Split (1)

train · 2.59M rows

text stringlengths 11 57.9k
The recent terror attacks have reminded us of the urgent need to address illegal online hate speech. Social media is unfortunately one of the tools that terrorist groups use to radicalize young people.
This is a historic agreement that could not arrive at a better time.
Readers: Will Facebook, Twitter, Google, YouTube and Microsoft be able to live up to the terms of this agreement?
PRAGUE – Beth Denney and Gracie Hightower recorded two homers each as Prague erupted past Holdenville 24-13 Monday.
Also homering for Prague were Brittany Harwell, Diana Manning and Demi Manning, the latter a grandslam.
Josi Goodman and Denney totaled four hits apiece with Goodman and Demi Manning doubling. Also registering two-baggers were Adisyn Auld and Karsyn Coleman.
Auld, Demi Manning and Hightower finished with three hits each.
Prague posted 25 hits. Holdenville had 10.
Holdenville poured in 13 runs in the top of the first inning, only to watch Prague notch 10 in the bottom of the frame. Prague took the lead for good with six runs in the second and the game was stopped after five innings.
Defense Secretary James N. Mattis is greeted by Admiral John C. Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, after arriving in Honolulu, May 29, 2018. DoD photo by Tech Sgt. Vernon Young Jr.
When it comes to standing the test of time, Vodafone wins hands down. It has been in the mobile business since the start, has a good name across the board for reliability and service, and much like its branding relies on reputation rather than flashy bells and whistles.
Vodafone is the only British owned mobile network: it has operations in more than 20 countries and is in fact the biggest mobile network company in the world (by turnover). Launched in 1985, it was one of the UK's original two mobile networks (alongside BT Cellnet, now O2). Vodafone helped pioneer mobile broadband, launching internet access for business customers in 2004 and for consumers shortly afterwards. October 2008 saw the first of its so-called 'free' laptop deals, throwing in a Dell laptop and dongle on a long term mobile internet contract. It launched 'top up and go' in December 2008.
Vodafone announced a network infrastructure collaboration with O2 in March 2009 - the biggest deal of its kind in the world to date. The two mobile internet providers will build future mobile sites together, as well as merging existing ones, aiming to improve coverage, future-proof their network and of course cut costs.
2010 saw Vodafone branch into both mobile Wi-Fi units and SIM cards/deals for handheld tablet devices. In 2011 it introduced its ‘data test drive’ service, letting new smartphone customers use as much data as they like for the first three months of their contract so they can more easily set their required data limit going forward.
In August 2013 Vodafone launched its 4G mobile broadband service in the UK, beginning with a limited rollout to parts of London and gradually expanding across the country.
What does Vodafone mobile broadband offer?
There’s an extensive choice of Vodafone mobile broadband deals to suit most requirements. Vodafone offers mobile broadband SIM and hardware bundles with USB dongles, mobile Wi-Fi dongles, in-car Wi-Fi dongles and iPads and tablets. Or if you already have the hardware you can choose a SIM only deal.
Vodafone’s hardware bundles are available with either 30 day or 24 month contracts, and the data limits range from 2GB to 50GB.
For SIM only deals you can choose either 30 day or 12 month contracts, again with monthly data usage limits of between 2GB and 50GB.
Vodafone mobile broadband deals offer a comprehensive choice of packages, whether you need a hardware bundle or just a SIM. Although its hardware options only offer either 30 day or 24 month terms (SIM only is available with 30 day or 12 months) there is no difference in the monthly costs, just up-front fees, so you can choose a flexible monthly contract without paying too much extra for the privilege. And all Vodafone mobile broadband deals include free 2GB roaming data each month in selected countries.
Vodafone also performs well on speed tests, with the last Ofcom smartphone cities report showing it achieving an average 4G download speed of 18Mb. That’s better than many home broadband connections, and plenty quick enough for anything from web browsing to HD video streaming.
However you do need to carefully consider how much data you might use each month because if you go over the limit Vodafone charges a hefty £6.50 per 250MB. But with up to 50GB available for a reasonable price, excessive extra costs can be easily avoided.
