Recag/C4_32 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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"They're just kids — they're Australian children, they're orphan children, they're my children — and they're not going to be a risk to anyone."
She rejected suggestions the children wanted to stay in IS-controlled territory for the past five years.
"It was impossible for them to get out," she said.
"Once you're in there you can't get out, you just can't; if you leave they would've killed you, ISIS would've killed you and you couldn't really trust people to take you out because they will turn you in to ISIS and you'd be killed."
Ms Nettleton's trip to Syria is the third time she has flown to the region to retrieve her grandchildren: she travelled to Turkey in 2016 and 2018 but returned home empty-handed both times.
This attempt may have more success, as other foreign children held at the Syrian camps have been rescued by their home countries.
In March the French Government reportedly repatriated a group of five orphaned IS children from the al-Hawl camp.
About nine other countries including Egypt, Indonesia and Russia, have also been able to repatriate hundreds of their children.
"I want the (Australian) Government to assist in getting the children home," Ms Nettleton said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has maintained he will not risk Australian lives extracting people from conflict zones, but on Friday indicated the Government was open to working with aid agencies to facilitate their passage.
"Where there are children, and mainly that's where our focus is, I'd say exclusively that's where our focus is," Mr Morrison said.
"Then we are working with the Red Cross so that where they're in a position for people to get to a place where they might be in a position to return to Australia then we will cooperate with that process."
Mr Morrison said provided the children passed "normal assessments", the Government was open to assisting their return to Australia.
"There are issues relating to people's citizenship that has to be confirmed, and you'd expect that," he said.
"But where those issues are able to be addressed, we would follow the normal processes for issuing of travel documents after all those other matters have been addressed.
"But I am not going to put one Australian life at risk for that.
"In the case of [Australian] children, who are the innocent victims of those who took them into this atrocious place … we will do what I think Australians would expect us to do on their behalf."
The family's lawyer, Robert Van Aalst, said the comment was heartening.
"It's been a long time coming, and I'm glad that Scott Morrison has moved his position from not wanting to deal with it at all, to, he puts children in a different position, and to actually come out and say he's going to assist the children," Mr Van Aalst said.
He said the first step would be getting the children out of the camp, and getting Zaynab urgent medical attention.
Ms Nettleton has previously been told by the Australian Government that if she can get the children to an Australian embassy in a nearby country, the Government will be able to provide emergency travel documents to help them return to Australia.
Talk story about picture windows being a menace to birds who dash against them and knock themselves out due to speed at which birds fly. Interview with an Audubon Societies man. He feels that the situation is to be regretted, but that the picture window does not constitute a genuine threat to avifauna. Cats may take a hundred million bird lives a year. Telephone wires, moving automobiles, the torch of the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Bldg., the Washington Monument are deathtraps. Falcons are thought to fly around 65 m.p.h. The duck hawk, a falcon, has taken a fancy to the city. A pair of them have been nesting on the roof of the St. Regis, another pair are living under the Geo. Washington Bridge. The duck hawk has a reputed speed of 200 m.p.h. in straight dives. A Pittsburgh Plate Glass man said that they are working to protect windows from birds, not the other way around.
This article appears in the print edition of the August 27, 1949, issue.
A wonderful, Well kept home in Metrowest, zoned for Great schools, Easy Access to highway, hospitals and shopping.
Looking for a home close to downtown Orlando? This home is just minutes away from all the shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities, walking trails, 20 minutes from Disney and close to all major highways. Fantastic home or Perfect Investment that is already Cash Flowing.
COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WECT) - A Wake County judge has set a Feb. 11 trial date in former Columbus County Sheriff Lewis Hatcher’s case against the recently elected sheriff.
Earlier this month, Hatcher filed a complaint for injunctive relief, essentially requesting a court remove Jody Greene from office and reinstate him to the role until the State Board of Elections can consider several pending protest appeals filed in connection to the sheriff’s race.
The crux of the controversy stems from the swearing-in of Greene, which was apparently done prematurely and in violation of state law. The law requires a certificate of election to be issued before someone assumes office. That did not happen in this case.
Judge Graham Shirley said that this case was not about who got the most votes, who was the best candidate, or what was fair, since the law isn’t always fair. He said this was about applying the facts of this case to the requirements of the law.
Republican newcomer Greene narrowly defeated Hatcher, a Democrat, by 37 votes in the November general election. But there were several election protests filed, challenging whether Greene actually lives in Columbus County and questioning what happened to nearly 200 absentee ballots that disappeared. Greene was sworn-in as sheriff in early December, and has been serving in that role since, despite the pending protests.
On Friday, the judge said he did not have the statutory authority to issue a restraining order or other injunctive relief to remove anyone from office. But, he could help settle this matter through other means.
