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Here’s how Marvel fans can watch Guardians Of The Galaxy online, including whether the movie is available to stream via Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime. Today Guardians Of The Galaxy is hailed as one of the best movies that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has spawned, but before its 2014 release, it was considered one of Marvel’s riskiest endeavors. Not only was it arguably a lot weirder than anything the MCU had attempted before, but Guardians Of The Galaxy was also adapted from a relatively obscure comic book series about a relatively unknown team of superheroes.
Luckily for Marvel, Peter Quill and his motley crew proved a big hit with audiences and Guardians Of The Galaxy went on to rank as 2014’s third highest-grossing film. The James Gunn-directed movie got a sequel – Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 – in 2017 and since then the GOTG team has appeared in other MCU movies like Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
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Related: Is Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 On Netflix?
With a third Guardians Of The Galaxy film right around the corner, no doubt those new or old to the MCU will want to re-watch the first movie but is it available on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime? Unfortunately, Netflix and Hulu members are out of luck as Guardians Of The Galaxy isn’t available via either streaming service. The movie is, however, on Amazon Prime to rent or buy and currently priced between $2.99 and $19.99 to watch in standard definition or HD.
The reason behind Guardians Of The Galaxy’s absence on Netflix is the launch of the House of Mouse’s new streaming service Disney+ in November 2019. Disney has been steadily removing its Marvel movies from Netflix in anticipation of the Disney+ launch for the past couple of years. So, while Guardians Of The Galaxy isn’t available on Netflix it is on Disney+ alongside its sequel Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 and a ton of other Marvel titles including Ant-Man, Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel. Other options for watching Guardians Of The Galaxy include YouTube Movies, Google Play, iTunes and the Microsoft Store where the film is easily available to rent or buy.
While Guardians Of The Galaxy may be unavailable for Netflix and Hulu subscribers, there’s still the upcoming release of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3. to look forward to. The sequel is set to commence production once director James Gunn has finished working on the DCEU movie The Suicide Squad and is currently scheduled for release in 2021.
Next: The Marvel/DC War is Over, Thanks to James Gunn
Share Tweet Email | Thanos was finally dispatched (twice!) over the course of Avengers: Endgame, leaving long-time fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe pondering how future films in this series would fill the antagonist role he occupied. Thanos' defeat leaves the door open for another big Marvel villain to take his place; however, this formidable character is an enormously difficult act to follow. Thanos had been set up for six years as the primary foe of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ever since he turned around to deliver a grin during the credits of the first Avengers. Since then, his powerful nature in-universe had been made abundantly clear, especially after he actually pulled off his evil plan at the end of Avengers: Infinity War.
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After all of that hype and subsequent mayhem caused by Thanos, how exactly can the MCU deliver future villains that can measure up to this iconic foe? Well, the very defeat of that character could help open up the door for subsequent powerful adversaries to emerge over future Marvel Cinematic Universe titles. Considering things from the perspective of in-universe supervillains, a powerful figure like Thanos being completely off the table now leaves an opening for new foes to take his place. Nefarious individuals previously petrified to deal with Thanos and his gauntlet now have their chance to step out of the shadows and conquer the world.
Related: Marvel Provides More Evidence Thanos Is Alive After Endgame
The writers crafting the next wave of MCU storylines need to look at Thanos as a figure whose power kept equally formidable antagonists at bay. His defeat has left a power vacuum in the universe. Dormammu, The Mandarin, and even Doctor Doom (who Marvel again has the film rights to), can all now step-up to the plate as towering villainous forces because they don't have to contend with Thanos and all of his might. Marvel superheroes like Thor couldn't have been the only ones intimidated by Thanos — whose to say previously-unseen supervillains weren't also terrified of this purple beast?
MCU Villains That Could Follow Thanos
Of course, such fear has now been removed from the hearts of supervillains all across the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Avengers taking out Thanos took out one threat, but it's easy to see that victory opening up the door for a whole avalanche of new threats to emerge. One could easily see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featuring a version of Dormammu that, in the wake of Thanos being defeated, sees a chance for himself to garner heretofore unknown levels of power. Similarly, there's a whole slew of powerful villains whose film rights were previously owned exclusively by 20th Century Fox, such as the Fantastic Four property, that could emerge in the wake of Thanos' demise.
Wouldn't it be a logical extension of Thanos being taken down for Galactus, now having to face one less challenger, to emerge as a multi-film baddie whose power dwarfs even those utilized by Thanos? The sheer power possessed by Thanos, as well as his pop-culture ubiquity, puts a great level of pressure on those tasked with creating future powerful villains for members of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to face. But every ending is somebody else's beginning, and it's easy to see an outcome where the demise of Thanos at the end of Avengers: Endgame is an impetus for even greater supervillains to follow.
Next: The Human Torch Exists In The MCU (But Not The Fantastic 4 Version)
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Star Trek Picard: How The New Series Can Avoid Voyager’s Mistakes | 2 |
Want a different and majority elected, president in 2020? Trump has a MagaHatty cadre of street fascists who can disrupt Town Hall candidate meetings, his billionaires. and Putin, his Internet Hacking Agency, and Russo-American "Businessmen Corrupters." Winning against it will require that the Democratic party get at least 3 "battleground states" to adopt ranked-choice voting! The race is likely to come down to only five "toss up" states: Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Voters get to rank candidates in order of choice. If a candidate receives more than half of the first choices, they win, just like any other election. If not, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and voters who picked that candidate as 'number 1' will have their votes count for their next choice. This process continues until a candidate wins with more than half of the votes. This process is guaranteed to end with the most preferred candidate among all the votes as the winner candidate in our state situation it will produce a 270 vote electoral college. Second, rank and file democrats must, for this election only, abandon their self damaging diversity / identity theme, pitting women and minorities against each other! Make American values the main issue this time! Trumps' values are Vulgarian, from Slobovia and Skankostan! When Sanders says "I'm a socialist" only news media stupid talking heads claim it makes him un electable. Nobody sees Sanders virtue signaling this way as other than an expression of steadfastness, principle. Nobody thinks he alone, as President could make America a socialist nation. Furthermore, It would be stupid to scoff at the idea of another Hollywood actor running, like Ronald Reagan. Many of us did not like some of the values he stood for or some of his decisions. But no one could argue that he was ineffective, like Trump. A number of very prominent actors fit these qualities very well. Draft an actor who is a Democrat such as Tom Hanks! Hanks has exemplified good American values, in splendid films like Saving Private Ryan, Sully, Apollo 13, The Green Mile, Captain Phillips, Mark Felt, and A Beautiful Day Yes, even as Mr. Rogers! Try to draft Kevin Costner, who showed courage and other American values in Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood, JFK, A Perfect World, The Postman, Thirteen Days (about the Cuban Missile Crisis), The Guardian, and Hidden Figures. Or consider George Clooney who played in Three Kings, Syriana, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Good Night and Good Luck, The Ides of March and The Monuments Men. Even the writers of West Wing or Madame Secretary could do better and Tea Leoni would make a better President than Trump! Maybe even Pence, even for a caretaker year. | Police have arrested a 38-year-old black man from Orange Country, NY, for stabbing five Jews in the home of a Hasidic rabbi in Monsey on the seventh night of Hanukkah. If you’re a New Yorker or a Jew or both, you’re asking why. Why has yet another African-American attacked Jews? Why has black-on-Jewish assault become a continuous feature of life in and around New York? Why now?
The answer: Because the country is seized by the politics of victimhood, and there’s nothing that self-pitying “victims” find easier than blaming Jews for their misery.
The names given to the bogeymen of today’s populism are all historical code words for Jews. On the populist right, this means the elite, the globalists and the media. On the populist left, it’s Wall Street, the wealthy and the 1 percent. If that isn’t enough, the left has also decided that Jews — a minority who make up 2.2 percent of the American population — are “hyper-white” and, in Marxist terms, actually part of the power structure that keeps minorities down.
It’s no secret that right-wing populism has facilitated a violent, sometimes deadly, rise in Jew-hatred, but it’s forbidden to draw similar conclusions about the populist left. At least in public. There are two reasons for this: First, pointing out the problem on the right is a means of attacking President Trump. Second, addressing the problem on the left would mean facing the outsize role that black Americans have played in recent attacks against Jews.
On the first point, it is not only wrong to blame Trump for right-wing anti-Semitism, it’s perverse. How anyone gets away with claiming that the president doesn’t condemn Jew-hatred is beyond me. He condemns it at every turn. He devoted an unprecedentedly large chunk of his last State of the Union address to denouncing anti-Semitism and vowing to fight it wherever it may arise.
Trump recently moved to crack down against anti-Semitism on college campuses (and was denounced for it as a racist by the left). For his commitment to fighting Jew-hatred and his unfaltering support of Israel, he has earned the enmity of far-right anti-Semites.
On the second point, the facts speak for themselves. Throughout 2019, African-Americans attacked Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn on a more-or-less weekly basis, and it barely ever made the mainstream news. It wasn’t until two members of the Black Hebrew Israelites shot up a kosher market in Jersey City in early December that the media was forced into acknowledging reality.
The left’s leading populists have fetishized the victim status of certain minorities, including African Americans. They have made slavery and its legacy the focal points of American life. They have determined, without evidence, that police are on a campaign to kill unarmed blacks. And they speak generally as if we have suddenly been transported to a pre-civil-rights-movement America.
What’s more, unlike Trump, some of the left’s leading populists have gone out of their way to steer their followers toward blaming the Jews. The stand-out figures here are Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Their public record of blaming Jewish money for corrupting American politics is so well-known that it needs no rehearsing here. And it has either been ignored or defended by the larger left. If you called either of them out on their anti-Semitism, you were charged with racism and misogyny. Omar so petrified Democratic leaders that they couldn’t even pass a House resolution condemning her blatant anti-Semitic remarks.
But the problem on the left goes beyond Omar and Tlaib. And it goes beyond the rest of the Squad, who engage in constant anti-Israel theatrics. It stretches to the identitarian populism of most of the 2020 Democratic candidates for president, to the liberal garment-rending over the defeat of the anti-Semitic Jeremy Corbyn, to the intersectional gobbledygook that divides college campuses by ethnicity, to the Women’s March activists who embrace Louis Farrakhan and down to the community level, where, for example, the NAACP’s Passaic branch posts Facebook rants blaming tainted water supplies on the Jews.
Historically, indulged victims have needed no encouragement in pointing their finger at Jews. Telling them that others are responsible for their woes has usually been enough to get them headed in that direction. But some on today’s left have given Jew-hatred an extra nudge. Their winks, dog-whistles and outright calumnies have served as a noxious propaganda campaign and led to a surge of minority anti-Semitism. With the attempted murders in Monsey, this can no longer be kept a secret, and maybe those who have facilitated it will begin to know a little shame.
Abe Greenwald is senior editor of Commentary, from which this column was adapted. | 2 |
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The Wisconsin Elections Commission deadlocked again Monday on what to do next after a circuit court judge ordered the state to purge more than 200,000 names from Wisconsin’s voter registration list.
It’s the second time in less than a month that the commission, which is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats, has been unable to agree on how to address the court order by a circuit court judge.
That original order has since been appealed and a new lawsuit has been filed in federal court attempting to block it.
Elections Commissioner Mark Thomsen, one of the panel’s Democrats, said those lawsuits should be allowed to play out before the voting rolls are changed.
“It would seem to me premature and wrongheaded for the commission to jump ahead,” Thompson said
Earlier this month, Ozaukee County Circuit Judge ruled in favor of plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty , known as WILL. They argued that the Wisconsin Elections Commission was violating state law by not removing thousands of people from voting rolls who were suspected to have moved.
The voters were identified by what’s known as the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a nonprofit, multi-state system that helps member states keep their voter registration lists current. ERIC identifies people who may have moved after they file official paperwork with another government agency like the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The Elections Commission voted earlier this year to send a mailing to more than 230,000 voters stating that they’d been flagged as having moved. But the commission’s original mailing also told voters that they would not be automatically removed from the state’s registration rolls until 2021.
At the time, the Elections Commission argued that state law gave it discretion on whether to immediately rescind a voter’s registration. It said that discretion was necessary given the state’s previous experiences with the ERIC system in 2017, when voters who had not moved were mistakenly tossed off the rolls.
Malloy rejected that argument, ruling on Dec. 13 that the state must remove the names from Wisconsin’s voter rolls immediately.
Wisconsin’s Elections Commission met just days later, voting 3-3 on Dec. 16 on a motion that would have immediately purged the state’s voter rolls. With the commission’s even split, a bipartisan vote is required to accomplish anything.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice, led by Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul, appealed the initial ruling in state court, and WILL asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take the case directly.
At the same time, the Wisconsin League of Women Voters filed a new lawsuit in federal court in an attempt to block the initial ruling.
Republican Dean Knudson, a former GOP state lawmaker who chairs the Elections Commission, said Monday that he felt it was important for the commission to take action following the court order by Malloy.
“We are under a court order from the circuit court in Ozaukee County to follow the law,” Knudson said. “I wish the law was clearer. But I feel like we need to do our best to follow the law.”
But the commission’s Democrats, like Ann Jacobs, said the system used to flag voter names was flawed and it was unclear if the state even had the authority to remove people.
“The right to vote is of such power that the idea that we’re going to simply kick people off the rolls because of a poor data match is astonishing,” Jacobs said.
The case is being closely watched because of Wisconsin’s potentially pivotal role in the 2020 election and its recent history of close finishes.
For example, the 2019 Wisconsin Supreme Court race and the 2016 race for president were both decided by margins of less than 1 percent, and the 2018 race for governor was decided by just over 1 percent.
State Election Panel Deadlocks Again On How To Address Ruling On Voter List Purge was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio. | He said he's hopeful that this coming year will include a consensus surrounding the issue, though he lamented what he sees as the "minimization of the problem" of possible contamination of nitrates and so-called "forever chemicals" known as PFAS, which are found in firefighting foam and more.
"The concern I have is that we have folks already saying, 'Well we can't overregulate this issue, we can't do this around this issue, we can't we can't,'" he said.
As a key figure among Wisconsin Democrats, Evers said takes both down-ticket races and the presidential match-up seriously. Maintaining Democratic numbers in the Legislature, he said, "keeps my veto in place" as both GOP-led chambers currently lack enough members to override Evers' actions — something he said is especially important because of the approaching census and redistricting round.
As for the presidential election, he stressed the need to get candidates to the state "and have the people in Wisconsin understand the issues that each of them care about and we get a good turnout in the primary, good turnout next fall."
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BRIGHTON, England (AP) — Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s acrobatic overhead kick gave Brighton a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the Premier League on New Year’s Day.
The Iran striker’s bicycle kick in the 84th minute punished Frank Lampard’s wasteful Chelsea, which relied on goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s late save against Neal Maupay to avoid losing.
Jahanbakhsh started 2020 in style after only breaking a 20-match league goal drought in the 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday.
The goal on Wednesday canceled out the tap-in from Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta in the 10th minute.
Christian Pulisic will look at three wasted openings that ultimately stopped Chelsea cementing their dominance, denying the fourth-place side another away victory after Sunday’s 2-1 win at Arsenal.
The American dragged a shot wide from a well-worked and promising position.
The forward had tormented Martin Montoya throughout the first half and outfoxed him twice in quick succession after the break, but he failed to find the target on both occasions.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | Apparently US national team star Christian Pulisic's hamstring knock wasn't a major one.
Pulisic was back in Chelsea manager Frank Lampard's XI for the Premier League's first match of 2020, the Blues' 1-1 away draw at Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday.
🔵🇺🇸👀Christian Pulisic watch: How did #USMNT star perform on his return to the Chelsea starting lineup v. Brighton? @JPW_NBCSports has minute-by-minute analysis on the #CFC winger ⤵️ https://t.co/Cl3pFbsys6 pic.twitter.com/qGM0y2MfMX — NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) January 1, 2020
Deployed wide left in Lampard's 4-2-3-1, Pulisic went 66 minutes and left the game with his side in the lead on Cesar Aspilicueta's 10th-minute goal. Brighton eventually leveled the match through Alireza Jahanbaksh's spectacular equalizer, an overhead kick from range.
Lampard had ruled Pulisic out of Chelsea's previous match, a 2-1 come-from-behind win away at London rivals Arsenal, and there appeared to be concerns that a hamstring or groin ailment could keep the winger out several weeks.
100% healthy but thank you guys for the concern — Christian Pulisic (@cpulisic_10) December 30, 2019
However, Pulisic took to Twitter to reveal, at the very least, those concerns were overblown.
Wednesday's draw marked Chelsea's fourth match and the end of a typically busy league stretch over the holiday season. Their next match comes Sunday home to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round before returning to league play on Jan. 11 at home against Burnley. | 3.5 |
The message to foreign women thinking of booking a holiday in Cyprus could hardly be more stark: if you are attacked don’t expect the authorities to help you. On the contrary, reporting a rape carries a significant risk that it won’t be properly investigated, as appears to have happened to the 19-year-old British woman who went to the police in Ayia Napa in July saying she had been gang-raped. Moreover, you might end up deprived of your own liberty.
The teenager found herself convicted on Monday with inventing the whole thing, and faces a potential prison sentence when she appears at the Famagusta district court next week. Predatory young men, on the other hand, might easily come to the conclusion that they have nothing to fear.
The case now has all the ingredients of an international incident, following a highly unusual intervention from the Foreign Office. A spokesman has described events in Cyprus as “deeply distressing” and says that the UK is “seriously concerned” about the young woman’s right to a fair trial. While limiting damage to the tourist industry may have been the primary concern of the Cypriot authorities, it has backfired spectacularly. The UK is also an important ally and has military bases on the island. Whatever is being said publicly, it’s likely that frantic discussions are taking place behind the scenes, seeking a way out of what is fast becoming a public relations disaster.
It simply defies belief that more than 55,000 British women are lying about being raped every year
While some elements in this shocking case are particular to Cyprus, it highlights a culture of disbelief towards victims that is almost universal. That distrust expresses itself in different ways, depending on the jurisdiction, and it appears that the investigation in Ayia Napa was flawed from the outset. In the UK, victims often complain about the length of time a rape inquiry takes, but the Cypriot investigation was over in just 12 days. How can a thorough investigation into an alleged rape with multiple perpetrators be carried out in such a short space of time? Yet all the accused boys were released and allowed to return home to Israel.
The young woman’s legal team claim that local police failed to collect evidence from the hotel room where the incident took place, didn’t secure the crime scene and showed no understanding of the impact of traumatic events on the complainant’s memory.
Instead of treating her as a young and vulnerable witness, they interviewed her on her own late at night, with neither a lawyer nor a family member present. The Cypriot police do not record interviews, so there is no independent record of what happened during the seven hours before the teenager signed a “retraction”, which she says she did under duress.
This sequence of events is a stain on the Cypriot justice system, but what lies behind it is a hugely disproportionate anxiety about false accusations. Indeed it is one of the principal myths that undermine rape investigations, even though the idea that there are high levels of false allegations is unsupported by evidence. In the UK, a handful of widely publicised cases that ended in acquittals or a decision not to proceed to trial has tainted the entire system for investigating rape. Many people do not understand that a decision not to prosecute reflects an assessment of the available evidence, and does not mean the victim was lying.
The Crown Prosecution Service denies the accusation that it has become “risk averse”, but there has been a 52% drop in the number of rape cases prosecuted since 2016, despite an increase of 43% in complaints to the police. According to the latest figures for the year ending in March 2019, there were 58,657 allegations of rape in England and Wales but only 1,925 successful prosecutions. Unless you are a dyed-in-the-wool misogynist, it simply defies belief that more than 55,000 women are lying about being raped every year.
Unbelievable – at last, a rape drama that gives victims a voice | Fiona Sturges Read more
The truth is actually much worse: a habit of treating women as untrustworthy witnesses has imbued our own criminal justice system with a corrosive degree of suspicion. It’s far from unusual for victims to face intrusive demands for personal information, including school and medical records. They are made to feel as though they, rather than their alleged attackers, have shameful secrets in their past.
These developments have not gone unchallenged. The Centre for Women’s Justice is seeking a judicial review of the way the CPS makes decisions in rape cases, while the information commissioner is investigating a complaint from myself, the London victims’ commissioner and women’s groups about excessive demands for complainants’ private data.
In the meantime there can be no doubt that thousands of sexual predators are going free. Some of them, no doubt, will attack again. And while we rightly shudder at the treatment a British teenager has received in Cyprus, we should not forget that our own criminal justice system is in crisis – or that it lets down rape victims every day.
• Joan Smith is chair of the Mayor of London’s Violence Against Women and Girls Board | Mother of woman found guilty of lying about being gang-raped says Ayia Napa resort is unsafe
The mother of a British teenager found guilty of lying about being gang-raped in Cyprus has backed calls for a tourism boycott of the country.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that she supported the campaign and that she believed the resort town of Ayia Napa was unsafe.
“The place isn’t safe – it is absolutely not safe. And if you go and report something that’s happened to you, you’re either laughed at, as far as I can tell, or, in the worst case, something like what’s happened to my daughter may happen,” she said.
The teenager said she was raped by up to 12 Israeli tourists in a hotel room in Ayia Napa on 17 July.
But she was charged and the dozen young men, aged between 15 and 20, who were arrested over the incident, were freed after she signed a retraction statement 10 days later.
The woman said her daughter was experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), hallucinations, and sleeping for up to 20 hours a day because of a condition called hypersomnia.
“She needs to get back to the UK to get that treated – that’s my absolute primary focus. She can’t be treated here because hearing foreign men speaking loudly will trigger an episode …
“It needs resolving otherwise she’s going to carry on having this for the rest of her life,” the woman said.
She said her daughter had planned to go to university this year after being accepted for the courses she applied for and being offered a bursary at one institute.
“So, no question, she would have gone to university, but it was in a career that she wouldn’t be able to do with this ‘public mischief’ verdict, so – again, life-changing for her – she needs to totally rethink her options.”
A crowdfunding appeal to raise money for legal support for her daughter has passed £80,000.
The “help teen victim get justice in Cyprus” GoFundMe page was set up in August by the British lawyer John Hobbs to raise cash for the 19-year-old’s legal representation.
The teenager claimed in court she was raped but forced to change her account under pressure from Cypriot police.
The Foreign Office said the UK was “seriously concerned” about the fairness of the woman’s trial and it is understood officials have raised the “deeply distressing case” with the Cypriot authorities.
Lawyers and campaigners criticised the justice system after the woman was convicted of public mischief at Famagusta district court, in Paralimni, on Monday.
The psychologist who assessed the woman as part of her defence case, Dr Christine Tizzard, said she was concerned the trial had not fully considered that she had been diagnosed with PTSD.
She told the Guardian: “The salient point is that she was diagnosed with PTSD. That’s a standalone diagnosis. It’s a valid diagnosis and it hasn’t really been fully represented.
“Aside the fact it hasn’t been fully represented, it means she’s been unable to get the treatment she so sorely needs and every day she’s not having treatment the worse it gets.”
The government of Cyprus has said it has “full confidence in the justice system and the courts”.
Cyprus’s attorney general said on Tuesday he could not suspend the trial because the woman had levelled “grave accusations” against police investigators that had to be adjudicated in court.
He said her allegation that police coerced her into retracting her rape claim “could not have been left to linger” so he could not move to suspend the trial.
In a statement, Costas Clerides added: “Any intervention on the part of the attorney general, either for reasons of public interest or any other reasons, would have constituted nothing more than an obstacle to ascertaining the true facts of the case, as well as interference in the judiciary’s work.”
Judge Michalis Papathanasiou said he believed the woman had made false allegations because she felt “embarrassed” after realising she had been filmed having sex in a video found on some of the Israelis’ mobile phones.
The woman has been on bail since the end of August, after spending a month in prison, and could face up to a year in jail and a €1,700 (£1,500) fine when she is sentenced on 7 January. | 4 |
One thing is for sure, children love author Mo Willems in Jamaica Plain. Incredibly Willems had the 10 most popular kids books in terms of circulation for the JP Library Branch.
The following lists were provided by the Jamaica Plain Branch Library.
The following are the top 10 most borrowed children's books, all by Willems.
Should I share my ice cream? My new friend is so fun! The thank you book I love my new toy! I broke my trunk! I really like slop! I will surprise my friend Listen to my trumpet! Are you ready to play outside? Can I play too?
Here's a list of the top 10 adult books, ranked by how much they went out. Only two of the 10 titles above are nonfiction: Becoming and Educated.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Becoming by Michelle Obama Educated: a memoir by Tara Westover An American Marriage by Tayari Jones Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver Pachinko by Min Jin Lee The Witch Elm by Tana French Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty | You can see the whole Earth from the Moon!
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Tags: ‘ASTONISHING’ SPIKE IN DEMAND FOR EXORCISMS - Joshua Gill - dailycaller.com, “Jesus’ command was to heal the sick and to cast out demons", Catholic Church Reports Spike in ‘Demonic Activity’ - Requests for Exorcists Have ‘Tripled’ - Thomas D. Williams PH.D - breitbart.com, Demonic Possession claims have tripled in recent years and attributed the rise in demonic activity to an increased use of fortune tellers and tarot cards, Exorcists Condemn Children’s Book on Summoning Demons - Thomas D. Williams PH.D. - breitbart.com, Report: Catholics Face ‘Mushrooming Demand for Exorcisms’ - Thomas D. Williams PH.D - Breitbart.com, The top 10 most evil demonic but TRUE events of 2019 that indicate the rise of Satanism - Ethan Huff - liberalmob.com, Vatican trains exorcists as demonic possession claims rise - cruxnow.com, Walmart - Target and Amazon all sell books that teach children as young as five how to summon Demons - Ethan Huff - naturalnews.com
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Status
Status: Vetoed on December 20 2019 - 100% progression
Action: 2019-12-20 - VETOED MEMO.284
Text: Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)Status: Vetoed on December 20 2019 - 100% progressionAction: 2019-12-20 - VETOED MEMO.284Text: Latest bill text (Amended) [HTML]
Summary
Expands which judges may solemnize a marriage to include all federal circuit court of appeals judges and all federal district court judges.
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Title
Expands which judges may solemnize a marriage to include all federal circuit court of appeals judges and all federal district court judges.
Sponsors
Roll Calls
History
Date Chamber Action 2019-12-20 Assembly VETOED MEMO.284 2019-12-20 Senate DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR 2019-06-18 Assembly returned to senate 2019-06-18 Assembly passed assembly 2019-06-18 Assembly ordered to third reading rules cal.299 2019-06-18 Assembly substituted for a8031a 2019-06-13 Assembly referred to judiciary 2019-06-13 Senate DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY 2019-06-13 Senate PASSED SENATE 2019-06-13 Senate ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1372 2019-06-06 Senate PRINT NUMBER 6330A 2019-06-06 Senate AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO RULES 2019-06-05 Senate REFERRED TO RULES
Same As/Similar To
A08031 (Same As) 2019-06-18 - substituted by s6330a
New York State Sources
Type Source Summary https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=S06330&term=2019&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Text=Y&Committee%26nbspVotes=Y&Floor%26nbspVotes=Y Text https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=S06330&term=2019&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Text=Y&Committee%26nbspVotes=Y&Floor%26nbspVotes=Y#S06330 Text https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=S06330&term=2019&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Text=Y&Committee%26nbspVotes=Y&Floor%26nbspVotes=Y#S06330A Roll Call https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/S6330#SF1 Roll Call https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/S6330#SC1 Roll Call https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=S06330&term=2019&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Text=Y&Committee%26nbspVotes=Y&Floor%26nbspVotes=Y#AF1
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ATLANTA, GA — Long-time Atlanta Congressman and civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis, 79, said Sunday that he has been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. Doctors have told Lewis that he has a chance to beat the disease, and he plans to return to Washington, D.C., soon to begin treatment and return to work on Capitol Hill.
Lewis recently learned from doctors following a routine medical visit, and subsequent tests, that he has cancer.
"I have been in some kind of fight – for freedom, equality, basic human rights – for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now," Lewis said. "While I am clear-eyed about the prognosis, doctors have told me that recent medical advances have made this type of cancer treatable in many cases, that treatment options are no longer as debilitating as they once were, and that I have a fighting chance.
"So I have decided to do what I know to do and do what I have always done: I am going to fight it and keep fighting for the beloved community. We still have many bridges to cross."
Prayers, well-wishes and encouragement for Lewis as he faces cancer were shared by state and national Democratic leaders, along with entertainment luminaries.
If there's one thing I love about @RepJohnLewis, it's his incomparable will to fight. I know he's got a lot more of that left in him. Praying for you, my friend.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 30, 2019
.@repjohnlewis is America's conscience and Georgia's heart. We stand with him as he fights one more battle - to defeat pancreatic cancer. As he wages that war, he continues to do the people's work, buoyed by the prayers and good will of millions. God bless you, my friend.
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) December 30, 2019
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, said, "John Lewis is one of the strongest people I know. He already beat Jim Crow and the Ku Klux Klan—cancer is next. Please join me in lifting him and his family in prayer."
And actor Mark Hamill, star of the "Star Wars" films, tweeted, "I'm hoping with all my soul that civil-rights icon, conscience of our country & national treasure @repjohnlewis kicks cancer's ASS!"
Lewis, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump for several years, recently gained attention for his impassioned comments urging his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to vote to impeach the president.
The impeachment proceedings were a sad day in American history, he said. "It's a sad day, it is not a day of joy. …For some this vote may be hard. But we have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history," Lewis said.
In January 2017 Lewis said that Trump's presidential election wasn't legitimate, making claims of Russian influence in the vote.
In response, Trump had harsh words to say about Lewis' Fifth Congressional District, which includes downtown Atlanta, along with surrounding communities — some impoverished, others affluent. Saying the congressman should spend more time helping his district, Trump referred to the area as being "in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested)."
Georgia's Fifth Congressional District includes parts of Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton counties, including most of the City of Atlanta. Other cities included in the Fifth District are Brookhaven, Decatur, and South Fulton.
Lewis is a member of the Democratic Party leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives and has served as a chief deputy whip since 1991 and senior chief deputy whip since 2003. He has been awarded many honorary degrees, including the highest civilian honor of the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Lewis said he will return to Washington in coming days to continue his work and begin a treatment plan, which will occur over the next several weeks. The Congressman said he may miss a few votes during this period, but "with God's grace I will be back on the front lines soon."
"Please keep me in your prayers as I begin this journey," his statement concluded.
Lewis was born the son of sharecroppers on February 21, 1940, outside of Troy, Alabama. He grew up on his family's farm and attended segregated public schools in Pike County, Alabama. As a young boy, he was inspired by the activism surrounding the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which he heard on radio broadcasts.
As a student at Fisk University, John Lewis organized sit-in demonstrations at segregated lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1961, he volunteered to participate in the Freedom Rides, which challenged segregation at interstate bus terminals across the South. Lewis risked his life on those rides many times by sitting in seats reserved for white patrons. He was also beaten severely by angry mobs and arrested by police for challenging the injustice of Jim Crow segregation in the South, his biography says.
From 1963 to 1966, Lewis was named chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which he helped form, to organize student activism, including sit-ins and other activities.
At the age of 23, he was an architect of and a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington in August 1963.
In 1964, John Lewis coordinated SNCC efforts to organize voter registration drives and community action programs during the Mississippi Freedom Summer.
The following year, Lewis helped spearhead the protest march for voting rights across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965. The marchers were attacked by Alabama state troopers in a brutal confrontation that became known as "Bloody Sunday." News broadcasts and photographs showing the violence helped hasten the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, his office said. | Peniel Joseph is the Barbara Jordan chair in ethics and political values and the founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is also a professor of history. He is the author of several books, most recently "Stokely: A Life." The views expressed here are his. View more opinion articles on CNN.
(CNN) The news that John Lewis, the civil rights icon and congressman from Georgia, has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer represents a sobering reminder. This legendary man now faces a mighty challenge -- and the sad news of his illness reminds us of the fortitude so many brought to the civil rights struggle and the somber reality that we are slowly losing the generation that defeated Jim Crow segregation in America.
Peniel Joseph
Every generation that passes into history takes with it vital institutional memory that indelibly shapes contemporary notions of citizenship, freedom and democracy. Lewis' generation has done this in momentous ways. Beyond the quest for voting rights and struggles to end Jim Crow in public schools and neighborhoods lay the undiscovered country of full citizenship for everyone from semi-literate sharecroppers in the Mississippi Delta to the unjustly incarcerated in big cities across America.
The life and legacy of John Lewis encompasses the complex relationship between race and citizenship in America. The outpouring of love, support and concern that greeted the news of the congressman's medical diagnosis should be refracted though the lens of our own tumultuous time: an era marked by racial divisions, a democracy in peril and the alarming frequency of violence such as mass shootings and police killings of unarmed black people.
In the age of Donald Trump, the possible loss of a statesman such as John Lewis matters more than ever. In that sense the nation now finds itself lamenting the potential loss of its best self, the side of the national character purposeful enough to believe that sacrifice inevitably led to democratic renewal and reinvigorated moral purpose.
JUST WATCHED Rep. John Lewis on crossing Edmund Pettus Bridge (2018) Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Rep. John Lewis on crossing Edmund Pettus Bridge (2018) 01:11
John Lewis, through non-violent sit-ins, protests and demonstrations, helped to shape a generation of Americans who sought to transform a political reality long based on racial segregation, poverty and violence. As a Freedom Rider in Anniston, Alabama, in May 1961, Lewis experienced a brutal attack by a white mob that nearly killed him. Four years later, as the chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Lewis faced off against mounted Alabama state troopers at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, emerging as one of the heroes of "Bloody Sunday" and experiencing another beating that left him with permanent physical scars, wounds that helped to heal America's political soul.
Read More | 4 |
An industry desperately looking for clarity. India’s ecommerce industry, estimated to be worth over $ 50 billion, remains enmeshed in regulatory flux. With the final word yet to be said on the National Ecommerce Policy, separate guidelines have been drafted by different ministries on issues such as consumer protection and data privacy confounding an industry in search of regulatory clarity.Hopes of a stable policy framework had gained ground in June, when commerce minister Piyush Goyal said India would have a comprehensive ecommerce policy within a year.This followed months of upheaval triggered by new rules specifying that FDI-funded marketplaces could only lend their platforms to third-party sellers and barred such entities from holding any stocks or selling their own goods directly to customers. Morgan Stanley estimated the regulations would drive up business costs and uncertainty, including for industry leaders Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart . So much so, that its estimate of when India’s ecommerce would touch $200 billion was pushed forward by a year to 2027.Now, as Ministry for Electronics, Telecom and IT drafts rules that will govern non-personal data, and norms for consumer protection are drawn up by a separate ministry, online commerce could be left to battle on multiple fronts. | Our team is dedicated to finding and telling you more about the products and deals we love. If you love them too and decide to purchase through the links below, we may receive a commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change.
As we head into a fresh decade, new life choices and resolutions abound. From getting into shape to getting more organized, there are no wrong resolutions here!
But after a decade of climate change conversations and a year that was defined by events like the Global Climate Strike, we have a feeling that many people will be going into 2020 looking to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
So if you are one of those people looking to make a few changes for the good of Mother Earth, don't get overwhelmed -- being more eco-friendly doesn't have to be intimidating or difficult. For starters, you can make a few quick swaps at home! Think: stop using single-use water bottles in favor of a reusable one, begin to use silicone food bags instead of plastic baggies for your snacks and add multi-use makeup remover pads to your beauty routine as opposed to disposable wipes. Now if you're thinking that these changes may seem small and inconsequential, a drop in the ocean creates a ripple, right?
Shop 7 eco-friendly products we love below and start off 2020 doing some good for the earth. | 1 |
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held telephonic conversations with top leaders of Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives, conveying New Year greetings and emphasising India's commitment to regional peace and security as well as 'neighbourhood first' policy.
Modi spoke to King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli.
The prime minister also spoke to his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
"The prime minister conveyed to the leaders his New Year greetings and good wishes on behalf of the people of India and on his own behalf," the PMO said in a release.
It said Modi emphasised India's commitment to 'neighbourhood first' policy and the vision of shared peace, security, prosperity and progress for all of India's friends and partners in the region.
In his conversation with Hasina, Modi congratulated her on being re-elected as the president of the Awami League for the next three years.
The prime minister also expressed his condolence on the untimely demise of former High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India Syed Muazzem Ali.
"He also stated that the upcoming birth centenary of Bangbandhu and 50 years of the liberation of Bangladesh and establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties provided important milestones to further progress of the close India-Bangladesh ties, which is a priority of his government," the PMO said.
In his conversation with the Bhutanese King, Modi highlighted important achievements of the last year which have led to further consolidation of special ties between India and Bhutan.
The prime minister also mentioned that he was looking forward to the forthcoming visit of the King to India.
In his talks with Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Modi expressed confidence that India and Sri Lanka would further enhance their friendly ties in the year 2020.
Speaking to Prime Minister Oli, Modi expressed satisfaction over the progress in India-Nepal relations in 2019 with the completion of several projects.
"He specifically noted the completion of Motihari (India)- Amlekhgunj (Nepal) petroleum products pipeline in a record time," the PMO said.
"Both the leaders also agreed to an early inauguration of the Integrated Check Post in Biratnagar and the housing reconstruction project in Nepal through video conference," it said.
In his conversation with the prime minister of Sri Lanka, Modi reiterated India's commitment to further expand the close and extensive cooperation with the island nation.
Modi also wished the President of the Maldives Solih.
"President Solih warmly reciprocated prime minister's wishes and expressed his keen desire to further deepen and strengthen the ties with India by enhancing the existing bilateral cooperation and exploring newer areas for working together," the release said.
He, however, missed out Pakistan PM Imran Khan. | New Delhi [India], Jan 1 (ANI): Newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat called on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh here at South Block on Wednesday.
During the meet, the Defence Minister extended his best wishes to General Rawat for a successful tenure ahead.
On Tuesday, General Rawat received the guard of honour from all the three forces after demitting office on retirement as Chief of Indian Army.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated former Army chief Rawat for taking over as the first CDS and called him an "outstanding officer" who has served India with great zeal.
"I am delighted that as we begin the New Year and new decade, India gets its first Chief of Defence Staff in General Bipin Rawat. I congratulate him and wish him the very best for this responsibility. He is an outstanding officer who has served India with great zeal," Prime Minister Modi said in a series of tweets.
General Manoj Mukund Naravane took over as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) on Tuesday, succeeding General Bipin Rawat who has become India's first CDS.
General Naravane previously served as the Vice Chief of Army Staff. He has taken over the reins of the Army amid prevailing tensions between India and Pakistan due to provocations by Islamabad through terror activities. (ANI) | 1 |
Problems with the water supply at Salford Royal Hospital have been now resolved.
A number of wards at the Ladywell Building were without running water on New Year’s Eve.
Hospital bosses said the issue was affecting a number of patients staying on the wards.
Bottled water was used on site and a temporary fix was put in place overnight, a spokesperson for Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust said.
The issue was permanently resolved by 10am on New Year’s Day.
It is understood that engineers from United Utilities provided a temporary water supply overnight.
The Ladywell Building houses a number of wards, the radiology unit and the ultrasound unit.
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Breaking news, the latest on your football club, the pick of the week’s events and the latest travel - you can tailor the app to suit you. Our push notifications help highlight the biggest stories to you first. | NEW Year's Eve fireworks and lanterns are feared to have sparked a horror blaze at a German zoo which killed 30 animals when it tore through its 'ape house'.
Krefeld Zoo - located north of Dusseldorf and near the Dutch border - said its "worst fears have become reality" in the wake of this morning's shocking fire.
7 Chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans were killed in the horror blaze Credit: AP:Associated Press
7 The zoo said it's worst fears had become a reality in the wake of the inferno Credit: Alamy Live News
In a post on Facebook, it said: "An unfathomable tragedy hit us shortly after midnight. Our ape building burned down to the foundation."
Chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans are among those that burned alive. Fruit bats, birds and other animals were also killed.
However, two chimps called Bally and Limbo were saved from the flames by firefighters who heard their screams.
Both suffered minor burns and the zoo director described their last minute rescue as nothing short of "a miracle".
Bosses also revealed the nearby Gorilla Garden - home to one of its most famous residents - escaped the ferocious flames. 7 Orangutans at the zoo (seen above) are reportedly among the dead Credit: Getty - Contributor 7 Police officers are now investigating the exact cause of the deadly blaze Credit: Alamy Live News
'Gorilla Kidogo and his family are alive', the zoo wrote on Facebook in the early hours of today. Both the zoo and city officials said that they didn't know the exact cause of the fire and that police are investigating. They would not confirm reports by local media that New Year's fireworks could have sparked the killer blaze. However, reports from the scene claim three banned sky lanterns were found in the charred remains of the enclosure.
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The Zoo said it was thankful for the many offers of help, but added: "We are still in shock and cannot yet say exactly if and where help is needed."
The greenhouse-style building - which opened in 1975 - burned to the ground within a couple of hours, say reports.
Orangutans, chimpanzees, gorillas, marmosets, epaulet fruit bats and birds were inside at the time.
7 The zoo will remain closed throughout the next 24 hours Credit: Alamy Live News
7 However the zoo's famous gorilla Kidogo escaped the blaze Credit: EPA | 1 |
Monkey vs Monkey Man vs Man - Capitalism is SOCIAL DARWINISM
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The power structure that now dominates the globe is a logical extension of the project for colonizing Africa, Oceania, and the Americas that the European imperialist powers began over five centuries ago. From the start of this project, it's been a constant rule for those in the colonizing powers that one's society is at war with a weaker enemy. The indigenous people, who have been portrayed as not capable of running things, have had to be brought under the colonial boot according to the ideology of imperial conquest. And in accordance with the global rise of capitalism that colonialism precipitated, the same dynamic of subjugation has existed between the poor and the rich.
Throughout their efforts to defeat their enemies, the imperialist powers of the last millennium and the empires that came before them have constantly been fighting against adversaries that can't be totally subdued, even after they've been greatly weakened by slavery and mass extermination. The ethnic and religious groups that have been subjugated by imperialism have virtually all been able to survive, and have continued their cultures and their collective will to find self-determination. So they've constantly posed a challenge to the power of imperialism even as imperialism has ruled supreme, much like the existence of the proletariat has constantly put the rule of the bourgeoisie into question. The same tension has ultimately existed during every other unjust hierarchy.
To maintain their control over this constant threat from the oppressed, the ruling class in the age of imperialism has used unprecedentedly powerful tools of warfare against groups which have stood in their way. Covert CIA operations alone are estimated to have killed at least six million people. The U.S. has used vast bombing campaigns, starvation sanctions, and most recently drone warfare to kill tens of millions of people since World War II. These methods of genocide have been replicated to great extents by Israel during its war against the Palestinians, and by Saudi Arabia during its war against the Yemenis. This all is added onto the millions of deaths that occur annually because of the poverty that's sustained by global capitalism, and to the frequent killings of poor people by the ever-deadlier police states throughout the capitalist world.
Despite these methods of warfare, imperialism and corporate power continue to be challenged. American hegemony is declining amid frayings of alliances among the NATO powers, failures from the U.S. to carry out its foreign policy goals in countries like Syria, and the rise of Chinese influence. Massive protests have broken out in neoliberal Third World countries like Chile and Honduras, and worker struggles are intensifying in places like France. Those in the global underclass are fighting as hard as ever, and in places like the DPRK and Venezuela they've already gained dominance through proletarian democracy. A power struggle is still in motion.
It's in motion because of the contradictions of capitalism, which have become heightened during the era of capitalist imperialism. By subjecting entire nations to invasions, severe poverty, and apartheid, imperialism makes the oppressive dynamics of capitalism so pronounced that revolts from the colonized people become inevitable. Added onto the conflict between bourgeoisie and proletariat that's inherent to all capitalist societies, this self-destructive aspect of imperialism has led to vast decolonization movements and successful socialist revolutions throughout the last century.
As the U.S. empire weakens, this liberation movement is naturally gathering strength. The recent resurgence of Third World revolutionary energy is present even in Bolivia, where strong socialist and indigenous strains threaten to overtake the fascist regime that's been installed in the country. But there's still a way that the bourgeoisie can remain dominant in an era after the fall of the U.S. empire, and even in an era after the climate has collapsed.
This transition can be accomplished by making the means for wielding political and social power-such as steady access to electricity, the ability to use weaponry, and reliable nourishment and shelter-available only to the rich. In the developed world, capitalism has sustained itself by letting most of the population share in the technological and economic gains that the system creates, however unequally they're distributed. The United States and most other core imperialist nations have never experienced a socialist revolution because conditions for the broad masses haven't deteriorated enough to provoke an effective class uprising. Many bourgeois leaders have deliberately tried to maintain this balance by allowing the welfare state to be expanded, which has deterred the proletariat from pursuing revolution. But faced with the collapse of the climate, the ruling class has overwhelmingly decided to keep making society ever more unequal instead of reducing inequality.
Even in more progressive capitalist countries like Iceland, the prevailing decision within the political establishment has been to continue neoliberalism and not try to alleviate the wealth gap. Austerity has increased throughout almost the entire capitalist world since the 2008 financial crisis, wages have kept falling, and the power of the big banks and corporations is greater than ever. And the collapse of the climate hasn't driven capitalist governments to resist corporate power, it's caused there to be more privatization of services and more capitalist efforts to profit from crises. 2005's Hurricane Katrina and 2017's Hurricane Irma both caused there to be a wave of privatizations in the impacted areas, and the U.S. army and private military contractors used both disasters to increase the militarization of society.
A recurring part of these responses to climate change has been an effort to more clearly define boundaries between the wealthy areas and the poorer areas. The lines between the wealthy areas (called the green zones) and the poor areas (called the red zones) was how the U.S. decided to distribute resources in Iraq during its post-invasion efforts to reconstruct the country. The green zone/red zone dichotomy, despite not usually being defined with such explicit language, is being increasingly applied to how resources are distributed around the globe. The homes and neighborhoods of the rich are protected from the threats of climate change-like was the case during 2018's California fires-while poor communities are the ones that suffer.
There's a political purpose behind this environmentally created inequality, one that's understood by the billionaires who've prepared for a later stage of the climate crisis by creating luxury survival compounds for themselves. It's to deprive those outside the wealthy enclaves of the resources that they'll need to survive, or at least to live with modern comforts, as the climate deteriorates. The logical conclusion of climate apartheid, as this 21st century class divide has been called, is a new kind of despotism that's emerging while capitalism collapses. In a world that's no longer climatically stable, and where resources have become scarce, the capitalist class will only be able to maintain their status and lifestyle by concentrating wealth at the very top. In other words, by replacing capitalism with a nakedly oppressive system that has virtually no social mobility.
Now that capitalism has reached the long-anticipated point where it consumes too much of nature to be able to sustain itself, the elites are creating a new system which is much more centralized and tightly controlled than the one that preceded it. Since the Industrial Revolution, bourgeois societies have typically been liberal, with freedom of expression usually being legal and the proletariat being able to heavily consume and make a living when the economy was doing well. But now democracy is deteriorating around the capitalist world, and the neoliberal economies are in a perpetual state of decline that makes economic participation harder for the proletariat.
Whereas capitalist markets overall grew massively in the 20th century, in the 21st century they've been shrinking. Trade and economic growth are slowing down, and the post-recession economic expansion has been dependent on financial bubbles and beneficial mainly for those in the upper strata. In the U.S., unemployment and underemployment still haven't recovered from their pre-recession levels, and the global economy becomes more unequal every year. The next financial crash will create a situation far worse, one that's exacerbated by the decline of the dollar and by the irreversible economic damage of climate change.
All of these destabilizing factors within capitalist markets are naturally causing capitalist political systems to become less free, and capitalist economies to be more controlled by the state and its partnered corporate monopolies. Economic and climatic disruptions have caused a global rise in reactionary politics and a subsequent decline in democracy throughout much of the capitalist world. And the 2008 crash has caused the U.S. government to transfer many trillions of dollars to the biggest banks, enabling these private financial institutions to become larger than ever.
Similar trends will follow as the collapse of capitalism continues. Power, both political and economic, will become consolidated as the system eats itself. The capitalist class will remain capitalists in the traditional sense only when they're profiting in some way from the world's disasters, or when they manage to profit from the labor of the few proletarians who manage to get jobs within the isolated societies of the rich. Otherwise they won't exploit the proletariat nearly to the extent that they used to, because society won't even be functional enough for labor and commerce to be robust. Most of the people in the world will be driven into poverty, become climate refugees, or simply die off, leaving the bourgeoisie with no choice but to shrink their business operations and retreat to their green zones.
In such a situation, the ruling class will still be the dominant group, and they could expand their power in new areas. They could pursue capitalist development in eventually hospitable places like Greenland and Antarctica, they could colonize Mars, and they could even build cities that float on the ocean. But they'll still need to stop the world's underclass from overthrowing them, which will be harder than ever after the climate and economy have collapsed. Whether the bourgeoisie can retain its dominance amid the riots, vast influxes of refugees, and massive organized rebellions will depend on whether the bourgeoisie or the proletariat gain the upper hand over political and military power.
Next Page 1 | 2 | We have come to the end of yet another year in the 21st century. You, like many, may believe that the decade ends on December 31, 2019. There are those who believe that the proper ending is December 31, 2020 and that the third decade in the 21st century rightly starts on January 1, 2021, but we will not allow that to detain us here. What we know for sure is that 2019 has ended.
What we can say with great certainty and clarity is that the first two decades of this century have been as momentous as they have been tragic; as hopeful as they have been filled with despair for countless millions of people; as filled with opportunities for humankind as they have registered disappointments and missed expectations for many.
Around the world 2019 was a year of political ferment. The British have had to face an election to end the wearying issue of Brexit. With the results of the last election favouring the Brexiters, there is greater confidence that Britain will leave the European Union, but with no clear prognosis of what the future holds.
The Middle East, home of the birth of the three major religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — continued to be a cauldron of hate and dislocation for millions of people. I have become convinced that there would be better prospects for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians if they were left to work out their difficulties without interference from external parties such as America and Russia. But that is a subject for deeper analysis.
Fires have burned in Chile, France, Bolivia, Venezuela, and other parts of the world as people register their protests against the excesses of their leaders, or as they rail against corruption in their societies. The evil forces of hatred, bigotry, and racism werre evident in parts of the world. The incivility in social discourse, spurred on by the Internet, continued apace.
Americans, for the third time, have impeached a sitting president with all that this implies for peace and stability in the country. That nation's major institutions — the presidency, the Congress, intelligence agencies, and judiciary — have been severely tested by the intemperance and immorality of a president who lives by his own rules and who demonstrates proclivities of governance that would make Genghis Khan look like a good Sunday school teacher. In a year when the economy appears to be humming, the growing income inequality in that country has ensured that close to 60 per cent of Americans cannot find uS$400 to pay a bill without going into debt. Something is wrong with this glaring contradiction in the American economy. What hope is there that this problem will be redressed in 2020, a presidential election year, at a time when the country has never been more divided?
Here in Jamaica we have managed to kill close to 450 of our fellow citizens in wreckages on the roads. In what seems to have now become gruesomely normative, we have murdered over 1,300 of our fellow citizens mainly by the gun. In fact, we have averaged over 1,000 murders in Jamaica over the past 20 years. A small country with such violent crime statistics cannot escape the inevitable shredding of its social fabric with all the negative psychological consequences attached.
Yet, despite these frightening statistics and the growing gap between the rich and the poor, it would be foolish to write a political, social, or economic obituary for the country. The inconvenient and uncomfortable truth is that crime is where it is because, collectively, as a nation, we have allowed it to be so. Strong resolve on our part as citizens can hold our political representatives accountable in putting resources and sound thinking to the issue. It is not beyond us to contain the murderous few who derive pleasure from slaughtering others.
We must not just sit on our verandahs or in our rum bars and jabber about corruption. We must become actively engaged in a movement to ferret out the corrupt among us — who, incidentally, are not just politicians) — and to insist on workable mechanisms of accountability to arrest the problem.
As we enter a new year — and for some a new decade — the challenges will be no less than what we faced in the preceding ones. In fact, they might have become more urgent. But we are a resilient people and the country can sail to new horizons of achievement if we bend our collective will to the task. What we do know is that problems do not end because a new year starts. But a new year presents opportunities to look at old problems through, perhaps, better, and less jaded lenses.