May 2011 (Edmonton) - Little Buffalo community members, including school children, continue to experience nausea, burning eyes and headaches after one of the largest pipeline spills in Alberta history last Friday by Plains All American leaked nearly 30,000 barrels of oil into Lubicon traditional territory in the Peace Region of Northern Alberta.
Instead of attending an in-person community meeting, the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) faxed a one-page fact sheet to Little Buffalo School. The fact sheet indicates that 28,000 barrels of crude oil, or 4,500 cubic metres, has spread into nearby stands of "stagnant water." The spill, April 29 at 7:30 a.m., occurred only 300 metres from local waterways. The ERCB said the spill has been contained, but community members report that the oil is still leaking into the surrounding forest and bog. The ERCB also said to the community that there is "no threat to public safety as a result of the leak." Yet people are still getting sick, the local school has been shut down and children ordered to stay at home. An investigation into the incident is underway.
"It has been four days since classes were suspended due to the noxious odours in the air. The children and staff at the school were disorientated, getting headaches and feeling sick to their stomachs," said Brian Alexander, the principle of Little Buffalo School. "We tried to send the children outside to get fresh air as it seemed worse in the school but when we sent them out they were getting sick as well.
"The company and the ERCB have given us little information in the past five days. What we do know is that the health of our community is at stake," said Chief Steve Nosky. "Our children cannot attend school until there is a resolution, The ERCB is not being accountable to our community; they did not even show up to our community meeting to inform us of the unsettling situation we are dealing with. The company is failing to provide sufficient information to us so we can ensure that the health and safety of our community is protected."
The ERCB fact sheet states that air monitors are in place on site and have "detected no hydrocarbon levels above Alberta Ambient Air Quality guidelines." But this is little consolation for a community that is scared to breathe the air. Veronica Okemow has six children, the youngest one attending the school, and she is very worried. "We are deeply concerned about the health effects on the community," Okemow said. "It is a scary thing when your children are feeling sick from the air. People are scared to breathe in the fumes."
Melina Laboucan-Massimo, a member of the Lubicon Cree First Nation and also a Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner said: "The Plains All American spill marks the second pipeline spill in Alberta in just a week, with Kinder Morgan spilling just days before. This is an alarm bell for Alberta residents. If this 45-year-old pipeline were to break elsewhere along its route there would be more safety and health hazards. Communities across Alberta and B.C. are demanding an end to this type of risky development; yet the government refuses to listen. Instead it continues on as business as usual without plans for the cleaner, healthier, sustainable future that is possible."
Each year plants soak up about one quarter of the nearly 10 billion tonnes of carbon emitted by humans.
Rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have increased plant growth across the planet over the past three decades, a new study has found.
The most comprehensive modelling of remote sensing data so far shows the area on Earth covered by plants in this time has increased by 18 million square kilometres — about 2.5 times the size of the Australian continent — largely due to the fertilising effect of carbon dioxide (CO2).
"[The greening] has the ability to fundamentally change the cycling of water and carbon in the climate system," said Dr Zaichun Zhu, from Peking University in China and lead author of the new study, which appears today in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Carbon fertilisation is the dominant process for greening across the globe, particularly in the tropics because there's so much leaf area there.
"This is a snapshot of humans' global influence on the functioning of the entire global biosphere," said co-author CSIRO's Dr Pep Canadell of the Global Carbon Project.
The new findings come from analysis of data from the past 33 years taken by three different satellite missions that measured the green light reflected by photosynthesising leaves.
Dr Canadell said the remote sensing data was run through 10 global environmental change models to identify the cause of the greening.
About 85 per cent of Earth's ice-free land is covered by plants, and each year photosynthesis soaks up about one quarter of the nearly 10 billion tonnes of carbon emitted by humans.
Drs Zhu, Canadell and colleagues found that the 46 parts per million increase in atmospheric CO2 between 1982 and 2009 was responsible for 50 to 70 per cent of the observed greening.
"Carbon fertilisation is the dominant process for greening across the globe, particularly in the tropics because there's so much leaf area there," Dr Canadell said.
Scientists have long established humans as a key source of atmospheric CO2 through the use of chemical signatures that distinguishes carbon from different sources.