Shirley ruled the jury trial would be held in another county, potentially Pender County, saying reaching a unanimous verdict with Columbus County jurors would be next to impossible.
The judge also told attorneys who represented Greene that he would be required to put up a $25,000 bond within 10 days to respond to Hatcher’s complaint, or the court would enter a judgement by default in Hatcher’s favor. The amount was based on the pay and benefits Hatcher is losing while he arguably should have remained Sheriff pending the outcome of the election disputes.
While Hatcher and supporters for both candidates were in the courtroom today, Greene did not attend the proceedings. Two attorneys appeared on his behalf.
Despite recent earnings gains and strong March vehicle sales, investors should be cautious with automaker stocks right now. Shares of Toyota (NYSE:TM) and Honda (NYSE:HMC) are the most vulnerable right now, because of the loss of production in Japan.
Even with less exposure to Japan, Ford (NYSE:F) and General Motors (NYSE:GM) face headwinds, too.
Investors are still feeling a lot of love for the auto sector, especially when considering the sector is up more than 50% from a trough last July. From a business perspective, the automakers are still doing a lot of the same things that have lifted their earnings over the past few quarters. So why should investors consider a retreat from such a solid position?
Share prices don’t yet reflect the full impact from the March 11 Japan earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. That’s what prompted a Citigroup analyst to issue a sell order Friday on Toyota and Honda. Although both companies plan to restart halted assembly lines in Japan next week at about 50% of their planned levels, the specter of additional plant closures later in the month remains.
Thursday’s 7.1-magnitude aftershock in northern Japan triggered massive power outages, further complicating the industry’s ability to come back from the initial disaster. While Toyota and Honda said they had factored this new quake into their plans to restart production, some key suppliers were affected by the new seismic activity. Blackouts from the new quake caused Renesas, a major supplier of microcontroller chips to the automotive industry, to shutter four plants in the northern part of the country.
The Japan disaster is wreaking havoc with Honda and Toyota’s production and product launch plans. The companies already have had to postpone new launches — including the Prius hybrid wagon and minivan. The crisis already has lost Toyota 260,000 vehicles that should have been produced between March 14 and Friday, during which time the company was forced to close 18 plants. Advanced Research Japan analyst Koji Endo said it may already have cost Toyota $1.2 billion for the fiscal year that ended March 31, and could cost the company as much as $2.4 billion this year.
Parts shortages are everybody’s problem. “The full extent of damage to the supply chain and production disruption from the power outages are being underestimated by the market, and we would avoid the sector as things stand,” Citi analyst Noriyuki Matsushima noted to clients. Automotive industry researchers say U.S. automakers rely on Japan for 14% of their parts, and lean inventories leave little room for supply disruptions. What’s more, those disruptions could hit popular hybrid and electric vehicles hard. For example, Sanyo in Japan makes the batteries for Ford’s popular “Escape” hybrid.
Rising fuel prices always have some impact on the auto industry, and with oil bouncing up over $110 a barrel this week, the industry will feel the pain. Making matters worse, the budget deadlock between Congressional Republicans and Democrats that threatens to shut down the government at midnight Friday is wreaking havoc on the dollar.
As of this writing, Susan J. Aluise did not old a position in any of the stocks named here.
Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2011/04/5-reasons-to-fear-auto-stocks/.
Berwick Partners leads the way in recruiting senior management & leadership positions across the private and public sectors nationally. We support our clients in making key appointments which have a critical and lasting impact on their organisations.
Bis Henderson Recruitment is a leader in supply chain and logistics recruitment in both the private and public sectors.
peso slid to a record low.
Agreement (NAFTA) with the United States and Canada.
investors lost confidence on the monetary-fiscal policy mix,"
income strategy at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
suffers one of the world's highest inflation rates.
losses at Brazil's largest bank Itau.
The host Hillies came back from a 2-1 game deficit to adavnce to the quarterfinals, winning, 25-13, 20-25, 21-25, 25-11, and 15-7. Alexis Alestock had 35 digs and Abigail Sonuga had 14 kills.
Updated: Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, 7:53 p.m.
The New Zealand film Daffodils is being released in cinemas around the country today. The movie, inspired by a true story, is a musical love story interwoven with some of our most iconic kiwi songs.
We're joined by two of the stars of the movie, Grammy winning singer Kimbra and actor George Mason.
Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Nasser bin Thani Juma al-Hamli (L,) and the director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority Abdulla Nasser Lootah (R,) collect their awards from the leader of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, on January 27, 2019.
Dubai's government held its annual gender balance awards on Sunday, where all the prizes went to men.
The Gender Balance Index for the federal government 2018 offered three awards: best gender personality, best work initiative, and best department.
Two male government department heads, and one male military officer received framed golden trophies from Dubai's emir.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum "recognised the efforts" of one woman, but she did not get an award.
