his jaw at the WWE NXT live event in Spartanburg, SC on Friday night, according to WWE.com. Dash was teaming with partner Scott Dawson against Hideo Itami and Shinsuke Nakamura.
"On Friday night, following an in-ring injury to the right side of his jaw, we sent [Wilder] to the ER for a cat scan," NXT medical personnel Dr. Jeff Westerfield told WWE.com. "The test came back showing a jaw fracture. As a result, he will be getting his jaw wired [Friday at 9 a.m.] and we are looking forward to him being back on the main roster in about eight weeks."
Follow Marc Middleton on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Got a news tip or correction? Send it to us by clicking here. |
The Vagabond - History of Camp Sumatanga | By Danny Crownover
A couple of weeks ago, The Vagabond talked about how the Gallant community in Etowah County got its name from John A. Gallant. Located nearby is a large camp that many people have visited and enjoyed for a number of years.
Back in May of 1951, the late local historian Will I. Martin wrote about the lake and camp:
“Much the most ambitious recreation project ever undertaken in this section, is the fishing lake now being constructed by the Etowah County Conservation Club near Gallant, [located] several miles west of Attalla. The location is in a valley flanked by high mountains and a section that affords some of the most gorgeous scenery in this part of Alabama.
“[The area] is overlooked by Buzzard’s Rock, a high and picturesque peak, and is fringed by numerous hollows at the foot of the mountains. To reach [the area], go through Ivalee and to a point about two miles beyond Ga-llant. There is an excellent dirt road there now, but both Etowah and St. Clair counties will pave highways to it on the farm-to-market program, the promoters believe.
“The club owns 358 acres of land in a hollow that was cut out for a sportsman’s paradise. The lake will cover 125 acres and the remainder of the land will be reserved for cottages, the sites for which will be leased for a period of years with members having the preference.
“The dam will be 250 feet long and 60 feet wide at the bottom with an 18-foot roadway on top. The dam will be 30 feet high and the water will be 26 feet deep at the dam. There will be a shallow section that will be roped off for children, it being the intention of the club to cooperate with youth organizations such as the boy scouts, the 4-H clubs and others of like nature. There will be swimming facilities and boating. The lake will have a shoreline of about six miles.
“The water will come from the source of Little Canoe Creek and from four large springs in the lake itself. In fact, Little Canoe Creek will flow through it. This means that there will be an abundance of crystal clear water, and it will remain clear, for it is the plan to preserve the surrounding forest. There will be no erosion and therefore no muddy water.
“The lake site is now being cleared by the contracting firm of Melton and Pittman. Pretty soon bids will be asked for constructing the dam, and [by] late next September the lake may be filling up, although there might be a delay because of weather and the scarcity of materials.
“In planning the project, the club has had the advice of experts. State, county and city engineers, county farm agents, state and county health department and the state conservation department heads have given their advice and services free of charge.
The United States government hatcheries will stock the lake with game fish and will give advice as to their care. In fact, the club has had the best of cooperation from all conservation agencies and will continue to get it until the property is fully and scientifically developed. It is said that the cottage sites being planned will be among the most beautiful in the state. They certainly will be in one of the finest scenic sections of the county.
The Etowah County Conservation Club has over 500 members and is the largest men’s organizations in the county. The members are scattered all over the county. Luther Durham is president; Raymond Bell and R.S. Golightly, vice-presidents; James Watts, secretary; and John Freeman, treasurer. L.A. Heaton is treasurer for the lake fund. The project is being financed by issuing certificates to members. There are 21 directors.”
The following was taken from Camp Sumatanga’s website, which was taken from the book “Our Sumatanga” by David N. Hutto, Jr., and Warren Hamby, Jr.
United Methodist camping ministry in North Alabama
“The North Alabama Conference youth camping program began in 1928 when Earl McBee, a youth worker at First Methodist Episcopal Church South in Ensley, was appointed volunteer director of an effort to hold summer camps for junior high [students]. From 1928 until 1951, Methodist camps were held at various places owned by various organizations and church denominations.”
Founding of Camp Sumatanga
“In 1947, McBee heard about an undeveloped piece of property in St. Clair County that the Boy Scouts had used for primitive camping. The owner wanted to sell. McBee and Elizabeth Brown decided to have a look. (The) property consisted of 430 acres from the crest of Chandler Mountain, down into a valley known as Greasy Cove, north up the side of a hill, to its summit.
“Mrs. Brown was extremely impressed with the property, and she eventually recommended that it be purchased. The $5,000 asked by the owner, according to Brown, was very reasonable.
“On Aug. 14, 1948, 500 youths and adults gathered at the site for a picnic and to hear Bishop Marvin Franklin speak. It was then that Bishop Franklin spoke of his hopes and dreams for a camp and explained the meaning of the Himalayan word, ‘sumatanga.’
“On Sept. 23, 1950, ground was broken in the area where the pool camp is today.”
The meaning of ‘Sumatanga’
“Earl McBee and David Hutto prepared a resolution that stated, ‘Our camping program has a two-fold mission in the church. One of the missions is to provide a place where tired bodies with weary souls and uncertain minds may come and find rest and peace. The other mission is to provide a place of vision where men may come and get a larger view of things for the present as well as the future years. With these missions in mind, we are recommending the name ‘Sumatanga’ for our camp site. The name means a place low enough for all who have a mind to climb to reach its heights and yet high enough for all to catch a vision of higher heights. The name ‘Sumatanga’ was adopted at the 1950 session of the annual conference.”
The man who built Sumatanga
“David Hutto was born in 1905 in Patton’s Chapel, a rural community near Lincoln. A farming accident as a youth nearly took his life, and as a result, he walked the four miles to school on a pair of crutches. Possibly due to his survival and recovery, he knew in high school that he would answer a call into the ministry and enrolled part-time at Birmingham-Southern, finishing in 1933.
“Despite being told by two separate draft boards that his childhood injury would keep in him from the army, Hutto persisted until he was allowed to be a chaplain, serving in England, France and North Africa. It wasn’t long after returning to North Alabama that he was appointed the first director of Camp Sumatanga.
“Uncle Dave” Hutto served as the director of Camp Sumatanga until his death in 1969. He saw camp through much of its initial construction and through some of its greatest challenges.
In the 1950’s, Hutto drew criticism for bringing African-Americans to the camp when the society was still segregated. In 1966, he was told by the conference’s camp commission to stop allowing those individuals into the camp, so he offered his resignation. The outcry of youths and adults across North Alabama was so strong that the commission was forced to change the policy, and Hutto stayed on as director. Later that year, the Hutto family’s home was burned in retaliation.
“In 1968, lightning struck [the camp] and the nearly completed lodge was burned to the ground. David immediately set about rebuilding the lodge to keep a promise he had made to younger campers so they would have their own place to stay at camp. Through all of this, David Hutto persevered, and the camping ministry today is a continuing testament of this servant of God.” |
PGA Tour golfer wins $1.17 million, celebrates by going to Taco Bell | PGA Tour rookie Wesley Bryan picked up his first career win in his home state of South Carolina on Sunday, edging Luke Donald by a stroke to win the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links. Bryan, who now has four top-10 finishes this year, earned a first-place prize of $1,170,000 to bring his season total to $1,990,194.
So how did Bryan celebrate? With a visit to Taco Bell, of course, still wearing his winner’s jacket.
It’s a tradition for Bryan to go to Taco Bell after a victory. Here he is a year ago with his brother George after winning the Web.com Tour’s El Bosque Mexico Championship. |
Las siete razones por las que Neymar aceptaría una oferta del Real Madrid | Sign Up for our Newsletter
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New portrait of Duke of Edinburgh in Windsor Castle released | A portrait of The Duke of Edinburgh set in the Grand Corridor at Windsor Castle has been released to mark his retirement from public engagements.
Prince Philip announced in May that he would be stepping down from public engagements and carried out his final duty at Buckingham Palace in August.
The portrait, by Australian born artist Ralph Heimans, has been produced for display at the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark.
His Royal Highness was born a Prince of Denmark and his ancestry spans both the British and Danish Royal Families.
In the portrait, The Duke of Edinburgh is depicted wearing the sash of the Order of the Elephant - Denmark's highest-ranking honour.
Windsor Castle holds special significance in regard to Prince Philip’s ancestry. At the end of the Grand Corridor is the Tapestry Room where His Royal Highness' mother, Princess Alice, and maternal grandmother, Princess Victoria were born.
Their Royal Highnesses both also appear in the painting that hangs on the right side of the Grand Corridor, in the company of Queen Victoria. |
Salim Mehajer's sister pleads guilty to electoral fraud | Fatima Mehajer has pleaded guilty to 77 charges of giving false and misleading information in the electoral fraud case against her and her brother, former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer.
Commonwealth prosecutor Jeremy Rapke QC told a Downing Centre Local Court hearing on Thursday the Mehajers faced 128 charges over the 2012 local government elections, in which they were both candidates.
The siblings are accused of submitting dozens of false applications to change voters' addresses into the Auburn area ahead of the September 2012 council elections.
Ms Mehajer, who held onto her baby daughter during her brief court appearance, could face up to 12 months behind bars when she faces sentencing.
Fatima Mehajer (right), sister of disgraced former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer, has pleaded guilty to 77 electoral fraud charges
The Mehajer siblings are accused of submitting dozens of false applications to change voters' addresses into the Auburn area ahead of the September 2012 council elections
Salim Mehajer has pleaded not guilty to over 100 electoral fraud offences. Prosecutors say they have text messages allegedly showing the siblings discussing false applications
Mr Rapke said Fatima Mehajer had pleaded guilty to 77 charges of giving false or misleading information, and that the remaining 51 charges of knowingly using false documents to influence a public official were withdrawn.
Salim Mehajer has pleaded not guilty to over 100 electoral fraud offences.
Prosecutors say they have text messages in which Mehajer allegedly discusses preparing false enrolment applications with his sister Fatima.
Both were candidates in the election but only Salim Mehajer was successful.
The prosecution has applied to use about 100 documents, including the 58 text messages, as 'tendency evidence' in the court case.
Some of the messages, sent on July 30, 2012, allegedly read 'What's the address for my members?', 'No such address. I'll re-enroll him' and 'Make sure they are all in Auburn', the magistrate's written decision states.
Ms Mehajer pleaded guilty to a raft of charges relating to giving false information, but charges of knowingly using those documents to influence a public official were withdrawn
Ms Mehajer appeared briefly in Sydney's Downing Centre Courts on Thursday
Mr Rapke said Mr Mehajer had 'engaged in acts of electoral fraud designed to enhance his chances of winning the election" in 2012,' the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Mr Rapke said Mr Mehajer received just 10 per cent of the votes in the poll but was still elected to council.
The court heard Electoral Commission staff noticed an 'unusually large number' of last-minute online enrolment forms for voters in Auburn and became 'suspicious'.
Ms Mehajer will next appear in court on June 26.
Prosecutors allege Mr Mehajer received just 10 per cent of the votes in the poll but was still elected to council |
Man arrested 'after taking pictures of Grefnell victim' | A witness to the Grenfell Towers fire has been arrested after he allegedly took pictures of a dead body and posted the images on Facebook.
The man, who has not been identified by police, apparently opened a body bag that had been left outside his flat, took images of the victim, then uploaded them in an effort to help identify him.
The Metropolitan Police said a 43-year-old man was arrested near to Latimer Road station at around 6pm on suspicion of sending malicious communications and obstructing a coroner.
