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More than 30 people have been killed and hundreds more injured in the capital Bangui in the past few weeks.
Locals in Central African Republic are blaming Seleka rebels for the deaths of more than 30 people in the past several weeks.
Hundreds more have been injured in violence in the capital Bangui, residents say.
Locals say the attackers spoke Arabic and were members of the Seleka rebel movement, an armed group that took control of the country in a coup last March.
Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri reports from Bangui, Central African Republic.
Highland Games, which take place from Cowal to Tomintoul and all points in between, are a unique mix of the sporting, the cultural and the social. They usually comprise a programme of field and track events, piping and Highland dancing competitions and 'heavy events' like the tug-o-war, the hammer throw and tossing the...
The North East of Scotland is home to more Castles than anywhere in the UK. Speyside itself contains over half the Distilleries in Scotland, and the Spey and the Dee are, of course, some of the best fly-fishing waters in the world.
The capital of the region is the 'Granite City' of Aberdeen. A busy, prosperous, hard-working city with an international population and a thriving oil industry. With its sparkling granite buildings, Aberdeen has one of Scotland's most enchanting skylines, while the city's Old Town has a magical air of time gone by. A f...
The coast around Aberdeen moves from rocky cliffs to the south to a long stretch of sandy beach that starts at the city and stretches north up to the Ythan Estuary. The majestic Grampian Mountains dominate the skyline to the west of the region whilst miles of unspoiled and often dramatic coastline frame the area in the...
Hit the ski slopes, play on championship golf courses or follow in Queen Victoria's footsteps - the choice is yours.
Central Scotland East covers the spectacular regions of Perthshire, Fife, and Dundee. Perthshire's spectacular, diverse countryside is steeped in history: the stories of Mary Queen of Scots, Rob Roy and William Wallace all have their chapters here. In Fife you will find some of the UK's best kept beaches, delightful fi...
Perthshire is the irrefutable adventure capital of Scotland. This area sits astride the Highland Boundary Fault, the natural phenomenon which fused the Highlands and Lowlands together many thousands of years ago. Today this same 'Fault' provides the area with the terrific mix of terrain that forms the playground for ma...
Home to Scotland's capital for six centuries, Fife has always been at the heart of the nation's history, evidence of which can still be found in its wealth of castles, cathedrals, and places of historic interest. The Kingdom of Fife is also known throughout the world as the Home of Golf and boasts more than forty cours...
Head north of Fife and you hit the city of Dundee. The city has a lively arts scene and a blossoming cultural quarter where thought-provoking art and literature sit alongside cosmopolitan cinema and theatre. As you visit the city today, you could bump into Desperate Dan, circle around a dragon, become a polar explorer,...
Republican Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel has conceded to Democrat Josh Kaul.
Schimel announced Monday that he would not seek a recount, even though state law allowed it because the margin of his defeat was less than 1 percentage point.
Canvassed vote totals show Schimel lost to Kaul by just over 17,000 votes.
The win for Kaul makes him the first Democratic attorney general in Wisconsin since his mother, Peg Lautenschlager, held the post from 2002 to 2006. Schimel served one term, succeeding two-term Republican J.B. Van Hollen.
Despite a program to increase spending with minority and woman-owned businesses, Shelby County figures fall well below the City of Memphis.
Shelby County leaders were working toward increasing county dollars spent on minority and woman-owned businesses when a group of Memphis contractors filed a lawsuit against the county, alleging that the effort had resulted in discrimination against white business owners.
But a report of the county's spending shows little was spent on contracts with minority and woman-owned businesses over the past year despite the implementation of a program aimed at channeling more money to those businesses.
From January to June of 2018, about 2 percent of $65 million spent on purchases went to minority-owned businesses, according to a report from the county.
During that time period, none of that spending went to woman-owned businesses.
The numbers were even less from July through September, when the county spent $22 million on purchases, 1 percent of which went to minority-owned businesses and none to woman-owned businesses. The report did not break out professional and construction services.
Those were numbers commissioners and others had said they hoped to change.
"(The numbers) really support the whole notion that we need to keep pressing forward, that we need these programs," said Commission Chairman Van Turner in an interview before the lawsuit was filed. "That's evidence right there that we shouldn't stop, we can't stop. We have to do what we can to keep this program moving ...
The program was created after a disparity study conducted in 2016 showed that about 88.3 percent of all prime contracts from the county went to white males, whereas only 5.8 percent went to African-American owned businesses and 5.1 percent to Caucasian woman-owned businesses.