"The growth of CO2 in the atmosphere is almost exclusively due to fossil fuel burning and deforestation," said Dr Canadell.
The new study found other causes of the greening, including nitrogen from agricultural fertilisers.
Dr Canadell said the greening has surprised scientists who expected to see more browning, given the increase in droughts associated with global warming.
While the researchers found between 25 to 50 per cent of all vegetated areas of the land have become greener, only 4 per cent have become browner.
These included Mongolia, Argentina and areas of North America close to Alaska.
While south-eastern Australia also showed browning, overall the Australian continent was greening, said Dr Canadell.
While a greener Earth might seem like a positive from CO2-induced global warming, along with milder winters and longer growing seasons, he said there were many more negative impacts — including rising sea levels and severe weather.
"These will eventually outweigh by far any benefit from the greening," he said.
article What happens after this Paris climate deal is signed?
The Blues open a three-game road trip Wednesday at Detroit.
The St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings share common traits after their most recent games, but it’s not something either team will be celebrating as they prepare to meet Wednesday night in Detroit.
Both the Blues and Wings scored a bunch of goals in their last game. Detroit scored five on the Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis potted four goals against the Winnipeg Jets. The problem was, they gave up a bunch more. The Wings were outscored 7-5 on Monday by the Blue Jackets, while the Blues were doubled 8-4 by the Jets on Saturday.
Another slow start, a malady that’s been afflicting the Wings much of this season, got them again Monday as they fell behind 5-1 before staging a rally.
“The first period, we got outworked,” Detroit center Frans Nielsen said. “They skated more than we did. We got outworked, basically, and I mean we don’t have the talent in here that we can afford to get outworked.
The Blues have lost four of five and six of eight and were booed off the ice by their own fans for their dismal performance Saturday.
On the road, the Blues have one win in their last five games (1-3-1). They are 1-2 since Craig Berube replaced Mike Yeo as coach.
A federal judge is investigating allegations that the US government may have destroyed documents during the investigation of National Security Agency whistleblower Thomas Drake, who leaked information about the agency’s surveillance programs.
According to a report by McClatchy, federal judge Stephanie Gallagher of Maryland wrote to Justice Department lawyers on May 13 explaining that the judge who oversaw the Drake case asked her to check out allegations made by Drake’s lawyers that documents were destroyed by the Pentagon Inspector General’s office. Gallagher gave the Justice Department a month to respond.
If the allegations are confirmed, sanctions can be made against prosecutors and federal agents for violating evidence retention rules in criminal cases.
Drake’s lawyers, in a letter to the judge in April, accused the Pentagon Inspector General’s Office of destroying possible evidence during Drake’s criminal prosecution in 2010.
Thomas A. Drake was a senior executive at the NSA for seven years. When he tried to alert his superiors and Congress about what he saw as illegal activities – the surveillance of Americans, as well as waste and mismanagement at the NSA – his efforts went nowhere. He then decided to take his allegations to the press. Drake used encrypted email to communicate with a reporter, but his leak was discovered.
In 2010, Drake was indicted by the Obama administration on a 10-count charge under the Espionage Act. He was facing a possible sentence of 35 years in jail. The government’s case, however, unraveled during trial and Drake pleaded guilty to only a misdemeanor charge. He was sentenced to community service and probation.
Drake’s former defense lawyer and the two judges did not return calls from McClatchy, while the Justice Department and the Pentagon Inspector General’s Office declined to comment.
From 2002-2003, Drake joined a group of whistleblowers who cooperated with congressional and Pentagon Inspector General inquiries scrutinizing the NSA’s surveillance programs.
The possible document destruction first came to light when Drake’s lawyers sought records relating to his whistleblower cooperation with the Pentagon. The Justice Department at the time told the judge that most of the “hard-copy documents” were destroyed “pursuant to a standard document destruction policy” and couldn’t be provided to the defense.
Citrus County, Florida-- A 9-11 Memorial Display and Freedom walk is taking place Wednesday, September 11 at the Government Center in Inverness.