A witness to the Grenfell Tower fire was arrested on Wednesday after he allegedly took pictures of a man in a body bag (right) and uploaded them to Facebook
Images of the body appeared on a Facebook page belonging to Omega Mwaikambo, who said he was trying to identify the victim when he took the pictures
The images appeared on a Facebook page belonging to a man named Omega Mwaikambo on Wednesday morning.
They show the head of a dead body, with the rest of the remains wrapped in plastic sheeting.
It is thought the victim had jumped from Grenfell Tower in an attempt to escape the fire and paramedics were unable to save him.
Witnesses said the body was then wrapped in a sheet as emergency services moved on to treat others.
Posts by Mr Mwaikambo claim the body had been outside his apartment for more than two hours with no police or ambulance crews around.
Police confirmed that a man was arrested near Latimer Road station at around 6pm, but could provide no further details
When asked whether he opened the body bag, Mr Mwaikambo replied: 'Yes.'
At least 12 people have died and 79 taken to hospital following the fire which broke out in the early hours of Wednesday morning in west London.
Eighteen people are believed to be in critical condition as police warn that the death toll is certain to rise in the coming hours and days. |
Man Utd Man City tunnel fight: Milk on Mourinho - Twitter reacts | Goals from David Silva and Nicolas Otamendi either side of Marcus Rashford’s strike secured three points for Pep Guardiola’s side, sparking wild celebrations in the tunnel.
Manchester United boss Mourinho reportedly took offence to City’s loud celebrations, approaching the away changing room and asking them to turn down their music and show "more respect".
The Portuguese manager is said to have had milk thrown at him after a bust-up with goalkeeper Ederson, while Mikel Arteta was left with a cut to his head and blood streaming down his face.
Fans of both clubs have got involved on Twitter, while Arsenal supporters have also been wading in after the infamous ‘battle of the buffet’ back in 2004.
Take a look through the gallery above to see some of the best reactions as Manchester United and Manchester City were involved in a scrap in the Old Trafford tunnel. |
Belabored Podcast #136: Countdown to Janus, with Andy Stettner | The labor movement has been living in the shadow of a national assault on public-sector collective bargaining for a while now. We’ve talked a lot about Harris v. Quinn, how labor dodged a bullet with that case, and dodged another with the death of Scalia before the Friedrichs case could be decided. But Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31 is likely to be the case labor has been dreading, and we break it down for you today with Andy Stettner of the Century Foundation.
We also look at Uber’s failures in London and neoliberalism’s failures in France, a union drive at the Los Angeles Times and a labor solidarity mission to Puerto Rico post-hurricanes. For Argh, we consider forced labor “rehab” facilities, and how moving left is the solution to the rise of the populist right.
If you think our work is worth supporting as we soldier on through Trumplandia, please consider becoming a sustaining member of Belabored or donating or subscribing to Dissent. Help keep us going for the next 136 episodes! |
8 million dead - what nuclear war with North Korea could look like | The American public is once again having to learn history all over again.
When it comes to North Korea, Americans are having to face the prospect of a rogue nation—a human rights abuser on par with Nazi Germany—that is now armed with nuclear weapons that can strike our homeland.
History reminds us we have been down this road before—whether it was with the Soviet Union building a deadly nuclear arsenal in the 1950s or China doing the same in the 1960s.
The collective shock and panic you see when it comes to North Korea—and the nightmare reality that they can hit the U.S. with nuclear weapons—is our generation’s “Sputnik” moment. While some are still in denial, the simple facts are now inescapable.
The collective shock and panic you see when it comes to North Korea—and the nightmare reality that they can hit the U.S. with nuclear weapons—is our generation’s ‘Sputnik’ moment.
So, the next question seems obvious: Would Kim Jong Un use his nuclear weapons under the right conditions, say if he felt his survival was threatened? The answer is a resounding yes.
Know this: if Pyongyang decided to launch a salvo of nuclear armed missiles towards Seoul, Tokyo, U.S. military bases or the homeland, the carnage unleashed would be unlike anything we have seen since the days of World War II. In such a scenario, millions upon millions of people could die or become the victims of radioactive fallout, whose injuries could lay dormant for years. It would be, per one senior Pentagon official I spoke to last week, “as if Lucifer opened the gates of hell.”
Gaming out nuclear war scenarios—as horrific as they are—is part of my job working for a D.C. foreign policy think tank. Back in 2013, I took part in a series of wargames to consider what would happen if North Korea and America become entangled in a nuclear conflict. No matter how we approached such an atomic conflict the results were the same. There was no question millions of people would die—it was just a question of how many.
Over the course of several days, experts, journalists, academics and retired Pentagon staffers played out three scenarios of what a war with North Korea would look like – focusing on nuclear weapons use, and concluding one war per day in a sped-up fashion. We started with a scenario that involved atomic weapons release on a small scale and in the next two sessions raised the stakes dramatically.
The first wargame—the smallest and least lethal of the bunch—imagined a conflict in 2020 where U.S. and allied forces on the Korean Peninsula were attacked by surprise with conventional weapons only by North Korea, responding to intelligence that Washington was considering building forces in the region for a possible attack.
Kim decides to open this imagined Second Korean War by launching a massive artillery barrage on Seoul while raining down 250 or so small- and medium-range missiles on targets all around South Korea and Japan. Allied forces then counterattack, focusing mostly on Kim’s weapons of mass destruction, the biggest threat of all, eliminating what they think is all of them.
Eventually, allied forces battle their way up the peninsula and close in on Pyongyang, the capitol of North Korea. But Kim, even with his forces battered and bloody, kept four nuclear weapons hidden from U.S. strikes and decides to attack Seoul and Tokyo. While the allies do win the war, the casualties from the nuclear attacks—with one warhead each making it past allied missiles defenses detonating in each city—results in over one million people dead and millions more wounded. Add that to the likely staggering body count totals from what would be a bloody conventional campaign, and you would see a death toll that seems unthinkable today.
As if the above wasn’t bad enough, a second scenario involved Kim starting a conflict using nuclear weapons in a sort of atomic “Pearl Harbor.” In this exercise, we assume that in 2020 U.S. forces are building in the Asia-Pacific in preparation for a regime change operation, responding to a demand from the international community for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons—just like the Second Gulf War.
But Kim Jong Un is a student of history. He knows once U.S. forces are in place they will try to take out his weapons of mass destruction and move across the 38th parallel. He decides to attack first. In this wargame, we assumed Kim launched successful nuclear strikes on Seoul, Pusan, Incheon, Tokyo, Sendai and Nagoya, with one nuclear weapon hitting each city and getting past allied missile defenses—he fires more, but this is what actually hits the target. Before the allies can even spring into action, over two million people perish in the atomic fire.
The final wargame was the most dramatic and led to the most loss of life. We assume a similar scenario in 2020 with allied forces getting ready for a possible invasion, but this time Kim decides to launch a pre-emptive attack on the U.S. homeland. We assume he strikes the target cities in the second scenario, but add on successful nuclear attacks on Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland. We were shocked to discover we ended up with a combined body count of over three million people between losses in Asia and America. Oh, and by the way, this is before America’s nuclear counterattack, which would add millions more to the total.
By the time this wargame ended, North Korea went all in with every weapon it had, launching more nuclear attacks along with chemical and biological weapons strikes. When it was over and North Korea was finally defeated, eight million people were killed.
Now, to be fair, a wargame does not predict the future and is nowhere near perfect in its analysis. However, experts conduct such exercises many times to game out worst-case scenarios and consider unconventional strategies for dealing with the threats of the future. But one thing we assumed in this scenario is quite haunting: we believed by 2020 Kim would have nuclear weapons that could be mounted on a warhead and could target all northeast Asia and hit the U.S. homeland, something some in the simulation thought was fantasy. Now it is a chilling reality—in 2017.
What can we take away from all of this?
While military options for removing Kim’s nuclear weapons, as you can see above, could result in the death of millions, we still have time to make sure North Korea can’t keep adding more and more advanced capabilities to its atomic arsenal.
The most important thing we can do now is stop the amount of resources flowing into North Korea and enforce the recently passed UN Security Council resolutions—and that means China must finally join the international communities’ efforts. If not, North Korea could get its hands on a hydrogen bomb or even more long-range missiles—something we did not consider in our wargames. If that day comes to pass, the above scenarios, played out with smaller atomic weapons, will seem downright optimistic. And that should send a chill up everyone’s spine.
Harry J. Kazianis (@grecianformula) is director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest, founded by former President Richard M. Nixon. Click here, for more on Mr. Kazianis. |
T.I. Struggling To Be Faithful To Tiny Despite Wanting To Stay Together: ‘It’s Hella Tough’ | T.I. and Tiny are desperately trying to make their marriage work, but one thing is standing in the way: monogamy! T.I. is finding it difficult to stay faithful. Will he ever be able to commit 100%?
T.I., 36, seems to be busting his butt trying to get Tameka ‘Tiny’ Harris, 42, back. He showered her with gifts on her birthday. He’s gone out of his way to talk about how wonderful she is. He’s been spending more time with the kids. However, there’s still one major problem, and he’s not so sure it will ever go away. Click here for pics of T.I. and Tiny.
“Tip has always been in love with Tiny, even when they split he never fell out of love with her,” an insider told HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. “He does really want to be monogamous, it kills him when he hurts Tiny, but it’s like he can’t help himself. They make up and everything is great again, for a while, but he always ends up slipping back into his old ways, it’s just inevitable.” No! Do they make rehab for cheaters?!
Apparently, T.I.’s lifestyle is one of the biggest culprits for his cheating, but he won’t be changing that anytime soon. “You’ve got to remember that Tip spends a lot of time away from home, and he has gorgeous women throwing themselves at him,” said the source. “It’s a lot of temptation to try and resist, it’s difficult. He does really want to be with Tiny, he loves her to pieces, and the kids too obviously, but it’s hella tough to remain faithful, no matter how hard he tries.” Well, we certainly hope that he figures it out ASAP because he’s running out of chances with Tiny.
HollywoodLifers, do you think T.I. can change? Let us know! |
Van Gogh 'Sunflowers' reunited online | LONDON (AP) — Five versions of a Vincent van Gogh masterpiece are being reunited for the first time Monday in a “virtual exhibition.”
Van Gogh painted his “Sunflowers” series in the south of France in 1888 and 1889. Five versions of the work reside in five different museums on three continents.
On Monday, they all will be streamed to a global audience in a Facebook Live broadcast.
The 1 hour and 35 minute broadcast begins in London’s National Gallery at 1650GMT (12:50 p.m. EDT.) It then continues at Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, the Neue Pinakothek in Munich, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Tokyo’s Seiji Togo Memorial Museum of Art.
A curator from each museum will describe, in 15-minute segments, what makes their version unique.
The museums launched a virtual-reality experience last week that shows viewers all five “Sunflowers” in one room. The paintings are so treasured and such big draws it would be difficult to bring them together in real life.
“We’re at a moment in time where new kinds of experience are becoming possible for art galleries and museums all around the world,” Chris Michaels, the National Gallery’s digital director, said.
London’s version of “Sunflowers” is one of the museum’s most popular paintings.
It’s famous for its blue and yellow swirls, textured surface and rare glimpse into the happy times of Van Gogh’s life in Arles, France.
More than 50,000 viewers watched a preview for Monday’s event online.
Michaels is hopeful his team will bring more of the National Gallery’s famous pieces to online audiences. It’s an added attraction and a way to connect with other galleries.
