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PromisePay rebrands to Assembly Payments and nets partnership with Gumtree | Australia-based payment firm PromisePay, which raised $10 million last year, has a double shot of news this week: it has rebranded to Assembly Payments and inked a major partnership deal with Gumtree.
The deal will see Gumtree, which is owned by eBay, introduce a new services-focused business in Africa. Gumtree Connect links users with local home services, such as cleaners, machine repairs and more in same way as apps like ThumbTack in the U.S. and ServisHero in Asia. It’s for that business that Gumtree has selected PromisePay Assembly Payments, which built its payment service specifically for marketplaces with features like credibility checks, dispute resolution, etc.
Gumtree Connect is initially available in South Africa, one of Gumtree’s most notable markets with six million registered users, but there is the potential for expansion further down the line.
“Assembly Payments was chosen after a lengthy global search for the ideal payment partner. Their expertise in areas such as fraud, chargebacks, compliance, escrow and customer support has meant they are a great fit for Gumtree,” Gumtree’s head of verticals Andre Hugo said in a statement.
As for the name change, Assembly Payments’ CEO and co-founder Simon Lee told TechCrunch by email that it “better reflects the nature of our platform.”
“Payments are the centerpiece of a great customer experience,” Lee continued. “And companies are sick of being stifled by old, legacy payments systems. So we tore the whole system and apart and let anyone re-assemble it however they like.”
Founded in 2014, Assembly Payments claimed it has increased its revenue by 25 percent month-on-month over the past year. It said it is active on over 100 platforms, including Airtasker, Hipages, Flippa and Carsales.com.au, and has raised over $13 million from investors. |
Steve Wynn settled with second woman over sex allegations - NBC12 - WWBT - Richmond, VA News On Your Side | By REGINA GARCIA CANO
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Attorneys for embattled casino mogul Steve Wynn say in court documents that he brokered a settlement with a second woman who accused him of sexual misconduct more than a decade ago.
The documents received earlier this month in state court in Las Vegas say Wynn recently went to the FBI to accuse the woman of trying to extort him by threatening to go public with details from the 2006 settlement.
Lawyer Lisa Bloom, who represents the woman, says her client denies the extortion allegations.
The Associated Press generally doesn't name people who say they are victims of sexual misconduct.
Wynn resigned as chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts last month amid allegations from several women that he denied.
The FBI declined to confirm Monday whether it has investigated.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
Charlotte: Levine Exhibit, TOY Gift, Chamber Links, Dual Plays | Carolinas News Notes
Pictured Above: ‘Let Love Reign’ is on exhibit at the Levine Museum of the New South. Photo Credit: Catalina Kulczar-Marin.
Equality exhibit begins
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In its current run, Levine Museum of the New South, 200 E. Seventh St., is showcasing “Let Love Reign,” a visual representation of committed same-sex couples on the second-floor balcony.
The exhibition features photographs taken by New York-based photographer and former Charlotte, N.C. resident, Catalina Kulczar-Marin. The project is a larger collaboration among people who believe in marriage equality.
“We value multiple perspectives at Levine Museum of the New South,” said Kathryn Hill, president and CEO. “Charlotte is a diverse community and we hope this exhibition will foster dialogue about the inequalities that LGBTQ community members face every day.”
The museum’s display consists of 14 medium and large-scale photos, all taken in Charlotte. The suite of photos includes four male and three female same-sex couples.
“Tim and Ron, the owners of Paper Skyscraper, were my inspiration and motivation for this project. They represent how I’ve always felt about love — that love is love; that love is blind,” said Kulczar-Marin. “They were the first couple I photographed, followed by six other couples in Charlotte. Now, I have interviewed and photographed 55 couples from all over the U.S.”
The exhibition continues through Oct. 8.
info: museumofthenewsouth.org.
TOY nets new matching gift
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Time Out Youth Center has announced that the Howard R. Levine Foundation/Howard & Julie Levine have made a matching gift challenge of $100,000 to the Center’s capital campaign.
The Levines chose to make a significant contribution after learning about the rise in LGBTQ youth accessing social services.
“I was impressed with how they are connecting with schools in our region, how they are managing their growth and finances, and how they are responding to increased demands for services from youth, parents and educators due to the controversy around HB2, and what that law meant to transgender youth,” Levine said.
He added, “This is a crucial time for our city and state to be embracing the diversity, the ideas and the leadership that young people bring to our community. We are honored to be a small part of the center’s extraordinary efforts to serve, defend and protect our LGBTQ youth.”
The center is using June’s LGBTQ Pride Month designation to launch the matching challenge campaign. “This is a tremendous opportunity for the center,” said Executive Director Rodney Tucker.
“We are so grateful to receive this challenge from such a respected philanthropic family,” stated Michael Condel, Time Out Youth Center’s Board Chair. “Howard and Julie’s unwavering commitment to address social inequity issues in our community is an inspiration to our board, staff, youth, volunteers and donors.”
The campaign set out to raise $3.4 million over five years. However, Levine’s gift means it has crossed the halfway point in just three months. It follows a $100,000 contribution from Myers Park Baptist Church and a $1.5 million gift from Sara Belk Gambrell, a member of the Belk stores dynasty, The Charlotte Observer reported.
The center will open its new facility this summer at 3800 Monroe Rd. once renovations are complete.
Email Tucker at rtucker@timeoutyouth.org for more information or to contribute to the capital campaign.
In other news, Victoria Cornejo and Shawn Prout each received a $500 Tonda Taylor Scholarship at the center’s Gala held on June 2.
Cornejo, a graduate of Cabarrus-Kannapolis Early College High School, will use the funds to continue her studies at Winthrop University where she is studying social work.
Prout graduated from Northwest School of the Arts this year and is heading to Appalachian State University in the fall where he will study biology.
info: timeoutyouth.org.
Chamber hits links
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte LGBT Chamber of Commerce, along with the Latin, Asian and Black Chambers of Commerce will be front and center at the 2017 PGA Championship on Aug. 8, 11 a.m., at Quail Hollow Country Club located at 3700 Gleneagles Rd.
The collaboration gives participants an opportunity to network, brunch and hear speakers from PGA of America, as well as elected officials.
Speakers and agenda are still being confirmed as of press time. Updates will be made available via Facebook.
Early reservations are encouraged as seating is limited. Chamber members can attend free of charge, while others will be charged $100 which includes a one-year membership to the Charlotte LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Visit bit.ly/2sM4NYO to reserve a spot.
info: clgbtcc.org. bit.ly/2rvn4vo.
Dual plays slated
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In a unique collaboration, playwright Steven Dietz has written two original and interconnected plays which will debut and run simultaneously at two theatres during their 2018-19 seasons.
Children’s Theatre of Charlotte and Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte will serve as the venues for “The Ghost of Splinter Cove” (Children’s Theatre) and “The Great Beyond” (Actor’s Theatre).
Both plays take place on different floors of a home on a single evening, one from the children’s point of view and one from the adults’. As a result, the theatres have named the endeavor “The Second-Story Project.” Two gay characters are featured in the storyline.
Each of the plays stands alone theatrically and audiences do not necessarily need to see both, but the two plots are interconnected and surrounded by a shared mystery. Audiences will gain even more understanding about one play by watching the other.
“A dual commission on a single story or theme is rare — and certainly without precedent in my career,” Dietz said. “It offers a unique chance to have a multi-generational experience shared by interdependent audiences.”
Artistic Directors Adam Burke of Children’s Theatre and Chip Decker of Actor’s Theatre said the collaboration between a theatre for young audiences and a theatre for adults is an exciting opportunity to share with audiences an interweaving story with multiple viewpoints.
“By bringing in a fantastic playwright like Dietz who has written successfully for both young audiences and adults, we knew we’d have two masterfully connected plays,” Burke said.
Decker says the collaboration is unique, exciting and inspiring.
“We’re incredibly excited for this partnership between two of the Queen City’s cultural crown jewels,” Decker said. “The simultaneous world premieres are sure to be an event unlike anything Charlotte has seen before!”
info: ctcharlotte.org. atcharlotte.org.
Have news or other information? Send your press releases and updates for inclusion in our News Notes: editor@goqnotes.com.
Share your news with us
Does your organization or special interest group have events or great information to share with our readers? If so, be sure to send in your information to specialassignments@goqnotes.com. In the upcoming months, we’ll feature one of you in our news notes section in each issue. Are you a part of a Meetup, Yahoo or Google group and do you do something that’s really newsworthy? Do you provide a service for the community or hold fundraisers for worthy causes? Do you educate the public about LGBTQ issues or concerns? Of course, this is only a sampling of things we are interested in. It’s the aim of these pieces to inform, enlighten and educate our readers about what we’re doing here in the Carolinas to champion LGBTQ rights, as well as offer resources for those who may be interested in what your group is doing.
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About the author: Lainey Millen is QNotes' associate editor, special assignments writer, N.C. News columnist and production director. She can be reached at specialassignments@goqnotes.com and 704-531-9988, x205. |
Nadal delighted at return to No. 1, sorry Federer out | Shares
CINCINNATI, United States, Aug 14 – Rafael Nadal was thrilled Monday to learn he would return to world number one for the first time in three years but sorry it came because Roger Federer withdrew from this week’s ATP Cincinnati Masters tournament.
Third-ranked Federer said he injured his back in Montreal, where he lost in Sunday’s final to Germany’s Alexander Zverev in a key hardcourt tuneup for the US Open.
Federer, this year’s Wimbledon and Australian Open champion, was the only player who could have denied second-ranked French Open champion Nadal the top spot in next Monday’s rankings.
“For me to be in that position is something very special,” Nadal said. “I have the passion and love for the game. That’s why I’m able to be back in that position again.”
It’s the first time Nadal has been number one since July of 2014.
The 31-year-old Spaniard, who won his 15th Grand Slam title this year at Roland Garros, will overtake Britain’s top-ranked Andy Murray, who withdrew from Montreal and Cincinnati with a hip injury.
Nadal, who has spent 141 total weeks in the top spot, has struggled with knee injuries since first becoming world number one in August 2008 after a Cincinnati semi-final run. He admitted doubting he could ever regain the top spot after so many years.
“If you don’t have doubts, it’s because you are very arrogant and I’m not very arrogant,” Nadal said. “There’s a young generation up and coming. It’s very tough to come back and be number one.”
Nadal knows that while he will claim the upper hand no matter how he fares this week, the year’s final Grand Slam event starting in New York on August 28 will have a major role to play in the fight with Federer for number one.
“Roger and I are having great seasons,” Nadal said. “One of us will have the chance to have that position for more weeks. I’m going to try and do my best this week and see what happens.”
Federer, a seven-time champion on the Cincinnati hardcourts, apologized but said he needed to rest with the US Open so near.
“I am very sorry to pull out of the Western and Southern Open as I always enjoy playing,” Federer said. “Cincinnati has some of the best fans in the world and I am sorry I will miss them.
“Unfortunately, I tweaked my back in Montreal and I need to rest this week.”
Federer was replaced in the draw by Italian 85th-ranked lucky loser Thomas Fabbiano, who will enjoy a first-round bye.
Nadal said he was sorry to see Federer join the list of players absent this week, which includes Murray, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Swiss Stan Wawrinka.
“It’s bad news for Roger he’s not playing,” Nadal said. “I’m sorry for all of them. I hope they have good recovery. We need to see them back for the sport.”
Nadal has been forced to alter training and event schedules more as he has gotten older.
“Of course we’re not 20 years old any more. We’re not playing all the weeks. That’s part of the sport. I skip many more events than the rest of my competitors.”
– Zverev ‘unbelievable’ –
Nadal, ousted in the third round last week at Montreal, praised Zverev, who won his fifth ATP title at Montreal on Sunday and swapped spots with Austrian Dominic Thiem to reach a career-high seventh in this week’s rankings.
“You are talking about an unbelievable player. And Dominic is right there too,” Nadal said, declining to offer either advice.
“Better not. I cannot give many advices. Everybody has to learn from their own mistakes. You need to do your own way and experience it for yourself.” |
Niagara Falls man hopes osseointegration procedure can help him become active again | If surgery was ruled out it left him only with pain management as treatment. But Garner, with three children — daughters Kayla, 15 and Jaiden, 11, and a son, Brennan, eight — wants to remain active for their sake, so he began to search for another option.
That’s when he came across, Osseointegration — OI for short — that would result in his leg being amputated above the knee and an implant attached to the end of the bone that would effectively serve as a knee joint for a prosthesis to replace his lower leg.
“No one wanted to amputate,” Garner says of his medical team here. “They thought it was too high of a risk. “They didn’t look into any other options. They gave me a couple of ideas that I had already tried — braces or go down to Texas (to consult with the doctor who performed the 2002 surgery).”
There is a way Garner can get the surgery done, but he’d have to go to Australia. It also costs $125,000. Dr. Mujid Al Muderis, who heads the Osseointegration Group located down under has agreed to do the work.
Seeing an opportunity, Garner looked into the procedure more and liked what he saw and reached out to the Aussie group.
“I only applied to have the procedure a short while ago,” Garner says. “I sent them X-rays and my doctors’ consultation notes.
“It’s his design, his implant,” Garner says.
The procedure is done in two steps, Garner says, with the amputation and implant installation, followed up by the prosthesis being fitted.
“There are only 19 people who have had the procedure done in Canada,” Garner says, adding that Australian doctors have performed it 500 times.
Because of his medical condition, Garner has moved in with his mother, Judy White, who he says has been a Godsend.
“She has taken me in and taken care of me,” he says. “My stepfather (Paul) passed away in the summer and she has been my rock even through that.”
He also says his biological father Andy Garner has been supportive, as has his many friends.
His ex-wife, Melissa, “has been very supportive,” throughout, Garner says.
“She comes to appointments with me when she’s off work. We’re still good friends.”
As for his children, Garner says they do “their best” to understand.
“Sometimes they forget but they help me out as much as they can.”
He recently went for a “daddy-daughter day” with Kayla and was frustrated with his limitations.
“We ended up going out for lunch. It was about all I could do.”
Garner is hoping with some help, he can get the surgery.
He has started a page on the crowdfunding site youcaring.com (youcaring.com/garneroi) to raise the necessary funds. He is also planning other fundraising activities.
He also has a page on Facebook — facebook.com/GarnerOI that contains information about the procedure as well as updates from Garner. |
Introduction to VMware vSAN - Video | This short, animated video provides a quick introduction to VMware vSAN including use cases and a few of the key technical features and benefits.
This video is from the fine folks at VMware Storage. |
NFL, NFLPA looking into Savage's return despite concussion | NEW YORK — The NFL is checking whether concussion protocol was properly followed Sunday when Houston Texans quarterback Tom Savage was allowed to briefly return to action after a disturbing hit in the end zone that left him with his hands quivering.
League spokesman Joe Lockhart said the NFL and the players’ association “together will conduct a thorough review of the incident focused on whether the protocol was properly followed, but we’re also continuing looking at the protocol to look for ways to improve and strengthen it.”
Lockhart said the discovery during this investigation of any possible improvements to the concussion protocol will be quickly implemented.
The NFL’s concussion protocol came under heavy criticism after it failed Savage on Sunday in Houston’s 26-16 loss to the 49ers. Only after Savage briefly returned to the game did the medical crew determine the quarterback did, indeed, have a concussion and remove him from the game.
——
For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP–NFL |
A Cheerful Christmas in Cardiff | By Emma Ogao
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Cardiff has made its transformation into a glittering and sparkling city boasting an exciting array of events where you can soak up the festive atmosphere and get in to the Christmas spirit. From getting your skate on at Winter Wonderland, to singing your heart out with some Christmas carols, ‘tis the season for some fun, so here’s a short guide to all things Christmassy in Cardiff.
First up is Cardiff’s Christmas Market! With over 200 exhibitors taking part, and over 80 stalls, the annual Christmas market promises to be vibrant and fun. The market hosts both local and independent Welsh producers, who are selling beautiful and authentic hand crafted items that would make perfect Christmas presents!
There is also an extensive range of delicious food and drink available – From churros, welsh cakes and freshly made crepes, to bratwurst , mulled wine, chocolates and cheese. You will definitely not leave hungry! Whether you’re a foodie, or just looking to buy some last minute presents , there’s something for everyone under the traditional wooden stalls and twinkling lights, so you should definitely head to the city center for some unique bargains and mouthwatering snacks (p.s: it’s only open until the 23rd of December!, so get there quick)
If you need a break from browsing the Christmas market, you can take a short stroll over to Winter Wonderland, because Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without making your annual laps around the ice rink! Featuring a huge fun fair, even more scrumptious food and drink, live music and of course, a Ferris wheel – Winter Wonderland is a must-go this festive season. Even better, It’s very picturesque so you’re bound to snap some beautiful photos with the backdrop of City Hall. Entry is absolutely free so make sure you take a trip to winter wonderland this season , you’ve no excuse not to!
Fancy singing your heart out or soaking up the magic of Christmas carols? The Jazz society will be giving their annual festive showcase on the 6th of December from 7pm, at Cardiff University’s School of Music! It is one of the highlights of the year, so hop along for a lovely evening of jazz music with a Christmas twist. Similarly, St.David’s Hall will also be showcasing a plethora of musical events this season, such as BBC Wales’ Carols for Christmas, and A Christmas Concert of Seasonal Music and Carols (in aid of CLIC Sergeant children’s charity). For more details on these events visit www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk and www.cardiffstudents.co.uk.
If you’re athletic, or missed the Reindeer run/Elf Dash, then don’t worry. You can lace up your trainers because the Light Up Christmas run is back! Dressed in your finest Christmas dress, this fun 5 kilometer run starts from the WaterGuard pub, and routes around the city. All runners receive a festive snack and a medal at the finish line. Plus, it’s all for a good cause! It’s on the 10th of December, and tickets go for £8.50 – the perfect event to go to top of your Christmas extravaganza.
Merry Christmas everyone! |
Jury urged to convict Las Vegas gambler of insider trading | April 5 A U.S. prosecutor on Wednesday urged jurors in Manhattan federal court to convict Las Vegas sports gambler William "Billy" Walters on insider trading charges, describing a pattern of "repeated conduct that can only be described as brazen."
In a closing argument Wednesday afternoon, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Cucinella said Walters' trading and phone records proved that he traded in Dean Foods Co stock based on confidential tips from Tom Davis, the former chairman of Dean's board. Davis, who has pleaded guilty to insider trading and is cooperating with prosecutors, testified during the three-week trial that he tipped Walters.
Walters's lawyer, Barry Berke, has said that is lying and that Walters made money in Dean Foods, a leading dairy company, through diligent research, using the same talents that made him a successful sports gambler. Berke is expected to deliver his closing argument on Thursday.
Cucinella made only a brief mention of star golfer Phil Mickelson, who allegedly received a tip from Walters and whose involvement has drawn attention to the case. Mickelson has not been accused of wrongdoing and did not testify during the trial.
Instead, she focused on the timing of calls between Walters and Davis and Walters' trades. She said there was a clear pattern, stretching over a period of years, in which Walters made large trades in Dean Foods stock after talking to Davis.
That fit with Davis's testimony that he was giving Walters inside information, including advance notice of the company's earnings reports and about the 2012 spinoff of part of its business, she said.
Starting in 2011, she said, Walters and Davis began communicating using so-called "burner" phones not registered in their names, she said.
Davis's tips allowed Walters to make more than $40 million in gains and avoided losses, Cucinella said. In return, she said, Walters arranged personal loans of nearly $1 million for Davis.
Cucinella acknowledged Davis might not appear trustworthy. Davis admitted on the stand to stealing money from a charity he ran, falsifying taxes and cheating on two ex-wives.
But Cucinella said Davis's dishonesty was the reason Walters turned to him for insider tips.
"The defendant knew exactly who Tom Davis was and how he’s cheated on everyone he's ever met, from his wives to his fellow board members," she said.
The case is U.S. v. Davis et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-cr-00338. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Bill Trott) |
Buffalo Bills edge Indianapolis Colts: 5 reasons to be encouraged, 3 reasons to worry | Adrian Kraus
WORRIED: Sean McDermott's decision making
Sean McDermott could be under a lot of heat tonight if LeSean McCoy didn't score late in overtime. After receiving the ball to start overtime, the Bills were able to drive all the way to the Colts' 41-yard line. Facing a 4th and 1 with 4:13 remaining, McDermott sent in his punt team before calling a timeout. After a short break. the Bills' head coach still decided to punt the ball away. Buffalo ended up getting a stop and winning the game, but burning a timeout and punting so late in overtime could have led to a tie or loss in a must-win game. |
Pope urges mediation to end North Korea crisis, avert devastating war | Pope Francis talks to journalists during a press conference on his return flight from Cairo to Rome April 29, 2017. REUTERS/Gregorio Borgia/Pool
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE Pope Francis said on Saturday a third country, such as Norway, should try to mediate the dispute between North Korea and Washington, to cool a situation that had become "too hot" and posed the risk of nuclear devastation.
Francis said he believed "a good part of humanity" would be destroyed in any widespread war.
Speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him back from Cairo, Francis also said he was ready to meet U.S. President Donald Trump when he is in Europe next month but that he was not aware that Washington had made a request for a meeting.
In answer to a question about the tensions between the United States and North Korea, Francis said the United Nations should re-assert its leadership in world diplomacy because it had become "too watered down".
"I call on, and will call on, all leaders, as I have called on leaders of various places, to work to seek a solution to problems through the path of diplomacy," he said about the North Korea crisis.
Representatives for the White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Francis spoke after North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that failure to curb Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes could lead to "catastrophic consequences".
"There are so many facilitators in the world, there are mediators who offer themselves, such as Norway for example," he said in his customary freewheeling news conference with reporters at the end of each trip.
"It (Norway) is always ready to help. That is just one but there are many. But the path is the path of negotiations, of a diplomatic solution," he said in the discussion, which lasted about 30 minutes.
Norway secretly negotiated an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians known as the Oslo Accords in the early 1990s.
The pope expressed his deep concern over the crisis, saying: "This question of missiles in (North) Korea has been brewing for more than a year but now it seems the situation has become has become too hot."
He said: "We are talking about the future of humanity. Today, a widespread war would destroy -- I would not say half of humanity -- but a good part of humanity, and of culture, everything, everything.
"It would be terrible. I don't think that humanity today would be able to withstand it."
Trump is due in Sicily on May 26-27 for a meeting of the heads of the world's richest nations. The White House has not yet said if he would be stopping in Rome to meet the pope, which would be an unusual omission for a visiting head of state.
Asked if he would be meeting Trump, the pope said he had not yet been informed if a request had been made, but added: "I receive every head of state who asks for an audience".