In keeping with the Socratic philosophy of the unexamined life not worth the living, personal resolutions will be made for self-improvement and relational enhancement among others. We must examine carefully what we resolve to do or not to do in the new year. What I know of resolutions that people make at the beginning of a year is that they tend to remain largely unfulfilled at the end of the year. For some people, their resolve begins to buckle or fade by March. A large part of the problem is that goals we set were never attainable in the first place. There was no strength of will attached to achieving them. Perhaps they were too audacious in the first place. Jim Collins and Jerry I Porras, in their still important book on business, Built to Last, coined the phrase “big, hairy, audacious goal” (BHAG) which encourages companies and individuals to aim high and to stretch their imagination in achieving success. All of this is good, but any goal we set must be tempered with reality and a heavy dose of common sense.
So, I would advise what I do for myself. Yes, keep your resolutions big, hairy and audacious, but don't get ahead of yourself. I would urge simple, manageable, incremental steps towards one goal. Focus on what you intend to achieve like a laser beam and avoid toxicity in your personal space by not being in the company of the scornful and the envious. You can never achieve your goals by approaching life with the same habits, mindset, and attitudes that hobbled you in the preceding year. Change will not happen unless you manage it in small, incremental, manageable steps.
A truly productive and healthy new year to you.
Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest and social commentator. Send comments to the Observer or stead6655@aol.com. | 2 |
Warning: SPOILERS for Thor #1
The War of the Realms ravaged Thor's homeland, but by the end of the event, Odin the All-Father stepped down and crowned Thor as the new King of Asgard. Now, months after the end of the war, Thor has rebuilt his home. Gone are the shimmering golden palaces of his father's creation, with the seat of the king remade in wood and stone. But now what was once a golden paradise, remade into a medieval city, shaped by hammers... has just been rocked by the arrival of Galactus in Marvel's shocking Thor #1.
As Thor readies himself to give his first speech to the Asgardians gathered around their new king -- a message readers can only assume would have reflected the same message sent by the remade land itself, Galactus comes plummeting down from the sky, smashing directly into city's inhabitants, and Thor instantly realizing that scores of his people will never get the chance to hear a speech ever again.
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Related: Thor Takes His Hammer To Galactus in New Comic Cover
The sight of Galactus wrapped in machine armor, decimating the crowd is a horrifying one, to be sure. Screams are heard, as bolts of lightning mark Thor's leap into the fight, prepared to kill Galactus for this invasion of his people's new home. Thankfully Thor has the presence of mind to stop before then, stopping short as Galactus pleads with Thor to understand the reason for his arrival. He has come to Asgard for help, since Thor is the only one who can stop the Great Black Winter. The newest unknown threat to Thor (and all life in the universe), and one that can only be stopped if Thor becomes the newest herald of Galactus.
Right on cue the mourning rains of Asgard begin to fall, carrying on for weeks. The city officials of Asgard work, busying themselves with counting the dead and calculating the cost of Galactus's 'arrival.' And while they may try to ignore the silence of their new king, it is evident more than just Asgard's people died the day Galactus fell. Galactus' impact also means that Yggdrasil, the tree of life, has begun to die. How will thor possibly manage to correct these tragedies, and return to his brighter vision for Asgard's future? To have those questions answered, readers will need to pick up Thor #1! Find the full details below.
THOR #1
Written by: Donny Cates
Art by: Nic Klein
Cover Art by: Olivier Coipel
A BRAND-NEW, SUPERSTAR CREATIVE TEAM TAKES THE KING OF ASGARD TO NEW REALMS OF GLORY! The prince is now a king. All Asgard lies before Thor, the God of Thunder. And after many months of war, the Ten Realms are finally at peace. But the skies above the Realm Eternal are never clear for long. The Black Winter is coming. And the God of the Storm will be powerless before it.
Thor #1 is available now from your local comic book shop, or direct from Marvel Comics.
Next: Marvel Reveals The Next Galactus Will Be [SPOILER]
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The King of Marvel's Universe is Finally Claiming His Throne | This article contains spoilers for Thor #1!
Thor has just become more powerful than ever before. Jason Aaron's years-long Thor run has come to a dramatic close, and it's time for a fresh beginning for the God of Thunder. Aaron ended with Thor regaining his enchanted hammer, Mjolnir, and taking the throne of the All-Father of Asgard.
Step forward Donny Cates, who's becoming one of Marvel's most prolific writers and the architect of all their cosmic plots. The first issue of Cates' Thor relaunch sees the God of Thunder prepare to give a speech to his people, one that's interrupted by the untimely arrival of Galactus, dying after exposure to a cosmic force known as the Great Black Winter.
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Related: Thor's Shocking First Issue Makes Marvel's Asgard A Ruin
According to Galactus, the Great Black Winter has revealed that Thor is destined to be his death. As a result, operating under the principle of "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer," Galactus appoints Thor Odinson as his new Herald, transforming him with the Power Cosmic. In the Directors' Cut, Cates describes the transformation like this:
Thor rises, and he has been remade. His arm is back, as is his eye, and his hair is now LONG. Like down to his butt long. Like the nineties Thor that I love. He's also wearing a slick new costume, very sci-fi and slick. Mostly black and bright white. The white on his costume should be glowing like lightning. And the black should be made of a star field. His eyes glow as well. Crackling with energy. His hammer, a solid Mjolnir-shaped bolt of lightning. He has become cosmic-Zeus! His run sigil emblazoned on his chest. Smoke pouring off him.
This is easily the most phenomenal power-up Thor has ever received. He's never exactly been a weakling, but now he possesses all the power of the God of Thunder; wields an enchanted hammer containing a God Tempest that can destroy entire star systems; has been granted the power of the All-Father himself; and also wields the Power Cosmic, meaning he should have all the powers of any other Herald of Galactus. He's officially the strongest Avenger, the mightiest god in any of Marvel's Pantheons, and the greatest Herald ever to serve Galactus.
Donny Cates is a smart writer. That means he wouldn't have given Thor this level of power if he didn't have a story in mind that would demand it. What's more, in interviews Cates has insisted he still sees Thor as a young god, a flawed man given to fits of temper and in danger of being overcome by his own ego and pride. Galactus' prophecy - foretelling that the God of Thunder will, in fact, be the one responsible for his own destruction - suggests that Thor Odinson may well not be able to handle the vast, unfathomable powers that are now at his disposal. Will absolute power corrupt absolutely?
Thor #1 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
More: THOR Confirms Superman & Wonder Woman Have Used Mjolnir
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Deadpool 3: Marvel Villains That Could Appear | 2.666667 |
I want to drag a cell down auto populating each next cell. Ex.... MJN1001 through MJN1100... no problem, excels will allow this by the copy feature. Each cell needs to hyperlink into a folder that matches each number MJN1001 through MJN1100. If I set the first cell to MJN1001, the next cell becomes MJN1002, however, the hyperlink is still MJN1001. How do I get the hyperlink to auto populate, as I drag it down the column? | Very easy to run, affordable, quickly and quiet, these are the basic great things about electric tricycles. An tricycles is sort of a tricycles that driven by battery and you will drive it merely like driving a tricycles. In addition to, electric tricycles enable you to improve your health and will not contaminate the surroundings, so that they are beneficial for equally on your own and also the setting. As tricycles have so many positive aspects, a lot of businessmen choose promote them and a number of them have put in place websites to market electrical tricycles.
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Ards and North Down council celebrating its Green Flag awards
COUNCILS across Northern Ireland have spent more than £130,000 of ratepayers' cash in recent years entering themselves into awards competitions.
The spending included entering awards to recognise well-managed public parks, gongs to celebrate publicity and marketing, and the "Loo of the Year Awards".
Local authorities in the north have paid a total of £136,091.56 to enter 70 awards contests since 2017, records obtained by The Irish News reveal.
A further £13,082.78 was spent attending ceremonies for those awards in which they paid an entry fee and subsequently received nominations.
Public spending campaigners accused councils of misusing ratepayers' funds in "forking out for these trivial trophies".
But councils defended the costs, saying that such gongs are an "important part of maintaining motivation" among staff.
The figures were obtained through a series of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.
Causeway Coast and Glens was the only one of the north's 11 councils to refuse to disclose the information, saying it would exceed FOI legislative cost limits.
Antrim and Newtownabbey council spent the most on entering awards competitions at £34,508.25, followed by Belfast City Council at £31,931.
Belfast spent £3,732 entering the Loo of the Year Awards in 2017 and 2018 and a further £196.39 on travel to attend the ceremony in 2018.
Ards and North Down Borough Council also entered the Loo of the Year Awards in each of the past three years, costing ratepayers £1,592.
Among the awards Antrim and Newtownabbey entered was the CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) Northern Ireland "PRide Awards", which cost £2,120 in the past three years.
In 2019 it won a gold award in the "Best Use of Social Media" category and two silvers in the categories "Best Use of Content" and "Best Use of Influencer Relations" for a recycling campaign.
Much of the spending among the councils went towards entering the Green Flag Awards, in which well-managed public parks and green spaces are awarded the accolade. The scheme is managed in the north by environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.
James Roberts, political director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, criticised the spending on awards competitions.
"Town hall bosses should not be misusing ratepayers' money in a pointless attempt to get some gongs," he said.
"While going for grants and private sponsorship can bring cash prizes to the local area, these awards are a waste of time and simply see council officers patting themselves on the back at ratepayers' expense.
"Local residents are the real judges of council performance, so perhaps authorities should focus on winning their approval instead of forking out for these trivial trophies."
Belfast City Council, the north's largest local authority, defended the spending.
"Our staff are committed to serving the interests and needs of all local residents to the best of their ability, as well as fulfilling the ambitions of the Belfast Agenda," a spokesman said.
"As part of this, it is important to show appreciation for the invaluable contribution made by individuals and teams, where staff have demonstrated exceptional levels of service provision and effort, which in many cases, go well beyond the call of duty.
"Reward and recognition is an important part of maintaining motivation and ensuring continued strength in overall performance, city leadership and the delivery of services for our ratepayers."
In relation to the Green Flag Award, he said this is a "non-profit international accreditation scheme that recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces".
--------------------
:: Council spending on entering awards contests:
Number of awards contests councils paid to enter since 2017, and overall cost of applying for these awards.
Antrim and Newtownabbey (6) £34,508.25
Belfast (12) £31,931
Ards and North Down (13) £29,123
Newry, Mourne and Down (9) £13,278
Derry and Strabane (5) £7,640.31
Lisburn and Castlereagh (6) £7,095
Mid Ulster (12) £6,141
Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon (3) £5,220
Fermanagh and Omagh (3) £810
Mid and East Antrim (1) £345
Causeway Coast and Glens (refused to disclose information)
TOTAL (70) £136,091.56
(Figures based on details disclosed by councils through Freedom of Information requests) | 302.9k SHARES Share Tweet
While ‘Joker: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack’ is billed as the original motion picture soundtrack, you need to be aware of what your buying here. It is the musical score of the movie composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir and does not include the many other songs played in the movie. You will have to go looking elsewhere for those.
Now that we have covered what the CD is not, let’s talk about what it actually is. Guðnadóttir has opted for a classical style orchestra for this soundtrack, although there are occasionally some sound effects thrown in amongst the traditional strings, percussion and woodwind instruments. The accompanying material says that the composition ‘features the cello as the centerpiece of the score, leading string-based melodies played by a symphony orchestra of 90 musicians’.
As you can see from the track listing below most tracks are quite short. The two longest tracks are probably pivotal moments in the film and possibly Joker’s life.
1 Hoyt’s Office 01:24
2 Defeated Clown 02:39
3 Following Sophie 01:33
4 Penny in the Hospital 01:18
5 Young Penny 02:01
6 Meeting Bruce Wayne 04:35
7 Hiding in the Fridge 01:23
8 A Bad Comedian 01:28
9 Arthur Comes to Sophie 01:39
10 Looking for Answers 00:51
11 Penny Taken to the Hospital 01:49
12 Subway 03:33
13 Bathroom Dance 02:08
14 Learning How to Act Normal 01:17
15 Confession 01:29
16 Escape from the Train 02:31
17 Call Me Joker 04:48
All told we have 17 tracks giving a running time of only 37 minutes which seems a little short to me.
I should have said that the tone of the score is somewhere between sombre, melancholy and ominous depending on which track your listening to. One of the things you can’t say about it is ‘it’s a jolly little tune’. I have to say though that I thought it was very well done given the subject matter of the film.
That last sentence brings me to point out that to get the very best out of this soundtrack you really need to see the film. It will give you goosebumps. The ‘Subway’ track always makes me nervous. Perhaps that’s why the CD is short on running time, any longer could lead to a breakdown.
This is the first of Hildur Guðnadóttir’s work that I have actually listened to and I am very impressed. For any fan of the film who is not of a nervous disposition, then you really should treat yourself and get a copy. You can get the CD or Vinyl picture disc or even a coloured vinyl configuration whatever that is.
Andy Whitaker
December 2019
(pub: WaterTower Music, 2019. 1 CD 17 tracks 37 minutes. Price: £15.56 (UK). ASIN: B07YMGJL58)
check out website: www.watertower-music.com/
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Category: Music/Audio, Superheroes | 1 |
Managing Director of Mount Gay Distilleries Raphael Grisoni is welcoming the start of breathalyzer testing in Barbados on January 1, 2020.
He told members of the media during a recent interview that breathalyzer testing was long overdue in Barbados, and indicated that, as a rum producer, Mount Gay wanted its products to be enjoyed responsibly.
Grisoni said it was always hurtful to see people drinking irresponsibly.
“We are also a member of an organization called the Barbados Alcohol Industry Association and what we like to see is our product being [used] responsibly and I think the breathalyzer is a good tool. . .,” he said.
In November 2019, Minister of Transport and Works Dr William Duguid announced that come January, motorists driving under the influence of alcohol will do so at the risk of being subjected to breathalyzer testing.
As he delivered remarks during a service for the United Nations’ Day of Remembrance for Road Safety Victims, Dr Duguid said his Ministry was at an advanced stage with respect to the use of breathalyzer testing on drivers.
The Minister said the introduction of such testing would go a long way in ensuring the safety of the travelling public.
Grisoni said he was not concerned that the introduction of breathalyzer testing would have a negative effect on sales for the rum-producing company.
“I think that it’s a question of habits. As we are exporting rum, we have a kind of visibility of what’s happening in other countries in Europe or even in the United States.
“So there will probably be a time of adaptation, but in many parts of our region, people are drinking and not driving; they are taking taxis and I think it is a good opportunity for transportation services,” he said. | SNc Channels:
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Jan-01-2020 17:03 TweetFollow @OregonNews How Transcription Services Can Boost Your Business Gain a wider audience, improve your SEO ranking, and more.
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(SALEM, Ore.) - Whether you are running a small-time business or a stable company, it is vital to set up goals. Through your employees' collaborative efforts, you can easily hit and even exceed your key performance indicators that can take your business to the next level. The good thing is if your company starts to earn a good profit margin for the fiscal year, the number one benefactors of all the hard work would be your employees. Nowadays, several innovations can make daily life in the office a lot easier. The rising popularity of transcription services are helping a lot of companies in terms of documentation and streamlining several of their processes. Converting audio recorded files into text documents can help you easily compile all critical information and load it in your company database. Doing this would make it easier for employees to search for answers and records rather than sorting it manually. With the help of companies that employ trained transcribers, you can do many things that can benefit your business in the long run. Document conversations If you want your business to become successful, touch base with your employees by setting weekly meetings to discuss productivity and opportunities. If you want everyone in the room to remember all the details that were discussed during the session, you must assign someone to do all of the note-taking. However, this task can take time to finish, plus you are also not sure about the accuracy of the collated information. Hiring a reputable transcription services company will help you get all the information that transpired during the meeting word by word. Improves video content If you are trying to sell a product or service to the public, it would be a great idea to upload video content or blogs on various online platforms like YouTube and social media. Doing this will give you a better opportunity to gain a wider audience and improve your SEO ranking in Google and other search engines. Adding captions or subtitles to your videos is an effective strategy to gain more viewers in just a matter of time. Improves workplace efficiency All employees need to remain productive throughout the entire day inside the office. If you are about to start a substantial project, you should begin soliciting ideas and concepts ahead of time. Gather your team for a weekly brainstorming session to keep their creative juices flowing throughout the discussion. Instead of writing down all of their ideas into a piece of paper, why not have it recorded and hire someone to convert it from voice to text. You will be more confident that you now have all the necessary information to proceed with your next project. Lastly, hiring a transcription service company will help you save a lot of time and effort when it comes to proper documentation. Employees no longer need to render overtime to transcribe. All you need to do is record the entire conversation and send it for conversion, and you will have your file in a short time. Source: Salem-News.com Special Features Dept. _________________________________________
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Articles for December 31, 2019 | Articles for January 1, 2020 | | 1 |
The South African government is enforcing stringent preventative measures to try to limit the reach of the coronavirus, particularly in the country’s more remote areas, which are already strained by ailing state health facilities and insufficient water supply.
After the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 rose to 150 on March 19 2020, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Patricia de Lille identified 37 sites across all nine provinces to be used as isolation and quarantine facilities. There were 202 confirmed cases the following day.
The government plans to erect a 40km-long fence at the Beitbridge border post within the next month to prevent undocumented or infected people from crossing the border into South Africa from Zimbabwe and vice versa. De Lille said the project will cost about R37.2-million.
Having already shut down all sporting and cultural events, state officials are now scrambling to try to limit disruptions to the legislative bodies that oversee the administration of the country.
Municipal disruption
While these bodies review ways to keep the country up and running, continued social restrictions might pose a threat to local municipal budgets. Councils have until May 30 to pass their budgets, but officials say the government’s ban on gatherings of more than 100 people may prevent them from sitting to table their budgets.
Council members have a grace period of 30 days, until the end of June each year, to comply with the budget deadline. Otherwise they risk being dissolved, forcing political parties to participate in by-elections.
The Metsimaholo local municipality in the northern Free State had to hold by-elections in 2017 when its coalition council failed to approve its 2017-2018 budget in time, resulting in the council’s dissolution.
Free State Department of Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements spokesperson Zolile Lobe conceded that the coronavirus pandemic is going to disrupt council meetings. “We are concerned that the pandemic might disrupt the tabling of budgets, but we will assess the situation as it unfolds,” Lobe said, stressing that contact between officials will be minimal in line with the national government’s directive on social distancing.
Residents of municipalities already in crisis, such as Maluti-a-Phofung in the eastern Free State and Makana in the Eastern Cape, are at the mercy of municipal officials to supply much-needed water to counter the spread of the virus.
Despite a cancelled plenary sitting of the National Assembly on March 17, the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) met on March 19 to endorse Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s decision two weeks ago to invoke Section 139 of the Constitution and dissolve the Tshwane council. The metro has been running without a mayor or municipal manager as several attempts to elect a new mayor have descended into chaos.
Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said “every activity, public hearings and committee meetings included, are suspended” in line with government measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The NCOP cancelled public meetings in three Gauteng municipalities that formed part of the three-day report-back session of the council’s flagship programme, Taking Parliament to the People.
The North West provincial legislature has shut its doors to the public. “All outreach programmes of the legislature are suspended with immediate effect and will be resuscitated after 14 April 2020,” it said.
Lobe said on March 19 that Thembeni Nxangisa, a Free State member of the executive council for cooperative governance and traditional affairs, was heading to QwaQwa to find ways to make water available to residents to improve hygiene. It has taken a life-threatening pandemic to get the government to respond to the area’s 10-year-long dry spell.
The government plans to release water from Maluti-a-Phofung’s main water source, the Fika-Patso Dam, to give residents a fighting chance, said Lobe. “From today, Thursday to Sunday, the municipality is opening water to the people for hygiene purposes to curb Covid-19. We will also increase water tankers.”
Adhere, or face charges
On March 19, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma stressed the importance of adhering to the Covid-19 regulations the government has put in place. She added that the government will be taking action against those who refuse medical treatment or take part in mass gatherings and intentionally infect others with Covid-19.
Minister of Police Bheki Cele has vowed to clamp down on alcohol consumers and traders who do not adhere to the new restrictions Dlamini-Zuma has gazetted, which limit trading hours and customer numbers.
Political parties are also taking heed of social restrictions. The Economic Freedom Fighters and the ANC have cancelled major gatherings and events, and the Democratic Alliance’s federal executive has postponed its policy conference that was scheduled to take place on April 4 and 5.
This article was first published by New Frame. | South Africa has decided to build a border wall with its southern African neighbour, Zimbabwe.
According to authorities of the rainbow nation, the border wall is expected to keep undocumented migrants and individuals Infected with the Coronavirus from entering the country.
According to South African public works minister, Patricia de Lille, construction of the border wall is a part of the emergency procedures adopted by the Cyril Ramaphosa led government to tackle the Coronavirus epidemic currently spreading across South Africa.
South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of emergency on Sunday due to the Coronavirus epidemic.
According to the public works Minister, Ramaphosa ordered that border crossings into south Africa be closed but the measure will not be effective if the fences on the border are not secure.
The ministers said further that;
“A 1.8m (5ft 11in) high fence, stretching for 20km (12.4 miles), would be built on either side of the Beitbridge border, the main crossing between the two nations.”
South Africa currently has 150 individuals Infected with the Coronavirus.
Thousand of Zimbabwean citizens currently live in South Africa, many of them fleeing hard economic conditions and political violence in their home country.
South Africa has tried to reduce migration from Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa in the past.
Zimbabwe has no case of the Coronavirus so far although President Mnangagwa has ordered all schools to be shut from Tuesday as a precautionary measure.
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A Rexburg Police Log stated that a BYU-Idaho student had $900.16 taken out from their student account in a Pell Grant and transferred into an account not belonging to the student. The theft was reported to police on Jan. 16.
The University first reported to the police on Jan. 13 that less than 100 student accounts were compromised. School officials got in touch with the students to change their passwords.
“BYU-Idaho understands the importance of its data security and protecting the information we maintain for our students,” BYU-I said in a statement. “We recently became aware of a security incident involving a small number of student financial accounts. The university immediately notified those students impacted directly and has been working with them on a case-by-case basis. With the assistance of a leading forensic firm, BYU-Idaho has launched an investigation; law enforcement personnel have been notified. If any additional accounts are identified, we will immediately notify the students and work with them to respond as necessary. As the university works to complete the investigation, we will look for opportunities to further enhance our existing security measures.” | BYU-Idaho has released a statement about Spring Semester 2020:
“With the ongoing concerns related to COVID-19, Spring Semester 2020 courses at BYU-Idaho will be held remotely and online. Students will be able to complete courses wherever they reside. It is anticipated that campus will continue to be open and functioning.
This change may require some adjustments in currently planned courses. Lab courses that cannot be adapted for remote delivery will be cancelled. Students may find it necessary to adjust their schedules as a result of these changes and can do so through the registration portal at my.BYUI.edu. Information regarding course changes will be available to students before the end of Winter Semester.
For current and official BYU-Idaho communication regarding COVID-19, visit the I-Prepare website.” | 2 |
Sudan allows private traders to export gold in bid to boost revenues
Sudan has begun allowing private traders to export gold, a move expected to crack down on smuggling and attract foreign currency into the country’s cash-strapped treasury. Until January 1st 2020, when the decision was made, Sudan’s Central Bank had been the sole body legally allowed to buy and export gold and set up centers to buy the metal from small-scale miners. Hajooj Kuka, Analyst and Activist joins CNBC Africa for more on what the country is doing to revive the economy. | More SAA directors on the way out as airliner awaits R2bn bailout
SAA, the debt-ridden state-owned airliner is still looking for a R2 billion bailout from government. The airliner, which made its last profit in 2011, is also playing a game of musical chairs in the boardroom after the resignation of one of its directors, Martin Kingston. What does this mean for SAA and could we see job losses in the future? Aviation Analyst, Desmond Latham and Head of Trade Union Solidarity's Research Institute, Connie Mulder join CNBC Africa to give insight. | 2 |
The Sweet 16 is set in our mythical men’s college basketball tournament, and all four of the No. 1 seeds survived.
More accurately, all four of the No. 1 seeds waltzed into the third round of the Big Dance, one of them at the expense of the Bay Area’s only entry in the field, Saint Mary’s. The Gaels were crushed Sunday 87-56 by Baylor, the top seed in the South Regional.
Gonzaga also breezed, beating Oklahoma 88-70 to join Kansas and Dayton, both of which advanced Saturday. The four top seeds won by an average of 20.5 points.
Only one Cinderella remains in the field — 10th-seeded Utah State, which won Saturday against No. 2 Florida State — but the Aggies almost got company Sunday. East Tennessee State, a 14-seed that had knocked off Seton Hall in the first round, gave BYU all it could handle before falling 100-97.
Two 7-seeds advanced Sunday as Arizona and Providence ended the dreams of UC-Irvine and North Dakota State, respectively, a pair of 15th-seeded bracket busters who had knocked out San Diego State and Kentucky on Thursday.
The Providence victory gave the Big East three teams in the Sweet 16. Five leagues have two; Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, ACC and the West Coast Conference. Rounding out the field are the SEC (Auburn), the Atlantic-10 (Dayton), and the Mountain West (Utah State).
Here’s the Day 4 roundup of games:
SOUTH REGIONAL
No. 1 Baylor 87, No. 8 Saint Mary’s 56>> The Gaels’ season came to an agonizingly slow end. They fell behind early, trailed by 18 at half and by 33 with 11:44 to play. It was their worst loss since a 94-46 embarrassment at Gonzaga in February 2019. Butler (28-4) was led in scoring, as it has been all season, by its trio of guards. Davion Mitchell 20 points), MaCio Teague (17) and Jared Butler (15), none of whom had shot better than 42% during the regular season, all shot better than 50%.
Jordan Ford, wrapping up a four-year career that could put his No. 3 in the rafters at Saint Mary’s, scored 24 points, but nobody else was in double figures. Malik Fitts, who made seven 3-pointers in the first-round victory over Rutgers, had only seven points. The Gaels (27-9) shot poorly from everywhere: 3 of 16 from behind the arc, nine of 15 from the free throw line, and 36.7% overall. (We did not attempt to reach coach Randy Bennett after this one.)
No. 6 Virginia 63, No. 3 Michigan State 59>> The Cavaliers, who run-and-gunned their way to a season-high 82 points in the opening round (25 points over their season average) returned to character. With its slow-paced offense and smothering defense, Virginia held MSU to 25 first-half points, limiting the Spartans to 19 shots, seven of which they blocked, and forcing seven turnovers. Still, the Spartans had a chance to tie the game with 11 seconds left, but Rocket Watts missed a wide-open three from the corner and Virginia sealed the outcome with two free throws from Jay Huff. Mamadi Diakite had 21 points and eight rebounds for the UVA (25-7) and Braxton Key added 13 points and 13 rebounds. MSU (23-10) was led by three players with 11 points, including Xavier Tillman, who also had 11 rebounds.
No. 2 Creighton 76, No. 7 Illinois 69 >>- The Bluejays, the only surviving 2-seed in the tournament, trailed by 11 points in the second half and were down 65-59 with 4:16 to play. But they closed the game on a 17-4 run during which they held Illinois scoreless on eight consecutive possessions. Denzel Mahoney came off the bench for 17 points to lead Creighton (26-7). Damien Jefferson had 15 and Ty-Shon Alexander and Marcus Zegarowski added 12 apiece. Kofi Cockburn had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead Illinois (22-10).
WEST REGIONAL
No. 1 Gonzaga 88, No. 9 Oklahoma 70>> Cory Kispert led six players in double figures and the Zags broke open a close game midway through the second half. An 8-2 run — the first six points coming from Joel Ayayi –turned a 50-45 lead into an 11-point lead and the Sooners never got back within 10. Kispert had 17 points, Filip Petrusev had 12, and four others had 11, including Ayayi. Austin Reaves scored 17 to lead Oklahoma (20-13).
No. 6 BYU 100, No. 14 Eastern Washington 97>> Zac Seljaas’ 3-point shot from the right wing broke a 93-93 tie with 1:37 to play, Andy Toolson followed with another three and the Cougars escaped the upset-minded Eagles from the Big Sky Conference. BYU made 13 of 22 three-point attempts (59.1%) and shot almost 60% overall (40 of 67) and then held its collective breath as a last-second shot by EWU circled the rim twice before spinning out. TJ Haws (26 points, 12 assists) and Yoeli Childs (26 points, 11 rebounds) led the way for BYU. Jacob Davison had 29 points for EWU (24-9).
No. 7 Arizona 89, No. 15 UC-Irvine 66>> Zeke Nnaji had 18 points and 17 rebounds as the Wildcats put an early end to the Anteaters’ hope of pulling another upset. UC-Irvine, which shocked No. 2 seed San Diego State on Friday, led 17-16 after a 3-pointer by Jeron Artest (son of Ron Artest). But Arizona answered with a bucket and two free throws from Max Hazzard (grandson of the late Walt Hazzard) and the Wildcats led the rest of the way. Tony Rutherford had 15 points for UCI (22-11). Arizona’s Nico Mannion led all scorers with 19.
MIDWEST REGIONAL
No. 3 Duke 98, No. 14 East Tennessee State 89>> The upstarts from the Southern Conference, who had stunned Seton Hall in the opener, jumped out to a 7-1 lead. And that’s where Duke put a stop to things. The Blue Devils caught the Eagles at 16, passed them on a tip-in by Javin DuLaurier and never trailed after a 10-0 run put them ahead 49-39. ETU, winners of 13 straight, pulled within 78-75, but then went cold for almost six minutes as Duke rebuilt its lead to 13 and coasted into Sweet 16 for the 16th time in 20 years. Vernon Carey led the Blue Devils with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Tre Jones, playing amid rumors that he will apply for the NBA draft, had 16 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Cassius Stanley also had 16 points. Patrick Good had 22 for ETU, which finished the season 31-4.
No. 7 Providence 104, No. 15 North Dakota State 57>> The Friars jumped on the team that had KO’d Kentucky two days earlier, scoring the first seven points en route to a 20-5 lead. Providence led 51-33 at halftime and didn’t let up, outscoring the Bison 53-24 in the second half. Luwane Pipkins led six Friars in double figures with 19 points, hitting 5 of 7 treys. Alpha Diallo added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Rocky Kreuser had 16 to lead North Dakota State (26-9), which had won 13 of its previous 14 games. | LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas is back on top of the college basketball world after knocking off Baylor in a matchup of Big 12 heavyweights, while the Bears dropped to No. 2 in The Associated Press men’s poll Monday after their nip-and-tuck loss in Waco.
The Jayhawks (24-3, 13-1 Big 12) received 62 of 64 first-place votes from the national media panel to take over the No. 1 ranking for the second time this season. Kansas also was atop the poll for one week in December, when it seemed as if just about every school that ascended to No. 1 promptly lost in a topsy-turvy start to the season.
“We’re a silent team that can make a run late in March,” Jayhawks guard Devon Dotson said after the 64-61 victory on Saturday. “We’re not going to get complacent from this one. We’re going to build off of it.”
Baylor (24-2, 13-1) received two first-place votes and fell to second after its 23-game winning streak came to an end. Gonzaga was No. 3 after a loss to BYU, and Dayton jumped San Diego State for No. 4 after the Aztecs lost for the first time in a week when every team in the top 10 found itself in a new position from last week.
The most notable change, of course, came at the top.
“Baylor is the best team that we’ve played against since I’ve been in the league the last 17 years,” said Jayhawks coach Bill Self, whose team begins its four-game finishing stretch against Oklahoma State on Monday night. “You could look at Oklahoma State in ’04 and you could look at (Texas) Tech in ’19, but I think Baylor has played better than both those teams at the same stage. I don’t know how it’s going to finish, but I certainly feel strongly about that.”
Baylor coach Scott Drew, whose team spent five weeks at No. 1, was equally effusive in his praise for the Jayhawks.
“Kansas has really progressed since the last time we faced them,” he said. “We had a heck of a run. I never thought I’d see anyone do what we did. The Big 12 is so tough. Six straight years we’ve been the number one conference for a reason.”
Baylor wasn’t the only team to take its lumps during an upset-filled weekend.
The Cougars continued their climb to No. 17 after they knocked off Gonzaga on Saturday night, while UNLV ended the Aztecs’ perfect start with a 66-63 victory. Two more top-10 teams went down in a Big Ten shakeup Sunday when Maryland lost to Ohio State and Penn State lost to Indiana for its second defeat of the week.
“We lost, and it’s the first time it’s happened (this season), so it doesn’t feel good,” San Diego State guard Malachi Flynn said. “We were all just trying to win the game, and it’s just played out the way it played out.”
The Flyers (25-2) have won 16 straight to reach their highest standing in the poll since finishing third during the 1955-56 season, while the Aztecs (26-1) remain the nation’s only one-loss Division I team. They were followed by Florida State, Duke, Kentucky, Maryland and Creighton in rounding out the top 10.
The Seminoles climbed two spots ahead of their high-profile ACC showdown with No. 11 Louisville on Monday night. Related Articles Pac-12 recap: UCLA, ASU surge while Oregon collects key win
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“Florida State is just a team, they’re all really big, really long and really athletic,” Cardinals star Jordan Nwora said. “We’re going to pressure them, use the lane, and I feel pretty confident going into this game.”
RISING AND FALLING
The Blue Jays climbed from No. 15 into the top 10 for the first time since the 2016-17 season after beating then-No. 19 Marquette and then-No. 21 Butler last week. Their streak has moved them to within a game of Seton Hall — which climbed from No. 16 to No. 13 this week — in what has become an intrigue race for the Big East title.
The biggest jump this week came from BYU, which followed a victory over Santa Clara with a resounding 91-78 win over Gonzaga. The Cougars climbed six spots to No. 17 with their eighth straight victory.
Penn State took the biggest tumble from ninth to No. 16 after losses to Illinois and Indiana, while West Virginia fell three spots to No. 20 and Colorado dropped three spots to No. 21.
IN AND OUT
Michigan shot back into the Top 25 at No. 19 this week after the Wolverines ran their winning streak to five straight and seven of eight with victories at Purdue and Rutgers. Texas Tech and Michigan State also returned to the poll with the Red Raiders at No. 22 and the Spartans at No. 24.
Marquette tumbled from No. 19 all the way out after losing to Creighton and unranked Providence. Butler fell out from No. 21 and Arizona from No. 24 after the Wildcats lost in overtime to Oregon on Saturday.
AP college basketball poll
Team Record Points Pvs. 1. Kansas 24-3 1,598 3 2. Baylor 24-2 1,532 1 3. Gonzaga 27-2 1,442 2 4. Dayton 25-2 1,413 5 5. San Diego State 26-1 1,287 4 6. Florida State 23-4 1,247 8 7. Duke 23-4 1,186 6 8. Kentucky 22-5 1,130 10 9. Maryland 22-5 1,124 7 10. Creighton 22-6 986 15 11. Louisville 23-5 966 11 12. Villanova 21-6 928 12 13. Seton Hall 20-7 842 16 14. Oregon 21-7 653 14 15. Auburn 23-4 643 13 16. Penn State 20-7 618 9 17. BYU 23-7 598 23 18. Iowa 19-8 489 20 19. Michigan 18-9 329 – 20. West Virginia 19-8 313 17 21. Colorado 21-7 291 18 22. Texas Tech 18-9 226 – 23. Ohio State 18-9 210 25 24. Michigan State 18-9 160 – 25. Houston 21-7 102 22 Dropped out of rankings: Marquette (19), Butler (21), Arizona (24). Others receiving votes: Arizona State 95, Illinois 82, Arizona 71, Butler 51, Virginia 50, Marquette 41, Stephen F. Austin 29, LSU 24, East Tennessee State 13, Utah State 9, Florida 8, Wisconsin 7, New Mexico State 2, Northern Iowa 2, Liberty 2, UCLA 1.
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In news that has absolutely destroyed my brain, OG reality TV star Paris Hilton just revealed she’s been playing a character up until now.
Yes, Hilton has been laughing all the way to the fucking bank because her character on The Simple Life, and just her general persona has all been an act.
I. AM. SCREAMING.
Just days after we all collectively lost our minds over her Cooking With Paris video, the entrepreneur and socialite has revealed that her upcoming YouTube documentary This Is Paris will be the first time we get to see the real deal.
During an interview at the Television Critics Association press tour, Paris revealed that her upcoming YouTube documentary is “completely different than anything [she’s] ever done before.”
“Everything I’ve ever done before was more me playing that character again,” The Simple Life star said. “But with this, I really just wanted to pull the curtain back and show my real life — talk about things that are very hard to talk about and things that I’ve experienced in life but never discussed before.”
So she’s pretty much saying that The World According To Paris and The Simple Life was acting. Give this woman a fucking Golden Globe.
“I was having fun with it. I think, you know. I was in on the joke,” Paris said of the 2003 hit show The Simple Life, which she was pitched as “Green Acres meets Clueless.”
But the 38-year-old heiress is finally reading to show us the real Paris Hilton is her new YouTube documentary.
“In this film I discuss things I’ve never discussed before. I hope that people are going to see who I truly am,” she said.
“It follows me in my real life, everything I’ve done before was me playing a character. I was talking about things that are very hard to talk about. It was an amazing experience but it was very scary. I was freaking out.”
We really shouldn’t be surprised. She comes from a long list of uber-rich billionaire businessmen. The woman has simply mastered the art of branding.
“At the same time, I built a huge brand off doing it,” she told PEOPLE at the event. “So, I don’t really regret it and I’m happy that people are going to finally see this film.”
This Is Paris premieres on YouTube in May 2020. | Depending on how old you are and when you came of age, the name Paris Hilton might mean a few different things to you.
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Hotel megabrand heiress, reality TV star, singer — she’s kind of done it all. Now Paris is the focus of a brand new YouTube documentary, This Is Paris.
As you might suspect, the documentary focuses on Paris herself as she grapples with establishing a new identity and brand for herself while accepting how many in the public see her. Paris is most notoriously known as one of the stars of The Simple Life, a reality show that first aired in 2003. Costarring Nicole Richie, the show followed the two children of celebrities as they navigated rural life.
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On her role in the show, Paris explained to People, “I knew what I was doing but the whole world didn’t, so it was kind of frustrating to me to be perceived in that way because it’s not who I am at all. But it was such an amazing and entertaining show that I would just think of it as entertainment.” | 4 |
Marvel star Mark Ruffalo took part in the Instagram game that tells you which character from the Avengers you are.
The app’s new filter, which went viral soon after it was launched earlier this month, has been used by a number of celebrities – but Ruffalo seems to be the first actual Avengers: Endgame actor to post his result online.
For those who don’t know, the filter flits through several choices before allocating you a character and telling you which character you are.
Download the new Independent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines
Obviously, it all means nothing, but it’s a bit of fun to pass the time – and Ruffalo, who plays Hulk in the record-breaking Avengers series, gave it a go.
The actor couldn’t feign his surprise when the Instagram app randomly allocated him... Hulk! (We’re going to hope he’s being genuine and this was the first time he tried).
Shape Created with Sketch. Marvel films – ranked worst to best Show all 23 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Marvel films – ranked worst to best 1/23 Iron Man 2 23. Iron Man 2 barely holds together. Rather than act as a straight sequel to the surprisingly successful Iron Man, Marvel Studios decided to overstuff the film with universe-building references (Black Widow, Nick Fury and SHIELD’s Agent Coulson all make appearances) and two-dimensional villains (played by Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke). The result is a film without any direction that serves as a Trojan horse set-up for the Avengers. Marvel/Disney 2/23 Thor: The Dark World 22. When the Thor franchise lost its director Kenneth Branagh between the first and second films, it also had to kiss goodbye to the Shakespearean theatrics that had lent it a sense of goofy charm. Directed by Game of Thrones’s Alan Taylor, The Dark World prioritises its VFX effects above all else. It’s a dull affair: Christopher Eccleston’s Malekith is (by far) Marvel’s worst villain, being a pile of prosthetics with zero personality, while Chris Hemsworth’s Thor completes one of the most unrealistic London Tube journeys in all of cinematic history. Marvel/Disney 3/23 The Incredible Hulk 21. Edward Norton’s version of the smashing Hulk often gets forgotten by Marvel fans – and for good reason. Whereas Mark Ruffalo’s bumbling interpretation of the character has a gravitational charm, Norton’s moping monster is void of any charisma. With Liv Tyler phoning in her performance as love interest, Betty Ross, the film falls emotionally flat and serves only as a by-the-numbers origins story. Marvel/Disney 4/23 Avengers: Age of Ultron 20. Just in case we’d forgotten that the Disney corporation is an all-consuming titan that owns half of Hollywood, the sequel to 2012’s Avengers decided to sneak in a little corporate synergy: when Iron Man accidentally creates a sentient robot (voiced by James Spader) who decides the earth’s only salvation is through the destruction of humanity, he announces his grim plans with accompaniment of a little citation of the classic “I’ve Got No Strings” from 1940’s Pinocchio. It’s a moment that exemplifies how Ultron feels like a cold, calculated operation from Marvel Studios. It’s merely tick list of obligations to move us on to the next chapter of the MCU. Marvel/Disney 5/23 Thor 19. Although Kenneth Branagh’s introductory outing for Marvel’s God of Thunder fared perfectly well on release, it’s suffered massively from the MCU’s dramatic sense of progression over the years. Certainly, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is a strong, well-crafted character right out of the gate, and his plot against his adoptive father (Anthony Hopkins) is delightfully heightened. Yet, it arguably took until Thor: Ragnarok for Chris Hemsworth’s hero to develop much sense of character beyond the initial “fish out of water” trope. Marvel/Disney 6/23 Doctor Strange 18. A self-centred wealthy white man ventures to a distant land and realises his superhero potential – sound familiar? That’s because Doctor Strange and Iron Man are basically the same story, except one uses magic and the other explosives. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Marveldebut impresses with kaleidoscope visuals but lacks the heart of Robert Downey Jr’s hero, leading to a film that wastes the talents of both Tilda Swinton and Mads Mikkelsen. Marvel/Disney 7/23 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 17. The first Guardians of the Galaxy was a risky Star Wars-inspired romp through space, following a bunch of a-holes who form an unlikely familiar bond. For the second film, James Gunn decided to turn everything up to 11, cramming half a dozen interweaving storylines, leading to Chris Pratt’s gaunt Star Lord getting side-lined. The sequel did, however, introduce the now beloved line “I’m Mary Poppins, y’all”, shouted by Yondu as he gracefully falls from the sky. A wonderfully comedic moment in a film that misses on another half-dozen punches. Marvel/Disney 8/23 The Avengers 16. Marvel’s first crossover film was an unparalleled cinematic event – one that arguably changed Hollywood filmmaking forever, now that every major studio seems to be attempting the “shared universe” approach to franchises. Although the MCU has refined the template since, The Avengers still established the focus on humour, character, and heart that would come to define the success story of Marvel Studios. It’s a blockbuster that feels large on all fronts, delivering thrills not only in the “Battle of New York” finale, but in the creation of a team of characters that feel perfectly balanced and complementary. Marvel/Disney 9/23 Captain America: Civil War 15. Despite Captain America: Civil War (AKA Avengers 2.5) featuring Iron Man, Black Widow, and Ant-Man (as well as introducing Black Panther and Spider-Man), the film remains first and foremost about Captain America. And that’s perhaps why the stuffed blockbuster works – were it not for a central focus, Civil War could have fallen into the trappings of other Marvel sequels in being too convoluted. The Russo Brothers also direct one of the best actions scenes in Marvel history so far, the airport scene, which looks as if it leapt straight out of a comic book. Marvel/Disney 10/23 Ant-Man and the Wasp 14. While the first Ant Man was a mirror image of its star Paul Rudd, essentially delivering a studio comedy dressed in spandex, the second found a new trick up its sleeve in the form of Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne – a smart, capable female hero who didn’t simply exist to serve as a caretaker for the male characters. Marvel/Disney 11/23 Spider-Man: Far From Home 13. What comes after the end? It’s the question that was hanging over the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever since the release of Avengers: Endgame was sold to us as the ultimate, cumulative chapter in a series of 22 interconnected films. And yet, while Far From Home is distinctly mid-level Marvel fare, there’s a lot to be said for the fact it isn’t crushed under the weight of its own ambitions. It feels comfortably like the end of a chapter, the beginning of a new one, an epilogue, and a palate cleanser all at once. It also works perfectly well as a film about Spider-Man. AP 12/23 Ant-Man 12. Ant-Man should not have worked as a film. Just look at the title! Ridiculous to think a movie about a man with ant powers should work – let alone be a blockbuster success and part of the biggest cinematic universe going. Yet, despite production problems (Edgar Wright was initially meant to helm the film), Peyton Reed directs this hilarious heist film with aplomb, taking the Marvel world a little less seriously than others. Marvel/Disney 13/23 Avengers: Infinity War 11. Marvel redefined cinematic narratives once more in 2018, creating a single culmination to a decade’s worth of films. While it plays as total nonsense to anyone who’s a newcomer to the franchise (if that’s possible), it was, for fans, an unmatched emotional release. The Russo brothers faced the monumental task of making each crossover – from the Guardians of the Galaxy to the kingdom of Wakanda – work in a way that feels natural, while also ushering the MCU’s biggest villain, Thanos, into centre stage. Epic both in its sense of scale and stakes, Infinity War also stages one of the most memorable finales in blockbuster history. Marvel/Disney 14/23 Captain America: The First Avenger 10. With or without the beard, Steve Rogers aka Captain America has now become the brooding centre of the Avengers, but there was once a time when he was all about the old-fashioned heroics. Director Joe Johnston stayed true to the film’s 1940s setting in a film that embraces that pulpiness of early comic book history, as Steve punches Nazis and romances military officer Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), although her character is thankfully never relegated to the role of damsel in distress. Marvel/Disney 15/23 Captain America: The Winter Soldier 9. Despite centring on a super-powered American nationalist, the Captain America trilogy has the most consistent quality in the MCU. Its crowning moment comes with The Winter Soldier – an adrenaline-fuelled conspiracy thriller that features a spectacular twist and provokes questions regarding modern day surveillance. However, given The Russo Brothers root the rest of the movie in realism, the bombastic CGI-heavy ending is a little ridiculous. Marvel/Disney 16/23 Captain Marvel 8. Brie Larson gives a superpowered performance as Carol Danvers, the actor playing a hero that's both relatable and aspirational, strong but vulnerable. While Captain Marvel may not revolutionise the studio’s formula, the superhero's debut outing provides a platform to show off her Thanos-annihilating powers. Thanks to a smart script, it also offers some of the very best character development in the MCU. Marvel/Disney 17/23 Spider-Man: Homecoming 7. While Spider-Man’s miraculous arrival in the MCU came with Captain America: Civil War, it was not until Homecoming that we truly got to know Peter Parker. Tom Holland’s incarnation swings past Andrew Garfield’s version, thanks to the film’s lower-stakes high school story allowing for intimate moments with the character. Along with including some great comic performances (Jacob Batalon as Ned stands out), Michael Keaton’s Vulture makes for a terrifying villain, and the twist is superbly done. Marvel/Disney 18/23 Iron Man 3 6. While divisive among Marvel fans, Shane Black’s superhero outing – with the writer/director’s sharp, stinging dialogue – brings Tony Stark's story arc to an end (or what should have been its end) with humour and heart aplenty. As Robert Downey Jr’s genius, billionaire philanthropist deals with PTSD and struggles with his robotic creations, we see an actor giving his all. While Civil War and the Avengers films dragged him back into action, fingers are crossed Avengers: Endgame will give the character a similar emotionally satisfying send-off. Marvel/Disney 19/23 Avengers: Endgame 5. It’s a film that’s hard to place within the MCU canon, simply because the majority of its emotional pay-offs only work due to the groundwork laid by over a decade of filmmaking. Avengers: Endgame is less about individual storytelling and so much more about the collective experience of cinema itself. This exists to be consumed in the dark, surrounded by loved ones, as you all cheer, gasp, and cry in unison. The fan service at work may, at times, feel a little outrageous in just how bold it feels, but Endgame earns the right to indulge. This, above all, is a celebration of these movies and their impact on the world. AP 20/23 Thor: Ragnarok 4. Completely transforming the Thor franchise in a single, effortless move, director Taika Waititi injected new energy into the MCU. Ragnarok is perfectly balanced both as a standard Marvel movie, with all the right heroics and world-building intact, and as a work belonging exclusively to Waititi, filled with the humour and charm he’d previously displayed in What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. By finding a way to incorporate individual voices into its massive franchise machine, Marvel found the secret to true long-term success. Marvel/Disney 21/23 Iron Man 3. Where it all started. Iron Man subverted expectations by not only reintroducing Robert Downey Jr to the world, but by showing that a relatively unknown B-character could be at the centre of a blockbuster. Other cinematic universes fail because they attempt to introduce too much (a mistake made in Iron Man 2). The first Iron Man, though, had a self-contained story that only hinted at a bigger world – a world that would eventually become a multi-billion-dollar franchise. Marvel/Disney 22/23 Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Blasting the Marvel universe into space for an adventure with a truly ragtag group of heroes, including both a talking racoon and a sentient tree-creature, Guardians of the Galaxy is arguably the biggest risk the franchise ever took. And it paid off in spectacular fashion, with director James Gunn giving the superhero genre a light coat of B-movie glee. It also transformed Parks and Recreation star Chris Pratt into the major box office draw he is today. Marvel/Disney 23/23 Black Panther 1. Although Black Panther still dutifully fulfils all the requirements of a Marvel film, providing a bridge to films both past and future plus ending in a cinematic battle filled with CGI trickery, Ryan Coogler’s achievement as a director is to use a familiar framework to tell a radical story within mainstream filmmaking. In the strife between Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa, the ruler of Wakanda, and Michael B Jordan’s Killmonger, he provided a nuanced, layered commentary on colonialism and black identity. It’s a film that triumphs both within its genre, bringing new perspectives to the superhero story, and outside of it, satisfying purely as a piece of narrative drama. Marvel/Disney 1/23 Iron Man 2 23. Iron Man 2 barely holds together. Rather than act as a straight sequel to the surprisingly successful Iron Man, Marvel Studios decided to overstuff the film with universe-building references (Black Widow, Nick Fury and SHIELD’s Agent Coulson all make appearances) and two-dimensional villains (played by Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke). The result is a film without any direction that serves as a Trojan horse set-up for the Avengers. Marvel/Disney 2/23 Thor: The Dark World 22. When the Thor franchise lost its director Kenneth Branagh between the first and second films, it also had to kiss goodbye to the Shakespearean theatrics that had lent it a sense of goofy charm. Directed by Game of Thrones’s Alan Taylor, The Dark World prioritises its VFX effects above all else. It’s a dull affair: Christopher Eccleston’s Malekith is (by far) Marvel’s worst villain, being a pile of prosthetics with zero personality, while Chris Hemsworth’s Thor completes one of the most unrealistic London Tube journeys in all of cinematic history. Marvel/Disney 3/23 The Incredible Hulk 21. Edward Norton’s version of the smashing Hulk often gets forgotten by Marvel fans – and for good reason. Whereas Mark Ruffalo’s bumbling interpretation of the character has a gravitational charm, Norton’s moping monster is void of any charisma. With Liv Tyler phoning in her performance as love interest, Betty Ross, the film falls emotionally flat and serves only as a by-the-numbers origins story. Marvel/Disney 4/23 Avengers: Age of Ultron 20. Just in case we’d forgotten that the Disney corporation is an all-consuming titan that owns half of Hollywood, the sequel to 2012’s Avengers decided to sneak in a little corporate synergy: when Iron Man accidentally creates a sentient robot (voiced by James Spader) who decides the earth’s only salvation is through the destruction of humanity, he announces his grim plans with accompaniment of a little citation of the classic “I’ve Got No Strings” from 1940’s Pinocchio. It’s a moment that exemplifies how Ultron feels like a cold, calculated operation from Marvel Studios. It’s merely tick list of obligations to move us on to the next chapter of the MCU. Marvel/Disney 5/23 Thor 19. Although Kenneth Branagh’s introductory outing for Marvel’s God of Thunder fared perfectly well on release, it’s suffered massively from the MCU’s dramatic sense of progression over the years. Certainly, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is a strong, well-crafted character right out of the gate, and his plot against his adoptive father (Anthony Hopkins) is delightfully heightened. Yet, it arguably took until Thor: Ragnarok for Chris Hemsworth’s hero to develop much sense of character beyond the initial “fish out of water” trope. Marvel/Disney 6/23 Doctor Strange 18. A self-centred wealthy white man ventures to a distant land and realises his superhero potential – sound familiar? That’s because Doctor Strange and Iron Man are basically the same story, except one uses magic and the other explosives. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Marveldebut impresses with kaleidoscope visuals but lacks the heart of Robert Downey Jr’s hero, leading to a film that wastes the talents of both Tilda Swinton and Mads Mikkelsen. Marvel/Disney 7/23 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 17. The first Guardians of the Galaxy was a risky Star Wars-inspired romp through space, following a bunch of a-holes who form an unlikely familiar bond. For the second film, James Gunn decided to turn everything up to 11, cramming half a dozen interweaving storylines, leading to Chris Pratt’s gaunt Star Lord getting side-lined. The sequel did, however, introduce the now beloved line “I’m Mary Poppins, y’all”, shouted by Yondu as he gracefully falls from the sky. A wonderfully comedic moment in a film that misses on another half-dozen punches. Marvel/Disney 8/23 The Avengers 16. Marvel’s first crossover film was an unparalleled cinematic event – one that arguably changed Hollywood filmmaking forever, now that every major studio seems to be attempting the “shared universe” approach to franchises. Although the MCU has refined the template since, The Avengers still established the focus on humour, character, and heart that would come to define the success story of Marvel Studios. It’s a blockbuster that feels large on all fronts, delivering thrills not only in the “Battle of New York” finale, but in the creation of a team of characters that feel perfectly balanced and complementary. Marvel/Disney 9/23 Captain America: Civil War 15. Despite Captain America: Civil War (AKA Avengers 2.5) featuring Iron Man, Black Widow, and Ant-Man (as well as introducing Black Panther and Spider-Man), the film remains first and foremost about Captain America. And that’s perhaps why the stuffed blockbuster works – were it not for a central focus, Civil War could have fallen into the trappings of other Marvel sequels in being too convoluted. The Russo Brothers also direct one of the best actions scenes in Marvel history so far, the airport scene, which looks as if it leapt straight out of a comic book. Marvel/Disney 10/23 Ant-Man and the Wasp 14. While the first Ant Man was a mirror image of its star Paul Rudd, essentially delivering a studio comedy dressed in spandex, the second found a new trick up its sleeve in the form of Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne – a smart, capable female hero who didn’t simply exist to serve as a caretaker for the male characters. Marvel/Disney 11/23 Spider-Man: Far From Home 13. What comes after the end? It’s the question that was hanging over the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever since the release of Avengers: Endgame was sold to us as the ultimate, cumulative chapter in a series of 22 interconnected films. And yet, while Far From Home is distinctly mid-level Marvel fare, there’s a lot to be said for the fact it isn’t crushed under the weight of its own ambitions. It feels comfortably like the end of a chapter, the beginning of a new one, an epilogue, and a palate cleanser all at once. It also works perfectly well as a film about Spider-Man. AP 12/23 Ant-Man 12. Ant-Man should not have worked as a film. Just look at the title! Ridiculous to think a movie about a man with ant powers should work – let alone be a blockbuster success and part of the biggest cinematic universe going. Yet, despite production problems (Edgar Wright was initially meant to helm the film), Peyton Reed directs this hilarious heist film with aplomb, taking the Marvel world a little less seriously than others. Marvel/Disney 13/23 Avengers: Infinity War 11. Marvel redefined cinematic narratives once more in 2018, creating a single culmination to a decade’s worth of films. While it plays as total nonsense to anyone who’s a newcomer to the franchise (if that’s possible), it was, for fans, an unmatched emotional release. The Russo brothers faced the monumental task of making each crossover – from the Guardians of the Galaxy to the kingdom of Wakanda – work in a way that feels natural, while also ushering the MCU’s biggest villain, Thanos, into centre stage. Epic both in its sense of scale and stakes, Infinity War also stages one of the most memorable finales in blockbuster history. Marvel/Disney 14/23 Captain America: The First Avenger 10. With or without the beard, Steve Rogers aka Captain America has now become the brooding centre of the Avengers, but there was once a time when he was all about the old-fashioned heroics. Director Joe Johnston stayed true to the film’s 1940s setting in a film that embraces that pulpiness of early comic book history, as Steve punches Nazis and romances military officer Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), although her character is thankfully never relegated to the role of damsel in distress. Marvel/Disney 15/23 Captain America: The Winter Soldier 9. Despite centring on a super-powered American nationalist, the Captain America trilogy has the most consistent quality in the MCU. Its crowning moment comes with The Winter Soldier – an adrenaline-fuelled conspiracy thriller that features a spectacular twist and provokes questions regarding modern day surveillance. However, given The Russo Brothers root the rest of the movie in realism, the bombastic CGI-heavy ending is a little ridiculous. Marvel/Disney 16/23 Captain Marvel 8. Brie Larson gives a superpowered performance as Carol Danvers, the actor playing a hero that's both relatable and aspirational, strong but vulnerable. While Captain Marvel may not revolutionise the studio’s formula, the superhero's debut outing provides a platform to show off her Thanos-annihilating powers. Thanks to a smart script, it also offers some of the very best character development in the MCU. Marvel/Disney 17/23 Spider-Man: Homecoming 7. While Spider-Man’s miraculous arrival in the MCU came with Captain America: Civil War, it was not until Homecoming that we truly got to know Peter Parker. Tom Holland’s incarnation swings past Andrew Garfield’s version, thanks to the film’s lower-stakes high school story allowing for intimate moments with the character. Along with including some great comic performances (Jacob Batalon as Ned stands out), Michael Keaton’s Vulture makes for a terrifying villain, and the twist is superbly done. Marvel/Disney 18/23 Iron Man 3 6. While divisive among Marvel fans, Shane Black’s superhero outing – with the writer/director’s sharp, stinging dialogue – brings Tony Stark's story arc to an end (or what should have been its end) with humour and heart aplenty. As Robert Downey Jr’s genius, billionaire philanthropist deals with PTSD and struggles with his robotic creations, we see an actor giving his all. While Civil War and the Avengers films dragged him back into action, fingers are crossed Avengers: Endgame will give the character a similar emotionally satisfying send-off. Marvel/Disney 19/23 Avengers: Endgame 5. It’s a film that’s hard to place within the MCU canon, simply because the majority of its emotional pay-offs only work due to the groundwork laid by over a decade of filmmaking. Avengers: Endgame is less about individual storytelling and so much more about the collective experience of cinema itself. This exists to be consumed in the dark, surrounded by loved ones, as you all cheer, gasp, and cry in unison. The fan service at work may, at times, feel a little outrageous in just how bold it feels, but Endgame earns the right to indulge. This, above all, is a celebration of these movies and their impact on the world. AP 20/23 Thor: Ragnarok 4. Completely transforming the Thor franchise in a single, effortless move, director Taika Waititi injected new energy into the MCU. Ragnarok is perfectly balanced both as a standard Marvel movie, with all the right heroics and world-building intact, and as a work belonging exclusively to Waititi, filled with the humour and charm he’d previously displayed in What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. By finding a way to incorporate individual voices into its massive franchise machine, Marvel found the secret to true long-term success. Marvel/Disney 21/23 Iron Man 3. Where it all started. Iron Man subverted expectations by not only reintroducing Robert Downey Jr to the world, but by showing that a relatively unknown B-character could be at the centre of a blockbuster. Other cinematic universes fail because they attempt to introduce too much (a mistake made in Iron Man 2). The first Iron Man, though, had a self-contained story that only hinted at a bigger world – a world that would eventually become a multi-billion-dollar franchise. Marvel/Disney 22/23 Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Blasting the Marvel universe into space for an adventure with a truly ragtag group of heroes, including both a talking racoon and a sentient tree-creature, Guardians of the Galaxy is arguably the biggest risk the franchise ever took. And it paid off in spectacular fashion, with director James Gunn giving the superhero genre a light coat of B-movie glee. It also transformed Parks and Recreation star Chris Pratt into the major box office draw he is today. Marvel/Disney 23/23 Black Panther 1. Although Black Panther still dutifully fulfils all the requirements of a Marvel film, providing a bridge to films both past and future plus ending in a cinematic battle filled with CGI trickery, Ryan Coogler’s achievement as a director is to use a familiar framework to tell a radical story within mainstream filmmaking. In the strife between Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa, the ruler of Wakanda, and Michael B Jordan’s Killmonger, he provided a nuanced, layered commentary on colonialism and black identity. It’s a film that triumphs both within its genre, bringing new perspectives to the superhero story, and outside of it, satisfying purely as a piece of narrative drama. Marvel/Disney
“Which #Avenger am I? You won’t believe the SHOCKING result,” Ruffalo wrote before posting the video.