“But it’s not a replacement,” he said. “It’s another type of thing that art museums can do and an amazing one for us to explore in the future, in partnership with amazing museums around the world.” |
Severe weather rips through Alabama university, takes aim at Southeast | Severe weather that spawned at least one tornado slammed Alabama’s Jacksonville State University on Monday night and took aim at the rest of the southeast.
Alabama state troopers said the damage in Jacksonville, Ala. left the city looking like a “war zone.” Strong winds downed trees and damaged buildings as the National Weather Service confirmed a “damaging and possibly large tornado near Jacksonville and Calhoun counties and was moving east.
Jacksonville State University Athletic Director Greg Seitz wrote in a tweet that there was significant damage to campus, including to the newly renovated Pete Mathews Coliseum.
"I can confirm we have major roof damage at Pete Mathews Coliseum, but The Pete is not completely destroyed," Seitz said in a tweet.
Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Andy Norris said in a tweet that troopers called Jacksonville a “war zone.” He said the arena’s roof “took major damage.”
Photos seen on social media showed the extent of the damage Jacksonville took.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey confirmed in a statement late Monday there was “significant damage” throughout the state, according to WBRC-TV.
Cities in northern Alabama reported power outages and the NWS in Huntsville reported at least three tornadoes in the area.
The severe weather moved into Georgia late Monday night.
Flights at Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta were not officially grounded as the damaging winds moved into the area. However, the airport warned on Twitter that delays were likely.
Meanwhile, more than 150 people reportedly took cover into a historic cave in Cave Springs, Ga.
The storms knocked out power to at least 15,000 homes and businesses in Alabama. Georgia Power was rpeorting more than 26,000 of their customers were without power, according to Cobb County News.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
Former 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks lists San Jose home for almost $2 million | Two-time All-Pro linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who was released by the San Francisco 49ers during the offseason, has put his home in San Jose on the market for $1.995 million.
The Mediterranean-style home, built in 1999, sits on a private street and has a swimming pool spa on about about an acre of grounds.
Within more than 4,000 square feet of open-plan space are formal living and dining rooms, a center-island kitchen, a family room, five bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. French doors on the main floor lead to a central courtyard with fireplace feature.
The custom-built Mediterranean home sits on about an acre of grounds with professional landscaping, expansive patios and a swimming pool. (Realtor.com) (Realtor.com)
A wide trellis tops a patio and built-in barbecue in the backyard. Date palm trees dot the lawns and landscaping throughout the terraced and fenced setting.
Brooks, 33, joined the San Francisco 49ers in 2008 and became a fixture at linebacker during his nine-year run with the team. Following his release, the outside linebacker signed a one-year deal with the Packers. He has four tackles and a sack through three games with the Packers this season.
Brooks bought the house five years ago for $1.57 million, records show.
Rick Alva of Soto Real Estate & Investments is the listing agent, according to the Multiple Listing Service.
CAPTION Kid Rock recently sold his Balinese-inspired compound for $9.5 million, $2.1 million less than he paid for it in 2006, in a deal completed off-market. Kid Rock recently sold his Balinese-inspired compound for $9.5 million, $2.1 million less than he paid for it in 2006, in a deal completed off-market. CAPTION Kid Rock recently sold his Balinese-inspired compound for $9.5 million, $2.1 million less than he paid for it in 2006, in a deal completed off-market. Kid Rock recently sold his Balinese-inspired compound for $9.5 million, $2.1 million less than he paid for it in 2006, in a deal completed off-market. CAPTION The party-ready home in Marina del Rey is listed for sale at $3.799 million. The party-ready home in Marina del Rey is listed for sale at $3.799 million. CAPTION Actor Phillip P. Keene has a good reason for hanging out in the downstairs den of his Los Feliz home. Actor Phillip P. Keene has a good reason for hanging out in the downstairs den of his Los Feliz home. CAPTION The Tony winner's prized possession in this room is her Steinway, but she keeps other items there that also inspire her. The Tony winner's prized possession in this room is her Steinway, but she keeps other items there that also inspire her. CAPTION Jillian Michaels retreats to the office in her Malibu home when she needs some kid-free space. Jillian Michaels retreats to the office in her Malibu home when she needs some kid-free space.
neal.leitereg@latimes.com
Twitter: @LATHotProperty
MORE FROM HOT PROPERTY:
Former L.A. Galaxy player Nigel de Jong gets his price for Encino home
Cindy Crawford trims $10 million off the price of Malibu beach compound
Film producer Craig Baumgarten settles down canal-side in Marina del Rey
Beck lists refreshed Gerard Colcord home in Brentwood for $3.75 million |
The bitcoin and cryptocurrency experts to follow on Twitter | With the price of bitcoin surging this year and the cryptocurrency's first futures contracts starting to trade, our MarketWatch colleagues Jessica Marmor Shaw and Barbara Kollmeyer have compiled a list of the sector's must-follow figures on Twitter.
From platform founders and analysts of the sector to key investors in cryptocurrencies and blockchain luminaries, MarketWatch's 30-strong list includes co-founders of crypto products Ethereum and Coinbase, hedge fund managers and other individuals prominent in the burgeoning crypto sector.
Canadian-Russian 20-something "boy genius" Vitalik Buterin (@VitalikButerin) appears on Forbes' 30 under 30 list and is one of the names behind Ethereum, whose Twitter following has exploded from around 40,000 in January to more than 300,000. Ethereum's chief scientist, Buterin's eccentricity includes describing his location as 'Earth' and having a penchant for cat purses and unicorn sweaters, according to Forbes.
Fellow Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin (@ethereumJoseph) also appears on the list.
The world's self-claimed first investor in bitcoin startups, Roger Ver (@rogerkver), another on the list, now devotes his attention to the faster and more scalable bitcoin Cash, while Barry Silbert (@barrysilbert) set up and leads the Digital Currency Group and the world's first publicly traded bitcoin fund.
While the creation of bitcoin has been attributed to the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto, the software's former lead developer Gavin Andresen (@gavinandresen) has been described as "the man who really built bitcoin", explaining why he has nearly 100,000 Twitter followers.
An engineer at blockchain security company BitGo, Jameson Lopp (@lopp) earned thousands of retweets last month for this post on how to approach bitcoin.
Cryptographer and blogger Nick Szabo (@NickSzabo4) is a blockchain pioneer and a name to turn to for answers on scalability and security, whose Twitter following tops 100,000 since his debut on the social media platform in summer 2014.
Arianna Simpson (@AriannaSimpson) worked at BitGo and FaceBook and is an early-stage startup investor who describes herself as “into crypto before it was cool”. And she's not shy in being contrarian.
Prominent analysts to follow include Spencer Bogart (@CremeDeLaCrypto), one of the first analysts on Wall Street to focus on cryptocurrencies who now works as a researcher for the Blockchain Capital investment fund.
You can read the full list, courtesy of MarketWatch, here |
Film Room: Maurkice Pouncey On The Move | I don’t know if Maurkice Pouncey will ever fully regain his form to 100 percent of the level that once made him arguably the best center in the game, but for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he is still plenty good, and offers little to complain about, especially in pass protection.
One of the things that the Steelers loved about Pouncey coming out of college was his athleticism and the possibilities that they foresaw in using him out in space, which is difficult for the center position to carry out. We saw some of this more than we had earlier this season on Sunday.
Not always necessarily a pull, Pouncey also showed his agility on inside blocks, as on a screen pass in the first quarter against the Ravens. With the Steelers pulling David DeCastro as window dressing, Pouncey was tasked with sliding down two gaps to pick up the defender Chris Hubbard at right tackle was chipping so that he could work downfield. The whole play went off pretty smoothly, I must say.
But it wasn’t all flayless, as another few plays later saw him struggle to stay in front of a defender on a stretch run to the right. Nose tackle Michael Pierce showed surprising mobility here getting in front of the center’s block to make the tackle after two yards. Credit where it’s due.
He did follow that up with a nice pull on the very next play, working off right tackle to throw a cut block at safety Tony Jefferson that forced him to counter the effort and take himself out of the play as Le’Veon Bell caught an angle for a 16-yard gain.
Both he and DeCastro worked to the right on a run early in the second half. This time, while he was able to drive Jefferson down the field initially, he was unable to make steady contact, but he still helped to provide the space for a 17-yard run up the right side.
Jefferson did finally get the better of Pouncey later in the game, as you would expect one of the most physical, run-stuffing safeties to do at some point. On this time with Pouncey pulling to the right, Jefferson was able to duck under to the outside and cut Bell down for a loss of three.
It’s been fun to watch the Steelers’ linemen get out on the move so often early in the season. They haven’t done as much with the tackles yet, but it should be coming. |
Durable Goods Orders Fall, But Key Capital Goods Beat Expectations | The 0.8% fall in orders for heavy machinery was seen by some as a sign that perhaps tariffs on steel and other goods had hurt demand.
Overall orders for durable goods dropped 1.7% in the U.S. in April, according to data released Friday by the Commerce Department.
But new orders for key capital goods made in the U.S. increased 1.0% last month, exceeding expectations. The latter category, which includes non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, is considered an important proxy for business spending plans.
Business spending has been buttressed, analysts say, by the Trump administration’s $1.5 trillion tax cut, which reduced the corporate rate to 21%.
Spending on equipment by businesses, which had grown by double digits in the second half of 2017, slowed in the first quarter of this year.
Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Amherst Pierpont Securities, said core capital-goods shipments this year have been “far softer than I would have imagined” given the corporate tax cuts, but he continues to expect a “strong year for capital spending.”
JPMorgan Chase economist Daniel Silver wrote that the key capital-goods orders and shipments figures “appear to be continuing to trend higher over time,” though inflation-adjusted equipment spending may be “pretty soft” during the second quarter, according to a report from Bloomberg.
The 0.8% fall in orders for heavy machinery was seen by some as a sign perhaps that tariffs on steel and other goods announced by the Trump administration had hurt demand.
Orders in machinery and civilian aircraft fell, while orders in computers, electrical equipment, and metals, gained.
MarketWatch said the drop in durable goods was largely due to a drop in orders for Boeing, which saw 78 orders for aircraft in April, compared with 197 in March. Orders for commercial jets had risen 61% in March, but fell 29% last month and often swing from month to month.
Durable goods are items meant to last at least three years.
Economists had forecast an increase of core capital goods orders of 0.7%. |
10 things to do under $5 this week in Louisville -LEO Weekly | MONDAY
Take down the Castleman Statue
Cherokee Road and Cherokee Parkway
Free | 6 p.m.
Louisville SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) is holding a rally to call for the removal of Confederate monuments, following the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. On the Facebook event page, Louisville SURJ says that “symbols of oppression have been debated for a long time. These symbols of slavery and racism must come down.” Tonight, the group is gathering at the statue honoring John B. Castleman, who was a civic leader but also a Confederate officer. Read LEO’s Managing Editor’s Note on the issue here: Tear down those statues — Louisville’s and Charlottesville’s monumental problems
Choke Up, Rebuilder, Flowers to Violence
Mag Bar
Free | 9 p.m.
Join Mag Bar for an amazing rock show with punk rock band Choke Up, pop punk band Rebuilder and Louisville’s own post-hardcore band Sick Sisters.
Hart by Choke Up
TUESDAY
Vinyl Night!
Galaxie
Free | 8 p.m.
Vectortone’s Vinyl Night is a living, neighborhood mixtape. It’s simple: Just bring a vinyl, sign up and hear your favorite songs played over the speakers. As LEO’s Scott Recker said, “it’s a great way to discover new music without those jarring Pandora and Spotify ads.”