Since then, goals have been set for construction projects and professional services. If a business is not able to meet their goals, there is a point system to determine whether they have made a “good faith effort” and should still be awarded the contract. The definitions used by the county mean only businesses that hav...
A moratorium on most major spending may have played a role in keeping numbers low, county leaders have said.
John Burgess, an attorney for the Mechanical Contractor’s Association of Memphis, which filed the lawsuit, said he doesn’t normally comment on pending litigation, but that the lawsuit was “not really” prompted by recent changes to the ordinance by the Shelby County Commission.
According to the lawsuit, one of the association's members, a business owned by a white woman, lost a subcontract in July to a minority-owned business despite submitting the lower bid.
Commissioner Tami Sawyer, who has been one of the most vocal supporters on the county commission of the program, said in an interview before the lawsuit was filed that it’s important to remember how generational privilege has played a role in determining which groups have historically contracted with the county.
Shelby County is majority African-American, and nearly half of its firms are black or African-American owned. Yet census data shows that those businesses have significantly fewer sales and receipts than white-owned businesses and are less likely to have paid employees.
In an effort to divert more money to minority businesses, last month, the commission amended the ordinance that created the program to include a $100 million, five-year contract for inmate medical services.
Watkins said the December change was made after local, minority-owned companies called the county saying they could have done portions of the contract, even if they couldn’t be the prime contractor.
The ordinance revisions also loosened some residency requirements for owners and forbade prime contractors from requiring an exclusive relationship with minority and women-owned subcontractors.
Other changes have also occurred since a new mayor and commission were sworn in: In November, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris announced that PreserverPartners, a local minority-owned management firm, would now manage up to $8.6 million in pension assets on behalf of the county. This increased pension assets under manage...
Watkins said it can be a balancing act to determine whether it is worthwhile to spend more to do business with a minority group or a woman-owned business.
There are also projects where county ordinances don’t apply, such as ones that use federal dollars. In other cases, the county has sought a vendor or a service only to find that there is no such company run by minorities or women in the area.
The county has also stressed the need to build up minority-owned businesses in the area so they are available to contract with.
In December, they unanimously approved a $500,000 grant contract with the 800 Initiative through Christian Brothers University in order to fund programs that grow minority businesses in the county.
Shelby County also falls behind the City of Memphis when it comes to such contracts. In the 2017-18 fiscal year, the City spent 23.6 percent of its contracting dollars with minority and woman-owned businesses. The city and county do use different geographic areas to determine a local business.
Joann Massey, who directs women and minority owned business development for the City of Memphis, said out of the 23.6 percent, 17.7 percent went to minority-owned businesses and 5.9 percent went to women-owned businesses in the City.
"Our efforts have been rooted in intentionality and Mayor (Jim) Strickland's leadership and even a mandate to have more inclusion in our city contracting," Massey said. "Our efforts have been very intentional and strategic. ... We are very excited about the progress we've made, but we know there's still so much more to...
These dramatic shots of Morecambe promenade were taken this lunchtime by Chris Foote.
The pictures show the waves crashing over the railings onto the promenade as the full force of Storm Jonas hit the region.
Waves crash over the railings onto the promenade at Morecambe near The Midland hotel. Pic: Chris Foote.
The resort’s Midland Hotel can be seen in the background with the boiling and turbulent sea spewing waves onto the promenade.
The pictures were taken at high tide at 12.45pm when the water level was at its highest.
The Environment Agency issued flood warnings for Morecambe Bay, including north of Heysham and people were being warned to stay away from the coast.
High water can be expected for two hours before and after the peak between 12pm and 1.30pm.
Archives\|FOUND TRACE IN ASIA OF OLDEST CULTURE; R.C. Andrews, Returning From Mongolia, Believes Man Originated There. OLDEST OF MAMMALS THERE Scientist Thinks the "Missing Link" May Yet Be Unearthed.
FOUND TRACE IN ASIA OF OLDEST CULTURE; R.C. Andrews, Returning From Mongolia, Believes Man Originated There. OLDEST OF MAMMALS THERE Scientist Thinks the "Missing Link" May Yet Be Unearthed.
Fans of Second Life can now access the virtual world through their mobile phones, thanks to a Redwood City, Calif. startup called Vollee.