(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Mary Milliken) |
To relive a day at Martin Hall after 50 years | CHENNAI: Fifty years ago, Martin Hall, the first resident women’s hostel to be established at Madras Christian College brought a wind of change along with it. It was the first of its kind. Today, it stands as a testimony to the numerous women who have studied in the campus over the years. “It’s a celebration of womanhood and sisterhood,” says Brinda, a third year student, and one of the coordinators of the Martin Hall alumni reunion — ‘Retour au Paradis’.
The hostel was found on September 25, 1968, and named after Agnes Martin, wife of Rev Gavin Martin, a Scottish missionary. “He donated 1,000 pounds to the women’s hostel in 1990. As a tribute to that generosity, the women’s hostel was named as Martin Hall,” she shares, adding that the alumni reunion will also see participation from the first Martin Hall batch (1968-1969).
Aneena Paul, who was among the first to step foot in the hall, shares, “I initially stayed in the Guindy hostel where we were told that we were being shifted to the campus. In fact, we received the key from the architect and I was one of the first students to open the door to the hall during the informal inauguration.” Reminiscing the initial days in Martin Hall, she narrates, “We were amused by the hostel. The one in Guindy was in a very rural atmosphere.
It had its own charm but, what we had in Martin Hall was entirely different. Train rides from Guindy to the campus became unnecessary and the hostel made our life easier and memorable.” Another alumnus, Bibi P Francis, adds, “We were a gang of seven girls in Martin — from different departments. Though it has been 12 years since we graduated, we are still in touch.
We have become more like a family and are looking forward to visiting our room and become young again.” The reunion will have an informal campus walk, department visit, photoshoot, dinner campfire- cum-jam session and other fun activities. “We want the alumni to relive their Martin days and I am sure they are going to have a great time!” smiles Brinda.
‘Retour au Paradis’ will be held on Feb 9&10 at Martin Hall, Madras Christian College. For details, call: 9447895569 or visit: mcc.edu.in |
The Best Book on Immigration You Will Read This Year Comes From a Former Border Patrol Agent | Looking for news you can trust?
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At the beginning of his debut book, The Line Becomes a River, Francisco Cantú sits down with his mother over a Christmastime eggnog and brandy to explain why, after graduating from college with a bachelor’s in international relations, he decided to join the Border Patrol. He’d long been fascinated with the 1,954-mile line dividing the United States and Mexico, and he told her he was ready to move beyond a degree’s worth of policy reports and histories and to learn what was really happening at the border.
The only way to do that, he argued, was to be out in the Arizona desert, day in and day out. And better him—a compassionate Spanish speaker familiar with the Mexico many migrants were leaving—than the alternative.
His mom, herself the daughter of a Mexican immigrant, wasn’t buying it. “Fine, my mother said, fine,” Cantú writes. “But you must understand you are stepping into a system, an institution with little regard for people.”
There are absolutely agents “who act terrible and do their job poorly,” but also “some of the most intelligent, kind, humane people I’ve ever met.”
Cantú’s book, out February 6, recalls his four years of working the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. It’s an evocative, empathetic look at the people on both sides of the American government’s nearly century-long effort to keep people from crossing from There to Here. Cantú takes his readers along as he learns how to cut sign (track migrants) and how best to approach corpses in the desert (a dab of Vicks VapoRub under the nose). We meet his sometimes gruff, sometimes Latino, usually quite ordinary Border Patrol colleagues—almost always men—as well as the desperate folks fleeing violence and poverty farther south, or hauling dope in the middle of nowhere.
When he joined the patrol, Cantú told me recently, he fancied himself as someone with “humanitarian instincts that would kind of allow me to be a humane force.” But as his mother reminds him, “You can’t exist within a system for that long without being implicated, without absorbing its poison.”
Mom was right, Cantú says. His reckoning will long outlast the writing of this memoir and our current Trump-fueled border fixation. “Wherever I go to talk about the book, people say, ‘Oh, it’s so timely,’” he says. “And it’s true in a way, but the only truth is that our attention is there now. And that people have turned to direct their gaze to the thing that’s always been there—the immensity and insanity and injustice that’s always been there.”
Mother Jones: When you set out to be a Border Patrol agent right out of college, what were you expecting?
Francisco Cantú: I felt like I was entering that decision with a lot of intention, and with a lot of knowledge about all the ways that it would probably be very hard. But, looking back, I see ways that I was naïve. Part of my thinking was that whether or not I joined the Border Patrol, people are going to be filling this position. And at least I would be someone who speaks Spanish, who has lived in Mexico. A force for good in the agency.
MJ: So what was the experience like, in retrospect? What effect did it have on you?
FC: It’s funny. I came away with so many more questions than I entered in with. I guess the biggest takeaways are all these things that I feel are missing from the conversations that we have in this country about the border. When I was in college, like 2004 to 2008, it wasn’t much better. So I came away feeling that nothing is going to be solved until we start from a place that acknowledges the huge nuance and complexity of the border—and the insane human cost borne out by our current policies, which haven’t really changed across multiple presidencies.
“We don’t name their bodies. We don’t memorialize them. We don’t mourn their death. That’s unacceptable.”
What seems most urgent is that people are dying in the desert—we’re talking about hundreds of people each year, thousands and thousands in the last decade. Our current policy makes that happen. We have this policy of enforcement, pushing people to cross in the most rugged and inhospitable, dangerous range. I worked in a very remote station for the first two years of my career.
I see that now as a complete humanitarian crisis on American soil, and I don’t feel like we acknowledge those deaths and these people. We don’t name their bodies. We don’t memorialize them. We don’t mourn their death. That’s unacceptable. We have to understand those statistics as individual people.
MJ: What else do most people get wrong when they write about the border or the patrol?
FC: The hard thing is that the Border Patrol is literally the largest law enforcement agency in the country—it’s bigger than the DEA, than the FBI. There’s something like 18,000 agents. And so you can find examples to bear out any theory. Yes, there are absolutely people who act terrible and do their job poorly and make reprehensible decisions that cost people dearly. I also met some of the most intelligent, kind, humane people that I’ve ever met. So it’s really hard to make generalities.
I can say that the culture of the agency is very insular. There’s this mentality that Border Patrol agents are always being maligned and are always being sort of represented as thugs. That just perpetuates this reluctance to talk to the media or to grant people ridealongs, because the Border Patrol sort of operates from this position of, “Well they’re always out to get us.” It’s a very cagey mentality, and I think that exists from the top to the bottom.
For many agents, this job takes a mental and spiritual toll that may not be recognized for years. There’s an agent represented in the book who I shared parts of the book with that he played a role in. He’s been out of the patrol for several years, and he wrote me that seeing himself on the page made him realize all the ways that he had symptoms of what was later diagnosed to be manic depression.
And he was like, “It makes me angry. It makes me realize now how this work exacerbated these destructive and depressive tendencies.” I think the only way to really deal with that work is to sort of bifurcate yourself into the person you are at work and the person that you feel like you are at home.
MJ: What makes a good Border Patrol agent?
FC: Patience, first and foremost. It’s probably 80 to 90 percent boredom—or what many people would consider boredom. You’re often alone. You’re often in charge of patrolling a vast stretch of landscape.
“If there’s one thing that kept me safe, and that kept me in touch with the job and the effects it has on people, it was my ability to speak Spanish.”
Another thing that makes a good agent is getting out of your car. There’s a lot of complacency. There’s a lot of just showing up and punching the time card and doing the bare minimum. A good agent gets out of their truck and spends time on the ground.
I think it is absolutely imperative that agents learn to speak Spanish at a level that far exceeds the level that is being taught in the academy. There’s been a lowering of the Spanish standards that predates me coming into the Border Patrol. That is a huge shortcoming, because agents are basically taught to memorize scripts. They’re memorizing lines in a play in order to apprehend people. If all their knowledge comes from the academy, they’re unable to go off-script. If a situation doesn’t fit one of those scripts, they’re unable to capably deal with that situation—which is huge. If there’s one thing that kept me safe, and that kept me in touch with the job and the effects it has on people, it was my ability to speak Spanish.
MJ: Do you think you were a good agent?
FC: Yeah. I was passionate about my work, and about the place where I was working. The desert is not some wasteland to me. It’s a living, breathing place, a place that is rich in history and culture.
There were definitely parts of the job that I enjoyed: Being outside, learning to understand and read the landscape. There’s those detective elements of the job, learning how to track people across the desert, and work the highways, and investigate smuggling cases. For a while, I was able to find pleasure in being good at those things. But I rarely ever truly felt like I was helping people, which after a certain point really began to grate on me and my subconscious.
I went into training to be an EMT after being in the field for like a year, which I thought would literally enable me to help save people’s lives. But even when I was legitimately helping people, it’s hard to feel purely good about that. At the end of the day I was taking them back to a cell, to be kicked back to the place that they were risking their life to flee.
MJ: How long did it take for that realization to set in, and how did it change the way you were feeling?
FC: It started with dreams, and that’s why dreams recur in the text. That was really the first sign I had that the job was taking a toll. I pushed those nightmares away. For years, I ignored them. But they kept persisting, and they became more and more violent and jarring until I could not ignore them anymore.
“A few months before I left the Border Patrol, driving home from a movie, I had to pull over, and I just started crying.”
There’s this recurring dream I talk about in the book where I’m grinding my teeth or clenching my jaw. And that moment when I went in for a dental appointment, and the dentist is telling me I’m grinding my teeth in my sleep. I had never had a problem like that, and now all of a sudden I had gone through a layer of enamel. That was a physical manifestation of unconscious stress, an alarm system I couldn’t ignore.
It was almost never conscious. Until I left the Border Patrol, it was something I pushed away. And there was this moment a few months before I left where I literally broke down on the side of the road on my way home, driving home from a movie. I had to pull over, and I just started crying. That moment, on top of all these dreams, on top of grinding my teeth, is when I finally had to look at myself, and accept that something was wrong—that I wasn’t all right.
MJ: Do you think your book—and more stories from the border—could help change the way people interpret the debate on immigration?
FC: Absolutely. We need to hear a wide spectrum of stories. I don’t think there can be too much attention on the border right now. There’s good attention and bad attention, but to the extent that we are actually hearing the voices of people who spend their time and risk their lives—crossers and law enforcement agents and activists and community organizers—people on all sides of the issue, we need to listen. They know better. Any one of these people has better, more valuable insight than any of our politicians. |
Custom Business Solutions’ COO Jeremy Julian Named to Retail Solutions Providers Association Board of Directors | Jeremy Julian
Irvine, CA (RestaurantNews.com) The Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), the only trade association dedicated to the Point of Sale technology ecosystem, announces the election of Jeremy Julian, Chief Operating Officer of Custom Business Solutions (CBS), to the organization’s Board of Directors.
Chosen by his industry peers, Julian has more than 20 years of experience in a variety of different avenues the POS industry, including support, installations, customer acquisition, and more. As the COO of Custom Business Solutions, he is a key player in the development of a reseller network for the company’s NorthStar Order Entry point of sale system.
As one of the nation’s largest and most successful POSitouch point of sale resellers for more than two decades, Julian and CBS know what it takes to deliver value and results in the reseller channel. For NorthStar, CBS is targeting regional resellers with technical expertise and a track record of positively serving customers in the hospitality industry.
“I am honored and excited to be elected to the RSPA’s Board of Directors. I am eager to help connect professionals from across our industry,” said Jeremy Julian. “By utilizing my experiences and successes with NorthStar at CBS, I am optimistic by what we can achieve as a Board for the development of the RSPA in the future.”
RSPA’s goal is to encourage industry collaboration to develop higher standards, enhance the adoption of best practices and facilitate industry understanding. The board of directors’ appointment is for three years.
About Custom Business Solutions
Since 1994, the advanced software solutions offered by Custom Business Solutions have helped numerous hospitality professionals to operate their businesses more profitably. Restaurant operators and their guests have benefited from CBS’s NorthStar suite of products that enhance the dining experiences. CBS also offers a range of support services such as after-hours help desk capabilities. Custom Business Solutions, Inc. is headquartered in Irvine, CA with offices throughout the Western United States. For more information, visit www.cbsnorthstar.com.
Contact:
Barbara Caruso
714-841-6777
Barbara@c-squaredpr.com |
UPDATE: IMB missionaries Randy and Kathy Arnett die from injuries sustained in Africa accident | Missouri-native missionaries taught sound biblical foundations to African church leaders
RICHMOND, Virginia – International Mission Board missionaries Dr. Randy Arnett, 62, and Kathy Arnett, 61, died March 14, 2018, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Missouri-native missionaries served as theological education strategists for Africa.
The Arnetts were traveling to a theological training event with fellow missionaries Jeff and Barbara Singerman, from Ohio, when the single-vehicle accident occurred about two-hours’ travel from Kinshasa, the nation’s capital. The Singermans, who sustained injuries in the accident, were transferred to Kinshasa for medical care. They have since been transferred to Johannesburg, South Africa, for continued care. The missionaries were driven by a Congolese national who also sustained injuries but has been released from medical care in Kinshasa.
“Randy and Kathy Arnett in so many ways represent what is best about the IMB,” said IMB President David Platt. “They gave their lives and family for over 30 years proclaiming the gospel, planting churches, and training pastors and missionaries across Sub-Saharan Africa. They did all of this with a zeal for God’s name, a confidence in God’s Word, and a dependence on God’s Spirit. They lived — and died — for what matters most in this world. They will be missed deeply by their family and friends, our entire IMB family, and men and women across Africa, yet we are looking forward to a reunion with them when one day we will see all the fruit of God’s grace in them for His glory among the nations.”
INVESTED IN AFRICA
Randy and Kathy Arnett were appointed as Southern Baptist missionaries on Oct. 14, 1986. Following French language study in Tours, France, they moved to roles in theological education in Lomé, Togo. Randy taught at Ecole Baptiste de Théologie pour l’Afrique Occidentale (the Baptist Seminary of Theology for West Africa), and Kathy directed the Bible Correspondence School and then served as director and professor in the seminary wives’ program.
In 2000, the Arnetts moved to Cote d’Ivoire to coordinate Southern Baptist human needs ministry for West Africa. Kathy also served as regional HIV/AIDS coordinator, responsible for the research and development of church and team HIV/AIDS responses for West Africa. In 2003, Randy became the West Africa research and analysis coordinator. From 2004-09, he served as West Africa regional leader, still based in Cote d’Ivoire. Kathy became the regional events coordinator for West Africa, organizing large-scale meetings, mid-term conferences and training events.
From 2009 until their deaths, the Arnetts were theological education strategists for Africa. They were responsible for networking with seminaries worldwide and assisting national theological institutions in improving their effectiveness. They also taught at the Institute Baptiste pour la Formation Pastorale et Missionnaire in Côte d’Ivoire, in subjects such as evangelism, missiology, cultural anthropology and Baptist history.
JOYFUL RAPPORT
“What stands out to me about Randy and Kathy was their love for Africans and the exceptional rapport they had with them,” said Roger Haun, who served alongside the Arnetts in Africa. “This rapport came from the fact that Randy and Kathy were joyful people — always smiling, and Randy was often teasing and joking with people and always sharing in their lives.”
Haun, who now serves as director of IMB’s personnel service center in Richmond, and his wife, Sarah, knew the Arnetts for the duration of their careers as missionaries. They served together on leadership of the West Africa regional team, they lived as neighbors in Africa, and their children attended school together. The last time the Hauns were with the Arnetts in Africa was the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Baptist work in Cote d’Ivoire in August 2016.
“Many participants were marching about two miles from the nearby town to the seminary where the celebration was held,” Haun said. “Randy and Kathy were right there in the middle of it — singing and dancing the whole distance with the African participants under the hot African sun, rejoicing with their African brothers and sisters in Christ.”
INFLUENCE FOR GENERATIONS
Colleagues of the Arnetts have noted how their lives impacted the work of theological education strategy in Africa and around the world.
“Randy and Kathy were long-term missionaries who epitomized what being a missionary is,” said Chuck Lawless, who serves as team leader for theological education strategists for the IMB. “They were no longer North Americans taking the gospel to Africans. In some ways, they had become Africans taking the gospel to other Africans.”
“The Arnetts were theological trainers who knew well the importance of contextualizing our training approaches,” Lawless said. “We will miss them greatly, but their influence will continue for generations.”
LIFELONG LEARNING
In the preface to his doctoral dissertation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, which later became the book Pentecostalization: The Evolution of Baptists in Africa, Arnett wrote that he discovered through his study “that my missiology, birthed in the crucible of practice, holds up in the heat of academic inquiry. Indeed, I have adjusted and strengthened my thinking, but the foundation stands firm.”
“Many students begin their doctoral studies with a dissertation topic in mind. I did not. About two years into the program, I encountered a word in an obscure article that caught my attention —pentecostalization. The term captured that which I had observed among West African Baptists. Thus, the quest began, the quest of placing the pentecostalization of Baptists in the crucible of academic inquiry. And, it has been an insightful and enjoyable quest.”
Arnett added that “God called me to missions and gave the faculty of scholarship. My insatiable desire for understanding comes from Him. Thank you for your goodness and mercy that makes all this possible.”
The Arnetts are survived by two grown daughters, Bevin Wyrick and Jillian Cavness. Visitation is planned for Thursday, March 29, from 4-7 p.m. at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home in Springfield, Missouri. A memorial service is planned for Friday, March 30, at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Springfield with a graveside service to follow. The daughters plan to honor their parents by wearing African clothing to the funeral and invite others to also wear African clothing, if they feel led. |
APC Chieftain Blasts Ekweremadu for Criticising Buhari's Economic Policy | APC Chieftain Blasts Ekweremadu for Criticising Buhari’s Economic Policy
By Ignatius Okpara, Enugu
ENUGU, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A chieftain of the ruling All progressives congress APC from Enugu state and Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has decried Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu over his recent comments on President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged poor handling of the nation’s economy.
Ekweremadu, who also hails from Enugu state, had in his speech during the just concluded controversial Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Elective Convention held in Abuja last Saturday raised the alarm on Nigeria’s rising debt profile under President Buhari’s led federal government.
Reacting to the comment, via a press statement made available to African Examiner on Sunday in Enugu, Okechukwu sad:, “our debt profile is rising because of the profligacy of my brother Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) co-travellers, who squandered our patrimony raked during the oil boom era.
“I am surprised that Ekweremadu who allegedly diverted the money meant for Enugu-Port Harcourt major highway to his village road and a sundry matter has the effrontery today to query President Muhammadu Buhari for borrowing interest free interest Sukuk N100 billion loan to fix Enugu-Port Harcourt, Enugu-Onitsha major highways and similar highways projects across the Federation.”
On the Deputy Senate President’s argument that in the 16 years of PDP’s administration, Nigeria became the strongest economy in Africa, the VON DG said, “I am not here to discuss creative and phony accounting, which Mrs Ngozi Okonjo Iwuala posted to deceive our people.
“What am saying is that Buhari is borrowing to construct standard gauge railways, and other critical social and physical infrastructure. While the PDP government borrowed $8.3 billion for old gauge of about 1,400km Kano-Lagos, at the same time when the PDP borrowed – 2002-2005, the Chinese did Golmud-Lhasa standard gauge of higher altitude of 1,142km at $4.2 billion. This PDP in action.
“Please, kindly tell Ekweremadu that had they constructed the $23 billion 3 Greenfield Refineries which they awarded to the Chinese on May 13, 2010, Buhari won’t be borrowing to import refined petroleum products today. They should refund us siphoned public finance.”
Both Ekweemadu and Okechukwu are from same Enugu West Senatorial district of Enugu State.
In their reaction on behalf of Ekweremadu, a group operating under the platform of Enugu West Peoples Forum EWPF, described the allegation against the Senator as “mischief of a frustrated and redundant man.”
According to a statement issued by its National President and former Member of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr. Paul Anikwe, Mr. Okechukwu not only lacked understanding of the Appropriation Act and budget implementation, but was also venting his frustration over his redundancy in a moribund government media house.
The statement made available to newsmen in Enugu read thus : “Not only did no such thing ever happen, it is also impossible for Senator Ekweremadu to divert funds meant for one project to another because the power of virement belongs to the parliament on the request by the executive arm.
“But this allegation is not surprising coming from Mr. Okechukwu, who has been a self-appointed attack dog against Senator Ekweremadu and Igbo interest in order to curry favour from the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
“Sadly, all he has got for his efforts is an appointment as the DG of a moribund government media house which nobody listens to. He was never considered fit for Minister of Information, DG of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) or Board member of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“As a so-called APC chieftain, Okechukwu, our brother and Ekweremadu’s constituent, has never and will never be able to attract as little as a borehole to his hometown. Eke community depends on Ekweremadu for socio-economic amenities, not a loud mouth like him; and this is easily verifiable.
“As a politician, Osita Okechukwu has never and will never be able to win his polling booth, let alone a counsellorship position. He lost his polling both in the November 4, 2017 council election in Enugu in continuation of his losing streak and is therefore of no good use to his party or people.
“Ndigbo and Nigerians should disregard and indeed pity Okechukwu’s over his kindergarten propaganda as he is only trying to fill-in his redundant hours at VON”.the group stated.
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Man alleged to have Class B substance | A 24-year-old man has been reported to the procurator fiscal after he was allegedly found to be in possession of a class B substance.
This happened yesterday (Wednesday, June 14) on Kenilworth Crescent, Bearsden at 4.30pm. |
SMU Look, Season 3, Episode 7 | This week we go back in time to look at the history of the modern handbag and a crash course in the top trends for modern brides. Then, a sweet Chic & Charitable that will leave you and your taste buds smiling. And be sure to stay tuned for a look back at the evolution of the SMU Look brand.
Follow @SMUTV on Twitter! |
Crash knocked out power in Ludlow, driver arrested for OUI | LUDLOW, Mass. (WWLP) – Some Ludlow residents are without power Monday morning, after a car crashed into a utility pole after midnight. The driver of that car is now facing charges including operating under the influence of alcohol.
Ludlow Police Sgt. Daniel Valadas told 22News that Marcus Miller, 19, of Ludlow, was taken into custody following the crash, which took place at around 12:45 A.M. near 77 Poole Street.
Valadas said that residents of Poole Street, East Street, Moore Street, and other nearby streets lost power as a result of the crash. Eversource Energy and Verizon crews are working to restore power and phone service in the area, though Valadas said that there is no estimate as to when their work will be done.
Currently, only one lane of traffic is getting by at a time near the crash site, though Valadas said that school buses will not be able to get through and will have to be rerouted.