Despite the poor optics, the United Arab Emirates is well above the average for gender balance in the region, according to the UN.
The Dubai government held its annual gender balance awards on Sunday, and men walked away with every trophy.
The Gender Balance Index 2018 awards offered up three prizes for people or departments who champion women and the pursuit of gender equality in Dubai.
These were a gender "personality" award, an award for a workplace initiative to make men and women more equal, and a departmental award for supporting gender balance.
The Dubai government's media office tweeted a photo of the winners after the ceremony, who were all men.
The tweet said the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, "honors the winners of the Gender Balance Index 2018."
The Sheikh "recognised the efforts" of one woman, Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.
She carried out "exceptional projects that helped achieve the nation's goals of gender balance," the press statement said— but she did not win an award.
She is also a member of the royal family and the wife of the Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
When asked by Business Insider about the lack of female prize winners, the Dubai Gender Balance Council told us: "During the Index's second edition, recipients of the Index's awards happened to be entities led by men."
"This is indicative of the great and extraordinary progress we have made as a nation, where men in the UAE are proactively working alongside women to champion gender balance as a national priority," they added.
On his personal Twitter account, the Sheikh described the awards as: "A great effort led by many parties to establish an environment that achieves a balance between the two sexes."
The Sheikh with the director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority Abdulla Nasser Lootah (R,) on January 27, 2019.
The United Arab Emirates is one of the leaders in the middle east for gender balance, according to UN Human Development Reports, with a Gender Development Index (GDI) of 0.97. This compares with 0.88 in Saudi Arabia.
The UAE is the highest ranked country for gender equality in the Gulf region and legislation was approved in April to get equal pay for women.
After the government's press office tweeted the images, people were quick to notice the lack of female award winners.
The Sheikh with Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed al-Nahyan on January 27, 2019.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporter Golnaz Esfandiari tweeted: "All winners of Gender Balance Index are men!?"
Nicholas McGeehan, a former Middle East Researcher with Human Rights Watch, tweeted: "Best Gender Balance Awards Ever."
Oz Katerji, freelance conflict and rights journalist tweeted: "This would be funny, if it was not so utterly depressing."
In the statement Dubai's government said: "Over the past four years, the UAE Gender Balance Council has launched several initiatives and projects to promote gender balance in the country and move towards greater success and global leadership."
The four male winners of the awards with Dubai's Sheikh, pictured on January 27, 2019.
"The achievements of Emirati women today reaffirm the wise vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who believed in the importance of the role of women, and their right to work and become key partners in society."
Business Insider has contacted officials in Dubai for comment, but has yet to receive a reply.
In "Be All You Can Be," we meet two children born into desperate circumstances. Their lives worsen as they grow older and make bad choices in response to their childhoods.
The author, Edward Vaughn, is a retired Special Forces colonel who has been a business executive. He's now a counselor in Fayetteville at the Raintree Clinic. He started writing books with a suspense series set in Tybee Island, Ga., then wrote a second series set in Cumberland County. His newest book is a straightforward telling of characters' lives, emphasizing religious belief.
Through the characters Faith and Wallace, Vaughn lets the reader see how easily trouble - including the legal kind - can come to sad youth who have mostly known rejection as outcasts.
A mother unraveling emotionally has led the main character, Faith, to become a neglected and morbidly obese child. Her problems worsen as she enters the teen years. She's also put into foster care, gets into trouble and runs away. Wallace, too, loses his way in a life of crime.
On his website, Vaughn writes that his book "is intended to be inspirational to people who have allowed themselves to be drawn into the hole of negative thinking and depression."
Change results not from the first offers of help to Faith and Wallace but with timely encouragement as each gradually accepts that change is possible. Order his books online or at edwardvaughn.com.
A Fayetteville native and Virginia newspaper editor - the author of "Littlejohn" and nine other novels - wrote the first book in a mystery series last year featuring reporter Willie Black.
Howard Owen will be at the Headquarters Library at 7 p.m. Oct. 8 to talk about "Oregon Hill" and the newly released second book in the series, "The Philadelphia Quarry."
Researchers have discovered that a chemical released by a mown lawn makes people feel happy and relaxed, and could prevent mental decline in old age.
They claim it works directly on the brain, in particular the emotional and memory parts known as the amygdala and the hippocampus.
Now they have developed a perfume, which “smells like a freshly-cut lawn”, that relieves stress and help boost memory, scientists claim.
The Australian experts produced the “eau de mow” after seven years of research.
Dr Nick Lavidis, a neuroscientist at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, came up with the idea for the perfume, named Serenascent, after going on a forest trek in the US twenty years ago.
“Three days in Yosemite National Park felt like a three-month holiday,” he said.
“I didn’t realise at the time that it was the actual combination of feel-good chemicals released by the pine trees, the lush vegetation and the cut grass that made me feel so relaxed.

