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Media's Deafening Silence On Latest WikiLeaks Drops Is Its Own Scandal
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This is getting really, really, really weird.
WikiLeaks has published yet another set of leaked internal documents from within the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) adding even more material to the mountain of evidence that we've been lied to about an alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria last year which resulted in airstrikes upon that nation from the US, UK and France.
This new WikiLeaks drop includes an email from the OPCW Chief of Cabinet Sebastien Braha (who is reportedly so detested by organisation inspectors that they code named him "Voldemort") throwing a fit over the Ian Henderson Engineering Assessment which found that the Douma incident was likely a staged event. Braha is seen ordering OPCW staff to "remove all traces, if any, of its delivery/storage/whatever" from the organisation's secure registry.
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Wikileaks @wikileaks
Minutes from an OPCW meeting with toxicologists specialized in chemical weapons: "the experts were conclusive in their statements that there was
no correlation between symptoms and chlorine exposure". https:// wikileaks.org/opcw-douma/#OP CW-DOUMA%20-%20Release%20Part%204 "
The drop also includes the minutes from an OPCW toxicology meeting with "three Toxicologists/Clinical pharmacologists, one bioanalytical and toxicological chemist", all four of whom are specialists in chemical weapons analysis.
"With respect to the consistency of the observed and reported symptoms of the alleged victims with possible exposure to chlorine gas or similar, the experts were conclusive in their statements that there was no correlation between symptoms and chlorine exposure," the document reads.
According to the leaked minutes from the toxicology meeting, the chief expert offered "the possibility of the event being a propaganda exercise" as one potential explanation for the Douma incident. The other OPCW experts agreed that the key "take-away message" from the meeting was "that the symptoms observed were inconsistent with exposure to chlorine and no other obvious candidate chemical causing the symptoms could be identified".
Like all the other many, many, many, many different leaks which have been hemorrhaging from the OPCW about the Douma incident, none of the important information contained in these publications was included in any of the OPCW's public reports on the matter. According to the OPCW's Final Report published in March 2019, the investigative team found "reasonable grounds that the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon took place. This toxic chemical contained reactive chlorine. The toxic chemical was likely molecular chlorine."
We now know that these "reasonable grounds" contain more holes than a spaghetti strainer executed by firing squad. This is extremely important information about an unsolved war crime which resulted in dozens of civilian deaths and led to an act of war which cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars and had many far-reaching geopolitical consequences.
Yet the mass media, freakishly, has had absolutely nothing to say about this extremely newsworthy story.
As of this writing, a Google News search for this story brings up an article by RT, another by Al-Masdar News, and some entries by alternative outlets you've almost certainly never heard of like UrduPoint News and People's Pundit Daily.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | This piece was reprinted by OpEdNews with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
Putin Meddling in .our democracy..
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Depending on whose political echo chamber I happen to be arguing with on a given day, one common criticism I run into a fair bit which many of my readers have surely also encountered is that I put all my energy into criticizing the foreign policy of the United States and its allies.
"You're not anti-war, you're only anti-AMERICAN wars!" they say, as though they're delivering some kind of devastating slam-dunk point. "If you're so antiwar, why don't you criticize Assad's war in Syria? If you're such an anti-imperialist, show me where you've ever once criticized Russian imperialism, or Chinese imperialism?"
The argument being that someone who opposes US-led warmongering isn't really motivated by a desire for peace and an opposition to war unless they're also voicing opposition to all other violent governments in the world. If you're only criticizing US imperialism and not the imperialism of other nations, you must be motivated by something far more sinister, perhaps a hatred for the United States of America.
I have three responses to this feeble line of argumentation, which I'll list here for the benefit of anyone else who'd like to make use of them:
Nobody criticizes all misdeeds by all governments everywhere in the world. If you run into someone making this "you have to criticize all bad governments or your criticisms are invalid" argument on Twitter, just do an advanced search for their Twitter handle plus "Duterte" or "Sisi" or one of the other US-allied tyrants who the mainstream media haven't spent years demonizing, and you'll find that they've never made a single mention of those leaders the entire time they've had that account.
What this proves, of course, is that they don't actually practice the belief that all misdeeds by all governments are equally worthy of condemnation. What they actually practice is the belief that one ought to criticize the governments they hear their television criticizing: Russia, China, Syria, Iran, etc. The governments the US State Department and the CIA don't like. The disobedient governments. The governments which have resisted absorption into the blob of the US-centralized empire.
They don't put the logic of their own argument into practice because it is impossible to put into practice. Everyone's only got so much time in the day, so you have to choose where to put your focus. I personally choose to put my focus on the single most egregious offender in warmongering and imperialism. Which takes us to:
US-led regime change interventionism is literally always disastrous and literally never helpful. This is an indisputable fact. Imperialists get very frustrated when I take my stand there in arguments online, because it is an unassailable position. That's usually when the ad hominems start flying.
All things are not equal. This isn't something you should have to explain to grown adults, but such is the nature of propaganda. It is true that other governments do evil things; as far as I can tell this becomes pretty much a given as soon as a government is allowed to have a military force and keep important secrets from its citizenry. Obviously Russia, China and other unabsorbed governments are no exception to this rule. But the US is worse, by orders of magnitude.
No other nation comes anywhere remotely close. No other nation is circling the planet with hundreds of military bases and engaged in dozens of undeclared military operations. No other nation has cultivated a giant globe-sprawling empire in the form of tightly knit alliances with powerful murderous governments like the UK, Israel and Saudi Arabia. No other nation is constantly laboring to sabotage and undermine any government which refuses to be absorbed into military and economic alliance with it using sanctions, staged coups, covert CIA operations, color revolutions, economic manipulations, propaganda, the arming of dissident militias, and launching full-scale military invasions. Only the US and the nations that its cancerous empire has metastasized into are doing anything like that on anywhere near the scale.
So since I, like everyone else, only have enough time in the day to oppose so many different evils in the world, I choose to pour my energy into opposing the single most egregious offender. An offender which doesn't get nearly enough opposition, in my opinion.
When asked in an interview why he spends the bulk of his time criticizing his own government, Noam Chomsky replied:
"My own concern is primarily the terror and violence carried out by my own state, for two reasons. For one thing, because it happens to be the larger component of international violence. But also for a much more important reason than that: namely, I can do something about it. So even if the US was responsible for 2% of the violence in the world instead of the majority of it, it would be that 2% I would be primarily responsible for. And that is a simple ethical judgment. That is, the ethical value of one's actions depends on their anticipated and predictable consequences. It is very easy to denounce the atrocities of someone else. That has about as much ethical value as denouncing atrocities that took place in the 18th century."
When people here in Australia ask about what I do for a living, I sometimes jokingly tell them I write about Australian foreign policy, which means that I write about US foreign policy. I've written many times about how Australia functions as Washington's basement gimp, an impotent vassal which functions as little more than a US military/intelligence asset in terms of meaningful international affairs.
So all I really am doing here is applying Chomsky's philosophy to the reality of an empire in which sovereign nations do not exist to any meaningful extent; as a member of a state within that empire I focus on US government malfeasance in the same way I would if I were living in Alaska or Hawaii.
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A school that's right for your children's needs should be a top priority when determining where your new home should be. (Photo: Getty Images)
Kids are failing kindergarten in the most affluent school districts in the state.
On purpose.
That's really not how proponents of so-called "young fives" or "transitional kindergarten" programs look at it. But that's the reality of a workaround some Michigan parents have found to allow their children two years of kindergarten at taxpayer expense.
School districts spent $127 million for 15,000 kids in the current school year — that's one in eight Michigan kindergartners, Ron French reported this week in Bridge Magazine.
Some parents believe their children aren't ready for traditional kindergarten, and that they need two years to develop social, emotional or motor skills. Transitional kindergarten can simply mean two years of kindergarten, or that a standard kindergarten curriculum is taught over two years.
It goes one step further than "redshirting," the practice of delaying school for kids whose birthdays are near the cutoff date for kindergarten enrollment. In Michigan, that's Sept. 1. (Notably different: parents who redshirt foot the bill for an additional year of preschool, or take the economic hit that comes with another year of stay-at-home parenting.)
I've heard about two-year kindergarten for years, and to me it has always seemed like gaming the system. But I couldn't put my finger on exactly why, until I read French's comprehensive report.
More: 5 ways to tell if a daycare, preschool is top-notch
More: Lansing should stop fighting Detroit kids' right-to-read lawsuit
For starters, it's expensive. And there's no research that suggests two-year kindergarten confers any long-term benefit. French cites one study that found that if there is any advantage to delayed enrollment, it's gone by third grade. Another expert says the practice may actually be harmful.
And for $127 million, that expert told French, hiring one-on-one tutors for each of those students would yield a greater long-term benefit.
In southeast Michigan, two-year kindergartners tend to be concentrated in suburban districts that are middle class or affluent, and mostly white: Grosse Pointe, Livonia, West Bloomfield, Okemos, Ann Arbor.
In other words, it's the folks with the most resources and most advantages finding another way to wheedle even more out of a system that already tilts in their favor, on the public dime.
And it's growing in popularity.
Because Michigan schools don't actually offer a state-sanctioned two-year kindergarten program, that second year is the result of retention (that's "failing," in the vernacular). Kindergarten retention, French found, has increased by 21% in the last four years.
Early retention may cause future problems: A new law requires third-graders who aren't reading at grade level to repeat the year, but kids can't repeat more than one grade before third grade. Advocates believe transitional kindergarten will help students succeed, but it seems just as likely that older kids could be bored by lessons intended for younger children, or that students who are more physically mature than their younger classmates may feel out of place, especially in middle or high school. Or that kids who have to repeat a later grade will find themselves significantly older than their classmates.
(Full disclosure: My son started kindergarten shortly before his fifth birthday. He's in fourth grade now. He's doing fine.)
Michigan schools are struggling. There's no question about that. Over the last two decades — as we've spent less on our schools — scores have declined, across all demographics. We need to do better. We need to fund universal pre-K. We need to adopt consistent standards, and stick with a test that can show whether we're moving toward those standards. We need to pay teachers more, and spend more to educate students with greater need.
Workarounds that only benefit some kids don't fit the bill.
Nancy Kaffer is a Free Press columnist. Contact: nkaffer@freepress.com.
Read or Share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/columnists/nancy-kaffer/2019/12/13/young-fives-developmental-kindergarten-programs-cost-state-money/4412563002/ | Posted By TheNewsCommenter: From Reason.com: “Brickbats: January 2020”. Below is an excerpt from the article.
In England, the Thames Valley Police Department has announced it will stop posting photos of knives that officers have seized because the pictures may frighten people.
The South Australian Police says it is investigating an off-duty officer caught on video chasing and throwing rocks at the head of a wombat. In a statement, the police force said the wombat was "seriously injured," but several media sources say the animal died.
Michigan state Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (D–8th District) wants to know who tore down a house she owns in Detroit without her permission or even notification. "It's a hole in the ground," she told the Detroit Free Press. City officials say they didn't tear the house down and didn't issue a permit to any private party to do so. The house next door was torn down months ago by the Adamo Group, one of the largest contractors in the city's demolition program. Adamo has also torn down 3,396 other houses, for a total of $56 million in fees. The company says it did not tear down Gay-Dagnogo's house, but city officials say the matter is under investigation. The Adamo Group has torn down the wrong house at least once before.
A French court has ruled that a man who died from a heart attack after an adulterous encounter suffered a work-related accident because he was on a business trip at the time. That decision will allow the man's widow to collect benefits. The company had challenged a ruling by the state health insurance provider that it was liable because the decision could cause the company's premiums to go up. The court said that French law protects a worker during the entire time of a business trip, even if he is not directly engaged in work activities at the time of an injury.
For years, children at the Little Ones Learning Center in Forest Park, Georgia, have grown vegetables. Last year, the preschool set up a bimonthly farm stand, selling produce grown by the students as well as from nearby farms. But this year, city officials shut it down because the school is in a residential neighborhood not zoned for food stands.
Read more... | 1 |
Dr. Marissa Pei, author of “8 Ways to Happiness from Wherever You Are,” is the guest speaker at the upcoming Woman’s Club of Cypress meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, January 8, 10:00 am, at the Cypress Community Center, 5700 Orange Avenue, Cypress.
The author is the celebrity host of the 2016 Podcast of the Year Top 10 in Health Award winning show, “Take My Advice, I’m Not Using It: Get Happy with Dr. Marissa.” Her podcast is syndicated on iHeartRadio and CNBC. She is an organizational psychologist, speaking consultant, and motivational speaker.
Billed as the “Asian Oprah,” Dr. Pei’s show guests have featured past Oprah guests including Dr. John Gray and Marianne Williamson, TV icon MaryAnn from Gilligan’s Island, and Laila Ali. As a red-carpet MC and celebrity host, she has interviewed Halle Berry, John Travolta, and Quincy Jones.
Winner of the 2014 Asian Heritage Award, 2012 Asian Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and recognition as the 2017 Iconic Woman Creating a Better World for All, she has now added the title of author to her achievements.
In an increasingly non-stop world, her message is, “If what you look at outside of you is stressing you out, quit looking at it.” Her further message is, “There will always be pain in life, but suffering is optional.” Her message of choosing to not be distracted by social media and other forces, resonates with her followers.
The 10:00 am-12:00 pm meeting will begin with business of the club, with Dr. Marissa Pei at approximately 11:00 am. Guests are welcome to attend. Questions may be directed to the club’s website at [email protected]
The Woman’s Club of Cypress has a membership of 86 community-minded women whose motto is Friendship with a Purpose. Club members raise money throughout the year to fund college scholarships for Cypress residents and philanthropic donations to non-profit organizations.
This article was released by the Woman’s Club of Cypress. | Hello and welcome back to our regular morning look at private companies, public markets and the gray space in between.
It’s finally 2020, the year that should bring us a direct listing from home-sharing giant Airbnb, a technology company valued at tens of billions of dollars. The company’s flotation will be a key event in this coming year’s technology exit market. Expect the NYSE and Nasdaq to compete for the listing, bankers to queue to take part, and endless media coverage.
Given that that’s ahead, we’re going to take periodic looks at Airbnb as we tick closer to its eventual public market debut. And that means that this morning we’re looking back through time to see how fast the company has grown by using a quirky data point.
Airbnb releases a regular tally of its expected “guest stays” for New Year’s Eve each year, including 2019. We can therefore look back in time, tracking how quickly (or not) Airbnb’s New Year Eve guest tally has risen. This exercise will provide a loose, but fun proxy for the company’s growth as a whole.
The numbers
Before we look into the figures themselves, keep in mind that we are looking at a guest figure which is at best a proxy for revenue. We don’t know the revenue mix of the guest stays, for example, meaning that Airbnb could have seen a 10% drop in per-guest revenue this New Year’s Eve — even with more guest stays — and we’d have no idea.
So, the cliche about grains of salt and taking, please.
But as more guests tends to mean more rentals which points towards more revenue, the New Year’s Eve figures are useful as we work to understand how quickly Airbnb is growing now compared to how fast it grew in the past. The faster the company is expanding today, the more it’s worth. And given recent news that the company has ditched profitability in favor of boosting its sales and marketing spend (leading to sharp, regular deficits in its quarterly results), how fast Airbnb can grow through higher spend is a key question for the highly-backed, San Francisco-based private company.
Here’s the tally of guest stays in Airbnb’s during New Years Eve (data via CNBC, Jon Erlichman, Airbnb), and their resulting year-over-year growth rates:
2009: 1,400
2010: 6,000 (+329%)
2011: 3,1000 (+417%)
2012: 108,000 (248%)
2013: 250,000 (+131%)
2014: 540,000 (+116%)
2015: 1,100,000 (+104%)
2016: 2,000,000 (+82%)
2017: 3,000,000 (+50%)
2018: 3,700,000 (+23%)
2019: 4,500,000 (+22%)
In chart form, that looks like this:
Let’s talk about a few things that stand out. First is that the company’s growth rate managed to stay over 100% for as long as it did. In case you’re a SaaS fan, what Airbnb pulled off in its early years (again, using this fun proxy for revenue growth) was far better than a triple-triple-double-double-double.
Next, the company’s growth rate in percentage terms has slowed dramatically, including in 2019. At the same time the firm managed to re-accelerate its gross guest growth in 2019. In numerical terms, Airbnb added 1,000,000 New Year’s Eve guest stays in 2017, 700,000 in 2018, and 800,000 in 2019. So 2019’s gross adds was not a record, but it was a better result than its year-ago tally. | 1 |
Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, (APC- Nasarawa), on Wednesday, said President Muhammadu Buhari needs Nigerians’ prayers.
He said this was to enable his administration surmount social, security and economic challenges facing the country in 2020.
Adamu, a two-term governor of Nasarawa State, made the call in a statement in Lafia on Wednesday.
According to him, the country is currently passing through some many challenges ranging from social, security and economic disharmony.
“The President had shown commitment in the last five years and is more determined to address these and other issues of national development.
“All Nigerians including some of us in leadership positions should support the President as he work towards correcting the wrongs of the past and setting the country on the path of sustainable development,” he said.
Adamu, while thanking God for the opportunity of seeing 2020, expressed optimism that the year hold great prospect for Nigeria. | President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to abide and comply with the rule of law and constitution of Nigeria.
Buhari said this in his New Year message to Nigerians.
The administration of President Buhari is characterised with different acts of human rights violation with activists and critics arrested and illegally detained at different centres across the country.
This is highlighted in the arrest and detention of Omoyele Sowore and Agba Jalingo as well as a host of others.
Buhari added that his government would promote dialogue and understanding.
He said, "Our actions at all times will be governed by the rule of law.
"At the same time, we shall look always to engage with all well-meaning leaders and citizens of goodwill to promote dialogue, partnership and understanding.
"We need a democratic government that can guarantee peace and security to realise the full potential of our ingenious, entrepreneurial and hard-working people.
"Our policies are designed to promote genuine, balanced growth that delivers jobs and rewards industry." | 3 |
There have been a number of high profile cases of policemen abusing their power
Advice for women | Officers have a legal right to pull you over night or day - but know your rights
South Africa's social climate has left women and children living in a perpetually vulnerable state to the extent that safety isn't a guarantee, even when dealing with law enforcement officers - both real and fake.
The growing scourge of gender-based violence and femicide in the country has included several incidents involving law enforcement officers - those entrusted with protecting members of society.
News24 earlier reported that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) arrested a 45-year-old police sergeant on Monday after he was accused of raping an 18-year-old woman while on a church outing in Westbank, East London.
In February, a high-ranking Cape Town police officerwas accused of raping a woman he allegedly threatened to arrest for sex work.
In addition, the close of women's month saw the murder of boxing champion Leighandre "Baby Lee" Jegelswho was shot and killed by her estranged boyfriend - a police officer.
As we enter the festive season, women and children will inevitably be on the roads, where the police have heightened their visibility. As women living in South Africa these are your rights:
A traffic officer has the legal right to stop you and check your car registration as well as your driver's licence.
According to Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesperson Wayne Minnaar, both male and female traffic officers have the right to stop you day or night.
Women are encouraged to comply with the officers and stop and remain inside their vehicle but immediately request to see an appointment card.
"If they do not have an appointment card then they are not an officer, I would suggest that you call for help immediately," he explained.
Social media has seen several incidents of women driving alone at night, opting to stop at the nearest garage or visible location while being pulled over by the police.
A recent incident in Tshwane saw awoman allegedly being manhandled by a number of Tshwane Metro Police Department officers at a petrol station in Lyttleton.
The woman feared the cops were not real and did not to pull over. She instead opted to drive to a nearby petrol station, where the officers proceeded to allegedly manhandle her.
In incidents of this nature, Minnaar could not clarify whether - in light of this country's social climate of violence against women and children - this action was justifiable or not.
"Look,it's about obeying the rules of the road and that is for everyone - male or female.
"Officers may apply their discretion in these situations, but an officer can stop you legally," he explained.
Women must remember the following if a police stop escalates to a search:
- A male or female officer is permitted to stop you and request your driver's licence and car registration.
- If you are pulled over and the officer decides to undertake a search, only a female officer is permitted to proceed with such an action.
- If a female officer is not present, the motorist must request the male officer to call a female officer (with an appointment card) to the scene then the action may proceed.
- The absence of a female officer does not mean that you may be let go.
- If you feel your safety is compromised, a female motorist is allowed to remain in the vehicle until a female officer arrives at the scene.
- It is up to you to report a case to the police if you find an officer operating without an appointment card.
- A female motorist is also afforded the right to call for help when her safety is at risk.
"It is up to you as an individual to report the case to the police station. It is easy to verify an officer through an appointment card. If the officer evades that, you can take the van's vehicle registration number," acting station commander Nalini Singh previously told News24.
Sources: Wayne Minnaar (JMPD) and Nalini Singh (KZN acting station commander)
News24 | The apparent leader of a group of refugees staying in the Cape Town Methodist Church has been arrested following complaints from other refugees of assault, Western Cape police said on Wednesday.
"The suspect who is from Congo is charged with eight cases of assault - five of which are assault with intention to do grievous bodily harm," said Brigadier Novela Potelwa in a statement. The man was not named in the statement.
He is due to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Friday.
After his arrest, about 50 members of the refugee group came to the Cape Town central police station to protest against his arrest.
City of Cape Town to use bylaws to remove refugees
"After being advised to leave, the group duly complied and dispersed. Public Order Police members are keeping an eye on the situation."
The arrest is part of brewing tensions among refugees who appear to have split into two camps at the Central Methodist Mission.
On Monday, police had to release a stun grenade to stop heated arguments in front of the church on Greenmarket Square, where self-appointed guards were controlling access, News24 reported.
At the time, one of the leaders, Papy Sukami, told News24 that he and JP Balous, with whom he had previously led the group of several hundred people taking refuge, had had a falling out.
"He abused power," alleged Sukami. "People are victims of his behaviour."
He said Balous was chasing away people who were trying to help them, including Gift of the Givers.
About 600 people, including more than 100 children, have been living in the church since October 30 after they were forcibly removed from a sit-in protest at the nearby Waldorf Arcade.
They had hoped to be relocated to a country other than their countries of origin, saying they were at risk in South Africa.
Three people were arrested last week Sunday for the possession of dangerous weapons after they became embroiled in an altercation. | 2 |
Emami Ltd is quoting at Rs 314, up 1.32% on the day as on 12:44 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 25.72% in last one year as compared to a 12.82% jump in NIFTY and a 0.07% jump in the Nifty FMCG.
Emami Ltd is up for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 314, up 1.32% on the day as on 12:44 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.07% on the day, quoting at 12176.55. The Sensex is at 41298, up 0.11%. Emami Ltd has slipped around 0.76% in last one month.
Meanwhile, Nifty FMCG index of which Emami Ltd is a constituent, has slipped around 2.18% in last one month and is currently quoting at 30121.5, up 0.31% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 48785 shares today, compared to the daily average of 2.47 lakh shares in last one month.
The PE of the stock is 37.78 based on TTM earnings ending September 19.
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) |
Indian shares are expected to open little changed on Thursday following muted trends in global markets. Asian shares were mixed, while US futures traded marginally higher in the morning trades.
SGX Nifty futures traded 0.05 percent lower as of 7.45 AM at 12,239, indicating a flat start for the Sensex and the Nifty50. | 2.666667 |
FINANCE
(Yonhap)
Bucking the trend of major global stock markets which saw some of their best gains in decades, South Korea’s main bourse Kospi remained flat on the last trading day of 2019, unable to pierce the 2,200 points mark.For a decade now, many market watchers expected Kospi to surpass the 3,000 mark, after it topped 2,000 in 2009. Now as we enter a new year, all eyes are on whether it will gain new growth momentum.According to experts, the main bourse is expected to gain vitality this year backed by a recovery in the global economy and a rebound of the semiconductor industry -- the country’s main growth vehicle -- but not dramatic enough to breach the mid-2,000 mark.The Korea Herald survey of stock market outlook with research heads of four securities firms predicted the yearly band of the Kospi index to move in the 1,900-2,450 range.Kiwoom Securities expects a trading band of 1,900-2,250, while Samsung Securities forecasts 1,950-2,350. NH Investment & Securities and Hana Financial Investment expect 2,000-2,400 and 2,050-2,450, respectively. The local stock market fluctuated within a trading band of 1,900-2,200 in 2019.However, despite the overall positive outlook, all the four brokerages are of the view that the index could still fall below 2,000, if the US and China revive their trade tensions amid prolonged political uncertainties.A partial “phase one” deal is expected to be signed soon to end their trade war -- that will increase US imports of agricultural goods to China, while Washington eases massive tariffs on Chinese products -- to be followed by “phase two” deal talks between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping.However, it is uncertain whether they will resume their dispute given their yearslong war of words. This will impact the local semiconductor industry and other sectors, according to market experts.“The unpredictable US-China trade relations will expand uncertainties in the Korean stock market,” said Kim Ji-san, the head of research center at Kiwoom Securities.NH Investment & Securities is of the view that the Korean stock market will rise in the first half of this year with the “falling triple bottom line performance” of Korean companies in the second half of the year. The results of the US presidential election are also expected to have a significant impact on the benchmark Kospi.“Following the improvement in the global economy, large-cap stocks will be strong with export improvement in the first half. But some major events such as the upcoming US presidential election in November may deflate the index later,” said Lee Chang-mok, head researcher at NH Investment & Securities.While all the brokerages said investors should pay greater attention to the US stock market in 2020, they considered the most promising industries this year in Korea will be information technology, semiconductor and media sectors.Yun Sok-mo, research head at Samsung Securities, said semiconductor firms will be able to report about 20 percent growth in net profit this year. Along with Samsung Electronics, he picked Kakao as another promising stock, due to its improving business performance.Hana Financial Investment head researcher Cho Yong-jun also paid attention to the semiconductor industry and IT-related stocks such as Kakao and Naver.“Expanding infrastructure investments in major countries, 5G networks and internet data centers are positive factors that will benefit local semiconductor and IT firms. These industries will trigger a rebound of Kospi’s large-cap stocks,” he said.By Jie Ye-eun ( yeeun@heraldcorp.com | US President Donald Trump has announced he will sign a long-awaited trade agreement with China on 15 January.
The pact, a "phase one" deal, is expected to reduce tensions between the two economic giants.
The US president said the treaty would be signed in Washington in the presence of "high level representatives" from China.
"At a later date I will be going to Beijing where talks will begin on Phase Two!" the President wrote on Twitter.
Mr Trump recently called off plans for tariff increases on Chinese goods, citing progress on the deal.
The text has not been shared publicly but earlier this month the two sides said China had promised to increase purchases of US agricultural products and boost intellectual property protections, while the US rolled back some tariffs.
Mr Trump previously said he wanted to see a wide-ranging deal, which he would sign with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Source: BBC | 1.666667 |
If saving money is high on your list of New Year's resolutions, then there's a simple way to ensure you have a nice nest egg at the end of 2020 - without it feeling too taxing.
Rather than make drastic promises that are difficult to keep, UK parenting site PlayPennies has challenged Brits to start by saving a single penny and adding one more every day.
The money-saving approach, which lasts for 365 days, could net you almost £700 over the course of the year.
It works by putting one penny away today and adding an extra penny every day, so that your saving matches the day of the year - for instance 1p on day one, 100p on day 100 and so on.
The scheme starts with you saving one penny on the first day, before adding a penny every day for 365 days
It means on the final day you will put £3.65 into your piggy bank, bringing the total amount saved in a year to £667.95.
Because it's a case of saving just a few pounds each day by the end of the scheme, the plan is designed to feel accessible.
You could also try the challenge in reverse, by starting with a £3.65 saving and working backwards.
The parenting site suggests the money-saving approach is 'a low impact way to work towards that holiday or wedding dress'.
Rather than make drastic promises that are difficult to keep, UK parenting site PlayPennies has challenged Brits to put aide just an extra penny everyday (stock photo)
The money will come as a welcome boost to many during the festive season, after shoppers spent millions of pounds Christmas shopping last year.
Plus, four in 10 UK adults were expected to make the most of sales from Boxing Day, spending an average of £186 each and a total of £3.7billion, according to Barclaycard.
Meanwhile, online sales were set to rise by 10 per cent on 2018 to £1.14billion.
Opinium Research surveyed 2,002 UK adults online for Barclaycard between November 29 and December 3. | Getty
The workforce can sometimes feel like a dog-eat-dog world where winners win, losers lose, and everyone else is left by the road feeling disillusioned, disengaged or, otherwise, simply dissed. Still, you know you need to press whatever advantage you have against the competition, against the status quo and against indifference. If you are reading this, you’re likely in the arena and seeking to advance your career against unyielding headwinds with hopes that, in this New Year, you’ll experience greater levels of career success. But the truth is that this year will likely end up just like all the prior ones unless you change the game and have the courage to make different—even bolder—career moves.
Rather than spending your time following a rule book that causes you to spin your wheels getting nowhere fast, I suggest you throw it out altogether. Instead of trying to work through traditional and flawed career paradigms, I challenge you to break out of them completely because your next best career move can’t be found there.
Stop following outdated and obsolete career advice.
The best career move you can make to achieve success is to stop doing something. Absolutely stop following outdated and obsolete career advice.
Have you had internal struggles with wanting to break free, take more risks and try new things but also felt bound by old rules? Do old rules about risk, about change, about success and about careers create difficulties for you? Oh, the shame and conflict of it all. Have you ever been told to play to win but then ridiculed if you lose? What about change? Have you ever been told to be open to change but then pulled back because you were changing things too much and too fast?
Following the old (traditional) rule book has surely worked out well for some. But for many, many others, it has become an emotional burden, created career turmoil and led to hugely negative career experiences such as these:
You end up working a job you hate for years because you took it as a placeholder thinking that something better would come along. Nothing better ever came, and now you feel typecast and stuck.
You started working for a company you love but ended up miserable because you’ve been skipped over for promotions year after year or haven’t received the pay raises you thought you deserved.
You love the work you do and the company you work for, but you don’t have flexibility with your schedule and find it more and more difficult to have any work-life balance.
You are in a highly sought after or respected profession such as law or medicine, and you earn very good money, but you’re only doing it to accommodate career expectations or standards that someone else set for you. The old rules say to adhere to society’s pressures because happiness and fulfillment are second to money and status. You’ve sacrificed your freedom to choose, and now you aren’t fulfilled.
Try something new and different this year.
Challenge yourself to stop following outdated and obsolete career advice or outdated resume advice, and try these things instead.
Instead of waiting to climb the career ladder, just break the damn thing.
Yes, you can cut in line rather than patiently wait your turn. Better yet, skip the line completely. The rules about who gets up to bat next have completely gone out the door. If you have any doubt about this, just look at politics (younger upstarts have been taking out long-serving, experienced players every cycle).
But the same thing is happening in regular workplaces more and more too. Employers are looking for new talent with new, innovative thinking and ideas. They want hungry, competitive people with fresh perspectives. If you find yourself off on the sidelines trying to count up how many years you have to wait before you can apply for your boss’s job, you are setting yourself up for deep disappointment and regret. If you are serious about getting that job, I recommend you get your bosses job (the title at least) at another company if you have to. There’s no reason for you to wait many years—even decades—before you can advance up the career ladder. You have to explore other options, even outside the company if you must. Instead of working your way up the ladder, you can choose to shrewdly go around it.
Instead of quitting your job to start a business, add on a side gig.
If you have a strong pull toward entrepreneurship but also need to be able to pay your bills and have money for your business, don’t feel pressured to quit your job. You can do both and don’t have to feel guilty about pursuing something outside your “regular” job.
Also, you can take time to build up your business and client base before leaving your steady paycheck behind. Many successful entrepreneurs and business owners have done it that way. Do what works best for you and your family.
Instead of only applying for jobs when you meet 100% of the qualifications, go ahead apply if you only have 80%.
If you can describe how you can succeed in the job and clearly articulate the value you bring, employers are willing to take a chance with less experienced or less educated applicants. Focus your efforts on the stuff that’s harder to teach like so-called soft skills which actually are the harder skills to develop.
Help employers understand your strengths in areas where they most struggle to find talent. Persuade an interviewer that you bring a unique set of leadership, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, communication, negotiation or decision-making skills, and you just might get a real close look. Make employers view you as trustworthy with integrity, and you very well may take that job from more experienced candidates.
Instead of hoping that you don’t lose, go ahead and play to win by taking calculated career risks.
Successful people in fulfilled careers play to win while unsuccessful people just hope they don’t lose while trying to avoid risk at all costs. It is acceptable, even mandatory, to take more risks in this new career paradigm. It’s not just about risk for those who want to become an entrepreneur, but employees at all levels make career decisions that are risky so that they can advance in today’s environment and compete for the best jobs.
Been on your job for two years and want to leave to work for a different company? Do it. Job hopping doesn’t have nearly the same stigma that it used to. Actually, the greater problems for your career today are the risks that come with staying in the same job for too long, failing to diversify your career portfolio and neglecting to keep your skills and talents current. Each of these will cause more lasting career damage than job hopping (so long as you put in approximately two years on the job).
Want to walk away from a comfortable, good-paying job because you aren’t growing? Do it. What is the worst thing that can happen? If things don’t work out with another job, or you can’t take your side gig full time, just do what it takes to get another job.
Want to quit your job to start your own business? Do it. If you can handle it financially and are just burning with passion to put all your energy in on starting your business, go ahead and take the risk.
Willing to take a job with less pay so that you can make a career change or transition into a completely different career path that you’re more passionate about? Do it.
These are not radical suggestions. This is what the most successful people are doing today and what they have been doing for decades. It has become necessary for all of us to consider our careers against the winds of the future world of work. This includes diversified portfolios, multiple revenue streams, digital transformation (i.e., automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, etc.) and greater levels of employee competition. Are you playing to win?
Outdated and obsolete career advice won’t help you.
While outdated and obsolete career advice won’t help you, trying something new and different will. New and different will help you compete in this dynamic and ever-changing workforce, and the good news is that you get to decide for yourself what career decisions you make or don’t make. You also get to live with the benefits, rewards and consequences (the good and the bad).
Are you ready to throw out outdated and obsolete career advice? Will you ignore it, and instead try something new and different to advance your career this year? Or will you be sitting where you are at the end of this year griping about your employer, your job or your career? It’s a new day, and it’s all up to you. | 2 |
Cuteness by the dozen in Princeton: Make way for duck eggs at Woodland Gardens Farm | SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Automatic voter registration would allow Massachusetts residents to register to vote or opt-out when they interact with the Registry of Motor Vehicles and MassHealth.
Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill approving the system last year, joining more than a dozen states in making it easier to register and vote in elections.
State residents who change their addresses with the RMV or with Mass Health will have their voter registration updated automatically.
This comes at a good time for one Northampton resident who recently moved from Worcester.
Brian Cowles told 22News, “I think anything is helpful, to make registering more convenient. I moved twice in the last two years, I haven’t registered in the new town I live in, so hopefully, this will take care of me.”
Supporters are also confident this new system will increase voter turnout for the March 3 presidential primary.
The deadline to register to vote in the primaries is February 12th. | 1 |
US Chief Justice John Roberts will be a central figure in the ongoing drama of the Donald Trump presidency in the coming months. He is due to preside over a Senate impeachment trial, while the Supreme Court he leads will rule on a titanic clash over the president's attempts to keep his financial records secret.
US Chief Justice John Roberts will be a central figure in the ongoing drama of the Donald Trump presidency in the coming months. He is due to preside over a Senate impeachment trial, while the Supreme Court he leads will rule on a titanic clash over the president's attempts to keep his financial records secret.
Coming out of the shadows: the US chief justice who will preside over Trump's trial
The expected impeachment trial will focus on accusations that Trump abused his power by asking Ukraine to investigate former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden. The Democratic-led House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment on December 18, paving the way for the trial in the Republican-led Senate.
The normally reserved and mild-mannered Roberts, 64, will have the largely symbolic role of presiding officer, with senators casting the crucial votes.
But it is in the marble-lined corridors of the Supreme Court across the street from the Capitol Building, hidden from the TV cameras, where Roberts wields real power. Known for his cautious approach to major cases, he holds one of just nine votes that will decide by the end of June whether Trump's financial records can be disclosed to Democratic-led congressional committees and a New York prosecutor.
The court's rulings in those cases – on the power of Congress and local prosecutors to investigate a sitting president – will set precedents that may affect not just Trump but also future presidents.
The impeachment trial will be an unusual and potentially uncomfortable period for the low-key Roberts, who prefers to fly under the radar even while he has navigated the conservative-majority court in a rightward direction over the last decade and a half.
"My sense is that the chief doesn't want to make himself the story," said Sarah Binder, a scholar at the nonpartisan Brookings Institution.
Roberts declined to comment. During a rare public appearance in New York in September, Roberts appeared concerned about the hyperpartisan politics of Washington under Trump.
"When you live in a polarized political environment, people tend to see everything in those terms. That's not how we at the court function," he said.
Those who know Roberts, including former law clerks, say that he would take his role seriously and, as a history buff, he is likely reading up on the previous impeachment trials of Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton.
Roberts, a conservative appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, has a reputation in Washington as a traditional conservative and a strong defender of the Supreme Court as an independent branch of government.
In a frictionless rise to prominence, he served in the administration of Republican President Ronald Reagan before becoming one of the most prominent Supreme Court advocates in town. Bush appointed him to the federal appeals court in Washington in 2003 before tapping him for the chief justice post two years later.
Roberts is often viewed as an incrementalist in his judicial philosophy, conscious of the fact that the Supreme Court risks its legitimacy if its 5-4 conservative majority is characterized as being too aggressive in moving the law to the right.
He has nonetheless voted consistently with his conservative colleagues on such issues as gay rights, abortion, religious liberty and gun rights. But in 2012, he broke ranks and cast the deciding vote to uphold the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, Democratic President Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement.
Earlier this year, he again sided with the court's liberals as the court ruled 5-4 against the Trump administration's attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.
Roberts clashed with Trump more directly in November 2018 when he took the unusual step of issuing a statement defending the federal judiciary after Trump repeatedly criticized judges who had ruled against his administration.
The cases concerning Trump's financial records, with rulings due by the end of June, puts the sober Roberts and bombastic Trump on another collision course.
Legal experts have said Trump, who unlike previous presidents has refused to release his tax returns, is making broad assertions of presidential power that could place new limits on the ability of Congress to enforce subpoenas seeking information about the president.
If it is a close call, Roberts could cast the deciding vote.
In the Senate trial set to take place in January, Roberts' role as presiding officer is limited mainly to keeping the process on track. Roberts could, however, be asked to rule on whether certain witnesses should be called.
If a majority of senators disagree with a ruling he makes, they can vote to overturn his decision.
In the Clinton impeachment trial in 1999, Chief Justice William Rehnquist had "relatively little to do," said Neil Richards, who was present as one of Rehnquist's law clerks and is now a professor at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.
"I think Chief Justice Roberts is likely to approach his role... the way he has approached his judicial career to date: Doing his best to be impartial, doing his best to preserve the dignity of his judicial office," Richards added.
Online Editors | Chief Justice John Roberts expressed concern on Tuesday about disinformation amplified by the internet and social media as he focused his year-end report on the weakening state of civics education in the United States.
“In our age, when social media can instantly spread rumor and false information on a grand scale, the public’s need to understand our government, and the protections it provides, is ever more vital,” Roberts said in his annual report on behalf of the federal judiciary.
The chief justice warned that Americans “have come to take democracy for granted, and civic education has fallen by the wayside.”
Roberts’ comments come as U.S. legislators and officials have raised concerns about the persistence of foreign propaganda and false news aimed at sowing discord in the U.S. political system in the lead-up to the 2020 election.
U.S. intelligence agencies and an inquiry by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller found that Russia engaged in a campaign of hacking and propaganda to sway the 2016 presidential race toward Republican President Donald Trump. Mueller did not establish that members of Trump’s campaign conspired with Russia during the 2016 election.
Roberts said in his report that an independent judiciary was a “key source of national unity and stability” and called on his judicial colleagues to promote public confidence and trust by reflecting on their duty to judge without fear or favor.
He has previously lamented the perception in an increasingly polarized society that lower courts and the Supreme Court are becoming politicized, and that judges are guided primarily by their partisan affiliations.
Trump has repeatedly criticized federal courts and judges who have blocked his policies, while some Democratic lawmakers have suggested that the Supreme Court’s conservative majority is motivated mainly by politics instead of interpreting the law.
Roberts, 64, named to the court in 2005 by Republican President George W. Bush, is poised to preside over Trump’s looming U.S. Senate impeachment trial, a highly visible yet largely ceremonial role.
By the end of June, the Supreme Court is expected to decide several major cases involving a number of hot-button issues including abortion rights, Trump’s move to kill a program that protects young immigrants, dubbed “Dreamers,” who were brought to the United States illegally as children, and Trump’s bid to keep details of his finances secret.
Roberts listed in his report a number of ways his judicial colleagues had helped advance public understanding of the law and civics knowledge.
Justice Roberts tells nation’s judges in annual report: “… we should each resolve to do our best to maintain the public’s trust that we are faithfully discharging our solemn obligation to equal justice under law.” He will get his chance soon. https://t.co/HxLQug4wfG — Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) January 1, 2020
He cited the example of Merrick Garland, chief judge of the Washington-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, who volunteers as a tutor at a local elementary school. Garland’s 2016 nomination to the Supreme Court by Democratic President Barack Obama was not taken up by the Republican-controlled Senate.
Roberts’ annual report was released just a few days after the death of his mother, Rosemary Roberts, who died on Saturday at age 90. | 3 |
Dellin Betances serves as a symbol of New York baseball, and not just for going from the Yankees to the Mets this off-season. He represents high-end talent that hardly played in 2019.
He faced two batters, his new teammate Jed Lowrie never started a game and Yoenis Cespedes never appeared in a game.
Betances leaves behind a team that lost more yet won more. From their 100-win team of 2018, the Yankees hardly had their best set-up man (Betances), ace (Luis Severino), near Rookie of the Year (Miguel Andujar) and home-run leader (Giancarlo Stanton) and still produced 103 victories in 2019.
The New York clubs have built to survive the absences of those six players again. But what if they have them? No teams in the majors have more significant players who barely played or didn’t play at all in 2019 as part of their 2020 fabric. The shape of the AL West, for example, could pivot on how the Astros’ Lance McCullers and the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani rebound from a season in which they didn’t pitch following Tommy John surgery while the Rangers see how Corey Kluber returns from a fractured ulna that cost him the final five months of 2019. But that is one potential difference-maker per team.
The Mets and Yankees both have three in this category. So what would you make the over/unders for the six?
1. Severino — He made just five starts (two in the playoffs) in a season derailed first by rotator cuff inflammation followed by a lat strain that had more mystery than public explanation attached to it. That he finished last season healthy makes him stand out from this crowd of six. Just a reminder: Severino was eighth in pitching WAR and strikeouts for 2017-18. If that guy returns in conjunction with Gerrit Cole, the Yanks’ chances of winning their first World Series since 2009 skyrocket. Severino only turns 26 next month.
Over/under: 20 starts.
2. Stanton — The Yankees led the majors in runs and had 306 homers with Stanton contributing three homers in 72 plate appearances. Stanton was limited by injuries to his biceps and knee. Stanton can opt out of his contract after this season, when there will be seven years at $218 million left. That is doubtful because even if he has a great, healthy 2020, Stanton would be entering his age-31 season in 2021 and the chances of a player with a long injury history and in his thirties finding that kind of money is not great. But if he has a strong 2020 at least he is set to consider it if he, say, doesn’t like playing in New York.
The Yanks need Stanton not to become Jacoby Ellsbury II — an injury-prone outfielder who does not perform as envisioned when enlisted. The Yanks have to assume he is their property (problem?) through 2027.
Over/under: 400 plate appearances.
3. Andujar — He tore the labrum in his right shoulder and played just 12 games last year. He has been working out regularly since late last season and is expected to be full-go for spring. But as what? Gio Urshela Wally Pipp-ed him out of third. Can Andujar ever defend enough at third to win the job back? Can he move from third to first to DH to maybe outfield to get his bat to play? Is he just about to become Clint Frazier — a player who has lost his trade value by being held onto too long by the Yankees?
Over/under: 300 major league plate appearances.
4. Betances — Are there worse injuries for a pitcher to have than to his shoulder and Achilles? How about a 6-foot-8 power pitcher? Betances always had trouble keeping his delivery in order and fielding his position fully healthy. This version? But you understand why the Mets took the risk. From 2014-18, Betances had a 2.22 ERA and struck out 14.8 batters per nine innings. He also threw 18 more relief innings than anyone (not even counting postseason).
Over/under: 35 appearances.
5. Lowrie — Are we at peace with what was wrong with Lowrie last season? He was reported to have a left knee capsule sprain that morphed into conversations about imbalances in his body that led to nine late pinch-hit at-bats. He became a punching bag for wasted money and inability to get on the field. But Lowrie had 1,325 plate appearances in 2017-18 (21st in the majors) and was one of just 19 players to have 4.0 WAR in both 2017 and ‘18. If he can start three days a week at third and be a switch-hitting option off the bench, what a boost for the Mets. Or can he play well enough in spring for the Mets to move his $9 million 2020 payday?
Over/under: 200 plate appearances.
see also Evidence that delusional Yoenis Cespedes could help Mets Yoenis Cespedes retained more self-confidence than salary for next year....
6. Cespedes — The Mets outfield produced an .816 OPS last year (eighth in the majors). The problem was defense, and what will Cespedes look like in left field after surgeries to both heels and a fractured ankle? What will he look like at the plate with 478 plate appearances over the last three seasons — zero last year? What does it say about Cespedes that any belief he will play and play well is based on him entering the final year of a contract that has been restructured in such a way that he has to play regularly to recoup a significant portion of his money? There is the combination of that carrot and whatever quantity of Cespedes’ vast skill remains that makes him intriguing — perhaps even as a trade candidate to an AL team needing a DH/outfielder.
Over/under: 100 plate appearances. | 0 of 8
Reed Hoffmann/Associated Press
With jaw-dropping play from young quarterbacks, standout wideouts and superstar defenders tasked with countering those passers, the defining NFL talents of the 2020s should follow Hall of Fame career arcs while making all of their games must-see material.
Those who blazed a trail over the last 10 years certainly did. Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, J.J. Watt—fans know the names.
Who's next? Let's look at the current NFL players sure to lead the way in the next decade, based on production so far and projections based on both longevity and ability to sway team and playoff fortunes. | 1.333333 |
It doesn’t matter if one has had two glasses of wine or five pints of beer – a hangover is something that almost all of us have to deal with. Having one is a big problem, and curing it seems impossible.
A Russian homoeopath has revealed that the best cure for a hangover is to take small doses of sodium thiosulfate, a remedy that is used by members of Russian intelligence agencies. Doctor Mikhail Looschik claims that sodium thiosulfate absorbs alcohol, preventing intoxication. The substance is used to cure alcoholism – long-term use of it makes a person develop an aversion to alcohol.
Doctor Looschik warned against overdoing sodium thiosulfate, as in big doses it has side effects like diarrhoea and nausea. For those who prefer a less drastic solution, the homeopath advised drinking large amounts of water both while consuming alcohol and the morning after.
Scientists have long grappled with how to cure hangovers, but research has failed to provide a universal solution. What we do know is that it causes inflammation and dehydration, which in tandem create this horrible condition, ranging from splitting headaches and vomiting, to excessive thirst and muscle aches.
Here are a few tips that could help you, perhaps not get rid of your hangover, but at least minimise its effect:
Don’t drink
Haha, we're pulling your leg. Scroll down.
Eat lots of food
Especially greasy food. The logic is simple – a full stomach slows down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Consuming fat food can also help the morning after. Germans, for example, resort to katerfruhstuck, or hangover breakfast in German, which includes rollmops, fillets of pickled herring wrapped around pickled fillings.
Drink lots of water
Here the logic is even simpler. To prevent dehydration caused by a hangover, one needs to drink water. The general rule of thumb is one glass of water for every drink.
Avoid dark beverages
That includes liquors, red wine, and whisky. They contain congeners that help provide flavour, but are said to contribute to hangovers.
Don’t smoke or do drugs at the same time
Combining things that can mess with your body is not something one should do, researchers say.
Get sleep
Whether you finished partying or woke up with a splitting headache, scientists say that the morning after you need to get plenty of sleep and, of course, we are talking about sleeping in your bed in a comfortable position and not hunched up on a bench or on a floor with dozens of friends lying next to you. | Berlin: A fire at a zoo in western Germany killed a large number of animals in the early hours of the new year, authorities said.
They did not comment on local media reports that the fire was started by celebratory fireworks.
The Krefeld zoo near the Dutch border said the entire ape house burned down and all the animals inside are dead.
The dpa news agency, quoting officials, said the dead animals included chimpanzees, orangutans and two gorillas, as well as fruit bats and birds.
The zoo said the nearby Gorilla Garden didn't go up in flames, however.
Gorilla Kidogo and his family are alive, the zoo wrote on Facebook early Wednesday.
"An unfathomable tragedy hit us shortly after midnight," the zoo said.
"Our ape building burned down to the foundation." Both the zoo and the city said that they didn't know the cause of the fire and that police are investigating.
Officials would not confirm reports by local media that New Year's fireworks could have caused the blaze.
The zoo will remain closed on Wednesday. Police said at least 30 of the animals had died. | 1 |
Como estamos no Verão e em clima de férias, hoje a proposta é tentar adivinhar, nas descrições curtinhas abaixo, a qual cidade do Brasil cada uma se refere. Em três minutos, você vai ampliar sua compreensão escrita e seu vocabulário em inglês, testar conhecimentos de geografia do seu país e ainda quem sabe se inspirar para planejar suas próximas férias!
Welcome to lush mountains, brilliant beaches, over the top nightlife, and fanatic football fans. It is ringed by green mountains while the coast stretches for miles. You’ll love biking on the beach, hiking in the rainforest, hang gliding, rock climbing, and sailing to one of several small islands just off the coast. Music is everywhere in the city – with the most popular being the African influenced samba vibe.
LUSH: A lush area has a lot of green, healthy plants, grass, and trees. Most known for being Portugal’s New World capital, it maintains a great deal of its colonial architecture. There’s an amazing arts movement here. You’ll find drummers on the streets, along with Capoeira martial artists, and crazy festivals happening everywhere you look. The culture here is decidedly Afro-Brazilian and you’ll see that in the incredible food, religious ceremonies and rituals, and dance.
DRUMMER: someone who plays a drum or a set of drums, especially in a music group.
DRUM: a musical instrument, especially one made from a skin stretched over the end of a hollow tube or bowl, played by hitting with the hand or a stick. It’s the largest city in Brazil and one of the largest in the world. It’s a bit of a melting pot, with all kinds of ethnic groups calling it home, including the largest community of Japanese outside of Japan. You’ll find unbelievable art galleries and experimental theatres, as well as fantastic fine-dining restaurants and upscale bars.
UPSCALE: Upscale goods and products are of very high quality and intended to be bought by people who are quite rich: It is a thoroughly planned and intricately organized city. Its landmark infrastructure is laid out in the form of an airplane. Each section of the plane is a different district like residential, government, finance, culture, and commerce. The architecture here attracts tourists and professional architects alike.
TO BE LAID OUT: to be arranged on a flat surface It’s best known for an energetic cultural scenes, great beaches, and even greater shopping. Spend your mornings strolling through Centro, and then spending your evenings in Praia de Iracema, a neighbourhood densely packed with hotels, restaurants, and nightlife. Use it as starting point to discover the quaint fishing villages and rolling dune beaches of the Ceará coast.