Miller is charged with OUI liquor, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, a marked lanes violation, and possession of an open container in a vehicle.
Valadas said that Miller was the only person inside the car at the time of the crash, and he did not suffer serious injuries. He said that Miller will likely be arraigned Monday in Palmer District Court. |
Fighting fans: Watch Aston Villa supporters come to blows at Wembley | Get Aston Villa FC updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
This is the shocking footage of Aston Villa fans fighting each other at Wembley as tempers boiled over after the defeat to Fulham.
The video above shows fans clashing in the stands as the reality of a doomed Championship campaign sank in.
As the video screen in the background screens the Fulham team climbing the steps to lift the Championship play-off trophy, the contrast of emotions was very evident as the ugly scenes erupted.
The video has been shared widely on social media after the game which saw Steve Bruce and his side resigned to another season in the second tier.
Tony's agony
Dr Tony Xia has again spoken out after Aston Villa's doomed promotion attempt and revealed he is still hurting after the Wembley defeat.
Speaking on Twitter, the owner admitted that everyone at the club is still coming to terms with falling short of their objective.
He stated: "Still hurting. Felt even more when you realize how much all ppl love the club, gaffer, the whole squad, including myself, have given everything but still didn’t achieve our target.
"Also very difficult to verify ppl showing their real personality and humanity at this tough moment."
It follows his message to Villa fans straight after the game in which he simply said: ""Gutted. Sorry for all fans for this difficult moment. Have to stay stronger. UTV"
The inquest into the failed campaign will now begin.
Gabby's gone
Outgoing Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has paid an emotional farewell following his departure.
After 13 professional seasons, 391 appearances and 87 goals Agbonlahor has left his boyhood club.
The 31-year-old forward’s last appearance in claret and blue came against Sheffield United on December 23 and he’ll now weigh up his options ahead of his next move.
Posting on Instagram, Agbonlahor wrote: “At school I had my doubters but I always said I would become a professional footballer.
“Thank you Aston Villa for making my dream come true!!! 17 years, 391 games, 87 goals for the team I’ve supported all my life is something I would never have dreamt of!!
“Thank you to the fans who have supported me all my career you have made me feel proud to put a Villa shirt on! And also to the staff and players I have had the privilege to work with. I will miss you all.
“It’s really severe” - Aston Villa and Tony Xia warned of the grim reality now facing them
“I look forward to watching the great young talent we have at the club and watching this special club get back to the where it belongs!
“The pleasure has been all mine, Aston Villa.”
Steve Bruce notified the Brummie striker of the club’s decision earlier this year with Agbonlahor making just six appearances in his final season at Villa Park.
Bruce said: “He’ll go with everybody’s blessings here. It’s maybe not gone so well for him over the last couple of years but he’s been a very good player for Villa.
“He’s Villa through and through and we shouldn’t forget that.”
Finance expert's opinion
A football finance expert says Aston Villa’s predicament is ‘really severe’ and has predicted sales this summer.
The claret and blues were resigned to a third successive season of Championship football with defeat to Fulham in the play-off final at Wembley.
Steve Bruce’s expensively-assembled squad is now expected to be broken up this summer as the club desperately attempt to stay within Financial Fair Play restrictions.
The club’s most valuable asset, Jack Grealish, is already being linked with a host of Premier League sides with Villa likely to sell at least one of their top players.
Kieran Maguire, a lecturer in football finance at the University of Liverpool, discussed Villa’s problems at length with the BBC.
Cash cuts
“It’s really severe for Villa because this is the second year they’ve had parachute payments. They got around £35million from the Premier League to cushion the blow of relegation.
“Those payments get cut back severely next year so they’re going to have £20million less coming in. I think the problem for Villa is that the owner has gambled in the last couple of years on recruiting players on big wages.
Colossal wage bill
“The average wage at Villa is nearly £30,000 a week and it’s simply not sustainable in the Championship.
“It’s going to be a very big summer. They’re going to have to sell the crown jewels, I suspect. The problem that they’re going to have is that other clubs know they’re in a financial pickle and they’ll be trying to get them on the cheap.
“If you take a look at their first season in the Championship, they were losing around £800,000 a week, and that was on parachute payments of around £40million.
“Next season it’s down to around about £15million so there’s got to be severe cutbacks. I’d be very surprised if John Terry stays because he would have been on a decent wage.
“Scott Hogan has been disappointing and I’ve seen his contract, and that’s eye-watering. Ross McCormack has been a disaster since day one.
“The problem is that no other clubs will go near these players. They might manage to get them out on loan and Villa will probably still have to pay 80 per cent of the wages just to get them away from the club.
Aston Villa transfer 'compulsory' regardless of division - says club chief
Decision time
"Then you have the owner, who’s based in China – he’s going to have to work out whether he continues to bankroll the club to the same extent.
“There’s a lot of alarm bells going round and that’s when the vultures start to crowd and pick off things on the cheap, and that will be the big shame for Villa because they do have some good players.
“If they want to play in the Premier League then fair play to them, but I think it’s whether or not they’ll be able to get a fair price for them which will be the big worry for Villa fans.” |
Hoosick Falls man pushes fish tank towards officers before arrest | HOOSICK FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The Hoosick Falls Police Department responded to a call of disturbance on Jackson Street in the village.
Upon arriving, the officers challenged the man who barricaded himself in an upstairs room.
Officers forced their way into the room were confronted by an intoxicated man, Michael Lohnes.
Lohnes then pushed a 20 gallon fish tank down the stairs toward the officers.
Officers were finally able to subdue Lohnes and arrested him with the charges of menacing and unlawful possession of marijuana. Additional charges are also pending.
Lohnes, 35 years old, was arraigned in village court. |
Draymond Green Exits Warriors vs. Spurs at Halftime Due to Midsection Injury | Chris Szagola/Associated Press
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green exited Monday's game against the San Antonio Spurs, the team announced.
NBC Sports Bay Area's Kerith Burke reported Green was suffering from a "midsection issue" (h/t Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area).
Green has not been susceptible to injuries throughout his career. The 28-year-old had never missed more than six games in a season prior to the 2017-18 season, though he's already sat out eight games to this point.
A three-time All-Star, Green remains a jack-of-all-trades for the Warriors. He is averaging 11.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game this season.
Jordan Bell is available to see increased playing time until Green can return to the lineup.
Green's injury does leave a significant void for the Warriors, especially with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson all battling injuries of their own. Golden State's main concern at this point is getting its stars healthy in time for the playoffs. |
The Secret Behind Jodie Comer’s Great Skin in ‘Killing Eve’ | Photo: BBC America/Sid Gentle Films Ltd 2018
In Killing Eve, Jodie Comer plays your average globe-trotting, extremely fashionable sociopathic assassin. Her character, Villanelle, serves as a foil to MI5 officer Eve Polastri, played brilliantly by Sandra Oh. Toward the beginning of season one, Polastri described Villanelle to a sketch artist. “Her skin is smooth and bright,” Polastri explained. It was an understatement.
Jodie Comer’s skin is magnificent. It’s not regular smooth, it’s glass smooth. Intrigued by this serial killer’s glorious skin, the Cut tracked down Comer’s skin-health consultant in London. Jasmina Vico worked with Comer during season one of Killing Eve, and is gearing up for season two. Known for her radiance-inducing facials, Vico talked with the Cut about her favorite glow-worthy products and why your skin needs a “detox” twice a week.
What’s your approach to skin care?
I combine holistic and high-tech treatments. I’m originally from Croatia, and I was trained by a dermatologist there in my early 20s. When I arrived to the U.K., people were doing spa treatments, but there weren’t any sort of in-between medical treatment places [skin clinics]. I got really excited once the lasers and other high-tech treatments gained popularity. That’s what I use in my treatments: All my treatments are bespoke, and that’s my philosophy in treating skin. There are no quick fixes. If you want to have good, healthy skin, then you need to be religious about it.
You’re known for the VicoGlow Treatment, and it’s the treatment Jodie Comer likes as well. Can you walk me through the facial?
VicoGlow was created because people always ask me about my skin and how I make it glow. The VicoGlow treatment is more about getting to know the client, so you can understand their lifestyle and their skin. I first have a really thorough consultation about their lifestyle to find out what’s going on. Then I get into the treatment.
The treatment includes everything from lasers, to LED lights, to peels. You can use lasers inside of the mouth that will plump the nasolabial fold. It’s a micro-injury that stimulates collagen production. The treatment might even include microneedling to help with hyperpigmentation. No treatment is exactly the same for anyone because your genetics and lifestyle influence your skin in different ways.
What’s your best advice for someone trying to achieve a glowy, radiant complexion?
Stay away from the sun; the sun kills collagen, so that’s going to damage your skin. Also, wear SPF. Use antioxidants and take omega-3, -9, magnesium, glutathione, and probiotic supplements. Your diet is important, too.
How so?
My approach is inside-out. Your gut is your second brain. If your gut is not healthy, your skin won’t be healthy either. Eat berries, watermelon, avocado, fish, seaweed … anything that will plump the skin. The idea is that you eat well and stick to alkaline foods, which give your skin a natural glow.
What kind of chemical peel do you recommend?
I sometimes do a mix of glycolic acid and salicylic acid peels, but nothing really aggressive. Peels are more to prepare the skin for the products used in the next step. I don’t believe in strong peels that destroy the skin to a level where it has that waxy, shiny glow. That’s not a healthy glow. If you overstrip the skin, it becomes sensitized and then you will have more problems after.
What are you favorite skin-care products?
I swear by SkinCeuticals, I’ve been using that brand for about 12 years and their vitamin C serum is one of the best on the market. I like La Roche-Posay’s cleansers; they are very well formulated and aren’t expensive. I also like the hyaluronic acids from either Dermaceutic or SkinCeuticals for skin hydration. In the evening, I recommend hyaluronic acid and sometimes Retin-A.
I recommend that two days a week you don’t use anything after you wash your face at night, because you want your skin to renew. If you constantly force-feed it, your skin doesn’t know what to do. It’s like a skin detox. Some people say “It’s dry, it’s dry,” but that’s because your skin is used to taking a product. This is not a product, but never wash your face in a shower because it’s hot and will dehydrate the skin. Sleep is also very important. Be happy!
This interview has been edited and condensed. |
Schoolgirl, 12, 'electrocuted after her phone fell in bath while she was charging it' | Share this article with Google Plus
Kseniya P, 12, was electrocuted in her bath after her phone fell in the water while she was charging it (Picture: east2west news)
A schoolgirl was ‘electrocuted in her bath’ after her phone fell in the water while she was charging it, police say.
Kseniya P, 12, had been listening to music while in the bath when her phone ran out of power.
No, that’s not cocaine on an iPhone in Spice Girls reunion photo
She plugged it in to charge in the bathroom but the phone with the cable attached fell into the water, according to a preliminary investigation.
She is reported to have died instantly.
Her distraught mother told police she had taken a bath after playing basketball after school.
Kseniya P, 12, had been listening to music while in the bath when her phone ran out of power. (Picture: east2west news)
Her mother was cooking an evening meal and become worried about Kseniya’s silence.
She went into the bathroom and found the girl ‘already dead with her head under the water’.
‘Dangerous’ fish finger advert pulled by Birds Eye after flood of complaints
The phone was floating in the bath.
She called emergency services and tried to resuscitate Kseniya but it was ‘too late’.
Kseniya was the only child in her family, living in Bolshoe Gryzlovo village in the Serpukhovsky district of Moscow region.
Her mother is PA to a senior company manager, and her father works as a driver.
Kseniya was the only child in her family, living in Bolshoe Gryzlovo village in the Serpukhovsky district of Moscow region. (Picture: east2west news)
Kseniya was keen on sports and a passionate dancer and skier.
Several wounded after gunman opens fire on busy street in Italy
Her dance school said today they were in ‘big grief’ over ‘the death of our beautiful star Kseniya who has died aged 12’.
A friend called Anna said it was a ‘terrible tragedy’.
Comments urged parents to ‘warn their children about the terrible risks of using phones in the bath’.
One comment read: ‘Don’t people know the basic rules of safety and explain them to their children?’
Another said: ‘How many times do we have to hear about such cases?
‘People prefer to to learn from their own mistakes, at the cost of their own lifes, and do not separate themselves their phones even in the bath…’
The case is being probed by Moscow regional Investigative Committee.
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Yili scraps deal for China Shengmu stake after regulatory deadline lapses | HONG KONG, April 28 China Shengmu Organic Milk Ltd said on Friday that a deal to sell a controlling stake to Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co Ltd was scrapped after it failed to get regulatory approval from Chinese authorities before a deadline last week.
Shares of China Shengmu fell as much as 13.3 percent to HK$1.69 on Friday morning, their lowest in nearly eight months. That compared with a 0.2 percent dip in the benchmark index .
China Shengmu, a raw milk producer, said last November that Yili would buy a 37 percent stake for $682 million to help secure supplies of raw milk. Yili, one of China's top dairy product makers, would then make a cash offer for all outstanding shares it did not already own at HK$2.25 each.
Yili told China Shengmu it had terminated the deal after not receiving approval from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce's Anti-Monopoly Bureau by an April 21 deadline, China Shengmu said. (Reporting by Donny Kwok; Editing by Edmund Klamann) |
Canada, U.S. grievances hidden by friendly words | U.S. President Donald Trump says the trade relationship with Canada will only be "tweaked." The trouble is a little tweak in America can be a powerful thump in Canada.
The pleasure-pain imbalance is so severe that sometimes the Americans don't even realize it hurts.
The statistics prove it. Only 18 per cent of America's foreign trade comes to Canada. Fully 76 per cent of Canada's goes to the U.S.
So, it's best not to get too euphoric over Monday's White House meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Genuinely encouraging as it was, real problems lie behind the friendly language.
Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose pointed out the Americans have major grievances with our beef imports and supply management in several areas of agriculture. There's also softwood lumber (that old thing).
Ambrose worries that Trump's aggressive deregulation and low-tax policy could make Canada uncompetitive. In that case, we could lose even if trade rules are untouched.
But she also had a kind word for Trudeau: "I've been on the record about some of the things Donald Trump has said about women."
"But this is a delicate situation here. I don't think it's going to help anyone in this country if the prime minister went to Washington and started a fight with the president."
Trudeau certainly didn't. His diplomatic performance, I thought, was masterful.
He didn't fawn over Trump, reach for his hand, look for an Obama style back-slap. The PM gave Trump no chance to offer a dismissive gesture. He kept a dignified emotional distance without being disrespectful.
Trudeau did a lot better, on balance, than British Prime Minister Theresa May, who almost started an uprising at home by casually inviting Trump for a visit.
Patrick Gossage, who was Pierre Trudeau's press secretary in the 1970s and 1980s, said, "(Justin) Trudeau's far too smart to have raised anything that would have annoyed Trump."
"He's well brought-up -- unlike his father, who would raise things with (Ronald) Reagan from time to time that Reagan did not like at all," Gossage told the CBC.
Reagan, who served as president from 1981 to 1989, once said after Trudeau urged him to press detente with Eastern Europe: "Damn it, Pierre, what do you want me to do?"
Trudeau needled earlier President Richard Nixon so artfully Nixon called him, in tapes released later, a "son of a bitch" and an "asshole." Trudeau rejoined: "I've been called worse things by better people."
NAFTA did not yet exist then. Now, trade is so vital that Justin Trudeau's key goal must be to protect it.
Both leaders made a great deal of the special relationship. If anything, Trump was more gracious than Trudeau. The president had no complaints about border security, trade irritants, or Canadian attitudes toward his many pronouncements.
He said to Trudeau, "On behalf of our country, it's an honour to be with you." At a joint press conference he called Canada "our great friend, neighbour and ally."
An event with female leaders, including TransAlta CEO Dawn Farrell, coincided with the announcement of a United States-Canada Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.
The four-page communique summing up the day is a symphony of mutual support on trade, energy, border security, international alliances (including NATO and NORAD), the fight against ISIS and much more.
Most promising of all was the civil, respectful, bluster-free greeting Trump extended to both Trudeau and Canada.
May these blessings endure.
dbraid@postmedia.com |
Saratoga Soil: June is the month for eggplant | One of my favorite plants to grow is eggplant. Not only are they incredibly beautiful, they are also incredibly versatile and nutritious. High in fiber, chock full of vitamins C, B1, B6, K, and a source of copper, magnesium, manganese, niacin and potassium.
Eggplants come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Japanese and Chinese varieties are usually long and narrow and can be lavender to deep, dark purple. Indian (sometimes call baby eggplant because they are so small) are reddish purple and are great in curry, stuffed or roasted. Some Thai eggplant are actually green when ripe. ‘Fairy Tale’ are very small, can fit in the palm of your hand, and are a beautiful purple and white striped. They are very tender and great for grilling. ‘Little Green’ has pale-green skin and is mild and very creamy when cooked.
Eggplant are easy to grow, even in containers. They grow best in a warm, sunny location with at least 6 or more hours of direct sunlight. They should be spaced about 24-36 inches apart.
They are upright growers, but will need support once they start fruiting to hold all the weight of the abundant fruit. When planting, mix in a good organic compost and some slow release fertilizer. With proper care and feeding, many varieties will keep producing well into the winter months – I have often served them with my Thanksgiving dinner.
This month in your garden
Check irrigation & mulch if you haven’t already inspected your irrigation system or put down that very important layer of mulch, it’s not too late. Do to it before the summer heat sets in.
Deadhead roses, salvias, dahlias, to encourage continual blooming. Remove spent buds from camellias, rhododendrons, and azaleas.
Control earwigs which feed on soft plants and can cause significant damage. Trap them by setting out moistened, tightly rolled newspaper at night and then discard it in the morning.
Fire Blight shows up in the spring. It causes blackened branches and twigs that look like they have been scorched. It often affects fruit trees such as apple, pear loquat, and quince; as well as toyons, hawthorns and crabapples. It is spread by insects, rain and pruning; if left unattended it can kill the tree. Prune the infected branch about 8-12 inches below the visible damage.
Prune suckers from rose bushes. It can be difficult to tell the difference between suckers and basal canes. They both shoot straight up with vigorous growth. Suckers grow from below the bud union, basal canes originate at the bud union and should be left on – they are the best wood on the plant.
Plant this month
By seed: arugula, beans, beets, Brussels sprouts, corn, cucumber, melons, summer and winter squash.
By transplant: arugula, basil, beans, beets, corn, cucumber, eggplant, melons, mint, peppers, summer and winter squash and tomatoes. Local nurseries should have a good supply of most of these.
Give back
Too much fruit? If you have an abundance of fruit and have already “over-shared” with you neighbors; contact Village Harvest. They offer volunteers that will pick your fruit and then donate it to a worthy food bank: villageharvest.org. |
6 Ways to Run Better, From Olympian Sanya Richards-Ross | Photo: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images
Last week, when a new study revealed that an hour of running could add up to seven hours to a person’s life, all we could think to ourselves was, “But is it even worth it?” Although it’s common knowledge that exercise and thus, running, is beneficial, it can be hard — particularly for those of us who are beginners and/or trying to get in shape after a winter of eating doughnuts while hibernating. Luckily, we chatted with Olympic-gold-medal-winning sprinter and Technogym brand ambassador Sanya Richards-Ross, who makes running look easy. Here are her best tips to help beginners get started and actually become decent runners.
Step One: Chill Out
One of the worst things a beginner runner can do is psych themselves out before they even get started, according to Richards-Ross. “The biggest thing, if you’ve never done any running before, is do not put too much pressure on yourself,” she explained. In other words, don’t come up with lofty goals for your first run — tell yourself that you’re probably not going to be able to run two miles without stopping, and decide to just take it easy at first. “You might want to go out and run for a little bit, jog for a little bit, to build up to those longer runs, because it does take time to be able to run like that,” Richards-Ross added.
Step Two: Find a Running Plan
Although the Olympian suggests that first-time runners should take it easy on their first jaunt, she also is a firm believer in following a running plan. For that, Richards-Ross recommends using a running app on your phone, which often come with personalized coaching plans and can help you pace and also record your progress in each run. There are a ton to choose from in your app store, but she recommends the Nike+ app. “It helps you set goals and it does encourage you,” she said. Beyond that, Richards-Ross recommends finding a plan that has you running intervals, rather than just going out for long distances at first, so you give yourself a short break to recover. “You might go out for 30 minutes, but break it up: do three 10 minute runs, or five 6 minute runs,” she said. “One of the keys for me is always taking, whatever amount of time you take to run, you take half of that time to walk or rest or recover.”
Step Three: Get the Right Shoes
There are a ton of different running shoes out there, but Richards-Ross says it’s important to find the right pair for you before you start running. The right pair, of course, depends on a ton of different factors like the width of your feet and what sort of running you’re hoping to do (e.g. long distance or sprinting), but for beginners, she recommends getting a pair that is cushion-y without being too light or too heavy. “One of my favorite running shoes is the Nike Pegasus because I feel like it’s the right amount of cushion but light enough that it’s not like an ankle weight,” she said.
Step Four: Run in Front of a Mirror
You need to run in place before you run any distance at all. Richard-Ross suggests doing what she calls “mirror drills” — running in place in front of a mirror — to make sure that you have proper form. Having your legs and arms swinging opposite is proper form, but on top of that, it’s important for your legs to actually hit 90 degrees, and for your arms to actually swing instead of hanging by your sides — a form adjustment that can stop your legs from feeling as weighty when you run. “If you swing your arms, your legs will come higher and spend less time on the ground, and become less clunky,” Richards-Ross said. “If you do it in the mirror so you can see, then you’re training your mind and body on how it should look.” You can practice mirror drills at home in front of your bedroom mirror, or if your gym has a mirror in front of the treadmill, you can practice that way as well.
Step Five: Remember to Breathe
When you’re finally out for a run, it’s important to do something that is also fundamental for living: You need to breathe. Yes, that which is vital for everyday functioning is also important for running. Richards-Ross notes that people who go for short sprints will want to breathe in and out of their noses, rather than their mouths, but if you’re going for a longer run, you should breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. And if you’re struggling to breathe properly, that might be a sign that you need to slow down or take a break. “One of the things my trainer always told me when I was going out for longer runs was, if I felt like I was starting to pant, I was going too fast,” she said. “So if you’re panting right away, slow down. You’re not ready to go that pace yet.”