There will be a large collection of artifacts from the World Trade Center attacks, including uniforms, pieces of the buildings, medals and other items.
Showcase of Heroes outdoor display of first responders. Freedom Walk follows brief ceremony at 5:30 pm.
Inverness, Florida -- Officials are asking for the public's help in finding a man and his two daughters after he reportedly took the girls from their court-ordered guardian Sunday, and haven't been seen since.
According to a report from the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, Edward Peters, 45, now has a warrant out for his arrest after violating several court orders while out on pre-trial release.
Citrus County, Florida-- The Florida Department of Transportation has announced just one non-interstate lane closure for commuters to take into consideration next week.
Crews will be repaving Florida Avenue (US 41) between the Hernando/Citrus County Line and Rip Terrace, causing intermittent daily lane closures Monday – Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Crystal River, Florida-- – Thursday, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. joined Senator Charlie Dean and Representatives Elizabeth Porter and Jimmie T. Smith at Hunters Cove, where a living shoreline project to benefit Kings Bay will be constructed.
Homosassa, Florida -- A neighborhood in Citrus County has a duck controversy on their hands regarding a population of Muscovy ducks. The neighborhood association voted last month to have the ducks removed, but it's still unclear how the ducks will be dealt with.
For the Meadows community in Homosassa, bird life is not uncommon, but there is a potential problem percolating on Pelican Lane.
"They don't bother you," says Lisa Cocuzza who has lived in the Meadows for nine years and loves her feathered friends.
Clean up waterways in Citrus County!
Citrus County, Florida-- On Saturday, September 21, 2013 you can help cleanup waterways in Citrus County.
It's taking place from sunrise to 11:30am. If you would like to participate all you have to do is contact the Citrus 20/20 Save Our Waters Committee or Aquatic Services. There will be a volunteer from each side of the County that will be in charge of contacting volunteers. Supplies will be distributed to the different groups and will include shirts, gloves, hats, trash bags, pencils, stickers and more.
The government’s target achievement and financial disbursements towards key projects such as Housing for All and infrastructure projects (Bharatmala, Industrial corridors, etc.) would be key monitorables from steel demand growth perspective.
•In 2017, global demand increased by 7 percent on-year, primarily on back of anti-expectations growth in demand from China (12.4 percent yoy). The global demand growth ex China was a meagre 2.6 percent. Going ahead, we expect China’s demand growth to slow down to 2-4 percent with the govt. expected to withdraw few incentive schemes. However, the progress of One Belt One Road remains a key monitorable in near term.
•On the domestic front, demand is estimated to rise at 4.5-5.5 percent on-year in 2017-18 and inch up further to 5-6 percent in 2018-19 primarily led by acceleration in execution of affordable housing and infrastructure (railways and urban infrastructure, metros) projects coupled with robust growth in consumption sectors of Auto and Consumer Durables.
•The current fiscal 2017-18 is expected to witness a sharp price uptick of ~14 percent y-o-y (HRC) supported by positive global sentiments and high raw material prices. In fiscal 2018-19, domestic steel prices to remain range-bound with some downward pressure led by pressure on global steel prices and some softening of input prices.
•After witnessing a significant expansion in 2016-17, profitability is expected to be under pressure in the current fiscal primarily on back of high iron ore and coking coal prices. Going ahead we foresee profitability to stay healthy and inch up marginally led by healthy domestic volume growth and expectations of lower raw material prices especially iron ore.
•Government’s target achievement and financial disbursements towards key projects such as Housing for All and infrastructure projects (Bharatmala, Industrial corridors, etc.) would be key monitorables from steel demand growth perspective.
•Further progress on first list of steel companies (with total loan default of around 1.4 lakh crore) referred to NCLT would also re-define the industry’s supply structure and potential capacity expansions.
•After experiencing some pressure in the past, profitability for domestic manufacturers is expected to zoom by 300-400bps in 2017-18 largely on back of 7-8 percent rise in realizations and modest volume growth.
Going forward, we expect profitability to largely remain range bound in 2018-19 with some cost pressure kicking in.
"Time flies. It's up to you to be the navigator," observed a sage.