WEDNESDAY
Doctor Girlfriend, Moira, Tender Mercy, Real Live Tigers
Kaiju
$5 | 9 p.m.
Spend some time getting wild at Kaiju this Wednesday with live music by “dreamy, new wave, post-punk” band Doctor Girlfriend, dream pop band Moira, post-punk band Tender Mercy and experimental rock/country/blues band Real Live Tigers.
Silent Screen by Doctor Girlfriend
THURSDAY
Trifecta! #2: Andy Fleming, Ewa Perz & The Rob Nickerson Quintet
The Butchertown Social
Free | 8 p.m.
This is the second edition of a monthly series showcasing the many talents of Louisville’s arts community. This time around, the show features the art of Ewa Perz, the comedy of Andy Fleming, Darren Rogers and Melissa Doran, and the music of The Rob Nickerson Quintet. There will also be late night bites ($2.50 tacos) and $10 bottles of wine every Thursday.
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Hecklers Breakfast, The Brown Goose, Villa Mure, Banducci
Mag Bar
Free | 10 p.m.
Get your weekend started early with this rock show at Mag Bar. There will be live music by alt rock band Heckler’s Breakfast, alt blues rock band Villa Mura, alt rock band The Brown Goose and blues-rock band Banducci and the Wheels. The show is free, but donations for the bands are encouraged!
Demo – The 1st One by Heckler’s Breakfast
FRIDAY
The 2017 Summer Used Book Sale (Aug. 18–20)
Locust Grove
Free | 10 a.m.
Locust Grove will fill this historic home with over 23,000 used books for sale, sorted into more than 30 categories. Books will be priced from $1 to $3, with proceeds supporting Locust Grove’s educational and preservation projects.
ReSurfaced Fridays
319 S. Shelby St.
Free | 7 p.m.
Parties are still happening at the ReSurfaced Liberty Build! So grab your friends and head over this Friday for plenty of drinks, food and live music by electro/house group Ghouligan and a TBA DJ. |
The Latest: Turkey may expand operation against Syrian Kurds | next
prev
The Latest on the situation in Syria (all times local):
4:30 p.m.
Turkish presidential spokesman says Turkey will not tolerate the presence of a Syrian Kurdish militia "anywhere" along its southern border, hinting that Ankara might expand its military operation underway in the Syrian enclave of Afrin eastward.
The spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said on Saturday that Turkey's first demand is to see the Syrian Kurdish militia — the People's Protection Units or YPG — move east of the Euphrates River and leave the town of Manbij, where American troops backing the Syrian Kurdish fighters are stationed.
Turkey launched an incursion into Syria on Jan. 20 and is currently fighting the YPG in the northwestern enclave of Afrin. It considers the YPG a "terrorist group" and an extension of Kurdish rebels inside Turkey.
Kalin called on the United States to "disengage" from the YPG and said Turkey will continue communications with "our American allies to avoid any confrontation."
Turkey shares a 911-kilometer border with Syria. The YPG controls much of the territory along the border and an uninterrupted strip from Manbij to the Iraqi border.
___
2:20 p.m.
A Syrian monitoring group and the media arm of al-Qaida-linked militants are reporting intense airstrikes on a rebel-held stronghold in Syria's northwest.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported more than 35 airstrikes on Saraqeb since late Friday, adding that many of its residents are fleeing.
The Ibaa News Agency of the al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committee, said Russian and Syrian warplanes and helicopter gunships have been pounding Saraqeb and Tel Mardeekh village in Idlib province since the early hours of Saturday.
Syrian government forces and their allies pushed into Idlib, an opposition stronghold, inching closer to a key highway that connects Syria's two largest cities, Damascus and Aleppo.
The U.N. says more than 270,000 have been displaced in Idlib because of the government onslaught since Dec. 15. |
Little boy who insisted on eating ‘apple' refuses to admit... | LUTJENSEE, Germany - A mom uploaded a video to Facebook Monday of her son eating what he originally thought was an apple.
The mother posted the exchange in the post, saying her son wanted to eat the apple despite her insistence it was an onion.
He argued it was an apple and mom gave in, letting him try the onion.
Turns out the joke’s on her.
Google translated the post from German to English with the following text:
Mom, can I eat this apple?
- no, it's an onion.
- it's an Apple!
- it's an onion.
- it's an Apple!!!.
- okay if you insist, eat it.
(rather dead than admitting the mistake)👇
Copyright 2018 by KSAT - All rights reserved. |
Guntur tops in providing skill training for youth | GUNTUR: Guntur district secured first rank in providing placements to unemployed youth after providing skill development training to them. The district stood fourth in Gross District Domestic Product among 13 districts of the State and bagged third rank in agriculture and fourth rank in industrial development respectively.CM N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the overall development of 13 districts of the State and accordingly allotted ranks during the Collectors’ Conference in Amaravati on January 18 and 19.
Out of 17,484 youth who have undergone training in the district during the financial year of 2017-18, 11,091 got placement in various companies. About 63 percent of youth secured placement. Out of 446 tanks sanctioned under Neeru-Meeru to improve groundwater levels in villages, the district administration completed 356 tanks and further developed 12 banks of Krishna canals across the district. The officials have also completed 149 check dams out of 250. The horticulture department got A grade (79 per cent) for improving water table in the district at a cost of `57.87 lakh under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
The government sanctioned 18,400 houses under NTR Rural Housing Scheme in which 11,552 houses were completed at a cost of `102.99 crore and 17,915 houses were grounded in the district during 2016-17. Further, the government allotted 18,800 houses and sanctioned 18,353 houses under NTR Rural Housing Scheme during 2017-18 in which 4,889 houses were completed at a cost of `20.54 crore.
The district stood at the bottom in implementation of NTR Rural Housing Scheme. The department concerned completed 742 houses under NTR Rural Housing Gramin, out of 17,578 houses sanctioned in the district.The district bagged fourth rank for digging 1,047 borewells, out of 3,000 borewells sanctioned under NTR Jalasiri scheme. |
The Latest: Stocks, dollar firm ahead of Fed decision | WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on the Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting (all times local):
4:35 a.m.
World stock markets and the dollar are firm ahead of an expected interest rate increase by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Germany's DAX index is up 0.4 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 0.1 percent. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 ended the day marginally lower. Some gains are expected on Wall Street later, with the futures for both the Dow and S&P 500 up 0.1 percent.
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In currency markets, the dollar is up to 110.22 yen from Tuesday's 110.04 yen. It is roughly flat against the pound, at $1.2758.
The U.S. central bank is widely predicted to nudge up its benchmark rate by a quarter point on Wednesday, to a range of 1 percent to 1.25 percent. |
Hornets pass the depth test | DOING DAMAGE: Hornets bowler Adam Smith broke the back of the Northern Suburbs top order. He finished with four wickets for 60 runs.
DOING DAMAGE: Hornets bowler Adam Smith broke the back of the Northern Suburbs top order. He finished with four wickets for 60 runs. Rob Williams
ANTHONY Wilson hopes Sunday's comprehensive win over Northern Suburbs can be a catalyst for a renewed run at the Brisbane Premier Grade finals this season.
The hosts managed just 201 in reply to the Hornets' 328, set up on the previous day.
"We were fortunate they sent us in to bat, which is what we wanted to do anyway," Wilson said.
"Bat first, get a big score, put the pressure on and let our bowlers do the rest.
"We managed to get them in big trouble early and eventually bowled them out. It was great reward for the guys."
In what Wilson described as "just a really weird season", the Ipswich/Logan side moved into fifth on the two-day table after chalking up their second win of the season.
"It's been one of those seasons for us," Wilson said.
"This was our 12th or 13th game in all formats and we've won the toss once.
"We've had seven two day games; won two, lost two and had three draws.
"It was great to actually have a game with no rain involved, and be able to play two days of cricket in a row.
"It was nice to let our performances do the talking."
And talk the Hornets did.
In his first grade debut, Bryn Llewellyn came in at five and made an important 44 to help steady the ship after losing early wickets.
"Bryn came in at a really tough time when we were 4/50," Wilson said.
"(Northern Suburbs bowler) Jack Prestwidge was bowling really quick and it was a tough debut for him, but he did really well in a great partnership with Geoff (Paulsen).
"It was unlucky how he got out as well - it was a direct hit (to the stumps) from the boundary."
In just his second first grade contest, Rowan Lutter was equally impressive batting at nine.
He made 54 with 10 boundaries to help push the Hornets' total over 300.
"Rowan batted fantastic, and got a really good 50 that gave us a chance to get over 300," Wilson said.
On a good batting wicket, Wilson said it was important the Hornets came out on Sunday and took it up to the Northern Suburbs top order.
Hornets spearhead Adam Smith did just that, taking four wickets including the key scalps of Tom Healy and Wallace Wright.
Not to be outdone, Sean Lutter also claimed four, in an economical bowling display of 4/42 from 23 overs.
"We're missing a few bowlers, with (Harry) Macoun away at Qld U19s and Nick (de Giusti) injured so we needed those two to step up for us and they did," Wilson said.
With the two-day competition now on hold until January 13, Wilson said Sunday's win was crucial for the Hornets' finals aspirations.
"We're back in the hunt now, it was a great time to get a win," he said.
"We're only one win away from first, so those first few games after Christmas will be big."
The Hornets are hopeful of getting QLD U19 pair Harry Wood and Macoun back in time for the start of the T20 competition on Sunday. |
200 litres of diesel leaked as barge sank in Howe Sound: Coast Guard | The Canadian Press
Environmental groups plan to take a closer look today at a diesel spill the occurred after a barge sank in Howe Sound, just north of Gibsons.
The sinking happened Wednesday and the Coast Guard says two ships were sent to the scene to join the Western Canada Marine Response Corporation, Squamish Nation and provincial officials dealing with the situation.
It's estimated about 200 litres of diesel leaked from a tank aboard the barge but the Coast Guard says the incident has now been concluded.
Greenpeace members plan to visit the scene today and Living Oceans Society spokeswoman Karen Wristen says although most of the fuel will evaporate, the spill is near shore and some diesel could contaminate shellfish or refloat at high tides, creating further pollution problems. |
The Fur Trade in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes | press release: The Native People had a forest full of fur-bearing animals and the skill to hunt them. The European desire for fine beaver felt hats formed a rich market for these furs. During Wisconsin’s fur trade era, not only furs and trade goods were exchanged, but technology and culture as well, changing the lives of the participants forever. Enjoy a hands-on presentation and learn about the people, goods and ideas of the fur trade with costumed interpreters Paul and Dale-Harriet Rogovich.
Program will take place outdoors on the stages next to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Rain backup will be inside the Wisconsin Historical Museum (30 N. Carroll Street). This program is part of Downtown Madison BID’s “Summer in YOUR City” programming. |
Sweden's Vostok leads $50 mln investment in Brazil fintech Creditas | SAO PAULO, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Swedish fund Vostok Emerging Finance led a 165 million reais ($50 million) investment in Brazilian financial-technology startup Creditas Soluções Financeiras Ltda, the company said on Monday.
Creditas, founded in 2012 and specialized in providing loans with real estate or vehicles as collateral, had a 135 million loan book last year.
Founder and CEO Sergio Furio said Creditas would use the new equity raised to grow its loan book 30 fold in three years. Investors in Creditas also include Kaszek Ventures LP, Quona Capital Management Ltd, Naspers Ltd and the International Finance Corporation, the investment arm of IRBD.