Ruffalo will next return as Bruce Banner/Hulk in Disney+ animated series, What If…?, but there is currently no word on when the character will next appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The actor is currently promoting Todd Haynes film Dark Waters, which will be released in the UK on 28 February.
Next up on the Marvel agenda is Black Widow, which will be released on 1 May. | The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is by all-accounts the current juggernaut of Hollywood. Since its inception in 2008 with The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man, the MCU has been on a steady incline as its popularity spreads across the globe and its box-offices continue to rise.
To this day, the MCU has amassed an unbelievable $22.5 billion at the box-office with the average per film being a remarkable $980.5 million. While there is a spectrum regarding the 'success' of each of the MCU films, there has yet to be a flop or a 'box-office bomb'. No MCU film has had a 'rotten' rating according to Rotten Tomatoes and even the least commercially successful film still brought in a respectable $260 million. (Worldwide box office presented in parentheses.)
23 The Incredible Hulk ($263,427,551)
via ew.com
While its MCU-integration is fairly questionable, 2008’s The Incredible Hulk is technically considered one of the first MCU film. Starring the talented Edward Norton, the film was a decent showing of Bruce Banner’s struggle with his other angrier and destructive half and helped to kick-off one of the most successful film studios of all-time.
22 Captain America: The First Avenger ($370,569,774)
Via: hollywoodreporter.com
The first Captain America film was a breath of fresh air, jumping back in time and being a period piece set during the second world war. This origin story of Cap consequently has a distinct tone compared to other MCU films, and was a strong foundational piece in the story of Cap and the burgeoning MCU.
21 Thor ($449,326,618)
via youtube.com
Another more ‘out-there’ MCU entry, the first Thor film went for a more Shakespearean feel for its Norse mythological tale. While its mix of elements of godlike royalty and rural USA didn’t always mesh well, the film still did well in establishing the Thunder God’s core plight and cast of supporting characters.
20 Ant-Man ($519,311,965)
via The Verge
Ant-Man has never been the most popular Marvel hero, however the studio did wise in narrowing the scope of his first solo film, creating an insular heist-like MCU movie based around the ever-charismatic Paul Rudd as Scott Lang. Pairing him with Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Pena helped to make Ant-Man a still-decent success.
19 Ant-Man And The Wasp ($622,674,139)
via Time
Even if it’s not by a wide margin, it’s always a good sign when a sequel does better and not worse than its predecessor. Ant-Man and the Wasp ever so slightly expanded on Scott Lang’s world, now bringing Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne (aka the Wasp) in as his superhero partner. Plus, with additions in Michelle Pfeiffer and Laurence Fishburne, this sequel suddenly had a lot going for it.
18 Iron Man ($585,174,222)
via youtube.com
The film that truly kickstarted the MCU, 2008’s Iron Man really was a pivotal moment in cinematic history. Robert Downey Jr.’s perfect casting and portrayal of the charismatic yet deeply-flawed Tony Stark set a new precedent for superheroes and comic book movies alike. Many still see this film as the best of the MCU to-date.
Related: 20 Actors Who Would've Been Great In These MCU Roles
17 Thor: The Dark World ($644,571,402)
via amazon.com
Thor’s sequel film is generally regarded as one of the weaker MCU instalments. However, as is the case here, sequels still often do better than their predecessors thanks to a growing fanbase for the franchise/characters. The Dark World still had some good action and eventually would play an important early role in the lead up to the Infinity Stone saga.
16 Doctor Strange ($677,718,395)
via twitter.com
The Sorcerer Supreme’s film was one of the significant character debuts of MCU’s Phase Three. Doctor Strange introduced the mystical side of Marvel that, in combination with the ever-great Benedict Cumberbatch, led to a strong debut for Doctor Strange. Fans have been waiting a long time now for the doctor’s second outing.
15 Iron Man 2 ($623,933,331)
Via Collider.com
Iron Man has always been one of the largest MCU box-office draws. While his second film was not altogether the best, the film still ratcheted up the action and the stakes enough to surpass the revenue of the first film. Adding another Iron Man (War Machine) and some memorable villains was enough to make Iron Man 2 a resounding success.
14 Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($714,264,267)
via youtube.com
The Winter Soldier was the MCU’s attempt at a semi-political thriller – a somewhat risky move for a studio making superhero films. However, this film ended up receiving rave reviews and is generally regarded as one of the best films of the entire MCU. With a co-starring role for Black Widow, Fury, Falcon, and the new enigmatic & dangerous Winter Soldier, Cap’s second film did remarkably well.
13 Guardians Of The Galaxy ($773,328,629)
via: denofgeek.com
Guardians of the Galaxy was the first major risk for Marvel. They banked an entire film on a pretty much unknown group of characters and set it in space where the film would have more-or-less no connections to the rest of the MCU. However, writer/director James Gunn ended up with a grand slam, instantly rocketing the Guardians family into stardom thanks to this action-packed, hilarious, and heartfelt film.
12 Thor: Ragnarok ($853,977,126)
Via TheVerge.com
After the poorly received The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok changed up the formula of the Thor franchise drastically. Bringing on the eccentric Taika Waititi, Ragnarok ended up being a zany sci-fi adventure for the God of Thunder and his angry buddy, the Hulk, as they became trapped on a distant gladiatorial planet. The film was a massive success both commercially and with the critics.
11 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($863,756,051)
via: marvel.com
Guardians Vol. 2 didn’t shake things up much from the first volume, but simply carried on the adventures of this spacefaring team. Luckily, the old mantra of “don’t fix what ain’t broken” served the film well, and the Guardians' now-enormous fanbase flocked out for this bigger and better sequel.
Related: 15 Marvel Characters The MCU Completely Ruined
10 Spider-Man: Homecoming ($880,166,924)
via Moviedash
There probably isn’t a person alive who doesn’t know the name ‘Spider-Man’. The old wallcrawler is arguably Marvel’s most recognizable & profitable character and so it was bound to be big news (and big money) when Sony finally agreed to terms to allow Spidey to enter the MCU. With a high school based story, the great Michael Keaton as the Vulture, and relative newcomer Tom Holland as Peter Parker, the film was a massive success.
9 Captain Marvel ($1,128,275,794)
via BGR
It took far too long for Marvel to come out with its first female-led superhero film. Luckily, it did eventually happen with the powerful Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, at the helm. Played by Academy Award winner Brie Larson, the film was successful on every front and incredibly cracked the $1 billion box-office mark.
8 Spider-Man: Far From Home ($1,131,927,996)
via vox.com
More Spider-Man = more money. The most recent MCU film has continued the studio’s upward trend of increased box-office. Far From Home continued from where Homecoming left off with Peter’s class going on a European school trip where Spidey finds himself face-to-face with Mysterio played by Jake Gyllenhaal.
7 Captain America: Civil War ($1,153,304,495)
Via: youtube.com
Civil War was, in all respects, pretty much an Avengers film. Containing almost all of the core members (minus Thor and Hulk), this film had the massive fan draw of seeing our Marvel heroes finally go toe-to-toe with one another. If that wasn’t enough, it also introduced the likes of both Spider-Man and Black Panther into the MCU. Now, really, who wouldn’t pay to see that?
6 Iron Man 3 ($1,214,811,252)
Via PopSugar.com
The box-office increase from Iron Man 2 to 3 is quite remarkable with Iron Man’s final solo film more-or-less doubling its predecessor. While the film had some criticisms for its red herring portrayal of infamous Iron Man villain, The Mandarin, it was still an exciting film and steps above the dismal Iron Man 2.
5 Black Panther ($1,346,913,161)
via Vox
Like Captain Marvel, Black Panther was a necessary addition to the MCU and one that helped to address issues of representation within the franchise. On top of that important facet, Black Panther was, in almost every way, a fantastic film and it currently holds the highest MCU rotten tomatoes rating of 97%. This is another film whose sequel is highly anticipated.
4 Avengers: Age Of Ultron ($1,405,403,694)
via reddit.com
If there’s one thing that’s going to make big money at the box office, it’s having a film with ‘Avengers’ in its name. The first Avengers sequel maintained the momentum of the original with the same core team and writer/director, Joss Whedon, albeit with a few new additions in Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Vision, and the villainous Ultron. While it wasn’t nearly as popular with the critics, it still definitely made the big bucks.
3 The Avengers ($1,518,812,988)
via medium.com
The original MCU team-up and a pivotal moment in film history. The film that was the culmination of multiple years of set up, bringing together characters from various franchises in a way that likely hadn’t been seen since the 1930’s Universal monster films. The Avengers was a momentous success and cemented the MCU as the film-powerhouse that it is today.
2 Avengers: Infinity War ($2,048,359,754)
via vox.com
Infinity War was the first half of the gigantic climax of the first three Phases of the MCU. It was like the original Avengers on steroids with its culmination of a decade’s worth of films, pulling together characters from every MCU film while also introducing new ones like Thanos and his Black Order. This was the beginning of a film event like never before seen.
1 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564)
Via rollingstone.com
The big kahuna! Endgame – the film that broke every film record in existence. Not only was Endgame the final chapter in MCU’s first ‘lifespan’ but it was also a rollercoaster of a film with major twists, action, and ramifications for the numerous MCU heroes within. The film also provided a tangible gut punch for fans as they had to say goodbye to some of the now-most famous and beloved film heroes of all-time. Endgame truly had it all!
Next: Ranking Our 20 Favorite MCU Characters By Who We'd Want To Be
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Back to page | WASHINGTON (AP) -- A federal appeals court in Washington has dismissed one of several ongoing lawsuits charging that President Donald Trump has illegally profited off the presidency.
The lawsuit the court dismissed Friday was filed by Democratic members of Congress in 2017.
The court was not ruling on whether Trump violated the law. It just said that the approximately 200 members of Congress who brought the lawsuit lack the ability to sue.
The lawsuit had charged that the president violated the U.S. Constitution's emoluments clause by accepting benefits to his businesses from foreign governments without congressional approval. | 4 |
At least eight people in Germany who died of encephalitis likely contracted a rare virus from shrews, a small mole-like animal, that led to the fatal brain-swelling condition often caused by a viral infection.
Researchers looked at brain tissue from 56 people who developed encephalitis between 1999 and 2019. Samples revealed that at least eight people who died of encephalitis were infected with Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1), Scientific American reported, citing a study recently published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
MYSTERIOUS VIRAL PNEUMONIA OUTBREAK IN CHINA LIKELY CAUSED BY NEW VIRUS, SCIENTISTS SAY
Borna disease (BD), spread by the bicolored white-toothed shrew, is a fatal neurological disease that typically affects horses and sheep and is named after the city in eastern Germany where it first killed hundreds of horses in the 19th century. The findings published in the medical journal “confirm that the virus can infect humans and cause deadly encephalitis,” Scientific American reported.
All eight of those who were infected with BD lived in rural areas and spent a lot of time outdoors. Many of the affected people had been around cats, which are known shrew catchers, as well. Researchers suspect the patients were exposed to the pathogen when the cats presented the dead shrews to their owners. They may have also inhaled dust that contained dried shrew urine (horses and sheep typically are infected after the small mammal urinates in hay.) However, exactly how the virus was transmitted to the patients is not yet known.
As of now, there is no known treatment for the rare virus, which “triggers the host’s immune system to attack brain tissue,” as per Scientific American, and typically causes headache, fever and confusion, which is later followed by “deep coma" and death. That said, certain antiviral treatments are being considered.
The findings “provide additional material for a better understanding of the disease,” Martin Beer, head of the Institute of Diagnostic Virology at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute in Germany and co-senior author of the study, told the publication. He noted that the risk of infection in humans is “pretty low.”
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Moving forward, the researchers urged medical professionals to test for BD in patients with an “unclear cause” of encephalitis.
“BoDV-1 infection has to be considered as a potentially lethal zoonosis in endemic regions with reported spillover infections in horses and sheep. BoDV-1 infection can result in fatal encephalitis in immunocompromised and apparently healthy people. Consequently, all severe encephalitis cases of unclear cause should be tested for bornaviruses especially in endemic regions,” they wrote. | Brides can make a lot of demands when it comes to their wedding day, but this might be taking things a little too far.
When a woman started getting wedding RSVPs to someone else’s wedding in her email’s inbox, she was initially confused. Things got complicated, however, when the bride-to-be messaged her with a strange request.
Reddit user ClockworkMoose shared their story to the site’s forums. She explained that after getting several RSVPs to a stranger’s wedding, she received an email from the bride-to-be, who shared the same first name as her. The bride-to-be said ClockworkMoose would have to give up her email account.
The story continues, “I reply to that, no, and also, why? I get an email back in about 10 minutes. She says that she's got the same first name as me, and is getting married to a guy (with the same last name as ClockworkMoose). They've picked (ClockworkMoose’s real name) as their email account for RSVPs. She didn't realize I made the account, so I can either give my password to her or I can reset it and she can create a new one, whichever works for me!”
BRIDE, GROOM EXPECT GUESTS TO SIT THROUGH TIMESHARE PRESENTATION AS PART OF DESTINATION WEDDING
When the post’s author says she declined to give up her email account, the bride-to-be responded angrily and claimed that ClockworkMoose was ruining her life and wedding.
ClockworkMoose says she eventually figured out that the bride-to-be sent out her wedding invitations with the email address on them, unaware it was already taken. Unable to recall all of the invitations, the bride-to-be seemed determined to take over the email account.
After several angry emails, ClockworkMoose says she responded and offered to forward the RSVPs to the bride’s actual email address. “She sends back a nasty email full of expletives and name-calling again demanding my password or nothing,” she wrote.
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Since then, a seemingly fed up ClockworkMoose says she’s been responding to RSVPs by telling people they’re not invited to her wedding. “This has the benefit of being 100 percent true, albeit deceptive,” she wrote.
Surprisingly, this doesn’t seem to be an isolated incident. Several commenters responded by sharing similar stories that they had to deal with.
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One user wrote, “Considering that something similar to the original poster’s story has happened to me not once but thrice, it's somewhat surprising how common this attitude is.”
“I had a similar encounter with an Instagram account,” replied another user. “’FirstnameMiddlename’ and some idiot had the nerve to DM me and ask me to change mine so she could have it. At least this one was a kid/teen so I brushed her off but it baffles me when grown adults do this.”
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Another user chimed in, “I got it on Twitter once. It was some person that basically said I stole their identity by having the handle I had, and I had to give it to them. I pointed out I had been on Twitter a lot longer than them, and I wasn't changing. Has to be kids thinking they can just demand something they want.” | 1 |
More detail has emerged about how a six-year-old boy who was missing for nine hours came to be found curled up asleep by the side of the M1 in roadworks.
Aadil Umair Rahim had been on a school trip when he vanished from Newport Pagnell services, near Milton Keynes, early on Friday evening.
Following a police appeal, more than 1,000 people joined officers and fire crews searching through the night for the young lad from Nottingham.
His father Umair Rahim said on Sunday that the boy was "perfectly fine" and added: "Police told me he was sleeping when they found him."
Aadil was discovered near roadworks by the northbound carriageway of the motorway at around 4.15am on Saturday.
"I have no idea if he was outside for the whole nine hours," his dad told the BBC.
His son and his classmates had been visiting museums in London and had stopped at the services for a comfort break when Aadil became separated from them.
He expressed his gratitude to the emergency services and members of the public who "sacrificed their evening to assist with the search for our son".
There were 54 searchers from four regions, three dogs and a boat also involved. The National Police Air Service was also drafted in.
It was initially believed that Aadil was hiding somewhere in the service station, but as the hours passed concerns about his wellbeing grew.
When Aadil was found, he was checked over in hospital but was found to be well, despite nine hours in the cold without a coat.
Al Goffey, of Buckinghamshire Search and Rescue, described it as "a very cold Friday night" as temperatures hovered above freezing.
The searchers were dispatched in all directions to find him.
CCTV images showed Aadil running towards a car park but the camera did not pick up which direction he then headed.
The Thames Valley Police helicopter was used during the search for Aadil, which began at around 7.15pm on Friday.
Mr Goffey said Aadil had somehow "managed to walk through some fields" and was discovered near a footbridge close to Newbolt Close.
Superintendent Amy Clements said the search had been a "challenging operation in difficult circumstances," but she was heartened by "the community response was immense".
On Friday night, Highways England confirmed the services had been closed in both directions due to an "ongoing police incident."
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A six-year-old boy who sparked a mass search when he went missing while at a motorway service station has been found overnight.
Aadil Umair Rahim disappeared at Newport Pagnell Services on the M1 motorway on Friday evening, reportedly while on a school trip from Nottingham to London.
Thames Valley Police began a search at around 7.15pm and announced Aadil had been found nine hours later, shortly after 4am on Saturday.
The force said a large number of officers were involved in the search, as well as a helicopter from the National Police Air Service.
After Aadil was found, his father Umair Rahim wrote: "My son has arrived and he is safe now. Thanks for the prayers. Shukar to Allah.
"Thank to Thames Valley Police helicopter services fire department and safe and rescue department who worked tirelessly for 9 hours and found him safe.
"There was more than a 1,000 people looking for him I'm thankful to everyone."
Thames Valley Police Superintendent Amy Clements thanked the officers and members of the public involved in the overnight search.
She said: "This was a very difficult operation involving a very young boy and we are relieved to say that Aadil has been found safe and well.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the local community, who immediately offered help in trying to find Aadil."
On Friday night, Highways England confirmed the services had been closed in both directions due to an "ongoing police incident."
Superintendent Amy Clements said: "This was a very difficult operation involving a very young boy and we are relieved to say that Aadil has been found safe and well.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the local community, who immediately offered help in trying to find Aadil.
"Also, I'd like to thank those who have co-operated with police during this time.
"This was a large operation in difficult conditions, so I'd like to also publicly thank the search and rescue teams who assisted in the search and the large number of officers involved.
"We are so very glad that he has been found and are thankful to everyone involved in assisting that."
On Friday night, Highways England confirmed the services had been closed in both directions due to an "ongoing police incident." | 4 |
Dear Editor,
On behalf of the vulnerable and seemingly voiceless, opinion-less youth of Saba, most of whom have been subjected to many injustices during their course of primary education on Saba, I request immediate action by those in authority, against the functioning of the Sacred Heart School.
I am very dissatisfied with the quality of education at the Sacred Heart School and the unobtrusive, unintelligent and uninformed decisions that continue to be made by the current administration. Calls to the school board to address the below mentioned issues remain unaddressed and I have lost all confidence in the management of this school.
The Sacred Heart School has come into direct violation of multiple rights of the child as per the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The information below gives an accurate illustration of this, as well as cases and occurrences that can be found edible, if investigated. However, for fear of victimization, the sources and other sensitive information shall not be named.
Article 3 — All organizations concerned with children should work towards what is best for each child”
The Sacred Heart School has failed many students of this school by individuals pushing their personal agendas, engaging in unethical teaching practices. Many children at this school voice their concerns, worries and discontentment. In the same breath, they are swiftly dismissed. Many children are unhappy and unmotivated to actively participate in their school experience; this is currently known among the Principal and her staff at the Sacred Heart School.
Article 12 — Children have the right to say what they think should happen when adults are making decisions that affect them and to have their opinions taken into account.”
The students of the Sacred Heart School continue to be shut down and dismissed repeatedly when they try to voice their opinions on matters that concern and directly affect them. Students continue to be blamed for the shortcomings of the management and staff; the adults of this institution do not hold themselves accountable for many incidents involving students, but rather, it is the child’s and parent’s fault. The students of this school have expressed no confidence and no trust in voicing their school-related concerns.
Article 16 — Children have the tight to privacy. The law should protect them from attacks against their way of life, their good name, their family and their home.”
The Sacred Heart School has acted unprofessionally, unethically and biased on numerous occasions in creating a vulnerability among the students by exposing their personal information, be it school- or home-based, to individuals outside of the school. This has been done via popular social media platforms and also in verbal conversations.
Article 23 — Children, who have any kind of disability should receive special care and support so that they can live a full and independent life.”
The principal, acting on behalf of the Sacred Heart School, has on more than one occasion expressed that the school is unable to accommodate students with special education needs, which leaves these students without any access to primary education. To date, there is no plan to address this educational gap. There is no differentiated learning taking place at the Sacred Heart School; the different levels of cognitive abilities and learning styles are not being catered to — “one shoe must fit all”.
Article 28 — Children have the right to an education. Discipline in schools should respect children’s human dignity. Primary education should be free. Wealthier countries should help poorer countries achieve this.”
Parents have been forced to seek alternative options to the Sacred Heart School within the last academic year, two of which have been confirmed to have left the island, because of the incompetence in working on a more holistic and much-needed educational approach that includes children of different cultures, background and cognitive capacities.
Article 5 — No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
The students of this school have been subjected to physical punishment, emotional abuse and educational neglect; a direct result of the failure to lead and protect each child under charge of the management of this school. The Sacred Heart School, has directly violated the Human Rights of their students, as per the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The methods of discipline in the Sacred Heart School are not all “conscious” as they preach and the principal is well aware of this. There is evidence to support claims that students are regularly physically punished (and injured), placed out of classrooms, made to stand in the direct sunshine and deprived of their break times and food. Students have been verbally lambasted in front of entire classrooms, through degrading and derogatory comments by their teachers.
The Government of the Netherlands states, “In 2010 Leiden University and TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research) carried out a study into the scope and nature of child abuse. Every year an estimated 119,000 children experience some type of abuse.” There are five general types of child abuse, four of which the Sacred Heart School continues to demonstrate.
Physical abuse: all forms of physical violence;
Emotional or psychological abuse: an adult regularly berates the child, acts in a dismissive and hostile manner towards the child or intentionally scares the child;
Physical neglect: the child does not receive the care and nurturing that it needs;
Emotional or psychological neglect: continuous lack of positive attention for the child;
Ignoring the child’s need for love, warmth and security.
The UNICEF Situation Analysis of children in the Caribbean Netherlands (2019) notes the following about the common quality of education, factors that are specific to the shortcomings of the Sacred Heart School. Suitable education:
Cases of exclusion and challenges with behavior problems; to which the Sacred Heart School has no plan of action.
Participation at schools fragmented activities; not institutionalized.
Furthermore, I am not confident that the current Principal, who, in my opinion, has shown a dire lack of administrative skills, organizational skills and professional vision and knowledge, is capable of promoting the Second Educational Agenda, which covers the years 2017 up to and including 2020, one of the main objectives of this education agenda being ‘Ensuring that students in the Caribbean Netherlands receive education in 2020 that is of adequate quality.” By her inability to:
hire and retain qualified and experienced staff,
provide a structure and school climate that is conducive to learning,
be an advocate for all students of the Sacred Heart School,
motivate and inspire staff members,
be a team player,
reflect on and admit to her professional shortcomings,
communicate effectively with parents, teachers and other stakeholders,
be transparent in all her professional undertakings, I do not think this is the type of administrator that the Sacred Heart School needs and deserves at this point in time.
I believe that our children deserve better, better than what is currently being procured for the Sacred Heart School.
As previously stated, I am not confident in the board’s ability to act impartially, as they have been made privy to many issues at this school and continue to ignore them. Therefore, I am calling on the Executive Council or anyone in The Netherlands, who may read this letter, on behalf of the people of Saba, to act in the best interest of our future generations. Despite the fabricated reports that paint a different story, the truth is that our children have been and continue to be victimized, ill-treated and imperiled to a less than adequate primary education.
Enough is enough!
Concerned Saban
(Name withheld at the author’s request)
Note of the Editor:
The letter was signed by an individual. The original text has been adapted to reflect this. | Sustainable fisheries plan for Caribbean Netherlands
A means of existence under threat.
BONAIRE--A 2019 policy brief was just released, outlining requirements for sustainably managing fisheries within the Caribbean Netherlands. Using five different studies, a four-phase roadmap was created to bring local stakeholders and government legislators together to secure the future of local fish stocks.
Without action, a collapse of important fish species could be right around the corner, stated the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA).
“Maintaining healthy coral reef and fish populations is fundamental in sustaining both the traditional way of life and ever-increasing tourism throughout the Caribbean. Although fisheries within this region are better managed today than they were in previous decades, the Caribbean is still facing an overall decrease in fish stocks.
“Managing the remaining fish populations requires balancing local cultural traditions with the reality of today's environmental conditions. Therefore, this must be a collaborative effort between residents, local and national governments, NGOs and buyers.”
According to the release, to better define the challenges and needs of local fisheries five different studies were conducted on historical fisheries, market analyses, communication and awareness, social mapping and co-management. The goal was to provide insight into how these local fisheries can be improved and sustained for years to come.
Although the final outcome of two of these studies are not yet available, preliminary results have been released to support the upcoming Sustainable Fisheries Plan by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality LNV. Mac & Field consultants, in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) NL, used these to produce a policy brief to help in the creation of the Sustainable Fisheries Plan.
A common finding throughout each of these studies was that sustainable fishing practices are mostly lacking throughout the Caribbean Netherlands. This has led to an overexploitation or full exploitation of almost all commercial fish stocks.
Although the Ministry of LNV is responsible for fisheries management, implementation and regulation is not possible without the support from all stakeholders. This requires that enough resources are dedicated to this process (e.g. fisheries staff and budget within the local public entities) and open communication between stakeholders providing a feedback loop to meet the evolving needs of each island.
“Emphasising a co-management approach ensures the unique needs and desires of local stakeholders are considered in the design and implementation of a Sustainable Fisheries Management Plan. Fishermen must be included throughout each step of this process to maximise the likelihood that these regulations are implemented and complied with. Furthermore, new and non-traditional fishing activities (such as foreign fishing operations) should be considered within the management plan as well,” added DCNA.
“If left unmanaged, a collapse of certain local fish species is likely. As fish stocks continue to decrease, local and foreign demand continues to increase while coral reefs essential for healthy fisheries continue to decline. By working together, a truly Sustainable Fisheries Management Plan can and should be created and implemented ensuring fish stocks are available to local fishermen for many years to come.” | 1 |
VIENNA, 23 May 2018 – The importance of nuclear security was emphasized by speakers at today’s OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) meeting in Vienna, held under Slovenia’s Chairmanship. The meeting was a follow-up to the OSCE Decision on the Update of the OSCE Principles Governing Non-proliferation, which designates the FSC as a forum for discussions on issues relating to the effective security of all nuclear materials and nuclear facilities in the OSCE area.
Ambassador Andrej Benedejčič, Chairperson of the Forum and Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the OSCE, opened the discussion by noting that two-thirds of all nuclear power plants in the world are located in the OSCE participating States. He added that OSCE participating States also account for 20 out of 30 countries with fully-fledged civilian nuclear programmes.
Ambassador Benedejčič emphasized the importance of managing radioactive sources, which must not fall into the wrong hands. "Many terrorist organizations pose a potential threat to civilian nuclear facilities and subsequently to the peaceful use of nuclear technology and its applications," he said.
Andrej Stritar, Director of the Slovenian Nuclear Administration, noted the importance of co-operation between power plant operators, the police and the military. He highlighted the lessons learned from a recent unannounced force-on-force exercise on the premises of the Krško nuclear power plant, and described the arrangements the country currently has in place for the event of an airplane crash or a cyber security attack. "Strengthening co-operation between civil and military authorities represents the main challenge," he said.
Juan Carlos Lentijo, Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) highlighted some of the Agency’s activities in this field. He discussed the IAEA's central role in strengthening the nuclear security framework, including the assistance it provides in work related to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its Amendment and UN Security Council Resolution 1540. "Like the OSCE, we promote international co-operation, which we see as an effective way to bolster nuclear security globally," he said.
Elena K. Sokova, Deputy Director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, said: "The OSCE participating States own and host the lion's share of global nuclear facilities, materials and radioactive sources. Despite significant progress in strengthening nuclear security over the past 20 years, many challenges and vulnerabilities remain." She added that the OSCE participating States are at the forefront of emerging technologies that could have both negative and positive impacts on nuclear security and countering terrorism.
"The OSCE’s ongoing work to counter terrorism, secure borders, combat trafficking in arms and human beings, and protect against cybercrime are integral elements in addressing nuclear security challenges," she said. "Both the individual participating States and the Organization itself are well positioned to contribute to policy changes and work with various branches of government, industry and the professional community to enhance nuclear security."
Roger Howsley, Executive Director of the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS), spoke of the need for personnel with responsibilities for nuclear security to be demonstrably competent. He called on OSCE participating States to support the development of comparable, certified professional training courses for nuclear security as already exist for aviation security, and to encourage the IAEA to take a lead role.
He also said that WINS has become a member of the International Gender Champions Initiative and intends to identify and overcome the barriers to women's greater participation in nuclear security. "It is a fact that we need greater diversity to address the evolving threats," he said. | Much more must be done to make radiotherapy treatment available worldwide, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a video message to mark World Cancer Day.
“We need to do much more than we ever thought it was possible,” Mr Grossi said in the message recorded as part of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) 20 Leaders Campaign to mark the day. “With radiotherapy we kill tumors, with radiotherapy we ease pain, but in one-third of low- and middle-income countries there is a lack of radiotherapy treatment. Twenty-eight countries in Africa lack a single radiotherapy unit. In these countries a cancer diagnosis is often almost as a death sentence. This must change.”
Radiotherapy is one of the most widely used therapies for cancer treatment, but access to this cost-effective treatment option is limited, or non-existent, in many parts of the world. With a growing cancer incidence worldwide, the need to make radiation medicine more widely available is pressing, particularly in the developing world.
“Take breast or cervical cancer, these are easily treatable and curable in rich, industrialized nations,” Mr Grossi said in his message, highlighting that this not the case in poor countries, where 300,000 women die of cervical cancer every year. “This is a scandal. This must stop. The IAEA is ready to make radiotherapy treatment available in more countries,” he said.
The IAEA helps countries establish nuclear and radiation medicine services, from resource mobilization to the procurement of equipment and training of medical professionals.
The Agency will mark World Cancer Day at its headquarters with an event on Friday, 7 February, focusing on the role of nuclear and radiation medicine in the fight against cervical cancer. The event, which will be livestreamed, will feature prominent medical experts and high-level panelists and take place at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna. | 2 |
Q: My tenant wants to purchase the home he recently rented with the help of my real estate agent. I checked the listing agreement I signed with the agent and noticed that it states that if I sell the property to the tenant, I need to pay the agent an additional sales commission. I already pa… | The latest is in on millennials' delayed entry into homeownership, and it tells a grim story.
Millennials only own 4% of American real estate by value - a lot less than the 32% of real estate value baby boomers owned at their age, according to new Fed Reserve data examined in the Economist.
It's worth noting that there's a small gap in the median age of millennials and baby boomers in these two data points - 31 in 2019 for millennials compared to 35 for baby boomers in 1990. But, while it's likely millennials could narrow the real estate value gap within the next four years, reported Christopher Ingraham for The Washington Post, it's unlikely they'll even reach 20% of the housing market.
Crippled with student debt and financially behind due to the fallout of the recession, it's difficult for millennials to save for the skyrocketing cost of housing. First-time homebuyers will pay 39% more than first-time homebuyers did nearly 40 years ago.
But there's more to millennials' slow path to homeownership than rising costs and saving difficulties.
A shortage of starter homes and a surplus of boomer homes
America is facing a shortage of starter homes. While millennials are expected to drive the housing market in 2020, most newly constructed homes in 2019 were devoted to "upper-tier housing" (homes costing at least $500,000), according to a Realtor.com report.
It doesn't help that many of the starter homes that are available are being bought up by real-estate investors with all-cash offers.
That's not to say there's an outright shortage of homes available: As baby boomers age, nine million homes across the US are expected to hit the market between 2017 and 2027, Laura Kusisto wrote for The Wall Street Journal. However, millennials just aren't interested in these homes.
That disinterest can be tied to a variety of factors. For one, baby boomers' suburban houses are located in unappealing locations to younger generations, who prefer metro areas. They're also outdated and oversized for millennials, who prefer smaller homes with more modern designs. It makes sense, then, that some millennials prefer to rent instead of buying or would rather wait for the right home to appear.
Ultimately, millennials either can't yet afford the investment of homeownership or don't think it's an investment worth making. | 4 |
San Francisco: Apple has launched Swift Playgrounds app for Mac as part of company’s Catalyst app initiative, designed to help bridge the software gap between its macOS and iOS platforms.
The app requires no coding knowledge to use and is ideal for students who are just starting out with coding.
“Swift Playgrounds is a revolutionary app for iPad and Mac that makes learning Swift interactive and fun. It requires no coding knowledge, so it’s perfect for students just starting out. Solve puzzles to master the basics using Swift — a powerful programming language created by Apple and used by the pros to build today’s most popular apps,” the company said in a statement.
Swift Playgrounds is built around a collection of Apple-created lessons, using puzzles and an interactive 3D world.
“Now you can make robots do incredible things with code you write yourself. Learn to program-connected devices like the Sphero SPRK+, LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3, and drones by Parrot, and watch them come alive right before your eyes,” the company added.
Swift Playgrounds for Mac is available from the Mac App Store and it is a free download. | Apple has today released Swift Playgrounds for the Mac. This marks the first time the app has made the jump from iPad to Apple’s desktop platform.
The app is based on its iPad counterpart and is built using Catalyst. That doesn’t mean that users should expect the app to look and feel like a straight port, though. Apple says that there is plenty in there to make sure this is a real Mac app.
Swift Playgrounds for Mac is a truly native macOS app with great performance, built using the powerful Mac Catalyst technology in macOS Catalina. This brings many of the same features users love from Swift Playgrounds on iPad, to the Mac. In addition, the Mac app adds unique features and user experiences that take advantage of diverse screen sizes and physical keyboard.
The app itself offers the same proposition as the Mac version. People won’t need any coding knowledge in order to try working with Swift Playgrounds, with the app walking them through some simple tasks and guides as they learn.
Swift Playgrounds is a revolutionary app for Mac and iPad that makes it fun to learn and experiment with code. You solve interactive puzzles in the guided “Learn to Code” lessons to master the basics of coding, or experiment with a wide range of challenges that let you explore many unique coding experiences. Swift Playgrounds requires no coding knowledge, so it’s perfect for students just starting out, from twelve to one-hundred-and-twelve. The whole time you are learning Swift, a powerful programming language created by Apple and used by professionals to build many of today’s most popular apps. Code you write works seamlessly as you move between Mac and iPad.
Swift Playgrounds has been hugely popular on the iPad and people have been using it to learn how to code, just as Apple had intended. The arrival of a Mac version opens up additional possibilities for those wanting to learn. Not least for those who simply don’t have an iPad to install Swift Playgrounds onto.
You can download Swift Playgrounds now, for free, from the Mac App Store. You’ll need macOS Catalina 10.15.3 to run it.
(Download: Swift Playgrounds for Mac on the App Store)
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Local budget carrier Scoot will suspend all flights between Singapore and mainland China from Feb 8, amid the growing severity of the Wuhan virus outbreak.
Scoot had said early on Friday (Jan 31) that it would suspend flights to 11 cities and reduce flights to eight other cities, but had stepped up its precautionary measures in line with those announced by the Government later in the day.
Measures that the authorities announced to limit the spread of the Wuhan virus include the barring of all travellers arriving from mainland China who had been there in the past 14 days from entry or transit in Singapore.
Scoot currently operates 100 weekly flights to 18 points in China, excluding Wuhan.
It said that before Feb 8, some flights to China, such as those to Guangzhou and Qingdao, will be operating on reduced frequencies before the suspension kicks in till late March.
Between Feb 2 and Feb 7, the flights operating to and from China will have limited in-flight services with no sales of food and beverage items.
All customers will be provided with a food pack, including water.
Customers booked on flights affected by the schedule change will receive a refund, said Scoot.
The operator added: "Scoot will continue to closely monitor the coronavirus situation as the health and safety of our passengers and employees are our highest priority.
"For now, Scoot flights between Singapore and all mainland China destinations after the above-stated suspension period will continue to operate as scheduled."
Scoot is a member of the Singapore Airlines Group, which also includes Singapore Airlines and SilkAir.
The two latter carriers also announced earlier on Friday that it will reduce the number of flights to mainland China in February, subject to regulatory approvals.
In a Facebook post on Friday, SIA said that the airline as well as SilkAir would be cancelling some flights between Singapore and cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Chengdu and Chongqing.
[Travel Advisory] SINGAPORE AIRLINES AND SILKAIR FLIGHTS TO MAINLAND CHINA Singapore Airlines and SilkAir will further... Posted by Singapore Airlines on Thursday, 30 January 2020
Affected customers will be notified and rebooked on other flights, SIA said.
SIA currently operates 56 weekly flights to Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, while SilkAir operates 36 weekly flights to Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen and Xiamen.
For the latest updates on the Wuhan virus, visit here.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction. | SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its regional wing SilkAir will suspend some flights to China after fears over the novel coronavirus outbreak affected demand "significantly", Singapore's national carrier said on Monday (Feb 10).
"Minimum connectivity" to several key cities will be maintained, SIA said.
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The move comes after demand for air travel between Singapore and China declined significantly as a result of the outbreak, said SIA on its website.
As a result, services to some Chinese destinations will be "temporarily suspended until the situation improves", it added.
Several SIA flights between Singapore and Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou will be suspended between Feb 4 and Mar 29.
Some SilkAir flights between Singapore and Shenzhen, Xiamen, Chengdu and Chongqing will be halted during that period.
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SIA said that the group will maintain some connectivity to key cities.
In response to queries, SIA told CNA that following the reduced frequencies, it will operate seven flights each to Beijing and Shanghai weekly, thrice a week to Guangzhou and once a week to Chongqing.
"There are still many Singaporeans working and living in China now, many of whom will still require connectivity between Singapore and China," said SIA.
"As the national carrier, we will continue to maintain minimum connectivity to the key cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing for now despite the reduced demand," added SIA.
SIA had said on Jan 31 said it would reduce capacity on some of its routes to China in February due to the growing scale of the coronavirus epidemic.
SIA's low-cost carrier Scoot also suspended flights to 11 Chinese cities from early February until the end of March and reduced frequencies to eight other Chinese destinations.
Singapore on Friday raised the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level to Orange, after several cases of coronavirus without travel history to mainland China or links to previous cases.
The virus has infected 43 people in Singapore as of Sunday, six of whom have been discharged.
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the Wuhan virus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram | 3 |
Fort Bend County Health & Human Services reports 7 additional cases of COVID-19 in Fort Bend County residents, bringing the county’s total to 19.
The 7 new cases are:
A woman in her 40s with international travel who has moderate symptoms and is in isolation at home
A woman in her 50s with domestic travel to a region with widespread local disease. She has moderate symptoms and is in isolation at home
A man in his 40s with domestic travel and mild to moderate symptoms, He is in isolation at home
A minor child with domestic travel and mild symptoms who is in isolation at home
A man in his 40s with domestic travel and moderate symptoms who is in isolation at home
A woman in her 30s with domestic travel and moderate symptoms who is in isolation at home.
A man in his 30s with moderate symptoms who is recovering in isolation at home.
“Community spread is occurring thoughout the Houston region. Community members need to follow the social distancing ordinances issued by local, regional, and state leaders seriously. They are in place to help keep our most vulnerable residents safe and to minimize the impact on our healthcare system,” said Dr. Minter, Fort Bend County Health & Human Services Director and Local Health Authority. “If you are not sick, you do not need to be tested. If you are sick and your symptoms are mild, please stay home and manage your systems as if you would for the flu.”
The public can help:
Do not go to the emergency room unless essential.Emergency rooms need to be able to serve those with the most critical needs. If you have symptoms like cough, fever, or other respiratory problems, contact your regular doctor first. If you are in good health and have mild illness, stay home, and take care of yourself like you would for the flu. If symptoms worsen, call your doctor. Your doctor will help make the decision whether you should get tested for COVID-19
Practice healthy hygiene habits every day to help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, such as: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your coughs and sneezes. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. Remember to wash your hands after coughing or sneezing.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe Stay informed. Information is changing frequently. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@FortBendHealth) and check our website for regular updates (fbchealth.org/ncov)
Privacy protection laws only permit the release of limited patient information. The health department is unable to release any additional patient information.
### | Monroe County Health Department received notification through the Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance System (WEDSS) of our first confirmed case of COVID-19 by positive lab test.
The individual is a male in his 50s, who has had no known exposure via travel or contact with a confirmed case. The individual is isolating at home and will continue to do so based on WI Department of Health Services guidelines.
A Monroe County public health nurse has spoken with the individual. The health department is actively identifying contacts that the individual may have had and will follow up with anyone who may have been exposed to provide appropriate guidance.
“There is no need for the public to panic,” said Sharon Nelson, Director/Health Officer. “We have been preparing for a case of COVID-19 in Monroe County.”
Monroe County Health Department wants everyone to know that you do not need a test to know what to do and to take the following steps to stop the spread of COVID-19:
? Stay home. Avoid social gatherings with people of all ages (including playdates and sleepovers, parties, large family dinners, visitors in your home, non-essential workers in your house);
? Practice good hygiene
o Wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
o Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.
o Avoid touching your face
? If you are having symptoms-fever, cough, difficulty breathing-call your doctor before going in.
For more information, contact Monroe County Health Department at 608-269-8666 or look to reliable sources such as:
? Monroe County’s COVID-19 website: https://healthymonroeco.org/covid-19
? WI DHS COVID-19: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disease/covid-19.htm
? CDC COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html | 3 |
Goats in a ghost town - animals take over deserted Welsh resort
A goat is seen in Llandudno as the spread of coronavirus continues Llandudno, Wales, UK, March 31, 2020. [Reuters]
A herd of Kashmir goats have invaded a Welsh seaside resort after the coronavirus lockdown left the streets deserted.The animals, who normally roam free on a nearby headland jutting out into the Irish Sea, have instead wandered into Llandudno where they have spent the past three days feasting on garden hedges and flowers. Like other countries affected by the global coronavirus crisis, the United Kingdom has imposed strict social distancing measures including shop and school closures, and the authorities are asking everyone to stay at home except for essential travel. With the streets of Llandudno unnaturally quiet, the goats have been free to wander the streets undisturbed. Town councillor Carol Marubbi said the goats didn’t normally come into town unless the weather was awful, but on this occasion she said they probably realized something unusual was going on because there were so few people around. “I think they’re probably feeling a bit lonely and they have come down to have a look around,” she told Reuters by telephone. Kashmir goats have lived on the Great Orme promontory near Llandudno since the days of Queen Victoria, when the species became popular in Britain due to a fashion for shawls made from their soft cashmere wool.
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Marubbi said the herd of about 150 goats, some of whom had kids in February, were a well-known local attraction and most residents did not mind having their hedges nibbled by them. “I’m a big fan,” she said. “I love them because they are characters.” With millions of people stuck at home sharing light-hearted content online to alleviate the tedium of the lockdown, images and video of the goats roving around the streets were a hit on social media, with #goats and #Llandudno trending on Twitter. “Just love this. Looks like they are definitely in charge,” wrote Welsh Twitter user Sue Foster, a former primary school heart-ache. “Who we gonna call? Goat busters.”
Are you suspecting that you have coronavirus? Before you rush to the hospital, do this quick easy self-assessment test. #StayHome #WashYourHands HERE. | Send this page to someone via email
The ramvolution has begun.
A pack of wild goats is horning in on a tiny human community in Wales where the streets have been largely deserted due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The seaside resort town of Llandudno is typically rammed with tourists each summer, but the COVID-19 outbreak has forced everyone indoors and left plenty of room for visitors of another kind.
READ MORE: Coronavirus clears beach for endangered sea turtle hatchlings in Brazil
Locals have posted several photos and videos online of roughly a dozen wild Kashmiri mountain goats wandering around downtown Llandudno, where they could be seen hopping on benches and capering around on the pavement over several days.
A goat is seen in Llandudno as the spread of the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, continues, Llandudno, Wales, Britain, March 31, 2020. REUTERS/Carl Recine
One video shows the goats treating a retaining wall like a cliff face, standing precariously on the edge while munching on the scruffy grass growing between the stones.
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Another video shows the goats wandering through a deserted downtown roundabout intersection.