TO STROLL: to walk in a slow relaxed way, especially for pleasure Once a Portuguese colony, the heart of the town is still the historic centre. The entire historic district is great for strolling as the lanes are closed to cars. It really feels like you’ve stepped back in time. Don’t forget to check out the colonial forts – many that still have their original cannons – and Capela de Santa Rita, a lovely 18th century church.
LANE: a narrow road in the countryside or in a town There is nothing not to love about the “Venice of Brazil.” The old town is known as Antigo and is located on its own island near the harbour. Most would agree that Boa Viagem is the most popular beach in town. It is an awesome place to spend Carnaval.
HARBOUR: an area of water next to the coast, often protected from the sea by a thick wall, where ships and boats can shelter It is a 16th century Portuguese colonial town. In 1982 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Once a leader in the sugarcane industry, it has been transformed into a small artists’ colony; full of artists, workshops, studios, and other creative types. And Carnaval is slightly different here. Celebrated primarily during the day with the music and dance focused on traditional African culture.
HERITAGE: features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions, languages, or buildings, that were created in the past and still have historical importance Considered by many as the gateway to the Amazon Rainforest, it sits on the Negro River. It has incredible landmarks like the Rio Negro Palace and the Amazonas Opera House. If you’re in the mood for some phenomenal nature, check out the Meeting of the Waters, a three mile stretch where the Solimões and the Negro Rivers run side by side without fully mixing.
LANDMARK: a building or place that is easily recognized, especially one that you can use to judge where you are.
ANSWERS:
Rio de Janeiro Salvador São Paulo Brasília Fortaleza Parati Recife Olinda Manaus
SOURCE: 15 Best Places to Visit in Brazil
Rosangela Souza (ou Rose Souza) é fundadora e sócia-diretora da Companhia de Idiomas , e coautora do Guia para Programas de Idiomas em empresas. Graduada em Letras/Tradução/Interpretação pela Unibero, Especialista em Gestão Empresarial, MBA pela FGV e PÓSMBA pela FIA/FEA/USP, além de cursos livres de Business English nos EUA. Professora na Pós Graduação ADM da FGV. Colunista dos portais Catho, MundoRH, AboutMe e Exame.com. Quer falar com ela? rose@companhiadeidiomas.com.br ou pelo Skype rose.f.souza | In Denmark, smashing plates on a loved one’s door is considered to be auspicious. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock) In Denmark, smashing plates on a loved one’s door is considered to be auspicious. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)
The first day of the new year is the most exciting time. It begins on an aspiring note, with people writing down their wishes and resolutions as earnestly as possible. Somewhere amid the merriment, they also observe and take part in some rituals, which are believed to bring them good luck. These New Year traditions vary from culture to culture, but are extremely popular around the world. Here are some fun and interesting practices that people observe on New Year’s Eve and on the first day of the year. Read on.
ALSO READ | Ever wondered why New Year resolutions don’t last?
Smashing crockery, Denmark
It may seem strange to others, but the people of Denmark believe in breaking unused plates and other crockery items on New Year’s Eve. In fact, they throw them on the doors of their near and dear ones, so as to wish them good luck for the year ahead. Smashed crockery is considered to be a display of affection.
Scarecrow burning, Ecuador
The Ecuadorians set fire to a doll or to a paper scarecrow on New Year’s Eve, to symbolically get rid of ill fate and troubles that plagued people in the previous year. They do this so as to look ahead and embrace a new year filled with hopes and newer goals. They also burn down photographs of things that represented the previous year.
In Spain, eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight, is believed to bring great luck. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock) In Spain, eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight, is believed to bring great luck. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)
Eating grapes, Spain
Around midnight, when the rest of the world is staring at fireworks, the Spanish are stuffing their mouth with 12 grapes, one for every time the bell rings to mark midnight. This is also a competition, wherein if you succeed, you are believed to be blessed with an incredibly lucky year.
Colourful underwear, South America
Why is underwear important, you ask? In many South American countries like Bolivia and Brazil, the colour of the underwear is believed to be an indication of what is to come in the new year. So, people begin their year by wearing one of a certain colour. For instance, if someone is looking to get lucky in love, they will likely wear a red underwear, if they are looking to attract wealth, a golden underwear, and if it is peace and prosperity that they wish upon themselves, they are believed to wear a white underwear.
ALSO READ | Looking ahead: Things to look forward to in 2020
Packing bags, Latin America
In some Latin American countries, people customarily pack their bags on New Year’s Eve, so as to fulfil their wish of wanting to travel abroad in the coming year. They do it quickly, stuffing their suitcases with clothes — and hit the streets before the last bell of the year.
Ringing of the bell, Japan
The Japanese step into the new year by ringing a bell 108 times. This is a Buddhist tradition that is believed to banish all sins. People are in a joyous mood for the rest of the day.
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Northern Ireland welcomes first babies of 2020 with little Shane Tierney born...
Northern Ireland didn’t have to wait long for it’s first new arrival of 2020 and the race to be the first baby born in the new decade was won by little Shane Tierney in Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry.
Born to Derry mum Tamara Tierney, Shane weighed in at 8lb 2oz and arrived just seconds after the final chime of Big Ben at 12.01am.
A staff nurse at Altnagelvin, Tamara (26) hadn’t expected to be back at the hospital until Shane’s due date of January 8.
A few complications brought her in early to the maternity ward and having started the process on Monday, Tamara said she’d lost track of the days and was amazed when Shane was born to the cheering of midwives as the clocked turned past midnight.
“That’s the first I knew the New Year had arrived, right at the same time as Shane,” she said.
“To be honest, I was just so glad he was here. You get to the stage where you just want to see him arrive safely.
“Thankfully he did and he’s doing so well today. | Please follow and like us:
Happy New Year!!!
If you’re reading this, God has blessed you to see another year!!! Thank You, Jesus!!!
You have 366 to write another chapter in your story! I must admit I love it when we go into another year! It’s like a blank canvas, I love seeing vision board parties, I love seeing the motivation to try some new things that you didn’t try last year! I personally love it! I noticed on Facebook there was lots of “Debbie Downers” trying to unmotivate people, but I am here to tell you that you can start over at any time but if you choose to start at the beginning of the year, you do just that and don’t let anyone discourage you!
I am still on Winter Break from my job! I have 4 days left and I plan to thoroughly enjoy them! I was looking forward to this time off! 2019 was a little rough personally! 2019 was financially rough, which then became mentally stressful! However, during that time we have received TONS of blessings! Sunday at church I had a chance to thank one of the members who would randomly send groceries our way! I never asked her to, nor did she know what we were going through financially…But God did!
As we enter this new year, I look forward to the new year with a grateful heart! Even through our struggles, we have been blessed!
Last year I feel like I learned a lot of lessons, and I would like to share them as tips (in no particular order) for this upcoming year…
1. Do whatever you need to do to work on you! If that means create resolutions, getting a new planner, make a vision board, write a bucket list, pray, meditate…no matter what it is, do it for you! Share with others or keep it to yourself! But do you, and don’t apologize for it!
2. Do it scared! For 13 years I have worked in Higher Education, but this year I left my job in Higher Education to work at a K-12 Private School! I won’t lie to you, it’s been a great change but it has come with being uncomfortable! Very uncomfortable at times, but I know this was the best decision for myself and for my family!
3. Take Time For You…and REST!!! I can’t stress it enough, you are important, so if that means taking a day off work, taking a weekend road trip, “hibernating” at home, do it!!! Family Secret…Darrick and I will often schedule a weekend that we are “busy” but really we use that weekend for US! Rest is just as important as being busy, so make sure you’re taking time to REST!!!
4. No is a Full Sentence! Listen, people, you will drive yourself crazy if you don’t say no! I know this is a lesson that I have to often remind myself of because you will run yourself crazy if you say yes to everything! If someone doesn’t respect your answer of No, then that’s something they have to deal with, not you! Protect your mental, physical and emotional self by saying No!
5. Take One Tank Trips! One of the best things you will thank yourself for is a getaway! At the end of October, we went to Columbus for the weekend for my sister in law’s birthday, and we didn’t rush back! It was so relaxing! We stayed at a hotel that was brand new, we visited my nephew who is in college in that town, and the next morning we walked around the mall talking and enjoying each other’s company! Not only was it relaxing for the adults but for the kids too!
6. Eat at Home! I love going out just as much as the next person, but the reality is we spend a lot of money on food! Pack snacks, eat a meal before you leave…save money to spend in other ways! Don’t spend it by eating out ALL THE TIME! I may be preaching to myself right now, but all those little stops to eat here and there can save you hundreds a month…and it’s not that we eat out that much but all those quick trips add up quickly!
7. Find somewhere to Fellowship with those of the same beliefs as you! Find a time during the week to be around those who have the same beliefs as you! It will recharge you! It could be a church, life group, Bible Study…we all need a recharge, find that place and go! Your spirit will thank you for it!
8. Go for a Walk! From November to December I participated in a Step Challenge at work, my team didn’t win, but personally, I challenged myself and totally underestimated how walking makes you feel! It gives you energy, refreshes you throughout the day if you power walk it serves as exercise and clears your mind!
9. Purge! Before Christmas, we purged a lot of our kid’s toys because we knew they would be receiving more and we needed to make room! However, the refreshing feeling of parting ways with things you know you will no longer use feels awesome! This is something I know most people do before the New Year but do it anytime, it feels amazing! I purged my closet last night!
10. Go to the Doctors! Make the appointment, keep the appointment and go! Period! (I may be preaching to myself on this one)!
11. Do at least one fun thing each weekend! It doesn’t have to be something extravagant but do something to zone out and have fun! One of my blogger friends Eboni from CR8Joi asks questions on her Instagram Stories each weekend to see if you’re prepped for the week. One of the questions is did you have fun this weekend? And one particular time I answered no and I was like wait, I have to change this…I need to do something fun each weekend! PERIOD! It doesn’t have to be big, but I deserve some fun!
I’m sure I am missing some but at least this list will help you to get started!
What tips do you have to make 2020 a more happy, healthy and successful year? | 1.333333 |
The event will also witness the release of the third installment of PM-Kisan (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) of Rs 2,000 for December 2019-March 2020. This will benefit approximately 6 crore people.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Karnataka on January 2 and 3 when he will inaugurate five DRDO Young Scientists’ Laboratories, a statement said on Wednesday. The development is a boost to indigenous research capabilities in the defence sector, the statement added. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate five DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation on Thursday, January 2, 2020,” the statement said. Modi will also visit the Sree Siddaganga Mutt, where he will unveil a plaque to mark the laying of foundation stone for a memorial museum of Shri Shri Shivakumar Swamiji. He will also distribute Krishi Karman Awards and Commendation Awards to states at a public meeting in Tumkur, Karnataka on Thursday, another statement said.
The PM will also give away the Agriculture Minister’s Krishi Karman Awards for Progressive Farmers. The event will also witness the release of the third installment of PM-Kisan (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) of Rs 2,000 for December 2019-March 2020. This will benefit approximately 6 crore people. The Prime Minister will also hand over certificates to beneficiaries under PM-Kisan from eight states/UTs.
At the same event, the Prime Minister will also handover the Keys of Deep Sea Fishing Vessels and Fishing Vessel Transponders to select farmers from Tamil Nadu. He will also distribute Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to select farmers from Karnataka, the statement said. | The HRD Ministry in partnership with MyGov had launched a short essay competition for students of classes 9 to 12 for the third edition of the Prime Minister’s interaction programme with school students.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interaction with students and teachers on beating exam stress will be held on January 20, the HRD Ministry said on Wednesday. Earlier, the ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ programme was scheduled to be held on January 16 but it has been postponed to January 20 because of Pongal, Makar Sankranti, Lohri, Onam and other festivals across the country. “The programme was earlier scheduled for January 16, 2020.
A lot of excitement and enthusiasm is being seen among the students, teachers and parents to not only participate in the unique event but also to receive valuable tips from the Prime Minister who is keen to ensure that the students take exams in a relaxed atmosphere and do not come under stress, to ensure better results in the long run,” the HRD Ministry said in a statement.
The HRD Ministry in partnership with MyGov had launched a short essay competition for students of classes 9 to 12 for the third edition of the Prime Minister’s interaction programme with school students. The students whose entries are judged the best on the basis of their online responses will be invited to take part in the programme. | 3 |
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The Mayor of the city of London, Ont. is starting the new year by announcing and honouring distinguished Londoners.
The Mayor’s New Year’s Honour List celebrates members of the London community in categories of achievement, to recognize the diversity of philanthropic work taking place in the city.
Mayor Ed Holder’s 2020 honourees are:
Gary Doerr – Accessibility
Patrick Fleming – Age Friendly
Renée Silberman – Arts
Leroy Hibbert – Distinguished Londoner
Don Campbell – Distinguished Londoner
Brian Hill – Distinguished Londoner
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Hayden Foulon (posthumously) – Distinguished Londoner
Rob McQueen – Environment
Arthur McClelland – Heritage
Carla Garagozzo – Housing
Alexander Kopacz – Sports
“It is truly an honour to publicly recognize and celebrate these outstanding Londoners,” Mayor Holder said.
“Their work, their commitment to community-building, and their kindness inspire all of us.” Tweet This
“London is a more dynamic, and a more caring city as a result of their efforts.”
The Mayor of London’s annual Honour List was introduced in 1976 with recognition of contributions to the Arts.
Since 1989, categories including Diversity and Race Relations, Heritage, Housing, and Persons with Disabilities have been added.
Recipients are named by City Council on the recommendation of Advisory Committees or community organizations through the City’s Standing Committees.
In 2019, City Council introduced a ‘Distinguished Londoner’ category.
It is meant to recognize no more than four individuals who have made an “outstanding contribution to community collaboration, or acts of good will by giving back to our City.”
Story continues below advertisement | He’s been teaching Londoners how to stamp out racism and build bridges for more than two decades, one year giving more than 300 presentations.
Leroy Hibbert was the one called in to train hundreds of London police officers after a blackface scandal opened the force up to criticism.
Now the 48-year-old is being honoured as a “Distinguished Londoner,” a new category on the annual mayor’s New Year’s honour list released Wednesday.
It recognizes 11 Londoners for their achievements and charitable work, including an Olympic bobsled champion and a seven-year-old girl who fought leukemia for much of her short life.
“I just say ‘wow,’ ” Hibbert said when asked about being part of the inaugural group of Distinguished Londoners on the annual roll call.
“I was humbled, I was thankful. Although you do the work because of the love I have for the people, it’s nice to be recognized.”
Hibbert, who was born in Toronto but moved to London as a youngster, does multicultural outreach for LUSO Community Services. He’s seen the city’s population grow and its “cultural and racial makeup” shift dramatically since the 1970s, describing it as “one of the greatest things I’ve seen.”
But that diversity has also sparked challenges, he said.
“There are actually still pockets within the community (where) racism exists, discrimination exists, ethnic misunderstandings also occur,” Hibbert said.
But he said he feels Londoners are increasingly having the tough conversations.
“The racism that has happened maybe 50 to 60 years ago was very blatant,” Hibbert said.
“Now it’s very different in that it’s very subtle. There are a lot of unconscious biases and a lot of micro-aggressions that take place. It’s still very hurtful. It can be exhausting for racialized community members to keep fighting these battles are that are not as ‘in your face,’” he added.
It’s a history London knows well, marked by episodes such as a racial slur hurled at two black actors – in town to appear in a play about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And as recently as this fall, a Western University student who called out a professor for using the n-word in a lecture faced an onslaught of racist attacks.
But there’s one lesson that keeps Hibbert plugging ahead.
“People can change. That is one thing that’s an encouraging factor for me,” he said.
“Where people are now, isn’t where they’ll end up.”
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OTHERS ON THE MAYOR’S NEW YEAR’S HONOUR LIST
Hayden Foulon (posthumously), Distinguished Londoner
Foulon died in November 2019 after a years-long battle with cancer, throughout which she advocated for childhood cancer awareness and research. Foulon, who loved school, Paw Patrol, and singing the Beatles, even struck up a friendship with Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner.
Brian Hill, Distinguished Londoner
President of the N’Amerind Friendship Centre board, Hill convened the organization’s first municipal all-candidates debate last year and has championed reconciliation and multicultural relationships.
Don Campbell, Distinguished Londoner
As head of the Summerside Community Association, Campbell is a champion for the southeast neighbourhood and has built a Canada Day event that now draws more than 6,000.
Gary Doerr, accessibility category
Doerr, who has rheumatoid arthritis, is an organ donation advocate after having his life saved by a liver transplant. The accessibility champion has served on the accessibility committee, the paratransit advisory committee, and the board of Independent Living Centre.
Patrick Fleming, age-friendly category
Fleming, a longtime social worker at London Health Sciences Centre, supports seniors with depression through a weekly session in the geriatric mental health program. He also works in the community helping older adults and sharing his knowledge with other professionals and organizations.
Renee Silberman, arts category
Serenata Music, a non-profit chamber music concert series, was developed by Silberman with the goal of featuring both established and rookie artists, and has since included more than 30 Juno Award nominees or winners.
Alexander Kopacz, sports category
The Olympic bobsled champion won gold for Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics, but it was Kopacz’s Western University coaches who helped push the athlete – then a varsity shot putter – toward the sport with a bobsleigh training camp.
Carla Garagozzo, housing category
Garagozzo has been a driving force in helping to house seniors – veterans, in particular – in London by creating the Italian Seniors Project. The organization has since developed two affordable housing projects, including the 52-unit Residenza Italia at 1109 Hamilton Rd.
Arthur McClelland, heritage category
McClelland holds a wealth of knowledge about London and Middlesex and its heritage properties and buildings. He’s a popular speaker among historical societies and leads tours through local villages and hamlets for other heritage advocates.
Rob McQueen, environment category
The creator of Forage City London, McQueen has brought together nearly 2,000 people to talk plants, host food workshops and take nature and weed identification walks. McQueen, a former tradesperson, also volunteers extensively and has most recently helped design a drop-in centre for teens. | 3.666667 |
Turton resident passes away
If you wish to see more... | Max Armstrong looks at USDA's comment period on hemp regulations. The agency has received more than 1,500 comments and the deadline for input has been extended to Jan. 29. Comments have come from a wide range of groups including hemp groups and state lawmakers. Max shares some of those comments pointing to some specific aspects of the rule from what to do with non-compliant materials, and the challenge of the THC level in hemp.
Farm Progress America is a daily look at key issues in agriculture. It is produced and presented by Max Armstrong, veteran farm broadcaster and host of This Week in Agribusiness.
Photo: Vitalij Sova/iStock/Getty Images Plus | 1 |
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Winter hasn't just arrived... it's here to stay. The season will surely bring more snow days, bone-chilling rain and occasionally hail (northeasters know what we're talking about!), so ensuring your winter coat is up to par should definitely be at the top of your winter checklist.
Of course, there's so much more that goes into a dependable jacket than just its style. Is it warm? Water-resistant? Does it have a hood?
If you're on the market for an upgrade, check out our favorite water-resistant coats for every price point. Some are on sale, some are completely waterproof, but all are cozy!
Shop: S13 Kylie Metallic Hooded Puffer Coat, $139 (Orig. $250)
The on-trend S13 Kylie Metallic Coat features a water-resistant finish, long sleeves with knit cuffs for added warmth, inside lining for increased protection, as well as a stand collar with a detachable hood. Plus, with its 50 percent markdown, its a stylish find that you really can't beat.
Shop: Columbia Suttle Mountain Long Insulated Jacket, $100 (Orig. $200)
This Columbia insulated jacket offers more than just a faux-fur hood and fleece lining: With an adjustable storm hood and chin guard, two-way front zipper closure and water-resistant Omni-Heat thermal lining, the jacket checks all the boxes we need when shopping for a new jacket.
Shop: The North Face Women's Arctic Parka II, $299
At under $300, The North Face's beloved Arctic Parka might be one of the best bang-for-your-buck purchases and one that will undoubtedly last for seasons to come. There's a reason the coat as nearly 1,800 4.5 star reviews on the brand's website. Not only is it waterproof and lined with a faux-fur hood, it features raglan sleeves for extra mobility and a tall-stand collar for added warmth. Not that you'll need to use the lifetime guarantee, but the jackets have been lab and field-tested for its durability and warmth.
Shop: Hunter Women's Original Insulated Parka, $375
The brand made a major upgrade to the Women's Original Insulated Parka by adding a completely waterproof shell, seam-sealed construction and insulation for up to -13°F. Plus, the inside of the jacket is engineered with breathable material to make sure overheating is not an option.
Shop: Lululemon Roam Far Wool 3-in-1 Jacket Waterproof Wool, $389 (Orig. $548)
The athleisure brand created much more than a mere waterproof wool jacket: They're keeping functionality and durability in mind, too. There are three different ways to wear the jacket, making it a purchase that will last throughout the changing of the seasons.
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These are our 11 favorite items from Carrie Underwood's athletic brand, CALIA | Experienced backcountry skier Jeremy Markel watched three people risk their lives on Sunday, unaware of their watcher.
The off-duty Kamloops, B.C., Search and Rescue volunteer is warning out-of-bounds skiers to stay behind the safety markers if they lack gear and avalanche-risk training after watching a trio trek into potential trouble, seemingly oblivious to the dangers on the slopes near Sun Peaks Resort.
Markel said he was skiing when he saw a man followed by a woman and a young girl ahead of him on the track. He said the trio didn't appear to have the gear or training to stay safe on the upper slopes of Mount Tod.
Markel said he did not approach or talk to the strangers as people often get angry when offered safety advice, but their lack of preparation left him fearing for their lives, despite the moderate avalanche conditions.
Ski tracks head out of bounds into the powdered slopes of Mount Tod on Dec. 29. (Jeremy Markel)
"I don't want to come across as being grim but the thought of ... having to find their bodies after they're buried in an avalanche makes me feel ill. I never want to experience having to locate and dig up a dead child because that child's parents were negligent," he wrote in a post on Facebook.
Avalanche Canada has long campaigned to educate people about the safest ways to enjoy B.C.'s stunning wild slopes. In Canada the average number of people who die in avalanches has fallen to a 20-year low of 11, according to the organization.
This is notable because of the increasing number of people headed out of bounds, said James Floyer, forecasting program supervisor for Avalanche Canada.
But Floyer said more education is always needed.
In B.C. winter deaths in the backcountry totalled more than 200 in the past nine years. Almost half of those fatalities were due to avalanches, according to the BC Coroners Service.
Markel has more than 30 years' experience skiing, so when he headed up the Sun Peaks chairlift, then past the safety markers, he packed a probe, shovel and beacon.
"The woman and the 10-12 old girl had no packs, no beacons, and obviously, no clue they were travelling in avalanche terrain. To further compound the situation, the man was often far ahead and out of both eyesight and hearing of the other two. The woman and the girl could have been buried and he wouldn't have known until they didn't show up who knows how many minutes later."
Tempting Mount Tod vistas beckon skiers, but avalanche risks are real and need to be heeded, says an experienced ski enthusiast and search and rescue volunteer. (Jeremy Markel)
Markel, who often "crosses the out of bounds rope", said if an avalanche hit it is crucial to get to a person buried within minutes and dig them out.
Markel said he kept watch hoping nothing would go awry as the place they were skiing did not have ski patrols or avalanche mitigation. That's why he said his trio watched for each other and tested the snowpack for trouble signs.
"We accept some risks but we do our best to mitigate it during the day," he said.
"I very much love my wife and I very much want to go home to her every day."
Floyer, an avalanche forecaster in Revelstoke, said that out-of-bounders need to carry avalanche essentials — a transceiver, a probe and a shovel.
"It's really hard to be 100 per cent certain that there's no avalanche hazard on steep slopes," he said.
"When you see tracks that lead off — people may have ducked through the ropes. It may be tempting to follow those," he said.
But people need both gear and the appropriate skills, he said.
Markel's efforts to warn the trio were criticized by some who said he should also ski within safer zones.
For others, the post triggered memories of past avalanches that killed people they knew.
"[It] took four hours to find him as he had no [beacon] and I never want to repeat digging [out] a body again." | 1 |
AN UNFAMILIAR and unexpected site appeared outside Spain’s largest department store today (January 1), causing a wave of outrage in the local Spanish community.
Here a group of completely naked women were outstretched on the floor in front of El Corte Ingles in Spain’s Alicante, with what looked like blood streaming across their bodies.
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Those who witnessed the surprising scene voiced their fury on social media, with the controversial party Vox even expressing their dismay at the undressed group.
Posting a picture on Facebook, the party’s group asked: “Is it necessary for our children to witness these protests?”, evidently alarmed at the time and place the activists had planned their demonstration. They also stated that there was a police presence around the group, which seemed to anger the party even more that much needed public resources had been used to protect such an ‘outrageous demonstration’.
The post received hundreds of shares and comments, with one claiming: “Its not normal that these women are lying on the floor as if they were dead and little children are passing and watching something they can’t even understand. Mind-blowing.”
Geplaatst door VOX Alicante – Ciudad op Zondag 29 december 2019
Another simply said the act was “Shameful” whilst one user responded and said: “As a woman I am ashamed to see this, long live the freedom of expression but not this. I find it to be ridiculous and it is not something I want my children to see.”
Others made light of the situation, stating “What a way to relieve a hangover” with another stating that they should be swept up with a broom and cleared from the streets with one person agreeing that the fire brigade should “shoo them away.”
Although it is not known exactly why this ‘naked protest’ took place, some believed it to be an action from a group of activists who wanted to give visibility to gender-violence in Spain. The cases of women subject to domestic violence across the country has risen to dramatic proportions over the last few years, with many groups hoping to show the plight of abused women in a range of demonstrations.
However, the person managing the Vox Alicante Facebook account disagreed, and said that they were informed by the police that the protest was against animal cruelty, an equally alarming issue where the growing number of abused animals is now being highlighted across the country.
For those that simply do not agree that the protest was appropriate to be carried out in broad daylight on New Year’s Day, it has seemed to garner exactly the attention that it sought. | THE National Police have confirmed that they have arrested two men for allegedly stealing almost 150 kilograms of avocados in Costa del Sol’s Malaga, Spain.
The men who were arrested, both of Spanish nationality, have been accused of raiding an avocado farm in Churriana and selling the fruit off in their own supermarket.
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Officers were alerted to the post-Christmas theft on Saturday, December 28, when a local resident reported that they had seen two men acting suspiciously on a farm and lurking around the prized avocado trees.
Attending the scene, officers found that the fences surrounding the plot of land had been partially broken and once speaking to the farmer he confirmed that a significant number of his beloved avocados had been taken. With the witness providing an excellent description of the assailants, officers were able to locate the men nearby carrying an assortment of plastic bags filled with the soiled goods.
Further investigation revealed that one of the men owned a small greengrocers in Malaga and had planned to sell the fruits in a bid to make a considerable amount of profits.
As Euro Weekly News understands, both men were charged with theft today (January 1) and are due to appear in court in due course.
Avocado theft is a particularly common problem for farmers dedicated to cultivating the fruit, largely because of their expensive price tag. In Spain, the fruit can cost anywhere up to €5 – a cost that keeps on growing due to the numerous health benefits that they are proven to hold. | 1 |
Today’s Birthday (01/01/20). This year benefits your creativity, spiritual growth and innovation. Self-discipline can fulfill a dream. An epiphany or wish realized this winter leads to a change with a partner. Summer plans shift in new directions, before romantic collaboration flowers. Take charge for what you love.
To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.
Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 9 — You’re energized and empowered. You can get what you need. Show your philosophical side in public. Discuss what you love. Forgive miscommunications. Listen and learn.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 7 — It’s emotion versus reason. You can see what wasn’t working. Find a quiet place to think. Organize and plan. Minimize risk, and keep a low profile.
Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — Don’t push your luck with a friend. Misunderstandings could interfere with a group project. Keep your deadlines and promises. Stay in communication.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Focus to solve a professional puzzle. Common sense rules the moment. Figure out what’s most important. Get expert support when needed. Keep your patience.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 7 — Get into an expansion phase. A desire for discovery tempts you from your comfort zone. Explore without great risk or expense. Study options and plan.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Focus on raising money. Collaborate with your team for a joint cause. Defer gratification when necessary. Keep your attitude positive and stay in action.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — A partner is a big help. Team up for common gain. Punctuate the agreement with optimism. Avoid controversy and focus on the job at hand.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Watch your step. The pace could pick up. Your efforts are in demand. Avoid overdoing things. Nurture your physical health and wellness.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — Connect with a sweetheart. You’re especially charming (and charmed). No need to overindulge; you can have fun without spending a fortune. Share a beautiful view.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 7 — Family comes first. Apply love and attention. Avoid overspending. Make household repairs when needed. Find a compromise that works for everyone. Nurture each other.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 9 — Brilliant ideas flow fast and furiously. Capture them for later editing and revision. Avoid risky propositions. Abandon a preconception. Sketch and mold your vision.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — Your actions get profitable. Make a valuable connection or great deal. It’s not a good time to gamble, though. Aim high and hit your mark. | Moon Alert
Avoid shopping and important decisions from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Chicago time. After that, the moon moves from Pisces into Aries.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Right now you have an advantage that you don’t always have so be smart and make use of it! The advantage is that bosses, parents, VIPs and the police admire you and see you as competent and capable. (Which you are.) Nevertheless, you can milk this!
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
This is a great time to travel, and if you can’t travel, then make travel plans. It’s also a great time to learn something or get further training because you want to expand your mind. For example, change your routine. Go someplace you’ve never been.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
This Mars is giving you the energy to work hard. Meanwhile, Venus makes you want to learn new things, travel and talk to people from other cultures. You are high visibility because the moon is at the top of your chart; nevertheless, financial matters are on your mind.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Because you will benefit from the wealth and resources of others right now, this is a good time for you! (Keep your pockets open!) For example, it’s a good time to ask for a loan or a mortgage. Incidentally, someone wants to talk to you, especially someone younger.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Relations with close friends are warm and friendly now because fair Venus is opposite your sign paving the way for charm encounters with everyone. This is a good thing because things are a bit chaotic at home, which is perhaps annoying.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Accept all invitations to party and socialize with others because this is a playful time for you! Enjoy sports events, the arts, movies, musical performances and fun activities with kids. Relations with coworkers are also warm and friendly.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Your focus continues to be on home, family and your private life, especially with a parent and younger people. Please note that this is a good time to do repairs where you live. It’s also a great time to party and schmooze because Venus wants you to socialize extensively!
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
It’s fortunate that fiery Mars is in your sign boosting your energy because this is a busy time for you! Short trips, errands and conversations (plus increased reading and writing) have you hopping! In addition, you want to redecorate and entertain at home.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
The placement of Venus right now in your chart will make you charming and diplomatic with everyone, which is fortuitous because you are focused on financial wheeling and dealing. “Show me the money!” In addition, fiery Mars will be in your sign boosting your energy for the next month.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
This continues to be a favorable time for you with the sun, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto all in your sign. Indeed, the entire world is having Capricorn hit. You will attract money to you now. In turn, you will spend it on beautiful things for yourself and loved ones.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
This is still a wonderful time to buy wardrobe items for yourself, so please do so because this opportunity will not come again for months. Despite your impulse to play things low-key, with Mars high in your chart your ambition is aroused.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Your popularity, which is going to increase this year, has already begun. (Surely you have noticed.) Younger people in particular are attracted to you. You shine in group situations right now. Meanwhile, some are dabbling in a secret love affair.
If Your Birthday Is Today
Actor Morris Chestnut (1969) shares your birthday. You are imaginative, creative and yet, cautious. Your great strength is that you are adaptable. Service to others is your theme this year, especially with family. This means you must take care of yourself so that you are a strong resource for yourself and others. Invest in the relationships that you value. Tap into your personal creativity and hobbies. | 3.666667 |
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Aerospace Ground Handling System - Market Analysis, Trends, and Forecasts" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
The Aerospace Ground Handling System market worldwide is projected to grow by US$73.5 Billion, driven by a compounded growth of 7.3%.
Aircraft handling, one of the segments analyzed and sized in this study, displays the potential to grow at over 6.6%. The shifting dynamics supporting this growth makes it critical for businesses in this space to keep abreast of the changing pulse of the market. Poised to reach over US$63.8 Billion by the year 2025, Aircraft handling will bring in healthy gains adding significant momentum to global growth.
Representing the developed world, the United States will maintain a 6.3% growth momentum. Within Europe, which continues to remain an important element in the world economy, Germany will add over US$2.6 Billion to the region's size and clout in the next 5 to 6 years. Over US$2.2 Billion worth of projected demand in the region will come from the rest of the European markets. In Japan, Aircraft handling will reach a market size of US$2.8 Billion by the close of the analysis period. As the world's second largest economy and the new game changer in global markets, China exhibits the potential to grow at 10.7% over the next couple of years and add approximately US$20 Billion in terms of addressable opportunity for the picking by aspiring businesses and their astute leaders.
Presented in visually rich graphics are these and many more need-to-know quantitative data important in ensuring quality of strategy decisions, be it entry into new markets or allocation of resources within a portfolio. Several macroeconomic factors and internal market forces will shape growth and development of demand patterns in emerging countries in Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East. All research viewpoints presented are based on validated engagements from influencers in the market, whose opinions supersede all other research methodologies.
Competitors identified in this market include:
Aero Specialties, Inc.
Aviapartner Holding
Cavotec SA
Imai Aero-Equipment Mfg., Co., Ltd.
JBT Corporation
Mallaghan Engineering Ltd.
Oceania Aviation
SAAB AB
Weihai Guangtai Airport Equipment Co., Ltd.
Key Topics Covered:
I. METHODOLOGY
II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. MARKET OVERVIEW
Global Competitor Market Shares
Aerospace Ground Handling System Competitor Market Share Scenario Worldwide (in %): 2019 & 2025
2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS
3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS
4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE
III. MARKET ANALYSIS
GEOGRAPHIC MARKET ANALYSIS
UNITED STATES
Market Facts & Figures
US Aerospace Ground Handling System Market Share (in %) by Company: 2019 & 2025
CANADA
JAPAN
CHINA
EUROPE
Market Facts & Figures
European Aerospace Ground Handling System Market: Competitor Market Share Scenario (in %) for 2019 & 2025
FRANCE
GERMANY
ITALY
UNITED KINGDOM
SPAIN
RUSSIA
REST OF EUROPE
ASIA-PACIFIC
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
SOUTH KOREA
REST OF ASIA-PACIFIC
LATIN AMERICA
ARGENTINA
BRAZIL
MEXICO
REST OF LATIN AMERICA
MIDDLE EAST
IRAN
ISRAEL
SAUDI ARABIA
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
REST OF MIDDLE EAST
AFRICA
IV. COMPETITION
V. CURATED RESEARCH
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gxglyh | If memory serves, this strip came about when Missy and I went out to dinner, and the server said they had “appetizers, salad, and soups, too.” I thought she said “soup-stew,” and after she left I asked Missy what “soup-stew” could possibly be. When Missy was done laughing at me I wrote this comic.
The great thing about Basic Instructions was that I could take any stupid thing I did, have a different character do it, and some good would come of my mistake. One downside is that to this day I get reminded of mistakes I’ve made that most people would have long forgotten by now.
As always, thanks for using my Amazon Affiliate links (US, UK, Canada). | 1 |
PATNA: As predicted by weathermen, several places in south Bihar witnessed showers, though light in intensity, on the first day of 2020 on Wednesday. Patna in central Bihar and most places in north Bihar witnessed partly cloudy skies. India Meteorological Department (IMD) maintained its forecast for showers across the state over the next four days with comparatively higher intensity on Friday and Saturday. IMD has also issued warning for thunderstorm, lightning and squall in the state on Friday and Saturday. Nevertheless, generally cloudy skies with light rain have been forecast for Patna till Sunday.Meanwhile, Patna meteorological centre’s bulletin stated that light rainfall occurred at one or two places in Bihar during the past 24 hours. The showers in Gaya town and Dehri in Rohtas were measured at 1.4mm and 0.8mm, respectively.Meteorologists have attributed the showers to a western disturbance , the weather systems originating from Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and Caspian Sea, which cause snow and winter rainfall in northwestern Indian subcontinent.Rain, however, has brought a slight respite from the biting cold conditions as the IMD stated in its all India evening bulletin issued on Wednesday that cold day conditions abated from entire Bihar. Cold day condition is declared when the minimum temperature touches 10 degrees C or low and there is a departure of 4.5-6.4 degrees C in maximum temperature on two consecutive days. Many parts of the state, including in Patna and Gaya, have been reeling under cold day and even severe cold day conditions for around a week now.There was a tad rise in mercury column owing to change in wind direction and cloud cover. Minimum temperature in Patna increased from 5 degrees C on Tuesday to 8.4 degrees C on Wednesday. Maximum temperature, on the other hand, increased from 18.6 degrees C on Tuesday to 21.4 degrees C on Wednesday. The IMD has predicted minimum and maximum temperature in Patna in the range of 9 and 18 degrees C respectively till Sunday. | Police have recovered two chopped legs in suburban Ghatkopar in Mumbai on Tuesday, a day after the torso of a woman was found in the same area, an official said on Wednesday.
Police are yet to trace the head of the woman.
The severed legs have been sent for postmortem to find out if they belonged to the murdered woman, the official said.
The legs were found wrapped in a rexin sheet dumped in a dustbin on Tuesday evening, he said.
The torso was found on Monday morning on Kirod Road in Vidyavihar area.
Viscera of the victim was sent to forensic laboratory for DNA sampling.
This is a third such case in recent past wherein dismembered bodies--one of a man and another of a young woman--were found in the city.
Police have arrested the accused persons in both these cases. | 1 |
By Taofik Salako, Capital Market Editor
Investors in Nigerian equities lost about N1.71 trillion in 2019 as a combination of political risk, weak macroeconomic performance and tense global outlook drove the stock market to second consecutive negative performance.
The stock market closed yesterday with negative average full-year return of -14.60 per cent for the 2019 trading year, equivalent to net capital depreciation of N1.71 trillion for the year. It had recorded negative average full-year return of -17.81 per cent in 2018.
The All Share Index (ASI)- the common value-based index that tracks all share prices at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) closed yesterday at 26,842.07 points as against its opening index of 31,430.50 points for 2019, which was also the closing index for 2018. It had opened 2018 at 38,243.19 points.
With average return of -14.09 per cent by November 2019, the average decline of 0.59 per cent recorded in December 2019 nudged the full-year return to -14.60 per cent. The December 2019 negative performance marks the first time in 10 years that the market suffered a relapse in the last trading month of the year.
The negative average full-year return of -14.60 per cent implies that investors in the Nigerian stock market lost nothing less than 14.6 per cent of their portfolios during the year. However, with higher losses in several sectors, actual losses by most investors may be higher than average benchmark.
Aggregate market value of quoted equities closed 2019 at N12.958 trillion as against its opening value of N11.721 trillion for the year. The seeming appreciation in the year-to-date performance of aggregate market value of all quoted equities was due to the unabsorbed boost from the listing of two leading telecommunication companies- MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and Airtel Africa Plc.
Based on market values, both the ASI and market capitalisation are correlated indices and without new listing or delisting, usually move simultaneously in the same direction. But the ASI is weighted, and as such adjusted for effect of new listing while the market capitalisation is a straight-line summation of share prices and issued shares. Thus, where the ASI and market capitalisation differ, the ASI is widely regarded as the true representation of the market condition.
Chief Operating Officer, GTI Securities Limited, Mr. Kehinde Hassan said the market as a barometer of the national economy reflected the uncertainties that characterised the 2019 business year.
He however noted that the fundamentals of the market, as shown by the operational and financial performances of quoted companies, remain strong despite the price depreciation.
The 2019 pricing performance marks the fifth negative closing in six consecutive years. After a world-leading positive return of 42.3 per cent in 2017, the market had reversed to negative in 2018 with average full-year return of -17.81 per cent. Aggregate market value of all quoted equities at the NSE had declined by N1.889 trillion in 2018. The stock market had been on a losing streak since 2014. Investors lost N1.75 trillion in 2014 and followed this with another loss of N1.63 trillion in 2015. Against the general expectation that political transition and new government will quicken a rebound, equities closed 2016 with a net capital loss of N604 billion.
Most analysts agreed that political risks, security risk and macroeconomic uncertainties were major factors that adversely impacted the capital market. The intense political activities in the run-up and aftermath of the 2019 general elections further fuelled macroeconomic concerns as investors waited on the sideline for clear macroeconomic direction.
With foreign portfolio investors accounting for nearly half of transactions at the Nigerian stock market, the tense global economic outlook, trade disagreements among major economies, decline in crude oil price and attractive yields in less-risky economies compounded the Nigerian market situation. | Another new year approaches. A new year signifies new hope, new prospects, and new ideas for the future.
Each new year people throughout the world hold infinite hope, wishes for a better life, a more fulfilling life.
Some are lucky and their dreams, hope and wishes are fulfilled effortlessly. Some sadly lack the essential ingredients of success for whatever reason; but for them, there are still other possibilities, other hopes, even if only small, that manage to fulfil them.
Remaining Manus Island refugees offered voluntary relocation to Port Moresby Read more
As a refugee indefinitely detained and left in an uncertain limbo, as part of Australia’s offshore processing regime, I have been seeing and hoping the new year will fulfil my dreams and wishes for the past seven new years.
But sadly, every year I am disappointed. Each year, my hopes and wishes remain unfulfilled. The unbearable disappointment leaves me weak and vulnerable. For the past six years the continual, agonising pain and sufferings as a refugee and asylum seeker has taken its toll.
We arrived in Australian waters seven years ago, fleeing torturous regimes, escaping on leaky boats for our lives. Yet we were filled with hope, we wanted a future, we had something to contribute to the world. Now we have lived through so many unforgettable experiences and memories whilst detained on Manus Island and Nauru by the Australian government.
Even the short-lived celebration of Medevac, came crushing to an end
Memories such as the 2014 riots when the first innocent asylum seeker was lost to death, or the 2015 hunger strikes, the 2016 Good Friday shootings, or the 2017 siege in Lombrum camp where we were left without food or water for almost a month before finally being removed by force.
Memories such as the 2018 escalation of self-harm and suicide attempts, that sparked again after the Australian federal elections in 2019 when Morrison’s government was re-elected, how we are still left in limbo with life passing us by.
As we languish for the past six years, 2019 passed us by with nothing but hopelessness and worries. Even the short-lived celebration of Medevac, came crushing to an end.
New Zealand would be honoured to take Behrouz Boochani. Australia be damned | Morgan Godfery Read more
Some of the refugees from Manus and Nauru have found their new lives in a safe country and are busy making their permanent homes. We wish them a very bright future ahead. But for those of us that remain, hope of a new future seems more remote than ever. But new year is a time of hope for new life. Even if impossible, while I live, I must believe in some hope – so I believe that 2020 will be the turning point for our freedom and our new start in life.
Whilst every move of your politics determines my fate, nevertheless I wish all of you a very glorious and happy new year, one with your dreams and hopes fulfilled. | 1 |
Tom Brady Uses Protection Stones, And Other Top 'Talkers' Of 2019That time the six-time Super Bowl champion revealed that his supermodel wife has him use protection stones...
Boston's Favorite Spots For Inexpensive Italian FoodLooking to satisfy your appetite for Italian fare without breaking the bank?
Boston's Best Day SpasIf you are looking for some pampering and relaxation, maybe a day spa in the place for you. Here are the top rated spots in Boston.
To Do List: Holiday Pops, Harlem Globetrotters & Outdoor SkatingThe kids are just about on Christmas break and you’ll be looking for ideas to get everybody out of the house and moving.
Small Bites: Where To Celebrate National Cupcake Day In BostonCupcakes are having a moment, and with good reason. Here are some of the best in Boston.
Weekend To Do List: Ski Chalet In The City, Holiday Market, Tea Party ReenactmentWant to cozy up by the fire of an après ski chalet – in the city? It's just one option on this weekend's To Do List. | HANSON, MASS. (WHDH) - Emergency crews braved frigid conditions Tuesday night while rescuing two men from a Hanson pond.
Crews responding to reports of people yelling near the water on Maquan Pond around 10:30 p.m. found two men abut 100 yards offshore clinging to a capsized boat, according to a release issued by the Hanson Fire Department.
Firefighters in survival suits used an ice sled to get the men to safety.
They were in the water for an unknown amount of time and were transported to South Shore Hospital for exposure.
(Copyright (c) 2019 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) | 4 |
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We’ve heard this could be a possibility for quite some time: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s House district could be redrawn based on the 2020 census. And as Beth noted, New York is projected to lose one seat. This has not caught the fiery left-winger off guard. AOC has been known this could be a potential problem. It also highlights why Democrats threw a tantrum when the Trump administration proposed the very noncontroversial change to the 2020 census by including a citizenship question.
In AOC’s district, almost a quarter of its residents are noncitizens. As expected, the areas that will be heavily impacted are Democratic bastions. It strikes at the heart of their political power and roadmap to obtaining control. Coddle these groups of people together and use them to create more districts favorable to Democrats based on ethnic representatives. Democrats have had phenomenal success doing this, hence the reason why they’re lax on border security, endear themselves to illegal immigration, and bash federal authorities tasked with enforcing laws in this area, hence the targeting of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as the Gestapo in these circles.
The article goes on to state the following:
The City had a story about this last August, which pollster Frank Luntz rehashed on Twitter.
New York is expected to lose a House seat after the 2020 Census, and state Democrats are looking to draw out @AOC’s district.https://t.co/DYXvzqvWXm — Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) December 31, 2019
To get more information about this article, please visit TOWNHALL.COM. To weigh in, leave a comment below. | 1 | |
By
Maybe being in the movies, on TV, having armed bodyguards and everyone sucking up to you makes people in Hollywood and entertainment jaded. They think because they sing well, or can read a line so good that you cry, they can demand government operate the way they want. Worse, if it doesn’t, then those they oppose should not be defeated—they should be assaulted, humiliated or killed. These immature rich people do not care if folks are unemployed—as long as President Trump is dead. They do not care if people can live good lives—as long as the State controls them. “1. Bette Midler openly wished for someone to “shiv” or “stab” Trump. Bette Midler arrives to the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 2, 2014 in West Hollywood, California. ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ/AFP via Getty Images) She wrote the tweet in reaction to Trump’s surprise visit to the McLean Bible Church in Wolf Trap, Virginia, in June. “He actually looks better here! Maybe someone in his camp can gently give him a shiv. I mean, shove,” she wrote in the now-deleted tweet.” I hope she had a visit from the Secret Service. While I watch a lot of TV (I do not smoke, drink or do drugs), I also never see a movie—I refuse to pay for the lifestyle of these immature actors.
11 Times Hollywood Leftists Fantasized About Violence Against Trump, GOP in 2019
Hannah Bleau, Breitbart, 1/1/20
Left-wing Hollywood celebrities exhibited advanced levels of unmitigated rage against President Donald Trump, his family, and those who support him, and openly detailed their violent fantasies throughout the year.
Several leftists in Hollywood were confident that the Mueller report, released this year, would fulfill their wishes of taking down the president. However, after the report came out, indicating no collusion or conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, some took their rage up a notch and expressed their violent fantasies for all to see.
Here are some of the worst examples of that rage.
1. Bette Midler openly wished for someone to “shiv” or “stab” Trump.
Bette Midler arrives to the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 2, 2014 in West Hollywood, California. ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
She wrote the tweet in reaction to Trump’s surprise visit to the McLean Bible Church in Wolf Trap, Virginia, in June.
“He actually looks better here! Maybe someone in his camp can gently give him a shiv. I mean, shove,” she wrote in the now-deleted tweet.
2. Months later, the Broadway star praised the man who violently attacked Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) — an attack that resulted in injuries, including broken ribs and bruised lungs.
“I DO NOT promote violence but… Rand Paul says the Kurds are being ‘ingrates’ for taking their frustrations out on US troops. Which is a good reminder for us all to be more grateful for the neighbor who beat the shit out of Rand Paul,” Midler wrote in a now-deleted tweet.
3. Barbra Streisand shared an image depicting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) killing Trump.
Actress Barbara Streisand attends the premiere of Paramount Pictures’ ‘The Guilt Trip at Regency Village Theatre on December 11, 2012 in Westwood, California. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
The Grammy-winning singer shared an image of Pelosi impaling Trump with the heel of her shoe. She never deleted the graphic tweet.
4. Far-left actor Jim Carrey depicted Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey being killed in an abortion.
Carrey opted to weigh in on Alabama’s abortion law by posting a graphic image of Ivey, who signed the pro-life Human Life Protection Act, being sucked into a tube.
“I think If you’re going to terminate a pregnancy, it should be done sometime before the fetus becomes Governor of Alabama,” Carrey wrote.
He also shared an image depicting Pelosi crushing Trump’s testicles.
5. Robert de Niro openly wished to see Trump hit in the face with a “bag of shit.”
US actor Robert De Niro arrives to attend the international premiere of the film “The Irishman” during the closing night gala of the 2019 BFI London Film Festival in London on October 13, 2019. (DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)
The Irishman actor outlined his fantasy during an appearance on Rumble with Michael Moore in December.
“Pigs have dignity. He has no dignity. He is a disgrace to the human race,” de Niro said.
“I’d like to see a bag of shit right in his face. Hit him right in the face like that, and let the picture go all over the world,” he continued.
6. Cher wished for Trump to be “locked in a hot cage with dirty water.”
The pop singer weighed in on the summer controversy on ICE detentions and toed the Democrat Party line, tweeting a flurry of unsubstantiated accusations.
7. Alec Baldwin included Trump physically falling as one of his Christmas wishes.
Actor Alec Baldwin attends the ‘Exploring the Arts’ 20th anniversary Gala at Hammerstein Ballroom on April 12, 2019 in New York City. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
“My Christmas wishes are as follows,” the Saturday Night Live actor tweeted in part, adding, “I hope some of the BBQ sauce in Trump’s hair slides off, he trips and falls and can’t run.”
8. Actor Jeff Daniels said Trump needed a challenger who could “punch him in the face.”
Jeff Daniels attends the 73rd Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 09, 2019 in New York City. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)
During an appearance on The Late Show in July, the To Kill A Mockingbird actor said Trump’s challenger needed to be someone who could “punch him in the face.”
“You know, I — whittle it down, but we need somebody that can take this guy on, that can punch him in the face,” he said.
9. Stephen Colbert fantasized of choking Attorney General William Barr.
Stephen Colbert attends the Showtime Golden Globe Nominees Celebration at Sunset Tower on January 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Tara Ziemba/Getty Images)
The Late Show host accused the attorney general of promoting a “bucket of lies” on the Mueller report and said on his show, “Happy Bill Barr Day, everybody! I got you the traditional gift: a bucket of lies.”
“It was incredibly frustrating to watch — filled with legalistic hair-splitting and political ass-covering. I’d say it made me want to wring his neck but I’d need five more hands,” he continued.
10. Actor Mickey Rourke vowed to give the president a “left hook from hell.”
Actor Mickey Rourke attends UFC on Fox: Live Heavyweight Championship at the Honda Center on November 12, 2011 in Anaheim, California. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
The former boxer made the remarks in a profanity-laced video released in the fall, promising that Trump would one day “feel” him if they ever ran into each other.
“That piece of shit that’s sitting in the White House, that pussy, that lying cocksucker. That no-good fucking two-faced fucking piece of shit,” Rourke said in the video. “He said some really nasty things about the two of us. And you know what? It’s personal. There’s gonna be a day where he ain’t president, and we’re gonna bump into each other. And you’re gonna feel me.”