Squeezing a relatively high-end game like Second Life onto your mobile phone without slowing the experience to a crawl is an impressive technical achievement. And this isn’t just some pared-down “check your status” feature, but a real mobile version of the game, one that lets you wander, fly or teleport through the wor...
Second Life Mobile is launching its public test today, offering compatibility with 40 different 3G and wireless-enabled mobile devices. (The company plans to add more devices soon, including the iPhone.) We haven’t had a chance to try it out, but gaming site 1UP played with a demo at the Game Developers Conference in F...
It will be interesting to see if gamers are actually interested in exploring big virtual worlds on their phones. The mobile gaming market is dominated by casual products, and while technical limitations have a role in that, it’s also easier to imagine someone playing a quick game on their phone, rather than looking for...
This announcement could also be a boost for Linden Lab, the startup behind Second Life. The San Francisco company’s board recently appointed a new chief executive to replace founder Philip Rosedale. The ostensible reason was to help the company handle rapid growth, but there has also been talk that Second Life hasn’t q...
Vollee also has plans for a mobile version of World of Warcraft, the number-one massively multiplayer on-line roleplaying game. The company, originally called Game Stream, was founded in Israel, and has raised $11.5 million in two rounds of venture funding.
"Stealth mode" can backfire when it comes to startups.
Their flagship product, the Rapel Smart Glove — named by CNN as one of the “14 Coolest Tech Products from CES in 2017” — was not released until 2014. Today, the company has offices in three countries and their products are sold all over the world.
“When your product or service reaches a place where it can be replicated, that’s a great indicator of success. As they say, ‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.’ I wasted a lot of time and energy keeping my ideas a secret, when in reality there’s no such thing as a secret. People found out about my products re...
Kim’s approach is a fresh perspective, and worth serious consideration. I would add one caveat: you should always check with a lawyer before sharing anything publicly (e.g. on your website), to ensure you are taking the steps you need to legally protect your IP.
In Annenberg Hall and at least some House dining halls, students are being treated to a healthy helping of social justice reeducation, courtesy of Harvard College’s Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
College administrators distributed a “Holiday Placemat for Social Justice” instructing students on how to answer questions they might face from family and friends. The handout presents poorly written, straw man questions followed by seemingly official and definitive “responses” on topics as varied as the Syrian refugee...
Before addressing the poorly contextualized framing of the questions, the impropriety of forcing College-endorsed political positions on students, and the groupthink this creates, let us examine the source.
One can take that line of logic and run wild. Any professed claim of oppressive etymology should become actionable by the College on the grounds that it isn’t “too onerous.” Damn the facts, full steam ahead! That’s more than just revising history—that’s making a mockery of it.
Worse than the the quality of the arguments is the desired appearance that they are settled, and here is where the College's imprimatur is most disturbing. Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana did not justify the sudden renaming of the House master title in any discernible way—and how could he when even its advocates mus...
Some may say that this is exactly the job that the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion should be doing. Even if we concede that the office should be in the business of promulgating its views on diversity issues relevant on Harvard, it should be doing so in a less shallow and simplistic manner. And even then, wh...
The discussion on student activism at Yale, which “adapts” almost exactly the language originally written about protests at Mizzou, poses the question as “Why are Black students complaining?” Of course, people who have real concern with demands to fire Nicholas and Erika Christakis or to rename Calhoun College do not s...
The handout shamefully parallels a similar tendency among activists to conflate well-meaning people who have the audacity to hold contrary opinions with racists and demagogues. Either you toe the party line, or your justifications don’t matter because you are too white, too male, or too privileged in some other way. Op...
Admissions officers often spin hagiographies of Harvard’s dining halls and the conversations we have in them as the most formative portion of a Harvard education. Yet that is exactly what is threatened by such recklessness.
Idrees M. Kahloon '16, a Crimson editorial executive, is an applied mathematics concentrator in Dunster House.
The community benefits package, which is being developed in tandem with the master plan, will include projects and initiatives intended to improve the neighborhood.
Leaving four million refugees to suffer in the poor living conditions of refugee camps with little in the way of resource or recourse is not an option.
Today, we as a nation are faced with a choice: We can respond with compassion or with fear. We must resist the temptation of the latter.
ADOTAS – Every year, the Super Bowl showcases the top two NFL teams and determines bragging rights for the season. But as compelling as the latest matchup is, it’s not the only game in town. The Super Bowl is a championship of sorts for advertisers too: It’s the one time of year commercials get nearly as much attention...