0:35 Mountain goats spotted on the streets of Llandudno, Wales Mountain goats spotted on the streets of Llandudno, Wales
“They are curious, goats are,” town Coun. Carol Marubbi told the BBC. “I think they are wondering what’s going on like everybody else.”
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Local reporter and self-described “goat correspondent” Andrew Stuart has been breathlessly covering the story since Saturday through various Twitter yarns threads.
“They’re still here,” he tweeted along with a photo on Tuesday. “They live here now I think.”
I think I am now the man who stares at goats (in the middle of the road) pic.twitter.com/Ptzh0zY5UC — Andrew Stuart (@AndrewStuart) March 30, 2020
“I, for one, welcome our new goat overlords,” Stuart wrote on Monday, in a reference to The Simpsons.
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They run Llandudno now and we just have to accept that as fact. Shenkin must be giving them tips from the Royal Welsh. pic.twitter.com/RaABUtWrDa — Andrew Stuart (@AndrewStuart) March 30, 2020
The goats typically live on the nearby Great Orme reserve, but they have been known to seek shelter in town during bad weather, Marubbi told the Evening Standard.
The goats are said to have been introduced to the area back in 1907 after Queen Victoria received them as a gift from the Shah of Persia.
Marubbi says the animals are well-regarded in the community, and there are no plans to call in a goatbuster.
In fact, when it comes to distractions from COVID-19, this one might be the GOAT (greatest of all time) for residents of Llandudno.
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“There isn’t anyone else around,” Marubbi said. “So they probably decided they may as well take over.”
—
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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Straight-talking. Big-hearted. Decent. Those are some of the words used by others to describe Ken Little. He is best known for owning a long-standing fruit and vegetable store in Port Macquarie. But he is also widely respected for the huge amount of community work he does. Recently he was named our senior citizen of the year. But how much do you really know about him? What formed him and what makes him tick? Ken Little grew up on a farm at Ben Lomond near Glen Innes. He was the youngest child of 13. When he was born his father Benjamin was 67-years-old, his mother Ada only 38. His father had been left a widow with eight children with a farm to manage when his first wife died of cancer in the early 1940s. Ken's mother (who had two children of her own) was hired to work on the farm, manage the house and look after the younger children. Before long the two had fallen in love and had three more children, Jan, Benjamin and little Kenny. It was a simple childhood. On the farm he learnt the value of hard work. "From an early age before I went to school I would milk the cows, ride or walk 5km to school," he recalls. "Then after school I would round the cows up and separate the calves from their mothers so there would be milk for the next day. I also herded sheep." The family moved to Port Macquarie when Mr Little was 10. He attended Port Primary School and Port Macquarie High School. By his own admission he was an "average student". But what he lacked academically he made up with other skills. "I was always really active and independent, I played a lot of sport, fished a lot, played football," he said. The family didn't have a lot of money. His parents were on the old age pension. "All the money I got I had earned from the time I was eight or nine," Mr Little said. "My parents never gave me anything because they couldn't afford to." When he was not playing sport or surfing he spent his weekends picking fruit to earn money. Towards the end of school he also began to notice girls. Mr Little met his wife Judy at the Kempsey showground when he was only 17. "I liked her straight away, she smiled a lot, we got on," he said. He acknowledges it was easier to meet a partner back then but they were fortunate to find each other. When he left school he headed for Sydney like most young people. He had hoped to be a property evaluator but it didn't work out. He didn't like the city and missed the beach too much. Before long he was back in Port Macquarie, working in the fruit and veg department at Woolworths. Ironically, it was with one of his main competitors that his passion for the trade started. He set up Ken Little's Fruit and Veg in 1983. The small business originally run out of the Colonial Arcade. Disaster struck when Port Central was built. The road closures in Hay Street, loss of parking and heavy vehicle use in the area proved disastrous. "We lost 85 per cent of our trade in a year," he said. "I was stunned and devastated. I wondered if I could keep the business going and rebuild." The business almost went bust and Judy went back to nursing to keep the family afloat. Difficult decisions were made but eventually they moved the business to Munster Street in 1996. The business started thriving but then in 2007 disaster hit again when a deliberately lit fire ripped through the store. "Again I was thinking can I rebuild?" he said. "After lots of soul searching we decided to keep the business going for ourselves as we had put so much into it over the years, our staff and loyal customers," he said. "We were able to gradually build the business up again and pay our bills." The business now employs 45 staff and focuses on "giving customers what they want". His marriage to Judy has sustained him during difficult times. "Like any marriage we have our ups and downs," he said. "But we enjoy each other's company and we end up working things out. "Sometimes you just need time and patience. We are different in a lot of ways, she is very artistic, and I love to watch and play sport. We don't try and change each other and the differences work." He is proud but humble about his children's achievements. All have followed their passions. Eldest son Nigel holds a PhD in history and works for the Office of National Intelligence in Canberra. His second son Daniel is a talented former photographer. He is Ken's right hand man in the store. Daughter Naomi has travelled the world and currently lives in Denmark with her daughter working in marketing and design for an IT company. "Do you know what the cloud is?" he asks The Port News quizzically. Life can be difficult so how has Ken Little survived with such a sunny attitude? "I've had a good life," he said. "I try to enjoy all the simple things in life, I feel as though I live in paradise, I don't take anything or anyone for granted." He holds fast to some principles his father taught him: "Do unto others as you do unto yourself and if you have nothing nice to say about someone say nothing." He is involved in a range of sporting and community groups, he has been a mentor, coach, fundraiser. What advice does he give the many young people he encounters? "Try and stay positive," he said. "When you fall down pick yourself up, remember every problem has a solution no matter how bad it is. "Be a doer not a gonna, there are a lot of people in this world who make a loud noise that they are going to do this and going to do that but do nothing." The Port News series is called In My Life. We meet people of the Hastings and ask them what they have learnt in their lives. If you have a suggestion for the series email carla.mascarenhas@portnews.com.au While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, SIGN UP HERE. If you value local journalism, continue to support us and consider taking out a subscription. CLICK HERE for a 30-day free trial.
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Since the age of 10 Sam Willis knew he wanted to be a paramedic but he never imagined he would become a successful lecturer, author, editor teaching paramedicine in two countries. The English born and raised senior lecturer has now been in Port Macquarie over a year and said he loves what he does. "When I was about 10 I witnessed a car crash and watching the paramedics work I knew that was what I wanted to do when I grew up," Sam said. "The paramedics I saw that day instinctively knew what to do and I thought they had all the answers to help the people who were hurt and I knew then I wanted to do the same thing when I got older. "It hasn't always been an easy path to get where I wanted to go but I believe with passion and determination then you can get there. "When I started as a paramedic in England I never thought I would go on to teach at universities in two countries or be an author but that is my life." Mr Willis is a senior lecturer in paramedicine at Charles Sturt University based in Port macquarie, Mr Willis has a masters degree and is currently working towards a PhD in paramedicine, and said growing up his life wasn't easy but with a goal of where he wanted to end up his passion and drive got him there. "I didn't get the marks at school to go and study what I wanted to right away so I had to go to college before going to university," he said. "It wasn't easy and I had to make a lot of sacrifices but knowing what I wanted made it worth it. In the beginning I worked as an ambulance dispatcher and i didn't get into paramedicine the first time so it was challenging. "I did question what I wanted and if it really was what I wanted but deep down I knew it was." As a lecturer Mr Willis said he does sympathise with students who are struggling and prides himself on trying to help them. "When I was studying the course was challenging which did make it hard at times but I am a big believer in even if something is hard you should go for it." Mr Willis is the co-author and a contributor to a second edition of Fundamentals of Paramedic Practice, an accessible and comprehensive introduction to paramedic science and pre-hospital care, providing expert and up-to-date guidance on the essential theories and real-world practice of this dynamic area of emergency medicine. "The book came about because there aren't a lot of new books coming about about paramedicine and I wanted to change that. "The book has a large number of fantastic contributors who have ensured the book is relevant and up to date." The book is being launch at Charles Sturt University in Port Macquarie on March 10. Please register to attend here While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, SIGN UP HERE. If you value local journalism, continue to support us and consider taking out a subscription. CLICK HERE for a 30-day free trial.
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Stream this playlist via Spotify or Apple Music.
Music affords an escape, takes us back in time to reflect on the present, mirrors our aches and joys and offers serenity. As relentless news about the coronavirus continues, these songs were gifts during difficult times.
This month, that included one of many disco bops from Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia, an industrial-metal anthem by Code Orange and Kelsea Ballerini's thoughtful country ballad about a divided America.
Below you'll find an alphabetized list of NPR Music's top 20 songs of March 2020. Be sure to check out our top 11 albums from the month, too.
Clem Snide, "Roger Ebert"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Eef Barzelay's stirring remembrance of the late film critic Roger Ebert suggests this mysterious human experience – this mortal world – is not what it appears to be. — Robin Hilton
Code Orange, "The Easy Way"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Industrial electronics glitch and pulse in this soaring, metallic anthem calling out those who take the past most-traveled. — Lars Gotrich
Dua Lipa, "Good in Bed"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
With fun and unexpected flourishes, Dua Lipa reimagines the mid-2000s piano-pop jaunt with a wink towards saucy jazz standards. — Cyrena Touros
HAIM, "The Steps"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Love is messy and so is this dusty garage-rocker from LA's sunny sisters. Danielle Haim leans into that baaaaby like her life depends on it. — Lars Gotrich
Hayley Williams, "Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Hayley Williams' skittering, botanical tribute to choosing cooperation and self-love over external comparison sagely enlists the help of boygenius, a supergroup whose very existence echoes the same thesis. — Marissa Lorusso
Jacaszek, "November Early"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
With its clipped opening – like a distant radio signal crackling – "November Early" slowly intensifies with strings, keys and treatments, offering another spectacular fever dream from Poland's premiere electro-acoustic composer. — Tom Huizenga
Kelsea Ballerini, "Half of My Hometown (feat. Kenny Chesney)"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
America feels divided in so many ways; this tender ballad from one of country's most thoughtful young stars considers how those divisions play out within one person's heart, and how to bear them. — Ann Powers
Kenny Barron/Dave Holland Trio, "Without Deception"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Two NEA Jazz Masters — Barron, a pianist, and Holland, a bassist — bring easy erudition to Without Deception. Barron's title track is a smart, Monk-ish swinger. — Nate Chinen, WBGO
Kim Jinmook, "Misty Mountain/Sarod Sanjo"
♬ BANDCAMP
In the early '90s, Kim Jinmook spearheaded a series of collaborations between traditional Korean and Indian musicians, discovering that a distinct, uncanny valley of expression lay between the two practices; ineffable, deep and arresting. — Andrew Flanagan
Lakecia Benjamin, "Om Shanti"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
An Alice Coltrane chant turned Afrofuturist soul jam, with Benjamin's saxophone and Meshell Ndegeocello's bass backing Georgia Anne Muldrow's authoritative vocal. Peace, meet Power. — Nate Chinen, WBGO
Lucinda Williams, "You Can't Rule Me"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Powered by Stuart Mathis' gutbucket guitar, this politicized declaration of independence from Americana music's leather-jacketed queen is the Rolling Stones song we didn't know we needed. — Ann Powers
Meredith Monk & Bang on a Can All-Stars, "Memory Song"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Propelled by tinkling chimes and gentle oscillations, this ode to remembering planet earth ("trees," "coffee," "candlelight"), from Monk's dystopian opera The Games, strikes a surprisingly pleasant tone, closing with a cacophony of caterwauling animals. — Tom Huizenga
Mickey Guyton, "What Are You Gonna Tell Her?"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
The most powerful feminist and anti-racist song by a country artist in recent years is a cry of the heart by a remarkable singer and writer who deserves to be a full-on superstar. — Ann Powers
R.A.P. Ferreira, "Noncipher"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
The Wire and OutKast's Aquemeni get tangled up in a jumbled jazz, boom-bap non-sequitur that somehow rings true when little else does right now. — Lars Gotrich
Roger Eno & Brian Eno, "Spring Frost"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
"Spring Frost" opens brothers Roger and Brian Eno's Mixing Colours, an ambient album perfect for these times. — Bob Boilen
Rosalía, "Dolerme"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Self-quarantine allows a lot of time for thinking about old wounds, as in "Dolerme," a long exhale grieving the loss of an old flame's equal investment in love and pain. — Stefanie Fernández
Swamp Dogg, "Billy"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Still in great, soulful voice, the 77-year-old Jerry Williams Jr. offers a heartrending country-soul weeper about a father mourning his lost wife. If you like classics like "Patches," you'll love this. — Ann Powers
Tineke Postma, "In the Light of Reverence"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Dutch saxophonist Tineke Postma has a modern ear, and on this flowing ballad she brings out the best in peers like pianist Kris Davis and trumpeter Ralph Alessi. — Nate Chinen, WBGO
Waxahatchee, "St. Cloud"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
In a flurry of turning pages, Katie Crutchfield chooses forgiveness, delicately preserving an image of her past self as a young woman ablaze with promise. — Cyrena Touros
Yael Naim, "Daddy"
♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
On this delicate and heartbreaking lullaby, the Israeli-French artist reflects on her father's death. "I'm trying my best," she sings, as the tears begin to fall. — Robin Hilton | Stream this playlist via Spotify or Apple Music.
When Phony Ppl and Megan Thee Stallion debuted "Fkn Around" live at the Tiny Desk, we just knew it was going to be an instant hit. Now the studio version is out and, of course, it's made NPR Music's best songs of the month, along with new tracks from Thundercat, Waxahatchee and Marcus King.
Below you'll find an alphabetized list of NPR Music's top 20 songs of January 2020. Be sure to check out our top 10 albums from the month as well.
Cable Ties, "Sandcastles" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Mission-driven Australian trio stages a hypothetical argument with self-righteous naysayers by first listening to complaints ("I partly agree"), then by locating a message worth repeating until it builds to a roar. — Jacob Ganz
Dan Deacon, "Become a Mountain" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Dan Deacon shows an unusually vulnerable side of himself and expresses that with a more stripped-down sound. "I was feeling emotionally very raw," Dan says, "and I wanted the music I was writing to reflect that." — Bob Boilen
FACS, "Teenage Hive" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
If FACS' first record was a bold step through the door, and its second a pensive, deep breath, then the third is shaping up to be the spittle-scream that followed. Chaos in a bottle. — Andrew Flanagan
Forest Drive West, "Parallel Space" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
A full-time dad and computer science teacher, the artist behind Forest Drive West blends old-school breakbeat with the spirit of Aphex Twin ambience for a new, never ending groove. — Tom Huizenga
Hayley Williams, "Simmer" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Paramore's powerhouse singer sheds her skin for something darker and stranger; her dynamism bleeds through an ominous cloud. — Lars Gotrich
Kasa Overall, "Show Me a Prison" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Listening to the powerful tribal-like trance pulsating through this meditation on injustice in the U.S. prison system feels like being on lock down, until activist Angela Davis, at the end, offers a ray of hope. — Suraya Mohamed
Marcus King, "Beautiful Stranger" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
South Carolina's 23-year-old guitar slinger reveals himself as a love man who truly understands Al Green's legacy on this worthy throwback to the soul greats. — Ann Powers
Oded Tzur, "Here Be Dragons" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
This, the title and opening track of Tzur's upcoming debut for the highly regarded label ECM, is a beautiful (and lovingly recorded) introduction to the Israeli saxophonist's curious whispers. — Andrew Flanagan
Phony Ppl, "Fkn Around (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
While you decorate your desk with Megan's mantras for independence, beware: the secret sauce of this infectious single — that bubbling bass and Elbee Thrie's smooth hook — will seep into your brain. — Cyrena Touros
Rafiq Bhatia, "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face (feat. Cécile McLorin Salvant)" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
From his fascinating project reinventing jazz standards, this duet shows how one of the most sublime pop hits ever was always a call to prayer. — Ann Powers
Rosalía, "Juro Que" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
The global pop star was in festival mode last year, leaning into beats and collabs. "Juro Que" re-centers the flamenco at the heart of Rosalía's music. — Cyrena Touros
Soccer Mommy, "Circle the Drain" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Humans have been writing about hearts for ages: breaking, aching, eclipsing, soaring. Soccer Mommy coins a new one on this dreamy, bummer-rock romp. — Cyrena Touros
Thundercat, "Black Qualls (feat. Steve Lacy & Steve Arrington)" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Somewhere deep in a P-Funk wormhole, our cat-obsessed bass guru got very worried about his Instagram and wrote this brilliant bounce of a tune. — Mano Sundaresan
Tõnu Kõrvits, "Tears-Fantasy" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
A supremely lyrical sensualist, Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits makes the orchestra sing in wistful sighs and luminous, falling figures while channeling England's Renaissance lutenist John Dowland. — Tom Huizenga
Too Free, "ATM" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Arthur Russell-inspired, avant-disco realness hits the ballroom floor in a minimalist bop that both flirts with that cutie across the dance floor and elevates visibility, "to be seen by you." — Lars Gotrich
Torres, "Good Grief" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
In the middle of Torres' heady album about fear and desire comes this blistering avowal of the right to sullenness (which also serves as a reminder of Mackenzie Scott's forceful skill as a guitarist). — Marissa Lorusso
Ultraísta, "Tin King" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Nigel Godrich and Joey Waronker work up a hypnotic groove here, but singer Laura Bettinson remains Ultraísta's secret weapon, cramming tons of personality into a deadpan, texture-first performance with just a few notes. — Daoud Tyler-Ameen
Waxahatchee, "Fire" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Written on a drive over the Mississippi River, the first single from Waxahatchee's forthcoming Saint Cloud pulses with palpable warmth and radiates self-acceptance. — Marissa Lorusso
Wilma Archer, "Last Sniff (feat. MF Doom)" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
Archer wraps a classic turn from MF Doom in a joyful, funky, rich, orchestral soul. And this is just one of the standouts from his brilliant upcoming album, A Western Circular. — Andrew Flanagan
Yoshinori Hayashi, "Bit of Garden (Prins Thomas Remix)" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY
One of Japan's most exciting auteurs of dance, reinterpreted by one of Norway's. Both play in the disco sandbox, and here Thomas helps Hayashi's somewhat sleepy original become a montage-worthy driver. — Andrew Flanagan | 3 |
"To fight for, to die for" "To fight for, to die for"
It was the late Senator Dominador Aytona, who before being elected to the Senate, was the chief budget officer of the Republic, and briefly Central Bank governor, who defined the General Appropriations Act or the national budget as “the economic program of the country in pesos and centavos.” As such, it can be argued that passing the budget is the most important piece of legislation for Congress to enact each year. It was during the martial law period that the Budget Commission was re-engineered into the Ministry of Budget and Management through the Budget Reform Decree issued by President Ferdinand Marcos, which strengthened the planning, programming and budgeting linkages of the office, with monitoring offices in every administrative region of the country. At the time, the legislature, Batasang Pambansa, was a mere rubber stamp of the Executive, further neutered by Amendment No. 6 of a Constitution “ratified” by the people under authoritarian rule. But with the re-birth of a system of checks and balances as provided for in the 1987 Constitution, congressional power of the budgetary system returned, and the House Committee on Appropriations, with its counterpart Finance Committee in the Senate, became the most highly-prized committees in Congress. Essentially, the budget process begins each year with the Development Budget Coordination Committee issuing guidelines to the different agencies of government as early as the last quarter of the preceding year. For the first three to four months of the year, agencies submit their proposed expenditure programs, which are then synthesized into what is called the National Expenditure Program. The proposed program of expenditures along with sources of financing, then goes to the President for final approval before presentation to the legislature. Submitted right after the President’s State of the Nation Address, Congress then reviews and goes through the process of enacting the General Appropriations Act based on what is referred to as “The President’s Budget.” It has the power to reduce and re-align the items in the President’s Budget. From the House, the appropriations bill goes to the Senate, even if simultaneous hearings on the expenditure program are held by both chambers to be able to enact the law within the year. Conflicting versions are reconciled in a bicameral conference committee where both houses meet to hammer out a final version, which is then passed by their respective chambers to become the General Appropriations Act for the succeeding year. The bicameral conference committee is thus labelled the “third house” of Congress. It is becoming increasingly clear, or in the parlance of the lawyers, abundantly clear, that the brouhaha in the lower House last week, which resulted in the surgical removal of the appropriations committee chairman, Isidro Ungab, replaced by a neophyte party list congressman, was all about control of the budget for the next fiscal year—2021. From the very beginning of his ascent to the speakership, Alan Peter Cayetano named 24 deputy speakers, many of them ceremonial, but for some who exercise “oversight” powers super-imposed over regular committee chairs. One such deputy speaker is the gentleman from Camarines Sur, who was also its former governor, and whose son is the current provincial chief executive—LRay Villafuerte, who I refer to as El Rey.El Rey is one of the more innovative local government officials under whose nine-year reign Camarines Sur displayed tremendous progress. He represents a new breed of dynamic local executives whose governance practices are anchored on vision rather than mere re-election. Because they produce results, the Villafuertes have been re-elected continuously from grandpa Luis to El Rey to Migz, the current governor who is El Rey’s son. But he can also be quite acerbic in language, “palaban” in the native patois, which he has been amply displaying in interviews now that he is a congressman. That made for interesting “sabong” coverage of the events of the last week in the HoR. Because of the importance of the appropriations committee, its chairmen are normally given presidential nihil obstat before the Speaker gets his House to approve of their designation. That the first committee chair in the present Congress is a veteran legislator from Davao City was thus presumably with palace blessings, or at the least, without objection. Little is known about the new appropriations committee chairman, who, while a businessman from the same southern city, is a newbie in legislation if not in government service altogether. But the fact that he was chosen clearly means that he should be able to work well with the Speaker and his alter ego on budgetary matters, El Rey. The other perspective one needs to scrutinize when the Magellan formula takes shape is the date of reckoning. The Lord Allan camp simply says it is October this year, a scant seven months from now. The Alan Peter camp strictly defines the timeline as beginning from July 22, 2019, the day Congress elected him. Fifteen months should therefore mean October 21, 2020, which is under normal timetable just a week before Congress adjourns for the Dia de Los Muertos holidays, and by which time, the House shall have passed its version of the GAA. Which means the Alan Peter camp shall have control of the most important piece of legislation prior to the presidential and national elections of 2022. If it had been an even split of the 36 months of the 18th Congress, then clearly Speaker Alan would helm the House until the end of 2021. But one could surmise that the Lord Allan faction wanted to have a major say in the 2021 GAA, and thus haggled for a Magellan formula, the now famous 15-21 split. The 2021 budget is the election budget. It will be the last time the members of both houses can partake of the bag of goodies so important for them to tout district achievements by way of “projects.” It also is the big scooper of election campaign funding for those so inclined, the kind Ping Lacson has been excoriating against for years and years on end. The 2022 budget is virtually useless for the re-election purpose of legislators, or for their passing the baton to their family herederos. By the time the appropriations are up for taking courtesy of the DBM’s notice of cash allotment, the ban on “project” spending begins. Hence, the 2021 budget is to fight for, and to die for. | As our communities deal with the spread of the coronavirus, federal leaders must take bold steps to ensure the safety of the public, particularly the most vulnerable among us. While this virus will hit communities regardless of race, income, or zip code, this pandemic will cause both health and economic disruptions that exacerbate the existing disparities for low-income people and communities of color that have long harmed our nation.
CALL YOUR SENATOR
Please call your senators and ask them to pass the emergency House bill to help us navigate this public health and economic crisis.
Early Saturday morning, the House passed an emergency bill that would allocate billions of dollars for paid sick leave, unemployment insurance, free testing, and other measures to help those impacted by this crisis. This is a necessary starting point that the Senate must pass now.
Unfortunately, these measures are narrow in scope, leaving 80 percent of workers unprotected. While some large employers are doing the right thing and giving employees sick leave, a national policy is the most effective measure in this time of unprecedented national crisis. We need comprehensive legislation to follow this initial bill to protect all people, especially those with the greatest health and economic risks.
We Need Comprehensive Public Health and Economic Supports
Today, 100 million people — one in three people in the US — live in or on the brink of poverty where an illness, job loss, or unexpected expense can be financially insurmountable. At a time when officials are urging the public to stay home when they fall ill, millions of people lack paid sick leave and can’t afford to miss work to care for themselves or a loved one. This puts many people at risk for being the vector of an illness that can prove deadly for the elderly and immunocompromised. And as businesses take precautions or are forced through social-distancing norms to close, the resulting loss of income for workers and owners will cause increased numbers of people to fall behind on bills and risk their housing, health, utility, and food security.
We must plan and act with the most vulnerable in mind to both stop the spread of this virus, and ensure that weeks and months of addressing this public health crisis don’t turn into years of economic hardship.
Specifically, we are calling on federal leaders to champion the following policies:
Pass a Paid Leave Policy for All Workers – Low-wage workers who cannot afford to lose a day's wages because of illness are less likely to seek medical care (for themselves and for their families) than workers who do have paid sick leave, and are 1.5 times more likely to go to work with contagious illnesses. This means that lack of paid sick leave is not only a problem for individual workers, but also a public health threat. Building on the House-passed version, a paid sick leave policy that covers all workers is urgently needed to address the new coronavirus outbreak and beyond to help protect the health and safety of the population.
Ensure Emergency Income During Work Disruptions – We need to provide guaranteed income to help those facing disruptions to their income due to lost opportunities, funding streams, or customers. This includes small business owners and their employees, community-serving nonprofits, freelancers and artists, and workers in a gig economy who are not eligible for unemployment benefits but still must make their rent or mortgage payments.
Place a Moratorium on All Evictions and Foreclosures and Ensure Housing Stability – We are in the midst of a housing crisis – We are in the midst of a housing crisis where 21 million renters and 17 million homeowners pay more than a third of their income on housing bills, making them extremely vulnerable to income disruptions. We need a moratorium on all evictions and foreclosures to prevent the economic fallout of the virus. We must also provide emergency housing vouchers for all unhoused people, and those facing eviction. And at a minimum, we need to stop displacing homeless encampments, and take measures to increase access to water, hand-washing stations, and sanitation at current encampments to support critical health outcomes.
Prevent Utility Shut-Offs and Restore Water Service to All Households – Loss of income for households, workers, and small businesses will cause increased numbers of people to fall behind on bills and face utility services shut-offs. – Loss of income for households, workers, and small businesses will cause increased numbers of people to fall behind on bills and face utility services shut-offs. Over a third of US households are already at risk of inability to pay rising water bills. This is particularly concerning as washing our hands is our first line of defense against the virus. All public and private utilities should halt any utility shut-offs during this crisis, restore service to households currently experiencing a shutoff, and provide water delivery to all households with contaminated water systems.
Ensure Hospitals and Health-Care Centers Are Safe Places for Immigrants and Anyone Seeking Care – We must eliminate all barriers to people seeking proper medical attention, regardless of insurance or lack thereof. This also includes ensuring no one’s immigration status will be questioned when seeking assistance. Hospitals and health-care facilities must make it clear in all languages that immigration status will not be questioned, and should take steps to ensure immigration enforcement officials are not permitted in buildings.
Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 Through the Incarcerated Population – In the US, – In the US, 2.3 million people are exposed to overcrowded and unsanitary conditions in prisons and jails, which will contribute to the spread of the coronavirus as the incarcerated population interacts with staff and other visitors. At a minimum, we must ensure incarcerated people have access to medical care and personal hygiene products; release elderly people with underlying medical problems to parole supervision; and release those who have an anticipated release date in 2020 and 2021 to parole supervision.
We are heartened by the swift actions that leaders in cities across the country are taking, proving once again that local leaders are national leaders. But we need policymakers at all levels to urgently address the threat of this current pandemic while ensuring we protect all struggling communities beyond this crisis.
CALL YOUR SENATOR
Please call your members to make sure they act without delay and strengthen the policies to help us navigate this public health and economic crisis. | 1.5 |
Coronavirus updates: San Francisco case count jumps to 105
Few tourists visit the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Calif. on March 20, 2020. The Bay Area is under a shelter-in-place order due to the the COVID-19 coronavirus. Few tourists visit the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Calif. on March 20, 2020. The Bay Area is under a shelter-in-place order due to the the COVID-19 coronavirus. Photo: Douglas Zimmerman/SFGate Photo: Douglas Zimmerman/SFGate Image 1 of / 60 Caption Close Coronavirus updates: San Francisco case count jumps to 105 1 / 60 Back to Gallery
LATEST, March 22, 10 a.m.: The San Francisco Public Health Department reported Sunday morning that the city now has 105 cases of coronavirus. The city didn't release more details on the 21 newly identified patients.
March 22, 8 a.m. The greater San Francisco Bay Area endured its first weekend under stay-at-home orders issued by both local and state government as the number of cases continued to climb.
As of Sunday morning, the number of cases in Alameda County rose to 71, Monterey to 7, San Francisco to 84, San Mateo to 110, Santa Clara to 263, Santa Cruz to 15, Solano to 15 and Sonoma to 23.
Where cases have been confirmed in the greater Bay Area:
ALAMEDA COUNTY: 65 confirmed cases*
Fore more information on Alameda County cases, visit the public health department website.
*Number excludes infected patients in City of Berkeley, which has six cases
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY: 51 confirmed cases, 1 death
For more information on Contra Costa County cases, visit the public health department website.
LAKE COUNTY: 0 confirmed cases
For information on Lake County and coronavirus, visit the public health department website.
MARIN COUNTY: 38 confirmed cases
Fore more information on Marin County cases, visit the public health department website.
MONTEREY COUNTY: 7 confirmed cases
For more information on Monterey County cases, visit the public health department website.
NAPA COUNTY: 0 cases
For more information on Napa County cases, visit the public health department website.
SAN BENITO COUNTY: 5 confirmed cases, 1 death
For more information on San Benito County cases, visit the public health department website.
SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY: 105 confirmed cases
For more information on San Francisco County cases, visit the public health department website.
SAN MATEO COUNTY: 110 confirmed cases, 1 death
For more information on San Mateo County cases, visit the public health department website.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY: 263 confirmed cases, 8 deaths
Fore more information on Santa Clara County cases, visit the public health department website.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: 15 confirmed cases
For more information on Santa Cruz County cases, visit the public health department website.
SOLANO COUNTY: 14 confirmed cases
For more information on Solano County cases, visit the public health department website.
SONOMA COUNTY: 23 confirmed cases, 1 death
For more information on Sonoma County cases, visit the public health department website.
In California, 24 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported, according to Johns Hopkins University.
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Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. | Mar. 19–Scroll through the gallery above to see images of the San Francisco Bay Area that’s under a shelter-in-place order to prevent COVID-19 spread.
March 19, 9:45 a.m. UC San Francisco announced Thursday it’s working to increase COVID-19 testing capacity in coming weeks.
Since March 9, UCSF Health has been testing about 60 to 100 inpatients a day with a test using “a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique” that’s similar to the one administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“PCR allows scientists to detect very small amounts of virus in a sample obtained with a swab from a patient’s nose and throat,” UCSF said in a statement. “The technique depends on the availability of special substances known as reagents (“ree-AY-gents”), which are in very short supply nationwide, as are the swabs used to obtain patient samples. UCSF is making every effort to ensure we have a robust and reliable supply chain for all the materials we need to maintain and expand our testing capacity.”
UCSF is expanding its laboratory and as long as the medical center has access to testing reagents, it is on track to increase testing capacity to as many as 1,000 inpatients and symptomatic outpatients per day over the next few weeks.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and CZ Biohub are helping support the effort.
March 19, 7:30 a.m. Three residents of the Atria Burlingame assisted living facility in San Mateo tested positive for COVID-19, according to ABC 7. The facility is now closed to visitors and the three residents are all hospitalized. KRON 4 reports that two additional residents are under hospital quarantine. San Mateo County Health Department and CDC are investigating the situation.
Atria Burlingame wasn’t immediately available for comment on this story.
Where cases have been confirmed in the greater Bay Area:
ALAMEDA COUNTY: 31 confirmed cases
Fore more information on Alameda County cases, visit the public health department website.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY: 41 confirmed cases
For more information on Contra Costa County cases, visit the public health department website.
LAKE COUNTY: 0 confirmed cases
For information on Lake County and coronavirus, visit the public health department website.
MARIN COUNTY: 15 confirmed cases
Fore more information on Marin County cases, visit the public health department website.
MONTEREY COUNTY: 2 confirmed cases
For more information on Monterey County cases, visit the public health department website.
NAPA COUNTY: 0 residents, 2 patients treated in Napa, then transferred out of county
For more information on Napa County cases, visit the public health department website.
SAN BENITO COUNTY: 5 confirmed cases
For more information on San Benito County cases, visit the public health department website.
SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY: 51 confirmed cases
For more information on San Francisco County cases, visit the public health department website.
SAN MATEO COUNTY: 80 confirmed cases, 1 death
For more information on San Mateo County cases, visit the public health department website.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY: 175 confirmed cases, 6 deaths
Fore more information on Santa Clara County cases, visit the public health department website.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: 9 confirmed cases
For more information on Santa Cruz County cases, visit the public health department website.
SOLANO COUNTY: 8 confirmed cases
For more information on Solano County cases, visit the public health department website.
SONOMA COUNTY: 6 confirmed cases
For more information on Sonoma County cases, visit the public health department website.
In California, 14 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported
MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:
Sign up for ‘The Daily’ newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here.
–A full list of online coronavirus resources: Where to get your questions answered
–What you need to know about Bay Area shelter in place orders due to coronavirus?
–How ‘flatten the curve’ works in the coronavirus pandemic
–How a mild case of the novel coronavirus can quickly turn deadly
–Study shows how easily coronavirus can potentially spread
–The two most common symptoms in coronavirus patients
–Does smoking/vaping put you at a higher risk of coronavirus?
–How coronavirus compares to epidemics of the past
–Photos show empty US tourist attractions amid coronavirus crisis
–How to tell if you have a cold, the flu, or coronavirus
–6 things travelers should know in the age of coronavirus
–The worst myths and misinformation about coronavirus
–Out of hand sanitizer? Here’s how to make your own
–Are children at a lower risk for coronavirus complications?
–Are the elderly at a greater risk for coronavirus complications?
–Why Taiwan’s COVID-19 death rate is shockingly low
Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: [email protected].
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Tesla Autopilot death: Final report blames Tesla, Apple, and NHTSA Watch Now
Tesla CEO Elon Musk today announced that the company has made its millionth Tesla electric car, some 12 years after it released the Roadster for consumers.
Musk posted a photo of a red Model Y Tesla on Twitter announcing the milestone along with a group shot of the Tesla Factory workers responsible for manufacturing it. Musk's announcement was first reported by Electrek.
Congratulations Tesla team on making our 1,000,000th car!! pic.twitter.com/5M99a9LLQi — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 10, 2020
The Model Y will be Tesla's fourth electric car line, following the Model S, Model X, and the cheaper Model 3, which made up most of its production and deliveries in Tesla's fourth-quarter earnings report.
Tesla reported that it produced 17,933 Model S and X vehicles in the quarter and delivered 19,450. It produced 86,958 Model 3 vehicles and delivered 92,550. It delivered 367,500 vehicles for the full year.
Tesla is expecting deliveries in 2020 to exceed 500,000 units and for production to outstrip deliveries thanks to Model 3 production in Shanghai and Model Y production in Fremont, California. Model Y production in Shanghai is scheduled for 2021.
Tesla says its Model 3 and Model Y production capacity in Fremont is 400,000 units per year, while its Shanghai factory can produce 150,000 Model 3 cars per year.
It's also developing new facilities in Berlin to manufacture Model 3 and Model Y electric cars, which should start rolling out in 2021.
Musk today suggested the Berlin Gigafactory should have a "mega rave cave" under the facility with an "epic sound systems & woofers the size of a car".
Tesla should have a mega rave cave under the Berlin Gigafatory — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 10, 2020
Given Musk's taste for audacious publicity stunts, there's a chance he could build a Tesla underground club in a nod to Berlin's rave culture.
SEE: The new commute: How driverless cars, hyperloop, and drones will change our travel plans (TechRepublic cover story) | Download the PDF version
Musk posted the one million Tesla production milestone a few hours after Tesla shares fell 13.6% to $608 per share as investors fretted over oil output increases announced by Saudi Arabia and Russia this week. The prospect of cheaper petrol over the long term could dampen enthusiasm for electric vehicles in general.
The other major concern is the impact of the COVID-19 virus on Tesla's Shanghai plant, which the Chinese government ordered to be shut for 10 days from 29 January.
More on Elon Musk and Tesla electric vehicles | By Express News Service
Electric Vehicle (EV) maker Tesla has announced that it has produced its one millionth electric car, thus becoming the first auto manufacturer to reach the milestone. It is a significant moment for the company that was founded only in 2003. CEO Elon Musk made the announcement by sharing a picture of the car — a red Model Y — on Twitter. The firm released its first consumer car, the Roadster, back in 2008, meaning it’s taken a little over 12 years to hit this million-car milestone.
In its January earnings report, the company said it hopes to ship over 5,00,000 cars worldwide in 2020. Established automakers like Toyota or the Volkswagen Group each produce over ten million vehicles every year. Nevertheless, Tesla’s milestone is a tremendous accomplishment for an auto start-up that only produces electric vehicles and is indicative of how Musk says he works — building companies to solve problems based on their importance, not on his likelihood of success.
Furthermore, the EV maker is also expected to start shipping its latest car, the Model Y, months ahead of its original “fall 2020” estimate. The Model Y will be Tesla’s fourth electric car line, following the Model S, Model X, and the cheaper Model 3, which made up most of its production and deliveries in Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings report.
The company said it produced 17,933 Model S and X vehicles in the quarter and delivered 19,450. It produced 86,958 Model 3 vehicles and delivered 92,550. It delivered 367,500 vehicles for the full year. It’s also developing new facilities in Berlin to manufacture Model 3 and Model Y electric cars, which should start rolling out in 2021. Tesla says its Model 3 and Model Y production capacity in Fremont is 4,00,000 units per year, while its Shanghai factory can produce 1,50,000 Model 3 cars per year. Meanwhile, Tesla’s Cybertruck is due to go into production in late 2021. | 4 |
With 2019 finally behind us – along with its glut of year- (and decade-) end lists of the best in music – it’s time at last to turn our attention to the sounds in store for 2020. And what better way to do that than with … a list!? Here’s a rundown of 13 albums to look forward to over the next few months, with release dates included when known.
Selena Gomez, “Rare” (Jan. 10)
Selena Gomez will release "Rare" on Jan. 10. (Photo: Chris Pizzello, Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
The onetime Disney Channel star has never quite gotten the credit she deserves for her adventurous record-making. Sure, her and DJ Snake’s “Taki Taki” was a shameless Latin-pop play complete with a regrettable “fiesta”/”siesta” rhyme. But before that she turned the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” into the sinuous “Bad Liar,” while her last album, 2015’s “Revival,” feels now like a precursor to Billie Eilish’s whispery ASMR-core. Preceded by a No. 1 single in the grandly emotional “Lose You to Love Me,” Gomez’s new one promises more ear-grabbing textures, as well as her intimate thoughts on her breakup with the Weeknd and her recent health troubles (including a much-publicized kidney transplant).
Halsey, “Manic” (Jan. 17)
Heed that album title: Along with the country-ish “Finally / Beautiful Stranger” and the chart-topping EDM ballad “Without Me,” the latest from this style-hopping streaming native features far-flung hookups with Alanis Morissette (a clear influence), Dominic Fike and Suga of BTS (with whom she teamed for last year’s sprightly K-pop hit “Boy With Luv”).
Pop Star Halsey will release a new album "Manic" on Jan. 17. (Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images)
Green Day, “Father of All…” (Feb. 7)
The pop-punk veterans will play stadiums this summer as part of a rock’s-not-dead package that also includes Fall Out Boy and Weezer. (Called the Hella Mega Tour, it’s scheduled to stop at Dodger Stadium on July 25.) Yet what’s appealing about the short and snappy songs on Green Day’s 13th studio album is that they sound like they were born in a tiny club.
Tame Impala, “The Slow Rush” (Feb. 14)
In the works since well before his headlining performance at Coachella last year, Kevin Parker’s fourth full-length as Tame Impala is his most painstakingly detailed yet, with trippy guitar lines and delicate vocal melodies over buoyant grooves that reflect his recent studio work with the likes of Mark Ronson and Kali Uchis. You’d call the result obsessive if it didn’t just make you want to dance.
Grimes, “Miss Anthropocene” (Feb. 21)
The Canadian singer and producer has spoken expansively about her oft-delayed follow-up to 2015’s “Art Angels,” most recently saying it’s “about a modern demonology or a modern pantheon where every song is about a different way to suffer,” as she put it in a published conversation with Lana Del Rey. But even Grimes knows that many listeners will be scrutinizing “Miss Anthropocene’s” knotty electronic pop for clues about her unlikely romantic relationship with Tesla’s Elon Musk.
Dua Lipa, “Future Nostalgia”
Last year’s Grammy winner for new artist has had disco and house music on her mind, to judge from “Electricity” and “One Kiss” – a pair of excellent collaborations with Silk City and Calvin Harris, respectively – and from “Don’t Start Now,” the delightfully rubbery lead single from her sophomore solo disc set for release sometime this year. The throwback sound suits Lipa’s throaty vocals, which have grown more soulful since her catchy but faceless 2017 debut.
Ozzy Osbourne, “Ordinary Man”
The 71-year-old heavy-metal pioneer found himself in the middle of the pop conversation last year when Post Malone recruited him for “Take What You Want,” their pitch-perfect power ballad from Malone’s smash “Hollywood’s Bleeding” album. Now, Osbourne is readying a record of his own that he made with Malone’s producer Andrew Watt; bassist Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith are also in the mix.
Young Thug
Hip-hop’s boldest dresser – not to mention one of its most distinctive vocal stylists – has several projects reportedly in the pipeline, including an album with the tantalizing title “Punk” and a full-length collaboration he’s said to have made with Juice Wrld, who died last month at age 21.
Frank Ocean
The elusive R&B auteur hasn’t revealed anything official about his feverishly anticipated follow-up to 2016’s “Blonde.” But if he’s truly set to headline Coachella, as is widely rumored, then Ocean seems all but certain to time his new album to the April mega-festival (as Kendrick Lamar did a few years ago with “Damn”). Then again, Ocean’s recent string of singles led many to expect him to show up at November’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival – and we all know how that turned out.
Haim
L.A.’s premier sister trio isn’t making it easy to predict where the three will go on their third studio album. “Summer Girl,” the first of three 2019 singles, was a stripped-down Lou Reed-style jam, while “Now I’m in It” was classic uptempo Haim and “Hallelujah” a folky acoustic tune.
Dixie Chicks, “Gaslighter”
The outspoken country trio – whose last album, “Taking the Long Way,” came out in 2006 (and won Grammys for album, record and song of the year) – returned to the studio in 2019 for a guest appearance on Taylor Swift’s “Lover.” Now they’re working with Swift’s right-hand man, Jack Antonoff, on a divorce-inspired record that lead singer Natalie Maines has described as “10 times” more “personal and autobiographical” than “Taking the Long Way.”
Justin Bieber
With appearances on tracks by a diverse array of acts including Luis Fonsi, DJ Khaled, Ed Sheeran, Gucci Mane, Billie Eilish and Dan & Shay, Bieber hasn’t exactly been hard to hear in the half-decade since his last solo record, 2015’s Christian-themed “Purpose.” But this year, he’ll be nearly impossible to escape, with a comeback single, “Yummy,” set for release on Friday, followed by the late-January premiere of a YouTube reality series, a world tour that kicks off in May and an album that the now-married man says will be “different than the previous albums just because of where I’m at in my life.”
Rihanna
The wait for “R9,” as fans refer with increasing impatience to Rihanna’s upcoming ninth studio album, has become an internet joke – so much so that Rihanna herself got in on it recently with an Instagram post in which the singer (who’s been spending her time on acting, her clothing and beauty lines and a coffee-table book) captioned a video of a dancing puppy like so: “update: me listening to R9 by myself and refusing to release it.”
Read or Share this story: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/music/2020/01/03/selena-gomez-grimes-new-albums/40939959/ | January is always an exciting time for music fans.
Fresh from trawling the end-of-year lists, now it’s all about the best of what’s to come, with countless new albums on the horizon.
As is always the case at this time of year, the rumour mill is in full motion — Frank Ocean, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, My Bloody Valentine, The Cure, Haim, Cardi B and many, many more are among the artists on the brink of releasing new music in 2020, depending on who you believe.
Here, we’ve cut through the noise to pick out 10 artists who almost definitely will come through with the goods — five of them have confirmed dates, others are sure to deliver within the next 12 months and the rest have dropped extremely strong hints that albums are on the way.
Halsey — Manic (January 17)
(Getty Images) More
A worldwide arena filler, Ashley “Halsey” Frangipane might still be better known as the voice of other people’s songs. Her two UK number ones have been on Closer by The Chainsmokers and Benny Blanco’s Eastside. But her third album should cement her status as a queen of dark pop, containing hits of her own including Without Me.
Kesha — High Road (January 31)
(Getty Images) More
Before her 2017 comeback Rainbow, Kesha Sebert couldn’t release music for five years due to a legal battle with her former producer. Finally she’s busy again, with her fourth album on the way. Her big voice wraps itself around rowdy pop with a country feel, with plenty of plucked guitar and cameos from Sturgill Simpson and Brian Wilson.
Green Day — Father of All Motherf***ers (February 7)
(Getty Images) More
Story continues | 4 |
Ask mayors or city managers of any coastal city in Florida what the No. 1 neighborhood issue is in their community, and they are not likely to say sea-level rise or crime.
It’s vacation rentals.
Indeed, go ask that question among St. Armands Key residents, on Longboat Key and especially on Anna Maria Island.
It’s a national issue. Everywhere, elected leaders are struggling with how vacation rentals should be regulated and who should regulate them.
Should Airbnb homes be required to meet all of the safety and licensing standards and regulations as hotels? Who should have jurisdiction, local governments or the state government?
Once again in Tallahassee, the issue is on lawmakers’ agendas.
Senate Bill 1128 and House Bill 1011 are proposing what former state Sen. Greg Steube of Sarasota (now Congressman Steube) tried for two years. That is have the state preempt local governments and rule all vacation rentals.
This is a conundrum, to be sure. Government is best closest to the people. Citizens incorporate precisely to have control over their communities, not be ruled by the far-away state.
But at the same time, you can make an argument that NIMBYism is so pervasive that vocal neighbors want their cities to ban vacation rentals altogether. In the process, they are forgetting all about property rights. Why should you be allowed to have 10 relatives stay with you but your neighbor be prohibited from renting his home to 10 of his old college friends?
SB 1128 and HB 1011 are indeed flawed — mostly on the regulations they would create for those advertising vacation rentals. Both bills should be tabled.
At some point, to craft a balanced law, legislators must realize this is an issue that requires thoughtful, rational examination and study outside the emotional and horse-trading confines of the annual legislative session. | EDITOR: I have watched as these so-called vacation rental properties destroy neighborhoods, but the Republican-controlled legislature in Tallahassee seems bound and determined to push forward on House Bill 1011 and Senate Bill 1128 in their quest to take all control away from municipalities.
EDITOR: I have watched as these so-called vacation rental properties destroy neighborhoods, but the Republican-controlled legislature in Tallahassee seems bound and determined to push forward on House Bill 1011 and Senate Bill 1128 in their quest to take all control away from municipalities.
These are for the most part party houses put into residential neighborhoods. I'd bet my house that Ronnie May (quoted in a Jan. 22 Page 1A Record story), who has four of these vacation houses, lives in a gated community where they are not allowed. | 4 |
On Friday, Feb. 21 at 12 a.m. PST, Disney+ dropped the season seven premiere of Dave Filoni’s epic animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” which premiered over a decade ago in 2008. The season is Disney’s latest success with the rights of “Star Wars,” after season one of its series “The Mandalorian” became the most-streamed show in the world. However, where “The Mandalorian” thrives due to creating new, original characters, “The Clone Wars” must rely on the main characters of the prequel trilogy to tell its story. The critical reception to the episode and rallying of fan support proves that Filoni mastered the art of building on existing characterization.
During its original run from 2008 to 2014 on Cartoon Network, “The Clone Wars” was one of the most highly-rated shows ever on the network, received widespread acclaim for improving the characters of the franchise, and won multiple Daytime Emmy awards. While originally marketed as a children’s series, the seasons became darker as the audience aged, delving into the repercussions of war and the balance of good and evil in the Force. However, in 2013 the show was effectively canceled, and the remaining episodes that would tie up the war were scrapped. It was not until the acquisition of the series by Disney, with the creation of its streaming service, that a final season of 12 episodes to officially end the series was announced.
“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” takes place inside the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy, which tells the story of Anakin Skywalker’s downfall from a Jedi Knight to Darth Vader after serving in a three-year war known as the Clone Wars. The Clone Wars take place before “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,” during a period when both Skywalker and his master Obi-Wan Kenobi are generals in the war, and Skywalker is secretly married to Luke and Leia’s future-mother Padmé Amidala. When the series premiered in 2008 after a theatrical film release served as its pilot, supervising director Filoni juggled the narrative themes of Skywalker’s future fall and the villainy of Palpatine while also taking on the challenge of doing the impossible: making the Clone Wars interesting.
The war is fought between a robot droid army called Separatists and an army of cloned men created by the Republic to be expendable soldiers with an enhanced aging process to ensure the maximum number of bodies. In every battle fought in this literal ‘star war’ droids and clones become blaster-fodder on alien planets while the Jedi are essentially a metaphor for the United Nations: attempting to create peace but with no ability to enforce it. The prequels were heavily criticized for the soulless nature of the war and the lack of stakes involved, as well as the ineffective portrayal of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala.
By contrast, in each 22-minute animated episode of “The Clone Wars,” Filoni took the time to flesh out these characters and explore the depth of the narrative themes at stake. In order to effectively portray Anakin’s growth into a Jedi master that takes place off-screen in “Revenge of the Sith,” Filoni created the character of Ahsoka Tano, a young female Jedi who becomes Anakin’s apprentice. Although initially seen as bratty, Ahsoka’s bravery, skill, and determination to do the right thing in wartime ultimately made her one of the most popular characters in “Star Wars” and a feminist figure.
Ahsoka Tano also serves as an excellent sounding board for Anakin and the viewer as she questioned her master about the nature of the Jedi Council that requires them to be both soldiers and peace-keepers. In several episodes, Ahsoka questions these contradictions while Anakin is struggling to reconcile his marriage with his duty. By its very nature, the series has to balance foreshadowing what’s to come, but by choosing to focus on this reality Filoni ultimately paved the way for Luke Skywalker’s arc in “The Last Jedi,” where he states: “At the height of [the Jedi’s] powers, they allowed Darth Sidious to rise, create the empire, and wipe them out.”
All main characters in the original series get arcs to develop their characters, but further fleshed out than any other characters, however, are the clones.
The clone characters name-dropped in the saga (Cody, Rex, Fives, and Echo to name a few) are soldiers desperate to do their duty with a sense of individuality, formulating a culture of brotherhood among one another and using what little tools they have– hairstyles, tattoos, and body armor– to distinguish themselves from the masses. At first, the clones are passionate about the war they were created for. However, the longer all the dying stretches out the more disillusioned everyone becomes.
The season seven premiere, 12 years after the first season began, returns to this formula by focusing on the clones and Anakin Skywalker. The episode, titled “The Bad Batch,” features the clones on a mission with several noticeably mutated clones whose glaring uniqueness serves as their strength, and Anakin watches as Rex lets his emotions fuel his mission– the same thing Anakin is constantly criticized for by his superiors throughout the series. By jumping back into the thematic plots that are its greatest strength, the premiere received widespread acclaim and the series was called “better than ever” by USA Today.
The series does not pause to remind viewers of the events and characters they watched during the six-year break, instead of trusting (rightfully) that its fanbase will remember. Where so many other entries in the “Star Wars” franchise lead to frustration and discourse (i.e. the sequel trilogy), “The Clone Wars” has found a method that appeases “Star Wars” fans and actually builds on what people love about this fictional story. The series also proves that fans are willing to wait indefinitely to have closure.
Season seven of “Star Wars:The Clone Wars” is released weekly on Disney+. Episode 2 will air on Friday, Feb. 28 at 12am PST.
Sources: Observer, USA Today | It took six years, but fans of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" will finally be getting the show's long-awaited seventh and final season.