“What do you think? A left hook from hell,” he continued.
“What goes up, goes down, and when it goes down like a motherfucker,” he added. “You hear me? You’re going to feel me. What you said about the two of us… You’re gonna feel me.”
11. Tom Arnold fantasized standing over Donald Trump Jr.’s corpse.
Actor Tom Arnold speaks onstage at the 8th annual VES Awards held at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on February 28, 2010 in Century City, California. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for VES)
In a Twitter thread surrounding a photo featuring Trump trophy hunting, the far-left actor stated that he was “looking forward to the day I’m standing over him wearing my bullet belt & safari khakis, my cartoon sized Daniel Boone buck knife in one hand his teeny tiny tail in the other..” | 2019 has been a dark year. Americans have spent much of the year under the grim shadow cast by mad emperor Trump. Nonetheless, there is much to be thankful for. Here are ten reasons to be grateful.
1.Nancy Pelosi: Twelve months ago, when it was clear that the Democrats had won a substantial majority in the House of Representatives, some pundits suggested that it was time for Nancy Pelosi to move on -- someone else should become Speaker of the House.
What a mistake that would have been! During 2019, Pelosi has been the primary leader of the Democratic Party, effectively leading the House Democrats through the treacherous impeachment landscape -- and simultaneously overseeing the passage of more than 400 major pieces of legislation. At the end of the year House Democrats impeached Donald Trump, setting the stage for a historic 2020 trial. Thank you, Nancy Pelosi.
2. Increased awareness of Global Climate Change. Because of her vocal leadership on climate change, Greta Thunberg was named Time Magazine's person of the year (https://time.com/person-of-the-year-2019-greta-thunberg/). But it wasn't only Greta that spread the word; all over the world, celebrities and politicians stepped up to make the public aware that climate change is an existential threat. As a result, 2019 polls indicate that 75 percent of Americans believe that humans fuel climate change and a strong majority regard it as a crisis. Thank you, Greta Thunberg, Bill McKibben, and the many other climate change leaders.
3. Fire Season has ended. Because of climate change, California had an extended, deadly fire season. During the Kincade fire, my community had to evacuate and go without electricity for six days. Fortunately, most of us escaped the mammoth fire.
We're thankful that fire season is over. (And that we have since had normal rainfall.) And we're grateful for the extraordinary efforts of our emergency-service providers.
4. The Democratic Presidential Candidates. So far, Democrats have had 28 politicians announce they would compete for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. At the moment, 15 are still in the competition that begins with the February 3rd Iowa caucuses.
The good news is that these candidates offer a full-spectrum of opinions regarding how to move the United States forward. The bad news is that it's not obvious who would offer the best chance of defeating Donald Trump. Nonetheless, in a year dominated by Trump's shadow, each of these candidates offered glimmers of hope.
5. The Whistleblower(s). At the beginning of the year, Democrats believed that the Mueller report -- into Russian interference in the 2016 election -- would bring to the light the treachery of the Trump campaign. Instead, the report confused Americans; rather than unite us in recognition of Trump's perfidy, the Mueller report heightened the polarization. Many Democrats fell into a funk.
Then, in September, we learned that a whistleblower had filed a report with the Director of National Intelligence regarding a bizarre phone call between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky. In this call, Trump offers a bribe to Zelensky -- military aid in return for compromising information on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. As a result of the whistleblower's complaint, House Democrats began an investigation into Trump's actions that eventually resulted in two articles of impeachment: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Thanks to the whistleblower and the others who are providing detailed information about Trump's treachery. And thanks to the investigative journalists that continue to tell the truth about what goes on in Trump's White House.
6. Reporters and Aid-workers at the Southern Border. The heinous Trump Administration "family- separation" policy began in 2018 and has continued to this date. In January of 2019, the White House admitted that they had separated more children than had previously been reported and they did not have an adequate tracking system in place. (At the end of the year, whistleblowers reported that almost 70,000 children had been detained.)
Throughout 2019, reporters and aide-workers have been at the border, chronicling the consequences of the family-separation policy and -- whenever possible -- providing comfort to the children and their families. Thank you aide-workers who minister to the suffering. (And thank you to activists everywhere.)
7. The New Democrats in the 2019 House of Representatives. In January, Democrats welcomed 59 new members to the House -- their most diverse class ever. The most notable of these new congresswomen was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. We can say a lot about AOC but most importantly, she, and her associates brought a breath of fresh air to the Democratic Party. Thank you, AOC and associates, for shaking up the Dems.
8. Democracy Advocates. Even though much of the world has been under the shadow of Donald Trump, and other totalitarian leaders, there have continued to be political actions by advocates for Democracy. In Hong Kong. Russia. Iraq. Even Saudi Arabia.
We're grateful for all those who stood up for Democracy. Hold on, in 2020 we've got your back.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 2.666667 |
Infowars host used his show to promote the theory that the shooting, which killed 20 children and six educators, was a hoax
A Texas judge ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $100,000 (£76,000) in another court setback over the Infowars host using his show to promote falsehoods that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax.
Jones is being sued for defamation in Austin, Texas, by the parents of a 6-year-old who was among the 26 people killed in the Newtown, Connecticut, attack.
State district judge Scott Jenkins ruled on 20 December that Jones and his defense team “intentionally disregarded” an earlier order to provide witnesses to attorneys representing a Sandy Hook father who brought the lawsuit, Neil Heslin. Jenkins also denied Jones’ request to dismiss the lawsuit.
An attorney for Jones did not immediately comment Tuesday. Jenkins’ orders were first reported by The Daily Beast.
Sandy Hook father awarded $450,000 after suing conspiracy theorist Read more
Jones operates Infowars in Texas. He is fighting similar lawsuits in Connecticut brought by other families of Sandy Hook victims for promoting a theory that the shooting was a hoax. A 20-year-old gunman killed 20 first-graders, six educators and himself at the school, after having killed his mother at their Newtown home.
The families said they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers because of the hoax conspiracy.
Jones has since acknowledged that the Sandy Hook killings occurred. His attorneys have defended his speech in court as “rhetorical hyperbole” and deny it was defamation.
In June, the father of 6-year-old Noah Pozner, one of the Sandy Hook victims, won a defamation lawsuit against the authors of a book that claimed the shooting never happened. | Conspiracy promoter and right-wing media personality Alex Jones has been ordered to pay $100,000 in court costs and legal fees stemming from a lawsuit over his claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre of school children was a hoax, court records show.
Jones, founder of the Infowars radio show and webcast, has claimed the mainstream media and gun-control proponents conspired to fabricate the tragedy in which 20 school children and six school staff were shot dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012.
In response, several parents of the slain 6- and 7-year-old children sued Jones and Infowars for defamation and emotional distress in Texas, where Infowars is based, and in Connecticut.
In Texas, Travis County District Court Judge Scott Jenkins on Dec. 20 ordered Jones and Infowars to pay more than $100,000 in a case brought by Neil Heslin, whose 6-year-old son, Jesse Lewis, was killed at the school. The Daily Beast first reported the rulings on Monday.
Right-wing media personality Alex Jones has been ordered to pay $100,000 in a case brought by a man whose son was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting. Jones is facing several lawsuits for his claim that the 2012 massacre was a hoax pic.twitter.com/8aA4xQtwha — Reuters (@Reuters) December 31, 2019
The judge’s filings ordered Jones to pay more than $100,000 for failing to provide discovery, or evidence owed to the opposing side, and for filing a frivolous request to dismiss the case. In October, the same judge ordered Jones to pay another $25,875 for failing to respond to a previous discovery order.
Jones’ attorney, Wade Jefferies, said the lawsuit should be dismissed on freedom of speech grounds and said he would appeal the judge’s decision not to dismiss it. He also said the legal payments ordered by the judge were excessive.
“As to the actual amounts of attorney’s fees awarded, in my opinion, and every lawyer with knowledge of the case I have talked to agrees, the attorney’s fee awards are excessive,” Jefferies said in an email.
The Sandy Hook tragedy rocked the United States when a 20-year-old man shot and killed his mother at home and then went on a rampage at the school, also killing himself.
Jones began promoting the fiction that the event was staged. After conducting what he called “deep research,” Jones said in 2014 “the whole thing was fake.”
However, in a deposition linked to one of the suits, Jones later conceded that “children died and it’s a tragedy,” while also denying he had wronged the parents of the slain children.
Mark Bankston, an attorney representing Heslin and three other Sandy Hook parents, said Jones has “put a middle finger up to the court.”
“Hopefully these orders will have the effect of telling him there’s severe consequences for this,” Bankston said. | 4 |
Jan 01, 2020 , 8:32AM First phase of US-China trade deal to be signed on 15th January; says President Trump @realDonaldTrump US President Donald Trump says he will sign the first phase of a trade deal with China at the White House on 15th of this month.
In a tweet, Mr Trump said that he will travel to Beijing at a later date to open talks on other sticking points in the US-China trade relationship that remain to be worked out.
In the first-step agreement announced earlier in December, the United States agreed to reduce tariffs and China agreed to buy larger quantities of US farm products. | US to Start Phase 2 Trade Talks with China Soon - Trump
By Staff, Agencies
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington and Beijing would soon start negotiations for the Phase Two of economic and trade deal, adding that these talks can be completed.
"The China deal will be signed, probably on January 15 ... We will start the negotiations very soon on phase two and I think phase two can be completed", Trump told reporters.
In December, the United States and China announced that they had worked out a Phase One trade deal as part of a larger bilateral trade agreement to help resolve the ongoing trade war between the two countries. As part of the accord, the sides agreed not to introduce new duties that were planned to go into effect on 15 December.
In this Sept. 16, 2018, photo, American flags are displayed together with Chinese flags on top of a trishaw in Beijing. The American Chamber of Commerce in China says Beijing will "dig its heels in" after US tariff hikes and appealed for a negotiated end to their trade battle
According to Trump administration officials, Phase One will cover tariff relief, increased agricultural purchases, and certain structural changes to intellectual property and technology issues.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said that the first part of the trade deal with China would be inked in early January, but Beijing has not yet confirmed this timing. | 3.666667 |
Happy New Year! The 2020 Rose Parade is slated to start in less than three hours. Here is what you need to know to prepare for, watch and enjoy Pasadena’s most colorful annual spectacle.
Time and location
The Rose Parade rolls at 8 a.m. starting from the corner of Green Street and Orange Grove Boulevard. For most of the 5.5-mile route, the floats will travel along Colorado Boulevard, where thousands of spectators will be stationed for the best views.
Expect big crowds. Nearly 800,000 people are expected to attend the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl, both organized by the Tournament of Roses Association. Special security will be in place to protect the throngs.
Public transportation, parking and road closures
The Gold Line has several stops near the parade route: Del Mar, Memorial Park, Lake and Allen stations. Umbrellas, chairs and coolers will not be permitted on the trains. Roundtrip fare is $3.50.
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Overnight street parking begins at noon on Dec. 31, for that evening only. No parking is allowed along the route. Paid parking is available at lots and structures near the route.
Starting Tuesday night, several streets in the Pasadena area will be closed. The California Department of Transportation will also close or restrict off-ramps and on-ramps of the 710, 210, 134 and 110 freeways.
Weather
The day may start off chilly, so if you arrive before sunrise, you may want to bring some mittens or gloves. But temperatures are expected to reach the mid-60s by the afternoon, with skies clear and mostly sunny. Santa Ana winds on Tuesday are expected to weaken by Wednesday.
Costs
Curbside, it’s first-come, first-served to grab a spot to watch the parade. The die-hard fans will have camped out overnight for a front-row seat.
Grandstand seating is available through Dec. 31. Tickets range from $60 to $110 and can be purchased from sharpseating.com.
Safety
Officers from the Pasadena Police Department — and their canine units — will be out in full force to manage public safety during the parade.
Overnight camping is only permitted on the night of Tuesday, Dec. 31.
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Tents, sofas, boxes, unoccupied seats, ladders and scaffolding are not allowed along the parade route. Bonfires are strictly prohibited and considered “illegal burns,” punishable by a fine and/or jail time. Fireworks are also banned.
For up-to-date text message alerts from public safety officials, text ROSEPARADE to 888777.
Channels
If you decide to skip the crowds and watch the parade from the comfort of your home, these channels will have a live broadcast beginning at 8 a.m. PST:
ABC-7
KTLA-5
NBC-4
Univision
The Hallmark Channel
Funny or Die’s “Rose Parade Live With Cord & Tish,” will apparently not be streaming this year. It’s a blow for all those who love Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon’s satirical take on live parade coverage — and the reactions from Twitter users who aren’t in on the joke.
Grand marshal and theme
This year, there are three Rose Parade grand marshals: Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez, actress Gina Torres and performer Rita Moreno.
Rita Moreno. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Moreno is distinguished for being one of a handful of people who have achieved an EGOT: She has won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.
The parade’s theme this year is “The Power of Hope.”
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Enjoy the parade. Happy New Year! | Cuteness by the dozen in Princeton: Make way for duck eggs at Woodland Gardens Farm | 4 |
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Halifax Regional Police and Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency responded New Year’s Day to a structure fire at an apartment building in the 5500 block of Victoria Road.
Police responded at 4:23 p.m. on Jan. 1, after multiple calls reported seeing smoke within the building.
READ MORE: Windmill Road closes after collision causes damage to power pole
According to police, firefighters attended quickly and extinguished the blaze. Tenants, who temporarily evacuated the building, have since returned, and no injuries have been reported.
Meanwhile, fire investigators confirmed the blaze was inetntionally set, and the matter has been turned over to police as an arson investigation.
The ongoing arson investigation is in its early stages, police say, and anyone with information is asked to call 902-490-5016.
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1:36 Halifax police captures Texas murder suspect Halifax police captures Texas murder suspect | Send this page to someone via email
A vehicle collision on Windmill Road in Halifax resulted in a power pole being severed and power lines dropped down across the road on Dec. 31, according to Halifax Regional Police.
The 36-year-old driver of the vehicle from Dartmouth was arrested and released to appear in court at a later date, charged with refusal of providing a blood sample.
READ MORE: Texas murder suspect arrested in Halifax had been on the run for months: police
Police said Windmill Road at Fernhill Drive remains closed to vehicle traffic in both directions while repairs are being made.
2:01 Students decorate LCBO bags with bold statements on drunk driving Students decorate LCBO bags with bold statements on drunk driving
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EOS
EOS rose by 0.60% on Wednesday. Partially reversing a 1.54% fall from Tuesday, EOS ended the day at $2.6058.
A bullish start to the day saw EOS rally from an early morning intraday low $2.5794 to a late morning intraday high $2.6476.
EOS broke through the first major resistance level at $2.6422 before easing back.
Through the 2nd half of the day, EOS struck a high $2.6420 before sliding to a low $2.5945. While the first major resistance level at $2.6422 limited the upside, late support led to the recovery to $2.60 levels.
At the time of writing, EOS was up by 0.15% to $2.6097. A relatively bullish start to the day saw EOS rise from an early morning low $2.6029 to a high $2.6097.
EOS left the major support and resistance levels untested early on.
For the day ahead
EOS would need to move through to $2.6110 levels to support a run at the first major resistance level at $2.6425.
Support from the broader market would be needed, however, for EOS to break back through the morning high $2.61 levels.
Barring an extended broad-based crypto rally, the first major resistance level and Wednesday’s high $2.6476 would likely limit any upside.
Failure to steer move through to $2.6110 levels would bring the first major support level at $2.5743 into play.
Barring a crypto meltdown, however, EOS should steer clear of the second major support level at $2.5427
Looking at the Technical Indicators
Major Support Level: $2.5743
Major Resistance Level: $2.6425
23.6% FIB Retracement Level: $6.62
38% FIB Retracement Level: $9.76
62% FIB Retracement Level: $14.82
Ethereum
Ethereum rose by 1.28% on Wednesday. Partially reversing a 1.94% fall from Tuesday, Ethereum ended the day at $130.19.
A bullish start to the day saw Ethereum rally from an early morning intraday low $128.12 to a late afternoon intraday high $132.68.
Steering clear of the first major support level at $126.36, Ethereum broke through the first major resistance level at $131.95.
Falling well short of the second major resistance level at $135.37, Ethereum slid back to sub-$130 levels before wrapping up the day at $130.
At the time of writing, Ethereum was down by 0.06% to $130.11. A bearish start to the day saw Ethereum fall from an early morning high $130.18 to a low $129.67.
Ethereum left the major support and resistance levels untested early on. | NEW DELHI: The Indian defence forces don’t need to copy western models of theatre commands and can instead work out a mechanism for establishing such commands that will suit the army, air force and navy to work together, newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday.He also said the Indian armed forces had always stayed away from politics and worked according to the government’s directives, amid allegations that the military was being politicised. The new CDS was addressing the media after inspecting a tri-services guard of honour, where the three service chiefs were also present.General Rawat said as the CDS, he would strive for ensuring “jointness” and synergy among the three services within the three-year timeline set by the government. He would also work towards a mechanism that suits Indian requirements for theatre commands, an idea that the air force had earlier opposed. “I think there are methods of doing theaterisation. I think we are copying western methods and what others have done. We can have our own systems and will work out our mechanisms through an understanding with each other. I think it can work,” he said.A theatre command is a military structure wherein all the assets of the army, air force and navy in a particular theatre of war are under the operational control of a three-star general. It is designed to achieve better military results. The Andaman and Nicobar Command is India’s first theatre command, established in 2001.One of the mandates of the CDS is to ensure restructuring of military commands for the best utilisation of resources by bringing in jointness in operations, including through establishing theatre commands.He said: “The CDS’ task is to have jointness and synergy between the three services … In this, the army, navy and air force will work as a team. CDS will ensure coordination and control over them, but it will be teamwork.”General Rawat said there would be a need to focus on the best economical use of the resources of the three services, joint training and bringing uniformity in the procurement procedure.On a lighter note, when asked how he felt as the CDS, he said: “My head is feeling lighter. I have had to take off the angled Gurkha hat, which I had been wearing for 41 years. I have come back to the peak, because the peak cap which I am wearing is to say that the CDS will remain neutral. He will be neutral to all the three services, including his own service.” | 1 |
NEW YORK (JTA) — All of the gloom and doom that many in the Jewish community have felt toward the end of this decade should not obscure the fact that the 2010s were full of innovation. Yes, there was an alarming rise in anti-Semitism across the U.S. and the world, which culminated in several violent attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions. But that didn’t stop the community from growing, evolving and adapting to modern life.
Here’s a look back at 10 huge developments from the past 10 years that have changed the makeup and lifestyles of Jewish Americans.
Technology puts Judaism in everyone’s pocket
With the advent of the smartphone, we modern folks have grown accustomed to having any piece of information available anywhere, anytime, at the push of a button. But it wasn’t until the launch of Sefaria in 2011 that this was true of Jewish texts.
In a stroke, Sefaria put thousands of years of Jewish literature in everybody’s pocket. The Bible, the Talmud, medieval Jewish philosophers and commentators, the classic Jewish legal codes — all of it available in Hebrew (and often English, too) and completely searchable. Seemingly overnight, the site became an invaluable resource for Jewish learning. And much like Google and Facebook before it, Sefaria made many people wonder how they had ever lived without it.
The site also helped democratize Jewish study — not only by making English translations of canonical texts instantly available anywhere, but by making it possible for anyone to create source sheets that gathered sacred texts on a given topic and share them with the world. The site currently hosts thousands of such sheets on topics as diverse as Jewish business ethics, discrimination, civil rights, hunger and environmentalism.
Sefaria is not the only example of technology being harnessed to broaden the Jewish tent. Synagogues now stream services for free online and Jewish educational websites bring a bottomless wealth of Jewish information to the far-flung masses. But it may be the most ambitious of the lot.
— Ben Harris
A new kosher cheeseburger becomes possible
The 2010s have seen the emergence of plant-based products that taste eerily like burgers but do not contain an iota of meat. Their purveyors — Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat chief among them — hope to launch a vegetarian revolution that will take down America’s massive factory farming industry. Impossible says that the protein heme gives their offerings the juicy, meaty quality missing from previous veggie burger attempts.
For Jews, the new meatless burgers have meant that dishes once Jewishly verboten have finally become accessible. Observant Jews can slap a slice of cheddar on an Impossible burger and enjoy a 100 percent kosher cheeseburger. At Dunkin’ Donuts, patrons can have an egg with Beyond Bacon.
For kosher-keeping Jews, trying to imitate forbidden foods is a tradition as old as time. Meatless burgers have ushered in a new era of that struggle. For while the rabbis of the Talmud outlawed the eating of milk and meat together, they said nothing about milk and heme.
— Ben Sales
Female Orthodox clergy make their mark
When the decade began, there were almost no American Orthodox clergywomen. When it ended, there were 33.
The 2010s saw a revolution in the Modern Orthodox world, as a seminary for Orthodox women, Yeshivat Maharat, turned out ordained graduates year after year starting in 2013. The last graduating class was the largest with eight members.
The graduates — some of whom take on variations of the title “rabbi” — have made a splash. Nine work in synagogues, many in pulpit positions. The others work in leadership roles throughout the Jewish world. They’ve also sparked a backlash, with two umbrella Orthodox groups — the Orthodox Union and the Rabbinical Council of America — issuing bans on female clergy.
But the bans have not stopped the growing ranks of American Orthodox women receiving ordination, joining the ranks of Conservative and Reform women who have been rabbis for decades. Just months before the decade ended, a graduate of Yeshivat Maharat founded the first-ever American Orthodox synagogue led by a woman.
— Ben Sales
Domestic anti-Semitism is back
In 2013, the Anti-Defamation League reported the lowest levels of anti-Semitism since it started tracking the phenomenon in 1979. By 2018, the trend had fully reversed: There were 1,879 anti-Semitic incidents, the third-highest total ever recorded by the ADL. The incidents included the killing by a white nationalist of 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh — the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history.
Not even a year later, on April 27, 2019, a woman was killed and three others were injured at a Chabad synagogue in Poway, California. And on Dec. 10, four people were killed in an attack that ended at a kosher supermarket in Jersey City, New Jersey. On Dec. 29, a man entered a rabbi’s house in Monsey, New York, with a machete and stabbed five people.
The spike included a dramatic increase in attacks on predominantly Hasidic men in Brooklyn, who are more easily targeted by would-be assailants than other Jews because of their distinctive dress. Jewish Americans are afraid of this becoming the new normal: Some 31 percent of respondents to a recent survey by the American Jewish Committee agreed that they “avoided publicly wearing, carrying, or displaying things that might help people identify you as a Jew,” and 25 percent “avoid certain places, events, or situations out of concern for your safety or comfort as a Jew.”
— Laura E. Adkins
The Pew study counts American Jews
The Jewish organizational world was rocked in 2013 by the release of a study by the Pew Research Center on American Jewish demographics. The study counted how many of us there were, whether we were marrying other Jews, what denominations we identified with and how we observed Jewish ritual. It found that that the rate of intermarriage was sharply rising, the number of Conservative Jews was falling and nearly a third of Jews were unaffiliated.
Since its publication, the study has been used by Jewish journalists, activists and leaders to guide their decisions and justify their opinions. It has also helped push Jewish organizations to shift from trying to prevent intermarriage to trying to engage interfaith families.
The study additionally found that many define their Judaism around remembering the Holocaust, leading an ethical life and working toward justice. It showed that most Jewish Americans feel some attachment to Israel. And it found that nearly all Jewish Americans — 94 percent — are proud to be Jewish.
— Ben Sales
The rise of Jewy and Israeli TV
Jews have long found success in Hollywood, and for decades television has been fertile ground for Jewish cultural references (see: Seinfeld, Jerry). But the 2010s saw the rise of a number of celebrated television shows and movies that are either explicitly centered on Jewish themes or imported directly from the Jewish state.
The Golden Age of Streaming brought a deluge of parochially Jewish shows that still found a mass audience: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” which won a raft of awards portraying a Jewish 1950s housewife turned comedian; “Broad City,” the comedy about two Jewish millennial women in Brooklyn; “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” in which protagonist Rebecca Bunch engages in a “JAP Battle”; and “Transparent,” about a Jewish family in Los Angeles struggling with gender identity and which filmed a season mostly in Israel.
While “Transparent” went to Israel, a number of Israeli shows came to the U.S. Americans binge-watched “Srugim,” about Modern Orthodox singles in Jerusalem; “Shtisel,” about ultra-Orthodox singles (and marrieds) in Jerusalem; “Our Boys,” about the murders of children in and around Jerusalem; and “Fauda,” about Israeli commandos in the West Bank. There were also a bunch of forgettable movie dramas about Israel, at least three of them starring Ben Kingsley.
All of it added up to viewers across America watching and enjoying a range of Jewish characters, foibles and stories.
— Ben Sales
Haredi women have their say
On Dec. 22, 2016, Rachel “Ruchie” Freier was sworn in as a civil court judge in Kings County, New York: She was the first Hasidic woman ever elected to public office in the United States.
Unlike some other segments of the wider Orthodox world, Hasidic Jews largely reject engagement with the secular world unless necessary. Both men and women follow restrictive dress codes, and women in particular are not encouraged to hold public leadership positions.
Raised in a Hasidic enclave in Brooklyn, Freier in recent years has become a symbol of female Orthodox women who want to assume more public roles without compromising traditional values or severing ties to their cloistered communities. In 2011, Freier founded an all-female volunteer EMT service, Ezras Nashim, after the Jewish EMT service Hatzolah refused to allow women to serve. The group’s fight for an ambulance has become politicized and their full acceptance in the ultra-Orthodox world is a long way off, but there’s little question that Freier and women like her have carved out space for haredi women to take on positions of greater influence and visibility in their communities.
— Laura E. Adkins
The Passover kitniyot revolution comes to America
The year 2016 saw an important if obscure change in American Jewish life: The Conservative movement officially declared kitniyot, or legumes, acceptable for Ashkenazi Jews to eat on Passover.
The ruling gave an imprimatur to what already was a quiet revolution taking place in a growing number of liberal observant homes. For centuries, traditional Ashkenazi Jews have abstained from peanuts, beans, rice, lentils, chickpeas and other foods that, according to the rabbis, could be misconstrued as hametz, or leavened food that is anathema on the holiday.
According to Sephardic Jewish practice, those foods have always been fine to eat on Passover. In Israel, where most Jews are of Sephardi heritage, kitniyot are widely available on Passover. A significant portion of Israeli Ashkenazim eat them even as they observe the holiday’s other dietary laws. Many Israeli families are mixed Ashkenazi-Sephardi, blurring the lines even further.
The past decade has seen the Israeli kitniyot trend cross over to America, as parts of America’s largely Ashkenazic Jewish population adopted the Sephardic custom. With a major Jewish movement approving the practice, the stacks of hummus on kosher-for-Passover grocery store shelves could grow.
— Ben Sales
Spain and Portugal invite their expelled Jews home
In 2015, Spain and Portugal offered citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews who had been persecuted and expelled more than 500 years before. The laws were intended as atonement for the historic wrong of the Inquisition, which destroyed one of the most accomplished Jewish communities in the world. At a time of rising anti-Semitism around the world, the laws were cheered by Jewish leaders.
“Spain is roots, beloved and painful memories,” Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said in a 2017 visit, adding that it’s “not just nostalgia but an actual home: a place where Jews need not be told to feel at home.”
In practice, the application process was anything but simple. Spain’s law, whose window for applications ended in October, required applicants demonstrate an affinity with Spanish culture and have their family trees vetted. In Portugal, where the law is open ended, one of the two Jewish communities that the government tasked with vetting applications approves only people who are currently Jewish.
Despite millions of potential applicants, the laws resulted in only about 132,000 applications in Spain and another 50,000 in Portugal. The low response owes to multiple factors.
Most Sephardim live in affluent economies, which may limit their appetite for a second citizenship. Non-Jewish descendants of Sephardim often have no proof of their lineage. About 50,000 citizenship applications have been approved, two-thirds of them by Spain.
— Cnaan Liphshiz
Jews of color gain greater exposure
Jews of color have long pushed the wider community to better acknowledge its racial and ethnic and diversity, but a number of high-profile Jews of color made that fact much harder to ignore in the 2010s.
In 2014, Angela Buchdahl became one of the most prominent Jews of color in the world when she was named senior rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York, one of the largest synagogues in the country. The daughter of a Buddhist mother and Jewish-American father, Buchdahl was born in Korea and became the first Asian-American rabbi in 2001 when she was ordained by the Reform movement’s Hebrew Union College.
She was far from alone in drawing public attention to Jewish diversity.
Barack Obama’s election in 2008 helped raise the profile of Rabbi Capers Funnye, an African-American rabbi in Chicago who also happened to be first lady Michelle Obama’s cousin. Amar’e Stoudemire, the former NBA star who told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in 2013 that he believed he had “Hebrew” roots, would eventually convert to Judaism and play in Israel. Tiffany Haddish, the actress and comedian who only learned at 27 that her father was an Eritrean Jew, threw herself a star-studded bat-mitzvah at age 40 presided over by Sarah Silverman’s sister, Rabbi Susan Silverman.
In 2019, the American Sephardi Federation and the Morocco-based Association Mimouna hosted the first conference focusing on Jews in Africa that was not exclusively for academics — a step Funnye said represented a major step forward.
“It means a great deal to the African-American Jewish community [and] the Jewish community of West Africa because we’ve been a long time in saying we’re here,” Funnye told JTA.
— Ben Harris | Get our Newsletter!
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From Inequality Media
He's maybe the most dangerous politician of my lifetime. He's helped transform the Republican Party into a cult, worshiping at the altar of authoritarianism. His spineless political posturing places party above country, even as foreign governments undermine our democracy.
In pursuit of power, he's damaged our country in ways that may take a generation to undo.
The politician I'm talking about is (Moscow) Mitch McConnell.
He refused for almost a year to allow the Senate to consider President Obama's moderate Supreme Court pick Merrick Garland. When Trump became president, McConnell got rid of the age-old Senate rule requiring 60 senators to agree on a Supreme Court nomination so he could ram through not one but two Supreme Court justices, including one with a likely history of sexual assault.
When Trump became president, McConnell got rid of the age-old Senate rule requiring 60 senators to agree on a Supreme Court nomination so he could ram through not one but two Supreme Court justices, including one with a likely history of sexual assault. He has rammed ultra-conservative, hyperpartisan, unqualified judges through the Senate confirmation process. The Senate has confirmed 187 Trump appointees to lifetime federal judgeships; seven of those confirmed nominees were given a "not qualified" rating by the American Bar Association. A quarter of federal circuit judges are now Trump appointees, shaping the courts for decades to come.
The Senate has confirmed 187 Trump appointees to lifetime federal judgeships; seven of those confirmed nominees were given a "not qualified" rating by the American Bar Association. A quarter of federal circuit judges are now Trump appointees, shaping the courts for decades to come. He has turned the Senate into a "legislative graveyard" by refusing to take up over 300 bills passed by the House. He's blocked bipartisan legislation that would enact universal background checks for gun purchases, lower the cost of prescription drugs, get big money out of politics, provide election security funding, protect voting rights, and on and on. He's gleefully adopted the nickname the "Grim Reaper" in a shameless show of pride for his refusal to pass anything that helps the American people. Under his leadership, what was once known as the world's greatest deliberative body has become a partisan lap dog.
He's blocked bipartisan legislation that would enact universal background checks for gun purchases, lower the cost of prescription drugs, get big money out of politics, provide election security funding, protect voting rights, and on and on. He's gleefully adopted the nickname the "Grim Reaper" in a shameless show of pride for his refusal to pass anything that helps the American people. Under his leadership, what was once known as the world's greatest deliberative body has become a partisan lap dog. He has already violated his oath to be an impartial juror in the upcoming Senate impeachment trial. He openly declared, word-for-word, that he would not be an impartial juror in the trial, proudly saying that he would be "coordinating with the White House counsel" and that "there will be no difference between the president's position and our position." He is not even pretending that the Senate trial will be fair, blatantly violating his oath to "do impartial justice" in order to protect Trump's interests. Imagine the foreman of a jury announcing before a trial that there will be no difference between the jury's position and a defendant's.
We need to ensure that McConnell's legacy is forever one of hypocrisy, inaction, and obstructionism. | Election year is here. But before we vote in November and after impeachment dominates the first few weeks of 2020, Congress and the administration will likely do battle over a number of issues to gain political favor.
One issue that is guaranteed to dominate Washington is trade. President Trump is the most international trade-oriented president since the Cold War and his intention of remaking the global trading agenda will become a reality at least partially in 2020.
The Senate will almost certainly move forward with the passage of the Trump rewrite of NAFTA, passing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
JAMES CARAFANO: TOP 5 WORLD HEADLINES TO WATCH FOR IN 2020 — SOME WILL SURPRISE YOU
Transformative shifts in intellectual property rights protections, curtailing currency manipulation to gain trading favor, and moving dispute resolutions to the courts of the country of origin – restoring sovereignty to each of the three nations – are key elements of the deal. About $68.2 billion is expected to be added to the U.S. economy with 176,000 new jobs created, according to a study by the International Trade Commission. This is particularly good news for autoworkers, with the White House saying that 76,000 new auto jobs will be created.
It is also likely that Congress will be presented with and pass a new trade deal with the United Kingdom in the wake of their exit from the European Union on Jan. 31. Followed up with the already negotiated phase one of a deal with Japan, which may need congressional approval, and the possibility of a deal with the EU later in the year, trade is likely to dominate much of the D.C. calendar in 2020.
Ironically, the fast-track trade legislation pushed through Congress by those who backed the TransPacific Partnership means Trump faces a simple majority vote in both houses of Congress, with no filibuster in the Senate, as he finalizes a series of bilateral trade agreements cementing U.S. interests for decades to come.
Another certainty is that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will continue his policy of restoring balance to our nation’s judiciary. Already, in the first three years of the president’s administration, the Senate has confirmed 187 judges, more than one-fifth of the federal judiciary. And this won’t stop. There are 50 more federal judicial vacancies to be filled in 2020.
There will be much discussion of immigration, gun control and tax cuts as politicians jockey for advantage in advance of the election, but don't expect congressional action on these fronts.
Infrastructure is always an election year bipartisan favorite. With many post-impeachment House Democrats looking for accomplishments as they careen toward a potentially hostile electorate, some form of infrastructure deal becomes possible in mid- to late spring. Whether it be a “just throw money at it” bill or the more orderly creation of a private infrastructure bank, it is possible that the current consensus that money does grow on trees will lead to an agreement on funding bridges, roads and other critical technologically and economically significant systems.
Congress may also address the dire state of our nation’s defined benefit pension plans, with a particular emphasis on private-sector union multi-employer pension funds, as well as provide additional support for the underfunded Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp., which backstops the private pension system.
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Details are not final, with competing plans in both the House and Senate, but the just passed funding bill spent $6 billion to bail out pension funds covering United Mine Workers that were effectively put underwater by the Obama administration’s war on coal, sets the stage for the debate. This precedent puts pressure on Congress to implement legislation forcing structural reforms for all multi-employer pension plans, including increased transparency for funds’ internal operations, requirements that funds only invest in transparent enterprises based upon Sarbanes-Oxley standards and rules set by the Labor Department, and a focus on returns rather than political or social welfare agendas.
There will be much discussion of immigration, gun control and tax cuts as politicians jockey for advantage in advance of the election, but don't expect congressional action on these fronts. The one exception may be immigration, depending on how the Supreme Court rules on President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. Congress may choose to enter into this thicket, with any legislation that results likely to anger all sides of the debate.
On top of it all, the Trump team will be ramping up efforts to finalize regulations by mid-April that would protect changes he has made should Democrats win back the White House and gain full control of Congress in November. These actions would ensure that the administration's important regulatory reforms wouldn't be washed away using the same Congressional Review Act the GOP utilized to end more than a dozen Obama regulations adopted late in 2016.
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While impeachment and the election will provide the caps for 2020, other issues could make this a generationally transformative year. And if there ends up being a Supreme Court vacancy, the confirmation fight in the Senate will make a WWE steel cage match look like an afternoon tea party.
Pay attention in 2020. There will be more than impeachment and the elections to watch.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE BY RICHARD MANNING | 1.666667 |
Patrick and Wendy Mullery.
An Inverness suicide support group plans to expand to meet demand.
Patrick Mullery, who runs the group which meets in Inverness, lost his father-of-three son James to suicide at the age of 28.
Mr Mullery, from Cromarty, said: “2019 has seen a steady growth in our membership which is now at 200. This is bittersweet because our group is growing – but that means there are more people affected by suicide.”
In 2020, he hopes to extend coverage of James’ Support Group meetings to Tain, Dingwall and Aviemore with a breakfast club event, aimed at helping men to talk more, to be held at Ross County FC.
A Games, Giggle and Craic evening in Cromarty drew a full house and plans are afoot for a second one.
Mr Mullery added: “Ross County FC fans may well have noticed our stand at the car park entrance on many home matches. We will be at most home games to the end of March which sees the end of the peak period for suicides.” | Trump Makes New Year's Resolution To Continue Being As Great As He Always Is
WASHINGTON, D.C.—President Trump has announced his New Year's resolution: to continue to be as great as he always is.
“This is an extremely important resolution because this country depends on my superior presidenting,” Trump explained in a press conference. “If I am anything less than the superb excellence I always am, millions could die.”
Trump says he knows his resolution will be controversial since, by his understanding, he was impeached in 2019 for being “too awesome a president,” but Trump vows to continue to be that awesome in 2020, even if it leads to a second impeachment. “I just love the country too much to be anything less than as great as I always am.”
To help with this resolution, Trump plans to read some self-maintaining books to help continue to be as good as he is. He does not plan to read any self-improvement books, though, since being any better than he already is “is not humanly possible.” | 1 |
As of Jan. 1, 2020, new regulations for car-seat and booster-seat will take effect in the state of Washington.
Under the revised law:
Children under age 2 must use rear-facing car seats. Children should remain in a rear-facing car safety seat as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their seat.
Children ages 2 to at least 4 years should use a forward-facing, age-appropriate child harness seat – and do so as long as possible, until they reach the seat’s height and weight limits. Many seats can accommodate children up to 65 pounds.
Children older than 4 but shorter than 4’9” who have outgrown the child harness seat must use booster seats. Most kids will need a booster seat until 10 to 12 years of age.
When children are old enough and large enough to use the vehicle seat belt alone, they should use lap and shoulder seat belts for optimal protection.
As with the previous law, drivers can be ticketed if a passenger under 16 is not using the correct car seat, booster seat, or seat belt based on their age, height or weight.
“These changes will help parents protect their children on the road,” said Dr. Beth Ebel, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and member of the Washington State American Academy of Pediatrics. “This change brings us in line with current best thinking about keeping kids safe.”
The changes align Washington state’s law with the most recent guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, issued in 2011.
Ebel, who studies transportation safety at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center and cares for injured children at Harborview Medical Center, has testified in support of a stronger law for three years.
“Harborview is the only Level 1 regional trauma center for children who have life-threatening injuries. Catastrophic car-crash injuries we’ve seen to children’s brains, organs and nervous systems might have been preventable had the child been buckled in the correct car seat.”
In head-on crashes, there are significantly fewer serious injuries and fatalities when toddlers are in rear-facing seats, which better protect their still-developing heads and necks. In older children, poorly fitted seatbelts are associated with injuries to the spine, intestines, head and neck. Ebel said she regularly sees kids 8 to 12 years of age “with completely preventable injuries, even at relatively slow speeds like 30 miles per hour.”
Such injuries can be prevented by the proper booster seat, which correctly positions the seat belt against the child until he or she is tall enough to use the vehicle’s seat belt alone.
“When I talk to parents about child safety, they say, ‘Why isn’t this the law?’” Ebel said. “Now that Washington law is updated, more families will follow these guidelines and more kids will come home safe. At the end of the day, that’s what’s important.”
More information on car seats and booster seats, including a directory of free seat checks in Washington state, is available at www.boosterseat.org. | Can I resign my job here in Kuwait after I finish 1 year of service?
Name withheld
Answer: Yes you can, if you were hired locally and you don’t possess a university degree. If you however, possess a degree you can put in your resignation at any point of time. On the other hand, if you were brought to Kuwait from your home country by your current sponsor, then that law mandates you to work three years for him/her before you can resign or ask for a release. | 1 |
Planning a wedding is never easy, so we've pulled together a list of top unusual wedding venues across the Midlands and Shropshire that may help you to find the place to hold your fairytale wedding.
From theatres to castle ruins, museums, zoos, and even barges - take a look at our top picks:
Is there a venue we've missed? Email us on webdesk@expressandstar.co.uk and let us know.
Kidderminster Town Hall
Kidderminster Town Hall. Picture from: http://www.wyreforestheritageweddings.co.uk/kidderminster-town-hall-weddings/
Kidderminster Town Hall is a fine Victorian Grade II listed Music Hall set in the heart of Kidderminster's Conservation area perfect for tying the knot.
Still resonating off the walls of this landmark venue, which opened in 1855, are the speeches made by eminent leaders Winston Churchill, Emmeline Pankhurst and Earnest Shackleton as well as great music from The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Who.
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For more information, click here.
Hawkstone Park - Shrewsbury
Hawkstone Park
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The Follies at Hawkstone Park offer a wedding venue with a difference - in a medieval cave surrounded by fantasy woodlands and cliff-tops.
Hawkstone Park is well known for its stunning Follies and breathtaking countryside, making it a perfect place for weddings too.
With a number of venues and wedding packages on offer, the park provides flexibility for both your guest number and budget to create your perfect day. You can also book in for a round of golf at one of the parks championship golf courses.
For more information, click here.
Dudley Zoo
Dudley Zoo, Picture from: https://www.dudleyzoo.org.uk/unique-wedding-venue/
Set in 40 acres of landscaped gardens surrounding the 11th Century Dudley Castle - and filled with more than 1,000 animals - Dudley Zoo provides a picturesque venue to get married.
After tying the knot and celebrating in the Queen Mary Ballroom, couples can even enjoy animal experience's with the zoos giraffes, penguins, sea lions and more - perfect for a wedding photographer with a difference.
For more information, click here.
Cannock Chase
Cannock Chase
As well as being home to beautiful woodland walks, mountain bike trails and family activities, Cannock Chase can also be used as a setting for a wedding.
Celebrate your special day in a forest that is home to fallow deer, birds and other wildlife.
For more information, click here.
The Old Library - Digbeth
The Old Library. Picture from: https://www.theoldlibrary.co/
Set in the heart of The Custard Factory, The Old Library is a stunning venue to celebrate your ceremony and reception.
With soaring ceilings, arched windows and white interior, it's easy to decorate the library to suit the theme of your wedding.
The Custard Factory itself is a great wedding venue; its close knit, colourful buildings, unique art installations and bunting make it the perfect backdrop for your photos.
For more information, click here.
Spring Grove House at West Midlands Safari Park, Bewdley
Spring Grove House
With an eye-catching interior and exterior, Spring Grove House is a perfect place to celebrate your wedding – especially if you're an animal lover.
This Georgian building is set right in the heart of the safari park, so you can expect an exciting adventure for your wedding day.
For more information, click here.
The Electric Cinema, Birmingham
The Electric Cinema
Step in to your own movie wedding at The Electric Cinema in Birmingham.
The venue is the oldest cinema in the country, and you can celebrate your special day with a silver screen backdrop and plan your fairytale wedding fit for movie stars.
For more information, click here.
Rowton Castle, Shrewsbury
Rowton Castle. Picture from: https://www.rowtoncastle.com/
Located in the heart of the Shropshire countryside, Rowton Castle is a wedding venue fit for a prince and princess.
What could be more romantic than tying the knot at this Grade 11 listed building; with 17 acres of land perfect for family photos, a beautiful interior and exterior, this award winning venue suitable for any sized celebration.
For more information, click here.
Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton
Molineux
If you're both football lovers, why don't you consider tying the knot at your favourite clubs venue?
Whether you're Wolves fans, Saddlers fans or Blues fans – it doesn't matter. Most clubs have suites that offer weddings.
Of course, the only problem may be if you both support different teams.
For more information, click here.
Drayton Manor, Staffordshire
Drayton Manor
Some people are adrenaline junkies through and through, in which case your perfect wedding venue may be a theme park.
Drayton Manor theme park's four-star hotel offers an array of wedding packages for thrill-seekers looking to tie the knot.
Have your photos taken next to one of the parks iconic rides – there's nothing stopping you getting on one yourselves, you just may want to consider changing your clothes.
For more information, click here.
Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge
Blists Hill. Picture by: Andy Li photography. Picture from: https://www.ironbridge.org.uk/venue-hire/weddings-at-ironbridge/
Step back in time and celebrate your wedding at Blists Hill Victorian Town.
With room for up to 40 guests, this charming venue certainly offers a unique place to say your 'I dos'.
With working shops, a pub and fairground, you can plan your perfect vintage wedding here.
The Forest Glen Refreshment Pavilion is a quirky Victorian tea room that is licensed for civil ceremonies.
If a more intimate wedding is what you're after the Club Room - situated above the New Inn Public House – may be the perfect choice.
You can even enhance your wedding a pint at the pub, a ride on the funfair and actors and singers to give your wedding the ultimate Victorian theme.
For more information, click here.
Severn Valley Railway
Severn Valley Railway. Picture from: https://www.svr.co.uk/Weddings.aspx
Start the new journey in style with a trip in a vintage railway carriage.
The Engine House and Visitor Centre in Shropshire are both licensed for civil ceremonies.
Celebrate your marriage before hoping on board a dining carriage for a journey with the most scenic backdrops.
For more information, click here.
Ludlow Castle, Ludlow
Ludlow Castle. Picture from: https://www.ludlowcastle.com/weddings/
Set inside Ludlow Castle, The Round Chapel and Castle House are two incredible historical venues for you and your partner to celebrate your marriage.
Whether you choose to simply hold your ceremony there or have your reception in a marquee in the castles grounds – the choice is yours. But the venue is certainly fit for a King and Queen.
For more information, click here.
The Boat House at Aston Marina
The Boat House at Aston Marina. Picture from: https://www.astonmarina.co.uk/weddings/the-boat-house/
When it comes to beautiful views, The Boat House at Aston Marina does a pretty good job at ticking off that box and more.
The venue is licensed for civil ceremonies as well as providing somewhere for a relaxed and picturesque wedding.
All food for your wedding is made fresh on site by The Boat House's award-winning chefs and staff will work closely with you to create the wedding you've always dreamed of.
For more information, click here.
Barnutopia, Oswestry
Barnutopia. Picture from: http://barnutopia.com/autumn-wedding/
Get in touch with nature on your wedding say at Barnutopia.
Barnutopia is a glamping, wedding and event venue in the Shropshire countryside. The site offers a luxury camping experience for guests who love the outdoors but prefer the comforts of home.
For more information, click here.
Hundred House Hotel and Tithe Barn, Norton
Hundred House Hotel and Tithe Barn
Get married in a stunning 17th Century oak-beamed barn at the Hundred House Hotel.
The family-run venue is perfect for any themed wedding, and offers award-winning food made from scratch with ingredients from their mesmerising gardens.
What's more, the venue offers packages throughout the year that takes the pressure off wedding planning.
For more information, click here.
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Picture from: http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag/venue-hire/venue-hire/weddings
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is a Grade I listed building that provides a unique and sophisticated venue for your wedding.
The Waterhall is licensed for civil ceremonies so you can say your vows in a bright and airy venue with high ceilings, stunning architecture and fine art adorning the walls with up to 200 guests.
If you choose to host your wedding reception at the venue, your party will congregate in the Round Room, standing as it did in 1885 with its ornate glass domed ceiling and extensive collection of fine art on display.
For more information, click here.
Sherborne Wharf, Birmingham
Sherborne Wharf. Picture from: https://sherbornewharf.co.uk/
Hit the water and get hitched on board your very own barge at Sherborne Wharf.
Birmingham boasts more canals than Venice. It is in the heart of the canal system in England and therefore Sherborne Wharf offers the adventurous boater extensive cruising routes and links to other canals on the system.
The large marina gives access to the centre of Birmingham and plenty of venues to continue the celebrations including theatres, museums, concert halls and more.
For more information, click here.
ThinkTank Museum, Birmingham
ThinkTank Museum. Picture from: http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/thinktank/highlights/spitfire-gallery
Perfect for science buffs, ThinkTank Museum in Birmingham provides you with a truly unfortgettable venue to tie the knot.
The venue's event suite can cater to parties between 50 and 150 people and packages give you and your party access to the Futures Gallery after hours for your very own night at the museum.
For more information, click here.
Sarehole Mill, Bimingham
Sarehole Mill
If you're set to exchange the one ring with your precious, consider tying the knot at Sarehole Mill.
Perfect for fans of Lord Of The Rings, the Grade II listed water mill is known for its association with the books series' author J. R. R. Tolkein.
The cobbled courtyard and millpond provide a tranquil haven away from the hustle and bustle of the city for you to enjoy your big day.
For more information, click here.
Erasmus Darwin House, Lichfield
Erasmus Darwin House. Picture by: Chris Lockwood. Picture from: https://www.erasmusdarwin.org/hire/weddings/
Do you love poetry but your partner is more into all-things science? Combine both of your passions and get married at the former house of poet and physicist Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles Darwin.
There are two rooms licensed for civil weddings seven days a week, with discounts for weekday bookings, and the venue can accommodate up to 36 people for a wedding ceremony.
For more information, click here.
Birmingham REP
Birmingham REP. Picture from: https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/our-place/weddings-parties-and-christmas-celebrations-with-uvb.html
Theatre fans can combine their love of the stage with their big day at Birmingham REP.
A unique wedding requires a truly dramatic setting and where better than your very own theatre stage?
You can walk the boards to tie the knot before your guests take their final bow at the evening reception.
For more information, click here.
Library of Birmingham
Shakespeare Memorial Room. Picture from: http://www.uniquevenuesbirmingham.com/space/shakespeare-memorial-room/
Books lovers can tie the knot in the sophisticated and sleek Library of Birmingham.
The venue's historic Shakespeare Memorial Room was created for the city’s Victorian library by John Henry Chamberlain in 1882. Following restoration by local craftsmen, it now commands an impressive position at the very top of the Library of Birmingham.
It offers a very special setting for small wedding ceremonies or civil ceremonies for up to 40 people, exclusive dining for up to 20 people and drinks receptions for up to 45 people.
For more information, click here.
The Crooked House, Dudley
The Crooked House
Enjoy creative rustic cooking and local real ales in this higgledy-piggledy old world pub.
The venue is flexible and can create bespoke menus to best suit your wedding day and budget.
Both day hire and evening hire are available at the Crooked House - just be careful not to trip down the aisle, its a lot easier to do at this quirky venue.
For more information, click here.
Fazeley Studios, Birmingham
Fazeley Studios. Picture from: http://www.fazeleyevents.co.uk/
Fazeley Studios is a unique and modern wedding venue in Birmingham City Centre.
Located in Digbeth, the city's Creative Quarter, the venue offers couples something a little different for their special day, with exclusive use of the entire venue, which is comprised of Victorian architecture and contemporary design across a series of spaces, including the Grand Gallery reception area, a former Unitarian Chapel.
The versatile venue can accommodate up to 150 guests in the day, and up to a whopping 300 on the night.
For more information, click here. | DETROIT – Welcome to Sunday, Motown. Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa! Today is day four of Kwanzaa, and the theme is Ujamaa (Collective Economics).
Today’s weather theme is soggy and warm. Rain is arriving and will be heavy, at times, especially during the day. Monday remains wet and mild. Colder air arrives as we leave the old year and bring in the new. Even a few snowflakes will fall before the year’s (and decade’s) end.