Step Six: Don’t Only Run
Richards-Ross is known as a runner, but it’s not the only way she works out, the Olympian told the Cut. Instead, while she does run an impressive five days per week, she also lifts weights three or four days a week and does a lot of core work (through sit-ups). She also does pilates, which she calls “pre-hab,” in that it can help keep your muscles long and lean, in addition to aiding your flexibility and (also) keeping your core strong. Richards-Ross noted that running is probably the “best exercise you can do,” but that the additional workouts are important in keeping you strong as a runner. |
LG G6 picks up Oreo on Sprint and in the UK as T-Mobile resumes Oreo rollout for LG V30 | Android Oreo’s rollout has been painfully slow over the past few months, but lately, it’s finally been gaining some traction. LG has been pushing out Oreo to quite a few device variants in recent weeks and today, it’s heading out to three more.
The best gifts for Android users
After promising Oreo for the LG G6 earlier this year, the company started rolling out the update on Verizon a couple of weeks ago. Now, that rollout is expanding in the US with the Sprint variant of the phone. The update arrives with May’s security patch in tow and weighs in at a hefty 1.8GB (via GSMArena).
Along with that, users in the UK are reporting that Oreo is rolling out to the unlocked LG G6. There’s no mention yet of what’s changed outside of the usual, but the update does arrive with April’s security patch.
Finally, Android Oreo is also finally making its way to LG V30 users on T-Mobile. This rollout kicked off early this month, but was put on pause due to bug reports. Now, that update is resuming its rollout with April’s security patch.
Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news: |
BRIEF-OFS Capital Corp commences offering of 3,500,000 shares of common stock | Divide over listing location slows Aramco IPO - WSJ
June 14 Saudi Aramco's planned 2018 public share offering is being slowed down by a divide between Saudi Arabia's ruling family and executives of the kingdom's state oil company over where to list its shares, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. |
Moyes Gecko 155 with smaller A-frame | Moyes are making a version of their Gecko 155 hang glider with a smaller A-frame, to make ground-handling easier for smaller pilots.
The standard-size A frame has 1655 mm / 65” uprights and 1387 mm / 54” speed bar.
The smaller-size A frame has 1575 mm / 62” Uprights and 1270 mm / 50” speed bar.
The Gecko is Moyes’s intermediate hang glider. We reviewed it in issue 185 (sadly out of stock in print, but available digitally on Zinio). Richard Sheppard called it, “A lovely, lovely glider!”
moyes.com.au |
Broncos' Aqib Talib snatches gold chain off neck of Raiders' Michael Crabtree during game [Video] | Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib warned Oakland Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree not to wear a gold chain in front of him.
Crabtree didn’t listen. And this is what happened to him Sunday afternoon:
After an incomplete pass thrown in Crabtree’s direction during the first quarter, Talib seemed to give the Raiders receiver a little shove. Crabtree appeared to respond by bumping helmets with the Broncos cornerback, and that’s when Talib gave his opponent’s neckware a hard yank, which looks to have broken the piece of jewelry.
“He’s just been wearing that chain all year. It’s just been growing on me,” Talib said after the Broncos’ 24-6 victory. “I said if he wears that chain in front of me, I’m going to snatch it off. He wore it in front of me, so I had to snatch it off.”
The incident took place right in front of an official, but Talib was not flagged despite Crabtree's pleas.
“Are you hard? Are you tough? Does that make you tough? You’re snatching chains in front of the police and take off running,” Crabtree said of Talib after the game. “That was childish, man.”
Caption Breaking down the Rams' 22-21 loss to the 49ers The Rams blew a 14-point lead late in the fourth quarter to fall to the San Francisco 49ers, 22-21, for the second time this season. The Rams blew a 14-point lead late in the fourth quarter to fall to the San Francisco 49ers, 22-21, for the second time this season. Caption Breaking down the Rams' 22-21 loss to the 49ers The Rams blew a 14-point lead late in the fourth quarter to fall to the San Francisco 49ers, 22-21, for the second time this season. The Rams blew a 14-point lead late in the fourth quarter to fall to the San Francisco 49ers, 22-21, for the second time this season. Caption Doc Rivers discusses the Clippers' 119-102 win over Nuggets - - Caption J.J. Redick discusses the Clippers' 119-102 win over Nuggets - - Caption Circus catch of the year Sierra Canyon receiver JJ Hernandez Sierra Canyon receiver JJ Hernandez Caption St. John Bosco defeats De La Salle The St. John Bosco Braves win in frigid conditions. The St. John Bosco Braves win in frigid conditions.
charles.schilken@latimes.com
Twitter: @chewkiii |
Motorcyclist dead after crashing into ute at One Tree Hill | A MOTORCYCLIST has died after colliding with a Toyota Landcruiser ute at One Tree Hill.
Emergency services were called to the intersection of Jordan Ave and Black Top Rd after reports a car and motorcycle had crashed on Saturday, at 10am.
The 48-year-old motorbike rider from Mount Pleasant suffered serious injuries and, despite efforts by members of the public and paramedics, died at the scene.
The driver of the ute, a 64-year-old man from One Tree Hill, suffered minor injuries and was taken to the Lyell McEwin Hospital and assisting police.
Sergeant Sheldon Lovell of Major Crash said an initial investigation identified the motorcyclist had tried to overtake three cars, in an 80km zone.
“Initial investigation leads us to believe the motorcyclist was conducting a risky move, and as a result of that move he has collided with a rear of the utility,” Sgt Lovell said.
“The motorcyclists has overtaken a number of cars including the ute that was making a lawful right turn and, unfortunately, there is no room for error.
“This is just yet another motorcycle fatality we don’t need.”
Sgt Lovell pleaded with motorcyclists to take extra care on the roads, after this morning’s crash was recorded as the first motorcyclist death this year.
“Motorcyclists are vulnerable road users, they need to take extra care simply because they don’t have the protection other motorists have,” he said.
The man’s death takes SA’s road toll for 2018 to six.
There were five deaths over the same period in 2017.
Last week, The Advertiser revealed a State Government review recommended a series of reforms to curb the number of motorcyclists getting seriously or fatally injured on SA roads.
Proposed changes include banning teenagers from riding motorbikes before they turn 18, while scooter riders would be required to obtain a motorcycle licence
Despite several police operations and government safety campaigns, 24 motorcyclists died on the state’s roads last year — the worst in more than 23 years — compared with eight in 2016. Nine were aged under 30, with the youngest 17 and the oldest 73. |
Roybal, Pauls score in second as U.S. beats Canada to win record sixth WSHC | CHARLOTTETOWN — Brody Roybal and Josh Pauls scored under two minute apart in the second period as the United States edged Canada 3-2 on Saturday to win its fourth-straight World Sledge Hockey Challenge.
Josh Misiewicz opened the scoring in the first period for the U.S., which won the tournament for a record sixth time.
Tyler McGregor got the Canadians on the board with a power-play goal in the second period before Liam Hickey added another with the man advantage in the third.
“Anytime you put yourselves down three it’s tough to get back, especially against a team like that,” McGregor said. “We showed a bit of resilience trying to come back. We had a good third, but trying to come from behind the eight-ball like that is pretty tough.
“It’s frustrating because we know we’re better than that.”
It’s the fifth time that Canada has won silver at the World Sledge Hockey Challenge.
Steve Cash made 14 saves for the win in net as Dominic Larocque turned away 11-of-14 shots in defeat.
“Our guys made a valiant effort. Any chances we had, we either missed or Cash shut us down,” said Canada head coach, Ken Babey.
“We just got off to a flat start and turned too many pucks over early in the game. It’s a tough thing to do when you’re playing a U.S. team that has good speed and fire power.” |
Spotify Free: Users Will Get More Music On Mobile App | Spotify wants users to have access to more music at the free level for its mobile app.
The Spotify app is getting a major upgrade that many Spotify free users will appreciate.
On Tuesday, Spotify announced it is upgrading the Spotify free app to give users access to more music.
The music-streaming company is giving Spotify free customers access to certain features that were only available to those who subscribe to Spotify Premium. The Spotify upgrade will let users have on-demand access to popular Spotify-curated playlists and per personalized playlists such as Release Radar, Daily Mix and Discover Weekly that are based on your unique musical tastes. Previously, users could only listen to songs on shuffle if they were using the Spotify free version.
“Our customers always tell us that music discovery and listening is a personal experience, and we are enhancing the free experience with this in mind,” Babar Zafar, Vice President of Product Development said in a press release.
“This is not only about giving users a more customized free experience from the day they sign up, but giving them more control over their listening experience so they can easily find and stream their favorites anytime, from anywhere,” he added.
According to Spotify, users will have an overall better experience listening to and discovering new music on the free version of the app.
Spotify free: How to upgrade
Spotify has grown and become one of biggest and most popular music-streaming service since it was introduced in 2008. Currently, Spotify has approximately 90 million active free subscribers and around 71 paying subscribers. With the revamp of the mobile app and the addition of new features that will give music lovers new ways to discover music, Spotify hopes to increase the amount of Spotify Premium subscribers. Only time will tell.
To take advantage of the enhancements made to the Spotify app, simply check for the update in the App Store or Google Play. You’ll see the new features and have access to more music at the free level.
How much does Spotify Premium cost?
If you upgrade from the Spotify free version to Premium it will cost you $9.99 prt month. If you’re a student, Spotify Premium will cost $4.99. Spotify Family Premium will cost you $14.99 and lets you have up to five people under a single account. |
Canada's Loblaw profit beats estimates on lower expenses | Canadian grocery and pharmacy retailer Loblaw Cos Ltd (L.TO) reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as the company kept a tight lid on expenses and attracted more customers to its stores with discounts.
Loblaw, which sells everything from grocery to wireless mobile products, has been streamlining operations to counter intense competition from U.S. discount stores and ecommerce companies.
The company said last month it would sell its gas station business to asset manager Brookfield Business Partners LP (BBU_u.TO) for about C$540 million ($393 million).
Loblaw's revenue rose marginally to C$10.40 billion.
Sales at Loblaw's retail business rose slightly to $10.17 billion, but same-store sales were hurt by the timing of New Year's Day and Easter holidays.
Net earnings available to common shareholders rose to C$230 million, or 57 Canadian cents per share, in the first quarter ended March 25, from C$193 million, or 47 Canadian cents per share, a year earlier.
The latest quarter included a charge of C$134 million, while the year-ago quarter included a charge of C$145 million, primarily related to its acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart.
Excluding items, the company earned 90 Canadian cents per share, beating the average estimate of 87 Canadian cents.
(Reporting by Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty) |
What Is Excited Delirium And What Role Can It Play In Arrest Deaths? | SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Sacramento Police Department addressed some concerns Monday night before the police review commission, among them the topic “excited delirium.”
It’s an agitated state that could make an offender violent and could ultimately be fatal, which is why the department is training its officers to hopefully save lives.
One incident happened earlier this year near a drug store on Alhambra Boulevard.
Investigators said 34-year-old Johnny Hernandez exhibited signs of excited delirium when he tried to run from police.
He was subdued with batons and a tasered; his mother claims officers almost killed him.
“It could’ve given him a heart attack and all of that was unnecessary. It was excessive, excessive force,” said Debbie Hernandez.
Sacramento Police addressed the issue of excited delirium to the police commission saying those who exhibit signs appear to have super human strength.
“All these non-lethal things used on these subjects that we are dealing with, they’re not feeling any pain,” said Deputy Chief Ken Bernard.
“We’ll see people who are beginning to disrobe, profusely sweating, acting erratically. These are kind of signs that we train our officers to look for,” added Detective Eddie Macaulay.
He said officers have been trained not just to see the signs, but how to react.
“To get that person in custody to get them to the medical attention that could potentially save their life,” he said.
The department says excited delirium is related to one in-custody death on average a year.
It causes the internal temperature of the body to rise well above 103 degrees at times, which then leads to cardiac arrest.
While it was never confirmed that Johnny suffered from excited delirium that day, Debbie Hernandez said her son did suffer brain damage and was hospitalized for three months. She believes officers should’ve known better.
“It breaks my heart. It really does. He’s going through it so bad,” she said. |
California officials warn of spike in cases of valley fever | State health officials are warning of a spike in cases of valley fever.The California Department of Public Health says it received reports of more than 5,300 cases of the illness in 2016.A reason for the increase isn't known, but officials believe changes in testing, diagnosis and reporting patterns have had an impact.People infected with valley fever may have flu-like symptoms.It is prevalent in arid regions and can be contracted by breathing in fungus-laced spores from dust. |
Actors brought in to help Rotherham tenants tackle anti-social behaviour | Rotherham Council wants tenants and leaseholders to have more say in shaping services and improving neighbourhoods, and will make this a theme at an upcoming conference.
Getting tenants more involved in the effects of benefits changes such as Universal Credit and tackling anti-social behaviour, will be key issues too at this year’s tenants’ conference on July 5.
Further focus will be placed on home maintenance, understanding how the repairs service works and how to make informed choices about credit and energy switching.
The event at the New York Stadium from 10am to 3pm provides an opportunity to find out how the local Council housing and neighbourhood service is performing.
For the first time a theatre company will take centre stage to act out scenarios regarding anti- social behaviour and providing a basis for discussion about recognising and dealing with communities’ concerns.
Local community groups will give a short presentation on becoming a group, how to get involved, and will share their own experiences.
Coun Dominick Beck said: “We want this year’s conference to be the best yet. There will be hopefully be something of interest to everyone and we are excited to welcome a theatre company for the first time which will add a new dimension and help focus discussions around tackling anti-social behaviour.
“As always there will be a number of stalls offering advice, information and guidance so we hope tenants will take this opportunity to get a range of tenancy related information all under one roof. To book a place call 01709 822786 or e-mail customerinvolvement@rotherfed.gov.uk.”
The event, run in conjunction with RotherFed, includes an awards ceremony. |
Greeks Promised Economic Boost Despair of Seeing Debt Deal | Across the country in places like Corinth, an industrial hub about 80 kilometers west of Athens, Greeks have spent years treading water as news bulletins bombard them daily with reports of meetings and decisions in Brussels and Frankfurt that will determine their economic future. In the meantime, as the ECB's stimulus measures -- including its asset-purchase program -- buoy the rest of the euro-area economy, Greece's output has been stagnant, leaving its people the most pessimistic in the region.
Yet the ECB remains unlikely to include Greek bonds in its QE program in the foreseeable future, according to a person familiar with the matter. That's because a meeting on Thursday of euro-area finance ministers, whose electorates are leery of debt relief, looks like delivering another fudge. There may be agreement to disburse more bailout loans but without easing repayment terms enough to satisfy the ECB and International Monetary Fund.
That would leave Tsipras high and dry. The debt has acted as a brake on growth at a time when Greeks should have the chance to rebuild their lives, he wrote in an article published in Le Monde and Die Welt on Wednesday.
See also this article on a greater-than-60% spike in foreign buying of Greek properties. |
£350k National Lottery prize goes unclaimed | Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe See our privacy notice Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
National Lottery players have been urged to double check their Lotto tickets.
It comes as a 'life-changing' £350k prize remains unclaimed.
And time is running out for the winner to collect their winnings with just a month left before the winnings are withdrawn.
The search is on to find the owner of the winning ticket who matched their five numbers in the Lotto HotPicks ‘Pick 5’ game* with five of the six main numbers from the Lotto draw on Saturday 3 February 2018. The winning Lotto numbers on that date were 8, 26, 27, 29, 49 and 58.
Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at The National Lottery said, “Time is fast running out for the winner of this prize, but we are still hopeful that someone will come forward at the very last minute to claim the money.
“We’re urging everyone to check their old tickets one final time or look anywhere a missing Lotto HotPicks ticket could be hiding. This life-changing prize could really help to make dreams become a reality for someone out there.”
The Lotto HotPicks ticket bought in the West Lothian area in Scotland, the Daily Record reports.
The winnings - the highest available on the on the Lotto HotPicks game - must be claimed by August 2.
If no-one comes forward with the winning ticket before the prize claim deadline, then the prize money, plus all the interest it has generated, will go to help National Lottery-funded projects across the UK. |
Iowa State QB Park takes leave from team for medical reasons | Iowa State quarterback Jacob Park will not play against No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday for undisclosed medical reasons.
The school announced Friday that Park is taking a leave from the team to work through personal health issues. He remains a member of the squad.
Iowa State coach Matt Campbell is not certain of a timeline for Park’s return, and said he cannot discuss issue. Campbell said Iowa State is focused on “supporting one another in difficult times.”
Park has completed 62 per cent of his passes and has nine touchdown passes and five interceptions this season. |
Commentary: Inside Trump's Middle East mess | By Amir Handjani
June 14 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump´s attempt to bring peace and stability to the Middle East has backfired. He has put a major U.S. ally, Qatar, in a geopolitical crisis and damaged his cabinet´s efforts to calm regional tensions.
Trump´s recent trip to the area was intended to bring together like-minded Arab states and Israel to hold the line against Iran. That effort has instead divided longstanding American allies.
Soon after Trump left the region, several Arab states led by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates severed diplomatic ties with Qatar, a key enabler of regional U.S. military operations. One of the primary reasons for this rebuke was Qatar's refusal to buy into the narrative that Iran must be isolated from its neighbors.
Qatar has reasons for taking a more pragmatic approach with Iran. The source of Qatari wealth is a shared gas field with its neighbor. The North Dome field ("South Pars" to the Iranians) is the largest gas reservoir in the world. None of Qatar´s Arab neighbors´ economic fortunes are so deeply tied to their relationships with Iran.
By not leaving diplomatic space for Iran and its Arab neighbors to manage their differences, Trump has set the United States alongside the House of Saud on a collision course with Iran´s Shi´ite regime. This is what the Obama administration tried to avoid (with little success) by concluding the nuclear deal with Tehran and trying to lighten Washington´s footprint in the Gulf. It seems lost on Trump that other Arab states like Oman and Kuwait also have pragmatic working relationships with Tehran that could prove as useful to this administration as they did for President Obama, who was able to consult with the Sultan of Oman at the start of Washington´s nuclear negotiations with Iran.
Trump´s "new" approach is a repackaging of an old idea: that isolating and chastising Iran will produce peace and security for Washington´s allies. And yet the Trump administration has promised to sell more military hardware to Saudi Arabia - a country that has exported the most intolerant form of Sunni Islam around the world. The state-sponsored hard-line Wahhabism promulgated from Riyadh has provided the ideological foundation for groups such as IS and al Qaeda.
The recent Islamic State attacks in Tehran have shown that Iran is also a target of the violence that has struck European cities like Paris, Manchester and London. But Trump seems to have little appetite for the nuances and subtleties that previous presidents struggle with as they formulate policy out of often-competing interests.
More sophisticated weaponry from Washington will not make Tehran cower. It will have the opposite effect by pushing Tehran to accelerate its ballistic missile program while spending only a fraction of what U.S. allies do on defense. It also presents Russia and China with an opportunity to further fuel a regional arms race by selling armaments to Tehran.
Furthermore, Iran´s power extends beyond its borders to Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Tehran´s armed forces are tested and battle hardened. The Saudis, meanwhile, are still struggling to defeat Houthi rebels in Yemen after two years of airstrikes. It is no coincidence that four of the top five countries of origin for IS´s recruits are also Washington´s top Sunni-majority military partners in the Middle East. Trump seems oblivious to this when crafting his order to ban travelers from six predominantly Muslim nations.
Trump´s embrace of the Saudi narrative will also have terrible consequences for U.S. operations in Shia-led Iraq. It is no secret that Iranian-backed militias are on the ground fighting IS, nor that Tehran has great influence in Baghdad. Trump´s bellicose rhetoric could fracture this fragile coalition and further alienate Shi´ites in other parts of the Middle East.
The irony for Trump is that he needs Iran and its Arab neighbors to work together in finding holistic solutions for the sectarian wars that have enflamed the region. Washington can´t impose its will on Tehran without a military confrontation. Trump has promised to bring peace and security to Washington´s Arab partners and to put an end to the Arab/Israeli conflict. Antagonizing Iran and taking actions that embolden regional countries to isolate one another is a recipe for more chaos - not solutions. (Reporting by Amir Handjani) |
Devotion: The Word is Working | Malawi 24 | Acts 19:20 “So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.”
The Word of God is living and active (Heb 4:12) and one of the characteristics of a living thing is ability to grow. The Word can be grown and as the Word grows, it dominates and prevails over all circumstances in life. Study and meditation of the Word grows that Word in you.
Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Be rich in Word.
That would change everything in you. That would change you make you a sure success because the Word will prevail over every weakness and any failures.
Joshua 1:7-8 “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Psalm 1:2-3 “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”
Proverbs 4:20-22 “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.”
Confession
The Word is working and prevailing in my life and circumstances. The Word makes me a success. In Jesus name. Amen
Contacts +265888326247 , +265 881 28 35 24, +265997 53 80 98 |
Facebook's security chief to depart, source says | By Joseph Menn
March 19 (Reuters) - Facebook chief information security officer Alex Stamos is leaving the company in August, a source said on Monday, and a report cited internal disagreements over how the social network should deal with its role in spreading disinformation.
The social media company has already taken away Stamos' responsibilities to counter government-sponsored disinformation, the source said.
Not denying his exit, Stamos tweeted that his role at the company did change, but he was still fully engaged with work at Facebook.
Facebook could not be immediately reached for comment.
The New York Times first reported his departure from the company.
Inside Facebook, Stamos had been strongly advocating for investigating and disclosing Russian activity on the social media platform, often to the consternation of top executives, including Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, the newspaper said.
Stamos' responsibilities were reassigned in December after which Stamos said he would leave the company, the Times said.
Stamos was persuaded to stay through August to oversee the transition of his duties because company executives thought his exit would look bad, it said, citing current and former employees.
Facebook's reputation is already under attack over Russia's alleged use of Facebook tools to sway U.S. voters with divisive and false news posts before and after the 2016 election.
The company is under fresh scrutiny after media reports that political consultancy Cambridge Analytica harvested private information from more than 50 million Facebook users in developing techniques to support President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign.
(Reporting by Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru and Joseph Menn in San Francisco; Editing by Richard Chang and Cynthia Osterman) |
Harsh Vardhan Inaugurates Bioresources Development Centre in Aizawl | Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan laid the foundation stone of the Mizoram Bioresources Development Centre at Aizawl and inaugurated the Advanced State Level Biotech Hub at Mizoram University on Tuesday.
Congratulating Mizoram University for being accorded “A grade” under NAAC assessment and receiving 51st Rank under NIRF, Vardhan said in a facebook post said that he was greatly impressed with the facilities in the Biotechnology department of Mizoram University. He mentioned that there are various projects and schemes of DBT in Mizoram including a pressing need for establishing centre for diagnosis of infectious disease prevalent in the state.