Some Brazilian fintechs that recently went through fundraising rounds are financial planning app GuiaBolso and credit card provider Nubank. ($1 = 3.2855 reais) (Reporting by Aluisio Alves; Writing by Tatiana Bautzer; Editing by Andrew Hay) |
Scientists hope test-tube embryos can save near-extinct white rhino | LONDON: Scientists have created hybrid embryos from the sperm of near-extinct northern white rhinoceroses in the laboratory, hoping they can ultimately help save the species.The northern white rhino is the world's most endangered mammal, and its only two living members are a mother and daughter, living in Kenya 's Ol Pejeta Conservancy Scientists did, however, managed to collect around 300 millilitres of semen from the last four bull rhinos, which they say is a large quantity, albeit too low-quality for insemination.Having used some of this to fertilise eggs in vitro from the closest relative - the southern white rhino - they hope to use the same techniques to create an embryo of a pure northern white rhino with eggs harvested from the two females. This could then be implanted into a surrogate to gestate."Within three years we hope to have the first (northern white) rhino calf born," said Thomas Hildebrandt of Germany's Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, who co-led the work. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications on Wednesday.The low-grade sperm have to be activated with a lab culture so that they can be used in an IVF technique known as intracytoplasmic injection.The hybrid embryos have developed enough for implantation, and have now been frozen while scientists seek potential surrogate southern white rhino females to carry them to term.Cesare Galli of the Italian animal assisted reproduction firm Avantea, who worked with Hildebrandt, said there had originally been strong opposition from some conservationists to "interfering in nature" by using IVF or other lab techniques to save the northern white rhino."Many people working in the conservation area are very against using biotechnology," he said.Hildebrandt argued that using biotechnology was not unnatural, and would simply correct a change in the ecosystem created by the human hunting of rhinos."The northern white rhino did not fail evolution, it failed because it was not bullet-proof. It was slaughtered," he said."It caused a disbalance in the ecosystem ... and we have the tools in our hands to correct that." |
India opens first Partition museum 70 years after the painful event | In this Aug. 12, 2017 photo, a worker looks on from atop a wall with a banner for the Partition Museum that is set to open later this week in Amritsar, India, 32 kilometres (20 miles) from border with Pakistan. India’s first partition museum tells the stories of those who survived the chaos and bloodshed 7 decades ago. (AP Photo/Rishabh R. Jain) In this Aug. 12, 2017 photo, a worker looks on from atop a wall with a banner for the Partition Museum that is set to open later this week in Amritsar, India, 32 kilometres (20 miles) from border with Pakistan. India’s first partition museum tells the stories of those who survived the chaos and bloodshed 7 decades ago. (AP Photo/Rishabh R. Jain)
In the 70 years since India and Pakistan were created from the former British Empire, there has never been a venue focused on the stories and memorabilia of those who survived that chaotic and bloody chapter in history until now. A new museum on the Partition of the Indian subcontinent opens this week, as the two South Asian giants mark seven decades as independent nations.
The exhibitions are housed in the red-brick Town Hall building in the north Indian border city of Amritsar. They include photographs, newspaper clippings and donated personal items meant to tell the story of how the region’s struggle for freedom from colonial rule turned into one of its most violent episodes.
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Cumarin- und DBD-Farbstoffe als Fluoreszenzsonden | In this thesis, three topics are discussed in connection with the spectroscopic properties of coumarin (Cou) and DBD ([1,3]dioxolo[4,5-f][1,3]benzodioxole) dyes. The first part shows the basic spectroscopic characterization of 7-aminocumarins and their advantage as a fluorescence probe for fluorescence immunoassays. In the second part, the photophysical properties of the coumarins are used to investigate Cou- and DBD-functionalized oligo-spiro-ketal rods (OSTK) and their properties as membrane probes. The last part deals with the synthesis and characterization of Cou- and DBD-functionalized polyprolines as reference systems for sulfur-functionalized OSTK rods and their coupling to gold nanoparticles. The fact that immunochemical analysis methods are very successful in clinical diagnostics and are now also included for food control and monitoring of environmental questions they are of great interest for further research. Among the various immunoassays, luminescence-based formats are distinguished by their outstanding sensitivity,
In this thesis, three topics are discussed in connection with the spectroscopic properties of coumarin (Cou) and DBD ([1,3]dioxolo[4,5-f][1,3]benzodioxole) dyes. The first part shows the basic spectroscopic characterization of 7-aminocumarins and their advantage as a fluorescence probe for fluorescence immunoassays. In the second part, the photophysical properties of the coumarins are used to investigate Cou- and DBD-functionalized oligo-spiro-ketal rods (OSTK) and their properties as membrane probes. The last part deals with the synthesis and characterization of Cou- and DBD-functionalized polyprolines as reference systems for sulfur-functionalized OSTK rods and their coupling to gold nanoparticles. The fact that immunochemical analysis methods are very successful in clinical diagnostics and are now also included for food control and monitoring of environmental questions they are of great interest for further research. Among the various immunoassays, luminescence-based formats are distinguished by their outstanding sensitivity, which makes this format particularly attractive for future applications. The need for multiparameter detection capabilities requires a toolbox of dyes to convert the biochemical response to an optically detectable signal. Here, in the case of a multiparameter approach, each analyte is detected by another dye with a unique emission color which covers the blue to red spectral range or a unique decay time. In the case of a competitive immunoassay format, a single antibody would be required for each of the different dyes. In the present work, a slightly modified approach is presented as a basic antigen using a coumarin moiety against which highly specific antibodies have been produced. By modifying the parent coumarin moiety at a site of the molecule which is not relevant for recognition by the antibody, the full spectral range from blue to deep red can be accessed. This work presents the photophysical characterization of the different cumarine derivatives and their corresponding immuno complexes with two different but nevertheless highly specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb). The coumarin dyes and their immunocomplexes were characterized by steady-state time-resolved absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. In addition, fluorescence depolarization measurements were performed to complete the data emphasizing the different binding modes of the two antibodies. In contrast to frequently used detection systems, a massive fluorescence enhancement was found in the formation of the antibody dye complex up to a factor of 50. Because of the slight change in the emission by adjusting the coumarin substitution in the position of the parent molecule which is not relevant for the antigen binding, a dye toolbox which can be used for the construction of competitive multiparameter fluorescence enhancement immunoassays has been created. Due to their hydrophobic backbone, oligospirothioketal rods (OSTK) are easily incorporated into lipid bilayers and are therefore used as an optical membrane probe. Because of their narrow diameter, only a minimal disturbance of the lipid bilayer is caused. By labeling with fluorescent dyes, novel Förster resonance energy transfer probes are available with highly defined relative orientations of the transition dipole moments of the donor and acceptor dyes, making the class of the OSTK probes into a powerful, flexible toolbox for optical biosensor applications. The incorporation of cumarin and [1,3]-dioxolo[4,5-f][1,3]benzodioxol-labeled OSTK rods in large unilamellar vesicles was investigated using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence experiments and the results were confirmed by fluorescence depolarization measurements. The last part of this work deals with the synthesis and characterization of Cou- and DBD-functionalized polyprolines and their coupling to gold nanoparticles. The dye-labeled polyprolines were successfully synthesized. Influences on the spectroscopic properties of the dyes by binding to the polyproline helix were found. The coupling to 5 nm AuNP was successfully carried out. The experience gained by the coupling of the polyprolins to the AuNP can be used as a good basis for the investigation of a single molecule FRET AFM nanoscopy using OSTK rods.
… |
Ochsner Baton Rouge receives an ‘A’ for patient safety, again - WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, Sports | Ochsner Medical Center – Baton Rouge (OMCBR) is celebrating a familiar commendation. OMCBR was awarded an ‘A’ for its efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S.
RELATED: Learn more about Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge
It’s an award the Ochsner Medical Center has earned six consecutive times before from the Leapfrog Group, a Washington D.C.-based organization aiming to improve health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers.
OMCBR was one of 750 hospitals awarded an ‘A’ by the Leapfrog Group when they released the new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care.
“All of our healthcare providers and staff are focused on improving health outcomes,” said OMCBR CEO Eric McMillen. “Ochsner believes in always putting patients first, which is why our quality and safety continue to be among the best in the country.”
OMCBR has been named a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence by Healthgrades and earned the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award each year since 2015. It is the only hospital in the Capital Region ranked among IBM Watson Health’s 100 Top Hospitals.
“This is the only national rating of how well hospitals protect patients from preventable harm and death, such as medical errors, infections, and injuries,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Receiving an ‘A’ Safety Grade means a hospital is among the best in the country for preventing these terrible problems and putting their patients first, 24 hours a day.”
For more information or to schedule an appointment with an Ochsner practitioner, call 225-761-5200.
Copyright 2018 WAFB. All rights reserved. |
Jury to hear of 4 slayings in convicted killer resentencing | CINCINNATI >> A judge says jurors deciding whether to recommend a death sentence for a man convicted of killing two teenage Ohio girls also will be told about two women whose slayings he pleaded guilty to before his trial.
Forty-nine-year-old Anthony Kirkland was convicted and sentenced to death in 2010 in the slayings of 14-year-old Casonya Crawford and 13-year-old Esme Kenney, both of Cincinnati. But the Ohio Supreme Court last year ordered a resentencing hearing set for next month in those slayings.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports Kirkland’s attorneys argued Thursday jurors should only hear about the teens, not the women. Kirkland is serving life sentences for killing the women.
But the judge said the killings were “part of the same course of conduct” and jurors will hear about all four. |
Tommy Lee in LA with fiance amid legal fallout of fight with his son | It's been a difficult month for Tommy Lee.
The 55-year-old rocker was snapped looking distressed in Los Angeles on Monday as he walked with his fiance, Vine star Brittany Furlan, 31.
The Motley Crue drummer has been in the headlines after he was punched by his 21-year-old son Brandon in a domestic dispute earlier this month.
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Out and about: Tommy Lee, 55, was snapped looking distressed in Los Angeles on Monday as he walked with his fiance, Vine star Brittany Furlan, 31, amid ongoing legal wranglings in his skirmish with his son Brandon earlier this month
The percussionist who provided the beat for songs such as Wild Side, Kickstart My Heart and Home Sweet Home wore a black T-shirt that read, 'Sunset Strip Club' with a graphic of a pair of legs in pantyhose and heels. He kept a pair of sunglasses on his shirt and wore jeans with a tousled black mane and wore red high-top sneakers.
Furlan was dressed in a style matching her 80s rocker beau, pairing a black leather jacket with black torn jeans and a white top. The social media stunner rounded out her ensemble with black boots with straps and sunglasses.
The duo was snapped days after TMZ reported that authorities with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. have nearly concluded their probe into the skirmish between the veteran musician and his son with ex-wife Pamela Anderson.
The outlet reported that at this stage in the case - it's on the verge of reaching the District Attorney's office - Tommy will no longer be able to call off the potential prosecution of his eldest child in connection with battery in the incident.
Deep in chatter: Lee pointed to a spot on his face while he chat with the social media stunner
Tough time: The veteran musician has had a difficult go of things as of late, as his troubled relationship with his first-born son has made headlines
Tommy earlier this month posted on social media a shot of his busted, bloody lip that he suffered in the incident with his son, after a disagreement over a social media post Tommy wrote that was critical of Pamela.
'My heart is broken,' wrote Lee, was convicted of felony spousal battery against Pamela in 1998. 'You can give your kids everything they could ever want in their entire lives and they can still turn against you. Good job Brandon! Great son!'
Brandon claimed that he was defending himself in the encounter, saying in a statement to People that he was 'devastated' by the conflict - which he said was triggered by his father's drinking problem.