Sunday morning becomes wet before dawn. Scattered light to moderate showers arrive from the east and south east. Temperatures rise from the 30s just after midnight to the 40s before dawn on Sunday.
Sunrise is at 8:02 a.m. ET.
Football fans and tailgaters will need their rain gear and plan on indoor tailgating activities. Rain will be heavy at times, especially during the late morning and early afternoon. There’s even a chance of a thunderstorm or two before the Lions game.
The Detroit Lions take on the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field at 1 p.m. During the game the rain outside becomes more scattered in the afternoon. The Detroit area will still have cloudy skies for the afternoon, but it becomes warmer. It feels like spring-time again with high temperatures in the middle 50s.
Another round of rain returns Sunday evening and Sunday night. Sunday evening becomes wet with light to moderate rain moving in from the south. Temperatures will be around 50°F at dinner time. Families going out to Kwanzaa celebrations and Hanukkah ceremonies will need to be careful on wet roads. As always, look out for pedestrians.
Sunday night will still be wet. Overnight lows will be near 40°F. On Monday it will be raining in the morning.
The one-and-a-half day rain total will be around an inch or more in many spots. Homeowners must make sure their basements are secure and dry.
Monday afternoon will be mostly cloudy and mild. Highs will be near 50°F.
After a cold front passes, it becomes colder for New Year’s Eve Tuesday and New Year’s Day Wednesday. Tuesday will have scattered snow showers from lake affect snow generated with wind whipping off of Lake Michigan.
Temperatures will be in the 30s all day . By midnight and when we ring in 2020, snowflakes will have gone away, and the temperature will be at 32°F. Bundle up before going out to New Year’s Eve parties.
Happy New Year, Wednesday. New Year’s Day will be partly sunny and chilly, but not too cold. Highs will be in your 40°F.
Remember to download the FREE Local4Casters weather app -- it’s easily one of the best in the nation. Just search your app store under WDIV and it’s right there available for both iPhones and Androids!
Weather radar
Keep an eye out for severe weather alerts and the radar here: | 1 |
Vinyl records and players to spin them on were top gifts in 2019, contributing to a records renaissance.
Vinyl records earned $224.1 million on 8.6 million units, according to a mid-year 2019 report from the Recording Industry Association of America. The report made waves for noting that if sales trends continued, vinyl was set to soon outsell CDs for the first time in over 30 years.
RIAA data from 2018 shows 24% of 45-54 year olds surveyed had purchased at least one new vinyl album in the in past year. Almost the same percentage also bought a CD.
About 20% of those between 25 and 44 had bought a record, and less than 10% of 13-17 year olds.
The top genres for vinyl-buyers, according to the data, were classic rock from the 1960s through 1980s, 1980s and 1990s hits and alternative/modern rock.
Owner of Ralph’s Records Doug Stapp said records from newer country artists like Kacey Musgraves and Cody Jinks were popular at the Lubbock store in 2019. Albums from singer songwriter Billie Eilish and Queen were also hard to keep in-stock.
New records have flown off the shelves in recent years, Stapp said, and the before and after holidays sales rush have been no exception.
He said on Friday that a shipment received earlier in the week was already mostly gone. The used records section had plenty of thrift-seeking browsers Friday afternoon. Ralph’s Records can also order vinyl if customers can’t find what they’re looking for in-store.
Stapp said the resurgence of vinyl is pretty simple — you can hold it and the sound quality is better.
Missy Brinson, manager at Josey’s Books & Records in Lubbock, said people are again appreciating the experience of listening to music. Rather than just shuffling all songs from an artist on a streaming service, sitting down and listening to a vinyl record can offer a way to better connect with the sound, Brinson said.
Over the holiday season, Brinson said Josey’s sold almost every record player they had in stock and re-ordered in the middle of the month. She expected the vinyl section to be the best-selling part of the store for December.
New albums from pop stars Harry Styles and Lizzo were popular gifts this year, Brinson said, but used vinyl is getting more attention as many shoppers come in with gift cards to spend.
For those new to vinyl looking for a record to start their collection, Brinson said you can’t go wrong with a Beatles album. | We are kicking off the new year the same way we ended 2019… with some snow showers. The snow globe continues this morning with a lake effect snow band dragging the flakes all the way from Lake Ontario through southern parts of the North Country and all the way to Waitsfield Vermont!
Snow showers continue through the day today, but eventually, become more confined to the higher terrain this afternoon as we turn on the upslope snow machine!
Most folks in the valleys can anticipate a quick dusting, while the higher terrain is looking at 1-3″ Hey Jay Peak… how does a foot of fresh powder sound?
We settle down with the snow overnight Wednesday and start off Thursday with sunshine and a few passing clouds.
Then things get a little dicey… We are tracking multiple low-pressure systems, the first of which will bring us a bit of wintry mix but mostly rain Friday afternoon and evening.
Heading into the weekend we cool our temperatures and watch for accumulating snow especially in our higher terrain. Stay tuned for the latest on this forecast as we iron out the fine details!
Happy New Year!
-Skytracker Meteorologist Haley Bouley | 1 |
New Delhi [India], Jan 1 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will distribute Krishi Karman Awards and Commendation Awards to states at a public meeting in Tumkur, Karnataka on Thursday.
A PMO release said that he will also give away Agriculture Minister's Krishi Karman Awards for progressive farmers.
The event will also see the release of the third instalment of PM Kisan (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) of Rs 2000 for December 2019-March 2020. It will benefit about six crore beneficiaries. Prime Minister will hand over Certificates to beneficiaries under PM Kisan from eight states and union territories.
He will also hand over keys of deep-sea fishing vessels and fishing vessel transponders to select farmers of Tamil Nadu.
Modi will also distribute Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to select farmers of Karnataka and visit an exhibition at the venue and address the gathering. (ANI) | New Delhi [India], Jan 1 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate five DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation on Thursday, which would boost indigenous research capabilities in the defence sector.
During the event, the Prime Minister will unveil a plaque and also address the scientists.
The event is being organised by the Aeronautical Development Establishment, DRDO, at Bengaluru. DRDO will also showcase some of its innovative products to the Prime Minister at an exhibition.
A PMO release said that Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy will also be present on the occasion.
The release said the Prime Minister had suggested that at least five DRDO labs should be identified exclusively for innovation by young scientists up to the age of 35 years.
He made the suggestion in 2014 while addressing a gathering after giving away the DRDO awards.
The Prime Minister had also called for involving the youth in defence research-related activities in a big way to ensure that India remained abreast of global technological advancements in the field. (ANI) | 2.2 |
by Baila Olidort
In 1962, Harvey Swados, an American novelist and social critic, visited the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He wanted the Rebbe’s opinions on issues related to the Holocaust.
Swados’s account of that discussion, which appeared in The New York Times some thirty years later, is of particular interest today, as anti-Semitism is once again normalized on the streets of major cities and campuses across the country.
He began the conversation by asking the Rebbe about the behavior of the German masses. Much to the novelist’s surprise, the Rebbe “made no reference to abstractions, whether theological or philosophical. He pointed instead to political realities.”
Swados asked the Rebbe whether it was his opinion, then, “that the tragedy was not a unique visitation upon the Jewish people, and that it could happen again?”
“Morgen in der fruh. Tomorrow morning,” he said without hesitation. A surprising statement, perhaps, coming from the Rebbe, who was renowned for his unflappable optimism.
And when Swados asked the Rebbe why he was so certain of this, the Rebbe “did not speak mystically, nor did he harp on the German national character and its supposed affinity for Jew-hatred.
“Rather, he insisted upon the Germans’ obedience to authority and their unquestioning carrying out of orders—even the most bestial—as a cultural-historical phenomenon that was the product of many generations of deliberate inculcation.”
The Rebbe then turned the questions to his visitor, and asked him how he explains “the survival of Judaism over three millenia.” In response, Swados pointed to “the negative force of persecution [that] has certainly driven people together.” He wasn’t sure, he said, if in the absence of such persecution, our Jewishness would not disintegrate.
The social critic may have been onto something.
After all, Jews do band together when they are threatened. Under attack, Jews from diverse streams will band together. Students will come to Chabad and other Jewish venues. People who’ve never sought out Jewish community spaces before look for ways to give and gain support. And that solidarity is commendable.
But it makes one wonder: what would happen to Jewish continuity if we were not isolated by such hatred? Is persecution somehow essential to the project of Jewish continuity?
Now, as the negative forces loom large, it is good to remind ourselves that Jewish life grows not out of negative energy, but rather from the fertile forces of a community that shares a commitment to our historic values, that draws strength, vitality and real joy from our intellectual and spiritual heritage.
By now, the response of Chabad shluchim to every negative event is familiar, to the point, perhaps, of it sounding like a cliché. But increasing in acts of goodness really does underscore our conviction that we do not need to be persecuted to be Jewish; that we draw our strength and our vitality from light.
A negative force, the Rebbe insisted, in his conversation with Mr. Swados, could not possibly be the only answer to our continuity. | Parshat Hashavua Dvar Torah
Candle Lighting Times
The National Council of Young Israel's Divrei Torah Bulletin is a weekly newsletter. If you'd like to recieve our weekly e-newsletter with the Parshat Hashavua, Click here to sign up! YOUNG ISRAEL MOVEMENT ACTION ALERT An Appeal from Noam and Aviva Shalit more ***************************************************************** YOUNG ISRAEL MOVEMENT ENDORSES NETANYAHU'S JERUSALEM POLICY The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) today commended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his recently stated position on the future of Jerusalem. At his July 20, 2009 cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected calls to halt construction in Jerusalem. Young Israel urges American Jews to contact the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. by calling 202-364-5500 or by sending an email to info@washington.mfa.gov.il in order to voice their support for Prime Minister Netanyahu's position on Jerusalem.
It is essential that we tell the Israeli government that we support them and stand together with them in their effort to protect the Jewish homeland.
More ****************************************************************** War Hero Maj. Roi Klein's Home is on the Chopping Block
On Monday, July 13, 2006 the High Court in Israel ruled in favor of Peace Now and Yesh Din and ordered that 11 homes in the Samaria town of Eli be torn down. One of the homes in question belongs to IDF Major Roi Klein , who was killed in the Second Lebanon War when he jumped on a live hand grenade thrown by Hizbullah forces, in order to save his soldiers. More
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An Article of Interest...
Obama sweet-talks dictators, yet strong-arms Israel
By Moshe Arens Dealing with U.S. President Barack Obama constitutes a major challenge for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It has been a long time since America last had a president as powerful as Obama, who controls both houses of Congress and is wildly popular among the American public. It is from this advantageous position that Obama has decided to confront Israel, and now the Israeli prime minister has to decide how to respond.
More ************************************************************************************* TELL SEC'Y CLINTON: JEWS HAVE A LEGAL, HISTORICAL, POLITICAL AND MORAL RIGHT TO LIVE IN JUDEA AND SAMARIA Since becoming Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has made a demand that Jews should not be allowed to build more homes or undertake any other additional Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem. Some have called this a racist demand, because she has supported Palestinians building in all these areas and even insisted that Israel should not demolished illegally built Arab homes. At the same time, Secretary Clinton has made no demands of Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA) on issues whose non-fulfillment precludes any possibility of peace – arresting terrorists, outlawing terrorist groups and ending the incitement to hatred and murder in the PA-controlled media, mosques, schools and youth camps that feed terrorism and rejection of peace with Israel. More
***************************************************** PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU.. CONTINUE TO BE STRONG IN YOUR RESOLVE The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) is urging its 25,000 member families and Jews throughout the United States to express support for Prime Minister Netanyahu to stay strong and to support efforts to guarantee the security of the State of Israel. The NCYI is encourages people to call and e-mail Washington D.C. and express our fundamental points: 1. I support the State of Israel. 2. I oppose the division of Jerusalem. 3. I oppose the creation of an independent Palestinian state within Israel’s borders. “With U.S. policy towards Israel seemingly shifting away from what had been the status quo, it is imperative that Israeli leaders stay firm in their resolve and recognize that they have the support of the American Jewish community,” said NCYI President Shlomo Z. Mostofsky, Esq. “With the future of the Jewish homeland hanging in the balance, it is critical that we make our voices and opinions heard so that the State of Israel is protected in perpetuity.” Write the President Write the Secretary of State Write the Senator at the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee More NCYI President's Blog-The Invitation Is In the Mail The Orthodox Jewish wedding season commences each year after Lag BaOmer and again after Tisha B'Av. In the weeks prior to those dates we watch the mail for the wedding invitations we receive, and notice the invitations that we do not receive.
Often, we become inundated with wedding invitations and are invited to two weddings scheduled for the same evening. In Brooklyn, New York, at least, time and again people go to more than one wedding on any given evening, thus disproving the old Yiddish adage that “one cannot dance at two chassunahs.” Sometimes we receive invitations to weddings and cannot figure out why we were invited and other times we wonder why a friend or acquaintance did not invite us to their simcha.
Last year, I had the privilege of representing the National Council of Young Israel at a meeting with President George Bush in the White House. The invitation was issued to almost every major American-Jewish organization. We met the President in a rather large room at the White House. The President, despite his negative portrayal in the press, spoke to our group for over an hour in a clear and articulate manner. The President was candid about his perceptions of world events and domestic affairs. He expressed his views about how the 9/11 attacks changed the world and America. In a self-deprecating manner he discussed how he would be viewed by posterity. The President remarked that there were still so many books being written about "# 1" (President George Washington) that it would take a long time for them to get to “# 43” (President George Bush.) Surely the President did not change anyone's political outlook or personal perceptions of his presidency. Everyone, I believe, however, left the meeting feeling that the President was a warm and sincere person.
The Orthodox Jewish wedding season commences each year after Lag BaOmer and again after Tisha B'Av. In the weeks prior to those dates we watch the mail for the wedding invitations we receive, and notice the invitations that we do not receive.Often, we become inundated with wedding invitations and are invited to two weddings scheduled for the same evening. In Brooklyn, New York, at least, time and again people go to more than one wedding on any given evening, thus disproving the old Yiddish adage that “one cannot dance at two chassunahs.” Sometimes we receive invitations to weddings and cannot figure out why we were invited and other times we wonder why a friend or acquaintance did not invite us to their simcha.Last year, I had the privilege of representing the National Council of Young Israel at a meeting with President George Bush in the White House. The invitation was issued to almost every major American-Jewish organization. We met the President in a rather large room at the White House. The President, despite his negative portrayal in the press, spoke to our group for over an hour in a clear and articulate manner. The President was candid about his perceptions of world events and domestic affairs. He expressed his views about how the 9/11 attacks changed the world and America. In a self-deprecating manner he discussed how he would be viewed by posterity. The President remarked that there were still so many books being written about "# 1" (President George Washington) that it would take a long time for them to get to “# 43” (President George Bush.) Surely the President did not change anyone's political outlook or personal perceptions of his presidency. Everyone, I believe, however, left the meeting feeling that the President was a warm and sincere person. More Items of Interest to the Jewish Community click here to download the pdf
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************************************************************* click here for a list of names and contact information _____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ To Download this roundable discussion of Leaders of the Orthodox Jewish Community that appears in Mishpacha Magazine please click here Become a Fan of NCYI on Facebook! National Council of Young Israel on Facebook | 1.666667 |
Gaza /PNN/
A Palestinian anti-siege group has appealed to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to improve the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip by pressuring the Israeli regime to lift its years-long crippling siege of the impoverished enclave.
Palestinian lawmaker Jamal al-Khudari, who is the head of the Popular Committee against the Siege on Gaza (PCAS), made the comments in a statement.
“The situation in the Gaza Strip entails urgent and decisive intervention from the UN Secretary-General to pressure the occupation to lift the siege,” said Khudari, stressing that “ending the Israeli blockade will contribute to saving the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.”
The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli blockade since June 2007. It has caused a decline in the standard of living as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty.
Figures show that 85 percent of Gazans are currently living under the poverty line, according to Khudari. Israel has also launched three major wars against the enclave since 2008, killing thousands of Gazans each time and shattering the impoverished territory’s already poor infrastructure.
Elsewhere in his statement, Khudari stressed that “the blockade is immoral and inhuman, and contradicts all principles of international law, the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
The economic situation across Palestinian lands worsened earlier this year after the US cut all its financial aid for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
The cuts in the humanitarian aid were soon hitting hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable people, especially in Gaza, where 80 percent are dependent on aid.
Since March 30 last year, the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip have been holding the “Great March of Return” rallies, demanding the right to return for those driven out of their homeland by Israeli aggression since 1967.
Israeli troops have killed nearly 310 Palestinians since the beginning of the rallies and wounded more than 18,000 others, according to the Gazan Health Ministry. | PNN/ Bethlehem/
Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said that no charges have been filed against any Israeli or Palestinian, and the investigation has not been opened.
In an interview with the Hebrew-language Maariv, Bensouda said: “The International Criminal Court is acting according to the principle of personal responsibility for crimes. It does not deal with conflicts between countries and it does not sue countries.”
“If and when it is opened, the General Prosecutor’s office will manage an independent investigation with no inquiries, and which will be based only on proofs. In the court’s process, according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, every suspect enjoys the required legal guarantees, including the presumption of innocence from crime until his guilt is proven, and the right to a lawyer of his choosing.”
Last week, the ICC said it will launch a full investigation into war crimes in the Palestinian territories, a move welcomed by the Palestinian government.
Bensouda said the preliminary examination into war crimes, opened in 2015, had rendered enough information to meet all criteria for opening an investigation.
Over 30 lawyers in the Palestinian occupied territories helped draft the fresh dossier.
Gaza, with a population of more than 1.8 million, has been under siege by the Israeli regime since June 2007. The blockade has caused a decline in the standards of living as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty.
A UN fact-finding mission said in March that Israeli forces committed rights violations during their crackdown against Palestinian protesters in the Gaza Strip last year that may amount to “war crimes,” urging the regime’s military to prevent its snipers from using lethal force against the demonstrators. | 2.666667 |
MUNDELEIN, Ill.(WISN) — Two people showed up just before 5 p.m. Tuesday, 13 hours before the Rise Mundelein dispensary would open and sell recreational marijuana for the first time, foreshadowing the potential onslaught of interest in the weeks to come.
“We get hundreds of calls daily,” Roger Dillman said, the store’s manager. “And a lot of them are from Wisconsin.”
The dispensary, one of several dozen that will begin selling recreational marijuana Wednesday, will have heat lamps, food and music to accommodate the expected crowd. Employees performed mock rehearsals Tuesday night to check ID’s and take orders.
“We just expect a lot of people,” Dillman said. “We have processes in place so hopefully nobody will wait for too long.”
Wisconsin will become an island where both medical and recreational marijuana remain illegal and likely will for some time.
“People are demanding this,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a recent interview with affiliate WISN 12 News.
Evers is pushing for a vote on medical marijuana legislation that has received bipartisan support, but Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald has indicated its likely sudden death in the state Senate.
“The idea that somehow there’s a handful of people in the Senate that don’t want it or the Assembly,” Evers said. “Let’s vote and see.”
Store managers said they will remind Wisconsin residents of current state law, making it illegal to transport any amount of marijuana over the state line. | He may have the patience of a saint, but everything has a limit.
Pope Francis apologized Wednesday for losing his cool and slapping the hand of a pilgrim who grabbed him and tugged him toward her as he visited a Nativity scene in Vatican City.
“So many times we lose patience. It happens to me too,” he told thousands of worshipers gathered outside St. Peter’s Basilica for his New Year address.
The 83-year-old pontiff then said he was sorry for “the bad example” he gave just hours earlier.
Francis was walking through St. Peter’s Square Tuesday night when he began greeting some of the pilgrims who were standing on the other side of a barrier. At one point, as he turned away from the crowd, a woman yanked his arm and tried to tell him something.
But Francis — once described as the “Cool Pope” — was not pleased. Footage of the incident shows a visibly irritated Francis smacking her hand and freeing himself from her grip while scolding the woman, though it was not clear what he said to her.
This evening after visiting the Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis loses his cool after being grabbed by a pilgrim who wouldn't let go of his hand. The Pope repeated slapped her hand and told her to let go of him. pic.twitter.com/6Qrgh8aZKz — Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) December 31, 2019
Ironically, his off-script apology came moments before the Catholic leader denounced violence against women during his first mass of the year.
“Women are sources of life,” he told the crowd, according to a transcript of his message. “Yet they are continually insulted, beaten, raped, forced to prostitute themselves and to suppress the life they bear in the womb.
"Every form of violence inflicted upon a woman is a blasphemy against God, who was born of a woman. Humanity’s salvation came forth from the body of a woman: we can understand our degree of humanity by how we treat a woman’s body.”
Videos of Francis’ angry reaction went viral on social media Tuesday night, with many commenters calling the pope rude and aggressive while many others sided with him, noting that he could’ve easily been hurt.
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Monday on MSNBC’s All In, Rep. Al Green admitted that the “genesis” of Donald Trump’s impeachment began well before he was elected President in 2016.
Green was asked to respond to the argument of the right that “the Democrats wanted to impeach Donald Trump from day one, they cast about looking for a set of facts they could plausibly use to do it, and all of it was pretextual and reverse-engineered to get to this point. Exhibit one is Al Green, who’s been calling for the man’s impeachment for two years now.”
“Well, the genesis of impeachment — to be very candid with you — was when the president was running for office and he had members of his own party to talk about his unfitness to hold office,” Green conceded. “The persons who were running against him, Mr. Romney spoke of his not being fit to hold office. Mr. Cruz made statements about it…”
And there you have it: Democrats intended from the beginning to impeach Trump, and years of fruitless investigations into purported Russian collusion and Ukrainian corruption were merely pretexts.
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During an August 23, 2018 appearance on Democracy Now!, Green said that President Trump could be impeached without having committed a crime: “I think it’s becoming increasingly clear that the president will have two options: One, he can resign from office, or, two, he can face impeachment. Impeachment is something that the Framers of the Constitution provided for a time such as this and a president such as Trump … [who] is alleged to have committed certain offenses that are onerous to the Constitution and that harm society.”
At a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation meeting in September 2018, Green revisited the theme of impeaching President Trump:
“The people who say, ‘What law did he break? What rule did he break?,’ they are perpetrating upon you a belief that is totally inaccurate. You decide that you are not going to be nice to suspects when you arrest them, you tell police, ‘You don’t have to be nice,’ … and ban children on the border of color, you produce a policy that separates them from their parents…. Now, this might be debatable, [but] for me, when I add all of this together, I find that I have a person who is placing his bigotry into policy that is harmful to our society, and for that, he ought to be impeached.”
To learn more about Al Green, click on the profile link HERE.
Search our constantly growing database of the left and its Agendas.
EDITORS NOTE: This Discover the Networks column is republished with permission. © All rights reserved. | The impeachment theater of the Democrats was always political, it was always unhinged, and it began even before Trump was elected
Rep. Al Green: The ‘genesis’ of Trump’s impeachment began when he was ‘running for office’
One of the most vocal pro-impeachment Democratic voices on Capitol Hill said the “genesis” of President Trump’s impeachment began long before the Ukraine scandal.
Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, one of the first lawmakers to push for Trump’s impeachment, appeared on MSNBC on Monday and was confronted about the president, and how his allies have weaponized Green’s outspokenness against Democrats.
“Political expediency and insincerity — those are two charges that have been leveled against Democrats during this entire affair, particularly since September when the formal impeachment inquiry started, and you play a starring role in those charges,” MSNBC host Chris Hayes said to Green.
“The argument goes like this of House Republicans and Trump and his allies: the Democrats wanted to impeach Donald Trump from day one, they cast about looking for a set of facts that they could plausibly use to do it, and all of it was pretextual and reverse-engineered to get to this point, and Exhibit One: Congressman Al Green, who [has] been calling for the man’s impeachment for two years now,” Hayes said. “What’s your response to that charge?”
Green didn’t deny the charge being made against him.
“Well, the genesis of impeachment, to be very candid with you, was when the president was running for office and he had members of his own party to talk about his unfitness to hold office,” Green told Hayes, later citing rhetoric from Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah; Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., from the 2016 election. “So the president didn’t have the luxury of persons from his party having been on his side as it were throughout this entire ordeal.” | 3.666667 |
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The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the way consumers shop online, and businesses are scrambling to figure out how to take advantage of this 24/7 interconnectivity.
According to data compiled by Contentstack (see the full infographic below), the average American household contains five connected devices now, and that number is expected to rise by 180 percent in the next five years. By 2025, it's expected that 27 billion devices will be connected to the IoT. This vast network of connected objects has huge implications for the way consumers shop online, and of course, businesses want the valuable data that these devices provide.
So what does this mean for the average consumer? Mostly good things, according to Contentstack's report. Businesses want to capitalize on making transactions faster and more convenient for consumers and simultaneously reach more of them across a variety of devices and platforms.
One way to do this is to embrace the fact that their consumers are always online. Data from a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center shows that 77 percent of Americans now go online at least once a day, and that includes outside of regular business hours (who doesn't love browsing Amazon at 1 a.m.?) And with access to business and product reviews, notifications for sales and discounts, and fast shipping, digital shoppers are smarter and more informed, with the ability to harness data to inform their own purchases.
This also means that the connected customer wants fast, personalized correspondence with brands, with 80 percent of consumers saying that they expect a response within six hours after posting on a business' social media.
Consumers are using Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant to compare prices and research products more so than make purchases, though that is expected to change as the global connected market is expected to grow by $150 billion by 2023 and voice purchasing becomes more streamlined. There may even come a time when products can be trained to buy themselves. For example, when your connected home system senses that a lightbulb has gone out, it can automatically order a new one for you.
This may or may not sound like something you'd want, but it definitely leaves questions about security on most consumers' minds. As we've previously reported here at PCMag, IoT security is still developing, and consumers are aware of that fact. In 2018, for example, 78 percent of consumers said that concerns over data privacy could inhibit their use of connected devices to make purchases, according to Contentstack's report.
In addition, the report also states that only about half of companies were able to detect security breaches in their IoT products in real time, further which could further reduce consumer confidence in making secure purchases.
There's no doubt that the IoT will fundamentally change e-commerce, but it might take some time to get to a point where it's completely streamlined. Consumers simply won't use platforms that aren't functional, secure, and easy to navigate, so it's up to businesses to lay the groundwork for an always-online, interconnected marketplace. | NEW YORK -- Did someone invite a spy into your home over the holidays? Maybe so, if a friend or family member gave you a voice-controlled speaker or some other smart device.
It's easy to forget, but everything from internet-connected speakers with voice assistants such as Amazon's Alexa to television sets with built-in Netflix can be always listening -- and sometimes watching, too. As with almost all new technology, installing such devices means balancing privacy risks with the conveniences they offer.
The research firm IDC estimates worldwide shipments of 815 million smart speakers, security cameras and other devices in 2019, up 23% from 2018. Many of the sales are for gifts.
You could sidestep the risks altogether by returning the devices right away. But if you decide to keep them -- and the artificial intelligence behind them -- there are a few things you can do to minimize their eavesdropping potential.
THE SPEAKERS LISTEN ... AND WATCH
Smart speakers such as Amazon's Echo and Google Home let you check weather and appointments with simple voice commands. Fancier versions come with cameras and screens.
Many of these devices listen constantly for commands and connect to corporate servers to carry them out. Typically, they will ignore private chatter and transmit sound recordings only when you trigger the device, such as by pressing a button or speaking a command phrase like "OK Google." Some gadgets also have a mute button to disable the microphones completely.
But there's no easy way for consumers to verify those safeguards. In one case, the Alexa assistant in an Echo device misheard background conversation as a command to send the chatter to an acquitance -- and so it did.
One more catch: Voice commands sent over the internet are typically stored indefinitely and may include conversations in the background. They can be sought in lawsuits and investigations.
Reputable companies let you review and delete your voice history, Amazon now lets you request automatic deletions after three or 18 months -- but you need to set that up, and there's no option to keep Amazon from saving your command history at all.
Until recently, tech companies allowed employees and contractors to review the voice interactions for quality control -- and some of those details leaked. Following a backlash, many companies are at least making it clearer and easier to opt out of human review. Pay attention to your choices.
If you have kids, set up a passcode for shopping if your speaker allows it. Otherwise, it can be child's play for a kid to order toys and other goodies through Alexa.
As for those screen models, many also have cameras for video chats. When you're not using the device, consider turning it around to face the wall, especially in the bedroom and other private settings. Or stick a bandage or some tape over the camera. It shouldn't be recording, but why tempt fate?
SECURITY WITH SECURITY VIDEO
Online security cameras let you check in on your pets or kids when you're not home. Amazon's Ring doorbell lets you check who's at the door without getting up.
Here's the rub: If you can view video on an app, it's possible that a skilled hacker can, too.
When you use the same password at multiple services, a hacker stealing your password from one place can try it on the camera service, too. So don't reuse password. When available, enable two-factor authentication, which requires you to enter a temporary code sent as a text to ensure it's you.
Again, you might want to turn the camera to face the wall when you're home. It's a pain, though, and if you forget to turn it back when you leave, it defeats the purpose of having a security camera.
ARE SMART LOCKS SMART?
Smart locks let you unlock doors with an app, so you can let in guests even when you're not home. Burglars might try to hack the system, though it's often easier for them to just break a window.
As a precaution, disable any capabilities to unlock doors through a smart speaker voice command, especially if you have prankster kids -- or teens who might want to sneak someone in.
Though digital keys can be convenient for letting in guests and contractors, they can also leave a digital trail. In a child-custody dispute, for instance, your ex might subpoena the records to learn that you've been staying out late on school nights. If you rent and create a guest key that's used daily, the landlord might suspect an unauthorized occupant.
ABOUT THOSE TVs
Many smart TVs and TV streaming devices come with mics for voice-activated playback controls and video search. That means having audio snippets transmitted over the internet. The same warnings for smart speakers apply here.
There's a simple fix if you aren't using the internet features on your smart TV: Just don't connect the TV to your Wi-Fi in the first place. Of course, this won't work if you're not using a separate gadget for streaming video.
TOYS THAT TALK
Kids might get a kick out of dolls and other toys that talk back. But if the toy is connected to the internet, pay attention to how much control it's giving parents and whether it's letting kids connect to the outside world. You can check online to see if other parents or consumer groups have identified problems.
And be sure to install the latest apps and other software updates, as they may come with fixes for flaws that can otherwise be exploited by hackers. | 2.666667 |
KZN New Year's babies: 48 girls, 47 boys
Durban - A total of 95 babies were born in hospitals across KwaZulu-Natal on January 1. Earlier on Wednesday, The Mercury reported that 66 babies were born however, by 5pm, that number had increased. According to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, 48 girls and 47 boys were born on New Year's Day.
The department said a high profile delegation which included national health minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize and KZN premier Sihle Zikalala, had visited the King Dinzulu Hospital in Asherville where they handed out gifts to mothers and their newborns.
Mkhize said he was pleased that the babies born on Wednesday received their birth certificates just hours after being born.
"We are putting this in place in a number of hospitals. By the time we institute the National Health Insurance, these children will be registered at birth and their parents will be a part of a national register. This means we will have the kind of healthcare that will see to it that people are given healthcare at the place and time that it is needed regardless of whether or not they can afford it. It will mean us doing a lot of work to upgrade the staff and facilities. We are starting this decade off by implementing these changes and improvements," he said.
Mkhize further warned parents to ensure that their children are immunised on time. He further shared on the current stage of the NHI process, explaining that there were still some provinces where still to undergo public hearings and then feedback to be given to parliament. Mkhize also shared on other developments in his department.
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The Mercury | KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala Picture: Sibonelo Ngcobo/African News Agency(ANA)
Durban - A high profile delegation of government officials are set to welcome the province's New Year's Day babies at the King Dinuzulu Hospital on Wednesday. Health Minister Dr Zwelini Mkhize together with KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala will be accompanied by acting KZN MEC for Health Kwazi Mshengu and KZN Health Head of Department Dr Sandile Tshabalala. They are due to arrive at the hospital just after 11am.
King Dinuzulu Hospital (formerly King George V Hospital) was recently refurbished with a new state-of-the-art emergency centre. This is part of government’s delivery on the commitments made in the Presidential Health Compact through the Public Health Infrastructure Refurbishment Programme.
Government leaders will also inspect the upgrades at the hospital and interact with the greater community of clients and health care workers in the facility.
Last year, more than 40 babies were born on January 1 across the province of KZN | 4 |
Michael Prior became the CEO of ATN International, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATNI) in 2005. First, this article will compare CEO compensation with compensation at similar sized companies. Then we'll look at a snap shot of the business growth. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. This process should give us an idea about how appropriately the CEO is paid.
Check out our latest analysis for ATN International
How Does Michael Prior's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?
Our data indicates that ATN International, Inc. is worth US$885m, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as US$2.9m for the year to December 2018. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth noting the salary is lower, valued at US$615k. Importantly, there may be performance hurdles relating to the non-salary component of the total compensation. As part of our analysis we looked at companies in the same jurisdiction, with market capitalizations of US$400m to US$1.6b. The median total CEO compensation was US$2.6m.
So Michael Prior is paid around the average of the companies we looked at. While this data point isn't particularly informative alone, it gains more meaning when considered with business performance.
The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at ATN International has changed from year to year.
NasdaqGS:ATNI CEO Compensation, January 1st 2020 More
Is ATN International, Inc. Growing?
Over the last three years ATN International, Inc. has grown its earnings per share (EPS) by an average of 12% per year (using a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is down 3.7%.
This demonstrates that the company has been improving recently. A good result. While it would be good to see revenue growth, profits matter more in the end. You might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for future earnings.
Has ATN International, Inc. Been A Good Investment?
With a three year total loss of 31%, ATN International, Inc. would certainly have some dissatisfied shareholders. This suggests it would be unwise for the company to pay the CEO too generously.
In Summary...
Michael Prior is paid around what is normal the leaders of comparable size companies.
We'd say the company can boast of its EPS growth, but we cannot say the same about the lacklustre shareholder returns (over the last three years). Considering the the positives we don't think the CEO pays is too high, but it's certainly hard to argue it is too low. CEO compensation is one thing, but it is also interesting to check if the CEO is buying or selling ATN International (free visualization of insider trades).
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. | If you own shares in CPS Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:CPSH) then it's worth thinking about how it contributes to the volatility of your portfolio, overall. In finance, Beta is a measure of volatility. Modern finance theory considers volatility to be a measure of risk, and there are two main types of price volatility. First, we have company specific volatility, which is the price gyrations of an individual stock. Holding at least 8 stocks can reduce this kind of risk across a portfolio. The second type is the broader market volatility, which you cannot diversify away, since it arises from macroeconomic factors which directly affects all the stocks on the market.
Some stocks mimic the volatility of the market quite closely, while others demonstrate muted, exagerrated or uncorrelated price movements. Beta can be a useful tool to understand how much a stock is influenced by market risk (volatility). However, Warren Buffett said 'volatility is far from synonymous with risk' in his 2014 letter to investors. So, while useful, beta is not the only metric to consider. To use beta as an investor, you must first understand that the overall market has a beta of one. A stock with a beta below one is either less volatile than the market, or more volatile but not corellated with the overall market. In comparison a stock with a beta of over one tends to be move in a similar direction to the market in the long term, but with greater changes in price.
View our latest analysis for CPS Technologies
What CPSH's beta value tells investors
Looking at the last five years, CPS Technologies has a beta of 1.37. The fact that this is well above 1 indicates that its share price movements have shown sensitivity to overall market volatility. If the past is any guide, we would expect that CPS Technologies shares will rise quicker than the markets in times of optimism, but fall faster in times of pessimism. Beta is worth considering, but it's also important to consider whether CPS Technologies is growing earnings and revenue. You can take a look for yourself, below.
NasdaqCM:CPSH Income Statement, January 1st 2020 More
Does CPSH's size influence the expected beta?
CPS Technologies is a noticeably small company, with a market capitalisation of US$13m. Most companies this size are not always actively traded. It has a relatively high beta, suggesting it is fairly actively traded for a company of its size. Because it takes less capital to move the share price of a small company like this, when a stock this size is actively traded it is quite often more sensitive to market volatility than similar large companies.
What this means for you:
Since CPS Technologies tends to moves up when the market is going up, and down when it's going down, potential investors may wish to reflect on the overall market, when considering the stock. In order to fully understand whether CPSH is a good investment for you, we also need to consider important company-specific fundamentals such as CPS Technologies’s financial health and performance track record. I highly recommend you dive deeper by considering the following:
Financial Health: Are CPSH’s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why we’ve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Past Track Record: Has CPSH been consistently performing well irrespective of the ups and downs in the market? Go into more detail in the past performance analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of CPSH's historicals for more clarity. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. | 2.333333 |
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Thank you for Reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. | One disruption caused by Hurricane Michael was to the timeline for announcing a District Teacher of the Year.
So, 2019, saw the crowning of two District Teachers of the Year and they just happen to be on the same faculty at Port St. Joe Jr./Sr. High School.
Lindsay Summerlin was named the District Teacher of the Year for 2019 in January and in December, back on the proper timeline, Jae Glass was announced as the 2020 District Teacher of the Year. | 1 |
This year started with such promise, as NASA’s spacecraft New Horizons flew by the most distant world ever explored.
The unmanned mission, a scientific miracle, delivered a stirring January message about American ingenuity, humanity, and the mysteries of the universe. The rest of 2019 was less lofty.
It was a year of grinding politics. A rookie Democratic-controlled State Legislature went through a jam-packed and sometimes chaotic legislative session, from overdue voting changes to complicated criminal justice reforms. Local fraud and abuse continued as usual, with the convictions of former Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota.
All the while, Washington was a tempest, with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election coming and going. White House scandals and travesties popped from the Mexican border to Ukraine.
Ultimately, 2019 saw just the third impeachment of an American president.
There were devastating storms over the Bahamas and fires in California as climate change created havoc around the globe. The world seemed to spiral, with protests in Hong Kong and authoritarian or populist movements gaining steam from India to Eastern Europe to Britain. American troops continued to fight and die in the Middle East, as the truth about the long war in Afghanistan only continued to come out.
There were bright spots. Yankee great Mariano Rivera was unanimously voted into baseball’s Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Women’s soccer team dominated the World Cup. Even Congress made the belated promise to care for 9/11 first responders permanent.
Those good moments can be hard to clock. With a presidential election coming, time will only speed up. But some things endure, like that New Horizons mission. The spacecraft is still transmitting data from the January flyby. And it’s still healthy, traveling 31,000 mph toward future discoveries, more and more distant from Earth.
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— The editorial board | Washington: The early Earth may have hosted many carbonate-rich lakes, which contained high enough phosphorus concentrations to get life started on our planet, according to a study. Phosphorus is one of the six main chemical elements of life, and forms the backbone of DNA and RNA molecules. The element acts as the main currency for energy in all cells and anchors the lipids that separate cells from their surrounding environment.
"For 50 years, what's called 'the phosphate problem,' has plagued studies on the origin of life," said Jonathan Toner, an assistant professor at the University of Washington (UW) in the US. The problem is that chemical reactions that make the building blocks of living things need a lot of phosphorus, but the element is scarce. The new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has found an answer to this problem in certain types of lakes.
The research focused on lakes rich in carbonate -- a salt of carbonic acid -- which form in dry environments within depressions that funnel water draining from the surrounding landscape.
Because of high evaporation rates, the lake waters concentrate into salty and alkaline, or high-pH, solutions. Such lakes, also known as alkaline or soda lakes, are found on all seven continents, the researchers said.
They first looked at phosphorus measurements in existing carbonate-rich lakes, including Mono Lake in California, US, Lake Magadi in Kenya and Lonar Lake in India.
While the exact concentration depends on where the samples were taken and during what season, the researchers found that carbonate-rich lakes have up to 50,000 times phosphorus levels found in seawater, rivers and other types of lakes.
Such high concentrations point to the existence of some common, natural mechanism that accumulates phosphorus in these lakes, the researchers said.
Today these carbonate-rich lakes are biologically rich and support life ranging from microbes to Lake Magadi's famous flocks of flamingoes, they said.
The researchers carried lab experiments with bottles of carbonate-rich water at different chemical compositions to understand how the lakes accumulate phosphorus, and how high phosphorus concentrations could get in a lifeless environment.
- PTI | 1 |
Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal attorney, said Tuesday he would be willing to testify at Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, telling reporters that he would “love to try the case” and that he has learned of “vast” corruption involving Democrats and Ukraine.
“I would testify, I would do demonstrations, I’d give lectures, I’d give summations or I do what I do best. I try the case,” he told reporters in Mar-a-Lago. “I’d love to try the case.”
GIULIANI CALLS SWALWELL A COWARD AFTER CONGRESSMAN’S ATTACK
The House impeached Trump last month on two articles – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress – related to Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Democrats have alleged that the call, in which Trump urged Zelensky to investigate alleged Ukraine interference in the 2016 election and the business dealings of former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter, was part of a quid pro quo in exchange for withheld military aid and a White House meeting. They allege that Trump was seeking investigations into his political opponents.
Trump has denied those claims of a quid pro quo, while he has sought to turn the spotlight onto Biden’s involvement in the country — specifically his role in the firing of a top Ukrainian prosecutor who had previously investigated a Ukrainian energy company where Hunter sat on the board.
The House is expected to eventually transmit its articles of impeachment to the Republican-controlled Senate for a trial. The White House is hoping that it will allow them to go on the attack, although Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has suggested he would seek a short trial.
Giuliani has played a central role in promoting theories in relation to Democrats and Ukraine, and told reporters Tuesday that he had learned of “vast” corruption in Ukraine involving Democrats.
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“What I learned is that the corruption in Ukraine is vast. It’s extensive. It highly involves the Democratic Party, not just in 2016, but for many years,” he said, describing what he called “American Ukrainian corruption.”
He said he is still meeting with witnesses, has just returned from Ukraine, and is looking for the “right forum” to air what he has gathered.
“It will turn out to be a series of criminal acts that will involve the highest levels of the Obama administration,” he said. “And it’s the reason why the Democratic Party is in panic.” | 3.857143 | |
Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday observed its 22nd Foundation Day as 'Citizens' Day' as a mark of protest against the amended Citizenship Act.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, also the TMC supremo, congratulated party workers on the occasion and said TMC is observing the day as 'Nagorik Dibas' (Citizens' Day) at the booth-level.
"We are observing the foundation day of @AITCofficial as 'Nagorik Dibas' (Citizens' Day) in every booth of #Bangla.
We all are citizens and Trinamool will continue to fight for the rights of the people. Jai Hind. Jai Bangla.
"#Trinamool22 Today @AITCofficial turns 22. The journey which began on January 1, 1998 has been full of struggles, but we have been steadfast in our resolve to fight for the people. We thank Maa-Mati-Manush for their constant support. Our workers are our biggest assets," she tweeted.
The TMC supremo had last week instructed party workers to conduct various programmes to mark the occasion.
The district TMC leaders have organised flag-hoisting programmes and street corner meetings to discuss and highlight the achievements of the party and speak against the amended Citizenship Act, party sources said.
Banerjee, who has been at the forefront in opposing CAA and NRC in West Bengal and across India, has been crisscrossing the state, holding protest marches and rallies against the new citizenship law.
The TMC was founded by Mamata Banerjee on January 1, 1998 with an aim to oust the then Left Front regime from power.
The party achieved its goal in May 2011 after forging an alliance with the Congress. | By A Reporter / NEW DELHI
Hundreds of youth including students from different universities gathered at historic India Gate on Wednesday and took a mass pledge to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The protesters also read out the Preamble of the Constitution with the pledge to show their faith in it.
“We young India resolve to fight back the government imposed CAA-NPR-NRC,” the protesters said in unison as they started their pledge.
Slogans like “kagaz nahin dikhayenge” and “tanashahi nahin chalegi” echoed in the area before and after the protesters took the pledge
“CAA-NPR-NRC all over India threaten to harass, target and disenfranchise numerous common people particularly the poor, minorities and other deprived sections,” the protesters added in the pledge.
The protesters pledged not to show any documents to prove their citizenship and to propagate “complete non-cooperation with anti-Constitution and anti-India forces”.
“We, today on January 1, 2020, reiterate our resolve to give ourselves a society that will be free of oppressors and take oath to NOT SHOW ANY DOCUMENT to prove our Citizenship, And we will Observe and propagate complete NON-COOPERATION with anti-constitution and anti-India forces,” the protesters said.
“We will campaign and convince others to not give dates, papers or any other information sought in the name of ”proving” our Citizenship as we have, are and will be Citizens of our dear country!,” they added.
versial CAA and NRC | 2.666667 |
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. | Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) used an end-of-year address to take aim at the GOP lawmakers who continue to defend President Donald Trump at all costs, describing them as “fawning” and “spineless.”
“In a few hours, the dawn of a new year will break over America, offering us a moment for pause and reflection,” the Democratic presidential candidate told supporters at an event in Boston on Tuesday. “Now, it is normally a moment for optimism. But let’s face it, this year in America has been anything but normal.”
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“In the past 12 months, the president has become bolder with his lies and more brazen in his law-breaking,” Warren continued. “He has tried to squeeze a foreign government to advance his own political fortunes. Meanwhile, the Republicans in Congress have turned into fawning, spineless defenders of his crimes.”
Warren said it had “brought no one any joy” to impeach Trump over the Ukraine scandal, but said House Democrats had “upheld their sworn duty to the Constitution” in doing so. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has so far declined to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate amid fears of Republican bias in a trial of the president.
Warren warned that “unless some Senate Republicans choose truth over politics, Trump will be emboldened to try to cheat his way through yet another election.” “Our democracy hangs in the balance,” she later added.
Check out Warren’s full speech here: | 1.333333 |
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaicans turned out in their numbers to start the New Year – 2020 – on the Kingston Waterfront last night – as the Urban Development Corporation – staged its annual concert and fireworks display.
OBSERVER ONLINE was present to capture some of the moments. | The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor E.A Adeboye, has released prophecies for the year 2020.
The revered cleric listed incidents that would happen in the New Year, during the cross over service at the Redemption Camp in Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria.
Pastor Adeboye said that 2020 is going to be a year of series of joy and series of victory.
He, however, warned that there will be a year of series of battles.
Pastor Adeboye called on Nigerians to pray for the nation, while announcing the annual RCCG fasting and prayers will begin January 11.
On the international scene, the clergyman said earthquakes and volcanoes will erupt. This, he claimed, is as a result of an increase in sin. In his words, “sin is becoming more rampant.” | 1 |
EditorsNote: fixes “Luka” in fifth graf
Dec 31, 2019; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) warms up before the start of their game against the Dallas Mavericks at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Paul scored 17 points — including 13 in the final 4:31 — to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a come-from-behind, 106-101 home win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
With less than three minutes remaining, the Thunder trailed by seven.
But then Oklahoma City reeled off a 14-2 run — fueled in large part by Paul — to end the game.
The win was the third in a row and seventh in the last eight games for the Thunder.
Dallas had a chance to regain the lead in the final minute, but Danilo Gallinari tipped the ball away from the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic right into the arms of the Thunder’s Steven Adams.
Oklahoma City converted at the free-throw line to put the game away.
Two players who were questionable going into the day — Gallinari and Dennis Schroder — led the Thunder with 20 points each.
Gallinari returned after missing four games due to ankle soreness. Schroder missed Sunday’s game because of ankle soreness.
Doncic scored 35 points to lead all scorers but struggled from behind the arc, going just 3 of 16 on 3-point attempts. He was 9 of 13 from inside the arc. Doncic added 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Doncic dominated at the start, scoring 17 first-quarter points to help the Mavericks build a 12-point lead 12 minutes into the game.
The Thunder closed the first half with a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to one going into the half.
Three Oklahoma City players produced double-doubles. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Nerlens Noel had 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Adams had 10 points and 11 rebounds.
The loss was the second in a row for the Mavericks, who were without Kristaps Porzingis for just the second time this season. He was a late scratch due to right knee soreness.
Slideshow (37 Images)
The Mavericks were also without Tim Hardaway Jr., who missed the game after sustaining a hamstring injury early in a Sunday road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Oklahoma City’s Hamidou Diallo played for the first time since Nov. 22. He missed 17 games due to a hyperextended right elbow. Diallo played 19 minutes and scored four points.
—Field Level Media | Dec 31, 2019; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (3) drives to the basket around Dallas Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith (10) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
CHRIS Paul scored 17 points — including 13 in the final 4:31 — to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a come-from-behind, 106-101 home win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night. With less than three minutes remaining, the Thunder trailed by seven. But then Oklahoma City reeled off a 14-2 run — fueled in […] | 3 |
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A small Baptist church in Minneapolis has been reunited with their stolen van, but after seeing the damage to the vehicle, leaders are wondering if it can ever be used again.
In a crowded mechanic’s lot, Youth Minister Renee Lucas is still in disbelief
“There’s a lot of memories in this van,” said Lucas.
Her old van, however, is not the same.
“So obviously they broke the window,” she said, pointing out the damage.
Whoever stole the van, trashed its inside. Even the church’s name and logo was stripped from the van’s exterior.
Then there’s the engine. The cover was cut loose. Cables were cut. The van may no longer drivable, which could be a big loss for the ministry.
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“We use it all the time,” she said. “Multiple times in a week.”
Morrison Baptist Church is a small Minneapolis congregation at North 4th Street and 34th Avenue North. For years, the church used the van to deliver food and to bring the congregation to Sunday service. Earlier this month, it disappeared from its parking spot right out front.
“We were hoping somebody was using it to get around for a little bit,” said Lucas. “But, they were pretty destructive to it.”
If it can be fixed, the church is doubtful it can afford the cost. In a season of new beginnings, they have faith in above.
“So, this is an offense to Him to take His van and destroy it this way, but we know that He will provide for us,” said Lucas. “And so, we’re just waiting to see what He does. So, we have hope definitely.”
The van turned up at the impound lot this week after it was abandoned and towed. The church is working with the mechanics at Bona Brothers in Fridley to see if it's even worth fixing. | MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - An attorney is recovering from a concussion he suffered when his client punched him in a Hennepin County courtroom and then fell to the floor.
Attorney Justin Braulick was standing next to his client on Monday when the 39-year-old man punched the attorney once.
Braulick tells the Star Tribune he doesn't remember being punched.
He recalls standing next to his client as the man was about to be sentenced in a criminal sexual conduct case and then waking up after falling facedown.
The client was taken back to jail. Braulick says he was left "shaken up" and a "little sore." | 1.666667 |
A worker harvesting coffee cherries in Santa Anita la Union, Quetzaltenango province, Guatemala. Coffee has been one of the hottest areas for acquisitions for years, led by JAB, which has been ahead of the curve with early investments in hipster and specialIty coffee.
London
EQUITY capital markets bankers won't be sad to close the door on a miserable 2019 in Europe. Though some of the elements that made for a volatile environment for initial public offerings (IPOs) are still in play, there is reason to hope 2020 will bring fairer weather.
Trade tensions have eased after a deal between the US and China last month, and the UK's path out of the European Union became clearer when the Conservative Party won a resounding majority in the general election. Nevertheless, slowing global growth, the abundance of cheap debt and a profusion of private capital looking for attractive assets continue to put a damper on European IPOs. The burden and cost of a public listing are less of a draw when so much alternative funding is available.