The six-year wait for “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Season 7 is nearly over. The first episode of the series’ final season will premiere on Disney+ on Friday, February 21, and Disney has unveiled a new clip and several images to hype up the beginning of the end.
Like the show itself, Season 7 will focus on the end of the galaxy-spanning Clone Wars that defined much of the franchise’s mythology. The new clip from “The Bad Batch” teases a team-up with a squad of “favorably mutated” clone troopers, who will kick off the season with a mission behind Separatist lines.
Per Disney: “The forces of darkness have amassed great power in their bid to transform the Republic into the Galactic Empire. With the Republic on a losing streak, Captain Rex fears the Separatists are using stolen data to help predict the Grand Army’s every move. As the threat of defeat looms, Rex teams up with experimental Clone Force 99, also known as the Bad Batch. Together, they embark on a high-risk mission behind enemy lines to uncover the truth behind the Separatist victories.”
While the series’ new clip is focused on the Clone Troopers, plenty of fan-favorite Force users will be returning throughout the upcoming season, including Anakin Skywalker, Darth Maul, and Ahsoka Tano.
Disney
“The Bad Batch” was intended to kick off Season 7 several years ago before production on the series was stopped. The episode would’ve been part of a four-episode arc. One of the series’ writers released plot details about the story arc in 2014, when the series’ future was uncertain — and unfinished story reels were also released — but only time will tell how the experimental Clone Troopers play into the overall series.
The seventh season of “The Clone Wars” will premiere a few months after Dave Filoni’s Disney+ tentpole “The Mandalorian” hit the streamer. Filoni served as creator and showrunner on “Star Wars Rebels” and is the showrunner for “The Clone Wars.” Like his animated series, “The Mandalorian,” which will return for a second season in October, enjoyed stellar fan reception.
“The Mandalorian” Season 1 finale teased that the Darksaber, a black-bladed lightsaber that originated in “The Clone Wars,” would play a significant role in future installments. Given the interconnected nature of recent “Star Wars” projects — and Disney’s need to keep the franchise in the public eye — don’t be surprised if similar teases pop up in the upcoming “The Clone Wars” season.
Check out the clip from “The Bad Batch” below:
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On Sunday, March 22, Canada officially pulled out of the Olympics. Soon other nations such as Australia and Brazil followed suit, pulling out of the Olympics and urging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to make a decision on the postponement of the 2020 Games.
RELATED: Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls react to Canada pulling out of the 2020 Games
Monday, March 23, longtime IOC member Dick Pound told USA Today Sports that the event would be postponed. The IOC refused to confirm the postponement.
Finally, on Tuesday, March 24, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he and the head of the IOC, Thomas Bach, had come to an agreement during a phone call. The Olympics will be postponed and held ‘at the very latest’ summer 2021.
After his telephone talks with IOC President Bach, PM Abe spoke to the press and explained that the two have agreed that the Tokyo Olympic Games would not be cancelled, and the games will be held by the summer of 2021. pic.twitter.com/ihe8To2g3R — PM's Office of Japan (@JPN_PMO) March 24, 2020
“Considering the current situation, in regards to the Tokyo Games,” said Abe, “as the host nation, in order to ensure that athletes from all over the world are able to compete in their best condition, and also in order to ensure the utmost safety for the spectators, I have asked him to consider postponing the games by about a year.”
The IOC and Japanese government agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan, as a “beacon of hope”. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
The Olympics was set to run from July 24 through Aug. 9, and the Paralympics from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6. This will be the first time the IOC has rescheduled an Olympics due to health threats. | Tokyo: Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hinted at the postponement of Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games may become “inevitable”.
The comments from Abe were his first acknowledgement that the 2020 Games may not open as scheduled on July 24, as the coronavirus marches across the globe causing unprecedented chaos.
Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic committees meanwhile announced they will not send teams to the Games if they are held this summer, citing the health of their athletes and the general public.
And Australia’s Olympic committee told athletes to prepare for a Tokyo Olympics in the northern-hemisphere summer of 2021.
The IOC has also shifted its position on the Games, issuing a statement on Sunday saying it was stepping up planning for different scenarios, including postponement.
The coronavirus has already had an impact, with qualifiers cancelled and events to celebrate the Olympic torch arrival and relay scaled back.
Despite the measures, tens of thousands of people flocked to a cauldron displaying the flame in northeastern Japan, raising fears about whether the relay can be held safely. | 4 |
At least one person has been confirmed dead, following Saturday’s fire that gutted the Mgbuka Obosi Spare Parts Market in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra.
The deceased, identified simply as G.O.D and Chairman of Zone 11 in the market, did not die in the inferno.
He was said to have slumped in the market “after seeing that his five shops were completely destroyed by the fire.”
He was reportedly rushed to a private hospital in the area but was said to have died later.
It was gathered that the fire, which destroyed goods valued at millions of naira, started at about 1:30 am.
Mr Edwin Okadigbo, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Anambra command, confirmed the incident in Awka.
Okadigbo, an Assistant Superintendent, said that nobody died in the fire because it occurred in the night when traders had all retired to their homes.
He said: “No life was lost in the fire, but the chairman of Zone 11, one Mr G.O.D, slumped after seeing his five shops razed down by the fire.
“He was rushed to the hospital but later gave up the ghost.”
He said that the fire destroyed so many shops and goods because of the highly inflammable nature of the goods sold in the market.
The NSCDC spokesman said that the fire was put out by men of the Anambra State Fire Service, assisted by operatives of other sister security agencies.
He said that the cause of the fire had yet to be ascertained but suspected it could either come from electrical fault or wildfire from the neighbourhood.
Meanwhile, the state Commandant of the corps, Mr David Bille, has expressed his condolences to the leadership of the market and traders, who lost their goods and other valuables, as well as the bereaved family. | At least, one person has been confirmed dead, while four others escaped with varying degrees of injuries in a road mishap that involved a commercial bus and a motorcycle in Mbosi junction, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State on Tuesday.
The incident which happened at about 12:30hrs on Tuesday, saw a crash involving the shuttle bus with registration no. WER 858 ZS and a motorcycle with registration no. MGD-708 QJ ridden by a man who is popularly known as ‘Action’ in the area.
Spokesperson of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in Anambra State, Edwin Okadigbo said preliminary investigation revealed that over-speeding and loss of control on the part of both the bus driver and the motorcyclist may be the reason.
He said, “The bus was approaching from Orlu direction and the motorcyclist known as “ACTION” from Uli was approaching from Total filling station, Ihiala direction, when both of them, while trying to avoid the pothole close to Mbosi Junction collided.
“The motorcyclist smashed the front glass of the bus with his head. The victim and the driver and passengers of the bus were rushed to our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Ihiala where the motorcyclist was confirmed dead while the bus driver is currently receiving treatment.”
Okadigbo said the NSCDC in Ihiala, led by Divisional Officer SC Chinweze Chinenye and his personnel with other sister security agencies helped cordon off the area, and assisted in taking the victims to the hospital, and controlled traffic to allow free flow of vehicles.
He added that the state commandant of NSCDC, Comdt. David Bille has ordered an investigation to ascertain other circumstances surrounding the incident. | 1 |
BHOPAL: As many as 8 lakh employees of BHEL, Railways, Post Office, BSNL, Banks, Income Tax, CPWD and others stood at par with the nationwide strike by 10 trade unions against privatisation and mergering of banks, in Bhopal on Wednesday.
Demonstration and march (procession) marked the strike in the state capital. Bankers demonstrated at Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), Press Complex, impacting banking services in the region.
They also put up 12-point demands including minimum wage of Rs 21,000 and pension of Rs 10,000 among all departments.
The National Open Mass Convention of Workers organised by the ten Central Trade Unions namely INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC, independent federations and associations of various sectors including some independent unions called for a nationwide general strike against the anti-worker, anti people, anti-national policies of the Modi-2 Government.
Western central Railways (WCR) Employees Union Philip Oommen said, “We have supported the strike on the basis of demands which are well justified. We hold demonstration to extend moral support to strike which was against central government anti-employees policies.”
INTUC (BHEL) president RD Tripathi said, “All the trade unions were on strike in BHEL in response to the nationwide strike call against central government anti-employees policies. It was big strike against union government.”
All India Postal Department Employees Association general secretary RN Parashar said, “It was successful nationwide strike against union government anti-employees policies especially economic policies. Employees from all the branches joined the strike.”
As per protesters, the national economy is slowing down. The adverse effects are already being felt by the workers in unorganised as well as organised sectors in the form of large scale retrenchment and closures. In the name of the recession, the Central Government is taking steps such as reducing corporate taxes, and giving them big bonanza from the national exchequer while not a single penny is spent to ensure job security or employment allowance to the workers. | Govt Warns PSU Employees Of Action As About 25 Crore People Set To Participate In Bharat Bandh
Govt Warns PSU Employees Of Action As About 25 Crore People Set To Participate In Bharat Bandh
The government has asked public sector undertakings to dissuade their employees from participating in the 'Bharat Bandh' called on Wednesday and advised them to prepare a contingency plan to ensure the smooth functioning of the enterprises.
According to news agency PTI, ten central trade unions have said around 25 crore people will participate in the nationwide strike to protest against the government's "anti-people" policies.
Trade unions INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC along with various sectoral independent federations and associations had adopted a declaration in September last to go on the nationwide strike on January 8.
"Any employee going on strike in any form, including protest, would face the consequences which, besides deduction of wages, may also include appropriate disciplinary action," said an office memorandum issued by the government."
Don't Miss 33 K SHARES 14.7 K SHARES 4.8 K SHARES 7.7 K SHARES 5 K SHARES
Suitable contingency plan may also be worked out to carry out the various functions of the ministry/department," it added.
It also issued instructions not to sanction casual leave or another kind of leave to employees if applied for during the period of the proposed protest or strike and ensure that the willing employees are allowed hindrance-free entry into the office premises.
The instructions issued by the Department of Personnel & Training prohibit the Government servants from participating in any form of strike, including mass casual leave, go-slow and sit-down, or any action that abet any form of strike. Besides, pay and allowances are not admissible to an employee for his absence from duty without any authority.
The central trade unions are protesting against labour reforms, FDI, disinvestment, corporatisation and privatisation policies and to press for 12-point common demands of the working class relating to minimum wage and social security, among others.
About 60 organisations of students and elected office-bearers of some universities have also decided to join the strike with an agenda to raise voice against increased fee structure and commercialization of education.
The trade unions condemned the JNU violence and similar incidents in other university campuses and expressed their solidarity with students and teachers all over India.
With PTI Inputs/Image Credit: Reuters/AFP | 3.5 |
Campenaerts, Vorster win Nedbank Cycle Challenge Staff Reporter Sports Khomas
Maurice Kambukwe
Belgian cyclist Victor Campenaerts and Namibia’s top female rider Michelle Vorster were yesterday crowned champions of the 2020 Nedbank Cycle Challenge after winning their respective categories of the annual road racing event.
Campenaerts completed the men’s 100-km road race in a time 2 hours, 11 minutes and 35 seconds to emerge victorious. The visiting Belgian finished eight minutes ahead of Nedbank Cycle Challenge two-time winner Dan Craven and Martin Freyer, who both clocked 2 hours, 19 minutes and 5 seconds.
Meanwhile, local top female cyclist Michelle Vorster won the elite women 100-km race after completing the race in 2 hours, 39 minutes and 31 seconds ahead of second-placed Jagau Imke and Dreyer Risa who both finished with a time of 2 hours, 44 minutes and 55 seconds.
Speaking to New Era Sport after the prize giving ceremony, Compenaerts, who travelled from Belgium to be part of this massive event, said the purpose of him being part of the race was to win.
“The race was intense in the beginning but as it was going, I managed to get a chance to move and stretch my lead – that’s when I got a chance to go for a kill. My purpose for taking part in this competition was because the atmosphere of the race is great and that drove me to take part. My objective to take part was to win the competition,’’ said Compenaerts.
On her part, Vorster said “I felt it was a relief after coming to the finishing line; it’s a great feeling after various years of working hard just to become number one. It’s a feeling that’s hard to explain. And also, it’s nice to see so many women take part in this competition”.
Meanwhile, the Physically Active Youth (PAY) after-school programme yesterday received a massive boost when the winners and sponsors of the men’s 100-km race donated N$54 000 to the institution.
Campenaerts said he was donating his winning prize money of N$12 000 to PAY as he was impressed with what the programme does to develop cyclists.
“Dan (Craven) told me about the project; I said I do not have any jerseys that I can give to the kids. He said I should not worry about that. So, he took me to the project and I immediately fell in love with it. So, I decided that if I win this race today, I will donate my cheque to them,” he explained.
He added that he hopes his donation will change lives at PAY, as he saw they are doing wonders in helping children with their education, while at the same time helping them enjoy their favourite sport.
Not to be outdone, Craven also donated his second prize monetary winnings of N$9 000, with third-placed Martin Freyer also adding his N$6 000. With N$27 000 donated by the winners, Nedbank Namibia Managing Director Lionel Matthews doubled the donation, saying they are inspired by what the cyclists had done.
- mkambukwe@nepc.com
2020-02-17 08:12:58 | 2 days ago | Nedbank Cycle Challenge done and dusted
LIMBA MUPETAMI
Belgian cyclist Victor Campenaerts and Michelle Vorster made easy work of the Nedbank Cycle Challenge in Windhoek yesterday.
Campaenaerts broke away early from the rest of the pack to win in a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes and 35 seconds.
Namibian cyclist Dan Craven beat Martin Freyer in the sprint for second place in a time of 2 hours, 19 minutes. The cyclist said he knew that he was going to win and thus cycled on his pace without any real threat from the rest of the contenders.
Right after the race Campenaerts said he would donate his N$12 000 winnings to the organisation Physically Active Youth (PAY), which he visited last week.
He said he was impressed with the work they are doing and knew from the start that he had to win the race in order to give them the money.
Craven and Freyer also announced at the prize-giving that they would donate their N$9 000 and N$6 000 winnings to the same organisation, which is an after-school centre in Katutura that provides a safe and nurturing learning environment for youngsters from disadvantaged communities.
The women’s 100 km race was easily won by Michelle Vorster (2 hours, 39 minutes, 31 seconds), who also on Saturday won the Nedbank Mountain Bike Challenge.
In second place was Imke Jagau (2 hours, 44 minutes and 55 seconds), and in third was Risa Dreyer. Their winnings are the same as the men’s. | 4 |
Iraqi counter-terrorism forces stand guard in front of the US embassy in the capital Baghdad on January 2, 2020.
Two rockets hit the Green Zone in Iraq's capital of Baghdad, a day after Iran launched missile attacks on U.S. and other coalition targets at bases in Iraq, according to a report Wednesday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average pared gains on the heels of the reports of an explosion in Baghdad. The Dow Jones closed 161 points higher, but about 80 points lower than it had been just before the news.
Iraq's military said that two Katyusha rockets fell inside the Green Zone, the section that contains the U.S. Embassy, other embassies of western nations and foreign businesses, according to Reuters.
There were no casualities, according to the statement from Iraq's military.
The White House and Pentagon had no immediate comment.
The rockets were fired several hours after President Donald Trump declared that Iran appeared to be standing down from the U.S. — remarks that sent stock indices surging higher.
On Tuesday night eastern time, Iran fired missile attacks against two Iraqi bases that house U.S. military and coalition forces.
The barrage was retaliation for the killing a week earlier of Iran's top military leader, Gen. Qasem Soleimani, in an U.S. airstrike in Baghdad.
Trump on Wednesday defended the decision to target Soleimani, who has been blamed for the deaths of hundreds of Americans in the Middle East. | Two rockets fell on Wednesday inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign missions, but caused no casualties, the Iraqi military said.
Police sources told Reuters at least one of the rockets fell 100 meters from the U.S. Embassy.
"Two Katyusha rockets fall inside the Green Zone without causing casualties. Details to follow," the military said.
Witnesses confirmed to Reuters that two loud blasts followed by sirens had been heard in Baghdad early Wednesday local time, though there was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The blasts come at an especially fraught time, as Iran launched missiles at U.S. forces in Iraq overnight. That attack was in retaliation for the killing by the United States last week of Iran's Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and raised concerns about a potential wider war in the Middle East. | 4 |
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A mum has been praised by fellow parents after she posted a list of rules she believes all young women should follow.
The 36 bullet points of tips and tricks are aimed to help to female get through life and has hit home with mums and dads, one of whom called it "excellent advice".
With some practical things to do, like make your bed every day, and don't walk through alleys alone, they are listed alongside more mantras for life like: never lie to yourself and reserve "I'm sorry" for when you truly are.
The list has been shared online more than 25,000 times, with more than 2,000 people commenting too.
It ends with: "If in doubt, remember whose daughter you are and straighten your crown".
One fellow mum said: "This is gooooood and I really like 23 and 28... and they are all things I wish I had been taught when I was little. Nicely done."
Another woman added: "I truly loved this one, but the only one that hurts the most is knowing that I can't come home anymore... Because you're resting now Mommy, but when I could I definitely did. With my girls in tow."
(Image: Getty Images)
RULES TO TEACH YOUR DAUGHTER
1. Make your bed every day, even if it’s right before you get in it.
2. Don’t wear holey underwear…in case you’re in an accident and they cut your clothes off.
3. Travel light through life. Keep only what you need.
4. It’s okay to cry when you’re hurt. It’s also okay to smash (some) things; but, wash your face, clean your mess, and get up off the floor when you’re done. You don’t belong down there.
5. If you’re going to curse, be clever. If you’re going to curse in public, know your audience.
6. Seek out the people and places that resonate with your soul.
7. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
8. 5-second rule. It’s just dirt. There are worse things in a fast food cheeseburger.
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
9. Happiness is not a permanent state. Wholeness is. Don’t confuse these.
10. If you’re staying more than one night, unpack your bag.
11. Never walk through an alley alone.
12. Be less sugar, more spice, and only as nice as you’re able to without compromising yourself.
13. Can’t is a cop-out.
14. Hold your heroes to a high standard. Be your own hero.
15. If you can’t smile with your eyes, don’t smile. Insincerity is nothing to aspire to.
16. Never lie to yourself.
17. Your body, your rules.
18. If you have an opinion, you better know why.
19. Practice your passions.
(Image: Getty)
20. Ask for what you want. The worst thing they can say is no.
21. Wish on stars and dandelions, then get to work to make them happen.
22. Stay as sweet as you are.
23. Fall in love often. Particularly with ideas, art, music, literature, food and far-off places.
24. Fall hard and forever in love with nothing but yourself.
25. Say Please, Thank You, and Pardon Me, whenever the situation warrants it.
26. Reserve “I’m sorry” for when you truly are.
27. Naps are for grown-ups, too.
28. Question everything, except your own intuition.
29. You have enough. You are enough.
30. You are amazing! Don’t let anyone ever make you feel you are not. If someone does….walk away. You deserve better.
31. No matter where you are, you can always come home.
32. Be happy and remember your roots, family is EVERYTHING.
33. Say what you mean and mean what you say.
34. No one will ever love you more than I do.
35. Be kind; treat others how you would like them to treat you.
36. If in doubt, remember whose daughter you are and straighten your crown. | 1 |
CLAIMED sightings of UFOs reported to the RAF by terrified members of the British public are to be published online for the first time.
The RAF ran a UFO unit for five decades but chose to shut it down in 2009 after it concluded none of the reports sent in offered evidence of a potential threat.
2 Claimed sightings of UFOs reported to the RAF are to be published online Credit: Workbook Stock - Getty
Previously, records from the unit were given to the National Archives, often initially classified before being released after a specific number of years.
But the most recent reports received by the RAF will be placed online, the PA news agency revealed following a Freedom of Information Act request.
Members of the public reporting alleged UFO sightings are now directed to their local police force.
A spokesman for the RAF said that "it had been assessed that it would be better to publish these records, rather than continue sending documents to the National Archives, and so they are looking to put them on to a dedicated gov.uk web page".
2 Drawing of an 'alien spacecraft' spotted by two US servicemen during an unexplained incident in the Suffolk countryside in 1980 Credit: Alamy
A clearance process for the documents is currently under way before publication, which is expected to take place "some time within the first quarter of 2020".
In response to the FOI request, the RAF described the files it held as "comprising entirely of correspondence with members of the public".
It added: "The MoD has no opinion on the existence or otherwise of extra terrestrial life and does not investigate UFO reports."
Nick Pope, who used to investigate reports of UFO sightings for the MoD, welcomed the move.
"Given the massive public interest in this subject, I'm pleased that these files will be released and made available online," he told the PA news agency.
"The MoD have previously claimed that all the files have been released - only to find additional ones - so this latest move is bound to start a few conspiracy theories.
"When I worked on the MoD's 'UFO desk' we didn't find definitive proof of extraterrestrial visitation, but there were so many bizarre and unexplained sightings that we didn't entirely rule it out.
"I'm glad the public are to be given further insights into our work on these real-life X-Files."
The Rendlesham Forest incident: Britain’s most famous UFO sighting The Rendlesham Forest incident took place in December 1980 over a series of at least two nights. On December 26, 1980, military personnel at the twin bases of RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk saw a strange light in Rendlesham Forest, which lies between the two bases. Three men were sent out to investigate where two of them encountered a small, triangularshaped craft. One man, Jim Penniston, got close enough to touch the side of the object. He and another of the airmen present, John Burroughs, made sketches of the craft for witness statements. Two nights later Deputy Base Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Halt and his team then encountered the UFO. He said later: "Here I am, a senior official who routinely denies this sort of thing and diligently works to debunk them, and I'm involved in the middle of something I can't explain."
Despite an MOD investigation the Rendlesham Forest incident remains unexplained.
Ex UFO-chief claims he quit US government over alien encounter 'cover-up'
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In other news, a researcher claimed earlier this month that the discovery of alien life was not only "inevitable" but also "imminent".
One Nasa scientist has admitted it's entirely possible that aliens have already visited Earth – and we simply never noticed.
And, here are the mysteries we need to solve in order to prove the existence of extraterrestrials.
Do you believe in extraterrestrials? Let us know in the comments!
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk | HUGELY popular viral video app Vine is back as 'Byte' – four years after being unexpectedly killed off.
Byte is hoping to regain the popularity of Vine, which was loved for its rule of only allowing 6-second looping videos.
3 Byte is a new app designed to replace the void left by Vine Credit: Byte
The mind behind Byte is Vine co-founder Dom Hofmann, who has been working on the new app for two years.
Just like Vine, Byte limits videos to six seconds in length – and loops them after they've finished.
"Today we're bringing back 6-second looping videos and a new community for people who love them," Byte's creators wrote.
"It's called Byte and it's both familiar and new. We hope it'll resonate with people who feel something's been missing."
3 Users will be limited to uploading videos no longer than six seconds – which will loop after finishing Credit: Byte
It was originally supposed to launch in spring 2019, but was delayed for unknown reasons.
Now the app is free to download and is available on iPhone and Android phones.
Vine was founded back in June 2012, and was bought up by Twitter in October that same year – in what's believed to have been a $30million (£22.9million) deal.
The app shot to popularity due to its short clips, with successful users often focusing particularly on comedy videos.
It was free to download, and was available on phones, computers and even game consoles.
But on October 27, 2016, Twitter announced that the Vine mobile app would be discontinued.
In December 2016, it was confirmed that the Vine app would remain operational, but videos would be published directly to Twitter.
A month later, Vine's community website was shut down and the app was renamed to Vine Camera – which was largely deemed a flop.
3 Byte was created by Vine co-founder Dom Hoffman Credit: Twitter
In January 2017, Twitter launched an archive of all Vine videos, but there was no way to upload new content to the service.
Many Vine videos still prove popular on YouTube today, and there's been significant interest in a reboot of the app.
But Vine now faces stiff competition from rival app TikTok, a video app that's hugely popular with teens.
Byte – will it be the next hit app? Here's what industry expert Paolo Pescatore, of PP Foresight, told The Sun... "Video is the next battle ground and is fast becoming a crowded place with too many services chasing few dollars.
"There are some opportunities to be novel that will resonate with viewers.
"Everyone wants to jump on the new thing but making money and attracting top quality content will represent the biggest test.
"For now new services need to have eyeballs and content."
Former Vine celebrities who have since transferred to TikTok are already turning up on Byte too.
They include Lance Stewart, Chris Melberger and Josh Darnit.
These online stars are likely attracted by the fact that Byte has vowed to start paying creators immediately – despite having only just launched.
People on TikTok are coating their testicles in soy sauce in bizarre viral trend
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In other news, teens were recently panicking over rumours that TikTok is shutting down.
Experts this week warned TikTok users not to participate in a "stupid and dangerous" trend that saw teens upload videos of themselves blowing up iPhone chargers.
And Instagram influencers are being propositioned with huge sums of money for sex on a daily basis.
Will you be signing up to Byte, or has the moment passed? Let us know in the comments!
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk | 1 |
Sarah Adina Smith’s latest will be of special interest to fans of “Black Swan” and “Bunheads”: the writer-director of “Buster’s Mal Heart” is working on a ballet drama. This calls for a celebratory plié. A press release announced that Amazon Studios and Anonymous Content have kicked off principal photography on Smith’s “Birds of Paradise.” Kristine Froseth (“The Assistant”) and Diana Silvers (“Booksmart”) star in the feature.
An adaptation of A.K. Small’s 2019 novel “Bright Burning Stars,” “Birds of Paradise” takes place at “a prestigious ballet school in Paris, where the new girl (Silvers) befriends a grieving dance prodigy (Froseth) as the dancers compete for the school’s ultimate prize: to receive a contract to join the Parisian Opera’s ballet company,” the pic’s synopsis details. “As the pressure mounts and the girls are pushed to their physical and emotional limits, their bond is tested and they’re forced to ask themselves just how far they are willing to go to win.”
Smith, who signed a first-look deal with Amazon Studios last year, penned the script.
“Sarah is a talented, visionary filmmaker who we’re so happy is part of the Amazon family, and we can’t wait to bring her next story to life with ‘Birds of Paradise,'” said Julie Rapaport, Co-head of Movies at Amazon Studios. “We’re also thrilled to be working with stars Diana Silvers and Kristine Froseth who are both on the path to becoming the next household names with their undeniable talents.”
Added Smith, “I wrote these roles specifically for Kristine Froseth and Diana Silvers, who I believe are going to take the world by storm. I’m honored to take this journey with them and so thrilled to be partnering with Amazon Studios once again in pursuit of bold, unapologetic filmmaking.”
Smith’s debut feature, 2014’s “The Midnight Swim,” took home the breakthrough audience award from AFI Fest. Her follow-up, 2016’s Rami Malek-starrer “Buster’s Mal Heart,” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. On the small screen, her credits include “Hanna,” “Legion,” and “Room 104.”
“I suspect that directing movies might be a lot like being a professional athlete,” Smith told us. “You have to keep your head in the game and your eye on the ball. And you can’t waste time mourning losses or celebrating wins — at least not until the game is over. Stamina, patience, precision of judgment — these are all the things I love about the job!”
When asked what advice she’d give other women directors, she said, “I would tell them to do things their own way and don’t feel like you ever have to conform to the system, because the system was largely built by men. We need to take all the good lessons from the past and from those existing systems but also not be afraid to make our own rules,” she emphasized. | Diana Silvers (“Booksmart”) and Kristine Froseth (“Sierra Burgess Is a Loser”) will star in the ballet drama “Birds of Paradise” by writer and director Sarah Adina Smith (“Buster’s Mal Heart”).
Amazon Studios and Anonymous Content have started principal photography on the feature, which is currently shooting in Budapest. Anonymous Content’s Trevor Adley and Dara Gordon are producing alongside Jonako Donley at Everything Is Everything.
“Birds of Paradise” is based on the novel “Bright Burning Stars” from A.K. Small, and is set in a prestigious ballet school in Paris, where a new girl (Silvers) befriends a grieving prodigy (Froseth). The dancers must compete for the school’s biggest prize, to receive a contract to join the Parisian Opera’s ballet company.
Also Read: Sam Claflin to Star Opposite Riley Keough in 'Daisy Jones & the Six' at Amazon
“Sarah is a talented, visionary filmmaker who we’re so happy is part of the Amazon family, and we can’t wait to bring her next story to life with ‘Birds of Paradise,'” Julie Rapaport, Co-head of Movies at Amazon Studios, said. “We’re also thrilled to be working with stars Diana Silvers and Kristine Froseth who are both on the path to becoming the next household names with their undeniable talents.”
Smith added, “I wrote these roles specifically for Kristine Froseth and Diana Silvers, who I believe are going to take the world by storm. I’m honored to take this journey with them and so thrilled to be partnering with Amazon Studios once again in pursuit of bold, unapologetic filmmaking.”
Also Read: Tessa Thompson Sundance Film 'Sylvie's Love' Acquired by Amazon Studios
Smith’s credits including the pilot and second episode of “Hanna” for Amazon, as well as the first episode of Hulu’s “Looking for Alaska,” in which Froseth starred. Her other credits include “The Midnight Swim,” “Room 104” and “Legion.”
Smith is represented by WME and Artists First and Jon Van Schaik, while Silvers is represented by WME and Anonymous Content and Jackoway, Austen, Tyerman. Froseth is represented by CAA, Anonymous Content and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller. | 4 |
Jajpur/Kalinganagar: People’s demand for industrialisation in Jajpur district seems to be on the wane as two industrial units failed to lay their foundation stones over the last two weeks due to stiff opposition by locals, a report said.
The opposition of the residents stems from the fact that the firms were trying to take over the public land for establishment of their units and were ignoring employment of locals.
Reports said Kesika Metallics had planned for its ground breaking ceremony near the Biju Patnaik Park at Kalinganagar March 7 while Darcl Logistics had planned its foundation stone laying ceremony Tuesday.
Darcl Logistics had planned to establish its hub over 10 acre of land in Danagadi tehsil but its plan for laying the foundation stone was frustrated after locals opposed handing over the land, comprising a pastureland and playground, to the firm. This led to face-off between the locals and the police personnel present there.
Locals alleged that when the district administration had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPc over coronavirus scare, the Dangadi tehsil officials carrying out measurement of the land and the foundation stone laying ceremony are in clear defiance of the collector’s order.
It is alleged that the firms overlooking the problems of the residents and the displaced has led to a sharp resentment among the locals.
Moreover, the chances of getting employment in these firms were getting slimmer by the day on account of which locals are no longer enthusiastic about industrialisation.
The firms which had earlier established their units here never tried to fulfill the aspirations of the local people on the fronts of employment and peripheral development. And this led to discontent among the people.
The state government has planned to build Kalinganagar as a mega industrial hub for which many downstream industries from in and out of the state have expressed their interests to establish their units here.
The locals were also annoyed on the construction of a logistics park on a forest land adjoining the land identified for Darcl Logistics.
A local environmental outfit, Kalinganagar Parivesh Surakshya Samiti, has filed a case (42.2019) in the National Green Tribunal on construction of the logistics park. The case is sub-judice.
Narayan Dixit, additional tehsildar of Danagadi, said they were measuring the land for handing it over to Darcl Logistics but postponed it due to opposition by locals. | As the country gears up to celebrate the much-awaited Holi festival on Tuesday, 10 March, the Delhi traffic police has come out with a special traffic advisory to ensure smooth traffic, and more importantly to curb rash driving and road accidents on the day.
It states, “ Delhi Traffic Police has made elaborate traffic arrangements to ensure safety of motorists on roads and check the incidents of drunken driving, over-speeding, reckless driving, zig-zag driving, dangerous driving, red light jumping, triple riding, driving by minor, driving/riding without helmet, performing stunts on two-wheelers, etc.” | 1 |
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Adjusting your skincare routine to your skin type is significant to finding a workable routine: normal, oily, combination or dry. Likewise, it's similarly important to base it on your skin tone or color.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, for example, people with darker skin tones face a unique set of skincare needs.
Without proper hydration, dry skin can look gray and ashy.
Hyperpigmentation — the overproduction of melanin in the skin — can be caused by UV rays and is probably the most common concern for people of color.
the overproduction of melanin in the skin — can be caused by UV rays and is probably the most common concern for people of color. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation — wherein healing skin overproduces melanin — can leave a dark scar where a blemish once lived.
Having said that, there is a slew of skincare products that can help promote healthier skin. To best protect, nourish and treat skin of color, we consulted doctors and experts on some of the best products to get you through your skincare routine.We sorted them through the six essential skincare ingredients experts recommended:
Best SPF skincare for dark skin
Every single dermatologist we consulted emphasized the importance of using sunscreen to promote skin health. Sounds obvious, right? People with darker skin are often told they don’t need sunscreen, which is a deeply incorrect and potentially dangerous piece of advice.
“Daily SPF — at least 30 — is critical for prevention and treatment of hyperpigmentation, as well as for prevention of skin cancer,” Sara Perkins, MD, an assistant professor with the Department of Dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine, told NBC News. “This is an absolute must for all skin types, including skin of color.”
Perkins, who’s also the clinical advisor to Hims and Hers, considers EltaMD's SPF offerings her “top choice.”
This tinted, mineral sunscreen protects your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays to prevent early signs of aging and burning.
Hyaluronic acid is the hero ingredient in this moisturizer that doubles as a broad-spectrum sunscreen.
For those prone to acne or hyperpigmentation, this sunscreen includes niacinamide (Vitamin B3), hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants — which we'll dive into below. Perkins gave an honorable mention to La Roche Posay Anthelios facial sunscreen, as well.
Jared Jagdeo, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and Ever/Body’s medical director, recommended SkinCeuticals’ take on SPF.
“This product is outstanding, blends in perfectly to any skin tone and never leaves that chalky look,” said Jagdeo, who added that what really makes for a great sunscreen is your desire to use it everyday.
This sunscreen is beloved by dermatologists because it was formulated to be fail-proof. “This specific sunscreen was studied in the real world and shown to be more effective in preventing sunburn as compared to sunscreens with lower SPF levels,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital's dermatology department, told NBC News.
Best retinol skincare for dark skin
Retinol is pretty much the gold standard when it comes to anti-aging skincare.
"This vitamin A derivative truly has clinically-proven anti-aging properties — but it can also help with pigmentation,” Perkins explained. “It's also very effective in the treatment of acne. These can be quite irritating so I recommend starting with the lower concentrations first.”
As with any skincare product, it comes down to how you use it, and when. Over-the-counter retinols are best used in the evening. Irritation and dryness are common side effects. Pairing a retinol product with a moisturizer can help avoid some of that, Perkins said. Or you can use a gentle retinol oil like MARA Evening Primrose Green Tea Algae Retinol Face Oil.
“This budget-friendly night treatment contains both alpha hydroxy acids, which help to unstick and exfoliate dulling, dead skin cells immediately, as well as retinol, which stimulates cell turnover and new collagen production over time,” Tsippora Shainhouse, MD, a dermatologist in Los Angeles, told NBC News. “Together, these help to reduce the appearance of fine lines with regular use over two to three months.”
The combo of retinol and hyaluronic acid is what makes this one a game-changer. “This retinoid serum visibly fills and reduces wrinkles, giving skin a smoother and more plumped appearance,” says Howard Sobel, MD, New York City dermatologist and founder of Sobel Skin.
Best skincare with hyaluronic acid
Another significant ingredient in skincare for most skin types is hyaluronic acid, “a natural sugar molecule that occurs in our body and helps to attract water, so it functions as a great moisturizer,” said Marisa Garshick, MD, a dermatologist at Medical Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery in New York City.
“It keeps the skin looking fresh and hydrated," Garshick told NBC News.
“In darker skin tones, dryness frequently manifests as an ashy or grayish appearance of the skin,” dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, told NBC News. “Hyaluronic acid is a go-to ingredient to pump all skin types, and is particularly useful in those with darker skin. It acts like a sponge binding to 1000 times its weight in water.”
And let’s not forget dark skinned men who, yes, also need to take care of their skin. Jagdeo recommends the DefenAge Men's Kit, its key ingredients including a proprietary peptide blend, along with soothing niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, designed to help users achieve a smooth, well-hydrated and improved complexion.
He says it’s “ideal for the man who wants to look his best with an easy-to-use, all-in-one regimen,” adding that the “comprehensive kit addresses most skin concerns.”
Best skin brightening products
A lot of serums formulated to brighten skin also have the bonus effect of treating hyperpigmentation and dark spots.
Zeichner recommended Neutrogena’s Bright Boost Serum. “Pigmentary disorders are extremely common among patients with darker skin types,” he explained. “Turmeric extract has long been used in skin care because of its ability to brighten unwanted pigmentation and even skin tone.”
Bradley Bloom, MD, of Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York, recommended SkinMedica Lytera 2.0 Pigment Correcting Serum. “It combines some of the most effective brightening ingredients, including niacinamide, in a non-irritating formula,” he said.
Jagdeo said he recommends SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense for one specific reason: “Discoloration defense is specially formulated with a combination of anti-pigment agents designed to even out the tone of the skin.”
Best skincare with antioxidants
Another heavily recommended ingredient by the dermatologists we consulted: antioxidants. To briefly summarize: "Antioxidant serums help protect your skin from the free radicals you're exposed to on a daily basis. They also aid in the prevention of fine lines and other visible signs of aging, and can heal and repair skin," Dr. Debra Jaliman, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City and author of the book "Skin Rules: Trade Secrets From a Top New York Dermatologist," told NBC News.
Sapna Palep, MD, of Spring Street Dermatology recommended the ALASTIN Restorative Skin Complex. "It’s chock full of potent antioxidants to help even skin tone while also plumping the skin and combating fine lines and wrinkles.” Palep explained. "It’s so versatile for all skin tones, including darker complexions.”
Hadley King, a board certified dermatologist, is a fan of The Everything Oil. “It contains cold pressed, organic prickly pear seed oil, organic avocado oil, organic sweet almond oil and organic aloe vera. These ingredients both hydrate and moisturize, and they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well. And it's vegan, organic and cruelty-free and it's formulated without water, alcohol or silicone. It's also a great option for brightening, which is often a plus for dark skin tones. The ingredients work together to brighten the skin by offering antioxidant protection, anti-inflammatory properties, increased cell turnover, hydration and increased collagen production. There are no potentially irritating ingredients to lead to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.”
Best Vitamin C-infused skincare
Vitamin C, or L-ascorbic acid, is a substantial antioxidant that stimulates collagen production and fights UV damage and pigmentation — not to mention helps stave off colds. You can get your Vitamin C from certain foods — or you can wear it on your face.
“Formulation, packaging and storage are key here as it oxides quickly when exposed to light,” Perkins said about what readers should keep in mind. Vitamin C can go from useable to dysfunction seemingly overnight.
Both Jagdeo and Palep recommended the C E Ferulic serum, which Jagdeo uses for both himself and his clients, and called “the hero product by which the rest of the cosmeceutical industry is measured.”
It’s an investment — one Palep said is worth it, as it remains active for multiple days and the included dropper keeps you using precisely how much you need to with little waste.
“It’s packed with antioxidants that work great on darker skin tones for brightening and destroying free radicals,” she added.
King recommends Schaf Revitalizing Serum, which was formulated specifically for dark spots and fine lines, making it a great fit for dark skin tones.
“Vitamin C boosts brightness through its antioxidant properties, hyaluronic acid hydrates the skin, and peptides help stimulate collagen production to diminish fine lines,” she said. It’s also vegan and cruelty free.
The ultimate result everyone wants is one thing: Great skin. Skin care is self-care so treat yourself well.
More skincare shopping recommendations | Because pores exist everywhere on our bodies, there also exists the possibility for breakouts everywhere on our bodies. (Great!) But some of those pores are more prone to acne than others, like those that are more exposed to sweat, bacteria, oil, inflammation, and other pore-clogging, pimple-causing phenomena — and that includes your chest. I reached out to New York City-based dermatologists Dr. Robyn Gmyrek and Dr. Kenneth Howe to understand what causes chest acne in the first place, and how to get rid of chest acne should you want to treat these breakouts.
According to Dr. Gmyrek, chest acne is basically the same thing as facial acne. “When a pore gets clogged by dead skin cells at the opening, sebum gets trapped inside. That creates inflammation, which leads to pimples and an overgrowth of bacteria,” she explains. Also like facial acne, the causes for chest acne are often multi-pronged. Some people have a genetic predisposition to acne, while some might experience hormonal breakouts. But along with biological factors, Dr. Gmyrek says that chest acne can be caused or worsened by excessive sweating, especially while wearing tight-fitting clothing. Occlusive clothing, like sports bras and compression shirts, trap sweat and oil, which leads to more bacteria and inflammation. Et voila: chest acne.
Beyond showering ASAP after a workout, you can also use pimple-fighting products to keep chest acne at bay. But be mindful of the products you’re using to treat chest acne, as Dr. Gmyrek warns that “your chest skin is more sensitive to being dried out or irritated by medicated acne products than facial skin.” So if you’re using a concentrated spot treatment, use it sparingly and occasionally so you don’t exacerbate dryness.
Dr. Howe adds that the risk of scarring is greater with chest acne, “particularly deeper acne cysts on the central chest" — so whatever you do, don’t pick at your spots. Dr. Howe says those resulting scabs and scars can take months to clear up. And if over-the-counter remedies aren’t working for you, Dr. Howe recommends paying a visit to your dermatologist. “Probably because the area is covered by clothes, a lot of patients neglect getting treatment for their chest,” he says. “But why continue to suffer, when we can clear it up?”
That said, there are ways to treat chest acne at home. Start with these five dermatologist-approved products, listed ahead, which can help you prevent, treat, and get rid of chest acne for good.
1. Try A Spray-On Exfoliant Paula’s Choice Clear Acne Body Spray $25 | Amazon See on Amazon This Paula’s Choice Clear Acne Body Spray contains 2% salicylic acid, a mainstay ingredient for treating acne. But in this formula, soothing and hydrating ingredients like allantoin, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid counteract salicylic acid's drying effects, which might otherwise be too intense for the thin skin on your chest. Dr. Gmyrek points out that this spray can be helpful for treating hard-to-reach back acne, too, since the pump is designed to spray at any angle. "I love this stuff! This is the 3rd time I’ve repurchased it. I get bad breakouts on my shoulders and chest, and this spray clears them up within a few days and doesn’t dry out my skin," commented one satisfied customer.
2. Use An Acne-Fighting Body Wash In The Shower Proactiv Deep Cleansing Wash $38 | Amazon See on Amazon If you have mild to moderate chest acne, Dr. Howe recommends using an acne-fighting body wash since they’re so easy to incorporate into your daily routine. (That said, Dr. Howe says that more severe cases of body acne might not respond to foaming cleansers, since they simply aren't left on long enough to thoroughly penetrate skin.) Like the Paula’s Choice body spray, the Proactiv Deep Cleansing Wash contains 2% salicylic acid, which is the highest percentage of salicylic acid permitted in an over-the-counter product. The formula also contains soothing ingredients like aloe, jojoba esters, and camellia leaf extract to keep dryness and inflammation under control. Dr. Gmyrek suggests using this body wash with a gently exfoliating washcloth or body scrubber to maximize its pore-cleansing powers.
3. Always Apply Sunscreen EltaMD UV Sport Broad-Spectrum SPF 50 $24 | Amazon See on Amazon I probably don’t need to tell you that tanning is bad for literally everything to do with your skin, but Dr. Howe specifically warns against tanning as a quick fix for body acne. “That might work for a few weeks,” he says, “but once you’re out of the sun your acne will undergo a rebound flare, and come roaring back even worse. Plus, you’ll have caused lifelong sun damage to your exposed skin.” For sun protection, Dr. Gmyrek swears by EltaMD products for acne-prone skin — they’re lightweight, non-comedogenic, and guard your skin against both UVB and UVA rays (the former are responsible for sunburns, the latter cause sun spots, and both can cause skin cancer). Use EltaMD UV Sport Broad-Spectrum SPF 50 on your chest (and the rest of your body) for up to 80 minutes of acne-safe, water-resistant sun protection. The non-greasy formula doesn’t leave behind a white cast, so it works beautifully on all skin tones.
4. Keep Pores Clean With Exfoliating Pads Neutrogena Rapid Clear Treatment Pads $7 | Amazon See on Amazon Using salicylic acid-soaked treatment pads can be an effective, mess-free, and oddly satisfying way to treat chest acne. These Neutrogena Rapid Clear Treatment Pads clear away dirt, oil, and other bacteria to treat current acne flare-ups and prevent future breakouts. A word of warning: Since they’re intended for treating facial acne, these pads are highly concentrated and might be too drying for run-of-the-mill chest acne. Reserve them for more severe breakouts, or if you have very oily skin. | 2 |
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#biotech--NanoSurface Biomedical, a leading provider of biomimetic cell-based assay products and services, announced today the launch of the 384-well NanoSurface Plate™, the newest and highest-throughput offering of the NanoSurface Plates™ product line. NanoSurface Plates™ structure cell cultures into physiologically relevant tissue models by providing biomimetic topographic features that emulate the alignment of the native cellular microenvironment. For example, stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte cells can be cultured in NanoSurface Plates™ to create cardiac microtissues for predictive preclinical drug screening.
Human stem-cell based assays hold great promise for modeling the safety and efficacy of drugs preclinically. However, these models can fail to properly represent human biology when the in vitro environment does not reproduce essential cues. Conventional glass or plastic cell culture dishes fail to imitate critical aspects of the native cellular microenvironment, resulting in cell cultures that do not adequately resemble the structure or function of native human tissues.
NanoSurface Plates™ feature a softer nanopatterned culture surface that mimics the aligned architecture of the native extracellular matrix. Cells on NanoSurface Plates™ exhibit more physiologically representative structural and functional phenotypes. NanoSurface Plates™ can be used to enhance preclinical cell-based assays with a wide variety of cell types, including those with cardiomyocytes, skeletal muscle cells, neurons, migratory cancer cells, and many more.
Dr. Nicholas Geisse, Chief Science Officer of NanoSurface Biomedical, will present data highlighting NanoSurface technologies at the scientific podium session “Cellular Technologies - Application of Organ-on-chips and Micro-Physiological Systems” at the annual Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening Conference on Monday, January 27. The focus of the presentation will be on engineering the cell niche to enhance iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte maturity and predictivity in a high-throughput, assay-agnostic manner.
“At NanoSurface, we strive to make cells in the dish resemble cells in the body,” said Michael Cho, CEO of NanoSurface Biomedical. “The 384-well NanoSurface Plate™ allows drug developers to culture more physiologically relevant cells and tissues in a high-throughput, reproducible, and scalable format that will enhance their drug screening workflows.”
384-well NanoSurface Plates will be available March 2020. Pre-orders are available today via the NanoSurface contact form.
NanoSurface Biomedical will exhibit at SLAS 2020 in Booth 2120.
About NanoSurface Biomedical
NanoSurface Biomedical is a biotechnology company based in Seattle, WA that develops biomimetic technologies to enhance cell-based assays and accelerate drug development. NanoSurface was founded in 2015. www.nanosurfacebio.com
NanoSurface Biomedical
Director of Sales & Marketing: Heejoon Choi, 800-913-4403 x702
heejoon@nanosurfacebio.com | Whether you’re a novice or a grandmaster chess player, you’ll love playing the game on our 2020 Battle for the White House set. Our commemorative chess set spares no detail. Each piece was painstakingly designed for likability and accuracy to enhance your chess-playing experience.
Proudly display on a table in your study or office, or give as a coveted gift to someone special. | 1 |
Elders Katanning farm supplies merchandise manager Keith Daddow and farm supplies sales person Donna Smith have been jointly recognised for their outstanding performance with the Elders National Sales Performance Award at the annual One Elders Awards in Adelaide.
ELDERS Katanning farm supplies sales person Donna Smith and farm supplies merchandise manager Keith Daddow have been jointly recognised for their outstanding performance with the Elders National Sales Performance Award at the annual One Elders Awards in Adelaide.
The One Elders Awards recognise employees and teams whose performance and safety outcomes significantly contribute to business results, in addition to demonstrating the values of the pink shirt.
This is due in large part to Ms Smith's and Mr Daddow's work on overall sales and significant growth in the Elders Katanning business.
"It is such an honour to be nationalally recognised by our great company," Mr Daddow said.
Elders said the pair's passion and 'can do' attitude made them "stand out from the pack" and seen them both share this prestigious national award for sales performance.
Mr Daddow, who has the gate open at 6.15am (after his morning coffee) to get stuck into be the best he can be for his clients, said "if you love what you do it's an absolute pleasure to come to work".
Mr Daddow is a fourth generation Elders man and Katanning born.He came back to the Katanning branch 18 months ago after previously managing the branch in the 1990s.
He spoke glowingly of the flow-on effect of Ms Smith's enthusiasm within the branch."Donna is a wonderful person and 2IC at the store," he said.
"I draw inspiration from what she and the team have achieved in the past 12 months and it's showing in the growth of the business.
"We love our clients and we love coming to work.
"The Elders Sales Performance Award is presented to an Elders employee that exemplifies the company's core values of innovation, teamwork, accountability, customer focus and integrity.
"Recipients are recognised for their ability to drive safety culture and deliver financial and operational achievements." | PANAMA CITY, Fla. — It was a full house at the Panama City Center of the Arts on Saturday morning, as a local artist announced the winners of his annual student art contest.
The contest, put on by Paul Brent, is in it’s 28th year, celebrating youth art while also spreading awareness on endangered animals.
This year’s contest focused on endangered whales, challenging fourth graders across Bay County to depict the animals through several different mediums.
Brent then judges the art and chooses winners from each school in Bay County, but he said seeing all of the art presented shows great creativity among the area’s children as well as dedication by teachers.
“We have excellent art work and a great deal is due to both the talent of the young artists and the teachers they have,” said Brent. “The teachers get excited about these projects and as you can see we have very imaginative projects and the teachers provide the materials.”
See below for a full list of this year’s winners: | 1 |
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Want to do more to help the planet?
Retired languages teacher Geoff Jones, 75, of Burton Road in Lincoln, is just the man.
He is so dedicated to saving the planet that he hasn't bought clothes for 20 years - and when knobs break on his pot lids, he replaces it with one from a drawer.
Now the committed environmentalist has shared his ideas of how people can make a big difference.
(Image: UIG via Getty Images)
Grow your own fruit and veg
Geoff says: "The main message about food is grow your own. If you can't or don't have the space at least buy local and seasonal, ideally organic.
"People are used to buying strawberries and tomatoes in the middle of winter, and beans flown in from Kenya, that the pleasure of looking forward to produce coming into season has been lost."
Meat is not off the menu
Geoff does eat meat, although his wife Hilary is vegetarian. There is widespread concern about the harmful effects of clearing trees from large areas of land to raise livestock to supply the demand for meat.
However, Geoff says: "Any meat I buy is locally-sourced, free-range and organic.
"For Christmas I buy a pheasant or if there's a house full of guests I get a brace of pheasants for less than £10."
"There's enough for a roast, a casserole, and a soup if you boil the bones."
Good food does not have to be expensive
Geoff says: "There's a fallacy that people cannot afford to buy good quality food.
"You could buy a burger and chips but compare that to what you could get from the supermarket or market, particularly if you go at the end of the day when fruit, vegetables and meat are reduced."
(Image: Paul Whitelam)
Make your own compost at home
Geoff says that anyone can make compost for the garden even if they don't have a big garden or allotment.
He said: "I do demonstrations of how to make compost from just grass clippings and shredded paper.
"I also use a lot of materials like cardboard and trimmings from my garden.
"I don't have a green garden waste bin as I compost my garden waste and I put my recycling bin out maybe once every two to three months."
Save water in the kitchen
Geoff recommends not completely filling the kettle if you're only making one drink.
He adds: "If you run the hot tap to get hot water, collect the cold water that comes out first before it gets hot and use this for something else like washing vegetables.
"Don't wash up more than once a day. Only use the washing machine once or twice a week."
(Image: Paul Whitelam)
Turn lights off when you leave a room
"This is a simple step towards saving energy," Geoff says.
He also suggests switching to LED lightbulbs and not leaving the telly on standby.
Cleaning products
Geoff believes that having a cupboard full of chemical cleaning products is bad for the environment because they end up in rivers and seas.
He said: "We use vinegar and bicarbonate of soda for cleaning worktops and windows and a bottle of bleach lasts us three years.
"We also buy environmentally friendly washing up liquid and laundry liquid and Greens does refills of these."