"They're just kids — they're Australian children, they're orphan children, they're my children — and they're not going to be a risk to anyone."

She rejected suggestions the children wanted to stay in IS-controlled territory for the past five years.

"It was impossible for them to get out," she said.

"Once you're in there you can't get out, you just can't; if you leave they would've killed you, ISIS would've killed you and you couldn't really trust people to take you out because they will turn you in to ISIS and you'd be killed."

Ms Nettleton's trip to Syria is the third time she has flown to the region to retrieve her grandchildren: she travelled to Turkey in 2016 and 2018 but returned home empty-handed both times.

This attempt may have more success, as other foreign children held at the Syrian camps have been rescued by their home countries.

In March the French Government reportedly repatriated a group of five orphaned IS children from the al-Hawl camp.

About nine other countries including Egypt, Indonesia and Russia, have also been able to repatriate hundreds of their children.

"I want the (Australian) Government to assist in getting the children home," Ms Nettleton said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has maintained he will not risk Australian lives extracting people from conflict zones, but on Friday indicated the Government was open to working with aid agencies to facilitate their passage.

"Where there are children, and mainly that's where our focus is, I'd say exclusively that's where our focus is," Mr Morrison said.

"Then we are working with the Red Cross so that where they're in a position for people to get to a place where they might be in a position to return to Australia then we will cooperate with that process."

Mr Morrison said provided the children passed "normal assessments", the Government was open to assisting their return to Australia.

"There are issues relating to people's citizenship that has to be confirmed, and you'd expect that," he said.

"But where those issues are able to be addressed, we would follow the normal processes for issuing of travel documents after all those other matters have been addressed.

"But I am not going to put one Australian life at risk for that.

"In the case of [Australian] children, who are the innocent victims of those who took them into this atrocious place … we will do what I think Australians would expect us to do on their behalf."

The family's lawyer, Robert Van Aalst, said the comment was heartening.

"It's been a long time coming, and I'm glad that Scott Morrison has moved his position from not wanting to deal with it at all, to, he puts children in a different position, and to actually come out and say he's going to assist the children," Mr Van Aalst said.