"I'm not expecting a great big rush of transactions in 2020, but there is still scope for high-quality businesses to come to market," said David Clark, an investment manager at Saracen Fund Managers. Firms will continue to list for the wider access to capital and the higher profile, while an IPO is still a viable route for private companies to test their valuations, he said.
sentifi.com Market voices on:
Europe has been hit for years by de-equitisation, where public markets shrink as not enough new shares are sold to offset buybacks, mergers and take-private transactions. Yet, public markets still have an important role to play in providing much-needed liquidity, investor protections and secure trading platforms, said James Roe, ECM partner at Allen & Overy.
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The drop in London listings is a "short-term impact of Brexit", and once the uncertainty lifts, it will return to more normal levels of activity, Mr Roe said. Here is a list of some of the potential 2020 IPO candidates to keep an eye on in Europe:
Wintershall DEA
(Germany, oil & gas)
A listing for one of Europe's largest independent oil-and-gas exploration and production businesses has been in the works for some time. Its co-owners, German chemicals giant BASF SE and Mikhail Fridman-controlled investor LetterOne, selected advisers months ago to prepare for an IPO, and the company says it will be ready by summer 2020. Wintershall DEA could be valued at more than US$20 billion, making it one of the largest floats in the industry in Europe since Rosneft's US$11 billion offering in 2006.
Shares in Wintershall could appeal to many of the international investors who shied away from Saudi Aramco's US$25.6 billion Riyadh listing due to concerns over governance, security and a high valuation with a comparatively modest dividend policy. Wintershall could offer a strong alternative if Aramco decides to push ahead with a foreign listing in the next couple of years.
Syngenta
(Switzerland, pesticide producer)
It seems like only yesterday that ChemChina closed its US$43 billion acquisition of Swiss pesticide business Syngenta, but it's now been two years since completion.
While the original goal was to re-list Syngenta in Switzerland by 2022, chief executive officer Erik Fyrwald has said the company is working with several banks to be ready for an IPO as soon as next year.
Previously listed in Zurich and New York, the firm will stick with a domestic float, while it is also considering a secondary quotation in China, Hong Kong, London or New York, the CEO said. Syngenta could well be the chemical industry's largest ever.
Orange Africa
(France/Africa, telco)
France's largest mobile phone provider, Orange SA, is planning an initial share sale of its Africa and Middle East unit that could kick off as soon as next year. The company is "technically ready" for the IPO and has mandated advisers, CEO Stephane Richard said Dec 4. Paris and London are under consideration for the listing venue. The unit could be worth close to 13 billion euros (S$19.4 billion).
Orange Africa isn't the only big telecommunications listing in the pipeline for next year. Deutsche Telekom AG reportedly is weighing several disposals in 2020, including a sale or IPO of T-Mobile Netherlands. With more clarity on Brexit expected this year, there could also be scope for Spain's Telefonica SA to revive a share sale for its British mobile network O2.
Interswitch
(Nigeria, payments)
After a strong year in 2019 with Network International and Nexi, floats in the payments industry are set to continue this good streak into this year. One to keep an eye on is Nigeria-based Interswitch, which pushed back plans for a London listing until the first half of 2020.
Visa took a significant minority stake in the business, valuing it at US$1 billion, as the US credit-card company has become a key pre-IPO investor in the industry.
Other IPO candidates in the sector that may try their luck in 2020 include the UK's Paysafe, which could be re-listed, Italy's SIA and Swedish payments firms Qliro and Klarna, though the latter may not happen until 2021. The pipeline is full of other fintech companies, such as digital banking software provider Avaloq in Switzerland and the UK peer-to-peer lender Zopa.
JDE Peet's
(Germany, coffee)
One last-minute hot entry came through last month when the news broke that the billionaire Reimann family's JAB Holding is considering a 2020 IPO for its coffee business, which includes brands such as Peet's, Senseo, Pickwick, Jacobs and Douwe Egberts. The offering would raise as much as US$3.4 billion and JAB is leaning towards Amsterdam, home of Douwe Egberts, as the listing venue, the Financial Times reported.
Coffee has been one of the hottest areas for acquisitions for years, led by JAB, which has been ahead of the curve with early investments in hipster and speciality coffee brands like Caribou, Stumptown and Intelligentsia. By bringing its many brands under one roof, JAB is creating a bigger competitor for giants Nespresso and Starbucks.
Sativa
(UK, medicinal cannabis)
Decidedly smaller than the previous entries, but no less exciting, is Sativa Group Plc's bid to list on the AIM market in January. The British CBD and medicinal cannabis company will be the first of its kind to list on the London Stock Exchange, as companies in this sector have so far been limited to fringe exchanges, generally outside of the mandates for most institutional investors.
Though recreational marijuana remains illegal in Europe, the changing attitudes and legislation about pharmaceutical use have several cannabis companies preparing for London IPOs, and bankers have been anticipating a boom in European pot listings. Still, the recent crash in North America, after initial explosive growth, may temper the enthusiasm.
Rubix Group
(UK, industrial supplies)
Ever since the UK's vote to leave the EU in 2016, London has lost some of its allure as a listing venue. Most domestic companies have shied away from an IPO, but with Brexit uncertainty set to subside after the Conservative Party election win, companies like Rubix could tap the market.
Advent International Corp hired banks to prepare it for an IPO this year that could value the company at over £3.3 billion.
Engen
(South Africa, fuel retailer)
Malaysian oil company Petroliam Nasional Bhd is considering listing its South African subsidiary Engen, the country's largest fuel retailer, on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in the first half of next year.
Funds raised from the IPO would be put towards upgrading facilities to meet more stringent regulations on pollution and to expand its network of gas stations, in order to tap the rapidly growing segment of middle-class consumers.
Global Blue
(Switzerland, tax refund company)
Switzerland-based Global Blue is a name that has swirled around the IPO pipeline for some time, but its plans for an IPO in Amsterdam have recently firmed up.
For a moment, it seemed owner Silver Lake might try to list it in December, but held off, and could well launch the transaction early on in 2020 instead. The share sale could come to US$1.1 billion at a valuation of US$4.4 billion, Reuters reported in October.
Lamborghini
(Italy, supercars)
Lastly, a bit more of a speculative, but exciting, possibility - Volkswagen AG's supercar unit Lamborghini.
The German carmaker is weighing a sale or a listing for the luxury car brand. If it goes the IPO route, Lamborghini could try to ride in the slipstream of Ferrari's runaway success story. Easier said than done, though.
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings Plc, the British carmaker of James Bond fame, tried to make the same comparison in its 2018 float, but the stock turned sour from the word go. BLOOMBERG | A blog about life under, and resisting, a dictatorship | 1 |
KITCHENER -- Brad Waringa and Rebecca Irvine-Scott’s New Year’s kiss was shared with a new arrival in 2020.
The parents welcomed Sapphire-Lynn into the world as Waterloo Region’s first baby of the decade.
“I thought she’d be here on Christmas, but no, she was stubborn,” said Irvine-Scott. “She’s my miracle baby.”
The couple of 11 years was first told they wouldn’t be able to naturally have children. Doctors said Adoption or IVR were their only options.
“I got sick and was very moody according to Bradley one day, so I just went to the Dollar Store, got a pregnancy test, took it, and it came back positive,” said Irvine-Scott. “It kind of shocked me so I went back and got another one, brought it home, took it again, and it said the same thing, so we went to the clinic the next morning.”
The new parents spent over 11 hours at Grand River Hospital before a necessary C-section.
“I was in a lot of pain,” said Irvine-Scott. “I’ve never experience that type of pain before.”
Then on Jan. 1 at 12:51 a.m. their bundle of joy, weighing eight pounds and six ounces, arrived.
“It’s been scary,” said Waringa. “Until now. Now that she’s here.” | Pauline Tantot shared a new photo set with her Instagram fans a day ago. There were three pictures in total and they showed her rocking a metallic pink mini dress.
The outfit was skintight and eye-catching. The top of the dress featured thin straps and a loose neckline. It hugged all of the stunner's curves. The metallic nature of the fabric meant that the light bounced off the dress in a colorful way. This included purple, which was most prominent, along with rainbow hues.
Meanwhile, Pauline wore her hair slicked back into a ponytail with her locks cascading down her upper back. Her eye makeup was notable, too, as she rocked glossy pink lipstick and shimmery eyeshadow. She accessorized with a short necklace.
The first image showed her standing by a dinner table. There were plates, a centerpiece, and a couple of lit candles on them. On the other side of the frame was a sleek, modern kitchen. Pauline raised her right hand into the air while holding her drink. She gave a flirty pout for the camera.
The second picture was very similar to the first, except that the blonde looked into the distance to her left.
And a final photo showed the model posing with her back to the camera. She leaned forward slightly and put her hands on the table. This angle allowed the bombshell to show off her booty. It also revealed that the dress featured a seam down the middle of her back with gathered accents throughout. | 1 |
A University of Wollongong-led (UOW) research team has released 115 southern corroboree frogs into a remote part of Kosciusko National Park.
Prior to the release there were, by some estimates, as few as 50 adult southern corroboree frogs left in the wild. Without human intervention, it is possible the critically endangered species will soon become extinct.
The UOW researchers are working with the Taronga Conservation Society, Zoos Victoria and the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) on the project.
They are looking at whether frogs fed dietary carotenoids in captivity have improved rates of survival and reproduction once released into the wild. Carotenoids are the nutrient-rich plant pigments that give some fruits and vegetables their red, yellow and orange hues.
Exciting release of frogs into Kosciusko National Park Corroboree frogs delivered to Kosciusko National Park. Photo: supplied
Corroboree frogs delivered to Kosciusko National Park. Photo: supplied
Corroboree frogs delivered to Kosciusko National Park. Photo: supplied Tweet Facebook of
The released frogs were reared at UOW and provided a special diet of carotenoids.
Associate Professor Phillp Byrne and Dr Aimee Silla from UOW's Evolution and Assisted Reproduction Laboratory are leading the project, teaming up with UOW carotenoid function expert Senior Professor Sharon Robinson, Taronga Zoo's Herpetofauna department head Michael McFadden, DPIE's Threatened Species Officer Dr David Hunter, and Deakin University's Professor John Endler, a world leader in evolutionary biology.
"By manipulating diet we may be able to improve a frog's prospects of survival and reproductive success once released back into the wild," Professor Byrne said.
"In captivity, carotenoids improve colouration, exercise performance, the diversity of beneficial microbes on the skin, and recovery from hibernation, all of which should help their prospects of survival."
Frogs with brighter colours are likely to deter predators as the yellow in the corroboree frogs' distinctive yellow-and-black patterning signals toxicity. Additionally, a greater diversity and abundance of skin microbes is believed to assist with disease resistance.
The team used a helicopter to access a secret location in a remote area of the national park, surrounded by impenetrable scrub. They released the frogs into several large (8m diameter) ring enclosures, custom-built by DPIE.
"The frogs were transported in large containers, then individually released so that their exploration behaviour could be video recorded and later quantified using sophisticated behavioural analysis software," Professor Byrne said.
"We have previously shown that corroboree frogs have personality along the exploration axis, so we expect that some frogs will explore their new environment more rapidly than others."
The survival and viability of frogs will be monitored every few months for the next few years. The researchers will also monitor whether the frogs are breeding successfully.
"Our team set up CCTV cameras to film the enclosures and identify individuals by their unique patterns. In addition, enclosures will be searched for frogs," Professor Byrne said.
"During the summer breeding season males make nests in the moss and then remain with the eggs. Thus we can locate the males using their advertisement calls, then check their nests for eggs."
If successful, the program could benefit endangered frog species worldwide.
"The concept of manipulating micronutrients in the captive diet to improve post-release survival and performance could be applied to threatened frog species worldwide," Professor Byrne said. | Judge Grainne Malone said she could clearly see that the garda had been affected by what McNally. (stock photo)
A Father-of-one told a garda that he would rape the officer's mother, sister and disabled niece after he became verbally aggressive in a Dublin station.
Richard McNally (31) was annoyed about a push bike which had been taken off him, but he had directed his anger at the wrong person, a court was told.
The defendant has a "somewhat short fuse and he needs to learn to lengthen it", his solicitor said.
Judge Grainne Malone said she could clearly see that the garda had been affected by what McNally had said to him, and she did not think anyone should have to put up with that level of abuse.
Judge Malone imposed a two-month prison sentence.
The defendant, of Bridgefoot Street in the south inner city, pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour, provoking a breach of the peace.
Dublin District Court heard the incident happened at Bridewell Garda Station last September 11.
Garda Joseph Melvin told the court that he was leaving the public office of the station with two other officers at around 1pm when McNally started verbally abusing him and threatened to "get me back".
Temper
Gda Melvin said McNally then threatened that he would rape the officer's "mother, sister and handicapped niece".
Gda Melvin said he did not know McNally, the defendant was not under arrest at the time and this was the garda's first time dealing with him.
The court heard McNally had 115 previous convictions, but had not been in trouble for some time.
Defence solicitor Paul Byrne said his client had a "bad temper" and a "somewhat short fuse" and he needed to learn to lengthen it.
Mr Byrne said McNally accepted that he had said horrific things and had behaved atrociously. He had written a letter of apology to the garda.
In the letter, McNally had made some reference to a bicycle which had been taken off him, but this had nothing to do with Gda Melvin, the court heard.
Judge Malone said gardai were affected by the abuse hurled at them, particularly when reference was made to family.
She said she had considered sentencing McNally to community service but she did not believe it was "sufficient punishment" and she jailed him for two months. | 1 |
New physician hired
Salud Medical Center's new health-care provider is tri-lingual -- English, Spanish and Russian
Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic announced that Mania Kupershtok has joined the health-care team at Salud Medical Center in Woodburn.
Kupershtok, who is trilingual in English, Spanish and Russian, earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. She completed her family medicine residency and maternal child health fellowship with surgical obstetrics training at John Peter Smith Family Medicine Residency, located in Fort Worth, Texas.
In her spare time Kupershtok enjoys yoga, meditation, cooking and binging TV shows. | WASHINGTON – A federal court handed down a huge victory today for the conscience rights of medical professionals across the nation. In Franciscan Alliance v. Azar, a federal regulation threatened to drive religious doctors out of practice if they would not perform gender-transition procedures that violate their medical judgment and beliefs, but today’s ruling strikes down the regulation, ensuring that doctors can continue practicing their profession consistent with their conscience.
In 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a regulation, applicable to virtually every doctor in the country, that would have required them to perform gender-transition procedures on any patient referred by a mental health professional, even if the doctor believed the treatment could harm the patient. Doctors who refused to violate their conscience would have faced severe consequences, including losing their job. Today’s ruling that the regulation is unlawful aligns with two previous court decisions, accepted medical research, and a recent HHS proposal, keeping the government out of the private medical decisions of patients.
“It is critically important that doctors are able to continue serving patients in keeping with their consciences and their professional medical judgment, especially when it comes to the personal health choices of families and children,” said Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at Becket. “Doctors cannot do their jobs if government bureaucrats are trying to force them to perform potentially harmful procedures that violate their medical and moral judgment.”
An association of over 19,000 healthcare professionals, nine states, and several religious organizations filed two lawsuits against the mandate, arguing that it was inconsistent with federal law and force doctors to violate the Hippocratic Oath, which requires doctors to act in the best interest of their patients. In December 2016, two different federal courts ruled that the policy was an unlawful overreach by a federal agency and a violation of conscience rights of medical professionals. In May 2019, HHS released a proposed new rule which would fix the transgender mandate and keep the federal government from interfering in decisions that should remain between doctors and their patients, but the previous rule remained on the books while the proposal was being considered.
“Today marks a major victory for compassion, conscience, and sound medical judgment,” said Goodrich. “Our clients look forward to joyfully continuing to serve all patients, regardless of their sex or gender identity, and continuing to provide top-notch care to transgender patients for everything from cancer to the common cold.”
Today, a Texas judge finalized his previous decision, agreeing with Becket that the mandate burdens religious freedom by forcing doctors of faith to violate deeply held religious beliefs. Becket is currently fighting for the rights of religious doctors in another case called New York v. HHS.
For more information or to arrange an interview with a Becket attorney, contact Ryan Colby at media@becketlaw.org or 202-349-7219. Interviews can be arranged in English, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. | 1 |
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Sign up forfor car tips every driver needs to know
The law states road users must be in proper control of a vehicle at all times and those deemed to be driving carelessly could face severe consequences. Sales of connected cars with advanced technology systems are on the rise and 250million are expected on the roads globally by the end of the year.
Speeding ticket: More fines are handed out in this part of the UK
These vehicles are often fitted with state-of-the-art software such as satellite navigation systems and internet access. However, relying on technology could see motorists become distracted and regularly take their eyes off the road. Police officers could stop your vehicle if they notice you driving carelessly and will issue a range of severe penalties. Motorists are likely to get three points on their driving licence for failing to have proper control of their own vehicle.
Police could issue fines if they consider you to be distracted
Connected cars are on the rise as technology enters road vehicles
Road users may even be taken to court where they can be banned from driving and fined £1,000 in extreme cases.
Tom Preston, UK expert at Hippo Motor Finance, said: “Connected cars and the in-car technology they come with are a fantastic asset for drivers to have.
“However, motorists need to be wary of road rules when using devices, such as in-built sat nav systems, to avoid a heavy fine, penalty points or even a driving ban.”
The strict punishments are enforced due to the risks associated with careless driving.
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Cars for sale: You can purchase your dream car in 2020 [TIPS] | We’d all like to be able to predict the future, but some long-range forecasts are a matter of life and death.
Imagine your doctor could predict that you’re going to have a fatal heart attack five years before it strikes. Or suppose they could, in just 30 seconds, spot that you’re at risk of irreversible blindness long before the tell-tale signs of diabetic retinopathy emerge.
These are crystal balls of incalculable value. If we can predict the surprises that await us tomorrow, we can take steps to prevent them from hurting us today. Incredibly, the innovations to help us see into the future are no longer steeped in science fiction. This isn’t Westworld; it’s the real world. And thanks to artificial intelligence and pervasive technology, the futuristic machinery of predictive health readily exists. It’s time we made the most of it.
Click here to read more.
The tools of prediction are all around us. We are all too aware how technology can predict the boxsets we’ll watch, the content we’ll read and the products we’ll purchase. Predictive analytics is everywhere, helping diverse industries identify profitable segments, forecast behaviors and remodel experiences. However, its application in health has the potential to become the most transformative of all.
Of course, some people may feel nervous about giving their personal data to health organizations or doctors. That’s entirely understandable. The concept is not dissimilar to the vast amounts of data we already share through everyday apps. However, the difference in health, where companies are bound by strict privacy regulations, is pronounced: sharing data could save our life.
It’s not surprising then that predictive technology is the new battleground for global health. As data science makes it easier to identify people at risk of disease, healthcare AI is surging. Deep learning techniques are helping doctors spot the early signs of Alzheimer’s, eye disease and major cancers. And they’re accelerating the detection of advanced kidney injuries that lead to transplantation or death. Alongside them, emerging med tech is preventing diseases from happening in the first place. Nanobots are unblocking coronary ventricles in at-risk patients so heart attacks can’t occur. And nanotechnology is destroying pre-cancerous cells in people with a genetic predisposition to cancer.
If we’re going to make the most of predictive tech and reap the human and economic benefits of more proactive approaches to health, we must harness the power of creativity.
These developments and many more like them are finally helping us deliver on the promise that prevention is better (and cheaper) than a cure. Until now, our health services have been set up to treat disease rather than avert it. But technology is rewriting the rules. Predictive innovation is laying the foundation for proactive health management and personalized prevention, and it’s creating a new frontier for healthcare.
However, technology alone won’t solve all our problems. If we’re to get to the disease before the disease gets to us, creative communications will be key. Innovation—no matter how good—doesn’t find its users by accident. We can’t just build it and hope that they will come; we need to signpost tomorrow’s world.
For proof that change is afoot, look no further than the current resurgence in measles, a regression largely propelled by misinformation about vaccinations and lapsed engagement because we thought the battle was won.
Everyone remembers the “Don’t Die of Ignorance” campaign that transformed attitudes, behaviors and, ultimately, outcomes around HIV and AIDS. Today, campaigns like Royce Lingerie’s work to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and Movember for men’s cancers and mental health are saving lives, too. UNICEF’s 30-year campaign to eradicate polio in children has helped reduce the number of global cases by 99% and is on track to make Africa a polio-free region by 2020. Creative communications is also a key part of solutions to tackle the mental health epidemic. These examples underline the point: Communication is as much a factor in preventing disease as it is in helping to cure it.
So if we’re going to make the most of predictive tech and reap the human and economic benefits of more proactive approaches to health, we must harness the power of creativity. As technology forges a new battleground for healthcare, the innovations that shape tomorrow will depend on brilliant communications to nudge us in the right direction. In a world of surprises, that’s the safest prediction of all. | 1 |
Three men were injured in a shooting early Wednesday at a hotel in Tysons, just off Leesburg Pike, according to Fairfax County police.
The shootings occurred about 3 a.m. at Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham in the 8600 block of Westwood Center Drive, according to police Lt. John M. Lieb.
Lieb said the three victims were injured in their legs or lower part of their bodies and are expected to survive. No arrests have been made.
Circumstances of the shooting remained unclear Tuesday morning, but Lieb said investigators do not believe the attack was random. He said “there are no ongoing threats to the public.”
Lieb said detectives were investigating two crime scenes. One was a breezeway in the hotel, and the other was in the parking lot outside. He said investigators are trying to determine where the shots were fired. He said a firearm was recovered in the parking lot.
It was unclear if all three victims had been shot or if some were injured in another way during the incident. Lieb said detectives were trying to determine if the victims knew each other.
Read more:
Local newsletters: Local headlines (8 a.m.) | Afternoon Buzz (4 p.m.)
Like PostLocal on Facebook | Follow @postlocal on Twitter | Latest local news | Nine people were injured when their taxi crashed into a palm tree in Cape Town's CBD on Tuesday night, paramedics said on Wednesday.
ER24 spokesperson Ross Campbell said the fire department, Metro EMS and another private service arrived to help the injured, but most appeared to have sustained minor knee and whiplash injuries.
One woman's knee was more severely injured and she was treated on the scene.
Three other people, including the driver declined going to hospital, but six men and three women were transported to the New Somerset Hospital for further care.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known. | 1.333333 |
Hayman Island Resort, Funnel Bay and Cruise Whitsunday's Reef Suites were among the 24 developments that drew the most investment. Images: Monique Preston, Supplied.
Hayman Island Resort, Funnel Bay and Cruise Whitsunday's Reef Suites were among the 24 developments that drew the most investment. Images: Monique Preston, Supplied.
THE region has seen plenty of exciting developments with many more promised for new year, and behind big projects is big money.
LAST year saw the much-awaited reopening of Daydream and Hayman islands, the reveal of the refreshed Airlie Beach Foreshore and the upgrade of the Whitsunday Coast Regional Airport.
This year even more developments are set to begin including the Funnel Bay development and the Shute Harbour restoration.
For those interested in the numbers behind these projects, here's a list of the top 24 completed, planned and in progress developments that drew the most investment in the Whitsundays.
Data is accurate as at October 1, 2019.
1. Hamilton Island (over 10 years): $750,000,000 (in progress)
2. Daydream Island Resort: $140,000,000 (completed)
3. Hayman Island Resort: $135,000,000 (completed)
4. Shute Harbour restoration: $50,000,000 (due for completion early 2021)
5. Funnel Bay development: $50,000,000 (due to commence construction)
6. Whitsunday Coast Airport: $40,000,000 (completed)
7. Proserpine Entertainment Centre: $10,700,000 (funding signed off)
8. Cruise Whitsundays Reef Suites: $8,000,000 (completed)
9. Airlie Beach Hotel: $7,000,000 (completed)
10. Airlie Beach Foreshore: $6,300,000 (completed)
11. Beautiful Bowen project: $5,000,000 (stage 1 completed)
12. Pavillion Arcade: $4,300,000 (in progress)
13. Hook Island Eco Retreat: $4,000,000 (in progress)
14. Proserpine main street arcade: $3,600,000 (in progress)
15. Lake Proserpine recreation hub: $3,000,000 (in progress)
16. Hill Inlet upgrade and expansion: $2,000,000 (in progress)
17. Heart Reef Island: $2,000,000 (completed)
18. Proserpine Water Park: $1,700,000 (completed)
19. 74 Taphouse and Eatery and Whitsunday Islands Brewing Company: $1,000,000 (completed)
20. Camp Island: $1,000,000 (completed)
21. Flagstaff Hill Interpretive Centre: $1,000,000 (in progress)
22. Indigenous Bush Tucker Trail and Paddock to Plate venue, Flagstaff Hill: $1,000,000 (in progress)
23. Reef Ecologic underwater sculptures: $971,610 (in progress)
24. Palm Bay refurbishment: $750,000 (completed) | Tagging 2020 as the ‘year of Revival and New Glory, Olukoya urged Nigerians to pray because the year would be messy and confusing.
Read Also: Pastor Tackles MFM’s Olukoya Over Christmas ‘Unbiblical’ Comment
Here are the prophecies below:
”1. 2020 is a year where disobedience to God would yield terrible result that no deliverance can reverse.
2. More than any other year the enemy plans to bring the dog spirit (strange sexual perversions).
3. Year where round the clock prayers are needed against national restlessness.
4. This year impatience would lure many Into strange marriages.
5. A year not only to take back what the enemy has stolen but for you to occupy new territories.
6. Hot prayers are required in 2020.
7. This year would be messy and confusing.
8. Year when some many leaders would be shifted away.
9. A year where all things many have planted and watered in the past years would now begin to produce fruits.
10. Year where many who have endured season of darkness and delay would sing their song and dance their dance.
11. Year of returns of long time prodigals.
ALSO READ: Oluwo of Iwo announces separation from his wife, Chanel Chin
12. Year we must return to our accient landmark ( holiness and righteousness.
13. Year of perfection for vision.
14. Year of positive and negative harvest.
15. Extra ordinary and sacrificial giving would yield powerful result this year.
16. 2020 would be an up and down year.
17. Year that the Lord shall tear in pieces kingdom of those boasting against him.
18. Season where that which that has delayed the blessing of God’s children shall be dashed to pieces.
19. Resurrection power would bring back dry bones.
20. The lord would bring fresh start for a lot of people.
21. The lord would bring fresh start for a lot of people.
22. Year for rewriting negative family history.
23. Year of aggressive prayers against voices from foundation.
24. Year of unbelievable answers to prayers.
25. Year of it can only be God testimonies.
26. Year where many captives would divorce their chains.
27. Year for consistently deploying the blood of Jesus.
28. Year when the Lord shall dash to pieces kingdom of evil rulers.
29. Many families shall climb to a new height of victory.
30. Year when sins must be more sensitive to heaven frequencies.
31. Food supplies from the kingdom of herod shall be cut off.” | 1 |
news, story, article
By Edward Williams, GNA
Hohoe (V/R), Jan. 01, GNA - Churches in Hohoe including Charismatic, Orthodox and Interdenominational churches have held 31st December all night church services to usher in the New Year, 2020.
Most churches were filled to capacity with congregants clad in all white or with a touch of white attires.
The watch night services were characterized by prayers, praises and worship, testimonies, and adoration to God for a successful 2019 and a better 2020.
At about 1900 hours, sounds and sparkles from explosives could be heard and seen in the streets and street corners, and churches.
Pastor Benjamin Acquaye, Head of Hope Temple of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), in a sermon asked Christians to be full of hope and not to rule themselves out in 2020 because of circumstances they endured in 2019.
"Let me prophesy in your life that before the first quarter of 2020, you will prevail in your finances, businesses and education. You never thought it will happen but I declare over your head that Jehovah will meet you at the point of your needs."
Apostle Dr. Ernest Adulai, the Senior Pastor of the Revival Assemblies of God Church, said any Christian that had the belief that they were destined for greatness and success would surely achieve them since nothing including death could stop them.
"As we start another decade, I want to tell you that special things happen in the beginning of decades. I declare 2020 will be your year full of blessings," he said.
Apostle Dr. Adulai called on the youth to live worthy lives and eschew all forms of social vices such as stealing.
Prayers were said for Ghana, the Presidency, Ministers of State, Institutions, and the citizenry.
At the stroke of midnight January 1, 2020, people shouted and bells rang with fireworks to announce the break of a new dawn as congregants were heard wishing one another "fe yeye na mì" (Happy New Year).
Kiki's Court, Obama Gardens, Malaysia Pub and Ghana @ 50, major drinking spots in the town were almost empty as managers of Kiki's Court shut services with the hope that the morning of the day would be 'better'.
There was police patrol in town while officers were stationed at some churches with most busy streets blocked to manage motor and vehicular traffic.
GNA | By
Elizabeth Yaa Brobbey, GNA
Accra, Jan.1, GNA – Very
Reverend Isaac Kweku Sam, Superintendent Minister of the Methodist Church,
Dansoman Circuit has called on Christians to exhibit discipleship as part of
their Christian lifestyles to attract others into the church.
He said it was the
duty of every Christian to mobilise and talk to people about Jesus Christ.
The Minister said
the importance of the church in our society was to be the light of the people
and therefore urged Christians to be the light since they form the church.
“As Christians, we
must be seen to be working for the welfare of this nation and the African
continent, desist from things that will make negative impact on the nation and
focus on the progress of the country.”
Rev Sam made the
comments during the watch night service held in Mount Olivet Methodist Church
in Dansoman to end 2019.
Speaking on the
theme; Discipleship and Nation building he said “As we come to church to listen
to the word of God and pray for his strength to be equipped to do his work, our
character should reflect our lifestyle to win more souls for Christ.”
The Minister said
everybody formed the government and therefore should not be limited to
political institution adding that politics is not a bad game, but it depends on
how it is being understood and run.
Very Reverend Peter
S Ansah, Minister in charge of Mount Olivet Methodist Church Society in his
message advised Christians to show gratitude to God for his faithfulness
throughout the year.
“We can only achieve
our dreams, expectations, future plans among others, if we call on God in
prayers for his intervention in our lives.
He urged the
congregation to take their prayers seriously as it would prevent them from
danger and bad incidents.
He called on them to
remain faithful to God and expect good results in 2020.
Reverend Richmond
Abaka, a Minister of the society urged the congregation to repent from their
sins and show remorse to the Almighty God for forgiveness.
“It is only sin that
separates us from God so as Christians, we need to be in constant touch with
God.”
GNA | 2.5 |
ROME - Pope Francis wished for peace in the world at the start of the New Year. Thousands of people packed Saint Peter’s Square to hear his word on World Peace Day. The pope also used strong words during a morning mass in the Vatican Basilica to decry violence against women and called for an end to the exploitation of the female body.
Under a brilliant winter sun and blue sky, Pope Francis wished a huge crowd gathered in Saint Peter’s Square a happy new year of peace. The pope said it is not expected that our planet has begun a new circle around the sun and that humanity continues to live in it but rather it is always a miracle that surprises and that one should be thankful for.
Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer as the Roman Catholic Church marks its World Day of Peace at the Vatican, Jan. 1, 2020.
On World Peace Day, instituted by Pope Paul VI, Pope Francis said that for 2020 the message is this: “Peace is a path of hope, a path on which one advances through dialogue, reconciliation and conversion.”
Earlier Pope Francis celebrated a solemn mass on New Year’s Day in Saint Peter’s Basilica. On January 1, the Church celebrates Mary, mother of Jesus.
In his first homily of 2020, the pope spoke against violence inflicted on women in modern society. He said all violence against women is a desecration of God. He also called for an end to the exploitation of the female body saying it “must be freed from consumerism” and it “must be respected and honored.”
He said “how often is a woman's body sacrificed on the profane altar of advertising, profit, pornography, exploited as a surface to be used.” He added that while women are “the sources of life,” they are continually offended, beaten, raped, forced into prostitution" or forced to have abortions.
Pope Francis said that our level of humanity is understood by the way we treat a woman's body. He also said that in order to make the world more united and at peace, women should become fully-associated with decision-making.
In his homily, the pope also addressed the issue of immigration and mothers who undertake difficult voyages to improve the lives of their children.
He said: “There are mothers, who risk perilous journeys to desperately try to give the fruit of the womb a better future and are judged to be redundant by people whose bellies are full of things, but whose hearts are empty of love." | An image of Pope Francis slapping his way free from the clutches of an admirer late Tuesday had social media abuzz with comments on the pontiff’s prompt riposte.
Francis had greeted children before the Nativity scene on Saint Peter’s plaza and was turning away when the woman cried out something, grabbed his hand and almost caused him to fall.
The 83-year-old head of the Catholic church grimaced before managing to break free by slapping the woman’s hand twice.
He then continued his tour, walking with some difficulty while maintaining a slightly greater distance from visitors, and gradually relaxed again as he came into contact with other children.
Comments on Twitter were mostly supportive of the pontiff’s instinctive reaction.
“HE IS HUMAN.. Been (sic) a Pope doesn’t make you immune to Pain or avoid Reaction to pain,” one typical comment read.
In his first Mass of the New Year, the pontiff nonetheless denounced Wednesday “all violence against women” as “a profanation of God, born of a woman,” a position underscored by several Twitter enthusiasts.
Another concluded that as 2020 dawned, “the pope is trending.”
Pope Francis confessed Wednesday he had “lost patience” with an exuberant admirer who had grabbed his hand on Saint Peter’s Square, prompting a swift pair of slaps.
“We lose patience many times. It happens to me too. I apologise for the bad example given yesterday,” the head of the Catholic church said before celebrating Mass at the Vatican.
AFP | 2.333333 |
More than 2,300 migrants were blocked in the Channel in 2019 as they tried to get to Britain illegally in 231 small boats laid on by people smugglers, it was revealed today.
The extraordinary figure is four times the number picked up in the sea between France and Britain in 2018 when just 586 people were stopped, the French coastguard has said.
The most recent operation took place off Dunkirk on New Year's Eve with an average of around 200 migrants being detained every month in France.
But it emerged yesterday that 1,900 migrants actually reached UK soil after crossing the Channel – including 43 people who made the hazardous journey to Dover yesterday.
But just 50 people traffickers have been prosecuted in either France or Britain in 2019.
Natalie Elphicke, Tory MP for Dover, last night demanded France does much more in 2020 to stop boats setting off from its beaches and coastline.
New Year's Eve: Six migrants are picked up off Dunkirk as the French authorities revealed they have stopped 2,300 people trying to get to Britain - up from 586 a year earlier
December 30: 19 migrants including two young children were rescued by the Marine Nationale from a overloaded pleasure boat that was trying to get them to the UK
April: These 11 migrants were stopped on the French side of the Channel - but 1,900 others still made it in 2019
On the British side one Border Force cutter and two coastal patrol vessels currently patrol the Channel.
Specialist vehicles and night vision goggles are being used on French beaches to detect migrants trying to get into small boats but critics say more ships and border agents should be deployed.
Some 2,358 people had to be rescued compared to 586 in 2018, the Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea told AFP today.
December 5: Eight migrants in a packed dinghy are stopped by the French
In total 261 cases of crossings or attempted crossings were recorded by the French and British authorities, mainly in small, often overloaded, inflatable boats.
Over the past year, growing numbers of migrants from Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia have taken to the treacherous waters of the Channel in small fishing boats or inflatable dinghies.
Rights groups have linked the crossings to a police crackdown to prevent the establishment of migrant camps in Calais and other areas along the French coast.
At least four migrants died in 2019 attempting to make the dangerous crossing in the Channel, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, with strong currents and icy waters.
A spokesman for the UK's Home Office said a Border Force cutter and two coastal patrol vessels were patrolling the Channel.
'There has also been a doubling of patrols on French beaches and drones, specialist vehicles and detection equipment have been deployed to stop small boats leaving French shores and arriving in the UK illegally.
'Individuals who reach the UK illegally should be in no doubt about our determination to return them to Europe as it is an established principle that those in need of protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach.'
November 24: An average of around 200 migrants a month have been stopped taking the perilous journey in the Channel
October 4: Migrants are wrapped in foil blankets as they tried and failed to cross the Channel in freezing conditions
April: Two boats full of migrants are stopped by a coastguard boat who picked them up using searchlights
Crossings have continued into the winter months despite Home Secretary Priti Patel having vowed to halve the numbers by November and virtually eliminate the problem by spring.
Border Force vessels intercepted three rigid-hull inflatable boats as they approached the Kent coast yesterday morning.
Twelve Iranian men were picked up at 3.35am and an hour later a second boat containing 22 males was intercepted.
Those in the second boat claimed to be Iraqi, Iranian or Afghan, with eight of them saying they were under the age of 18. If they are children, they will be transferred into the care of social services.
The final boat, which was carrying an Iranian group of seven men and two women was picked up at around 7.50am.
The migrants, who crossed the world's busiest shipping lane at night in freezing conditions, were assessed by a doctor before being transferred to an immigration centre where they will be interviewed.
French authorities intercepted a fourth boat and took those on board back to mainland Europe where they were detained.
Figures from publicly available sources show that about 1,870 migrants reached Britain or UK waters in small boats last year.
About 400 have arrived since October 15 – meaning the Home Secretary has failed to honour her pledge.
A migrant is pictured being assisted into a shipping container at Dover yesterday when 43 made it across from France to Britain yesterday
Last year there were 16 successful prosecutions in France linked to the human trafficking of migrants.
Some 30 people were convicted and received sentences ranging from three months to six years.
Last winter Sajid Javid, the then Home Secretary, declared a major incident when migrant numbers in the Channel soared. He also pledged a crackdown on migrants who cross it in small boats and the people smugglers who help them.
In January he said: 'While we have obligations to genuine asylum seekers we will not stand by and allow reckless criminals to take advantage of vulnerable people. I will continue to do all I can to stop these dangerous crossings.'
Mr Javid called in extra Border Force cutters and allocated millions of pounds to tackling the issue. But the problem has worsened throughout 2019. | ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences
Nearly 1,900 migrants arrived on UK shores in 2019, figures show.
More than double the number of people arrived in small boats Britain in December last year, compared with December 2018.
The figures, collated by the BBC, came as three more boats were intercepted off the Kent coast on New Year's Eve.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid had declared a "major incident" in December 2018 when 138 migrants arrived in boats across the English channel within the space of a month.
However, a year later, in the month of December 2019, 283 people arrived in the UK, according to the research.
Overall in 2019, at least 1,892 successfully crossed the Channel, with a further 1,235 people intercepted by the French authorities, according to the broadcaster.
The Home Office said they could not confirm official numbers yet but were not disputing the reported amount.
It comes after 43 adults were rescued from small boats on New Year's Eve before being taken to Dover.
At around 3.35am, a Border Force vessel intercepted a boat which was carrying a group of 12 men who presented themselves as Iranian nationals.
Then an hour later, a group of 22 Iraqi, Iranian and Afghan nationals were rescued by authorities.
At 7.50am, Border Force again intercepted a group of Iranian nationals including seven men and two women.
The Coastguard and UK Border Force also dealt with several small migrant boats off the UK following several incidents over the weekend.
More than 60 migrants were rescued by the French and British authorities on Sunday.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “Illegal migration is a criminal activity. Those who seek to come to the UK unlawfully and the ruthless criminals who facilitate journeys are all breaking the law and endangering lives.
“We will always ensure we have the right resources in place to keep our border secure.
"A forty-two metre Border Force cutter and two coastal patrol vessels are patrolling the Channel and we are monitoring the situation closely over the Christmas and new year period."
Patrols on French beaches as well as drones have been doubled while specialist vehicles and detection equipment have been deployed to prevent small boats leaving French shores, the spokeswoman added. | 3.333333 |
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A man has died after a serious crash involving a car and a HGV on New Year's Eve.
The crash involved a black Vauxhall Mokka car and a lorry and happened minutes before midnight last night on the A55 in Anglesey.
The driver of the car, a 64-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the man was local and his next of kin have been informed - reports North Wales Live.
Sergeant Darren Newby of the Roads Policing Unit said: “The collision occurred at around 11:53pm last night (December 31), and involved a black Vauxhall Mokka car and a heavy goods vehicle. Both vehicles were in the eastbound lane.
“We are looking for information from anyone who may have witnessed the incident or may have information on the nature of the driving of the black Vauxhall Mokka involved prior to the collision, or who may have dashcam footage."
The eastbound stretch between J4 and J5 was closed for nearly six hours following the tragedy.
Police urged drivers to avoid the area as officers, paramedics and firefighters dealt with the incident.
The road was re-opened at around 6am.
If you have any information, please contact North Wales Police on 101 quoting incident number X188098. | Officers confirmed they had arrested a man in connection with the fatal crash on New Year's Eve.
The victim, a 62-year-old woman, was struck at the junction between Pye Green Road and Saint Aidan's Road.
It is unclear at this stage whether the woman had been crossing the road when she was struck.
The collision happened at 6.30pm on the road opposite Moorhill Primary School.
The woman was hit by a car, believed to be a silver VW Golf.
She died at the scene, say Staffordshire Police, as officers appealed for witnesses.
Police arrested a 27-year-old man from Cannock, at around 2.45am on New Year's Day, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop.
He remained in custody for questioning today.
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The woman's family have been informed and will be offered support from specially-trained officers, the force has said.
Reporter Dayna Farrington was at the scene today:
The woman, who was driving a mobility scooter at the time, was involved in a collision with a car, believed to be a silver VW Golf.
Despite the best efforts of emergency service staff, she sadly died at the scene. pic.twitter.com/LZav9GYhMr — Dayna Farrington (@DaynaF_Star) January 1, 2020
Resident Jo Locke said: “Our neighbours said they thought it was fireworks because of a loud bang.
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“The only thing I can say is that the ambulance and police response was amazing.
"They really tried to save her - they were doing CPR for 20 to 30 minutes.
"They arrived here so quick - there were three or four ambulances.
“I don’t understand how it happened.
“I don’t know the lady but I think she used to be on her scooter around here with her granddaughter on her lap - I can’t imagine how the family feels.”
Taped off
One Pye Green Road resident said: “We heard lots of fireworks going off and then just as they stopped we heard a really loud noise.
“The road was all taped off last night. We couldn’t get out the house for a few hours.
“We don’t know who the lady is. I stand out here and talk to everyone who goes past and I can’t think who it could be."
Another added: “We came out the house and could see the lady lying in the road further down. The only thing we heard was a loud thud.
“They had lots of police taking pictures of the area and forensics.
“The road used to be a 20mph and it’s near the school. The road has got worse since they built the new estates.”
The collision happened at around 6.30pm on New Year's Eve
Paul Wright said: “We were out having a meal in Ironbridge at the time it happened.
"Our doorbell camera went off - so I looked and texted my neighbour to ask what happened, and they said someone had been killed.
“Our camera started recording when the ambulances were outside and then it shows more police coming.
“When we realised what had happened we tried to come after we saw it but they would not let us in the road.
"They walked us around to our house and we had to park down the road.
“We have seen the lady going past on her mobility scooter but we don’t know her.
“Any other time we would have been in the house, as we are always in.”
If anyone witnessed the collision or has any information that could help with the police investigation, including relevant dash cam footage, call 101 quoting incident 590 of December 31.
Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org | 2.333333 |
OCEAN CITY, Md. — A Maryland man has been sentenced to more than five months in jail for killing his dog. Police said the man had claimed he was Jesus Christ and had sent the canine to heaven.
The Daily Times reported Tuesday that Joseph Cryer pleaded guilty in late December to aggravated animal cruelty. The Ocean City man had already served 104 days in jail before he received his sentence.
Cryer was a former Ocean City mayoral candidate. He was arrested in September.
Police said they came to his house after a woman heard screaming from Cryer’s home. Police said an officer noticed a significant amount of blood outside Cryer’s house and that Cryer told the officer that he was Jesus Christ
According to police, Cryer said he hit the dog on the head with a hammer until it died and went to heaven. He said the dog was happy being with his brother who was also in heaven.
Police said an animal control officer who recovered the dog noticed a hole in the dog’s head and a significant cut across the dog’s neck.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | OXON HILL, Md. — A police officer in Maryland has been placed on leave after he shot a dog during an investigation.
Prince George’s County Police said in a statement Monday that the incident occurred in the Washington suburb of Oxon Hill.
Police had responded to a home shortly after 3 a.m. in response to a report of a dispute. As the officers to spoke to one of the residents outside, a large dog “suddenly ran out of the home and toward the officers,” police said.
“Fearing for his safety, one of the patrol officers discharged his firearm and struck the dog,” police said.
The dog received emergency care and was listed in stable condition.
Police said the officer was placed on leave as part of the department’s standard operating procedure. The department’s Special Investigation Response Team is investigating.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | 2.333333 |
Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from liverpoolecho - Liverpool FC Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Perrie Edwards proved she's a true Liverpool fan as she headed to Anfield to watch the team's last game of the year.
The Little Mix star showed her support for the Reds who took on Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.
Her boyfriend Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was sidelined due to injury, but Perrie came to Liverpool's ground to watch the Premier League game.
Perrie, who was joined by her mum Debbie, looked effortlessly stylish in brown suede gloves and a khaki duster coat.
The 26-year-old layered up with a houndstooth blazer and burgundy polo-neck.
She added glamour wearing her long blonde hair straight and applying neutral makeup.
Perrie posed with fans as she made her way to the stands with her family in tow.
(Image: PA)
It was a triumphant day for Liverpool as they won 1-0 against Wolves in a nervy match following more video assistant referee controversy.
Unfortunately, Alex, was unable to play after starting rehabilitation following ankle ligament damage the FIFA Club World Cup final win against Flamengo.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com Jurgen Klopp said: "Ox is walking around here without crutches, without a boot, but we have to wait until the medical department gives us the green light." | Take a behind-the-scenes look at Liverpool's victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers with the latest edition of Inside Anfield.
Sadio Mane's first-half goal on Sunday was enough to see the Reds go the entireity of 2019 unbeaten at home, while restoring their 13-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Our cameras were granted exclusive access inside the ground before, during and after the match - and you can watch the footage they captured in the video below. | 3 |
Barcelona have tabled an offer for Dinamo Zagreb's Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo, the Catalonia-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo has reported.
Initial Barcelona Olmo bid not likely to be accepted
MD says that this bid for Olmo, who spent seven years in Barça's youth set-up between 2007 and 2014, is not likely to be accepted by the Croatian champions. However, with Blaugrana sources confirming to AS their interest in bringing the 21-year-old back to the Camp Nou, the offer is seen at the club as the first step towards a deal, either in January or in the summer window.
Olmo keen to "take the next step to keep on improving"
Speaking to the Spanish television programme 'Jugones' last week, Olmo admitted that he's eyeing a move from Dinamo, where he has made 124 first-team appearances in five seasons. "Last summer was the ideal moment to take the next step, but in the end it didn't happen and, as I said then, I was happy [to stay] because I wanted to play in the Champions League," he said. "But I think my cycle there has ended and it's time to take the next step to keep on improving."
AS understands that Dinamo are open to negotiating a transfer following their European elimination, but will not accept any less than 30 to 35 million euros for a player who was included in UEFA's Champions League 'breakthrough team' for 2019. Atlético Madrid have also targeted Olmo this January after being impressed by his displays, although the purchase of a striker is their current priority.
Olmo given maiden Spain cap in November
Olmo has a burgeoning reputation in world football after not only shining in the Champions League group stage, but also starring for Spain in their European Under-21 Championship victory in the summer. Only the performances of Fabián Ruiz prevented him from being named the tournament's best player, although he was chosen as 'man of the match' in La Rojita's 2-1 final win over Germany.
To top off a successful 2019, the midfielder was handed his senior Spain debut in November's Euro 2020 qualifier against Malta, capping his international bow with a goal as the Spaniards recorded a thumping 7-0 triumph. | Chelsea have announced losses of nearly £100m for the year ending June 30 after the latest financial results were released by the club.
The Blues cited a change in manager, the lack of Champions League football and its subsequent revenue, and the huge figures spent on new players as reasoning for the £96.6m loss, whilst recording a slight increase in turnover to £446.7m .
Your Chelsea team to take on Brighton! 👊#BHACHE pic.twitter.com/E3JUeyml5S — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 1, 2020
Sky Sports reports that although they have suffered these financial issues, the club has insisted that they are continuing to comply with UEFA's financial Fair Play regulations.
Chelsea c hairman Bruce Buck pinpointed 'careful financial management' as the catalyst behind the Blues' new-found stability , which has allowed Frank Lampard to bring through a 'young and exciting team'.
"Consistent revenue growth and careful financial management over recent seasons has allowed the club to make significant levels of investment in the playing staff whilst maintaining compliance with UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations.
"This has contributed to another Europa League victory at the end of the 2018-19 season and a return to the highest level of European competition.
"This solid commercial foundation, allied to a young and exciting team now led by Frank Lampard, means that the club is well placed to sustain its pursuit of success both on and off the pitch as well as maintain its financial stability over the coming years."
Chelsea were hit with a transfer ban over the summer which prevented Lampard from strengthening his youthful side, but the new boss embraced the challenge by blooding a handful of academy products into his first-team.
The ban was originally supposed to continue in January, but it has since been lifted, meaning Lampard will be able to bolster his thin and inexperienced squad this month . | 1.666667 |
Nearly new home in Kerrisdale Estate is available at 6 Mod Crescent, Beaconsfield.
Nearly new home in Kerrisdale Estate is available at 6 Mod Crescent, Beaconsfield.
HOME OF THE WEEK
6 Mod Crescent, Beaconsfield
IMMACULATELY presented inside and out, this two-year-old home built by Fergus Builders could be yours for $499,000.
The brick home with hardi plank feature walls has 215sq m of space underneath the Colorbond roof.
It is modern in style and design with vinyl timber grain flooring and quality fixtures and fittings throughout.
Open-plan living and airconditioning throughout make the home cool and comfortable.
A large designer kitchen offers stone benchtops, island bench, pendant lights, pot drawers, double sink, stainless steel appliances, black ceramic glass cook top stove with touch panels, dishwasher, plumbing for fridge and stacks of storage
The master bedroom has his and hers walk-in wardrobes, en suite with double screenless rainmaker shower and the convenience of a double vanity.
The four bedrooms all have built-in wardrobes and television points.
A stylish main bathroom has freestanding bath tub and rainmaker shower.
The two-way laundry room has stone bench tops, pull out hose mixer, heaps of storage, linen and broom cupboards.
An outdoor covered entertaining area in the backyard has three-door sliding panels and adjustable privacy blinds, with television and outdoor power points.
The double garage is remote control and has flake flooring and a three-door storage cupboard.
The home also has 6kw solar panels, a 315litre hot water system and velocity internet.
A fully automated sprinkler system will keep your lawn green.
Located in Kerrisdale Estate and surrounded by quality homes is yet another advantage.
A tradie's dream is waiting for a buyer at 51 Investigator Street, Andergrove.
BARGAIN HUNTER
51 Investigator Street, Andegrove
HERE is a property tradie's dream of set on a 745sq m block with a three-bay lock-up shed that has three phase power.
This four-bedroom, one-bathroom home has room for up to six vehicles in the huge backyard that also features side access for a boat or trailer.
It's priced at $350,000 negotiable and is conveniently located close to shops, schools and would be ideal for a large family.
The home as an estimated rental appraisal of $430-$450 per week.
Open for inspection Saturday, noon-12.30pm.
A newly renovated home is available at 25 Nautilus Parade, Bucasia.
MIDDLE OF ROAD
25 Nautilus Parade, Bucasia
THIS three-bedroom, two-bathroom house has been given a fresh makeover.
All bedrooms have built-in wardrobes, master with walk-in wardrobe and brand new carpet, airconditioning, down lights, ceiling fans and window furnishings throughout.
Open-plan living is featured between the kitchen, dining and lounge areas.