Damage: Lee took to Instagram earlier this month to show the injuries he suffered after his son punched him
Supportive: Pamela Anderson and Brandon Lee were snapped at a Beverly Hills bash last year. The Baywatch alum has spoken out in support of her son
'I’ve worked tirelessly organizing an intervention and it’s incredibly upsetting that it never came to fruition,' Brandon said through his rep. 'I wanted my dad’s hopeful sobriety and recovery to be a private family matter but, as a result of his accusations on social media, I feel forced to speak out.
'I have and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as needed. I love my father and just want to see him sober, happy and healthy.'
Anderson has also chimed in on the situation, as she said on her blog that Brandon hit Tommy 'in the nose for all of us who he has hurt,' and that Tommy 'feels humiliated - and is attempting to destroy his own son.' |
We Differed with BJP on Pema Khandu Continuing as CM: PPA | The People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) on Monday described BJP’s decision to sever ties with it was not a ‘healthy sign’ for the region, and said that the bone of contention was Pema Khandu carrying on as chief minister.
State BJP president Tapir Gao on August 10 announced that it has severed relations with its North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) partner PPA following orders from the party’s central leaders.
Reacting to BJP’s decision, PPA secretary general Kaling Jerang in a statement said the party only wanted that Khandu, facing charges of “corruption and criminal conspiracies”, should not continue as chief minister. He said that the party had earlier written to BJP national president Amit Shah and NEDA convener Himanta Biswa Sarma demanding that Khandu be removed as chief minister.
“There were serious charges of corruption and criminal conspiracies leading to the death of two persons in Tawang shooting incident in May last year, and the 60-page suicide note left behind by former chief minister Kalikho Pul, where Khandu has been named with grievous charges of corruption,” Jerang said in the statement.
At least two people were killed when police opened fire to disperse a mob opposing hydro power projects at Tawang district, when they tried to barge in a police station on May 2 last year. It was alleged that Kalikho Pul had written a suicide note before killing himself on August 9 last year, but its authenticity was not confirmed.
Jerang said BJP’s decision to disassociate with the lone regional party in the state from NEDA was “definitely not a healthy sign” for the development of regional political parties and the region itself. The party, he said, expected that NEDA would play a larger role for all round development of NE region rather than be a platform for “divisive politics master minded by self-centred politicians”.
-PTI |
Ailing Thai beach made famous by film gets tourist timeout - NBC12 - WWBT - Richmond, VA News On Your Side | (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit). Tourists are reflected in sunglasses on Maya Bay on Phi Phi island in Krabi province, Thailand, Thursday, May 31, 2018. Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh Island in the Andaman Sea will close to tourists for four months from Friday to gi...
(AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit). A tourist jumps for a photo on the popular on Maya Bay on Phi Phi island in Krabi province, Thailand, Thursday, May 31, 2018. Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh Island in the Andaman Sea will close to tourists for four months from Friday...
By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA
Associated Press
MAYA BAY, Thailand (AP) - Once a pristine Thai paradise, the secluded bay made famous by the Leonardo DiCaprio movie "The Beach" has been exhausted by mass tourism. It's now getting a break from the daily influx of dozens of boats and thousands of visitors unsuccessfully scrambling for an unspoiled view of glistening white sands and emerald waters.
Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh Island in the Andaman Sea will close to tourists for four months from Friday to give its coral reefs and sea life a chance to recover from an onslaught that began nearly two decades ago. Thai authorities, who have promoted unfettered tourism but now claim to be striving to balance profit and conservation, say the closure will happen every year.
It's part of a rethink happening globally about unrestricted tourism that brings big dollars but damages historic sites, harms the environment and often alienates locals. Last month, the Philippines began a six-month closure of popular Boracay Island, whose waters President Rodrigo Duterte described as a "cesspool." Venice, the famed Italian lagoon city that lives off tourism, installed gates at two access bridges during a four-day holiday in April so it could turn back visitors if numbers became overwhelming.
Many of Thailand's marine national parks are closed from mid-May to mid-October during the monsoon season but because of Maya Bay's popularity, it hasn't had a break since a Hollywood crew set foot on its sands in 1999 to film the dark backpacker tale based on a novel by Alex Garland. Its corals have been decimated by the suffocating clouds of sand and sediment churned up by speedboats.
"I tried to push this campaign for many many years, but you know in Thailand we are a tourism industry country and we need a lot of money, so before not so many people listened," said Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biologist and member of a government committee on development and the environment. "It should have been done 10 years ago but at least it has been done," he said.
Thailand had about 35 million international visitors last year, a five-fold increase in little more than two decades.
Shi Pengfei, among the last tourists to visit Maya Bay before its closure, said he had no idea that there would be so many people on the beach.
"I feel that there are so many people here," said Shi, from Henan, China. "The government's plan to close off the beach for a few months is only natural because the ocean needs a break, a chance to recover, so that the next generation can have a better and even more beautiful destination."
But locals aren't entirely happy. The head of Phi Phi Tourist Business Association, Watrapol Jantharo, said he was surprised when the closure was announced in March.
He said locals were under the impression that Maya Bay would only be closed to boats, while visitors would still walk to the bay from the other side of the island.
"We are not against protecting our environment," he said. "We know full well that Maya Bay is our important resource, like a rice field to a farmer, but we wish there are more communications about the government's plan before the decision was made."
Thon, however, said the plan was discussed with locals for three years before a decision was made.
"In the past, we made some mistake because we think that the money is very important. But now we are trying to change our idea," he said. Overseas visitors are "very important to our country, but the most important thing is our national resource. We have to preserve and hand it to the next generation."
The government has set a limit of 2,000 tourists a day when the bay reopens - about half the current number. Boats will no longer be allowed to anchor but must dock on the opposite side of the island.
"Now that the government has this plan, we can't change it. But we could use this opportunity to tell the world that we do not just have Maya Bay. There are 10 other beautiful beaches and islands around here that tourists can enjoy," said Watrapol.
Thailand's efforts to protect certain islands after decades of unregulated tourism began about three years ago.
Yoong Island, part of the Phi Phi island chain, and Tachai Island in the Similan Islands National Park, have been off-limits to tourists since mid-2016.
Thon, who surveyed both islands recently, said he was amazed by the results. Waters that were devoid of fish are now teeming, he said, and there is about 10,000 square meters (107,600 square feet) of newly recovered coral off one of the islands.
At Maya Bay, park rangers have been preparing a coral propagation program, attaching it to rocks that will be placed in the bay once the tourists are gone.
"We're almost certain that something good will happen in Maya Bay," Thon said.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
Merseyside Police investigating 'serious assault' ahead of Liverpool-Roma clash | Police are investigating "a serious assault" following reports a Liverpool fan was attacked ahead of the Champions League semi-final first leg against Roma at Anfield.
Merseyside Police posted a message on Tuesday evening, confirming an incident had taken place and appealing for video footage.
A statement read: "We are investigating a serious assault of a man outside the Albert pub on Walton Breck Rd at about 7.35pm.
"Officers are appealing to anyone with information, or mobile phone footage to contact our social media desk via twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC."
We are investigating a serious assault of a man outside the Albert pub on Walton Breck Rd at about 7.35pm. Officers are appealing to anyone with information, or mobile phone footage to contact our social media desk via twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC — Merseyside Police (@MerseyPolice) April 24, 2018
Such video footage does appear to exist, with clips posted to Twitter showing clashes between supporters, ambulances in attendance and suggestions that a group of Roma fans had used belts as weapons.
There was an increased police presence around the stadium after Manchester City's team bus had its windows smashed by bottles and cans prior to the quarter-final earlier this month.
The team arrivals passed with no repeat but there were plenty of red flares despite specific requests from the authorities not to bring such pyrotechnics.
Liverpool fans were even pictured waving flares from the roof of a police van, though with no apparent aggravation.
Liverpool City Council had provided police with mobile CCTV prior to the match.
Chief superintendent Dave Charnock had appealed for calm prior to the game.
"We are expecting a vibrant atmosphere at Tuesday's match, but our intention is that at the end of the day we will be talking about the game and what happened on the pitch as opposed to off the pitch," he said.
"Our policing style will be firm, fair and friendly, but we will take action where necessary, against those individuals who may seek to cause problems or misbehave and spoil the evening for the majority of supporters.
"We know that this will be a busy operation and we hope that fans attending the match will act as ambassadors for their clubs and enjoy what I am sure will be a good game."
- PA |
Goalkeeper Julio Cesar to end career at Flamengo | RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Former Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar says he will return to boyhood club Flamengo and end his career there in three months.
The 2010 Champions League winner with Inter Milan says "I hope I can enjoy those three months with the fans so we can close this chapter with a happy ending."
The 38-year-old Julio Cesar was a starter for Brazil at the last two World Cups. He played in the 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 semifinals.
Julio Cesar, who also had spells at Queens Park Rangers and Toronto FC, says he doesn't expect to play much for the club he left 13 years ago for Inter. |
Winning numbers drawn in 'Poker Lotto' game | Translator
To read this article in one of Houston's most-spoken languages, click on the button below. |
Nova Scotia punches ticket to Scotties Tournament of Hearts semifinal | Nine consecutive wins for Team Nova Scotia in Penticton at the South Okanagan Events Centre
Mascots kept the crowd entertained between ends at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Saturday at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Mark Brett/Western News
By Matthew Abrey
Special to the Penticton Western News
Mary-Anne Arsenault and her Nova Scotia rink just keep on winning at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Penticton.
The Dartmouth-based rink brought down Tracy Fleury and Team Northern Ontario by a 6-2 score, winning their staggering ninth match in a row, earning a berth in Sunday’s semifinal.
“It was so nice to put a really good game together,” said Arsenault, who has played in the Scotties 13 times. “I’m so proud of my girls. They played awesome and anytime we were in a little bit of trouble, (they) would make a double and we were back.”
Arsenault blanked the first three ends keeping the hammer for the fourth where she opened the scoring. She managed to expertly draw around the high-sitting guards with her final two stones to lay two, giving her Nova Scotia rink a 2-0 lead going into the fifth end.
Fleury earned one back in the fifth by picking and rolling across the inner blue rings to lay one, cutting Arsenault’s lead to 2-1.
Arsenault fired right back making a pair of tight draws into the inner rings through a cluttered upper house to lay three in the sixth end — extending her lead to 5-1.
Fleury blanked the seventh, then drew to the button in the eighth to cut into Arsenault’s lead. However, her Nova Scotia rink still found themselves down 5-2 heading into the ninth end.
The ninth end featured a jam-up heading into skips’ final shots. Fleury cleared the jam-up with her last stone of the end, but Arsenault hit and stuck her hammer shot to further pad her lead at 6-2.
The teams decided to play the 10th end, even though Arsenault had a sizeable lead, but did not play the entire length. They shook hands with four rocks remaining after Northern Ontario couldn’t keep enough stones in the house to justify finishing the end.
“We would have liked to have played better,” said Fleury, whose rink went 8-3 in tournament play. “But Nova Scotia played amazing and we just had some key misses. They played well and put a lot of pressure on us.”
Arsenault is now two wins away from giving Team Nova Scotia its first Scotties Tournament of Hearts national title in 14 years. Nova Scotia will play the loser of Saturday night’s Page Playoff, between Manitoba and Team Wild Card, in the semifinal at 9 a.m. at the South Okanagan Events Centre to determine who will move on to the final. The winner of the Saturday night 7 p.m. draw will move directly to the final, which takes place at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The HeartStop Lounge, located at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, will feature the final on one of their giant-screen TV’s on Sunday, the other will be playing the Super Bowl. Tickets are not required to take in the action at the HeartStop Lounge.