I am not into political prophecy, but this week last year - precisely November 6, 2017, the day then President Robert Mugabe sacked Emmerson Mnangagwa, his deputy - I posted this on Facebook, where it stands of permanent record until Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg decides otherwise: "I believe the firing of Mnangagwa could have unintended and, crucially, positive consequences not necessarily immediately, but in the medium-to-long-term. I hold no brief for Mnangagwa, but this has the potential to backfire on Mr and Mrs Mugabe and remove their chokehold on the nation. Watch this space."
And this injudicious lot is blaming the government for the bus collision this week in which 50 people perished, whereas the Harare-Mutare Highway is now one of the best in the country after complete resurfacing, pointing to human error such as dangerous driving as the cause of the accident. It has become so ridiculous that even when an accident happens across the border in South Africa, they will still blame the government. I suppose when their favourite football team is beaten, they say the government has something to do with it. When the Aids Levy was introduced, these usual suspects went mad, saying they should not be made to pay for other people's promiscuous sexual behaviour, but guess what? Many of them are now on ARV treatment paid for by that Aids Levy they were dead against.
As one can see, some people are failing to navigate as time flies. That is why they have again been wrong-footed by Econet Wireless founder and executive chairman Strive Masiyiwa's call for the immediate removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe. Like Mugabe had to go, sanctions have to go too, even solely on these grounds given by American economist Steve Hanke: "Sanctions are economically illiterate and punish innocent civilians rather than targeted governments. Oftentimes the political elite get rich while ordinary citizens are left to live off scraps. It's time to call sanctions what they are: war crimes."
Wrote Masiyiwa last week after the usual brigades attacked him for calling for the removal of sanctions: "My name is Strive Masiyiwa, and I'm with the suffering ordinary Zimbabweans who need to see jobs, livelihoods, and investment in our country. I call for an end to sanctions now. And I reiterate my call for people to work together in the national interest. Intimidation and threats have never affected me. I stood up to Mugabe when most of those issuing threats by Twitter were either in diapers or hiding, or even simply minding their own business. Whatever! I did not rail at them and never will or demand that they say only what I approve."
Indeed, it was high time they were told this to their faces because their abuse and insults should not go unchallenged. It's unfair to brand Zimbabwe with the sins of the past. We should look at things in a benign, not malign, way. And no one is better qualified to say that than Masiyiwa.
I would rather be optimistic to a fault than be rabidly and antagonistically obstructive to the morbid extent of celebrating sanctions. Some of the ideas I expound in this column are from gifted, intelligent, level-headed, mature and patriotic Zimbabweans — both old and young — and I am not apologetic and ashamed about that. In fact, it renews one's faith in humanity especially in these fraught times where some people have taken it upon themselves to be crisis-announcers.
Zimbabwean-ness cannot be defined through binary lenses of whether you are Zanu PF or MDC. No, not at all. It should be about what is right or wrong. There are cross-cutting values and political overlap between the two political parties. Cross-cutting issues are those which relate to and must be considered simultaneously within other categories to be appropriately addressed. You can't talk of economic turnaround with your hands tied behind your back by sanctions. An overlapping consensus on national principles above partisan politics in which different groups of citizens accept the same conclusions — that sanctions must go — from quite different arguments — political or economic — can, indeed, be achieved. Values precede politics. No wonder people are sensibly closing ranks to condemn sanctions.
Tawanda Makanda came in with real gems this week pointing out the emptiness of partisan politics and poking big, big holes into many assumptions. Makanda said: "Did you know that: (1) One can support the removal of sanctions and not support either Zanu PF or ED? (2) One can be against the killings of August 1 and not support MDC? (3) One can see sincerity in ED and not in his cronies? (4) One can support nation building without supporting either MDC or Zanu PF politicking?"
Let's be guided by what Masiyiwa said quoting 20th century French statesman Charles de Gaulle: "I belong to everybody, and I belong to nobody."
Former Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Sunday the GOP needs to embrace a bigger tent and immigration reform - and leave abortion "alone” in the wake of the disappointing 2012 presidential elections.
The Arizona senator added that the GOP needed to have a more proactive conversation about the policies it supports.

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.