Out the back cool off in the in-ground saltwater pool or tinker in the single-bay powered shed. All of this sits on 700sq m block and priced at $435,000 negotiable.
Open for inspection Saturday, 10-10.30am.
A unique beachfront opportunity is waiting for a buyer at 60 Admiral Drive, Dolphin Heads.
HIGH END
60 Admiral Drive, Dolphin Heads
A UNIQUE opportunity to purchase one of Mackay's premier, beachfront homes.
This luxurious four-bedroom family home has exceptional views from most rooms. The custom-built home was designed as an entertainer's paradise wit multiple outdoor entertaining areas, pool and expansive gardens.
This 3243sq m property with 180-degree views is priced at $1.25 million has lots of prospective buyers, it won't last long.
Open for inspection Saturday, 11-11.30am. | Police have confirmed that a woman has died and several people are injured after two cars crashed head-on in North Yorkshire.
It happened just before 2pm on the A19 near Escrick, between York and Selby.
The woman was a passenger in one of the cars and was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.
The four occupants of the other car were taken to hospital with less serious injuries.
North Yorkshire Police closed the A19 as emergency crews were rushed to the scene.
As of 6pm, the road remains closed and the surface is being cleaned before it can reopen.
Any witnesses to the collision that have not already spoken to the police are asked to call 101 and pass information for incident 12190238470. | 1.5 |
Cuban president tours refurbished Havana facilities Cuban president tours refurbished Havana facilities Cuban president tours refurbished Havana facilities
Cuban president tours refurbished Havana facilities
30 de diciembre de 2019, 14:31Havana, Dec 30 (Prensa Latina) Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel toured newly inaugurated works in the capital, where the construction and rehabilitation program continues after celebrating the 500th anniversary of its foundation.
'President Diaz-Canel begins a tour of works in the capital at the Marcelo Salado Recreational Complex, nestled in Playa municipality,' the official Twitter account of Cuban Presidency reported.Diaz-Canel also visited the Jose Antonio Echeverria Workers' Social Club, located in Plaza de la Revolución municipality.Recently, Diaz-Canel led a meeting of the Government Support Group for the capital, which examined the main tasks that Havana residents will face in the coming year.The meeting reviewed the progress of the main services provided to the population, including the work of Community Services.As explained, almost all of the equipment donated by Japan, along with others from Austria and China, are already in operation, which creates the necessary conditions to solve the problem of solid waste collection in the city.Progress is also made in housing construction. At the end of November, 207 spaces had been identified, in 14 municipalities, where more than 1,500 new homes could be built.On the other hand, the installation of LED street lights continues in the main avenues and streets of the capital.The head of state pointed out that work must continue in the rest of the municipalities on a series of aspects where there are still issues to be resolved.rly/cg/sus/rgh/joe | Authorities call on athletes to elevate Cuba in Tokyo-2020 Games Authorities call on athletes to elevate Cuba in Tokyo-2020 Games Authorities call on athletes to elevate Cuba in Tokyo-2020 Games
Authorities call on athletes to elevate Cuba in Tokyo-2020 Games
Havana, Dec 31 (Prensa Latina) Roberto Leon Richards, president of the Cuban Olympic Committee, and Osvaldo Vento, president of the National Sports Institute (INDER), congratulated the Cuban athletes, who are focusing their work on the Tokyo-2020 Olympics, for the new year.
On his Twitter account, Richards congratulated the athletes, coaches and the Cuban sports movement, to whom he sent a big hug, convinced that the Olympic event in Tokyo, Japan, will be another scenario of victories for them.
For his part, the INDER president recalled a statement by the historic leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro, on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of that heoric deed.
'Let's remember Fidel as a permanent motivation for the commitments to come. He insisted that sports encourage the people, entertain the people, excite the people and make the people happy. Congratulations,' Vento twitted.
To date, Cuba has 26 qualified athletes for the Tokyo-2020 Olympic Games in boating (4), cycling (1), artistic gymnastics (2), wrestling (2), modern pentathlon (2), shooting (5) and track and field (10).
According to the Cuban Sports Institute, the number of athletes for the Olympic Games must exceed 100 and Cuban athletes are expected to attend qualifying events from January 5 and May 24, 2020.
jg/iff/jcm/rws | 1.333333 |
Although he doesn’t represent my district, I’d like to thank Rep. Peter King for supporting Rep. Tom Suozzi’s bill that would raise the deduction cap for state and local property taxes from $10,000 to $20,000 [“House passes bill to ease deduction cap,” News, Dec. 20].
King’s comments expressing disappointment with Republican colleagues who voted against the measure rang particularly true. In noting their lack of support despite the fact that high-tax regions like Nassau and Suffolk counties get back less than they contribute to the federal government and thereby subsidized their states for the past 50 years, King said they were undermining the middle class.
Sadly, my congressman, Lee Zeldin, voted against the bill because of the provision that would raise the top tax rate for individuals earning more than $518,400 from 37% to back to 39.6%. He justified his vote by saying he didn’t want raise taxes on individuals and small businesses. I don’t think I have friends or neighbors who earn more than $518,400 per year, and if I did, I don’t think that adding 2.6% to their tax bill would have a devastating impact on them or the economy. In casting his vote against the bill, Zeldin turned his back to the majority of the people he represents. Shame on him.
Ed Swensson,
Lake Grove
You don’t have to be a far-right conservative to believe that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the State Legislature share in the blame for our high taxes and the SALT cap [“Long Island needs SALT cap relief,” Editorial, Dec., 23].
The governor has projected a $6 billion deficit and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s solution is more taxes, not a reduction in spending. As long as New York continues to tax and spend without restraint, don’t expect sympathy from Congress with regard to SALT.
Howard Lindenauer,
Sign up for The Point Go inside New York politics. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy.
Oceanside
When Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez teamed up with others to block Amazon’s plan in Long Island City, many of us were upset that as many as 40,000 jobs would not come to New York City, and that needed transit improvements in the area would still not be funded. We understood why she doesn’t like Amazon — but strongly disagreed with her crass actions.
If, at the time, some of us thought she disliked the middle class, we really didn’t say much. But knowing that she voted to maintain President Donald Trump’s huge tax increase on the middle class in states like New York, it’s become clear that she has declared war on the middle class. She says she voted against the SALT bill to not help the rich. Most New Yorkers hurt by this tax increase are not rich. We don’t have huge houses or high income. For my family, the 2018 tax effect was to have us pay several thousand dollars more in taxes — money we couldn’t afford to lose. And now she has done her worst to hurt us.
Ron Troy,
East Northport | ×
Thank you for Reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. | 1.5 |
A new installment of Deadpool is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Merc with a Mouth, played by Ryan Reynolds, will get a third film and (possibly) an all-new universe to play in as Deadpool 3 is currently in development at Marvel Studios. The movie is an incredibly exciting development for both comic and movie fans. So, which villains from the comics should Wade Wilson take on in the third film?
Deadpool landing in the MCU is still somewhat surprising. The R-rated hero was one of the few Marvel characters acquired in the Fox-Disney merger that will seemingly survive without major changes or being recast - which isn't all that surprising considering the reception for Reynolds in the role and the box office returns of the first two Deadpool films. Deadpool's popularity kept the franchise alive. Joining the MCU means Deadpool's villain roster will significantly expand. Here are five villains who could appear in Deadpool 3.
Related: Deadpool 2’s Zazie Beetz Expects to Play Domino Again in Future Marvel Film
Daken
While it would be fantastic to see Reynold's Deadpool take on Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and see their feud/bromance further explored, the ship seems to have long sailed on that possibility following Wolvie's perfect end in Logan. So, if they can't do Wolverine, they might as well do the next best thing: Daken.
Daken is the son of Wolverine and Itsu. He's got similar abilities to his pops, including retractable claws, an accelerated healing factor, and superhuman physical attributes. Deadpool would surely be disappointed to see Logan's son and not Wolverine himself as his main adversary. There's tons of potential for comedy and action with Daken taking on Deadpool. Although, if Marvel wanted to do a new version of Wolverine, introducing Daken would probably create more questions than answers.
Related: Deadpool 3: 10 Ways To Set It In The MCU
Evil Deadpool
Evil Deadpool might seem like a gimmick villain at first glance, but he's the Frankenstein's monster of the Deadpool universe.
In the comics, when Deadpool is institutionalized, he's treated by Dr. Ella Whitby, who soon falls in love with him. The feelings aren't reciprocated which is probably for the best after Wade discovers Whitby had been collecting his body parts in her freezer from the hero's various battles. So, how does Evil Deadpool come into all of this? Well, after Deadpool discovers her body parts in the freezer, he throws them into a dumpster. In the trash, Deadpool's healing factor fused each part into a new being: Evil Deadpool.
A scientific freakshow, Evil Deadpool's body is completely mismatched. He's got two right arms and is able to maneuver his body in unusual, disgusting ways. Deadpool hunting down himself could be played comedically or somewhat tragically. Wade Wilson trying to figure out what the hell Evil Deadpool is would be worth the price of admission. Even as a minor villain, Evil Deadpool could work.
Related: Black Panther is Finally Getting Revenge on Deadpool
Mister Sinister
If Marvel really wants to swing for the fences, having Deadpool face off against Mister Sinister, one of the biggest X-Men villains around, would be one heck of a way to introduce Wade Wilson and mutants to the MCU.
Mister Sinister is obsessed with genetics and isn't afraid to do a little mad science in order to test his queries. The character is telepathic and has a slew of physical and mental abilities. Bringing in Mister Sinister could lay the groundwork for the X-Men in the MCU. Plus, he's been teased in Deadpool 2, so bringing him into the fold would pay off both the past and future of the franchise.
Related: Celebrate The Development of Deadpool 3 With These Comics And Collectibles!
Stryfe
Cable and the X-Force were brought into the fold in Deadpool 2, so bringing in Stryfe would make a lot of sense. Stryfe is an evil clone of Cable. When the original Cable was a child, he became infected with a techno-organic virus. He gets sent to the future, where he's cloned and cured of the disease. However, Apocalypse eventually gets his hands on the clone and raises him as his own. Stryfe becomes an anarchist and terrorist.
Stryfe along with Evil Deadpool would create an interesting duality between the evil counterparts and Cable and Deadpool. The two heroes taking on evil versions of themselves would be a lot of fun to watch.
Related: If Deadpool Was Cut in Half... Would TWO Grow Back?
Death
The biggest swing for the fences Marvel could take is introducing Lady Death as the main villain in Deadpool 3. In the comics, Thanos' motivations are driven by the living embodiment of death who wants nothing to do with the Mad Titan. However, Deadpool has much better luck with her. In the comics, Death and Deadpool develop feelings for each other. With Thanos out of the way, there are endless possibilities to take Death's character. Plus, Deadpool could joke about Josh Brolin playing Thanos and his lust for Death not making it into the MCU.
She can be the villain who Deadpool can't kick despite literally representing death and chaos. It would be a bold decision to include her in Deadpool 3 considering she wasn't present in Avengers: End Game or the MCU to date. Perhaps, a more comedic role is the right way to take the character. Regardless, Death seems ripe to show up in the MCU and Deadpool 3 would be a welcome curveball for her to appear.
What makes Deadpool 3 so exciting is the almost limitless characters and storylines that could be used to bring Wade Wilson to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Instead of having a handful of villains to play with, Marvel can really go any way they want - small, big or insanely huge. No matter who is chosen for Deadpool 3's villain, it's exciting to see the character come to the MCU. There's tons of potential for him and the X-Force to grow alongside the rest of The Avengers. Who would you like to see as the main villain in Deadpool 3?
Next: 10 Superhero Comedies To Watch If You Like Deadpool
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The King of Marvel's Universe is Finally Claiming His Throne | Though Professor Charles Xavier has had many, many mutants come through the halls of his school for gifted youngsters, Gambit is the one with perhaps the most complicated past. And that’s saying a lot when it comes to the school for gifted youngsters.
RELATED: Omega: 10 Things You Didn't About Storm
Gambit’s never really found himself out of the morally grey part of Marvel’s spectrum. He may have been involved in some pretty shady dealings over the years. Sure, he’s no Captain America or the (once) golden boy scout, Scott Summers, but he’s definitely found his place in the hearts of fans and X-Men alike.
10 Uncontrollable Power/ A Sinister Deal
While Gambit has often been underestimated as simply the mutant who throws cards, he’s actually one of the most capable and powerful mutants in the Marvel landscape. Or he was until his powers started to become much more than he could handle.
Desperate, Gambit made his way to probably one of the worst people in the world to help him with this particular problem, Mister Sinister. Though Mister Sinister agrees to help Gambit by removing the section of his brain stem responsible for this unprecedented growth in power, he does so under the condition that Gambit repays his debt.
9 The Mutant Massacre
With Gambit under his employ, Mister Sinister instructs the naive young mutant to gather up a group of Marauders so that Gambit can lead them to the Morlocks. Little did Gambit know that Mister Sinister had some rather...well, sinister plans for the Morlocks once the had been found.
RELATED: Omega: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Iceman
Having led the Marauders to the Morlocks underground community, the Marauders begin massacring every Morlock that they can get their hands on. Even though Gambit tries to stop them from wholesale slaughtering the Morlocks, he is beaten nearly to death by Sabretooth and left unable to help.
8 The Potential To Become Omega-Level
Gambit may have gone to Mister Sinister to have his uncontrollable power reduced back to a point in which he could control it, but that doesn’t mean that fans weren’t eventually introduced to a version of Gambit that hadn’t.
While Gambit of Earth-616 sought to have his abilities kept in check, if he hadn’t, his powers would likely have mutated to a point at which he would essentially become the god of motion. At this level, he could stop an object or person from moving completely, he could keep objects and people in motion, he didn’t even need to touch them to do it. Such immense power would come at a price, however.
7 New Son
Though Remy of Earth-616 had managed to rid himself of his rapidly growing powers and keep his powers at a level that he could control, the Remy of Earth-9921 was not so lucky. This Remy had essentially been born and bred for the express purpose of creating a very powerful mutant. In fact, this version of Remy was so powerful that he even managed to kill his universe’s version of the Phoenix.
RELATED: Omega: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Vulcan
Unfortunately, this Remy would eventually grow so powerful that he would accidentally end all life on Earth in a brilliant explosion of kinetic energy. Trying to undo his deeds, he would attempt to manipulate time with his abilities and instead open a gateway to the multiverse, where he would encounter Gambit.
6 The Horseman Death
Over the course of his centuries and centuries of life, Apocalypse has taken some of the greatest mutants in history and subjugated them as members of his four horsemen. Though Gambit eventually became one of them, he wasn’t seduced by Apocalypse like most of the other horsemen were.
In fact, Gambit knew that Apocalypse was up to his no-good dirty shenanigans as always, so he voluntarily approached Apocalypse and offered his service in order to keep a better eye on him. He even went through the genetic modifications without anesthesia to ensure that Apocalypse didn’t mess with his head. What a beast. However, this didn’t stop Gambit from temporarily becoming over-powered by Apocalypse’s influence and hurting his friends on the X-Men.
5 Gambit & Rogue Sitting In A Tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G
In the X-Men family, there is no couple more iconic than Gambit and Rogue. Sure, there’s Scott Summers and Jean Grey, but at this point, like, who even cares anymore? They had their chance and now it’s just so convoluted and boring that it’s hardly even relevant anymore.
RELATED: Omega: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Mister M
Gambit and Rogue, however, come on! Two lovers, incapable of even the simplest touch, filled with conflicting thoughts and emotions - these two are where it’s at. While there love has been one that’s lasted through the ages, it definitely wasn’t always easy. Especially after Gambit’s involvement in the Mutant Massacre came to light.
4 Antarctica
Because Rogue is capable of absorbing the powers and memories of anyone she touches, when she and Gambit finally managed to kiss one another, she absorbed a lot more than just his sweet, sweet cajun loving.
What she absorbed were the memories of all the things that Gambit had done in his life, things like leading the Marauders to the Morlock’s community before the mutant massacre. After a mock trial led by Magneto, Gambit was brought to Antarctica where he was abandoned in the frozen wastes by Rogue herself. Cold-blooded.
3 First Comes Love Then Comes Marriage
Despite being left in Antarctica by the love of his life, there are very few things that Gambit can’t endure with a whole lot of pluck, a can-do attitude, and the help of the psionic essence of a dead mutant named Mary Purcell. Needless to say, Gambit did actually make it out of Antarctica and find his way back to the X-Men and Rogue.
RELATED: Omega: 10 Things You Didn't Know About David Haller (Legion)
While it did take some time, Gambit at Rogue’s romance was eventually reignited and he proposed to her in the fallout of Kitty Pryde and Colossus’ wedding (all class). They even wound up getting married on the same day, essentially stealing Kitty and Colossus’ wedding. Classic Gambit.
2 Hypnotic Charm
Gambit is often recognized by his ability to make playing cards go boom, but the cajun sensation actually has a lot more going on for him than just his ability to ‘explode stuff. On of Gambit’s more subtle powers is his hypnotic charm. Much like a common vampire, Gambit has the ability to psionic influence sentient beings with his voice.
This ability makes it rather easy for Gambit to gather people to his side and get them to do whatever he likes. Powerful minds are essentially immune to this, however, and people who are consciously aware of what he’s trying to pull can shake off the effects.
1 Powers Of Death
As previously mentioned, Gambit was, in fact, a member of Apocalypse’s four horsemen. However, unlike many of the other mutants that have been Apocalypse’s horsemen over the centuries, Gambit actually managed to keep his horsemen powers after leaving Apocalypse’s side. These powers, however, manifested themselves in a way that makes Gambit affirm that he is both Gambit and the horseman Death, as the mutant had not fully-integrated these aspects of his personality.
With these death powers, Gambit was shown to be capable of turning breathable air into poison gas, corrupting other beings to his will, charging objects with a “death touch,” and even controlling his projectile mentally like little homing missiles. Though it has been some time since Gambit reverted to his Death persona, it was never explicitly removed from him after the last time he reverted.
NEXT: Omega: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Franklin Richards
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Mineral Insulated Cable Market 2020 Growing Rapidly with Modern Trends, Development, Size, Share, Revenue, Demand and Forecast to 2026 | Says Industry Research Biz
Posted on Jan 2 2020 6:53 AM
"Mineral Insulated Cable Industry 2020 Global Market research report studies latest Mineral Insulated Cable industry aspects market size, share, trends, growth, business overview and Mineral Insulated Cable industry scenario during the forecast period (2020-2026). "
Global ' Mineral Insulated Cable Market 2020 Research report provides information regarding market size, share, trends, growth, cost structure, capacity, revenue and forecast 2026. This report also includes the overall and comprehensive study of the Mineral Insulated Cable Market with all its aspects influencing the growth of the market. This report is exhaustive quantitative analyses of the Mineral Insulated Cable industry and provides data for making strategies to increase market growth and effectiveness.
Get a sample copy of the report at - https://www.industryresearch.biz/enquiry/request-sample/15002821
The Global Mineral Insulated Cable market 2020 research provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Global Mineral Insulated Cable market research is provided for the international markets as well as development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report additionally states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.
The objective of this report:
The worldwide market for Mineral Insulated Cable is estimated to grow at a CAGR of roughly X.X% in the next 8 years, and will reach X.X million US$ in 2026, from X.X million US$ in 2019.
The report covers market size status and forecast, value chain analysis, market segmentation of Top countries in Major Regions, such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa, by type, application and marketing channel. In addition, the report focuses on the driving factors, restraints, opportunities and PEST analysis of major regions.
Global Mineral Insulated Cable market competition by TOP MANUFACTURERS, with production, price, revenue (value) and each manufacturer including
OMEGA
Doncaster Cables
Wrexham
ABB
Baosheng
KME
Emerson
TEC
Uncomtech
MiCable Technologies
Yuancheng Cable
Chromalox
Raychem HTS
Trasor
Eltherm
Hanhe Cable
Conax Technologies
AEI Cables
Ari Industries
Watlow
Mil
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On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into
Mineral Insulated Power Cable
Mineral Insulated Heating Cable
On the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, including
Building
Power Plant
Manufacturing Factory
This report studies the top producers and consumers, focuses on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in these key regions, covering
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
Latin America
Middle East & Africa
Global Mineral Insulated Cable Market providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and instrumentation and downstream demand analysis is additionally dispensed. The Global Mineral Insulated Cable market development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally, the feasibility of latest investment projects is assessed and overall analysis conclusions offered.
Years considered for this report:
Historical Years: 2014-2018
Base Year: 2019
Estimated Year: 2019
Forecast Period: 2019-2026
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With tables and figures helping analyze worldwide Global Mineral Insulated Cable market, this research provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.
Some Points from TOC:
1 Introduction
1.1 Objective of the Study
1.2 Definition of the Market
1.3 Market Scope
1.3.1 Market Segment by Type, Application and Marketing Channel
1.3.2 Major Regions Covered (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Mid East & Africa)
1.4 Years Considered for the Study (2014-2026)
1.5 Currency Considered (U.S. Dollar)
1.6 Stakeholders
2 Key Findings of the Study
3 Market Dynamics
3.1 Driving Factors for this Market
3.2 Factors Challenging the Market
3.3 Opportunities of the Global Mineral Insulated Cable Market (Regions, Growing/Emerging Downstream Market Analysis)
3.4 Technological and Market Developments in the Mineral Insulated Cable Market
3.5 Industry News by Region
3.6 Regulatory Scenario by Region/Country
3.7 Market Investment Scenario Strategic Recommendations Analysis
4 Value Chain of the Mineral Insulated Cable Market
4.1 Value Chain Status
4.2 Upstream Raw Material Analysis
4.3 Midstream Major Company Analysis (by Manufacturing Base, by Product Type)
4.4 Distributors/Traders
4.5 Downstream Major Customer Analysis (by Region)
5 Global Mineral Insulated Cable Market-Segmentation by Type
5.1 Type 1
5.2 Type 2
6 Global Mineral Insulated Cable Market-Segmentation by Application
6.1 Application 1
6.2 Application 2
6.3 Others
7 Global Mineral Insulated Cable Market-Segmentation by Marketing Channel
7.1 Traditional Marketing Channel (Offline)
7.2 Online Channel
8 Competitive Intelligence Company Profiles
8.1 Manufacture 1
8.1.1 Manufacture 1 Profile
8.1.2 Manufacture 1 Sales, Growth Rate and Global Market Share from 2014-2019E
8.1.3 Manufacture 1 Product/Solution Launches and Enhancements Analysis
8.1.4 Manufacture 1 Business Overview/Recent Development/Acquisitions
8.2 Manufacture 2
8.2.1 Manufacture 2 Profile
8.2.2 Manufacture 2 Sales, Growth Rate and Global Market Share from 2014-2019E
8.2.3 Manufacture 2 Product/Solution Launches and Enhancements Analysis
8.2.4 Manufacture 2 Business Overview/Recent Development/Acquisitions
8.3 Manufacture 3
8.3.1 Manufacture 3 Profile
8.3.2 Manufacture 3 Sales, Growth Rate and Global Market Share from 2014-2019E
8.3.3 Manufacture 3 Product/Solution Launches and Enhancements Analysis
8.3.4 Manufacture 3 Business Overview/Recent Development/Acquisitions
8.4 Manufacture 4
8.4.1 Manufacture 4 Profile
8.4.2 Manufacture 4 Sales, Growth Rate and Global Market Share from 2014-2019E
8.4.3 Manufacture 4 Product/Solution Launches and Enhancements Analysis
8.4.4 Manufacture 4 Business Overview/Recent Development/Acquisitions
8.5 Manufacture 5
8.5.1 Manufacture 5 Profile
8.5.2 Manufacture 5 Sales, Growth Rate and Global Market Share from 2014-2019E
8.5.3 Manufacture 5 Product/Solution Launches and Enhancements Analysis
8.5.4 Manufacture 5 Business Overview/Recent Development/Acquisitions
8.6 Manufacture 6
8.6.1 Manufacture 6 Profile
8.6.2 Manufacture 6 Sales, Growth Rate and Global Market Share from 2014-2019E
8.6.3 Manufacture 6 Product/Solution Launches and Enhancements Analysis
8.6.4 Manufacture 6 Business Overview/Recent Development/Acquisitions
……Continued
Detailed TOC of Global Mineral Insulated Cable [email protected] https://www.industryresearch.biz/TOC/15002821
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MENAFN02012020007010266ID1099497100 | (MENAFN- America News Hour) Market Study Report Provides A Detailed Overview Of Fencing Market With Respect To The Pivotal Drivers Influencing The Revenue Graph Of This Business Sphere. The Current Trends Of Fencing Market In Conjunction With The Geographical Landscape, Demand Spectrum, Remuneration Scale, And Growth Graph Of This Vertical Have Also Been Included In This Report.
According to a new research the Fencing market is anticipated to reach over USD 40,730 million by 2026.
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In 2017, the metal fencing segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue. North America is expected to be the leading contributor to the global market revenue during the forecast period.
Improvement in lifestyle due to rise in income level, especially in the developing countries of Asia-Pacific fuels the demand for Fencings market. Enhancement of public infrastructure such as parks, museums, and other structures by governments, along with growth in the global construction industry would support the market growth in the coming years.
A significant increase in disposable income, and construction and renovation of residential buildings drive the growth of this market. Other driving factors include growth in global construction industry, enhanced safety concerns, and development of public infrastructure. The increasing investments by governments for enhancing public infrastructure such as parks, public places, and government premises further supports market growth. Increasing demand in developing nations is expected provide numerous growth opportunities to the market players during the forecast period.
The different materials used for fencing include wood, metal, concrete, plastic, and others. In 2017, the metal fencing segment accounted for the highest market share. The increasing demand for metal fencing in public places, government organizations, and commercial buildings for enhanced safety and security purposes drives the growth of this segment.
North America generated the highest revenue in the market in 2017, and is expected to lead the global market throughout the forecast period. The growing construction sector and high disposable income drives the market growth. The increasing trend of design and aesthetics supports the market growth in the region. Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period owing to increasing disposable incomes in developing countries of this region, and increase in construction of commercial buildings in this region.
The well-known companies profiled in the report include Allied Tube & Conduit, Jerith Manufacturing Company Inc., Poly Vinyl Creations Inc., Associated Materials LLC, CertainTeed Corporation, Fogarty PVC Fencing, Veka AG, Planet Polynet, Hoover Fence, and Ameristar Fence Products Incorporated among others. These companies launch new products and collaborate with other market leaders to innovate and launch new products to meet the increasing needs and requirements of consumers.
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Table of Contents:
1. Overview and Scope
1.1. Research goal & scope
1.2. Research assumptions
1.3. Research Methodology
1.3.1. Primary data sources
1.3.2. Secondary data sources
1.4. Key take-away
1.5. Stakeholders
2. Executive Summary
2.1. Market Definition
2.2. Market Segmentation
3. Fencing Market Insights
3.1. Fencing ? Industry snapshot
3.2. Fencing - Ecosystem analysis
3.3. Fencing Market Dynamics
3.3.1. Fencing ? Market Forces
3.3.1.1. Fencing Market Driver Analysis
4. Fencing Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Material
4.1. Key Findings
4.2. Wood
4.3. Metal
4.4. Concrete
4.5. Plastic
4.6. Others
5. Fencing Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Application
5.1. Key Findings
5.2. Boundary Fencing
5.3. Privacy Fencing
5.4. Temporary Fencing
5.5. Others
6. Fencing Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by End-User
6.1. Key Findings
6.2. Residential
6.3. Agriculture
6.4. Government
6.5. Defense
6.6. Transportation
6.7. Energy and Power
6.8. Others
7. Fencing Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Region
7.1. Key Findings
7.2. North America
7.2.1. U.S.
7.2.2. Canada
7.2.3. Mexico
7.3. Europe
7.3.1. Germany
7.3.2. UK
7.3.3. France
7.3.4. Italy
7.3.5. Rest of Europe
7.4. Asia-Pacific
7.4.1. China
7.4.2. India
7.4.3. Japan
7.4.4. Rest of Asia-Pacific
7.5. Latin America
7.5.1. Brazil
7.6. Middle East & Africa
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Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management. | 2.333333 |
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy’s aging Guam-based submarine tender Frank Cable completed sea trials Dec. 19, even as the White House canceled plans for its eventual replacement over cost.
The 40-year-old ship completed a yearlong overhaul in December with sea trials to shake out the cobwebs and retrain the crew, according to a Dec. 26 Navy release. The main focus of the overhaul was boiler repair.
“December has been a very busy and productive month for our team,” Capt. Jeff Bierley, commanding officer of Frank Cable, said in the release. “The ship and crew performed extremely well on sea trials, and it was great to get our ship to sea for the first time in over a year.”
RELATED
The ship, which was commissioned in 1979, was originally designed as a support ship for Los Angeles-class attack submarines.
The Navy has considered replacing its two submarine tenders with new auxiliary ships that use a common hull, known as the Common Hull Auxilliary Multi-Mission Platform, or CHAMP. But the White House’s Office of Management and Budget directed the Navy to look at alternatives for the CHAMP program after the cost estimate for the submarine tender variant hit $1.3 billion, according to a memo obtained by Defense News.
“The CHAMP submarine tender and CHAMP sealift vessels are not cost-effective solutions. The revised estimate for the sub tender ($1.3 billion) is even more than the $1 billion in the FYDP [Future Years Defense Program] and more cost-effective alternatives should be explored, including procuring and converting a used vessel,” the memo read.
David B. Larter was the naval warfare reporter for Defense News. Before that, he reported for Navy Times. | WEB DESK
US President Donald Trump says he will sign the first phase of a trade deal with China at the White House on 15th of this month.
In a tweet, Mr Trump said that he will travel to Beijing at a later date to open talks on other sticking points in the US-China trade relationship that remain to be worked out.
In the first-step agreement announced earlier in December, the United States agreed to reduce tariffs and China agreed to buy larger quantities of US farm products. | 1.333333 |
For Subscribers Hampton Beach Ocean Wok: Founder Matthew Fan to revive restaurant
Ocean Wok founder Matthew Fan is returning to take over the restaurant which he says went downhill after he left. | CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Norovirus was a contributing cause of the death of a person who had attended a function at a New Hampshire restaurant where a group of guests became sick, health officials said Tuesday.
Eighteen people who became ill attended the private function Nov. 24 at the Puritan Backroom conference center in Manchester, the state Department of Health and Human Services said. The person who later died was an adult from Hillsborough County. No other details were issued about the person, in accordance with federal and state privacy laws.
The state medical examiner's office completed its final report Tuesday after conducting an autopsy last month.
The restaurant is co-owned by U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas. It has been in his family for more than a century and is a frequent stop for presidential candidates of both parties.
The manager of the Puritan Backroom said recently that the restaurant's top priorities are promoting health and excellent food safety and that he was confident it was doing everything possible to maintain those practices.
After the outbreak, the Manchester Health Department conducted an inspection of the restaurant. Officials determined there was no ongoing norovirus risk to the public.
Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain.
(© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) | 1 |
(Gateway Pundit) – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could soon be out of her government job. Due to the high number of non-citizens in her district, it might be eliminated after the census.
Wouldn’t that be ironic?
Via Frank Luntz:
New York is expected to lose a House seat after the 2020 Census, and state Democrats are looking to draw out @AOC ’s district. https://t.co/DYXvzqvWXm
From the report at The City:
AOC MAKES A BRONX CENSUS PUSH AMID FEARS OF LOST HOUSE SEATS.
For Ocasio-Cortez, a full Census count is more than a matter of making sure her district gets all the funds and services it’s due. In a sense, her own political fortunes could hang in the balance.
A review by THE CITY, building on data and analysis by The Texas Tribune, suggests Ocasio-Cortez’ district could be particularly vulnerable to undercount because a little over a quarter of those living there are non-citizens.
That’s a higher percentage than any other congressional district in the state.
A Census undercount in Ocasio-Cortez’ district and elsewhere in the state could lead to the elimination of congressional districts — potentially setting off politically charged redistricting battles.
New York already is on track to lose up to two congressional seats during reapportionment due to population decline and slower rate of growth, according to a December report by Election Data Services. | New York: Researchers have discovered a brain circuit involved in dividing the labour to handle two opposing motivations for behaviour -- pleasure and pain -- an advance that may lead to key insights about mental illnesses like depression and anxiety disorders. According to the study, published in the journal Neuron, different classes of nerve cells control positive and negative motivations, sending opposing signals along this information-processing hub in the brain.
The researchers, including Bo Li from the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory (CSHL) in the US, said the balance of activity between these two groups of nerves may determine whether a person acts to seek out pleasurable experiences, or avoid painful ones.
According to the scientists, the behaviours controlled by these nerve cells are disrupted in people with mental illness. The researchers said people suffering from depression may stop doing things that once gave them pleasure, whereas those with anxiety disorders may go to greater lengths to avoid potential threats.
They added that a person's ability to recognise and respond to potential rewards or punishments partially depends on a brain region called the ventral pallidum. When animals seek rewards, such as a sip of water, or avoid punishments, such as an annoying puff of air, this region was found to be active.
They found that nerve cells which used the transmitter chemical known as GABA to dampen motivation influencing activity were important in this brain region for encouraging the mice to seek a water reward.
On the other hand, the study said the nerve cells which used the neurotransmitter called glutamate to excite this brain circuit were essential for avoiding the air-puff punishment.
- PTI | 1.333333 |
Crews search the St. Joseph River in Niles for a missing kayaker. He was ultimately discovered and later pronounced dead. (Jan. 1, 2020)
NILES, Mich. (WOOD) — A kayaker died Wednesday after falling into the St. Joseph River in Niles, officials say.
Officials were called to the river near the Niles Dam around 8:30 a.m., WNDU, the NBC affiliate out of South Bend, Indiana, reported.
Niles Mayor Nick Shelton posted online that of four kayakers, two were rescued by emergency responders. A third pulled himself from the river.
The fourth was ultimately found in the water around 12:30 p.m., WNDU says. The mayor tweeted later Wednesday afternoon that he had died.
The deceased kayaker’s identity has not yet been released. | SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah (ABC4 News) – A man was arrested following a deadly crash on New Year’s Day in South Salt Lake.
South Salt Lake Police said the crash involved two vehicles at 2700 South 300 West.
South Salt Lake Sgt. Matthew Oehler said a woman in her 30s was taken to the hospital where she later died.
The other driver, now identified as Wilonja Lusungu, 46, of Salt Lake City was hospitalized and is believed to have been under the influence at the time of the crash.
“There is some alcohol impairment that is suspected..and that will certainly be part of the investigation moving forward. There are investigators as part of that CAR team at the hospital and will obtain some blood alcohol search warrants,” said Sgt. Oehler.
Once discharged, Lusungu was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. He now faces a charge of DUI involving serious injury or death, a third-degree felony.
What others are clicking on: | 1.333333 |
Mayors also outline what's on the horizon for 2020
Black Press Media reached out to mayors from Langford, Colwood, View Royal, Metchosin, and Highlands to ask what has been accomplished by council in 2019 and what is on the horizon for 2020. Here’s what your mayors had to say. (Black Press Media file photo)
The holiday season is the best time to remember what we’ve accomplished and to look at what’s to come – and that’s exactly what five West Shore municipalities are doing before the year comes to a close.
Black Press Media reached out to mayors from Langford, Colwood, View Royal, Metchosin and Highlands to ask what has been accomplished by council in 2019 and what is on the horizon for 2020. Here’s what your mayors had to say.
Langford
“2019 has been a remarkable year for Langford,” said Mayor Stew Young. “As always, I have to take a moment to thank our extremely hard-working council, City staff, service delivery partners and volunteers for all of their efforts this year to make Langford one of the best places to live, work and raise a family.”
Earlier this year, it was announced that the Provincial Government would be providing funding for three new schools for Langford children.
In August, Langford saw the grand opening of a newly renovated and expanded Westhills Stadium and the Sarah Beckett Memorial Playground.
ALSO READ: Langford’s Sarah Beckett Memorial playground opens
READ MORE: 100 government employees will work in the West Shore by the end of 2020
Recently, it was announced that 10,000 square feet of government office space would be coming to Westhills so that fewer Langford residents have to commute to Victoria or elsewhere for work.
Finally, a mass timber project broke ground on Peatt Road, the first of its kind in Langford.
“Safety continues to be one of council’s top priorities, and with that in mind, we added three new RCMP officers and three new firefighters, all while keeping taxes among the lowest in the region,” Young said.
In the sports world, Pacific FC brought professional soccer to Langford and kicked off their inaugural season at the expanded Westhills Stadium, joining Rugby Canada and the Rebels Football Club, who call the stadium home.
In addition, Pacific FC and the City of Langford have come together to construct the Island Training Centre, the largest indoor field house in B.C.
The new facility features a full-size turf field and multi-sport hard court that can be converted into three volleyball courts and a basketball court for use by both professional and community organizations.
Langford welcomed more than 300 exciting new businesses this year.
“We’d like to send a special congratulations to Castro Boateng, owner and head chef at House of Boateng, for winning YAM Magazine’s 2019 Chef of the Year and Best New Restaurant awards,” Young pointed out.
RELATED: House of Boateng a restaurant success
ALSO READ: Langford buys $2.2 million oceanfront property with plans for eco-tourism, recreation
He recognizes many longstanding Langford businesses that have received special gold business licences to commemorate their ongoing service in the community, including Ma Millers Pub, Sandy’s Auto Parts, Western Speedway, Jacklin Trading Post, Glenwood Meats, the Cloth Castle, Devonshire Flowers, Belmont Collision, Belmont Veterinary and FTS Technologies.
Looking forward to 2020, he’s excited to see the new BoulderHouse open its doors at City Centre Park and to expand the trail network along Irwin Road and Humpback Road.
“We will also soon be announcing community programming for the City’s new oceanfront property at Finlayson Arm,” Young said.
In addition, the City will continue to work to identify and develop new commercial space to attract new businesses to the community and to improve access to post-secondary education in the West Shore for its students.
Maclean’s magazine named Langford the 38th best community in Canada this year.
“We continue to strive to be number one!” Young said.
Colwood
“Colwood has a lot to celebrate as we near the end of 2019 and look forward to 2020,” said Mayor Rob Martin. “With all this new growth, Colwood is excited to welcome new residents to our community. And it’s time to kick into high gear the plans we’ve been putting place over several years to accommodate these positive increases.”
In 2019, the Province made healthy investments in Colwood that will bring more than 300 much-needed new apartments to 342 Wale Road, 330 Goldstream Avenue and 2006 Sooke Road.
Residents are now seeing highly visible town centre areas coming to life, with Colwood Corners well on the way to completing its cornerstone building on Sooke Road. Work has begun on the first four buildings that will revitalize the town centre area and the public areas surrounding it. Building permits have been issued for ten buildings.
ALSO READ: First Colwood Corners building to start coming together by September
Colwood Council earned dozens of accolades for the award-winning Sustainable Infrastructure Replacement Plan, which protects future generations by setting aside the budget required to maintain the City’s roads, sewer and stormwater systems, natural assets and other infrastructure over the next 50 years.
“The plan will prevent large and unexpected tax increases for residents, because we have taken the time forecast future infrastructure replacement needs,” Martin said.
Colwood was also recognized for creating events and opportunities for residents to connect, as council received a Best of the West Shore Award for 2019 Eats & Beats at the Beach events.
Maclean’s Magazine named Colwood as one of the top two safest communities in B.C. and the sixth-best place in Canada to retire.
Council is also excited about the potential of the Allandale Lands on Veterans Memorial Parkway near Sooke Road, with a new owner preparing the site to bring new mixed-use employment opportunities to Colwood.
READ MORE: Plans for Colwood’s Royal Beach property moving forward
“Perhaps most exciting is the progress in Colwood’s newest waterfront neighbourhoods at Royal Bay and Royal Beach,” Martin said.
New parks and trails are steadily emerging for residents to enjoy as Gablecraft Homes prepares for the commercial Commons to take shape, starting with Sequoia Coffee which is expected to open a pop-up coffee shop in 2020.
Colwood has plans to review road layouts and intersections on priority routes, starting with the Latoria and Royal Bay area, and plan for necessary improvements to sidewalks, cycling routes, transit services and potential ferry options.
In 2020, they’ll be encouraging residents to get involved in the creation of a Parks & Recreation Master Plan, a Waterfront Master Plan and a Roadway Beautification Plan, to create engaging environments where people enjoy spending time.
“Council will strive to create a network of beautiful and connected streets, parks, trails and waterfront areas that will promote well-being, connection, inclusion and an ever-greater quality of life in Colwood,” Martin said.
Residents can visit www.letstalkcolwood.ca to join the conversation and help shape the future of Colwood.
View Royal
“One of the best pieces of news View Royal council received this year came in the form of a survey commissioned to check in with resident satisfaction in our town,” Mayor David Screech said.
“It turned out residents are very satisfied, giving the town, its services, and their lifestyles here a 99% thumbs up. Even the survey company was impressed with the results.”
ALSO READ: Survey says 99 per cent of residents call life in View Royal ‘good’ or ‘very good’
Health and wellness were at the forefront of View Royal’s 2019 initiatives.
A new bike park in View Royal Park has cyclists of all experience levels – from toddlers to adults – enjoying loops and curves and testing their own skill levels.
A new boat launch on Shoreline Drive makes Portage Inlet accessible to kayaks, canoes and much more.
View Royal is home to a myriad of parks and trails. A new map highlights some of the beauty spots, which has been added to their website at viewroyal.ca
Traffic continues to clog View Royal roadways during rush hours and the Six Mile Corridor is a particular choke point.
A study is underway and residents have had an opportunity to look at some of the options to alleviate congestion.
RELATED: View Royal seeks feedback on Six Mile corridor traffic congestion
Council declared a climate emergency and climate impact is a key lens as it considers projects and developments in the Town.
“Housing affordability is a challenge across the region and View Royal has initiated a gaps analysis to see where need is greatest in our Town. In the spring, council approved the first purpose-built affordable housing project – a CRD initiative – in 30 years,” said Screech.
At budget time, council agreed to add an additional RCMP officer to serve the town. It’s worth noting that the West Shore RCMP is striving to increase their visibility on streets and neighbourhoods.
“We closed this year with a proud moment in which our fire chief, Paul Hurst, received his provincial 35-year bar for continuous service,” Screech said.
“Chief Hurst has served View Royal for his entire career and I’m happy to report he plans to continue.”
ALSO READ: View Royal chief revisits 35 years of heading into the fire
In 2020, there will be major development proposals coming for North View Royal and council will review the Official Community Plan.
Additionally, View Royal hopes to work with its partners at WestShore Parks and Recreation to see the new skateboard park built.
Metchosin
This year began with the addition of newly elected officials, Couns. Sharie Epp and Marie-Térèse Little.
“Over the summer, significant improvements were made to the interior and exterior of Metchosin School,” said Mayor John Ranns.
ALSO READ: Much-needed upgrades coming to Metchosin School Museum
The project was organized by the Metchosin Arts and Cultural Association (MACCA) and completed by volunteers, Public Works crew, and inmates from William Head Work Release program.
The District continues to work on plans for achieving a sub-regional Emergency Training Centre at the school.
Over the past year, the District has seen increased demand from the public for bylaw enforcement and access to records under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act which has brought changes to their staffing levels. Ranns noted that this may result in a significant tax increase for 2020.
“I continue to believe that tax increases beyond inflation are unsustainable for a rural community and we may have to re-examine our philosophy on revenue sources over the next year,” Ranns said.
Council will consider its budget deliberations for the Five Year Financial Plan and Tax Rate Bylaws in 2020.
The District has been working to conserve the rural character and ecological space at Mary Hill, to which Beecher Bay First Nation has committed to help carry out.
READ MORE: Months after inmates escape Metchosin prison, community still wants answers
Looking ahead to 2020, the District will continue to work towards setting up fiscal revenue for the Metchosin School site through lease agreements to maximize rental return and re-fill the District’s reserves for the purchase of the school.
They’re planning to hold a goal-setting workshop that will provide the council with a chance to ‘examine foundational elements of service’ to the community so they can re-prioritize what Metchosin’s core values are.
Highlands
“I’m proud to lead a community where people care deeply for one another and that no matter what the issue, we find a way to move forward,” said Mayor Ken Williams.
In 2019, Highlands council and staff have been working on asset management and emergency planning this past year.
Highlands has implemented a ‘reserves and surplus’ policy, a pavement management plan, and a long-term financial plan.
Council has also endorsed an Emergency Program Strategic Plan and the implementation of recommendations is underway, such as the evacuation route planning project.
Council endorsed a Groundwater Protection Implementation and Work Plan and authorized staff to work with Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) to secure the remaining funding under the Gas Tax Grant.
ALSO READ: Highlands council remains united in opposition to proposed quarry
READ MORE: Highlands family plans to rebuild after losing home, three dogs to devastating fire
Highlands has also worked on a Regional Vegetation Management Strategy to help the region respond to climate stress in the nearby forests and streams.
This year, Highlands invited the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) to partake in the Municipal Survivor Climate Challenge, tracking their ecological footprint over a one-year period until Earth Day 2020.
Staff will report those successes back to council to report when the results are complete.
“In 2020, our new Community Hall landscaping project will be complete and looks terrific,” Williams said.
“The South Highlands Local Area Plan process has begun with the formation of a new task force that will help define South Highlands and update our Official Community Plan.”
aaron.guillen@goldstreamgazette.com
@iaaronguillenLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. | During the year, four new judges were appointed to the Supreme Court in September, taking its strength to 34, the highest-ever.
The ban on the practice of instant triple talaq, making it a penal offence and the increase in the strength of Supreme Court judges were two of the major achievements of the law ministry in 2019. In July, Parliament gave its nod to The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019. The new law makes talaq-e-biddat or any other similar form of talaq having the effect of instantaneous and irrevocable divorce pronounced by a Muslim husband void and illegal. It makes it illegal to pronounce talaq three times in spoken, written or through SMS or WhatsApp or any other electronic chat in one sitting. According to the new law, any Muslim who pronounces the illegal form of talaq upon his wife shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.
During the year, four new judges were appointed to the Supreme Court in September, taking its strength to 34, the highest-ever. However, vacancies in high courts and lower courts are on the rise and convincing state governments and the 25 high courts to come on board to create an all-India judicial service to recruit judges for the subordinate courts tops the agenda of the Law Ministry in 2020. Besides creating a consensus on setting up the All-India Judicial Services, the ministry will also have to focus on filling up vacancies in the high court.
On an average, the vacancies stood at 400 throughout this year. With more than 5,000 positions of judicial officers in district and subordinate courts lying vacant, the Law Ministry has pitched for setting up all-India judicial services. The sanctioned strength of the judicial officers in district and subordinate courts was 22,644. The number of judicial officers in position and vacant posts is 17,509 and 5,135, respectively. The government has proposed that while states and high courts can recruit judicial officers, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) can hold pan-India entrance tests. The ministry has made it clear that such services would not encroach on the powers of the states.
As of now, the selection and appointment of judges in subordinate courts is the responsibility of the high courts and state governments concerned. The Narendra Modi government has given a fresh push to the long-pending proposal to set up the new service to have a separate cadre for lower judiciary in the country. But there is a divergence of opinion among state governments and respective high courts on constitution of the All India Judicial Service (AIJS). One of the problems cited is that since several states have used powers under Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) to declare that the local language would be used in lower courts even for writing orders, a person say selected from Tamil Nadu may find it difficult to hold proceedings in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The other point of opposition is that an all India service may hamper the career progression of state judicial services officers. Another key issue the ministry has to handle in 2020 is vacancies in the 25 high courts. Throughout 2019, on an average, the high courts faced a shortage of 400 judges. According to Law Ministry data, as on September 1, the high courts had 414 vacant positions as compared to the sanctioned strength of 1,079 judges. The figure was 409 in August and 403 in July, as per the data. A three-member Supreme Court collegium recommends names of candidates for appointment as high court judges. In case of appointments to the Supreme Court, the collegium consists of five top judges of the top court. High court collegiums shortlist candidates for their respective high courts and send the names to the law ministry.
The ministry, along with background check reports by the Intelligence Bureau, forwards it to the Supreme Court collegium for a final call. The government has maintained that appointment of judges in the high courts is a “continuous collaborative process” between the Executive and the Judiciary, as it requires consultation and approval from various Constitutional authorities. Vacancies keep arising on account of retirement, resignation or elevation of judges and increase in judges’ strength. In June last year, the vacancy position stood at 399, while it was 396 in May.
In April, 399 posts of judges were vacant, while the figure was 394 in March. The vacancy position in February stood at 400 and in January, it was 392, according to the data collated by the Department of Justice. Over 43 lakh cases are pending in the 25 high courts. Another priority would be the finalisation of memorandum of procedure to guide appointment and transfer of Supreme Court and high court judges. The issue had now been pending for over two years now with the SC collegium and the government failing to reach a consensus. Successive governments have also been working on making India a hub of international arbitration. It has taken several steps to change laws dealing with commercial disputes. | 1.333333 |
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Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. | PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haitian President Jovenel Moïse broke with tradition on Wednesday and celebrated the country’s independence day in the capital for security reasons following months of political turmoil.
Moïse, whose government has been accused of corruption, denounced graft during his speech at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince and urged Haiti’s elite to work with the government and help create employment.
“We’re still extremely poor,” he said. “Those who continue to get rich find it normal that they do not pay taxes, find it normal that there can be no competition, find it normal that they set prices for consumers, especially when this consumer is the state itself.”
Moïse also apologized for the country’s ongoing power outages and renewed his 2016 campaign pledge to provide electricity 24 hours a day, saying it was harder to accomplish than he imagined.
The speech that marked the 216th anniversary of the world’s first black republic was originally slated to take place in the northern coastal town of Gonaives, where Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti’s independence. But the town, like many others, was hit by violent protests that began in September amid anger over corruption, fuel shortages and dwindling food supplies as opposition leaders and supporters demanded the resignation of Moïse. More than 40 people have been killed and dozens injured.
Large-scale protests in Port-au-Prince have since dissipated, although smaller ones are still occurring elsewhere in the country. On Wednesday, opposition leaders and supporters gathered in Gonaives to attend the funeral of an anti-government protester and then carried his coffin through the streets as more protesters joined them.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | 1 |
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Doha: There is chance for rain in some parts of the country on Sunday, Qatar Meteorology Department (QMD) said in its weather report. This could also bring down the temperature in the evening.
At the same time, temperature is expected to go up on Saturday with maximum temperature in Doha likely to reach 30 degree Celsius.
A shift in wind direction to southeasterly-southwesterly is likely on Saturday, January 4, 2020, causing moderate to fresh wind to become strong at times and could blow dust in some areas of the country, QMD added in its weather report.
Weather charts indicate a state of atmospheric instability on Sunday, January 5, 2020, due to extension of a low pressure system over the region as clouds are expected to increase gradually with a chance of scattered rain, may become thundery at times, until the beginning of Monday, January 6, 2020.
Northwesterly, moderate to fresh, wind is expected to affect the country again from Sunday evening becoming strong at times in some areas, causing a noticeable drop in temperature with minimum ranging between 10 to 17 degree Celsius and high waves exceeding 7 feet at times.
QMD urged public to avoid marine activities from Saturday evening until Tuesday as well as to follow latest updates through official social media accounts. | Tom Brady Uses Protection Stones, And Other Top 'Talkers' Of 2019That time the six-time Super Bowl champion revealed that his supermodel wife has him use protection stones...
Boston's Favorite Spots For Inexpensive Italian FoodLooking to satisfy your appetite for Italian fare without breaking the bank?
Boston's Best Day SpasIf you are looking for some pampering and relaxation, maybe a day spa in the place for you. Here are the top rated spots in Boston.