For ticket information for the rest of the 2018 Scotties Tournament of Hearts draws, go to www.curling.ca/2018scotties/tickets/.
The 2018 Scotties Tournament of Hearts All-Star teams were also released, and are presented as follows:
1st Team:
Skip – Jennifer Jones
Third – Cary-Anne McTaggart
Second – Jill Officer – Manitoba
Lead – Dawn McEwen – Manitoba
2nd Team:
Skip – Tracy Fleury – Northern Ontario
Third – Shannon Birchard – Manitoba
Second – Jessie Scheidegger – Alberta
Lead – Ranoura Westcott – Team Canada
And at the fifth end break, Team Saskatchewan skip, Sherri Anderson, was presented with the Marj Mitchell Sportsmanship Award, which honours the player that most exemplified sportsmanship and dedication to curling throughout the tournament.
Third Crystal Webster of Team Northern Ontario looks for direction during Saturday’s first playoff game against Team Nova Scotia. Mark Brett/Western News Third Crystal Webster of Team Northern Ontario looks for direction during Saturday’s first playoff game against Team Nova Scotia. Mark Brett/Western News |
Angrez Pather: Kashmiriyat that melted British | BHOPAL: Militancy has destroyed folk culture of Kashmir and this is happening since 1990s, said Manzoor Ahmed Meer, the director of Kashmiri play, Angrez Pather. He was in the capital on Monday to stage his play at Bharat Bhawan at 8th World Theatre Olympics.
Militancy peaked in Kashmir in 1990s. “But political leaders of the state used Kashmiri people for political gains since independence,” Meer told Free Press.
The talented youths of Kashmir want to work for state and country’s development but certain elements in the society brain washed unemployed youths and diverted them towards anti-national activities.
Talking about play Angrez Pather, Meer said the theme of the play is to tell people about attitude of Kashmiris who are very hospitable people.
The play begins with a conversation between a Kashmiri and a British officer and his wife. The British officer beats Kashmiri with hunter on every wrong reply of his question. But he replies with a smile. British couple, moved by his attitude, begins to learn Kashmiri and Hindi.
The play that has music, dance and drama has no fixed duration. It can run from 15 minutes to hours. The play is not based on any written text. |
'American Idol' Judges Save Ada Vox in Dramatic Move After Powerhouse Performance of 'And I Am Telling You' | Drag Queen Ada Vox was sent to the Top 10 on American Idol last night by the judges after viewers did not send Vox enough votes to make her an automatic advance. Vox therefore had to sing for her life.
But a show-stopping performance of “And I Am Telling You” from Dreamgirls had Katy Perry removing her earrings and putting her foot down.
Said Perry: “I don’t know everything. I’ve got a lot to learn. But I have worked my butt off for over 10 years in the spotlight and these gentlemen on my side (pointing to Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan) – all of us collectively together – how many years would that be, maybe 60? Collectively? I think we do know talent when we see it. I would say that we would like to make an executive decision right now that Ada – (points over to where the top 10 are seated).”
And the audience, who had been chanting “a-DA, a-DA” heartily approved of the move.
Watch:
Perry later told reporters: “When the Ada moment came, it wasn’t just one person’s idea. We all looked at each other and we saw the math … excuse us, we’re going to step in now. Were we allowed to do that? We found out we were. We messed up the timetable a bit, but you know what it was, we felt so strongly about it, we didn’t have to wait for that vote. Enough was enough and you put your foot down when it’s real. We stand for truth and for justice.”
Said Ada, in a comment on the YouTube video: “Hey, y’all!!! Firsrly, I wanted to start by saying that I love you all!!!
Secondly, I wanted to make note that I am aware of my much less than perfect vocal. Haha not only did my emotions run wild on me, but before the show, I had an allergic reaction to our lunch which made my tongue and throat swell up almost immediately. So that was fun… Lol
Thank you to everyone who did vote!!! If you want to see me continue on, make sure to vote next week! I promise it will be so much better!” |
Cybertraining Election Officials For This Year's Voting | If anyone knows how easily voting can be disrupted, it's a county election supervisor in the state of Florida. That's one reason several dozen of them gathered in Orlando recently to discuss ways to protect against the most recent threat — cyberattacks by Russia or others intent on disrupting U.S. elections.
Marion County elections supervisor Wesley Wilcox said he realizes the threat has evolved far beyond the butterfly ballots and hanging chads that upended the 2000 presidential race. And even beyond the lone hacker.
"It's no longer the teenager in his basement eating Cheetos that's trying to get into my system," said Wilcox. "There are now nation states that are, in a coordinated effort, trying to do something."
CIA Director Mike Pompeo is the latest intelligence official to warn the Russians will likely try to interfere in this year's elections, as they did in 2016. And Florida was among at least 21 states that intelligence agencies say had their election systems probed by Russian hackers during the last election cycle.
There's no evidence that any votes were affected, but everyone at the Orlando meeting was well aware that they're now on the front lines of a serious international conflict.
"The reality is all of us are going to be impacted at some point in time by a cyber incident. All of us," Matt Masterson, chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, told the group. His agency is working with states and localities to beef up election security.
Masterson displayed a news article about hackers targeting nuclear facilities to drive home the significance of the threat.
"I share this because you're now in good company," he said. "As part of the nation's critical infrastructure, you're now in a group with nuclear facilities."
The Department of Homeland Security last year designated elections as part of the nation's critical infrastructure.
Since 2000, most jurisdictions have replaced their old equipment with more computerized systems, including electronic voting machines, vote tabulators and on-line registration systems. Ryan Macias of the Election Assistance Commission said new technology carries new risks and vulnerabilties.
"We have denial of service, which is a disruption attack, your website going down," he said, noting that if that happens on Election Day, it can shake voter confidence, even if no actual votes have been changed.
He said it's also important to make sure that vendors and contractors are using secure systems. And to screen temporary election workers who might have access to sensitive information and passwords.
Ransomware is another problem. "What happens if somebody takes your data, takes your election night reporting data, and holds it ransom on election night?" Macias asked. "What are you going to do? How are you going to recover from that? What are you backup processes?"
The election supervisors and some of their IT staffers broke into small groups to work out their responses to several hypothetical attacks. They had to figure out whom to call first, how to contain the damage and whom to tell about the incident. Should law enforcement be informed?
"Alright, so it appears one of our employees has been successfully phished," Will Boyett, of the Alachua County elections office, said in presenting one of the scenarios.
Phishing attacks are something most of the people in the room are very familiar with. According to a leaked intelligence report, Russian hackers, posing as a Florida vendor, tried to get local election office workers to open e-mail attachments containing malicious software. So far, there's no evidence anyone did.
It was clear that many of those gathering in Orlando already have protections in place and are well aware of the risks. But some county election offices are extremely small, with no IT staff of their own. Dana Southerland runs elections in Taylor County, which has only 13,000 voters. She said she picked up some useful tips, such as changing passwords and being careful about opening e-mails.
"Making sure that it's not a phishing e-mail or something like that. I had no idea what that was until we started having some of these workshops," she said.
Southerland — who is also President of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections and helped organize the session — said perhaps the most important message is that no one is immune from attack, and they have to be prepared. |
Jake Bailey: Talking about mental illness takes stigma away | I've spent the past few days in Otago on tour, speaking at schools and community events about the topic of mental health.
At least I hope I have, because I'm actually writing this last Friday in preparation for going away for the talks.
If I don't end up there, it would be extremely unfortunate given that a) something bad has probably happened to stop me going, and b) I've just lied to you.
But, touch wood, let's work on the assumption that I've spent the past three days doing talks, and I've got a few more to do before heading home. It's probably fairly cold and extremely beautiful wherever I am right now.
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Anyhow, my point is that I've probably been speaking in schools this week about mental health. So why? That is, aside from the obvious answer - that we are in the midst of a mental health crisis in New Zealand.
Those of you who know me know that my "story" is about cancer, not about mental health. You could argue that at times the two are intertwined.
But the bottom line is that I'm not professionally qualified to speak about mental health - I've got no degrees, I've done no studies, I've got no patients I treat.
So who would be reckless enough to let me loose in half a dozen schools?
The answer is fairly simple.
I'm there because I, like most people, have a story about mental health. Because I have faced depression before.
I'm there because I personally believe that we as a society all bear a shared responsibility to spread awareness of the issues being faced across our country in relation to mental health, and I believe the best way to do that is to talk about them.
I'm there because as a young man, as part of the demographic bearing much of the brunt of these numbers, I feel a personal responsibility to spread awareness about the horrendous statistics around youth suicide in New Zealand.
I'm there because I'm sick of it. I'm sick of it being our national shame, I'm sick of people not feeling able to speak up, I'm sick of people tearing others down when they need them most.
That is why I'm there, talking about stuff I don't necessarily even feel comfortable talking about.
The point of me speaking in these schools is to send a message - it's okay to talk about your mental health.
To say to young people, "Well, if I can come up here in front of your assembly and talk to all of you about my experiences with depression, then maybe mental illness isn't some big bad wolf to not be named. At the very least, it's certainly not the elephant in the room anymore. And hopefully, it's proof that if you need to talk about your own experiences with mental health, or if you need help, that you can reach out to someone around you."
And now what I've done is I've written it in the Herald. And if I can write it here where you're reading it now, then you can ask for help if you need it.
The power that mental illness holds over our society is in how long it can keep us silent. It is in how well it can isolate people from those around them.
Like a predator hunting, it isolates a member from the pack, and picks them off. Like a captor, its power is only limited by how effectively it can control us.
When people start to speak up about it, it becomes weaker and weaker. The shame and stigma fall away from it.
It can only survive in the darkness of the shadows, and when we shine a light on these issues through conversation, we take the sting out of them, and we can finally begin to save some lives and roll back some of these horrendous, nationally embarrassing statistics that are festering in our communities.
I've got massive respect for all those who have spoken up in recent times about their own experiences.
It seems like most weeks another Kiwi speaks up and speaks out.
Just the other week it was Zac Guildford and Zac Franich on The Inside Word, openly discussing the battles they've faced in their own heads. That's gutsy, big ups to them.
Sorry I'm late to the party, but here's me sticking my hand up.
If you've got a story to tell, maybe consider doing the same.
I am truly optimistic that this decade can be remembered for this change.
The '80s were Nuclear-Free New Zealand. The 2000s brought a burst of passion for environmental protection.
Let's do all we can to make sure the '10s will be defined by this in New Zealand - the first decade where we truly spoke up about mental health, lifted the stigma around mental illness, and in the process arrested the decline in mental health in our country.
We are on the forefront of that shift right here and now.
You're watching, reading, and listening to part of a societal shift that will be talked about for decades to come, all through the power of words.
WHERE TO GET HELP:
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call 111.
If you need to talk to someone, the following free helplines operate 24/7:
DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757
LIFELINE: 0800 543 354
NEED TO TALK? Call or text 1737
SAMARITANS: 0800 726 666
YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633 or text 234
There are lots of places to get support. For others, click here. |
Venkaiah Naidu for automatic suspension of unruly MPs | Venkaiah Naidu. (Express photo by Renuka Puri/File) Venkaiah Naidu. (Express photo by Renuka Puri/File)
WHILE REJECTING the general perception that Parliament is abdicating its responsibilities, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday pitched for “automatic suspension” of members who rush to the Well of the House to disrupt proceedings. He also said names of MPs who disrupt proceedings and break rules should be put in public domain.