He said the first step would be getting the children out of the camp, and getting Zaynab urgent medical attention.

Ms Nettleton has previously been told by the Australian Government that if she can get the children to an Australian embassy in a nearby country, the Government will be able to provide emergency travel documents to help them return to Australia.

Talk story about picture windows being a menace to birds who dash against them and knock themselves out due to speed at which birds fly. Interview with an Audubon Societies man. He feels that the situation is to be regretted, but that the picture window does not constitute a genuine threat to avifauna. Cats may take a hundred million bird lives a year. Telephone wires, moving automobiles, the torch of the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Bldg., the Washington Monument are deathtraps. Falcons are thought to fly around 65 m.p.h. The duck hawk, a falcon, has taken a fancy to the city. A pair of them have been nesting on the roof of the St. Regis, another pair are living under the Geo. Washington Bridge. The duck hawk has a reputed speed of 200 m.p.h. in straight dives. A Pittsburgh Plate Glass man said that they are working to protect windows from birds, not the other way around.

This article appears in the print edition of the August 27, 1949, issue.

A wonderful, Well kept home in Metrowest, zoned for Great schools, Easy Access to highway, hospitals and shopping.

Looking for a home close to downtown Orlando? This home is just minutes away from all the shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities, walking trails, 20 minutes from Disney and close to all major highways. Fantastic home or Perfect Investment that is already Cash Flowing.

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WECT) - A Wake County judge has set a Feb. 11 trial date in former Columbus County Sheriff Lewis Hatcher’s case against the recently elected sheriff.

Earlier this month, Hatcher filed a complaint for injunctive relief, essentially requesting a court remove Jody Greene from office and reinstate him to the role until the State Board of Elections can consider several pending protest appeals filed in connection to the sheriff’s race.

The crux of the controversy stems from the swearing-in of Greene, which was apparently done prematurely and in violation of state law. The law requires a certificate of election to be issued before someone assumes office. That did not happen in this case.

Judge Graham Shirley said that this case was not about who got the most votes, who was the best candidate, or what was fair, since the law isn’t always fair. He said this was about applying the facts of this case to the requirements of the law.

Republican newcomer Greene narrowly defeated Hatcher, a Democrat, by 37 votes in the November general election. But there were several election protests filed, challenging whether Greene actually lives in Columbus County and questioning what happened to nearly 200 absentee ballots that disappeared. Greene was sworn-in as sheriff in early December, and has been serving in that role since, despite the pending protests.

On Friday, the judge said he did not have the statutory authority to issue a restraining order or other injunctive relief to remove anyone from office. But, he could help settle this matter through other means.

Shirley ruled the jury trial would be held in another county, potentially Pender County, saying reaching a unanimous verdict with Columbus County jurors would be next to impossible.

The judge also told attorneys who represented Greene that he would be required to put up a $25,000 bond within 10 days to respond to Hatcher’s complaint, or the court would enter a judgement by default in Hatcher’s favor. The amount was based on the pay and benefits Hatcher is losing while he arguably should have remained Sheriff pending the outcome of the election disputes.

While Hatcher and supporters for both candidates were in the courtroom today, Greene did not attend the proceedings. Two attorneys appeared on his behalf.

Despite recent earnings gains and strong March vehicle sales, investors should be cautious with automaker stocks right now. Shares of Toyota (NYSE:TM) and Honda (NYSE:HMC) are the most vulnerable right now, because of the loss of production in Japan.

Even with less exposure to Japan, Ford (NYSE:F) and General Motors (NYSE:GM) face headwinds, too.

Investors are still feeling a lot of love for the auto sector, especially when considering the sector is up more than 50% from a trough last July. From a business perspective, the automakers are still doing a lot of the same things that have lifted their earnings over the past few quarters. So why should investors consider a retreat from such a solid position?

Share prices don’t yet reflect the full impact from the March 11 Japan earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. That’s what prompted a Citigroup analyst to issue a sell order Friday on Toyota and Honda. Although both companies plan to restart halted assembly lines in Japan next week at about 50% of their planned levels, the specter of additional plant closures later in the month remains.