As we know from past Super Bowls, advertisers are willing to pay a lot for the privilege of airing their messages at a time when they’re practically guaranteed to generate buzz. This year, a 30-second spot reportedly sells for around $4 million. Despite the hefty price tag, the trend toward even more pricey longer-form...
Chrysler’s two-minute “Imported from Detroit” spot featuring rapper Eminem was a huge hit. The company followed up with a 120-second spot with Clint Eastwood, “It’s Halftime in America,” an ad that also generated significant buzz. Automakers weren’t the only brands rolling out long-form ads: Samsung made a splash last ...
Longer-form ads are attractive because they provide the opportunity to tell a story that more deeply engages viewers. That’s why ad makers bring big-name talent on board behind the camera as well as in front: “Next Big Thing” was directed by Jon Favreau, director and producer of the “Iron Man” movies. The investment in...
Advertisers are also looking at ways to capitalize on the growing second-screen phenomenon. Networks have negotiated separate deals for ads that run in simultaneous streams of the big game. Additionally, Super Bowl ad producers routinely release teasers and otherwise encourage sharing across social media platforms, hop...
As the media landscape shifts and new channels emerge, savvy advertisers and brands are seeking new ways to slice and dice the incredibly rich data they receive. Back when Super Bowl broadcasts were a monolithic TV event, ad makers only had to answer one question: Did the spot generate ROI? Now, with cross-channel medi...
This increasing complexity makes an accountable media strategy more important than ever – particularly in campaigns as expensive and high-profile as Super Bowl ads. Brands are investing millions to purchase longer spots to more effectively tell their story. They are willing to pay for top-shelf talent in front of the c...
But unless brands and advertising executives are pursuing an accountable media strategy that enables them to consolidate data from multiple media channels and clearly identify customer drivers, they aren’t getting the most value they can from Big Data – or from the big game.
Controversy broke out over asylum issue, but much was also done to reflect growing diversity as Asians gave more to their chosen land.
It was the best of times and the worst of times. The year brought controversial measures for asylum seekers, but all was not grumbly and gloomy. The year had high high points to shoot away dark clouds of outsourcing outrage and UK did much to reflect is growing ethnic diversity as Indians and other Asians contributed e...
Issue of asylum seekers dominated with the topic generating a lot of heat in the second half of the year.
Astonishingly, the number of Indians seeking asylum in UK grew at an alarming rate - 2500 claims have been from India, according to the Indian High Commissioner Ronen Sen. To have so many asylum seekers from a democracy like India has given rise to doubts whether they are genuine asylum seekers. But the efficacy of lan...
In an unprecedented strategy document released late on Tuesday, the British Foreign Office singled out "Islamic countries or groups" as posing one of the greatest challenges to Western democracies.
But all was not grey and controversial. They were very evident moves from the side of the government to reflect the growing ethnic diversity of the UK. Travel tips were issued in Hindi, Gujarat, Punjabi, Bangla and Urdu, a BBC film is all set to record the immense contribution of the community in NHS who acted as savio...
In a first ever, an India chair set up at Chatham house will conduct a two-year research programme for "The Global Position of India in 2010".
More high points: A study pointed out that Asians were the most tech-savvy in Britain and Indian students outshone other Asians in the field of education in school, while Indians also outstripped their white counterparts in Cambridge.
Strong battery life. Rugged design. 360-degree hinge. Two USB-C ports. Google Play is on board.
Pricier than many Chromebooks. Lacks backlit keyboard.
Students or parents looking for a laptop that will survive an intense day at school will like the Chromebook Flip C213SA's all-day battery life, sturdy build, and multiple viewing modes.
A few clouds early, otherwise mostly sunny. High 64F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph..
William Dee “Bill” Cobb Jr., 50, of Judson, passed away on April 1, 2019, with his soulmate, Lois Cobb, and dearest friends, Robert Fakler and Adam Fuehrer.
A memorial service was held April 9 at Bismarck Community Church with the Rev. Jared Lee and Chaplain David Johnson officiating. Cremation has taken place.
Bill was born Dec. 7, 1968, and raised by his grandparents in St. Louis, where he and his brother, Kevin, grew up together and always remained close friends as well as brothers. As they would say, “It’s all about the brothers.” They grew up gaining a love of Elvis Presley from their grandfather. Elvis’ music was pure p...
Bill had numerous collectibles of Elvis and began Elvis impersonations called “Bill Cobb’s Memories of Elvis” in 2006.

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