Reuse and repair
Geoff says: "If something breaks we mend it. Clothes get mended and socks are darned.
"If the knob falls off the lid of a pan then you can replace it with a knob off a chest of drawers and secure it with a nut and washer.
"You can get your shoes mended at the cobblers. If you wash out a bread bag you can use it again 10 or 20 times. They make good freezer bags.
"We also re-use glass jars and bottles."
Shopping
Geoff said: "Buy secondhand pots and pans and furniture. Charity shops are full of good stuff.
"I have not bought any new clothes for 20 years apart from specialist items like walking boots or safety boots."
You don't need to go everywhere in the car
Geoff rides a bicycle, rides a motorbike and drives a car.
He said: "If a journey is less than a mile or two, I walk. If it's two to three miles we cycle and if we are in more of a hurry we go on the motorbike.
"The car is only used for longer journeys or if we need to transport bulky materials, and it does 2,000 miles a year at the most." | There are times when certain body problems can annoy us to no end because we can't find an obvious fix for them or don't have the kind of time to look for it. However, these issues aren't uncommon and can be easily fixed.
So, here's a quick guide to the most common body issues that most men face and here are some simple solutions to them:
1. Chapped Lips
© Getty Images
Chapped lips are one of those problems that can be very easily overlooked by us. However, amongst all the facial features, the lips are one of the first to get noticed. So, it's always important to keep your lips moisturised so they look and feel healthy.
For this, you need to invest in a lip balm that suits your lips. Try Nivea Moisturising lip balm.
2. Body Odour
Body odour is natural and something everyone tends to have at the end of a tiring day. However, stingy body odour can, in fact, annoy other people.
Here's a tip, instead of a deo, invest in a roll-on that you can keep handy at all times. So, whenever you feel the hint of your stench, you can quickly rush to the washroom, and after two swipes of the roll-on, you'll be as good as new.
© Getty Images
3. Itchy Rashes
© Getty Images
For itchy rashes and painful blisters between the thighs that come from too much friction, gymming, and humid months you can always use a rash cream. While this may strike you as obvious, how many times have you actually gone to get a rash cream at a store? A rash cream takes no time in tackling these blisters leaving your skin as good as new.
4. A Jock Itch
© Getty Images
A jock itch or itchy balls is something you might face with if you don't have an intimate wash at home that you use regularly or if you don't change your underwear that often.
For a natural intimate wash, use natural ingredients like tea tree oil and aloe vera gel that need to be mixed in the ratio of 1:7 respectively. This will soothe down the itch and nix any bacteria build-up.
Shop The Story | 1 |
AGRA: An armed man with a criminal background, Subhash Batham, held at least 22 children hostage at his daughter’s birthday party who was later killed in police action in a village located in India’s Uttar Pradesh.
Subhash Batham, an accused in a murder case who was out on bail, held at least 22 children hostage after inviting them to his house for a birthday party of his daughter in Kathariya village in Uttar Pradesh’s Farukkhabad.
One person was injured in his leg by a gunshot when some of the residents tried to open the door. Later, Batham had also hurled a crude bomb and fired gunshots on villagers and policemen rushed to rescue the children.
Some reports said Batham held the children hostages, who were aged between six months and 15 years, for being wrongly framed in a murder case and wanted to pressurise the authorities for dropping the criminal charges against him.
A local police officer told media that security personnel took the action with extreme caution in order to ensure the safety of the children locked inside the house.
After the overnight stand-off, a special team of trained policemen and commandos killed him in a shoot-out, while two officers were also wounded in the operation.
The hostages were rescued by the security team without any injury.
According to the reports, Batham’s wife was also killed on Thursday night, after villagers reportedly beat her to death and threw stones at her when she attempted to run away from the scene.
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comments | Authorities in northern India have rescued 23 children after killing a man who held them hostage for nearly 11 hours after inviting them to his home for his daughter's birthday party.
Officer Mohit Agarwal said two police officers were injured after the man, identified as Subhash Batham, fired at them on Thursday night as they tried to enter his home in Kasaria village in Uttar Pradesh state.
Home Secretary Avanish Awasthi said Batham's wife was also killed in the exchange of gunfire.
Efforts to negotiate Batham's surrender had failed, police said.
Agarwal said he was a suspect in a murder case and had been freed on bail by a court.
The incident occurred in Farrukhabad, a small town 300 kilometres southwest of Lucknow, the state capital.
The motive for Batham taking the children hostage was not immediately known.
Agarwal said he was drunk when the police encounter occurred. | 4 |
By Kamel Hawwash | @kamelhawwash | –
( Middle East Monitor ) – If any country which claims to be a democracy, its potential prime minister declares that the votes of a significant minority are not part of the democratic ‘equation’, they would be rightly condemned as racists. That is exactly what Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu declared when claiming he had won the recent Israeli elections when he said that he won among the”Zionist” voters because “Arabs are not part of the equation.” Let that sink in. The reason Palestinian citizens of Israel are a minority is only because during its creation, 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homeland through Zionist terror.
By ‘Zionist’ Netanyahu refers to Jews, an equivalence we are told should not be made because it is used by some to hide their anti-Jewish sentiments. At a stroke, Netanyahu delegitimised the votes of 300,000 of Israel’s own citizens because they are not Jewish and would not vote for him.
Netanyahu has form when it comes to racism against non-Jewish citizens from his country. In an election day video in 2015 he urged his supporters to go out and vote because “the rule of the right is in danger, Arab voters are coming in droves to the ballot boxes,” Netanyahu declared in the video. “Left-wing NGOs are bringing them in buses.”
However, in quite a hypocritical U-turn after winning the election, Netanyahu decided to reach out to the Palestinian citizens of Israel offering a half-hearted apology. He said “I know the things I said several days ago offended some of Israel’s citizens, hurt the Arab citizens,” Netanyahu told invited representatives of the Arab community at the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem. “This was never my intent. I apologize for this.”
This was rejected by Joint List leader Ayman Odeh who called the apology a duplicitous “flip-flop.” So long as Netanyahu “advances racist legislation… and does not promote real equality” for Israel’s Arabs, said the MK, the prime minister’s apology would not be acceptable or credible.
Both episodes in 2015 and recently show the racism that is at the core of Netanyahu’s and the right-wing coalition ideology. Palestinian citizens of Israel are at best second class citizens. In 2018, Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman on accused the leader of the Joint (Arab) List MK, Ayman Odeh, and his associates of being a “fifth column” and said they should be “outlawed” for their support of a Gaza solidarity protest in Haifa. Lieberman lamented the “systematic failure” of law enforcement to take action against Odeh “and his friends” and called for them to be “outlawed.”
READ: BDS Movement marks demise of Israel’s culinary propaganda initiative
Current Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennet has also revelled in his racism against Palestinians, claiming in 2013, “I’ve killed lots of Arabs in my life – and there’s no problem with that.” In 2017 as Education Minister, he told MKs of Palestinian origin to choose to be either ‘normal Israelis’ or ‘terrorists’. Bennett also believes that Palestinians ‘already have their state in Jordan’.
Blue and White (Kahol Lavan) leader Benny Gantz would not contemplate forming a government with the Joint Arab List claiming he is not “afraid to speak to any legitimate political party, but the Joint List will not be part of the government I form.” He said, “my disagreements with its leadership on the national and security issues are deep, difficult and unbridgeable,”. He continued, “I intend to implement President Trump’s peace plan, in coordination with all the elements in the region, and see it as a significant milestone.” Israel “cannot tolerate support for terrorism or avoid condemnation,” Gantz said.
Gantz did not object to the inclusion in Trump’s plan a provision to strip 300,000 Palestinian Israeli citizens of their citizenship in ‘land swaps’, that would see the area known as the ‘Triangle’ become part of the so called Palestinian state, without asking that population for it’s views.
None of the above discrimination and shear racism against Palestinians and Palestinian citizens of Israel should surprise us. Israel has over sixty laws that discriminate against its Palestinian citizens and Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. And most were implemented before Israel’s main political leadership either drafted or supported in the Knesset in 2018 the ‘Nation State Law’ or as I called it Israel’s “Jewish State Apartheid Law” when it was passed. At its core is the premise that only Jews have a right to self-determination in Israel, whatever Israel’s borders are. In Trump’s plan it is clear that Israel ‘security border is the whole of historic Palestine, from the river Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea.
The question of whether Israel is an Apartheid state was settled in the ESCWA report, which was commissioned to assess in an academic manner by eminent academics Richard Falk and Virginia Tilley. They concluded in the peer reviewed report that Israel exercised Apartheid against the Palestinian people as a whole. And before the usual suspects rubbish the report’s status because ESCWA was asked to take it down from its website, let me assure them about its status.
READ: Palestinian boycott movement slams Austrian parliament anti-BDS motion
I asked former Under-Secretary-General Dr Rima Khalaf who resigned rather than take it down, she assured me that it is still an official UN report. Therefore, its conclusions stand. Israel is an Apartheid state, which should be isolated and shunned until its racist regime is dismantled, leading either to two independent, sovereign states, an Israeli and Palestinian state, or a single democratic state for all those it rules over between the river and the sea.
Israel cannot for ever continue to rule over half the people whose lives it controls on a daily basis, without giving them their legitimate rights and claim to be a democracy. Judging by the violent past 72 years since its creation, it will not have peace until it either separates Jews from others or accepts that all human beings are entitled to be treated equally and accept it cannot be Jewish and Democratic.
And here it cannot claim the problem is with the Palestinians who will not lie down and surrender. Neither can its backers in the West.
It is the same Western governments which sided with the oppressive Apartheid regime in South Africa that are siding with and protecting the Apartheid regime in Israel. Instead of sanctioning it for its crimes, the West bolsters trade with Israel and simply condemns its criminal actions as an illegal occupier who is commits war crimes almost on a daily basis at least in terms of its settlement enterprise. And when the Palestinians seek redress through peaceful, legal means and take the settlement file to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Israel’s backers the US, Germany and Canada ask it not do so by claiming it does not have jurisdiction over Palestine because it is not a state.
When the Palestinians call for peaceful Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), the US and France pass anti-BDS laws and France equates BDS to anti-Semitism. The UK has tried to ban pension funds from divestment from companies complicit in Israel’s crimes and the Conservative Government only had Israel in mind when announcing it would legislate against boycotts by public bodies in its manifesto. It has also committed to forcing public bodies, including universities to adopt the flawed IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism, which has more to do with shielding Israel from criticism than it does protecting British Jews from real anti-Semitism. That is also the reason why Israel’s advocates have tried and failed to cancel Israel Apartheid Week on campuses across the world.
It seems the so-called international community is sending not mixed but rather clear signals to the Palestinians. They stand with Israeli Apartheid and against Palestinian rights. This is hypocrisy on heat.
Professor Kamel Hawwash is a British Palestinian engineering academic based at the University of Birmingham. He is a commentator on Middle East affairs, Vice Chair of the British Palestinian Policy Council (BPPC) and a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and . He writes here in a personal capacity.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor or Informed Comment.
Via Middle East Monitor
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
————-
Bonus Video added by Informed Comment:
Al Jazeera English: “Israel election: Party representing Palestinians sees huge gains” | We are about to witness the third Israeli election in the space of one year.
The elections for the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, which are coming in March, are being held after the failure of anyone to either score an overall majority or to forge a coalition government.
Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is holding on for now. His far-right coalition won the most seats in the last election in September, but it was not enough to form a government with a majority.
It is possible that the Blue and White party could win the next election – they actually came one seat ahead of Netanyahu’s party, Likud, in the last election.
READ: US opposes Israel annexation of West Bank before peace plan revealed
But even if they did, so what? For the Palestinians, all Zionist parties in Israel mean the same thing: continuation of the daily, grinding, violent reality of Israeli racism and occupation.
The West Bank is under the boot of Israel’s military dictatorship. Palestinians who dare challenge it are indiscriminately beaten, tortured, abused, have their homes demolished or are even murdered by the Israeli military and settlers.
The Gaza Strip is under constant siege, and the brave unarmed Palestinian demonstrators trying to break out of it since 2018 have been shot down dead by brutal Israeli snipers.
The Palestinians inside ‘Israel’ – the Palestinian territories occupied by Zionist forces, starting in 1947 – are not full citizens of the state. By law and by practice, they have far fewer rights than Jewish citizens of Israel. Israeli courts have consistently ruled for decades that there is no such nationality as ‘Israeli’ and that the state belongs to Jews alone.
Finally, the Palestinian refugees outside Palestine still languish for long decades inside their camps – being denied their most fundamental right to return to the homes they were expelled from.
READ: Netanyahu vows to annex all settlements ‘without exception’
But this totally unjust situation is not enough for Israel – both the state and society wants more.
As I wrote at the time, in the last election, at least 89 per cent of Israelis voted for parties whose policy it was to continue the occupation of the West Bank – military dictatorship with no rights, remember – indefinitely.
And now, with the third election looming, Israel’s two leading parties, Likud and Blue and White, are both ramping up their threats to formally annex large parts of the West Bank.
The West Bank and the Gaza Strip together consist of only 22 per cent of historic Palestine, as it was at the time that the British occupation ended in 1948.
So, 78 per cent is not enough for Israel still. They want it all.
While it seems unlikely for the time being, that they could get away with a mass expulsion, ethnic cleansing-type-event as they did in 1948, victory for Zionism looks like this: maximum land, minimum Arabs.
So, in working towards this end, Israel has been slowly, in the decades since it occupied the remaining 22 per cent, absorbing the entire West Bank through the creation of “facts on the ground”.
#IsraElex19: Israeli Elections 2019 Everything you need to know >>
These “facts” are a slow-motion ethnic cleansing. Palestinian homes are declared to have been built “without permits” (impossible in many areas, since Israel almost always denies such permits to Palestinians – even while granting them to Jews) and are thus destroyed. Industrial-scale colonies for Jews are then built on the ruins.
Annexation will be the formal, post-facto legitimisation of such blatant criminality in Israeli law – and it looks set to be supported by the US.
President Donald Trump has already done this in the case of the Golan Heights. This is a Syrian territory, illegally and violently invaded and occupied by Israel in 1967. Yet Trump (urged on by his number one campaign funder, Sheldon Adelson, a casino billionaire and important US Israel lobbyist), decided to formally recognise the “legality” of this outright criminality – just as he did in moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.
So there really was no doubt that the most pro-Israel US president would ever give the green light to any annexation move in the West Bank, even before the latest second-hand reports from anonymous Israeli sources emerged about the latest version of Trump’s ‘deal of the century’.
In the forthcoming election, both main Israeli parties are attempting to outdo one another on how much Palestinian land they can steal, clear out of its Palestinians, and then annex for the purposes of building Israeli colonies.
Last election, Netanyahu promised to annex the Jordan Valley, and Blue and White’s Benny Gantz (a former general), indicated he’d agree to the same.
Now this election, Netanyahu is talking about annexing as much as 40 per cent of the West Bank, while Gantz is now promising to steal the entire Jordan Valley (the part of the West Bank that borders Jordan).
Annexation, then, is coming. Will this finally spell the long-forecast collapse of Israel’s collaborationist entity, the Palestinian Authority? Time will tell.
One thing is for sure: this situation will not hold indefinitely. Five million Palestinians are being denied even their most basic human rights – systematically, by design of Israel’s racist laws. This cannot be indefinitely sustained.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor. | 3.5 |
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BOISE — In a statement released Monday, the Idaho Department of Fish and Games announced that hunters who applied for controlled hunts for moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat hunts can see if they drew a tag by going to the controlled hunt results webpage.
No luck? You can still apply for a Super Hunt.
Hunters who applied for moose, sheep and goat can not apply for most deer, elk and pronghorn controlled hunts, but they can apply for Super Hunt tags, which include deer, elk, pronghorn and moose.
Anyone who draws a Super Hunt tag can hunt in any open hunt area for the species drawn, including general and controlled hunts.
Entries are $6 each for a single species and $20 for a Super Hunt combo that includes one tag for each species.
Deadline for entries for the first Super Hunt drawing is May 31.
Eight elk, eight deer, eight pronghorn and one moose will be drawn.
One Super Hunt Combo will also be drawn. This winner is entitled to hunt all four species.
Winners will be notified by June 10.
A second drawing is available in August.
Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 | Ascension Via Christi announced Monday some added safety measures in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Hospital volunteers have been told not to come for their scheduled shifts until further notice. This is being done to limit patient exposure by limiting the number of people in the hospital.
Additionally the hospital says it’s suspending hospital-based health education classes, support groups and tours. On-site and off-site hiring events have been suspended and all interviews will take place over the telephone rather than in person. In the hospital cafeterias buffet-style offerings, salad bars and condiments including salad dressings are being replaced with pre-packaged options, utensil dispensers are being replaced with touchless versions. Fountain beverages continue to be available, but refills are not.
Any patient with urgent care needs are encouraged to consider virtual visits through Ascension Online Care, for the reduced cost of $20 through the month of March when you enter the code HOME. | 1 |
Are you finally in a stable relationship? Here are 8 signs to know if what you have is truly stable or not.
Being in a relationship is always exciting, but the rush of feelings often alters our sense of perception and makes us ignore some serious red flags. A long-term relationship isn’t easy and over the years, you might go through some really tough times when you will feel like that your relationship has finally hit rock bottom. And that’s when you need to look out for signs that your relationship is stable or not.
Stability in a relationship is not an all-time guaranteed offer. Regardless of how stable your relationship really is, there will be arguments, and there will be problems. The foundation of a stable relationship is built on trust, safety and loyalty. And if you guys have that, it doesn’t really matter what hardships life throws at you because together you will make it through.
On that note, let’s look at 8 signs that tell you are finally in a stable relationship.
1. You support each other’s individual growth
Couples in a stable relationship feel confident and safe with each other, which is why they support each other’s accomplishments as individuals. They will feel happy and help with each other’s career and hobbies. On the other hand, when someone in the relationship is insecure, they might spend all their energy to keep their partner from doing what they love by distracting them.
2. You constantly rediscover each other
Couples in a stable relationship connect with each other in more than just one way. The partners like to learn more about each other with each passing day. This has mostly to do with the passion, experiences and interests. From little gestures like asking each other about their day to big changes, they find a way to adapt to each other and they love it. Whereas, in an unstable relationship, these things almost disappear.
3. You are comfortable spending time apart
Being able to do your own thing without worrying that your relationship might suffer is a solid sign that your relationship is stable. When you are in an unstable relationship, there is a constant fear that you will lose your partner if you focus on yourself or think about doing something individually.
4. You express your feelings
This includes love, affection, frustration and anger. You don’t give each other a silent treatment every time you disagree. One of the most important aspects of a stable relationship is that you are able to resolve a conflict without the silent treatment.
5. You don’t play the blame game
In a stable relationship, you’re both able to let go of the unimportant things and don’t fight to get an upper hand in the argument. You will need to feel the need to blame your partner for the mistakes. A stable couple tries to understand each other’s point of view with communicating in a healthy way.
6. You try to make their relationship work
Working on the relationship is a sure-shot sign of being emotionally mature enough to have a healthy bond. It is like providing emotional support to the partner when the going gets tough. It is also about giving up on silly problems and looking at the big picture.
7. You are not the only one making compromises
Compromise is always a two-way street in a stable relationship. You prioritise each other’s needs and accept each other’s decision. There is a balance in your relationship that makes it healthy and stable.
8. You are sure about the future
You met someone. Life is beautiful. You’re happy. Fast forward to a few months and that’s when you start thinking if this relationship is meant to be. But don’t worry! If you are with the right person, then the thought of your partner leaving you will not plague your mind. You will be certain about the future when you’re in a stable relationship.
ALSO READ: THESE are the signs that show you are dating a commitment phobe
ALSO READ: 7 Signs prove that you are in a rebound relationship
Where would we be without our moms? It’s time to appreciate everything she does for us, click here to write her a love letter. #DearMom
This Day That Year 2019 2017 2016 2015
Share your comment × | I am in a very unfulfilling marriage with two lovely children. I got married in a hurry to escape my abusive alcoholic father and my spineless mother who would vent her sorrows with me as a young girl, make me fight with my father for her, but stayed on in the marriage.
A married man from our friends’ group expressed his attraction to me and I got drawn to the attention, as I neither got any attention as a child nor from my dismissive and dominating husband. The sex in our marriage was always rushed and one-sided and I never experienced any pleasure through the years.
When I had sex with ‘this man’ I felt myself as a sensual being for the first time. This gradually became an addiction as I craved to be with him anytime I could.
Over time he became aloof and refused to meet me and asked me to not get attached to him and to get ‘real’ about being married. He then completely stopped contact and has been putting up happy holiday pictures with his pregnant wife.
I feel jealous and crave to hold him again. I am restless, irritable and disinterested in home affairs and aloof from everyone. I want to be able to move on, but the physical memory and craving in my body draws me to fantasising about being back with him. How should I move on?
All human beings have needs. The need to be looked at and paid attention to ranks as one of our most fundamental needs. A young baby first experiences this need as he/she is constantly attended to by a parent figure.
A baby can’t help itself but to rely on others at this point – but learns to cope and live autonomously as he/she grows up. All human beings therefore have a need to be seen, visible, relevant and at best loved. While this need to be ‘heeded’ continues to be much ‘needed’, we must adapt our methods at seeking out ways in which this need can be met.
Children and adults have different ways to seek out the attention of others and therefore the manners in which and measures through which – we like acknowledgement and attention must evolve with us over the years.
Now as an adult woman, you have both emotional and physical needs that harken back to this fundamental need I have just explained. This is important to you.
In the absence of attention given to you by your father (while growing up as a little girl) and as a grown up woman from your dominating husband, this man served the function of a ‘proxy’.
This is not to suggest that what was shared between you both was not real. Only you know what you had shared and based on your question, one may imagine that a mutually gratifying sexual relationship was at the heart of your affair.
Clearly, the sex in your marriage wasn’t enjoyable so you found a partner with whom sex was enjoyable. He fulfilled your need to be looked at and held. However, for some people, having multiple sexual partners or cheating on a spouse can lead to moral dilemmas.
In most cultures, an extramarital affair brings with it both social stigma and scorn of one’s near and dear ones. One way or the other, the emotional ramifications of the phenomenon of infidelity are inescapable.
His wife’s pregnancy may have presented him with the ethical dilemma of whether he wants to be with you or with his pregnant wife who will be mothering his baby. We are all free to make decisions on what we would like to focus on. Sometimes the path of pleasure is directly in conflict with the path of responsibility.
His responsibilities currently involve being there for his wife and baby as the ‘family man’. Your responsibilities currently entail being free of the burden of your past so that you are free to decide what kind of future you like for yourself. If you would really like to move on, you are going to have to be practical about this.
That would also require you to be frank with yourself. You have your children who will look to you for support. You felt unsupported in your childhood by your mother who also relied heavily on you to help her with her own emotional problems.
This was a role you were not prepared to take on. You had neither the resources nor the experience to fully understand your mother’s woes. But times have changed. You will now have to do for yourself what your mother expected you to do for her. Persevere and plan.
The attention of men is a fleeting thing. One moment you will have it and the other moment; they will return to tending to their own lives. Perhaps spend time focusing on your wellness, fitness, emotional growth and learning something that excites you, you will find yourself more fulfilled and clear about what you need from yourself and from life.
A visit to a counsellor may help to improve the relationship between you and your husband – if you would like to come clean with him about your extra-marital affair (in the spirit of honesty) or tell him about how you are not happy with the sex in the marriage.
He needs to do what you are going through if you like for the situation with your husband to improve. Sometimes oblivion is the root cause of discord. Once you have put your cards on the table, a negotiation may occur. | 1 |
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Our apologies, unfortunately our website is currently unavailable in most European countries due to GDPR rules. | Even if you have SiriusXM, you may not have access to “The Howard Stern Show” unless you have a top-tier package.
Now, Stern himself has announced that SiriusXM is making his show (on channel 100) free through May 15, along with the rest of the service’s “premier streaming content.”
Stern, 66, shared the news on his show Tuesday morning, which he hosted from home.
Normally, his show is only available to All Access and SiriusXM Select subscribers. In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the show and others can be streamed for free online and through the SiriusXM app.
FREE PREVIEW – Listen to @HowardStern and everything on the @SIRIUSXM app for free now until May 15! Tune into the LIVE #SternShow right now on #Howard100.https://t.co/DkVQCBWoo0 pic.twitter.com/TAcS0y3Wtt — Stern Show (@sternshow) March 31, 2020
SiriusXM says the promotion will grant free access to 300-plus channels including ad-free channels like Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Radio and LL Cool J’s Rock the Bells Radio. The pandemic is also bringing the return of previously retired artist-centric channels like The Billy Joel Channel (30) and Dave Matthews Band Radio (176).
The service is additionally launching #StayHomeRadio (Ch. 179) on April 1, which will be filled with “happy and uplifting songs from artists like Lizzo and Coldplay to P!nk and Bob Marley.” A new Top 1,000 Channel (177) will play the top songs in multiple genres.
Another new channel launching on April 1 is She’s So Funny (105), a comedy channel featuring female comedians like Tiffany Haddish, Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer, Whoopi Goldberg, Tig Notaro, Maria Bamford, Lily Tomlin, Moms Mabley and Joan Rivers.
Free channels will also include news from CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox and BBC World Service.
Get free access to more than 300 channels, featuring the acclaimed @sternshow, exclusive ad-free music channels, and vital news and information sources. Stream free now until 5/15. Details: https://t.co/1OkKhTBzSU pic.twitter.com/ynZ2GEpyGA — SiriusXM (@SIRIUSXM) March 31, 2020
Have a tip? Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.
Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters. | 4 |
(Article L.233-8 II of the French Commercial Code and Article 223-16 of the Règlement général of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers
Regulatory News:
Teleperformance (Paris:TEP):
Stock Market: Euronext Paris compartment A
ISIN Code: FR0000051807
As of May 31, 2020:
- Total number of shares composing the share capital of the company: 58,719,000
- Total number of gross voting rights: 59,720,775
Presence in the bylaws of a provision requiring the disclosure of a crossing of threshold in addition to those for which disclosure is mandatory: NO
ABOUT TELEPERFORMANCE GROUP
Teleperformance (TEP ISIN: FR0000051807 Reuters: TEPRF.PA Bloomberg: TEP FP), a leading global group in digitally integrated business services, serves as a strategic partner to the world's largest companies in many industries. It offers a One Office support services model combining three wide, high-value solution families: customer experience management, back-office services and business process knowledge services. These end-to-end digital solutions guarantee successful customer interaction and optimized business processes, anchored in a unique, comprehensive high tech, high touch approach. The Group's 331,000 employees, based in 80 countries, support billions of connections every year in over 265 languages and 170 markets, in a shared commitment to excellence as part of the "Simpler, Faster, Safer" process.This mission is supported by the use of reliable, flexible, intelligent technological solutions and compliance with the industry's highest security and quality standards, based on Corporate Social Responsibility excellence.
In 2019, Teleperformance reported consolidated revenue of €5,355 million (US$ 6 billion, based on €1 $1.12) and net profit of €400 million.
Teleperformance shares are traded on the Euronext Paris market, Compartment A, and are eligible for the deferred settlement service. They are included in the following indices: CAC Large 60, CAC Next 20, CAC Support Services, STOXX 600, SBF 120, S&P Europe 350 and MSCI Global Standard. They have also been included in the Euronext Vigeo Eurozone 120 index since December 2015 and the FTSE4Good Index since June 2018 with regard to the Group's performance in corporate responsibility.
For more information: www.teleperformance.com
Follow us on Twitter @teleperformance
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200602005823/en/
Contacts:
Teleperformance | Fully engaged to protect employees' health and jobs
More than six million of masks ordered for employees
Quick development of Work At Home: nearly 50% of the production force, target to reach 66% by mid-April
High involvement to guarantee business continuity, while reinforcing financial strength
Global task force strong of top 100 leaders <45 years-old who speed up and control the good implementation of the Group's strategy.
Regulatory News:
Teleperformance (Paris:TEP):
COVID-19 is now hitting hard worldwide and has become an unprecedented global business disrupter, forcing many countries to implement country-wide lockdowns and travel bans. In these extraordinary times, Teleperformance's priority is to ensure safety for employees, support communities and most vulnerable people. The group continues its efforts to guarantee business continuity in order to provide critical services to many essential clients' businesses. Teleperformance is today fully engaged to fight against all the consequences of the pandemic.
Teleperformance Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel Julien said: "At a time of such great human vulnerability, nothing is more important than the safety of our people. The Group is following guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and applicable local government agencies. We are implementing internal policies that even go beyond these recommendations in many cases. In this unique context, our group is engaging closely with our clients to ensure they are supported, and we remain committed to keeping our employees, partners, and communities healthy and safe. We recognize and are deeply grateful for the incredible dedication of all our employees worldwide who are performing their jobs with high levels of professionalism during this extraordinary time. Our Group is agile and benefits from a solid financial situation and I am confident about the way-out of this crisis and its future."
A dedicated and efficient organization
Teleperformance has been proactively preparing for the possible spread beyond China since January, and immediately responded with steps to mitigate the threat posed to its employees, business operations for clients, and the cascading economic impact and implications for the wider society. As a result, the Teleperformance Global Business Continuity Model is now implemented worldwide. A global COVID-19 Crisis Committee has been established to closely monitor pandemic-related developments, inform and support key decision-makers, and coordinate rapid response efforts. The Crisis Committee is supported by daily Crisis Executive team calls and weekly executive virtual committee comprising top 22 leaders of the company.
Strong development of Work At Home
Allowing business continuity for clients and making operational sites compliant with social distancing rules, Teleperformance has implemented many emergency responses such as transitioning interaction experts to work-at-home, applying alternative delivery plans, and leveraging digital solutions. Home-based interaction experts have been notably activated within weeks of enacting initial safety measures, in compliance with security standards and certifications. As of today, Teleperformance has deployed around 120,000 interaction experts on a work-at-home model, which represents nearly 50% of the production force. Efforts to further expand this number will continue and the Group targets to achieve 66% by mid-April.
A key role for economies worldwide in crisis period
Around the world, Teleperformance teams have worked tirelessly to protect the health and well-being of all employees, while ensuring business continuity for clients. Teleperformance employees are on the front lines, providing critical customer-facing and back-office services to many essential businesses in industries such as healthcare, finance and banking, food and beverage, communications, transportation and logistics, information technology, energy, utilities, and governments. During the outbreak, Teleperformance is also responsible for supporting many emergency lines of local government around the world.
Recognition in employee safety
The health and safety of our employees is a top priority for Teleperformance, so the company has mandated a strict Safety and Hygiene Policy worldwide, with daily oversight by a dedicated central team to ensure:
Adherence to guidelines and recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and close collaboration with local governments and officials.
Social distancing policies following recommendations from the World Health Organization.
Frequent and reinforced cleaning of facilities with disinfection products.
Adequate availability of supplies such as hand sanitizers and, if recommended by the World Health Organization, masks.
Everyone entering a Teleperformance facility is screened for elevated body temperatures.
The implementation of a strict "no travel" policy.
The group has already secured the order of 6.3 million of masks to be delivered on all sites across the world; thus one mask per employee per day for one month working in a brick-and-mortar environment.
Frequent employee communications and updates are delivered through several communication channels, including a weekly CEO address to all staff and weekly interaction with top 100 leaders <45 years-old to be an additional force of change on the ground.
Teleperformance practices, ensuring safety in its European campuses, have been recognized by the European Company Works Council (ECWC), who acted as Independent employee representatives to review individual Teleperformance operating company's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stephan Sielemann, Secretary of the European Company Works Council (ECWC) has declared in an official letter: "Teleperformance is, wherever possible, making sure that, our people, our jobs and our entire TP family are protected from the worst effects of this devastating virus. Information gathered by our ECWC members across Europe confirms that Teleperformance management, IT teams, and staff are working together to keep us all safe."
Strongly recognized for employee engagement and CSR practice
Taking care of our employees has always been a top priority at Teleperformance including offering physical and mental health awareness programs. In 2019 alone, the Group received 22 acknowledgements by Great Place to Work and KINCENTRIC Best Employer, encompassing 70% of our total workforce. Teleperformance is also a long-standing participant in the UN's Global Compact Initiatives to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies.
In March 2020, Teleperformance was approved at "GC Advanced" level for the quality of its CSR documentation by the UN Global Compact, to which it has been a signatory since 2011. This is the highest level of distinction from the United Nations Global Compact. The group thus enters the closed club "Club GC Advanced".
In 2019, for the sixth year in a row, Verego awarded Teleperformance the SRS (Social Responsibility Standard) certification for all its sites. This certification provides a comprehensive framework for the effective management of social responsibility initiatives. Verego SRS certification is awarded to companies that stand out through the excellence of their policies and practices in five key areas: leadership, ethics, people, community and the environment. Teleperformance has obtained Group-wide certification in all five of these areas, covering all sites worldwide.
Charity and solidarity achievements: a force of good
As one of the largest employers in most of its operating regions, Teleperformance is committed to creating a positive impact on local economies and more generally on people's lives. In the current crisis, the group is supporting communities to help the most vulnerable people, making them safer and healthier. As for examples:
In Tunisia, Teleperformance brought its expertise and resources to help local medical emergency services (SAMU), by implementing a team of interaction experts on site ready to address emergency requests from patients;
In the US, Teleperformance has been partnering with Feed the Children since 2006 by regular donations and exceptional ones during this crisis. Feed the Children is taking action to ensure neighbors aren't forgotten, by supplying community partners (like food pantries and soup kitchens) with the bulk items they need to help people. Work is dramatically increasing during this time of crisis.
Reinforced financial liquidity
Teleperformance is in the process of securing additional credit lines for above €700 million, on the top of undrawn facilities for €500 million available right now, to allow the group to cope with crisis contingencies.
About Teleperformance Group
Teleperformance (TEP ISIN: FR0000051807 Reuters: TEPRF.PA Bloomberg: TEP FP), a leading global group in digitally integrated business services, serves as a strategic partner to the world's largest companies in many industries. It offers a One Office support services model combining three wide, high-value solution families: customer experience management, back-office services and business process knowledge services. These end-to-end digital solutions guarantee successful customer interaction and optimized business processes, anchored in a unique, comprehensive high tech, high touch approach. The Group's 331,000 employees, based in 80 countries, support billions of connections every year in over 265 languages and 170 markets, in a shared commitment to excellence as part of the "Simpler, Faster, Safer" process.This mission is supported by the use of reliable, flexible, intelligent technological solutions and compliance with the industry's highest security and quality standards, based on Corporate Social Responsibility excellence. In 2019, Teleperformance reported consolidated revenue of €5,355 million (US$ 6 billion, based on €1 $1.12) and net profit of €400 million.
Teleperformance shares are traded on the Euronext Paris market, Compartment A, and are eligible for the deferred settlement service. They are included in the following indices: CAC Large 60, CAC Next 20, CAC Support Services, STOXX 600, SBF 120, S&P Europe 350 and MSCI Global Standard. They have also been included in the Euronext Vigeo Eurozone 120 index since December 2015 and the FTSE4Good Index since June 2018 with regard to the Group's performance in corporate responsibility.
For more information: www.teleperformance.com
Follow us on Twitter @teleperformance
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200406005770/en/
Contacts:
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PRESS RELATIONS
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mark.pfeiffer@teleperformance.com | 2 |
In one of the U.S. Capitol hallways that House members pass through regularly to get to the chambers, there’s an inscription of a comment by Alexander Hamilton. It comes from his 1788 remarks to the New York convention on ratifying the Constitution, and reads simply, “Here, Sir, the people govern.”
I’ve always thought that was a pretty good summation of what Congress represents: it is a repository of the thoughts and will of the American people. And my impression is that a lot of Americans think highly of that idea, too.
I’ve held a lot of public meetings over the years, and even in recent times, when Congress’s public standing has been low, people often speak approvingly of the history of the institution itself; they’re disappointed in how Congress performs, not in its role within our system. In all that time, I can’t ever remember anyone saying we’d be better off without it.
My experience in the House bore that belief out. Though there were always flaws, the process the House followed was focused on deliberation, debate, discussion … and then choosing a solution based more often than not on a rough consensus of its members. Even if I didn’t agree with the results, I’d often listen to the debates and think, “I like the way this institution works.”
I still remember the time that Wilbur Mills, the powerful chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, came before the Democratic caucus to talk about the upcoming vote on establishing Medicare. I was a new, young representative, and when Mills told us that we easily had enough votes to ram the measure through over Republican objections, I and many others thought we should do exactly that.
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Mills, however, did not. He asked us to give him an opportunity to negotiate with Republicans and find ground that both sides could agree on, so that the bill could win support on both sides of the aisle. And that is exactly what he did.
Mills knew something that often gets forgotten these days, which is that the more broadly a piece of legislation reflects the American people, the greater its acceptability, effectiveness and staying power.
If you’re in Congress, you’re reminded pretty much every day that giving a say to this diverse country is a choice. The body is made up of members who fiercely advocate for their views through speeches, contacts of all kinds and descriptions, public appearances and trying to win the media over to their side. And the whole institution is a focal point for competing interests weighing in on difficult problems. It is a real cauldron.
All of these beliefs are represented in the Congress, and the legislative process is a key part of how the country works through that cacophony of competing interests. Debate, deliberation, calculation, compromise — it’s an inefficient process that, for difficult issues, can go on for a long time. But over the course of our history, it’s been reasonably productive.
This is why those of us who value the institution of the Congress — who actually believe in Hamilton’s words — have lamented the trend of recent decades ceding power to the presidency.
The Constitution is explicit: legislative power is vested in Congress. But if that power is not protected or goes unused, it does not merely evaporate; in our system, it flows to the presidency or the judiciary. And in doing so, it passes out of the hands of the body that most closely represents the American people.
When President Trump talks of the presidency as if there were no check on it, as if, as president, he is beyond the reach of the law or of Congress, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle rightly disagree. Sometimes they serve effectively as a check, sometimes not. Sometimes partisanship gets the better of them.
But for better or worse, Congress remains the spot where the cross-currents of American popular opinion have their best chance of being heard, listened to and acted upon. That’s one power members should never give up.
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Lee Hamilton is a senior adviser for the Indiana University Center on Representative Government; a Distinguished Scholar of the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies; and a Professor of Practice, IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years. | Marysville, CA (95901)
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Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 58F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. | 3 |
Trump had a little snit over Playboy reporter Brian Karem and threatened to take his ball and go home.
Karem yelled a question at Trump. "I know you want to blame the WHO, but I've spoken to hundreds of people across the country in the last few weeks who say they still can't get tested, and that they aren't social distancing."
"Excuse me, I know your question. You ready? The governors are supposed to do testing. It's up to the governors," the Orange Cheeto said.
Karem talked over another reporter's question, saying the people who won't observe social distancing "followed his lead."
"I told them when they put this guy here it's nothing but trouble," Trump said. "He's a showboat. If you keep talking, I'll leave, and you can have it out with the rest of these people." | NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Trump had a fiery exchange with CNN analyst and Playboy reporter Brian Karem during the coronavirus press briefing in the Rose Garden on Tuesday, where he announced that the U.S. was halting its funding of the World Health Organization (WHO) for its errors leading up to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I know you want to blame the WHO, but I've spoken to hundreds of people across the country in the last few weeks," Karem began. "They say they still can't get tested and they're not social distancing because --"
"So the governors," Trump interjected, "I know your question. You ready? The governors, the governors are supposed to do testing. It's up to the governors."
As Trump went to move on to the next reporter's question, Karem continued shouting his question.
CNN MISSING IN ACTION ON BIDEN ASSAULT ACCUSER TARA READE'S STORY
"Quiet, quiet," Trump scolded the reporter. "The governors are doing the testing. It's now not up -- and it hasn't been up -- to the federal government."
The president called on the next reporter, but Karem persisted on asking his question, which was disrupting the press conference.
"I told them when they put this guy here, it's nothing but trouble," Trump said about Karem. "He's a showboat. If you keep talking, I'll leave and you can have it out with the rest of these people. If you keep talking, I'm going to leave and you can have it out with them."
"It's just a simple question," Karem said.
"Just a loudmouth," Trump fired back.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
Karem, a political analyst for CNN, has made a name for himself for his hostile confrontations at the White House. Last year, his press credential was pulled by the administration after he provoked former White House aide Sebastian Gorka and other Trump supporters who were invited to the White House.
After a legal battle, Karem's press credentials were restored. | 4 |
The Federation of Associations of Private School Administrators (FAPSA) on Friday expressed dismay on the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) that classes should resume in September.
The group said that its member-schools will cease to exist if September opening shall be mandated, noting that if that happens, the problem of private schools may not be the lack of students but lack of teachers.
“It has to be understood that our teachers are hardly included in any amelioration projects of the government,” said FAPSA president Eleazardo Kasilag.
This comes after The IATF-MEID on Friday said that the opening of classes for the next school year should be scheduled in September, except for online learning.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, however, said that higher education institutions in areas under general community quarantine may continue classes to finish the academic year.
The group has asked the Department of Education to help private schools to coordinate with IATF-EID to include teachers from private schools in small business wage subsidy.
“We were left out in COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program, the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) Emergency Subsidy Program and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. This is indeed an oasis in the barren desert,” Kasilag said. “The teachers of our small and medium size member schools are crying for their survival right now.”
Kasilag stressed that private schools are not business entities as they are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as non-stock, non-profit and they survive on tuition fees.
“We have big collectibles that we missed to get because classes are stopped in March,” Kasilag said. “FAPSA schools did not hold final exams and we did not hold graduation exercises. These two major events in schools are the culmination of school year 2019-2020 but they did not take place and they are also incentives for the indebted parents to pay arrearages.”
He stressed that from March to September are just seven long months when private school teachers will not receive anything.
“How will they survive? These are professional teachers wallowing in poverty. Their counterparts in public schools have no problem. I understand, public school teachers enjoy lavish food on table as seen on Facebooks showing off at the envy of their starving friends from the private schools,” said Kasilag. | A federation of private schools yesterday said it is set to resume classes in June instead of September as recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
In a zoom consultation among officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) held under the auspices of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools Administrators (FAPSA), the group declared its intention to open most classes for school year 2020-2021 in June instead of the DepEd decision to resume classes in August or IATF recommendation to hold classes in September.
Eleazardo Kasilag, the group’s president, said FAPSA member-schools can hold online classes for the entire school year, stressing that “private schools have better program in tablet education where teachers are trained to the set up and the connectivity is strong and the modules for the curriculum is available.”
“FAPSA member-schools have sound connectivity and the students have the required gadget to allow them to catch up with modular lessons installed in the gadget. Some private schools have been doing this tablet education almost a decade ago. Our teachers are also exposed to this and may need only refresher course,” he said.
Kasilag noted that early enrolment also facilitates teachers’ financial handicap, which rendered them idle and penniless since the lockdown began in mid-March.
“We need to attend to them subsequently school administrators are also helpless as both of us are victims of COVID-19,” he said. | 2 |
Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said the patient had returned from the USA on March 15. (PTI photo for representation)
Amid the Covid-19 outbreak and countrywide lockdown, the Indian Army has announced a new set of measures to curtail the spread of coronavirus. The measures include shutting of the Canteen Stores Department (CSD), which is a source of essentials, in 82 districts under lockdown across India.
The Army has decided that grocery and essential items will be home delivered to avoid crowding at canteens. In a fresh advisory on Monday, the Army announced that movement will be restricted following the lockdown of the country.
"These restrictions are in place in all establishments, cantonments, formations, units in the 82 districts that are under lockdown," the Indian Army said.
"Only personnel engaged in essential services like medical establishments, fire, electricity, water supply, communication, post offices, and sanitation continue to work," the Army advisory said.
The Army advisory further mentioned that all tasks related to response to Covid-19 should continue without hindrance.
"At the Ministry of Defence and Indian Army Headquarters, only essential sections and offices to function on a daily basis and rest will work from home," the Indian Army said in the statement.
Further, it stated that conferences and seminars would be postponed and routine meetings and movements will also be restricted.
In the advisory, the force has highlighted that personnel attending office will adhere to staggered timings.
Moreover, in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19, the Army has instituted mechanism to trace contact-history. Each individual has been asked to maintain daily contact log.
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Also Watch | Will 'Janata Curfew' be a game-changer in battle against coronavirus? | NEW DELHI: The restrictions imposed by the army on its personnel and formations in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak is posing challenges to its internal functioning.Extension of leave for soldiers and placing those who recently returned on quarantine have created a shortage of manpower that is affecting the turnover of troops for daily, security and administrative duties. While this is also affecting the training routines of troops, reduction in attendance at the headquarters is set to slow down other work as well, said officials.The steps are aimed at ensuring social distancing and preventing contagion. It has created an unprecedented situation, forcing the army to improvise, especially because troops eat, sleep and train together within confined spaces. For example, one particular unit has now divided troops into teams that live in different areas, while ensuring that only one team uses the common toilets at a time. Training is conducted in small batches, and the equipment is sanitised every time it is used.The army on Monday issued fresh instructions to all its military stations, cantonments, units and formations in the 82 districts under lockdown. These include restricted movements, functioning of only those personnel engaged in essential services and the closure of all CSD canteens Officials said the reduction in manpower in some of the army’s formations was due to the extension of leave of soldiers till April 15 and placing those who recently returned on quarantine. Those who are going on leave due to an emergency in their families will be sent for a minimum period of 30 days. “We are in a situation where we are slightly less in strength. It affects day-to-day functioning, administrative and security duties. There is an increase in the workload of those on guard duties, because there is less turnover of troops,” an official said.The manpower also gets affected because troops are tasked with manning the quarantine facilities setup by the army. However, officials said the situation was not “alarming”, would not affect operational efficiency and that it was necessary due to the pandemic.Work at the army headquarters in Delhi has also started slowing down, following the army’s Friday advisory of reducing attendance in offices and starting the work from home concept. Last week, the army passed instructions that 35% officers and 50% junior commissioned officers (JCO) and other ranks (OR) would work from home for a week from Monday, while the next group would do this starting March 30. The lockdown in Delhi is also affecting the travel of those personnel who stay in Gurgaon and Uttar Pradesh.“Work at the headquarters has slowed, as we are working with bare essentials. The deadline for work such as submitting reports will be extended. Only emergency work will continue as it was,” an official said.The army’s complaints section for now will only be dealing with cases that are urgent. Officials said rosters had been created to divide the staff between those who work at home and those who come to the office. However, it remains to be seen what work will be given to those working from home, because files cannot be taken home due to confidentiality issues. Several issues also cannot be communicated over email due to cybersecurity threats. Moreover, JCOs and ORs are mainly clerks who are part of the filing system for letters and documents, which can be done only from the offices.Officials said training of troops had also reduced. However, this will not affect operational preparedness, because it is for a short duration and can be made up later.In relation to the unit mentioned earlier, training of troops has become more “concentrated”, because smaller batches are being trained. “This has given us an opportunity to train better. Training small groups ensures that everyone’s doubts are cleared and attention is given to each aspect. But due to the pandemic, we have to sanitise an equipment every time it is used,” an official said.This type of training comes after troops were divided into small teams that maintained a distance of 200 metre between each other. It is also being ensured that distances are being maintained between troops of a team. “Only one team can use a bathroom at a time. After the team is done, the bathroom is sanitised and only then can the other team use it. We also have separate timings for eating at the cookhouse for the teams,” the official said.A major concern for the army stations and cantonments, which are isolated areas in a city, is the civilian manpower that is coming from outside. For example, washing points and blow drying of clothes have been setup outside the gates of one of the cantonments for this manpower. | 3 |
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Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration has requested an emergency supply of the drugs President Trump touted as having success treating patients with severe symptoms of the novel coronavirus, in a reversal from the state's directive to medical professionals last week to avoid the medication for this purpose.
Michigan, this week, requested hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine from the Strategic National Stockpile for physicians to use to help treat patients with COVID-19, after the Food and Drug Administration over the weekend granted an emergency use authorization for the anti-malarial drugs.
FDA OKs EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION OF DRUGS TOUTED BY TRUMP TO FIGHT COVID-19
But last week, Whitmer’s administration threatened physicians prescribing the drugs, saying they were subject to “administrative action” should they continue to use the medication.
“The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs has received multiple allegations of Michigan physicians inappropriately prescribing hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine to themselves, family, friends, and/or coworkers without a legitimate medical purpose,” Deb Gagliardi, the director of the Bureau of Professional Licensing, and Forrest Pasanski, the director of the Enforcement Division, wrote in a letter to “licensed prescribers and dispensers.”
“Prescribing hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine without further proof of efficacy for treating COVID-19 or with the intent to stockpile the drug may create a shortage” for those patients who need the drug for its approved use, adding that “reports of this conduct will be evaluated and may be further investigated for administrative action.
“Again, these drugs have not been proven scientifically or medically to treat COVID-19.”
“Michigan pharmacists may see an increased volume of prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine and should take special care to evaluate the prescriptions’ legitimacy,” they continued, warning again that “licensed health professionals are required to report inappropriate prescribing practices.”
Michigan wasn’t the only state last week to threaten physicians using the drugs—Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak’s administration also restricted the prescription of the medication, after a man died and his wife was hospitalized for using a fish tank cleaning additive with a similar name as a substitute.
"While the two drugs have necessary medical purposes, there is no conclusive evidence at this time among COVID-19 experts or Nevada's own medical health advisory team that the drugs provide treatment for COVID-19 patients," Sisolak said in a statement last week.
But Michigan reversed course, requesting a supply of the medications for physicians to use in treating patients of COIVD-19, after the Department of Health and Human Services received and accepted donations of the medications to the national stockpile to be used for coronavirus treatment.
“President Trump is taking every possible step to protect Americans from the coronavirus and provide them with hope,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. “Scientists in America and around the world have identified multiple potential therapeutics for COVID-19, including chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine.”
He added: “The President’s bold leadership and the hard work of FDA and HHS’s Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response have succeeded in securing this large donation of medicine. We’ll continue working around the clock to get American patients access to therapeutics that may help them battle COVID-19, while building the evidence to evaluate which options are effective.”
The FDA’s emergency use authorization allows hydroxychloroquine sulfate and chloroquine phosphate products donated to the national stockpile “to be distributed and prescribed by doctors to hospitalized teen and adult patients with COVID-19, as appropriate, when a clinical trial is not available or feasible.”
WHITMER SAYS STATES ARE IN A BIDDING WAR OVER MEDICAL SUPPLIES AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Hydroxychloroquine sulfate and chloroquine phosphate are oral prescription drugs approved to treat malaria and other diseases. HHS says there currently are no approved treatments for COVID-19, but that both drugs have “shown activity in laboratory studies against coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19).”
“Anecdotal reports suggest that these drugs may offer some benefit in the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients,” HHS said in a statement. “Clinical trials are needed to provide scientific evidence that these treatments are effective.”
Meanwhile, Whitmer, who has been a fierce critic of the president, said last week that states are being forced to bid with one another for personal protective equipment (PPE) and, in some cases, contracts in place have been set aside, delayed or canceled and the goods are instead going to the federal government.
“We the states are trying to actively get every piece of PPE that we can. We're bidding against one another and, in some cases, the federal government is taking priority,” she said.
Whitmer added: “We've got to keep working to get all of these other pieces of equipment and when we're bidding against one another, it's creating a lot of frustration and concern.”
As of Thursday morning, the U.S. reported more than 216,700 positive cases of COVID-19 and more than 5,130 deaths.
Fox News' Andrew O'Reilly, Ryan Gaydos, and The Associated Press contributed to this report. | [Ed. – Having trouble making her mind up.]
Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration has requested an emergency supply of the drugs President Trump touted as having success treating patients with severe symptoms of the novel coronavirus, in a reversal from the state’s directive to medical professionals last week to avoid the medication for this purpose.
Michigan, this week, requested hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine from the Strategic National Stockpile for physicians to use to help treat patients with COVID-19, after the Food and Drug Administration over the weekend granted an emergency use authorization for the anti-malarial drugs.
But last week, Whitmer’s administration threatened physicians prescribing the drugs, saying they were subject to “administrative action” should they continue to use the medication.
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“The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs has received multiple allegations of Michigan physicians inappropriately prescribing hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine. … | 4 |
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump went off on the Democrats and their attempts to turn the 2020 election into an all-mail-in affair, complete with all of the opportunities fraudsters needs to tilt the results any way they might choose.
“There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent,” tweeted the president. “Mail boxes will be robbed, ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed.”