Thursday’s 7.1-magnitude aftershock in northern Japan triggered massive power outages, further complicating the industry’s ability to come back from the initial disaster. While Toyota and Honda said they had factored this new quake into their plans to restart production, some key suppliers were affected by the new seismic activity. Blackouts from the new quake caused Renesas, a major supplier of microcontroller chips to the automotive industry, to shutter four plants in the northern part of the country.

The Japan disaster is wreaking havoc with Honda and Toyota’s production and product launch plans. The companies already have had to postpone new launches — including the Prius hybrid wagon and minivan. The crisis already has lost Toyota 260,000 vehicles that should have been produced between March 14 and Friday, during which time the company was forced to close 18 plants. Advanced Research Japan analyst Koji Endo said it may already have cost Toyota $1.2 billion for the fiscal year that ended March 31, and could cost the company as much as $2.4 billion this year.

Parts shortages are everybody’s problem. “The full extent of damage to the supply chain and production disruption from the power outages are being underestimated by the market, and we would avoid the sector as things stand,” Citi analyst Noriyuki Matsushima noted to clients. Automotive industry researchers say U.S. automakers rely on Japan for 14% of their parts, and lean inventories leave little room for supply disruptions. What’s more, those disruptions could hit popular hybrid and electric vehicles hard. For example, Sanyo in Japan makes the batteries for Ford’s popular “Escape” hybrid.

Rising fuel prices always have some impact on the auto industry, and with oil bouncing up over $110 a barrel this week, the industry will feel the pain. Making matters worse, the budget deadlock between Congressional Republicans and Democrats that threatens to shut down the government at midnight Friday is wreaking havoc on the dollar.

As of this writing, Susan J. Aluise did not old a position in any of the stocks named here.

Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2011/04/5-reasons-to-fear-auto-stocks/.

Berwick Partners leads the way in recruiting senior management & leadership positions across the private and public sectors nationally. We support our clients in making key appointments which have a critical and lasting impact on their organisations.

Bis Henderson Recruitment is a leader in supply chain and logistics recruitment in both the private and public sectors.

peso slid to a record low.

Agreement (NAFTA) with the United States and Canada.

investors lost confidence on the monetary-fiscal policy mix,"

income strategy at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

suffers one of the world's highest inflation rates.

losses at Brazil's largest bank Itau.

The host Hillies came back from a 2-1 game deficit to adavnce to the quarterfinals, winning, 25-13, 20-25, 21-25, 25-11, and 15-7. Alexis Alestock had 35 digs and Abigail Sonuga had 14 kills.

Updated: Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, 7:53 p.m.

The New Zealand film Daffodils is being released in cinemas around the country today. The movie, inspired by a true story, is a musical love story interwoven with some of our most iconic kiwi songs.

We're joined by two of the stars of the movie, Grammy winning singer Kimbra and actor George Mason.

Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Nasser bin Thani Juma al-Hamli (L,) and the director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority Abdulla Nasser Lootah (R,) collect their awards from the leader of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, on January 27, 2019.

Dubai's government held its annual gender balance awards on Sunday, where all the prizes went to men.

The Gender Balance Index for the federal government 2018 offered three awards: best gender personality, best work initiative, and best department.

Two male government department heads, and one male military officer received framed golden trophies from Dubai's emir.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum "recognised the efforts" of one woman, but she did not get an award.

Despite the poor optics, the United Arab Emirates is well above the average for gender balance in the region, according to the UN.

The Dubai government held its annual gender balance awards on Sunday, and men walked away with every trophy.

The Gender Balance Index 2018 awards offered up three prizes for people or departments who champion women and the pursuit of gender equality in Dubai.

These were a gender "personality" award, an award for a workplace initiative to make men and women more equal, and a departmental award for supporting gender balance.

The Dubai government's media office tweeted a photo of the winners after the ceremony, who were all men.

The tweet said the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, "honors the winners of the Gender Balance Index 2018."

The Sheikh "recognised the efforts" of one woman, Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.

She carried out "exceptional projects that helped achieve the nation's goals of gender balance," the press statement said— but she did not win an award.