To Do List: Holiday Pops, Harlem Globetrotters & Outdoor SkatingThe kids are just about on Christmas break and you’ll be looking for ideas to get everybody out of the house and moving.
Small Bites: Where To Celebrate National Cupcake Day In BostonCupcakes are having a moment, and with good reason. Here are some of the best in Boston.
Weekend To Do List: Ski Chalet In The City, Holiday Market, Tea Party ReenactmentWant to cozy up by the fire of an après ski chalet – in the city? It's just one option on this weekend's To Do List. | 1 |
OCEAN CITY, Md. (AP) — A Maryland man has been sentenced to more than five months in jail for killing his dog. Police said the man had claimed he was Jesus Christ and had sent the canine to heaven.
The Daily Times reported Tuesday that Joseph Cryer pleaded guilty in late December to aggravated animal cruelty. The Ocean City man had already served 104 days in jail before he received his sentence.
Cryer was a former Ocean City mayoral candidate. He was arrested in September.
Police said they came to his house after a woman heard screaming from Cryer's home. Police said an officer noticed a significant amount of blood outside Cryer's house and that Cryer told the officer that he was Jesus Christ
According to police, Cryer said he hit the dog on the head with a hammer until it died and went to heaven. He said the dog was happy being with his brother who was also in heaven.
Police said an animal control officer who recovered the dog noticed a hole in the dog's head and a significant cut across the dog's neck. | OXON HILL, Md. — A police officer in Maryland has been placed on leave after he shot a dog during an investigation.
Prince George’s County Police said in a statement Monday that the incident occurred in the Washington suburb of Oxon Hill.
Police had responded to a home shortly after 3 a.m. in response to a report of a dispute. As the officers to spoke to one of the residents outside, a large dog “suddenly ran out of the home and toward the officers,” police said.
“Fearing for his safety, one of the patrol officers discharged his firearm and struck the dog,” police said.
The dog received emergency care and was listed in stable condition.
Police said the officer was placed on leave as part of the department’s standard operating procedure. The department’s Special Investigation Response Team is investigating.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | 1.5 |
The political backdrop of 2019 truly tested investors’ nerves and I think this is set to continue throughout 2020.
Despite an air of calm (along with a share price rally) descending on the markets post-election, I think this will be short-lived. The Conservative win halted the market uncertainty that had been weighing it down, but as the reality of a ‘Boris Brexit’ becomes ever more real, I think the fallout for British business will be clear.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability themes have been at the front of investors’ minds as increasing concerns around climate change moved up a gear or two in 2019. Raging Australian bushfires, Greta Thunberg meeting Sir David Attenborough and Mark Carney’s keynote speech warning big business to take responsibility before it’s too late, mean that we’ve ended the year with the climate emergency remaining headline news.
The pressure is on for capitalism to help prevent an almighty climate disaster and for companies to govern in a responsible way, creating opportunities, while improving lives and the environment.
Yet as investors, we shouldn’t forget that crisis brings opportunity. All of which causes me to consider some companies I think could go the distance in 2020 and prosper in a world more focused on ethical and sustainability issues.
FTSE 100 favourite
Unilever (LSE:ULVR) is a FTSE 100 consumer goods specialist with many household brands under its banner include Dove soap, Surf detergent and Knorr.
It’s considered a relatively safe stock to own, with its regular 3% dividend yield and plentiful supply of brands that consumers love to buy on repeat. It’s also a feel-good stock as it has championed alternatives to animal testing for over 30 years and in November it received the US Corporate Consciousness Award for industry-leading work to end animal testing.
It’s committed to sustainability and the environment too. It unveiled reusable packaging innovations a year ago. Last month it announced that it has partnered with speciality chemicals company Evonik to create an environmentally friendly cleaning ingredient, Rhamnolipid.
It has an £114bn market cap, price-to-earnings ratio of 17, earnings per share of £2.53 and its continued growth prospects look good too as it has considerable exposure to emerging markets such as Asia, Brazil and India.
A sweeter future
Associated British Foods (LSE:ABF) aims to provide safe, nutritious food and affordable clothing through its recognisable brands such as Twinings, Dorset Cereals, Ryvita, and Silver Spoon sugar along with its high street favourite retailer Primark.
The company has a £21bn market cap, trailing P/E of 23 and earnings per share are £1.11. Its dividend yield is 1.8%.
Despite (or perhaps because of) its Primark operation having been criticised from ethical and sustainable viewpoints in the past, in its 2019 responsibility report, it outlines its ethical business practices. It’s working to reduce its carbon footprint, use natural resources efficiently and promote biodiversity.
At its December AGM, it predicted another year of strong profit and margin growth in its grocery brands. Although its sugar division brought profits down in recent years when an oversupply problem caused prices to be suppressed, this seems to be taking a turn for the better and increasing demand is expected to increase prices in 2020.
I like both these companies as potential 2020 buys as they’re long-standing businesses with a catalogue of well-known brands and FTSE 100 status. I also think they’ll stand strong in post-Brexit Britain. | EL SEGUNDO — To welcome in the next decade, the Lakers shed their purple and gold for a night, opting for black-tie suits instead.
They were all over each other’s social media feeds, dancing and smoking cigars on Monday night as LeBron James celebrated his 35th birthday.
Because the Lakers play the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, New Year’s Eve celebrations are expected to be significantly toned down. James said he only decided three days before the big night that he would have a party at all, which his wife Savannah helped assemble on the short turnaround. It wasn’t just a birthday, but a turning of the page on the year as well.
“I was able to kill two birds with one stone, get my teammates there, coaching staff, my family, my friends, people that’s been around for quite a while and we had a heck of a time,” he said. “So it was another opportunity for us to bond, which we did. And if it brings us closer, then fantastic. That’s what it’s all about for me, bringing us closer to family as possible.”
The Lakers ended 2019 pretty tight-knit, with a strong body of work behind them. Leading the Western Conference standings and finishing a challenging December slate at 9-5, some of their hardest work is behind them even though the bulk of the schedule remains.
The year wrapped on an upbeat note with wins over the Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks. After that second victory, Coach Frank Vogel had a chance to look at the footage of his team holding the No. 1 offense in the NBA to just 95 points – to his surprise, he saw some opportunities where his defense (104.8 defensive rating, No. 7 in the NBA) could be even better.
That’s the Lakers’ 2019 resolution: They’re still looking for the perfect performance.
“It’s just reason for optimism that we still have a long way to go and a lot of room for improvement,” he said. “It’s exciting what we can be.”
A big part of that has been success against the teams they are supposed to beat: The Lakers are 17-0 against teams under .500 this season. They’ll have an opportunity to extend that perfection with upcoming home games against Phoenix, New Orleans, Detroit and New York.
The Lakers warmed to the challenge of their tough schedule last month, playing a host of teams bound for the playoffs. The concern, Vogel acknowledged, is that over a third of the way in against less-than-stellar competition, complacency can sneak in.
“It’s a different sort of stretch right now,” he said. “I think we begin to enter the dog days of the NBA season, which is like now until All-Star break where it gets a little monotonous and there’s a little bit of a grind and hopefully we can get through that stretch. And then once All-Star break hits, you’re in the home stretch after that.”
One of the factors the Lakers feel is in their favor is chemistry. Multiple players have cited the 1-through-15 chemistry on the roster as a strength, and James’ birthday party was the latest event where the Lakers have largely shown up off the court as a group.
James pointed to his youth league days as a model: When he was a young player, he and his teammates would go to parks or malls and play video games together.
“Not only did it influence the way I play on the court, having an effect on how I play today, it also had an influence of how I grew up with my friends, too, and having that brotherhood,” he said. “If you know anything about my childhood, the guys that I grew up playing ball are still around, they’re still like my best friends.”
The same concept is important to his NBA teams, James said, which is among the reasons everyone was invited. The feeling of the Lakers is that off-court chemistry will help form on-court bonds that can help them in competitive games.
It also leads to some nice post-party texts.
“The best thing about it is that my teammates said how much of a time they had,” he said. “My family and my friends had a heck of a time. Got a lot of messages this morning saying how much fun it was, how much love was in the air. So that’s what makes it cool for me. The people around me had a good time.”
🎥 LeBron: "We ended 2019 in a good position to continue to get better, and play better basketball in January than we did in December.” pic.twitter.com/CZnJC3MsC6 — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 1, 2020 | 1.333333 |
After hundreds of supporters of an Iran-backed Shiite Iraqi militia stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, President Trump pointed squarely at Iran, accusing the country — the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism — of “orchestrating” the attack and promising that Iran “will be held fully responsible.” Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, responded Wednesday by taunting Trump, declaring, “You can’t do a damn thing.”
In response to recent attacks by the Iran-supported Kataeb Hezbollah militia, including an attack Friday that resulted in the death of an American contractor, the U.S. military conducted strategic airstrikes on five of the militia’s facilities in Iraq and Syria on Sunday. Kataeb Hezbollah, the U.S. Department of Defense noted in a statement on the airstrikes, has “a strong linkage” with Iran’s Quds Force, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.
In retaliation for the airstrikes, which killed some 25 of the militia’s fighters, hundreds of supporters of the Iran-backed group converged on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, with dozens breaking into the compound and setting fires amid shouts of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”
Trump responded by blaming Iran and vowing to take action. “Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!” Trump tweeted Tuesday, adding in another post: “Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat.”
On Wednesday, Khamenei made his first public remarks about the attack on the embassy by tauntingly responding to Trump’s threat.
“That guy has tweeted that we [the United States] see Iran responsible for the events in Baghdad and we will respond to Iran,” Khamenei said in a televised address on state-controlled TV Wednesday, as reported by The Daily Mail.
“First of all, you can’t do a damn thing! This has nothing to do with Iran,” Khamenei continued. “Secondly, be logical…The people of this region hate America. Why don’t Americans understand this? You Americans have committed crimes in Iraq, you have committed crimes in Afghanistan. You have killed people.”
“If the Islamic Republic decides to oppose or fight against a country, it will do this explicitly,” said the leader.
Late Tuesday, the Defense Department announced that Trump has deployed 750 U.S. soldiers to the region and has ordered an additional 3,000 or so to prepare for potential deployment in the coming days.
In a press statement issued Tuesday night, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced that he has ordered the immediate deployment of 750 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The full brigade, which consists of about 4,000 soldiers, is preparing for potential deployment.
“This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today,” Esper said in the statement.
During an impromptu press conference Tuesday evening, Trump was asked if he could “foresee going to war with Iran.””I don’t think that would be a good idea for Iran,” he said. “It wouldn’t last very long. Do I want to? No. I want to have peace. I like peace. And Iran should want peace more than anybody. So I don’t see that happening. No, I don’t think Iran would want that to happen. It would go very quickly.” | Iraqi security forces have regained control of the area around the US Embassy in Baghdad after the compound was rocked by a second day of mass protests.
Earlier Wednesday security personnel fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds of protesters -- some of whom were seen trying to climb the building's walls -- eyewitnesses told CNN.
Other witnesses said the protesters were hurling rocks, and trying to set fire to walls and security booths at the embassy's main entrance.
It was the second day of mass demonstrations outside the building in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, in response to US airstrikes on an Iranian-backed militia group on Sunday.
But by Wednesday evening, the protesters had cleared away from the embassy compound's entrance.
"We have issued the order for everyone to withdraw, because America should have received our message," said a spokesman for the main protest group, Kataib Hezbollah, which had been targeted by the US airstrikes.
The protests broke out after the US carried out airstrikes on five facilities in Iraq and Syria, which it said were linked to the Iranian-backed group, killing dozens of people.
US officials hold Kataib Hezbollah responsible for a growing number of rocket attacks against American facilities in Iraq.
The death of a US contractor in one such attack last week was the last straw for the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump blamed Iran for both the US contractor's death and Tuesday's attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad, and warned Iran's leaders they would be held responsible for any deaths or destruction at the embassy.
"Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities," Trump tweeted. "They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat."
But Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded by tweeting that the US "can't do anything."
"If you were logical -- which you're not -- you'd see that your crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan... have made nations hate you," Khamenei added.
Eyewitnesses also told CNN that local law enforcement forces around the embassy had not been seen doing anything significant to stop the protestors demonstrating in front of the compound, or from throwing stones at it.
The airstrikes and ensuing protests come at a time of high tension between the US and Iran, and have stoked fears of a new proxy war in the Middle East .
US sends extra forces to protect embassy
In the wake of Tuesday's attack on the US Embassy, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the US would send approximately 750 soldiers to the Middle East.
"This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against US personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today," he said in a statement.
"The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world," Esper added.
Trump insisted in a tweet Tuesday that the embassy was safe. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also told Fox News that there are currently no plans to evacuate the embassy or pull US troops out.
The weekend's airstrikes have strained relations between Washington and Baghdad. Iraqi officials accuse the US of attacking without sufficient evidence, of violating Iraqi sovereignty and of threatening the country's security.
The embassy posted on its website that it would remain closed until further notice. It also advised that U.S. citizens not travel to Iraq, and advised anyone in the area to stay away from the embassy.
The militia targeted by US airstrikes
The Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah is militantly anti-American. In 2017 and 2018, its fighters in Syria tried to attack the US-supported garrison at al-Tanf on the Iraqi border.
It has provided hundreds of fighters for the Assad regime in Syria -- part of a broader Iranian effort to help stamp out the insurgency there -- and is an important element in Iranian efforts to extend its influence through northern Iraq and into Syria. The US strikes, notably, were against targets along the main route between Iran and Syria.
A spokesman for Kataib Hezbollah told CNN that the embassy protests were only a "first step."
"The American administration should understand the following: the first step was to protest near the American embassy, we are waiting their reactions to determine the second step," Mohamad Mouhiye said, calling for the US to shut down the embassy and withdraw from Iraq.
"First, close the doors of the evil embassy, which we consider a spy building and an operations room to administer and sabotage Iraq's well-being," Mouhiye said. "We also call on the US to withdraw their military forces which are in Iraq illegally." | 4 |
The Peninsula Online
Enjoy your new year weekend with some street food and exhibitions happening around Doha. We have listed a few of the interesting events happening in Qatar.
Metro Street Food – Food Fest
First ever outdoor metro event hosted by Q sports, with combination of food, beverages and a mini golf course setup at the DECC Metro station.
When: Jan 1 – April 2020
Weekdays: 12:30 pm – 11 pm; Weekends: 2 pm – 12 midnight
Where: DECC Metro Station
For details, click here
"It is our right to dream" exhibition
Katara will host "It is our right to dream" exhibition by the sculptor Sabhi Chtioui
When: Until January 18, 2020; 10 am - 10pm
Where: Building 47, Katara Cultural Village
For details, click here
Qatar, India & the Gulf: History, Culture and Society Exhibition
Qatar National library to exhibit connections between India, Qatar and the Gulf over 4,600 years as a part of the Qatar India 2019 Year of the Culture. The exhibition reveals hows this ancient relationship has influenced their history, culture and society in profound and surprising ways.
When: Until February 29, 2020; 3pm – 8pm
Where: Qatar National Library
For details, click here
"Suspicion" Exhibition
Katara Culutural Village welcomes everyone one to attend the opening of the "Suspicion"exhibition by the Palestinian artist Nameer Qassim.
When: 2 January, 2020; 12:00pm
Where: Building 18, Gallery 2; Katara
For details, click here
Spring Festival at Souq Waqif and Souq Al Wakrah
The festival includes circus show, parades and mind and skills games. Popular groups from different countries entertain visitors with cultural presentation such as folk dances and songs with the accompaniment of native musical instruments. The festival features around 60 games and rides in the two souqs. Visitors can see wild animals like lion and tiger at the circus shows.
When: Until January 4; 4pm until 10pm.
Where: Souq Waqif and Souq Al Wakrah
For details click here
Mahaseel Festival
The biggest edition of Mahaseel Festival is going on at Katara with more than 40 stalls to buy vegetables, flowers, honey, dairy and meat products offered by local companies at discounted prices. There is also a large area where children can enjoy inflatables in addition to a giant tent where they can play various computer games such as VR games making the festival a one-stop-shop for families.
When: Open every day from 9am to 9pm until December 28, after which it will be open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until March 31.
Where: Building 22, Katara
For details, click here
Different Dimension: An Energetic Place
The exhibition showcases 11 fascinating works by contemporary abstract artist Hala El Attar and marks a number of firsts for the young artist. El Attar visually manifests energy through her unique take on fluid art integrating different mediums and styles to achieve artworks that burst with colour and life.
When: The exhibition is open for public viewing until January 20 from 10am to 10pm
Where: W Doha’s Art 29 gallery
For details click here
Star Wars Activation Booth
Discover your side at the Star Wars Activation booth with the launch of Star Wars: The Rise of Sky-walker! Doha Festival City has set up a total of eight zones with each zone having different activities. The booth is open to all ages and no purchase is required. It requires registration and is on first come first served.
When: December 12 – January 12, 2020; 3pm-10pm
Where: Doha Festival City - Center Court Ground floor
For details, click here
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Read More 10 stunning gadgets to look forward to this year 01 Jan 2020 - 11:04 While the year gone by witnessed a surge in foldable smartphones, smart home speakers, wearables and PC gaming, 2020 is set to herald tech-lifestyle brands like 5G-capable devices including Internet of Things (IoT) home products, smart shoes, fitness bands and gaming-focused smartphones.
Read More Winter vegetable markets sell over half a tonne of honey in Dec 01 Jan 2020 - 9:23 The local farms are offering large quantity of pure honey from the harvest of last season (November) directly to the customers through their outlets in winter vegetable markets which operate from 7am to 5pm in Al Sheehaniya, Al Mazrouha, Al Wakrah, Al Khor-Al Zakhira and Al Shamal from Thursday to Saturday every week.
Read More Ooredoo launches New Year offers for Shahry and Qatarna customers 01 Jan 2020 - 9:06 Both new customers signing up for a new Shahry 5G or Qatarna 5G pack, and existing customers upgrading to a new Shahry 5G or Qatarna 5G pack, can choose an Add-on pack – either extra data, local minutes or international minutes, depending on pack – absolutely free for three months. | (MENAFN - The Peninsula) Qatar's leading telecommunications operator, Ooredoo, has announced special New Year 2020 offers for new and existing Shahry and Qatarna customers.
Both new customers signing up for a new Shahry 5G or Qatarna 5G pack, and existing customers upgrading to a new Shahry 5G or Qatarna 5G pack, can choose an Add-on pack either extra data, local minutes or international minutes, depending on pack absolutely free for three months.
New customers signing up for a Shahry 5G Pack will have the choice of the Data Pack 30, the Local Pack 30 or the International Pack 30 for three months free.
They can enjoy from 2GB to 5GB extra data, 300 to 1000 local minutes or 25 to 100 international minutes extra free per month.
New Qatarna customers will get Data Pack 50 or International Pack 50 free for three months, giving them from 20GB up to 30GB data or 500 to 1000 international minutes extra free per month.
Offers for new customers must be activated in any of our Ooredoo shops around town. Existing Shahry customers who upgrade to a new Shahry 5G pack will get the Data Pack 30 normally priced at QR30 - free for three months, giving them from 2GB to 10GB data extra per month.
Existing Qatarna customers who upgrade to a new Qatarna 5G Pack will get the Data Pack 50 - normally priced at QR50 per month - free for three months, giving them from 20GB to 30GB data extra absolutely free. Offers for existing customers will be activated automatically once the upgrade is processed.
Manar Khalifa Al Muraikhi, Director PR and Corporate Communications at Ooredoo, said: 'The recent launch of our new Shahry and Qatarna 5G postpaid packs has been extremely popular and we're delighted to introduce these offers so customers get even better for value for money as well as our awesome service. Whether they have a 5G-compatible device or not yet, they'll be able to access the Supernet and stay in touch with loved ones for longer with the free add-ons.
The New Year 2020 promotion runs from today until January 4.
MENAFN0101202000630000ID1099494583 | 2.333333 |
A basketball star took a sabbatical to help free a man she believed was wrongly convicted. Residents of a neighborhood in Mobile, Ala., sought to raise the sunken Clotilda, the last slave ship to reach the United States, as a way of reconnecting with their ancestors. Chinese railroad workers were finally recognized for the pivotal role they played in the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad.
At a time when disinformation, hate crimes, inequality and white supremacy seem to be on the rise, stories like these helped amplify the voices of the unheard and raise awareness about efforts across the country to curb the rising tide of racial injustice. They were stories about bravery and celebrating difference. They were stories that provided a little dose of optimism.
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Kelly Fraser in 2018 arrives on the red carpet at the Juno Awards in Vancouver. (Darryl Dyck/AP)
Kelly Fraser, a Canadian pop artist who gained attention for an Inuit-language cover of Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” part of her advocacy efforts for her indigenous culture, died Dec. 24 in Winnipeg. She was 26.
Her family issued a statement saying the cause was suicide, adding that “Kelly suffered from PTSD for many years as a result of childhood traumas, racism and persistent cyberbullying.”
Ms. Fraser, who grew up in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, and was living in Winnipeg, released “Isuma,” her debut album, in 2014. Her sophomore album, “Sedna,” came out in 2017 and was nominated for indigenous music album of the year at Canada’s Juno music awards.
When Ms. Fraser wrote or translated songs into Inuktitut, an Inuit language, a key aim was to “use pop music as a platform to strengthen her language,” said her producer, Thor Simonsen. She also wanted to make the music as accessible to as many people as possible, he said, so she mixed English and Inuktitut in her recordings and blended traditional Inuit sounds and themes with contemporary pop.
A video of her version of “Diamonds” was widely viewed online.
Ms. Fraser was “extremely passionate about trying to improve conditions for Inuit people” as well, and wanted to help young people understand the history that contributed to their difficulties, Simonsen said.
In a 2017 statement that accompanied the release of “Sedna,” Ms. Fraser said the album’s goal was to heal those suffering from the results of colonization, including the “damaging effects of residential school and forced relocation. There is a great need for Inuit artists to directly speak to those affected from the past.”
She was working on a third album, “Decolonize,” at the time of her death, Simonsen said. | Canada's music community — especially the close-knit Indigenous music scene — is still reeling from the death of young Inuk singer Kelly Fraser.
On Monday, her family confirmed Fraser had died by suicide Christmas Eve in Winnipeg, where she had been living. She was 26.
Jerilynn Webster a.k.a. J.B. the First Lady, a Vancouver-based hip-hop musician from the Nuxalk and Onondaga nations, says her death has been particularly painful.
"Kelly was so beloved to our indigenous community," she told host Stephen Quinn on CBC's The Early Edition.
J.B. and Fraser had performed together on several occasions, and Fraser had spent some time in Vancouver in the past few years.
"When you see another Indigenous female onstage, you're, like, instantly cousins," J.B. said. "She was always super smiley and so open and giving and loving."
J.B. said watching a young artist like Fraser use her Inuktitut language in her art and music was powerful. Fraser first came to prominence with a viral video singing Rihanna's song Diamonds in Inuktitut.
Inuk singer talks to Rosanna Deerchild 3:32
"It's just so powerful because our legacy of residential schools has taught us to not be proud of who we are, and to take away the language," J.B. said.
"She really was able to be that role model that we needed."
In a statement, Fraser's family said she had suffered from PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] for many years as a result of childhood traumas, racism and persistent cyberbullying.
J.B. says being a young Indigenous woman in the music industry is tough where you're expected to not only handle being in the music industry, but represent your community and family.
Jerilynn Webster a.k.a. J.B. the First Lady is a Vancouver-based hip-hop musician from the Nuxalk and Onondaga nations.
She says community can be a double-edged sword: it can be extremely supportive but also very hard on you.
"You gotta have that thick skin. But at the same time you're ... baring your heart."
For J.B., who has also dealt with post-traumatic stress and mental health struggles, digging into her music and working with young people has helped.
In such a tough environment, it's important to be gentle, she said.
"This is a deep reminder to the Indigenous community how important it is to be gentle to our leaders, to our cultural language teachers, and our youth workers, and the people that deal with the heavy complexities of colonialism every day."
Where to get help
If you're worried someone you know may be at risk of suicide, you should talk to them about it, says the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.
Listen to the interview with J.B. the First Lady here: | 3.5 |
BEIJING — China’s central bank said on Wednesday it was cutting the amount of cash that all banks must hold as reserves, releasing around 800 billion yuan ($114.91 billion) in funds to shore up the slowing economy.
The People’s Bank of China(PBOC) said on its website it will cut banks’ reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 50 basis points, effective Jan. 6. The move would bring the level for big banks down to 12.5%.
The PBOC has now cut RRR eight times since early 2018 to free up more funds for banks to lend as economic growth slows to the weakest pace in nearly 30 years.
Many investors had expected Beijing to announce more support measures soon. While recent data has shown signs of improvement, and Beijing and Washington have agreed to de-escalate their long trade war, analysts are unsure if either will prove sustainable and forecast growth will cool further this year.
“The RRR cut will help boost investor confidence and support the economy, which is gradually steadying,” said Wen Bin, an economist at Minsheng Bank in Beijing, who also expects another cut in China’s new loan prime rate (LPR) this month.
Premier Li Keqiang raised expectations of an imminent RRR cut in a speech in late December, saying authorities were considering more measures to lower financing costs for smaller companies, including broad-based and “targeted” RRR reductions aimed at helping more vulnerable parts of the economy.
Freeing up more liquidity now would also reduce the risks of a credit crunch ahead of the long Lunar New Year holidays later this month, when demand for cash surges. Record debt defaults and problems at some smaller banks have already added to strains on China’s financial system.
The PBOC said it expects total liquidity in the banking system to remain stable ahead of the Lunar New Year.
Of the latest funds released, small and medium banks would receive roughly 120 billion yuan, the central bank said, stressing that it should be used to fund small, local businesses.
The PBOC said lower reserve requirements will reduce banks’ annual funding costs by 15 billion yuan, which could reduce pressure on their profit margins from recent interest rate reforms. Last week, it said existing floating-rate loans will be switched to the new benchmark rate starting from Jan. 1 as part of a broader effort to lower financing costs.
Analysts at Nomura had forecast the PBOC would deliver a system-wide 50 bps cut in the RRR before the holidays, together with an added reduction for some smaller banks.
Analysts say the U.S-China Phase one trade deal, expected to be signed this month, will relieve only some of the pressure weighing on the Chinese economy, which has also been weighed down by sluggish domestic and global demand, slowing investment and weakening business confidence.
China plans to set a lower economic growth target of around 6% in 2020, relying on increased state infrastructure spending to ward off a sharper slowdown, policy sources said. Growth has cooled from 6.8% in 2017 to 6% in the third quarter of 2019, the slowest since the early 1990s.
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Smaller, private firms have been particularly hard hit as regulators clamped down on riskier types of financing and debt.
Despite Beijing’s urging, commercial banks have been reluctant to lend to such firms as they are considered bigger credit risks than state-owned firms.
In recent months, China has also started to make modest cuts in major policy lending rates to lower corporate financing costs, with more expected in the new year.
Tang Jianwei, a senior economist at Bank of Communications in Shanghai, expects two to three RRR cuts this year and a further 25-30 bps reduction in the loan prime rate.
But officials have repeatedly pledged not to resort to “flood-like” stimulus like that in past economic downturns, which left a mountain of debt and stoked fears of property market bubbles. ($1 = 6.9617 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Cate Cadell; Additional reporting by Kevin Yao; Editing by Kim Coghill) | BEIJING: China's central bank said on Wednesday it was cutting the amount of cash that all banks must hold as reserves, releasing around 800 billion yuan ($114.91 billion) in liquidity to shore up the slowing economy.
The People's Bank of China said on its website it will cut banks' reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 50 basis points, effective Jan. 6. Many analysts had expected such a move was imminent.
The PBOC has now cut RRR eight times since early 2018 to spur more bank lending as economic growth slows to the weakest pace in nearly 30 years. - Reuters | 3.666667 |
Jamaica’s music scene graces listeners with infectious riddims and social commentary, but its lyrical content can also be homophobic. Now, dancehall’s first openly gay solo artist Demaro hopes his music can break stigmas in the Caribbean toward the LGBTQ community.
The 34-year-old’s midtempo debut single “Mi Readi” features his tender, uplifting baritone over a swaying fusion of soca, hip-hop, Afrobeat and dancehall. The accompanying music video -- directed by Tony Valles and premiering exclusively on Billboard below -- captures the chiseled singer/songwriter, along with a few bystanders, dancing and vibing on the streets of New York City and inside a laundromat with Jamaican drag performer Jahlove Serrano.
“I want people to listen to my music with an open mind and know that I’m a gay artist who’s been through some struggles, but I’m still here not giving up,” said Demaro, who wrote “Mi Readi” in 45 minutes. “I’m ready to take over.”
Demaro Brown grew up in Westmoreland, a rural area of western Jamaica near Negril. Raised the third of four children by a single mother, he recognized his truth early on but remained closeted because Jamaica didn’t have rights protecting homosexuality.
On one occasion, Demaro was stabbed by someone random in his leg but managed to escape. He got a visa when he turned 22 and relocated to New York to escape his surroundings. “I’ve been told that I would go to hell,” Demaro said. “In Jamaica, you just cannot be a gay man down there at all. That’s a no-no. Even now, you have to be on the DL. We still had our way of getting around, but you had to be discreet in the streets.
“I just knew that I wanted more, and Jamaica never had much to offer me,” Demaro continues. “I never had much help in Jamaica navigating myself and knowing that I had these feelings. There was no one there that I could talk to about what I was feeling.”
Once Demaro relocated to New York, he landed opportunities to style and design for Francis Henry and collaborate with celebrity stylist June Ambrose. Even with some minor successes, Demaro fell on hard times, became homeless and battled depression.
Demaro has gone to therapy for the last two years to overcome his past and come to terms with his sexuality. Those sessions birthed the newcomer’s active workout regimen, healthy lifestyle and musical career.
“It’s good to talk to someone about what’s going on with you,” said Demaro, who came out to his immediate family last year. “I just started writing and expressing myself. A lot of things weren’t right with me, and therapy reminded me of my value as a human. It was like starting my life all over again.”
Demaro’s debut EP, Good Vibes Only, is tentatively set for a spring 2020 release around Pride Month. He opened for teen Island Records signee Kidd Kenn. Excited for his upcoming project, the performer certainly has one specific audience in mind.
“I want younger gay men, especially in Jamaica, to keep on fighting,” Demaro said. “Don’t give up. You’re beautiful and going to be OK. Don’t give up on yourself. We’ve all gone through bad times, but young men must keep pushing.”
Watch Demaro's "Mi Readi" video below: | This scam will probably sound familiar to you: A person — usually elderly — gets a phone call announcing a grandchild is in jail or was in an accident or is in some other kind of pickle. The kid needs cash fast.
That’s old news. I’ve written about this a lot.
But here’s a frightening new twist on this standard swindle that you ought to know about. So pay attention, especially if you are a concerned relative, a bank teller or, especially, a New York City doorman.
Under the time-honored scenario, a crook commands his target to go to the nearest electronics outlet or department store and buy gift cards, usually for around $10,000. Then, he has the victim read off the serial numbers on the card over the phone.
No muss, no fuss, no danger.
The new variation is far more frightening: The crook, or his agent, comes to a person’s house or apartment building to collect the ransom in cash.
That’s what happened to a woman I’ll call Cecilia, an 88-year-old who lives on the Upper East Side with her daughter and family. I’m changing some details so the people can’t be recognized or unduly harassed.
Cecilia’s daughter told me the story in phone conversations and emails. “My mother received a call from someone impersonating my son, saying he was in an accident and in jail,” she says.
So far, standard.
see also Scammers are out to screw your grandma Grandmas and grandpas don’t usually spend thousands of dollars on...
“This person got on the phone saying he was a lawyer and she needed to give cash to get her grandson out of jail,” she continued.
He wanted cash. No gift cards for this crook.
Cecilia went to the Bank of America branch on East 86th Street and Lexington Avenue and withdrew $9,500. She was told by the crook that someone would come for the money.
That’s the new variation. In the past, victims would be out money — but at least they weren’t in any physical danger.
“They came to our building,” the daughter says, “and the doorman told her she had a visitor who didn’t want to go upstairs. She came downstairs and gave the man the money.”
The doorman later told the daughter that Cecilia was upset and “in a daze. He tried to help, but my mother said she was OK.”
Cecilia was acting strange at the bank as well and the workers at Bank of America offered her a glass of water to calm her down.
The family did get a notification of a large withdrawal from the account — but it was too late to stop the transaction.
“My husband handles my mom’s finances and got a withdrawal alert and called me to ask why Mom took out a lot of money,” said the daughter. “I had called her and she kept saying, ‘I will tell you when I get home.’ So I rushed home. If I got there five minutes earlier, I could have stopped it.”
Or gotten hurt in a physical altercation with the person picking up the cash.
Police believe the call from the scammer came from Canada. They are pretty sure that someone else picks up the money. “They are always third parties picking it up,” said a detective working the case.
The whole thing was caught on street cameras, and police have a warrant out for the suspect.
Alarmingly, Cecilia isn’t the only one who is being scammed in this way.
“We have cases like this throughout the city. It’s not unusual anymore,” the detective said, adding that the police are working with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to solve the crime.
see also Be careful of this PayPal scam There are scams aplenty out there on the internet, and...
According to the daughter, the person who picked up the money “was clean cut. No facial hairs or body tattoos” that could be seen.
The police told the daughter that sometimes the people picking up the money “don’t know what they were hired to do.”
I contacted Bank of America when I heard about this incident a few weeks ago, but I didn’t get a response.
Nor did Cecilia’s family hear from the bank, according to the daughter.
In case you think this is an instance of a feeble-minded individual being outsmarted, the daughter has this to say: “My mom’s very savvy. She hangs up on telemarketers.”
But now Cecilia doesn’t even answer the phone.
If you’ve been taken by a scam like this, call the cops. And if you haven’t — yet — maybe this will make you a little more careful and suspicious of phone calls like the one Cecilia got. Just ignore the stranger’s plea and hang up.
Here’s something to remember in 2020 that you might have forgotten: The stock market doesn’t always go up, like it did last year.
Think about the swoon that happened after December 2018, when the Federal Reserve started to raise interest rates for the first time in a decade.
And think about what will happen if the next decade is one in which high inflation is the prevailing theme and interest rates need to go much higher.
Since this column is such a downer, let me finish by saying Happy New Year and good health to you in 2020! | 1 |
A bull statue stands outside Amsterdam Stock Exchange, operated by Euronext NV, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019. European equities erased earlier gains as food and health care shares declined and optimism stemming from China's monetary easing evaporated.
(Bloomberg) -- Equity capital markets bankers won’t be sad to close the door on a miserable 2019 in Europe. Though some of the elements that made for a volatile environment for initial public offerings are still in play, there is reason to hope 2020 will bring fairer weather.
Trade tensions have eased after a deal between the U.S. and China this month, and the U.K.’s path out of the European Union became clearer when the Conservative Party won a resounding majority in the general election.
Nevertheless, slowing global growth, the abundance of cheap debt and a profusion of private capital looking for attractive assets continue to put a damper on European IPOs. The regulatory burden and cost of a public listing are less attractive when so much alternative funding is available.
“I’m not expecting a great big rush of transactions in 2020, but there is still scope of high-quality businesses to come to market,” said David Clark, an investment manager at Saracen Fund Managers. Firms will continue to list for the wider access to capital and the higher profile, while an IPO is still a viable route for private companies to test their valuations, he said.
Europe has been hit for years by de-equitization, where public markets shrink as not enough new shares are sold to offset buybacks, mergers and take-private transactions. Yet, public markets still have an important role to play in providing much-needed liquidity, investor protections and secure trading platforms, said James Roe, ECM partner at Allen & Overy.
The drop in London listings is a “short-term impact of Brexit,” and once the uncertainty lifts, it will return to more normal levels of activity, Roe said.
Here is a list of some of potential 2020 IPO candidates to keep an eye on in Europe:
1. Wintershall DEA (Germany, oil & gas)
A listing for one of Europe’s largest independent oil-and-gas exploration and production businesses has been in the works for some time. Its co-owners, German chemicals giant BASF SE and Mikhail Fridman-controlled investor LetterOne, selected advisers months ago to prepare for an IPO, and the company says it will ready by summer 2020. Wintershall DEA could be valued at more than $20 billion, making it one of the largest floats in the industry in Europe since Rosneft’s $11 billion offering in 2006.
Shares in Wintershall could appeal to many of the international investors who shied away from Saudi Aramco’s $25.6 billion Riyadh listing due to concerns over governance, security and a high valuation with a comparatively modest dividend policy. Wintershall could offer a strong alternative if Aramco decides to push ahead with a foreign listing in the next couple of years.
2. Syngenta (Switzerland, pesticide producer)
It seems like only yesterday that ChemChina closed its $43 billion acquisition of Swiss pesticide business Syngenta, but it’s now been two years since completion. While the original goal was to re-list Syngenta in Switzerland by 2022, Chief Executive Officer Erik Fyrwald has said the company is working with several banks to be ready for an IPO as soon as next year.
Previously listed in Zurich and New York, the firm will stick with a domestic float, while it is also considering a secondary quotation in China, Hong Kong, London or New York, the CEO said. Syngenta could well be the chemical industry’s largest ever listing.
3. Orange Africa (France/Africa, telco)
France’s largest mobile phone provider, Orange SA, is planning an initial share sale of its Africa and Middle East unit that could kick off as soon as next year. The company is “technically ready” for the IPO and has mandated advisers, CEO Stephane Richard said Dec. 4. Paris and London are under consideration for the listing venue. The unit could be worth close to 13 billion euros ($14.4 billion), according to Bloomberg Intelligence.
Orange Africa isn’t the only big telecommunications listing in the pipeline for next year. Deutsche Telekom AG reportedly is weighing several disposals in 2020, including a sale or IPO of T-Mobile Netherlands. With more clarity on Brexit expected next year, there could also be scope for Spain’s Telefonica SA to revive a share sale for its British mobile network O2.
4. Interswitch (Nigeria, payments)
After a strong year in 2019 with Network International and Nexi, floats in the payments industry are set to continue this good streak into next year. One to keep an eye on is Nigeria-based Interswitch, which pushed back plans for a London listing until the first half of 2020. Visa took a significant minority stake in the business, valuing it at $1 billion, as the U.S. credit-card company has become a key pre-IPO investor in the industry.
Other IPO candidates in the sector that may try their luck in 2020 include the U.K.’s Paysafe, which could be re-listed, Italy’s SIA and Swedish payments firms Qliro and Klarna, though the latter may not happen until 2021. The pipeline is full of other fintech companies, such as digital banking software provider Avaloq in Switzerland and the U.K. peer-to-peer lender Zopa.
5. JDE Peet’s (Germany, coffee)
One last-minute hot entry came through this month when the news broke that the billionaire Reimann family’s JAB Holding is considering a 2020 IPO for its coffee business, which includes brands such as Peet’s, Senseo, Pickwick, Jacobs and Douwe Egberts. The offering would raise as much as $3.4 billion and JAB is leaning toward Amsterdam, home of Douwe Egberts, as the listing venue, the Financial Times reported.
Coffee has been one of the hottest areas for acquisitions for years, led by JAB, which has been ahead of the curve with early investments in hipster and specialty coffee brands like Caribou, Stumptown and Intelligentsia. By bringing its many brands under one roof, JAB is creating a bigger competitor for giants Nespresso and Starbucks. If successful, could the offering even lure independence-minded Illycaffe to the stock market?
6. Sativa (U.K., medicinal cannabis)
Decidedly smaller than the previous entries, but no less exciting, is Sativa Group Plc’s bid to list on the AIM market in January. The British CBD and medicinal cannabis company will be the first of its kind to list on the London Stock Exchange, as companies in this sector have so far been limited to fringe exchanges, generally outside of the mandates for most institutional investors.
Though recreational marijuana remains illegal in Europe, the changing attitudes and legislation about pharmaceutical use has several cannabis companies preparing for London IPOs, and bankers have been eagerly anticipating a boom in European pot listings. Still, the recent crash in weed stocks in North America, after initial explosive growth, may temper the enthusiasm.
7. Rubix Group (U.K., industrial supplies)
Ever since the U.K.’s vote to leave the EU in 2016, London has lost some of its allure as a listing venue. Most domestic companies have shied away from an IPO, but with Brexit uncertainty set to subside after the Conservative Party election win, companies like Rubix could tap the market. Advent International Corp. hired banks to prepare it for an IPO next year that could value the company at over $3.3 billion pounds.
8. Engen (South Africa, fuel retailer)
Malaysian oil company Petroliam Nasional Bhd. is considering listing its South African subsidiary Engen, the country’s largest fuel retailer, on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in the first half of next year. Funds raised from the IPO would be put toward upgrading facilities to meet more stringent regulations on pollution and to expand its network of gas stations, in order to tap the rapidly growing segment of middle-class consumers.
9. Global Blue (Switzerland, tax refund company)
Switzerland-based Global Blue is a name that has swirled around the IPO pipeline for some time, but its plans for an IPO in Amsterdam have recently firmed up. For a moment, it seemed owner Silver Lake might try to list it in December, but held off, and could well launch the transaction early on in 2020 instead. The share sale could come to $1.1 billion at a valuation of $4.4 billion, Reuters reported in October.
10. Lamborghini (Italy, supercars)
Lastly, a bit more of a speculative, but exciting, possibility: Volkswagen AG’s supercar unit Lamborghini. The German carmaker is weighing a sale or a listing for the luxury car brand. If it goes the IPO route, Lamborghini could try to ride in the slipstream of Ferrari’s runaway success story. Easier said than done, though. Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings Plc, the British carmaker of James Bond fame, tried to make the same comparison in its 2018 float, but the stock turned sour from the word go.
--With assistance from Swetha Gopinath.
To contact the reporter on this story: Kat Van Hoof in London at kvanhoof@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Blaise Robinson at brobinson58@bloomberg.net, Phil Serafino, Jon Menon
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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SWI swissinfo.ch on Instagram SWI swissinfo.ch on Instagram | The U.S. and China are expected to sign an ambitious "Phase One" trade package Jan. 15, President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Tuesday morning. The agriculture community is patiently waiting to learn more, as uncertainty over ag export markets continues to hang over commodity markets.
Details of the 86-page document are still being translated and finalized, but Gregg Doud, chief agricultural negotiator with the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, says the new agreement will not only increase Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products but pave the way for long-term structural reforms that will benefit farmers and ranchers for decades to come.
Agri-Pulse asked Doud about the China deal, other possible bilateral agreements, and how he views the administration’s progress on trade in 2019. Some questions and comments were edited for brevity.
1. As you worked on the ag trade portion of the “Phase One” Chinese trade deal, describe the negotiations between you and Han Jun, your Chinese counterpart who serves as the vice minister for agriculture and rural affairs in China.
There were 33 negotiating sessions this year related to agriculture. We had hours and hours of conversations about all kinds of things related to an enormous number of topics. He and I both could sense how historic these conversations were. They were very interested in how we regulated things while comparing and contrasting how other countries do it.
We didn't discuss tariffs. This was about structural changes and hopes of making changes that will be lasting for a long time. At times, these conversations were extremely technical in nature. Sometimes, these conversations would get stuck on language barriers between English and Mandarin. I vividly recall a spending an hour arguing over what one word meant. We certainly improved our understanding over time. They were very professional.
2. What should people expect in terms of purchases?
The base period for 2020 and 2021 is $24 billion each year and China has committed to purchase $32 billion in agricultural products over two years. To make the math simple, it’s basically $40 billion a year for two years. Actually, a little less in 2020 and a little more in 2021.
And that’s regardless of price, although there are seasonal components in there. It has to be an economic purchase, obviously, but this is a commitment overall in agriculture. Are there specific commitments for specific commodities within that? The answer is yes, but those numbers will not be made public.
People should expect a full and unfettered range of agricultural products to be included. For example, pet food, all kinds of fruits and vegetables, almonds, ethanol, distillers’ dried grains (DDGs).
In 2018, China bought $124 billion in ag products from around the world. To put that in context, our total ag exports in 2018 were $145 billion. What we are asking China to do is go from $24 billion to $40 billion out of that $124 billion.
Going from $24 billion to $40 billion — when you look at the overall context — to me is not a stretch. Secondly, the people who indicate that this is not possible are not understanding the structural changes that will be made on issues like phytosanitary and sanitary rules and other non-tariff trade barriers.
Hopefully, folks will get a better feel for what those are once they see the agreement. Our expectation is that the agreement will be made public right about the time it’s signed. Everybody will get to see the timelines involved and how all this is going to work and unfold. I think it'll surprise people to see the level of specificity and complexity in our discussions.
3. What happens to other countries like Brazil who have been supplying soybeans to China during our trade war? What if they take additional actions like devaluing their currency to make U.S. soybeans less competitive?
This is an enormous challenge for us. If Brazil's currency continues to devalue against the U.S. dollar, that sends a signal this year to expand acreage for corn and soybeans in Brazil. The strength in the U.S. dollar sends the opposite signal. And if this continues over time, it presents an enormously complicating factor in terms of price discovery.
What does the U.S. do? I don't know the answer to that. I will tell you that something similar happened before in 1985 with the Plaza Accord with Japan. It was a fascinating piece of history, but I'm not foreshadowing that for the future.
4. Are there structural reforms in how biotechnology is approved in China? We’ve heard that members of the crop protection industry were told that they would be pleased.
The only thing I can say at this point is that the topic was discussed. Earlier this week, China approved some new traits. (For import, they approved two traits — one for papaya and one for soybeans from U.S. developers.)
Interested in more trade coverage and insights? Receive a free month of Agri-Pulse or Agri-Pulse West by clicking here.
5. What if commitments aren’t met and basically, things don’t go as planned?
There will be an enforcement structure, meaning that if there's a failure to meet the commitments in the agreement, then an enforcement mechanism will occur that is commensurate with the quantity or the value that is not being complied with.
6. How long will it take to implement the China deal?
It takes time to ramp things up. This poultry deal with China has already been announced but it takes time to get the shipping labels right and the facilities approved. It takes time to get stuff on the water. Over a period of the next several months, you're really going to see things change.
But you just have one shot to get it right. So, you have to take the time to make sure all the i's are dotted, and t's are crossed. As you know, there’s a lot of dollars involved.
7. You’ve been working on more than trade with China. Can you give us a list of other actions that USTR has taken this year to expand trade?
Here are the highlights.
We signed on Dec. 30 an agreement with South Korea establishing the largest volume of guaranteed market access for U.S. rice in Korea.
We had a discussion with Chile about the decision not to impose safeguards on imported milk powder.
We got a European Commission decision recognizing the sustainability of U.S. soybeans for use in biofuels and of the use renewable energy directive.
We agreed with South Africa on lifting remaining restrictions on U.S. apples from Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
We had some success in Tunisia opening up that market for U.S. beef, poultry and egg products.
We had discussions with the EU, in addition to continuity on wine and spirits.
We also had an exchange of letters regarding recognition of equivalents on the USDA National organic program with the UK. Again, Brexit-related.
We had some success with Guatemala on certain corrections to certificates of origin.
In May of this year, we got Japan to take beef from all ages for U.S. cattle.
We worked in Central America and FDA on approval of food additives along with what is listed by CODEX on a technical regulation.
We worked diligently to get USMCA across the finish line.
We were able to get a higher quota for U.S. beef into the EU. Once we get to year seven on that deal, the industry thinks that'll be a $420 million market compared to about $150 million last year.
We got the Vietnam market open to U.S. oranges.
We negotiated the U.S.-Japan trade agreement. That kicks in Jan. 1.
Also, there was a Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) for 750,000 tons of wheat into Brazil.
We got U.S. poultry into China for the first time in 5 years. The industry tells me they think the chicken paws alone will be worth $835 million.
We got Saudi Arabia to withdraw a measure requiring mandatory sugar limits for processed food and beverage products. They were planning on banning products that exceeded certain levels of sugar. That would have affected about $400 million of U.S. processed food and beverage exports to Saudi Arabia.
8. You’ve listed a lot of successes, but some people are looking back and wondering, if we had just stayed with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), if we had just left NAFTA alone and possibly tried to deal with China, would we have been better off on the export front?
First of all, you'll recall that 2018 ag exports were up about 1% versus 2017, right? Keep in mind, we've lost 10 million tons of soybean demand China due to African swine fever. We’ve gone from 95 to 85 million tons of total Chinese soybean Imports.
We’ve had a really strong dollar. There was a three-month period last year that I vividly recall where the Brazilian real depreciated 6% against the U.S. dollar. That’s 60 cents a bushel that comes right off the top before you have a conversation about anything else.
That hurts and that's why it's always important to look at those numbers more holistically than just that one certain aspect of export numbers.
Our exports through October are down about $5 billion from a year ago, but one commodity, corn, is down $4 billion through October a year ago. It has nothing to do with the trade war. It has everything to do with enormous crops out of Brazil, Argentina and Ukraine and wet weather that took us out of the market for several months. It’s a supply issue. You know in Brazil, Argentina and the Ukraine, they can't store that corn. It's got to go to market.
And let’s face it, TPP was never going to happen because there were not the votes in Congress. Everybody assumes the TPP was just going to happen. That is a completely inaccurate assumption.
9. So, where do you go next?
The deal with Japan that goes into effect Jan. 1. It is one of the great accomplishments that I can think of in many, many years for U.S. agriculture. When you add up USMCA, China, and Japan, that's 51% of our total ag exports. We have completely overhauled our trading relationship in the last two years or less than two years with over half of U.S. ag exports. That's unprecedented.
Now that we have the results of the recent election in the UK, I would anticipate the opportunity, potentially there very soon, to see if we can begin discussions with the UK. We've already gone through some of the compulsory TPA discussions with Congress on that in terms of negotiating objectives. So, when and if the horn sounds, or the flag drops, or whatever analogy what you want to use, and that opportunity arises, I would anticipate that we will get started quickly.
There will probably be one other opportunity that I'm aware of that. I can't discuss it yet. Another interesting area that needs to be discussed is the WTO, and I think there will be a focus on that in this building next year and as it leads up to the WTO ministerial in Kazakhstan in June.
10. Anything else you expect for 2020?
One of the big projects in the new year will be to implement the agreement with China. By the middle of next year, we'll have a real good feel for where we're at. Things will look very different by the middle of next year because of changes that we've made not only with Canada and Mexico, but with Japan and especially China.
For more news go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com. | 2 |
news, story, article
By Christabella Arko, GNA
Takoradi (W/R), Jan. 1, GNA – Mr Thomas Antwi, an Elder of the Church of Pentecost, Bethel Assembly in Takoradi in the Western Region, has called on Christians to adopt a positive attitude in 2020 for national development.
“We must eradicate negative attitudes such as fear, discouragement and selfishness,” he said, whiles delivering a sermon during the watchnight service to usher in the New Year.
Elder Antwi said right attitudes such as encouraging one another, loyalty, discipline and hard work devoid of corruption, should be the attitude of every citizen in the coming year.
The watchnight saw church members mostly clad in white outfits singing and dancing to glorify God for His love, mercies and for a successful year.
They also prayed to God for forgiveness of their shortcomings and for a better life in 2020.
With the message on the theme: “You Can; take the Can’t Out of Your Life”, Elder Antwi said Christians should focus on the positives of life rather than dwell on the negatives.
He urged them to overcome all challenges that they would be confronted with in order to better their lives and contribute their quota to the development of the nation.
“Even in difficult situations be assured that you can do all things through Christ who is your strength, let that be your slogan throughout the year”, Elder Antwi said.