Expressing his delight, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that his first visit to Mizoram as a Union Minister made him feel connected to mother nature. “I went here attracted by the rich biodiversity of the region, it’s beautiful cultural heritage, it’s hard working people, all have attracted me to the region and motivated me to serve the people of this region more enthusiastically and truthfully,” he added in the post. |
Person released from car following smash | A motorist had to be cut free from a car following a collision in Kelbrook on New Year’s Day.
A fire engine from Bacup and Barnoldswick attended the accident in Colne Road at 5-50pm.
Firefighters helped release one casualty from a car and administered first aid before the person was taken to hospital by paramedics. |
Bruno Mars Releases ‘Versace on the Floor’ Video Starring Zendaya | By Jon Wiederhorn
Last week, Donatella Versace posted a video for Bruno Mars’ “Versace on the Floor,” which featured a whole bunch of glamorous models. Now, Mars has released his own video for the song, which stars Zendaya.
Related: Donatella Versace Toasts Bruno Mars with Model Filled Video
Mars is shot in low light as sensual colors swirl around him. And in separate images, Zendaya looks stunning in a glittery, silver dress. Of course, both artists are wearing Versace, but considering how nice Zendaya’s outfit is, it probably should have wound up on a hanger instead of on the floor. |
The Worlds Most Popular Rugby League Website | sally cinnamon wrote: Maybe that's an idea.
If Karl Fitzpatrick writes an open letter to Warrington fans like Hetherington's, assuring them that there will be "no wholesale changes", backing the coach, and reminding them of the success over the last decade, will that be received well by Warrington fans?
Go on I'll bite.Firstly you suggested open letters were futile, then when reminded Hetherington used them, you moved the argument to suggest that Kirkpatrick write the same letter as Hetherington.Sadly Kirkpatrick would not be able to write a letter referencing a previous treble winning season and 6 GF wins in said last decade.Maybe he could write a communication to the fans to acknowledge the situation and to reassure us that a plan is in hand.Or are you putting forward the idea that open fan communication is a bad idea in it's entirety? That would put you at odds with other well respected administrators such as Draper. They could also use the first page of the match day programme to sell advertising instead of a message to the fans.The letter may get the message through to those fans for which anything other than carrying Smith on a litter, fanning him and reminiscing about 2009-2012 and putting fingers in ears and going "la la la la la" when we talk about the 5 seasons since would look like high treason. |
LOL! Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Cast Plays "Guess the Guardian" | Speaking of families, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Star-Lord finally meets his father, Ego (Russell). Adding him to the ensemble was a casting coup. "It was one of those things where I said, 'Let's shoot for the stars. Let's get, like, Kurt Russell or something. Since he probably wouldn't do it, who could we actually get?'" Pratt recalled, adding that his mind was blown when the living legend agreed to play the part. Russell, pretending to share a spoiler, said he was game for whatever: "When I read the script, I'm only in it for about 15 seconds and I die."
After a big laugh, Russell joked, "Oh, I shouldn't have said that!"
Keeping secrets can be tricky. So Kimmel, who'd screened the film before taping Monday's episode, asked, "For instance, can I say Sylvester Stallone was in the movie? Is that OK to say?" |
LeBron James Has Perfect Message For People Tired Of Cavs-Warriors Matchup | For four straight summers now, the NBA season has concluded with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers battling the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
After both the Cavs and Warriors dispatched of their conference finals opponent in seven games, the NBA world let out an almost collective sigh at the prospect of watching the two teams once again battle in the Finals.
During Wednesday’s media day, James was asked about the possibility of teams, the league and fans being fatigued by Cavs-Warriors.
And his answer was spot-on.
"If you want to see somebody else in the [Finals], then you gotta beat them." LeBron weighs in on @cavs vs. @warriors for the fourth straight year in the #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/vHKqQlVIM5 — NBA TV (@NBATV) May 30, 2018
James and the Cavs were pushed to seven games by both the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics during this postseason run, while the Warriors had to win Game 7 of the Western Conference finals in Houston to beat the Rockets and set up Cavs-Warriors IV.
Both teams have had their challenges over the past four seasons, but despite Cleveland’s roster turnover and Golden State’s apparent complacency, James and the Warriors once again will battle for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images |
Cal Bears end skid one short of school record | BERKELEY — Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said a few kind words to Cal center Kingsley Okoroh before their game Saturday and lived to regret it.
“I congratulated him for all the work he’s put in,” Tinkle said. “I probably should have kept my mouth shut.”
Okoroh played perhaps the best game of his career, scoring 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds for his first career double-double, and the Golden Bears ended the second-longest losing streak in program history with a 74-70 win over the Beavers.
The Bears had lost nine straight games, one short of the record set in 1961-62.
Okoroh, a senior from England, made six straight free throws in the final six minutes to help secure the win. A 54-percent career free throw shooter, Okoroh finished 12 of 14 from the line. He also had five blocked shots.
Cal (8-16, 2-9) made just 9 of 20 free throws in a loss to Oregon on Thursday, but converted 29 of 39 against OSU.
“Coach made us shoot free throws for 30 minutes straight (Friday in practice). It paid off,” Okoroh said.
He said he and his teammates did not concern themselves with the possibility of making the wrong kind of history.
“I didn’t pay any attention to that,” Okoroh said. “We’ve just been preaching positive energy and we’ve competed in all the games. It felt good.”
First-year coach Wyking Jones was relieved.
“To say we needed that one is an understatement,” he said. “I’m just very happy for our guys. Throughout all the losses, throughout all the tough breaks, they’ve been able to continue to fight and continue to stay together.”
The Beavers (11-11, 3-7) lost for the fourth straight game and the sixth time in seven outings. They have dropped 19 straight road games over the past two seasons.
OSU led by 10 points early, but Tinkle said players got away from what was working.
“It is frustrating, but we’ve got to stay positive,” Tinkle said. “Toughness and discipline wins on the road, and we’ve got to continue to establish that.”
Darius McNeill scored 16 points for Cal, and Marcus Lee had 14.
OSU’s Stephen Thompson Jr. scored 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting. Tres Tinkle added 19 points, making 10 of 10 from the foul line.
BIG PICTURE
Cal: The Bears are hoping to avoid setting a program record for most losses in a season. The 1978-79 team was 6-21, and the only other Cal team to suffer 20 defeats was the 1986-87 squad, which finished 9-20.
• Oregon State has lost 11 of its past 12 against Cal and has not beaten the Bears in Berkeley since Jan. 22, 2009.
• Justice Sueing, Cal’s leading scorer in Pac-12 games at 17.7 points per game entering play Saturday, picked up two quick fouls and was on the floor for just six minutes in the first half. But he finished with 11 points and has scored double figures in all 11 conference games.
UP NEXT
Cal plays at Colorado on Wednesday. |
National Book Awards add translation category | NEW YORK (AP) — Starting this fall, works in translation will get a spotlight at the National Book Awards.
The National Book Foundation announced Wednesday that it has started a category for best translated literature, awarding a work of fiction or nonfiction translated into English and released in the U.S. The new prize should provide a boost for authors from overseas who have struggled to catch on in the U.S.
The National Book Awards for decades had four competitive categories: fiction, nonfiction, young people's literature and poetry. The foundation also gives out two honorary prizes at the annual November ceremony. |
The Latest: Evacuation order issued for incoming storm | LOS ANGELES — The Latest on a strong Pacific storm headed toward California (all times local):
5:30 p.m.
Evacuations have been ordered or recommended in a Southern California county because of an approaching storm that could bring enough rain to trigger mudslides and rock falls.
Santa Barbara County issued a mandatory evacuation order affecting about 30,000 people, including the community of Montecito, where 21 people were killed by a massive mudslide in January.
The evacuation order says residents should be out of the areas affected by noon Tuesday. Residents won't be forcibly removed if they choose to stay.
The National Weather Service says the strong Pacific storm has the potential to bring the highest rainfall totals of the season to some parts of southwest California.
The so-called atmospheric river is expected arrive Tuesday and last through Thursday night.
___
6:30 a.m.
A strong Pacific storm tapping into subtropical moisture is taking aim at California, raising the threat of flash flooding and debris flows.
The National Weather Service says the system has the potential to bring the highest rainfall totals of the season to some parts of southwest California.
The so-called atmospheric river is expected arrive Tuesday and last through Thursday night.
Santa Barbara County has issued pre-evacuation advisory for communities near areas burned by four recent wildfires. |
A Mardi Gras driving guide to help you navigate the streets of New Orleans this Fat Tuesday | Every year, I tweak and repost this article for those of you who can’t be with us in New Orleans for the joys and pains of Fat Tuesday. More sober posts tomorrow!
* * * * *
Across most of the U.S., today is a workday, a Tuesday. In New Orleans, however, and in a few other lucky cities like Mobile, Alabama, it is Fat Tuesday — literally translated, “Mardi Gras”. It’s the climax of the Carnival season, which begins every year on January 6 and ends 47 days before Easter.
Mardi Gras is a day of indulgence, food, friends, and, of course, drinking. In New Orleans — home to one of your friendly Gaywheels staffers — locals hang up their keys and leave the driving to the police, the float-pullers, and the tourists who have to be back in their cubicles on Ash Wednesday.
If you’re in that last group, or if you’re simply curious to know what all the hubbub’s about, here’s our handy-dandy Mardi Gras driving guide, which notes some of the sights and obstacles that foolhardy motorists will face across the Crescent City today. (Click on one of the highlighted areas to get the full scoop):
View Mardi Gras driving guide in a larger map
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Courtney Pieters' alleged killer sent to high court for trial | The man accused of murdering three-year-old Courtney Pieters from Elsies River will make his next appearance in the high court in Cape Town.
Mortimer Saunders‚ Courtney’s father’s best friend‚ allegedly raped and murdered her in May.
He appeared in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court on Friday morning‚ when the case was transferred to the high court.
The pre-trial hearing will take place next month and the trial will begin in February.
Courtney’s story shocked the nation and prompted a visit by President Jacob Zuma‚ who said it was one of the saddest things he had ever heard.
“That man who stays here can rape the child‚ kill the children in the bedroom … and break every bone to make the child fit in a plastic bag … It shows something has gone wrong with society‚” Zuma said.
Courtney is one of more than 60 children killed in Cape Town this year. |
WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Burn ban ending | If you enter, post a pic of your creation too - will be interesting to see how these turn out! ... See MoreSee Less BE A BUILDER! First-ever West Seattle Gingerbread House Contest westseattleblog.com Got some spare time this weekend (maybe between cheering for the Sounders today and cheering for the Seahawks tomorrow)? Consider planning a gingerbread house to enter in this first-ever community contest announced by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society: Come join with us in celebrating the war...
6:09 PM UPDATE: No injuries reported. But SW Holden is blocked east of 16th SW because of the big response.
EARLIER: Big response headed to a fire reported on the exterior of a house in Highland Park. We're updating at this link on WSB: westseattleblog.com/2017/12/seattle-fire-full-response-in-highland-park/ ... See MoreSee Less Photo |
McDonald’s has made its first ever vegan burger and it’s making waves on the internet | McDonald’s has released a meatless burger.
The ingredients? A 100% vegetable based hamburger, consisting of a soybean steak, salad and vegan McFeast dressing. The name? The McVegan of course.
(McDonald’s)
However, if it’s successful the McVegan could be rolled out further afield – and the Finns appear to be big fans.
Hello, my name is McVegan! ? #mcvegan #lihatonlokakuu #sipsikaljavegaani A post shared by Taru R (@trmao) on Oct 5, 2017 at 12:28am PDT
Meanwhile, others from outside Finland seem to like the idea too.
If the ‘mcvegan’ burger actually happens I’m ready to put on 8 stone. — EV (@EvieMccol) October 6, 2017
For all the positive reviews though, there are of course some naysayers as well.
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Although, in fairness, it doesn’t appear they’ve tried the burger.
The only reason I'd get a McVegan is if I'm twisted beyond belief at 3am and there's literally no other options — Captain ? (@SolarPapi) October 6, 2017
McDonald’s is testing out a vegan burger called the Mcvegan. That’s a hell Mcno from me. — Tonya (@tonyamiller04) October 6, 2017
From the reaction it’s getting, don’t be surprised to see a meatless burger in a McDonald’s near you in the not too distant future.
And hey, if not and you want one desperately, get to Finland. Like as soon as possible. |
UBTH lost 5months to strike - CMD | UBTH lost 5months to strike – CMD
The Chief Medical Director (CMD),University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Prof. Michael Ibadin, on Monday said industrial actions disrupted medical activities in the hospital for a cumulative period of five months in 2016. Ibadin disclosed this during interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Benin.
This post was syndicated from The NEWS. Click here to read the full text on the original website.
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Giant flying turkey once roamed Australia | South Australia-A giant, flying turkey as tall as a kangaroo once roamed Australia, palaeontologists said Wednesday, after an analysis of fossils and bones from around the country revealed five extinct bird species.
A team from Flinders University in South Australia said they were all chunky relatives of today’s malleefowl and brush-turkeys. The megapode birds lived during the Pleistocene era, between 1.6 million and 10,000 years ago, alongside other giant Australian animals like diprotodons, marsupial lions and short-faced kangaroos.
Scientists had initially thought the fossils, first found in the 1880s, represented a single ancient bird, but fresh examination has led them to conclude they belong to five different species. Among them was a turkey weighing up to eight kilograms (17 pounds) and standing taller than a grey kangaroo, which can reach 1.3 metres (4ft 3ins) - four times the size of modern fowl. “These discoveries are quite remarkable because they tell us that more than half of Australia’s megapodes went extinct during the Pleistocene, and we didn’t even realise it until now,” said researcher Elen Shute.
“We compared the fossils described in the 1880s and the 1970s with specimens discovered more recently, and with the benefit of new fossils, differences between species became really clear.” The newly found birds fall into two categories - “tall turkeys” that had long, slender legs, and “nuggetty chickens” that had short legs and broad bodies.
Unlike many large extinct birds, such as dodos, these megapodes were not flightless.
While big and bulky, their long, strong wing bones showed they could all fly, and probably roosted in trees, unlike their modern ground-dwelling cousins which build mounds to incubate their eggs.
Two of the new species come from the Thylacoleo Caves beneath Australia’s vast Nullarbor Plain, which have proved a treasure trove since they were discovered 15 years ago.
“So far the Thylacoleo Caves have yielded seven new species of kangaroo, a frog, two giant ground-cuckoos, and now two new megapodes,” said Flinders professor Gavin Prideaux.
“The closer we look, the more we keep finding.” |
Learners petition to have bail denied to two murder-accused | Learners from at least eight Windhoek schools, and some community members, signed a petition, calling for the accused killers of a teenager, to be denied bail.
Twenty-one-year-old Moses Phillipus, and 26-year old Lucas Sam, stand accused of murdering 16-year-old Megameno Kamwangha at Wanaheda, in November 2016.
Phillipus and Sam allegedly stabbed the teenager, who was trying to defend a vulnerable student, who was being robbed by the two. |
Trending @ 10: Starbucks Introducing UNICORN Frappucino This Week! | This is the most basic thing I have ever said, but I can’t help myself because today’s Trending @ 10 is just SO PRETTY.
I want Starbucks’ new UNICORN Frappuccino just so I can take cool Instagram pictures with it!
I mean, take a look at this thing!!
It is pretty incredible looking, right?! The blue, pink and purple tie-dyed frappuccino with the same colored sprinkles on top of that delicious looking whipped cream…I mean it’s almost too pretty to drink!
Honestly, I don’t even know what flavors all those colors are. Is there even any coffee in this thing? I couldn’t tell you. I just know that it’s pretty and I want it.
Comes out on Wednesday! Get ready to feel magical! More details here! |
UCCS selects Marc Pino as new police chief | COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Police Department has a new police chief.
Following a regional search, Interim Chief of Police Marc Pino will lead UCCS as its full-time chief effective July 1.
Pino’s appointment was announced by Susan Szpyrka, senior vice chancellor of Administration and Finance, on June 13.
“After extensive consultation with Chancellor Reddy, other campus leaders, as well as department members and campus constituents, Marc Pino will lead the UCCS Police Department,” Szpyrka said. “He will build on a proven track record of leadership, respect and community-based police work.”
Pino was named interim police chief in August 2016 following the resignation of Brian McPike.
Before serving as interim chief, Pinio was a police lieutenant, sergeant and corporal. He joined UCCS police as an officer in 2005, and in 2016 he received the UCCS Garrett Swasey Outstanding Staff Award.
Pino also earned a bachelor’s degree from UCCS and will soon earn his master’s degree in the School of Public Affairs.
“I am excited by the opportunity to continue to serve this campus,” Pino said. “I am privileged to work directly with the outstanding men and women of the UCCS Police Department, the UCCS community, and our regional law enforcement partners.” |
Call for Submissions: The World’s Tiniest Zine Fair 2018 | We want your tiny zines! All zines A6 or smaller are welcome, find the submission form here: https://goo.gl/Y6R14i.
Send your zines through by the 9th of Feb!
You can make new tiny zines or miniaturise existing ones, we can’t wait to see what everyone submits!
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Pa. hospital loses bid to get additional $5 million in Medicare reimbursement | WILLIAMSPORT - The Williamsport Regional Medical has lost its court bid to receive an additional $5 million in Medicare reimbursement for the fiscal year that ended last Sept. 30.
That is the effect of a Thursday ruling by U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann dismissing the hospital's suit against three federal agencies and three of their officials.
The decision will not have a lasting financial effect because the federal government in October approved for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 what the litigation sought to accomplish.
The hospital, part of UPMC Susquehanna Health, filed suit last March after its request to be reclassified from the State College to the Bloomsburg-Berwick core-based statistical area was denied.
The denial was a violation of the Administrative Procedure and Medicare acts and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, the suit contended.
At issue was the wage index classification the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services uses to determine the amount of reimbursement through the Medicare insurance program.
The rate of reimbursement is calculated using an index and whether the facility is considered urban or rural.
The suit was filed after medical center's request to be reclassified from the State College index to the Bloomsburg-Berwick index for the 2017, 2018 and 2019 fiscal years was denied.
The hospital pursued reclassification outside the litigation and in October it was granted for the 2018 and 2019 fiscal years.
The court complaint claimed Medicare reimbursements would be approximately $5 million less in each fiscal year if the hospital remained in the State College index.
That money could be used to provide health care services, it pointed out.
The suit sought a court order requiring reclassification to the Bloomsburg-Berwick index and the difference between what the hospital was reimbursed and what it would have had the switch been approved.
Other defendants were HHS Secretary Alex Azar, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, its administrator Patrick Conway, the Medicare Geographic Classification Review Board and its chairman Robert G. Eaton. |
Meet the Taylor Swift lookalike fooling even the biggest fans | Posing for a selfie, at first glance of this image you would think it is pop princess Taylor Swift.
But in fact, the girl in the picture is a lookalike that is an absolute dead ringer for the singer – even her most hardened fans have been fooled.
April Gloria, from Kansas is a cosplayer and often posts sultry selfies for her 70,000 Instagram followers.
But with her blonde bob hair style with swept over fringe, blue eyes and a love of wearing red lipstick, she looks exactly like “Shake It Off” hitmaker.
And even her poses are exactly the same as the singer’s and she often posts selfies with her pet cats – similar to Taylor.
On one of her pictures, one of her followers wrote: “Omg she looks just like Taylor swift!”
While another said: “Could she look anymore like Taylor swift?”
And one added: ‘Ummm this girl looks more like Taylor than Taylor.”
Taylor is thought to be taking a break from the limelight at the moment after telling fans at a concert in Texas last week they were attending her one and only gig of 2017.
It is unclear what the Blank Space star will think of her doppelganger April.
I got a ring light so I, too, can have white rings around my pupils 🎉 I'm slowly collecting things to make an amateurish photo studio in my house A post shared by April (@april_gloria) on Jan 19, 2017 at 2:15pm PST
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This article originally appeared on The Sun. |
Floating Points to release 12-inch single of new, 18-minute dance track, “Ratio”: Stream | This summer, Floating Points, the electronic music outfit of producer Sam Shepherd, released the ambitious Reflections — Mojave Desert project, which encompassed both a short film and a soundtrack recorded in the titular landscape. Now, Shepherd is following up that atmospheric soundscape with something decidedly more dance-friendly.
“Ratio” spans 18+ minutes and was developed as part of his solo electronic show, which he perfected at festivals like Coachella and Mad Cool. Take a listen to a three-minute radio edit, which Shepherd debuted on Annie Mac’s BBC1 radio show today:.
Floating Points will be releasing “Ratio” both digitally and as a 12-inch vinyl, which will present a “deconstructed mix” of the track. The A-side will feature the first nine minutes as it unfolds in the digital version, while the second half will contain only the organ section. The B-side will feature the beat/drums and bassline of the second half of the track in isolation.
“Releasing the track in such a fashion, Shepherd encourages DJs to create their own mixes by bringing the different elements together in their own style,” reads a press release. How courteous of him.
“Ratio” will be released on October 19th. |
Sony Reconsiders Clean Movies If Directors Object | 0
Last week, we reported that Sony was moving forward with a pilot program where they would offer clean versions of selection movies on digital download. The list of 24 films ranged from inoffensive fare like Goosebumps to R-rated comedies like Step Brothers. These clean versions already existed from being edited for airlines and cable networks, but now Sony was simply offering it as a bonus to anyone who wanted the clean version with their digital download. It didn’t supplant the original version, and it wasn’t being forced on anyone.
Nevertheless, there’s been an outcry, and Sony is reconsidering the program. The studio tells THR, “Our directors are of paramount importance to us, and we want to respect those relationships to the utmost. We believed we had obtained approvals from the filmmakers involved for use of their previously supervised television versions as a value added extra on sales of the full version,” so now they’re going back and making sure the directors are okay with the clean versions being sold. If they’re not okay with it, Sony says “we will discontinue it for their films.”
Already, Judd Apatow has spoken out on Twitter about having clean versions of his films sold, saying “This is absolute bullshit and @sony and @SonyPictures is gonna get hell for F—ING with our movies. Shove the clean versions up your asses!” I assume Apatow is referring to movies he’s produced since all the films he’s directed were for Universal.
Ultimately, it looks like Sony never bothered to reach out to directors. “The Clean Version initiative is news to Adam McKay. He would not have agreed to this,” said a rep for the filmmaker. McKay’s Step Brothers and Talladega Nights are both offering clean versions.