Instead of giving Trump space to air his opinions and predictions about this scheme, Twitter took it upon themselves to throw their objectivity away and slap a “fact check” label on the tweet. This label linked to a paragraph assuring users that there was “no evidence” of widespread fraud connected to mail-in voting, all but suggesting that the president is lying to the American people.
Predictably, this raised Trump’s ire. “@Twitter is now interfering in the 2020 Presidential Election. They are saying my statement on Mail-In Ballots, which will lead to massive corruption and fraud, is incorrect, based on fact-checking by Fake News CNN and the Amazon Washington Post.”
In addition to sticking their noses in where they aren’t wanted and don’t belong, Twitter actually made a fool of themselves by trying to “fact check” the president.
First of all, since this is the first tweet that they’ve done this to, we assume that every single thing that Trump has written up till this Tuesday is 100% true. That certainly goes against what his critics in the mainstream media have been saying for the last four years.
Second, Twitter is endangering their status as a “platform,” which gives them all kinds of liability protections that would not be available to them if they were deemed a “publisher.” Right now, Twitter is exempt from defamation and libel lawsuits based on what people on their platform say. They aren’t responsible for what’s written there. But if they’re going to wade into the fray and start labeling posts true and false, then that may change in a hurry.
Finally, if Twitter is going to fact-check the President of the United States, they should probably make sure they have their facts straight. In 2005, a bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform found that “absentee ballots remain the largest source of potential voter fraud” in the United States. Just this week, in fact, the Alabama secretary of State confirmed that 83% of the voter fraud his state has seen in the last five years has come from mail-in ballots.
Maybe it’s too much to ask that Twitter fact-check their fact-checks. And, to be clear, we’re actually NOT asking them to do so. We’d much prefer they go back to minding their own business and letting people do their own research. But if they want to take on this burden, they need to be prepared. So far, they’ve only succeeded in embarrassing themselves. | People's militia to be created in Belarus
Mass grave of decapitated bodies found in Congo
Criminal cases launched against two opposition MPs
Protesters demanding Armenian PM'ss resignation blocks Noyemberyan-Voskepar road
NATO defense ministers meeting with participation of Ukraine to be held on June 15-16
Turkish Defense Minister visits Azerbaijan
NEWS.am digest: Aliyev speaks about Karabakh conflict and delimitation issue with Armenia
Karabakh president calls to release opposition politician
Japan seeks to dramatically increase its military potential
Experts assess impact on Armenia of transition to payments for Russian gas in rubles
Margaret Atwood reveals burn-proof edition of The Handmaid's Tale
Karabakh MPs issues statement amid Avetik Chalabyan's arrest
China: Taiwan issue does not tolerate external interference
Pashinyan to Kopyrkin: The format of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship is important in Karabakh conflict settlement
G7 countries agree to take action to stop rising energy prices
EAEU starts talks on FTA with Indonesia
EU developing plans to ration gas supplies in event of complete suspension of gas supplies from Russia
President Harutyunyan receives delegation led by Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo
G7 countries pledge to work towards phasing out polluting energy
French Ambassador wishes Azerbaijani government to continue peace talks
Australia warns of regional implications of Solomon Islands security pact with China
Aliyev: There is no word Nagorno-Karabakh, and the last Brussels meeting once again demonstrated this
Aliyev: If we define borders with Armenia, what status of Nagorno-Karabakh can we talk about?!
Azerbaijani ombudswoman demands 'to take thorough measures against Armenia'
G7 countries reach specific agreements on phasing out coal energy
Dollar, euro rise slightly in Armenia
Ilham Aliyev voices another batch of territorial claims against Armenia
AP: Western allies are considering letting 'Russian oligarchs buy way out of sanctions'
Putin supports extension of free trade agreement between Iran and Eurasian Union
Pashinyan: Armenia is interested in concluding agreement between Iran, Eurasian Union
Armenian Defense Minister receives commander of Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh
Turkey expects Sweden and Finland to take 'concrete action'
Boris Johnson says Russia is making slow but palpable progress in eastern Ukraine
Azerbaijani MP appeals to non-existent Human Rights Watch report to accuse Armenia
Sweden, Finland's aspirations to join NATO won't require deployment of additional US troops
Representatives of Resistance Movement organize car rallies in various regions of Armenia
World Bank to provide $500 million to Turkey to support COVID-19 efforts
Armenia PM and French Ambassador discuss Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement process
Citizens demanding Pashinyan's resignation block the road to Georgia
Lavrov: Western countries do not abandon attempts to set peoples of former Soviet Union against each other
Protesters block Yerevan-Sevan road
Japan to ease border restrictions further from 10 June
Turkey recruits Afghans to fight on side of Ukraine
Armenia Parliament speaker receives delegation headed by Montenegro President
Reuters: US and Ukraine discuss risk of escalation as new weapons expand capabilities
Mayor of Paris arrives in Yerevan on official visit
Azerbaijani authorities propose to hold meeting of Turkic Speaking Countries in occupied Shushi
Armenia Ambassador to France and Mayor of Cannes discuss Karabakh situation
Pallone says US should not hesitate to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its unprovoked aggression against Artsakh
Food prices in Armenia increased by 14.3%
Armenia PM's wife meets with businessman and co-owner of Franck Muller company
Armenia PM sends congratulatory message to Uruguay President
US to approve supply of long-range missile systems to Ukraine
Armenia President holds number of meetings in Davos, introducing country's development programs
NATO countries informally agree not to supply tanks and combat aircraft to Ukraine
EEU leaders to take part in meeting of Supreme Eurasian Economic Council
WhatsApp to change rules for handling confidential messages
Twitter investors sue billionaire Elon Musk
Hungary needs 3.5 to 4 years to give up Russian oil
German authorities plan to suspend pandemic rules for summer entry
Africa: 1.8 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty due to crisis in Ukraine
Shell is negotiating with consortium of Indian energy companies to sell its stake in Sakhalin-2
Turkish Security Council says 'operation' in Syria 'is not directed against territorial integrity of country'
Former Louvre president faces preliminary charges of fraud and money laundering
Senegal hospital fire kills 11 babies
NEWS.am digest: Azerbaijan returns Armenian soldier, Armenia’s 1st satellite launched into space
Greece tells UN Secretary General Turkey is challenging its sovereignty
Ishkhan Saghatelyan introduces action plan for coming days
Blinken says US considers China long-term challenge to global order
G7 countries could lead way in phasing out coal
Albania offers Naval base to NATO
Resistance Movement rally starts on France Square
Soldier Eduard Martirosov, handed over by Azerbaijani side, already in Yerevan
Twitter to pay $150 million for leaking user data
Resistance movement ends its protest outside government building
EU states announce freezing of about EUR 23 billion of assets of Russian Central Bank
Saghatelyan announces successful rally outside Armenian government building
Over $6.2 million assigned to Armenian National Security Service
Armenia imposes 6-month ban on exports of some agricultural products
Robert Habeck: EU can still strike a deal on an embargo on Russian oil imports
Montenegro President pays tribute to Armenian Genocide victims in Yerevan
Saghatelyan: From now on Pashinyan will see people only from behind iron curtain
Olaf Scholz: 'Putin must not win this war'
Resistance Movement Procession approaches Armenian Government building
Police try to prevent Resistance Movement procession from approaching Armenian government building
Bayramov: We expect that specific document will be presented at next meeting
Dollar, euro continue to fall in Armenia
Macron highlights need to respect sovereign choice of Sweden and Finland
Pashinyan receives director of International alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas
Inflation in Zimbabwe exceeds 100% per annum in May
Resistance Movement starts procession in Yerevan
Over half of Americans favor tougher gun laws
Iran offers to organize negotiations between Russia and Ukraine
Azerbaijan FM does not rule out new phone conversations with Armenia FM
Queensland becomes second Australian state to ban Nazi symbols
Montenegro President arrives in Armenia
Putin proposes to form strategy for Eurasian Union economic development
Putin sees no problem in some IT specialists moving from Russia to Armenia
Georgia President calls referendum in South Ossetia provocation by Russia
Putin names share of settlements in national currencies in the EAEU | 4 |
Goats, cats, and all sizes of dogs strutted their stuff for the residents of Good Shepherd Health Center and Cornerstone Assisted Living on Friday.
Dozens of animals, many dressed in costumes, and their handlers, made their way around the facilities, waving at residents through the windows, as part of a "pet parade," which wrapped up a stretch of activities commemorating National Skilled Nursing Care and Staff Appreciation week at Good Shepherd.
A parade of people and cars was also held Thursday, giving residents a chance to wave and greet participants from the safety of the sidewalk.
Activities Director Jessica Hanson said the staff has been working really hard and thinking outside the box when it comes to keeping the residents busy and content during the COVID-19 shutdown.
"It has not been an easy task, by any means, just trying to keep the folks happy and keep the smiles on their faces," Hanson said. "So, I think this definitely helped. I hope it did, anyway."
Hanson said the community has been very supportive of the residents and staff, with businesses and community members dropping off various donations, such as masks, activities, and snacks.
"I think everyone realized that we're all in this together," said Hanson. "I mean, just...everybody...I don't even know how to thank you."
Lisa Grouette is a Photographer + Breaking News, Crime and Courts Reporter for the Globe Gazette. Contact Lisa at 641-421-0525 or lisa.grouette@globegazette.com. Follow her on Twitter @LisaGrouette
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Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. | Many kinds of fish should be biting in Erie area over holiday weekend | 1 |
Chanceller Rishi Sunak has announced a £9 billion package of support to give self-employed people up to £2,500 a month to help them cope with the effects of coronavirus.
The Chancellor tonight said the scheme, which will be open for at least three months, will cover 80 per cent of a self-employed person's average monthly profits.
But it may not be available until June and will only be available to those who have a tax return for 2019, meaning the newly self-employed will be ineligible.
And Mr Sunak warned that the self-employed could face tax hikes in the future as part of the effort to "right the ship" and repair the battered public finances after the coronavirus crisis is over.
Details of the scheme came as the Department of Health announced a total of 578 people who have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK have died as of 5pm on March 25.
Some 11,658 people have tested positive in the UK as of 9am on March 26.
Mr Sunak's scheme will be open to those with a trading profit of less than £50,000 in 2018-19 or an average trading profit of less than £50,000 from 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19.
To qualify, more than half of their income in these periods must come from self-employment.
Up to 3.8 million people will qualify for support, with average monthly payments expected to be £940 per person.
Mr Sunak said the scheme, which will last for at least three months, "is one of the most generous in the world".
"It targets support to those who need help most, offering the self-employed the same level of support as those in work."
He said the measure covers 95 per cent of people who receive the majority of their income from self-employment.
But in a hint that the self-employed could be asked to pay more to the taxman in future he said it was "now much harder to justify" the tax breaks on offer to the self-employed if they were receiving the same level of state support.
He said everyone would be "chipping in together to right the ship afterwards" once the crisis is over.
A number of self-employed workers welcomed the Chancellor's measures but expressed concern about having to wait until June to claim.
Louise Barina, a production manager who lives in London, said: "After having spoken to our landlord, he has outright said no, that we can't get a delay on our rent.
"In terms of the payment coming in June, that's really problematic for us as that's obviously three months of payment where we need to find the money for that."
Meanwhile the Department of Health said revising its reporting approach for coronavirus deaths "to ensure data can be verified and published in a timely, consistent way".
A statement on Twitter said: "Figures issued today are recorded as of 5pm on March 24 to 5pm on March 25.
"Going forwards, figures on deaths will be recorded for the 24-hour period as of 5pm the previous day. Figures on tests remain as of the 24-hour period from 9am that day." | The newly launched Reviews of Public Bodies programme will examine the operations of all arm’s-length bodies in England, including the Arts Council, the BFI, the National Lottery Community Fund and Historic England, to assess whether "they should be abolished or retained" | 4 |
On the Sensex chart, Bajaj Finance was the top loser, dropping 4.63%
A stock broker reacts as he watches share prices on the BSE Sensex in Mumbai down by 700 points on January 6, 2020
On the Sensex chart, Bajaj Finance was the top loser, dropping 4.63%
The BSE benchmark Sensex crashed by nearly 788 points and the NSE Nifty tumbled around 234 points on Monday as heightened tensions in the Middle East kept investors on edge.
The 30-share BSE index ended at 40,676.63, dropping of 787.98 points, or 1.90%. Similarly, the broader Nifty closed at 11,993.05, falling by 233.60 points, or 1.91%.
On the Sensex chart, Bajaj Finance was the top loser, dropping 4.63%, followed by SBI, IndusInd Bank, Maruti, HDFC, Hero MotoCorp, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank and Reliance Industries. Bucking the broader trend, only Titan and PowerGrid ended with gains.
Domestic market witnessed intense selloff in line with global stocks after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran of major retaliation if Tehran carries out any attack against America to avenge the killing of top military commander Qasem Soleimani and hinted at striking its cultural sites. His statement came hours after Iran announced it will no longer abide by the limits contained in the 2015 landmark nuclear deal.
He also threatened to impose “very big sanctions” on Iraq if it follows through on a parliament vote calling for the expulsion of US troops based in the country.
“Indian market is reacting more negatively than other emerging markets due to crude oil impact. Since our dependence on crude imports as a percentage of consumption is the highest, the impact on economy and markets is also higher,” said Rusmik Oza, Sr. VP (Head of Fundamental Research-PCG), Kotak Securities. “Along with crude, the negative impact of currency is also weighing on Indian markets.”
Brent crude oil futures surged nearly 2% to $69.81. The Rupee depreciated 24 paise against the U.S. Dollar to 72.04 (intra-day).
Bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul ended lower. European markets were also trading in negative terrain in early sessions. | While HDFC Bank, IndusIndia Bank, RIL, Tata, SBI gained, leading tech stocks were trading in the red.
A view of the BSE building in Mumbai. | File
While HDFC Bank, IndusIndia Bank, RIL, Tata, SBI gained, leading tech stocks were trading in the red.
Equity benchmark BSE Sensex rebounded nearly 500 points in opening session on Tuesday as global investors calmed on no further escalation in the mid-east tensions.
After hitting a high of 41,135.47, the 30-share BSE index was trading 450 points or 1.11 per cent higher at 41,126.63. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty rallied 132.25 points or 1.10 per cent to 12,125.30.
HDFC Bank was the gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying up to 2.16 per cent, followed by IndusInd Bank, Relinace Industries, Tata Steel, SBI and Axis Bank.
On the other hand, Tech Mahindra, TCS, Infosys and HCL Tech were trading in the red.
In the previous session, the 30-share gauge ended at 40,676.63, dropping of 787.98 points, or 1.90 per cent. Similarly, the Nifty closed at 11,993.05, falling by 233.60 points, or 1.91 per cent.
Meanwhile, on a net basis, foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 103.84 crore, and domestic institutional investors offloaded shares worth Rs 23.70 crore on Monday, data available with stock exchanges showed.
According to traders, domestic investors followed Asian stocks that rebounded after a day of no escalation in the US-Iran tussle.
The Pentagon on Monday distanced itself from U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertions that he would bomb Iranian cultural sites despite international prohibitions on such attacks.
Following the news, Brent crude futures fell 1.20 per cent to USD 68.08.
Bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul were trading in the green.
Exchanges on Wall Street too ended on a positive note on Monday.
Meanwhile, the rupee appreciated 20 paise to 71.73 against the US dollar in morning session. | 2 |
Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa took to Instagram to share a heartbreaking video of the basketball icon talking about coaching their daughter Gianna
Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa pays tribute to icon and their daughter two months after tragedy
Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa has paid a touching tribute to the icon and their daughter Gianna two months after their tragic deaths.
Vanessa took to her Instagram account on Thursday to share a heartbreaking video of Kobe talking about coaching Gianna.
Gianna, and Kobe lost their lives in a helicopter crash in January, exactly two months before Vanessa posted the tribute.
The 13-year-old was an aspiring basketball player and Kobe, who played for the Lakers, coached her Amateur Athletic Union team.
In the video shared by Vanessa, Kobe said: "She started out playing soccer, which is one of my favorite sports as well.
Image: WireImage) WireImage)
"But then, when she asked about learning the game of basketball, I started teaching her piece by piece, and she started enjoying it and loving it and now she plays every day.
"It's been a joy to watch her grow and to be there every day for that process.
"Her temperament is a lot like mine. She’s extremely competitive, very fiery, and backs down from no challenge."
In the clip Kobe says Gianna is "a good mix of me and good mix of her mama, so that makes her even more competitive than I am."
Vanessa captioned the post with two broken heart emojis.
It comes after she spoke at Kobe and Gianna's memorial last month.
Speaking about Kobe, Vanessa said: "He was mine. He was my everything. Kobe and I had been together since I was 17 years old.
"I was his first girlfriend, his first love, his wife, his best friend, his confidante and his protector. He was the most amazing husband. Kobe loved me more than I could ever express or put into words."
Vanessa also paid honour to Gianna and revealed what she has been missing.
She said: "I miss her sweet kisses, her cleverness, her sarcasm, her wit and that adorable sly side smile followed with a grin and burst of laughter.
"Gigi was sunshine. She brightened up my day every day. I miss looking at her beautiful face. She was always so good, a rule follower. I knew I could always count on her to do the right thing." | Susanna Osborne, more affectionately known as Sukii, serves as an Associate Entertainment Editor for iOne Digital. The Spanish Harlem native got her start in blogging back in 2010 when she began covering Hip Hop’s rising stars for GlobalGrind. Music (and entertainment at large) are spaces Sukii continues to focus on as a writer, but her pen game knows no bounds. Since starting at iOne Digital in 2014, the Spelman College alum has contributed to the majority of iOne brands, often venturing into controversial topics such as women's rights, sex, and race relations. Follow her on Instagram and stay tuned.
Today, fans, family, and loved ones got together at the Staples Center to celebrate the lives of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna Bryant. The world was shocked when the two were reported dead, alongside seven others, after a fatal helicopter crash last month. Now, after a private funeral and several tributes, fans of the legend and legend-in-the-making got a chance to say their farewells.
Following a beautiful opening by Beyoncé, who sang her songs “XO” and “Halo,” Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa bravely took to the stage to share some sweet words about her fallen angels. She remembered Gianna as intelligent, silly, and athletically skilled, calling the 13-year-old a “sweet and gentle soul.”
“Gigi was very competitive like her daddy, but Gianna had a sweet grace about her. Her smile was like sunshine. Her smile took up her entire face like mine — Kobe always said she was me. She had my fire. My personality and sarcasm. She was tender and loving on the inside. She had the best laugh. It was infectious. It was pure and genuine,” Vanessa said of their daughter.
She remembered Kobe as a doting father who put his family first. She described him as a romantic and said she dreamed of growing old with him.
“God knew they couldn’t be on this earth without each other. He had to bring them home to heaven together,” Vanessa said, adding “Babe, you take care of our Gigi.” May Kobe and Gianna rest in peace. Our prayers are with Vanessa and the girls at this time. | 3 |
The Dutch foreign minister is scheduled to hold meetings with President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The talks will be focused on bilateral, regional and international issues.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited The Hague in November to attend the third round of political talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Netherlands. The Iranian diplomat held a meeting with Blok on issues of mutual interest.
Relations between Tehran and Amsterdam have soured in the past few years following the European country’s expulsion of two Iranian diplomats in June 2018, and Tehran’s reciprocal measure in February 2019.
MNA/IRN83680586 | TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The Netherlands' Foreign Minister Stef Blok is slated to pay an official visit to Iran on Friday and Saturday and hold talks with senior officials of the Islamic Republic on issues of mutual interest.
- Politics news -
In a statement on Wednesday, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Dutch top diplomat will meet with President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The talks will be focused on bilateral, regional and international issues, according to the statement.
The visit would come as relations between Tehran and Amsterdam have soured in the past few years following the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats from the Netherlands in June 2018 and Tehran's reciprocal measure in February 2019.
After Iran's expulsion of two Dutch diplomats, the Netherlands summoned its ambassador to Tehran to hold consultations, and summoned the Iranian ambassador, describing the act as "unacceptable" and "having negative consequences" for bilateral relations.
The Dutch foreign ministry had earlier in June expelled the two Iranian diplomats. | 4 |
A Gokwe man, Evans Ngwenya (20) allegedly fatally struck his Zambian business partner, Paul Banda, with a log and fractured his skull following a dispute over the sharing of profits after the two had sold fish.
The Chronicle reports that Banda succumbed to the injuries upon admission to Siabuwa clinic. The publication also reports that the duo had a dispute at Sengwa Fishing Camp in Binga.
Ngwenya who is now facing a murder charge in connection with Banda’s death has since approached the High Court seeking bail pending trial.
The State, however, opposed the bail application arguing that there was no guarantee that Ngwenya would not abscond once released on bail. Representing the State, Ms Nokuthaba Ngwenya said:
The applicant is said to be from Gokwe and had visited Binga on fishing expedition and police are still making efforts to confirm his village of origin. It would, therefore, be risky to release him on bail because there is a likelihood of absconding.
She added that there was overwhelming evidence against the accused and the investigations have been completed hence releasing him would not serve justice.
The amount of money which te duo was fighting for is not known.
More: The Chronicle | A Zimbabwean man allegedly killed his Zambian business partner by striking him with a log following a heated dispute over the sharing of profits after the two had sold fish.
The 20-yer-old, Evans Ngwenya allegedly struck Paul Banda twice with a log and struck his skull following a dispute at Sengwa Fishing Camp in Binga.
Banda succumbed to the injuries upon admission to Siabuwa clinic.
Ngwenya was ccharged with murder and has since approached the High Court seeking bail pending trial.
In his bail application, Ngwenya offered to pay $200 bail and to continue residing at his given address until the case has been finalized.
He also offered to surrender his canoe as surety.
The State opposed the bail application, arguing that there was no guarantee that the accused person wouldn’t flee if given bail
“The applicant is said to be from Gokwe and had visited Binga on fishing expedition and police are still making efforts to confirm his village of origin. It would therefore be risky to release him on bail because there is a likelihood of absconding,” said Ms Ngwenya.
According to court papers, Ngwenya and Banda went on a fishing expedition at Sengwa Fishing Camp in Binga district where they had an altercation after arguing on the fish sale profits.
During their fight, Ngwenya picked a log and struck Banda twice on the head.
He sustained head injuries and he was taken to Siabuwa Clinic the following day where he succumbed to the injuries.
A report was made at the police leading to Ngwenya’s arrest.
According to the post mortem report the cause of death was skull fracture and assault.
(Visited 35 times, 1 visits today) | 4 |
General News of Friday, 21 February 2020
Source: presidency.gov.gh
2020-02-21
play videoPresident Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says investor confidence in Ghana’s economy is growing following the competent management of the economy exhibited since 2017.
According to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, “in three years we have reduced inflation to its lowest level (7.8% in January 2020) since 1992. For the first time in over forty (40) years, we have had a fiscal deficit below five per cent (5%) of GDP for three years in a row.”
Additionally, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, indicated that “for the first time in over twenty (20) years, the balance of trade (that is the difference between our exports and imports) has been in surplus for three (3) consecutive years. Our current account deficit is shrinking, interest rates are declining, and the average annual rate of depreciation of the cedi is at its lowest for any first-term government in the Fourth Republic.”
He made this known on Thursday, 20th February, 2020, when he delivered a Message on the State of the Nation, in Parliament.
Economic growth, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said, has rebounded to place Ghana among the fastest growing economies in the world for three years in a row at an annual average of 7%, up from 3.4% in 2016, the lowest in nearly three decades.
“The international investor community has recognised this development, resulting in Ghana, today, being the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in West Africa. The sovereign credit rating agencies have upgraded our ratings, and also improved the outlook for this year, notwithstanding the fact that it is an election year,” he said.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo added, “This is a massive vote of confidence in the current management of the economy, as best illustrated by Ghana’s successful issue of the longest-dated Eurobond ever issued by a sub-Saharan African country, with investors placing fifteen billion United States dollars ($15 billion) of orders for Ghana’s forty-one (41) year Eurobond.”
The seven (7) year Bond, he explained, attracted the lowest coupon rates ever for Ghana at 6.375%, compared with the 9.25% Ghana had to pay for a similar Eurobond issue in 2016.
“No wonder Bloomberg, the reputable global financial media house, earlier this week, highlighted Ghana as the top candidate for an economic leap in Africa. This expression of confidence is important because it will lead to enhanced investments in our economy, and the accompanying greater numbers of jobs,” he added. | Business News of Friday, 21 February 2020
Source: classfmonline.com
2020-02-21
Akufo-Addo, Prez Ghana
President Nana Akufo-Addo has said Ghana, “for the first time in over 40 years”, has maintained “a fiscal deficit below five per cent of GDP for three years in a row”.
Delivering his State of the Nation Address to a one-sided Parliament on Thursday, 20 February 2020, Mr Akufo-Addo also said “in three years, we have reduced inflation to its lowest level (7.8% in January 2020) since 1992”.
“For the first time in over 20 years, the balance of trade (that is the difference between our exports and imports) has been in surplus for three (3) consecutive years.
“Our current account deficit is shrinking, interest rates are declining, and the average annual rate of depreciation of the cedi is at its lowest for any first term government in the Fourth Republic.
“Our economic growth has rebounded to place Ghana among the fastest growing economies in the world for three years in a row at an annual average of 7%, up from 3.4% in 2016, the lowest in nearly three decades”, the President said.
According to him, the international community has taken note of his government’s performance, “resulting in Ghana, today, being the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in West Africa”.
“The sovereign credit ratings agencies have upgraded our ratings, and also improved the outlook for this year, notwithstanding the fact that it is an election year.
“This is a massive vote of confidence in the current management of the economy, as best illustrated by Ghana’s successful issue of the longest-dated Eurobond ever issued by a sub-Saharan African country, with investors placing fifteen billion United States dollars ($15 billion) of orders for Ghana’s forty-one (41) year Eurobond.
“The seven (7) year Bond attracted the lowest coupon rates ever for Ghana at six point three-seven-five percent (6.375%), compared with the nine point two-five percent (9.25%) Ghana had to pay for a similar Eurobond issue in 2016. No wonder Bloomberg, the reputable global financial media house, earlier this week, highlighted Ghana as the top candidate for an economic leap in Africa.
“This expression of confidence is important because it will lead to enhanced investments in our economy, and the accompanying greater numbers of jobs”, he said. | 4 |
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed an executive order Friday pushing the state’s May 5 presidential primary to June 2, joining a growing group of governors who’ve postponed elections amid the coronavirus outbreak.
He said in the order that Secretary of State Connie Lawson had made known to him the “extreme difficulty” the state would face in holding the primary as scheduled while also complying with coronavirus guidance.
He, like many of his fellow governors, had already shuttered bars and restaurants in the state.
Indiana will now join the swelling rank of states that have pushed back their presidential primaries, including Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, Connecticut, Louisiana and Georgia.
Indiana has 79 confirmed cases of coronavirus so far, according to the state Department of Health. | Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced that his state was postponing its May 5 primary until June 2, making it the seventh state to postpone its presidential primary due to the spread of the coronavirus.
“It needed to be pushed back in order to, again, ensure the safety of our county employees, our poll workers and the voters themselves,” Holcomb said in a Friday press conference.
Indiana joins six other states who have already postponed their elections: Connecticut, Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Maryland and Ohio.
Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson also said she’d recommend to the state election commission that they suspend absentee balloting rules to allow all Indiana voters to vote absentee should they so choose, along with other recommendation that would make it easier for Hoosiers to vote. Indiana typically requires an excuse to vote via mail absentee ballots. Lawson said the recommendation would only apply to the June 2 elections.
Lawson said the election commission would meet March 25 to discuss the proposals. | 4 |
One lucky home in England got a huge Valentine’s Day surprise. It wasn’t an unexpected bouquet or a box of heart-shaped chocolates from a secret admirer, but a piece of art by the artist Banksy on the side of their building.
The work of art that now adorns a wall in Bristol, the home city of the artist known as Banksy, shows a stenciled girl firing an explosion of red flowers into the air using a slingshot. Kelly Woodruff, who co-owns the property had no idea her house had been hit by the artist until she was tagged in a photo on Facebook with someone asking if that was her house. “And we were like, ‘woah it is’,” she told The Guardian. “We are super excited.”
The pseudonymous artist confirmed the work was his by posting two images of it on his official Instagram account. Even before it was official, though, crowds had reportedly gathered to see what is now being called “the Valentine’s Day Banksy”.
Amidst the hubbub, the home owner is now trying to figure out how to protect and preserve the valuable piece of art that is on the side of her house. “There isn’t a handbook for these kind of scenarios,” she told The Guardian. “[W]e’ve never been in this situation so any advice is welcome.”
Contact us at letters@time.com. | (Newser) – The family who owns a house in southwest England where an artwork from Banksy appeared in time for Valentine's Day has covered the mural after it was defaced. Temporary fencing was also added Saturday to the home in Bristol and closed-circuit television has been installed to protect the artwork, which shows a young girl firing red flowers from a catapult. The elusive artist confirmed the mural as his creation on his official Instagram account on Feb. 14, reports the AP. It was later defaced by someone who wrote "BCC wankers," notes the Guardian, which has an image of the damage. Says a local, "It’s a real shame, but it was always going to happen, unfortunately."
Kelly Woodruff, the daughter of Edwin Simons, who owns the rented home on which the artwork appeared, said the family felt a “strong responsibility” to ensure that the artwork could be enjoyed by the general public. “Due to the mindless vandalism to the artwork, the family have taken the very difficult decision to cover the artwork to try to protect it,” she said. “All measures are temporary and we ask that the public are patient while we work out the best way to clean the damage, restore and protect it for the future, so everyone can enjoy Banksy's work.”
(Read more Banksy stories.) | 2 |
Twelve more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday. Of the new cases, six persons are from Kasaragod, five from Ernakulam and one from Palakkad. Total 40 persons have tested positive for COVID-19, out of them three have been discharged, the Chief Minister said.
There are 44,390 people under surveillance in the state. Of these, 44,165 are in isolation at home and total of 225 people are hospitalized. Vijayan said, "On Friday, 56 people were admitted. 13,632 people have now been admitted into isolation. 5570 people ... | Vijayan said all government offices in Kasaragod district would be closed for a week from tomorrow | PTI photo for representation
Twelve fresh cases of novel coronavirus were reported in Kerala on Friday, taking the total number of Covid-19 cases to 37, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.
While five cases were confirmed in Ernakulam, six were reported in Kasaragod and one case in Palakkad district, Vijayan told reporters after a COVID-19 review meeting here.
"Totally, 44,390 people are under observation, of which 44,165 are in home quarantine and 225 in isolation wards in hosiptals," he said.
Vijayan said all government offices in Kasaragod district would be closed for a week from tomorrow, while all places of worship and clubs will be shut.
Shops would remain open only from 11 am to 5 pm.
"We need to impose such restrictions in Kasaragod. We have issued an order. Two MLAs are under observation as they had come in contact with a positive case," he added.
Three positive cases had been treated and discharged from hospitals earlier. | 3 |
Rajiv Bansal
Air India
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Ministry of Petroleum
Ministry of Civil Aviation
New Delhi, Senior IAS officerwas on Thursday named the Chairman and Managing Director of national carrierThe Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Bansal's appointment as CMD of Air India in the rank and pay of an Additional Secretary.At present, Bansal, a 1988 batch officer of the Nagaland cadre, held the post of Additional Secretary,and Natural Gas. He succeeds Ashwani Lohani.In August 2017, he was given the additional charge as Air India's CMD.Additionally, he has had an earlier stint with the(MoCA) between 2006 and 2008. | New Delhi: Senior IAS officer Rajiv Bansal was Thursday named the CMD of national carrier Air India. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Bansal;s appointment as CMD of Air India in the rank and pay of an Additional Secretary.
At present, Bansal, a 1988 batch officer of the Nagaland cadre, held the post of Additional Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He succeeds Ashwani Lohani. In August 2017, he was given the additional charge as Air India’s CMD.
Bansal has had an earlier stint with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) between 2006 and 2008.
Now Bansal will have his task cut out as the government is going for 100% disinvestment of the national career. Very soon the government will put up Air India for sale. The move is being opposed by 14 unions of Air India. So Bansal will have to handle everything carefully.
Agencies | 4 |
The United Nations (U.N) has said that the fight against AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa has stalled as more and more countries in the region shift their attention to controlling the spread of COVID-19.
The U.N says that countries in the region have diverted resources meant to fight AIDS in controlling the coronavirus pandemic.
As a result, AIDS virus-related illnesses could claim more than half a million people.
In a joint report, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNAIDS warned that interruptions to HIV/AIDS treatment could “set the clock back by more than a decade to 2008 when more than 950,000 AIDS deaths were observed in the region”.
In 2018, an estimated 470,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa, the report says.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of WHO says; “The terrible prospect of half a million more people in Africa dying of Aids-related illnesses is like stepping back into history.”
We must read this as a wake-up call to countries to identify ways to sustain all vital health services, he added
Ghebreyesus says that there is need to ensure that global supplies of tests and treatments for both HIV and Tuberculosis reach the countries and communities that need them most.
“We should save people from Covid-19 and HIV and other life-threatening diseases.”
A six-month disruption in treatment services could lead to an excess of 471,000 to 673,000 AIDS-related deaths in one year, the report says, making it inevitable that the world would miss the global 2020 target of fewer than 500,000 fatalities from the disease worldwide.
According to WHO statistics, an estimated 25.7 million people in Sub- Saharan Africa were living with HIV in 2018, with 16.4 million (64 per cent) receiving antiretroviral therapy.
These people now risk having their treatment interrupted, the agencies warned, “because HIV services are closed or are unable to supply antiretroviral therapy because of disruptions to the supply chain, or because services simply become overwhelmed”.
The report also highlighted that disrupted services could reverse gains made in stemming mother-to-child transmission of HIV
Since 2010, new HIV infections among children in Sub-Saharan Africa have declined by 43 per cent (from 250,000 in 2010 to 140,000 in 2018), thanks to the high coverage of HIV services for mothers and their children in the region
Every death is a tragedy, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, observed.
“We cannot sit by and allow hundreds of thousands of people, many of them young, to die needless deaths.”
If HIV health services were stopped by COVID-19, the study indicates that several countries could see a drastic rise in new infections among children.
Byanyima says that the pandemic must not be an excuse to divert investment from HIV.
“There is a risk that the hard-earned gains of the Aids response will be sacrificed to the fight against Covid-19, but the right to health means that no one disease should be fought at the expense of the other.”
eashimwe@newtimesrwanda.com | Gains made in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission could be reversed due to interruptions caused by Covid-19.
New infection in children is expected to go up by 104 per cent.
Since 2010, HIV infection among children in Sub-Saharan Africa has declined by 43 per cent, from 250,000 in 2010 to 140,000 in 2018.
A new projection by a group of five teams convened by the World Health Organization and UNAIDS shows an urgent need to strategise to mitigate and overcome interruptions in health services during the Covid-19 crisis.
A six-month disruption of antiretroviral therapy could lead to at least 500,000 more deaths from Aids-related illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa between 2020 and 2021.
This would mean setting the clock on HIV-related deaths back to where they were in 2008. During the year, more than 950,000 Aids-related deaths were recorded in the sub-Saharan region.
According to WHO, an estimated 470,000 people died of Aids-related illnesses in the region in 2018.
People living with HIV are likely to get seriously sick if they contract the coronavirus when their immune system is compromised.
The projection estimates that failure to take urgent action could lead to more deaths for another five years.
“The terrible prospect of half a million more people in Africa dying of Aids-related illnesses is like stepping back into history,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“We must read this as a wake-up call to countries to identify ways to sustain all vital health services.”
The WHO boss commended countries already taking steps such as ensuring that people can collect bulk packs of treatment and other essential commodities, including self-testing kits from drop-off points.
“This relieves pressure on health services and the health workforce. We must also ensure that global supplies of tests and treatment continue to flow to the countries that need them,” Ghebreyesus said.
Kenya is among the countries that have allowed people living with HIV to get bulk stocks of ARVs that last them three months.
Health facilities in Nairobi have already implemented the directive, and some are dispensing drugs that can last up to six months.
Previously, only a few individuals with stable immunity were allowed to pick up enough drugs to last more than one month.
"To reduce clinic attendance and drug pickup frequencies, up to three-month multi-month dispensing of ARVs should be considered for all people living with HIV regardless of age and viral status," Nascop head Dr Catherine Ngugi said in a circular to all county executives for health.
It is estimated that in 2018, 25.7 million people were living with HIV and 16.4 million (around 64 per cent) in sub-Saharan Africa were undergoing antiretroviral therapy.
But according to the WHO, they are now at risk of having their treatment interrupted either because of the closure of HIV services, lack of ARVs caused by disruptions in the supply chain or overwhelmed services due to competing needs to support the Covid-19 response.
The research teams used different mathematical models to analyse the effects of possible disruptions to HIV testing, prevention and treatment services caused by Covid-19 in three or six months on Aids mortality and HIV incidence in Sub-Saharan Africa.
From the projection, a six-month disruption shows that Aids-related deaths in one year will range from 471,000 to 673,000.
This means that it will be inevitable for the world to miss the global 2020 target of fewer than 500,000 Aids-related deaths worldwide.
More sporadic interruptions of ART supply could lead to drug resistance, with long-term consequences for future treatment success in the region.
UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima has warned against using Covid-19 as an excuse to divert investments meant to go towards HIV programmes.
“There is a risk that the hard-earned gains of the AIDS response will be sacrificed to the fight against Covid-19, but the right to health means that no one disease should be fought at the expense of the other,” Byanyima said.
“Every death is a tragedy. We cannot sit and allow hundreds of thousands of people, many of them young, to die needless deaths.” | 4 |
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Members of an international criminal group, smuggling people from mainland Europe to the United Kingdom, had been intercepted at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport, the Finnish Border Guard said on Thursday.
The human traffickers were identified when a Swedish citizen and a Kuwaiti, who had used another person’s Swedish passport, were arrested at the airport in January.
The two men were on their way from Paris via Helsinki to London, the Border Guard said.
According to a preliminary investigation launched by the Crime Prevention Unit of the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District, it was not the Swedish man’s first such journey to Finland.
Between December 2019 and January 2020, he is suspected to have smuggled two other foreigners from Finland to the UK by using other people’s passports.
The investigation has also found that the Swedish citizen caught in Finland had applied for asylum in the UK as a Kuwaiti by providing false personal information to the local authorities.
The criminal offences under investigation in Finland are part of a series of operations, in which people have been smuggled from mainland Europe through various countries to the UK, the Border Guard said.
The acts are suspected to have been carried out by an influential professional smuggling ring in Sweden and the UK.
The criminal gang is suspected of having charged the trafficked persons around 8,000 euros ($8,600) for each trip.
During the investigation, close international cooperation was established with the support of Europol (the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation) and Eurojust (a European Union agency dealing with judicial cooperation in criminal matters).
Members of the smuggling ring have been caught in both Sweden and the UK, where local authorities conducted home searches and arrests.
A suspect in Finland, the Swedish citizen has been imprisoned since the end of January 2020 on suspicion of organising a serious illegal entry.
The investigation into the other members of the criminal ring continues in Finland and abroad, the Border Guard said.
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Print | Police suspect an international criminal gang has been trafficking people from mainland Europe to Britain via Finland.
A gang suspected of smuggling people from mainland Europe to Britain was uncovered in January when a Swedish citizen and a Kuwaiti citizen were stopped by border guards at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in possession of another Swedish citizen’s passport.
The two men were on their way from Paris to London via Helsinki, according to a statement issued by the Finnish Border Guard.
The Guard’s Crime Prevention Unit launched a preliminary investigation, and discovered that the Swedish man had visited Finland on at least two previous occasions. He is now suspected of smuggling two other people from Finland to Britain between December and January using other people's passports.
Police suspect the involvement of a people smuggling ring active in at least Sweden and the United Kingdom.
They believe the smugglers charge up to 8,000 euros per person transported from mainland Europe through various countries to the United Kingdom.
The initial investigation also revealed that the Swedish citizen stopped in Finland had applied for asylum in the United Kingdom as a Kuwaiti, providing false personal information to the UK authorities.
The false identity used by the suspect in Britain was revealed when his fingerprints were compared to the fingerprints of another Kuwaiti person, and they were found to be exactly the same. Authorities suspect the man created a false identity for himself in order to gain access to a disguise for people smuggling activities.
International cooperation
During the investigation, close international cooperation was established between Finnish authorities and police forces in other parts of Europe, with the support of Europol and Eurojust, an EU agency which oversees judicial cooperation between member states.
Authorities in both Sweden and Britain conducted home searches of suspected members of the smuggling ring and made a number of arrests. | 4 |
A Chinese man named Wang was reported to have contracted paragonimiasis, a parasitic infection, in Suqian, Jiangsu province of China after his regular diet consisted of water snails, crayfish, and raw snake’s gallbladder.
The Chinese man visited a respiratory doctor, Dr. Zhao Haiyan, after experiencing breathing difficulties, only to find that his lungs were infested with live snakes and worms. CT scan footage revealed a line-shaped infection in the man’s lungs. Paragonimiasis can be contracted from the consumption of unclean water containing tapeworms. Given that Wang ate raw seafood, he might have been infected by pathogens from such food.
Line shaped infection in Wang’s lungs (Photo Credits: Daily Mail)
When the doctors asked about his dietary habits, Mr Wang said that he enjoyed having seafood, such as crayfish and river snails. He also confessed that he even gobbled down a raw snake gallbladder once before.
Wet Markets in China
Generally, wet markets refer to the markets that sell fresh meat, fish, etc, but in China, these markets are known to sell the meat of wild animals, which are known sources of several deadly pathogens like the Wuhan Coronavirus. The scientific reports suggest that a 55-year-old woman from China’s Hubei province may have been the first person to have contracted COVID-19 through one such wet market.
Huanan Seafood Market in China’s Wuhan is believed to be the epicentre of coronavirus. Earlier, the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations to act against China’s wet markets. | Shruti Haasan shares 'creepy yet cute' COVID-19 meme, says 'bat haters - bats are not the problem' |
The novel coronavirus that originated from a wet market in China has affected 42,533 people in India alone. According to reports, scientists believe that the Covid-19 causing coronavirus first lurked in a bat in China and hopped to another animal, before getting passed on to humans. Ever since the global coronavirus pandemic, there has been antipathy and fear towards bats. Actress Shruti Haasan on Monday took to her Instagram to share a 'creepy yet cute' meme featuring the mammal and called out 'bat haters'.
Sharing the meme on her social media, she caprtioned it: "ME 🖤thanks @nerm for this 😁 now on a side note - bat haters - bats are not the problem - how we’ve lived and how we have been in interaction with other species is - just saying . Ok bye"
Check out her post here:
Reacting to the picture, a user wrote, "so true! Bats are not guilty. Its how humans have jeopardised the ecology around us. Bats have become mere medium but surely not the devil."
Another commented, "That bat definitely does not have Covid-19. It is ridden with cuteness"
"Something interesting and yes this is the way we have to follow in the future don't interfere mother nature and the species," read a comment.
For the unversed, scientists believe that the novel coronavirus first lurked in a bat in China and hopped to another animal, before getting passed on to humans.
Various reports suggest that a 55-year-old man from China's Hubei province was the first person to have contracted Covid-19 through a 'wet market'. Huanan Seafood Market in China's Wuhan is believed to be the source of the coronavirus pandemic that began in December last year, crossing from animals to humans. | 2 |
As India gears up to host the Trumps, US President Donald Trump is on his first official trip to the country along with US First Lady Melania Trump and daughter Ivanka. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Ahmedabad International Airport to receive Donald Trump and his family.
The two world leaders will hold a roadshow where a group of 15 students from Sabarmati Gurukulam, will perform Mallakhamba. After this, Modi and Trump will head to Motera Stadium, the world’s largest cricket ground, to take part in the ‘Namaste Trump’ event.
Being aboard the Air Force One flight, the American President is accompanied by a high-level delegation. Grand preparations have been made for the high-profile visit, expecting thousands of people coming to the streets of Ahmedabad to greet Narendra Modi and Donald Trump.
Later on, Trump along with US First Lady Melania will travel Agra to visit Taj Mahal, before arriving in the national capital. In New Delhi, Melania Trump will be visiting the city’s government schools. The two days official visit, 24 and 25 February, is a new seed to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two nations.
Have a look at the warm welcome given to Donald Trump:
Just before Trump’s arrival to India, see how via tweets, Modi welcomes the US President: | New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday will leave shortly for Ahmedabad, which is the first stop of US President Donald Trump's first official trip to India.
Trump, accompanied by his wife First Lady Melania, daughter Ivanka and a high-level delegation is scheduled to reach Ahmedabad around noon.
Modi along with Trump will address the 'Namaste Trump' event in the Motera Stadium, the world's largest cricket ground with a seating capacity of 1.10 lakh people.
Grand preparations have been made for the high-profile visit with thousands of people expected to line up the streets of Ahmedabad to greet the two leaders during their roadshow.
A group of 15 students between eight and 15 years of age, from Sabarmati Gurukulam, will perform "Mallakhamba" during the roadshow.
The US President will also visit Sabarmati Ashram. Three special chairs have been placed in the ashram on the riverside for Modi, Trump and his wife Melania.
Security personnel on Sunday conducted final rehearsals on the scheduled route.
Later, Trump will travel to Agra, where he and his wife will visit the historic Taj Mahal before arriving in the national capital.
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Topics | 4 |
Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested a juvenile, who had escaped from the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Kearney, following a pursuit near Grand Island.
At approximately 2:45 a.m. Monday, a trooper was notified that the escapee was possibly traveling eastbound on Interstate 80 in a stolen vehicle. The trooper located the vehicle, a Chevrolet Impala, traveling eastbound and speeding near Wood River at mile marker 299. The trooper was able to confirm that the vehicle was stolen and attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled at a high rate of speed.
The trooper initiated a pursuit. During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle reached speeds of more than 125 miles per hour. At mile marker 318, another trooper was able to successfully deploy spike strips to bring the suspect vehicle to stop.
A 17-year-old male was immediately taken into custody. He was cited for theft of a motor vehicle, operating a vehicle to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, no operator’s license, and several traffic violations. The juvenile was lodged at the Kearney YRTC.
Three juvenile escapees remain at large. Anyone with information about these juveniles should contact Kearney Police at 308-237-2104, the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office at 308-236-8555, or the Nebraska State Patrol Troop C at 308-385-6000. | An escaped juvenile from the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center-Kearney was arrested Monday after a chase on Interstate 80 that reached 125 mph.
About 2:45 a.m. Monday, the Nebraska State Patrol was notified that a 17-year-old male from the center had escaped and was believed to be heading east on Interstate 80 in a stolen Chevrolet Impala.
A trooper spotted the Impala near Wood River, about 25 miles east of Kearney, but the youth refused to pull over. Not quite 20 miles farther east, near Grand Island, another trooper deployed stop sticks, bringing the car to a halt.
The teen was taken into custody, issued a number of traffic citations and returned to the Kearney youth center.
Three other male juveniles who also escaped remain at large. Anyone with information on their whereabouts should contact Kearney Police at 308-237-2104, the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office at 308-236-8555 or the Nebraska State Patrol Troop C at 308-385-6000. — Nancy Gaarder
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The Clark County Combined Health District identified 20 cases of coronavirus linked to the Dole Fresh Vegetables packaging plant in Springfield.
Of the 20 cases, 12 are Dole employees (10 confirmed and two probable); eight are contacts of employees (five confirmed and three probable); and three cases involve people who do not live in Clark County, according to a statement released by the district Tuesday evening.
This cluster of cases at the Dole plant may have some wondering, can the coronavirus be transmitted through food?
Complete coronavirus coverage
Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread from person to person through respiratory droplets, not through food, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Currently, there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food, the CDC said. Before preparing or eating food it is important to always wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds for general food safety. Throughout the day use a tissue to cover coughing or sneezing and wash hands after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, or going to the bathroom.
It may be possible that a person can get the coronavirus by touching a surface or object, like a packaging container, that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging, like packaging coming from the Dole plant.
RELATED: Outbreak of 20 cases linked to Dole plant
The health district said it has been working closely with Dole to monitor and contain the outbreak since the first case was detected April 22, and said Dole has “gone above and beyond the required safety precautions” and assisted with contact tracing and telling those affected to stay home and to quarantine.
Thank you for reading the Springfield News-Sun and for supporting local journalism. Subscribers: log in for access to your daily ePaper and premium newsletters.
Thank you for supporting in-depth local journalism with your subscription to the Springfield News-Sun. Get more news when you want it with email newsletters just for subscribers. Sign up here. | CLARK COUNTY, Ohio -- Health officials have identified 20 cases of COVID-19 linked to a Dole Fresh Vegetables packing plant in Clark County, Ohio.
Of the 20 cases, 12 are Dole employees (10 confirmed and two probable); eight are contacts of employees (five confirmed and three probable); and three cases involve people who do not live in Clark County, according to a statement released by the Clark County Combined Health District Tuesday, May 19.
The health district on Monday announced it was monitoring the first workplace outbreak in Clark County, and Tuesday, officials identified Dole as the company, according to the Springfield News-Sun.
In a statement to local news station WDTN, Dole maintained that the company has been in constant contact with the packing location since the potential outbreak was initially reported back in April:
“In addition to implementing all public health recommended precautions—social distancing, extensive hand washing, wearing of face masks at all times in our facilities, mandated self-quarantining of employees and contractors exposed to COVID-positive individuals, and increased frequency of deep cleaning and sanitation at the facility, especially in high touch areas—Dole has additionally welcomed CCCHD to come into and inspect the Springfield Salad Facility. Following the inspection, during which CCCHD noted the many protective procedures implemented by Dole, the facility implemented additional protocols based on their suggestions to further increase the safety of our employees and contractors. These include greater distancing and separation of workers in our facility, table dividers installed in our cafeteria and similar dividers in our packing room for added protection."
Despite implementing additional safety measures, 10 Dole salad plant employees and contractors at the Ohio packing plant tested positive for COVID-19, according to the statement.
“We cannot state with certainty how the transmission occurred, but these results lead us to believe that the plant is not the source of transmission. No matter how the transmission occurred, however, Dole will continue to place employee health and well-being above all else in our efforts to keep fresh salads on shelves across the nation,“ the statement concluded. | 3 |
EASTENDERS star Jake Wood has poked fun at his Love Island lookalike Ollie Williams.
Fans have been floored by the millionaire's resemblance to the soap Lothario ever since he was announced to be going into the villa earlier this week.
6 Jake couldn't resist poking fun at his Love Island doppelganger Credit: Instagram
Now the Max Branning actor has acknowledged his doppelganger - and was unable to resist a cheeky jibe about the 23-year-old heir's wealth.
Taking to his Instagram page, 47-year-old Jake shared a popular meme that has been circling social media in recent days.
In the image, the Love Island promotional shot of topless Ollie is twinned with a picture of Jake dressed as suave businessman Max in Albert Square.
Above the pictures it is written: "Good to see Max from EastEnders going into the villa! #LoveIsland".
6 Jake plays Max Branning in EastEnders Credit: Getty - Contributor
6 He shared this caption alongside the meme
Jake captioned the meme: "FYI I’m the one on the right who doesn’t own a beach in Cornwall" alongside two crying with laughter emojis.
The post comes after Ollie told The Sun Online that he could miss out on his £15million inheritance if he has sex on TV.
The blonde hunk's family run the Lanhydrock Estate in Cornwall, and has been warned by his dad to behave himself or face the consequences.
He told us: "Dad said he would write me out of the will. I said to him, ‘OK, brilliant’.
6 Ollie is risking his inheritance by appearing on Love Island Credit: ITV
"Mum was like, ‘Oh my God’."
Ollie’s Instagram is full of pictures showing off his luxury lifestyle of fancy cars, holidays and yachts.
But Ollie insists he will be keeping his wealth secret from co-stars so he does not attract any gold diggers.
He explained: "In the past, girls have never known about my money. They’ve never known until I have taken them home.
6 He plans to keep his lavish lifestyle top secret Credit: instagram.com/olliesjwilliams
Meet Love Island 2020 contestant Ollie Williams
"I’m not a snob. And I don’t brag. I’m very humble and understated.
"The only way you find out is when you come down the drive. They see the estate and go, ‘What the f***’.
"It is the kind of reaction I get and it can be quite fun."