He said no nation can develop if its citizens do not possess a positive attitude and commitment to the national development agenda.
Elder Antwi said there is the need for a change of mind-set and attitude for all Ghanaians, not only to promote their personal development, but sustainable development and prosperity of the country as well.
He advised all especially the youth to demonstrate a ‘Yes I Can’ attitude, godly and devoted lifestyles as the year begins in order to foster peace, harmony and national development.
GNA | news, story, article
By Edmund Quaynor, GNA
Koforidua, Jan. 1, GNA - Right Reverend Felix Odei Annancy, the Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese of the Anglican Church, has called on politicians to avoid pronouncement and activities that could divide the country.
He said things that unite the country are more than those that divide the citizens of the country and urged them to focus on issues that unite the country.
Right Reverend Annancy was speaking in his new year message at Koforidua in the Eastern Region.
He expressed the hope that the year 2020 would be a successful year for the country and urged the youth to desist from anything that could lead to chaos and hold on to issues that unite the country.
Right Reverend Annancy urged them to look at their current standard of development and show appreciation to God for how far he has brought them.
GNA | 2.666667 |
Hours before they would roll down Colorado Boulevard, the Tournament of Roses announced the 24 award-winning floats in the 2020 Rose Parade. Out of more than 40 floats in this year’s parade, the 2020 Sweepstakes Trophy — given to the most beautiful entry — was awarded to the UPS Store for its “Stories Change Our World” float.
It was created by Irwindale-based Fiesta Parade Floats, which has created dozens, if not hundreds, of floats over the years for the parade.
Including the Sweepstakes Trophy winner, Fiesta had 10 award-winning floats in the parade this year. They were trailed by neighboring float builder in Irwindale, Phoenix Decorating Co., which had six award-winners.
The floats were judged during the decorating stages before the parade. Scores were based on the float designers’ creativity, floral craftsmanship, artistic merit, computerized animation, thematic interpretation, floral and color presentation, as well as dramatic impact, according to a news release from the Tournament of Roses.
Here are the rest of the winners: | News
PASO ROBLES, Calif. - People on the Central Coast already know Paso Robles for its great wines, and now it's getting some recognition for being one of the best places in the world to travel.
Paso Robles was ranked one of the top 30 places to travel in 2020.
The list was released Tuesday and put together by the travel blog, Travel Lemming. The website says different government and tourism boards from around the world nominated their locations as the best trending destinations in their region. Then a panel of travel bloggers voted on the top spots.
Paso Robles ranked 24 on the list. Travel Lemming gave Paso Robles props for its hundreds of wineries, as well as the Field of Light at Sensorio art installation. The article complimented Paso Robles for its mostly family-owned wineries and said there were fewer crowds compared to other famous wine regions like the Napa Valley. "Paso Robles is the perfect place for a relaxing weekend break in 2020," the article said.
The travel website said the best time to visit was from March to June and September to December.
The Visit California organization nominated Paso Robles for this year's list.
"With its historic charm, mineral-rich hot springs and expansive vineyards, Paso Robles is an emerging gem of California's famed Central Coast region," said Visit California President and CEO, Caroline Beteta. "In the past decade, the community has started to enjoy global attention for world-class winemaking and cultural attractions, while holding onto its agricultural heritage, offering a distinctive and authentic California experience for visitors to discover."
Travel Lemming was founded to highlight under-appreciated destinations as a way to fight over-tourism. | 1 |
BERNIE SANDERS: THE LEADER OF THE POLITICAL REVOLUTION
Bernie Sanders has brought millions of us together and awakened this nation to the critical issues facing America and the world today. The "Political Revolution" is dedicated to reversing the ethical and moral downward spiral in the federal government today. Its ideals are to be rid of corruption in politics, to break up the big banks that control our economy for the 1%, to immediately start reversing climate change, and to regain focus on the well-being of our own citizens.
Progressives can no longer afford to be scattered and disorganized. If the Political Revolution is to succeed, and if anything is going to get better, it must come through our political system. We need to unify with a truly Progressive leader. And in one voice we must join Bernie Sanders and shout together, "Enough is enough!" We need to shout it so loud that even the biased mainstream media cannot drown it out.
THE DECK IS STACKED AGAINST PROGRESSIVES
Today's mainstream media is owned by only 6 corporate conglomerates. They are elite Establishment mechanisms whose mission is to maintain the status quo while protecting their own interests. They do NOT want Bernie Sanders and the Progressive Movement to succeed, and they're doing all they can to prevent that from happening. Toward that end, they are giving their attention to Establishment Democratic candidates while slighting Sanders.
So Progressives have their work cut out for them, and must pursue a different avenue to counter the mainstream media's biased reporting while educating voters.
PROGRESSIVES MUST USE THEIR ENERGIES WISELY
Grass roots mobilization and action are the keys to the success of the Political Revolution. But Progressives must focus their energies wisely to get the results necessary to start eliminating corruption in the federal government and to return it to the people that it serves.
It's time for Progressives to stop wasting our time trying to sway the 30% of voters who continue to support Trump. Instead we need to direct our energies toward those registered voters who did not vote in the 2016 elections. This is a huge voting bloc of people who either did not care, did not like the candidates or felt that their votes would not matter.
Their votes DO matter, and it's up to Progressives to target and educate them through an avenue besides the mainstream media. That avenue is social media.
SOCIAL MEDIA: AN EFFECTIVE TOOL OF THE GRASS ROOTS PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT
Bernie Sanders faced a huge challenge when he ran for president in 2016. Though he did not win enough delegates to receive the Democratic nomination, given the circumstances, his campaign was phenomenally successful, in large part due to grass roots mobilization. Well aware of the mainstream media's bias against Sanders, Bernie's base used social media to spread the word about his platform, his political experience, and his sterling character with great success.
Now that Bernie's running again in 2020, Progressives are getting another chance. And once again, Bernie is calling for our help.
HERE'S HOW YOU CAN DO YOUR PART ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
· If you haven't already done this, set up accounts on face book, Twitter and Instagram;
· Share positive and informative Bernie Sanders and Progressive posts on your personal timeline;
· Tell your readers about Progressive candidates and how Bernie Sanders truly represents the interests of the American people;
· Explain how their votes can help oust the Oligarchs and Corporatists in the Senate and the House.
It's crucial that we educate and engage these non-voters in 2020"the future of democracy in this country depends on it. | The corporate mainstream media are splitting — some still studiously ignore Bernie Sanders, while some now acknowledge the strength of his campaign and are starting “throw the kitchen sink” attacks on him. And then there are the grassroots trends.
Extraordinary news
by Bernie Sanders
Today, I am very proud to share with you some extraordinary news: our campaign has received more than 5 million individual contributions — that is more contributions than any campaign has received at this point in a presidential election in the history of our country.
Now I want to say a few words about why this accomplishment is so extraordinary.
For far too long, the economic and political systems have been stacked against ordinary Americans. The rich get richer because they use their wealth to buy our candidates and our elections. Meanwhile, more and more working people become demoralized and choose not to participate in the political process.
What we are proving on this campaign is that one does not need to beg the wealthy and the powerful for campaign contributions in order to win elections.
We are proving that when you run a campaign that speaks directly to the needs of working people and young people, they are ready to fight with you.
We are proving that we — US — are far more powerful than the 1 percent have ever imagined.
And that is important.
Because change never happens from the top down. It always happens from the bottom up. And now is the time, more than ever before, for millions of working families — black and white, Latino, Asian and Native American, gay and straight — to come together to end the collapse of the American middle class and to make certain that our children and grandchildren are able to enjoy a quality of life and a habitable planet that brings them health, prosperity, security and joy.
That kind of campaign is also the only kind of campaign that will win in November.
Now I am proud to say that ours is the only campaign in this Democratic primary with more donations than Donald Trump.
And that is important for two reasons:
First, practically, our campaign has raised more money than any other campaign in this race and will raise more money than any campaign would against Donald Trump.
We have 5 million individual donations in a Democratic primary that hasn’t even cast its first vote yet.
Against Trump, I believe we will have 50 million individual contributions, at least. And at $27 a piece, that would be more than $1 billion. It’s absolutely obscene and outrageous that an election would cost that much money, but our campaign has proven we will be able to raise more than enough money to win.
And our donation number is important for another reason: because in order to beat Trump, we’re going to need the largest voter turnout in the history of America.
And you don’t have the largest voter turnout unless you create energy and excitement.
And you don’t create energy and excitement unless you are prepared to take on the people who own America — not just beg them for money.
We need a progressive agenda that mobilizes millions and millions of Americans behind ideas like Medicare for all, raising the minimum wage, leading the world in combating climate change and more.
Now, you know that poll after poll shows we beat Trump by wide margins.
And when you combine that with the kind of grassroots enthusiasm our campaign has demonstrated the ability to generate, we will not only win this election, but we will have the organization ready to fight to transform this country.
You may remember that when I said I was going to run for president, I said that it would take a political revolution to win.
A lot of people thought that was an acknowledgment of impossibility. It wasn’t.
It was a statement of what would be necessary to undo the damage that has been done to our country and reclaim our country from the oligarchs.
Now, speaking this way about the need to take on the insurance companies, the drug companies, the fossil fuel companies, the military industrial complex, the prison industrial complex and virtually the entire damn one percent tends to make wealthy folks nervous.
That is fine.
They will see our numbers and will no doubt ratchet up their attacks.
But I have no doubt we will be ready.
And that we will win.
Contact us by email at fund4thepanamanews@gmail.com
These links are interactive — click on the boxes | 3.333333 |
Lahore: The historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur - the final resting place of Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev - will be closed for local non-Sikh visitors for three days from Friday in connection with the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh, an official said here on Wednesday.
The Kartarpur corridor in Pakistan's Punjab province connects Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district of Punjab in India.
"The (Pakistan) government has decided to close Kartarpur Sahib for three days from January 3 to 5 for non-Sikh visitors to exclusively hold a Sikh event - celebration of birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh at the Kartarpur Complex Narowal," Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETBP) spokesperson Amir Hashmi told PTI.
The ETPB looks after the holy places of minorities in Pakistan.
Hashmi said the government decided to close the Kartarpur Sahib for non-Sikh Pakistanis to let the Sikhs of Pakistan and India celebrate their Guru's birthday together at the historic Kartarpur complex.
"The main event of the 10th Guru of Sikh religion Gobind Singh's birth anniversary will be held at Kartarpur on January 5. In addition to 2,000 Pakistani Sikhs, officials of the ETPB and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhik Committee will also participate in it," the official said, adding that strict security measures have been taken to avert any untoward incident.
The official said that on Saturday and Sunday more than 20,000 non-Sikh pilgrims visit the Kartarpur complex which is 120 kilometres from Lahore.
ETPB chief Aamir Ahmed has directed the officials concerned to make all necessary arrangements for the event.
Pakistan opened the Kartarpur corridor on November 9 after Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated it in the presence of visiting Indian dignitaries like former premier Manmohan Singh, actor and BJP MP Sunny Deol and former cricketer and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu.
According to the agreement between the two countries, every day 5,000 Indian Sikh pilgrims can visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. | Aurangabad (Maharashtra) [India], Jan 1 (ANI): BJP lawmaker Satyapal Singh on Wednesday said that the ongoing anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests across the country by different political parties and outfits are "politically motivated" and asserted that the law was not for any Indian citizen.
"Anti-CAA protest across the country by different political parties and outfits are totally politically motivated. The Act was not for any Indian citizen," Singh said in a press conference here. The former chairman of Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) of CAA also said that the CAA has been introduced during the Congress regime and the opposition is now using it as a "tool for vote bank".Emphasising on the Act, Singh said, "The present act is for those refugees who have been staying here at least for six years. They will get citizenship.""Those refugees including Buddhist, Sikh, Jain and Parsi were targeted in the name of religion in Islamic countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, will get citizenship as per the new Act. At present, their number is 31,313 in the country," he added.
Asked that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will not implement CAA in the state, Singh said, "As per the Indian Constitution's 7th schedule, if the Union Government has passed an amendment in the Parliament, no state government has the power to not implement the Act."He further said that oppressive conditions on refugees like fees of Rs 15,000 for applying citizenship were relaxed by the BJP government considering their financial condition. (ANI) | 1.333333 |
It’s a new year, but nothing much has changed since 2019 as far as how dumb and ignorant some college kids can be.
Yeah, you can chalk it up as kids just being young and dumb, but when a graduate student and some other college kids from several of America’s most prestigious law schools and colleges decide to express their deep disdain for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, well, some of us take notice.
Daniel Espo, who according to his Facebook profile is studying or had studied at Harvard Law School, expressed his distaste for the late Justice Scalia, another Harvard Law School graduate when he wrote “guess who isn’t going to have a happy new year” on a post of a picture of Scalia’s actual tombstone.
Latest: McBath's impeachment vote could prove very costly
Espo went further, riling up other anti-Scalia “students,” saying that “it’s just too bad Kissinger is still around.”
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Hating on Scalia is disturbing. Regardless of what side of the political aisle you find yourself, respect should always be given to all elected officials and confirmed jurists, regardless of how they voted or ruled.
One Emory University and Old Navy alum, Duy Nyugen, went as far as to say that Scalia didn’t deserve the honor and respect he is given after his death because according to Nyugen, he “didn’t earn it while living.”
“If Scalia didn’t want people to trash his memory, maybe he should have tried harder at not being a dick,” added Nyugen
Hmm? I am not sure why “Little Duy” would post something so vulgar or offensive, but maybe he is deflected away from a “shortcoming” he may have?
Enter more frustrated kids.
Nicholas Van Erp, Brad Storch, Connor Peth, and others, decided to turn to the same toilet bowl they appear to think from.
Let’s just remember that in 1986, Judge Antonin Scalia was confirmed by the U.S. Senate 98-0. That’s 98-0.
And you know what, current 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was part of the Senate Democratic Caucus who voted that day. Ouch!
Biden once said that Justice Scalia was “one of our most influential justices.” | Chief Justice John Roberts credited the federal judiciary with promoting civic education in a time when misinformation can spread rapidly online, but warned Americans "have come to take democracy for granted."
Roberts highlighted the importance of an independent federal judiciary and the need for civic education in his annual year-end report. The message from the chief justices closing out 2019 comes ahead of the Senate's expected impeachment trial, over which Roberts will preside.
"We have come to take democracy for granted, and civic education has fallen by the wayside," Roberts wrote. "In our age, when social media can instantly spread rumor and false information on a grand scale, the public's need to understand our government, and the protections it provides, it ever more vital."
The chief justice said the federal courts have sought to enhance Americans' understanding of government by making their opinions more accessible to the public and developing educational programs and products.
Roberts also highlighted the involvement of judges in civic outreach, citing retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who created a nonprofit that provides free resources for students, and referencing, though not by name, Chief Judge Merrick Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, who has spent the last two decades tutoring at a Washington, D.C., elementary school.
Garland was nominated to the Supreme Court by former President Obama following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016, but Senate Republicans refused to consider his nomination. President Trump ultimately appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacancy.
Roberts heralded the independence of the federal judiciary and urged his fellow judges to "continue their efforts to promote public confidence in the judiciary."
"We should celebrate our strong and independent judiciary, a key source of national unity and stability," Roberts wrote. "But we should also remember that justice is not inevitable. We should reflect on our duty to judge without fear or favor, deciding each matter with humility, integrity, and dispatch."
The chief justice defended the federal courts from attacks by Mr. Trump in a rare rebuke in 2018. The president often accuses judges who rule against him and his policies of bias. After Mr. Trump described a judge who blocked his new migrant asylum policy as an "Obama judge," Roberts issued a statement stressing the U.S. does not have "Obama judges, Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges."
Focus on habits to help keep your New Year's resolutions
Pope Francis apologizes for slapping a woman's hand away after her rough grab
Eye Opener at 8: Start off a healthy 2020 | 1.333333 |
Christianity Today Editor-In-Chief: Trump's Character Is Troublesome | Velshi & Ruhle | MSNBC Christianity Today's editor-in-chief Mark Galli discussed his article in support of removing President Trump from office and called the president's character ...
(Image by YouTube, Channel: MSNBC) Details DMCA
"Either this nation will kill racism, or racism will kill this nation." (S. Jonas, August, 2018)
------------------------------------
A recent editorial by the retiring Editor-in-Chief of the Right-Wing Evangelical journal Christianity Today, Mark Galli has caused quite an uproar, both among the Evangelical Right and some liberal commentators as well.
Before dealing with that controversy, let's briefly take a look at "Evangelical Christianity." It is a movement within Protestantism that is trans-denominational, encompassing, among others, Methodism, Baptism, Pentecostalism, and several different independent branches of Evangelicalism itself. In the United States, about a quarter of the population consider themselves Evangelicals. Not all of them adhere to the Evangelical Right, which is the noisy branch. In fact they are so noisy, and presently so intimately connected to the Trumpites and the Trumpublican(©) Party, there is no way of knowing just how many Evangelicals are Rightists.
n any case, common to the Evangelical doctrine is the concept of salvation by grace, the importance of the processes of conversion/being "born again," and the importance of the (English) Bible as representing the "inerrant word of God." Now the latter would be of only theological significance if Right Evangelism in particular did not want to use their interpretation of what that "Word" is to determine major elements of the law that apply to all of us, as for example, in the matters of abortion rights and the civil rights of the LGBTQ community.
Dealing with this subject for the moment, it is my understanding that not all elements of Evangelicalism refer to the same Bible as the one that is "inerrant" (and that understanding, if true, certainly undermines the concept of "inerrancy:" which one, exactly, is it[?]). But the common one bearing that appellation is the King James version.
It was created at the behest of the English ruling class upon the accession of James VI of Scotland, I of England, to the English throne, upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I. It was to become the version for the Church of England, of which the King happened to be the head. (Where that leaves Evangelicals who speak another language and a Bible in it, not English, is another question.) Now the King James version was actually created by a group of 52 theologians and academics, selected by both religious and political authorities, to do the job. For it to be the "inerrant word of God," they all would have to have been simultaneously inspired, and those authorities would have had to have known that.
A further aspect of modern U.S. Evangelical Rightism is the concept of Dominionism, that is that "God," (whoever he, she, it, or they is/are) stands above the Constitution. Mike Pence is a Dominionist and so is former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
Be that as it may, we now have a powerful and loud Evangelical Right that is determined to drive its own political agenda of control, by the use of the civil and criminal law, of the thoughts and behaviors of everyone in the society, regardless of the own version of belief in "God" or non-belief entirely. Number one in their strategy is being tied as closely as possible to Trump.
But then along comes Mr. Galli, condemning Trump for the liar he is, for "hiring people who are now convicted criminals," and for the bribery/extortion plot against Ukraine. (At the same time, Galli says that the President did not get a fair shot in the House. Of course, we all know that he was asked numerous times to forward documents, send people, even himself, over, all refused but all part of the Trump/Trumpublican© charade, now being repeated in the Senate.)
And next came the uproar, led by Franklin Graham. That uproar basically comes down to "how dare you say such not nice things about OUR President, who has delivered so much to us" (in terms of their legal/legislative program. But what they hey. Many folk on the liberal side have praised Mr. Galli for speaking out. (I have not followed the Left response, if there was any.)
But further, and to me this is the important point, in his editorial Mr. Galli does not disassociate himself in any way from the political agenda of the Evangelical Right and the Republican Religious Right generally, e.g.: criminalizing abortion, sanctioning public and governmental discrimination against the LGBTQ community, teaching religion (their sort) in the public schools (and going further, if they can, to allow governmental support for religious education), allowing religious monuments (their sort) in public places, sanctioning prayer (their sort) before public events, and, of course, eventually establishing a Dominionist, rather than a Constitutional (as we know it), United Sates, that is thoroughly destroying the Separation if Church and State.
So please, let us not go overboard in our praise for Mr. Galli. He is simply a Religious Rightist who apparently thinks that Trump's tone, his dishonesty, his corruption, his personal immorality, and etc. hurt the cause of the Evangelical Right. He does not for one instant say that he and his magazine do not fully endorse and support their agenda. And it is most important for those of us who believe in U.S. Constitutional Democracy (for better or for worse, and right now there is no feasible alternative to it for protecting the civil and criminal rights of all of us) to understand that what is coming down the pike with Trumpublicanism©, frank, 21st Century Trumpite Fascism. That's the true danger of Trump. And that's where Mr. Galli does not go. For, if he were at the same time rejecting the Trumpite/Evangelical Rightist agenda as well as Trump's personal immorality, wouldn't he have said so?
(Article changed on December 27, 2019 at 03:54) | Is there any particular reason why the due process requirements Sen. Lindsey Graham hails as paramount wouldn't mandate a similar standard for impeachment trials in the U.S. Senate? I can't think of one.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., makes no bones about his position on the likely upcoming impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. "I am trying to give a pretty clear signal I have made up my mind," he tells CNN International's Becky Anderson. "I'm not trying to pretend to be a fair juror here."
Well, okay, then. Graham has publicly disqualified himself as, and should be excused from serving as, a juror.
Republican politicians, including Graham, have spilled quite a bit of verbiage whining -- ineffectually and incorrectly -- about a lack of "due process" in the U.S. House segment of the impeachment drama.
Their errors on those claims are simple: Impeachment isn't a criminal prosecution, nor is a House impeachment inquiry a trial.
There won't any "nature and cause of the accusation" for Trump to be "informed of" until the House passes articles of impeachment over to the Senate.
If impeachment was a criminal matter, he would be constitutionally entitled "to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence" at trial. And in fact he will be treated as entitled to those things, even in the Senate's non-criminal equivalent.
But Graham and friends want to talk about due process, so let's talk about due process.
In addition to those aforementioned items, the Sixth Amendment also mandates "an impartial jury."
If you're accused of armed robbery, your brother won't be allowed to serve on the jury at your trial. Neither will the bank teller who was ordered to stuff money in a sack at gunpoint, or the police officer who arrested you, or anyone else who's known to likely be prejudiced either way.
Is there any particular reason why the due process requirements Graham hails as paramount wouldn't mandate a similar standard for impeachment trials in the U.S. Senate? I can't think of one.
In Senate trials of impeachment cases, the Chief Justice of the United States (in the current controversy, John Roberts) presides as judge.
Now that the House has passed its two articles of impeachment, Roberts should order his clerks to drop everything else and get to work examining the public statements of all 100 members of the Senate. His first order of business at the trial should be to excuse any and all senators who have publicly announced their prejudices on Trump's guilt or innocence from "jury duty."
Yes, Democrats too. That should come as a relief to several Democratic presidential aspirants who would probably rather spend their time on the 2020 campaign trail than as impeachment jurors.
The U.S. Constitution only requires the votes of two-thirds of senators “present” at the trial to convict, so excusing those members who have announced their prejudice and partiality wouldn't prevent a valid verdict.
Would "impeachment voir dire" render future impeachments more "fair" and less "partisan?" Probably not. But it would at least spare us some theatrics from the likes of Sen. Graham by making pretrial silence a condition of participation.
THOMAS L. KNAPP, GAINESVILLE
Editor’s note: Knapp is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism. | 1.666667 |
St John's [Antigua], Jan 2 (ANI): West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder has been rested for the first two games of their three-match series against Ireland.
Holder is the only player to miss out from the ODI side that lost to India 2-1 recently.
Windies will face Ireland in three ODIs - the first two to be played at Kensington Oval, Barbados while the last will be played at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada. The two sides will then contest in three T20Is scheduled for a later date.
"The decision was taken to rest Jason due to the heavy workload he has had over the last year," International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted West Indies' selector Roger Harper as saying.
"With an important year ahead for West Indies cricket, we saw this as the best opportunity to give him a break to recharge his batteries and refresh his mind so he could be ready to perform at his best as our Test captain throughout 2020, as the number one ranked all-rounder in Test cricket and an important member of the team in the white-ball formats", the statement read.
"This series against Ireland offers us the opportunity to build on the performances in India, build confidence as a team and for individual players. Just like the series against Afghanistan, the Ireland series is an important one for us, one we must win," Harper added.
Squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Sunil Ambris, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Keemo Paul, Khary Pierre, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr.
The first ODI between Windies and Ireland will be played in Barbados on January 7. (ANI) | Share This On:
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ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) announces the appointment of Trevor Penney as the new West Indies Men’s Assistant Coach, on a two-year contract.
Penney’s area of expertise is fielding, and he will work with the team for the white-ball formats (One-Day International and T20 Internationals).
The 51-year-old will join the West Indies team on January 2 as they start preparations for the upcoming International Home Series against Ireland. The tour will feature three Colonial Medical Insurance One-Day Internationals and three Sandals T20 Internationals from January 7 to 19.
Penney has a strong record as a successful coach with various teams around the world. He is also a former player for Warwickshire County Cricket Club where he played 158 first-class matches and 291 List A matches in a career which spanned close to two decades. He has worked with several international teams as well with franchise teams. He was Head Coach of Sri Lanka, fielding coach of India, and consultant coach to the Netherlands.
He also served as assistant coach at King’s XI Punjab, Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League; as well as assistant coach with the St Lucia Zouks and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Most recently he was part of the Barbados Trident coaching staff during their successful campaign in the 2019 CPL.
West Indies Head Coach, Phil Simmons said: “Trevor is an excellent coach and has demonstrated this everywhere he has worked. He has huge experience with Sri Lanka and India at the highest international level, and in most T20 leagues around the world including the CPL. He brings enormous energy and is very well respected by all the players.”
Penney said: “I’m thrilled and excited to be given this opportunity to work with this brilliant bunch of cricketers and staff led by Kieron Pollard and Phil Simmons. I’ve been lucky enough over the last few years to work with several members of the squad and the Caribbean is like ‘home away from home’ for me being involved in the CPL.
“We have two big T20 World Cups coming up (in Australia 2020 and India 2021) and it’s my aim to try and improve everybody and be as good as we can and hopefully win those two major ICC events for the great people of the West Indies.”
MATCH SCHEDULE
Saturday, Jan 4: warm-up vs CWI President’s XI – Three Ws Oval, Barbados
Tuesday, Jan 7: 1st Colonial Medical Insurance ODI – Kensington Oval, Barbados
Thursday, Jan 9: 2nd Colonial Medical Insurance ODI – Kensington Oval
Sunday, Jan 12: 3rd Colonial Medical Insurance ODI – Grenada National Stadium, Grenada
Wednesday, Jan 15: 1st Sandals Resorts T20I – Grenada National Stadium
Saturday, Jan 18: 2nd Sandals Resorts T20I – Warner Park, St Kitts
Sunday, Jan 19: 3rd Sandals Resorts T20I – Warner Park
TEAM MANAGEMENT
Phil Simmons (Head Coach)
Rawl Lewis (Team Manager)
Roddy Estwick (Assistant Coach)
Trevor Penney (Assistant Coach)
Monty Desai (Batting Coach)
Ronald Rogers (Strength & Conditioning Coach)
Denis Byam (Physiotherapist)
A.R. Srikkanth (Team Analyst)
Zephyrinus Nicholas (Massage Therapist)
Philip Spooner (Media Manager)
( 0 ) ( 0 ) | 2.5 |
Simarjit Singh Bains (File photo)
PATIALA: While Punjab cabinet recently gave in-principle approval to amend the Punjab Village Common Land (Regulation) Rules, 1964, to create land banks in rural areas to boost industrial development in the state, leader of the Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) Simarjit Singh Bains on Wednesday said his party would fight these amendments tooth and nail as it has been passed to grab the village common land.Interacting with mediapersons, Bains said 18,000 industrial units in the state were lying shut down and while no effort was being made to revive these units, the government had come up with these amendments to grab the village common land. “If the government is serious about industrialisation it should acquire land as per existing policy,” he said.He said the land was being grabbed under the name of industrialisation while the fact remains that the politicians were now eying village common lands even as the Punjab Village Common Land (Regulation) Rules, 1964 clearly states that the common land can not be transferred in the name of an individual.“There is a High Court ruling asking the state government to withdraw the mutations of all village common land which has been transferred in the name of some top politicians and bureaucrats, who have even been named in the court ruling for grabbing the common land. But till date, no action has been taken in these orders and LIP will soon file a contempt petition in the Punjab And Haryana high court The government had recently decided to decision ease case on an individual basis to ensure that the panchayats get their dues. It had been proposed to insert Rule 12-B in the ‘Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Rules, 1964’ to provide special provision for transfer of ‘Shamlat lands’ (consolidation of landholdings for common use) for development of industrial infrastructure projects.However, Bains said the LIP has decided to launch a statewide campaign against these amendments and will visit all villages where attempts are being made to encroach upon the common land. He said the party will erect special flags on these lands and fight against mutation of these properties.Meanwhile, Bains reiterated that they have supported the cause raised by Shiromani Akali Dal veteran leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and will stand by him.In regard with the hike in power cost, Bains said Captain Amarinder has failed to fulfil the poll promise of providing power at Rs 5 a unit and instead he was blaming the SAD-BJP government for having signed the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with the private players. The government could have scrapped these PPAs and started afresh to provide relief to the people of the state, he said. | Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], Jan 1 (ANI): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday slammed Congress and previous SAD-BJP alliance governments of being "hand in glove with the government-sponsored power mafia" calling the shots in Punjab.
"If Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and state party president, Sunil Jakhar, were seized of the issues and concerns of Punjab and the Punjabis, they would done a precious little to review and scrap the Power Purchase Agreements (PPOs) inked between the then Badal government and private power plants by ordering a review of the financial transactions in the power sector during the 10-year tenure of the Badal government," the statement issued by AAP read.
"Sukhbir Singh Badal, who led the march for the closure of the government thermal plants in the state giving an alibi that Punjab was a power-surplus state, due to which an average household was left with no option but to cough of Rs 9 per unit in the state today," the statement added.
The AAP leaders said that like the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in Delhi, the private companies should be shown the door and government thermal plants revived in order to generate cheaper electricity through hydro-dams. (ANI) | 3 |
The new decade started off with a scorcher in Christchurch as the city recorded the hottest temperature in the country on New Year's Day.
Beaches and swimming spots in the garden city were flooded with people as temperatures hit a high of 31 degrees.
Despite the heat, the sky appeared overcast and was stained by an orange haze from Australian bushfire smoke making its way across the Tasman.
JOSEPH JOHNSON/STUFF Isaac Muller-Wild jumps off the Diamond Harbour wharf on the first day of 2020.
The people of Christchurch were not deterred though, and turned out in their droves to swim and sunbathe their way through the day, soaking in the warmth.
READ MORE:
* NZ heatwave: Another scorcher forecast for Wednesday
* Australian heatwave will push New Zealand temperatures into the 30s
* Record-breaking Kiwi summer heatwave turns Auckland tropical for a week
* Flooding follows hottest day in two years in Christchurch
* How hot has it got: Delving into the record book
Metservice meteorologist Tuporo 'Junior' Marsters said temperatures in Christchurch were the hottest across the country all day.
"Unfortunately it's not expected to continue and temperatures tomorrow will sit around a cooler 22-degree high for the day.".
JOSEPH JOHNSON/STUFF Jope Gaunavov and his friends and family jumped off the Diamond Harbour wharf for the best part of 4 hours on New Year's Day.
Marsters said the orange haze from Australian bushfire smoke would likely be gone by the morning as the cooler weather front moved in.
"As of 7pm on New Year's Day we can see the smoke still stretches from Kapiti to just north of Dunedin but this will likely be moved on by tomorrow."
The Australian bushfire smoke also caused the sun to appear blood red as it rose in many places this morning.
In Lyttleton, Dudley Jackson snapped an image of the rising sun with a deep orange hue.
Dudley Jackson The early morning sun as seen from Lyttleton, Christchurch.
Christchurch man Jope Gaunavov took the opportunity provided by the weather to show his visiting family around some of Christchurch's most popular summer spots.
"Wherever we can swim has been where we've gone today. It's been such a beautiful day so we went to Corsair Bay, but it was so busy we decided to check out Diamond Harbour," he said.
Harry Dodds, 12, went on a day trip with his dad to try and find the best fishing spots and they eventually settled on Diamond Harbour too.
JOSEPH JOHNSON/STUFF Harry Dodds,12, fishing off the Diamond Harbour wharf as he makes a new friend.
The final day of the year proved to be a record-breakingly hot one for the small Otago town of Ranfurly.
According to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa), the town reached 32.3 degrees between 6pm and 7pm on Tuesday – the hottest December temperature for the town since records started back in 1897.
The sweltering weather surpassed the town's previous December record of 31.3C set back in 2017.
Ranfurly, well-known for its weather extremes, holds the lowest air temperature on record of -25.6C on July 17, 1903.
According to Niwa's national climate database, New Zealand's highest air temperature on record was 42.4C recorded in Rangiora, North Canterbury on February 7, 1973. | By the Otago Daily Times
Residents in parts of the South Island woke to strange yellow skies as smoke from Australia's Bushfires drifts over New Zealand.
Photo: ODT / Gerard O'Brien
The combination of cloudy skies and the yellow-tinged smokey haze made for darker than usual conditions, with some drivers in Dunedin still using their headlights at 9am.
By 10.45am it had got even darker in Dunedin with conditions similar to twilight only sepia-toned. Some residents on social media said they were turning their lights on inside their homes.
It had lightened up somewhat by noon.
There is also a smell of smoke in the city and in other parts of the South Island.
Photo: ODT / Gerard O'Brien
One asthma sufferer told the Otago Daily Times they would not be venturing outside today because of the risk the smoke would cause respiratory issues.
Paul Bonner told the ODT that smoke was covering mountain tops in Queesntown and made for hazy-yellow skies in Cromwell.
He said smoke could be smelt and tasted in Queenstown, which could be problematic for asthmatics.
Residents in Christchurch and Akaroa also shared images of yellow-hazy skies.
Here's our resident Kereru in Green Island. pic.twitter.com/jC7f131gK1 — Brad Phipps (@bradphippsnz) December 31, 2019
Bush fire smoke has arrived in Wanaka. Sunny pic from a couple of days ago #Bushfires pic.twitter.com/nowwPj3kR1 — William Denton (@willdento) December 31, 2019
Happy New Year. Orange sky this morning in Dunedin. Caused by smoke from Australian bushfires. pic.twitter.com/a6L27lkKfQ — Benedikt Holtmann (@BeneHoltmann) December 31, 2019
In response to one of the shared images, the MetService said the smoke from the Australia bushfires was "a bit thicker than we've seen so far in the south of the South Island".
MetService meteorologist Kyle Lee said satellite footage showed some "pretty hefty smoke" coming New Zealand's way.
"You're likely to see a bit more haziness, a bit more hazy than the usual clear blue skies."
The smoke has dragged across the Tasman and has already hit the South Island, making our sunsets there slightly redder, Lee said.
Smoke which has travelled around 2,000km across the Tasman Sea can clearly be seen over the lower South Island. Visibility in the smoke haze is as low as 10km in the worst affected areas. Southwesterlies are expected to gradually flush the smoke laden air away from late today ^AC pic.twitter.com/C5k0D4xvyu — MetService (@MetService) December 31, 2019
A SnapitHD webcam captured the hazy sunrise over Wanaka this morning which many others across the country also experienced. This is due to smoke from the Australian bush fires being carried across the Tasman by an unbroken northwest flow. ^AC pic.twitter.com/Bo5T8LgOuJ — MetService (@MetService) December 31, 2019
It will move up the North Island in a few days but linger over the country until the weekend when a front will sweep it away.
The visiting smoke won't affect temperatures, but the northwest winds also visiting from across the Tasman may make overnight temperatures warmer.
- This story first appeared on the Otago Daily Times website with additional reporting from the NZ Herald. | 1.5 |
(Gateway Pundit) – Hundreds of Iranian-backed activists stormed the US Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday.
Iraqi security forces failed to stop the raid on the US Embassy. The Iraqi protesters were carrying Hezbollah flags.
The US ambassador and personnel were evacuated.
AH-64 Apaches were deployed to protect the US Embassy in Baghdad.
US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said, “We have taken appropriate force protection actions to ensure the safety of American citizens…and to ensure our right of self-defense. We are sending additional forces to support our personnel at the Embassy.”
The Pentagon also announced that additional Marines will be sent in to protect the embassy.
Secretary Esper did not announce the exact amount of additional troops, but Business Insider reported that “around 100” more Marines will be sent to provide additional support and security.
WATCH:
VIDEO: AH-64 Apaches protect @USEmbBaghdad. 🚁“We have taken appropriate force protection actions to ensure the safety of American citizens…and to ensure our right of self-defense. We are sending additional forces to support our personnel at the Embassy.”~@EsperDoD 🇺🇸🇮🇶 pic.twitter.com/amABHBAOcL — OIR Spokesman Col. Myles B. Caggins III (@OIRSpox) December 31, 2019
That’s the difference between Obummer and TRUMP… When our people call for help he sends it!!! (Benghazi-13hrs-WeWillNeverForget) 🤗❤️🇺🇸💙🦅MERICA — Joey (@Joey70730376) December 31, 2019
thegatewaypundit.com/2019/12/we-have-taken-appropriate-force-protection-actions-to-ensure-safety-of-americans-ah-64-apaches-protect-us-embassy-in-baghdad-video/ | WASHINGTON (AP) — Iran or its proxy forces may be planning further strikes on American interests in the Middle East, and the U.S. is prepared to take preemptive military action if it gets sufficient warning, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday.
“The game has changed,” Esper said, citing a series of violent attacks on U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq in recent months by Iran-supported militia groups. “We’re prepared to do what is necessary to defend our personnel and our interests and our partners in the region.”
On Tuesday, after a crowd of Iran-backed militiamen and their supporters stormed the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad, the Pentagon sent a Marine quick-reaction force to the embassy, and later it dispatched hundreds of Army paratroopers from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The paratroopers are in Kuwait as what Esper called “defensive support.”
Esper announced on Tuesday evening that in addition to sending about 750 soldiers from the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division, the U.S. would deploy more troops from the Fort Bragg unit “over the next several days.” On Thursday he gave no indication of additional imminent deployments.
“We’ll take it day by day,” Esper said when asked whether he had decided to send additional forces.
Without providing details, Esper told reporters at the Pentagon that the U.S. has “indications” that more Iranian provocations may be in the offing. If that happens, he said, the U.S. will take action — preemptively, if it has enough warning.
In a written statement Thursday, Esper said the U.S. is certain the attack on the embassy compound was carried out by Iran-supported Iraqi Shiite militias because key leaders of them were seen in the crowd. He specifically referred to Kataeb Hezbollah, or KH, a militia that is part of the Iraqi government-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces.
The U.S. also blames KH for a rocket attack on an Iraqi base near Kirkuk last week that killed one American contractor and wounded many American and Iraqi soldiers. In response, American airstrikes on Sunday struck what the Pentagon described as five KH-related targets in western Iraq and eastern Syria, killing at least 25 fighters.
Asked specifically about the likelihood of further KH provocations following the embassy attack, Esper said, “Do I think they may do something? Yes, and they will likely regret it.”
Speaking alongside Esper, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. has sufficient forces at the Baghdad Embassy to defend it.
“We are very confident that the integrity of that embassy is strong, and it is highly unlikely to be physically overrun by anyone,” Milley said. “There is sufficient combat power there, air and ground, that anyone who attempts to overrun that will run into a buzz saw.”
Trump administration officials have expressed disappointment in the Baghdad government’s failure to protect U.S. facilities and personnel in the face of numerous attacks by Iran-backed militiamen in recent months. Esper, however, took a more conciliatory tone Thursday when asked about repeated U.S. pleas for better Iraqi precautions.
Esper said the Iraqi government’s “performance has greatly improved in the last 24 hours,” with regard to security. On the other hand, he said, the Iraqi government in 2019 was urged “over and over” by senior American officials to do more to control the Iran-sponsored militia groups, such as KH, and to investigate those who instigate attacks on U.S. targets.
“We haven’t seen sufficient action on their part,” Esper said, adding that Iraqi leaders must “get the Iranian influence out of the country.”
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | 3 |
NEW ORLEANS — Jake Fromm has had an up-and-down and sometimes emotional junior season at Georgia.
But on Tuesday, it was Fromm triggering some emotion, driving ESPN reporter Holly Rowe to tears with his positive outlook amid adversity.
For the New Year, let’s all be a shining light in this world like @FrommJake
Honestly brought me to tears today with his positive, lovely spirit. Many blessings to this young man. @GeorgiaFootball should be so proud to have him leading this team. pic.twitter.com/GOGB8E5anR — Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) December 31, 2019
Fromm has carried a positive attitude through the season.
RELATED: 4 Georgia freshmen who could break out
Two days earlier, DawgNation asked Fromm how he maintained such a polite demeanor amid controversy and difficult questions.
“I kind of have strength in knowing that Christ is not going to put me in any position that I can’t handle,” Fromm said at the Sugar Bowl Media Day.
“I know I’m prepared and well-armored for anything I walk into. This isn’t any different.”
Fromm and the No. 5-ranked Bulldogs play No. 7 Baylor at 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday in the Sugar Bowl.
Fromm has been the face of the program since his freshman season, helping to lead a veteran Georgia team to the 2017 College Football Playoff Championship Game.
His role has evolved from there, and his good works have extended outside the program. Fromm was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works team this season.
Fromm wants ‘to make peoples lives better and serve’
SEC legend Tim Tebow has been a fan of Fromm’s since his freshman season, often advocating Fromm get more control of the Bulldogs’ offense.
Even though he’s a bulldog, he’s a pretty good guy @FrommJake pic.twitter.com/cpWNnsQzf1 — Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) November 22, 2019
DawgNation Sugar Bowl coverage
Pressure still a privilege for Georgia football
Coordinator Dan Lanning champions Georgia’s ‘No-Name Defense’
3 biggest Georgia football storylines from Sugar Bowl
5 Sugar Bowl questions with Baylor beat writer
Updated projected starting lineup from Sunday practice
Zamir White could pick up the slack in backfield
Kirby Smart arrives in New Orleans, says it’s ‘a new season
D’Andre Swift makes Sugar Bowl wish
Kirby Smart and Georgia need a win to maintain momentum
Georgia senior captain J.R. Reed announces he’s not playing | To complete the New Year's Day bowl schedule on Wednesday evening, the 2020 Sugar Bowl will take center stage of the college football world with No. 5 Georgia set to square off with No. 7 Baylor. For the second consecutive season, the Bulldogs enter the game in New Orleans against a Big 12 team having lost in the SEC title game thus missing out on a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Bears, meanwhile, are out to cap off an incredible season in which they were in the hunt for the Big 12 title right up until the very end.
Georgia is going to be shorthanded against a Baylor team that is playing in its first major bowl since 2014. Coach Matt Rhule has done an amazing job of turning around the Bears program, in more ways than one, and could cap off a dream season with a win.
What will go down in the 2020 Sugar Bowl? Keep on reading for a full breakdown of the game along with our experts' picks and some analysis on the spread.
Want to stay up to date on everything in the college football world? Subscribe to our Cover 3 College Football Podcast for in-depth news and analysis all year long.
Storylines
Georgia: It's probably easier to note the starters who are suiting up for Georgia than the ones who aren't. That's how many players are missing the Sugar Bowl. Linemen Andrew Thomas and right tackle Isaiah Wilson are among the handful of starters who will not be suiting up in New Orleans while defensive back J.R. Reed also won't play because of a minor foot injury. The list of starters or backups who won't play, for various reasons, is starting to become a laundry list. And then there's whole motivation factor of playing in the same bowl for the second straight year. But the other way to look at the attrition for the Bulldogs is that this will give plenty of other backups/rotational starters more of an opportunity to get meaningful practices and playing time. How this team looks in general with so many new faces taking the field makes the Bulldogs a big unknown.
Baylor: What a season this has been for Rhule's Bears. From 1-11 just two seasons ago to an 11-2 effort this year with an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game. Now Baylor has a chance to notch its best win of the season after coming so close to beating Oklahoma in two opportunities this season. The key, as has been the case all season, is the defense. The three-man front, led by James Lynch, against a Georgia offensive line that is missing three starters could be a mismatch. On offense, quarterback Charlie Brewer has been cleared to play after leaving the Big 12 title game with a concussion.
Viewing information
Event: Sugar Bowl
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 1 | Time: 8:45 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome -- New Orleans, Louisiana
TV: ESPN | Live stream: WatchESPN.com
Sugar Bowl prediction, picks
I sincerely hope you got Baylor at +7.5 while the getting was good. The line has dropped two full points, and frankly it's a little surprising it hasn't dropped a little more. It may still before kickoff. There are simply too many unknowns with Georgia in terms of performance because of the number of absences. Even if you don't think the Bears can pull the outright upset, taking the points with 7.5 on the board feels like a best bet. Pick: Baylor +7.5
Dennis Dodd Jerry Palm Tom Fornelli Chip Patterson Barton Simmons Barrett Sallee Ben Kercheval UGA -7.5 Baylor Baylor Baylor Georgia Baylor Georgia Baylor S/U Baylor Baylor Georgia Georgia Baylor Georgia Georgia
Who will win Georgia vs. Baylor, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to back, all from the college football insider who has hit four straight picks on the Bears. | 2.666667 |
EDMONTON -- Edmonton is getting ready to ring in the New Year with festivities on Dec. 31 at the Alberta legislature.
Prior to a fireworks show, the legislature grounds will also host family friendly activities like crafts and live stage performances.
Fireworks will begin at 9 p.m.
“Our fireworks provider always chooses a new piece of music and designs to show to the music itself, and they always try to bring in unique or new products for the city of Edmonton to experience,” explained Julie Stormer, festival and events supervisor.
“We’re really excited to see what they have for us.”
Edmonton bus and LRT service will once again be free on New Year’s Eve to help people get to and from their celebrations safely.
Ring in 2020 with live music, fireworks
Fort Edmonton Park is promising an elegant meal at Hotel Selkirk followed by a countdown into the New Year.
Glow Gardens is an indoor light display set up in the Edmonton Expo Centre. The gardens are inspired by renowned world locations, like the Eiffel Tower and Taj Mahal.
Candy Cane Lane’s las days this season will be Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Lights are on from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Guests are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the Edmonton Food Bank.
John Acosta’s ‘Bee Gees Gold’ is promising the ultimate tribute to the 1960s and 1970s pop band. Tickets at the River Cree Casino start at $29.99.
West Edmonton Mall is hosting several events for different ages. Families could ring in the New Year with Peppa Pig and George at the World Waterpark. The mall is also hosting a tropical-themed Beach Ball, offering live entertainment and indoor fireworks, as well as opening Galaxyland for half-price admission and unlimited rides.
Canadian rock bank Prism will be at Century Casino on New Year’s Eve. The show by the Vancouver-born band starts at 9 p.m.
Edmonton’s Starlite Room, which celebrated its 30th anniversary earlier this year, will ring in its next year of business with the Astral Harvest music festival. Three rooms will offer guests a different lineup in each.
The Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium is hosting on Dec. 31 “We Will Rock You,” a show set to the songs of Queen and about a future earth where a ban on individualism has turned youth into “mindless digital clones.” Two revolutionaries set out on quest to save rock n’ roll.
Don’t forget about the 2020 Edmonton International New Year’s Eve Gala. The event is held in support of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and will feature performances by former Circque du Soleil members as well as a dinner and dnace.
Outside the city
Strathcona County New Year’s Eve Festival is billed as a night of family fun. From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the county is promising a range of indoor and outdoor activities, including snow shoeing, sleigh rides and ice sculptures.
1st Annual Beaumont Community New Year’s Eve Festival, an inaugural celebration, is being hosted at the Beaumont Community Centre starting at 7 p.m. A turkey buffet supper will be followed by the festival and games.
Stony Plain Family Fest is the community’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration at Heritage Park. There’ll be a live DJ and dance, photo booth, outdoor skating, a bonfire and fireworks at 9 p.m.
St. Albert is offering fireworks to ring in 2020. They’ll take place at 8:30 p.m. at Mission Park. | This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
'Doomsday' scenario of mass layoffs due to AI unlikely, federal documents say Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Article content OTTAWA — Newly released documents show that top government officials believe there is no imminent threat that artificial intelligence and robots will displace large segments of the Canadian workforce.
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Article content In work done earlier this year, federal experts found the likelihood of a “doomsday” scenario where automation eliminates half of Canadian jobs to be “overstated.” We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or 'Doomsday' scenario of mass layoffs due to AI unlikely, federal documents say Back to video But officials warned there were early indications of challenges in parts of the economy that the government should do something about, such as the way online streaming services are reshaping music, television and movie production. In a separate briefing, officials were told ahead of summer that 11 per cent of jobs in Canada could be automated over the next 15 to 20 years, and a further 29 per cent are “likely to change significantly.” The Canadian Press obtained a copy of the briefing summary, as well as May and June drafts of the report, through the Access to Information Act.
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Article content The report was to be used as the foundation for advice to the victor of the fall federal election on how to help workers at the dawn of a new decade. The work was part of a series of exercises officials have run to see how well “social safety net” programs respond to the most dire of potential outcomes caused by technological shifts in the workforce. It’s unclear how well federal programs fared. Those details, like many others in the documents, have been blacked out or not released because they are considered advice for government. Federal officials have forecast where the impacts of automation are likely to be felt most, such as rural towns reliant on manufacturing, according to documents previously obtained by The Canadian Press in March. Those documents, alluded to in the June report, also listed the towns most and least likely to feel the impacts in each province.
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Article content But exactly where effects are felt and how fast they arrive remains a guessing game. For instance, the federal documents say some tasks, such as copy editing and data entry, could be outsourced overseas to low-cost workers through online platforms. Three-dimensional printing, on the other hand, could bring back manufacturing jobs. Officials also wrote that other trends not measured in the report will shape the future of work, such as the transition to a low-carbon economy and increasing numbers of LGBTQ2 workers. Some policy responses will come into effect with the turn of the calendar to 2020, including the launch of a $250-a-year benefit for workers to be put towards training, and a matching leave underwritten by employment insurance. That work will be overseen by Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough, who has been given responsibility for skills training and the EI system.
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Article content Officials advising Qualtrough have heard that many adults lack “soft skills and basic digital skills” needed for success in the future, according to a summary of a May presentation to deputy ministers — the top federal bureaucrats — by an official from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. A recent report by the Brookfield Institute came to a similar conclusion, and recommended governments create “a wide variety of accessible programming designed to teach Canadians general workforce digital skills … along with general soft skills.” Meanwhile, Labour Minister Filomena Tassi is tasked with updating the federal labour code, including increasing the federal minimum wage to at least $15 an hour, and additional protections for “platform workers,” such as Uber drivers.
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Article content Several of the details in Tassi’s mandate letter reflect recommendations of a blue-ribbon panel of experts. The panel also recommended the government look at models of collective representation for non-unionized workers, and rules to compensate workers who stay connected by email to the office after work hours. Sunil Johal, chair of the panel, said a key message from the report is that labour rules and regulations need to be frequently reviewed as more shifts are felt in the workforce. He said there is also a need to make regulations more nimble. That might mean creating what Johal described as “outcomes-based regulations” to address shifts in the labour market to spell out what the government expects but allow businesses to determine the means to that end.
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Article content “If we take as a given that the world of work and the labour market is going to be shifting and adapting more quickly than ever as we move forward, then we absolutely need to move to regulatory legislative approaches that move just as quickly,” Johal said. “When there’s a decades-long lag, that’s where you’re going to have huge issues that … put labour standards at risk of falling just so far out of step that it’s completely unacceptable.” In a statement accompanying the release of the panel’s report in December, Tassi said the government would “consider the excellent work done by the panel” in making changes to federal labour rules. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2020.
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