Delivering a lecture on ‘Importance of Legislature’, organised by PRS Legislative Research, Naidu urged all political parties to push the women’s reservation Bill and asked them to have a code of conduct for their members.
“Legislature must be more inclusive and have a fair representation of women. While women accounted for only 5 per cent in Lok Sabha in 1952, it could rise to only just over 11 per cent in the present Lok Sabha. This needs to be addressed by taking forward the women’s reservation Bill,” Naidu said.
He said ensuring quorum — or minimum number of MPs present — in the House was not the responsibility of the government alone, and the Opposition should also pitch in. Naidu said that while House presiding officers need to enforce rules of business to ensure smooth functioning, “stopping members from entering the Well of the House has come to be an intractable issue”.
Naidu said, “I suggest that legislatures may display names of the members in public domain with an observation that they have violated the rules in disregard of the directions of the Chair, and thereby adversely impacting the functioning of the House.”
Naidu pointed out that there are some general perceptions about Parliament — that legislatures meet only for a few days, time for deliberations and number of legislation is steadily declining, and members’ attendance is thin — and although the number of sittings has come down, one cannot “infer that Parliament has been abdicating its responsibilities.” On the one-year tenure for standing committee members, he said, “A term of two-and-a-half years for members of the lower houses and three years for members of the upper houses could be considered so that every member could get to be on two committees during their membership.”
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Buhari Departs Kano For ‘One Planet Summit’ In Paris | President has on Monday departed Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano for Paris to participate alongside 50 world leaders in the One Planet Summit.
His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina in a statement on Sunday said the summit, themed “Climate Change Financing,” is jointly organised by the United Nations, the World Bank Group, and the French Government in partnership with non-governmental organisations concerned about reversing the negative effects of climate change such as Bloomberg Philanthropies.
READ ALSO: President Buhari To Attend ‘One Planet Summit’ In Paris
The summit is set to hold at the eco-friendly La Seine Musicale, situated on the picturesque Seguin Island in western Paris.
The Personal Assistant to President Buhari on New Media, Bashir Ahmad on Monday, using his verified Twitter handle shared video of the president leaving Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano for Paris.
President @MBuhari departs Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano for Paris to participate alongside over 50 world leaders in the One Planet Summit. #PMBinParis pic.twitter.com/nARN7S7YPi — Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) December 11, 2017
President Buhari and other world leaders and participants at the summit will make presentations under four sub-themes namely: Scaling-up Finance for Climate Action; Greening Finance for Sustainable Business; Accelerating Local and Regional Climate Action; and Strengthening Policies for Ecological and Inclusive Transition. |
Independence Day: Sonia Gandhi Asks People to Fight Forces who Divide Society, Spread Hatred | Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday stressed the need for every Indian to unite and fight against separatism, terrorism and all such forces that divide and spread hatred in society.In her Independence Day message, Gandhi greeted fellow Indians and wished them progress and prosperity on the 70th Independence Day."The need today is that all Indians in one voice should fight separatism, terrorism and all such forces who divide and spread hatred in society, and unite to protect the basic principles of Indian-ness," she said in her message.She said, "I pray that this nation must always progress and move forward and we all feel proud being an independent Indian... My best wishes to you all that this 71st year will bring prosperity and happiness to all of you and will be in good health and will get immense opportunities for growth and progress."Gandhi unfurled the national flag at the AICC headquarters on Akbar Road.Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and senior party leaders were present at the party headquarters. |
Police: 2 Kan. men jailed after SW Kansas chase | Just after 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, police patrolling the area of 300 E Bellevue Ave in Garden City observed a silver Dodge Stratus traveling north on 3rd Street, according to a media release.
The vehicle was driven by Marco Rodriguez, 19, Garden City. He was wanted on an active municipal warrant and was not wearing a seatbelt.
The officer attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle at 3rd and Long Street.
The vehicle failed to stop for officers, and a vehicle pursuit was initiated. During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle was damaged when it struck the curb at Windmill Drive and Harvest Lane.
The vehicle came to a stop at Windy View Drive and Pearly Jane Avenue. Police arrested Rodriguez without incident.
Police also arrested the passenger in the vehicle, Brandon Elad, 20, Garden City. Elad was carrying a handgun on his person at the time of arrest.
A search of the vehicle revealed suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Rodriguez faces charges of Possession of Marijuana with intent to distribute Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Driving While License Suspended, Driving under the Influence, Interference with a Law, Enforcement Officer Fleeing and Eluding, Leaving the Scene of an Accident and Multiple traffic violations.
Elad faces charges for possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Criminal Carrying of a Weapon |
St. John Bosco defeats Servite to capture CIF-SS dual wrestling title | HUNTINGTON BEACH – Whether they’re battling each other for a Trinity League title or matching up in a tournament, Servite vs. St. John Bosco has become one of the premier wrestling rivalries in the CIF Southern Section.
The Friars and Braves matched up again in the championship round of the CIF-SS Coastal Division Duel Finals on Saturday at Marina High.
This round went to St. John Bosco, which defeated Servite in eight of 14 weight classes on the way to a 34-22 victory.
Servite finishes as CIF Coastal Division Runner-Ups! Congrats Fight’n Friars! #credo pic.twitter.com/FX051blxYh — Servite Wrestling (@FriarsWrestling) February 4, 2018
The Braves and Friars, who were seeded No.1 and No. 2, respectively, were meeting in the finals of the tournament for the second time in the past three years.
Only 11 teams showed up for what was scheduled as a 16-team tournament.
“You’ve got No. 1 and No. 2 going at it and both of us have beaten everybody else in the Southern Section,” Servite coach Alan Clinton said. “They are one of the best programs around.”
The Braves got victories from Antonio Lorenzo (113 pounds), Cleveland Belton (126), Sonny Santiago (138), Luis Rojas (152), Beltran (160), Michael Beltran, Nathan Haas (170) and David Aranda (220). Christian Nunez (120) won by forfeit.
Servite’s winners included Andrew Silva (106), who won a major decision over Justin Valdoria, Mario Cazarin (132), who won 4-2, over Cael Valencia and Daniel Jurardo (182), who defeated Adam Nold 11-5.
The Friars’ Tristian Wilson (195) scored a late takedown to defeat Jaden Patterson 5-3, and heavyweight Zander Wilson won by forfeit.
“There wasn’t a bad match out there,” Clinton said. “Every match was a pound and go.”
The Braves, who are ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section, reached the finals by defeating Trabuco Hills 72-12 and then winning 73-6 over Valencia in the semifinals.
Servite, ranked No. 1 in Orange County and No. 5 in the Southern Section, defeated Godinez 72-6 and Villa Park 61-18 to reach the finals.
Several Braves and Friars will likely meet again in the finals of the Trinity League individual championships on Friday, Feb. 9.
The teams have had some memorable matches in the Trinity League.
In 2016, the Friars came from behind, winning six consecutive bouts, to defeat the Braves 38-23. A year earlier, St. John Bosco edged Servite 37-29, to take the league title.
In 2014, also with the title on the line, Servite pulled out a 35-29 victory over the Braves in a match that came down to the final bout.
*** *** *** *** ***
CIF SS Coast Division Duels
Finals
St. John Bosco 34, Servite 22
106 – Silva (S) major dec Valdori (SJB), 12-4
113- Lorenzo (SJB) fall Segura (S), 1:39
120 – Nunez (SJB) bye
126 – Belton (SJB), major dec Magana (S), 15-3
132 – Cazarin (S) dec Valencia (SJB), 4-2
138 – Santoro (SJB) dec Okeda (S), 7-2
145 – Magana (S) dec Vasquez (SJB), 2-1
152 –Rojas (SJB) dec Madrigal (S), 4-1
160 –Beltran (SJB) dec Carter (S), 6-4
170 – Haas (SJB) dec Guerrero (S), 7-2
182 – Jurardo (S) dec Nold (SJB), 11-5
195 – Wilson (S) dec Patterson (SJB), 5-3
220 – Aranda (SJB) fall Matheny (S), :48
Hwt – Mora (S) bye |
North East news LIVE: Police investigating after man found dead in a house in Winlaton | Gateshead KEY EVENT
Football club defends 'excessive' police presence at match
Gateshead Football Club have defended the “excessive” police presence at Tuesday night’s match after several fans were banned for “antagonising” stadium staff over the weekend.
(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
The club were accused of “overkill” by supporters when around 30 officers were sent by Northumbria Police to cover a home crowd of just over 400 during Tuesday night’s draw against Wrexham.
The move followed an incident during last Saturday’s victory against Maidstone, where a small group of fans “threatened and antagonised” the stewards, according to a club spokesperson.
They said “around two” fans have now been banned from attending matches as a result of the trouble.
The spokesperson said: “In order to ensure the safety of the staff and the fans coming to the game, the club decided that a police presence was the best course of action.
“The police took control of that, they did a risk assessment and chose to have around 30 police at the stadium.”
The club spokesperson said they had “no control” over the numbers and were only expecting four or five officers to attend.
They added: “It got the fans’ backs up and they felt it was a bit of an overreaction because it was about a dozen or so fans on Saturday who were being a bit rowdy and antagonising the stadium staff.
“People were saying they were being told to ‘sit down and shut up’ by the police, although I personally didn’t see any evidence of it.”
They also confirmed that a smoke bomb was set off on the concourse after the match on Tuesday. |
Felix Gray’s new anti-glare specs make you look good while protecting your eyes | Computer glasses, the name given to spectacles designed to make looking at any kind of screen less tiring on your eyes, are rarely high-fashion items. They’re designed to perform a function, which doesn’t usually include looking fabulous. Felix Gray doesn’t agree, and has added a new model to its already extensive range of great-looking anti-glare computer glasses — the Kepler.
Taking its inspiration for the name from German mathematician Johannes Kepler is appropriate, given the European styling for the new glasses, which are the first in Felix Gray’s range to combine acetate and metal to create the frame. This feature, along with being the first pair with a nose bridge, gives the Kepler a refined look unlike most other computer glasses you’ll see.
The term digital eyewear is likely more appropriate here, given how they protect your peepers from digital eye strain. The objective of wearing them is to combat dry eyes and blurred vision, avoid headaches, and minimize exposure to blue light emitted from our screens. We stare at a lot of screens for much of the day, so taking some of the strain off our eyes when we can makes a difference in the way we feel.
Felix Gray’s lenses have an anti-glare coating to help our eyes relax and to sharpen vision, plus a clever blue light filter system that’s actually blended into the lens itself. Rather than a yellow-tinged lens — part of what makes other, similar glasses unpleasant to look at — the Kepler’s lens has a synthesized version of a natural blue light blocking pigment along with other materials infused into it that filter out blue light without coloring the lens itself, even at the highest energy wavelengths of 400 to 440nm.
The result should be a pair of beneficial glasses you will actually be confident about wearing. Although prescription lenses aren’t available, Felix Gray told Digital Trends it’s working on providing such an option in 2018. For now, you can add a degree of magnification to turn them into reading glasses. Each pair of Kepler glasses are made to order, cost $125 through the company’s website, and come in three different colors.
Digital eye strain affects 65 percent of Americans, according to The Vision Council, but experts remind us that blue light from a screen isn’t the only factor affecting our sleep, and some suggest that simply staying away from screens for 30-plus minutes before going to bed is enough. Felix Gray has competition from eyewear maker Jins and its varied Jins Screen range. These include both day and night models that can have prescription lenses added to them. |