Love Island returns to our screens this Sunday 12 January, with other confirmed contestants including Rochelle Humes' lookalike sister and Lewis Capaldi's ex. | Fans were quick to point out the similarities between the actor and the newest Islander
EastEnders star Jake Wood has laughed off comments which claim he's the 'spitting image' of Love Island newbie, Ollie Williams.
Earlier this week, TV fans couldn’t help but notice the Max Branning actor’s resemblance to the posh islander Ollie.
Finally acknowledging the similarities, Jake shared a hilarious Instagram post which included a meme which has been circulating on Twitter .
In the image, the Love Island promotional shot of topless Ollie is twinned with a picture of Jake dressed as the womanizing businessman Max in Albert Square.
Image: Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/REX) Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/REX)
"Good to see Max from EastEnders going into the villa! #LoveIsland".
And 47-year-old Jake cheekily added: "FYI I’m the one on the right who doesn’t own a beach in Cornwall" with two laughing faces.
This comes after the 23-year-old revealed that he could face losing his £15 million inheritance if he has sex on the ITV2 dating series.
The Love Island contestant is heir to the Lanhydrock Estate in Cornwall, and is set to take over his father's title of Lord of the Manor of Lanhydrock.
Before entering the villa, he admitted his dad Andrew would be furious if he ever got frisky on-screen.
He told The Sun : "Initially, Dad said he would write me out of the will,” admitted Ollie.
"He was jesting, of course. But as the process got more and more serious Dad is saying, ‘if you get through, I hope you take me to South Africa with you’. He is now on board."
Ollie, who has never watched Love Island, admitted his mother is more of a fan.
Image: Raquel Fernandes/ITV/REX) Raquel Fernandes/ITV/REX)
"Mum is huge addict of the show," he said. "Dad has been forced to watch the odd episode."
Ollie said of the estate: "The house and the gardens are bequeathed to the National Trust. We live behind the house as a family. In the 1950s, it became very difficult to run a historic house fully staffed. And that’s the only real way to keep it alive.
"So it’s preserved as it was when we left it and we can still use it for functions and family parties. Our family home is not small. It’s called The Old Vicarage. It does the job. We don’t have any staff – apart from your regular cleaner."
Image: Instagram) Instagram)
Ollie, who claimed he is a changed man after cheating on his previous girlfriend of four years several times, applied for the show after growing tired with life and work on the estate.
He admitted he keeps his vast fortune quiet when he starts dating a girl.
"In the past, girls have never known about my money – until I have taken them home," he said. "I’m not a snob. And I don’t brag. I’m very humble and understated.
"The only way you find out is when you drive down the driveway and they see the estate – and go what the f***?" | 4 |
Jan. 3 (UPI) -- South Korean boy band Ateez is giving fans a glimpse of its "Answer" performance.
The K-pop group released a teaser for the song Friday titled "'Answer' performance preview."
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The video shows the members of Ateez perform a dance routine under a large piece of suspended fabric. The set later lights up, unveiling the full stage.
"Answer" appears on Ateez's forthcoming EP, Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer. Ateez will release the EP and the full "Answer" music video Monday.
Ateez shared a tracklist for Action to Answer last week. In addition to "Answer," the EP will include the songs "Horizon," "Star 1117," "Precious" and "Outro: Long Journey."
Ateez released a trailer for "Outro: Long Journey" Wednesday on New Year's Day.
Ateez consists of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho, and debuted as a group in 2018. The group is known for the singles "Pirate King," "Treasure," "Illusion," "Wave" and "Wonderland." | Jan. 6 (UPI) -- South Korean boy band Ateez is back with a new music video.
The K-pop group shared a video Monday for the new single "Answer."
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The "Answer" video features dramatic and elegant imagery, including a scene where the members of Ateez face a mirror image of themselves wearing matching black outfits. The group also performs hard-hitting dance routines.
"Answer" is the title track from Ateez's new EP, Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer, also released Monday. The EP is the final installment in the group's Treasure series of albums and EPs.
In addition to "Answer," Treasure Epilogue includes the songs "Horizon," "Star 1117," "Precious" and "Outro: Long Journey."
Ateez consists of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho. The group debuted in October 2018 and is known for the singles "Pirate King," "Treasure," "Illusion," "Wave" and "Wonderland." | 4 |
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A jury for a Derby murder trial has now been sworn in.
Three men from the city are accused of killing 57-year-old Simon Jones.
John Williams, Kirk Guy and Jacob Ali have all previously pleaded not guilty to murdering the former RAF man, of Belper, who died after being stabbed close to Chaddesden Park.
They also deny conspiracy to commit robbery.
His son daughter and son-in-law were all at Derby Crown Court to see the jury members be sworn in.
(Image: Derbyshire Constabulary)
Sat across from them in court room four were family and friends of the three defendants, who are all in custody.
Guy, 34, of Haydn Road, Derby; Williams, 24, of Waterford Drive, Chaddesden, and Ali, 20, of Ashworth Avenue, Derby, also in Chaddesden, were all smartly dressed in suits for the swearing in of the jury.
Mr Jones, a grandfather-of-three, was found injured in a car park in Chaddesden just before 10pm on Saturday April 20.
He was taken to hospital but later died.
His family have previously described him as “a true gentleman who was adored by everyone”.
Peter Joyce QC, prosecuting, is expected to open the trial on Thursday.
It is scheduled to last up to six weeks. | Something went wrong, please try again later.
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The family of a man who was stabbed to death in Derby bravely listened to his last moments as a harrowing 999 call was played in court.
The son and daughter of Simon Jones heard how former armed forces member John King tried in vain to save their dad by performing CPR on him on the driveway where had collapsed.
Moments earlier the 57-year-old had been stabbed three times to the legs in a car park. He managed to stagger to Mr King’s front door before banging on it and then collapsing.
A haunting 999 call to the emergency services heard Mr King’s son – Dean King – talk the call handler through what his father was doing to try and keep Mr Jones, himself a former RAF man, alive.
Three men are on trial at Derby Crown Court after being charged with murder and conspiracy to rob.
Kirk Guy, John Williams and Jacob Ali, all of Chaddesden, deny the charges.
The harrowing 999 call
In the call, Dean King tells the operator: “Someone keeps banging on the door saying ‘help me, help me’.
“I don’t know what to do.”
The operator replies: “Can you see anybody?”
Mr King says: “I am talking to the person that’s with him he says he’s been stabbed, there’s a lot of blood, he’s not conscious, I don’t think he’s breathing.
“My dad is going to perform CPR, he’s been in the armed forces and knows how to do CPR.”
The operator asks: “Can his (Mr Jones’) friend (Mr Calladine) help?”
Mr King replies: “He is too traumatised, he’s running around in the road.”
The operator says: “I have officers travelling to you.”
Mr King says: “He’s (Mr Jones) started breathing, my dad can’t see a wound, he’s trying to find a wound now.
“He (Mr Jones) keeps gasping for air.
“There’s movement but it’s very weak.”
The operator asks: “Where is his friend (Mr Calladine) now?”
Mr King replies: “He’s run off towards the park I think.
“There’s lots of blood, it’s dripping all down the driveway.
“My dad says he’s breathing but it’s very weak.”
Moments later the emergence services arrive and take over trying unsuccessfully to save Mr Jones’ life.
Elsewhere during today's proceedings, the jury was told that Williams - the man who is alleged to have physically stabbed Mr Jones - later sent damning messages over Facebook which “are akin to a confession” that he was responsible for the death.
In them, the 24-year-old thanks his girlfriend for sticking with him and tells her she is “not going to have him around for a long time”.
And in a message to his step-brother, he asks his sibling to look after his young son and “teach him how to be a man”.
Peter Joyce QC, prosecuting, said after the stabbing of Mr Jones, at around 9.45pm on April 20 last year, Williams moved to a friend’s address in Belper to “lie low”.
Facebook messages
He said: “In a Facebook message that is clearly from Williams to his girlfriend, he says ‘my baby girl I am sorry for everything. I did not mean to put you through all this and (after) everything I have done you still stick by me. I am sorry you are not going to have me around for a long time’."
Mr Joyce continued: "Why is he saying that? We say it is because he knows exactly what he has done and that he is not going to be around in her life.
“It is akin to a confession to his girlfriend.”
Mr Joyce said four minutes after sending that message, Williams then sent a Facebook message to his step-brother.
He said: “In it he says ‘My brother make sure you look after JJ [his baby son]’. He then says to him ‘teach him how to be a man, love you bro’.
“This is a very, very, small child. He then instructs him (his step-brother) at the end to ‘delete all these messages’.”
(Image: Derbyshire Constabulary)
The trial has already heard how Mr Jones travelled to the car park with Mr Calladine to carry out a drug deal on the evening of April 20, 2019.
Mr Calladine, who worked for Mr Jones’ bailiff company, had allegedly set the exchange up with Guy two days earlier while the pair were at the Atlanta Gym, in Dunton Close, Derby.
The court heard the deal involved “several thousands of pounds of cocaine”.
But the prosecution claim Guy arranged for Williams and Ali to rob them of the drugs instead.
Chaddesden Park
Opening the case on Thursday, Mr Joyce said Calladine was robbed at knifepoint and ran away so Williams approached Mr Jones who was in the passenger seat of his VW Transporter gang and stabbed him.
Mr Jones, having suffered fatal stab wounds to his legs, managed to stagger out of the car park leaving a trail of blood and to the front door of the King family in nearby Chaddesden Lane.
The occupants rang 999 and tried in vain to save the victim who was pronounced dead just over an hour later at the Royal Derby Hospital.
Mr Joyce told the hearing that in the aftermath of the stabbing the knife was taken back to Ali’s address, in Chaddesden, where is was cleaned using bleach in a mop bucket.
He said it was then wrapped and transported to an address in Alvaston where it was later discovered concealed in a water tank and recovered by police.
The mobile phone stolen from Mr Calladine was found in shrubbery in Kiwi Park, also in Alvaston.
(Image: CHRIS NEILL/MAVERICK PHOTOGRAPHY)
Mr Joyce said: “The prosecution case is that it was Williams that actually stabbed Simon Jones and that the others, Guy and Ali, either intended to assist him or intended to both rob him and cause him really serious injury or to kill him in the course of the robbery.
“Guy set it up, Ali drove Williams to the scene and Williams was the killer.
“It does not matter for the purposes of this case whether the drugs were taken in the VW Transporter van to Chaddesden Park belonged to Carl Calladine or Simon Jones.
“What matters is that Guy, Ali and Williams knew the cocaine would be there and intended to steal it.
“There was no indication (in arranging the drug deal) that Mr Jones would even be there that night.
“But when Mr Calladine runs away Mr Williams goes to the van and sadly, so sadly, there was someone else there and that’s Simon Jones.
“And for being there, Simon Jones pays with his life.”
Members of Mr Jones family as well as supporters of Guy, 34, of Haydn Road, Williams, 24, of Waterford Drive, and Ali, 20, of Ashworth Avenue, all in Chaddesden, were all in court to hear the case opened.
His family have previously described him as “a true gentleman who was adored by everyone”.
The trial, which is scheduled to last up to six weeks, continues. | 3 |
A shooting immediately after a burial service at Forest Law Memorial Park in Cypress on Friday scattered attendees and left a man with multiple gunshot wounds.
At around 3:30 p.m., police said around two dozen people were just heading back to their cars from the service at the cemetery at 4471 Lincoln Avenue ending when two men got into an argument.
The fight escalated and one of the men pulled out a gun, then fired. The victim was hit multiple times in his torso, said Sgt. John Faessel of the Cypress Police Department.
Within minutes, dozens of attendees fled the area. When police arrived, they found no one at the burial site, Faessel said. But some officers were redirected to the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Moody Street. They found the injured man there.
Despite being shot multiple times, the man did not have any life-threatening injuries, Faessel said.
Detectives believe the shooting was the result of a personal conflict between the two men.
“From what we understand, the people involved all know each other,” Faessel said. “There wasn’t some unknown person who showed up.”
While the suspect was known to the people at the funeral, police haven’t identified him or released a description. It’s not clear whether witnesses to the shooting have helped in the investigation.
“This isn’t completely out of the ordinary,” Faessel said of the shooting.
He noted detectives were looking into the possibility of an inter-family conflict that led to the violence.
“You can imagine a scenario were there’s family issues at play, or you can image a scenario where people who may want to pay their respects to the deceased family member aren’t necessarily there to pay their respect to other family members,” he said.
Police were still looking for the suspect. They asked anyone with information about the shooting to call the Cypress Police Department Criminal Investigation Bureau at (714) 229-6631, or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS. | A 28-year-old man was shot in his torso and hand inside a Cypress cemetery Friday afternoon, but was expected to survive.
Firefighter-paramedics were called about 3:30 p.m. to the Forest Lawn cemetery-mortuary at 4471 Lincoln Ave., but while en route, they were redirected to the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Moody Street, where they found the victim in a vehicle on the side of the street, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Daniel Yeh.
The victim was taken to a hospital, according to the Cypress Police Department.
The suspect fled the scene and no description was released.
Investigators believe the shooting was an isolated incident with no ongoing danger to the public. Police urged anyone with information on the shooting to call the Cypress Police Department Criminal Investigation Bureau at (714) 229-6631, or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS. | 4 |
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s prime minister warned on Saturday that the negative economic effects of the coronavirus outbreak will likely be deeper and more prolonged than the 2008 financial crisis, Reuters reported.
“The economic hit will likely be more serious than the global financial crisis, and longer-lasting too, even beyond the end of the pandemic,” Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post. He said the pandemic will likely last at least this year, and possibly longer.
With 200 infections, the Asian travel hub has signaled that there is a chance of a recession this year and has cut its growth forecasts.
Lee’s comments came a day after Singapore revised its electoral boundaries, in a move usually seen as a precursor to calling a vote. Singapore must hold elections by early 2021. Before the virus hit the Asian city-state late in January, the government had been expected to call a vote within a few months. | SINGAPORE: The economic fallout from the coronavirus could be more serious than the damage done by the 2008 global financial crisis for Singapore, according to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
"We can’t tell when the pandemic will end, but it will likely last at least this year, and quite possibly longer, ” Lee said in a Facebook post. "The economic hit will likely be more serious than the Global Financial Crisis, and longer-lasting too, even beyond the end of the pandemic.” | 4 |
AbaThembu nation's acting King Azenathi Dalindyebo appeared in the Mthatha Magistrate's Court on Monday for assault.
He was arrested last Thursday for allegedly attacking his father King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo's advisor, Babalo Papu.
Azenathi's court appearance comes a week after his father appeared in court for assaulting him at the family's royal palace.
AbaThembu nation's acting King Azenathi Dalindyebo briefly appeared in the Mthatha Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and pointing a firearm.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the case was postponed to 5 August for further investigation.
Azenathi was arrested on Thursday for allegedly attacking his father King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo's advisor, Babalo Papu, on Tuesday.
Papu approached the police on Wednesday to open a criminal case after he was allegedly assaulted by some members of the royal family, including Azenathi.
When asked for comment, police spokesperson Sibongile Soci would not be drawn into discussing other suspects in the case.
Azenathi's uncle and advisor Siganeko Dalindyebo is on record as admitting that he defended himself from Papu during the altercation.
READ | AbaThembu royal family members accused of assaulting king's advisor
Azenathi's court appearance comes exactly a week after his father, Buyelekhaya, appeared in the Mthatha Magistrate's Court for assault.
The assault case was opened by Azenathi on 13 March after Buyelekhaya allegedly trespassed on the Bumbane Great Place palace, outside Mthatha, and allegedly used an axe to attack Azenathi at around 03:00.
Buyelekhaya has since disowned his son and is demanding a paternity test. | Acting King Azenathi Dalindyebo, his mother and his uncle are under investigation for assault.
Police confirmed that the king's spokesperson, Babalo Papu, was rescued from an alleged attack.
The latest drama comes in the midst of a war between Azenathi and his father, AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo.
Babalo Papu, an advisor to AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, has approached police to open a criminal case after he was allegedly assaulted by some members of the royal family - including acting King Azenathi Dalindyebo.
Papu has accused Azenathi Dalindyebo, his mother Buyiswa Majiki and Azenathi's spokesperson, uncle and advisor, Siganeko Dalindyebo, and others of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH).
Majiki is an Eastern Cape High Court judge and the former wife of Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo.
READ | King Dalindyebo gets backing of AbaThembu faction in royal DNA drama
Called for comment, on Thursday Majiki said: "Indeed it came to my knowledge that a criminal case has been opened against me but I have no knowledge of these allegations or circumstances surrounding the case."
The matter was reported to the Madeira police station in Mthatha on Wednesday evening, according to police.
It came a day after the police were called to a Maiden Farm address and rescued Papu from an alleged assault by a group of men, police spokesperson Colonel Sibongile Soci said.
On Thursday, Soci said: "[Police] can confirm that a case of assault GBH has been opened for investigation. The complainant will be interviewed further to ascertain other information that has surfaced regarding the investigation."
Siganeko Dalindyebo confirmed he was involved in the alleged assault, saying he found Papu talking to his wife on his premises.
I felt cornered in my own space from my own enemy. Prince Siganeko Zanothando Dalindyebo
Both Papu and Siganeko find themselves on opposite ends of the father-and-son battle for kingship. Papu acts as an advisor to Buyelekhaya and Siganeko to Azenathi.
"I, Prince Siganeko Zanothando Dalindyebo, feel I was provoked by Babalo and the people who he was conniving with and gave him my wife's cellphone number. I felt it was an attack on my integrity and manhood and to the safety of my family and those close to me, by finding my sole enemy inside my premises."
"How naïve can he be as a person to go to a home of a person [when] he knows they don't get along, based on the Dalindyebo succession debate, communicating with my wife and entering my gate? He can't expect me to feel safe. I felt cornered in my own space from my own enemy. I felt I should protect myself and loved ones from my enemy," Siganeko said.
Siganeko said his wife spend most of the time alone in Mthatha. He is based 50km away at Bumbane Great Place where he serves as a traditional leader and as one of the advisors to acting king Azenathi.
Meanwhile, Soci said: "SAPS can confirm a complaint was received yesterday at about 15:00 and police were dispatched to the scene at Maiden Farm. Upon arrival, they found a visibly assaulted man and intervened by removing the injured person from immediate danger and also ensured that his vehicle was removed from the premises."
Soci earlier said Papu had been advised to open cases of assault, crimen injuria and malicious damage to property against the "people who assaulted him and damaged his vehicle".
Contacted for comment, Papu responded with a short statement he had posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday night: "I am in good shape, I cannot go into details or merits of this matter as advised by my legal counsel.
"I can only confirm that I was brutally attacked by Sganeko, Azenathi, Azenathi's body guard, [whose name was withheld] and one more guy I still need to find his name (sic).
"This is all I can say, thank you very much nge calls, sms, What'sApp shows that I am not alone (sic).
"Thank you and goodnight to all. Babalo Batembu Papu."
News24 tried several times to get comment from Azenathi for his side of the story. Attempts included several phone calls and text messages to him since Tuesday. His phone was off and his spokesperson, Siganeko, declined to speak on his behalf, saying the acting king should speak for himself.
Father-and-son war
The latest drama came a day after AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo appeared in the Mthatha Magistrate's Court for assault. He disowned Azenathi and his claim to the throne, demanding a paternity test.
The assault case was opened by Azenathi on 13 March after Dalindyebo allegedly trespassed on the Bumbane Great Place palace, outside Mthatha, and allegedly used an axe to attack Azenathi at around 03:00.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the case was postponed to 7 December for further investigation.
Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo is currently staying at Nkululekweni residence in Mthatha, following his early release from prison in December. He only served four years of his 12-year sentence when President Cyril Ramaphosa granted him special remission parole as part of a larger category of offenders.
He had been sent to jail in 2015 for arson, kidnapping, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and defeating the ends of justice. He was found guilty of terrorising his subjects in the 1990s.
The father-and-son war dates to 2016 when Azenathi went against his incarcerated father's advice and ascended to the throne.
The king wanted his wife to act on his behalf and had written a series of prison letters advising the then University of Free State student, Azenathi, to focus on his studies. | 4 |
(BBC) – Head of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Programme, Dr Mike Ryan, says the whole world needs to be on alert to fight the coronavirus.
Dr Ryan says an international team of experts is being assembled to go to China and work with experts there to learn more about how the disease is transmitted.
The WHO will meet on Thursday to discuss whether the virus constitutes a global health emergency.
The Chinese city of Wuhan is the epicentre of the outbreak.
But the virus has spread across China and to at least 16 countries globally, including Thailand, France, the US and Australia.
More than 1 hundred and 30 people have died in China and close to 6 thousand have been infected.
There is no specific cure or vaccine. However, a number of people have recovered after treatment.
Scientists in Australia have managed to recreate the new coronavirus outside of China, raising hope that it could be used to develop an early-diagnosis test. | The coronavirus outbreak in China has become a global cause for concern, with cases reported in Australia and France. The death toll has risen to 81, while 3,000 people have been infected with it, according to BBC.
Here are five must-read stories on coronavirus:
New virus detected
In January, Chinese officials reported the outbreak of coronavirus, which was discovered in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Experts initially said they didn't know how easily the virus could spread or where it originated.
This saw authorities in the US, Thailand and South Korea screen visitors from Wuhan. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) advised against travel restrictions for China. | 2 |
Zoo Knoxville has shut its doors to the public during the COVID-19 outbreak, but the animals inside still need care.
Zoo representatives said that with the shutdown, they have lost their primary source of income.
According to the zoo's website, they are losing, on average, $22,500 per day which would normally go towards caring for the animals.
"We are working round the clock to find options. Our community has asked how they can help and we have set up an emergency relief fund," zoo representatives said.
Go
to donate and help care for our area's zoo animals. | Zoo Knoxville is calling on the public's help after a proposed relief package excludes certain businesses.
Federal lawmakers are considering a multi-billion dollar package to help those impacted by the economic crisis in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Zoo Knoxville, zoos, museums and other cultural institutions are not included in the pending legislation.
"We are acting as one voice nationwide," the zoo said in a release. "Guests through the gates are our primary source of funding."
The zoo said 86 percent of its funding comes from visitors coming to the attraction.
To read more about the petition, click a href="https://www.aza.org/legislative-education-center#/42"target="_blank">here. | 4 |
The crews of nuclear-armed submarines may be among the last pockets of people anywhere who are still blissfully unaware of how the coronavirus pandemic is turning life upside down. (Photo: AP)
Of a world in coronavirus turmoil, they may know little or nothing. Submariners stealthily cruising the ocean deeps, purposefully shielded from worldly worries to encourage undivided focus on their top-secret missions of nuclear deterrence, may be among the last pockets of people anywhere who are still blissfully unaware of how the pandemic is turning life upside down.
Mariners aboard ballistic submarines are habitually spared bad news while underwater to avoid undermining their morale, say current and former officers who served aboard France's nuclear-armed subs.
So any crews that left port before the virus spread around the globe are likely being kept in the dark about the extent of the rapidly unfurling crisis by their commanders until their return, they say.
"They won't know," said retired Adm. Dominique Salles, who commanded the French ballistic submarine squadron from 2003-2006. "The boys need to be completely available for their mission."
Speaking exclusively to The Associated Press, Salles said he believes submariners will likely only be told of the pandemic as they head back to port, in the final two days of their mission.
"Those who are at sea don't need this information," said Salles, who also commanded the nuclear-armed French submarine "L'Inflexible".
"The commander, I think, is doubtless informed about what is happening. I don't think he'll have all the details," he said.
The French navy won't divulge what has or hasn't been said to submarine crews. Nor will it say whether any of the four French ballistic submarines, laden with 16 missiles that each can carry six nuclear warheads, left harbor before France instituted a nationwide lockdown on March 17.
French navy commander Axel Roch poses in the navigation and operations center in the new nuclear-powered submarine "Suffren" in Cherbourg, north-western France. (Photo: AP)
"Because the deterrent is wrapped in a bubble of protection and confidentiality, it is impossible to know whether the crews are informed or not of this situation," French navy spokesman Lt Cmdr Olivier Ribard said.
French submarine missions last 60 to 70 days, with about 110 crew members aboard. So a crew that left at the end of February wouldn't be expected back before the end of April. In that case, they will return to a world changed by the pandemic. On March 1, France had just 130 confirmed COVID-19 cases and two deaths. In under a month, those numbers have surged past 2,600 dead and over 40,000 sickened.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
For submariners, the return to land could be a shock.
"They won't have experienced the crisis as we did, with a bit of fear, the lockdown. So for them it will be quite a surprise. They will learn the history, but it will be a history that is related to them," said a serving officer who was the doctor on the ballistic submarine "Le Triomphant" for four years.
He spoke to the AP on condition that he be identified only by his first name and rank, in accordance with the rules of his branch of the French military.
"All events that could affect or change the morale of the crew members are kept from them," said the officer, Chief Doctor Gabriel.
"Since there is no internet, no radio and no television on board, the only news you get comes from messages received by the commander, and the commander filters the messages to not give all of the information to everyone."
The doctor was underwater in 2012 when an Islamic extremist killed three French paratroopers and later killed a rabbi, his two young sons and grabbed an 8-year-old girl and shot her in the head.
Only later did the officer learn of the attacks, "so when people talk to me about it, I find it impossible to imagine," he said.
"The only place where you are really cut off from all information is underwater, because even on a vessel in space there is still the radio, television, the internet," he said.
When bombings hit Madrid in 2004, Salles didn't inform submariners who were at sea for the ballistic flotilla that was then under his command.
Salles said the situation now will be toughest for any crews that leave harbour in the weeks ahead, because they'll know they are leaving loved ones in the midst of the pandemic and, possibly, still living in lockdown.
The French government has already extended its stay-home orders once, to April 15, and said it could do so again.
Salles said he believes those crews will get regular coronavirus updates, but won't be told of any family deaths until they are returning to the l'Ile Longue submarine base near Brest in Brittany.
Salles was at sea in a sub when his father died. The news was kept from him until he had finished his 60-day mission.
"No matter how serious an event is, there is nothing a submariner can do about it. And since he cannot do anything, better that he know nothing," Salles said. "They know that they won't know and accept it. It's part of our deal." | NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!
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Submariners conducting missions at sea are likely among the last people in the world learning about the coronavirus pandemic turning life upside down back home.
Current and former officers who served aboard France's nuclear-armed subs say mariners aboard ballistic submarines are routinely spared bad news while underwater to encourage undivided focus on their top-secret missions and to avoid undermining their morale.
Any crews that left port before the virus spread around the globe are likely being kept in the dark about the extent of the rapidly unfurling crisis until their return.
"All events that could affect or change the morale of the crew members are kept from them," said Chief Doctor Gabriel. (He spoke to The Associated Press on condition that he be identified only by his first name and rank, in accordance with the rules of his branch of the French military.) "Since there is no Internet, no radio and no television on board, the only news you get comes from messages received by the commander, and the commander filters the messages to not give all of the information to everyone."
Four French ballistic submarines, laden with 16 missiles can each carry six nuclear warheads, left harbor before France instituted a nationwide lockdown on March 17.
Adm. Dominique Salles, who commanded the nuclear-armed French submarine "L'Inflexible," told the AP he believes submariners will likely only be told of the pandemic as they head back to port, in the final two days of their mission.
"They won't know," Salles said. "The boys need to be completely available for their mission."
French submarine missions last 60 to 70 days, with about 110 crew members aboard. A crew that left at the end of February wouldn't be expected back before the end of April. In that case, they will return to a world changed by the pandemic.
FRANCE EVACUATES CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS FROM SWAMPED HOSPITALS USING HIGH-SPEED TRAINS, MILITARY PLANES
On March 1, France had just 130 confirmed COVID-19 cases and two deaths. In under a month, those numbers have surged to over 40,000 sickened and 2,600 dead. For submariners, the return to land will likely be a shock.
Salles said the situation now will be toughest for any crews that leave harbor in the weeks ahead, because they'll know they are leaving loved ones in the midst of the pandemic and, possibly, still living in lockdown. The French government has already extended its stay-home orders once, to April 15, and said it could do so again.
Salles said he believes those crews will get regular coronavirus updates but won't be told of any family deaths until they are returning to the l'Ile Longue submarine base near Brest in Brittany.
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"No matter how serious an event is, there is nothing a submariner can do about it. And since he cannot do anything, better that he know nothing," Salles said. "They know that they won't know and accept it. It's part of our deal."
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 4 |
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Twin sisters who had both worked as nurses have died within three days of each other after both testing positive for Covid-19.
Children's nurse Katy Davis, 37, died at Southampton General Hospital on Tuesday while her identical twin, Emma, a former surgery nurse, died early on Friday.
The two sisters, who both suffered from an underlying health condition, have been praised for their excellent work in the nursing profession.
Their sister Zoe Davis told the BBC: "They always said they had come into the world together and would go out together as well.
"There are no words to describe how special they were."
(Image: PA)
Zoe said the "amazing" pair, who lived together, had other health conditions and had been unwell for some time.
A spokesman for University Hospital Southampton (UHS) said that Katy had worked as risk and patient safety lead in child health but had been unwell for a period prior to her admittance to hospital when she tested positive for Covid-19.
He added that Emma had also worked for UHS for nine years as a nurse in surgery in the colorectal unit until 2013.
The spokesman said: "She had the same underlying health condition as Katy and had been unwell prior to her admission when she tested positive for Covid-19.
NHS Heroes fact box The Daily Record has launched our NHS Heroes campaign to thank the remarkable NHS staff who are on the front lines of this coronavirus emergency. These amazing people place our health above their own and we are inviting the public to pledge their support by placing a heart on their location in the UK. Please join us in showing these people our gratitude as we navigate this difficult time. To pledge your support, just: * Go to http://www.thanksamillionnhs.co.uk/ * Add your postcode to put a heart on the map and show your support for the heroes of the NHS * Share the page to encourage others to show their support
"She sadly also passed away last night and it goes without saying just how devastating and tragic this is for the family and all who knew them.
"Emma has been described as an excellent nurse who was calm and cheerful and a good leader.
"She was well liked by all and was a valuable member of the team during her time with us.
"We are supporting Katy and Emma's family as much as we can through this difficult and distressing period."
Paula Head, chief executive at UHS, said: "I want to pay tribute to Katy who sadly passed away on Tuesday.
"Katy has been described by her colleagues where she worked in child health as a nurse people would aspire to be like and that nursing was more than just a job to her.
"On behalf of everyone here at UHS, including our patients and the communities we serve, I would like to offer our sincere condolences to her family." | Identical twin sisters who had worked as nurses at the same hospital died within days of each other after testing positive for coronavirus.
Katy and Emma Davis, 37, both suffered from underlying health conditions and had been unwell for some time before contracting Covid-19.
Tributes were paid to the pair after Katy died at Southampton General Hospital on Tuesday and Emma died early on Friday morning.
Their sister Zoe Davis told the BBC: “They always said they had come into the world together and would go out together as well.
“There are no words to describe how special they were.”
Katy worked as risk and patient safety lead in child health at University Hospital Southampton (UHS), while Emma was a nurse in the colorectal unit for nine years until 2013.
Paula Head, chief executive at UHS, said: “I want to pay tribute to Katy who sadly passed away on Tuesday.
“Katy has been described by her colleagues where she worked in child health as a nurse people would aspire to be like and that nursing was more than just a job to her.
UHS said that Emma had the same underlying health condition as Katy and had been unwell prior to her admission when she tested positive for Covid-19.
“She sadly also passed away last night and it goes without saying just how devastating and tragic this is for the family and all who knew them,” a spokesperson said.
They added: “Emma has been described as an excellent nurse who was calm and cheerful and a good leader.
“She was well liked by all and was a valuable member of the team during her time with us.
“We are supporting Katy and Emma’s family as much as we can through this difficult and distressing period.”
At least 90 front line NHS workers, including around 50 nurses, are believed to have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
Additional reporting by Press Association | 4 |
LEWES, Del. – DNREC says they were called to the Lewes wastewater treatment plant on Thursday for yet another malfunction.
We’re told that the facility was again forced to bypass stages of its treatment and discharge partially-treated effluent into the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal late Wednesday evening. The bypass lasted two hours while Tidewater Utilities operators worked to find a solution. By 11:45 p.m., the bypass was ended and normal treatment of effluent at the plant was resumed.
On Thursday, DNREC monitored the plant’s operations, and Tidewater Utilities’ continued their efforts to mitigate recent system malfunctions at the plant.
The Lewes Wastewater Treatment Plant suffered a system malfunction from December 18-19, and new membranes were installed on December 28 which allowed full treatment to resume. However, Tidewater says that pressure build-up behind the new membranes required a bypass to avoid compromising their use. New operational protocols have been instituted to minimize pressure build-up moving forward, with no further bypass events expected. | There’s no better entertainment value around — whether it is at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand, The Green in Dover or at a Delaware state park — than to take in a free summer concert following a long, hot day of swimming, hiking or barbecuing. | 4 |
Carson City, NV – Today, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford together with 22 state law enforcement partners, reached an agreement with PayPal Charitable Giving Fund, Inc. The agreement was created to ensure donors receive adequate information and disclosures when making charitable contributions through the company’s online fundraising platform.
PayPal Charitable Giving Fund, Inc. (PPGF) is the charitable arm of PayPal, Inc. PPGF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that allows donors to contribute funds electronically to PPGF and select a charity that will ultimately receive the benefit of their contribution. Donors’ contributions are combined and distributed to the donors’ chosen charities. PPGF does not collect fees from donors or charities for this service; however, a charity receives contributions more quickly if the charity maintains a PayPal account, a fact that had not been adequately disclosed to donors. In some instances, PPGF redirected donors’ contributions from the charity selected by the donor to other organizations with similar purposes without informing donors.
“Charitable contributions are the financial backbone of many worthy causes,” said AG Ford. “Consumers should always have the information they need to make informed decisions about their donations. Today’s settlement with PayPal’s Charitable Giving Fund ensures every donor’s wishes are honored.”
Nationwide, charities regulators joined the effort to investigate PPGF’s fundraising activities, including its disclosures, vetting practices and treatment of charitable contributions. To address the states’ concerns, PPGF agreed to adopt reforms to its disclosures to ensure that donors know:
—That they are contributing to PPGF;
—The timeframe in which a selected charity may receive funds from PPGF; and
—The implication of being an enrolled versus an unenrolled charity on the PPGF platform.
Under the terms of the settlement, PPGF agreed to notify donors when it redirects a donor’s charitable contribution to an organization other than the one selected by the donor. PPGF will also provide regulators with future campaign data to ensure the organization is complying with its obligations under the agreement.
PPGF also agreed to make a payment of $200,000 to the National Association of Attorneys General for deposit into the NAAG Charities Enforcement and Training Fund. This Fund has been established to defray costs associated with the investigation and litigation of cases brought by state charities regulators, and to provide training and education to those regulators.
In addition to Nevada, attorneys general from the following states and territory participated in this settlement: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina Secretary of State, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania Texas and Wisconsin.
The Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection represented Nevada in this matter. | COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and charity regulators from 21 other states and the District of Columbia have reached an agreement with PayPal Charitable Giving Fund (PPGF), requiring the organization to boost transparency for donors on its online fundraising platform.
“Mixing secrecy with charity hardens the hearts of would-be donors,” Yost said. “This promise of transparency means donors will now have the information they need to guide their giving.”
Users of the platform pay money electronically to PPGF, which aggregates the donations and distributes them to charities selected by each donor. But in some cases, PPGF redirected contributions from selected charities to other organizations with similar purposes without telling donors. PPGF also failed to adequately disclose that charities that have PayPal accounts can receive donations faster than those that do not.
Charity regulators nationwide joined the effort to investigate PPGF’s fundraising activities, including its disclosures, vetting practices and treatment of charitable contributions. To address the states’ concerns, PPGF agreed to reform its disclosures to ensure that donors know:
That they are contributing to PPGF
The timeframe in which a selected charity can receive funds from PPGF
The implication of being an enrolled charity rather than an unenrolled charity on the PPGF platform
PPGF also agreed to notify donors when it redirects charitable contributions to organizations other than those they selected. PPGF will provide regulators with future campaign data to ensure the organization is complying with its obligations under the agreement.
Additionally, PPGF agreed to pay $200,000 to the National Association of Attorneys General for deposit into the NAAG Charities Enforcement and Training Fund. This fund was established to defray costs associated with the investigation and litigation of cases brought by state charities regulators, and to provide training and education to those regulators.
States and territories participating in the settlement include Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina Secretary of State, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.
Submitted by the office of Attorney General Dave Yost. | 4 |
Birds of Prey is a lot of fun. I don't think it's the best of the recent DC films, but it's certainly plenty entertaining – and deserved a much better reception than it got in theaters. Now, Warner Bros. is gearing up to drop the movie onto digital early, and I'm hopeful more folks will discover it there. If you haven't seen it yet, and want some indication of the tone of the flick, you might want to check out the featurette above. It's pretty extensive – it runs a little over 8 minutes – and covers a lot of bases. Star Margot Robbie talks about how she pitched the entire idea for the film, and then met with screenwriter Christina Hodson about the project. From there we learn about Cathy Yan being brought on to direct the film, the casting, the action, and more. This is actually one of several features included on the home media release. Here's a full list of what else is included.
Birds Eye View Mode
Birds of Prey: Birds of a Feather
Grime and Crime
Wild Nerds
Romanesque
Sanity is Sooo Last Season
A Love/Skate Relationship
Gag Reel
On March 24, Birds of Prey will be available to own in high definition and standard definition from select digital retailers including Amazon, FandangoNOW, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. And then on April 7, Birds of Prey will be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
When Gotham's most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz (Chris Messina), put a target on a young girl named Cass (Ella Jay Basco), the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley (Margot Robbie), Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez)'s paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down. | BURBANK – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC announced the March 24 Digital release, and April 7 VOD release, of Birds of Prey and the Fabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. Directed by Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs) from a script by Christina Hodson (Bumblebee), the film is based on characters from DC.
Margot Robbie (Bombshell, Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood, I, Tonya) reprises her role as the endearingly daring ne’er-do-well Harley Quinn. The main cast also includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead (10 Cloverfield Lane, TV’s Fargo) as Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell (True Blood) as Black Canary, Rosie Perez (Fearless, Pitch Perfect 2) as Renee Montoya, Chris Messina (Argo, Sharp Objects) as Victor Zsasz, and Ewan McGregor (Doctor Sleep, Trainspotting) as DC Super-Villain Roman Sionis/Black Mask. Newcomer Ella Jay Basco also stars as Cassandra “Cass” Cain in her feature film debut.
Birds of Prey and the Fabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn was produced by Robbie, Bryan Unkeless and Sue Kroll. Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman, Geoff Johns, Hans Ritter and David Ayer served as executive producers.
The creative team, led by Yan, included director of photography Matthew Libatique (A Star Is Born, Venom), production designer K.K. Barrett (Her), editors Jay Cassidy (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook) and Evan Schiff (John Wick Chapters 2 & 3) and costume designer Erin Benach (A Star Is Born). The music is by Daniel Pemberton (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse).
In the film, when Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz (Chris Messina), put a target on a young girl named Cass (Ella Jay Basco), the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley (Margot Robbie), Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Renee Montoya’s (Rosie Perez) paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down.
DIGITAL ELEMENTS
Birds of Prey and the Fabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn features the following special features*:
Birds Eye View Mode
Birds of Prey: Birds of a Feather
Grime and Crime
Wild Nerds
Romanesque
Sanity is Sooo Last Season
A Love/Skate Relationship
Gag Reel
*Special features available from select digital retailers
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
On March 24, Birds of Prey and the Fabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn will be available to own in high definition and standard definition from select digital retailers including Amazon, FandangoNOW, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. It will become available on April 7, digitally, on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
Source: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment | 3 |
One of the Democratic Party’s main 2020 super PACs is attacking President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak with new TV ads airing in four key swing states.
The new ad from Priorities USA Action, which plans to spend $6 million on TV and digital ads condemning Trump’s response to Covid-19, began running in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Florida on Tuesday and features Trump quotes juxtaposed against a graph showing the number of positive coronavirus tests in America.
At the end of the ad, footage plays of Trump saying, during a Rose Garden press conference at the White House, “I don’t take responsibility at all.”
The ad marks a new front in the political battle over government response to the coronavirus. There has been relatively little TV advertising on the pandemic so far, with some scattered ads showing up in the Kentucky Senate race and the West Virginia governor’s race so far. In a statement, Priorities USA chairman Guy Cecil said Trump had “repeatedly misled the American people and exposed us to unnecessary danger.”
The series of ads targeting Trump’s handling of the coronavirus are part of a $150 million commitment from Priorities USA to run ads slamming Trump on health care in Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona ahead of the Democratic National Convention in July. The PAC’s coronavirus ad campaign comes amid a lull among the Democratic candidates on the airwaves. As several states’ primaries remain in flux, neither Bernie Sanders nor Joe Biden has purchased TV or radio airtime since the March 17 elections in Florida and Arizona.
Priorities USA is also out with a second TV ad highlighting Biden’s experience in the executive branch along with two other digital ads with similar themes are also out on the airwaves in battleground states. | Priorities USA is launching a series of digital and television campaign advertising Tuesday that slams President Donald Trump for his response on the COVID-19 crisis, stringing together dismissive quotes from the President’s early statements.
“No, I don’t take responsibility at all,” the video clip shows Trump stating as a fever line tracking American cases soars upward from teens to tens of thousands, heading upward from there on a skyrocketing curve.
“America needs a leader we can trust,” text on the screen declares at the conclusion of the 30-second television commercial, “Exponential Threat.”
That’s one of two TV ads the Democratic-allied committee is releasing through social media Monday in Florida and fellow swing states Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and is part of a $6 million TV and digital buy. Priorities USA said it’s considering expanding the campaign to other states as well.
The second TV ad, “Better Prepared,” gives a glowing feel to expectations that Democratic rival former Vice President Joe Biden would provide leadership America could trust.
Trump victory spokeswoman Emma Vaughn replied by saying that while Trump is saving American lives Democrats are playing politics.
“President Trump has taken bold and decisive action that has undoubtedly saved American lives while Democrats in D.C. are playing political games holding up legislation that would help millions during these trying times. Democrats should put politics aside and come together for the sake of our country,” Vaughn stated in a news release.
Additionally, Priorities USA is releasing two digital ads that will begin running on Tuesday across a variety of online platforms like Facebook and streaming TV.
These ads — “Map” and “Steady Leadership” — feature similar themes as their longer TV counterparts, contending that Trump refused to adequately prepare the country for the coming crisis and that Biden would provide a significant departure from the chaos.
Since last week, Priorities has also been promoting news content to voters in critical battleground states painting Trump’s coronavirus efforts as a failure to respond effectively to the mounting crisis.
“From the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, Donald Trump has repeatedly misled the American people and exposed us to unnecessary danger. His failure to lead continues to have real life and death consequences as hospitals, local and state governments, small businesses, and millions of Americans are left without the tools and information they need,” Priorities USA Chairman Guy Cecil wrote in a news release. “Tens of thousands of people are sick, hundreds have already died, and millions are losing their jobs. We simply cannot allow Donald Trump to continue to lie and spread misinformation unchecked. The American people deserve the truth about their president.” | 4 |
The OPEC+ countries and oil producers that had not been part of the deal in the past began their video conference on the oil market, a source in one of the delegations told Sputnik
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th April, 2020) The OPEC+ countries and oil producers that had not been part of the deal in the past began their video conference on the oil market, a source in one of the delegations told Sputnik.
Apart from OPEC+, Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Trinidad and Tobago confirmed their participation. | Canada, Norway and a number of other oil-producing countries outside the previous OPEC+ alliance are participating in the ongoing OPEC+ meeting to balance oil market, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th April, 2020) Canada, Norway and a number of other oil-producing countries outside the previous OPEC+ alliance are participating in the ongoing OPEC+ meeting to balance oil market, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday.
"I would like to greet today our other colleagues who are participating in the video conference, colleagues from Canada, Norway, Egypt, Argentina, Colombia, Indonesia, Chad, Ecuador, Trinidad and Tobago," Novak said during the opening speech at the OPEC+ meeting.
Russia sees the increase of the number of countries that can take part in stabilizing the oil market as a justified measure, he said.
"We consider it justified to increase the number of countries that can take part in joining efforts to stabilize the global situation. And we once again welcome today the participation of our colleagues who have not previously participated in the OPEC+ agreement," Novak said.
He also wished the participants of the meeting constructive work and success in the negotiations.
"Only joint coordinated efforts will allow us to achieve results in the interests of the people of our countries," the minister added. | 4 |
A Delhi court Thursday directed the makers of Deepika Padukone starer feature film Chhapaak to give credit to acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal's lawyer in the movie.
Additional Civil Judge Pankaj Sharma said it was necessary that advocate Aparna Bhat's contribution is acknowledged.
"This Court is of the considered view that facts are indicative that the plea of the plaintiff for interim injunction is well founded and it is necessary that her contribution be acknowledged by providing on the slide on the actual footage and the images, the line 'Aparna Bhat continues to fight the cases of sexual and physical violence against women' during the screening of the film.
"The said line on screen may be with a rider that the same is with the court order," the judge said. Advocate Bhat filed the application saying that despite representing Agarwal in courts for several years and helping in the movie making, she was not given credit in the movie.
She said the film makers took her help in the entire process of writing and shooting the movie, but did not give the credit. | Acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal's lawyer on Thursday moved a Delhi court, seeking an injunction on the release of Deepika Padukone-starrer 'Chhapaak'.
Advocate Aparna Bhat filed the application saying that despite representing Agarwal in courts for several years and helping in the making of the movie, she was not given credit in the film.
She said the filmmakers took her help in the process of writing and shooting the movie, but did not give her credits in the film.
The matter is likely to be taken up for hearing shortly.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | 2.5 |
The annual budget presented by
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday proposed creation of a world-class aquarium in Mumbai, which would be a part of an international standard tourism complex.
In December last year, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had directed the officials of the Tourism Department to chalk out a plan to build a world-class aquarium in Mumbai.
"An international standard tourism complex would come up on the Worli Dairy land with an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore. An international standard aquarium will be built there," Pawar said while presenting his budget in the Legislative Assembly.
Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, presented the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government's maiden budget in the Lower House.
He announced an outlay of Rs 1,400 crore for the Department of Tourism. Aaditya Thackeray, son of the chief minister, is the state Tourism and Minister.
Pawar also announced creation of a special fund to combat global warming and climate change, the issues over which Aaditya Thackeray has time and again expressed concerns.
Pawar said several pilgrimage spots in the state, including Mahurgad in Nanded district, Parli Vaijanath, Aundha Nagnath, Narsi Namdev in Hingoli district, ancient Shiva temple in Ambarnath and Hazrat Khwaja Shamna Mira Dargah in Miraj, would be developed.
For the development of popular tourist destinations, such as Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani Rs 100 crore have been set aside in the budget.
The government also set aside Rs 55 crore for the diamond jubilee celebrations of the state, which was formed on May 1, 1960.
Besides, Rs 25 crore have been allocated for the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.
The budget also increased the MLA fund from Rs 2 crore (declared in 2011) to Rs 3 crore. Pawar said the move is aimed at enabling the elected representatives to spend more in their constituencies.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | MUMBAI: The annual budget presented by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Friday proposed creation of a world-class aquarium in Mumbai, which would be a part of an international standard tourism complex. In December last year, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had directed the officials of the Tourism Department to chalk out a plan to build a world-class aquarium in Mumbai."An international standard tourism complex would come up on the Worli Dairy land with an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore. An international standard aquarium will be built there," Pawar said while presenting his budget in the Legislative Assembly.Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, presented the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government's maiden budget in the Lower House.He announced an outlay of Rs 1,400 crore for the Department of Tourism Aaditya Thackeray , son of the chief minister, is the state Tourism and Environment Minister.Pawar also announced creation of a special fund to combat global warming and climate change, the issues over which Aaditya Thackeray has time and again expressed concerns.Pawar said several pilgrimage spots in the state, including Mahurgad in Nanded district, Parli Vaijanath, Aundha Nagnath, Narsi Namdev in Hingoli district, ancient Shiva temple in Ambarnath and Hazrat Khwaja Shamna Mira Dargah in Miraj, would be developed.For the development of popular tourist destinations, such as Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani Rs 100 crore have been set aside in the budget.The government also set aside Rs 55 crore for the diamond jubilee celebrations of the state, which was formed on May 1, 1960.Besides, Rs 25 crore have been allocated for the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.The budget also increased the MLA fund from Rs 2 crore (declared in 2011) to Rs 3 crore. Pawar said the move is aimed at enabling the elected representatives to spend more in their constituencies. | 3 |
Since last year, a remake that has become the talk of the town is Sara Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan starrer Coolie No 1. The two popular stars will be seen recreating the magic of Govinda and Karisma Kapoor from their 1995 comedy film. While the shoot has been going on since last year, Sara has time and again revealed that she has been a big fan of Karisma and that she feels lucky to be recreating her magic on the big screens in David Dhawan’s directorial.
In a recent conversation with Times Of India, Sara spoke about her stint in Coolie No 1 with Varun and mentioned that she has always had a huge crush on Karisma. The Love Aaj Kal star revealed that she has always loved Karisma’s songs and is extremely stoked to have got the chance to work on those in Coolie No 1. Khan even praised her director David Dhawan and mentioned that while shooting the film, the journey has been filled with fun moments.
(Also Read: WATCH: Sara Ali Khan REFUSES to join Kartik Aaryan on bus roof during promotions; Says ‘you do it if you like’)
On recreating Karisma’s role in Coolie No 1, Sara said, “David sir’s set is like a fireball of energy. It's like, you know, back to the 90s. So it's been a real fun time on that set. I personally have a very big crush on Karisma Kapoor. I love her songs. And I'm so excited that I've had the opportunity to recreate that.”
Meanwhile, Sara and Varun often have shared on the set fun moments while shooting Coolie No 1 and fans have been excited about their take on the classic comedy. Coolie No 1 is slated to be released on May 1, 2020. Aside from this, Sara is busy with Love Aaj Kal promotions. In the film, she will be seen with Kartik Aaryan. Directed by Imtiaz Ali, Love Aaj Kal is slated to release on February 14, 2020. Sara will also be seen with Akshay Kumar and Dhanush in Aanand L Rai’s Atrangi Re which is slated to hit the screens on Valentine’s Day 2021. | Among the popular stars of the Gen-Z, Sara Ali Khan is the one who has filmmakers lining up to cast her in their films. Despite being just 3 films old, Sara enjoys a massive fan base and the star is considered to be one of the style icons of the youth. However, despite all of it, the gorgeous Love Aaj Kal star revealed that there was once a film narration that she wanted to escape at all costs and was even willing to fake a heart attack but her mom Amrita Singh talked sense into her.
Yes, in a candid conversation with East India Comedy, Sara revealed that once she was stuck in a very lengthy narration and the filmmaker was going on and on about the film. However, the Love Aaj Kal star shared that she wanted to escape the narration even by going to the extreme length of wanting to fake cardiac arrest. Sara described the episode and said, “There was this one time. I am not going to say much…because he said so much!”
(Also Read: Sara Ali Khan looks like a spitting image of mom Amrita Singh as she recreates the latter's pose; See PHOTO)
She went onto reveal that she called her mom, Amrita Singh from the washroom and told her that she is ready to fake cardiac arrest to get out the narration. However, the Love Aaj Kal star was told by the senior star to sit through the narration and to be professional till the end. Sara recalled the incident and said, “I went to the restroom with my phone, three hours in, and I told my mom, ‘Look, I know that we are all professional and we should be thankful for these opportunities… But can I pretend to have a cardiac arrest? Is that allowed?’ She said no, so I asked, ‘Should I faint? Should I throw up? What do I do?’ She told me that I have to go back with professionalism and continue till the end.”
Sara Ali Khan's latest photo:
Later, Sara revealed that she continued to hear the filmmaker for five hours and then when she went home, she told her mom Amrita that she hates her now and she doesn’t want to talk and just needs sleep. Well, surely the starlet tried her best to escape the situation but was talked out of it by her mom. On the work front, Sara’s recent release is Kartik Aaryan starrer Love Aaj Kal by Imtiaz Ali. Next, Sara will be seen in David Dhawan’s Coolie No 1 with Varun Dhawan. It will hit the screens on May 1, 2020. Apart from this, Sara recently announced a film with Dhanush and Akshay Kumar titled Atrangi Re. It will release on Valentine’s Day 2021. | 2 |
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