On the one hand, I sympathize with the filmmakers. It sounds like their movies are being tampered with and resold by people who didn’t want their original vision. On the other hand, these versions already exist. I seriously doubt any director would tell a major studio, “You can’t edit my movie for airlines or for cable networks,” because those are major revenue streams. Sony is simply trying to get a little more money with a product it already has. Filmmakers can object to people watching those versions, but that version already exists no matter what. I’m not exactly sure what’s been solved by removing it from digital download. Then again, I’m not exactly sure who wants a “clean version” of Step Brothers in the first place. |
Newcastle United set up support network around Jonjo Shelvey after red card against Spurs | The video will start in 8 Cancel
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Newcastle United players and staff are set to rally around Jonjo Shelvey after his red card against Tottenham Hotspur.
The England international, who is United’s highest earner, was sent off for a senseless stamp on Dele Alli which occurred directly in front of referee Andre Marriner and results in a three-game ban.
Shelvey will now be suspended until September but during that time the Chronicle understands the midfielder will work with Rafa Benitez and a sports psychologist to tackle his anger issues on the field.
(Image: The Chronicle)
Shelvey apologised to his team-mates after the game and was believed to be in the doldrums on Sunday night after accepting his actions cost Newcastle a positive result against Spurs.
When asked if Shelvey had let him down, Benitez said after the game: “It’s not me, it’s everyone.
“We have been talking about that for a while.
“He knows that he had made a mistake, he apologised, but still we lost the game.
“All I’ll say is the rules are the rules and we made a mistake. But we will have to see, analyse everything.
“We cannot change anything.
“Now we have to move forward and think about solutions.” |
An Evening with Béla Fleck, banjo; Zakir Hussain, tabla; and Edgar Meyer, bass | Béla Fleck, banjo
Zakir Hussain, tabla
Edgar Meyer, bass
Three masterful genre-benders and the undisputed leading virtuosos on their respective instruments, Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, and Edgar Meyer move with ease among the worlds of classical, bluegrass, and world music. In the 2009-2010 season, they came together for the first time in trio concerts of original music. All three limitless creators and composers, Fleck, Hussain, and Meyer share an unprecedented array of projects and pairings among them that touch every geographical and stylistic corner of the musical world. |
The Trump administration is coming for your right to vote | Of all Donald Trump's rogues-gallery Cabinet appointments – the plainly incompetent Housing and Urban Development secretary, Ben Carson; the avarice-personified Labor nominee, Andrew Puzder; the loathsome Tom Price, who will use his perch atop the Department of Health and Human Services to help dismantle the Affordable Care Act; the positively clueless Education secretary, Betsy DeVos – the one who offends me most is the new attorney general, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, formerly a senator from Alabama.
It's not just the allegations of racism that have dogged Sessions for the better part of three decades, although they are worth discussing, and in a saner administration they alone would have been disqualifying. Take the time in the 1980s when Sessions, then the U.S. attorney in Mobile, "joked" to colleagues working a brutal hate crime that he thought the KKK was "OK until I found out they smoked pot." An African-American assistant U.S. attorney general later testified that Sessions repeatedly called him "boy," and another federal prosecutor testified that Sessions had called the NAACP "un-American" and said it and the ACLU had "forced civil rights down the throats of people."
Other attorneys with whom Sessions worked defended him, including some African-Americans, but in 1986, the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee declined to elevate him to the federal bench.
As part of those hearings, Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King Jr.'s widow, wrote an impassioned letter urging senators to reject Sessions. "Mr. Sessions," she wrote, "has used the awesome power of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters. For this reprehensible conduct, he should not be rewarded with a federal judgeship." King was referencing a 1984 investigation into alleged absentee voting fraud, in which, she wrote, Sessions targeted only voters "in the Black Belt counties where blacks had finally achieved political power in the local government. Whites had been using the absentee process to their advantage for years, without incident. Then, when Blacks, realizing its strength, began to use it with success, criminal investigations were begun."
She continued: "Mr. Sessions' conduct as U.S. Attorney, from his politically motivated voting fraud prosecutions to his indifference toward criminal violations of civil rights laws, indicates that he lacks the temperament, fairness and judgment to be a federal judge. ... The irony of Mr. Sessions' nomination is that, if confirmed, he will be given life tenure for doing with a federal prosecution what the local sheriffs accomplished twenty years ago with clubs and cattle prods."
(It was Elizabeth Warren quoting from this letter last week that moved Republican senators – including Florida's Marco Rubio, who then had the gall to lecture us about civility, complaining that "we are becoming a society incapable of having debate anymore" – to silence the senator from Massachusetts.)
What makes King's three-decades-ago letter so relevant isn't just Sessions' alleged animus toward people of color and other marginalized individuals. His career in the U.S. Senate attests to that, from the key role he's played in derailing immigration reform to his fearmongering over criminal justice reform and marijuana decriminalization to the water he's carried for the private prison industry. Hell, on Friday, his second day leading the Justice Department, he signaled that the Trump administration would reverse the Obama administration's decision to include transgender individuals under Title IX anti-discrimination protections.
No, what's so chilling in King's letter is her account of Sessions' alleged willingness to use the powers of his office to make it more difficult for African-Americans to vote. Because now, Sessions will control the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. And just as important, the Trump administration has signaled that a voting-rights crackdown is coming, and it's quite likely that Sessions' Department of Justice will be the tip of the spear.
On Sunday morning President Trump's senior adviser, 31-year-old Stephen Miller, the ideologue and true Trump-believer behind the Muslim ban, went on ABC's This Week and propagated – sans evidence, because there isn't any – the president's absurd falsehood that he'd narrowly lost New Hampshire because Democrats had bused in thousands of fake voters from neighboring Massachusetts.
Then came the tell: "But I can tell you this," Miller said, "voter fraud is a serious problem in this country. ... And now we have – our government is beginning to get [set] up. But we have a Department of Justice and we have more officials. An issue of voter fraud is something we're going to be looking at very seriously and very hard."
A few facts – real facts, not of the alternative variety – worth mentioning: First, widespread voter fraud, the kind where droves (tens of thousands, not isolated cases here and there) of voters intentionally illegally vote so as to influence the outcome of an election, is a myth. It doesn't happen, and there's no evidence to suggest it does. Second, the data often thrown around to support these claims – that there are millions of registered voters who are either registered in two states or dead – is not evidence of voter fraud, but rather of outdated registration systems.
But ever since he took office – actually, before that, ever since Trump lost the popular vote by 3 million – this is what the president would have you believe: that voter rolls are overrun with illegal voters, that the system is rife with corruption and needs to constrained, that it's too easy to vote, too easy for the wrong kind of people to vote.
And in Sessions, Trump has just the man to lead the crackdown he so plainly desires. |
Charlotte M. Harrington (1932-2016) | FARMINGTON - Charlotte Marie (Tripp) Harrington, 83, was born on Feb. 21, 1932 in Dover-Foxcroft and passed away on Dec. 30, 2016 in Farmington.
She was the daughter of Kenneth (“Buster”) Tripp and Elinor Hayes Tripp. She graduated from Foxcroft Academy in 1950 and attended the University of Maine at Orono, receiving her associate of arts from Miami-Dade College.
In December 1951, Charlotte married Stuart Wayne Harrington, her high school classmate and dear friend. They enjoyed many years of fun, travel and companionship until his death in October 1993.
Charlotte is survived by her children: Earl Daniel Harrington, of Dover-Foxcroft, and Susan Harrington Tedrick, of Farmington and Micanopy, Florida; and grandchildren: Bethany Lyn Harrington, of East Corinth, and Stuart Matthew Tedrick, of East Wilton. She is also survived by two sisters, Beverly Tripp Edgerly, of Guilford,and Lorinda Tripp Cushman, of Hodgdon; brothers-in-law: Charles F. Trottier, of Holden, and Phillippe E. Trottier, of Bangor; sisters-in-law: Maryanne Whitten, of Milo, and Jaqueline Priest, of Dover-Foxcroft; cousin Daniel W. Hayes, Jr, of Springfield, Mass.; and many nieces and nephews.
Charlotte had an interesting and varied career at Travelers Insurance, as an Air Force Base Exchange manager, substitute teacher, special needs aid, telephone operator, and realtor.
Charlotte thoroughly enjoyed he family’s military travels during Stuart’s military career. The Air Force took the Harrington’s to Texas; Massachusetts; Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco; Homestead, Florida; Klamath, California; Great Falls, Montana; and Bangor, Maine.
The travel bug did not end with Charlotte and Stuart’s semi-retirement in Ocala, Florida. Land tours and cruise ships took the Harrington’s to many countries in Europe; the Mediterranean; the Caribbean; the Adriatic; Central and South America; and Scandinavia as well as Canada and Russia. Charlotte very was proud that she had visited 49 of the United States and had plans to visit Hawaii when her health failed. Her daughter plans to scatter a few ashes there so that she can complete that quest.
Charlotte will be most remembered for her beautiful smile, her quick wit, her kindness, her energy and, especially, her beautiful alto voice. She performed with many chorales and ensembles, and in several genres, including Bound for Glory; Sounds of Glory; Joyful Noise; Marion Musi-cali Chorus; Sunpipers; and St. Paul’s UMC Chancel Choir. She was a charter member of the Marion Civic Chorale.
Over the years, a running joke developed between Charlotte and Susan. Whatever remarkable experience—a salmon run in Alaska; a haunting violin in The Hermitage in St. Petersburg; a Rembrandt in Amsterdam; a gospel blowout in Maine—she would lean over, grin and say, “Put that in my obituary.”
Well, Miss Charlotte, Nana, Mom: Here it is!
The date, time and location of a summertime service, honoring the life and lifetime of Charlotte will be announced at a later date. Inurnment will be at the Rural Grove Cemetery, Guilford Rd., Dover-Foxcroft.
Tributes and condolences may be shared on her memorial wall at www.wilesrc.com. Cremation and memorial services are in the care of the Wiles Remembrance Center, 137 Farmington Falls Road (Rtes. 2 & 27) Farmington. |
BRIEF-NVR announces Q1 revenue of $1.277 billion | Western Digital expects ruling on injunction request by mid-July -source
TOKYO, June 15 Western Digital Corp expects a ruling on its request for a court injunction to stop the sale of Toshiba Corp's chip unit by mid-July, a source familiar with the situation said on Thursday. The California-based firm presented a revised offer for the chip unit that met Toshiba's requests on Wednesday but did not receive a positive response, a separate source said. |
'Foster not told of RHI warning' | Dr Crawford says he wishes he had picked up on the warning signs surrounding the RHI scheme. If he had, he says, he would have been able to implement cost control measures.
"This was very much a new industry in that it was a new scheme and how it was being used to support businesses," says Dr Crawford.
Getty Images
Dr MacLean observes that "there’s a reflective degree of naivete that you’re perfectly happy to provide the information but you’re not expecting anything in return".
"There was plenty of people who picked up how lucrative it was. In fact, it only took a matter of weeks until people twigged how good it was," the panel member says..
Dr MacLean asks why these people were happy asking for information but never told Dr Crawford anything about how the scheme was being used.
The witness says he had no dealings with any of the installers or others within the industry, but that he expected that they would not tell him if they were using the scheme to fund their expansion.. |
A unified Korea? Leaders bring contrasting visions to summit | Unification is an idea that moves most Koreans, North and South, on an emotional level.
For some, especially young people in the South, it may not be a burning issue. Details like the costs, the risks and what specifically both sides stand to gain are rarely given much thought by anyone who isn’t an academic, politician or activist.
But when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in meet on Friday, the prospect of unification, even if only in the abstract, will loom large around them.
Can Kim’s nuclear-armed North and the K-pop capitalism of Moon’s South ever merge into One Korea? Both leaders come to the table with distinct visions of what that would look like. And they are very different.
___
THE DEMOCRATIC FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF KORYO
After failing to take the South by force in the 1950s, North Korea’s founder and “eternal president,” Kim Il Sung, announced a plan for what he thought a unified Korea should look like back in 1980.
He called it the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo. Koryo was an ancient Korean kingdom from which the word Korea is derived.
Kim’s plan was for an arrangement something along the lines of what Hong Kong has with China, a unified nation with two separate systems of government.
Under his plan, the North and South would respect each other’s ideology, social system and autonomy. Both sides would have an equal number of representatives in a supreme national assembly with equal rights and responsibilities. The assembly would also have representatives of Koreans overseas. It would have a standing committee that would administer state affairs.
Kim stressed the need for this new federation to remain neutral and independent, avoiding in particular military alliances with others.
Not surprisingly, that looks a lot like North Korea today, with its Supreme People’s Assembly, and the party’s Politburo and Central Committee overseeing day-to-day policies. Even the name smacks of the North, which is officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
An equal number of assembly seats would be a good deal for the North, which has half the South’s population. The inclusion of Koreans overseas would boost that advantage even further since, for historical reasons, more often than not they have at least nominal allegiance to Pyongyang, not Seoul.
With so many devils lurking in the details, Kim’s grand plan has never gotten much traction.
___
A KOREAN COMMONWEALTH AND BEYOND
South Korea’s three-step proposal ends in a similarly predictable place: its own system writ large across the peninsula.
The first priority, according to South Korea’s Unification Ministry, is to develop a sustainable relationship and resolve the issue of North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons.
Seoul wants to substitute the unstable armistice that ended the fighting of the 1950-53 Korean War with a permanent peace treaty — a goal Pyongyang shares. This step could get a boost on Friday — it will almost certainly be taken up then and probably again at the summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in May or early June.
South Korea wants to then develop trust and cooperation to the point where a sort of national consensus has been achieved. After a transitional commonwealth period, the next step would be the formation of a single market on the Korean Peninsula “to create new growth engines and create an inter-Korean economic community of coexistence and co-prosperity.”
“We will build a new economic order that will bring peace and prosperity to the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia,” the ministry concludes.
The essentials of this plan were announced by President Roh Tae-woo in September 1989.
The succession of administrations that have taken office in the South since Roh have adhered fairly predictably to the principle of gradual, peaceful progress, while calibrating their willingness to engage with Pyongyang based on their assessment of its level of vulnerability or hostility.
In the long run, however, it makes no provision for a one-state, two-system future.
Ultimately, Seoul believes, the North Korean system has to go.
___
Talmadge is the AP’s Pyongyang bureau chief. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @EricTalmadge |
Obama Defends Journalism And Advises Americans to Start Raising Questions | In a speech made last week to the Economic Club of Chicago, the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama advised the American populace to start raising questions about the progressive “gains” that made been made during recent decades by propagandists and also defends the existence of journalism.
According to Time, Obama found the rise of Hitler’s Nazi Germany the perfect scenario to encourage Americans to “pay attention … and vote.”
The former president expressed the importance of Americans embracing democracy due to the tactics’ ability to produce progression rather than cause the country to “fall apart.”
“If we begin to question the very real gains that have been made over the last several decades and we violate our principles because of fear and uncertainty, then we can’t expect the progress that is just now taking hold in many places around the world to continue…,” says Obama. “…instead we are going to be inviting in those who argue that democracy doesn’t work, that restrictions on the press are necessary and that intolerance and tribalism and organizing ourselves along ethnic lines are the answers to today’s challenges, and we those voices around the world.”
Obama also proves his understanding of the importance of media and journalism, unlike his predecessor Donald Trump, and even defends the free speech of those with opposed views.
“We’re going to have to find a way to push back on propaganda and cultivate independent journalism, and listen to those with whom with disagree.”
Watch a snippet of Obama’s recent speech to the Economic Club of Chicago, here |
Bitcoin futures launch went 'just as expected': CBOE CEO | Newly launched bitcoin futures indicated on Monday that financial markets expect the cryptocurrency to climb further but at a far slower rate than in recent weeks as warnings of a bubble grew.
Chicago-based derivatives exchange CBOE Global Markets (CBOE.O) launched its eagerly anticipated bitcoin futures late on Sunday, marking the first time investors could get exposure to the market via a large mainstream regulated exchange.
“It has been busy but it’s so exciting,” CBOE Global Markets CEO Edward Tilly told BNN in an interview Monday. “Things went off just as expected.”
“We are quite pleased with where we [found] ourselves this morning.”
The one-month bitcoin contract opened at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday at US$15,460, dipped briefly before rising to a high of US$18,700 and then slipping again.
By midday on Monday in New York, it was trading at $17,780, roughly 10 percent above bitcoin's spot price of $16,335 on the Bitstamp exchange - the price at which it is currently changing hands - which was US$16,335 on the Bitstamp exchange.
Given that bitcoin has almost tripled in value over the past month, and was up more than 10 per cent on the day alone on Monday, the futures pricing suggests investors reckon that the eye-watering price increases seen in bitcoin in recent months could be set to slow down.
“I find this incredibly curious,” Tilly said of the growing interest in bitcoin. “I will be, at some point, making a trade one way or the other — I’m not going to tell you which way at this point.”
VOLATILITY CONCERNS
Although there are hopes that the futures will draw in investors who would not previously have touched the market, most fund managers at larger asset managers and institutional investors still say bitcoin remains too volatile and lacks the fundamentals that give other assets value.
"There's no place for bitcoin in a multi-asset portfolio given the very high volatility," said Robeco Chief Investment Officer Lukas Daalder.
"We've looked at it in the past but if you look at the number of times that you need to trade to keep your exposure at the same level, after one week you need to rebalance the portfolio already," he added.
The two-month contract was trading at US$17,910, a nine per cent premium over the spot price, while the three-month contract was changing hands at US$18,080, a 10 per cent premium.
Despite those being modest when compared with bitcoin's recent moves - a 270 per cent increase over the past three months and a 230 per cent rise in the last two months - they still showed a lack of appetite from investors to take large short positions betting against bitcoin.
"The premiums have so far been very high, demonstrating that few want to take the short side of the trade," said Altana Digital Currency Fund manager Alistair Milne, whose cryptocurrency fund has US$35 million in assets under management.
Bitcoin is up more than 1,500 per cent so far in 2017, having started the year at less than US$1,000.
‘MARCH TOWARDS LEGITIMIZATION’
In just over 15 hours, 2,895 one-month contracts had been traded, meaning just over US$51 million had been notionally invested. That compares with daily trading volumes of more than US$20 billion across all cryptocurrencies, according to trade website Coinmarketcap.
Just 18 trades of the two-month contracts had been traded.
There had been speculation that the launch of CBOE's futures would trigger more gyrations in the market. But while volatile compared with traditional currencies or assets, bitcoin's 10 per cent rise on Monday was nothing out of the ordinary for it.
Bitcoin surged more than 40 per cent in 48 hours last week, before tumbling 20 per cent in the following 10 hours.
"(Bitcoin futures) will speed up the march towards legitimisation of an asset class that only a few years ago many law enforcement agencies would have argued had limited legitimate reasons for people to use," said Jo Torode, a financial crime lawyer at Ropes & Gray in London.
The futures are cash-settled contracts, allowing investors exposure to bitcoin without actually having to hold any of the cryptocurrency.
The futures are based on the auction price of bitcoin in U.S. dollars on the Gemini Exchange, which is owned and operated by virtual currency entrepreneurs and brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
DRAMATIC GAINS
While bitcoin's price rise mystifies many, its origins have been the subject of much speculation.
It was set up in 2008 by an individual or group calling themselves Satoshi Nakamoto, and was the first digital currency to successfully use cryptography to keep transactions secure and hidden, making traditional financial regulation difficult if not impossible.
Central bankers and critics of the cryptocurrency have been ringing the alarm bells over the surge in the price and other risks such as whether the opaque market can be used for money laundering.
"It looks remarkably like a bubble forming to me," the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's Acting Governor Grant Spencer said on Sunday.
"We've seen them in the past. Over the centuries we've seen bubbles and this appears to be a bit of a classic case."
Somebody who invested US$1,000 in bitcoin at the start of 2013 and had never sold any of it would now be sitting on around US$1.2 million.
Heightened excitement ahead of the launch of the futures has given an extra kick to the cryptocurrency's scorching run this year.
The CME Group (CME.O) is expected to launch its own futures contract on Dec. 17.
The launch has so far received a mixed reception from big U.S. banks and brokerages, though.
Several online brokerages, including Charles Schwab Corp (SCHW.N) and TD Ameritrade Holding Corp (AMTD.O), did not allow trading of the new futures immediately.
The Financial Times reported on Friday that JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Citigroup Inc (C.N 0) would not immediately clear bitcoin trades for clients.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) said on Thursday it was planning to clear such trades for certain clients.
-- With files from BNN |
Kënschtlech Intelligenz Lëtzebuerg schafft mam Grafikkaarteproduzent NVIDIA zesummen | NVIDIA and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg have established a cooperation to support scientists and engineers in solving society’s most important challenges using artificial intelligence and high performance computing.
A memorandum of understanding was signed today on behalf of NVIDIA, the leader in AI computing, and the Luxembourg Government by Jaap Zuiderveld, NVIDIA Vice President of Sales and Marketing, EMEA and India, and Luxembourg’s Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel.
Spearheaded by the Government’s “Digital Luxembourg” initiative, the cooperation will focus on training students, scientists, and industry and startup employees working in diverse research fields. Areas of particular interest include energy and the environment, autonomous driving and transportation, robotics, financial services and healthcare.
“NVIDIA’s AI computing platform is the principal tool used by scientists, researchers and businesses worldwide to harness the power of artificial intelligence,” said Zuiderveld. “This cooperation will bring together NVIDIA and Digital Luxembourg in our shared mission to enable, support and inform the AI ecosystem.”
“AI is a horizontal technology and we want to make sure that Luxembourg’s AI researchers and businesses have access to cutting-edge technology. This is about training the AI trainers and developing crucial skills for our ecosystem's future,” stated Xavier Bettel.
“AI and high performance computing are at the core of the ongoing transformation in life sciences and medicine. We are very excited about the cooperation with NVIDIA as this will make Luxembourg an even more attractive place for biomedical and healthcare research and entrepreneurship”, noted Prof. Rudi Balling, Director of the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biology, a research center of the University of Luxembourg.
“NVIDIA is the world leader for AI computing technology, that’s why we work with their platform in our experimental self-driving vehicle. This new cooperation will allow us to stay ahead of the curve scientifically and build a strong AI ecosystem in Luxembourg. Furthermore, the SnT researchers are thrilled to participate in the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute University Ambassador Program, by having SnT researchers become NVIDIA certified trainers and teaching NVIDIA centered classes for the academic public”, commented Prof. Björn Ottersten, Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) at the University of Luxembourg. |
Kelowna woman organizing protest march to take back foreshore | Brenda Bachman has joined the chorus of Kelowna residents who’ve been calling for unimpeded access to the shores of Okanagan Lake.
The longtime Kelowna resident has gone so far as to hire a drone to prove her point.
“The drone video shows a drone flying over top of the foreshore and it shows some areas where the property owners are wonderful. They’re not impeding access. And then it shows big clumps of owners who actually have buildouts right into the lake,” Bachmann said.