She is also a member of the royal family and the wife of the Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

When asked by Business Insider about the lack of female prize winners, the Dubai Gender Balance Council told us: "During the Index's second edition, recipients of the Index's awards happened to be entities led by men."

"This is indicative of the great and extraordinary progress we have made as a nation, where men in the UAE are proactively working alongside women to champion gender balance as a national priority," they added.

On his personal Twitter account, the Sheikh described the awards as: "A great effort led by many parties to establish an environment that achieves a balance between the two sexes."

The Sheikh with the director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority Abdulla Nasser Lootah (R,) on January 27, 2019.

The United Arab Emirates is one of the leaders in the middle east for gender balance, according to UN Human Development Reports, with a Gender Development Index (GDI) of 0.97. This compares with 0.88 in Saudi Arabia.

The UAE is the highest ranked country for gender equality in the Gulf region and legislation was approved in April to get equal pay for women.

After the government's press office tweeted the images, people were quick to notice the lack of female award winners.

The Sheikh with Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed al-Nahyan on January 27, 2019.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporter Golnaz Esfandiari tweeted: "All winners of Gender Balance Index are men!?"

Nicholas McGeehan, a former Middle East Researcher with Human Rights Watch, tweeted: "Best Gender Balance Awards Ever."

Oz Katerji, freelance conflict and rights journalist tweeted: "This would be funny, if it was not so utterly depressing."

In the statement Dubai's government said: "Over the past four years, the UAE Gender Balance Council has launched several initiatives and projects to promote gender balance in the country and move towards greater success and global leadership."

The four male winners of the awards with Dubai's Sheikh, pictured on January 27, 2019.

"The achievements of Emirati women today reaffirm the wise vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who believed in the importance of the role of women, and their right to work and become key partners in society."

Business Insider has contacted officials in Dubai for comment, but has yet to receive a reply.

In "Be All You Can Be," we meet two children born into desperate circumstances. Their lives worsen as they grow older and make bad choices in response to their childhoods.

The author, Edward Vaughn, is a retired Special Forces colonel who has been a business executive. He's now a counselor in Fayetteville at the Raintree Clinic. He started writing books with a suspense series set in Tybee Island, Ga., then wrote a second series set in Cumberland County. His newest book is a straightforward telling of characters' lives, emphasizing religious belief.

Through the characters Faith and Wallace, Vaughn lets the reader see how easily trouble - including the legal kind - can come to sad youth who have mostly known rejection as outcasts.

A mother unraveling emotionally has led the main character, Faith, to become a neglected and morbidly obese child. Her problems worsen as she enters the teen years. She's also put into foster care, gets into trouble and runs away. Wallace, too, loses his way in a life of crime.

On his website, Vaughn writes that his book "is intended to be inspirational to people who have allowed themselves to be drawn into the hole of negative thinking and depression."

Change results not from the first offers of help to Faith and Wallace but with timely encouragement as each gradually accepts that change is possible. Order his books online or at edwardvaughn.com.

A Fayetteville native and Virginia newspaper editor - the author of "Littlejohn" and nine other novels - wrote the first book in a mystery series last year featuring reporter Willie Black.

Howard Owen will be at the Headquarters Library at 7 p.m. Oct. 8 to talk about "Oregon Hill" and the newly released second book in the series, "The Philadelphia Quarry."

Researchers have discovered that a chemical released by a mown lawn makes people feel happy and relaxed, and could prevent mental decline in old age.

They claim it works directly on the brain, in particular the emotional and memory parts known as the amygdala and the hippocampus.

Now they have developed a perfume, which “smells like a freshly-cut lawn”, that relieves stress and help boost memory, scientists claim.

The Australian experts produced the “eau de mow” after seven years of research.

Dr Nick Lavidis, a neuroscientist at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, came up with the idea for the perfume, named Serenascent, after going on a forest trek in the US twenty years ago.

“Three days in Yosemite National Park felt like a three-month holiday,” he said.

“I didn’t realise at the time that it was the actual combination of feel-good chemicals released by the pine trees, the lush vegetation and the cut grass that made me feel so relaxed.