Lakeshore resident Jan Harvey is offended that some are campaigning to reclaim the shores. She feels it’s in poor taste.
“We have so many friends whose property has been absolutely decimated by the high water. It’s not the right time to try and reclaim the foreshore when people are reeling from the disasters that have happened to them,” Harvey said.
According to the City of Kelowna, docks and fences along the foreshore are a provincial responsibility but it’s working with the province to resolve the issue.
“But if docks or fences were built not in accordance with an approved plan we can certainly do some follow up and enforcement with the province,” Kelowna’s community planning manager Ryan Smith said.
Meanwhile, Bachmann’s next move to prove her point is to organize a march along the foreshore which is sure to make some waves.
“We’re considering possibly starting up an annual beach walk where we start at Mushroom Beach and end at Rotary Beach because it’s my thought that you should be able to walk the Greenway and walk the foreshore all the way to City Park.” |
BRIEF-Ginwa Enterprise Group obtains high-tech enterprise recognition and to enjoy tax preference of 15 pct | Feb 14 Ginwa Enterprise Group Inc:
* Says it was recognized as high-tech enterprise
* Says it will enjoy a tax preference of 15 percent for three years
Source text in Chinese: goo.gl/CKXOEs
Further company coverage: (Beijing Headline News) |
West Ham 0-2 Manchester United player ratings: Who was your man of the match at the London Stadium? | Video will play in
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Manchester United made it six wins in a row when they saw off 10-man West Ham 2-0 at the London Stadium.
Sofiane Feghouli was sent off by referee Mike Dean after just 15 minutes, which proved to be a pivotal moment in the match, as Jose Mourinho's men were eventually able to break down Slaven Bilic's side.
Second half goals from Juan Mata and Zlatan Ibrahimovic eventually made the difference and the visitors are now only a point behind fourth-placed Arsenal.
But who impressed and who disappointed?
Here's how John Cross rated the two teams at the London Stadium.
West Ham
Randolph 7 - Incredible save to deny Valencia. Some desperate, last gasp goalkeeping.
Nordtveit 6 - Booked. Steady at right back, solid defensively, but his lack of pace is a worry.
Reid 7 - Much better performance, confidence coming back and is regaining form.
Ogbonna 6 - Had a good battle with Ibrahimovic, did OK overall. Stuck to his task.
Cresswell 6 - Rarely got forward in West Ham’s backs-to-the-wall rearguard action. Solid.
Antonio 5 - Missed two big chances in the second half. United made him pay.
Obiang 5 - Hard working midfield performance, but sold himself on United opener.
Feghouli 4 - Was harshly sent off after lunge on Jones. Looked the wrong call.
(Photo: West Ham United via Getty)
Kouyate 6 - Was lucky not to be sent off for a dreadful lunge on Mkhitaryan. Busy.
Payet 6 - Booked. Shown yellow for dissent. Sacrificed early, good set pieces.
Lanzini 7 - Had a brilliant effort saved by De Gea, he was West Ham’s liveliest attacker.
Subs
Carroll , for Payet, 69 mins, 5
Ayew, for Lanzini, 89 mins
Manchester United
De Gea 8 - The only player Mourinho hugged after the final whistle. Brilliant stops saved United.
Valencia 7 - Booked. Denied by brilliant Randolph save, good attacking display from right back.
Jones 6 - Fouled by Feghouli but his reaction probably helped make it a red card.
Rojo 6 - Has been excellent recently, but this was not his best display by any means.
Darmian 5 - Booked. Sacrificed at half time for Mata to allow United to go three at the back.
Carrick 6 - Had a good all round game, composed and always looks like he’s got time.
Herrera 7 - Hard working and energetic midfield display. Supplied assist for Ibrahimovic.
(Photo: PA)
Pogba 8 - MotM. Cuts such a physical presence in midfield. Bossed it, was always in control.
Lingard 5 - Incredible miss from point blank range. Substituted early after low key display.
Mkhitaryan 6 - Substituted early. Had a couple of moments, took one heavy challenge.
Ibrahimovic 7 - Scored his 12th goal in as many games. Otherwise subdued by recent standards.
Substitutes
Mata , for Darmian, 46 mins, 7
Rashford , for Lingard, 58 mins, 8
Smalling , for Mkhitaryan, 65 mins, 6 |
Blac Chyna And Rob Kardashian Sued For Outing Her Ex-Friend As Gay | Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian have found themselves on the same side again as they’re both being sued by a man who claims the former couple outed him as gay on social media.
TMZ reports that Pilot Jones, an ex-friend of Chyna’s, is suing them for defamation and cyberbullying, according to court documents.
This friction between Rob, Chyna and Jones apparently stems from a belief that Jones sold a picture of him making out with the former stripper to the press. There were also claims that Pilot could be the father of Chyna’s then-unborn baby.
As The Daily Mail reported via Radar Online, Chyna was livid about the story and said that Jones was trying to extort her. She then said that he was gay and that she’d only taken the photo kissing him to make one of her exes jealous. During her online rebuttal of the story, Chyna also posted screengrabs of private text conversations in which Pilot admits that he is gay. In the texts, Jones denies that he leaked the photos to the press.
Chyna wasn’t the only one who reacted. As TMZ reported at the time, Kardashian sent threatening text messages to Jones that were explicitly racist and homophobic, some of them including the “n-word,” and “f*ggot.” Jones filed a police report and the Los Angeles Threat Management Unit was on the case.
Now, he’s suing Dream Kardashian’s parents. According to TMZ, in court documents Pilot claims that the situation worsened when Rob and Chyna released his phone number and email address to the public. This led to him receiving threatening messages from strangers who accused him of trying to destroy their relationship.
New post (Pilot Jones sues Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian over online bullying) has been published on urbannews – https://t.co/pDb2F7KQHr pic.twitter.com/rU2cHqoVem — Urban News Online (@1urbannews) October 6, 2017
Some of the messages threatened his life, he says. He adds that the feud between the three of them led him to attempt suicide. Jones also says that when a media outlet called and asked if he was the father of Chyna’s child, he said no.
???? Hair | @kendrasboutique A post shared by Blac Chyna (@blacchyna) on Oct 3, 2017 at 1:46pm PDT
Do you think a judge will believe Pilot Jones claims against Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian? Will he succeed in getting any money out of them? Let us know your predictions in the comments below.
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[Featured Image by Greg Doherty/Getty Images] |
Cynthia Nixon running for New York governor, challenging Andrew Cuomo | Cynthia Nixon Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
"Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon announced her run for New York governor on Monday.
Her first campaign ad focused on the growing problem of economic inequality and criticized politicians "who care more about headlines and power than they do about us."
But a Monday statewide poll found that 66% of Democrats favor Gov. Andrew Cuomo over Nixon, for whom just 19% of Democrats would vote.
Her face has long been associated with New York City — and now actress Cynthia Nixon wants to be the face of the state.
The "Sex and the City" star officially announced her bid for New York governor on Monday, challenging Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is seeking a third term this year and stands as one of the more popular governors in the US.
In her inaugural campaign ad, Nixon focused on growing economic inequality, noting that New York is the most unequal state in the country.
She recalled growing up in New York City with her mom, a single parent, in a one bedroom fifth-floor walk-up, but said she was given opportunities that she doesn't see for New York's kids today. She mentioned a few hot-button issues: health care, mass incarceration, and New York City's "broken subway."
"How did we let this happen?" Nixon says over dramatic music. "I love New York, I've never wanted to live anywhere else, but something has to change."
But polling shows that Cuomo has a significant lead over Nixon.
A Monday Siena College poll found that 66% of the state's Democrats would vote for the governor, while just 19% would support Nixon. Cuomo leads Nixon by large margins in every demographic category, including among New York City residents.
Despite Nixon's acting career and years of activism around education, she remains largely unknown across the state — 60% of the poll respondents said they had no opinion of her.
The poll also showed Cuomo, who has a 52% approval rating, with a two-to-one advantage over both of his Republican opponents.
The Siena poll of 772 registered New York voters was conducted between March 11—16 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. |
Exxon to sell its Norway-operated oilfields | The logo of Exxon Mobil Corporation is shown on a monitor above the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, December 30, 2015. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo
OSLO Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) has agreed to sell its operated upstream business in Norway to private equity firm HitecVision and oil company Point Resources for an undisclosed sum, it said on Wednesday.
The deal means that the world's largest listed oil firm will no longer operate producing fields on the Norwegian continental shelf, making it the second oil major to scale back its presence in less than a year after BP (BP.L) in 2016.
Exxon Mobil retains stakes in more than 20 producing fields operated by Statoil (STL.OL) and Shell (RDSa.L) however, including the Snorre oilfield and the major Ormen Lange gas field.
The sale of stakes in the Jotun, Balder and Ringhorne fields, along with some related production assets and properties, had long been rumored in local media.
"It's a natural part of business to assess whether such assets could be worth more to others than they are to us. We'll remain a significant investor in Norway however," Exxon spokesman Tore Revaa said.
The fields sold had daily output of 54,000 barrels of oil equivalents in 2016, while Exxon's remaining Norwegian stakes yielded about 170,000 barrels per day.
Norwegian financial daily Dagens Naeringsliv, citing unnamed sources, said the deal was valued at close to 8 billion Norwegian crowns ($935 million). The companies declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
Point Resources, which is majority owned by HitecVision, will have output of about 60,000 barrels of oil equivalent following the deal, which could grow to about 80,000 barrels in 2022, it said in a separate statement.
"Given the number of development plans and other opportunities, no redundancies are expected within the combined company as a result of the transaction," it added.
Following the deal, Point's reserves and contingent resources will amount to about 350 million barrels of oil equivalent.
The switch of ownership, which the companies hope to complete in the fourth quarter of 2017, must be approved by the Norwegian government.
Energy Minister Terje Soeviknes said in a statement the deal could bring more diversity and competition to the oil industry.
"The transaction ... is exciting because it makes Point a significant player while Exxon Mobil remains a large producer," he added.
BP last year sold all its Norwegian assets to oil firm Det Norske in exchange for cash and a 30 percent stake in the new company, named Aker BP (AKERBP.OL).
(Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis and Terje Solsvik, editing by Louise Heavens/Ruth Pitchford) |
Public Wi-Fi can enable 40 mn new users in India by 2019: Report | New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) Public Wi-Fi in India has the ability to capture 40 million new connected users by 2019, resulting in at least $20 billion being added to the country's GDP, a joint report by Google and global research firm Analysys Mason said on Wednesday.
The report noted that public Wi-Fi could play a key role in driving ubiquitous connectivity and digital inclusion in India.
"India is a big market for the next billion users. Wi-Fi is a huge focus area and opportunity in terms of connecting these users," K. Suri, Director, Partnership, India, Next Billion Users, Google India, told reporters here.
"We have found that if users have free and fast access, it could make significant change to their lives and overall economic prosperity," Suri added while releasing a joint study by Google and global research firm Analysys Mason.
Google has currently partnered with RailTel and Indian Railways to offer public Wi-Fi in railway stations, covering 400 stations with about 7.6 million monthly active Wi-Fi users.
"Public Wi-Fi will connect 40 million new users to the Internet by 2019 and that would translate into tangible benefits to GDP, by around $20 billion between 2017-19 and at least $10 billion per annum thereafter," the study showed.
The report, titled "Accelerating connectivity through public Wi-Fi: Early lessons from the railway Wi-Fi project," outlined an opportunity to develop a wider connectivity ecosystem with public Wi-Fi as a key component.
"By 2019, over 100 million users will spend an extra $3 billion annually on mobile broadband and handsets because of their experience of high-speed public Wi-Fi," noted Ashwinder Sethi, Principal Consultant, Analysys Mason.
"This has direct implications on Wi-Fi ecosystem in the country, and indirect implications on the broader connectivity ecosystem, along with government, GDP and productivity," he added.
The high-speed Wi-Fi network with uncapped bandwidth of 1 Gbit/s per station provides path-breaking digital experience to existing and new users alike.
Offered as a free utility service under the brand name "RailWire", users have 30 minutes of free access to the Internet, in which they can on an average consume 350 MB of data per session.
"Currently, the public Wi-Fi has close to 8 million monthly active users, two-thirds of which are in a typically young age group. While 50 per cent users access the Internet multiple times a day -- 36 per cent first time Wi-Fi users on the network," Suri said.
"The most usage is of online videos streaming content and watching IPL, social networking, finance. Even with multiple users getting connected at the same time, the experience is seamless and fast, with no buffering," the Google executive noted.
As part of the next billion users initiative, Google is now building on the success of RailTel project to expand the public Wi-Fi outside train stations, into Indian cities and around the world like Indonesia and Mexico, among others, Suri said.
--IANS
rt/na/vd/vm |
Tanzanian tourist attractions lined up for top global awards | Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s tourism is set for a major boost as three of its attractions have been nominated for possible awards at a major tourism event that is slated for Kigali, Rwanda later this year.
The Serengeti National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro and the Ngorongoro Crater along with Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) have been nominated for the 24th Annual World Travel Awards (WTA), the TTB announced at the weekend.
“Winners in different categories in the event will be announced at the event that will be held on Wednesday 11th October 2017, in Kigali….The event will welcome hospitality leaders and luminaries from across Africa,” the TTB said.
This comes at a time when authorities are reporting an increase in arrivals.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told Parliament on Thursday, April 6 that Tanzania received a total of 1,284,279 tourists in 2016, an increase of 12 per cent from the 1,137,182 visitors who came in 2015.
The visitors brought in $2 billion (about Sh4.5 trillion) last year. The Bank of Tanzania Monthly Economic Review for however shows that Tanzania received $2 billion from tourism in 2015 and $2.3 billion in 2016.
According to the TTB statement, Serengeti National Park is competing under Africa’s leading National Park for 2017. Its competitors include Botswana’s Central Kalahari Game Reserve (Botswana), Namibia’s Etosha National Park, Uganda’s Kidepo Valley National Park, South Africa’s Kruger National Park and Maasai National Reserve of Kenya.
On the other hand, Mount Kilimanjaro and Ngorongoro Crater are battling it out with Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza; South Africa’s Robben Island, Table Mountain and V&A Waterfront in ‘Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2017’ category.
TTB – a government entity that is charged with the function of marketing and promoting Tanzania’s as a unique destination - is competing under ‘Africa’s leading Tourist Board 2017’ against Egyptian Tourist Authority, Gambia Tourism Board, Ghana Tourism Authority, Kenya Tourism Board and Moroccan National Tourism Organization. |
Is Rihanna Engaged? [EXCLUSIVE] | Your browser does not support iframes.
Rihanna has sparked rumors that she is engaged to her billionaire boyfriend Hassan Jameel. The couple is believed to have been dating for over a year- half of which time they kept a secret from the public. Recently, she was spotted out and about with something real shiny on her ring finger. Click on the audio player to hear more in this Gary’s Tea on “The Rickey Smiley Morning Show.”
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Three Britons sentenced to jail and caning in Singapore | Image copyright BBC/AFP Image caption Michael Le (left) and Khong Tam Tanh (right) were found guilty
Three Britons have been sentenced to jail and caning in Singapore for having sex with a drunk and unconscious woman.
Khong Tam Thanh, Vu Thai Son, and Michael Le went on trial this week for raping a woman in a hotel room in the city-state in September.
The three men, who are in their early 20s, later pleaded guilty to reduced charges.
They received sentences of up to six-and-a-half years in jail and eight strokes of the cane.
The men flew in to Singapore last year with a group of friends for a stag party and to attend a music festival.
One of their friends later met the woman, a Malaysian, at a nightclub and she consented to have sex with him at his hotel room.
She later passed out, and the three men then took turns to have sex with her.
The woman woke up while Le was on top of her, and lodged a police report later.
The men were eventually found guilty of aggravated outrage of modesty and wrongful restraint of the woman under reduced charges in an apparent plea deal, reported local media.
The BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Singapore said the three men looked visibly relieved in court after the judge delivered their sentences.
Our correspondent says the case has generated some controversy in Singapore, with some on social media questioning how the Britons were able to get reduced charges. |
Police: Speeding Car Caused New Year's Eve Accident, 1 Killed | It's WJZ Maryland's News Station. Click here for WJZ news stories Contact us with your tips, questions, comments & concerns! WJZ-TV anchors and reporters [...] 105.7 The Fan VISIT THE 105.7 THE FAN HOMEPAGE Welcome to 105.7 The FAN on CBSBaltimore.com.105.7 along with WJZ-TV and CBS Sports Radio 1300 give you the best Baltimore has to offer.
Start the conversation, or Read more at CBS Local. |
Should USC's JuJu Smith-Schuster Sit Out Today's Rose Bowl Game? | When the University of Southern California ("USC") and Penn State University kick off this afternoon at 5 P.M. in the 103rd annual Rose Bowl Game, the USC Trojans expect to have the services of their star wide receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster, who has caught 63 passes for 781 yards and nine touchdowns already this season.
However, with JuJu Smith-Schuster already suffering from nagging injuries and purportedly taking a z pack and antibiotics, it may serve the junior wide receiver's best interests to forgo to skip today's game -- especially if his goal is to enter the 2017 NFL draft.
According to various sources, Smith-Schuster, if healthy, is expected to be a late first-round NFL draft pick this year. Several other projected first-round NFL draft picks have opted out of their colleges' bowl game to protect their health in advance of the draft. For example, LSU junior Leonard Fournette opted out of last week's Citrus Bowl for health reasons, and Stanford University's Christian McCaffrey opted out of the Hyundai Sun Bowl.
Another projected NFL first-round draft pick, the University of Michigan's Jake Butt, played for the Michigan Wolverines in Friday night's Rose Bowl loss to Florida State University and he is believed to have torn his ACL in doing so-- an injury that is expected to adversely affect his 2017 NFL draft status and thus his initial NFL paycheck.
If JuJu Smith-Schuster chooses to play in tonight's Rose Bowl, he certainly should be commended for his selfless act.But if Smith-Schuster opts out of the game last-minute, nobody should judge him negatively for doing so.
The NCAA is a highly commercial entity, which produces an estimated $11 billion in annual revenues that, in a meaningful part, are shared by college administrators, athletic directors and coaches. If colleges such as USC are so focused on their bottom line, why shouldn't their players such as JuJu Smith-Schuster care about the bottom line as well?
If JuJu Smith-Schuster were to follow the lead of Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey and others and sit out of this afternoon's Rose Bowl Game to protect his future professional career, not many reasonable people would blame him. Some may even call the decision smart. |
HLC Summit: Change comes fast for ‘nimble giant’ Haines | April 16/23, 2018: Volume 33, Issue 22
By Ken Ryan
Charlotte, N.C.—Change may be inevitable, but the pace of change occurring at Haines in the past two years—all aimed at delivering a strong, stable, scalable and sustainable platform to the flooring market—has been downright dizzying at times.
As Michael Barrett, president and CEO, told FCNews, “If you are standing on the sidelines, you can’t make sense of all the changes. What we’re going through is complicated, complex—a [range] of complexities. We’re waging war on complexity. It’s a challenge, but it’s all about improving the customer experience.”
The April 8-10 meeting—technically the Northern Summit—was held in Charlotte, the southernmost point for this show in the distributor’s history. Charlotte was symbolic for a few reasons: Haines’ market presence is running deeper in the Carolinas; Charlotte is near to its spanking new main distribution center; and Charlotte is also home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. So it was appropriate that Rusty Wallace, former driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer, was the keynote speaker.
As both Wallace and Greg Vale, senior vice president of sales for Haines, pointed out, there are similarities between NASCAR and Haines’ trajectory. Both organizations have evolved from their roots; NASCAR’s history dates to Prohibition when runners—people who delivered moonshine—souped up their cars so they could outrun the feds, to today’s aerodynamic and technical marvels. Haines has evolved from a Maryland-based distributor serving the Mid-Atlantic to the largest wholesaler in flooring, with revenue double the size of the No. 2 player and a footprint the length of the East Coast. “We are evolving and our ability to adapt has helped our customers adapt,” Vale said.
The newest piece to Haines’ growing business is the Concord hub, which replaced the old CMH Wadesboro, N.C., as the central station for products. The 500,000-square-foot facility can store 250 trailers and has 33,000 primary storage locations. Haines’ ultimate goal is to provide next-day delivery to any customer in its network. Currently, next-day delivery is at 85%. As Barrett explained, “A lot of distributors can offer next-day delivery but in small increments. We want to do it across 15 states. Nobody else can do what we can do given our portfolio size.”
Barrett took over as president and CEO of Haines about 15 months ago. He is one of several new or elevated members of the executive team who are tasked with transforming a $500-million distributor into a nimbler giant. “We have to go faster, and our team has embraced that. We’re focusing on customer facing improvements, better inventory planning. Our technology is aimed at improving customer-focused systems. We’re looking at the bottlenecks in our processes to make it easier to do business with us. We want to be the best at customer focus. We’re not there yet, but we feel we are further along the road now.”
In the past year, Haines has built out its executive team, brought on a finance/supply chain analytics team and an HR squad to improve effectiveness of people in the organization. It also has a new IT staff to help manage the business.
On the transportation side, Haines has completed phase two of its optimization, which is to have JB Hunt handle outbound delivery.
There were also external moves. Late in 2017, Haines formed a strategic alliance with top-5 distributor Belknap-White Group. Belknap became a minority stakeholder in a collaborative arrangement that will open doors for both companies. In early 2018, Haines executed an agreement with long-time supplier Armstrong to expand distribution coverage in the South and East.
“This business is transforming with lots of changes in the past year and more to come,” Barrett said. “Some moves are necessary to become more scalable and sustainable.”
Long-time Haines Loyalty Club retailers were supportive of the moves. “Haines has made some good decisions over the last several years,” said Ryan Commerce, owner of Indoor City, a Lancaster, Pa., flooring dealer, who has been with club since the beginning. “When you double in size following the CMH acquisition, you are going to struggle to combine those resources. I think they have cleared those hurdles and are on the other side of that. The mass and scale they have will provide value for everybody up and down the chain.”
For other dealers, it is about the bottom line. “I couldn’t ask for more from this group,” said Rob Smith, owner of RPS Carpet & Floors Wholesale, Baltimore. “Last year we were up 20% and I get great backing from their reps who support my business very well.”
Bill Zeigler, co-owner of Charles F. Zeigler & Sons, Hanover, Pa., added, “Considering the low cost, benefits and huge portfolio of products offered by Haines, there isn’t any program in the industry that compares.”
Haines Loyalty Club retailers and some suppliers were happy with the news that starting in 2019, Haines will have one summit. It will be held March 14-15 in Savannah, Ga. In the past, Haines has held a Northern Summit (usually near Baltimore-Washington) and a Southern Summit in Orlando. The Savannah summit will be held at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa and is positioned as a destination with more entertainment added. “I think that is a really a smart move, a great idea,” Commerce said of the single event. “Hopefully it will allow them the resources to provide even more for their members.”
John Himes, president of Wood Flooring International, said that as long as the Loyalty Club members attend, he’s all for the one summit. “To get in front of their customers is the goal, so if we can do it one set-up, so much the better.” |
‘Fix it!’ Gun violence plea to Trump from students, parents | Julia Cordover, the student body president at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., cries during listening session with high school students and teachers and President Donald Trump in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Samuel Zeif, an 18-year-old senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., cries after speaking during a listening session with President Donald Trump and students and teachers in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Donald Trump, joined by student Carson Abt, right, and Julia Cordover, the student body president at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., left, bow their heads during the opening prayer of a listening session with high school students and teachers in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Donald Trump holds notes during a listening session with high school students and teachers in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. Trump heard the stories of students and parents affected by school shootings, following last week’s deadly shooting in Florida. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Donald Trump holds notes during a listening session with high school students and teachers in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. Trump heard the stories of students and parents affected by school shootings, following last week’s deadly shooting in Florida. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Julia Cordover, the student body president at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., speaks as President Donald Trump hosts a listening session with high school students and teachers in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Sofia Hidalgo, 15, of Glenmont, Md., chants during a student protest for gun control legislation in front of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Sydney Acuff, 16, of Silver Spring, Md., center, screams during a student protest for gun control legislation in front of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Gwendolyn Frantz, 17, of Kensington, Md., stands in front of the White House during a student protest for gun control, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
School students from Montgomery County, Md., in suburban Washington, rally in solidarity with those affected by the shooting at Parkland High School in Florida, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
School students from Montgomery County, Md., in suburban Washington, rally in solidarity with those affected by the shooting at Parkland High School in Florida, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
By CATHERINE LUCEY and MATTHEW DALY
WASHINGTON — Spilling out wrenching tales of lost lives and stolen security, students and parents appealed to President Donald Trump on Wednesday to set politics aside and protect America’s school children from the scourge of gun violence. Trump listened intently to the raw emotion and pledged action, including the possibility of arming teachers.
“I turned 18 the day after” the shooting, said a tearful Samuel Zeif, a student at the Florida high school where a former student’s assault left 17 dead last week. “Woke up to the news that my best friend was gone. And I don’t understand why I can still go in a store and buy a weapon of war. An AR. How is it that easy to buy this type of weapon? How do we not stop this after Columbine? After Sandy Hook?”
Trump promised to be “very strong on background checks.” And he suggested he supported allowing some teachers and other school employees to carry concealed weapons to be ready for intruders. But largely he listened, holding handwritten notes bearing his message to the families. “I hear you” was written in black marker.
The president had invited the teen survivors of school violence and parents of murdered children in a show of his resolve against gun violence in the wake of last week’s shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and in past years at Newtown, Connecticut, and Littleton, Colorado. The latest episode has prompted a renewed and growing call for stronger gun control.
Trump invited his guests to suggest solutions and solicited feedback. He did not fully endorse any specific policy solution, but pledged to take action and expressed interest in widely differing approaches.
Besides considering concealed carrying of weapons by trained school employees, a concept he has endorsed in the past, he said he planned to go “very strongly into age, age of purchase.” And he said he was committed to improving background checks and working on mental health.
Most in the group were emotional but quiet and polite.
But Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was killed last week, noted the previous school massacres and raged over his loss, saying this moment isn’t about gun laws but about fixing the schools.
“It should have been one school shooting and we should have fixed it and I’m pissed. Because my daughter, I’m not going to see again,” said Pollack. “King David Cemetery, that is where I go to see my kid now.”
A strong supporter of gun rights, Trump has nonetheless indicated in recent days that he is willing to consider ideas not in keeping with National Rifle Association orthodoxy, including age restrictions for buying assault-type weapons. Still, gun owners are a key part of his base of supporters.
Over 40 people assembled in the White House State Dining Room. Among them were students from Parkland along with their parents. Also present were Darrell and Sandra Scott, whose daughter was killed in the Columbine shooting, and Nicole Hockley and Mark Barden, who lost children at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. Students and parents from the Washington area also were present.
The student body president at the Parkland school, Julia Cordover, tearfully told Trump that she “was lucky enough to come home from school.”
She added: “I am confident you will do the right thing.”
Not all the students impacted by the shooting came to the White House.
David Hogg, who has been one of the students actively calling for gun control was invited but declined, said his mother Rebecca Boldrick.
“His point was (Trump needs) to come to Parkland, we’re not going there,” she said.
Throughout the day Wednesday, television news showed footage of student survivors of the violence marching on the Florida state Capitol, calling for tougher laws. The protests came closer to Trump, too, with hundreds of students from suburban Maryland attending a rally at the Capitol and then marching to the White House.
Inside the executive mansion, Trump said at the end of an hour listening to tales of pain and anguish, “Thank you for pouring out your hearts because the world is watching and we’re going to come up with a solution.”
Television personality Geraldo Rivera had dinner with Trump at his private Palm Beach club over the weekend and described Trump as “deeply affected” by his visit Friday with Parkland survivors. In an email, Rivera said he and Trump discussed the idea of raising the minimum age to purchase assault-type weapons.
Trump “suggested strongly that he was going to act to strengthen background checks,” Rivera said.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said Wednesday they would introduce a bill to raise the minimum age required to purchase rifles from gun dealers, including assault weapons such as the AR-15.
“A kid too young buy a handgun should be too young to buy an #AR15,” Flake said on Twitter. A buyer must be 21 to purchase a handgun.
The NRA did not respond to a request for comment. Trump embraced gun rights during his presidential campaign, though he supported some gun control before he became a candidate, backing an assault weapons ban and a longer waiting period to purchase a gun in a 2000 book.
On Tuesday, Trump directed the Justice Department to move to ban devices like the rapid-fire bump stocks used in last year’s Las Vegas massacre. The White House has also said Trump was looking at a bill that would strengthen federal gun background checks.
But those moves have drawn criticism as being inadequate, with Democrats questioning whether the Justice Department even has authority to regulate bump stocks and arguing that the background check legislation would not go far enough.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment about how it might implement Trump’s order or how an ongoing bump stock review would be affected. ATF reviewed the devices and approved them in 2010, finding they did not amount to machine guns that are regulated under the National Firearms Act that dates to the 1930s.
An effort to pass bump stock legislation last year fizzled out.
On background checks, Trump has suggested he is open to a bipartisan bill developed in response to a mass shooting at a Texas church. It would penalize federal agencies that don’t properly report required records and reward states that comply by providing them with federal grant preferences.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said the bill is “a small step,” stressing that Democrats want to see universal background check legislation.
Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said Wednesday that he’ll probably reintroduce bipartisan legislation that would require background checks for all gun purchases online and at gun shows. He said he planned to discuss the idea with Trump.
That bill first emerged with backing from Toomey and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia following the 2012 slaying of 26 children and adults in Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School. It failed then and at least one more time since. |
Animal Feed Additives Market by Application, Trends to Expand Significantly by 2021 | Global Animal Feed Additives Market for Ruminants: Snapshot
The key driver for all producers of animal feed additives for ruminants is the globally increasing demand for meat and dairy. This applies especially to developing countries, where the growing population densities and increasing disposable incomes are generating a vast consumer base for animal products.
A substantial portion of the animal feed additives for ruminants are intended for dairy animals over meat, due to the rapidly increasing demand for dairy and dairy products.
A lot of players – both top tier and regional – are looking into developments in coating technologies for animal feed. These coatings are increasing in importance as they help improve the effectiveness of the animal feed.
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The resulting effect of all the above factors is a CAGR of 4.3% from 2015 to 2021 in revenue for the global animal feed additives for ruminants market. This market is expected to reach US$4.7 bn by the end of 2016 and US$5.9 bn by the end of 2021.
Asia Pacific to Exhibit Leading Demand for Animal Feed Additives for Ruminants
By the end of 2021, Asia Pacific is expected to hold 32.6% of the revenue in the animal feed additives for ruminants market. This will account for the largest share in revenue, close to the percentage that the region held in 2014. A large part of this leading share is attributed to the high cattle population in the region. China and India are the two biggest regions in terms of demand for animal products demand owing to growing population densities. There is an especially high demand for dairy products from these countries. Additionally, the Asia Pacific region is ramping up its exports of meat to other regions, further increasing the demand for quality animal feed.
North America is also showing an increase in the demand for cattle-based meat and dairy. A large part of the increase in demand comes from the expanding cattle population of Canada. Furthermore, the animal husbandry industry in North America is guided by strict regulations that only allow meat and dairy above a specific grade to be sold. This has added to the demand for high-quality animal feed additives for ruminants.
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Most of Animal Feed Additives for Ruminants Continues to be Taken up by Cattle
Cattle were the leading animal type in terms of demand for animal feed additives for ruminants in 2014. By 2021, cattle are expected to take up 80.80% of the total animal feed additives revenue generation. Owing to the high demand for cattle meat and dairy across the world, the improvements in cattle feed additives is expected to generate large amounts of demand as well. This is drawing a greater number of players towards this sector and allowing them multiple opportunities of expansion.
Another key reason for the growing demand for animal feed additives for cattle is the growing concern over the health of the cattle and consequently, the quality of the meat and the health of the consumer. |
Subway blast arrest leads to discussion of immigration rules | NEW YORK (AP) — The arrest of a Bangladeshi immigrant accused of making a homemade pipe bomb and setting it off in the New York subway system has led to discussion of the nation’s immigration system, with President Donald Trump repeating his refrain that it needs to be overhauled in favor of more restrictions.
What you should know:
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THE BOMBING SUSPECT
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Authorities have identified the bombing suspect as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah. Originally from Bangladesh, he arrived in the United States in 2011 and was living in Brooklyn. The Department of Homeland Security says he’s a lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
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HOW HE GOT HERE:
Ullah came to the U.S. on an F43 visa, issued to him through his family connection to an American citizen. The American immigration system allows citizens to apply for certain relatives — spouses, children, parents, siblings and their spouses and minor children — to be allowed to come and live in the U.S. The visas fall under different preferences, or categories; siblings of U.S. citizens come in the fourth preference, the F4, and their children come under F43s.
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WHAT’S THE HISTORY?
Since a law change in 1965 loosened what had been a very restrictive system, America’s immigration policy has been based around giving preference to people with advanced education or skills or those with family ties to U.S. citizens. What that has meant is that as immigrants from places like Asia and Latin America started coming to the U.S. in larger numbers and became citizens, they applied for their family members to join them. Once naturalized, those brought in were able to then sponsor their own relatives.
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WHAT’S THE CONCERN?
Those who favor restrictions on immigration are in strong opposition to that kind of linked migration. It’s an issue that’s been brought up in proposed immigration reform legislation before. U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, of Arkansas, and U.S. Sen. David Perdue, of Georgia, both Republicans, have most recently proposed the RAISE Act, which would limit the number of permanent-resident visas and do away with the ability of citizens to bring over relatives other than spouses and minor children. Immigrant advocates have called the bill an attack on immigrants.
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WHAT TRUMP SAYS
Trump has made who’s allowed into the United States a centerpiece of his presidency, in the form of banning residents from certain countries from traveling to the U.S., calling for the construction of a wall along the Mexican border and limiting the number of refugees allowed in.
After Monday morning’s subway explosion, which seriously injured Ullah but no one else, Trump issued a statement saying, “America must fix its lax immigration system, which allows far too many dangerous, inadequately vetted people to access our country. Today’s terror suspect entered our country through extended-family chain migration, which is incompatible with national security.”
Trump, a Republican, has voiced his support of the RAISE Act.
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Deepti Hajela covers issues of race, ethnicity and immigration for The Associated Press. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dhajela. For more of her work, search for her name at https://apnews.com |
Michigan commits $50M to building second large Soo Lock | The Wichita Eagle | Gov. Rick Snyder, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, legislative leaders and others announce the commitment of $50 million in state funding to help build a second large lock at Sault St. Marie, Mich., on Wednesday, May 30, 2018, at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island, Mich. State officials are hopeful that by pledging the money, it will help persuade the federal government to fund the proposed project. David Eggert AP Photo |
Shelter Island Reporter obituary: Marion Frances Gleason | Marion Frances Gleason of Shelter Island died on Saturday, December 9, 2017 in Southampton. She was 88 years old.
Visiting will be held on Wednesday, December 13th from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the Shelter Island Funeral Home.
The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, December 14th at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church, Father Peter DeSanctis officiating.
Interment will follow at Our Lady of the Isle R.C. Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, P.O. Box 905, Wainscott, NY 11975 would be appreciated.
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Nigerian Corruption Fighters Tipped Off to Big Bucks Stashed in Empty Apartment | According to a Facebook post by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, "The operation followed a whistle blower's confidential alert received by the Commission's Lagos office this morning regarding some noticed suspicious movement of bags in and out of a particular apartment in the building. According to the source, the movers of the bags, make believe that they bring in bags of clothes."
© AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba At Least 4 Civilians Killed, 8 Injured in Attack in Northeast Nigeria - Police
The post continues, "Another source who is conversant with the apartment of interest indicated that a woman usually appeared on different occasions with Ghana Must Go bags. ‘She comes looking haggard, with dirty clothes but her skin didn't quite match her outward appearance, perhaps a disguise’, the source said."
Along with $43 million, $75,000 in Nigerian naira and $35,000 in UK pounds were found in two of the apartment’s four bedrooms.
Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign was first launched in December, encouraging citizens to use a secure online portal to report ethics violations. A whistleblower may also be entitled to a small percentage of recovered funds.
The purpose of the portal, according to the Finance Ministry’s website, is "To manage the Nation's finances in an open, transparent, accountable and efficient manner that delivers on the country's development priorities."
So far the program has recovered over $160 million according to Nigerian Minister of Information Lai Mohammed. |
AeroVironment Collaborating with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to Build First Drone - the Mars Helicopter - to Fly on Mars | What does a company do when its trailblazing and diverse innovations for nearly half a century have redefined how the world drives and flies? When its many technological "firsts” include the first practical electric car, flying the Nano Hummingbird drone, record-setting, solar-powered aircraft flights in near space, and reshaping the battlefield with portable, hand-held, tactical drones and loitering munitions?
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AeroVironment Collaborating with NASA's JPL to build 1st drone, the Mars Helicopter (Photo: Business Wire)
It takes on another world.
At a briefing held Wednesday at New York City’s NASDAQ Marketsite, AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) revealed its critical role in collaborating with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA/JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. to build the drone helicopter recently selected by NASA/JPL’s Mars Exploration Program, and displayed a model of the Mars Helicopter, which is planned to fly on Mars in less than three years.
"AeroVironment’s deep, rich and diverse history of innovation combined with our experience with near-space aircraft like Pathfinder and Helios make us uniquely suited to collaborate with NASA and JPL on this historic, interplanetary venture,” said Aerovironment President and Chief Executive Officer Wahid Nawabi.
Flying at nearly 100,000 feet on Earth is much like flying on the surface of Mars – same air density – so AeroVironment used airfoil design principles and simulation tools the technology company learned from record high-altitude flights and incorporated them into the Mars helicopter design.
"The Mars Helicopter effort also benefits from the ultra-lightweight and ultra-high-precision methods integral to our nano projects that have been developed in our MacCready Works laboratory, where we’ve assembled a dedicated team of the industry’s brightest and most experienced thinkers to solve some of today’s greatest technological challenges,” Nawabi said.
AeroVironment first developed subscale Mars helicopter prototypes to test and demonstrate the feasibility of lift in the thin Martian atmosphere. Then in May 2016, AeroVironment delivered to NASA/JPL a Mars Helicopter rotor and landing gear prototype that was integrated with a JPL-developed controller and demonstrated free flight in a simulated Mars atmosphere, proving that it is possible to fly on the Red Planet. Next, AeroVironment delivered major helicopter subsystems in the fall of 2017 for integration into Mars-representative engineering development models. JPL built two Engineering Development Model Mars Helicopters, integrating the AeroVironment rotor, landing gear, fuselage shell and solar panel substrate together with JPL-developed fuselage composed of flight avionics, onboard power, telecom, flight control and sensors into two models.
One of the development models was used for flight demonstration in JPL’s large 25-foot space simulator, and the other for environmental testing, including thermal tests to ensure the vehicle can endure the frigid Mars nights, and vibration tests to make sure it is rugged enough to survive launch. Both vehicles passed the rigorous tests, paving the way for the development and fabrication of the final, Mars-bound version.
AeroVironment is currently building the flight versions of their subsystems which will be integrated with other subsystems into the vehicle that JPL is building. The plan is for JPL to then install the finished Mars Helicopter into the Mars 2020 rover for its ride to a Martian landing site, still to be determined.
The Mars Helicopter project is led by NASA JPL with team members across JPL, AeroVironment, NASA Ames and NASA Langley. The AeroVironment team has worked closely with NASA rotorcraft experts at the NASA Ames and Langley research centers and with JPL electrical, mechanical, materials, vehicle flight controls, and systems engineers. AeroVironment’s contributions to the first Mars drone include design and development of the helicopter’s airframe and major subsystems, including its rotor, rotor blades, hub and control mechanism hardware. The company also developed and built high-efficiency, lightweight propulsion motors, power electronics, landing gear, load-bearing structures, and the thermal enclosure for NASA/JPL’s avionics, sensors, and software systems.
The press briefing featured high-impact visuals and models of many of AeroVironment’s innovations, including the Snipe™ nano drone – the latest tactical UAS innovation from AeroVironment that provides today’s defenders with critical information whenever and wherever it is needed – and the Switchblade® Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS). AeroVironment recently received Switchblade orders from the U.S. Army and U.S. Marines Corps through Urgent Needs Statements.
ABOUT AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) provides customers with more actionable intelligence so they can proceed with certainty. Based in California, AeroVironment is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems and tactical missile systems, and serves defense, government and commercial customers. For more information visit www.avinc.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains "forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain words such as "believe,” "anticipate,” "expect,” "estimate,” "intend,” "project,” "plan,” or words or phrases with similar meaning. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors outside of our control, that may cause our business, strategy or actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, reliance on sales to the U.S. government; availability of U.S. government funding for defense procurement and R&D programs; changes in the timing and/or amount of government spending; risks related to our international business, including compliance with export control laws; potential need for changes in our long-term strategy in response to future developments; unexpected technical and marketing difficulties inherent in major research and product development efforts; the impact of potential security and cyber threats; changes in the supply and/or demand and/or prices for our products and services; the activities of competitors and increased competition; failure of the markets in which we operate to grow; uncertainty in the customer adoption rate of commercial use unmanned aircraft systems; failure to remain a market innovator and create new market opportunities; changes in significant operating expenses, including components and raw materials; failure to develop new products; the extensive regulatory requirements governing our contracts with the U.S. government; product liability, infringement and other claims; changes in the regulatory environment; and general economic and business conditions in the United States and elsewhere in the world. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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Hutchins was a servant leader | From the moment Dr. Paul Hutchins took the helm of Sampson Community College back in 2012, we immediately recognized several attributes that the new president would bring to the school and to the community.
Chief among them was his humble manner. Quiet and unassuming, Hutchins has conducted his presidency just a shade out of the spotlight, preferring to allow students and staff to shine while he cheered them on from the sidelines.
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t involved. He was. Hutchins interacted well with students and staff, mingling with them, sharing ideas and, most especially, listening to what they had to say, using that as the jump-start to many initiatives made during his tenure.
Sincere in his approach, you could always count on what Hutchins said to be exactly what he meant. As cliche as it might sound, when it came to the outgoing president, his word was, indeed, his bond. And the kindness he offered was never a put-on or an attempt to get something in return — it was, and remains, a genuine part of Paul Hutchins.
Loyal to a fault, Hutchins was quick to always offer gratitude and praise to those who worked side-by-side with him, helping him to achieve the goals he had set for the college. Proof of that rests in his comments, made during the announcement of his acceptance to become president of Martin Community College March 1. “I leave this position with a profound sense of gratitude for each of you who have supported me and made my job so rewarding.”
Those weren’t just words. Knowing Hutchins, they came directly from the heart.
Hutchins was also a servant leader, someone who believed in the Rotarian mantra “service above self.” He saw his role at the college in that capacity: acting to serve the students, the Board of Trustees, the SCC Foundation Board and the community which supported the college in whatever capacity most necessary.
As a Rotarian, Hutchins carried out that mantra as well, serving in myriad roles during his tenure with the service organization. But perhaps the role he loved most as part of the Clinton-Sampson Rotary Club was chairman of the Cart fund, whose money supported Alzheimer’s research, something near and dear to his heart.
In every role he played as part of the Sampson County community, Hutchins did so with great enthusiasm and a quiet calmness that matched his character. We believe he loved the college and worked to make it successful, a point that becomes clearer when one looks at the strides made during his time here: reaffirmation of accreditation, the implementation of a Quality Enhancing Plan, enrollment growth, a STEM partnership with the city and county schools and nationally accredited RN and LPN programs.
Hutchins leaves the college in the greatest of hands in his successor, Dr. Bill Starling. And his parting words for his colleague reflects the kind of man the outgoing president is: “I congratulate Dr. Starling … and I ask that you support and work diligently with him to move this great institution forward.”
A classy farewell and nothing less than we expected from Hutchins.
We wish him every success in Martin County and we thank him for his service to both the college and the community. Godspeed Dr. Hutchins. |
Jury Finds Denver Radio Host Guilty Of Groping Taylor Swift | Getty Image
After a weeklong trial, Taylor Swift’s ordeal with a Denver radio host is officially over as a six-woman, two-man federal jury found David Mueller guilty of assaulting and battering Swift in 2013. Swift hugged her lawyers as the verdict was announced and her mother cried according to reporters in the courtroom. The judgement earned Swift the $1 she was seeking in the case and the publicly declared guilt of Mueller by the federal court.
Mueller lost his job after groping Swift’s buttocks under her dress before a concert in 2013, and while Swift had hoped to keep the incident quiet she took him to court after he sued her and the radio station for damages. That case was thrown out last week after a judge ruled he was lawfully fired for his discretions.
In court, Swift stood up to sexist and belittling questioning from Mueller’s attorney, and described the incident in detail, saying “He stayed latched on to my bare a** check as I moved away from him visibly uncomfortable.” |